Kato's Profile
This foodie just moved from NYC area to Sacramento and needs help!
Oh for pity's sake, my correction wasn't quite enough -
it's Mahoroba Japanese bakery
Sorry.
This foodie just moved from NYC area to Sacramento and needs help!
That's Maharoba with an 'h'.
4900 Freeport Blvd.
Tuesday - Sunday 7:30 am - 7 pm, closed Monday's
I found out we've been driving past this Japanese bakery on the way to Oto's for years. We stopped by this week for the first time. The curry pan were tasty. We need to get there before 11:30 next time to see more of their wares.
Plant featured on 'What's New on Japanese Food' tv program
Wow, it hasn't even been an hour and I have my answers! Thank you Silverjay, DeppityDawg, and anyone else who chimes in later. I was so frustrated researching this since I don't know Japanese and Mom, who is from Japan, is not familiar with computers - again thanks for your help. Now onto reading more about this and maybe getting some to grow, we will have to discuss the slimy stem part.
Plant featured on 'What's New on Japanese Food' tv program
This long-leaved plant was being grown in Kanazawa-shi in Ishikawa-ken and its leaves are used in tempura and to make some reddish drink. My mother saw it on the program via her satellite dish here in the US on Friday, January 6th. She says it was called 'kinjiso' but I can't find it on Google. The leaves were long & narrow, green on the top part and reddish on the underside. The farmer brought in samples to the show. I thought it might be shiso until she mentioned the long narrow leaves.
I've checked the show's web site but it skipped mentioning this show, it talked about a past one on kamaboko and then future programs on strawberries and something else.
If anyone saw the program and can give me more information about the mystery plant, (including its flavor!) I'd appreciate it. She is interested in adding it to her vegetable garden.
Benkyodo Co, SF - who's had the New Years Mochi? Peanut Butter mochi, Blueberry Mochi, Seseame mochi
By the way, the o-manju pieces have shrunk a bit - whatever they need to do to stay in business is fine by me.
Benkyodo Co, SF - who's had the New Years Mochi? Peanut Butter mochi, Blueberry Mochi, Seseame mochi
I haven't had their New Year's mochi, we make our own at home in our mochi-making machine - but I got some answers for you about some of the terms you asked about - but first a correction. What you called mochi above (the blueberry, peanut butter, etc.), are manjus (if you're female, they're o-manjus), confections with sweetened adzuki beans. Mochi is special rice that has been cooked then pounded and stretched to make a very sticky 'dough.' It can be hard to swallow for the very old or the very young.
Komochi - flattened balls of mochi, made at this time of year for use in ozoni soup, a 'good luck' New Year's dish. The rest of the year, you can toast it under the broiler or microwave it, wrap it some nori (dried seaweed), dip it some soy sauce and eat. Mmmm.
Noshi - the mochi is rolled out into a square or a rectangle. I don't know if the smaller squares, rectangles, would be pre-cut.
An-iri - Mom didn't know what this was - but I've seen packets of an-pan (sweetened bread with the azuki beans inside) that were labeled tsubu (uses whole and partially mushed beans - basically a chunk mixture) or koshi (smooth sweetened bean paste).
Kinton - this MAY just be sweetened paste made from chestnuts or sweet potato.
Sekihan - sticky reddish-brown rice (colored from being cooked with azuki beans) with beans
Okasane Mochi - these are sets of two mochi, made to be stacked (one is large, the other smaller) and then topped with a tangerine or mandarin orange (preferably with a leave still attached). It's another good luck / New Year's tradition. Some stores sell big plastic forms of these.
Cooked dark turkey meat to go?
Oh excellent, I'll send this info along to her. I won't feel so badly about failing to be her turkey meat supplier anymore.
Thanks!
Help! Need to find Lyle's Golden Syrup or another brand of cane syrup for Thanksgiving recipe
Haig's Deli in the inner Richmond District of San Francisco carries the Golden Syrup and the Treacle too I think. They're on Clement Street around 8th Avenue.
Cooked dark turkey meat to go?
My Kensington friend's famly has Thanksgiving in restaurants - this is great for family harmony but is very bad for turkey leftovers. In the past, I was able to get a pound of dark turkey meat from the fabulous Arguello Supermarket deli and satisfy her post-TDay and other time yearnings for it, but no more now that I have moved out of SF. Is there any place in the East Bay that regularly sells cooked dark turkey meat? This wasn't sliced turkey meat but big and little pieces right off the turkey.
I showed her where Arguello Super was but there's not much parking there so I'm hoping someone will be able to point her to a place in the East Bay. (I did peruse RW Orange's earlier post on meat sandwiches and some of those places might satisfy her if we can't find a place with loose meat.)
Thanks.
Burma Tea Leaf
This is closed. There's a transfer to new owner placard in the window.
Sam's Chowdermobile in Golden Gate Park
The Richmond District blog & EaterSF said that Sam's Chowdermobile was debuting in Golden Gate Park this Friday - just in time for my visit to the Impressionist exhibit at the De Young.
The Chowdermobile was behind the band shell, on the Academy of Science side. This was only my second-ever lobster roll so I'm not a knowledgeable critic - but it was bursting with lobster meat and I thought it was delicious. It was $15. including tax. Also got the Old Bay Fries ($4 incl. tax) - thin and crispy. Ate it well sprinkled with packets of malt vinegar.
Heard another patron say it was the best chowder he'd ever had which started made my lactose-intolerant heart to yearning - but I was full anyway.
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Sam's ChowderMobile
various locations, San Francisco, CA
Visiting SF with 3 "food obsessed" daughters in May.
And if you do decide to go to the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market on Saturday morning, just know that it starts getting very crowded by 10:30 -11. Early is better.
I work on Saturday's now so can't go any more. I miss the shining fruits and vegetables, the view of the Bay, happy shoppers planning the meals they will be preparing, the musicians busking, and the colorful sweet peas. Have fun!
How long does Benkyodo mochi stay fresh?
I've bought o-mochi on Friday to bring to my mother on Sunday. The woman at the counter said not to refrigerate it and like saffrongold, only warned against buying the mochi with the strawberry inside which might spoil.
They tasted fine on Sunday.
Mitarashi dango
My mother was reminiscing a month ago about a sweet she used to get in Japan - mitarashi dango. When I returned to SF, I Googled it and saw that it was small balls of (boiled or grilled) mochi that were put onto a wooden skewer and covered in a sauce.
Sunday morning I stopped by Nijiya Market at San Francisco's Japan Center to pick up some delectables to take to Mom - and I saw small packages of the dango in their prepared food section. I think there were a few skewers in each package. They had several different kinds - I bought one of Dango Mitarashi Rice ($3.99) and one Kushi Dango Shoyu (3 pieces/pkge, $2.99) - those are the names on my register receipt.
I thought they were interesting - soft not super sticky balls of mochi. The sauce on the mitarashi one was teriyaki-ish. The balls had grill marks on them but I didn't taste any smoke/grill flavor, it may be purely cosmetic. I'm not sure I get their popularity in Japan but Mom was very happy. I'm adding them to my list of things to bring on my visits.
Lunch today while at Presidio? Quick replies, please..
Yes, it's still there. The prices went up a bit a year or so ago.
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Acre Cafe
1013 Torney Avenue, San Francisco, CA
My first visit to Burma Superstar - Report (LONG)
FYI -The #2 on runs during the day. It stops around 7 PM.
If you want to eat at Burma Super Star without the wait - go there for lunch or be there right at the dinner opening.
I saw last night that now both Burma Super Star and it's B Star Bar down the street have lines outside at night.
Passover Coke at Lucky in SF
The Lucky at Fulton (in San Francisco) had a large end cap display of them last night - across from the do-it-yourself cash registers.
I told a friend abt this because it was just interesting. Turns out she has one last can of the old Coke that she's been hoarding. She ran out and bought a few 2-liter bottles at Luckys. Thanks Nancy Berry for posting the info.
Where can I find really ( really!) seedless (male) eggplant
Japanese eggplant doesn't usually have many if any seeds. It's a hot weather plant though so you won't find anything locally grown until summer.
And I want to point out that female plants are the ones with fruit. While 'male' plants can have flowers, they do not produce fruit - because there is no ovary hence no fruit.
Dim sum in the Presidio?
I haven't heard of a dim sum/Chinese restaurant in the Presidio. You can check out dining options (including the bowling alley) at www.Presidio.gov.
Good ramen noodles in SF?
I've found their broth to be on the flavorless side - indeed not much salt but not much of anything else either.
Gluten Free in San Fran
I think that Ethiopian restaurants in general would be gluten-free - if they use teff only rather than mixing any wheat flour into their injera (their sour bread).
Tal-Y-Tara Tea and Polo Shoppe
My friend and I were returning from a long day of working outside in the cold and wind. She had the inspired idea of stopping by Tal-Y-Tara on California Street/27th Avenue (San Francisco) for some hot tea. Neither of us had ever been there. I never knew the shop was there other than to notice the (fiberglass?) horse on display on the sidewalk and seeing the riding gear for sale.
It was pretty quiet, two tables had some quiet people chatting. We ordered one of the two white teas and a 'motorloaf.' The tea was served in a nice fat tea pot wrapped in a cloth. The white tea (my first) - something with 'Pom" in the name, was soothing and mildly flavortul. The motorloaf was a small brownish bread loaf with a rectangle cut out of it. He sliced up that rectangle to make elegant little sandwiches (egg salad with capers, ham, cucumber are what I remember) that were individually wrapped in small bits of paper.
My thought on seeing this was I could easily swallow the whole loaf myself in two seconds. It tasted great - a little nutty and a little sweet. However, there was a sort of time and appetite shift that happened as we sat there and had our little bites. We changed from being hurried, tired, and hungry to feeling warm, satisfied, and sated. There was plenty to look at - the top hat, ornate mantelpiece, riding gear and the man there was very friendly. I'm still surprised that those bitty bites satisfied me. There was something about slowing down, drinking lots of hot tea and enjoying the morsels that just fit the bill.
They have a patio in back that could be nice on a sunny day.
www.talytara.com
Closed Sundays
M-Sat Noon - 7 PM
Looking for European Candy
If you're talking about Pates de fruits also known as fruit jellies, I think they've been mentioned on the board.
What's in the old Cala at Geary & 27th Ave?
The Safeway (7th Ave/Cabrillo) is undergoing a remodel. The Richmond Review said a state-of-the-art Safeway will re-open in the second half of 2008. I think that they even delayed the closing after the Cala closed but decided that they really needed to spiff up the store.
HELP! First Thanksgiving
I know you're not responsible for the turkey - maybe there isn't going to be one - but if there is - make sure the preparer knows that it has to start defrosting in the fridge a day or two before the big day. I think that's the most common mistake for first timers. Hosting a big dinner is nervewracking enough without frantically blow-drying or showering a frozen turkey.
Good luck!
Good Ramen in San Francisco?
Nope, it's nearby but I don't walk that way much.
I've noticed that Nagano, the sushi place on Geary (between Arguello and 2nd Avenue) recently put up a banner saying it offers ramen. At the very least, BY Grill's brief life must have prodded Nagano's into pushing ramen.
What's the Most Time Consuming Thing You Have Ever Cooked?
The Bakery-style Sticky Buns that Cooks Illustrated had in their Jan/Feb 1994 issue takes me two days to make - all the rising involved makes it hard to do in one day AND serve it nice and warm. I've had other people ask for the recipe and a few have made it once, no one twice. As I mentioned above for the timpano recipe - it's easier the second time around. It does leave a lot of honey, butter and brown sugar slicked pans all over my kitchen.
One woman took a bite and declared that if her husband ever tasted it, he'd leave her in a second. That's a pertty nice response!
What's the Most Time Consuming Thing You Have Ever Cooked?
I make Fran Gage's puff pastry version every year for a pre-Thanksgiving feast. A lot of the people are vegetarians so this works (as it did for Fran Gage) as a big, festive dish for them. Like a lot of things, it's a lot easier to do the second, etc. time around. Now I know to cook the filling parts a day before AND to keep a list of the layers - it's not a happy thing to finish and seal everything up only to find a bowl that I forgot in the refrigerator. I keep wondering if using a bundt pan might make it easier to cut into slices but haven't tried that yet.
Roadside BBQ - 2nd Ave.and Geary Blvd
It's not that large of a kitchen (unlike Brothers-in-Law BBQ's kitchen) so I doubt it.
