Last week I took the final step in becoming certified in Project Management.  I already had plenty of years of experience in Project Management, taken a 35 hour course, and received approval on my application by the Project Management Institute (PMI).  The last thing I needed to do was to pass the PMI exam.  I was teetering on whether to take it virtually or in-person.  I made the decision to do it in-person because I was too nervous I might run into a computer glitch at home or I might do something that would disqualify me like accidentally talk to myself, put my hand over ..read more

Yesterday was a heavy day, both fascinating and eye opening. We caught a taxi from our hotel in Tel Aviv to go to Bethlehem. We were dropped off outside checkpoint 300 to cross the border between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Our Israeli taxi driver is not allowed into Bethlehem and our Palestinian tour guide has restrictions on when and where he can move. In order to meet Hazem, we had to walk through a passage into Bethlehem for our private tour. Most tours of Bethlehem focus only on the Biblical history. Our tour would provide some of that, but we were going to get a real life history lesson of ..read more

We are staying in Central Tel Aviv and this morning we walked to La Bonne Patisserie for some coffee. I noticed that sufganiyat, the jelly filled donuts were available so we picked up one of those and one filled with custard. This would hold us over until Frishman Falafel and Frishman Sabich opened for breakfast. Falafels are available all over the Bay Area, but not sabich. A sabich is a pita bread stuffed with deliciousness. This one had thin strips of fried eggplant, boiled egg, potatoes, loaded with vegetables, and topped with cheese. I only arrived in Tel Aviva on Sunday night, but I can’t ..read more

Today was a marathon of exploring Tel Aviv, Israel. I literally walked (over) a half marathon wandering around, and eating of course! We left the hotel at 9am and the first stop was to get coffee. The front desk recommended a close by coffee stand called Aroma that was just off the beach. When we arrived, we found a machine we could order from so that was great. My cappuccino was mediocre. I just needed some caffeine to start my day which did the trick. We were headed to Jaffa, an old port town. We passed several beaches with lots of people watching. I kept thinking “muscle beach” with all th ..read more

https://bit.ly/510foodiebakesale ..read more

Print Pork and Shitake Mushroom Potstickers Ever since watching Crazy Rich Asians, I can’t stop wrapping potstickers!  I have made these for family, friends, and coworkers, and they all love them. I don’t bother making the wrappers from scratch as it takes up too much time.  Also, I grew up eating dumplings and I have never in my life seen anyone make homemade wrappers. These potstickers are inexpensive to make and tastes delicious.   Course Appetizer Cuisine Chinese Keyword appetizer, chinese food, dumplings, potstickers Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total ..read more

Are you afraid of the Covid-19 virus?  Being a healthy individual in my forties, I am not afraid.  I have been going about my business and eating out.  I have also been promoting eating out to support local businesses including Chinatown.  But after the new State regulations in California that Governor Gavin Newsom announced today about Covid-19, I admit I’m a little scared.   I’m having second thoughts about eating out.  I feel fine, but I have to worry about others that I may be in contact with.  My mother is over 65 with preexisting conditions so even if she stays home, she may not be safe ..read more

Today happens to be International Women’s Day, so it’s the perfect opportunity to write about Sister, a young new restaurant located on Grand Avenue in Oakland.  Last year, the restaurant replaced Boot and Shoe Service, so there are no ties to the restauranteur (who will not be named) accused of sexual harassment.   My girlfriends and I tried Sister this past Friday to celebrate a birthday. The set up is similar to Boot and Shoe where the right side of the building is the restaurant and the left back side is bar service.  After checking in, I made my way to the bar area as I awaited the res ..read more

My bookclub recently dined at Perle, a French inspired restaurant in the Montclair district in Oakland. We started the evening off with the fancy caviar service.  This was my first experience specifically ordering caviar at a restaurant.  The Perle Caviar service includes caviar from the California Caviar Company, créme fraîche, brioche points, gougère, and potato chips.  Everything on the plate was put there for a reason.  I loved the experience and it made me feel like an adult.  caviar serviceWe each ordered our own entrees.  Although listed as an appetizer, two friends ordered the be ..read more

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of my food blog.  I began writing exactly a decade ago to share my passion for food.  510foodie focuses on local food and to celebrate the occasion, I tried a local restaurant that I have never been to before nor heard anything about.   Mägo means magician in Spanish and is a neighborhood bistro located in North Oakland on Piedmont Avenue near Kaiser Hospital.  It opened about 7 months ago when it took over Cybelle’s Pizza which had resided there for a long time.   My friend and I sat at the chef’s counter so we could see the action in the open kitchen ..read more