Got Food Trucks?

The Bay Area certainly does and they are pretty much every food lover's heaven (minus the long lines).   I have been to some in the bay area and the variety of food never ceases to amaze me.   This blog is definitely dedicated to these "meals on wheels."  

In no particular order, the following pics are from some food truck adventures that I have embarked on in the past, such as the "Eat Real" Food Festival in Jack London Square- Oakland & the "Off the Grids" of Fort Mason-SF, Shattuck & Rose in Berkeley. 

What is your favorite food truck delicacy?

Korean tacos, "Namu." Fort Mason Off the Grid,  SF.  Exotic and unique bites!

Falafel with sweet potato fries, "Liba Falafel." Off the Grid, Berkeley.  Delicious and somewhat healthy!?  I want seconds!

Sisig fries, "Senor Sisig." Off the Grid Berkeley.  All day.

Sisig Burrito- "Senor Sisig." Off the Grid, Berkeley.  Explosive flavor in every scrumptious bite.

Bacon cheeseburger - "Fiveten Burger." Off the Grid, Berkeley.  It was a juicy gourmet experience.  If you want to eat more from the other food trucks, you should split this with a friend cuz it will fill you up!

S'more, PB Choc,  and Strawberry cupcakes. "Cupkate's." Fort Mason Off the Grid, SF. Moist and delectable. 

Classic pork sisig with rice- "Senor Sisig."  Off the Grid Berkeley.  Yea, we were STILL hungry.

Pork cuban sandwich- "Ebbet's." Eat Real Festival, Oakland. Love the Acme bread with this tender flavorful pork!  This was definitely one of my favorites.

Grand Marnier chocolate creme brulee- "Creme Brulee Cart."  Fort Mason Off the Grid, SF.  Rich, smooth and creamy.

Mushroom empanada- "El Porteno".  Eat Real Festival, Oakland.  Crispy and flakiness goodness with mushrooms.

Pork Belly Bun - "Bao Chairman."  Eat Real Festival, Oakland.  The belly was to die for.

Chicken bun- "Bao Chairman."  Eat Real Festival, Oakland.  A nice break from the delicious fat of the pork belly.

Sisig taco, "Senor Sisig."  Eat Real Festival, Oakland. I was tempted to put an egg on top. Next time I WILL.

Popcorn shrimp and rice- "Scott's Seafood Restaurant."  Eat Real Festival, Oakland.  Very fresh!

"STRESSED" spelled backwards is "DESSERTS"

HOLA!  4 months with no update?!  That's what I was afraid of when I started this blog- now I don't even know where to begin- there is so much on the queue list!  But I am still very excited to share what I can.

Since I promised on the last blog that I would put down the red velvet recipe, I shall do so...  and then some.  I've been experimenting in my kitchen several times over the past couple of months.... ranging from dark chocolate chip walnut oatmeal cookies to banana cupcakes with honey cinnamon frosting.  I will share some pics here.

But first things first! 

RED VELVET CAKE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt



1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk ( I used soymilk)
1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract




   

VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar 
Chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
 














4. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla.

5. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat.

6. Pour batter into prepared pans. 




7. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

8. For the Frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

9. Fill and frost cooled cake with frosting. 

 10. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on it if you're not allergic - it's delicious!

VOILA! Eat your heart out!

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The following are some desserts that I've been experimenting during my MIA months...thought I could give you some eye candy...  If you want to know the recipes to any, let me know! 

Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

Purple Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberries

 

Almond Butter Cookies

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry-Buttercream Frosting

Dark Chocolate Chip-Walnut-Oatmeal Cookies

 

Feeling diabetic yet?  =P No worries- the next blog will most likely be a little more savory. Bon apetit!

Eating to Run? Or Running to Eat? Maybe both. =P

Hi all! I'm currently training for the following.

1) May 1- Big Sur Relay (about 5 miles split amongst 5 of us)

2) August 27- Giant's Race Half Marathon (13.1 miles)

Am I excited? Yes
Am I a little nervous? A smidge...ok yes.  
Am I ready? For the Big Sur Relay- for the most part, yes.  For the Half Marathon- hell to the NO.

More importantly, am I still hungry? DAMN RIGHT I AM!  I'm even hungrier now because I'm burning more calories.  But I have found that the fuel that my body needs should be wholesome and nutritious to keep me running mile after mile....after mile.

Have a peek at some of my "training food," which I've discovered is really delicious.  

1) The "PBBBH"  (Peanut Butter, Banana, Blueberry, and Honey) Sandwich

I just ate this today before a 5 mile run along with some cantaloupe on the side.  It kept me energized throughout the whole run. 

Super simple to make and delicious to scarf down.  I usually have the PB Banana and honey but I added blueberries and fell in love with it, and yes- that is multi-grain bread.  Next time I think I will try it with almond butter. 

2)  "Chicken Salad" recipe (that I tweaked from Runner's Magazine)

The original recipe is in "Runner's Magazine" but I worked with what I had in my kitchen and it turned out to be fantastic.  This was my post-run meal and it was fresh and tasty. The buttery avocados, fresh mozzarella, and crunchy almonds just killed me- in a good way.

First, I made the dressing (which actually serves 4) : Shake in a tupperware: 2 tbsps of lemon juice, 1 cup of Silk's Organic No Sugar Soymilk, some fresh thyme, and 1/2 tsp of salt. 

Next, put in a bowl 2 cups of Romaine lettuce, 1/2 a tomato chopped, half a cup of shredded chicken breast, some alfalfa sprouts, a slice of fresh mozzarella and mix with a couple tablespoons of the dressing. 

Lastly, top it with a couple slices of avocado and a handful of chopped almonds and you're ready to chow down! My table was a mess after prepping but it was SO worth the taste. 

The following were some other random yummy and healthy meals that I've digested.

"Pesto Chicken Sandwich with Fruit", Kaiser Vallejo Cafeteria

"Spinach Cranberry Salad, Creamy Garlic Scalloped Potatos, Mixed Veggies, and Beef," Trader Joe's

(I took the pic late hehe)

1/2 a Fuji Apple, Homemade "Pompano Sinigang" with Harvest Grain Blend from Trader Joe's

"Fruit Salad and 1/2 Farmer's Chicken Salad Sandwich on Organic Whole Wheat," Anderson Bakery, Concord - Absolutely scrumptious.

These foods are definitely giving me a lot of energy but (ahem) a little more gas than usual. I blame it on the fiber.  Overall, eating healthier choices has actually been very enjoyable, although I've had the previous notion that healthy foods compromised taste.  Through these meals, I have learned that there is a myriad of healthy foods that taste delicious based on the way they are prepared.  I like to mix and match different foods and create new recipes so if anyone has any favorite healthy recipes to share, you know who to tell. =P

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OK- let's take a break from the rabbit food.  Just because I'm eating healthier doesn't mean that I'm going to cut out the yummy food adventures.  I just had a field day at Boiling Crab in Sacramento last night.   

Quick review: the Sacramento location is bigger than the SJ one; the wait time was an hour, and the food was still on point.  The service was....ok, granted it was crazy busy on a Friday night and the kitchen had a couple of malfunctions with the catfish fryer, resulting in 2 baskets of catfish brought out 30 min late.  However, the workers were very pleasant and did I mention the food was fantastic?  I guess it was because I've been craving the lime-drenched shrimp in the shebang sauce, crispy fresh catfish, and addicting sweet potato and cajun style fries. 

 2 lbs of SHRIMP in the SHEBANG sauce & SWEET POTATO FRIES

 Mid-grubbing- I was counting the shrimps I had eaten so far- I think I was at a dozen.

 Gotta have the FRIED CATFISH and CAJUN FRIES.

Food coma the whole way home.  I'll definitely be back.

The next blog is going to be the process of making homemade red velvet cake with cream cheese vanilla frosting.  You'll definitely want to see/eat that.  Till then-  HAPPY EATING!

BRUNCH is the "BIZNESS"

Oh the adventures keep piling up, I tell you.  Tonight's blog is dedicated to that special meal when you wake up too late for breakfast and you don't feel like doing lunch just yet.

Yes. BRUNCH.

I absolutely love brunch, and you are about to find out why with these next couple of places I recently tasted in San Francisco.  They are from totally opposite neighborhoods, but they have one thing in common: they're both on my "Top Brunch Recommendations in SF" list.

1) Brenda's French Soul Food - Tenderloin, SF

I was very excited to try this place, especially due to the rave reviews from Yelp and my friends.

A couple of things.  First off, the location is in the Tenderloin, which isn't the safest of neighborhoods.  However, it definitely made for entertaining people-watching for my friends and I as we waited the hour or so to get seated. Also during our wait, I got my chai latte fix at Philz Coffee a couple blocks away.

We got seated a bit after we returned and the ambiance was vibrant and loud; don't be surprised if you are literally a foot away from your neighbor.  We split the "Beignet Sampler," which had 4 flavors: chocolate, apple, crayfish, and classic.  The beignets were piping hot from the fryer; crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.  They were delicious, with my favorite being the crayfish (all the way on the right) with its melted cheddar, green onions, and spicy kick.

  
For my main, I ordered the Eggs Benedict with Fried Chicken, which came on top of cream biscuits and a side of buttery grits.  I was practically having brunch in the South.  Although I was semi-stuffed by the beignets, I dug into my meal like I hadn't eaten in years.

  
Oh, was it heaven.  It was so good that somewhere in my subconscious I could hear my arteries begging me to stop eating.  The richness of the food was starting to take me back to the reality that I was dead-on full.  

Definitely try Brenda's - just be sure to run a couple (hundred) miles after...or before. ;)


2) Zazie - Cole Valley, SF


This gem in Cole Valley was another spot that's been on my brunch bucket list for a while.  It is located in the opposite type of neighborhood Brenda's was in.  I actually felt like I was walking in the Chelsea District of New York, where there are plenty of elite and popular restaurants and cafes.

My brother and I went on a Friday around 11am, starving for some good ol' brunch.   The French-style restaurant was very quaint, had front and back outdoor seating, and a rustic vibe.  I was very surprised that we waited only a couple minutes for a table, and we got to sit in the gorgeous patio.   Later, I found that we came at the perfect time because as we left, there was a crowd of people waiting for a table. 

When ordering, my brother and I know how to get the most out of our meals by sharing everything.  We ordered (from top to bottom in the pics) 1 Gingerbread pancake with pears, 1 Tahitian French Toast (it was stuffed with bananas and walnuts and topped with caramelized bananas), and an order of 2 "Albert" (bacon, pepperjack cheese, and salsa fresca) Poached Eggs with salad.  There was a choice between salad or potatoes with the Poached Eggs.  The salad was an excellent choice because after our meal, we were a satisfied full as opposed to the "food coma" full I get with an excess of carbs.

What I liked about the menu was that you can order single, double, or triple items.  For example, you can order 1, 2 or 3 poached eggs or slices of french toast.  This accommodates for sharing purposes and appetite sizes.  Most places make you order the set dish of 2 poached eggs at the given price.  

This portion was just right for the two of us.

I heard this place gets PACKED during weekend brunch. They do not take resos for brunch; it's first come first serve so come EARLY.  They do take resos for dinner I think.

I definitely want to come back here for lunch or dinner.  My eyes had wandered to my neighbor to the right of me, who had this amazing looking sandwich with cheese baked on top, and the guy on the left of me had the most delicious BLT I had ever seen, mainly because it had roasted Provencal tomatoes, which I am a huge sucker for.

Or who knows?  I may be back for brunch again.  It was THAT yummy.