Saturday, September 26, 2009

Girlie Power

I have these get-togethers every so often, and they are called Girlie Brunches. Kimster and I buy bagels, lox and cream cheese; we make coffee and have juice and champagne on hand. People bring goodies and have great conversations; on a hot day like today, they even enjoy our teensy back yard.
Nosh must say, Costco, of all places, has some fine smoked salmon! When spread thickly upon a bagel with shmear, it is heavenly to eat. The colorful heirloom tomatoes (green and red zebras, and a sweet-as-honey orange one) and thinly-sliced Japanese cucumbers were nice accompaniment.
For our vegan friends, there was eggless egg salad from the Trader...I hadn't tried it before but now I am seriously hooked.
Nosh also recommends mimosas made with fresh-squoze OJ and Prosecco; bubbly goodness. We drank to all the lovely ladies...Viva La Brunch.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Whole Foodies

Finally, finally, Noe Valley is getting a supermarket. Whole Foods opens this coming Wednesday, and boy are we ready. Tonite, as a preview, the WF crew threw a pre-opening partay in their parking lot with live music and much free food and drink. Noshes were good and they were plentiful, but I wasn't so terribly hungry so I just grazed a bit. Can't say I loved the puckery kombucha, but I did love the warm figs with balsamic syrup and goat cheese, served in a cute paper cone. And I looooved my organic, handmade coconut marshmallow (Kimster enjoyed her strawberry one, as well). So thanks WF for being neighborhood-friendly; we sure will be glad to share our paychecks with y'all.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Queen Fig

If I were a fruit, I'd be a fig.
So round, soft and plush. Sensuous. Their color is dusky (although green figs are nice too). Purple of royalty. And so sweet, when ripe. Yet the texture intrigues; it is not cloying or simple. There are tiny seeds to crunch, mull over. The taste lingers in your throat like a good glass of wine.
The figs I bought at Golden Produce today were perfectly ripe. Each fills the palm of your hand like a purse, a gift.
And the word: fig. So short but so evocative. Eat them now while you can.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

ChocBananNut

Huh? you say. Trust me, this nonsensical word refers to a most yummy, yet wholesome, cookie that's fairly easy to whip up. It is the vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe I stole from Health Magazine. And it's choc full of healthy stuff like oat flour, quick-cooking oats, walnuts, soy milk and banana. It's practically a vitamin, people!!! I have also found that everyone loves these and no one thinks they're vegan, i.e., missing butter. Enjoy them, but warning: the recipe doesn't make a lot of cookies, so don't promise one to everyone you know. Just the ones you truly love.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Groovin on Garlic

Our local Thai joint ain't too shabby. It's on a corner, with big glass windows on Church Street; there are cloth napkins and waitresses in pretty Thai dresses. The food, as inexpensive as can be, is always fresh and soul-satisfying: witness tonight's dish of fat pink prawns in black bean sauce with veggies: mushrooms, red peppers, baby corn, peapods, carrots and - yes, yes - lots of garlic. Spooned over a pile of brown rice, this was the healthiest sort of comfort food. So walk or ride the J; Regent Thai is so worth it. Try the tamarind candies on your way out the door, sour-sweet in the best sort of way.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

It's the Small Things

Like, a piece of vegan peach bread at Ritual Coffee. I've lauded their coffee, but their pastry is also a lovely indulgence. Today, feeling low, I headed there after work for an iced drink and a treat. The vegan breads are not too sweet, with a hint of spice and a moist crumb. Peaches aren't around much longer, so it seemed like the right choice. Maybe it made a small dent, but every little thing counts.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Big Dosa Love

It's nice to visit Dosa on the early side, as Elise and I did. We got to sit at a two-top by the window. A nice breeze blew in, the sky slowly darkened as we shared a chopped salad with romaine, carrot, cucumber, onion and cherry tomato dressed with lemon-pepper vinaigrette. Tart and so fresh.
Elise had the masala dosa, while I tried the spring dosa, full of potato and chopped veggies and cut into three huge slices. Alongside was a thick, spicy sambar (lentil soup) with chunks of carrot and zucchini, and two dipping sauces, coconut and tomato. We ate with our fingers and maybe got a bit too full. But, as one friendly server told us, this food brings energy to the body. It sure did bring some positive energy to a couple of tired ladies.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Souperiority

I am lucky to have the Noe Valley Farmers' Market nearby. Often I can be found inspecting spinach, melons, tomatoes and peaches, but I don't usually buy meals there. The Mexican and Indian booths look good, but I've always been drawn to Juicey Lucy's, a purveyor of vegetarian sandwiches, soups, and - duh - fresh juices. Today, the drizzly weather and my grumbling stomach pushed me toward the kind-faced people behind the counter and in particular, their soup du jour. It was made with lentils, organic vegetables and heirloom tomatoes. Once poured into your biodegradable cup (or jar, if you're smart enough to buy one for future consumption) from a black cauldron, the soup is passed back to a fellow who applies a lovely garnish: in my case, fresh basil and a tiny fan of zucchini. It warmed and fed me well, the flavors as bright as the sun that burst out later in the day.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Tommy Can You Feed Me?

Tommy is our favorite sushi chef at Ebisu. Yes, I've mentioned this place before but it bears repeating after a perfect sushi repast. Oh, Tommy can make nigiri and maki better than anyone I know; his fish is always tender and gorgeous, although I don't waste too much time lookin' at it, if you know what I mean.
Tonite, I asked Tommy for a special vegi maki, and did he ever come through for us. The roll was pickled carrots and daikon, avocado and sprouts wrapped in a perfect spiral of cucumber, then topped with a tiny cloud of rice and a sprinking of sesame seeds. Ohhhhh.
Not too shabby either was the on-the-house cocktail provided by my adopted Japanese dad, Steve-san (Ebisu's gracious owner): watermelon juice, shiso leaf, a bit of syrup and alcohol (Soju perhaps)...Nectar of the sushi gods.
See me, feed me. I think that's what The Who was saying.

Sidewalk Talk

What better, on a hot summery night, than to venture out with your best friend to a favorite haunt (Pizzeria Delfina...yeah, it's been blogified before) and grab an outdoor table? What better than to watch the hipster parade go by, even grab the arm of a friend on his way to BiRite, as you chat and drink good red wine and eat a splendid caponata? And who would argue with an eggplant dish doused generously in good olive oil, with capers and pine nuts and two crispy toasts for smearing? And will I finish this with yet another question? Who wants to know??

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Fishin' for Breakfast

I have finally found a place in SF with breakfast to rival Portland's vegan wonders. That place is Weird Fish. Lord knows I''ve been meaning to go there for-freakin'-ever, but we picked the perfect Sunday, right before Labor Day, and while the Burners are still frying their brains in the desert.
We got a sweet table for two right away. It's a tiny place with beautiful old mirrors, chandelier, and a mermaid in the front window. As for the food, it was weird-tastic (in a good way)...I had the Kyle Combo with 2 perfectly scrambled eggs, 2 vegan pancakes, and fruit. Vegan pancakes can be dense, but these were the kind that melt in your mouth, dusted with powdered sugar. Even the fruit was better than you'd get at most places, melon with pineapple, strawberries, apples and pears. JP loved his eggs over-hard, cheesified Capp St. taters and biscuit, as well as the side of savory vegi sausage (which I tried, for blogging purposes of course). One final note: the servers are super sweet. I felt welcomed when we came in, and plan to go back real soon.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Rockin' the Ridge

It was a perfect day to hang out with Cheryl, the most beautiful girl in Oakland. We met at the Rockridge Market Hall, me basking in the sunlight and petting cute dogs till she rounded the corner. And since it was lunchtime, we headed across the street to Cactus Taqueria.
I've been a Cactus fan since the early years, when I worked behind the counter at the Pasta Shop. Cactus is in a bigger location now, but it still has great veggie asados burritos: grilled squash, broccoli and peppers with beans and rice, filling but not overly so. Add guacamole; you'll be glad you did. Then there is the salsa bar, with about five different salsas (pineapple being my favorite), roasted chiles and a cabbage/carrot mix. And, my friends, this meal in a whole wheat wrap cost a little over five bucks. Pittsburg-BayPoint train, take me back there soon.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Girls Gotta Eat

Last night, I spent a lovely evening with two lovely ladies: Rachel and Wendy. Aside from their natural beauty and ability to kick ass on the pilates reformer, these women are also dear friends. And they deserve to eat when they're hungry...Which means, if the insanely popular Starbelly has an hour-plus wait for a table, we go elsewhere.
Our landing place was Thailand Restaurant on Castro. The first neat thing about this place is you have to walk upstairs to get to the actual dining room. The second is the Shrimp Wonton appetizer. They bring out an oval plate lined with lettuce leaves and steamed cabbage and carrots; around the perimeter are little steamed dimsummy things. Springy texture, sweet shrimp, and the Thai dipping sauce is a dusky mix of sweetness and vinegar...The word umami comes to mind. Like the company, they lifted my spirits and gave me yet another thing to be thankful for.