Hardcore
Tonight be, P, Doey and i checked out the
Grand Sichuan on St. Mark's Place. In sum, we all enjoyed our dishes but we realized how little we know about Sichuan and Hunan cuisine. Sure, there's some overlap with Cantonese and they offer "American style Chinese food," but we weren't too familiar with a good portion of the menu. I was surprised to see that all the other patrons were Chinese groups and families (especially on St. Mark's!) but as you know, that's always a good sign.
be had the conch in black bean sauce (which really grew on him), P had the string beans with beef (which was too sweet for her liking), Doey had egg drop soup and a chicken dish and i had a dry sauteed tofu dish with black beans and chiles. The tofu was pressed and smoked so it was reminiscent of ham and diced into small cubes. I really liked the flavor but the chiles weren't very hot; they were quite large and green instead of the smaller, dried red ones. Our waiter was really nice and patient, considering that we each asked for recommendations and opinions.
An older couple at a table near us ordered a few dishes, and one was a large platter of chiles.
Only red hot chiles. That is hardcore if i ever saw it.
Cookbook Day
Thanks to my friends in the publishing industry, we got a slew of new cookbooks today!
Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten
Eat This Book by Tyler Florence
The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison
How to Break an Egg, ed by Fine Cooking Magazine
Serves One by Toni Lydecker
Vegetable Soups by Deborah Madison
We quickly flipped through them on the subway on the way home. At first glance
The Greens Cookbook recipes look fresh and flavorful,
Barefoot Contessa Parties! contains good ideas for get togethers and
Serves One - with recipes specifically written for one serving - looks very useful and tasty! Thanks P and
ZZ!
Atlantis
Azeez is careful to explain that he is not selling Native American food. He says that cuisine would involve elk, deer, and buffalo, which would probably not go over well with his customers. He describes his food as simply American, but points out some traditional elements, like corn and beans, which make it unique. When newcomers approach the cart, they usually glance around for a menu, but the only sign is a hand-painted one that reads "From Atlantis with Love," which Azeez did not care to explain. He has grown accustomed to curious faces, though, and always greets the clueless with: "I make sandwiches—like wraps—for $5."
I know someone - who shall remain nameless for the moment - who frequently treks out of Brooklyn solely for one of these sandwiches. Another friend of mine says that cart-owner Moneer Azeez once explained the name "From Atlantis With Love" to him, which makes a lot of sense when you think about
lost lands. Check out this
review from the Voice (quoted above), plus this new
fansite i secretly found. I'm definitely going to try a vegetarian sandwich the next time i'm downtown!
According to the Voice, Moneer Azeez's food cart (New York's only Native American street vendor) can be found on the SE corner of 2nd St and the Bowery from 6pm to 2 or 3am during the week and often later on weekends.
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If you're in proximity to great produce in the Bay, know that we are currently envious.
be's Easy* Fried Rice
1-3 T vegetable oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 scallion, washed and sliced into thin rounds (both white and green parts)
2-3 cups leftover white rice, refrigerated at least 1 night
1-2 cups "stuff"*
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T soy sauce (optional)
1 egg (optional)
For "stuff," you can use whatever bits of vegetables and fake meats you have around. I used baby corn pieces, diced fake ham and frozen peas. Growing up, my mom would use frozen peas and sliced breakfast sausage rounds - a bit unconventional but very Chinese American, no? Some other suggestions: fake chicken pieces, green beans, carrots, chile paste, frozen soybeans (without the pods), fake hot dogs - just use whatever you have around that goes together, dice or slice into rounds.
Heat your wok until hot, then add the oil and swirl around to coat. Add the garlic and scallions, stir for a minute. Add the refrigerated rice and use the back of your spoon/spatula to press the lumps and separate the grains. If it's not strong enough try a potato masher, which worked for me when the rice was once embarrassingly old. If you're using anything frozen, add it at this point and stir the rice around a few minutes to heat it up. (If your rice is really dry, also add a sprinkling of water.) Once the rice is heated but not overcooked, use your spoon to make a little "well" in the rice until you can see the bottom of the wok. Add a little more oil and then add the optional egg. Wait a moment for it to slightly set, then stir it around to make loose scrambled eggs. Incorporate the egg into the rice, then add the remaining "stuff," salt & pepper and soy sauce to taste. Stir and heat through, then serve!
Note you don't have to use the egg, just skip that part and go right to adding the non-frozen "stuff." Also, sometimes i like it without soy sauce, it just depends on how salty the other ingredients already are.
*This is an easy recipe because traditional fried rice is supposed to be made with an egg "crepe," sliced into strips and incorporated into the rice.
