grand slam

just like Denny's grand slam breakfasts from the 90's... do they still serve those?

I'm sure you've heard about super outfielder Andres Torres recording his first grand slam yesterday... and extra huzzahs because he's one of my favorites!

#56
image courtesy of google image search

So let's see if I can record my own grand slam of sorts...

As expected, ate a ton of food yesterday at Cabbage's BBQ. But for some reason, the thing I remember most is the ice cream waffle sandwich, compliments of my fellow eater Ann...

waffles from the freezer + mint choco chip ice cream = mmm...

It may have rained but it was so light that I was downright comfy in my skirt and sandals combo today... comfy enough to trudge all the way to Boudin's to get a well-rounded lunch:

Pesto Roast Beef sandwich (my favorite) with a side of greens, plus the coveted clam chowder and a bonus baguette

Also picked up my free loaf of sourdough for the month and earned $5 off my next lunch at Boudin's, all thanks to my handy dandy frequent eater card from Boudin's. I highly recommend you sign up because

1. Iit's free
2. They really keep track of your points
3. You get a baker's dozen of free loaves, one per month
4. In the one and a half years I've had the card, I've only received two or three e-mails from them. They like to advertise their Irish soda bread in March, that's all.

Prepared dinner in the style of some of my favorite evil dictators, as guided by this great cookbook I got one Christmas...

not only does this tome feature ten recipes from six different dictatorships,
it also has a wealth of information regarding the lives of these enigmatic men.
For example, did you know that when Kim Jong Il was born, two rainbows appeared in the sky?

surprisingly filling for a vegetarian meal

There's shashouka, a bell pepper and tomato dip with softcooked eggs - but I cooked mine too long by accident. Shashouka is pretty tasty and hails from the chapter on Libya and that eccentric figure, Quaddafi (or Gaddafi, there are tons of ways to spell his name.) Homemade hummus from Syria is in the measuring cup, and then we have our friends pita bread and vinho verde, both from Trader Joe's. I know, it's a fancy dinner because I'm taking it with wine!

So I hit a single with the ice cream waffle sandwich, stole second on my huge and tasty lunch, and got to third with  one of my favorite cookbooks. How do we get home?

As it turns out, the combination of Memorial Day and my compressed "free Friday" means that I'm only working three days this week!

Hmmm... maybe I can continue a hitting streak. Hopefully I can execute my plans for tomorrow's dinner...

oh the possibilities! I love me some sourdough!

beef it out

I have a feeling that Memorial Day weekend is going to be very meaty...

Kicked off Friday by heading out to see Bridesmaids... I was expecting a woman's take on The Hangover but it never quite got that ridiculous. Nevertheless, the movie was side-splitting funny and I enjoyed it a lot. I just wish that Wendi McLendon-Covey had a bigger part... she is super funny as Deputy Clementine Johnson on Reno 911:

You have the right to remain stunned!
image courtesy of google image search

Loved Melissa McCarthy's efforts, though I will never ever think about a sub sandwich the same way again!

Seeing as how we were downtown, the gang and I could not resist the tri-tip from Buckhorn again... we're addicted:

changing it up with a salad

Tonight I took my BFF Cabbage over to my mom's place for dinner and laughter with a side of wine... steak and potatoes galore!

smorgasboard courtesy of Mumsy

She cooked up a storm! Besides the steak (bones on the plate at left) and scalloped potatoes, my mom made Korean-style shrimp pancakes (the plate in the middle, about 80% eaten) and mango-corn salsa. She also cut up a ton of melon and in the back, you might see a small plate of whoopie pies... flavors to be revealed tomorrow!

And tomorrow? Any free weekday is an excuse to barbecue! I've been told that my friends at Casa Krung are going all out with pulled pork and all sorts of fantastic sides! This weekend was built for eating, so grab your fork, your bib, and get your eat on!

one day I'll actually go to Australia

Until then, occasional visits to Outback Steakhouse at Serramonte will have to do.

To celebrate Oddjob's promotion, we headed over to Serramonte for some pillow-shopping and fine dining. I can say Outback is fine dining because they have one of those Zagat stickers on their front door... apparently Outback has the best steak in the chain category.

In light of this revelation - and since I have never actually had steak from Outback - I tried Victoria's Filet (essentially a filet mignon.)

all 6 oz of that filet are pretty good... surprisingly tender!

Like other chains, Outback has republished its menu to reveal the calories contained in each item... I did pretty well with the smallest steak and steamed veggies, and totally made up for it with "Aussie Fries!"

Watch out for the appetizers - at Outback they taste crazy-good and are crazy-huge in the portions. I go crazy for the bacon cheese fries but I wanted Oddjob to choose since it's her big day. Revel in - and beware - the glory of the Bloomin' Onion!

nope, could not hold back long enough to get a full shot. No one held back.

Onions alone are pretty healthy - I remember reading that Egyptian slaves working on the pyramids were partially paid in onions and garlic to keep them healthy - but if you dip it in batter and deep-fry that sucker, you get a lovely plate that exceeds 1000 calories. Luckily, the menu recommends how many people should partake in each appetizer...that should help put the calories - and appetite - in perspective.

Time to sleep!

bittersweet

I don't remember crying much at graduations, except for the time I stubbed my toe while rushing to get dressed. But my 10 year-old little sister Oddjob and her friends put on the waterworks today at Jefferson Elementary... as if they're not going to see each other at school tomorrow, or hang out over the summer, or find that once their parents allow them, facebook makes it really easy to keep in touch with their former classmates.

Remember when you had to keep a phonebook of all of your friends' house numbers? Remember when you had the phone numbers of your best friend memorized? Remember when you and your bestie sent handwritten notes via post? If only my little sister knew how easy she has it!

wish I was the genius who tugged in this balloon!
Sunflowers will have to do for little Oddjob.

Anyways, loved the short and sweet "promotion" (in the SFUSD, you don't graduate from elementary school - you are promoted.) Kids and principals kept the speeches brief, the musical interludes were adorably out-of-sync, and the kids... style ran the gamut from I-didn't-know-I-was-supposed-to-dress-a-special to a red zoot suit.

Jefferson Elementary's Class of 2011!

Seeing my little sis go through all the ceremonies of life that I remember was definitely worth the crazy work schedule I'm enduring this week to make up for the time I took off... it's also a huge pick-me-up from what is the darkest day of baseball for the SF Giants yet. Best wishes to Buster Posey! You ain't done, son!

they say imitation is the highest form of flattery

so hats off to Zare at Fly Trap as I try my hand at the Minted Memory...

Bombay Sapphire Gin, mint, and cucumber, but the cucumber is cut into thin rounds instead of a single long shaving.
Also, did not have Pimm's or anything close at hand, so used mi favorito wine, Vinho Verde de Portugal instead.
Added 2 spoonfuls of raw sugar in place of the minted syrup

Happy Mittwoch (Wednesday in German... literally "mid-week" everybody!

his 70th

Happy 70th Birthday to the one and only Bob Dylan!  Voice of the times and a huge force behind the rise of it-makes-you-think folk-rock.

A co-worker passed on his song of choice from the Poet...

as my co-worker said, the last four lines are really something...

I'm sick of love, I wish I never met you
I'm sick of love, I'm trying to forget you
I just don't know what to do, I'd give anything to
Just be with you

It sounds stupid until you've experienced it; then and only then does it makes perfect sense.

My picks... young Bob takes to the streets...

this one got huge raves from Rolling Stone magazine... used to hear it a lot on my "oldies-classic rock" radio station...

Live free, friends!

reclamation

so it's been almost six months since moving into my current digs and I finally - FINALLY - washed the rice cooker, opened the twenty-pound bag of rice, and pressed the one button that unleashes tasty and steamed carbohydrate goodness! I finally cooked me some RICE!

I think I bought this a month ago...

you know Yan can cook, but can this machine still do the trick?

blinding white goodness... YES!

Ta-da!

That microwave - let's call him Mikey - in the second picture IS unplugged... it's actually broken. I knew something was wrong when Mikey started asking for chicken tenders and french fries the moment I plugged it in... turns out Mikey's predisposed to advertise its snack reheat menu. We have been at war for over a year now... he would wake me up at night with its incessant chiming and I would unplug him for weeks at a time. Before I went to Peru in March, Mikey decided to stop working altogether... somehow the buttons just wouldn't push and I couldn't override the snack menu. So I have been without a working microwave for almost three months now, and just as long without a good plate of nachos.

Getting a new microwave will be my next kitchen accomplishment!

the Ks keep comin'!

Saw Timmy shut this game down through the comfort of a friend's gigantic TV... I love freaks!

We're doing pretty good right now... leading the NL West... but it's too early to say if we will really win the Pennant again. And if we do, well we'll all be thrilled - except the rising prices of Giants tickets... in contrast to last year, I probably won't be at the ballpark every two weeks. I think my friends and I will select this year's games based upon whatever swag we can get to justify the higher prices.

For example, I attended all three games of the Opening Weekend Series and got the ultimate cool freebies to prove it:

the calendar, the ring keychain, and the pin!

But after practically living at the ballpark for a weekend - we went to the 12th inning on the first game! - I was pooped out. Yesterday's game was the first one I went to since camping out at AT&T Park. For comparison...

In 2009, when I became a fan after my co-workers took me to my first game, I went to six games - averaging about one per month.

my rookie year... saw Madison make his MLB debut on September 8, 2009 vs. SD

In 2010, I went to thirteen games - twelve at AT&T Park and one at the Oakland Coliseum to see my first Battle of the Bay game. This is the year when we discovered that we could score cheap tickets on stubhub.com... I remember going to games because we were able to find $6 tickets in View Reserve.

7 out of 13 tickets were purchased on stubhub.com

So far I've been to four games for 2011, but each has taken a much more sizable bite out of my wallet, though part of that is due to the markup on the resale market.

there's been a lot of going in and out at the park this year... gotta get my fried chicken!

Some of us in the group had the foresight to purchase game tickets for the days when they hand out the stuff we really want, because if we have to pay a bit more, we're going to make sure we like the freebies! We are guaranteed to go to two more games this year, including Thursday June 9 when we will get Brian Wilson Chia Pets! Ch-ch-ch-chia!

Will we sweep the A's tomorrow? Well the Rapture didn't happen (nice try Harold Camping) so why not!

I want it but I won't buy it

So the perfect Giants game to go to is the one where they pass out the "Orange Wearable Blanket," AKA the Snuggie! Bonus: the game pits the World Champs SF Giants against our Bay Area rivals, the Oakland A's! Battle of the Bay! Game on!

The swag:

this snuggie has a pocket for cookies and stuff!

Now back to the game...

Pitchers: Ryan Vogelsong vs. Trevor Cahill... Timmy would be pitching if we hadn't been rained out in Chicago but I had hopes for Vogelsong, who had been posting an impressive streak since substituting for Zito. He pitched fantastically for a little over four innings and finished the 5th (did he pitch in the 6th?) He did post 6 Ks, including my favorite, the crazy backwards K!

A's calvary Kurt Suzuki was K'd twice... caught looking!

Too bad Vogelsong got tired about halfway through the game... cycled through four or five from the bullpen AND went into the 10th inning before we secured a win.

Of note: leadoff hitter Andres Torres stole 2 bases in the first inning - though one was from an error. Freddy Sanchez and Nate Schierholtz were defensive stars. The Bullpen added 2 Ks for a total of 8; Javier Lopez got the win. And the winning run came courtesy of Aubrey Huff (he looks like a Baby Chuck Norris to me) who batted in where-the-hell-has-he-been Emmanuel Burriss... I remember getting an autograph from Burriss at Fanfest 2010 and this is the first time I've seen him play.

Huff Daddy!

Great way to start this series - and some serious redemption for when I went to see the Giants at A's last year!

Other notables...

waiting in line for a wearable blanket

we moved up some... and there was still a ways to go!

batting practice... we have Johnny Sanchez on the left,
Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain on the right (Matt got sliced off, sorry.)
The million-dollar question: who is that horse jockey in the middle???

Brian Wilson - á la the Dos Equis guy - as The Most Interesting Pitcher in the World

the Blue Man Group performs the National Anthem

what are those? Embellished xylophones?

Vogelsong's form... not bad for a stalker shot all the way up in VR 328!

Let's go Giants! And let's put an end to these torturous games with extra innings and such... if this keeps up, my mane will be as gray as Eli Whiteside's!

it was such a surprise the first time he took off his helmet...
image courtesy of google image search

temptations

After this past week's experiments in baking I nearly added bacon bits to these chocolate chip cookies...

C is for "cookie," that's good enough for me!

Well some of these are for Mom, and Mom is not a fan of "weird" foods with "too many flavors." For her, the simpler, the better.

Maybe next time...

hit and miss

Friends know that I adore sandwiches from the Sentinel, especially their Corned Beef sandwich with swiss cheese, cabbage, and Russian dressing. In fact, we check up on their menu pretty often and we get really excited whenever they add a new sandwich. So you know I just had to try the shrimp salad sandwich when I saw the new creation on the menu.

lunchtime!

The verdict: it's a good sandwich if you're looking for something refreshing... there's no mayonnaise in this shrimp salad, just a lot of mint and cucumber and fresh stuff. Today's pick is smaller than other Sentinel fare, but not to say that it's short on shrimp - they were spilling out the opposite end of the sandwich. For me, this just isn't what I was looking for... when I think of all the great savory choices available from the Sentinel, this shrimp salad sandwich just isn't up to par.

On a separate note, I know several people who would be very happy if the Sentinel brought back their B.A.L.T. (basil avocado lettuce tomato.)

new flavor

No more shall I reference hotcakes when something as popular as this comes by...

that's right, it sold like whoopie!

Oatmeal-maple-bacon whoopie pies!

Zelda flashback

I'm sure lots of you have already seen the twin sculptures that cropped up on Market Street by the U. N. Plaza a few weeks ago...

amazing

make a wish!

While snapping pictures, a nice man asked me the name of "that little flower" upon which people make wishes. I said that it's a dandelion - and that it's a pretty huge flower!

Did you think the same thing I thought when I saw the dandelion's sister?

Do you remember following that little fairy and coming across your very first enemy?

rawr?
image courtesy of google image search

it's a Deku Baba!

You just picked up a Deku Stick!

grandpappy's birfday

He's definitely 84 or 85 now...

To celebrate, my dad booked a table at one of grandpap's perennial favorites: House of Prime Rib on Van Ness Avenue at Washington Street. I must admit I am a bit tired and spoiled with this place because we have to hit up all of grandpa's favorite spots everytime he visits the country (twice a year.) So ever since I was a young lass, I have had to dine at the House of Prime Rib at least twice a year. I know, I sound so bratty.

Jaded old palate aside, this place is really good and my favorite of the big three steakhouses in San Francisco (Ruth Chris's is two blocks south and Harris Steakhouse is two blocks north of the HPrimeRib.) The beef is always tender, juicy, and has this distinct flavor that I've never tasted anywhere else. Tonight was the first time I dared to take pictures...

we got a table by the fireplace!

grandpa always sticks the cutting board with the knife 'cause that's how he rolls

blurry (without flash) but still delectable: the watercress-beet salad

long exposure shot of Chef Christian carving our dinner

English cut, medium rare

Happy birthday, grandpa!

hiNext!

went to my favorite multi-Asian pickup counter for lunch today... Hi-Tea on Bush at Battery! Well you can sit there if you want but I'm not waiting for a table!

Picked up #43 (rare steak pho) today. I love calling in my order and just saying a number... feels like those weird places I went to as a kid, those establishments that serve Italian and Chinese food... well Hi-Tea serves Vietnamese, Hong Kong, and other specialties, besides a multitude of drinks - Thai Iced Tea with your pho? Yes please! Sometimes you need to satisfy both cravings at once...

Another bit that for some reason I find entertaining: when you call in, the girl taking your order does not ask for your name but just says "See you soon!" And they have never misplaced or given away my order!

love the way everything is packed separately for pho-to-go!

#43, mixed up and ready to eat...
Finished the crossword today!

Is this the best pho in the city? Nope - this broth can't hold a light to the wonders of Turtle Tower. But is this the best pho I can get for lunch? Hell yeah, and it's commendable on its own.

a productive day

Cabbage and I set out to find shoes fit for a Texas wedding and we, er, made progress. But we found lots of other cute stuff!

At the Serramonte Pet Store (no we didn't get any puppies but it was very difficult to leave these precious babies...)

this American Eskimo pup was already taken!

a playful little pug boy

There were also two baby Yorkie girl twins... I'm going to regret not adopting them, just like when I didn't get the two baby Pug boy twins that share my birthday... Sometimes I feel guilty for even thinking of coming to the pet shop because there are tons of dogs in the shelter that need adopting. But as my friend says, whether they're from a shelter or a breeder, all pups need love! (Besides, my family gets their dogs straight from the prior owner or the street.)

baby parakeets

Usually I don't step foot inside YesStyle at Stonestown because they don't carry my size (an American Large) or they have a one size fits all bonanza - and the one size of East Asia is pretty small. But I lucked out with the drapey top trend today:

L: vaguely 80's-looking pullover with exclamatory words
R: star-crossed drapey thing... really different cut and really comfortable

close-up of the pullover... even sweeter because it was on sale!
What is "SBY?"

Silly us, sometimes we can't help but buy the same thing like 8-year old BFFs from the nineties. View the limey yellow sunglasses from Forever 21 Accessories... they were $1.50!

all this for less than $21!

We did get to some shoe shopping at several Macy's, Aldos, Nine Wests, and a Nordstrom...

the Nordstrom sales associate lined up all the shoes for Cabbage!

chiffon flower showstoppers!

So she's still not sure about the shoes... and so she bought a cute dress for cheapsies instead! She can figure out her wedding outfit later!