Seeking the Good Life

Shrimp Boil Time

2012-01-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

It was a friend's birthday and she absolutely loves the restaurant, Boiling Crab. I, myself, have never been so did the best to create what a southern shrimp boil would be like and let me tell you it was a blast!!! How can you not like getting your hands dirty?!!

It's not corn season so I substituted in something else sweet---sweet potatoes. Dipping sauces were roasted jalapeno pesto, horseradish mustard, plenty of hot sauces, and the basic black pepper lime concoction. I cooked up a few racks of 5 Spice Ribs and a friend cooked up a batch wings. YEP-- all were thrown onto my butcher paper lined communtal table and VOILA....can you say fiinger lickin good?

I'm definetly doing this again but next time it will be summer and we are getting Blue Crabs and Crayfish. Who's in???

The set up

Shrimp, Ribs, Wings, Potatoes, Dipping Sauces

Conquered!

Good Luck Foods for 2012!

2012-01-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's! Had a little dinner party of all 'good luck' foods and it was a such a fun menu to make. Check it out below. Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and memorable 2012!!!

Fish symbolizes forward progressive movement
Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche, Celery Leaf and Banana Pepper Flatbread

Lentils symbolizes luck and Greens symbolize money
Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

Noodles symbolizes longevity
Lamb Ragu Pasta

Pork symbolizes prosperity
Pork Ribs, Acorn Squash, and Brussel Sprout Slaw

Grapes symbolizes luck one for each month of the year
Chocolate Chip Ricotta 'Cone-lis'

Ghetto Sous Vide - Steak

2011-12-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, I said ghetto....this is a recipe courtesy of David Chang's Momofuku cookbook. So far I've made 2 dishes using his cooking techniques and they have both turned out amazing. For all of those who don't know what sous vide is, please read about it here. I used a Tri-Tip cut and marinated in a soy sesame garlic concoction and 45 minutes later, it turned out perfect! My friend did an awesome job of maintaining the water temperature at 125 degrees F.....as seen in the picture--- her handiwork with the clip paid off!

I recommend to anyone, who loves meat, to try this technique! The meat was cooked evenly and was super juicy. Also a note, I seared this to be rare but of course you can sear it longer to medium rare. After enjoying this meal, I am thinking of getting my own sous vide machine and doing it properly....but what would be the fun in that?!!!

Sous Vide for 45 minutes at 125 degrees F

Sear immediately on all sides until desired internal temperature.

Let rest for 5-10 minutes and slice.

Tis the Season for...Potlucks, Casseroles, Turkey

2011-12-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

Can't tell you how many potlucks I've been to in the past month and more to come. I tend to make things that are weird...or let's just distinct, haha. Here's what's been cooking of late.....

Potluck!!!!

Savory 'Cheesecake' of Butternut Squash, Bacon, Caramelized Onions, Thyme

Lasagna Bolognese

Creamed Tuscan Kale and Mac

Cheddar Bacon Muffins

Cauliflower & Brussel Sprout Gratinee

Turkey Meatballs on Pretzel Bread

Countdown to Turkey Day

2011-11-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the big showdown, I cooked a few dishes to tease the palette and get the creative juices going.

Wishing you all a fun lovin' stuffin' filled Thanksgiving! Bon Apetit!

Bratwurst in-a-Blanket

Seared Scallop over Manhattan Chowda'

Stuffed Turkey Breast with Wild Rice & Herb Stuffing

Stuffed Turkey, Gravy, Collard Greens, Potato Hash

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Guest Post: Kerala Sambar

2011-11-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

This is one of Tammy's favorite Indian dishes I make and she wanted me to share the recipe with you. Most of the ingredients can be found at an Indian Market or Ethnic Market.

Sambar is a lentil based dished common in Kerala, South India. This is my comfort food that I will always cherish. Growing up, I remember my Mom making Sambar whenever they wanted to get rid of vegetables they had in their fridge. They added every vegetable imaginable from potatoes, plantain, okra, beans, celery to pumpkin, squash and eggplant. This was also their way to make my brothers and I eat our veggies. There is no wrong or right way to prepare Sambar, but I always favored my Mom’s Kerala Sambar because of its fresh authentic flavor. I think partly because most of the vegetables were grown in our backyard.

Enjoy!
-Tini Baby

What is…..?

Toor Dal – yellow pigeon peas.
Curry Leaves - The fragrant leaf of the curry-leaf tree, a plant native to India, used as a seasoning in cooking.
Chana Dal -. split Chickpeas without the seed coat.
Urad Dal - black gram/black lentil.
Asafetida - Derived from a species of giant fennel, asafetida has a unique smell and flavor.

Sambar:

Toor Dal or any kind of lentil beans - 1 cup
Tamarind Pulp- ¼ cup
Onions 2 medium sized, chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, chopped
Cauliflower – 1 cup, chopped
Carrots – 1 cup, sliced
Potatoes – 1 medium sized, peeled and diced.
Curry leaves – 5-6 individual leaves
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped.
Salt – as desired
Water - 3-4 cups.
Ginger – 1 tbsp freshly chopped
Garlic – 1 tbsp freshly chopped
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
Mustard Seed – 1 tsp
Cumin Seed – 1 tsp
Sambar Powder – (see below for recipe) or you can buy packet in store

Sambar Powder

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp.
Chana Dal - 1 tsp
Urad Dal -1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafetida Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilies - 2 to 4, according to taste
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Methi(fenugreek) seeds - 1/4 tsp

1. Dry roast all the items separately on low flame then grind to a fine powder.

Cooking Instructions for Sambar:

1. Cook Toor Dal in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until soft, about 15 minutes.
2. In another saucepan, mix together the tamarind pulp stir in 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables to the tamarind juice, and continue to boil until the vegetables are soft, and the liquid has reduced to almost half.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When they stop crackling, add turmeric powder, curry leaves, chopped onions, garlic and ginger. Fry until golden brown.
4. Add Sambar Powder to onion mixture and mix for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into vegetable mixture.
5. Add salt to taste and boil for another 5 minutes.
6. Top with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Dinner this Weekend: French Inspired

2011-10-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Decided to make a few dishes ala Thomas Keller this weekend and had a blast! First up Boeuf Bourguignon which was doctored just a tad. As Keller says, I strained the sauce a good 5 times and damnnnm was it flavorful and just...pure clean! I opted to put it over Pommes Puree instead of using Fingerling Potatoes and it was so satisfying. Next up, Chicken n' Dumplins, that was dang tasty too but next time, I must concoct up a flufflier dumplin'.

I served up a few Fall type sides and my friends brought their Sleazy Mac n' Cheezy aka Velveeta style :) And for dessert... Brioche Bread Pudding which another friend helped me bake from scratch! So good and fatty...all of it. Enjoy!

My friend, George's Croque Monsieur as appetizer

Vietnamese -French action of 'Banh Mi' as an appetizer

Black Kale and Brussel Sprout Saute

Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Butter

Chicken Fricasse n' Dumplins

Boeuf Bourguignon with Pommes Puree

Someone's plate
Note: Manadin orange for perspective--SO MUCH FOOD!

Brioche Bread Pudding with Caramel Bourbon Sauce and Ice Cream

Brussel Sprouts: 3 Ways

2011-10-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yes folks....it's that time of year for apples, pumpkin, root vegetables, warm pies, colored leaves, a light scarf and of course brussel sprouts! I bought a brussel root last week at Trader's Joe's for $2.99 and went a longgggg way. 3 different dishes of brussel sprouts later....my favorite was preparing it raw in a salad. I will leave you with the recipe below. How many different ways have you had these 'baby cabbages'???

Sauteed Brussels with Mushrooms, Broccoli, and Bacon

The standby - Roasted Brussel Sprouts at 450F, olive oil, salt, and pepper until crispy

Raw Brussel Sprout Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

For Salad:

15-20 Brussel Sprouts, sliced thinly on mandolin or by hand
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup Pecans, toasted
1/2 cup Dried Cherries, diced small
Black Pepper and Salt to taste

For the Dressing:

2 T Garlic, minced
2 T Shallots, minced
1 T Dijon Mustard
1 cup oil Olive Oil
1 oz Sherry Vinegar
1/4 cup juice of Orange (fresh)
1 oz juice of Lemon (fresh)
Pinch of Black Pepper and Salt

1. Mix mustard, garlic, shallots, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar until a paste.
2. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated with black pepper and salt.
3. Toss dressing with brussel sprouts, pecans, pomegranate seeds, and dried cherries.
4. Salt and Pepper as needed.

Inspiration of Colors

2011-10-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

It's turned into a game to see how many different colors I can incorporate in a dish. Everyone knows I'm the biggest fan of leafy vegetables and any kind of tomato sauce. And beets and eggplant! Now if there was a blue vegetable...I'd be set!!! Here's what's been cooking of late....

Roasted Tomatoes and Cilantro Tostada

Poached Egg over Brussel Sprout Potato Hash

Broccoli Basil Straganoff with Meatballs

Every-vegetable-in-your-fridge-omlette and salsa

Bibb Lettuce Blue Cheese Salad

Muir Woods, California

2011-10-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

This was a great way to spend a day up North away from the chaos of LA. Plenty of Redwood trees to see and fresh air to breathe. The Muir Woods is a beautiful place for a hike AND you can make a pit stop at the Tourist Club for a beer or two. Just to be sure to finish the down hill hike very slowly. Can't you already smell those trees and hear ...well nothing......?

Perfecting Pizza Dough and Welcoming Fall

2011-09-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to find the ulitmate full proof pizza recipe for years now and this comes as close as it gets. Wish I had an oven that was 800 degrees so I could really test it out. For now, 475 degrees F will have to do. I'm a big fan of anything wheat so incorporating a cup without effecting the texture was a huge moment for me! This recipe is actually adapted from Bobby Flay.

Along with pizza, I made a version of 'Surf and Turf' Lamb chops and Crab cakes, sides of fingerling potatoes, brussel sprouts, and creamed broccoli for my guests. Great way start to the Fall season!

Make sure to be on the look out for these vegetables and fruit which will be at their best; cavolo nero, dates, wild mushrooms, apples, pomegranate. How can anyone not love this time of year?!?! And yes football season too, GAME ON. Anyways, enjoy the recipe below!

Dough:
2 1/2 c bread flour (prefered, All purpose is fine)
1 to 1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 t sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 t kosher salt
1 1/2 c water, 110 degrees F
2 t olive oil

1. Combine the bread flour, wheat flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional wheat flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
2. Grease a large bowl with olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Living the Dream

2011-09-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week and I'm headed to San Francisco for the weekend. Very excited for the fresh air and change of scenery. You'll be seeing posts and recipes for pizza dough, salmon en papillote, and whatever I'm eating soon enough. In the mean time, enjoy this poster. Ain't life grand.... :)

Courtesy of: http://shop.holstee.com/products/holstee-manifesto-poster

Dan Dan Noodle - esque!?!?

2011-09-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Wasn't it hotter than heck last week!? Not sure about you guys but it was hard figuring out what to eat. I needed something light, cool, and crisp. So I came up with this noodle dish. Let's just call them Dan Dan inspired since they totally different than original--- served cold using soba noodles and barely have any heat/spice. Regardless, it was light, refreshing yet full of flavor. Here's the original meaning of Dan Dan Noodles. My recipe below. Love to hear your comments if you decide to try this!

Noodles:

Soba Noodles, cooked and chilled (enough to serve 4, see package)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce (recommend Tamari brand)
1 oz Sesame Oil
1 oz Water
1 oz Rice Wine Vinegar
1 t Sugar

1. Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, water, and sugar.
2. Mix into noodles and chill.

Meat:

2 lbs Ground Turkey or Chicken
1/2 cup Carrots, medium dice
1/2 cup Yellow Onions, medium dice
1/2 cup Celery, medium dice
1/4 cup Mirin Cooking wine or Sake
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
2 T Chili Garlic Sauce (Huy Fong brand) or sub in Sriracha
Olive Oil as needed

1. Saute carrots, onions, and celery with olive oil on medium heat until fragrant and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add in turkey or chicken and cook until done, about 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add cooking wine or sake and cook for another 2 minutes until evaporated.
4. Add in soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, cook for 2 minutes.

Garnish and Assembly:

As needed -
Green Onions, sliced thin
Cucumbers, halved, slice thin
Broccoli, florets, steamed, optional
Arugula, optional

Chili garlic sauce or Sriracha, optional
Sesame Seeds, optional

1. Place noodles in bowl.
2. Top with meat, green onions, cucumbers, arugula, broocoli, sesame seeds, and chili garlic sauce/Sriracha.

What's Been Cooking -- Tabouli Salad and more...

2011-09-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've been trying like crazy to use tomatoes, corn, and any other summer vegetables I can get my hands on before the next season comes. So, what's been cookin'? My meal at Langer's inspired a bit of bread baking. Tomatoes inspired a hodge podge of sauces. Corn inspired a few salads and soups. And Vegetables they just inspire me all around! Below is a receipe for Summer Tabouli Salad.

Rye Bread - with wheat flour

Rye Bread Crostini and Soy Sesame Broccoli

Summer Tabouli Salad over Chicken Paillard and Tomato Coulis

Chicken Parmesan with Famer's Market Tomato sauce

Slow Roasted Salmon over Herb Pistou Cous Cous

Minestrone Soup with Summer Vegetables

Chilled Corn Soup

Summer Tabouli Salad

1 cup Corn, fresh, raw
1 cup Cucumber, medium dice, Persian or English
1 cup Tomatoes, medium dice
1/4 cup Green Onions, sliced thin
1 bunch Parsley, finely chopped
1 T Sherry wine vinegar
1 oz Lemon Juice, fresh
2 oz Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper as needed

1. Gently mix all ingredients together.
2. Salt and Pepper as needed.
3. Chill and serve.

New York, New York 2011

2011-09-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

'New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There's nothin' you can't do

Now you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York'

--Jay Z

Every year in the summer I arrive to this town eager and ready to see, eat, feel something new. This year, I met my mom for her birthday. There was much walking, sight seeing, bonding over meals and moments with friends and fam. I did the best to capture the good times via camera. We had a great time, can't wait to return. Take a look for youself!

Us on the big screen in Times Square - we're famous!!!

Central Park

'Spotted' - Gerlyn gazing the skyline

The Boathouse

Bryant Park

Epicerie Boulud - the Tarte aux Pommes was flawless

Dim Sum at Ping

Spinach Knish at Murray's Bagels

the Met

Pondering Klimt

Dinner at Kefi

Moms at Eataly

A meal at Eataly

'Zen' statue in Madison Park

Scream-a-thon---- K-town

Langer's vs. Katz's - West vs. East Coast Pastrami Debate

2011-08-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

I must say that I'm not the biggest fan of pastrami. But that all changed about a week ago when I got my hands on a Pastrami sandwich from Katz's and then a week later from Langer's. I've been meaning to go to Katz's (NY) and Langer's (LA) for years now for their famed meat and finally hit both!

There has been tons of debate on who has the better pastrami and personally, it's about perspective and how your taste buds are feeling that day. Trying to be a diplomat, I loved both but have to have to put my 2 cents in!

So here it is...if I had to choose....I prefer Langer's pastrami ---it's perfectly tender with the right amount of salt, spices and the meat to bread ratio is right on. However, I feel that Katz's bread is better. Langer's bread is supposedly double baked but to my surprise...a little too baked for me! I like my rye bread soft, with caraway seeds lingering to hold it's own against the almighty powerful pastrami. NO thank you to additions of cole slaw, swiss cheese or russian dressing...love my pastrami sandwiches plain with deli mustard.

I ordered Matzo ball soup at both locations. Hands down, winner is Katz's Deli, broth was delectable and Matzo ball perfectly cooked with a touch of chicken fat that made it superior in flavor. One of the best of I had!

So, what about you? Up for the Langer's vs. Katz's challenge???!!! I'm always willing to hear your story!

Pastrami at Langer's - LA

Matzo Ball Soup - Langer's - LA

Pastrami at Katz's Deli - NY -
Sorry no picture of their great Matzo Ball Soup

DTLA - Eats and Sights

2011-08-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Downtown Los Angeles is really starting to blow up. When I first moved into the neighborhood 2 years ago, things were pretty desolate and restaurant/bar options were quite limited. Not the case now as it seems as I can't keep up with new places popping up. Here's a look into life around DT this summer...

Angel's Flight

Urbano Pizza

Chimu

Mendocino Farms

Artwalk every 2nd Thursday of each month

MOCA

Walt Disney Hall

Vietnamese 'Banh Mi'

2011-08-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

What's with this Banh Mi craze? Check out these LA restaurants that serve Banh Mi the non traditional way. I will be the first to admit that I'm not in love with the Banh Mi sandwich, maybe it's cause of the pig's ear head cheese or the excess mayo they usually slather on. But lately, I've been craving it and making it my own way sounded like the best solution.

It's all about the bread or shall I say baguette. My fav is from La Brea. I made 3 kinds for friends and fam; The true and trident with Parisian Ham (Jambon de Paris) & Pate, no head cheese (haha), then a 5-Spice Chicken Banh Mi and Lemongrass Beef Banh Mi for a twist. I used banana peppers in place of pickled vegetables, a move that may be controversial yet the secret ingredient in my eyes!

Recipe after the pictures.

My family gave this a thumbs up!

Banh Mi Thit - Ham and Pate

5-Spice Chicken Banh Mi

Lemongrass Beef Banh Mi

Banh Mi 'Thit' aka Ham and Pate

1 Whole French Baguette

8-10 slices of Jambon de Paris or close equivalent

4-6 oz of Pate, preferably Duck

2-4 oz of Banana Peppers

2-4 oz of Cucumber, preferably Persian

8-10 sprigs of Cilantro

1 Jalapeno, sliced thinly

4 oz Butter, unsalted

Salt and Pepper

1. Toast baguette until crispy, usually 5-7 minutes at 375 degrees F. Once slightly cooled, slice lengthwise.

2. Spread butter on top half, than pate on bottom half.

3. Add ham, cucumber, cilantro, banana peppers, jalapenos.

4. Salt and pepper.

4. Cut into pieces or sandwiches.

Fried Chicken Momofuku Style

2011-07-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love Fried Chicken- crunchy, salty, moist, pure indulgence. I grew up on Popeye's and Roy Roger's. Once I started cooking, I couldn't come up with a fried chicken equivalent cause well...to make a long story short... there's a reason why these places are that good. There's just some things a Food Scientist knows that you shouldn't :)

When I read this recipe in the Momofuku cookbook, I had to replicate it PRONTO. And guess what? It's one of the best fried chickens I've ever made...totally different in texture and crunch than anything I've tasted. Talk about succulence... my fast food days of fried chicken are dead to me! Technique is THE key; deboning, brining, steaming and finally frying. Here are the steps, ryhme and reason:

1. Deboning the whole chicken- leaving the breast intact to the wing, the leg attached to the thigh as long as possible since meat close to the bone is most tastiest. This way, it's retained throughout the entire cooking process.

2. Steaming the chicken- cooking slow and low, hence locking in flavors and moisture. After the chicken is steamed, it must sit in the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours to dry the skin out then it becomes extra crispy when fried.

3.There is the no egg wash, batter or breading cause the brine acts as the coating. The sugars will caramelize as it fries so you're left with natural taste and bite of the skin---brilliant!

I tried my hand at making biscuits, let's just call these the low fat skinny version. The real version via the New York Times. To accompany the Chicken and Biscuits-- Corn, Watermelon Tomato Salad, and a Compound Butter of Jalapeno Smoked Paprika.

Organic, free range chicken deboned

Look at that nice caramelization, doesn't it look scrumptious??

Cut into pieces so my guests can have their pick of dark or white

Biscuit and Jalapeno & Paprika Butter

Watermelon Tomato Salad

Red Chile Braised Barbacoa + 10 Helpful Kitchen Tips

2011-07-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

I've gotten quite friendly with Mexican food since moving to Los Angeles and also for the day job. Never again will I eat another ground beef hard taco or too cheesy enchilada that I grew up with in Northern Virginia at Tippy Taco's House. To me, good Mexican food takes hours to cook, like moles and braised meats. I've made this a few times and now it's time to share with you guys. We also made carnitas cooked in lard this past week at work. Oh wow, so good, although you can only eat a small helping before you start to feel your arteries clogging!!!

Recipe for Barbacoa

Chile Marinade:

2 dried Guajillo chiles, de-stemmed and seeded
1 dried Chipotle chile, de-stemmed and seeded
2 dried Pasilla chiles, de-stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
Chile soaking liquid
**Recommendation to use gloves because Chiles are HOT and if they get anywhere near your eyes--no bueno!

1. Roast chiles in saute pan until they are soft and fragrant. Be watchful as they will burn easily and become bitter.
2. Once chiles are soft, soak them in hot tap water for about 30 minutes. After it soaks, taste liquid to make sure it is not too bitter.
3. In a blender, add chiles, tomatoes, tomato paste, and half of chile soaking liquid (if bitter, use water instead).  Blend until consistency is a thick puree.
4. Strain using a chinois or medium mesh strainer to remove all stray seeds or stems.

Red Chile Barbacoa:

2-3 cups Chile Marinade
2 lbs of Beef Brisket (cubed, 1" thick)
6-8 cups Beef stock, Chicken stock or water is fine
1 T Chili Powder
1 T Black pepper
2 t Mexican Oregano (preferably whole)
1 t Chipotle powder
1 cup Onions (small dice)
3 garlic cloves (fine dice)
Salt to taste

1. Salt and pepper beef cubes. Sear/brown the cubed beef brisket in a dutch oven (preferred) over high heat with olive or vegetable oil. Once they have a nice sear about 3-4 minutes, remove from dutch oven/pot.
2.  Saute onions, then garlic back in dutch oven/pot, add in beef, chile marinade, and stock.
3.  Add in chili powder, mexican oregano, chipotle pepper, black pepper, and salt.
4. Bring to a boil, simmer, and cover. Cook for 2 1/2 hours or until beef it tender and breaks apart.
5. Shred beef if you wish or leave whole, season with more salt if need be.
6. Serve with corn tortillas or with rice and beans.

I really enjoy reading Chef's theories in the kitchen and came up with this list 4 years ago inspired by David Lebovitz. I've done a lot more cooking and have been in a few kitchen restaurants since then. So here is an updated list.

T.Tu's 10 Kitchen Tips:

1. Recipes are guides. Stick with your intuition and creativity when cooking. I find it difficult to give out an exact recipe. I’ll give you the ingredients and the basis of things but it’s really up to you how it turns out. Cooking is about time, inspiration, and mood… ‘nuff said.

2. Salt and pepper, taste EVERYTHING. – Thomas Keller (French Laundry) says that this makes or breaks you as a cook.   Practice on a salad, sounds silly but that’s one of the first things I learned in the restaurant. My chef would always taste one leaf of every salad plate that went out!

3. The essentials Kitchen TOOLS - sharp knife, spoon, tongs, fish spatula – I take these tools everywhere including on the plane if necessary. Shun knife, spoon from Paris, tongs and fish spatula I have owned from culinary school! You'll find that if you good equipment, everything is done much quicker.

4. Use fresh herbs and whole seed spices - Favorite herbs - Savory, Tarragon, Basil, Thyme, Cilantro, I can go on. They bring another dimension to anything even if it's just a salad. Whole coriander seeds, fennel, cumin --toast, grind, use as marinade or in sauces or yogurts or sprinkle on top of bread of you are baking. Very easy.

5. Onions – always have those puppies around. They are the foundation to any sauce. And how can anyone not like caramelized onions, they go well with everything!

6. Don’t be afraid of Butter –Around Fall/Winter, it’s hard not use butter. Especially when you are eating hearty vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots. I even like to poach veggies with butter--asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, simple and tasty! A little goes a long way.

7. Cook Grains – packed with nutrients, good subs for carbohydrates, good in protein, high in fiber. I made Mint scented Quinoa the other week. You can also sub in Barley as a Risotto or use Farro for a summer vegetable salad. Let’s not forget Bulgur and Wheat Berries – try it all !

8. REST your meat before cooking AND eating-- This is an easy tip that a lot of people forget. When you are cooking with meat, it's important to let it sit at room temperature before sticking into a hot pan. Think about it logically, you don't want to shock the meat--going immediately from the fridge to a hot pan. What happens is that beef tends to turn grey. Let it stand for a half hour at room temp before cooking. You'll see the results.

AND once the meat comes out of the oven, grill, or saute pan, REST IT then too. There's still residual cooking going on and if you cut right into, all the juices will come rushing out, leading to a dry piece of meat. Be patient and let it settle for 5 minutes. It is worth waiting for.

9. Spend at least $10 on Wine – If you are going to put your body through this, you minus well spend money on it. Just like anything else in life, you get for what you pay. Not to say that you can’t find decent wine for under 10 bucks, but you'll probably get bit of a headache the next morning, IMHO.

10. Own nice plates --- For the love of god, if you take time to cook, you must present it nicely. White plates, maybe a few rectangle, square shapes brings a whole other dimension to your food. First impressions even pertain to food!

Again, just my opinions, thoughts, comments, concerns...???!!

Sunday Night Dinner

2011-07-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Dinner parties on Sundays are always the greatest--- relaxing end to the weekend and nice prelude to start of a new week. It's always a pleasure to cook for special occasions and also to dedicate a meal to specific friends. Meg and Mike are getting married in a few weeks and I wanted to do something fun for them before things got hectic. 4 courses downed, a few bottles of wine kicked, and cool conversation.... need I say more?

Here is a recipe for Candied Olives from Food52.com. Love these! Feel free to substitute in Moroccan or your favorite olives.

Poached Shrimp. Avocado Salsa. Cilantro

Yellow Beets. Prosciutto. Goat Cheese. Candied Olives. Pomelo Vinaigrette

Meat 2 ways:
Lamb Kofta. Fennel Coriander Crusted Tri-Tip. Mint Scented Quinoa. Summer Squash. Dill Yogurt

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Sorbet Sandwiches

Los Angeles Favorites for the Summer

2011-07-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like seeking out the restaurants and eats of any city. Los Angeles, happens to be one of the best cities to do this in. Thing is, I haven't even hit the real nitty gritty places yet. The culture, energy, and weather is incomparable to anywhere I've ever been. During the summer, I love to eat outside and visit the beach and this year ain't no different. Here are some of my favorites-- to eat and do in this town. What do ya think?

Grillin' and chillin' outside, Steak Salad and a crisp glass or two of Savignon Blanc = perfect evening

Sushi, awesome everywhere in LA. Aburiya Toranoko in Little Tokyo

Haven't been to many Indian spots here but love concept of sweet, tangy, & spicy. These are Pani Puri which a friend made

Armenian food at Carousel, who doesn't love Hummus? My new fav dish, Kebbeh Nayyeh (Steak Tartare)

Caesar Salad a go-to but with Fried Oysters at Gulfstream I admit, I do like Hillstone restaurants if I had to choose a Chain

Nothing like day drinks at the Avalon, Beverly Hills

Ramen not ideal in Summer but that Fried Rice and melt-in-your-mouth Kurobuta Pork Belly from Daikokuya is amazing!

Santa Monica and it's Pier, the Ferris Wheel always makes me feel like a kid again

Did I mention the Fried Rice from Daikokuya?! Here's a close up!

The 4th and all it's Food Glory plus Green Harissa

2011-07-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I had way too many burgers this weekend and maybe my fair share of sausages, oh and don't get me started on all that corn on the cob. Guess it's the weekend to do it! Made Green Harissa Cous Cous, I'll definetly be using that Harissa in other stuff. Brought a whole another dimension to what would be an oh so ordinary cous cous dish.

Here's what was cooking at the loft this weekend, plus a few pics from Picca , one of the newest LA restos. Green Harrissa recipe follows...

Roasted those tomatoes for 4 hours on 200 F, so sweet!

Mini Burgers of Turkey Tzatziki and Beef, Caramelized Onions, & Roasted Tomatoes

Burgers, Green Harissa Cous-Cous, Roasted Potato Salad

Grilled Corn with Cotija Cheese, Chili Powder, Butter, Lime

Needed some veggies, Tuscan Kale White Bean Soup - all week- lunch!

Pisco Sours at Picca

Churros at Picca, one of the best I've had

Green Harrissa

This can be used for a marindae or even as a dip. Found this recipe in Bon Appetit but toally doctored to this:

1/4 cup Green Onions, chopped

1 bunch Cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup Arugala

1-2 clove Garlic

1/2 teasp Coriander, ground

1/2 teasp Cumin, ground

1/4 t Chili powder

Pinch Red Pepper (optional)

1/4 cup Olive Oil

to taste Salt & Pepper

1. Blend in food processor all ingredients until paste-like.

2. Taste, season with salt and pepper.

Family and Frittata

2011-06-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my Grand-Parents. I'm not sure if it was the embarrassing old school pictures that my cousin posted on Facebook or it's all the Michael Jackson music playing that is making me nalstagic of childhood. I really miss my grandparents. They instilled in us the American dream, family comes first and to always take care of each other...no matter what. But unfortunately as all of my 30 cousins grow older, those dreams, own families, friends, and lives seem to take precedence. We haven't all been in once room since my grandfather passed away 10 years ago. However, I'm fortunate enough to have a few cousins here in LA. I cooked a Frittata this weekend for them. We looked through old family photos and shared a few chuckles, perfect Saturday morning.

The Frittata was made up of all Farmer's Market ingredients and the key is caramelizing the vegetables before mixing them in with the eggs. Of course, there had to be a fatty side dish which were skillet potatoes--- sliced thin, crispy, salty with slow cooked onions...just the way I like it!

It's Peach season!

Santa Monica Farmer's Market

Frittata of Summer Squash, Zucchini, Red Peppers, Cavelo Nero, Red Onions, & Gruyere Cheese

I love using a Le Creuset skillet to make these potatoes!

25 years ago, Grandpa and us ---Can you tell which is me???

Tacos Al Pastor

2011-06-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Al pastor originated in Central Mexico and interestingly enough was brought over by Lebanese immigrants, hence the similarity to shawarma. It's a process that entails marinating pork for 2 days and slowly cooking it over a flame or rotisserie with pineapple and onion drippings. Pineapple has enzyme called Bromelain that breaks down meat and makes it tender.

Bromelain defeated my al pastor, barely but it still did! I used too much pineapple not only while roasting it but also marinating it. I didn't have a rotisserie and guess that's why SH*& happens. The flavor of the pork was great after 3 hours in the oven but the texture was slighty mushy. So word to the wise....BE CAREFUL with that pineapple. The salsa, guac, and sides made up for it and all and all everyone was happy. Next time though....it WILL be much better...

Pork butt marinating in chiles, pineapples, and onions.

Into the oven at 450F for half an hour than 300F for 3 hours

Roasted pineapples on top for the 3 hours, it's done!

Roasting the tomatoes and jalapenos for Salsa

The spread: Orzo Veg Salad, Corn & Black Bean Salad, Pickled Cabbage & Cucumber, Pico de Gallo, Guac, Roasted Tomato Salsa

Somebody's hungry!

Pasta, Frozen Yogurt, and How to Make Caesar Dressing

2011-06-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm challenging myself to make most things from scratch these days. Here are pics from a fun pasta making night. We made tagliatelle and spaghetti. The menu as follows: Caesar Salad, Pasta Carbanora with English Peas and Raspberry Frozen Yogurt. The yogurt was fat free by accident (grabbed the wrong pint) but was pleasantly surprised how well it froze! Recipe for Caesar dressing follows.

GOOD GOOD EATS!

Couldn't find the rolling pin!

Went through the machine 3-4 times

Whomp....there it is....!

2 kinds

Caesar Salad with Romaine, Heirloom Tomato & Arugula

Spaghetti had better consistency with the Carbanora Sauce than Tagliatelle

Dessert!

Recipe for Caesar Dressing

6-8 Anchovy Fillets, chopped
3-4 T of Lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 T of Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk (optional)
1 cup of Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
Black pepper
Salt

1. Blend garlic, mustard, anchovy filets, lemon juice, and yolk together in blender until everything is incorporated.
2. While motor is running slowly add in oil until dressing thickens.
3. Add in black pepper and salt if needed.

Kickin' the Summer off...

2011-06-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

Love cooking in the summer time, so this year I wanted to start things up with a Cocktail themed dinner. The menu highlighted Tomatoes, Corn, Watermelon, Peaches, Mint ---everything Summer! I threw in Pork Loin since it was recently released by the USDA that it is now safe to eat it at a Medium temperature. HELLO WORLD!

FOOD. BOOZE. GOOD PEOPLE. Isn't that what life is about?

Many thanks to my bartender, sous chef, cleaner uppers and food photographer, you know who you are!

Muddled Strawberries in Cava with Salmon N' Chips

Classic Vichyssoise with Parm-Bacon Tuile

Summer Salad with Mint Pesto and Chevre

Pork Loin, Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Sweet Potato Corn Hash

Lemon Cookie Tart

Highlights: Cooking with the Culinary Junkies

2011-05-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Photos by Lissa Hahn Photography

I was approached by my good friends the Culinary Junkies to help them with a fundraiser to benefit the country and people of Japan. I was more than happy to participate and we had a blast putting it together! The evening was perfect and most of all we did something very special. Hopefully, this is a just the beginning to many more Junkies' events!

Bali Bali Bali

2011-05-02T16:12:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone! Just got back from Bali last week and cooked this weekend with the Culinary Junkies! Next is a Culinary tour of Chicago. Look for new posts soon! In the meantime, enjoy the pictures of Bali!

February!

2011-02-13T19:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a doozy of a month. There was Tet (Vietnamese New Year), the Superbowl, and Valentine's day for hoildays. I had a good friend visit from the East coast and babysat the little cousins on my territory! Let's not forget the cooking and food. Enjoy!

Superbowl Sunday - after party is a Dance-a-thon!

Babysitting ventures with Jack. He's a better artist than me!

Hiking the Bronson caves, where the original Batman TV show is filmed.

Pizza part at the office, we made 8 pies that day.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Moroccan Chicken

Deviled Eggs with Bacon

Egg-in-da-hole with Basil Oil and Bacon

Yep, freshly dipped Corn Dogs for the Superbowl

Sloppy Joe Egg Rolls - why not?

Round up of Eats

2011-01-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Wanted to share a little of what I've been cooking and eating from last year and the beginning of this year. As you can tell, I love Soba noodles! Recipe coming soon for the Shrimp Shu Mai. Enjoy!

My version of Pho Ga w/Soba Noodles
Shrimp and Shitake Shu Mai

Poached Eggs +Italian Reubens w/Proscuitto, Tallegio, Brussel Sprout 'Kraut'
Mom's Wonton Soup
Inspired by Thomas Keller - Truffled Infused Custard w/Caviar
Maryland Oysters - Xmas dinner
Xmas Dinner Rib Roast
Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich
Soba Noodle with Mushroom Broth

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii - Part 2

2010-12-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Continuing with my Hawaii trip.....the second time around was to join Carly in Honolulu. She had business while I laid by the pool for a few days. This was one of most relaxing trips in a long time. Our meals consisted of fish, fish, and fish. We went to Morimoto in Wakiki at the New Edition Hotel one evening and had plenty of Mahi-- sandwiches and tacos oceanside. Hertz was nice enough to upgrade us to a convertible so we drove up to the North Shore in style. I highly recommend this side of town – no tourists and very peaceful, totally what I pictured Hawaii to be.

The Big Island, Hawaii:Food and Sunsets- Part I

2010-12-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

I consider myself quite the lucky duck and last month doesn’t fall short of that. In less than 2 weeks, I went to Hawaii – 2 islands, the Big Island and Oahu. For my first visit, I went for a friend’s wedding in which I was a bridesmaid. I’m not gonna lie, it was kinda hectic and crazy but food and booze was plentiful. I saw a lot of the island and highlights were Costco, lava rocks, Snorkeling, and 4 days of amazing sunsets. The food in Hawaii is quite interesting very influenced by the Japanese. My favorite meal was simple---Katsu Bento Box and even Spam Sushi. Also, we were spoiled by authentic Luau food and a dinner catered by the Hilton Waikoloa. The Pork Belly was extremely memorable.

I want to give a shout to Sarah & Harry and the Ou’s for putting one hell-of- a-party/ies and thank them for entrusting me with cooking for their guests one evening. I whipped up my version of a Hawaiian/German BBQ!

Hawiian MUST: food out of styrofoam boxes - Kalbi, etc.

Loco Moco

Famed bento box meals - this is Katsu

Our German BBQ in Hawaii

Dress Rehearsal and Luau

Looking gorgeous Sarah!

Dishes from Wedding

Dinner Last Night

2010-11-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

I'm back...trying to cook a lot more. Yesterday was a birthday dinner for my cousin and neighbor! More to come!

Experimenting for Friends

2010-10-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve decided to go on a hiatus and am not taking any clients for cooking parties. I just don’t feel inspired cooking for strangers lately. So, I’ve been doing parties for friends who really need me and it’s incredibly gratifying. I’ve done 4 parties in the last 2 months---a bon voyage party, birthday party, bachelorette party and most recently a dress rehearsal dinner. Going back to comfort food and keepin’ it real.

And I’ve been experimenting lately in the kitchen. Concoctions of shephards pie, chicken ramen, karaage, brisket, pulled pork, dishes I rarely cook. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the slow cook meat process and how the Japanese fried chicken came out!

I want to share the Karaage (japanese fried chicken) recipe I found on www.norecipes.com, click here to view. It's super easy.

Enjoy the pictures of my latest adventures. I'm off to Hawaii for another wedding in a few days, check back for that post.

Karaage!

Friend's wall blackboard (such a cool idea for your home)

Happy Birthday Jack (my cousin)

Couldn't resist a goofy picture of little brother Ben

Dinner for Alicia and Chris' party/rehearsal dinner, 6 hour cooked Brisket

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Congrats to Alicia and Chris!

Portland for the Weekend

2010-09-15T11:07:00.001-07:00

One of my good friends had a business trip in Portland and I convinced her to stay for the weekend so I could come and visit. It was a quick trip but we ate, drank, and even saw a little outside of Portland.

Arriving at around 11 AM on Friday, it was perfect---dropped off my luggage and grabed a cup of coffee at Stumptown, an institution in Portland. As I was waited in the long line, I noticed the calmness and politeness of folks and people relaxing---reading magazines, working on their laptops, and chatting over coffee. I wasn't in LA anymore.

Next we strolled around the city where we saw tons of billboards of PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) so much so that I thought it had originated there. That’s not the case as I read in the NY Times, apparently Portland was the place where PBR was revived by local Hipsters just within the last decade. We also ran into shacks and shacks of food stands. I was amazed to see blocks of food stands not trucks but stands. I didn’t know where to begin to eat so opted for photos---seemed like Asian cuisine dominated the scene – Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese

We decided to lunch at Clyde Common connected to the Ace Hotel. The highlight dish was the Heirloom Beets with Frisee and Gorgonzola cheese.

To digest, we took a stroll through Pearl District and stopped in at Bridgeport Brewery for a testing---$8 for 8 tastings! My favorite was the ESB.

This was just the teaser for the next few hours as we headed to the Brewfest by the river. Trucks and kegs of all sorts, along with beef aficionados. I could handle only a few tastings.

After a short rest, we were ready for dinner at 7 PM heading off to south Portland to Pok Pok, written up by Food and Wine and Gourmet Magazine, specializing in Southeast Asian food---a very popular spot in PDX. Located in a craftsman style house, there was already a 45 minute wait when we arrived. We walked across the street to their sister restaurant, Whiskey Soda Lounge. This is a brilliant marketing scheme as there are no reservations taken at Pok Pok ---the cocktails are Thai inspired. For the meal, we ordered a protein feast of Thai pork ribs, Vietnamese style wings and game hen, and fried catfish! Sorry all my pics turned out too dark to post.

Next morning, we decided to rent a car and drive down the Columbia River Gorge. Before our road trip we headed to Kenny and Zuke’s – a Jewish style delicatessen. This was one of my favorite meals---the pastrami was out of this world and as were the potato latkes. They are also known for their Bialy. Full and ready to hike off our food, we arrived at Multnomah Trails for a 3 mile trek. The pictures speak for itself ---beautiful.

Continuing along our drive, we visited the Bonneville Dam, Salmon Hatcheries and had a breather/photo op at the Horsetail Trails. On our way back, we stopped at Edgfield, what I like to call a Disneyland for adults – a place of pubs, restaurants, a winery and movie theater.

When we got back to the hotel, it took us a few hours to decide upon dinner but we chose Ned Ludd. I didn’t eat much that night as the sun and dehydration took the best out of me. Overall, it was quick trip to Portland but action packed. I would definitely come back again for the hiking and pastrami. I hear that wine tasting in the Willamette Valley is fun too, can't wait for the next trip!

Cooking and Cooking - New York, NY

2010-07-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Every year work allows me to take a cooking class whether I like or not. This year I chose the ICE in New York City for purely selfish reasons. I wanted to visit friends and eat great food!

Each day we studied and cooked a different cuisine....deja vu of Culinary school all over. We sampled a new restaurant for lunch every day too, yes, I'm spoiled. One day, we visited the Union Square Market and cooked soley what was bought there including Rabbit.

Each night, I came back and cooked more for my friends in their lovely Upper Westside apt. The rooftop is amazing. Check out the pics, enjoy!

Eating on the rooftop

More eating on the rooftop

Scapes at Union Square Market, NY

Aji Sauce that I pounded for 2 hours in class

Known as Lapin in french, Conejo in spanish, Rabbit in english

Farmer's market raw salad

Chickpea fritters

Stuffed squash with Feta cheese, Mint, Scapes

Veal Saltimbocca

Lunch at Breton Bar, NY

Braised Lamb in Crepes w/Fiddlehead Ferns

French day in class - Pommes Anna, Asparagus Quiche amongst a few

Showing off my carving skillzz - tomato rose

Where in the US have I been????

2010-07-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I have been on hiatus of late. Blogging just doesn’t seem to take precedence these days! Okay, where did I last leave off? Oh yes, a stint with Chef Ludo at Ludobites. Sad to say I only interned a handful of times due to work travels. Nevertheless, I learned a great deal from Chef Ludo and met great people along the way! I'm incredibly grateful to work in the kitchen with him!

I met Chef Dan who showed me the ropes at the hot appetizer station, you can follow his ventures in life and at Ludobites 5.0 @chefdrm on twitter. Holly was another intern and has an awesome blog. She later helped me my very own catering gig which was super fun.

As for my work travels, I managed to incoporate a few breaks in between. May landed me in Stafford, Virginia for a wedding. My old college roommate, Jason and his bride, Shannon had a beautiful wedding. Give it up for moonshine and nothing but green pastures.

Old Plantation in Stafford, VA

Jason, (L), who got married and enjoying moonshine

Next, I headed to Santa Cruz and San Francisco where the weather was gorgeous.

Then back home where I got to soak up a Dodgers game!

My dear friend, Esther whom I studied in Spain with visited early June. Her and husband are from Holland and did a mini tour of the US. Los Angeles was a stop and of course, I had them over for dinner. It was awesome catching up and meeting Tim. It made rooting for the Netherlands in the World Cup so much fun!

Tim and Esther visiting from Holland

June took me to New York for a cooking class, for work and fun. I cooked for friends and enjoyed a hot week in the city. One request was to eat at Momofuku for the famous Bo Ssam feast. I was not let down.

Momofuku's Pork Belly Steamed Buns

The Pork Butt

Accoutrements of the Bo Ssam Feast

One snug package--- the Bo ssam

Wall Street

Empire State Building

Ludo Bites 4.0 and Chef Ludo

2010-04-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've been invited to 'stage' or intern in Chef Ludo Lefebvre's kitchen for the next 2 months. Most Los Angelenos are very familiar with Ludo Bites, see here.

After culinary school in Philadelphia and working at Savona, I don't get to be in a live kitchen that much these days. Since I have my 'other' job as a Culinary Scientist I can only offer my services a few times a week. Chef Ludo has been more than generous with my schedule.

As many of you know, I continually challenge myself by traveling to other countries not only to learn about the culture but also cook. 2 years ago, I worked in a restaurant and an organic farm in New Zealand. While that was fun and all, I just didn't get a lot out of it. They use great fresh ingredients but not necessarily great technique. The best experience I had was training for 2 weeks at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I want to learn more about french technique and cuisine so this summer I'd plan to 'stage' in the South of France. This is where Chef Ludo comes into play.

I met Chef Ludo at 'Battle of Fried Chicken' at the Foundry on Melrose. As I was leaving Chef Ludo thanked us for coming in. I asked him if he could recommend a place to stage in France. And he immediately said, why don't you stage in my kitchen? I was thrilled and immediately jumped at the opportunity! And voila here I find myself in the midst of Ludo Bites 4.0.

It's only been 3 nights but in those 3 nights, I have learned so much. I'm looking forward to this adventure and to think I didn't even have to travel out of LA! More to come.... In the meantime, don't forget to catch Chef Ludo on Top Chef Masters this Wednesday, 4/21.

Swiss Raclette Party! What is it?

2010-04-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Picture from http://www.raclette.com.au/

Table set up before guests arrive

Different garnishes of sweet and pickled things

Tray before it goes on griller, that's paprika on top!

Melted raclette poured on potatoes!

A few months ago, some friends approached me about having a Raclette party at my digs. They explained to me that I didn't have to cook and that they'd bring all the wine! I'm IN!!!

One of our friends, Miriam is from Switzerland and wanted to share a lesson in Raclette parties with us. I had no idea what this would entail so I did a bit of research beforehand. The website that came up; www.raclette.com.au didn't explain much. I even pulled up images on google (see first picture above). I'd just have to be patient, let go of all inhibitions and appreciate what Miriam was cooking!

Miriam arrived early to set up and I was immediately fascinated by her raclette 'tools'. Out came a grill type thing with 6 small individual trays for 'melting'. Once all the guests arrived we were treated to crab cakes and salad as a side since Raclette-ing is all about carbs and rich ingredients.

You start by decorating your individual trays with raclette cheese, mushrooms and choices of many pickled things such as cornichons, onions, jalapenos, top off with a few pineapple pieces for a touch sweetness. Then you stick your tray under the coils of the raclette grill and let it melt away! When the cheese starts bubbling and browning you know it's ready. Next, poor this goodness all over you potatoes. We were lucky enough to have enjoy a variety of salts courtesy of our friend/owner, Bronwyn of Spice Station in Silverlake. We lesiurely sprinkled Black sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, and everyones' favorite, Truffle salt all over our potatoes.

Overall, it was a very fun experience, especially since you can take your time and gab with friends for hours over a few bottles of wine. Thanks everyone who came, especially Miriam who taught me a new tradition!

5 days of Cooking!

2010-03-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Green Bean Salad with Basil Pesto and Prosciutto

Day 2: Sauteed Tofu with Chimichurri Sauce, Pea and Mushroom Risotto, and Brussel Sprouts

Day 3: Chicken Sandwiches with Roasted Red Peppers, Cararmelized Onions, and Spinach

Day 4: Tuscan Kale, Turkey Sausage, and Green Lentil Soup

Day 5: Broccoli and Mushroom Calzones

Due to time constraints many of us couldn't dream of cooking something different everyday so I thought it be fun to attempt to cook a new dish for 5 straight days. Whether it be lunch or dinner, I acheived it with a little help from my co-workers and friends who I enjoyed sharing with. I kind of luck out.... working in a commercial kitchen 40 hours a week, so I should be doing this more often. I must admit it was a very gratifying and healthy week!

Wine plus Burgers

2010-03-05T18:06:00.001-08:00

An Interview with Me

2010-02-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

Check it out guys, a fun interview with my good friend Michelle Van Der Water. Michelle's a very talented entrepreneur and actress, please check her awesome website and business!

http://www.lilshoppa.com/blog/lilshoppa-friend-file

Trucks in LA and Street Restaurant

2010-01-30T12:37:00.001-08:00

Meatballs w/Romesco Sauce

Asian Marinated Chicken Tacos

Bool Gogi Chicken Tacos
Bool Gogi Beef Pastel

Banh Mi - Vietnamese Special

Kaya Toast with Egg

I'm one lucky son of a gun. I got to take a mini tour of LA's finest trucks and finshed off in style at Street Restaurant. This was all for work!!! Everything we ate was awesome. I especially liked the Banh Mi at Nom Nom Truck, Asian Marinated Chicken at Komodo, Bool Gogi Beef at Bool BBQ and lastly, the Kaya Toast at Street Restaurant. Enjoy the pictures!

On the Road

2010-01-21T17:55:00.001-08:00

There's something to be said about traveling on the road...yes, it's exactly like, 'Up in the Air', except most people don't have all the perks like Mr. Clooney's character does. I mean, you have to travel alot ALOT and even then it's not even worth it.

I mean, yes, all meals are on the company, acquiring points are fun, and most of all being out of the office is always a nice change. But mediocre food, sitting at a restaurant/bar for one, uncomfortable hotel beds, unlimited crappy shampoo/conditioners and lotion, in the end, just ain't worth it.

To break away from chain restaurants and eating by your lonesome, I tend to get snacks or just order room service. I mean, you can eat and drink as you please while watching TV, surfing the web, and talking as loud as you want on the phone.

In regards to a recent trip to Salt Lake City: I decided to shy away from my usual local brew pubs, Squatters and Red Rock Brewing Co. and ordered room service from the Marriott hotel. This is what life is like, see pictures. I decided to critique the food tonight.

Chicken Noodle Soup: Watered down, too much dried oregano and way too many chucks of chicken, barely any carrots and noodles, need more than I can handle salt and pepper.

Salmon 'Po Boy': Pretty darn good, nice Asiago/Parmesan bun and salmon was nicely seared, thank god was not fried, liked the tartar sauce

Steamed Veggies (substitution for Fries): Bland, bland, bland with a touch of butter, pretty gross but I guess that's steamed veggies for you

Highlights: PICKLE

Dessert: Haribo 'Fruit' Salad from 7-11, that's what I call dessert!!!

I wanted to rent a movie on demand but it was 14.99 to see 'Couples Retreat'. I decided to save the company a little money :(

How Tu: Make Moussaka

2010-01-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Coming back from Greece, I was enamored by the cuisine, especially their famed, Moussaka. We tasted a few different versions in Greece, some with potatoes in it, others heavy with béchamel sauce, and most that used allspice and nutmeg.

I did much research on recipes and decided to make a version with generous portions of meat sauce and vegetables, light on the béchamel sauce and no nutmeg nor allspice. Turned out that Moussaka is quite labor intensive! From sautéing the eggplant and zucchini, to preparing the meat sauce, whipping up the béchamel sauce, assembling and finally baking, it took me 2 hours! All and all, my first try was decent enough and satisfied my craving and memories of the Aegean Sea.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants

• 2 medium zucchini

Meat Sauce

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 handful fresh oregano leaves, chopped

• 2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• 2 pounds ground turkey, lamb, or beef

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Bechamel Sauce

• 2 1/2 cups milk

• 1 egg

• 1 1/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

Prepare eggplants and zucchini. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Salt and pepper all pieces. Add oil to sauté or skillet pan and heat over medium. Sautee the eggplant in a single layer, turning once, until brown on both sides. Do the same for zucchini and sauté. Put both eggplant and zucchini off to side as you make the meat sauce.

Meat Sauce

Add oil to the pan and toss in onion, garlic, oregano, and parsley. Cook and stir until soft and aromatic. Add the ground meat, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste and crushed or whole tomatoes. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Bechamel Sauce

In another medium saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and, when hot, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth and thick. Season with salt, to taste, and whisk in the egg.. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and set aside, covered, while you assemble the casserole.

Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant slices; they should completely cover the bottom with no gaps. Spread 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, evening it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. Next, layer zucchini again, topping with meat sauce. Repeat the another layer of eggplant and meat, finally toping with the Bechamel sauce. Cover and bake the moussaka for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Truck and Bar Crawl

2009-12-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

The Route of our crawl

Tacos at El Pique

The guys enjoying their tacos

Carne Asada at La Estrella

No tables here!

Reviewing the menu at Taco Zone

Condiments and Salsa at Taco zone

The taco truck craze in LA is phenomenal! I had to find out what the hype was all about and enlisted one of my very talented friends, John Lopez to map out a night of tacos and beer madness. John not only was born and raised in LA but writes for the LA Times and Vanity Fair, I thought he'd be the perfect ring leader. After doing a little research myself, I told him that a definite spot to hit was Highland Park.

To start, we met up at my loft in downtown where we quickly swished down a few Coronas, tortilla chips and freshly made guacamole. All 5 of us piled in John's car and away we went to Highland Park. Our first truck, the famed La Estrella, where we orderd a few carne asada and carnita tacos. Sad to say they had not finished cooking up the al pastor which I hear they are known for. Regardless, the carne asada was delicious, moist, flavorful with a perfect spicy red salsa. We decided to compare the same tacos next door at El Pique. Unfortunately, the carne asada was not as tasty as La Estrella but no complaints as the salsa was vibrant and spicier which complimented the taco nicely.

Next stop was Verdugo bar, dark, dingy, and 90s music with various beers on tap, my kind of place. We chilled for awhile and wanted to get a little loose before our next taco stop but unfortunately the line at the bar was unbearable. So, after our beer we moseyed over to Taco Zone in Los Feliz. We kept it consistent and ordered Carne Asada and Carnitas. We also tried the Mulita, a vegetarian delight of cheese sstuffed into a corn taco. Suadero (beef brisket) is a highlight there. Taco Time had a variety of condiments and salsa which I highly praise. However I found the carnitas to be dry and the carne asada bland. The Suadero was awesome, very flavorful.

It was midnight, we were tired and our plans of hitting Coles or the Association in downtown came to an end. All and all it was a fun time and I'd love to do it again, hey, maybe I'll make this an annual thing. Any other suggestions?

Istanbul

2009-11-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

blue mosque

upon entering you have abide by these rules

inside the blue mosque

one of many lentil soups

lamb meatballs with turkish bread
turkish pide (pizza)

woman making lavash bread

inside the grand bazaar, turkish candies

inside the spice market

man selling hot cocoa

roasted chestnuts

If I only had one word to describe Istanbul, it would be intriguing. From landing at the airport, to taking the train back to the airport, it was all an adventure. The weather was an absolute debauchery. Rain, cold, and wind will be what I recollect the most from my trip. But food, people, and mosques are close behind.

The city is full of life with street vendors, restaurateurs heckling you to eat at their restaurant, and of course tourists everywhere you look. For the most part, Istanbul's economy seems to thrive on visitors. We were victims of a few restaurant hawkers who convinced us they have the 'best' lamb or the 'best' seat in the house. Best lamb indeed, in fact, I think that's what I ate everyday, lamb and tzatziki. Turkey claims to have discovered everything the greeks are known for: vineleaves (grapeleaves), doner kabobs, and baklava.

Other favorites was their love of eggplant and lentils. Every restaurant offered their special version of lamb meatballs, eggplant, and lentil soup. Who ever knew there were a thousand different ways to cook an eggplant. One of the best dishes was a hearty 'ottoman style' beef stew over warm eggplant puree. Oh, the the pide, (Turkish pizza)! We ventured into a locals' place with the BEST crusted pizza ever. The Turks are also known for their bread, something I can never find in the states. In my eyes, a hybrid of foccocia and pizza crust, it is sure a great vehicle for dips and mezzes.

The sights were beautiful especially the Blue mosque. Also the grand bazaar and spice market were extremely lively. The Turks love their tea and sweets (Turkish delights and Baklava), there was a shop on every corner in the city. The people were all very friendly, I mean don't get me wrong, there was an occasional scream which you never get used to hearing, 'hey you, you Japanese or Korean?', other than that, everyone was nice.

Istabul is a bustling and are in the works of really trying become a modernized European city. I would recommend a visit to everyone. We didn't have time to check out the ancient ruins and cities like the old Troy or Ankara but I have heard nothing but great things, oh well, definetly next time.

Greece - Athens and Santorini

2009-11-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

view from hotel, Aegean Sea
black sand beach in Santorini
stray cats all over!
moussaka
fava bean puree
marinated octopus
sea bream
tomato keftedes
tzatziki
saganaki
baklava
more moussaka
theater of dionysus
the partheon
ouzo and raki

chicken stuffed pastry and Pizza

Alright, it's time for me to share pictures with you from my trip. I've been a little traumatized since I came back, caught some sort of stomach virus and am finally off the anti-biotic and most importantly can eat normally, woo-hoo!!!

Greece was awesome, from the old ruins in Athens to the Santorini hospitality, it was all very beautiful. The only gripe I have was the weather in which we endured torrential downpour and a bit of flooding. Nonetheless, we took advantage and ate and drank well. My favorite dishes were Tzatziki, no where else can you beat the fresh quality yogurt and then there's the authentic moussaka. Of course, every restaurant had Eggplant salad and Spanikopita but surprisingly no hummus instead a fava bean puree which was mediocre at best. The Seafood was extremely fresh but when it came to the table, was poorly executed, either overdone or undercooked. One of my favorite dishes was fried kefalotiri cheese with bacon and honey and another neat cheese dish was the popular saganaki.

Most of the amazing views were from our Hotel rooms; looking off the cliffs onto the Aegean Sea with 'active' Volcano in the background in Santorini and the sun setting behind the Acropolis in Athens, truly breath taking.

The Greek love to drink Ouzo, a licorice tasting liquor that I could not seem to swallow. I enjoyed it's cousin, Turkish Raki much better. As for the wine, they claim that Santorini has the best of the best, I disagree, any California table wine is way better.

This was just the first half of my trip, an Istanbul post is up next!

Burgers Galore!

2009-11-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

Bison Burger!
Turkey Burger
Salmon Burger

Got on this kick where I just wanted to make all sorts of burgers! So, a few weeks ago, I dedicated a weekend to inviting friends over and cooked up Salmon, Turkey and Bison Burgers. Let me start off by saying Bison meat is AWESOME. Lean but yet flavorful with a hint of gaminess. My new favorite meat, I used it the next day to make bison sausage for a pizza. I highly suggest buying bison meat ASAP, it is fairly inexpensive too.

I used a new recipe for the Salmon burgers. Instead of grinding up (processing via Kitchen Aid) raw salmon, I baked it first, then added scallions, onions, breadcrumbs, egg and pan fried. For a little flavor, I added dill, mustard, and chickpeas for a little crunch. The burgers came out good and the texture was great and not as mushy compared to my usual technique. All and all, it was fun times in the test kitchen and I've decided to start selling Bison meat as another side job. Just kidding, seriously, please try it!

Here's my recipe for the Salmon Burgers, serves 4:

Salmon, cooked 6 oz

Breadcrumbs, regular 1/2 cup

Onions, diced, cooked 1/2 cup

Scallions 1/4 cup

Dill, finely chopped 2 T

Mustard, dijion 2 T

Chickpeas 1/2 cup

Egg 1

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish greek yogurt or Tzatziki

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake Salmon for 15-17 minutes or until done.

2. Meanwhile, sautee onions, scallions, and dill until fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

3. Break up and mix cooked Salmon with onion mixture, mustard, chickpeas, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

4. When the salmon mix is cool or at room temperature, add in egg.

5. Form about 4-6 patties.

6. On medium high, add oil to sautee pan, pan fry each patty for 2 minutes on each side.

7. At 375 degrees F, bake patties for 12-14 minutes.

8. Garnish with yogurt or Tzatziki if desired.

Mom visits!

2009-10-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Morning Glory and Ginger Chicken

Beef and French Fry Stir Fry
Egg and Pork Omelette
Church and State Bistro
Hamachi Crudo
Escargots
Roasted Farmer's Market Vegetables
Loup de Mer
Duck Confit

I love it when my mom visits. Vietnamese food, family dinners, good retaurant eats, and of course I get to spend time with her. She cooked one night for my friends, a plethera of my favorite dishes. Morning Glory, Egg and Pork Omelete, Ginger Chicken, and Beef French Fry Stir Fry.

One night we went to eat at Church and State in downtown. Very cute restaurant with good food. Hamachi Crudo, Escargots, Roasted Chicken, French Onion Soup Duck Confit, and Loup de Mer.

During her visit, I took her to eat Sushi and we also enjoyed a few meals in Little Saigon. We had great time and she even bought me a housewarming gift...a flat screen TV. Thanks Mom for being you and for everything!

V.I.P. Dinner

2009-10-17T10:21:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I kicked off my 1st dinner party at the new LOFT. Kind of like a 'grand opening' for friends and family! I invited my closest peeps over and dedicated a course to each one of them. The dish was designed based on a little history between me and the other person. For instance, my old roommate Sarah was in attendance and her dish was Peroguies. She introduced them to me back in Philly. She'd saute them in butter and finished up with sour cream. It was our late snack! So for the dinner a little twist and filled them with purple potato and sweet potato!

I won't bore you with everyone's dish but we had a great time! I'm so lucky to have the best friends ever. And to all my other friends out there....you guys definitely deserve a special dish in your honor too. Let me know when you are coming to visit!!!

BBQ Ribs

2009-10-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

Ribs are a real treat for me just cause I am surrounded by non pork eaters so if I do eat it, I’ll have to eat mass quantities by myself. So, for a BBQ one night, I found me some pork lovers and tried my hand at ribs.

BBQ experts like to use a rub and a sauce with the Ribs. The rub penetrates the meat overnight, the next day the meat gets slow roasted and the sauce is slathered on as the meat finishes up on the grill. There are many techniques to cooking ribs but I find the best is to slow roast in the oven at 250 degrees for 4-6 hours. Then finish on the grill with barbecue sauce for 30 minutes.

I could only slow roast for 2 hours this time. The meat wasn’t as tender but was still full of flavor. After reading multiple recipes, I came up with a Barbecue sauce. It turned out pretty decent and had a little of of sweet, sour, and smokiness. Here’s the recipe:

1 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

3/4 cup Cider Vinegar

½ cup Water

2 T Honey

2T Brown sugar, dark

2 T Garlic, chopped

3 T Yellow onion, chopped

Chipotle spice

Salt

Pepper

Chili Flakes

1. Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and whisk until incorporated.

2. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes, add salt and pepper as needed and chili flakes
if desired.

3. Use as sauce on side or brush on ribs.

Grilled Halibut with Chilled Mint and English Pea Soup

2009-09-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

I know I’m a little late in the game with a recipe for English peas since it’s already the Fall, but you can always substitute with frozen peas. It’s going to be 100 degrees in Los Angeles this week, so this would be a refreshing dish for a BBQ!

I love grilling my fish (in this case Halibut) with a little bit of skin. That 500 degree temperature of the grill makes it nice and extra crispy. I used mint in this pea soup to life the sweetness and bring out flavor. Also, yogurt adds a nice texture and a hint of tartness. Enjoy!

Pea Puree

2 cups fresh or frozen peas

2 cup, chicken or vegetable broth

2 T chopped mint

1 cup yogurt, greek

3 T olive oil

½ cup tomatoes, diced for garnish

Salt

Pepper

1. If using either fresh or frozen peas, boil the peas with broth until tender and soft.

2. Strain the peas, saving at least 1 or 2 cups of broth.

3. Using a food processor, process the peas, 1 cup of broth, mint, yogurt and olive oil, add salt and pepper as needed. Add more broth if you like a thinner soup.

4. Chill soup in fridge before serving.

5. Cut up tomatoes, add olive oil, a little salt, and let marinate, this can be used to top fish or soup.

Eats at the new Loft

2009-09-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

I've been really bad about posting lately, only cause I've been busy with moving, buying furniture, and entertaining guests! I have had time to christen my new kitchen though. Unfortunately, I have an electric flat top now but hasn't been too bad. Here's what's been cooking...recipes will come soon, along with a Taco truck crawl post!

Cooking in Pasadena

2009-08-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Cornish Game Hen with Yukon Gold Puree and Zucchini 'Frites'
Tomato and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Veal with Proscuitto
Speck, Heirloom tomatoes, and Red Onion Dressing
Summer Vegetables

I've had a barrage of guests lately, partially to visit and partially for me to bribe them to help me move next weekend. Either way, it has given me a chance to cook and enjoy my balcony (which I won't have at my new digs)!

Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad

2009-08-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Had this salad at Hungry Cat and loved it, so I tried to create a similar version. I’ve made it for great occasions like a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl and a BBQ. Normally, I prefer not to mix fruit with anything but who cares it’s simple, pure, and a tribute to the summer and local Farmer’s Market!

Watermelon ½ a big one or 1 small whole one

Heirloom Tomatoes 4 medium sized
(your choice, color is always a plus)

Mint, chiffonade cut 3 T

Red onion, thinly sliced ½ cup

Feta Cheese (French preferred) ½ cup or more if you please

Olive Oil ¼ cup

Red Wine Vinegar 1 T

Lemon juice 2 T

Salt and Pepper

1. Cut all tomato and watermelon into same size pieces, ½” x ½” in put in one bowl.

2. Add mint, red onion, feta cheese, olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice, mix gently until evenly incorporated.

3. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

4. Serve chilled.

How Tu: Sear Steak

2009-08-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

My new series on How To or Tu’s. Yes, a play on my last name, dork I am! Anyways, I’m going to try to post once a month and see how much response I get. It’s basically going to be highlighting favorite techniques and recipes. I’d love to hear comments and questions.

I’ve cooked Steak a million different ways but I found this to be the best ‘home’ cooked piece of meat ever. Everyone has to own a skillet or at least an oven friendly pan. Searing the meat is the most important step. So, why does a skillet work the best? Because of the infrastructure of the thing, insulation is the key! They are heavy and heat up fast…what every piece of meat needs. I used a Porterhouse in this case, the best of both worlds, lean but yet fat, a combination Filet Mignon and Sirloin.

Follow these steps and be careful with controlling the heat of your burners or electric stove:

1. Pick your out your pan as you please, in this case I used a Le Crueset skillet.

2. Salt and pepper your piece of meat, let sit out for at least 20 minutes. Salt activates meat, tends to bring out moisture and flavor.

3. Place pan on stove at high heat with oil (amount depends on you), just make sure it’s enough to coat the piece of steak

4. Put steak in and let sear for about 2-3 minutes on each side. You’re looking for a nice caramel color.

5. Once you’ve seared the meat, place pan with steak in a 375 preheated oven. Depending on thickness of steak, cook for about 13-15 minutes to reach a rare steak. A few extra minutes for medium and about 8-10 extra minutes for well done.

6. Once cooked to your likely, remove the piece of meat and let ‘rest’ for 5-10 minutes on a plate or cutting board. This allows for all the juices to regroup and for the steak retains its moisture.

Cape Cod

2009-08-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

There are a few things you regret once you move to the West Coast. One of them is to marvel at the beautiful areas of the East Coast. Cape Cod was definitely on my list. So, when the chance arose to visit the ‘peninsula’ at a friend’s summer home, I jumped on the opportunity.

Taking the train from New York City to Boston was breath taking. I miss all the green, trees, woods, and serenity. The route also took us through the beach towns which were great. It really did feel like an east coast summer and took me back to my years of living on that side of the world.

Cape Cod was peaceful and full of awesome seafood. It was nice and relaxing but as always way too short. Lighthouses, Provincetown, New England cottages, I really took to the scenery. We tore through the local seafood and cooked lobsters and swordfish. One of the best meals was steamed clams and mussels with chourico sausage. We managed to fit in clam ‘belly’ strips and chowder as well. All and all, a seafood affair to remember.

Special thanks to the Toners and of course Sarah and Meg!

New York, July 4, 2009

2009-07-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here we are again, my annual 4th of July to New York City. This year’s theme was ‘street eats’. I wanted to find the specialties of New York, the best of the best or shall we say trendiest and longest lined places in the city! My friends did great researching and we managed to eat about everything! From Gray Papaya dogs to a more upscale Porchetta Pork Sandwich, it was fun but unhealthy experience. We also hit some really good restaurants.

One of the best trips (eating wise) in a long time, everything was delicious. My favorite by far was Artichoke’s slice of Margarita pizza, I can’t tell you the last time I had a good slice was! And another favorite meal was dinner at a little Italian place called Celeste. We had the freshest Orata (fish) and Pasta Bolognese. The pizza had house made aged Tallegio and Speck to top it all off. Yum, sorry I have no pictures of that. Hope you enjoy the other pics! It was truly an amazing culinary journey of some of New York’s finest!

On day 1, we hit, in this order, by the way, there was 3 of us and a few more along the way:

Porchetta: 1 Pork Sandwich

Artichoke: Slice of Margaherita, Sicilian and Artichoke Spinach

W Hotel: 1 Drink each and bathroom break

Shack Shake: 2 Cheeseburgers and 2 Crinkle Fries

Other Room: 1 drinks each

DGDB (not street eats): Dinner and drinks

Day 2, was not so bad and we BBQ-ed for dinner (later post)

Hummus Place: 2 different kinds of Hummus, 3 grape leaves, 3 falafal balls(best ever)

Gray’s Papaya: 1 hot dog, only 2 bites taken

Day 3, really tapered down, cause this was with 6 other people

Market Place: Brunch

Grom: Varieties of Gelato

Joe’s Pizza: 1 slice, I had one bite

Rick’s Dumplings: 6 Chicken dumplings and 6 Pork Dumplings

Celeste: Dinner

Asian fused...

2009-07-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was craving pot stickers one day and decided to create a recipe of my own . I had to prepare dinner for a friend’s birthday and pork was out of the question due to her dietary restrictions. Ground chicken didn’t sound appealing so I decided to go with turkey. They came out to be just as succulent as pork (after a little mind playing) with the addition of herbs and spices. It’s interesting how you can doctor up ground turkey to mimic anything you it to be. I like it!

I’m working on creating a full proof Tofu cake/burger and threw that into the mix at dinner. I always have a problem with these bad boys holding up, more egg, more rice not sure what the correct ratio is but I’m pretty close. One more time at the ‘lab’ and I’ll post up a recipe.

I tried a concoction of cold Peanut Sesame dressed noodles with swiss chard. That turned out good and this will be added to my repertoire for sure. All and all, a nice light meal for summer time.

Turkey Potstickers (makes between 30-40)

Ground Turkey 1 lb

Ginger, minced 2 T

Garlic, minced 3 T

Cilantro, chopped 2 T

Soy Sauce ¼ cup

Jalapeno, chopped 1 t

Lime juice 1 T

Green Onions, chopped 2 T

Sesame Oil 2 T

Salt and Pepper

Potsticker wrappers (Square in this case)

Egg for sealing

Chicken Broth

1. Mix all ingredients above together and evenly. After mixing you should taste test to see if you it needs adjusting on seasonings. Usually, I round up a tiny piece and sauté up!

2. Set up potsticker skins and bowl of water. Brush the whipped egg on ends.

3. Take about ½ - 1 T (depending on how big you want to make it) of turkey filling and place on skin.

4. Close by taking one pointed end that meets with opposite pointed end, now pull remaining pointed ends towards each other and squeeze all 4 points gently. It kind of look like an envelope. Hope that makes sense.

5. As you are making these, I would recommend putting the finished potstickers under a damp paper towel so it does not dry up.

6. Heat sauté pan to medium high heat with oil. Place 5-7 potstickers in pan (careful not to overcrowd).

7. Sear for about 30-45 seconds until nice carmelization sets on the bottom of potsticker.

8. Poor about 1 cup of chicken broth into pan and lower to low heat, cover with lid and cook for about 6-8 minutes.

9. Serve immediately with soy sauce or ponzu sauce!

Peanut Sesame Sauce

Peanut Butter 1 cup

Soy Sauce ½ cup

Water ½ cup or more for less creamy sauce

Hoisin Sauce ½ cup

Garlic, minced 1 T

Sesame Oil ¼ cup
Sesame seeds

1. Put all in sauce pan and whisk gently on medium low.

2. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, add water in if you’d like a not so chunky sauce.

3. Dress on noodles and cooked swiss chard, garnish with sesame seeds.

Himalayan Red Rice

2009-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

One of the vendors from work sent a bunch of rice and grains into the office. I love rice and grains, not only because they are fun to cook with but can be packed with nutrients. I’d never had red rice before. Apparently it comes from the mountains of the Himalayans but is also grown in France. Read more about it here.

To cook it, the ratio is the same, 1 : 2, rice to water. I decided to make a stir fry rendition with vegetables and tofu. It came out vibrant and colorful. I loved the texture of the rice too, slightly crunchy not overwhelming. It soaked up the flavors of the soy sauce, ginger, garlic nicely. Here’s the recipe.

Red Rice Stir Fry

2 cup of prepared Red Rice

½ cup Peas

½ cup diced Onions

½ cup Soy Sauce

2 T of diced Garlic

1 cup Cabbage

1 cup of cubed Tofu, firm or extra form

Seasame Seeds as garnish

Salt and Pepper

1. Sautee onions and garlic on medium heat.

2. Add cabbage and cook down.

3. Add red rice, stir all ingredients and add in soy sauce.

4. Mix and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until ingredients are well distributed.

5. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Growing Herbs....

2009-06-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

This is my first attempt at growing herbs! As you can see the lucky pig and Buddha are there to help out! Please, please, please grow.... something...anything... to be continued....

IPOD - R.I.P. and Memorial Day Eats

2009-06-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

I know, I know I'm a bit behind on the times. Lots of traveling, parties, gatherings, etc, etc... no more excuses! Had a next relaxing weekend; drinks, eats, friend filled! However, my Ipod Touch bit the dust (fell in a pool of water)! For all of you that know, I bring my ipod everywhere and plug it in everywhere including dinner parties, friends' houses, other peoples cars, I pretty much take it along with me everywhere and take over the music situation. The good news is that most people don't seem to mind and actually request my much loved playlists. But not anymore, ugh, I'm still in mourning as you can tell.

But Spring is almost officially over and the Summer bbq-ing can begin. Here are a few things I made/ate over the weekend and a recipe for a tri-colored potato salad with Blue Lake green beans and spring onions (adapted from Bon Appetit).

Tri - Colored Potato Salad

1 lbs red potatoes

1 lbs new potatoes

1 lbs purple potatoes

2 spring onions (sliced thinnly)

1/2 lb green beans

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 T dijon mustard

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1. Cube potatoes in quarters and boil, then drain.

2. Blanch green beans and cut into 1" pieces.

3. Mix together dressing of mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil.

4. Toss potatoes, green onions, green beans, parmesan cheese and dressing.

5. Hold in fridge until chilled, then serve.

The Grill Cheese Invitational and the Inverted French Grilled Cheese

2009-05-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Not yet grilled cheese

The Judges!

Jocelyn and Carly

Michelle and Michelle!

Grilling begins!

Me and the Inverted French Grilled Cheese

Randoms!

I’ve heard about this event; how the peeps dress up in competition, how crowded/hectic it is and how people stand in line for hours to get in. Carly suggested I enter this year and how entertaining it would be. I thought this was a great chance for me to show off my culinary skills, meet other chefs, and enjoy grill cheese and beers with friends.

There are 3 categories; I chose the Kama Sutra where you can use any bread, any cheese, and condiment/s. I wanted a catchy name for my category hence, the Inverted French Grilled Cheese was born. I used a La Brea french baguette; flipped it over, hollowing it out slightly, stuffing it with a layer of triple cream Brie cheese, a layer of caramelized onions, and finally, a thin spread of Rhubarb compote. Of course, the tops and bottoms of the baguette were slathered with Challenge unsalted butter, making it the ultimate grilled cheese. I wanted to plan this out properly, so I pre-made all these sandwiches at home and arrived all ready to 'get my grill on.' All I’d have to do was watch the butter caramelize and reach that nice golden brown!

And watch, I did, as my 6 man crew/team of Brian, Michelle, Caroline, Carly, Jocelyn, and Michelle (Carly’s cousin) huddled behind me handing out grilled cheese sandwiches, video-taping, taking pictures, refilling my beer, and most importantly rousing the crowd and judges.

Overall, how did my grill cheese fare? Not sure with the masses but my friends sure seem to love them and that was enough for me. There were about 150 competitors and hoards of people lined up even outside of the venue, so I was ready to get out of the sun and go home. It was unique experience and cool to see how so many people came together for the love cheese and bread. It was also pretty cool to get cheered, rooted and hollered at especially from my friends!

Rhubarb Compote

2 stalks of Rhubarb, diced ½”

¼ cup Sugar

1 cup Water

1. Put all ingredients in pot and simmer until rhubarb softens and mixture starts to coagulate slightly, about 10-12 minutes.

**This is great for cheese sandwiches or even a cheese plate!!!

Weekend Eats and Beef Wellington

2009-05-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

I had a friend visiting a few weekends and cooked up a storm. I decided to experiment with Beef Wellington with a Spring Vegetable Veloute sauce. It actually ended up like an inside out Beef Pot Pie! Oh, I love pre-made puff pastry dough, very forgiving, easy, and just as good if you made it youself.

I ended up searing the Beef which I don’t recommend if you want a rare piece of beef then using the pan to make the sauce. I threw in asparagus, peas, carrots, and mushrooms and reduced the sauce until it was a nice velvty sauce, to forget to finish with butter and fresh parsley or chives.

Beef Wellington

4 Steaks, Filet Mignon, I used Sirloin strips

4 pieaces of puff pastry, 5X5”

1 cup sauteed mushrooms

½ cup caramelized onions

1 Egg

Sauce

2 cups of beef/chicken stock

½ cup onion

½ cup carrots

½ cup peas

½ cup blanched, ½’ trimmed Asparagus

½ cup sliced mushrooms

2 T flour

Chives or Parsley

1. On high, sear steaks (salt and peppered), 1 minute on each side with oil in saute pan.

2. Set aside steaks. Lay out puff pustry, roll out with flour until the pastry is 1/8” thick, place sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and finally cooled steak. Fold the corners over so that all meet in the center.

3. Lay down folded side of puff pastry on baking sheet with parchment paper. Egg wash with brush.

4. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F, bake for 20-25 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown.

Meanwhile while steaks are cooking, make the sauce:

1. Use the same pan you seared the steaks on, add onions and carrots along with a small amount of oil and saute for about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add mushrooms and wait for them to sweat out their water, then add flour.

3. Add broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

4. Add in peas and asparagus.

5. Finish with chives or parsley.

Plate with sauce first, then Beef Wellington on top, serve with vegetables and a nice ’05 Cabaranet Savignon!

Sydney, last and final stop!

2009-04-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Watergum Grove (where Michelle grew up)

'Cold' portion of Christmas dinner

Australian 'bug'

Carol a.k.a Ms. Van der Water cooking up the Chili bites.

Chili Bites

Koeksisters!

After traveling around aimlessly for a few weeks, I was happy to arrive in Sydney to meet and be with friends. Michelle grew up in Australia and moved to LA to pursue her dreams of being an actress. She was home for the holidays and was gracious enough to invite me to visit on the last leg of my trip. She’s very sucessful and you can view her stuff here. I was greeted at the airport by Michelle, her sister, Tanya, and brother in law Caesar, and was incredibly thankful not be bombarded by Vietnamese taxi drivers nor looking for signs that I had my name on it, but just friendly familiar faces.

Over the next few days, I’d lived like a Queen, drinking, eating, touring, relaxing, not having to worry about fending for myself or where I’d have to go next. We’d visit the gorgeous beaches around Sydney, played with Kangeroos, ate Kangeroo :), admire the Opera House, boat around the Sydney Harbor, buy fresh seafood at the Fish Market on Christmas day, and celebrated Boxing day watching cricket and Van der Water family videos.

My favorite day of the week was Christmas with Michelle’s family. Michelle grew up on the outskirts of Sydney in Stanwell Park, along the coast. She comments on how secluded it is but I beg to differ because their home is beautiful; amongst nature, exotic birds, trees, and the beach less than a mile from their doorstop. Carol (Ms.Van der Water) rents out the upstairs half of the home and I must say it felt like I was at a B&B during my stay there. Here is the link.

On Christmas day, Carol and Tanya put together an awesome spread of food that lasted the entire day. We started off eating at noon with appetizers of charcuterie, cheeses, nuts, chips, and crackers. Next was the ‘cold’ courses of the day, Shrimp, Oysters, Potato Salad, Greens, and the Aussie ‘Bug’ just for me. An hour later, we dove into the ‘hot’ courses of Lamb Curry, Roasted Chicken, and Fritatta. I have never been so stuffed before in my life! We digested by taking a walk on the nearby beach where the weather was 90 degrees and people were swimming and picniking. After, the last round of desserts; cheesecake, fresh fruit, and cupcakes, ugh, I needed a nap. But nope, we headed to the beach with wine where Michelle gave me a tour of her old 'hood.

It was a great week and there was lots of good, cultural, creative food. Sydney reminds me of a cross between New York and SF accept they have accents and are much laid back. There seemed to a be a slight influence of the British with their love tea, tea in the morning, tea in the afternoon, tea at night, also let’s not forget about the Fish n’ Chips sprinkled with ‘Chicken Flavor’. One of their specialty eats are ‘pies’ which New Zealanders picked up on.... filled with beef garnished with Ketchup. Sausage bake in puff pastry, another goodie.

There are tons of cultural eats, I hear they have the best Sushi in Sydney but we opted for Thai, African Barbecue, and even roasted duck in Chinatown. Since the Van der Waters are part South African, I got a glimpse of their food with home made Koeksisters and Chili bites. Then there is home cooking Aussie fare, Russel (Michelle’s brother) cooked Rissoles (beef patties) and vegetables with a Parmesan Cheese Bechamel and Michelle’s Dad with Grilled Oysters with Bacon.

Much thanks to the Van der Water and Michelle's friends for making the holidays not so lonely. After 5 weeks of traveling, Sydney was a nice ending but I was ready to get back home. 15 hours later, I was back in LA in Malibu watching the sunset. I do live the good life!!!

New Zealand, cont., Part II

2009-04-08T14:01:00.001-07:00

Jean my New Zealand friend drove me to the airport to head up to Nelson, close to many famous 'tracks'. It was a pleasure to meet her as she put me up for a good night’s sleep before I would farm it up! The 2 hour flight was short and upon my arrival was greeted by rain and Warren, my WOOFing host for the next week and a half. The accommodations would be better this time, a double bed and even access to the internet. I failed to mention at the last spot, I had to walk a few miles to a pub to check emails!

Warren and Debbie had an organic Farm, gardens, 2 ostriches, 10 chickens and 50 sheep. They were also hosting another person, Hampus from Sweden. Luckily Hampus had a car and we’d take afternoons to explore the area and even had a chance to hike a track. Debbie cooked most meals and the first was Sheep Livers, Hearts, and Gravy. I really thought I liked everything but let’s just say, but this one was hard to swallow!

Debbie and Warren live very simply through their organic garden, trading their eggs for salmon, mussels, paua and other delicacies they can acquire. They sacrificed a few lambs a year and that could last them for awhile, utilizing every inch a.k.a. livers! I would learn to weed pull, prune roses, compost, and fascinating of all, shearing sheep. That’s right, the highlight was rounding up sheep and watching them sheared/shaved. The ‘shearer’ shaved 50 sheep in 2 hours. They looked like new animals without their wool and whole process was amazing. Warren explained to me that this happened about once year to air them out preventing any unwanted bacteria/fungus. Amongst the 50 sheep was one ram, who yes, was the Daddy to all the little lambs. In the whole lot, there were about 6 baby lambs, 15 young lambs (which are best for eating), and 30 sheep (Moms).

I cooked a few meals, Mexican, Thai; utilizing, sugar snap peas, Mesclun greens, new potatoes, carrots, sweet onions, garlic, and herbs from the garden. Hampus made Swedish meatballs one night. The best meal was Leg of Lamb from their herd. The lamb was different, the taste and texture, nothing like in the States. It was not too gamey but incredibly earthy, fresh and tender. Warren and Debbie were nice enough to take us out to their Social Club one evening, where we'd danced the night away to the Blues and enjoyed local New Zealand fare.

Hampus and I got explore Rabbit Island, went wine tasting and hiked the Abel Tasman trail with a few new friends, Jon and Martin also from Sweden. That was my favorite day, although the weather was not the best. Here I was hiking an 8 mile trail surrounded by flora, fauna and beaches, with new friends. On my last day, we drove to the ferry and we’d pass the famed Queen Charlotte track.

At last, I was ready to be on my own and took a beautiful 3 hour ferry ride across the Cook Strait to my next destination of Wellington. I’d spend the evening walking, exploring, and the next morning had a delicious european-esque meal (something I had yearned after 3 weeks of traveling); Lamb sausage on a french baguette with grainy mustard and pommes frites.

Overall, NZ was great but as I have aged, I realize, traveling by myself just ain’t the same anymore! The country is absolutely gorgeous so seeing and sharing it with friends would be ideal from hiking to wine tasting, natural beauty is everywhere! Their produce and ingredients were fresh and abundant but are prepared too simply compared to the US. I yearned to seek creative dishes but didn’t quite get that. The best moments were getting to know people of New Zealand. Their kindness reassured me that there is tons of good yet to be discovered in this world. Many thanks to all of my host familes and people I met along the way!

GUEST BLOG: Southern Boy Goes To Cali

2009-03-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

What could a guy from Orange Virginia look to find in the laid back town of Pasadena, California? My initial answer would be good food, good friends and good wine. I would have to take my friends word that the wine was good, but the food was a tapestry of flavors and textures that both stimulate the palate and satisfy the soul.

I recently traveled to California to visit my friend Tammy Tu. Knowing that she is a culinary artist; I looked forward to one of her famous home cooked meals and I can honestly tell you I was not disappointed. Early in the afternoon, we went to the farmers market to pick out fresh vegetables. Being from Orange, VA, I am used to farmers markets, but this one was pretty unique. It reminded me of a fiesta. The streets are closed down and the local artists played music and the numerous farmers sold their California produce. In addition to the fresh produce, there were also local vendors that came out to delight the local community with their smorgasbord of ethnic delights.

After we sampled from the local farmers market and Tammy picked up the fresh grown produce she needed for her meal, we made our way back to her apartment to begin. I say we, but the cooking was totally her. I just sat back and watched an artist at work.

The meal started with some wine, cheese and salami. This was complemented by an assortment of mustards that made the cheeses and meats pop. Heirloom tomato brushetta followed which was a French baguette topped with heirloom tomatoes and a sprinkling of fresh basil. This light, but satisfying appetizer really brought out the local flavor of the tomatoes and basil.

As we sampled the appetizers, we were delighted to see the main course almost done. This was a chicken marsala. This included chicken pan seared in olive oil and baked to perfection. The chicken was then topped with a light Marsala sauce that was made with caramelized onions, garlic, Marsala wine and olive oil. The chicken was paired with fresh seasonal peas and broccoli. From the moment we took the first bite to the end of the meal, each bite revealed a different seasoning and brought to life the textures and flavors of the complementary meats and vegetables. Everything was accompanied by garlic bread brushed with a light butter and fresh garlic. What meal would be complete without a good Napa Valley wine? A cabernet was chosen to complement the food selections.

At the end of the meal everyone was delightfully pleased with the complementary food, drink, and conversation.

I would like to thank Tammy Tu and her friends for inviting me to sample the local California culture and also the delicious fresh food that could only be prepared and grown in sunny California.

-Jason Davison
(Tammy's old roommate at VT)

Continuing on.... my trip to New Zealand, part I

2009-03-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Pavilion at Colac Bay
My shack

Stewart Island
Minced Meat and Cheese Pie!

After Vietnam, I headed to New Zealand to WWOOF. It was a long trip, stopping in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and then to Auckland, NZ and finally to my final destination of Invercargill. Invercargill, pretty much on the most Southern tip of the South Island of NZ a.k.a, middle of no where!

Woofing stands for Worldwide Organization of Organic Farming. I chose New Zealand because I had heard of the incredible produce and the beauty of their land, not to mention, I wanted to volunteer somewhere English was spoken. The first place I worked was a restaurant called the Pavilion on Colac Bay. My living quarters was a shack on the premises, 40 feet from the Bay. The room consisted of a TV with no reception, 2 twin beds, a small heater and tons of blankets, and the bathroom/shower in the restaurant. I was definitely in for an adventure. I worked 7-8 hours a day, prepping, watching the young Chef Daniel at work. Every night the restaurant pulled in 40-50 people, one night, we did 135 people, a record for the restaurant!

It was a lonely but eye opening week as I hiked around town and hit the scene in the boones of New Zealand. The best things I ate that week was Stewart Island salmon at the Pavilion and minced meat and cheese pie at Stellas. They are really known for the salmon, mussels, oysters, shellfish in general down in the South. And they love their pies in New Zealand, savory ones; lamb, minced meat, and even chicken curry. The worse moment was the trek on a ferry boat to Stewart Island, the rockiest and most sea sick hour ever! I also did not enjoy the howling wind as I tried to sleep at night, praying that my little hut would not blow over!

I met some great folks mainly Americans, Jean from Buffalo and Harmony from Texas. They really healed the short lived homesickness. Jean was actually gracious to let me stay in her home, warm and cozy. And Harmony too who rescued me with money for a $100 taxi cab at the one crazy night. At the end of my stay, I cooked the staff a meal of my own; Vietnamese Chicken Cabbage Salad, Miso Glazed Stewart Island Salmon, and Soba Noodles with Vegetables.

Julie my Woofing Host was the sweetest woman and unfortunately, shortly after I left, her son, Miles passed away suddenly while surfing. I did get a chance to hang out with Miles one night, only 26, he had great stories of his travels and life. May he rest in peace. I’ll never forget that little town of Colac Bay, quaint, quiet, away from all the hustle and bustle, makes me realize how simple life can really be.

Palm Springs

2009-03-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

A typical bachelorette party consists of strippers, leopard prints, girls gone wild, and penis ice cubes... gottta love em. I’ve actually only been to two, both which I hosted, and neither had any of the above mentioned! This one fell into the same category and was so much fun, especially since my 2 cohorts of the century were joining along, Gerlyn and Carly, both from the VT days. Sarah Dodge was the guest of honor and I planned out a menu specifically for her vegetarian needs.

Leaving LA at the peak hour for heavy traffic, we made it to Palm Springs in just under 4 hours (it normally takes 2), just for Gerlyn since she lives in NY and doesn’t get to experience much of it! The menu I designed was Mid-century since Sarah and her fiancées’ wedding theme is Mid- century modern.
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I should also mention I’m super flattered that Sarah asked me to consult on her wedding menu. I came up with some suggestions after a bit of research. Back then, Betty Crocker, TV dinners and canned soup were just hitting the scene. What does this all mean…comfort food and convenience! Very similar to what we are seeing now in restaurants but in smaller portions. I read recipes for multiple kinds of casseroles, tidbits wrapped in blankets, grilled meats/kabobs (the backyard BBQs starts!), and the Baked Alaska which I have never understood. See this link for more ‘decade’ type foods.

Back to Palm Springs, the house was AMAZING with great entertaining amenities; it had 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, fully decorated in the typical modern design that Palm Springs is best known for, with marble slab kitchen counter tops, an Eco dining table, an awesome bar area, and a pool that puts the Standard Hotel's pool to shame. I had a field day with the stove in the Kitchen but had to cut down my 1950s theme to a modern California theme with Tofu and Beef burgers.

Highlights of the weekend were karaoking, lounging by the pool, cheese & snacks galore, Reyna eating red meat, James Dean, Sarah in her fluffy heels, truffle French fries, a bad ass naked Pam Grier painting, late night cooking, and, of course making new friends! Thanks ladies and see you at Dodge’s Wedding!