I'm still here with some random eats

I'm still here. I'm still alive and kicking. It's coming down to the wire as I'm only days away from shooting a new project. I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm feeling anxious. I'm ball of mixed emotions right now while trying to get all the final little details in place. I do apologize for my lack of commenting on some your blogs out there. I try to read several when I have some downtime from pre-production.

Anyways...I've been having random eats lately. --

Mini penne pasta with spinach, garlic, tomato mix

I used two large tomatoes and cooked those up with a few garlic cloves, then added some frozen spinach I had in the freezer. You can add this with any kind of pasta.  It a fast ease "go-to" meal.

lumpia, rice, lechon with liver sauce, Filipino style spaghetti, grilled hotdog on a stick

This one is actually from my friend's daughters 1st birthday. It was a rather big celebration with a few Filipino traditions. The delicious lechon and crispy skin. Oh yeah... there was rice, too.

I did have seconds as they also had some sisig and Filipino bbq on a stick. Must not forget to mention the birthday cake. No birthday is complete without the cake, right?

Chinese Chicken Salad from Joan's on Third

I love this place. Located several blocks from the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. This place serves up quality food that would make you come back. My favorite item on the menu is this salad. Fresh, filling and delicious. It's a great place to chill in the afternoon. It's always packed. Not once when I have gone that there was a lull moment. It was a nice break from an afternoon of doing production stuff.

I also love their cupcakes, which I had for dessert. A nice vanilla cupcake. Yum!!

Ground beef mix with potato, onion, red bell pepper

For the life of me, I can't remember the name of this one. But I have my mom to thank to cooking it up. It's slightly Filipino in cooking style and very reminiscent to potato hash in some ways. You generaly eat this with rice, but we decided to go with the lettuce wrap route.

Mmmmmm...

Well...hopefully after this weekend I'll be able to get back into the swing of blogging. I actually miss putting up my daily posts. It's like I'm going through some withdrawal. Hahaha... But I'll be back. And I can't wait to share with you all my new project. I'm excited!

Chicken Burger

I'm a dork!!! I've been meaning to post this recipe for the past couple of weeks. It's literally been sitting in draft mode on my blogger dashboard. I keep telling myself that I will post it "tomorrow" and tomorrow passes and it becomes a couple weeks. So, I've finally kicked my behind and FINALLY posted it.

Anyway, I'm digging those sandwich thins from Orowheat. Rather than having a really big burger bun, I can have myself a couple nice pre-sliced pieces of bread. I remember having some ground chicken in the freezer and one of the first things that come to mind were chicken burgers. I added a simple seasonings here and there like salt, pepper, and a green onion. Also, a dash of soy sauce and some panko crumbs. Chicken in any form is one of those meats you've got to season or you'll find yourself with a bland piece of meat. The interesting thing about ground chicken that I noticed is that it doesn't shrink as much as burgers do when grilled.

Here's a simple juicy chicken burger for your summer grilling.

Serves 2.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

1/2 lb ground chicken
2 green onion - chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
pepper
1/3 c panko crumbs
1 medium tomato - sliced
4-slices of bread
 shredded mozzarella cheese

In a bowl mix together the green onion, panko, soy sauce. and season with a little salt and pepper.

Divide into two equal patties. Set aside.

Prepare your grill or skillet. When ready grill each side 2-4 minutes until is forms a nice light brown crust.When cooked. Let the patties rest for a couple minutes to let the juices redistribute.  Toast your bread, or bun and spread some mayo and/or mustard. Top with a couple slices of tomato and Voila.

Best enjoyed warm with a nice soda to wash it down.

Planning with a Sandwich

The clock is ticking away as I prepare for my new film...er...project. Alright...the cat's out of the bag. The project I'm working is a film. It's a short film really, but it's still a film. Not my first one, but I hope that I hope will lead to something else. :) This is what has been taking up most of my time. Just a little portion of what I have to deal with to prepare.

Storyboards, paperwork, casting, paperwork, designs, meetings, research... and did I mention paperwork. Planning, planning, planning!!

I took an afternoon lunch venture to my favorite bakery. Porto's Bakery in Glendale. I've written about them a few times on B + B before. I've been going to them for years ad nothing would stop me from going there now, no matter how crowded the place can get at times.

I happen to choose a time when it was close to being near the end of the lunch time rush. Luckily, I didn't have trouble finding a seat as most of the people ordering at the cafe were getting "to-go."

As an appetizer, I order a tasty chorizo empanada. It's one of the reasons why I love this place aside from their baked goodies. They also serve delicious Cuban treats. Delish! It's not like an empanadas I've eaten before. I love the really flaky crust on them.

As the main attraction, I get the grilled chicken sandwich. I usually get the Cuban or the Medianoche, but I was in a poulty mood on that day.

It had some grilled chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, provolone cheese, dijon mustard, mayo on a piece of french bread. Served with a side of marqiuitas (fried plantain chips).

Delicious tender chicken. It's a simple sandwich that fills you up right. 


Porto's Bakery
315 North Brand Boulevard,
Glendale, CA

(818) 956-5996

Cathy's Deli

The next couple weeks are going to be busy for me. I've been spending quite a bit to time up in the Santa Clarita area lately. Getting to know the place. It's like becoming my new "hood." Sort of, but not really. You see...I'm filming a project up there in the next few weeks, so my posts may become a little sporadic as I become more involved in the pre-production preparations. My head is everywhere right now trying to get the details done. Crossing them T's and dotting those I's.

It's actually a project I've been planning to do for a while, so...I'm glad to finally get in done. During my location trip yesterday, a friend of mine suggested this little deli.

Cathy's Deli

Located in a tiny strip mall like complex. 

The place isn't too big. Not too busy either, which suited us fine. It's got a deli/mom and pop restaurant feel to it.

We both order the french dip sandwich. Almost looked like a philly cheese steak in appearance. It came with some au jus sauce and your choice of french fries, cole slaw and a couple other choices that I forgot. I took the french fries. It also came with a pickle spear. As you can see, I was nearly half way done with my sandwich until I remember to take a picture of it. Hunger plus a tasty sandwich equals forgetfulness. Or maybe it's because i have too much going on in my noggin right now. HA! Either way I downed that sandwich. I like that you get the sauce on the side, that way you can make your own perfect sauce to bread ratio.

Cathy's Deli

23120 Lyons Avenue
Newhall, CA 91321-2670
(661) 288-2217

Childhood Nostalgia and Some Chowdahhh

Sometimes we have a treat that we used to have when we were children. We crave to have them once in a while. One of them for me was some good ol' fashioned Thrify ice cream. Now-a-days you can find them inside any Rite Aid.

Rite Aid used to be called Thrifty back in the day. I'm glad they didn't change the name of the ice cream parlor. It's nostalgia all the way. I remember I used to buy a single scoop of strawberry in a waffle cone every weekend when my mom and I would walk to the mall. It was a little treat for ourselves after running errands.

On this trip, I get a single scoop of butter pecan in a cup. And it still tastes great after all these year.  

Next...yesterday, I took a trip up to Malibu with a friend, who was doing some location scouting for a project he was doing. I was happy to come along to help him. Besides, it got me out of the house. Granted, I'm working on my own little project at the moment, but I think I needed a little bit of relaxation.

We've been having some odd weather here in SoCal. I'm not complaining, but usually this time of year we would be having some kind of heat wave. I'm not used to wearing a sweater in July.

After the scout we were pretty hungry. Being at the beach does take quite a bit of energy. We headed over Neptune's Net which was just down the road from where we were. Only if I lived closer, I'd come by this place more.

The delicious selections

A half pint of warm clam chowder with some saltine crackers

Chili Cheese Fries

I loved the clam chowder. It was warm with nice chunks of potato and clam. It was perfect for the overcast weather in the area.  I like to crunch up the crackers and pour then into the cup. They also have one where you can have it with a sourdough bread bowl. I would have gotten that, but I ordered some chili cheese fries. The one thing I liked about their chili is the nice chunks of tomato and whole beans in it. My kind of chili. Mmmm...

The neat thing is the location as well. Right near the beach with a view of the water.

Smell that fresh ocean water. Mmmmmm...

It was a nice afternoon spent. 

Thrifty Ice Cream at Rite Aid

216 South Brand Boulevard, 

Glendale, CA 

(818) 243-1126

Neptune's Net

42505 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265-2221
(310) 457-3095

101 Coffee Shop

Don't  you just love brunches? I do. The 101 Coffee Shop. Conveniently named as it is right by the 101 freeway in Hollywood. It's situated next to  Best Western Hotel. Or should I say...they're basically in the same building.

The place has a nice down home feel to it. Kind of like those old fashioned diners. Some of the walls are decorated with old photos.

Of course to start off I have myself a cup of coffee.

I order an omelette. Inside s mushroom, cheese, spinach and bacon. Served with a side of hash browns and some wheat toast.

A couple days later, I was working in the area and well. My friend and I were pretty much starving.

Portobella Mushroom Sandwich

Two large grilled portobello mushroom caps, fresh mozzarella, arugula, roasted tomato and basil mayo on a baguette. Served with some potato and sweet potato fries with some basil dressing dip.

It looks pretty large, but was really good. Aside from the fact that we were hungry. Sitting in an audition room for several hours really does take a lot of energy. I love the gooey mozzarella on top. The fries were nice and crisp. Dip them in the basil dip...really good. I want to try making myself some basil dip.


If you're around the Hollywood area and need a place to eat near the 101 freeway. Definitely check this place out. I think they have wi-fi, too. I did see a few people with their computers there.

The 101 Coffee Shop
6145 Franklin Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90028-5220
(323) 467-1175

Tomato and Orzo

This is what happens when you've got nothing in the fridge and nothing in the pantry but tomato sauce, a couple fresh tomatoes and orzo pasta. Plus a few dry herbs here and there. And some garlic. Must not forget the handful cheese, too. Overall, I'm loving that this is packed with tomato-y goodness.

It's basically a "lazy to go to the market" kind of meal.

Tomato and Orzo

1 c uncooked orzo
1 12oz can tomato sauce
1 medium beefy tomato - quartered and seeded
2 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dry thyme
1 Tbsp dry oregano
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
olive oil
shredded cheese (optional)

In a small drizzle of oil, saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomato and cook until the tomatoes have released their juices. Then add the tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a slight boil on high heat covered. Once boiling reduce the heat and simmer to a few minutes. Add the dry herbs, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine. Then add the orzo. Stir to combine once again.

Add the orzo and cook until it absorbs the sauce and has a creamy like consistency. Roughly 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid the orzo from sticking to the pan. Once cooked. Serve in bowl and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top.

Random Eats for a Holiday

I hope you all had a good 4th of July for the folks in the US. Yesterday was a very chill veg out day for me. It was also a perfect excuse to bust out ol' Georgie once again. It's really handy for when you have no room to have an actual grill. Oh, the day when that will happen. :) I cooked up the usual holiday staples like burgers and hotdogs.

Grilled up a couple of juicy delicious quarter pound burgers. I simply seasoned them with salt and pepper. Nothing else. Cooked them until they were medium-rare with a nice melted slice of swiss cheese on top. I wanted to preserve the flavor of the meat, so I didn't add anything else to it.  To wash it all down, I also had myself a nice cold guinness.

I paired the burger with a simple roasted anaheim pepper relish, which I simply fire-roasted the pepper over the stove to remove the skin, fine chopped and combined it with some sweet relish. It gave the burger a nice hint of heat. Anyone who's not fond of hot or spicy will like this. Other burger fix-ins was a nice thick slice form a beefy tomato and some avocado. Yum yum!!

A few hours later...I grilled up a few hot dogs.

These were chicken franks that I found at the grocery. I like to call these a nicely stuffed dog. I placed a slice swiss on the bun before placing the hotdogs. A little squish of mustard and some relish. Toppings are as follow fresh chopped tomato sauteed onion, avocado chunks and some pieces of pepperoni that I cooked up like bacon.

The day is an excuse to eat, I tell ya!!! :)

4th of July!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

To all the folks in the US, I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday. As for the rest of the world, hope you all have a love morning, noon and night. :)

Get out that grill and cook up some burgers and hot dogs. Go outside and enjoy some sun and firerworks at night. I know I will.

So, for your enjoyment here are the muppets to kick off this holiday!!

Grilled Tofu Sandwich with Korean Bean Sprouts

Tofu strikes again. I had half of the tofu from the stir-fry left, so I decided to marinate them in a bbq sauce mix the night before. The next day, I brought it out from the fridge and prepared good ol' Georgie -- That's my George Foreman grill for those how are wondering. I also had another bag of fresh bean sprout and made the Korean side dish, sukjunamul. It relatively easy to make, which is really great. The nice thing about tofu is that is can absorb flavors you basically put it with.

Oh yeah...my mom was at the grocery one day and found these wheat sandwich thins from Orowheat. They look like round flatbread and come presliced. I found them to be pretty neat. They're great to use as burger buns, too, which you'll see in a few days.

Grilled Tofu Sandwich with Korean Bean Sprouts

3 firm tofu
1 small pita bread ot thin sandwich bread
 sukjunamul - korean bean sprout (recipe below)

marinade
1/2 c soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp lemon juice

Slice the tofu in the 1-inch thick slices.

Mix the ingredients of the marinade together. Drizzle over the slices of tofu coating them liberally. Let the tofu sit for at least 1-hour. Best if over night.

Prepare a skillet or your grill. When it is hot enough, cook both sides roughly 5 minutes until it get s nice crisp crust to it.

Toast some bread and lay a tofu steak on one slice. Top with a nice generous helping of the bean sprouts and top with another slice of bread.


Sukjunamul

12 oz fresh bean sprouts
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 small garlic clove - minced
1 green onion - fine shopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

Bring a small pot or sauce pan of water to a boil seasoned with some salt. Add the bean sprouts and boil them for roughly 2-4 minutes. Drain them from the water and cool. Sprinkle the salt, and mix well.  Let it sit for 2 minutes then squeeze out the excess water. Add the sesame oil, garlic, green onion ans sesame. Toss together. Set aide for 30 minutes before serving. You may add a little more salt or some soy sauce for more flavor.

Bean Sprout Stir Fry

 Since returning from my trip, I've been slowly trying to get in the cooking mood. I can only eat salads for so long before I start craving for other things. Aside from being busy with a new project and other things I need to get done, I'm yearn for those moments when I can get into the kitchen and whip up something, even if it's just a simple grilled cheese sandwich.

I did have some bean sprout and the fridge, but not much else inside. So I decided to take a little field trip to Whole Foods to grab a couple more ingredients. When I got home, I whipped out the chopping board and knife then cooked away. It was a nice feeling. Relaxing too. Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I do find cooking to be therapeutic in many ways.

Bean Sprout Stir Fry

1 lb fresh bean sprouts
1 orange bell pepper - seeded and sliced
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
7 oz firm tofu cubed - drained
1 large garlic clove - rough chopped
pepper
peanut or canola oil

Drain the water from the tofu. Pat the cubed pieces with a paper towel to soak up any excess.

In a skillet, heat a nice drizzle of oil and saute the garlic for roughly 30 seconds. Add the tofu and saute for 3-5 minutes . Cook and saute the bell pepper as well until tender.

After 3-5 minutes, add the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Season with a little pepper to taste.

Serve with a side of rice.

Route 66 Classic Grill

Now that the foodventure has finished, it's time I try to get back into the full swing of things. I've been cooking little things here and there. You'll see those recipes in the coming days. 

Recently, I traveled up to Santa Clarita to meet with a couple of friends to work on a little project. It was a nice summery day with a nice breeze. We finished up just around lunch. Perfect timing as we were starved. My drives up to a local joint.

Route 66 Classic Grill. From the look of the menu you can already the theme of the place. The decor has got a nice diner vibe and feel to it. I've always liked places this these. We get seated and glance around the menu for a minute or two before continuing with out conversations.

The waitress comes to take our order. I order the Chinese Chicken Salad. I could have gone with a nice burger, but something about the day just said to me...."salad." Ever get that feeling?

Served with a nice fluffy garlic breadstick. The salad wasn't the small dinky sized kind. It was pretty large actually. The dressing was on the side too, so i can mix up as little or as much as I can into it. I made it through 3/4 of it until I couldn't stuff another single pieces of lettuce into my mouth.

I'll have to go back again when I'm in the mood for a burger.

Route 66 Classic Grill

18730 Soledad Canyon Rd.

Canyon Country, CA 91351

(661) 298-1494