Ike's Place Sandwiches

There's a famous, word-of-mouth sandwich place in San Francisco called Ike's Place Sandwiches.  The word on the street is that the sandwiches are so good that people will wait an hour in line to get one and that the place is becoming so popular that they were kicked out of their former location for being too busy (i.e. too many people standing in line and blocking the sidewalk).  Thankfully, Ike's decided to open up a location at Stanford University, which is not too far from my apartment.  The bad news is that the Stanford location is only open from 10am to 7pm, Monday through Friday, so any chance I was going to have at getting to try it was going to have to be a day off from work.  Luckily, I had the day off a few weeks ago and decided to finally try the famous Ike's Place sandwiches.  I ordered the Nacho Boy sandwich which has roast beef, mushrooms, avocado and swiss and I added on some "Ike's dirty secret sauce" and tomato on french bread.  Thankfully, the Stanford location is not as busy as the SF location so my sandwich was waiting for me when I arrived.  Here's a picture of the sandwich:

I'm not sure if I had set my expectations too high based on the hype that I had heard but I didn't find the sandwich to be spectacular.  The Ike's dirty sauce was overpowering to me - it had a strong garlic aioli flavor with mayo mixed in, which destroyed any balance that the sandwich ingredients might have had with each other since all I tasted in each bite was the dirty sauce.  Next time I'll ask for less dirty sauce in the hopes that it will add flavor but not totally take over the sandwich.  Other than that, the sandwich was fine so I'd be willing to give Ike's another shot but not if I have to stand in line for an hour to pick it up.

Alexander's Steakhouse

Last month I had the opportunity to dine at Alexander's Steakhouse, an amazing steakhouse that recently received its first Michelin star.  As much as I enjoy food, I can count on one hand the number of Michelin-rated restaurants that I've eaten at because they tend to be very expensive and hard to get a reservation.  Luckily, I knew someone who had an "in" at Alexander's and so I was able to finally eat there.  Given that it's a nicer restaurant, I did not feel comfortable taking pictures of the dishes I ate so all I can do is list the information here (based on memory, which may be deficient).  Lest you all wonder if I've developed the appetite of an NFL linebacker, I went with a party of 5 people and we shared most of the items below:

Starter course
Hamachi shots - truffled ponzu sauce, chili, avocado, frizzled ginger, cilantro greens

Palate Cleanser
Shot of creamy truffle soup

Main Course
10 oz filet mignon - tarragon-mustard beurre blanc, demi-glace
Truffled french fries - white truffle oil, parmesan potato purée
Mac 'N Cheese - white truffle oil
Creamed Spinach - feta cheese, crisp filo
Potatoes Au Gratin

Palate Cleanser
Fruit sorbet

Dessert
Lemon Chamomile herbal tea
Housemade cotton candy - bubble gum flavor

Potato Leek Soup

Even though I now live in a place where it doesn't really turn that cold in the fall/winter, my psyche still craves soup this time of year.  I've always enjoyed ordering potato leek soup at restaurants so when I came across Ina Garten's (aka The Barefoot Contessa) roasted potato leek soup recipe, I figured it was worth a try because vegetables taste better roasted.

I didn't have enough chicken stock (not broth, stock) on hand to make an entire recipe (plus, I'm not feeding a family of 10) so I halved the recipe.  One tip when working with leeks, make sure that you thoroughly clean them of all the dirt/sand, otherwise your soup will end up gritty.  The easiest way I've found to clean leaks is to cut the dark green stalk off (it's too tough to eat anyway) and then cut from the white end to the green end lengthwise.  Then roll the stock a half turn and make another cut lengthwise.  When you're done, you should end up with a small part of the white stalk that isn't cut and then 4 even portions of the stock sort of splaying out from there, like this:

This way, when you run the stalk under water, you can spread out the four portions and really get in between the layers.

Here's the potatoes and leeks in the roasting pan:

The recipe calls for the use of a sheet pan but I didn't have one that would have been large enough to fit all the ingredients and so I used a roasting pan.  When I make this again, I will use a sheet pan because the roasting pan took longer to roast the vegetables and some of the thinner leek slices burned before the rest of the potatoes were done.  I'm guessing this is because the sides of the roasting pan are higher than a sheet pan, thereby preventing the air in the oven from circulating over the pan as easily as it would with a sheet pan.

Here are the roasted veggies with the white wine and chicken stock to deglaze the pan:

The recipe called for blending the vegetables in batches and then transferring them to a dutch oven to finish cooking.  However, since I don't have a blender and actually prefer to use my stick blender, I just dumped all the veggies and the juice into the dutch oven and blended them in the pot:

Here's a picture of the soup after adding the cream and creme fraiche:

I didn't have any shallots on hand so I skipped the steps to make crispy shallots.  I finished my bowl off with some grated parmesan:

And ate it with some crusty bread:

I will definitely make this soup again, using the sheet pan and cooking the white wine out a little more in the deglazing step since my soup had a strong taste of wine.  Still, this will go into my recipe box for the next time I'm craving a hearty soup when it's cold(er) outside.

Cuban food

I'm not quite sure how this happened but I've managed to go more than 30 years of my life without trying true Cuban cuisine.  I finally managed to solve that problem a few days ago when I ate dinner at La Bodeguita Del Medio.  The restaurant had been recommended to me by a friend and so when a few friends and I were looking for a new place to eat dinner, I suggested La Bodeguita.  It's a small restaurant serving authentic Cuban food with a great menu.  I love places that have a small menu because it makes it easy to pick something to eat and you know that every dish has to be good or it wouldn't make it onto the menu.  The group started with the empanadas, which were recommended by our waiter.  Here's a photo:

Our waiter also brought us some extra dipping sauces for our empanadas, my favorite sauce being a warm guava sauce with jalapenos. 

I ordered the Arroz Con Pollo for my main dish, which I've been dying to try since I saw the dish featured on a food special.  Here's a picture:

Although there were about 8 other dishes on the menu that I still want to try, I would absolutely order this dish again in a heartbeat.  The chicken was so tender that it fell off the bone and the tomato sauce it was coated in was amazing.  Add in the sweetness of the plaintains and the rice and each bite was perfectly balanced.

I finished off my meal with a blood orange sorbet which was ok, not spectacular.  Still, I'll be going back to this place very soon because I can't wait to explore some more Cuban dishes!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

The first time I ever made a bechamel sauce was as a part of this Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe.  Turns out, knowing how to make a bechamel sauce is a good skill to have as it's the base for most alfredo sauces, souffles, macaroni and cheese and a part of this great recipe.

Here's the butternut squash, diced and ready to cook for 20 minutes until fork tender:

And after it's cooked and blended (has the consistency of good baby food):

One more thing about the butternut squash layer, the recipe calls for some crushed amaretti cookies.  These are the italian equivalent of those super dry, crunchy, tasteless almond cookies that you sometimes see in Chinese restaurants.  Most grocery stores carry the amaretti cookies if you want to add them, I never do and the recipe is just as good without them. 

The bechamel sauce after it's cooked and thickened:

I know when the sauce is done when it coats the back of a spoon and keeps separate when a line is drawn down the back of the spoon:

Although the recipe calls for the use of a blender when adding the basil to the bechamel sauce, I've found that my immersion blender (aka stick blender) works better:

Here's the slightly cooled bechamel with the basil added:

The secret to this recipe is actually in the fact that it uses no-boil lasagna noodles.  No more having to boil the noodles and keep them wet until you actually need them for the recipe.  Here's the brand I use, just look for "No Boiling Required" on the label:

Here's the first layer of bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan, it helps keep the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan:

First layer of noodles.  The recipe calls for 3 noodles but I sometimes squeeze in 4 in a layer and just overlap them:

Layer of the butternut squash sauce:

I use an offset spatula to spread the squash layer:

The cheese layer:

And the sauce layer:

Repeat the steps above as many times as you can with the bechamel, squash and noodles you have.  Here's a picture of the layered lasagna before it goes into the oven:

The final product after it comes out of the oven:

The hardest part about this recipe is really all the prep work it takes to prepare the different sauces.  Once you can master those, the assembly isn't bad and the end result is well worth all the work.  Enjoy!

Crepes

I think people think I'm kidding when I tell them that my dream is to own a food truck that sells sweet and savory crepes.  Reality is, I'm totally serious.  If I'm going to make good on my dream, I figure that I need to master the art of making crepes before anyone will want to buy them from me (especially from a food truck).  I've tried several recipes over the years and have not yet found "the one."  In the meantime, it's fun to try out different recipes.  Until I can get a crepe maker of my own:

I use a regular pan:

This batch was a fresh mango, nutella, homemade whipped cream crepe:

My search for a good crepe recipe continues.  If any of you have a recommendation, leave it as a comment and I'll give it a try!

Frozen Brownie Sundaes

I'm not ashamed to admit that a majority of the recipes I try come from one or two chefs on the Food Network.  This one is no different, it's Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Frozen Brownie Sundaes.  I don't normally like recipes that waste food as part of their process (this one has you use only part of a brownie mix) but I was so intrigued by the recipe that I made an exception.  Although the recipe takes awhile to make, it was well worth the wait.

Here is the brownie layer before cooking:

And after cooking:

For some reason, I forgot to take a picture of the ice cream layer.  Since I was worried that the ice cream might melt too much if I didn't watch it, I ended up "softening" the ice cream in the microwave.  15 seconds in the microwave softened the frozen ice cream enough so that it was still frozen but easily spreadable.

After the ice cream layer re-froze overnight, it was time to make the chocolate layer.  Although the recipe tells you to heat the cream in a pan and then add in the chocolate, I've never had much luck with heating the cream to the right temperature without burning it.  So, I just used the double boiler method and it came out fine:

One other point on the chocolate layer - I made the chocolate layer as the recipe directed but found that it made for too thick of a layer on top of the ice cream than I would have preferred.  Next time, I'll cut the chocolate layer recipe in half so that it's more to my liking.

Back into the freezer for an hour or so and it was ready to eat (thankfully, I was losing patience).  I didn't have frozen strawberries on hand but my roommate had some fresh strawberries so I improvised and came up with a pretty good strawberry sauce.  Here's the final product:

This dessert was tasty and, all things considered, not too hard to make.  I probably won't make it all the time but it'll go into my repertoire for when I need to really impress.

Vermont Brownie Company - Part II

Last year I ordered some brownies from the Vermont Brownie Company for my mom for her birthday.  I'd seen the two owners win a brownie throwdown against Bobby Flay and my mom said that the brownies I'd ordered her were delicious so put them on my list of things to try.  A few weeks ago I got an email announcing one of their new flavors - peanut butter.  There are only a few things that I like more than peanut butter with chocolate so I saw this as a sign that I was finally meant to try the brownies myself.  I ordered a box and they arrived 3 days later:

Needless to say, they looked so appetizing that I had to try one right away:

The brownie was excellent although a little on the rich side.  I ended up having to split it with my roommate but we were both satisfied.  The all-natural peanut butter really makes a difference, it blends well with the rich chocolate. 

Chicago Style Hot Dog

I grew up in the Chicago area so it's hard for me to admit that I did not learn to appreciate a good Chicago style hot dog until I moved away from the area.  Once you've had a bad hot dog, you know when you've had a good hot dog and the Chicago style hot dog at Portillo's is one of my favorite.  For those of you who aren't familiar with what a Chicago style hot dog is, the first rule is that you CANNOT put ketchup on it.  In fact, most authentic places will curse you under their breath if you happen to make the faux pas of requesting ketchup.  Lest you think that there's no flavor if there's no ketchup, here's what's typically included on a Chicago style hot dog: mustard, relish, freshly chopped onions, sliced red ripe tomatoes, kosher pickle and sport peppers on a poppy seed bun.  Needless to say, there's plenty to enjoy in every bite and so I make it a point to get a Portillo's hot dog when I go home to visit.  Here's a picture from a recent trip:

My mouth is watering already...

Mission Pie

I've lived in the San Francisco area for almost three years now but I have to admit that I don't know San Francisco very well.  Thankfully, a new friend offered to show me around the city, which included a stop at Papalote Mexican Grill (see my earlier post on that), as well as Mission Pie for dessert.  Mission Pie is a neighborhood bakery located in the Mission District that focuses on sourcing their ingredients from local farmers and emphasizes recycling.  My guide recommended it as a good place to grab a piece of homemade pie so I was game.  The pie menu changes daily but they have a good mix of both sweet and savory pies.  I was in the mood for sweet so I ordered a slice of peach pie.  Here's a picture:

Right away I could taste the difference that the fresh ingredients made and the crust was the right amount of crispiness for my taste.  All in all, it was a good piece of pie and I would recommend trying the place if you're ever in the area.

Papalote Mexican Grill

I'm a regular watcher of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and I was delighted to see that one of his episodes featured a local restaurant, Papalote Mexican Grill.  The throwdown challenge was a burrito challenge with Bobby taking on the "Triple Threat" burrito from Papalote.  The Papalote burrito ended up winning, which is a great feat given that Bobby Flay is known for his ability to cook Mexican food.  After watching the episode, I put it on my list of places to try and I finally did so a few weeks ago.

I wasn't hungry enough to try the winning "Triple Threat" burrito (here's a link to what's in it: http://www.papalote-sf.com/menu.html - it costs $25).  Instead I tried their carne asada tacos with a side of rice.  Here's a picture of my meal:

As much as it pains me to say it, I wasn't blown away by my meal - with one AMAZING exception, their homemade salsa.  Here's a picture of the salsa:

Words cannot express how good the salsa is.  It's the right amount of heat and however they make it gives it this creamy texture that is to die for.  Although the location I went to did not sell the salsa in jars, I've heard that the other Papalote location does and I fully plan to make a trip just to buy a few jars of the tasty salsa.  So, even though I did not love my carne asade tacos and rice, the salsa more than made up the difference.

When Thomas Keller Says Jump, I Say How High?

Although I've yet to experience Thomas Keller's cooking firsthand, it's on my bucket list.  I recently saw this article on CNN and thought that it could give me a chance to get into the mind of "the only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings by the Michelin Guide, and has received numerous awards from the James Beard Foundation, including "Best Chef in America."  I have no delusions that I'll end up as good a chef as Mr. Keller but if his recommendations can help me improve my own skills, I'm all for it.

Thai food

Since moving to California, I've really enjoyed the huge variety of food that's available within driving distance.  One cuisine that I've come to like is Thai cuisine.  I love how all their sauces are light (i.e. not greasy) and so flavorful.  One place I go to a lot is Sala Thai - I've tried several of their dishes and enjoyed them all.  Here are some pics from my last visit:

Pra Ram - steamed spinach, broccoli, and string bean topped w/sauteed meat & peanut sauce

PAD SEE EIW - stir-fried flat noodle w/egg, broccoli, and chicken:

I always get a green curry as well and the green curry at Sala Thai is some of the best I've had (sorry, no picture).

I decided on this trip to end my meal with one of their desserts - Sweet sticky rice with mango.  Here's a photo (which doesn't do it justice - it's amazingly good):

Taco Truck

I'm from the midwest and so the idea of buying food from a truck that drives around (or sometimes just stays in one place) seemed a little weird.  When I moved to California though, lots of people touted the virtues of buying food from a truck and so I decided that it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about.  I took a friend who is well-versed in taco tuck food/etiquette and we tried the El Grullense taco truck in the east bay.  Here's a picture of the truck:

I knew we'd chosen wisely when I saw that they sold tongue, tripe and brain so I knew it was authentic even down to the Mexican soda. 

I wasn't feeling adventurous enough to try the tongue (some day) so I went for a carne asade taco and a carnitas (pork) taco, all for $3.50.  The food was made fresh while we waited and smelled amazing.  Here's a picture of my order:

The carne asada had a lot of fat/grizzle but my pork was perfectly tender and seasoned.  When I go back, I'll get the pork and maybe try the tongue.  Needless to say, I'm no longer afraid of taco trucks!

ESIN restaurant

I'm always on the lookout for new places to eat and so when a friend recommended that we try ESIN in Danville, I was up for the trip.  The menu is standard american food but with a twist.  I ordered the Angus Hangar steak with seasoned french fries, blue cheese butter and arugula salad with vinagrette.  Here's a photo:

The meal was very good and my steak was cooked perfectly to a medium rare.  My friend also happens to know one of the pastry chefs at the restaurant so we all tried a little dessert.  I got blueberry bread pudding with caramel and vanilla sauce to go.  Although the bread pudding probably would have been better fresh out of the oven, it was still pretty good.  I'd recommend checking out this restaurant if you're in the Danville area.

Summer Corn Salad

One of the things I love about summer is all the BBQ's I get invited to.  I usually offer to bring a dish and my mother's summer corn salad is always a big hit.  The best part, aside from the taste, is that it's so easy to make.  Here's a picture from the last time I made this salad:

Here's the recipe:

Thea's Summer Corn Salad
1 can black beans, drained
1 can white corn, drained (don't use yellow corn, it's not as sweet as white corn)
1 avocado, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Marinade:
3 to 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

I usually rinse the beans and corn before I add them to the bowl but it's not required.  I also tend to add more avocado's and less red onion and cilantro since I don't love those flavors.  I'd also recommend making the salad a few hours before serving so that the marinade can really get into the ingredients before you serve it.  I serve mine with a bag of tortilla chips for dipping but the salad is good on its own as a side dish and as a topping for hamburgers.  Enjoy!

Fair Food

I recently had the chance to go to the local county fair and try some fair food, which is really the only reason I can think of to go to a fair.  I started off my eating journey by stopping at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ.  Here's a picture of the BBQ stand:

I had a coupon (who knew there were coupons for a county fair) for a free drink with purchase of a dinner so I split the tri-tip dinner with a friend.  The tri-tip had the telltale smoke ring on the meat so I was expecting great things but I found the meat to be mostly dry and flavorless.

Next I tried deep-fried ravioli.  I've had deep-fried ravioli before but it was breaded and then deep-fried.  This time, the ravioli was not breaded and instead was deep-fried as is, then covered in sauce.  I would have preferred to have had some breading on it but the plain ravioli's weren't so bad.  Here's a picture:

You can barely see the round ravioli under all that sauce and cheese.

Then I moved on to bacon dipped in chocolate.  I'm a fan of the Vosges "Mo's Bacon bar" because the saltiness of the bacon works really well with the sweetness of the chocolate.  So I had high hopes of the bacon dipped in chocolate being a crispy piece of bacon dipped in chocolate, much like the Vosges bar.  Instead, it was cold, tough piece of bacon that was coated with sub-par chocolate.  Needless to say, I took one bite and was done.

After my disappointing interaction with the bacon dipped in chocolate, I shared a funnel cake with a friend, which, as always, was pure sugary goodness.  I was pacing myself though, waiting for the piece de resistance - the reason why I agreed to go to the fair in the first place...

Back in 2001, I had the opportunity to go to the Minnesota state fair, which is the biggest fair I've ever been to in my life.  I tried a lot of fun and interesting things when I was there but the one thing that has always stuck with me was when I tried a deep-fried Snickers for the first time.  It starts off with a frozen snickers bar that is then dipped in sweet batter (sort of like funnel cake batter).  The batter puffs up in the deep fryer and the Snickers bar inside melts into a gooey mess of pure decadence.  Here's a picture before I bit into it:

If you're ever in a place that has deep-fried Snickers, I'd recommend trying it.  The stand I went to also had deep-fried oreos (a friend tried those and gave them a thumbs up), as well as deep-fried peanut butter cups.  I'll be trying the peanut butter cups next time.