Is It EDible?

Char Siew Lamb Chops

2009-11-01T22:33:00.001-08:00

I'm slowly trying to get back into my cooking (and blogging) rhythm. Thus, I found myself leafing through my past issues of Bon Appetit magazine this afternoon. One particular recipe for char siew (or Chinese barbecue) lamb chops caught my eye. I love char siew, and I love lamb chops. But instead of using the Bon Appetit recipe, I decided to try adapting this recipe for some tasty New Zealand lamb chops I picked up from Trader Joe's today. SUCCESS! The smoky flavor of the Chinese 5 spice powder adds a nice dimension to the lamb. I like my lamb chops medium rare, but if you prefer yours medium, then up the cooking time to 4 minutes per side.

CHAR SIEW LAMB CHOPS

4 lamb chops (about 1 lb)

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

1) Place all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.

2) When ready to cook, lightly oil a cast iron skillet and warm over medium heat.

3) Remove chops from marinade and place in the skillet and pan-fry for 3 1/2 minutes.

4) Turn the chops over and pan-fry for an additional 3 1/2 minutes.

Makes 2 servings.

Salisbury Steak

2009-10-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

I've always had a fondness for salisbury steak. Back when I was in elementary school, I remember this being one of my favorite school cafeteria foods (right behind the sliced turkey with dressing and the cheese "pizza").

Since then, I've satisfied my salisbury steak cravings by partaking of Budget Gourmet and Boston Market's frozen versions. Till now...

Skimming through an old copy of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, I found an uber-simple recipe and jazzed it up with my rendition of a mushroom gravy. I may never go back to the frozen version again.

SALISBURY STEAK WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

For the steaks:
2 slices white bread, crusts removed

1/4 cup milk

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup bread crumbs

For the gravy:

8 oz mushroom, cleaned and sliced

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup cool water

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1) Preheat the broiler.

2) In a medium mixing bowl, soak the bread in milk.

3) Add beef and remaining seasonings. Mix thoroughly.

4) Divide meat into 6 equal portions. Shaped into oval-shaped patties about 1 inch thick. Place patties on a cookie sheet.

5) Cook 3 inches from the broiler for 5 minutes. Turn and broil for another 5 minutes. Check for doneness. Serve with gravy, if desired.

6) For the gravy, saute the mushrooms in a lightly oiled sauce pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms to a plate.

7) In the same pan, heat beef broth in a small saucepan over medium heat.

8) In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons Wondra flour with 1/2 cup water. Slowly pour this mixture into the beef broth, stirring constantly.

9) Add the remaining seasonings as well as the mushroom. Cook for 2 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Scallion and Shallot Pancakes

2009-08-03T20:59:00.001-07:00

I remember my very first scallion pancake. It was a dark, stormy night during my freshman year of college. Ok, maybe not so dark and not so stormy. My friends and I were ordering delivery from a local Chinese restaurant (none of us had cars), and I saw the words "scallion pancake" on the menu.

I remembered reading about them in one of my Frugal Gourmet cookbooks. And I thought to myself...I like scallions. I like pancakes. Let's give it a try. Ooo...famous last words. how can one not love the taste of greasy, crispy, scallionny (is that a word?) goodness. Many of the recipes I've seen call for lard. Now, I love the stuff, but my waistline and arteries can't handle it anymore. I found the original recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine,and I've added shallots (because I thought they would go well with the green onions).

SCALLION AND SHALLOT PANCAKES

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons sesame oil
5 scallions, thinly sliced
2 medium-sized shallots, thinly sliced
additional salt, to taste

1) In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, boiling water, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

2) Remove dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes or until soft and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

3) Roll the dough into a 16-inch long log. Cut into 24 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap.

4) On lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough into a 4-inch circle. Brush with sesame oil.

5) Combine scallions and shallots in a small bowl. Spinkle 1 teaspoon of scallion-shallot mixture on the rolled-out dough.

6) Roll up the dough circle into a tight cylinder. Pinch the ends close. Then wrap the cylinder into a tight spiral. Cover with plastic wrap and repeat with remaining dough pieces. Let rest for 20 minutes.

7) On a lightly floured surface, stand up one of the spirals vertically (like a snail shell). Flatten gently then roll out into a 4 inch circle. (The point here is to create as many layers as possible so you get a flaky pancake).

8) Repeat with remaining spirals, stacking the rolled-out circles between waxed paper.

9) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook 2 or 3 of the pancakes at the same time for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.

10) Repeat with the remaining pancakes, adding more oil as needed. If you like, you can keep the pancakes warm in the oven at 200 degrees. Serve with dipping sauce (see recipe below).

Makes about 24 pancakes.

DIPPING SAUCE

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar

1) Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Ed's Note: If you don't like shallots, then omit them. Up the number of scallions to 7 scallions.

Whoppers Ice Cream Pie

2009-07-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

Wow. Has it really been 3 months since my last post? It's amazing how time flies amidst work-related projects, timelines, and deadlines. But, my hope is to get back into the rhythm of blogging (and cooking) again.

So, my first foray back into cooking and entertaining included this recipe which was not hard to find. It was right on the back of a box of Whoppers. The malted chocolate candy Whoppers not the Burger King hamburger Whopper just in case anyone was confused.

The only change I made was instead of using vanilla ice cream, I substituted cookies n' cream. This made the perfect finale to the 4th of July get together that Dean and I hosted. And it was so easy to make!

WHOPPERS ICE CREAM PIE

1 pint cookies n' cream ice cream, softened
8 oz whipped topping
2 cups of Whoppers, crushed
1 graham cracker pie crust

1) Mix together the ice cream and whipped topping until well-blended.

2) Stir in 1 cup of the crushed Whoppers.

3) Spoon mixture into the graham cracker pie crust.

4) Sprinkle top with the remaining crushed Whoppers.

5) Place in freezer for at least 4 hours.

Makes 6 -8 servings.

IsItEDible at OB Town

2009-03-07T21:24:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, the New York Times had a great article on Korean Fried Chicken. During my trip to to NYC last year, I had the opportunity to try BonChon's version. Luckily for those of us in the Bay Area, New York City isn't the only city that has access to great KFC. Oakland's got it, too, thanks to OB Town(formerly Oriental BBQ Chicken Town).

OB Town
6101 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 595-5338

For those of you who want to give Korean Fried Chicken a try, order the Gan Jang Chicken ($14.50), which is coated with a delicious sauce with garlic and soy. Or if you like it spicy, then try the Yang Nyeom Chicken (also $14.50).

There's also several "bar dishes" on the menu. The garlic fries ($5.90) go great with the fried chicken.

If you are in the mood for seafood, then give the Shrimp Ganpengji (12.99) a try. At OB Town, the fry up the shrimp in a nice batter and coat it with a spicy sauce. Also, good are the spicy rice cakes and seafood ($12.90).

Split Pea Soup

2009-02-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a dish I literally turned my nose up at when I was a kid. But like many other foods, I've developed a fondness for this as an adult. It all started with the annual pilgrimmage that Dean and I make down to Palm Springs. We usually try to stop at Andersen's Pea Soup for a bowl of the restaurant's signature dish.

With the cold, wet weather we've been having lately, I've been in the mood for the smoky goodness of this comfort food. I scouted around on the internet and found some interesting variations over at 101 Cookbooks, the Food Network, and A Year of Crockpotting.

Here's my take on this comfort food classic.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 lb dried split peas
4 strips bacon
1 onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic
6 cups water
2 tablespoons "Better than Bouillion" chicken base
1 tablespoon garam masala
salt and pepper to taste

1) Pick through the split peas for foreign particles. Rinse.

2) In a large pot, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and place on paper-towel lined plate. Crumble the bacon.

3) Add onions and garlic to the bacon grease. Cook for 3 minutes.

4) Add 1 cup of water and quickly scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining water.

5) Add the dry split peas, chicken base, and garam masala. Bring the water to a boil.

6) Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.

7) Remove from heat. Place half of the soup in a blender and puree. Pour pureed soup back into the pot and stir.

8) Salt and pepper to taste.

9) To serve, ladle soup into bowl and top with crumbled bacon.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ed's 1st Note: Thanks to my honey for helping me to stage this shot. All my previous attempts looked like green gloop in a white bowl.

Ed's 2nd Note: The garam masala gives this recipe a nice "smokiness." For extra smoky flavor, I used some of the Saltworks smoked sea salt I picked up at the Fancy Food Show.

IsItEDible at Citron

2009-01-25T22:58:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about moving to a new city is getting to explore all the new restaurants. Granted, Oakland is just a hop, skip, and jump away from San Francisco, but Dean and I have truly enjoying scouting out new dining spots.

One of our discoveries is Citron. Located in the Rockridge area of Oakland, this restaurant has not let us down over several visits during the last 6 months. Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle describes it as a "charming neighborhood restuarant with a destination attitude." We always appreciate the chef's amuse-bouche, the warm bread (try the orange-hued one made with pepper), and the delicious French/Mediterranean cuisine served by an attentive and friendly staff.

Citron
5484 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 653-5484

Note the menu here does change regularly. On each of our visits, the Maine lobster bisque ($10) with creme fraiche gougere has always been on the menu. This is hands-down one of the best bisques I've had. It's svaory richness of the lobster is nicely accentuated by the gougere. This is a "must-order" if you see it on the menu. On our most recent visit, we brought Dean's mom who was visiting from out of town. She thoroughly enjoyed her butternut squash soup ($9) with orange scented shrimp and crispy leeks. For salads, try the baby spinach salad ($10). It's served with a warm balsamic dressing and accented by spiced pecans. A few slivers of sweet Medjool dates add an extra layer of sweet flavor that sets it apart from your typical spinach salad. Usually there is a choice of about 5 different entrees on the menu. We particularly liked the rosemary-scented rack of lamb ($26) which was served with a straw potato cake, romano beans. and a black olive-red wine sauce. For desserts, try the ginger ice cream ($9) served with whole wheat graham crackers and dulce de leche. A sprinkle of pomegranate seeds added a sweet and tart crunch.

Winter Fancy Food Show

2009-01-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade brought the Winter Fancy Food Show back to San Francisco this year. I took the opportunity to join over 16,000 other attendees who walked up and down the aisles of the Moscone Center to check out over 1,250 booths in search of the latest and greatest in specialty food and drink. I even ran into fellow food blogger Amy from Cooking with Amy, and we both waxed nostalgic about our love of the whole spectrum of Hawaiian food... from plate lunches to fine dining.

This was my first year to attend. To say that I experienced sensory overload is an understatement. Amidst the pungent smell of the cheeses, the "oohs, ahs, and mmm's" of attendees, the celebrity chef sightings (I saw Ina Garten and Paul Prudhomme), and the delicious tastes of all the different things I tried, I definitely had a hard time narrowing down my #1 favorite food find from the Show.

So, instead I offer a glimpse at the following things which caught my attention (and may soon be found on the shelves of Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, William Sonoma, or your local market).

Saltwork's Yakima Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt and their new line of Fusion Naturally-Flavored Sea Salts. The fragrant, smoky aroma of the the Alderwood brought back memories of meals around the campfire.

For those of you who like "boba" (also known as "bubble tea"...it's essentially tea with tapioca balls, keep an eye out for Sogo's popping boba. What's different about this boba is it literally pops in your mouth releasing a burst of liquid flavor.

I also was introduced to Landrin, a first time exhibitor at the show. This Russian confectionery gave out samples of their waferatto. I especially enjoyed their waferatto classic, a whole almond surrounded in white chocolate and crispy wafer with a coconut coating.

The folks at Stubb's Bar-B-Q celebrated their founder by commissioning artist Jason Baalman to create paintings using their sauces. I sampled some of their brisket with their hickory bourbon bar-b-q sauce. It was de-finger-lickin-licious.

Here's an unexpected combination: Wasabi Horseradish cheddar cheese! And it was pretty good!

Um, yeah. This company's name speaks for itself. (Or perhaps silence is golden?)

I thought that these SushiParty soy wrappers from Yamamotoyama would make a colorful addition to any Sushi party. And, yes, those wrappers are completely edible.

Did you know you could make bouquets out of lavash? The folks at California Lavash did.

I grew up on jasmine tea, but the white jasmine sparkling tea from Golden Star Tea Co was a nice twist on a classic.

You may have had madeleines, but think how much tastier they are when they are chocolate madeleines OR chocolate madeleines dipped in chocolate. These are the newest offerings from Donsuemor, based out of Alameda.

Finally, in the past year, I've developed a taste for mojitos, so I really enjoyed samplings of an iced mojito tea from Caffe D'Amore and a mojito ice sorbet from Silver Moon. Both products made their debut at the show so it may take a while before they are available in stores or served at your local restaurant.

So those are some of the things I particularly enjoyed from this year's Winter Fancy Food Show. Did you attend this year? What were some of the things you particularly liked? Were there any trends you noticed compared to previous years?

Check out what other food bloggers discovered at the Show...

Cooking with Amy and her post at Bay Area Bites

Joy the Baker

Lick My Spoon

Eat Cheap, Eat Well, Eat Up

IsItEDible in Tokyo

2009-01-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

Last month, I had the chance to spend about 40 hours in Tokyo on my way to a meeting in Palau. I didn't have much time to explore the city, but luckily I was able to maximize my short trip thanks to some helpful pointers from our good friend John who used to live there. After arriving at Narita airport at about 5 pm, I took an hour-long train ride into Tokyo. That night, I ventured out into the Shinjuku district(see photo below) where I had a late dinner at Tsunahachi, a restaurant known for its tempura.

I woke up early the next morning (thank you so much, jet-lag) and made my way to the Tsukiji Fish Market, the world's largest wholesale fish and seafood market. I wasn't quiet enough of an early bird to take in the tuna auctions, but I was able to still get a feel for the frenetic pace of this place. Like many other tourists, I indulged in a sushi breakfast featuring some extremely fresh sushi at Sushikan.

Around 10 am, I caught a ferry up to the Asakusa district to check out the Senso-ji Temple. Next, I walked over to Ueno in search of a restaurant that is famous for it's tonkatsu. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the restaurant so I ended up walking down to Akihabara, Tokyo's discount electronics district. By then I still hadn't had lunch, and my stomach was rumbling! So, I took my friend John up on his recommendation of Sugino-ko, on the Omotesando.

Afterwards, I walked over to Harajuku station in an unfruitful search for harajuku girls (apparently Sundays are when most of them come out). A quick subway ride brought me to Shibuya station where I got completely lost while looking for the next item on my "must-see" list... the statue of Hachiko (see photo below). It's a good thing I wasn't on the Amazing Race because I would definitely have been the last team to reach the checkpoint.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the story of Hachiko...it's a heart-wrencher (especially if you are a dog-lover). There was this Japanese professor who walked to the train station every morning accompanied by his dog. The man would get on the train, and his dog would return home. Every evening, the man would come back from work to be greeted by his dog at the train station. One day, the professor passed away while at work. For nine more years, his dog walked to the train station every evening, faithfully waiting for his master to return. The locals were so touched by his devotion that they cast a statue of him, and to this day, the statue of Hachiko is a famous meeting spot.

After finally finding Hachiko, I spent the evening wandering about Shibuya and Ebisu, and I even took in an amazing (and free) view of the city from the Ebisu Tower. And so ended my short layover in Tokyo which definitely left me with the desire to hopefully return one day to more fully experience all that Tokyo has to offer.

Below is additional information about the restaurants I dined at.

Tsunahachi
3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Phone: 03-3352-1012

This is their flagship location. I lucked out and got a seat right in front of the deep-fry station. For me, this was a great spot, because 1) I got to watch the chefs in action 2) I was served my meal straight from the deep fryer and 3) I love eau de deep-fry. You might ask for a table upstairs if the previous things do not appeal to you. My server handed me a menu in Japanese, and he astutely observed me whipping out my English-Japanese dictionary. Luckily for me, he immediately handed me an English version. For 1995 yen (about $22), I ordered the tempura meal (about 6 pieces of tempura: including shrimp, eel, whitefish, and vegetables) which also came with a bowl of miso soup, rice, and Japanese pickles.

Umai Sushikan
5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku
Phone: 03-3541-2458

This restaurant is located in the "outer markets" at the Tsukiji Fish Market.If you're back is to the Tsukiji "inner markets" where all the wholesalers are, this restaurant is in the 2nd-from-the-right row of "outer market" shops. This place has more seating than some of the other sushi restaurants in Tsukiji so you may not have to wait as long to get seated. A couple of things I've learned about sushi etiquette over th years include: 1) if you are handed a wet towel, use it to wash your hands and NOT your face and be sure to fold it as neatly as possible when you are done, 2) it can be considered an insult to add wasabi to your nigiri as the sushi chef as already placed the amount that he considers appropriate underneath the fish, 3) that said, if you want to use additional wasabi then sneak some of it on your nigiri as opposed to putting the wasabi in your soy sauce, and 4) position your nigiri so that you dip the fish and not the rice into the soy sauce. Trying to mind all of my sushi manners, I had a very fresh sushi set (about 1500 yen) which included 9 pieces of nigiri and a few pieces of sushi. Check out the menu of sets here (I had the set on the bottom of the page).

Sugino-Ko
5-1-3 Jingumae, Shibuya
Phone: 03-3486-0160

I am so glad my friend John told me about this place. Walking down the stairs into the basement level restaurant, I was famished. The waiter placed a Japanese menu on my table, and I whipped out my Japanese-English dictionary. Luckily for me, he spoke English and helped me to navigate the menu. A lunch set only set me back 1000 yen (about $11.17), and look at all the delicious food I feasted on. Starting in the bottom right hand corner, that's miso soup with a few extras...bits of onion, carrots, and pork. Moving clockwise, in the small pink bowl are a few picked vegetable whose tartness perfectly complemente the pork. Next, a small cold dish of tofu topped with grated ginger and green onions. I'm not sure if this was the intent, but the tofu and ginger together served as a delicious palate cleanser. In the bottom left corner, a bowl of rice topped with furukake (dried seaweed flakes). Continuing clockwise, in the small square bowl is an egg...just slightly poached so the yolk was barely set and then chilled. In the large square plate, the main entree of char-grilled pork (or for the same set price you can choose fish or udon noodles). The pork was melt-in-the-mouth tender and lightly covered with a teriyaki-esque sauce. Also on the plate is a small salad of matchstick cut vegetables, including celery, daikon, and carrot. And finally in the upper right corner is a essert of almond jello and a citrus jello (not sure if this was lemon or yuzu).

Hopefully, if you ever visit Tokyo, then you will have much more time to expore than I did. I hope to return someday, and perhaps then, I might be able to explore all the placed recommended in this article by Food and Wine magazine.

Pan-Fried Tandoori Salmon

2009-01-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

In one of the neighborhoods we used to live in , there was a deli owned by a South Asian family. One of the hot meals they offered was a grilled salmon seasoned with tandoori spice mix (which often includes coriander, cumin, paprika, garlic, ginger, and a few other spices.)

That was my inspiration for this dish. The tandoori spices are mixed with flour to give the salmon a golden-hued crust and an added layer of flavor. Hope you enjoy it.

PAN-FRIED TANDOORI SALMON

1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon tandoori spice mix
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 six ounce pieces of salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil

1) In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, tandoori spices, salt, and pepper.

2) Dredge the salmon in the flour mixture until fully covered.

3) Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.

4) Place each piece of salmon in the hot oil. Cook for 4 minutes.

5) Carefully turn the salmon over and cook for an additional 4 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

IsItEDible in Atlanta

2009-01-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009 everyone! I'm still trying to catch up on a few posts that I've been wanting to get up. Well as the saying goes... one day at a time (or should I say one post at a time).

So, last month, I took a brief trip to Atlanta. I landed just in time to make my way to my hotel and catch the tail end of lunch at Spice Market. Chef Jean-Georges Vongcrichten (say that ten times fast) opened up a branch of his famed NYC restaurant in the W-Atlanta Midtown in March 2008. The first thing you'll notice when you walk into the restaurant is the soaring ceiling with plenty of natural light. The wooden decor is highlighted by gold and green-hued pillows. If you get the chance, definitely take a trip to Spice Market to experience the Southeast Asian street-food inspired cuisine. It's considerably less expensive than buying a plane ticket to Asia.

SPICE MARKET
188 14th Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30361
(404) 549 5450

My meal started off with a complimentary serving of pappadum (crispy lentil wafers) with spicy tomato chutney. I took advantage of their Bento Box special ($15) which is only offered from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. This is a great way to sample a variety of smaller versions of Spice Market's most popular dishes. The bento box includes a soup, salad, appetizer choice, entree, rice, and dessert (everything except the dessert arrives at once in a bento box which perhaps could be described as an adult version of a cafeteria tray). The soup that came in my bento box was a tom kha gai, or in other words, a Thai chicken and coconut soup that was warm, slightly spicy, and punctuated by the delicious flavor of lemongrass. The salad consisted of mixed greens topped with watermelon radish slices and a sesame-ginger dressing. For the appetizer, you have a choice of beef satay, chicken skewers, or pork satay. I opted for the pork which is served with a shot of a Thai basil emulsion for dipping. The entree is a crisp, battered medallion of cod about the size of an English muffin. It's served with a sweet and tangy sambal (chili pepper) sauce. And, for dessert, you get a huge serving of sorbet or ice cream in a small Chinese takeout container. I opted for the coconut sorbet, which was ultra rich and creamy.

Click HERE for a few other options if you ever find yourself in Atlanta.

IsItEDible in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo

2008-12-29T23:03:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to spend some time in Los Angeles's Little Tokyo neighborhood a few weeks ago. It was a great primer for my whirlwind tour of the original Tokyo (more on that in a later post). Although I only had a short time there, I was able to squeeze in a few memorable meals.

Sushi Restaurant Oomasa
100 Japanese Village Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 623-9048

I was looking for a place for dinner within walking distance of my hotel when I passed by Oomasa. There were a lot of Asians inside (which to me is always a good sign) so I decided to give it a whirl. Oomasa has your typical Japanese menu with lots of options to choose from: sushi, nigiri, tempura, and more. I opted for dinner special #7 ($17.50) which is very reasonably priced considering that you get shrimp and vegetable tempura, beef teriyako, 4 pieces of sushi (tuna, shrimp, and 2 pieces of california roll), salad, rice, sunomono (japanese pickled salad), miso soup, and a scoop of green tea ice cream. The spider roll ($11), made with deep fried soft shell crab, was also quite tasty.

Mikawaya Ice Cream
118 Japanese Village Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 624-1681

Just a few steps down from Oomasa is Mikawaya. According to their website, they are the creators of mochi ice cream. You've probable seen them in the freezer section at Trader Joe's. Well, if you ever get a chance to stop into one of their stores, do it! The mochi ice cream is perhaps fresher than what you might find in your grocer's freezer section. At least it seemed to me that the mochi was softer (in a good way) that what I am used to. They also have more flavors than what you find in the freezer section. I tried the toasted almond, plum wine, cookies n cream, and pistachio ($1 each). The toasted almond and pistachio were my favorites.

Daikokuya
327 E. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680

According to my LA friends, this is the place "to see and be seen." They are known for their Daikoku ramen ($8.50) which consists of noodles, a boiled egg, seasoned bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and green onions in a pork based broth (see pic here). According to their website, the broth is made from soy sauce and from boiling the pork bones all night long. They only use kurobata pork and soak the eggs all night in a special sauce. All those all night long processes result in a broth that is absolutely savory. The noodles were perfectly al dente for my tastes, but they will alter the firmness to your liking. For an appetizer, I really liked their gyoza ($5.95) or pan-fried pork and vegetable dumplings. They are made in the store, and you'll notice they are of a slightly different shape then most gyoza you find in Japanese restaurants (see pic here).

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

2008-12-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Is it really almost 2009? Wow. Well a belated happy holidays to all of you, and I hope that you all have a happy new year. Over the next few days while I'm on vacation, I hope to post some entries that I've been working on from my travels to Atlanta, Japan, and Palau over the past 6 weeks.

Until then, here's a recipe that I adapted from The New Best Recipe for a pumpkin cheesecake pie. The key to this recipe is cooking the canned pumpkin to evaporate some of the moisture. This helps to give the pie a more solid texture. In lieu of a graham cracker crust, I use a pastry crust. That's why I call this a pumpkin cheesecake pie instead of a pumpkin pie cheesecake.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE PIE

1 can of pumpkin (15 oz)
2 packages cream cheese, softened (8 oz each)
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 refrigerated pie crust

1) Cook the pumpkin over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3) In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute. Add in the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. Beat on medium-low for 2 minutes.

4) Add the pumpkin and beat on medium-low for 1 minute.

5) Add the eggs and beat on medium-low for 1 minute.

6) Pour in the cream and beat on medium-low for 1 minute.

7) Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

8) Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until set.

9) Let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

10) Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to serving.

Serves 12.

Cookbook: The Joy of Cooking, 75th Anniversary Edition

2008-11-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

The Joy of Cooking was one of the first cookbooks I ever bought for myself. Over the years, my copy has survived a few spills, a few stains, a few torn pages, etc. In other words, its seen better days. Thus, I was excited to recently receive a copy of the Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition

The original Joy of Cooking was written and self-published by a St. Louis widow (Irma Rombauer) and her daughter (Marion Rombauer Becker). This version has been updated by Marion's son Ethan.

Compared to my first Joy of Cooking, there are a few things I noticed that were different about the 75th Anniversary Version:

The inclusion of a "Nutrition" section at the beginning of the cookbook
A "Know Your Ingredients" section towards the end of the cookbook
There are more Asian recipes included. Check out the index where listings can be found under various cuisines (e.g. "Chinese cuisine," "Indian cuisine," "Thai Cuisine," and several others)
A new section on cooking and freezing tips

Although many of the recipes have been updated, I'm glad to see that the authors have kept many of recipes from previous editions (e.g. "Hamburger Pie" and "Molded Salads" and an entire section on casseroles) which highlight the road that American cuisine has traveled. And I especially appreciate that these recipes are juxtaposed to new recipes that reflect the increasing diversity in who Americans are and what we eat.

These are a few of the recipes that caught my eye:

Charleston Crab or She-Crab Soup
Turkey in Red Mole
Grilled Duck Breasts with Hoisin Ginger Sauce
Saag Paneer
White Chocolate Mousse with Toasted Almonds

You can get your own copy by clicking below:

Hushpuppies

2008-11-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

So most of you know by now that I love deep fried stuff. And that Long John Silver's was one of my favorite restaurants. Well, those of you have been to Long John Silver's also know that they serve up little balls of goodness called "hushpuppies." Don't worry, no puppies are involved in the making of hushpuppies. It's essentially just deep fried cornbread. I believe the folklore is that they got the name hushpuppies because folks use to throw these out to howling dogs to get them to hush.

We had dinner with some of our neighbors tonight, and I thought these would be the perfect side for a platter of fried chicken I made. They are a cinch to make, but taste just as delicious as you think deep-fried cornbread should taste. This is a variation on two recipes I found: one from the 75th Anniversary Edition of the Joy of Cooking and one from Southern Cooking from Mary Mac's Tea Room.

HUSHPUPPIES

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 a medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk

1) Pour canola oil into a pot to about 3/4 inch deep. Heat over medium heat.

2) In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, onion, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder together.

3) In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, and buttermilk together.

4) Add to the cornmeal mixture and mix well to form a batter.

5) Scoop a tablespoon of the batter and carefully lower into oil. Use a second spoon to help release the batter.

6) Repeat with more tablespoons of batter, but do not overcrowd.

7) Fry for about 1 minute, or until golden brown. Flip over and fry for 1 more minute.

8) Remove and drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately.

Ed's Note: You'll notice that my hushpuppies aren't as round as the ones at Long-John Silvers. That's becauze I was frying them in about 3/4 inch of oil. Use a deeper pot if you want rounder hushpuppies. You might not have to flip them if they are immersed completely in the oil.

Jalapeno Chedder Cornbread Muffins

2008-10-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

As a kid, I had minimal tolerance for spicy stuff. But, I distinctly remember a particular sleepover at a friend's house when I progressed from boyhood to manhood. It was during this weekend that my friends introduced me to a bag of Bob's Texas Style Jalapeno potato chips. (In various parts of the country, these might be know at Tim's potato chips). My life would be forever changed. I couldn't stop eating the stuff despite the fact that I could no longer feel my tastebuds.

Down in Texas, you'll find jalapenos crop up all over the place. For example... in our cornbread. The thought of a nice chili with a chunk of jalapeno cornbread on a brisk autumn evening. Wow.

I found the original recipe from Taste of Texas Steakhouse in a magazine that my former boss brought back for me from Houston. My subtle variation is below. The amount of jalapeno doesn't hit you like a brick wall. Instead, there's a nice, subtle "after-burn."

JALAPENO CHEDDAR CORNBREAD MUFFINS

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons diced jalapeno
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canned corn
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2) Lightly grease a muffin tin.

3) In large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, cheese, milk, sugar, jalapeno, baking powder, and salt. Mix together for two minutes.

4) Add in the corn, butter, and egg. Stir for another two minutes, or just until you have a well-incorporated, soft batter.

5) Spoon the batter into the muffin tins.

6) Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Makes 8-12 muffins, depending on the size of your tins.

Ed's 1st Note: If you want to up the ante, then add more jalapeno.

Ed's 2nd Note: If you like a crisper cornbread, then you can increase the baking time.

Bisquick Sausage & Cheese Balls

2008-10-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

The first time I had these guys back when I was in middle school. One of the student groups was hosting a holiday party for all the teachers. Mrs. Richter, the faculty sponsor for the group, was baking up huge batches of these balls. She made so many that there were mounds of leftovers. I remember thinking that these were the best thing since sliced bread!

Years late, I tried making these for a dance that I was helping to cater for my fraternity. But, I mistakenly cooked the sausage first before forming the balls. After baking them, I was left with Sausage and Cheese Puddles instead of balls I so fondly remembered.

So for my 35th birthday party, as part of the 70s Food and Drink theme, I decided to give these balls another shot. This isn't Mrs. Richter's recipe, but is a variation on one that I found on the Betty Crocker website.

BISQUICK SAUSAGE & CHEESE BALLS

1 lb ground breakfast sausage
3 cups Bisquick
4 cups cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tablespoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) In large bowl, mix together all the ingredients.

3) Form into 1 inch balls. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.

4) When baking sheet is full, place in oven. Bake for 9 minutes.

5) Remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully flip balls over. Bake for additional 9 minutes.

6) Repeat steps 3-5 with remaining mixture.

Ed's Note: I like to use spicy sausage for extra flavor.

Ed's 2nd Note: These are great with a dip. Try them with bbq sauce, cream gravy, or a mixture of 1 cup mayo with 1 tablespoon dijon mustard.

Ed's 3rd Note: If you prefer, you can make the balls a bit smaller. Just reduce the baking time so they don't dry out.

IsItEDible in Honolulu

2008-10-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

I was in Honolulu for a few days earlier this week. During this short trip, I had the opportunity to revisit some old favorites, and I also discovered some new favorites that I definitely hope to revisit if I’m ever back in Honolulu. My culinary guide on some of these adventures was Xuan-Lan, who was also one of my partners in crime on the NYC trail of gluttony.

Tokkuri-tei
611 Kapahulu Avenue #102
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 739-2800

Tokkuri-tei is one of my new favorites! This unassuming little restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside, but appearances can definitely be deceiving. This is an izakaya dining establishment, which means that the focus is on beer, sake, and a diverse menu full of small plates which one might describe as Japanese tapas.

If you like poke and you like spider rolls, then be sure to order the “there’s a spider in da poke” ($16). These are definitely two great tastes that taste great together, and it deservedly won the 2000 Sam Choy Poke Contest. If you like the crispy rice that you might find in the bottom of a dol sot bi bim bap, then order the yaki onigiri ($2.50), which is essentially a scoop of white rice formed around a wooden skewer and then lightly grilled. Also delicious is the tarako onigiri ($4), a triangle shaped rice surrounding cod roe and wapped with a strip of nori. The age dashi tofu ($3.50) consists of 3 blocks of lightly fried tofu in a light broth and covered with bento flakes. For ($4.50), you can also get 5 pieces of age-gyoza, also known as mandoo or dumplings. But my favorite dish of the night was the nori tempura ($4.50), strips of seaweed that are lightly coated in batter and deep-fried.

Yogurtland
1810 University Ave
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 951-4444

All you can eat frozen yogurt? Not quite, but pretty close. At Yogurtland, you take a bowl and essentially walk down their wall of 8 self-serve frozen yogurt dispensers. Each dispenser gives you the choice of 2 flavors or you can create a swirl if you like. At the end, your bowl is weighed and you pay the low price of 39 cents an ounce. If I was pushed to pick 3 favorite flavors, then I would have to say the taro, pistachio, and cafe con leche. Also delicious were the peanut butter, chocolate, New York cheesecake, and strawberry.

Ono Hawaiian Foods
726 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-2275

This is one of my old favorites. Dean and I found out about this place a few years ago after asking a local person where they went for Hawaiian food. This small restaurant is the kind of place that my Hawaiian aunties would open (if I had Hawaiian aunties thas is). I usually order the kalua pig plate ($13.25). No, it doesn't have kahlua in it. But the pork is wrapped in ti leaves and slowly grilled which gives it a nice smoky flavor and a pull-apart texture that literally melts in your mouth. The kahlua plate also comes with a two piece of pipikaula (a Hawaiian beef jerky), a small scoop of lomi salmon (diced salmon with tomato, raw onion, and green onion), haupia (a coconut dessert), and your choice of rice or poi. If you don't like kalua pig, then you could also order the laulau plate or chicken long rice plate (both also $13.25). Ed's Note: They take cash only.

Waiola Bakery and Shaved Ice
525 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 735-8886

Just down the street from Ono Hawaiian Food is my fave place to get shaved ice. If you haven't had shaved ice, it is similar to a snow cone, but the ice is much, much finer giving it a smoother texture. I'm not sure why it's called Waiol Bakery and Shaved Ice as I noticed they took out their bakery counter since I last visited a few years ago. But the shaved ice is still reason enough to come here. So if you ever make it there, here's how you order. First, tell them how many. Second, tell them the sizes ($1.92 for small cup, $2.15 for large cup, $2.40 for x-large bowl). Third, tell them if you want anything inside (vanilla ice cream, mochi, azuki beans, li hing mui seeds - all 50 cents each). Finally, wait for them to ask you what flavors you want. This could potentially be a hard question as they have over 30 flavors to choose from. On this trip I had half lychee and half watermelon. Quite refreshing on hot afternoon. But I was also tempted by the coke, haupia, pina colada, and root beer. Ed's Note: They take cash only.

Leonard's
933 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-5591

Just down the street from Waiola is this jewel of a bakery. They are famous for their malasadas, or Portuguese donuts. These delicious donuts are unlike any you have had before, and yes I quite prefer them over Krispy Kremes. They are served warm and crisp on the outside, yet flaky on the inside. Leonard's has even been featured on the Food Networks Top 5 program. You can get a plain malasada (70 cents each) covered in your choice of white sugar or cinnamon sugar. But I prefer the malasada puffs (90 cents each) which have a creamy filling. On this visit, I had the haupia malasada puff, but you can also choose chocolate or their filling of the month. Ed's Note: Grab a handful of napkins and the malasada puffs tend to ooze filling when you bite into them.

Side Street Inn
1225 Hopaka Street
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 591-0253

According to Xuan-Lan, this is where many of Honolulu's top chefs go to eat after their shifts are over. The menu is full of bar and comfort food, and we definitely partook of the opportunity to indulge in some deep fried goodness. Hands down, the dish of the evening is their Side Street pork chops ($21). The pork chops are cut into strips, lightly covered with cornstarch, and deep fried. Try making these at home! We also enjoyed the spicy chicken strips ($12), a plate full of fried chicken strips that are coated in spicy garlic sauce. The flavors kind of reminded me of Popeye's, which made me very happy. Round out your meal with a heaping basket of crispy fries ($8).

The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong
Macy's, Third Floor, Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 945-6573

My final stop on this trip was a quick dinner I grabbed on my way to my red-eye flight. For those of you who would pass over a restaurant just because it is located inside a shopping store in a mall... your loss! The service here is very attentive and polite, yet in that congenial aloha kind of way. To start things off, my waiter Jamil brought me a small basket of their garlic onion foccacia with a chili aioli. I wasn't too hungry so I ended up ordering two appetizers. First up was the ahi poke ($13.50). Raw, diced ahi tuna is mixed with chili and sesame oil. At the Pineapple Room, it arrives beautifully plated on a bed of 4 shiso leaves and a row of cucumber slices, with a wasabi-based sauce. I also ordered the Maui onion soup with kalua pig and gruyere cheese ($8.50). This was an interesting Hawaiian twist on a French classic. Here, the kalua pig added a subtle smokiness to the sweetness of the Maui onions.

Ed's Note: This post is dedicated to my late friend Keith, who recently passed away. On one of his trips to San Francisco, Keith shared with my colleagues and I that he always ordered French onion soup at restaurants. So over the course of his travels across the US, he became quite the connoisseur of French onion soups. Keith, wherever you are, I hope you are enjoying endless bowls of your favorite French onion soups. I think you would have quite liked the version at the Pineapple Room.

Miniature Quiches

2008-09-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my birthday this year with a "Food and Drink of the 70s" party earlier this month (yes, that makes me a Virgo). It was such a hoot seeing what my friends came up with. There were lots of balls... Swedish meatballs; sausage and cheese Bisquick balls; melon balls; cheese balls covered with nuts; and perhaps a disco ball or two. Here's the first of the flashback recipes.

MINIATURE QUICHES

2 frozen pie crusts, thawed
3 large eggs
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 oz shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, mozzarella)
4 1/2 oz frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Slightly roll out one pie crust to about 1/8 inch thickness on a floured surface. Use a 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out 24 circles. Reroll pastry scraps as needed.

3) Brush the first miniature muffin tin with olive oil. Place the pie crust rounds in the muffin tins and push down slightly.

4) Repeat the above two steps with the second pie crust.

5) In a medium-size mixing bowl, add eggs, miracle whip, cornstarch, milk, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Whisk briefly until blended.

6) Add in shredded cheese and spinach. Mix well. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture into each miniature pie crust.

7) Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

8) Carefully remove the miniature quiches from the muffin tins.

Makes 48 servings.

IsItEDible at Restaurante Dona Tomas

2008-09-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Nickie of Nickie's Fab Toffee fame has been sharing with me a bunch of her favorite spots now that Dean and I are in the East Bay. She's been raving about this restaurant and so we decided to head out there last Wednesday night. And she was absolutely right on! It was so good that we went back with our neighbors K and N to celebrate my birthday.

Restaurante Dona Tomas
5004 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 450-0522

This Mexican restaurant serves up delicious dishes featuring organic, local produce (when available), sustainable meat and poultry, and authentic ingredients. I don't drink very often, but the mojitos ($8.75) are sinfully delicious. The menu changes seasonally, but when we were there we thoroughly enjoyed the tomato watermelon salad ($8.25) with hints of mint. The Mexican caesar salad ($7.50) was also yummy and was topped with some wonderfully crunchy croutons. For entrees, order the carnitas ($17.75) and the carne asada ($18.75) , the latter of which comes with a tangy chile grilled corn (which you can order as a side if your entree doesn't come with it). Do not miss out on the corn and zucchini pudding ($4.50) with all of it's eggy, buttery, creamy, corny goodness. And to round out your meal, try the sweet yet tart lime pie ($7.50) or the subtle yet refreshing sweetness of the corn ice cream ($7.50).

Ed's Note: We also had a few folks over for a last minute 70's food and drink party. I'm currently rounding up the recipes that my friends made and will be posting them in the near future. Keep on the lookout for pickled pigs in a blanket, swedish meatballs, mini quiches, and a kickin sangria recipe!

IsItEDible in NYC

2008-08-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

Whoah. Has it really been this long since my last post? Egads. Well, better late than never, right? I spent last week in NYC for work and although I was pulling 12-hour workdays due to dinner meetings following day-long meetings, I must say that I had quite a gluttonous time. Here are a few of the culinary highlights.

Fresco (by Scotto)
34 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022
(212) 935-3434

My week-long dive into gluttony kicked off with a meal at this restaurant. My friends Ling and James suggested this more than a decade-old restaurant that is apparently popular with NBC studios and other celebrities (in fact, we had a Giuliani sighting while we were there). I thoroughly enjoyed the pappardelle with duck and wild mushroom ragu ($27). The fresh homemade flat ribbons were perfectly al dente. And the duck and mushrooms tasted quite savory after being braised in barolo wine, tomato, rosemary, and thyme. This dish truly reminded me of some of the pasta dishes I had last year in Italy, but with duck substituting for wild boar. The key lime cheese cake ($10) is made with ricotta, and the key lime flavor is quite subtle and possibly overpowered by the accompanying strawberry sauce.

Nyonya
194 Grand St.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 334-3669

This Malaysian and Chinese restaurant is located in Chinatown, and it was a nice meeting spot for our group of six after a long day full of meetings. For appetizers, definitely try the homemade roti canai ($2.95), a crisp, warm, flaky pancake that is made to order. You dip it in a mild yellow curry dipping sauce. We also enjoyed the spicy, crispy squid ($8.50) which were true to their name. For entrees, I enjoyed the Hainanese chicken with rice ($8.00 for a half chicken) was quite tender and came with a delicious chili sauce. The shrimp with ladies fingers ($9.95) was a hit at our table. Just in case you were curious, the ladies fingers were sauteed okra.

Rice to Riches
37 Spring Street (between Mott and Mulberry Street)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 274-0008

This little jewel was the final stop on the Tuesday Night Dessert Crawl (proceded by 3 seperate pints of lychee, ginger, and sugar-free grean tea ice cream from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and a stop at Pinkberry). If you like rice pudding as much as Dean does, then this place is your heaven on earth because it's all they have on the menu. But it's quite an extensive menu with over 20 different flavors of rice pudding on any given day. You get a choice of sizes including the 8 oz solo ($5), 14 oz epic ($7.50), 40 oz sumo ($20), and 80 oz moby ($35). On this visit we tried the "perfectly legal pecan pie" and the "sex drugs and rocky road."

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-7773

I saw Charlie Rose's interview with Chef David Chang a few weeks ago, and instantly Momofuku joined my list of "must try" restaurants while I was in the Big Apple. (While we are on the topic of fruit, the name Momofuku means sweet peach. ) Be prepared to stand in line as this place does not take reservations. We showed up about 9:15 pm and only had about 4 parties in front of us on a Wednesday night. The menu changes daily, but the evening my friend Xuan-Lan and I dined there, we enjoyed an appetizer of smoked chicken wings with pickled chili, garlic, and scallions. We ended up splitting a delicious bowl of the Momofuku ramen which comes with pork and a perfectly poached egg, and it was more than enough for the two of us. We rounded out our meal with a glass of toasted sesame horchata ($4), a Mexican rice drink given an interesting Asian twist by the subtle flavor of the sesame. We also enjoyed a small serving of Cousin Leroy & Arlo's soft serve ice cream ($4), topped with bits of pretzels which added complementary bursts of saltiness and crunch.

Artichoke Basille's Pizza and Brewery
328 E. 14th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-2004

Earlier this month, New York magazine published an article entitled Eat Cheap 2008 which offerred a multitude of inexpensive dining options by category. On the list was this neighborhood pizza counter known for....their artichoke pizza. As we walked by the first time on our way to dinner at Momofuku's there was a line probably about 20 people deep which shows how popular this place is. After our dinner, we walked past again on our way back to the subway. The line was now only 7 people deep. Xuan-Lan and I joked to each other that we should grab a slice for dessert and kept on walking. We made it about 10 ft and then both simultaneously looked at each other. The infamous last words were "The line is so short. Do you want to just try a slice?" which was followed by a 180 degree turnaround as we headed back to take our place in the cue. If you like white-sauce pizzas, then you'll like the richness of their artichoke pizza ($4), which technically has both artichoke and spinach atop a cream sauce. So good! If tomato sauce is your preference, the square Sicilian slice also looked delicious ($3.50). And if you are feeling adventurous as we were, then you might try a slice of their crab pizza. It was different, yet still appealing given the combination of crab meat, cheese, and creamy sauce.

BonChon
314 5th Ave, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 221-2222

KFC (Korean Fried Chicken that is) has been having a rise in popularity over the years. There's some special, secret method of frying the chicken that results in an extremely crisp crunch (according to my friend Edd, the crunch remains even after a night in the fridge) without tasting too oily. Nestled in Koreatown, this gem of place is easily missed at street level because of the minimum signage. But after taking the stairs (or elevator if you are so inclined) up to the second level, then you are transported into a hip albeit dark restaurant/bar. You have a couple of choice to make when ordering your KFC. First, the size: a medium order ($14.95) or a large order ($20.95). Second, you must decided between drumsticks, wings, or a combo. Finally, type of sauce decision: soy garlic, hot-spicy, or half of each. For our group of 5, we initially ordered one large combo with half soy garlic and half hot-spicy. After that disappeared off the table in record time, we realized we needed (er...perhaps wanted is more appropriate) another large order. The chicken is really that good. Be forewarned that the hot-spicy carries a bit of a kick. Tastewise, I liked the hot-spicy sauce, but I preferred the savory flavor of the soy garlic. We rounded out our menu with an appetizer of the Chef's Special Mozzarella Sticks with Basil ($8.95) which was give an Asian twist via the accompanying sweet chili sauce. We also enjoyed the furikake masago fried rice ($12.95) which consisted of three large scoops of fried rice topped off with seawish and flying fish eggs. A warning, this place gets PACKED early, so I would suggest showing up by 6 pm for dinner as they do not take reservations.

Grom
233 Bleecker
New York, NY 10014
(212) 206-1738

Oh, how I was looking forward to this one! After first experiencing Grom on our trip to Italy last year, I was so excited to hear that they had opened up a few outlets stateside. And it was oh so fitting that I was able to meet up with our friend Brett, who was our travel buddy on that trip, to re-experience Grom. According to their website, only high quality ingredients make it into their gelato, including full-fat fresh milk and eggs from organic chickens. And it shows! The small scoop ($4.75) I had was magically delicious. The two flavors I picked were caramel (with Cervia salt) and Torroncino nougat.

Vanessa's Dumpling House
118A Eldridge Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 625-8008

Another restaurant listed in the New York magazine article was this Chinatown establishment. I had passed by another "Vanessa's" dumpling place on E. 14th, but do not confuse the two! They are not part of the same chain. I had the opportunity to stop in here for a quick bite to eat my last day in NYC. The dumplings at this location were DELICIOUS served fresh and hot from the pan. The wrapper was not too thick and pan-fried to a crisp (y'all know how I like my things crispy) and their was a decent amount of filling inside. But you cannot beat the price. One order of four chive and pork fried dumplings is yours for the low, low price of a single dollar. Other things on the menu that caught my eye but I will have to save for another visit to NYC to try include the pork fried bun ($1), the chive and egg pancake ($1.50), and the sesame pancake with peking duck ($2.25). I would have ordered much more, but I didn't want to spoil my lunch plans... See below.

wd-50
50 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 447-2900

Those of you who watch Top Chef will recognize Wiley Dufresne as the long haired, bespectactled guest judge known for his forays in molecular gastronomy. I had been looking forward to this meal all week and was not disappointed. In fact, I was blown away. Throwing all sense of caution and frugality to the wind, I spontaneously decided to splurge on the nine course tasting menu ($75). Here's a play by play of each course:

First Course: Squid cous cous, peanuts, honeydew, red onion
Chef Dufresne wows you from the start by turning the squid meat into cous cous-sized bits that are beautifully presented in the divot of a small round plate that has been brushed with a purple-hued sauce. The dish is accented with Thai flavors via of kaffir lime leaf and a perfect balance between salty and sweet.

Second Course: Knot foie
I had no idea what to expect, but check out the pic of how gorgeously and simply this dish is presented. Essentially, this is a narrow strip of foie gras terrine that is twisted into a knot. The knot is then covered with tiny "rice pebbles" and presented with dots of kimchee puree and raisin puree. I can honestly say I have never had foie gras like this before. It was delicious.

Third Course: Eggs benedict
Don't expect to get served the typical two eggs, two slices of canadian bacon, and two English muffins smothered in hollaindaise sauce. Here, Chef Dufresne reinvents this classic breakfast dish and concentrates all the usual flavors into bite size portions. The eggs here take the form of two eggs yolks poached into a cylinder shape. The canadian bacon is replaced by wafer thin slices of crisp Serrano ham. And most ingeniously, the hollandaise sauce and English muffins are represented by two dice-sized cubes of sauce that have been breaded and deep fried. Mere words can not convey the refined beauty of this dish. Check out the pic here.

Fourth Course: Crab tail, soybean noodles, cinnamon dashi
Crab tail is a succulent portion of meat that comes from where else... the tail of a crab. In this dish, it gets covered by a pale green square noodle sheet made from edamame. The dashi broth is nice and earthy in flavor with just a light kiss of cinnamon. Strips of thai basil and fresh edamame help to round out the flavors.

Fifth Course: Chicken liver spaetzle, pine needle, radish, cocoa nib
I was a little hesitant about this dish when I first read it on the tasting menu as I am not a huge fan of chicken livers (Dean is though). But after scraping up every last bit of goodness, color me a convert. At first glance, the first thought that came to mind was "Christmas in August" because of the green emulsion of pine needles painted onto the side of the bowl and the overlapping slices of red radish that top things off. The spaetzle, as the name playfully evokes, is made from chicken liver and is definitely complemented by the sage-like flavor of the pine needle.

Sixth Course: Beef tongue, cherry-miso, fried quinoa, palm seeds
I've never had beef tongue before. I may never again. But that's simply because I doubt I will find another version of beef tongue that I like as much as Chef Dufresne's. Smoky strips of beeftongue, about the size of thick-cut bacon, are wrapped around marinated palm seeds. Strips of fried quinoa provide a crisp counterpoint to the slight chewiness of the tongue. And the cherry-miso sauce offers an added sweet yet tangy dimension to this dish.

Seventh Course: "Waldorf salad"
I was a little surprised to see a salad course appear so late in the tasting menu. I thought it might be similar to how Dean's Italian-American family ate their salad after the main course. But, I should have been tipped off by the quotation marks. Chef Dufresne's version of Waldorf salad is actually a dessrt consisting of an apple sorbet, a walnut twist (think of a crisp linguine noodle, walnut crumbles, slivers of fresh celeriac and green apple, raisins, and a walnut "mayonnaise." Such an innovative reinvention of a classic dish.

Eighth Course: Toasted coconut cake, carob, smoked cashew, brown butter sorbet
I like my desserts (remember the previously mentioned Tuesday Night Dessert Crawl?) and this one was delicious. See the pic here. Beautiful, yes? The coconut flavor was augmented by a coconut foam and finely diced fresh coconut.

Ninth Course: Yuzu ice cream-marcona almond
This final dish is a bite-size scoop of ice cream in a crunchy coating. The almond bits are encased in a separate edible packet made of chocolate.

All in all, I was completely impressed by the flavors, presentation, and innovation at wd-50. It was a wonderful way to cap off my culinary adventures in the Big Apple. My only regret is that Dean wasn't in NYC to share in the experience with me.

Banana Pudding

2008-07-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

We had our neighbors over for breakfast this morning (and please keep them in your thoughts and prayers... they just had to put down one of their dogs today). Also joining us was a friend Dean had not seen in 6 years and a friend whom I had not seen in 18 years.

I find that sweet desserts help me feel better sometimes, so I wanted to make a homemade dessert that would hopefully give our neighbors something to smile about, if even just for a few moments. Last night, I found a recipe for banana pudding in Southern Cooking with Mary Mac's Tea Room cookbook, and thought it would be perfect.

Typically, when I've made banana pudding before, I just used a boxed vanilla pudding. While this is delicious in and of itself, I was intrigued by Ms. Mary Mac's version in that she uses a boiled custard. If you've never had boiled custard, the best way I can describe it is that it's similar in texture and flavor to a very thick eggnog. In following her recipe, I had trouble getting my boiled custard to thicken so I added in some Mochiko sweet rice flour. Below is my variation...

BANANA PUDDING

4 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons Mochiko sweet rice flour

1 tablepoon vanilla

56 nilla wafers

3 or 4 ripe bananas, cut in 1/4 inch slices

1) In a double boiler on medium high, heat the milk until hot.

2) In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together. Add in one cup of hot milk to temper the eggs. Slowly pour this mixture back into the heated milk while stirring.

3) Add the Mochiko sweet rice flour. Stir constantly for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Do not let the mixture boil.

4) Remove from heat. Pour through wire mesh strainer into a glass mixing bowl. Cover loosely and let cool to room temperature. When cool, stir in the vanilla. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

5) In a casserole dish, layer 1/2 of the nilla wafers. Follow by layering 1/2 of the bananas. Spoon 1/2 of the custard and spread to cover.

6) Repeat with similar layers of the remaining nilla wafers, bananas, and custard.

7) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Serves 8-10.

Ed's 1st Note: If you want to make this ultra-decadent, use half-and-half instead of milk.

Ed's 2nd Note: If you can't find Mochiko, then you could substitute cornstarch. I would suggest adding the cornstarch when you are first heating the milk.

Ed's 3rd Note: You can also serve the banana pudding topped with whipped cream and chopped walnuts.

IsItEDible in Detroit Again (sort of)

2008-07-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

OK. So technically I am currently in Dearborn (which is located just outside of Detroit) for an Alliance for Nonprofit Management Conference. Being carless (that's CARless not CAREless), I didn't have much of an opportunity to explore the good eats in Dearborn.

Until tonight that is. Luckily, I met up with my colleague Naomi whom I've had the pleasure of speaking and emailing with for the past 2 years but had never met face-to-face. She mentioned that one of the things she likes to when she travels is to ask the locals where they like to eat (a la Rachel Ray). One of the local conference participants explained to her that chili cheese fries are one of the "can't miss" dishes when tourists come to Detroit.

So while other conference participants were gathering for fancy dinners in trendy restaurants (not that there's anything wrong with that), Naomi, her friend/colleague Gordon, and I headed out in Naomi's rental car in search of a certain "El George's" restaurant for a sampling of Detroit-style chili cheese fries. I secretly thought to myself why would a Mexican restaurant have chili cheese fries on the menu. I also secretly thought to myself why is the name of said Mexican restaurant "El George's" instead of "El Jorge's." Things that make you go hmmm....

Nevertheless, we embarked upon our quest with Naomi's trust GPS in hand. Unfortunately, "El George's" didn't come up on the GPS, but we had also been told to head to the intersection of Evergreen and Joy. Upon arriving at said intersection, we discovered that "El George's" was in fact "L. George's" and only the drive through was open.

Luckily, Gordon is a brazen man and walked up to a nice local in the drive through lane. She pointed us to another L. George's location a few miles away and suggested that we try their Coney Island hot dog. According to her the hot dog is so good because "it has a certain snap." Thank you random, nice, local lady. You were so right!

L. George's Coney Island Restaurant
7335 Middlebelt
Westland, MI 48185
(734) 421-7500

The special snap in L. George's Coney Island hot dogs is due to the fact that they "serve only Michigan's finest natural casing hot dogs." You have several choices for hot dogs including: the plain hot dog ($1.25); the Coney Island Hot Dog ($1.70) with hearty chili, mustard, and onions; and the Coney Special ($2.65) which is a hot dog topped with ground beef, chili, mustard, and onions. Feeling like delving into the sin of gluttony, I ordered the Special with cheese (an extra 30 cents), Naomi had the Coney Island Hot Dog, and Gordon had the Coney Island Hot Dog with cheese. We all agreed that the hot dogs indeed did have a "certain snap."

Sinking further into our gluttony, we also ordered the fried mushrooms ($3.65), the onion rings ($2.40), and the holy grail of our quest...the chili cheese fries ($2.95). The fried mushrooms were round-shaped, almost like hushpuppies and were quite satisfying with a side of ranch dressing. And the chili cheese fries were quite good; a nice balance of crispy french fries topped with ooey-gooey chili cheese mess. My suggestion is that one eats the chili cheese fries first as the fries will get soggy if you wait too long and the chili cheese doesn't look quite as appetizing after it cools and congeals.

Rounding out our menu for the evening was a small Greek salad ($4.75) and a chocolate shake ($3.05) which was so thick you could stand a spoon in it.

After our meal, we headed across to street to partake of another suggested local favorite beverage, Red Faygo ($.49 cents plus CRV for a 20 oz bottle). Red Faygo tasted a lot like the Red Fanta I used to drink as a kid on my trips to Thailand. And what a bargain!

All in all it was a wonderful way to round out my conference experience. Good greasy food + good company = GOOD TIMES!

Ed's Note: I hope to have the opportunity to come back to Detroit/Dearborn soon. For those of you who live in Detroit/Dearborn or have visited, what are some of your favorite places to eat?

IsItEDible in Detroit

2008-06-25T00:08:00.000-07:00

I recently traveled to Detroit for work. Unfortunately, things were so crazy that I didn't get a chance to see much of the city. But I did have an opportunity to have a few good meals, and I even made it out to Greektown on the people-mover (think... Disney monorail but without the mouse ears).

Andiamo
400 Renaissance Center, Suite A-403
Detroit, MI 48243
(313) 567-6700

A friend of mine works at this Italian restaurant that is right on the waterfront. Needless to say we had good service, but I got the impression that anyone who dines here receives attentive service. For $33.95, I enjoyed the costolette di agnello (4 spring lamb chops broiled to order) comes with soup or salad, fresh vegetable, potato, pasta, and bread. But I liked the risotto con funghi alla andiamo (mushroom risotto) my co-worker ordered for $21.95 even better.

Pegasus Taverna
558 Monroe St.
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 964-6800

Be forewarned, this place is a bit kitschy Greek - but I like it like that. Definitely get an order or two of the saganaki ($5.50). It's listed under the hot appetizers, but they should have listed it under FLAMING. The server arrives tableside with a large square of Greek Kasseri cheese that has been lightly battered and fried. It's topped off with brandy and is lit tableside with a shout of "opa!" so watch your eyebrows. The combination platter ($14.95) is a LOT of food and feeds one very hungry person, or in my case...two gay boys who are trying to watch their girlish figures. My co-worker and I split this, and we weren't able to finish it! (Of course, we had loaded up on bread and saganaki in our quest to quench our hunger). The combination platter comes with generous servings of lamb, beef, or chicken as well as spanakoteropeta (spinach cheese pie), moussaka (eggplant layered with meat, cheese, and bechamel sauce), dolmathes (grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat), and rice with peas.

Cyprus Taverna
579 Monroe Street
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-1550

We happened to stumble across this gem of a restaurant because it was next door to the restaurant we originally wanted to goto which turned out to be closed. And I'm glad that place was closed because Cyprus Taverna was a food-lover's find (granted I'm sure many a food-lover had already found it). According to Frommers, it's widely considered Greektown's best Greek restaurant. I can understand why. Both nights I went there, the food and the service exceeded my expectations. For starters, again, definitely get the saganaki opa ($5.95). And the Greek Combination Platter ($14.95) with moussaka, spanikotyropitta, dolmathes, rice pilaf, vegetable, and choice of lamb, beef or chicken (sound familiar?) is also very good. My favorite was the moussaka. Your server may suggest to you to order the "house special lamb" ($17.95). If he or she does, then I suggest you try it, too!

Astoria Pastry Shop
541 Monroe
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 963-9603

SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT! Because just down the street from Pegasus and Cypress Taverna is one of the most amazing pastry shops I've ever stepped into. With glass cases full of European style desserts, I had the hardest time choosing how to cap off my meal. Did I want a chocolate cannoli ($2.95), a baklava ($1.50), a chocolate-pistachio baklava ($2.75), or a honey curl ($3.25). Truth is my stomach wanted them all, but waistline couldn't afford it. In the end, I settled on a napoleon ($3.95). Biting into the flaky dough layers interspersed with creamy filling, I could taste the quality and freshness of the ingredients. It was hands down the best napoleon I've ever had.

Watermelon-Lime Granita

2008-06-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

I picked up a Dulcinea watermelon at Berkeley Bowl the other day (doesn't that sound sordid?). Given that this time last year I was indulging in daily doses of Italian gelato, I thought I would turn my Dulcinea into a nice, refreshing watermelon sorbet (OK! I know that gelato and sorbet are not the same thing, but keep reading...) for our neighbor C's birthday brunch.

So I pureed the watermelon. Added some lime and honey for depth of flavor. And plopped it all into my Hamilton Beach ice cream maker. And just look at how my sorbet turned out...

In my attempt to make sorbet, I had made a granita! Well, at least granita is Italian.

Reminiscent of an upscale Slurpee from 7-11, my watermelon-lime granita was a hit nonetheless. And no one knew that I had originally intended to make sorbet until after I told them. In doing some web research, I learned that adding more sugar helps to affect the chemistry of the sorbet so that the ice crystals are finer. Perhaps one day I will attempt to make watermelon sorbet again, but until then... this watermelon-lime granita really hits the spot!

WATERMELON-LIME GRANITA

4 cups pureed watermelon, chilled
zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey

1) Combine all the ingredients and pour into your ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer's instructions.

2) After the granita is done, place in a small airtight container and freeze for 2 hours.

3) After 2 hours, remove from freezer and use a fork to flake into fine crystals.

Makes about 6-8 servings.

Ed's 1st Note: If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the ingredients into a metal pan and freeze for 4 hours. Remove from freezer and let stand for 10 minutes. Then using a butter knife, break into large chunks. Place in blender and pulse until desired consistency.

Ed's 2nd Note: For a nice presentation, you can serve the granita in watermelon shells.

And check out these other tasty granita recipes from other bloggers: Stawberry-Basil Granita at Coconut & Lime, Meyer Lemon Granita at Wandering Chopsticks, Pineapple-Basil Granita at Things We Ate For Dinner, Cantaloupe Granita at Cafe LynnyLu, and Granita Di Caffe Con Panna at Torte al Cioccolato (in Italian).