Soul Food 101

Mae's Soul Food is the newest venture to open on Victoria Court in San Leandro - at the space occupied until a couple of months ago by Joplin's. Indeed, it was to Joplin's where we were headed today, for a burger, when we noticed that the sign with that name was no longer in front of the business. A new owner and a new menu greeted us inside, and always the adventurers we decided to give it a try. But for the fact that we got stuffed, it was not a bad call.Mae's Soul Food specializes in fried food, their menu, indeed, is pretty short and basically includes fried fish, fried shrimp, fried chicken and fried pork, available in various combinations with or without gravy. There are also a plethora of side dishes, from candied yams to red beans and rice. There are also po boy sandwiches, made with, you guessed it, fried meats. Don't come here if you are watching your weight. Prices go from $7 for a 3 pieces of fried chicken to $17.50 for a seafood combo platter with shrimp.I had the 3-pieces of chicken platter withHave you ever been to a old dilapidated restaurant that you know has existed for decades and probably hasn’t changed one bit? This includes the lighting, the tables, chairs, the menu and even maybe the linens? A few months ago while running errands in the neighborhood I came across this odd restaurant on the corner of 95th and Columbus. It’s got this large green awning and on the side of the building is in bold (but worn out) letters is a plaque that reads “Mr Babbintons BBQ Restaurant and Saloon”. It’s got character I thought and it would probably make a great Plate of the day entry. So tonight I decided to check it out. Tonight was also Wednesday soul food buffet night so why not? I walked in and there was a sparse crowd around the bar and throughout the restaurant. Near the center bar was a long table of steaming buffet trays. I piled my plate high with various soul food delights including rum spice cake, collard greens, candy yams, baked chicken, mac and cheese, meatloaf, yellow rice, mashed potatoes, calamari, and BBQ ribs. I don’t know if it was just tonight but the food was so so. The meatloaf and candy yams were awesomeloved the sauce of the meatloaf and the yams were a golden orange and were deliciously sweet. What I thought was baked chicken turned out to be turkey which was ok. What I thought was BBQ pork or beef ribs turned out to be BBQ lamb. BBQ Lamb? Never heard of that but it was a strange combination for my taste. Overall though I think this place has existed here for so long because it is a cool neighborhood establishment that many enjoy week after week. On Fridays they have live bands that sing R&B tunes, the blues and funk. Tonight they were playing all the classics on the juke box including Earth Wind and Fire and Barry White. I guess after reading Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential recently I was a little wary of eating buffet on a Wednesday but after looking at the menu this place looks like it has a long list of great classic dishes such as St Louie Ribs, crab cakes, half baked chickens, Colorado Lamb steaks, Jersey Pork Chops, and 14 types of steak. I’ll have to come back and give it a second shot. Probably on a Friday with the live band you can’t lose.Yom Kippur is coming, so to fast or not fast is on some people's mind. I stopped fasting a few years ago, because it makes me really sick. I happen to stumble upon an article on About.com for making the fast a little easier, some great things to think about...

May you have an easy fast!

~YS
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While feeling hunger pains is an acceptable part of the fast experience, one need not dehydrate, faint or get sick while fasting. There are several ways to prepare oneself physically for a healthy fast.Days before the fast, caffeine intake should be minimized.
•The day before the fast, eat something small every two hours, avoid caffeine and salt, and drink as much water as possible.
•Plan the final meal before the fast early enough in the afternoon to avoid rushing to finish before the fast begins.
•Plan the menu of this final meal so that it contains high carbohydrate and low salt foods.
•Do not eat too much in the meal before the fast, but drink plenty of water.
•Leave time after the meal to drink warm water with sugar and brush teeth


What food is best to eat before the fast?

According to the Talmud, eating the day before Yom Kippur is a mitzvah equal to the mitzvah of fasting on the day of Yom Kippur. The festive meal before the fast is called Seudah Mafseket ("final meal"). While we do not say kiddush over the wine at this meal, we do bless the challah. Meat is not eaten during this meal, but poultry can be eaten. It is traditional to eat soup, but important to put as little salt and seasoning in the soup as possible. The boiled turkey or chicken from the soup can be served as a healthy pre-fast entree. It is also traditional to serve the soup with kreplach, dough filled with potato, because we hope any strict judgment from God will be covered with kindness.