Thanks all!

Great ideas thus far... tonight I get to experiment on myself and DH and see what works. Will stop by the market and see about some moistening agent.... The char siu I'm using is actually tenderloin that's been sous vide cooked, so it's fairly lean. But very tasty. :-P

Hi All --

I'm going to an appetizers only dinner party this weekend, and was thinking of bringing some Char Siu sliders. Was looking to get feedback on garnish and condiments....

My current approach is to put thinly sliced Char Siu onto a bun, top with a slice of cucumber, a sprig of cilantro leaf, and perhaps a smear of pepper jelly. But then I was thinking perhaps hoisin sauce instead of the pepper jelly, and maybe arugula instead of the cilantro/cucumber.

Any ideas?

In SF we bought it at Rainbow Grocery, on Folsom Street.

Oops, took too long to report back. This has become or DeFacto favorite pan to use for nearly everything. Heats very evenly, non stick is better and has been sustained over two months heavy use. My husband can even put the pan into the sink under the faucet to get that satisfying sizzle which would ruin a normal Teflon pan. No issues going into the dishwasher. We are very very happy with the Evaco frying pan.

Saw this in the store today, bought it on impulse (SF Bay Area it's on sale right now at Rainbow Grocery on Division St. -- 10" frying pan for $38).

So far am very happy with it -- first real test will be tomorrow morning's eggs. Will report back!

We love the Mango Passion Granola -- great on a summery morning with an ice cold bowl of milk.....

"Country Style" Red Curry paste does a non-coconut milk base. Perhaps you can try that with the smoked eggplant? I've never heard of your dish but it sounds delicious!

Our latest find for a salad -- shaved asparagus! For once we actually look for the thick stalks....

Toss shaved asparagus with parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice/zest (one ingredient or two?), and olive oil. Parseley is garnish, right? :o)

For Vietnamese Sunflower just opened on 18th Street, though I visited their Mission location and was underwhelmed. Mexican I heartily recommend Dos Pinas (as mentioned by bladderdash below), which is only a couple blocks from the Whole Foods block.

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Dos Pinas
251 Rhode Island St Ste 102, San Francisco, CA 94103

Let's see, I can answer the work things easier than I can answer your housing neighborhood, which may not help as much. :-S But in the area you're working in, there are a few good options.

Sally's is a breakfast/lunch place at 16th and DeHaro, excellent breakfasts and the portions are HUGE.

There's also a Pizza place next door (Pizza Nostro I think) but I haven't been there.

Up the street there's a fantastic Sushi place, but the price range is a bit steeper. But reviews have been awesome, check out Skool (DeHaro and Alameda).

As mentioned before, Live! sushi is right across the street from Whole Foods.

Connecticut Yankee is a good homey bar with decent food. I have also heard good things about the food at Parkside, though I haven't been there either.

The stretch between Potrero and Berry Street is pretty easy, I'd say 10 years ago you'd have to be careful but there's been so much development down there that I think it's fairly safe.

One thing I can mention, the 21st Amendment is only 2 1/2 blocks from the ballpark, that's a nice option for a good beer and bar food.

What types of food do you like? That may help narrow the search down.

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Parkside Cafe
43 Arenal Ave, Stinson Beach, CA 94970

Connecticut Yankee
100 Connecticut St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Skool
1725 Alameda St, San Francisco, CA 94103

I'm firmly in the camp of MMM -- the owners are awesome and the flavors while not as out there as HS, sometimes I really just want an ice cream treat rather than a flavor revelation. Not to say I haven't had flavor revelations at MMM, it's just not their only claim to fame.

Especially apt to appeal to my palate (from experience), anything with Bourbon, the Croqantino, Orange Blossom, and of course the Candied Violet. YUM!

Great post! I've recently gone on a cookie kick and been baking up a storm on weekends. And my waist shows, but hey, that's what the gym is for. :-P

My latest concoction is the hop on the brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip train, and change the recipe to half butterscotch chips as they are our favorite. Result this past weekend was AMAZING!! Here's the base recipe I started from: http://www.sitesnbites.com/2011/04/25...

Thanks Twyst -- you know I had read that somewhere (probably on eGullet) and promptly forgot about it.....

Hi AnomalyEE --

There are more knowedgable hounds than myself, but I'll give my opinion (isn't that what the Internet is for??) :o)

The flavors should be somewhat incorporated into the meat when you vacuum seal the bag. I do the same, and opt to create my own using whatever I have available and what sounds good (kind of like you do with your homemade taco seasoning). Also, I always try to remember to season with salt and pepper, as well as a bit of oil (bacon fat or butter) in the bag.

The strength in Sous Vide is definitely in texture and cooking proteins at the steady temperature -- that's how the tough parts break down and you get a much better texture. The combination with vacuum sealing and keeping the meat suspended in it's own juices and the spices you add should help get some flavor into the meat as well. Do you think you may not be pulling enough vacuum with your vacuum sealer?

The only times I've found the flavor of added spices to be lacking is when I've purposefully underspiced. Marinades are tricky with the vacuum but I've had success marinating overnight then drying before bagging. You can also (depending on what's in your marinade) freeze cubes or blocks of marinade to add to the bag before sealing.

Flank Steak we've done with lots of success, using the method above. Season with S&P, some herbs (usually dried garlic, onion, and a dash of chipotle) and seal with a nice generous pat of butter. I think Flank I cooked at 135 deg F for 8 hours. Good luck!

Hi, I have to choose a venue for a work anniversary, am deciding between a few restaurants and wanted some good 'hound input.

I am a moderate foodie, love almost all cuisines and can be adventurous. But mostly appreciate good food (especially when it's paid for by work!). Small group, 4-8 so no need for a private room.

On my list of places I haven't been but want to go to....

Perbacco
Baker and Banker
Benu
Atelier Crenn
Chez Spencer
Range

Any guidance on how to order these.... what to add/drop? The end choice will probably depend on an available reservation, but I'd like to get venue ideas. Thanks!!

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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Chez Spencer
82 14th St., San Francisco, CA 94103

Benu
22 Hawthorne St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Atelier Crenn
3127 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Thanks for that brine recipe biodanonima! I made a half batch on Friday and proceeded to go pork crazy. Two full racks, 10 pork chops. Had some pork chops last night, they were fantastic -- the ribs are tonight, have been cooking for nearly 48 hours. :o) I can't wait for dinner!

An overall "meh" to the Milk Chocolate Malt Ball cookies. I really wanted to like them, but while the cookies are OK and have some flavor of a Whopper, it still tastes like a chocolate chip cookie. The Malt gives the texture an interesting crispness, but overall not something I'll go out of my way to buy in the future.

No cream cheese. The flour and the cheddar did a pretty good job of binding, it certainly didn't fall apart. It was a classic casserole.

In talking with my S.O. we agreed that the full cup of sugar would have made the dish too sweet. It had a hint of sweetness but that was well balanced with the salty buttery flavor from the ritz crackers, and the sharp cheddar cheese. Almost cobbler-like in consistency, but not cloyingly sweet at all.

OK, When I first read this I exclaimed, "YUCK!"

Then I googled it and quickly became intrigued -- just the type of off the wall dish I'd like to try out on my in-laws (of which my MIL is a very good cook with a great palate).

So I cooked it, using tips from online comments to reduce the sugar by half, and to use one can cubed and one can crushed pineapple. So, 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, both can contents (drained) and 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese. Tossed together and put into a pyrex pan (Living on the edge, I know) and topped with two rounds of crumbled Ritz Crackers. Dot the top with butter and bake at 350 deg for 40 minutes.

Darned if it wasn't the hit of the evening! Fabulous suggestion MellieMag!

Second this system -- We got a couple to get our spices under control and having them so easily available has been awesome. Not to mention efficiency of space... Now for a counter/tabletop use not so attractive, but they take up one shelf in the cabinet and when the drawer is extended the spices are at eye level. The labels on the front of the drawers help immensely too!

Low Bak Go? It's basically slabs of taro cut into rectangular squares. Has meat in it and is sauteed.....

ShinyCake --

Awesome recipe. I have made them twice already and will probably make a batch tomorrow to cart to my MIL's Easter Brunch. Thanks for posting -- it's a total winner!

I found them both -- here!

http://thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/greencurp.html

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

I think Massaman Curry has a paste all it;s own.

<Wading carefully into discussion>

Yikes! Well comments notwithstanding, I do love cooking sous vide myself. I found that chicken breast in particular, for me, is normally a pretty bland and dry cut that I do not enjoy at all. Sous vide made it palatable and even enjoyable. YMMV as always.

From there I've branched out into the 48 hour short ribs, various steaks and roasts, turkey legs, and of course the quest for the perfect soft boiled egg (in shell, 146.5 deg F for me). But OP, if you didn't find it to your liking then best of luck with your next food adventure! :o)

Look no further than our beloved site here. :-)

http://www.chow.com/recipes/28389-arg...

I also love how the chicken splayed out looks like a frog.........

I think the Ranch 99 chain has Thai curry paste -- Mae Ploy brand.

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99 Ranch
4299 Rosewood Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588

For kids, I'd go with Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone Creamery. For adults, the HS option or Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous in Dogpatch was making holiday ice cream pies which were fantastic.

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Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous
699 22nd St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Yeah, that one. ^^^ :o)

Thanks emannths!

Hmm, I'll have to try the technique of fish broiled in wine. Sounds great!

I have been following progress on another board as people explore the MC tome -- one of the big winners so far seems to be their recreation of Mac and Cheese -- basically making their own version of Velveeta with emulsifiers but a much more intense cheese flavor. Sounds interesting but I haven't yet made the foray into using thickeners and emulsifiers yet. Just standard Sous Vide for me so far...... :o)