Refreshing Saturday hike, vegan lunch, and more

After a busy week at work, I was frazzled and desperately needed some fresh air. So I went hiking over the weekend.

San Andreas Reservoir after the rain

My destination was San Andreas Trail along the ridge separating San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. I was drawn to it by its views and this was my first time there. The weather was dreary with some drizzles, so there were fewer people than usual. All the better because I can’t stand crowds.

The hike was short but rejuvenating. The sun re-emerged after the rain and bounced off the water in the tranquil San Andreas Reservoir. The air was clean and crisp. I even saw deer along the trail. My composure returned.

Not in a zoo…deer grazing along the trail

What’d be better than a raw, vegan lunch after a refreshing hike? I picked the interestingly named Que SeRaw SeRaw in Burlingame, which I’ve meant to try for a long time.

The store was small and all its products were in a refrigerated case for take-out. Knowing it’s my first visit, the cheerful storeowner recommended the mock tuna pate, a white mixture made from ground almonds, sunflower seeds, tahini, celery, and other ingredients. At $7, it was quite pricey for two small mounds of pate.

Que SeRaw SeRaw storefront in Burlingame

I was pretty hungry so I also grabbed a packet of Judy’s Breadsticks dipping sticks from the natural food store next door. Then I sat outside and enjoyed my lunch.

Perfect match:  Judy’s Breadsticks and mock tuna pate

The pate was remarkably fresh and had a toothsome texture. It tasted a bit like tuna salad (probably from the kelp powder), but without the fishy smell. It complemented the crunchy dipping sticks perfectly. I’d love to try other products from the store in the future.

Although the sun came out, it was still breezy. I rounded out my lunch with a steaming cup of cafe au lait. It’s amazing how simple things like this satisfied me.

After the hike and a healthy lunch, I felt I had a good excuse to indulge myself in the evening. I wanted to use up a can of sweet adzuki bean paste that had been standing in my pantry for months. I made a vegan adzuki bean paste cake.

I spread the bean paste on top of a cake base made from a recipe in Dreena Burton’s Eat Drink and Be Vegan. To give the cake a more mochi-like texture, I substituted some of the wheat flour with glutinous rice flour.

Sweet ending: adzuki bean cake

The bean paste turned out to be too sweet for my taste. Nonetheless, the cake was a great end for the day.

Indulgence in the grocery aisles

Some people think grocery shopping is a chore. I think it’s a lot of fun.

Some people shop for clothes or electronics as “retail therapy.” I shop for food to boost my mood.

A piece of Belgium from...Safeway!

Since I was a teenager, I’ve enjoyed browsing the aisles of grocery stores, especially the snacks section. Not to buy anything, but just to see what’s out there. I had little pocket money back then and didn’t want my Mom to confront me for eating junk food, but occasionally I bought myself a treat.

Many years later I still look forward to trips to the grocery store. It doesn’t matter I am going to Safeway, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s. I want to check out what’s new, what’s on sale, and what I can get to complement the produce I’ve bought from the farmers’ market.

I don’t go into the grocery store with a grocery list. I let whatever stimulates me guide my buying decisions. I pore over labels to make sure a product doesn’t contain artificial ingredients (such as vanillin, a very common artificial vanilla flavor). I compare prices. This is why I spend way too much time grocery-shopping.

But I never grow tired of it. I make an effort to try something new every time. It’s almost like checking out new restaurants, but at a much lower cost.

There’re some favorites that I keep getting over and over though. Consider them my little secrets of indulgence.

Food Should Taste Good (and they certainly are) chocolate tortilla chips

- Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips from Whole Foods. They can’t be better named. A genius must have come up with the idea of chocolate tortilla chips. They are ADDICTIVE.

Hands down best Belgian wafer biscuits

- Jules Destrooper Butter Crisps from Safeway. It’s incredible that I can find an authentic Belgian product at a big-chain grocery store (although it carries LU biscuits from France too).  My mom first gave them to me as a gift years ago. After trying many copycats, they remain the best.

Ritter Sport marzipan chocolate squares with pillowy almond paste filling

- Ritter Sport chocolate squares from Cost Plus World Market. A friend introduced these cute, colorfully packaged German chocolate bars to me in college, and we had to go to a specialty store to buy them. Now they are everywhere, but Cost Plus has the broadest selections. Old favorite: Dark Whole Hazelnuts; new darling: Marzipan.

Loacker lemon-flavored wafer biscuits, though I like the more traditional flavors better

- Loacker wafers from Cost Plus World Market. I’ve had an even longer relationship with this Italian brand. My dad (who LOVES snacks) once brought them home when I was in Hong Kong. I’ve yet to find another brand without artificial ingredients as Loacker. They are mildly sweet and won’t leave you thirsty like many similar products. Their selections are ever-expanding, and Cost Plus has the lowest prices.

Isn’t it interesting most of these have some emotional associations to them?