MayFlower for some good Dim Sum

The first time I had Dim Sum was at a famous restaurant in Panama called Lung Fung. It's purely authentic, the waiters wheel out carts of warm fresh dishes every few minutes, and you can pick whatever you'd like. Dim Sum are little plates with individually sized edibles that you usually dip in some chili or soy sauce. I love this type of cuisine because you get to eat a little bit everything, you're not just stuck with one dish. My boyfriend and I have been to a couple other Dim Sum places, but MayFlower is the closest to campus and definitely the most convenient.

We started off with Corn and Egg soup. The consistency was sweeter and creamier than any other version I've had, and I actually find it quite pleasant.

The waitress then brought us the Crab Cheese Puffs, which also had a slightly sweet taste to it. I liked the way they fried these triangles but I wish they spread the filling around more evenly.

Then came the rest of our Dim Sum, the Shark Fin Dumplings and Shui Mai. Although I wasn't a big fan of the Shark Fin, I did liked the pork dumplings a lot... but that's a sure dish when it comes to Dim Sum. You can't ever go wrong with Shui Mai.

We also ordered a dish of Mongolian Lamb. There were a lot of green onions and it was fairly spicy. I mixed this in with the Pork and Duck Egg Porridge that we ordered on the side.







If you want to try out a new type of cuisine, you should stop by the MayFlower Restaurant. Here's the Yelp Link if you want to read some reviews or get more information!

I love Marge!

Deep down College Ave, all the way by Rockridge Bart, is a magical gourmet food place called Market Hall. I have been blessed with a friend who works in their pastry section, who always treats me to delicious goodies!



 

This is the Fruit Tartlet. It's absolutely amazing, definitely my favorite. The crust is very buttery and flaky, there's a creamy center underneath the pile of fresh fruit and sugar glaze. If you were to order anything, I'd make this a MUST!

This is the Apple & Pear Galette. It's like an individual sized pie, only much better. The baked fruit is surrounded by a bowl of sugary crust that has a slight consistency of layered puff pastry. As I took my first bite, the fruit glaze started dripping out almost like soup.

Review: Daffodil

We went to this cute restaurant the other night in San Francisco, fairly close to Union Square. The atmosphere was very warming and sweet, which was perfect because winter's approaching and it felt like -50 degrees in the city! The service was great and everyone was really friendly. My favorite part of the dinner was dessert, we couldn't decide between the Cookie Jar and the Apple Galette, so we ordered both! And they were equally delicious.








Location: 665 Bush St
Price range: We spent around $70-$80 for appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 desserts
Suggestion: Order the calamari! It's one of the best dishes I've ever had, very succulent and fresh. Their dip was absolutely delish :]

Dear Extreme Pizza, Will you Marry me?

If you know me personally, then you probably know that I'm a very big fan of pizza. When I look back on my life experiences, I wonder... what's the best slice I've ever had in my life? It's always really hard to make a decision on "the best ____ I've ever had." People are always hesitant to say it, because they probably never really thought about it. I remember when I had my first crepe, and it was so good, I wanted to say "this is the best crepe I've ever had," but I felt like I'd be lying or something. But obviously it WAS the best crepe I've ever had, considering it was the only crepe I've ever had too.

Rantings aside, I've been considering this long and hard, and I've finally decided to say it... the best pizza I've ever had was from Extreme Pizza! My favorite is their Paia Pie, which has mandarin oranges, ham, and pineapple. It's the perfect blend of citrus and tang, balanced out with the richness of the ham. Delicious!

No wonder you can't have a medium rare chicken

Apparently 2/3rds of all (whole) chickens sold in supermarkets have either salmonella or campylobactor. The brands with the highest rate are Foster Farms and Tyson. How sad...

Here is the link with all the details if you want to read more.

Have you ever been to an Asian Supermarket?

Most people are probably used to your typical Safeway or Trader Joe's. I barely know anyone who grew up in an Asian household, where their parents took them to the local Ranch 99 or Marina Supermarket. I like these places, but one thing that always disturbs me is their seafood section.

Somehow the thought of picking out live crabs, taking them home, and boiling them alive, scares me a little. My sister's previous husband loved crab, and he would buy 5 or 6 of these little suckers to take home and cook. One time I watched him in the kitchen... he took a butcher's knife and started hitting the crabs until their claws stopped clawing, their shells broke into pieces, and weird gooey stuff started dripping out. Maybe Asians have no soul. I was horrified though, but that's probably because I'm whitewashed.

Closest I came to Thanksgiving this Year...

My friend had a pre-celebration the other night in which all the popular Thanksgiving dishes were prepared (with love of course!) It was quite the festivity, and I decided to document this welcoming get-together. This pre-celebration is the closest I came to Thanksgiving this year, since my family decided to be non-conformists and had a barbecue instead of the traditional turkey meal. Since the age of 7, I was the one to cook all of our holiday dinners. Sadly I didn't have the time to spend all day in the kitchen this time (I spent all day in front of my school books instead). Needless to say, this was still a great Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble :) !

Dinner at the Park

Yesterday was such a nice day I decided to have dinner at Willard Park. I call it the "dog park" because there are always so many pups running around. If you don't mind getting an occasional snooper now and then, I definitely suggest you have a picnic here. It's gorgeous and I enjoy just sitting on the grass watching everything that is going on around me.


Our dinner consisted of Sam's burritos (famous for being 2 pounders), chocolate covered strawberries, and watermelon chunks. Of all the times I've eaten Sam's burritos, I've never been able to finish the entire thing in one sitting. These things are HUGE! Like, larger than Chipotle status.

The chocolate covered strawberries were absolutely delectable. I bought a package of 6 from the mobile-stand in front of Sproul. There's always something romantic about this treat and my boyfriend enjoyed feeding each other ;) !

My boyfriend likes to keep me plump

We had dinner at Steve's Korean Barbeque, Gypsies, and King Pin Doughnuts. And on top of that, he decided to order a pizza to go, in which we quickly devoured later that evening. We ordered the #17 Noodles with Veggies & Beef at Steve's Korean BBQ and the Godfather's Favorite from Gypsies. SKBBQ gave us SO much food, it was definitely worth the $7 price tag! On top of that the meal was quite delicious. It wasn't as tasty as the pasta though. My boyfriend also really likes the Crazy Alfredo. We decided that the best dish would be both of those combined...Imagine tender pieces of pasta with bacon bits, chicken strips, sausage, all smothered in a creamy white mushroom sauce. Mmmm.










This is was so yummy. I love jelly doughnuts, 
and how can you go wrong when you add 
chocolate & cream on top of that!?

Berkeley Thai House

Last night my roommate and I grabbed dinner at a local favorite, the Berkeley Thai House. The service was great and everyone was very friendly. I've been here so many times before, but I always end up ordering the same thing, the Pad Kee Mao. It has rice noodles, broccoli, meat, and really hot peppers. The restaurant is very pretty and the meals are decently priced. I definitely recommend this place for a cute date :)

Location: 2511 Channing Way
Accepts credit card but $10 minimum

Oh how I Love you, YogurtLand!

I absolutely adore YogurtLand. The best frozen yogurt I've ever had in my life was at Pinkberry in Southern California, but I admit this place definitely comes ahead. My favorite flavors are Plain Tart and Taro, and I always put loads of Brownie Bites, Cookie Dough, and Cheesecake toppings. The great thing is that it's self serve and only $.30 per ounce, which makes my huge cup cost only 3 dollars each time. I come here at least once a week. It was especially crowded during the warmer days and the waiting line would extend out onto the street. The only thing that annoys me is you have to ask for sample cups. I wonder why that is?

Review: SF Soup Company

Yesterday afternoon my friend and I decided to meet at the San Francisco Soup Company for lunch. It was quite the delicious festivity! We sampled the Tomato Bisque, New England Clam Chowder, Chicken Shitake Bok Choy, and Morrocan Vegetable Stew. I've been here once before and ordered the Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup, but it wasn't anything special. The broth was very bland and lacked the heart-attack status sodium level that I have grown accustomed to. The Chicken Shitake Bok Choy definitely had that asian kick to it and reminds me of the soup that my Mom would always make for me when I came down with a cold. We settled on the Tomato Bisque (sure bet for the undecisive) and the Morrocan Vegetable Stew. The server was very nice and even asked if I wanted cous-cous mixed in. We sat on the grassy field across the street to enjoy this breezy afternoon lunch with each other's fine company :) I definitely recommend you to stop by, especially with winter approaching, it will be the perfect meal!

Located on 2512 Bancroft Way -- there is very little seating

Review: Digiorno Pizza

I’m a pretty big fan of pizza and I’m not picky either. That means I’m always down for any kind that you throw at me. A couple weeks ago, I went psychotic and ordered from Extreme Pizza and Domino’s every single day for 6 days straight.

Well last night my friend and I decided to pig out on Digiorno. I’ve only had frozen a couple times, and that’s because they never taste as good as the real thing. Let me tell you, this Digiorno REALLY doesn’t taste like the real thing!

I suggest everyone to order from Extreme. They’re my absolute favorite. Apparently I’ve ordered from them so much that they actually started giving me a whole bunch of coupon codes. Here’s one that I always use when I’m ordering from the one down College: 2044 – Buy one pizza get one free

Tis the Season for Fall!

I think if I didn't live in Berkeley, Fall would be my favorite season. I was walking down my street the other day and as the wind blew, a million little leaves fell around me. It was such a pretty moment! But days like those aren't often here... it's usually muggy and cold.On a more positive note, I'm really excited about all the delicious food that is popular during the fall. Here's my list of yummy entities that you cannotttt miss out on this season.

Winter Squash

How to Prepare: Cut in half and remove seeds. Bake in the oven at 350° for around 45 minutes, or until a knife can be easily inserted near the stem.

Tip: For sweeter varieties such as Butternut and Acorn squash, serve with cinnamon and maple syrup

Hot Chocolate

How to Prepare: You can either buy instant packets or if you’re feeling adventurous, try my simple recipe. In a small sauce pan, mix together 1/3 C whipping cream, 1 C milk, ¼ Tsp vanilla, ½ C white chocolate chips. Heat until chocolate chips are melted.

Tip: Serve with whipped cream on top and powdered sugar

 

Mashed Potatoes

How to Prepare: Boil 3lb cubed potatoes for 10 minutes in lightly salted water. Drain and mash in ½ C butter, ½ C milk, 8oz cream cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Tips: Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top

 

Pumpkin Bread

How to Prepare: Blend 15oz pumpkin puree, 4 eggs, 1 C oil, 2/3 C water, and 3 C sugar. In another bowl, mix together 3 ½ C flour, 2 Tsp baking soda, 1 ½ Tsp salt, 1 Tsp cinnamon, 1 Tsp nutmeg. Slowly stir dry ingredients into mixture and bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.

Tip: Serve with Hot chocolate

We had dinner tonight at T(toust)

 It's a cute Korean restaurant in Sather Lane on Durant. I ordered the rice cake & dumpling soup. I've never had rice cakes before! They were little oval pieces of chewiness. I think it's Korean culture to put rice in your soup, which is actually really yummy. 








If you are ever in the mood for Korean food, be sure to stop by T(toust)! Everything on their menu is very fairly priced, however they do not accept credit cards for purchases under $10. If you're not sure what to order, I suggest Beef Hot Soup or BiBimBap :)

You'll Never Look at Dinner the Same Way

I'm a little tempted to watch this movie... honestly I don't think anything can change the fact that I loveee food. But I'm wondering what all the hype is about! I just heard about someone who couldn't stop crying during this movie. Is it really that heart wrenching!?

My roomate's obsessions

Southern Food- We secretly wish Paula Deen would find it in her heart to adopt us. Butter and sugar on everything, doesn't that sound amazing?

Cheese Grits- I've never had grits before.. until I met my roommate. And the first time I had it, I thought it would be like oatmeal so I added loads of sugar and fruit. So wrong in so many ways... Who knew grits were to go with cheese and eggs and such?









Frozen Fruit- During the summer, our house heats up like a hotbox. Also during the summer, I was dirt poor. We went grocery shopping at Target and landed upon this phenomena... We go through 3lbs of these a day!

 

Brunch was delish :)

This creamy spread makes the perfect companion to pita bread, sandwiches, crackers and a lot more. I made this for brunch today and added it to toasted bagels served along with a grilled chicken omelet.

Creamy Cod Fillet Spread

3 Oz. Cod Fillet
2/3 C. Cream Cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tsp. Steak Sauce
1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar
1 Tsp. Fresh Dill
1/4 Tsp. Dried Basil
1/4 Tsp. Cayenne
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

1. Heat Olive Oil on a small saucepan. Add Cod Fillet and season with Dill, Salt and Pepper. Cook each side for about 1-2 minutes. Let cool. Chop into small 1/2 inch pieces.

2. In a small bowl, mix together Cream Cheese, Mayonnaise and Steak Sauce. Add chopped Cod Fillet. Mix well. Mix in Shredded Cheddar, Dried Basil and Cayenne.

3. Mix until Cod Fillet blends in so the texture becomes thick and creamy.