That's it! I can't cook Indian food. No matter how much I try, I always seem to fail. It's a pity because I love Indian food, specially the one served at restaurants in California. I could eat the food from Favorite India every day.

This time I made balti lamb tikka, lamb marinated on yogurt with chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, garlic, cilantro and tomato paste. It was a failure. Edible, don't get me wrong, but in no way good. The recipe came from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook, which my brother and sister in law got me for Xmas a couple of years ago. I don't think I'd used it more than once before.

Perhaps it's my choice of recipes, perhaps it's my technique, perhaps I'm just doomed. But I think I will keep trying.

Two-bucks chuck chardonnay just won some award at some fair, and thus I wanted to try it. I read that sweet wine went well with spicy food, so I had it with the balti lamb tikka I made today for dinner. It was not a good combination. The lamb made the wine taste too sweet, an assault to my palate.

I tried it hours later and liked it more. It now tasted like semi-sweet white grape juice, with a sharp, bitter finish. It's still a bit too sweet to sip much of, but it is a sipping wine. For $2, it's very good.

Mike, however, didn't like it.

I've posted my one-dish menu for Burundian food here. It was an unsuccesful dinner, with a dish that was very unflavorful.

Anyone who wants to comment about it can do so here.

These are places we went to recently, while the kids were away.

Zza's is a very nice Italian restaurant that is also very child friendly. We liked the food.

Breads of India was a great disappointment. Mild Indian food without complexity.

Chili's in San Leandro is a chain restaurant but they offer great ribs and a wonderful chocolate cake.

I opened this wine tonight and I have to say it tasted like ... chianti. Really, it had a complete chianti taste and aroma. It was easy drinking without being too light, a tiny bit sweet and fruity but with a slight tanic finish. It was easy to drink, and it complimented my TJ's gnocchi a la sorrentina perfectly. I daresay this is a good a wine to sip by itself, or drink with pasta, stews and probably even beef.

Update: I tried the leftover wine with a beef and potato curry, which was mildly spicy, and it didn't work out too well. The spice deprived the wine of its body, living it hollow with some bitterness around the edges. Not a good combination.

I also tried it with some milk chocolate treats (I'm not a big dark chocolate eater), and it also didn't go very well, the hollowness wasn't as pronounced but it was still there.

(note, the label on the picture is from 2003 Aquilda de'Oro chianti, I couldn't find a picture of the 2005)

In any case, at $4 a bottle (I think), this is a wine I'll buy again. A perfect (western?) table wine.

Update 3/10 Cafe Americano is now under new management. They are serving simple breakfasts (bagels, eggs, bacon,sausage, ham), cold sandwiches (ham, roast beef, roast chicken, pastrami and turkey - all $5), salad sandwiches (egg, tuna, seafood, chicken, all $5) and several hort sandwiches, most $5. For the vegetarians they offer avocado & cream cheese sandwiches ($5). They continue serving coffee drinks at *very* reasonable prices. That said, I haven't check them out so I can't opine on the quality.

Cafe Americano opened a block away from my house a month or two ago, but it wasn't until today that I visited it. I generally hang out at Zocalo, which is much further from my house but has a play area for children. Cafe Americano is very nice, it has newly painted orange walls and multi-colored chairs, but it's small and there is no space for kids. It has, on the other hand, a full sandwich menu making it a great place to get both a latte and lunch.

Indeed, it was in search of lunch that we went there today. I had their spicy tandoori lamb kebab wrap, while Mike had their regular tandoori chicken kebab wrap. I liked mine much better. The ground lamb kebab had a strong lamby taste and it was nicely seasoned. It was spicy but not too much. My only complaint was that there wasn't enough meat for the vegetable content (but it was a pretty large wrap, and at $5 definitely well priced). It was also a bit on the thick side, so it was difficult to get both the lamb and the veggies on the same bite. Mike really liked the chicken kebab, though the chicken seemed overprocessed to me. I'd definitely stick with the lamb.

They also offer a whole array of "American" sandwiches which I may or may not try again, as I said, I may just stick with the lamb :)

I didn't try their coffee products, but they also have a whole array of cold drinks. We had a strawberry smoothie ($3.50 I think) and I was disappointed. It was more like a shake, consisting of ice cream and a strawberry product, and it tasted like fake strawberries. Mika drank quite a bit of it, but wasn't too enthusiastic, and Camila didn't drink hers at all. On the plus side, the smoothies are very large, and they were very nice in serving one smoothie in two cups.

Most of the pastries I saw were in plastic wrapped and did not look very appetizing. However, they had three types of refrigerated cake, including chocolate and carrot. They had canned and bottled drinks as well.

Cafe Americano also offers wireless but their service seems to be spotty, at least it was this afternoon.

Given that this place is so close to my house, I'm sure I'll go back again, probably when I don't want to prepare my own lunch :)

Cafe Americano
2150 Washington Ave (at Marina Blvd)
San Leandro, CA 94577
(510) 895-8044

It's been a long time since I've made anything from my international cooking project. In this project I cook food from around the world alphabetically. Alas, I've been stuck in "B" for about 5 years, which is very depressing. Part of the problem, the main part, is that I insist on making full-menus - with appetizers, entrees and desserts - and that I usually reserve these for dinner parties. If I'm going to make a formal menu, it'd be great if others could enjoy it. But Mike and I have been so busy since the kids were born, and of more importance lately, since he was elected to the School Board, that we no longer have time to entertain. Indeed, I'll be having friends for dinner this weekend and I'll be making a Brazilian menu (does anyone have a suggestion for an appetizer that will go with a feiojada?) , but that's the first time in over 6 months.

So I've decided to start making these dishes nightly. I may not hit all the courses anymore, - but then again, the Western division of dishes into courses does not always suit other cuisines anyway - but at least I'll make some progress.

Last night I made a Burmese Beef and Potato Curry. It wasn't great, but it was good, comfort food. I didn't start by liking it, but it grew on me to the point that I ate all of the curry :) I served it with TJ's frozen naan bread, which I thought was pretty good (even if I let it get a little crispy while I was busy doing other things).

I served it with leftover chianti, and it didn't go very well with it. It basically stole away the flavors from the wine.

Tonight on the menu: Bahraini stuffed leg of lamb.

I can't make it tonight :( I forgot I had to take Camila to swimming lessons and it won't give me enough time. I guess I'll make it Friday, but meanwhile, what do I feed everyone tonight?

Last night it was girl's night out with my friends Penelope, Desiree, Victoria and Paz. We went to Paradiso for appetizers, drinks and dessert.

As usual, I got the filet mignonettes ($12), slices of beef pan seared and served on crostini with a marsala mushroom sauce. As usual, it was very good. Desiree and Paz shared the Calamari Fritti ($10) and the smoked salmon pizza with goat cheese ($15). I forgot to ask them how they liked it, but I will report about it as soon as I hear from them.

We all shared a bottle of the Salentein Malbec, from Mendoza ($32). I don't remember what year it was. It was absolutely delicious - it had a good body, not too light, not too heavy, soft tannins and a hint of oak and fruit. I see they sell it at BevMo, and I'll have to trek over there some time to buy a few bottles.

For dessert (all $6) I had their famous sundae. I wasn't as impressed with it as everyone else seems to me. The ice cream was just OK, the chocolate sauce very good but scant. It wasn't a particularly big sundae either. The rest of the team shared a couple of apple crisps and they all seemed to be very happy with it. They thought it was just right.

The only negative part of the evening is that they close fairly early, they threw us out by 10 PM (this was a Wednesday night). Still, we had a very good time and I'd recommend it for a mom's night out.

Paradiso
685 Bancroft Ave
San Leandro, CA
(510) 430-9212
Previous Review

Last night we went to the San Leandro Historical Society's BBQ. Mike has become a real San Leandro history buff and he wanted us to join. They provided the hot dogs (which btw, were very good) and we were all asked to bring a side dish or a dessert. Now, my first instinct was to buy some dessert at the supermarket. I'm not really one for cooking for potlucks. But Mike wanted me to make my Mixed Green Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette, and I complied. This is really one of the best salads I've ever eaten and the one I make when I'm called to produce a salad.

It's also an incredibly expensive salad. This time we had to go to the supermarket to buy all the ingredients - saved for the raspberry vinegar - and it cost us about $20. Pretty shocking, I thought.

Still, it's really good. Next time I make it, though, I'm going to decrease the olive oil by a 1/4 cup - have 3/4 cups of EVOO rather than 1 cup. I think it was a bit too soggy as it was (but it tasted so good!).

I was happy I brought it to the event as apparently most of the ladies are bakers, so there were a plethora of desserts but mine was the only green salad. I tried the pineapple upside down cake, the applie pie and the peanut butter cookies and they were all excellent. Those ladies are really good bakers.

Last night we opened the bottle of Vintner's Cellar Dolcetto we won at the "Day at the Casa" raffle a couple of weeks ago. We'd drank the other of bottle of wine we won previously. The wine itself was pretty good. It resembled a muscat in being golden and sickingly sweet, and it tasted of honey and fruit. It was a bit alcoholic, though, reminding me of a madeira. It had a smooth, yet bitter finish. We both liked it.

Alas, I'm puzzled as to what this wine actually is. I researched it on the internet, and dolcetto is a black grape from Italy. The wine it produces is dark red, as I confirmed by doing a search of images of dolcetto. This one, as mentioned, was golden colored. Still, the bitter finish is associated with dolcetto - was it for that, I'd just conclude it was a mislabeled muscat.

The wine was produced by Vintner's Cellar, a make-your-own-wine chain. It's labeled as a Vintner's Cellar wine, so I don't know if this means that they made it, or if the person who donated it made it there but did not use a customized label. To add to the puzzlement, Vintner's Cellar at least now does not offer dolcetto or muscat. Also, there is no Vintner's Cellar in this area, so this wine must have travel somewhat.

All that said, it was pretty good, and we are sure to finish it.

Friday night I made a Bahraini stuffed leg of lamb for dinner. I messed up on the lamb - it came out too chewy - but the stuffing was great, albeit too scant for how good it was.

Recipe at here.

I had read that feijoada, a famous Brazilian sausage and black bean stew, went very well with Argentinian Malbec. Alas, I didn't read that until the last moment, and when I went to serve it the only Malbec I recalled having at home was the 2005 Black Mountain Malbec, Watson's Grove - a California wine. (Later I remembered that I had a Malbec I had brought with me from Argentina a few years ago). It's a cheap wine (about $6), but it seemed like the best option for dinner.

It wasn't bad. It had a medium body - as Malbec's tend to do - and a fruity finish. It improved magnificently with dinner, bring forward hints of oak and black cherry. All in all, a good but not great, table wine. But whoever said feijoada and Malbec went well together, was right.

Last night our friends Desiree and Grant came over for dinner and I made a Brazilian meal. It had been a while since I'd had a dinner party and made one of my international dinners, and I was very happy to do it again - even though I find cooking so many dishes at once pretty stressful.

The Brazilian menu turned out great, fortunately - and I'm now looking forward to the next international meal I'll cook.

Tonight we had leftover lamb with TJ's Thai Red Curry Sauce. I really like their yellow curry sauce, and this one is not bad, albeit too salty for me. It's a bit on the spicy side, but nothing that some rice can't cure. It was good for a change of pace, but I think I'll stick with the yellow one in the future.

This is the first time I've ever tried a Pinotage so it's difficult for me to know how Zarafa's compares to other wines of the same varietals. For me, it was a complete different experience in wine. I can't quite describe the sharp flavor with which its greets you. Wood? Dark chocolate? Dark chocolate covered wood? I read somewhere that it smells like band-aids and I have to say I agree, but the taste has me dumbfounded. Following that is a medium-to-light body, which disappears into nothingness. Am I drinking water? It does have a lingering flavor, somewhat sweet and plumy. But very earthy and leathery. Yes, I think that's the right word, leathery.

In all, it was a complete new experience in wine for me - though it did remind me of certain Argentine table wines. It's not an experience that I enjoyed tremendously, but it was OK and I will finish the bottle. Mike, OTOH, didn't like it at all.

I've just posted my entire Burmese Menu based on dishes I cooked over three nights. I wasn't awed by the food, but it was satisfying.

Updated Review - August 2009

Sweet Fingers is a Jamaican restaurant that has been opened in San Leandro since May. And yet, it wasn't until a couple of days ago that I finally visited it.

It's not that I didn't try to go before, but even though it does have a sign with the Jamaican flag outside, it is still pretty hidden. The best way to locate it is to remember that it's just across the street from Angelina's.

Sweet Fingers is located in what probably used to be a bar. There are no windows, and the bar area is quite large. There isn't much in the way of decor, just wire tables and chairs. It's definitely a no-frills sort of place. That said, they have reggae music on weekends, and it's perhaps better considered a music spot where they also serve food. Indeed, we were the only people who were there for lunch that Tuesday at noon.

It's a pity because the food at Sweet Fingers is pretty good. Nothing outstanding, you won't go home thinking San Leandro finally has the restaurant it deserves, but I liked it nonetheless.

Their lunch menu is very short. If you want meat, your choices are between jerk chicken and curry chicken - there is also a fish sandwich and quite a few vegetarian options. The dinner menu is broader and includes beef, lamb and oxtail as well as several seafood choices. The vegetarians are, once again, well covered. Lunch prices are $6-11, while most dinners are $15-16.

Aamani decided to go for the jerk chicken dish ($8), while I had the curry chicken ($9) just to be different. Indeed, the main difference between the two dishes seemed to be the curry sauce. We both found the chicken to be very good, moist and tender. The slightly spicy jerked flavor was very nice, but the skin could have been crispier. Perhaps it was better that it wasn't, as there was little temptation to eat it. The curry sauce was very mild, nice but not compelling. The dishes came with rice and beans (I thought they were OK, but I'm not crazy about rice and beans to begin with) and with two slices of fried banana, these were great. A side dish of cornbread ($2) brought a huge, crumbly slice. I couldn't decide how much I liked it. I think it was nice, but not extraordinary. Finally, my coke was flat.

Service was good but slow. That's probably because the food had to be made from scratch when we got there - and we did appreciate the freshness of it.

I'll definitely go again. Next time I'd like to try it for dinner, though. It'd also be an ideal place to go late at night, on weekdays it doesn't close until midnight.

Sweet Fingers
464 E. 14th St.
San Leandro ,CA
510.553.9869
M-Th 11 AM - 12 AM
F-Sa 11 AM on
http://www.sweetfingersrestaurant.com/

San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Once again I forgot to buy onions so I can't make the dish I meant to prepare for tonight. *Sigh* This happens to me too often.

I think I'll suggest that we go to Los Pericos for dinner - and buy some onions on the way back. At least I can prepare the food tomorrow.

Available at:

http://www.marga.org/food/int/bahrain/

http://www.marga.org/food/int/brunei/

http://www.marga.org/food/int/acadia/

Yesterday, my friends Lotty, Vienna, Frank and Regina came over for tea. We get together every month for tea, sometimes at someone's house, and sometimes at a tea house. It's a way to keep in touch while enjoying a tradition we all grew up with in our different countries.

This time I prepared a simpler menu than usual: