77 posts tagged “food”
If you read my post on pistachio caramels, you'll remember that I had some temperature issues that weekend. It was so warm in my air condition-less apartment, that my first batch of caramels started getting all melty and greasy. Definitely not suitable for the public. I was heartbroken, but there was work to be done, so I shoved the rejects into the cupboard to deal with later on. Later on arrived and I thought back to a soy caramel sauce that I had had at Ludobites a few months ago. I believe that theirs had accompanied a fish dish. Another savory and sweet winning combination. For the soy caramel sauce, I simply melted down the caramels and added a few dashes of soy sauce. That's it. Easy enough, right?
I had a few pounds of oxtails in the freezer that I had been dying to use. Oxtails are one of my favorite foods in the world. Top five for sure. The meat is extremely tender and full of gelatinous goodness. I braised the oxtails in my soy caramel sauce, red wine, onions, carrots and celery. After a six hour braise the meat was falling off the bones and the yummy gelatin in the bones had flavored the broth nicely. I skimmed the fat from the broth and reduced it to concentrate the flavors. It would serve as the base to my noodle soup. Chestnut noodles lent just the right amount of sweetness. Here's the assembly of the bowl... Swirl a nest of fresh pasta into the bottom of the bowl, sprinkle with blanched rainbow carrots, add baby mizuna leaves and shredded napa cabbage to the bowl (it'll get wilted when it's swirled in by the eater), garnish with scallions and finally add a ladle of broth. Brush oxtail meat with the caramel sauce and place it on top of the noodles. I removed my meat from the bones, just because I had some squeamish eaters coming over.
Chocolates from Compartes Chocolatier... almost too cute to eat - almost! Compliments of Susan for B's birthday, but it would just be wrong not to help taste test, right? :) I was especially taken by the skull and cross bones one.
If I were to be a Spice Girl, I'd definitely be Asian Spice. Number one, I'm asian (duh) and two, I just love asian flavors. It's always a go-to style of cooking for me. Salty balanced by sweet - you can't go wrong. On a recent trip to Ranch 99 (same trip as Win Hop Fung), I picked up two whole butterfish. People often forget that there are many parts of the fish that are yummy to eat besides the fillet. As a child I was known to fight for the eyeball, but that was just a stage that I've grown out of. Aren't you glad? Now if any of you come over for dinner, you can have all the eyeballs you want. :)
I marinated the butterfish in a ponzu dressing, that I got suckered into buying. I am a bonafide sucker. Not a fan of pre-made anything really (usually too many preservatives and other weird stuff), but on one of my trips to SM Seafood, they were giving away generous, card deck-sized samples of chilean seabass cooked in the said marinade. That's how they get you. While you have your mouth full, they give you their whole pitch about how great it is. Feeling obligated/guilty for eating such an expensive sample (Chilean Seabass, really?) and for taking up time he could have been suckering someone else, I grabbed one on my way out. A salesmen's dream consumer. Sigh!
Back to dinner... since these fish are so thin, they only take a few minutes under the broiler on each side. It was accompanied by garlic stir-fried bok choy and shiitakes that I had braised in oyster sauce. The butterfish had a million tiny bones in it, so eater beware! Other than the bones, I loved this simple, school night meal. I'm going to go look at the nutrition facts on the marinade bottle now just to give myself nightmares. :)
Happy Hump Day! Sorry for the lack of blogging. I've got a lot to catch up on, but I'll be back in town tonight. I've been in Napa for the Tour de Cure bike ride. Don't worry about me though. As much work as it was, I was able to fit in a few incredible meals. Most notably, one at the infamous French Laundry. Now I can die happy. :)
Monterey Park is just 20 miles distance-wise, but worlds away culture-wise. If you've been there, then you must be savvy to the incredible Chinese food, discounted designer jeans and $15/hr foot massages - if not, you're missing out big time. I'm going to let you in on one of my newest findings.
I just discovered the most incredible place there called Win Hop Fung. It's half Chinese herb/tea, half wine/alcohol super store. They even have wine tastings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. You would have never guessed judging from the exterior. They even have a French sommelier. Weird, huh? At first I was a little bewildered by the idea of the combination, but after I actually checked it out, it totally made sense. Not only was I able to stock up on white flower oil and dried white fungus, but I carted out enough alcohol to supply my next few wine parties. Oops! I just can't help myself sometimes.
Above is a riesling that I tasted and actually liked. I only say "actually" because I usually find rieslings a bit sweet for my liking. This one was quite refreshing and at 50% off, I'm really kicking myself now for not getting a few more bottles. I paired this crisp wine with some homemade chestnut noodles and shiitakes (braised in the riesling). The chestnut flour in the pasta gives off a nice sweet, roasted flavor that contrast the wine nicely. I love playing with pairings like this. Happy Monday to all!
Signing off...
The Monterey Park Evangelist :)
Win Hop Fung
725 W. Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Even though my friends have coined me the "slave driver", all the workers at the local Smart & Final recognize me as the girl who buys heavy cream by the gallon and I've developed the tiniest callus on the tip of my thumb, it was all for a good cause. I was thrilled when I was asked to make a charitable contribution to the Sports Spectacular Women's Luncheon gift bags. What an honor to take part in a charity that has been so, so dedicated to raising money for the Cedar-Sinai Medical Genetics Institute. I'm all about helping out and if I can do it in the kitchen, well then, all the better. :)
After lots of recipe testing and way too much taste testing, the clear winner was a chewy caramel dusted with pistachios - Kind of like baklava in candy form. At this point, I have to give a shout out to the Santa Barbara Pistachio Company and their superior pistachios. I used the shelled, roasted, unsalted kind for the caramels. I kid you not, these pistachios are the best I've ever had. Far superior to Trader Joe's stale, muddy brown counterpart. I only wanted to use the best ingredients so it was an easy choice. I also love the pop of the vibrant lime green.
So the goal was to make 400 packages at three pieces per package. Yup, that's 1200 pieces. Lots of caramel making, so I got a jump start on them mid-week. There I am pouring the umpteenth batch (in my snowflake apron - you caught me).
Making the caramels was the easy part. Wrapping, well now, that's a whole other story. Thank goodness for friends with nimble, origami-skilled fingers (thanks everyone! I owe you a lobster dinner). I had to crack the whip a few times, but it was all for a good cause. Now you see why they started calling me a slave driver. Imagine that. Sweet, innocent, charity giving me, a slave driver? :)
-Making caramels in 90+ degree weather can be bad news. Have a fan on hand and a towel to cover the window or else it's melt city.
-My friends are even more amazing than I had thought. :)
-Snowflake aprons can be rocked year round!
-I'm a hard caramel kinda girl. B's an ALL caramel kinda guy.
-Giving your time to charity is a good thing. Have you done your part?
Well this year I've decided to dedicate a savory dish. This one is for Becky whose birthday is today. Happy birthday dear! Growing up, she was quite an astute and sensitive child declaring herself a vegetarian at the ripe old age of eight. Eight! My mother continued to cook the way she always had and after a while Becks caved in to the omnivore's diet. One must eat more than just a bowl of white rice for dinner. Even though the bout of vegetarianism was short-lived, she certainly has retained her empathy for animals and consequently will be starting her first year at vet school this fall. Congratulations Becky and damn you for taking all the smart, studious genes of the family! :)
When I was brainstorming a dish to dedicate, something vegetarian was obvious. I wanted to make her a salad that she would love. I picked up a trio of beets at the FM: Golden, Chioggia and your basic red beets. I roasted the beets until tender and dressed them in a dressing flavored with buckwheat honey. I also shelled some snap peas for extra sweetness and crunch. Creamy, sliced Zutano avocados also graced this salad and if you guys can find these, get as many as you can. Zutano avocados have the silkiest, creamiest texture. For a salty contrast, I crumbled a lovely Bulgarian feta and spooned a bit of olive tapenade on the side. I garnished with chopped parsley.
Happy birthday, Becks! No animals were harmed in the making of this dish. Aren't you proud of me?
Every time I stop by the Happy Family Farms stand to get eggs (they have the best eggs) I ask if they have any ducks left. They never do. They are just that popular. They always tell me to check back at noon in case somebody doesn't pick theirs up. I never do. Finally I had a brief moment of enlightenment and I asked them to reserve one for me the following week. Now why didn't I think of that before?
The following weekend I felt like the king of the world walking up to their stand, knowing that this time I would not be leaving duckless. I was way too proud of myself. I shelled out $22 for a 5lb 7oz free range, organic duck - for those of you who are curious. That weight includes the neck and organs, which made me very happy. I love being able to use the whole animal. The neck, heart and giblets are perfect for stock.
I added the duck livers to sauteed onions, celery and bell peppers as a base for my Cajun dirty rice (dirtied by the addition of livers). I used brown rice instead of white since I'm trying to be healthier these days. For my duck I used a recipe coined "The Amazing Five Hour Duck". This recipe popped up everywhere while I was recipe hunting, so I knew that I had to try it. Four hours on low heat renders the fat and the final hour, the heat is cranked up to crisp the skin. I even made duck cracklins out of the excess skin to add another layer of flavor. This recipe is awesome. Definitely try it the next time you have five hours.
Just a little food photography fun from yours truly!
For those no time, big hunger nights, pasta is an easy choice. I always have a few frozen "nests" of fresh pasta saved just for those nights. Simply add whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand and saute it in olive olive oil and garlic. I like to add a nice sprinkling of pecorino romano and if you have five extra minutes a nice pesto never hurt anyone.
Pistachio & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
1 cup unsalted roasted shelled pistachios, I'm currently enjoying pistachios from Santa Barbara Pistachio Co
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parsley
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon Sun-dried tomatoes (The ones that are jarred and soaked in olive oil)
1/2 cup finely shredded pecorino cheese
In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they are coarsely chopped. Next add olive oil, parsley, tomatoes and garlic and pulse to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
When Elly of Elly Says Opa! confessed her preference for Bulgarian feta (over Greek), I knew that I was about to make an awesome food discovery. Something in my head said, "I have got to try that." Do you guys ever get that or is it just me that wants to eat the world?
After one of my routine Saturday mornings at the farmers' market, I made a pit stop at Bay Cities in search of the said cheese. I found a nice block of the said cheese and since I was there, I also picked up a loaf of their bakery (it's in their basement) fresh bread. Danger, I mean dangerously delicious!
I so badly wanted to start eating the bread on the way home. Just a nibble of the crusty end. I behaved myself and just left it in its sleeve. I felt like my parents' dog, Foxy. Her best "trick" is when my mom holds out a snack in her hand and says, "leave it". She'll turn her sad face away even though you can tell she's dying to snatch it out of her hand. Yup, Foxy and I sure have a lot in common. We both have these insatiable appetites. Must run in the family, right? :)
By the time I got home, my stomach was humming. Armed with farm fresh produce, warm bread and feta that I couldn't wait to test out, I whipped up this playful lunch. The white carrots from Weiser Farms are particulary sweet especially when eaten raw. I thinly sliced one up and marinated it in orange juice/zest, olive oil, parsley and S&P. Note to self: I should invest in a mandolin. For my salad, I sauteed asparagus and shallots with thyme. While this wilted down, I deshelled some snap peas and threw them in at the end. These are so sweet they taste like candy. I topped each piece of baguette with the salad and crumbled feta over it. I had also picked up some olives from Bay Cities, so a quick tapenade was drizzled over the feta. Lunch is served.
Thank you to all my fellow bloggers for all the food enlightenment and culinary inspiration. You guys are awesome.
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