I’m a relatively new convert to mayonnaise. As a kid and young adult I always avoided it. At some point, however, probably around the time I became a fan of Nation’s, which smothers its burgers in mayo, I started to dig it. But I would have been a much earlier and greater fan of mayo if I had tasted Duke’s Real Mayonnaise before. Simply, this is the best mayo I’ve ever had and it elevates mayo to previously unimagined heights.
That’s a wild thing to say about a product that is not only over a hundred years old, but apparently wildly popular in a large part of the country (the South). Still, I had never heard of it, not even in passing or while cooking any of the southern cuisines I explored.
This mayo has a very intense flavor that won’t be easily hidden behind others. It’s made with soybean oil and egg yolks, and gains its sour notes from distilled and apple vinegar. They almost, but not quite, fooled me into thinking it was lemon juice. It doesn’t have added sugar, which apparently detracts rather than enhance the natural flavor of the mayonnaise. I think it would be great to dip French fries in or for chicken salads.
Once only sold in the South, Duke’s is now available nationwide and even internationally. I found it at my neighborhood Safeway on sale for $4 for the 30oz jar (normally $8).
Before the invention of the air fryer, I would not have even bothered buying a frozen snack like this. I don’t like turning the oven if I don’t have to – toaster ovens annoy so much that I put mine away -, and I hate having to pan-fry anything that is store bought. If I can’t microwave it effectively – and microwaving something with pastry like this, will turn the pastry soggy -, I rather not eat it. The air-fryer has changed all that.
These snacks are small, and therefore perfect for an even small air fryer like mine – cook them for 10 minutes at 375F. They come out with a nice, think and crispy shell and a flavorful but not too spicy filling. There is a good ratio of filling to shell. The are pretty tasty by themselves but you can dip them on anything you want. I used honey mustard dressing, as I was going through a honey-mustard-on-everything phase.
Brazilian style cheese bread had a moment in the US, probably around the time Brazilian steak houses became popular in the country. Due to a very old prejudice, I missed that moment and visited my first Brazilian steak house only last year, when my daughter’s boyfriend mentioned he wanted steak for his birthday. While I didn’t write a review at the time, we very much enjoyed the experience, though my memories of the cheese bread are too vague to refer to it.
Meanwhile, chipá, Guaraní cheese bread, had been having its own moment in Argentina. I tried it at my lodge in the Iberá wetlands and was so unimpressed as not try it again. Judged by the Trader Joe’s version, I should have.
Chipá or Brazilian cheese bread (the Guaraní people live in a vast territory that includes all of Paraguay as well as parts of Bolivia, northeastern Argentina and southern Brazil) is made with tapioca flour, milk, egg and grated cheese and usually shaped as little rolls. Trader Joe’s sells its version frozen with instructions of baking them in the oven. I air fried them (for 7 minutes from frozen at 360F, without preheating) and they were perfect. They had a nice, crispy shell with bright, not-too-salty Parmesan, and a wonderful chewy, elastic interior with a subtle cheese flavor. They are naturally gluten free for those who care about that. I really think you need to eat them warm to enjoy, as the elasticity of the dough is the best part.
Not only did I enjoy these buns very much, but I learned something knew. I already knew that cassava, yuca and manioc were all different names for the same root. What I didn’t know was that tapioca was the name of the starch of said root – thus tapioca flour refers to cassava starch while cassava flour refers to the flour made from the whole root. If you make your own chipá, make sure you use tapioca flour. But given how good Trader Joe’s frozen Brazilian cheese bread is, you really don’t need to go through the trouble.
When I was a child, I hated orange marmalade. I associated it with hard toast and tea at my grandmother’s friends homes. I felt those old ladies were cheap and wouldn’t spring for the good stuff, strawberry or raspberry jam.
Now that I’m old myself, I know better. There is nothing quite as delicious as the bittersweetness of a good orange marmalade. A good orange marmalade is complex, outrageously bitter – a stand in for the biggest tragedies in life -, while bright and sweet – for the nicest memories. For two decades now, orange marmalade has been my favorite.
While I love orange marmalade, I’m not a big jam eater in the first place, so I didn’t have any at hand when I decided to make a roasted lamb recipe that called for it. Rather than go for my usual grocery store marmalade, I decided to do a bit research as to what is considered the best orange marmalade out there. Surprisingly, it’s not always the fancy brands. Wilkin & Sons ‘Tiptree’ Orange marmalade might look fancy – because it comes from England, it has a weird name and an old-fashioned label -, but in England it sells for just $3.70 for the 12 oz bottle (at today’s exchange rate). Of course, it was over twice as much in the US – $8 at Amazon, to be exact – but that was actually less than many other imported marmalades.
Unlike American – and other imported – marmalades, this one lists only two ingredients: sugar and seville oranges. It has plenty of slices of orange peel and a rather thick consistency. It’s very adult and absolutely delicious. It is a tad too sweet, but just a tad. Despite its low original price, it feels like a high quality marmalade. I like it.
Some weeks ago, my husband and I decided to go on a lunch date and thought we’d give Farmhouse Kitchen a try. We had been there before, during the pandemic, and had had a lovely lunch on the patio – except for the noise from the construction next door. The restaurant had closed and reopened since, and we were hoping to have better luck – though as the weather was turning, we figured we’d have to eat inside this time. As it happens, Farmhouse Kitchen in San Leandro – part of a small chain – has turned into Farmhouse Kitchen Express and they no longer have indoor dining – the whole of the restaurant has turned into a kitchen. Indeed, they don’t even have waiters or even checkers to take your order: you have to order and pay online (better have a credit card). They do have a terminal in the restaurant you can use to order, however, though it’s a little bit clunky.
We did hang out in the patio while we waited for our order, and it’s nice-enough, though it seems in need of care. Of course, this has been a very rainy spring, so they might be waiting for the weather to turn nice before they work on their patio (I know that’s what I’ve been waiting for myself). Weather you eat there or not, the food comes in to-go containers.
I got the yellow curry with rice ($16) with beef ($4). It was good, but a bit on the spicy side. The curry that depth and it was well developed, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary. I think for the price, it should have been better. I also got a couple of crispy roti ($3) to go with it, and these were pretty good but they were swimming in oil. They were crispier and denser than others I’ve had, but they were still very nice with the curry. The oil, however, made limited how much of them you could eat.
Mike had the roti mataba ($15), a “crispy roti stuffed with curried potato and ground chicken,” which came with yellow curry, ajad (Thati cucumber salad) and a samosa. He enjoyed all of them very much. They were too spicy for my taste, but I’m a lightweight.
He also had the pad thai ($15), which comes with shrimp. He thought it was quite good for a pad thai, though nothing mind blowing.
In all, we felt the quality of the food was pretty high, but also that the prices were on the high-side and not really justifiable for take-out food. We probably wouldn’t go back, given other alternatives in town. But if we did go, we’d order from home first.
This Hayward Unicorn serves delicious and very affordable Indian food.
Shahi Darbar is one of the many restaurants which opened in suburbia towards the end of the pandemic, though I only learned about it a few weeks ago when I started researching restaurants to go with my friend group this month. I tend to look for restaurants close to San Leandro that are reasonably priced, vegetarian friendly and get good reviews. Shahi Darbar fit all of those requirements. And, indeed, it was a great choice. The food was delicious, the service excellent, and it was cheaper than most of its competitors.
My friends and I visited Shahi Darbar on a Wednesday evening. They don’t take reservations, but we didn’t need one. The restaurant is large and was relatively empty – they do seem to do quite a bit of to-go business, however. The menu is quite ample, including not only the Indian staples you get at all Indian restaurants in the West Coast, but a wider array of appetizers, breads, kebabs and vegetarian dishes (don’t miss the ones listed as “meals”), in addition to Indo-Chinese specialties. They also have monthly specials which includes dishes that I’d never heard of before. What they don’t have, very unfortunately, is my favorite: pasanda.
We started dinner by sharing two orders of fish pakora ($15). The little pieces of fish were very good. The breading was very crispy, perhaps a tad too salty but very flavorful. The fish had that melt-in-your-mouth quality that makes this dish so wonderful. We all enjoyed it.
I had the lamb korma ($15). It was probably the least successful dish of the evening, mostly because it was unlike what Indian restaurants in the West Coast usually serve as such. Kormas here are usually nut forward, creamy and with mild, somewhat fruity flavors. This dish tasted far more like a tikka masala sauce. It was average-to-good as that, but it’s not what I was expecting or wanted. The lamb itself was a bit tough, so probably from a leg rather than shoulder, but it was well cooked. I did order a chicken tikka masala ($14) to go, and this one was, surprisingly, nuttier (both in flavor and texture) and crispier, though it also lacked sweetness. I liked it better than the korma, however. Both dishes were ordered mild but they had a kick to them. It was fine for us, but it wouldn’t be for someone who can’t handle any spice.
Mike had the butter chicken ($14). He was very happy with it, and would give it an 8-9 in a 10-point scale. That’s quite generous, for him. I wouldn’t go as far as that, but I thought it was pretty good. I definitely liked it better than the korma. This one did taste like a butter chicken sauce. He ordered it “medium” but it was probably on the mild side of that, barely more spicy than our other two mild curries.
My friends Elektra and Donovan both had the Shahi Darbargoat curry ($15), one of their specialties. They both seemed to like it well enough, but I didn’t taste it.
Parker ordered the bhindi masala ($12), which included okra, onions and other vegetables, and she was very, very happy with it. She thought it was delicious.
But it was Katrina, who ordered the chole bhature ($13), a dish of puffed up bread served with a chickpea curry, who was the happiest. Indeed, she was close to deigning this dish the best thing she’d ever eaten. It was the combination of the flavorful curry with the bread that made it work so well. I wouldn’t be surprised if she became a regular for this dish alone.
We also got jeera rice ($5, for a portion large enough for two) and a bunch of butter nan ($3 each), which were pretty average but did their job.
I had a very tasty sweet lassi ($5), which seems to be sweetened by some red syrup. Whatever it was, it was good, if a tad sweet.
In all, we had a very good meal and we closed the place down – we only felt a tad guilty, but we did leave when they turned the lights on. The restaurant itself is quite plain – the darkness does help give it an ambiance -, but comfortable. Service was very attentive. We learned that they will do individual bills, if you tell them before you order.
In all, though we have several closer Indian restaurants to us, I’m sure we’ll return.
Shahi Darbar 26953 Mission BLVD , Suite F Hayward, CA (510)363-9286
This year marks the 25th anniversary of my international food project. For twenty five years, I’ve been exploring cuisines alphabetically. And yet, after such a long time I’ve only gotten through the K’s. As I enter my late 50’s, it’s clear that this project will never be finished – though perhaps my daughters one day will take it on themselves.
I am thus both celebrating the end of the “K’s,” while making a change in the project. From now on, I’ll prioritize national cuisines – in the hope of at least being able to get through those before I die. I’ll still cook regional, ethnic and historical dishes – but not as often. I’d already started doing just one dish from these non-national cuisines, and I’ll mostly continue on that vein.
I also explored the cuisine of the Kachin people in the Burmese highlands, of Kashubian-Canadians and Korean-Americans and of the Kurdish people and Kurdistani Jews. Finally, I explored K-Mex cuisine, a fusion of Korean and Mexican that is having a moment in Southern California.
I’m not a big fan of pork, but I need to get some to make some Latvian meatballs as part of my international food project. I saw this New York Style Sausage Company Ground Pork on sale at Safeway, but something made me suspicious. Upon close examination of the photo, I realize that this product says “No preservatives” and then, under very small letters, hard to see in the blurry photos online, it lists the ingredients in the package: pork, sodium lactate and lemon juice concentrate. And what are sodium lactate and lemon juice?, you might ask. Preservatives.
I’m not sure what the point of this deception is, but the fact that they are so obviously deceitful makes me just not want to buy items from this company.
The restaurant of the Berkeley City Club was designed by and named after Julia Morgan, but does the food match the architecture?
Another trip around the sun, another anniversary, another quest for a restaurant to visit. Mike wanted French. I wanted to stay in the East Bay. I came upon Julia’s. Again. I’ve considered dining there so many times, that I couldn’t actually recall whether we had been there before. I resorted to looking through emails and old photos to see if we had. We hadn’t. So I made a reservation.
During my freshman year in college, many decades ago by now, I lived in a dorm a mere half a block away from the Berkeley City Club. I was curious about it then, and remained though the decades, but never had an opportunity or a reason to go inside. The building, designed in a medieval style, not unlike that of Heart castle, Julia Morgan‘s most famous building, is beautiful. Being ignorant of architectural terms, I can’t quite describe it but anyone interested can surely find many pictures online. It has an indoor pool that while lacking the magnificence of the ones in San Simeon, still evokes them. I’m considering spending a night at the hotel just to be able to swim in it.
Julia’s is located in the second floor (stairs and elevators available), in a rather small room with a beautiful fireplace and medieval tapestries hanging around it. There are windows on both sides of the room, though we didn’t quite manage to seat by one of them. The clientele seems to be mostly older people – though that includes us now. I remember how, in my earliest reviews back in the 90’s, I used to feel conspicuous for being young.
Dinner started with bread and butter (quite good), and we then shared the Country Style Pork Cognac Pâté ($19), which came with a small undressed salad, fig jam and mustard. The paté was really good. It didn’t really worked very well with the fig jam, the flavors didn’t quite vibe together, but the fig jam was good on its own. We both remarked at how much we enjoyed this appetizer – and I think it was probably the highlight of the evening. I can’t imagine they make the paté in house, and I wish I knew where they got it.
I had the Duck à l’Orange ($37), and this was a big disappointment. It was beautifully presented, mind you, but it failed in all levels. The duck itself consisted of two thick slices of duck breast, served on the rare side. It was on the tough side and had very little flavor of its own. The orange sauce could have been anything, it didn’t particularly taste of oranges, and while it gave the duck very needed moisture and seasoning, it wasn’t what I’d call “yummy”. The fondant potatoes it came with were tasteless, dry, dense and crumbly. There wasn’t enough sauce to eat them with, and by themselves they were a waist of time. I did enjoy the single piece of leek I found, but I’m not a fan of endives, and this one did not change my mind. In all, this dish was a failure.
Mike fared better with his Grilled Veal Chop ($39). It was well cooked and tasty, flavorful and tender. He appreciated it wasn’t incumbered by any sauces – the red wine sauce on the side was very light and didn’t overwhelm the meat. He also liked the veggies it was served with, a mixture of De Ciccio broccoli, trumpet mushrooms, baby carrots and zucchini. He appreciated the variety of textures they brought to the meal, and that their light taste didn’t compete with that of the veal. Finally, he really liked the little potato grain muffin he got, he found it very tasty – as did I.
For dessert, I had the Orange Cake ($13), which came with a tiny amount of poached oranges, crème fraîche and a bit of caramel. I actually enjoyed it. This was another very adult (read, old person’s) dessert. There wasn’t much sweetness to it, which I wouldn’t have been able to deal with, but it did have the orange flavor I missed in the sauce for the duck. The cake itself was very crumbly, it fell apart in each bite, and on the dry side but it worked. The crème fraîche added moisture while further taming the sweetness. I was happy.
Service was quite attentive, and despite my duck, we had a very good time. Our reservation was at 6:30 PM midweek, and I’d recommend this time for both commuting north into Berkeley and for finding a parking spot close to the restaurant.
This Hayward Himalayan restaurant has very good food
Last night, my friends group got together for our periodic “girls night out” – which now includes “boys” from time to time – and we decided to try The Gurkha Kitchen in Hayward. It had reviews, the prices were reasonable, and it’s relatively close. I’m glad we did, we were all very happy with the food, the service and the experience. I didn’t take photos, however, as I didn’t want to impose my hobby on my friends.
The Gurkha Kitchen serves Himalayan and Indian cuisine and has four locations in the Bay Area. The restaurant in Hayward is relatively small and pretty informal but pleasant enough for a casual dinner. They seem to have an outdoor space but it was a chilly night.
We started by sharing the fish pakora ($12) and buffalo momos ($16) appetizers. They were both served from the kitchen pipping hot. The fish pakora came in two-bite chunks. It had the right amount of breading and the fish was nicely seasoned. It was, however, pretty spicy – it left my mouth numb, though I have quite a low tolerance for heat. I’d order it again. I was quite impressed by the buffalo momos. These were larger and a different shape than the momos I’ve usually had and had a good amount of very tasty filling. The dough was chewy and thin, perhaps made with rice flower?, and it came with a bright and creamy “momo chutney” that we all enjoyed.
I hesitated between ordering the gurkha chicken ($18) and the Kashmiri lamb ($20). I was intrigued by the former as I don’t think I’ve had it before. However, I’m not a fan of bones in my curries and this included bone-in chicken. The Kashmiri lamb, however, was boneless so I ordered that – as did my friend Donovan. The Kashmiri lamb had a tomato based curry and omitted dairy. It was quite tasty, with the right amount of spiciness for me. It wasn’t quite as good as my yougurt-based rogan josh, however. The curries are served with plain rice.
Parker ordered the Thakali Thali Goat ($21) which came with small servings of goat curry, raayo ko saag (mustard greens), kalo dal (split black lentils), vegetable, rice, and achar (a condiment made with pickled veggies). She was very pleased with all the food and couldn’t finish it.
Aamani had the Aloo Bodi Tama ($15), I believe. She also quite enjoyed it.
We didn’t get drinks, but they have complimentary unsweetened chai which two in our party enjoyed.
We also got some butter and garlic nan. The butter nan didn’t seem to have any butter on it – not that I minded – and it was thinner than most nans I’ve had.
Service was very friendly and we enjoyed our time there. They also have a lunch buffet for $15, which includes momos on weekends. I’m sure we’ll try it.
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