[Food Stop] Food at the Beach

Hi there!

Sorry for the late post today, but it's sure hard to come back to reality after an amazingly relaxing weekend. We went to a college friend's beach house to stay, and it was so nice to catch up again, as well as have the kids hang out. 

It's great to see the next generation spend time together and bond with each other, even with the younger ones.  My kids love their younger cousins, so having more little "cousins" is fun for them, and the younger kids just look up to them...they had a blast!  

 The beautiful view that we had all weekend from the deck at our friend's house in San Clemente, which made for a perfect weekend.  The kids even roasted s'mores to cap off the evening after the barbeque.

Another reason this was the best weekend ever...the hubby and the guys basically did most of the cooking, even making breakfast!

After my sister-in-law's birthday party in San Diego Saturday night, there was a houseful of people at the beach house on Sunday for a Carne Asada tacos barbeque!  With all the good food, the waves calming me,  not needing to cook, and being surrounded by family and friends, it made for an ideal weekend.

What makes a perfect weekend for you?  Let me know because somehow, a beach house is on my list as the basis for that perfect weekend!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Tofu Recipe Request

Hi there!

I received a request to post more recipes, more specifically a tofu recipe, so here it is! My mom used to make this Tofu & Onion dish, replacing the beef from her carnivore recipe when she wanted to serve a vegetarian meal. When she cooked, she never really had a "recipe" because it's you know, a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and her dishes would come out perfectly! I think I do them justice, although they're never exactly how mom cooks them...

Start with firm to extra firm tofu and let it drain on a paper towel before frying.  It is important to have the tofu as dry as possible so that you don't get oil splattering because of the excess liquid!

The final dish is so easy once the tofu is fried.  Slice some onions and saute them in some oil.  Place the fried tofu into the pan, add some soy sauce and water with a squeeze of some lemon, and finish it with salt & pepper to taste.  Cook through for a quick and easy meal that's healthy, especially if you serve it over brown rice with steamed vegetables on the side!

Does anyone have a dish that they make without a recipe? Let me know because I cook without recipes a lot of times. Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Panda Inn, not Panda Express

Hi there!

I know most everyone is familiar with Panda Express, the fast food chain serving Chinese food, but I'm not sure if everyone knows about Panda Inn, the sit-down restaurant serving Mandarin cuisine.  My parents used to take us to the original Pasadena location when we were growing up.  It was our favorite place to go!  I remember the owner coming to talk to us when we dined there because we were regulars.  I even remember a conversation he had with my parents about his concept for Panda Express and asked if they wanted to invest in it...wow, they should have because Panda Express is everywhere now!

Hot & Sour Soup and Mu Shoo Vegetable

Fish with Black Bean Sauce and Panda Beef.  In between is their white chocolate-covered fortune cookie, that my little niece is holding when they're all pretty and wrapped!

It was nice to dine at an old favorite with my sister and a couple of childhood friends the other week.  We all hadn't been there in awhile, so it was nice to sit and reminisce with them!  It was funny because as we were chatting, my niece told my sister she wanted to go home because there were, "Only two people in the room!" Sure enough, we had been there for almost 4 hours and there was only a couple at a far table! 
Do you have a favorite childhood restaurant that brings back great memories? Let me know since food and good memories usually go together! Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See  you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] a la minute Gourmet Ice Cream

Hi there!

A fairly new gourmet ice cream shop opened in my kids' birthplace and hometown in Redlands, called "a la minute".  They make your own personal ice cream fresh to order, and have unique flavors, such as Strawberry Balsamic and Salted Caramel, along with seasonal flavors.  The ice cream is organic and they use local ingredients.  In fact, I have to brag and say that we know the owners, since the wife went to the same school as the kids and we all went to the same church.  So proud of their accomplishment, because we hear it's the new hot spot in town, and there's always a line to get their delicious ice cream!

My sister and her girls were visiting California from back East, and the girls enjoyed the kid-friendly flavors:  Chocolate Chip and Strawberry.  I've wanted to try a la minute since it's opened, so this was the perfect opportunity.  My youngest helping her cousin pick a flavor, while my sister's youngest watches people outside eating ice cream with her princess crown!

My sister's and niece's orders of Espresso Chip...

...and my order of the Redlands Orange Honey.  It was SO delicious and refreshing...you've got to stop by and try it!  Even though they aren't 31 flavors, the quality and freshness of this unique ice cream experience makes it special; worth the price and wait.

Don't you think it's worth it to pay more for quality and freshness instead of ordinary and processed?  Let me know because I think it's worth every cent and my taste buds thank me!  Thanks for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Mexican Hole-in-the-Wall

Hi there!

Now I know that everyone has their favorite hole-in-the-wall food places, and I'm sure that Mexican food is on that list!   In So Cal, Cuca's in Redlands was our favorite Mexican food place.  When I was pregnant with the youngest, we would do daily BRC (bean, rice, and cheese) burrito runs for lunch at work.  It's no wonder that the youngest just LOVES Cuca's BRC burritos now!  Every time we're in town, we always try to make it there to get our Cuca's fix.

The original Cuca's restaurant location.  Cuca's now has 7 locations in Southern California.  Wish they'd come up to Nor Cal!  They have the BEST carne asada tacos, rice, and salsa there!

Honestly, it was hard to find a place that would match our Cuca's standard, but I have to say that La Placita has fit the bill overall.  Their rice is delicious and I LOVE their chile relleno burrito plate, plus they have these flour tortilla chips that are to die for!  The kids always ask for these chips, and we eat them up fast!  We actually go to their second location, La Placita Dos, because it's closer to our house.

Another Mexican Hole-in-the-Wall we've found up here that's pretty good is Adalberto's.  They have locations here in Nor Cal as well as in So Cal.  Their rice is also very good (see how I judge a Mexican place by their rice?), and they have a Bean & Cheese burrito, that we ask to add rice inside, to make a BRC.  I like their fish tacos and their chicken taquitos with guacamole is delicious too.

What is your favorite Hole-in-the Wall?  Let me know since you all know I will eat almost anywhere (well, they have to at least have to have an "A" grade or "Green" rating, cause getting sick and all is NOT acceptable!).  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Berkley's Gourmet Ghetto

Hi there!

To continue with our weekend at Berkley (see this post here for another Berkley eatery), I had to include this Food Stop at North Berkley's Gourmet Ghetto on Shattuck Avenue.  This area has a cool, hip vibe with numerous restaurants and shops.

As we were walking on Shattuck Avenue, we heard this jazz band playing and saw a line going out the door of the Cheeseboard Pizza Collective.

See the line and all the people?  See the hubby, to the right, in the light gray shirt and red shorts, scratching his head?  He's probably thinking, "Man, after waiting in this long line, this pizza better be good!" 

The Cheeseboard Pizza basically serves the same pizza all day, changing the type of pizza each day.  This way, by the time you order, you have a fresh pizza ready for you.  The pizza for the day, when we were there, had roma tomatoes, red onions, aged asiago, mozzarella, garlic oil, and fresh basil.  They also had a fresh organic salad of the day.

Probably one of the coolest things about this place was the seating options.  If you couldn't get a seat at the restaurant, where the band was playing, people went to the center median on Shuttuck Avenue, and had a little picnic with their pizza and salad.  The hubby and I felt like college students again, since we were surrounded by them, along with the locals!

My starving hubby chowing down on the pizza that was so good; it was fresh and delicious, and the salad was yummy too!

Have you ever been willing to stand in line for a specific food item?  Let me know what it is, because if it's worth it, I don't mind waiting!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

Hi there!

I wanted to tell you all about my favorite chocolate and dessert place in town called Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates in Mid-town Sacramento.

The shop is so cute, I even love her wallpaper!  You can even see Ginger making her delectable chocolates, from Vanilla Bean Caramel to Maya Chile chocolates, and her desserts when you're there.  I saw her piping meringues when I was there, as you can see them all neat in a row below.

Top right:  The hubby likes their dark chocolate bark  (Bittersweet or Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts, Almonds and Pistachios. Per Ounce…$1.5  ) Bottom right:  I LOVE their macarons (Almond, Salty Caramel, Chocolate Ganache, Poppy Seed Citrus Rose, Flavors with the Seasons…$1.75)

During the year, she has Saturday events, such as the Summer Ice Cream Socials here from May to October.  The day we went, it was the Basil Ice Cream, Blueberry Sorbet, warm Blueberry Compote, Pavlova Meringue, atop House-Made Graham Cracker Crust, topped with Chantilly Cream! 

Let me tell you that even though it was $8 for the sundae, it was the most refreshing, delicious sundae I have ever had, and the chantilly cream with meringue on top just brought it up to the next level of heavenly!

Do you have a favorite dessert stop?  Let me know since desserts and chocolates are on top of my "To Eat List"!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Farmer's Market

Hi there!

Driving the hubby's old 1978 Ford truck, we call Truckona, to our local Farmer's Market in Carmichael.  It is our favorite because they're dog friendly and Kona loves going with us!

Roasted fresh garbanzo beans I purchased at the Farmer's Market.

A healthy recipe on the back of this package of red quinoa & brown rice from Costco.

Quick Power Grain Salad 

(Serves 4)

2 cups shelled edamame, heated (I used the shelled roasted fresh garbanzo beans instead)
1 1/2 cups Village Harvest Red Quinoa & Brown Rice, warmed (according to package directions)
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I used plum tomatoes, fresh from the Farmer's Market!)
3 tablespoons chives (I used the dried version since I didn't have fresh chives, but only about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (I may try balsamic vinegar next time)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Toss ingredients together.  Serve warm or room temperature. 

I love the Farmer's Market, don't you?  Let me know what your favorite Farmer's Market is in your area so I know where to go when I'm in your part of town.  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later! 

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Korean BBQ for an American Holiday

Hi there!

For the last holiday, we had a Mexican-themed Memorial Day weekend on this post here, and I promised that I would feature a post on our usual barbeque fare, Kalbi or Korean short ribs.  The difference between this and regular American ribs is the marinate and the cut.  The ribs are cut flanken-style, which simply means the meat is cut thinly across the ribs perpendicularly instead of parallel to the bone.  Instead of your classic barbeque sauce, Kalbi is marinated in a sweet soy sauce, made by mixing soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, pepper, and sliced green onions.  If you want it easy, you can pick up a bottle of Mr. Yohsida's at your local Costco to use as your marinate.


We love green beans with our Kalbi.  A fail-proof way to make them crisp and not soggy is to blanch them in boiling salted water for 45-60 seconds, then immediately dunk them in a bowl of ice water.  I didn't take a picture of the rice, but steamed white rice (brown rice, if you want to be healthier), is a perfect contrast to the grilled short ribs.


I don't usually stock soda in the house; only for parties and special occasions will we have it.  The hubby wanted his Diet Coke, so there it is, a classic American beverage!  And July 4th wouldn't be complete without ice cream, and boy, do I have a recipe for you!  I found this Bon Appetit recipe from Epicurious.com in 2001, and we all just love it, plus it's super easy to make.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Cake (Serves 16)

Ingredients---

5 whole graham crackers, broken up
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


4 pints dulce de leche ice cream
2 pints strawberry sorbet (we use strawberry ice cream sometimes, which makes a creamier dessert)
Note:  We like Haagen-Daz ice cream or sorbet


2 1/2 pounds strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup sugar, if desired


Caramel sauce, optional (for a homemade recipe, here is a delicious and easy one I found here)


Directions---

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine crackers, nuts, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt in food processor.  Blend until nuts are finely chopped.  Add butter; blend until mixture is evenly moist.  Press mixture over bottom (not sides) of a 10-inch-diameter springform pan.  Bake crust until golden, about 8 minutes.  Cool completely.

Slightly soften 1 1/4 pints ice cream; spread over crust.  Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.  Slightly soften 1 pint sorbet; spread over ice cream.  Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.  Slightly soften 1 1/4 pints ice cream; spread over sorbet.  Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. 

Slightly soften 1 pint sorbet; spread over ice cream.  Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.  Slightly soften 1 1/2 pints ice cream; spread over sorbet for top layer.  Cover; freeze until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 1 week.

Cut around cake to loosen.  Release pan sides.  If desired, stir berries and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl.  Let stand until berries release their juices, about 30 minutes.  (Note:  We just slice fresh strawberries without adding extra sugar...it's sweet enough, especially if you add the caramel sauce too!)

Cut cake into wedges; arrange on plates.  Spoon berries atop wedges; drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired.

So that's our typical barbeque holiday at our house!  Have you ever tried other types of barbeque recipes, especially ethnic ones?  Let me know since I am always open to expanding my taste palette with different foods!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake

Hi there!

I try to bake a homemade cake for our family birthdays, so my daughter's request this year for her 16th birthday was a German Chocolate Cake.  I found an Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake recipe on Epicurious, and it turned out great!

Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake (Serves 12)

Ingredients

For cake layers

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup boiling-hot water

For filling (you can double this recipe, if desired, because it could have used more filling)

7 ounces sweetened (I used unsweetened) flaked coconut
4 ounces coarsely chopped pecans (1 cup)
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

For glaze

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
10 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Special equipment: 3 (9-inch) round cake pans

Preparation

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350F and oil cake pans.  Line bottoms of pans with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.  Whisk together whole milk, butter, whole egg, yolk, vanilla, and almond extract in another large bowl until just combined.  Beat egg mixture into flour mixture with an electric mixer on low speed, then beat on high speed 1 minute.  Reduce speed to low and beat in water until just combined (batter will be thin).  Divide batter among cake pans (about 1 1/2 cups per pan) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, 20 - 25 minutes total (I would err on less time, even checking it after 15 minutes total, since cakes are thin).

Cool layers in pans on racks 15 minutes.  Turn a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment or wax paper and cool layers completely.

Make filling:
Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

Spread coconut in a large shallow baking pan and pecans in another.  Bake pecans in upper third of oven and coconut in lower third, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 - 18 minutes (again, watch carefully as my first batch of pecans burned).  Remove pans from oven.

Two options for caramelizing the sweetened condensed milk---
1.  Increase oven temperature to 425F.  Pour condensed milk into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover tightly with foil.  Bake milk in a water bath in middle of oven 45 minutes.  Refill baking pan with water to reach halfway up pie plate and bake milk until thick and brown, about 45 minutes more.  Remove pie plate from water bath.
2.  As an alternative to the directions for caramelizing the sweetened condensed milk, I placed an unopened can of the milk covered in a bath of water, slowly boiling it over the stove for 2 hours.  (NOTE:  Be careful when you remove the can because it will be hot, as well as when you open it, so let it cool because the milk is under pressure and will shoot out!)

Stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla and keep warm, covered with foil.

Make glaze while milk is baking or boiling:
Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan.  Remove pan from heat and add chocolate and corn syrup, whisking until chocolate is melted.  Transfer 1 cup glaze to a bowl, reserving remaining glaze at room temperature in pan.

Chill glaze in bowl, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.

Assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer (I first placed layer on a cardboard round) on a rack set over a baking pan (to catch excess glaze).  Drop half of coconut filling by spoonfuls evenly over layer and gently spread with a wet spatula.  Top with another cake layer and spread with remaining filling in same manner.  Top with remaining cake layer and spread chilled glaze evenly over top and side of cake.  Heat reserved glaze in pan over low heat, stirring, until glossy and pourable, about 1 minute.  Pour glaze evenly over top of cake, making sure it coats sides. Shake rack gently to smooth glaze.

Chill cake until firm, about 1 hour.  Transfer cake to a plate.

Cooks' notes:  

• Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days.  Bring to room temperature before serving.
• For easier handling when assembling cake, place bottom layer on a cardboard round or the removable bottom of a tart or cake pan.

The youngest is 16 and she still makes this expression that she made as a toddler!

Do you have any family birthday traditions?  Let me know because I love traditions and think traditions are important & special!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Early & Late Father's Day Lunch

Hi there!

The first stop for an early lunch was at Selland's in El Dorado Hills the day before Father's Day.  Such a cute, fun place to go, and the pizza and desserts we ordered were delicious!  They even had little cookies for dad!  Selland's Market Cafe is owned by the owner's of The Kitchen Restaurant and Ella Dining Room & Bar, which are both well-renowned restaurants in the Sacramento area, providing high quality dining experiences.  

In fact, I would LOVE to go to The Kitchen for our anniversary next month, but it can be hard to get a reservation for a specific day and rumor has it that for a meal, they run over $100 per person!  We have been lucky to dine there a couple of times for a pharmaceutical rep dinner and the food was divine.  Someday, I hope to experience The Kitchen in a more intimate situation.

The kids watching the graduation services among the beautiful trees in Napa Valley.   

We couldn't have a true Father's Day meal together because my Eldest's boyfriend and some of her friends graduated from college that day.  That's the reason for the early and late Father's Day lunches, although we did have a nice graduation luncheon at the Golden Harvest in St. Helena that day!  Sorry, no photos because I was, of course, too hungry to remember to take photos!  But try their fried eggplant...it was to die for!

Gillwoods Cafe was the late lunch a week after Father's Day.  We went to St. Helena, so we were able to all be together and enjoy brunch.  It was SO good! The french toast and lox & bagel I ordered were perfect, but I was good and didn't eat the bagel since I already had the french toast as my carbs for the meal!

My husband wanted to check out Petaluma, so after our meal, we headed out there and took a stroll around their downtown area.  They are located by a waterfront and have quaint little shops and eateries.  We went to this boutique that sold new and recycled clothing called Ooh, La Loft.  We didn't end up buying anything, but there were tons of cute things in there...I'm sure we'll be back.

A quick photo of the lovely kiddos at the Petaluma town center before we head home, but not before running to Lala's Creamery across the street for some ice cream!

Have you ever had to postpone a special day because of another event?  Let me know because I think it worked out for us this time because we actually went out to eat three times for Father's Day!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl

[Food Stop] Jack's Urban Eats & My Son

Hi there!

Jack's Urban Eats is a local Sacramento restaurant with a few locations in the area; they even have one at the Sacramento International Airport.  It is a popular hang out and the go to place for a quick, delicious, healthy (especially if you get the salad) meal.  Our son has worked there for a year now and has had a great experience there.  We've always enjoyed Jack's, so when he got the job, we were excited and proud of him.  He's going away for college now, so last week was his last week at Jack's...so sad.

Their Mac & Cheese is the BEST!

LOVE their salads!  They have a variety of salads with steak, chicken, salmon, and prawns, or you can make your own combination.  They also have sandwiches!

Jack's DELICIOUS Urban Fries!  Blue Cheese, Chili Oil, French Fries...can't stop eating them!  They even offer sweet potato fries too!

My son, behind the glass, cleaning up the grill since it's almost closing time.  Such a hard worker he is!

If you are ever in the Sacramento area, I recommend that you stop by!  Do you have a favorite local restaurant in your area where you can just pop in and know you'll get a quick, delicious meal?  Let me know so that when I'm in your neck of the woods, I can check it out!  Thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl