Halloween

I'm a vampire for Halloween. Been told that it suits me very well.

Also, Halloween means so much more when you work with children.

James of All Trades: An Evening with James Franco

What a character. Funniest part: when he name-drops like mad when reading an excerpt from his book.

The Mill Part 2

I know I said I was over The Mill but sometimes, I just want damn good toast.

Dark Mountain Rye with Cream Cheese

Baker Beach

Perfect weather for a Lands End and Baker Beach stroll. Very happy I spent the day outside.

Currently Listening To...

You & I - Local Natives

Incense

Sometimes, I just want to burn things. And if it smells good, even better.

Recipe: California Roll Bowl

I'm in the process of cleaning out my pantry and freezer so I made a deconstructed California Roll Bowl to use up leftover imitation crab meat. I didn't have super high hopes of it tasting that great but I was pleasantly surprised. I gave it my own twist though of course so it's far from the traditional California Roll. I've also learned that when at a loss, a fried egg on top will make any dish fancier. Case in point:

California Roll Bowl

Inspired by The Delicious Life

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 bowl brown rice

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

½ avocado, sliced

5 cherry tomateos, sliced in half

1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut in chunks (just because I heart cheese)

2 imitation crab meat sticks, chopped

1 sheet toasted seaweed, crushed and flaked

1 large egg

sprinkle toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Place a small skillet over medium heat and fry egg.

While the egg is cooking, mix rice with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

Place avocado, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and imitation crab meat in sections over rice.

Top with crushed and flaked toasted seaweed and fried egg.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Eat!

Crissy Field Part 2

Cold San Francisco morning.

Recipe: Taco-Rubbed Burger

I've been on a big Mexican food + burger kick lately. Seriously, all I want all the time is a really good burger. This Taco-Rubbed Burger is the best of both worlds.

I took a shortcut and used taco seasoning, but you can obviously make your own. I also didn't have any salsa verde, salsa, or tortilla chips so I omitted those ingredients from the original recipe. But next time, I'll definitely include all that because nothing beats the crunch of chips in sandwiches and burgers.

Taco-Rubbed Burger
Adapted from How Sweet It Is
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp taco seasoning
4 slices (or 4 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese
1 avocado, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
4 hamburger buns, toasted

Instructions
In a bowl, combine and mix ground beef with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. Form beef into four equal patties.
To cook, prepare the burger as you'd like until your desired doneness. I like my burgers medium-rare so I cooked it on the skillet for about 3 minutes per side. Add cheese on top 1-2 before finished so it has time to melt.
To serve, place the patty on a bun and top with tomato and avocado.

Delarosa

I met a friend for lunch at Delarosa in the Marina on our Monday holiday off. I first read about Delarosa over at Shutterbean and since seeing her post, I've been wanting to go! We got there right when it opened at 11:30AM and were only the 2nd party so we didn't have to deal with waiting in line, which I hear gets crazy long at prime times. The Burrata Bruschetta was by far the best. I loved the creamy cheese, sweetness of the honey, and the crunch from the hazelnuts (one of my favorite nuts). I'll definitely be recreating this at home!

My friend ordered the Beer Steamed Mussels which came with garlic bread and we also shared a pizza, which was really good. I haven't had good pizza in a really long time and I'm a big fan of thin crusts so this was perfect.

I guess we could have stopped there but I really like Italian donuts. I thought the Bomboloni Caldi would have a filling so I was slightly disappointed when it came out with the dips. No worries though; it was still delicious.

I want more of that bruschetta.

Burrata Bruschetta with Hazelnut and Honey

Broccolini, Pancetta, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pizza

Bomboloni Caldi: House-made Donuts with Chocolate Sauce, Mascarpone, and Raspberry Puree

Barracuda Sushi

I don't really have a good reason for coming back time and time again to Barracuda Sushi other than for the fact that I haven't found a good sushi place in the city that just has good rolls. I've had a myriad of dishes here and they're all just ok. Nothing bad, nothing that great.

Tempura Ice Cream: deep-fried green tea ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate syrup

Plow

I was SO excited to try Plow for brunch after hearing and reading such good reviews. I arrived at Plow at 7:45AM on a Saturday morning and unsurprisingly, there was already a 15+ people line and more forming behind me every minute, all waiting for the place to open at 8AM. I got a counter seat (the best seat to watch all the kitchen action) and ordered The Plow. I like variety and trying a little bit of everything so I was glad Plow offered this choice. My plow plate consisted of 2 Scrambled Eggs, 3 slices of Nueske bacon, 2 Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and Crispy Potatoes.

Sadly, I found the whole plate underwhelming. Perhaps I had too high hopes, or maybe working at a cafe has forever killed the magic of breakfast/brunch joints, or maybe I'm beginning to find breakfast food the same all around no matter the restaurant. I left $25 poorer from the coffee and lackluster breakfast. I ate the two pancakes but barely made a dent in the rest of the food and no part of me even wanted to take the rest packed up to-go. Maybe I'll give the place another chance... or maybe not because I'd rather spend the $$ on something better.

2 Scrambled Eggs, 3 Slices of Nueske Bacon, 2 Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and Crispy Potatoes

Nopalito

They had me with all the succulent decor. Oh, and the complimentary Polvorón (aka Mexican Wedding Cookie).

Totopos con Chile

Carnitas: braised pork of orange, bay leaf, milk, cinnamon, and beer; cabbage salad, pickled jalapeño, and salsa de tomatillo

Toast Eatery Part 2

Despite its average food, Breakfast for Dinner is my favorite so I find myself keep coming back to Toast Eatery. The Polk location is the best in my opinion.

Jalapeño Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

French Toast Combo with Pork Sausage

Cali Scramble: tomato, basil, cheddar, and avocado

Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie

Every time I visit the Ferry Building on a Saturday morning/afternoon, the Farmers Market is in full swing. The one food stand/truck that always has the longest line is the Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie Food Truck. I still had about half of the coins from my Farmers Market Treasure Hunt win so I decided to finally see what all the fuss is about. I mean, if there's that many people waiting in line on a consistent basis, the food has to be good right?

I got in line and thanks to the assembly line, it moved quickly. I got the Porchetta Sandwich, which was topped with caramelized onions, arugula and rock salt. The pork was juicy, greasy, and super fatty with crunchy pork skin. The caramelized onions and fresh arugula were refreshing against the heaviness of the pork but the sandwich was almost too heavily salted. Other than that, pretty glorious really, especially on the Acme Bread roll. Needless to say, my hands got super oily and the whole ordeal was pretty messy.

Porchetta Sandwich

Fresca

I've been to Fresca on three separate occasions and I always wonder what I'm doing there. I'm really into Peruvian food but something is off at Fresca and I'm not that into it. The name means fresh and I don't get that from the food.

The Coconut Juice Ceviche was a winner, but that might just be because I'm obsessed with coconut everything at the moment.

Fried Plantains; Pan con Lomito with Salad

Salmon with Squid Ink Calamari Rice

Ceviche de Coco

The Corner Store Part 2

Continuing with the search for the best burger in San Francisco and because I never got a burger on National Cheeseburger Day, I tried The Corner Store Burger. I had heard good things about this burger but meh, it was mediocre at best. The meat patty was rather dry and I wasn't a fan of so much pickling from both the pickled red onion and bread & butter pickles. I also couldn't taste the bacon jam at all.

I tried my friend's Niman Ranch Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin with Farro and that was just ok.

My friend and I also shared the Early Girl Tomato Gazpacho and the Buffalo Sweetbreads. It was my first time trying gazpacho and I'd rather have hot tomato soup... I had no idea what the sweetbread would be about and it was whatever too. For dessert we split the Chocolate Bread Pudding.

The first experience was better but I'll be back to try the brunch menu. I hear their biscuits are where it's at.

The Corner Store Burger with niman ranch chuck, aged cheddar, pickled red onion, bread & butter pickle, garlic aioli, bacon jam; French Fries

Niman Ranch Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin with farro, ham hock, chardonnay grape, and smoked jus