tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7995430416348778342024-03-13T14:21:26.125-04:00Food on the Frontal LobeIt sounds like a joke. Someone suffers a stroke or a traumatic head injury and is suddenly transformed into a gustatory hedonist.
This is no simple, newfound appreciation of gourmet fare, but an intense, consuming passion for food -- addictionlike cravings for their taste, an inordinate interest in their appearance, a savoring of trips to shop for ingredients, and delight in the memory of particular restaurant experiences.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-32198877348035393322010-07-08T15:54:00.005-04:002010-07-08T16:48:51.940-04:00LA Challah and Hummus Hunt - Part IIIOkay. It's been two months since I last posted. There have been many delicious meals. A big decision (we're officially moving to LA); and I've even started cheating on myself by doing some additional blogging at the <a href="http://manolofood.com/">Manolo Food Blog</a>. There have also been some additional articles, which as always you can check out on<a href="http://www.katiesallierobbins.com/"> my website</a>.<br /><br />And naturally, there has been some challah and hummus tasting.<br /><br />A recent Friday saw a record triple challah try-out -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuU6JmjnI/AAAAAAAACVw/CJsIIxT_q0k/s1600/photo%2859%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuU6JmjnI/AAAAAAAACVw/CJsIIxT_q0k/s400/photo%2859%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491627732366691954" border="0" /></a><br />First from <a href="http://www.eilatbakery.com/">Eilat Bakery</a>, two little guys -- one egg challah with sesame seeds...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuWZJolMI/AAAAAAAACWI/LFqTReNndiw/s1600/photo%2856%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuWZJolMI/AAAAAAAACWI/LFqTReNndiw/s400/photo%2856%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491627757868192962" border="0" /></a><br />And one water challah without...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuV3ajJEI/AAAAAAAACWA/pnxEM-6xKx4/s1600/photo%2857%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuV3ajJEI/AAAAAAAACWA/pnxEM-6xKx4/s400/photo%2857%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491627748812334146" border="0" /></a><br />Now usually, I prefer egg challot to water because of my intense love for <a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-friday-in-new-york.html">Zomick's</a> egg challah and because they tend to be a little chewier and moister, an all around better platform for dipping into hummus. And when I purchased both of these loaves and gave them a squeeze, I fully anticipated that this predilection would be the case. The egg felt nice and squishy, while the water felt hard and too crusty.<br /><br />Lo and behold, however, the egg challah was pretty bland and didn't have a nice tear, while the water challah had a good toothsome quality and a little more flavor. You live and learn. Neither, however, lived up to <a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2010/04/la-challah-and-hummus-hunt-part-i.html">Schwartz's</a> or to the challah against all others are judged. The beloved Zomicks.<br /><br />The third challah of the day was a total wild card. From <a href="http://www.gotkosherinc.com/">Got Kosher? Provisions</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuVkyh0oI/AAAAAAAACV4/kBl5a_UG7qk/s1600/photo%2858%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuVkyh0oI/AAAAAAAACV4/kBl5a_UG7qk/s400/photo%2858%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491627743812637314" border="0" /></a><br />No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is a pretzel challah with Belgian chocolate chips.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDY3nI8MYuI/AAAAAAAACWY/nIwIeSyKcMg/s1600/photo%2854%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDY3nI8MYuI/AAAAAAAACWY/nIwIeSyKcMg/s400/photo%2854%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491637941179278050" border="0" /></a>Notice how my fingers are coated in chocolate? We had tried one of Got Kosher?'s plain pretzel challot a few weeks prior, which I had loved (especially with peanut butter) but which Daniel had found a little too malty in flavor. This chocolate version was pretty ridiculous. Quite rich and delicious, especially when warmed for a bit in the oven. I would not, however, recommend dipping it in this --<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuW4BgiXI/AAAAAAAACWQ/LENE_BbDt38/s1600/photo%2855%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/TDYuW4BgiXI/AAAAAAAACWQ/LENE_BbDt38/s400/photo%2855%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491627766155610482" border="0" /></a><br />The week's hummus portion. Purchased from one of the Kosher groceries on Pico. Shipped from Israel, it was certainly good, but no better than Sabra and thus not worth all the extra carbon footprint miles (aren't I a good environmentalist?)<br /><br />Overall, a decent outing, but the quest continues. And now that we're becoming official LA citizens, the mission takes on an even graver seriousness. We must succeed in finding our Los Angeles versions of Zomicks and Damascus because shipping rates are just cost prohibitive (yes, I've investigated this.)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-19122253644583187152010-05-04T01:08:00.005-04:002010-05-04T02:06:43.051-04:00LA Challah and Hummus Hunt - Part IIThe Los Angeles <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">challah</span> and hummus hunt continues. Last Friday's stop came courtesy of a purveyor that specializes in that other specialty of the Jewish bread baker - the bagel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-sjk7mNmI/AAAAAAAACPA/KPbWGjr2iLs/s1600/photo%2834%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-sjk7mNmI/AAAAAAAACPA/KPbWGjr2iLs/s400/photo%2834%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467278199860115042" border="0" /></a><br />According to my research, the <a href="http://www.thebagelfactoryinc.com/">Bagel Factory</a> not only makes some of best bagels on this here Left Coast, but it also makes a pretty mean <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">challah</span> (including a chocolate chip version - an idea that I find simultaneously tempting and tawdry.) So we zipped over to try their wares.<br /><br />First, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">challah</span>. Compared to our previous almost<a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-friday-in-new-york.html"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Zomick</span></a>'s worthy experience at <a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2010/04/la-challah-and-hummus-hunt-part-i.html">Schwartz's</a>, this loaf was a bit disappointing. The Bagel Factory version was good, but a little drier than I'd like, without the satisfying chewiness that generally comes with the egg (versus water) variety of the braided bread. However, once we got further into the loaf it got better and better. And by Monday afternoon, when I grilled up a couple of slices to make Daniel a chicken sausage with pineapple salsa sandwich, it was downright delicious. (And the half-sized versions that I noticed and squeezed as we exited the store seemed moister and squishier than the full-sized kind that we had already purchased.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-skepAAtI/AAAAAAAACPI/iCRRcf_ODMY/s1600/photo%2831%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-skepAAtI/AAAAAAAACPI/iCRRcf_ODMY/s400/photo%2831%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467278215351370450" border="0" /></a><br />While Bagel Factory did offer it's own version of hummus, there was another item on the menu that required our attention instead. Whitefish salad. As <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Zomick's</span> is to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">challah</span>, Russ and Daughters' whitefish salad is to, well, whitefish salad. Creamy, fishy, a little sweet, a little tangy, it may well be my favorite food in the world. Especially with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">schmear</span> on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bialy</span> or a<a href="http://www.brokelyn.com/hole-lotta-love-for-nycs-best-bagels/"> Bagel Hole </a>bagel, with a ripe tomato and an onion slice. Oh my lord, I'm getting hungry.<br /><br />Anyway, so good is this salad, that to be honest, I don't even hunt for other versions to rival it. I know they will only disappoint ( a recent trip to Susan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Feniger's</span> <a href="http://www.eatatstreet.com/">Street</a>, where I sampled the whitefish salad on a pretzel roll, nearly broke my heart.) However, the version at Bagel Factory looked kinda good, and when Daniel decided to order it on an everything bagel, I was a happy nibbler (while nursing my own ridiculously good container of hearty, chunky lentil soup.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-slOn4rvI/AAAAAAAACPY/_0T7Y_Z6nXw/s1600/photo%2832%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-slOn4rvI/AAAAAAAACPY/_0T7Y_Z6nXw/s400/photo%2832%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467278228231597810" border="0" /></a><br />The whitefish bagel sandwich was pretty darn good. While the salad didn't have the complex layers of flavor that my old friend Russ and his trusty daughters offer up, it was a very solid showing. Not overly rich like some varieties, allowing the smoky fish flavor to really dominate. The bagel had a decent chew, and wasn't the kind of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">freakishishly</span> puffy blimp-style popular in so many parts of the country.<br /><br />In fact, the everything bagel that came with my lentil soup was good enough to eat on its own...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-sk4ruYDI/AAAAAAAACPQ/xCQlon4xkWM/s1600/photo%2833%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-sk4ruYDI/AAAAAAAACPQ/xCQlon4xkWM/s400/photo%2833%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467278222342119474" border="0" /></a><br />But it was even better with the bits of fallen whitefish that I scavenged from the white deli paper of Daniel's sandwich after he was done. And yes, I admit, I even licked said white deli paper. I would hate for good fish to go to waste.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9-skepAAtI/AAAAAAAACPI/iCRRcf_ODMY/s1600/photo%2831%29.jpg"><br /></a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-35717903610456606312010-04-30T14:46:00.004-04:002010-05-01T22:09:05.136-04:00Fast Food - Animal ProteinWhen we first headed West, it was to Northern California, home of amazing burritos, farm fresh produce, killer Burmese, and some pretty fantastic burgers - you'll recall my love of the <a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2008/12/fast-food-monks-kettle.html">Monk's Kettle </a>turkey burger par example.<br /><br />However, I purposely put off trying that king of the California burger - the In-N-Out because I wanted to wait to try it in on its home turf in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SoCal</span>. Even after arriving in LA, I put off trying it because I wanted to be in a full-on burger craving mood.<br /><br />Well there's nothing like a little rock-N-roll, a wee bit of vodka (not to worry parental types, not enough to make it unsafe to drive,) and the witching hour to make a girl (and a bearded fellow) crave a burger. Big time. So after hearing our friends' band <a href="http://www.thelincolnbedroom.net/">The Lincoln Bedroom</a> play in Hollywood, we headed to that fast food icon for a midnight snack- er meal.<br /><br />(Before I descend into burger bliss, I have to give a quick shout out to The Lincoln Bedroom. They were so, so good. Seriously. This is coming from a person who goes into most live music performances -- especially those at bars -- with a big dose of skepticism and a sense of foreboding. But I couldn't stop smiling the whole time they were playing.)<br /><br />And that smile just extended to the In-N-Out experience. I loved the bright, bright lights of the joint. Even at 12:30 AM, the branch on Sunset was a hopping, festive (if slightly seedy) place to be. I loved the paper hats that the folks at the counter wore (the guy who took our order reminded us of <a href="http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/taylor-kitsch/photos/281175/18162">Smash</a> from Friday Night Lights.)<br /><br />Having put off a visit to In-N-Out for so long, I'd done a lot of thinking about what to get. I'd practiced using the proper lingo for the various off-menu preparations and when we got to the counter I was ready to go.<br /><br />Here's what we ordered...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9smBP10xBI/AAAAAAAACO4/LS8v0LwgCJ8/s1600/IMG_0868.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9smBP10xBI/AAAAAAAACO4/LS8v0LwgCJ8/s400/IMG_0868.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466004375618241554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Fries, Animal Style (meaning with fried onions, melted cheese, and "spread")<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The verdict</span>: Sinful, decadent, everything else you can imagine. Although, while I kind of liked that the cheese wasn't completely melted, it was a bit too solid to coat a large portion of the fries. This did, however, allow Daniel to eat some of them post-burger.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9smAgiEL3I/AAAAAAAACOw/WZra7iOr_jc/s1600/IMG_0869.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9smAgiEL3I/AAAAAAAACOw/WZra7iOr_jc/s400/IMG_0869.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466004362918899570" border="0" /></a><br />Daniel got his burger Animal Style (topped with fried onions, pickles, and "spread")<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The verdict:</span> At 12:45 or whenever it was that we finally got our order (this isn't <span style="font-style: italic;">fast</span> fast food), he had no complaints. The next day he did say that perhaps because he didn't grow up eating In-N-Out, this did not surpass his greasy fast food standard-bearer, the Whopper. Although he also tried to maintain that his burger was a healthy choice because he didn't get a "Double Double," so clearly the boy has a skewed perspective.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9smAMfNTpI/AAAAAAAACOo/T1dArJgGmF4/s1600/IMG_0870.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9smAMfNTpI/AAAAAAAACOo/T1dArJgGmF4/s400/IMG_0870.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466004357538205330" border="0" /></a>Speaking of healthy, I went for Protein Style (served sans-bun in a lettuce wrap; with ketchup, mustard, and raw onions, no spread)-<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The verdict</span>: Man, that was a lot of lettuce. But I like lettuce. And I like burger. So, what's not to like? In fact, in my defense for making such a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">girly</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">carb</span> conscious choice, as a child on the occasional trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">McDonalds</span>, I often removed the bun from my Happy Meal burger, choosing instead to focus on the skinny patty, diced onion, and pickle slices. So I was hanging it Protein Style <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">waaaay</span> back.<br /><br />Seriously though, it was a pretty fine burger. Especially when topped with some Animal Style fries. I think this is what they mean by animal proteins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9sl_qkFrrI/AAAAAAAACOg/tI388ZE1HsY/s1600/IMG_0871.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S9sl_qkFrrI/AAAAAAAACOg/tI388ZE1HsY/s400/IMG_0871.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466004348431871666" border="0" /></a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-53008088141188650192010-04-12T13:33:00.005-04:002010-04-12T17:13:53.254-04:00LA Challah and Hummus Hunt Part ISo Daniel and I are on day seven of our two month trial run at being LA citizens. A few key observations thus far:<br /><br />1) What they say about traffic is true.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8OGfKMCbSI/AAAAAAAACLI/9Q88_vIQ1ZA/s1600/photo%2829%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8OGfKMCbSI/AAAAAAAACLI/9Q88_vIQ1ZA/s400/photo%2829%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459355043172085026" border="0" /></a>2) What they say about it being all Hollywood is true. You literally can't go into a restaurant or coffee shop without hearing something along the lines of "I'm trying to figure out how to add an element of racial tension into Act III" or "Yeah, I'd be happy to work for free as long as I get a credit." Welcome to Hollywood, baby.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8OGebp1NsI/AAAAAAAACLA/nJw1J5FSox4/s1600/photo%2828%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8OGebp1NsI/AAAAAAAACLA/nJw1J5FSox4/s400/photo%2828%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459355030680581826" border="0" /></a><br />3) What they say about the weather is (mainly) true. Our first few days here were glorious. Then last night it rained so loudly, I kept making Daniel pause the episode of Project Runway we were watching to see if we needed to build an arc. Here's Daniel in Malibu, dancing for joy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8OGeOerrhI/AAAAAAAACK4/lGtEmDCI7p8/s1600/photo%2830%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8OGeOerrhI/AAAAAAAACK4/lGtEmDCI7p8/s400/photo%2830%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459355027144158738" border="0" /></a><br />But I digress. Clearly, a key element of our decision to take or leave LA is the food. And one of the things that we look for in any city is a place to buy good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">challah</span> and hummus. We love them separately (after all, what's a turkey sandwich without a good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">schmear</span> of hummus?) But we REALLY love them in concert.<br /><br />For all of its amazing food attributes, during our time in the Bay Area, we never found <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">challah</span> and hummus that could live up to the New York Pantheon of <a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-friday-in-new-york.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Zomicks</span> and Damascus</a>. But we're hoping LA may prove a little more robust in this department.<br /><br />And so last Friday, we began our hunt for great C&H LA-style.<br /><br />Based on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Chowhound</span> search, I decided that we'd start with <a href="http://www.schwartzbakeryla.com/index.html">Schwartz'</a> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">challah</span>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ7z4609I/AAAAAAAACKo/nbWjl8-G8-U/s1600/photo%2822%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ7z4609I/AAAAAAAACKo/nbWjl8-G8-U/s400/photo%2822%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459306057379271634" border="0" /></a><br />Located on a stretch of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Pico</span> that has an embarrassment of Kosher establishments, this 50-odd year old bakery and deli won raves from the Hounds. Because of traffic (see above) and some address confusion (see bearded man above), we arrived around 1:30 and were worried that they this late on a Friday afternoon, they might have run out of the great braided bread. But we were in luck, and the counters were stocked with it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NaccneLeI/AAAAAAAACKw/XJ6LAHdsjQk/s1600/photo%2821%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NaccneLeI/AAAAAAAACKw/XJ6LAHdsjQk/s400/photo%2821%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459306618067758562" border="0" /></a><br />Being the picky texture <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">connoisseurs</span> that we are, we gave the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">challot</span> some good squeezes, and were initially disappointed by what we felt. The bread felt too crusty, without the good soft give that our standard-bearer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Zomicks</span> offers. Not wanting to give up too soon, I kept squeezing, and strangely after testing about five loaves, I found one with precisely the right consistency.<br /><br />Here's a picture of the little fellow that we took home:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ7GhSWEI/AAAAAAAACKg/ZvBovSmsHfc/s1600/photo%2823%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ7GhSWEI/AAAAAAAACKg/ZvBovSmsHfc/s400/photo%2823%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459306045200554050" border="0" /></a><br />He was just right. Soft squishy,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ6tXoZvI/AAAAAAAACKY/ceprZORMByQ/s1600/photo%2825%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ6tXoZvI/AAAAAAAACKY/ceprZORMByQ/s400/photo%2825%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459306038449170162" border="0" /></a><br />And with the perfect tear. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Mmm</span>. Look at that doughy goodness. The taste was also pretty fantastic. A little sweet. Nicely chewy. We were thoroughly impressed, although I for one still think that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Zomick's</span> has a leg up -- it's a little more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">eggy</span>, which I like. This though was nothing to sneeze at and may well become our go-to LA <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">challah</span> (although I am slightly concerned/perplexed by the fact that there was such a range in textures of the challot on display)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ6VnhRJI/AAAAAAAACKQ/m-VCrEkBpeY/s1600/photo%2826%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ6VnhRJI/AAAAAAAACKQ/m-VCrEkBpeY/s400/photo%2826%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459306032073360530" border="0" /></a><br />From there we headed to try out some hummus. I'd read good things about a sit down Lebanese place in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Westwood</span> called <a href="http://sunnin.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Sunin</span></a>, and after seeing a picture of their hummus on their website (creamy and smooth looking,) it seemed as good a place as any to begin our hunt for the second step in the one-two punch that is C&H.<br /><br />The hummus that arrived at our table lived up to the picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ54ABtlI/AAAAAAAACKI/CRrgJ_EyGHA/s1600/photo%2827%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S8NZ54ABtlI/AAAAAAAACKI/CRrgJ_EyGHA/s400/photo%2827%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459306024123086418" border="0" /></a><br />It was indeed smooth and creamy, a truly perfect texture. My one complaint is that I felt it had a bit too much <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">tahini</span>. Sadly, I've found that this is often the case with the smoother varieties, so that you end up having to choose between a slightly overpowering sesame taste in favor of texture or a slightly grainy texture in favor of a more balanced flavor. Really, a girl shouldn't have to make such a decision.<br /><br />That said, the hummus was still quite good (we definitely finished it all.) And, almost equally importantly, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Sunin</span> had the best lentil soup that I've had since my beloved Carrol Gardens <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Zaytoons</span> fix. AND they have pickled turnips. So all told, a good find indeed.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-187612714494496432010-03-24T19:27:00.008-04:002010-03-24T19:54:44.886-04:00A FOFL Exclusive! - The Making of Chicken McNecklaceIt's been said that I spend an inordinate amount of time focused on food. I read about it. I write about it. Yes, I often dream about it. And then there's all that good time spent eating it. Food and I have a pretty strong, faithful relationship. But this past Saturday, that relationship got a little weird. I found myself sitting in my toaster oven of a car, Otis, doing this -<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qgiwkVFiI/AAAAAAAACGs/WGB1wFoEM-4/s1600/photo%2819%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qgiwkVFiI/AAAAAAAACGs/WGB1wFoEM-4/s400/photo%2819%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452346817898681890" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, that's right. I was stringing those little critters they call Chicken <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">McNuggets</span> into a necklace. And it made me feel a little funny. My fingers got greasy. I smelled like fried oil and processed chicken.<br /><br />Not too long after, I took it even further, and found myself doing this -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qjCfDMBVI/AAAAAAAACHE/hT4lIxzARHM/s1600/photo%2820%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qjCfDMBVI/AAAAAAAACHE/hT4lIxzARHM/s400/photo%2820%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452349561975342418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qgjYp10HI/AAAAAAAACG0/ikjFrpNoM08/s1600/hot+dog+stringing.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qgjYp10HI/AAAAAAAACG0/ikjFrpNoM08/s400/hot+dog+stringing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452346828659216498" border="0" /></a><br />Yup, now stringing together mini pigs-in-a-blanket (in honor of my father, they were Hebrew National) to create this -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qgjyhS5hI/AAAAAAAACG8/5fj41y_9a5k/s1600/hot+dog+anklet2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S6qgjyhS5hI/AAAAAAAACG8/5fj41y_9a5k/s400/hot+dog+anklet2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452346835602695698" border="0" /></a>No, I'm not starting a mail-order edible jewelry shop (although maybe I should - given how greasy both of these products are, they could also serve a third function as a kind of oil rich moisturizer.)<br /><br />All of this hard work was actually in service of Daniel's latest video (which I helped write and in which I make a cameo)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J8MGm-CHXuU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J8MGm-CHXuU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-46743302905048723642010-03-11T15:48:00.003-05:002010-03-11T15:57:13.824-05:00Daniel - A Korean DelicacySo in the last couple of weeks, it has become clear that I am living with a superstar. Okay, he's a superstar in Korea, but an overnight sensation nonetheless. For those who haven't been following Daniel's meteoric rise to South Korean fame, it started when he made a video about the Olympic gold medal figure skater Kim Yuna. He went on to be interviewed by Korean radio, have his first video appear on Korean television, and to receive a few marriage proposals via YouTube comment. He's taken, people.<br /><br />I wasn't going to post the videos here because they don't have much to do with food, but since many of his fans have commented on his eating of pizza in the first video and his gobbling of a hamburger in the follow up, I figured why not? So without further ado, I give you Butterpolice, as he is known on YouTube, the Korean sensation.<br /><br />Part One - Kim Yu-na Fan Watches Gold Medal Performance<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ljztNXMCmHw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ljztNXMCmHw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Part Two - Kim Yu-na Fan Trains To Be Like Kim Yu-na<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EfH2TQyAxbg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EfH2TQyAxbg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-58532624549762534982010-03-08T21:03:00.008-05:002010-03-09T01:34:05.059-05:00We Want Food- Itsa Pizza Pie!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5XZ0C6QpWI/AAAAAAAACDo/Km5gWlGXk48/s1600-h/IMG_0742.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5XZ0C6QpWI/AAAAAAAACDo/Km5gWlGXk48/s400/IMG_0742.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446498812532139362" border="0" /></a>As an anxious child, I had many fears - burglars, thunder storms, bananas. In some respects, I was very lucky though. I never had to worry too much that my parents would split up. They had a pretty great marriage and rarely fought, so when they did it felt dramatic and the reverberations of the fight would ring in my ears for days after. As an adult, I don't remember the details of any of them except one. It was a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">doozy</span>. The cause of said row? Barbecue pizza.<br /><br />Yes, you read that correctly. The biggest fight my parents ever had was over pizza topped with some kind of saucy pulled pork barbecue. My dad thought it sounded disgusting. My mom, a great lover of both pizza and barbecue was anxious to try it. Tempers flared. Pizza was ordered. I told you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">so's</span> were issued. I hid in my room with the dog and covered my ears. My parents eventually came in and comforted me; the argument had just been the result of hunger-induced tempers and misunderstandings.<br /><br />Unlike in other pizza-ordering situations, where leftovers were always consumed the next day along with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pre</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">prandial</span> drink and a viewing of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">MacNeil</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Lehrer</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">NewsHours</span>, on this occasion the uneaten remains were tossed. All was forgiven. But not forgotten. For the rest of my childhood, it was the marker for every other disagreement. The barometer against which other fights were measured. From that day on, whenever my parents argued, if I felt the slightest amount of concern that it would escalate into something more sinister, I would look at them and say, "Is this barbecue pizza?" And they would reassure me that yes, this fight too had a bark far worse than its bite.<br /><br />While Daniel and I have had many a food-related disagreement (when my blood sugar drops, my temper escalates), we share what may be an unlikely love of barbecue pizza. It's one that developed during Daniel's 28<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">th</span> birthday party, which was also the historic election night of Barack Obama. We ordered a cheese-free barbecue chicken pizza. When the guests had left and we felt free to eat a few extra slices, we discovered that this barbecue pizza, which also featured jalapenos and red onions, became even more delicious when dipped in Sabra hummus. Decadent? Yes. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Carb</span> heavy? Oh yeah. We've enjoyed the combo many times since, and it has become our go-to food to enjoy while watching event television - election night, Super Bowl, and of course, the Oscars.<br /><br />So yesterday, in honor of the Academy Awards (my personal favorite TV event), I tried my hand at making my own BBQ pizza.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtNpZ_1HI/AAAAAAAACDg/elwCTy31yAA/s1600-h/IMG_0731.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtNpZ_1HI/AAAAAAAACDg/elwCTy31yAA/s400/IMG_0731.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446449774339282034" border="0" /></a><br />I used an overnight pizza dough recipe from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Overnight-Pizza-Dough-352109"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Epicurious</span></a> .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtMZsmPiI/AAAAAAAACDQ/RisPGhngKnQ/s1600-h/IMG_0732.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtMZsmPiI/AAAAAAAACDQ/RisPGhngKnQ/s400/IMG_0732.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446449752942460450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Marinated some chicken breast in a mix of spicy red barbecue sauce, a splash of Carolina mustard, a dash of ketchup, and a dollop of canned tomato sauce. Sauteed up three jalapenos. Sliced a red onion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtM13qipI/AAAAAAAACDY/55DCMrNGxcQ/s1600-h/IMG_0734.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtM13qipI/AAAAAAAACDY/55DCMrNGxcQ/s400/IMG_0734.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446449760505072274" border="0" /></a><br />Topped the 9-inch pizzas and let them bake on my brand new pizza stone (courtesy of my buddy Ariel). The result? Delicious. And if need be, worth a fight.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtLhTodII/AAAAAAAACDI/wBfrfx7NXWM/s1600-h/IMG_0743.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5WtLhTodII/AAAAAAAACDI/wBfrfx7NXWM/s400/IMG_0743.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446449737805362306" border="0" /></a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-57988216648723380012010-03-06T15:08:00.005-05:002010-03-06T15:36:14.466-05:00We Want Food - Clean Plate Club<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5K4X23PjuI/AAAAAAAACBQ/qcDsKY_JtfA/s1600-h/photo%2816%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S5K4X23PjuI/AAAAAAAACBQ/qcDsKY_JtfA/s400/photo%2816%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445617619448073954" border="0" /></a>I am ashamed to admit that Daniel and I are not always the best at finishing leftovers. We've been getting better, especially recently as I've been making a game of reinventing last night's dinner as an entirely new reinvented sandwich or salad. Still when there is so much else delicious out there to eat, it can be hard to get through the last of what was once a delicious beef stew but that has now become a little tired.<br /><br />There was no need to force ourselves, however, to finish up the tuna and mushroom casserole that I made last week. In fact, after each having two rounds of leftovers, we had to battle it out for the final helping (eventually I let Daniel have it, but let's just say he owes me one.) What made it so good? Well mushrooms for starters. And a little chewy brown rice. And heaps and heaps of creamy (but low fat!) dairy. This recipe, based on one from the always fabulous <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/">101 Cookbooks</a> is a new favorite. Here's the deal:<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mushroom and Tuna Casserole (slightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks)</span><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">8 servings</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />-8 ounces brown mushrooms, chopped<br />-1 large yellow onion, chopped<br />-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />-3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature (I used Chinese food leftovers)<br />-2 large eggs<br />-1/2 cup low fat sour cream<br />-1 cup low fat cottage cheese<br />-2 cans albacore tuna<br />-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt<br />-1/3 cup grated Parmesan (divided)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish (I used a glass one.)<br /><br />2. Over medium-high heat in a large skillet, saute the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt in olive oil. Stir occasionally until the mushrooms have released liquid and browned. Add onions and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Remove from heat. Stir in rice until well combined.<br /><br />3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, and salt. Stir in tuna.<br /><p>4. In a large bowl, stir together the rice mixture and tuna mixture until well combined. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of your Parmesan, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. </p><p>5. Remove foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes until hot throughout and golden along the edges.</p><p>6.Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and serve. DELICIOUS.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-47091006594913914512010-02-24T15:19:00.004-05:002010-02-24T15:55:03.930-05:00We Want Food: Is it Broccoli or is it cauliflower?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S4WKkOgnJTI/AAAAAAAACAA/0c8GJacFXs8/s1600-h/photo%2813%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S4WKkOgnJTI/AAAAAAAACAA/0c8GJacFXs8/s400/photo%2813%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441908079721915698" border="0" /></a><br />The first time I had <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Romanesco</span> broccoli (cauliflower?) was at a meal early on in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Momofuku</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ssam</span> Bar's existence. As is always the case at David Chang's houses of pork, there weren't a ton of options on the menu for our intrepid eater Daniel, so among the small plates that we ordered to share was Chang's take on this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">cruciferous</span> veg. Having never seen one before, we were shocked by the bizarre appearance of what appeared to be the mutant offspring of broccoli and cauliflower, with a little <a href="http://www.mariowiki.com/Spiny">Spiny</a> from Super Mario Brothers thrown in for good measure. But when we tasted it, we were even more surprised. It was delicious. Crunchy with a slightly subtler, but nuttier taste than its more traditional brethren.<br /><br />Since moving to California, I see them all the time in the grocery store and have started incorporating them into the veggie side dish rotation. My favorite preparation of late, is a little number I like to call briny, salty <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Romanesco</span>. Okay. I just made that up. But it's yummy. Here's the dish:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Briny, Salty <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Romanesco</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients</span>:<br />-1 head of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Romanesco</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">broccoli</span><br />-a splash of olive oil<br />-a clove of garlic<br />-a Serrano pepper (optional)<br />-a tin of flat anchovies (in olive oil)<br />-a few teaspoons of capers<br />-a handful of pine nuts<br />-red pepper flakes<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Directions:</span><br />1. Chop the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Romanesco</span> into small florets. Finely mince the garlic and if using the Serrano pepper. Tear apart the anchovies into small bits (reserving their oil for later.)<br />2. In a large non-stick pan, heat the olive oil on medium. Cook the garlic until tender. Add the Serrano and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Romanesco</span>. Pour on about half of the oil from the anchovy tin.<br />3. After about three minutes, add the anchovies and capers. Stir occasionally.<br />4. Once the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Romanesco</span> has started to brown, throw in the pine nuts and red pepper flakes. Continue to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">saute</span> until you have tender <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Romanesco</span> with delicious brown bits at the end.<br /><br />Enjoy. I served it alongside a New York strip steak with a plum, red wine reduction a few weeks ago, and the flavors were great together. Then I ate the leftover broccoli cold from a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Tupperware</span> while standing by the refrigerator. Either way, delicious.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-58891937090949436012010-02-11T00:45:00.004-05:002010-02-11T00:59:56.200-05:00We Want Food - Umami Burger!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S3OZgfQveAI/AAAAAAAAB_4/09pPacNc9hU/s1600-h/umami+burger1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S3OZgfQveAI/AAAAAAAAB_4/09pPacNc9hU/s400/umami+burger1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436857958592903170" border="0" /></a>So sometimes a picture is not worth a thousand words. Especially when the photographer in question (a certain bearded man) is so enticed by what he's about to eat that he can't concentrate on composition.<br /><br />But to be fair, this was a distracting burger. Based on a recipe I saw on the blog <a href="http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/vietnamese-recipes-2/best-umami-hamburger-recipe/">White on Rice</a>, this turkey burger, packed with that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">luscious</span> fifth taste - savory <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">umami</span>. And while it now comes in a <a href="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2010/02/umami_in_a_tube.php">tube</a>, bringing out that rich, full flavor is as easy as 1, 2, 3.<br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">UMAMI</span> TURKEY BURGER - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">umami</span> rich ingredients get a *<br />1. Add a couple of minced cloves a garlic, half a teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon or two of fish sauce*, a dash of soy sauce*, and some s&p to a pound of ground turkey leg. Let it marinate in the fridge for a while. Then divide into burgers; grill or saute.<br />2. Saute up some onions, mushrooms*, in a little red wine. Add s&p. Toast a bun. In a small bowl, mix a bunch of ketchup*, a bit of mayo, and as much <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">sriracha</span> as you dare.<br />3. Spread sauce on bun. Put burger on bun. Top burger with mushrooms and onions. Add sliced tomato* and pickles.<br />(Okay)<br />4. Eat the drippy, delicious burger. Lick your fingers because it's so darn yummy.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-55544940146869178972010-02-01T11:27:00.002-05:002010-02-01T11:30:33.556-05:00He is the eggman<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JE2ZM5eDOuY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JE2ZM5eDOuY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-57574520889618587942010-01-13T16:41:00.004-05:002010-01-13T17:03:57.817-05:00The Bread Project - Oatmeal Breakfast Bread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S04-kjK71jI/AAAAAAAAB1k/g2hUSbgk4lw/s1600-h/photo%289%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/S04-kjK71jI/AAAAAAAAB1k/g2hUSbgk4lw/s400/photo%289%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426343398665344562" border="0" /></a>I was itching to make a loaf of my mom's cranberry nut bread yesterday (I'd only made and devoured two loaves over the holidays, which just won't cut it), but alas Safeway had no fresh cranberries on hand (that stupid grocery store regularly lets me down, which is perhaps why it's parking lot is strangely the site of the majority of Daniel's and my tiffs - we are not <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/us/AP-US-ODD-Supermarket-Wedding.html">this </a>couple.)<br /><br />Anyway, I wanted to make a quick bread and had thought that I might return to the comforting King Arthur <a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2008/02/bread-project-applesauce-oatmeal-bread.html">Oatmeal Applesauce Bread</a> that I made a while back. But then I came across a recipe for a similar quick bread based on a Dorrie Greenspan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">goodie</span> on the blog <a href="http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com">Eggs on Sunday</a>. It had the divine Dorrie and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">streusel</span> topping in its favor, so I decided to give it a go.<br /><br />I made a few alterations to it, and it came out a little dryer than I might have liked, but still it's a nice, satisfying <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">quick bread</span>. It satiated both my need to bake and Daniel's rumbling stomach. Plus, I think it will make yummy toast. And I love toast.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oatmeal Breakfast Bread</span><br />Adapted from Dorrie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours, by way of Eggs on Sunday<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients</span><i><br /><br />For the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">streusel</span>:</i><br />1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (I used a bit less)<br />1/4 cup chopped pecans<br />1/4 tsp ground cinnamon <p style="text-align: left;"><i>For the bread:</i><br />2 large eggs<br />1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce<br />1/3 cup canola oil<br />1/4 cup Greek yogurt<br />1 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/4 cup whole wheat flour<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />3/4 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp ground nutmeg<br />pinch ground cloves<br />1 cup old-fashioned oats</p> <p><span style="font-style: italic;">Directions</span><br /></p><p>1)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, and tap out the excess flour.</p> <p>2) In a small bowl, use your fingers to toss together the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">streusel</span> topping ingredients (brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon.) Set aside.</p> <p>3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil and yogurt until they’re well blended.</p> <p>4) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in the oats.</p> <p>5) Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture in the large bowl, and fold until they’re combined (do not <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">overmix</span>.)</p> <p>6) Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Scatter the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">streusel</span> over the top, and lightly press it onto the surface of the batter with your fingers. Bake for 55 minutes.</p> <p>7) Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes before placing on rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store.</p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-76953222628286428682009-12-29T03:37:00.003-05:002009-12-29T03:52:48.207-05:00Satiety thy name is tasting menu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.desktopnexus.com/wallpapers/48265-bigthumbnail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://static.desktopnexus.com/wallpapers/48265-bigthumbnail.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yes, it's been too long since I last posted. There has been many a delicious meal. There has been baking (pumpkin cake, cranberry nut bread, even macarons.) There has been the incorporation of a candy thermometer into the rotation of kitchen tools. This is serious business. But if I think of any of that for too long at this moment I may explode. Literally, my stomach may erupt.<br /><br />I am writing in this moment merely to document a feeling that I am usually too exhausted or tipsy or just plain satiated to note when it happens, but which is a really remarkable feeling - that time after eating an astonishingly large meal, where your belly is expanded with a post-term food baby, your intestines throb, and your mind whirls with dizzying thoughts of the food ingested. It's a rare feeling and one that while it should be kept at a minimum is one to be savored. Being full is a privilege and not to be taken for granted. And while I am in no way wealthy, as I enter into this new year, I realize how lucky I am, and my full belly reminds me of it.<br /><br />So, although it seems unfathomable now, I know that tomorrow I will be hungry again - and probably more than usual since my stomach is now so stretched. And I hope that as I go back and remember the eight plus courses (oh that risotto with pork and braised red cabbage, oh that oxtail consomme, oh my goodness that absurdly rich creamy cheese from Burgundy whose name I can't remember, oh Lord that foie gras), I hope that I will also remember this feeling of fullness, that slight whiff of guilt, and that ultimate feeling of absolute luckiness that I got to enjoy such a decadent meal.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-3591655233195518582009-12-03T14:13:00.008-05:002009-12-03T16:12:12.931-05:00Impulse Buy(s) - a mini-road trip to San JoseLast Saturday, to help ease me back into California living, Daniel humored me with a trip down 280 to sample some of what San Jose has to offer. We didn't have much of an agenda, so with only iPhone Google Maps to guide us, we stumbled on to some tasty finds. Here's the day in pictures:<br /><br />Our first stop was <a href="http://www.mipueblofoods.com/departments/index.html">Mi Pueblo Food Center</a>, which from online reviews sounded like an open-air market, but was in reality a big grocery store, specializing in Mexican, Central American, and South American products.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgUV_jiDUI/AAAAAAAABgg/UjD5g1SkLJU/s1600-h/IMG_0525.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgUV_jiDUI/AAAAAAAABgg/UjD5g1SkLJU/s400/IMG_0525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411097320355925314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A pretty yummy chicken tamale. The chicken was a little dry, but nicely flavored</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgUVoNos6I/AAAAAAAABgY/yQoM2sDydoA/s1600-h/IMG_0526.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgUVoNos6I/AAAAAAAABgY/yQoM2sDydoA/s400/IMG_0526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411097314090070946" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We bought a container of salsa. Although the man at the counter assured us it was the spiciest, it wasn't that hot, but it had a nice, smokey flavor to it.</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOKCa4gJI/AAAAAAAABfg/2QxPd1EmeHs/s1600-h/IMG_0537.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOKCa4gJI/AAAAAAAABfg/2QxPd1EmeHs/s400/IMG_0537.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411090517896757394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Some chipotle hot sauce. Because we currently have approximately twelve open bottles of hot sauce in the fridge, I have restrained myself from breaking into this. Not sure how much longer I can resist.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Next, we headed over to Little Saigon, or so it was known before the great<a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=5777398"> San Jose naming controversy </a>of 2007. No matter what you call it, this area is known for its sizable Vietnamese population, which is apparently the largest outside of Vietnam.<br /><br />First we hit the grocery store, where of course we were forced to make a couple of impulse buys...<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOJK-143I/AAAAAAAABfQ/LCnlcgX5nAk/s1600-h/IMG_0539.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOJK-143I/AAAAAAAABfQ/LCnlcgX5nAk/s400/IMG_0539.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411090503015195506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A fried onion paste, which is INCREDIBLY salty, but has already added some powerful oniony flavor to the savory casserole bread I made on Sunday.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOIvcAQHI/AAAAAAAABfI/3_nlV3VyvFQ/s1600-h/IMG_0540.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOIvcAQHI/AAAAAAAABfI/3_nlV3VyvFQ/s400/IMG_0540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411090495621316722" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mackerel in tom yum sauce. Yet to try it, but I love small, canned fish.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOIBdficI/AAAAAAAABfA/40JdkSE8axs/s1600-h/IMG_0541.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOIBdficI/AAAAAAAABfA/40JdkSE8axs/s400/IMG_0541.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411090483279530434" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I also love small, packaged, fried fish. Anchovies with sesame seeds! I really am kind of in love with these. Daniel bravely tasted them but wasn't sold. I think I'll sneak some into a salad and see what happens...</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br />Here's what we didn't buy...<br /></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgUVGIaQvI/AAAAAAAABgQ/8N0Op0aVc3k/s1600-h/IMG_0528.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgUVGIaQvI/AAAAAAAABgQ/8N0Op0aVc3k/s400/IMG_0528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411097304941347570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">In fact just one look at this can of slimy, preserved bananas was enough to get my gag reflex going. Ick. Here's a close up.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQvmojGjI/AAAAAAAABgI/O56Swb02qAY/s1600-h/IMG_0527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQvmojGjI/AAAAAAAABgI/O56Swb02qAY/s400/IMG_0527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411093362296166962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Double ick.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">From there we went walked down the shopping center concourse to a little take-out joint specializing in meat substitutes. As we know, no one does meat substitutes like the <a href="http://www.meatpaper.com/articles/2008/0708_layona.html">Asians</a>.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQvAERXLI/AAAAAAAABgA/KYuP9stKgZ8/s1600-h/IMG_0531.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQvAERXLI/AAAAAAAABgA/KYuP9stKgZ8/s400/IMG_0531.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411093351943462066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm honestly not sure what is in this cup. We couldn't decide what to order, so the nice woman behind the counter made us a mix of gluten-based goodness. The resulting sampler was very chewy, a little sweet, and when topped with loads of sriracha, very yummy. While we would have naturally erred toward large amounts of our favorite hot red condiment, we did so with even greater abandon on the recommendation of a kind older gentleman who was himself enjoying a Styrofoam cup of mixed gluten. </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQukGt9jI/AAAAAAAABf4/qV47v01Vlkw/s1600-h/IMG_0532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQukGt9jI/AAAAAAAABf4/qV47v01Vlkw/s400/IMG_0532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411093344437532210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This is ban boc lac chay. Very gelatinous rice gluten (I think) wrapped around little bits of tofu.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Finally, we headed over to the indoor shopping mall across the street, which seemed to specialize in jewelry shops and Vietnamese appetizing stores, where we purchased two baggies of beef jerky. One hot and spicy for Daniel and one fruit cured for me (in honor of the delicious fruit cured pork jerky that my Nina introduced me to.)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOJoE3OFI/AAAAAAAABfY/AOKULZ460P4/s1600-h/IMG_0538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgOJoE3OFI/AAAAAAAABfY/AOKULZ460P4/s400/IMG_0538.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411090510825076818" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">While there was a big food court, nicely appointed for the holidays, we decided to forgo it.<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQuK53YMI/AAAAAAAABfw/GOHBUDzb6J0/s1600-h/IMG_0535.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQuK53YMI/AAAAAAAABfw/GOHBUDzb6J0/s400/IMG_0535.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411093337672736962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I was craving a salad, and since I had yet to capture the obligatory "Daniel eating a sandwich in the car" photo, that needed to be remedied...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQtql5K3I/AAAAAAAABfo/B9MALk6mhUE/s1600-h/IMG_0536.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxgQtql5K3I/AAAAAAAABfo/B9MALk6mhUE/s400/IMG_0536.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411093328999033714" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">And so, with banh mi in hand, we journeyed back north to SF to catch up on Mad Men.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-59624078254341957582009-11-27T18:45:00.007-05:002009-11-27T19:22:56.448-05:00Fast Food - Num Pang<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlFUN2BDI/AAAAAAAABeY/SNVh5_w78u4/s1600/IMG_0519.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlFUN2BDI/AAAAAAAABeY/SNVh5_w78u4/s400/IMG_0519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408934294472492082" border="0" /></a>I'm about to write something that may make me lose my license as a lover of the city life (and it's not that I haven't been paying my rent, despite the scary chalk drawing above).<br /><br />Sometimes, I really resent brunch, which is not a popular opinion being that this weekly or for some bi-weekly late-morning festival of gluttony is among the most important rituals of city living.<br /><br />That's not to say that I don't like the food. I love eggs. I love potatoes. I love breakfast meats. And every now and then I even pancakes. I also love that it makes eating lunch food before 1 PM not seem strange. However, eating a big meal at 11 AM always throws off my eating for the rest of the day. I get hungry again at about 5 PM, which confuses me. Should I eat a snack? Hold out for dinner? Eat an early dinner (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dunch</span>?) I'm in a tailspin.<br /><br />But every now and then it leads to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">serendipitous</span> experiences, as was the case last Sunday, when Daniel and I found ourselves in need of a snack while wandering around the East Village at around 4:30. Should we eat? Hold off for dinner? What to do? I did a quick mental rundown of places in the area that I'd wanted to try, casual enough that we could get something small and tasty enough to be worth our time - and then it hit me - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Num</span> Pang, the Cambodian-style <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bahn</span> mi joint on 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> Street. And we were off...<br /><br />It's a very hipster little shop, with kitschy chalk-style drawings (see above) in the upstairs sitting area, which also proudly overlooks a parking garage - huge (though slightly grimy) picture windows give you a full view of people validating their parking passes below.<br /><br />You have to order and pay outside though, which would be frustrating on a cold, rainy day, but would also make it a very speedy take-out option, especially at more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">prime time</span> eating hours.<br /><br />The menu of sandwiches, all served <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">banh</span> mi style on French bread with pickles and herbs and mayo, was overwhelming. Each one sounded amazing - from the roasted cauliflower with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Chinese</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Thai</span> eggplant spread to the grilled king mackerel with leeks to the lemongrass chicken liver pate. They even had a veal meatball sandwich, which was thrilling because Daniel never gets to eat Asian meatballs due the ever present porcine effect.<br /><br />In the end though, we went for one of the specials - a ginger braised brisket with all the trimmings - pickles, cilantro, carrots, and mayo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlE1gaQ0I/AAAAAAAABeQ/uNPGieu0JPc/s1600/IMG_0516.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlE1gaQ0I/AAAAAAAABeQ/uNPGieu0JPc/s400/IMG_0516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408934286228865858" border="0" /></a><br />This was some good sandwich. The bread had the perfect French crackle, made even more satisfying with a nice toasting. And oh that brisket - this was meat that you could serve at a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Seder</span> with pride - incredibly tender with the perfect sweet, sour, savory blend that so well befits brisket. The cilantro/carrot/pickle mix added the more traditional South East Asian sandwich flavor really hold there own with the richness of the beef and all in all it made mouths happy...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBpfnLqbmI/AAAAAAAABe4/jWuCKuT6Lys/s1600/IMG_0520.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBpfnLqbmI/AAAAAAAABe4/jWuCKuT6Lys/s400/IMG_0520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408939144286727778" border="0" /></a><br />I was less thrilled with the side of market pickles that we ordered. It was a nice idea - a mix of watermelon rind, rhubarb, celery root, and turnip - but the pickles had no snap to them, neither in taste nor in texture. They were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">flaccid</span> and overly sweet.<br /><em></em><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlEXqbyDI/AAAAAAAABeI/CsgdviMVwnU/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlEXqbyDI/AAAAAAAABeI/CsgdviMVwnU/s400/IMG_0517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408934278217844786" border="0" /></a><br />Still though, the sandwich split between two made for a perfect late afternoon snack. One recommendation for future outings to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Num</span> Pang - either eat upstairs and enjoy the surly chalk drawings and happy parkers below, or take your food to another stationary location, because while the sandwich holds together nicely, it is a messy beast. We left no napkin in our wake -<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlD9lqF4I/AAAAAAAABeA/WachLJF-pEk/s1600/IMG_0521.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SxBlD9lqF4I/AAAAAAAABeA/WachLJF-pEk/s400/IMG_0521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408934271218489218" border="0" /></a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-88739723893248146062009-11-09T22:54:00.004-05:002009-11-15T11:53:29.044-05:00Impulse buy - A little bit of LiddabitI have a (reasonable) amount of self-control both regarding buying and snacking. I try not to buy things that I don't need and I try to not to eat when I'm not hungry. However, once I end up inside an interesting food store, I am the queen of the impulse buy - interesting looking pastry at the counter of a coffee shop? I've got to try it. Crazy sounding vegan jerky at the register of a bodega? I want a sample. Beautiful looking fruit jel candy at <a href="http://blog.greenegrape.com/hours-directions/">Green Grape Provisions</a>? Whom am I kidding?<br /><br />So when heading home from Fort Greene this evening, I was tempted into buying a Concord Grape fruit jel made by <a href="http://www.liddabitsweets.com">Liddabit Sweets</a>, a small New York-based candy company.<br /><br />There were many delicious looking Liddabit items at Green Grape, including a pecan pie candy bar, which looked delicious and a candy bar called "the king," which was so intriguing that I almost bought it. Thank goodness, something prevented me, because when I looked it up upon returning home, I learned that it has banana ganache. Bleh. Bananas. The horrors. (In another banana incident today, I got into one of those awkward back and forth shuffles today with a woman on the subway platform. You know the type, when you're walking toward each other and where you can't decide who's going to go one way and who's going to go the other? Awkward, but not terrifying, unless your urban dance partner is holding a half eaten banana. Then it really is a grave situation because you just don't want to get too close...)<br /><br />Anyway...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SvjkIDUlR1I/AAAAAAAABdU/6iql_Y0VOvo/s1600-h/photo%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SvjkIDUlR1I/AAAAAAAABdU/6iql_Y0VOvo/s400/photo%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402318580012631890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I descended into the subway at Lafayette street, and took a nibble.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SvjkHwQ8A6I/AAAAAAAABdM/SM9_qSi74C8/s1600-h/photo%284%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SvjkHwQ8A6I/AAAAAAAABdM/SM9_qSi74C8/s400/photo%284%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402318574897071010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was very sweet (it was concord grape afterall), but it had a pleasantly firm, chewy texture, with just enough jello-y give, and the after taste was really nice and - a really fresh grape flavor. I would definitely have a liddabit moreKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-29331211063516559262009-11-04T22:57:00.002-05:002009-11-04T23:02:36.363-05:00Three of my favorite things<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SvJNj2J83XI/AAAAAAAABdE/oIUGNhKUfIE/s1600-h/photo%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SvJNj2J83XI/AAAAAAAABdE/oIUGNhKUfIE/s400/photo%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400464181398658418" border="0" /></a>From my visit to the San Francisco last weekend - three of my favorite things in one place.<br /><br />1. A turkey sandwich (from the yummy deli on Guerrero and 19th Street)<br />2. Our ScionXB Otis (looking a little worse for the wear in my absence, I must say)<br />3. Daniel (today's birthday boy)<br /><br />Hopefully this marks a return to your regular Food on the Frontal Lobe reports. Sorry for the recent dearth.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-38668025795373696702009-10-08T20:30:00.004-04:002009-10-08T21:12:32.382-04:00What you need the next time you're making sushi for Rainbow BriteIt's been far too long since I've done regular posts. I've got an iPhone full of pictures that I'm dying to blog about, but by the end of the days recently, I've been a bit too pooped to post. Which is why I'm only now getting up this recap of the <a href="http://www.nymtc.com/">New York Mutual Trading Company </a>Japanese Food and Restaurant Show that I attended a couple of weeks ago.<br /><br />The show was fun; full of lots of restaurateurs checking out high tech rice cookers and plastic sushi trays and hundred dollar wasabi graters made of shark skin. I especially loved learning about all of the different kinds of knives - for fish, for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sashimi</span>, for veggies, etc. What I loved even more, however, was the food booths. A mix of the sublime (the richest, most <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">umami</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">miso</span> ever) to the silly (you'll have to wait for the end of the post for the aforementioned Rainbow <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Brite</span> sushi accessory.) Here were some of my favorite things:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GtoIO1XI/AAAAAAAABcM/DIG8j9jxa10/s1600-h/IMG_0386.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GtoIO1XI/AAAAAAAABcM/DIG8j9jxa10/s400/IMG_0386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390393922433242482" border="0" /></a>Every kind of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tsukemono</span> (Japanese pickle) you can imagine </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GtK85cCI/AAAAAAAABcE/5zGt4H_xD-4/s1600-h/IMG_0392.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GtK85cCI/AAAAAAAABcE/5zGt4H_xD-4/s400/IMG_0392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390393914601074722" border="0" /></a>A vegan sushi made of tofu, sesame, and loads of mayo (there was also a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">wasabi</span> version which I liked better)<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GspMHQjI/AAAAAAAABb8/My23-BY7rME/s1600-h/IMG_0397.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GspMHQjI/AAAAAAAABb8/My23-BY7rME/s400/IMG_0397.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390393905538089522" border="0" /></a>This was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">miso</span> stand. I've been all about fermentation recently, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">miso</span> goes through one of the most fascinating fermentation processes in the world. Soybeans ferment in <a href="http://shizuokagourmet.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/miso-the-basics/">enormous wooden cask</a>s topped with piles of stones for up to 30 months.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GsA5lYcI/AAAAAAAABb0/tFk5jdpUjkk/s1600-h/IMG_0401.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6GsA5lYcI/AAAAAAAABb0/tFk5jdpUjkk/s400/IMG_0401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390393894722953666" border="0" /></a>These <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">mochi</span> were so rich and delicious that the man handing them out had to cut them in quarters lest eager samplers devour all of his wares. I especially loved the mango.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6Gr0hfuII/AAAAAAAABbs/aJfP25_yn9M/s1600-h/IMG_0407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6Gr0hfuII/AAAAAAAABbs/aJfP25_yn9M/s400/IMG_0407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390393891400693890" border="0" /></a>This sucker was just for show, and I arrived too late to this booth to sample his buddies.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FPPFe1wI/AAAAAAAABbk/AWeGzZidj1k/s1600-h/IMG_0413.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FPPFe1wI/AAAAAAAABbk/AWeGzZidj1k/s400/IMG_0413.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390392300803118850" border="0" /></a>Joseph and his roe of many colors.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FOt9DjvI/AAAAAAAABbc/cR8GehRDQ6Q/s1600-h/IMG_0416.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FOt9DjvI/AAAAAAAABbc/cR8GehRDQ6Q/s400/IMG_0416.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390392291909406450" border="0" /></a>Shrimp ironed into sheets, used to wrap sushi. Twas not my thing.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FOZj9ZrI/AAAAAAAABbU/TE5EBreB5c4/s1600-h/IMG_0417.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FOZj9ZrI/AAAAAAAABbU/TE5EBreB5c4/s400/IMG_0417.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390392286435436210" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Shrooms</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FNtIGrbI/AAAAAAAABbM/6mmXgxsjk7E/s1600-h/IMG_0418.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FNtIGrbI/AAAAAAAABbM/6mmXgxsjk7E/s400/IMG_0418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390392274507443634" border="0" /></a>Fake sample <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">shrooms</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FNJL3KkI/AAAAAAAABbE/ahdDzgRAgK0/s1600-h/IMG_0426.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Ss6FNJL3KkI/AAAAAAAABbE/ahdDzgRAgK0/s400/IMG_0426.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390392264859527746" border="0" /></a>And finally, day-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">glo</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">nori</span> for the Rainbow <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Brite</span> roll. The orange kind looks like American cheese.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-43507023001363793852009-09-30T23:28:00.004-04:002009-09-30T23:42:55.178-04:00Fast food: Pickle on a stick<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SsQiWbmRyPI/AAAAAAAABa8/D0GRH9ZUnts/s1600-h/IMG_0372.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SsQiWbmRyPI/AAAAAAAABa8/D0GRH9ZUnts/s320/IMG_0372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387468823002728690" border="0" /></a>I am of the theory that there are a few types of food common across almost all cuisines - sandwiches, savory pies, dumplings, pickled vegetables, meat on a stick.<br /><br />However, I do not know that every cuisine has mastered the art of the fusing of two of the best of these ubiquitous food forms. Here in New York though, the work has been done, and thus, while Daniel was visiting last week, we were able to sink our teeth into that veritable sign of advanced culinary culture - pickle on a stick. This one was sauerkraut flavored, sold on the street by <a href="http://www.hormansbestpickles.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Horman's</span> Best Pickles</a> of Glen Cove, NY. It was crunchy and sour and satisfying. Everything a pickle should be. Plus, did I mention it was on a stick?<br /><br />Oh, and fine, I'll do it, there was a little excitement today. A mention on a <a href="http://schott.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/vendrification/">New York Times blog</a>. Even my stoic (but dear) mother the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Midwesterner</span> used five exclamation points in her email congratulations to me. NY Times Baby. (Her words, not mine.)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-64415672804520286782009-09-12T19:15:00.003-04:002009-09-12T19:22:54.368-04:00Lucky DuckTurkey bacon is a lovely idea, but we all know it's a sorry substitute.<br /><br />Here's what Daniel has waiting for him when he comes to visit next week...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqwsPdWX0BI/AAAAAAAABag/vslJQqSpr9c/s1600-h/IMG_0358.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqwsPdWX0BI/AAAAAAAABag/vslJQqSpr9c/s400/IMG_0358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380724298889023506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqwsPxMgUvI/AAAAAAAABao/ArGtFL5LMGk/s1600-h/IMG_0359.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqwsPxMgUvI/AAAAAAAABao/ArGtFL5LMGk/s400/IMG_0359.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380724304216347378" border="0" /></a>Courtesy of Chelsea Market.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-17563685317016790082009-09-11T16:38:00.007-04:002009-09-11T17:50:08.002-04:00Outer Borough Eating Club - Friends, old and new at Sripraphai (and one enemy)Back when we really lived in New York and had our beloved Saturn Willie (God bless the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Randolph">Willie Randolph</a>) for taking wild rambling journeys in search of the best that the outer boroughs had to offer in the way food, there were many, many trips to the great Thai palace, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sripraphai</span> (or as Daniel and I lovingly call it, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sri</span>.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq3SaqIFDI/AAAAAAAABaY/pAQtd8GznTM/s1600-h/IMG_2894.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq3SaqIFDI/AAAAAAAABaY/pAQtd8GznTM/s400/IMG_2894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380314231869019186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A brief pause to remember Willie Jr and his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mets</span> plates</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq3R5PX5oI/AAAAAAAABaQ/RE6Zkoh0xTc/s1600-h/IMG_2900.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq3R5PX5oI/AAAAAAAABaQ/RE6Zkoh0xTc/s400/IMG_2900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380314222898439810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Given the sheer number of times we visited <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sri</span>, it is a bit odd that it's never turned up on this blog. But perhaps it became so fixed in our restaurant routine that I took it for granted. Well no longer. While there are certainly good Thai restaurants in the Bay Area, none has yet lived up to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sri</span>. This is in part because of the restaurant's extensive menu, in part because they are willing to really make things "Thai spicy" if you assure them that you can handle it, and in part because (imagine me shaking my head here) of something akin to alchemy. Maybe it's fish sauce?<br /><br />During our recent two week sojourn, before I returned to my beloved city without my dearest eating companion, Daniel and I schlepped out on the 7 train (oh where are you Willie?) and visited our old friend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Sri</span> for a late lunch. <br /></div><br />As always, the place was crowded, although since it was already three, we didn't have to wait for a table. We decided to go all out and get two appetizers and two entrees, a mix of old and because I was feeling daring, new.<br /><br />Here's what we ate:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Som</span> Tom (Papaya salad) with the dried shrimp on the side:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2DXEHhDI/AAAAAAAABaA/Qw68RTlsy40/s1600-h/IMG_0280.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2DXEHhDI/AAAAAAAABaA/Qw68RTlsy40/s400/IMG_0280.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380312873694626866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The verdict:</span> This is our signature <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sri</span> dish. We order it every time we come because it is the best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">som</span> tom I've ever had. And this day was no exception. The papaya was perfectly shredded without those weird big pieces that sometimes get thrown into the mix. There was plenty of sour, sweet, super spicy sauce without being too overly dressed. It's such a uniquely refreshing dish in spite of the extreme spice. Plus, although he doesn't love sticky rice, Daniel capitulated and allowed me to order some and so I had big hunks of sweet, glutinous rice to pick up with my hands, pair with the spicy slaw, and therein create little bites of heaven.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Special shredded barbecue chicken salad:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2Dz9tPhI/AAAAAAAABaI/UIG5bagHZLE/s1600-h/IMG_0279.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2Dz9tPhI/AAAAAAAABaI/UIG5bagHZLE/s400/IMG_0279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380312881452367378" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The verdict:</span> Again, spicy, sweet, and tangy. But now with chicken! Even better with the sticky rice than the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">som</span> tom. Thai salad is the best salad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Panang</span> curry with chicken</span>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2CWioqjI/AAAAAAAABZw/g-Dk_AFoE3w/s1600-h/IMG_0284.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2CWioqjI/AAAAAAAABZw/g-Dk_AFoE3w/s400/IMG_0284.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380312856374323762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The verdict:</span> This is Daniel's current favorite (it used to be the cashew nut chicken), and it really is a supremely good version of this dish. It's rich and sweet, with a kind of gingery, sort of flowery flavor, which I recently learned is from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">galangal</span>, a South East Asian cousin of ginger. I love how the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sri</span> version has that pretty drizzle of coconut milk on top.<br /><br /><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Thai noodles</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> with ground fish meat, curry sauce & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">fishball</span>; served w. fresh vegetables</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2C8IkTvI/AAAAAAAABZ4/bt9yWFoppic/s1600-h/IMG_0282.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sqq2C8IkTvI/AAAAAAAABZ4/bt9yWFoppic/s400/IMG_0282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380312866465533682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The verdict</span>: For my main course, I decided to try something new, and asked the waiter to help me choose between the fish maw soup and this dish. First he tried to discourage me from the fish maw by telling me that it was made of "the inside of the fish" (it's the bladder folks), but when he saw that was only getting more interested, he quickly informed me that it was a Chinese dish not Thai and that I shouldn't get it. <br /><br />So, I told him that I wanted the N-14, the dish above. "No," he said. "Only Thai like that. It's too spicy." I was sold.<br /><br />And, boy, oh, boy, am I glad I fought for what I believed in. This stuff was good. I ended up eating it like soup, dumping in the accompanying hard boiled egg, noodles, cilantro, and veggies. It was spicy, but not overly so. But it was a kind of rich, really complexly flavored tomato broth with bits of glorious ground fish and of course the ubiquitous Thai fish balls that have a texture somewhere between <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">gefilte</span> fish and a hard boiled egg white and a tamale. It was really aromatic and fresh tasting. I loved it.<br /><br />I loved it because I love <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Sripraphai</span>. It is my friend.<br /><br />Here's who is not my friend. The teenage boy who sat down next to us with his father, who was, admiringly, attempting to broaden his son's supremely narrow food horizons.<br /><br />From the moment this kid sat down, he complained. This place is disgusting. I'm not eating anything that is touching fish. I'm not eating anything that has mushrooms. This looks like cat food. That smells disgusting. Why would you bring me here?<br /><br />God help him, the father promptly ordered himself (and the kid) a beer.<br /><br />The boy kept looking over at Daniel and me, eyes wide with pure revulsion at what we were eating. And because he was so unpleasant to be seated near at this our return voyage to our darling <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Sri</span>, I ate with a gusto generally reserved only for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">foie</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">gras</span> and South Carolina barbecue. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">mmmed</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ahhed</span> with every bite. I closed my eyes and slurped the noodles, and I ate every last bite. This boy needed to be schooled. And I was going to show him that what his precious little stomach couldn't handle, that of this 5'4 dirty <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">blond</span> could put away in spades.<br /><br />After we left though, I started to wonder if maybe this kid had a particularly sensitive palate, and that maybe, with some proper help and years of therapy he could be a really great eater. Maybe below his extreme and vocal distaste for certain foods was actually lurking great passion for food that just needed to be awakened. I mean I hate bananas with a loud and vocal <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">vengeance</span>. And probably that I despise them so much reveals that I have the capacity to love other foods with equal gusto. Maybe this kid is the same as me. Or maybe he's just a big wuss.<br /><br />Who cares? When we left, Daniel and I stopped at the refrigerator cases and bought beef jerky. And we ate it with bravado.<br /><strong></strong>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-53409911539693136832009-09-08T22:45:00.003-04:002009-09-08T23:03:15.985-04:00Headache and the cityOne of the difficult elements of life as an itinerant or frankly of life as a city girl in general is that sometimes when you're out for the day, you're out for the day. It's just too much of a pain to get home. Even if you are paralyzed by a throbbing headache while on a fruitless trip around the city to search for a replacement for a coffee pot that you broke while benefiting from the generosity of a lovely brother and his lovely partner.<br /><br />In such an instance it is too difficult to imagine getting back all the way across the Bridge, so you use a little ingenuity to fight the pain between your temples. What do you need in such a situation? <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Caffeine</span>. Perhaps a little nosh. And some drugs. <br /><br />Here's my little relief picnic, enjoyed on the platform of the 2/3 while heading down to J&R to try to find this<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Braun-KFK500-BK-AromaDeluxe-10-Cup-Replacement/dp/B00006JL0E"> coffee pot</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqcXPiy7FTI/AAAAAAAABZo/it0vJ2TLEh0/s1600-h/IMG_0350.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqcXPiy7FTI/AAAAAAAABZo/it0vJ2TLEh0/s400/IMG_0350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379293835723216178" border="0" /></a><br />The bad news? J&R didn't have it and the one I bought instead didn't work.<br /><br />The good news? Cheddar flavored <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">popchips</span>, iced coffee, and two Tylenol do wonders for an aching head.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-60145681974399956452009-09-06T19:33:00.003-04:002009-09-11T16:38:01.424-04:00The Bread Project- Yogurt-Zucchini Bread with WalnutsBefore leaving for this three months sojourn of food writing, girl book researching, and couch hopping, I wanted to bake some bread to exercise those muscles before what has the potential to be a bread dry spell (which is better than a dry bread spell as that would just be lots of croutons.)<br /><br />I had wanted to do some sort of luscious yeast bread for a really big hurrah, but that week in San Francisco before coming back to NY was so hurried and frantic that quick bread was all I could muster. That I chose to do a zucchini bread might come as a surprise to those who know me since zucchini has long been one of the few vegetables that I somewhat actively avoid. My distaste is nowhere near that approaching how I feel about bananas, and I will happily eat the suckers with certain preparations or to avoid being rude, but that texture, which is prone to slippery <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sliminess</span> is just not my thing.<br /><br />However, when I saw this recipe in b for Yogurt-Zucchini Bread with Walnuts, I was intrigued, and I thought, why not? I'm being bold in my life decisions, I might as well be bold in my bread as well. Here's how it turned out -<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqRICGJqinI/AAAAAAAABZg/TRHG4HXec6w/s1600-h/IMG_0306.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/SqRICGJqinI/AAAAAAAABZg/TRHG4HXec6w/s400/IMG_0306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378503055835302514" border="0" /></a><br />Looks good, no? Moist and shiny. That's the jalapeno chutney glaze that I added to give it a little more kick. I also made a few other alterations because when I tasted the batter it was a bit sweeter and blander than I wanted. But the end result was very satisfying. Good for dessert, breakfast, or a little snack. Especially with some of that aforementioned <a href="http://foodonthefrontallobe.blogspot.com/2009/08/true-strength-of-roquefort.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Roquefort</span></a> spread on it...<br /><br />Here's the recipe. Adapted from <span style="font-style: italic;">Food and Wine</span> with my alterations in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">italics</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Yogurt-Zucchini Bread with Walnuts</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients</span><br />-1 cup walnut halves<br />-2 cups all-purpose flour<br />-1/2 t baking powder<br />-1/2 t baking soda<br />-1/2 t salt <span style="font-style: italic;">(I used 1 t salt)</span><br />-3/4 cup plus 2 T sugar<br />-2 large eggs<br />-1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />-1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt<br />-1 cup coarsely grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini - <span style="font-style: italic;">I used 2 small</span>)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-3/4 cup low-fat grated cheese</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-jalapeno chutney (for brushing on top as glaze)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-a dusting of sea salt </span><br /><br />Directions<br />1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-by-4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan.<br /><br />2. Spread the walnut halves in a pie plate and toast them for about 8 minutes, until they are fragrant. Transfer the toasted walnuts to a cutting board and coarsely chop them, then freeze for 5 minutes to cool.<br /><br />3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar with the eggs, vegetable oil and fat-free yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the grated zucchini and toasted walnuts and stir until the batter is evenly moistened. <span style="font-style: italic;">Fold in the cheese</span><br /><br /><br />4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (<span style="font-style: italic;">in my oven it took about 1 hour and 20 minutes</span>), until the loaf is risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">5. Using a pastry brush, brush on about 2-3 tablespoons of jalapeno chutney (any other slightly savory/tangy chutney or preserves would also work). Add a dusting of sea salt if desired.</span><br /><br />6. Let the loaf cool on a rack for 30 minutes before <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">unmolding</span> and serving.<br /><br /><a title="Zucchini on Foodista" href="http://www.foodista.com/food/XX4XMK4L/zucchini"><img alt="Zucchini on Foodista" src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/logo.png?foodista_widget_RLR8JMG4" style="border:none;width:100px;height:22px;" /></a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-6272362363390759752009-09-02T23:58:00.004-04:002009-09-03T00:18:22.856-04:00We Want Food - Necessity is a Mother...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sp8_XaJ-pkI/AAAAAAAABZY/uC6gF6MGJNk/s1600-h/photo%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sp8_XaJ-pkI/AAAAAAAABZY/uC6gF6MGJNk/s400/photo%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377086151494379074" border="0" /></a>In my current life as an itinerant [insert nebulous professional label here], I am faced with a two conflicting issues. <br /><br />One - I'm trying to save money, fighting every inclination to splurge on the delicious foods tempting me at every turn. Instead I've been packing lunches and making simple, inexpensive dinners (breakfast is an English muffin as always.) <br /><br />Two - While I know where I'll be staying the week after next, I don't have next week solidified yet. (Don't worry, there are couches to crash on if need be, I'm just holding out hope that this other more stable possibility comes through.) Given this, I don't want to buy too much food because I don't know precisely where I'll be schlepping it.<br /><br />The results of this tension have been some very odd gastronomical mash-ups, as I try to use all of the ingredients I have before purchasing new ones. Tonight's creation - savory English muffin French toast with an Asian brown sauce and roasted turkey. It sounds strange. Even disgusting. And as I was creating it, I thought, oh Lord, this could be inedible. However, wonder of wonders, it was really delicious.<br /><br />Here's what I did. I beat an egg and then added a little black salt, a little cumin, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a good dose of ground black pepper. Then I soaked the English muffins in this egg bath before throwing them into a hot pan. I poured the leftover egg mix over the English muffins while they cooked, so they each developed a nice ring of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">eggy</span> crust. Once they were cooked, while the pan was still hot, I removed them and threw in the turkey so it could crisp up a bit. This is where the Chinese brown sauce inspiration struck me. I poured about an eighth of a cup onto the turkey, and because of its sugary, corn-starchy nature, it quickly started to brown (well brown more) and then caramelize, clinging to the turkey in an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ooey</span> gooey sticky fashion.<br /><br />I then removed it from the heat lest it burn, spread a little hummus onto the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">eggy</span> English muffins, topped them with the caramelized turkey, and then added a dash of hot sauce. Weird? For sure. So good that I'll admit to having used my fingers to wipe any lingering remnants of sauce off of the plate? Definitely.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-799543041634877834.post-87718939976973207752009-09-01T09:08:00.004-04:002009-09-01T22:02:11.941-04:00Fast food- Taco Chulo provides respite a little combobulationSo I'll admit to feeling a little discombobulated of late. I was in SF. Then in SC. Then in NYC. Then back in SF, and now here I sit back in Brooklyn. I'm really excited to be here, working hard, but I'm a little Daniel-sick and as I said a little discombobulated.<br /><br />This sense of confusion began when Daniel and I visited the city for our recent two week sojourn. Here I was in a place I know so well, for a relatively extended period of time, but without really living here. It was odd. And being the food oriented person that I am, I sought a sense of grounding in some of my old favorite New York flavors - hummus, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">challah</span>, date bars, and bagels.<br /><br />While <a href="http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917788,00.html">Time</a> argues otherwise, I find that when I feel a little anxious, I crave comforting familiar foods, so boy was I in luck two weeks ago when I was able to treat a little low-level anxiety with one big old burrito - courtesy of my old friend <a href="http://tacochulo.com/">Taco <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Chulo</span></a>...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sp3DVW2UyiI/AAAAAAAABZQ/ViW3AZdN9bc/s1600-h/IMG_0271.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sp3DVW2UyiI/AAAAAAAABZQ/ViW3AZdN9bc/s400/IMG_0271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376668301828344354" border="0" /></a><br />For the three years that I lived in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Williamsburg</span>, the El Gallo burrito, featuring savory tender chicken in a spicy salsa blend of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">guajillo</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ancho</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">morita</span> chilies, was a staple of my diet. While I am now quite devoted to the veggie burrito at La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Taqueria</span> in San Francisco's Mission, my heart still belongs to Chulo. Back in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Williamsburg</span> days, I would get home at night, see if my beloved roommate Ariel, an equally commited El Gallo fan, was game, and then we would place an order for delivery. Easy as one-two-three. Until the day that the brains behind Taco <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Chulo</span> had the gall to remove our friend from the menu. <br /><br />Now this could have led to utter devastation, but the gods were smiling, and armed with a now probably quite valuable relic of a menu and the knowledge that the folks at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Chulo</span> will allow you to "pimp" your own burrito, we were able to recreate the glory that was El Gallo, and our tradition continued unmarred.<br /><br />So when I entered Taco <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Chulo</span> for the first time in over a year, I felt hopeful that my craving could be sated. I looked at the menu and struggled to remember exactly what had gone on the burrito of my dreams. The waitress came, at first bold enough to try to remember my order, but when she realized that I was going to list what I wanted ingredient by ingredient, she wisely got out her pad.<br /><br />Satisfied that I had ordered correctly, I sat back to read my book and to wait. A few minutes into my relaxing read, however, I had a terrible realization. I had forgotten to ask for cabbage instead of lettuce. I scurried to the counter to alert the waitress of my grave error. She looked at me, in my state of burrito-induced panic, a little strangely. Was there a glimmer of concern in her eyes? Or was it fear? I didn't care. I needed that burrito to be just right. Could she do it? Was there time? Finally, sensing the urgency of the situation, she hurried back to the kitchen. She'd see what she could do.<br /><br />A few minutes later she emerged with this...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sp3DU7xgY0I/AAAAAAAABZI/6sW6IG94BmU/s1600-h/IMG_0272.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddhZcYdEGMM/Sp3DU7xgY0I/AAAAAAAABZI/6sW6IG94BmU/s400/IMG_0272.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376668294560375618" border="0" /></a><br />Ah, it was perfect. Cabbage and all. A comforting combination of the crunch of the said member of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Brassica oleracea</span> species<i><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></i>, the chewiness of the tortilla. The whole pinto beans adding a little pop to the the satisfying bulk of the potatoes. Salty, spicy, and a little sweet. Utter perfection.<br /><br />And in the hopes that if enough people hit up Taco Chulo and order my dear El Gallo, they might reinstate it. Here is the list of ingredients:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Taco <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Chulo's</span> El Gallo Burrito (RIP)</span><br />-whole wheat tortilla<br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">pollo</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">rostizado</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">chile</span>-spice-rubbed chicken)<br />-potatoes (NOT RICE!)<br />-whole pinto beans (NOT <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">REFRIED</span>!)<br />-marinated cabbage<br />-salsa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">seco</span><br />-cilantro, onion, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">radish</span><br />-cheese and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">crema</span> optional<br /><br />Go, try it. It will bring you comfort.<br /><strong class="red"></strong>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07580818963443735166noreply@blogger.com0