Why can’t looking for apartments be as easy as looking for recipes? We’ve been looking for a place to move to, on and off, for two years now, with no end in sight. When I look for recipes, I find what I need most of the time. The two processes are actually quite similar. Step 1: narrow down search by criteria. Step 2: Try it out. This is where they start to diverge and force a completely different step 3, and that’s where apartment hunting becomes my least favorite activity now.
Step 1: Narrowing Down the Pool by Criteria
Aparment Hunting: For an apartment, we’re looking for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment, good light (we practically live in a cave right now), allows pets, and a washer/dryer in the unit, or the ability to install one. I keep in mind some pluses, like I would love to have outdoor space, doorman also comes in handy, and it would be the bomb if they had a gym/pool. On most real estate sites, it’s usually easy to search by area, price, and square footage. I usually look at floor plans too because some places in NYC have bathrooms in weird places or cut rooms into little closet-sized boxes.
Recipe Hunting: Recently, I bought baby back ribs and I didn’t want to make BBQ style ribs. I wanted something different. So I searched for recipes on-line and through my cookbooks, narrowing down through criteria like, not too many rare ingredients, doesn’t use machinery I don’t have (like a smoker), and sounds tasty. I landed on a pork ribs recipe on David Lebovitz’s blog that he found on Chubby Hubby. It was definitely interesting, using fish sauce and caramel, and the rest of the ingredients were manageable.
Step 2: Try it
Apartment Hunting: After I spend a crap load of time setting up appointments to see these apartments, I go meet the brokers there and have a ball. Oh, it was mislabeled, the building actually doesn’t allow dogs. Oh, it’s not really a 2 bedroom, but it can be made into a junior 2 bedroom if you don’t mind an awkwardly shaped living room. Oh, they had to replace the roof recently so oops there’s an extra $200 monthly surcharge to cover the costs for the next year. The apartment is on the second floor right on top of a busy bar, or it’s on top of a restaurant that has a rodent problem, or nothing has been replaced inside since 1960.
Recipe Hunting: So, it was time to to make these ribs and I realized I didn’t have any lemon. It was raining (which means I’m homebound) so I used lime, and I didn’t have shallots, so I used onion. Wouldn’t it be nice if apartments were so adaptable? David Lebovitz recommended kicking up the pepper so I did. The result was wonderful. I was sold. I thought it might be too sweet or too fishy for meat, but it’s not, just a nice saucy way to serve over rice. I could see this being very kid friendly.
Step 3: Try Again
Apartment Hunting: If you fail to find the right apartment, you return to step 1 and try again. The problem is that we have been cycling through for about 2 years now and that stinks! I’m ready to give up.
Recipe Hunting: I don’t always find or make the perfect recipe on my first try but if I go back and try again, it’s likely to work the second time, and will definitely work by the third. (Next time I make this, I’m putting a lot more onion in because I loved the caramel onions and need more!)
Why can’t apartment hunting be more like searching for recipes?
Baby Back Ribs in Vietnamese Caramel Sauce
~adapted from Molly Stevens recipe posted on Chubby Hubby
~2 entrees of 4 appetizers
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water, divided
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/3 cup fish sauce
- 1/3 cup sliced onion
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 slab baby back ribs (about 2.5 lbs), cut between the bones
- rice to serve
- pickled mustard greens to serve (optional)
Instructions –
1. Spread the sugar on a wide heavy bottomed skillet. Pour 1/4 cup of water and lime juice over it and let it sit for one minute. Heat it on medium heat until the sugar is melted and reduce the heat to medium low, letting it boil and turn red.
2. Remove it from the heat source and stir remaining 1/4 cup water and fish sauce in slowly. Make sure to distance your face from the pan (as it will steam). Return to the heat and allow it to boil and thicken for a few minutes. Add onion, black pepper, and white pepper, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add ribs to the caramel sauce and stir to coat.
Bring them to a simmer over low heat. Cover and braise for 90 minutes, but turn and rotate ribs with tongs every 15 minutes. Keep it at a constant simmer but do not allow it to boil. They are done when the meat comes off the bone easily and they are very dark brown.
Serve as is for an appetizer or over rice (and optional pickled mustard greens) as a full meal.
*Note: You can cool them and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. They an be reheated in an oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
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It’s amazing, when you think about how many homes and apartments are out there, that it’s so difficult to find what you want. Hopefully you’ll find something soon!
I’ve heard of caramel sauce for fish and thought it was interesting. This is even more interesting because of course it would make a good coating for ribs. I love how sticky the outsides look!
don’t give up–if your life is anything like mine, you’ll stumble upon the perfect find right when you least expect it. on a brighter note, that sauce is outrageously fantastic.
ive never tried this caramel sauce! but heard of it!! havent seen! but ill try to get it and give it a try!!thanx
cheers!!
It’s a shame that apartment hunting is not as easy as finding such a perfect recipe for ribs like this one! These ribs look absolutely divine!
Hope you find an apartment that you like soon.
This looks like a really wonderful way to do ribs, and a good alternative to barbecued ribs. I’m sold, thanks!
Thanks for the support. I really don’t know where to look anymore.
I hope you find something very soon–I HATE apartment hunting. I had two days to find an apartment when I moved out here five years ago (the apartment hunting trip was hindered by the impending doom of finals) and when I finally reached the destination apartment, I made a terrible mistake. One month of electric billing was $1000 in December, and we didn’t even have central heating, only space heater wall units. My giant olive oil bottles froze. Moral of the story–take your time. You will find something, and it’s the waiting that will help. Good luck!
The caramel sauce sounds amazing for the ribs! I love the picture with the chopsticks! Hope you can find a perfect apartment soon!
What did it taste like? Sweet and tangy?
Apt. hunting is horrible. Hope you find something you like soon! Are you looking to buy or rent?
Move back here!!! I’m impressed that making the caramel sauce didn’t deter you – even though it’s so easy to do, I thoroughly don’t enjoy making it. So I’ll just have to come to your house for them.
EMC, oh no! That is horrible!
Wonders, very concentrated sweet and salty. I ate a lot of rice with it.
Carol, I can’t afford space over there…we looked again just this past weekend. Still too expensive. Blogger = no money.
Jessica i love spare ribs and almost bit my comp screen after seeing the pictures.
But I wanted to write to you say how much i connected with what you wrote. We lived in a ‘cave’ for 5 years. Don’t know how myou mange to cook all the wonderful stuff there. Finally got a two bedroom place with two bathrooms… no doorman or pool though. Still we finally lived in the last 8 or 9 months. And we went through all the real estate cons that you mentioned… so hang in there Chef.
Remember, the magic lies in slow marination
The ribs look wonderful, you good food will go with you wherever you may move to
Kalyan, thanks for sharing. We do have a great kitchen so I can’t complain about that, but we don’t get any light on the second floor in the back of a building that’s in between tall buildings. Glad to hear that you are now living in a place you are happy with. =)
Thanks 3hungrytummies!
It’s hard to make meat look good, but you sure did.
Oh we were happy in our place too, and we own that, just outgrew it I guess
Those ribs look amazing. I’ll take Vietnamese caramel sauce over traditional barbecue sauce any day.