Office Holiday Party Extravaganza!

Posted on December 22, 2011 by vicentesf

So my office held our 2nd Annual Holiday Potluck and everyone (well almost everyone) brought delicious food to share! I’m posting some of the yummy food so you can get a few ideas for your next holiday get together. If all else fails, make a Costco run apparently. I mean who needs a fancy corporate holiday party when you can have a good ole potluck?! All names have been changed to protect the innocent! 🙂

Pork belly steamed bun – Papa Chang
We all know that most holiday plates are fattening so why not get it in the form of tender pork belly?! Just top the bun with shredded scallions and hoisin sauce for an elegant presentation! You can purchase frozen buns at your local Asian market and steam them prior to serving. Xiexie!

Pigs in a blanket – Rapunzel
Simple but delicious, a perennial party favorite! Just wrap ‘Lil Smokies (these are turkey) with crescent pastry rolls (these use a low fat variety) and voile, you have an all-American treat! According to Rapunzel, each piece has only 45 calories!

Pomegranate kielbasa bites – Dumes
The perfect combination of beefy meat and sticky sweet. Simmer sliced beef kielbasa sausage in a mixture of pomegranate juice, ketchup and Tabasco sauce until the sauce is thick and reduced. Serve on a buttery Ritz cracker to make it classy! Thanks Dumes!

Spam musubi – Sophie
Perfectly portioned and utterly delicious! Spam plus sushi rice and a nori strip equals a happy vicenteSF! Arigato!

Traditional midwestern queso surprise – vicenteSF
OK, I made that name up but my roommate IS from Kansas and he makes this delicious dip once in a while. Just combine Velveeta cheese (SO American!) with browned ground beef and a can of Ro-Tel brand diced tomatoes with chiles (another midwestern staple) in a crock pot. Set it and forget it! It’s customary to eat this with potato chips, not tortilla chips, silly!

Mini quiche lorraine – Mats
Another easy potluck option, the frozen mini quiche! Just throw into the toaster oven for a few minutes and these buttery, salty bites are sure to please everyone!

Shrimp cocktail – Pong
Costco wins again! Seafood always ups the chichi factor!

Roast chicken – Pong
And antoher Costco treasure!

Chewy mixed chip holiday cookie – Rapunzel
These are surprisingly good despite Rapunzel’s baking track record! Just kidding. These nommy cookies have milk chocolate, white chocolate AND butterscotch chips! And lots of butter for all the good lil boys and girls!

Almond jello with fruit – Sophie
Sophie fights back with a more sophisticated dessert approach. The light almond jello pairs wonderfully with fresh fruit!

Walnut brownie – Jefe
And what’s more traditional than some chocolate brownies with NUTS! Walnuts are a safe, delicious and nutritious choice!

Melkesjokolade chocolate – Huff
And Huff brings up the rear with a Norwegian contribution! Tusen takk!

Happy holidays, everyone!!!

Carnitas – Nopalito

Posted on December 22, 2011 by vicentesf

Tender pork braised in orange, bay leaf, milk, cinnamon and beer. $15
Nopalito, San Francisco

This is one beautiful packet of pork, NOMS!!! The carnitas at Nopalito are so frickin’ good! The meat is so flavorful and tender, it’s ridiculous! You can smell and taste all the ingredients in the lovey braise. The cut isn’t overly fatty, but I think that the fatty pieces were worth every calorie!

You might not be able to tell from the pic, but you get a very generous portion of carnitas. David and I could barely finish the order, granted we did eat a few other things. 🙂

The pork is served with a cabbage salad, pickled jalapenos and salsa de tomatillo, and warm tortillas for wrapping.

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014

Pozole rojo – Nopalito

Posted on December 21, 2011 by vicentesf

Stew of pork shoulder, hominy, cabbage, radish, and chile ancho. $11
Nopalito, San Francisco

Can you say comfort food?! In my opinion, this huge bowl of pozole is one of the best in the city! The broth is pretty amazing and oh so flavorful. I always squeeze the entire lime into the soup and throw in all the extras. They give you nice and thick tortilla chips that retain their crispness even after sitting in the pozole for a while.

Served with lime, red onions, oregano, chili powder and tortilla chips.

Beets and orange salad – Nopalito

Posted on December 21, 2011 by vicentesf

“Ensalada de betabeles y naranja”. Salad of beets, orange, pickled onion, queso fresco, chile de arbol, chile guajillo and lime. $6
Nopalito, San Francisco

I have never seen this particular combination of ingredients. It’s SO good! I think the queso fresco and chile powders totally make the dish. The plate is bright and vibrant and the beets are oranges taste amazing. Perhaps the lime wedge is over kill though, there’s already enough acid fromt he oranges and pickled onions.

Seasonal sangria – Nopalito

Posted on December 20, 2011 by vicentesf

White wine, pear liqueur, allspice, tequila, and bay leaf. $8
Nopalito, San Francisco

Now that’s one refreshing glass of sangria!

Albert eggs benedict – Zazie

Posted on December 19, 2011 by vicentesf

With bacon, grated white cheddar, and homemade salsa fresca. Served on an English muffin with a fabulous light lemon hollandaise, home fries and orange wedge. Two for $12
Zazie, San Francisco

The cooks at Zazie are expert egg poachers. These things are absolutely beautiful! I love their lemon hollandaise too! The bacon was so yummy, but I kind of missed the salsa fresca though. I always order their home fries because they have delicious roasted garlic cloves. Noms! My one complaint is that the eggs benedicts could come out warmer.

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011

St. Trop eggs benedict – Zazie

Posted on December 19, 2011 by vicentesf

With wild smoked salmon, capers, and red onions. Served on an English muffin with a fabulous light lemon hollandaise, with salad and orange wedge. Two for $13
Zazie, San Francisco

You can’t go wrong with smoked salmon, onions and capers! Add a poached egg and hollandaise sauce and you have an even better combination! These eggs benedicts are filling and refreshing at the same time. David always opts for the salad – he does eat healthier than me, hehe.

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011

Mimosas – Zazie

Posted on December 19, 2011 by vicentesf

La Groseille mimosa with black currant (front). $8
Corsica mimosa with fresh grapefruit juice (back). $8
Zazie, San Francisco

It seems silly to pay $8 for a glass of champagne with some juice added, but the mimosas at Zazie are super yummy! I really liked the La Groseille. The black currant was SO refreshing!

Zazie’s organic specialty coffee. $2.95

Yummy "dim" dinner – Range

Posted on December 18, 2011 by vicentesf

We had an absolutely wonderful dinner at Range on Valencia Street in the Mission. The restaurant is dimly lit so I wasn’t able to take any good food pics, but I thought I’d post these anyway for posterity, hehe. We also had the creamed nettles with a poached farm egg for an appetizer, but that pic didn’t come out at all. Enjoy!
Range, San Francisco

Pink Panther cocktail – Tito’s vodka, pomegranate, tawny port, black pepper, lemon.
Yummy yummy cocktail and I loved the soft pink color!

Smoking Gun cocktail – Bulleit bourbon, maraschino, Dolin sweet vermouth, scotch rinse.
I didn’t like this cocktail as much. I think the scotch rinse was too much for me.

Pan roasted bavette steak with horseradish, barley, brussels sprouts, shiitake mushrooms and baby turnips. $28
Yum! I’m not a huge horseradish fan, but these were mild and tasted great with the perfectly cooked steak. The brussels sprouts were yummy and the baby turnips were so frickin’ cute!

Coffee rubbed pork shoulder with creamy hominy and braised greens. $25
Omg! I’m hungry just recalling this dish! The pork was so tender and juicy and the coffee rub gave it a great flavor. The sauce was to die for and tasted SO good with the hominy and greens. A definite winner dish!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2014

Roasted chicken & yuca fries – Limon Rotisserie

Posted on December 18, 2011 by vicentesf

“Pollo a la Brasa”. Savory free-range 1/4 chicken (breast and wing) slowly roasted over open flame. Served with two sides and “Aji” sauces. $8.50
Limon Rotisserie, San Francisco

For my sides, I chose the yuca fries and tacu-tacu (Peruvian rice) and both were delicious. The roasted chicken was absolutely delicious and oh so tender and juicy! Omg, and I can’t believe it only cost $8.50 for the chicken and 2 sides. What a steal! That’s what I call dining deliciously on a budget! The restaurant is kind of randomly located in the Mission, but I’m definitely coming back for the yummy food and great service.

Aji sauces. I’m not sure what all the sauces were, but they were SO good! Normally aji sauce is bright green and is put through a blender, but none of these fit that description. No worries, I used them for the chicken and the yuca fries. Noms!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2014

Tacu-tacu – Limon Rotisserie

Posted on December 17, 2011 by vicentesf

Side of Peruvian style rice topped with sliced tomatoes, red onions and chopped cilantro.
Limon Rotisserie, San Francisco

I’m not sure what’s in this rice that makes it Peruvian, but it tasted pretty good. It wasn’t as tomato-y as Mexican rice I guess, and they must use different spices.

Strawberry lemonade. $2.50

Vittle Monster

Feed me!

Carnitas – Nopalito

Pozole rojo – Nopalito

Beets and orange salad – Nopalito

Seasonal sangria – Nopalito

Albert eggs benedict – Zazie

St. Trop eggs benedict – Zazie

Mimosas – Zazie

Yummy "dim" dinner – Range

Roasted chicken & yuca fries – Limon Rotisserie

Tacu-tacu – Limon Rotisserie