I'll have them Nick's Way...

Nightclub Rouge by night, Nick's Crispy Tacos by day! I've never been to Rouge, but I can definitely tell the place is a nightclub. There are chandeliers, red velvet booths, and a bar. It's very campy and I enjoy the contrast between the food and the setting. On Tuesdays for happy hour starting at 5pm, it gets really full and it can be hard to find a seat.

After the first time I went to Nick's Crispy Tacos, I started thinking it was a very good thing I did not live next door. I would probably be here every Tuesday if that were the case for Taco Tuesdays! On Tuesdays, tacos, quesadillas, chips/salsa/guacamole are all $2, and there are drinks specials as well.

For messy, fattening, delicious food, there's nothing like Nick's.


Chips, salsa and guac. Although some people have taken issue with the creamy consistency of the guacamole, I actually really like it. This is a classic and for $2 for this amount of guacamole, it can't be beat. Their chips are a nice crunchy consistency without being too hard (maybe they're homemade?)

The quesadilla was huge! I got the pollo asada. It was nice, but a little greasy. I can't help but think I prefer my own quesadillas.


And finally, the tacos. These are the main attraction at Nick's. Everything is $2 except for the seafood tacos. The pesco asada, fried fish, is the best taco there. I always get it even though it's not a special. You have to get them Nick's Way (with guacamole, cheese, crispy taco) which makes it almost $5, the price of a burrito at many other restaurants! This practically is a burrito though in size, so it's worth it to me. These are the best!! It's a perfect balance of flavors and texture: the creamy softness of the fish, the crispy fried shell, the soft taco, the fried taco, the crunch of the veggies, the smooth guacamole. Nick's really balances the flavors and uses the freshest ingredients; I've never had a stale taco. I really swear by this!!


Overall, I think Nick's is great. It's definitely a staple. My one gripe is that they could cut back on the oil in some of the dishes. It's comfort food though, so I can't complain too much. I would definitely recommend this as a weekly Tuesday spot.


Nick's Crispy Taco
1500 Broadway San Francisco
CA 94109-2516
(415) 409-8226

Ode to a lemon- Lemon Bars

Finally, I can start a blog post to explain the name of my blog!!

Without noticing it at first, lemons crept into my cooking, baking and eating. From lemon slices squeezed onto seafood for acidity, a fragrant lemony basil pasta, the crisp taste of fresh-squeezed lemonade, and the joy of a lemon meringue pie-- lemons are really a common thread in the foods I enjoy.

Despite the fact that I love baking, I have never had a sweet tooth- if anything, I prefer the salty, spicy and sour. I prefer strong flavors that please my palate. In many dishes and desserts, it seems like lemons are the perfect foil to delicious food! So my rule of thumb for preparing food- a spoonful of lemons (or lemon juice)- will get you there. It's what you need to take many foods to the next level. What would buttery crab be without a spritz of lemon?

And that's why I prefer a spoonful of lemons to a spoonful of sugar.

Lemon bars are a perfect example of the beauty of the lemon. I despise overly sweet lemony desserts- if there isn't a bite to it, then what's the point? So this is an Ina Garten recipe- altered to cut the sweetness. It's not mouth puckering by any means- no one who has tried it has said that this was too sour. I hope you find it delectable!
For the crust:



LEMON BARS

Adapted from a Barefoot Contessa Recipe


Ingredients:
Crust: nocoupons

• 1/2 pound butter (or 1 cup), room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour

Filling:

• 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup flour
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl with an electric mixer.
3. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed.
4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
5. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
6. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
7. Cut into squares, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve!

Peanut noodles

As a busy law student, I haven't had a whole lot of time to make fancy recipes. Sorry! I will get some fantastic baking done over the holidays :) I plan on making some holiday macarons or madelines to take to my relatives.

In the meantime, all I have time for is making a quick dinner at home. Many people go out to eat when they're busy, which doesn't make sense to me. I feel like it actually takes longer to eat out than make something quick at home. Especially when you artfully minimize the number of dishes you have to do, like I do.

One of my go-to recipes is peanut noodles. I made this recipe to recreate a popular dish in Taiwan. When I used to visit Taiwan, I remember getting up early and going to the marketplace to get a package of peanut noodles along with the groceries. When I got home, I would mix the peanut sauce with the egg, cucumber and carrots and savor the creamy and crunchy cold noodles. The crazy thing about Taiwan is that even a roadside cart selling cold noodles in a package has the potential for brilliance. Hopefully, when I go to Taiwan this winter, I'll get a chance to taste the real thing and take some pictures of it as well. Then I'll know if it really is as good as it is in my memory.

While this recipe is not quite the same as those delicious noodles from my memory, they are very tasty and easy to make. To top it off, this recipe is super versatile as well. You can add whatever optional ingredients you have on hand. I only had broccoli slaw and slivered carrots and egg, so I used that.

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

• handful of thin Asian noodles
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• sprinkle of red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or garlic powder)
• optional: crushed peanuts, sliced thin egg pancake, julienned carrots and cucumber, thinly sliced deli meat

1. Boil noodles until done (about 10 minutes.) Remove from heat, rinse with cold water, and add some ice cubes to cool.

2. In a small bowl, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, and red pepper.

3. Drain noodles well and mix with the sauce. Add optional ingredients.

To make egg pancake: mix eggs in a bowl (but not too foamy, keep the bubbles to a minimum). Heat a large skillet and spray with non-stick spray or oil. Pour the egg in, tilting the pan to make a thin pancake layer. When mostly solidified, flip. Add a little salt. I like to fold the pancake in half and cut into thin slivers.

(Sort of) Baked Eggs

I love eating baked eggs. The possibilities are endless! I like them with cheese, onions, veggies, mushrooms... or Mexican style with black beans, jack, salsa. It's funny because I never used to like breakfast that much, until my boyfriend (who firmly believes that breakfast is the most important meal of the day) showed me all the yummy egg breakfast combos. I used to hate runny yolks, but now I like them to a degree. I still can't stand sunny-side up yolks, but I can deal with over medium. Baby steps...

Anyway, so baked eggs. Baking is decidedly healthier than frying, but I can't justify heating up an oven in the morning for my one or two lonely baked eggs. I experimented with a quick and easy, although somewhat sacrilegious method this morning.

I sprayed a microwave-proof bowl with cooking spray. In the bottom of the bowl, I layered a big slice of turkey, some spinach leaves, a slice of pepper jack, baby spinach, and diced onions. Then I cracked two eggs, and added a little seasoning salt. I stuck it in the microwave for a few minutes, slid the eggs out on a plate, and ate with salsa and toast. How's that for an easy breakfast? The clean-up was easier than fried eggs or an omelet, too.

Baked (Microwaved) Eggs

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• Turkey
• Baby spinach
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Onions
• Seasoned salt
• Salsa (optional)

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, layer turkey, spinach, cheese, onions, and two raw eggs. Sprinkle with seasoning salt.
2. Cover with a paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, about 1 minute total depending on your microwave.
3. Slide out on a plate, cover with salsa and eat with toast.

Yum.

Out and Around: Little Sheep Hotpot

Last week was my mom's birthday. Happy birthday mom!! My mom is my source for all Chinese food, so expect to see some of that soon!

We had lunch with some family friends, but for dinner we had Chinese hot pot at Little Sheep.

Interesting Bamboo decor

We started off with a plate of yummy golden fried buns. Usually they come in plain and fried ("silver" and "golden") at this restaurant, but I requested for all of them to be fried. Hehe. Bad I know, but you only live once. These were delicious, especially with the condensed milk.

But this place is really about the hot pot. Here's a picture of the broth (1/2 spicy, 1/2 original):

The hot pot there is really superb. It's not the kind you have at home with just chicken stock. There are all sorts of condiments bubbling in the broth, which you can get original or spicy-flavored. The broth is delicious. I would drink a ton of it but it's probably full of fat from all the stuff you cook in it! I don't know exactly what's in it, but the menu said green onion, cilantro, vinegar, etc, and you can see garlic, Chinese herbs, goji berry, and other goodies.

You can pick whatever you want to go inside. We picked lamb, beef, assorted tofu, spinach, fishballs with meat inside, rice noodles, and blood cakes (this was kind of an accident, we thought it was those blood-flavored cakes but they were actual congealed blood??).

Assorted tofu platter

Meat, meatballs, blood!, spinach, rice noodles

The meat was fresh and sliced thinly. Everything was really fresh and delicious, actually. Little Sheep encourages you to not use dipping sauce, unlike normal Chinese hotpot. I think the seasonings and the freshness of the ingredients speak for themselves, so you don't really need the sauce anyway.

I would highly recommend this place, it's one of my favorites! In these winter months, it's Chinese comfort food.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot (小肥羊)

215 S. Ellsworth Ave., San Mateo

(650) 343-2566

My first post!

Welcome to my blog. :) I'm a law student in San Francisco who loves to bake, cook, and most of all, eat!! I plan to share recipes, restaurant reviews, and other food-related items.

As for lemons- they are one of my favorite ingredients- I love how they bring out the flavors in savory and sweet dishes alike. Look out for a lemony recipe soon!