SF Chefs State of Mind

It's finally here! 

SF Chefs is upon us once again!

I have been fortunate enough to attend various events at SF Chefs since it's conception in 2009, and each festivity has taught me something new. Just imagine: your favorite chefs, delectable food, and delicious drinks all laid out in front of you.

But no, it doesn't have to be all in your mind. YOU, yes YOU, can take part in this annual event showcasing the talent and creativity of the San Francisco food industry. Us who make the City and the Bay Area our home very well know that we are blessed to live in an area that respects food and the local purveyors that make our food world go round. People travel here from all over to appreciate what is right in our backyards.
 

Literally. Meet those who grow your food, mix your cocktails, ferment your spirits, and brave the stove every night just to give you an unforgettable experience on your palate.

The start of SF Chefs is TODAY July 30th, 2012 (did you see the 4-star kick off dinner last night?!). Just check out the official SF Chefs schedule to get your tickets.

Are you a VISA Signature cardholder? Good news! You can receive ticket savings of 20% to SF Chefs 2012 and additional perks. When I say "perks" I mean private lounging areas, discounts, and more. If you are not a VISA Signature cardholder, be sure you check your Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook feeds for special discount codes at 10% off ticket price.


So where will I be? I wish I could attend all of the events, but I will for sure be at the Joanne Weir & Gary Danko Summer Corn Cooking Demo on Saturday and the Grand Tasting on Sunday.  I'll see if I can make my way to more events.  There are just too many to choose from!

The Grand Tasting is my favorite aspect of SF Chefs, and luckily for me Chef Martin Yan (one of my idols from when I was a kid watching PBS), Brian Boitano (my favorite figure skater since Albertville), and Chef Marcus Samuelsson (one of my favorite Food Network personalities) will be in attendance on Sunday. Talk about chef and deliciousness overload. I love it.

See you there my friends!

xoxo,
Jo

*images courtesy of VISA Signature and much love and appreciation to the teams at SF Chefs and Andrew Freeman & Co. 

PS:  In case you wanted to see my past experiences at SF Chefs:

My 2009 recap
My 2011 recap

I skipped 2010, well, because of something else that was happening that year.

A Sundae Always Makes the Day Better

Hi everyone!  It's July 25th - Happy National Hot Fudge Sundae Day!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! If you were in the Bay Area, you would know how hot it was! Ice cream, milkshakes, cold beer, and good old H2O was sure in demand this past weekend. Looking back on the last few days, I ate TONS of ice cream. It goes without saying that it's an awesome way to keep cool and keep the belly happy.

Last Saturday, I met up with friends at Fentons in Oakland.  Yes, the ice cream shop shown in the Pixar movie "Up."  It also was PERFECT because July 21, 2012 was National Ice Cream Day!  When you're at Fentons, be sure to pack an extra stomach! Or don't even eat before your visit.


I have always loved ice cream.  I remember back in the days, my family was very simple, so we didn't splurge on fancy-shmancy sundaes.  We'd usually just get the soft serve on a cone.  Getting a sundae even from McDonalds or any fast food place was a big deal. Well, we now know times are a-changing and now getting a sundae is no big deal.

For the longest time, however, I still was a one-scoop/one-flavor type of girl...the toppings were totally OA and I wanted to enjoy just the ice cream.  I felt the toppings masked the goodness of the ice cream, so I stuck with just the ice cream.  Recently though I have been craving ice cream topped with a bunch of "stuff" - whether it be hot fudge, caramel, or even cereal.

By Wiki's definition, "The sundae is an ice cream dessert. It typically consists of a scoop of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup, and in some cases other toppings including chopped nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, or maraschino cherries."

The Ghirardelli hot fudge sundae pictured above is everything you want in a classic sundae.  The chocolate used is absolutely fantastic and sets up in the most delectable way when it comes in contact with the cool ice cream.  That's as American as you can get.  For me, being a Fil-Am, I know that my culture can show off some sundaes of its own.  For example: everyone knows about the ultimate Filipino sundae called "halo halo" - a sweet treat comprised of crushed ice, red beans, sweetened fruit, and often topped with ice cream, evaporated milk,  ube jam, and even leche flan.  The eater takes the long spoon and mixes it all together.

Or there is also the "coco chacha" which is an incredible dessert made with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that is topped with candied yams, multi-colored gelatin, Filipino puffed rice called pinipig, and coconut milk.

I began to think of my favorite sundaes here in the Bay Area.  Because there are so many ice cream parlors around, it was hard to choose, but here are my top picks:

For the Classic
Hot Fudge Sundae from St. Francis Fountain
2801 24th Street at York, The Mission, SF



The best way to eat this lovely dessert is at the counter.  St. Francis Fountain and Diner has an old school 50's feel...but the servers have tattoos and piercings.  Matter of fact, St. Francis Fountain is San Francisco's oldest ice cream parlor!  They serve all the classic desserts from floats to banana splits.  While the breakfasts served here are awesome, I come here for the hot fudge sundae.  They use Mitchell's which itself is a San Francisco institution.  The scoops of vanilla are hugged by the luscious hot fudge and topped simply with whipped cream, almonds, and a cherry.  Take your sweetheart here and share...then test your honey with what they can do with the cherry stem.

For the Classic with a Twist
The Black & Tan from Fentons Creamery
4226 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, California 



Like I said before, my friends and I came here on National Ice Cream Day.  What was funny was that we did not even know until the day of that it was National Ice Cream Day.  Perfecto!  It was so fitting.  If you look at my husband, I swear, he looks like Russell from Up but 20 years older.  He is so adorable.  Anyway!  I love Fentons!  We went during brunch at I had a great omelet, but our desserts certainly stole the show.  I ordered the Black & Tan because I am infatuated with almonds and almond ice cream.  This sundae is described in the menu as: "A Fentons Favorite! Toasted Almond and creamy Vanilla ice cream layered with our homemade Caramel and Chocolate Fudge, topped with toasted almonds, whipped cream and cherry."  

I ordered the regular size, but as I struggled to eat it all, I realized I should have gotten the Junior size.  It's smaller and probably easier to eat after a hearty brunch entree.  It was love at first bite.  The quality of the ice cream is amazing and so flavorful.  If you love almonds, get this sundae!

For the Classic with a Bigger Twist:
Ice Cream Sundae from Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous
699 22nd. Street at 3rd, Dogpatch, SF



Now the following sundae may look like an ordinary one, but under all that yummy whipped cream is anything but ordinary.  Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous is known for their unusual flavors such as their cardamom or brown butter sage or orange blossom.  You totally get a flavor trip when coming here.  Be sure to sample some before you make your order!

I say a "bigger" twist is because while the toppings are classic, you can choose two flavors available that day.  The flavors change on the daily, so you can come out with a different sundae each time.  You are also not limited to hot fudge and nuts.  Just check out the options on the board and create your masterpiece!  For this particular one, I chose their malted milk and strawberry.  I somewhat chickened out and got less adventurous flavors, but it worked for me perfectly.  It was like eating chocolate Whoppers with strawberry milk.  Amazing.  While my sundae was on the safe side, you can totally go all out with their flavor combinations.

Have fun!

For Something You Never Thought of Doing Before:
Straus Dairy Vanilla Soft Serve with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Pizzeria Picco
316 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, California

OR

Zero Zero
826 Folsom Street at 4th, SOMA, SF


 
I fell head over heels when I had this sundae for the first time in Larkspur.  Sure, it looks odd and it would seem that the ice cream and oil and salt would not go together, but you just have to try it.  Something about the salt brings out the flavor of the fruity oil.  The soft serve is smooth and the perfect platform for the olive oil and salt to meld into.  Don't knock it til you try it!  BUT! If EVOO and SS are not your thang, they can hook you up with some awesome El Rey hot fudge...try a ricotta doughnut while you're at it!

Hands down, one of my top 10 desserts in the Bay Area.  Thank goodness, the guys from Larkspur opened a spot in the City.  It's good to know this deliciousness can be found nearby.

So...are you guys hungry yet?  I know this list doesn't even scratch the surface.  SF is blessed with outstanding dessert shops and ice cream parlors.  Call me old fashioned, but sometimes plain old vanilla makes me happy.  The toppings are just bonuses.  Delicious bonuses.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday and keep cool!  We still have summer upon us!

xoxo,
Jo

This Week in Food - 7/19 - 7/25 - Wordless Wednesday - Week 6

Just Thinking of Inang - Papaitan

When I was a kid, Inang and I would walk from our little house along Mission Street near Top of the Hill in Daly City and take the 14 all the way to Powell. Yes, the Muni...which is the city's bus line. Being older, I now know the trip can take up to an hour, but it didn't matter to me when I was 4 years old. When we got there, we'd pass the Mint, the cable cars, Woolworth, the Emporium. Inang usually brought us to a Filipino spot and our usual "ulam" was dinuguan (pork blood stew which was delightfully dotted with chilies) and my favorite soup - papaitan.



Papaitan is a soup made with diced beef, tripe, ginger, onions, garlic, and beef bile. It is home to me. I can get violently nostalgic to the point of tears (which I am trying to avoid right now as I am typing this), but it feels good to know that I can still remember the adventures I took with Inang and Tatay.

I wish I knew which restaurant she took us each time. I don't even know if it still exists, but all I know is that I felt so satisfied eating my favorite food there. Inang herself was an amazing cook. She always had something simmering when I arrived home from school. Over the weekend, Mom made a beef and tomato stew which she said was Inang's recipe...yet, she said Inang's food was always the best. No matter how hard Mom and I try to replicate Inang's dishes, we can't stand up to hers.

I can only pray that my child will be interested in cooking. Time will tell. In the meantime, I have Jayla. She is my partner in crime whenever I cook or bake something. She is always there standing on a chair next to me watching as I mix up batters or sitting on the counter when I cut ingredients. She has even began peeling garlic for us.



Hopefully in the future she will look back and think about all the delicious moments she shared with Momma (grandma Evelyn/my mom) and Tita Jo the same way I think of Inang and Tatay.

So do me a favor: think about one person who made an impact on your life. Think of a memory you shared. Hope it gives you warm fuzzies.

=)

Goodnight everyone!

xoxo,
Jo

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

This Week in Food - 7/12 - 7/18 - Wordless Wednesday - Week 5

Travel-buggin! PDX! Oysters! Christian Grey!

Yes, it's biting hard.

I spent majority of the weekend in bed.  I don't know what it is exactly.  Something about the weather, and unfortunately I was way under it. 

Fortunately, I wasn't totally useless.  Thanks to my iPad and WorldMate (I'm not being paid to say this), I built my itinerary for PDX!  I am so excited!  We are headed over on August 18th and coming home on August 20th.

I was looking at the itinerary and all I gotta say is that we will have major food comas by the time we get on our return flight home.  Last night, I was in bed and switched on my On Demand to Adam Richman's "Best Sandwich in America."  Luckily for me, the latest episode was on the Northwest covering Seattle and Portland.  By the end of the episode, Keat asked me to smuggle PDX's Big Ass Sandwiches' Big Ass Roast Beef back home. 

Here's a screenshot of it, but you can probably find a better image of it on Yelp or something:

Seriously?! 

I'll probably end up doing it for him anyway.  If I can bring a Mission burrito on a trans-Pacific flight to the Philippines, I can surely bring this bohemoth of a sammie back home to San Francisco.  The other sandwich Adam featured on the show was the Pork Belly Cubano from Bunk.  The foodie gods must be shining on us because Bunk is located just a few blocks from the apartment we are staying in!

I am so ready for this trip.  It is going to be amazingly delicious! 

Aside from eating like no tomorrow, we will be touristy and go around the city exploring.  I have already booked a ghost tour and set a time to eat at The Heathman Hotel!  You 50 Shades fans know EXACTLY what I am talking about.  Elevator 3, oysters, yes...

I can't wait!

xoxo,
Jo

FINALLY Redesigning My Blog

Hi Everyone,

You're probably wondering why my blog is a mess.

I'm finally getting around to fixing it up.  I had the previous blog design for like 2 years.  Time for a change!

So if you would please just excuse the mess!  Thank you for your time and visiting!

xoxo,
Jo

This Week in Food - 7/5 - 7/11 - Wordless Wednesday - Week 4

Thursday Lunch Ideas - If I Worked Near the Embarcadero...

Happy Thursday!

Truth be told.

I hate where I work.

Not necessarily my place of employment, but where my job site is located.  I DID write up a piece about places to eat in Pacific Heights, but the range of food is awfully limited.  Not too many Asian spots, and the one Japanese place I did write about closed.

My ideal spot to work is at the Embarcadero and even along Market Street close to FiDi.  I can't help it.  I am a Pisces, so I feel so happy near water and seeing water.  The Ferry Building is an awesome place to explore and take in the views of the ferries and Bay Bridge.  On Thursdays, I am so incredibly jealous of all my friends who are within an arm's reach of the markets and awesome restaurants...especially while I sit in my windowless office eating instant noodles.

IF I did work in that area however, my pockets would be more empty than they already are, so I suppose there is a silver lining to my predicament.  BUT IF I did work in that area, I would hit up these places.  I crave them every so often...and it doesn't help these pix are on my iPad ready to drool over...and especially since the pictures I took of these dishes are amazing.  Ha, so cocky I am.  Blame the camera.  Not me.

I suggest you proceed with the post AFTER you have eaten:

Porchetta Sandwich from Roli Roti Truck - Thursdays & Saturdays at Ferry Building Market - One of my favorite sandwiches in SF.  I cannot say enough about how delicious it is.  The wonderful ACME bread [which is used to mop up the porchetta juices on the cutting board] is the perfect platform for a slathering of caramelized onion, the sliced pork and crispy skin, and a handful of fresh arugula. 

Cheeseburger and Chicharonnes from 4505 Meats Stand - Thursdays & Saturdays at Ferry Building Market - Chef Farr took the time to tell me what goes into his burger - good grass-fed dry-aged beef, good Jack cheese from Sonoma, and a butter scallion bun.  These burgers are not huge.  I have been known to devour one in less than 5 minutes.  It literally melts in your mouth, so to extend the meal, pop some of his lighter than air chicharonnes.  Like my friend Marvin from Burnt Lumpia said, "Oh sh*t...it's like cotton candy made with meat."

Ramen from Hapa Ramen Stand - Thursdays & Saturdays at Ferry Building Market - Prior to last year, I almost never made trips to any ramen restaurants.  Now, I crave it bad.  Hapa Ramen cannot be compared to any other ramen joint.  Hapa Ramen is its own entity and I have been able to sample their ramen at markets, OtG, festivals, and pop-ups.  One thing is consistent: it's amazing.  The broth is full of flavor and the additions like the [melt in your mouth, lip-smackingly incredible] slow cooked pork, fried chicken, lardo, and egg only make it better.  I can't wait for the new brick and mortar to open closer to my job!

Korean Taco from Namu Stand -Thursdays & Saturdays at Ferry Building Market - I remember having this for the first time 3 years ago and just remember how my eyes rolled to the back of my skull and moaned in happiness.  Their wonderfully marinated beef is topped on rice encased in a piece of nori.  Like the other foods on this list, this taco just disintegrates effortlessly upon your palate.  If you cannot make it to the market Thursday or Saturday for lunch, good news, they now serve this at their new restaurant in the Mission called Namu Gaji.

Cheeseburger and Sweet Potato Fries - Gott's Roadside - This is a simple burger really.  It's everything I want in a simple burger.  Just good beef patties topped with my favorite toppings: cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and their great secret sauce on that delightfully yellow-hued egg bun.  I love sitting at the long communal tables and seeing everyone else enjoy their meals.  Their sweet potato fries are perfectly fried and not greasy at all.

Bi Bim Bap - Stone Korean Kitchen - Keat and I stumbled upon this place after work.  We were desparate for Asian food.  Somehow we came to the Embacardero and came here.  We noticed that there were happy hour specials posted, so if you are in the area after work, this may be a nice place to unwind.  I'm a novice when it comes to Korean cuisine, but what we had was pretty good.  We have a drought here in Pac Heights when it comes to Korean food (and Filipino food!), so I'm totally jealous of those who work close to this spot.

Cali Loco - Sushiritto - Oh, Sushiritto.  Everything about Sushiritto is just "wrong" from the massive size of their rolls and the unconventional things they stick inside, but oh my lord, it's so good.  Sushi snobs are probably going to huff and puff about this place, but for me, it's all good.  The Cali Loco is my favorite roll.  It reminds me of a musubi, a California roll, and a crab rangoon all mixed into one.  I also appreciated that the nori stays crisp.  Since they create each roll to order, it's fresh...but be prepared to wait!

Mayan Dragon - Sushiritto - Another one of their rolls that we found very interesting was this one filled with chicken katsu, curry, and Peruvian potatoes.  Again, the flavors are not ordinarily found in sushi, but if you are down to try new things and in this new way of presenting them, head to Sushiritto!  There is now a new location on Sansome at Clay right along the 1 California line.

Frosted Flakes Creme Brulee - Creme Brulee Cart - I have loved this creme brulee since my first encounter with the cart in 2009ish.  It used to be a scavenger hunt type of deal where one had to scour Twitter to find the next clue on where the cart would be, but times have changed and the business has a spot on Market and Sutter everyday from 12:30 pm - 7:00 pm in the evening.  And yes, they have gradutated and now have a truck!  Frosted Flakes is my fave, but the "Yes, Please!" with Nutella and strawberries is right up there.  So if you are in the area and want a sweet treat, this would be perfect!

Yes.

I really wish I worked in the FiDi so I would be able to have these for lunch.  Oh well, I will live through all my friends who currently work there!  Enjoy your Thursday!

xoxo,
Jo

PS: I almost totally forgot!

The Corned Beef Sandwich - The Sentinal - I discovered this lovely sandwich in 2009 when I was trying to get through the first 7x7 Big Eat list.  This old photo does not do it justice, but this was the best corned beef sandwich I have ever had.  I loved the bread and Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.  Nom to the fullest.  I am a corned beef out of the can girl, but this sliced version is tops in San Francisco. 

Get it.

Happy 4th of July!! I Made You Dessert!

Hey everyone!

I don't know about you, but I'm happy to be home today. Thank you, legal holidays! With that said, I bake a lot when I'm at home. Don't believe me? Take a look below. I've managed to bake a layer cake, buttermilk biscuits, and a cheesecake all within three days while keeping the red, white, and blue in mind. I love baking. I love living in this country. So baking for this holiday only made sense.







Hope you all have a wonderful night and please be careful out there!

xoxo,
Jo


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

This Week in Food - 6/28 - 7/4 - Wordless Wednesday - Week 3