In one word: yummy. I’ve had Trader Joe’s Green Curry and Red curry sauces before and I had enjoyed them, but I have to say this one is my favorite. It’s thick and creamy and sweet and spicy (good spicy, but too spicy for my kids) and pretty well balanced. Mike found it a bit too sweet for his taste, and I almost agree, but I like sweet food. In all, a great sauce to have in the pantry for when you want something quick and easy.
Author: marga (Page 88 of 114)
Yesterday I ate my first oyster. My friend Lola and I were exploring Tomales Bay and she wanted to stop at Hog island Oysters for some oysters. I’m a nice friend, so even though I knew this would mean I’d seat around staring at the bay while she ate oyster after oyster, I complied. Plus it’s a nice bay.
Hog Island Oysters has a swank oyster bar at the Ferry but at the “farm” it’s a much more downscale (though not cheaper) experience. You park your car, go into the farm and chose your oysters among the types available that day (they start at $10 a dozen). You can then either take them home, or pay $8-10 per person for use of their pic-nic facilities – don’t expect anything fancy, just a few old pic-nic tables and grills. As I wasn’t eating oysters, they were nice enough to not charge me but Lola’s bill for two dozen oysters and pic-nic fee came up to $30. Not bad, but not that much cheaper than at their bar where oysters cost $1.50 each.
Lola was quite happy to eat her oysters plain and raw, if you want to BBQ yours or add some lemon or condiments you can buy charcoal and supplies at the general stores a few minutes south. Hog Island Oysters does provide you with a tray, a shucking knife and glove so you can shuck them yourself.
Lola was in ecstasy. She ate and she moaned and she celebrated each and every taste, to the point that I figured I should at least give them a try. Could they possibly be that good? Trying them wasn
Lola and I had a get away weekend to the Tomales Bay and stopped by Priscilla’s in Inverness for lunch. Yes, we would have preferred to go to Manka’s, but that wasn’t in the cards.
Priscilla’s is a small, quaint, small-town cafe serving gourmet pizza and sandwiches. They make their own bread and bake it just before assembling the food (we could see the process from the window). You order the food at the counter and a waitress will bring it to your table. Service was quite prompt and everyone was very friendly.
Lola (who apparently was not filled by the 23 oysters she had just had) ordered the clam chowder. She thought it was a bit bland. It was fresh and homemade tasting, though not particularly clammy. She’d eat it again though she’d probably chose something else if she had the choice.
I had their roasted tri-tip sandwich and was also disappointed. The bread was very nice, warm and fluffy, and the meat was probably good as well, but the flavor of the mustard was so intense that I couldn’t taste anything else. I’d definitely would skip it.
That’s too bad, as Priscilla’s was a very cute place to stop for a bite – I might still go again, but try the pizza or pasta instead.
Priscilla’s
12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.,
Inverness, CA
(415) 669-1244
Viva Mexico is one of the very, very many taquerias that dot the San Leandro landscape. This one is located in the “Fashion Fair Shopping Center”, the little outdoor mall by Bayfair Mall where Ross, Michael’s and Pier 1 are located. We went there for dinner one night last December before going to see a movie nearby.
Unfortunately all this time after our dinner I don’t have a clear picture of everything we had. Under such a circumstance it might be better perhaps to not write a review at all – but we’re quite unlikely to go back there so it’s now or never. Plus I figure that as long as I’m honest, you, the reader, can give my recollections the weight you think they are worth.
In any case, I’m afraid to say that I cannot remember what we had for dinner that night. My educated guess is that I had a carne asada burrito and that Mike had a carnitas burrito, as this is what we usually order when we go to a taqueria. I don’t remember eating it, but I do remember discussing that the food wasn’t that great, certainly not as good as that of our favorite taquerias. I also recall liking the chips and the fiery roasted pepper salsa, while Mike being less parcial to it.
I did like the restaurant itself. It’s a small operation and the owner, behind the counter, was very hospitable. A couple of diners at another table were saying (in Spanish) how this was the best Mexican food around. Still, Mike and I left thinking we wouldn’t be coming back.
Viva Mexico
Fashion Fair Shopping Center
15100 Hesperian Blvd.
San Leandro, CA
510.317.2042
I’m cleaning up my spice rack, throwing away old spices. There are some I’ve had since I got married, over a decade ago. Granted, I’ve seldom if ever used them since (like fennel seeds, what do I need fennel seeds for?) but I figure if I do need them again, I can buy them anew. The list below are the spices I have – most in good quantities. This way next time I come across a recipe that calls for something I can check it against this list rather than having to go through the whole rack.
Black peppercorns
White peppercorns
Powdered Cayenne pepper
Piment d’espelette
Ground chili de arbol
Sweet paprika
Chili powder
Oregano
Thyme
Tarragon
Rosemary
Herbs d’provence
Ground sweet basil
Saffron threads
Bay leaves
Turmeric
Ground allspice
Ground cumin
Mustard seeds
Curry powder
Mustard powder
Ground ginger
Cinnamon sticks
Ground cinnamon
Ground cloves
Nutmeg pods
These are spices I probably should buy to replace the ones I threw away. Any other suggestions:
-Red pepper flakes
-Ground black pepper (for when I don’t have time to grind enough)
-Allspice berries
-Cloves
-Regular paprika
-Hot paprika
-Garlic powder
Last night we wanted to get a drink before going to a movie in Orinda (saw Pride & Prejudice, even the Austen haters among us loved the movie) and we decided to stop at Calypso Bar & Grill which is very close to the theater. Alas, unbeknown to us there is a cafe/wine bar just across from Calypso which might have been more appropriate for a quick drink. Next time.
Calypso is a Caribbean themed restaurant, the type that might have been popular in the 60’s and 70’s. The restaurant is small and dark and on Saturday nights, at least, features music. Last night it was a singer/guitar player singing covers from the 60’s. I particularly enjoyed American Pie.
Boris and Regina just had bottled drinks, but Mike ordered the hand shaken Margarita while I had a fruity rum drink. They were both good, though not outstanding. Mike felt the Margarita had too much ice, but I was happy for that as I prefer my drinks cold. Mike liked the coconut shrimp, though as he says, he’s never had coconut shrimp he doesn’t like.
In all I wouldn’t mind giving the place a try for dinner if we happened to be in Orinda. The restaurant is family friendly – there was a whole group of children while we were there.
Calypso Bar & Grill
2 Theatre Sq., No. 153 (off Moraga Way)
Orinda, CA 94563
925-258-9686
Alfajores are Argentina’s unofficial national treat. An alfajor is basically a soft cookie with a sweet filling. The cookie is usually cakey, though in some versions it’s phillo-like, and while traditional alfajores were filled with jam (quince jam is particularly popular), the most delicious Argentine alfajores have a dulce de leche filling. Some alfajores are covered, most typically with a powdered sugar or a dark chocolate bath, though many of the alfajores from the Northwest as well as many of new “alfajores artesanales” (i.e. the non-mass produced kind) are plain.
Several of the northern Argentine provinces have their own type of alfajores, and as during our trip to Salta, Jujuy, Tucum
I just got a message from a website visitor who seems to have liked Gonzales y Gonzales, a Cal-Mex restaurant we visited in NYC, where we had terrible service. He says:
“I am not sure how long ago you went to this restaurant but you may want to give it another try. I recently moved to Pa from Ca and could not believe we could not find Mexican food that came close to the food in Ca. Then I found Gonzales y Gonzales…the food is so good. I even took friends from Ca who were visiting NYC and they too loved it. The food is fresh and the service has always been good. Maybe they read your review and decided to change.
Try it again…you may be surprised.”
Alas, not everyone seems to agree as to the merits of this restaurant. Here is another message about Gonzales y Gonzales I got on June 2005:
“Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I went out to have a few dinks and appetizers
at Gonzales y Gonzales. It was a friday evening after hard days work. We
were having a good time. Tiping very well and ordering for a good two
hours.
I went to the ladies room because I started to feel a bit nauceous. I into
the ladies room where then I vomitted all I had to eat. I disgustingly
wiped the bowl feeling embarrassed of the mess I just felt I made. The bowl
was cleaned off proceded to get napkins from the bathroom attendant. She
refused to hand me more napkins unless I gave her a dollar for each napkin
used. I was so upset. I did not understand this rule of hers to charge
for napkins.
I went to the upstairs to speak with the manager. I first went directly to
the first bartender he ask what happend and just ignore my request to speak
to a manager. I then went to My boyfriend asking me what was taking so
long. I told what happened. We then spoke to the bartender that served us
all night. He got the manager for us. The manager then came. I explained
how ridiculous to be charged for napkins in the ladies room. He then rudely
gave me a pack of napkins and placed it on the bar. I was so angry!!! I
told him why would I be charged for a napkin to wipe off the vomit off my
shoe. I needed extra napkins and I am being charged.
An apology but rudely and no compensation for the horrible moment I had to
experience. The evening was ruined and the good time I was having was
completely ruined by this restaurant. The bathroom attendant disappered.
I know why because this restaurant hire illegall immigrant and these people
are trying to make money how ever they can.”
If you have a comment on Gonzales y Gonzales feel free to leave it below.
All diary
Argentinian diary products are all excellent. They taste quite different from American products, most likely because the cows have a different feed. Some day – I can only hope – they’ll start importing these products to the US and they’ll take it by storm.
I’m not a milk drinker, so I can’t comment on the milk – but butter and cream just taste better.
Mayo
Yep, even mayo tastes better. It might be the eggs (not an egg eater, didn’t try them) but most likely it’s the oil they use: sunflower seed oil. I’m going to have to check at stores that carry Argentine products if they sell Argentine mayo as well.
French Fries
I don’t exactly know why, but Argentine french fries are all yummy. They are usually on the thin side – a little bit fatter than your average McDonald fry – and non-coated. But I think the secret is, once again, the oil on which they are fried. On some cases it may be sunflower seed oil or grapeseed oil, but in others it’s just a comercial mixture.
Strawberries
They were in season when we first got there, and OH MY GOD – the little, totally ripe strawberries where unbelievable. It reminded me of why, as a kid, strawberries and cream was my favorite dessert to order at restaurants.
Beef
Need I say more?
Rotisserie Chicken
As a kid I LOVED pollo al spiedo or rotisserie chicken. There was a deli kitty corner to our house and its amazing aroma teased me every time I’d go by. But it was a special treat which we could only have once in a while. No wonder, even now a rotisserie chicken costs U$6, pretty much the same as in the US and substantially more than beef. Rotisserie chickens are no longer widely available in Argentina, they’ve been supplanted by grilled chicken, but we had it a couple of times in Salta. And OH MY GOD, it was soooooooooooo good. Surely the marinades must be a reason, if I could only find those recipes.
Medialunas
Argentina’s croissants can be great – but they not always are. At the hands of the right bakery they can be heavenly, though.
Masas Finas
These bite-size pastries often featuring dulce de leche are also a wonderful treat. They are expensive – often costing U$7-11 a kilo (depending of the bakery).
Milhoja
This typical Argentine treat consists of multiple layers of very thin phillo-like dough covered with dulce de leche. Again, it’s a matter of which bakery makes it, but at the hands of the right bakery it can be delicious. I had to bring a kilo of milhoja to my sister back from Argentina.
Imperial
This is another typical Argentine tea-time treat. It’s a rectangular cake of hard merengue and cream. Yummy.
Alfajores
They deserve a whole entry of their own. Stay tuned.
Bocaditos bonafide and cabsha
Yummy dulce de leche is covered by a thin layer of chocolate. I’m eating one as I write this. It’s heaven.
Dulce de leche
Of course
Ice Cream
Argentine ice cream rocks. It’s lighter than American ice cream and with more intense flavors. Apparently this is because it has less air and less cream but I don’t really know. And of course, it’s made with Argentine milk which makes all the difference. It’s relatively expensive for Argentinians – one reason why ice cream was such a treat when I was a kid – with a kilo costing between $5-7 depending where you buy it.
Flavors are also significantly different from those available here. There is strawberry (choice of water or creme based), chocolate and vanilla, of course, but much better are dulce de leche granizado (dulce de leche with shaved dark chocolate), crema americana, sambayón, tramontana, mantecol and others. We ate ice cream at least once every day and I already miss it!
Paso de los Toros Pomelo Light
This is a diet grapefruit soda manufactured by Pepsico which is actually delicious. The regular version is quite good, but the light version, which is less sweet, is even better. If you like grapefruit soda, you’d go crazy over it. Alas, it’s not available in the US. Which is difficult to understand as it’s just sooooooooooooooooo good. Please, someone at Pepsi, bring it to the US!
Now, as for things that are not good in Argentina:
Cookies
They suck, they are dry and lack flavor.
Cereal
Just try to find cereal without sugar. I dare you. Try (OK, maybe a health food store, but not at the supermarket).
Variety
In Buenos Aires you can find a number of ethnic restaurants, but forget about having non-Argentinian food (other than Chinese or Spanish) almost anywhere else.
Chocolate
Vastly inferior to American or European chocolate.
OK, does anyone have any? 🙂 If so, do e-mail (or comment here).
According to the SL Times, Chili’s opened at the Bayfair mall a week ago, and Chevy’s is moving its location to inside the mall.
There is finally some progress in the opening of Cafe Sorriso at the old Latte Da site on the corner of Juana and Washington. Soon after Latte Da closed – after the owner increased the rent considerably – the sign for Cafe Sorriso appeared, but nothing more happened for months. A couple of days ago the exterior was finally painted, a very nice shade of yellow-orange, I might add. Hopefully it means they’re getting ready to open.
The same cannot be said about the Kolbeh restaurant which took the space of Casa Maria #2. The sign is still there but nothing else has happened, I daresay nothing will.
Finally, rumor has it that Angelina’s changed ownership a few months ago, and that the new owner has no experience running a restaurant of any kind. I hear his people skills are poor, to say the least, and a waitress and two delivery drivers have quit in the last couple of weeks. The kitchen stuff remains, but I hear they are not happy.
Recent Comments