Ming Who?

I am all for a great meal! I'm all for even a good meal! As long as it wasn't cooked by me I am there! So when my good friend Lisa had an extra ticket to a 'food' event she thought of me!

Lisa: "Hey Cez, are you free Weds night?"
Me: "You mean like in two days from now?"
Lisa: "Well .. yeah."
Me: "Ummm yes... (hesitantly) Ah.. why?"
Lisa: "I wanted to invite you to a dinner that I bought a table for and I had an extra ticket so I thought you'd like to come eat with me. It'll be fun. We'll try all different dishes from different chefs."
Me: "Really? Wow that sounds great! Where is it going to be at?"
Lisa: "Michael Mina's Restaurant at Levi's Stadium"
Me: "Levi Stadium? I've never been and have been dying to go. Yes! I am free!" (of course I did not check with my husband yet.. bad wife)
Lisa: "Great! Well it's a fundraiser for a great cause."
Me: "Oh.. Should I bring my checkbook?"
Lisa: "Oh no.. I got you covered. Just come eat and have fun!"

And so I did!

I have never sat at a table with this much silverware and glassware for just one person!

In fact, I had a lot of fun! It was an experience to remember!

The event was a fundraiser for Family Reach, a national organization which has been helping families with a child or parent afflicted with cancer deal with the overwhelming financial burden of living life with significant out-of-pocket medical expenses. Family Reach helps families sustain themselves financially when one parent has to quit their job to care of their sick child; or help pay for transportation to and from the hospital for treatments; to help cover car payments, mortgages, the gas and electric bill and other everyday expenses that they now may have trouble paying due to this horrible devastating illness that has invaded their family.

One dedicated ambassador for Family Reach is Ming Tsai, a renowned chef and Food Network personality with his own cooking show. He gathers fellow cooking colleagues to host "Cooking Live with Chef Ming Tsai and Friends" all around the nation.

Michael Mina welcoming us to his restaurant.

There were five chefs that came to demo their signature dish and then serve it to you along with their chosen wine. The event was hosted in Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak Restaurant at the Levi's Stadium. Apparently, it is not 'easy' to come eat at this restaurant during a Niner game. You need to prepay to come eat here. It's an "all you can eat" buffet  but it has a hefty price tag: $500 per meal during the game or $10,000 for 10 games.

But before dinner there was a cocktail hour... where five delicious appetizers created by Ming were served to us. I was too busy eating to take pictures nor to remember their fancy names but it was a flattened suimai, a raw scallop, tempura lobster, uni, and a curry something. I tried everything except the scallop and uni which were served uncooked. I am so not a raw sushi eater.

During cocktail hour the numerous TV screens flashed all their event sponsors acknowledging them and above is Lisa's name (well.. her husband's name) and Friends.. that's me!

I was a part of a table of 8 with Lisa, her friends and her daughter Danika and her friend. Lisa's husband Jay was in Spain on business. Lucky moi!

My friend Lisa is to the right of me, her daughter, Danika is seated on the right side front.

The first dish was by Ming Tsai which was a "New Style Faroe Islands Salmon Sashimi, Madras Curry Oil, Green Papaya Salad and Crispy Rice". Now I don't eat raw sushi and sashimi is exactly that! But I did not want to pass up the opportunity where Ming Tsai was cooking for me. I mean it's rude to not even try the dish right? So I did and it was delicious. Plus it was served with a TY KU Sake Black from Nara, Japan. I have never tried sake but it was quite light and flavorful. Much taster than any of the wines I had that night. But of course I'm not into wines, white nor red.

The sashimi wasn't entirely raw.. the warm curry oil blanched it a little and with the papaya and crispy rice it was quite flavorful. Plus the salmon was tenderized to a very thin piece.

Here is Michael Mina preparing the second dish.

The TV screens were a much better view that the real thing.

Michael Mina made his signature Brandt Farm Short Rib with Horseradish Potato, Oxtail Jam, Bacon & Marrow. It was served with a 2009 Biagi Family Cabernet.

The short rib, on a slice of toasted bread, looked small but it was quite filling.

The third dish was from the renowned chef of The Slanted Door located in the Ferry Building in SF, Charles Phan. He has quite a few restaurants located in SF.

His dish was Vung Tau Fisherman's Stew with Vietnamese Mint. The tomato base was simmered for a day or two. It was served with a 2012 Pont de Chevalier Sauvignon Blanc.

Instead of stewing the seafood together with the broth, the broth was poured over the seafood so the seafood wouldn't get over cooked. I thoroughly enjoyed this one especially it had some Asian flavor to it.

His staff assembled each dish proportionally the same for each guest.

The fourth dish was from a French chef, Dominique Crenn who owns Atelier Crenn in SF.

She definitely was French since she had a heavy French accent when speaking.

This dish was Duck Egg, Liver Mousse, Buckwheat and Cherry Blossom served with a ZD Wines 2012 Pinot Noir, Carnernos.

I have to admit that this was my least favorite dish. I'm really not into French food.

Last was pastry chef Bill Corbett, who used to be the executive pastry chef at Michael Mina and now is at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, SF. He created Roasted White Chocolate Cream, Raspberries, Cocoa Nib & Hibiscus.

This, too, was just alright.

I had my eye on the cookie bar Michale Mina's pastry chef set up for us. We were so full that we got take-out boxes to fill with these little bits of heaven!

The macaroons and caramel rolls were my favorite but everything was so delish!

Here we are with Ming Tsai... now a personal friend of my friend Lisa.

(L-R): Lisa, Ming, Danika and Lisa's family friend , Mike

Disbursed between the dishes were testimonies of families that had been greatly impacted by the Family Reach organization. It just emphasizes the importance of  coming together to help others in their time of need.

www.familyreach.org

Clash of Cousins

Our last stop in SoCal is always to visit Matthew's Auntie Stella and Uncle Danny and their two sons, Lemuel (and his family of 5) and Simeon.

Lemuel and Simeon.. they were so little way back then!

Last year at this time Uncle Danny had had a very unexpected heart attack while at work but by God's grace and sovereignty, Uncle Danny was healed and had an experimental device implanted into him to monitor his heart 24/7. He was doing very well! Praise God!

And today: Simeon, Lemuel, Uncle and Auntie

But then earlier this year, he was diagnosed with nose cancer Stage 4! Crazy impossible isn't it? When it rains it just pours but God was again faithful and sovereign and kept Uncle Danny strong through all his chemo treatments. He even stayed busy working in his architect business, overseeing the remodel and expansion of his own home and overseeing the leadership of his church. We are so thankful that when we visited him this summer he was doing well and on the road to being cancer free!

Other than reuniting with family, Matthew also took the time to make this a 'business' trip by recruiting a few more clan members for his clan on "Clash of Clans", a video game he plays constantly!

Matthew and Lemuel's #3 or 4... Isaac or Elijah.. not sure which twin this is..

He especially targeted his cousin Lemuel's  #1 & #2 sons, Caleb & Micah. It wasn't too hard for him to be quite popular with the boys. That's probably because he is still a boy at heart!

The boys were very interested in Uncle Matt's ipad! (playing Clash of Clans!)

(far left) Cathy, Lemuel's wife.. she's also a teacher!

And of course, I can not not post any of the delicious food that his Uncle always orders.. dishes that are not listed on the menu!

Crab, mushroom, dried scallop and egg over noodles

yummy egg white and something fried rice

shrimp and bitter melon in black bean sauce

steamed fish

scallop, tofu, pea sprouts

lobster sauteed in garlic

Other than the Chinese food, we took the opportunity to eat at Chick-Fil-A for the very first time since there are none up in our area. But now I hear they will be opening one very close to us very soon!

Shockingly Hannah noticed that her chicken nuggets were fried in peanut oil. But she didn't have a reaction to it! Great for a girl who loves chicken nuggets but is allergic to peanuts!

During this whole trip, Emily went on a hunt for different Pocky flavors. She found 4 new ones!

Ahhh.. summer has to end.. and school must start again! FINALLY!

Tea... Not Once, Not Twice but Thrice!

I enjoyed this place so much that I had to come here... again.

This time I invited my family to celebrate my cousin Cheryl's birthday and her daughter, Mandy's (my god-daughter) graduating from high school and entrance into college!!

We ordered pretty much the same set menu:

It looks pretty on a tiered serving tray then on individual plates this time around.

Got a picture of the scone this time around too.

 But this time we added the pastries to our meal.

I expected more baked pastries like tarts and cakes. These looked and tasted very rich.

It's always nice to get together with family. I am so thankful that we all get along really well and love to eat!

My sister, Calina, cousin Cheryl and sister-in-law Hilda.

And AGAIN....

The Thrice time was with my girls; sister-in-law Matthea,  her daughter Marissa; and our most famous Family Teacher Extraordinaire, Mrs. C.

Mrs. C. taught Emily (1st grade), Hannah (Kinder and 1st) and Marissa (Kinder)

She took us all out as a treat and thank you for all that we, parents, do for her.

The girls showing off their napkin rings!

Finally.. they are old enough for me NOT to be nervous that they will break the china!

While the adults noshed on the adult goodies, each young lady received the child's plate: mini pizza, turkey wrap, peanut butter/jelly sandwich, fruit and chocolate pastry.

Thank you Mrs. C for treating us like Princesses! You are the QUEEN!!

(Ok.. I think I am now officially.. tea-ed out from this place!)

Old Haunts

After hunting for owls, we were really hungry. Birding can give you a big appetite and I was so excited to go back to our 'old haunts' of where we loved to go eat back in college.

I didn't have much money to spend to eat out. $5 for lunch seemed like a lot of money to spend to eat since I only was given $200/month for bills, food and extra curricular spending when I was at CAL. But if I had to choose to eat somewhere it would be Steve's Korean BBQ in the Durant Plaza.

It used to be located in a tiny hole in the wall where there would only be 4 tables for 2 and like 6 counter seats.

Now its located in a larger hole-in-the-wall in the Plaza.

Their BBQ chicken is to die for! 

Matthew got the short ribs.

Since we were on Durant we could not not get a polish from Top Dog.

Their prices sure increased since 1989... and I think the dog got smaller too!

It's still super crowded...and only one person working!

After lunch we gave the girls a quick tour of Sproul Plaza showing them where we would hang out or meet friends for lunch at the 'AACF table' or at the 'fountain' (which had water this time... I rarely see water in it.)

The campanile

I can't believe it's been 24 years since I graduated... sigh... time flies! But the campus looked pretty much the same. Some things never change!

Balut

On the flip side of my last post on yummy food, this one to me, is not yummy food. It's the furthest from anything edible to me. Of course that is only my opinion. My dear Filipino friends say that this is a delicious delicacy.

These eggs were given to us by our Buffet Club President who has been dying for Matthew to try them!

This is a balut.. a duck egg ... a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten.

From wikpedia, "The eggs are savored for their balance of textures and flavors; the broth surrounding the embryo is sipped from the egg before the shell is peeled, 

After boiling the egg for 15 minutes, Matthew cracks the egg open and proceeds to drink it's broth. He says it tastes like strong crab broth.

and the yolk and young chick inside can be eaten. 

Then he proceeds to crack it's shell to see what the egg looks like before he eats it..

All of the contents of the egg may be consumed, 

Apparently I was told he ate it the WRONG way.

Quack quack?

although the white may remain uneaten; depending on the age of the fertilized egg, the white may have an unappetizing cartilaginous toughness."

Funny thing is that the only part Matthew really ate was the 'white' which I was told was the part you discard. He usually eats the egg whites of chicken eggs so that was the first part he took a bite out of. Was tough and not too appetizing. Then he continues to take it apart.. basically he dissected it which I was also told that he was NOT supposed to do.

How you should eat balut is: Crack a small hole in the egg and then take a small spoon, some salt and pepper and scoop the contents out to eat. Do not take apart the egg and look at it. Seeing it is a no-no. I can understand why... I wouldn't eat it if I saw that! Would you?