insatiable baker

Rivera, Los Angeles, CA

2011-05-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

I love being home. And Rivera has Strawberry Fields back on the menu. YESSSSS.

Strawberry Fields
Blanco tequila, Velvet Falernum, strawberries, mint

Hulk el Increible
Blanco tequila, micro cilantro, green chartreuse, tomatillo, “hellfire” bitters

Umm, I forgot?

Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia, PA

2011-04-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

LOVE. There are no other words. Can't wait until spring quarter next year.

Stage Whisperer
Old Tom Gin, Maraschino Liquer, Fernet Branca,
Peychaud and Angostura Bitter,
Served on a Rock

Ghost Hardware
American Gin, Aperol, Orange Liqueur, Fresh Lemon Juice, Demerara,
Cucumber, Salt, Angostura Bitters,
Served Up

Serious Misgivings Punch
Gin Orange Liqueur, Green Chartreuse, Absinthe, Fresh Lime Juice,
House Blueberry Mint Shrub, Angostura Bitters

Cynar Julep

Old Fashioned

Penicillin

Avec, Chicago, IL

2011-03-04T04:59:00.000-08:00

The day after the huge blizzard in Chicago, little sister and I decided to meet up at Avec. We figured since the weather was so bad, the line for Avec would be short! Which was true.

However, the food for the most part was too salty for our tastes...oh well. This is the second strike-out for Avec for me.

Maybe one more time in the summer? I'm losing hope though. Sad.

Cafe Besalu, Seattle, WA

2011-01-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Despite already having breakfast items that we brought back from Portland (Voodoo Doughnuts), we ended up going to Cafe Besalu for breakfast before bidding a tearful farewell to Seattle.

We parked the car around the corner, but even with that distance, the smell of butter and just-out-of-the-oven pleasantly invades your nose as we got out of the car. Of course that meant I gleefully half skipped, half ran to the line waiting to get into Cafe Besalu. Although I don't usually enjoy waiting (or ever), it did give us time to plan out our attack of what to order.

So, starting from the top, and going clockwise!

Plum danish

Cardamom pretzel

Plain croissant with marmalade

Peach galette

Quiche Lorraine

Chantarelle and gruyere quiche

Oh Cafe Besalu, how I miss you.

And your smell of butter.

Cafe Besalu

5909 24th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

Beast, Portland, OR

2011-01-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

Dinner at Beast was probably the most anticipated meal of the trip, both Seattle and Portland, and it did not disappoint.

For a full review, refer to tang&bolster, he puts into words how I felt about this meal. Except my version comes out "mmm, again again!" with simultaneous gleeful applause.

Individualized menus at each place setting.

Bread & butter.

Andaluz & Gypsy Pepper Soup
with an Almond, Lemon, and Parsley Pistou

Starting from the top and going clockwise:
Foie-gras bon-bon, sauternes geleé
Chicken liver mousse, pickled shallots
Steak tartare on quail egg toast
Pork, pork liver and cracked green peppercorn pate
Mustard with cornichon
Locally made Olympic provisions salami

Lemon & Rosewater Sorbet
as a palate cleanser

Cattail Creek Lamb Loin Chop with a Butternut Squash, Cippolini Onion,
and Kale Gratin and a Candied Hazelnut Verde & Lamb Demi-Glace

Arugula & Persimmon Salad with Tomme du Fedou Sheep's Milk Cheese,
Crispy Leeks, and an Aged Sherry Vinaigrette

Cheese from Steve at Cheese Bar
Bittersweet Farms Honey
Cracked black pepper & fleur de sel shortbread
Red wine poached pear, candied local walnuts

Bruléed Apricot & Vanilla Custard Tart

Beast

5425 Northeast 30th Avenue
Portland, OR 97211

Voodoo Doughnuts, Portland, OR

2011-01-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

To kill some time before our 6pm seating at Beast, we decided to go pick some Voodoo doughnuts up for the ride back to Seattle or breakfast the next morning. It ended up with me on the plane with a delicate pink paper box of very smush-able fragile doughnuts placed carefully in the overhead compartment. The bacon maple doughnut got a hit, but I am happy to report the cock-n-balls made it back safely.

Oh, and the cock-n-balls were cream-filled. All of it. I thought it would just be the...cock part. Go figure.

Intact doughnuts before the flight back to Chicago.

Voodoo Doughnuts
22 Southwest 3rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97204

Pok Pok, Portland, OR

2011-01-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

Even with the packed schedule on Saturday, we managed to fit in a quick snack at Pok Pok, which was relatively close to the original Pine State Biscuit storefront. Thank god for Google maps on the iPhone, I don't know where I would be without it.

So without further adieu, Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings.

Goes great with their Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

Fresh natural chicken wings marinated in fish sauce, garlic and sugar, deep fried, tossed in caramelized Phu Quoc fish sauce and garlic and served with Vietnamese table salad.

Pok Pok

3226 SE Division,

Portland, OR 97202

Pine State Biscuits, Portland, OR

2011-01-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

After reading about Eat Drink & Be Merry's experience of sharing the Reggie Deluxe, an insane fried chicken sandwich on a biscuit (!), I knew I had to have it. Every single thing in that sandwich is something I love. LOVE. So logically, the combination of all these things would translate to an even greater love.

I love not being wrong.

Menu at Pine State Biscuits.

The Regina.
Egg over easy with braised greens doused with Texas Pete Hot Sauce.

The Reggie Deluxe.
Fried chicken, bacon, fried egg & cheese topped with gravy.

Pine State Biscuits

3640 SE Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97214

Stumptown Coffee, Portland, OR

2011-01-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

A trip to PDX would not be complete without a thorough analysis of their coffee scene, i.e. Stumptown. They have five locations in Portland, of which we visited three of them. We even stayed for a cupping at the Stumptown Annex, although the hubby enjoyed (and understood) it the most. tang&bolster and I slinked away from the coffee-savvy adults sipping and slurping ground coffee water.

Nonetheless, the lattes, mochas and espressos did not disappoint.

Love their coffee bean containers. LOVE.
Next time I'm bringing one home.

Espresso.

Cupping.

Stumptown Annex

3352 SE Belmont St.
Portland, OR 97214

Check Stumptown's website for more locations.

Detention Bar, Portland, OR

2011-01-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

tang&bolster, the hubby & I also planned for a road trip down to Portland, inspired by the very tempting PDX posts on Oishii Eats and Eat Drink & Be Merry blogs. Their trip had 96 hours, while we only had 48 hours, so we pared down the list to the essentials (or so we thought).

First stop after checking in at the Ace Hotel was Detention Bar at McMenamins.

Tiny space, but it works. Best moment was when the elderly patron at the bar had looked up "Evolution of Dance" on his iPhone, laughing to himself and asked if we had seen it.

The centrally located furnace was also a nice touch, and made us feel all toasty. Or maybe that feeling was from the drinks (whiskey for the boys, vodka martini for me). I now have an even greater respect for my grandfather who will always order and finish a martini when out at a restaurant, because I definitely cannot handle them.

Detention Bar

5736 N.E. 33rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97211

Ten 01, Portland, OR

2011-01-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

Ten 01 is regarded one of the best cocktail bars in Portland, and was conveniently located two and a half blocks away from the Ace Hotel, where we were staying. It's also a restaurant, but having filled ourselves to capacity, we stopped by just for a quick round of drinks. And truffle fries, because I can never say no to fries.

Quick Google search for the cocktail menu at Ten 01 revealed that they have closed their doors on January 4. Very sad news. So not sure about these cocktail names or their ingredients, but the pink one was mine and deliciously girly. Farewell Ten 01.

Truffle fries.

I can't say no to fries. And these were perfect.
Maybe a bit too much truffle.

Laurelhurst Market, Portland, OR

2011-01-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

Laurelhurst Market was our dinner plans right after a quick drink at Detention Bar, but unfortunately upon our arrival, there was an hour and half wait list. And on top of that, the crowd at the bar waiting for a table left no room for us to grab a drink. So with our names at the bottom of their wait list, we went off wandering to a bar located a couple of blocks away with the promise of a shuffleboard, and of course, drinks.

We returned after a phone call from the restaurant letting us know our table was ready, and we tipsily rushed back to claim it. I'm so glad we did.

For a more thorough analysis of Laurelhurst Market, check tang&bolster.

A working butcher during the day.

House-Cured Oregon Ling Cod Fritters -- with Aioli

Marrow Bones -- Parsley, Pickled Shallot, Capers, Toast

"Egg in a Hole" with Chanterelle Gravy

Grilled Piedmontese Ribeye --
Blue Cheese Butter, Fried Walla Walla Onion Rings

Featured in Bon Appetit, including the recipe.
And Laurelhurst Market as one of the top 10 best new restaurants in the US.

Steak Frites -- Daily Steak Selection,
Pan Seared, Marchand de Vin, Hand Cut French Fries

Our desperate plea to the chef to share his chanterelle gravy recipe.
So good with the "Egg in the Hole", that we requested it to have with our fries.

Sadly the chef never e-mailed us back. tang&bolster is convinced it's because he signed off on the note with "kthxbai", but I'm sure the chef didn't hold that against us. Or did he.

Either way, no grudges here. And can't wait to get back to Portland for some more perfectly cooked red meat. With a side of chanterelle gravy.

Laurelhurst Market
3155 E. Burnside
Portland, OR 97214

Paseo, Seattle, WA

2011-01-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

Before we left for Portland, we decided to fortify ourselves for the three hour drive with some Paseo sandwiches. Just to preface, tang&bolster had called them Cuban sandwiches, which they are. But these are nothing compared to the Cuban sandwiches at Porto's Bakery, an institution in Glendale, CA. My expectation was a completely different type of sandwich, but I was more than happy to be wrong in this case.

I still dream of this sandwich. And this baguette. Whose bakery was featured as one of the best bakeries in the US in Bon Appetit this month!

Cuban Roast sandwich, with a side of corn on the cob.

Paseo

4225 Fremont Ave N

Seattle, WA 98103

Matt's in the Market, Seattle, WA

2011-01-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

My favorite place in Seattle is definitely Pike Place Market. Bustling with life (and tourists), its energetic environment woke me up, just like a whiff of morning coffee. Except it was a whiff of fresh fish on ice, with the friendly fisherman in galoshes offering pieces of smoked salmon to taste. And I finally got my hands on some Maldon Sea Salt at DeLaurenti Specialty Food and Wine, though I recently also found it at Whole Foods.

After the curious quick-paced wandering in the marketplace, we stopped in at Matt's in the Market, which tang&bolster has been to ... countless times. Nonetheless, his enthusiasm for this restaurant has yet to desist, and after having eaten here, I can see why. Nor was he exaggerating about the most amazing lamb burger. EVER.

Grilled St. Jude's albacore tuna
mama lil's hot mustard pickle relish, lemon aioli,
bibb lettuce, red onion, on potato bread

Pork belly confit "bahn mi"
picked daikon radish & carrot, fresno chilies,
hoisin, cilatro, sambal aioli on baguette

Don & Joe's lamb burger
goat cheese, bacon, herb aioli, onion jam
on brioche with garbanzo bean-sultana salad

Perusing fruit after lunch at Pike Place Market.

Matt's in the Market

94 Pike St # 32
Seattle, WA 98101-2066

Staple & Fancy, Seattle, WA

2011-01-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

Back in November, the hubby and I decided to visit tang&bolster in Seattle during break week.

In our excitement, we planned out every meal, every cocktail, with back-up or alternative options just in case of emergency. And by emergency, I mean if we had space in our ever-expanding stomachs. Not surprisingly, we made it to the key restaurants and even added some extras!

So starting with restaurant #1, Ethan Stowell's Staple & Fancy, which shared restrooms with The Walrus and The Carpenter to my delight. We couldn't fit them into our schedule, but I really wanted to get a postcard/business card because they are adorable.

Forgive me, but it was November when we went, so mind's blanking on some of the dishes and drinks we had. Oh well.

Drinks while we waited for our table.

De La Louisianne: Rye, Benedictine, Pastis

Calianna: Gin, Aperol, Grapefruit, Soda

I think that last one is a Manhattan. t&b, thoughts?

Open kitchen.

Surprisingly, very calm.

Butternut squash soup.

Bottom: Pork mousse with balsamic vinegar.
Top: Can't remember.

Oysters with toasted bread crumbs.

Frisee salad with soft-boiled egg and bacon lardons.

Grilled leeks with anchovies and breadcrumbs.

Lamb tartare.

Butternut squash ravioli.

Linguini with mussels in a salsa verde sauce.

Espresso pots de crème.

Huckleberry panna cotta.

Staple & Fancy

4739 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

The Alembic, San Francisco, CA

2010-12-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

Extensive drinks menu + collection at The Alembic.
But no Cynar.

The menus we made good use of.

Round 1: Pisco Sour + Gilded Lily

[all cocktails $11]

Pickled Quail Eggs [$2]

Beef tongue sliders, fried green tomatoes, arugula on a brioche bun. [$10]
So delicious, we immediately ordered another round.

Round 2: Southern Exposure

Bone marrow, caper gremolata + garlic confit [$10]

Our hipster bartender that very pleasantly dealt with our curiosity.
LOVE the glasses.

Crisp pork belly. [$18]

Last round: A Bitter Tomorrow, when D requested "something weird".

The Alembic

1725 Haight St

San Francisco, CA 94117

Pastoral (Artisan Cheese + Wine), Chicago, IL

2009-12-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

Cheese plate from Cheese 101 course.

Hot Doug's, Chicago, IL

2009-09-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Since I came to Chicago last year, all I've heard about the must-eat-foods in Chicago was hot dogs. A few places came up again and again, and one of them was Hot Doug's. To be honest, even after all the hype of a real Chicago hot dog, I never went.

So before school started up again, I went.

Had I never tried Wurstküche in downtown LA this summer, I probably would have loved Chicago hot dogs. However, Wurstküche is by far the best hot dogs I've ever had, and nothing (as of yet) can replace my love for them. (So much love that D and I are thinking of having our wedding there, or catered by them!)

Note: They do not do private events, unfortunately for our wedding planning.

Though nothing and no one can beat Wurstküche, Hot Doug's special über garlic pork sausage hot dog was culinary genius. I love garlic too much.

The Salma Hayek
(formerly the Madonna, the Raquel Welch and the Ann-Margret)
Andouille Sausage: "Mighty, mighty, mighty hot!"

I disagree.

Special hot dogs of the day
über garlic pork sausage + vintage cheddar cubes + roasted whole garlics
beef sausage + fried onion +...something

Hot Doug's
3324 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60618

The Publican, Chicago, IL

2009-08-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Publican, Chicago, IL

2009-08-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

D has recently decided to pursue a thorough knowledge of beers, realizing that he has for the most part mastered espresso. (He modified his simple espresso machine with a pressure gauge and temperature control. Oh dear.)

So when I had to return to Chicago for school after my last summer break(!), I decided to take him to The Publican, since we're such big fans of the Blackbird group and the long list of beers.

When we arrived at The Publican on a warm sunny Sunday morning, I nursed my Intelligentsia cup of coffee, watching D bypass the food menu, and immediately scour the beer menu, weighing his alcoholic options first thing in the morning.

beer menu
D very excitedly ordered the Rodenbach Grand Cru
(Note: 750ml is not a small bottle)

D's Rodenbach Grand Cru

red wine poached eggs with hollandaise & prosciutto,
on sourdough bread with greens on the side

hash browns
sadly too salty...but otherwise would have been perfection

blt sandwich on a ciabatta roll
with pommes frites on the side

Minus the disappointingly over-salted hash browns, brunch at The Publican was very satisfying. And of course D couldn't finish the Rodenbach, so against The Publican's policy of open bottle leaving the premises, we took it home with us. (The waitress let us, really!)

The Publican
845 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607

The Violet Hour, Chicago, IL

2009-08-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Last night in Chicago for D, and he was craving freshly made cocktails like at The Varnish in downtown LA. So after a quick Google and Yelp search, we stopped by The Violet Hour that had very similar reviews to The Varnish, but with a much larger menu. It turned out to be a very good night, with delicious drinks, very knowledgeable friendly bartenders, and surprisingly satisfying. Though, still not as good as The Varnish.

The bar.

Not the best photo, but very high-backed seats, little end tables and chandeliers.

Classy.

Droppers filled with various essences.

D requested something "out there" from our bartender.
She gave him something with artichoke liquor (Cynar) in it.

Mine had 2 different rums with pineapple, egg whites and other juices.
I requested a vacation on the beach.

Exterior and me making a funny face.

They change the exterior every few months or so.

The Violet Hour
1520 North Damen Avenue
c/s W. Pierce Ave. & N. Wicker Park Ave.

A Weekend Away, Philadelphia, PA

2009-04-22T22:16:00.001-07:00

The start to my spring break was a weekend visit in philadelphia before heading home to LA. And for a belated anniversary with D, we went out to celebrate at Tinto. LOVE.

the menu

waiting by the bar to be seated

I tried the mairritze - moleca cachaca, muddled mint, lime, blood orange -- which was delicious. (Thanks J for recommending it!) And giddiness-inducing from having an early lunch and a mostly empty stomach.

D had the blanca sangria - white wine, absolut peach, fruit -- which was typical, though I enjoyed fishing out fruits to nibble on.

amuse-bouche of manchego cheese crisp rolls
with a pureed tomato salsa of some kind for dipping

arugula salad
serrano ham, persimmons,
fried goat cheese, pine nuts, sevilla orange vinaigrette

The fried goat cheese and persimmons in the salad was what won me over. D got to eat all the arugula he wanted. That was our trade. Arugula for fried goat cheese. I so got the better end of the bargain.

pork belly montaditos (canapes)
berkshire pork belly, honey lacquer, shaved apples

Thought those apples were cucumbers at first before D corrected me, and I happily munched on the entire thing.

I want to say that pork belly is on menus everywhere, but I'm not going to complain because I adore pork belly. (almost as much as I adore goat cheese)

organic chicken
truffled whipped mash, brussel sprouts, smoked bacon

I have never really enjoyed brussel sprouts. But then again, I'm Asian, so I haven't really had the opportunity to try. But I'm thinking anything that comes with mashed potatoes, bacon, and the tender succulent roast chicken, I can't really complain, can I? Not that I am. At all.

lamb brochetas (brochettes)
lamb loin, eggplant, bacon, sherry jus

They came in tall shot glasses with the sherry jus at the bottom! We saw other people receiving them and copied their order. Delicious.

[no photo]
LAST, but not least, was the
butifarra
house-made garlic sausage, lentils, pedro ximenez

No photo, mostly because we were too excited and the picture is really blurred for anyone to tell what it is exactly that we ate. I was so excited that I didn't even realize my piece of butifarra I had cut had released itself from my fork, and rolled down my shirt and onto the floor. Until I bit down on an empty fork, which made me very sad. Even sadder that the stain has yet to come out of my shirt. Still worth it.

Next time, Amada, Tinto's sister restaurant! Where apparently you can order a whole roast pig 24 hours in advance.

A Weekend Away, New York, NY

2009-03-30T21:45:00.001-07:00

brunch @ balthazar bakery

caramelized onion & goat cheese tart

eggs benedict

moules frites

steak frites

apple tarte tatin

tarte du jour: pear & raspberry

late lunch @ shake shack

2 double shack burgers
1 shack burger
2 orders of cheese fries

chocolate cream eclair from bouchon bakery

the end of a satisfyingly delicious weekend.

Home for Winter Break, Los Angeles, CA

2009-01-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

first attempt at "real" blueberry scones
chilling the dough, rolling it out, using a makeshift round cutter

midway through the mushroom crostini recipe

negi-toro roll at hide sushi on sawtelle

half of christmas dinner spread

개살마리 "ke sal mari"
dungeness crab and sauteed leek wrapped in delicate spinach crepes
my favorite appetizer at woo lae oak, beverly hills

Green Zebra, Chicago, IL

2009-01-12T04:56:00.000-08:00

a glass of wine

amuse bouche
olives & creme fraiche on toast

sweet onion and garlic soup, truffle cream

fresh burrata cheese, piparras pepper, fresh oregano, piperade

olive oil confit fingerlings, dijon mustard, parmesan, truffle

chanterelle mushroom popover, cippolini, hazelnuts, blue cheese, browned butter

poached prospera farms egg, smoked potato puree, country sourdough

same thing, different angle

truffle mac & cheese

churros con chocolate

Green Zebra
1460 W Chicago Ave # 1
Chicago, IL 60642

Wild Mushroom Crostini

2009-01-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

slices of la brea bakery french baguette

baby bella, oyster & shitake mushrooms

lemon zest

sauteing the mushroom-y goodness

almost finished product with grated fontina & parmesan-reggiano cheese

My holiday season was filled with laughter and love with my friends and family. With friends, we had a potluck pre-Christmas dinner complete with hors d'œuvre, salad, candied nuts, corn bread & jalapeno corn muffins, mashed & roasted potatoes with gravy, two entrees (chicken or fish?) and two pies for dessert. I was assigned an appetizer/hors d'œuvre with less than 24 hours to prepare and I was busy all day before the dinner, so what was I to do?

My genius sister F suggested something simple, crostini. Slice bread, prepare a topping, and broil when I got to the dinner. Genius.

So went back to the old favorite and always-a-hit and almost impossible to screw up, wild mushroom crostini.

Wild Mushroom Crostini
Adapted from Bon Appétit, June 2004
yield: Makes 36

36 1/3-inch-thick baguette slices

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 1/4 cups chopped oyster mushrooms
2 1/4 cups chopped stemmed shiitake mushrooms (about 6 ounces)
1 1/4 cups chopped chanterelle mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 3/4 ounces)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add all mushrooms; sauté until beginning to brown and has reduced, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Stir in cream, rosemary, and lemon peel. Season with salt (not too much, you're adding cheese) and pepper. Cool. Mix in both cheeses. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat broiler. Top each toast with about 1 tablespoon mushroom topping. Place on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Working in batches, broil until cheese is melted and begins to brown, watch so they don't burn!, about 3 minutes. Transfer to serving platter. Serve warm & toasty.

Aigre Doux, Chicago, IL

2008-09-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

F's in Chicago! Back for her 2nd year, and it's been a long time since we've been in the same city while we've been in school. Although she's not immediately close, it's much closer than a plane ride. So for now, we'll have lunch and dinner dates on the weekends if we're both not impossibly busy.

And to celebrate her return, her upcoming birthday and just because we're (delicious)food-obsessed, we chose Aigre Doux right near Merchandise Mart for dinner! (I went a couple nights before with D but forgot my camera in the rush sadly...)

The head chef and pastry chef are a husband and wife team (Mohammad Islam & Malika Ameen), who used to work at Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. And though I've never been there (traffic & snooty, so I've heard), according to F, BEST french fries EVER. And while I am a dedicated lover to Shake Shack's cheese fries of Madison Square Park in New York, after trying Aigre Doux's fries the night before with D, I might just have to drop by Chateau Marmont when I fly home in November.

And F and I both agree, it's delicious. We'll be back.

interior of aigre doux.

chevre & brown butter ravioli

veal duo with israeli couscous

colorado lamb tasting
grilled lambchops, braised shanks & crispy sweetbreads
shaved fennel and apple salad & truffled grits

peach galette & wild honey ice cream

my favorite picture & dish of the night
looks like three forks are attacking it, but only one.

aigre doux
230 w. kinzie st.
chicago, il 60610

The Chopping Block, Chicago, IL

2008-09-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Warning: Photo Overload.

Edit: It was cooking class. Not a restaurant where we're forced to make our own food. Survival of the fittest....or who can successfully cook the food without burning. Sorry M!

D came to visit! And on Saturday night, we went to The Chopping Block, the Merchandise Mart location, for "Date Night: Indian Summer". And I may have been a little camera happy...I'm blaming the wine, on an empty stomach.

for the apples & cabbage
red cabbage, bacon, apple - vinegar, wine, honey

for the caramelized onion & blue cheese tart
onions, eggs, blue cheese, sherry wine, fresh thyme, butter & olive oil

welcome bruschettas & empty ramekins

filled ramekins with pumpkin creme brulee

chopping up cabbage, like a pro

matchstick apples and chopped sage, while having wine

pre-torched baked pumpkin creme brulee

pan searing salmon & stewing cabbage

mm, all done with the tart and entrees!
caramelized onion & blue cheese tart
pan seared salmon with bacon, apples & cabbage
pumpkin creme brulee

torching with the big torch!

our pumpkin creme brulees

love this picture. we're in it! check the spoon.

yum.

Recipes will go up later, if you anyone's interested. And next month, maybe pasta making class with F?

Silly Carb Loving

2008-08-28T00:40:00.000-07:00

I've relocated. Chicago. The midwest. New city, and time to start over again, including finding my favorite restaurants and comfort foods that will get me through the windy frozen hell that Chicaaahhgo-ans call winter here. But while I have yet to discover that (hence the lack of posts and photos), for now, I'm still settling. Bear with me while I find the groove I swear I used to have...somewhere around here.

And for a silly carb loving snippet.

D: i miss rice
tomrorow i will make rice
im a riceboy
me: hehe
D: are u a ricegirl?
me: i think...
2/3 ricegirl, 1/3 pastagirl
and the occasional tortilla related foods
D: hehhe

Palate Food + Wine, Glendale, CA

2008-07-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Palate Food + Wine
933 S. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91204

House churned butter with baby radishes and dill and fleur de sel

"Porkfolio"
prosciutto, speck, salami, toasted bread, whole grain mustard and dijon mustard

Sweet white corn soup with bacon and creme fraiche

Cannelloni with porcini mushrooms, baby spinach and parmigiano-reggiano

"Pork n' Beans"
pork belly with shell beans and haricots verts

Mango Sorbet

2008-07-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

A hot summer day + leftover mangos filling up the dining table = Sorbet à la mangue

2 large ripe mangoes, pitted and peeled
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
Zest from an organic lime, finely grated
The juice from half an organic lime, plus more to taste
A tablespoon dark rum, plus more to taste
A pinch of salt

Makes about 1 liter (1 quart)

Pre-freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker if it is the sort of ice cream maker that needs to have its bowl pre-frozen.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, and use an immersion blender (F and I just threw everything into a blender) to purée the mixture until completely smooth.

Place the mango purée in the refrigerator until well chilled, and stir again just before using. Taste, add a little more lime juice or rum if desired. We left out the rum since all we had was wine and plums stewing in vodka. And we were too impatient to chill the mango purée, so we just flipped on the ice cream maker and ooh-and-ahh-ed until the mango purée looked more like melted mango sorbet and stored it in the freezer until dessert time that night.

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz, and Chocolate & Zucchini.

back home again.

2008-06-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

singapore, it was a dream.

so much food in only two weeks. stuffed.
which means, wayyy too many pictures. so how about one of my favorites?

roti prata!
it's so unbelievably sad that LA doesn't do this.

on hiatus for two weeks.

2008-05-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

So I remember sometime in January, I somehow landed on this article about an art school that literally has a green roof and showed D, and how he said he would bring me to go walk on the roof. And how doubtful I was that would ever happen. But here I am, procrastinating on my last minute packing and filling you in how I'll be in happy and humid bliss for the next two point five weeks.

Now to close up my suitcase, and get to the airport on time. Bon voyage to me!

A Belated Post About LA Magazine's #69 Best Restaurant in LA: BASHAN

2008-05-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

Inside Bashan.

So, this was months ago with F, but better late than never. My memory card reader had been missing so I couldn't upload pictures. But now, all connected so here we go.

And here we go, what we ate, in the exact order. Except, I've forgotten some of the details to the dishes. Just mine, actually, the seasonal menu has changed for summer. But here's my best guess.

Chef's Amuse Bouche
Carrot juice with chili oil, and sauteed garlic...something

New Bedford Scallops
Leeks, Bacon, Baby Turnips, Beurre Rouge

Braised Pork Belly
Fava beans, Tomatoes, Broth
[Menu changed: can't find exact description]

Seared Chicken Breast
Confit of Leg Salad, Quail Egg, Okinawa Yam, Sherry Mustard

Prime Flat-Iron Steak
Butternut squash puree and sauteed chanterelles and Brussels sprouts

Peanut Butter Banana Sticky Toffee Cake
Toffee Sauce, Roasted Peanuts, Vanilla Ice Cream

F also had dessert (chocolate bread pudding), but it wasn't a particularly remarkable dish - too dry, and not chocolate-y enough - and it had gotten dark outside, so I lost most source of light for a decent photo.

And while the photo for my dessert doesn't show it, this is one of the best desserts I have had. It's simple, and very reminiscent of the butterscotch budino from Pizzeria Mozza (because of the balance of the sugar and salt in one dish). And I basically inhaled it. I mean, to be fair, it's not all that large a portion...unfortunately. This is the reason I've been looking for an excuse to go back to Bashan.

The restaurant is easy to miss, and we both in fact drove down the street three times before noticing it's tiny sign. And street parking, my bane of existence (okay, a minor one, but still) makes getting into the actual restaurant just that much harder. But LA Magazine's right, it's worth it.

Bashan is named after its chef, Nadav Bashan, who's worked at Michael's and Providence (impressive resume) and is known to be spectacular with seafood. And we ignored that tidbit and took S. Irene Virbila's advice on her favorite dish: the seared chicken breast, which was how chicken should always be, when seared. And while I have never been a huge fan of pork or any accompanying veggies (excluding potatoes, asparagus, and several lucky few), his braised pork belly was so tender and juicy that a knife wasn't even necessary.

And now, when F gets back from Chicago, we can go and try his summer menu. I cannot wait. We finally have a restaurant that is both highly praised by F's favorite LA Times Critic and within driving distance. Without using the freeway. Though we could.

back from seoul food

2008-03-05T03:59:00.000-08:00

I spent exactly two glorious weeks in Korea, basically eating my way through Huppo, Gyeongju, Busan, and the many neighborhoods of Seoul. And I'm going to recount my most memorable ones, since I obviously haven't been in the kitchen like I'm supposed to be. A jest. Sort of.

But back to remembering and drooling.

My second morning in Korea. A breakfast after barely sleeping on the very long ride through New Year's weekend traffic to Huppo. And the exciting part about this breakfast is that we went out and got it ourselves! Okay, we obviously did not go fishing, or skin the fish ourselves, but we went to the fish market at 7am, the market at 8:30am for the greens, garlic, and the rest. And promptly passed out to food coma induced euphoric sleep.

This is seriously one of the the most random (to me) yet GENIUS snack food cooked up by the street vendors in Korea. Unless it started elsewhere, in which case, sorry. And then kudos to them.

But this is probably one of my top 3, especially because I love eggs. Especially a perfectly boiled egg. When the yolk is almost completely cooked through, but the center is barely done so that it's the perfect combination of crumbly yolk and runny yolk. Junior year college, boiled eggs were definitely the Sunday midnight snack for me, while rushing to finish my chemistry handouts that were due every Monday morning.

So imagine. Ggae-rrahn bbang. (Literally translates to, "egg bread") A slightly sweet battered lightly crisp exterior, with a perfectly cooked and salted egg inside. Just happiness. And two for 1, 000 WON. (With the exchange rate, about $1.05. To share with someone. That was usually M2. Thanks for waiting with me while they finished cooking!

This was the best bread ever.

I mean, Korea is in love with their puff pastry (see: Paris Baguette) but this is Papparoti bread. It's a huge bun.

It's essentially white bread dough with coffee cream piped onto it, then baked. So it smells like that freshly baked (because it always is) yeast-filled bread with the confusingly familiar scent of coffee but yet no sign of coffee, not even a coffee color to it.

And when you get one that literally just came out of the oven, you're obviously eating the bread vertically. The butter that hasn't cooled yet drips down to the bottom and last part of the bun you're going to eat, and it's just sinful. The ratio of melted butter soaking the last bite of coffee-laced bun.

It definitely didn't start in Korea, but thank goodness it made its way there so that I could try it. I think I had it about...four times while we were in Busan. And we weren't in Busan for that long. But the bakery was two doors over. How could I say no?

This is "hoddok". Chewy batter fried on a large skillet, with a cinnamon-y sugar filling. Honestly, I have no idea exactly what it is. The filling is sweet, tastes something along the lines of sweet grainy honey. But not just a simple sweetness to it. It's deep. Combine that with chewy less-fluffy-pancake-like batter and you have a snakc that warms you while you push through the throngs of Korean couples in the Myungdong shopping area, with girls dressed in tiny skirts and leggings. In 15 degrees Fahrenheit weather.

One of my favorite Korean dishes. It's hard for me to resist noodles in any form, but this dish is something that's been in my life since I remember being in my mother's kitchen. Since I was old enough to help her, I would roll the dough that would be cut into noodles. Kal-gooksoo. (Kal = knife, gooksoo = noodles) Pretty self-explanatory. I remember eating the dough even before it was cooked, which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

But no offense to the way my mother prepares it, but the way they made it at this famous kal-gooksoo restaurant, it was life-changing. Tongue-and-taste-changing. The soup is so much more complex. The noodles are cooked to that chewy perfection where it's not too bloated so they just mush apart.

And because it's so famous, it's been known that during dinner time, the lines been known to go out the door. And there are two stories to this place. And more than one location. And the waitresses have the service down pat. Twenty-five seconds go by before someone comes to take your order. There's only four things on the menu to order from and you pretty much come in knowing what you want. A minute after that, very garlicky kimchi is brought to your table - and will be refilled without you saying a word. A minute and half after that, your noodles are there.

You may have had to wait twenty minutes for your table, but you certainly won't be waiting for your food.
Thankfully, the line was never horribly too long, and I had good company so waiting wasn't a concern. The food however, I would've gladly waited in the cold for this. In fact, now when I crave kal-gooksoo, this is what I think of, and sadly not my mother's. Shh, no one tell her that.

And something cute. My parents used to go on dates here way back when. Aww. And a bit surreal to think about that.

There you have it. My top five of Korea.

I must go back and do this again.

the things you do for love.

2008-02-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

Just a short little post for Valentine's day. I'm still in Seoul and it's 3:06 AM here, but I couldn't quite fall asleep yet.

So the Korean tradition for Valentine's Day is as follows.
February 14: Girls give boys chocolates
March 14: Boys give girls white chocolates -- hence, "white day"
April 14: All single people get jjajjangmyun together -- and if things work out well between some... -- hence "black day"
May 14: Newly-gotten-together couples go have curry together -- hence, "yellow day"

I personally am picky about my chocolates. I don't like milk chocolate unless it's coating nuts or caramel. Dark chocolate is just so silky and smooth, with just the right amount of sweetness. White chocolate isn't necessarily bad, I hate baking with it though. But Godiva white chocolate bars, and Toblerone white chocolate bars (spitting out the nougat) are as close as to my ideal white chocolate taste.

What is my ideal white chocolate taste? During my childhood, I remember a 3/4-inch thick white chocolate bar produced by Nestle, with nuts mixed in. Opening the slim paper box packaging, there emerged a bar with mountains edged onto the surface of the chocolate. And it was perfect. Nestle discontinued this sometimes in the late 1990s, reasons unknown. And it still breaks my heart to this day.

But this Valentine's day, though I'm spending it with two Ms in Seoul (wait, make that three!), I'm still mushily thinking about my very own 돼지 (Korean for "pig"). And yes, I mean that in an affectionate way. And how very grateful I am that we both are omnivores. I mean, someone picked bread over their significant other. Depends on where the bread was from, I suppose. Just a jest. I think. Please, I beg you do not ever give up gluten D.

And a very happy Valentine's day to all my wonderful friends and the best little sister (even though I ditched you for two weeks and went to Korea, when really I should've come to see you in Chicago, yes yes, I know - but just wait until your Valentine's Day at 1-3 PM) scattered throughout the world, I miss you all if I'm not with you on this day. Though it doesn't matter the day, I love you everyday. I blame the late hour on the level of sappiness.

And to leave you all with a photo.

Roses, in the shape of a heart, from D. How? Seriously though.
I love you. Can't wait to come home. Plus it's warm again in L.A.

inspired by marcel proust. and an old korean drama.

2008-01-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

Looking up at the "storm" clouds from the car.

It's raining. Or it was. Or is. The cold wet drizzle comes and goes in the city of Los Angeles, where we almost never get rain.

Which is why it makes me so giddy and happy that L.A. has been blessed with cold depressing weather. Cheers! *clink*

And to celebrate the cold dreary day, an after-dinner baking itch has taken over me. (I know, lots of celebration, right? My fall back plan to a lack of a celebration plan seems to be baking.) And the decision was, madeleines.

I vaguely remember from an old Korean drama (relatively old, 200...5?) that the main character who was a patissiere mentioned madeleines and Marcel Proust. So here's what he actually said on the matter.

"I raised to my lips a spoonful of the cake...a shudder ran through my whole body and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place."

But yet I can never quite get it right. Is it supposed be between a cake-like and brownie-like density? Because I've never really enjoyed that kind of heavy dense baked goods. I can never finish a brownie. Moist large crumb-ed cakes, however, are a different story. But in any case, I prefer the madeleines that aren't too cloyingly sweet, and much lighter than a brownie, but a touch denser than a cake. Apparently, I'm the Goldilocks of madeleines. But with dark brown hair. And I don't like oatmeal. Unless they're in cookies.

So tonight, armed with a new recipe from Epicurious, and bright yellow lemons from market, and inspiration from Marcel Proust via My Lovely Sam-Soon, this Goldilocks went looking for the madeleine that was just right. And actually, this one isn't half bad. In fact, it's moist, with crisp golden brown edges, and with a just right density that I was craving during tonight's chilly drizzle storm.

Madeleines
Bon Appetit, January 2000

Ingredients: 2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter and flour pan for large madeleines (about 3 x 1 1/4 inches).*

Using electric mixer, beat eggs and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl just to blend. Beat in vanilla, lemon peel and salt. Add flour; beat just until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended.

Personally, I blended a little more longer than they said to. Just to get a little more air into the batter.

Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 11 minutes. Cool.

Gently remove from pan. Try not to eat each one as you remove it from the pan. I ate the first two I took out. I couldn't resist.

Repeat process, buttering and flouring pan before each batch. I find it makes the edges a bit crisper (if you prefer it that way) if after the buttering+flouring combination, you stick the pan in the freezer or refrigerator (whichever has space) for a couple of minutes.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Half of the batter is actually still chilling in the fridge. I'm going to try baking it tomorrow night again for D. Maybe. If I don't fall asleep right after dinner.

Lastly, you can dust the cookies with powdered sugar, if you wish. Or dip it in chocolate. Now there's a thought...

*The madeleines baking pan is pictured as a blur in the background of the madeleines photo.

And look! They made the hump! The characteristic of a correctly attempted madeleine. Ah, the beauty of the madeleine hump.

It's drizzling and/or raining for the rest of the week.

Now, all I need is a cup of coffee, some warm madeleines and to be curled up in bed by the window, watching the rest of world, or at least my world, get hydrated.

an apology to my dearest foofoo

2008-01-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

I love F. Just want to clarify that. F is not at all a bratty buttmunch. I miss you too, fegele!

Surprisingly, we weren't being distracted by food. Although that's usually the only thing to really get both of our attentions. Like a perfect bowl of fettucine alfredo. Or a slice of chocolate Parisian cake, with a tall glass of cold milk.

Photo Credit: T

a foolproof banana cream pie

2008-01-17T22:24:00.000-08:00

I don't remember the first time I came across this particular article or how -- NYT's "LA's Top Banana...". And though it sounds dirty, it was just an article about the popularity of banana cream pies in L.A. (by the NYT of all publications!) and where to get them. It also included a recipe adapted from Clementine's in LA.

I do (vaguely) remember the first time making this particular banana cream pie. The pastry cream just wouldn't behave as it was supposed to at first. It wouldn't turn into the pudding-like consistency as promised, and in vain and frustration, I whisked it until my arm was sore. (Is my arm supposed to get sore from whisking? I think not.)

But alas, it turned out to be delicious. And not looking too shabby despite my barbaric methods.

Photo Credit: T

This was way back then. Sometime in April, May. Before graduation, on a perfect spring afternoon.

Fast forward to last night.

I got another interview! F said I should go out and celebrate. But it was a Wednesday night, and even though it's L.A., I just wasn't all that in the mood to. Instead, I baked. A banana cream pie of course! I had all the ingredients at home anyways, minus the bananas which was a quick detour to the market and home to "bake".

I say "bake" because you only bake the crust. Then you just assemble. So not so much oven time required.

Here's the recipe!

Banana Cream Pie
Adapted from Clementine in Los Angeles
Serves 8.

For the graham shell:
1 ¼ cup graham-cracker crumbs, about 10 or 11 whole crackers
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted

For the pastry cream:
1 2/3 cups milk
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped out and reserved
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 ½ tablespoons butter

For assembly:
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup crème fraîche
3 ½ medium bananas, sliced into 3/8-inch-thick rounds.

1. For the graham shell: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar. Add the butter and mix, first with a fork, then with your fingers, until the crumbs are moistened. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan, using a flat-bottomed cup to press the crumbs evenly. The edges of the shell will be crumbly. Bake until lightly browned, 9 or 10 minutes. Cool completely.

2. Prepare the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, cup sugar and the vanilla bean and seeds and bring to a simmer. Over a small bowl, sift the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar with the cornstarch. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and yolks.

3. When the milk comes to a simmer, discard the vanilla bean. Add the cornstarch mixture to the eggs and whisk until well combined.

While whisking the egg mixture, slowly pour in about 1/4 of the milk. Transfer this mixture into the saucepan, set over low heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until it reaches the consistency of thick pudding. (Be careful not to curdle the eggs.) Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until incorporated. Pour into a shallow bowl, place plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill.

4. To assemble: Using an electric mixer or a whisk, whip the heavy cream and crème fraîche into peaks. Transfer the pastry cream to a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Fold in 1/2 cup of the whipped cream. Line the bottom of the cooled pie shell with a layer of bananas. Fold the remaining bananas into the pastry cream, then spoon it evenly into the shell. Mound the remaining whipped cream on top, swirling it decoratively. Chill and serve within 24 hours.

Note: I used vanilla bean paste that I got at Williams-Sonoma, just because it was on hand. I know there's vanilla beans somewhere hidden in the kitchen but just didn't have the energy to actively search. I also left out the crème fraîche because I didn't go to Whole Foods for the bananas, and that's the only market that I know that carries it.

This was the first time I actually used vanilla bean, rather than just substituting it with vanilla extract, and the cream layer above the bananas looks great with the vanilla bean speckles.

Now to test it out on critical tongues. D, want some?

"Louis, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

2008-01-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

And so it begins.

I wouldn't call it a downward spiral since that makes it sounds like I'm sinking into a tar pit of depression or something along those lines. Upward spiral, it is then.

The baking habit began about two and half years ago, during junior year in New York. The kitchen of our apartment suite was actually larger than the double room I shared with T, my roommate since freshman year from the Philippines who has a bigger sweet tooth than I do. We both agreed that our room was only meant to be a single, considering there was only one closet. Mine was out in the hall.

It all started, so innocently. S invited a bunch of our friends over to her suite up on the something-teenth floor for an afternoon tea, and she made Emeril Lagasse's Apple Coffee Cake and Paula Deen's Spinach and Bacon Quiche. Both were delicious, and satisfied both the savory and sweet cravings I had that blustery autumn afternoon. Good friends, tasty morsels that we devoured and hot tea. It's no coffee, but for this, I'll make an exception.

Oh New York. How I miss you.

Photo Credit: T

S became my mentor-ess, let's say. She was my "Malthaa Stewpot". We're Asian, we found it funny. No need to mock.

So the baking started. The quiche seemed to be perfect to have for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So that was tried first. It requires an entire pound of bacon. And let me tell you, that is a lot of bacon. As in, I set off the smoke alarm several times in our suite when frying it up. My darling suitemates (R and K, other nicknames - Miss Nakey and Mrow, respectively) were helpful though. We opened the windows in the kitchen and the door to our suite so that there was at least some ventilation. And in fact, this little bit helped - the smoke alarm finally was subdued and I went back to frying bacon in smoky peace.

The quiche turned out deliciously, gooey understated swiss cheese melted on top of an egg-y custard with still somewhat crisp bacon, spinach, all in a flaky pie crust. And the swiss cheese used on top can be substituted with any other melt-able cheese (since one time, the market did run out of swiss cheese - oh, the horror!). It also reheats very nicely for the next meal, or however long it lasts. It would last two days max, as the pie just rapidly dwindled in size. The sign of a successful baking!

This is only a glimpse of the beginning of my upward spiral that started with a cautious step into the baking aisle at the market, but now I am fully and happily immersed, nay, drowning in varying sizes and colors of ramekins, understanding what springform pans are for, pondering whether or not I should invest in a blowtorch, and trying to get through the ever-growing pile of printed out recipes that I have yet to try.

And oh. I really love coffee. In all seriousness. And in all forms. And yes, I'm picky about it. D only inspires me to be more of a coffee snob. In a good way. And the addiction started when I was four. Years old. Grandmother's fault. Another story for another post.