Shime Saba Naengmyeon

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     Chilled spicy sweet Korean Pear and Red Chile Sauce with Japanese Pickled Mackerel!  
     The red color of the sauce does not come from tomatoes.  It comes from mild red chile peppers!  Chile peppers and fruit are a classic Native American flavor combination.  After the colombian exchange, chile peppers became a big part of Korean cuisine.  It did not take Korean chefs much time to figure out that Korean pears taste great with mild chile peppers.  The chilled Korean Pear and red chile pepper buckwheat noodle entree called naengmyeon became an instant classic!     Shime Saba is made with a few varieties of mackerel.  For those who have never caught wild mackerel and eaten the mackerel in the same day, it is hard to describe how good fresh mackerel tastes.  After mackerel sits for 12 hours or more on ice, the color of the meat becomes opaque and the meat becomes oily.  Mackerel spoil quickly.  Mackerel also travel through tropical waters, so parasitic pathogens render mackerel unsafe to be served raw.       Shime Saba is the name for lightly pickled mackerel for sushi.  Fresh mackerel are heavily salted for a while, then the salt is rinsed off with sweet rice vinegar.  This process produces a nice clean fresh pickled mackerel flavor and it makes mackerel safe to be served as sushi.       Korean chefs do make great sushi and sushi is well liked in Korea.  Seafood has always been a big part of Korean cuisine.  Naengmyeon is sometimes offered with raw fish or dried seafood.  It seemed like a good idea to garnish this naengmyeon entree with shime saba, because the flavors go well together!     
     Spicy Sweet Korean Pear Red Chile Pepper Sauce For Naengmyeon:     This recipe makes enough sauce for 2 to 3 servings!      Place 1 chopped peeled and seeded Korean pear (asian pear) in a container.     Add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar.     Add 1/2 tablespoon of ginger paste.     Add 1/2 tablespoon of Korean mustard or dijon mustard.     Add 6 to 8 chopped garlic cloves.     Add 3 tablespoons of small chopped onion.     Puree the ingredients with an electric pureeing wand or with a food processor.     Set the light colored puree aside.     Heat 3 cups of water over high heat.     Cut the stem end off of 12 to 14 red jalapeno peppers.     Blanch the trimmed pepper in the boiling water for 1 minute.     Drain the hot water off of the peppers and cool the peppers under cold running water.     Split the peppers in half.     Note:  Scrape most of the seeds and pulp out of the peppers, if you prefer a mildly spicy sauce.  Leave the seeds and pulp attached if you want a spicy flavored sauce!     Coarsely chop the blanched peppers and place them in a container.     Add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar.     Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.     Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey.  (The amount of sweetness is a personal choice!)     Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of thin soy sauce.     Puree the ingredients with an electric pureeing wand or a food processor.     Combine the light colored puree with the red colored puree.     Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.     Add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds.     Add sea salt and white pepper.     Add 1 tablespoon of Korean red chile powder.  (Chinese chile powder can be substituted.)     Add 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of Spanish paprika.     Mix the ingredients together.     Place the sauce in a refrigerator, till it becomes chilled.
     Korean Buckwheat Noodles:     Boil a pot of water over high heat.     Add 1 portion of fresh Korean buckwheat noodles.     Stir the noodles occasionally, till they become fully cooked.     Drain the hot water off of the noodles.     Add cold water and a few handfuls of ice cubes to the hot noodles in the pot.     Stir the noodles by hand, till they feel like they have a firm chewy texture.     Drain the ice water off of the noodles.
     Shime Saba Naengmyeon:       I only suggest preparing home made shime saba with fresh caught mackerel.  Pre-prepared shime saba is available as a frozen product at asian markets.  It is a nice quality sushi product!     Place the cold noodles in a mixing bowl.     Add enough of the chilled spicy sweet Korean pear red chile pepper sauce to coat the noodles.     Toss the ingredients together.     Use a long tine carving fork or chop sticks to twist the noodles so they look nice and place them on a plate.     Sprinkle some thin julienne sliced carrot over the naengmyeon.     Bias slice a 4 to 5 ounce piece of shime saba, so the slices are large bite size.     Place the shime saba slices on top of the naengmyeon, so they look nice.     Garnish the plate with a savoy cabbage leaf, a couple of thin slices of jalapeno and a green onion that is flower cut.
     The flavor combination of light sweet pickled mackerel and spicy sweet naengmyeon is incredibly delicious!  Yum!  ...  Shawna

Harrah's Wizard of Oz Slots

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My wife and daughter just returned from Harrah%26#39;s where they played the two Wizard of Oz machines by the cashier. They said the darn things would not stop paying off. They made over $250.00 apiece. They told me to be sure to post this......even though I detest slot machines. ha, ha

Harrah's Wizard of Oz Slots

I was going to post this......funny.....went to edgewater today......slow there.....bank of 3 wiz of oz next to sports book....have always wanted to play but was too crowded too try.....put 20 in lost 10 fast...lady next to me only one playing besides me...she dumps 50.00 playing max spins real fast.I took the 10 and tried her machine. sixty cents a pull....all of a sudden a fairy godmother comes down in a ball and i get a free spin right after i had just spun....something about an extra bonus spin....all the spaces were wild except for 1 and i got back 257.00. I almost passed out.///// went to quick hit and won 57.00 and then won 50.00 on hot shot......what a day!

Harrah's Wizard of Oz Slots

To celebrate went to albertos and had a really good mexican meal.

have to try the oz machines when we get back to AZ this winter. Congradulations on your good luck!! I would have almost passed out too. Where is Albertos? My husband and I liked Casa Seranos in Mohave. Our opionion is that even though it was a bit of a drive it was our favorite compared to Bullhead and Havesue%26#39;s Seranos. Didn%26#39;t try the one at Riverside though. You would think that beings they are a chain the food would be the same. But our experience wasn%26#39;t that way. Mohave%26#39;s had better presentation and portions. Overall taste was better ,to us anyway. And the wait staff is friendlier. We love their Fajita Salad (Chicken or Steak) and the cost was reasonable for lunch (around 5.75). Oft times my husband and I would share it beings it is so big. They also keep the warm chips flowing and serve them with two kinds of salsas and a hot chorizo bean and cheese dip for free with meal...great deal!!

We just got back now from casa at riverside....my daughter graduates tonight from laughlin high and this is where she likes to eat.....same everything as the other ones. They like the loaded mexican pot skins. I ate the combo of soft taco, cheese enchillada and chile releno....it was good but albertos is better. This costs 9.50 here and 10.25 at albertos. Albertos is in the laughlin shopping town center on needles highway . Take james woodbury to end and turn left and you are on needles highway.....pass the park, library, post office and you will see the shopping center. This is big town ....we have aldelpes supermarket, 2 mexican restraurants which are albertos and casa torta(something like that lol...foods pretty good also)and a lousy pizza place called mommas. I eat the lunch buffet there cause its only 5.00. Not too bad for that price but not worth ordering otherwise.

i don%26#39;t know why i can%26#39;t get the time adjusted right on here. Its only 355 as i write this.

Polkadad, Congradulations to your daughter on her graduation day.!! Will try the riverside Casa Seranos. Also, thank you for the heads up and directions to Albertos. Will try that as well. We spent 4 months this last winter and with your help (and Grif and Calsuede) we had an easy time deciding where to eat and gamble in town. We look forward to coming back this next winter and discover more of Laughlin and the surrounding area.

Ok well, I got back from Laughlin yesterday and had a great time.I did hit every casino there except for the Tropicana, which was only because it was on the other side of the street and I didn%26#39;t know it was there until we left in the bus yesterday. I told the bus that I guess I would hav eto go back because I missed one. LOL I did try the Wizard of Oz at one of the casino%26#39;s but I lost on it. I did see it at other casino%26#39;s, but never was able to get on it. Oh well trust me, I lost a whole lot of money without playing the Wizard of Oz ! :(

Did you take a bus from vegas here for like 5 hours?

sorry .....your other post said you stayed at harrahs....

2 luxury home realtors

May's Cafe (May's Chinese Restaurant)- Arcadia, CA

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(Now that I've eaten a generous serving of AP Tots (the reason for my month's absence), I'm back to writing on a weekly basis!)

For years, I have wondered what was this "May's Chinese Restaurant" entry on my GPS; how could there be a restaurant in Arcadia that I did not still know about? It was only recently that I found out it was May's Cafe, an establishment that has been in Arcadia for years. With some special circumstances that began this year, May's Cafe suddenly became a restaurant with a prime location-- one ideal for me to try out their Taiwanese selections from a walking distance.


Inside, the restaurant is tiny-- there are less than 20 tables, and mirrors are used in an effort to enlarge the space. Still, the less than perfect surroundings, coupled with some KOST 103.5 radio and view of the street, add for a unusually relaxing way to end an otherwise busy week. The constant use of Mandarin may present a barrier for some, but eventually orders get through, and food is served.





On my first visit, not knowing what to really order and not really knowing how to say the Mandarin names of some items, I kept to observing the food served to other patrons and what I knew in words, and ordered the Chinese Sausage Fried Rice (6.00 USD). In comparison to some of the ginormous plates of food presented to some of the patrons, this serving of fried rice was comparatively tiny. The fat granules of rice, fragrant sausage, crisp lettuce, and wispy strands of egg were enjoyable, if a bit greasy and salty.  MSG was also added, and so I noted that for future visits I would ask them to exclude that ingredient.


Now armed with the experience of eating at May's Cafe for once, I went into May's Cafe the second time ordering what most people ordered while at the cafe: Fried Pork Chop on Rice (6.00 USD). For the same price as the Fried rice, I got a large, balanced meal of protein, carbohydrates, and veggies. Along with the centerpiece of fried pork chop, there was a bed of steamed white rice, doused with a scoop of soy, and to the side was a generous serving of broccoli with bonito accents, scrambled egg, stewed tofu, and preserved turnip. The pork chop was crisp, light, and most importantly tender; and in such generous servings, I left this time quite full.


On my third visit, I tried out another of May's Cafe's greatest hits: Beef Stew Noodles Soup (6.00 USD). In comparison to my usual favorite, this version offered a bold, intense broth, high quality pieces of stewed beef, and some additions--napa cabbage and homemade preserved vegetables. I didn't care so much that the broth was quite greasy on top, and that the noodles did not offer much other than a toothsome chew, but with subsequent visits the broth has been less greasy-- the manager probably noticed how I was skimming the broth's surface several times before I started enjoying the bowl of soup. My companions feel this bowl of noodle soup is just as good, if not as better, than our favorite; then again, both are quite different in terms of the broth, and your opinion will differ depending on whether you like bolder flavor items (in which May's Cafe certainly wins) or lighter flavored items (House of Mandarin Noodle is the clear winner hear).


Having tried the Beef Stew Noodles Soup, I was now determined to try out the Beef Stew on Rice (6.00 USD). What came to the plate was essentially the same dish, other than noodles were subbed with a bed of steamed rice, and the broth became a cornstarch thickened sauce with some additional seasoning. Although I certainly enjoyed the meaty pieces of stewed beef, I felt that there was too little rice to suit with the generous serving of sauce, and the plastic spoon was sharp enough to make a slight cut on the mouth. So, a suggestion: if you don't care for eating on plastic soup spoons, bring your own utensils!


Another visit, I tried the Fried Chicken Leg on Rice (6.00 USD). The restaurant was certainly busier, having school been released at the same time I went to the cafe, and my plate seemed to have the inconsistency of lacking the spoonful of preserved vegetables. The chicken leg, like the pork chop, was light, juicy, crispy, and simply seasoned-- no special final dusting of five spice or chili powder to be found here. The cabbage was decent, but I definitely preferred the broccoli more.


Having tried the "Da Lu Mian" at Mandarin Noodle Deli, I decided to try out May's Cafe version. Like the other items I've described so far, this item, the Simmered Pork Noodles Soup is also 6.00 USD. I enjoyed the wide variety of ingredients found in the noodle soup-- bamboo shoots, wood ear fungus, carrots, celery, and napa cabbage-- and unlike some of the other items I've had at May's Cafe, this item came out almost immediately after I ordered it. Seasoned with sesame oil, the broth was slightly out of the ordinary, but still pleasant.


Wanting to try some more traditional Taiwanese items, I ordered the Intestines & Oysters with Tiny Noodles Soup. This one was a pungent dish-- mixed inside the bold broth was minced garlic, and placed atop was a dash of black vinegar. The noodles, slightly clumped, needed a slight mix before enjoying; on the other hand, the intestines were tasty, with little foul flavor, and the small pieces of oyster were savored. In this occasion, I felt again that there could be more strands of noodles, as there was plenty of broth to go around.


On a rainy day, the Beef Stew Noodles Soup sounded like a good idea, and so I certainly enjoyed this bowl. And look! Little grease on the surface of the soup! Unfortunately, the stuff that I brought to the restaurant got wet in the rain after a ten minute walk-- always keep your items in a waterproof housing!


On a better day, a companion and I visited May's Cafe yet again. My companion ordered the Curry Beef on Rice (6.00 USD) but did not care much for it, as there was very little curry powder actually added to the sauce. Instead, it tasted more like a brown sauce instead of a curry sauce. We did, however, like that a wide variety of vegetables was added to the curry.


I tried out the Combination on Rice (squid, chicken, beef and vegetables- 6.00USD). In addition to what the menu describes, there were some pieces of fishball, fishcake, and octopus (that tasted weird) to the mix. Other than one awkward ingredient in the combination, the rest of the dish was tasty.



We also ordered the Eggs & Oyster's Patti (5.50 USD), essentially a Taiwanese oyster omelet.This version was quite special in that the starch, oysters, and vegetables were fully encapsulated in a thin layer of egg, while the oysters were still barely cooked and the veggies crisp. It was an intriguing version of the oyster omelet, and had the accompanying sauce been warmed up (it was somewhat cold) I would have liked it even better.


On another visit (there's been too many!), my companion ordered the Beef Stew Noodles Soup, and so I ordered the Pork Chop Noodles Soup, hoping that I would get a lighter soup overall. I was correct-- I got a bowl of noodles and light broth, with the crispy pork chop put aside on a separate dish. Any blandness to this dish was counteracted with accompanying bites of the pork chop, and some scoops of broth from the Beef Stew Noodles Soup-- a little of that broth went a long way in increasing the flavor of this dish!


And as a vegetable side, we ordered the Fried Sponge Gourd (7.50 USD); you would probably recognize this better if it was called "chinese okra." Although the gourd was not actually in season when we tried the dish, the gourd was still sweet and pleasantly prepared.


And on my most recent visit, I had the Fried Chewy Rice Cake (6.00 USD), having saw someone else order it and get a generous portion. My portion was not as generous, but I liked how the plate had plenty of vegetables and meat to go along with the rice cake.

Overall, an enjoyable, small restaurant in the Arcadia area. If you're looking for a non-chain restaurant that offers Taiwanese food, May's Cafe is a reliable, small restaurant with very reasonable prices.


May's Cafe (facebook link)
31 E. Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91006
Tel: (626) 574-8348

Starbucks' Refreshers Beverages: Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus

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On July 13, from 12-3 PM, Starbucks gave away Tall sizes of its recently launched beverage, Starbucks Refreshers. The new product comes in Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus flavors, and regularly costs 2.95 USD for a Tall Size.

Starbucks describes the Cool Lime flavor as "a lively blend of lime, citrus and hints of mint and cucumber, shaken with real lime slices," and the Very Berry Hibiscus flavor as "a thirst quenching combination of tangy blackberry and hints of hibiscus." Notably, these drinks feature Starbucks' green coffee extract, which is taken from green (not roasted) arabica coffee beans and offers the "natural energy" of coffee but without the coffee flavor. 

Unlike some free offers, each of these Refreshers were made by order. There was no special advertising at the store to signal a "free" Refresher; you just asked for it and the cost was deducted. Some customers shouted aloud to their co-workers about the deal as well.

I tried the Very Berry Hibiscus flavor (the Cool Lime Refresher in the pictures was a friend's) and  it had berry fruit flavor as well as some depth from the hibiscus. In terms of sweetness, the Refresher seemed as sweet as a flavored water, with a sweetness that reminded me more of artificial sweetener (I can not confirm what sweetener, if any, is used in the drink). The blackberries, on the other hand, were somewhat squashed due to the shaking action in creating the drink, and so did not look or taste like the fresh blackberries shown in Starbucks' product photo.

Both flavors combine tried-and-true combinations. If you need a light refreshment after a heavy meal or from work, these are a flavored option to consider. As for me? I'll stick with chia seeds and water.(no, I did not time that post to coincide with this one!)

Starbucks Coffee (@ The Shops at The Alhambra)
1131 S Fremont Ave
Alhambra,CA91803
(626) 457-5234

Trader Joe's Lemon Heart Cookies

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Another visit around Trader Joe's led to another cookie discovery: Lemon Heart Cookies.

The packing is interesting--clean and fancy--but the ingredients were also interesting. Almond meal? The enriched wheat flour could be swapped for a better ingredient, but considering the nature and pricing of the product, it's decent.

Trader Joe's Lemon Heart Cookies were pleasant, and the description ("Delicately textured cookies with a hint of almond flavor and lemon icing") fit completely. The cookies could have been slightly moister (these were pretty dry), but were pleasantly sweet and lemony. By that, I mean that the cookies were not artificially lemony, but rather had a natural lemon flavor. The almond meal added additional texture, which I liked. I'd buy these again!

Dog Haus - Pasadena

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Thanks to Groupon. I had free $5 credit, and I got $10 of the food for $5 deal a while ago. That means $10 of free food! I ended up paying $1.90 but hey, I got all the food for under $2? Great!

I ordered corn dog, slider and hot dogs. Yes, that's all for me. I ate all. Everything was delicious and the workers were friendly. I like their $1.50 sliders and slingers. It's perfect for someone like me, who doesn't wanna eat too much or just wanna try little bit of everything.















menu














Look all those food! As always, I got everything with no cheese and easy mayo.













Burger slider $1.50
Angus beef, caramelized onions, mayo













Corn dog slinger $1.50
To me, it look like burned. It was very black. But I ate it anyway. I still liked it.













Hot dog slinger $1.50
All-beef mini dog, caramelized onions, mayo













Sooo Cali $5.95 + $0.50 (veggie dog)
Arugula, sliced tomatoes, crispy onions,spicy basil aioli avocado













I got my hot dog with veggie dog. It was difficult to eat. I believe they use Hawaiian Rolls for all their dogs, so of course, the bread was delicious. The hot dog was good, but I don't think I'm getting it again. To me, it didn't match well with avocado and veggie dog and the sauce.














Rating : 4 / 5
Service: 4 / 5
Repeat: Yes

Dog Haus
105 N Hill Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106

(626) 577-4287

Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm

http://doghausdogs.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/dog-haus-pasadena 

Posted in: Pasadena

Pookie's Thai

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           A small place amidst offices, by a pond with ducks swimming in the sun, kitchen busy to keep up with its loyal customers, and Mrs.Pookie flashing a smile at all her guests taking orders and serving the most delicious thai food in Westlake Village. That’s the Pookie’s Thai. The place was started 7 years ago and today its our favorite here in LA. The first thing you notice here is the way its hidden amongst offices at The Water Court. Next, the welcoming nature of the place makes you return every week!

Pond at Water court in front of the restaurant

                Our favorite appetizer is ‘Kra Thong Thong’. Wonton cups filled with chicken, peas and carrots served with a hot n sweet sauce. It’s a great way to start your journey into the enticing flavors of Thailand.

Kra Thong Thong

Another popular appetizer is the Wow! Westlake Roll. It looks like salad wrapped in rolls. Tofu, cucumber, basil, cilantro, carrots wrapped in rice sheets and served with a special sauce. It’s a lovely combination that is so refreshing to the palate. The flavor of the basil simply pops out amongst the veggies dipped in the sauce.

WOW! Westlake Rolls

                To accompany your meal try thai iced tea. A pink drink with a hint of tea.

Thai Iced Tea

                On weekdays you can have lunch specials with duck, beef, chicken, everything. But otherwise, here are a few that we relish. Spicy monsoon noodles are my choice for a nice hot and sweet delight. Made of flat noodles, basil, bell peppers, mushroom and beef, chicken or pork it was a splash of flavor for us in this monsoon weather.

Spicy Monsoon Noodles

            Hi, Yo! Silver is a milder choice made of fried silver noodles, shrimp, chicken, sprouts, tomato and egg.

Hi, Yo! Silver

                Now for the fun part. You must be knowing about the famous red and green curries of thai cuisine. Well here, its definitely the best. They are served with white or brown rice, and you cannot stop eating it. We got a special treat when we ordered the green curry last time. Its called jade curry here, and as you might know the curry is made of coconut milk. But what if it is served to you in a coconut itself with fresh coconut floating in the gravy!! Yumm.. I have had nothing so exotic and yummy!

Ruby Curry(red curry)

Jade Curry(green curry)

                Now coming to the rice, my choice is Prapan’s rice. The rice is full of spice, meat, bell peppers, onions and loads of flavor. Try it with one of the curries, it is heavenly!!

Prapan's Rice

                So the next time you go to this place, don’t be scared of trying anything, I guarantee everything is going to be superb!! Enjoy yourself!!

Ducks in the pond

Useful Links:http://www.pookiethai.com/home.html