gnomatic's Profile
SF Metreon -- your favorites?
Neither FreshRoll or Inay are open yet, though FreshRoll looks very close to being ready. Of the ones that are open right now (only a handful inside the food court, and La Boulange outside), I opt for the seafood soft tofu soup at Sorabol.
Cuisinart Pizza Oven?
The advantage is I don't have use the stove oven for baking/heating up small/single servings. It has convection mode, great for roasting chicken. It's big enough for most of my baking needs(done 9" round cakes in there), unless I am doing big batches of cookies.
Cabinet overhang could be a problem, depends on how low the cabinets are. I would leave plenty of space on top and behind the oven. But it depends on which model of oven you have.
Cuisinart Pizza Oven?
Do you have the model number, probably worth looking up the reviews on Amazon.
I have the Cuisinart-BRK-200 (which was discontinued several years ago), love it. I seldom use my oven since I got it. It's a huge counter space hog in my tiny kitchen (it needs space around it because it REALLY heats up) but it's worth the $120 from Overstock.com several years ago.
The pizza stone is also great for baking bread.
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay Thread - 2nd quarter 2012
Thanks for recommendation on the milk chocolate bar! I prefer milk chocolate, and I really enjoy the TJ organic bar. It's comparable to TCHO's "classic" in taste, and at 1/5 the price.
Fish maw for Chinese soup
"I have never had any grit with the non-fried ones."
Oh, I meant the fried ones. I never bought (or cooked) any of the non-fried ones on my own.
I am bewildered at how much variation there can be in price for fish maw, would like to know how to tell the good quality one.
Fish maw for Chinese soup
I think it takes longer to soak for the non-fried type. They are much harder, almost plastic like in it's dried state.
But I never had a problem with leaving the fried ones soaking over-night.
I was taught to soaked them first before using...though the amount of grit/sand in them seems proportional to the quality(and price?). I have no idea how to determine the "good ones" so the ones I get tend to have grit, whereas the ones my mom purchased for me never had that problem. Another example of mom knows best I guess :-)
North Beach Italian, or casual French near Union Square
I don't find the places on Belden place particularly "grown-up", but most of them have outdoor dining area in the alley, that perhaps will be more comfortable for your group?
Or how about Restaurant Ducroix on Sacramento (but I think they are only open a few nights a week for dinner)?
Granulated Maple Sugar - anyone used it?
I got some cotton candy made with maple sugar at the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC last year... it was delicious.....
At the same stand I picked up a small container of maple sugar, I substitute half the sugar in a Liege waffle recipe. It turned out great, it like a crunchy maple glaze in addition to the sugary crunch from the pearl sugar.
Fish maw for Chinese soup
They are used slightly differently by my family. I personally preferred the fried ones (as in your picture). Just make sure you rinse it well after soaking, some have sand/grit in them that makes it unpleasant when used in soup.
The fried ones I cut up (after soaking), and make a soup with chicken broth, shredded chicken breast and crab meat. It's more of a "tasty" soup
Where as the other fish maw, is used for more "healthy" soups by my mom. Though she keeps telling me to use them in congee.
Grocery Shopping in San Francisco
I think I spend around $150-200 maximum a month for one person.. a bit lower now since I get most workday lunch & dinners at work. I am from Canada originally, budget wise, I think you will find groceries a bit cheaper here..and bigger variety of produce year round.
I live in North Beach, so I do most of my shopping within a walking distance. The deli's here are more like sandwich counters, not where one does their grocery shopping. As other mentioned, the Ferry Building farmer's market is the most expensive, I usually go for there for some things, like Fatted Calf duck confit, Acme bread, cheeses, St. Benoit yogurt, jams, sometimes Marin farm beef.
Otherwise I do most of my shopping in Chinatown, fresh asian vegetables, fruits, pork & poultry on Stockton (there is a dedicated poultry shop on Grant). Produce is probably about 1/3 cheaper then elsewhere. There is also City Market on Stockton, old school butcher, I think they are Italian. Wo Chong on (I think) Clay near Stockton for fresh tofu & soy milk.
I walk to the Fort Mason farmers market on Sunday mornings for other produce & fruit. If I am really lazy, I go to the tiny North Beach market on Powell at Columbus on Sunday mornings. I like the market at Civic Center on Sundays, big, great variety, price and selection.
For the rest of my shopping, I go to Trader Joe's, Safeway, Nijiya (not just for the Japanese foods, but also for organic dry goods, better price then Whole Foods) & Cost Plus world market. Occasionally I trek over to Whole Foods. You can get some good idea of the price by looking at their flyers online.
Yummy recipe - just have to share. Steamed Korean eggs
It's actually a common dish in cantonese & japanese cooking as well.
For me it's comfort food, made plain, served with oyster sauce. Eaten with rice.
Variations include putting in (not all at once :-) scallions, thousand year old egg, duck eggs, chinese bbq pork, dry scallops.
The "secret" to getting the perfect texture is covering the bowl/dish VERY tightly with plastic wrap or some sort air tight lid to prevent the hot steam from getting in. You don't need to worry as much about the steaming time or the waterbath boil by doing so. It can also be done in the microwave.
My mom also taught me the ratio of egg to water/broth is 1:2 ... using the egg shell to measure the water.
Best Products at Cost Plus World Market?
The Walgreens in my area have a (strangely) huge selection, they also carry some Milka bars and sometimes Kinder Bueno... for better price then Cost Plus.
Best Products at Cost Plus World Market?
Their house brand Kenyan whole coffee bean. Good price, and combine that with their frequent coffee buyer card, double coffee credit Wednesday, and World Explorer coupons (there is always a 10% off or $10 off 30 coupon).
I also prefer their chocolate lacey cookies over Trader Joe' s version.
Breakfast near Union Square / Chinatown?
hing lung is still closed...no sign of when it will re-open.
Washington Bakery in Chinatown does sit down breakfasts (Chinese, as well as as Hong Kong style "western" breakfast). Most chinese bakeries and dim sum takeaways in Chinatown should be open as well.
There are branches of La Boulange on California and also on Sutter
Trader Joe's Holiday Items - 2011
Do report back if you try it! Nutella is my kryptonite...but I really should buy anymore nut & chocolate spread until i try the (still un opened) Nutkao from italy.
Where to buy a pound of coffee?
I buy whole beans, as I grind them at home.
At work we have burr grinders, and we only grind what we used. They supposedly calibrated them to the proper grind & amount for our machines. Due to the amount of people on my floor, beans are replenished almost daily.
Having said that, I tried Blue Bottle (at their Ferry terminal building outlet and the MoMA location) a few times, didn't care for it. I tried the four barrel beans making it myself on the work machine, and the barista (including a rep from four barrel who was in to check on things)...again..not great.
Where to buy small jars of jam or jelly?
The MV farmer's market is on Sunday mornings at the Caltrain station.
http://cafarmersmkts.com/markets/category/mountain-view
I saw some smaller sizes jam in packages of 3 at Trader Joe the other day. I think it's one of the Christmas products .. might be worth taking a look at..but I suspect they are too big for what you are looking for.
Where to buy small jars of jam or jelly?
I don't know if Mountain View is too far, but I recall there was a good vendor at the MV farmer's market on Sundays that does sampler size jar jams too.
My local cost Plus stash the mini jams away from the main jam display..near the picnic stuff aisle (along with the those single servings nutella, mustard etc).
Where to buy small jars of jam or jelly?
cost plus world market sells them. The vendor (up in front of the buidling) at the ferry terminal building Saturday market has some really good ones in sampler size as well.
Where to buy a pound of coffee?
I like the Graffeo dark roast as well (I live just a few blocks from their SF store).
I know it's not a local roaster, but I like the Cost Plus World Market Kenya AA (described as Dark Roast, Light/Medium body, Bright Flavor with Earthy nuances). http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4334653
There are grinders you can use in the store. If you join their club, you get a few bag ever ten bags, and on Wednesday you get 2 for 1 credit. Occasionally, they have a buy one bag get one bag free deal too.
I switched over to the cost plus coffee for cost cutting reasons.
We have Verve, Four Barrel, Blue bottle beans at work...I don't like any of them..though at this point, I am incline to think it's the machine that is the problem. I think the water is too hot.
New Hollywood Bakery (SF Chinatown) - pineapple buns, pork buns, $5 rice plate, scallion twists - any reports?
It seems popular with the the older folks, and can be quite busy on the weekends. I go there for the paper wrapped cakes...cheap and extremely fluffy.
Trader Joe's Holiday Items - 2011
Just spotted the french truffles at the Fisherman's Wharf store in SF. Also picked up a box of the dark chocolate sea salt caramels.
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay Thread - 4th quarter 2011 [OLD]
I just quickly put them away in my work bag, and bring them to work. I pretty much use my co-workers as human garbage disposals for all my left over snacks & baking experiments....
Where to get Japanese style bamboo shoots?- "menma"
Nijiya in San Francisco has them, as does the other Japanese food markets in Japantown. You might've missed them, because they come in tiny refridgerated packages, usually located near the nama ramen. The brand I have seen is Yamachan, they also make nama ramen. There is a picture of their menma on their website at: http://www.yamachanramen.com/our-products/
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay Thread - 4th quarter 2011 [OLD]
Yea to the Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips - the sweet milk chocolate, with the salty crinkle cut chip is darn addictive.
Dave's Killer Bread at Safeway in San Francisco
The North Beach/Fisherman's Wharf Safeway has it. It was located on it's own small wooden shelf at the beginning of the bread aisle.
Pink popcorn - Bay Area only?
I had pink popcorn in Canada (Toronto in particular) as well. Not in bricks for sure.. I think it was at movie theaters in the 80's/90's. I THINK it was some sort of pink flavoring that went on like "butter".... though I can't remember exactly...
Cooking Classes in San Francisco/Bay Area
Tante Marie has evening & weekend classes.
http://tantemarie.com/index.php?page=cooking_courses&content=overview
Some of the local cooking school do private classes, so if you have enough people, you might be able to organize something to fit your interest & schedule.
California Organic Keitt Mangos are Back!
I just got one at the Trader Joe's in North Beach/Fisherman's Wharf. $1.99 each.
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay Thread - 3rd quarter 2011 [Old]
The jasmine pearl tea (in the pyramid bags) is really good. I grew up drinking jasmine loose leaf tea and the quality of the tea in TJ tea bags is impressive.
