Monthly Archives: November 2012

Santa Clara Welcomes Ike’s Lair

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The "(Name of the Girl I'm Dating)'' sandwich from Ike's Lair.

Yes, the sandwich shop sensation that took San Francisco by storm has opened a branch in Santa Clara.

The newest Ike’s Lair, a spin-off of the original Ike’s Place, can be found at 2235 The Alameda in Santa Clara, just a stone’s throw from Santa Clara University.

As with all the other Ike’s locations, the lines are already forming for this one.

Earlier this week, my husband, aka Meat Boy, ventured to the sandwich shop to get take-out.

The menu at each Ike’s location may differ a bit, but all of them feature the behemoth sandwiches with the zany names that the place is known for.

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Three Big Names Star At Cookbook-Signing Events

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Get your cookbook signed by Thomas Keller at two upcoming events. (Photo courtesy of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group)

Thomas Keller

Join famed Chef Thomas Keller at Sur La Table, where he’ll be signing copies of his fifth cookbook, “Bouchon Bakery” (Artisan).

Nov. 15 at 6 p.m., Keller, proprietor of the French Laundry, Ad Hoc, Bouchon Bistro and Bouchon Bakery, will be on hand at the Palo Alto Sur La Table.

The next day, Nov. 16 at noon, he’ll be at the branch at San Jose’s Santana Row.

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Foodie Flick, Veggie Grill to Open & More

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A scene from "Trattoria'' guaranteed to make you hungry. (Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Film Society)

“Trattoria” Flick Opens “Cinema by the Bay”

The San Francisco Film Society’s “Cinema by the Bay” series, Nov. 9-11, opens deliciously with the local premiere of the foodie flick, “Trattoria.”

The feature film by Jason Wolos looks at San Francisco’s competitive restaurant culture as it follows the travails of Chef Sal Sartini and his second wife Cecilia, who have just opened a new Italian restaurant. See what happens when the chef’s estranged son comes to help out at the restaurant.

“Trattoria” is the opening night film, 7 p.m. Nov. 9,  for the festival, which takes place at New People Cinema, 1746 Post St. in San Francisco.

At the end of the movie, the opening night party will take place at 9 p.m. Nov. 9 at Yoshi’s in San Francisco. For those who can’t make it to the first showing, “Trattoria” will repeat at 9:30 p.m. that night.

The chef of "Trattoria.'' (Still from film courtesy of the San Francisco Film Society)

Tickets to the film showing are $13 per person; or $25 per person for admission to the film and party.

Wahoo’s Fish Taco Opens in Sunnyvale

For those of you mourning the closure of Wahoo’s at Santana Row in San Jose, you’ll be glad to know you can get your taco fix on with a new locale up the road at 691 Tasman Dr. in Sunnyvale.

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Best Apple Cake EVER — Courtesy of Pastry Chef Joanne Chang

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The apple cake to end all apple cakes. Sheer perfection.

Throw out all those other apple cake recipes. Even the ones handed down to you by relatives (Sacrilege, I know. But you’ll get over the guilt.)

Because the only one you need is this one.

How incredible is this apple cake?

My husband, who doesn’t even like apples (Is there such a person?), took one bite and mid-chew mumbled, “This IS good! And you know, I don’t even like apples.” (Uh, yup, duly noted.)

The name, “Apple Snacking Spice Cake,” doesn’t even do it justice. That moniker conjures up a simple after-school cake baked in a square pan, and cut up to eat out of hand.

That is not this cake.

Rather, this cake is round, tall and the color of dark caramel. It is jam-packed with fruit, too. The batter is quite thick. In fact, it’s almost more apples than actual batter. If that weren’t enough, there’s also a full cup of toasted pecans in it, too. For good measure, there’s also a big handful of raisins. I actually used dried mulberries instead because I love their date-like taste.

A profusion of apples and pecans in every slice.

The result is a cake, in which every bite is a riot of apples and nuts, as well as warm spices of ginger, cloves and cinnamon. But don’t think this cake is too moist like a dreaded fruitcake. Nope, it’s tender and its moistness level is just right. What’s more, when it bakes up, the top of the cake gets that heavenly crisp, crackly texture we all can’t resist.

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Soup Starters for the Cold Season Ahead & A Food Gal Giveaway

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By adding a handful of ingredients, I made my own tom yum soup in the time it took to heat up the broth.

Is it me or is everyone pretty much coughing up a lung these days?

Cold and flu season is definitely here, unfortunately.

Thank goodness for hot, steaming bowls of soup to make us all feel better. I know it sure did the trick when I was felled by a cold a couple of weeks ago.

Luckily, I had just received samples of new Pacific Organic Soup Starters to test out from the Oregon-based company.

They’re soup bases packaged in shelf-stable cartons for easy use. Last year, the company debuted its beef, chicken and vegetarian Vietnamese pho Soup Starters. This year, it added two more varieties: Tom Yum and Tortilla.

The new organic soup bases.

With my stuffy nose leaving me talking like the Snuffleupagus, I reached for the Thai-style Tom Yum for relief.

It couldn’t be easier. You just empty the broth base into a pot and heat. Instructions on the back of the box give advice on what other herbs or protein are good additions. I added chunks of chicken breast, sliced shiitakes, a chopped tomato, broccolini, cilantro and slivers of jalapeno. The instructions recommended cooked rice as an accompaniment, but I went with rice noodles instead.

The soup came together in mere minutes. The chicken broth-based soup starter was flavorful with a faint tang from lime oil. I like my tom yum a little more assertive, so I squirted in more fresh lime juice to kick it up.

A half-cup portion of the soup base has 10 calories and 330mg of sodium. The package says it serves eight. But really, if you’re indulging in a ramen bowl-size portion, one carton serves more like two.

Of course, you could doctor up your own chicken broth to make tom yum. But it’s pretty convenient to have a starter already in your cupboard much like you would canned chicken or beef broth at the ready.

The Pacific Organic Soup Starters are about $3.49 each for a 32-ounce carton at Whole Foods, Sprouts, New Leaf, and select Save Mart stores.

Contest: Five lucky Food Gal readers will each win a trio of Pacific Organic Soup Starters, one each of Vegetarian Pho, Tortilla, and Tom Yum. Entries, limited to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST Nov. 10. Winners will be announced Nov. 12.

How to win?

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