Queenkv's Brainpickings

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On cold days, I drop by Com Tam Thanh in Newark for their beef stew with a French baguette. It’s a rich broth, with hints of butter and fortified with carrots and hearty vegetables. I know Vietnamese cuisine is all about the pho. However, this stew is also amazing.

About a decade ago, I always ordered steamed mussels in white wine as my comfort dish. That was my favorite dish at Becketts in Berkeley. Even though it was on the appetizer menu, the mussels filled me up for dinner. When I was dating my hubby, we liked hitting Becketts after work. I remember one time we ran out of bread at the table. I wanted more of that tasty white wine broth. So, I used a mussel shell as a spoon and worked on the broth. At the end of the meal, I noticed there was a spoon hidden under the mussels bowl. I asked future hubby if he knew about the spoon.

“Yes. I thought you liked spooning up the broth that way,” he said. (Since it was about ten years ago, I’m paraphrasing.) I guess I looked cute sipping the broth from my makeshift mussel spoon, but come on! Still, it’s a funny misunderstanding.

On days when I’m craving crispy pork skin, I drop by Tipanan for the sisig. The plate is still sizzling hot by the time it makes it to my table.

After our Memorial Holiday weekend in Half Moon Bay, I can’t stop thinking about this amazing lobster roll from Sam’s Chowder House. The Today Show raved about the lobster roll and I can see why. The fresh lobster pieces are tossed lightly in butter and served over bread. Perfect.

What do you consider comfort food?

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Before we hit the road, I produced a couple of military-themed interview segments for my morning shows. I always take a chance to highlight local resources for service members ahead of holidays like Memorial Day. Check them out if you get a chance: USA Together and Together We Served.

After surviving holiday traffic on Highway 92, we arrived in the sleepy beach town. It’s so different from our suburban life in Fremont and the intense rhythm of my San Francisco newsroom. It’s nice to balance everything out with a 30 minute drive to the coast.

Our bed and breakfast left us little cups of International Delight Coffee Creamers. They were flavored with French vanilla. I remember chugging the little cups down with Victoria before we hit the rink. For little girls, it tasted better than milk. Also, we thought it was a waste to dilute the sugary rush with coffee. It felt like we scored a treasure trove when our mothers selected a diner that carried these coffee creamers. My mom worried about how the sugar would hit my hips. Victoria’s mom reminded her we could use the sugar boost for our next practice.

Victoria also introduced me to french fries topped with cottage cheese. In another diner next to our rink in Torrance, the waitress would shake her head when we ordered this non-menu item after a freestyle session.

“You have cottage cheese, right?” Victoria asked. The waitress nodded. “You have french fries, right?” Same response. “So, we want both.” The waitress left us alone with a sigh and something muttered under her breath.

I remember savoring crispy fries dipped with chunks of cottage cheese. The hot and cold flavors filled me up after a hard day on the ice.

As an adult, I continue to explore unusual flavors and foods that may not appeal to others. Food is an adventure for me because of skating friends like Victoria and our childhood foodie experiences. My dad and his appetite for good eats also shaped my palate.

When I turned 33 last week, I ordered a shot of love from Kaenyama in Fremont. The champagne glass was filled with uni slices, an oyster, grape, ponzu sauce, tobiko and scallion. There’s a quail egg yolk nestled closed to the top. Our bartender said I had to pour the cloudy shot of unfiltered sake on top. Then I tipped the whole thing into my mouth. It felt like a silky slush of seafood and rice wine melting in my mouth. I liked it and it made my birthday feel so decadent.

We indulged in a decadent treat for wine lovers yesterday in Half Moon Bay. La Nebbia Winery is located off Highway 92. During the tasting, one winery worker served port inside dark chocolate shot glasses.

She recommended taking some test sips with the shot glasses on the table. Other wine drinkers squealed when Mark and I followed her tips. The chocolate cups infused the dark, sweet dessert drink. Nibbling on the cups marked a sweet finish to our tasting.

So. What are you doing for Memorial Day?

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Instead, we ended up bundling up by the fireplace and staring at a snowstorm in May. Overall, it was a relaxing weekend, reading inside our favorite South shore cafe and finishing off a bottle of Boger wine. Since the crowds left for the end of the ski season, we also enjoyed a nearly-smoke free casino at Montbleu.

Good times.

When my 4-day weekend rolled around, we drove down I-5 to spend time with family and friends.

I savored all the palm trees, sunny skies and beautiful beaches in San Diego. I also made the mistake of challenging one of my cousins (who is twice my height and carried almost twice my weight) to shots. It was a bad idea.

As I nursed a hangover the next day, we crossed the border into Mexico.

After an hour of driving along Highway 1d, we enjoyed fresh fish with an ocean view in Ensenada.

I survived my 10-day work week with dreams of chilling on a beach and staring at the Pacific in Mexico. It’s was lovely that my hubby helped make this dream come true.

I can’t wait to visit Ensenada again.

Hey Facebook peeps: see more photoslide shows by checking out the blog entry!

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On Sunday, we crossed the border, drove past Tijuana and followed Highway 1D to Ensenada. As I fought my hangover from the Salty Frog in Imperial Beach, I focused on the deep blue Pacific Ocean hugging the coast.

Once in Ensenada, we avoided the aggressive waiters in the so-called tourist zone and stumbled on Playa Hemosa. Only a few couples and families dotted the sand.

We settled on a small tent next to the beach that served ceviches and tostadas. I stumbled on my ceviche order. Mark used two years of high school Spanish classes and successfully ordered his Ceviche de Marlin.

It was a beautiful, simple foodie experience.

After our day trip to Baja California, I was ready to be 32-years-old.
I think.

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One disclaimer – I made exceptions for going veggie during Lent when it came to eating at other people’s homes. I didn’t want to impose my semi-Pescetarian lifestyle other people’s hospitality.

Standing in the kitchen, I watched my Daisy beg for scraps by Mark as he flipped the meat. I inhaled all those amazing flavors wafting over from the grill.

I felt blessed to be back in the land of the carnivore.

Hey Facebook peeps – if you want to see more photos from our grilling adventure – go to my blog page.

Back in San Francisco, I ordered the halibut topped with caviar. The delicate flavors of the halibut played nicely with olive oil and seasonal vegetables. Yum! In fact, all of the Waterbar’s Easter Menu showcased fresh seafood paired with first-class ingredients. We also took advantage of the Happy Hour deal on oysters – $1 oysters before 6 PM.

I’d love to come back to the Waterbar on a sunny, warm day. They have patio seating and a stunning view of the Bay. I imagine outdoor cocktails and $1 oysters would be the perfect way to end the work week.

Again, if you’re reading this blog on Facebook – click on the blog link to check out more yummy pictures from Easter Sunday!

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I also picked some fig fruit from the huge tree in our backyard. It’s growing on the other side of the fence, along a public walk/bike trail. Daisy freaks out when other people start picking that tree.

We decided to grill our new potatoes inside foil. We topped them with salt, pepper and olive oil. My hubby added some bratwurst links and scallops to the fire.

Inside the kitchen, I sautéed white beans, butter beans and spinach. I also added grape tomatoes from the garden. I sprinkled on some salt and pepper to the veggies. I also added olive oil and 2007 Barefoot Chardonnay.

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At parties, people gravitate towards the food. Many offer to help with seasoning, boiling and other food duties. At a BBQ at our buddy’s house in Oakland, I helped boil and mix up the German potato salad. I also loved the hickory-smoked salmon at this party. Our host, Scott, didn’t sprinkle salt or pepper on the fish. He said all he need was the salmon fat and the smoke. Yum! That smoke cooked and seasoned the fish beautifully.

What else should we grill?

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We shared this feast of crab with salt and pepper. We wanted to try the crab with black bean sauce, but our server, who didn’t want to see Sara leave the Bay Area, insisted we try the salt and pepper version. Yummy! I had fun cracking the legs and other parts with my silver crab cracker. Yes, it was a messy seafood experience, but totally worth it!

San Francisco Nightlife from Kris Vera-Phillips on Vimeo.
After dinner, we dropped off some Medill alums at their apartment. They said we could get back on 80 thru the tunnel on Broadway. We also passed by roller skaters and bikers on the Embarcadero. Finally, we got on the Bay Bridge and headed home.

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