Happy New Year!

We all get into ruts, right?  Whether at work, at the gym, or, for many of us, when we’re cooking.  Every Sunday I make a menu for the upcoming week, accounting for crazy work days and trying to ensure enough leftovers for lunch every day.  (I’ll admit, I find buying lunch at work to be a complete waste of money.  Most of the time you spend $10 and get something not very satisfying or fresh and you still end up eating at your desk.  Exceptions exist however–even when not going out for a formal lunch–including (at least near my office) many food trucks and the SODO Macrina.)Anyway, I digress.

So this year rather than just debating between the same 7 dishes for weeknights and saving the special stuff for the weekends, I decided that each month I would take a different culinary standpoint–sometimes a specific cuisine, sometimes a cookbook I want to use.  I thought this would be a good way to both try new cuisines and, in other months, to get into my cookbooks and trying more than the usual suspects.

January is Japanese!  So far I’ve made a great udon called JaJa Men udon, which was spicy and had eggplant and ground pork.  Kara-age, which is Japanese fried chicken, which I served with a snow pea salad & miso vinaigrette).  Agadashi tofu, which is fried tofu that I did over a napa cabbage slaw.

I’ll digress again . . . I love agadashi tofu.  Crispy outside, creamy inside, usually served with a dashi broth and vegetables.  I never could figure out how to make it so I finally asked Feng, who was chef/part owner of our dearly departed Chinoise, formerly on 45th St.  Man, we loved Chinoise.  We went nearly every week, and either Feng or John would be cooking and we gave up on the menu and just let them make us whatever they wanted to make.  Sometimes Feng asked us if we wanted spicy.  I always want spicy, but dear lord, her spicy could make you cry.  We miss that place!

Last night I braised pork belly for tonight’s shoyu ramen.  It braised in water, soy, sugar, star anise, peppercorns and cinnamon and it made the house smell amazing!

Today I froze the pork belly that I won’t use tonight, the leftover braising liquid, and made a quick shoyu base (water, soy, white soy (which appears to be more expensive than gold), kombu (seaweed) and dried bonito flakes) and soon will combine some of the braising liquid, some of the shoyu base, some of my homemade chicken stock, bring it to a boil, then add ramen noodles, the braised belly, bamboo shoots, an egg, scallions and nori.  Should be a good, and delicious, thing!

Searing off the pork belly before braising.

Fully seared belly!

Yes, Virginia, There IS a Santa Claus!

It's all about the pig!

Sometimes you ask for a pony.  Nada.   Or a cell phone, or a trip to Wild Waves.  Ne rien, nyet.  But sometimes . . . sometimes when you’re very good all year long . . . and when you make a simple wish, well, sometimes Santa comes through.  He goes through your Dad, who is playing Santa this year.  And your wish shows up in a large box labeled “Fermin”.  And a smaller box labeled soporte jamonero.  And you grab the box (well, the smaller one, Bryan can grab the larger one) and run into the kitchen and rip open the ginormous 16-lb bone in (and hoof on!) jamon iberico and it’s heavy and you try and put it into the holder (that is, the soporte) and it’s too slippery and you need Bryan to help and you need Phoenix to read the instructions and then, boom, it’s in.  And you cut beautiful, slim slices.  And you eat.  And it is good.

 

 

 

 

 

A few pics (Scones, Turkey Day BBQ, Hawaii)

When Life Hands You . . .

. . . 4 cups of washed, pitted, montmorancy cherries that you slaved over this summer, froze and then forgot about, what’s a girl to do?  I chose to make sour cherry-almond scones.  I have this new scone recipe, not too sweet, that uses yogurt (in addition to butter, of course!) which I thought might be a nice tangy counterpoint to the mellowness of the almonds and the sour cherries.

I think I was right, but I also think this recipe was a bit wack.  First, the author says that the dough will be dry but the scones will be moist.  That doesn’t make much sense–I’ve never known the heat of the oven to inject moisture into a baked item.  But I thought well, maybe like biscuts–you know, when you make biscuts they can be dry but the steam from the melting butter can help make them moist & flaky.

Anyhoo, didn’t work.  Though now that I’m writing this I realize that the recipe I used was technically for pear & goat cheese scones (have I confessed that I have yet to see a recipe that I actually follow?) so maybe the goat cheese would have added some of the missing moisture. Will have to try that next time, because a sour cherry-goat cheese-almond scone would also be good!  So they’re a bit dry and crumbly, but the flavor is good.

There’s something about the warmth of almond (I used slivered almonds that I toasted + almond extract) and the punch of a sour cherry that I think is just about perfect.  The flavor of these is good, but I’m going to have to work on that texture thing.  Hmmm, maybe adding some whipping cream?!?!?

Bonus of making crumbly scones?  Really easy to tell they’re done inside.  Downside?  Super hard to take in to work tomorrow without a container more structured than a plastic bag.  Investigation of my tupperware options may be in order!

Have a great Sunday  night!

. . . And it was goooood!

The turkey day BBQ turned out great!  The coleslaw was perfect, the mac salad great (but perhaps needed a bit more mayo?) and the pork was abso-freakin-loutely delicious.  Tender, falling off the bone . . . granted, 5 hours in a 250 oven can do that to a pork butt, but still, it was great.  I have pictures–one of the pork searing off, one of the plated meal, and I’m trying to put those on as we speak but they are refusing to get off my phone and into the computer.

The plated pic isn’t too interesting, I think I was too far away.  On the plus side, Bryan figured out why my phone was taking fuzzy pictures so hopefully everything moving forward will be clear!

I’ll see what I can do about pics now . . .

Countdown to Dinner!

The pork is cooking  away!  The coleslaw is made!  (And is delicious, thanks to the poppyseed coleslaw recipe from Tom’s Seattle Kitchen, which is my go-to coleslaw recipe.)  And the BBQ sauce is WICKED.  It’s blood red, full of vinegar and not hot as hades but . . . a few bites in you’re really going to feel it.  The sauce is one I’ve been tweeking for a few years.  Paprika, chipotle, chili, cayanne, worstershire, catsup, S & P  and cider vinegar.  I do like the Carolina sauces better than Texas or Memphis, so this is about a 2-to-1 ratio of vinegar to tomato.

Braising the pork in a nice double ale from Pike Place Brewing after getting a nice sear on all sides.  Of course, started late, so we might not eat until 9, but whatever, it’ll be good.

Next up–making the mac salad!

Happy eating!

Thanksgiving . . . Pre Thanksgiving?

Not doing the traditional thing this year.  We’ve been travelling, Bryan’s been travelling a LOT and is leaving town again on Sunday.  So we’re staying home, going to the gym, and keeping it simple.

No turkey for 2–instead I’m doing pulled pork, awesome Carolina-style (hot, vinegar based) BBQ sauce, Hawaiian mac salad, coleslaw, and a sour cherry crostata for dessert.

Super excited for the pork . . . picked it up today from Don & Joe’s in the Market.  The sauce etc I’ll make tomorrow–because I do like spending a day in the kitchen, even though I’m not going to end up with turkey soup in the end!

Don’t fret though!  I’ve got both lobster and chicken carcasses in the freezer, so will be spending the weekend making stock.  Yeah, just before it gets really crappy outside!  (By that I mean really crappier than it has been!)  Because then think of the soups I can make this winter!  (I’ve got spot prawns from Alaksa in the freezer–maybe spot prawns, kaffir lime,  coconut, rice noodles and shellfish broth?)

Maui–Land of Sun?

Right now I’m in Maui, where it’s always sunny. Except right now, when it’s pouring. I mean torrential downpour pouring. It’s raining so hard the wind has even stopped blowing–I think it can’t keep up.

So while I would normally be outside by the pool (in SPF 50 sunscreen, no less!). I’m inside, waiting for Bryan. And not even waiting at the bar. Waiting in our (lovely) room so that we can go to the bar. Where I will have a nice glass of wine and await tonight’s election returns. Man, it is really pouring out there–I hope that’s not portentous for tonight!

All about the lobster!

So, we went to Maine.  We went awhile ago, but I’m just getting to this now, mostly because Kyle keeps reminding me and reminding me that I’ve been absent.  Kyle, this one’s for you!  Anyway, we went to Maine.  My goal was to have lobster three times a day.  I didn’t reach my goal, mostly because I didn’t eat three times a day, but I did manage to have lobster every day we were on vacation, except day number one, where I was in Boston alone because Bryan’s plane was cancelled and I ended up eating fries and a salad for dinner.  But I digress.  The lobster was gooooood.  I usually like crab better (probably because I grew up in Seattle), but it sure was fun to have (almost) unlimited lobster.  And it was super cheap!  Well, not like $3 cheap, but an awesome sandwich for $13 was pretty much the norm.  Of course, you don’t really care about what I’m writing, you just want the pictures.  Some are a little blurry, not because of excess beer, but rather because my phone is getting old and doesn’t focus well.  Sort of like me.  So here we go!

Sandwich #1 (oops, I started eating before I took the pic!)

 

OK, so lobster #1 is partially eaten.  Sorry!  Lobster sandwich @ the Salty Dog in Faneuil Hall in Boston.  Probably the most mundane one, but definitely straight up lobster + lettuce + bun.  No fancy sauces for these folks!

Lobster #2

 

Lobster #2 is (obviously) a soup . . . fresh corn with local lobster.  If you’ve never had it, corn + lobster is a fantastic taste and just reminds me of summer.  This was my starter at dinner, day 1, at K.O. Bryant steakhouse in Boston.  I had a good steak for dinner but Bryan had the best t-bone I’ve EVER had.  But, not lobster, so no picture.

Lobster #3, Day #2, True Lobster Roll #1

 

So the next AM we left Boston for Maine.  Bryan said it would take about an hour, so we didn’t eat breakfast.  But it took at least 2 hours, and by the time we got to Ogunquit I was starving.  Fortunately I had done my Maine homework, and knew of two possible places in Ogunquit that would have lobster rolls.  Needless to say, we stopped at the first one and jumped into it.

 

This was the first true lobster roll–huge chunks of lobster in a light (no, I don’t mean lite–just light, as in not too much) mayo sauce on a toasted, buttered bun, plus fries.  There is something about those buttered, griddled top-loading buns that is just awesome.  Perhaps because we can’t get them out here, perhaps because it’s the sort of white bread that I just don’t eat anymore.  Regardless, it’s awesome & delicious.

 

 

 

Lobster #4, Roll #2

Lobster #4 was also a lobster roll, from a place called Frills, just off the main drag of Ogunquit.  They went out on a limb here, what with the toasted croissant instead of the usual roll, but it worked.  They had tarragon in their mayo, which was a great add.  Bonus for this place–they made their own homemade potato chips, which were crispy and delicious and a nice change from fries!  We were eating outside and a huge wind came up and blew over a table near us–but we were safe with our lobster.

Lobster # 5 from the Lobster Shack

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, so this is clearly one that didn’t work–and this one was my favorite!!!  I got a double (8 oz of lobster–a whole 1/2 pound) at this great place called the lobster shack.  Not quite a shack anymore, it’s been around since the ’50s, and was still ‘order at the counter, we’ll bring it out to you’ kind of place.  But man, fresh fresh fresh!  Chips instead of fries (though mass produced, so maybe minus a few points for that) family owned, and the lobster was absolutely perfectly cooked and the double meant that I had (almost) more lobster than I could eat!

 

Wait, that's not lobster!

 

OK, I’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t lobster.  But it is the tower of shellfish that Bryan ordered for lunch one day (I had clam pizza) and I couldn’t resist.  There is lobster in there (grilled tail), plus shrimp, mussels, clams and oysters.  He had this at M.C. Perkins Cove, which is owned by two guys who own Arrows (more on that) and was definitely fine-casual dining.  My clam pizza was great but because no lobster, no pictures!

 

Speaking of Arrows . . . super swank, James Beard award-winning, men please wear a jacket, etc etc etc type of place in Ogunquit.  Of course we had to go, and the dinner was great–will post the menu if I can find it.  There was lobster in one course, but I didn’t take a pic because well, I sort of think people who do that in 4-star restaurants are annoying.  The lobster was a soft tofu with broth and some lobster.  Sounds boring, but in this case the lobster was guilding the lilly–the tofu + broth was so amazingly fragrant I didn’t even need the lobster.  Though of course it adds to my lobster cred.

 

 

 

 

Last Lobster . . .

 

 

We went back to M.C. Perkins Cove for our last lunch, before heading to Boston and the airport.  We left about 2 days early because we were escaping Hurricane Irene–good thing too, because our original flight out was cancelled!  Anyway, hand-cut fries, homemade bun, homemade pickles . . . of course, this was absolutely the best roll there.  I still give slightly higher points to the Lobster Shack because of atmosphere & authenticity.  Plus, I expect chefs who have won a James Beard to create something awesome.  But, a great last lunch–overlooking the tide coming in, eating a fantastic roll . . . ahhhh, lobster!

Say Spin-AHHHH-se

My First Friday Lunch Club met again yesterday, and thanks to the fabulous planning of Darryl, we had an amazing lunch at Spinasse on Capital Hill.

By fabulous I mean . . . we started with a lovely little Gavi sparkling along with crostini with fresh butter and anchovies.  If you’ve never had super fresh butter then you’re missing out–those supermarket cubes don’t even come close.  We moved on to try two different Gavis with the 3 starters–a zucchini/rice torta (which I thought would have been nice with an aioli, but then, anything is nice with  an aioli!), fresh peaches with prosciutto and vinagarette, and an absolutely fresh mixed greens salad.

After that we had the primi–two pastas!  Tajarin with sage butter, which sounds super plain but was etheral.  Imagine angel hair pasta that isn’t clumped up and dripping with sauce but instead is light, with each piece lightly coated with the sage butter.  I could eat that every day.  And fettucini with milk braised pork.  I could eat this every day too.  The pork was basically all melty and awesome, a bit salty (in a good way) and just creamy as hell.  I had seconds of both.  And with this was a nebbiolo–yum!

The secondi was also two dishes–rabbit meatballs with turnips and greens, and quail with polenta.  First off, that polenta was way better than the polenta I made on Thursday to go with fresh local (live!) spot prawns (which I boiled in broth and then pan seared in bacon fat for an NW version of shrimp & grits) and you could just pick up the little quail legs and gnaw.  And the rabbit meatballs . . . perfectly spiced, meaty but light, and most definitely rabbit-ty!  With this we had a lovely barolo which, like all lovely barolos, was . . . lovely.

Dessert was perfect too–a nice, small slice of almond cake with cherries and unsweetened whipped cream.  I more and more like unsweetened whip cream.  It’s a nice foil for a semi-sweet dessert, offering a creamy complement but not overpowering delicate flavors like almond with sugar.

A great meal, met new dining companions, and overall had a great day.  Of course, the fact that I took the day off made it even better!