Mixed greens with mushrooms, goat cheese, and pecans

Take one bag of mixed greens, mesclun mix, or herb salad, and wash. Dry thoroughly and throw into salad mixing bowl.
Clean and slice 4-5 small mushrooms (any kind--white button, shitake, crimini, or wild); toss into salad.
Throw in a pinch of salt and a swirl each of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss ingredients, taste, and add more salt, olive oil or vinegar if needed.
Plate salad. Add a handful of pecans (walnuts may be substituted) to top each plate and a slice of goat cheese (flavored or plain). Enjoy.

Cure for the winter blues: Satsuma mandarin oranges

A couple of days ago, I picked up a crate of Satsuma mandarins for around five dollars.
My husband Jack initially displayed skepticism towards this purchase, protesting that the volume of fruit was too much to finish in a week. However, our combined efforts have left only three oranges left as of this moment.
In the last few days, over breakfast, lunch and sometimes in the afternoon, I've re-discovered why I like fresh mandarin oranges. Since they peel easily, they leave minimal fibrous stuff on the hands, and while mildly sweet, they are also watery enough to be refreshing. Although we've been eating these little oranges right after peeling, they also can add to a green salad (tastier and healthier than those canned mandarins in corn syrup) or a chopped fruit salad with sliced strawberries and bananas. Finally, Satsuma mandarins deliver vitamin C in a small package, providing a palatable way to boost health as the year turns.

No More Free Food

Due to a variety of reasons (I can't think of more places to get free food, and I'm sick of writing about it), I am cancelling the third installment in the free food series. Instead, I plan to discuss jalapeno cheese bread. (Please excuse the lack of the tilde over the n; my computer illiteracy renders me unable to find a way to introduce it.)
Back to the bread. Jalapeno cheese bread does not come from a famous bakery, like Acme Bread in Berkeley, or a not-so-famous bakery, such as the Bread Garden in Berkeley. Rather, one can most easily find jalapeno cheese bread at the local supermarket. I have had success at Albertson's and Ralph's, although I'm sure other markets sell it, except for maybe Whole Foods, but I won't go there today.
So what's the fuss about this bread? Even though the bread part itself, ironically, doesn't taste all that special (in fact, it tastes like Wonderbread, i.e., like nothing), the baked cheese and jalapenos are amazing. The baked cheese tastes like the pieces of cheese that fall off pizza in the oven, and come to a crispy char on the foil, and the jalapenos add heat and salt to this--two elements I have a weakness for. Based on experience, this bread travels extremely well, and makes as a good a breakfast as it does for enclosing sandwich ingredients. Finally, if one's jalapeno cheese bread has too much cheese, I've learned that feeding the cheese to a cat works effectively.

Free Food in the E Bay

For part deux of the free food series, I highlight the following location for free cheese, and possibly more:

-Berkeley Bowl.
While I am unclear on whether the olive bar is a free-for-all as it formerly was, free cheese samples are a likely bet at this Berkeley institution. In obtaining multiple samples of cheese, I recommend the "deep-in-thought-musing-method"--approaching the squares of cheese as if torn between buying and not buying, and acting as if another sample will hasten one's decision. Although the sampling of produce is debatable, I have certainly observed patrons sampling grapes and other small, detachable fruits and vegetables in the produce section.

Free Food Exposed

In this multi-part series, I will discuss the availability, quality, and quantity of the units of free food commonly known as "samples". In this installment, I will talk about commonly available establishments that give out free samples, and will discuss free sample etiquette and tips.

Free samples can be obtained from a variety of establishments. One commonly known bastion of free samples is Costco. One can try seven-layer dip, a spicy sausage, or even the ultimate, french bread pizza. Less substantial options exist such as iced tea (quenches thirst) or animal crackers (dessert?) The major drawback is that Costco requires a membership, so one must have a membership, go with a member, or tell the gatekeeper at the front entrance about one's intention to "think about getting a membership", but needing to "see everything first".

If one cannot gain entrance or has been banned from Costco, there is no need to fret. Trader Joe's often has samples located towards the back of the store, which can include chicken enchiladas, macaroni and cheese (the frozen kind), and various variations on soba noodles. Another market that frequently offers samples is Whole Foods. The cheese section often yields such discoveries as Manchego, and if one is lucky, there may be some nitrate-free hot dog pieces.

Supermarkets such as Von's, Albertson's, and Ralph's may or may not have free samples. I've had a tasty (but salty) lobster bisque at Ralph's in Monterey, but usually I come up empty-handed. Ranch 99, the Asian supermarket, had samples when I last went, but they were of mooncakes, which can be an acquired taste.

Even those who condemn the corporate world can enjoy free samples, as they are readily available at the local farmer's market. Common samples available include slices of fresh seasonal fruit, cheese cubes, and perhaps a small cup-full of apple cider.

Finally, free samples can be found outside of the marketplace. If one asks, Panda Express will provide a sample of the orange chicken or broccoli beef, and Baskin Robbins offers a tiny pink spoonful of one's choice.

On proper sample etiquette, one should limit the number of times that he or she returns for another helping, or at least bring a hat or sunglasses for disguise. I know someone who took off his sweatshirt to get a third sample. Also, grabbing is a no-no.

Some free samples tips:
-Time of day is key. The best time for samples is in the middle of the day to late afternoon.
-Stroll around the store to spot all possible sample stations.
-If trying to maximize sampling while minimizing spending, avoid eye contact with the sample dispensing staff.

This week

I have few exciting food revelations this week, except Trader Joe's plain, non-fat yogurt makes a good breakfast with some cereal sprinkled over it, and I've been into tea lately, especially Darjeeling tea, the "champagne" of teas...

5 Reasons Why Berkeley Bowl Rocks

1. Fresh garbanzo beans in their pods.
2. Raspberries for $1.19 a basket.
3. The wall of yogurts.
4. You can smell the tomatoes when you see them.
5. Everyone's favorite: the bulk bins.

Stinky tofu

According to wikipedia, stinky tofu is made by marinating tofu with fermented (in essence, rotten) vegetables, is said to smell like sewage and taste like blue cheese, and was a favorite food of Mao Zedong--all in all, sounds pretty scary. While I love plain tofu and blue cheese, the idea of toilet-bowl smelling tofu doesn't appeal to me. But is it really that bad? People love to complain about the smell of fish sauce, kim chee and aged French cheese, three items that I enjoy. The durian is much reviled for its smell and taste, and while I don't crave it, I don't hate it either. What's your take on stinky tofu--eat it or leave it?

Bread for breakfast

In the past weeks I've been eating bread for breakfast. While I go into cereal and oatmeal phases, I always come back to bread. It might be a way of conjuring up those Saturday mornings while I was a teenager, when I ate fresh baguettes from Acme Bakery with my family. We sat around the dining table and dipped our bread into the yellow yolk of a fried egg, or spread pate on it using a butter knife. My breakfast lately isn't as fancy, but it works. Some days I take a large piece of sourdough toast, cut it in half, and place it into the toaster until it is slightly burnt. I spread the toast with butter and eat it with my coffee as CNN plays in the background. Other mornings I take a "middle eastern flatbread" (a Trader Joe's specialty), cut it in half, and toast it. Once crispy, I add a couple slices of avocado and a few crumbles of feta. With my mug of coffee and the morning paper, it's not pate and Acme, but it's pretty good.

Leftovers

Leftovers suggest old styrofoam cartons of dried-up pad thai languishing in the fridge, or a meal that didn't go so well, thrown into an old tupperware, to be hopefully forgotten behind the milk container. For a while, just thinking about leftovers would bring about a heavy feeling in my chest and an urge to go to Chipotle. But I've learned that leftovers don't have to be so bad. It started with the leftover eggplant-corn chili that tasted good the first day, great the second day, and fantastic the third day, as all the flavors mixed together and the cumin mellowed out. I ended up taking that chili to work and had to scrounge for a container that hadn't ended up in my husband's locker at work. Other leftovers I enjoyed around that time were homemade lasagna, enchiladas, and macaroni. I've found that grilled meats and vegetables in particular fare well as leftovers, but I can't say the same for grilled fish.

Some of the better leftovers I've had recently are cilantro pesto pasta, basil pesto, which I used as a sandwich spread and on top of stuffed zucchini, and homemade spicy tofu rolls and ume shisho rolls. Tomorrow I plan to have Sunday's scraps: beans, rice, and beef tacos (shells were kept seperately to avoid sogginess.) I'm counting down the hours until lunch...

Hope for mangosteens

After reading an article in the New York Times, I am hopeful for mangosteens.

I tasted mangosteens just once, a few years ago in Saigon, where piles of mangosteens, looking like old, brown tomatoes, laid in crates at the fruit stands. The outer layer, tough and darkened, gave an unappealing look to the fruit, along with the flies that buzzed over them, but I wanted to know what they tasted like. I had tried many fruits during this trip that I enjoyed, like the dragonfruit that reminded me of kiwi, the creamy fruit called "Na" or apple-custard, and the little mangos that smelled like wood. My father bought a few mangosteens from a stand, and used a knife to cut the top of the mangosteen off, revealing the pale fruit inside. The taste was sour but sweet, almost like a mix of guava and tangerine and lychee. We had a few, and then they were gone. I didn't get a chance to eat them again in Vietnam, and haven't had them in the States. But the article in the Times whet my appetite, and with luck, I'll have a few this fall.

Whole Rip-Off

While the title of this post is somewhat inflammatory, Whole Foods has let me down. Some may smile knowingly upon reading this post, having maintained for years that Whole Foods charges too much. But this chain kept me captivated in New York with its salad bar and free samples of preservative-free hot dogs, just a fifteen minute walk from my apartment. Alas, the salad bar at the Westwood Whole Foods is of a humbler size, and there is no "raw food" section, nor psuedo-pad thai. But what really burst my bubble was the vegetarian burrito I ordered a couple of days ago. I have memories of many a delicious burrito from the Berkeley Whole Foods, with a whole-wheat tortilla, brown rice, jack cheese, perfectly chopped salsa, creamy guac, and hot sauce. Sometimes a few chips would be thrown in. While burrito purists might rail against this kind of burrito, I enjoyed it for the delicious combination of ingredients, and the suspicion it was healthier than a super chorizo burrito at Picante Cocina Mexicana.
Alas, the vegetarian burrito I bought this week, which cost around $6, was wrapped loosely (translation: it fell apart) in a regular tortilla (they were out of whole-wheat), with regular rice, black beans, cheddar cheese (inferior to Jack cheese in a burrito), mediocre guacamole, and very watery salsa. After consuming three-quarters of this unfortunate meal, I discarded the rest, vowing to go to the burrito stand a block away, where a chicken and guac burrito can be had for around $3. And for groceries, I probably won't be coming by anytime soon.

Breaking the salt addiction

Recent reader comments have criticized my use of salt. Yes, I admit to being addicted to salt. Salt, also known as sodium chloride, enhances flavor more than any other compound I can think of. It was used as currency by the Romans and is necessary for many bodily functions such as absorption of nutrients, the conduction of the heart, and nervous system function. Besides making food tasty, salt also functions as a preservative.

Too much salt, though, is a bad thing. Our diets are inundated in salt, especially if we eat out a lot or eat processed foods. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension), which may cause atherosclerosis, the hardening and thickening of the arteries, increasing one's risk for heart attack and stroke.

I've been pondering for a while how to reduce my salt intake. One step that I've taken is not using the complete flavoring package when making a processed item such as yellow rice pilaf, a trick I learned from my mother. The second step I've taken is reading the sodium label when buying food in addition to the calorie, fat, fiber, and protein labels. This has opened my eyes to the astronomical amount of salt in some packaged ramen, and the salt hiding in many sweets. I've bought reduced-sodium soy sauce, which tastes like regular soy sauce to me, and noticed the many flavorings I add to make food saltier, such as hot sauce, salsa, soy sauce, fish sauce, pickled peppers, ketchup and parmesan cheese. Finally, I'm using a little more reserve with my salt shaker. So while I still can't live without salt, I may be able to handle a little less of it with dinner.

Cooking Kale for the First Time

Today, I made kale for the first time. I had eaten kale in minor amounts before, but the idea of cooking it had always intimidated me; it was too healthy, too green, too much of a vegetable that vegetable-lovers adored. Today, I took the plunge and bought a head. I tried boiling some with my ramen, which worked pretty well. But I found a better use for it tonight with dinner. I started by sauteeing one clove of chopped garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil. Next, I added the roughly chopped kale. After a few minutes, I put about half a cup of water in and some salt. I let this mixture cook for a short while, then tasted it--too bland. In went some shredded prosciutto, a little hot sauce, and some red pepper flakes. After a bit of cooking, the kale was pretty tasty, but too salty. I added some white kidney beans, and little bit of cider vinegar, then turned the heat on again. This turned out to be the perfect combination, and I'm happy to report that I will be cooking kale again. Soon.

Oh, Sourdough!

Half a sliced loaf of sourdough sits in my freezer, waiting to be eaten. I have established a new rule in my kitchen: at least half a loaf of sourdough must be in the freezer at all times. Those who violate the rule by eating some of the sourdough shall be responsible for replacing it. I will not look kindly upon those who waste the sourdough in any way, including accidentally dropping bread on the floor.

What provokes this militancy? The three years of sourdough deprivation I've endured, with only an occasional reprieve when I sojourned to San Francisco. At times, my yearning for sourdough became so desperate that I would eye the Colombo bakery stand in the Oakland airport and debate purchasing a loaf (which never occurred, as my carry-on luggage was always too full.)

In New York, the lack of sourdough meant that I settled for rye, which never had the satisfying tang of sourdough (just the abrupt zing of caraway seeds), or resigned myself to the fibrous choice, wheat. I never understood the paucity of sourdough in New York, but my best guesses include the prevailing yeast in the air is different in California or perhaps, an unspoken hatred of sour bread exists in the Northeast.

Is anyone wondering why I need my sourdough frozen? (Is anyone even reading this?)
When I was in elementary school, one of my "science" projects looked at the ideal household conditions for the growth of mold on bread. ("Science" here is meant in a broad sense, as my other projects included "What to Eat Before a Swim Meet" and "Do Plants Have Feelings?") To my horror, the conditions in the fridge were the best for mold, and the runner-up for the most mold was bread at room temperature. Surprisingly, the bread placed in the basement fared well, staving off mold growth for many days. Using the knowledge gained from this pivotal experiment, I now freeze half a loaf of sourdough soon after buying it and eat the other half over the span of a week.

The best way to enjoy frozen bread is to first defrost it at room temperature or in the microwave, then toast or grill the bread. While I might look wistfully back at other breads in New York--the "free" foccacia at Le Gourmet, the fresh pita at the Hummus Place, and pastries from Patisserie Claude, I look forward to making sandwiches with nicely sour, oh-so-tangy SoCal bread.

Jar of Jalapenos

My mother gave me a jar of pickled jalapenos a few weeks ago, and I've eaten about a quarter of it.

Here are some things I've done with the jalapenos:
-Added them to a homemade tostada,
-Topped my pizza with them,
-Ate them by themselves (I regretted this later),
-Took bites of them along with Thai instant noodles,
-Stuck them in burritos,
-Put them in my fried rice.

Here are some things I'm thinking about doing with pickled jalapenos:
-Cutting them into small pieces and making a jalapeno-yellowtail roll,
-Topping nachos with them,
-Putting them in a sandwich with french bread, grilled chicken, and jack cheese,
-Eating them with grilled beef and rice.

Japanese Food on Sawtelle

Last Friday, Jack and I discovered Japanese food heaven here in Los Angeles on Sawtelle Blvd. near Olympic. We had wonderfully fresh, tasty, and relatively inexpensive sushi (albeit in a non-white tablecloth, slightly chaotic environment) at Hide sushi. I particularly enjoyed the albacore tuna nigiri, which came with a ginger and ponzu-sauce topping, and the sour-and-sweet ume shisho roll. While one must stick to the menu at Hide Sushi (no omakase), we will put it on our list for simple, good fish that satisfies the periodic sushi craving.

Before dinner, we traipsed through a Japanese market with a large variety of sushi-grade fish and prepared food, like 99-cent rice balls with plum paste, spam musabi (sushi race with spam), and huge combination plates for around $6. We noted the ramen shops we plan to try in the future, along with the japanese-style tapas place mentioned in the NYT food review last week, the Beard Papa cream puff store, the all-you-can-sing karaoke, and the Giant Robot store, which my brother Andrew, a robotophile, would enjoy. We also saw the Japanese-style curry restaurants, a shabu-shabu place, some fragrant Korean BBQ, and a Japanese-Italian fusion menu that looked intriguing. Besides the choice of food, I enjoyed the feel of the neighborhood: watching little dogs in jeans jackets walk by and walking by nurseries full of flowers and plants. We'll be back!

Mexico City Airport Food

I didn't expect Mexico City airport to have a wireless internet connection, flat-screen TVs around every corner, and marble-lined bathrooms. But the best surprise was the food court, located one floor up from the departure gates. Yes, the usual fast-food chains were there, but among the many restaurants I found a sushi stand, a juice bar, a steak store, and a taco stand. There, I had two tacos al pastor ($2), and enjoyed the marinated, juicy meat, the choice of condiments (green salsa, red salsa, chopped onions, lime, chopped cilantro, pickles), and glancing around as crowds of travellers stood around the televisions watching the World Cup.

Strawberry "juloose"

It's almost summer again. As I get ready for the warm temperatures and for moving back to California, where the strawberries are delicious and affordable, I remember the blended drink that my mother used to make. My brothers and I called this drink strawberry "juloose", but I don't remember now where the name came from. My mother made this drink by placing ripe strawberries, ice, water, and a small amount of sugar in a blender, then whipping the mixture together until it was pink, cold, and frothy. I could go for a glass right now...

My favorite guacamole

In a taste test tonight, this homemade guacamole beat out the guac from Chipotle.

Items needed:
1 ripe avocado (squeezable but not falling apart)
1 lime
Sea Salt
Optional: 1 roma tomato, 1 loose handful of cilantro, 1 jalapeno, 1/4 onion

Slice avocado in half, then squeeze halves into a bowl. Mash avocado with a fork. Add juice from one lime and season to taste with sea salt. This recipe is simple and delicious. For variety, add any or all of the following: 1 chopped roma tomato, 1-2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 1 chopped jalapeno, and/or 1/4 onion, finely chopped.

Enjoy with tortilla chips (I found some pretty good baked ones at Trader Joes). Or, try this guacamole in a wheat bread sandwich with sharp cheddar and sprouts.

Real baked potatoes

Joy is a real baked potato, scrubbed clean, placed in the oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, removed, sliced and stuffed with 1 tablespoon of butter and a pinch of sea salt.

Easy Spinach

While some may consider pre-washed, bagged spinach food for the lazy, I feel that it has its place in the kitchen. There's nothing like cutting spinach and washing it once, twice, three times, and coming up with a wet mass of unevenly cut leaves and dirt. Splurging once in a while on a bag of pre-washed spinach reminds me that spinach is easy to cook and worthwhile. The easiest spinach of all comes from taking bagged spinach, placing the desired amount in a bowl (remember to pile it on, since it wilts), and microwaving for a minute. Once heated, the spinach can be seasoned with soy sauce, fish sauce, maggi seasoning, or your flavoring of choice.

Sammy's

Who knew that at the corner of 6th Ave. and 11th Street, just a few minutes from my apartment, lay fantastic, fatty duck, and an ethereal concoction of sticky rice and pork wrapped in a lotus leaf? I certainly had no idea until yesterday, when Jack and I decided to order in from Sammy's, a Chinese restaurant we had passed many times but had never patronized. We ordered the Cantonese-style wonton soup with egg noodles and duck, shrimp dumplings, and sticky rice in a leaf. We were pleasantly surprised with the clean taste of the soup broth, which came with bean sprouts and spinach, the succulent duck, and the meaty, fragrant sticky rice. The wonton skins were a little thicker than I was used to, and the dumplings were average. Overall, though, the delicious soup and sticky rice (all nicely non-greasy) mean that this place merits a repeat visit.

Blog envy

On this rainy Sunday in New York, I found some solace in the burrito blog, at www.burritoblog.com. While I don't agree with many of the ratings (The Enchilada is a terrible, terrible place, and I have a soft spot for Chipotle), the idea of creating a blog about burritos is genius.

A better breakfast

The first winter I spent in New York was marked by a daily egg and cheese on a roll from a cart on 70th Street. Not surprisingly, this failed to do wonders for my waistline. Lately, when that egg-and-cheese craving hits me, I take one slice of browned toast, cut it in half, sandwich a piece of American cheese and some cooked egg substitute (Eggbeaters or egg whites work) between the halves, and microwave for half a minute. I supplement with a half cup of oatmeal, no sugar, low-fat milk on top. This satisfies the craving, fills me up, and leaves less guilt--a better way to start the day...

Sushi Roll of the Month

This month I would like to nominate the ume shisho roll as the sushi roll of the month, a new (and perhaps one-time-only) distinction. This roll contains plum paste, a shisho leaf, and rice, so those leery of raw fish or who avoid meat can enjoy. The combination of the sweet and salty plum paste and fragrant, almost minty shisho leaf lead to an unexpected mix of flavors in the mouth. This roll also is low in fat and usually under $4. So unless there are any objections, the sushi roll of the month award for February goes to...ume shisho.

Some odds and ends from around the kitchen

One lone apple sat in the produce bin along with a couple of limes, a wilted head of basil, and the remains of parsley. There was no milk and even the supply of ramen was exhausted. I faced this situation half an hour ago when trying to decide what to have for lunch. After briefly considering the instant oatmeal box and the binder of takeout menus, I came up with a handful of ingredients.

1 can of chickpeas + 2 garlic cloves + 3 tablespoons of olive oil + the juice from 1 lime (the other was covered with mold) + a shake of red pepper flakes + 1 teaspoon of salt + about 1/2 cup of water went into the blender to make hummus.

3 roma tomatoes, sliced in half , sprinkled with salt, and placed on a baking sheet, went into the oven for 20 minutes. When the tomatoes were finished, I sliced each piece of tomato in half.

I spread the hummus on the crackers and placed a tomato piece on top. The once desperate lunch situation had come to a very satisfying resolution.

Pensive about Veganism

If you grew up near Berkeley, CA, you've probably had brushes with veganism. You have that friend who eschews altoids and glares at your vintage leather jacket. You like tofu, feel lukewarm about seitan and uneasy about TVP. You may have even given up meat for a month when you were seventeen until the family trip to France forced you to concede.

All these thoughts and more went through my head yesterday at Angelica's Kitchen, a vegan restaurant in the East Village. Angelica's Kitchen is the kind of place where there are sesame seed shakers and soy sauce on the hardwood table, and where your waiter looks like a cross between Ben Savage and Rider Strong. Lunch was fantastic, reasonably priced for New York City ($17 for two people), and filling. The vegan chili was better than many ground-beef chilis that I've had (and I feel very strongly that ground beef belongs in chili), the salad was crunchy and fresh, and the walnut "pate", curry spread, and "sushi" rolls were fun to eat.

I admit that some trepidation crept into my heart when the restaurant came up as a possibility. Would the food be flavorless? Would everything be over-salted? Would I have to shell out $15 for an unsatisfying dish and then sneak off afterwards for a pizza slice to fill up? All these preconceptions were swept away.

So in the spirit of "eating to live" rather than "living to eat" (some phrase I heard uttered on a show from The Food Network), I resolve to eat and cook more vegan meals this year. Don't get me wrong--I will not give up L'Exploreteur cheese or bun cha Hanoi or rare beef. And I believe that eating fish several times a week has physical and mental health benefits (translation: eating sushi makes me happy.) But for those Tuesday nights when I don't know what to make or the end of the week when I'm trying to cook something healthy and inexpensive, I'm going to turn to my vegan cookbook. First up tonight: Vegetable stew with sourdough bread and mixed green salad. Time to hit the produce section.