Amarin Thai

October 16th, 2005 by Fresh

When I was in high school, there was this restaurant in a small shopping complex, that I used to walk by every day. Not knowing what sort of food they served there, I was always enchanted with the name, Bangkok Cuisine.

Jump forward 12 years and it’s now called Amarin Thai. And I love their food, simply because they offer an extensive vegetarian menu and the food is good.

On a recent visit. I ordered the Veggie Fresh rolls, the House Special Vegetarian Friend rice and the Son-In-Law Tofu.

The rolls are those rice paper sheets, wrapped around fresh cucumbers, bean sprouts, carrots, marinated *meat*, with a peanut sauce to dip them in. Usually I love them, but on this visit, the rice papers were not so soft. The fried rice and the tofu more then made up for this small mis-step.

The rice was your typical fried rice; peas, carrots, etc, but this had chunks of pineapple and cashews. The whole concoction was then stuffed into a halved pineapple (I guess this is where the pineapple chunks come from) and steamed in the oven, wrapped in foil. When it comes out, it’s the sticky, amazing stuff. Pair that with the tofu; fried chunks of tofu, covered with a Thai version of sweet and spicy sauce and I was satisfied.

A few beers and plates later, I took my left-overs and wound my way home.

Amarin Thai
5205 Prospect Rd. #110
San Jose, CA

thaifood

Tofu Scramble (for Jess)

October 16th, 2005 by Fresh

1 block of Tofu (14 – 16 oz.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1/2 can of garbanzo beans
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Veggie broth
Oil to saute in (approx. 2 tbsp.)

Heat oil in skillet
Add broccoli and saute for 2 min.
Add broth and garlic, cover and steam till broccoli is tender, approx. 4 min
Add garbanzo beans and cook for 2 min
Crumble tofu into skillet
Add spices
Cook till broth has evaporated and vegetables are tender

Alternatives:
With potatoes – Use small potatoes, like Yukon Gold. Coarsely chop potatoes. Add to skillet before broccoli, saute for 5 min, then add broccoli and continue with recipe.
With onions – Chop 1/2 an onion. Add to skillet first, saute until soft, approx. 3 min.

tofu

Excerpts from “Five Questions, For Jonathan Adler”

October 16th, 2005 by Fresh

“your home should be like a good dose of Zoloft….”

“Not all bourgeois Jewish parents dream that their son will grow up to be a gay potter, but mine rolled with the punches.”

Jonathan Adler is a potter, designer and humorist, with a book coming out soon called, “My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living” and a new store that recently opened in San Francisco.

From the San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, October 16th, 2005
Article written by Beth Hughes

Vegan Cheesecake – yummy

October 14th, 2005 by Fresh

1.5 cups soy cream cheese
1 cup sugar (you could try reducing this for a less sweet version)
1 cup silken tofu (if you use any other type of tofu, the cake sometimes comes out more like tofu pie)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup amaretto
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg (or Ener-G Foods egg replacer)
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 graham cracker crust

Using a food processor or blender, add cream cheese and next 7 ingredients, processing until smooth. (Be sure to process until smooth. It makes for a better cake) Add egg and process just until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

Slowly pour mixture into crust. Bake at 300 degrees for 65-70 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Let cool in pan on wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Serve when ready.

You can substitute 1/4 cup creme de menthe for amaretto.

cheesecake

So fresh, so clean

October 13th, 2005 by Fresh

It’s in the way you move. It’s in the way you groove.

It’s the swish of your walk. It’s the style of your talk.