Ghetto Sous Vide - Steak

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.  

Dinner this Weekend: French Inspired

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

Fried Chicken Momofuku Style

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

Tacos Al Pastor

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!



Taco Truck and Bar Crawl

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?

Eats at the new Loft

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

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)!

Growing Herbs....

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....

31 Days of Traveling and Local Food

I’m off yet again, this time to two continents and three countries (See Map). First stop, to the Motherland, Vietnam, which I have never been with Mom. We are traveling North to South, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) with stops in Hue, Nha Trang, Hoi An, and many more. Next, a pilgrimage for myself; cooking on Organic Farms in New Zealand, through the program, WOOF. I met 3 nice families via email and they have been kind enough to let me crash and cook, all while learning the culture and food of KIWIs! I hope to learn about gardening too! Last but not least, a few days down under in Sydney visiting friends. Can’t wait to eat ‘Roo meat!

These 31 days of traveling will give me perspective, hopefully a little thought about food that is not processed and is fresh and local. So, of course, I have decided to do a little experiment of eating nothing but local fare, the freshest of fresh, in Vietnam, fresh caught fish, vegetables, and herbs galore, in New Zealand, farm to table, straight from the gardens to the kitchen I’m cooking in, and in Sydney, at my friends’ kitchen tables of course! I’m straying from any diet sodas, chain restaurants, frozen food, and even potato chips (unless I make them myself). Will I be able to do it? I would be ashamed if I didn’t. How about alcohol you ask? I have to draw the line somewhere but will be drinking Vietnamese beers, New Zealand wines and in Sydney anything goes!

I’m excited to share a Kiwi Christmas and Australian Boxing Day amongst new friends. Wish me a bon voyage, drop an email, and most importantly, any suggestions of local fare would be fantastic! Check back periodically at this site!

Tough life

Sorry, I haven't posted in awhile, after I turned 30, it went down hill from there! Nah...I have been further occupied playing with my toys from the birthday! The I-Touch is awesome, I can download podcasts which include cooking videos, plus check email and surf the web. And check out the Bose system Cousin Tina gave to me, sound is outrageous!

There were be tons of good posts to come like my Cinco de Mayo themed dinner and also, I'm in Napa all week...! Taking a cooking class for work....ahhh, life is hard. The class in on Healthy Flavors of Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean. I just ironed my chef's jacket and am ready to roll at the CIA in Greystone tomorrow, 7 AM! Wish me luck.

Geeezzz...

Egg-a-licious - Truffled Egg Custard (Note to self--need to purchase special spoons!)

Frick....I only lasted 2 weeks. I knew this would happen, I was feeling good too, actually I still do. The key is moderation just like anything else. It was going well...a party of salads, sauteed veggies, tofu, even a creation of new egg dishes. I felt much lighter but I would get killer headaches, maybe all in my head though. Oh Ho-li-DAYs.....

It happened on a Friday, we were cooking up a mean piece of beef, New York Sirloin, bone OUT, pretty much a whole cow for Thanksgiving lunch at work. We bought a strip of beef from Costco no less, 10 lbs and roasted it. Although it was Choice cut and previously frozen, I tried it. I only ate approximately 1.5 oz but felt I could not go back. The next day, I had Chicken pot pie from Joan's on the 3rd, ahhh, in heaven, after that.....Butterball Turkey at Thanksgiving, and finally, Organic Roasted Chicken I cooked for our 'after' Thanksgiving celebration. Honestly, those 2 weeks were completely boring for me. Going to restaurants was such a SNOOZE, nothing was appealing, forcing me to order food that seemed tasteless. I actually went into a stage of 'bad restaurant food kharma.' Four meals out in one week turned into a nightmare! Gotta give props to those vegetarians, guess they look forward to sweets???? Not me...... Fried Chicken, Rack of Lamb, NY strip steak. Still haven't had a burger yet which is the ultimate meat lovers' delight. Going to Father's Office this weekend!

The Great French Fry

Idaho Potato vs. Kennebec Potato

Chips, hash browns, tater tots, mashed, baked, roasted, boiled, we love them all, created from the one and only POTATO. AND, who doesn’t love a good French fry? Most of us grew up on McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King (ugh), pretty much frozen adulterated stuff. And it wasn’t until just recently, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon restaurant was exposed, they too use frozen fries….gasppp..! So, people, where do we draw the line? Are all fries frozen? Not all establishments, examples are In N’ Out Burger and probably a few local restaurants, for instance, my recent visit to Blue Velvet in downtown LA (pictured below), made in the back of the house.

Being the Scientist I am, one sunny Saturday, my friend Dylan and I decided to produce the perfect, almost natural, french fry. Truthfully, Dylan was the mad scientist/stock broker who convinced me of this little experiment. It entailed 2 varietals of potatoes (Kennebec and Idaho), 7 different trials, procedures that included, slicing, blanching, par-frying, deydrating, freezing, and deep frying. Finally, after much tasting, analyzing, and spitting, we agreed on a top notch, ‘gold standard’ product (food scientist jargon).

If you are interested in making a beautiful, crisp, golden brown and flavorful french fry, please follow procedures below.

1. Cut potatoes (preferably Kennebecs), approx 3/8" wide.
2. Blanch in 170 degrees F of chicken or beef broth for 7 minutes.
3. Put in dehydrator until completely dry, about 15 min at 150-160 degrees , let rest for 5 min.**
4. Fry at 290-300 F degrees for 3 minutes
5. Cool to room temp (can freeze potatoes at this point for future use)
6. Fry at 360 degrees until golden brown and crispy.

**If you don’t have a food dehydrator (most people don’t, Dylan!), try to dry with paper towel as best as you can.

New York, New York: The Urban Hike

With all the eating, there must be exercise. Not sure how I came up with this idiotic idea but I proposed that we walk the entire island of Manahattan. Manhattan is 13 miles long from the Bronx to Battery Park. It would be fun! I imagined us stopping and eating different types of NY snacks, not to mention pit stops for drinks. I start this post, admitting that I tried to re-neg on the whole ‘urban hike’ the morning of. I was feeling lethargic from the festivies of the night before (bad Sake)! Nonetheless, dragged by Vin and Gerlyn, I found myself in a freight elevator headed towards the Bronx, New York. We started off at 215th St., our first stop would be in Harlem at Sylvia’s Soul food, known for their Fried Chicken. Along the way, we saw Dominica influence, stands of 'fruit' juice, chichorones, roasted pork, and a man selling banana leaves wrapped around tamales out of a shopping cart. There were streets closed down for block parties, kids running through sprinklers, and a plethoria of boom boxes playing old skool rap, just like in the movies. As we approached Sylvia’s, there were parts of Harlem that were beautiful and revitalized.

After a mean portion of Ribs, Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Mac n' Cheese, and Corn bread we heading on our way again and our oasis this time would be Central Park. We’d meet my cousin at the famed Boat House for a drink. With its lush green grass, huge American Elms and hoards of New Yorkers, one could understand why Central Park is world renowned.

The cold beer and people watching at the Boat House slowed us down a bit but we continued on. We thought about stopping for Gelato but instead, cousin Michelle grabbed a Chicken gyro from the famed vendor on 53rd st. and Vin decided to snack on a childhood goodie, the Rocket Pop (or Red, White, Blue Popsicle). This seemed to be the longest portion, weaving our way through tourists on 5th Ave and Madison Park, not to mention I was pissed...my sunglasses fell of my head and into the toilet at our last stop...not funny! Anyways, onwards through SoHo and Tribecca where we got coffee and purchased a lottery ticket with the dollar we literally stumbled onto at the beginning of the hike. On the last leg, I kept on wanting to stop for a slice of that NY pizza and even in general but was co-ersed to ‘move on’. Finally, the site of the Trade Towers, Battery Park, and Lady Liberty as the sun set. Exhausted, sweaty, and hungry ….I couldn’t help but think….is this what immigrants felt when they first arrived to America? 13 miles with 4 stops, 5 bathroom breaks and picking up another hiker, we did it in 9 hours! Crazy but a good story indeed!