Saturday, March 04, 2006
Dinner at Home
Hot Pot Soup
We made this in the fondue pot, but it can just as easily be made in a pot on the stove--medium heat.
Ingredients:
-1 head of garlic, peeled
-1/2 an onion, diced
-3 cups spinach, washed
-1/2 pound shrimp, peeled
-1/2 block firm tofu, chopped in 1 inch cubes
-1 package shirtaki or yam noodles
-4 cans stock (and kind, but we like beef the best)
-a couple Tb rice vinegar
-a couple Tb rooster sauce
-1 Tb miso
-three eggs, lightly beaten
How To:
1) Sautee onions and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes.
2) Add stock, vinegar, miso and rooster sauce and stir. Bring to a boil.
3) Add the tofu and noodle and simmer for about 20 minutes (this is to infuse the otherwise bland tofu and noodles with the flavor of the broth.
4) Add the egg in a swirling motion, egg drop style.
5) Add the spinach and wait until it softens (about a minute).
6) Add the shrimp wait till cooked through (about a minute).
7) Serve.
Servings: 2 (but we are big eaters)
-1 head of garlic, peeled
-1/2 an onion, diced
-3 cups spinach, washed
-1/2 pound shrimp, peeled
-1/2 block firm tofu, chopped in 1 inch cubes
-1 package shirtaki or yam noodles
-4 cans stock (and kind, but we like beef the best)
-a couple Tb rice vinegar
-a couple Tb rooster sauce
-1 Tb miso
-three eggs, lightly beaten
How To:
1) Sautee onions and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes.
2) Add stock, vinegar, miso and rooster sauce and stir. Bring to a boil.
3) Add the tofu and noodle and simmer for about 20 minutes (this is to infuse the otherwise bland tofu and noodles with the flavor of the broth.
4) Add the egg in a swirling motion, egg drop style.
5) Add the spinach and wait until it softens (about a minute).
6) Add the shrimp wait till cooked through (about a minute).
7) Serve.
Servings: 2 (but we are big eaters)
Lunch at Home
Breakfast at Home
Ricotta Zuchinni Pancakes and Bacon
I am going to refrain from giving the recipe here because these pancakes were really not very good.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Dinner at Jeanty @ Jack's, San Francisco, CA
After a few rounds of drinks at MacArthur, we again had the perennial, 'Where should we eat?' conversation. Eventually, K came up with a place we had been meaning to try anyway, Jeanty @ Jack's. We made our way over there, and after some haggling, the hostess agreed to seat us as we waited at the bar. The restaurant itself is a quaint three level building that very much reflects it's French brasserie food.
Escargots ($10.50)
Nice, fat escargots in a classic buttery garlic sauce.
Mussels ($10)
According to Anthony Bourdain, one should never eat mussels at a restaurant as they are almost never kept properly. However, in practice, sometimes we can't resist. And this time, we were very glad we took the risk. These were the plumpest mussels I've seen in a long time in the most scrumptous of sauces. We wouldn't let the waiter take the bowl of sauce away as we kept dipping crunchy bread in it.
Steak Tartare ($17.50)
A bit too much like ground beef for our taste, but I suppose that IS the French way with steak tartare. Not quite what we wanted, but not the restaurants fault either.
Fries (served with the Tartare)
Usually Alexis dislikes fries but these were delicious. Every one crispier than the next. Each salted to perfection. And, when we asked for some mayo for dipping we were greeted with a beautiful bowl of freshly made, lemony, light mayonnaise.
Tomato Soup ($8.50)
So good. Creamy, tomaty and served in a puff pastry crust.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 2
Website
Health Code Violations
Escargots ($10.50)
Nice, fat escargots in a classic buttery garlic sauce.
Mussels ($10)
According to Anthony Bourdain, one should never eat mussels at a restaurant as they are almost never kept properly. However, in practice, sometimes we can't resist. And this time, we were very glad we took the risk. These were the plumpest mussels I've seen in a long time in the most scrumptous of sauces. We wouldn't let the waiter take the bowl of sauce away as we kept dipping crunchy bread in it.
Steak Tartare ($17.50)
A bit too much like ground beef for our taste, but I suppose that IS the French way with steak tartare. Not quite what we wanted, but not the restaurants fault either.
Fries (served with the Tartare)
Usually Alexis dislikes fries but these were delicious. Every one crispier than the next. Each salted to perfection. And, when we asked for some mayo for dipping we were greeted with a beautiful bowl of freshly made, lemony, light mayonnaise.
Terrine de Lapin ($11.50)
This was just a bit too country, too course, boring in a way. Let's just say that neither flavor now texture served to excite the palate.
Tomato Soup ($8.50)
So good. Creamy, tomaty and served in a puff pastry crust.
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 2
Website
Health Code Violations
Snack at MacArthur Park, San Francisco, CA
MacArthur Park is our semi-regular friday Happy Hour watering hole, more because of proximity to work than any actual preference or economic factors.
Lunch from Osha Thai, San Francisco, CA
Giao first went to this restaraunt way back in the days of the Boom. Back then it was a dingy little place that occupied half of it's current dingy location on Geary. It was also affectionately nicknamed 'Thai Actress Restaraunt" as the proprieters were apparently famous actors in Thailand. In any case, back then it served up good noodle soups, and great shrimp fried rice. Giao hasn't really been there since he started lo-carbing, but it has opened a couple more (swanky from the pictures at least) locations, and expanded the menu somewhat. (This was also another catered in lunch from work.)
Sea Bass Clay Pot
Quite good, served with spinach and cabbage. The flavor of ginger pervaded.
Roasted Duck Salad
The roasted duck was good, while the rest of the salad with a bit lackluster--not much too it and the dressing was a bit too acidic.
Chicken Wings
They might have been better if they were not cold when we got them, but the sauce would not have been. The sauce was too sweet and had a distinctly "snotty" consistency.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: N/A
Service: N/A
Website - We believe that it was probably from the 2nd Street Location
Health Code Violations
Sea Bass Clay Pot
Quite good, served with spinach and cabbage. The flavor of ginger pervaded.
Roasted Duck Salad
The roasted duck was good, while the rest of the salad with a bit lackluster--not much too it and the dressing was a bit too acidic.
Chicken Wings
They might have been better if they were not cold when we got them, but the sauce would not have been. The sauce was too sweet and had a distinctly "snotty" consistency.
Food: 1
Decor: N/A
Service: N/A
Website - We believe that it was probably from the 2nd Street Location
Health Code Violations
Breakfast at Home
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Dinner at Home
Chicken Paprika with Cheesy Pureed Cauliflour
Alexis got inspired by one of her Hungarian cookbooks and decided to make this chicken. Basically, you sautee an onion, a tomato and a bell pepper in olive oil, paprika and salt until soft and set aside. In the same pan throw in some roughly chopped chicken pieces (I used about 8 thighs) , brown, cover and let cook threw. When the chicken is almost cooked through add the veggie mixture back in with about a 1/2 cup of heavy cream and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Also, this version of the pureed cauliflour turned out much better than the last. The addition of a sharp white cheese added just the right amount of zing while supporting the creamy texture.
Lunch at Gold Mountain, San Francisco, CA
Gold Mountain is our new old stand-by for dim sum. This spread was $14 per person.
Sauteed Chinese Broccoli
Spare Ribs
Pork Shu Mai
These, and everything else actually, were fresher than normal today. Our hypothesis is that we missed the lunch rush and got the new batch.
Chicken Feet
Alexis does not eat these, but Giao loves them.
Har Gow
Again, much fresher than normal.
Chicken on Fermented Soy Beans
The chicken was moist but bland and those little soy beans are just so tasty.
Vegetable Stuffed Tofu Skins
These were actually a bit slimier than usual, and I would consider that a bad thing.
Previous Post
Sauteed Chinese Broccoli
Spare Ribs
Pork Shu Mai
These, and everything else actually, were fresher than normal today. Our hypothesis is that we missed the lunch rush and got the new batch.
Chicken Feet
Alexis does not eat these, but Giao loves them.
Har Gow
Again, much fresher than normal.
Chicken on Fermented Soy Beans
The chicken was moist but bland and those little soy beans are just so tasty.
Vegetable Stuffed Tofu Skins
These were actually a bit slimier than usual, and I would consider that a bad thing.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Snack at the PIg and Whistle, San Francisco, CA
Dinner at Work
Leftover Chili.
Lunch at Work
Leftover Cream of Zuchinni and Spinach Soup with Chopped Rotisserie Chicken
Breakfast at Home
Scrambled Eggs with Proscuitto
Usually we would just eat proscuitto plain, or with melon, or cheese or something. But this time we bought it from Trader Joe's (good idea turned bad) and it was just way to salty to eat alone and had to be used as an ingredient.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Dinner at Home
Miso-Rooster Sauce-Lemon Baked Catfish with a Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette
Cream of Spinach and Zucchini Soup
Lunch at Work
Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette
Giao doesn't like peanut sauce...
Breakfast at Home
Dinner from two nights ago.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Dinner at Home
Chili Con Carne with Cheese and Sour Cream
One of the few dished Giao makes is this great chili. All meat, no beans and very spicy.
Mixed Greens with Balsamic Vinagrette
You can never eat to much salad...
Lunch from Chow, San Francisco, CA
Yet another catered in lunch at work. This time from Chow, which turned out to be hit or miss.
Fish
Inedible. Seriously. When we opened the container it smelled too fishy in a really bad way. Totally overpowering. I took one bite and threw the rest away. All I can say is at least I wasn't paying for this...
Short Ribs
These were actually pretty good. They were fairly flavorful and tender, the only downside being that they were served with mashed potatos.
Spinach Salad
The apples were brown and there were way too many cranberries, but after those items were picked out and thrown away this salad was pretty good. The walnuts and goat cheese were both very fresh.
Ratings:
Food: 0
Service: N/A
Decor: N/A
Website
Health Code Violations
Fish
Inedible. Seriously. When we opened the container it smelled too fishy in a really bad way. Totally overpowering. I took one bite and threw the rest away. All I can say is at least I wasn't paying for this...
Short Ribs
These were actually pretty good. They were fairly flavorful and tender, the only downside being that they were served with mashed potatos.
Spinach Salad
The apples were brown and there were way too many cranberries, but after those items were picked out and thrown away this salad was pretty good. The walnuts and goat cheese were both very fresh.
Food: 0
Service: N/A
Decor: N/A
Website
Health Code Violations
Breakfast at Home
Yesterday's Dinner.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Dinner at Home
Jalapeno Sausage, Onion, Cherry Tomato and Broccoli Bake
Held together with a little bit of eggs and cheese.
Brunch at Home
Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Leftover Taco Salad Ground Turkey
I thought this would be spicy enough from the taco salad meat, but it turned out it needed a bit of hot sauce to liven it up.
Breakfast at Costco
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