PegS's Profile
POLL: Can you walk to an actual grocery store?
Oakland/Berkeley border here as well. And most definitely yes. About 10-15 minute walk from one large supermarket, a Whole Foods and two sets of grocers/butchers etc. Oh yeah, and a Trader Joe's.
Got a wok as a gift! my seasoning adventure
Huh, never heard that either. My brother gave me a wok (which he seasoned himself, bless his heart) for my first wedding. Now, that was my *first* marriage so maybe there was something to the bad luck. OTOH, I'm pretty happy in my 2nd marriage and that old wok is probably one of the first things I'd try to save in the event of a fire. So, take it for what it's worth!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi - the movie.
Just saw this movie this weekend and really enjoyed it. Two things struck me.
1) Given all the discussions on sushi etiquette, it was interesting watching the restaurant critic/writer use chopsticks on his sushi.
2) The Yoshikazu thing that Chemicalkinetics refers to in his post.
Chinese red dates?
Also Ranch 99 in Richmond. Big parking lot there. There is also, in Oakland Chinatown, a market that has an underground parking lot. Orient Market (I think) on 7th.
EMP Versus Morality
Hm. I don't really think of this--a bad customer service experience--as a "morality" issue, although I understand you made a promise to yourself. (I once also vowed never to go back to a restaurant I frequented often after an egregiously bad service experience.) Honestly, in this case, I would go, because I think politeness to colleagues at your company trumps personal ethics for something like this. If this were another issue (like you saw the chef hitting his staff or serving shark's fin or something else that I think of as a more inflexible case of personal ethics) I would answer differently.
The dream kitchen
Monavano, not all granite is made alike. Something with a high gloss is going to show dust as is something with an even, solid color. However, I chose a matte granite ("antique" finish) and a somewhat mottled black (Cambrian black). It's very forgiving of dust, crumbs, spills, etc.
I went through a small kitchen remodel a few years, so hardly a dream kitchen. But if I were to do it all over again I'd make sure 1) the upper cabinets were deep enough to hold large plates such as chargers; regular-depth cabinets are too shallow 2) I'd have a pastry station where the countertop is lower than the regular ones, to make it easier to knead.
What I love are the mostly lower drawers (no cabinets except in my unavoidable corner) and the (retrofitted) Blum soft close hinges and drawer slides. Oh, and my bullet-proof, easy to clean granite.
SF/East Bay restaurant and food trek report, and thanks
Hands down, this is my favorite report in a while. Thanks so much for the detailed impressions! (Which is not as contradictory a phrase as it first might appear...)
Do you eat the...gulp...fat?
Like others, I like fat when it's crispy and melty, or when it's lardy. I don't like it when it's rubbery, and have found that offputting since childhood. I was the only one in my family who carefully cut all the fat away from steak because it made me gag. Now that I make my own steak, I just make sure I broil or somehow get the fat burnt enough to taste good.
Favorite Asian Sauce Disappearance & Strange Grocery Mystery
I would totally suggest you also try picking up some of the Chinese satay "sha cha" sauce FattyDumplin has referred to. It might end up being close to what you're looking for. It tastes nothing like the peanuty sauce used for those skewers of satay meat. Here's a pic of the kind that I use and FattyD's wife seems to use as well.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2676/4067570098_ef106e2c9e_o.jpg
Charging for cakes
Heh. I used to order breakfast at a cafeteria type place that had breakfast sandwiches for breakfast and considerably more expensive grilled cheese sandwiches during lunch. When I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich during breakfast, the smarter cashiers would charge me for toast and cheese, but with other cashiers I had to order a "breakfast sandwich with no egg, just cheese" to avoid paying the lunch grilled cheese sandwich price.
ham hock and bean soup
Yes, there is no way your pot is all congealed fat. No way at all. Skim the fat from the top; you'll notice that it's hard and greasy. The rest of it, I'd bet, is more jiggly and has a completely different consistency than the fat you just skimmed. *That* consistency, as sparrowgrass said, is merely rich, gelatinous broth.
Doing Something Nice for Someone, Maybe Not
I don't drink, and if you'd sent me the glass of port I would have had to decline it. That said, I would still have felt a nice warm and fuzzy feeling at the reminder that people out there are still nice enough to perform small gestures for perfect strangers. I wouldn't overthink it, and I'm totally on your side vs. your GF's.
Andronico's change of ownership?
I love Andronico's as well. My husband was at our regular one--the Telegraph Ave. one--and they confirmed the change in ownership. The guy my husband talked to said they retained 40% of the old employees.
Adopting - or not - foreign eating customs in the US
Not to mention how many people try to eat rice plates with chopsticks. It's exhausting watching them. ;-)
Another noodle slurping question
Yes, and my mom also always considered the chopsticks and spoon method the most "polite" method too.
Best caramels in Paris?
Okay, reporting back. Our last day in Paris we settled down for an afternoon snack at Jacques Genin. Yes, given that it was our last day, I totally over-ordered. The lemon tart was lovely, though fine restaurant lovely and not the second coming of Christ lovely. My pot of hot chocoloate was good, but I couldn't finish it given all the sweets in front of me. My husband's rose-scented white tea was fine indeed, and nicely cut into all the sweet stuff. Surprisingly, what I really fell for was the mille-feuille. The puff pastry was so crisp and caramelized.
As for the caramels. Unfortunately, I fall in with Mangeur's sentiments. They were perfectly fine caramels, but I really like slightly more toothiness to my caramels. The ones I like best at home are the artisanal ones that "give" slightly when you bite into them, and the JG caramels were just too uniformly soft. The giftee felt the same way I did, but her husband pronounced them divine.
Best caramels in Paris?
I've been reading loads about his mille-feuille, but that only has me curious. Something lemony, though, will have me running over there!
Best caramels in Paris?
Okay, I throw up my hands in surrender! ;-) I guess Genin it must be.
Best caramels in Paris?
Need to bring back some great caramels for a special new mom's gift. I'll definitely stop by Jacques Genin, but any other recommendations for ones that might be slightly more affordable so I can bring back more than a handful? Close to the Marais a plus but totally willing to hit anyplace in central Paris.
Merida? Worth the trip or not?
Oh, and do stop by Valladolid if you can. Since it's about at the halfway point it makes a nice break. They have a cenote there, and I still dream of the Caldo Tlalpeno at the restaurant in the El Meson del Marques hotel.
Found at New May Wah Market-- Red Boat Fish Sauce made in Vietnam
AND at Rockridge Market Hall and Star Grocery? If so, how wonderful.
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Rockridge Market Hall
5655 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Ice cream or Gelato - What's your preference and why?
Is it like frozen custard, which (this California girl) discovered a few years ago on a trip to New Jersey? I was in heeeeeavvvven.
Ice cream or Gelato - What's your preference and why?
I prefer gelato precisely because I prefer the cleaner, less fatty mouth-feel. It's actually why I feel in love with Breyer's natural vanilla way back in the day and why I don't like French vanilla ice cream at all.
What do you look for in beef jerky?
I also like a good, hard jerky. Peppered, and sometimes with a bit of sweetness. The jerky that is my basic go-to jerky is actually Oberto's classic thin peppered. It's not blow -your-mind jerky but it's reliable and tastes minimally processed. I'm not fond of soft jerkys, and I don't like Asian jerky at all, even though I grew up with it. Too sweet and soft and sticky.
Montreal, for a sweeter jerky I actually liked Jack Link's until they changed their formula a few years ago. Now the jerky tastes a lot more artificial.
Where to find McCrees Crumpets in East Bay?
They also used to carry them at the fruit/veggie place at Rockridge Market Hall, but I haven't looked for them in a long time either.
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Rockridge Market Hall
5655 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Tom Wilson Oranges at Andronico
Thanks all. Stopped by the Telegraph Andronico's today and they still have lots!
Portable Vacuum Sealer
I've gone through the old posts but they mainly address heavy-duty sealers for home use. I'm looking for a small vacuum sealer to take on vacation. This would be used to seal food items I want to bring home without stinking up my luggage and to keep the food fresh. (Like cheese and the like.) Is the Ziplock Vacuum Freezer System still the best alternative?
Favourite meat and cut
Ditto. I love long beef ribs ("dino bones") and nothing makes me happier than gnawing around the bone.
meringue for pavlova - Penninsula?
I'm also a huge fan of the kinds of meringues used for Pavlovas. Most meringue cookies I see in the Bay Area are hard all the way through. Again, not in San Mateo, but Bob's Donuts on Polk St. also have great, large, chewy meringues.
Salad size, fork size
I always use chopsticks for salad if I can get away with it. Certainly I use chopsticks at home.
