Profile

beth1

Married. Husband is a Lt. in the Navy. Currently a cake decorator. Have been line cook, corrections officer, and retail clerk. Graduated culinary school in 07 (got tired of corrections). Servant to 4 cats and 2 dogs.

  • Location: San Diego--North County
  • Favorite foods: Most vegetables (except okra and turnip greens). chocolate (but only the good stuff). Good Balsamic vinegar and olive oil on fresh baguette.
  • Last bite on earth: Anything from Red Pearl Kitchen as long as the Green Papaya Salad is involved (my latest food crush).

Tipping from a server's point of view.

I refuse to go out with my MIL and her husband. No amount of tip is worth the server having to put up with his behavior. He's high-maintenance, does the hated finger-snap, personally berates the server (the last and final time I went out with them, he berated the server for bringing a separate dish of vegetables that he didn't want, but it's not like they were on his plate, either), and talks to the server while playing with his dentures in his mouth. I was paying, so I left a 100% tip because I felt so bad for the server. He was unaware that I was leaving a tip, so he announced he would leave the tip. It was (no joke) $1 and a religious pamphlet.

Ramen Burgers Coming Soon to Lotteria in Japan

Loteria isn't very good, so I'm guessing this will follow that trend. Fortunately, they're an aberration in Japanese food chains.

Favorite Japanese Food?

Tonkatsu (but only from a chain in the Tokyo/Yokohama area called Tonkatsu Wako), Japanese soft-serve ice cream (completely different texture than soft-serve in the US), doria, real Tempura, and Melon Pan (a hot bread with a crispy sugar topping, scored to look like a melon) from this place just outside Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. It's a very specific list, I know.

What Tomato varieties are you growing?

Just Momotoros this year. Nothing crazy.

"kid" food??

I don't want my kid to get used to "kid food." We will not serve it in our home, and I dare his school to give him a chicken nugget. I want my son to grow up with fresh vegetables as a norm. "Kid food" just starts the cycle of fast food and obesity early in life. There is no reason why a kid can't eat the same food as anyone else.

Sugar Rush: Gelato at Pappalecco, San Diego

Erin, if you make it up to Escondido, try EscoGelato (just off Grand). They use as much local ingredient as the can, and a local-roast coffee.

A Sandwich A Day: Turkey Day from BFD in San Diego, CA

This one looks worthwhile. Will be giving it a try soon!

Taste Test: Chocolate-Covered Biscuit Sticks (Pocky and Pocky Copycats)

I like Pocky's seasonal flavors, but Fran (Meiji) is the best overall. The chocolate coating has a better texture, and there's more of it.

April Fools' Day Pizza Pranks

Two things make that almost believable: 1)the fact that if anyone is going to come up with this, it will be the Japanese food industry, and 2) Morinaga Hotto Keiki drink (a hotcake, butter, and syrup drink from 3 years ago. Some drink machines there have little cans of corn, tomato, potato, miso, and curry soups (some of which are actually pretty good).

What is the most expensive/least used tool in your kitchen?

If I don't use it within a year, I generally get rid of it. Right now, the most expensive/least used items are a handmade Japanese Sushi knife and its little paring knife friend. They were gifts from my husband that he bought for me in Tokyo from a knife shop in Kappabashidori (the kitchenware heaven in Tokyo). They're amazing knives. They'll cut through bone with no hesitation. They're truly beautiful knives, with quince burlwood handles and brass trim. I don't use them very often, but when I do, it's generally to break down a large piece of meat. I'll never get rid of those knives.

Cast iron skillet

I've found decent ones at thrift stores, put them in the oven's self-clean, and reseasoned them. The best, though, is when you can find one your grandma doesn't want/use any more.

A Sandwich A Day: Meatball Sub from Poma's Italian Delicatessen, San Diego

We've gotten addicted to the meatball sub and just about anything else at Mona Lisa's on India (the restaurant side of the building, not the shop). Their pizza is also excellent. According to the pasta shop guy across the street, both sides are owned by members of the same family, but everything is separate. There was a family fight years ago, so they split the building between a restaurant and shop (the deli sandwiches at the shop are excellent to!)

If you had to eat one nationality...

Japanese, because modern Japanese cuisine includes Italian fusion, French pastries with flavors unique to Japan (ex. rolled chiffon cake with kochoba or matcha), Chinese (ramen has its origins in China), Portuguese (origin of tempura), German (roots of Katsu, very related to schnitzel), Indian (curries), and Japanese variations on American fast food. I'd move back in a minute.

Animal Slaughter...Have you?! Would you?!

I've done both. Meat has to come from somewhere.

San Francisco with allergies and a toddler

There's a little stand inside the Ferry building directly across from Sur Le Table that sells vegan doughnuts. They're very good (and I'm absolutely not vegan). I get one every time I'm though there.

Two and a half quarts of orange marmalde. Suggestions?

This is a bit involved, but it's completely worth it. The mushroom salad that goes with it is a must. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/itadakimasu/archive20121008.html

Does the McRib Still Matter?

I generally get one every year. However, this year, I'm skipping it due to McD's requiring employees to work on Christmas and not paying them holiday pay.

Holiday Giveaway: The Amazing Thermapen Thermometer

A smoked chicken

The Vegetarian Agenda--How to Push It

Respect that person's boundaries. If you don't want to have an onmivore's agenda pushed on you, don't try to push vegetarianism on them. It's just simple respect.

Reversible Hello Kitty Plush Transforms Into a Burger

I have seen both burger and turkey, and they're really cool!

Recipe Red Flags

If it lists too many prefab "ingredients." I'm not going to bother making a recipe that uses a cake mix, marshmallows, canned frosting, store-bought cake...Sandra Lee's Kwanzaa Cake, anyone?

I just can't

Rice, pickles, bacon.

"If you finish your food, then..."

It's hardly fair to expect a child to eat everything on the plate if the parent has put too much on it, or has intentionally put something on it they know the child hates. Aside from that, forcing the child to eat adult-sized portions teaches them to overeat as a habit and to ignore their body's signals when they're full.

Old People Food

I think how we look at "old people food" depends on how we grew up. I grew up in the South, and almost everyone I knew ate grits, okra and tomatoes, rice and tomatoes, and the like. "Old people food" was more of a blandness/mushy texture thing (overcooked pasta, no or little salt, overcooked meats, etc.)

Guacamole help

Adding the pit back in (just put the uncut pit in there) also slows browning.

New Kitchen Obsession

I've found a new kitchen obsession. It's collapsible silicon almost anything. I've had a few pieces for a while, but it's really big in Japan (where I've been the past couple months). It works great for me because my kitchen at home is small, and of limited cabinet space. And it's much more affordable than my other obsession--handmade knives (but I did get one! YAY!). Have you found anything recently that has turned into an obsession (other than the ever-present proscuitto, good parm, good oil thing)?

Ate a snakehead!

My husband and I are in Thailand this week, and several street vendors were selling snakehead tonight. My husband had one last time he was here, and said it was good, so I gave it a try. It's just the fish, gutted, on a stick, and grilled whole. It's a tasty fish, with a mild flavor. It absorbed the flavor of the charcoal well. It has a skin, much like a catfish. Overall, a great fish. It's sad we don't eat them in the US, because they multiply quickly, and could be a great, cheap food source.

Best meal of 2011

We discussed our last meal of 2011, but what about the best? Was it something your SO made? Something you got from a truck? For me, it was last Friday when my husband, a friend, and I went to Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier in Tokyo. It "fixed" some bad food experiences I'd had years before (In culinary school, I had tried salmon roe that had been left in the fridge too long by one of our teachers, and it was awful. Same with the foie gras.) Our lunch last Friday included both of those, and it was incredible. Our server (Sylvain) recommended we try Chartreuse, which we did. It was the most complex drink I've ever had. Every sip was a completely different flavor. Ok, enough about my lunch. What about your best meal of the year?

First Roast Duck

Today I was in the grocery store, and saw whole duck at a pretty decent price. I'm thinking about getting one to roast. I've cooked duck breast many times, but never a whole duck. Any recipes or tips? Thanks!

Got a new smoker!

I got a new smoker today! For dinner, I smoked some Duroc pork shoulder. Very tasty. Of course there will be the chicken, ribs, and tomatoes, but what are some of your favorites to smoke? Any suggestions?

New year, new food

One year, I decided I would give raw tomatoes a try, and keep working at it until I liked them. The next year it was yogurt, and while I don't love it, I can eat it (Greek style, no HFCS). This year, I've already tried two new ones. Unagi-no-kobayaki (grilled eel with a teriyaki-like sauce over rice) is a new favorite, and tofu skin (has a texture like string cheese) is one I'm working on. So this year, are you trying to include a new food? If so, what?

Restaurant Awnings in Japan

Ok, I've been here in Japan for a couple weeks now, and have noticed the restaurants here seem to use their awnings as a sort of code of what they're serving. However, I haven't been able to find any information on what each color means. Does anyone know? Thanks.

Bickle and Calpis

I'm in Yokosuka, Japan, and these two drinks are in almost every vending machine. I tasted a little of the Bickle, and I think it might be yogurt...maybe? So what's a Bickle and Calpis?

I look forward to cooler weather because...

I only make certain foods when the weather is cool. Marshmallows are one of them. Pumpkin breads and soup are only for cold weather. Do you ever find yourself looking forward to warmer/cooler weather because you can only cook certain foods during certain weather (because otherwise, it's just "not right")?

Too much clove!

So today I attempted my first ever batch of pumpkin butter. I used less than the amount of clove the recipe called for, to accommodate for using fresh-ground instead of pre-ground. The fresh-ground turned out so potent, they numb the tongue and leave a bitter aftertaste. The possible solution I've come up with is to just divide the batch, and add more pumpkin. It will leave me with an industrial-sized batch, but it would be edible. Anyone else got any better ideas?

First trip to Japan

In a few weeks, I'll be going to Japan the first time. I'll be in Yokosuka, Yokohama, and Tokyo. What are some of the "must tries" besides ramen, udon, and yakatori?

Second Cross-Country Road Trip

In a couple of weeks, a friend and I will be driving cross-country, as she is moving in with me while my husband is stationed overseas. We'll be traveling from SC to New Orleans through Montgomery, to our first stop in New Orleans. That said, our stops will (most likely) be New Orleans, Dallas, Amarillo, Albuquerque, and somewhere in Arizona (most likely Flagstaff area). Does anyone have any recs? The ONLY thing she doesn't want is Cracker Barrell (nothing against the food, she's just tired of seeing it, since she worked there for a long time). If I stop there, I think she'll cry.

I hope it doesn't show up again this year.

We've all had it. It shows up at every family gathering. It's that dish you can't stand the sight or smell of, yet the rest of your family oohs and ah's over it. When I was a kid, it was my mom's potato salad. At my MIL's house, it's Stove Top. What dish do you hope won't be at the big family Christmas gathering (even though you know in the pit of your stomach it will be there)?

What is this little fruit?

For months I've been watering my citrus trees, and because of proximity, also my neighbor's. Part of his tree overhangs the fence, but since it's fruit, I'm not complaining. I just picked one of the little fruits. It has a thick yellow rind (like a lemon or sweet lime), almost no pulp, and is completely full of seeds. I licked it, and it's very bitter, with a hint of an orange flavor. Does anyone know what it is?

Weird "Thanksgiving" foods

Every family has those little weird foods that only appear at Thanksgiving. Mine was no exception. My grandmother always served those little, hockey-puck shaped "yam patties." Yes, they were patty-shaped, but tasted nothing like "yam." (to clarify, "yam" in the South generally refers to a sweet potato). I haven't seen these since I moved away, but then again, I haven't really looked for them. They were a little weird, and kin of gross. So anyway, what was your family's little culinary quirk?

Funniest Thanksgiving

A few years ago, our dachshund-beagle, Noodle, was the happy recipient of the carcass of a 17 lb turkey, with quite a bit of meat still attached. He ate for about an hour, and then tired of it. So he took the carcass over to his blanket, spread out the blanket, placed the carcass in the middle, and carefully wrapped it. We let him keep it for a little while, then got rid of it.

Making dog food

My poor Daschund-beagle mix, Noodle, needs to lose a little weight, but is having digestive issues with the prescription food. It's basically a super low-cal, high fiber food. So, I'm thinking about making his food. Does anyone else do it, what do you use, and how does the dog like it?

Foods from you childhood you don't miss.

When I was a kid, the fad among moms was to pack the lunchbox full of manufactured microwave convenience foods. To this day, I cannot stomach a Hot Pocket. Don't even want to smell them. However, what took the cake was those microwave french fries that came in a little box with a grid of the browning paper inside. They fries tasted like that paper. I haven't seen them in years, fortunately. So what now discontinued food were you glad to see go the way of the Dodo?

Favorite juicing combinations

A friend recently gave me a juicer Tuesday. It's not something I would pay $100 for, but if it's offered to me, I'll take it. It's a Jack Lalanne. I've used it a couple times, and the juice is good. But I'm wondering how many of you are more proficient in fruit/vegetable combinations, and what you'd suggest. Thanks in advance.

What's in your kid's lunch bag?

Since the back-to-school season is in full swing, we're seeing a lot of ads for various lunch-box products, some of which are a little dubious in nutritional value. However, on the flip-side of that, a kid's got to have something trade-worthy. So what goes into your kid's lunch? What do they want to go into their lunch?

Spring or fall?

While we're still enjoying the great fruits and veggies of summer, I'm really looking forward to the fall crops. The winter squashes, apples, and root veggies. Of course, there's the brief period of time where summer an fall overlap, and you can get both. So, after all that, do you more eagerly look forward to the first crops of spring (lettuce, onions, and starwberries), or those great fall and winter ones?

Turkish Cookies

Today a friend and I were in our favorite international grocery. They had a Turkish cookie press (shaped almost like a thick wooden spoon, with a cookie form carved in the middle). However, I have not been able to find any recipes or information on making this cookie. Does anyone know anything about them? Thanks in advance.

What makes you feel better?

Ok, so they say money can't buy happiness, but it can buy you that one food that makes you happier. You're not necessarily angry or sad, just blah. For me that food would be a California Burrito from the taco shop around the corner. What about you?

If you had a food cart/truck...

Ok, so my husband and I were in NYC last week, and saw all the food carts, 80% of which seemed to be halal food carts (gyros, chicken over rice, etc.). The remaining were hotdogs, several ice cream trucks, a couple of Jamaican, and a couple dessert trucks. I think there may have been a crepe cart. So I started thinking if I had a cart/truck, I would have a baked potato truck. So what would your truck of choice be?

Thanks NYC eaters!

My husband and I just returned from our vacation in NYC. Vacation for us is just for grazing. Lots of grazing. We did the tourist thing in high school, so now when we go, we do the good stuff. I was surprised to see so many kebab and halal carts. We visited Salumeria Biellese on 8th. My husband hates sausage, but he's already planning to return to this place. He got a chicken and jalepeno sausage sandwich. We also went to the Shake Shack, which was totally worth it. We did end up having soup, as there were tons of soup places. We also went to Sunday brunch at Les Halles, then moved on to the street fair on 9th. Sadly, we had to reconcile ourselves to not being able to eat everything. But, with that said, we're already making next year's list. All that to say, thanks NYC SE'ers for the great recommendations.

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