shrimp ahoy

So I decided to defrost a huge bag of shrimp last night, and you know you're not supposed to refreeze seafood. So tonight was a shrimp cooking party!

The inspiration:

funny how the selling point for Sandra Lee's book is
"nothing is made from scratch!"

Some of you may remember the Redwall series by British children's author Brian Jacques. Well he turned out a few supplementary volumes for the collection and the cookbook is probably the most important, since he principally wrote his trademark tomes of ten page-long feasts for children in hospitals. Describing the delicious food is his way of capturing children's imaginations so it's only fitting that he eventually turn out a cookbook from the same universe.

And Sandra Lee? As much as I like to make fun of her, the concept is pretty practical: using both fresh and processed/prepared food to speed up cooking while keeping things fresh. But who doesn't do that already? Is a cookbook really needed for this method?

Anyways, I don't even know how this Sandra Lee cookbook made it into our house. All I know is that I took it with me when I moved out because I figured that would be exactly how I'd be cooking.

Here's a soup from the Redwall cookbook... Shrimp 'n' Hotroot soup, to be exact. It's supposed to be a favorite of the otters, who probably represent sailors in old British society. How do I come across this? Because I actually took a class on this children's book series in college. Oh yes I did.

Now, back to cooking...

melt some butter, then soften up some onion and chopped leek

chop a few potatoes.
Since the cookbook recommends cooking the potatoes for just 15-20 minutes,
I've cut these a little thinner.
You know, because every aspiring Jeopardy! contestant knows that
the more surface area there is, the faster it cooks.

Softened roots... make sure they don't brown!

Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, pepper,
spicy pepper (cayenne, red flakes, whatever,) and a dash of cumin.

Stir!

Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes while covered.

After simmering, add shrimp...

and one cup of milk.

Heat for a minute or two more and enjoy!

Even if you don't like spicy food, add a little pepper because without it, the soup is pretty bland. It is British! But this is a great, easy-to-make soup that warms you up and puts a big bag of shrimp to good use. The onions and leeks are actually pretty fabulous in this soup, too (when else do you eat leeks? For me, it's only in this soup!)

On the other side of shrimpy food we have Sandra Lee's ceviche (in the chapter on Mexican food, of course.) I pared down the ingredients to the bare basics: shrimp, lime, and red onion. That way it's entirely homemade!

Squeezed 6 limes into that little jar and it filled up about halfway.
Squeezing limes by hand is quite the workout for your hands...
and dangerous! Citrus juice stings eyes!

So squeeze as much lime juice as you can manage, shop up some red onion (I used half an onion here) and fill that jar to the top with raw shrimp.

fancy shrimp time!

Store in the refrigerator for at least four hours... I bet this would make an eye-opening breakfast tomorrow morning!

nothing beats Mom's cooking

nothing!

Not even when she burns the beef... it still tastes good.

Mumsy's beef stew... not to be mistaken for my beouf bourguignon
since Mumsy HATES grease.
Even after I skim off the bacon fat it's too fatty.

Nice and hearty, made with little beef cubes and an abundance of red wine. And the burning of the beef earlier? It added a smoky flavor to the stew... how ingenious!

Talk about magical mom powers.

flavor explosion

I said I'd be back!

Tater and I found ourselves at Currylicious again... at the encouragement of a living social deal... again. And again, the food was delectable and thrifty, though it feels like it took considerably longer for the food to come out. Probably because we were hungry.

Clockwise from top left: aloo gobi, garlic naan,
chicken TK and lamb biryani

By the way, it looks like they've spiced up their website... it's so modern, verging on futuristic. Such a juxtaposition to the brightly-painted location, which is so small that it pushes a bit of a quaint feeling upon you once you enter.

just desserts

Since Tater and I were planning on eating out for dinner last night, we decided it was only right to bake nothing but dessert.

After much debate over how many blocks of cream cheese should go into a cheesecake or how long to bake the cheesecake or whether we should add sour cream and heavy cream to the cheesecake, we finally produced an Oreo cheesecake worthy of elastic-waist pants. And we also concluded that cheesecakes are trouble.

Oreo cheesecake... this is so rich that even I have to take a break.

We made our very own cream puffs, which turned out to be much easier than the cheesecake project. No more waiting for Beard Papa deals when I can turn this out of my oven!

my very own crew of soft and golden puff "boys"

topped with vanilla ice cream... making our own profiteroles.

Now I have too much cheesecake... I need to unload it somewhere...

cuteness overload

There were a lot of cute stuff this week...

When the Rib Whip truck came by Truckstop, Driver was so excited he bought a rib plate for everyon on our team to share:

one rib each!

So tender and juicy. Pretty good barbeque sauce (had a little vinegar in it... I think that's Kansas City-style BBQ-ing.) And yes, barbecued ribs can be cute.

To my dismay I learned that Peet's Coffee will no longer be carrying their Devil's Food Cupcakes. But then I saw this beauty, which will make a fine replacement whenever I have a sugar attack. Begin the era of miniature lemon bundt cakes!

That little bundt is quite heavy for its size.
Super-moist and just the right combination of sweet and salty.
I'm even happy with the frugal quantity of icing on top!

And on top of all that, Driver nabbed yet another groupon (or living social or whatever hip site you all are on these days) deal for cream puffs from Beard Papa. $11 for a dozen puffs? How can anyone resist?

a happy box

I love how large Beard Papa's cream puffs are!

Do you see those two black specks?
That's REAL vanilla bean!

It's a good thing all those Beard Papa locations are so far away from where I live or, well, you know.

Speaking of food I shouldn't be eating, it's that time of the year when McDonald's and Monopoly collide to tease our hopes of winning one million dollars. I don't know why I fall for it every year but I think it has something to do with filling up my paper game board with waxy pieces peeled off of my french fries. And the increased possibility that those fries may be free.

As you can see I've already won free medium-sized fries. I also won a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (the mediocre burger below... I think my favorite quality is that it comes with pickles.) But to my dismay the cashier told me that I cannot combine free vouchers... one per customer (per visit?) I didn't want to pull a jerk move and tell him to put my burger and fries on separate receipts but shouldn't I have it my way?

Oh wait, that's Burger King's slogan.

who doesn't love free food?

 It's just for one month a year!

And now, back to real cuteness: For Kawaii's birthday party, I took a trip to the Sanrio store (that's "the Hello Kitty store" for little girls) and found some sassy Hello Kitty shot glasses. I didn't have the forsight to take a picture before the cashier wrapped it up but rest assured, they are adorable. And I might get a pair myself.

What I did snatch for myself was this key cover... and not just any key cover, but a San Francisco-edition of Hello Kitty dressed as one of our famous sea lions.

And then to top it all off, Mignon made these super-cute cake pops!

Cake pops and kittens in costume

with STRAWBERRY cake filling!

Oh yes, it's been a cute week.

setting the stage for sweet dreams

As a rational individual I know that there isn't any correlation between different sheets and different level of satisfaction in sleep. I mean, assuming whatever sheets you choose to use are clean, one set from another shouldn't matter.

But I must make an exception for these Missoni for Target bedclothes:

my private garden

I have been sleeping in this gorgeous bed for two nights now and I swear that my usual five hours of sleep are now more potent than they used to be. Go figure.

Honestly, I didn't have too many choices when picking my duvet set as Target online had already sold out of Colore, a duvet set with the iconic chevrons. But I am in love with this fantastical floral and I am very happy that I took a friend's advise and got the moodier brown and blue color palette (the other was pink and ivory.) And though my bed doesn't hit you on the head with Missoni's trademark zig-zags, my cradle of sleep wears the chevrons quietly.

So far, no word on the effects of these Missoni sheets on Q-Tip.

when Martha fails you...

turn to the nearest tipsy British woman!

Rather than tossing a huge glob of cookie dough, I baked the rest of Martha's problem cookies (for just ten minutes instead of the recommended fourteen.) These came off the baking sheet more willingly, though a little elbow grease was still required.

The mascarpone-heavy cream blend that was supposed to bind the cookies into a cake was nowhere near as thick as it need to be, no matter how long I beat the cream mixture. I know Martha Stewart is in her own world when it comes to living an impossibly perfect Stepford-esque existence but these desserts are just not meant to be for us common folk.

So having all this mascarpone-cream and chocolate chip cookies lying around, I decided there was only one thing left to do: make ice cream!

The recipe is from Liz Franklin aptly named book Ice Cream. The recipes are inventive (blueberry streusel, pineapple and fresh mint) and the photographs for each frozen treat are marvelous. Though I haven't made a lot of the recipes in this book, I love that she advises the reader to add rum, Southern Comfort, or whatever is at hand into the ice cream.

Q-Tip doesn't like his new "blanket."
Ice Cream by Liz Franklin,
photography (in the book) by William Lingwood

And the happy result?

chocolate chip cookie ice cream

Could use some more cookies, but I have plenty of those.

This mascarpone-based ice cream is very rich... it turned out to be so thick that the ice cream maker couldn't spin anymore and I had to fold in the cookie crumbles by hand. The super-crunchy cookies that were not fit to my baking sheet work wonderfully in this ice cream, providing a refreshing crunch to the luxurious texture of the mascarpone. This ice cream tastes like something those boutique creameries would sell, and not once drop of vanilla was added!

I guess now that I have a sweet confection prepared, it's time to pay a visit to Mumsy.

practice makes perfect

I think I just might have enough cooking experience that I can spin ingredients into a new recipe with confidence and not worry so much as to whether or not the result will taste good.

Stopped by my favorite local greengrocer during the Noriega Street Block Party and picked up a few fresh items...

Noriega Produce Market, dressed up for the block party

I am not one to fall for a vegetable simply because it's labelled "organic..." that word has next to no effect on me. So I love that this place sells genetically-modified, pesticide-laced, hormone-spiked fruit along with their organic offerings. And sometimes, the organic stuff is on sale and ends up being cheaper than the usual stuff. Ever since moving here, I love getting my fruit here... blood oranges in the winter, watermelon and peaches in the summer, and sweet potatoes and strawberries year-round!

If nothing else, I highly recommend that you find your nearest family-owned greengrocer because the produce sold in these little stores is much cheaper than the stuff you'll find at large chain supermarkets (like Safeway) and those independent-feeling mid-sized markets (Trader Joe's.) In fact, I attribute Noriega Produce Market for my growing infrequency of visits to the overcrowded Trader Joe's. I'm not saying this is the place to stock up on canned green beans (that's a Safeway, or even Costco, matter) but if you're looking for fresh fruits and vegetables at a budget-friendly price, please check out your neighborhood grocery store.

My haul for the day...

strawberries for 99 cents!? YES!

eat the rainbow

And with a little slicing, one peach and avocado transform basic salad greens into a tasty first course. For dressing, I skipped the olive oil and squeezed the juice of one lime over the plate. The peach adds sweetness, the avocado adds a luscious quality, and the lime keeps everything fresh and sharp.

Avocado - neat or mutilated - is always delicious

My greengrocer doesn't stock a lot of meat... I only buy my emergency bacon there (because it's an emergency!) So to round out my light dinner, I boiled some potatoes and eggs and paired them with that herring from IKEA... love the IKEA supermarket! Not sure how these herring fillets are meant to be eaten (on crackers, over rice, solo) but to me, you can't go wrong with potatoes.

L: (Sill Senap) herring in mustard
R: (Sill Gräddfil) herring in sour cream

Being a fan of raw fish, I love these IKEA herring foodstuffs. The mustard in Sill Senap is slightly sweet and tangy while the Sill Gräddfil bursts with a fresh dill flavor. I like this delectable and easy-to-make plate- and I definitely see more in the near future!

the differences are subtle

I have spent most of my life in the Outer Richmond... it's almost always foggy and refreshingly peaceful. I had the fortune to live in a house that sat right on the 38 Geary bus line. The nearest park and Walgreens were less than five blocks away. Perhaps one of the best parts - and the selling point for the house -  is that we have a great view of the ocean from our living room. But the bad parts? Whenever there's a run or marathon - and the number of these events is growing - they always run by our house. Sometimes a new bus driver would veer the 38 a little closer to the curb and the house would tremble as the coach rolled by. And since cars are always speeding up the hill from Ocean Beach, crossing the street can be intimidating. I never thought much about it until one morning when I was crossing the street. The car was going uphill but was a block away and I was already halfway across the street. Turns out this old lady hit the brakes just in time... I never thought my visibility would be a problem seeing me; my wardrobe consists mostly of pieces that run the gamut from bright to dayglow. But I am much more careful now.

Most people wouldn't think much of the Richmond and the Sunset but I see them. I have been living in the Outer Sunset since last December and the differences are glaring for someone like me. It is very quiet here... I am only one block from several bus lines but I never hear the clogged beep of a bus rumbling down the street. The commute to work is consistently problematic... my fellow N metro and NX riders feel my pain. And though I am on 47th Avenue (out of the 48 avenues after Arguello,) I cannot see the ocean. The Sunset is a flat swathe of land between Twin Peaks and the Pacific. Since the Great Highway is a little raised, you cannot actually see the water or sand from street level when you are this close.

On the plus side of my adopted neighborhood, the Outer Sunset has more dogs, easier street parking (with the exception of that Bay to Breakers situation) and a friendlier community feel. Not saying that people in the Outer Richmond are mean, just that Mumsy's next-door neighbors all leave something to be desired. I think the most interaction I've ever had with a stranger in the Outer Richmond was just giving directions. Today in the Outer Sunset was the first ever Noriega Street Block Party!

finally, music you can hear a block away!

it's not official until there's a police barrier

and it's not fun unless there's a bouncy house!

this nameless band (did not catch the name, super sorry about that)
played great feel-good rock.

And a souvenir for myself... found a jewelry stand with some interesting pieces. Snagged these earrings at $5 a pair (it pays to wait until the eleventh hour to buy.)

L: yellow howlite spears.
R: agate and hematite drops

Besides the color, these howlite earrings struck a chord with me because I've never seen fittings like this. Look at that zig-zag!

So the question is whether or not the Noriega Merchants Association will bring the block party back next year...

the sun always shines

for a school's car wash.

I've been waiting to wash my car for a while... I know it accumulated a lot of dust during those foggy summer months but I decided to hold out until the school year started. I went to Presidio for middle school and my music class held a car wash every year to raise money for... I'm not sure, sheet music? Anyways, when I found out that Oddjob's middle school was holding a car wash today, I made plans to show up.

The cleaning job included vacuuming...

washing...

Oddjob hard at work... I think.
Only one tire was clean, and it wasn't the rear left!

and drying. In the end I was impressed with the work. I admit I did not expect the car to pass a glove test everywhere but for the amount of sticky goo on the roof and windshield, the car was really clean. I saw the kids scrub twice so I knew I had to make a generous donation. Besides, Popsy tells me that the music program at Oddjob's school is actually quite famous among junior highs and consistently places in music competitions.

Since it was an unusually warm day, I treated Oddjob to some ice cream at Polly Ann's before taking her home.

The line wasn't nearly as long as the line snaking out of Bi-Rite, but I prefer it that way.

Strawberry for me, minty oreo cookie for Oddjob

Now my car is clean!

at Fisherman's Wharf

To finish off the week, Tater, her boyfriend Muddy, and I jetted off to that Boudin's Restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf... you didn't think we had forgotten about that crab-spinach-artichoke dip, did you?

the ultimate appetizer, crab-spinach-artichoke dip,
and my libation of the night: the Valencia, a blood orange and tequila concoction
complete with roasted orange slices

Tater's Basil Gimlet

The dip was so good... creamy with ample crab chunks. I liked that the sourdough accompaniment was toasted. My only complaint is that it was so small!

Dinner was delicious and expensive, as expected. I believe each entrée was at least $23 but Boudin's definitely showed me they can do more than lunch sandwiches:

Muddy's ribeye steak... there was this really great sauce on the tender ribeye.
Top-notch.

Tater's halibut with polenta cakes.
Cooked well but to Tater's dismay, not as memorable as the others.

My sourdough gnocchi in pesto with lobster.
Loved the plentiful lobster bits.
The crazy green strings on top were... weird- but good.
They were like crispy green onions that disintegrated upon touch
and gave a slight bitter taste to the composition.

Dessert, as recommended by our waiter...

sourdough apple tart with cinnamon gelato.
You know how sometimes you get a bit of dough that isn't cooked all the way?
That's how most of the tart was since it was cooked with the apples and sauce.
And warm sourdough dough is really sour.
Also, I would've liked more cinnamon gelato.

Can't go wrong with a creme brulee! No regrets about this plate!

And as usual, we were treated to a display of huggable sourdough critters:

koalas and turtles and crabs, oh my!
The lobster in the foreground has googly eyes... love at first sight!

Now just around the corner is the new home of the Musée Mécanique. This fantastic arcade features fortune-tellers, moving dioramas, music boxes, and fortune tellers, all the amusements that cost prewar America about a penny or a nickel each. The Musée Mécanique used to sit just behind the Cliff House, which is very close to Mumsy's house and where I grew up. But then they relocated the arcade to Fisherman's Wharf during the Cliff House remodeling... I hesitate to call it a restoration because the Cliff House looks very different.

Well this time the move worked in my favor and we waltzed into the nearby Musée Mécanique. I love that they keep the intrusion of newer arcade games (80s and on) to a minimum and that everything here - with the exception of the photo booth - costs just one or two quarters. Also, the arcade closes at 9PM but the employee manning the door isn't at all pushy about getting people out on the dot. Some of our new friends:

Jolly Jack laughs heartily for quite a long time.
He might laugh hard enough to bang his nose on the glass, all for 25 cents.

Tater tests her strength

the Bimbo Box

Muddy scores twice but the game only recognizes one shot

looks like it's going to hit the 50-point hoop, doesn't it?

If you find yourself in the touristy part of town, this is one gimmick I recommend to anyone and everyone.

And now, to end the night, let me show you how Tater gets rid of the foam in her beer:

Magic fingers!