Sunday, March 5, 2017

Costco Hot Dogs

My previous two trips to Costco, I used a knife and fork to eat my food court hot dog, but last time, I brought some disposable chopsticks (waribashi), and when I ordered my so-se-ji dake hot dog, I also asked for a paper plate (kamizara).  They were very cooperative.

For ketchup and mustard, I also brought along some little paper bento cups that look like muffin pan liners.

Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Late last year (2016), my girlfriend Tomoko brought me a surprise from Costco: pão de queijo, or Brazilian cheese rolls.  They're little golf-ball-sized rolls that you heat up in your oven.  Very cheesy, and gluten-free, too.  Pretty tasty, I might add.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of the ingredients on the package, and the Baker John website doesn't provide them, but apparently, they're made with tapioca flour/starch rather than wheat flour.

Recently, I found a different brand of Pif Paf brand pão de queijo at my local Gyomu Super (one of my favorite stores in Japan).  I believe these were ¥298 per package.  They're a little different from the Baker John ones, in that they don't appear to be fully baked, and they take at least 30 minutes in the oven (I have a combination microwave-toaster oven).

They're both nice snacks when you're in the mood for something bready.  Here's a photo of the fully-baked Pif Paf rolls.  I cooked these for 35 minutes, then put them under the boiler for 5 minutes.  You can also pan-fry them (after they've been baked) for a crispier crust.

They're a bit soft (mochi-mochi) inside, so unfortunately, slicing them for mini-sandwiches isn't an option.  They do, however, go well with a fried egg and breakfast sausage.