mmm-yoso!!!

Duckin' Around

I hope everyone is enjoying a nice long weekend. On Thanksgiving morning, I took Da' Boyz down the street to Mission Bay. The recent rain had scrubbed the sky of all the usual haze.

We ran into this flock of fowl during our walk....which drove Da Boyz crazy......

I thought it was kind of....well ironic in a way. As with most years, the Missus had to work over Thanksgiving, so there was making stuff for that. But for us, this year's project was a wonderful duck from Mary's, not cheap, but a nice little project for me.

So the night before T-Day, there I was, breaking down a duck.......it's been a while since I've done this, but I didn't do too badly. I decided to go with a Chinese influence with most things, curing the legs for confit.......

The carcass went into the stovetop smoker.......

The breasts I cured overnight with five-spice, salt, white pepper, ginger juice, scallions......

It ended up being a nice Thanksgiving meal for us......

With the smoked bones I made a soup.

I used only the greens from the napa cabbage in this. The Missus wanted something simple and comforting, a reminder of Her youth. So with the white portion of the napa cabbage, I did a traditional Northern Chinese stir fry with Black Vinegar.

The breasts turned out beautifully....the Missus said it was among the best She's ever had.

Since we were trying to use the whole duck, Da' Boyz had the liver, kidney, and heart for dinner.....

Of course there was still something left over.....can you guess what that was?

This duck was really fatty and there was a ton of skin left over. So yesterday I went ahead and rendered the fat. One of the great byproducts of rendering the fat was the fried duck skin.....man, these are good. The put the "crack" in cracklins'. 

The duck fat is smooth and almost buttery........I'm almost tempted to spread these out on crackers.

So the Missus had duck confit and an egg cooked in duck fat for brunch this morning.

In keeping with the Chinese theme, She dipped the duck into Sichuan Pepper-Salt, but quit after a while telling me that the duck really didn't need anything else.

I guess She really enjoyed the duck since She asked me if we could do this for Christmas. What I'm really happy with is that we didn't waste a thing. The duck was very good quality, though not cheap at nearly $30. Still, if you consider all the meals 1 duck contributed to, it's a good investment for two.

So how did your Thanksgiving go? Was it a traditional one, or did you try something different this year?

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from the mmm-yoso gang to everyone!

May your hearts, and stomachs, be full on this, and every day of the year.

 

CDD Tofu & Grill (Inside Zion Supermarket)

mmm-yoso!!!  is a food blog. This post is being written during one of the food-iest weeks of the year by Cathy.  This is because the foodier guys, Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are busy planning their magnificent Thanksgiving Day feasts.

The Mister and I try to have a bite to eat before grocery shopping and the Food Court area inside Zion marketplace  (as well as the small counter in the midst of the actual market) offers quite a variety of selections. 

 You can see the signage advertising $2 off any combo all day as well as the Fall Special of $6.95 Tofu Soup, which we decided to share on this chilly day.    We decided on a spice level of 2 (out of 5), since we knew the spicy here is very spicy. 

 The organic, non-GMO tofu in soup is handed to you on the tray, bubbling furiously.  It comes with the raw egg, and various banchan (sides) of fried tofu, seaweed and marinated bean sprout as well as some mild kimchi.  The 'Rice Lady' followed us until we found a table and had started scraping the rice out of a hot stone pot, presenting the rice in the dish you see above...

 as well as the hot stone pot, with the remaining rice stuck to the sides, which she filled with warm tea- another side dish. The rice is a bit more 'toasted' in this hot pot and scraping it off and eating it with the tea is yet another great flavor combination (if you like Japanese Genmaicha-brown rice tea- you'll get that flavor from this bowl with the bit of burnt scrapings).

 Here's a photo of the 'Rice Lady' leaving our table, heading to another table to deliver their hot pot of rice. 

The tofu soup here is particularly good, filled with bok choy, onion and thin sliced pieces of beef (as well as the cooked egg which is not in this photo).  The tofu is a perfect texture and the spice level was just enough that you can still taste the ingredients. 

 

CDD Tofu & Grill 7655 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 Inside Zion Marketplace.
Here is a link to Kirbie's visit to CDD(includes a copy of the menu), and this is a link including Jinxie's visit to CDD.

After our shared lunch, we went shopping inside Zion. You'll notice we were here on 11/11---that special day is 

Pepero Day!!! Celebrated in Korea in a way similar to Valentine's Day here...exchanging Pepero cookie snacks to show affection for friends and loved ones is how to celebrate. (Pepero Day originally had the purpose of exchanging Peperos with the hopes of becoming taller and thinner...as if).

 

The flavors above were our purchases (although other flavors, box sizes and individual foot long Peperos as well as a collectible tin were being sold)..the green one is chocolate coated and rolled in almond,  the red is chocolate dipped and rolled in peanut and the yellow (my favorite) is "nude"- a plain biscuit, filled with chocolate (or as the label states: "chocolate is contained tightly in the stick biscuit").  

Happy Belated Pepero Day!

Dudley's Deli-yes, THAT Dudley's-now in Santee

This location has also closed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a compilation of bloggings centered around food.  Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy (as well as a few others) share food memories, finds and ideas here.  Today, Cathy is writing about a find.

The fabric sign had been hanging on the front and side of this corner building, just behind the Costco Fuel station on Town Center Parkway in Santee for almost six months. "Coming Soon-Dudley's Deli".  Then at a rather rapid rate, the signage was installed on the building.

On Wednesday, November 6 at 11 a.m., the store was open for business.  

Anyone who has driven North on the  67 on their way to Julian has most likely stopped at Dudley's Bakery  in Santa Ysabel.  At the very least, you have probably seen Dudley's Bakery items in your local grocery store and  perhaps have considered a drive into the Eastern part of San Diego County. The 50 year old San Diego County Institution has expanded.

The Mister and I are happy to see we'd have a local, almost walk to easy option and were some of the first customers.  (The receipt shows our purchase transaction occurred at 11:16 a.m.) 

 The shelves were not quite full, but did have fresh cookie bars, coffee grounds and breads for sale.

The staff was ready for just about any order you could place.

Other than not having soup bowls available that first day, things were going quite well.  

 The Dietz and Watson Deli meats are on display. 

 We have been back several times to purchase a loaf or two fresh Dudley's bread, delivered fresh from the bakery 'up the hill'.  All loaves are $4.95. I haven't taken photos of the full shelves because it has been crowded every time we've been back. The selection seems to vary, based on the day of the week you are here.

Our first day sandwich was a Corned Beef Reuben ($7.95).  You can see this is quite a large sandwich (enough to share), filed with warmed corned beef, kraut, Swiss cheese and a nice Thousand Island dressing all on fresh seeded Rye bread that is panini-pressed/grilled. Really, really good. Nice to share.

The strawberry turkey sandwich is on a toasted/lightly grilled sheepherder bread (a hearty white) and, as you can see, loaded with turkey, (a layer of strawberry preserves is on the bottom), a layer of fresh strawberries, Provolone, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on the top slice. Again, nice to share. I do plan on trying more menu items and will report back.

This is  great place to get your Dudley's bread and sweets as well as a hearty lunch and all without the travel.

Dudley's Deli Bakery 205 Town Center Parkway Santee, CA 92071 (the building right behind the Costco Gas Station vehicle entrance) (619)258-4245 Website

Noodling around: Pho Hoa revisted

It's been over five years since I posted on Pho Hoa...well this Pho Hoa, not that Pho Hoa, so I figure it was time for another post on what I consider the oldest, of the old school type pho shops in San Diego.

Not much has really changed except the prices have gone up a buck. The low ceilings, sticky tables, banquet chairs, rather dark atmosphere......a great place for a zombie apocalypse horror movie set. For some reason, on this day, it smelled kind of dank in the place. In shops like these you can usually smell the "Eau de Pho"....on this day the place just smelled off.

Still, the place was the same in most ways. Like the placement of the bean sprouts, herbs, and lime on the table along with the menu.

I guess this kind of makes sense since what else are you going to order here? They do pho. Unlike the decor and atmosphere, everything on the plate is sparkling fresh, especially the Ngo Gai (culantro) and the amounts were generous, totally the opposite of most places these days.

The bowl was a perfect illustration of the inconsistency of the place. A couple of months back I visited for a quick bowl. I was in a rush so didn't bother to take photos. That bowl had a decent beef flavor, decent fat, with perhaps a bit too much MSG. This bowl was fiercely defatted, though the color was dark and clear. The flavor had a mild beefiness to it but was over-shadowed by an unpleasant burnt bitterness. The noodles were overcooked and mushy as well. The protein was decent, especially the flank and brisket cuts, as well as the tripe. The tendon was a mixed bag, a couple of moderately tender pieces and a few pieces tough as a rubbah' slippa'. That has been Pho Hoa's M.O. over the years. Though the place is the model of consistency in other areas; the efficient service that borders on indifference and that old and worn atmosphere that seems to be beloved by the old timers who eat here.

Pho Hoa Restaurant
4717 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Saturday Morning in Vista: Lamb's Head at Vamos a Texcoco and a visit to the Vista Farmer's Market

*** I'm dedicating this first part of the post to FOY "Billy", who told me he was going to get his fix of lamb this weekend. I hope you did, Billy!

During the past week, the Missus told me She was in mood for a drive, but still staying within San Diego County. She also enjoyed the food I had brought back from Vamos a Texcoco. So we decided to head out to Vista for breakfast.

We arrived about ten minutes or so after opening, before the large families arrived. The Missus started with what She deemed a nice cup of  Café de olla.

As on my previous visit, I ordered the Mixiote.

This tends to be quite assertive in flavor and the last time the Missus mixed my leftovers with the order of barbacoa and really enjoyed it. This time though, she had something else in mind.

She decided to go whole hog....errr.....lamb and order the lamb head. Which is a good choice for us. After being married so ling, there's a kind of interesting harmony in eating sometimes. The Missus loves the eyeballs, not my favorite thing. I like tongue....you but open the back and scrape all the meat out, not Missus' fave. I'm ok with brains, the Missus loves the texture, but doesn't care for the after taste, which is mildly minerally-fishy. Of course we both love the cheek meat....it don't get more flavor-packed than that stuff.

They also serve the head "boneless"....hey, I know a few who would qualify for that...ummm, sorry to digress. But half the fun is doing the scrapping of every single wonderful flavor packed portion of the lamb's head.

Since we had gotten there early and they weren't slammed, the folks serving us were so friendly and nice. We had a rather rich breakfast that kept us the whole day.

Vamos a Texcoco
950 E Vista Way
Vista, CA 92084
Hours:
Open Daily 9am - 9pm

Now the round trip to Vista and back is over 60 miles for us, so I mentioned to the Missus that Vista had a Saturday Farmer's Market. It was fairly close to "Vamos" so we decided to check it out. We really enjoyed ourselves....as a plus, walking around a bit helped digestion as well. So here's a few photos from earlier today.

The Missus bought a 7 pound bag of Fuyu Persimmons ($10) and we got some natural dog treats for Da' Boyz. We loved the laid-back atmosphere. We'll be back.

Here's an interesting fact; established in 1981, the Vista Farmer's Market is the longest running farmer's market in San Diego County.

Vista Farmer's Market
325 S Melrose Dr
Vista, CA 92081
Hours
Saturday 8am - 1pm

 

Coimbra: Pastel de Santa Clara at Pastelaria Briosa and visits to a couple of churches

You could say Coimbra is just a college town I guess. Well, a town with a history that goes back to the Fifth century and  where the "college", well more properly the University, is over 700 years old, built on the hill that overlooks the city, and whose main square is surrounded by buildings that were once the Royal Palace....oh yes, Coimbra was also the capital of the County of Portugal from the mid-twelfth century, until the mid-thirteenth century.

The University of Coimbra, up steep University Hill proudly overlooks the "Baixa" (Low Town) and Modego River.

You can't miss it. Getting here was kind of interesting, not hard, but interesting. We caught the train from Evora to Lisbon, changing trains at Oriente Station. We got off at "Station B" which is somewhere north of the city. You then transfer to another train which takes you on the short trip to "Station A" which is right on the waterfront. Our hotel was basically right across the street, the Hotel Oslo, which was kind of old, with small rooms, but, in spite of the beds as hard as a marble slab, was good enough for a night or two. Plus, I could open the window and see University Hill above. There was street noise and all that, but this was about as centrally located as you'd get.

Crossing the street, a single lane in both directions, a maze of alleyways and narrow streets winds inward, away from the Mondego River. Here lies Praça do Comércio.

A nice bright open area with cafes and shops. Because of the shape of the square, people claim that this once a Roman Chariot Racetrack. I also read that in the Middle Ages, bullfights were held in this wide open area.

At one end of the square is the Church of São Tiago a small but important church. The architecture is in the Romanesque style. The arches of the side doors are decorated with a scallop shell motif, a homage to the patron of this church Saint James (Tiago is James in Portuguese) whose emblem was the scallop shell.

 

The church was ordained in 1206. Though it is believed to have been the site of a temple from the 10th century. the interior of the church itself is fairly tiny, much of it paneled in wood.

Up the stairs to the side and you end up in the heart of Coimbra's shopping street the busy and bustling streets of Rua Ferreira Borges and Rua Visconde da Luz.

 Many of the buildings date back to the 1900's and are in the Art Nouveau style; curved lines and the forms and ornamentation in tune with "nature". The area is very lively.

Along the way we saw another church down the stairs near the other end of Praça do Comércio. This was the Church of St. Bartholomew. The rather simple looking Baroque style church housed a bright white interior with an altarpiece gilded in gold and marble.

We walked back up, then further down Rua Ferreira Borges toward the Santa Clara Bridge. The Missus had read about Pastelaria Briosa online.

 We needed a break and it seemed like a great time to us the "Lisbon Rule" - when you need a break, get a coffee and a pastry. In Coimbra, the pastry of choice is the Pastel de Santa Maria.

So I had a seat and the Missus walked up to the counter to order for us.

And while I really didn't care much for this sweet, almond and marmalade pastry, I also didn't care for the dough....it was nice to have seat and a nice cup of espresso.

The espresso must have done wonders, since I agreed with the Missus, and decided to forgo lunch. We'd

 instead aim for another Portugal (we were already calling it Pork-u-gal) porkfest.

So, with some reluctance, I pulled myself up to my feet and we headed up the winding and sometimes rather steep alleyways up to the "Old Town". I was just amazed at the fact folks walked up and down these steep hills, sometimes several times a day. We passed a young Chinese girl walking down the hill. I could see the rather amused look on her face as I huffed and puffed past her.

Would I make it without having a coronary? Well stay tuned!

Mi Rancho and Tacos Mi Rancho: Yuma Mexican from Daylight till Late Night

Kirk and Cathy are eating today. They eat everyday. But they don't post everyday. So today, Ed (from Yuma) wants to tell you about Yuma's Flagship Mexican eateries. Come back tomorrow for different meals, in a different place, and with a different poster. But it'll be mmm-yoso delicioso.

I was thinking the other day about the restaurants I eat at regularly that I have never blogged about. At the top of the list would be Tacos Mi Rancho, this little converted fast food spot:

And its larger newer cousin, Mi Rancho:

While the menus for the restaurants are the same, and they both have a good selection of Mexican beers, some old-school locals prefer the funky ambience of TMR with its two small rooms, brightly colored walls, and visible A/C ducts. Mi Rancho is significantly larger and less gaudy, but certainly not fine-dining fancy. It also prepares decent margaritas.

Around 20 years ago I remember stumbling onto TMR and having one of the best Mexican lunches in my entire life (up to that time). When I later moved to Yuma, these restaurants became part of my regular rotation.

Part of the reason for that is the excellent homemade salsa, thick and full of chile, onion, and tomato flavors, nicely balanced and usually very picante:

The complimentary salsa and thin fresh corn chips (chips served only with lunch or dinner) are so good that I've taken a lot of pictures like this one over the years:

Or this one:

Both places are my favorites for Mexican-style breakfast in town (Fri – Sun, served until 11 AM)

Their kitchens prepare a range of standard breakfasts plates and omelettes, such as this Spanish omelette (sausage and cheese)($6.99):

Those potatoes, moist country fries cooked with onions and peppers, are a highlight of the breakfasts – standard with the breakfast plates until the kitchen runs out and substitutes rice:

Still, the quality chorizo makes huevos con chorizo($6.99) a good and spicy breakfast plate. Likewise, the huevos rancheros($5.99) are usually the best in town whether they come with rice or potatoes:

The crispy tortilla, the perfectly cooked, over-easy eggs, and the flavorful ranchero sauce are always enjoyable. I also love the chilequiles (corn tortilla chips covered with sauce and eggs)($5.99) but for some reason have no picture for this post.

Lunches are popular at both restaurants. The menu has numerous burrito and torta choices, such as this chicken torta($5.99):

At lunchtime, the senior menu also becomes the lunch special menu(all $6.99). Here's a chicken enchilada lunch special:

Two al pastor soft tacos – another lunch special:

Their green chili, tender chunks of pork in a nicely balanced mild green chile/tomatillo/cilantro sauce, is also available in the lunch special size:

The restaurant also has a large selection of "Mexican dinners" – rice, beans, tortillas, and an entrée – including such favorites as chiles rellenos($10.99):

Or folded tacos (here chicken)($10.99):

The menu also offers more entrée choices than any other Mexican restaurant in town, including liver and onions($10.99), chicherones rancheros($10.99), barbacoa($11.49), carne en su jugo($11.49) etc. For example, birria de chivo (goat meat in chile broth)($11.49) is always available – and always very tasty and authentically goaty:

In addition to their usual good menudo($7.99) and a classic caldo de res($10.99), TMR and Mi Rancho also occasionally have pozole:

Their soups come with chopped onions, cilantro, lemon/lime wedges, and other appropriate condiments so each customer can flavor and decorate her own soup:

The wide menu includes seafood choices as well, like this first-rate camarones rancheros($13.99):

Or this fresh tasting whole tilapia($11.99):

And here is an order of fish fillets in garlic butter($10.99) in a to-go carton:

In fact, I regularly grab dinners from Mi Rancho when I have to work late since few other good independent restaurants in town welcome customers or prepare a to go plate at 8:30 or 9 PM – which is late by Yuma standards. For example, here’s lengua (in ranchero sauce) ($11.99)I got for take out:

As you can see, I don't always make it home with the most attractive looking styrofoam. Nonetheless, this is tasty and spicy al pastor($11.49):

As I look over this post, I realized that I have mostly just provided pictures and brief descriptions. I guess that’s because these restaurants are like old comfortable friends, not exciting new finds. The food is usually good, but not wildly spectacular. It tastes pretty much how it looks. Mi Rancho has been voted the best Mexican restaurant in town by the readers of the local newspaper on several occasions. To me, that seems a pretty fair judgment. The menu offers a lot of choices, almost every dish will be well prepared, and the prices are very reasonable. The restaurants offer breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The service is usually professional and generally good by Yuma standards. And the salsa is almost always great.

Tacos Mi Rancho, 188 S. 4th Ave., Yuma AZ 85364, (928) 783-2116; Mi Rancho, 2701 S. 4th Ave., Yuma AZ 85364, (928) 344-6903.

 

No Pho at Pho Hiep and Grill - Linda Vista

I know, Cathy just posted on Pho Hiep a couple of weeks ago. Usually I'd wait a while, but recently I had someone recommend the Bun Bo Hue and Bun Mang Vit at Pho Hiep......she said the Bun Bo Hue was better than Mien Trung's and the Bun Mang Vit superior to Chinese Kitchen (Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang)! Really?? Since I hadn't had the Bun Bo Hue here since 2006, when the place was still called Pho Hoa Hiep, I decided to forgo what I usually order (Pho, Com Tam, or the Bun), and go for it.

I honestly don't remember ever seeing Bun Mang Vit on the menu here......

Though on this evening, I went with the Bun Bo Hue. I was craving something with a little kick. Unfortunately, the large bowl of Bun Bo Hue ($7.40) just didn't do it for me.

First the good; man the veggies and herbs were fresh and crisp. The meat, especially the tendon and thick cuts were very good. The noodles were prepared decently. The broth was nice and hot.....and it kind of stops there. The broth had almost no spice, I did see some chilies, but it was really nothing. There was a lack of the distinctive lemongrass flavor I enjoy so much. The broth was way too light in flavor, even though the oil content was decent. I dumped the entire dish of fermented shrimp paste and chilies into this and nothing...... It was las if Pho Hiep decided to dump some chilies in a very light pho broth, drip some annatto oil on top and call it Bun Bo Hue.

For me, the broth, whether it's Pho, Bun Bo Hue, Niu Rou Mian, Ramen, or whatever is prime. In this case the broth was seriously lacking.

Still, in order to do my due diligence, I needed to return and try that Bun Mang Vit (large - $7.40):

 Again, I loved the vegetables and herbs, especially what the rau ram (Vietnamese Coriander) brought to the dish. The dipping sauce was terrible, too sweet, like sweet chili sauce mixed with a scant amount of ginger. The noodles were again prepared well and this time the broth; though light, had some flavor, though it tasted more like chicken fat added to pho broth. The bamboo shoots had a nice texture, but the woodsy flavor was pretty muted.

The protein was the most problematic. Though there were two nice slices of duck.....

Everything else was combination of bones and large pieces of duck liver...not my favorite thing in the world. In the end this was pretty much a fail for me.

Perhaps I should have taken it as a sign when the person that recommended this place noted that she hated Bun Mam and Mam Nem. But heck, I don't live my life just laying back.....I was taught to try things, it's how you expand and grow. And often, failure is the price of progress. But I did learn something here......

Stick with the pho, com tam, and bun at Pho Hiep and Grill. Lesson learned....

Pho Hiep & Grill
6947 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Koon Thai Kitchen revisited

It seems like I do a post on Koon Thai at just about one year intervals...so I guess it's that time again! Before things got really busy around these parts, I managed to grab lunch with two of my co-workers, Stephanie and Lily, who are wonderful eating companions. Both of them have been to Sab E Lee before, so I thought it would be nice to drop by Koon Thai.

There have been a few changes since the last time I visited. There's some new specials and sadly, some items, though still on the menu, like the Nham Khao Tod are no longer served. On this day the Kha Pao Moo Krob and the Pad Cha Pla Tod were a no go as well.

Still, we managed to order more than enough food. Here's a round-up.

We started with the Nam Tok - Beef ($9.95):

I could tell by the color and the fragrance, or lack thereof, that this wasn't going to be a great dish. The beef was fairly tender, but the flavors were really lacking....not enough lime juice, not enough heat (at a 7), not enough fish sauce, just not enough......

I was never a fan of the Pad See Ew here, but thought I'd give it another try. So we ordered the chicken version ($8.95):

The was mediocre at best...to mushy and watery, not the best display of wok skills for this simple dish that is deceptively hard to execute well. Not enough heat, needed a bit more of the caramelized soy sauce-sugar flavor. The chicken was prepped decently.

Things began looking up when the Ka Na Moo Krob (Crispy pork belly with Gailan - $9) arrived.

The pork had a nice chewwy-crunchy texture, the flavors (mild garlic-sugar-soy-fish sauce) were nicely balanced, and the gailan were cooked perfectly.

The Pla Sahm Rod ($12) was even better.

I may complain about the wok technique, but these folks sure know how to fry. Crisp, light, and moist, along with what many would think of as classic Thai flavors.

Of course I had to order the Khao Karr Moo ($7.99).

For some reason, this dish always takes us back to a Hospital Food Court of all places in Thailand. This simmered pork shank dish, obviously Chinese influenced, is just plain hearty comfort food. Lily told me this reminded her of something her dad would make.......

In the end, thought not everything went over well; there were more good than bad dishes, making Koon my second favorite Thai restaurant in the area.

Koon Thai Kitchen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111