What is SPRINGERLE?

Springerle Rolling Pin

Springerle Mold

Springerle (baked cookie)

springerle
[SPRING-uhr-lee, SHPRING-uhr-luh]

Springerle is a type of cookie from Baden-Württemberg, Germany with an embossed design made by pressing a mold onto rolled dough and allowing the impression to dry before cooking. The cookies are traditionally white and anise-flavored.



Springerle mold from the Landesmuseum WürttembergMolds are traditionally carved from wood, although plastic molds are also available. The name springerle means "little knights," and their origin can be traced back to the 14th century.

Two days before Christmas, we walked along Grant and Maiden Lane. Suddenly, I had this urge to visit SUR LA TABLE, my favorite cooking/baking shop that sells top of the line brand for your gourmet cooking and baking needs. There, we went looking for shortbread mold that I could use for my baking. We didn't find any but we were assisted gracefully by the sales person who introduced us into this springerle mold. We chatted for quite a bit and learned some information about this intriguing looking cookies, marked by the design embossed on it. She showed us her cookies that she taught in her cooking class. They were impressive but looks more to me like a 2-D sculpture more than your regular cookie. It is beige and very hard in texture. It is almost like a tamer version of a plaster of paris.

Coming home, husband went online to check out the cost of a springer mold. You wouldn't believe it but onetiny piece costs as much as 25 dollars! And multiple mold adds up from $60-$120 plus each! Would you pay that much for a cookie press? I don't know about you but for me, I told myself, "If the taste is right I'd purchase it." Otherwise, I won't gamble on it.

Curious about its taste, I baked my first set this morning at 325 F oven for 10 minutes each load. Overnight, I laid them out to air dry so the "design" details will not be erased. For lack of springerle mold, I improvised and used my POLVORON MOLD and carved out a design using my cheese grater. All I did was to press the cut springerle on the cheese grater, then presto- I had my own design! But what came out was a very simple one; plainlooking; round and oblong shaped cookies with incidental dots on each one of them. My thought was to find out about the taste of this over rated cookie and to let you know if it is worth it to buy a mold or a rolling pin for this.

The *novelty* of this cookie is the design that derives from a terra cotta or wooden mold, carved and designed by artisan trained in this craft. Otherwise, this anise flavored cookie baked in whole eggs, cake flour and confectioner (powder) sugar is nothing great for me, gastronomically speaking.

It is like a bland version ofthe Italian LICORISH BISCOTTI. But let me give it a try. As most bakers said and as history evolved, the aging process makes it all to taste a lot better and the texture much harder (I hope crunchier, too). As the story goes, you need to dunk it in your hot coffee to be able to munch it and let it melt in your mouth. Well, I will blog two weeks from now to report on how it went from this day on.

BASIC SPRINGERLE RECIPE:

MARGOT'S SPRINGERLES

4 eggs
1 lb. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 1/2 "Swans Down" or cake flour, sifted 9 times (NOTE: I used the FOOD PROCESSOR for 1 minute to do this, shortcute way- PIZZICATTO)
Pinch salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. anise oil

1. Beat eggs, confectioners' sugar and flavorings at high speed for 30 minutes.

2. Sift flour and baking powder into mixture a little at a time. Do Not use flour all at once. Dough should be right consistency to roll. Extra flour can be used for rolling out dough.

3. Chill dough an hour before rolling it into cookie dough thickness. However, before rolling, separate dough in half. Use Springerle rolling pin, and cut cookies in marked squares.

4. Put closely, but not touching, on cookie sheet.

5. Store overnight in a cool place. Bake at 325 degrees, ovens may vary, for 10 minutes. Cookie should just be starting to brown at bottom and pattern is set. It is not brown on top. Do not overbake.

Midnight Mass at Notre Dame De Victoires- Christmas 2007

Husband and I were there for the concert at 11:30 MN then waited on for the midnight mass to get started. It didn't begin until past 12 MN. Most parishioners were kind of French in some ways; had some French blood or at least related to somebody French by affinity. We two were in the bracket of the minority last night at church. But it didn't matter. We are so at home in this parish. It's our parish and we belong there.

The mass was beautiful, solemn and touching. It was a con-celebrated by Fathers Rene, Dennis and the French priest (sorry I can't remember his name). The songs were in French, as well as some of the readings. Reception followed known as the "Revellion" in the French community, was held at the church hall. The French hospitality group of the Sunday 10:30 Mass sponsored this. Champagne was served plus the hot mulled cider that I love. There were plenty of hors d'oeuvres and cakes. The hall was tranformed into one elegant space with muted lights and cone candles that gave way to a very Frenchy touch in it. It was a wonderful Christmas celebration for us all who were present. The Marist fathers were present greeting us all with a Merry Christmas to fill our hearts.

La Processione at Sts Peter and Paul Parish

Click photos to enlarge*

JOSEPH and MARY

THE THREE KINGS

THE POSTER

The procession was held to commemorate the scene where Joseph and Mary were looking for a place to spend the night prior to Mary's giving birth to Emmanuel. The three kings joined the procession in stilt. They guided the parishioners and stopped traffic. Indeed, they were a crowd drawer. Tourists (local and foreign), were in awe upon seeing these three in costumes.

The procession began at Sts. Peter and Paul (our weekday parish) in Filbert ended up in St. Francis of Assisi in Vallejo. The first reading of the bible was held at our park (Washington Square) whereas the second to the 6th ones were recited and held at different stops at various streets in our neighborhood. Then, the final scene was spoken at the entrance of St. Francis where Joseph and Mary were given refuge inside the church. The lights were off and only the candles held by people in their hands guided their path. A huge crowd came by to join and to witness this Catholic event in North Beach, now on its fourth year.

We were given free scented candles each per individual. The singers of Sts. Peter and Paul led the crowd to sing some carols like "Gloria In Excelsis" and "Silent Night." There were hired musicians in Mexican costumes who did the guitar accompaniment and some vocal inspirations, too. Some songs were rendered in Italian otherwise all were mostly sung in English.

Here are some photos of this "La Processione" that graced the joyful hours in our neighborhood last night from 6 PM to 7:30ish PM. The stop-over along Grant near Cafe Trieste was festive. Because this is the cafe/bars area, many people conglomerate here. Surprisingly, the jazz musicians came out from their gig at the bar and did an improv of some jazzy Christmas carols to the delight of the crowd. It was just a memorable night for us to think of. Husband and I retired at the park for some minutes to rest our aching legs and feet. We have began our workout with our individual trainors and this is the culprit of our winter sufferings (LOL). Cheers!

STOP OVER AT ITALIAN-AMERICAN ASSOCATION MARY, AT ST. FRANCIS OF ASSIS PARISH
JAZZ MUSICIANS

Merry Christmas To One And All!

Thanks to Emily Putnam, for the animated greetings you sent me- the elf- sooooo cute! The socks are pretty, too. Salamat!

TUKTUK THAI CAFE

PHOTO CREDIT: Foodhoe*
Website: http://foodhoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/tuk-tuk-thai-cafe/


TUKTUK THAI CAFE
659 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 445-7839 Tuk Tuk Thai Cafe
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill




(Taken from my review on YELP)

TUKTUK is the best Thai restaurant I have eaten in the city so far. The food is cooked the authentic way; presentation is outstanding; use of the right ingredient is remarkable; the price is reasonable and the service is quick (ideal for people on-the-go). The place is unassuming and mimics the ordinary and affordable Thai restaurants in the streets of Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand. I should know better since I was posted in Thailand for 6 years.

Most of the servers in TUKTUK (pronounced as "TOOKTOOK" meaning a Thai tricycle) are Thais. They smile a lot and are very friendly which speak highly of the culture they are coming from. They ask you at least twice about your order to inquire if what they had noted in their paper is right or wrong.

For TO-GO-MEALS, it is quite convenient. You call in their phone number and give in your order. Ideally, you must have their order sheet with you so all you needed to do is to dictate the food number you wanted to order. Otherwise, you may just have to describe whatever you needed. Then, within ten to fifteen minutes' waiting time, you can come over and pick up your order (or request for a home delivery service).

PIECE OF ADVICE:

If your expectation is to have an ALL-OUT-AMERICAN-STYLE in terms of FOOD PREP, AMBIENCE, and SERVICE then certainly this is not the right place to be. However, if you are in for a "good eat" on a low budget then you are at the right vicinity! Indeed, the novelty of coming to TUKTUK is to experience its essence of Asian hospitality and simplicity. Nonetheless, if you are planning to bring in your first date, I must warn you that this may not be suitable for it. The place does not have that romantic mazurka that lovers are looking for~ nor does it have the stunning repro of a CEZANNE, MANET, or a MONET painting. The lighting is undoubtedly bright as there is no tinge of subtlety in this domain. Yet, personally, I find it just to be as homey as it can be. In summary, TUKTUK is the place for people on strict budget yet are picky enough to douse for that authentic Thai taste!

MY FOOD RECOMMENDATION TO TRY ON:

"SOMTAM" (Papaya Salad) - this is a delectable and a very spicy and tasty vegetable salad served with the traditional pickled crab. It is used only to enhance its exotic flavor and it is not recommended that you eat this raw crab.

If you have not tried the SOMTAM, it is a must!

In Thailand, SOMTAM is ideally served with sticky rice. The rice balances the sweet, sourly, spicy and salty taste of the salad. Imagine the flavor as you salivate for it.

The ingredients are pounded in a large traditional mortar and pestle where all ingredients are mixed to merge the taste and the aroma for flavor. It is succulent and mouth-watering to the palette.

SOMTAM is an ensemble of herbs, veggies and sea food made tasty by the combined flavor of lime, coconut sugar, hot chili pepper, and fish sauce. Somtam is served with a chunk of cabbage or a whole string of spring onions (green onions) on the side; eaten A'LA BUGS BUNNY when he munches his carrots. Eat the raw veggies to take away the burning spice in your mouth. To completely get rid of the burning feeling after a nourishing Thai meal, eat something sweet like a candy or ice cream. It should take away that madness.

SAM'S HAMBURGER on Broadway in San Francisco

618 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 391-1539 Sam's
Categories: Burgers, American (Traditional), Pizza
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill


NOTE: I wrote this review on YELP, just FYI.We found this place about two years ago, after midnight, when husband and I went the rounds of BROADWAY, curious of what was going on in this colorful part of SAN FRANCISCO. At that time, we were just visiting and have not yet relocated here in the city. We were booked at a charming deluxe hotel along GRANT.

Finding SAM'S was serendipity for us. We were looking for a restroom to use one midnight and found no establishment that was open. Luckily, SAM'S HAMBURGER was- so we got in, sat down, went to the loo then checked out about what was on the menu and ordered what we wanted.

At SAM'S, the place is small, akin to a long narrow space designed for bicycle lane only. It is unpretentious and old; dark and aged but surprisingly warm and quite pleasant to the senses. It is the type that makes you feel connected to it for no apparent reason except perhaps for its good vibes. Outside, neon lights were glaring into our eyes and they blinked infinitely like fireworks in the skies. It was a cold and nippy evening that evening we discovered SAM'S. And it was raining, too. SAM'S to this day is always packed by hungry creatures craving for good tasting burgers and fries.

We order them time and again.

My conclusion is SAM'S has the most delicious and moist burger in this area in NORTH BEACH and TELEGRAPH HILL. Besides, the cost is very affordable so why don't you try it out one of these days?

Merry Christmas To One And All!

We will be here in North Beach this Christmas. Last year we were in Manila and Bangkok. This time we will be in San Francisco. BTW, we enrolled at the 24-hour gym at North Point in North Beach a few days ago. We committed ourselves to a change of life style for the best of our well-being. We decided to pay off 3-years in advance our membership fee at the gym so we are obliged and motivated to really work out. Husband and I are both healthy. We got the result of our random blood test months ago and all is normal. However, we are both overweight. Now, that doesn't sound good. So we started a new diet and exercise program as designed by each of our personal trainor at the gym.

Today, I met mine at 3 PM who is a Chinese American man in his 20s. He is very fit, good looking, tall, and a wonderful man to speak with. He did an inventory of my health record; assessed and recorded my body measurements (arms, neck, calves, thighs, breast, hips and waist); asked questions pertaining to my diet program prior to my enrollment at the gym. Then, he registered me to APEX nutrition program that the gym advocates.

Later, he advised that I do 45-minute cardio vascular exercise AFTER I did a 30-minute weight lifting routine. He corrected and mentioned to me that I SHOULD NOT START WITH A CARDIO VASCULAR EXERCISE before I do the weights.

To retain my muscle he said, I should do the cardio vascular exercise AFTER my weights routine is over. This way, I get to lose the weight plus the body fat as well. With all his interesting know-how on health and nutrition, still- I was not able to work out since I had an appointment immediately after my date with him. I'd do it tomorrow upon his guidance. This is all for now. Ciao!

Katie's Birthday, December 16th

Click photos to enlarge*

We remember this cute little bunny named Katie, our cherubim from WackWack. I think she turned 7! Happy birthday little one! And belated birthday cheers to Koya, too!

Friends' Visit To SFO- December 15, 2007

They are friends who came by and visited us in the city, had lunch in our little castle, then went out for a walk with us. We hopped in the bus and train (F train from Milan, Italy), from North Beach to Castro then back again to North Beach. We had dinner at CALSONE, our favorite cafe in the area. Luis, the father of the brood, foot in the bill. Adriana, Carlo and Daniela plus their dad Luis brought a ray of sunshine into our abode even for a short while. They also brought gifts, geez- so generous of them! They left SFO at about 8 PM. Highlight of their trip was to see the lights in Union Square that features the 80 feet Christmas tree of Macy's Department Store. Here are some photos of the Torres Family of Sta. Rosa, California. Enjoy! CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE*

Santacon folks

San Francisco World Wide Marriage Encounter Family Christmas Party- December 16, 2007 @ St. Dominic's Church

We had the mass as officiated by Fr. Francis at around 5 PM after which we had dinner at the basement, near the parking space of St. Dominic's parish. Everyone brought food. Kids and adults enjoyed the night sharing time with each other in celebration of the advent. A few minutes were dedicated for a photo shoot for posterity.

Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn Were Shooting A Movie In Our Neighborhood!

This was last Thursday, December 6th at around 7 PM. We decided to head to Columbus Avenue because earlier on we saw these strange looking humongous spotlights on the streets. Then, we realized something spectacular must be going on and so we followed our instincts and arrived shortly at the scene. There, we were surprised to see lots of folks watching what was going on, braving the winds and like us, were curious to see how this film shooting is coming through. Reese and Vince were doing a kissing scene over and over again inside a cable car. The movie is entitled, "Four Christmasses." I thought it was kind of gross to see them kiss, what an intimate scene to be shot in public! Reese was wearing a black trench coat and Vince was in his casual black leather jacket, white shirt and gray slacks. He was escorting her to get on to the cable car and was holding a black umbrella to protect her from what seemed to be a pseudo- rain effect because it was not really raining that evening. It was misty, not even drizzling, in fact. Reese is skinny as a flag pole with very slim legs, flat chested, with very pointed chin. Her hair was tied in a bun, some layers of bangs dropped on her sides and others poked her big hazel eyes. She looked cute though, very wholesome and charming. We thought she was sweet and the ever- virginal muse despite the fact that she has already mothered two kids with her ex-husband of one year. At one point, she almost tripped while walking back to her resting place at a nearby cafe. We didn't have our cameras with us at the time and we felt bad about it, indeed. However, reading online just a while back found me browsing at this cute photo which I decided to upload here. This was at the scene inside the famous San Francisco cable car. Well, living in San Francisco absolutely has it perks like seeing some celebrities here and there~ eating, talking, or simply sipping their hot coco near our flat. Isn't that fantastic? I think so!

The Kids Grow Fast

My adorable nieces, as photographed here last November 11, 2007- in Cavite, Philippines, are charming and intelligent; they attend schooling at St. Paul Pasig. Katie is the one with the headband- is in kindergarten 2 class while Yssa, the elder one with the long hair, is in the 6th grade. The clan missed them immensely after some years of absence in the party scene within the family. Here, they were catching up with time. They have grown up so fast! And as they say in the old days, "It is never too late to get back on our feet again!"

Christmas Goodies: Cookies Gallore And Many More

Ever since I moved here in CA, I have been baking cookies as gifts to our friends and family who live in different states. We ship them two weeks before Christmas and they get to their destination in less than 4 days at least. Each year finds me scouting for new ideas to do in terms of packaging but it is all dependent on what is available in the marketplace to shop for.

This year, I bought all the tin cans at Walgreens and also the gift box that is shown here. It is kind of costly at $3.00 each! The tins are more reasonable and are designed with various Christmas motif. Last year, I bought the plain colored tins because I thought they were more elegant than the printed ones. However, this year, all came out with designs over it so I had no choice.

I pack each cookie with cellophane because it keeps the cookie fresh. Once all space is filled up in the tin, I tape it to ensure that no air gets in the way. This will keep the cookies for a long time. The cellophane I used was given to me as gifts by my sister Balloon three years ago. When she found out that the USA market does notcarry this particular brand she sent me these that are made and manufactured in the Philippines. They are of better quality and are more shiny and thinner in ply. This year, I am about to be done with them. I have the Japanese paper she gave me as well, meant to pack the "Polvoron" (powdered milk and flour candy) I intend to make this new year. This is somehow similar to the Brit's "short bread" only it is not baked, whereas the shortbread is. This is all. Arivedercci!

Home Decorating Ideas By Moi

What do you do when your space is small but you want to make it look larger than what it really is? Hmm, why not rely on your instinct and make it simple? Do it my way if you please: less is more. DO NOT OVER DECORATE! Make your home to look elegant by furnishing it with the simplest of things and remember, it does not have to be anything costly or expensive. Rule of thumb: do not make it look like a clone of your local department store because you bought the entire stock of home decorating stuff at Home Depot, Target, Walmart, and Walgreens! No, don't do that! That is not impressive at all but rather tacky. Yikes! Personally, I want things simple even in my living quarters because this is the way I am wired: I am a minimalist by nature.

This year my focus is on scented candles which I find to be romantic, alluring and practical to have around the house. They are lovely and colorful plus they do bring in a lot of good vibes and memories. So what did I do? I utilized them as one of my decorating highlights this year and for me, it works like magic. They are bewitching and captivating to the eyes! Since ours is a cozy little flat in the heart of North Beach, obviosly, we got no space for many things to fill them up with. Wine racks, for instance, is too much for us to have as it eats up a lot of space inside our flat. What I did was to compromise the wines we got and placed them on top of our dresser, topped them with garlands, Christmas balls, glitters, and lights. And presto- they make it all so easy to look at. They look so much to be in synch! In a short while, I have dolled up our place! When lighted, they bring in a ray of sunshine and conviviliaty because the colors are reflected in the mirror of the dresser and gives the illusion of space- that is, the mirror! All at once, a regalia of joy is ever present! And BTW, we have no Christmas tree for lack of space in our unit. But we managed to rescue one from our moving boxes! It is made up of ceramics that stands at just about an eight inch in height. Yes! It is on top of our 1936 upright piano, near
The Nativity Scene that is decorated on with eucalyptus leaves and strips of papers, recycled from the package we bought at Ebay months back. I am a rescuer of things other people may classify as "trash." For me, I always see the "potential" in them, so when I think I have a use for them in the immediate future, I keep some.

Another adlib I did this Yuletide was to hang some tiny Christmas socks I bought at Walgreens and put them on around our door knobs. Then, the larger ones, I decided to place them on top of our lamp shades in the sitting room. This way, they expanded the horizon of colors in our milieu. Now it looks so pretty deserving of a second, third, or even a fourth glance every now and then. Whoah! Well, I feel good about our home. How about you? Indeed, it is how we make our house a home. And for me, for us- as a couple, ours is a castle in the midst of a tiny space within city limits, in the city we love, SAN FRANCISCO. Ciao!

LEFT: the garland of love, decorated with red bows, christmas balls and Christmas socks. The mistle toe is handmade by yours truly, recycled from the bunch of eucalyptus leaves we had in our vase, bought in a dollar tree in Reno, Nevada last year. Here we are as we were getting ready for a night out last week.

Dinner With Mike And Arn In South San Francisco- Saturday, December 8, 2007

It was their last few days in the city before they flew back home in Guam so they invited us over for a Chinese dinner at their hotel at GoodNite Inn along Airport Boulevard near SFO International Airport. It was an evening of fun, sharing, and bonding as friends. We will do it again so long as they are back in the city and next time, it's our turn to host, ok- Mike Arn?! They were so sweet to have brought us something. THANKS, guys!

The Christmas Tree On Union Square- Macy's Treat To Everyone

It is 80 feet tall and people around the world come by to see it, pose beside it, in front of it, take photos of it, and talk about it- this gigantic and monumental icon of the season in Union Square. We went in this arena early December (that was two weeks ago) and had some fun looking around it after having eaten our hotdog sandwiches by the nearby cemented stairs where most people munched their snacks like us, awaiting the sundown in favor of admiring those glittery lights of Macy's famous Christmas tree against the dark clouds of the season. It was nippy and very cold. I could see the smoke coming out from my mouth, a significance that meant to say the temperature out there was almost freezing my toes, oh yeah, but it wasn't snowing! Here we are in photos about two weeks ago~ chilling and having the time of our life! I have been thoughtful about blogging but just couldn't find the time to do it lately since I am busy baking cookies for our give away treat this Christmas. I hope you all are having a ball shopping and getting ready for the great holiday of the season! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cards

Been writing Christmas cards since last week; sent the set for friends and family who live overseeas- hm, that was Monday last week.

Currently, I have the remaining ones for "local mailing" and they are still here at home and being ready for tomorrow's mail at our local postal office on Stockton in North Beach. Can you believe this- I made an error in writing one of my gf's address and mixed matched it with my friends' address in Maryland. Eeks! Had to start all over again, buy some more, write, write, and write even more! It never ends...my hands are tired what with all those cards I had to write on- with this age when all is done on PC it is really a pain but that is the essence of all this excitement about Christmas: remembrances, thoughtfulness, cares, and love to those we care about. Ciao!

Dinner at GoodNite Inn's Chinese Restaurant in South SFO- Saturday, December 8, 2007

Husband and I visited my long time gf ARN and her beau Mike at GoodNite Inn along Airport Blvd. in South SFO last Saturday. We had a buffet of seafoods to our gastronomic delight! It was a good night of bonding. The last time we were together as couples was a few weeks after we have just moved to SFO in June 2006. Arn is flying back on Wednesday to Guam after staying in South SFO for the fall season this year where she took 4 classes at Notre Dame to pursue her Art Therapy master class. Here are some photos below. Ciao!