I went to Lark Creek Steak house last night at the Westfield mall in SF. The restaurant was very nice and had a large bar area. Since I went on a Wendesday night, it was pretty quite. Most of the diners will sitting at the bar. It has a very upscale and modern feel and the prices relected that. Since I had a buy 1 get 1 free coupon, (one of the great benefits from the company that I work with) I didn't hold back when ordering what I wanted. We started off with an organic hierloom tomato salad and it was just mediocere. They didnt season it at all so I had to add some salt and peper. Next came the two steaks: a 28 day aged rib eye steak and a USDA prime NY strip steak. Both were delicious but I enjoyed the rib eye steak that had the salty and slighted blackened edges. It was perfectly marbled and very tender. Along side the steak, we ordered whipped mashed potatoes topped with fried onion strings. Nothing spectacular in this department. We did finish off the meal with a petite dessert..strawberry shortcake! It was so tiny that I could have probably eaten it in one bite, but I was nice and shared with my friend. The 'cake' part was a moist scone sprinkled with rock sugar and gave it the texture that the dessert needed. The marscipone cheese was slight sweetened and was a great combination with the strawberries. As of late, I havent had the best experiences at steakhouse (read my LA posting when I went to Mastro's) but, all in all, it was a good meal. Nothing to really write home about but it was good considering I had my coupon! I might have to come back for round two of the strawberry shortcake though!

After watching the movie Julie and Julia, I have the sudden urge to cook! Surprise surprise! I especially want to try cooking boeuf bourguignon! I wish I had Julia Child's carefree and adventurous spirit when it comes to cooking. I feel like I need to try new cooking techniques and unique ingredients. I'm stuck in a food rut! (one of the many ruts that I'm currently in - perhaps if I can get myself out of this rut, it will help the others?!) I don't have the patients either - one reason why I have not made boeuf bourguignon yet! Who wants to wait 3 hours for dinner?!

Both Julie and Julia started their adventure because they wanted something to keep themselves busy and because they enjoyed cooking. I feel like I am in the same exact position and I feel encouraged to start my own adventure! If only I had the guts to leave everything behind and move to Paris and go to cooking school...sigh..maybe one day.

I will have to make do in my small one bedroom apartment in San Francisco. One of my past goals was to try a new recipe every week. I am sad to say that I have not been doing that. I always end up cooking something that I feel comfortable with....but I promise myself that I will restart that goal! I think I shall start with boeuf bourguignon! I'm sure many agree with me when I say, Thank you Julia. Your life's work has been a true inspiration.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

I made these delicious cupcakes over the weekend and my orange cream cheese frosting was an absolute hit!

20 oz Cream Cheese
3 cups Confectioners Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp Orange Zest
1/4 cup Fresh Orange Juice

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Makes about 4 cups of frosting.

Ate my way through LA

Went to Los Angeles for a 3 day weekend and went to many different places to try some restaurants that have had some good reviews on yelp! First on my list, Pink's Hot Dogs. I was really excited to try this place since it has had a long list of followers, including celebrities (which they name some hot dogs after). I arrived at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon and, of course, there was a line. I waited almost 2 long hours in line and ordered 3 types of hot dogs, all on their '10 most popular dogs' list. I ordered the Chili Cheese Dog, Martha Stewart Dog and the Planet Hollywood Dog (shown left to right) Disappointingly, the dogs were not that good. Very skinny dogs and not much flavor. I looks like it just came right out of the vacuum packed bag. The numerous toppings were d-lish, but who doesn't like bacon, relish, onions,chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut, nacho cheese, chili & sour cream?!? For the amount of time in line and the cost, I would've been content with eating a polish dog from Costco!

After some shopping, I worked up my appetite for LA's famous steakhouse, Mastro's. I was really excited to eat here since it got rave reviews. The interior of the restaurant was a little dark but it looked nice and had a slightly modern touch. The service was good, but not great. (The forgot the lemon for my water. Asked twice and it never came) I ordered the petit filet mignon, medium, and my partnered ordered the bone in rib eye (medium rare). We also ordered creamed corn and Mastro's mashed potatos. Unfortunately, my steak was well done and my partners steak was rare! What a disappointment! The family style sides come on a large platter and are meant for sharing. The creamed corn was very creamy but a little too sweet. I felt like I was eating a corn custard. The Mastro's mash was very good. Creamy mashed with all the fixin's - bacon, cheese, sour cream and chives. BUT, I did come for the steak, not the sides and it just wasn't very good. Bummer - 0 for 2 in one day! At this point, I'm pretty convinced the food in San Francisco is MUCH better.

Day 2 - Hopeful!

Went to a small burger joint called 'Umami' What is umami you ask? It refers to a taste group. Most people know there are four food groups: sweet, bitter, salty, sour. Umami is the fifth. Some describe this as a meaty or savory taste. Umami is a very clever name for a burger joint! The burgers were juicy and very flavorful but a bit small. I loved the sodas that you could order. I ordered Margo's all natural cane sugar root beer. Not only did it have great root beer flavor, but 100% of all proceeds go to shelters and rescue dogs. (I'm a huge dog lover so anything that helps them out is a plus!) Dessert wasn't bad - We ordered two ice cream sandwhiches: Chai tea and Vanilla. The cookie wasn't very good but the ice cream was! Overall - a pretty good meal.

Diddie Reese - 2 fresh baked cookies and scoop of ice cream. You chose the flavors! How could you go wrong?!

Amazing Potluck

Last night I attended an amazing potluck feast! It was an Asian themed dinner party and I made one of my specialties, pork adobo. I also made some delicious curry flavored deviled eggs! It was a hit at the party! In addition to my dishes, there were also bbq korean beef short ribs and chicken laab, a laotian chicken stir-fry with cilantro, bazil and mint.

You know the food is good when nobody is talking! Mmmmm.....

Sucker for Spam

I'm a total sucker for spam! Yes, this mystery meat comes in a can and looks like dog food, but it's damn good! Fry it up and I'll be your best friend! I usually make spam fried rice or spam with eggs, but a few days ago I made spam sushi! It was so easy to make and so much fun to eat! Since it is already so salty ( I already used the 'lite' version which is low sodium and low fat!) I decided to not eat it with soy sauce. I paired my spam rolls with a salad dressed in a creamy sesame dressing! D-lish!!

For Meat Lovers Only

I am definitely a meat eater (if you couldn't tell already!) Over the weekend I traveled to Orange County and dined at a fabulous little North Korean Restaurant called Morangak. What is North Korean food you ask?
There are a few things that stood out from the rest of the million Korean BBQ restaurants that I've been to:
1) They start you off with hot beef broth, served in a tea pot. Sounds a little weird but really tasty!
2) They provide you with flat rice noodles (the size of a wonton) and thinly sliced white radish to go with the BBQ meat.
I ordered a huge platter of meat (see picture), along with shrip, pork belly, and chicken! I was STUFFED!

Asian Sensation

I made a great Asian American dish today! A classic American dinner is roast chicken with potatoes and salad. I added an Asian spin on it by using Asian spices to marinate the chicken and the potatoes. I used the chicken leg instead of the breast because I personally like the fattier and juicer meat! (Feel free to use the breast though!) The chicken was marinated in all Asian spices such as ginger, garlic, and five spice. Mini red potatoes were seasoned with curry and roasted with the chicken. It was served with a side of rice and salad with Japanese sesame dressing. It was definitely a hit with the boyfriend and friends. They loved it! The chicken was juicy while the skin was thin and crispy! (I put it under the broiler for about 30 seconds) The potatoes were crispy on the outside from the chicken fat and the inside was smooth and tender. I'm definitely adding this to my repertoire!

I've been trying a lot of new and creative recipes lately and I'm lovin' it! My blog has inspired me to try new and interesting cooking techniques and ingredients. I need a bigger kitchen!

A Successful Sunday

I had such a successful Sunday! Woke up early, cleaned my apt, went for a run, and best of all, tried a new recipe and it was damn good! I made steamed fish with ginger and green onions and bak choy! I got the recipe out of Martin Yan's cookbook called 'Chinatown Cooking'. It took 10 min to steam and it was devoured in 2! I also made a delicious random snack that I just whipped together last minute: pan fried thinly sliced pork sausage, tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinegar and rosemary on a toasted baguette!

Ferry Building Farmers Market in San Francisco

The farmer's market in the Ferry Building is my favorite place in the whole world!I love to look at all the beautiful organic produce, flowers, pastries and cheeses. I always go from stall to stall, trying all the free samples! (you could have a free lunch here!) I especially love going on beautiful sunny days where I can soak up the sun and enjoy the view of the bay bridge. I always spend soo much money when I come here! I took a couple pics of the beautiful tomatoes and radishes that I saw today. I love going to Cowgirl Creamery to try all their delicious cheeses, heading to ACME bakery to get a fresh baguette, and getting a nutella bombolini (an Italian filled donut). Today I bought some goat cheese, organic white peaches, bing and queen ann cherries, blueberries, mini purple potatoes, aged goat cheese, a baguette, and flowers! This place always gets my foodie brain cranking! I want to buy everything and cook up a storm!

Who knew?!

Did you know that it's actually good to store bananas in the fridge?! The skin turns an unsightly brownish color but the fruit actually lasts longer because the enzymes that turn starch into sugar work more slowly in the cold! So if you want to keep your bananas longer, stick them in the fridge! BUT....I do like my bananas slightly green and non freckeled! I wouldn't want to eat a brown banana! But it is a great food tip!

Today's Lunch - Filipino Food!

So I went out to lunch today with my girls and we went to a Filipino restaurant. We ordered a variety of foods that I've never tried before! My favorite dish was the pork sinigang. It's a tamarind based soup with tomatoes, onions, green beans, radish, eggplant and pork! The soup had such a savory and sour taste; it reminded me of a Vietnamese soup I love (also flavored with tamarind) that has catfish, celery and pineapples in it. We also ordered a delish dish called bagoong rice: scrambled eggs, tomatoes, pork and mango. (I can definitely make this at home!) Of course we ordered some classics too, such as pancit, fried fish and garlic rice! We all ordered a calamansi slushi to drink and it's sweet citrus flavor was so refreshing! If I only I had the tropical environment to enjoy this delicious lunch....hey, a girl can dream right?

Welcome!

Welcome to my food and travel blog, E-gastronomy! I'm new to blogging but I thought this would be a good way to post all of my food pics...from 3 star Michelin rated restaurants to home cooked meals. I moved to San Francisco recently and I am exploring the amazing food scene here. I also love to travel and I want to share all of my food adventures! :) Let the fun begin!