eG Foodblog: melkor - Insert Clever Subtitle Here

[melkor]

Oh, boy!  More local excitement.

What neighborhood are you in, sir?

There's a fish market on Bayshore Avenue I've been meaning to try.  "J" something or other.  It's next to the Domino's pizza on the West Side of the street.  Never seems to be open when I drive by, though.

Fishing, my that is adventurous!  One of my co-workers fishes off Half Moon Bay, and sometimes he gets lucky enough to give us lingcod fillets or whole rock cod.  I keep hoping for some salmon.

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I'm in the outer mission down towards Daly City. I fish out of Emeryville and Half Moon Bay - rockfish and lingcod from Half Moon Bay, everything else from Emeryville. Now that dungeoness crab season started I should go out again. I've got a freezer full of rockfish and salmon, but I only really use frozen fish for claypots, soups, and other stuff where the texture doesn't matter as much.

I should check out this bayshore J'fish joint. Any clue what their hours are?

[melkor]

Just in case anyone is under the impression that I'm 900 years old - the guy in my avatar looks to be about 50 years older than I am, though I think I owned that shirt when I was in elementary school .

I'm a computer geek of some sort for a living, though most of my time is now spent working with customers selling and supporting high speed internet connections (DS3 and bigger) for medium-large companies.

[snowangel]

So, you both cook. Who does the dishes? (always a big question in our household!).

And, when you get over to the east side of the Bay, what are your favorite haunts?

(I also love shopping almost daily!)

[melkor]

So, you both cook.  Who does the dishes?  (always a big question in our household!).

And, when you get over to the east side of the Bay, what are your favorite haunts?

(I also love shopping almost daily!)

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I usually just chuck everything into the dishwasher and cross my fingers. The stuff that doesn't go in the dishwasher we seem to alternate washing.

I don't each much in the east bay - I like Pho 84 in Oakland, Chez Panisse obviously, some taco trucks, the ethiopian joints in Berkeley. I do more shopping than dining in the east bay.

[TheFoodTutor]

Just in case anyone is under the impression that I'm 900 years old - the guy in my avatar looks to be about 50 years older than I am, though I think I owned that shirt when I was in elementary school .

I'm so glad you answered that question before I asked it. (btw - my avatar is also not a picture of myself).

I'm also glad that you're blogging this week, since it gave me an opportunity to look up your previous blog, which I hadn't read yet. Nice cappas!

I noticed that the cappas you got in restaurants had the massive "marshmallow" foam on top - which is funny, because that's exactly what I was taught to do, when I first learned to make cappuccino as a waitress - and I've been struck by how different this is from what makes a really good coffee drink. Crazy, to make a contest out of trying to build the tallest cup of coffee, as if air adds that much value to a beverage, and yet, many people still teach this.

So, tell me: Do you prefer skim? Is it best for foaming, or do you find you have another preference, or no preference? And that is one gigantic triple espresso you had there. Is the alien cup from Illy, as well?

Looking forward to some great market photos. Happy blogging!

[melkor]

I'm also glad that you're blogging this week, since it gave me an opportunity to look up your previous blog, which I hadn't read yet. Nice cappas!

I noticed that the cappas you got in restaurants had the massive "marshmallow" foam on top - which is funny, because that's exactly what I was taught to do, when I first learned to make cappuccino as a waitress - and I've been struck by how different this is from what makes a really good coffee drink. Crazy, to make a contest out of trying to build the tallest cup of coffee, as if air adds that much value to a beverage, and yet, many people still teach this.

So, tell me: Do you prefer skim? Is it best for foaming, or do you find you have another preference, or no preference? And that is one gigantic triple espresso you had there. Is the alien cup from Illy, as well?

Looking forward to some great market photos. Happy blogging!

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I prefer whole milk, but I use skim so I can eat more foie gras and still fit into my clothes. The triple espresso is in a two ounce Illy alien cup and it's got a bit of milk in there. In general I've given up on restaurant coffee, it's almost always horrible so I've stopped ordering it.

I've got to figure out what I'm eating this week at some point. Tonight looks like it'll be Korean food at Shin Toe Bul Yi out in the sunset. Saturday I'll likely stop by both farmers markets.

[snowangel]

So, you both cook.  Who does the dishes?  (always a big question in our household!).

And, when you get over to the east side of the Bay, what are your favorite haunts?

(I also love shopping almost daily!)

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I usually just chuck everything into the dishwasher and cross my fingers. The stuff that doesn't go in the dishwasher we seem to alternate washing.

I don't each much in the east bay - I like Pho 84 in Oakland, Chez Panisse obviously, some taco trucks, the ethiopian joints in Berkeley. I do more shopping than dining in the east bay.

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I meant shopping, not eating out. So, favorite shopping haunts East Bay?

[melkor]

I meant shopping, not eating out.  So, favorite shopping haunts East Bay?

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Ah, cheese board, ver brugge, la farine, market hall, cash and carry (for bulk flour/sugar/etc). Premier cru, north berkeley, and kermit lynch for wine.

[Domestic Goddess]

Melkor, I just swooned over the ravioli recipe that you just shared. Thank you so much for sharing but I am afraid that I will have to hold off in fixing them today. I am nursing a bad cough/cold and have started the chills again. Heading back to bed and hoping to dream about eating your raviolis.

Maraming salamat again.

[Sentiamo]

Some acme ciabatta bread soaked up all the extra sauce

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Melkor, Im pleased to make your aquaintance and your blog sure started off well for me with a good caffeine hit. Gotta love it.

Then came embarrassment. Reading about your glorious looking and sounding ravioli I learnt that you procured the accompanying ciabatta from acme. But something made me wonder if it was just some 'costa poco' ciabatta from an unknown 'not worth mentioning store'. Further consideration, based on my reading other posts from you over the past months, led me to believe that no, you would never knowingly eat anything unworthy. So, I came to the conclusion that it must have been a personal joke. I mean to say, Acme supplies the Roadrunner with all manner of things, but you did not capitalise the word. Oh my!! I truly thought it was a joke. And I then scrolled down further and read a little more. I was promptly enlightened. Sigh....I really must give the Roadrunner on the cartoon channel a miss for a bit. Hence my embarrassment. And my non Americaness is showing.

( if you dont comprehend my mad ravings I completely understand, but I know precisely where Im coming from and it can be scary...lol)

I am just loving reading past blogs, have so enjoyed Rachels wonderful 7 pages this last week and I so look forward to more from you.

Avanti con passione!

Lyn

[melkor]

Melkor, Im pleased to make your aquaintance and your blog sure started off well for me with a good caffeine hit. Gotta love it.

Then came embarrassment. Reading about your glorious looking and sounding ravioli I learnt that you procured the accompanying ciabatta from acme. But something made me wonder if it was just some 'costa poco' ciabatta from an unknown 'not worth mentioning store'. Further consideration, based on my reading other posts from you over the past months, led me to believe that no, you would never knowingly eat anything  unworthy. So, I came to the conclusion that it must have been a personal joke. I mean to say, Acme supplies the Roadrunner with all manner of things, but you did not capitalise the word. Oh my!! I truly thought it was a joke.   And I then scrolled down further and read a little more. I was promptly enlightened. Sigh....I really must give the Roadrunner on the cartoon channel a miss for a bit.  Hence my embarrassment. And my non Americaness is showing.

( if you dont comprehend my mad ravings I completely understand, but I know precisely where Im coming from and it can be scary...lol)

I am just loving reading past blogs, have so enjoyed Rachels wonderful 7 pages this last week and I so look forward to more from you.

Avanti con passione!

Lyn

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I buy catapults, cannons, and giant nets from that Acme. The other Acme sadly only sells bread.

[melkor]

I braved the freezing cold (for San Francisco) weather and met a friend at Shin Toe Bul Yi in the sunset for dinner.

They bring tea and a green onion pancake once you're seated. The onion pancake is a bit soft but makes a great mop for the spicy sauce.

We ordered fried chicken (#67 on the menu "chicken small pieces - little spicy") and kalbi. Note #64 the skate wing - a dish that's in the running for worst thing I've been served in a restaurant. Raw bone-in skate wing served refrigerator temperature soaked in kimchi juice... it tastes almost as delicious as it sounds.

The panchan (pickled cucumbers, kimchi, tofu skin, dried fish, bean sprouts, and the orange thing in the back I can't identify).

The chicken inexplicably comes with a simmering pot of spicy and delicious tofu soup.

Fried chicken, hacked into unidentifiable pieces - part of the fun of eating it is trying to figure out what part of the bird you've got in your hand before taking a bite. Every time I visit shin toe bul yi I get the chicken, it's always moist and delicious and crispy on the outside without being greasy. It's very different from southern style fried chicken, but it's also very very tasty.

The kalbi is hit or miss, tonight it was good, other times it's been over cooked and chewy. Under the boneless slices are two bone-in pieces.

This is one of the many random restaurants around the city where if you order correctly you can have a great meal, if you make poor menu choices it's impressive how horrible it can be. I'm also not clear on their corkage policy, sometimes we bring wine and they're happy to open it, other times they tell us we can't have wine there. Either way, this is my favorite Korean restaurant in the city.

[Sentiamo]

Melkor, Im pleased to make your aquaintance and your blog sure started off well for me with a good caffeine hit. Gotta love it.

Then came embarrassment. Reading about your glorious looking and sounding ravioli I learnt that you procured the accompanying ciabatta from acme. But something made me wonder if it was just some 'costa poco' ciabatta from an unknown 'not worth mentioning store'. Further consideration, based on my reading other posts from you over the past months, led me to believe that no, you would never knowingly eat anything  unworthy. So, I came to the conclusion that it must have been a personal joke. I mean to say, Acme supplies the Roadrunner with all manner of things, but you did not capitalise the word. Oh my!! I truly thought it was a joke.   And I then scrolled down further and read a little more. I was promptly enlightened. Sigh....I really must give the Roadrunner on the cartoon channel a miss for a bit.  Hence my embarrassment. And my non Americaness is showing.

( if you dont comprehend my mad ravings I completely understand, but I know precisely where Im coming from and it can be scary...lol)

I am just loving reading past blogs, have so enjoyed Rachels wonderful 7 pages this last week and I so look forward to more from you.

Avanti con passione!

Lyn

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I buy catapults, cannons, and giant nets from that Acme. The other Acme sadly only sells bread.

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Then I am sufficiently comforted.

[Pan]

Just in case anyone is under the impression that I'm 900 years old - the guy in my avatar looks to be about 50 years older than I am, though I think I owned that shirt when I was in elementary school

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Yeah, I _did_ figure that was probably you! So, who is it and why are you using that avatar? Any food-related reason?

[Pan]

QUOTE(melkor @ Nov 28 2006, 12:45

I braved the freezing cold (for San Francisco) weather[...)

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How cold was it?

The panchan (pickled cucumbers, kimchi, tofu skin, dried fish, bean sprouts, and the orange thing in the back I can't identify).

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Radish (daikon) kimchi? Potato slices?

Edited November 28, 2006 by Pan (log)

[Pan]

So today, like all days when I'm not traveling starts with an espresso drink of some sort - latte today with a slice of meyer lemon tart (from the French Laundry cookbook).  My has changed a little since my last foodblog, MsMelkor and I got married and moved to San Francisco about six months ago.[...]

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Congratulations!

Which part of the city do you live in?

[bleudauvergne]

Dave, your photos are gorgeous. This is an amazing blog already.

[Shaya]

Yes, please pull out your chitarra, that would be great to see!

[Kouign Aman]

This is one of the many random restaurants around the city where if you order correctly you can have a great meal, if you make poor menu choices it's impressive how horrible it can be.

Amen!

[melkor]

I braved the freezing cold (for San Francisco) weather

How cold was it?

Around 50*F and windy.

The panchan (pickled cucumbers, kimchi, tofu skin, dried fish, bean sprouts, and the orange thing in the back I can't identify).

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Radish (daikon) kimchi? Potato slices?

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Daikon kimchi seems like the most likely guess.

So today, like all days when I'm not traveling starts with an espresso drink of some sort - latte today with a slice of meyer lemon tart (from the French Laundry cookbook).  My has changed a little since my last foodblog, MsMelkor and I got married and moved to San Francisco about six months ago.[...]

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Congratulations!

Which part of the city do you live in?

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I live in the outer mission - towards Daly City. It's fairly residential out here, though there are a bunch of reasonably good ethnic markets a few blocks away.

[melkor]

Yes, please pull out your chitarra, that would be great to see!

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I'll use it at some point this week. I need to do some grocery shopping today since the fridge has nothing interesting in it after we were away for the long weekend.

[melkor]

Breakfast today is a latte with biscotti my wife baked before her trip. While I was making my coffee this morning I was thinking about eating seasonally. All the produce we eat is in season when we buy it, but what of the stuff from the garden? Moving to SF has presented some strange problems with that - our strawberry plants next to the herb garden are flowering, as are the tomatoes!

Tomato plants shouldn't look like that in late November. Another plant has some ripe tomatoes on it. In the winter I'm in no mood to eat a ripe tomato, but on the other hand, it seems like such a luxury to have them growing this time of year.

[Smithy]

Snack time.

Leftover sweet potato pie and a double (triple) espresso.

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Dig that crazy espresso cup! Close encounters of the negative kind? What's the story there? I like it!

Tomato plants shouldn't look like that in late November.  Another plant has some ripe tomatoes on it.  In the winter I'm in no mood to eat a ripe tomato, but on the other hand, it seems like such a luxury to have them growing this time of year.

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I agree, on all counts. As a transplanted Californian (who understands about getting sick of shoveling snow) I find myself pining for really truly fresh citrus. Enjoy your tomato luxury, decadent though it is.

I see upthread I'm not the only one wondering about your avatar...

[melkor]

Snack time.

Leftover sweet potato pie and a double (triple) espresso.

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Dig that crazy espresso cup! Close encounters of the negative kind? What's the story there? I like it!

Tomato plants shouldn't look like that in late November.  Another plant has some ripe tomatoes on it.  In the winter I'm in no mood to eat a ripe tomato, but on the other hand, it seems like such a luxury to have them growing this time of year.

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I agree, on all counts. As a transplanted Californian (who understands about getting sick of shoveling snow) I find myself pining for really truly fresh citrus. Enjoy your tomato luxury, decadent though it is.

I see upthread I'm not the only one wondering about your avatar...

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The cup is from the Illy collection - they made a bunch of them in 2001, I'm not sure how hard they are to find now, but they're my favorite espresso cups.

It's strange that citrus feels like a winter ingredient now - I blame the meyer lemons that are just coming into season.

My avatar looks to have the voice I hear when I read what I've written. I'm not yet a crotchety old bastard on the outside, but I certainly am inside.

[annecros]

My avatar looks to have the voice I hear when I read what I've written.  I'm not yet a crotchety old bastard on the outside, but I certainly am inside.

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LOL, good choice. It does have the look of your voice in my head.