a Quinn Martin production....
Perhaps you are too young to understand the reference to the tv series from the 70s, starring Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. But if you do, consider this adventure in the same vein - except we are chasing pastries instead of perps (and no guns, disco music nor Ford Galaxy 500s are involved)
1. the unnamed bundle from Chinatown
Without speaking (English, anyway), the woman behind the counter pointed to this one... I figured it was the one that contained food, not heroin.
One of my favorite chinese desserts is sticky rice and mango. So when I saw this thing described as sticky rice and sweet bean paste at the chinese pastry shop on Thursday night, I said let's give it a go.
Bad idea.
Wrapped like a Mexican tamale and stuffed with red bean paste that actually tasted sweet by comparison, it was a failure. First off, the term "sticky" falls way short. In fact, "glutenous" would also fall short in describing the play-dough meets wall paper paste meets elmer's glue, texture of this alien animal. And although the rice was the color of butterscotch it was neither sweet, salted, nor spiced in any way. ...and I expected it to taste sweet with coconut milk?? What was I thinking !?
Accompanying it was a second gem I bought (not pictured) - a "sweet cream bun". Think dinner roll, cut open and stuffed with whipped cream (kind-of doughnut cream, kind of whipped cream) and topped with coconut - more for the purpose of making a mess than adding to the experience in any positive way. It made for an odd kind of "treat".
2. The apple pastry from Stella Pastry and Cafe.
Friday morning started with a trip up Columbus avenue to the Stella Pastry and Cafe shop. Stella is the real deal - one of a handful of top quality italian bakeries in the North Beach neighborhood. (and back home we have so few, as in ZERO.... zilch, nada !)
Your eyes go crazy when you walk in. So many good looking treats to try that I have plans to return to Stella more times than I have days remaining on this visit - a problem only I could invent.
Sweet, light flakey pastry wrapped around apples and a few currants ! Two Espressos as an accompaniment. Belissimo !
3. Smoked salmon sandwich
OK, technically not a treat, but fresh from my sugar and caffeine rush at Stella, I needed a little salty protein contrast. And the combination of a brief walk between shops and the stimulating smells and visual aids in Café Roma were enough to stir up my appetite.
Quality cured salmon with the flavor of clean ocean on a house made ciabatta roll with a good balance of sweet cream cheese, cucumber and capers. $3.75
Puff pastry layered with a concentrated raspberry filling, sweet crumbs, twisted and coated with a glaze of confectioners icing. A classic pastry combining tangy raspberry with sweetness and a crunchy dough. Excellent! And now, I am full.
Now batting 3 for 5 after and 0 for 2 start.
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I generally stay far away from asian bakeries for the sole reason that they often confuse their "ingredients intended for meals" and "ingredients intended for dessert." Case in point was the pork donut that Aric had recently. That's right, this was a sweet roll topped with shredded pork and filled with a custard. Now tell me why I should trust anything after that.
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