nja's Profile
Olallieberry Crumb Cake at Fat Apple's El Cerrito
I just discovered this amazingly delicious treat. Super light and fluffy cake topped with streusel and filled with fresh olallieberries. They're sold as approx. 4" round, 1" high tartlets for $3 each. Highest recommendation. I really like their apple turnover too. I haven't explored much else yet.
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Fat Apple's
7525 Fairmount Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
El Cerrito Sushi update: Taki and Yusan
I forgot to mention that Taki serves real wasabi!
El Cerrito Sushi update: Taki and Yusan
I tried Taki Sushi for the first time on Saturday. I was very impressed. I had the following nigiri: yellowtail, scallop, bluefin toro, albacore, saba, and another which I am now forgetting. Fish was all very fresh except for the saba (a little too fishy). Cuts were quite large, too large for a single bite, but in the end it makes it a good value. Nice selection of sakes. I plan to return. They seem to do a very good to-go business.
I learned that the chef/owner is the son of the man who owned Yusan. The elder passed away about a year ago and the family sold Yusan, but the new owners kept that name. I have eaten there a few times since the change and it's definitely not very good anymore.
Taki is a very good option in the East Bay, especially given the decline of Yusan and disappearance of Sushi-Sho. But I wouldn't go so far as to say it's worth a journey from the city when you've got places like Hama-Ko, Koo, and Ino.
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Yusan Sushi
11866 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Taki Sushi
10877 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Current favorite Mexican spots in Watsonville?
Any tips for good Mexican spots in Watsonville these days? I'm heading that way this weekend and was hoping to try some stuff. I've searched some other posts but found mostly old or mixed reviews.
My MIL suggested I try a place called Esperanza for their Camarones a la Diabla. Anyone else tried that place?
Thanks,
Nick
Chowdown 4/4/2008 Hong Kong East Ocean
Hi everyone,
It was nice to rejoin the Chowhound fold during my first week of residence back in the East Bay. There were a couple of dishes at this meal that I thought were really good: Har Gow, turnip cake, mango pudding, and shrimp rice noodles were very good. I was the last to arrive and ate the last salt and pepper shrimp, and I guess I must have been lucky for that because the one I had was very good.
I would return for a small meal of those better items, plus try a few more new ones. But overall I felt the food was only adequate and if were looking for a big meal with a wide variety of excellent dim sum items, I would go elsewhere.
The wine I brought was a Spreitzer 2006 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett from the Rheingau region of Germany. It's one of the very few 2006 German Kabinetts that I have tried that actually taste like a Kabinett: fresh, light, and brightly acidic. It'll retail at about $26. More info here: http://www.skurnikwines.com/wines.cgi?rm=view_detail&wine_id=7906
Success: Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Whipped Cream for pies, cakes, and cannoli
I used Laura Chenel's plain Chevre, which is definitely soft but I don't know that "creamy" is quite the right word. It's not creamy in the way Brie is, nor crumbly like Parmegiano-Reggiano. It's spreadable and fluffy, like a whipped cream cheese.
-Nick
Cake Topping made with Goat Cheese??
Results here:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/358618
Success: Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Whipped Cream for pies, cakes, and cannoli
Hi hounds,
Last week I asked for advice on making a condiment for the Nigella Clementine Cake that featured goat cheese:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/357284
When I made it the first time, it didn't come out quite as I wanted. The end product wasn't creamy or velvety like whipped cream, but very stiff and cheesy. It was delicious, but didn't have the right texture for spooning onto a slice of cake. But it struck me as very similar to a ricotta-based cannoli filling, but without the milky flavor those often have. So with the leftovers I stuffed a few cannoli shells from the deli down the street and the result was excellent.
I tried again by changing a few things: lowering the amount of goat cheese, less whipping, and adding some honey instead of only sugar. The result was far better ("100 times better" according to my wife). This is a very lemony and silky cream with just a touch of tang and richness from the cheese. It was great with the leftover cake and some fresh buttermilk biscuits.
Enjoy!
-Nick
Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Whipped Cream
0. Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
Zest from 1 Meyer lemon
2 oz fresh goat cheese
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp powdered sugar, perhaps more
1. Pour 1/4 cup of the cream into the top of a double boiler or small bowl and set over simmering water. Add the zest from the lemon, goat cheese, and honey. Stir until cheese and honey melts. Remove from heat and put in fridge until thoroughly chilled.
2. Once cool, strain the mixture through a fine sieve, discard zest.
3. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whip the remaining 3/4 cup of cream and powdered sugar in a cold metal bowl. Taste the whipped cream and lemon cheese mixture for sweetness. It'll be hard to adjust the sweetness once they are combined, so add more sugar to the cream if you'd like a sweeter end product.
4. Once satisfied, stir about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cheese to lighten it up. Then gently fold the remaining cream into the mixture in about three equal additions. Serve immediately or keep well chilled for up to 3 days in the fridge, stirring briefly before each use.
To Make a Cannoli Filling:
Follow the steps above with the following modifications:
0. Ingredients:
Increase goat cheese to 4 to 5 oz.
Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Leave out honey
Increase powdered sugar to 2 Tbsp
1. Add nutmeg along with increased quantity of cheese to warm cream.
2. After straining the mixture, add 1 Tbsp of the powdered sugar and beat with an electric mixture for a few moments, until stiff and chunky.
5. Pipe into cooled cannoli shells.
Cake Topping made with Goat Cheese??
Hi Hounds,
I'm making the ol' Nigella Clementine Cake today--but with Meyer Lemons--and was thinking about what to serve it with. I usually have a bit of whipped cream to dollop on the cut slices. But I'm in the mood to experiment so I was thinking of making some kind of topping made with goat cheese, since I've got a bunch I need to use and I love the combination of lemon with goat cheese flavors. I think I'd prefer to stick with something to dollop on when serving (like a whipped cream or sweetened mascarpone), instead of a frosting to cover the whole thing.
Any recipes or ideas on how to approach this? My biggest worry is getting the goat cheese to combine well with everything else. I find that it doesn't seem to melt or dissolve into things very easily.
Thanks,
Nick
Help me break free from Pilsner Urquell
I like Scrimshaw, made by North Coast Brewing in California.
http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/scrim.htm
Any recent experiences at Garcon?
I was there a few months ago and had a similar impression. Good enough for a weeknight meal if you're in the area and want to try something new. Not great, though (Chapeau and Jeanty are better, for example).
I can't remember everything that we ate, but there are a few things I recall. An endive/apple salad was excellent, and the scallop & morel dish, goat cheese terrine, and salmon tart were also very good. The tagliatelle gratin was tasty but it was difficult to fully enjoy as it was difficult to get a bite of the crunchy cheese grain topping with each bite of noodles. The tartiflette forestiere was a total dud, just a little bowl of uninteresting mush.
SALAD SPINNERS: Please help me save my friendship!
I think you were more right. The purpose of a salad spinner, the reason it's designed as it is, and that it has the parts that it does, it to dry greens. If it didn't have that purpose, it would just be a colander. As others have pointed out, it can also be used to assist in the cleaning of the greens (I use mine that way as well), but it exists for drying greens.
Another way to put it: the greens should be thoroughly cleaned (using the spinner parts or any other tools) *before* they are spun. I would not put greens that might still be dirty into the basket and then start spinning, as I highly doubt that the spinning would remove all dirt. I think the instructions in your second link are wrong.
-nick
Tamales - Is lard necessary plus...
I do prefer lard, but I have used organic shortening for tamales and other masa products when serving to people who don't eat pork. The shortening is made from palm and/or coconut oil, I think, and is solid at room temperature but doesn't have any trans-fat like regular shortening. I prefer it to regular liquid oils, which I had been using before I was introduced to organic shortening.
Another option is to just buy freshly prepared masa. We've been discussing that quite a bit in the "Mexico One Plate at a Time" threads. It's already got the lard, salt, and anything else you need. If you've got a Mexican deli or tortilla maker nearby, just ask for "Masa Preparada." I think about 5 pounds should equal what you have in your recipe.
-Nick
Seeking best wineries to tour in Mendocino area
My recommendations from this post have not changed:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/85445
There are two main clusters of wineries in Mendocino County: those in the Anderson Valley and those near Hopland. You could theoretically do both on the same day, but I'd suggest choosing one or the other. I prefer Anderson Valley since the cooler climate produces sparklings, Alsatian varieties, and Pinot Noirs that appeal more to me. The Hopland cluster specializes in warmer climate grapes like Syrah and Zinfandel. Assuming you're driving to Mendocino from somewhere to the south, Anderson Valley also lies on the more direct route to Mendocino; Hopland is a small detour.
Seeking the best food in the Mendocino/Fort Bragg area
While a bit dated, this thread and the embedded links may be useful.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/88274
Wine for Peking Duck
Riesling all the way. Try a variety of German, Alsatian, Austrian, and New World wines.
A few years ago I organized a Chowhound dinner with the purpose of finding new wine matches with Chinese food. While there were a couple of interesting combinations, it was otherwise Riesling by a landslide.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/28139
Question about stoppers/Vino Vac
I don't have that model but another similar vacuum sealer. It holds tight enough to store bottles on their side. I'm always afraid though that I'll accidentally hit the stopper, release the pressure, and spill the wine. So I usually store upright anyway. But I have left bottles on their side a few times and it worked fine.
Another thing you can do is get a smaller bottle that you can pour the wine into before putting in the fridge.
Great wine bar in Sacramento: 58 Degrees
I had a chance to check out this relatively new wine bar in Midtown over the weekend. I was very impressed. They have a very diverse and interesting selection of wines. Very sophisticated and mellow atmosphere. We enjoyed some Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, White Burgundy, North Coast Pinot Noir, St. Emilion, Sauternes, and Brachetto d'Acqui. Not all were hits but they were worth trying.
There's an attached wine shop as well, though I didn't have the time to browse. One word of caution however: some wines may be on the bar menu but not available for retail sale (and apparently local ordinances prohibit the bar from selling closed containers "to go"). It's a bit of a bummer when you find a favorite and can't buy some to take home right away.
They serve food as well. My friend that has been before said the cheese plate is good, but we didn't try it nor any other food on this visit.
http://58degrees.com/locations/SAC58/default.asp
-Nick
Unique for Parents in Noe Tonight
Bacco, Firefly, Fresca, Incanto. These are all better than Zinc, in my opinion (though based on only one trip to Zinc versus numerous times for the others). Bacco has been serving white truffle risotto lately, though that'll set you back almost $40. The rest of the menu is more reasonable.
-Nick
Sea Ranch
You'll find a lot more ideas on the California board. In short, Saint Orres and Pangaea are #1 and #2 (which is which depends on who you ask). But if you've got two nights, those should be the two dinners.
The closest winery is Annapolis Winery in Annapolis. The wines are not very good so it's certainly not worth a detour, but if you happen to be going through there anyway (i.e., if you take Skagg-Springs road from Sonoma to Sea Ranch) it couldn't hurt to stop. Otherwise your best bet is to head north past Point Arena and then take Mountain View Road to the Anderson Valley. Navarro, Roederer, and Lazy Creek are my favorite stops. As others mentioned it's a bit of a drive on long winding roads, but as I'm as passionate about driving as I am about food, that's part of the appeal.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/303314
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/88730
Or try searching the California board for: Gualala, Anderson Valley, Boonville, Mendocino.
-Nick
Another wine club question - especially regarding Bonny Doon
I think you signed up for the wrong membership level. I just looked at their website and these are the options you can choose:
Wines:
A. All DEWN Wines
B. Reds Only
Number of Bottles per Shipment:
A. 2 (1 of each new wine)
B. 4 (2 of each new wine)
C. 12 (6 of each new wine)
Number of Shipments per Year:
A. 6
B. 4
It looks like you signed up for the 12 bottles per shipment. To be frank, I can't understand why Bonny Doon would even offer such a thing. The purpose of any wine club should be the chance to regularly try new wines, then allow you to reorder in quantity, preferably at a discount, those you enjoy. I'd suggest changing your membership to the 2 bottles per shipment option, try them quickly after they arrive, then order larger quantities of the ones you like. You may end up paying a little more in shipping, but you'll probably more than make up for it by not buying 5 extra bottles of a wine that you may not enjoy.
I'd also recommend inviting a bunch of family and friends over when you try the wines, and let them order more of their favorites through you. This is especially useful when the club gives you larger discounts for larger orders. I do this with one of my clubs and typically get 20% off my wines because of the volume we order together, whereas it would only be 10% off if I ordered only the wines for myself.
-Nick
wine with an apple tart?
With baked apple and pear desserts, I like to go with dessert wines that have oxidized fruit. I find the nut and caramel flavors in those wines harmonized beautifully. I'd opt for something like a Rivesaltes Ambre, tawny Port, sweet Sherry, or Madeira (Malmsey or Bual).
Potatoes for mashed potatoes?
I agree with GG. Either will work, but I prefer the flavor and creaminess of Yukon Golds over the classic Russet. No matter what you choose, I recommend baking & ricing instead of boiling, as I find it yields lighter, fluffier, and more intensely flavored mashed potatoes.
Conquering my fear of Fresh Masa and freezing questions
Great work. The conventional wisdom in my family is that fresh masa spoils quickly, especially if it's already preparada. I've never kept any for over a week myself. I froze fresh masa once, when I made a large batch of deep-fried quesadillas for the Picnic. I wrapped each prepared quesadilla in plastic and froze. When I fried them up later they came out just fine. That might be a better way to keep it: prepare the items and then freeze instead of freezing a whole block which has to be thawed later.
Other things you can do are the deep-fried quesadilla recipe from Bayless' book, or variations on that theme. One awesome dish I made recently was chorizo and potato empanadas. I used Bayless' instructions for preparing the masa from the deep-fried quesadilla recipe, then just filled with a mixture of cooked chorizo and potatoes.
-Nick
Dinner at Le Soleil on Clement
I still fondly recall the nights when I was back in college and would drive from Berkeley to Le Soleil just for their soft shelled crab. It looks like it's still on the menu. Any tried it recently?
http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?restaurantid=7778
Roche Carneros Estate Winery, and Cline Cellars Winery, Sonoma report w/ pics
Personally, I find Kunde's wines oaked to death. Ravenswood used to be good but at about the time they were bought by the corporations (or perhaps it started when they went public) they've been turning out mostly one dimensional fruit bombs. Neither has even been a pleasant visit for me, as they've always been packed several rows of pushy drinkers deep at the bar. Dollar-for-dollar, I'll take a Cline wine over those two any day.
Roche Carneros Estate Winery, and Cline Cellars Winery, Sonoma report w/ pics
Cline is a favorite stop of mine, especially when I am taking folks on their first wine tasting adventure. Nice inexpensive wines, pretty setting, convenient location if you're heading to Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and/or Napa. In my opinion, their best wines are their Mourvedres.
I've stopped at Roche a couple of times and haven't been impressed. The wines were just dull. But it has been several years now.
Anyone see Alton Brown on frying a turkey?
I love AB, but I thought that was a terrible episode. In fact I think he may have Jumped the Shark with it. His ladder rig was far more dangerous than just having somebody help you slowly lower the bird with a hook. There are too many potential things that could go wrong with that monstrosity. I remember his saying that he dislikes the whole idea of deep frying a turkey, so I have to wonder if he purposely made that episode over-the-top so that it would discourage people from even trying.
