Foreign Cinema

I miss cooking. I miss baking. I miss having my own kitchen. That being said, I’m not complaining! I’ve been too busy with happy hours, baseball games, going out to eat with my mom (who came down for an impromptu visit from Portland) and eating meals my host family –of sorts- has been making for me. So unless I were to post on my tuna salad I just packed for lunch, I’ve got nothing to show. A worthy post, however, would be one on Foreign Cinema in the mission, where I went for the second time with my mom, aunt and uncle.

I first discovered this restaurant when my east coast friends were visiting. We were blown away. So I took my family back there and was not disappointed. I split the corn soup, shaved zucchini salad and quinoa bulgur wheat medley with vegetables. Then had bites of everyone else’s. In addition to one of the best bottles of cabernet sauvignon.

(Images from website) My uncle had the sesame fried chicken.

We all split the chocolate pot de crème and the goat cheese cheesecake… I will be attempting to replicate this cheesecake shortly.

My mini-update: I’m moving from the east bay to SF this weekend! It’s only a one month sublet in Nob Hill, but it’s a step in the right direction. Finding an apartment is proving harder than finding a job…

Garden Tuna Pasta Salad

The way I’m able to resist all of the amazing, creative, tempting restaurants in SF and Piedmont is to make a regimented cooking calendar for the week and have the necessary groceries on hand. I’m proud to say that this week I’ve stuck to my schedule. Tonight was a pasta salad with the remaining vegetables in the fridge and can of tuna, all combined with a Greek yogurt dressing. It was light and flavorful, with enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Win-win.

In my regimented calendar, along with the dinner menu, are my packed lunch menu and outfit schedule. Now that I get my work email on my phone, my outlook calendar is synched with my Google calendar and I am just pleased as punch to have my little life completely organized at my finger tips. It takes a lot of pressure of my brain having to remember things if I can just have everything I need to do/eat/wear push-notified to me 10 minutes prior. Am I crazy or progressive?

Garden Tuna Pasta Salad

1/2 pound cheese tortellini
1 can white meat tuna, drained
1/4 zucchini, sliced thinly
1/2 avocado, diced
cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon capers
kalamata olives, diced
fresh basil, chopped
parmesan cheese
handful of mixed greens, per serving

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sriracha
1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Cook tortellini per package instructions. Combine the ingredients from tuna through olives in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine ingredients for sauce and taste to make sure no adjustments are needed. Toss in pasta to large bowl, then stir in sauce. Finally mix in basil and top with parmesan cheese. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate.

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Krispie Treats

Like anyone who just moved to a new city, I am in the market for making friends. When I was invited to a random guy’s going away picnic in Berkeley, naturally I jumped at the opportunity for a. a picnic, and b. meet new people. The bars were actually not initially intended for the picnic, but I brought the leftovers and they were very popular.

We wound up the hills of Berkeley to a little community park with a great spread of dips, strata, chicken, veggies, and beer, among other things. I never strayed too far from the table and grazed for a few hours, and then came the cake.

Farewell Andrew, best of luck at your new position at J Street.

On the way back, we stopped at Indian Rock which has a great view all the way to the city. (It’s out there in the haze) Followed by some light rock climbing, before heading home to some leftover soup and closing ceremonies!

Go Heels, Go America!

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Krispie Treats

1 12 oz. box rice krispies
1 10 oz. package mini marshmallows
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup kahlua
1/2 package mini chocolate chips

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and a handful of chocolate chips and stir until melted. Stir in rice krispies until coated in marshmallow mixture. Spread into a 9x17 pan layered with wax paper. Press mixture down with another piece of wax paper until tightly packed, then spread remaining chocolate chips on top. Chill or wait until hard before cutting into bars.

Fresh Corn & Peach Soup

One week on the job under my belt and I am obsessed. I never thought I’d wake up on Saturday morning and be disappointed I wasn’t heading into work. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy my Saturday. I sniffed out the closest farmers market, which as you would expect, was fabulous.

Tempting baked goods, gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, mountains of flowers and a liege waffle TRUCK. Right next to a rotisserie chicken truck… chicken and waffles unite!

Somehow I resisted all of the food stands and made lunch: a goat cheese and caramelized onion quesadilla and fresh, fruity salad. Ingredients: spinach and mixed greens, half a diced peach, avocado, cucumber and cherry tomatoes topped with a vinaigrette of orange marmalade, olive oil, lemon, hot pepper sauce and honey.

What else would I do on relaxing days off but fill it with cooking? I researched a recipe for fresh corn soup, in hopes of recreating the delicious version I had at Foreign Cinema. I found this recipe on Whole Foods’ site that married my love for peaches and corn. It’s light, sweet and summery.

Fresh Corn & Peach Soup

Serves 3-4
3 ears sweet corn husked
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white miso paste (or a mixture of tomato paste and soy sauce)
1/2 onion diced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
pinch cayenne
1.5 large ripe peaches
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
6 basil leaves sliced
feta cheese

With a sharp, heavy knife, cut kernels from corn cobs and place cobs and kernels in a soup pot. Add broth, water, miso, onion, garlic and cayenne. Peel, pit and finely chop 1 of the peaches and add to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until corn and peaches are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Use tongs to remove and discard corn cobs; cool soup to room temperature. Puree half of soup in a blender and return to pot. Stir in almond milk. To serve soup hot, reheat gently over medium heat, stirring frequently; do not allow to boil. To serve cold, refrigerate until chilled.

Halve, pit and dice remaining peach; ladle soup into bowls and garnish with peach, feta and basil.

Where I’ve Been…

I have been seriously M.I.A. from the Plate this month. There was really no way around it when you’re living a movie star life, which is what I’ve been doing.

I made my move to SF, got a job (hooray!) and then had a group of friends from the east coast come to visit. It was quite a visit.

Napa, San Francisco, Tahoe… with amazing meals along the way.

I cooked for the group one of the nights we were in Tahoe to go along with a couple amazing bottles of wine. With the help of the boys on the grill, I made grilled steak sandwiches on ciabatta bread with caramelized onions, brie, Dijon and tomato, with a mixed greens salad of strawberries, goat cheese, avocado and almonds.

Other than that, we did a lot of eating out. Some of the amazing places we went that I strongly recommend are: Foreign Cinema in the Mission in SF, Gotts Roadside in the Ferry Building, River Grill and Jake's on the Lake in Tahoe City, and Jimtown Store for sandwiches in Napa.

All good things have to end. All my friends have left and real life is setting in. The bright side is that I start work tomorrow! I’m starting as a Project Coordinator at Hogue, a commercial furniture distributor and project management firm that’s right in the heart of the financial district. My biggest concern at the moment: not having next to enough cute work clothes.

Now begins the hunt for an apartment…