Writing for Change Banquet 2016

Once agan, Board member Harvey Pawl treated the Conference speakers and volunteers to a Chinese banquet at Gourmet Carousel. Attendees were also invited to join us, at a remarkably low fee. The dinner started a little earlier than the announced time, so a few of the dishes were ravaged when I arrived, but there was enough left for me to photograph–and more than enough for me to eat.

The meal started with soup and scallion pancakes.

Egg Flower Soup with Mixed Vegetables

Scallion Pancakes

And, of course, honey walnut prawns, a universal favorite.

Honey Walnut Shrimp

There was one dish from each section of the menu.

Beef with Ginger & Scallions

Spare ribs are another favorite.

Mandarin Spareribs

And of course we had to have some vegetables.

Buddha's Delight
Braised Mixed Vegetables

I'm not sure which chicken dish this was, but it was delicious.

Chicken with Shrimp Chips

 Our final dish was seafood and tofu in a clay pot, still sizzling when it was served.

Seafood Tofu Clay Pot

Seafood Tofu Clay Pot, Still Sizzling

The meal ended with fortune cookies and very sweet orange slices. Many attendees didn't eat the oranges, so I took them home. After eating the oranges, I rinsed the peels and put them in the freezer, where they are waiting to be candied and dipped in tempered chocolate.

Teatime also loves the Seafood Birdsnest, Peking Duck (you can order half a duck), and Pea Sprouts with Garlic Sauce. But you can't go wrong at Gourmet Carousel, no matter what you order. Everything on the menu is perfectly prepared. And if you ask a question of a staff member who doesn't speak English, he will quickly bring someone who does.

Eat Real Festival 2016

I volunteered with setup for Eat Real Festival 2016 but this time I stuffed vendor badges instead of goodie bags. This was much easier and didn't end with washing and drying all the cookware for the chef demos.

I returned for lunch on Friday. I usually case the whole festival first, but couldn't resist a crab cake near the entry. It was served on a bun, with slaw.

  

Mozzeria was there, with their fancy pizza truck, but Tea Time occasionally eats at their brick-and-mortar location in the Mission.

After checking out the rest of the offerings, I decided on a poke bowl. This looked so good that I forgot to take a picture of the truck.

And for dessert, I again had a chocolate fudge popsicle from Fat Face Popsicles.

The Eat Real Festival is on for the whole weekend, and there are more vendors on Saturday and Sunday. More Festival-goers, too, which is why I go on Friday, but if you don't mind crowds, you will be rewarded with a wider choice. There are also exhibits and free samples, which vary from year to year. This year Clover was giving away yoghurt and Toyota was giving away plants in pots that could be decorated on the spot, among other swag.