This past weekend, we hosted our annual Christmas potluck. And yes, with respect and appreciation for other religions and cultures, it is still Christmas in this household. 

The main meats this year were Crock Pot Kalua Pig and a new Asian-style brined turkey (more on that later this week), for which our guests were guinea pigs. We also attempted a miso-mustard sauce for green beans that we wisely tasted before subjecting out guests to it. Miso and mustard were just not meant to be friends, so it was a quick fix with a Shoyu-Sesame sauce instead.

What can you do with leftover Kalua pig and turkey? Here's what's cooking this week.

Monday
My Daddy's Killer Fried Rice using kalua pig and kim chee. Any salted pork product makes a mean fried rice. Pairing kim chee, which gives a little more crunch and zing to the overall texture, and kalua pig, which is very soft and almost sweet, is winning.

Tuesday
Turkey Satay Pillsbury Manapua. This is a grand experiment. I'm tossing the leftover turkey, shredded carrots and probably chard with Chicken Satay sauce and then using the construction techniques of Pillsbury Manapua.

Wednesday
Hot Chicken Salad, using turkey. I love this recipe and don't make it often enough because the majority of the household is not crazy about olives. However, the influential minority that cooks dinner loves olives, so it's on the menu this week.

Thursday
Pistachi-zu Tofu. Something light before Christmas.

Friday
Amici's Pizza and Hockey Night. I've been craving Amici's Boston and Milano pizzas for a good month now and have also saved up for it. 


I'll be posting the Asian brined turkey later this week as well as potluck items for Christmas eve and Christmas Day. 'Til then...Eat Well.Be Well.

We were driving to Davis with a brunch stop along the way. Based on my friend Jeff's Yelp-help, our parameters are places higher than 4 stars, and ideally more than 100 reviewers. Babs Diner in Suisun City and Grandma's Place in Fairfield fit the bill.

Stop #1 was Babs Diner in Suisun City. A bustling homey place right on the water. Friendly people, hash and eggs looked fab, and clean bathrooms. However, with a wait more than 30 minutes and hungry kids and a hungry Grandma, it was time for option #2 and fast.

Stop #2 was aptly named Grandma's Place in Fairfield. But the kicker is that it was formerly called Sandy's, my sister's name. Cosmic Propinquity!! Traveling w/Grandma to a place that used to have the same name as my sister, it was fate to eat there. And it was great.

This ain't no spa cuisine. The "Country Benedict" (see above) is Eggs Benedict with sausage patties, gravy and includes a side of fried rice (or potatoes or hash browns). It was about $9 and as much as I loved it, I could only eat half of it. The make your own omelettes have a good variety of ingredients and are generously stuffed--Portuguese sausage, artichoke and tomatoes was yum. 

They also offer smaller sized and priced options for kids and seniors (An eggs/bacon/pancake combo was a hit). Highly recommended and nice people too.