A Surprise Treat for My Birthday- $15 Fish Tacos

Last Wednesday, Dodie, Ruth and Dinah treated me for a most delicious Fish Taco ( $14.99) that I have not tasted for quite some time. It was no ordinary Fish Taco that you order in a Fast Food Mexican Chain Restaurant, but 2 tacos with fresh oranges and avocado slices with a jalapeño slices on the side.  Paired with garlic fries, it was a gastronomic experience perfect indeed for my 89th Birthday Meal. After our meal, we went back to my apartment for rice cake desserts and UbeYam pastries.  Thank You Dodie and Ruth for the Treat! 

So where is this Place that Served $15 Tacos in Downtown Walnut Creek?  Its Gott's Roadside!!!       

Founded by brothers Joel and Duncan Gott in St. Helena in 1999 and recognized as a James Beard America's Classic, Gott’s Roadside is known for its modern approach to creating California-inspired dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
With dishes such as the California Burger with a fried egg, Zoe's bacon, and balsamic onions, Ahi Poke Crispy Tacos with sushi grade Ahi tuna, Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich with harissa & turmeric spiced mayos, Chicken Kale Caesar, and hand-spun organic shakes, Gott’s modern roadside menu offers something for everyone.

Gott’s commitment to local sourcing extends to the glass with a California-centric list of wines and beers, hand selected by Joel Gott. Gott's has expanded to include locations in Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Thrive City at Chase Center, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Marin, and a licensed location at San Francisco International Airport.
Click on the blue for their menu. They also have $26 Dungeness crab Sandwiches and $15 hamburgers!  

https://www.gotts.com/private-events/walnut-creek/
Very Informal, Self-Service, No Reservations, But DELICIOUS FOOD! 

Iloilo City Won the UNESCO Listing in the Field of Gastronomy

I was not surprise to read last month that Iloilo City, my place of birth and college years won the UNESCO Listing as a Creative City in the Field of Gastronomy. It now joins cities not only known but also respected for gastronomy, such as Phuket in Thailand and Alba (the land of truffles) in Italy. To date, there are 54 Cities of Gastronomy around the world.

The famous Batchoy of La Paz and Pancit Molo dishes (above photo)mentioned in the news are the two dishes my taste buds are familiar with since my childhood days. Batchoy is a Filipino noodle soup of pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin, and round noodles. Pancit Molo or Filipino pork dumpling soup is a type of soup using wonton wrappers which originated from Molo district in Iloilo City, Philippines. It consists of a mixture of ground pork wrapped in molo or wonton wrapper, shredded chicken meat, and also shrimp

The Kadyos, Baboy, Lanka(KBL)- the dish that my mother's maid use to cook for the family also was listed as one of the local dishes, Iloilo is famous for because of its originality and creativity.  KBL is Peas, Pork and Jack Fruit. The Peas and Langka are grown in our Farm in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, This dish is one of the pleasant Food Memories in my childhood and teenager years,   

From the Local News:   A significant trading port, Iloilo City boasts a diverse cuisine influenced by Chinese, Malay, and Spanish cultures. Iloilo City is known for its delicious dishes, such as La Paz Batchoy and Pancit Molo. New restaurants and food businesses have emerged, showcasing the city's rich culinary heritage and innovative dishes. Iloilo City is also home to a number of food festivals and events, especially during January's Dinagyang Festival, which attracts visitors from all over the world. In addition to its culinary excellence, Iloilo City is also committed to sustainable food practices.

The news is a huge win for Iloilo City as it joins the list of Creative Cities for Gastronomy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)! This is under the initiative of Unesco called the Creative Cities Network launched back in 2004, wherein they promote cooperation among cities that have recognized culture and creativity as a strategic driver of sustainable urban development.

There are actually seven fields under the Creative Cities Network: crafts and folk art, design, film, media arts, literature, music and gastronomy. Baguio was named Creative City for craft and folk art in 2017 and Cebu as Creative City for design in 2019.

Here are the 7 most Popular Ilonggo recipes that is known all over the Philippines. 
https://www.yummy.ph/lessons/cooking/ilonggo-recipes-a00261-20190121

Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/430072/hail-to-iloilo-unesco-city-of-gastronomy#ixzz8J466HNCk

For a Collection of Recipes of popular Ilonggo Dishes read this web site: 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/19/cook-bible-flavors-of-iloilo-makes-its-debut/

Personal Note: Other regional ethnic Dishes popular to Filipinos are the Sisig of Pampanga Province, the Pinakbet from the Ilocos Region (Northern Philippines) and the spicy coconut dishes from the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Pampanga Province is known as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines.

Sisig is by far the most famous Kapampangan dish. It is made from chopped-up pig face, cheek, and ears, cooked with chicken liver, and seasoned with calamansi juice and chili peppers. 

Marinduque-my second home have several local dishes that are sought by tourist and must be tasted if you are in Marinduque. https://outoftownblog.com/the-best-native-delicacies-visitors-must-try-in-marinduque/

Are You a Dim Sum Enthusiast? Indeed, I AM!

LEFT-OVER of our Dim Sum Lunch ( mostly vegetable dishes) last month in San Ramon, CA 

Last Month, Dinah, Alix, Brendan and I were in the Mall at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, enjoying a late Dim Sum lunch. Besides the basic Seafood(Shrimp and Crab) and Meat (Pork and Chicken) offerings, this was my first time I enjoyed vegetable dishes prepared and served the Dim Sum way.

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-sunday-escapade-from-my-gilded-cage.html

While talking to some of my co-residents here at THD, I was surprise that a few of them are not familiar with this gastronomic delight that I really enjoyed.  So this is the reason for this posting.

Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings and other snack dishes and is usually accompanied by tea. Similar to the way that the Spanish eat tapas, the dishes are shared among family and friends. Typically dim sum is consumed during brunch hours — late morning to  lunchtime. During the weekend, the best Dim Sum restaurants are usually crowded. So be patient and enjoy your meal in spite of the noise and huge crowds.  Do not forget to order your favorite tea. 

Photo Credit: Carlos Avila_His Favorite-Baked Pork Barbecue Buns, Shumai and Dumplings

If you want to try this gastronomic adventure for the first time, here is the basic and popular Dim Sum dishes. I suggest you try.  

Dim sum dishes include an assortment of seafood, meat, and vegetable dishes that are prepared in various ways: steamed, fried, or baked.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular dishes to get you started:

Shumai (siu mai, shao mai)—These are thin, round wrappers in a cup shape and hold a filling — usually of pork, shrimp, or a combination of the two — and often a small amount of vegetables like bamboo shoots, black mushrooms, and water chestnuts.  (Jessica Spengler/ Flickr)

Shrimp dumpling (har gow, xia jiao)— One of the most popular dishes at dim sum, these are chunks of shrimp encased in a thin translucent dumpling wrapper and served in a bamboo steamer. (Charles Haynes/ Flickr)

Soup dumplings (xiaolong bao) — Commonly referred to as ‘soup dumplings,’ these delicate items are filled with hot broth and pork and are served in a bamboo steamer. Though these are originally from Shanghai, their national popularity has secured their status as a dim sum staple. (Ted Murphy/Flickr)

BBQ pork buns (charsiu bao, chashao bao)— These are fluffy, bready white buns stuffed with sticky and sweet barbecue seasoned pork and served in a bamboo steamer. (Kate Hopkins/Flickr)

For complete details visit this site:

https://asiasociety.org/reference/what-dim-sum-beginners-guide-south-chinas-traditional-brunch-meal

Here's a list of the Best Dimsum Restaurant in Walnut Creek 

  best dim sum walnut creek

 My Recommended Dish for first timer from Modern China Cafe is their DIM SUM PLATTER / $16

(Two of Each: Siu Mai, Har Gow, BBQ Pork Bun, Vegetable Dumpling)

Location: 1525 North Main St., Walnut Creek, Ca 94596. Tel # 925-988-8008

Here's the difference between, dumplings, Momos and Dim sums. Dumplings are balls of flour filled with a stuffing. Momos are also dumplings that contain some form of filling, be it vegetarian or meat. Dim sums are small snacks in Chinese cuisine that are eaten for lunch. They too have fillings covered with dough, but the dough is semi- or completely transparent. 1525 N. Main St.BonB

Walnut Creek, CA 94596

925-988-8008

I am Already Craving for Filipino Dishes and Desserts

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/08/i-am-already-craving-for-filipino.html

The Easy Way to Cook Pancit Bihon

This Thanksgiving, my assignment for our Dinner is Pancit Bihon and Chicken Macaroni Salad. The following video is the recipe I will instruct my home care Aide to cook

Instead of soy sauce, I prefer oyster sauce. You could add shrimps if you desire.

For the chicken macaroni salad. I just purchased a ready made macaroni salad. I will add shredded cooked chicken breast, pine apple chunks, chopped red apples( for color) and add more mayonaise. Mixed Thoroughly and Enjoy!

Chicken and Green Papaya in Spicy Coconut Milk

I was able to purchase a large young and green papaya from our local Oriental store the other day. The papaya was large so half of it, I used in my Tinola and the other half with the ginataan. Here's the recipe for the Chicken Ginataan from Panlasang Pinoy.

Ginataang Manok with Papaya

Chicken and young papaya cooked in spicy coconut milk. This Filipino way of cooking is known as ginataan. It is best enjoyed with warm rice.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Filipino

Keyword: chicken and papaya, ginataan, manok sa gata

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 497kcal

Author: Vanjo Merano

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken cut into serving pieces
• 1 piece green papaya small, sliced into wedges
• 1 cups spinach
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 6 pieces chili pepper
• 1 piece onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 thumbs ginger julienne
• Patis and ground black pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil

Instructions

• Heat oil in a cooking pot.
• Pan-fry chicken for 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove from the pot. Set aside.
• Saute onion, ginger, and garlic in the remaining oil until onion softens.
• Put- the pan-fried chicken into the pot. Cook for 1 minute.
• Pour coconut milk into the pan. Let boil.
• Add chili pepper. Cover the pan and adjust heat between low to medium. Cook for 30 minutes or until the chicken becomes tender.
• Add papaya. Stir. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Put the spinach into the pot. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Season with patis and ground black pepper.
• Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve. Share and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1138IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 5mg

 

My Own Version of Whole Fish Sarciado

 

The other day, my friendly Italian neighbor gave me fried whole fish Tilapia, she purchased from The Oriental Market in Roseville. I do not really enjoy just plain fried Tilapia, so I cooked it with onions, green pepper and tomatoes sauce (see photo above). I cooked it in a similar way as shown in the video as follows: 

The video used fresh tomatoes. Since I do not have fresh tomatoes, I used canned whole tomatoes with its own sauce in my pantry. The tilapia taste much better. 

I normally do not buy tilapia but instead I buy pompano or red snapper. But the tilapia was given to me by my neighbor and if I do not accept it, she will be slighted.

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of my recent breakfast.