The Fish Sauce Adventure

We should have known that the evening was going to be interesting when the sirens came up from behind us as we approached Blue Ginger, Ming Tsai's restaurant in Wellesley, Mass. Don't worry, it wasn't for us. They drove right passed us and stopped 20 feet ahead. We sat in the middle, ok side of the street waiting for traffic to start moving again as our reservation time came and went.

Alyssa, who was driving all seven of us in her minivan, kept telling us to hop out and walk to the restaurant (it was literally half a block away). But none of us was going to abandon her. It cleared up pretty quickly, though I became rather impatient. We got seated so fast that I was barely able to get the line cook's recommendation (they have an open kitchen) before everyone was seated--fyi, he says the black pepper lobster is their most consistent dish.

Cousin Ming (not really but he's Chinese-American, I'm Chinese-American...) runs a smooth operation. And, you know it's a clean restaurant when the bathroom is so nice that I would eat in it. Most of us got appetizers since we'd actually already had dinner at the conference. I'd show you pictures but it looks like last night's dinner but with broccoli instead of kale.

So back to our story...Alyssa gets the Lime-Leaf Crusted Colossal Shrimp with Galangal-Green Mango Salad & Vietnamese Sauce (pictured). She was surprised that it was only one shrimp and that it was deep-fried. It was colossal...and very tasty. I've always loved the texture of deep-fried shrimp--tender meat with a crispy, salty crust. Mmmm...

Leslie and Dawn shared an entree: Sake-Miso Marinated Alaskan Butterfish, also known as sablefish or black cod (pictured). It has a similar texture to it cousin, Chilean Sea Bass, but is not illegally or over-fished (as of yet). The dish came with a vegetable sushi roll that used soba noodles instead of rice. The fish was tender and a nice kick from the wasabi sauce but I have to say that my all-time favorite miso-fish dish is still Nobu Matsuhisa's Black Cod in Miso.

Steph and I shared two appetizers: Ming's Tea-Smoked Salmon & Beef Carpaccio with Fresh Wasabi Emulsion (pictured & my choice) and Crispy Fried Calamari with Thai Dipping Sauce (not pictured & her choice). Both were good. I figure that if you mess up fried calamari, you really shouldn't be in business. The sauce for the calamari was the impetus for this posts title. 

So we're sharing food. How often are we going to go to Blue Ginger? So I tasted a little of everything and so did Alyssa...except she opted out of the salmon-carpaccio dish because she has an allergic reaction to fish which registered but didn't click. So she's tasting the calamari which she liked and then asks what's in the sauce because it's so different. I responded, "Lime juice and fish sauce." What? Uh-oh. She asked me if I was sure. I was pretty sure. I mean, fish sauce has a distinct and potent flavor but I was hoping I was wrong. When I went to talk with our server, she confirmed it and then she got a little anxious. No one likes when their customer goes into anaphylactic shock, I guess. 

But apparently Ming is very active with Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), working to further education and research on food allergies. Who knew? Needless to say, his restaurant is very careful about food allergies and really accommodates for it . Long story shorter, Alyssa's Vietnamese sauce also had fish sauce in it but I made her eat a lot of bread in hopes that it would soak up everything. She seemed fine when we got back. We'll see if I get a call in the morning...

As for our other app, it was heavenly. It's because of this carpaccio that Steph is glad that we are friends. She said as much.

Is that not the look of pure joy? The carpaccio just melted in our mouths. The salmon only had a hint of smokey-ness. Both were well complemented by the avocado salad and wasabi "emulsion."

And after the cupcake headache from Monday, I decided that ordering a dessert would not be worth my while. It was a surprise to all at the table. But I couldn't resist taking a little nibble of what Leslie and Dawn ordered.

The Dark Chocolate Cake was fantastic. It came with cardamon ice cream (yum) and a dollop of whipped cream that was covered in dark chocolate syrup. Talk about decadent. I'm really glad I didn't order it and even happier to have gotten to taste a bit.

All in all it was a good time. And I learned a lot about everyone around the table, as well as about Chef Ming Tsai, who unfortunately was not there other wise I would have taken a picture with him and sent it to my cousin, Loreen. I'm not sure if she would have been glad to receive it or angry that she wasn't in it. 

Leslie, Alyssa, Sue, Tamiyo, Steph, me, and Dawn after polishing off the dessert. Thanks, ladies, for a very fun "great life" adventure.

Does This Look Familiar?

This is actually breakfast and don't get me wrong, I like it but that's steamed kale with ground pumpkin seeds and, uh, brown rice. Remind you of last night's dinner? They weren't kidding when they said brown rice is a staple in macrobiotics.

Today was the first official day of the conference. We helped Michael Marcus of Bizen, a sushi and Japanese restaurant in Great Barrington, Mass. In class, he made deliciously inventive rolls like "Silence of the Yams", or as I like to call it, SotY (which was a favorite of my teammate, Alyssa), and the "BLT" (my favorite) because I love bacon...wait, there wasn't any bacon in there. Oh well, I still loved it.

The BLT was made with tempeh sauteed in sesame oil, blanched kale, slices of tomato and avocado, and a smidgeon of special sauce (housemade teriyaki sauce that didn't use any refined sugar). It was more of a vegan roll than a macrobiotic roll but I'm not exclusive to either ways of life (this is more of an exploration of food, eating, and ways of life for me--and I like meat, a lot) so I happily tasted the sample.

The SotY on the other hand was surprisingly sweet. Although, when you hear what's in it, it's not really a surprise: yams sauteed in sesame oil, shredded coconut, a cranberry/maple syrup reduction and I think slices of teriyaki lotus root. I'll be getting the recipes later so I will share if there's an interest. 

I do have to say that I'm getting really good at rolling sushi. It's really hard to spread the rice and I always see the chefs ball up the rice, put it on the nori (seaweed) and boom, it's evenly spread. With me, I'm always going back for a little bit more rice to patch up all the holes. If you've ever tried to roll before, you know what I'm talking about.

The other class was led by Melanie Waxman. She's a macrobiotic counselor and cook, and mother of seven (yikes). I only prepped for this class. She gave an interesting talk about how to cook macrobiotic and the simplcity of it...which is ironic since people consider it very strict and difficult. Anyway, I didn't take any notes but a lot of what she said rang familiar because of how I grew up with food. Macrobiotics principles are very Asian in their roots. It's about yin and yang or food energies. My mother always described foods as "cooling" or "heat producing". I always thought that was kookie especially when a hot soup could be cooling but apparently there are whole food communities devoted to it.

I am a strong supporter of fresh food and daily cooking. It's the way I grew up and I think it's the best for us. I don't think anyone would disagree with "fresher is better." It's just whether we have the time for it. That's where priorities come in. Yeah, opening up a bag of potato chips and snacking on that is way faster than washing up and cutting an apple...but by how much? And at what cost?

Anyway, more healthy food for thought as I leave you with dessert from tonight's dinner: Lemon Tart with Raspberry Swirl (and an Oat Almond Cookie). It was tart. I think E. would like it. I didn't like the cookie all that much, it was a little dense but I'll need to get the recipe for the "curd" part.

Macrobio--what?

So, I've mentioned that I'm in Massachusetts and at a macrobiotic conference, but what am I doing here?

Well, I'm on a culinary adventure. The Power of Natural Healing conference really doesn't begin until tomorrow (Tuesday). Steph and I are volunteering. So far I haven't really done anything but go to some long short meetings. I'm part of the Cooking Class Assistants team which means I'm a prep cook for the week. Steph is an AV geek for the week so at least she'll hear some of the lectures. She trained all afternoon today.

Macrobiotics is not just a diet but a philosophy about how the food we eat affects our health and quality of life. Some very guidelines for eating are:
whole grains: 50-60%
vegetables: 25-30%
beans and legumes: 5-10%
soup: 5%
as well as fish/seafood, seeds and nuts, seed and nut butters, some seasonings and sweeteners, fruits and beverages.

I'm not sure I will adopt all the philosophical guidelines (that was just one of many) but it's food (pun intended) for thought. It can get very "restrictive." But then again, health is really all we've got. You know what the computer geeks always say--GIGO.

Anyway, this is the meal we enjoyed tonight. In the bowl was our white bean soup w/escarole. On the plate was layered polenta w/summer vegetables, steamed kale, lemony baby carrots, and brown rice. Not pictured was a mocha walnut cheezecake with "coffee" glaze.

The soup was a kombu-based stock with cannellini bean, onion, celery, parsnip, escarole, salt, carrot and cilantro pureed. It was delicious.

My favorite was actually the steamed kale. How bland can I get? Well, it wasn't. That's the thing with vegetables. They are pretty good at being star material all on their own. I believe there was only a little bit of sea salt on it, garnished with slightly toasted pumpkin seeds. 

The cheezecake was pretty good for something that didn't have any actual cheese (they used fresh tofu) in it but last nights custard (without eggs...) was phenomenal. It was made with blend of almond milk and soy milk then thickened and "creamed" with agar and kuzu. It was topped with maple syrup glazed walnuts as well as a delicious sauce of blueberries, raspberries, and cherries simmered for a long time in apple juice.

My friend, Laura can't have wheat or refined sugar and I've been trying to figure out what desserts I could make. This one might be one of them. Yum. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Susu's Bakery Boutique

Susu's Bakery Boutique has the distinction of being 50 feet away from the door of Blue Ginger, Ming Tsai's restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Come back later (uh, Loreen) for more firsthand Blue Ginger experience...

On a little excursion with my new macrobiotic friends (who shall remain nameless), we stopped into the bakery. Sigh. I can't believe I've already fallen off the wagon. I resisted for a moment or two distracting myself with the shiny inedible baubles in the boutique, but the call of sugar, white flour and butter was too much. 

Unfortunately these cute mini-cupcakes did not hit the spot. I don't know if it's because I've been on this sugarless meal plan for the last few days or what (y'know, it's like when you go on a low-sodium diet then have a regular meal at a restaurant) but I didn't enjoy them as much as I thought I would and then I got a headache afterward.

It's funny. I love cupcakes too. They are bites of cake with 3x's as much icing as you would get from slice of that size. We got a sampling of all of the cupcakes. It was a pretty basic selection--yellow or chocolate cake, buttercream or chocolate frosting, and then one with grated coconut. 

Although the service there was excellent, I wouldn't recommend seeking this place out. However, if you need a sugar fix and you're already on Washington Street in Wellesley, it might hit the spot.

Everyone Should Have Crabs

...or so they say at Barking Crab in Boston. This place is harborside, so they have nice views. The crab ain't bad either. But I'm not sure how crab could be made to taste bad since you just boil it and then dip the meat in butter. Everything is better with butter, right...Tory?

Steph and I are here (Wellesley at Babson College to be exact) for The Power of Natural Healing, a week-long macrobiotic conference by The Kushi Institute. But before we were dorm-bound, we hooked up with the now 3-year Bostonian, Erica C. (she and I used to also work at the Shoah Foundation back in the day), who took us to crab heaven (or hell if you're a crab). To the right is the lobster-shaped pager they gave us while we waited.

We shared a crab cake appetizer that conveniently served three and coleslaw for two that actually served four or six. Erica ordered a Po' Boy because she's shell-challenged. Steph got a bucket o'Dungeness crab legs. I devoured the Lonely Jonah. It's the local crab that looked suspiciously like the Dungeness but just smaller and sweeter.

And literally, I ate the whole thing. That's him, wielding a speared lemon wedge. He didn't stand a chance against me. I eat every edible part of the crab even the creamy insides of it--hey, it's a delicacy. As Erica stated, "You're so Asian, Vanessa." Which is ironic because she's Philipino and can't crack a shell. Let no part of anything go to waste like tongue, brains, feet or ganglia.

The paper placemat they gave us had instructions on how to disassemble Jonah or any of his kin, but I didn't need it. Although, they talked of cracking the shell with a rock but only provided nutcrackers. I was so looking forward to forcible destruction. It was probably better for everyone around me that there was no rock. As it was, I almost shot shell shrapnel into Steph's lemonade.

Steph did a good job on her own. I think she ate about 5 lbs. of crab and worked hard for it, too. She was not given a rock either.

Apparently Barking Crab is very popular. Many stood outside waiting. After dinner, we three walked around downtown, along the Freedom Trail, passed where Benjamin Franklin's parents are buried, through the Boston Common and Public Garden at which point I had to have this picture taken.

And no, I didn't see Norm.

Unfortunately, I didn't tell Noelle that I was going to Boston so she Facebook-ed me about getting a cannoli at Mike's Pastry after we left Boston.

Next time. More crab and a cannoli!

Mmmm, Beeeeeer

Shortly after arriving in Bloomington, Indiana, I was taken to Upland Brewing Co. for a burger and beer. They had a bunch of fish stewed in beer on the menu but I'm in the midwest so I had to have a burger and a beer. In California, at least in Los Angeles, I can never get any beef cooked medium rare. It's no rarer than medium, or they say "ok" then pass off medium for medium rare. Sure it's still pink in the middle but it's the thin strip of purple in the center of that that makes the moo meat delicious. But that's only my opinion.

So, thank you to all the midwesterners out there who allow medium rare meat to be served.

But back to the beer. Stephanie (the IU prof) and I got the sampler because neither of us is a beer connoisseur (and if you're not either, check out their Brewing for Dummies info). She liked the seasonal Heiferweizen and I liked Bad Elmer's Porter.

Now that Danno and I are moving to Portland, I guess I'll have to start learning more about beer. Upland got me off to a good start though!

Travel Food for Thought

My dear husband made me this sandwich for my "cross country" travel. It's tuna and was delicious. I had a 6am flight out of LAX (Los Angeles International) so the shuttle picked me up at 3am. Ay carumba. I was the only stop so I arrived at 3:30am. Thirty minutes before the airport really opens for business. 

Did you know that the airport isn't open for business between 11:30pm and 4:00am? It's not the kind of firsthand knowledge that I wanted to gain but now share that with you.

Anyway, I happily ate the sandwich for breakfast. It was supposed to be lunch. I was cranky in the afternoon. I really need to pack better for these trips. 

What do you pack to eat for airplane trips?

Ford's Filling Station

This is a restaurant whose chef and propietor is Benjamin Ford (yes, son of Indiana Jones--but not to be confused with Shia LaBeouf). Ford's Filling Station is unfortunately quite mediocre. But I know of someone interviewing for the executive chef position so that might change soon.

I met up with my friend, Gwen, (she is an amazing decadent dessert maker) for lunch on Wednesday. She had their burger which was good but the bun was too big for the patty. Apparently the burger is one of their specialties. 

I had fried chicken (another specialty of the house). It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, as it should be. The succotash that came on the side was not good. Somehow the cooks in the back have forgotten how to squeeze a lemon. I bit into not only one (which is forgivable, I mean, you have to work fast) but two lemon seeds, and then found two others. Obviously someone was too busy to hold their other hand underneath the lemon for two seconds. I know, it's just a little thing but have you ever bitten into a lemon seed before? It's really bitter. The black eyed peas weren't quite cooked all the way and the corn was from a bag.

Maybe I'm a little harsh but I expect more from a pricey gastro-pub. I guess I should have gone for the charcuterie instead. But then again, I'm spoiled having traveled through Europe and worked with Suzanne Goin. You gotta wow me with more than just prosciutto, jamon serrano, sopressata, or mortadella for a cured meats selection.

He is a chef who believes in buying local, though, so I'll give him another chance. But for me, he'd have to step it up a notch in the kitchen or take it down a notch with the pricing.

Another Happy Endings

The Happy Endings Bar and Restaurant in Hollywood is on Sunset Blvd. just east of La Brea Blvd. Betty, one of my now ex-co-workers, told me that it used to be the local Acapulco's.

Happy Endings is a place that has drink specials like "Squeeze My Grapes," "The Big Squirt," and "Lick My Lychee Martini." This is the kind of place I take my friends.

Happy Endings is where my culinary friends and I gathered after the last day of school. I took my co-workers there the evening after my last day of work. We got there a few minutes before 7pm--just before happy hour (you ever notice that it always lasts more than an hour?) ended. We quickly ordered a pitcher of margaritas and a platter of nachos. The margaritas were a little weak and the nachos came with fake cheese sauce.

Laura (originally from Mexico City) was a little disappointed. We asked for jalapeno slices on the side and that helped. We stayed for many hours and played terribly long (meaning we were terrible players) games of pool for a dollar each. That's why I like this place. Their truffle fries and Ring of Fire onion rings are good, too. Apparently they have bottomless mimosas during their Sunday brunch. I don't expect them to be too strong but if you drink enough, you'll probably get your money's worth.

Hot Dog with Ketchup

Ok, so this really isn't meal-related but I couldn't resist. My husband, Danno, and I have a Jack Russell Terrier named Andy. He likes to chase the vermin (mice, rats, possums...) that end up coming through the backyard. This time it was a skunk!

Yep, he got it right in the face. I had heard that tomato sauce does the trick at getting the smell out but since we're cleaning out the pantry, we didn't have that so I pulled the ketchup out of the refrigerator--hey, it's tomato-based. Sure enough, he didn't smell like skunk anymore. But I do have to warn you that wet dog with hint of ketchup doesn't smell so great either. Apparently, it just masks the smell. Sigh. The lesser of two evils, I suppose.

This is Danno "cleaning" the dog. Andy, you're such a good sport. I don't know what's more insulting, getting sprayed in the face by a skunk or squirted on the head with ketchup...?

Central Avenue Farmers' Market

My first market day...it's almost like the first day of school except that I was in charge. Funny how things work. The organization that I work for, Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (or "SEE-LA"), operates seven farmers' markets in Los Angeles, including the popular Sunday Hollywood Farmers' Market (HFM) at Selma & Ivar Avenues--oh, and on August 31 (the Sunday of Labor Day weekend), HFM will be hosting its Annual Peak of the Summer Tomato Fest. Stop by between 9am and noon that day to sample over 30 delicious varieties (mostly, if not all of them heirloom) of tomatoes at the market--and its FREE!

So back to my first (and so far only) market day by myself...Central Avenue Farmers' Market is located just outside of Washington Carver Middle School, in its parking lot at Vernon Ave and McKinley St. Basically it's in South Central Los Angeles. This community is devastatingly low-income and has few outlets for purchasing fresh produce. Mostly families shop here, many of them redeeming their WIC FMNP (Farmers Market Nutrition Program) or EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer fka food stamps) coupons for produce.

The day went pretty smoothly and was a little too quiet for the vendors. Apparently overcast weather may mean rain so people stay in...I can't figure out any other reason. At around noon (market hours: Sat. 8am - 1pm), it started picking up...coincidentally the sun was coming out. The "Ask the Dietician" (they're dieticians or in training to be, and talk about nutrition and prepare a healthy dish) surprised me by arriving a week later than scheduled, wondering where they could set up and whether I had all the items for their demonstration. Hmmm.

That was about as much action as this "sub market manager" got that day--with 7 producers, 3 food vendors, the "Ask the Dietician" program, and a table of WIC representives chatting people up. The community and the patrons were mostly Spanish-speaking and I don't speak it. It was really nice to see some of my former Good Cooking (the cooking and nutrition classes I teach) students still bringing their families to the farmers market. 

Farmers markets are a great thing. The items are so fresh. The farmers, food vendors and artisans work so hard. I hope you all support your local food system by buying at farmers' markets. It's all local to your area and mostly pesticide-free, if not certified organic.

Mijares Mexican Restaurant

Oh my goodness, I love their enchilada sauce! Mijares is a Pasadena institution. Family-owned and -operated for three generations, the restaurant has two delicious locations. 

My friend, Stephanie (an assistant professor at Indiana University-Bloomington), was "laying over" for a couple days before getting back to Bloomington from her tour of Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai...all in the name of research, really. So she, Elizabeth (E.), Karen, and I caught up with each other over margaritas and mojitos...uh, and guacamole.

I had a combo plate with a pork tamale and cheese enchilada. It was heavenly but I couldn't finish it. I have this problem of constantly eating chips and salsa if it's in front of me. Anyway, it wasn't quite as good the next day. Probably due to the fact that I ate it cold. Not the best idea I've had but we don't own a microwave and I was too lazy to bake it in the oven.

The margaritas were good and the place was packed on a Friday night. Go figure. I guess they know what they're doing after 50 years.

From Beer Fest to Orochon Ramen

How long has it been since I meandered through Little Tokyo in Los Angeles? Obviously a long time because the New Otani is now the Kyoto Grand Hotel & Gardens. My buddies from work and I wanted to hibachi in the Garden while chug...I mean, sipping civilly on beer. But the cool garden bar changed (like its parent hotel) to the hipster hangout "Beer Fest" (apparently only until September 1st). It's no Lucky Baldwin's but it did have a decent beer-on-tap selection (get a pitcher). We were a little disappointed when the menu ended up serving sliders, fresh pizza, and grilled bratwurst.

After a couple pitchers, we decided to walk down one level in the Japan Village Plaza Mall to search for more authentic Japanese food...and we found it. Orochon Ramen is slow-cooked in 13 different spices and comes in 9 different spiciness levels, from no spice (non-spicy Orochon 7) to Wall of Bravery spicy (Special 2--not to be confused with regular 2). I got the Orochon 4 (normal spice, or maybe it was one notch above...) which was almost too much for me...almost, so I'm really scared of the Special 2--five levels hotter!


Alexandra, Kate, Ashley, Holly, Jared, and I slurp up our din-din. Alex and I had salt broth. Kate, Holly, and Jared chose miso broth. Ashley wanted meat and got teriyaki chicken.

We were starving so we got edamame (a standard but nuked in the microwave with care, i'm sure) and dumplings that were tasty and hot...two very important conditions for dumplings.

Y'know, if I wasn't moving out of town I would probably routinely return to Orochon to build my stamina to not only withstand but wholeheartedly consume a bowl of "Special 2." C'mon, like I wouldn't want to be up on any sort of food wall-of-fame. So if you're ever in the neighborhood and you like noodles. Check this place out. If you like spicy foods, I dare you to try the Special 1 or 2. And if you get on the Wall of Bravery, I will give you five bucks!

For Willy Balsh

I went to culinary school with this guy, Billy Walsh. He's super smart, really good-looking, and he can cook. He made baking and pastry look so flippin' easy. That pissed me off. But Billy challenged me then (whether he knew it or not) and now he inspires me (again, whether he knows it or not).

A couple months ago, Billy was in an accident. He was on his Vespa and some woman in an auto made a left turn right into him. He suffered bleeding and swelling of the brain, a collapsed lung, fractured ribs and leg lacerations...and was in a coma for two weeks.

Like many in the food industry (he's a cook at Craft Los Angeles and a server at Osteria Latini), Billy doesn’t have health insurance so his foodie friends--Eric Greenspan (owner and executive chef of The Foundry on Melrose), Ray England (sous chef at Craft) and Lisa Vega (pastry chef at Providence Restaurant)--along with friends, Jennifer Gerard & Matt Wise, put together a fundraiser at The Foundry this past Monday, the 14th--Bastille Day for those who recognize French national holidays.

The cocktails were phenomenal, from the Grandma Smash to El Diablo, to the unforgettable Balsh-stille Day Punch! Thanks to all the fabulous bartenders: Damian (Gordon Ramsay at The London), Marcos Tello (Comme Ca & The Edison), Christine D’Abrosca (Malo) and Chris Ojeda (Osteria Mozza).

Apologies for no pix of the food and stuff, we were all hungry so we pretty much immediately scarfed down the tater tots with violet mustard, crab and spinach toasts of goodness, and the luscious beef-arugula sandwiches smothered in melted gorgonzola cheese--oh, and I was drunk. However, I did get some slightly blurry pix of the peeps.


Trista and Daniel are buddies from culinary school. (left) This is me and Noelle. She and I used to work at the Shoah Foundation Institute (when it was just the Shoah Foundation) and she has a really big heart.

So here's to you, Willy Balsh (or as they kept repeating at graduation "William Billy Walsh"). May you recover swiftly so that you can continue to show me how it's done.