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berzerkeley

Lessons from my mom:
Food is an expression of love, so it must be healthful, healing, and shared. Food brings us together. It unites us across time and distance. Love. Ambition. Family. Food. It's all the same, really!

  • Favorite foods: Honestly? GOOD salads make me incredibly happy. Also, whatever-I-had-as-a-kid-that-can-never-be-replicated-except-by-my-mom.

Asian Cucumber, Celery and Avocado Salad

SAME thoughts!! In all seriousness, "Asia" refers to a whole bunch of different and eclectic-in-their-own-ways people. It's really rather myopic to claim this an "Asian" salad due to ginger and garlic. Ginger and garlic are common ingredients that appear frequently in Eastern parts of the continent, but it doesn't make them quintessentially "Asian".

Bake the Book: Tobacco Cookies

sounds like the nerdy cousin of weed brownies.

I'm with the neuroscientist on this one. PASS. Drugs don't belong in food - we have tons of overgrown, pathogen-resistent meat to prove it.

Pick a flavor and pull this...

There are literally 5 of these down my street, each popping up with shiny bright eyes that fizzled into dull, lifeless stares. In my experience, self-serve fro-yo always sucks because, yes, they do melt too fast because, yes, they are of poor quality. What you're paying for is those bomb@ss mochi nibs. I'm wary of the fruit, too. It looks like it's crawling with pathogens.

The best true tart fro-yo I've ever tried is Pinkberry, but that only exists within SFO around here. Oh well. One more reason to love traveling!

We Try The New Berry Kouign Amann from La Boulange

that sounds like a day-old morning bun!

A Big Big Bag of Spinach

I did that once. It was a 5 lb bag of baby spinach. I was a glutton for punishment...

The thing about spinach is that it cooks down to barely nothing, so I made a lot of sautees. After eating it raw for the 3rd time, my tongue couldn't take the gritty oxalates any more, so I had to eat them cooked. I did a lot of spinach & chicken and variates thereof. Spinach & tomatoes & mushrooms in omelettes, soups, tossed into a braise, stir-fried. Nothing extravagant. Just ways to get rid of tons of spinach!

For those Chinese cuisine lovers-Chow Fun or Chow Mein Noodles?

You call yourself "The Noodle Guy" and you only RECENTLY tried Chinese "fun"???

By the way, stop slaughtering my people's language. Chow = stir fry. Fun = noodles (broadly speaking). Mein = a specific type of wheat noodle. It does not necessarily mean thin egg noodles. It can be thick, chewy wheat noodles.

Also, "fun" can be wide or skinny. The typical wide noodles used for "Chinese Beef Chow Fun" are more appropriately called "ho fun". Get it straight. As a self proclaimed "noodle guy", I thought you'd try a little harder than that. Thanks.

8 Great Meatless Burritos in the Mission, San Francisco

You know, I never realized how much diversity there is amongst the construction of burritos. Love these cross-cut shots. If you do one for the best carne asada burritos in the Bay Area, I would love you.

Help with hosting a high school party!

Remember - cooking takes time. For that many people, you're going to have to 1) grill before people arrive 2) grill while people are there 3) stay at the grill after 20 people leave because the remaining 40-50 are still hungry.

For that large of a party, why can't you all pitch in for a mid-level caterer? I don't think you can realistically enjoy the party and cook at the same time for that large amount of people. OR you can sacrifice studying time to cook... which I do not recommend...unless you are not a high school student and I'm misunderstanding the situation.

Hangover Helper: Duck Burrito at Koi Palace, Daly City, CA

Ahhhhhh, so many happy family gatherings here. Best dim sum in the Bay Area. Don't care what others say. This is the best.

A Sandwich a Day: Biscuit 'Wich at Lulu Belle's Pancake House

There is comma misuse everywhere... makes the article extremely difficult to read. Also, the last sentence should be a semi-colon. I really enjoy SE's writing, but I'm disappointed by the quality of this article.

Taste Test: Does Premium Dairy Make Better Homemade Ice Cream?

Sometimes, food is so simple, isn't it? It's the age-old truth: People like fats. Fats taste good. In the end, it's fats. Lovely lovely fats.

Ask a Bartender: What Cocktail Should Disappear Forever?

The reactions on here are insane. The reason the bartenders' responses sound "judgmental" is because of the question they were asked. This is like.. social science 101. The question they were asked set them up to create a brute, callous, "know-it-all" answer. Blame the question, not the responses.

Tipping: My latest conundrum

We have so many of those around here. Some of them are very fine establishments, too. I honestly don't tip, but it makes me feel really awkward. The reality is.. all the server did was bring me my food. Does that really constitute a tip?? IMO, nope. Weird and awkward, though, yes.

What dish best represents the food of your region?

Organic microgreens watered by the tears of co-op'ers on a thin crackly flatbread masquerading as "pizza".

What to make my sauce smooth?

Forgive me if I'm incorrect, but I could have sworn that Queso Fresco specifically does NOT melt. Also, it seems that the sauce you're aiming to make uses melty cheeses. It's definitely not straight queso fresco.

Seeing that it is from a restaurant, and, in my opinion, restaurants are notorious for catering to the local (rather than original) palate... it's possible that the restaurants aren't using a totally "authentic" recipe. OR they're whipping that sauce into a VitaMix or something to get it that smooth. Either way, I think something is different with the restaurant sauces and they are, in my opinion, not using straight Queso Fresco.

What's your favourite/disliked fat?

I LOVE avocados. LOVE coconut. LOVEEEEE (good) olive oil. I could drink it.

Bacon is okay. It's a little too dense and smoky for me. I dislike lamb fat. It's really too game-y for me.

Food Ignorance Frustration

*this. Darn non-existent edit button.

Food Ignorance Frustration

HAHA +1 Loubert!

Too bad I didn't go to a very private and very well endowed Ivy so that I could participate in these rants! Instead, I kicked it with the home boys down by the ghetto joint for some real "ethnic food", or whatever-the-heck you kids call it these days. "Food ignorance"? Man, these thread just reeks of hypocrisy.

Snapshots from Kenya: Eating Roasted Goat from a Nyama Choma in Nairobi

They probably eat a much less calorie-dense diet over there than here in the States - where we like all our animals nice and obese.

Snapshots from Kenya: Eating Roasted Goat from a Nyama Choma in Nairobi

This was really fascinating. More please! I can't believe how much of a dearth of African foods we have on Serious Eats.

Do You Frequently Get Take Out?

When SO is here, we order out at least once a week. After long work weeks, there's nothing better than a relaxed date-night at home with take-out Chinese/pizza/Mediterranean.

When it's just me at home, I do take-out maybe once a month because I feel splurge-y. And in the area we live, how could you not eat out? It's all too dang delicious!!

Ask the Food Lab: Do I Really Need To Reduce Wine Separately?

I hate to say it, but I was equally dubious when reading the first part. The fact is that very little is actually known about the dynamics of olfactory compounds, and I am not sure if you can really justify heavy boiling as allowing olfactory compounds to leave faster. Do olfactory compounds even require water or have a relationship with water to travel? This would suggest that the humidity of microclimates can drive the behavior of olfactory compounds, and I have not yet read any published paper that suggests this relationship. Anyhow, that's how I interpreted this piece, and that's why I'm uncertain of the scientific thought behind it.
On the other hand, I do think it has everything to do with heat. But vigorous *boiling* as the cause for increased volatilization? I'm much less convinced. Looking forward to your thoughts.

The next ingredient trend..any predictions?

Boycotting Monsanto.

At least.. you know.. in Berkeley, of course. :)

Snapshots from Vietnam: A Guide To Hanoi's Best Street Food

Look at those herbs!!!! I am so envious of your trip and your food tour!

Any ideas for a lightened pie crust recipe?

Gluten free does NOT mean "healthy" nor does it mean "low-carb". This is a common misconception and why you should get your food science from scientists, not glossy/oiled media stars on TV. First, gluten is a protein. It has nothing to do with being "low-carb". A carbohydrate is a chain of C-H-O, and it exists in everything from rice to potato to green vegetables to *gasp* nuts and almonds!!

The problem with diabetes is not necessarily "carbs". The problem is that the body has become intolerant to insulin (in the case of Type 2; it's an autoimmune disease for Type 1). So, if your relative has Type 2 diabetes, you'd be doing him a better favor by looking up foods that are low on the Glycemic Index, and using THAT as a foundation for the crust.

Bad wine club

Forgive me OH Wise Ones. I am a wine newbie and thought it'd be smart of me to join an inexpensive wine club to dip my toes into the water.

The last two months were good and fairly reliable. Given the cheapo price tag, this was about what I expected. This month, though, was truly just bad. The red reeks of isopropyl alcohol and the white tastes "off", like the bad kind of bitter/sour. Not pleasant at all.

It makes me sad to see two full bottles of wine that I basically want to pour down the drain. I feel like I could spend my money much more wisely on ONE bottle that I choose myself and that I'd enjoy. So, I guess this was a learning experience, but... are wine clubs generally just a bad idea? How else does one systematically expand the palate?

Favorite ways to cook w/ alcohol

At any point in time, I've got an abundance of 1/2 cups of red + white wine that I've no idea what to do with. Friends also bring over beer during get-togethers, but I hate beer. Absolutely can't drink it, so I'd rather find a way to cook with it.
I've exhausted the soup and basic tomato marinara ideas. Help!

That elusive crumb...

There are two foods right now that I've fallen in love with but can't figure out:
1) Some type of corn muffin. On a whim, I picked up a "muffin" from a local cafe and fell deeply in love with it. It had this wonderful tender, moist, chewy crumb and it smelled deeply of corn. It didn't fall apart like cornbread. It was a deep molasses color and borrowed much of its sweetness from the cornmeal. I tried looking for recipes. Nothing seemed to match the description. I also went back to the cafe and tried, I swear, all the muffins and I don't think they carry it anymore. I still buy a muffin every now and then hoping I've stumbled onto that elusive one...
2) GOOD red velvet cupcakes. Until now, I've never understood the popularity of red velvet because the ones I tried were always light on flavor, too airy, crumbly, etc. But the texture on this one particular red velvet cupcake was sublime - rich, fudgey without that gross "wet" texture, yet MUCH more airy than traditional butter cakes. It was just a beautiful balance of rich and moist but not cloyingly dense.

I do have the book "Bakewise", and I'm sure I could piece together an answer. But I think tapping into the collective SE wisdom would be a much more efficient route. So hit me with your best thoughts!

Simple food = best meals

In the midst of trying to create menus to blow the pants off some guests, I dug into my lunch - a giant heirloom tomato and some fresh mozz. No basil or anything. Just salt and pepper. And, in between bites of creamy mozz and juicy, sweet, aromatic tomato, it dawned on me. Honestly, the simplest food is somehow the best and most complex (without trying to be).

What other simple pairings (or singletons) do you think make the best meals? I'm also madly in love with beets and blue cheese. Ya know, maybe I'm just in love with cheese...

Kabocha squash

I loooove kabocha squash. Its rich, creamy texture and ability to take on sweet-salty flavors makes my heart sing. Unfortunately, I'm a little low on creative ways to eat it. Usually, I'll toss it in a wok to brown it with garlic and let it simmer with sweetened soy sauce (favorite method). Or I'll bake it with a little sugar and salt/pepper, but I don't really like baked or roasted veggies.

I'm turning some of it into a soup with tomato puree. But I still have half of a squash left, and I'd like to do something more creative. Preferably savory, but sweet is okay, too. Or better, yet, sweet and savory! Bread ideas could be awesome, too. What's your favorite way to eat kabocha?

Embarrassing childhood foods

I was reading someone blog about how her kid loved to eat tamarind fruit at home. But, when she packed some in her son's school lunch, she saw that he returned with it totally untouched. (In case you're wondering why, tamarind fruit looks a whole lot like... poop.)

When I read this, my stomach did a little flip, and I got a pang of nostalgia. When I was a kid, my mom would send me to school with fresh banh mi. Yes, glorious banh mi with its deliciously soft and crusty bread, beautifully pickled carrots+daikon, and perfectly grilled lemongrass chicken. But I went to school with a bunch of Caucasian kids who ate Smuckers and Campbell's soup for lunch. So, every lunch, I threw away my entire banh mi sandwich and waited to go home to eat dinner. Once, a teacher called me out and asked the entire class who the ungrateful kid was who threw away an entire sandwich. The sting of that embarrassment has always stuck with me. Little did I know that banh mi would become the "cool" thing 2 decades later. *Shrug* Anybody else got any embarrassing childhood food memories? I can't be the only one!

What to do with cottage cheese?

Problem: Haven't eaten cottage cheese in at least 10 years. Decided to give it another try. Maybe it's just me, but the kind I bought is the "natural" kind and REALLY tart. Tart cheese curds....?? This is not what I remembered 10 years ago, and I didn't even like the non-tart stuff back then. What do I do? What can I make? I tried to turn myself into a cottage cheese lover, but it's not looking bright.

Bonus points: Recipes that are light on sugar and white flour. I'm not afraid of baked goods, but I have my limits and the kitchen has been a little too full w/ baked goods lately.

Quick! Need unique and delicious birthday cake ideas!

The title says it all. Give me a fantastic idea within 24 hours or I'm throwing my hands up and settling for a store-bought cake. Before the inevitable, though, I'd like to give a homemade option a try.

Some pointers:
- "Birthday cake" doesn't have to be a cake. It can be a pie, a tart, a galette, whatever.
- We have lots of juicy oranges, overripe bananas, and red delicious apples ready for use.
- No dietary restrictions.
- Coffee is a favorite flavor...but not necessary.

Please inspire me!

How often do you eat meat? And what type?

This poll went up on Runner's World a little while ago, and the results were pretty interesting. Many people ate meat infrequently. Many others were vegetarian. Since then, I've been sort of steeped in this notion that people don't really eat meat that much or that often.

However, I've noticed that a lot of SE-Talk recipe recommendations and answers to "What-are-you-cooking-today?" posts seem to be skewed towards the omnivorous end. So, I'm curious!

Considering that there are ~21 meals in a week, how often do you eat meat?
- 1-4 meals/week (for simplicity's sake: ~ 1-2 days/week)
- 5-9 meals/week (~ 3 days/week)
- 10-14 meals/week (~ 4 days/week)
- 15-21 meals/week (~ 5-7 days/week)

And, usually, what type? Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, etc.

Vegetarians, I already know your answer, so, sorry, this doesn't apply!

Reconstruct this!

I once went to a Mediterranean-style buffet that offered grilled zucchini. At first, I thought it'd be the most bland thing on my plate, but it was surprisingly, almost hauntingly, flavorful. It had this wonderful syrup-like coating that was perfectly counterbalanced with enough salt and pepper (of various types?) all grilled to a crisp, yet tender, perfection. It was soooo good, but I didn't get a good look at what exactly was in the marinade. I've been craving that delicious grilled zucchini since then, but I honestly have no idea how to reconstruct it.

Does this grilled veggie recipe sound familiar to anyone? I would just experiment around, but I honestly don't even know where or how to start. I only remember: sweet + crisp "syrup"-like coating, savory, and red/black pepper(?). I feel like there was garlic, but, then again, I pretend there's garlic in everything... It had a very intense flavor, so I'm not sure if it was your run-of-the-mill-salad-dressing-marinated zucchini. Help!

Lamb Stew from 'Stewed'

Lamb Stew from 'Stewed'

Gently simmered lamb shoulder, port, and root vegetable stew tastes lamby but not gamey or chewy. The key is the sweet and savory undercurrent of wine, beef stock, tomatoes, and winter roots that runs beneath the flavor of the lamb. More

Almond Crunchies

Almond Crunchies

Almond crunchies are a cross between biscotti and meringue cookies, flavored with aniseed and cardamom. Thick, whipped egg whites give them an addictively crunchy, chewy texture that shatters and melts in your mouth. More

Vegan: Sopes with Refried Beans and Salsa Verde

Vegan: Sopes with Refried Beans and Salsa Verde Get Recipe

The key to really satisfying vegan fare is to make sure you hit a whole bunch of textural highs and lows, and offer some sort of dense, fat-and-protein based food to fill you up. In this case, we get the crispy fried sope shells, followed by a rich and creamy layer of refried beans (I make my own, but you can use store-bought refried beans no problem—just check the label for animal products), a drizzle of hot and tangy salsa verde (another great condiment to have around at all times), crunchy toasted pepitas, and a fresh sprinkle of onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. More