Simple Sesame Noodles with Steak

For Christmas, I got a Pioneer Woman cookbook, she's one of my favorite bloggers and one of the few Food Network shows I (try to) watch every week. Occasionally I flip through the cookbook to figure out what to make for dinner. We decided on this, which is a alternate recipe to Pioneer Woman's Simple Sesame Noodle recipe, with added marinated steak. It's a very delicious, simple meal to make for dinner or lunch.

Men Oh Ramen Restaurant Review

There are a lot of ramen places in the Bay Area, and everyone has their favorite. Most argue that the best ramen places aren't in San Francisco proper, but south of the city. I've tried quite a few of the ramen places in the city, and I've found Men Oh Tokushima Ramen to be my favorite bowl in San Francisco. Their Geary location is open 7 days a week and open late on the weekends, because who doesn't want a hot bowl of delicious ramen at 11PM on a Friday!

I always order a large Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen, medium spicy (not that I can't handle extra spicy, but I find it to be too overpowering and you can't taste some of the more subtle ramen flavors) sometimes with an extra seasoned boiled egg.

My 2nd SactoMoFo

You may remember a past post about Sacto MoFo explaining that it's a food truck get-together in Downtown Sacramento that they put on during the summer. Well, I went to a second one, and finally got to bring B. We tried some delicious food and here is what we tried. We tried foods from Volkswaffle, Red Truck, Star Ginger, and Chairman Bao.

First, was a waffle from Volkswaffle. We got strawberries and whipped cream on ours, and it was a delicious sweet treat to start off our food truck testing.

Ike's Lair and Off the Grid (again!)

B and I had heard about this sandwich shop in Redwood City that had amazing sandwiches. I was a little hesitant, but after finally learning that Ike's Lair is a part of the famous Ike's Place sandwiches that's so popular in San Francisco, I couldn't resist! We went with his brother, and once we finally decided on sandwiches, we sat and waited for them to be made. I ordered this sandwich: 

Napa Birthday Trip, Day 1

For my birthday, I decided on a wine tasting trip to Napa with B. It wasn't going to be just wine tasting, but also food tasting! I had picked out a few restaurants and wineries I wanted to try while on the trip, and we got to almost all of them. Which, was impressive for a 2 day trip! The first place we hit was The Boon Fly Cafe. I had heard about their amazing donuts, so obviously we had to stop by. We got there for Sunday brunch, and we started with some delicious cinnamon sugar coated donuts. They were quite small, but we shared an order of 4, and downed them with a gusto. 

I decided to order the Boon Fly Benedict, which had a deliciously spicy Jalapeño Hollandaise covering perfectly poached eggs, thick cut ham, all on some artisan bread. It was amazing! I had never had Eggs Benedict before (I know, where have I been?) but it was a great introduction. 

B ordered the Eggs in a Hole, which is his favorite. I make it for him all the time, and he said it was good, but not quite as good as mine. I was glad to hear he liked mine better ; ) 

For lunch, we stopped by V. Sattui Winery and got a sandwich, bread, their famous artichoke cream cheese dip, and their sesame noodle salad. We shared the sandwich, which was their spicy italian, and it was quite possibly the best italian sandwich I've ever had. We went on a hike, and then ate our food after we finished. 

Here was the sesame noodle salad, which I've had before at the winery, and it was delicious as always.

Since, it was the day of my birthday, I made reservations for an Italian restaurant for dinner. We ate at Bistro don Giovanni, which was right near our hotel. I have to give a link for the hotel we stayed at, because we were really happy with it. It was the Best Western Premier Ivy Hotel and the photos look just like the hotel, it was very nice, clean, complimentary breakfast (with make your own waffles, breakfast sandwiches...etc.).

So back to the dinner; I ordered the Orrecchiette with Spicy Sausage. It was absolutely delicious, but B and I definitely did some trading of our dishes.

B ordered the Margherita pizza, and it was probably one of the best I've tried. I managed to convince B to give me about half of his for half of mine. We had eaten lunch not that long ago, so we didn't want to much for dinner.

The winner of the show, was dessert. We ordered their famous "Bostini" Trifle. It had vanilla custard, chocolate cake, whipped cream, clear caramel and toasted almonds. Delicious! One of my favorite desserts I've ever had, and that clear caramel was the star of the trifle. 

Everything we ate from the first day was wonderful, and I highly recommend trying any of these restaurants!

Freshii Restaurant and Gobi Butter Masala with Chicken

B and I had a day together today, and thus went to try a new restaurant. I got a recommendation for Freshii from a co-worker, and so looked up the menu and ventured out there. It's a make-it-yourself kind of place, and you walk in a grab a clipboard with a pencil and a menu paper to write your selections on. They have a pre-made menu with items you can just write down and order, or you can make your own salad, wrap, bowl, or soup. You add the veggies and protein you want, along with toppings and sauce or dressing. Then they make your order that's made just for you. 


I had a spicy peanut noodle salad type deal, with rice noodles, cucumbers, wontons, carrots, mandarin oranges, edamame, grilled chicken, and spicy peanut sauce. It comes in a take out container, which was nice because I couldn't finish mine! B had a classic wrap and added sriracha to it, and his was really tasty! I think I liked his better than mine! But this is definitely on my list of places to grab food during my lunch break at work. Here's what I got...

So, then when B and I got back to my place, I started making dinner. Dinner consisted of cauliflower and chicken masala with rice and naan bread. I found this recipe on my favorite new way to procrastinate, Pinterest. I added chicken just to add another flavor, but could easily be left out and just have the cauliflower, for a vegetarian meal. In fact, I think I liked the cauliflower better than the chicken. This recipe does require a lot of spices you don't use often, so I substituted a lot, but I also have collected a few Indian spices over time, so that worked out. I was worried my substitutions would change the flavor too much, but it was a little spicy, and also flavorful.

Here's the recipe adapted from Journey Kitchen.


Ingredients:
For Cauliflower:
½ medium Size Head Of Cauliflower, split into small florets (about 500g)
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste (I just peeled an inch of fresh ginger, grated it, along with 3 cloves of garlic, also grated)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Butter
½ cup Water
Salt To Taste
For Masala:
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Red Onion (Large, finely cubed)
3 Tomatoes, diced (Medium, red, ripe)
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste/ 2 Cloves Garlic With ½ Inch Cube Ginger
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Crushed Cashew Nuts/Almond
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream/Thick Cream
1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves/Kasuri Methi (I substituted this with 1 tsp of dry mustard)
½ cup Water
1 Bay Leaf
1 Green Cardamom, cracked
½ tsp Ground Cumin
1 Stick Cinnamon (2 Inch)
Salt To Taste
Chicken:
1 Whole Chicken Thigh, drizzled in olive oil, add salt and pepper, cooked with whatever method you chose, and shredded


Directions:
1. For the cauliflower, wash and separate the cauliflower into small florets and add all the ingredients except water and butter. Heat the butter in a sauté pan and add the florets. Once the florets starts to brown add water and let the them cook covered for about 5-7 minutes. You just want the florets to be tender and not mushy. Pour everything into a bowl and set aside.

2. For the masala, heat the butter in the same sauté pan. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf and black cumin.

3. Add finely chopped onions and let it cook.

4. Once they are lightly golden, add the ginger garlic paste.

5. Tip in the turmeric, red chilly powder, cashew nuts, coriander powder, tomatoes and tomato paste. Let the tomatoes completely cook till they form a paste.

6. Add water and let it come to a boil. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Pour mixture into a blender and blend the mixture to a smooth sauce.

7. Add the sauce back to the sauté pan and let it come to a boil.

8. Add the cauliflower (along with the water) back in and let it cook for 5 minutes. Mix in the cream and crushed kasuri methi (or dry mustard) and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with more cream and some coriander to perk it up. Serve with white basmati rice, and buttered naan.

Sizzling Fresh Mongolian BBQ

I love Mongolian BBQ!!! This is another one of those restaurants I had to make a special trip to whenever I went home from college. Believe it or not, San Diego has a terrible excuse for Mongolian BBQ, in the form of a chain restaurant with fewer choices and they won't let you do it yourself! Even weirder, in my hometown, I have 3 mongolian bbq's within 20 minutes of my house. However, this one is my favorite and also conveniently the closest. The owner here is always there, super friendly, and you get rice, soup, egg rolls and wontons waiting at your table once you get your food. Lunch is cheaper, but you only get one bowl, so fill it up! Then dinner is unlimited bowls and a little more expensive. 

I have never had a bad experience at this place, and this was the first time I've gone and had to stand in line. So I went to Mongo the other day with B, since he loves it to, and I may have perfected mongo with the best combination of ingredients. Do you want to know my secret? Ok, fine I'll tell you what I did. I did make mine a little spicy, so take note of that if you're trying to recreate this. I also loosely followed the Mild sauce recipe they post above the sauces, with changes I make note of, hope I didn't forget anything!

• Beef
• Noodles
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Onions
• 3-4 Jalapeno slices
• 2 ladles of House Sauce
• 2 1/2 ladles of Teriyaki sauce (change)
• 1 1/2 ladles of Sweet and Sour Sauce (change)
• 1/2 ladle of Kung Pao sauce (change)
• 1 ladle of Wine sauce
• 1 ladle of Ginger sauce
• 1 ladle of Sugar sauce
• 1/2 ladle of Sesame oil (change, I don't like it too oily!)
• 1/2 ladle of Chili oil (change)
• 1/2 spoonful of garlic
• Baby corn
• Peanuts
• Cook it!
• Couple spoons of red chili paste they have on the counter
• Sprinkle of sesame seeds

Phở Ca Dao

Oh my god, I love love love this restaurant! I already miss it after moving back to my hometown. If you've never had a good bowl of Vietnamese Phở, you are missing out. I suggest you go online right now and find the nearest Vietnamese place near you, go there and order a bowl of phở.


My boyfriend and I would always go there and order the egg rolls and then get the well-done steak bowl of phở. They give you a big plate of things to add to your bowl, including limes, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and jalapenos. I always added a squeeze of lime, a few jalapenos and a few leaves of the basil. I also added a healthy squirt of Sriracha chili sauce and a bean paste they keep on all the tables.


The service at this restaurant is excellent, and the servers refill your water glass after every sip. You can be in and out of there in 20-30 min depending on how fast you can eat your phở. As soon as you order, your food is at the table within 5 minutes. 


Now I just have to find a local place or an awesome recipe to get my phở fix!


Here's a photo to get your mouth watering:

Dan Dan Noodles

I'm a big fan of noodle dishes with a spicy peanut sauce, and this one did not disappoint. I got this recipe from the last regular episode of Good Eats to air "Use Your Noodle 5". This recipe is so easy and cheap to make, so I recommend it to all you poor college students! :) 

Tip: When you buy fresh ginger, you never use the whole freaking thing in one recipe. What I do is use what I need, and then freeze it. Just stick it in a plastic bag and throw it in the freezer. I never defrosted it before using it, because you can still peel it and cut it fairly easily even while frozen. That way you're not wasting it and it doesn't mold like it does in the fridge. 

Another tip, I always keep a big jar of roasted peanuts in the pantry. I prefer unsalted, just so they are not affecting the salt content of the dish. I sprinkle them on many asian dishes and they are just handy to have around, because I found myself using them more than I expected.

Here's the recipe adapted from Alton Brown.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cooking Time: 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

⅓ cup Creamy Peanut Butter
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger
2 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Chili Oil
¼ cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
8 ounces Ramen Noodles (4 packets of Top Ramen noodles, just discard the flavor packets)
½ cup Roasted Peanuts, chopped
3 Scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Place the peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and chili oil into the bowl of a mini-food processor. Process until the mixture is well combined and forms a paste, 1 to 2 minutes. With the processor running, gradually add the chicken broth and process until the sauce is creamy and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, cover, and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.

2. Place 4 quarts water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander. Add the noodles to the bowl with the sauce and toss to combine. Serve topped with the peanuts and scallions.

Kake Udon

This was one of the most time intensive and weird-ingredient laden recipes I have thus far cooked. It was delicious, but I warn you, there are some strange ingredients that can only be found at a Japanese market. I even tried my hand at hand-making the udon noodles another night, but they turned out horribly, and I suggest you just buy the noodles if you are already making the broth from scratch. Also, I don't suggest you try making the dashi. I did, and it just delayed dinner time by about an hour. Just buy it from the Japanese market.

Here's the recipe adapted from the La Fuji Mama blog.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cooking Time: 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4-2 oz. servings of store bought Udon noodles
1 cup Water
2 cups Soy Sauce
1 ½ cups Mirin
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1.8 ounces Katsuobushi (Dried Fish Flakes)
6 ¾ cups Dashi (don't try making this, it takes forever. Just do the store-bought version)

Finely Sliced Scallions, to taste
Shichimi Togarashi Or Chili Powder, to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine the water, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, and add the katsuobushi. When the mixture comes to a boil again, turn off the heat and let the mixture stand for 2 minutes. Then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, or a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth, and discard the katsuobushi.

2. Separate the udon noodles into 4 separate deep bowls.

3. Add the dashi to the mixture in the pot and heat over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat off and pour it over the udon noodles. Sprinkle with scallions and shichimi togarashi, to taste and serve.

Thai Chicken Soup

I couldn't wait to try this soup after my mom recommended the recipe to me. It was just what my boyfriend and I needed during a particularly cold week in San Diego (which is surprising, because it's San Diego). It's a great comfort food recipe for anytime during the cold, winter months.

Here's the recipe adapted from The Food Network kitchens.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cooking Time: 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 ½ tsp Vegetable Oil
½ Onion, thinly sliced
1 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Green Curry Paste
3 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
½ 15-ounce Can Coconut Milk
1 ½ tsp Fish Sauce, plus more to taste
1 Red Bell Peppers, thinly sliced
2 ounces Thin Rice Noodles, broken into pieces
1 small Skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), very thinly sliced crosswise
1 ½ tsp Fresh Lime Juice, plus more to taste
½ cup Roughly Chopped Fresh Cilantro


Directions:
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; cover and bring to a boil.

2. Add the bell peppers and noodles and simmer, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer until just cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add more fish sauce and lime juice, if desired.