All posts by Nate

Nate is the Techie / Barbecue-y half of the House of Annie team. Born in Hawaii, his favorite hobby is surfing...WEB surfing that is. Visit my Google+ Profile

Alexander’s Steak House (Cupertino)

Alexander's Steakhouse (Cupertino)

Back when we had FoodGal Carolyn Jung and her husband MeatBoy over for dinner for our FoodBuzz 24, 24, 24 Cioppino Hot Pot meal, we discussed many topics, including the best steaks. We were of the opinion that the Grill on the Alley has the best steaks in the South Bay. But MeatBoy prefers Alexander’s Steakhouse in Cupertino.

Alexander’s is a high-end, contemporary American steakhouse with Japanese influences (most notably, they serve real Japanese Kobe beef). Recently, we had the opportunity to go to Alexander’s for dinner with our friend Manuel and his family. This is the same Manuel who has eaten steaks all over the world and has concluded that steaks at The Grill on the Alley are the best he’s had. How does Alexander’s compare?

Continue reading Alexander’s Steak House (Cupertino)

Pavlova Recipe

Pavlova With Blackberry, Raspberries, Mandarins, Kiwis and Strawberries

Pavlova With Blackberry, Raspberries, Mandarins, Kiwis and Strawberries

A Pavlova is a baked meringue dessert. It is made by beating egg whites and other ingredients to stiff peaks, then baking the mass “low and slow” so that the outer crust becomes crisp like a cookie but the inside remains soft like a marshmallow. It is then usually topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits. The Pavlova was created to honor the famed Russian dancer Anna Pavlova after one of her tours to New Zealand.

Our friend Felicia made a Pavlova for us at a previous dinner at their house, so I asked her to make another one for dessert for our recent Ultimate Ribs Showdown meal. I also asked her to provide the recipe and take pictures (I know, such a demanding host!) so that I could post the Pavlova recipe later. Here is that recipe.

Continue reading Pavlova Recipe

“Grow Your Own” Roundup #27

GYO 27 Collage

We are thrilled to be hosting the “Grow Your Own” recipe roundup this month! “Grow Your Own”, created by Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes, features dishes using ingredients which have been raised in our own gardens or have been foraged. This edition of GYO features 27 different dishes from 5 different countries.

I’m so excited to have such a great turnout! This, in what is early Spring for most of the Northern Hemisphere. Also, many of the entries are from first-time participants. It’s wonderful to see the whole range of what we can do with ingredients available to us right now.

So, on to the roundup! (presented somewhat alphabetically) Continue reading “Grow Your Own” Roundup #27

Hong Siew Braised Tofu in Wine Sauce Recipe

We use a lot of green onions (also called negi, scallions or Spring onions) in our cooking. A lot of times, we’ll cut off the green tops and leave the white stalks in a cup of water by the kitchen windowsill until the roots get longer and the green leaves start growing. Then, we’ll plant the green onions in a pot of soil or in one of our garden beds.

By Springtime, we’ll have a forest of green onions to use!

IMG_2667

They’re so easy to grow and care for. Just water the green onions every so often, harvest the outer leaves, and try to keep the snails away. You won’t have to buy green onions for months!

Here’s a classic recipe that utilizes some of our green onion bounty. Continue reading Hong Siew Braised Tofu in Wine Sauce Recipe