A quick Italian bite. I've had many a happy neighborhood meal at Milano's in The Cove Shopping Center in Tiburon. Today Dad and I stopped in for lunch. We were both in the mood for lasagne, Dad ordering vegetable lasagne, while I tried the chicken and spinach lasagne. Both were served piping hot in an au gratin type dish. Milano's also brings complimentary garlic bread to the table, two slices for each person, one a type of cheese pizza-bread. The service is warm but not cloying.

Sam, over at Beck's & Posh recently started the Weight Watcher's program and bravely blogged her food log -- today she issued a special challenge, to photograph and post everything that goes through your lips for a week! I'm not quite up to that, but coincidentally, I started logging in all that goes through my lips into my favorite Diet Power software, a very cool piece of software that is compatible with many special diets, and does a great job of customization and nutrient tracking as well as tracking the usual calories and weight. On the theory that merely watching changes behavior, I started without making a special effort to change my diet. So far this week, I've lost 2 lbs on that theory! The only change I notice besides being contentious to log my intake is that I hate seeing the dry cactus icon pop up so I have definitely increased my water consumption because of it.

The sun shines again! After a hard rain yesterday, the sun came out as you can see in the slightly washed-out-from-the-sun photo above. I enjoyed lunch at The Cantina in Mill Valley, one of the town's favorite Mexican hang outs. The greeting was friendly as usual, and I was seated for lunch right away. Unfortunately, it was a bit TOO sunny for the patio which is a charming place to enjoy food and friends. I enjoyed one of my favorite dishes there, a chicken tostada sans the taco dressing. The lettuce was crispy and the fresh avocado it was topped with perfectly ripened and fresh. The chicken was stewed in tomato sauce and was tender and flavorful.



Daniel, the friend who was responsible for my entry into blogging, FINALLY got his own blog! It's to let his artistic (romantic) side out, and I'm sure it will be filled with out of the box things knowing the way he thinks originally.

Wet lunch. Dad and I tried Feng Nian's lunch special today. As you can see, it was a dash for the door with all the rain in north Sausalito. Feng Nian's staff is welcoming and looks out for what added things you may enjoy. For example, when my father requested the steamed vegetables and tofu lunch, they graciously asked if he'd like some sauce to spark up the taste a bit.



Dad really enjoyed it with the sauce, feeling he'd made an extra healthy choice - and he did. We both enjoyed the hot and sour soup that was served with the lunch special, and the spring roll was noticeably fresh and crisp.



I ordered beef and broccoli and substituted chicken fried rice for steamed for an extra $2.50. What I found was not only was the rice fried, they increased the volume. It was hot and cooked just right. It looked so attractive that the gentleman who sat at the next tables pointed at it and said he'd like exactly the same.



Feng Nian is a bit upscale, so if you are looking for a superior Chinese dining experience, this is a good place to try. The ceilings are high and there is an expansive feeling. The artwork is tasteful, and it is CLEAN. They also do a nice tea service using iron pots, and choice of tea. We chose Jasmine. The tea does cost $3.95 for the pot. When you are used to 'free' tea, it comes as a bit of a surprise, but the tea is such high quality, if you are a tea connoisseur you won't mind.

New cool breakfast food. Found a very healthy hot cereal mix at 99 Ranch -- Greenmax Yam & Multi Grains Cereal. It's a savory mix of grains and vegetables which mixed with a cup of boiling water and left to sit for 6 minutes brews up a tasty and healthy morning meal.

This evening, on the way back from the Green Festival in San Francisco, I stopped at Nijiya Market to pick up some Kewpie mayonnaise. Of course, once I'm there other things 'leap' into my basket. One of the items that leaped was a couple obento boxes. Nijiya does a great job of prepared foods in their deli area, and since I love hijiki rice, this one had to come home. The items are clockwise from the rice, with links to recipes that are versions of what's in this box:

Hijiki Rice, this recipe adds chicken for more of a protein punch (more on hijiki)
Steamed/flavored vegetables - kabocha and carrots and Japanese Omelet slice
Takuan
Tonkatsu with tonkatsu sauce
Niimono [Nishime] (carrots, lotus root, konbu (kelp))

At $6.99 this was a delightfully cool find for a healthy dinner.

About the Green Festival, Jo-Ann and I found it fascinating in content, but there where overwhelming crowds which detracted from the experience. You couldn't move more than shuffles with people bumping into you every which-way. The festival definitely needed a bigger venue. The speakers we heard were speaking in a more 'rallying the troops' fashion that conveying information, and I was hoping for more practical information from the speakers. But there were 100 speakers lined up for the 3-day fest, and over 400 vendors. We obviously couldn't take it all in in one day.

Busy Week. My Dad developed some health issues so I've been quite occupied this week. Cooking things like Campbell's tomato soup... dilled tuna salad, homey and simple. A little sailboat seems to like cruising around Shelter Bay -- caught it in action. The days have gotten nice around here again.

The verdict on the Bonker's Tea is that I was immediately allergic to it! Itchy skin! So much for that!

Will be back later.

Bonkers Super Skinny Lemon Peppermint Tea. A very functional beverage with 196 active compounds, minerals, 24 vitamins, 15 amino acids and potent antioxidants. We'll see...

Nice crisp taste, not medicinal.

Thai it tis or Thai-itis. Had a beautiful day in Sonoma, enjoying first the Soroptimist's annual Fashion Show at the Sonoma Mission Inn (Lights! Cameras! Action!) with Linda, Yalda & Julie. I must admit Fashion Shows aren't my thing, but this fundraiser was pure fun and what a fabulous and entertaining show. The event was attended by 99.9% females, and what-do-ya-know? the three male models got the most riotous applause every time they appeared. The Sonoma Mission Inn did a beautiful job of service and tasty food for over 200 women under a big, white tent.

Later, I ventured over to Dad's house to help him with a few things, then enjoy dinner. When asked which kind of cuisine he would like, Dad immediately answered "Thai", so we visited Rin's Thai just off Sonoma Plaza, and enjoyed a wonderful meal. Rin's Thai is consistently excellent, and have friendly staff. We started immediately with their tasty potstickers. Both vegetarian and pork versions are available, and the nice surprise of these are the 'crunch' provided by inclusion of jicima.



Dad remembered the Charbroiled vegetables with lemon-garlic dipping sauce and made a request of these as well. Piping hot with a nice grilled taste, this treat appeared next on our table.



We also enjoyed a plate of Gingered Chicken, which had plenty of fresh ginger included in long thin slices. Delicious!



Besides the white rice which came without requesting, we also had Thai Beef Fried Rice, which was also at the right temperature and seasoned well with bits of refreshing green onion mixed in at the last moment.



Rin's Thai is also reasonably priced and clean. No wonder my Dad requests it often, and I don't mind going again even though I've had quite a bit of Thai lately.

The evening ended with a drive around the Plaza -- there was a Mexican mariachi band playing on the deck of the historic Vallejo's Barraks which drifted all the way to where we were parked on the opposite of the Plaza, and we just had to find the source! The harvest moon was full, the sunset gorgeous with lots of pinks and shades of blue, and the air was a nice fall crisp. It was a wonderful fall drive both to and from Sonoma today.

Drizzly Sausalito. Couldn't help but take a snap of this soft harbor view at lunchtime in Sausalito. It was rainy and drizzly today with lots of fog. The foghorns were blaring too. With weather like this, if you are not wearing a bright red or yellow raincoat, you yearn for some pep and color... so time to try the Sausalito Taco Shop.



Just as expected, it was cheerful and full of bright colors. I started with the spicy bean dip with chips made on premises. The dip was good, and those who like home style thick crisp tortilla chips will love theirs. I like mine a little more teeth-friendly as these were really hard to bite.



My main was the marinated skirt steak taco in a flour tortilla. Their usual is fresh corn tortillas, but I have a preference for the flour, and this is accommodated on the menu.


Sausalito Taco Shop was inspired by someone's vacation to Cabo San Lucas, and as a traditional taco house, they do not make burritos. But the other usual things are there with a lot of flexibility in building the meal you desire. It was all quite tasty and good, and a place I'll revisit for lunch or perhaps a happy happy hour.

Trick or Treat. Proof positive that I did have some children drop by this Halloween, just one bunch, but some years it's none. Not very many children in my neighborhood. Daniel stopped by to help pass out the treats, and we went to a Sharon Knight concert at the Larkspur Cafe Theatre in Larkspur after I made a roasted chicken dinner.

In the meantime I've started with a new client this week, and it's been busy... not much time to blog. I won't go away, but I may not make it every day for awhile.

Today for lunch I revisited Sweet Ginger in Sausalito, and after many happy visits, had a disappointment. I had katsudon, breaded pork over rice with egg, onion and some vegetables. The pork was completely leathery, and the dish was rather over sweet and nearly cold. Since there were only 2 people, including me, as guests at the time, I don't know what happened. However, I've been to Sweet Ginger many times, and this is a real exception. Will keep an eye on this though.

Cafe Bangkok. After a most sumptuous Mexican meal at the Ridge Harvest Party with Jo-Ann and other friends last night, and lunch with friends from Marin Pros at Baja Fresh today, I was ready for a different ethnic experience. I spent the afternoon at an IFSR lecture at Unity in Marin at Hamilton Field in Novato. Not usually venturing this far north unless it is on the way to Sonoma, I decided to do a drive through unfamiliar territory and see where it led me. After snaking around on S. Novato Blvd. for some time, I saw a strip mall called "The Square" where I found a charming Thai restaurant, Cafe Bangkok. The outside was nothing special, but once you open the door, you can tell that the owners have pride in the decor and making everyone feel welcome into an oasis of Thailand.



I ordered a couple dishes to try from a menu that had a thoughtful section of photos where each dish was featured in a stylish way that provided more insight than many written words. When I ordered the pumpkin and chicken red curry, the waiter commented "Oh, that's a good one!", which gave me the feeling that this would be a very special meal. You can see it steaming above. It also had very fresh and crisp cooked vegetables, and wasn't too spicy although there was a little red pepper apparent.



I also ordered the Thai fried rice (beef), which had lots of nicely sauteed vegetables in the rice. Not just your usual peas and carrots, but onion slices sauteed to bring out their sweetness and fresh red pepper pieces. As I've noticed with many Thai restaurants, there was a topping of fresh raw grated carrot and slices of cucumber adorning the top. Good food, good service, pleasant atmosphere and reasonable prices (even bargain). Definitely worth a meander off the beaten path to Novato to enjoy.

Swedish Sunshine. Today Dad and I ventured over to Tiburon to enjoy breakfast at Sweden House Bakery & Cafe. It's an old favorite, but had been fraught with such service problems that I hadn't been there in awhile. It is a very casual dining place, wooden tables aside the display cabinets full of the most luscious Swedish pastries and cakes. There is a narrow aisle between the cases and tables going all the way back to the door out to the deck. The deck is usually filled first as it is pleasant and has a nice view of the harbor. The waiters have to squeeze past people up and down the narrow aisle, which I think has been part of the service issue. However, today service was friendly and prompt. Which encourages me to go back again soon.



I enjoyed Gordon's special, which is basically an egg, bacon, lettuce and tomato on a flaky fresh croissant. It was accompanied by a few slices of crisp cucumber. It was quite good, as usual.


Dad went all out and had the Swedish pancakes, and ordered a scrambled egg on the side (not pictured). Each pancake had a berry filling - marionberry, blueberry and lingonberry preserves. Fresh bananas, cantaloupe and pineapple adorned the top, along with some creme fraiche. Dad tested and approved! (and every last drop was gone). Definitely a lovely place to have a casual breakfast.

Dilled Corn and Potato Salad. It's Weekend Herb Blogging time again, and as of this revised post, Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen is hosting the event. I gave myself a second challenge, to use mostly pantry ingredients. Costco deals seem to multiply in my pantry, in multipacks. What goes in, must come out as well, and it's best to have some tasty methods ready. The Dilled Corn and Potato salad used Green Giant Niblet corn and Paradise Valley Creamy Mash Potatoes (dehydrated) from my pantry. I paired the salad with more from the pantry, my mother's Salmon Cakes (with a kick) using tinned Kirkland Atlantic Salmon, other ingredients like Old Bay spice were in the cupboard as well. I also had some fresh dill on hand, my favorite herb. The more research I do, the more I see that dill seems to be very popular herb in Northern European countries. The recipes for tonight's dinner are:

Dilled Corn and Potato Salad

1 packet Paradise Valley Creamy Mash Potatoes*
2 cups water
1 cup whole milk
1 can, drained, Green Giant Niblets corn
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise

Boil two cups of water and pour into a bowl containing the packet of dehydrated potatoes. Stir as you pour, and follow by stirring in 1 cup whole milk until well-blended. Refrigerate to cool down. When lukewarm, add corn, dill and mayonnaise and mix in. Cover, and chill to cool completely.

This dish goes well with seafood. Can also be served warm as a base for fish to be draped over. As a breakfast treat, you can also add a little flour and extra dill to the left overs and make potato pancakes, topped with a dollop of sour cream.

*The 4.8 oz packet says it makes 6 - 2/3 cup servings

Salmon Cakes

2 7-oz cans boneless & skinless salmon
1 egg
1 teaspoon Old Bay spice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Olive Oil for frying

Break up salmon in a medium bowl, add egg and mix in. Add spice and garlic, mixing thoroughly, then add breadcrumbs. The mixture is rather crumbly, to hold it together better another egg may be added, but my family prefers more salmon and less filler. Pan fry on both sides in olive oil. Makes 8 small cakes.

This is my mother's recipe except for the Old Bay spice, which I think adds a nice kick to the taste. I discovered and fell in love with Old Bay when I lived in the metro DC area where Maryland and Virginia folk alike used this spice liberally with seafood.

Fresh Food. Since my post about eating fresh foods, a friend lent me "Keeping Food Fresh" a book I've been falling asleep into every night since. It is a great guide for how to prep for storage and store food as well as ascertaining the quality/freshness of various foods. Then I noticed this little beauty of a gadget, the SensorfreshQ, pictured above. For those truly worried about food safety, and scientific accuracy, this is the gadget for you! Its sophisticated micro-processor takes over 2,000 readings in under one minute and through complex algorithms, determines the food's safety — a green LED means it is safe; yellow means okay but eat within a day; and red signals that freshness is no longer assured. As for me, I'll save the $90 and go with my mother's folk wisdom: "When in doubt, throw it out!".

Happy Meal. And it wasn't at McDonald's. Dad and I dropped in to the Cactus Cafe in Mill Valley for lunch today. It was a sunny day, and there was an air of cheerfulness as soon as you walked in the door. I was trying to put my finger on it... was it the cheerful bright and pastel colors on the wall with masks and artwork lending the mood, or was it the slightly retro music - Beatles songs predominating?

I haven't been here in a few years, and I remembered their inventive way of serving various 'bowls', with tortillas which were flavorful and unique. Although I deduced from an overheard conversation that the restaurant changed hands, the owner actually waited our table, the 'bowls' were still on the menu. Yes! Dad ordered the Veggie Bowl, and was quite happy with the piping hot grilled artichokes, yellow and green zucchini and red onion among other vegetables.



I ordered the Grilled Chicken Bowl. My pics this time were a little hasty as the restaurant was not very crowded and I try to be incognito as much as possible. I enjoyed the addition of crispy corn in the bowl, and the generous portion of guacamole included. The pinto beans could have been spiced a little more, but the mixture in a warm tortilla with a little added hot sauce was great. The service was prompt and friendly and Dad and I both commented on the happy feel of the place.


The menu also included other inventive sounding items and they use fresh red snapper and salmon in some of the dishes. I read some not-so-excited reviews of this place this evening from the past, but based on my experience today I would say that with the new management this place deserves another try.

Groovy Breakfast. Dad and I started the day at Mama's Royal Cafe, taking us back to the 60s. Eclectic themed surroundings, wild colors and a rotating mirrored ball were all part of the atmosphere. We sat near the seahorse corner.



Dad enjoyed the "Basic Breakfast".



While I taste tested the waffles with bacon.


The service was interesting, the food was good and what an eye-popping way to wake up!

Joe's Potato. Max's hates critics, and has lots of info on their walls where you wait describing the unfair tactics a particular critic took against the establishment. I've been to Max's many times, and it provides solid value and consistent good food. But with all the negativity to critics, it was with trepidation that I quickly snapped this shot of my favorite dish there. Joe's Potato is well balanced, a Caesar salad and baked potato with such healthy stuffing as white ground turkey meat, red onions, mushrooms and spinach, all for $10.95. And there's enough to take home for a second serving.

Supper Club - States of Germany. Last night was the much anticipated Supper Club event featuring the States of Germany. We were lucky to have two native Germans among us for the event, Emil - who made Gebratene Rehkeule (roast venison) and Jutta - who made Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake). As usual, it was a fabulous feast featuring slow and carefully prepared cooking. The prize for the slowest food at the table had to go to our faithful organizer, Tom H. of Full Fridge, who made Limoncello Sorbet (pictured above), served as a palate refresher, which takes weeks to prepare. The full photoset of our feast with food descriptions can be found at my Flickr site.



I'm also posting this as my entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging Event hosted byPat L of Up A Creek without a Paddle, as the dish I cooked contains my favorite herb, dill. In researching authentic German recipes, I found that dill is quite a favorite among German chefs. I settled on Gurken und Kartoffelsuppe (cucumber and potato soup) as my dish for the evening. I found this recipe on the Embassy of Germany website, and adapted it for serving an amuse bouche portion to 17 appreciative chefs attending the Supper Club last evening. Without futher ado, the recipe.

Gurken and Kartoffelsuppe

Serves 8 (or 17 as an amuse bouche with leftovers)

Ingredients:

8 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium cucumbers, split lengthwise, seeded and diced
4 teaspoons sea salt
4 cups cold filtered water
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 green onion, sliced finely
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions:

In a heavy large saucepan boil potatoes in the filtered cold, salted water until the potatoes are very soft. Using a potato masher, blend potatoes into their cooking liquid, mashing to a fine consistency (or use a handmixer for 'faster food'). Stir in the pepper, milk, and sliced green onion. Hold warm until 5 minutes before serving, then add the cream and cucumber. Simmer gently until cucumber is tender, but still has texture (about 5 minutes). Serve hot.

Supper Club - States of Germany Menu. I've been requested to post the full and fabulous German menu from last night, so here it is as a prequel to the full post.

Appetizers

Lowenbrau Bratwurst (from Thuringia) with German mustards (Tom M)

German Bread Pretzels (Isadora)

Soups/Stews

Gurken und Kartoffelsuppe (Potato and Cucumber Soup) (Anna)

Pork Ribs and Sauerkraut (Glenn)

Main & Sides (pictured above)

Gebratene Rehkeule (roast venison) (Emil)

Pilzen in Sahnesosse (Mushrooms in Cream Sauce) (Tom H)

Braised Red Cabbage with Caraway (Jennifer)

Brussels Sprouts in Beer (Karen)

Spaetzle (and plenty of dark bier) (Bob)

Palate Cleansing

Lemon Sorbet (Tom H)

Salads

German Potato Salad (Caren)

Spoargelfest Salad (a composed salad of beets, greens, beans, and asparagus) (Isadora)

Desserts

Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake) (Jutta)

Pfeffernuse (almond crescent cookies) and German champagne (Janis)

Black Forest Cake (Gillian)

Pflaumenklösse mit Quark (Plum Dumplings w/ Quark) (Stephanie)

Comforting Breakfast. Paul and I tried Comforts for breakfast yesterday-- a place at the top of my list to try. I often hesitate to take the trip to San Anselmo because although a charming town, the parking can be difficult. What I found was that there is a little metered lot just on the north corner of the block that Comforts is located. Solved that worry. There is a take out deli in the room where the main entrance is, that was quite busy already at 10 a.m. We opted for the sit-down cafe, which took over an adjacent bagel shop about a year ago. The decor was modern and breezy, yet comfortable. We were greeted quickly, and our tea order came out promptly. I knew good things were in store when I saw how they paid attention to the tea service and serve Mighty Leaf Organic Earl Grey.



Paul ordered the Farmer's Breakfast which consisted of warm, fluffy griddle cakes, two eggs, pineapple and cantelope and two strips of very thick crispy bacon. Paul commented that even the syrup was nice and toasty. He gave his breakfast two thumbs up.



I ventured out for one of their seasonal specials, Eggs Venezia. Poached eggs over warm polenta with goat cheese and pancetta, with a dallop of basil setting it off. Yum! I polished off every warm, tender grain. I've never had polenta for breakfast before, and this was a total delight. If Comforts were in the city, I'm sure it would have a line around the block for a seat as Mama's on Washington Square does - it's in that league. It's worth a trip from the city to try, but I hope it doesn't get TOO busy as I'd like to enjoy this one many times over.