tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92186888059629419402024-03-14T11:20:33.606-07:00wednesday nite dinnera dinner club and food blog.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-50369789458467881172011-11-20T13:21:00.000-08:002011-11-20T13:30:38.134-08:00follow me on my new facebook page!boy it's been difficult to keep up with this blog. remembering to snap photos during the cooking process, remember to bring my canon s90 camera to the restaurant for good low light photos, getting the right plated shot, and then posting those photos and writing an interesting blog post takes a lot of time... time i unfortunately don't have these days given my new job.<br /><br />so i've converted over to an easier format: facebook!!<br /><br />if you've enjoyed this blog, please go to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/wednesdaynitedinner">facebook.com/wednesdaynitedinner</a> and Like my page to get updates on restaurant reviews and my cooking adventures in the san francisco bay area and beyond! thanks for all your support over the years. =)<br /><br />now... time to plan thanksgiving dinner... with only 4 days left in the countdown!! what special dish are you making this year? here's my turkey from last year in san francisco...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivom9bsjzpDcSaMo2_YR8RYEfjHeWZ2Ogi2FpagUd5gsIB6PHfSCTNZ-FKPuJSMxNFkpW0iixTpEOX0T_31-g6k6FbuDPX2qlkZ7u0Zas947dlKT7WzyLtzGBCsJbemAsKZ6C8PzQ1jzSl/s1600/2010+Thanksgiving.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivom9bsjzpDcSaMo2_YR8RYEfjHeWZ2Ogi2FpagUd5gsIB6PHfSCTNZ-FKPuJSMxNFkpW0iixTpEOX0T_31-g6k6FbuDPX2qlkZ7u0Zas947dlKT7WzyLtzGBCsJbemAsKZ6C8PzQ1jzSl/s320/2010+Thanksgiving.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677192961728126850" border="0" /></a>lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-11963412742794902442011-02-14T23:08:00.001-08:002011-02-14T23:56:53.651-08:00valentine's dinnerwhen you eat at some of the best restaurants in the country on a regular basis, the idea of scrounging up a reservation at a hot restaurant (if even possible), be seated next to other lubby dubby couples where you get absolutely no privacy and have to yell your sweet nothings at each other, and be relegated to its "special valentine's menu" instead of be able to order what you really want from the menu (read: what can we serve that's cheap and easy to make en masse and we can charge $50 per guest), is just absurd.<br /><br />so this year, i decided to make my own five course valentine's dinner for my sweetheart at home. it's been a while since i've posted (sorry) and i really haven't been cooking much at all, but it was a joy to get back into the kitchen and whipping up some good grub. it was also exciting to work with some fun, luxurious ingredients. no prep pictures this time, as i was under deadline, so use your imagination. =) so without further ado...<br /><br />the menu...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WlaueqYTn5bnAf3wCH8SMDq06cbkUhefVmycUntGSIEGy77_D6wgaVvMtXb-ApvNt2_MgynHvR0Hra2-cNzuLUhId6AmUV2cBdih-dIATZXtn33mQ3RkiO3Os_AlQ_K0r8EhJb7f0ICf/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573810294019377346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WlaueqYTn5bnAf3wCH8SMDq06cbkUhefVmycUntGSIEGy77_D6wgaVvMtXb-ApvNt2_MgynHvR0Hra2-cNzuLUhId6AmUV2cBdih-dIATZXtn33mQ3RkiO3Os_AlQ_K0r8EhJb7f0ICf/s320/003.JPG" /></a><br />oysters ready for shucking! quick note: after getting your oysters home from the bar or farm, i recommend scrubbing them down with a brush in cold water to get rid of dirt and grime and make the shucking process a little cleaner. also, if you're not shucking immediately, place the oysters, deep cup side down in a bowl and cover with a wet kitchen towel in the fridge for up to 2 days max.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvzvGT0TEl6WtAenWcOwUoJ43lQMEdcd2eEvgsIgEsLAmLV-1DSXlAvS7cxAPkY9gawpvlayVQYUd-WgamQa3BFQwHRr6nxcUNUtESDs8lKwoSyQHreZ57JSwNKzud6VDi5_TmdB7Hnsk/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573810297521594994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvzvGT0TEl6WtAenWcOwUoJ43lQMEdcd2eEvgsIgEsLAmLV-1DSXlAvS7cxAPkY9gawpvlayVQYUd-WgamQa3BFQwHRr6nxcUNUtESDs8lKwoSyQHreZ57JSwNKzud6VDi5_TmdB7Hnsk/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />first course: beau soleil (atlantic northwest) and hog island sweetwater (pacific tomales bay) oysters on the half shell with champagne mignonette. i picked up both from the hog island oyster bar in the ferry building and shucked them right before serving. the beau soleils were bright, briny and meaty while the sweetwaters were sweeter and more delicate. what really brought it all together was the mignonette, a simple but tasty mixture of 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, a minced shallot, 1/4 t salt, 1/4 pepper, and another 2 tablespoons of champagne poured right before serving. great way to start off the meal after popping the bubbly.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifg39m9WEjUjg9w9uzRa34EurVlA5CN_ul1vHRMnsBCVakKU-vqQs5WxMjP7p7H-71ClWItt18gglp3KWlfMSvUtzZOO3TZijBF9RTTU_niLMzj68mj49xk0A5sCo7c-JAGu9nigRXmWxL/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573810010147338706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifg39m9WEjUjg9w9uzRa34EurVlA5CN_ul1vHRMnsBCVakKU-vqQs5WxMjP7p7H-71ClWItt18gglp3KWlfMSvUtzZOO3TZijBF9RTTU_niLMzj68mj49xk0A5sCo7c-JAGu9nigRXmWxL/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br />a 2 lb live lobster freshly steamed for about 14 minutes over boiling water. left to cool off, i then cracked the shells, and removed and coarsely chopped the delicate meat. the shells were then added to a small sauce pan with some water, bay leaf and black peppercorns to reduce down to 1 tablespoon of lobstery essence.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyORgHdkvtQMCNSePCZKEhC4CQPdVm5TuTLIta3Db84-U-w8ZzwGpubE2C3RMub8ekJylJqq8P0oRPpNw4asdZN_48A2FOoZdsbL4P201HoIM7Va3BhWpyOs_vcqIVHD38wGxQXj3G_vC/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573810305069157778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyORgHdkvtQMCNSePCZKEhC4CQPdVm5TuTLIta3Db84-U-w8ZzwGpubE2C3RMub8ekJylJqq8P0oRPpNw4asdZN_48A2FOoZdsbL4P201HoIM7Va3BhWpyOs_vcqIVHD38wGxQXj3G_vC/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />third course: warm lobster salad over butter lettuce with tarragon butter. the above lobster essence was whisked with 4 tablespoons of butter and seasoned with tarragon, lemon, salt and pepper to create the lobster dressing. after warming the lobster morsels in the dressing, i layered the meat over butter lettuce dressed with a little olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. the brightness and acidity of the lemon cut through the richness of the lobster and butter perfectly and the tarragon added a light liquorice note. quite rich on the palate. and how many times do you get to cook and devour a whole lobster!?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStyxiNgA3PnfaPS_N0O7ukKv_1t4Y5E8NVcq83qXHS-CKFzZ9cly83cPZJuuqm-TBiaLNt9DXfWOM74mzUUgAIglK1zD9Tk5ubgwC5diaAjZgMEaqxPogfVBYVA8_8Z4h1Bez5SArQfkw/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573810006339584114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStyxiNgA3PnfaPS_N0O7ukKv_1t4Y5E8NVcq83qXHS-CKFzZ9cly83cPZJuuqm-TBiaLNt9DXfWOM74mzUUgAIglK1zD9Tk5ubgwC5diaAjZgMEaqxPogfVBYVA8_8Z4h1Bez5SArQfkw/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br />third course: salmon sushi and seaweed salad. continuing the seafood theme, i thought it'd be nice to include some fresh fish. both the sushi and seaweed salad came from nijiya market in j town. very fresh and a nice counterpoint to the richness of the last course.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhckrJ7AnupzQiaNMRbWziZ6_nvKyv4BAADtefRDcpTvmE0sDYNL-mFoGx-Es6KrCDrFhJR25fooGtJU_duOQStEsdSXuSNd8-6spUifomMrxW5ShsS6Kpt8hs7GSGz5W15ssfFYTxPl9y/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573810002685423938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhckrJ7AnupzQiaNMRbWziZ6_nvKyv4BAADtefRDcpTvmE0sDYNL-mFoGx-Es6KrCDrFhJR25fooGtJU_duOQStEsdSXuSNd8-6spUifomMrxW5ShsS6Kpt8hs7GSGz5W15ssfFYTxPl9y/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br />fourth course: roasted miso marinated chilean sea bass with wasabi mashed purple potatoes and blue lake green beans. i originally wanted black cod for this, as i intended to make nobu's famed miso black cod, but nijiya market was out and the fish monger recommended the chilean sea bass as the next best substitute. boy, he was right. the filets, marinated in a sweet miso paste of red miso, sake, mirin and sugar for 2 days, was browned in a grill pan for a couple of minutes and then roasted in the oven for another 10 min until moist and flaky. so tasty, sweet and savory. the purple potatoes, mashed with shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, provided a tasty and light starch and the green beans were simply blanched. yum, yum, yum.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmapM02SpM_QP2uwvoEtsi1R8yImyruFHN88Vx3bs6DapjLLchaONEKYAQM1lf7UsFsbR2KlcxyzwMsq_mlEZcM2S5SV9ylIW2SrZvI8zBTAVLNzvZopVTMtvClgKo7trmjrQ9OQdL463S/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573809990436898418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmapM02SpM_QP2uwvoEtsi1R8yImyruFHN88Vx3bs6DapjLLchaONEKYAQM1lf7UsFsbR2KlcxyzwMsq_mlEZcM2S5SV9ylIW2SrZvI8zBTAVLNzvZopVTMtvClgKo7trmjrQ9OQdL463S/s320/007.JPG" /></a><br />fifth course: lemon curd panna cotta and lavender short bread cookies. if you're a regular of my blog, you probably know i don't bake or really make desserts. never really successful at it. so seeing as i had 4 other courses to prepare, i decided to take the easy route and pick up dessert at miette patisserie at the ferry building. light, lemony panna cotta paired well with the buttery, crumbly lavender cookies and was a nice way to wrap up a luxurious but light meal. too bad my sweetheart wasn't all that into lemony desserts. oh well, more for me!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofilpvGyCqMgaOAKcCANQL-gKZ7FYOmfJh9QtatfHhp0Fj0f2LveCYTn9BejPuwT7nrMCMc4NZsNVT6JRuekp2dpZJFNAtUQBiQPMq_3ZcyiBVOEAJrHMhdJ0kT-dah6YBITNbAJhUctR/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573809984211839522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofilpvGyCqMgaOAKcCANQL-gKZ7FYOmfJh9QtatfHhp0Fj0f2LveCYTn9BejPuwT7nrMCMc4NZsNVT6JRuekp2dpZJFNAtUQBiQPMq_3ZcyiBVOEAJrHMhdJ0kT-dah6YBITNbAJhUctR/s320/008.JPG" /></a><br />the meal was paired with a wonderful bottle of 2006 domaine carneros brut rose from napa. crisp, clean but with enough heft to match the richness of the seafood menu but enough bubbles to cut through it as well.<br /><br />my sweetheart had a fantastic time and i, apparently, got five stars. ;) next year, think about preparing your special someone a simple yet luxurious dinner for two at home. put on some slinky jazz, add a roaring fireplace (or in my instance, the youtube fireplace video on my flat screen tv), some candles and a whole lot of canoodling and you'll have a very fun, intimate and romantic valentine's that won't put you out 3 bills. ;) happy valentine's day!lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-77185580292564966292010-09-01T20:18:00.001-07:002010-09-01T20:38:07.094-07:00roast chicken: making it last a week without getting bored - nite 2this is nite 2 of a series called "roast chicken: making it last a week without getting bored." yesterday <a href="http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2010/08/roast-chicken-making-it-last-week.html">i roasted a whole chicken</a> and enjoyed a good meal for $3. now lets look at how i repurpose the chicken breast meat and create something that tastes new and yummy without spending much more cash.<br /><br />this recipe comes from ina garten's barefoot contessa at home, one of my favorite cookbooks right now. i took the 2 chicken breasts, peeled off the skins and diced the meat into 1/2 inch chunks. the meat was still moist and tender from last nite and nicely seasoned already. to that i added 3 stalks of celery chopped, a cup of green grapes sliced in half lengthwise, a couple tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon, a 1/2 cup or so mayo, salt and freshly ground black pepper.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlEz51mPRePcfzs0dic8rje2Rq3lzwbzbniwhgiuHFmbQgXVycLFr_BPHRTZc7c3bP4AyeBf8RlAFn_ryR2yeu8XaPzjFpPA5WZVfhamfoVPCTJvvLn1GzKMbYpekbcZdJ-r_Lw0-auHy/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512150591629912050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlEz51mPRePcfzs0dic8rje2Rq3lzwbzbniwhgiuHFmbQgXVycLFr_BPHRTZc7c3bP4AyeBf8RlAFn_ryR2yeu8XaPzjFpPA5WZVfhamfoVPCTJvvLn1GzKMbYpekbcZdJ-r_Lw0-auHy/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />i combined all the ingredients well in a large bowl and transferred the chicken salad to a tightly covered plastic container to chill in the fridge and let the flavors meld.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCyYcfFhYRJ40STsW4aTkkSscHuYCDkb2TxvQM_Rk-6N2cZAMXt4criaYzryUV9PYodCtnf2v7gBLAHc-2e8CeyXkEw4HE9YYt6dLcFCZm81bUcIzsZ58Tb69XdD1LBYQiBfb0yxwdr94/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512150584223218546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCyYcfFhYRJ40STsW4aTkkSscHuYCDkb2TxvQM_Rk-6N2cZAMXt4criaYzryUV9PYodCtnf2v7gBLAHc-2e8CeyXkEw4HE9YYt6dLcFCZm81bUcIzsZ58Tb69XdD1LBYQiBfb0yxwdr94/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />after an hour, i took sliced off half of the dutch crunch roll i bought yesterday and split it in half. i spread some grey poupon dijon on the bottom half, layered a few pieces of thinly sliced parmesan, added some fresh greens and topped with a serious serving of chicken salad veronique. oh and 2 garlic-stuffed olives for good measure.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXfx2fRlXnp4KcsVE-g_SVbsZTfMoxtTR7YtfBCkkfNhvNvcADR-zNN89R1ZI-zbRdwGE03F9_zbg0K6jlKhkp06u32PNoHhLwZjFmcsY4Ch9wEr6LmV5gBwXsRwvIwScBmZOINRAFr4U/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512150571576806930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXfx2fRlXnp4KcsVE-g_SVbsZTfMoxtTR7YtfBCkkfNhvNvcADR-zNN89R1ZI-zbRdwGE03F9_zbg0K6jlKhkp06u32PNoHhLwZjFmcsY4Ch9wEr6LmV5gBwXsRwvIwScBmZOINRAFr4U/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />mmm! this chicken salad is a great combination of flavors and textures. the mayo to meat ratio is perfect. the crunchy celery goes great against the tender meat. and the liquorice profile of the tarragon is matched by the sweet and slightly tart green grapes. i ended up eating extra spoonfuls of the stuff between bites of the sandwich!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysfOmp9xJoZw7wvOPbaz9DQD_2y8K04LTnszzdk2NdhSNs2N5ZXQb3GKXF1-vZ5xnQnM_pW_-vjNM4arBqVBCyuYRdlrWCHbi_hfDSUr-MYvyU6XqlWelLuw0IIgY10Me6xLOf4gro-Zj/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512150562449177058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysfOmp9xJoZw7wvOPbaz9DQD_2y8K04LTnszzdk2NdhSNs2N5ZXQb3GKXF1-vZ5xnQnM_pW_-vjNM4arBqVBCyuYRdlrWCHbi_hfDSUr-MYvyU6XqlWelLuw0IIgY10Me6xLOf4gro-Zj/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br />and what's great? it tastes nothing like last nite's roasted chicken meal. very different and satisfying. and how much did this cost? well, if we count just costs for tonite's meal, it comes out to about, oh $2.75. nice huh? so far, this week, i've spent only $5.75 on 2 fantastic dinners. tomorrow, roast chicken & wild rice soup.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-67527529443243415462010-08-31T19:25:00.000-07:002010-09-01T20:09:25.096-07:00roast chicken: making it last a week without getting bored - nite 1these days it seems like we all try to squeeze a little more out of a little less. my comfy new apartment perched high above the san franciscan valleys with a view of the transamerica building and oakland hills in the distance is taking a toll on my checkbook (along with, of course, the weekly $50 dinners at all the fabulous hotspot restaurants this damn city has).<br /><br />oh, what's one to do? well, cut back. food (and my weekend bar tabs) takes the biggest chunk out of my paycheck every month. how do you conserve cash when most of what you spend is on an essential, food?! i suppose i can downgrade what i eat - no more $10 salads from mixt greens, instead, $6 worth of greasy chinese takeout from b&m mei sing on 2nd street - but i'm not interested, or willing, to do that everyday. so then?<br /><br />i realized i could cut back quite a bit by cooking dinner more at home. cooking for one gets a little monotonous though. no one to impress, no one to ooh and aah over your masterpiece. and my taste for variety and good ingredients gets expensive. ok, so then?<br /><br />go onto any cooking site and they'll feature at least one article on how to make a meal stretch out over the week. it usually involves cooking some protein once early in the week and using that meat in imaginative ways over the next few days. repurposing. that works for me. here's the menu for the week:<br /><br />nite 1: roast chicken with thyme and rosemary, wild rice and greens tossed with a red wine vinaigrette<br />nite 2: chicken salad veronique sandwich<br />nite 3: roast chicken & wild rice soup<br />nite 4: chicken salad veronique and greens<br /><br />after work monday i swung by safeway to pick up a 5.5 lbs whole chicken. it was on sale for $0.79/lb. score. i also picked up a dutch crunch roll. i proceeded to roast the chicken the same way i did earlier this month in the <a href="http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2010/08/roasted-chicken-with-salsa-di-giovanna.html"><span style="color:#669922;">roasted chicken with salsa di giovanna and sauteed brussels sprouts</span></a> post. this time i added a couple of sprigs of rosemary into the cavity alongside the thyme. the chicken came out perfectly cooked this time around.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2zlYxQSlPimyhomrGMtWtW2KP4HAZVLyPXsuUR60Z3d64Pt3LJwsS3s4HDPVEjLEIs8u1pI4-mWO6w2IWNx0aVUatyiZCr8hztngtc_7mXvLL5Dl7gA-mVwzRvbOtFyK50ooRH6-791e/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512140278934675282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2zlYxQSlPimyhomrGMtWtW2KP4HAZVLyPXsuUR60Z3d64Pt3LJwsS3s4HDPVEjLEIs8u1pI4-mWO6w2IWNx0aVUatyiZCr8hztngtc_7mXvLL5Dl7gA-mVwzRvbOtFyK50ooRH6-791e/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />after resting the bird under foil for 10 minutes, i sliced of my favorite part, the thigh and leg, and plated that with some wild rice pilaf that'd been cooking for about an hour and some mixed greens tossed in a quickly made vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnNTWeHC_OE8zrPdyQqfcT9g1KeF4Mr0BIOQQpaKUvINyHesOxIxuW6x9pSWeTVPDXKN8RyRWqSsH7A-LuzWC_5pWxXzC29O5RAlzRe5wIzvBXsgKd2FFnbhyZXIatvEa2BXUmiaY1kEm/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512140271113419154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnNTWeHC_OE8zrPdyQqfcT9g1KeF4Mr0BIOQQpaKUvINyHesOxIxuW6x9pSWeTVPDXKN8RyRWqSsH7A-LuzWC_5pWxXzC29O5RAlzRe5wIzvBXsgKd2FFnbhyZXIatvEa2BXUmiaY1kEm/s320/003.JPG" /></a><br />in a never ending quest to become better at plating, i took one of my square molds and patted a nice square of wild rice down on the plate to add a little interest. fun. i finished off the chicken and rice by drizzling extra virgin kalamata olive oil over and around. kalamata olive oil has a stronger, more assertive olive flavor to it. good stuff.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANeZuUHyT2EUt9nW0Yq-BmrGNqLarjq_zGie28YkMmb1rCE2HFJ3AATrvqvGx5Macsy4GH_5T-O62_8tcBSuccBzjO-dOUfIU4aiIAihg9mifnvxbzaw9ge5YJCXv8_g6ru5ZKjqWp-z6/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512140264238526226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANeZuUHyT2EUt9nW0Yq-BmrGNqLarjq_zGie28YkMmb1rCE2HFJ3AATrvqvGx5Macsy4GH_5T-O62_8tcBSuccBzjO-dOUfIU4aiIAihg9mifnvxbzaw9ge5YJCXv8_g6ru5ZKjqWp-z6/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br />the chicken is tender, moist and flavorful. the greens have the acidity to cut through the chicken fat. and the rice is substantial enough to fill up the tummy nicely. a glass of crisp, fruity bota boxed chardonnay rounds out the meal.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRnnbEtMvDr-6PF56MBVpcVSKfBO35baYFVpHIthe87MikbZcaymsKXgTi9QxfjcK22ewgJBU5d1-s3l8iJ6QOEDFd7AyjTtTqYf9l6xDAidWUjbsTiPgNLGBtSrnalELdwax3O8n3SIi/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512140254041524978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRnnbEtMvDr-6PF56MBVpcVSKfBO35baYFVpHIthe87MikbZcaymsKXgTi9QxfjcK22ewgJBU5d1-s3l8iJ6QOEDFd7AyjTtTqYf9l6xDAidWUjbsTiPgNLGBtSrnalELdwax3O8n3SIi/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br />a good start to the week so far. this meal cost me about $3. after dinner, i sliced up the rest of the chicken, removing the other thigh and leg, wings, and breast meat from the carcass, saving everything in tupperware for the next meals. tomorrow nite: chicken salad veronique - an ina garten recipe! this experiment of squeezing a little more out of a little less might just work well...lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-57055988482059868882010-08-19T22:41:00.000-07:002010-08-19T23:24:45.154-07:00pan-roasted basa with new potatoes, tomatoes, spanish olives and kaleinspiration for tonite's dinner comes courtesy of food network's recipe of the day post on facebook, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/tilapia-with-hash-browns-recipe/index.html">tilapia with hash browns</a>. i'm always looking for ideas on how to cook fish, as i'm not the most confident with it in the kitchen, and the simplicity of a one-pan fish roast sounded great to a guy who's been working late lately. it also sounded like a recipe that could be repurposed easily with other similar white fish, giving me yet another technique to draw upon next time i'm faced with preparing fish.<br /><br />i headed to safeway and decided to build a more rustic fish roast, based on a couple of such entrees i've had at restaurants like nopa and others. i picked up a bag of new potatoes which would add some more substance to the dish versus hash browns that just sounded too greasy. i then picked up a bunch of kale, some roma tomatoes, a jar of garlic stuffed olives (like these more than the pimento-stuffed ones) and rosemary.<br /><br />i was about to ask the fishmonger for a pound of tilapia fillets and then noticed some other white fish next to it which looked a little more moist and meaty than the flimsy tilapia. i can't remember the name, but the guy said it was similar to catfish. a quick look at the label now reveals it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basa_fish">basa fish</a>, a mild white fish. i know it wasn't labeled basa at the store, but it definitely matches the descriptions on the web.<br /><br />once i got home, i fired up the oven to 400 degrees, sliced the new potatoes and started browning them in olive oil over medium heat. 3 cloves of chopped garlic went in as well, along with salt and black pepper.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifcwS8xigoZo9xQzy6vgvEgS0Rnm69ii__TmG3SLe-_fEVDr5PMNMpm8lZIdXyu9bKH0oIc6OMat7i2i4ChNyRQemNXXlbJktjI_1U-hZIW1s6H2CJ8WMkNYxgR4cTT4oXExh9OmfZApW/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507364536811779666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifcwS8xigoZo9xQzy6vgvEgS0Rnm69ii__TmG3SLe-_fEVDr5PMNMpm8lZIdXyu9bKH0oIc6OMat7i2i4ChNyRQemNXXlbJktjI_1U-hZIW1s6H2CJ8WMkNYxgR4cTT4oXExh9OmfZApW/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />while the potatoes browned, i chopped 2 roma tomatoes, 3 leaves of kale, and a handful of the olives. these were tossed with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCICzhuomxyfj_OH-byLgF25iWLlkIZMaKFTeP6ax8KGQNbQBaIju5tV_nTj9fFnk3aPj-uO3yead_joHYxE-aHfHOOMV3HQxtESbvd7v1S-OXa7-jU33C_NiZ27vYBkmPIZ0Yfh-BMw4/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507364528460398530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCICzhuomxyfj_OH-byLgF25iWLlkIZMaKFTeP6ax8KGQNbQBaIju5tV_nTj9fFnk3aPj-uO3yead_joHYxE-aHfHOOMV3HQxtESbvd7v1S-OXa7-jU33C_NiZ27vYBkmPIZ0Yfh-BMw4/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />i took one basa fillet and chopped it into large chunks. i then seasoned it with salt, pepper, crushed rosemary, and some tumeric for color.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPuYtZbFj5NMDr8YC4Jn7YgZFdK0inEvyIZ94afy0sUjBBGR0dzBkiBgSn_bz7CD3dvw3ttTUEjfUL8Firhuw6nOiw1N9uAJwipBQZB5bUehc9AO-QSI1swo8iR2liSxbzJvgCe1b3hIc/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507364368754583122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPuYtZbFj5NMDr8YC4Jn7YgZFdK0inEvyIZ94afy0sUjBBGR0dzBkiBgSn_bz7CD3dvw3ttTUEjfUL8Firhuw6nOiw1N9uAJwipBQZB5bUehc9AO-QSI1swo8iR2liSxbzJvgCe1b3hIc/s320/003.JPG" /></a><br />i then layered the kale and half the tomato mixture over the potatoes, then the basa, and the remaining tomatoes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53MBAnCt4mlkrDhimp6VjBAdzYl0fCAPCRCnhTGG6IG4KlN1fnoiQAQAKZsPDVjI4VmgIY7z6voRuy8miyrAy3zbaYnJyBGWonSinpfSpZp-yclwfFckmqlgLsNDhqEKviNvpQqjcwHUi/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507364361373257522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53MBAnCt4mlkrDhimp6VjBAdzYl0fCAPCRCnhTGG6IG4KlN1fnoiQAQAKZsPDVjI4VmgIY7z6voRuy8miyrAy3zbaYnJyBGWonSinpfSpZp-yclwfFckmqlgLsNDhqEKviNvpQqjcwHUi/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br />the whole skillet went into the hot oven for about 15 minutes to roast. once i got to around 10 minutes on the clock, i kept a close eye on the fish to make sure it was cooked through but not starting to dry out. (i hate dry fish.) i was looking for medium doneness.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hh8JdFiphefNShTUGITH0nfthqSk8WVulZk7nxj4MlBDsyhWSo56ucvuqF5QdaQi1csznl10YJUoOfB0LPz2KNS5A0rJYmjwlZ52k1GSuIhxcuje5CDoTvTQ8qr6pD8ByEjt-bZVQjzq/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507364353711388690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hh8JdFiphefNShTUGITH0nfthqSk8WVulZk7nxj4MlBDsyhWSo56ucvuqF5QdaQi1csznl10YJUoOfB0LPz2KNS5A0rJYmjwlZ52k1GSuIhxcuje5CDoTvTQ8qr6pD8ByEjt-bZVQjzq/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br />plating was a little complex, as there are a lot of ingredients in the dish, but it presents beautifully. the tumeric was a last minute addition, but i think it add just the right punch of color against the rich greens and reds of the kale and tomatoes. and the roasted rosemary sprig was a nice touch. to finish the dish, i drizzled extra virgin olive oil over everything and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to bring it all together.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFkZhs8kxhrUIJb1YwDXYZbflcI-V6n-PI-RnuFZMJjmJZwHeox2ThmfsHRyc0-JJ0Vj3dD5trZ6XWb1oJLgvbOZZ8FksWf2C7c-nAAmCLqN05d_0g6C-REWiVYLb3IAbJbClX0PHpQiP/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507364348656311634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFkZhs8kxhrUIJb1YwDXYZbflcI-V6n-PI-RnuFZMJjmJZwHeox2ThmfsHRyc0-JJ0Vj3dD5trZ6XWb1oJLgvbOZZ8FksWf2C7c-nAAmCLqN05d_0g6C-REWiVYLb3IAbJbClX0PHpQiP/s320/007.JPG" /></a><br />this dish was a delight to eat. the basa fish is extremely tender and moist and is really similar to catfish but a bit milder in flavor. the tumeric and rosemary gave it a subtle but substantial flavor. the kale was tender where it was under the fish, but crispy where it was exposed to the heat, a nice contrast in texture. and the tomatoes and olives provided a nice acidic, salty punch to the smooth and starchy potatoes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xk2bEY3vQPtjGa7Y9oCNwcRGIgwN068FkOtjkAWGZCG8Utsonz747ngUSxNwxNPW6dEPY2AecBr11Tanw1gK_mH3xd0JB1N_VNhxNhAsfmQm3uFX0mvdLG1lO_X2qNYixLvd8_sFf4_S/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507364340639879138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xk2bEY3vQPtjGa7Y9oCNwcRGIgwN068FkOtjkAWGZCG8Utsonz747ngUSxNwxNPW6dEPY2AecBr11Tanw1gK_mH3xd0JB1N_VNhxNhAsfmQm3uFX0mvdLG1lO_X2qNYixLvd8_sFf4_S/s320/008.JPG" /></a><br />all in all, a very easy dish to prepare and it's great that it's all done in one pan. i can easily see substituting the basa with tilapia, catfish or even cod, which would be amazing. it's also a pretty cost-effective dinner. total cost for this meal comes out to around $7.50. and you know fish entrees usually clock in around $20. a success on many levels!lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-91359492562832278932010-08-12T00:14:00.000-07:002010-08-12T01:06:00.004-07:00sauteed shrimp with chile, lemon and thai basil, summer squash saute and wild rice pilafwhenever my friend nerissa and i get together we know it's going to be a long night of fun conversation. so this time around, i suggested we have dinner at my place where i could cook us a nice meal and we could gossip leisurely over a bottle of wine in a comfy space without feeling rushed by a waiter. yes, i haven't made a wednesday nite dinner in a while...<br /><br />i decided to go with a one-plate entree inspired by a <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/quick-dinner-spicy-lemon-basil-shrimp-with-israeli-couscous-119561">food post in the kitchn blog, chili, lemon, and basil shrimp with israeli couscous</a> to keep prep to a minimum. after work today, i ran into safeway, picked up a pound of large 31/40 count raw shrimp and a container of raw macademia nuts (because i love macademias and i figured it would add a little crunch and texture to the dish). i then ran across the street to golden produce to pick up other ingredients.<br /><br />while in the produce store, i realized i needed to add some vegetables to balance the protein/starch recipe. i settled on some nice yellow and italian squash and grabbed a roma tomato for acidity. with groceries in bag and hand, i jumped on the muni back up the hill home.<br /><br />once home i got the wild rice pilaf going (the store didn't have israeli, or pearl, couscous, so i substituted a wild rice mix that would add texture and color to the dish. a cup of rice, 2 cups of chicken broth and a pat of butter simmered on the stove for about an hour until fluffy.<br /><br />while the rice simmered, i diced up the squash and sauteed them with some garlic and shallots over medium heat in olive oil until soft and caramelized. i then added the diced tomato and seasoned liberally with salt and pepper, some cumin seed, some chopped cilantro, more olive oil, and a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar to balance out the flavors. as the saute was pretty soft, i crushed a handful of the macademia nuts and added that to the mixture for some crunchy texture. the whole concoction simmered over low heat for another 10 min or so which really helped all the flavors meld.<br /><br />when the rice was ready, i turned my attention to the shrimp, which would cook quickly once they hit the pan. i heated a saute pan over high heat, added olive oil, chopped garlic and red chilies, and quickly added the shelled, deveined and butterflied shrimp. once they started turning opaque, i grated the zest of one lemon into the pan, squeezed the juice from said lemon, and added a big handful of coarsely chopped thai basil leaves. a quick stir and the shrimp was ready.<br /><br />to plate, i layered the rice pilaf in a bowl, followed by a hearty portion of shrimp, and then garnished with the squash saute. sorry for the lack of usual step-by-step pictures, but i was too engaged in conversation with nerissa sitting across the counter to remember to grab my camera. but here's the plated result...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvwZfHkOA-mk5IVHc9tCX_d8O-8Tr0Uz6HrZoKZDD1FwXPJnD_rT8G1OEE5UkrP9Ir-SThcIc-eQSj1R8z9RCgZkVLoG-qrCT6qdhKxNb9UDxqRTIWILEnWXI7cdYK-l2wWJQBISEJ-VP/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504424826578575746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvwZfHkOA-mk5IVHc9tCX_d8O-8Tr0Uz6HrZoKZDD1FwXPJnD_rT8G1OEE5UkrP9Ir-SThcIc-eQSj1R8z9RCgZkVLoG-qrCT6qdhKxNb9UDxqRTIWILEnWXI7cdYK-l2wWJQBISEJ-VP/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />i must say, the flavors, textures and colors came together very nicely for a one-plate entree. the shrimp was fresh, springy and spicy with a nice lemon punch from the citrus and lemony thai basil. the summer squash saute had the right amount of acidity, thanks to the tomato and red wine vinegar, to cut through the olive oil in both the squash and shrimp sautees, and the cumin seed added just a touch of mediterranean to the dish. the rich wild rice pilaf was a perfect match, adding crunch and texture as well as a nice dark color base to the dish.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuXz4w_ZKeWlxSXANvjffBRABdVHQ6k4z0BPuKCBrYk18UFi1JSMB8hTohyzY2zB1aU1WKvc_LFSg95D1o1l07pIV37QSw4LKicPF-K7nhQ0pw9PSEiUo_Llpk_SEViAh-yWKuGQMMtZU/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504424819773899570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuXz4w_ZKeWlxSXANvjffBRABdVHQ6k4z0BPuKCBrYk18UFi1JSMB8hTohyzY2zB1aU1WKvc_LFSg95D1o1l07pIV37QSw4LKicPF-K7nhQ0pw9PSEiUo_Llpk_SEViAh-yWKuGQMMtZU/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />nerissa brought a lovely bottle of 2007 ledson russian river valley sauvignon blanc which paired perfectly with its bright floral and fruity pineapple notes. oh, and note my awesome new orange, basket-weave square placemats from cb2!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXU0geITwFhJdbwgj7EN9V2LP67dzPk-dFk-xv2enEneVDFf7VzLvxJT9yw5xne0H3KADzlg05WvtbkXzteisAp9mHMLsjyDXyJ8ZHzhPOgDOO4SmGro5-iTpjU2dwD112CQGv6tGD__ii/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504424812784790226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXU0geITwFhJdbwgj7EN9V2LP67dzPk-dFk-xv2enEneVDFf7VzLvxJT9yw5xne0H3KADzlg05WvtbkXzteisAp9mHMLsjyDXyJ8ZHzhPOgDOO4SmGro5-iTpjU2dwD112CQGv6tGD__ii/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br />all in all, dinner was ready in an hour and nerissa and i settled into an evening of non-stop conversation and laughs while devouring everything on our plates, in the pots and pans, and bottle and glasses. what a great wednesday nite...lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-8756208419077647542010-08-03T21:24:00.000-07:002010-08-03T22:37:21.174-07:00roasted chicken with salsa di giovanna and sauteed brussels sproutsroast chicken is one of those soul-warming dishes that are just amazing on a cold, foggy nite in summery san francisco. you may think roasting a whole chicken is a difficult thing, but actually, it's one of the most simplest in terms of preparation and pretty difficult to screw up. it's also inexpensive to make.<br /><br />this recipe comes from james peterson's <em>cooking</em>, a massive, award-winning cookbook that explores the kitchen essentials and basic cooking techniques that every chef should know. the recipe is very simple compared to others but also very effective and quite tasty. once you get the technique down, you can then vary the recipe by adding aromatics, marinades, dry rubs and so on. so let's get to it.<br /><br />i start with a fresh young chicken of about 5 pounds and truss the legs and wings with kitchen twine to keep the package compact. the neck and giblets go down around the chicken in a pan that is just large enough to hold everything. this is important because exposed pan surfaces can easily burn and smoke.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj3Tl7DmIIyZfuvP6vTjOUuAMs1Tw2sXNC3YUiRioc6UPVa8QmoTEqo0_90Cq1I78ZXrZJWQWwWd0YkAtBP_PDKkbDqtu4OXIMQe5wVqGaVkHGtskEf1q9P-WzIPQCmS8r_fF9nsEFzEb/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407635597713506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj3Tl7DmIIyZfuvP6vTjOUuAMs1Tw2sXNC3YUiRioc6UPVa8QmoTEqo0_90Cq1I78ZXrZJWQWwWd0YkAtBP_PDKkbDqtu4OXIMQe5wVqGaVkHGtskEf1q9P-WzIPQCmS8r_fF9nsEFzEb/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />the entire chicken is seasoned liberally with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. i also inserted a few sprigs of thyme in the cavity. not part of the recipe, but i had some extra and wanted to get rid of the thyme before it went bad.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVCm1utd6EN0iLBpZv_UAesHPNZToz9FRMGUWumuVSa350rTl1UPv0tYk4fz0VlIkRLZkO1Xz-R_ILJF2LAhnOqoziREtSDbhiiBl8n6jkmx7nt83-T89MZvlANDoipvA-RB8GG8u967c/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407630836495730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVCm1utd6EN0iLBpZv_UAesHPNZToz9FRMGUWumuVSa350rTl1UPv0tYk4fz0VlIkRLZkO1Xz-R_ILJF2LAhnOqoziREtSDbhiiBl8n6jkmx7nt83-T89MZvlANDoipvA-RB8GG8u967c/s320/003.JPG" /></a><br />a triple layer of foil is rubbed with a tablespoon of room temperature butter and covers the breast, buttered-side down. this protects the breast meat from cooking too fast and drying out before the thigh meat is done. the chicken then goes into a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 25 minutes to roast.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aGcjakSpRq4F02-_AIPpMX2p3hMHKgZcYq04U49srXrg-KQSNDAOHw39iAjkNCH9VECE-eGchyheyDgMtjuOpf-DwXDAvKVE2n-W3c5zZwdZM6zug7gP9Ea37ZWtMRT9T18QnsXnxMOl/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407620699038418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aGcjakSpRq4F02-_AIPpMX2p3hMHKgZcYq04U49srXrg-KQSNDAOHw39iAjkNCH9VECE-eGchyheyDgMtjuOpf-DwXDAvKVE2n-W3c5zZwdZM6zug7gP9Ea37ZWtMRT9T18QnsXnxMOl/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br />with the chicken in the oven, i turned towards prepping the salsa di giovanna which is basically a vinaigrette of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and herbs. <a href="http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2010/07/roasted-beet-and-arugula-grilled.html">i last used this over swordfish a couple of weeks ago</a> with much success and knew it would taste amazing on roasted chicken. so i chopped up a few sprigs of mint and oregano, thinly sliced 3 cloves of garlic, and juiced one lemon into a measuring cup.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeVZqHe8VpB-vkZBIk1syf-qK6v7XdcEX534ydcL1eX7pvnIhtxCVWG2dYgZMsEiZBnTcWj5gqBO5ZxT31UxgSh-8OCt95umfa97sVjM9Lri2OVFssIh47uuxmqfjrunbR8SBXJqaBD1U/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407615244790882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeVZqHe8VpB-vkZBIk1syf-qK6v7XdcEX534ydcL1eX7pvnIhtxCVWG2dYgZMsEiZBnTcWj5gqBO5ZxT31UxgSh-8OCt95umfa97sVjM9Lri2OVFssIh47uuxmqfjrunbR8SBXJqaBD1U/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br />i combined the lemon juice with three times as much extra virgin olive oil and whisked them into an emulsion. the garlic and herbs went in and sea salt and black pepper seasoned to taste. once combined, i set this aside to let the flavors meld.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCVUfcWNPpLaXyeiIecoXb9PRNKgaja6vjShjDbDPNq_zDqAoYV9d5IY4Cqmjcwv-IPvuDshroSxf0zycgXodAiO9GK7D4HiUNG66BqSlQ2xCC9yHbwXPO1ViBq6B3Aa_7_buH3-fUcmv/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407118865420674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCVUfcWNPpLaXyeiIecoXb9PRNKgaja6vjShjDbDPNq_zDqAoYV9d5IY4Cqmjcwv-IPvuDshroSxf0zycgXodAiO9GK7D4HiUNG66BqSlQ2xCC9yHbwXPO1ViBq6B3Aa_7_buH3-fUcmv/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br />after 25 minutes of roasting, i removed the foil from the breast. after another 15 minutes, i checked between the breast and thigh with an instant read thermometer for a temperature of 140 degrees, which would mean the chicken was perfectly done. but i was getting inconsistent readings and when i tilted the chicken to its side, the drippings were still cloudy red. i put it back into the oven for another 10 minutes until the juices ran clear with red streaks. (completely clear juices mean the chicken is overcooked.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPyHj4fIv4XSWirMFUv8M8YMw3ybXl_MZYRS91gVZQSgZIzbMklxnQUQmiOjDY2DLQCuiO2uRlGuw-mpX9xaxalJGhoFQFDp0Q6q6J8jwhIxjIg0bAa6790WCowqyBIC7nhX3zgGmXHvY/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407115199728578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPyHj4fIv4XSWirMFUv8M8YMw3ybXl_MZYRS91gVZQSgZIzbMklxnQUQmiOjDY2DLQCuiO2uRlGuw-mpX9xaxalJGhoFQFDp0Q6q6J8jwhIxjIg0bAa6790WCowqyBIC7nhX3zgGmXHvY/s320/007.JPG" /></a><br />once the chicken was properly done, i let it stand for 10 minutes while i sauteed some sliced brussels sprouts in a little butter until nicely browned. a dusting of salt and black pepper finished off the side dish.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3NKeTVDhfpbhHWdfkkPi2ArrwMNY402orZJI0h_USvB3Itw1browMapmN1xmpYSIAr5dWaZdah7Gh33I7-YMkaQKLfhbZ-hn1wkNUXHSIalRFSG41l54kSvVSbeLFfu9vbnbvKc2no4M/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407106131266210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3NKeTVDhfpbhHWdfkkPi2ArrwMNY402orZJI0h_USvB3Itw1browMapmN1xmpYSIAr5dWaZdah7Gh33I7-YMkaQKLfhbZ-hn1wkNUXHSIalRFSG41l54kSvVSbeLFfu9vbnbvKc2no4M/s320/008.JPG" /></a><br />time to plate! i like dark meat so i sliced off the thigh and leg portion and plated it with some of the brussels sprouts and drizzled the vinaigrette over and around the chicken.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpKapt3C4vIwmz-uQfRQh5-KX3nhgatOUMXCZtyeTJCm3q7Av9ccWHeqgLaoLew1xDB2ICwuzWj8eSfiqw4MD9aPCgCAf_V0toOXwQbFheqa8aNCsr-GBXJ4bSK9dDyoyobslRK-puo95/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407098698118482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpKapt3C4vIwmz-uQfRQh5-KX3nhgatOUMXCZtyeTJCm3q7Av9ccWHeqgLaoLew1xDB2ICwuzWj8eSfiqw4MD9aPCgCAf_V0toOXwQbFheqa8aNCsr-GBXJ4bSK9dDyoyobslRK-puo95/s320/010.JPG" /></a><br />the peterson recipe yields moist and flavorful meat that pretty much fell off the bone. while the skin wasn't as crispy as i'd have liked - more time in the oven would've remedied this but that would also have run the risk of overcooking the breast meat - it was plenty tasty and i'd rather have moist, juicy meat over dry, grainy stuff anyday. the chicken tasted fantastic. perfectly seasoned and accented by the salsa di giovanna, giving it a green and lemony bite.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpVKoD6pOsghgXXXAcgjPvo1WB2kmvSXHYdXv7Zet_8NSfg0o0hjsPSTJvqzGEOdzCiaxcRM8Nd_k94C_lHEx3Znmn3n-HFVWUQv8lSIdujiiVDhNkoYp0I394mhOHc8CcsrorrOr8yTo/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501407090064093986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpVKoD6pOsghgXXXAcgjPvo1WB2kmvSXHYdXv7Zet_8NSfg0o0hjsPSTJvqzGEOdzCiaxcRM8Nd_k94C_lHEx3Znmn3n-HFVWUQv8lSIdujiiVDhNkoYp0I394mhOHc8CcsrorrOr8yTo/s320/011.JPG" /></a><br />all in all, oven time was around 60 minutes while active prep time was only about 10-15 min. the 5 pound chicken cost me less than $5. cost of tonite's dinner plate? oh, less than $2. average cost for the same entree at a san franciscan eatery? probably around $15-18. of course, my safeway chicken isn't organic, local or free-range, but you know...<br /><br />for some reason, i always think of roast chicken as a chore to make, but it looks like i just proved myself wrong. the savings in budget is mighty satisfying too.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-91308339927717804762010-07-26T22:41:00.000-07:002010-07-27T00:40:07.857-07:00roasted beet and arugula, grilled swordfish with salsa di giovanna, grilled peach and summer fruit with marscaponelast friday nite i hosted a special dinner for the boys. they've all heard i'm a foodie and that i can cook but have never tasted my cooking with the exception of an albondigas here and a green herb dip there. so i thought i'd pull out all the stops for this dinner for 7.<br /><br />for hors d'ouevres, i served a bruschetta with red, yellow and green heirloom tomatoes tossed with fresh torn basil, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. the crostini was freshly sliced from a round loaf of sourdough from thoroughbread bakery on church st, toast in a grill pan for some deep grill marks, and finished off with a rubbing of freshly sliced garlic and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. unfortunately i forgot to take a picture of the colorful bruschetta plated on a black tray, so you'll have to use your imagination.<br /><br />onto the first plated course, roasted beet and arugula salad. here i roasted some red beets in the oven at 400* with some olive oil and sprigs of thyme tightly wrapped in foil. once they were knife tender, i let them cool, carefully peeled the red-staining skins, sliced into wedges and tossed with a bit of red wine vinegar and olive oil. i also made a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil in a 1 to 3 ratio and seasoned with salt and fresh ground black pepper.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVccoU7Mc3syzNCDBahzI0CF4QV8dNx_1RL470x8p_rP7TcVElzqfOWxsH2EP-l82NnQMX-gg-orobnTduMhpy9otXmVYuJcVcwgW0xZrVjMnE0DUN33vj4cZitfrdJreQ3V3g3vE1A45o/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498458306044987906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVccoU7Mc3syzNCDBahzI0CF4QV8dNx_1RL470x8p_rP7TcVElzqfOWxsH2EP-l82NnQMX-gg-orobnTduMhpy9otXmVYuJcVcwgW0xZrVjMnE0DUN33vj4cZitfrdJreQ3V3g3vE1A45o/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />i then lightly dressed mixed herbs and arugula leaves and tossed with sliced red onions, the beets, and dotted with creamy goat cheese. the result was a nice balance between the sweet, earthy beets and acidic red wine vinegar, and the soft and creamy goat cheese and peppery arugula.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWteg-VDK38zG9wVr7xTQkCgC5xpziD1MxJnn6H1cnQsUo1ljTRJWjetpInlKWQFGv7NQ91Tek5-zL8UPJOwV2NfqVxVxqMyRAC6DKwBEIv2nv9hdEjWypAFh7Dxpw-kQBP4rDbP7nKda/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498458297698278946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWteg-VDK38zG9wVr7xTQkCgC5xpziD1MxJnn6H1cnQsUo1ljTRJWjetpInlKWQFGv7NQ91Tek5-zL8UPJOwV2NfqVxVxqMyRAC6DKwBEIv2nv9hdEjWypAFh7Dxpw-kQBP4rDbP7nKda/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />for the second plated course, i seasoned 1/2 inch thick swordfish steaks with salt and pepper and brushed them with olive oil. these went down on a searing hot grill pan for a couple minutes each side. for the accompanying sides, i boiled a couple pounds of small red potatoes until knife tender and smashed them, skins and all, with a lot of extra virgin olive oil, thyme leaves for a lemony herbal note, and salt and pepper. i also sauteed yellow and pale green summer squash that were sliced into bite-sized chunks in a bit of olive oil and some fresh basil.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TDlld-DJP9DY-IfHyoSZ3O2Dt_Lq-JwSdw7bfoMgUIkWxQnXUuPjvpTLbPCZUNQYYYaAuffSWYeV1U6d5yg7Tcb32abJRdGH89wDtSI9AN9GtBj2iFLDrn_wxFV9OTOGk3-WN1WflqMg/s1600/021.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498458292147837106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TDlld-DJP9DY-IfHyoSZ3O2Dt_Lq-JwSdw7bfoMgUIkWxQnXUuPjvpTLbPCZUNQYYYaAuffSWYeV1U6d5yg7Tcb32abJRdGH89wDtSI9AN9GtBj2iFLDrn_wxFV9OTOGk3-WN1WflqMg/s320/021.JPG" /></a><br />to plate, i scooped a big portion of potatoes down, followed by the grilled swordfish, and then topped with the summer squash. to finish the dish, i drizzled salsa di giovanna on and around the fish, an italian concoction of fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, thinly sliced garlic, and freshly chopped oregano and mint, along with salt and pepper to taste. the result flavors bring a bright lemony zest to the swordfish and moistens the meat nicely.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtTEsSHvnXY3R5_PLFaw36EWR7HVcOYlXadMAj3O3yidC4PnC3MqgvGzpCUjeCDybr8puGXu-tSIPkzkCoKNbyFhzQO8L-NFzTgcB1r8d214kJ0mMkfQHSGDe86DAURYK6XMEK4Z2MVz9/s1600/028.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498458286520733122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtTEsSHvnXY3R5_PLFaw36EWR7HVcOYlXadMAj3O3yidC4PnC3MqgvGzpCUjeCDybr8puGXu-tSIPkzkCoKNbyFhzQO8L-NFzTgcB1r8d214kJ0mMkfQHSGDe86DAURYK6XMEK4Z2MVz9/s320/028.JPG" /></a><br />to finish the meal, i decided to go with something summery to balance the richness of the last course. i sliced a couple of ripe but still firm peaches on a searing hot grill pan until some great grill marks rode across both faces of the peach slices. while that was going i macerated raspberries and blueberries with a bit of sugar to give it a little bit of a sweet kick. marscapone cheese, an italian cream cheese, was whipped with a whisk and sugar to lighten the cream and sweeten it. that then went down on a small plate to anchor the grilled peaches and sweet berries and provide a creamy contrast to the naturally sweet and light summer fruit.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgaqkN91o7ktBziXXcJwfAQAtPayzErekxLUbBqUtaabwQRDo5eQkX6ShLncf3mlTbUzH8skl2A9AZ8THTNd8vuzH-fBBrLckkhxd9WO7evwqIDQe5yKNsH1M7GwJC3LeZi-xSn7fuDSf/s1600/059.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498458277723679362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgaqkN91o7ktBziXXcJwfAQAtPayzErekxLUbBqUtaabwQRDo5eQkX6ShLncf3mlTbUzH8skl2A9AZ8THTNd8vuzH-fBBrLckkhxd9WO7evwqIDQe5yKNsH1M7GwJC3LeZi-xSn7fuDSf/s320/059.JPG" /></a><br />i served all the above with a great '08 chateau st. michelle dry riesling that had just enough fruit to brighten up the swordfish but enough body to counter the richness of the meal.<br /><br />all in all, a great meal with the boys. plenty of wine and laughs. and everyone's plate was licked clean: the best compliment a chef could have. thanks for an awesome nite and dinner, boys!lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-23541923842130160302010-06-09T21:56:00.000-07:002010-06-09T22:48:35.746-07:00miso glazed salmon and bok choycontinuing the challenge of learning how to cook fish at home and not be intimidated by it, i decided to tackle some salmon steaks i had in the freezer tonite. i had previously pan-fried one of the three salmon steaks, and while tasty, it was way too greasy and unhealthy feeling. so tonite, i decided to use a japanese-style preparation that called for marinating and broiling the fish, no oil added. this recipe comes from the williams-sonoma cookbook, food made fast: weeknights. here we go.<br /><br />for the miso marinade, i combined 1/4 cup miso paste, 1/3 cup mirin, 1/4 cup sake, 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon soy sauce together and set the salmon steaks in the marinade for about 15 minutes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDfTfnIiOLYC4yCMgDiSl0hh7qIxt2ep4Az42nJaBSmBK-3455NOh93sOnuU9K65RUCemZ0rd8ifR2pRgYxLeigkPKPmw1jBaz5mNUX827bRQ0JHNsVYZyaRe1LTj8eKtCSVBuKlGus25/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481007633145278786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDfTfnIiOLYC4yCMgDiSl0hh7qIxt2ep4Az42nJaBSmBK-3455NOh93sOnuU9K65RUCemZ0rd8ifR2pRgYxLeigkPKPmw1jBaz5mNUX827bRQ0JHNsVYZyaRe1LTj8eKtCSVBuKlGus25/s320/001.JPG" /></a><br />i also sliced 1 head of bok choy lengthwise and set that aside.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhmfXG1seGu6bZADwPd4qn55pCDj0Cp0wY3CTfze_EhM_uMok69fk3Gxctp2cdpvVpKmMoW3Ny_LlGXai-ZTDX30j0TJCYnS0nIH9e2m5slIlQJCoCrdTBXZrIjXEyI9oLZPReKByYASN/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481005295939316930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhmfXG1seGu6bZADwPd4qn55pCDj0Cp0wY3CTfze_EhM_uMok69fk3Gxctp2cdpvVpKmMoW3Ny_LlGXai-ZTDX30j0TJCYnS0nIH9e2m5slIlQJCoCrdTBXZrIjXEyI9oLZPReKByYASN/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br />while the salmon marinated, i cranked up the broiler and prepared a sheet pan lined with foil. once the broiler was hot and ready, i placed the salmon steaks on the pan and coated the bok choy in the marinade and placed that next to the fish. the pan went under the broiler for 5 minutes. i then flipped the fish and bok choy, spread a bit more marinade over both, and returned it under the broiler for another 5 minutes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZunlm5CCGvVxHDemHFcRNDomrJuAgVaJyIcDpSuF2XjsVd6QZOYS_ew-LlmIkNh8z-X5Vb9iHm0w6x2yk4nw6_vV6u668vmgNcRt3f6alSkR59JXL1vIsjO8FirIF2DCqdzNcEbR3cPQ-/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481005299889962626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZunlm5CCGvVxHDemHFcRNDomrJuAgVaJyIcDpSuF2XjsVd6QZOYS_ew-LlmIkNh8z-X5Vb9iHm0w6x2yk4nw6_vV6u668vmgNcRt3f6alSkR59JXL1vIsjO8FirIF2DCqdzNcEbR3cPQ-/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />i ended up leaving the fish under the broiler a couple minutes more to help with caramelization and charring of the edges. it also helped cook the fish throughly.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSg-2yDF4rnuTAYuBQ06CVkKqLwDl2wL2kjKEYs0hoZFDPw0u4ZL2j6Kvr9vh9oBksV0qUooRdUpEGtlem9-Sue4eijo31aIQF7FSYXuMCoAK8KadzWWFCOB0DJ_eotovl4oXsVfu9BvJr/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481005286627409746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSg-2yDF4rnuTAYuBQ06CVkKqLwDl2wL2kjKEYs0hoZFDPw0u4ZL2j6Kvr9vh9oBksV0qUooRdUpEGtlem9-Sue4eijo31aIQF7FSYXuMCoAK8KadzWWFCOB0DJ_eotovl4oXsVfu9BvJr/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br />i plated with a scoop of white rice, the salmon, half the bok choy, and garnished with some seaweed and pickled radish. i also had a small bowl of edamame to round out the meal.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd78dPehwXDmJNXpTvkphzwqFkEClzjBLFN6hekLL1inMEDM9FcXQX7rXygZpFJ3iiLoZF85ct7K9czI-1WHtdZ9rAHx3MM1phFMDVodNP7EwYVEF7-F_cI5jKpEu4PDKa5LNO_RF81o-3/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481005280325637538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd78dPehwXDmJNXpTvkphzwqFkEClzjBLFN6hekLL1inMEDM9FcXQX7rXygZpFJ3iiLoZF85ct7K9czI-1WHtdZ9rAHx3MM1phFMDVodNP7EwYVEF7-F_cI5jKpEu4PDKa5LNO_RF81o-3/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br />the fish was moist, tender and sweet thanks to the miso glaze. i also liked how the marinade caramelized on the fish and it lended great subtle flavor to the bok choy.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAdzZlwKPKPNil5GFtf_eUvEpH-uAxH3yQcPG1s2CSp5nu-8bZekfb18ImbTLSUv25pY_m-TuaiGao5XJdlHa2y4lE-jwdDo6iFof0z_lpKcKPlOjopYwQmUK5Ys4rydK9YF99mpSNijf/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481005274524949250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAdzZlwKPKPNil5GFtf_eUvEpH-uAxH3yQcPG1s2CSp5nu-8bZekfb18ImbTLSUv25pY_m-TuaiGao5XJdlHa2y4lE-jwdDo6iFof0z_lpKcKPlOjopYwQmUK5Ys4rydK9YF99mpSNijf/s320/008.JPG" /></a><br />i do think next time i'll let the fish marinate for an hour or more, even overnite. i can only image how tasty the salmon would be if the miso infused every bit of flesh. the only oil in this dish came from the fish itself, which was a nice contrast over the greasy pan-fried salmon. overall, this fish preparation was very tasty, healthy and easy to prepare. i think i'll try this with some other fish. black cod maybe??lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-31957632726358736932010-06-08T21:58:00.000-07:002010-06-09T01:01:32.547-07:00grilled mackerel and bok choy with cold sobaone of my favorite things to eat at lunch while working downtown is grilled saba, or mackerel. i usually get it from one of the japanese restaurants near my office, or at one of those salad bars like julie's kitchen. the saba is usually simply grilled with salt and pepper, finished off with either lemon or dill. moist, meaty and good for you, this seafish is one of my favorite fish to eat.<br /><br />i've often wondered how easy (or hard) it would be to prepare mackerel at home. i have this weird aversion to cooking fish in my kitchen and i'm not sure why. familiarity probably has to do with it. if you threw me a chunk of non-descript pork meat, i could do wonders with it. toss fish at me, and i'm usually at a loss. so here goes my first attempt at making grilled mackerel at home.<br /><br />swinging by the nijiya market in j town this evening, i picked up a small package of fresh mackerel that was already prepped (filleted, deboned, etc.) a couple heads of baby bok choy, and opened up a package of soba noodles from my pantry. after washing the mackerel filets and patting dry with a paper towel, i scored the skin a couple of times and seasoned both sides of the fish with salt and pepper well. i also sliced the bok choy in half lenth-wise and got a pot of water boiling for the noodles.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKC5SBMpKr_0HeKLdyLXkdaqIB6xIlgeX4Ih3b-vtqVd7HRrnLoJUiBgUl9TCqKfZPGVQEsqhitkOJAS5PZ1vkftjiwQRBN6RXIfh6THQ-17-T-856u29s_UdcDAy_4dA6dhLl_vJsd0i/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480635868768035490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKC5SBMpKr_0HeKLdyLXkdaqIB6xIlgeX4Ih3b-vtqVd7HRrnLoJUiBgUl9TCqKfZPGVQEsqhitkOJAS5PZ1vkftjiwQRBN6RXIfh6THQ-17-T-856u29s_UdcDAy_4dA6dhLl_vJsd0i/s320/002.JPG" /></a><br />a couple of tablespoons of olive oil went onto a hot grill pan and in went the mackerel, meat-side down first, and the bok choy, cut side down. after about 4 minutes, i flipped everything over to char the other side.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7Hu_HGubOfchA8fC2HXJKlVjB6jSHb34aSOkGi9duTLdhHC-zTGvxeoVEwwmfE8Q7olYXBxCDpxKHLnSdBIJeUPzu3dGAvj2W50Tdsj2uYGMsWx8-SI2975xJCUt6zevFNeX537NDtAJ/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480635878302933618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7Hu_HGubOfchA8fC2HXJKlVjB6jSHb34aSOkGi9duTLdhHC-zTGvxeoVEwwmfE8Q7olYXBxCDpxKHLnSdBIJeUPzu3dGAvj2W50Tdsj2uYGMsWx8-SI2975xJCUt6zevFNeX537NDtAJ/s320/004.JPG" /></a><br />after 5 minutes in the boiling water, the soba noodles were rinsed in cold water and set to drain while i plated everything up. here you see a bowl of soba noodles topped with the grilled bok choy, a small bowl of soba dipping sauce with a touch of wasabi, and the grilled saba on the rectangular plate. i garnished with a bit of marinated seaweed and pickled radish.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIle1UPkRgRcLts5O7hd9xjA9LAnLql0uhI7is4uTv6zaGO26O8u3PXVpfWd-EIzQ8ieTeXmMNnEF5wiHb2q_UgNLyLNiolZxey64c4McfQvrzI9Cjm2TF1Fv-MyNZmb86oFrLyOex15m/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480635892332052882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIle1UPkRgRcLts5O7hd9xjA9LAnLql0uhI7is4uTv6zaGO26O8u3PXVpfWd-EIzQ8ieTeXmMNnEF5wiHb2q_UgNLyLNiolZxey64c4McfQvrzI9Cjm2TF1Fv-MyNZmb86oFrLyOex15m/s320/005.JPG" /></a><br />the mackerel was excellent! mackerel is an oily fish so the dense meat stays moist even when cooked for a while on high heat. with just salt and pepper, this simple preparation really showcases the richness of the fish. i think a little lemon would help cut that richness a bit next time. you really can't beat how easy it is to prepare this fish though. salt, pepper, oil and grilled for 4 minutes on each side. easy peasy.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NcLQAG7LrEE_AR_mIK6yzpe0yeH40ymyMXSUTpaZDZh6eNSM1dr458RtnHMWMOD28YhTRvX4443HffUHfMTqSxTa0fIWa1lVGhPWtCI7VaT9bL-d45dJ1BD_S400pDtjyb59Z-9D4f6d/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480635917236482802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NcLQAG7LrEE_AR_mIK6yzpe0yeH40ymyMXSUTpaZDZh6eNSM1dr458RtnHMWMOD28YhTRvX4443HffUHfMTqSxTa0fIWa1lVGhPWtCI7VaT9bL-d45dJ1BD_S400pDtjyb59Z-9D4f6d/s320/007.JPG" /></a><br />the soba noodles were cooked al dente and the dipping sauce base was standard fare. it's the grilled bok choy that took me by surprise. the char adds just enough flavor and was a nice contrast against the heavier mackerel. i didn't even have to season it. very nice.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgQQMnG5gXvK6j_zODmwyO5Rd_ugxS8ye67H8ShuwHknC7pVL2xuArMPT5zrjbugthcGw3Hvz2nmcUxOT4floKJKT9hJmHB2m_XSJ4Ulz5huKHBMxF-mKTFgY1f6ykLSQCcUaTDlnhDaN/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480635899902859026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgQQMnG5gXvK6j_zODmwyO5Rd_ugxS8ye67H8ShuwHknC7pVL2xuArMPT5zrjbugthcGw3Hvz2nmcUxOT4floKJKT9hJmHB2m_XSJ4Ulz5huKHBMxF-mKTFgY1f6ykLSQCcUaTDlnhDaN/s320/006.JPG" /></a><br />so my first foray with mackerel? consider it a success. mackerel is inexpensive (the 2 filets here were only $3.24, at $7.99/lb) and easy to prepare. next time, a little lemon, maybe some rice to soak up the tasty grilled grease, and all will be perfect. i could get used to eating mackerel on a weekly basis.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-75448231873870537252010-03-16T20:42:00.000-07:002010-03-16T22:38:23.031-07:00roasted shrimp and orzo saladwhen warm weather hits all of a sudden and all you've been eating are soul-warming stews and braises, what do you make? how about a cooling pasta salad chockful of bright, fresh herbs? light but filling, fresh but full of flavor, a well-made pasta salad can be the perfect meal for warm evenings like those that have settled in san francisco lately.<br /><br />here's a very tasty and herby pasta salad made from roasted shrimp and orzo pasta. the recipe comes from ina garten's "barefoot contessa at home" cookbook. it's a lot of prep work, aka chopping and mincing, but once done is very easy to put together. and it yields several hearty servings.<br /><br />i first prepared a 1/2 pound of orzo pasta to al dente according to package directions.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRNiIDKzO21o-vEbafhJCyYnKEUgZa9dzrE6JSgzK2GuRSc9wHeIrygmti9HGmAg-WY_ybPytihGzZVmQSnZoHfNZR5Lz6QLxOZa6cHyNGRXrNP9t3LriEyedRX_bpZGi5yuOnKSe7Lsa/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449447965538191618" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRNiIDKzO21o-vEbafhJCyYnKEUgZa9dzrE6JSgzK2GuRSc9wHeIrygmti9HGmAg-WY_ybPytihGzZVmQSnZoHfNZR5Lz6QLxOZa6cHyNGRXrNP9t3LriEyedRX_bpZGi5yuOnKSe7Lsa/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />while that was going, i thinly chopped 3 scallions, chopped about a cup of italian parsley, and a cup of fresh dill, thicker stems removed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrEzqaLPMoi9GxkQydUwVs9d6MyU55QfY-2rgfnej8A5qLSAAEYMT4WP8uPsTovJe5m5fOlRTTbI4GJLpNN-qaXiMFu1O1dkyGuMuWb5n2qBKi7whU7o0LNMrc0LSbu8cAHT0jNp0JvfZ/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449447953132886386" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrEzqaLPMoi9GxkQydUwVs9d6MyU55QfY-2rgfnej8A5qLSAAEYMT4WP8uPsTovJe5m5fOlRTTbI4GJLpNN-qaXiMFu1O1dkyGuMuWb5n2qBKi7whU7o0LNMrc0LSbu8cAHT0jNp0JvfZ/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>i also chopped half a red onion and deseeded and chopped a hot house cucumber.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs93X-HSy6pOWCTfQ_tMBjzoPMLuPNZadFfbQiSxOjm99DEx6ttHoudF8L_3Z14u6kRxn2pmjua6bGJ8P5d9r36iifamVO0G8EO3vII07SMZ2teaxs4t4LmiDHZpTrkvQRBTJ-ADyURjZ5/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449447660602600994" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs93X-HSy6pOWCTfQ_tMBjzoPMLuPNZadFfbQiSxOjm99DEx6ttHoudF8L_3Z14u6kRxn2pmjua6bGJ8P5d9r36iifamVO0G8EO3vII07SMZ2teaxs4t4LmiDHZpTrkvQRBTJ-ADyURjZ5/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />a pound of large tiger shrimp is deveined, peeled and blotted dry with a paper towel...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyHqYWcaRmxQO7oDce4i2t0FrGjH1KjLcizbVnpz8eZx3drexTkGVe2AlmWSb9suUgs_NC6015vN-AQB0sKEOClSO3P39fr1bbOAI9kwfzmzkflnIBzZ8EFpM6OEYE8PgBTSwYOnHWsOp/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449447649761445602" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyHqYWcaRmxQO7oDce4i2t0FrGjH1KjLcizbVnpz8eZx3drexTkGVe2AlmWSb9suUgs_NC6015vN-AQB0sKEOClSO3P39fr1bbOAI9kwfzmzkflnIBzZ8EFpM6OEYE8PgBTSwYOnHWsOp/s320/004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and tossed with some olive oil, salt and pepper. this then went into the oven to roast at 400 degrees for about 4 minutes until pink.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3p-78ODYJ3JyuuK_nSntdiQx0-Cvs_8EGvDMIs-8dHP9vQHDL9rEh9_E0Jr8TBWOfO-TzdryFZNZi_VFWQG41w0h8c6x0Vn2w9hRIlF2qb2PQchGTTapaYCc6OkBYw-C37cuxil2HzyN/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449447635787825938" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3p-78ODYJ3JyuuK_nSntdiQx0-Cvs_8EGvDMIs-8dHP9vQHDL9rEh9_E0Jr8TBWOfO-TzdryFZNZi_VFWQG41w0h8c6x0Vn2w9hRIlF2qb2PQchGTTapaYCc6OkBYw-C37cuxil2HzyN/s320/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />while the shrimp roasted, i prepared a vinaigrette for the pasta salad by combining a 1/2 cup of olive oil, the juice of 2 lemons and salt and pepper. after whisking to emulsify the ingredients, i tasted and adjusted for seasoning.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-iZYl9JUgL7N1EK-ljf4y-R3iOO1hR4jjh4EBqKA-NPZrdNAWDAFoGrDXRDvyWdGURcV_fbmJWwvRAcvR04xCtGMT803JXNuJ27zltHO0ocEOtTe8rgtTMXuoZ1axdHZqPA9kVYYx1th/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449447621200169090" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-iZYl9JUgL7N1EK-ljf4y-R3iOO1hR4jjh4EBqKA-NPZrdNAWDAFoGrDXRDvyWdGURcV_fbmJWwvRAcvR04xCtGMT803JXNuJ27zltHO0ocEOtTe8rgtTMXuoZ1axdHZqPA9kVYYx1th/s320/006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />after the pasta reached al dente, i drained it and stirred in the vinaigrette...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh000QaL95Hh0FzAJBn_LwS_FfuqLR4O1LNG7Kgl4c-HBQp4ciJ9j0LmthyphenhyphenRBLdLq6-AyC5qY8mNmljWWaKDe5xHJFDs-NxvlXpLma6n4se0GZeoQ600kfmWmYc2K79PRptQK4AeMIVOTVS/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449447615954793394" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh000QaL95Hh0FzAJBn_LwS_FfuqLR4O1LNG7Kgl4c-HBQp4ciJ9j0LmthyphenhyphenRBLdLq6-AyC5qY8mNmljWWaKDe5xHJFDs-NxvlXpLma6n4se0GZeoQ600kfmWmYc2K79PRptQK4AeMIVOTVS/s320/007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>added the vegetables and herbs, along with the roasted shrimp...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBSWpHhFT6LJF1NFYfGtaXZNtHZy_Ty_AJCcfQZVp4LJiCruYjcurKx2UvpDYyDz_i6xWXfQxlsUXNA4EXqCcPmRyLhulsSVSAg-s-ebmtpTRc9mpMghmIRMTdNfvf6nvn1XwdU-dBz4w/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449446940465713330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBSWpHhFT6LJF1NFYfGtaXZNtHZy_Ty_AJCcfQZVp4LJiCruYjcurKx2UvpDYyDz_i6xWXfQxlsUXNA4EXqCcPmRyLhulsSVSAg-s-ebmtpTRc9mpMghmIRMTdNfvf6nvn1XwdU-dBz4w/s320/008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and folded in a 1/2 pound of feta cheese.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3rhbkCFyJ5m9wI7qbwGlr3LilHs3p9l_SuLfEyt6nZrlS7VNZ43OBSSomGYXnMYLHEQ4LOTylUQpFw_x94kz4I8SHMIGpx5nYwPcyeIZCYnxH5yiCZSWPvQ8XvEzILqvE52_uIg1bDC2/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449446930010293522" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3rhbkCFyJ5m9wI7qbwGlr3LilHs3p9l_SuLfEyt6nZrlS7VNZ43OBSSomGYXnMYLHEQ4LOTylUQpFw_x94kz4I8SHMIGpx5nYwPcyeIZCYnxH5yiCZSWPvQ8XvEzILqvE52_uIg1bDC2/s320/009.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div>tasting for seasoning several times, i added a few dashes of tabasco to give it a slight vinegary kick. this then rested at room temperature for a 1/2 hour to blend the flavors.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1QUaow6hGjR-yZb8elhbhn5WFhSMbufBp2-7pK78_cPi5wQQhtlkfNILp4wJZcmQsDj5hueHdYLYnBgvKpTSPzFBMKBhASjcYJY7jckesPNaDFgKlgrxyAVbCJ7orGUJM-PgmItMIrPd/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449446923835376194" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1QUaow6hGjR-yZb8elhbhn5WFhSMbufBp2-7pK78_cPi5wQQhtlkfNILp4wJZcmQsDj5hueHdYLYnBgvKpTSPzFBMKBhASjcYJY7jckesPNaDFgKlgrxyAVbCJ7orGUJM-PgmItMIrPd/s320/010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />plating the pasta salad with several tender shrimp and a sprig of fennel finishes off the dish.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTwVL2Air7xlAcPvsDDz9amWpl0UI82N_D-KxqyHJmyFblsYn1bn1lbBmGz7Eodim3LXhfjzLDz9j8Ba5mNImiVXj4PHtdqB4sOmHx01Ftdzx0uTqf0GpWev0eNh67EhIfyb__vIiIQNc/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449446916846033154" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTwVL2Air7xlAcPvsDDz9amWpl0UI82N_D-KxqyHJmyFblsYn1bn1lbBmGz7Eodim3LXhfjzLDz9j8Ba5mNImiVXj4PHtdqB4sOmHx01Ftdzx0uTqf0GpWev0eNh67EhIfyb__vIiIQNc/s320/011.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />this dish is light and healthy, but hearty enough to fill you up for dinner. the shrimp is tender. the lemon vinaigrette, tart. briny, creamy feta balances the bright and green dill and parsley. it's a great cool dish for a warm evening. welcome, spring!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg455BdWpJq63qQaHnrVlID8XhdmH9f-msL0PFXBv8JBliZEXD3cwWa-vCgg9EwFpoHc7U28dMUaOoK3wH_CU3-nZdGqlVMwUynLxHp0pkokFYu_3TQAfbo7RFNuLdofCfHMPWNpZV4D1ib/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449446907045189586" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg455BdWpJq63qQaHnrVlID8XhdmH9f-msL0PFXBv8JBliZEXD3cwWa-vCgg9EwFpoHc7U28dMUaOoK3wH_CU3-nZdGqlVMwUynLxHp0pkokFYu_3TQAfbo7RFNuLdofCfHMPWNpZV4D1ib/s320/012.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-15214875970194184672010-03-15T22:59:00.000-07:002010-03-15T23:39:43.062-07:00grilled steak with red radishesi tend to avoid ordering dishes that i already know how to make at restaurants. it's an issue i am dealing with. the problem is if i've made a dish, i know exactly how much it costs me to make, and i realize how much profit the restaurant is making off of me. of course, you can argue you're paying for service, atmosphere, blah, blah, blah... but it's just something i haven't figured out how to reconcile yet.<br /><br />steak is one of those entrees that causes this problem for me. unless the steak is of a quality or a cut that i can't get my hands on, preparing steak is a quick and easy task in the kitchen. let me explain...<br /><br />for dinner tonite, i seasoned an 8 oz cut of beef chuck flat iron steak generously with salt and pepper. i then grilled it on a non-stick grill pan over medium heat for a total of 8 minutes, flipping twice. i then tossed up a quick salad added some fresh red radishes. voila! a quick, tasty steak dinner within 15 minutes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFckZcGsbtIDEePvGM4lEdgiHcu5A4QfVGmR_L5A9YHvt48cMlDRWdUNoDfXRyQaspegdVahEPO2JFKwdlvOdgPVLqq_1oP3jrnQhUPH7Z8Y6ppwYa3maBCV6KODCIeNXP48ySOf48bCEm/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449109615763576898" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFckZcGsbtIDEePvGM4lEdgiHcu5A4QfVGmR_L5A9YHvt48cMlDRWdUNoDfXRyQaspegdVahEPO2JFKwdlvOdgPVLqq_1oP3jrnQhUPH7Z8Y6ppwYa3maBCV6KODCIeNXP48ySOf48bCEm/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />8 minutes for this 1 1/2-inch thick steak resulted in medium rare. perfect. i finished it off by drizzling some kalamata olive oil right over the steak. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXdNAavHJWSXPM79v7FGvSOujdihi0Ls61TZ-iaBbuJGTOZZ_7gHcnKbsfSLpg7QiWeRYq7XmVZ4WJbqfU7hXndNR4_Et0IpmEulfCjMHhPK072E3YxpNdlSaya1QphWVVlzskYyrpoE9/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449109602991512674" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXdNAavHJWSXPM79v7FGvSOujdihi0Ls61TZ-iaBbuJGTOZZ_7gHcnKbsfSLpg7QiWeRYq7XmVZ4WJbqfU7hXndNR4_Et0IpmEulfCjMHhPK072E3YxpNdlSaya1QphWVVlzskYyrpoE9/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />as the steak rested for 5 minutes to redistribute juices, i rinsed radishes free of grit and sprinkled some coarse sea salt over sweet cream butter as a dip. if you've never had this, the crisp, cool, peppery bite of radish pairs perfectly with creamy butter and crunchy sea salt. a handful of lettuce and herbs tossed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper provides a little bit of acidity and balances the heavier protein.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUe4CcyBQAtNlmajg00jMtmT-j9RtUNgAi31x6iFkcfL6VjmuBe59_OoClgurC5vTxsOvpP5p0bfofL38rNvby_uFnD9McZ_PJxsAlH1z7favHvoLgFfkLd7mFcR6903BlRy64GOmP1Up/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449109594130650914" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUe4CcyBQAtNlmajg00jMtmT-j9RtUNgAi31x6iFkcfL6VjmuBe59_OoClgurC5vTxsOvpP5p0bfofL38rNvby_uFnD9McZ_PJxsAlH1z7favHvoLgFfkLd7mFcR6903BlRy64GOmP1Up/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />cutting into the steak, it's tender, moist and full of beefy flavor. flat iron steak is a pretty popular cut these days at restaurants and is perfect for the home cook. just remember not to overcook it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHyLQfeJnLe4PXxNw_XS3XJBPLKSg5Z-JJL8EekcwxXsGzPEtFP80IxGHwlTiYf4lKPu68EJC3A0gLOYQJ9YSlRVUznHame5YIvcPwru5MOvAawjhieuQ1Pty4BfEaxTRJ1SbUHVxmtIR/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449109585225068130" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHyLQfeJnLe4PXxNw_XS3XJBPLKSg5Z-JJL8EekcwxXsGzPEtFP80IxGHwlTiYf4lKPu68EJC3A0gLOYQJ9YSlRVUznHame5YIvcPwru5MOvAawjhieuQ1Pty4BfEaxTRJ1SbUHVxmtIR/s320/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />with the economy still recovering, consider having some steak for dinner this week. the cost for my steak dinner tonite? somewhere right around $4.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-39410783082502391932010-03-03T00:12:00.001-08:002010-03-03T00:33:38.671-08:00japanese curry leftovers remixmy <a href="http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2010/03/japanese-beef-curry-attempt-2.html">japanese beef curry attempt #2</a> yielded A LOT of leftover curry. and while it was great tasting stuff, the palate is left wanting something a little different after having beef curry and rice for 4 meals in a row. that and i had already finished all the tasty chunks of beef and carrot, leaving just sauce in the pot. so what do i always say to do? dig through your fridge and pantry and whip up something with those leftovers!<br /><br />in the fridge i found a bag of frozen peas and 1 chicken thigh, which i skinned, deboned and sliced into chunks. in the pantry i found a half box of linguine. i set a pot of water to boil, added a good measure of salt, and cooked the pasta to al dente.<br /><br />after removing the pasta to a colander to drain, i slid the chicken pieces right into the hot pasta water to boil for another 10 minutes or so until cooked through but not tough. while that was happening, i reheated my leftover curry over a low flame and stirred in half the bag of frozen peas. the peas were warmed through within a minute.<br /><br />i then added some curry sauce and the cooked chicken to a large bowl and tossed with some of the pasta. i then plated, garnishing with purple-tinted onigirishiba (pickled cucumber) and whole rakkyo (pickled scallions).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQULHqmqt9z6RmOHBAHhSKdbxPowWokD2XdI9h-Nto6uV4B-E2K2TEt2ItrRjL5HTbvSOJc9DkdNE6Fsup2aj46Krk0GH21qLPXeH03c0oEM4q8LMvkP1Kk2h829-4IOE19Amq8myWs82Q/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444317677186627314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQULHqmqt9z6RmOHBAHhSKdbxPowWokD2XdI9h-Nto6uV4B-E2K2TEt2ItrRjL5HTbvSOJc9DkdNE6Fsup2aj46Krk0GH21qLPXeH03c0oEM4q8LMvkP1Kk2h829-4IOE19Amq8myWs82Q/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />as you can see, the curry sauce has the perfect consistency for coating linguine noodles. the peas add color and a bit of sweet fiber while the boiled chicken meat easily took on the curry flavor, as if it had been cooking right in it the whole time. the pickled scallions and cucumbers, traditional accoutrements for japanese curry, added the right amount of sour and spice, cutting the richness of the curry.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2YSdnBP4Il3b3rYy-jE8zEdfRTt-4ELkmMEajBEwzxau8YWaPupAXpSHECfvGDXZiIyIix_8kAd1rZyAKTrzlGzE2HbYlBSFGyWZdZp36U3mdYIB-x59uKx38P_a3wdCV4_VkwpMtDyH/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444317674564028882" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2YSdnBP4Il3b3rYy-jE8zEdfRTt-4ELkmMEajBEwzxau8YWaPupAXpSHECfvGDXZiIyIix_8kAd1rZyAKTrzlGzE2HbYlBSFGyWZdZp36U3mdYIB-x59uKx38P_a3wdCV4_VkwpMtDyH/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />japanese curry chicken pasta. asian fusion at its best. and i have another serving left over too. i think i'll have some now...lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-89611980297986217362010-03-01T21:48:00.000-08:002010-03-01T22:53:07.674-08:00japanese beef curry attempt #2so while my first attempt at <a href="http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2010/02/coming-home-hungry-and-having-to-eat.html">japanese beef curry</a> was good, i knew there must be a way to make it better and taste less out-of-the-box. what secrets do petite japanese moms have to doctor up pre-packaged, quick-weeknite, but oh-so-manufactured-tasting bars of readymade curry base?<br /><br />i did a quick google search on the keyphrase "beef curry japanese" and came back with <a href="http://www.justhungry.com/japanese-beef-curry">justhungry's excellent blog post on making japanese curry from scratch</a>. while a little more involved in prep time than i wanted, justhungry's recipe looked solid and layered with flavor. she also conveniently provided notes on recipe variations, including how to substitute readymade curry bases. just the ticket for me. here's my adaptation of her recipe.<br /><br />i first set about browning about a pound of beef chuck steak, cut into large chunks, in some canola oil in my largest dutch oven.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13wZRrFeECcjO2oONYxDcn6Sd2nO3xoHHOyQIVbZsrsXhoa4TVr5GarR4Ajdh6OZtyJlcQcKqd8NVfwuuMnSY6w4dcCPYsdeQzD3llS0Ry__KenP0myhR0KDmTmKjw0swSiakpvnn3NMo/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911732081114818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13wZRrFeECcjO2oONYxDcn6Sd2nO3xoHHOyQIVbZsrsXhoa4TVr5GarR4Ajdh6OZtyJlcQcKqd8NVfwuuMnSY6w4dcCPYsdeQzD3llS0Ry__KenP0myhR0KDmTmKjw0swSiakpvnn3NMo/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once that was nicely browned, i transferred the meat to a bowl to hold while i set about slicing up 4 large brown onions thinly.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAL7_0Arv5BPH4z7KuXKbWbyU2R-A4So8llYjyE4VD6ivLVZQ3AMifF2v_oBjvGGkXOy24ptF8V0-uzq70tKU_j0dioyFUuKNzO7wq-K11_UTwyp8WLQHsCkdy3reDvtxE9LnwRuVpCB1/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911724856131202" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAL7_0Arv5BPH4z7KuXKbWbyU2R-A4So8llYjyE4VD6ivLVZQ3AMifF2v_oBjvGGkXOy24ptF8V0-uzq70tKU_j0dioyFUuKNzO7wq-K11_UTwyp8WLQHsCkdy3reDvtxE9LnwRuVpCB1/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />into the pot the onions went to slowly saute in a bit of canola oil and sea salt. typically you want to sweat the onions down over low heat so the moisture evaporates and what you're left with are the natural sugars of browned onions. i was hungry, so i cranked up the flame to medium and stirred the onions down every few minutes. mind you, this still takes a good 20-30 minutes. but i knew this would be worth it. if you've ever had and loved french onion soup, this is how you get that sweet, oniony soup base.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1QGWu-IUHALDesQ10vYX2Ge341bZnvmYvzHzZiBUiXXP7v5H1QBiWz7DGB8vqyertqjvlrQbZT_f-hGtw4Gmt7oJFN6P_vtVL9uD-WXJm-qxMpBU3uLMLawb3Njjs0hcjzsOeXgbnAGZ/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911719531398066" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1QGWu-IUHALDesQ10vYX2Ge341bZnvmYvzHzZiBUiXXP7v5H1QBiWz7DGB8vqyertqjvlrQbZT_f-hGtw4Gmt7oJFN6P_vtVL9uD-WXJm-qxMpBU3uLMLawb3Njjs0hcjzsOeXgbnAGZ/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once the onions have softened and started to caramelize, as in the picture below, you can move forward. letting it go another 10-20 minutes will only concentrate the sweetness and flavors, so it's your choice. into the pot went 3 minced cloves of garlic and an inch of grated ginger.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcpCIPf5zXNga38ZM7qS8Vu1quzR95JdNwkop-gSRzKmc6N7ShqXuFuoE4AtBEEDqiZwvTk1wV_wPcQlviZ70AGe_URfAMMJPYRdgDWyzGuhEsVyG8AhZQEERcp7M0THDC6AYxRbgbtDe/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911714165448674" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcpCIPf5zXNga38ZM7qS8Vu1quzR95JdNwkop-gSRzKmc6N7ShqXuFuoE4AtBEEDqiZwvTk1wV_wPcQlviZ70AGe_URfAMMJPYRdgDWyzGuhEsVyG8AhZQEERcp7M0THDC6AYxRbgbtDe/s320/004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i then added a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, 3 carrots peeled and chopped into large chunks, 6 cups of water, a cube of beef boullion, 1 star anise pod, a couple of bay leaves and the browned beef with any reserved juices. now the surprise ingredient: 1 fuji apple, peeled and grated, which you see piled in the middle of the stew in the photo below. per justhungry, this provides depth of flavor. sounds good to me.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH55ID-N3lPXwStOj1Ee159Q2885dTPMBFjBxXTgPIOYeDHpvy569f7E1GRIh0cwX9q37ofIorkouwzVICCqfe3fltFDyDF9mL5wkX5UxbCJHisFhRuMPVl_aN-PpyV-lGhADXBznXpGnl/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911708519686802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH55ID-N3lPXwStOj1Ee159Q2885dTPMBFjBxXTgPIOYeDHpvy569f7E1GRIh0cwX9q37ofIorkouwzVICCqfe3fltFDyDF9mL5wkX5UxbCJHisFhRuMPVl_aN-PpyV-lGhADXBznXpGnl/s320/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />this savory concoction simmers over low heat for about 30 min or so, until the connective tissues in the chuck beef have broken down and the meat is fork-tender. by this time you basically have a great-smelling beef stew that isn't curry just yet.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_chkCI4KXEu1UQ_M1JAtho3XxkDdksNwwqbBfmN050rzlYiJ-rRjhStgA40Td-kVUpyYZ4O34wgNltk0hl__sfJ1Sbt20-kaNxu6MkajmEWSb5MJmuPyN3GS2p_-nzQrflt8fLIpdsXn0/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911356071093794" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_chkCI4KXEu1UQ_M1JAtho3XxkDdksNwwqbBfmN050rzlYiJ-rRjhStgA40Td-kVUpyYZ4O34wgNltk0hl__sfJ1Sbt20-kaNxu6MkajmEWSb5MJmuPyN3GS2p_-nzQrflt8fLIpdsXn0/s320/006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />you'll notice i haven't really seasoned the stew aside from the salt used to sweat the onions. readymade curry base is chock full of spices and seasoning to begin with. any extra salt and you'd end up with a inedible mess. in this step, i fished out the bay leaves and star anise pod and broke up a full package of "hot" curry base cubes into the pot...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiJy6UHc4pYGAa3Brhxa47Ra23kR1_IIwm8QSTaYY8xyqw5OiHJbO1W5qfESNNfOTAA2KFQbaT60ip1kbMxf_BFGbaUAOq_6KtX0zvIFb3-SL1qTHNPa3j658YuaXlDq_SCWsFD4C5zDx/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911348955530338" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiJy6UHc4pYGAa3Brhxa47Ra23kR1_IIwm8QSTaYY8xyqw5OiHJbO1W5qfESNNfOTAA2KFQbaT60ip1kbMxf_BFGbaUAOq_6KtX0zvIFb3-SL1qTHNPa3j658YuaXlDq_SCWsFD4C5zDx/s320/007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and simmered over low heat until the cubes dissolved and the broth thickened into a rich, creamy consistency. this is the point i tasted for seasoning and decided a few cranks of the peppermill would do nicely.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5QuUP637QpYSr7YkvEpc3YjshWQTRC0XlshXDmN2PjTfb2ZrudV6VaNes-Q-JvfFOwsIS3t0zv8DyBBDYRhVPWG5pD_maCCX2qhilwiuHpX4RDx20qj0JqTUdK1IYUbsh91gYq1GXs-j/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911347308704914" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5QuUP637QpYSr7YkvEpc3YjshWQTRC0XlshXDmN2PjTfb2ZrudV6VaNes-Q-JvfFOwsIS3t0zv8DyBBDYRhVPWG5pD_maCCX2qhilwiuHpX4RDx20qj0JqTUdK1IYUbsh91gYq1GXs-j/s320/008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />time to plate! a mound of japanese short-grain white rice and a ladle or three of the japanese beef curry.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-2r2vcsZwUxa2ukM7zGAuTK-Xu-E45CT-kHQaG0p-DC_e0brxpVkTe4DX9Lv75M49PUU8p0jIZMs_HOcABd-JMIQnyLkF2GjbdoPfuPB5A88G3C9UOJcBPHkbGhrY18UolyJdaKjHyx7/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911342805602626" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-2r2vcsZwUxa2ukM7zGAuTK-Xu-E45CT-kHQaG0p-DC_e0brxpVkTe4DX9Lv75M49PUU8p0jIZMs_HOcABd-JMIQnyLkF2GjbdoPfuPB5A88G3C9UOJcBPHkbGhrY18UolyJdaKjHyx7/s320/009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />wow. much better and much more homemade tasting. the onions have broken down into a silky mess, giving the curry a rich, svelte texture and loads of sweetness and flavor. really standout. and while i can't say i could taste the grated fuji apple, there was a real depth of flavor that puts the box recipe to shame. combining caramelized beef, acidic tomatoes, spicy ginger and piquant star anise really lifted the flavor profile of this curry.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2U4mAFuypwaUyurUVjsGF3snGX336myiK5Hl4fPsq6XQm8fxPsR0hFZ0gtD07aJNExcixaXgF_j9ipCQWhTnoo2QPciFMI-K7hC5Fn8KtYyCuXEyEG1VCos6R9m4N-jOhh-dqv9A4vNg/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443911338017089874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2U4mAFuypwaUyurUVjsGF3snGX336myiK5Hl4fPsq6XQm8fxPsR0hFZ0gtD07aJNExcixaXgF_j9ipCQWhTnoo2QPciFMI-K7hC5Fn8KtYyCuXEyEG1VCos6R9m4N-jOhh-dqv9A4vNg/s320/010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />while it definitely took a bit more time in the kitchen than i expected, the benefit was a huge pot of curry that could feed a small army, and indeed fed me for almost a week! i'm considering japanese beef curry attempt #2 a smashing success. oishii!!lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-41198865305407756442010-02-03T19:56:00.000-08:002010-02-04T00:40:35.189-08:00japanese beef currycoming home hungry and having to eat some salty, mediocre leftovers isn't really my idea of a good time. sound familiar? so what do you do? you improvise. scrounge your fridge and pantry. doctor up the leftovers. lucky for me, i found a box of japanese curry paste in my pantry. and with <a href="http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2010/02/marinated-beef-strips-with-lettuce.html">yesterday's overly salty sirloin strips</a> in hand, i decided to make japanese beef curry.<br /><br />after getting the rice going, i threw a sliced red onion and a chopped carrot into a saucepan with some olive oil to brown.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb2EDxSQvmZEMkWpmkFroNHXhdMJ4P0BW37dNm4GFZsp-UixCJWQVwpJwVsxxgAR-4sZrXb40Q4jR0cF6zVOX_CXnNNnmfmmPVx2_BoKHvvs8N78Itb2XyBQ2mHnP2IF98PvHeRJjDioX/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233532919689490" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb2EDxSQvmZEMkWpmkFroNHXhdMJ4P0BW37dNm4GFZsp-UixCJWQVwpJwVsxxgAR-4sZrXb40Q4jR0cF6zVOX_CXnNNnmfmmPVx2_BoKHvvs8N78Itb2XyBQ2mHnP2IF98PvHeRJjDioX/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once the onions started to brown and there was some nice caramelization going on in the pot...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZENAPUHbeS-F1MQjyYLzstHBczJPjpIqxrUuOqmS8hpcn7549H42nYqKs2kbnl-WYmvdqBNKzo4KzkF9LF1DuRGQJHEKeUwgJKRJra0JBz3E8iJTgy8lRx7x97UWkZDy4Rt0EaKtpiwS/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233435743607458" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZENAPUHbeS-F1MQjyYLzstHBczJPjpIqxrUuOqmS8hpcn7549H42nYqKs2kbnl-WYmvdqBNKzo4KzkF9LF1DuRGQJHEKeUwgJKRJra0JBz3E8iJTgy8lRx7x97UWkZDy4Rt0EaKtpiwS/s320/004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i added 3 cups of water and scraped up the browned bits and brought the brew to a boil over high heat.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RqvPvy8O3UztaWg8_2MbRO5OHMAGVOqtSzzgy6c3fLyNJv_gqsf6VDtvR9XlLoJUiniduOWibi8Q1J1im2Es29yB87IhQQprdmcyI1MqewZZ_4pWj_XOs9HmfyXtF9xq858lENx_Pswu/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233431859053218" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RqvPvy8O3UztaWg8_2MbRO5OHMAGVOqtSzzgy6c3fLyNJv_gqsf6VDtvR9XlLoJUiniduOWibi8Q1J1im2Es29yB87IhQQprdmcyI1MqewZZ_4pWj_XOs9HmfyXtF9xq858lENx_Pswu/s320/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i then added the leftover sirloin strips from yesterday's meal. if i was making this from scratch, i would've added the meat during the browning process above and let the broth similar for about 15 min to cook the meat through.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5Q90nT164AwHRopHh3XpdYPiOi0xXVWJqzvpvRp2vrSPfMHBF1yvRJBuReDerNhcsHx3dYAQsQisGHtGLXTm8T4AiFJf9Y9Qs-qXsCffqWrdHdkzpVdyldEjeQdPcYuaEgY1dEzqVfA_/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233422973717074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5Q90nT164AwHRopHh3XpdYPiOi0xXVWJqzvpvRp2vrSPfMHBF1yvRJBuReDerNhcsHx3dYAQsQisGHtGLXTm8T4AiFJf9Y9Qs-qXsCffqWrdHdkzpVdyldEjeQdPcYuaEgY1dEzqVfA_/s320/006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />aw i love all things japanese. this is basically curry boullion in a packet.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO66GZPFnHC9W703RaxAdKNMYP4KMmGQ5WnygO4z5MCklvVGJ5W7qh1oOcGoK0FfvWbLol7t-ks_-3KPaPFsnj8H1wcP6uSjYgyswJboJk1FVagsX1vaM5RaTckhc_5Zy3LY2GNKMr6aKL/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233444244784866" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO66GZPFnHC9W703RaxAdKNMYP4KMmGQ5WnygO4z5MCklvVGJ5W7qh1oOcGoK0FfvWbLol7t-ks_-3KPaPFsnj8H1wcP6uSjYgyswJboJk1FVagsX1vaM5RaTckhc_5Zy3LY2GNKMr6aKL/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />1 packet contained 6 cubes of curry paste...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5MrlTfCnRt8dl1qAeufgqyuzgVc0W6doBqDB1M-rGdNnaGI5YsBrD_O0WOwAKs3OkBqOda_3z3UGhocK5qN4PHuQLn-num9y8Td9568p516GB94mCoQbHy2aG5HKNJQVc5yOX-TOB9Fo/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233441680843970" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5MrlTfCnRt8dl1qAeufgqyuzgVc0W6doBqDB1M-rGdNnaGI5YsBrD_O0WOwAKs3OkBqOda_3z3UGhocK5qN4PHuQLn-num9y8Td9568p516GB94mCoQbHy2aG5HKNJQVc5yOX-TOB9Fo/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />which i broke up and added to the pot.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1kzLAHGXs7uBmxUPYlm2-ni0yfPoRPriRK82g1IPPp7ySshfqjMbCgJSMw-BTG7VDlXiz65wLWHwun8CeOQ-wZJF6mwWsJyxReHYS1rCtkshghrplcE1JRJSmcgAM-bHogyh74S8Pk0E/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233144834877762" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1kzLAHGXs7uBmxUPYlm2-ni0yfPoRPriRK82g1IPPp7ySshfqjMbCgJSMw-BTG7VDlXiz65wLWHwun8CeOQ-wZJF6mwWsJyxReHYS1rCtkshghrplcE1JRJSmcgAM-bHogyh74S8Pk0E/s320/007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />the curry then simmers over low heat, stirred occasionally, until the curry thickens...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFAlg7CQKXDt9L5nyr_pzHIWcVXs55BjAh-zJ5ZP4lkwa3zOGDu1aBNzYV8YRcLiCF_gKPvnFP37RMXgLfTdVuAJYjoCFjtFF79MT89XV_XQ7wKdzGJrV1xKvnaaHb-TS31ZIbACpZ16-/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233136124477074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFAlg7CQKXDt9L5nyr_pzHIWcVXs55BjAh-zJ5ZP4lkwa3zOGDu1aBNzYV8YRcLiCF_gKPvnFP37RMXgLfTdVuAJYjoCFjtFF79MT89XV_XQ7wKdzGJrV1xKvnaaHb-TS31ZIbACpZ16-/s320/008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and is thick enough to nicely coat the back of a wooden spoon.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfif0-zzSdWAbKA1Evf9Cr4hGWDNPAPdz86K0gjyH-LJO_9KT6bpFIzDw2eXos4wIMDXRl_gRK5E2HQud5j23MuSRX5fCLQ4dd411DGDpnsH2bJ2keZ3QsWBUyEWtBa1kfkSDHLGfJUpJm/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233128974619154" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfif0-zzSdWAbKA1Evf9Cr4hGWDNPAPdz86K0gjyH-LJO_9KT6bpFIzDw2eXos4wIMDXRl_gRK5E2HQud5j23MuSRX5fCLQ4dd411DGDpnsH2bJ2keZ3QsWBUyEWtBa1kfkSDHLGfJUpJm/s320/009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />at this point the curry is ready to be plated. whenever i see japanese curry at restaurants, it's always a mound of white rice surrounded by a moat of steaming hot brown curry.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnegfwqMwpaJP6Nqji4Nk_c9YeOM2IPSwUBrox832W3j3oXlgcuOy9uRojc5LXTIZr0X__lNIumi2gbsIZsLAhtb4SULi0YG3nSUiWJrc8uJU0VtBXyzJgzHiwo5se-oCSgyLtIVekPo9/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233124025431810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnegfwqMwpaJP6Nqji4Nk_c9YeOM2IPSwUBrox832W3j3oXlgcuOy9uRojc5LXTIZr0X__lNIumi2gbsIZsLAhtb4SULi0YG3nSUiWJrc8uJU0VtBXyzJgzHiwo5se-oCSgyLtIVekPo9/s320/010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />what a satisfyingly rich meal for a cold winter's nite. i'll admit, the curry isn't the best in the world, but it's pretty tasty and spicy, a perfect foil for the overly salty sirloin leftovers. add some onions and tender carrots and you have a warm, soul-soothing dinner in less than 20 minutes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_opthEeRa9qPxAMpwq0lUtKIdsLP3WG33A0kk3lAWYnX8TbWAgTiGXYCLAxtFXWu4rZce0P3IQdlVXYoXgOX5rqKGEDHe8j3wJVzyA_g2a1Qm2FeFK-RXVe1z2_4ARTXcpd8n11HNWsa/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434233116169098722" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_opthEeRa9qPxAMpwq0lUtKIdsLP3WG33A0kk3lAWYnX8TbWAgTiGXYCLAxtFXWu4rZce0P3IQdlVXYoXgOX5rqKGEDHe8j3wJVzyA_g2a1Qm2FeFK-RXVe1z2_4ARTXcpd8n11HNWsa/s320/012.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and, you've made do with your leftovers.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-51483547007130807132010-02-02T19:27:00.000-08:002010-02-03T19:56:41.383-08:00marinated beef strips with lettuce wrapspairing grilled, marinated meat with fresh lettuces and herbs is very popular in asian culture, specifically amongst vietnamese and other southeast asian cuisines. the pairing is a wonderful balance of carnivore and vegetarian, protein and vegetable, grease and fresh. it's also a great source of low-fat protein, if you're working out, and low-carb, if that's your thing. i love carbs too much for that to be my thing...<br /><br />this <a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/19515">recipe </a>is again from <a href="http://www.chow.com/">chow.com</a> and is a very quick-prep meal for a weeknite. there are a couple of things i'd change, which i'll explain at the end.<br /><br />early in the afternoon, i made the marinade by combining a 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons mirin, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, a clove of garlic minced, a large shallot minced (didn't have green onions) and 3 dried red chiles crumbled. i then added a pound or so of sliced sirloin beef, combined, covered and refridgerated for the afternoon.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFt03dpU78VZyhDqo-kzAZR0YrSvnep7x_M6eIxKAVSZJ1C916Wos71rUKaVgHt-2KSqlWkNA1SzVIe5u7EpPnrJ43oa8myj2_rUHaIb-Fn5ZJIwY49XVju0vUSBxHm4_yK0nczrAdjDF/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434229176562346962" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFt03dpU78VZyhDqo-kzAZR0YrSvnep7x_M6eIxKAVSZJ1C916Wos71rUKaVgHt-2KSqlWkNA1SzVIe5u7EpPnrJ43oa8myj2_rUHaIb-Fn5ZJIwY49XVju0vUSBxHm4_yK0nczrAdjDF/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />when i'm ready to eat, i heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a hot non-stick grill pan and quickly grill the sirloin in 2 batches. i recommend grilling about 2-3 min or so and then flipping to keep it medium rare and tender.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVMRDdJIQjrmxDQ78W8qnVGbr0wVeUo_I9PFsaMdhXtcrBmd82W45A4PA44ObiQq53byv93hgQWuS6_OGA3W7EHmC9fDIzRgZ345GS76k-6KumgJWKPNagR8NGwFe8D5VJsCqSzr84aaP/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434229171173511074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVMRDdJIQjrmxDQ78W8qnVGbr0wVeUo_I9PFsaMdhXtcrBmd82W45A4PA44ObiQq53byv93hgQWuS6_OGA3W7EHmC9fDIzRgZ345GS76k-6KumgJWKPNagR8NGwFe8D5VJsCqSzr84aaP/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />let the meat rest a couple minutes to redistribute the juices...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyKYwJt-6oJUnfIYsNzsRZT_QQEnCfUrOUL5ZDnkRpezpLcacgJfDhyphenhyphen0H9rK_VV952YEP0sPhO1opDNohzjRkmVyheQLByoHfvKX-EqmJwwVuRXIISZD08VcpdKCaEaGQaLpdy9sweTsg/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434229161162841714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyKYwJt-6oJUnfIYsNzsRZT_QQEnCfUrOUL5ZDnkRpezpLcacgJfDhyphenhyphen0H9rK_VV952YEP0sPhO1opDNohzjRkmVyheQLByoHfvKX-EqmJwwVuRXIISZD08VcpdKCaEaGQaLpdy9sweTsg/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and plate! fresh red leaf lettuce with 2-3 pieces of sirloin each and some sprigs of cilantro.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O2nIBvL5xgqaQm0vy9gqWLcKvn1669pR_H1yE6CWTeHerSuX5mcIVvrRPau7g_pDfn7xHIA-P0okxqhA7XZXnSPrDq2DuXgZBUGCB2EXfkC3d0t8d5rCDvP0hKKQ3UfTq7ECcRB_33F-/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434229151896826562" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O2nIBvL5xgqaQm0vy9gqWLcKvn1669pR_H1yE6CWTeHerSuX5mcIVvrRPau7g_pDfn7xHIA-P0okxqhA7XZXnSPrDq2DuXgZBUGCB2EXfkC3d0t8d5rCDvP0hKKQ3UfTq7ECcRB_33F-/s320/004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />looks good right? healthy? tasty? yes, but... this chow.com recipe was a little off. the beef ended up being very salty and i knew something was missing as i made the marinade but decided to follow it anyway. what is missing from a typical asian marinade is the sugar. next time around, i'd beef up the marinade with a couple tablesspoons of brown sugar, some extra rice vinegar and a little more sesame oil. some lemongrass and minced ginger would also elevate the flavor profile. can't wait until next time!lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-2325075018038075582010-02-02T00:22:00.000-08:002010-02-04T00:39:20.487-08:00wilted greens with balsamic fried eggswho doesn't like breakfast for dinner? not i. eggs are great any time of day. i'm a big fan of gooey, cheesy scrambles in the morning, a fried egg on top of a fatburger at lunch, and over-easy wok-fried eggs with soy sauce over rice (thanks mom!).<br /><br />this <a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/11388">recipe </a>comes from <a href="http://www.chow.com/">chow.com</a>, and was a featured recipe for the week. it promises an "easy weeknite dinner" and the use of "seasonal ingredients" and just sounded really tasty. so here we go.<br /><br />i first washed a half bunch of dandelion greens (you can typically find these in the section holding the chard, collards and mustard greens and they are at their best in the winter months), and pulled out 3 eggs, a clove of garlic and balsamic vinegar.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIs4HUGuxOS6WVUUbZMCVEdI_wuV3PDryc18IXsv2hd9Pv61SMNOiBtWwGUrv5oTeuq48yWBk1KHqPYI31McDYPWD7R9YFATWIiHyIQvM6_nDIXB_t6WQnWoeJUynSd578ZrG8k5nu3jZ2/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559960593176018" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIs4HUGuxOS6WVUUbZMCVEdI_wuV3PDryc18IXsv2hd9Pv61SMNOiBtWwGUrv5oTeuq48yWBk1KHqPYI31McDYPWD7R9YFATWIiHyIQvM6_nDIXB_t6WQnWoeJUynSd578ZrG8k5nu3jZ2/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />after heating some olive oil in a large non-stick skillet (don't use a regular skillet, your eggs will stick), i threw in the chopped garlic clove and the greens. salt and black pepper are thrown on top.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMX87cSvjtkphO5PaLRWEvln3GX36paw4bFHAgZXSlxveATTzZjqk-CW9CJisV8y6qdK6vuHucgZGzDKkfcoXeLuS7TQV0RgGQ7xr7svd6AgK_AyYWDLO_QCokwkpR_DD6Igmfs5-Fdcz/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559949490152978" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMX87cSvjtkphO5PaLRWEvln3GX36paw4bFHAgZXSlxveATTzZjqk-CW9CJisV8y6qdK6vuHucgZGzDKkfcoXeLuS7TQV0RgGQ7xr7svd6AgK_AyYWDLO_QCokwkpR_DD6Igmfs5-Fdcz/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />a few turns of the tongs, a few shakes of the pan and a hot minute later the greens are done and transferred to a plate to hold. i typically use my microwave to hold food, just to keep the heat from escaping to rapidly. a warm over works great, if your oven was on. a warming drawer even better. if only i had a warming drawer... one day in my custom kitchen. i digress.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8l9fCNlXL5WF9E4bZyHa3w5pvYXGNquhE9o_KKX0n8PsF4887b4EMJ5pl0eYAGLVYBm6DhfEpULD7oId0xbW9Z0-WlxWZiY0J9w5Ivzjq4eyLX7pgxp0WKmkqG18uEPKunpJ7BMsmLCu/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559803889736914" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8l9fCNlXL5WF9E4bZyHa3w5pvYXGNquhE9o_KKX0n8PsF4887b4EMJ5pl0eYAGLVYBm6DhfEpULD7oId0xbW9Z0-WlxWZiY0J9w5Ivzjq4eyLX7pgxp0WKmkqG18uEPKunpJ7BMsmLCu/s320/004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />back to the dish. a bit more olive oil and in went three cracked eggs. i also seasoned the eggs lightly with sea salt.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZUrU3b0A3cg6avkod7bYK0V-ZBM_mFs724bGZR7P5S7jzo_uYVAFjoVQe8AsWO7pcNCZz56GLWM1m96bCAERa2gistec5JzosvxNp0Qru5h1TAgpiELoItfQ8GhbtV7RiW2zi1YF9HnK/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559794354964530" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZUrU3b0A3cg6avkod7bYK0V-ZBM_mFs724bGZR7P5S7jzo_uYVAFjoVQe8AsWO7pcNCZz56GLWM1m96bCAERa2gistec5JzosvxNp0Qru5h1TAgpiELoItfQ8GhbtV7RiW2zi1YF9HnK/s320/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once the eggs were set, i carefully poured in a 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar. vinegar is water based and therefore causes a nice spat with the hot olive oil already in the pan. have a splatter screen handy or be prepared to wipe up your range after. it's a little messy.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrR3fai5laJRMgLcQWh2I0qrm6gAdPj75KWhGBUQl-T4_Ui6q1uaBM3y397uR4gNq3_HJ6jqQ6EwYssqXRCyCD3EoZwLLQIuy38Pijr7QmtWGbeEtamtifA-gwNJnVjBzDNZRWQ4aiF8g/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559792585080546" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrR3fai5laJRMgLcQWh2I0qrm6gAdPj75KWhGBUQl-T4_Ui6q1uaBM3y397uR4gNq3_HJ6jqQ6EwYssqXRCyCD3EoZwLLQIuy38Pijr7QmtWGbeEtamtifA-gwNJnVjBzDNZRWQ4aiF8g/s320/006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once the vinegar has reduced a bit and is a bit syrupy, the pan comes off the heat and the eggs are placed over the greens, the vinegar drizzled over. a note about reducing balsamic vinegar: don't over do it. as the reduction cools, it thickens even more. in the pan it should have slightly more body and heft, but it shouldn't be syrupy when hot and in the pan. if it is, it'll have the consistency of stale honey as it cools, which isn't what you want.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7a0ANC6MSjAZAqjyAcZmIWrfPTDg8snQh3qVqgB4RpbpvfpesMoWsmvgYEXmtmur_RJtEGdVRItz2exMQAz8jjROVgUTeWxDXpvzdJDt-uYnYdSnwP-dgVJIxP3J85idOJn9WM2zAdBbk/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559787447549218" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7a0ANC6MSjAZAqjyAcZmIWrfPTDg8snQh3qVqgB4RpbpvfpesMoWsmvgYEXmtmur_RJtEGdVRItz2exMQAz8jjROVgUTeWxDXpvzdJDt-uYnYdSnwP-dgVJIxP3J85idOJn9WM2zAdBbk/s320/008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />two pieces of toast garnish the plate and it's time to eat. chow.com was right. this is a great tasting, easy to make dinner. the eggs are creamy and rich, the greens are slightly bitter and tender, and the balsamic reduction ties everything together, cutting the richness of the yolk and the bitterness of the dandelion greens. toasted bread mops all the leftover goodness up. yet while rich, this dish was pretty light. i'm making this again.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo31i9sBETPsoeuyRDDLiVrRXlylY2giT29btKFs-0qbndnfpRJzfXaVBhpiKcYI0pt-4nWno98EzeANmisHNk_fy4GoiQcDmMyiC77eMRudcE7DE5wCzpzDPGyWYVEb1Muuk-zj6n7hhc/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559779332625810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo31i9sBETPsoeuyRDDLiVrRXlylY2giT29btKFs-0qbndnfpRJzfXaVBhpiKcYI0pt-4nWno98EzeANmisHNk_fy4GoiQcDmMyiC77eMRudcE7DE5wCzpzDPGyWYVEb1Muuk-zj6n7hhc/s320/007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />hm... this would also be fantastic over a bowl of rice. must be the asian in me...lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-39543748748519510832010-01-22T21:22:00.000-08:002010-01-22T21:48:36.934-08:00thai red curry with chicken, eggplant, green beans and bambooi bought one of those super saver packs of chicken thighs a couple weeks ago and froze what i didn't use for that recipe (which was a simple pan-fried chicken recipe from the joy of cooking cookbook, very good btw). brainstorming ways to use up that chicken, and having had a great pork basil stirfry from a thai restaurant last nite, i decided to go for chicken curry tonite.<br /><br />thai curry is relatively easy to make. it's a one-pot meal, minus the pot you use to make rice in. i think the most time-consuming part is ingredient prep. as i discovered tonite. but the result is a rich stew that will last you at least 3 or 4 more servings the week after. yummers.<br /><br />here are the things i used to make my curry (from left to right): lemongrass, green beans, ginger, garlic, eggplant, cilantro, jalapenos, chicken thighs, coconut milk, thai red curry paste, bamboo shoots, and lime.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMoLzQ9EDnJjVRe1lzKxKtczIpAwDKTlJ69ry7OlNjXtCf7029iZMbbpub2cm9X_jL7lia9k9YA36cA47W5Aj_RC5vE-lCoZ2MFyQ2SI4xp4YCPeJ-cBgc1pwuVGoDH7JtSbRgKruOawK/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803853238751330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMoLzQ9EDnJjVRe1lzKxKtczIpAwDKTlJ69ry7OlNjXtCf7029iZMbbpub2cm9X_jL7lia9k9YA36cA47W5Aj_RC5vE-lCoZ2MFyQ2SI4xp4YCPeJ-cBgc1pwuVGoDH7JtSbRgKruOawK/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />to prep, i sliced the eggplant into wedges, trimmed the beans, deseeded and sliced the jalapenos, rough-chopped the garlic, peeled a small block of ginger, minced the lemongrass heart, chopped half an onion, and chopped some cilantro.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yJ8PUG9xIwEfEyGRam9cnvx9GoTXaq6GGOYTyF9TwWmjXHJnMwgsNbcqcvh5J6J4wVMjAHnXS0AetPIecJC9ayfVrSFDGLvAKpJmY7OoiLnMpWRy3zim4Y2Lmxll8YxboTTmgKjaWzlB/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803744111734274" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yJ8PUG9xIwEfEyGRam9cnvx9GoTXaq6GGOYTyF9TwWmjXHJnMwgsNbcqcvh5J6J4wVMjAHnXS0AetPIecJC9ayfVrSFDGLvAKpJmY7OoiLnMpWRy3zim4Y2Lmxll8YxboTTmgKjaWzlB/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />in a large pot, i sauteed the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass in some hot canola oil.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWYtygD35nvVmF6rhzQykZSScZBs9IkIFdQJT_se96d3NFVxK3fYcK4QRYmR301kBaH_4Cimc7Ou3zFiqyqBvPzFdunQZm3aRqCorjC9Xc0KfNfTXrSADaZPkHfrttM2F1FzpjAtDaVJF/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803740660175330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWYtygD35nvVmF6rhzQykZSScZBs9IkIFdQJT_se96d3NFVxK3fYcK4QRYmR301kBaH_4Cimc7Ou3zFiqyqBvPzFdunQZm3aRqCorjC9Xc0KfNfTXrSADaZPkHfrttM2F1FzpjAtDaVJF/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once that started turning color, i threw in the eggplant. eggplant soaks up oil fast so watch it carefully or your onions will start to burn from having no oil left to cook in.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjPCkz_7mZQCse0Jb4ce6GjV_BCr0gMGkirQ56YSja2WzfTkjt72ZmogMdfpLkZP26ZrX1HMnMPstCV5MyJOBux4CmJYrKHRO8HtdUXRhgtQM9NtK9Dx4tKfTAMFWx7RvSvx6AUMp4P5G/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803734491012370" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjPCkz_7mZQCse0Jb4ce6GjV_BCr0gMGkirQ56YSja2WzfTkjt72ZmogMdfpLkZP26ZrX1HMnMPstCV5MyJOBux4CmJYrKHRO8HtdUXRhgtQM9NtK9Dx4tKfTAMFWx7RvSvx6AUMp4P5G/s320/004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />while the eggplant was coooking, i deskinned and deboned 4 chicken thighs, then sliced them into thin strips. you want them thin so they poach quickly in the curry sauce.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1JMCEvvMI6VUTMoO6kNNp9jkJMTsUH3TQrwBTJq9obzNuvSK-5qZhh525OFk3ix7j7hHVtWhTOYCxFFq_y6bpg-098VAStzxNQ6NKmPiSrgAzsy3RPd3a4-GDG3bRCmT21pEWs11MqCR/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803731122848146" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1JMCEvvMI6VUTMoO6kNNp9jkJMTsUH3TQrwBTJq9obzNuvSK-5qZhh525OFk3ix7j7hHVtWhTOYCxFFq_y6bpg-098VAStzxNQ6NKmPiSrgAzsy3RPd3a4-GDG3bRCmT21pEWs11MqCR/s320/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once the eggplant was slightly soft, i added 2 big tablespoons of the red curry paste and the can of coconut milk. at this point i was supposed to add a 1/4 cup of fish sauce, only to find that when i opened my cupboard, i had no more! argh. i had to substitute 2-3 tablespoons of salt. i also added the juice of 1 1/2 limes and about 3 tablespoons brown sugar. this part is really to your taste. the key is to taste after adding each seasoning so you can shape the flavor of the curry. to me, thai curry is spice-y (not necessarily "spicy" hot), slightly sweet, and a little tart. i also like curry with more body, not thin and soupy.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gCUfiRMZE7OJ0B_zessZ1a2BqHcSk03xA23Kn-0VlwkvDnqpKlF_mxxzSpo_aNT6hysOHwOEI2spJAlHJlVBZEbAZnVjhjGAgaM7HucPUhNJsJ5Y0eWsQIAQxY9KsAHQibY1BArC9W6I/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803720845831234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gCUfiRMZE7OJ0B_zessZ1a2BqHcSk03xA23Kn-0VlwkvDnqpKlF_mxxzSpo_aNT6hysOHwOEI2spJAlHJlVBZEbAZnVjhjGAgaM7HucPUhNJsJ5Y0eWsQIAQxY9KsAHQibY1BArC9W6I/s320/006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />as that reduced, i added the sliced chicken thighs and left it to poach for 10 min. leave the burner high enough so it continues to simmer well.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoPraFSr9Y53Lb_Le1uwNmOUdvD-ionYSIHPTFf3CQBqK7JF-e3k26sKwgK2ZrR72e0u2XIooVAz7Od38nUGr9AT2C6ek4MvatouTqhTvcLQNzAnjxYGr7XKipxcobk36RpLDiG3EqkAs/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803486560966898" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoPraFSr9Y53Lb_Le1uwNmOUdvD-ionYSIHPTFf3CQBqK7JF-e3k26sKwgK2ZrR72e0u2XIooVAz7Od38nUGr9AT2C6ek4MvatouTqhTvcLQNzAnjxYGr7XKipxcobk36RpLDiG3EqkAs/s320/007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />when the chicken is almost done (i.e. no pink, and it'll take longer for thigh meat to cook than breast meat), i threw in the bamboo shoots (drained), beans, cilantro and jalapenos.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlN3j9QW13hD2l0Kzkg3cWlTOIEgYcICsHOsCz_FQxdgrUeaHG6ULBrA963VyuwXzj05nOwDaIq-8QKVnXxuVGNUMKevaxCI-YbFkd5pR8HjqXP_gDmhJLOG7IQ0RPZshudeyT7F8yc0b/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803479829466274" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlN3j9QW13hD2l0Kzkg3cWlTOIEgYcICsHOsCz_FQxdgrUeaHG6ULBrA963VyuwXzj05nOwDaIq-8QKVnXxuVGNUMKevaxCI-YbFkd5pR8HjqXP_gDmhJLOG7IQ0RPZshudeyT7F8yc0b/s320/008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />after another 5 minutes, the beans are warmed through and it's all ready to plate.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyL46Q8DsWRlo_8JFQ7mMCFd9OfjHRHBNq8q5C7Z9ejViX2z9uK_LJ7irVyCw0BVbWiz1-KN_j0GnXpyo9dlCuw3p8MI7ZT7FghndnEDWQ5cebFyJEJBU7Je8WKy18HNMUbN9XnXDlLp9/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803475310979522" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyL46Q8DsWRlo_8JFQ7mMCFd9OfjHRHBNq8q5C7Z9ejViX2z9uK_LJ7irVyCw0BVbWiz1-KN_j0GnXpyo9dlCuw3p8MI7ZT7FghndnEDWQ5cebFyJEJBU7Je8WKy18HNMUbN9XnXDlLp9/s320/010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />a nice scoop of rice is perfect for soaking up all of the tasty curry. garnish with cilantro leaves and you've got yourself a soul-warming meal on a cold nite, as it is tonite in sf.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4jA6BbhFzEKHYLOspD8r_6wEUhqCLgXzf6K9s56blFUqCGhTqfQpEgLByRbbwYcLsHJFqws7qiEKPu4cVwh8GZkaEfN8gX5nxZJcK_tORGyoF_i9PC8WBoZeiGjdlkjm3PrWsAnJqBYt/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803470706721330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4jA6BbhFzEKHYLOspD8r_6wEUhqCLgXzf6K9s56blFUqCGhTqfQpEgLByRbbwYcLsHJFqws7qiEKPu4cVwh8GZkaEfN8gX5nxZJcK_tORGyoF_i9PC8WBoZeiGjdlkjm3PrWsAnJqBYt/s320/011.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />overall this turned out pretty good. i think the fish sauce would've added a nuanced, undertoned note that you just can't get by adding salt alone. but the chicken was tender and moist, the beans had a tender snap, and the lime contrasted beautifully against the spices of the curry paste.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3glWCRm7cPq49t75XFdgC5mCOhGOv_rnOZfhBXqT6_h57MQcZa5KnDud_v-gTAQ1LqQCbY8896YoXDp09ROSQDkDye-4jYsLNGFZOKmb3tcGsEonYmHiOY5mtySbtkaj79f7cwCocHQjA/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429803462225950114" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3glWCRm7cPq49t75XFdgC5mCOhGOv_rnOZfhBXqT6_h57MQcZa5KnDud_v-gTAQ1LqQCbY8896YoXDp09ROSQDkDye-4jYsLNGFZOKmb3tcGsEonYmHiOY5mtySbtkaj79f7cwCocHQjA/s320/012.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and the best part? i have enough for 3 more meals. leftovers anyone?lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-24499656471650240892010-01-06T19:22:00.000-08:002010-01-06T20:30:33.538-08:00jalapeno beef stirfrylast nite in new york city's chinatown, i had a surprisingly tasty last minute meal at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=66%20Bayard%20Street%2C%20ny%2C%20ny&rls=com.microsoft:*&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl">nice green bo shanghainese restaurant on bayardad street</a>. as benji ordered beef with jalapenos, i thought to myself, whoa. that's gonna be super spicy. i couldn't imagine eating strips of jalapenos without reaching for a glass of cooling milk or even horchata. but when the dish did come out, it was a tasty, savory stirfry of tender strips of beef and sliced jalapenos that really weren't that hot. it was actually more akin to green bell peppers with a slight kick. and it was good. so good, that i recreated it tonite for dinner. so here we go.<br /><br />i picked up a pound or so of skirt steak at the market after work, along with some jalapenos, an onion and garlic.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszP3IwVyKblLUc7ZPGd70qz0RBy70URV74JNutAGk9bMm_3UF_yAMZmPmwN8PFTpK7cdofIvsji_PCz-XNxgml7a4dLCWmeQ4CZ4yqh4WHlyzNW5UBCW89VFIL-hKYZQj8XujxDj27dw3/s1600-h/IMG_0114.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842473816809842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszP3IwVyKblLUc7ZPGd70qz0RBy70URV74JNutAGk9bMm_3UF_yAMZmPmwN8PFTpK7cdofIvsji_PCz-XNxgml7a4dLCWmeQ4CZ4yqh4WHlyzNW5UBCW89VFIL-hKYZQj8XujxDj27dw3/s320/IMG_0114.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />i then prepped the ingredients, deseeding, deveining and slicing the jalapenos, slicing the onion and thinly slicing the garlic cloves. i cut the skirt steak into thin strips as well.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5eQmdWEHC1em6ReVw_t9Mg7-bMjgr-2eXzVau6NjFkrYM4ycnA3Kd9IOwQYdnufcUy8VzgiKOIE99WAAM926uRR1wb33REr9LCsofcLaZVUHJht8kKINe-B44ar4tHlO1x3WGq6bw7Mp/s1600-h/IMG_0116.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842464380801218" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5eQmdWEHC1em6ReVw_t9Mg7-bMjgr-2eXzVau6NjFkrYM4ycnA3Kd9IOwQYdnufcUy8VzgiKOIE99WAAM926uRR1wb33REr9LCsofcLaZVUHJht8kKINe-B44ar4tHlO1x3WGq6bw7Mp/s320/IMG_0116.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i then marinated the beef with some oyster sauce, mushroom flavored dark soy sauce, a bit of sesame oil and freshly ground black pepper. i also decided to throw in a couple splashes of sake and mirin, in honor of all the great japanese food i've had lately.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_z2QxrRLvzmFXB48TlcaM8RZuuvJsN9UT5ezQwxD7q5s21N7e2Xspx_R2Gvo8bVcgqfbLQUwfzapnk9g6NtKPzc59Mc1Fg1S-gVjC1wErtHZMCRg23O8KV0vOARATvzwqDOPZdQNLgit/s1600-h/IMG_0117.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423844998703344754" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_z2QxrRLvzmFXB48TlcaM8RZuuvJsN9UT5ezQwxD7q5s21N7e2Xspx_R2Gvo8bVcgqfbLQUwfzapnk9g6NtKPzc59Mc1Fg1S-gVjC1wErtHZMCRg23O8KV0vOARATvzwqDOPZdQNLgit/s320/IMG_0117.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />in went the garlic into hot olive oil...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnES7Fh8sBsdK5ltsLg6mYgmYPTA4qx9zOzxaedfYyIImSwOq1JtxImakL-0qrLUvXKZETpjvIN5bcSjHE2WiwzIvP8jiXgKcPkO6vo68eovbbcVMtGe0V1EyrMoC4oOTPlwFugwJpawIq/s1600-h/IMG_0118.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842462850947666" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnES7Fh8sBsdK5ltsLg6mYgmYPTA4qx9zOzxaedfYyIImSwOq1JtxImakL-0qrLUvXKZETpjvIN5bcSjHE2WiwzIvP8jiXgKcPkO6vo68eovbbcVMtGe0V1EyrMoC4oOTPlwFugwJpawIq/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and the marinated beef, stirfried quickly for about 3-4 min.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_4cnL7WV-JZaL4N7erFZy8BPRn5FOsZ8zQVcdPInuwT5P98s5oTuKajzTqiLsv1oTyuk3QVvqUfD93dWfkmsDmKk9e6KlYpWw3v4pxbPfzqJgZYLGymXqMpTRXhtLeFeLtqB4ps5BK7J/s1600-h/IMG_0119.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842455259486178" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_4cnL7WV-JZaL4N7erFZy8BPRn5FOsZ8zQVcdPInuwT5P98s5oTuKajzTqiLsv1oTyuk3QVvqUfD93dWfkmsDmKk9e6KlYpWw3v4pxbPfzqJgZYLGymXqMpTRXhtLeFeLtqB4ps5BK7J/s320/IMG_0119.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i removed the beef from the pan and threw in the jalapenos and onions, stirfrying them for another 3-4 min...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhV9FFjQYFL23rWP6cJqeSd1vZ8s08pZ4ypcLCLHvW5kTsaftg-SVzHu86gR4IqzSacsqb7S2f343ozihRoqaVlZGKOnmwXs4TuM-iCm9u5EEzSIFK8RqHS0IqJtCGLvteBRjt9kZZ8Mkn/s1600-h/IMG_0120.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842784905614946" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhV9FFjQYFL23rWP6cJqeSd1vZ8s08pZ4ypcLCLHvW5kTsaftg-SVzHu86gR4IqzSacsqb7S2f343ozihRoqaVlZGKOnmwXs4TuM-iCm9u5EEzSIFK8RqHS0IqJtCGLvteBRjt9kZZ8Mkn/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />until there was a bit of caramelization going on in the pan. i then tossed the reserved beef and sauce back in and...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhtb7ARbdxP7g5974uG-DewSXIU2pmHHzDzxhVQ_W0-Ehy6HTOO1nUw2lhv1Btg6fFrVj1dX_nfgBDmvXH7ARm7baN9i4a008dqdspmlhQ5oVG6uA1PHzfpqvNDa-3-SZVn-xIz6zYHHf/s1600-h/IMG_0121.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842780552070914" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhtb7ARbdxP7g5974uG-DewSXIU2pmHHzDzxhVQ_W0-Ehy6HTOO1nUw2lhv1Btg6fFrVj1dX_nfgBDmvXH7ARm7baN9i4a008dqdspmlhQ5oVG6uA1PHzfpqvNDa-3-SZVn-xIz6zYHHf/s320/IMG_0121.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />plated! yum looking huh?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCYTAU_fR9KO7m0n-ESI6AXVceQAK_DPXS0ErIQBSd8kLCEWh-e5ygpHX9JpmgfrPZph3swweS-3U9kwe-mOHqq_2Fg_qB_1O2hkioo1B6-bpt-mFGyU-fT67AWTMAZZAMktHB3R32fCq/s1600-h/IMG_0122.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842772686840738" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCYTAU_fR9KO7m0n-ESI6AXVceQAK_DPXS0ErIQBSd8kLCEWh-e5ygpHX9JpmgfrPZph3swweS-3U9kwe-mOHqq_2Fg_qB_1O2hkioo1B6-bpt-mFGyU-fT67AWTMAZZAMktHB3R32fCq/s320/IMG_0122.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />compared to nice green bo's version, mine was less salty but more oily. the beef was more tender than ngb's, probably because i used skirt steak instead of top round, which has more fat and is more tender.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghtLD931wd1BvW_nlUQAVMIhB-C0cxlwfadcSjoDiG56FbKNtM_1vs5-5g15R-i1EajYAHmHKNFezhRe4PvRirEXYTBNdaa7b1777Cow0xr_eoaE4C3br1jI02eEHKKCRuipqZC3bySLP/s1600-h/IMG_0123.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423842765927152434" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghtLD931wd1BvW_nlUQAVMIhB-C0cxlwfadcSjoDiG56FbKNtM_1vs5-5g15R-i1EajYAHmHKNFezhRe4PvRirEXYTBNdaa7b1777Cow0xr_eoaE4C3br1jI02eEHKKCRuipqZC3bySLP/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i was really surprised by this dish. jalapenos cooked in this manner really aren't that hot and have a nice crunch and plenty of fiber. i wonder what other non-typical ingredients i can stir fry. that'll be a future post.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-11918910882418438312009-07-06T22:54:00.000-07:002009-10-17T10:46:26.858-07:00izakaya gamushara - japan meals part 3i have been obsessed with izakaya for about a year ever since i purchased "izakaya: the japanese pub cookbook" by mark robinson for a couple of key recipes i used for a friend's dad's 60th bday bash last summer. robinson not only provides photos and recipes for countless japanese small plate dishes, he reveals the unique history and customs of izakaya culture through beautifully written passages.<br /><br />izakaya is essentially a japanese pub, an intimate and typically "locals" or "divey" establishment that serves both alcohol and food, but unlike american or irish pubs, the focus is very much both the alcohol AND the food. all dishes are small plates meant to be shared over beer or sake (or both) and ranges from tasty little salads to impeccably fresh sashimi to perfectly charred skewers of meat and fiery hot stone pots of rice and seasonings.<br /><br />i was simply hooked on the concept (i like food and i like alcohol) and obsessed with participating in an authentic izakaya experience. so when christien and i decided to head to tokyo for a week, i made damn sure we would go to an izakaya or three. for dinner on the second nite of our trip in japan, we trekked through the crowded streets of shinjuku district to sanchome, its 3rd ward. wandering down the dark paved streets, we came to a narrow and dark wooden corridor that led downwards. the black cloth banner above read gamushara in ghostly white. my first izakaya!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rv_7UDf9qr3a_ORo1a6pjgKstrBhR-SocwDZf9GVZ_KDpJwVnIOsWoyXp6Bta0ShFSdPUCy9BTxmfcELiVhR9xWYcTan5iKbfg5bn7yuyQhCngCP5ig2QDrQOuN5F2yg2_Qgrlumo3f3/s1600-h/japan+268.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355595433696545314" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rv_7UDf9qr3a_ORo1a6pjgKstrBhR-SocwDZf9GVZ_KDpJwVnIOsWoyXp6Bta0ShFSdPUCy9BTxmfcELiVhR9xWYcTan5iKbfg5bn7yuyQhCngCP5ig2QDrQOuN5F2yg2_Qgrlumo3f3/s320/japan+268.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />photos are great, but videos really tell the story. push play and watch as i descend down into my first izakaya...<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwAouk_f4-YV8CXu2OvQp4US0DACc7rYJT9gdB2CmFe6lwRH8fR2jOA3dHg6YnkFU0qRChhLLx_mq_PVGztHQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />the establishment was small, maybe about 500 square feet of dining space with low wooden tables and benches. behind us was an open kitchen and bar with bottles and bottles of sake lining the walls. it was pretty dark and tables were dimly lit by pin lights above.<br /><br />upon seating, a waiter distributes the customary hot hand towel to refresh your hands and places small bowls of marinated burdock root and hijiki seaweed as a teaser, or amuse bouche if you will.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKh8QtInCqf1ssT5HrTsumGpiKKjLlX5-T8Y5hpRqXyDikmrLIzr0cFg-J56ClHQ1kzRD_DylN4SL0qkuTr8FhRRef7FRIaASRxo0ZPkI3qsWWy8TTRmR0aL0202zm5CAC9eUuD_EqisLw/s1600-h/japan+270.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355595425572312258" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKh8QtInCqf1ssT5HrTsumGpiKKjLlX5-T8Y5hpRqXyDikmrLIzr0cFg-J56ClHQ1kzRD_DylN4SL0qkuTr8FhRRef7FRIaASRxo0ZPkI3qsWWy8TTRmR0aL0202zm5CAC9eUuD_EqisLw/s320/japan+270.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />christien's friend, , a japanese native and food guide for the evening rattled off a flurry of dishes to the waiter. and the dishes start coming. first up, a fresh and tender salad of red and green lettuce, thinly sliced red onions, green beans and fresh corn lightly dressed in a citrus vinaigrette.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxuaNLIdiRWN8jYNGMMuOiDmg038_hHgEqlDGlmW5Perdqb_ZMhi79vAj3O8J77gx-8GlwqI1ycD8OqgLvAOPd0Hg8V_To-pi-N9JKISlY2IBNQVDwmM7xtsVf01TIHTcQ3ddA7n1OTr4/s1600-h/japan+280.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355595422325362770" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxuaNLIdiRWN8jYNGMMuOiDmg038_hHgEqlDGlmW5Perdqb_ZMhi79vAj3O8J77gx-8GlwqI1ycD8OqgLvAOPd0Hg8V_To-pi-N9JKISlY2IBNQVDwmM7xtsVf01TIHTcQ3ddA7n1OTr4/s320/japan+280.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />then comes a wonderful stew of beef innards and quail eggs nestled in intense broth. so delicious. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9p0ya15vbw1yd9aEVeN2R2hoyKJWeTyR04T6L7WwsEZAQeIp4Wr2Kl8SY7TYTSylNYtwHu1P41-QqMAyRujsImITMGHEOCCBv_6B06lnjb9kshf1TgEsMkVFDllSAyP6x5lrSDyE9z-q/s1600-h/japan+281.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355595416318254802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9p0ya15vbw1yd9aEVeN2R2hoyKJWeTyR04T6L7WwsEZAQeIp4Wr2Kl8SY7TYTSylNYtwHu1P41-QqMAyRujsImITMGHEOCCBv_6B06lnjb9kshf1TgEsMkVFDllSAyP6x5lrSDyE9z-q/s320/japan+281.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />then gyozas, perfectly panfried on the flat side, moist and tender meat stuffed inside.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt2VVOVQq632c4wXlkMN6oUbGRWMaxM8UBK1zHs1qsVttxinXRFuH84HnfrP9-XukPHL8iz3kZfTFpz7KroUSIOA5SAPuc-wF-7B33b6R0sR4bj4vfCRUfybY5Qi9ADPjR2CsNGvbdEn7/s1600-h/japan+284.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355595411535840418" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt2VVOVQq632c4wXlkMN6oUbGRWMaxM8UBK1zHs1qsVttxinXRFuH84HnfrP9-XukPHL8iz3kZfTFpz7KroUSIOA5SAPuc-wF-7B33b6R0sR4bj4vfCRUfybY5Qi9ADPjR2CsNGvbdEn7/s320/japan+284.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />chicken kaarage was wonderfully moist and seasoned with a light, crunchy batter. great with fresh squeezed lemon.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfKRQUrGiu8YQXNfjYtPLNmkENautnQxxM-rcgx1dAlHDtWLb83o1nz0pgsWTakLqVBEnq4-jaV2MDBCOEMjrRW7yCFAHEwJyHS5zfnDT2ckACBwC2gCfKVQ3-hpi4SLVV8ZHcRE8456P/s1600-h/japan+285.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355594321534553938" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfKRQUrGiu8YQXNfjYtPLNmkENautnQxxM-rcgx1dAlHDtWLb83o1nz0pgsWTakLqVBEnq4-jaV2MDBCOEMjrRW7yCFAHEwJyHS5zfnDT2ckACBwC2gCfKVQ3-hpi4SLVV8ZHcRE8456P/s320/japan+285.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />chashu, roasted pork loin, was amazing.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_sTLSMb67fT7INdLNfwz3FC-7RdXFzJy_Mz-QcaMFw-QY7Ep-X7F3RhCnjZFCu_U4HA7v60Feea29e9Id1AwVFLAdGxUIxF3PlYuG1vOY16NvgFoa5ZnoFo6crzDM2yaciBB44CCN1Gj/s1600-h/japan+286.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355594314104759730" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_sTLSMb67fT7INdLNfwz3FC-7RdXFzJy_Mz-QcaMFw-QY7Ep-X7F3RhCnjZFCu_U4HA7v60Feea29e9Id1AwVFLAdGxUIxF3PlYuG1vOY16NvgFoa5ZnoFo6crzDM2yaciBB44CCN1Gj/s320/japan+286.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />then this came out. konnyaku. robinson describes konnyaku as a jelly made from the flour of the "devil's tongue" plant. it was weird and spicy on the tongue with kind of an unflavored gelatin texture. the sauce helped, but not enough to win me over. oh well.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlNikuVFxisDqJ1l7vqNoCvtekY6JS6RDViK8HCe_pNYgpAdKJso_29ItKhN4X3h-IUsMwzkLtMnxCZ46t1BjEjPAV8e_gKr7MVB8fIU7BAmdma2CY5cf30_OKceJsTmWB-kSjpeLSzcw/s1600-h/japan+289.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355594308694893314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlNikuVFxisDqJ1l7vqNoCvtekY6JS6RDViK8HCe_pNYgpAdKJso_29ItKhN4X3h-IUsMwzkLtMnxCZ46t1BjEjPAV8e_gKr7MVB8fIU7BAmdma2CY5cf30_OKceJsTmWB-kSjpeLSzcw/s320/japan+289.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />fried wedge potatoes. omg. who knew japanese could make fries so well?! perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzn0gbRI060JyIZ5Ahl8XhJtG6FJlx42qJl7OQt9_BJwgp5YATBBsSulPkOiIh6AIABUm5rPEubSZvbavqRHAXsM2Q4gbPNhC-Xf80T40XTc6oKqa3y1kyxpi3GgsSVGesp5F1xFtwG45i/s1600-h/japan+290.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355594306731818114" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzn0gbRI060JyIZ5Ahl8XhJtG6FJlx42qJl7OQt9_BJwgp5YATBBsSulPkOiIh6AIABUm5rPEubSZvbavqRHAXsM2Q4gbPNhC-Xf80T40XTc6oKqa3y1kyxpi3GgsSVGesp5F1xFtwG45i/s320/japan+290.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />takowasa. fresh, raw octopus, diced with fresh wasabi root, bathed in its own octopusy slime. this was absolutely stunning. the octopus was crunchy and tender at the same time, and the slime wasn't slimy. the wasabi root provided a nice firey bite. we ordered three of these it was so good. and i'm still searching for a place in sf that does this. found one in la. so addicting.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibH6_ET3GiLlSRwN7q2PnfBFWamGFnNTd_dBFKR4TlLoqE8XAC8FB7BhiUxwidxngPYmzYOOwB3nN4TqqA33t1whj4ZKNuC1k1ep1D3jg_a6pcjvTfolTlGsBFHiB-8ETzPW7an2qeosED/s1600-h/japan+291.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355594302608427346" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibH6_ET3GiLlSRwN7q2PnfBFWamGFnNTd_dBFKR4TlLoqE8XAC8FB7BhiUxwidxngPYmzYOOwB3nN4TqqA33t1whj4ZKNuC1k1ep1D3jg_a6pcjvTfolTlGsBFHiB-8ETzPW7an2qeosED/s320/japan+291.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />this was a stone pot that was placed on our table scroching hot, filled with white rice, pork, mushrooms, pickled vegetables, scallions and an egg yolk.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5nVsGOb37z0ijoNQg4CSzyykl9IglhQcGOxaFMhensxUSyZiEnLjN3f0wLusMozuxFrE3CxdUafrPW7vLZmDr-alKnFAZX2wFR2fDTDMNTPtdcNMka2UCEjFSmETFsok_SJwWdFsx3PQ/s1600-h/japan+292.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355593580446742498" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5nVsGOb37z0ijoNQg4CSzyykl9IglhQcGOxaFMhensxUSyZiEnLjN3f0wLusMozuxFrE3CxdUafrPW7vLZmDr-alKnFAZX2wFR2fDTDMNTPtdcNMka2UCEjFSmETFsok_SJwWdFsx3PQ/s320/japan+292.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />as the nite wore on and we had passed our fourth or fifth round of beers (i lost count), our food guide orders this controversy: raw chicken salad! what what? you can't eat chicken raw!! apparently the chickens used for this delicacy are raised on special farms so that samonella is very low risk. so after hesitating and much doubting, we popped our first raw chicken bits into our mouths.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rZ7lGRHFQup5NqGwYwgy5tdMaPhjXw0gXAJNjHh8zApTaJ2vlJ3zkDjVyOZhW3xOfWthDkTw2Ouxn2j9QjYA1b-ayJ36DPegfZrNABsseXBfayNEOIxDExtngIfi1-O5LTgquHiq-pu_/s1600-h/japan+295.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355593571902469346" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rZ7lGRHFQup5NqGwYwgy5tdMaPhjXw0gXAJNjHh8zApTaJ2vlJ3zkDjVyOZhW3xOfWthDkTw2Ouxn2j9QjYA1b-ayJ36DPegfZrNABsseXBfayNEOIxDExtngIfi1-O5LTgquHiq-pu_/s320/japan+295.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />oh, let me tell you: it was sublime. aside from the weird headspin you get when you try something you know you shouldn't be trying, this was very tasty. the chicken had a sashimi-like texture, similar to snapper (tai) and was dressed in a mayo/avocado mixture that really let the chicken shine through. surprisingly very good. i think i felt a pyschological pang in my stomach a few moments later as the "samonella" hit, but i never had any problems later. besides, there was just too much good food to focus on such trival things. that and all the alcohol in our systems probably killed every germ in its tracks.<br /><br />now what's an asian meal without eggrolls? these were hot and crisp on the outside, creamy-laden with seafood on the inside.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kOs3roHICCmtT8p8prZZuoT85qqGYeGVXIyHN56-qIcF-XSuwAnOs_ADxhXsXxnGTEv8SNyiSM7F7BK8D8Zk732V5TOjjX21rmPJeV5OPfKC5_avvHrpN6F9qirVI5KK0vX_Nsh3eVGV/s1600-h/japan+303.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355593565710504418" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kOs3roHICCmtT8p8prZZuoT85qqGYeGVXIyHN56-qIcF-XSuwAnOs_ADxhXsXxnGTEv8SNyiSM7F7BK8D8Zk732V5TOjjX21rmPJeV5OPfKC5_avvHrpN6F9qirVI5KK0vX_Nsh3eVGV/s320/japan+303.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />ah, one of the last and most intriguing dishes of the nite. pregnant anchovies, deep fried. riveting choice of words eh? these were deep fried whole with some sort of vinegary garnish.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheL6BLGQwxIq5q4jONxZ_xOTbtU-5nVHcNFEQRd0lmjzZEyUWn6UdEjvpnqVkVk_M03gOZZT1eIPcB_6hqvjAA70LCNzA2s6Rj2OTw4ehy2_hfII56S1bBGHq2GSjXUpbkgKVTIATaLUWf/s1600-h/japan+304.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355593563695230850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheL6BLGQwxIq5q4jONxZ_xOTbtU-5nVHcNFEQRd0lmjzZEyUWn6UdEjvpnqVkVk_M03gOZZT1eIPcB_6hqvjAA70LCNzA2s6Rj2OTw4ehy2_hfII56S1bBGHq2GSjXUpbkgKVTIATaLUWf/s320/japan+304.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and yes, chockful of little anchovy babies... or in culinary terms, roe. crunchy on the outside, crunchy little bursts of roe on the inside. definite fan of this.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgrx-3T156TSTdzKw7YdurLsN8nGkqEtmIKyNpW9XYSM6RjLiD2cdaKGoRK9t-2F2YlxHMmJUWWNUFJ8AL-zQjglRDq-TwWOgM2EEiN1kM5EnoGpB8wNy2iruKjfpZZf_vNoqB3pX0iLS/s1600-h/japan+305.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355593553674328866" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgrx-3T156TSTdzKw7YdurLsN8nGkqEtmIKyNpW9XYSM6RjLiD2cdaKGoRK9t-2F2YlxHMmJUWWNUFJ8AL-zQjglRDq-TwWOgM2EEiN1kM5EnoGpB8wNy2iruKjfpZZf_vNoqB3pX0iLS/s320/japan+305.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and so, after countless rounds of asahi, (or was it kirin? probably both, i can't remember) and over a dozen delicacies later (many of which we ordered 2nd rounds) we fork out that funny money and move onto a nite of more intoxicated merrymaking. i had so much fun here. great food, thirst-quenching, mischief-making beer, and the company of amazing friends, their stories, their smiles and laughter. this, i realized, is what izakaya is all about. thank you.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-14581626006810360292009-06-26T18:45:00.000-07:002009-06-26T20:07:39.826-07:00kirin ichinban, pocari sweat, gokuri and more drinks - japan meals part 2when traveling abroad, it's important to stay hydrated. all that sightseeing, adventuring, and foreign land frolicking can really dehydrate a joyous visitor who just wants to cram as much tokyo tourism and underground escapades as he can in seven days. so to combat the nasty effects dehydration can have upon a happy camper, we found plenty of opportunities to get liquids while roaming the streets of japan.<br /><br />japanese drinks are awesome. these people not only know how to make drinks of all flavors and textures, they know how to package and market them. ok so yes, you'll see a lot of beer in the pictures on this post. but hey, we were on vacation and beer is GOOD. take a looksee.<br /><br />what better way to start a trip to a distant, foreign land (and wash down mushy acidic airplane pasta) than a can of kirin ichiban beer. light, bubbly and burpy, four of these on the 11 hour plane ride did very nicely, thank you very much.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhu-_Nr4-T70HGZ-BgpDnDeJPBlTcbGWAN1LHYfMEH4zgHF7Z4YzTUYDHpRACAaff-JyLr5OwZ4GbM5sLiqWpcXB44K-m2gwUzjj1FmLkN7DC8Rm79eCkNZJwBMosr4dcKWBGHw-vohiwP/s1600-h/japan+010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351824641108830818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhu-_Nr4-T70HGZ-BgpDnDeJPBlTcbGWAN1LHYfMEH4zgHF7Z4YzTUYDHpRACAaff-JyLr5OwZ4GbM5sLiqWpcXB44K-m2gwUzjj1FmLkN7DC8Rm79eCkNZJwBMosr4dcKWBGHw-vohiwP/s320/japan+010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />once at our hotel a couple blocks from shinjuku station, we picked up a huge bottle of pocari sweat from the 7 eleven across the street. i liken pocari sweat to a lemonade flavored sports drink. it has about the same consistency and flavor.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgohds9vG2T7-4aCJwuG9VnLU5gxbm3rzfD6-6bkA_hSffl6Sgcc2gLlCvzr8X6NCTX1ybDbkAbd59NXmaiXSG0jO_UI8QHs3FZgTH-HmRANrxnn4dgKmV1chkKTM3eN1dDaFmn5jblLJU/s1600-h/japan+046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351824633924506370" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgohds9vG2T7-4aCJwuG9VnLU5gxbm3rzfD6-6bkA_hSffl6Sgcc2gLlCvzr8X6NCTX1ybDbkAbd59NXmaiXSG0jO_UI8QHs3FZgTH-HmRANrxnn4dgKmV1chkKTM3eN1dDaFmn5jblLJU/s320/japan+046.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />small drink bottles kept us hydrated on the go. here, christien has a suntori brand drink. i think it was peach or something.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuH1Y0Q3SmnRQqWPuuH-wou9_-9f8mOwugT8SOS7Jd-3fDSrHJD7ESG3wR2k5Cv8attc_skgCFQjPez0Pi8MFSKDZze2Z4cCiFY-YnL0WC7k1ZBv_HC7fIluOd4LJXmEG6VxMnMF6VVyhy/s1600-h/japan+098.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351824020671151938" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuH1Y0Q3SmnRQqWPuuH-wou9_-9f8mOwugT8SOS7Jd-3fDSrHJD7ESG3wR2k5Cv8attc_skgCFQjPez0Pi8MFSKDZze2Z4cCiFY-YnL0WC7k1ZBv_HC7fIluOd4LJXmEG6VxMnMF6VVyhy/s320/japan+098.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />this bottle of gokuri was my favorite. grapefruit juice with real grapefruit bits in it. not too sour, not too sweet. super refreshing in an awesomely designed aluminum bottle with wide mouth twist cap.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr4plt0-5YvtMWx_HrwVkZBiUDvx-YbPRlIWyZMcz2P4K8F9IdwuhCrXGuhG7d2hzivCez2cGWf22VvHgpIYV15sw8inSA0v-ubM9V9gaR8K-Xz9h-gmowzxmRL85yc7zrIj-rK6CgBCY/s1600-h/japan+099.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351824010793491730" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr4plt0-5YvtMWx_HrwVkZBiUDvx-YbPRlIWyZMcz2P4K8F9IdwuhCrXGuhG7d2hzivCez2cGWf22VvHgpIYV15sw8inSA0v-ubM9V9gaR8K-Xz9h-gmowzxmRL85yc7zrIj-rK6CgBCY/s320/japan+099.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />as you walk around tokyo, there are tons of vending machines dispensing drinks. japanese vending machines seem to have a much wider selection per machine and each drink is nicely displayed. it's also just a lot of fun trying to figure out what the hell was in each bottle or can. sometimes we were right, sometimes totally wrong. as we were walking around shinjuku district, we passed by this sloping alley chock full of vending machines. made for a great photo. notice all the ads.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFq-1gr5UOFUWrzx2mKaFnHmLxeHmvn1TTFS4uZoDriNk6XGGYeOWe2GFFu1IHzrdNSaCkLur8n2-K3Izwxvv3lvQVT33909XgNiRDqe1yDd4Ep-XZto7QCFW78YXPF77HSsQ_XwtvNMBN/s1600-h/japan+102.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351824002727435746" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFq-1gr5UOFUWrzx2mKaFnHmLxeHmvn1TTFS4uZoDriNk6XGGYeOWe2GFFu1IHzrdNSaCkLur8n2-K3Izwxvv3lvQVT33909XgNiRDqe1yDd4Ep-XZto7QCFW78YXPF77HSsQ_XwtvNMBN/s320/japan+102.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and what do you know! as we were walking past the machines, christien spotted his favorite j-pop star, namie amuro! she was quenching her thirst just like us foreigners!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSTdKjJko_lRCx9Yqxz10cypcjjQVxrsyQr6Mq1hwkQlkPgeyKCU3eCGJySZcXvJ2FoJKTIg_Vc8XGN4nXUOoUb-sAkjEe3VMUFwP_otG93zO6Ed1mQmyrIkoqzU30oAXLue54aAfgh5N/s1600-h/japan+101.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351824008142808786" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSTdKjJko_lRCx9Yqxz10cypcjjQVxrsyQr6Mq1hwkQlkPgeyKCU3eCGJySZcXvJ2FoJKTIg_Vc8XGN4nXUOoUb-sAkjEe3VMUFwP_otG93zO6Ed1mQmyrIkoqzU30oAXLue54aAfgh5N/s320/japan+101.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />while visiting the ginormous residential-business-cultural complex that is roppongi hills, we stopped in a modern, western cafe for some rich and delicious iced lattes. to sweeten the coffee, there were little pods of simple syrup (much like half & half creamers).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjv7X0H7MgYMooYOzhx_80pZ5SWtHfsLd9PYFLC7bIaHfptC8TPJ2-hLayYnBxIyPEZMmntmNMaIaWyU6xn-Clhj_V1lk6uDp8z_j4ZrA3OyD9tiQk3zz41h6Hmfpp1z2HXzUlgyEeRX5_/s1600-h/japan+123.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351824000341307602" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjv7X0H7MgYMooYOzhx_80pZ5SWtHfsLd9PYFLC7bIaHfptC8TPJ2-hLayYnBxIyPEZMmntmNMaIaWyU6xn-Clhj_V1lk6uDp8z_j4ZrA3OyD9tiQk3zz41h6Hmfpp1z2HXzUlgyEeRX5_/s320/japan+123.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and as the evening set in, we settled into some innovative (and expensive) cocktails in the bar atop roppongi hills tower to watch the sun set and experience the tokyo lightscape come alive 100 floors below.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8Kvvty6_cLatSkyyUAX-Cp-_EgAmWeweI1qgNqnReiqmTxo6t_MxqnproMuLRM0b716GczWsEIn23ZXClh6yaw5hxzHf7HQ06PwC-4r_pDL8eTtQ0CHomsytaSLSQnvDgoKa9Bzo6eOq/s1600-h/japan+248.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351822619701316322" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8Kvvty6_cLatSkyyUAX-Cp-_EgAmWeweI1qgNqnReiqmTxo6t_MxqnproMuLRM0b716GczWsEIn23ZXClh6yaw5hxzHf7HQ06PwC-4r_pDL8eTtQ0CHomsytaSLSQnvDgoKa9Bzo6eOq/s320/japan+248.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />dinner at our first izakaya meant beer, beer and more beer. i can't remember how many pints of asahi we or i had that nite.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdmOr047fQEhEImLG3JqggvHbbKVF7lRbupuF_Uljwrr-NMpKSW13NThWLYa9laban_yaII6Ply69kFBAjqyUbqcbORxOThyphenhyphendVdRcCFfx5e3umbOl5FY0QGbbTlkX15woiK1DiCbkkcX0/s1600-h/japan+279.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351822616987039474" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdmOr047fQEhEImLG3JqggvHbbKVF7lRbupuF_Uljwrr-NMpKSW13NThWLYa9laban_yaII6Ply69kFBAjqyUbqcbORxOThyphenhyphendVdRcCFfx5e3umbOl5FY0QGbbTlkX15woiK1DiCbkkcX0/s320/japan+279.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i know it was A LOT.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYVYw8h_OCfAiqeEvMQvKGbpXuPanTO39tGo0zfgMRG4nHE0FmOn00UPmJ-BoG8ln_YyPikIvOU10hIEq_Nu2UmJ_KJvecIbnT4LuGIDRGgfuMjdwlmke99SQfnvg9t92blLPw93arM1V/s1600-h/japan+297.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351822612580982178" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYVYw8h_OCfAiqeEvMQvKGbpXuPanTO39tGo0zfgMRG4nHE0FmOn00UPmJ-BoG8ln_YyPikIvOU10hIEq_Nu2UmJ_KJvecIbnT4LuGIDRGgfuMjdwlmke99SQfnvg9t92blLPw93arM1V/s320/japan+297.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />more mugs of asahi at a casual diner chain known for its gyoza (which were excellent by the way).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsekfXDCoYNWkLLez42jG-MbZ1g3rul8IZYCC_AkHVc4c_ywZWTNQ0nC3juSpIrCdNcZob_2QPgmdwgnV03tvMUrJPJPPFg-fbqjyz8lpIC8spt4UxSyoOwSmd3UwKpZeeNT2a5NUpWjK/s1600-h/japan+394.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351822601966032930" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsekfXDCoYNWkLLez42jG-MbZ1g3rul8IZYCC_AkHVc4c_ywZWTNQ0nC3juSpIrCdNcZob_2QPgmdwgnV03tvMUrJPJPPFg-fbqjyz8lpIC8spt4UxSyoOwSmd3UwKpZeeNT2a5NUpWjK/s320/japan+394.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />ah yes, another izakaya, another drunken nite. this time courtesy of two bottles of suntory whiskey for the five of us. yes, two. we finished all of it. curiously, the whiskey was served with ice spheres. they looked like crystal eyeballs. a little disturbing.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP2M3B9w9KCEzLyuhRyKmbB2JnDstpBVy0C9E1Qg82d9JVatHAi58nzuxLhgGuRUYl1LGOUThfClzcKQhKqhaxXR4hBXgPLSakDBhHCcRnjjy2aJjBvpf1DnXMFQe0UZ90EaByAE9QfKW/s1600-h/japan+418.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351822601233595698" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP2M3B9w9KCEzLyuhRyKmbB2JnDstpBVy0C9E1Qg82d9JVatHAi58nzuxLhgGuRUYl1LGOUThfClzcKQhKqhaxXR4hBXgPLSakDBhHCcRnjjy2aJjBvpf1DnXMFQe0UZ90EaByAE9QfKW/s320/japan+418.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />another beer. yebisu, which is a rich, malty premium japanese beer.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5I7FcqZydkVlznxXmx_QlXgVKejio_z9VMC6ywyMgPwgdIWY9TQFX5W4jWo795i184GPW7dMy2aBfzbAB3rWs7bkdu_YTQuQKquBRJx7vlhCeEFXSwYaLv3f_F0EZEBRmqWo0VLRyxKS/s1600-h/japan+041.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351821214106880178" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5I7FcqZydkVlznxXmx_QlXgVKejio_z9VMC6ywyMgPwgdIWY9TQFX5W4jWo795i184GPW7dMy2aBfzbAB3rWs7bkdu_YTQuQKquBRJx7vlhCeEFXSwYaLv3f_F0EZEBRmqWo0VLRyxKS/s320/japan+041.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and more beer at another izakaya. i think there's a theme here.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXuskhaGJu2QbNkDpiEgynspbHo_3S69litFuSVil3L_NsAABQypd0EEh9pdUac1FbMUW95M16Nkk-ZhJ6ipceFbOSyCfLwdidCsaCFLHajyB8_S5hoWYnWEEO2K65sbBnFNb9A1f9kmr/s1600-h/japan+050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351821212843504386" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXuskhaGJu2QbNkDpiEgynspbHo_3S69litFuSVil3L_NsAABQypd0EEh9pdUac1FbMUW95M16Nkk-ZhJ6ipceFbOSyCfLwdidCsaCFLHajyB8_S5hoWYnWEEO2K65sbBnFNb9A1f9kmr/s320/japan+050.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />on our super fast train to hakkone to experience onsen, japanese bath houses, we decided to cleanse our systems with some herbal and green iced teas, in preparation for our "spa" treatment.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSVr1Zt73kZ1mCcZ7fcVcm4PlguXz05B-_IYnRakWBliVZuK_8SQW3tYfiaUQ0Mrb4ckHfYLmkH7Q6ze8PYc4mfb-5S6_l96zpnnaaEN_xnwMqXc5VCG6lxWV4Hl8MefdQQZGS8vq0Nl0/s1600-h/japan+060.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351821206818750866" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSVr1Zt73kZ1mCcZ7fcVcm4PlguXz05B-_IYnRakWBliVZuK_8SQW3tYfiaUQ0Mrb4ckHfYLmkH7Q6ze8PYc4mfb-5S6_l96zpnnaaEN_xnwMqXc5VCG6lxWV4Hl8MefdQQZGS8vq0Nl0/s320/japan+060.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />but of course, asahi had to creep in and steal the show again.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ0MNjepTEcdyI6Zd40iUWxt13BhuqE4nm4C2MHkA0f2KNc2xNfJnH5Fm_1RLbFedChj5qAZbcIeRHjksG03_Bm7yMyLLc-TqZlf8zWBVUIYboYW-65lSTypsNlqBlTScEhi9d5wMU2lr/s1600-h/japan+062.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351821199143053234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ0MNjepTEcdyI6Zd40iUWxt13BhuqE4nm4C2MHkA0f2KNc2xNfJnH5Fm_1RLbFedChj5qAZbcIeRHjksG03_Bm7yMyLLc-TqZlf8zWBVUIYboYW-65lSTypsNlqBlTScEhi9d5wMU2lr/s320/japan+062.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />and on our final nite in tokyo, at aria blu, a luxury 7-course, all-you-can-drink, all-you-can-karaoke in 3 hours establishment, we drank and sang our sorrows away with endless pitchers of beer, vodka tonics, and gawd knows what else.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_ZQVrnPMU_RBDNeJ7c4gabk_mXHNDW_OwLQ70Ew6OvSWs4sw8u-bHcMXhf2afX9J312-pG6vFW3TTQ31VKI67METgAloYMnH2kqn0wu7TJZEEtA7m4vSvWVlP61zV4i3F8QtoLljEoaP/s1600-h/P1020899.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351821194389139714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_ZQVrnPMU_RBDNeJ7c4gabk_mXHNDW_OwLQ70Ew6OvSWs4sw8u-bHcMXhf2afX9J312-pG6vFW3TTQ31VKI67METgAloYMnH2kqn0wu7TJZEEtA7m4vSvWVlP61zV4i3F8QtoLljEoaP/s320/P1020899.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />so you see, we did a great job of making sure we stayed hydrated during our japan excursion. one thing to note though. japanese people do not walk and drink at the same time. people actually go into little cafes and quench their thirst while politely seated at a table or bar. they don't walk around with drink in hand like them heathen westerners. same thing goes for food. no walking and eating. in fact, we had the most difficult time finding public trash cans to dispose of our bottles and street food. yet the streets of tokyo are amazingly and clean and spotless.<br /><br />oh you japanese. how do you do it?lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-73579046045456093342009-06-25T23:08:00.000-07:002009-06-25T23:58:53.139-07:00kamakura ramen in tokyo - japan meals part 1in march this year christien and i met vicky and edmund for a one week trip to tokyo, japan. i... love... japan. everything about it. from the architecture and technology to the people and culture and oh, the food... japanese cuisine, for those who haven't truly experienced it, is so much more than sushi and chicken teriyaki. while these japanese-american standards are definitely tasty and of course popular, they speak nothing of the mouth watering, delicious foods found in the most glamorous restaurants and dingy-est street stalls that litter the crowded streets and buildings in the tokyo metropolis.<br /><br />in this series, i'm going to share our food experiences during our awesome trip to japan. here's the first.<br /><br />kamakura ramen was our first lunch spot in tokyo, located in shibuya district. roaming the streets of this trendy neighborhood, we couldn't settle on a place to enjoy our first meal, so we decided to ask the cops hanging out at a small police box where they usually get lunch. you figure they know where to go right? one of the cops recommended kamakura ramen a couple blocks away.<br /><br />we walked to the entrance and discovered that we had to order our meals from an outside vending machine first before entering the restaurant to sit down. the menu was huge, and all in japanese. fortunately menu pictures and christien's excellent japanese skills came to the aid.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9CjAYTgFxcEnkD3iiDc7e7fcIKyjbJTzKszcexUHDbnfseyGVjhLYdwxplxBDntSaZ6qvlhAaM5WVbRODK5pLv2klJRGwZfjwBTNVM1SoCknHyn-TdrbosIGQ0Vry5rDVix3NZfrYBCF/s1600-h/japan+073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351516342799640530" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9CjAYTgFxcEnkD3iiDc7e7fcIKyjbJTzKszcexUHDbnfseyGVjhLYdwxplxBDntSaZ6qvlhAaM5WVbRODK5pLv2klJRGwZfjwBTNVM1SoCknHyn-TdrbosIGQ0Vry5rDVix3NZfrYBCF/s320/japan+073.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />we made our selections, deposited our coins, and took our meal tickets inside.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQObSZBsVlPvd6uP-3vlVR4Y7YSmmtWACkLL24F3T4hli6cCYoc7F3GH1BYHeoA16LkbPfu4zRWHjb8RHSuOELXbNoHXOTtfuY88DAFgD9Te1DCJoYuMenhuFKFep2h-EtCIl0EqzaD12/s1600-h/japan+074.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351516090146669826" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQObSZBsVlPvd6uP-3vlVR4Y7YSmmtWACkLL24F3T4hli6cCYoc7F3GH1BYHeoA16LkbPfu4zRWHjb8RHSuOELXbNoHXOTtfuY88DAFgD9Te1DCJoYuMenhuFKFep2h-EtCIl0EqzaD12/s320/japan+074.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />after handing our meal tickets to the host, we sat down at the end of a large counter that wraps around a huge steel open kitchen. at each station there were chopsticks, napkins and an assortment of condiments ranging from scallions to garlic, soy sauce and more.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix17oSkP3tSsv2ESlZUqSCiIhHxj81amUHOeIku73JBCUZtGMSzFXe5cF-XLp3ZvyS2HtmLcrbbw88hF53DB5SXiF27cRzjsXoNPPWE8mF1USQig8eS4jDzm6ood9BG0pR-x4KOpsSqebs/s1600-h/japan+075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351516086526716690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix17oSkP3tSsv2ESlZUqSCiIhHxj81amUHOeIku73JBCUZtGMSzFXe5cF-XLp3ZvyS2HtmLcrbbw88hF53DB5SXiF27cRzjsXoNPPWE8mF1USQig8eS4jDzm6ood9BG0pR-x4KOpsSqebs/s320/japan+075.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />while waiting for our food to arrive, we entertained ourselves by watching the efficiency of the kitchen operations.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgzMh51jsJPZNcRoYCrPISNFHwtg73mci48y-O0WXSEyfIM17SSjMFz-pILcloYMnoWW8NcxDR765cSP-1aIAfRi0f4Ujg2N3NYZiSEgfbJsCKktV_SdP60TjNgQLWheyHNtXMns5JKOC/s1600-h/japan+076.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351516081802091890" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgzMh51jsJPZNcRoYCrPISNFHwtg73mci48y-O0WXSEyfIM17SSjMFz-pILcloYMnoWW8NcxDR765cSP-1aIAfRi0f4Ujg2N3NYZiSEgfbJsCKktV_SdP60TjNgQLWheyHNtXMns5JKOC/s320/japan+076.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and then, our food arrives. huge bowls of perfectly cooked ramen noodles, topped with thin, juicy slices of chashu which is slow roasted pork with intense smoky pork flavor and melt in your mouth ribbons of fat. all this was nestled in an intense and perfectly seasoned pork broth with a soy sauce base and liquid fat that was almost emulsified in the soup. my order came with a heaping bowl of thinly sliced scallions to top the ramen with. a fresh green and oniony compliement to the meat and noodles.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJbWhxGg0hTplJMSJ9H8pFrG0HQrNixhZd_qQ4jKz6CIIAsEMZxG0XiYfDZf3d-EGaFkdSIyMWAAs_89JhqIkRTaDNyQ4K6HGO82Xqx84hczZQhEr7bs-H8I2iTIkIqKJka_-HUZjQbef/s1600-h/japan+079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351516078148447442" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJbWhxGg0hTplJMSJ9H8pFrG0HQrNixhZd_qQ4jKz6CIIAsEMZxG0XiYfDZf3d-EGaFkdSIyMWAAs_89JhqIkRTaDNyQ4K6HGO82Xqx84hczZQhEr7bs-H8I2iTIkIqKJka_-HUZjQbef/s320/japan+079.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and then there was the egg. soft-boiled. so fresh. so creamy. so sinfully delicious. i have never had an egg like this ever before. the eggs in the u.s. don't come anywhere close in flavor, texture and freshness, except organic, farm fresh eggs.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBy3QXcFCQDGlJDqWwwHaA0O6BJ9lfwMyng8wrdQ8tju84mHKQ2BDoHeeLjylBHXKl4qO9TbZCaJzoz8hl5KxS_m6Zw29ejVpQJdYsI3XrIdcHQDv7arvuDTS5rUH4N9xrgQjjwcwusEN/s1600-h/japan+080.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351516072968629218" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBy3QXcFCQDGlJDqWwwHaA0O6BJ9lfwMyng8wrdQ8tju84mHKQ2BDoHeeLjylBHXKl4qO9TbZCaJzoz8hl5KxS_m6Zw29ejVpQJdYsI3XrIdcHQDv7arvuDTS5rUH4N9xrgQjjwcwusEN/s320/japan+080.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />while kamakura ramen wasn't a famous ramen street tent, this was an amazing example of how good and refined a bowl of ramen can be, even in a vending machine style fast food restaurant. oh tokyo. how i love thy food.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-77475416311890066612009-06-24T22:18:00.000-07:002009-06-24T23:57:52.952-07:00sushi ota in san diegofor lunch on the first day of our san diego trip last month, christien did his search engine magic and found a fantastic sushi bar that had super high marks for being <em>the sushi bar</em> for local japanese nationals. in other words, the real stuff.<br /><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&sll=32.757136,-117.172957&view=text&hl=en&gl=us&q=sushi+ota+san+diego&ie=UTF8&sspn=0.186023,0.115460&latlng=32803390,-117216323,10071556147064457971&ei=ZhFDStOtOovoiAOonZky&cd=1">sushi oto</a> is owned and operated by japanese people, typically another sign of quality, but surprisingly, we learned that our sushi chef, while japanese, didn't know a lick of the language even though his name tag was in japanese and was muttering all the japanese greetings that sushi chefs yell out when customers first enter the bar.<br /><br />we had a great time chatting in english, sharing stories from the bay area, where he was also from, and learning about the very choice cuts of fish he was treating us to. here's what we had...<br /><br />sashimi - aji, sake, hamachi, maguro (spanish mackerel, salmon, yellowtail, tuna)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK916Gr_KZLOqTDqDh17gSTgkdI9jnnuhTMenBFRvTBOAZvvxFTSTZ-gOOzJkvv6LNk-vNHJWL37N9wKGayRKygKX19gspc8qBs4WwsD6vu05e65u13AFVqyFJO1HddcIJHj5EXdcMZnl/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351134810628747090" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK916Gr_KZLOqTDqDh17gSTgkdI9jnnuhTMenBFRvTBOAZvvxFTSTZ-gOOzJkvv6LNk-vNHJWL37N9wKGayRKygKX19gspc8qBs4WwsD6vu05e65u13AFVqyFJO1HddcIJHj5EXdcMZnl/s320/033.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />starting with a sashimi special plate, this was surprisingly high quality and quantity for under $30. and, it actually included the entire aji skeleton as seen above. you know you're getting fresh stuff when you get the whole fish (which wasn't recycled from another plate in the back kitchen).<br />big cuts, extremely fresh fish. a great start.<br /><br />mirugai (geoduck or giant clam)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrFfMUKWt3HMsOyGftSbmlXRGxOIjoE3fR9RWdG7ezGEugw2UgLnClfxm9m8OPzgQcBvktzfDLoEpFpr5W4bf1pgiuDRVofm58wkyIjggt9OhLF8LD1AE5J5XpYIKBdTY3phx5gSKUrGI/s1600-h/034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351134804240453346" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrFfMUKWt3HMsOyGftSbmlXRGxOIjoE3fR9RWdG7ezGEugw2UgLnClfxm9m8OPzgQcBvktzfDLoEpFpr5W4bf1pgiuDRVofm58wkyIjggt9OhLF8LD1AE5J5XpYIKBdTY3phx5gSKUrGI/s320/034.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />after the sashimi, we started diving into the refridgerated case in front of us. mirugai is one of my favorites so we had to have that. <a href="http://blueoceanfish.com/images/large/mirugai.jpg">geoduck clam</a> is pretty ugly in its native state. but once you cut away the tough exterior skin, the meat is sweet and briny with a firm, not quite a crunch, bite.<br /><br />kinmedai (golden eye snapper)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpA4gLLi6-7wGo_2_0Rnqg58f0fGe7GqghHUR-EsZtFLeNUl_UYQGSOYk-5bjX0Q3BQve_okyET1AFURRnwNLIQha_lCgSsUPepTNyNR28owbnSrdO-vT2qzC4jWytBr29IyZo81Avu-6/s1600-h/035.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351134025547996706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpA4gLLi6-7wGo_2_0Rnqg58f0fGe7GqghHUR-EsZtFLeNUl_UYQGSOYk-5bjX0Q3BQve_okyET1AFURRnwNLIQha_lCgSsUPepTNyNR28owbnSrdO-vT2qzC4jWytBr29IyZo81Avu-6/s320/035.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />kinmedai is one of our favorites, having eating over a hundred dollars worth at our favorite sf sushi bar, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/ryokos-japanese-restaurant-and-bar-san-francisco">ryoko's</a>, over the past year. slightly seared with a blow torch, ota's version is rare with seared skin and a dusting of fresh grind rock salt. amazingly sweet and tender.<br /><br />age aji (fried spanish mackerel bone)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDUyXz-20t6wtR2X_WJR_PgY1EdQfBS0Mw0QM4mKgF0biXTc8t6Dc-HzXKjGDlQD0TFYwDkn2BVT0o5LIa-C82qUMwvE48c1hIdFRfRb490bQEP69yOhRQ_A_fsyvIz-GYEBkZZsy_oFT/s1600-h/036.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351134019277375842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDUyXz-20t6wtR2X_WJR_PgY1EdQfBS0Mw0QM4mKgF0biXTc8t6Dc-HzXKjGDlQD0TFYwDkn2BVT0o5LIa-C82qUMwvE48c1hIdFRfRb490bQEP69yOhRQ_A_fsyvIz-GYEBkZZsy_oFT/s320/036.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />in between sushi courses, our aji bones from the sashimi plate returned to us completely deep fried with fresh lemon and ponzu sauce. you can basically eat everything minus the head so we happily munched away on the crunchy bones and washed them down with ice cold sapporo draft.<br /><br />amaebi (sweet raw shrimp)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaXaBLe3FVI6UabJyRwY_nGlL5y-D5fg8_Hv68uS-ScMmikQDHy6tMn9rFVkosZjZv2KT7-NUP4CbZv22YxvwacKXEeaI-GNmAGE25QVPcCqk3nLvDP5K0_XovM3BSVrRWVbhFKO6VNWE/s1600-h/037.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351134014167082162" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaXaBLe3FVI6UabJyRwY_nGlL5y-D5fg8_Hv68uS-ScMmikQDHy6tMn9rFVkosZjZv2KT7-NUP4CbZv22YxvwacKXEeaI-GNmAGE25QVPcCqk3nLvDP5K0_XovM3BSVrRWVbhFKO6VNWE/s320/037.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />i love amaebi so we each had one. delicate, sweet and moist. oh so good.<br /><br />another species of clam (can't remember what kind)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAZxnd9eloF6nj1cAaYPnxdnz-VUoRRVTAXsQ7bk1vcgfL8p-Oqqc1GInbkD7u2S4H8upIywYNrY0phn2jLGkV2JP3mohaC57ZFhGUIDkuT_Wi0EetaQHQslxl39BGk2wY_mEZ2-ov44K/s1600-h/040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351134009382856994" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAZxnd9eloF6nj1cAaYPnxdnz-VUoRRVTAXsQ7bk1vcgfL8p-Oqqc1GInbkD7u2S4H8upIywYNrY0phn2jLGkV2JP3mohaC57ZFhGUIDkuT_Wi0EetaQHQslxl39BGk2wY_mEZ2-ov44K/s320/040.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />our sushi chef seemed to have an affinity for clams so he introduced us to a couple more. this one was similar to mirugai but with a slightly softer texture. very good. just can't remember what kind it was though.<br /><br />nama tako (raw octopus)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qTFbVdmP6hxBDuLpQa03D_DJYlRcc0jFpRsqNayTe-Xl-vSdW7iALJ8yvjpCoM_aEXSclVyOLdFD39thjY4IbmqU3hj3xu4_RrIipRwXpDRYQuKRdiWoKLz6k-LUbEvNZeAe3nPAKVSz/s1600-h/041.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351133994420892610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qTFbVdmP6hxBDuLpQa03D_DJYlRcc0jFpRsqNayTe-Xl-vSdW7iALJ8yvjpCoM_aEXSclVyOLdFD39thjY4IbmqU3hj3xu4_RrIipRwXpDRYQuKRdiWoKLz6k-LUbEvNZeAe3nPAKVSz/s320/041.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />having recently discovered takowasa (raw salted octopus with wasabi), we were excited to try this recommendation by our chef. it's not like tako at all, which is boiled first then sliced. this was absolutely raw and slimy with a bit of a chewy texture. not for everyone, but the meat is sweet and just a bit briny. never really had this before so it was a treat.<br /><br />akagai (red clam)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwEEWgG4RtBCL8JJJ6a_h-mmvIj5cbn5KNstMetd7UKmpCXJecqtnllMDUqU1c9rcXm3e0k5-a9NwrWht2Rg-QIGAUGTmK5Pf8bm4IAzKZLJypCt7nZUbYqerz30UA5DDF0-VAkuzlCQF/s1600-h/042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351132553152807570" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwEEWgG4RtBCL8JJJ6a_h-mmvIj5cbn5KNstMetd7UKmpCXJecqtnllMDUqU1c9rcXm3e0k5-a9NwrWht2Rg-QIGAUGTmK5Pf8bm4IAzKZLJypCt7nZUbYqerz30UA5DDF0-VAkuzlCQF/s320/042.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />another type of clam that was again similar to mirugai but more tender. very good.<br /><br />uni (sea urchin roe)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg191Rfyt3ayrBAKR5mNATl_7G-vroDSJwrHNWQ5tMcxRiWnLRSt1L_m7Dgblwfu8XfxBjBWzYjfHlkY6Yv103WcUa6A3mgZau4cmJ_GGwSvFbZRYDd0-dVTtRbLZKOCR7JQGP9K1A7kIWG/s1600-h/043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351132549403386242" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg191Rfyt3ayrBAKR5mNATl_7G-vroDSJwrHNWQ5tMcxRiWnLRSt1L_m7Dgblwfu8XfxBjBWzYjfHlkY6Yv103WcUa6A3mgZau4cmJ_GGwSvFbZRYDd0-dVTtRbLZKOCR7JQGP9K1A7kIWG/s320/043.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />now this, was amazing. our chef told us their <a href="http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-items/sushi-items-uni.htm">uni</a> is sourced locally in san diego, which has very limited availability and is one of the most desirable in the US. fresh and clean tasting, firm textured but creamy on the mouth, and briny, nutty and sweet all at once, this uni was probably the best i've ever tasted. wow. just wow.<br /><br />age ebi atama (deep fried shrimp heads)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippCic76rnuXCSrmn6jYIeNGgi5yViZutxK15Vba0i-PBsMyc5JZoYdg8VhyphenhyphenVbXOHsaDbICtEKJw6mzuegbrsw2I8kUjpluM2SKJ_PRHYtZXj827NhFY1jqeQ5HqLct6OwpocT24RgCERz/s1600-h/044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351132544718264594" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippCic76rnuXCSrmn6jYIeNGgi5yViZutxK15Vba0i-PBsMyc5JZoYdg8VhyphenhyphenVbXOHsaDbICtEKJw6mzuegbrsw2I8kUjpluM2SKJ_PRHYtZXj827NhFY1jqeQ5HqLct6OwpocT24RgCERz/s320/044.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />by the time that orgasm had settled in our mouths, our chef brought out the fried shrimp heads from our amaebi sushi. crunchy and full of explosive shrimp flavor, this was a perfect and satisfying end to our culinary journey at sushi ota.<br /><br />on the way out, the sushi chefs were busy preparing for dinner service and on chef was patiently focused on fileting what i believe were sardines. he had beautifully plated the filets on a plate under perfect lighting so i had to snap this gorgeous photo.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLrwI081HxAm-aXuQOasbctf5xEcP_gSY9JdTjq69QYh5m6-GOg6NvP2f6oOJflgrv3Y33OMJNv3bHRQYYjYU31k5it8f5eDOHxqBzFYvVfLtowGr3BthtvjjHFFDXVrFs71_VTV1AxKs/s1600-h/045.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351132540322796226" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLrwI081HxAm-aXuQOasbctf5xEcP_gSY9JdTjq69QYh5m6-GOg6NvP2f6oOJflgrv3Y33OMJNv3bHRQYYjYU31k5it8f5eDOHxqBzFYvVfLtowGr3BthtvjjHFFDXVrFs71_VTV1AxKs/s320/045.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />overall, sushi ota is definitely everything everyone says it is. extremely fresh fish, a wide selection of special fish, generous cuts and expert chefs, this is no place for sauce-laden sushi roll lovers, but a haven for foodies and chowhounds who know how to savor raw seafood in its purest, freshest form.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-88038454615471803112009-06-18T00:05:00.000-07:002009-06-19T00:36:26.246-07:00gourmet veggie meal #3each time my friend jenny is in town, she requests a gourmet vegetarian meal from me. jenny is a friend i met at ucla over a decade ago and is now living in beijing doing good things for the environment in red china. being vegetarian, her entree selections can be a bit more limited when patronizing a fine establishment. so over the years, i've tried to do my part and treat her to a gourmet veggie meal prepared especially for her. the last <a href="http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-100th-post.html">two gourmet veggie meals</a> were big hits so i wanted to make sure i didn't disappoint.<br /><br />but as a carnivore, it takes some creativity to come up with a delicious meatless menu but still be hearty enough for the 4 other meat eaters at the table. i decided the best compromise was to stick with a themed cuisine and combine fresh vegetables with heavier starches and dairy. i pulled out one of my favorite cookbooks, jamie oliver's "jamie's italy," and penned this menu.<br /><br />1st course: ricotta fritta con piccola insalata di pomodori<br />(fried ricotta with a little tomato salad)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-vDWcSuW5cLP2qw14KJfyEnHzUfGY-a-1ZwRGEJRNySDs0ZcPTWa8fcQCyOP2vljTJApOLwAiD1rLsHt-11YJyw8sqwkbRr2aAZcquTlC-DQ97T9RXPvAWlWdTBT-lMjh3f2CMjh8yoM/s1600-h/047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348923476537921682" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-vDWcSuW5cLP2qw14KJfyEnHzUfGY-a-1ZwRGEJRNySDs0ZcPTWa8fcQCyOP2vljTJApOLwAiD1rLsHt-11YJyw8sqwkbRr2aAZcquTlC-DQ97T9RXPvAWlWdTBT-lMjh3f2CMjh8yoM/s320/047.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />the ricotta is a mixture of fresh ricotta, parmesan, flour, egg to bind, and salt and pepper, pan fried with a little olive oil. the pan-frying part was a little stressful as the delicate cakes fell apart as i tried to flip them after browning one side. half of mine looked more like scrambled messes. so the tomato salad did a great job of hiding the flaws. farmer's market fresh and organic heirloom tomatoes are tossed with chopped basil stems, a red chili, and evoo and red wine vinegar. the result was a perfect blend of creaminess, char, green and acidity.<br /><br />2nd course: insalata di radicchio e rughetta<br />(radicchio and arugula salad)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_KEtLjiw1VixwEe3lSClhEx9RT1dRggBaEeg_Usd6_XbKzKehyphenhyphenq_7zhqntlgDBrrBxy4Jt1YK7fvLpvPoxWJC2eSXSnBi1FSBqNhZJMmQj_Dw9IbYcrhiMs62U-9rJRrP1Ye4zCLoGhE/s1600-h/050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348923479180822370" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_KEtLjiw1VixwEe3lSClhEx9RT1dRggBaEeg_Usd6_XbKzKehyphenhyphenq_7zhqntlgDBrrBxy4Jt1YK7fvLpvPoxWJC2eSXSnBi1FSBqNhZJMmQj_Dw9IbYcrhiMs62U-9rJRrP1Ye4zCLoGhE/s320/050.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />i wanted a way to contrast the creaminess of the 1st course with the richness of the main course with something acidic and fresh, so this salad was a great choice. the bitterness of radicchio and peppery bite of the arugula worked surprisingly well against the licorice-y shaved fennel, salty parmesan, sweet balsamic vinegar and grassy extra virgin olive oil. the key to this salad is the ingredient ratio, especially the radicchio and the arugula. too much radicchio lends an overpowering bitter note so be careful.<br /><br />3rd course: tagliatelle alla trapanese<br />(fresh tagliatelle pasta trapani style)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99PPkfJ9briO4CbbBmNmchdjD-LkDgvyYAsWMAqDLhxKlntjBdZJ7VOzHq1ehQndE7E6ty9zwhmatcSBKCNkFYh7njDDtYptT-qH746a69xATzYOPWrVOwkX1gr_hfsKNUl4fkPvEB8kT/s1600-h/052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348923484724438802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99PPkfJ9briO4CbbBmNmchdjD-LkDgvyYAsWMAqDLhxKlntjBdZJ7VOzHq1ehQndE7E6ty9zwhmatcSBKCNkFYh7njDDtYptT-qH746a69xATzYOPWrVOwkX1gr_hfsKNUl4fkPvEB8kT/s320/052.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />for the main course, i picked up some super fresh tagliatelle pasta from a.g. ferrari foods, an italian delicatessen, and tossed it with a made from scratch pesto sauce. apparently this is the Trapanese way of making pesto sauce and instead of pine nuts, it uses almonds and adds ripe, crushed tomatoes to the mixture. i first chopped raw almonds in the food processor and then add a couple cloves of garlic, fresh grated pecorino and handfuls of fresh basil. that was then processed with a lot of extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste. i then crushed some grape tomatoes by hand into the pesto and tossed the pasta and sauce in a large bowl. the result was a very unique green flavor, especially with the almonds. many pestos can be overpowering and while this was definitely rich, the tomatoes provided a nice acidic contrast. oh and fresh pasta is the only way to go. yum.<br /><br />judging by the clean plates, it looked like jenny and company thoroughly enjoyed their gourmet veggie meal #3. amazing how vegetables can actually make one full. maybe i could actually try vegetarianism... well, maybe not. until the next one!lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218688805962941940.post-59809783944405467632009-04-30T21:28:00.000-07:002009-04-30T22:43:00.552-07:00wine country chicken salad on foccacia with sharp cheddar, rocket and hearts of palmmade a great, fresh sandwich for dinner tonite, courtesy of tasty ingredients from trader joe's. it's been a while since i've been to tj's, let alone cook dinner at home. things have been so busy i haven't had the time to. christien and i have been eating out almost exclusively for the past 6 months or so. and yes, it's showing around our waists.<br /><br />but we're getting back on track and after hip hop class tonite at the gym, i picked up a few ingredients at tj's and made this scrumptious sandwich:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjBOog6B964WBKRmsnwkd3atgHFF_iNxWc8VN_ue9MDgT4DyECLlHRPFGBzT8gHcBJbceWF-8NBP5XJF99xQ1DsOmkb6zdVTuAnrNPPHRxk8pcMSXpPdG_l6yXFGQ_lgMkMG5fcT-_0Vc/s1600-h/IMG_4587.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330712674233912050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjBOog6B964WBKRmsnwkd3atgHFF_iNxWc8VN_ue9MDgT4DyECLlHRPFGBzT8gHcBJbceWF-8NBP5XJF99xQ1DsOmkb6zdVTuAnrNPPHRxk8pcMSXpPdG_l6yXFGQ_lgMkMG5fcT-_0Vc/s320/IMG_4587.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />what we have here is tj's amazing wine country chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts, layered with thick wedges of sharp cheddar cheese, quartered hearts of palm and fresh, peppery rocket (arugula), on thickly sliced herbed foccacia drizzled with kalamata olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a few cranks of freshly cracked pepper. all accompanied by some crisp and sweet sugar snap peas and a glass of pomegranate lemonade. all from tj's. except for kalamata olive oil which i got while olive oil tasting at pasolivo olive oil farm in paso robles, california.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ5fY00V0gU6SabAgffhxW32TxuErNUQ1ZbvkLpkP57ER_OXMv6W43iIFNJLigiRWgpcS0cERWbMCKzA3N57n904erjbwpg4QlvhjSbHawTzT1vKdkiASsIbyyouaNyl37zemdnyNZb0z/s1600-h/IMG_4588.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330713211638920066" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ5fY00V0gU6SabAgffhxW32TxuErNUQ1ZbvkLpkP57ER_OXMv6W43iIFNJLigiRWgpcS0cERWbMCKzA3N57n904erjbwpg4QlvhjSbHawTzT1vKdkiASsIbyyouaNyl37zemdnyNZb0z/s320/IMG_4588.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />the foccacia was a perfect choice of bread, soaking up the wonderful sweet, savory and creamy flavors of the chicken salad and olive oil and balsamic. the cheddar provides a nice sharp tang while the rocket provides a nice peppery crunch. mm mm mm... head over to tj's tonite and make this tasty sandwich!<br /><br />oh, and doesn't this creation look amazing on the shiny white plate from crate and barrel that christien got me for birthday last year? the clean lines and bright white color really help set off the colors of the ingredients. great for food porn by the way, for those of you who are trying to figure out how to take better pictures of food.lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283014480569658836noreply@blogger.com1