FoodMayhem

Eight Course Salmon Tasting at Aquagrill

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:48:00 +0000

Lon really knows how to make a girl happy. I've been talking about how I want to be a judge on Iron Chef, so for my birthday, he called up a few restaurants to find out who would make a salmon tasting menu just for me. I would get to taste and judge each dish. The idea alone made me feel special enough, but Chef /Owner Jeremy Marshall at Aquagrill Aquagrill came up with quite an impressive menu, which was then executed almost flawlessly by his Chef de Cuisine John, only I'm pretty sure it took them more than the one hour Iron Chef would allot. They even printed a nice little menu for me.

The eight courses of salmon were all well thought out, highlighting different types of salmon and different preparations, ordered in a progression that made sense, and overall just impressed us very much.

The Aquagrill Salmon Tartare with Gauffrette Potato and Chive Oil was a good way to start, a bite sized display of light, familiar flavors.

Before the 2nd tasting plate, we were given some house breads, a good cornbread with some kick, a fresh ciabatta, and a very moist onion focaccia.

Next, the Scottish Smoked Salmon with Warm Buckwheat Blinis, Dill Pesto and Salmon Caviar in a Creme Fraiche Sauce. One of my two favorite dishes, every single component was perfect. The blini was so soft; the dill pesto refreshing; and the smoked salmon was amazingly tender. When you top that off with salty salmon eggs and creme fraiche sauce, the combination is magical and really highlights the salmon. I'm really sorry that the picture doesn't do justice to how beautifully this dish was plated.

What salmon tasting would be complete without Crispy Smoked Salmon Skin? Here, they were crispy on one side, yet soft on the other where a bit of salmon meat was left on, a nice touch to a standard baby green salad with wild mushrooms and roasted garlic cloves. Lon even ate the mushrooms as an extra birthday present.

Columbia River King Salmon Sashimi was a delicious dish but gets a few point deductions according to Iron Chef rules. The soy sauce was a bit over-powering for the sashimi, so I couldn't taste this special salmon as much as I would have liked to. The spicy Japanese eggplant (underneath, but you can't see) was phenomenal, kind of outshining the salmon. The texture was meaty and tender, not oily, and an amazing combination of a bit sweet, a hint of sour, and just a tad spicy. Lon and I wanted a whole plate of just that eggplant.

Warm Peppered Arctic Char (technically not a salmon but in the same family so we'll let that slide) was perfect with the cool cucumber salad, and seasoned just so spot on. I wish you could see more clearly how perfectly it was coated and seared. Just beautiful!

The Hot Smoked Atlantic Salmon Souffle was our least favorite dish. It wasn't bad, just extremely heavy (read: egg-y and butter-y) and the salmon on the bottom was a bit harder then the rest of the dishes. The Smoked Salmon Creme Fraiche Sauce was unique and better than the souffle, also helped it by cutting the fat a bit. We were so impressed with the presentation and even more so the innovation that we were still glad to have sampled this dish.

The Falafel Crusted Atlantic Salmon with Hummus, Cucumbers, Tomatoes in a Lemon Coriander Vinaigrette was pure genius! While this dish is a decomposition of a falafel sandwich, it centered on the salmon; yet we loved it for all the reasons we love falafel sandwich: crunchy falafel, thick smooth hummus, cool tomatoes (which were peeled) and cucumbers, with a tangy dressing that I could lap up like a dog! You're in luck because we found out that this is a regular dish on their menu. Please go and have it!!

Our final dish was Lon's favorite, Roasted Wild White Alaskan King Salmon with an Asparagus Risotto in a Mushroom Truffle Emulsion. This salmon was certainly unique, the flesh being a lot tighter than other types of salmon, kind of like swordfish, yet still flaked and parted the way salmon usually does. The risotto was wonderfully creamy and perfect for holding all the different parts together. Each bite must include white salmon, risotto, asparagus, and the rich mushroom emulsion to get the full glory, a perfect winter-y dish and a comforting end to the rainy day dinner.

We were already stuffed after the white salmon, but of course we couldn't stop at eight courses... two courses for dessert rounded out the meal to a perfect ten! The Tropical Fruit and Sorbet was refreshing, nothing unique, but I really liked the fruit concasse.

The Warm Chocolate Cake served as my birthday cake. It wasn't unique either, served with whipped cream, raspberry and chocolate sauces, but it was plated nicely. It was on the light side for chocolate cake, which was good, because it was less sweet, but it was also less chocolatey.

Overall, we had an amazing evening, with wonderful service and great food. The ingredients used were top notch, and the pacing was comfortable, we hadn't noticed that 3 1/2 hours had passed. I don't remember exactly how the judging on Iron Chef goes but out of a possible 10 for each, I give Flavor: 9 , Presentation: 9, Originality: 8, Use of Ingredient: 8 and trust me, those are very high scores coming from me.

Thank You to the team at Aquagrill for an incredibly memorable birthday dinner!

Randazzo's Clam Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:20:00 +0000

Randazzo's Clam Bar Randazzo's Clam Bar doesn't look like much, no table clothes, no host, and water comes in a disposable plastic cup, but they've got extremely fresh seafood, and that's enough for me. Little Neck Clams on the half shell were super fresh, pink, and meaty.

The Oysters were the best, served on the half shell, I've ever slurped down. The liquor was so clean, like a quick cleanse for your tongue, right before the slippery oyster slides across.

The fat and juicy Steamers were cooked perfectly, releasing it's mild juices for us to drink. Following my mother's lead, I added two tiny drops of tabasco to each steamer which was just the right kick with a hint of acidity.

The Linguine with White Clam Sauce was the most unadulterated version I've ever had. The chopped clams and linguine, paired only with garlic and parsley, sat in it's own juices, a preparation made possible by using only the freshest ingredients.

I have to admit, I was completely surprised, judging a book by it's cover, I expected oily, trucker style food. It was nothing like that at all, showing so much restraint, and just letting the fresh seafood shine for itself. The meal came out to $53, a bit expensive for lunch, but I think the prices are the same for dinner, and it's completely worth it.

Sushi Yasuda - Quickie #9

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:14:00 +0000

I'm still as in love with Sushi Yasuda as the day I first tasted their sushi. I'm still getting new pieces on each visit and it's exhilarating to know such a place exists. On our 8th visit, we had tamago, the omelet, so this time, we tried the Custard, which Chef Tomura described as having shrimp and potato. The texture is still smooth like Tamago, so you will not find pieces of shrimp and potato but you will taste it, in the very tender custard.

If you like Fatty Tuna, you must try the Cheek of the Fatty Tuna, it's even fattier! You can see the marbling and it just melts away in your mouth.

On my 3rd visit, I had the Uni from California. This time, I tried the Uni from Alaska. Chef Tomura told me that it is the same species but I guess the environment makes a big difference. The Alaskan Uni is not at all briny, still creamy, but very gamey, in a fishy way. I prefer the California Uni because it was sweeter and I like some brininess.

Lon wanted to have the soft shell crab again and it was a lot smaller (like half the size) than when we had it on our third visit, but it is coming up on the end of the season. That's why you have to listen to the chefs and let them recommend what to eat.

Carmine's Pizzeria

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:57:00 +0000

During the Bike Tour on Sunday, we took a little detour for lunch, and headed to Carmine's Pizzeria Carmine's Pizzeria, a regular looking pizza joint, a bit cleaner, possibly newer, than most. They've got something for everyone, thin crust, thick crust, Sicilian, stuffed, chicken, pepperoni, and spinach rolls in large and small, pastas, and salads, desserts, I'm probably missing some stuff. On Scott's recommendation, I got the Grandma, a Sicilian slice with tomatoes and cheese. The sauce and cheese was fresh and divine. I only wished the dough had a bit more flavor. Angie gave me a piece of her Sicilian with Sausage and that too was delicious on top. The crumbled sausage among great sauce and cheese was heavenly, again wishing the dough was a bit better. It wasn't horrible though. I've been trying so much pizza lately that I'm just being picky.

I also had a small Spinach Roll which was stuffed with filling and generally pretty good, but not memorable. Scott and Sara both got pepperoni rolls and were moaning with pleasure.

So Carmine's isn't perfect, but it's still a damn good place for their prices. You wouldn't need more than $5 per person here. We topped off with a $1.75 nice cappuccino as well. I'd come back if I was in the area but I probably wouldn't travel for it.

*note - pics are from Angie's camera

Waldy's Wood Fired Pizza & Penne

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Waldy's Wood Fired Pizza & Penne Waldy's Wood Fired Pizza & Penne is what you get when you attempt to turn thin crust pizza into fast food. The prices are lower than the other thin-crust, sold-by-the-pie joints, in return for busing your own tables and a lower quality of food.

We tried the Classic Margherita which was uninteresting in flavor. The dough is crispy but has zero elasticity, which basically makes it a cracker with sauce and cheese.

The Braised Lamb, Roasted Lemon & Oregano Pizza was more interesting (because I've never had lamb on pizza before) but not appealing enough to come back for. Again, the dough is the real put-off, hard flat, cracker bread.

They also have Wood Roasted Penne's that they call Mac & Cheese. We chose Sausage & Broccoli Rabe which was served in a container that made it look like a frozen dinner. Although there is cheese on top, it doesn't really classify as a Mac & Cheese for us. It was crumbled sausage with pieces of broccoli rabe, in a very wet sauce. You can see the watery stuff pooling on the bottom. The penne was nice and al dente but as a whole, it only tasted a bit better than it looked which, as I mentioned, was like a frozen dinner (or airplane food according to Lon).

The worst part of the meal was the Garlic and Salt Roll for 75 cents. We wouldn't eat this if it was given for free. It was one of those mediocre dry rolls you get at a bad catering hall, with some garlic powder sprinkled on top.

The meal was cheap so I'm not going to complain too much but I have no interest in coming back.

I Attempted to Make Kalbi Tang

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:47:00 +0000

I'm not Korean but boy do I love Korean food. I get serious cravings for Kalbi-Tang and Duk Mandoo Guk when I'm sick. Unfortunately, my favorite place, I called the Secret Korean Grandma shop, closed, so I figured I had better learn how to make this stuff. I read a few Kalbi-Tang recipes on-line and ended up making it like this.

Kalbi-Tang

2 pounds Beef Short Ribs with Bone
10 black peppercorns
4 liters of water
3 cloves garlic
2 scallions
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 eggs
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Soak ribs in cold water for an hour to get rid of excess blood. Change water if necessary.
2. Boil ribs in unsalted water for 3 minutes. Drain.
3. Place blanched ribs in 4 liters of cold water with black peppercorns, garlic cloves, and scallions. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that comes up and turn down to a simmer and continue cooking for 2 hours.
4. Take ribs out and toss with soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, and minced garlic. Refrigerate over night.
5. Strain stock, discarding peppercorns, garlic cloves, and scallions. Refrigerate over night.
6. Skim fat off the top of the stock and bring ribs and stock to a boil. Turn down to a gentle boil.
7. Take ribs out and place them in serving bowls. Beat the eggs and stir them into the stock.
8. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into each bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I'm pretty proud of my first attempt. It really came pretty damn close to what it should be. The meat was tender and actually more flavorful than the standard restaurant ones, but the soup is just missing something. Can someone ask their Korean grandmother what I'm missing? Please!

Artichoke Basille's Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:17:00 +0000

There's always a line at Artichoke Basille's Pizza Artichoke Basille's Pizza and I've been meaning to check it out. They don't deliver and they don't have seats, barely enough counter space for 3 people to eat standing, they don't even have set hours. What is the draw? If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'd know that there isn't any really good pizza near 14th Street so my hopes were high. I NEED a good pizza place near me.

So Angie, Angela, Kasi, and I bought 2 large pies, one Neopolitan, and one of their special Spinach Artichoke Pies to split, each getting 2 slices of each. (Each of their slices counts as 1 1/2 -2 from your average pizza place.) They gave us extra boxes to split them but it does take a while for them to make so by then Kasi had to head home. The rest of us sat on a stoop a few feet a way, each with a box balanced on our knees, trying to eat the pizza with one hand, while holding the lid with the other.

The Neopolitan ($15) has an excellent sauce, although a bit too much of it, which causes a major mess as everything constantly wants to fall off. The cheeses make a nice blend and the fresh basil stands out nicely. The dough on this one is mostly good but a few spots are too burnt.

The Spinach Artichoke Pie ($20) has a thicker dough so I'm surprised I like it, but I do. The crust is wonderfully chewy with big air pockets. I don't taste much artichoke but the ultra creamy topping tastes like a creamed spinach topped with cheese. It's very unique and a decadent treat, but after one slice of it, you feel quite heavy.

Both types are quite salty but still the best pizza in this area. It's not my favorite pizza (I love Numero 28 and Fornino) but a damn good deal. The pies are huge, roughly being equivalent to half the price of my two favorites.

So, when I don't want to travel, I'll definitely come here for pizza again. But next time, I'm going to call my order in first. (The friendly guy taking the orders gave me the tip.) But I'll also have to convince Lon to sit outside on a stoop to eat with me because it doesn't taste quite as good reheated.

*note - pics are from old camera

Lon's Clambake

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:03:00 +0000

I call myself an athlete, having been actively involved in sports since I can remember. Gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, years of figure skating, track & field, 2 years on a dance team (hip-hop/break dancing), ran my first marathon in October, and I'm signed up for a triathlon this fall. When Lon and I first started dating, my mom was a little concerned that he wasn't the active type and occasionally friends ask too, if it has affected our relationship. Amazingly it never has and he has been more supportive then any of my jock ex-boyfriends, often coming to races, and flying to SF and getting a sun burn on his head while watching me run the Nike Women's Marathon.

This Sunday, I rode in the Five Borough Bike Tour, 40 miles of fairly leisurely riding with friends and I thought, it would've been nice to have Lon along. At a rest stop, we started discussing dinner and it suddenly came to me, that I would really like to have a clambake as my victory dinner. So I called Lon and asked him if he felt like making us a clambake, and Clambake he did!

When we got back to my apartment, it already smelled great. Lon was making a super version with Chorizo. He had pre-cooked the potatoes (ooh, I love the purple ones) and had the onions and chorizo going already.

The immense amount of food had to be split into different serving platters. Here's the mahogany clams, mussels, chorizo, potatoes, and onions in a giant bowl.

Here are the 1 1/4 pound (each) lobsters sitting on top of corn you can't see.

Lon has also been thinking about Clams Oreganata for days so that got thrown into the mix. It was made in fat back and rocked! (While he was shucking, I stole one clam to eat raw. I couldn't resist.)

We dug in like cookie monster, leaving very little behind.

It was one of those ultra satisfying meals. You crave something and you get exactly what you wanted but better. As I licked my fingers I thought, this is way better than having a sporty husband, one that can really cook!

Update on New Yeah Shanghai

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:38:00 +0000

We just went to New Yeah Shanghai New Yeah Shanghai last night for my dad's birthday. It was my favorite place for soup dumplings for a long time but the reign has ended. Sadly, the dough is now thicker, the meat a bit stiffer. The dough on the pork and chive dumplings has gotten too thick as well. The other dishes we got were mostly too salty but still meets the average Chinatown standard, which is pretty good. But in the end, without the super soup dumplings, Lon and I agreed, they were no longer special. You could eat anywhere in Chinatown for a similar meal.

We asked the host on our way out if the chef or owner had changed. He told us that the chef was the owner and nothing had changed. Perhaps it was a fluke but none of use were convinced that it was really the same place. All five of us noticed a difference and each of us had eaten here so many times.

Let's take a moment of silence for the fallen soup dumplings.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:26:00 +0000

It's Cinco De Mayo and my dad's birthday, occasion enough to make a cake. My parents are like most Chinese parents, not fans of most American desserts. They find them too sweet, too dense, and too heavy. I tried to make a cake that was more suitable for my dad's taste buds, a simple Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake. It's deceivingly light because the cake is actually a high fat cake but everyone was fooled, and loved it.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake

1 recipe of any 9" butter cake (I used Golden Butter Cream Cake from The Cake Bible.)

Topping

1 quart strawberries, divided, sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
4 teaspoons water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Make 9" butter cake and allow to cool.
2. While cooling, toss 1 1/3 cup sliced strawberries with sugar, Grand Marnier, and lemon juice. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Refrigerate the mixing bowl and beater for 15 minutes or more.
4. Place gelatin and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Microwave on high for 10 seconds once or twice, and stir until gelatin is dissolved.
6. Cool to room temperature, 7-9 minutes.
7. Beat sugar and cream until you can see distinct beater marks.
8. While continuously beating, pour gelatin mixture in a steady stream into whipping cream. Add vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
9. Strain the marinated strawberries and gently fold into whipped cream.
10. Pour onto cooled cake and spread evenly over the top with an offset spatula. (Optional, whether you want to cover the sides or not. )
11. Use remaining strawberries to decorate the top.
12. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

After I finished making the cake, I was sort of disappointed, thinking the cake was kind of boring and not special enough, but everyone loved it, eating more than they usually do of dessert. After each of us had a slice or two, there was maybe 1/3 of the cake left. Lon kept eating a little bit more, then a little bit more, and suddenly there was only 10% of the cake left. I guess it was better than I thought. It's kind of a variation on Strawberry Short Cake and sometimes, you just can't beat the classics.

Save in Bulk

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:32:00 +0000

We try to make trips out to Costco or BJ's so we can stock up and save money. Did you know you can also buy in bulk right at Whole Foods? I always buy 5 or more of the Fage yogurts when I go to Whole Foods and one time an employee told me that if I bought a case, I'd get 10 % off. So from then on, I always bought the case. It occurred to me that if I didn't know, others might not know, but now you do. Woohoo!

McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Biscuit

noreply@blogger.com (Lon) — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:09:00 +0000

Avid readers already know that Jessica and I avoid most fast food like the plague. Just like the plague, sometimes one can't help but catch it. So when a coupon for a free McDonald's Southern-Style Biscuit made it into my hands, I was lured in. So this morning I went an extra block out of the way to pick up the gift from America's kitchen away from home.

Mickey D's was damn fast. My hot sandwich was in my hands in about 45 seconds, just enough time to pull it from the deep frier, wrap it in wax paper to hold the oil in, and hand it over. The sandwich's flavor was pretty good. It is exactly what the picture above looks like: aggressively deep-fried chicken on a biscuit. While it tasted like fried chicken, it was somehow dry. And while the biscuit was decent, although salty, it was also dry and kept sticking to the top of my mouth.

The sandwich already has 420 calories, 1200mg of sodium, and 20g of fat, but it needs a sauce. Just slather some mayo with cayenne pepper on it or something to avoid the dryness. If you're hankering for deep-fry at 8am, this is the sandwich of choice; otherwise, I suggest sticking with the Sausage McGriddle; it's the same calories, less sodium, and slightly more fat, but so much more flavorful and moist.

Having not been in a McDonald's in -- who knows how long -- the first thing I noticed is that everyone in there looks like they are either construction workers or counter clerks somewhere. For the $5.80 everyone in there was spending for breakfast, do they realize they could walk into any deli and get basically the same food, but in larger quantity, including coffee for $3-4? $2 per day x ~250 work days a year = about a year of free cable? I guess that's not food related. So in other terms, that could buy them a KitchenAid Stand Mixer ;-)

Pasta Tasting - Course 3: Good Old Meat Sauce Topped with Criminis

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:11:00 +0000

I wanted to end with a classic pasta dish so that it would satisfy what anyone would imagine as a pasta dinner. You can't go wrong with meat sauce! We happened to have a large amount of very lean sliced beef so Lon got to play with our new grinder attachment. Because it was so lean, I added pancetta to this recipe but I still think you should use fattier meat. I got to make mushrooms since Lon wasn't going to be home but I still chose to make it a mushroom topping as opposed to mushrooms in the sauce because I figured we would have left-overs, and Lon would want to eat it.

Good Old Meat Sauce

5 ounces Pancetta, chopped
2 onions chopped
2 small or 1 medium carrot, brunoised
2 pounds of lean ground meat
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomato
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomato
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2-3 bay leaves

1. Heat a large pot on a medium flame. Add Pancetta and brown for about 8 minutes.
2. Add onions and carrots and sweat for about 4 minutes.
3. Add ground meat and stir until browned evenly, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Stir in diced tomato, tomato sauce, crushed tomato and bring to a boil.
5.Turn down to a simmer and add garlic and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Can be made a day or two before.)
6. Remove bay leaves. Toss with any kind of pasta and serve.

Criminis

2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces criminis, cut in 1/4 inch thick slices
4 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large pan. Toss the criminis and garlic in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss around until cooked through and tender. Place on top of the meat sauce.

I served the meat sauce and criminis with 1 pound of thin spaghetti. We came very close to finishing the pasta.

Pasta Tasting - Course 2: White Truffle Laguiole Mac & Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Sun, 04 May 2008 11:51:00 +0000

The cheese guy at Whole Foods suggested Laguiole, a French Cheddar-style cheese, and after my first bite, I was sold. It's perfect for eating alone, having so much flavor, sharp and tangy, fruity yet ashy, nutty, rich and salty, really distinctive. I decided to make it into a unique Mac & Cheese.

White Truffle Laguiole Mac & Cheese

6 ounces dry elbow macaroni (Barilla)
5.5 ounces Laguiole, shredded
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons truffle oil (optional)

1. Cook the elbows according to package instructions, rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
2. Toss macaroni elbows and Laguiole in a 3 1/2 quart pot. Turn on a low flame. Add Cream and stir until smooth and cheese is completely melted. Stir in truffle oil. Serve.

Super Easy! Everyone seemed to like it and the bowl was finished, although it wasn't that big of a portion. My verdict is that Laguiole has so much going on by itself, it doesn't allow the truffle oil to shine. While the truffle oil certainly doesn't harm the flavor, I don't think it is necessary for this dish either.

Pasta Tasting - Course 1: Wilted Spinach and Tomato Orzo Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:39:00 +0000

Tomorrow, I'm riding in the NYC Bike Tour with a group of friends. So tonight, I had them over for a preparatory pasta dinner. The idea is to have pasta so I decided on a three course pasta tasting. The first course would be a salad, yet still a pasta, but proportionately heavier on the vegetables because two more pasta courses would follow.

Wilted Spinach and Tomato Orzo Salad

4 oz dry Whole Wheat Orzo
1 teaspoon olive oil
10 ounce package of pre-washed spinach
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 generous pinches of salt
6 Campari Tomatoes, cut into 6-8 wedges each
2 teaspoon good Olive Oil
1 tablespoons Aged Cherry Flavored Balsamic (from O & Co.)
3 tablespoons garlic cream (from the potato post)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cook Orzo to package instructions. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Place spinach in the pan. Sprinkle with garlic and and 2 pinches of salt. Cover and turn off the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Plate spinach. Place tomatoes on top. Place Orzo on top of tomatoes. Drizzle with Cherry Balsamic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Top with garlic cream. (I like serving it like this but it must be tossed before eating it.)

This starter was a real hit, polished off in minutes. I'm definitely going to make this one again.

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Shoulder Chops with Mango Raita

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:00:00 +0000

Lon's friend Justin gave us some lamb shoulder chops the other day and I thought hmm, interesting. I had never had lamb shoulder chops before. I made them for lunch today and I'm hooked. It's a great cut of meat!!

I needed to make a quick lunch with the 1/2 inch thick lamb shoulder chops so I decided to rub them with a Moroccan Spice Blend. Use a generous amount and then throw them on a the grill for 4 minutes per side (for medium rare).

I served it with an amazingly refreshing Mango Raita which was perfect with the strongly spiced lamb. While I can't take credit for the recipes, I can take credit for the pairing. It was a such a great meal, you won't believe you made it in less than 2o minutes!

A New Potato Side

noreply@blogger.com (Lon) — Sat, 03 May 2008 12:47:00 +0000

One night, a few weeks ago, as I was starting to fall asleep, an idea for a potato dish came to me. It was in thinking about some dishes for a mother's day brunch that's coming up. My sister, about to celebrate her first mother's day (thanks to my niece Sabrina), loves potato and a new recipes was called for. First step, two huge potatoes:

Step two, wrap once in aluminum and bake at 350 F (with convection) for 45 minutes.

Better wrap up a bulb of garlic and roast that too...

Meanwhile, in another part of town, I cut about eight dried figs into quarters and tossed them into half a cup of balsamic vinegar, and heated over the smallest flame my stove would offer. 30 minutes later I had a nice reduction (the figs took a beating once or twice during the process).

After 15 minutes cooling, they were still hot enough to be annoying, but not so hot that I needed medical attention. I cut the tubers in half and very carefully cut the meat out, tossing the meat into a sauce pan.

About half an inch of meat was left on the skins, which were then sliced along the edge, to lay them flat. With a healthy pinch of kosher salt, a crack of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, I popped them into a 500 degree oven for a bit over 10 minutes.

While the skins were crisping I added a knob (one tablespoon) of unsalted butter, a 1/4 cup of heavy cream, plenty of kosher salt and some cracked, black pepper. I mashed and whisked the potatoes. Unfortunately, the potato meat was a bit undercooked, and didn't come out as smooth as I hoped. At least it tasted amazing.

I also squeezed all the roasted garlic into about 1/4 cup of sour cream. I whisked for all I could to blend the two. It looked wonderful.

I plated the skin, and then pressed about half an inch of mashed potato on top, smoothing it with a spatula (and my hands). I then drew a few lines of the garlic-cream in one directions; and a few lines of the fig-balsamic reduction in the opposite. The plate need a swirl or two of some extra balsamic (Jessica and I love the extra sauce).

The taste was just about dead on! I call the new dish "Potato Irony". The goal was to put opposites into a single dish focused on potato. The bottom of the dish is the super crispy skin and a bit of meat that is crisp, atop that is a super smooth and creamy bit of the same potato. Then in one direction is the creamy, but biting garlicy cream; and in the other direction is the sweet but acidic balsamic. It really works (you can see the layers in the picture of the last bite, below).

That said, it was my first draft of the dish, and Jessica provided some great feedback for my next attempt. First is that after removing the potato meat, I should cook it further (via boiling perhaps) to allow the mash to become much smoother. Then I should pipe the mash onto the skin. Another idea was to fry the skin before baking it. The goal would be to get the skins way crisper.

"Potato Irony" took about 90 minutes in all and is quite work intensive, particularly for a side dish. Jessica and I agreed the resulting product, both in style and flavor, was much more appropriate for an upscale, almost brasserie-style dinner, than for a brunch. So this one will wait for another opportunity to shine.

Sushi Yasuda #8 and Still Going Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Sat, 03 May 2008 01:09:00 +0000

You probably realize now that Sushi Yasuda is a weekly ritual (see past posts) for me, and almost weekly for Lon. The biggest decision to make is how much of the meal to allot to past favorites, and how much to allot to trying new pieces. I have to have orange clam and peace passage oyster every week, I alternate a few other favorites, and I always try to get at least three new pieces. I thought they would've ran out of new stuff to throw at me by now but nope, not yet. Here's the latest pieces.

Tamago, Japanese Omelet, is a little bit sweet, very light, and this one has a slight barbecued flavor on the surface. We both liked it and earnestly took a bite before taking a picture. Oops.

Archtic Char has beautifully colored flesh, usually more vibrant than salmon (which it looks similar to) , but we both find it less flavorful than salmon. Trade-offs I guess but we both prefer salmon.

I'm so mad at myself for not being able to remember the Japanese name of this Beakfish right now but here it is with it's distinct silver line down the middle. It is one of my favorites of the white fish family, which I usually find boring and sometimes stringy. This one has a firmer flesh, yet you can still bite through quite easily.

Then Chef Tomura surprised us with some Beakfish skin, fried! Oh boy, Lon was excited. It's like a delicate version of chicken skins.

Kanpachi, in the same family as Hamachi, yet so different. The flesh is way more firm, with a very smooth surface. I enjoyed it but I'm not sure I can really remember the flavor now.

Being regulars has it's perks. Everyone knows your name and of course Chef Tomura gets to know your taste. Our wonderful waitress also knows that I drink tea and Lon prefers ice water. Sushi Yasuda has become a second home.

Got Fruit?

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:14:00 +0000

I've mentioned my favorite fruit stand before but I thought I'd remind you again since it's the season to be loading up on fruits and vegetables. They've expanded too, now taking up three times the space of the average NY fruit stand, on the West side of University Place, right below 14th Street. They have more vegetables than they used to, often carrying spinach, salad greens, and sometimes string beans or asparagus. Today, I even saw sun-dried tomatoes. The fruit is of course still there and you can't beat prices like these.

Lately, their produce has been even better than before, which I noticed because Lon will often ask me, where did you get this fruit? He now knows, it's usually from this fruit stand. Recent awesome buys have been strawberries, raspberries, navel oranges, and campari tomatoes and mangos.

To top it off, this fruit stand is run by such a lovely family. The mom Sarah (not there when I visited today) and her two sons, David (left) and Oz (right), are quick, friendly, and know their products. If you don't know how to pick a melon to be ready in 2 days, just ask one of them to pick for you. You won't be disappointed.

Be warned, there always seems to be tons of people clamoring all over this fruit stand (unlike some very lonely fruit stands I see everywhere else), which means that they sometimes run out of products by later afternoon. Amazing right!

Fornino Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:41:00 +0000

I was back in Williamsburg today, apartment shopping, and couldn't resist having dinner at Fornino Fornino with my broker/friend Caroline. I guess that means I like the place. They do have an extensive list of interesting pies which draws me back because I want to try them all. Since Lon wasn't with me, I took this opportunity to try the Funghi Misti (mixed wild mushrooms, caciocavallo, mozzarella, white truffle oil). Caroline ordered the Gorgonola (gorgonzola, mozzarella, caramelized onions, rosemary).

I could smell the aroma of truffle oil and gorgonzola when the pizzas arrived and my nose was in heaven. After I snapped a few pics with my old camera (It was supposed to rain today so I was afraid to take the fancy one.), I bit into a slice of the Gorgonola (top left slice) first. Wow, wonderful flavors, all balanced nicely. I loved how the cheeses were all very melt-y and oozy.

I also enjoyed my order, with all the mushrooms I have missed (Lon doesn't eat them!). I was so excited to try the caciocavallo but it didn't add anything for me, and actually, I didn't like the texture of it. The browning of it in the oven, seems to have toughened the cheese. Luckily, it wasn't too distracting either and the dough really shined! It was superb, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.

We also tried two flavors of gelato and one sorbet. The Fleur de Latte, a milk gelato, was smooth and creamy, a wonderful basic flavor. The Rosemary and Honey (it had a fancier name that I can't remember now) was very distinct, and a nice balance between the rosemary and honey, but it didn't really work for me. I guess I'd just prefer my gelato without rosemary. The Sicilian Blood Orange sorbet rocked! You could taste the freshly squeezed blood orange juice, very refreshing.

As with most pizzas, the first two slices taste way better then the last two because it cools down from it's optimal temperature. I'm so going to keep complaining about this because it's one of my biggest disappointments in life. These pizzas were more filling than the Margarita DOC I got last time, but I think I like the classic one more. I still liked everything enough to know that I will be back for sure.

I know some of you are wondering how I compare this to Numero 28 and I think they are different, so I can't really compare but let's just say for now, they're both worth traveling for!

Mocha Cheesecake Brownie Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:16:00 +0000

Lon's co-worker Marcos gave me his old bike when he bought a new one. This is a life-saver for me since I'm riding in the NYC Bike Tour this Sunday. If you haven't noticed, I often show my gratitude with food. These Mocha Cheesecake Brownie Bars are just layers of good stuff, brownie bottom, mocha cheesecake middle, and sour cream topping. Sweets for the sweet! Thanks Marcos!

Some notes:

1. The recipes calls for a metal pan. My 8x8 is a glass pan so you can adjust for this by lowering the temperature roughly 25 degrees F and it may have to bake a little longer. Watch it carefully.

2. The hardest part about this recipe is removing it from the pan. I'm not sure if the metal pan would have made it easier but I doubt it. I would use a sharp knife to cut around the edges and to cut into bars, while dipping in very hot water in between. Then use an offset spatula to carefully lift each piece. You will likely loose the first piece. Don't worry, delicious casualty..it became my breakfast.

3. I suggest serving with strawberries or raspberries. The colors and flavors work well together. Enjoy!

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Lon) — Thu, 01 May 2008 02:49:00 +0000

It's no secret that I have tremendous respect for Gordon Ramsay. The guy is just amazing. Here he demonstrates that skill ranges from complicated food all the way down to the simplest dish, that most people take for granted: scrambled egg.

Watch Gordon explain how to make perfect scrambled eggs.

Colorful Quinoa Salad and Skewers

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:49:00 +0000

Quinoa is a wonderful ingredient, that can be used as a substitute for rice or cous cous in most recipes. It is high in protein and has many health benefits. The best part is that it tastes good. I love it because it's chewy and the mild flavor takes on any sauce or dressing well. In the Spring, I love colorful salads and Quinoa makes a lovely one.

Colorful Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup Quinoa (I used Arrowhead Mills Organic Quinoa.)
1/3 cup cooked and shelled edamame, room temperature
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons shredded carrot
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Dressing

1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange muscat champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside until cool.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside.
3. Toss quinoa, edamame, cranberries, carrots, and cilantro together.
4. Pour dressing on top when ready to serve and fluff with two forks.

I served the Colorful Quinoa Salad with grilled skewers of shrimp, Chorizo, and Morcilla. Delicious and so easy! These ingredients work well together on a skewer because shrimp cooks very quickly and the Chorizo and Morcilla (from Despana) are already cooked so they just need to be heated.

Hallelujah!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:39:00 +0000

My stove, grill, and oven definitely make it evident that I cook pretty often. That's always my excuse when my mom comes over. It's not that I don't clean my stove and grill, but it's hard to get that stuff off. It's burnt on grease!

Our new cleaning lady, Marcela, introduced me to Easy-Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner. Man this stuff is powerful. Look how clean my stove is! I'm sorry I didn't have the foresight to take before pictures, but if you cook often, you can use your imagination.

It's also possible that Marcela is much better than the first cleaning lady we tried but she says Easy Off is good stuff, and she should know.

Hallelujah! Praise the powerful cleaner!

Roasted Poblano Black Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica@Foodmayhem) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:19:00 +0000

I crave these Latin-style beans every once in a while. The flavors come together so nicely and its pretty healthy too. I usually make these beans with bacon but I have chorizo in my fridge so why not.

Roasted Poblano Black Beans

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large roasted poblano, cleaned and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped chorizo
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan and add onions. Saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add garlic and roasted poblanos. Saute for another 2 minutes.
3. Add Chorizo and stir for another 2 minutes.
4. Add beans and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
3. Turn down to a simmer and cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. This will take about 45 minutes.
4. Stir in chopped cilantro right before serving.

I often serve this as a side, the common rice and beans combo, but tonight, it makes a great filling for a burrito. I just layered rice, chicken, and the beans on a tortilla, and rolled it up. Any left-over beans can be refrigerated and reheated.