Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/315771
ByAngelHuracha Correspondent Forthemostpart,inlife it certainly helps to keep an open mind. Often it could lead us into wondrous territo- ries, or sometimes it may serve as a cautious warn- ing. Whatever the case may be, it's more often than not a lesson learned. Located on 659 Palmetto Avenue is a small dive that carries a peculiar large menu with generally inex- pensive Chinese food. Egg Roll King offers the ulti- mate Chinese fast-food din- ing experience — drive- through included. Although Chico offers a vast selection of cheap Chi- nese eateries, it's good to branch out from one you attend regularly. As the dining public, we tend to swarm our usual spots and eat through the menu until we have reached overload. This visit to Egg Roll King was a first for me. From the outside, the place looks dingy. It's tucked away behind vari- ous business. But step in- side, and the place is sur- prisingly normal. Once inside, the em- ployee was sitting on the outskirts of the ordering area — understandable as the cashier and kitchen are generally in the same area. I can only assume he is not a toucan and that the heat can become unbearable. It has a general set-up of wooden booths with red cushions for you to enjoy or at least explore your food. Its order station is like that of a banks, with two win- dows, one for ordering and one for pick-up. Specials were plastered all over the take-out windows. Browsing through the menu, I knew this place would fit perfectly for a starving student. There wasn't a single item that was more than $8. From the looks of the food photo- graphs on the wall, the por- tions looked more than fair. After much deliberation, I opted for Special Combo B ($6.50), a selection that includes cashew chicken, sweet and sour pork and fried rice. With such large portions of rice and cashew chicken you might want to ask for a to-go box, all de- pending on your appetite. This is a fast place to dine and the food is pretty simple, but it just didn't impress me as the kind of place worth a return visit. In no way did the food taste bad, but the wow factor was missing. Sure, the name itself car- ried a sense of attraction. I love egg rolls and on my good days I walk around and prance like a king. But it was no royalty affair in my eyes. Don't think for one sec- ond that you have my per- mission to run to Panda Ex- press as another option for an only half-satisfying Chi- nese fix near campus. As it turns out, this is a decent place for some sit-down grub. If you're in a hurry and jonesing for some inex- pensive Chinese, then this makes a great lunch spot. Sometimes the bang for your buck is more relevant than the dazzle of taste. Angel Huracha is a Chico State University student. Each week he's asked to find a meal that costs no more than $8 (one hour at mini- mum wage) and then write about it. EggRollKingplainbutfillsyouup STARVING STUDENT ANGELHURACHA—ENTERPRISE-RECORD The plain exterior in a busy business district hides a bright interior at Egg Roll King. Location: 659Palmetto Ave., Chico Hours: 10a.m.-9:30p.m. Monday-Saturday Telephone: 893-1838 EGGROLLKING By Bonnie S. Benwick The Washington Post The next time I'm asked to recommend a cookbook for beginners, this one will be at the top of my list: "The Arcadia Mobile Market Sea- sonal Cookbook." The all-volunteer effort is geared toward customers in the Special Supplemen- tal Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Chil- dren (WIC). Its simple, sea- sonal recipes call for farm- ers market items and inex- pensive pantry ingredients. They are accompanied by handsome photographs and were curated by JuJu Har- ris, the culinary educator and SNAP outreach coordi- nator for the nonprofit Arca- dia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Al- exandria, Va. The project was under- written by Bon Appetit Man- agement; the book is a bar- gain at $20. Order it online at arcadiafood.org/order- arcadia-mobile-market-sea- sonal-cookbook. These patties achieve a thin, crisp crust under the broiler. Canned beans are the go-to for a quick rendi- tion, but of course home- cooked beans would be even kinder to the budget. Serve two patties with a crunchy salad, or put one in a pita or on a toasted whole- wheat bun. This recipes makes 4 to 8 servings (makes 8 patties). It's adapted from "The Arcadia Mobile Market Sea- sonal Cookbook," by JuJu Harris (The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, 2014). SpicyBlackBean Patties INGREDIENTS 1medium onion 8cloves garlic 1large (9or 10ounces) sweet potato 28 to 29ounces canned, no-salt-added black beans 1tablespoon olive oil 1teaspoon hot sauce 11/2 teaspoons ground cumin 2large eggs 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs (substitute panko) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper DIRECTIONS Cut the onion in half, then into very thin slices. Mince the garlic or run it through a garlic press. Peel the sweet potato, then use the large- holed side of a box grater to grate it; the yield should be 2cups. Drain and rinse the black beans, then place them in a mixing bowl. Position the top oven rack 4 to 6inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease it lightly with cook- ing oil spray. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and stir to coat; cook for about 1minute, then stir in the garlic, hot sauce and cumin. Cook, stirring for about 30seconds, then remove from the heat. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of black beans. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash most of the beans and blend in the onion mixture. Lightly beat the eggs, then add them to the bowl, along with the sweet potato and bread crumbs. Season gen- erously with salt and pepper. Use clean hands to divide the mixture into 8equal balls, then flatten the balls into patties, arranging them on the baking sheet spaced about 1/2 inch apart as you work. Broil for 8to 10 minutes, until crisped and golden brown; use a thin metal spatula to turn them over, then broil for 2to 3 minutes on the second side. Serve hot. Nutrition per patty: 180 calories, 9 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 55 mg choles- terol, 150 mg sodium, 6 g di- etary fiber, 3 g sugar MEATLESS Co ok bo ok d es ig ne d fo r WI C pr og ra m contains common sense, seasonal recipes DEB LINDSEY — THE WASHINTON POST Spicy Black Bean Patties call for canned black beans, sweet potato and bread crumbs. Tehama County's fourth annual Passport Weekend will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 7-8. The self-guided tour allows participants to explore Tehama County farms at their own pace. A map is provided with the purchase of each ticket. Tickets are $20. For those who don't feel like driving, a two-day guided shuttle service and pass- port ticket can be pur- chased for $60. Guests may visit family farms that produce vege- tables, fruits, nuts, beef, olives and olive oil. Some Tehama Trail farmers have events planned, others will pair fresh food, wines and ar- tisanal olive oils. Cedar Crest Vineyards in Manton will host a mu- sic festival and wine tast- ing, while Tehama Oaks Vineyard & Winery in Red Bluff, partnering with Pacific Sun Olive Oil, plans a barrel tast- ing. Country Haven at the Red Barn in Los Molinos will offer specials on lo- cally grown and produced goods. Tickets include free sampling at each location and are available first- come, first-serve at Te- hama Oaks Vineyard & Winery, Enjoy the Store, Julia's Fruit Stand, Burl- ison's Farm, Bianchi Or- chards Walnuts & Wine, Country Haven at the Red Barn, New Clairvaux Vineyard, Lucero Olive Oil, Olive Pit, Indian Peak Vineyards, Alger Vine- yards, Mount Tehama Winery, Cedar Crest Vineyards and Shasta Daisy Vineyards. TEHAMA COUNTY Passport Weekend ag tour coming CUSTOM CUT MEATS AT NO EXTRA CHARGE WE ACCEPT FOOD STAMPS WeAccept EBT "YourFamilySupermarket" Weappreciateyourbusiness-andweshowit! HOURS: 7AM - 9 PM DAILY 384-1563 WE FEATURE BLACK CANYON ANGUS BEEF NO CARDS REQUIRED FOR EVERYDAY LOW PRICING OR SALE ITEMS 8049 Hwy 99E, Los Molinos, CA Prices good May 21 thru May 27, 2014 Boneless, Untrimmed Beef Tri Tip $ 3 99 Lb. Fresh, Lean Not to Exceed 15% Fat Ground Chuck $ 3 49 Lb. Baby Back Pork Ribs $ 3 79 Lb. Tyson Drums or Thighs $ 1 29 Lb. Raw Prawns 31/40 Count $ 7 99 Lb. Fresh White or Yellow Corn 5 $ 2 for Sweet Strawberries 2 lb. Package $ 3 99 Ea. Blueberries 11 oz. Package $ 3 49 Ea. FreshProduceSpecials Whole Seedless Watermelon $ 3 99 Produce Specials Avocados 4 $ 5 Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs $ 2 49 Lb. for Ea. Ea. Meat Specials Grocery Specials Coca Cola Soft Drinks 2 Liter Bottles Select Varieties 4 $ 5 Nabisco Snack Crackers 3.5-13.7 oz. Package Select Varieties $ 1 99 Gatorade Thirst Quencher 32 oz. Bottles, Select Varieties 10 $ 10 Ranch Style or Dennison's Beans or Chili Beans 15 oz. Cans, Select Varieties 99 ¢ Bull's Eye BBQ Sauce 18 oz. Bottle, $ 1 69 Daisy Sour Cream 16 oz. Tubs, Select Varieties 2 $ 3 for Pepsi Soft Drinks 2 Liter Bottles Select Varieties 99 ¢ +crv +crv Budweiser or Coors Beer 30 Pack, 12 oz. Cans, Select Varieties $ 18 99 +crv Natural or Keystone Beer 18 Pack, 12 oz. Cans, $ 10 99 +crv Corona, Modelo, Pacifico or Blue Moon Beer 12 Pack, 11-12 oz. Bottles Select Varieties, $ 12 99 +crv A-1. Steak Sauce 10 oz. Bottle, Select Varieties 2 $ 5 for for Poweraid Sports Drink 32 oz. Bottles, Select Varieties 59 ¢ +crv for +crv Lay's Potato Chips 9.5-10 oz. Bag, Select Varieties Buy One, Get One FREE for +crv Dryers Ice Cream 48 oz Cartons, Select Varieties 2 $ 6 for Best Foods Mayonnaise 30 oz. Jar Select Varieties $ 2 99 Hebrew National Franks or Knockwurst 11-12 oz. Package, Select Varieties 2 $ 7 for Kraft Salad Dressing 16 oz. Bottles, Select Varieties 2 $ 4 Western Family Purified Water 24 Pack, 16.9 oz. Bottles $ 2 69 1 lb. Bag Mini Peeled Carrots or Head Lettuce 99 ¢ Deli-TastyBurgers-Wraps NewTo-GoSection Thursday,Friday&Saturday Lunch&Dinner Happy Hour with Cocktails, Food & Entertainment Sun. 9am-2:30pm FREE Whole Wheat Pancakes on May 11th Open all day for Mother's Day Saigon Bistro 723 Walnut St. Red Bluff • 528-9670 FOOD » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, May 21, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B4