trick-or-treat

Let's not lament the loss of Halloween in the Castro and let's not truss ourselves up like painted turkeys. Let's just have fun!

Oddjob and I have a tradition of going to Seacliff to go trick-or-treating, just the two of us. So cue the Will Smith hit from the 90s, hop in the car, and bring your best game face!

Me as Marge Simpson, Oddjob as Pocahontas

I noticed that there were less houses open for festivities this year. Those that were open gave out better candy than last year but quite a few houses closed shop early... this all may have to do with Halloween falling on a Monday this year. Whereas the it took Oddjob and I about two and one-half hours each time to sample the best of Seacliff, we were out for just over an hour this time. Still, she pulled in an impressive haul of sweets:

much less tootsie rolls this year

Parents kept offering me candy in the hopes of emptying their buckets sooner but I successfully refused for the most part. I really feel that Halloween is for young children and I always wonder why there are so many teenagers out trick-or-treating. Don't you have parties to go to? The candy is for the kids!

Besides, Mumsy got me my own set of special treats this year...

nothing says love from Mumsy like a mummy

Do not be afraid to try the pumpkin spice bark; it was a hit at work today.

it pays

Yes, it pays to visit your mother... Where else can you get cheesy goodness...

eggplant and turkey lasagna, topped with lots of cheese

And a half-tamed hungry cat?

Johnny Cat does not stop until he is finished.
No breaks when eating.

I'm not going to have to cook for a while!

thai it down

After the museum, Mumsy and I felt that the night was still young... so we drove over to Vanida Thai on Taraval for some delectable Thai food in a quiet setting. Vanida Thai is pretty good but since it's all the way out by the water, there's always parking and never a wait. On top of all that, the food always tastes good.

Mumsy picked the menu:

Clockwise from top left: Pad Thai, Cashew Chicken, and Lamb Yellow Curry.
Mumsy likes yellow curry... she says it helps combat cancer.

Hands down, the best part of Thursday's dinner was the outstanding appetizer: BBQ'd mussels!

We ate five before I remembered to snap a picture!

A worthy contender of any of the mussel plates I've eaten in Barcelona or Capri.

it's not American Airlines

but that's the first thing I thought when I saw the new logo for the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Shamefully, I haven't visited the Museum since January 2009, when I rushed in during the last week of the showing to see Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. It was truly mind-blowing to see such elaborate goldwork kept by a nomadic people... modern-looking gold hearts to be sewn into a veil, ceremonial swords and cups, even a patina'd fountain with fish that swam when water was poured into it.

Nothing could really top those Afghan treasures, so I didn't visit the Museum again for over two years.

Then the curse was broken! I heard about Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts, an inside look on how the wealthiest kings of India lived. What's not to love? Unabashedly bold colors, elephants, and jewelry! Loads and loads of jewelry!

Mumsy agreed to see the Maharaja exhibit with me on Thursday, when a special Matcha event was being held. There was a line out the door for the free food samples but I skipped it (AMAZING, I know.) We came to see the art, and I have no regrets with our decision to spend our time viewing the artifacts rather than stand in line for a bite. I can go to Costco for that!

The paintings, robes, muskets, thrones, and jewelry are all worth seeing in person so no pictures... also, no photos allowed in American museums (duh!) Among many things, I found an interesting similarity between Indian and Byzantine art: I've always known that Byzantine emperors and Jesus are depicted with halos. It turns out that Maharajas and other people of great importance are endowed with halos in Indian art, though they prefer green halos over gold or red. True in both cultures: the bigger the halo, the more important you are.

a Maharaja vs. Emperor Justinian

For my thrifty friends: Matcha nights are every Thursday from 5-9PM, January through October. It's a $10 ticket for four hours of museum musing, including any special exhibitions running. Otherwise, it's $17 for general admission and extra for the headliner, which is currently Maharaja. The first Sunday of every month is free for kids and just $5 general admission.

Not all Matcha nights have a special event. But whether or not they do, Thursday nights are still a great deal.

the French way

Got together for drinks on Friday at Michael Mina's RN74 on Mission Street... all I can say is I never saw a drink this big in Paris!

Pimm's 74: homemade Pimm's, ginger beer, campari, and prosecco.
It looks hefty, tastes light.

I'm a fan of everything the Pimm's 74 embodies: lightness, fruitiness, and a big bad party attitude.

A word to the wise: the lounge area is tiny so come early to snag a sofa.

more Spanish soup

Yet another soup from The Complete Spanish Cookbook by Pepita Aris: Sopa Castiliana, a dark garlic and paprika soup.

Ingredients... note that I'm using whole garlic cloves instead of pre-minced garlic.
It's all for the soup.
The bread is Moroccan olive bread from Trader Joe's.
Any day-old bread will do.

Fry the garlic cloves in a little olive oil...

The recipe calls for four cloves but I used eight.
What can I say? I loves the taste of garlic, it is my precioussss!

While the garlic fries, slice up your stale bread.

on the slant = fancy

Don't forget to turn the cloves! When they brown on all sides, transfer to a plate.

smells good already

Fry the bread slices in the garlicky oil...

So yummy!

And set the bread aside.

Now this part is tricky... feel free to add a little more olive oil since the bread has probably sopped it all up. Heat the oil and add 1 tablespoon of paprika to the pot. Cook for just a few seconds or else...

burning! When Pepita says a few seconds,
she means a few seconds.
Set off my fire alarm again.

So since I set off my fire alarm and embarassed myself as my landlord rushed down to see what the hullabaloo was about, I had to take a break while fanning the steam and smoke out the window. And I had to start the paprika thing over. So listen up and cook the paprika in oil for no more than ten seconds.

here we go again

Stir, stir, stir, then add four cups of beef stock.

Once you add the beef stock, the paprika can't burn.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of cumin and at least 3 more tablespoons of paprika. Paprika's bark is worse than its bite and isn't really very spicy. Instead, paprika adds beautiful color and, if you add enough, a sweet smokiness with a hint of heat. I myself would've added more but I ran out.

spice of life

Add the reserved garlic cloves and crush them with the back of a spoon to release the lovely pungent garlic flavor.

The instructions don't say to do so but I'm a big fan of boiling your soup for a few minutes - you know, unless there's some dairy in there. So I suggest you bring this concoction to boiling.

this aroma will whet your appetite

To make it really hearty, add an egg or two to the soup. The cookbook advises ladling the soup and eggs into ceramic bowls and setting the eggs in the oven but I don't need that extra fancy step. I poached them directly in the pot.

Omit egg for a purely vegetarian soup.

Just add those fried bread slices, sprinkle in some parsley, and enjoy!

Dinner

Taste test: as predicted, the soup is rich but looks spicier than it tastes. The smoky paprika gives the soup its hearty character without elevating the Scoville count. If you like it hot, feel free to add whatever spices you like - cayenne, anybody?

oh bacon my bacon

Wherever Bacon Bacon rolls, it pays to be first in line! The food came out in just thirteen minutes! That's great timing for Bacon Bacon, plagued with slow production but blessed with a sort of Ribwich-like aura that lures the masses to form lines that snake out the alley and around the corner.

Granted I waited forty-five minutes in all to place an order (fifteen minutes insurance to be first in line and thirty minutes while Bacon Bacon rolled in tardy and cleaned up... there was a root beer accident on the road.) But all is forgiven... Bacon Bacon wasn't even the last truck to arrive at Truckstop today.

The goodies...

bacon caramel popcorn...
candied bacon is divine
and tastes a bit like my bacon-maple whoopie pies

the pork belly sandwich... a stunner.
Added spicy belly fries (for sharing.)
Don't forget the chocolate-covered bacon, compliments of Mr. Bacon Bacon.

Oh rich pork belly sandwich, how you ooze with luscious pork belly and tangy pepper-tinged mayonnaise... how your fried egg slowly coats every last leaf of arugula... how exactly does that soft bun keep everything in?

Spicy belly fries... tasty but still a bad idea if you're eating a sandwich. If you insist on eating both, bring your elastic-waist pants.

As conferred by the team, I highly recommend that you have some sort of crisp and/or refreshing fruit lying around to help wash everything down. It helps tremendously with that so-good-it's-bad feeling.

I don't know if I will ever come in to work one hour early again just to stand in line for Bacon Bacon but I tell you, I am not disappointed with today's lunch adventure.

on a mission

Here's the plan...

"Sleep early
Wake early
bacon."

It's the plan. So off to bed I go!

soupmaking

Time for yet another cooking tutorial, and yes, it's soup again! Took a leaf out of my super-grande Spanish cookbook on Sunday... Snapped this bad boy up at Borders a long time ago for just $5!

The Complete Spanish Cookbook by Pepita Aris

The soup of the day is Sherried Onion Soup with Saffon on page 97. Spaniards love thickening soups with ground almond and I thought I could skip a step by browning almond meal instead of grinding toasted almonds...

Just one of my handy dandy shortcuts: almond meal!

Feel free to sift and flip but don't spill, party poopers!

Do NOT leave the pan unattended. Nuts, whether whole, slivered, or ground, cook quickly. Don't let this burn and stir often. Once you're satisfied with the aroma wafting from the almonds, remove from heat and set aside. Then you can continue with the rest of the soup:

Slice two yellow onions as thinly as you can...

like so. But if you can go thinner, go for it!

When you get close to the end of the onion, try using a fork to hold
the onion so you don't slice your fingers. It's not as steady but a whole lot safer.

Et voila! A beautiful array of tear-inducing rings!

Melt some butter over low heat.

Add a small spoonful of minced garlic and the onion rings.

Cook over LOW heat, covered, for about twenty minutes.
Stir up the onions at least twice to loosen them up.

Cooking the onions takes quite a while so you have plenty of time to play with the other components of the soup. Don't worry, the onions won't burn over low heat... go ahead and check the heat.

Fancy schmancy saffron, just $5.99 at Trader Joe's.
Chicken broth... about half the price.

pretty!

Sherry, fino sherry.
Spaniards love sherry!

I'm lovin' the easy-twist cork topper for the sherry...
I think it's also a sign that sherry is not for drinking.
It's for cooking.

Go ahead and combine three cups of chicken broth
with three tablespoons of sherry.

Finally...

when the onions are really soft and a little yellow...

add a pinch of saffron.
Now the book calls for a really small pinch, just 0.05 grams
but I ended up tripling that later to get a rich yellow color.

Cook the onions with saffron for a few minutes, then add the toasty almond meal.

Pour it on...

and stir it up.

Cook a few minutes more, then add the chicken stock-and-sherry mixture.

whoosh!

Add paprika.

Looks good enough to eat... but we're not done yet.

Bring the soup to a boil...

then simmer for about ten minutes.

While simmering, I prepared an ice bath for the soup. This step is optional but I am one of those people who read the cautionary labels on appliances. My blender warns that you should never put things that are too hot into the blender. Now others (ahem, Mumsy) may stick their immersion blenders wherever they please but I don't have a fancy immersion blender or $300 multi-use stand mixer that can mix cement. So I take good care of my $16 blender from Target and cool off the soup in an ice bath before blending.

Viking sauna

You only need to let it sit for 3-4 minutes, the length of a typical song. Then pour it in the blender (or dip your immersion blender in) and give it a whirl!

Ready?

Blended!

Now I thought it tasted just fine - surprisingly hearty for such simple ingredients - but I was disappointed that the yellow color disappeared while blending. So after making the journey to Mumsy's house...

Sunday traffic... ugh

I added some more saffron while heating up the soup. Garnish with some chopped parsley and toasted almonds if you wish and enjoy!

Not bad at all if I say so myself.
My brother The Hulk approves.
Mumsy... acknowledges "it's different."

Olé!