2007 July Archive at gas•tron•o•my

Archive for July, 2007 Page 2 of 4

J.K’s Greek Cafe

Published

Gastronomer

on July 24, 2007

in Greek, Restaurant Review and San Diego

. 0 Comments

July 10, 2007
Cuisine: Greek

7749 University Avenue
La Mesa, CA 91941

Phone: 619-464-1915
Website: http://www.jksgreekcafe.com/

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Gyro Plate - a perfect blend of ground beef and lamb broiled rotisserie-style served with two sides ($8.95)

Gyro - Thin slices of gyro meat rolled in pita bread served with tomatoes & onions with Tzatziki sauce on the side ($4.65)

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I tasted my first gyro in 1998. It was the summer before my junior year of high school and I was taking Drivers Ed at Helix High School. One day after class, my high school BF surprised me with the Greek treat for lunch. We enjoyed our gyros from J.K’s on a picnic table outside the adult education classes, which was super romantic at the time. Since that fateful afternoon, I’ve consumed a lot of Greek food in a number of different cities, including Athens, and have developed an affinity for the cuisine.

I returned to J.K’s the other day with my cousins Michael and Jimmy to see if their gyros were still delightful after all these years and fortunately, I was not disappointed.

Located on University Avenue, J.K’s doesn’t boast the prettiest interior (or exterior for that matter). For that reason, I highly recommend getting food to go, which is exactly what we did. Although the restaurant’s space is dark and dated, the service is always polite and friendly.

Michael and I both ordered gyro sandwiches, while Jimmy went with a gyro plate. The gyro sandwiches were stuffed to the brim with savory slices of lamb and beef, tomatoes, and red onions. I feel that the tomatoes are negligible, but the onions are essential for an outstanding sandwich. J.K’s gyro meat is well-seasoned and its texture is the perfect combination of charred and moist thanks to hours of slow roasting on the rotisserie. The Tzatziki sauce served on the side is cool, mild, and creamy—it cuts through the meat’s saltiness beautifully. The toasted pita bread is fragrant, thick, and effortlessly holds everything together. J.K’s gyro sandwich is truly as spectacular as it was nearly a decade ago.

Jimmy’s gyro plate contained the same meat as the gyro sandwiches with the addition of a small Greek salad and stewed green beans in a tomato broth. Jimmy enjoyed each component of the plate and ate every last morsel. I had a bite of the stewed green beans and found them mushy and flavorless. I’ll stick with the gyro sandwich.

Đậu Hủ Xả Ớt

Published

Gastronomer

on July 21, 2007

in Family Recipe, Recipe, Vegetarian and Vietnamese

. 2 Comments

Deep Fried Tofu with Chilies and Lemongrass

14 ounces tofu
1 stalk of lemongrass
2 teaspoons salt
Chili flakes
Vegetable oil

Mince* lemongrass in a food processor. Add salt and chili flakes to the minced lemongrass and combine. For extra spice, add in a generous amount of chili flakes.

Cut tofu into 6 rectangular pieces and butterfly - slice tofu down the middle three-quarters of the way through (see below - left).

Stuff the tofu with lemongrass, salt, and chili flakes mixture (see below - right).

Heat vegetable oil and deep fry stuffed tofu until golden on both sides. After frying is complete, strain the oil and sprinkle the remaining lemongrass on top of the tofu because some lemongrass will fall out of the tofu.

Serve warm with rice.

*Asian grocery stores often sell containers of minced lemongrass in the freezer section, which can be used here. Store lemongrass in freezer to preserve freshness.

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher

Published

Gastronomer

on July 21, 2007

in Bay Area, Burgers, Fastfood, Restaurant Review and San Francisco

. 2 Comments

July 8, 2007
Cuisine: Burgers, Sandwiches

1 Ferry Building
San Francisco 94111

Phone: 866-328-3663
Website: www.taylorsrefresher.com

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Garlic Fries Tossed in garlic butter & parsley ($2.99)

Fried Calamari With aioli & lemon ($6.49)

Onion Rings Thick, beer batter style ($3.99)

Chicken Fingers (2) served with honey mustard fries ($4.99)

Western Bacon Blue Ring - a burger topped with an onion ring, crumbled blue cheese, bacon, pickles, red onion & BBQ sauce on a toasted egg bun ($8.99)

Ahi Burger - Fresh Ahi tuna seared rare with ginger wasabi mayo & Asian slaw on a toasted egg bun ($13.99)

Blue Cheese Burger - topped with a pile of crumbled blue, lettuce, tomato, pickles & secret sauce on a toasted egg bun ($7.25)

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A trip to The Bay just wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Ferry Building. The Astronomer and I had a ball there last spring pursuing the shops and sampling a plethora of gourmet goodness. Even though my aunt and uncle reside only a short drive from the Ferry Building, this was their first trip to the gastronomic Mecca. Since we were in the neighborhood, we picked up Cousin Timmy at SFSU to join us for lunch.

During my previous visit to the Ferry Building, The Astronomer and I constructed a multi-course lunch from a number of different vendors. This time, the majority of my family was in the mood for Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, so I figured it would be best to join them rather than venturing on my own. You know how it is in big groups…

I ordered the Ahi Burger, which was the priciest item on the menu. The seared tuna’s flesh was pleasantly pink and a refreshing alternative to a standard beef patty. I’ve consumed a lot of seared tuna in my days, but never in between two pieces of bread so I was pleasantly surprised by how well the combination worked. The slaw was crisp and dressed in a soy vinaigrette, while the ginger and wasabi mayonnaise was relatively mild. All of Taylor’s burgers are served on a toasted egg bun, which was terrific. Overall a solid burger, but perhaps priced a bit too high.

Uncle Brian enjoyed his Western Bacon Blue Ring enormously. The one bite I had was really great—the onion ring and BBQ sauce hit all the right flavors and textures. The burger reminded me of the ones served up at Carl’s Junior, but much more satisfying and dramatically less messy. Cousin Timmy ordered the Blue Cheese Burger, which he liked, but I didn’t get the impression that it blew him away. Cousins Megan and Madison both ate Chicken Fingers (surprise, surprise). The honey mustard sauce that accompanied the fingers was sweet, tangy, and so downright delectable that I had to dip everything in sight.

The table shared an order of garlic fries, calamari, and onion rings, which were all very good. My favorite was the onion rings, which were spectacular with ketchup. My uncle didn’t care much for the onion rings because the batter wasn’t crunchy enough for his tastes. Rather than serving neat little rings of calamari like most restaurants do, Taylor’s served up squid heads! The calamari was well-seasoned and softer than I expected. I’m not too big on fries, but the garlic fries held their own.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am definitely a fan of high-end renditions of classic American junk food.

Canh Chua Chay

Published

Gastronomer

on July 20, 2007

in Family Recipe, Recipe, Vegetarian and Vietnamese

. 0 Comments

Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup

10 ounces mushroom vegetarian broth or vegetable broth
20 ounces water
2 tomatoes
1 leek
1 can pineapple chunks (with juice)
Bean Sprouts
Firm or extra firm tofu
Sugar
Soy sauce
Mushroom seasoning or salt
Black pepper
Cilantro

Bring water and broth to a boil.

While waiting for the soup to boil, chop tomatoes into chunks or wedges, cube tofu, and slice leeks thinly (white part only). Once the soup is boiling, add in half a can of pineapple juice—save the pineapple chunks for later. Let the soup continue to boil for 5 minutes with a lid on.

Season the soup with sugar, soy sauce, and mushroom seasoning to suit your palette. The end result should be sour, but not unpleasantly so. My grandma likes to add a dash of vinegar to intensify the soup’s sourness. Once the soup is well-seasoned, add in vegetables, tofu, and pineapples. The exact amount of vegetables, tofu, and pineapples added to the soup is dependent on the prefernce of the cook.

Serve hot on top of rice and garnish with cilantro and a sprinkling of black pepper.

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For Canh Chua Bac Ha, add button mushrooms and slices of bac ha, also known as Upright Elephant Ears, to the above recipe.

Zibibbo

Published

Gastronomer

on July 19, 2007

in Bay Area, New American and Restaurant Review

. 1 Comment

July 7, 2007
Cuisine: Mediteranean, American (New)

430 Kipling St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301

Phone: 650-328-6722
Website: http://www.zibibborestaurant.com

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Potato Rosemary Bread with butter (complimentary)

Iron Skillet Roasted Mussels with Lemon-Herb Butter ($12.95)

Roasted Corn on the Cob with Rosemary Harissa Butter ($5)

Baby Mixed Greens with Herb Goat Cheese Crouton and Mustard Vinaigrette ($7.95)

Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Pork Loin with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes ($17.50)

Antipasti - Roasted Baby Beets with Fresh Goat Cheese, Eggplant Caponata with Currants and Mint, Pork Pate with Grain Mustard and Cornichons ($14.95)

Chocolate Cake with Caramel Ice Cream ($9)

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Before jetting off to Vietnam, I’m spending a month in California with my family. Hopefully after thirty days with me, they’ll miss me a little less when I’m gone. The weather has been unbeatable and I’m learning a lot about Vietnamese cooking from my grandma—hence the increased number of Vietnamese recipes on the site as of late. There’s a whole lot more to come!

On a recent weekend, I flew to the The Bay to spend time with my favorite aunt Thao, Uncle Brian, and Cousins Megan and Madison. The weather up north is too cool and breezy for me, but the company and food were absolute perfection. On the first evening of my visit, we drove to Palo Alto to dine at Zibibbo, which was named one of the 20 best American restaurants by the readers of Gourmet. Zibibbo’s website touts:

Palo Alto’s Zibibbo offers an inventive pan-Mediterranean menu that changes with the seasons in the tranquil surroundings of a renovated Victorian home. Its compass ranges from the Pillars of Hercules to the Golden Horn, offering foods from Spain, Morocco, Greece and Italy in addition to the Provençal-inspired dishes made famous by sister property Restaurant LuLu in San Francisco.

My aunt chose Zibibbo because she had a great experience on a previous visit with some friends. The restaurant’s space is roomy, well-lit, and has a lovely open kitchen complete with a rotisserie and coal oven. The laid back and classy vibe embodied the spirit of the cuisine.

We started with some complimentary potato and rosemary bread. The bread had a crusty exterior and mild flavor that leaned more toward potato than rosemary. The butter was rich and spread-able. Both my aunt and uncle enjoyed the bread and butter immensely.

At the suggestion of my aunt, my uncle and I shared the Iron Skillet Roasted Mussels with Lemon-Herb Butter for our appetizer. This was my first encounter with mussels not prepared in a white wine or tomato broth. The skillet preparations unleashed a smoky flavor on to the au naturale mussels and created a dry dish overall. The butter did not contain strong lemon and herb flavor and as a result, the dish was one dimensional.

My aunt created a vegetarian small plates experience by ordering the Roasted Corn on the Cob with Rosemary Harissa Butter and Baby Mixed Greens with Herb Goat Cheese Crouton and Mustard Vinaigrette for her “entrée”. The corn was generously buttered, delightfully robust, and crisp to the bite. I haven’t had corn this good since my trip to Iowa years ago. My aunt really enjoyed this selection and couldn’t stop raving about it during and after the meal. The mixed greens salad was fresh, but average. I didn’t get a bite of the crouton, but my aunt thought the goat cheese was too strong, while my uncle liked it quite a bit.

In the sharing mood, my uncle and I split the Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Pork Loin with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes for our entrée. The portions at Zibibbo are intentionally humongous to encourage family style eating. The pork loin lacked a distinct pomegranate and molasses flavor, but was a true standout regardless. The cuts of pork were moist and fatty in all the right places. The mashed potatoes were smooth, creamy, and worked well with the pork.

In addition to the pork loin, my uncle and I also shared an antipasti plate. I chose the Roasted Baby Beets with Fresh Goat Cheese and Eggplant Caponata with Currants and Mint, while my uncle selected the Pork Pate with Grain Mustard and Cornichons. The beets were simply prepared and a feast for the eyes and mouth. My aunt and uncle were not fans of the beets, so I ate the majority of them. The eggplant was sweet and refreshing due to the mint, but needed a vehicle of some sort, perhaps some crostini, to enhance the flavors. My uncle consumed most of the pate because I didn’t care much for it. He said the pate reminded him of the pate he enjoyed on a recent trip to Paris with my aunt.

My cousin Megan selected the Chocolate Cake with Caramel Ice Cream for dessert and devoured the bulk of it. The cake contained a molten center and was intensely chocolaty, but not too bitter for Megan’s sensitive palette. The caramel flavor in the ice cream was lacking, but Megan didn’t seem to mind because she ate every last drop.