Pierre Herme Macarons - I Have the Best Twinsy

Good evening everyone,

I was not planning on writing tonight, but I got inspired by some gifts that a dear friend gave me. Let's start at the beginning!

I was really really bummed on Sunday.

My girlfriends and I went all the way to Yountville aka Kellerville to have a little wine and nibble on some macarons...except the latter didn't happen. For some reason I trusted the store hours on Yelp and assumed they were going to be open after our wine tasting and lunch at Cornerstone Cellars. We got there at 2:30 and there was a sign on the door saying the temporary store hours were 7:00 am - 1:00 pm.

Nooooooooooooooo...

Must've been because of the fire that damaged the property last month or the month before. Yes, we were very disappointed to say the least. We were looking forward to those ginormous macarons. -smh- But we were in Napa. We weren't going to give up our trip there. How do you cure unhappiness in Napa?

Wine.

And lots of it.


We ended up going to Domain Chandon and that was a ftw trip, most definitely. BTW, our lunch at Cornerstone Cellars was provided by Michael Chiarello's kitchen. It was delish.


One of my favorite foodie people right now is my "Twinsy" aka @nom_nom_nom_nom on Twitter. Idk, we must have a psychic connection. She must have sensed my grief from Sunday's macaron excursion failure because she tweeted me Monday morning saying she had brought over some Pierre Herme macarons from PARIS!!!


She brought me four flavors: To the left is the Mogador - Milk Chocolate and Passion Fruit & to the right is Creme Brulee - Vanilla and Caramel Bits.


On the left is the Infiniment Chocolat Porcelana - Pure Origin Venezuela Porcelana Dark Chocolate & to the right is the Infiniment Caramel - Salted Butter Caramel.

Let's just say that these macs are PERFECTION! Okay, I know they are the 1st French macarons I have had in my life, which only makes me want to go to Paris myself and try more of them! If you haven't seen all the flavors from Pierre Herme, I suggest you do HERE.

Be prepared to drool.

Jokingly, I told Twinsy that all of them were my favorite flavor when she asked, but if I had to choose one, it would be the creme brulee. Not only did it excite my palate, but it was also very visually appealing with its specks on vanilla bean in the filling. A close 2nd is the salted caramel. Though those two macarons had caramel components to them, you can really taste it in the salted caramel - both buttery and a hint of burnt flavor.

The chocolate mac was very deep in chocolate flavor as there was quality Venezuelan chocolate in the biscuit and dark ganache. There were even pieces of Pure Origin Porcelana chocolate intensified with fleur de sel studding the sides of the macaron. The passion fruit was a treat. At first bite, you get the taste of the luscious chocolate filling initially, but as you start chewing you get the tart from the passion fruit. Amazing.

There was MORE!


Twinsy was TOO TOO sweet and also brought Keat and I an almond croissant which totally looks different from almond croissants here in the States. Why? Look:


Twinsy mentioned that they were for some reason on the flatter side. It was all good to me because what I really care for in a croissant is flakiness and butteriness. Keat and my sis said the same thing after their first bite, "Oh. My. God."

Come to think of it, I think that's what I said when I took my first bite of the creme brulee mac!

We warmed up the croissant a little bit in the oven before digging in. The flaky layers were there. The butter was definitely there. The almond filling in the middle was extraordinary. Idk what how they made it, but did I taste a little alky in there? Keat said he didn't care because it was incredible!

Merci beaucoup, Twinsy, for the French treats. You really didn't have to, but you did and I am grateful! You're the best! I hope you had a wonderful time on your birthday in Paris. And remember, So Cal treats are coming your way when we get back!

I don't feel too bad about the MIA macs in Kellerville now.

xoxo,
Jo

[contest entry] Why I Should Be the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Blogger!

Hello!

My name is Joanne.

I want to be the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger!

Why?

I live for Filipino food.

Oxtail Kare Kare with Bok Choy, Sitaw, and Talong
from Patio Filipino, San Bruno, CA
I started my food blog in 2007 with the intent to document all the food excursions I had in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond; however, my love for food started when I was a child.


My mom and my Inang were fantastic cooks who taught me how to appreciate the cuisine of their homeland.


Longsilog - Longanisa Sausages, Garlic Rice, and Egg
from Mercury Lounge, San Francisco, CA
Filipino food is a way for me to keep in touch with my roots. Though I was born and raised in the Bay Area, I have been to the Philippines many times primarily staying with my family in Umingan, Pangasinan.


Back in Umingan with Some Coke and Pork BBQ
As a Filipina-American, I’m intrigued by where my family from. Any new knowledge I take from this trip will be treasured.


Silvanas - Cashew Meringue Wafer Sandwiches Filled with Buttercream
from House of Silvanas, Daly City, CA

Here in the States, I do a multitude of things associated with food. Aside from my day job at a medical practice...

I cook and bake.

I write for my personal food blog.

I am a contributing food writer for SF Station’s YUM! Blog.

And I am cofounder of a Filipino dining group called kapaMEALya:


One of the goals I have in life is to promote Filipino food and the creativity of our Filipino chefs here in the United States. Filipino food is so underrated. My friends, local Filipino chefs, folks in the Filipino food industry and I have had debates about why that is. We have traveled together in search of Filipino food and have organized events that showcase Filipino cuisine for Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike.


Buko con Seta - Coconut Gel and Tropical Ice Cream Dessert
at Intramuros Restaurant, South San Francisco, CA
I want to experience the food culture in the Philippines and share my adventures and my impressions with everyone who may never get the chance to do what I did.


Like Mother Like Daughter - Crispy Pata, Anyone?
If chosen, I will start my adventures with an open mind and a clean palate. I will welcome any dish, any ingredient, any flavor and in any setting. I am eager to learn and absorb everything I take in with all my senses. In the end, my goal is to share the knowledge I gained in the Philippines.

It is important to me that the traditions of Filipino food stay intact for future generations. I want my children to know how to make balatong and ginataang bilo bilo the way my mom and Inang taught me. The world is always changing. People change with time and so does food. Yes, I AM a Filipina-American, but I do not want the heritage and history of my family and their homeland to be forgotten, especially Filipino cuisine. On the same token, I do want to see growth in the cuisine and how far it can go in the mainstream here in the States.


Picnic Lunch of Filipino Classics Made with
Farm Fresh Vegetables Grown in Santa Cruz, CA
Food is a tool to unite people and a way for people to learn about each other. To say that I love food is an understatement. Food is my passion. To explore the Philippines would be the learning experience of a lifetime.

Yours,
Joanne

More Goodies:


Article About kapaMEALya in SF Weekly

Grilled Pusit
from Intramuros Restaurant, SSF, CA

Sisig Surprise Sandwich
from Toast Deli, Daly City, CA

Longsilog and Longanisa Corn Dogs
from The Wow Truck, San Francisco, CA

Sizzling Pork Sisig
from Sinugba, Daly City, CA

Copyright Notice: All Food Photos (except those in kapaMEALya banner)
in this Post Were Taken by Joanne

Burgers in SF

People often ask me where to get the "best" burger in the City.

That is a hard question to answer because it's subjective. Some people just want meat and cheese on a bun. Others like the fancy-shmancy stuff. To each his own.

I even compiled a list for CBS and trust me, I got lots of hate mail sent to me saying I didn't know what the hell I was talking about. My addition of In-N-Out got lots of love/hate comments.

You know what?

Shut your faces. The comments are comical and I didn't read them for the longest time because I was honestly hurt. I'm fine now, but I swear, people are passionate about burgers and because I didn't put their favorite, suddenly I don't know what I am talking about.

But if you really wanna get in my head about burgers, here it is:

There are 3 levels of burgers:
• Sh*t Hole Burgers Spots – Fast food joints that usually have a value menu: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, etc.
• Specialized Burger Joints – Places/food trucks where they focus on only burgers: Joe's Cable Car, Burger Meister, etc. I would put In-N-Out in this tier because it has a better quality than fast food places.
• Only One Burger on the Menu Restaurants – Spots that are known for their burger, but cook other different types of food: Marlowe, Spruce, The Fifth Floor, etc.

When it comes to MY ideal burger, I go to tier #2 - the Specialized Burger Joints. Why?

Food Quality:

Obviously, they are better than fast food.

What I like (and prefer) is that these places usually make their burgers with grass-fed beef from local purveyors like Pacific Pastures or Niman Ranch. There is usually no mixing of meats of different animals - just beef - and the toppings can be standard such as fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion or unique like over-easy egg, arugula, and sauteed mushrooms.

Ambiance:

I want to go to a place where burgers are the word. Period. I want to see the person across from me, diagonally from me, in back of me, perpendicular to me, eating a burger.

For me, formal table service ain't needed. I don't want to have to go out of my way to make a reservation just to have a burger. I'm not talking fast food fast, but sometimes that hankering for a legit burger comes out of nowhere (I blame it on my anemia), and I just wanna get in there, order, and eat. Or even take it to go because the husband would most likely get upset I had a burger without him.

Also, I want to go to spot where I do not have to worry too much about what I'm wearing. If I'm gonna eat a burger, I wanna get my hands greasy. If I get ketchup on my pants, oh well. None of this go see to be seen BS.

I am lucky to have friends and a husband who love burgers. Real burgers. They have introduced me to some of the tastiest ones I have ever eaten. So for real for real, here is MY ideal Top 5 list of burgers.

1) Super Duper - My friend and kapaMEALya brother Kuya Chip intro'ed this to me and to many others calling it his "Shake Shack." He is a NY/NJ native, so if that is what he says, I'll believe it because the burgers at Shake Shack seem to be a big deal. Did you not see *chick flick alert* "Something Barrowed?"

What I Order: The 4oz burger with "everything on it" (lettuce, tomato, red onions, and super sauce) with additions of cheese, bacon, and an organic egg. They cook their burgers to medium by default. At their condiment bar, they have pickles for the taking. Last time, I had like 5 of them. And I think I stole one of Kuya Chip's.

2) 4505 Meats - Every time I get the chance to go to a food festival, I get Chef Farr's burger. Unfortunately, I can't make it to the Thurs/Sat Ferry Building Market all the time. Lame. I wish I could though.

What I Order: The Cheeseburger - however Chef Farr makes it that day. For my CBS article, he told me that he grinds his own meat and the melange can be different from day to day. Anyway he does it, I seemed to inhale the whole thing within a few minutes.

3) Gott's Roadside - This place was used to be called "Taylor's Automatic Refresher" and even then I adored it. The burgers are placed on a lovely toasted yellow egg bun and are perfect with a side of their insanely green garlic fries or sweet potato fries.

What I Order: The Cheeseburger or Bacon Cheeseburger with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and secret sauce. All burgers are cooked to a medium well, leaving a little bit on pink in the middle. This one has the flavor of a classic classic burger with no bells and whistles. It's all good - no BS.

4) ROAM Artisan Burgers - I learned about this place from Anne Pao, a lady I met at a foodcentric photoshoot. She brought some of ROAM's burgers for props for the crew and models and they were amazeballs to say the least. ROAM's burgers are unique with tasty toppings, of course, you can get your classic versions as well, but why not go for something different? Adding beyond the norm ingredients to burgers is what's in. What I like about ROAM is that it's casual, yet sophisticated.

What I Order: I have 2 favorites - The Tejano: Pepper Jack, Jalapeño Relish, Avocado, Tomato, White Corn Strips, Herb Ranch and the Sunny Side: Organic Free-Range Egg, Aged White Cheddar, Caramelized Onions, Greens, Tomato, Sweet Chili Sauce. A lot of thought went behind creating these combinations. And PLEASE order a salted caramel milkshake and the Fry-fecta. You're welcome.

5) Umami Burger - OK, I know this is a So Cal-based company, I think this is love at first bite. Literally. I had this for lunch yesterday for the first time and I fell head over heels from the punch of flavor the fries and the burger had. Yup, laced with crack. Laced with crack.

What I Order: I know I know, I only had 1 burger, but it was LEGIT. I had the namesake Umami Burger which had shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp, and umami ketchup. I had a bad experience coming back to the office from Umami Burger, but all the negativity went away when I ate this burger.

By all means, this is not a Burger Bible. And please, no hate emails! I understand there are a million ways to make a burger these days, and the 5 listed are just the way I like it. So there you go, friends. Eat away and tell me what you think! And be sure to call me if you're in the mood for a good burger!

xoxo,
Jo

PS: Does anyone remember the Carousel / Doggy Diner on Sloat across from the Zoo? I had one of my favorite burger experiences there when I was in the 10th grade. I can still remember how good they were.

Brenda’s French Soul Food – Dinner with My Fave Filipino Foodies

Restaurant: Brenda's French Soul Food
Address: 652 Polk Street at Eddy, Civic Center/TL, SF
Phone Number: (415) 345-8100
Date Last Visited: October 1, 2011
Dining Partners: Fantastic Filipino Foodies - Keaton (honorary Filipino), Lara & Chip (kapaMEALya Power Couple), Albert (Filipeanut), Arnold (Inuyaki), and our special guest Marvin (Burnt Lumpia and Manila Machine)

Imagine this was in front of you:


Gorgeous, ain't it?

The colors, the scents, and flavors. They all worked. This, my friends, is what you can have at Brenda's French Soul Food for dinner. When Brenda's first opened about 4 years ago, they only served brunch and lunch. In fact, when I first came here, I was not impressed with the service, but the fried chicken I had that day in 2007 was really good. I did drop by for lunch a couple years later and had their Fried Shrimp Po'Boy which was legit. 3rd time here and all I wondered was if it got better.

The space was definitely different. It actually doubled in size and there was a wonderful natural light coming from the skylight above. They opened up for dinner about a couple of months ago, so I was excited to see what was on the dinner menu. Before I move on, the reason why we came here was because our friend Marvin came up from So Cal to spend the weekend in SF. The Filipino-American International Book Festival was going on at the Asian Art Museum and Public Library in the Civic Center area. Since some of us were attending, we decided to make a full experience out of it and have dinner at Brenda's.

Brenda is Filipina-Creole (wow, that's sexy), and it only made sense to eat at a place where a Pinay cooked. Unfortunately, Brenda was not around at dinnertime. I cried inside. It would have been great to converse with her. Anywho, who is ready for some food porn?


Sweet Watermelon House Tea
I was thirsty from walking from our rendezvous spot at the Asian Art Museum. Those 4 blocks were killer. I kid. But I was thirsty. This watermelon tea was on point! Not too sweet like those horrible canned drinks at the store.


Spicy Fried Black Eyed Peas
As a snack to munch on while you peruse the menu, you get these fried BEPs. Wow, did they have a kick to them.


Broiled Oyster Flight
One of Each Kind Provided
Oysters! I love them any which way you prepare them. We all thought, "go big or go home" and each trio shared a flight. Keat is allergic to seafood, so he did not participate. Poor guy.


Close Up of the Broiled Oysters
There are 4 different types on the plate:

1) Casino: Bacon, scallion, biscuit crumbs, parmesan, gruyère
2) Saint Charles: Andouille sausage, cornbread, holy trinity
3) Tchoupitoulas: Cayenne butter, garlic, herbs
4) Orleans: Blackened Voodoo bbq sauce

Each oyster had its own flavor and they were all awesome. We ended up dipping our crawfish beignets in the leftover sauces on the shells!


Crawfish Beignets
Spiced with Cayenne, Scallions & Cheddar
Speaking of the crawfish beignets...they were fantastic!!


The Interior of the Crawfish Beignets
The dough was pillowly and the filling was creamy and nicely seasoned. You have to try these when you are at Brenda's.


Smoked Pork Rillettes
Watermelon Pickles, Creole Mustard, Croutons
Spreadable pork. Yes. The buttery meat was on the rich side but the watermelon pickles were a nice tangy contrast as was the mustard with its pungent vinegary quality. Who knew the rind of a watermelon would make great pickles? I admit, I am not a pate person. Can't do liver, but this is a nice alternative.


Chicken, Sausage & Okra Gumbo
Because Keat didn't to try the oysters or the beignets, he ordered himself a cup of gumbo which he verified was seafood-free. I loved it.


The Burger
Our Spiced-Up Version Served on a Toasted Kaiser Roll
with Caramelized Onions, House Catsup, and Bread & Butter Pickles
This was Keat's man dish and it was a legit burger. Lots of flavor and the addition of the egg made it perfect. Everyone eyed the BFC - Brenda's Fried Chicken, and to our delight, our server informed us that you can order a piece of the fried chicken to go with your entree. Yes, Keat got one.


Catfish des Allemands
Bronzed Catfish, Crawfish Etouffée, Pecan Rice Pilaf
...and I did as well to go along this beautiful plate of food. The creamy étouffée on top made it such a sophisticated dish. The catfish, not browned nor blacked, was bronzed leaving a light lovely crust on the outside. You got your rice, fish, veggies, and luscious sauce.


Brenda’s Cream Biscuits
A meal is not complete without these cream biscuits. They are HUGE, first of all. Ramekins of butter and strawberry jam were set before us, but the butter really isn't necessary because the biscuit itself was already so buttery. A spreading of strawberry jam was just perfect. If only I can have one of these every morning...


Happiness
Look at the table. The rest of the gang ordered other outstanding dishes such as the Shrimp & Grits - sautéed shrimp, cheddar grits, spicy tomato-bacon gravy. Lara let me steal a couple bites of it and it was sinful. I hate to sound cliche, but it WAS! Albs got (check this): the Cornmeal-Fried Catfish Po'boy with chipotle rémoulade on toasted french roll AND a piece of Brenda's Fried Chicken AND an order of fried shrimp on the side! Chip ordered the BFC - Three pieces of Brenda's secret recipe fried chicken, the famous cream biscuit, hot pepper jelly & collard greens. Winners ALL AROUND!


Dessert Beignet Flight
Plain, Chocolate, Apple
You don't skip on dessert when you eat with us. The crawfish beignets treated us well and the dessert ones were great as well.


Rice Pudding Brulee
Vanilla Rice Pudding with Burnt Sugar Top
I liked that the rice pudding wasn't too sweet and the burnt sugar on top lent a little bitterness which I liked.


Chocolate Pot de Creme
Pot de Creme, regardless of what flavor is something I adore. Something about a luscious dessert that melts effortless in the mouth yet has a full feeling on the palette. We made some bootleg champurado by combing the rice pudding and chocolate pot de creme. We always find a way, us Filipinos.

I was incredibly satisfied with this meal. I'd like to thank my dining partners for ordering some fabulous food and their willingness to try new things. The conversation we had was also eye-opening. I love having friends like these! So the 1st visit was so-so, the 2nd visit was better, and the 3rd visit was outstanding. Whatever impressions we had prior to this visit were erased and now I am looking forward to future visits.

xoxo,
Jo

PS: Dear Marvin, hope we didn't traumatize you too much. =)

I Apologize for...You Know...

Neglecting you all again! I have been so busy! It's crazy. In a good way of course! Let's do some catch up! Oh dear, the last time I updated was on the 2nd. Geez. LOL!


1)  We made it on television!  My Filipino dining group was on Adobo Nation, a show on The Filipino Channel.  A crew came to our dinner last month and we are so pleased with the segment.  Check it out above!

Gazing at cupcakes at Kara's Cupcakes located in Ghirardelli Square

2)  During Fleet Week, I was invited to attend the Scharffen Berger Media Bakery Crawl. It was loads of yummy fun! You can check out the pictures HERE. Photo above and photos in the gallery are courtesy of Scharffen Berger Chocolate. Thank you for the opportunity!

3) The awesome Jonathan Kauffman reviewed one of my favorite spots here in Daly City - House of Sisig. He invited me to dinner last month and his write-up of it was just published this afternoon. Thank you for having me, Mr. Kauffman. Click the image for the recap! Your girl Jo and kapaMEALya got a shout-out!

4) I attend Ferran Adria's event on Monday at the Castro Theater - omg. Talk about inspirational. Here is my recap that I wrote for SF Station's YUM! Blog. It was so much fun seeing all my foodie friends there as well and it was quite remarkable to see to many people gather because of the love of food.

Things have been so busy, but I honestly cannot complain. Things are going just awesome!

xoxo,
Jo

[kapaMEALya] - Happy October! Fil-Am Book Fest and Adobo Nation!

Hi everyone!

[This is a post copied from the kapaMEALya blog]

How was everyone's weekend?  I hope it was great.  Happy Filipino American Heritage Month! To start off the month strong, I spent most of my weekend with my kapaMEALya team members at the Fil-Am International Book Fest held in SF's Civic Center area.

On Saturday, my husband Keaton (@phatpanda650) and I (@joanneisafoodie) met up with Albert (@filipeanut), Arnold (@inuyaki), Chip (@angcolette), Lara (@spelles), and special super especial VIP to the bones food writer Marvin (@burntlumpia) who came up from Southern California.  We went for dinner at Brenda's French Soul Food - which is owned by a Creole-Pinay!

The food was incredible to say the least:

Please note the sheer happiness in my face.  Of course, since Marvin was a special guest, we dragged him to the Mission via BART train and walked 4 blocks for an SF foodie's right of passage.

4505 Chicharonnes bought from Bi-Rite Market.  Yes, you read right: we were on a mission for pork rinds.

Upon first bite, Marvin said and I quote, "Oh sh*t...it's like cotton candy made with meat."

Yes, it just *melts* in your mouth.

After bidding adieu on Saturday, we returned again today for a culinary lecture led by Felice Santa Maria and Chef Edgar Grajo.  Unfortunately, intended presenter Claude Tayag wasn't able to make it, but it was still  a great lecture to attend.



We learned so much such as the history of Filipino food and actually getting to try samples of the flavors they were telling us about!



I had a great weekend, especially after seeing so many people at the festival.  If you went, I hope you had a great time!



After getting home, I got a call from Chip who told me that he saw our segment on tonight's Adobo Nation on The Filipino Channel (TFC)!  I haven't seen it yet, but from the sound in his voice, he was pleased!  Once I get the link to the Youtube upload, I will surely post it on here for you to watch.  I don't have TFC, so I am eagerly waiting to see it as well!

DID YOU SEE kapaMEALya on television tonight? If so, what did you think?  Please drop us a line if you are interested in finding out about more of our events here in the Bay Area and beyond!

Happy Sunday and hope Monday is just as nice!

xoxo,
Jo