"99 Ranch Market" destination to remember

Love this place!!!!!

San Diego (Clairmont Mesa) has the best one out of Arizona, San Diego, and Orange County.  China Town in San Francisco has such a variety of small markets and restaurants that I haven't even looked for one there.

Love the eat in/take out too! Ducks still hang by the neck cooked and dripping like in "Christmas Story". If you see the ducks hanging, you are at one of the two way inexpensive, way delicious, huge portion, places there that we love. Don't forget the BBQ steamed pork buns there either.

No more coiled snake in the freezer section like so many years ago but all the living and dead seafood and other things you can imagine. On our last trip to 99, it had been remodelled so it wasn't as much like being in Beijing in the late 80's. The remodel makes it a little less nostalgic but the smells and tastes are still what makes it unique and a favorite desitination.

Sorry for my preference of Chinese food over other Asian cuisine but if whatever you eat is something that comes from the sea or land and the cook isn't sure if it's an animal or plant, or doesn't know how to translate what it is, always choose the Chinese version.   Thai comes in second place. The others Asian cuisines are hit and miss for me with some highs but enough extreme misses that have caught me off guard in such bad ways that I always prefer Chinese. Ok, raw pig snout in the north of China caught me off guard once, but other than that, althoug some Chinese food has been a surprise, rarely has that surprise been a dissapointment.

Ok, enough of the plug for Ranch 99 Market and Chinese food. Just a note for my kids to remember.

Lemon Pound Cake

My mom made this every year at Christmas and also other times.  She learned it from a very dear friend in the Opp family. We now make it for Christmas and many other times as well in three different flavors: Lemon, Almond, and Orange.

Mom used to bake it in regular or long thin loaf pans.  We cook it in mini loaf pans and always freeze it in plastic wrap tightly before serving if possible.  There is something about freezing it that changes the texture.  Freezing it also allows it to cut cleaner as it is partially thawed. Whatever the shape of the pan, make sure to make enough of the glaze to fill it to the top when the pan comes out of the oven while it is hot.  As you pour in the glaze to soak, also pull apart the pan sides or gently use a spatula or knife to allow the glaze to sink down the sides so that the whole loaf can absorb the glaze.  This is sort of like soaking a Rum Cake in rum, but we don't use alcohol in our family so the glaze does the same thing.  Before wrapping the loaves to freeze, allow the loaf to soak most of the glaze in and cool to warm.  Then empty the loaf onto the plastic wrap with any residual glaze and wrap tightly. Then freeze.

We made over 600 of them for a wedding using two Bundt tea Cake & Candy Mold pans and still had some left in the freezer 3 months later that tasted fresh when we pulled them out.  They usually don't make it to the thawed stage because they are great frozen.  They freeze well and about 36 of them store in each gallon ziplock bag for easy serving anytime. We made about 350-400 of them for another wedding and they worked out just as well.

The recipe to the right above is the same for both loafs and these smaller versions.  The instructions below are notes from making them in the Tea Cake or Petit Four shapes.

One recipe of the pound cake is enough for about 2 pans of the tea cakes.  Each pan makes 30 small cakes so one recipe is makes about 60 small cakes.

1. Preheat the oven and make the batter.
2. Lightly spray the pans with non stick spray(we use soy-free).
3. Lightly flour the pan or not.  If you flour it, make sure to bang it upside down over the sink to get out excess flour or you might get a gross, dry clump of it when done.
4. Fill a gallon ziplock bag with batter and clip off  one of the bottom corners a little.
5. Use the ziplock bag to pipe in batter to each shape of the pan.  Fill them about 3/4 or so full. (It depends on weather, oven, and your flour.)
6. Thwack them on a counter a few times or on the back porch(please be sanitary) to get out bubbles.  If you don't, then you will have air bubble holes on the finished products that are very noticeable since these are so small.
7. Put them in the oven to bake.  I have to bake them in our gas oven on the top shelf or they get too brown before done.  They look best when light but cooked.  Bake till golden on the edges.  It takes about 19 minutes in my oven.
8. Turn them out onto a bakers rack that is placed over a sheet cake pan or cookie tray. Set pan to side to cool while glazing.
9. Hand dip cakes in bowl of glaze and place on rack to drip and set.  You could also spoon or pour glaze over cakes either while hot and then again a few minutes later, or wait a few minutes and glaze but still while warm.  If they have glaze on all sides, including the bottom, they keep fresh longer.
10. Spray pans again, Refill with ziplock batter and start the process over again.
11.  Allow the cakes to dry.  Depending on humidity, it can take up to 3 hours but it is ok to freeze while still sticky.  Place about 36 in gallon ziplock bag if not sticking to each other and freeze them flat.

I know I have missed something in here somewhere, but hope to update this as we make more.  I also have pictures to upload sometime soon too.

This is about how full I like to fill them before baking.

This is how they look after they have been hand dipped and dried some.  You can see the darker ones that were from the bottom shelf in the oven versus most that were baked on the top shelf.

These were finished and what fit on our serving plates.  The dark ones to the side were from the batch cooked on the bottom rack. Some browning was fine when glazed but 4 or 5 of those look a little way to done so I'm guessing I gave those to the kids.

Christmas College Vacation Quick List Menu Options

Gnocchi with spinach ham sauce or with trader joe’s marinara and ground beef, salad, green beans

Bacon wrapped sage pork medallion with salad and butternut squash with or without cranberries , melon, rosemary bread

Pesto pasta maybe with diced chicken and salad with croutons

Antipasto Platter like Whole Foods Market

Burritos and or fajitas

Spaghetti, Italian salad with pepperoncini

Greek chicken, honey rice,  tzatziki sauce,  Greek salad,  pitas, lemon soup

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, homemade rolls

Asian chicken ?, rice, fruit

Steamed pork buns

Homemade ribs, salad

Pulled pork crockpot on buns with ciabatta

Chili and potato soup? With rice

Wingers type sauce on crispy fried chicken with or over salad

Wheat waffles

Apple cake

Swedish tea rings

Breakfast burritos

Orange Julius

Caramel Popcorn

Sour Cream Enchiladas/Regular Enchiladas, black beans, rice, chips

Chicken Enchilada soup

Empanadas

Zulema fajita marinated grilled chicken, rice, sautéed zucchini

Café Rio type pork with uncle Jason’s sweet green salsa and cilantro lime vinaigrette

Mousakka  with Mediterranean Dipping Platter from Whole Foods Market (white and wheat pita bread, feta, assorted olives, dolmas, hummus, roasted red bell peppers)

Jambalaya with rice

Shrimp lemon zest butter garlic pasta with spinach salad

Potstickers (homemade so soy free)

Bruschetta platter from whole foods market (marinated artichokes, roasted eggplant, sundried tomatoes, sliced toasted baguettes)

Spinach Artichoke Dip in bread bowl with sourdough bread from Whole Foods Market if still soy free and make from scratch if not

Pineapple or Mango Salsa Chicken with white or brown rice, Costco veggie tray and sliced cucumbers and baby carrots

Pesto filled Tortellini with marinara sauce or pesto or cold in tortellini salad

Turduckendog

Passing the freezer section, my younger son saw a turducken.  We decided to pass it for this year, but we also decided that if we ever do make it, we will put a hot dog in the middle.  Tuducken is such a fun word that we would have to make it even funnier by adding a dog.

Mom's Pecan Pie

Yes there are many versions of Pecan Pie and it is funny that Penny once gave mom her recipe and it was the same recipe Grandma had.  Mom says she usually uses less butter than it calls for.

Lemon Bar Recipe

There are many recipes for lemon bars but this one is lemony and tangy and sweet and just the right amount of each part of a lemon bar.  Some people kind of make them that taste like they were dusted with flour, not powdered sugar.  Some people make them with a dry crust that has a really tiny amount of any flavor on top.  Some people make them so that they look nice but the lemon pie type filling on top tastes like rice paste.  This recipe doesn't make those mistakes and is perfect for our family.

Mom's perfect Rice Krispies Treats!

Strangely enough, we know several people who say they can't make the super-easy rice krispy treats and have them taste good;  they turn out rock hard or strangely flavored or something!   Well, Mom has a few tips that make hers turn out perfect every time:

• use miniature marshmallows (they melt faster, so don't cook as long, so the mixture stays softer)
• use fresh Kraft marshmallows
• use the "old" recipe that has a bit more butter than the newer "healthier" recipe
• DON'T overcook the marshmallows!!
• coat the tray in butter not Pam to avoid the "fake" taste
• use the Kellogg's Rice Krispies, not a knock-off brand, for the best taste
• measure the marshmallows and cereal ahead of time so you can just dump in quickly and avoid over-cooking.

1/4 cup butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies cereal
butter to smear onto pan/tray

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat (not the high heat Dad usually uses!!).  Add the marshmallows and stir just until completely melted (no more!).  Remove from heat.   Add the cereal and stir until well coated.   Pour and press into a buttered 13x9 pan.   Wait until cool to cut (but feel free to snitch around the edges while it is cooling!!)

For holidays or special events, sprinkling colored sugar crystals over the top makes them "fancy" and gives a little crunch when eating!!  You just have to sprinkle the sugar on when it is still warm so the sugar will stick!!

Cheese Strata Recipe

This is the in-laws Christmas Day and New Years Day and special day recipe that most of the married into the family and almost all of the born into the family love.  It can be made ahead of time and frozen to bake later or baked and frozen to reheat later.  Butter amounts can be increased or decreased and the corner pieces are always the best.

Sweet Potato Sefleu or Casserole Recipe

Aunt Stephanie made some great sweet potato stuff for a Thanksgiving years ago and I called her to get the recipe.  When she emailed it to me, she wrote Sweet Potato Sefleu and thats the name we called it because I though it was some Southern name for it. I later found out that Sefleu was just a typo that the spellchecker she had must have mixed up but we've had this recipe in our book this way so long that the title has stayed.

Swedish Orange Gingersnaps Recipe

Its a whole lot easier to buy the great assorted types of Swedish gingersnap cookies at Ikea and even some grocery stores now, especially because they are usually soy free being imported from non soy subsidy countries. 

But, Ikea has been known to run out and grocery stores have at times had ones way past expiration and ransid.

So, here's a way to have them when you can't find them to buy.  Ok they do taste better when homemade if done right.

Mom's Sugar Cookies Recipe

Suzanne makes awesome sugar cookies.  They take time and have to be done correctly.  This is one of those recipes where doing it right matters and one of those recipes where I fail when I follow the recipe.  I don't do it right somehow so mine can be reminiscent of playdough dried in the sun but when Suzanne makes these with the same recipe, they are the best and softest.  They freeze well and ship well in care packages to Utah and Hawaii.  Making these in the Utah altitude and Hawaii humidity might cause some need for modification though.  So here is the recipe and good luck to both of my college children.

 For frosting, call mom because that's another one of those things I just don't do right.

Also a note when letting your younger siblings help.  Have them wash their hands and blow their noses first and put theirs on a separate "special" pan to cook if they are coming in from a hard days play to "help".  The "special" pan is for them.  Ones that are "not special" and fine for anyone that they make don't need to be on the "special" pan. hahaha.... was just thinking of having them make a "special" set to send to college after an afternoon touching starfish and sweating from playing with friends at Sealife at Legoland.  Extra salt and misc. "flavoring" and textures are easily hid with frosting.

Marasche Cherry with Almond Paste Cookies

The Recipe posted here is from a recipe book listed in it but just use it as a guide and please change it if you need to.  There are many recipes out on the internet and many are pretty bad so work with what you have available and adjust it to your areas humidity and you own oven.

To make the cookie, you basically take a good almond paste or make your own, then mix it with egg white until it is the thick cookie mix consistency you want, like playdough.  Next take the best bottled sour or sweet cherry that you can find or afford (cheap maraschino ones work but pale in comparison to a really amazing cherry) and put it inside of a ball of the almond mixture.  Close the ball around the cherry, kind of like hiding something inside a wad of playdough as a kid.  Then if you want, and I do, roll the ball in almond slices or shreds or crumbs for an additional outside texture and bake at about 350 depending on your oven until done enough to be firm but not hard like a stale rock.

Costco and Sams Club are usually the best places to find slivered almonds at the best price but Smart and Final sometimes has them for a reasonable price too.  To find Almond Paste, head for the Kosher section and hope they have Solo brand Almond Paste in a can.  It has been the easiest for me to work with and is usually much more economical than the toothpaste tube other couple brands that can be runny and even a little too grainy.  Solo brand Almond filling is ok for fillings in pastrys but doesn't work as a replacement to almond paste so depending on your options available at the stores, make your own if you need to.


There are two of my favorite cookies made of Almonds.  The Marasche from Il Fornaio Restaurant in Del Mar, California that is usually available around Christmas and the Almond Crescent Cookie dipped half way in chocolate from a French bakery just off the Carlsbad Village Drive exit on the 5 as you get off driving southbound.  I think its right next to the old quirky Ace Hardware that's been there forever.  The Almond Cookie from the French bakery will have to wait for another day since I haven't attempted to replicate that recipe yet and the size of that one is probably the same cost or more to make than to just buy with all the almond paste it must use.  I forgot to mention there is also an almond brownie recipe that I love and that may get posted soon too.

Orange Rolls and Swedish Tea Rings

There is way too much to say about Orange Rolls and Swedish Tea Rings.  I just don't have the time right now.  BUT, I keep forgetting to post this handout Suzanne did years ago that works for both.  She makes amazing orange rolls and her hints are from experience.  This year we did our traditional Tea Rings but didn't have time for separate orange rolls so we used double the orange roll filling and used it to make a couple of the tea rings and it was so much easier than making individual rolls and cleaning out all the muffin tins, that I thnk we may do the orange roll Swedish tea ring hibrid from now on,(or at least if I'm making them alone.)

For a pretty good Almond Filling I put 2 cups of white sugar, 1 cup of almonds, 2 teaspoons of almond extract and 1 cup of melted butter in the Cuisinart until it basically becomes almond paste.

For Swedish Tea Rings, I also frost them when cooled with an almond frosting and then sprinkle sliced almonds over the top if I have them.  Blackberry, Raspberry, or Boysenberry Jam with butter for a filling with or without sliced almonds mixed works well for filling too.  Let them rise about 30 minutes or more after shaping them.

FREEZING: I used to make these with cinnamon, orange zest, or almond paste and freeze after cutting the dough wrapped in plastic wrap and then in gallon ziplocks.  They were easy to thaw and bake leaving out overnight.  Instead of detailing the process, here is a similar to same process that I used to to and it has pictures. Freezing cinnamon roll dough to bake later

Divinity Recipe

BUMMER!!!!!  Divinity just doesn't work when it's humid from raining.  You can try and make adjustments but even if you get it to work, it quickly changes with the humidity and you have to try drying it out again in the oven before serving, SO since this was a really wet Christmas season this year we didn't make any, but here's the recipe anyway so you can make it when weather dries out.

12th Day of Christmas, Pistachios

11th Day of Christmas, Pumpkin Pie

10th Day of Christmas, Homemade Caramel Corn

9th Day of Christmas, Raspberry Chipotle Dip

Yes this image says 1st Day of Christmas not 9th but I switched the 1st and 9th days this year.

8th Day of Christmas, Coconut Chex Mix

This is great munchy food.

7th Day of Christmas, Molasses Crinkle Cookies

This recipe has 2 versions in my binder.  One is the one with adjustments made on the actual recipe to change it to how we like it and the other is one printed for others a couple years ago.  I think the major difference was to have both white and brown sugar and up the spices, but I'm not up to thinking that much right now.