So Much More than Dessert: Le Moose Crêpe Café

Step by step, Nicki prepares the Chicken Pesto crêpe with grilled marinated white breast chicken, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and homemade basil pesto.

Peeking into the Kitchen Part I: The Crêpe Escape
In the warm Thailand nights, it was almost impossible for young Nicki to close her eyes and fall asleep. The sweet smells of paper-thin crêpes, freshly fried donuts, and velvety chocolate chiffon cakes kept calling her down to the kitchen where her mother was baking away. Tiptoeing down to the kitchen, Nicki would peek around the corner and watch until mom would call to her tiny assistant baker to lend a hand. Giddily dousing donuts in powdered sugar, she would pause to study how her mother artfully poured the creamy yellow crêpe batter over the hot surface of the griddle. With a flick of the wrist, the batter moved round and round until a large, thin pancake took shape. Crêpes were just the beginning...


Peeking into the Kitchen Part II: Indian and Thai Cuisines

Pad Thai made with chewy-thin sen jan moon noodles,
a load of proteins (shrimp, chicken, tofu, egg), crisp bean 
sprouts,a balanced sweet and sour sauce, and finished with 
a dusting of house roasted peanuts.

When Nicki's mother wasn't making spongy sweet jelly rolls or savory curry puff snacks, her mother-in-law would visit to teach her the tenets of Indian cuisine. Unable to resist the lure of the kitchen, Nicki would watch as the learned matrons produced curries like palak paneer with spinach and non-melting cubes of paneer cheese, or masala with chunks of chicken bathed in a creamy turmeric-tinged sauce. Having grown up with the intense flavors of India and Thailand, Nicki packed these food memories in her suitcase and flew to California for grad school at CSU East Bay.
While earning her master's degree, she satiated her culinary curiosity as a café server and kitchen apprentice, learning the nitty-gritty of running a restaurant. Shortly after tossing her mortarboard in the air, her years of International culinary know-how manifested as...a moose?!


Le Moose and Le Mousse

Have you ever craved some Italian fare, like grilled chicken with mozzarella cheese and basil pesto sauce, but your dinner guest lusted after spicy curries in a rainbow of colors like red, green, or yellow? Have you ever felt torn between the vegetarian goodness of grilled eggplant and the hog heaven of ham and cheese? Has your sweet tooth ever ached for dessert nirvana?

Rice paper hugs fresh mango, crisp Fuji and green apple,
lettuce & carrots to make Moose Rolls. 
Finish with a dip in spicy Thai peanut sauce.

To satisfy everyone's bellies, there's a furry moose that knows what to do, and he's armed with a crêpe griddle and plenty of chocolate hazelnut spread. Not to be confused with le mousse, the French dish that can be either sweet or savory, the homophonous Le Moose conjures forth images of French cuisine in an unexpected way. And who wouldn't be surprised to find a happy meeting of Thai, Indian, American, and European tastes under one roof? Your dinner dilemma is hereby cheerfully resolved! The Chicken Pesto Crêpe will suit your Italian tastes, while the mild Panang Curry Fried Rice will curry favor with your Thai sensibilities. Prefer Indian curry over Thai? Chicken Masala it is. Can't decide between something Italian or Southeast Asian? Perhaps the Drunken Spaghetti will inspire you with its fusion of fried pasta, tomatoes and carrots, bell peppers and zucchini, and piquant sauce. Climb both sides of the food pyramid with the veggie-friendly Greek Crêpe and the meaty/cheesy combos of the Hawaiian Crêpe with ham, pineapple, and mozzarella cheese. 

After those portions, FeedMe hopes you saved room for dessert. Fit for a family or a flock of friends, the Gargantuan crêpe is Nicki's own secret crêpe recipe smeared with rich Nutella, ringed with fresh slices of strawberry and banana, topped with three scoops of ice cream dreams, and gilded with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and toasted pecan bits.  While Nicki has spent her life peeking into kitchens, you won't have to look far to peek into her kitchen; she prepares the crêpes right before you in the royal purple-hued dining room. FeedMe recommends you get your caboose to Le Moose for good friends, good food, and good fun!

 The GARGANTUAN dessert crêpe! Three scoops of Foster Farms ice cream sit atop a hazelnut Nutella-filled crêpe, surrounded by fresh strawberries and bananas, then smothered in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and toasted pecan bits. The only question is, to share, or not to share?

Store Details
Le Moose Crêpe Café
5014 Mowry Avenue
Fremont, CA 94538

Phone
(510) 745-7288

Hours
Monday-Friday, 11:00 am-3:00 pm, 5:00 pm-9:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday, 11:00 am-3:00 pm, 4:00 pm-9:00 pm

Website
http://lemoosecafe.com/index.htm

Nicki uses her favorite food memories to create dishes 
inspired by Thai, Indian, andAmerican cuisines. 
(Left to Right: The Gargantuan dessert crêpe; Moose Rolls; Chicken Pesto crêpe).

The Fast and The Falafel, Etc.

Ramzi of Falafel, Etc. shows off  a falafel sandwich in the courtyard.

  
In the Beginning there was Falafel
Around the year 30 A.D., Nathanael inquired, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Around the year 2010 B.C., Bay Area citizens questioned, "Can any good food come out of Fremont?" The answer is yes, on both counts, thanks to Ramzi of Falafel, Etc. A native of Nazareth, he and his brothers would help out at his father's locally renowned falafel shop after school. Between the time the last school bell rang and the last of his homework was polished off, Ramzi practiced everything from preparing the namesake seasoned chickpea patties to treating guests with classic Middle Eastern hospitality. Now as an adult, his father's original shop is no longer, and Ramzi has uprooted from the Middle East to the East Bay. After a long career in the tech industry, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and open a restaurant of his own, right here in Fremont.

Do you falafel? Savory falafel patties are topped with shredded cabbage salad, house-made pickles and tahini, then hugged by a puffy pita.

The Fast Food of The Middle East
So what is a falafel anyway? Recipe-wise, it's a fluffy fritter made of ground chickpeas and fragrant seasonings like cumin, coriander and parsley. Geography-wise, different versions of this dish can be found in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, and Greece, among other places. Meal-wise, Ramzi says that the falafel is to the Middle East as the hamburger is to the United States. That is, hand-held and  delectable fast food. But unlike America's favorite patties, falafel patties are vegetarian and considered pretty healthy.
 

Honey-sweet baklava topped with crushed pistachios.

What sets Ramzi's fast falafels apart? After years of making his father's falafel recipe, Ramzi has perfected his own formula, blended fresh every morning and kettle fried right before your hungry eyes. Biting into the falafel, you get the crunch of the freshly fried outer layer, revealing the tender, bright green interior flecked with spices. There's also a secret ingredient that he doesn't mind making public: to make the falafel balls extra fluffy, he adds a bit of baking soda. Aside from using top ingredients for all of his dishes, Ramzi's food philosophy is that a recipe is merely a list of components if there's no TLC; it's more about how you prepare it rather than what goes in it.



Et cetera, Et cetera

Baba ghannouj, tabbouleh, and hummus make a great mezze.

Besides falafel, what other authentic and salutary dishes are to be eaten on-the-go? Covering the et cetera territory in Falafel, Etc., you can begin your meal in typical Middle Eastern fashion with a mezze. The mezze is an appetizer course that gives guests a sampling of many small dishes, and can be as simple as a basket of pita bread or as elaborate as thirty-some hors d'oeuvres-sized tastes of main dishes. A trio of creamy baba ghannouj made with roasted eggplant, smooth hummus dip and fresh tabbouleh salad of parsley, bulgur wheat and tomatoes will give you a diverse mezze experience. Crunchy pita chips dipped in garlic labneh, a thick and slightly sour yogurt, is also a great way to start your meal with authentic flavors. For the main event, savory kafta lamb sausage kabob is broiled to seal in the juices and yield a caramelized exterior. Similar to Greek gyro, there's spit-roasted halal lamb and chicken shawarma, which can be served as a sandwich topped with crunchy house-pickled turnips and drizzled with creamy sesame tahini sauce. For those that love to dip, slather, and pour, there's a saucy condiment bar with extra tahini, mint-infused yogurt dip, and onions tossed in red sumac spice.


Although the fare at Falafel, Etc. is served hot and fast, Ramzi invites you to take a break from the everyday race and savor the flavors of the Middle East. Linger over your meal fountain-side with honey-sweet baklava, homemade and fresh from the oven, or warm kanafeh, a dessert made with sweet, white cheese surrounded by crispy threads of phyllo dough and drizzled with sweet rose syrup. Just because the food is fast, doesn't mean you have to be. Slow down with good friends, good food, and good fun.

Kanafeh, a dessert made with tender, sweet cheese, crispy shredded phyllo dough, and drizzled with sweet rose syrup.

Store Details
Falafel, Etc.
39200 Fremont Boulevard
Fremont, CA 94538

Phone
(510) 795-7170

Hours
Monday-Saturday, 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Sunday,  12:00 pm-9:00 pm

This You Eat, Short and Sweet: A Portuguese Care Package

A few of Abe's favorite things: Linguiça sausage, Portuguese sweet bread, olive oil, and bacalhau.

Madeiran Gastronomy

Situated in the northwestern corner of Madeira is Porto Moniz, Abílio "Abe" Sousa's picturesque hometown. As a boy he enjoyed Portuguese meals such as  feijoada with beans, meat, and rice, bowls of caldo verde soup with potatoes, onions, and chouriço sausage, and bacalhau à Gomes de Sá with alternate layers of salted cod and thinly sliced potatoes topped with Mediterranean black olives. Between mealtimes, wine was on the mind as Abe and his family went from the vineyard to grape stomping to market with vinho tinto, rosé, and unfermented grape juice for Madeira wine. When he moved to California in the 1970's, he brought the best of Portugal with him, compiling choice treats from both the local area and across the ocean under one roof at Sousa's Discount Food & Liquor.

Portuguese fruits of the sea.

That's right, a liquor store. What you'll usually take home from such an establishment is a nondescript brown paper bag, and maybe a salty accompaniment for the contents of said sack. Like other marts of this ilk, this shop doesn't prepare any foodstuffs, and Abe doesn't cook much himself. But look beyond the usual glass bottles of amber libations and you will find piles of fresh baked goods from all over the Bay Area, such as Portuguese sweet bread baked at 9 Islands Bakery in Sonoma County, anise scented biscoitos from Portuguese Bakery in Santa Clara, and crusty cornbread from Silva Bakery in Hayward. To stock up on the essentials, there is semi-hard São Jorge cheese from the Azores; fruits of the Atlantic such as sardines, octopus, black scabbard, and of course, cod fish, better known as bacalhau; juicy passion fruit flavored Sumol soda; cured sausages such as spicy pork chouriço, morcela blood pudding, and the mildly spicy linguiça.

Peer closely at this wine label and you can see the homes of owner Abe Sousa and his father in Porto Moniz.

Linguiça Goes with Everything

When it comes to linguiça sausage, Abe is enamored with its versatility. Although he is not on speaking terms with his stove, he praises the hunger remedy that is linguiça for any meal of the day. "You make the bacalhau, this takes too long. This you eat, short and sweet," he says. For breakfast, simply slice the sausage in half and fry it along with eggs, eat with a slice of Portuguese bread, "and you go to work!" Boil a 1:2 mixture of red wine and water, toss in a few links for ~4 minutes, and serve on a bun with your favorite fixings for lunch. A hot plate of beans (just about any will do, says Abe), rice, sauteed onions, and chopped linguiça with a glass of vinho verde is a great way to end the day. Simple? Yes. Simply good? You bet. And while Abe insists that you visit Portugal posthaste, if you're fresh out of sick days and frequent flyer miles you can still get a Portuguese care package close to home.





Store Details
Sousa's Discount Food & Liquor
1584 Washington Boulevard
Fremont, CA 94538

Phone
(510) 659-8366

Hours
Daily, 9:00 am-9:00 pm

Web Address
http://www.sousasliquors.com
http://www.sousasportuguesefoodandliquor.com

Dipping your biscoito in coffee or tea is the best way to enjoy this crunchy cookie ring.

Other Stores Mentioned
9 Islands Bakery
1 Padre Parkway
Suite D
Rohnert, CA 94928
(707) 586-1620

 
Portuguese Bakery
2082 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95050
(408) 984-2234
http://www.portuguesebakery.com


Silva Bakery
18563 Mission Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94541
(510) 278-3322
http://silvabakery.com

I Tried To Say "Okay!" But it Sounded Like "Oh Cake!"

Find a trifecta of flavor with the Neapolitan cake: Chocolate cake, strawberry cream, white cake, and non-dairy cream frosting unite!

Just Call My Name (I'll Be There)
She's there for you when you celebrate your many birthdays, your white wedding, your stork-themed baby shower, and she'll be there for your little one's special days, too. Whenever there's a major milestone in your life, she's one of the first people you call. If she doesn't pull through, everything could fall apart. But you won't find her on your guest list.

She is Laurel, cake maven and owner of Oh Cake!. While Laurel's lovecrafted creations may end up at your event, she doesn't have any time to party. Instead, you'll find her at the farmers market choosing seasonal ingredients from California's bounty, or in the bakery mixing up fluffy cake batter, or in the kitchen tinting buttercream and fondant, or even at the counter molding chocolate landscapes. "There's very little time that I'm not baking cake," she says, but thankfully this cakesmith took a few minutes to hang out with FeedMe Fremont.

Cake decorator and owner Laurel of Oh Cake! brings the circus to Fremont.

The Month of Wedding Cake 
Like any little girl, Laurel loved play-time and sweets. But ever since a pastry chef instructed eight year-old Laurel in the dao of frosting, play-time became bake-time and sweets were not just things to be eaten, but an art form. When little Laurel tried saying "okay!" she inadvertently said "oh cake!" instead, and these series of fortuitous events would influence her life's path. Not long after her encounter with the baker, nine year-old Laurel found herself knee-deep in icing and gum paste roses when her aunt commissioned the youngster to prepare her wedding cake. Of this unforgettable food memory, Laurel exclaims, "I thought she was nuts!...To date it is still one of the prettiest I've ever done." Counting down to the big event, she spent weeks making intricate details like countless drop flowers for the three-tiered cake. But the night before that glorious masterpiece was to make its debut, her aunt canceled the wedding! "So the neighborhood ate cake for about a month! It's true!" Years later Laurel made a wedding cake that would be eaten at the reception this time: it was for her own wedding. Très romantique!

Riddle: What do the Royal Family of Morocco, a Bleeding Warthog, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Have in Common?
For many, a birthday is just another day unless there's crumbs of red velvet on your lap, and it is a minor sin to read your vows without ivory towers of genoise waiting in the wings. Since Oh Cake!'s own birthday in 1999, these magic mixtures of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar have been the linchpin in many a local family's milestones. Fan Cristina sought Oh Cake! for her wedding, baby shower, several years of her son's birthdays, and her niece's quinceañera for which she ordered an orange-hued nine-tiered cake to delight the many branches of her family tree.

Disney's Cars gets a cake-over.

In short, Laurel has just about seen it all and baked it all. While interning at Disney World, she created an edible animal kingdom of giraffes and zebras for the Royal Family of Morocco. Through the magic of fondant and the wild imagination of one customer, a warthog cake that squirted "blood" when cut into came to life (or death, depending on how you look at it!). For some, the old standards of devil's food and vanilla bean just aren't enough, so new flavor territories are explored. One couple's story involves the bride-to-be noshing on a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough when she first met her intended. What could be better than a chocolate chip cookie dough cake to celebrate their nuptials? At first a challenge, this special request was realized with bits of chewy cookie dough incorporated into both batter and filling. Aside from pushing the flavor envelope, Oh Cake!'s most frequent request is the Neapolitan, a trifecta of flavor: chocolate cake, strawberry cream, and white cake united in sweet harmony.

Assistant cake decorator Alissa Evans recreates the Mushroom Kingdom in cake-form.
Does this make it the Cake Kingdom?

Lovecrafted 100%
If you're looking for one of these lovecrafted cakes, you won't find it in any supermarket or store front. You'll have to tell a real person that you're jonesin' for chocolate cake layered with fudge truffle filling, chocolate Bavarian cream, and a healthy coating of Guittard chocolate ganache. Your private obsession with a certain Italian plumber will come to light when you request to have a true 3-D Mario party. For our friends that have to pick and choose their sweets carefully, you can cozy up to frosting that is low in sugar and dairy-free. As our favorite San Francisco sons like to say, any way you want it, that's the cake, you need it! At least that's how FeedMe thinks the song should go.

Store Details
Oh Cake!
Fremont, California


Phone
(510) 713-2257
(Please Call for a Personal Cake Consultation)

Hours
Tuesday-Friday, 9:00 am-7:00 pm
Saturday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm

The cake artists' palette is a kaleidoscopic array of frosting.