Korean Food with Jessica

It was so exciting to have lunch with Jessica and Darrel on Saturday since I don't get to see my good friend that often. We met up in Fremont and I found Auntie's Korean Restaurant on Yelp as a highly recommended place so we went since there aren't many korean places in Sacramento by them.

This weekend was quite bad for sticking with the Jillian Michaels' Making The Cut Diet but hey I'm sticking to the exercises like no other! Anyhow, I got their tofu soup with beef which was okay but not the best I've had. The side dishes were okay but nothing too special to talk about either. Kimchi as usual (2 types), a plain boiled broccoli type dish, fish cake pieces, a seaweed salad, a burdock root dish... anyhow not too much to rave about! We also ordered the seafood and green onion pancake which came with good reviews from Yelp, and Jess was craving it, which was good. Again, not the best I've ever had, but it was quite tasty. It didn't meet Jillian's "no white flour" rule but I didn't follow the no white rice rule either... I still have to live life and good food is a good life!

I just enjoyed the company for lunch, and Jessica asked me to be her matron of honor! Kind of scary but exciting at the same time- hopefully I can do as good a job as she did for me!

New Year's "Resolution"

It's the new year! I'm not much of a fan of new year's resolutions, but my friend and I decided to follow Jillian Michaels' Making The Cut book so we have accountability to get in better shape. The timing just happened to be right after the holidays since we were both going to be gone for the holidays without access to the gym. You may know the author as the scary trainer lady on the Biggest Loser... definitely intimidating, but I'm up for the challenge!

So far I've completed week 1- I've been sore beyond belief almost this whole week because of the boot camp type exercises, but it's a good feeling! Plus, the food I can eat is normal- none of this shake only or no carbs stuff that I wouldn't be able to stick to. For example, below are the foods I ate this week:

Breakfast:
Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
Oatmeal (my usual at work)
Yogurt with frozen berries

Lunch:
Spinach salad with grilled chicken, bell peppers, avocados, and a sprinkling of wild rice
Brown rice and Asian chicken

As a snack I had either some almonds, an apple, a tangerine, or munched on some more cereal.

Dinner:
Brown rice and Asian-flavored chicken
Wild Rice with Moroccan spice grilled chicken and spinach salad
Curried Tilapia with eggplant

We'll see how it goes for the next 3 weeks but it helps to have an accountability partner even though we don't work out together! I'm on my way to being the strongest me to prepare for the rest of 2010!

BBQ Dinner with Friends in FL

Last night we went out to dinner with our friends Ryan and Nichole. We sadly don't get to see them very often since we live so far apart, so this was a good opportunity to meet up- yay Christmas! They suggested Lee Roy Selmon's for some good BBQ so off we went. Jeremy and I split the BBQ family platter which included "Soul Good Pulled Pork", ribs, BBQ chicken and meatloaf. They allowed us to switch the meatloaf for something else, so we went for the brisket. We also got two sides and chose the baked beans and cornbread casserole.

When our food came though, we still had meatloaf on our plates, so our waitress (who was quite good) told us to keep our meatloaf and she would bring out the brisket. It was all quite tasty and the bread they brought out was delicious too- yeast buns with BBQ sauce dripped on top. If I were to rank the meats, I'd put it in the order of... top choice pulled pork hands down, then ribs, then chicken, then brisket (probably because it was drenched in sauce), and last meatloaf. I really liked the sides, especially the corn mush type side we had even though I do feel like I should have vegetables right about now... it's been a lot of meat and potatoes with vegetables covered in some sort of sauce... salad anyone? I can get that when I go home though :) Nichole got the cheese and bacon grits which I wanted to try also, but oh well some other time it shall be! It was a great time at dinner and so good to see them- what more can you ask for good friends and good food!

Some Nesbitt Adventures in Nov and Dec

It's been a while since I last posted, but here are some of the Nesbitt adventures over the last few months:

1) Apple Caffe Macs breakfasts:

The first time I came for breakfast, I got a wheat germ pancake with strawberries, bananas, and chocolate chips. It sounds healthy until the chocolate goes in... but oh so good and huge. The other thing I finally tried is the Crazy Potatoes. May I recommend half hash browns and half potato squares, then add the toppings! I didn't know they had egg whites only, which I would have chosen, but boy they were delicious. I would be obese if I ate that every day but if you're willing to splurge, go for that!

2) Chick-Fil-A in San Diego (over Thanksgiving vacation):

After many sad sundays for Jeremy in which we passed the Fairfield Chick-Fil-A, we decided to meet my friend for a second lunch at Chick-Fil-A. To be honest, I don't really see the big deal

of the place, but Jeremy has a sentimental value attached to it and we were finally able to meet that! I'm all for being a supportive wife!

3) Okan Japanese Restaurant in San Diego

My Dad wanted to take me to this Japanese restaurant because of the concept that he thought I'd like. It is a restaurant centered around "mom's home cooking"and has some quick foods already on display in bulk as well as a full menu. The food was good and healthy- I would definitely consider a business similar to this concept but try to make it more efficient!

4) Harry's Hofbrau in San Jose for Jason's birthday

The idea here is very neat- very homey feeling comfort foods served cafeteria style. Everyone can order what they want, pay, and sit togeth

er. I got the open faced turkey sandwich as recommended by the birthday boy. It comes with their famous roast turkey on top of toast with mashed potatoes, and TONS of gravy smothered on top. I meant to ask for the gravy on the side but mistakenly answered yes to everything in the rush of things. Jeremy ordered tri tip which was the special for the day and it was delicious. It was like thanksgiving all over again!

4) Lobster Shack in Redwood City for Emily's birthday

The place looks very casual but is very expensive but I have to remember it IS lobster after all. Jeremy got the lobster bisque in a sour dough bowl which was very tasty. I splurged for the naked lobster roll, meaning the lobster isn't tossed in a mayo dressing (since I don't like mayo and I want to taste the lobster I pay for). The roll was good but I don't think I'd pay $19 again for that roll... on the other hand, the free oyster crackers were delicious!

5) Cracker Barrel in Florida (Christmas vacation)

I had heard many friends from Florida and the South talk about Cracker Barrel as a must go once place so we went during out Florida Christmas trip. I ordered the chicken and dumplings plate with country green beans and hash brown casserole. It also came with a biscuit and corn muffin. The chicken and dumplings were good- more of a noodle consistency on the dumplings than the biscuit type I was expecting, but quite good- just very heavy since it is a creamy sauce. The green beans were good but nothing special- thankfully they weren't doused in butter (I don't think). The hash brown casserole which has potatoes, lots of cheese and onions baked together was good but again very heavy and I couldn't finish it all. I had high expectations for the biscuits, but they were nothing special to tell the truth, and the corn muffins were bland. I'm not sure if I'm just not cut out for heavy southern cooking but again I would be obese if I ate this all the time in the portions they served! It was good but let's just say it's not my first choice.

6) Cici's Pizza Buffet in Florida

$5 for a pizza buffet already set my expectations, but it was actually not bad! I learned that the key is to order what you specifically want (in my case a red sauce veggie pizza) since that ensures that it is hot. The other pizzas were under heat lamps but it didn't really seem like it. I guess I can't complain for $5... I will say their desserts were quite good- I liked the cinnamon rolls that kept coming out the best. I actually also liked the fudgy, seemingly undercooked brownies, as well as the apple pie pizza. Definitely not healthy and definitely not an all the time thing, but as Jeremy says "we're on vacation!"

Florida food vacation to continue :)

"Bon Voyage" Brenda Lunch

Today I had lunch with my good friend Brenda in Millbrae because she's moving to Thailand for 8 months- crazy! She isn't Asian, she doesn't speak the language, and this is a new job... way to go Brenda in jumping out there! Anyway, before she leaves the Bay Area, I had to see her, catch up, and wish her good luck abroad. Hopefully Jeremy and I can make a trip out to Japan as I am hoping, and maybe Brenda can meet us over there- that would be fun and something we have talked about doing since high school :)

So for lunch we went to the Shanghai Dumpling Shop in Millbrae my friend Cindy told me about. Apparently there is a SF branch also, and that shop just so happened to come up in conversation with a few other friends... very strange and coincidental indeed! We ordered some xiao long bao which is something they're known for and some pan fried pork buns. We also got the Shanghai wonton soup and dajanmien (black bean sauce noodles).

Overall, I must say that it was not the best I've had before, but you don't find the xiao long bao in very many places around here so not bad! Everything was good, but not great, thats all. Besides I was going there for the company more than the food. Plus, I didn't know if Brenda wanted Asian since she is going to Asia, but the location was crucial as a place for us to meet somewhere in between and not too far south from her since she has a lot to do before her trip.

Brenda, I'll miss you but be safe and have fun!!

Top 3 Dish Recipes

Thank you to my friends that have commented on my blog along the way! Who knew I had friends that actually read my craziness :) As suggested by Miss Molly, I have decided to pick my top 3 surprise favorite dishes and put the recipes I used here with my slight tweakings. Enjoy!

#3: Mabo Tofu

• Ground beef 70 g
• Ginger (minced) 1 tsp
• Garlic(minced) 1/2 tsp
• Soft tofu 80g- cut into large cubes since they will break apart
  
• Miso 1 tsp
• Soy Sauce 1 tsp
• Brown Sugar 1/4 tsp
• Sake 1 Tbsp
• Dashi 1/2 cup
• Corn or potato starch 1/2 tsp dissolved in 1 tsp water
• Green onions 1 strand chopped for garnish
  

1. Heat a little oil (a little bit of sesame oil enhances flavor), then cook the ground beef, ginger and garlic together. Try to break up the meat pieces.
2. When cooked mix in the ingredients from miso to dashi and distribute flavors evenly. Then add in tofu trying not to mix too much as the tofu breaks apart easily.
3. Add in the corn starch and water mixture and cook a few minutes longer, so that it thickens a little.
4. Turn off the heat, add the green onions, and enjoy with some rice!

#2: Sukiyaki

• Dashi 1 cup
  
• Brown sugar 2-3 Tbsp
  
• Sake 1/2 cup
• Mirin (sweet cooking sake) 1/2 cup
• Soy sauce 1/2 cup
• Water 1 cup

1. Feel free to chop up any vegetables you want to put in! I would recommend Napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, firm/grilled tofu, shirataki/konnyaku noodles, and green onions. Don't forget the thinly sliced beef available at asian markets to swish around in the soup as you cook your dinner!
2. Mix those together for the base of the soup. These should heat together to cook the alcohol off (plus it'll cook off while the vegetable are put in).
3. Put the vegetables in and when they're ready to be eaten, start getting vegetables and "shabu shabu"ing the meat!

*Traditionally it is dipped into raw egg (it gets cooked by the heat so not dangerous) but I didn't make my friends do that :)

And now drumroll please...
#1: Nikuman (steamed beef buns):

For the bun:

• bread flour 150g
• all-purpose flour 150g
• sugar 30g
• a pinch of salt
• instant yeast 4g
• baking powder 10g
• milk 40ml
• water 100ml
• butter 15g

1. Mix them all together until it combines and forms a dough. I had to knead it with my hands after the standmixer was finished to bring it all together. Let it rest for 30 min. You can make the meat filling (recipe below) in the meantime.
2. After 30 minutes, break off pieces and roll them out into thin rounds (as round as you can get it) and add the filling. Wrap it up and twist at the top to create a seal.
3. Let it rest again for 15 min.
4. After 15 minutes, steam them for 15 minutes and you're done!

For the meat filling:

• thinly sliced beef- 6 slices - pre flavored with the cornstarch and sake combo below
  
• japanese cooking sake wine 1 TB
• cornstarch 1/2 TB

Mix the cornstarch and sake together to dissolve, then add the meat while you prepare everything else and start adding it in. Mix everything well!

• chinese cabbage about 4 leaves (I cheated and used leftover sukiyaki cabbage with konnyaku noodles since it was already cooked)
  
• garlic 2 cloves, minced
• ginger about half the size of a golf ball, minced
• shiitake mushroom 1/4 cup, sliced
• slight sale and pepper

I hope you guys enjoy! Let me know if you try any of them or if you have any other dish or project suggestions!

Last day!

Today is the last day of the project and I made it! 30 Japanese dishes in 30 days! I had a hard time deciding what to make as my last 2 dishes, and wondered if I should've invited my old roomies over to celebrate the last day, but I was a little too last minute on it. I ended up deciding on shira-ae which I had wanted to make, and the reason I bought my suribachi. I also made crispy rice balls with salmon... and to top things off, I even made mitarashi dango or sweet mochi balls that I love.

Dish 29. Shira-ae- This is one of my favorite light side dishes that my Mom makes so I needed to give it a whirl. It is basically vegetables cooked in a soy sauce, then mixed with ground sesame and "smashed" tofu. It all mixes together to almost make a vegetable dish with a creamy tofu sauce. I know it probably doesn't sound very good and the picture doesn't help its cause either (I forgot to take a picture before I took some on my plate), but if done well, it really does taste awesome! I guess you have to like the taste of tofu though... either way, my version was fine but definitely way below the level of my Mom's shira-ae. Next time I go home I'll have to study up on what my Mom does!

Dish 30. Yaki Onigiri aka Crispy Rice Balls with Salmon- What I did was use the toaster oven to crisp up the rice balls that I had molded with a little soy sauce on the outside. I tried a low heat and cooked it for quite a while, but maybe the best way is to broil it in a short period of time so it really crisps up. In the end, it wasn't too crispy, and the bottom side stuck to the foil when I tried to flip the rice balls. It still tasted good with the salmon and green onions placed on top, but it just was not the same as, say a Gochi, crispy rice ball! I'll definitely have to experiment on that some more to see how I can create it without a nice grill or some special tools.

Bonus Dish: Mitarashi Dango aka little mochi balls with a sweet sauce- This is one of my favorite street food items when I'm in Japan. Little grilled mochi balls on a stick covered with a sweet sauce. I used a mix of mochi flour and shiratama flour to make the little mochi balls. The texture didn't come out perfectly the way I had hoped, but they were still quite tasty. It was actually better when it cooled off rather than right away. I made the sweet soy sauce, but added a little sesame and it made it even better!

Overall, I think the project was great and I can't really believe it is finished. It was a bit anti-climactic tonight since I didn't share it with anyone and the food wasn't fantastic but I did it! Now I'll have to go back through the items that I was good at or that I think would be good items to further experiment on! Wish me luck as I continue on this journey of trying to figure out what would be potential future business opportunities!