tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162443492012-01-29T21:10:37.279-08:00Welcome to Kitchen M! Here is my special of the day.Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.comBlogger3411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-91454897716046221332012-01-25T21:34:00.000-08:002012-01-25T22:42:45.644-08:00

In the wild of wilds, you’re stuck. Between this town and the next town, between the borders of this emperor or that emperor, what does it matter? The same warlords warring over the same land of the same island for generations with little give or gain. Your only reliable choice of transport was a horse, or that stubborn oxen, which while a few coins less, unburdened your pouch beyond bearing.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-3564743415398741202012-01-03T19:45:00.000-08:002012-01-03T19:46:05.096-08:00

Hello, new year! Yes, it's 2012. It may or may not be the year, but I hope this year is going to be brighter, bringing in more cheer and deliciousness than ever to everyone. It was a rather quiet holiday for me this year. No gift exchanges at home. No champagne. No wild parties. (Oh, that's never anyhow.) But simply staying home, enjoying homemade dinner and spending a quiet time as the

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-6838535914667513992011-12-19T21:12:00.000-08:002011-12-19T22:35:30.717-08:00

Last week, I had this random thought wound up in my head as I was driving home one day. “How and when did I start cooking?” It was so vague that I couldn’t recall the exact moment, but I knew that I was pretty young. I remembered having to climb up on a chair to plate some vegetables and to stir potato salad in a bowl that was bigger than my head. I also remembered around six to seven

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-69538547172711565892011-12-05T22:51:00.000-08:002011-12-10T20:39:19.362-08:00

If you’re following me on Twitter, you might’ve guessed where I’ve been the past week and at my lack of updates. It just so happens that I’m still alive. Where we were, the vast networks could not send or receive any signals, at least to a handset. That meant no internet and no calls. And where good signals were hard to come by, the other more substantive stuff found it harder to follow

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-53724406984312717172011-11-15T21:22:00.000-08:002011-12-19T21:09:38.779-08:00

If you’ve been to Japan, you'll know ramen is serious business. It’s not about Top Ramen versus Maruchan Ramen. It’s not about thick noodle versus ultra-thin. There is a whole culture of occult followers who worship ramen and ramen masters. If you're not familiar, I recommend you watch the movie Tampopo. It’s a classic Japanese film made back in the late 80’s parodying fanatics of ramen, and

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-11757641212985522192011-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:002011-12-10T20:39:35.594-08:00

Suspiciously but subtly, there was always a little bit of miso soup left on the bottom of my soup bowl around this time of the year. I ate every tiny piece of negi and wakame, which I really liked. Tofu, age, and daikon were also my favorite. But for some strange reason, the slices of kabocha magically disappeared in the bottom on my dark, cloudy, Hatcho miso soup. I didn’t like them.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-34426417934628574272011-10-11T19:38:00.000-07:002011-12-10T20:40:00.913-08:00

I haven’t had gyro in a long time. I mean, really long time, years at least. It seems as if the name gyro has temporarily disappeared from my food vocabulary. And if it’s new to some, you’ll find a whole debate on how it’s pronounced. I’ve noticed that lately as I experiment with new foods, I put classic ethnic foods on the backburner. Last week, I felt the same thing about pad thai which I

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-79797713507278921632011-09-26T19:05:00.000-07:002011-12-10T20:44:31.697-08:00

While thousands of dietitians headed to sunny San Diego for the annual conference over the weekend, I was headed to the harsher sunny weather of the wilderness – in Yosemite National Park. Why? Well, the story goes back to a few months ago… It was a typical Wednesday night in June. After I came home and had a dinner, I turned on the TV and was watching the local news. They were covering a

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-23712568728175069912011-09-13T19:12:00.000-07:002011-12-10T20:40:14.587-08:00

If you live in the Bay Area, this regional icon is probably nothing new to you at all. I was introduced to Bakesale Betty about a few years ago through the Socola sisters while taking photos of their delicious chocolate truffles being made. They shared with me what sounded like a secret, or more like a fairy tale: there was this wonderful bakery owned by Betty who wears a wild blue wig and

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-72628022838423407602011-08-28T21:34:00.000-07:002011-12-10T20:40:20.289-08:00

A dietitian on the 7 o'clock news says olive oil is good for your heart. Your sister tells you that it's good for your skin. And your mom loves to make her favorite salad dressing only with the finest holy extra virgin olive oil from Crete. Eveyone loves superfoods. Foods that magically cure our problems. IF that was really true, IF it was affordable, and IF our brain could appreciate the taste

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-22720973177297301412011-08-15T14:18:00.000-07:002011-11-16T01:39:38.078-08:00

How do you preserve lemons? Pack them in a mason jar with a ridiculous amount of salt. And then wait. And wait. And wait for weeks to be matured for it to be used in your delicious chicken tajine. Yum. How do you preserve your precious memories? You can store them in your brain, which sometimes get lost somewhere, a place darker than where you last left your keys, no guarantee of it ever

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-29480404913185645992011-08-09T20:24:00.000-07:002011-11-16T01:42:09.871-08:00

I got these small paper lanterns from a grocery store recently. They came in a green berry basket and it was sitting next to blueberries and raspberries. I had no idea what I was going to do with them besides maybe hanging them across the living room and put midget lamps inside. Okay, I’m kidding, but I’m not kidding about the random encounter and not knowing what they were. Once I got home,

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-37849167725238213152011-07-25T23:12:00.000-07:002011-12-10T21:13:04.555-08:00

I had been thinking about getting an ice cream maker for the past two summers. But I hadn’t been able to justify spending $80 plus for something that might potentially supply me with an endless inventory of ice cream. And yet, as I look on the countertop, I can’t deny that somehow an ice cream machine mysteriously sits atop. Last month, I finally bit the bullet. As much as I contemplated on

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-77618715455213147232011-07-10T20:40:00.000-07:002011-11-16T01:44:52.509-08:00

You know when summer is here. Besides the unbearable heat waves and sun beating down on your skin before noon, basil is growing like weeds and tons of varieties of tomatoes are popping up everywhere. We don’t have an air conditioner as most houses around here but we do get super hot days where temperature reaches upper 90’s to sometimes over 100F for a week or longer. But that doesn’t stop me

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-82869681702701762372011-06-27T21:20:00.000-07:002011-11-16T01:46:49.194-08:00

I’ve been craving sushi lately. Tangy, sweet, sticky rice, combined with soy sauce, wasabi, and seaweed is a taste that I can never get tired of. When I think about a piece of bloody red maguro marinated in shoyu or bright orange salmon with glaze of fat on top of the sushi rice, my mouth starts to water. And if I have been thinking about it for more than few days, I have to cure my thoughts

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-57737709622651371172011-06-19T12:41:00.000-07:002011-06-19T13:40:11.773-07:00

I’m honored to introduce you to the Peko Peko* cookbook, put together by wonder bloggers, Marc, Stacy, and Rachael. Marc, from No Recipe, invited me to join to donate a couple of recipes for this cookbook back in March, around the same time when I was helping with the Bake Sale for Japan (which by the way ended up making over $140K!).The book is featuring 57 cherry-picked food bloggers, including

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-48365208209184700232011-06-06T02:24:00.000-07:002011-11-16T01:50:23.047-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Rachel and I had dinner at Rotisserie and Wine, in Napa. I thought that it was a Tyler Florence restaurant, but later found out that was partnership with Jeremy Fox, the former chef of my absolute favorite vegetarian restaurant, Ubuntu in Napa. Perhaps it was better that we didn’t learn much about the restaurant before we went. That way, we were less biased and not

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-27082209353692929412011-05-23T21:05:00.000-07:002011-11-16T02:04:25.874-08:00

Dandelions. What are they? My dog pees on them wherever they pop up through the sidewalks. Diligent owners of fine green lawns everywhere swear they are mortal enemies. They’re sprayed and mowed and yet one week later, manage somehow to sprout between the cracks of the garage and mailbox. HOW did that happen? Infuriating. Well, I propose a solution: We eat them, eat them like the weeds they are.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-32788713115915721792011-05-17T21:22:00.000-07:002011-11-16T01:56:33.107-08:00

The weather around the bay has been gorgeous lately. It’s warm and sunny, no more rains (excepting this week). I’m feeling like a ground squirrel. Being outside is almost more comfortable than being inside the house sometimes. I planned a short hiking trip on a random Monday, which is not typical of me at all. We left the house early in the morning to beat the commuter traffic and hiked up Mt.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-48749781880304988692011-05-01T00:10:00.000-07:002011-05-01T11:28:31.268-07:00

Foodbuzz 24x24 is a monthly event hosted by Foodbuzz highlighting 24 unique meals created around the world in 24 hours.Everyone loves parties. We are always looking for excuses to celebrate anything: birthdays; anniversaries; graduations; barbecuing holidays; new jobs, promotions; retirements; babies; puppies; a new house and home; a World Series victory for the SF Giants; the British royal

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-69536015083348217072011-04-18T20:27:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:51:02.705-07:00

While I had more bamboo shoots to savor, I made another dish that was perfect for a springy April day. This salad was inspired by the Mushroom and Kyoage Salad I had at Miso Bank in Tokyo last year. The salad plate was overflowing with crisp green lettuce, so fresh that it had tiny beads of water, and bright yellow and furry chrysthanthemum flower petals. Between layers of lettuce were firm

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-38334314520857726122011-04-11T21:28:00.000-07:002011-04-12T08:54:35.015-07:00

Growing up, bamboo shoot was always popular among the adult members in my family. My mom brought it home like some edible treasure, and the way that everyone would simply explode in tearful joy over it, you’d think she’d found a bargain on Kobe beef. But as I’ve grown up and learned, in fact, for such a humble ingredient, it can be just as good.I’m not sure if it was the way my mom cooked it,

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-26701996057614269362011-04-03T12:18:00.000-07:002011-04-03T12:39:54.654-07:00

Wednesday’s online bake sale was a huge success! Although I’m still waiting for the winner of my madeleines to be revealed, I heard that the grand total was $8269! That’s just phenomenal. I think I finally understand the power of a bake sale.If you’ve checked out the bake sale, bought something, thank you, thank you, thank you very much! To the person who bought mine, I’ll pour extra care and

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-17788719100603257832011-03-20T22:23:00.000-07:002011-03-21T18:31:01.991-07:00

On a Thursday, I went to bed around 10:30pm. I set my new favorite app on my iPhone called Sleep Cycle (which keeps track of my sleeping cycle and wakes me up when I’m on the lightest phase of sleep) and since I didn’t want to irradiate my brain while sleeping, I turned off the phone signal and Wi-Fi.Around 6 am on Friday the 11th, I was pleasantly awakened by the blessing sound of Erik Satie. (

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-90000423778920018022011-03-08T18:48:00.000-08:002011-07-19T23:05:57.009-07:00

People often ask my opinion for the best sushi places in the Bay Area. I have a few favorite places, but it’s just among the places I’ve been, not all too many when compared to the whole vastness of the Bay itself. There are millions of sushi places in California. Sometimes I wonder which one is more popular: sushi or taqueria?Don’t get me wrong, I love my sushi. Sushi is definitely up there on

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-20765194346661994382011-02-21T15:21:00.000-08:002011-02-21T15:25:06.056-08:00

Winter is not complete without snow. Sorry if you had enough and are tired of it already. But even so, admit to enjoying an occasional snow day.This past weekend, we took a trip to the Sierra Nevada where there is never a lack of snow or ice. Though it was a bit scary getting through thick clouds (of blizzard-- the highway was shut down the day we came home) and gusty wind pushing cars sideways,

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-85095567932775570142011-02-08T19:50:00.000-08:002011-02-08T20:05:36.903-08:00

You got a box of chocolate truffles from your high school sweetheart, made red velvet cupcakes for your boyfriend from college, and had pink champagne and chocolate covered strawberries with what’s-his-name who you thought would be the one. You've gone all out, done it all before, on this special day for memories and impressions. Yet, here's Valentine's day right around the bend--again--but this

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-64331703637080479022011-01-31T20:14:00.000-08:002011-01-31T20:45:43.717-08:00

I got a really sticky cold this year. Scratchy throat, manly voice, drippy nose and taste buds gone haywire; salty foods tasted like they were brined on the beach, and anything that supposedly had sugar, made me recheck the ingredients because sweetness failed to register at all. If this sounds familiar, like me, you probably had a miserable time of enjoying one of life’s simple pleasures--eating

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-29669937163665353112011-01-18T19:24:00.000-08:002011-01-18T23:58:20.415-08:00

This surprise-filled white fluffy stuff is no stranger to most in the Bay area. Yet they're　not as common as potstickers, and aren't always available at any Chinese restaurant. My guess is probably because they're dim sum and lean towards street food. As I was growing up in Japan, I used to eat these steamy snacks during the cold winter months. Convenience stores dispensed them like doughnuts

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-1415412340943281702011-01-11T22:12:00.000-08:002011-01-11T22:27:10.554-08:00

We’re in the soup season. I’ve been having some sort of soup at least twice a week for dinner in the past few weeks. Besides udon, soba or Chinese noodle soup, I particularly enjoy pho (phở) or hu tieu (hủ tiếu), which use lots of fresh ingredients such as bean sprouts, scallions, onions, lime/lemon, and herbs like cilantro, mint, and basil (though this one isn’t in season). Switch the herb,

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-8492818799512419652011-01-03T21:38:00.000-08:002011-01-03T21:42:13.829-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone! This year, I skipped on the mochi and baked these for the New Year’s day breakfast. It’s nothing special, save that the figs came from my landlord’s backyard. They gave me a jar of homemade fig jam for Christmas, which has become my favorite fig jam. It’s made with two simple ingredients: big and plumped organic Mission black figs and sugar. No pectin or any other

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-10753430821948974342010-12-20T15:10:00.000-08:002010-12-20T22:15:53.549-08:00

This year, it felt like there was no break between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Parties, going outs, leftovers, eating, cooking, and more eating. Wait, Christmas and New Years haven’t come yet. I’ve been baking more than ever this year. I’ve got to keep my yeast alive, you know? I can’t be the only one that’s feeling this way. If you are worried about your waist line, you must be nodding your

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-85858009850593080502010-12-08T22:25:00.000-08:002010-12-12T00:34:16.895-08:00

Have you ever bitten into a persimmon that pretty much ruined your day? It takes forever to wash out that bitter ash-flavored, pinkish-orange toothpaste that turns your tongue grey. It wasn't because you picked the wrong kind. It wasn't because your friend pulled a prank on you. No, no, don't blame it on the persimmon, either. And most importantly, don't throw it away! By the way, did the

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-70203932914517331912010-11-22T19:35:00.000-08:002010-12-06T22:54:22.426-08:00

No, I didn’t gain 20 lbs in the last three months. I don’t even think I accomplished that in my freshman year of college. To put 20 lbs into perspective, it’s probably larger than your giant bag of rice, even if you’re Asian; and it’s simply unliftable if you are a small Japanese girl like me. But 20 lbs the amount of flour I’ve used in the past three months, and most likely an underestimation.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-8320869384125947722010-11-09T19:17:00.000-08:002010-11-10T19:57:36.083-08:00

I didn’t get to learn about the restaurant where we were headed for dinner ahead of time. I only heard about it briefly on the way to The Kitchen while I was talking to Nicole.The Kitchen is located in the middle of strip malls and much away from downtown　Sacramento. As far as I remember, there were no other high-end looking restaurants in the vicinity. I was completely thrown off when we entered

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-63224374653803952012010-10-26T20:10:00.000-07:002010-10-26T20:17:37.335-07:00

On Friday morning, we got up early for a power walk near the capitol building and learned some new Yoga poses from Petra Kolber, a well-known fitness expert from L.A. I rarely exercise that early in the morning, and as much as I debated about sleeping in just another hour, it ended up refreshing me better than a cup of latte.After a quick shower, we were off to Old Soul Co. for their famous

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-61232935075323804622010-10-20T02:18:00.000-07:002010-10-23T20:30:17.747-07:00

While I’m still trying to improve my baguettes, I’m going to share with you what I was up to this past weekend. I was at the annual California Walnut Harvest Celebration for the first time which turned out to be one of the most exciting food events I’ve ever attended. I checked myself into The Citizen Hotel on Thursday evening in downtown Sacramento where the reception and dinner were held.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-60909103316487962492010-10-13T19:41:00.000-07:002010-10-19T14:55:36.826-07:00

Though I love baguettes, my jaw is tired after a month of non-stop baguette chewing. Actually that’s only half of the truth. The other half is that I hardly had time to bake and do more research over the weekend. And my schedule doesn’t seem to slow down at all for the next several weeks. I’ll try to maintain my regular posting schedule, but I apologize in advance if I have to skip a week or

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-90189263753423707732010-10-05T12:32:00.000-07:002010-10-06T10:50:21.273-07:00

I was so excited to get a fresh copy of Tartine Bread book, published just last week. While I haven’t gotten to try their recipes, it's undeniably motivated me to bake more and more. This book is not just a cookbook, nor is it just a bread book. The first 37 pages are nothing but stories and pictures. I know you love your iPad/Kindle/e-reader, but Tartine Bread book is the reason why you still

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-80006113340848360652010-09-28T11:57:00.000-07:002010-09-29T18:55:44.205-07:00

My five pound bag of AP flour is half gone already! So far it’s working pretty well! The textures of inside and outside seem consistently good. I feel like the taste was slightly better with the organic hard wheat flour which came in a tightly sealed bag, but it’s significantly better than the unbleached bread flour (with 4g of protein per 1/4 c) I’ve used previously. Last week, Jeremy, from Stir

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-74969487017494409832010-09-20T21:50:00.000-07:002010-09-21T07:14:51.227-07:00

This week, I worked with different amounts of protein in flour. I want to experiment with different kinds of flour, too, but I’m buying flour by the pound each time. Bags and bags of flours have started taking up space on my kitchen counter. I need to finish using them first. Oh, no worries. After kneading dough almost everyday, my right arm is partially disabled, but I’ll have no problem

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-53869317300485591362010-09-13T20:17:00.000-07:002010-09-13T20:29:08.773-07:00

Thank you everyone so much for the encouraging comments and feedback! I baked 4-5 breads in the past week and I’m getting tired of eating my mediocre breads... Anybody is welcome to come and get my bread. It’s free!In this past week, I was experimenting with yeast: working only with wild yeast, using both kinds and only with the dry kind, all using the slow and longer fermentation method.An

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-35390464049587598072010-09-06T14:40:00.000-07:002010-09-07T17:04:58.383-07:00

I have huge respect for bakers. I mean, a really big one for bakers who make hard crusty baguettes that are chewy inside and have lots of big air pockets. I’ve been trying for years to bake those baguettes, campagne, bâtard, boules (all slowly fermented, hard crusty breads) but it feels like I’m never gonna get to their level.I don’t usually post my bread because it’s just not worth showing, but

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-86664246216212283732010-08-30T18:02:00.000-07:002010-09-07T17:07:02.924-07:00

This is actually a healthier (and tastier) version of what I created about four years ago. From my observation, Vietnamese clay pot rice is typically made with marinated and pre-cooked chicken, mushrooms, green onions, Chinese sausages and sometimes fish or chicken livers. In addition to those ingredients, usually ginger, garlic, sesame oil, Chinese soy sauce, chicken stock, rice wine and oyster

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-26319585378761800132010-08-23T12:00:00.000-07:002010-08-23T12:12:59.966-07:00

Appetizers were served last week, so let’s jump straight into desert, but not just any sweets; these were made by the hands of Emily Luchetti. She’s the executive pastry chef at Waterbar, Farallon, and Nick’s Cove Restaurant, as well as an established cookbook author. She’s also currently a trustee of The James Beard Foundation. Her style of desserts is classic and elegant, which can never go

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-43206233291087457102010-08-16T15:45:00.000-07:002010-08-16T20:39:08.282-07:00

From savory appetizers to the scrumptious entrée, chic cocktails to mouthwatering desserts, cranberry deserves more attention than being made into sauce for the holidays. Last Thursday, I was invited to learn about it from very talented chefs and mixologist at Waterbar in San Francisco. Waterbar is located right along Embarcadero Street, only a few minutes walk from the ferry terminal. It’s

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-37082966982329678302010-08-09T19:55:00.000-07:002010-08-10T21:43:44.321-07:00

If you will recall, several posts back I brought back miso from Japan and shared about it briefly. I finally have a recipe that makes use of this special miso. It’s the kind made in the northern region of Japan with high quality Koshihikari rice and koji. They call it red miso, but the color is more of brownish red and completely different from Nagoya style red. This particular variety called “

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-90899614034065179772010-08-02T16:20:00.000-07:002010-08-03T17:30:34.813-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Domaine Chandon celebrated their restaurant, étoile’s, brand new cookbook release. The book is gorgeous, accompanied by the beautiful photography of France Ruffenach, a James Beard award winning photographer based in San Francisco. She’s also done Tartine’s cookbook which is my absolute favorite cookbook. I’ve been learning so much about Domaine Chandon and étoile and their

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-86233327876570579162010-07-26T02:03:00.000-07:002010-07-26T02:19:34.312-07:00

Tai O, located in the west of Lantau Island of Hong Kong, is a tiny fishing village. Many houses are built on stilts which are called “panh uk”. How could such a small village be so close to a huge city and yet I never knew such a place existed until Linder took me there?Apparently, Tai O was once prosperous and the population reached over 10,000 in 1960’s, but because of their diminishing

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-23586171697818413862010-07-18T21:31:00.000-07:002010-07-22T21:13:29.811-07:00

I was thrilled when my friend, Linder, was visiting her family in Hong Kong around the same time as I was visiting Japan and invited me to stay with her family before we both returned to the states. Linder grew up in Hong Kong, so I got to see not only the center of the city, but also rows of tall apartments where most people live, hidden markets, fishermen’s village, a street of antiques and

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-19837564631358911472010-07-12T11:28:00.000-07:002011-02-08T21:06:59.115-08:00

Typically, rain is not pleasant weather when you are visiting somewhere. I was bummed when the forecast showed a deep blue colored umbrella sign with 100% next to Kyoto on the first night that I was there. It was a nonstop downpour all day. I had puddles of water in my shoes and on my pants and camera bag; everything was completely sopping wet even with an umbrella. As much as I complained about

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-9024929068651076542010-07-05T11:05:00.000-07:002010-07-05T11:06:09.815-07:00

The next dish we ordered was fresh fu (nothing to do with kung fu). Seriously, how in the world did Japanese people think it was a good idea to start eating wheat gluten by itself? It just doesn’t sound tasty, does it? But the taste wasn’t bad at all and the texture was actually unbelievably soft and chewy, sort of reminded me of fresh mochi with creamier and smoother mouthfeel. They were all of

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-77521321713138126742010-06-28T00:05:00.000-07:002010-06-28T15:41:22.328-07:00

When you go to Kyoto, you don’t wanna be eating sushi. You should try tofu and fu instead. Why? Because it will completely change your likely perception of tofu and wheat gluten as strange and boring food byproducts. In fact, the absolute best dining experience I had while in Japan was in Kyoto, tasting those very things, sans the blandness. Yoshin has become one of my favorite restaurants

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-3560635852334725342010-06-21T00:30:00.000-07:002010-06-21T01:07:22.943-07:00

Going to an Izakaya is truly a cultural experience in Japan. It’s so different from any other types of restaurants. People are drunk, laughing out loud, ordering food at the top of their lungs. Without music or sports played on a big screen TV, people alone create the energetic vibe.We happened to be in Shinbashi one night, which is filled with tall office buildings. There is nothing but Izakaya,

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-9854528939599924282010-06-13T18:07:00.000-07:002010-06-13T18:08:31.549-07:00

One of the best foods I ate while in Tokyo was at a French restaurant. You’ll be surprised how good some of non-Japanese foods are there in Tokyo. Ok, maybe except Mexican food, a cuisine that’s poorly represented in Japan.Le petit restaurant epi, located in Daikanyama, is a tiny bistro owned by Chef Tomonori Suzuki. Yes, he is indeed 100% Japanese. But evidently he’s been trained at a star-rated

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-88080352295472226132010-06-06T20:45:00.000-07:002010-06-06T21:22:24.228-07:00

Sweet tooth is universal and I’m not going to deny that I enjoy eating sweets, too. But I don’t just get pleasure from tasting anything sweet or anything chocolate. I’ve become quite selective, especially in the past several years. I used to love Japanese “Kashipan,” sweet breads filled with chocolate cream or melon bread, sold in typical bakeries, grocery stores and convenient stores when I was

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-82346234250271715282010-05-30T14:58:00.000-07:002010-05-30T15:09:09.698-07:00

Kappabashi is only a few minutes walk from the famous Asakusa, yet doesn’t get much attention from the general crowds. If you enjoy going to kitchen supply stores like Sur la table or upstairs in Zabar’s, you will love Kappabashi. It was once known for selling old tools and hardware about a century ago. Now, with over 170 stores in less than half a mile strip, you can find anything that might

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-72821798646582869822010-05-23T15:10:00.000-07:002010-05-23T15:29:28.709-07:00

Do you remember the movie Lost In Translation when Billy Murray goes to a restaurant and realizes to his disappointment that he has to cook his own food? Well, it’s pretty common in Asia, and it’s not because restaurant staff are being lazy. They want you to enjoy directly cooking and eating to bring out the freshest the grill or hot pot has to offer. Typically people go to these types of

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-1422959949223321372010-05-16T16:15:00.000-07:002010-05-19T14:36:02.522-07:00

There was only the last bit of cherry blossoms when I arrived in Tokyo, but I was happy to catch it all the same. The weather there was bizarre this year. Temperatures reached below 40F after dark and it even snowed one night, leaving some ice on the streets the next day. Despite the strange weather and getting sick for a couple of days, I had an amazing time in Tokyo. Everyday, I was out by 9am,

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-83201092703482747632010-03-28T15:15:00.000-07:002011-02-08T21:15:28.631-08:00

I thought that I had perfected my tofu cheesecake recipe until I revisited Morimoto last month. My original tofu cheesecake recipe is still a big hit among my friends, family, and those of you who tasted it at the Tofu Dessert contest last year. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made it, but Morimoto’s recipe immediately puts me in my amateurish place each time.I could easily look up his

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-46810910463540323562010-03-21T17:20:00.000-07:002010-03-26T12:48:28.315-07:00

In my five and half years of blogging, there is no single recipe or food that’s covered more than once in Kitchen M. But that’s hard to do. I like new, innovative cooking, but I have had some great recipes and thought that I should reintroduce some of my old favorites with the newer visitors of Kitchen M.Steamed Sweet Rice Meatball was featured more than three years ago, and taken with a 4MP

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-37980952283605520052010-03-14T18:22:00.000-07:002010-03-14T22:55:10.835-07:00

Shortly after I came back from New York, I received a package from Marx Foods. It contained a small bottle of white truffle oil and a jar of truffle salt.Marx Foods carry a variety of gourmet food items online and the Szechuan Buttons I received back in December were from them, too .If your recipes call for fancy ingredients that you can’t find in local grocery stores, most likely they’ll be able

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-13867240368309352592010-03-07T19:07:00.000-08:002010-03-08T07:18:19.453-08:00

Just in case you were wondering, Kitchen M is NOT turning into a travel blog. But even if it does, food will still largely be covered. I finally went through all New York photos and this is the last set.On our last day, we started from Union Square, checked out some camera gear at Adorama and 17th St Photo Supply, strolled around Chelsea Market and Meat District where there was no meat but

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-18280674051679672352010-02-28T14:50:00.000-08:002010-02-28T14:50:45.468-08:00

Where was I?

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-70240411282445912010-02-21T16:54:00.000-08:002010-02-21T19:45:50.651-08:00

We arrived in NYC the day after the snow storm. While many people were upset about the inconvenience and transportation delays caused, I was so excited to see the city covered with snow.Lunch at Nobu. Clockwise from top left - Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce, Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing, Broiled Black Cod with Miso. We also had Assorted Sushi and Tofu Cheesecake for dessert.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-8852483877020850122010-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:002010-02-22T06:23:57.761-08:00

Last week, I was invited to a media dinner at Nombe. The former owners of Sozai Restaurant & Sake Lounge, Gil Payne and Mari Takahashi, partnered up with the executive chef from O Izakaya, Nick Balla, and created a new restaurant in Mission. If you've been to old Sozai, you may not recognize that Nombe is run by the same people until you actually taste some of the food. Even then, because their

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-3117355124103378792010-02-07T12:14:00.000-08:002011-02-08T21:06:04.925-08:00

If you’re a regular of The Breakaway Cook, you’ll recognize that this post was inspired by his most recent post about Matcha Soba with Veggie Medley.Eric makes a variety of wonderful flavored salts such as Matcha Salt, Tangerine Salt, Lavender Salt, Smoked Paprika Salt and Kaffir Lime Salt. He shows you how easy it is to make those flavored salts on his blog and if you are a visual type of person

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-82826665276045138932010-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:002010-02-02T04:17:37.030-08:00

There’ve been a few neglected apples sitting on the kitchen table for days. I found a bag of small Fuji apples on sale a couple of weeks ago and thought they would make great snacks to take to work to accompany breakfast yogurt and such. I love these smaller apples. They are perfect in size, but it’s unfortunately hard to find them at the regular supermarket these days.I should have suspected

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-8137424140205649022010-01-24T17:55:00.000-08:002010-01-26T04:12:58.804-08:00

We are finally getting rain in the bay area. In fact it’s been raining everyday for over a week now and some places are getting too much. I don’t really enjoy rain especially when it rains so many days in a row, but considering the view of Napa valley after the rain, inconvenience is a cheap price to pay.Rain feeds weeds on the ground, turning the whole valley into beautiful greens. In some areas

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-83559452171428981352010-01-17T19:58:00.000-08:002010-01-26T04:11:22.964-08:00

It’s hard to believe what’s going on in Haiti right now. We see videos and pictures of the earthquake damage on TV and internet but it’s impossible to understand the degree of devastation unless you are actually there. It seems so unreal as if I’m watching a movie. Because it’s painful to watch, my mind almost tries to disconnect from it. But when I realize that it’s really happening right at

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-39870802792894835892010-01-10T11:15:00.000-08:002010-01-26T04:14:52.928-08:00

This stew can change the stereotypical image of vegan food. It’s the newest addition to my list of favorite dishes! Much thanks to Alissa who is an intern at work with her efforts developing this vegan dish and for providing us a sample. It was so good that I went back and begged for seconds and the recipe.It’s not just a vegetable stew, which could sound like plain health food. Complex in

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-30105674413755283872010-01-03T14:27:00.000-08:002010-01-03T16:32:03.517-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! As I grew up in Japan, for me, this is the most exciting and biggest holiday of the year. One of the Japanese new year’s traditions is to make fresh mochi from scratch and eat it for breakfast on the New Year’s day and perhaps until they get tired of eating it for the rest of the month. This is not the sweet mochi that most people outside of Japan are familiar. There is

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-19171361928005315562009-12-27T12:50:00.000-08:002009-12-27T13:47:39.037-08:00

I can’t believe that we are almost to 2010! When I was little, I could hardly imagine what it would be like in 2010. Of course, 80’s and 90’s movies made me believe that there would be flying cars and people living on other planets. Not quite... We can't even pass a climate treaty. LOL. But I could never have expected to own a touch screen cell phone or food blog. I’m sure that I’ll be feeling

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-30385846450836085612009-12-20T18:25:00.000-08:002009-12-20T21:52:24.062-08:00

I got destructed by going to holiday parties and wrapping gifts last week. Before I knew it, the weekend was here and already nearly over! It was these very same truffles that I was packaging that are now sitting at the post office, ready to be delivered to some of my friends and family.After making Bubbly Pomegranate with Szechuan Buttons, I still had enough Szechuan buttons to play around with,

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-32414945986564171512009-12-14T23:38:00.000-08:002009-12-15T08:02:46.524-08:00

Yes, many people got it right this time! It’s Szechuan buttons. I received a few samples of Szechuan button from Marx Foods last week. Until then I’ve never seen or even heard of this ingredient before.Szechuan buttons, also known as buzz buttons, Sechuan buttons, toothache flowers, toothache plant, sansho buttons or electric buttons, originally come from Brazil. What’s so special about this

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-31358825327718801032009-12-13T11:11:00.000-08:002009-12-13T11:23:58.940-08:00

Can anyone name this item? Don't be shy! :)

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-62779285869607789272009-12-06T16:00:00.000-08:002009-12-06T18:44:52.943-08:00

Last month, I went to a couple of tea rooms in San Francisco, Lovejoy’s in Noe Valley and Crown & Crumpet in Ghirardelli square near Fisherman’s Wharf. Both places offer English tea services and great selection of tea. Lovejoy’s used to be an antique shop, so everything they have is true antique. Just by being there, looking at the tables, chairs, décor, cups and plates, and even the silverwares

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-77763725755031475992009-11-29T16:05:00.000-08:002009-11-29T17:00:33.067-08:00

This year, I skipped turkey for Thanksgiving. I recently learned about commercial turkeys being heavily supersized that they grow so big to require artificial insemination. In the article from Wired Science, it says: “In commercial and academic turkey-breeding programs, adult male turkeys, called toms, can reach 50 pounds at the tender age of five months, said John Anderson, a longtime turkey

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-53598430819974899112009-11-22T12:24:00.000-08:002009-11-22T22:32:04.998-08:00

I was one of many people who absolutely fell in love with this brussel sprouts dish that was served at Foodbuzz festival dinner by Namu chefs. I took some pictures of the dish specifically to remember how it looked like and to capture what was in it so that I could try duplicating it at home. And guess what? Foodbuzz people liked it so much that they asked Namu chef to share the recipe with us!

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-12399126964838387502009-11-16T17:16:00.000-08:002009-12-06T18:45:24.725-08:00

I hope people aren’t intimidated by these mystery foods. Without meaning to, I’m actually discovering and enjoying new foods through your guesses. So thank you for participating.After sampling on fancy bites and wines in the three days of the Foodbuzz festival, my stomach is rather exhausted. I love eating out and trying new foods, but this event tested my limits. Restaurant foods momentarily

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-45842061683827552092009-11-15T08:34:00.000-08:002009-11-16T00:25:45.074-08:00

In case you were wondering what happened to Kitchen M last week, I was at the first annual Foodbuzz blogger festival in San Francisco. It was a three-day event of lavish gourmet foods and wines. I'm overwhelmed by the number of photos I took during the festival; I decided not to do another recap of the event, but I will eventually upload them on Flickr and you can meanwhile read the event

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-27952695170686110132009-11-01T09:17:00.000-08:002009-11-01T09:33:08.325-08:00

I was one of the lucky bloggers invited to the Foodbuzz Community Table Dinner at bushi-tei. It’s a Japanese-French restaurant located in Japantown. I’ve walked by there many, many times before but never had I yet to try until last Tuesday. The look of the towering, broad, spotless glass window with a minimalist design and creaseless, perfectly white table cloth conveyed luxury. I kept waiting

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-40802391886153257182009-10-26T12:59:00.000-07:002009-12-06T18:45:43.327-08:00

Really good guesses everyone! Merlin, I never even heard of kangkung/water spinach. I've got to try that one of these days. Sean, I’m disappointed! Tasty Trix, yes, it does have resemblance of curry leaves, doesn’t it? Fresh Local and Best, you were in the right track – it’s a type of herb. Jacqueline, it’s not quite lemon verbena, but good try. E. Lee, pecospearl & Bobbie, tarragon is a really

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-1797334822150629382009-10-25T10:23:00.000-07:002009-10-30T21:54:24.881-07:00

Can you name this item?

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-30966508302892487272009-10-18T10:30:00.000-07:002009-10-20T19:04:55.841-07:00

I knew about last month that my 300th post was coming soon, but having Kitchen M’s Mysteries and unexpected post of Heather’s Pear Tart really screwed up my counting. It’s already here!Well, I’m really grateful for all of you, visitors, blog subscribers, friends and family who have supported me to keep me blogging! I’m actually taking a short vacation this weekend. Originally planned on climbing

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-47572589962485147232009-10-12T11:30:00.000-07:002009-12-06T18:45:59.243-08:00

Yomogi/Mugwort may have been too obscure for guessing and I realized that I should have posted a fresh yomogi picture rather than reconstituted one. I promise that I’ll be more fair next time though I enjoyed reading everyone’s guesses!Yomogi belongs to Asteraceae family and it’s also a type of herb. In Japan, it is commonly used in sweet mochi or dango (both are type of rice cakes) and I’m sure

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-25747327014380668792009-10-11T10:46:00.000-07:002009-10-11T10:46:45.862-07:00

Can anyone name this item?

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-65234156943561776442009-10-04T10:00:00.000-07:002009-11-08T21:10:12.288-08:00

Last week I went shopping in East Bay. While I was there, I thought I should stop by and check out this spanking new Chinese supermarket that just opened about two weeks ago. As I had expected it was really busy, especially around the ready-to-eat foods, to-go Dim Sum area. An Asian mob was steadily increasing as it was getting closer to the dinner time. I started from the produce section to

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-70779532520149572682009-09-27T01:00:00.000-07:002009-09-27T10:56:44.989-07:00

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Larry's Produce market and found a basket full of black mission figs for only two dollars! It was so good that I ate a couple on the way home. It also made it easy for me to decide what to do with this month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge.The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-70412299449358659402009-09-22T06:30:00.000-07:002009-09-22T23:03:53.195-07:00

Despite the exception of last week’s mystery, it’s very unusual for me to make a blog post in the middle of the week. But I could not wait for another week to share this post because this post must be as fresh as those perfectly ripened pears waiting for you to be picked up from grocery stores and farmer's markets as we speak.I grabbed a few varieties of pears the other day for making the famous

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-45619354862121529802009-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:002009-09-20T10:32:23.903-07:00

It rained in San Francisco last weekend. The weather was a bit strange for this time of the year. Yet, it didn’t stop me from going shopping and finding good foods like Kobe beef tataki and pickled plum yakitori at Sozai restaurant and Sake Lounge. On the heels of a more recent restaurant review, I had no intention of covering this restaurant but I was so pleased that it could not be helped.As

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-51743481029938005102009-09-14T13:30:00.000-07:002009-10-12T11:26:31.611-07:00

Great guesses everyone! Pika scat was pretty close but it's actually hijiki! Black, flat, tiny short strips of seaweed from Japan. It’s fibrous and packed with sea minerals. What you saw in the picture was the dry form and that’s how you typically find it in a store (unless you are in Japan). But it needs to be reconstituted and better cooked before eating due to risk of arsenic poisoning.

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-8770530408852604402009-09-13T11:32:00.000-07:002009-09-13T15:49:34.048-07:00

Can anyone name this item?

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-66207274648551712922009-09-06T09:07:00.000-07:002009-09-09T20:21:20.550-07:00

Last month, I was introduced to Susan at the Chocolate Chronicle. Susan is one of the founders of Sôcôla Chocolates, the up-and-coming chocolatier based in Oakland. Just in the past six months, Sôcôla Chocolates has been conspicuously receiving more media attention: in KQED Bay Area Bites; The San Francisco Examiner; The Oakland Tribune; Diablo Magazine; The London Financial Times; and Thanh Nien

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-81219956964726594842009-08-30T16:07:00.000-07:002009-08-30T16:07:29.843-07:00

I was actually contemplating about today’s post. As you see in the blurred background, I totally blew up this pound cake. The problem was that I used the wrong size of baking pan – I know, it was such a noobish mistake.The idea came from Fran Gage and Alice Medrich, the master bakers who gave a talk at the Chocolate Chronicle hosted by SF Chefs. Food. Wine. Fran Gage has recently released her new

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-48371978334002145502009-08-23T12:06:00.000-07:002009-08-24T00:18:19.747-07:00

Last Saturday, I drove down to Berkeley to see my friend whom I hadn’t seen in quite a long time. I love Berkeley. It’s one of my favorite places to go shopping and for restaurants in the Bay Area. I would love to live there if I could afford one of those beautiful houses on the hills; but one thing I absolutely hate about Berkeley is the parking. It’s worse than San Francisco sometimes. So I

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-89614313720375069472009-08-16T11:35:00.000-07:002009-08-30T19:29:07.866-07:00

You might be thinking “Where is the hot pot?” “Shabu-shabu in the summer time? In salad?” Yes, you are thinking of the right dish. Shabu-shabu is one of the Japanese hot pot dishes that are typically consumed in the winter time. Similar to Sukiyaki or Okonomiyaki, it is one of those dishes that you cook as you eat with family and or friends. The difference between typical hot pot and Shabu-shabu

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-67266391759576153862009-08-10T20:45:00.000-07:002009-08-12T09:43:12.997-07:00

Friday through Sunday, there were a variety of seminars offered in multiple locations around Union Square. I chose to attend “Incredible Edible” by Elizabeth Falkner from Citizen Cake/Orson on Friday morning. It was held on the top floor of Williams-Sonoma where she featured "egg" as her choice ingredient and demonstrated a couple of soufflé recipes.As Chef Falkner began her class, she reminded

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-69222904953303066472009-08-08T17:58:00.000-07:002009-08-10T23:20:10.956-07:00

The time has finally come! I had been long waiting for this exciting event for over a month. SF Chefs. Food. Wine. had an opening reception on Thursday night at Union Square in downtown San Francisco. It's a four day food and wine event celebrating local chefs, food producers, wineries and distillers. The money they generated throughout the event will be donated to Feeding America, Meal on Wheels

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16244349.post-72575404331386272652009-08-02T17:52:00.000-07:002009-10-12T11:28:19.256-07:00

Last weekend, I was in Kansas for my dearest friend’s wedding whose name is Lisa. I had already shipped the wedding gift before I left California, but I wanted to bring something more personal like homemade sweets. I made it fresh just before I left and wrapped them in many small bags. I thought that they wouldn’t need more cake if they have rehearsal dinner and the big wedding cake on the next

Kitchen Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670201922512169186noreply@blogger.com9