Flash pop-up dinner party in SF

I might not have posted in awhile, but I have added a google calendar with upcoming food events. Unfortunately, there's still a few kinks to work out... (like getting it to show up when you aren't logged into google). I think this is becoming a hybrid mix of my lonely event blog. Let me know if you are interested in hitting up any of the events. I'm seriously considering volunteering at one or two.

Note: I apologize to those outside of the bay area, my events are only local. You will just have to come over to beautiful NorCal for a fooding trip!

Here's one to get you excited.
(Just when you thought your flash mobbing days were over...)

RSVP required.

website: http://www.ledinerasanfrancisco.info/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ledinerasanfrancisco

Il cane rosso

Ferry Building Marketplace

Brother took family around the Ferry Building in San Francisco last weekend. Cute stores including Blue Bottle Coffee, a mushroom store, a pork store, Cowgirl creamery, Scharffenberger, and more specialties.

Wrapped around the corner, on Saturdays (and apparently some other days), there is a wonderful farmers market full of beautiful, delicious things right next to the water. Celebrate summer with fresh produce and the chill breeze of the city.

farmers market website

We had lunch at a small restaurant (counter with a few tables scattered around) in the Ferry Building.

Il Cane Rosso

website

A different menu everyday. Everything good.

OLIVE OIL FRIED EGG SANDWICH 
Boccalone pancetta, aged provolone, sweet onion butter

MARIN SUN FARMS BEEF BRISKET
cherry tomato conserva, tarragon aioli & arugula

MARY’S ORGANIC 1/4 HERB RUBBED CHICKEN (INCLUDES ONE SIDE)

Lee Kum Kee

[These posts are getting difficult to do because I have over 1,000 pictures on my dslr and no room on my computer to upload them. So many things to share but must figure a way to upload to the external.]

There are some great sauce masters in this world. I am not one. (At least yet.) Corn starch confuses me.

I also have a problem with eating vegetables consistently because I can't stir fry or grill lunch at work and how do you make vegetables that aren't soggy the next day?

Thank you Lee Kum Kee (LKK) ready made sauces.

I first started with the lettuce wrap sauce (which I can only seem to find at World Market) and am now hooked. Most of the time I try to find ways to cheat recipes and simplify things because the less time I am handling food the less chance there is of my messing it up (it's the truth). So this is perfect. And for most of America, the Panda brand stuff somehow passes as authentic and possibly as good as PF Changs?

One day I hope to turn into my grandmothers and learn to make these dishes completely from scratch, from memory, and only using a blue porcelain bowl as a measuring cup, but that day is not today.

Panda Brand Lettuce Wraps

product page.

Tip: Stick carrots, water chestnuts, and other vegetables in the chopper/food processor. Then all you have to do is cook the pork, tear the lettuce, mix and you're done!

Panda Brand Chinese Chicken Salad

product page.

Tip: I used Garden Salad from Costco (which includes julienne carrots so I didn't really have to buy carrots) and frozen grilled chicken strips from Costco. All I had to do was cut green onion in strips, microwave and tear the chicken and mix. Can someone teach me an easy way to cut green onion strips? My pretty nails were not so pretty afterward.

LKK Black Bean Sauce

product page.

If you are feeling a bit more ambitious than microwaving and mixing things, this is one of my favorite recipes. Stir-fried black bean fish. 

Tip: Do not attempt to cheat by using garlic/chili black bean sauce. It is not the same. At all.

**Note: This post was not sponsored in any way by Lee Kum Kee. I just like their sauces. Hope you do too!