Happy Holidays!!

'Tis the Holiday Season and I am just loving all the cookies, parties, poinsettia's, christmas lights, candles.... it is just such a festive time of year that makes me feel warm inside! Thanksgiving was fabulous, one of the best I have to say. Not only was I spending time with my family but eating delicious food too! 


However, I think what contributed most to my successful thanksgiving this year was being able to spend some quality time with my 2nd family right before the holidays. After all, the holidays are much better spent with the people you love :) I went to Boston and was able to re-visit some college favorites AND the Marzilli's!!!! Just being in their house again was a treat for me!! After my visit, It was a nice to come home to my family & to enjoy the next few days with them <3

Antipasto at the Zampella's

Thanksgiving Table

My Plate :) :) 

Mom's homemade crust & Naomi's pumpkin pie

Alongside your family, the closest thing to family are your friends!! Christmas time is great for girls nights!!!!! Vino... dinner... and chatting ALL night!!

Salad, Garlic Bread, and Lucca's homemade pasta mmm!

Jodi's Christmas Present... cookies in a jar!

Instructions 

AND delicious!!!!

Lastly, I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday from my home to yours... I will be traveling throughout Europe with my beau for a few weeks <3... LOTS of pictures and blogs to come when I return... XOXO Happy New Year!!!! See you in 2012 :)

Major Catch Up :)

It has been a while since my last post so needless to say I have a lot to write about :)! Some of these stories are new and some are older ones that I had yet to get to! I have compiled a total of 6 meals I want to share... 1 in house recipe and the other 5 were out at restaurants. 


Meal #1: Leg of Beast


Chris Cosentino has a restaurant in the Castro called Incanto. He also has a special menu called Leg of Beast that needs a minimum of 6 attendees. Greg and I went with our friends Drew & sahar, whom invited their friends Sara and Anthony! The Leg of Beast is a prix fix dinner that includes starters, sides, a main course, and dessert. The main IS the Leg of Beast and the only item identified before you arrive. The starters, sides, and desserts are not pre-set. It's a fun surprise to see what they prepared. Boy was this meal delicious and I feel it needs no further introductions.... check out the pictures and the restaurant for yourself :)

Drew & Sahar with the MASSIVE bone!

our empty bottles :)

Meal #2: El Paseo


For Greg's birthday I decided to take him to a steakhouse... we don't go to them often and it is one of his favorite meals so it only seemed appropriate on this special occasion. I chose Tyler Florence's chophouse in Mill Valley since we were such a fan of his restaurant Wayfare Tavern in the city. Mill Valley is a quaint town not far from Sausalito. The service at this restaurant was impeccible.... however, the food was definitely the show stopper!! Check out our meals.... Beet and Goat Cheese salad, which is more of a norm lately in restaurants but I assure you this was by far one of the bests I have ever had!!!! Greg and I splurged and ordered the Porterhouse for 2... oh man! It was absolutely perfect! It came accompanied by a whole roasted garlic head. I love garlic and meat that melts in your mouth! Our sides were brussel sprouts- too die for- and the duck fat potatoes- our least favorite. I am sure most people will go and love them but Greg found the side dish to be a little oily and I did not like the Romesco sauce they put on the bottom. It is such a smokey flavored sauce that is a bit too heavy for my belly... We saved dessert for Greg's favorite ice cream in the city.. Mitchell's!!!! It is SO creamy and the hot fudge is a guilty pleasure of mine. Overall what a delicious delicious delicious night!!! Highly recommend El Paseo AND Mitchell's!

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

Porterhouse for 2  

Brussel Sprouts & Duck Fat Potatoes 

Mitchell's!!!!!!!

Meal #3: Grilled Cheese Rolls with Tomato Soup


I love making homemade soup, tomato soup being my favorite. I add a little cream and basil to make it less acidic and more enjoyable. Obviously grilled cheese is the most common paired food. I saw on pinterest, of course, a new take on grilled cheese with tomato soup. Make the grilled cheese into rolls and dip them INTO the soup. Well clearly I had to try this so I made it with my family before Thanksgiving. 


Recipe


Grilled Cheese Roll:


Take your bread and remove the crust. Flatten the bread with a rolling pin. Add your cheese and roll the bread up and sauté in butter like you would a regular grilled cheese. Keep rotating sides to get it nice and brown :)


Tomato Soup:


Ingredients:


3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 carrots- unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds ripened tomatoes- coarsly chopped (about 5 large tomatoes)
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves 
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream- optional and I usually do not even use that much


Directions:


Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes- until very tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes are very tender. Add cream and use hand blender to make it smooth/creamy. Serve immediately with some shaved basil leaves and a dollop of creme fraiche mmmm!

Half grilled cheese rolls/half regular grilled cheese 

Dunking the grilled cheese roll into my soup mmm!

Meal #4: Bar Jules- Mother/Daughter Date


My mom stayed with me for a night in the city and of course we decided to go out for dinner! Bar Jules is a restaurant in Hayes Valley that I have read about before. It is small but seemed really cute... and it was! The most intriguing part of this restaurant was how their menu changes EVERY day and for EACH meal.... I was shocked when the waitress told me that! Talk about fresh seasonal produce for each meal ... I am impressed.. and the food 100% reflected that!! I just can't help but to think how much work that is? along with how hard that is with knowing what to buy and how much of it? I guess when you are in the industry they have their own set methodologies, but I was surely boggled! 

Wine & Bread

Pork Shoulder & Polenta 

Sand Dabs with Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts

Meal #5: UMAMI Burger comes to SF :) :)


Ever since my friend Sahar and I went to the UMAMI Burger in Santa Monica, I had craved this burger every single day! I couldn't wait for my next visit to LA to get it!!! Then my dream came true and the owner opened up a restaurant right here in San Francisco!!!!!!! OF COURSE Sahar and I went and brought our boys along to WOW them... needless to say everyone left extremely happy as we anticipated! I recently brought my parents and despite the hour and a half wait, it was ever so delicious!! With beers to go around, homemade cheesy tater tots and onion rings to share, the only thing left to await was our burgers.... My mom and dad both got the manly burger.. beer cheddar cheese, smoked-salt onion strings, bacon lardons all atop a Wagyu Kobe Beef burger. I got the UMAMI burger which is oven roasted tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, with a parmesan crisp .... mmmmm!!! We shared an ice cream sandwich at the end.. homemade chocolate chip cookie with Humphrey Slocombe Chocolate Malt ice cream in the middle... mmm mmmm goooooood!

Cheesy Tots

Manly Burger

Umami Burger 

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich

Meal #6: Noodle Soup Competition


Greg was studying for his finals today and I had a bunch of To Do items I wanted to get done. I decided to take a break half way through and treat myself to lunch! It has gotten cold so I figured something warm to fill my belly and a Christmas movie or two would be perfect :) Since I read a TON of blogs and always enjoy hearing what people claim to be the "best" of the city, I decided to do a little taste test myself. There are two noodle spots in the Tenderloin area that I always hear about. One is Turtle Tower and they are known for their Pho Ga- Chicken Noodle Soup. The reviews I read state this isn't the typical Pho because it is a Northern Vietnam dish with lighter chicken broth and different noodles. I have to say I enjoyed this dish. The cilantro was overwhelmingly good, the chicken broth had great flavor, and the noodles slurped into my mouth so easily!!! However, the chicken was just OK... it was juicy and tender so that wasn't the issue. The flavoring resembled a broiled chicken and I have an issue with chicken tasting like, well, chicken! I know weird. I need some kind of seasoning, breading, or flavor! 


The second place I went to was Hai Ky Mi Gia, which was literally a half a block away from Turtle Tower... made my journey easier! I felt weird calling one restaurant to order take out while waiting for the noodle soup at the other spot haha.... Anyway Hai Ky Mi Gia is known for their Braised Duck Leg Noodle Soup. Because of the duck, this dish was definitely richer. The noodles were more eggy and flavorful. It also came with sprouts and a solid broth as well! On the side there was jalapeños, pickled carrots, and picked cucumbers. 


Overall, I did like both of the soups and it was really fun to try. And clearly it was MORE than enough food so I have some lunch this week at work too!! Win Win for Lisa!! 

Pho Ga

Braised Duck Leg Noodle Soup

Crockpot Goodness 

I bought my crockpot about 2 years ago. Too be honest, I bought it for one particular reason and never really thought about how much I would love it! I was having a birthday party for my boyfriend and wanted to make these delicious meatballs & wieners that are cooked in this chili/apple jelly sauce. It is excellent, sounds random but trust me. Anyway, I went on craigslist and found a brand new crockpot that this newly married woman had rec'd as a wedding gift. She said she got two and didn't need them both. Therefore I got an awesome crockpot for $20! I was psyched. I haven't done A TON of recipes in the crockpot but I have enjoyed experimenting as much as I have. 

However, after tonight's dinner I will be using my crockpot even MORE! I think what I made tonight was by far my favorite... at least at this point lol! I got this recipe from my good friend Natasha who mentioned she cooks chicken in the crockpot and puts specific spices on the chicken for whatever she will be using it for. After the chicken is cooked, it falls off the bone. There is SO much you can do with the chicken.... shred it for enchiladas (and so much more), add lemon and thyme for a more flavorful chicken, or just roast it with salt and pepper. I found it nuts that you could just stick a whole chicken in the crockpot, add spices, and come back 8 hours later to have a succulent chicken dinner. Well, we loved every bite!!! I served it alongside mashed potatoes and sautéed brussel sprouts. mmmm!!!! OH and a bottle of red wine as it is the yummy dinner I made for my boyfriend on the eve of his birthday <3

The chicken recipe is really "to each is their own". I think the standard is salt and pepper but besides that you can really add whatever it is you fancy on your chicken! I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper. I also stuffed the cavity with a lemon and onion. I threw the leftover onion on the outside of the chicken for an extra side to serve with the chicken. Can't go wrong with tender onions!!! Lastly, I added butter & paprika on top for some coloring. 8 hours on low and you have yourself quite the chicken!

I highly suggest this recipe as it is easy, delicious, and fulfilling :)

Chicken just put into the Crockpot- starting to create steam only after a few minutes.

Delicious chicken, sautéed brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a big glass of vino :)

Pinterest

Did anybody else fall in LOVE with pinterest?? It is a great website for fashion, DIY projects, travel, and FOOD :)! Check it out... http://pinterest.com/

I have made a few recipes from Pinterest already... I Included pictures and recipes below! mmmm now I am hungry :)!

First item is a sliced Baked Potato... this recipe is quite the treat! 

Take a baked potato, make multiple slits that almost reach the bottom of the potato. Cut up some fresh garlic and put in between the slices for a garlicy treat. Brush the potato with melted butter and then also olive oil to give it good color. Bake at 425 for roughly 40 mins- depending on the size of potato and how tender you like your tater!

I also made 2 breakfast items from Pinterest. One of them, the bacon and pancake, was more fun than unique. I made a homemade pancake batter and cooked them in a cask iron skillet. Pour the batter into the pan and stick a piece of cooked bacon in the middle. The bacon forms right in to the pancake. Makes breakfast more entertaining ha! 


The other breakfast item I made were egg cups. This recipe was surprisingly super delicious! Take muffin tins and put a piece of thinly sliced ham at the bottom. Let the ham ruffle so it forms a little ham cup up the sides of the pan. Crack an egg right into the ham. Bake at 375 for 15-20 mins. Note: eggs cook quickly so keep checking but the kicker is they don't LOOK cooked so I overcooked a few of them :( def not something you want ha!I loved the salty-ness the ham provided to the egg and I love the mixture of ham and egg in 1 bite!! The recipe called for cheese and salt but in my opinion some recipes are meant to be kept simple, plus the ham had enough salt that cheese and extra salt would have been an overkill. I am sure you can alter this recipe any way you like tho :)

Lastly, dessert :)! My brother LOVES black and white cookies, especially the ones from a NYC bakery! Once I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it for my family, particularly Matthew. Red velvet Black and White cookies- ALL homemade. Thank goodness my sister in law was over while I was making them because she is such a great baker, I needed her expertise!! Needless to say they came out fantastic and we would definitely make again :)!

Basically I am telling you to sign up for Pinterest... sit back.... and get creative!

Sprechen Sie Deutsch

This blog is dedicated to German Food!!!!! I was first introduced by my friends Jenny and Nick. They went to Germany during their Europe trip and fell in love with the country. They came up to the city for the night and shared that with us :) We went to Suppenkuche in Hayes Valley. It was my first German experience so we went ALL out... das boooooot! The last picture is cheese spaetzle which was my favorite part of all the German food... sauteed onions and creamy cheese over a dumpling like pasta... mmm!!!!! Now my mission is to try a bunch of well known German food spots including making my own German food. 

The next German spot we tried was in Connecticut. We were out there for a wedding and stayed with our good friends Bill and Natasha. Natasha is German and decided to take us to their favorite German Spot called East Side. The place had a great atmosphere... servers dressed in lederhosens and customers drinking and chanting to "Ziggy Zaggy Ziggy Zaggy oi oi oi".... They had a bunch of pint glasses on the ceiling which also made for a fun environment. For food, we got a giant pretzel, a meter board of schnitzel, and spaetzle. A meter board of schnitzel you ask? It is literally a piece of wood the size of a meter with schnitzel on it... different types of schnitzel. Schnitzel with a mushroom cream sauce, with a fried egg on top, with ligonberry preserves on top, and with a sour cream gravy on top! one word= A-MAZING!

The next and last (so far) German spot we have tried is Leopold's in SF. It is about a 10 min walk from our apt and we were too lazy one night to cook.. so voila out to eat we go! I just can't seem to get enough of the German Beer mmm! For dinner we got the trout and cheese spaetzle. This cheese spaetzle was made with a different cheese and was more au gratin style. It was really good and I will return because Leopold's is delicious but Suppenkuche's cheese spaetzle has been my favorite so far. I guess I am a sucker for creamy mac n cheese and their's was the closest to that but made with spaeztle. 

Last night, I decided to MAKE spaetzle. Because I had a long work day, we just grilled some chicken with it but it really goes with anything! The spaetzle batter is SO simple and uses ingredients you probably already have in your house. I am really finding that the more simple recipes come out the best!!!! 

Ingredients:

3 eggs, 1 cup milk, 3 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup water. *may have to add more water if the dough is too sticky. 

Beat the eggs, add the milk and water. In a separate add the flour and salt. Slowly add flour/salt mixture into the egg/milk/water mixture. Dough should be somewhat sticky and stiff but elastic. Add more water if needed so it is not overly sticky. Push the dough through a colander (spaetzle maker, I bought one off of Amazon for $9 including shipping). The colander should be resting on top of a pot of boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes, up to 5, depending on how much dough you make. Spaetzle will rise to the top. Strain the spaetzle and prepare it any way you like ...2 ideas are 1)Butter and Parm cheese or 2) Sauteed onions with melted cheese for a mac n cheese style spaetzle.

Pictures below shows the batter in the spaetzle maker... you push the white piece back and forth while the batter gets dropped into the boiling water. Second picture is me straining it... third picture is me mixing the spaetzle with the melted butter and parm cheese... mmm yummy in my tummy!!! :) Hope you enjoy German as much as me!! Don't forget to pair it with some great beers!! 

iSan Francisco.1

SF, regardless of its inconsistent weather, is a beautiful city with some great foodie spots. As someone who lives to eat, I have tried to hit up many of these places. I decided to write a blog to include some of my favorite or most memorable San Francisco treats!! I am fortunate that only after 2 yrs of living in SF, I have been able to chow down on so many of these goodies... and now I would love to share some of these memories with all of you :)


The Bacon Maple Apple Donut from Dynamo Donuts

Good Mong Kok Bakery in Chinatown for Dim Sum (little difficult if you don't speak the language LOL just point!)

Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store- sorry no cigars but very delicious foccaccia bread sandwiches!!

 Food Trucks mmmmm. Musubi, Chairman Bao Buns, Pad Thai in a Taco... need I say more?

Lucca's Deli- homemade Rav's... can buy them frozen too (pictured)!

Citrus Club Garlic Edamame

Alembic Apothecary Style Cocktails

Banh Mi at Bun Mee!

Burma SuperStar Tea Leaf Salad- it comes out sectioned like the picture and then the waiter mixes it all up for you- dream!

Kokkari- outstanding food- this was my meal (lamb shank with orzo), both times I went :)

Magnolia Gastropub brunch & beers!

Porchetta from Roli Roti

Wayfare Tavern

Liguria Bakery- Focaccia Bread

Absinthe (smoked salmon deviled eggs with caviar & french onion soup mmm)

Pier 23- best fish shack ever!!

Perbacco Salumi Platter

Nob Hill Grille

Little Skillet

Outerlands

Nopa... espresso martini with blue bottle coffee!!

Gorilla BBQ- hands down best ribs!

Domo Sushi

I know you may be shocked but there are a few places that I was distracted either by my lovely company or the amazing food and I forgot to take pictures ;)! Maybe when I make a second appearance I will remember and post those next time! For now, hope you enjoy some recommendations!! :)