Hop On Over to Hopscotch

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The bar at Hopscotch.

The bar at Hopscotch.

Hopscotch in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood has all the accoutrements of a diner.

There is the worn checkerboard floor, the red bar stools, and the requisite burger and sundae.

Only here, the burger comes with griddled beef tongue and sesame aioli, and the sundae comes with a scoop of green tea ice cream.

Not to mention the the aged NY strip loin is finished with ginko nut herb oil and the daily benedict at brunch is napped with miso hollandaise.

That’s because Hopscotch is a decidedly upscale version of a diner — with a Japanese slant.

It reflects Chef-Owner Kyle Itani’s heritages, which are Italian and Japanese.

The food is fun and eclectic, as evidenced by the dinner my husband and I treated ourselves to recently.

The Black Tea Birdie cocktail.

The Black Tea Birdie cocktail.

Cocktails are imaginative. Try the Black Tea Birdie ($9), made with lemon, honey, ginger and vodka that’s been steeped with black tea. The tannin comes through and is tempered by the tickle of the ginger and sweetness of the honey. It’s a drink with the hue of iced tea that goes down just as easily.

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New Gourmet Mayo by Sir Kensington

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A homemade shrimp salad made with Sir Kensington mayo.

A homemade shrimp salad made with Sir Kensington mayo.

 

New York’s Sir Kensington’s is betting it can get you to switch condiment camps.

A year or so ago, it took on Heinz by creating a hand-crafted, all-natural ketchup with a true tomato-y taste. Sir Kensington’s ketchups, which come in Classic and Spiced flavors, are made with vine-ripened pear tomatoes, real onions (as opposed to powdered or dehydrated), cane sugar, honey, agave, apple cider vinegar, coriander, lime juice and allspice.

Now, the company is turning its attention to mayo, believing the standard Best Food (Hellman’s) could use some improvement. It has created a non-GMO mayo in two flavors: Classic and Chipotle. Both are made with sunflower oil and organic cage-free eggs. They’re also gluten-free. A tablespoon of each has 90 calories.

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Sweet Almond Buns and A Food Gal Giveaway

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A breakfast pastry adorned with almonds that's not too sweet. (Photo by Carolyn Jung)

A breakfast pastry adorned with almonds that’s not too sweet. (Photo by Carolyn Jung)

 

It’s rare that I allow myself a pastry for breakfast during the week.

But come Sunday, I am sure ready to indulge in one.

“Sweet Almond Buns” are just the perfect size, too. Not Super-Size me over-the-top. But just a couple bite-fulls of something sweet, tender and with a haunting hint of cardamom.

The recipe is from “Williams-Sonoma Breakfast Comforts” (Weldon Owen) by veteran cookbook writer Rick Rodgers. The book, which I received a review copy of when it came out in 2010, is full of inspired recipes for the most important meal of the day. There’s everything from “Golden Cornmeal Waffles with Fried Chicken” to “Raspberry Jam Doughnuts” to “BBQ Shrimp and Grits.”

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These little buns are full of almonds, one of my favorite nuts. They get stirred into the yeast-fortified dough, and mixed with sugar to sprinkle on top of the buns just before baking.

For those who don’t like their breakfast treats cloying, these are perfect as they are just sweet enough.

An almond-packed prize. (Photo courtesy of the Almond Board of California)

An almond-packed prize. (Photo courtesy of the Almond Board of California)

CONTEST: One Food Gal reader will win a most almond-packed prize from the Almond Board of California. It includes 1 pound of whole natural almonds, one jar of almond butter, 1 pound of sliced almonds, an insulated travel pouch for breakfast on the go, and a $20 VISA gift card to help you purchase everything else you need for a hearty breakfast.

Entries, limited to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST Sept. 21. The winner will be announced Sept. 23.

How to win?

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Join the Food Gal and Chef Howard Bulka at Macy’s Valley Fair

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If you’ve ever wanted to perfect pizza-making at home, now’s your chance.

Join me at 6 p.m. Sept. 19 at Macy’s Valley Fair in Santa Clara when I host a cooking demo with Chef Howard Bulka of Howie’s Artisan Pizza in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village.

Bulka, who left the world of fine-dining to research the fine points of pizza making, will show you how to create a superb dough using a starter that will add so much more flavor to your crust.

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A Sandwich for All Ages

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You don't have to be a kid to love this sandwich.

You don’t have to be a kid to love this sandwich.

School’s only just started, but if you find yourself already tearing your hair out over new ways to jazz up the brown-bag lunch, this book is for you.

“Best Lunch Box Ever: Ideas and Recipes for School Lunches Kids Will Love” (Chronicle), of which I received a review copy,  features 75 simple and sensible recipes that kids won’t be tempted to trade away for something else. The book is by Katie Sullivan Morford, a Bay Area food writer and registered dietician who also happens to be the sister of famed Chef Mark Sullivan of the Bacchus Management Group of restaurants that includes Spruce in San Francisco, Cafe des Amis in San Francisco, the Village Pub in Woodside, Mayfield Bakery and Cafe in Palo Alto, and the Pizza Antica locales. As the mother of three daughters, she knows all too well the challenges of getting kids to eat well.

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The book is filled with tips for easy ways to make lunch even more nutritious and appealing. For instance, instead of packing a tub of strawberry yogurt with a granola bar, make a Greek yogurt parfait instead with sliced berries, honey and granola. The latter has more protein, less sugar and nothing artificial. Instead of a regular cheese quesadilla made with a flour tortilla, use a whole-wheat one instead and fill it with black beans and sweet potato for more fiber, protein and potassium, and far less saturated fat.

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