tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30 2010-03-17T22:27:00Z recipes - reviews - rants Movable Type 3.34 tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.10080 2010-03-17T22:17:02Z 2010-03-17T22:27:00Z

Yesterday I went to lunch with a friend at Ono Hawaiian BBQ in San Leandro. We go from time to time as it's close to our house, the food is good enough and not too expensive, specially if you use...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Ono Hawaiian BBQ in San Leandro. We go from time to time as it's close to our house, the food is good enough and not too expensive, specially if you use one of the coupons you get on the mail. Yesterday we had their $5 value lunch, and it's really a good deal. It consists of a small portion of an entree (there are 5 choices, I think, mostly chicken and no fish), a scoop of rice and some veggie (cabbage, I think). It comes with a small fountain drink, but you can get free refills. I had the chicken katzu, which I really like, and the portion was a perfect size for lunch. In all, I think this may be the best lunch deal in town. Ono Hawaiian BBQ 13808 E.14th St., Suite C San Leandro, CA San Leandro Restaurant Reviews]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.10072 2010-03-17T18:50:34Z 2010-03-17T19:00:55Z

Open Fence, a service that provides coupons from local retailers, is getting better and starting to recruit more restaurants in San Leandro and surrounding areas. You need to register to use the service, and they only have a limited number...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Open Fence, a service that provides coupons from local retailers, is getting better and starting to recruit more restaurants in San Leandro and surrounding areas. You need to register to use the service, and they only have a limited number of coupons - so please only print those you know you will use. Note that in some cases you may get a bigger discount through restaurant.com. As usual, google "restaurant.com code" before buying a restaurant.com gift certificate, as they often have them for up to 80% off. The restaurants in SL participating include: Linguini's Pizza & Brew / Pasta & Vino, 50% OFF Pasta Entree! (Dinner only) Aroma Cuisine of India, Half Off Lunch Buffet The Englander Pub, 15% OFF Dinner or Lunch Tito's Mexican Restaurant, $5 Off $25 Purchase or More Sergio's Pizzaria, $5 OFF $25 or greater purchase (before Tax) Vo's, 20% Off Paradiso, Two Free Desserts with the Purchase of Two Entrees Joaquin Deli, 15% off your purchase Tropix Caribbean Restaurant, 20% OFF! Al Attle's California Cheese Steaks, 1 Free Sandwich w/ purchase of 1 Sandwich Chang's Gourmet Asian Cuisine, 20% OFF of purchase greater than $20 Dick's Restaurant and Cocktails, 20% Off - Minimum Purchase of $10.00 Pelton Cafe, $2 OFF Purchase of $10 or Greater Porky's Pizza Palace, Porky's Family Value Meal Only $26.96 or **Monday-Wednesday Pizza Special Palomares Cafe, 15% Off Taqueria El Gordo, 20% OFF! - Menu / Specials (58) Best Burger, Free Drink! (with purchase of any Burger) ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.10067 2010-03-17T05:13:53Z 2010-03-17T05:32:54Z

My plan for dinner tonight was to make Chicken Cordon Blue, this time with ham (rather than prosciutto), as it's significantly cheaper. Alas, Mike had forgotten to get the ham at the supermarket, so I decided to get some at...

marga http://www.marga.org/ My plan for dinner tonight was to make Chicken Cordon Blue, this time with ham (rather than prosciutto), as it's significantly cheaper. Alas, Mike had forgotten to get the ham at the supermarket, so I decided to get some at Grocery Outlet. It was a mistake. There were only two packages of ham available, and I got this Plumroase brown sugar ham rather than the other one as it actually had brown sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Still, this one had artificial maple flavor, so it's not as it was a much healthier alternative. But the real problem with this ham is that it has very little flavor. There is some saltiness to it, and some fake sweetness and even fake smokiness, but no ham flavor at all. It doesn't taste "bad" just not very hammy. At about $3 a pound, though, it's quite cheap. But it has added water, so who knows how much actual ham you are getting.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9922 2010-03-09T22:07:59Z 2010-03-09T22:24:37Z

Sunday Mika and I went out to brunch at Emil Villa's in San Leandro. It wasn't my first choice for breakfast, but we were without transportation and Emil Villa's is only a few blocks away from my home. We had...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Emil Villa's in San Leandro. It wasn't my first choice for breakfast, but we were without transportation and Emil Villa's is only a few blocks away from my home. We had an OK, but not very exciting experience. I'm partial to sweet offerings for breakfast, and Emil Villa's offers french toast, pancakes and a pecan waffle. Both the french toast and pancakes come plain, no fruit toppings or anything special, and accompanied by corn syrup. I got the sourdough french toast ($7, I think) and was disappointed that the plate consisted of four, thick but small slices of french toast and nothing more. It was sort of expensive for the price, specially given how plain it was. Mika got the pancakes from the children's menu. The two pancakes were HUGE, one would have been more than enough for a child under 12. She liked that they were fluffy, but they were nothing special. She probably wouldn't order them again. I think they were $5. Service was very good. Emil Villa's is a very popular place for weekend breakfast, something which I cannot understand. Grant it, all the breakfast options in San Leandro are dismal, but both JD and Palomares Cafe in Castro Valley offer far superior breakfast options for about the same price. Emil Villa's 1800 E 14th St San Leandro, CA (510) 351-7427 Original Review San Leandro Restaurant Reviews]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9921 2010-03-09T21:51:22Z 2010-03-09T22:06:50Z

I have owned several kitchen timers over my 20+ years cooking, but none have lasted very long. Now this may be because invariably I've bought the cheap kind, or it may be because timers today are not made that...

marga http://www.marga.org/ I have owned several kitchen timers over my 20+ years cooking, but none have lasted very long. Now this may be because invariably I've bought the cheap kind, or it may be because timers today are not made that well. For the last couple of years, though, I've been using my grandmothers old Magic Chef timer - which I would guess (by the style and my grandmother's last trip from Argentina to America, where she bought it) dates from the 50's or 60's, for the last couple of years and I love it. It works perfectly every time, it runs neither quick or slow and it doesn't stop. It has a loud but not annoying ring and I'm just happy with it. The kitchen timer is not in the best condition. It's rusted in the back and the front plate is sort of lose. It's lasted 50 years and I hope it'll last a couple of more decades. I hope. I was reluctant to use the timer at first, just as I am reluctant to use any of my grandmother's kitchen utensils. I brought them with me from Argentina after my adored aunt Gladys died because of the emotional attachment I had to them. I grew up seeing Granny and Gladys cook and bake with them, and when I look at them (the utensils) I can feel the warmth of their kitchen, and remember those sweet moments. But there is some sweetness in using the utensils, it's almost like maintaining the connection between Granny and Gladys and I. So for the time being at least, I'll continue using my timer.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9900 2010-03-08T03:03:59Z 2010-03-08T04:36:33Z

Safeway is now selling fresh flank steak, skirt steak and flat iron steak in vacuum packages - with expiration dates of a month or two in the future. I'm glad that they are available (these cuts have been hard to...

marga http://www.marga.org/ flat iron steak tonight in a recipe for Maple and Soy-Glazed Flank Steak (they didn't have any flank steak). I wasn't happy with the recipe, the flavors were very tame, but the meat itself was incredibly tender - some of the most tender meat I've ever eaten. It's not surprising, as flat iron steaks are supposed to be second only to beef tenderloin in tenderness. But I'm more of a "flavor" person than a "tenderness" person, so this cut didn't really win me over. One thing that did annoy me was how uneven the two "steaks" were cut. They range in thickness from about 1/6" to 1 1/2". I probably won't buy this cut again, just because of the lack of flavor, but I will give the skirt steak and the flank steak a try sometime.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9899 2010-03-08T01:54:31Z 2010-03-08T02:39:34Z

I just came back from Grocery Outlet very excited at what I thought was a /great/ bargain. A twin pack of 26oz jars of Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter for $4. This stuff is just peanuts and salt, so the...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter for $4. This stuff is just peanuts and salt, so the price was really unbelievable. Too good to be true, indeed. And it was. The plastic wrap around the twin jars blocked the expiration date, which, as I discovered when I got home, is only 3 days from today. Three whole days to consume over 3lbs of peanut butter. I don't think I could even if I tried :-) So I returned it, which is not /too/ big a deal as Grocery Outlet is just across the street from me - but it could be a bigger hassle for other people. As I've said before, I love Grocery Outlet and the people who run it, and I do realize that they play the expiration-date game, but really, they shouldn't sell things unless 1) the expiration dates are clearly shown outside the packages and 2) these expiration dates are more than a couple of days away.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9898 2010-03-07T23:47:01Z 2010-03-08T00:55:10Z

Yet another great recipe from epicurious.com, which I'm copying here in case epicurious ever goes out of business and leaves me without it. I really liked this recipe. While the chops themselves were nothing much, pork chops are pork chops,...

marga http://www.marga.org/ epicurious.com, which I'm copying here in case epicurious ever goes out of business and leaves me without it. I really liked this recipe. While the chops themselves were nothing much, pork chops are pork chops, the leek "sauce" was delicious - though a bit too intense. Spoon only a little bit on the pork chops. It was also great with the plain couscous. Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce

• 4 pork chops
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 thick bacon slices, chopped
• 3 large leeks, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup sour cream.

Pat the chops dry with kitchen towels. In a small bowl, mix the salt, thyme and rosemary. Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the chop. Let chops stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Heat a large skillet (one that has a lid) over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and saute until crisp. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon. Increase the heat to medium high and add chops to the skillet. Sear until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chops and set aside. Turn down the heat under the skillet to medium and add the leeks. Saute until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the brandy. Add the broth, scrape the browned bits and bring to a boil. Stir in the bacon. Add the sage and stir. Return the chops to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Simmer for 3 minutes, then turn chops over and then simmer for 3 more minutes. Remove the chops, place in a serving platter, and tent to keep warm. Spoon any visible fat from the liquid in the skillet. Turn the heat to high and boil until all the liquid evaporates. Whisk in the mustard and then the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over the chops. Marga's Best Recipes]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9794 2010-02-27T17:55:01Z 2010-02-27T18:06:23Z

This is a modification of the recipe that comes on the back of the Trader Joe's branded box of Isareli Couscous. I figured I'd write down my recipe down here so that I can use it even if I don't...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Toasted Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts and Parsley that I've made before. Israeli Couscous

• 3 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (or pine nuts)
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1 8oz box Israeli couscous (or 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 large cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 3/4 cup broth
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup raisins

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large saucepan, add the slivered almonds and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Add the rest of the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until golden. Add the couscous, cinnamon and bay leaf, and cook, stirring often, until the couscous starts to brown. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, around 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almonds, parsley, lemon juice and raisins. Marga's Favorite Recipes ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9792 2010-02-27T16:39:16Z 2010-02-27T17:05:44Z

I'm so happy with Hayward's Favorite Indian restaurant, that I have not felt the need to explore the other Indian restaurants in the area. According to my friend Alpana (who, btw, is a great family photographer - check out her...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Favorite Indian restaurant, that I have not felt the need to explore the other Indian restaurants in the area. According to my friend Alpana (who, btw, is a great family photographer - check out her website), a native of India, that has been a mistake. So it was on her suggestion that my friend Mauro and I headed to Aroma yesterday for their buffet lunch. Alpana was right - while I still love the California-Indian food at Favorite Indian, Aroma's more carefully crafted fare is definitely worth tasting. Aroma prides itself in offering a higher quality product, using organic and fresh ingredients when possible. As the restaurant itself, their buffet lunch is small (11 or 12 items, including rice and dessert) and carefully crafted. During our visit, there were only 3 meat offerings (chicken tandoori, chicken tikka masala and lamb vindaloo), and that, of course, is what I tried. I was impressed, in particular on the tandoori. The perfectly cooked, moist chicken legs were infused with flavor and lacked the artificial red coloring that most Indian restaurants confer onto them. They were probably the most understated and best tasting chicken tandoori I've ever had. I wasn't as fond of the curries but I had to confess that they were good as well. The lamb vindaloo had a nice quick, and tender lamb. The tikka masala was a bit too acidic for my taste, but it tasted fresh and bright. You can feel the quality. Buttered naan is brought to the table, and the one had a very nice light consistency. I also tasted the dessert, some runny pudding made of rice flower with nuts and spices, and I enjoyed it quite a bit as well. Mauro wasn't as keen of it, but he did enjoy everything else he had. While we only sampled the buffet on this occasion, Aroma has a full lunch and dinner menu, its prices are on the high side, however. Aroma is located in a small space at a strip mall in Castro Valley Village, the small room actually looks quite cozy, the beautiful serving dishes and the faint scent of incense helps give it a non-tacky atmosphere. Service was very good, our drinks were refilled quickly and our dishes taken away. In all, it was a great lunch experience. The buffet lunch for two, with a soda each, came to about $27 after tax and tip. Not a super cheap lunch, but this is not super cheap food. Aroma Cuisine of India 3418 Castro Village Dr. Castro Valley, CA 510-888-9555 http://www.aromacuisineofindia.com/ Everyday: 11:30am - 3:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:30pm Marga's Restaurant Reviews ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9791 2010-02-27T16:28:28Z 2010-02-27T16:38:37Z

I wanted an easy recipe for pasta, and chanced upon this one at epicurious.com. I made it with a couple of modifications (i.e. using peas instead of fava beans and canned tomatoes) and the results were surprisingly good. I'd definitely...

marga http://www.marga.org/ this one at epicurious.com. I made it with a couple of modifications (i.e. using peas instead of fava beans and canned tomatoes) and the results were surprisingly good. I'd definitely make it again. Pasta with sausage & peas

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb Italian sausage, loose
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup peas
• salt & pepper
  
  
• 1 pckg pasta
  
  
• grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil on the sauce pan over medium-low heat and add the chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the sausage, breaking any large clumps, and cook until browned. Add the white wine and let boil for a minute. Add the diced tomatoes and peas, mix and let cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile boil pasta. Serve cook pasta with sauce and grated cheese. Marga's Best Recipes]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9732 2010-02-24T06:14:52Z 2010-02-25T02:55:11Z

A new restaurant will be opening sometime soon at the old La Cocina de Raquel location (which previously housed andy & joe's, Taqueria, Kolbeh and Casa Maria #2 - all in the last 7 years). The new restaurant will be...

marga http://www.marga.org/ La Cocina de Raquel location (which previously housed andy & joe's, Taqueria, Kolbeh and Casa Maria #2 - all in the last 7 years). The new restaurant will be called Ming Tasty and will, presumably, serve Chinese food. I guess 5 Chinese restaurants within a 1/2 mile radius is not enough). The new owners are spending over $200K in remodeling the place (wow!) and I can only wish them luck - they must have quite a bit of faith that the East 14th by Parrot St. location is not actually cursed. But in reality, the fact is that all the previous restaurants failed miserably because they served lousy/expensive food. If Ming Tasty is actually tasty, I'm sure it'll do well. Other restaurant news: The owner of The Englander is opening a new wine & tapas bar next door. The restaurant will be called The Vine and should be opening soon. I can't wait to try it. Castro Valley's Pyzano's Pizza will be opening a branch in San Leandro, at the current Sergio's Pizzeria location. This is indeed a good thing as Pyzano's is much better than Sergio's. The owners of Planet Cafe (which may be moving) are opening a new restaurant, to be called Creekside Bistro, in Creekside Plaza (Davis St. x San Leandro Blvd.). Seems like a great location for nearby businesses. Finally, today I noticed that a new restaurant has opened (or is opening) near the Safeway on Washington Ave. (at the old Taco Bell location, I think). It's called Ha Ra sushi. Now, there are already three sushi restaurants in the immediate area, but none of them is very good. Still, is there a market for yet another one? I also know that one of the restaurants on McArthur Blvd. will likely be closing, but no word as to which one it is yet.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9696 2010-02-21T22:08:09Z 2010-02-21T22:39:36Z

I made this butter (from epicurious.com) last night to serve with swordfish (but I think it'd work with other fish as well) and it was incredible, one of the best things I've ever tasted (even though I didn't use prime...

marga http://www.marga.org/ epicurious.com) last night to serve with swordfish (but I think it'd work with other fish as well) and it was incredible, one of the best things I've ever tasted (even though I didn't use prime ingredients) - and it couldn't be simpler. The key to having it not separate (a complain with some of the reviews in epicurious) is to start whisking as soon as you add the balsamic vinegar, and to whisk briskly after each ingredient. Don't forget to season appropriately at the end - it's the salt which really brings out the flavor of this butter. Balsamic Butter for Fish

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• salt to taste

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts boiling, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately whisk in the balsamic vinegar, honey and mustard. Season with salt. Serve immediately or reheat (while whisking) prior to serving. Marga's Favorite Recipes ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9688 2010-02-20T02:54:59Z 2010-02-20T03:22:00Z

Once again, I found myself wondering what I was going to make for dinner tonight and decided to see what quick and cheap things I could find at Grocery Outlet. Dinner ended up being an assortment of things rather than...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Sabra Classic Hummus ($3 for 10 oz container). The hummus tasted exactly as what it proclaims itself to be - "classic hummus" and I enjoyed it very much. It doesn't list any worrisome ingredients (e.g. no trans-fats). The pita bread was just pita. Mika and I had hot dogs (I got their no-brand hot dog buns, '$1.80 for 16!) and Camila an Evergood Chicken Apple Sausage ($4 for 4, not really a bargain). I like these sausages because they are not as sweet as others. - they also don't seem to have any worrisome ingredients. I also served the kids peas - a 4lb bag of a no-name brand was $3.30. Finally, I gave in to temptation and got a bag of frozen pre-cooked onion rings. They came in a transparent plastic bag with a badly attached label and no expiration date I could find. The 3lb bag was $5. I baked them according to instructions and was quite disappointed. The onion rings were limp and chewy, not in the least crispy, and yet quite greasy. They also didn't have much in the way of flavor. Heed my advise and avoid them. I also bought a large package of Président Mini Brie cheese. It's not my favorite brie by far, but at $3 for a 16 oz package, I can't really complain.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2010:/food/blog//30.9664 2010-02-17T19:56:38Z 2010-02-17T21:18:11Z

Yesterday I took my girls to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. We arrived just as noon, and we were all starving - so we decided to give Caffè Museo, its restaurant, a try. The food was fine, but...

marga http://www.marga.org/ San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. We arrived just as noon, and we were all starving - so we decided to give Caffè Museo, its restaurant, a try. The food was fine, but given the high prices, I was somewhat disappointed and I'd probably not go back. I had their short ribs burger ($13) which actually consisted of shredded short ribs in a bbq sauce, served with coleslaw in a burger bun. It came accompanied with potato chips. The "burger" was OK - it had a very slight short rib flavor, but it really wasn't very different from a pulled pork sandwich, given the overwhelming bbq sauce. I wouldn't order it again. The kids shared a Margherita pizza ($9.50), which they were happy with - but they aren't that picky. The thin crust pizza was probably 6-8" wide, fine for two kids to share - but definitely expensive. Service was very good and the food came quite quickly. Caffè Museo @ SFMOMA http://www.sfmoma.org/pages/restaurant 151 Third Street San Francisco CA 415.357.4500. Th - 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. F -Tu 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Marga's Reviews of Venue Restaurants Bay Area Restaurant Reviews]]>