mmm... tasty.
5.29.2007
what the heck is that??
any idea what this is? leave your comments below. bonus points if you know the name and preparation. =)
mmm... tasty.
mmm... tasty.
5.27.2007
brother's korean restaurant #1
brother's korean restaurant is a popular and well-known joint in the richmond district on geary between 5th and 6th avenues. there are apparently 2 on the same block, and this is the dingy, older, original one. it serves korean bbq, cooked at your table or in the back, as well as pan-fried dishes and stews. the draw here is the use of real wood charcoal for the in-table grill instead of the natural gas fixtures found in most modern korean bbq restaurants, high-end and hole-in-the-walls alike.
there is the age-old argument that charcoal-grilled foods, especially real wood charcoal, ultimately taste superior to gas- and propane-seared meats and veggies, an argument i tend to agree with, but one i will concede when you take into account ease of use and cleanup. in this situation, does it actually effect discernable difference in the meat? or is it all for gimmick and show?
the meat at brother's is also purpotedly one of the best in the city. well tonite scott and i put it to the test. well, maybe just me. he was just there to eat.
a few minutes after we order, the waitress brings out the panchan, 10 to be exact! it's a pretty good assortment with very pungent and ripe daikon radish kimchee, tasty dried anchovies, and good spicy fish cake. the cabbage kimchee, however, was just so so, as were the limp bean sprouts and tired-looking seaweed salad.
what was unexpected for me was that kim, rectangular sheets of dried, salted roasted seaweed, was served along with the usual lettuce leaves. nice alternative to wrapping your grilled meats in the lettuce.
we ordered 2 meats to grill at our table (minimum of 2 meat orders are required to use the grill tables. otherwise, you sit at a non-grill table). at the top of the picture is kalbi, or marinated short ribs. it was a little salty but had good flavor and was slightly sweet. unfortunately the meat got dry with cooking, due to being sliced rather thinly. at nicer bbq joints the ribeye meat is at about a 1/2" thick, which results in juicier, tender cuts of fat-rich beef when grilled. these were more like 1/8" to 1/4" and dried out too quickly. the kalbi cost 22.95 an order, which seemed to be a little skimpy to me size-wise.
the 2nd meat, daeji bulgogi, is thinly sliced pork doused in spicy red marinade, shown at the bottom of the picture. this cut is supposed to be thin, so the pork cooks quickly on the grill, the marinade keeping it moist and flavorful. however, the marinade wasn't spicy enough, was on the salty side, and seemed to turn chalky as the meat grilled. the daeji bulgogi cost 18.95 a plate.
true to form with korean restaurant hospitality, a complimentary clay pot of jigae, or stew, was provided. this was soon du bu, or soft tofu soup. the soon du bu had excellent concentrated flavor in the thickened broth, a sign of unhurried simmering, very soft tofu, lots of zucchnini, but only 1 clam. it did make me wanna go back and try their jigaes on a future visit.
i've found these restaurants tend to serve a small bowl of cold sweetened rice broth at the end of your meal. it's a great, simple palate cleanser after a heavy meal of grease and spice. brother's version was very good, concentrated in flavor and well balanced.
the wood charcoal was blazing hot and once the grate got hot, grilled the food quickly. no control of flame here though. there was no sputtering of grease landing on the charcoal, nor did it seem too smokey. hood vents above the tables seemed adequate, as there wasn't a thick haze of greasy, grey smoke hovering in the air like most korean bbq places. upon leaving the restaurant though, both scott and i had the tell-tale carnivorous odor clinging to our clothes, skin and hair, which took two days of airing out.
the service here is adequate. 45 + tip for 2 people left us completely sutffed, but oddly i felt the portion sizes were slightly smaller than typical.
so the wood charcoal definitely has the cool factor, since a waiter hauls out a tin box bulging at the seams with glowing coals from the kitchen to your table into the grill box. but i will say i can't tell a major difference between charcoal and gas grilling in this application. maybe if we allowed the meats to char longer, but being sliced so thinly, you really can't do that the way you'd let a fat ribeye steak sit on the searing grill for 8 min a side. so in this instance, i'm inclined to say the charcoal is more for show.
in summary, brother's korean restaurant does an average job of delivering on the basics of korean bbq, with the added pizazz of wood charcoal. panchan is hit and miss and meats are just ok. i would go back to try their pan-fried dishes and jigaes (stews) based on how well they developed flavors in the soon du bu. perhaps it is its popularity amongst the younger asian crowd and knowledgable non-asian diners that keep it at the top of the list for so many. while i'd go again, for lack of adequate korean food joints in sf, i'd rather save my appetite for the soulful hole-in-the-walls of LA's k-town.
there is the age-old argument that charcoal-grilled foods, especially real wood charcoal, ultimately taste superior to gas- and propane-seared meats and veggies, an argument i tend to agree with, but one i will concede when you take into account ease of use and cleanup. in this situation, does it actually effect discernable difference in the meat? or is it all for gimmick and show?
the meat at brother's is also purpotedly one of the best in the city. well tonite scott and i put it to the test. well, maybe just me. he was just there to eat.
a few minutes after we order, the waitress brings out the panchan, 10 to be exact! it's a pretty good assortment with very pungent and ripe daikon radish kimchee, tasty dried anchovies, and good spicy fish cake. the cabbage kimchee, however, was just so so, as were the limp bean sprouts and tired-looking seaweed salad.
what was unexpected for me was that kim, rectangular sheets of dried, salted roasted seaweed, was served along with the usual lettuce leaves. nice alternative to wrapping your grilled meats in the lettuce.
we ordered 2 meats to grill at our table (minimum of 2 meat orders are required to use the grill tables. otherwise, you sit at a non-grill table). at the top of the picture is kalbi, or marinated short ribs. it was a little salty but had good flavor and was slightly sweet. unfortunately the meat got dry with cooking, due to being sliced rather thinly. at nicer bbq joints the ribeye meat is at about a 1/2" thick, which results in juicier, tender cuts of fat-rich beef when grilled. these were more like 1/8" to 1/4" and dried out too quickly. the kalbi cost 22.95 an order, which seemed to be a little skimpy to me size-wise.
the 2nd meat, daeji bulgogi, is thinly sliced pork doused in spicy red marinade, shown at the bottom of the picture. this cut is supposed to be thin, so the pork cooks quickly on the grill, the marinade keeping it moist and flavorful. however, the marinade wasn't spicy enough, was on the salty side, and seemed to turn chalky as the meat grilled. the daeji bulgogi cost 18.95 a plate.
true to form with korean restaurant hospitality, a complimentary clay pot of jigae, or stew, was provided. this was soon du bu, or soft tofu soup. the soon du bu had excellent concentrated flavor in the thickened broth, a sign of unhurried simmering, very soft tofu, lots of zucchnini, but only 1 clam. it did make me wanna go back and try their jigaes on a future visit.
i've found these restaurants tend to serve a small bowl of cold sweetened rice broth at the end of your meal. it's a great, simple palate cleanser after a heavy meal of grease and spice. brother's version was very good, concentrated in flavor and well balanced.
the wood charcoal was blazing hot and once the grate got hot, grilled the food quickly. no control of flame here though. there was no sputtering of grease landing on the charcoal, nor did it seem too smokey. hood vents above the tables seemed adequate, as there wasn't a thick haze of greasy, grey smoke hovering in the air like most korean bbq places. upon leaving the restaurant though, both scott and i had the tell-tale carnivorous odor clinging to our clothes, skin and hair, which took two days of airing out.
the service here is adequate. 45 + tip for 2 people left us completely sutffed, but oddly i felt the portion sizes were slightly smaller than typical.
so the wood charcoal definitely has the cool factor, since a waiter hauls out a tin box bulging at the seams with glowing coals from the kitchen to your table into the grill box. but i will say i can't tell a major difference between charcoal and gas grilling in this application. maybe if we allowed the meats to char longer, but being sliced so thinly, you really can't do that the way you'd let a fat ribeye steak sit on the searing grill for 8 min a side. so in this instance, i'm inclined to say the charcoal is more for show.
in summary, brother's korean restaurant does an average job of delivering on the basics of korean bbq, with the added pizazz of wood charcoal. panchan is hit and miss and meats are just ok. i would go back to try their pan-fried dishes and jigaes (stews) based on how well they developed flavors in the soon du bu. perhaps it is its popularity amongst the younger asian crowd and knowledgable non-asian diners that keep it at the top of the list for so many. while i'd go again, for lack of adequate korean food joints in sf, i'd rather save my appetite for the soulful hole-in-the-walls of LA's k-town.
5.24.2007
asian slaw
andrea was looking for a different take on a bbq salad. i suggested the asian slaw i made for my bbq in LA last month.
this recipe comes from dave lieberman's young and hungry cookbook, one of my most well-worn and food-splotched titles. the slaw is sweet, tart and gingery, while fresh and crisp at the same time. plus it's extremely easy to make if you have a food processor. or a sharp knife will do.
finely shred or lightly process the following:
1 head green cabbage
1/2 head red cabbage
3-4 carrots
1 red onion
toss the above in a large bowl and add 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced.
in a plastic container, make the dressing by combining the following:
1/4 c soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c mayo
2 T grated ginger (use micro planer)
2 T white vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 t sesame oil
20 grinds of fresh black pepper
cover the container tightly and shake the hell out of the dressing. add salt to taste (i found this unnecessary) and then pour over the slaw and toss well. i'd recommend doubling the recipe so you have plenty left to dress the salad to taste. you can also bulk up on the ginger, sugar or lemon to suit your tastes. remember, you want this to be pretty strong since the slaw ingredients are relatively bland. the remainder makes a great marinade for meat.
if you want something easily spoonable, the processor method is better. if you're looking for something more salad-esque, shred the cabbage and onions with a sharp chef's knife and grate the carrots with a box grater. either way, it'll taste great. happy slaw!!
this recipe comes from dave lieberman's young and hungry cookbook, one of my most well-worn and food-splotched titles. the slaw is sweet, tart and gingery, while fresh and crisp at the same time. plus it's extremely easy to make if you have a food processor. or a sharp knife will do.
finely shred or lightly process the following:
1 head green cabbage
1/2 head red cabbage
3-4 carrots
1 red onion
toss the above in a large bowl and add 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced.
in a plastic container, make the dressing by combining the following:
1/4 c soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c mayo
2 T grated ginger (use micro planer)
2 T white vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 t sesame oil
20 grinds of fresh black pepper
cover the container tightly and shake the hell out of the dressing. add salt to taste (i found this unnecessary) and then pour over the slaw and toss well. i'd recommend doubling the recipe so you have plenty left to dress the salad to taste. you can also bulk up on the ginger, sugar or lemon to suit your tastes. remember, you want this to be pretty strong since the slaw ingredients are relatively bland. the remainder makes a great marinade for meat.
if you want something easily spoonable, the processor method is better. if you're looking for something more salad-esque, shred the cabbage and onions with a sharp chef's knife and grate the carrots with a box grater. either way, it'll taste great. happy slaw!!
5.23.2007
zushi puzzle
wanted to share some snapshots of a recent visit to zushi puzzle last month. i love this place. my wallet doesn't.
only sit at the bar. 8 stools. choice cuts. and chef roger dodger is quite the character.
a fantastic array of toro, salmon, trout and arrowjack. one of the reasons i go to zushi puzzle is the availability of regional varieties. can you discern the taste and textural differences between hawaiian and japanese arrowjack? you will after chef roger takes care of you.
flying fish sashimi. fresh. sweet. clean. firm. we watched chef roger filet this one just for us. yes, those fins are real. the "wing span" was about 1.5 feet across.
kobe beef. ribeye cut. grade A1. over $100 a pound.
kobe beef remix. $10 a piece.
other goodies to get. butterfish. crab remix. a sampling of different toros. or better yet, tell chef roger to do whatever he will with you. he's never disappointed me. although my credit card disagrees. =)
only sit at the bar. 8 stools. choice cuts. and chef roger dodger is quite the character.
a fantastic array of toro, salmon, trout and arrowjack. one of the reasons i go to zushi puzzle is the availability of regional varieties. can you discern the taste and textural differences between hawaiian and japanese arrowjack? you will after chef roger takes care of you.
flying fish sashimi. fresh. sweet. clean. firm. we watched chef roger filet this one just for us. yes, those fins are real. the "wing span" was about 1.5 feet across.
kobe beef. ribeye cut. grade A1. over $100 a pound.
kobe beef remix. $10 a piece.
other goodies to get. butterfish. crab remix. a sampling of different toros. or better yet, tell chef roger to do whatever he will with you. he's never disappointed me. although my credit card disagrees. =)
5.22.2007
stir fried rice noodles with shrimp and asparagus
what was funny about tonite's dinner is that i completely intended to make something different when i was headed to albertson's to pick up ingredients. i saw a recipe for ginger-sesame asparagus and thought it looked delicious. so i picked up the asparagus and ginger and began perusing the meat section for some protein to match. lamb chops, chicken breast, chicken thighs, rib eye steaks... i just couldn't decide.
then i encountered a 2 lb bag of frozen shrimp. hm, shrimp and asparagus sound good. but without rice or another carb i'd have to eat a lot of shrimp and spears to satisfy my appetite. so i strolled through the staple aisles for something to match. all the rice a roni pilafs looked gross. stuffing wouldn't do. pasta is boring. and then i came across a box of rice stick noodles.
ah yes! i've been wanting to cook with these for a while. think pad thai noodles: chewy, starchy and springy. i thought the aspargus sauce would stir fry nicely with the noodles so there you go. on to the good stuff.
to prep the noodles, i had to soak a 1/2 lb dried rice sticks in very hot tap water for 25 min. this gets it "al dente" for the stir fry.
rice noodles are made from rice flour and come in several widths from threads to flat sticks. they're used in many different asian stir fries and noodle soup dishes.
i then thawed 1 lb shrimp under cold running water, minced 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 3 scallions, and prepped the asparagus by snapping off the tough woody ends and and slicing thinly on the diagonal.
a wok is heated over high heat and canola oil (substitute whatever oil you want) is heated until barely smoking. the garlic goes in for a few seconds to fragrant the oil and the asparagus follows. a minute later the shrimp is tossed in.
fresh ground pepper is added and the sauce, prepped before cooking, is dumped over the shrimp and asparagus. the sauce is 2 T hoisin sauce, 1 T soy sauce, 1 T sesame oil, 1 T grated ginger (use a micro planer), and 1 T plum sauce mixed together.
the drained, softened noodles are added and tossed with the scallions and some cilantro.
after a couple of minutes, it's ready to be plated.
the sauce blends well with the shrimp and aspargus and coats, or is absorbed by rather, the rice noodles so it's more of a dry stir fry.
the chewy noodles counter the crisp asparagus nicely. and the shrimp is tender and sweet.
this turned out rather well. next time, i might increase the amount of sauce going in; i think i'd like it a little wetter. i'd also look at using larger shrimp, as they shrink incredibly when cooked. i used a 31/40 count (which means 31-40 shrimp per pound) but should look at a 21/24 count size.
anyway, guess what i'm having for lunch tomorrow??
then i encountered a 2 lb bag of frozen shrimp. hm, shrimp and asparagus sound good. but without rice or another carb i'd have to eat a lot of shrimp and spears to satisfy my appetite. so i strolled through the staple aisles for something to match. all the rice a roni pilafs looked gross. stuffing wouldn't do. pasta is boring. and then i came across a box of rice stick noodles.
ah yes! i've been wanting to cook with these for a while. think pad thai noodles: chewy, starchy and springy. i thought the aspargus sauce would stir fry nicely with the noodles so there you go. on to the good stuff.
to prep the noodles, i had to soak a 1/2 lb dried rice sticks in very hot tap water for 25 min. this gets it "al dente" for the stir fry.
rice noodles are made from rice flour and come in several widths from threads to flat sticks. they're used in many different asian stir fries and noodle soup dishes.
i then thawed 1 lb shrimp under cold running water, minced 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 3 scallions, and prepped the asparagus by snapping off the tough woody ends and and slicing thinly on the diagonal.
a wok is heated over high heat and canola oil (substitute whatever oil you want) is heated until barely smoking. the garlic goes in for a few seconds to fragrant the oil and the asparagus follows. a minute later the shrimp is tossed in.
fresh ground pepper is added and the sauce, prepped before cooking, is dumped over the shrimp and asparagus. the sauce is 2 T hoisin sauce, 1 T soy sauce, 1 T sesame oil, 1 T grated ginger (use a micro planer), and 1 T plum sauce mixed together.
the drained, softened noodles are added and tossed with the scallions and some cilantro.
after a couple of minutes, it's ready to be plated.
the sauce blends well with the shrimp and aspargus and coats, or is absorbed by rather, the rice noodles so it's more of a dry stir fry.
the chewy noodles counter the crisp asparagus nicely. and the shrimp is tender and sweet.
this turned out rather well. next time, i might increase the amount of sauce going in; i think i'd like it a little wetter. i'd also look at using larger shrimp, as they shrink incredibly when cooked. i used a 31/40 count (which means 31-40 shrimp per pound) but should look at a 21/24 count size.
anyway, guess what i'm having for lunch tomorrow??
5.20.2007
tani's kitchen
i do love me a hole-in-the-wall dining establishment. tani's kitchen is truly a hole-in-the-wall. in daly city's westlake center behind the nation's burger joint is a very small retail front (i'd say about 12 feet across?) which is split into two rooms; the front houses the kitchen, 4 tables of 2, and a bar seating 6 (all snugly), the other room back-of-the-house fare including bussing and storage. it has a greasy, rundown, yet greasy, homey feel to it. and everything - an 8 burner range, cold storage, assembly line, sushi bar, prep space, cash register, to-go container storage - is truly cramed in there. but i really can't call it efficient use of space either.
scott and i are seated at the bar where we can watch all the action happen. we had incredibly good timing and were seated immediately. typically when i drive past tani's, there's about 2-6 people waiting for a spot in this 14-seat "dining establishment." true to rep, 5 people show up right after us and ultimately end up waiting 30 min for their table.
why the long wait? it's basically a one-man show. while the cozy space behind the counter is occupied by no fewer than 4 staff, including a hostess/waitress, runner/line cook, dish washer/prep cook, and the chef himself, the production all depends on one man, the frenzied japanese chef that makes the sushi, fries the tempura, sets the donburi eggs, grills the ribeye, and simmers the udon broth. each order taken, whether dine in or take out, is given a target time for finish, each order being about 10 min. so you can possibly imagine why the long wait is what it is.
why do they wait? now here's an interesting question. i think the draw is tani's home-style, hole-in-the-wall style. nothing is polished, nothing is refined. it's good food served quick and cheap. but is it worth it?
i've read on yelp reviews the beef teriyaki is the thing to get. but this evening, we decide to sample other things. we start off with spicy tuna maki, 8 small pieces of sloppily slapped together rice, tuna, seaweed, and very, very spicy hot sauce. disappointing. not only did it look ugly, i only tasted hot sauce. the raw fish in the 2-foot long display case looked tired as well. i can't imagine it being refridgerated properly what with the blazing stove 2 feet away. this was $3.95. i'd pass on the sushi next time. especially after watching him prepare sushi orders to go. just doesn't look fresh.
next came a huge order of shrimp and vegetable tempura. at only $5.95 this is an amazing value. i watched the chef individually dip each piece in batter before tossed into a stockpot of hot oil on the stove top. yes, this place doesn't have a deep fryer. although one would argue that you don't fry tempura in a deep fryer, only a wok. anyway, while piping hot, the tempura batter was much too thick, almost a bready texture. i like my tempura crisp and thin. you're supposed to taste the vegetable, not fried dough. again, disappointing. variety was amazing though. shrimp, onion, squash, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, broccoli. but i don't know if that makes up for the heavy batter issue.
the enticing picture menu in the window up front was what influenced our entree choice, japanese hamburg steak. no i didn't spell that wrong, it is hamburg, not hamburger. i watched the chef pull out a mixture of ground meat and hand form 2 patties by slapping it between hand and hand. the result was an amazingly soft, tender, fluffy "hamburger" steak that was beautifully flavored, especially when lightly dipped into the accompanying soy vinaigrette and grated daikon. a fresh, green salad with japanese dressing rounded out the dish. (amazing that the greens hadn't wilted in the greasy, warm air of the kitchen.) this dish really shined. and at $7.95 it was amazing.
water glasses were filled regularly (hard to imagine it being otherwise, there's only 14 diners at a time) and we were in/out of there relatively quickly. but we watched a couple people wait about 30 min for their take out meal. everything is made from scratch and to order, so i guess that's another reason for the draw. i'm just not 100% sold yet. it does seem to get the neighborhood regulars - the chef and staff were chummy with a handful of people, but otherwise non-descript with other customers - and is a good value so maybe that's why it seems so popular whenever i drive by. in any event, i'm down to give this place another chance, especially the grilled beef teriyaki which looked amazing from across the counter.
scott and i are seated at the bar where we can watch all the action happen. we had incredibly good timing and were seated immediately. typically when i drive past tani's, there's about 2-6 people waiting for a spot in this 14-seat "dining establishment." true to rep, 5 people show up right after us and ultimately end up waiting 30 min for their table.
why the long wait? it's basically a one-man show. while the cozy space behind the counter is occupied by no fewer than 4 staff, including a hostess/waitress, runner/line cook, dish washer/prep cook, and the chef himself, the production all depends on one man, the frenzied japanese chef that makes the sushi, fries the tempura, sets the donburi eggs, grills the ribeye, and simmers the udon broth. each order taken, whether dine in or take out, is given a target time for finish, each order being about 10 min. so you can possibly imagine why the long wait is what it is.
why do they wait? now here's an interesting question. i think the draw is tani's home-style, hole-in-the-wall style. nothing is polished, nothing is refined. it's good food served quick and cheap. but is it worth it?
i've read on yelp reviews the beef teriyaki is the thing to get. but this evening, we decide to sample other things. we start off with spicy tuna maki, 8 small pieces of sloppily slapped together rice, tuna, seaweed, and very, very spicy hot sauce. disappointing. not only did it look ugly, i only tasted hot sauce. the raw fish in the 2-foot long display case looked tired as well. i can't imagine it being refridgerated properly what with the blazing stove 2 feet away. this was $3.95. i'd pass on the sushi next time. especially after watching him prepare sushi orders to go. just doesn't look fresh.
next came a huge order of shrimp and vegetable tempura. at only $5.95 this is an amazing value. i watched the chef individually dip each piece in batter before tossed into a stockpot of hot oil on the stove top. yes, this place doesn't have a deep fryer. although one would argue that you don't fry tempura in a deep fryer, only a wok. anyway, while piping hot, the tempura batter was much too thick, almost a bready texture. i like my tempura crisp and thin. you're supposed to taste the vegetable, not fried dough. again, disappointing. variety was amazing though. shrimp, onion, squash, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, broccoli. but i don't know if that makes up for the heavy batter issue.
the enticing picture menu in the window up front was what influenced our entree choice, japanese hamburg steak. no i didn't spell that wrong, it is hamburg, not hamburger. i watched the chef pull out a mixture of ground meat and hand form 2 patties by slapping it between hand and hand. the result was an amazingly soft, tender, fluffy "hamburger" steak that was beautifully flavored, especially when lightly dipped into the accompanying soy vinaigrette and grated daikon. a fresh, green salad with japanese dressing rounded out the dish. (amazing that the greens hadn't wilted in the greasy, warm air of the kitchen.) this dish really shined. and at $7.95 it was amazing.
water glasses were filled regularly (hard to imagine it being otherwise, there's only 14 diners at a time) and we were in/out of there relatively quickly. but we watched a couple people wait about 30 min for their take out meal. everything is made from scratch and to order, so i guess that's another reason for the draw. i'm just not 100% sold yet. it does seem to get the neighborhood regulars - the chef and staff were chummy with a handful of people, but otherwise non-descript with other customers - and is a good value so maybe that's why it seems so popular whenever i drive by. in any event, i'm down to give this place another chance, especially the grilled beef teriyaki which looked amazing from across the counter.
la bbq
memorial day weekend is approaching fast and that typically signifies the start of bbq season. but for some reason, it just doesn't feel the same up here in the bay as it does in la. blame the fog, and i do, but it's just too damn cold here in daly city for a real bbq.
what follows are a few pictures of a bbq i did at home in la during my bday weekend. we had about 20-30 ppl show up over the course of 5 hours. ironically, it was cloudy and drizzling that day too. but the food still turned out pretty tasty.
citrus sangria.
the grill.
mango bbq spareribs. pre-sauce.
paprika, rosemary, and thyme dry rub wings.
slow-braised cuban pork shoulder.
fork-tender.
asian slaw.
closeup.
ingredients for bowtie pesto pasta.
fresh guacamole, pre-mix.
the spread.
happy bbq season!!
what follows are a few pictures of a bbq i did at home in la during my bday weekend. we had about 20-30 ppl show up over the course of 5 hours. ironically, it was cloudy and drizzling that day too. but the food still turned out pretty tasty.
citrus sangria.
the grill.
mango bbq spareribs. pre-sauce.
paprika, rosemary, and thyme dry rub wings.
slow-braised cuban pork shoulder.
fork-tender.
asian slaw.
closeup.
ingredients for bowtie pesto pasta.
fresh guacamole, pre-mix.
the spread.
happy bbq season!!
5.03.2007
the crocker cafe
yes, boys and girls... it's the latest hot spot in town.
cozy cafe seating...
mellow laid back neighborhood people...
free wi-fi...
latin house and trip hop records grooving in the background...
lush tropical fish and plants to gaze at...
and a zealous barista to boot!
the crocker cafe. the place to be.
reservations accepted and walk-ins welcome.
background: my other roommate, andrew, moved out a couple weeks ago taking the couch with him. for my sangria 29 party, i picked up some extra stools and rearranged some things in the living room to what you see above. tonite, jared walks by the room as i'm working on my short ribs post with some latin house playing in the background. he pokes his head in and exclaims as he surveys the rennovated room, "oh my gosh, i feel like i'm a barista!"
hence what you see above. lol. good times.
cozy cafe seating...
mellow laid back neighborhood people...
free wi-fi...
latin house and trip hop records grooving in the background...
lush tropical fish and plants to gaze at...
and a zealous barista to boot!
the crocker cafe. the place to be.
reservations accepted and walk-ins welcome.
background: my other roommate, andrew, moved out a couple weeks ago taking the couch with him. for my sangria 29 party, i picked up some extra stools and rearranged some things in the living room to what you see above. tonite, jared walks by the room as i'm working on my short ribs post with some latin house playing in the background. he pokes his head in and exclaims as he surveys the rennovated room, "oh my gosh, i feel like i'm a barista!"
hence what you see above. lol. good times.
short ribs braised in guinness
i worked a catering event for my friend, chef paul, back in december for his company's holiday party. paul decided on a succulent and rich main entree of boneless short ribs braised in guinness beer. after working almost 10 hours straight, us kitchen slaves were left to fight and salvage what little buffet scraps were left in the bottom of the pans. i came up wearily with some mashed potatoes, guinness gravy, and a couple morsels of meat.
o. m. g.
literally the best short ribs i have savoured in my entire life. through this day i have been craving and secretly plotting to steal that recipe from paul. the meat was fork tender, the gravy rich and complex. the aroma... omg. so yesterday, i finally got around to picking up a pack of boneless short ribs at albertsons.
and dialed up chef paul to see if i could glean the recipe from him. instead, i asked him outright, "i'm calling to steal your short ribs braised in guinness recipe." paul laughed and half-obliged. you can't really expect a chef to give up all his secrets can you? so after i rattled off a list of things i had picked up, he added, "you need some tomato paste or something to finish the gravy and blend the veggies and add that back to the mix." ah, so that's how he got such rich flavor. other than that, i was on my own, relying on my kitchen experience and what i could remember of braising technique and sauce reduction from cookbooks i've read. here's what i did...
i began by salting the ribs moderately on all sides. i didn't pepper them since the high heat needed to sear meat can scorch the pepper, resulting in a burnt, bitter taste. this is debatable, as the book, kitchen science, discusses, but i decided to omit the pepper this time.
after heating olive oil in a hot saute pan, the ribs went down to sear on all 4 sides until nicely browned.
while that was going, a total of about 10 min, i took the opportunity to rough chop 4 carrots, 6 celery stalks and 2 small brown onions.
after the ribs had been browned, they were removed to a platter and i dumped in the chopped veggies. 5 whole cloves of garlic, smashed, were added and everything was tossed with some salt and pepper.
i then added 1/2 a can of guinness and 1/2 a can of chicken broth to deglaze the pan.
and the ribs were nestled back in.
2 bay leaves and some parsley sprigs went next. and then i clamped a tight-fitting lid down on the pan and a pair of potholders ushered the hot pan into a 350* oven.
1.5 hours later, i checked the ribs which were pretty much fork tender. the aroma that fills the house is amazing. so out comes the scorching hot pan onto the stove.
i remove the veggies to my processor and blend away until i have a thick puree. oh yes, i removed the bay leaves first.
meanwhile the sauce has begun reducing over med-high heat.
i whisked in about half the puree and added a nice pat of butter to enrichen the sauce. and the thick, aromatic gravy was poured over the ribs in a serving platter garnished with fresh parsley.
the gravy actually resembles more a vegetable puree soup and has a beautiful tan-brown color.
i realize at this point that i have no veggies left to eat, having pureed the whole lot without thinking! darnit. oh well. time to taste.
as you can see, the meat falls apart in meaty fibers. very tender and meaty. the gravy was pretty rich tasting as well; the guinness definitely adds a smoky, complex note to the sauce. but for some reason, it just wasn't as robust in flavor as chef paul's version. i guess that's why he's the chef and i'm not. haha. but this was still pretty damn good. and the gravy will taste great over some mashed potates which i'll make tomorrow.
i think for my next run on this, i'll add some fresh herbs to add another flavor dimension to the sauce, like thyme or something. i had a package in my fridge, but it had gone rotten with mold. bleh. i can never use up those $1.99 packs of organic herbs fast enough.
chef paul! what's your secret?!? =)
o. m. g.
literally the best short ribs i have savoured in my entire life. through this day i have been craving and secretly plotting to steal that recipe from paul. the meat was fork tender, the gravy rich and complex. the aroma... omg. so yesterday, i finally got around to picking up a pack of boneless short ribs at albertsons.
and dialed up chef paul to see if i could glean the recipe from him. instead, i asked him outright, "i'm calling to steal your short ribs braised in guinness recipe." paul laughed and half-obliged. you can't really expect a chef to give up all his secrets can you? so after i rattled off a list of things i had picked up, he added, "you need some tomato paste or something to finish the gravy and blend the veggies and add that back to the mix." ah, so that's how he got such rich flavor. other than that, i was on my own, relying on my kitchen experience and what i could remember of braising technique and sauce reduction from cookbooks i've read. here's what i did...
i began by salting the ribs moderately on all sides. i didn't pepper them since the high heat needed to sear meat can scorch the pepper, resulting in a burnt, bitter taste. this is debatable, as the book, kitchen science, discusses, but i decided to omit the pepper this time.
after heating olive oil in a hot saute pan, the ribs went down to sear on all 4 sides until nicely browned.
while that was going, a total of about 10 min, i took the opportunity to rough chop 4 carrots, 6 celery stalks and 2 small brown onions.
after the ribs had been browned, they were removed to a platter and i dumped in the chopped veggies. 5 whole cloves of garlic, smashed, were added and everything was tossed with some salt and pepper.
i then added 1/2 a can of guinness and 1/2 a can of chicken broth to deglaze the pan.
and the ribs were nestled back in.
2 bay leaves and some parsley sprigs went next. and then i clamped a tight-fitting lid down on the pan and a pair of potholders ushered the hot pan into a 350* oven.
1.5 hours later, i checked the ribs which were pretty much fork tender. the aroma that fills the house is amazing. so out comes the scorching hot pan onto the stove.
i remove the veggies to my processor and blend away until i have a thick puree. oh yes, i removed the bay leaves first.
meanwhile the sauce has begun reducing over med-high heat.
i whisked in about half the puree and added a nice pat of butter to enrichen the sauce. and the thick, aromatic gravy was poured over the ribs in a serving platter garnished with fresh parsley.
the gravy actually resembles more a vegetable puree soup and has a beautiful tan-brown color.
i realize at this point that i have no veggies left to eat, having pureed the whole lot without thinking! darnit. oh well. time to taste.
as you can see, the meat falls apart in meaty fibers. very tender and meaty. the gravy was pretty rich tasting as well; the guinness definitely adds a smoky, complex note to the sauce. but for some reason, it just wasn't as robust in flavor as chef paul's version. i guess that's why he's the chef and i'm not. haha. but this was still pretty damn good. and the gravy will taste great over some mashed potates which i'll make tomorrow.
i think for my next run on this, i'll add some fresh herbs to add another flavor dimension to the sauce, like thyme or something. i had a package in my fridge, but it had gone rotten with mold. bleh. i can never use up those $1.99 packs of organic herbs fast enough.
chef paul! what's your secret?!? =)
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