Healthy Food_Ceres Community Project

I shot this video for my client "Ceres Community Project of Marin"at last semester. Ceres project teaches youth to cook nutritious meals, which are delivered to people who are cancer patients. People can support Ceres by donating their time as volunteers.

Every week, volunteers go to the local farmers market and collect produce , which donated by local farmers and growers. Ceres provides their services to youth and cancer patients at no any cost.

When my teammates and I shot the video at last semester, I though more about food. Nutritious food connect the donors, volunteers and patients, they communicate with food. Food makes their life different in their own ways. They get happiness and love from communication. 

Food is not just meal in our daily life, it also can be communication.   

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwIsWyL5ATWXcE5mTVZjeXBkUTA/edit?usp=sharing

A Bite of Life in SF: Healthy Food_Ceres Community Project by Farrah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

SZchuan Restaurant

Z&Y Restaurant

                            Z&Y RESTAURANT

If you are interested in Szchuan food, I high recommend Z&Y Restaurant, which located in Chinatown. Z&Y Restaurant is my favorite restaurant in SF. I almost went to there one time per week in the first year I came to SF.

By the way, if you want go to Z&Y Restaurant, you should go to there as earlier as possible. Because there will be too many people and a lone line in dinner time, also difficult parking near the restaurant.

Chicken with Explosive Chili

If you go to Z&Y Restaurant, one food you shouldn't miss is Chicken with Explosive Chili Pepper. The dish looks amazing, there are many chili Peppers cover chickens. I pretty love the dish even though there are less chickens. Interestingly, my friends and I liked to pick out whether there still are chickens left when we almost finished our dinner, just have fun. The person who picked out the last chicken among chili peppers is lucky.

In addition, chef Han, the chief of Z&Y Restaurant, is very famous. Chef Han worked cooked for many national leaders, including president, vice president. President Obama visited the restaurant when he came to SF.

A Bite of Life in SF: Z&Y RESTAURANT by Farrah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Szchuan Cuisine_ Sichuan Numbing Peppercorn

Besides of red chili pepper that I mentioned before, there is another special pepper that you cannot ignore. It's Sichuan Peppercorn, which makes SZchuan food much more numbing, and different from other Chinese local spicy food, such as spicy food in Hunan Province or Jiangxi Province.

In fact, 'mouth-numbing' is the unique flavor for Szchuan cuisine, which are more than just spice. Many people really love this flavor in China, like me. There are so many kinds of Sichuan pepper, which grow up in different location in Sichuan province. At the beginning age of growth, the color of pepper was green. But it also can use in food. It has a fresh flavor.

People like to put the fresh pepper into cool dish. As the growth later, the color becomes to be red, and then darker. Finally, the pepper matures and dropped off. People put them into hot pot. American also like put into some pepper when they enjoy Italian pasta, beefsteak, BBQ, even sandwich. But Sichuan Peppercorn is total different from pepper that American used in western-style food. American seems like pepper powder, they didn't put whole pepper into food. But for Chinese, they would like put a pinch of pepper into hot oil when they cook.

This a video that a brave American tastes the Sichuan peppercorn directly without any food. By the way, I've never do that. It's a funny video, have a fun.

Sichuan peppercorn is a kind of herb. It's healthy for people's stomach also. Sicuan's people save dried-pepper to make pepper oil, and put them into sauce when they eat hotpot.

Briefly, chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn are two of most important ingredients in Chinese cuisine. Don't forget putting them when you want to cook real SZchuan food at home.

A Bite of Life in SF:Szchuan Cuisine_ Sichuan Numbing Peppercorn by Farrah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Szechuan Cuisine_Chili Pepper

Szechuan Chili Pepper

The Location of Sichuan Province

After I introduced various cuisines in SF, I think you must have a overview about the food districts in SF. Now, I would like to introduce one typical Chinese cuisine, Szechuan food, or Sichuan food, which comes from Sichuan province, the southwestern of China. Although the official Chinese Pinyin now is Sichuan, cuisine is still often spelled Szechuan in north America. Szechuan cooking has bold flavors, pungency and spiciness.

Chili Pepper

When we talk about Szechuan spicy food, one of the most important ingredients is chili peppers. In fact, there are many kinds of chili peppers all over the China. Sichuan pepper is the most famous with unique flavour. Even for Chinese, if they want to cook real Szchuan food, they would like to buy the chili pepper that grows up in Sichuan province, not other locations in China. For me, every time I travel to there, I would like to buy a big box of Sichuan chili pepper at farmers market, not supermarkets, because most Chinese people consider the chilly paper that sell by a farmer is much better than sell by a supermarket.

Chili Pepper Oil

People in Sichuan use chili pepper in anything and everything that they cook. They put chili pepper into hot pot, noodle, so on. They also like make chili pepper oil, which is popular in Sichuan province. 

Why do they like chili pepper so much? Because Sichuan province is the mountainous region, where

are cold and moist. Chili pepper can make people warm and good for body, especially for people who are rheumatic patients. In addition, chili pepper contains much vitaminC, which are good for health, especial for skin. Chinese also reasoned that many beautiful girls in Sichuan province are caused by the chili pepper. When people describe the personality of girls in Sichuan, they would like say, "hot, like Sichuan chili pepper".

Air Dry Chili Pepper

In addition, the chili pepper has special meaning for Chinese culture. It is considered a symbol of good luck or booming. Red color also is Chinese color. So, many farmers like to air dry the rest of the chili peppers and hang out the house. It's a lucky symbol that there would be a happy year.

Anyway, I will introduce some amazing Szechuan restaurants in SF in coming blog.

A Bite of Life in SF:Szechuan Cuisine_Chili Pepper by Farrah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Food Culture in SF

Varied Food culture in SF

Golden Gate Bridge

When we talk about food culture in San Francisco, immigrant is a very important factor. There are many immigrants who are from different countries and bring different food culture to SF, such as Italian immigrants, Chinese immigrants, Japanese immigrants and Korean immigrants. As their life in SF, there are many different food-towns in SF.

North Beach

North Beach-Little Italy Food

North Beach is an “epicurean hot spot” for visitor. It’s totally different view between daytime and nighttime. The weekend’s time is another special view. In fact, the number of Italian-Americans living there has decreased substantially now days. Just like me, I am Chinese, but I don’t would like to live Chinese town. Even though many Italian-Americans or immigrants move out there, many Italian restaurants, cafes and bakeries still line the neighborhood’s Columbus Avenue and Washington Square Area.

                                                    

                                                         

Chinatown

Chinatown-Chinese Food

Chinatown is the landmark for Chinese culture all over the world. Also, it’s a brand for Chinese food culture. It’s a major tourist attraction, not only for Chinese, but also for many tourists who are from different countries. You will experience various Chinese restaurants and walk around many dessert and silk shops.

Mission District

Mission District-Latin Food

It’s well known for the colorful murals that decorate its buildings, but it is also famous as a place to enjoy colorful Latin fabulous food. You will find enough taquerias, pupuserias and bakeries. For dessert, consider the truly unique ice cream at Humphry Slocombe’s or the knockout pastries available.

Japan Town

JapanTown-Japanese Food

There is no better place to experience Japanese food culture than Japan Town. There are many Japanese restaurants at the Japan town mall. If you are interested in Japanese snacks, you will discover as trove of awesome eats. There are many festivals about Japanese culture every year, such as Cherry Blossom Festival, which is one of the most famous festivals about Japanese culture. You will find many traditional snacks and art goods when you attend the event.

Ferry Building Marketplace-Local Food

Ferry Building

It’s a one of the best places to experience San Francisco’s exciting local food culture. It locates at the center of the city’s transit hub. You can choose various transportations to go to there easily and quickly, such as BART and MUNI. There is also a fabulous farmer’s market hosted here year-round on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Pier 39

Pier 39- Seafood

Definitely, Pier39 is one of the most amazing places to experience seafood in San Francisco. Nearly every tourist will come to there to have a taste. Undoubtedly, Crab is special seafood you cannot miss there. After eating, you can walk around the pier to know more history about Fisherman’s Wharf.

Besides of the places I mentioned above, there also are many nice places to experience varied food culture in SF. Let’s start our cuisine trip in SF.

A Bite of Life in SF:Food Culture in SF by Farrah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.