Marga's Foodblog

Yesterday was Mike's birthday party and we had a pizza party. I got pizza from 3 different places.

We got a meat lover's and a vegetarian pizza from Marina Pizza Parlor, one of our regular places. Marina's pizzas have a relatively thin crust and lots of toppings. They are better than Domino's but otherwise unremarkable. On the plus side their pizzas are larger than average, while the medium is 14" the large is 18", compare that with Pizza Guys, another place from where we get frequent deliveries, where a large is merely 14".

Marina Pizza Parlor
2004 Lewelling Blvd.
San Leandro, CA
510-352-9544

We also got a shish kabob pizza from Shish Kebab Etc.. The pizza was OK but I really liked the kebab topping - Mike didn't, he doesn't think kebabs belong on pizza.

And then we got 3 1-topping pizzas from Domino's. I personally like Domino's, though other people seem to be pickier.

Finally, we got an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Their cakes are expensive (about $32 for a 9" one), but what a great way to have your cake and ice cream too!

Yesterday, as I was looking through my website for the phone number for Nation's, I was surprise to realize that I didn't have it, that indeed I had never written a "review" of this, our favorite chain.

Nation's is a local bay area chain offering burgers, fries, breakfast and pies. None of their offerings are particularly complicated (though you can get a chili in your burger!), but they have some of the best burgers around and for less than $4 for a 1/3 lb. burger (or is it 1/2 lb?), they're a bargain. The regular burgers come with very generous portions of mayo, lettuce, tomato and onions. They are huge and quite tasty. Their fries, fried in canola oil, are pretty good though not outstanding.

Their pies are quite good, with flaky crusts and thick centers. We particularly enjoy the chocolate cream and banana cream, though we dislike the artificial topping with which they are covered. Their lemon merengue pie is also very good and doesn't suffer this problem (pies start at $1.80 for a small slice).

Mike has had breakfast once or twice. The breakfast are huge but, as you can expect, not particularly high quality.

Another advantage of Nation's is that it stays open late.

Nation's Giant Hamburgers
San Leandro Plaza
1335 Washington Ave.
San Leandro, Ca.
(510) 352-8820
Hours: 6am-3am Daily
Breakfast served till 11am
http://www.nationsrestaurants.com/

(More San Leandro Restaurant Reviews)

From http://www.comicazee.com/cartoonist.asp?id=5

I've been asking people for ideas on vegetarian sandwiches to send with DD to school. I'm listing them here to remember them and for the benefit of other parents. If you have more ideas, please post them under comments.

-PB&J
-Cream cheese & cucumber
-PB, cream cheese & cucumber
-Camembert, banana, and salt
-Egg salad (and crackers)
-Tofu salad.
-Yves bologna, ham & salami (veggi meats)
-Avocado & cheese
-Avocado & cucumber
-Tofurky lunchmeat
-Falafel
-cream cheese & olives
- Cream cheese or nut butter with raisins and chopped dates.
-Roasted vegetables and cheese (zucchini, red bell peppers)
-Tomato and cheese
-Apple, celery and cheese
-Sliced pear and cheese
-Pre-grilled portobello mushroom and spread of choice (pesto would be nice)
-BLTs with Fakin Bacon
-Baba ganouj with assorted vegetables
-Spiced/sweetened canned pumpkin and cream cheese

We got these bars (peanut butter chocolate chip) at Trader Joe's for Mika's school lunches. Unfortunately they are too tough for her to bite into. I don't particularly like the flavor either. They taste too much of plain cereal and they are too sweet. I wouldn't buy them again.

Finally, after months and months of planning to cook Bhutanese food, I started doing it. I decided that I will cook 3 dishes in 3 separate nights. Last night we had Kewa Phagsha, spicy pork with potatoes. It wasn't half-bad.

The recipe for it is at http://www.marga.org/food/int/bhutan/pork.html

Alas, I forgot to take a picture of the dish, though it wasn't particularly attractive. Basically large slices of potatoes with small pieces of pork.

Tonight I'm planning on making Ema Datshi, chili & cheese, Bhutan's "national" dish. Nothing that I've read about it makes it sound appetizing, so if it doesn't work out I'll just boil some frozen ravioli.

Saturday morning we went to The Fifth Wheel for brunch. The little restaurant has all the atmosphere of a truck stop, and the type of food seved at such spots all across America. We weren't impressed. The food was OK but nothing extraordinary by San Leandro standards and the wait was unbelievable. I wrote a review and when edited it'll be posted at my website

I just posted three new restaurant reviews.

The Fifth Wheel serves American breakfast and lunch in a truck stop atmosphere. More about it below.

New China Buffet is the newest Chinese buffet in San Leandro serving over 100 different dishes.

Zatar is a Mediterranean restaurant in Berkeley serving organic food

The figs from our fig bush are ripe. Well, they've been ripening for the whole months and some still have some time to go, but some of them are perfectly soft and ready to eat. Mika asks me for "higos", only she forgets the word and sometimes seems to say "eeco". Our routine is that I select those who are very soft without having turned dark, rip them apart, give her half and take half fo myself. Then we chew the sweet (but not too sweet) pink pulp and throw the peels on the ground - where they'll be quickly eaten by birds or other creatures.

Mika is not very efficient in her eating, but she keeps asking for more and more. The bush is pretty small so it doesn't give too many, but they are very good. Tomorrow if we go out I'll take the camera and try to take a picture of them.

Grapes are finally in season and I'm still amazed at how sweet they can be. Delicious, for sure. And of course, he didn't buy enough :(