Is there any other food item that is as fun to say and to eat as "Okonomiyaki"? I think not. Just say it a few times to yourself: "O-ko-no-mi-ya-ki , O-ko-no-mi-ya-ki, O-KO-NO-MI-YA-KI!" For those that have not had the pleasure, I'm sorry for you. It's a delicious savory Japanese pancake, typically stuffed with some kind of meat…
Category: Food and Drink
Small Changes for a Big Planet: Eating Less Meat
I love beef. Hamburgers, steaks, corned beef, beef rendang, pastrami, meatballs… I could just keep going. Other meats too: lamb, chicken, pork. Love 'em all. But I also love living on this planet, and would like this planet to stay beautiful, ecologically diverse and healthy forever. So I'm making some small changes for myself and…
This is America: Almond Croissant Stuffed with Green Tea Mochi
The Chinese bakery Sheng Kee (WARNING: link auto-plays lame jingle) sells lots of odd and tasty baked goods. But my favorite by far is the almond croissant stuffed with green tea mochi. I mean just look at it. Is there a better culinary metaphor for America than the almond croissant stuffed with green tea mochi? Only…
The Cronot: An Unholy Alliance of French and American Bakery Technology
I love donuts. I love croissants. The "Cronut", created by Chef Dominique Ansel in New York earlier this year, was invented for me! An amalgamation of croissant dough that is fried and coated in various toppings, New Yorkers have been knocking each other over to get these very exclusive pastries. Sadly, these were reserved to…
Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day! How to Celebrate in San Francisco
Hey, apparently National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is a thing! I'm not sure it has been affirmed by a UN resolution or anything, but I'm not going to argue with another excuse to eat ice cream sandwiches. So mark your calendars for August 2 between now and perpetuity. Of course, every day is Ice Cream…
Ice Cream Sandwich Watch: Candybar Dessert Truck
Yesterday, I was at the J-Pop festival in SF Japantown, where I ran into a caravan of food trucks. Among the offerings was the Candybar Dessert Truck, which offered a selection of ice cream sandwiches. Purely in the interest of research, I ordered one. Candybar's innovation is to use giant macaroon cookies, in different flavors, to…
The Alameda County Fair: Pig Races, Fried Everything, and Weird Al!
My sister and some of my cousins and I went out to the Alameda County Fair yesterday for some old-timey fun. My family has been going to the Alameda County Fair for most of our lives. What's remarkable is how little is has changed over the decades. It still has the same slightly sketchy…
Ruby Jewel’s Dark Chocolate Cookie, Mint Ice Cream Sandwich
Yesterday I sampled one of Ruby Jewel's ice cream sandwiches, which my local Andronico's happens to carry: organic mint ice cream and two dark chocolate cookies. In the notes on the packaging, I learned that Portland, Oregon based Ruby Jewel tries to be a responsible small business: We source our ingredients from as many local,…
La Fonda’s Epic “Cubana” Sandwich: Everything But the Fregadero de Cocina!
Mexican tortas are one of my favorite sandwiches in the world. Something about the combination of latin-style meats, veggies and cheese on a toasted bun just works. La Fonda in the Inner Sunset is one of the better Mexican spots in the area, with the usual assortment of burritos and tacos, and some atypical offerings…
My First Vine Video: How I Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee (video)
How I make the perfect cup of coffee #aeropress vine.co/v/bJMqY5ni32U — rik panganiban (@rikomatic) January 27, 2013 Vine is kind of silly. But I thought this turned out pretty well.