Totally Raspberry
On Friday our
box contained 3
blood oranges. I've had pieces of it before in desserts and salads, but none of it compared to what we just ate. Each orange was about the size of a tangerine, perfect spheres of a sunny orange color with a red underlay. Each slice was tinged or colored with red, ranging from a pink to dark blood shade. be and i each ate 6 little slices and they ranged in taste from "tangy orange" and "strawberry" to "TOTALLY RASPBERRY!" For real, the dark blood colored slices tasted exactly like eating raspberries. We're really excited to eat more next week!
Salt Problem
Recently, i've been super thirsty and craving salty foods like mad. I'm constantly thinking about ramen, potato chips and ordering salt & pepper grinders. I've done a little researching online and it looks like i either have some dehydration salt/water imbalance and/or i'm craving the minerals found in real sea salt. Apparently iodized table salt is so refined it's very bad to consume, while sea salt which holds 84 minerals and has a similar composition to tears and sweat, is quite good for you.
I must say that sea salt does taste better than iodized salt. The flavor is lighter and the flaky texture is nicer to eat. I know i must sound insane, but it's true! There are a lot of stores that sell some pretty fancy sea salts, and i'm thinking of trying some out!
Meanwhile, the dish that lead me to all this salt research is Nong Shim's
Black Bean Paste Noodle. It's not ramen soup, but a thicker noodle dish with a black bean sauce. I've had it once before at a Korean noodle shop on 32nd St with MYi, board president, and it was really tasty but difficult to eat with slippery metal chopsticks. The instant version i made tonight is quite good but now i'm worried i've consumed too much sodium + saturated fat and i'm still craving a glass of water AND a salty snack!
PS: check out this awesome
salt & pepper dish set! I once read that people used to serve salt in a little dish because the natural, unrefined sea salt was too moist to shake out of anything.
Sweet Failure Pie
I'm not a huge fruit pie person. be's in love with
Mrs. Smith's Apple Pie while i always prefer pecan or sweet potato pie. I also like coconut custard pie, lemon meringue pie and banana cream pie. Tonight was attempt #1 of sweet potato pie. We had a giant paper bag full of many weeks' worth of sweet potatoes (from the
box) so it was a good way to reduce some.
I found 3 recipes that sounded good, and the one i had all the ingredients for was in
Fannie Flagg's Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook, which i got for free somewhere a few years ago. 2 of the recipes called for canned sweet potatoes, which did me no good as i had a bag of fresh ones, but
Alton Brown's recipe on FoodTV instructed me how to steam fresh chunks. I peeled and chopped up 7 sweet potatoes (3 were enough, so i saved the rest for another batch) and continued with Fannie Flag's recipe as instructed. Hers essentially had me whip the sweet potatoes, spices, butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and cream together first. Then i had to whip up the egg whites into a meringue with some sugar, and fold it into the sweet potato mix. I took the hint from Alton Brown and toasted a cup of chopped pecans, spread them onto the top of the pie and then drizzled it with some maple syrup. The recipe called for a bake time of 45 minutes but it took my pie about 55 to finally set. After cooling it for a long while, we each had a slice:
The filling tasted amazing - the pecan maple topping was so crunchy and sweet, a great contrast to the smooth sweet potato. The spices were just right and the filling was sweet but not toothache-sweet. HOWEVER, the texture sucked! It was too loose and too fluffy. The crust also never browned and was kind of raw and doughy. We've used the same frozen crusts for quiche and they usually come out very good. I studied some more recipes and nothing else called for an egg white meringue thing, which is the suspected culprit according to me. SO, in a few days i'm trusting Alton Brown and trying his recipe. The pecan maple topping totally made the pie and his steaming instructions were right on, exactly 20 minutes. I guess someone as anal and scientific as him probably makes the perfect pie.
Mango Flavored
This morning be pan fried some
Mrs. T's frozen pierogies. Our freezer likes to crust everything in ice crystals, so the dough part tasted a little funky but the potato part was still yummy. The best batch ever was when i soaked the frozen pierogies in hot water for a few minutes, drained them and then cooked them in the deep fryer. I know this isn't really authentic or anything, but they sure were delicious!
At Stop & Shop we discovered a few things:
Entenmann's
now makes a "
Delicias Latinas" line. We had first spotted the Mango Loaf at our corner store a few weeks ago. Stop & Shop had the whole line available but i was set on the Mango Loaf - it's like pound cake with a sweet mango swirl! I love pound cake and i must say the swirl makes it even tastier.
be is in love with Entenmann's Cinnamon Filbert Ring. He wanted me to let everyone know that it's only available in the tri-state area. He's always telling me about how he missed it while living in Miami. It's really good, but i like their Original Chocolate Chip Cookies, Louisiana Crunch Cake and Mango Loaf better.
Kool-Aid makes a
mango and a tamarind flavor packet! I've tried the tangerine one a few years back, which was good. All these companies are now trying to cater to Latin tastes, which i'm pro because a lot of it caters to Asian tastes too! Mango, tamarind, tangerine and pineapple are all tastes my mom passed on to me, flavors she grew up eating and things i grew up with, too.
We scoped out the discounted produce section, which was 2 carts of plastic-wrapped styrofoam containers filled with assorted produce in various stages of going bad. Some of it wasn't edible at all, but we found a packet of 6 assorted organic apples that we only a little bruised: red delicious, gala and golden delicious. At the checkout, it rang up for 75 cents instead of 99 cents! We used these apples for juicing (bruised fruit is totally fine for this) with our 4 bags of carrots in an effort to reduce. The 6 apples, 35 carrots and big piece of ginger made a full pitcher of delicious, refreshing and nutritious juice.
Dinner was splitting a giant crusty baguette with oil & vinegar, Heluva good cheese (cheddar and pepper jack) and a big salad with be's croutons. It doesn't sound like a huge dinner but the bread really filled us up.
Misc thought: those new M&Ms commercials are dumb. I really used to like seeing the old animated one where the M&Ms are swimming in a chocolate pool and then take candy showers that cover them in the colored shells.
We got another produce box tonight; right now we have too many sweet potatoes. We have a frozen pie crust ready to go, so we're considering making a sweet potato pie! I'll report on the outcome if we decide to make it.
Beverages
You know how you're supposed to drink 8 glasses of water each day? I think i'm lucky to consume 2 or 3 glasses of liquids, and they're usually not of water. I've been feeling very thirsty recently - maybe it's the blasting heaters or because of my caffeine problem - and i'm trying to catch up and drink enough so i'm no longer dehydrated. Easier said than done.
The main thing is that i don't like drinking water. The tap in NoVA growing up always tasted like metal, so i never got into the habit of drinking it. As for carbonated drinks, i can appreciate a Cherry or Classic Coke or root beer (especially of the fountain variety) with foods like pizza or fries, but generally i'm not a big soda drinker. Besides strong black coffee + sugar and Assam tea, my beverages of choice are made from Lipton iced tea mix, Gatorade mix,
Kool-Aid powder* and fruit concentrates. If you include all the candy i consume, this is way too much sugar.
I bought a
Brita water filter a few months ago and i must admit it has gotten be and i to drink more plain water. New York tap is fine tasting already, but the Brita removes the chlorine taste, which makes chugging a glass a little easier. Right now i'm forcing myself to drink a whole 12 oz glass of water before i go to sleep each night, but it's still not enough.
Why am i telling you all this? I guess i'm boring you with my water woes because 1) i'm drinking the said glass of water right now, 2) i've had a caffeine/dehydration headache all day, and 3) if i write about it, you all can remind me to drink water AND drink some yourselves!
*OH YEAH! I have a billion Kool-Aid points which i've been saving since 1994, but haven't redeemed yet because all the prizes suck ass! When are they going to offer something nice like an old skool pitcher?
Pepper Frenzy
P and i recently discussed our similar love for freshly ground black pepper. I have 1 mini travel grinder that's been awesome for over 10 years, but now i think it's time to invest in a full-size mega grinder. I've read a lot of reviews and the grinders from
Unicorn seem to be rated #1 pretty consistently. They're pricey, considering i already have a grinder AND that i can buy one for a few bucks at the supermarket, but give me a chance to explain!
My little travel grinder, however awesome, takes a long time to grind a significant amount of pepper. I use a lot when cooking, so i if you can't find me i'm probably turning the grinder over a pot. I also have to refill it every few days. It's a TRAVEL grinder, so it's made to be tucked in the bag (just like how some people carry around Tabasco sauce).
The cheapy grinders from the supermarket apparently are "disposable!" The ones we got for $1.99 can't be opened and refilled. So wasteful! be's gotten really into the sea salt grinder and it's about to run out; i guess we're supposed to throw it away. There are some medium-priced grinders at various kitchen stores but i'm very pro investing in something that lasts. I hate buying something that soon breaks since you have to replace it over and over; in the end you've spent more than investing in top quality from the start.
I'm leaning towards ordering a black pepper mill (although red sure is nice!) and a white salt mill. If you asked me 3 months ago about a salt mill i would've laughed at the idea, but now that i've used one - it's great! The salt particles are tastier. It's hard to explain, but true! I didn't know this, but the mechanisms for salt grinders are usually made with nylon since metal would corrode. Pepper mills should be made with steel.
Am i the only person who drools at pepper mills?
Chocolately Goodness
Ever since i mentioned Cadbury Creme Eggs, i haven't been able to get them off the brain! Tonight i went to a drugstore in search of mini Creme Eggs, which come in a little "carton" of a dozen mini eggs of goodness. They had everything but the minis so i just bought 1 regular Creme Egg, which i'll unwrap and devour tonight. Don't mistake the mini Creme Eggs for "Cadbury Mini Eggs," which are a little bag of egg-shaped Cadbury chocolates with pastel candy shells. For the record, i like Cadbury chocolate okay - it's that creme filling that's so enticing!
When i got home, a surprise box from the Rices was waiting! Those crazy kids sent me a box of
Candinas chocolates. The box itself is really nice, with an orange, red, tan and brown stripes sleeve over a box imprinted with matching circles. I immediately tried 1 truffle, which was a slightly minty dark chocolate one. I have to ration myself in some sort of manner or else they'll all be gone by tomorrow; they are that good! The fillings are very smooth and velvety, while the outsides are snappy like well-tempered chocolate should be. Thanks dudes!
So many of my friends are chocoholics; we've had a long-standing plan to visit all the chocolate shops in New York. I'll report as we visit each place, if we ever get our asses in gear! be and i secretly would love to open our own candy & chocolate shop; check out the
truffles we made a few years back. Realistically, we can't compete with the professionals but it sure is fun to think about it.
Tater Tots Casserole (Revised)
Alright, so my guess at Adrian's recipe was off. Here's the correct, revised version below!
beXns: hey i need clarification on your tater tots casserole recipe
gnah8r: yeah? what's up?
beXns: do you just mix it all up and bake? layer it? cook the meat first?
gnah8r: let's see....
gnah8r: grill the meat first
gnah8r: while the meat is browning, mix 3/4 of all the other ingredients
gnah8r: (not the cheese) [or the tater tots]
gnah8r: after meat is browned, pour off oil and stir in mixture
gnah8r: pour meat/mixture into a casserole
gnah8r: push tatertots into the mixture
gnah8r: mix remaining non-cheese ingredients
gnah8r: pour on top of tatertots
gnah8r: spread grated cheese over the top
gnah8r: bake
gnah8r: serve. eat.
beXns: okay cool!
beXns: frozen tater tots or defrosted?
gnah8r: frozen are fine
gnah8r: the bake time is about 45-50 min. so, they're done by then.
beXns: sounds tasty!
Adrian's Tater Tots Casserole1 lb (fake) ground beef
2 T vegetable oil (optional)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 jar salsa
1 t chile powder (or less if you want it milder)
1 small can diced green chiles OR 2 jalepenos, diced (again, less if you like it mild)
1 cup shredded cheese
1 package frozen tater tots
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the (fake) ground beef in a little oil (optional, but suggested if using fake meat). Meanwhile, combine the soup, salsa, chile powder and diced chiles. Drain the beef if necessary. Combine 3/4 of the mixture with the browned beef and spread into bottom of a casserole dish. Push frozen tater tots into the mixture. Top with the remaining 1/4 and spread the shredded cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until done.
I'll give this casserole a try and let you know how it turns out! I suspect you can add or reduce the amount of ingredients and it'll still end up tasting great. If you're using fake meat, i recommend
Morningstar Crumbles brand.
High Class
Today started with be's inhaling of 3 hot dogs (St. Yves "The Good Dog") with dijon mustard and sauerkraut. I was forcing myself to drink a glass of water (those who know, know i don't like water) and eating some rice crackers with sesame seeds when O called us about lunch.
It was a good afternoon to try the "all you can eat soup, salad and breadsticks deal" at the
Olive Garden. We ended up in Times Square so i'm positive we paid top dollar for our food, just like all those tourists clogging up the sidewalks. be ended up getting the deal, choosing minestrone soup (a vegetarian classic!) but he only ate a little salad and 2 breadsticks, so the $12.95 dinner price wasn't really worth it. O got a sausage/potato/kale soup, sausage & pepperoni personal pizza (they forgot to add his other 2 requested toppings) and the "frozen tiramisu" dessert drink, which was very tasty. I ended up with an angel hair pasta dish; the pasta was slightly overcooked and the sauce wasn't rave-worthy, totally not worth the $13.95. However, i ate up a good deal of salad and breadsticks so i left the place completely full. Next time, i'll go for the breadsticks and salad deal in VA where it's only $7.95. I really only like those damn breadsticks.
With our check, we received a handful of
Andes Crème de Menthe Thins. For some reason, O, be and i ALL thought that Andes was "high class candy" when we were young. We each grew up in different places, so was there some marketing team, commercial or general consensus that Andes was high class? Just as expected, we trudged to a drugstore and bought 2 boxes of Andes. be also picked up a 12 oz. carton of
Whoppers. Easter candy is out now; i love those
mini Cadbury Creme Eggs*!
For a late dinner, be and i made: 2 bosc pears and 2 red delicious apples in a plum wine sauce, 1 pot of red lentil dal + some leftover rice and 1 baked kabocha squash.
We threw out: 1 bag of rotten dandelion, 1 moldy head of cauliflower, part of 1 lemon, part of the kabocha that was going bad and 1 container of moldy rice.
*Why did i not try the Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry at McDonald's in London? I'm a dumbass; now that's all i think about.
Happy Presents
A big food day update:
12:00PM) be's been making platanos (lightly fried, sliced ripe plantains) every morning for the past few days in an effort to use up our plantain bounty. We always eat them with refried beans and sometimes homemade tortillas, if be has the time to make them. This morning we ate our platanos with tamales d'elote (fresh corn tamales) from the Salvadorean restaurant next to the
Elotitos shop. Speaking of those amazingly drug-like snacks, i finished off the lemon flavored batch in 2 days and now i'm twitching and scratching for more. Someone help me.
12:30PM) I've been sad and disappointed with our powdered horchata mix. We just can't seem to get the proportions of mix, water and sugar correct; each glass is too sweet, too powdery or just not right. Good note: the
Bodum hand-held frother is an excellent mixing tool.
3:30PM) We took some nice pictures in Central Park with
The Gates, bare trees and the winter sun.
4:30PM) The "
White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art" exhibit at the International Center of Photography was very interesting but we left wanting to see more. It's such an important and necessary topic.
5:30PM) The Times Square McDonald's makes an interesting McVeggie Burger. They add sliced pickle and use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. It reminded me of the McVeggie in Hawaii, but better since it was less saucy.
6:15PM) I give "Constantine" two thumbs down; be at least one thumb up. We sneaked in a bag of
Kasugai Hot Wasabi Peas and totally stale "Squish" brand
Swedish Fish. The peas were crunchy, tasty and made my scalp tingle (totally a happy present from the earth!); the fish almost pulled my fillings out. I'm all for stale candy corn and Swedish Fish, but today i learned there was a limit to edibility.
9:00PM) We met up with O and had drinks & snacks at
Saint's Alp Tea House. be's really into the Lychee with Nata de Coco HOT, served with a slice of lemon. I chose the Mocha Coffee drink and i don't think i'll be sleeping until 5:00AM.
10:00PM) I've been craving ramen for weeks now. If anyone knows of a place that makes ramen with a vegetarian broth in New York, please do tell! I grew up on
Top Ramen Oodles of Noodles Oriental Flavor, enjoyed it throughout college but now i'd like something more substantial and maybe with less sodium. I scoped the aisles of M2M on 3rd Ave and bought the 3 packages with meatless soup powder. The boys shared a block of raw salmon, which according to my estimates, was enough to make 12 pieces of sushi.
11:15PM) I tried the "Star Ruby Grapefruit"
GuS (Grown-up Soda) flavor, purchased for $1.99 at M2M. It's really tasty and refreshing, but honestly i'd like it a tad sweeter. It would be yummy over ice in summertime.
12:20AM) Ramen taste-off, brand #1:
Nong Shim's "Hot & Spicy Shin Ramyun" in the red package. The ramen noodles are a little thicker than i'd like, but the broth was very nice and hot. I didn't need to add as much of P's father's roasted, crushed chiles as usual. Perhaps this is my Oodles of Noodles background calling, but i wished it was a little saltier, too. Overall, it didn't satisfy my ramen craving.
3:05AM) I'm hungry again so goodnight!
Chopsticks or Forks?
Saturday night Ishle, P, be and i met up for dinner at our beloved
Village Mingala. I've been eating at this Burmese restaurant since i moved to New York 7 years ago; it was only 1 block from the old Workshop in the East Village. The food has always been consistently delicious: the vegetables are crisp, the sauces are light and the flavors are clear. I love the Indian, Thai and Chinese influences, which create original and refreshing combinations and flavors.
My favorite dishes:
Golden Triangles (Arloo Samusa), which are little fried appetizers of spiced potato filling wrapped in a won ton-like skin, served with a sweet chile sauce.
Tofu Thoke, a salad with fried Burmese bean curd, lettuce and seasonings in a light sauce. I suspect the bean curd is made with chickpeas instead of soybeans since it has a different taste and texture.
Ginger Salad (Gin Thoke), a refreshing salad with fresh ginger, roasted chickpeas, sesame seeds, peanuts and fried onion in a light sauce.
Mohinga Thoke, thin rice noodles with peanuts and vegetables in a tamarind sauce.
Arloo Curry, saucy spiced potatoes served with a Thousand Layered Pancake - a flaky, buttery flatbread.
Basil Soybean, a stir fry with fake meat, fresh basil leaves and crisp vegetables.
I'm happy that Village Mingala was doing good business that night. As for lunch, if you're in the area their lunch special is yummy and affordable. The corn soup is merely okay (it's like watered-down creamed corn) but the main dish choices are numerous and delicious.
I passed by a big table where each person was using (requested) wooden chopsticks. I consulted my group about this - do people use chopsticks in Burma/Myanmar? - the owner answered "no." I always see people at Thai restaurants eating with chopsticks, too. From what i hear, people in Thailand eat with forks and spoons, sometimes breaking out the chopsticks only with Chinese-style noodle dishes. As someone who grew up using chopsticks, not only is it totally offensive to use them as "drumsticks," "hair picks" and as gimmicks for "Shanghai Chicken McNuggets*," it's also really stupid to assume all of Asia uses them. I just imagine dumb people asking the waitstaff, "Could i have some chopsticks?" with an air of "I'm so amazing because i can use chopsticks to enjoy this exotic food in its purest, zen form," when in reality they're only showing their true, ignorant selves. AND it's also painful to see some people trying to use them - if you can't study the pictures on the wrapper, then you're a dumbass for sure! Why is it that the people who can't even use chopsticks right, are also the ones who insist on using them?
*Does anyone remember these things? It was a 20-piece box of McNuggets, served with teriyaki, sweet & sour and hot mustard dipping sauces, a fortune cookie and a pair of chopsticks. I'm not sure if this was a regional thing, but we sure had it in the DC area circa 1985-1987, although i'm not 100% sure of the dates.
Casserole Loudness
The instructions for Loud Darian's tater tots casserole are as follows:
Adrian's Tater Tots Casserole"it's really easy, and baking time is like 25 min. here're the ingredients: chillie, diced green chillis, ground beef, salsa, cream of mushroom soup, cheese, and tatertotts. so simple!! cheap too! and, it lasts for 5-6 days, lunch + dinner."
I don't know the exact proportions, but i suppose it's a very forgiving recipe. I would do this:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown 1 lb of (fake) ground beef and the chile powder in a little oil. Spread into the bottom of a 9 x 12" casserole dish. Layer 1 package of frozen tater tots over the beef. Pour 1 slightly diluted can of cream of mushroom soup over layers. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 jar of salsa and the diced green chiles. Bake for 25 minutes.
I could be totally wrong - maybe you're supposed to just mix it all up and bake. I'll IM Darian when he's online and get him to clarify, but meanwhile you can check out these
other tater tots casserole recipes.
More Mushroom Madness
Below is my take on the "Mushrooms and Ham" topping from that pan fried noodles dish we love from
Vegetarian Dim Sum House. It's a copy of the recipe that i emailed Loud Darian in 2003; in exchange, he emailed me instructions for a "tater tots casserole!"
be's Mushrooms, Ham and Bok Choy10-12 Chinese dried black mushrooms
3-4 oz fake ham or real "smithfield" ham (not cold cuts) or canadian bacon
4-6 baby bok choy
2 T veg oil
4-5 ginger slices
1-2 T oyster sauce (Wan Ja Shan brand makes a vegetarian version)
1) soak the mushrooms in cold water for 1-2 hours until softened. cut off stems, save the soaking water. squeeze them kinda dry.
2) cut the ham into thick strips, about 1/4" thick and 1" x 2"
2.5) start the rice now!
3) heat 1T oil in a wok (large pan is fine) over med-high heat. add 2 ginger slices and stir for 1 minute. add mushrooms and fry for another minute. then add ham and oyster sauce, fry for another minute. add 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of mushroom water, bring to a boil. cover and turn heat to low, simmer for 20-30 mins, stir every now and then.
4) wash the boy choy well, separate large stalks and cut off bottoms of all. slice large stalks in 1/2. drain.
5) in another pan or the same one (just wipe clean after emptying mushrooms and ham into a bowl) heat the last 1T oil over high heat. add 2 ginger slices and fry for a few seconds. add the boy choy and fry for a minute or so, until they look shiny. add a teeny bit of water and cover for a minute or until they are bright green and crisp but cooked. keep stirring them when the lid is lifted if it needs more than 1 minute.
6) when the boy choy is done, dump the mushrooms and ham and sauce into the pan and mix. that way, the mushrooms and ham are soft while the greens are crisp! ration the mushrooms, cause some people are addicted and will eat all of them.
This dish is really tasty but it still doesn't compare to the original! I would post instructions on making perfect pan fried noodles, but i've yet to make an edible batch. Just serve it over rice, and make sure mushroom addicts don't eat more than their fair share!
True Loves
Last night was not pleasant! Besides the wind blowing my umbrella out numerous times, it was very cold and rainy in that big-plops kind of way. be had one of his worst days ever, one in a string of bad days related to work and such. I'll spare you the details but note that Dow Thong* ran out of the noodles for the Pad Sew Ew he was craving, AND the squid for his fried calamari. Just like the maraschino cherry on a sundae!
We were wondering how many restaurants lost business last night due to the weather. Besides us, there were only 2 other sets of people at Dow Thong but they seemed to be handling some delivery orders. We also ate around 9:30PM so we probably missed the Valentine's Day dinner rush, anyways. I don't know about Manhattan, but in Queens we seemed to be the only morons trudging around in the rain with broken umbrellas.
Good food memory =
Little Debbie Snacks! be had bought a $0.25 package of Nutty Bars from a bodega in the Bronx, and when i saw it we launched into a fun recollection of our favorite kinds. I've always loved:
Banana Twins,
Oatmeal Creme Pies,
Star Crunch,
Nutty Bars and
Peanut Butter Crunch Bars! Things my mom bought that i didn't really like (but still ate):
Zebra Cakes,
Raisin Creme Pies and
Fudge Brownies. It's funny how i haven't even noticed the Little Debbie section, much less given her snacks a thought in years, but now i'm about to run out and snag me some Oatmeal Creme Pies!**
*P told us "Dow Thong" means Gold Star in Thai!
**Is it perhaps, because i'm in "my thirties" now?
Pan Fried
Dim Sum with be and P = mashed taro treasure boxes, monk dumplings, rice flour rolls with fake ham and cilantro, rice flour rolls with Chinese kale, pan fried noodles with Chinese broccoli, pan fried noodles with fake ham, mushrooms and baby bok choy; and pan fried turnip cake. We also caught some of the New Year's Parade; those confetti poppers are crazy!
be's grandmother's 83rd birthday party = yellow rice, salad, mixed vegetables, rolls and a surprisingly delicious pasta salad with fake ham (be's mom is trying to eat less meat), olives, asparagus and too many bell peppers. be loved the angel food cake with fruit cocktail, but i wasn't into it.
Post-dinner snack = pan fried Colcannon patties! I must say that these little patties of potato and kale are absolutely wonderful. I used my "egg ring" to form nice circles and fried both sides in a little oil until browned and crisp. Topped with a tiny piece of butter, sea salt and freshly ground pepper, we both agreed Colcannon is better this way, even though it's already really tasty plopped in a bowl. Remember to use a cast iron skillet; the crust formed is unbeatable.
Wok Breath = Check out this
article about Grace Young's new book,
The Breath of a Wok. I once saw a home kitchen equipped with an industrial stove built for a round-bottomed wok. The hood of the stove ran the length of the entire kitchen, so you knew that the stove was capable of insane amounts of heat. One day (hopefully!) i'm going to configure our kitchen with 4-6 big gas burners, 1 big oven and 1 high-heat cast iron wok stove. Right now i'm using a flat-bottomed, non-stick wok my mom gave me. I agree that the flat-bottom makes sense on an American stove, but it really defeats the purpose of a wok. Even with a ring adapter, it's impossible to maneuver a round-bottomed wok and the required flames without upsetting the whole contraption. I'm not a huge fan of Teflon, either. Not only is it delicate and hard to clean, it gives off
toxic fumes when heated too high. I have another flat-bottomed carbon steel wok that i never got around to seasoning; i realize it's too small anyways - you need adequate room to stir everything around efficiently.
As for be, he really wants a brick oven.
Halloween Kale
We were looking forward to making soup with our bunch of curly kale, but we didn't have the right kind of potatoes! If i made soup with russet potatoes all the chunks would disintegrate, and it was just wrong to buy more potatoes if we had a 4 lb sack on the floor. I did some research and decided to make
Colcannon, an Irish dish served at Halloween. It's essentially mashed potatoes mixed with chopped kale or cabbage. I made up my own recipe, adding cubed fake ham and garlic. Instead of boiling the kale, i sauteed it until done. (I try to avoid boiling vegetables at all costs, with the exception of soup!) A little indent in the middle, filled with melted butter, was an excellent simple topping.
be and i both enjoyed the dish. It's a good one for cold days. I'm excited about pan frying patties of it tomorrow until crisp!
Sweets
Happy 1st Birthday, Zahra Luna!
Z has been reminding me to check out
Chikalicious, a Dessert Bar in the East Village. It's a 3 course dessert menu where your choice of main entree includes: Steamed Apple Pudding with Cinnamon Anglaise and Shredded Granny Smith, Blood Orange Sorbet with Espresso Panna Cotta and Coconut Agar Agar Gelee or French Toasted Earl Grey Tea Brioche with Candied Kumquats and Vanilla Sorbet. We had planned to go after my birthday dinner at
Vatan, but we were just too full to consume one more bite. I always believe there's room for dessert (and coffee) but after that meal, there really wasn't. I'm avoiding it this weekend due to the Valentine's Day/Singles' Awareness Day mob, but hopefully i'll get to try it soon.
Now, on a bad food note, i did some internet
researching on
botulism from oil infusions. The subject got brought up last night from the garlic and oil dip which we all love and enjoy. Although actual cases are rare, people have gotten it from oil infusions. Fresh herbs, garlic, chiles and vegetables have tiny microbes from soil, which when placed in an enclosed environment like oil, can lead to the development of C botulinum toxins. To prevent oil infusions from developing toxins, you must make the infusion acidic (add lemon or vinegar), refrigerate it or consume it within a few hours. Now i'm a little skeptical of have room-temperature garlic oil. It sure is delicious, though.
Yellow Orange
Happy birthday MK! Stay tuff enuff.
This morning i ate CVS brand Cheese Crackers and a handful of be's homemade croutons. I was still hungry so i whipped up 2 pans of cornbread using "taco" shredded cheese (a blend of seasoned cheddar and monterey jack) which resulted in paler, yet still quite tasty cornsticks and stars. Cornbread hot out of the oven is beyond compare - crunchy crusts and soft steamy interiors! I had to keep myself from eating all 10 stars and 7 cornsticks because i wanted be to try some.
We had dinner at
Three of Cups with P, Doey and Yumi. Their rosemary focaccia and garlic-infused olive oil dip is amazingly delicious. We asked for a second basket and be was all fidgety until it arrived. Some of us wanted a third but our entrees arrived before the crave began again. be and P both loved their special ravioli in cream sauce. D & Y shared a large pizza while i ordered the same "tartufo" small pizza as last time. I like the way the crusts are charred in their brick oven, making it crisp and smoky.
At home i unpacked another box. To give you a sampling of how much produce we have: 2 giant cauliflower heads, 7 broccoli stalks, 4 bags of carrots, 2 heads lettuce, 9 big sweet potatoes, 4 lbs russet potatoes and much, much more. We didn't cook as much as we should've this week, so we must catch up in the next few days.
I'm not an orange juice chugger, but nothing beats freshly squeezed orange juice. The aromas are so mouth-watering and the flavor is so sweet and crisp. Recently we've been receiving "hamlon (hamlin?) oranges" and they're absolutely the best for juicing. Valencia oranges are a little sour and the flavor is heavier. I just made myself a little glass with 2 Hamlons and it was the best thing. I must admit it even beats chocolate cake!
Paper Cuts
Tonight was one of those nights when eating out made sense. For lunch i had leftover squash soup and a fake salami sandwich, so i was craving something new and fresh for dinner. be and i decided to check out Shiki Sushi on 1st Ave in the East Village, mainly because be wanted to compare their all-u-can-eat deal to Tokyo II's in Queens.
The first thing about
Shiki Sushi is that the entire restaurant is decorated with beautiful and amazing paper cut outs, drawings and found objects. Every wall is filled with art and hundreds of cut outs hang from the ceiling like the most amazing mobile you'll ever see. The artist is also the chef/owner and during our meal he was sitting at the counter making more amazing pieces.
The all-u-can-eat deal is about $18 but the choices are pretty limited. I opted to order off the menu since there were only 2 vegetarian options in the all-u-can-eat, but be decided to try it out. He thought everything tasted good, but overall the pieces were too big since the rice ratio was quite high. He definitely prefers Tokyo II, and they also offer many vegetarian rolls too!
I ended up ordering a mango/avocado roll, tofu tempura roll and edamame. Although their online menu doesn't list them, they offer a big selection of Japanese-Brazilian rolls with ingredients like mango, pineapple and grilled meats. I really liked the combination of sweet tangy mango and smooth avocado, so i would go back to try other rolls.
Afterwards, we hit the jackpot again at Norman's on 3rd Ave and 7th St. They have the best selection of used CDs and DVDs in the basement; we loaded up with some great old stuff and new things to listen to, too!
Sad Banana
As i was leaving the apartment this morning, i noticed a lone, sad looking slice of banana on the floor by the door in the hallway. I immediately knew it must have slipped out of be's napkin-wrapped, Nutella & banana sandwich as he was rushing out earlier.
If you've never tried the wonders of a Nutella & banana sandwich, you are missing out!
Nutella is a delicious hazelnut + chocolate spread, and if i'm not mistaken, the same as the filling for those yummy Ferrero Rocher candies. We also love to have Nutella & apple sandwiches. Thinly sliced tart apples go so well with the creamy sweet nutty chocolate! From their website:
Today, Nutella is the number one spread in Europe (In Germany Nutella is a favorite breakfast spread, and in both Italy and France Nutella is a popular after school snack!). Worldwide, it outsells all peanut butter brands combined.
Nutella & banana is so delicious that you don't even notice the whole wheat bread!
New Year
Happy Lunar New Year!
Food is such a symbolic, important thing during the New Year (and all the time!) and although i'm no expert, here's some things i know regarding Chinese food:
Some people are vegetarian for religious reasons during the New Year, or because you're not supposed to use sharp things or kill animals during the new moon of the new year. "Buddhists' Delight" is usually eaten, since it contains black seaweed, tree ears, black mushrooms, dried bean curd and a host of other items that are symbolic; it's nothing like the "Buddhists' Delight" at your local restaurant, which is usually a fresh vegetable stir fry.
You're supposed to have long noodles to symbolize a long life, dumplings since they resemble gold nuggets or money bags, and a long list of other items since they sound similar to good words. At meal times, an even number of dishes, preferably 8, signifies "double-ness." As for "wholeness" or "togetherness," if you serve meat it must be whole - head, feet and all parts left on.
Some shops sell a tray assortment of sweet dried fruits, nuts and seeds, all which have meaning too. I know pumpkin seeds means "lots of sons" and generally sweet things mean a sweet life. A New Year's cake made of dates, glutinous rice and brown sugar is served too. Oranges and tangerines, especially if they have nice leaves attached, are given as gifts when visiting friends and family.
Growing up, we adhered to some of the food rules, but most importantly we had to be good and not fight, cry or yell on New Year's Day. We didn't really adhere to the cleaning/new clothes/paying debts rules. Upon waking up, my siblings and i received red envelopes of money from our parents and relatives. Being that this Lunar New Year isn't a national holiday or anything, we usually had to go to school (we envied the Chinese kids who got to stay home) but family-time (dinner) reconvened afterwards.
Tonight be and i aren't really doing anything, but on Sunday i plan to have dim sum if anyone's interested in joining us!
Doomed
Me: why do i so want garlic bread now?
O: oh i'm doomed
O: because garlic bread is GOOOD
O: SOOO GOOD
O: godamn now i want it too
(This is the kind of conversation one has at 3AM on Instant Messenger.)
On a produce reduction note, be roasted 3 giant butternut squash tonight and pureed them into soup. I like it, but i like it more with some pesto and fake bacon bits. The saltiness is nice with the creamy sweetness of the squash. I made home fries yet again (why are they SOOO GOOD?) and sauteed some red chard with garlic. I feel like i've only eaten vegetables today because lunch was comprised of minestrone soup and a banana (plus cake, fried corn, biscotti and chocolate!).
Speaking of fried corn snacks, the "chile cheese" Elotitos flavor is my least favorite. It's not hot at all, and the cheese is sort of like Cheetos. Maybe this is a plus for Cheeto lovers, but i prefer the tangy lemon or complex BBQ flavors any day. As for cheesy corn snacks, as a kid i never really got into Cheese Puffs. I still don't like the cheesy poof, air-filled ones but the crunchier thin cheese snacks are okay. I recall once, however, that i enjoyed the Planter's Cheese Balls immensely.
My top 5 salty snacks of all time (in no particular order):
Elotitos BBQ Fried Corn, Chinese fried broad beans,
Cape Cod Potato Chips,
Sesame Blues Corn Chips,
Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor Twists.
Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop?
Things i've learned about life:
Not every mom is a good cook, but if yours is you better get some lessons.
Nothing fries better than cast iron.
Microwaves are only good for reheating leftovers and steaming corn.
If you keep blogging about coffee, chocolate and cake, that's what you'll get on your birthday.
Breakfast for dinner is awesome.
Fillings aren't permanent; you have to get them redone every 10 years or else too much chocolate will cause cavities and root canals.
You forget what meat tastes like if you don't eat it for 13 years.
Potatoes are either floury or waxy - make sure you use the right kind!
A man who cannot cook is a loser.
50 lbs of donuts sound like a good idea at first, but after you try a few, what are you supposed to do with the rest?
The smallest, ugliest fruit is usually the best.
You can add a pinch of this or that when cooking, but you better follow the recipe exactly when baking.
My favorite memories always concern friends and a meal.
Surprises
1) 99% of real estate agents are bad people. Open houses suck.
2) O took me and be to lunch today - he's completely right - the "crispy nuggets" at
Vegetarian Palate (off Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn) are better than the "crispy soul chicken" at VP2 (on 4th St in the West Village)! Vegetarian Palate is a similar kind of place, serving a lot of Chinese and American fake meat dishes, but overall the food is better. The crispy nuggets used the same kind of fake chicken but the breading isn't as hard and is less oily. The serving is more generous, too. We also ordered tangerine beef and Peking duck; both dishes were yummy! I would definitely go back to try more things.
3) Knitting shops are very crowded in wintertime!
4) I should sit in cafes and drink espresso more often.
5) I was very gullible and fell for an extensive birthday surprise dinner trick! P organized a dinner at
Otto; it was so nice to eat with P, A$, Ishle, Doey, Anjali and be. P was telling me about her recent meal there and it sounded so good. I'm really glad we had a chance to eat there, although it had nothing to do with it being Mario Batali's place (i don't hate him, but i'm not a fan).
You're first served crusty sourdough bread and thin crisp breadsticks. We started with a side of marinated beets and some broccoli with pecorino cheese, which were refreshing and tasty. The whole table ordered different pasta dishes and everyone seemed to enjoy their selections a lot. be loved his Pasta alla Norma Tomato (Roasted Eggplant, Basil, Bufala Ricotta) and my Linguine con Rapini Pesto (Broccoli Rabe, Pine Nuts, Garlic) was hearty and good. They really do cook the pasta "al dente," which at first i thought was too hard but then got to enjoy the more i ate.
The curiously delicious finale to the evening was to be found in the olive oil gelato! be and i shared an order of Olive Oil Coppetta (Olive Oil Gelato, Blood Orange & Pomegranate, Capezzana Olive Oil & Maldon Salt), which arrived in a martini glass with two little spoons. The olive oil gelato was so smooth and rich, savory and sweet. The crushed sea salt sprinkled on top really accentuated the tangy oranges. I didn't think i'd like this dessert so much, but it really was delicious! Thanks dudes, for such a nice surprise and the food-related gifts!
Green Love
I never thought be would say "love" and "collard greens" in the same sentence. We had two big bunches, right about to go bad so i made the "Collards with Rice & Ham" recipe on the back of the label. He doesn't like them sweet and smoky, he thought they were good with garlic and lemon, but he apparently LOVES the rice dish. I used fake ham from
May Wah, diced into tiny cubes, and cooked them with the chopped collards and rice in a pot of stock - very tasty (and nutritious)!
Tonight we got a bunch of red chard AND kale! Instead of green beans we got a big baby bok choy! In summertime i love buying a pound or two of tiny baby bok choy and stir frying them with a little sesame oil - so delicious! There's a produce stand in Chinatown right off Canal on Mulberry St that always sells them in summer. At the Union Square farmers' market one vendor sells them too. I love the baby bok choy because they're crisper and fresher than the mature bok choy with big white stalks.
I don't love dandelion so there's a bag of it starting to go bad in the fridge. I need some new ways to eat this stuff cause i know it's good for you; i just can't eat a whole pound by myself! be once made dandelion pasta dough and it came out okay, but i must admit i prefer the texture of dried pasta over fresh; it gets a little doughy sometimes, and i hate dough. I also hate bell peppers and i used to hate eggplant but now i like it! For the record, be hates: beets, onions, bell peppers and okra.
When in Doubt, Eat Mango
Happy Birthday to ZZdX!
Tonight, in celebration of entering into "my thirties," be took me to
Vatan. It's a delicious all you can eat vegetarian Indian restaurant, which definitely is in my top 5 of all time favorite places. I say this purely based on the quality of the food, although their decor, service and atmosphere are nice too.
You're essentially served 2 big platters of food and you can ask for more of any dish. The first platter is appetizers, and is comprised of (i starred my favorite things):
Mirchi Bhajiya: Fried hot peppers with desi garam masala
Muthia: Steamed flour with spinach delicacy
Chana Masala: Chick peas (garbanzo beans) with onion and coriander*
Khaman: Puffed cream of wheat flour cakes*
Sev puri: Potatoes, garbanzo beans, yogurt and chutney filled in fried bread*
Samosa: Triangular savory pastries filled w/spicy potatoes & green peas*
Batakavada: Deep-fried potato balls in a chickpea flour batter
In addition to the platter there are 3 different chutneys, fried garlic, hot peppers and sesame carrots. The platter comes with a "medium" amount of heat (spiciness) and although be thought it was really hot, he finished everything except his fried batter-dipped hot pepper. I love hot peppers but i'm not a fan of the "bell pepper" taste so i usually end up passing the battered pepper to someone else. Since it was only the two of us tonight, i decided to give it a try. The smaller of the two battered peppers wasn't really hot at all, and tasted more like the fried batter than yucky bell peppers. The second one however, killed me! I think it had about 50 deadly seeds, all of which i chewed up. At first i was fine but in about a minute, i was like, "Shit, i just ate a fuckin huge hot pepper!" and my whole mouth was on fire. After 3 minutes i was back to normal and my sinuses were magically cleared up; it must've been the hottest thing i've eaten in a long time!
Next, you get the main platter in your choice of "mild, medium or hot." be chose mild and i wanted hot, but nothing else even came close to that insane hot pepper! It's so much food:
Toor Dal: Boiled lentils cooked with spices
Ful –Cobi: Cauliflower and green peas cooked with mild sauce
Batakanu Sak: Potatoes cooked with mild sauce*
Bhaji: Sauteed spinach & chick peas cooked with onion and spices*
Aam Rus: Mango pulp*
Kheer: Rice pudding with saffron and dry fruits in milk*
Puri: Puffed whole wheat bread
Papdam: Thin bean lentil wafers
Pulao: Boiled rice with peas
Khichdi: Lentils mixed with rice and assorted vegetables*
Khadhi: Soup with yogurt and chickpea flour in authentic spices
The actual amount of each dish is quite small, but when combined with everything else, it's just an insane amount. You get 4 puri breads alone - and they are the best i've had anywhere! Even the papadam wafer is light and crisp, and unlike what's served at other restaurants. Of note is the Aam Rus, a large bowl of sweet pureed mango, which was amazing! As be and i were force-feeding ourselves, spoonfuls of the mango magically made us able to keep eating more.
Finally, for dessert you get (plus some fennel seeds, but i only like the candy-coated ones):
Mango Ice Cream: Home made Indian ice cream
Masala Chai: Indian tea cooked with cardamom, ginger and milk
Right now i'm so full and very satisfied with the yummy meal. If anyone wants to go again, let me know! Although i doubt i'll be hungry for a few days.
Cookbooks
Some of you know that be and i have a 2-shelf collection of cookbooks. Before i met him i had already accumulated a good deal of them, but ever since his short stint as a temp at Random House back in 2001, the collection has doubled. He used to lug garbage bags full of free books home, and out of the piles we kept the ones that looked interesting. I also know a handful of people in the book or cookbook business, and they always supply me with nice titles too! I have so many new cookbooks to read and try recipes from, but for now here are some that i've enjoyed reading and/or cooking from so far:
Distinctive Snacks of Hong Kong by Hui Chan Fan-Yuk (ISBN: 962-14-1518-7). I picked up this bilingual cookbook at a Hong Kong bookshop. I have yet to actually make anything; i just love drooling at the pictures of all the snack/street/dim sum foods i had growing up. Shit, there is even a chapter entitled, "Deep Fried Snacks!"
Flavors of India: Vegetarian Indian Cuisine by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff (Book Publishing Company). I learned how to make good Indian dishes from this book back in college. I really like the dal and potato recipes.
Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking (Alfred A. Knopf). This is overall my most favorite cookbook. You just can't go wrong with vegetarian food from Asia. I've tried many of the recipes and they have all been excellent. When i got the chance to meet Madhur Jaffrey a few years ago i was so nervous!
Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts by The Moosewood Collective (Clarkson Potter Publishers). This book was a great gift; i love desserts! I think i've made the Six-Minute Chocolate Cake over 20 times since 1994.
The Vegetarian Bistro: 250 Authentic French Regional Recipes by Marlena Spieler (Chronicle Books). I got this book only a few months ago. Everything we've tried so far has been very flavorful and rich. The beets with dijon vinaigrette is yummy!
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen: Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing by Grace Young (Simon & Schuster). I really like the memoir-like quality of the chapter intros and her food descriptions. It's not all vegetarian but most recipes can be adapted.
If you're interested in checking them out, be sure to support an independent bookstore.
be, Beverage Snob
We just tried the tea A$ got me from Coonoor, India! It's orange pekoe from
Nonsuch Tea Estates. It brews up into a beautiful reddish color, which looks like Assam tea but tastes very different. be and i both agreed it's much lighter, dryer and more fragrant. We used some white sugar to sweeten it up; i never got into the lemon, sugar and cream that some people do. Generally i don't like tea or coffee with milk product, except for chai.
I can't believe
Lipton tea is also orange pekoe! Lipton brand is very cheap, but honestly you're paying for
tea dust and who-knows-what in that tea bag. Loose tea is much, much better. Maybe more people in the U.S. would drink it if they knew how good real, loose tea was! And as for "flavored" tea: overall i'm anti, just like i'm anti "flavored" coffee. I'm not drinking coffee to have it taste like cinnamon buns - why not just eat a real cinnamon bun? Or strawberry-kiwi tea, what weirdness it that?
Extra Virgin Overload
For lunch today i whipped up a batch of hummus. It's so easy and delicious, you'll never buy it again. Using tahini and extra virgin olive oil makes it creamy while the garlic cloves and lemon add the right amount of freshness. be and i spread the hummus into warmed pita pockets, added lettuce for crunch and be used some feta cheese, too. (Those sprouts were already going bad!)
Hummus, be Proportions1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained
2 garlic cloves
1 T tahini (ground sesame paste)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2-3 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt
paprika (optional)
Put all ingredients into a blender and mix on the lowest speed. You will have to stop occasionally and push the hummus down from the sides into the blades. Blend until you have a creamy, smooth paste. Spread into a bowl and sprinkle with paprika.
There isn't really a way to go wrong with this recipe. I've seen many other recipes using different proportions. Store-bought hummus all tastes different; some are more tart, others use much more tahini. If you prefer a thinner hummus, add 1 or 2 T of the chickpea liquid. If you want a chunkier hummus, don't blend as thoroughly. As long as you like it, it's great!
After a deadline-filled day at work, be and i made a nice dinner, using a good amount of produce! He made 2 trays of his famous crunchy croutons and 2 big bowls of salad while i made garlic and lemon pepper broccoli (be's most favorite), pasta with
Newman's Own vodka sauce for be and
Barilla Arrabbiata (hot pepper) sauce for me, with a side of rustic bread and olive oil & rosemary dip. Although my pasta sauce was better than
Classico's Spicy Red Pepper, it still wasn't hot enough for my liking. I heated up about 1 T of olive oil in a saucepan and dumped in 1/2 t of red chile flakes, shut off the heat and stirred it around. I added this to my pasta before adding the sauce, and it made things much hotter and more flavorful.
Now that i've consumed about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil today, i'm craving some crunchy fresh fruit. Our bosc pears are crunchy, but not the best in terms of flavor. The gala apples are good, much better than supermarket ones, but a pink lady from the farmers' market would be better. I guess the lesson here is: don't have 1/4 cup of olive oil in one day. By the way: we still have 2 jugs of it from Costco!
be's Lemon Pepper Broccoli1 head broccoli, or equivalent florets
2 T vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt
1 t lemon pepper seasoning OR fresh lemon juice (1/3 lemon) and 1/8 t freshly ground pepper
Chop the broccoli into same-sized florets. If the stalks are good, peel away the outer layer and cut into 1/4" slices. Wash well and dry as much as possible (salad spinner or leave out to drain). Heat the oil in a flat pan over medium-high. Add the garlic and stir, then add the broccoli and combine. Quickly add 3-4 T of water to the pan and cover. Let the broccoli steam for 2-5 minutes or until bright green, depending on the size of the florets. Stir, add salt to taste, lemon pepper OR the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Keep stirring until 90% of the water has evaporated. The broccoli is ready when you are just able to stick a fork into a floret stem. Don't overcook broccoli or it gets mushy; it's better to err on the side of crunchy, but fork-done is best.
