if you can stay awake long enough

Johnny Cat has already turned in for the night but if you're going to stay up for the new year, remember to keep it classy San Francisco. Let's leave the bus burning to 2012.

Not for dogs

After driving some friends home I returned to a crime scene: caprese skewer on the floor... puff pastry bits in the hallway... did Soleil lap up some rum punch?

Soleil's first Christmas

CUTENESS OVERLOAD!

the results

All in all I cooked the beef for 1 hour and 40 minutes, with a 10-minute warm-up right before serving. It was cooked perfectly for that moment, then started cooling down fast.

As I pondered aloud over the dinner table, it was as if I had nudged someone through a doorway but they had barely crossed it and the tip of their buttocks was still in the threshold. I needed to just kick that beef clear across the other side.

No biggie, that's what microwaves are for!

The ribeye roast dinner was supported by green bean casserole, shrimp pasta (which also needed to be heated up a bit more,) roasted potatoes with bacon, and s'mores whoopie pies. Not bad for my first Christmas dinner as captain of the kitchen.

The good thing about slightly undercooking the food is that your reheated leftovers are fantastic!

just checking

Judging by the color revealed by my gaping slash, the beef could use another 20 minutes or so in the oven. More time to think of a potato dish!

don't waste that hour

Have you been napping leisurely for the past hour? Then how will your side dishes get done? Why, in one hour, you could've...

...assembled the beginnings of a green bean casserole...

...cooked shrimp and simmered pasta sauce...

...whipped up graham cracker whoopie pies and two frostings so that the dessert is ready to be assembled.

But enough of that, let's check on the ribeye roast!

the easy part

When it's about 2 hours before your estimated eating time, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top and pop the roast into a 400 degree oven. Set the timer for one hour... and pop open some wine to celebrate your hard work.

Emeril would call this "getting happy"

Now that the beef is trimmed and resting ever so nicely on a pan with aluminum foil, rub the beast with a mixture of salt and freshly ground pepper. Let it sit until about 2 hours before dinner.

enlist help

When the beef has defrosted, take my mom's advice and get someone else to trim the fat (unless you are already comfortable with this sort of knifework.) Here, my big brother lends a hand.

begin test

Since this year Mumsy is catsitting her "grandcats" in LA, I'm cooking Christmas dinner on my own.

Well, Mumsy left directions for the prime rib, and I'm sure my brother will help trim the fat.

Still, I am the captain of this unsettled ship sailing for tasty waters. Step 1: defrost the whole beef ribeye in a pot of water because we didn't start last night and it is huge. It is now soaking in the huge pot we use for clam bakes.

A bit of a mixup

I'm not saying that kicking cancer's ass isn't great, just saying that this isn't the custom cap I ordered for a friend. It's even funnier when you consider that I paid for expedited production of the cap and, well, this is what I got! This didn't happen last time I ordered a custom cap from Lids.com...

Sorry fellow customer, I have your order!

Someone in Pennsylvania is probably wondering who Mr. Pagan is.

Wassail!

The Holidays in San Francisco with kooky old me? That means it's sweater time! FOR MY DOGS!

Soleil models her crazy couture. Strut!

Lulu is too happy to sit still!

Soleil indulges my desire to deck myself in Christmas ornaments...
Light-up Christmas lights necklace? Check.
Glitter bird ornament borrowed from our tree? Check.
Happy dog? Check!

But there's no mistletoe!

 Happy Holidays everybody!

the best restaurant in the world

This is arguably the best reason for moving back: Mumsy's home cookin'!

the rainbow strikes again

I've moved back in to Mumsy's house and I have come to the colorful process of sorting through my t-shirts... colorful indeed.

fancy schmancy

Dark & Stormy (ginger beer, lime juice, and spiced dark rum) at Jon Collins on Minna. Delicious and (maybe) nutritious, especially after a week of hard work and packing.

packing it up

It's finally started. I'm packing my things in preparation for my big move on Friday. And where are Soleil and I relocating? Back to Mumsy's house. I am her Christmas present.

Freedom and independence aside, I'm going to miss living here. Sure there are a few shady neighbors in the Sunset but it's so nice being just 2 blocks from the beach instead of 4 blocks and a hill. Instead of a Walgreens, I'm just a block away from a freshly stocked greengrocer and bakery. And my landlords are awesome people.

There are plenty of pluses to returning to the Richmond... I'm looking forward to a speedier and more reliable commute, a guaranteed parking slot on the driveway, and the beauty of ocean views with the tsunami-resistant quality of being at tbe top of a hill. Soleil will be thrilled to return to such a large playspace, though Johnny Cat will not be pleased. Poor Johnny Cat.

Soon I won't be able to stockpile my much-loved vinho verde without risking a reprimand...

the tree looks different this year

Instead of our ancient angel, Mumsy decided to change things up by toppong our Christmas tree with doves from her Easter floral arrangement. Merry Birdsesque Christmas!

the architect of chicken

Lost post from... this Tuesday! Boy am I getting lazy!

New food truck! (As alerted to me by Speedy...)

I love fried chicken as much as the next girl but sometimes, you ache for something different. Chicken & mashed potatoes, chicken and red beans & rice, chicken & waffles...

But your fried chicken odyssey cannot continue until you have tried fried chicken & donuts from ArKi (the Architect's Kitchen!)

This fried chicken is well-seasoned, slightly sweet, and really crispy (though I went with a big group and a couple of friends said their chicken was not crispy.)

But the real glory here is the heavenly combination of fried chicken and donuts... at times ArKi calls these puffs beignets; other times, just plain donuts. Nevermind what this food is classified as, it is wonderful and bliss in a bite! The donut is glazed and slightly crunchy on the outside, soft and dense and warm on the inside. The caramel glaze is splendid... the whole experience reminded me of the sticky buns at Wicked Spoon. And when you combine the chicken in one hand with the donut in the other, you get a culinary phenomenon on your tongue. It is warm and sweet and savory and crunchy... and dare I say, better than any other fried chicken and waffle/potato/pick-your-carb combo.

overpriced fancy lunch battle

Lost post from about one month ago...

 

I've been using the smartphone app LevelUp for a while and it's nice to see businesses and eateries where I before I only saw ugly storefronts. It's also nice to try out some of those mystery spots as well as those super-pricey-yuppie lunch places with the help of a $1 or $2 credit that some businesses give you on LevelUp.

 

In the battle of such expensive healthy lunch places (one of which does have a storefront I used to overlook because it was such an unappealing color of Thousand Island dressing,) I first went to Darn Good Food. Enter on Kearny Street for take out. I ordered the un-fried chicken sandwich, which sounds delicious because it is marinated in yogurt and covered in panko bread crumbs... which means that no matter what they do to the chicken, it's going to be juicy and tender.

 

The sandwich was certainly juicy, tender, and delicious. The roasted potatoes and accompanying side salad were nice and fresh, too. It was the size that got me.

 







 



 

My expectations would've been more accurate if they had announced at any time, whether on the online menu or in store, that the sandwich is actually a wrap the length of your biodegradable fork. Maybe I'm asking for too much for $9. Or maybe I just expect to not have to go snack hunting an hour after I eat.

 

Next, I tried Fleur de Sel, a cute little café-type deal that should really reconsider the exterior paint color. Should you want more than just a sandwich, Fleur de Sel offeres customizable boxed lunches for $9.50 (half sandwich) and $13 (full sandwich.) The boxes come with a side and a dessert. Oh, did you say dessert?

 

This boxed lunch is a half-sandwich portion of the tri-tip sandwich, a side of the corn-riddled quinoa salad, and a seasonal fruit cup. The take-out packaging is superior to DGF's... this box has three locks and everything is wrapped up nicely.

 

 

Nice and neat, ready to eat! The sandwich was delicious and bready, but could benefit from a little more heat. The quinoa salad was actually my favorite part, the quinoa and corn and cheese all provided different textures and mixed nicely with the tomatoes... that little Peruvian grain is really growing on me. The fruit cup wasn't anything special, though as you can see they are cut up into little itty-bitty pieces to make you feel babied. And there is a lot of fruit.

 

 

Oh look, everything is kind of small. But that's okay because I was clearly given the option to choose a full-size or half-size sandwich. And now I know that DGF's normal portions are what normal people consider a half-size. And Fleur de Sel's half-size is still larger than DGF's sandwich wrap thing.

 

So... I must admit that DGF had it a little harder because I went there first and I am predisposed to dislike such pretentious "we're so healthy for you" sorts of places. For me, their unfried chicken sandwich tastes better than FDS's trip-tip. But the size is downright disappointing... couldn't you add a little more potatoes or salad to make up for it? Fleur de Sel's sandwiches could use a little more pep but you know what you're paying for over there. And the quinoa salad really takes the cake for me (yes, it just beat DGF's roasted potatoes.)

 

Oh my, if I choose another food over potatoes, maybe the world really is coming to an end.

gold like Au

Lost post from two weeks ago...

I do love eating sandwiches from Sentinel on New Montgomery... so when Speedy told me about Au (Golden West,) a take-out window in Trinity Alley from the same man behind Sentinel, I had to try it. After all, it's only a few steps (or a jump out the window, whatever) away.

This is their crown jewel, a short rib sandwich smothered in caramelized onions on their deliciously buttery bread.The price point and taste are about the same... the sandwich has good flavor and the beef is very tender. I do question whether or not these sandwiches are hot enough... after all, it is a short elevator ride back up to the office to enjoy my sandwich but it was not as piping hot as say, Sentinel's iconic corned beef sandwich. But the short rib lunch was still tasty and you can tell that the same guy writes the menu for both places.

 

Au's menu is much smaller and is conveniently located (for me) and has the same flavor profile as big sister Sentinel. I hope to see more variety in Au's menu soon, otherwise I will be returning to Sentinel hearty sandwiches.

Twinkie time

Last week I took my first crack at making twinkies. I was so proud I forgot to blog about it! Call these next few posts the Lost Pages...

The recipe is from this imitation expert who experiments to create the best doppelganger recipes. I started by beating the eggs whites for a long time... maybe 8 minutes with my hand mixer. You want to get the stiff peaks out of the egg whites.

Pound cake mix and water are blended...

then the egg whites are gently folded in.

Molds are crafted out of aluminum foil.

Bake! For about 30 minutes.

While baking, I made the marshmallow filling. It's similar to a whoopie pie's filling and is based on marshmallow fluff.

I don't have any decorating tips or the patience to fill the twinkies properly so I made twinkie sandwiches instead. Cut them in half lengthwise and spread that cream!

These are pretty good and everyone who had one loved it. But I am always pushing for twinkie excellence. Though spongy, these homemade twinkies still felt dense. Should I beat the eggs longer next time?

Soleil woke me up...

... just in time for the outer Sunset blackout!

The view from my bed. I'll be seeing a lot of this today.

Oh yeah, time to turn off the 4G to save power.

I am a grammar nazi

At a trivia fundraiser for a school... a friend explained that in football, a "bye" can mean a free pass (not the throwing kind.)

But honestly, teachers organized this fundraiser! I just hope - for the sake of the children! - that the author of this flyer meant to use the football definition.