Jalapeño Girl

Sichuan Hot in San Mateo

Eating at San Mateo's Little Sichuan Restaurant can be a hot, hot, hot experience. The dry fried chicken, shown here, and Ma Po Tofu (pictured below) were almost too much. Yet it was tasty, hearty, and good. Combining jalapenos and Sichuan dried chilies offered potent heat. There was also a pleasant hint of sweetness with the chicken that helped balance the spicy seasoning.

We specified that the food be hot spice wise, and Little Sichuan delivered. I noticed other chile eaters sweating and smiling. Many had Chinese beer, tea, and water. On some tables, there were bowls of broth with red chile oil or liquid on top that intrigued. Worth another visit.

Others may complain about the service, which can be spotty. On weekday lunch visits the service isn't always consistently good. Also, the restaurant has a worn feel. But I'm not going for decor or service. The spicy food with ample servings over rules these quibbles.

The restaurant has it's own parking lot, which is a bonus for the downtown San Mateo area. Also, you can walk through the "Mother Ship" Draeger's food emporium before or after your meal. It's right next door....

Little Sichuan Restaurant
168 E. 4th Avenue
San Mateo, CA
650.345.9168

Asian Fusion Feast with author Min Jin Lee

I would attend this one if it weren't our wedding anniversary....

Special Event: An Asian Fusion Feast with the Author Min Jin Lee ($95)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 6:30 PM
Ponzu Restaurant, 401 Taylor Street, San Francisco, 94102

Naomi Epel Presents

Cosponsored by American Institute of Wine & Food
and Asia Society of Northern California
Min Jin Lee
(author of Free Food For Millionaires)
and an Asian Fusion Feast

April 30 • 6:30 pm • $95 per person/ $175 per couple (AIWF & Asia Society members receive a discounted rate of $90 per person or $170 per couple)
Includes an autographed book, tax, tip, & house wine. Feel free to bring your own wine, too--there will be no corkage fee.

Location: Ponzu Restaurant, 401 Taylor Street, San Francisco, 94102

For tickets: call 415-927-0960, ext. 239,
or click on the order button below.
 

Join us for an Asian fusion feast honoring Min Jin Lee, author of Free Food For Millionaires. With a sharp eye and articulate voice, Min Jin Lee deftly introduces a memorable cast of characters that are as colorful as they are troubled and as complex as they are familiar. “After 20 years as a literary escort, I find Min Jin Lee to be one of the novelists I most admire.” Naomi Epel, author of The Observation Deck and Writers Dreaming.

*****
Menu:
Small plates to share…      

Pajeon
Egg Pancake with Green Onions, Manila Clams, Soy Vinegar Dipping Sauce

      

Galbi
Pork Spareribs with Gochujang Glaze and Toasted Sesame

      

Bimbap
Ahi Tuna, Pickled Daikon and Bean Sprouts in Rice Rolls

      

Yukhoe
Beef Tartare with Soy, Sugar, Sesame, Green Onion, Topped with Quail Egg Yolk

      

Large Plates to Share…
Served with Kimchee Fried Rice

      

Jajangmeyon
Noodles in Spicy Black Bean Sauce with Seasonal Vegetables

      

Jeongol
Spicy Seafood Stew with Eggplant and Straw Mushrooms

      

Bulgogi
Flank Steak Marinated in Chlli with Wilted Mustard and Pickled Bean Sprouts

    

Accompanied by Chef’s Selection of Dessert Coffee, Tea, and House Wine

   

No corkage if you’d like to bring your own wine!

Min Jin Lee appears in San Francisco

Naomi Epel Invites You To
 An Asian Fusion Feast
with Author Min Jin Lee

 Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 6:30 pm
Ponzu Restaurant, 401 Taylor Street, San Francisco

Order Tickets Now!

Join us for an Asian fusion feast honoring Min Jin Lee, author of Free Food For Millionaires. With a sharp eye and articulate voice, Min Jin Lee deftly introduces a memorable cast of characters that are as colorful as they are troubled and as complex as they are familiar. “After 20 years as a literary escort, I find Min Jin Lee to be one of the novelists I most admire.” Naomi Epel, author of The Observation Deck and Writers Dreaming.

"I read a terrific debut novel this week. It’s always heartening to find a good new writer, but what’s especially delightful about Min Jin Lee and her new novel, called Free Food For Millionaires, is that she’s taken up the expansive form of the nineteenth century novel and its concerns about money, marriage, and duty, to create a kind of Korean-American riff on all those sagas, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, where the principled heroine sometimes behaves like a downright fool.” – Maureen Corrigan, NPR FRESH AIR

“Top 10 Books of 2007” - USA TODAY
“Year’s Best Books” - NPR’s FRESH AIR
“Favorite Fiction of 2007” - CHICAGO TRIBUNE
“Favorite Books of the Year” - CHICAGO SUN TIMES
“Notable Books of 2007” - SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“Best Novels of the Year” and “The Times Christmas Choice” - THE TIMES (London)

When:
6:30 pm on Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Where:
Ponzu Restaurant
401 Taylor Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

Cost:
$95 per person or $175 per couple
AIWF & Asia Society members receive a discounted rate of $90 per person or $170 per couple
(includes tax, tip & an autographed copy of Free Food For Millionaires)

Sign up online here,
or call Book Passage at 415-927-0960, x1.

Ponzu Restaurant:
(415) 775-7979
www.ponzurestaurant.com

E&O Trading Company hosts Anthony Bourdain

Bourdain fans did not seem disappointed at last night's Anthony Bourdain dinner event. He had the dish on fatherhood, vegetarians, Rachael Ray, and how he met his wife ("It was a blind date.... I was lonely and wanted someone to hang out and have sex with.") Meanwhile, the guest chefs didn't play it safe -- perhaps a given, considering Bourdain's taste for exotica. Highlights included deep fried honeycomb tripe (guess who? Chef Chris Cosentino), hot and sour braised short ribs, whole roasted stuffed pig trotter, pictured below, and a cheese dessert item with just enough specks of vanilla.

Ample booze from wineries and St. George Spirits meant voices became more boisterous and faces reddened as the night went on. The tablehopper won a Last Supper ("my favorite game with my friends!") book door prize from Naomi Epel Events, and KGO producer Joel Riddell and Robert Moon told me their pal Gene Burns was home making pumpkin cheesecake, yum! Guests were a blend of interesting food and wine loving people from all over the Bay Area, and folks seemed friendly and genuinely happy to share a good meal while sharing views on world affairs, cuisine, sex, and everything in between. We ran into media & PR types, saw chefs, met two adorable students who splurged by putting the expense on a credit card. That's spending I totally dig.

Menu
King salmon - Serrano peppers, Kaiware sprouts, Meyer lemon ponzu

Green Papaya Rainbow Salad ("better than King of Thai's!" proclaimed Oscar) - Kaffir lime Nuoc Mam dressing, pomelo, green mangoes, toybox tomatoes

Prawn Rendang - Kauai prawns, spicy coconut kaffir lime sauce

Shanghainese red cooked pork belly - jasmine rice "jook"

Hot and sour braised short ribs - aromatic broth, chilis, mustard greens

Whole roasted stuffed pig trotter - savoy cabbage, mustard

Long life braised E-Fu noodles - conpoy, Dungeness crab, straw mushrooms, Chinese chives

Celebration rice - steamed jasmine rice, aromatic spices, fresh turmeric

Fresh market vegetables - stir fried nonya style

Desserts - lemongrass chocolate lollipops, grapefruit foam, truffles, and faux pork belly made of yams.

Featured Chefs were Sharon Nahm of E&O Trading Company, Alex Ong of Betelnut, Chris Cosentino of Incanto, Tim Luym of Poleng Lounge, and Boris Portnoy of Campton Place.

Don't String Me Along

A few rules for preparing large quantities of rice noodles: no need to salt the soon to be boiling water. Most important of all, check the noodles to be sure they are not wrapped and tied with white string. If you don't check for string, you may have a panicked search on your hands for stringy bits, post cooking.

I had seven batches of noodles to cook for my boss/client, C. Her only instructions were to not salt the water, and allow the noodles to drain and then cool in covered plastic tubs in the walk in fridge. I had already cut open and dumped more than half the noodles in when I realized some of the packages had noodles with string. The noodle water was too hot for me to pick with my fingers, which I quickly learned after snapping my hand back and looking down at hot, pink skin. I only had a giant strainer to work with, which would not do the trick. I needed tongs for picking out the string. I ran to the other room to find some.

When I returned, the water was cloudy and cooking along nicely. Using the tongs, I tried to see if I could pull the string out. It was nearly impossible to tell where the string was in the cloudy water, because it looked exactly like the noodles. I was also grimacing from my noodle hot air facial, from standing directly over the huge pot of hot water. A noodle steam was something I did not want or need.

I kept looking for the string as I drained the noodles. No luck. How could eight strings disappear so quickly? What would happen if, at the party/event later that night, Tracy Chapman (rumored to be on the guest list) had to pick string out of her teeth? How much would C and our client flip then? I had to wait over a half hour for the noodles to cool enough to touch. Those suckers came out hot! I had divided them into two batches, and was getting ready to seal them and put them in the walk in.

My co-worker, J came over, to ask how many packages I had used. I told her seven and waited for her to high tail it back to our prep area. No need to make myself look like an catering loser, or explain why I'm fishing through the noodles, for string. There were two pieces of string for each package, so I counted as I found and tossed each string. By string six, I was feeling good. Each piece of evidence went straight to the trash. I hoped the two guys doing prep near me weren't observing my weird string search. Of course the last two strings took the longest to find, and the amount of time it took made me a little nuts. A sense of urgency is critical in catering --except when it's "hurry up and wait" time; more on that in another post--but it can lead to a crazy and frantic rush. I finally found and disposed of them, and quickly got the noodles to their cooling zone.

Hours later at a large beautiful warehouse in the City, I looked at the results of my string search. There was a beautiful display of take out boxes with string-free noodles, organic veggies, peanut and fresh herb garnish, and zippy ginger dressing. Guests were smiling and grabbing the boxes and digging in. I snorted to myself silently, "If only they knew!" Lesson learned on my part, definitely.

Cooling Down in Vegas

This mint-lime-soda concoction is from the Border Grill, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It was cool, refreshing and purrr-fect for this weekend's 114+ degree weather. I couldn't figure out why the finely chopped mint bits were brown. Looks weird, tastes good, shrug. I'll have another.

Can't mention the Border Grill without fawning all over their housemade tortilla chips, lamb barbacoa, or plantain empanadas. They win the prize for steepest-price-torta, at over $24. That's two and a half times more than your average Mission torta, and it looked much smaller on the plates we observed. But those fancy resort digs don't pay for themselves.

Upcoming Chinese Banquet with Nicole Mones

I'm getting hungry already, and that's not just the baby belly tawkin! July 12th, Naomi Epel hosts a sumptuous Chinese banquet for Nicole Mones, author of Lost in Translation. You may remember that Epel was instrumental in putting together the Marco Pierre White dinner at Incanto earlier this year. She has the enviable job of shepherding authors and celebs around the Bay Area when they are in town, including Tony Bourdain. Below text is directly from Naomi.

You may know Chinese food; you may even love it. But The Last Chinese Chef will take you into a world of Chinese food you never even knew existed. Here is the hidden universe of one of the world's great cuisines. Its philosophy, its concepts, and its artistic ambitions are all illuminated in a story that's entertaining, emotionally satisfying, and erudite.

"Using Chinese culinary history, language and tantalizing descriptions of fine cuisine, Mones shows how food can both nourish the body and the soul. Her extensive research takes readers into the philosophy and artistic ambitions of Chinese cuisine - and leaves them hungry for recipes." -NPR (Liane Hanson, WEEKEND EDITION)

This unique event will be centered around an authentic Chinese banquet prepared by acclaimed Nanjing chef Nei Chia Ji of Jai Yun Restaurant.

"When Chinatown cooks crave mainland cuisine, they go to Jai Yun, where chef Chia Ji Nei runs a one-man show..."The San Francisco Chronicle - October 30, 2002

The Flying Pan Bistro 6:30 pm 
680 Clay Street, San Francisco steps from the Chinatown parking garage.

Cost is $95 per person & includes dinner and a signed copy of The Last Chinese Chef.
To reserve, call the Book Passage events office at 415-927-0960 x239 or click on: http://www.bookpassage.com/event_detailed.php?id=875

         

Buy it, Read It: Chile Pepper Magazine

It's finally here! The August 2007 issue of Chile Pepper magazine landed in my mail box today. You can find my Home from the Salsa Wars piece with pics, along with salsa recipes from SF taquerias. It was tough to get 2 of the restaurant owners to give up the recipes. I used my flirty ways and would do so again, all for the sake of good food writing.

Copies of Chile Pepper magazine are available at big box bookstores or by subscription. I'm looking into copies at local bookstores and will report back.

Late Night Food Reading

I can rarely read food related material at night. That's problematic because night time is when I usually have the time and energy to tackle reading. If you've ever expereienced the following symptoms, you may relate.

Symptoms of a late night reader tackling the subject of food:
-Growling stomach

-Mental inventory of fridge and pantry, with the frequency increased as more it gets later in the night.

-Visions of endless meals and dishes, combined with serious hunger pangs.

-Debates with self or companion(s) on how long it would take to cook up Dish X.

One late night, I was reading the James Beard book on Pasta, and making mental notes. A pile of  dog eared Gourmet, Saveur, Chile Pepper, and Organic Living magazines sat in a pile on the floor. We were planning on making lasagna inspired by the book the next day, for dinner. My brain and belly had other ideas. I asked Oscar if he would eat some with me now.

"Hon, it's almost eleven," he said, eyes buried in a book.

"I know. But... I'm hungry," I said, with a barely perceptible hint of whining thrown in for drama's sake. I had to change course. "It will only take two hours to cook!" I enthused. I couldn't wait to cook some Niman Ranch ground beef, chop onions, peel garlic, and make some thick and herby tomato sauce. We don't usually eat that late, and perhaps Oscar was wondering how enthusiastic I would be about cleaning up after all that cooking and gorging.

Guess who won? By 1:30 a.m., we were taking the lasagna out of the oven. "Wait 'til it cools," Oscar warned. He pointed to the recipe. "It even says to let it cool, right here." I shrugged. The cheesy-tomatoey combo looked and smelled amazing. How could I resist? I sunk my spoon into the steaming lasagna and barely blew on it before tasting. I made some awkward, "Ah, ummmm," noises, and tried to hide the fact that my mouth was burning a bit.

"See? I told you," he said.

"I can't wait a full half hour for it to cool!" I muttered.

"Okay, let's drink some wine and let it sit for awhile."

We feasted and drank ourselves silly that night. I have made other late night impromptu dishes for us, but that one stands out because it was a first. If I could figure out how to avoid or ignore my late night hunger and still tackle my food reading, that'd be another first.

San Diego vs. San Francisco Burritos. Discuss.

I read but haven't posted comments on the SFist great burrito debate, currently raging. Would I say the San Diego burrito is better? No. It is different and good, though.

Shake It Off

It was dumb of me, really. Letting pickiness get in the way of eating. I went over four hours without eating. That was after having a large coffee, with a sugary pastry, and over two hours of driving on windy roads. Add hot weather, pregnancy, and the search for my Dad at a dusty car show, and the chances of me being grumpy are almost guaranteed. What surprised me was how shaky I was, in addition to being ravenous.

Oscar agreed that we should park (add fifteen minutes: who are you people that crowd car shows, anyways?), find food, and then track my Dad down. Oscar teased me, "You won't like the food at the show. It's going to be greasy," he said in a sing song voice. Ah, love. I kept changing my mind on what I wanted as we approached the show. Chinese food would be good, but who wanted to sit in a dark restaurant when it was so nice out? A hot dog with chili would hit the spot, but wasn't I supposed to be not eating sulfites? I am embarassed at how much I was whining to Oscar when we got into the show.

"No, I don't want a potato. Uhhhhh. Look at the line," I complained. I kept looking down the row of food booths. Shaved ice? Later. Fudge? Ditto. BBQ? Since my Dad is the BBQ master, it was a good guess that we'd have platters of meat for dinner, later. My shakes got worse. I sat down. I finally spotted a booth that didn't have a zillion people waited, and sounded appealing. "Can I have a carnitas burrito?" I said weakly to Oscar as I covered my face from the sun. "No rice. Thank you," I said as he dutifully walked over to get my lunch.

My being picky made us both miserable, sure. In my (weak) defense, I do have that baby thing going. As I gobbled, I barely cared that the burrito was far too mild. It was drippy and tasted good, overall. The shakes continued, so I kept eating. Of course, I was grateful to Oscar, and told him thanks again throughout the day. At least we seem to share a sense of humor. He made fun of my "I'm shaky," refrain later. He had good reason.

Headed to Work? Sushi Time.

Occasionally when I have catering jobs, I like to treat myself. Even though I work around food, I obsess over it on off hours. Sushi is a top pick for a pre-work meal. It's satisfying, healthy, and filling. Without the uncomfortable bloat some other foods may give, burgers and burritos being the top offenders. Better to eat before catering, because it's unsure if and when you'll get another bite. Or what the food will be. My least favorite staff meal: Subway wimpy sandwiches, hands down. Generally, staff meal is not a showcase for any chef's talents. More like: empty the walk in fridge and make the most puzzling array of dishes (hot dogs, limp salad, etc.).

So maybe it's not best to use a pre-work meal as a reward, but that's pretty much what I do on the days where I'm dragging. I move a little quicker when a restaurant outing looms in the near future. No fake smile needed while I head to eat and work! Isobune tends to be a breeze. I never wait for a seat, and can select and eat dishes from their rotating circle of sushi boat plates. If I'm especially hungry, I start with miso soup and seaweed salad. In the drink department, they do a good job on keeping the green tea cup full. Warmth and caffeine, all better now. Especially when mixed with bites of fresh fish, and wasabi rich soy sauce.

After paying the $20+/- Isobune bill, I take in the sites of the Japan Center. Read reviews and menus, people watch. Maybe even stroll up Fillmore and see what is on the menu at other places. For a sweet treat, hit up Bittersweet. Or use my Peet's card for yes, more caffeine.

Fancy Food Show love

Candy Blog liked this post and included it in a round up on the show. I'm showing off some Fancy Food Show loot. Working as a booth babe has its bennies!

The last day of the show always fills me with anticipation and strong desire. This past Tuesday, I had a list of items I wanted to scavenge. Competition was tight with my co-workers at the booth. I noticed the two first days of the show, they'd mutter and eye the cold case of items, and debate which ones they hoped to take. For starters, I am a lot more sneaky at getting what I want. But, I also had a competitive edge. I brought a gigantic suitcase (Rule Number Four: make sure your bags have tons of pockets!), back pack (see Rule Number Four), and one other bag. While my co-workers said stuff like "You're so funny!" as they noticed me dropping bottles and packages into my suitcase, I wanted to tell them I'm more like deadly serious. But that might've been too dramatic and scary so I smiled and kept moving.

I planned on stuffing my suitcase with as much food as possible, and had been smiling and flirting at other booths so as to raid their loot. I didn't come home with a whole prosciutto or Serrano ham leg, which I really was hoping for. I asked and asked at various Italian and Euro themed booths, but most whole legs were being given back to the distributor locally, or shipped home. Sad! And no, I didn't want to buy one, that is so(!) beside the point of Ms.-Don't-Mind-If-I-Do living. I put so much pressure on myself to get the prosciutto leg or other giant piece of cheese, I was ready to barf mid-afternoon. My breathing was faster than normal, and walking the show floor only made it speed up even more.

The dreamy thoughts I had at this point kept jumping all over the place: chocolate! Cheese! Honey! Olive Oil! Cookies! Tea! Coffee (dare I ask for whole beans for free? Nahhhh.) The overall take of most of the items just listed, with a healthy dose of cured meats, pasta, Javan spices, blood sausage, pate, and chicken, pleased Oscar and filled our cupboards and fridge. Now that the show is over, I can move on to another mental game: how many meals can I eat off one show? The other fun side game is finding out exactly how much the items cost. Last night at Bristol Farms (just looking, you picketers!), half of one of our cheese wheels was priced at a whopping $64. Yeesh.

The Kiwis Have Their Food Requests

In order to feel like a good houseguest, I always bring goodies. I try and cater it to the host's desires: wine for the oenophile, fiery sauces for fellow hot heads, etc.

We are getting ready to visit family in Whitianga, New Zealand. My relatives used to live in the Seattle area, and seem to miss Costco, among many other things. I offered to bring whatever they need, and here are their picks:

-64 ounce Yoshida sauce. While the Yoshida brand sounds familiar, Smart & Final did not carry any of it. After asking the S&F staff (friendly and helpful, yes!) if they had a good substitute, and getting a truthful "we don't carry it and I don't know what the ingredients are," it was time for further action. I reluctantly bugged Oscar at work so he could Google Yoshida. After he read me the Yoshida line of teriyaki sauces to me, I picked a substitute: Kikkoman's Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce, the Original Teriyaki.

-Any sort of hot sauces. No need to Google that, although a Hot Sauce blog query would've helped. I selected Tapatio, Sriracha, Trappey's Red Devil Cayenne Pepper Sauce, and The Original "Louisiana" The Perfect Hot Sauce, One Drop Does It. All of these items will be carefully wrapped and placed in a box, rather than in my suitcase. I will write my relatives' address, in case the box goes missing en route. That's also a great way to guarantee I won't have clothes dripping with hot red goo.

-They asked for 5 lbs. of Columbian whole bean coffee, but they're getting 6 lbs. total. That's 4 lbs. of whole bean Peerless Hawaiian Island blend, and 2 lbs. of the Peerless Sunrise Blend.

-Life Cereal. My cousins have always loved this stuff. I hope 62 ounces gets them by for a good while.

Tasty Tamales: it's all about the Wrap

Hermosa/Manhattan Beach bachelorette update(s) will arrive soon.

"The tamales in the Mission are better," my Mom said last night over dinner. She had a point. When I visit my family in Benicia, I usually try to bring food offerings. Tamales from La Loma Produce in the Mission are one favorite. Because no tamale should ever be served naked, I also pick up lime, avocado, jalapeno, sour cream, radishes and/or cabbage, and salsa ingredients.

Even the best of plans can sometimes be foiled. Shit Life happens. Yesterday, the clock got the best of me. I decided to scratch my usual La Loma Mission stop and instead find a good tamale source in Concord or Pleasant Hill later in the afternoon. Leaving La Loma behind meant I would be on time for fiery Attitude Rolls and other sushi at Jo's Sushi with my brother, Josh, and his friend, Sean Finn.

After a relaxing and satisfying sushi lunch, Josh and I decided Willow Pass Road would net some good possibilities. We both used to eat at Las Montanas Restaurant, but it had been some time since either of us checked it out. Although I used to cruise and party in East Bay towns in my teen and young-ish adult years, food or social visits (anytime of the day) aren't as frequent these days.

We finally found the front door of a huge and pleasant surprise: Las Montanas Market. It's bigger than any Latino market I've been to in the City. I was excited to have more space to walk and shop. Josh and I were easily the tallest and whitest folks in the Market, and received some curious but friendly and amused looks. Listening to the chatter around us, I correctly guessed the market would be a great place to practice and improve my Peggy Hill style Spanish.

There's a food service counter in the Market, but I was looking for a steam table with tamales. (In the Mission, the tamales are usually behind a counter or near the cash register). Success! It was a self serve steam table with 2 compartments and lids. There was a sign that said chicken, pork or sweet corn tamales were available. At $1.50 a pop, they cost the same as most Mission spots.

"No tongs here," Josh said, as I lifted the left side lid. There were stacks of Mexican tamales, and the tamale steam facial smelled great, even if it made me feel hotter in the 90 plus degree heat. There was a pair of tongs in the right side compartment. Figuring out which tamale was which was a bit puzzling, because the three kinds seemed to be mixed together. I wanted 5 pork, 5 chicken, and 2 sweet corn. The way to tell if you are picking a pork tamale is it is usually (not always) darker than chicken, and has orange hues.

Once I had my stash, I decided to look for sour cream (I already had picked up avocados that morning). Although Las Montanas is large and seemed to have many fresh items, I wasn't able to find sour cream. I didn't ask for help or look too hard, because I was pretty tired and hot. As we walked, Josh would look at and pick up items like tamarind, hibiscus flowers, dried corn, and more. I could tell the stuff was interesting and different to him. I offered some explanations on the ingredients, but we were somewhat in a hurry because of the heat and wanting to hopefully "beat the crowds" (the 'rents use this term a lot) of traffic on the Benicia Bridge. We didn't spend much time looking and shopping, which I usually like to do.

The reason my Mom felt the tamales in the Mission are better? The ones from Las Montanas were tasty but a bit dry. A little mental review helped me figure out why. Most Mission area tamales are individually wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in a steam table, where they stay warm and moist. The plastic wrap traps the moisture. Las Montanas' tamales were not plastic wrapped, and the air dried them out. I would still gladly use Las Montanas as a "home away from home" ingredient and meat resource. But, I have to check if the no-plastic wrap is always the tamale procedure there. Maybe yesterday was some sort of fluke.

Las Montanas Market

1725 Willow Pass Road

Concord, CA 94520

Tel: 925-687-7417

SFist Taqueria Round Up

From yours truly: today's Hot Stuff on SFist, where the Bay Area taqueria debate continues.

Torta Cubana

There was a bump in my belly and it's all my fault....

Had I known the giant sandwiches from That's It Torta were each going to be bigger than my outstrethed hand and cost $10 each, I would've ordered just one to share. I was hungry, hot, and dazed and stumbled on the idea of a torta dinner for two while leaving Walgreen's on Mission at 23rd Street. I learned an important lesson, too late: ask how big a torta cubana is before ordering. Tortas can come in different sizes, depending on bread size and type.

Since Oscar's grandmother is Cuban, I figured he'd enjoy the Cuban version of a torta and that it would probably be familiar. We'd already heard great things about the store's torta cubana from a beefy looking bartender at the simply titled BAR next door (if you live in the Mission, you've probably seen BAR's red on black sign). Turns out the torta cubana is at least two meals in one- a huge monster, weighed down with a delicious mix of: pickled jalapeno, grilled onion, tomato, avocado slices, lettuce, two fried eggs, bacon, mayo, queso, sliced ham & chicken, Mexican chorizo, shredded chicken and pork, refried beans, and cubed ham.

The best part about That's It Torta is pulling up a stool and watching the senora work her magic.  Her food prep area takes up 1/4 of a liquor store, where folks of all ages stream in and out buying Lotto tickets, sodas, candy, and Spanish magazines. One wondered aloud in Spanish if Castro was dead yet. No? Shrugs and sighs all around. Sweet and savory meat smells filled the air as each layer was prepared. Much of the chorizo's fat drained away on the hot griddle. I sipped a bottle of water while I waited, since I had a grumbling stomach and sudden hunger headache. I should've guessed that hunger would soon be easily obliterated by one torta.

We were in for too much food. She cracked four eggs and continued working. Gulp. Oscar didn't know I was bringing these babies home-I hoped he hadn't dug into his favorite meal: a gourmet peanut butter & jelly sandwich! Although there are many ingredients, the senora is a pro at keeping it all stacked up just so as she works. Carrying the tortas home, it felt like five pounds worth of food. Eating the torta cubana turned out to be a drippy, juicy, meaty, heavy affair, but a happy and satisfying effort. A four or five napkin minimum is required, as well as a plate to eat over. Using a fork and a knife helps when you first dig in, but it's fun to hold the torta up to bite once you are able to. The torta cubana tasted out of this world served cold for lunch the next day, with hot, strong coffee. I strolled around the block to decrease the fullness of my belly, which barely helped.

There are many other sandwich and breakfast options at That's It Torta. I can't wait to work through the menu, and eat a torta at the counter while watching the Mission world go by. Make sure you have ample room in your belly. This may very well be the biggest sandwich in the City.

That's It Torta, Mission at 23rd.

 

Stop, Drop & Roll at Mamasake

The food version of "Stop, Drop & Roll" isn't for kindergarden fire drill practice. There is, however, fire to be found in the Stop Drop & Roll Maki at Mamasake, in The Village at Squaw Valley. It's an experience for potential fire eaters only. I started to get excited when my friend Amy C. told me about the hot roll this weekend. We were all staying at the Plumpjack Resort for my friend Jen's wedding.

"It's tuna with habaneros, jalapenos and habanero oil," Amy C. said, smiling at my enthusiasm, and pleas of "Oh, we have to go!" to Oscar. It also comes with fresno peppers and a cooling sunomono salad of cucumbers, vinegar, and black sesame seeds. The roll has rice on the outside, with healthy diced red habanero chunks. The waitress had the sushi chef "add some extra heat" for us. Good thing for the sunomono salad, because the roll's heat catches in the throat-probably from a sprinkling of feisty cayenne pepper and habanero oil. Eating the Stop, Drop & Roll didn't make my eyes fully water or tear, but I did have to chew and swallow slowly, to let the heat distribute. The roll could've been a little bit hotter, but the fatty sweetness of the tuna paired well with the three alarm ingredients.

Mamasake has a relaxed environment, with mellow reggae and rock tunes and a huge TV screen that divides the restaurant. We were eating a late lunch, but I read that Mamasake can get crowded with families, locals and travellers during dinner. There are beer ("Hemp Ale") and sake signs to take in while waiting. The waitstaff are friendly sporty types with punkish hairdos and tats.

Mamasake, The Village at Squaw
1850 Village South Road, Suite 52
Olympic Valley, CA 96146

Wing It: San Tung

San Tung's specialty is Fried Chicken. Select from chicken that is prepared dry or wet, diced or wings. The dry wings have a lot of flavor, probably because the meat is on the bone. The word I thought of as I took a bite was "immaculate." It is beautiful to bite into the wing, since there's tender white meat that is juicy and delectable. Watch out, because the sauce and batter are spicy, and require many napkins.

The devil's in the details: the sauce is made with garlic, ginger and roasted red Sichuan peppers. It was hot out, but I began to sweat from nibbling on the leftover peppers washed down with hot tea. If I lived close to San Tung, my belly would swell from constant visits to get more of those dreamy wings. Sometimes, it's good to wing it.

San Tung, 1031 Irving Street, between 11th & 12th Avenues, SF. T: 415-242-0828 or 0837. There can be long waits for a table, so be prepared.

Photo courtesy of: jamesyu.org

Mexican Homemade Breakfast Memories

As an exchange student in Mexico, the host family's matriarch was on a mission to keep me well fed. She thought I was too thin, and used breakfast as a means to change that. I had some of the most filling and leisurely breakfasts at the family table, and would gossip in Spanish with my adopted Mom and fellow exchange student, Pat. It was usually the biggest and best meal of the day, although it sometimes made me lethargic although pleasantly dazed for hours.

The maid would make a huge feast each day of fresh papaya and mango, handmade tortillas that were slightly charred from the griddle, beans, avocado slices, scrambled eggs, and steak. Sides of bell peppers and jalapenos were always on hand. I ate slowly, and savored each bite.

Drinks were milk, freshly squeezed orange juice and hot chocolate. I loved looking at the cauldron of milky chocolate, which usually had a thin skin that the maid would skim regularly. The chocolate drink had hints of Cinnamon and sugar, and was creamy-fresh.

I was grateful for the wonderful meals, and made sure to say thanks to the maid and my host mother each day. It made me feel full and quite loved.