feeding dexygus

i've moved

2004-09-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

hi all-
this site has moved to http://dexygus.typepad.com/, and has been renamed feeding dexygus seconds. as far as i know, this site will still exist unless blogger decides to delete it due to inactivity. i don't know if i'll be back. thus, if you make any new comments, i may not see them. please join me at my new site. mission saveur has begun!

my new project

2004-09-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

i've been feeling rather uninspired in the kitchen lately, and i'm even a bit over my indian food phase. flipping through cookbooks just hasn't helped. then an idea began to form. i've got stacks and stacks of food magazines that i rarely ever cook from. why not give them a try? i've decided to stick with saveur magazine because 1) i love it so, and 2) it will give me a wide variety of cuisines to choose from. so, my plan is whenever i cook something for dinner, i must choose something from saveur, AND i must cook at least one item from each issue i own, and in sequential order. the issues i have are 13-26, 32-35, 37-39, 47-78(current). so stay tuned to find out what issue #13 has in store for me.

buddha's delight

2004-09-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

a bowl of jai

it's times like this that i wish i'd paid more attention to my mother when she tried to teach me about our culture and heritage. first of all, i don't really know how to cook chinese food. second, i don't know much about chinese food in general. apparently, there are some "symbolic" dishes. well, the ingredients in the dishes are symbolic of things, anyway, like happiness, long-life, fertility, etc. one of these dishes is jai, or buddha's delight. (as an aside, i grew up knowing this dish only as jai. it wasn't until later in life that i discovered that it was also known as buddha's delight. in researching this topic, and googling "buddha's delight", i discovered this which i thought was quite amusing. if you've already seen it on my other blog, i apologize for repeating myself, but it's just too funny to mention just once.)

my mom used to make jai for us every so often, and later when i became a vegetarian, i realized just how good this dish is. it's sort of a stew of various ingredients including napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, bean threads, all manner of tofu (bean curd sheets, deep-fried tofu, pan-fried tofu), dried oysters, and possibly the most fun, hair moss, which is a freshwater algae that resembles, surprise, human hair. you can imagine the glee (or revulsion, depending on who you were) with which we ate this particular ingredient. the broth that is produced from cooking these ingredients together is thin and light, yet flavorful. i hate this word, but it's like "nectar" from these delicious ingredients. my mom also used to add fermented bean paste to give the dish more complexity.

now that my mom is gone, my dad has taken it upon himself to make jai for us. to be honest, it's not the same. it lacks the depth that my mom's had, and the flavor of tangerine peel is too over-powering. another thing is that his chunks of tofu are HUGE. don't get me wrong, i appreciate his effort. i just wish i'd paid attention to when my mom used to make it.

eastward ho!

2004-09-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

i'll be visiting new york city october 5th to october 10th. so far we have reservations at babbo, cafe boulud (lunch), and joseph's citarella (because my friend m is dying to try bill yosses' warm vanilla cake. come to think of it, so am i). we're also planning to hit blue ribbon bakery, angon on the sixth, artisanal, pearl oyster bar, katz's deli, russ & daughters, kossar's, chikalicious, payard, city bakery, rice to riches, sugar sweet sunshine, magnolia bakery, jacques torres, and probably others i've forgotten. so many places to try, and only 14 meal slots. plus, breakfast is kind of a throwaway meal unless i find some really good pastries. i'm getting anxious thinking about how to whittle down my list. but really, where we are will dictate where we'll eat.

anyway, to any new yorkers reading this, or any others familiar with the city, am i missing any "must-tries"? i'm not interested in really high-end places on this trip. i travel with one large carry-on, and cannot fit in any fancy clothes. is there anything on my list that is a waste of time? i've heard that rice to riches is not all that good, and pretty touristy, but mr. dexygus is a rice pudding fiend, and is adamant about going, so no need to dissuade me of that choice. any other thoughts are much appreciated.

when is a creperie a crap-erie?

2004-09-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

yes, clever title, i know. ok, if you're offended by bodily functions, i suggest you skip this post. mr. dexygus and i had a quick lunch at la creperie du monde in san bruno. we hadn't been to this restaurant since it first opened, but as it got a pretty good review, and since i was craving cheese, we decided to give it another try. it seemed promising. the decor was much cuter than the sparse design i recall. there were many tempting items on the menu. i decided to go with the jardiniere. leeks, cheese, and creme fraiche in either an organic unbleached white flour crepe, or an organic buckwheat crepe. naturally, i chose the buckwheat.

i should've been wary when the crepe was served to me just warm. i actually mentioned it a couple times to mr. dexygus. i guess i thought i'd take my chances. i'm not sure what was going on in my mind. what a fool, but more on that later. the buckwheat crepe was actually very tasty. nutty and substantial. the filling was a bit lacking. i really didn't taste any tang of the creme fraiche, and like i said before, it was just warm. it was all edible though.

for dessert, i went with the honey and almond crepe which i enjoyed. the nuts were nicely toasted and crunchy. it was the perfect textural contrast to the soft honeyed crepe.

fast forward about 5 hours later. little twinges in my stomach. i knew there would be problems. went to the bathroom, and everything was fine. no pain or anything. then 30 minutes after that, oh man. cramping, sweating, doubling over. that was a bad session. curse you, la creperie du monde! mr. dexygus had been afflicted, as well, but not as badly as i. i wasn't sure if i'd gotten everything out of my system. what should i do? our dinner reservation at acquerello was in an hour. should i stay or should i go? well, i took my chances, and went to dinner (more on that in another post). i'm glad to report that i came out of that dinner unscathed. no emergencies to speak of. phew. but i'll be damned if i ever go back to that crap-erie.

strange bedfellows

2004-09-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

tofu sandwich

i used to eat this sandwich during my ovo-lacto vegetarian healthy days. i'd had something similar in a small cafe in a small northern california town. it was out in the boonies. i want to say it was guerneville, but i can't be sure, but it was definitely a town where you wouldn't expect vegetarian fare. the sandwich consists of tomato, avocado, cheese, and tofu marinated in a soy dressing. i know, i was hesitant at first. cheese AND tofu AND an asian marinade? sounds strange, but it's also strangely good, and very satisfying.

when i got home, i just had to make this sandwich. my trusty copy of vegetarian cooking for everyone happened to contain a marinade resembling the one from that small town cafe. i've changed it just a bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sesame Ginger Marinade
adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Deborah Madison

2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. finely chopped ginger
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
4 tsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour over drained, sliced tofu. Move slices around so that everything gets covered. Let sit for 15 minutes. Pan-fry each side until brown. Serve on whatever bread you like with whatever accompaniments you like.

my staples, part 4

2004-09-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

fish jook with very cute spoon

i've been so drained from work lately that i haven't had any inclination to cook. last night we had takeout from porridge king (or as we affectionately call it, po king) in daly city. it's not fabulous, but when the chinese place down the street is closed, and you're craving jook, this is the place to go. jook, also known as congee, or rice porridge is the ultimate chinese comfort food, for me, anyway. it's basically rice and stock simmered for hours until it's a thick soup. some people like it thin, some like it thick. i usually don't have a preference, unless it's thick as oatmeal, then i really can't eat it. you can put pretty much whatever you want in it. my very favorite is hundred year old egg. my least favorite jook ingredient is boiled peanuts. i can't stand how soggy they get. this time i just had fish jook. it had a great texture. the rice still had some form, but was very soft. and it was full of big chunks of white fish and shredded ginger. i'm actually eating the leftovers as i type. mmm, slurpaliciously good.

dad used to make jook for us every sunday. i really miss that now that i'm grown and out of the house. i've only made jook once, and it was years ago. it turned out ok, but it was a lot of work. and really, when you can get it cheap, fast, and good elsewhere, i can't really imagine going through the trouble.

Porridge King
55 Skyline Plaza
Daly City, CA 94015
650.994.4538

ew ew ew

2004-09-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

creepy crawly colony

you may be wondering what the above picture is depicting. i was about to make biscuits for my dog kurn yesterday when i opened up my container of whole wheat flour, and found this. grain mites. luckily, the infestation was limited to that container, and an adjacent bag of semolina flour, but man, it grossed me out. it makes me wonder what the source of the mites was. i'd used both flours before with no indication of mites. the whole wheat flour was quite old, maybe 2 years, and if it was the source, i would expect the infestation to be more severe. i know, i know, you're not supposed to keep whole wheat flour around that long, but do you expect me to toss it in the trash? well, the colony of mites made me trash it in a hurry. so it must have been bob's red mill semolina flour. unless those beasties are hiding out elsewhere in my pantry. *shiver* perish the thought.

kiss my grits

2004-09-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

a down-home meal

on wednesday i found myself in intense need of some comfort food. if you've ever tried the white cheddar grits at Miss Millie's in noe valley, then you'll know that this dish is the epitome of comfort food. warm, creamy, cheesy, goopy goodness. i found a recipe here awhile back that is incredibly good. it's been some time since i was last at Miss Millie's, so I don't remember exactly what their grits are like, but these grits are close to my memory of what they were like.

i decided to make that night's dinner a southern meal, or at least what i, being a native san franciscan, believe to be a southern meal. i served up some fried catfish, and fried okra. hoo boy. that was some serious artery-clogging chow.

a tale of two paneers

2004-08-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

i love paneer. the first time i tried it was actually in one of those vacuum-sealed foil meals by tasty bite called kashmir spinach. i adored it. the spinach was good, but i couldn't get enough of those milky, cheesy chunks. since then at various restaurants, i've had paneer that was very good, and some surprisingly bad. i thought it was time to try my hand at making my own paneer. i used the recipe from julie sahni's classic indian cooking. there are only two ingredients, and the process is simple, but it takes some time, and requires planning ahead.

bringing milk to a boil

in a large pot over med-high heat, bring 8 cups of whole milk just to a boil. scrape the bottom of the pot occasionally so it doesn't scorch. i actually doubled the recipe because i planned on making two paneer dishes. when ready, lower to med-low heat, and add 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. other starters may be used, like 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar, or 8 ounces plain yogurt, but the author recommends the lemon juice because it produces softer curds. stir gently until white curds form and separate from the whey.

milk curdling

it should only take 10 seconds or so. then stoke slowly for 30 seconds. you don't want to break up the curds too much. in the sink, pour into a colander that is lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth.

draining

rinse under a medium stream of cold water for a few seconds to get rid of the lemon juice and scum. take the corners of the cheesecloth and tie them together. gently twist to squeeze out as much water as possible, then hang the cheese to drain for 90 minutes. i hung my cheesecloth from a wooden spoon over the sink.

more draining

after draining, place the cheese (still in the cheesecloth) on a flat surface. place a heavy weight on top of it to compress cheese. i used my le creuset dutch oven. the only problem i found was that it would occasionally tilt, and i'd have to re-adjust. no biggie, though. just don't fill the pot with water. keep weighted for 30 minutes.

remove cheese, and slice into cubes. it was difficult to cut neatly because the edges of cheese weren't compacted as firmly as in the center. it's now ready to use in whatever recipe you'd like to use. most recipes i've seen call for the paneer to be lightly fried on most sides.

cutting the cheese

i used my cheese in saag paneer (spinach), and matar paneer (green peas in tomato sauce). we ate them with fresh naan.

two paneers

both were very good, but even better the next day. also, the cheese softened up a bit the next day. on the first day, it seemed a little dry and firm. i may have added a little too much lemon juice to the milk.

i really had fun making the paneer. when i cut into the slab, i thought, "wow, i just made cheese. how cool is that?" i'll definitely try it again. i'd love to achieve the perfect consistency.

zuni cafe's spaghetti with clams

2004-08-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

pasta sans breadcrumbs

perusing the latest issue of saveur magazine (my favorite food mag, btw), i was thrilled to find the recipe for their famous gateau victoire. it is one of the few flourless chocolate cakes i've ever really liked. i am a flour lover, in cakes anyway. though i've yet to try the recipe, another recipe on the opposite page caught my eye. spaghetti with clams sounded quick, easy, and yummy.

with help from mr. dexygus (since i'd sprained my ankle a few hours earlier), we got the meal on the table in record time. we used linguine because i don't particularly like spaghetti. the clams were plump and juicy, the breadcrumbs were addictively crunchy and flavorful, probably because there's a ton of olive oil in it (they're not in the picture because we forgot about them until halfway through the meal), and the pasta was infused with the rich, sweet broth. the only aspect i didn't like were the cherry tomatoes. maybe they were a little too sweet. or maybe they should've been cooked down a little more. i'm not sure. all i know is everytime i put them in my mouth, it seemed to conflict with the rest of the dish. still, i'd make this dish again, making minor adjustments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spaghetti with Clams (a la Zuni Cafe)
from Saveur Magazine, no. 77 (Aug./Sept.)

(serves 2-4)
- salt
- 1/2 cup tender breadcrumbs made from day-old country-style bread ground in a food processor
- 8 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tbsp. dry white wine
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup ripe, sweetest, most fragrant cherry tomatoes available, preferably sweet 100s, halved
- 1/2 lb. dried spaghetti
- 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1/4-1/2 tsp. marash pepper flakes or 2 pinches dried red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4-1 1/2 lbs. smallest manila clams, scrubbed
- leaves from 3 branches basil (about 1 cup), coarsely chopped
- sprigs from 6 stems flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Mix together breadcrumbs, 2tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. wine in a small bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and toast until unevenly brown, 5-7 minutes. Season with pepper and toss while warm.

Place tomatoes in a bowl and season with a few pinches of salt. Set aside. Cook pasta in boiling water until just tender. Meanwhile, put the garlic, pepper flakes, clams, and remaining oil and wine in a large skillet. Cover tightly and cook over high heat until all the clams have opened, 2-5 minutes. Swirl pan occasionally while cooking. Discard any unopened clams. Uncover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. The broth should be very flavorful. If not, simmer to reduce liquid a bit. Fold in the tomatoes and herbs. Simmer til warmed through.

Drain pasta, add to clams, and toss well. Adjust salt to taste. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and serve.

oops

2004-08-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

er, i think i broke my ice cream machine already. there i was at 11pm last night, ready to churn my ice cream. you know how it is when you get a new appliance, and you're eager to use it for the first time, and you just kind of skim the instructions? well, that was a mistake. i missed a crucial step in assembling the lid which caused the churning blade not to fit properly. too much pressure was forced onto the blade, and thus the churning motor, and i think that's what's causing the motor to now sputter. it's not churning smoothly anymore, and keeps reversing as if there was ice creamy resistance.

it was such a bloody frustration last night. i was almost on the verge of tears. lots of fussing and fidgeting with the machine, the dawning suspicion that it was broken, and on top of that, no ice cream.

i called the company this morning, failing to mention that it was probably my fault that it wasn't working. i feel a little guilty about that. i feel very conflicted actually. i'm generally an honest person, but then my chinese upbringing kicks in. "don't pay for what you don't have to." i can hear all my relatives now. "what are you, crazy? don't tell them the truth. get it replaced for free, man! they make so much money, anyway." and i'm sure one aunt would say, "you have to be sneaky sometimes." my family is sneaky sometimes, and they're so proud of it. i'm not sure i would be.

i'm waiting for the customer service rep to talk to her boss, then call me back. i'll let you know if my conscience gets the better of me.

my new ice cream maker

2004-08-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

i received my new ice cream maker in the mail today. i know, i'm bad. i'm trying not to be much of a consumer, but there are some things i need. i know, i know, i don't need a fully-automatic ice cream machine, but it will really make me happy. i made some lemon ice cream base in anticipation for some lemon ice cream tonight, but it wasn't meant to be. as i unpacked the machine a couple hours ago, i discovered that the manual recommends letting the machine sit for 12 hours before the first use so the refrigerant can settle properly. bummer. oh well, pictures tomorrow.

indian restaurant round-up

2004-08-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

since i've been so into cooking indian food, i thought it was finally time to eat at some indian restaurants. it's been several years since i've done so, and i really wanted to try some well-regarded hole-in-the-wall type places. in the last three weeks, mr. dexygus and i have been to naan n' curry in the sunset district, breads of india in berkeley, and shalimar in the tenderloin, or "tandoorloin," as some people call it. actually, i've never heard any real people referring to it as the tandoorloin. i've only seen it in articles and such. i thought it was pretty cute when i first heard it, but not too much anymore.

naan n' curry
642 irving st.
san francisco, ca 94122
415.664.7225
(several other locations, as well)

i'd heard that naan n' curry was overwhelmingly chaotic, and i was worried that i'd get flustered trying to order. i needn't have worried. it was 2pm in the middle of the week, and it was nice and slow. we ordered plain naan, garlic naan, saag paneer, and prawn masala. mr. dexygus also had an order of lamb vindaloo which he loved. the naan was amazing. huge slabs of soft, chewy, buttery bread. i preferred the plain one. the prawn masala was really good, but it tasted a lot like the vindaloo. plus, at $9.99, it was one of the most expensive things on the menu, and there were only 5 prawns. i know i'm sounding like my mother, but that was $2 per prawn! as for the saag paneer, it was a little too salty. i'd love to go back and try one of their fish curry specials which i only found out about after we'd finished eating. there were also a number of other dishes on the menu that sounded really yummy.

breads of india
2448 sacramento st.
berkeley, ca 94702
510.848.7684

i didn't care too much for this place. the food was more expensive than i expected, but it did come with salad, rice and a small cup of daal. i ordered the salmon tandoori, which was pretty ordinary, and even a little dry. the naan wasn't too great either. i did like the lassi, though. i admit, i'm not a fan of slab-of-meat cuisine, but i don't recall there being any curries on the menu. i could be wrong though.

shalimar
532 jones st.
san francisco, ca 94102
415.928.0333

the naan here isn't as good as those at naan n' curry, but i think the food is better. we ordered an okra dish that i loved, but mr. dexygus barely touched. he said that the sweetness didn't do it for him. i thought its only fault was that it was pretty greasy. my paneer masala was also really good. mr. dexygus also had a tandoori chicken that he said had really good flavor, but was a little dry. we would've ordered more food (there were so many tempting items), but we didn't have much cash. still, we ate well for $15. i'd definitely go back. so far, this is my favorite indian restaurant.

rest in peace, Julia

2004-08-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

shiny shiny bar of the gods

2004-08-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

honey almond nougat bar

we were shopping at rainbow co-op today, and since we hadn't been there in awhile, we took a bit of time to browse every shelf in every aisle (well, except for the vitamin and supplement aisles, of which there are many). i came across this honey almond nougat bar from michael recchiuti confections. i told myself that i didn't need it, and actually was able to pry myself away from its call. my resolve, however, didn't last. no sooner had i turned the corner towards the registers did i make u-turn and march back to my temptation. there was no hesitation, no contemplation. it was as if something else controlled my body.

i waited until i returned home before unwrapping my bounty. i carefully peeled back the shiny gold wrapper, being reminded of charlie bucket and his golden ticket. 70% bittersweet chocolate encasing an almond studded honey nougat. it was bliss. i ate four rows to mr. dexygus's one. the last row is to be saved for him. not if i get to it first...

quick pasta

2004-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

linguine with mushrooms and broccoli raab

well, last night was one of those "let's see what we can make with what's in the fridge" kind of nights. we had plenty of leftover veggies from dishes we'd planned to make last week, but never did. we always have some kind of pasta and some kind of cheese around as well. so i put together linguine with mushrooms and broccoli rabe. it was really quite yummy, and pretty quick too.

so start your big pot of salted water to boil. heat up some olive oil in a large skillet. add some garlic and crushed red pepper, then some mushrooms. i used what we had which were buttons, and shiitakes. when your water comes to a boil, add one bunch of broccoli raab that has had the tough part of the stems removed (i usually cut off about 1 1/2 inches from the end). cook for five minutes, then remove and drain. using the same water, cook a pound of dried pasta. when done, drain and toss with olive oil, mushrooms, broccoli raab, grated cheese (i used manchego), salt, and pepper. voila! grate a little more cheese for the top, and you're done.

my midnight snack

2004-08-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

hairy melon soup

i just enjoyed a bowl of this hairy melon soup that my dad made. it's supposed to clean your system, whatever that means. i think most chinese soups, though, are supposed to clean your system. that's what my parents always told me, anyway. my dad told me to tell mr. dexygus that it's just melon soup, not hairy melon soup. otherwise, he may not drink it.

saturday dinner at fifth floor

2004-08-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

my family and i like to go out and have a nice dinner once a month or so. since my brother's birthday is tomorrow, this month dad wanted to go someplace fancy. after his quest for reservations on or near the appropriate date, the candidates were acquerello, masa's, and fifth floor. when the votes came in, fifth floor won by a landslide. my reasons for choosing fifth floor are threefold: 1) i haven't tried it since laurent gras took the helm, and i've heard such wonderful things about his creativity. 2) we'd eaten at masa's within the past year, and i really didn't care to go back so soon. 3) since i have a gift certificate to acquerello, i will be going sometime in the near future with just mr. dexygus.

my only reservation with the restaurant was that i had to get dressed up. if you know me at all, this is a chore i loathe. first of all, i have like 2 dresses. my normal garb includes t-shirts, jeans and flip-flops. needless to say, being in a dress is very uncomfortable, and makes me self-conscious because i so rarely do it. plus, having to walk in heels. but once we sat down, i was able to relax somewhat despite the fact that our table was smack dab in the middle of the room.

ok, so let the review begin. i have mixed feelings about fifth floor. there were probably as many hits as there were misses. keep in mind, however, that this will be a somewhat frivolous review, as i really don't remember all the components of all the dishes (their online menu will help a lot, though it's not identical to our menu last night), and my palate isn't too sophisticated.

amuse:
lobster knuckles with avocado puree, and (some kind of) gelee. this was perfect, and sadly, the highlight of my meal. the lobster was sweet and succulent. the gelee, which was just barely set, definitely had umami going on. the avocado kind of tempered the gelee and brought everything together. two perfect little bites.

apps:
spring composition. this was just ok. some veggies (carrots, peas, green onion, beet, string bean) boiled or steamed served with parmesan (or other hard cheese) and pistachios with a goat cheese sauce.

sashimi. large order, though it was only 10 pieces, ranging in size from your standard 2-incher to pieces the size of your fingernail. sorry, i didn't catch the names of any of the fish. we weren't really too impressed with this. everything was impeccably fresh, but some fish were not very flavorful. i did love this little pink one though. it was so sweet.

english peas and shellfish. this was very nice, though our waiter had not heard me order this. when we asked about it, he immediately got the order to the kitchen, and it came as we finished up the other appetizers. this was a cold pea soup topped with a shellfish ceviche (clams, lobster, oyster). i really liked this dish, but my brother said it reminded him of the jolly green giant.

crabmeat and avocado. this was ok. the crab was very fresh and sweet, but there was way too much avocado.

lobster cappuccino. we had to try this, since i think it's one of their signature dishes. it was very good. the menu describes it as lobster broth emulsified with chestnuts, prawns, and sauteed lobster. yep, that's what it tasted like. plus, there were a couple chunks of really good lobster.

entrees:
as if i hadn't had enough lobster, i ordered the lobster with jerusalem artichokes. my only other options were fish, and they didn't sound appealing at the time. this dish stumped me. i enjoyed eating it, though it wasn't anything special. it was served with a purslane salad which i liked. i always like eating succulents. everything thus far had been intensely flavored, so i was surprised (maybe dismayed) that this dish wasn't. maybe the chef didn't want to detract from the crustacean, i don't know, but it wasn't very memorable.

i didn't taste any of the other entrees at the table, so i'll just tell you my family's impressions of them.

prime short rib. my dad and my brother ordered this. they really enjoyed it. my dad, especially, was impressed with how tender, yet firm, the meat was. apparently, chef gras bakes it slowly. my dad, who makes short ribs fairly often, usually braises his, but he is eager to try the slow-baking method.

niman ranch pork belly. mr. dexygus and my future sil, angela, ordered this dish. it didn't quite meet their expectations. it is poached with black truffles, and roasted crispy on the edges. angela thought that it was too one-dimensional. it needed some acidic note. mr. dexygus couldn't really enjoy it because the whole time he was thinking about how he shouldn't be eating a chunk of meat that's 75% fat.

desserts: i have to say that overall, there was too much going on with the desserts. too many flavors. there were individual components that i liked, but i really can't enjoy a 5-component dessert as a single composition.

chocolate and raspberries. guanaja soup with citrus confit and raspberry granite. valrhona chocolate isn't my favorite because it's too fruity for my taste, but i really liked this soup. the raspberries and citrus in the soup were also nice, but i didn't like the bits of ginger. the granite was served in a champagne flute with a raspberry syrup poured over it. i thought the syrup tasted medicine-y.

cherry clafouti. with apricot-caramel ice cream, champagne foam, and apricot-ginger preserves. the clafouti, which was served in its own dish, was good. i couldn't even taste the ice cream though because the preserves completely overpowered everything.

tapioca and mango. mango sorbet with tapioca, and roasted mango on the side. this was ok. it reminded me of something i'd had recently at an asian dessert place.

strawberry and rhubarb. strawberry salad with lime zest, rhubarb and vanilla panna cotta. i really don't think strawberries should be on a menu if they're not perfect. they weren't even close. plus, the lime was too strong for it anyway. the panna cotta and rhubarb, though, were so good. the panna cotta was just barely set, and its sweetness was offset by the tart rhubarb. it was nice and simple. we kind of fought over this one.

i hate when i rag on dishes or restaurants or whatever. it makes me feel so snobby. but man, for those prices, you expect perfection. well, price isn't the issue. even if it was half the price, i'd have the same complaints. oh, speaking of complaints, i was put off initially because of their strict no-substitutions policy of the tasting menu. they had a 6-course tasting menu for $95 that if chosen, the whole table would have to partake. there were two course that i wouldn't have been able to eat because of meat. i asked our waiter if i could have substitutions, but he gave me a firm no. i was a little irked. i've been to several high-end restaurants where they not only allowed substitutions, they actually created something new for me (or maybe i'm not so special, and it was just their standby vegetarian option. yeah, that's probably it).

i might go back to fifth floor. when the dish is a hit, it's really a hit. i just have to know what to order.

speaking of ice cream...

2004-07-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

i made an incredible lemon ice cream at work the other day. i admit, i've never eaten lemon ice cream before (chocolate is usually my first choice), but the description was intriguing. from cindy mushet's Desserts: Mediterranean Flavors, California Style, "the ice cream equivalent of a tall, tingly glass of lemonade on the hottest day of the summer, this is the most refreshing dessert i know of." mmm, how could i resist?

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Double-Lemon Ice Cream
from Desserts: Mediterranean Flavors, California Style
by Cindy Mushet

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp (8 oz.) sugar
Zest of 3 lemons, in strips
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup (6 oz.) freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice

In a medium pot, heat cream, half-and-half, sugar, and lemon zest slowly until barely boiling, stirring occasionally so the sugar dissolves. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let steep for 30-40 minutes.

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks just to blend. Re-heat the cream mixture until just boiling, then slowly pour about half into the egg yolks, whisking the yolks constantly so they don't scramble. Now whisk the yolk mixture
into the remaining cream mixture. Switch to a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula. Cook mixture over med-low heat, stirring constantly, until the the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon (about 170 degrees F). Do not boil. Immediately pour mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Stir to cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Add the lemon juice to the custard right before freezing in an ice cream machine.

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one thing i would change next time would be to add a pinch or so of salt to the custard, probably after it was cooked, but still warm. one of my old pastry chefs taught me that. it really enhances the flavor of a custard (and many other things), and gives it a longer finish (food speak for makes the flavor last longer in your mouth).

now all this ice cream talk has made me again want to buy a new ice cream machine. maybe someone out there can help me. i only want to spend a few hundred dollars. i want a machine that has its own compressor, and is relatively compact. i don't need to crank out a lot of ice cream. i just want something that will give me super-smooth ice cream. i haven't done a whole lot of research yet. just checked out the selection at sur la table and williams sonoma. there are so many brands out there: musso, de longhi, simac, and i noticed that cuisinart has come out with a new one at williams sonoma. so does anyone have any recommendations? do these mid-priced machines make superior ice cream to the $50 krups and cuisinart? any help would be appreciated.

ice cream sandwiches

2004-07-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

we went to my brother's new house for dinner on saturday, and i, being the baker of the family, brought dessert. a few days earlier, i'd read an article in the food section of my newspaper about ice cream. the pictures alone of the ice cream and ice cream sandwiches inspired me to make my own. i remembered a recipe from marcel desaulniers' death by chocolate that i'd tried in culinary school. i think i was too stressed out at the time to remember what it tasted like, but the flavor combination really appealed to me.

frosty caramel "tin-roof" ice cream sandwiches consist of caramel-peanut ice cream, topped with fudge sauce, and sandwiched between two thin, soft, chocolate cookies. i stuck with the concept, but aside from the cookie, i used recipes from other sources. the cookie is pretty good. lots of flavor. a bit of sour cream gives it some depth. it's definitely a stand-alone cookie, evidence being that the extas quickly disappeared.

next i made nancy silverton's amazing caramel ice cream because it's, well, amazing. so smooth and creamy. it helped that i brought my ice cream base to work, and used the ice cream freezer there. my cheap little krups ice cream freezer is ok, but it cannot compete with a commercial batch freezer. it doesn't agitate the base enough to be rid of the ice crystals that form, thus producing an ice cream that isn't super smooth.

in lieu of the fudge, i used some leftover chocolate glaze i had sitting in the fridge. oh, and the last component, the peanuts that should've been mixed into the ice cream, i just chopped and sprinkled over the glaze. let me tell you, this combination of flavors and textures is unbelievable. but i'm very partial to chocolate, caramel and peanuts. the crunchy nuts, the smooth ice cream, the glaze that turns chewy from the cold. yum.

but alas, i have no picture for you. and do you want to know why? it's because stupid me should've frozen the ice cream the day before so it could get sufficiently hard so as not to collapse into a melted heap upon being scooped onto the cookie. i totally underestimated chilling time. i think i spun the ice cream at about 1pm. it sat in the freezer at work til 3pm. the transfer time from work freezer to home freezer was 7 minutes (i live very close to work). there it sat until 6pm. the drive to my brother's house took 20 minutes (this definitely didn't help). i assembled the sandwiches at my brother's house before dinner, stuck them on a plate and shoved them into the freezer in hopes that they would set quickly. but it was a drippy mess. the ice cream was still soft-serve consistency. needless to say, the sandwiches were eaten with spoons on a plate, and i had to clean my brother's freezer. so this is a lesson learned, kiddies. always freeze your ice cream at least the day before you need it. i sure hope i remember this for next time.

corn and chanterelle chowder

2004-07-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

corn and chanterelle chowder

i don't often do anything with corn aside from roasting it, boiling it, or steaming it, then twisting off each kernel and eating them one by one. but since my aunt asked me if i had a good corn chowder recipe, and since i can get some really good corn at the farmers' market, i felt inspired to take a stab at it. in all honesty i had planned to make it last thursday after buying the corn, but i've been either too busy or too lazy to make it until last night. it's recommended, however, that you eat corn shortly after it's picked, otherwise the sugars are converted to starch, thus making the corn less pleasant to eat. i had this in mind all week, but still couldn't get my ass in gear.

anyway, i found this interesting recipe in deborah madison's local flavors. deborah madison is the founding chef of san francisco's greens restaurant. she's also the author of many cookbooks, including one of my favorites, vegetarian cooking for everyone, a massive tome of recipes, tips, and information.

i won't lie to you. the corn and chanterelle chowder recipe requires a fair bit of work. you must make the stock first, then add the rest of the vegetables. and you can't really cheat with the stock, like i sometimes (always) do in other recipes with store-bought veggie broth.

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Corn and Chanterelle Chowder
from Local Flavors
by Deborah Madison

the vegetables
4 large ears of corn, shucked
2 long leeks or 2 cups chopped
2 German Buterball or other yellow waxy potatoes, scrubbed
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. chopped thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 or more cups chanterelles, cleaned and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup cream
2 Tbsp. each chopped parsley and snipped chives

the stock
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 bushy thyme sprigs
handful parsley stems
1 bay leaf
1 quart milk, whole or 2 percent

Slice corn kernels off the cob, cutting roughly two thirds of the way into the kernels. Use the back of the knife to press out the scrapings. Break the cobs into 3 pieces and set aside for the stock.

Cut off the root ends of the leeks. Rinse and add to the cobs. Cut the leaves off and coarsely chop a cup of them. Wash and add to cobs. Cut the remaining white parts into quarters lengthwise and chop. Set aside.

Peel the potatoes and dice into small cubes. Add the skins to the cobs.

Make the stock: Melt the butter in a large pot. Add all the veggie trimmings (cobs and all), the onion, celery, herbs, and a teaspoon of salt. Stir frequently so it doesn't brown. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, then add the milk. Slowly bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks. Strain the stock, and wash out your pot.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in your clean soup pot. Add the leeks, potatoes and half the thyme. Add one cup of water and a 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the corn.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a wide skillet. When the butter foams, add the mushrooms and saute over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add them and any juices to the soup pot, then add the stock. Bring slowly to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the cream and the remaining herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.

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ok, so i made a few changes when i made the chowder. first of all, i didn't exactly use chanterelles. i couldn't find any good ones, and even if i had, i wouldn't have been able to afford them. i substituted oyster mushrooms, and they were delicious. i also decided to add an extra ear of corn. it could only make the chowder better, right? well, i think i'll stick to the original 4 ears next time because that extra ear made the chowder a tad too sweet. the first bowl was great, but by the second, it was too much. hmm, what else? oh yeah, i've never heard of german butterballs before. oh, and by the time the chowder was finished, i couldn't be bothered to chop up more herbs, so the chives, parsley, and extra thyme never made it into my pot. the chowder was lovely, nonetheless. it was perfect with a couple slices of lightly toasted acme italian batard.

btw, does anyone know how to cut kernels off a corncob without having the kernels fly every which way and spray my glasses? it's a good thing my dog kurn and my cat dexy love corn. no clean-up for me! i hope mr. dexygus (the veterinarian) doesn't read this.

dexy enjoying an appetizer

blueberry cornmeal cakes

2004-07-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

blueberry cornmeal cake

blueberries aren't exactly my favorite berry. i find them pretty insipid usually, and there isn't much texture. i really prefer blackberries or boysenberries. but somtimes i do enjoy them in certain sweets. several years ago (i know, that's really sad. so long ago) i had an amazing blueberry tart at restaurant lulu in san francisco. it was juicy, sweet, and was baked in a cornmeal crust which actually was the star. (as an aside, i haven't been too impressed with lulu lately).

blueberry muffins aren't my favorite either, but i recently found one in claudia fleming's cookbook the last course: the desserts of gramercy tavern, which is a beautiful and tempting book, by the way. this blueberry cornmeal cake is not your standard blueberry muffin. it's more like a financier, but bigger and with more texture. it's got a crispy, chewy golden top, and an incredibly moist interior, fragrant with browned butter and orange zest. almond flour and cornmeal give it a nice toothsome texture. because the batter is on the sweet side, you'll want to choose blueberries that have some tartness.

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Blueberry Cornmeal Cakes
adapted from The Last Course
by Claudia Fleming

8 oz. unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. cake flour
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
1 cup egg whites (about 8)
Grated zest of 1/2 an orange
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium pot, melt the butter and cook until it browns. It will smell wonderfully nutty. Make sure to occasionally scrape the bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula so the milk solids don't stick and burn. Take off heat and set aside so it doesn't continue to cook.

Sift the confectioners' sugar and cake flour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the almond flour and cornmeal. Stir to combine. With the whisk attachment, on lowest speed, add the egg whites and zest. Once the dry ingredients are moistened, increase the speed to medium-low. If it looks like there are lumps of flour or sugar, you can briefly increase the speed to smooth out the mixture. Once smooth, add the butter, including all the brown bits, on medium-low speed. Increase the speed to medium and whip until smooth. Fold in the berries. The batter can be used immediately or can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. Scoop the batter into 12 standard muffin tins lined with paper cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown around the edges.

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waffle wednesday

2004-07-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

this is such a cliche, but how many of us have waffle irons that sit dejectedly in the cabinet, only to see the light of day maybe what, once a year? this is almost the case for us, though it's more like twice a year, and actually twice already just this month!

i know, regular people don't make waffles from scratch on a wednesday, but mr. dexygus and i have not-so normal schedules, and it so happens that today was the beginning of our "weekend."

sleek and shiny waffle iron

meet our waffle iron. it's 4 years old. like most waffle irons, i think, it was a wedding gift. it's a villaware belgian waffle maker from williams-sonoma. it's really a great little machine. non-stick, makes a little feeble beep when it's ready for batter, and again when the waffles are ready. my only complaint so far is that it heats unevenly; the center of the iron is hotter than the rest.

my favorite recipe so far is very plain jane, but sometimes simple is good. it's the raised waffle from marion cunningham's the breakfast book. it's crispy on the outside, and moist and delicate on the inside. it's got a wonderful yeasty flavor. the bulk of the batter is mixed the night before, so you must plan ahead, but it's worth it.

golden crisp waffles

syrup-soaked waffle

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Raised Waffles
The Breakfast Book
by Marion Cunningham

1/2 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
2 cups milk, warmed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Put warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour, and beat until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.

The next morning while waiting for your waffle iron to heat up, beat in the eggs and add the baking soda. Stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin. Use batter now, or store in the fridge for several days.
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i love taking off the plastic wrap in the morning. the smell of the yeasty batter is amazing. and all the bubbles look so alive and happy.

warmed maple syrup is standard here, but sometimes i like to slather some nutella on my waffles. they freeze beautifully too, so you can pop them in the toaster like eggo's, only they're better. by the way, i actually do like eggo's especially the buttermilk ones. the next time i make these waffles i think i'll substitute some whole wheat flour for the a-p, just to give it a fiber boost. have to stay regular, you know. though really, i don't have any problems in that area.

indian food, again

2004-07-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

baked yellow croaker

well obviously, i'm not over my indian food phase. and why should i be? it's so delicious. i've tried 2 veggies now, and 3 main courses, all fish. i never realized that fish was such a big part of indian cuisine.

last night i baked some yellow croaker, recipe courtesy of mongo jones. wonderfully tangy and spicy. the fish itself was a little over-cooked (my fault), and was a little old (mr. dexygus's fault. i'm not sure the poor man knows how to pick fish. well, i'm not a pro either, but i know to avoid the cloudy eyes. at least it didn't smell fishy.) but even with all that against us, the fish was still yummy.

i served it with bengali-style green beans from madhur jaffrey's world vegetarian. this dish is definitely a keeper. aromatic and savory. addictive.

bengali-style green beans

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Bengali-Style Green Beans

2 Tbsp. whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
3/4 lb. green beans, cut into 1-inch long pieces
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 fresh hot green chile, cut into long slivers (do not remove the seeds)

Grind mustard seeds to a fine powder. Empty into a small bowl. Add 3/4 cup water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes. don't stir.

Put oil in a frying pan on med-hi heat. Add the onion and saute on medium heat until soft and begins to color. Add the beans, salt, cilantro and chile. Stir for a minute. Carefully pour the watery mustard water over the green beans, making sure to leave the thick paste behind (this is a little tricky. some mustard will inevitably make its way into the pan.) Mix well. Bring beans to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. simmer gently for 20 minutes or so, until the beans are cooked and most of the liquid is gone.

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i served the fish and green beans over steamed brown and white rice. i have not provided a picture of the plated meal because i really didn't want visual evidence that we each ate a 1.5 pound fish. anyways, leftovers tonight.

himawari ramen

2004-07-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

last week i had dinner at tombo, a handmade udon place i like to frequent. very good, as usual. but on the way there, i noticed a new ramen joint just a few doors down. always up for ramen, i returned with mr. dexygus and my cousin lauren just a few days later for lunch. himawari is surprisingly cute for a japanese place. it definitely looks like it was designed by a young woman. green and grey walls, sunflowers, green and/or white tablecloths, napkins and placemats. in fact, there were only women working while we were there: the chef and the server/hostess.

i guess we were all just craving ramen because we inexplicably just ordered ramen without even considering appetizers. i went with the shio butter corn ramen. i had never heard of shio before, but according to the menu, it is a broth made with japanese sea salt. by the way, the online menu doesn't seem to be complete. it's missing, among other things, a crab omelet ramen that was incredibly tempting, and that i will most likely order the next time i'm there. my shio butter corn ramen was delicious. the broth was the star, flavorful and complex, addictively so. the noodles were good, but could have been chewier. my lunchmates enjoyed the spicy tan-tan men, and the miso ramen. we're definitely going back. they have good-sized portions, and service was friendly. i wish i had more to say about it, but as i ate only one thing, and it was a quick lunch, there isn't much ammo. i don't really want to go on and on about the broth. oh, i should mention that my broth had floating bits of pork fat in it (bad bad pseudo-vegetarian me), and it was good. have i mentioned that i'm destined to once again eat meat before i die? it'll happen someday. just a matter of time and lack of willpower.

anyway, i'm not really a ramen aficionado, but i do like it. my current favorite is ryowa. their noodles are wonderful, though the broth isn't as good as himawari's. i've been to the much-lauded santa just once, and it wasn't very memorable. i'll give it another chance though, but i'll probably go to himawari's first.

Ben and Jerry's Binge

2004-07-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

new york super fudge chunk

When I was in college my roommates and I would each habitually polish off an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream while watching the Indiana Jones trilogy, or listening to Depeche Mode or The Smiths. Laura's favorite was Cherry Garcia. Vic's was New York Super Fudge Chunk. Mine wavered between Mint Chocolate Cookie and Chocolate Fudge Brownie until the day they invented Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (sadly now resting in the flavor graveyard). In the years since, I seem to have traded in these chunky, candied and cookied confections for more "refined" and "sophisticated" flavors. Remember when Dulce de Leche was all the rage? I do. It was my go-to flavor for everything. Actually, I'd plan my desserts around this ice cream. Apple Pie, brownies, almond cake, etc. But like all things I love too much and too often, I got sick of it. I think I actually stayed away from ice cream altogether for awhile.

A few months ago I noticed that my local Trader Joe's was carrying a limited selection of Ben and Jerry's. I felt that it was time to reacquaint myself with an old friend. Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia or NY Super Fudge Chunk? Seeing how fruit in ice cream is WRONG, I chose the latter. And I chose well. Yum. The chocolate ice cream itself is very good. I could actually do without the white and dark chocolate chunks (too sweet), but I adore the fudge covered almonds. I really wish there were more of those...

I like to eat my ice cream semi-soft which means I leave it at room temperature for awhile. I've heard of people microwaving it but that scares me a little. I don't want to misjudge the time and end up having to drink it. One drawback of eating it soft is that it allows you to take bigger bites, and eventually, eat way more ice cream than you would if it were hard. It is a necessary evil, however, since I like it how I like it, and wouldn't eat it any other way. It's a good thing I can't pack it away like I used to. I only managed to eat half the carton.

So what's your flavor? And how do you like to eat it?

Chocolate Sparkle Cookies

2004-07-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

You might be saying to yourself, "Hrmpf, for a baker, dexygus sure doesn't bake much." And I would say, "No, that's not true. I just don't bake anything new and exciting and suitable for the blog." Between baking at work, and baking for my illegitimate business, I find it difficult to try new recipes for the sake of it. I usually bake when I'm craving something, and then I go for a tried and true. But in all honesty, I haven't been baking much at home.

But this week I made some Chocolate Sparkle Cookies. My nieces and nephew were going to spend the night at our house AND I was craving chocolate, so I decided to make this cookie. But first, let me give you some background and a picture.

chocolate sparkle cookies

Several months ago I caught a piece on the food network about a patisserie/cafe in Canada called Sen5es Bakery. They claimed to make the best cookie in the world, the Chocolate Sparkle Cookie, created by their pastry chef, Thomas Haas. It's a moist, flourless chocolate cookie that "sparkles" because of the granulated sugar that it's rolled in. Best cookie in the world? I was intrigued. The quest was on. On their website, I found that I could mail order some. Yay! I wouldn't have to travel to another country to get my chocolate fix. That was easy. But it was to the tune of $30/dozen! Or something outrageous like that. And I can't remember if shipping was included or not. Um yeah, that wasn't going to happen. So the next quest was to find the recipe. Searching...searching. It led me to eGullet. (That, btw, was my introduction to the wonderful site.) I found an article about the famous cookie, and a link to an LA Times blurb which featured the recipe! I printed out the recipe and returned to eGullet to see of there was anything else to see. And it's a good thing I did. I found that Thomas Haas had updated his recipe. You can find it here.

So I made the cookies. Are they the best cookies in the world? Well, no, not to me. But they ARE pretty damned good. Good enough that I made them again this past week, and will probably make them again in the future. I'm actually going to have one right now. My favorite chocolate cookie is Pierre Herme's Korova Cookie, but that's another post.

Shrimp and Tofu in Chile-Lemongrass Sauce

2004-07-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

For some reason, we've been eating a lot of spicy food lately. It actually started with this dish, adapted from Fine Cooking's July, 2004 issue. Then came Mongo Jones' captivating blog on egullet which introduced me to the delights of Indian cuisine. Well, i finally got around to making this dish again. The original recipe does not include tofu. I added it this time for several reasons. 1) I really like tofu. 2) To make the dish more substantial (we eat a lot). 3) To help cut the heat. So yeah, this dish is pretty spicy, but it's also pretty sweet. I really love the combination. I do find, however, that I need to drink milk (well, lactaid actually) while I'm eating this. And my stomach does suffer a little bit afterwards, almost like the chiles are eating away at my stomach lining. But don't let this stop you from trying this dish!

Shrimp and Tofu in Chile-Lemongrass Sauce

For the rempah:
6 small dried red Thai chiles
1 sun-dried tomato
3 stalks fresh lemongrass
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 heaping Tbsp. sliced almonds
6 large shallots, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 fresh red jalapenos, or fresh thai chiles,
seeded and sliced

For the Tofu:
14-16 oz. firm tofu
oil
kosher salt

For the Shrimp:
1/3 cup veg oil
1 lb. large shrimp, deveined
1 medium onion, sliced
2 small tomatoes, cored and cut into small wedges
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Rempah: Cut all the dried chiles into small pieces with scissors. Shake out most of the seeds. Place chiles and sun-dried tomato in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 3 minutes until the chiles are pliable. With a slotted spoon, lift out the chiles and place in a blender. Reserve the water.

Trim the root and top section from the lemongrass, leaving a 5- to 6-inch section of bottom stem. Remove tough outer layers until you reach the tender white core. Smash with knife to flatten slightly. Slice cross-wise into very thin pieces.

Add the lemongrass, ginger, almonds, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, fresh chiles, and 3 tablespoons reserved water to the blender, and puree til smooth. You may need to add some more chile-water to facilitate blending.

Tofu: Slice tofu into smallish pieces, about 2"x1" and 1/2" thick. Heat some oil on medium-high in a large non-stick pan. When hot, add tofu. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. kosher salt. When lightly browned, flip all the pieces over, and sprinkle with another teaspoon of salt. Remove to a plate when lightly browned.

Shrimp and Rempah: In the same pan, heat the 1/3 cup oil on medium. When hot, scrape the rempah into the pan. Fry gently, and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until oil and rempah are emulsified, about 1 minute. Continue frying and stirring until the mixture darken and thickens to a porridge consistency, 5 minutes or so.

Increase heat to medium high and add the onions. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry til the shrimp are just about done. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and lime juice. Stir and cook until just combined and the tomatoes are heated through.

Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.

platanos

2004-06-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

last thursday my family and i had dinner at platanos to celebrate my mom's birthday. i have mixed feelings about the restaurant. immediately upon arrival, we were taken aback by the rude hostess (older asian-looking woman, who is probablly actually latino). she kind of looked us up and down with almost a sneer. when we told her we had a reservation, she made this expression as if she highly doubted it. when she actually checked the books, she seated us right away. i honestly don't know what she had against us. we were polite, dressed nicely, and we didn't smell. i highly suspect she's just a bitch. anyway, our ill feelings were quickly dispelled when we met our waitress. she seemed genuinely friendly and helpful.

as usual, we shared several starters. i only hope i can recall them all. my favorite by far was the gallo pinto, or rice and beans. it was so flavorful, and with the addition of an herbed sour cream, and sauteed plantains, it was to die for. the plantains were especially wonderful, which surprises me to say because i've never before liked plantains. these were nicely caramelized on the outside, and creamy within, and not starchy at all. the ceviche, and the guacamole were also very good, as well as the tuna and scallop salad. unfortunately, i can't remember anything about them other than the fact that i liked them. the only appetizer i didn't care for was the smoked salmon which was way too salty.

i can only report on my own entree as i didn't taste anyone else's. i had gambas en mole verde (or something like that). it was ok. the shrimp (or gambas) were a little overcooked. the sauce which had chunks of nopales (cactus) and tomatillos was a bit too tangy. both of those ingredients have their own sourness, and i guess when cooked together, it's a little too much.

the desserts, too, were a mixed bag. my favorite one was the chocolate chile cake. rich, moist, probably almost flourless chocolate cake with a lot of heat that sneaks up on you. it was served with a cooling espresso creme anglaise. in fact, the heats hits you so late, that when i made the comment to mr. dexygus that it was hot, he had just taken his bite, and he had time to tell me that i was a wimp. a moment later a small, "oh" came from his lips, followed by a drink of water. the pastel de tres leches was a hit with table. it was good rendition, though i'm not really a fan of this particular cake. much too sweet. the coconut flan and the orange creme brulee were passable. the guava cheescake was pretty bad. the cheesecake itself tasted like it was a no-bake version and had a gelatinous texture (probably because it was set with gelatin, duh). and the guava topping just tasted like reduced kern's guava nectar, also set with gelatin.

i probably will not go back, unless maybe it's for a quick gallo pinto lunch. for peruvian food, i prefer fresca in west portal. i haven't tried the fillmore location yet, though i hear good things about it.

my staples, part 3

2004-06-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

i rarely ever go to burlingame avenue anymore simply because it's infested with annoying rich people and their cell phone-carrying, abercrombie-shopping pre-teens. i hear that late at night on weekends, it's the place to cruise and check people out if you're from hillsborough and in high school.

when i do venture into this foreign locale, it's usually for this sandwich:

grilled shrimp sandwich

the grilled shrimp sandwich from alana's, a cute little cafe that surprisingly has a really cozy feel to it. the sandwich consists of lightly toasted sourdough with cheddar cheese melted on tender sweet bay shrimp that's been mixed with a dill dressing. i usually douse it pretty well with jalapeno tabasco sauce to give it a little kick. man, i'm starting to drool.

i normally wash it down with alana's house-brewed spiced orange iced tea. it's lightly sweetened with a strong perfume of cinnamon. very refreshing. they have jars of the tea brewing in the front window sill. mmm, i think i know what i'm having for lunch today.

my first curry

2004-06-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

nadan fish curry

lately i've been obsessed with the message boards on egullet.com. see food links on the right. especially the foodblogs that regular egullet members contribute to. an egulleter spends a week documenting with words and pictures the food they've eaten that week, like what i do here. after his/her week is up, s/he "tags" the next random member. i'm not quite sure how they decide who to tag, and if the one who's tagged can decline or not. anyway, today ends one of the funniest, most irreverent and informative blogs i've read. it belongs to mongo jones.

his focus is on indian food. since i know virtually nothing about indian food, this blog has been very enlightening. with his decriptions and pictures, you can almost smell the spicy aromas. one recipe was especially drool-worthy. i made nadan fish curry the other night, and it was spectacular. hopefully you have an indian market near you, or else some ingredients will be hard to come by. i highly recommend this dish, and i'll definitely be trying other ones mongo has posted.

me no understand technology

2004-06-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

computers just confuse the hell out of me. i set out half-heartedly trying to figure out how to fix my technical problem mentioned below. i really had no clue. i scanned the code but it was just gibberish to me. then i sent an email to blogger support and i have yet to hear from them.

today i decided to devote a little thought to the problem. and you know what? i fixed it! guess what i did. i removed the italics from the posole recipe below. that did the trick. maybe the program can't handle having that much text in italics. i dunno. if anyone can enlighten me as to what happened, i'd be eternally grateful. i'm just blown away at how temperamental technology can be. and now back to our regularly scheduled program...

technical difficulties

2004-06-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

arg. for some reason, my sidebar is at the bottom of the page. let's see if i can figure out how to fix it.

my staples, part 2

2004-06-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

posole verde

this is a homemade staple adapted from madhur jaffrey's world vegetarian. this is a huge book with tons of recipes, and though we've only tried a handful of recipes, they've turned out quite well. we make this green posole every other month or so, especially if the weather is cold.

if you don't know what posole is, it's a mexican soup/stew traditionally made with pork. the first time i had it was probably 10 years ago when my hubby's
(then boyfriend) sister made it for the family. it was amazing. the soup was redolent of pork and spices, and supported copious amounts of tender meat and hominy. optional garnishes included shredded cabbage, lime wedges, avocado, cilantro, and corn tortillas, most of which, along with adding flavor, also helped to cut the spiciness. it's something i still sometimes dream of, in waking and in sleep.

now that i no longer eat meat, i must rely on memories and alternatives. not that posole verde is a substitute for traditional posole. they are, in fact, very different creatures, each with their own virtues. a variety of peppers and other vegetables and aromatics are used to create depth in the broth. with the addition of beans, hominy and mushrooms, you create a wonderfully hearty dish. as you can see from the picture, we eat it with tortilla chips, avocado, and (not shown) lime wedges.

this dish is time-consuming to make, even with the shortcuts we take (canned hominy and beans, as opposed to dried ones), so start early or have help.

adapted posole verde

3 cups canned hominy
3 cups canned cannellini beans (or great northern or other white bean)
1 pound mild poblano chiles
3 Tbsp. canola oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
5 medium tomatillos (6 oz.), husks removed, washed and finely chopped
6 scallions, very finely sliced into thin rounds
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
12 medium white mushrooms, quartered
2 large or 8 small good quality vegetable bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt

Pour hominy and beans into colander. Rinse and drain. Set aside.

Roast poblanos: Lay them in a broiling pan in a single layer and place under a heated broiler about 5 inches from heat source. Roast for a minute or two, then turn over and roast a couple minutes more. Continue until all sides are lightly charred. Alternatively, you can roast chiles over an open flame. Either cover tray with towel or put chiles in a paper bag to sweat for 10-15 minutes. Peel, seed, and finely chop.

Place oil and garlic in a large pot over med-hi heat. When garlic is golden, add tomatillos, scallions, and jalapeno and saute for 5 minutes. Add cumin and stir briefly. Add mushrooms and stir 2 minutes. Add chopped poblano and stir one minute. Then add hominy, beans, crumbled bouillon cubes, oregano and cilantro. Add 5 cups water and bring to a simmer. Mix well and taste for salt. Add salt if needed. Simmer, covered, very gently for 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serves 6

strawberry fields for dexygus

2004-06-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

wild strawberries

yes, that is my hand. yes, those are strawberries. very small wild strawberries that i found while walking kurn dog. well, hubby found them first, a couple of weeks ago, but i've eaten more. i finally remembered to bring the camera with me today, so i could document these tasty treats. they are the most intensely-flavored strawberries i've ever tasted. the air was heavy with their fragrance. i've never sampled the fraises des bois in france during peak season, but i imagine the flavor is similar. they look quite a bit different though. my berries are somewhat pale and round. the shape of fraises des bois are more conical and reminds me of morel mushrooms.

note: we found the berries at mori point in pacifica. mori point is part of the ggnra, which is a huge network of national parks in california.

my staples, part 1

2004-06-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

tanuki soba from kamameshi house

there are a few restaurants near our house that we frequent quite a bit. the food isn't fabulous, but it's pretty decent, and most importantly, it's nearby. one place is kamameshi house that is just 3 minutes away by car. i don't think the restaurant is authentic japanese. i don't even think a single japanese person works there, but it's where i go whenever i'm craving sashimi, or unagi nigiri, or tanuki soba (pictured).

tanuki soba is a bowl of buckwheat soba in a steaming hot flavorful broth (which probably has msg, i'm not sure) that's slightly sweet and really nice. it's garnished with a shiitake mushroom, green onions, 2 slices of fishcake, and some crispy fried bits. the menu says there are leeks in it, but it's actually pea shoots. oh, and there's also a poached egg in there, though you can't see it in the picture. i used to eat this at least once a week, but i'm a little over it. now, it's more like once a month. it really does hit the spot though.

quince

2004-06-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

on thursday night, we had dinner at quince on octavia in the city. the dining room was beautiful. apparently, it used to be the home of an apothecary. i couldn't take my eyes off the chandeliers. they looked like blown glass, kind of an off-white/coral color. looked so alive, so organic, and almost alien.

my family and i were there to celebrate my brother's and his girlfriend's purchase of their first home. we started by sharing a few appetizers. i think everyone's favorite was the striped bass tartare. the fish itself was so flavorful and sweet. it had some kind of horseradish marinade that was fairly strong, but didn't mask the fish at all. it was quite nice. it was served with not so toasted bread shaped like fish. i think i would've preferred something crispier that would've provided some textural contrast. we also had a gorgonzola sformata with walnuts. i didn't really know what sformata was. i had heard of it before and was expecting either something like tender dumplings or a timbale. it turned out to be very much like a souffle in texture, but wasn't served in a ramekin, rather it was unmolded. i tried googling sformata, but i mostly got italian recipes. when i get home i'll check my larousse and italian cookbooks. anyway, i liked the texture, but there was only a faint hint of gorgonzola. hubby, who loves blue cheese, was pretty disappointed. another app was cured king salmon. all i remember is that it was way too salty. the others had another app that included prosciutto, but since i don't eat meat, i really didn't pay much attention.

my second course, which was my entree as well, was spaghetti with lobster and hot pepper. i should've known better than to order spaghetti. quince specializes in pasta dishes made with fresh pasta, but i don't think restaurants that make fresh pasta make their spaghetti. i imagine it has to do with the shape. correct me if i'm wrong. but yeah, the spaghetti tasted like a commercial dried pasta. i'll remember next time. the lobster and hot pepper part was tasty though. hubby had tagliatelle bolognese. he said it was good, but his favorite is still oliveto's. he also had some beef thing (again, since it's meat, i didn't pay much attention) with morels. mmm, the morels were so good. i think they're my favorite fungus. kinda spongy, but not too soft. i love it.

desserts: we ordered five. there were five of us, so it's not like we were totally gorging. i was a bit disappointed. i only liked 2 out of the 5. buckwheat crepes with honey, walnuts and roasted apricots. i always like tangy stuff with enough sweet to offset the tang. the other dessert i liked was chocolate ice cream with stewed cherries. i normally stay away from this combo just because i grew up loving chocolate and not much liking fruit, and the thought of them together...blech. but i've come to like (sometimes love) fruit as i've gotten older. the flavor was really nice. again, the tangy/sweet thing. the ice cream was thick and somewhat chewy like gelato. yummy. everyone liked the ginger cake except me. for the life of me, i can't recall what it was served with. i thought it was too gummy. we also had a plum/blueberry crisp which i didn't care for simply because i don't like crisps. i'm a crust kind of girl. i don't want no stinking oatmeal streusel on top of a ton of cooked fruit. and last AND least, a buttermilk panna cotta. i can't think of anything good about it. it was bland and too firm. that's all i have to say about that.

i would probably not go back. my dad summed it up best by saying that the prices were comparable to gary danko, but the food wasn't, so we may as well eat at gary danko. fine by me.

panfried skate with brown butter and capers

2004-06-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

from: a new way to cook p. 248

well, you might have noticed that the piece of fish is not actually skate wing. i looked everywhere in my area to no avail. whole foods, andronico's, draeger's, asian markets. nada. so i used red snapper instead. does anyone know of a good fishmonger in the peninsula? now that i think about it, i bet the seafood place at the ferry building would have it. but who wants to pay for parking?

i was a little disappointed with this dish. the fish itself was a little bland. and the sauce, which contains balsamic and sherry vinegars, was surprisingly mellow. maybe having skate wing makes a difference in this dish. i wouldn't know, having only had it once in my life. the asparagus was delicious though. i just roasted them with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. the bread was the leftover ciabatta from the other night.

take these damn things away from me!

2004-06-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

my latest obsession...and baby's too

what better way to start my food blog than with a food obsession. anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that my life is riddled with obsessions, and not only with food. so here is my latest. trader joe's pita chips with cinnamon and sugar. my brother actually introduced me to them a couple years ago, but i somehow inconceivably forgot about them. fortunately, i re-discovered them. i can't believe that there are supposed to be 7 servings in this little bag. i know it doesn't look like a little bag, but believe me, it's mostly air in there. i swear, just sitting here typing i've eaten more than half the bag. they're a little on the dry side, but your saliva suffiently moistens them. but the brilliant thing (on the manufacturer's part) is in the level of sweetness. some of the chips are not sweet enough with not enough cinnamon, and a few have the perfect amount of sweetness and cinnamon. so you eat a chip, and you think, "hmm, not quite enough sweetness and cinnamon. maybe the next one..." and you keep going until you hit the perfect chip, and it's so good that you eat another one, but that one's not perfect, so you keep eating on and on until the whole bag is gone. well, that's how it is for me, anyways. ok, no more. i'm bringing them downstairs.