Vanessa Loves Food

Here's to Good Starts!

2010-05-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Roma tomatoes, Japanese eggplants, pickling cucumbers, sweet basil, and parsley. Welcome to the Rubin Urban Farmstead. Your chicken sisters await your making home near their coop.

I'm getting excited, too. Dan and I had bought some seeds earlier and some of that stuff is working out (go radishes and kale!). Others are not (where are you, my gai lan and green onion friends?). It is our first garden after all.

I would like to do some canning this season. That's why I got the pickling cucumbers and the Romas (for sauce). It might be a lot of work. I just hope it will taste good. I suppose I can't go wrong with the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. They are time tested recipes.

10% Off on the 10th

2010-05-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

My neighborhood co-op is having a sale.

A couple times a year, People's Co-Op has a 10% Off on the 10th day. It ends up being quite crowded and a little crazy since it's not a big market but it's great.

I went today and picked up some veggie starts, eco-friendly household items, tempeh and chocolate (hey, I have my priorities). Stop by if you get the chance.

People's Co-Op
Corner of SE 21st and Tibbetts
(between Division and Powell)
Portland, OR 97202

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today, the dudes dished it out. As they should, right, ladies?

Of course, I was too busy relaxing to have remembered to take a picture of the brothers preparing a fantastic Mexican meal (for their wives and mother). Handmade flour tortillas, black beans, chorizo, eggs, and potatoes with all the fixins. We had fruit salad and honey-sweetened yogurt for dessert. (Oh, and I was too busy eating to take pictures. Sorry!)

It was fabulous. And why wouldn't it? My brother-in-law, Ken, is the director of one of the culinary school's here in Portland and he studied and practiced the cuisine in Oaxaca back in the day.

So Happy Mother's Day to all you ladies who have the rewarding yet challenging job of raising the world's young people. And a special shout out to Mama Lee (who doesn't know how to use the internet).

I love you, Ma...and thanks for everything. Sorry for all the headaches from when I was age 16 to about 25...

Reservations for Mom!

2010-05-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

Make your reservations NOW! There was one Mother's Day back in the 1990's when I decided to be spontaneous with my mom on Mother's Day. "Hey, let's go out to Mallard's for brunch," I said.

I think Mallard's has been out of biz for a while but it used to serve a great champagne brunch...we got there and it was a 90 minute wait. Forget that, El Torito, down the road also had a 90 minute wait. Dim sum at Dynasty was packed, too...and we'd always go there. That wasn't a treat.

Anyway, we went around town trying to find a place. We ended up going back to Mallard's, very nearly starving and waiting our 90 minutes after searching for 60...

So, make your reservations NOW...or go out and buy some fancy sausage or nitrate-free bacon and a dozen organic eggs!

Hey, it's your mom or the mother of your child(ren)! You can splurge a little on this day.

Wanna Bite o' Sausage?

2010-05-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Stop by the Deck Family Farm booth at the PSU Farmers Market this Saturday, May 8th (between 10am and 12pm) to sample their new sausages. The booth is located on the west aisle just a few booths down from the Veggie Valet/Info Booth in the Northwest corner. I will be there with my chef coat and a nice collection of tastiness:

Beef Andouille
Polish Sausage
Sweet Italian Sausage
Garlic Sausage
Smoked Bratwurst

Consider getting local, tasty, humanely-raised sausages for a special Mother's Day breakfast. Because nothing says "I appreciate you," more than a sausage, some eggs, and a crepe/waffle/pancake/muffin breakfast...in bed!

Or just stop by and say, "Hello." See you there!

Freeze!

2010-05-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

With all that Chicken Enchilada Casserole left over, I'm freezing the rest of the broth so that it won't go bad.

These two quarts will make a mighty fine chili or lentil soup next week.

Stay tuned!

Pinot in the Pearl -- TODAY

2010-05-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Every first Thursday of the month Portland galleries and shops in the Old Town, Pearl District, and downtown neighborhoods stay open late. You can view new art exhibits, sip some wine, and listen to music.

This month, Chehalem Mountains Winegrowers presents:

PINOT IN THE PEARL
Venue Pearl
NW 13th & Flanders
5-9 pm

Tickets: $25 advance/$30 at door

This is no three buck Chuck event. Taste boutique wines unique to the Pacific Northwest--Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Reislings...and some Chardonnay. Then take some home with you. Food tastings will also be available from such restaurants as: 50 Plates, The Heathman, and The Painted Lady. Come hungry. Come thirsty and have a great time!

Look for me there. I'll be the one holding a wine glass.

If you can't make it tonight, visit the many tasting rooms in the Ribbon Ridge and Chehalem Mountains AVA (American Viticultural Areas).

#4 - Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2010-05-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!

In celebration, I'm busting out with my handmade tortillas, panela cheese, and roasted green chiles. This is a dish for cheese-lovers everywhere!

A lovely springtime meal with steamed asparagus, sliced radishes, and a fresh green salad...oh, and the super rich, super delicious Chix Ench Cass. For those who don't want to make a sauce, I suppose you could substitute a nice jar of alfredo sauce and mix the green chiles in that. Don't mix in any flour or sour cream if you are doing that option.

Fresh out of the oven! In a 9x9 dish. I could only eat a 2x2 square serving. I think we will have some leftovers!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole:
9 corn tortillas
2-4 c. chicken, shredded (remaining from Bakee Chicky)
6-8 oz cheese (Monterey Jack, Panela, in a pinch, Mozzarella)
Green Chile Sauce (see below for recipe)

1) Preheat oven to 350*F.
2) Grease 9x9 casserole dish.
3) Wrap tortillas in a moistened towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds.
4) Remove from wrap and cut into quarters.
5) Line bottom of casserole dish with 1/3 of tortilla triangles.
6) Spread 1/3 of chicken on top then pour 1/3 of sauce over that. Sprinkle on 1/3 of cheese.
7) Repeat layer of tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese until all gone.
8) Bake for 25-30 mins. until cooked to center and bubbly.

Serve hot.

Green Chile Sauce:
2 TBL. canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. mushrooms, chopped
1 can (~15 oz) corn, drained (or use frozen or fresh--in summertime!)
2 c. chicken broth (homemade from roast chicken carcass)
1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 lb. green chiles (of your choice or use two 4 oz. cans chopped green chiles)

1) Heat oil in pan over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic until onions become translucent (about 5 mins).
2) Add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms reduce and liquid cooks off.
3) Pour in corn. Stir.
4) Sprinkle in flour and cook for 3-5 minutes.
5) Add broth 1 cup at a time, stirring continually, to incorporate. Continue until sauce thickens to thin gravy consistency.
6) Mix in sour cream
7) Toss in green chiles. Stir. Remove from heat.

Pre-4 - Chicken Broth

2010-05-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

We're almost there, people. Are we tired of chicken yet? Maybe but let's make some soup and disguise the rest with cheese. Everything is better with bacon, butter, or cheese. Isn't that what they say?

So in preparation for #4 and #5, we must prepare our broth. It's simple really. Remove all the meat you can find that remains and set aside for later. On mine, there is still one breast and a bunch of meat on the back. If you peel off the skin you will find more, believe me. Keep the skin for the broth. It makes the broth tastier, even if you skim off the fat.

So let's go. Put the bones and skin in a 6-8 qt. pot (bigger is better...to prevent boiling over--although it's all supposed to just simmer but accidents happen, right? Anyway...) Add any of the flavor bits from the chicken container. Chop up a large onion and one carrot. You can add a stalk of celery if you like. Other optional veggies to add: parsnip, daikon, turnip, parsley. Just don't add anything starchy (like potato, yam), that would discolor (beets) the broth, or make it bitter (mustard greens).

Add enough water to cover the whole lot and simmer for 60-90 mins. If we were making this from raw chicken bones, we would be simmering for half a day, at least, but these bones have already been through the ringer so they don't need much time. Although, the easy way to do this is to use a slow cooker (aka, CrockPot). Set it on low before heading off to bed or to work. It's done when you get wake up/get home. Oh the magic of a CrockPot...

When done (same procedure whether by stovetop or CrockPot), place a strainer over another pot (3 to 4 qts). Pour broth though. Discard bones, etc. Cool broth uncovered for an hour then place in refrigerator. A fat cap will appear on top. You can scrape that off and discard to lower fat content.

Preparing your own broth makes the whole house smell good, too...unless you're a vegetarian or vegan.

Tempura - A Dinner Break from Chicken

2010-05-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Dan and I were tired of chicken so we took a break from it on Tuesday night. That's when I decided that we needed to share Tempura Night with our friends.

Let me just say that it's a lot of work and is better attempted on a weekend night. Don't get me wrong. It was delicious and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. But of course, you know me, I had to make everything from scratch. So it was a lot of work.

--Miso soup made with fresh dashi (Japanese seaweed/fish-based stock),
--My 50/50 rice mix (sweet rice and brown rice) on the stovetop that even my anti-brown rice friend will have seconds of,
--Fresh tempura dipping sauce with dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar (I also grated fresh daikon and ginger to boot),
--Green salad with homemade miso dressing,
--5 different tempura items (sweet potato, carrot, asparagus, mushroom, shrimp)
--and deep fried tofu...hey, I had hot oil and extra tofu left after making the miso soup.

Y'know I think I would have battered and fried an Oreo if I'd had one on hand.

So, if I were to do it again, I'd do it the same, just on a Saturday night! But to make it easier, one can easily buy miso soup mix in the Asian aisle of any grocery store, use a rice cooker, get a bag o' salad and bottled dressing, and only do three fried items. I would still recommend NOT buying the tempura mix though. I think it's a waste. Here's my recipe:

1 egg, beaten
1 c. very cold seltzer water or club soda
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. corn starch
(That's it. What you buy in the box for $2.50 is 25 cents worth of flour and starch that's probably 2 years old. No thank you.)

1) Add cold setzer/soda to beaten egg and mix.
2) Pour in flour and starch all at once.
3) Stir sparingly. The batter should be runny and lumpy.

The keys to good tempura:
--Use cold water and keep the batter cold (that difference in temperature helps batter to be lighter and less oily)
--Stir batter sparingly
--Make sure oil temp returns to 340-350*F before adding new items.

The only thing I was disappointed in was the carrots. The oil must not have been hot enough cuz it was oily and the batter didn't stick well. My favorite is, of course, the shrimp. There's a trick to that, too. Y'know, in order for it to not curl. Email me if you want to know.

Hey, I can't give away all the culinary secrets in one sitting!

#3 - Japanese Chicken Salad

2010-05-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Oh, the radishes are popping up in our garden already. It is truly wonderful to experience the bounty of one's garden. I had no idea. So I made a salad for our lunches. Yum.

Miso Salad Dressing
1 fl. oz. rice vinegar
2 tsp. yellow miso
1 med clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. sugar
1/3-1/2 tsp. ginger, grated (depending on how spicy you like it)
1.5 fl. oz. canola or olive oil

1) Mix together the vinegar and miso. The miso tends to stick together and clump. Whisking helps to smooth the mixture.
2) Add garlic, sugar, and ginger. Incorporate.
3) Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking to emulsify (or you can put everything in a jar and shake it...that's often fun for the kids).

Toss with salad greens and chicken (I used meat from the other leg and thigh for our two salads). I packaged Dan's for travel.

Remember, save the bones. We have one chicken breast left for Cinco de Mayo. Ole!

#2 - Curry Chicken Salad Lunch

2010-05-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Take one chicken breast (chopped or shredded).

Add a handful of raisins, cranberries, or dried fruit of your choice.

Put in half a handful of almonds (I used sliced almonds. If you only have whole almonds, chop them first).

Slice two green onions very thinly and mix all together. Sometimes I include chopped apple or celery if I have that on hand.

Yellow Curry Dressing:
3 TBL mayo (or plain yogurt for a lower fat option)
1 TBL yellow curry powder

Mix until powder is completely incorporated into mayo or yogurt. Nothing is less desirable than encountering a pocket of curry powder in one's mouth. Believe me on this one.

Combine dressing and chicken mixture. Voila!

Curry Chicken Salad. Eat over a bed of lettuce, spooned onto crackers, or spread over bread for a delightful sandwich.

The no brainer lunch.

#1 - Chicken Dinner

2010-05-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, this one is pretty simple. Serve up a steaming portion of your roasted/rotisserie chicken. Hey, we just got started. No one's tired of chicken yet.

My husband and I like dark meat so we split a thigh, drumstick and the two wings. I separated the meat from the bones and reserved the bones (keep them refrigerated with the rest of the bird). We will be doing that all week for a special surprise! No it's not a bone necklace. I'm not Wilma Flintstone.

I hand-made some corn tortillas (you can buy them ready-made/packaged since we'll be using more of them later in the week) from a bag of instant masa. It's even better if you use moistened masa from a Latin grocery store. Just serve them warm.

The artichoke was steamed and has a special Tabaco dipping sauce. No, not Tabasco (as in the hot sauce). My friend's dad, George Tabaco (RIP Mr. Tabaco), used to make this dipping sauce all the time. It's mayo and soy sauce. If you don't like mayonnaise then this is not for you. However, if you do, try it. Use as much or as little soy sauce as you like. Start with mayo in a bowl and add soy sauce a little at a time. Stir. Be careful not to have a sea of soy surrounding a tiny island of mayo ;-P

The Many Flavors of One 3 lb. Chicken

2010-05-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

I used to be a vegetarian...or a "fish"-etarian. I couldn't give up sushi. But that's another story rife with hilarity and well, ultimate failure. I am no longer a vegetarian after all. But I did learn a lot about alternative protein sources and that one can actually O.D. on peanut butter.

When I cook, I try to think about all the ways I can use every ingredient to its fullest extent. I'm most proud of multi-stage cooking/eating of a roast chicken. So follow me and Bakee Chicky on our culinary adventure. You can find a Bakee Chicky of your own at any grocery store deli or (if you're into such tom cookery...) in your oven. Over the next few blog posts, we will be tempting your tummy with much more than simple roasty goodness.

Usually I bake my own but I was feeling a bit lazy and they were being packaged just as I was approaching. It's like fresh popped popcorn...who can resist? And who has time during a busy work week. These birds run about $5-8 depending on where you shop (more if you're going organic).

I will show you how to make this chicken into 5 (count 'em 5) tasty and distinctly different meals for two (or for one if you're a big eater). Follow me...

Blueberry Pancake Breakfast

2010-04-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

The best part is that you don't have to cook 'em!

Looking for something to do on Saturday morning! Join the folks of the Interstate Farmers Market for their first fundraiser.

Saturday, May 1st
9 am - Noon
Overlook Park
(N. Interstate and Fremont)

$6/person or $20/family of 4
Children 3 and younger FREE

Enjoy:
pancakes (regular and gluten-free)
bacon
coffee
orange juice

All proceeds benefit the Farmers Market and increasing healthy food access in North Portland.

Taste of the Nation

2010-04-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

SHARE OUR STRENGTH
No Kid Hungry.

I can support that. So this coming Monday, April 26th, Share Our Strength's fundraiser Taste of the Nation hits Portland, Oregon. It is a fine dining event that helps make sure no kid in America grows up hungry.

I hope to see you there!

50 Restaurants * 20 Wineries * 5 Breweries
One Mission to End Childhood Hunger

Monday, April 26th
Luxe Autohaus
411 NE 18th Ave
6:30pm, General
with LUXE and VIP entry time starting at 5:00pm and 5:30pm respectively

Tickets:
LUXE $175 adv
VIP $125 adv/$135 door
General $75 adv/$85 door

From their website:

"PORTLAND, OREGON — With a passion to fight childhood hunger, Portland’s best restaurants, wineries, breweries and mixologists will gather for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, the city’s premier culinary benefit. Taste of the Nation Portland will raise critical funds needed to support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in Oregon and across the nation. This year’s event will be on April 26th, 2010 at Luxe Autohaus at 6:30pm, with a LUXE and VIP entry time starting at 5:00pm and 5:30pm, respectively.

Oregon is a state known for its abundant production of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, and yet 1 in 6 kids in Oregon experience food insecurity and do not receive proper nutrition to grow and develop. The Oregon Food Bank has seen demand for emergency food boxes increase 15% over last year. Taste of the Nation works to end childhood hunger in the United States and abroad by ensuring that children and their families have reliable access to nutritious food, and by addressing the deeper causes of these conditions.

One hundred percent of ticket and auction revenue help ensure no kid in America grows up hungry."

If you don't live in Portland, check out the Taste of the Nation website to see when they will be in your city or one near you!

The People's Pickle...

2010-04-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

has arrived!

Be still my heart. We were so excited that we ate half the jar before remembering to take a picture.

My friend, Erin McGovney, started The People's Pickle this year and this is the first delivery. Spicy Pickled Carrots. Yum. Just enough of a spicy bite but with a crispy snap.

Erin is a multi-talented entrepreneur who works full-time as a knowledgeable real estate broker, serves on the Board of the Interstate Farmers' Market (Weds 3-7 pm next to Overlook Park off the Max, May 19th - Sep 29th), started a delicious pickle biz, and runs a design business called RE.FRESH.

If you're interested in joining The People's Pickle, looking to buy a house in Portland (especially if it's your first!), or thinking about a home redesign, contact her directly: emcgovney@gmail.com.

Vanessa Loves Star Trek

2009-11-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Star Trek isn't food but I loved the flick, it's coming out on DVD...and ever since Alias, I have been a fan of J.J. Abrams.

I have been enjoying Star Trek since before it became a franchise but I am not as fanatical as other Trekkies. For instance, I've been told that my cousin has recreated the bridge of the Enterprise in one of the rooms of his house...now that's a man cave.

Anyway, in honor of movie-time, here's a homemade version of the popular Hurricane Popcorn that I can only seem to find in stores in Hawaii. Now you can make it at home.

Take:
1 bag popped microwave popcorn (or pop 1/4 c. of kernals on stovetop)
3 TBL melted butter
1-1/4 c. arare/kakimochi (bite-sized Japanese rice crackers)
1/4 c. furikake

Shake in a 2 qt. plastic bag or a large popcorn bowl with lid. Feel free to increase the amount of butter, it would be more in line with the original recipe. Besides, you have to compensate for all the butter that will stick to the bag/container, right?

Oh, and if you don't like rice crackers, you can sub in wasabi peas or peanuts.

So enjoy with your favorite movie, perhaps Star Trek...uh, tomorrow.

Leftover...Cookies?

2009-11-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

You read correctly. Halloween was slow here in the new neighborhood. Danno and I had purchased a mega box of Reese's mini peanut butter cups, then we were given more miniatures "just in case."

I needed to figure out a way to save us from ourselves. We were eating the equivalent of 4 (or more) whole candy bars everyday. Those miniatures are really too easy to eat but our trash can full of wrappers can tell no lies.

We were invited to a dinner party tonight and my buddy asked me to make dessert. I have seen similar cookies with candy Kisses. Surely I could adapt it to work for peanut butter cups...these are two dozen peanut butter cup cookies. Basically I used a half recipe of Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough sans the chips (and I substituted the AP flour with whole wheat flour...hey, it makes me feel better about dessert). They were baked at 350*F in a mini muffin pan for 9-10 minutes. I removed them from the oven and pressed in a mini cup until it was enveloped by the cookie but not overwhelmed by it. They went back into the oven for 3-4 minutes.

I got excited and tried to take one out immediately. C'mon, you would have too. But they need to cool completely before they can be removed whole--think chewy chocolate chip cookie.

The furnace installation guys really liked them (they cooled enough just as they were leaving) as did the dinner party hosts and their friends. I'm hoping I won't have to wait until next Halloween in order to make these leftover cookies again.

Peking Thigh

2009-11-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law, Joan, made Peking duck while my mom was visiting. She had done it years ago and wanted to try again. It was delicious. We ate it too quickly for me to have taken a picture.

Then she got an idea to try it with turkey thigh. The dark meat of the turkey thigh was surprisingly similar in taste and texture to duck except that it was much leaner.

Peking duck traditionalists will miss the fowl lipids but the skin held all the goodness from the sauce. Also, the meat to skin ratio skewed in the opposite direction (if you've ever eaten duck, you know what I mean) so maybe this ends up being healthier.

Anyway, I don't know how to make this, I just wanted to tempt your tummies. She made the Mandarin pancakes too. Very handy lady. I stir fried the bok choy. Hey, I had to do something.

I do know that making the duck involved boiling it in a sweet, gingery sauce, then hanging it dry and drip, then roasting it. Apparently, turkey thighs are less messy and intense since Joan could dry it on a rack in the refrigerator instead of hanging it from the curtain rod in the shower.

The only problem was that the thigh is so much thicker than any part of a duck that the meat closest to the bone just tasted like moist turkey.

I'm sure she'll try it again. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Taking Stock in Making Stock

2009-11-10T22:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this doesn't save you time and it may not save you any money unless you get the bones for free but it tastes phenomenal.

In culinary school, we made stock every day and every time we were supposed to skim off the fat and scum from the top as it simmered. I don't do that anymore, not with beef broth anyway. It's dark. It's brown. As long as it's rich and flavorful, 99% of people tasting the broth won't know that I didn't meticulously skimmed the scum...most of which gets filtered out by the strainer and cheesecloth anyway.

For beef stock, roasting the bones and adding a little tomato paste are key. If you don't, the results will be devastatingly bland. The caramelization of the bones gives it depth and flavor. The acid in the tomato helps to break down the collagen into gelatin which gives the stock richness.

They say the ratio is 5:1, bones to mirepoix (the French trifecta of 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery). I know it's a lot of math--I approximate, it's a culinary art after all not a science. The amount of water you add is as much as is necessary to cover everything in the pot.

Roast bones in 450*F oven on sheet pan or cookie sheet until brown, turning occasionally for even roasting. When done, add to pot. Place chopped veggies on the same tray and put in oven to roast a bit, mix in 1-2 TBL tomato paste (I've used ketchup in a pinch). The liquid and steam from the veggies will actually help deglaze the pan. When done, add that to the pot and use a spatula to scrape the fond (nice brown bits of flavor) from the pan into pot. Cover completely with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 6-24 hours.

I like to do this an hour before bedtime. Then I finish up the next morning before work or if I'm feeling daring (or "running behind"), that night after work (adding water if necessary so that water line does go below food line while I'm away). To finish, I get a large pot suspend a strainer lined with cheesecloth on the rim and scoop in the stock, bones into it.

The stock is amazingly rich and those bones hold a surprising amount of fat that will solidify on top as it cools. Use it for cooking or discard in trash after it's cool (don't pour it down the drain unless you like dealing with plumbing problems). 5 lbs. of bones yields about 3-4 quarts.

I used bones from pasture-raised beef. You can't find that on the shelves of the grocery store. That's why I did it. It makes the house smell yummy, too, but this task is not for everyone.

You Kraut Do It

2009-11-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

It's easy. Shred some cabbage. For every 5 lbs. Sprinkle and mix in 3 TBL of salt in a large bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes and the salt will extract moisture from the cabbage making its own brine.

Transfer to a gallon container (pickling crock or food-safe plastic container), pressing down as you go. I used glass jar, covered it with cheesecloth and weighted it down. I used a smaller glass container filled with water. Others have used a large, clean rock (that's been sanitized by boiling).

Store in a cool, dry place (but not the fridge...it's a retarded fermenter, I mean, it slows fermentation). Every day or so, check on it and remove the scum from the top. It will be ready in 3-6 weeks. It's up to you and your tastes. Then you can put in fridge or can it. Although "fresh" kraut has an amazing number of live cultures, so if you can (or preserve) it then you basically kill all that good stuff. I bet you it would still be tons better than the stuff you buy in the store though.

Good luck. That's my first batch when it was a week old. It is now a week gone!

Kids Test Kitchen

2009-11-08T23:50:00.000-08:00

This is my young friend, Zoe. Together we rolled out some home-made fettuccine, which literally means "little ribbons" in Italian. I guess maybe we made "fettuccina" since Zoe wanted extra long pasta.

I couldn't convince her to make them "regular" length because it was "super" pasta. There is something really awesome about teaching children how to cook. None of my culinary school buds had that much enthusiasm when learning how to make pasta and neither did my comrades-in-arms at Lucques.

Apparently Zoe's specialty is fruit salad. She preps with a butter knife so the salad usually consists of soft things like bananas, canned peaches, and sometimes grapes or berries. Once she made me a side of carrot sticks and chopped almonds...also cut with the butter knife. Now, that's some resolve.

After a long day's work, it's all you can do to pick up the phone to order delivery pizza for dinner. But once a week or every other week, think about making food with your kid(s). It's good for everyone! Just look at little sis, Neve, enjoying the fruits of our labor.

If they are under 10 y.o., some easy things you can do are pizza dough or bread, pasta, tossing a salad, mashing potatoes, or shaking heavy cream into butter. Email me if you need recipes or ideas!

Hey, at age 7, my cousin Jenny asked me if I wanted an "egg in a frame" for breakfast. 5 minutes later she delivered a plate with a fried egg embedded in a toast frame. There were no shells. It was one of the nicest breakfasts I've ever had...and she had to pull out her step-stool from the bathroom to do it.

Teach 'em young, you might be able to sleep in some mornings and maybe even get breakfast in bed. Wouldn't that be nice?

Scottish Egg Brings Me Back

2009-08-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

I don't even remember the last time I blogged. I'm not even going check. I will be embarrassed. Instead, I will talk about the culinary treat that brings me back to my food writing roots:

The Scottish Egg.

Have you ever tried one of these? It was love at first bite. It's a hard-boiled egg encased in sausage then breaded and deep fried. The only thing it's missing is bacon.

Thanks to Zach for ordering it and offering a piece. And thanks to Horse Brass Pub on SE Belmont and 46th for your super hot fryer!

Destination: Park Kitchen

2009-05-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to me. Danno took me to Park Kitchen for my birthday back in April. This is what I love about Portland...many of the dining establishments have seasonal menus! Living in Southern California helps one forget that there are actual seasons...it's always sunny, the leaves don't change colors and the sky, well, is always the same color (I won't say what color...).

This is not to say that So Cal restaurants don't have seasonal menus. Lucques (where I learned from the best) always has a Market salad and procures from the Santa Monica Farmers Market. But Portland has a strong Locavore movement. Maybe it's more apparent to me because Portland just isn't as expansive of an area as say, the Los Angeles Basin.

Anyway, on to Park Kitchen...it was a quiet night for them. This destination spot sometimes overflows with patrons waiting at the bar to be seating. That night, we were one of maybe four parties after 8pm. The previous Friday was apparently similarly unbusy but the Tuesday before was super busy. The economy is a crazy inconsistent creature.

Everything sounded so delicious that we decided not to decide and ordered the "Tasting Menu." It's the chef's selections for the day or night, as in our case. Let's start at the top...

Sizzling baby octopus...sauteed in butter, butter and more butter. The server recommended that we save the bread for last, in order to dip it into the buttery goodness at the bottom of the skillet. We listened to him the rest of the night.

Farm egg, braised leeks, nettles and duck ham...yeah, duck ham. I'm not the biggest fan of nettle but in combination with the creamy egg, tender leeks, and the flavorful duck oink, it was quite tasty.

You might not be able to tell, because I couldn't until I bit into it but that's a clam salad. Razor clams, celery root remoulade and ham to be precise. There was a surprising repetition of seemingly similar ingredients (clam, nettle, ham-ness) in the tasting menu but everything was refreshing. The julienned razor clam was tender and is warming me up to the larger clam's texture.

Nettle fettucini, saffron braised cipollini and clams was a surprise. I usually enjoy my smaller clams tossed in black bean sauce and my green pasta is usually spinach, so imagine my surprise when this plate arrived at the table. The fettucini was a tad more bitter than the standard green pasta but was nicely balanced by the mild cipollini onions.

Then we had Nic's sprouted salad with quinoa crunch. Apparently Nic is one of the cooks and grows sprouts in his garden. The salad reminded me of the Magic Mix from Jazzy Sprouts (sold at many So. Cal. farmers markets). The quinoa crunch was a thin, sweet cracker. It was simple and might have been my favorite part of the meal.

We finished the meal with a sticky date pudding with whipped yogurt and sesame and a rhubarb consumme, hibiscus, goat cheese panna cotta. I wasn't too crazy about the rhubarb or hibiscus but I loved the panna cotta. The other dessert ironically did not stick in my mind.

For us, the meal was definitely better than the dessert. It was a slow night for them so I hope that business picks up again for them this summer because it is a definite destination spot.

Yummy Romesco

2009-05-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

When I was traveling in Spain, my first stop was Barcelona. That was where I first tasted a romesco sauce. It's a nut-based sauce that goes really well with the abundance of seafood in Catalonia, that northeast region of Spain.

I have such fond memories of that trip...I love to re-live some by making my own romesco. I like mine on the thicker side so that I can use it as a stuffing. I can always add more oil to thin it out into a dipping sauce.

Romesco Dressing
1 c. hazelnuts, toasted
1 c. almonds, toasted
3 cloves garlic, rough chop
3 ancho chilis, soaked in warm water until soft, then seeded and patted dry
1 TBL smoked paprika
2 c. roasted tomato
3 1" thick slices of bread, fried in oil or toasted
3 c. olive oil
2 TBL parsley, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
salt, to taste

In a heavy saute pan, heat 3 TBL oil and cook chilis for 5 mins. In food processor, blend nuts, garlic, bread cubes by pulsing the machine. When ground together, add chilis and pulse for another min. Then add roasted tomato and parsley. With machine running, slowly add enough of the remaining oil to make a smooth emulsion. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.

Use less chilis and/or paprika if too spicy.

Buen Apetito!

Memories of Those Passed

2009-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's strange that as I get older I know of more people dying. Maybe it's because when I was 6 y.o. I only knew maybe 30 people. Now, 30-some-odd years later, so many more people have touched my life.

Mama Lee's mama (my grandmother) passed away earlier this week and the father of my good friend, Rose, passed last week Thursday.

My grandmother lived in China, Hong Kong, and Canada, raised four kids mostly on her own, and could seriously crochet. How different her life was from mine. Unfortunately I didn't know her very well since she lived in Canada all my life. Neither of us traveled back and forth much and my Cantonese is so bad that telephone calls were awkward at best. I do remember the times that we did spend together...I remember a lot of dim sum, some serious snoring on her part, and when we were all in Vancouver for the World's Fair in '86, she complained about how expensive high tea was at some she-she hotel in Victoria. She, like my mother, would have rather had dim sum.

Rose's dad, Bob, was a very sweet man. I was fortunate to spend time talking and eating (of course) with him that week before Rose's wedding. He grew rubies for industrial use, invented some sort of dongle for ultrasound machines, and professed many things that are outside my realm of scientific understanding. Selfishly, I am most grateful to him for helping bring Rose, my spicy foodie sistah, into my life.

Many are sad because of your parting, Yu Sau and Bob, but effects of your lives will be felt for the rest of eternity. Thank you.

"My Beloved" Artichoke Hearts

2009-04-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Back in the 70's, I remember making salads with my dad. After spinning the freshly washed lettuce in our salad spinner, slicing cucumbers and carrots, and shaking the Good Season's Italian dressing package with vinegar, water, and oil, we would toss in a small jar of Cara Mia marinated artichoke hearts.

The hearts were always a treat. We didn't always have them because, well, they were expensive. It doesn't seem like that much of a precious treasure now that you can get a gallon jug of them...well, maybe not a gallon, but 32 oz is a lot...at Costco.

What I like to do nowadays is marinate them myself. They are really fresh if you cook your own baby artichokes but that just feels like a lot of waste. It's a lot of time and artichoke scraps for not a lot of return when you can get nice 'choke hearts from the freezer. I prefer the freezer chokes to the can because they have less of that can aftertaste and no salt.

Marinated 'Chokes
8-9 oz frozen artichoke hearts
3/4 c vinegar (white or apple cider)
1/4 c water
4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1 TBL salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne (depends on how hot you want it)
oil, enough to cover (olive, grapeseed)
1 qt jar w/lid (preferably mason)

1) Completely thaw artichoke hearts.
2) Place in 1 quart jar.
3) Combine vinegar, water, garlic, salt, dried herbs (lightly crushed), and cayenne in small saucepan. Bring to boil.
4) Pour hot liquid over artichoke hearts in jar.
5) Let sit for 10 mins then pour in mild oil to cover artichokes.
6) Cover. Shake. Refrigerate.

Good for up to 3 weeks...if they last that long!

Quiches Without Borders

2009-04-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

When I was in Weight Watchers earlier in the millennium, one of the tricks to lower calorie desserts during the holidays was to bake a crustless pumpkin pie.

Pie crust is typically white flour, fat (butter, lard, shortening), and a little bit of cold liquid (I know a person who uses vodka). So you remove that and use fat-free condensed milk, all of a sudden you have a low-fat dessert (there's still of couple of eggs in the mix so it's not fat free).

What's the fun of eating a pie without crust, you ask?

Well, maybe you're gluten-sensitive or you're trying to lose weight but still want some of the goodies or you just don't like that crumbly crust...there are a number of reasons.

For me and my Quiche Without Borders, I just didn't want to deal with pie crust when making individual sized quiches. With mini quiches/tarts, there's always such an overwhelming percentage of crust that you don't experience with a slice from a regular 9-incher.

I don't recommend removing the crust from any recipe that requires a double crust (like an apple pie) because it requires that type of enclosure to help retain it's juiciness. But any single crust-er that holds its own shape (pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, quiche) will be just fine.

Spinach and Artichoke Heart Quiche
1-1/2 tsp, olive oil
1 oz, onion, small dice
2 eggs, beaten
4 fl oz, heavy cream
4 fl oz, milk
pinch, fresh nutmeg
6 oz, frozen spinach or 1/2 bunch fresh spinach, cleaned & stemmed
1 c., artichoke hearts, frozen (thawed) or canned

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Heat oil in saute pan. Add onions. Cook until translucent (2 mins).
3. Add spinach. When spinach wilts add artichoke hearts and heat for 2 mins.
4. Remove from heat and squeeze out all moisture. Roughly chop spinach and artichoke hearts.
5. In mixing bowl, beat eggs, cream, milk, and nutmeg.
6. Add veggie mix to egg mix. Stir gently to incorporate.
7. Pour mixture into 9" pie pan or 4-6 smaller, oven-proof dishes. They will puff up so do not overfill.
8. Bake at 350*F 20-30 mins, until set.

I love eggs. Enjoy!

Vanessa Hates, I Mean, "Loves" Exercise

2009-04-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, folks. I just downloaded pix from a wedding I went to last month. Pretty much one year after my own. The photos were shocking. I am a bit fluffier this year than I was last. I blame it on the cold weather of winter in the northwest...I mean, I need insulation. It freakin' snows here. But it has gotten me thinking about exercise.

What does this have to do with food? Well, I have to practice what I preach. Back in the day, I used to teach cooking and, uh, NUTRITION classes. I want to get back into that. I was healthier back then. Maybe it was because I wasn't eating as decadently. Or maybe it was because I was planning a wedding, going to culinary school, teaching cooking classes, writing grants, working in a restaurant, and walking a dog.

Nowadays, I'm only doing one of those things. I'm not saying which.

So I had a birthday a couple days ago. You'll see the delicious morsels from that dinner soon. But in this next year of life, I vow to exercise enough to support my extravagant foodie lifestyle. If I don't, at the rate I'm going, I believe I'll be considered obese in the next two years. Yikes!

We should all exercise anyway, right?

I say it to you, my loyal readers, I will exercise 30-60 mins, 3-5 times a week. It's springtime anyway. I should be outside doing something. Who will join me? Well, virtually anyway....

Gourmet Doughnuts??

2009-04-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Can there be such a thing as a gourmet doughnut? Probably not...to be considered gourmet requires food to be of high quality ingredients, prepared accurately, and presented artfully. Doughnuts will always come in a flimsy paper box or bag. If it didn't, I don't think it would actually be a doughnut anymore.

Voodoo Doughnuts does a great job being artful and delicious...but it's still a doughnut from a paper bag after all. But don't let that fool you. Vooddoo is not like any other doughnut shop. They do weddings as well. I am a lover of the fried pastry but I guess I'm not that much of a fanatic. I would choose our lovely museum courtyard wedding over having it in a large pink building full of fried dough any day.

There is actually a doughnut called the "Voodoo Doughnut" which is in the shape of a person...or doll...with a mini stick pretzel in it. At the time of the visit, I was too full for my own doughnut. Leave it to Danno to get an friggin' apple fritter. Don't get me wrong it was delicious, apple-y sweet, and fluffy.

I remember when I was in high school...I would sometimes stop at the donut shop on Charter Way to get a doughnut on the way to school. I think it was a Yum Yum Donut. I would get one of three: chocolate bar, maple bar, or glazed twist. But with doughnuts like: Grape Ape (raised doughnut with vanilla frosting and grape powder), Dirty Snowball (chocolate cake doughnut covered with pink marshmallow glaze and surprise filling), and The Memphis Mafia (chocolate chips, banana, peanut butter and glaze)...I kinda wanted to try something not-so-traditional here.

The fried goodness of Voodoo cannot easily be described. The variety and creativity of the menu is enough to get you to stop by and look into that rotating case. You'll be mesmerized and ingest a full day's worth of calories in one sitting. But it's really worth it. The traditional doughnuts are outstanding and all their specialty doughnuts will knock your socks off, no matter what kind of sweet you desire.

There's something for everyone--even our vegan friends!

Voodoo Doughnuts
22 SW 3rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
Tel: 503-241-4704
Open 24 Hours!

&

Voodoo Doughnuts Too
1501 NE Davis
Portland, OR 97232
Tel: 503-235-2666
Open only 21 hours: 6:01am - 2:59am

Taco Cart Taco

2009-04-01T12:02:00.001-07:00

When I was working at Lucques in West Hollywood, Douglas, then a pantry cook (he moved up to the line while I was there) ate either a chicken taco or burrito from a food cart (on Vermont near USC) and got so sick that he had to be hospitalized with an I.V. He swears never to eat from a roach coach again. Me, I may just stay away from chicken on wheels.

In my search for good Latin food (specifically Mexican, El Salvadorian, and Cuban) in Portland, I've so far only found one place that is somewhat good. I think I've been spoiled because I lived in California all my life. When I lived in Los Angeles, I couldn't turn my head without bumping my nose on a burrito joint or taco cart. In Stockton (back in the day), I had a longtime boyfriend whose mom owned and cooked at an Oaxacan restaurant. Whenever I came by, she would make me dishes off the menu because she knew what I liked. You really can't beat that.

So, unfortunately, Portland will never have Chinese or Mexican food as good as I had in Stockton. Kiko's Taqueria Uruapan comes close though. Of course I choose the pork options: pastor (marinaded in spices and cooked upright on a spit) and carnitas (slow-roasted or braised pork).

Located in Sellwood on Antique Row, it shares it's space with a couple other carts. But these bite-sized tacos are always my first choice. There is something about the three-bite taco that I find so satisfying. Maybe because I can get a few of them in a variety of flavor combinations in one sitting.

Kiko's tacos were hot and pack a mouthful of flavor and at a dollar each, it's quite a bargain. Danno, as always, got a burrito...the potato and green chile one this time. I believe there was pork involved. I wasn't as taken with the burrito as with the tacos but it was tasty and VERY filling.

Kiko’s Taqueria Uruapan
SE 13th Ave & Lexington St.
Portland, OR 97202
M-F: 11:00 am - 4:30 pm

March Madness -- What BUNK!

2009-03-31T23:58:00.000-07:00

Wow. How did we get here? It's almost April!

So, I don't know if you know this or not but here in Portland, it rains a lot. Now that Spring is "here," things are beginning to bloom. But I've realized that I really miss the sun. Oh, glorious sun, I can't wait to spend a continuous number of days with you.

What Portland seems to have in abundance is pork. Yum. I have a fave sausage place called Otto's Sausage Kitchen...but that story will have to come later since, for some reason, I have no pix of yet. It might be because once an Otto's sausage gets in my hands, it quickly finds its way to my belly.

Which is a wonderful segue to my pork belly reuben. Yes, you heard me pork BELLY. If you like bacon, this is sooo much better. Bunk Sandwiches serves some of the best sandwiches I've ever tasted.

This sandwich is not for the faint-hearted or for those watching their cholesterol. It's marinaded, slow-roasted pork belly with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese on grilled rye bread. It was fantastic.

As a child, my mother would, after grilling or broiling a steak, trim the excess fat off the side; and before she knew what happened, that shimmering piece of goodness would find it's way to my belly, much like an Otto's sausages of today. Really, she would barely turn away. Innocently, I would gaze up at her, my only evidence of guilt being oily marks on my face.

So how could I resist the call of the pig belly? I'm glad that I am not that strong.

It was lunchtime and the line was long...and for good reason. Everything we had was delicious. Gillian had a chicken salad sandwich that looked like a Dagwood! Danno had the roast beef sandwich that melted in your mouth, followed by a mild tingle from the horseradish. We indulged in half sour pickles from Picklopolis (fresh made Portland pickles) as well.

For those of you who like sandwiches, check out Bunk, where the art of layering flavors is not lost on your tastebuds.

Bunk Sandwiches
621 SE Morrison
Portland, OR 97214
Open: M-SAT: 8-3
Tel: 503.477.9515

For the Love of Sushi

2009-02-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I hated sushi. What was to like? Raw fish did not taste or sound like a good idea...even to one who routinely ate chicken feet, calf brain soup, and thousand-year eggs. The rice was sour, too.

Aaaaah, but with age comes wisdom and maybe a more "distinguished" palate.

Now, the uncooked flesh of a freshly filleted fish is a delicacy. Granted, that first photo is of a caterpillar roll which raw contents consists only of its fruits (cucumber inside and the avocado splayed on top like a newly opened deck of cards at the blackjack table) and BBQ fresh-water eel. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

When I was at the Kushi Institute's Macrobiotic conference last summer, my friend, Leslie, had the good fortune of working with one of the sushi chefs. I will never forget (nor will she, I suppose) the 7 cups rice to 1 cup awase su (seasoned vinegar for sushi) for the sushi rice. So remember that folks, 7:1. Mix when rice is still hot and fan it during to make the rice tacky but not sticky and also gloriously shiny.

If you've got the rice, you're all set. You can make nigiri (the hand-formed bite-sized pieces) without nori (or seaweed). The nori is necessary for rolls (traditional ones anyway...there is also the soy wrappers or if you're really adept with a knife you can make a sheet of cucumber).

My friend, Heather, a novice at sushi making was actually very good at spreading the rice on the seaweed. It must be the massage therapist hands of hers. Karl was excellent with the spicy tuna. He was 50/50 with the mayo and Sriracha sauce. That was really spicy to me but with a little soy sauce, it was delicious.

Whether you're doing it at home or eating it out, it's never really "cheap." Besides, how cheap do you want to be with raw fish? But it should always be tasty and most definitely fun.

We made all that with 3 cups of uncooked rice and about 3 1/2 fl. oz. of seasoned rice vinegar. Purchase from a reliable fish monger.

My sushi hints:
1) Use a sharp knife otherwise you're just tearing everything.
2) Use fresh ingredients...it's raw, people.
3) Use half a sheet of nori for the skinny rolls, a whole sheet for the fat rolls.
4) Wrap your sushi mat in plastic wrap. Makes for easier clean up and if you're doing inside-out rolls (rice on outside), it's essential.
5) Place ball of rice in center of nori and spread outward.
6) When you roll, think of it making a rounded square instead of a perfect cylinder.
7) Do it with friends because it's a lot of work and you can have more of a variety. Yum!

No Mayo Chicken Salad?

2009-02-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

I am one big fan of mayonnaise. I love it on sandwiches. I love to mix it with soy sauce and dip veggies in it. I love to use it to make creamy dressings.

And yet somehow, I forgot to refresh my supply when I was at the grocery store yesterday. I know, I could have made some from scratch. I do believe it was the first emulsion I made in culinary school and I have all the ingredients. But I was too hungry and tired to whisk it...and I'm not sure if our eggs are fresh enough. I suppose that will be my indulgence--fresh mayo--if I really do get those urban chickens later this year. Anyway...

Sometimes when you get creative with food, something tasty comes out of it. We had leftover roasted chicken breast in the fridge so I decided to make some chicken salad for dinner:

1 chicken breast, chopped or shredded
3 TBL low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 scallion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

For this sandwich, I used a toasted ciabatta roll from a local Portland bakery, Grand Central Bakery, and piled on the salad. I like the different textures that come with this mix of ingredients: softness of chicken, crunch of almond, chewy of cranberry, crisp of scallion. Not to mention the flavor combination of savory, nutty, tart, and tang.

It was surprisingly tasty with the vanilla yogurt (lowfat organic from Trader Joe's) and quite a bit healthier. I was afraid that the yogurt would be too runny for this application but it seemed to add enough moisture and stickiness to hold everything together.

This salad would be good on a mild bed of greens as well, like butter lettuce. Bon appetit.

Superbowl-ish Wings

2009-02-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you guys watched the Superbowl but if you didn't, you missed a good game. I'm not really a football fan but I like a good competition.

Usually I watch the Big Game for the communal experience and the over-indulgence of snack foods. My favorite is always a good 5-, 7-, or 9-layer dip, preferably homemade and chicken wings--the messier, the better.

There's a place in Portland called Fire on the Mountain. They have a choice of 16 sauces in which to toss their perfectly fried wings. Oh, and btw, they have a vegetarian "wing" option too. I haven't tried it yet. Maybe next time. I wonder if it is less fat grams per wing? Eh, I don't really care.

We got 24 wings. For every six wings you can choose a sauce. We chose Sweet BBQ, Thai Peanut, Tequila Chipotle, and Hot. The Hot was surprisingly good. But I think my favorite is the Thai Peanut. It's got a small kick to it and I love peanuts. They have a spicy range of no spice to El Jefe hot.

They have two locations. The Burnside place is unassuming, somewhat industrial and open. I haven't visited the one on Interstate.

If you like wings or just dipping little sticks of celery into sauce, this is the place to go. I know Red Bull can give you virtual wings, but these guys will give you the real deal.

4225 North Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97227
503-280-WING

or

1706 E. Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97214
503-230-WING

Open for lunch and dinner

Dim Sum Airport

2009-01-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

Hey, wouldn't that be a great idea? To have a dim sum place in the airport. Just grab a variety of bite-sized morsels for the plane that won't be serving you any food...unfortunately PDX doesn't have that either but I bet it would go over swimmingly. Instead, we took Steph to Wong's King for dim sum before dropping her at the airport. Apparently we were bringing her on a tour of all our faves (so far), I guess.

This was our first dim sum experience in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I recommend, as with all dim sum places, getting there before 11am. When we arrived at 10:45am, we were seated right away. We didn't even pause at the doorway. The hostess asked us "How many?" as I was walking toward her. By the time we left, there were at least 30 people waiting to be seated and more flowing in from the over-crowded parking lot. But don't get there too early either or the selection will be much more limited.

So, Wong's King, it's a hot spot for dim sum in Portland. Unfortunately for WK, the dim sum in Los Angeles is outstanding. WK gets raves from the locals for its food. I agree that its lunch and dinner menus are outstanding but the dim sum left me wanting. It's unfortunate because I think they are the high bar in town.

Don't get me wrong, it was still good. I really liked the shu mai and the cheung fun stuffed with shrimp. And, look, we still had fun...y'know, I'm not really sure why they still let me take pix of them since I always get them with their mouths open.

What saddened me was the bland sauce in the cha siu bao and flat flavor of the har gow. Steamed pork bun and shrimp dumpling are two of the three pillars of dim sum cuisine (at least here in the States), pork dumpling (delicious shu mai mentioned above) being the third.

We'll definitely be coming back. It is Wong's King afterall. But not before checking out some of the other places in town.

Tea Time-r?

2009-01-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

Getting to know the edible Portland is fun. I suppose I love getting to know all places through its food.

When I backpacked through Holland, Belgium, France, and Spain for a month, that's exactly what I did--I ate my way through Europe. Hmm, perhaps I'll dig up some food photos and reminisce with y'all.

Actually, I hit a lot of cultural spots, too. I remember getting to Madrid (the last stop) where I stayed with my friend, Benji (Oh, Benji, I miss you. You are a terrific travel companion and life-saving American-speaker!). He suggested going to the Royal Palace or the Prado Museum that first afternoon and I practically rolled my eyes at him and said something like, "I've seen sooo many palaces and museums." Can you imagine? I'm a little embarrassed by that but I was just so over-saturated by the centuries of history and culture. Anyway...

So here we were at Tea Zone and Camellia Lounge for, uh, tea. They take their steeping so seriously that they gave us each a timer! Once the timer was done, we removed the strainer basket full of leaves from the pot and pour. Look at that fancy one with the metal frame and cool orange sand (above). I'm so used to the cheesy, plastic ones that come with Boggle or Taboo.

I believe that Steph got an oolong (there were several) while Dan and I shared a green tea (also several).

It was new year's day and they were closing early. The staff was quite friendly to us even though we showed up 25 minutes before closing. I remember back in the retail days in high school when customers would come right before closing. I was never rude to them but boy did I wish they would get done quickly.

Tea Zone is in the Pearl District which is in the northwest part of the city. There's lots to do in that area so after you get your shopping done at Powell's Books or seeing a Portland Center Stage play, wander over to Tea Zone to relax with a hot tea, good service, and a cool timer. Their tea selection rivaled the beer selection at Lucky Baldwin's Pub in Pasadena, California.

Tea Zone and Camellia Lounge
510 NW 11th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
Tel: (503) 221-2130

Worth the Wait?

2009-01-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

I've written about Saburo's sushi already. It is consistent in its quality and quantity as well as its wait time...although it does seem to feel longer each time. Maybe I'm beginning to show my age.

But as Steph can attest to, it is certainly delicious and filling. I had mistakenly thought that since Steph had lived in Japan for so many years, Portland sushi would not really appeal to her. I was forgetting that she now lives in Bloomington, Ind. where you can't get good, if any, anago or salt-water eel. Can you see the delight in her face?

Anago is different from the "unagi" which is fresh-water eel. Fresh-water eel is what is most commonly served in sushi restaurants (at least on the west coast) when one orders "eel."

I am with Steph on this one and also prefer anago because it has a saltier flavor than its fresh water cousin and usually comes with little or no sauce.

This is me being impatient with Dan as he gets acquainted with our new camera. Alas, my frustration was growing with the limited macro ability of my Elph-y. It has gone to a good new home (I think) with my talented young (7 y.o.) friend who also happened to be the artist of our wedding favor picture. But then, I remembered how long my attention span was at that age.

Ah, but back to the sake. Yes, I said sake.

It's quite a sexy bottle, dontcha think? I tend to be a lighter drinker nowadays so when guests will drink with Dan we'll usually get a bottle of something. This time it was a bottle of local SakeOne. Brewed and bottled in Forest Grove (just 30 mins west of Portland), SakeOne makes Momokawa, Moonstone, and G sakes. We partook of the G Joy. It is a cold sake that was smooth and paired well with our raw fish feast. Look for it in stores or buy it directly from them online.

Anyway, Steph said it was definitely worth the wait.

Gung Hay Faat Choy

2009-01-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you get more than you expect. Like this for instance, a double yolk egg.

Here's wishing all of you a metaphoric double yolk egg or two during the Year of the Earth Ox.

Closing Out the Year...

2009-01-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

with food, of course.

As many of my Los Angeles friends know, I love Chinese New Year's Eve.

I used to gather folks for a sit down dinner at my old apartment and feast on the foods of my childhood.

Unfortunately, last year I was very preoccupied with wedding stuff. This year, I haven't figured out where to go for all my lovely ingredients yet.

So Danno and I closed out the year with a "small" feast. The only thing I made this year was the stir-fried Chinese cabbage. I opted out of making the Oyster Delight that requires an intriguing amount of prep time, the soup with sea veggies, and the mysterious bulbous root vegetable who name in English I have never known but always sparks a debate at the table.

But we did have the steamed chicken with ginger/scallion sauce, roast duck, and roast pork--and Jasmine tea. It was nice.

So the house is clean..well, as clean as one can get it with three furry creatures who shed running around.

Good bye, Year of the Earth Rat. Hello, Year of the Earth Ox.

The Year of Drinking Chocolately

2009-01-25T08:23:00.001-08:00

Oh, my dear readers, forgive my lack of posting. Maybe it will be my Chinese New Year's resolution to post more frequently. It will be the Year of the Ox (they're hard workers, right?) as of tomorrow...but let me catch you up on some of the food happenings of yesterdays.

On December 31st, my good friend and bridesmaid, Steph, came to town. Our entertainment was, of course, eating, drinking (hot bevies), and laughing. We didn't hit Voodoo Doughnuts where there are such concoctions as the NyQuil (yeah, y'know, as in "sniffling, sneezing, coughing...") doughnut and the Triple Chocolate Penetration (choco doughnut, choco glaze, with cocoa puffs). But we didn't miss it.

Check it out. There is actually a place that serves drinking chocolate...not to be confused with hot chocolate (or cocoa). Cacao has two location in SW Portland. We went to the one just south of Burnside on 13th Ave.

Cacao refers to both the cocoa tree and the seed from which cocoa, cocoa butter, and chocolate is made. So it seems aptly name. The difference between hot chocolate and drinking chocolate, is freakin' deliciousness...and richness. Hot chocolate is combined with higher percentage of regular milk while the drinking chocolate is with cream, and sometimes infused with spices. I will never go back now.

Steph and I shared the cinnamon infused drinking chocolate and the special spicy dark drinking chocolate. I love dark chocolate and that spicy kick at the end just sent me over the top. Let me tell you, you really don't need much. It's rich. Each serving was about 2 oz. and we were sufficiently satisfied.

Cacao also sells fine chocolates from around the world and from artisans in Portland, too. At the time, I was more interested in drinking it than eating it. I think I'm still a little spoiled from my trip to Europe where I tasted those delicious morsels straight from the charming chocolatiers in Belgium and Frances. Oh man.

But if you can't get yourself to France or Belgium, have a sat at the chocolate bar here in Portland. If you like such things, it will blow you away or send you to bliss town.

Cacao DrinkChocolate
414 SW 13th Ave.
or at the
Heathman Hotel
712 SW Salmon St.
Portland, OR

SPAM is Delicious

2008-12-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

I don't care what any of you say. I love Spam. Always have...and it's making a comeback.

According to a recent New York Times article, sales of this canned food is rising. Hormel won't disclose by how much but they did indicate it's by double digits. Factory employees are working double shifts and are only getting Thanksgiving and Christmas off in order to keep up with the demand.

Because it is vacuum-sealed in the can and does not require refrigeration, Spam can last for years. That's its appeal during "hard times". It's relatively cheap meat that lasts forever. We used to eat it a lot, scrambled in eggs for breakfast. It was satisfyingly salty.

Hawaiians love it so much they have an annual festival dedicated to it, Spam Jam. C'mon, I hear they even make sculptures out of this potted pork product. I know, it's a bit unbelievable that I've never gone before. It's even on Oahu, where I often go when vacationing in Hawaii. But alas, not yet...possibly someday.

So it seems that Hawaiians aren't the only Americans packing this long-lasting treasure in their pantries. Sales of other processed items like macaroni and cheese, Jell-o, and Velveeta are also rising steadily. It is a sign of the times...tough economic times.

I will however, leave you with this, my favorite way to eat Spam:

Spam musubi (or as one of my mainland friends called it when he had some at my birthday party many moons ago--"Spam-shi", as in Spam sushi). It's really not sushi since the rice isn't vinegared.

Basically it's salted rice with a slice of Spam (fried or not fried--fried is better) wrapped in seaweed (to hold it together). You can get fancier and add teriyaki sauce, egg, and/or furikake seasoning.

Anyway you make it, I love it. Spam forever! Literally.

Circle of Life

2008-12-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a tough week. Last week Dan's Grandmother Florence died and today my Uncle Ted passed away. I don't know what this has to do with food but life and death have been on my mind lately...maybe it's always on my mind. For both Florence and Ted their bodies gave out or gave in, depending on how you look at it. I never met Dan's grandmother. She wasn't able to come out for the wedding but she sent a nice card.

As for Uncle Ted, well, he didn't talk much and he had a special talent for leaving a house without notice. He was a diabetic who loved dessert and a seafood lover allergic to shrimp. As a kid, I remember him always coming by to drop off a whole fish, usually a bass or catfish--like every week or so. It would usually still be flapping around when he handed it to my mom. That man really loved to fish.

He always drove a truck too. I remember hopping into the back with a bunch of my cousins on one of those Sunday afternoons and driving around town. This was before seat belt laws. Yeah, it's amazing what we used to do in the 70's. I think we'd go on the freeway that way, too.

Somehow at every family function, one of us would always ask, "Hey, did Uncle Ted leave already?" Some of us would look around and one person would always know, "Yeah, he left a couple hours ago."

Uncle Ted, you didn't say much but you always let me tease you. And even in your final departure, you leave us quietly and without fuss. I will miss you.

The Minute You Settle...

2008-12-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

Dan and I went to Gold Garden Seafood Restaurant on 82nd Ave (just north of Powell) the other day. It's been snowing so we rode the bus to a tire shop to get the "required" chains for our Prius whose front end slides around when braking in snow. It was mere blocks from one our fave Chinese restaurants.

There are two places "in town" that are well known to serve tasty Chinese food. One is Wongs King which I've already written about and the other is Gold Garden. Both get high marks for deliciousness. GG is more affordable and reminds me of some of those places I used to go in downtown Stockton when I was a kid.

There's always this hint of cigarette smoke from the attached bar, I think. The food is always served promptly and we always have a good time. GG seems like it's seen it's hey-day a decade or so before. It's dining room is large and it's menu is substantial.

This time D and I munched down on "Triple Delight in Tangy Sauce" and "Pork Mustard Green with Salted Egg Soup". Yeah, you won't find that at Panda Express. The delightful pork, beef, and shrimp were smothered in a spicy, sweet, sour sauce that blended well with the rice. The soup, well, reminded me of home. My mom used to salt her own eggs back in the day.

What does that mean, you ask? Well, she'd mix a salt water brine, place a bunch of eggs in a large jar, then pour in the brine until full and cap. Anyway, it would sit for months and the yolk would firm and darken. It was delicious then as was that soup.

What I love best is they always have roast duck and a side of roast pork hanging in the case for take out. Memories...

At the end of the meal, we get our fortune cookies, of course. Mine reads:

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get less than you settled for."

This stupid fortune almost made me cry in the restaurant. Well, I guess it wasn't so stupid. So, don't settle, people. Live it.

If you get a chance and you like authentic Chinese food try:

Gold Garden Seafood Restaurant
3016 SE 82nd Ave
Portland, OR 97266
(503) 777-3399

They have $6.50 weekday specials and they give large portions. A good place to dine out during a recession.

Melamine Milk, Not Just in Asia

2008-12-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday ordered spot checks on baby food with meat and poultry, and such perennial kid favorites as breaded chicken nuggets, hot dogs and sausages, packaged meatballs and pizza snacks. The foods were singled out for limited, random tests because they may contain milk-based ingredients that have been linked to contamination in foods and candies manufactured with milk from China." Seattle Times
article by Susan Kelleher.

Apparently the melamine in dairy scare isn't just on the other side of the Pacific.

"Recently, the agency acknowledged that trace amounts of melamine and related chemicals were found in two infant formulas manufactured in the United States. It could not explain how the contamination occurred, but insisted the formulas are safe.

Melamine is a nitrogen-based chemical widely used in plastics manufacturing. It entered the milk supply in China earlier this year when some dairy manufacturers added it to diluted milk to artificially inflate protein levels for testing. The chemical and its analogs also turned up in animal feed.

Consumed in sufficient quantities, melamine can lead to kidney failure or even death. The FDA has established what it says are safe levels of the chemical."

I'll keep you posted with updates. But I'm thinking that fresh and local is looking more and more appetizing. Bye, bye, Dino Nuggets.

Vanessa Loves Love

2008-11-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, so yesterday was a tough day for me...a lingering 14-day cold, a hacking cough that disturbed my sleep, and a frustrating job hunt during one of the toughest economic times of my life.

But then I talked with Rose, my east coast sister. If food is love then she and I have certainly shared a lot of love. We used to live across the street from each other in West Hollywood. It seems like a lifetime ago when we used to cook together in my kitchen. This is a pic of us with her (then fiance) now husband, Patrick at my wedding.

Life is constantly changing. But love never waivers.

During this Thanksgiving, love is what I'm thankful for. Thanks to all my loved ones for feeding me. I'm sorry I forget sometimes but they say memory is the first to go.

Food Is Love

2008-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've been saying that for years. I've lived it my whole life. My family, huge eaters and feeders. You really can't have one without the other I suppose. But if you can't say it (and even if you can), you can show it, and boy, can you eat it.

Thanksgiving is coming up. I don't like Thanksgiving. I used to love it. C'mon, so much food how could I not. But one year, a long time ago I wasn't very thankful. There wasn't much T-day-esque food and I wasn't very happy.

It happened decades ago and every year since I think about it. It's almost like a broken record to my faithful readers who have been with me since (oh my goodness!) 2005. My dad died when I was a wee 10 year old the Sunday before Thanksgiving. It was confusing and devastating and I ate a lot (people bring a bereaved family loads of food). I still miss him. He was a man of very few words but he always knew what to say to me.

Every year, around this time I always wish he was around to tell me what I need to hear. For some reason I always get my worst colds of the year right before/around Thanksgiving so I'm never feeling at my best and I wonder what the hell there is to be thankful for.

I know, it's been a beautiful year of love for me (getting married and all). It's been a great food year for me too (working at Lucques, teaching families how to cook). But it seems like so long ago. I'm in a new town, building everything up from scratch.

I have to say, I really miss my L.A. friends for whom to cook a nice meal. Boy, could they eat...and a lot of them could cook too. What I wouldn't do for a little food-love exchange right now...or just a little GNO (Girls Night Out) exchange.

It's really difficult to start in a brand new place.

The New White House...

2008-11-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer...

This victory alone is not the change we seek -- it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you."

--Barack Obama, Nov. 4, 2008

I am inspired by the election turnout (the number of people who voted, the presidential win). I am hopeful that America will ban together to move this country forward.

Barack Obama has made huge promises for change. I hope he can deliver some. Y'know, four years isn't really that much time. Everything, whether it's finishing a work project or renovating your home or packing for a trip, takes longer than you think it might. The more people who are involved, the more setbacks or confusion can happen. So, to our soon-to-be White House Chief, I recommend this new White House Chef:

Change starts at home. That's what I say. So bring Suzanne Goin (Lucques, AOC, and Hungry Cat) into your kitchen. She buys directly from farmers and cooks seasonally. I don't see how you could go wrong. I'd want Suzanne to cook for me. Who wouldn't want Sunday Supper everyday?

I learned a lot from Suzanne Goin when I worked in her kitchen. She always looked like this--hair tied back, wearing a black long-sleeve t-shirt, white apron around her waist.

Once I burned my arms (yeah, both of them because they stored the sheet pans above it, stacked tall and I'm short) on edges of the deck oven (commonly known as pizza oven) that was usually set at 450*F or more.

At that point she came by to help me take down the sheet pan I needed. (Something not many Executive Chefs would do for an intern.) Then Suzanne told me the reason she wears the long sleeves is to prevent such burns. Knowledge is experience...or maybe, experience is knowledge.

It is a time for change after all. We will have our first African American president, why not our first female White House Executive Chef?

There was one article that I had read years ago where the interviewer asked if Suzanne would take that job if offered. Her response was only if she had complete control over her purveyors and if she could buy directly from farmers?

I knew there was a reason I liked her.

Oh Sushi, My Sushi

2008-11-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

My husband tells me I have no patience. He's right. But when it comes to salami and sushi, I can overcome...if it is indeed, worth waiting for.

Saburo's is just down the street from the cheese steak place. However, even though the pieces of sushi are about the size of the sandwiches and hoagies, the similarities stop there. Just check out that piece of eel. That's not an optical illusion, it is more than half the length of the chopsticks.

They don't take reservations so people wait up to 90 minutes to taste these morsels of goodness. There is no to-go or take-out. But you can take it with you. I have seen many customers order so much that a table of two walk out with two to-go boxes! It isn't full of teriyaki chicken and rice either.

I am always tempted to do that as well but with raw fish, you gotta eat it right away. I just don't know if I would be up to such a decadent breakfast. I don't usually need a midnight snack after Saburo's, if y'know what I mean.

The fish is fresh. One of my favorite rolls there is the Grand Roll. It's a deep fried, of course--no rice, bunch of spicy tuna around a krab core, wrapped in seaweed and lightly battered. Yum.

Our bill is always around 40 bucks for the two of us. I can't wait to bring my cousins here. (Lisa, you would totally love this!) The sashimi plate always comes with octopus and sweet shrimp. I don't know how they do it for $15.

My favorite sushi places, hands down, are still Matsuhisa Restaurant (Beverly Hills, Calif.) and Sushi Nozawa (Studio City, Calif.). They aren't quite as affordable but everything really melts in your mouth like butter. I've never known raw fish to melt in one's mouth until Matsuhisa and Nozawa.

But I gotta give props to Saburo. Tasty and affordable. I guess that's why we all wait in line for it.

Saburo's
1667 SE Bybee Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
Open for Dinner only.

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

2008-11-04T08:25:00.001-08:00

I had heard and seen that Starbucks would be doling out the free cup to those who voted but now I think they may have changed their minds since it's not up on the website, but if you need a joe, might as well just ask.

However, Ben & Jerry's, our cool and smooth dudes, are serving up the freeze cream to our nation's active voters.

So head out to the polls, everyone! (You should vote with or without the temptation of ice cream delight afterward anyway.) You get to where that stylish "I Voted" sticker, too (in most states).

Then top it off with some dessert at your local B&J's between 5-8pm tonight to celebrate our new president. If you're standing in one line, why not stand in another. You have the folding chair in your trunk anyway.

Over the Kitchen Table with (the next) Mr. President

2008-11-03T23:19:00.000-08:00

Last month, Michael Pollan, a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and a Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley, and author of books including, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, and more recently, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto...wrote an article or more of a letter.

On Oct. 9, 2008, Farmer in Chief was published in the Food Issue of The New York Times Magazine. It was pages long. Here's an excerpt:

"In drafting these proposals, I’ve adhered to a few simple principles of what a 21st-century food system needs to do. First, your administration’s food policy must strive to provide a healthful diet for all our people; this means focusing on the quality and diversity (and not merely the quantity) of the calories that American agriculture produces and American eaters consume. Second, your policies should aim to improve the resilience, safety and security of our food supply. Among other things, this means promoting regional food economies both in America and around the world. And lastly, your policies need to reconceive agriculture as part of the solution to environmental problems like climate change."

He talks about how our food system focuses on quantity rather than quality, how cheap fuel prices sends California produce all over the nation that neighboring (east coast) states can provide, and promotes the "sun-food agenda."

Check it out when you get the chance. It will probably affect the way you look at your food and shop at the grocery store. And that's a start.

A Philly for the Phils

2008-11-01T23:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the 2008 World Series Champions, Philadelphia Phillies! In honor of your win, I ate a cheesesteak.

I went to this place called Philadelphia's Steak and Hoagies. Y'know, I've never been to Philly, where I'm told by those who have lived in and around the city (shout out to Tory, Holly, and Philo!) that you haven't tasted a cheesesteak or hoagie if you haven't had one in Philadelphia.

Well, I didn't get a chance to hit Philly the last (and first) time I was in Pennsylvania, so I guess I still don't. But this one didn't seem half bad. I ordered a cheese steak, which according to the board is "melted American cheese on top of our thin sliced steak, grilled onions, on a hoagie roll with your choice of sauce or self serve condiment bar."

First of all, I'm told it's supposed to be Cheez Whiz or some kind of soft cheese-like product. I'm not opposed to quality but I think we're getting a little West Coast crazy using real cheese. Secondly, I found a few slices of mushrooms in the sandwich. Not unusual if I had ordered the Mushroom Cheese Steak. But I didn't. Let's just say it was a nice surprise for me.

I liked the hoagie bread. It had a crispy, flaky crust. The steak was thin and tender. I didn't add any condiments but there was horseradish, mayo, mustard, some sort of hot sauce, and I think ketchup.

Anyway, I love meat, bread, and melted cheese. I think you'd have to do something awful to a Philly to make it taste terrible. But I'm not sure how authentic this one is. I'll have to go to Philly to make a sound judgement. I must do it...for all of you.

However, if any of you are interested in trying a PDX Philly, go on Mondays, 6-9pm. Steak sandwiches and hoagies are 1/2 off then.

Philadelphia's Steaks & Hoagies
6410 SE Milwaukie Avenue
Portland, OR 97202

Prop It Up with...Carrots?

2008-10-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

You heard me...well, you read correctly. There are many ways to roast a chicken. I've used a roasting pan with a rack and a broiler pan under high heat. It's always propped up on something so that the juices flow down.

Lately I've been using baby carrots. It's great when roasting thighs or breasts because they are relatively even. You could use onions, celery, potatoes, or even parsnip. Just chunk them evenly and line the bottom of whatever pan you choose to roast with. Then place your chicken or parts on top.

For dinner we had thighs (D and I like dark meat). The carrots don't need any seasoning at all since they baste in chicken juices the entire time. Liberally salt and pepper thighs on all sides. In a hot oiled skillet sear chicken skin-side down first (about 2-3 minutes). When crisp, turn and sear other side. Place on top of carrots with skin-side up. Sprinkle thyme on top. Fresh is best but dried works, too.

Roast in preheated 350*F oven for 30 minutes. When done, juices will run clear. If juices are reddish or pink, put it back in. Check again in 5 minutes.

See, it's so easy. Start some brown rice in the cooker before working on the chicken and it turns out to be less than 10 minutes of prep for dinner, then sit back and watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on TiVo. Dinner should be done after the "Moment of Zen."

Scoop out some rice, have a side of carrots and take a little bit of thyme...chicken, that is. Dinner is served, the easy way! Enjoy.

Bacon on Pizza--Genius!

2008-10-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've been having a lot of pizza with bacon on it in Portland. It must be the Portlander's love of smoked, cured meats. But Apizza Scholls at 4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd. is to cry for (just ask my brother-in-law).

Sadly, I have no pictures of my own so I've snagged a few from Apizza Scholls own website. I apologize but the pizza was so good, we ate it up. I know, that looks like a bunch of anchovies on that pizza but believe me, it's delicious slices of delicate bacon, baked on top of handmade dough that's fermented for 24 hours at room temperature. Oh, and it's worth waiting for. It's crispy outside (from the extremely high heat ovens, from 650*F to a whopping 900*F) and chewy inside.

This is also why the crust gets caramelized like so (see photo). It may look burnt but it's not. It's smoky goodness and evidence of their dedication to pizza perfection.

It's a family run joint so everyone works every day it's open (unless sick) or they are closed--like on such days as Halloween and Election Day. Gotta love it.

The Caesar salad was also amazing. They make the dressing fresh daily with raw eggs. Gasp! They are purists. The salad is divine. I can't say enough about this place except "don't go." Some days they run out of dough (remember, it has to ferment for 24 hours) and close early. I don't want that to happen when I go so just stay away.

Seriously, it's too good to eat.

JADE

2008-10-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

In southeast Portland, there's a neighborhood called Sellwood. It's a couple miles from my place in Eastmoreland and the family lives there so we go pretty often.

It's famous for its Antique Row, antique shops galore. But I go there for the food. This time my sis-in-law, Liz, with her baby, Gabe, and I hit Jade for some Vietnamese sandwiches. The last time I remember having a good V-sammie was back in the Bay Area. There was a place just outside my old apartment on Clement St. in San Francisco. Tho', there was also a really fantastic place in the San Jose area that my friend, Bernadette, used to take me to. I don't remember where or what it was called.

Anyway, it's been ages since those tasty pickled veggies in a crusty French baguette have touched these chompers. I was very excited.

Liz and I split this BBQ pork sammie, a bowl of udon, and a pot of Feel Better tea.

Oh, did I mention that it's a tea house, too? The owner, April, blends her own teas. Her mother, Lucy, is the chef and bakes all the bread and pastries in the basement. Apparently she went to France for some time and learned the tricks of the trade there. The place is immaculate and recently opened.

They are very kid friendly. There's even a rocking chair in the back because the general manager's fiancee is pregnant. But hey, you don't have to be her or pregnant to sit in it.

Anyway, everything tasted great. It didn't taste like the $2 sammies I used to get at the bakery next to the bar in SF. But then again, this place is much more upper crust (excuse the pun) and the clientele is different. I would have preferred more pickled carrots and radish in my sandwich and a little bit more fish sauce (sorry, Alyssa) in my pork. The BBQ pork in the sandwich was more Chinese than Vietnamese. But then, with the udon, which was also good but not like the stuff I've had in Japan, there's a bit of Asian mingling in the menu anyway. The baguette was outstanding!

I need to try the French pastries. They were beautiful and the little girl at the table next to us couldn't get enough of them. Jade has very tasty food at reasonable prices.

The staff and owner are really friendly, too. Such a bonus. So check them out if you get the chance:

Jade
912 SE 13th Avenue
Portland, OR
Tel: 503.477.8985
Open for lunch and dinner. Closed on Sunday.

Farmer's Dozen

2008-10-21T01:53:00.000-07:00

According to Food News from Environmental Working Group, a public health and environmental protection non-profit, some fruits and vegetables are "dirtier" that others.

They recommend buying organic when it comes to the dirty dozen because those items tend to be sprayed with the most pesticides otherwise. Sadly, peaches are the worst offenders.

Dirty Dozen
1. peaches
2. apples
3. sweet bell peppers
4. celery
5. nectarines
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. lettuce
9. grapes (imported)
10. pears
11. spinach
12. potatoes

You can rest easy with these in your fridge...

Cleanest 12
1. onions
2. avocado
3. sweet corn (frozen)
4. pineapples
5. mango
6. sweet peas (frozen)
7. asparagus
8. kiwi
9. bananas
10. cabbage
11. broccoli
12. eggplant

Hmmm, the clean list is pretty tropical. That's not local. Well, to keep you on track at the grocery store, you can download a pocket guide or see the complete list at Food News.

Vegetarian Delight

2008-10-20T23:33:00.001-07:00

This weekend I was at Uwajimaya, a local Asian grocery and gift store (leans toward Japanese) in Beaverton. "What does an Asian market have to do with an Italian casserole?" you ask. Well, it was overwhelmingly crowded there because of the 80th Anniversary sale that was going on--10% off everything in the store, even sale items. Craziness.

Anyway, as I zoomed through the mass of people trying to grab all the essentials (nori, low-sodium soy sauce, frozen smelt, fresh tofu, bread...) before I was late for dinner, I was stopped by the wealth of local wild mushrooms in the produce area. I knew then that I would love living in the Pacific Northwest--thanks to the crabbies, salmon, and wild mushrooms!

I decided to get chanterelles (front) because I love them, a huge lobster mushroom (back) for its firmness, and maitake (middle) for its earthiness. And what better way to celebrate my two pounds of mushrooms than to make a lasagna from scratch. I had been wanting to roll out my own pasta.

So first I made a mushroom stock, then Parmesan pudding, then the pasta, and then the actual mushrooms. Piece of cake. Well, four hours later, Danno and I dove into this vegetarian's delight.

Mushroom Stock:
2 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
3/4 lb. button mushrooms, quartered
2 TB. olive oil
1 oz. white wine
4 qts. water
2 oz. dried mushrooms
5 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Pour oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, button mushrooms to pan and caramelize slowly for flavor.
2. In the meantime, boil the water.
3. When veggies are well caramelized, add white wine to deglaze (remove the bits of flavor from the bottom of pan). When wine has cooked off, add mixture to boiling water along with the dried mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer until liquid reduces about halfway. Taste to make sure mushroom flavor is strong enough.
4. Strain stock. Return to heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Parmesan Pudding (a la Lucques):
2-1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. cream
4 oz. butter
1/2 c. flour
1 egg
1 yolk
1-1/2 c. grated Parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 250*F.
2. Make a blonde roux. Melt butter in saucepan and sprinkle in flour. Stir with wooden spoon until incorporated.
3. Whisk in milk and cream until smooth.
4. Beat egg and yolk in a bowl. Temper eggs by pouring about a cup of the milk mixture into the eggs while whisking.
5. With everything off the heat, pour egg mixture into milk mixture while whisking.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour pudding/custard into crock and place in a water bath. Cover completely with foil.
8. Bake in oven for 90 minutes or until custard sets.

Hey, you still there? Cuz we're not done yet...

Pasta Dough:
6 oz. flour
7 oz. semolina
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
2 fl. oz. water

1. In medium bowl, combine flour, semolina, and salt. Make a well in middle.
2. In separate bowl, beat eggs. Pour eggs and water into well.
3. Mix together with hands until all ingredients are moistened.
4. Knead dough on floured surface until dough becomes smooth.
5. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes in order for gluten to relax.
6. When ready, take dough out of fridge and let reach room temperature (15 mins.).
7. Roll with pin to 1/4". Run through pasta machine until correct thickness reached. To check, place hand underneath dough, can you see the pink of your hand through the pasta? If not, keep going.
8. Cut to size of pan.
9. Heat 2-3 qts of water with salt. When boiling, add pasta. When it floats (1-3 mins), it's done. Rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Mushrooms with Leeks:
2 lbs. wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
3 c. leeks, sliced thin
3 oz. white wine
olive oil

1. Cook mushrooms in batches in order to saute mushrooms, otherwise they may steam instead. That's less flavorful.
2. Pour oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook for 3 minutes. Add batch of mushrooms. When leeks and mushrooms caramelized, add 1 oz. wine to deglaze.
3. When wine has cooked off, set aside in bowl.
4. Repeat with another batch of mushrooms. Continue until all are done.
5. Mushrooms should be dry. Add fresh mushroom stock sparingly to moisten.

Wild Mushroom Lasagna:
4 fl. oz. mushroom stock
Parmesan pudding
fresh pasta
mushrooms & leeks
1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Add enough stock to moisten bottom of pan.
3. Place a layer of pasta to cover.
4. Dollop Parmesan pudding over noodles.
5. Spread a thick layer of mushrooms over pudding.
6. Splash 1 oz. mushroom stock over entire layer.
7. Repeat steps 2-5 for two more layers.
8. Place top layer of pasta and sprinkle with cheese.
9. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and lasagna is heated through.

Danno gave it a rating of 9.2 out of 10, so I guess the hard work paid off. I'm going to figure out how to make this a lot simpler. I can't see myself or any of you spending this much time on one entree. Sigh. It was good though...maybe I'll make it for special occasions.

Quick Potsticker Dinner

2008-10-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

I made this meal one weekend and froze all the extras for an easy addition to dinner during the week.

I love potstickers because they are good when cooked fresh or straight from the freezer. You can fry them in a pan or just drop them in soup as a dumpling. I prefer them crunchy but now that it's getting colder out, dumpling soup is definitely a quick dinner option.

For that just boil some chicken broth from a can or box, add dumplings from the freezer and a handful or two of sliced bok choy, Napa cabbage, and/or Chinese broccoli. Simmer for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with slices of scallions.

What I made here were quick-pickled lemon cucumbers from the farmer's market. Slice the cucumbers thinly and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to draw out moisture. Mix 1-1/2 cups of rice vinegar with 1 TBL of sugar and 1 tsp salt (or just use "seasoned rice wine vinegar"). Put cucumbers in a container; pour enough seasoned vinegar to cover cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate. Let sit for at least 30 minute. Eat within 24 hours.

The potstickers will take about 30 minutes to prepare. Faster if you recruit friends or a significant other to help assemble.

Filling:
8 oz., firm or extra firm tofu
3 TBL soy sauce
10 oz. kimchi, roughly chopped
12 oz extra ground chicken/turkey or lean ground beef
4 scallions, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 TBL cornstarch
1 TBL sesame seeds, toasted
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper, ground
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 TBL sesame oil

1 package round egg roll wrappers (gyoza)

Dipping Sauce:
3 TBL soy sauce
2 TBL rice vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, chopped

Filling Preparation:
1. Wrap tofu in piece of cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess water--the drier the better. Crumble into a mixing bowl and mix in soy sauce.

2. Take handfuls of kimchi and gently squeeze to remove excess moisture. Be sure not to over squeeze here because the juices hold a lot of flavor. Add chopped kimchi to the bowl.

3. Add rest of filling ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly. At this point, the filling mixture may be covered and refrigerated until ready to assemble. It will keep as long as one day.

Assembly:
1. Set out a small dish of water.

2. Fill each wrapper with about 1 teaspoon of filling. Dip your finger in the water and run it over the edge of the wrapper. Fold the top over and press to seal, removing as much air as possible.

3. Set on dry plate or baking dish while you stuff the remaining wrappers. (To freeze: freeze flat on plate or tray. Keep potstickers from touching each other. Place in freezer. When frozen--about an hour or so--put in labeled zip top bag until ready for use. Good for 3 months, if they lasts that long.)

Cooking:
1. Add 3 TBL water and 2 TBL vegetable oil to non-stick skillet and swirl. Place over medium high heat.

2. Put a layer of potstickers in skillet, being careful not to overlap them. Cover to steam. When water has steamed away and bottoms are golden brown. Place potstickers on a serving dish with dipping sauce.

Make the dipping sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Penn State Creamery...Mmmmmooooo

2008-10-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

It would be blasphemy not to talk about the Penn State Creamery since I was in State College, Penn. (which is where Penn State University's main campus is) and I had superb ice cream.

This is where Ben & Jerry came to learn how to make ice cream, like so many before them and since.

This was my first time. Check out that new facility. It's just down the block from the stadium so it gets jam packed by tens of thousands of avid football fans and alumni some weekends.

For $2.50, you get one scoop. My friend, Rose, warned me that the scoops were as big as a baby's head. I didn't believe her. How can you fit that on top of a cone?

Well, they did...and then some. Take a look at that scoop. It's definitely larger than my two fists combined. You can only get one scoop per cone or cup. They don't let you "mix" flavors which I thought was ridiculous since you can do that e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.

But really, you can't eat that much ice cream in one sitting. I really had trouble getting through my cone. But I did it. Peanut Butter Swirl. Rich pieces of peanut butter mingling with the velvety goodness of vanilla ice cream. And it hardly melted. When I finally got down to my cone, there was no pool of melted ice cream waiting at the tip of the cone. There was barely a trickle. I don't want to know how much fat is in that ice cream.

For three days, I tried to figure out how to carry some half gallons with me on the plane. They will pack it on dry ice for you, y'know. But it would have been heavy and we were traveling for a whole day. They even ship them but it turns out to be $20 (give or take, depending on number of) half gallon that way. It was tough to say "no" to even that. I think that ice cream has crack or a heroin derivative in it. I had it every day that whole week I was there. Chocolate, dark chocolate mint, strawberry, vanilla, coffee mocha fudge...

What is it they say...oh yeah: 4 days from cow to cone. What a glorious four days it is!

Only in Pittsburgh...

2008-10-18T21:14:00.001-07:00

Oh, wait, I was in State College...but I got a Pittsburgh. It's a sandwich made (famous) by Primanti Bros. in, you guessed it, Pittsburgh, Penn.

I don't know what the original tastes like but the one I got at the Corner Room Restaurant at the corner (they are so literal in Penn.) of College Ave. and Allen St. was a little bland. Apparently the signature of a Pittsburgh is the enormous amounts of coleslaw, tomatoes, and fries piled in the actual sandwich. This excited me but I think I may have to head half a state east toward Ohio in order to get my P-burgh on.

If you look at the pic, it's a manageable size and you can barely see any fries or 'slaw. I know, it sounds like a heart attack ready to happen, especially when the server asked if I wanted fries on the side. At the time, I thought a side of fries would have been a little, well, overkill, but had I known, maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad idea. I could have added them to the sandwich. As it turned out, it was tastier when I added mustard.

The reuben that Brian got was much better though. He was kind enough to share a taste...I must admit, I almost didn't give his sandwich back but thought that that would set a bad tone for our friend's wedding weekend--our reason for traveling to Penn State-land.

The meal ended with a "grilled sticky" knock-off. Rose, my food-loving friend, (at the time) bride-to-be, and who grew up in State College, says the original at Ye Olde College Diner (or just "The Diner") is best.

Here at CRR, the sticky (aka sticky bun or cinnamon roll without any frosting by Ye Olde College Diner) is butterflied, then grilled in butter and topped with locally made vanilla ice cream. This version is crispier than the original which is not butterflied, therefore it's chewier and meltier on the inside. Not a low-calorie dining experience, I know. But it was definite a Pennsylvania meal. I suppose all that was missing was a full day of work at the dairy farm to work off all those calories. Anyway you grill it, I love the sticky!

My Comfort Food

2008-10-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a comfort food. It's a sense memory thing, I think. For some it's pizza. Others it could be mashed potatoes or chicken soup. For me, it's my mom's cooking, or anything that gets darn near close to it.

Mmmm. Clams in black bean sauce with sweet peppers and onions. I love fresh black bean sauce. It's so savory and pungent. My mom used to cook with it all the time...and I'm not talking about the stuff that comes mashed up in the jar. In my opinion, that lacks the vitality and freshness (if one can use that word with a fermented food) of the whole fermented bean.

She would take some fermented black beans from a jar put them in a rice bowl, fill the bowl halfway with water, pick up and drop the beans a number of times then remove them (into her palm) and pour out the water. Once I asked her why she didn't just leave the beans in the bowl and pour out the water. It's because some of the pebbles (there are sometimes little stones masquerading as beans in the mix) and grit would get held back by all the beans and it wouldn't be clean. Ok. Gotcha. So she'd rinse them a couple more times in that same manner until the water was pretty clear except for the bean skins floating around. Using the back of a Chinese soup spoon, she'd s/mash the beans into a paste. Tah dah, fresh black bean paste--must be cooked with fresh garlic (and sometime ginger) for the right flavor.

Anyway, this is not my recipe for clams so I won't go into that right now. Stay tuned though because I may include that in the future...and it's good.

Instead, Danno and I scouted out this place in "outer" Portland called Wong's King on SE Division St just east of 82nd St. It's fabulously big and located next to some sort of fur revitalizing store (I didn't know the fur business was still so big).

Chef Fu Lai Wong has won a prestigious cooking award in China (there are plaques everywhere) and the restaurant was rated in the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the country according to Chinese Restaurant News (which is written in Chinese so I'll have to wait for my mother to translate before letting you guys in on the other 99).

We also got this steaming plate of King mushrooms with sauteed greens. The King mushroom is a large oyster (or trumpet) mushroom that is tender and also meaty. The green was spinach and the sauce was light and savory.

We went on a week night so the place was pretty empty but the service was excellent. After we paid the bill, our server came by to give us dessert, because we are super nice. Actually, I don't know why they did it but it was a nice touch.

Tapioca soup with taro and coconut milk. It was also piping hot and delicious. That hint of coconut milk really put it over the top. Oh, Wong's King, we'll be back for more...maybe dim sum. And at some point Mama Lee will be the judge of that.

Duckie Love

2008-09-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, my nephew celebrated his 2nd birthday. He loves ducks. So his mom, Gillian, made these awesome cupcakes.

See, don't they look delicious? There were two cupcake flavors (chocolate chip--which I had--and coconut, I think. Can you believe I only had one?). They were topped with chocolate ganache (not frosting) and hand-piped buttercream ducks. Happy Birthday, Sam-o.

You have to check out these beauties. Like I've said in the past, I'm not good with baking. I'm not terrible either. I can bake a cake most days. But this, I've never seen a flock of ducks look so sweet...except maybe the roast ducks hanging in the Chinese markets. But then again, those would be savory ducks.

Mmmm, I'm getting hungry.

Wow, Let's Go to Yucatan!

2008-09-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

First of all, my apologies (especially Lisa who has shamed me into this ;-/) to all my readers for being such a delinquent blogger. My excuse is moving out-of-state and not having internet at "home" for weeks, busy unpacking, preoccupied by the (I'm told) fleeting good weather of Portland, and Scramble on Facebook...

Just to catch up a little bit, before leaving Pasadena, home of the Tournament of Roses, to move to Portland, the "City of Roses," (Yeah, can you believe it? I'm not even a fan of roses, or maybe I will be.) Danno and I take my sister, Valerie, and her husband, Braulio, to El Portal Yucatan/Mexican Cuisine.

We had just spend the entire morning and part of the afternoon at our beloved garage sale spot on Vermont Ave. in Los Feliz getting rid of some jun...I mean, good stuff. Actually, we did sell an A/C unit, some bookshelves, and jewelry. Anyway...

I've never been to Yucatan but the food at El Portal Yucatan Restaurant sure makes me want to go. Val and Braulio got the specials (above is the delicious paella. I sometimes forget how much I love mussels...when I was in Belgium and France back in 2004, I think I o.d.-ed a little since they were good, everywhere, and friggin cheap)

This scrumptiousness on the left is the special grilled steak (I believe it's a skirt steak but maybe my sis or our cousin, the butcher, can clarify). Danno had the fish tacos and I got the chicken mole enchiladas. All were exceptional. I've never experienced a miss there. Except now I miss it.

Sigh, go east a little from Old Town on Colorado Blvd. It's just across the street from Vromann's Bookstore. And if you go, send me pictures.

So Much for Eating in...

2008-08-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help myself. I was on Hwy 134 going west and passing Fish King anyway. So I stopped by my favorite fish monger (Glendale Ave exit off the 134, head north. It's on the right just after the gas station). Along with selling fresh fish, seafood, and some poultry, they have a "galley" where they sell hot and cold prepared foods. Usually I get a regular salad and fried oysters. I passed on the salad this time cuz I never finish it and had an appointment right afterward.

Y'know, if you can't go fishing yourself, this is the next best thing. I have made some pretty tasty salmon nigiri, poke, and spicy tuna rolls from their sashimi-grade stuff. And if you're lazy, like I was on Thursday, then the galley is awesome.

They must have some really hot oil back there because the fried stuff is always tender and moist on the inside and then crispy and golden on the outside.

If you like deep fat fried things, they have plenty. They have many salads as well, but that's not as fun. Besides, I can make a salad anytime. I don't really have a deep fryer to make the golden panko crust just perfect.

If only I could have saved an order to bring home, but y'know how that goes...to soggy-ville. Instead, it's more miso soup and, uh, peanut butter toast for dinner. What can I say, my fridge and pantry have never been so bare. Either that or I'm regressing to my college days.

Sushi Ya?

2008-08-07T05:15:00.000-07:00

The other day I was craving sushi. Yeah, what a surprise. So I went out to get some at Sushi Ya at the corner of Foothill Blvd and Altadena Dr in Pasadena. This place is usually my go-to place because they're fast when you're at the bar and it's pretty inexpensive. Jason is the owner and head chef. He's always very nice. The only server (every time I go...) is Suni, which is ironic because sometimes when she's overwhelmed, she's not so sunny. But she grows on you. This place is pretty small. There are four square tables and the bar seats about 10. You usually have to wait if you get there after 7:30p.

I was a little disappointed this time. I was served just as quickly and friendly as always but the fish wasn't so good. I ordered miso soup (pictured, left) that was a too sweet but did have plenty of seaweed, spicy tuna roll which I feel is their most consistent roll (and was yummy), and sashimi salad (pictured, below). Now, I'm not sure why I keep ordering it because the amount of dressing is so inconsistent. This one is swimming in it. Most of the time it's like that. Twice I asked for "light on the dressing," and once it was perfect and the other time I asked for more dressing on the side. I suppose I could be a little less high-maintenance and just order dressing on the side but I like salads tossed. It comes with plenty of sashimi too.

But this time, it was weird. I've never gotten a fishy piece of fish from this place before but I got two in that sashimi salad. I don't know what's going on there. Maybe the hike in food prices is hitting them harder than they are letting on. I still like the guys...or maybe it's because I'm chewing more so I'm really tasting things, uh, for a long time. (High priority macrobiotic principle is "chew well"--150x's per bite if you can! I get to about 30. I sure am tasting the food though.)

Sushi Ya (which literally means "sushi restaurant") also has an all-you-can-eat menu, too, with some killer rolls like the Grand Roll and the Bacardi Roll (which they light on fire!). If you're a big eater, it might be worth your while. It's just under $20 for lunch; dinner is 20-something, either $25 or $28. I never get it so I don't remember.

Anyway, if your budget is tight, you want to eat some sushi, and you're in the Pasadena area, you might want to check it out. They are usually very consistent.

Cooking Without a Stove

2008-08-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting few days, cooking for myself and not having a stove in the kitchen. Danno and I sold our stove before I flew east. I think he ate out with his friends a lot before he left town. Now I'm here with the dog and cats (who eat kibble) wondering why all my friends have to work during the week.

Anyway, I've been eating in a lot because I'm trying to finish off the food in the fridge before we leave and I feel the need to save money because canceling services is costing us an arm and a leg. Don't get me started about Earthlink. (Oh goodness, sorry folks, I can't help myself...) Danno has been a customer of theirs for more than 7 1/2 years but since there are 100 days left on this specific 1-yr contract, they are charging us a $149 cancellation fee, regardless of the fact that we cannot transfer the service to our new home because there is no DSL service available at all in the neighborhood (I know, boonie-ville).

I spent an hour and was (ironically) late for my massage appointment (thanks, SEE-LA gang for that terrific bridal shower gift BTW) trying to reason with these money-grubbers. The response was always, "Sorry, ma'am, but you agreed to these terms." First of all, I can't take them with me because DSL is unavailable so you're punishing us for something totally out of our control. Second, 7 1/2 years! Loyalty apparently means nothing to Earthlink. It's too bad because D and I weren't planning on staying at the new place that long (who lives without DSL nowadays?).

Instead of having good customer service and waiving the fee or reducing it so that it wouldn't cost more than $1/day, they've lost out on the thousands they would have made from us when we came back to DSL for years, even decades. Customer service is the reason I stay with DirecTV. I know cable sometimes costs less but whenever there's a problem, DTV addresses it right away and they give me discounts for any inconvenience I may have experienced.

In the end, I suppose it's just money. The important thing is really the connections we make with other living beings--family, friends, pets, and other animals. That's why we're moving and why I enjoyed myself so much at the conference. (I don't remember ever laughing so hard or so often. Thanks, ladies. You know who you are.)

Anyway, this is what I've been cooking with...

It's like camping except I have running water, a flushing toilet and am not being bitten by mosquitoes. Oh, and speaking of relations, the other day, I was scrambling some eggs and I heard someone, uh, having fun in the morning. Sometimes I forget how close we are to our neighbors, y'know, with all the walls and things between us normally. And I guess, so do they ;-P

I'm so glad there's a burner on grill otherwise I don't know how I'd fry up my facon in the morning.

Easy As Tofu

2008-08-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

I never realized how easy it was to make fresh tofu. All you need are some soybeans, water, and a sea water mineral. Oh, a food processor, pot, thermometer, heating device, cheesecloth, and spoon would help, too. One last recipe from the conference.

We got this one from one of the most genuine people that I have ever met, Mie Naka. She's the one on the left, in the traditional Japanese garb. She and her husband, Hiroyuki Naka, operate a macrobiotic cooking school in Osaka, Japan. Hiroyuki started a macrobiotic restaurant with help from his chef (pictured in toque). This chef, who will remain nameless because I've totally forgotten his name, is the one who demonstrated the tofu making.

He has an interesting story as well. He has a son with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the joints. They discovered it when the boy was two-years-old. He always had a swollen face and didn't want to eat food. So his father quit his job and began to cook macrobiotically for his son. The son is now six, no longer swollen, and continues to eat macrobiotically. He's really cute and looks younger than he is. It's good to see a tight-knit family.

Anyway, back to tofu.

Tofu
3 c soybeans
nigari (magnesium chloride)

Soak soybeans in 2 qt water overnight. Grind the soaked soybeans in a blender or food processor for 3-5 minutes. Add 2/3 c of water to the soybeans in the blender. This is called "kure-jiru." Boil 2 3/4 c of water and then add the kure-jiru. Stir with wooden spatula at medium heat. When it boils, scoop off foam and simmer at low heat for 5-10 minutes. When it starts to smell and taste good, turn off heat and strain through cheesecloth.

Now you have soy milk and okara (textured soy protein). Heat soy milk at low heat to 160*F, then add nigari (mix with water before incorporating, also, more nigari and more time in the tofu mould means firmer tofu). Stir immediately until it curdles. Put the tofu in a bamboo tofu tray to form. For firm tofu, put cotton cheese cloth inside the tofu tray and pour in curdled soy milk. Press with a stone or weight to press and drain water. For soft "tofu flower" like the dessert at dim sum restaurants, it's ready to serve.

Granted, this is not the most specific recipe I've ever shared. I'll experiment with the amount of nigari after getting unpacked and settled in the new place and keep you posted. Fresh tofu is amazing. It has a lighter flavor. You can also be assured that it is of the highest quality and chemical free, if you use organic soybeans, filtered water and natural nigari (derived from sea water).

Mie made other tofu dishes. Tofu-gurt (pictured, far back) with sweet miso and blueberries; fried tofu with onions, peas, and turmeric to give it an eggier, yellow color; and tofu salad with strawberries, steamed broccoli and dressing of sweet miso, mustard, and lemon juice.

Mie believes that everyone should sing a song at least once a day, to lift spirits and bring joy. So at the end of the cooking class, she began to play the Carpenters version of the song "Sing" and asked everyone to sing along. I was the assistant for the class so I had to participate. I felt very silly at first buy y'know, she was totally right. By the end of it we all got so into it we started waving our hands in the air.

It's really incredible. It's not often I run into such a genuinely good natured/hearted person. I'm so glad I went to the conference for so many reasons, one being because I met and got to work with Mie Naka.

Pho the Love of...

2008-08-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

My first meal back in Los Angeles. Of course, I had to call Tory for Pho 97 in Chinatown. And it's on the way home. I love the part where I roll my bag the mile and a half from Union Station (thanks to FlyAway bus's $4 one-way to/from LAX) to Chinatown.

Anyway, we love that Pho 97. It used to be owned by Tommy's parents (then called Pho 79). They sold the business to him and his wife and to get a "fresh" start but not freak people out with the change, he switch the 7 and 9 around.

It's still the same great place. But now, I've changed a bit. The portions have always been rather big, whether I ordered pho, bun, or a rice plate. So after the smaller portions of macrobiotics, I opted for two spring rolls and a bowl of soup.

The service is always friendly and drinks are served so quickly that I barely finish squeaking out "cafe sua da" (iced espresso with condensed milk) before it's placed on the table. This place is a little more authentic than some of the other pho places that I've been to on the westside and in Pasadena which is why I like it and travel for it. Yum, maybe I'll go again before we're out of here...

More Sushi?

2008-08-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

If I never make another sushi roll, it will be too soon. Everyday someone demonstrated one roll or another at the macrobiotic conference. Granted, they were all different but sheesh, I'm still terrible at it and I kept having to do it. It was torturous...except for today when I got to eat it without having to make it.

It was fabulous, too. Check out the Flower Roll. This is a roll courtesy of Deco Nakajima of Brown's Field (there's not much English on this site but you'll get the jist). She's a very "crunchy" Japanese woman who started Brown's Field in the Japanese countryside. They grown there own food there. The rice is amazing. Totally organic, sustainable. She teaches about cooking with the seasons and natural building techniques.

This roll is apparently adapted from one that she learned from an older woman in a nearby village. If I heard correctly, it's only made during Obon or for celebrations. It requires a lot of work. Follow along and you'll see. In the original roll, the yellow outside was tamago (sweet omelette) but eggs are out in macrobiotics so she bakes a pumpkin cake and cuts that to size for her recipe.

Pumpkin Cake

dry ingredients

1 c unbleached wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

wet ingredients

3/4 c mashed pumpkin (steamed, peeled, mashed)

2 TBL maple syrup (optional for add'l sweetness)

2/3 c apple juice

Bake thin pumpkin cake. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir wet ingredients together well in another bowl. Mix the dry and wet ingredients lightly. Add a little more apple juice if necessary. Spread mixture about 1 cm thick on baking sheet w/parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes at 350*F. Allow to cool and cut into 8 in x 8 in squares.

other ingredients

7/8 oz carrots, julienne

salt

1 3/4 oz leafy green vegetables (e.g., kale or other bright green color, soft texture and light taste)

11 3/4 oz brown sushi rice (recipe below)

6 1/3 oz half-polished sushi rice (recipe below)

2 sheets nori

brown sushi rice

2 1/2 c brown rice (washed)

3 1/3 c water

salt, to taste

2 TBL ume plum vinegar

2 TBL apple juice

half-polished sushi rice

2 1/2 c brown rice (washed)

2 TBL half-polished black rice (washed)

2 c water

salt, to taste

4 tsp ume plum vinegar

4 tsp apple juice

Cook brown rice (for 25 mins) and half-polished rice (10 mins) separately in pressure cooker. Place each in separate bowls and toss lightly with appropriate amounts of vinegar and apple juice.

Sprinkle carrots with pinch of salt and rub, then blanch. Blanch greens in same water. Cut nori into quarters, enough to make five strips (use 2 sheets)--reserve the other 3/4 sheet. Place 1/4 sheets nori on sushi mat, add 1/6 of half-polished sushi rice and roll. Make 5 thin rolls. Place 3 thin rolls on sushi mat, set carrot in middle, then two thin rolls over, and roll. Squeeze together lightly to set.

Place pumpkin cake on another sushi mat, spread brown sushi rice thinly over entire cake. Shape 3 ridges on the 1st on third and place 3/4 sheet nori sheet over the ridges (see photo). Put 1/6 of half-polished rice (or substitute gourd like Deco did here) in the 1st valley, then greens on both sides of the rice. Put flower on other side of far ridge. Press together and roll with mat.

Slice into 8 pieces.

I don't know if I would make this thing. It's so involved but pretty cool.

The Yin and Yang of Food

2008-08-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

So this macrobiotic conference is almost over and I have worked with some interesting chefs/cooks. Some are wacky. Some are gracious. Some, well, some are who they are. I suppose it's no different than any other conference or work environment. But this wouldn't have come together without the man himself.

Michio Kushi (pictured) is the one they talk about when macrobiotics is mentioned. He's the teacher of the teachers now. He, not surprisingly, showed up to talk with us at his institute's conference.

I'm not going to say much about macrobiotic principles now. It's like feng shui. I kinda get it when it's mentioned and my mom's kinda talked about it but if you asked me to feng shui your house, I couldn't do it.

I'm just about as deep and knowledgeable about the ying and yang of food. Health is the key to our future, though. Without health, what have we got?

Over the last few days, I've met some people with health issues and you wouldn't even know it...and some who you would. It's interesting how passionate people get about their health or the health of others. (As a side note: my cousin is going in for surgery next week to remove some tumors. I believe that positive energy really helps too so if you wouldn't mind, please do your spiritual thing on his behalf. Thanks.)

So if you are afflicted with a health issue, you want to "eat healthier," or are curious, pick up a macrobiotic book at the library, bookstore, or internet bookseller. Kushi's books are, of course, good. I also hear Denny Wexman's, The Great Life Diet, is a great starter book. It couldn't hurt. Macrobiotic food is surprisingly tasty.

Just take a look at this vegetable roll that only has vegetables in it. Remember, Ming's roll with the soba noodles at Blue Ginger? This one doesn't have rice in it either. It's basically a carrot roll wrapped in a kale/bok choy/scallion mix and seaweed. They don't last very long because water and nori don't play well together for long, and the veggies are wet. But it's tasty. It is seasoned with umeboshi plum vinegar (it's very strong so you don't need much) and lemon juice. All the veggies were blanched. These rolls are courtesy of Jane Stanchich.

Emerald Nori Rolls

1 bunch kale, chopped fine

1 bunch bok choy, chopped fine

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tsp umeboshi vinegar

2 TBL brown rice vinegar

1 TBL lemon juice

1 carrot, long strips

3 sheets, pre-toasted nori

1/8 c sesame seeds, toasted

Wash kale and bok choy well. Blanch separately: carrots, kale, bok choy. Squeeze out excess water from greens. Mix blanched kale and bok choy with scallions, vinegars, lemon juice.

Assemble: Place sheet of nori (shiny side down) on sushi mat. Take a handful of greens mixture, squeeze out excess water and spread on nori leaving an inch clear at top and bottom. Put strip of carrots across middle of greens then lightly dampen top and bottom edge of nori with marinade. Using sushi mat, roll up the greens firmly in the nori. Encase the roll with the mat. upturn and squeeze out excess water gently while retaining shape. Remove sushi mat. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting with sharp, slightly moistened knife. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Bon Appetit.

The Fish Sauce Adventure

2008-07-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-07-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-07-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-26T23:47:00.000-07:00

...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

2008-07-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

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.