Happy Holidays All!

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day...etc...etc...Speaking of Boxing Day, them Sharks sure did roast those Anaheim Ducks didn't they! Tons of fights during that game, too, hence the commentators saying it WAS Boxing Day, after all. *cymbal crash* Bad joke.

Anyway, my week leading up to Christmas was a rough one. I fell ill on Tuesday. I left work early only to find myself puking my brains out that night. Turns out I caught a stomach bug of some sort and, I kid you not, about 15 other people in my family did as well. We had a party for my aunt on Sunday and we were all starting to feel it on Monday and Tuesday.

All I ate on Wednesday looked like this:

Saltines, chicken noodle soup, Corn Pops cereal, JELL-O, Sprite, and a whole bottle of Pepto Bismol.

Luckily, we all started to feel better in a day or two. I was relieved I was well just in time for Christmas Eve dinner at Bub's parents' place in the East Bay. Bub's parents, younger sister KieKie, and her friend were in attendance...as well as the doggies Taylor Monster and Armani.

Check out what we had (quick upload from my cell phone):


We had tofurkey and tell me why it was absolutely delicious! Bub's dad roasted the tofurkey with carrots, turnips, onions, and potatoes, as well as basted the tofurkey itself with a concoction of olive oil, sage, and soy sauce. There was also ham, mac n cheese, spinach cheese bread, chedder jalapeno bread, wild rice, boiled corn, spiced hot cider, and a salad made by Bub. The salad included spring mix, cranberries, mandarin oranges, feta cheese, all tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette.

After dinner we all played a game of Yahtzee. LOL! I won! Two Yahtzees is all it took, baby! It was so much fun to hang out with Bub's fam bam.

Because I was sick, I wasn't able to gather the ingredients for the red velvet cake and the pastas I had planned to make. Bummer. Yup, I didn't get to use my brand-new three-channeled lasagna pan. I just didn't want to get anyone sick, but looking at the Christmas buffet table, it was just fine. There was tons of food:


We were in total food coma as we woke up at 2 p.m. the next day! Look at what we ate as our first post-Christmas meal:


Gotta love those wet burritos. I had a huge craving for one of those for a while now. We went to Celia's since it is just 3 driving minutes from my house and it was raining. Didn't want to go out too far...it's so funny how we have lived here for years and only been to Celia's once or twice. It sure hit the spot!

I don't have time right now to post any of the pictures I took with my nicer camera. The photos I posted are just sneak peeks. So look forward to a full-detailed post coming in the next day or two...but I will leave you with this one picture of my family after we opened presents:


Now that Christmas is over, what is everyone doing for New Years Eve? It's Bub's birthday and I figured we would stay home and I would cook up a meal for him which consists of his favorite foods growing up, like his dad's "green noodle casserole." BUT! Thanks to the folks at SFWeekly, I got hooked up with tickets to dinner and a party! I'll be sure to post about that, too!

That's just plain awesomeness! Anyway, it's time for me to hit the hay. I got work in the morning! =)

Thanks for visiting, loves.

<3,
Jo

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Double-Header for Thanksgiving 2009

Hey everyone!

I am such a doof! I have not updated about Thanksgiving yet and it’s Christmas in four days! Ah well, better late than I never, I say. Thanksgiving was quite delicious this year. I had a luncheon with my fam in the afternoon and a sit-down dinner with Bub’s in the evening. I am excited to show you all what our families enjoyed! Ready!?

The Makings of the Perfect Red Velvet Cupcake
My family loved these cupcakes and asked me for the recipe. Honestly, I just used Paula Deen’s recipe that is posted on the Food Network website. There’s my secret! Now go make them!


The lovely mini cupcakes before being frosted

The Finished Products!

Jo’s Stuffed Mushrooms
I brought these mushrooms to the luncheon because I needed something that could please everyone. Everyone loves stuffed mushrooms, but I had to find a good recipe. I consulted several recipes and most of them used cream cheese. I stuffed them with the cream cheese, imitation crab meat, and cheddar.


Before Putting Them in the Oven
I did the imitation crab (which is sacrilegious to some foodies) because my family loves crab wontons aka crab rangoons aka crab puffs, but I wasn’t about to fry up 150 wontons. This was way easier. I took out the stem with a small melon baller, stuffed them with the filling, and topped each with a mixture of bread crumbs, parsley, and cheddar cheese.


Fresh from the Oven
I'm going to be making these more often.


What Was Supposed to be Brownies
I tried to make brownies with Alton Brown’s recipe, but I left them in the oven too long and I got a hot mess…literally…I had to think fast and make something in an hour. You will see what I made in a few minutes.

-- Potluck Luncheon with the Bostons --

When we got to Auntie Lolit’s house, we were greeted with a carnivore’s feast! There was already some lechon kawali (roasted pork) and roasted duck on the table. Shortly after we arrived, Cuzzin Sin-Dee brought broiled mussels and Cuzzin Run-Day brought pancit that Auntie Conching made. All delicious!


Uncle Joe’s Ham
We were anti-turkey this year, so we had ham instead. I didn’t mind it at all because I don’t like roasted turkey that much anyway. Would it be a sin if I said I like turkey cold cuts more?


Cuzzin Grace’s “Papa Jesus Cake”
You’re probably asking why it’s called “Papa Jesus Cake”…Well…it’s because it’s SO GOOD! She made a layer of chocolate cake on the bottom and topped it with whipped topping and chocolate toffee candies. She didn’t do it this time, but she usually puts a later of pudding over the cake. Even with the pudding’s absence, the cake was so good!

We had to have pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, so we had a small one on hand…as well as an egg custard pie, and an apple pie, I believe. It seemed like we had more sweet food than savory!


Boston Family Take 1

Boston Family Take 2

This is what happens when you leave your child with us
-- Thanksgiving with the Kwan Family --
Thanksgiving at Auntie Lolit’s house was so much fun, as our family parties ALWAYS are. After getting stuffed at lunch, we headed over to the Kwan Family dinner! I love Bub’s family. They always come out with different food each holiday. This Thanksgiving, we went to Auntie Esther and Uncle Manuel’s house in San Francisco. I swear, they have the most gorgeous house I have ever been to. Their love for Tiffany-style lamps can be seen throughout their home.


The Appetizer Table
It’s a default to enter the door and head straight to the kitchen where there is always a table covered with small bites to nibble on before dinner. We had chips and salsa…and assortment of cheeses…and…


Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Everything taste better with bacon! The dates on the inside were like candy - super sticky and sweet - combined with the smoky bacon…winner.


Our Dinner Table
Isn’t it just lovely? It was perfect in every way from the tableware to the lighting to the little cat roaming around. I love having dinners here. It’s so warm and welcoming, yet sophisticated at the same time.


Auntie Esther Roasted Veggies

Uncle Calvin Prepping His Chili

Pineapple Ham
We were anti-turkey at this meal too! I loved how the sweetness and tartness of the pineapple went with the ham. The meat was also very tender.


Auntie Wendy‘s Green Salad
Auntie Wendy simply tossed the greens in vinaigrette. Perfect, I say. It is always good to have something during dinner that has some sort of acidity or tang to balance out the meal, especially if certain items are particularly rich. Salad always does the trick!


Bub’s Parents’ Wild Rice Stuffing
When I saw this, honestly, I thought, “Great, I hate wild rice.” But I was so wrong about hating this. It was nutty and earthy. Great stuff.


Auntie Esther’s Finished Vegetables
I enjoyed the combination of the sweet potatoes, kale, and red potatoes. When I look at this picture, I think of Fall and Winter and the cool weather. This is good and hearty for days like what we have in SF.


The Chili Topped with Cheese
Uncle Calvin included green bell pepper, mushrooms, and hot link sausage for flavor and texture contrasts in his chili. Extra cheese on mine, please!


Dessert time!
Uncle Manuel, who was the only other Filipino at the table, paid homage to our holiday tradition and brought over some leche flan and cassava cake. It was so good to see familiar foods on the table.


My Dessert Platter
And here she was. Isn’t she beautiful?! Remember my EPIC FAIL with the brownies? I made chocolate chip and white chip chocolate cookies instead. They were perfect to make in the time I had left. Guess what? Everyone LOVED them. I got so many compliments that it was hard not to let them get to my head! Ha! Let’s just say that this platter was clean by the time we had to go home. I am so glad my contribution to the dinner was a hit!

I think it is safe to say that Thanksgiving 2009 was a hit. I hope everyone out there had a wonderful one as well. Here’s to 2009 and all its good memories and to all the blessings and experiences to come our way in 2010! Hope everyone is ready for Christmas!

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So What is Everyone Making for Christmas?

As for moi...

By popular demand, I will be making Red Velvet Cupcakes...and to make them extra festive, I will be putting a little bit of green food coloring in the cream cheese frosting! I am going to use Paula Deen's red velvet cupcake recipe - reliable and GOOD!

As for the entree, I will be using my brand spankin' new Lasagna Trio Pan:

*photo courtesy of www.chefscatalog.com*
Channel 1 - Cheese ravioli layered with pesto, garlic, mushrooms, and spinach

Channel 2 - Baked fettuccine with chicken alfredo sauce - my sis' favorite

Channel 3 - Classic lasagna with tomato and meat sauce

I sure do hope they turn out right! This is my first time making it, so please pray for me! hehe!

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Heaven’s Dog - Good for a Late Supper

Restaurant: Heaven’s Dog
Address: 1148 Mission Street b/t 7th and 8th inside the SOMA Grand, SF
Phone Number: (415) 863-6008
Cuisine: Northern Chinese
Date Last Visited: December 3, 2009
Dining Partner: Bub

So, that evening, Bub and I were invited by his aunt to watch “The Christmas Carol” at the ACT Theater. It was our second time watching it, but it was still very entertaining. =) So thank you Auntie Esther and Uncle Manuel for the show! On our way home, I thought to myself, “hey, we’re in the City, it’s already past 9 pm…(which is a time we are never in Downtown SF)…as might as well make the most of it while we are here!” Since we hop on the freeway in SOMA anyway, we decided to take a detour and check out Chef Charles Phan’s Heaven’s Dog.

The “Bumble Bee” Cocktail
Appleton’s V/X Rum, Lime, Honey, Egg White
Chef Phan is known for his famous “Slanted Door” at the Embarcadero. I can pretty much say that I have now eaten at all of his restaurants in the City: The Slanted Door, all three of the Out the Doors, and now Heaven’s Dog. Chef Phan (who is so adorable - I’ve met him a couple of times at events) is one of the restaurant moguls here in SF. He is Vietnamese but is ethnically Chinese as well, and this new restaurant pays homage to Northern Chinese cooking.

I started my meal with the Bumble Bee and if you like sweet cocktails, you would love this one. I adored the use of the honey. I also enjoyed the frothiness of the egg white…which was reminiscent of a pisco sour. If I came back, this would be something I would revisit.



Shanghai Dumplings, Pork, Rice Vinegar, Ginger
Bub is such a dumpling whore, when he saw these he knew he had to have them. These were Heaven’s Dog’s version of the Xiao Long Bao, or XLB, which are steamed soup dumplings. There was a bit of broth inside, but not as much as the ones I really like from the dumpling places on Balboa. These were just okay for me, mainly because I am biased; however, Bub loved them, of course.



Braised Pork Belly in Clam Shell Bun
Now these were the reason why I wanted to come here for the longest time. I love Peking duck served in the steamed buns, so when I saw that the pork belly was used instead of duck, I got excited. These guys did not disappoint. The braised pork belly was as succulent as can be. See how there are only three on the plate? I made Bub give me he third one. Honestly, I can probably eat 12 of them and not get sick of them.



Ma Po Tofu, Ground Beef, Chili Paste, Szechuan Pepper
It was a chilly December evening, and we needed something to warm us up. This did the trick. I never had ma po tofu before this visit and I must say that I LURVE IT! I was hot and sweaty after I finished eating my portion. They must have put in 15 red chilies in there. We ate it with steamed broken jasmine rice and it was delicious. Bub said he could have eaten that whole dish. It wasn’t so spicy that I had to drink a tall glass of water to cool down my tongue. What I needed was a cold shower because my face got all sweaty - but I NEVER sweat! Awesome if you needed something to warm you up!

Heaven’s Dog was a really cute place. The bar area looked poppin’ and the décor - which consists of graphics of DOGS (uh duh) was very whimsical. One thing I did resent was that no one told us about the late night special that started at 9:00 p.m. We ordered things that added up to about $50. The prix fixe was only $15! I know, I totally felt moded when I read about it later on. Ah well, what can you do? If I was in the area again, I would definitely come back for happy hour and that fabulous braised pork belly! But if you were in the area, check this place out!

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I Know That I Have Been Lazy

Hey what is up everyone? I know I have been neglecting my blog again! It is just that I update so often on Twitter that blogger has become an afterthought. I have lots of events to post about so tune in again soon. Geez I still have to post about Thanksgiving! Haha thanks for being so patient with me.

<3,
Jo

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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Hanging Out with Iron Chef Michael Symon and Noshing at Chef Hubert Keller's

Location: Williams-Sonoma
Address: 340 Post Street, Union Square, SF
Phone Number: (415) 362-9450

I almost giggled with Ate Di told me that Chef Michael Symon would be at Union Square’s Williams-Sonoma store to do a book signing. Aside from Masaharu Morimoto (who will always have my heart), Michael Symon is my next favorite Iron Chef. He is so funny and his laugh is infectious.

The signing was scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. and I was glad that the event hadn’t started yet. I snuck out of work just a few minutes early and Bub was waiting outside of my workplace so that we could jet over to Union Square. As I was buying my book, I saw Chef Symon walk out of the elevator just to the right of the register. I was *star struck* I tend to be that way when I see celebrities. My mouth is smiling like an idiot’s, I lose my voice, and I just stand there. Stiff like a statue. Ha! I arrived just in time. The foodie gods were with me that day. I found a seat and saw that there were probably 50 or so in the audience. Chef proceeded to tell us about his experiences with the Food Network, that animal fat is good for us, processed food is bad for us, all the while cooking a pork chop. He was so personable and just plain nice.


Panko and Parmesan Crusted Pork Chop
with Basil, Tomato, Onion Salad
Chef Symon and I share the preference of having contrasting textures and acidities in a dish. Whenever I have something fried, I like to have something fresh with it. He did that here with the simple salad dressed in vinaigrette. You are probably wondering how we got a nice close-up of the dish. I snuck into the line area just as he was finishing his dish. When he was done, everyone rushed to where I was. I did good because I was the second one in line. Bub stayed behind and went to Chef Symon at the demonstration table, talked with him, and snapped some shots…all the while, I am panicking that he is not next to me in line. Ha! Bub got to chop it up with Chef more than I did!


Me and Chef Symon
When I got to the table, I was really nervous (naturally), but after talking with Chef for a little bit, I found that he was genuinely a nice person. We talked about blogs and one of his particular employees (I’m looking at you @PSRados). Super super nice person. Ate Di! You should have come! However, I don’t think it was advertised well because there wasn’t a big crowd. It took a Williams Sonoma (my Ate Di) for me to find out there was a book signing at all. I read one of Chef’s tweets later in the week that there were 350 people at his signing. You know what though? It’s good there wasn’t a HUGE crowd because it was more intimate and no one had to wait too long to meet him. =) Good event all around.


San Francisco’s Union Square
After meeting Chef Symon, Bub and I took a short stroll in Union Square. We saw the new skating rink, the giant Christmas tree and all the lights of Macy’s. It was an opportune time to check out Chef Hubert Keller’s new restaurant called Burger Bar. I was rooting for Chef Keller in Top Chef Masters. Even though he didn’t win, he’s still my favorite competitor…not many men can pull off grey hair and a ponytail!

At the entrance of Macy’s, soap suds came down like snow! I wasn’t even alive when it last snowed here in San Francisco, so this was pretty neat. I used to be an employee of Macy's years ago when I was still a college student and I really have to fight myself whenever I come here. I love shopping. =) I remember sneaking from my department and go on hour breaks. LOL! What am I pointing at?


It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just Manny Pacquiao watching over Union Square. I think it is just amazing how his face is displayed over the Nike Town. He makes every Filipino in the world proud to be Filipino. Seriously. You cannot miss him if you are looking around in the square, but if you are really lost or BLIND, look up at the corner of Post and Stockton Streets. PAC-MAN!

Burger Bar – Comme Ci Comme Ca. Meh.
Restaurant: Hubert Keller's Burger Bar
Address: 251 Geary Street, 4th Floor of Macy’s, Union Square
Phone Number: (415) 296-4272
Cuisine: Burgers
Date Last Visited: December 1, 2009
Dining Partner: Bub


Burger Bar!
I was afraid that because it is shopping season that the restaurant would be packed. Yes and no, we weren’t seated in the main dining room nor the bar. We were situated in that little area in between. Burger Bar purgatory? Let me just say that the menu is huge and if you are a condiment/toppings whore, you would love the “build your own” burger concept. You can choose from different meats (buffalo, anyone?), cheeses, breads, veggies…even FOIE GRAS! Crazy! There is a Rosini burger that is like over $50. But as usual, all burgers come with fresh tomatoes, onions, lettuces, and dill pickle.


My Burger and Zucchini Fries
I got my American Kobe beef burger on ciabatta (my favorite bread for a burger) with Monterey Jack cheese and a side of crispy zucchini fries. It was very very very juicy, but it lacked any flavor. That’s blasphemy since this is KOBE BEEF for God’s sake. I even bypassed my usual burger fixins like bacon, sautéed mushrooms, and avocado fearing that I would conceal the natural flavor of the Kobe. The bread was good the burger was juicy, but pretty boring. The zucchini were perfectly tender and the coating was crisp and flavorful - perfect with the ranch dressing provided. Sad to say, the dill pickle was my favorite thing on the plate. =X


Bub’s Burger and Skinny Fries
Bub’s “Country Natural” burger with pepper jack cheese on an everyday sesame bun was flavorful than my burger which was 6 bucks more! That’s just crazy…he also got some ordinary skinny cut French fries…everything about this plate was ordinary and nothing special, but it was tastier. Gah. Go figure. That just shows, you can order expensive crap, but end up with something disappointing.


Christmas came early for me!

Live to Cook
Even though dinner was kind of a letdown, I was still very happy that Bub and I had our time strolling around Union Square. I love the holidays in San Francisco! There is something in the air that makes everything feel so magical…except that Kobe beef burger. Ha, enough about that. I was so glad to have gone because Ate Di knows that I wasn’t about to. Thank you to her for letting me know the deets and to Bub for accompanying me and taking great pics!

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