muimi07's Profile
Fresh onion top ideas
My local farmers market was just teeming with fresh onions -- full sized beauties with their green tops still intact. I'm making onion marmalade from the bottoms but short of fried rice and some excellent scallion oil, I'm sort of out of ideas for the green onion tops. They are big and beautiful and flavorsome so I'd hate to throw them in the compost bin.
Banh chung or banh Tet in East Bay?
I live out in Antioch which is pretty much a food wasteland, especially for Asian food. There's a few Vietnamese restaurants out this way but no Vietnamese centric grocery stores. I want to get a banh Tet for Tet but really, really want to avoid driving out to San Jose if I could possibly help it. Are there any Vietnamese delis/grocery stores in the East Bay (Contra Costa County, preferably) that sell it? I'd rather not go all the way to Fremont (since I know I could get some there) or Oakland Chinatown if I could possibly help it.
Asian/Asian Fusion recs in the Walnut Creek area
Looking for some recommendation for a nice, Asian or Asian Fusion restaurant in the Walnut Creek area for my birthday. I'll take good food over ambiance, though. I looked through some restaurants myself and it seemed to me that a lot of the Asian places seemed overly Americanized. Or at least, their prices were.
Food Festivals? [2010]
In Contra Costa County, Pittsburg is having its 26th Annual Seafood Festival on September 11th & 12th, 2010.
More info here:
http://www.pittsburgchamber.org/Chamber/Seafood/index.html
Hercules Market Hall impressions?
Has anyone been to the Hercules Market Hall that opened up earlier this month? I passed by it earlier this week but during the week, it looks pretty dead. I've been debating a weekend trip back to Hercules to check it out myself but really would like some opinions from other folks that have been there.
Quince ideas
Hmmm... maybe the quince I got from her is not ripe yet? We've yet to experience any kind of cold weather here and the quince are super fuzzy. They're not particularly fragrant.
Quince ideas
A friend of mine has an old quince tree in her backyard. She's tried a few recipes and been unhappy with the results so this year, she decided to give away the quince. She knows I'm up to experimentation so now I've got a paper bag with a good 10lbs of quince!
I looked up some recipes and am finding mostly jams, jellies and the like. I'm definitely going to make some membrillo but am at a loss for what else to do with the darned stuff. I would hate for this stuff to go to waste but I am also not willing to invest in canning equipment just to make some jelly or jam. Is it possible to make some jam without canning it?
Any ideas for this old fruit would be greatly appreciated!
Tell me about whoopie pie filling
Specifically, what is the traditional, Pennsylvania Dutch style whoopie pie filling? I live on the West Coast and never heard of these little gems until recently. I'm curious what the old-fashioned whoopie pie filling is supposed to be like. I've seen plenty of recipes involving fluff and though I love the stuff, I am having a hard time believing that these treats originated using fluff. Is the filling supposed to be like a frosting? Is it creamy, gooey, sticky or stiff?
Thanks in advance for any help!
Karaage problems?
My sister and I have been making chicken karaage with potato starch. Every time we make it, we end up with a powdery outside. It doesn't taste bad but it isn't as pretty. Any ideas?
Vietnamese deli in Contra Costa County?
I actually live a few houses down from Da Nang -- the location is a headscratcher but I've been there a few times. :) The owners are nice and food is decent for the area but oh man oh man, what I would do for decent Vietnamese sweets around here :(
I'll have to check out the deli in Pinole sometime.
Vietnamese deli in Contra Costa County?
Just like the title says -- are there any good Vietnamese delis in CoCoCo? I'm hoping for places that sell things like banh mi, various other banh, etc. I'm dying out here in Antioch :( The local Asian market (County Square) is fine in a pinch for most groceries but my husband and I prefer Vietnamese food which they don't have at their hot counter. They don't carry any Vietnamese sweets and I can't remember if they carry any fresh rice noodles either. HELP!
Guava Cake
Vienna Bakery in Fremont. It bought Aki's a year or two ago and also inherited the very same guava cake recipe.
Recipes for steel cut oats?
I've got a surplus of steel cut oats. Other than the obvious oatmeal (which I love), does anyone have any recipes (esp. baked goods) that call for steel cut oats?
Chowish recs for Antioch area?
I actually grew up in Hercules :) My parents still live there so I suppose if I get desperate for things I can tell them to bring it to me :)
Chowish recs for Antioch area?
Thanks for the list!
My husband is Vietnamese so we eat a lot of Vietnamese food. We lived in San Jose for a few years and we got spoiled on being able to trek down to Tully & King nearly every week for some good grub. Not being able to get pho on a regular basis may send the poor thing into withdrawal, I'm afraid. Luckily, we can cook a majority of what we like at home. I'm Filipino and though I can cook whatever food I like at home, I still like Filipino bakery goods that I just won't bother making like cassava cake, etc.
We also like good Chinese food -- nothing too fancy but some good HK style BBQ is always appreciated. We also love Japanese food, beyond just sushi but things like Japanese curry, okonomyaki, ramen etc. I've found non-Japanese owned Japanese restaurants to have rather soulless standards like teriyaki-whatever and over battered tempura though I'll readily admit that Korean rolls are often far more creative than Japanese. Korean BBQ is also a favorite.
Chowish recs for Antioch area?
DH and I are packing up and moving to Antioch in a month or two which my sister warned me is nearly devoid of the Asian food DH and I love to eat. I got word that a new Asian market is opening up in Antioch in July 2008 so that's a relief (I was dreading going down to Pleasant Hill for our groceries) but as far as good restaurants, does anyone have any recs? I only know of the chains around the Lone Tree area. I'm not very fond of Mexican food but any other good food recs are appreciated!
Pinole: Trader Joe's and fresh produce at 99 Cents Only Store
My family will be glad to hear about the TJs in Pinole. They've been going to the one in El Cerrito for awhile now but they live in Hercules. I'm sure this TJs will get plenty of business once it opens up.
Great Japanese Curry: Where?
Oh my god, Curry House in Cupertino?! You have just made my night!
Japantown Guide
I disagree with you about Juban. Juban serves Japanese style yakiniku, essentially Japan's take on Korean BBQ. Korean side dishes at Juban are NOT out of place. But yeah, it's pretty damned expensive but pretty tasty. It's a place I'd recommend if a person budget allows since there's wagyu beef on the menu for grilling. Yummy.
Dduk bo ssam in the Bay Area?
After spending the morning browsing food photos on Flickr and drooling helplessly, I thought I'd ask if anyone knows of a place that serves dduk bo ssam in the Bay Area? I've read of one place in Santa Clara and another in Fremont, Four Season Tofu House which got a 4 stars on Yelp. Have any hounds been there recently? I'm admittedly wary. I normally trust Yelp but the last time I went to a well reviewed place (Old Port Lobster Shack) I was really disappointed.
Garlic Confit - uses?
Yummy! Garlic paste for crostini would be an excellent place to start!
Maybe make a vinegarette out of the garlic infused oil? Or maybe sautee potatoes in the oil?
removing brownies from the pan
Echoing all the others that suggest a foil sling, sprayed with non-stick. I spray with Trader Joe's flour/oil mixture and have never had a problem. My brownies always come out wonderfully.
UnionCity-DeCoto/AlvaradoNiles recommendations?
I'll throw in my vote for Banyan here. It's my favorite restaurant in this area. Roti canai is a great thing to order for an appetizer. I love a lot of things here: the rendang beef, golden tofu, golden crab and of course the coconut rice.
Award winner Pizza chef in Castro Valley ??
I'm glad someone went!! I checked the Pyzano's site online yesterday morning and they said that they were sold out of all 200 pies. I was so disappointed! At least it sounds delicious.
Dinner at Tanpopo - J-Town
IIRC, it's pretty much kitty corner to the Denny's, across from the Peace Pagoda plaza.
I'll vouch for their chahan and their ramen -- both extremely good. YUM!
Kawayan, Filipino restaurant in Berkeley
Filipinos are darned good at those cheap, greasy breakfasts ;) Bad for the heart, good for the soul. ;)
I grew up in Hercules/Pinole and the Filipino food you get from those places are leaps and bounds above Kawayan. I'll be going back to check out their entrees but I have to admit, I'm not expecting too much.
Kawayan, Filipino restaurant in Berkeley
CAVEAT: I'm Filipino and just about every Filipino I know believes that the best Filipino food is dished out at home. So maybe I'm too critical?
I just came back from lunch there. I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed but not so much so that I won't go back to try again.
I'd been craving longsilog for awhile (didn't want to make it myself) and this really didn't do much to satisfy it. The fried egg was overdone (not their fault; I didn't specify my preference); the garlic fried rice was indeed fried but aside from the smattering of fried garlic on top of it, lacked any depth of flavor of its own; the longanisa wasn't greasy but was missing the well carmelized bits that I love so much. In fact, the sausages were bordering on dry and as a result, not nearly as tasty as I thought they should be.
One of the things that confounded me about the plate was it was garnished with a slice of tomato, a cucumber and a few random bits of canned pineapple. It seemed out of place and did nothing to enhance the dish, especially the pineapple. Maybe atchara would have been a better choice? All in all, their longsilog wasn't horrible per se but it was... soulless? ... I guess is the word. I don't know.
I think I'll come back with my mom and sister so we can get more dishes of theirs and compare. For now, I'll stay clear of the rice plates. The prices for their dishes look decent and from what I saw on another patron's table, their portions look to be just right for the price.
Pho in San Jose/South bay
I'll throw in another vote for Pho Bang but be forewarned. Unless the place has changed drastically in the past year or so, it's a total dive in the worst way possible. The food is great -- the environment, not so much. If you need to go to the bathroom, I'd suggest holding it until you get home because the outdoor bathroom will make you lose your appetite.
Berkeley Eats before & after UT/Cal game
I've been to Bobby G's and yes, the pizza is pretty good. The TVs are nice and they do show the local games AFAIK. This is probably a good place for a hang out spot if you're looking for casual and cheaper fare. Otherwise I'd suggest Jupiter or maybe Triple Rock for after the game.
Daiso Japan in Union City is Open
I love this little place. There's great buys all over the store but I made a killing in the kitchen section. It was hard to not go home with everything. Sure, some of it isn't exactly the most innovative but $1.50 for a perfectly good whisk? I'll take that. Also great if you're into making bento. There were so many bento supplies at such good prices -- I couldn't believe it!
