Review on the Fly: Tamarindo's Crispy Shrimp Tacos

 Tamarindo has a shiny silver ceiling and a bright, open space leaves you feeling you are hanging out with the family. An air of femininity adds an extra bit of charm to the decor.

Drawn in by the crispy prawn taco on the menu, I got a seat in the sunlit dining room.  It may seem odd that at that exact moment one might be struck with the urge to have a taco, however, these aren't any ordinary tacos. 

Prawns, creamy avocado, chopped lettuce & sprinkling of cheese make for a more elegant eat. This is not a taco to be wolfed down in haste. Washed down with a pineapple aqua fresca on a less than beautiful day served to brighten it.

This would be a perfect spot to lunch or happy hour with friends and I look forward to doing so.

+ great food, lovely atmospshere
- service friendly but distant

Fennel Brown Sugar Cookies

Getting a sample of Fennel Pollen was interesting for me. I wanted to make a savory dish, yet my mind kept saying, 'coooookies....brown sugar.....' So I finally gave in and made some.

I took them to work last week to get my friends to test them out and the reponse was excellent. Then yesterday, one of my co-workers begged me to make them again. So there you have it folks, these cookies are good and they linger in the memory!



Fennel Pollen Brown Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 F

2/3 c vegetable shortening (I like Jungle)
3/4 c C & H brown sugar
1 egg
4 tsp almond milk
1 tbsp Fennel Pollen Spice
2 c WW flour
1½ tsp baking powder

Thoroughly cream butter, sugar, & Fennel Pollen Spice. Add egg; beat fluffy. Stir in milk. S

Sift dry ingredients; stir in.

Chill at least one hour, though two is best.

On a lightly sugared surface (I used a Fennel Pollen/sugar mix I made) and roll 1/2 the dough to 1/8” thickness, cutout with cookie cutters.

Chill remaining dough until ready to use. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, making
sure they are not touching. Bake 6-8 minutes until light brown.



P.S. There will be a savory recipe with the pollen, so stay tuned!

Chop Bar Brunch!

Brunch at Chop Bar is a fun and delicious experience. I went for the ham & cheese frittata...its huge and comes with potatoes fruit and mini toast. The ham is very flavorful and was the perfect pairing with my Michilada, a drink my soul mother would appreciate with gusto!




Althea was a huge bloody mary fan and would usually end up drinking mine to, as I would order one to see if I liked it and well, I usually never did. I really dig the Michilada which Jesse, one of the owners, made for me himself.
Jesse told me that this is a Mexican classic, and I can certainly see why. Bohemia Beer, fresh lime, spicy tomato juice, ice and salt. This drink will bring me back for brunch, you can be sure!

Chop Bar has a relaxed, cool atmosphere, though be warned, on the weekends they only serve brunch and dinner. They have a small, lovely little kitchen, but trying to turn over three menus in one day would be an amazing feat!



Frankly, I love Chop Bar, and the crew is awesome. If you want friendly, fun and easy going, make sure you visit!




Chop Bar
247 4th St #111, Oakland Ca
www.chopbar510.com

Luna's review of POPChips

PopChips

These popped chips are very interesting. They have a texture unlike anything I have every encountered before. I have seen them in the store many times, so it was a fun experience to try them at the Fancy Food Show.

The chips are made with natural ingredients and currently come in five flavors: Original, Salt & Pepper, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Parmesan and Barbeque.

The Barbeque was hands down my favorite, as having given up flavored chips for the most part due to the additives, I was so happy to have such a tasty and healthy chip! We have really come to love the black pepper and sea salt as snack, too!

It is certainly an interesting concept, no baking, no frying….just popping. Try them for yourself and see!

www.popchips.com