Category Archives: Soup & Stew

San Fran Eats

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San Francisco is full of fabulous food.  One of my favorite spots is the Ferry Building, which is a foodies paradise.  One of the restaurants there is Hog Island Oyster Company.  I was starving!  So the quick bread service was always a plus.

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Of course I had to get oysters!  Mom and I split the Kumamotos, a tiny sweet oyster from the Northern Cali coast.  I love the tangy sauce they served with it, but man were they pricey!

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For our meals, we split 2 things. First up was the clam chowder.  It was a light cream sauce with bacon, potaoes and whole clams.  I savored every single bite.

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Their grilled cheese had rave reviews so we split that too.  The bread was cut a little wonky, but the blend of cheeses was perfection.

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Dinner was at The Stinking Rose.  I remember someone from the Real World San Francisco (way back in the day) going on a date here.  Ever since then, I’ve wanted to eat a meal at this famous garlic restaurant.

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On the table was a garlic & raw parsley concoction.  Talk about garlic breath!  but it was perfect with the bread.

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I ordered the Gnocchi with Garlic Gorgonzola Sauce.  I am a gnocchi addict!  They were mini and tender.  The sauce was a little bland, but I added a spoonful of the raw garlic & parsley and that made the dish really pop.

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Mom loved her Zuppa di Pesce!

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We were in Little Italy so we hunted down some gelato at Gelateria Naia.  I got half Tiramisu and half Cannoli.  The Cannoli rocked!  It had bits of pistachios, chocolate chips, and the cannoli shell.

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They even had Roasted Corn Gelato but I was too scared to try it.

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Our grand finale of the trip was breakfast at Dottie’s True Blue Café.  I sent Jay here when he was at a conference last year and wanted me to find him a great breakfast place.  He still says it’s one of the best breakfasts he’s ever had.  We got there at 8:30 and there was about a 20 minute wait (always a wait there).  But staring at the delicious (ALL homemade!) baked goods board kept me entertained.  I wanted one of everything!

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Mom and I did the splitaroo again.  We both love having savory AND sweet at breakfast so it worked out perfectly.  The savory dish was the Gruyere and Ham Scramble.  OMFG.  It had to be the perfect ratio of cheese and ham to eggs.  Putting it on there homemade Buttermilk Dill Toast really put it over the top.

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The sweet plate was Pecan Cinnamon French Toast.  The pecans are baked into the bread.  It was crunchy, sweet, soft awesomeness.  I topped it off with their tangy sweet raspberry preserves.  Why can’t I make French toast like that?  Dottie’s was definitely one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had.   I am already thinking of what I will order next time I get the pleasure of going.

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That was my overnight excursion to San Fran!  Next up…Monterey and Carmel Smile

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My First Pho!

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I can’t believe it took me so long! This Saturday, I finally had pho. Jay & I were craving something reasonably healthy but tasty, and I suggested going to Basilic Vietnamese Grill since I had a newly purchased Groupon. Even though this place is only a few miles from us and 2 years old, I hadn’t heard of it until a few months ago. My foodie radar was way off. It’s a small restaurant and was crowded, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes. I loved the metal chopsticks!

Jay started off with a Newcastle and I started off with Chardonnay.

They entice your appetite with a basket of shrimp crackers. These airy, crispy crackers are a great way to start the meal. They have a mild shrimp flavor but nothing crazy.

We had to order an appetizer. They have lots of good options, from wings to calamari. We settled on the Shrimp & Pork Imperial Roll. It was a crispy, thin wrapper stuffed with goodness. The only thing I would have changed is that the sauce could have been thicker and more a little more flavorful.

Now it was time for the pho! I saw a few HUGE bowls of this stuff stroll by me while we were eating our spring rolls. When it was my turn to get one of these bowls of goodness it did not disappoint. I ordered the Beef Pho, which had uber-thin slices of beef sliced rare onto the hot broth and cooks almost instantly. On the side was siracha, hoisin sauce, jalapeno, sprouts, and thai basil. I tasted the broth and it was delicate and fragrant. But I still needed to adulterate it. I added half the sprouts, 1/3 of the siracha, most of the hoisin, and most of the basil…and if the heat wasn’t enough I added 1 slice of jalapeno.

I mixed it all up and it was a bowl full of beefy, noodly, spicy yumminess. After slurping away for about 15 minutes, I was only half way done. For only $9, I got 2 meals out of it, yay! Now that is way better than a value meal.

We will definitely be back to Basilic! Great service, nice atmosphere, and reasonable prices. I wish it didn’t take me two years to go there.

Have you had pho?

Basilic Vietnamese Grill on Urbanspoon

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Getting Stoupid

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First things first…I was really craving soup after writing my soup post, so I rummaged the pantry and fridge to find an easy soup you can throw together in no time!

Secondly…I did just steal Rachael Ray’s word, “stoup”. Sorry Rach! It seemed pretty appropriate for this dish, which is a mix between soup and stew consistency.

Spiced Up Creamy Chicken Stoup

(Makes 3 big servings)

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Joe’s Stuff (Cajun Seasoning) or Taco Seasoning
  • 1/2 a can of refried beans
  • 1 1/3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (Store bought rotisserie is delicious)
  • 3 tbsp cream cheese (I used light)
  1. Combine the stock, tomatoes, water and seasoning in a medium-large pot and set to medium-high.
  2. After 5 – 10 minutes, add the black beans and stir well, until mostly smooth. Let simmer on low-medium for 10 minutes.
  3. Then add the chicken and the cream cheese. Stir until all the cream cheese is dissolved (this gives it a really great creamy consistency). Simmer for 2 – 3 minutes more.
  4. Now it’s ready to enjoy. If you’d like, garnish with some sour cream, scallions, chopped tomatoes, or sour cream.

What has been your favorite “Pantry Raid” dish?

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