Do You Know The Way To San Jose?

As you may know from reading my previous entries, I moved from Texas to California in June of 2003 to live with Dave in San Jose. The main reason we chose his home over mine was the heat of summer in Texas. This year has certainly convinced me that we made the right decision.

There was one afternoon, about a week after I moved out here that we went shopping at Target. We needed things that girls need in the house and guys don't think about. Like towel racks. Anyway, I was standing on the sidewalk with our full basket, waiting for Dave to find the car and bring it around. I called my mom and told her...."Mother, it's the first week of August at 5 in the afternoon, and I'm wearing a sweater."  Can you imagine, Texas friends?

The grocery store was another major culture shock for me. I was used to paying about $1.89 for a loaf of yummy, soft Mrs Baird's white bread...the good stuff... or 99 cents for the cheap store brand. The first time we went shopping and I saw a loaf of Orowheat white bread at $4.35 cents, I thought I would faint and fall back in it.

Dave would come home with a bag of peaches, maybe 6 in the bag. Oh they were nice and juicy and sweet. But was that bag of peaches worth $8? I don't think so!....Heck I bet I could get a half bushel of Parker County peaches back home for that.

Did you ever hear of a tri-tip roast? Me neither, but that's what they call a piece of meat that has the size and shape of a calf's tongue and is supposed to be great for BBQ and everything else. I cooked one in the crock pot a couple of weeks ago, and I swear, my sister could have reshingled her barn with it. Dry dry dry. Tough tough tough. Give me a good ol' brisket any day.

Speaking of brisket, just try finding one out here. I finally did and the danged thing cost me $1.99 a pound and THAT was on sale!! Heck, I  never paid more than 99 cents a pound for one in my life. I cooked one for Dave a few weeks ago. I didn't want to pay $24.00 for the thing, but I'd had my mouth set on one for so long, I just had to bite the bullet and pay it. It was worth it. Yum.

Restaurants are another thing that are so different. Back home, there's a Mexican place on every corner. Not in the Bay area. It's Asian food everywhere. Some is authentic, fish eyes and all, and some is Americanized. That's the kind I like. San Jose is also where I was introduced to lumpia, which is a little tube of Philippine heaven. Like a tiny little fried egg roll, the size of your pinkie, filled with more meat than veggies, and dipped in a spicy/sweet sauce.

Speaking of Mexican food, now that we are in Southern California, we're back to having a Mexican place on every corner. The only thing is, it's really Mexican, and not Tex-Mex. BIG difference. I miss Mercardo Juarez, Mexican Inn, even Joe T. Garcia's. Out here, it's just too real.

There are some places that like to try to cook Southern food. I have searched for a decent chicken fried steak from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and the best one I've found still comes out of MY kitchen. We did find a pretty good one at a little one location place called Kounty Folks. Nice place. They serve home cooking,  and have Bible verses on their menu. We'd gone several times and I'd have the chicken fried steak, mashed taters,black-eyed peas and fried okra, and it was a close reminder of home. Then Dave and I went 2 weeks ago.

They must have a new chef. My chicken fried steak was served with....*+*+*gasp*+*+* SAUSAGE gravy on it. Oh....My...Garsh.....this is so wrong on so many levels. CFS is supposed to have cream gravy. Not that sloppy brown stuff they serve on everything out here, and definitely not sausage gravy. That's for breakfast....on biscuits. If you serve sausage gravy on CFS, that's the same as telling your guests or family that you're too lazy to make fresh cream gravy so you're using the leftovers from breakfast. Not good.

I have offered, in more than one restaurant, to go in the kitchen and show the chef how to make chicken fried steak and cream gravy, but no one's taken me up on that yet. Maybe someday, one will take me seriously and quit being so snippy about it.