Please navigate there for all of my posts, both old and new! Also please make sure if you’re subscribed for a RSS feed, the feed is now at http://shellyinreallife.com/feed

Thanks for visiting!

-Shelly

For those of you who haven’t heard her leaked album, it is AMAZING. Britney continues to put out hit after hit on this album with more emphasis on Euro-Electronica sounds. On this lovely Sunday, Brit Brit performed 2 of her newest singles, Hold It Against Me and Till the World Ends, along with another from her album, Big Fat Bass ft. will.i.am. As expected, Brit lip-synced her way through the performance but who cares, I love her!!

Bill Graham and SF City Hall

We lined up at 7:45 AM, and the line wasn’t too bad for a 10:30 door opening. Some people were there since 3AM or earlier, so props to them, but I still managed to squeeze my way to the front right next to them

Opening Acts

Since the show was initially supposed to be in the Castro, I’m guessing they planned on having some drag queens entertain us prior to the show. They were kinda boring but maybe we were just anxious waiting for Brit. Also had a performance from Cheer SF and then the hosts of GMA, Sam Champion and Robin Roberts, showed up. Woo!

Brit showed up pretty promptly at 12 Noon and she looked amazing! I’ll let the pictures speak for the rest:

I can be the treble baby, you can be the bass, Big Fat Bass

If you want this good shit, sicker than the remix...

You know that I can take it to the next level baby!

If you feel, it let it happen...

Keep on dancing Till the World Ends

After the 3 performances, the hosts of GMA announced that SF officially marked March 27th as Britney Spears Day!

Britney Spears Day!

Thanks Brit Brit!! Look out for Femme Fatale on March 29th, 2011! Some of my favorite tracks include I Wanna Go and Trip to Your Heart.

When I got there, it was SUPER rainy, so my friend and I decided to make our first food stop at BCD Tofu House.

BCD TOFU HOUSE

Kimchee, Fried Fish and other small plates

Seafood Soon Tofu - Make sure to crack the raw egg in there!

This was my first time at BCD Tofu House and I thought it was pretty typical of any other Korean restaurant. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, but def a great go-to spot on a nice rainy day!

HOT POT HOT POT

Next up, to continue on the theme of rainy days, we decided to go to Hot Pot Hot Pot for dinner. This place is in Monterey Park and is basically the equivalent of Little Fat Sheep for those who are familiar with the chain.

For three girls, we ordered an order each of…beef, lamb, clam, quail egg, spinach, watercress, napa cabbage, enoki mushroom, soft tofu, and their homemade noodles (which I recommend). Their herbal soup was delicious and so was the spicy side of the broth. By the end of the meal, I was happy and full.

YOJIE

As if we didn’t have enough of hot pot, the next afternoon, we visited Yojie, located in Downtown LA for shabu shabu – basically the Japanese version of hot pot, except their broth is just water + kelp which = no flavor soup. I decided to come here based on one of myfriend’s recommendation. She LOVES the Green Tea Fondue here, so I just had to try it.

Yojie's Decor

Shabu Shabu, LA Style

If you didn’t remember that you’re in LA, if you came into Yojie, you would really remember. They take their Lakers pride very seriously, and I thought it added a nice touch to the overall modern decor.

Lunch Order - 8 oz Samurai - $14

If you’re observant, you might notice that the meats in this picture is two different colors. I noticed this right away when the waiter brought out our food and asked about it. I was assured that the quality was the same, but sadly, after doing a quick taste test, I found that this was not the case. It seemed that the meat that was more red, was noticeably more tender and less chewy than the other. Not wanting to waste food, we ate it anyway, but this was definitely a minus for me. If I didn’t have the chance to compare, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed the lack in quality, but since it was screaming out in front of me…I was unimpressed.

Green Tea Chocolate Fondue - $9

If I was sad about the shabu meat, this more than made up for my dissatisfaction. Now I know why my friend keeps talking about Yojie, because this dessert is SO good. So I will only come back to Yojie for the Green Tea Chocolate Fondue, and probably not the food.

P.S. if you spend enough money here, you get free parking right across the street, which is pretty awesome since parking can be a hassle downtown.

So that’s it! That’s the first part of my LA Food Tour, next up will be my highlights of the trip, Umami Burger and Chego!

On this particular day, I went with 4 other coworkers at around 7 on a Wednesday night and the wait was only about 45 minutes long.

The location is not particularly huge, so I can understand why there would be such a huge line and wait. So my suggestion? Don’t go with more than a group of 5 because you probably really can’t get seated. But, you want to go with a group because that way you can share the food!

The Whole Shabang

For me and 4 other male coworkers, we ordered 1 pound of crawfish, 2 pounds of shrimp, 1 dungeness crab, 1 order of fried catfish, 1 side of sweet potato fries and 5 corns. We ordered all this with “The Whole Shabang”, which is a must. The Whole Shabang flavoring is a lovely mix of Rajun Cajun, Lemon Pepper, and Garlic Butter. You can also control how spicy it is, we ordered Medium, and as a spicy food lover, I felt like this was just enough for me. The portions were also just enough for all of us without us being overly stuffed, and still full. There are no pictures of the crab because my hands were already disgusting by the time it came to the table.

The Aftermath

After about 30 minutes of grubbing in silence, we were just about done with the food. Seriously, it was so good that I was thinking about the meal the next morning, and craving it till night. Be prepared to have your hands smell (rub it down with the extra lemons) and your breath garlicky. Also, about flipping the bird, you put 4 guys together, and a camera, and I guess that’s the natural reaction you get from them. Go figure.

If you have never been here before, come. You’re missing out.

—————————–

The Boiling Crab
1631 E Capitol Expy
Ste 101
San Jose, CA 95121
(408) 532-6147

Ozumo's In a Nutshell

Ozumo is seperated into a few areas, the bar, a private room and also seating near the yakitori and sushi bar. It’s definitely one of the swankiest places I’ve been around Oakland and it’s a nice place to meet up for happy hour.

Ozumo's Happy Hour Appetizers

From Top Left, going clockwise…

Pari Maguro | big eye tuna sashimi, jalapeno, caramelized onion on flatbread | $9 | I thought the flatbread was way too greasy and threw off the whole appetizer for me.

Ikakoromo | spicy-miso calamari tempura | $7 | Also too greasy for me, but edible.

Nigiri Sampler | tuna, salmon, hamachi and unagi | $11 | The fish was really fresh and probably the best appetizer I had.

Rainbow Dyno | chopped tuna, salmon, and hamachi roll fried, topped with spicy sauce and unagi sauce | $14 | Why did I order this? I didn’t read it and didn’t know it was fried. I guess the presentation was fun, but it’s a no go.

Their happy hour drinks range from $4 beers and sake to $6-9 cocktails. My favorite was the Lychee Press with Sobieski Vodka and lychee juice and sprite. Available daily from 4pm-8pm.

Moving on to the dinner…

Jalapeno Hama Sushi | $11

Yo-San's Yosenabe | Japanese Seafood Hot Pot | $22

The meal for me progressed from good to average to bad. Since we were feeling pretty disappointed, we decided not to order any more food from the restaurant as it was not only pricey, but was unjustifiably so. Even with the discount, the meal felt way to expensive for what we were served so we left a bit disappointed with no desire to ever go for dinner again.

Instead, we went back home for an after dinner snack…

Homecooked potstickers to the rescue!

———————

Ozumo
2251 Broadway Ave
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 286-9866

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

1 – 8 oz package elbow macaroni
1 – 8 oz package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 – 12 oz container small curd cottage cheese (I used non-fat)
1 – 8 oz container sour cream (I also used non-fat here)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
dash of paprika (optional)
white truffle oil (optional)

HOW

The Cheeses

1. Cook Pasta to Al Dente. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until al dente (don’t overcook because it will cook more in the oven); drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Add Cheeses. In 9×13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Breadcrumbs

3. The Breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter.

Mix & Bake

4. Mix and Bake. Mix Mac-N-Cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumb over macaroni mixture. Top with paprika for color. Pop dish into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

5. Add Truffle Oil. To finish off this dish, we decided to add truffle oil after the dish was done baking, this definitely gave the entire side some extra flavor, and highly recommended to dress this side dish up. Serve!

On that note, these “healthy” collard greens are cooked in bacon fat. Please don’t skimp on the bacon, because it really gives the greens that extra flavor that it so desperately needs. The very definition of southern collard greens is allowing the greens to soak up the rendered flavors of the fatty meat as it cooks.

BACON COLLARD GREENS

"Healthy" Collard Greens

INGREDIENTS

8 slices bacon, chopped into pieces
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pound fresh rinsed collard greens, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon cidar vinegar
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

HOW

1. Stir Fry Ingredients. Heat up chopped bacon over medium-high heat. Allow bacon to crisp for about 3-5 minutes, and add onion to cook in the bacon fat. Once the onion softens, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding the collard greens. Toss the greens, bacon and onions together as the oil coats the greens. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Fry until the greens start to wilt.

Use Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

2. Add Chicken Broth. Pour in chicken broth, allow broth to boil. Add vinegar and brown sugar. Reduce heat to low, cover and shimmer for 30-45 minutes, until the greens are to your desired tenderness. Serve.

*Shelly’s Sidenote: For my southern dinner, this dish was one of the dishes that I prepared the night before and it serves just as well the next day. Just microwave or heat on top of the stove before serving! Also, the vinegar and brown sugar are important in this recipe as it cuts out some of the bitterness of the greens, so make sure to use it!

BOMB.COM BOURBON WHISKEY BBQ SAUCE

The Making of the Best BBQ Sauce in the World

INGREDIENTS

1/2 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup bourbon whiskey (I used Jim Bean, but I highly doubt quality of liquor matters)
16 oz. ketchup
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/3 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

HOW

In a non-stick sauce pan, combine the onion, garlic and whiskey over medium high heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. I highly recommend leaving the sauce sit in the fridge for a day or two for the flavors to blend together. Although the vinegar flavor is pretty strong right after this is done cooking, it mellows out as it sits.

Seriously, this BBQ sauce is bomb.com, and I will be sure to make it time and time again in the future, probably making a much bigger batch than I did this one time. I seriously wanted to lick the pot to eat every last drop of this sauce…

This year, we decided to go for a nice southern home-cooked meal: BBQ Ribs (with homemade BBQ Sauce), Mac and Cheese, Collard Greens, Shrimp and Grits, Cornbread, Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake, and Mint Julep…basically, the works, cooked by yours truly. So the next few posts will feature recipes from this dinner. For a bit of cost savings, pork spareribs was definitely our answer to the protein of the meal.

OVEN-ROASTED BBQ PORK SPARERIBS

Delcious Southern Home Cooked Meal (This is the morning after plate…)

INGREDIENTS

Prep Time: Half an hour | Cooking Time: 5.5 hours
Serves 6
5-6 pounds racks of spareribs*, fat trimmed lightly
3/4 cup of Dry Rub (see below)
1 1/2 cups of BBQ Sauce

Dry Rub
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chili powder
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons black pepper

HOW

Dry Rub and Ribs

1. Season the Ribs! Rub the rubs with the dry rub, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Letting the meat stand at room temp will make sure everything cooks through evenly.

2. Hours Spent Roasting in the Oven. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Lay the ribs, meaty side up, on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Wrap the pan with foil.
Hour 1: Roast Ribs for an hour.
Hour 2: Remove the foil and continue to roast for 1 more hour.

3. Brush with BBQ Sauce. Brush the meaty side of the ribs with BBQ Sauce, about 3/4 cup per slab.
Hour 3: Continue to roast, uncovered, until the bones have separated from the meat, about 1 1/2 hours longer.

4. Let the Ribs Rest in Foil.
Hour 4.5: Remove the ribs from the oven and wrap each slab with foil. Put the foil-wrapped ribs in a paper bag and seal tightly. Allow the ribs to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Hour 5.5: Serve with more BBQ Sauce.

Ribs Served with Homemade BBQ Sauce

*Shelly’s Sidenote:

• The cut of meat is extremely important in this recipe, pork spareribs has a little bit more fat compared to other ribs and therefore won’t dry out during this method of cooking. Honestly it will be a waste of baby back ribs if cooked this way.
• I prepared the ribs the night before I had to serve it because this entire process will take you about 6 hours. Unless you’re planning to be in and out of the kitchen the entire day before serving, make it ahead of time. As a bonus, this tastes even better the next day as more flavor sinks into the ribs.
• This idea is credited to Shien, who asked me if I was going to use the drippings of the ribs to incorporate into my BBQ Sauce. At first I thought, no, of course not! But, during hour 1 of cooking, I saw some nice meat juice hanging out at the bottom of the pan, so I decided to scoop it up, put the sauce in the fridge (so that the fat hardens and I could skim it), and in hour 3 when I was supposed to add the BBQ Sauce, I mixed in the drippings to dilute the BBQ Sauce. Not a bad idea…

Circa has a classy all-American feel

Circa is a nice choice for bottomless mimosa brunch if you’re looking for a balance of good brunch food and a good time with friends. Their restaurant is separated into two sections, one’s a bar/lounge and the other is a sit-down dining area. They were able to accommodate our group of 17 with a reservation, but we had to separate into two groups, one table for 12 and the other for 5. Their $9 bottomless mimosas are served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am – 3pm with a two hour serving limit.

Mimosas and Eggs Benedict

Circa offers a Benedict Sampler for $10 that I’m quite fond of, considering I am a huge eggs benedict fan – can you tell? I’ve ordered a benedict in brunch reviews so far…

I had the Nova, a smoked salmon benedict served with a dill-lemon hollandaise and the Bearnaise, a grilled beef tenderloin benedict served with a tarragon-shallot hollandaise. While they have quite a choices for their sampler, I won’t say this is the best benedict I’ve ever had. However, I enjoyed that I didn’t have to completely sacrifice decent food for a Sunday Funday with friends (ahem, Lime…). Next time I would like to try the Oscar, a dungeness crab and asparagus benedict as well as the Italian which has pancetta with a roasted tomato-basil sauce.

Lobster & White Truffle Mac-n-Cheese

I don’t recall if we were just hungry after our meal or we were just being fatties, but my friends and I decided to order their Lobster & White Truffle Mac-n-Cheese which I’m glad we did! Though the price is a bit steep at $10 for a small serving, this mac and cheese was well balanced with their chunks of lobster, hint of white truffle and the right amount of creaminess of the cheese. I would definitely order this again in a heartbeat.

—–

Circa
2001 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 351-0175