Kat's 9 Lives

Is it worth it?  I went to this cute little Hawaiian shop in San Mateo a few days ago and saw that they have Hershey Kisses with Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts inside.  Immediately I wanted to buy it and try it out as I LOVE macadamia nuts and the whole idea is so cute! One bag is so ridiculously expensive and everyone convinced me not to pick a bag up.  I thought that I would try to find it online and see if I can buy it for a little cheaper.  After a bit of research, I couldn't find any price cheaper and just decided to shell out the dough for the bag of goodies.

Are you a lover of fine foods? Are you a purveyor or buyer? You need to attend the NASFT Winter Fancy Food Show that's happening right now at Moscone in San Francisco. It is a foodies' paradise! Chocolates, Cookies, and Sauces! Oh My! There are so many vendors from all over the world showcasing their wonderful products. My advice, come hungry and pace yourself. There really is just so much to go through that my head started spinning, but in a great way. I am working my way through North Hall and trying to find the best products around to showcase here.
So far I have found a few products that have really caught my eye so stay tuned for even more updates, features, and even a few product giveaways of the new products I discover and love. O=) It's hard to get Kat's 9 Lives approval but I will be doing a Top Ten Products list at the end of the show. Of course there is still so many booths left to discover that I can divulge everything yet! One booth that definitely caught my eye was the Man Bait Bacon Lollis! If only they really work and that we could hook ourselves a great catch, I'd be impressed! lol They do offer a delectable assortment of caramels. Stay tuned for further information if they remain on the Top Ten Products list.
Another booth today had the cutest packaging and fun for kids products. I had to stop and snap a picture of the Hello Kitty Pink Hot Chocolate packages. Fun for any age and around $1.50 a pouch. Sure... the drink was not the best, but it was cute and fun. I think these would make great stocking stuffers or party favors for kids.
Who can say no to Mint Chocolate Penguins? I have a special soft spot for penguins and why not in chocolate form? Although my sadistic side came peeking through when I bit the heads off for fun. I couldn't resist!
In between all the sweets, I had to take a coffee break and cleanse the palette. Although I really should have picked up a maple candy, caramel, or chocolate to melt into the coffee. They also had a wide variety of teas set up throughout the show. I have yet to decide which is my favorite but there are many strong contenders. The loose leaf teas displayed were beautiful to look at and wonderful to smell.
There were so many great chocolate creators set up throughout the show that it will be real tough to single out my favorite new chocolate discovery. I love the vast selections of salted caramels and hazelnut centers. The chocolates everywhere were not only beautifully designed, they are also finely crafted for the public. I think this show is much better than the Chocolate Taste Salon to really introduce a new product to consumers.
For the next few days I will tough it out with my severe cold and sample as much of the great gourmet products I can to share with my readers. There are a lot of new products that really deserve to be featured and would be great for the home. They are both savory and affordable! I have been asking every vendor about their retail prices and the retailers that carry their product. Can't wait to share the final Top Ten Products and I am working with each company to set up some giveaways so others can enjoy the delectable products! Stay tuned for more! =D

So here is the current line-up for the upcoming month! =) Indulge your sweet tooth and on the same night you can savor a fine evening to support a great cause. Break the Cycle has teamed up to bring Savor The Seasons : Cooking For Love in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Come out to support this wonderful cause. Also next month Taste Art on the Avenue is offering wonderful excursions every Tuesday where you get to have some of the finest cuisines in LA as well as be surrounded by beautiful works of art. Check out all the event details below!

Event :

Date :
October 10th 11 AM - 5 PM

Location :
The Pasadena Center
300 Green Street

Ticket Price :
Adults: $20 Advance Purchase
Adults: $25 at the Door
Children under 6: Free*
Children, 6 to 12: $10
*Applies to 2 children per adult. Each additional child under 6: $10

Description :
Discover, taste and savor the finest in artisan, gourmet and premium chocolates & wine.

The 2010 Third Annual Los Angeles Luxury CHOCOLATE SALON participants include over 35 chocolatiers, confectioners, wineries and other culinary artisans, such as: Divine Chocolate, Choclatique, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Essential Chocolate Desserts, Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped Chocolates, Mignon Chocolate, Ococoa chocolates, Kika's Treats, Happy Chocolates, The Chocolate Traveler, R & R Chocolate Palace, Chocoveda, Marti Chocolatt, Clarine's Florentines, Amella Caramels, Moonstruck Chocolate, Suess Chocolates, Jer's Chocolate, The Toffee Box, Farm Fresh To You, The New York Times, Qure Water, Yelp, Meetup.com, Pasadena Weekly, LA Weekly, TasteTV, Chocolate Television, and more. All this in 16,000 square feet, over twice the delicious tasting space as 2008

Event :
Break the Cycle invites all to Savor the Season : Cooking For Love

Date :
October 10th 6:30-9:00PM
VIP guests enjoy early admission starting at 6:00 PM

Location :

The event is returning this year to
Global Cuisine by Gary Arabia at The Lot Studios
1041 N. Formosa Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90046

Website:
savortheseason.org
www.breakthecycle.org

Ticket Price :
Tickets start at $100 and can be purchased online through savortheseason.org or by calling Break the Cycle at 310.286.3383

Description :

Break the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe, healthy relationships. As the leading voice for teens on the issue of dating violence, Break the Cycle advocates for policy and legislative changes that will better protect the rights and promote the health of teens nationwide. Engaging, educating and empowering youth through prevention and intervention programs,Break the Cycle helps young people identify and build healthy relationships.

Break the Cycle, the leading national organization working to end teen dating violence, invites the Los Angeles community to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month and support safe, healthy relationships at Savor the Season: Cooking for Love on October 10, 2010.

This premier food and wine gala features top Los Angeles chefs “cooking from the heart,” a live and silent auction, music, wine and spirits -- all benefiting Break the Cycle’s work to foster healthy relationships. “At Break the Cycle, we work every day to prevent abuse” says Marjorie Gilberg, Executive Director of Break the Cycle: “This year’s theme—Cooking for Love—ties the event to our mission in a way that inspires our entire community to celebrate healthy relationships with us.”

Katie Chin of Wok Star says, “I am so proud to be co-hosting Savor the Season: Cooking for Love this year, as I have been a longtime supporter of Break the Cycle's life-saving work.” Serving as Honorary Host Chef along with Gary Arabia of Global Cuisine, Katie says, “We are thrilled to have such incredible chefs and restaurants lined up to support such an important cause.”

Event :

Taste Art on the Avenue

Date :
Each Tuesday throughout October
10/5/10 - Gala Opening Event - Gordon Ramsay at The London / Tasende Gallery
10/12/10, 10/19/10, 10/26/10
Please check the site for the Restaurant and Art Gallery

6:30-7:00 Reception
7:00-9:00 Dinner

Location :
West Hollywood’s “The Avenues”

Website:
www.avenueswh.com

Ticket Price :
$200 per person for the Gala Opening Event
prices for other dates vary, so please check the website

Description :

Tired of the same old Shabu Shabu? Unfortunately your friend or family wants Shabu Shabu but you don't? Come to Yojie Japanese Fondue & Sake Bar where both of you can be satisfied. They not only offer shabu shabu they also offer Sukiyaki. I actually don't think I have done Sukiyaki before so this was a very interesting experience. The best part is Burumun, aka Gourmet Pigs, had a certificate. Upon entering I saw that they have a wonderful deal on Sunday where you can have an ENDLESS Sangria for $5. Why oh why did we happen to go on Saturday! lol The inside is very nicely furnished in a sleek dark decor that exudes modern elegance.
I even love the contorted glasses. They just looked so adorable in the light that I had to share the photograph!
So what is Sukiyaki you might ask? Here they serve the Kanto, Tokyo, style. The broth is a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. It is almost like Shabu Shabu where they bring you out the thinly sliced meat and a big plate of vegetables to dip. Once the broth is hot enough you use the tongs to pick up the meat and start "swishing" away. I prefer my meat more on the rare side so I barely keep it in the heat. A big difference between Sukiyaki and Shabu Shabu is the sauce you dip it in. They give you a bowl of raw egg and you are to mix/beat it thoroughly to get a smooth even consistency. You can choose to dip the meat before you cook it or immediately after it's cooked where the egg will help cool down the meat. I thought the egg went surprisingly well together and began to dip all my meats on this side.
The sauce for the Shabu Shabu side is your normal Ponzu and Sesame sauce along with the grated Daikon, Garlic, and chopped Green Onions. What's most important about Shabu Shabu is the sauce because it is basically cooking the meat in water so all the flavor comes from the sauce.
Lucky for us that the table had two burners so we were able to simultaneously enjoy Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki at the same time. We decided to order the Seafood Combo with Salmon and Beef for the Shabu Shabu side and The Sumo that's 12 oz. of Certified Angus Beef for the Sukiyaki side. We only wanted to dip the salmon on the shabu shabu side, but it really doesn't matter how you ordered the plates as long as you selected different ways of cooking them. After all, they all come out raw and you choose where you would like to dip them. =)
The meats were very tender and fresh. Eating Sukiyaki and Shabu Shabu is actually very healthy. All the oils from the meats are dispersed when boiled in the hot water. They give you rice and veggies that balance out the meal. Personally I don't eat any vegetables, I just want meat! So we got another side of meat! lol
For dessert they offer Chocolate Fondue or with a twist, Green Tea Chocolate. They even offer a sugar free green tea chocolate for $3 more. We decided to get the Fruit and Pastries combo with Bananas, Strawberries, Poundcake, Rice Crispies, and 2 flavors of Marshmallows. The strawberries were sweet but my favorite is always the rice crispies! It's interesting that the green tea chocolate had a denser consistency and solidified at a quick rate. Chocolate fondue is always a great way to finish off the meal. We turned a healthy meal to unhealthy too!
Yojie Japanese Fondue & Sake Bar
501 W Olympic Blvd #102
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 988-8808

After hearing so many things about Bittersweet in SF, I have been wanting to try them out. Sadly I couldn't get Ms. Lin to go because she has been and didn't really want to go back with me. =*( Luckily I took a trip with PK up to SF and she was willing to try all different places in SF with me. ^_^ Parking was murder around this area. We drove around for a while on Fillmore St. looking for a spot. Eventually we were able to find one, but we had to keep running back to fill the meter. They had a 2 hour time limit and was super expensive for each hour. C'est la vie, what can you expect when you are in SF? lol
The set up of the store is very laid back. It's a self-serve "chocolate cafe" where you just place your order, find a seat, and enjoy. They have a wide selection of chocolates in the front to look at and a few delectables at the counter you can order. If you need water there's a place near the counter for you to grab it yourself and a place for you to return your cup after you are done. They are supposedly known for their hot chocolates so I had to come here to try some since it was a cold week when we went up. I ordered the The Bittersweet that's non-dairy and vegan. The hot chocolate was thick and rich. I actually found it to be super sweet and I grabbed a glass of water to drink in between sips. It's not bad hot chocolate but I really needed something salty to balance it out or something else to cleanse my palate before I munched on my sweet snacks.
PK decided to try Spicy! that has a kick of pepper, a hint of cinnamon, and rose. It was a lighter hot chocolate since it was not made with dark chocolate. There was a slight hint of rose mixed in with the spices. She enjoyed her drink and mixture of flavors.
What really caught my eye at the counter was the Milk Chocolate Truffle Fleur de Sel for $1.50. How can I resist a savory treat that has a bit of both worlds, salty and sweet. The chocolate was very rich and velvety. There was only a slight contrast of the saltiness. I think it would've been better to enjoy this with just water than with my "Bittersweet" hot chocolate since they are both so sweet that I ended up being sweetened out. @_@
I saw that they a Gianduja Chocolate Macaron and I had to try it. Ever since Paris I have been looking all over the US to satisfy my craving. Did I find it here? Nah, but it was still good. The macaron had a nice chewy texture and flavor. It was nothing special or out of the ordinary, but it was still a good snack. Again, water was a better pair than the rich hot chocolate that takes away from the flavor.
The snack that PK chose resembled the Magic Bar you could get at Nordstrom Cafe. It's Coconut, Chocolate Chips, and Nuts atop a crust. I thought it wasn't bad but super sweet so the water helped a lot. You can get this at most cafes.
All in all it was a nice experience. It was windy and cold outside so a nice cup of hot chocolate could really hit the spot. Was this the best hot chocolate I have had in SF? Nope, I prefer the hot chocolate at XOX Truffles than here. Still, it's a very nice ambiance and an experience. You really feel the SF setting there. I am glad I got to try it so I can get it out of my system.

Bittersweet
2123 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 346-8715

As many of you know that chocolate comes from all over the world and tastes completely different from one another depending on its origin. We tried the Varietal Line with chocolates from Madagascar, Columbia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. I have had Recchiuti quite a few times now since I am a big chocolate fan, but I am never all that amazed. Only recently was I captured by their hot chocolate line. As for their regular chocolate... meh... this box proved the same. Must say thanks to Ms. Lin to share this box of chocolates. I will make life easier for you and copy & paste their description as well as tell you what I think.

Madagascar - "Criollo cacao beans, grown in Madagascar's extraordinary island environment, crown this chocolate the most complex of all four Varietals. Hints of a slight tang are perfectly balanced with waves of gentle fruit to create the Madagascar Varietal's elegant complexity."

Columbian - "The single cacao bean varietal from the Chucurreno region of Colombia yields a balance of berry and spice notes matched with burgundy hues. A long, slow finish and elements of wine provide the perfect precursor for the Ecuador Varietal."

Ecuador - "The straightforward intensity of this chocolate, made using single cacao bean varietal from Ecuador, exhibits a truly remarkable persistence of flavor. Smokey tobacco notes, a hint of earthiness and a rich, coffee color make this piece the most dramatic of the four Varietals."

Venezuela - "Lake breezes in the Sur de Lago region of Venezuela provide a unique climate for growing cacao beans and result in a distinctive flavor. Less complex than L'Harmonie, the Venezuelan exhibits pure, delicate nut and caramel tones."
Maybe there was suppose to be a certain order to eat the chocolate but we chose our own path. I decided to start with Madagascar as I think the South American chocolate would be much better. Lets just say I was right. The flavor was all over the place and not in a good way, it had an awkward lingering flavor. This was our least favorite. Next we tried what I thought would be better, the Columbian, and it was very rich. The flavor was deep and it just popped. I had a suspicious feeling that the remaining two pieces would be iffy. The Ecuador chocolate was not as flavorful and didn't have a multi-level taste. It was solid but nothing special. We ended the box with a trip to Venezuela. The chocolate was good but to be honest, I did NOT taste any of the things they wrote so lavishly about. I love my delicious chocolates but this box certainly underwhelmed. All the descriptions I copied from their website makes me think... ummm what a bunch of lies! We definitely did NOT experience such complex flavors. To be honest, they taste about the same except for the Madagascar chocolate. I have not been converted a fan to Recchiuti yet, but a sample of their hot chocolate has gotten me a lot closer to converting. O=9

I read online that 5 Star Truffles is a rip-off of XOX Truffles, so I had to come to the original store and support them. It's been a while since I had some nice chocolates so I was on a mission! They are somewhat close by to Molinari Delicatessen so we came by after we grabbed our sandwich. Now we had TWO reasons to come out. We are very motivated by food and trying new things. Of course I do it for my readers! ^_- Always on a mission!

It had been really hot up in SF those days and the place was not air-conditioned. I was dying of heat, but luckily the chocolates are inside a cool case. At first I thought their chocolates came in ballotins because they look so cute! I was going to buy a lot chocolates just so I can get the cute packaging. It seems that you can't get them when you choose the chocolates? I was a little sad, but I don't think the price difference for the ballotins was worth it. I just chose my chocolates. They are normally stacked into those Asian take out containers. Kind of dingy, but it's really about the chocolate and not the packaging.
On the day I went there were 30 different types of chocolates to choose from. Of course I had to get all 30 and more. It would take me forever to stand there and choose all the flavors and I'd probably regret not trying everything thereafter. They have Vegan chocolates to choose from as well. Their flavors range from Liquor, Fruits, Nuts, and more. The chocolate truffles were all pre-packed and she just grabbed one out. The lady who was working there was Italian and had a heavy accent. She was very friendly and we got to chat about Europe & Italy, which was very nice.
Even though it was hot that day, I had to try either a coffee or hot chocolate. I debated for a long time because I was already feeling really hot inside. Luckily I decided to try their Hot Chocolate. They make the drink with their own chocolate recipe. She first poured their chocolate syrup, then the steamed milk, and then stirred it all up with a whisk. The process seems a little archaic but the end product was great! I really enjoyed the hot chocolate. It had just the right sweetness and chocolaty flavor. No one can beat Angélina's African Hot Chocolate from Paris, but the one served here was pretty delectable. I would highly recommend this drink! It's even great on a hot day!
All in all this place was very quaint and cute. There are a lot of cute signs displayed showing their rankings. I really liked the hot chocolate but as for the chocolate... it's not bad but it's not to die for. For the price they are not bad and a great pick me up when you need it. You also get a free truffle with every drink, which is a nice gift with purchase. I haven't had all the chocolates in the box and I can't really remember what it tastes like. They weren't bad but they weren't mind blowing. The chocolate has a nice texture and consistency. It's definitely worth a try and trip. Don't forget that hot chocolate! ^_^