My favorite meat is pork. Chicken is just OK and same with beef. But pork? You have to really overcook it to spoil a pork dish for me. I love the flavor of the meat and the fat just adds more flavor and moisture.


Last October I was at the San Francisco Ferry Building farmers market and saw a long line and smelled a wonderful smell. I followed the line and my nose to the end and found one of those gourmet food trucks with rotisseries twirling. They skewered rows of whole chickens and pork rolls and then racks filled with roasting pig knuckles. Best of all, at the bottom of each huge rotisserie were piles of quartered potatoes that were being roasted while also collecting the delicious, fatty, flavorful drippings from the meats above. Mouthwatering!


Unfortunately I couldn't get one then and so I've been craving for six months. This weekend I had hiked the Golden Gate to Sausalito and took the ferry back to the Ferry Building. We got off the boat and headed directly for the Roli Roti line. Just in time! It was about 1:00 and they were on their last pork roll. They came down the line and counted off people for the last that they would be able to make. Thank goodness we made it within the count! By the way, if you want chicken, there is an express line. It's the porchetta sandwiches that creates the huge line.


I highly recommend that you watch the video over on Vendr.tv video. This site features gourmet food trucks and this video shows how the pork roll is prepared in their commissary before it gets skewered. Basically they take a pig torso, debone it, fill it with a special blend of spices, and then roll it up tight.


The porchetta sandwiches are made with sliced Italian rolls that sop up some of the grease from the slicing table. The pork roll is sliced and then topped with some crunchy bits of roasted pig skin. Then they sprinkle with sea salt, add some fresh, organic herbs, and an onion jam.


The end result? Pork lovers' heaven. There is so much flavor from the herbs roasted inside the pork roll, the herbs and onion jam added to the sandwich, and the sprinkle of sea salt. The meat, of course, is awesome.

Osmosis Enzyme Bath

I inherited achy muscles from my mom. So it is no wonder that I love massages and can appreciate the therapeutic benefits of a hot tub. Saunas and steam rooms, though, are too claustrophobic for me. Recently I had the pleasure of the enzymatic bath. I am a convert! This will definitely be a yearly event at the minimum!

Osmosis Spa in Freestone (on the way to Bodega Bay) is the only place in the United States that offers enzymatic baths. The founder experienced his first bath in Japan and brought the concept here in 1985.

Osmosis is designed in a Japanese style. My boyfriend and I arrived and removed our shoes. After changing into robes, you sit in a tea room where an attendant comes to serve an enzymatic tea. It has 25 different enzymes that are absorbed into your system, help with digestion and interact with the external enzymatic bath.

How It Works (Osmosis.com)
When the body is immersed in the Cedar Enzyme Bath, circulation and metabolism are stimulated from outside, giving a boost to the internal organs which usually perform these functions on their own. This is part of the reason the bath is both relaxing and energizing at the same time!

After about ten minutes you are escorted to the bath rooms. The baths are big bins filled with a mixture of cedar shavings, rice bran, and plant enzymes. The attendant has scooped out “beds” for you. You step in and lie down and she quickly scoops the sawdust mixture on top of you. It is liked being buried at the beach, but this is sawdust and it is HOT!

A Biological Process (Osmosis.com)
The heat in the Cedar Enzyme Bath differs from other heat treatments in that it is produced biologically by a fermentation process. The largest organ of the body, the skin, comes in direct contact with intense enzyme activity in the Bath, which, in addition to heat, produces its own electro-chemical environment. This combination of heat and energy influences body chemistry and natural cleansing processes, and breaks down body wastes in the subcutaneous layer of the skin. The surface of your skin, your pores, and even the cells themselves are thoroughly cleansed.

The sawdust mixture is fermenting, which creates the heat. It is also very fragrant because of the cedar and the enzyme mixture. The attendant checks on you every five minutes and the longest you stay in is twenty minutes. You can shift or get out at any time. After ten minutes I could feel my heart beat and I was sweating profusely. I took my arms out so that I could regulate myself a bit. After fifteen minutes she sat us upright and scooped the sawdust behind our backs so that we could slowly cool down before stepping out. Finally we stepped out and we were covered with the sawdust. We looked like fuzzy cave people! We took brushes and brushed off as much as we could before stepping into the showers.

After the bath you can continue to a massage or facial. Because they were fully booked, we could only do the bath. Once we were in our robes they took us up to a private lounge and we laid down on futons. We put on headphones which played a special meta-music. This music was developed at some university that showed that through the use of stereo and different sounds coming from both sides, your brain waves react, synchronize, and can “encourage” you to different states. Our CD was meant to relax us. My boyfriend was snoring in no time.

Some of the benefits of the enzyme bath include:
Relief from joint and muscle aches and pains
Reduced tension and fatigue
Cleansing & beautification of the skin
Stress reduction & calming of the nerves
Improved digestion
Detoxification
Improved circulation & mobility


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With three Scott's Seafoods in town, the one at Loehmann's Plaza would be considered the 'old man'. I think this one has been there as long as I've been in Sacramento, which is at least 21 years. With the proliferation of sushi places on just about every corner, there are few true seafood restaurants around. And certainly even fewer of quality. Over the last two decades I have visited this site sporadically. Each time they have proven to be adept at the preparation of seafood and in bringing dishes with lots of flavor and flair.

We went on a Thursday and the place was packed. Turns out they have some Thursday specials and give away some gift certificate prizes. They call it Shuck em and Shake em. So the oysters and certain mixed drinks are on sale.

My first impressions were not so good service-wise. It was several minutes before I was acknowledged both at the bar and after we were seated at our table. But after we were situated, service became very friendly and engaging. The meal was very slow paced. This tends to be noticeable when you are so used to being hustled in and out of restaurants so quickly. But once you sit back and relax, you can appreciate that this is how fine dining is supposed to be. Take the time to enjoy and then digest each course.

We first ordered the oyster sampler. I do not care for raw oysters, but I will eat cooked ones. The menu said we would get a Rockefeller, smoked, BBQ, and fried. When it arrived we were happy to see two raw ones as well. Those were perfect for my guest so that I grabbed the smoked and Rockefeller right away. Half of the oysters were large ones and a couple were small. Unfortunately the Rockefeller was a small and I love those. Love the garlic, cheese, and spinach all melted around the succulent oyster. The only disappointment on the plate was the BBQ one. It had pineappley sauce on it that I did not care for. Luckily it was small.

We ordered a cup of the crab bisque to share. The waiter was nice enough to bring a taster out to my guest. It was a little mixture of the chowder and bisque mixed together. The crab bisque by itself was zesty. At first I didn't care for it. But as I ate more spoonfuls it really grew on me. It was thick and creamy and filled with spices. We both agreed, though, that we liked the mixed taster better.


My camera phone doesn't do justice to the beautiful plating of our entrees. I chose the Jamaican Mahi with Coconut Prawns. There was a small mound of a rice pilaf topped with the Mahi. On top of that was a grilled avocado and salsa-type mix of mangos and veggies. The sweet Creole sauce surrounded it and the three large prawns were butterflied, coated, and fried. That's a fried plantain slice topping it off. By this time I was already filling up and was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish off my entree. But the Mahi was the perfect size and I finished everything off quickly. I liked that the Mahi had a cilantro-lime marinade before they grilled it. I love the flavor of cilantro and it really accented the fish and sauce perfectly.


My guest chose the Filet Mignon and Prawns. Although a rather boring choice, you can see that the presentation was still artful and mouthwatering. The filet was perfectly cooked and sat upon a large mound of mashed potatoes and crisp green beans. One side had a garlic sauce for the shrimp and the other had the burgundy sauce.

It had been a while since I had creme brulee, so that was my choice for dessert. Unfortunately this is was not a great ending. A good brulee is thick and creamy. This one was, for lack of a better word, very thick and pasty.

OK. So they blew dessert. But everything else was outstanding. I'm really looking forward to trying the baby of the group - the one located at The Rivage on the river.

Mini-burger Truck getting ready for the day

Two mini-burgers w/ a side of sweet potato tots

(I only used a half recipe, and even then, had plenty left over.)

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
3. Fold in sifted flour.
4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )
4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in melted butter.

1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one. 
3. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.
4. After you remove from the freezer, immediate spread sponge batter over the pattern evenly.
5. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.
6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.
7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

1. Line a springform pan with plastic wrap.
2. Place the dacquoise bottom into the pan.
3. Cut and shape the patterned joconde around the sides of the pan with the pattern facing outward.
4. Fill the entremet with whatever fillings you choose.

Think Thin Bars

Svelte Protein Drinks

Disclaimer: Samples were received from both companies.

Filipino Chicken Adobo Rice

Rating: 4/5

I've mentioned before that I'm have Filipino but am pretty ignorant about Filipino food. My mom never learned to cook much Filipino food and so the only things I can even remember her making are lumpia, pancit, and adobo.

Filipino food is definitely its own thing. Being situated in southeast Asia and made up of over 7,000 islands, it has often been the stomping ground of invaders. Thus the influences over the centuries include Chinese, Japanese, Spaniards, Americans, and others. All of these influences mish-mash together to create unique dishes  - the true example of fusion cooking.

One notable flavor trait of Filipino cooking is their mix of salt/sour. Adobo is a perfect example. Adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines. It is usually made with either pork or chicken. I prefer the chicken, and it's important that you use chicken thighs, not breasts. The breasts will be too dry.

The primary ingredients for the marinade are vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. The normal method calls for marinating, then simmering the meat in it to cook, remove the meat and boil down the sauce to make it even more potent, and fry the meat to give it a bit of crispiness. Then serve it all over rice.

I'm changing it up a bit in this version. After removing the chicken we toss in rice to cook in the sauce and then at the end throw in the chicken, now shredded. Your finished product is a nice, potent chicken and rice dish. No more fighting over the adobo sauce. I suppose you could throw the rice in from the start, but part of the beauty of adobo is the slow cooking of the meat in the marinade. The meat really takes on the flavor of the sauce.

Note: Cooking times can vary depending on slow cookers.

Chicken Adobo Rice



Chicken Thigh