Pho To Go

Three weeks ago my brother introduced me to Pho, a Vietnamese soup with rice noodles, veggies and your choice of either beef, chicken or seafood, served in a beef broth along with a plethora of garnishes served on the side. I really wasn't sure what to think when he walked in the house with a large box and what looked like way too many containers for two people. I thought I had agreed to soup and had no idea what else was in this large mystery box and what I had agreed too. As my brother pulled container after container out of the box my interest and excitement grew. What was this wonderful thing that I was about to be introduced to?
After he had set out two (very large) bowls I was starting to wonder what I agreed to. I mean I love ice cream but I can't even eat a bowl that large of ice cream so how was I going to eat a bowl that large filled will Pho, a soup I had no idea about. My brother started his Pho instructional seminar handing me first a container of carrots, broccoli, cilantro and scallions ( I chose an all veggie Pho) which I poured into my large bowl followed by a container of beef broth, that does not come from a box or can but is instead simmered with love in a pot with beef bones oxtails, onions, garlic and various spices.After this he gave me a Ziploc baggie filled with limes, bean sprouts, jalapenos and Thai basil to pour into my growing concoction. By now all the smells from these various containers were starting to come together in a symphony of smells as they hit the hot beef broth creating a marriage of flavors. I was so excited that I was practically drooling but I had to wait even longer because there were still a few garnishes to add including plum sauce, peanuts and chili sauce. I love hot but hot doesn't love me so the chili sauce and jalapenos are omitted in my soup.
So finally, everything has been added and stirred together and it was time for me to finally take my first bite of what I was already imagining to be amazing. Amazing can't even explain the taste that I experienced and continued to experience with each bite. It was aromatic and flavorful and you could taste the richness of the home cooked beef broth. It was so incredible that I could not stop even though I was full because each bite was different than the last. With no bite the same how could I possibly stop and miss another incredible combination that came out of my bowl. Needless to say, Pho is now a weekly part of my menu and after introducing my mom and step-dad to Pho it is now a week night meal. Just the preparation alone of your individual bowls becomes a fun family experience everyone gathered around talking, adding ingredients and bartering extra bean sprouts for Thai basil. It would even be a fun girls night in.

Where to go to get this delightful soup if you live in my area:
Pho' N Seafood
924 N. Court Street
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 732-3663

My family and I each creating our perfect Pho creation

Recipe Remix: Time To Get Creative!

Bet you can't have just one bite

If you are anything like me, you go to the refrigerator after a holiday and realize you have bits and pieces of the actual meal but not all the ingredients to make that same menu for leftovers. Instead of letting those leftover containers take up precious space in the refrigerator until garbage day it's the perfect time to get creative and come up with something new without cooking anything, maybe just a little reheating though. You never know, you may just come up with a genius idea that everyone will fall in love with.

So there I am after dinner still a little hungry and in need of something sweet. I actually think I have two stomachs, one for regular meals and another one for dessert because no matter how full I am after dinner I always have room for dessert. I think this comes from my Dad's side because he has a sweet tooth just like me and no meal is complete without dessert, preferably Pecan Pie or Bread Pudding if you give him his choice. As I am alternating opening both the freezer and refrigerator trying to find what will satisfy my cravings I see two parts of the weekends desserts and it hits me, "What is better than Strawberry Shortcake and Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake Bites?" A combination of the two, of course. And just like that, out comes the leftover cheesecake mixture (see Patriotic Treats: Red, White and Blueberry for the Cheesecake recipe) and the strawberries from the Strawberry Shortcake. Making the strawberries is as simple as 1 lb. of strawberries, 1/2 cup of fine sugar and 2 tbsp water mixed together and allowed to rest at least an hour and then 1 tbsp of lemon juice added right before serving. So easy and yummy to make.

Now I have these two leftover components of my original desserts, far too delicious to let waste, and my mouth is watering at just the thought of this delicious creation that will soon be on my spoon and in my tummy. I take the cheesecake mixture still in my homemade piping bag and start in the center and go around the plate in a circles starting inside going towards the outside until I reach halfway (or all the way) on the plate. Then I take the sweet and juicy strawberry concoction and spoon it over the top of the cheesecake. Add a mint leaf  and Voila! You have dessert in a matter of minutes and you look like a genius to your friends and family, or at least a hero for a day.

Memorial Day: More Than A Day of BBQ. A Day of Remembrance and Thanks

Pepper Jack Cheeseburger on a Sesame Seed Bun with Romaine Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion
with White Corn on the Cob

As we celebrate with family and friends laying by the pool, barbecuing and filling our tummies with chips and salsa, macaroni salad, potato salad, corn on the cob, strawberry shortcake, brats and hamburgers and all the fixings that go along, let us take a moment to remember the meaning of Memorial Day. Let us give thanks and remember all those that gave their lives fighting in the military for the United States and our freedoms. It is because of a soldier that we are here, enjoying this beautiful day in May, with the rights that were drawn out so long ago and protected through the years by the sacrifice of the men and women of the military. Also give thanks to the men and women that today are actively fighting to keep your rights intact and fight for your protection and safety. They deserve our utmost respect for the job that they are doing, or have done, and a job that they have taken on as their own responsibility. Also give thanks to the husbands and wives, children and families behind these brave men and women in the military, for they are also the embodiment of bravery and strength as well as they are there giving support, sacrificing and stepping into different roles as needed . I am proud to be an American and to live in a country built by the determination of so many brave soldiers willing to fight and give their all to keep me safe and stand up for what they believe, even if that meant at the risk of losing their life. With that I say thank you and I take a moment to remember all the brave men and women in the military who have lost their lives in the pursuit of freedom and thank all the military men and women currently serving our country or have served and are one of the many great veterans of the military. Thank you!

And to my brother who currently serves in the Army, I am so proud of you and the man and father you have become. I am so lucky to have you in my life and to be able to call you my brother. I pray for your safety and strength and for your return home. Today I raise my hamburger to you little brother. Next year you will be eating one right next to me. Love you.

My brave and amazing brother.
Sorry Ladies, he's taken! And by an amazing woman who fought for our country as well.

My Cheeseburger toast to my brother

My younger, yet bigger, brother and I.
What can I say, good looks (and a goofy smile) run in the family :)

                   

Patriotic Treats: Red, White and Blueberry

You picked the short straw and got stuck bringing a dessert to the Memorial Day BBQ. Before you go out and get the store bought sugar cookies and place them next to the homemade appetizers and entrees, that people planned weeks before, try this recipe. At least read it and let it kick around your thoughts for a minute. First of all, it is so easy! Second, it is delicious and third, it will make you the hit of the party, because admit it everyone loves the person that brought the amazing dessert. A memorable dessert gets you invited to more parties. Store bought cookies...not so much.

So it was my turn to draw the coveted (not really) dessert card and with it a determination to bring a dessert that I was proud of walking in with instead of trying to hide it in a bag until it was time to serve. I got inspiration from a picture on Pinterest from the website the-girl-who-ate-everything.com of a Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberry. I decided to take it further with my own Cheesecake recipe, cutting the strawberries in half to make them bite-size and adding a blueberry to go with the red, white and blue theme of Memorial Day.

All I can say is that when everyone is stuffing their face with dessert and it's completely quiet, you know you have a winner. And this recipe is a winner. The fluffy cheesecake with the sweetness of the strawberry and tartness of the blueberry is a perfect marriage. And if the lemon juice seems a bit strange to you in the cheesecake mixture, please just try it once for me, because it brings a fresh hint to the mixture that makes a big difference in the taste.

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bites

Serves 12

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 1 hour

Cheesecake Mixture

I package Jell-O No Bake Original Cheesecake
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
¾ cup cream cheese
½ ricotta cheese
1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lemon

4 lb strawberries

6 oz blueberries

Directions:

Prepare a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.

Clean the strawberries and then pull off the leafy top, cut in half and then trim the tops cutting in a V-shape and clean out the center. The smaller ones do not need to be cut in half but instead just trimming the top and cleaning out the center of the strawberry is adequate.  

In a mixing bowl add the Jell-O No Bake Cheesecake mix and 1 ½ cup of milk as directed on the box. Mix for 3 minutes with a hand mixer and then add the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese and ricotta cheese all at room temperature as well as the lemon juice and vanilla extra at a low speed incorporating all the ingredients.Transfer the mixture to a freezer size zip lock bag and cut the corner when ready to fill the strawberries.

Fill the strawberries with the cheesecake mixture and then place a blueberry in the center. Place the strawberries on the prepared cookie sheet and then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.

Take out the strawberry cheesecake bites out of the refrigerator and place on a serving plate for presentation 15-20 minutes prior to serving.

Garlic Fries! Get Your Garlic Fries!

Leaving the baseball game the other night I was left with this empty feeling that I could not shake. This feeling that something was missing and as I crawled into my comfy bed and plush pillows it hit me. Garlic Fries! Ha ha, you thought I was going to get all mushy and emotional didn't you? Fooled you. Now back to the fries. How could I sit through an entire baseball game (okay I admit it, I left a little early) without my coveted garlic fries. It was so un-San Franciscan of me. So as I laid there I decided that this craving had to be fulfilled and fast and since a four hour drive to San Francisco's AT&T Park to get to the Gilroy Garlic Fries food stand was out of the question, the ball was in my mitt.
That next morning I woke up with a mission in mind. After a little research I came to the conclusion that everyone has their own recipe for how they think these very specific fries are made. I have only had them a million and one times but I had a pretty good idea about how they are cooked and their ingredients. I know the one important key piece to these fries is that the garlic is raw and not cooked. another important piece to the puzzle is that the fries must be added to the garlic-parsley mixture hot out of the fryer.
Armed with my new knowledge and past garlic fries experience I headed to the grocery store to get all the ingredients to accomplish my goal and curb my craving. After a little testing, this is the recipe that I came up that satisfied my taste buds and mentally took me to the outfield bleachers of the Giants ballpark.

Garlic Fries

Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 6 minutes

Garlic-Parsley Mixture

5 tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp kosher salt

4 Russet potatoes

Vegetable oil for frying
Kosher salt

Directions:

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and cut the potatoes into planks approximately ½ in. thickness. Drop the cut potatoes in a bowl of water and let sit covered for 20-30 minutes. Drain and dry the potatoes.

In a large bowl mix the ingredients for the garlic-parsley mixture and set aside.

In batches, drop the potatoes in a deep fryer set to 375 degrees. Let potatoes fry for 2 minutes and then lift them to let them drain. Do this two more times until golden brown and cooked through. After the third time take the fries out and pour onto a sheet pan lined with paper towels. While still hot sprinkle with salt and place into the garlic-parsley mixture and gently toss to coat. The best way I found to incorporate the fries in the mixture and avoid breaking the fries is to toss them in the large bowl not using a spoon or cooking utensil but instead by flipping them in the bowl utilizing a wrist motion of going forward and up.  

Helpful Hint of the Day: Sprinkle from about a foot above what you are salting to distribute more evenly and avoid overly salted areas and naked areas.

Take Me Out To the Ballgame

It's baseball season and this means two things: Cheering on my San Francisco Giants and indulging in all things ballpark food. For anyone that has not experienced AT&T Park, it is the Disneyland for adults. All biased aside, it really is one of the most beautiful stadiums I've ever seen. And not only is the team and stadium amazing but the food is better than any baseball park I have been to, along with a great selection of micro brews. There is something there for just about every diet and foodie desire.
Maybe it is that baseball season brings back memories, going all the way back to my childhood, whether it was going to an Giants game or an Oakland A's game, I spent a majority of my summer at a baseball game, either with my family or when I got older my friends. As a little kid I ate my way through the game. Starting, of course, with a hot dog and soda (I've now graduated to beer), and then to nachos (extra cheese sauce) or maybe a pretzel (extra mustard), and then it was whatever vendor came by but a Red Vine Rope and ice cream were most definitely in the rotation though. It's funny because things haven't changed. I still eat my way through a baseball game, in between cheering on my team and yelling at the ump of course.
The one thing you can't go to a Giants game without eating is the garlic fries. There is no discussion that these are hands down the best thing at the Giants stadium and are the best garlic fries I have had anywhere else and i consider myself a connoisseur of sorts in the area of garlic fries. It is worth holding your hand in front of your mouth the rest of the night, going through a pack of gum and smelling like garlic into the next day. These fries are one of the best things you will ever eat!!!!! In all actuality, it really doesn't matter if you have garlic breath at a Giants game because it is almost guaranteed that everyone else around you will too. If the person next you didn't order them just let them have a taste of yours and you are all good. Two garlics always cancel each other out as Rachel Ray says. Make sure to check my blog tomorrow as I pay homage to this wonderful creation called garlic fries.
I am no longer in the San Francisco Bay Area so going to a Giants game proves to be a bit more difficult but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a game, or ten, watching the Diamondback's minor league team, the Visalia Rawhide, here in the Central Valley but when the Giants minor league team, the San Jose Giants are in town you better bet that you can find me in my Giants jersey and hat cheering for the away team and ignoring the dirty looks from the home team fans. With a hot dog and beer in my hand naturally.

The Avocado: It's What Is On the Inside That Counts

Do not let the avocados hard, dark surface fool you, inside is pure goodness. Once you open an avocado to reveal its rich, creamy interior you are in for a delicious treat. Not only is it delicious, but it is also versatile and good for you. In fact vegetarians even use it as a substitute for meat due its high (good) fat content.

Being from California avocados have always been a part of my diet, from sushi to sandwiches to salads and even just by themselves with a sprinkle of salt as a snack. Let's just say avocado's are an ingredient that can always be found in my kitchen. Being so familiar with avocado's and their creamy indulgence I was shocked when a friend from Wisconsin came to visit a few years ago and had never tasted an avocado. Of course this was an issue that had to remedied at once and with one taste he too had fallen for the prized green fruit that hid behind a less than beautiful exterior and can sometimes make you work to eat them, by separating the challenging, and sometimes slightly irritating, seed within from what your heart and taste buds desire. But sometimes working for something makes it just that much better and the avocado is one of those things. The only problem my Midwest friend now had was an avocado addiction that could not easily be satisfied and I had a state crossed off my list of states to move to. Wisconsin was quickly uncrossed due to its mouthwatering and original cheese selection. One word. Bacon Cheese. Need I say more, I think not (more about that in a future post).

Anyways, back to avocado. I challenge you this next week to use avocado in at least one of your meals each day, and yes avocado can be used at breakfast. Hint...omelette or Huevos Rancheros. You can even get a little crazy and use it in a dessert. You will be surprised at all the different ways that you can use avocado and how it can add a little something special to every dish. To get you started I included two recipes to get you on your avocado endeavour.

ü  Some of the Helpful Hints from the I Would Rather Have A Bouquet of Basil  will come into use in this recipe, specifically the garbage bowl and assembling the gathering before you start.

Mango-Avocado Salsa

Makes 3 cups

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Rest time: 30 minutes

4 mango's (seeded, peeled and diced)

2 avocados (seeded, peeled and diced)
½ red onion (finely chopped)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno (remove the seeds and ribs and finely mince)
1 lime (juiced)
Kosher salt

Directions:

In a bowl combine the mango, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and juice from ½ a lime. Stir the ingredients together, cover and place in the refrigerator to rest. After 20 minutes add the avocado and add salt to taste, then cover and let rest for another 10 minutes.

Mango- Avocado Salsa

with Dungeness Crab and Mixed Baby Greens

Guacamole

Prep time: 20 minutes

4 avocados (seeded, peeled and diced)

2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1 small red onion (finely chopped)
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno (remove the seeds and ribs and finely mince)
2 limes (juiced)
Kosher salt

Directions:

Add the avocado to a bowl and using a fork mash the avocado just short of desired consistency. I prefer mine a bit chunkier as opposed to a smooth texture. Add the onions, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and salt to taste and stir, mashing slightly to combine until the avocado is the texture you are looking for. Fold in the tomatoes until evenly distributed. Taste to make sure all the flavors are to your liking and adjust in anyway until it’s to your taste.