annachan
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Posts posted by annachan
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As others have said, good in hot pot and noodle soup. In Hong Kong, it's often a snack. You can get skewers of them in curry sauce, soy based sauce or simply fried. I love them in stew with daikon and pork rind. Grilled skewers of them are good too. I've seen them in rice porridge but no a personal favorite of mine.
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It's been years but had a memorable meal at Urbane. It should fit with what you're looking for.
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Haven't been there for years but the food and service was always good back then.
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Fried rice is not meant to have rules. I remember having fried rice with shredded lettuce in it.....not 100% sure, but I think it was in Hong Kong when I was a kid....
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I have a bamboo steamer. So does my mother, and most of my aunts. Not my sister, she doesn't cook
My sister does have bamboo steamers. But she is in the UK.
My point was that I have never seen them in a domestic kitchen in China. I wouldn't even know where to buy one here. Kitchen supply shops certainly don't have them. Nor do the local markets.
Thinking back, that is true. Never seen bamboo steamers in households when growing up in Hong Kong. Grandma always steamed in the wok or in the rice cooker. She managed to steam buns, fish and just able anything at home without bamboo steamers. Never seen them at our friends and relatives places either. The only time I saw them was at the dim sum restaurants. I don't remember noticing them in cooking supply stores either....
I have some bamboo steamers (in Australia)....need them as I don't have a lid for my wok....
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I looked over prices before moving to Australia. I actually ended up stocking up on kitchen equipments because it was cheaper to include that in my shipping then to buy new ones here. I just can't see myself buying $700 for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. So, I also bought a transformer and brought that along.... I have brought a few things here, but end up stocking up when I was back in the US or ordering stuff online.
If I need to cut down on my kitchen supplies, I probably end up keeping a wok for versatility. I can stir fry, pan fry, deep fry, steam, braise and even make soup in in it.
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You are supposed to eat them when warm. I was told to heat it up before consuming. 20 seconds in the microwave will do. I never found any to be tough (except the shortcut one).
I have let my friends in Rome know this important detail. So, when it's warm, is this pastry as good as it looks?
They are divine!
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I have to report that, so intrigued was I with sfogliatelle--and recalling that I have two friends staying in Rome for a while--I could not resist suggesting they look for this pastry. They immediately went out to the closest bakery and found it. But their report was decidedly mixed: the filling was great, but the pastry was tough. I couldn't believe that was the same pastry the original poster was referring to when he raved about sfogliatelle. So my friends went out the next day and found the pastry in a different shop. This sample was better, though still somewhat tough. I did notice in the comments from someone that the dough has to be "tough" to withstand all the stretching, but I didn't assume this meant tough tasting. Maybe what that same poster said is true, that most pastry shops don't make their own any more but purchase the dough (if not the entire pastry). Of course, when you stop and think about it, cold puff pastry can be very tough (perhaps sfogliatelle should be warm?). In any case, it was an interesting experiment. If the original poster reads this message, perhaps he can report at what bakery he found the wonderful pastry.
You are supposed to eat them when warm. I was told to heat it up before consuming. 20 seconds in the microwave will do. I never found any to be tough (except the shortcut one).
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This is indeed the one over bread salad. Skin was crispy, not shatteringly, but still lick your fingers crispy especially the wing tips etc.
Tomorrow hubby wants to hit the California Academy of Science. Will have to figure out where that is and what is interesting in the area.
California Academy of Science is in Golden Gate Park. You'll be right by the Japanese Tea Garden, the Botanical Garden (free entry), De Young Museum and Conservatory of Flower. There are plenty to do in the park. I haven't been, but heard good things about The Moss Room at the California Academy of Science.
On Sunset side of the park, you have Art's Cafe. A tiny hole in the wall diner with great hashbrown sandwich. Not far from there is Arizmendi Bakery - the cheeserolls are one of my all time favorite baked goods.
Jealous about Zuni's chicken. Always thought it had too much hype, until I finally tried it years later. It was good.
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This is one of my all time favorite dessert. I'm not so sure puff pastry works either as I can't see it getting that nice crunch. As someone else mentioned, phyllo is closer in texture.
There is a bakery here that makes a shortcut version, and it's nowhere near the real thing.
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My grandfather loved Maggi. Used to always have it around when growing up in Hong Kong. I never got into it, always preferred soy sauce. If I remember correctly, we also used it as a condiment for the most part and not for cooking. I have no idea where the ones we got in Hong Kong were made in....
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I love calamasi juice - such a refreshing drink.
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I also can use some ideas. Have three business dinners to host in march. We are staying at the Palace hotel and would like the restaurants to be in close proximity. We don't necessarily need private rooms but will be around 20 people each evening. Money is not a problem. Thanks
Prospect definitely. Other places that may work: Waterbar, La Mar, Ozumo, Boulevard, Quince, Farallon, 5A5 Steak Lounge, B44, Wayfare Tavern, Kokkari....
If I had to pick three: Quince, Prospect and La Mar
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Though I haven't been back for over 1 year, SF is still home. So, here are some old favorites:
Little Yangon - if you're looking for the real deal in Burmese food. It's in Daly City, borderline of SF. You can catch BART and walk a couple blocks to get there. If you're looking for Americanized Burmese food, then go with Burma Superstar.
A16, SPQR, Cotogna, Farina - beautiful Italian food.
Arizmendi - great bakery, the cheese roll is a must.
PIQ - I so miss the mushroom bread there! A divine Italian bakery. In Berkeley, but right by the BART station.
Il Cane Rosso - my pick for the Ferry Building. You can get Blue Bottle coffee there without standing in the ridiculous long line. And then an old fashion cupcake from Miette and some chocolate sables for later. And Recchiuti for some of the best chocolates around. Which reminds me, Recchiuti now has a cafe - Chocolate Lab. Recently opened so I haven't been. I can imagine that it's great though.
Bisou - my go to French place. Great food and very affordable. We just love Nick.
Amelie - favorite wine bar. Great food, great wine, great people and all very affordable.
Kappou Gomi - great Japanese place. Dinner only, no bento, no sushi. The salmon hot pot is what you want. Then ask for ramen to be cooked in the broth at the end. OMG!
Some more casual places: Frances, Prospect (maybe not as casual as the others), Hard Knox Cafe, Ike's Place, Baker and Banker, Wayfare Tavern, Kokkari, Art's Cafe (go for a hashbrown sandwich), Marlowe, Tony's Pizza Napoletana, Zero Zero, Zuni's, La Mar, Tataki, Contigo, Woodhouse Fish Company, Nettie's Crab Shack....
If you're into food trucks, get to one of the Off the Grid events.
If I go back now, I would want to try M.Y. China, Martin Yan's new place.
All this talk is making me miss SF. Well, at least the food scene....
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I know apricot kernels are often labeled north and south, but no idea about olive kernels. Not really sure what olive kernels are....
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When Marie Callender's frozen dinner first came out, they were quite decent. They were larger portion then most other brands and some of them actually tasted quite good. Haven't had them for over 10 years now so no idea what they're like now.
Before moving to Australia, we sometimes get frozen dinners from TJ. The chicken marsala was always decent in a pinch. I quite like the stromboli. Mac n cheese was the favorite though. I used to also get the shelf stabled pasta and meatball as I could leave it in my desk drawer.
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Oh, I love that crusty bottom of the rice. I still prefer the older style rice cookers for that reason. Growing up in Hong Kong, when we wanted a crusty bottom, we just kept that button down, usually by way of a clothespin. Love it as is, or in some form of liquid (water, soup and even tea). Another sort after crusty bottom is that in claypot rice, especially one with cured meat, with the oil dripping down to the bottom to create a lovely, flavorful crust.
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I love using salt pork when cooking collard greens.
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I've actually done both wet and dry brine side by side (for pork belly buns). Which one is better really depends on your taste. The wet brine produced a more moist, tender pork belly. The dry was more intense in flavor but was a little dry. So, it was kind of like texture versus flavor.
If I make roast pork belly, Chinese/Filipino style, I don't brine at all.
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Speaking of sliced white bread....don't eat that often but it's a must for potato chips (salted or salt and vinegar) sandwiches.
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I can have the munchies for just about anything. Heck, I was just munching on some bread and butter, because I have some lovely French butter in the fridge. Yum!
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Pasta is always easy. I found prepping to be the key though. I tend to shop for easy to cook protein and veg on the weekend for weekday meals. Meat that can be cooked up quickly (meat for stir fry, chicken ribs, etc.) or can be left alone to cook (duck legs for confit, pork neck roast, etc.).
I also love my Korean BBQ grill. From thinly sliced meat to flank steak, it cooks up easily alongside with some veg.
Soup noodle is also quick and easy - stock, noodle and top with whatever you want: meat, veg, tofu, fish balls/fish cakes, corn, egg, etc. If I don't have premade stock, I just use the box stuff, and maybe add some miso.
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It's been a couple of years since we're in Hong Kong, but these were standouts:
*Lung King Heen had great dim sum. Prices weren't bad for 3 Michelin stars.
*Lau Sum Kee serves "bamboo" noodle, as seen in an Anthony Bourdain episode. The noodle is quite good and it's cheap (~US$3). It's a hole in the wall type place so it may be a little difficult if you don't speak/read Chinese or go with someone who does.
*Whisk had an awesome Sunday brunch. Roasted suckling pigs, caviar bar, a very good quality buffet, all you can eat main dishes cooked to order, plus more. I would say this is more mid-range.
*Kam Fung is another hole in the wall joint. Good for chicken pie and pineapple bun with butter.
*Rakuen has some unusual Japanese offerings like peanut tofu and fish roe stuffed chicken wings. It turned out to be a really nice meal.
Before my last trip, I found 2 websites that were quite useful in helping me find restaurants:
http://www.openrice.com/english?tc=ornav
Have a good time there!
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Puff pastry as crust for quiche, savory pies/turnovers (leftover curry is great for this), cheese and truffle pinwheels.
Chocolateering in warm weather
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
This is why I don't bother making candies/chocolates as X'mas presents since moving to Australia. Even if everything works out at the house, unless they go from the air-con house to the air-con car to the next air-con destination, it just won't work. A perfect batch of anything in chocolate won't make it to work in that condition with a 5 minutes walk to the tram stop, a 5-10 minutes tram ride and another 5 minutes walk to work on a hot day....