Recipe: Thai Spiced Tri-Tip

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of beef tri-tip roast
3 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of dry sherry
3 tbsp. of olive oil
4 Thai chili peppers, diced (yes - them really hot little red things - wear gloves!!!)
1 bunch of scallions, coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch of parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and put into a large plastic bag. Put the tri-tip roast into the bag, seal, and refrigerate overnight to allow to marinate.

Heat the grill to high heat. Put the tri-tip on the grill and sear for about 90 seconds on each side. Reduce the heat to medium, close the grill lid, and continue cooking for about 12 - 14 more minutes for medium-rare to medium, turning every couple of minutes. Once done, cover in foil for about 2 - 3 minutes to allow it to rest. Cut across the grain into one inch pieces. Serve!

Makes about 4 servings.

Recipe: Baked Eggs Provencal

This is a very simple breakfast dish... serve with toasted sliced French bread!!! :)

Ingredients:

8 large eggs
3 tsp. of minced garlic
1/2 cup of heavy cream
3 tbsp. of butter
2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked red pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. of grated parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Crack all the eggs into a separate bowl, being careful to keep them whole and not puncture the yolks. In a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat, melt the butter into the heavy cream. Pour the cream and butter mixture into the bottom of a medium gratin dish. Slowly pour the eggs into the gratin dish - they will start to cook immediately. Sprinkle the garlic, Herbs de Provence, salt, cracked red pepper, and parmesan over the eggs. Place the gratin dish into the oven and bake for about 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe: Shrimp and Crab Gratin

This dish is just absolutely decadent... I made it last night for friends of mine who were over for some wine and chit-chat. Everyone loved all the dishes I made, but this one was their favorite...

Ingredients

1 lb. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. of lump crab meat (dungeness crab is the best! :))
3 cups of diced white potatoes
3 cups of diced parsnips
2/3 cup of fresh parsley, loosely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh chives, chopped
2 1/2 cups of Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese, shredded
2/3 cups of bread crumbs
2 cups of heavy cream
1 stick of unsalted butter
3 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray to coat. Put the potatoes and parsnips in a layer on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the parsley and chives over the vegetables. Place the shrimp and crab meat over the vegetables in an even layer.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter into the heavy cream. Add the salt and pepper. Add the Gruyere cheese to the cream mixture and whisk until the cheese fully melts. Whisk in the all-purpose flour. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it all over the other ingredients in the casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs in an even layer over the top. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the casserole and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the Parmesan layer on top is nice and browned. Remove from the oven and let set for a couple of minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Review: Conduit

I have found a new favorite restaurant :). I have now taken my parents here, all of my best friends here, my out-of-town visitors here, my co-workers here, my sister here, my cousin here... and they all do nothing but rave. So, I thought it was about darn time that I wrote a review.

First off, the lovely hostess at the front was so pleasant and polite and was genuinely happy to have us there. And she remembers me every time - and the servers have started to recognize me, too! Major kudos for that...

Admittedly, I haven't explored as much of the menu as I would like - but, it changes so often, I doubt that matters much. First time I went there, I had the duck confit appetizer and the pork chop main... both really good. Oh, but the dessert... the boca negre... I literally thought I had died and went to dessert heaven. The dark chocolate with the slight anise flavor... I almost had a chocolate induced orgasm... THAT good. 2nd time, I had the quail appetizer and the halibut main... and that boca negre, again... both also really good (and I also noticed that the chef, in the quail appetizer, used the same trick I use for fried green tomatoes - tempura batter. I was born and raised in deep south Georgia, so I know green tomatoes... and my mom thinks tempura frying them is sacrilege - but, trust me, it's better :)). 3rd time I barely remember because of the wonderful house manhattan with the brandied cherries - I just know it was another type of fish and again, really good! And the most recent experience was the hamachi sashimi drizzled with dark soy and pomegranate as a starter and then the seared sea bass put over a bed of butternut squash puree and kale sauteed with bacon and cippolini onions - my mercy, how good that was!!!

All the times I have been, the service was absolutely impeccable (MUCH better than I would have expected from a Mission restaurant with relatively moderate prices) and my guests, who are foodies just like me, all raved.

It's just disheartening to me to see reviews on Yelp! and other sites about really petty things (get over the modern bathrooms, people! :P) when the people who own this place truly do have their act together. And that's more than I can say for other restaurants in the Mission that I've been going to for years...

Recipe: Turkey Scallopini over Sauted Spinach

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. of turkey breast tenderloins
1 cup flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp. of half and half
9 oz. of fresh spinach
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup of canola oil

Directions:

Cut turkey tenderloins into 8 equal portions, put between two pieces of wax/parchment paper, and pound the crap out of them until they are flat (approx. 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick).

In a large plastic bag, mix the flour with the dry spices and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and half and half. Dip each turkey portion in the egg wash and then put into the plastic bag with the flour and spices. Shake vigorously to coat the turkey portions with the breading.

In one large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium to medium-high heat. Cooking in batches, place the turkey into the hot oil and fry about 4 minutes on each side. Place on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

In another skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute the garlic for about 3 minutes to open up its flavor. Add the fresh spinach to the skillet in batches tossing frequently to wilt. Once all the spinach is in the skillet and fully wilted, remove from heat.

Serve turkey over a bed of spinach.

(NOTE: you can make this exact same recipe using boneless, skinless chicken breast)

Makes 4 servings.

Review: My Delivery Boys

You thought you were gonna get some pics of hottie delivery boys in this post, now didn't you? ;) Well, I hate to disappoint you, but this post is actually about the nearby places that I depend upon to save my evenings on a regular basis with their wonderful and prompt delivery. Even though they rarely send cute delivery boys (those only seem to come from crap places like Domino's), they do send a good dinner!

Jasmine Tea House

When I first left my place in the Sunset, I was concerned that I was going to have to revert back to crap Chinese food for delivery. I was a bit spoiled having the excellent San Tung so near to my place over there. I took a chance on Jasmine Tea House after finding their menu hooked to my door handle one evening. While it doesn't quite match the level of San Tung, it comes so darn close that I always have a good meal from here. I always order way more food than I could ever eat 'cause I love leftovers - especially leftover chow mein (and theirs is one of my favorites). All of their dishes are quite good, but when I'm treating myself, I tilt towards the vegetarian and seafood dishes on the menu - especially the Singapore Fish. They are the best things on the menu. Their dim sum items are kinda ho hum (I'll stick to Yank Sing or Canton for my dim sum fix), but they get props for having dim sum available at any hour. However, they had me at the hot and sour soup - my personal "litmus test" for Chinese restaurants. It's wonderfully spicy and definitely a bit more sour than most - and I LOVE it. Really solid Chinese food here.



Serrano's Pizza

OK... relative to the East Coast, most pizza here on the West Coast is only ho-hum - unless you're going to the fancy schmanzy places like Delfina. And delivery pizza is usually a lot worse. I found Serrano's on the recommendation of a friend. They have a lot of cool specialty pizzas but the main thing I like is they have tons of toppings from which to choose to make your own pizza - including one of my favorites, roasted eggplant!!! But the major winner - the crust is not too thick or thin (West Coast pizza tends to have WAY too much crust) and it always arrives piping hot. Any leftover slices get frozen to become a pizza dinner later. Is it the best? No... but with so many options, I can always get what I want, and it's always tastier than any other pizza I've ever gotten delivered.



Little Nepal

I have been here many times as an evening diner. It's a quaint little place on Cortland at the top of Bernal Hill, so very close to my house. And then I found out they delivered... and I knew I was doomed... doomed to goodness!!! :) If you know nothing about Nepalese cuisine, it's very similar to Indian cuisine although it has elements of other East Asian cuisines swirled in. Their chicken in spicy tomato cream sauce is one of my favorites. The little side dishes they serve with the entrees (dal, curried veggies, naan) are all excellent. I also think their seafood dishes are quite excellent. Given there's not really any good traditional Northern Indian cuisine available near my house, I'm so glad that I found out Little Nepal delivers!!!



Regent Thai

Three words: Spicy Red Snapper. Oh, my mercy - this dish is just pure heaven. They lightly bread and fry New Zealand red snapper filet and top it with a spicy/sweet red pepper sauce - it is by far one of my favorite dishes EVER. All of the standards are also spot on - pad thai, red or green curries, etc. But, I'm telling you - you MUST have the snapper. It is so, so good.



Lotus Garden

I almost fainted when I found out I could get yummy Vietnamese noodle soups (pho) and vermicelli dishes (bun) for delivery. I am a pho fanatic - all the beef versions, chicken, seafood - I've had them all. The delicious broth with rice noodles that put the meat, fresh mint leaves, cilantro, bean sprouts, jalapenos, and hot sauce into and then slop up. The portion they send me is so big it makes two meals - because I can't order anything from there without getting their Imperial Rolls and their BBQ Pork Rolls. The Imperial Rolls are stuffed with carrots, rice noodles, shrimp, and pork and then deep fried, that you wrap with lettuce leaves, mint, sprouts, carrots, and cucumbers that are served on the side and dip into fresh nuoc cham (fish sauce). So yummy! And the BBQ Pork Rolls are stuffed with BBQ'ed lemon grass pork loin meat, rice noodles, mint, and cilantro and served with nuoc cham. They are also lovely. I just found this place like a few weeks ago, so I'll explore more of the menu and let you know. But, this is one of my new favorites.

Review: Sensi at the Bellagio, Las Vegas

So, this past week I had to go to Las Vegas for my company's yearly user conference. I really hate going to Vegas for work... especially when you're depending upon people to show up at your morning presentation sessions actually ready to listen. Why companies book events in a place with so many darn distractions I will never understand...

On the plus side, I doubled my money in Blackjack while I was there. I am not much of a gambler at all, but I do have fun playing Blackjack. I guess it's because I've gotten good enough where I can kill several hours at a Blackjack table with a relatively small amount of money spent in. Or maybe the free cocktails help ;)

Anyways, I got a meal on my boss at Sensi in the Bellagio. Since the restaurant was my choice, I thought I would give it a review. Now, first off, unless a restaurant in Vegas has earned at least 1 Michelin star, it ain't worth what they charge. I have major issues with a dining scene that offers barely any mid-priced dining options. You are often paying 5 star prices for 3 and 4 star food - some are so bad the food is actually 2 star (most of the restaurants in the MGM Grand fit this profile, in my opinion). Since Sensi hasn't been granted a Michelin star, you can probably deduce that I would never eat there again if I was paying...

Wine list? Forget about it... 300 - 400% mark-up at least and nothing on it worth what they were charging. Cocktails were a bit more reasonable and they indeed made an awesome Knob Creek Manhattan (so awesome I had two :)). I had the tuna three ways as a starter - tuna tataki, tuna ceviche, and tuna tartare. The ceviche was kick butt - the other two were actually mediocre. I've had better for half the price back here at home. Then came the entree - breaded and fried whole red snapper topped in a green curry sauce. Now THIS was off the chart - LOVED it. The fish was so perfectly done and the curry sauce had a slight coconut flavor and only a hint of heat. For side dishes I shared asparagus and green bean tempura and truffled "tater tots" with some dinner mates. The tempura was perfectly done, although the aioli they served on the side with it was a little odd - so I ended up eating the tempura with no sauce. But the "tater tots" were off the chart - you could taste the truffle oil well and they had the perfect amount of salt and pepper on them. I got so full that I skipped dessert... although admittedly the desserts were all very standard and didn't look too impressive.

Final verdict: A few more hits than misses, but regardless, not worth the money. If you're in Vegas, splurge on something that's worth your money - like Joel Rubochon or Nob Hill (in the MGM Grand - which eerily break the "overpriced, mediocre" mold of the other MGM Grand restaurants) or Aureole (in Mandalay Bay). Next time I'm in the Bellagio, I'll investigate one of the other restaurants and let you know if it improves upon Sensi.

Recipe: Kitchen Sink Soup

OK... this is based on one of my grandma's recipes. You can actually throw whatever veggies you have around into this and it still comes out good...

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
25 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups of green beans
1 1/2 cups of white corn kernels
1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of black-eyed peas
1 1/2 cups of okra, diced
4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. of kosher salt
1 tbsp. of garlic powder
1 tbsp. of onion powder
1 tbsp. of savory
6 cups of water

Directions:

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and chicken breasts to the water and reduce heat to medium. Poach the chicken breasts for 8 minutes. Add the shrimp to the water and poach for an additional 5 - 6 minutes. Drain. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts and put the meat back into the pot along with the cooked shrimp.

Add the vegetables, chicken broth, and all other spices back to the pot. Return heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Recipe: Scalloped Tomatoes Provencal

Yeah, it's a Sunday, so I'm in a cooking mood... this is dinner :)

Ingredients:

5 - 6 large heirloom tomatoes
1 orange or yellow bell pepper
1 French baguette, cubed
2 tbsp. of olive oil
4 oz. of pancetta, diced
2 tbsp. of butter
2 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 tsp. of white pepper
2 tsp. of Herbs de Provence

Directions:

Spread baguette cubes out on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or so to toast.

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the diced pancetta and garlic. Cook until the pancetta browns, about 7 - 8 minutes.

Reduce heat on the oven to 325 degrees. Dice the heirloom tomatoes and bell pepper and put into a large bowl. Add the baguette croutons, pancetta in butter and garlic, and the other spices to the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Coat a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour the tomato mixture into the casserole dish, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 50 - 55 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Egg Salad

I make this to put on toasted bagels in the morning. It's so easy and refrigerated, it lasts about a week. It's so darn tasty!!!

Ingredients:

4 - 6 oz. of smoked salmon (I prefer smoked sockeye for this recipe)
4 hard boiled eggs
8 slices of slab bacon, cooked to crispy and crumbled
1 1/2 cups of sour cream
1 cup of scallions, green and white parts, diced
1 large cucumber, diced
1 1/2 tbsp. of minced garlic
1/2 tsp. of white pepper
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
1 tsp. of lemon juice

Directions:

Dice up the smoked salmon and hard boiled eggs. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to thicken. Serve on toasted bagels or English muffins.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Recipe: Zen Pepper Steak

This turned out so well it became steak sandwiches for lunch today... last night it was served with creamed spinach instead. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lb. of lean flank steak, cut into 6 equal portions
3/4 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of mirin (Japanese cooking sake)
4 tbsp. of minced garlic
2 tbsp. of minced ginger
1 1/2 tbsp. of rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. of sesame oil
1 tsp. of chili oil
2 tsp. of hot sauce (I prefer Sriracha, and I up it to 3 tsp. 'cause I like the heat)
2 1/2 tsp. of yuzu juice (Japanese citrus... no yuzu? Use lime juice)
1 1/2 cup of chopped scallions (green and white parts - about 1 bunch)
1 red bell pepper, diced

Directions:

Whisk together all ingredients but the steak into a bowl. In another large bowl, place the steak cuts. Pour the mixture over the steak cuts, cover in plastic wrap, place in refrigerator, and let marinate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Put the steak on the grill and grill for 7 - 8 minutes on each side (for medium-rare), basting the steak in the marinade constantly to keep it moist. Serve either as is or slice into thinner pieces and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe: Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound eggplant, cut into thick strips
1 bell pepper, red, diced
6 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. dry sherry
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. chili oil
2 tbsp. Sriracha (Vietnamese garlic/chili sauce)
2 tbsp. dark sesame oil
3 tbsp. canola oil
12 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup scallions, finely chopped, white and green parts

Directions:

In a colander, toss eggplant strips with the cornstarch to coat evenly. In a bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, white vinegar, rice vinegar, dry sherry, chili oil, Sriracha, dark sesame oil, and minced garlic together. Whisk to combine. Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Once oil is hot, add the eggplant strips. Saute them, turning frequently, until they are lightly browned - about 6 - 7 minutes. Add the sauce mixture, reduce the heat to medium, and continue stirring. The sauce will begin to thicken (feel free to add an additional 1 tsp. of cornstarch if it does not thicken to your liking). Once the sauce is thickened, add the bell pepper and scallions and mix together to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

Variation:

Add 8 - 12 oz. of cubed firm tofu to the oil in the wok first. Once it starts to brown, then add the eggplant and follow the directions above.

Makes about 4 servings.

Wine Tasting: 2006 Bridgeview Vineyards "Black Beauty" Syrah

Appellation: Southern Oregon.

This was a pleasant wine, but could stand to age about another year or two. Relatively dry for a Syrah (I prefer fruitier), but still quite a pleasant wine. It's light enough to be able to go with chicken, pasta, and other less heavy dishes. Medium-bodied and easy drinking. I picked this up back in early July when I was with my folks visiting Crater Lake in southern Oregon. Not the best of the bunch that I picked up, but very good for it's reasonable price at the winery ($17).

Recommendation: 3 out of 5.

Recipe: Fusilli with Chicken and Tomatoes

Can you tell I'm having a very lazy Sunday? I'm on a cooking spree!!! Yes, I skipped the Folsom Street Fair this year. I've seen enough nekkid grandpas to last me at least 4 reincarnations so I decided to hide at home with my pooch this year. Anyways, on to the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry fusilli pasta
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups diced roma tomatoes (approximately 6 - 7 tomatoes)
1 cup diced heirloom tomatoes (approximately 1 - 2 tomatoes; I used a yellow one and a purple one)
1 cup canned unflavored tomato sauce
3 tbsp. of minced garlic
2 tbsp. of chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp. of chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. of dried oregano
1 tsp. of sea salt
1/2 - 2/3 tsp. of cracked red pepper flakes (I use 2/3 'cause I like a little heat ;))
1 1/2 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast

Directions:

Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to a big pot of water, bring to a boil, and cook fusilli according to package directions.

Cut the chicken breast into cubes. In a separate large pan, heat the remaining two tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sautee until the garlic is cooked (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the chicken breast and cook until cooked through and browned on all sides. Once the chicken is cooked, add the tomatoes, oregano, sea salt, and cracked red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 7 - 8 minutes.

Drain the pasta and pour into a large bowl. Add the chicken and tomato mixture along with the fresh basil and sage, mix thoroughly, let stand about 2 minutes to let flavors combine. Serve with grated parmesan if desired.

Makes about 6 servings.

Recipe: The Chicken and the Egg Tacos

This is a breakfast dish I cooked up that blends a little bit of my southern roots with some West Coast Mexican flavors. In the south, chicken and egg biscuits are a common breakfast dish because both chicken and eggs are so plentiful in the south. Heck, my home state of Georgia is the largest producer of both, which should tell you something. But, I didn't feel like going through the effort of making biscuits this morning, so I added a few Mexican touches to get a completely different concoction that turned out really well.

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 large eggs
1 large green heirloom tomato (other colors are OK, I just prefer the green :))
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. of chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese
8 small flour tortillas (soft taco size)
2 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil
2 tbsp. of milk (I use non-fat)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Dice the heirloom tomato and red bell pepper together into a medium sized bowl. Add the scallions, garlic, cumin, paprika, chipotle chili powder, and kosher salt and mix together. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Pound the chicken breasts out between two sheets of wax paper until they are a little more than 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee the chicken breasts in the olive oil about 10 - 12 minutes, turning frequently, until browned and cooked completely through. Cut the cooked chicken into thin strips and set aside.

In a small skillet, put 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together with a little salt and pepper and the milk until fully beaten. Place the eggs in the skillet and cook until fully scrambled, turning and separating constantly.

Warm the tortillas either in the microwave or in the oven according to package directions. Get the salsa mixture you made earlier from the refrigerator. In each tortilla, place equal portions of the scrambled egg, sliced chicken, pepper jack cheese, and salsa. Fold and serve!

Makes 4 servings (two tacos per serving).

Recipe: Baked Spiced Chicken

This is a twist on a baked “fried” chicken recipe I’ve been making for years. I changed up the spice mixture to reflect more of a West coast versus Southern take on the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. of boneless/skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breast halves)
1 pint of reduced-fat buttermilk
3 tsp of garlic powder
3 tsp of Chinese five spice powder
3 tsp of chipotle chili powder
3 tsp of paprika
1 cup of cornflake crumbs
1 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs
Cooking spray

Directions:

Place chicken in a large bowl and coat with all of the spices. Add the buttermilk. Using hands or a big spoon, mix everything around until the spices are fully mixed into the buttermilk, the chicken is fully coated, and the chicken submerges almost completely in the buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. Foil a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Fill another large bowl with the cornflake and bread crumbs. Take chicken out of the buttermilk mixture and roll in the crumb mixture to fully coat. Place chicken on baking sheet and put into oven. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until cooked through and the crumb crust is nice and brown.

Makes 4 servings.

My Love of Japan

The gracious people and their impeccable politeness, the crazy teenagers and their whacked fashion on Takeshita-Dori in Harajuku, the insanely large palaces of European luxury on Omotesando and in Ginza, miniature gadgets we’ll never have at home in Akihabara, the gargantuan train stations where you always seem to be going against the herd, the endearing giggles one elicits when they mis-speak their Japanese - but most of all the amazingly complex and wonderful cuisine - keeps bringing me back to Japan. While the trip this week was all business, I did get to have a bit of fun and meet some wonderful new people in the process. I treasure every trip I get to make to Japan and those that know me know of my love for the country. But, back to the food...

I have several recommendations if you ever find yourself in Tokyo and, specifically, around the very hip neighborhood of Shibuya, here are some not to miss places:

• Gonpachi - great and diverse selection of yakitori in a jovial atmosphere; the beef short rib and duck marinated in wasabi yakitori are not to miss!
• Horaitei - on the top floor of the Tokyu Center department store you will find some of the best katsu ever; go for the katsu donburi at lunch - excellent!
• Paradise Macau - a tropically themed establishment that serves excellent Laotian and Indonesian dishes; they have a very good and inexpensive selection of Aussie wines by the glass
• Asahi Sushi - take-out sushi on the restaurant avenue level of the Shibuya Mark City office complex; great for a quick lunch with an impressively diverse selection of fresh fish, many of which you won’t recognize, so be adventurous
• Legato - swanky establishment on the floor above Gonpachi; floor to ceiling windows and a jazz pianist make this a great spot for dessert or an after dinner drink
• Keivi - a tiny little traditional gay bar just around the corner from Shibuya JR station; much better than average snacks included with your cover charge; tell Mama-san Toshi I said hello!

If you have not yet been to Tokyo, go - our dollar may be in the crapper, but their yen is persistently in the crapper so it is so much more affordable than going to Europe or even New York. There’s no other city in the world quite like it!

Recipe: Miso Poached Halibut

As I am sitting on United 837 somewhere over the Pacific on my way to Tokyo for the week, I thought I would share a Japanese-themed recipe that I made up a few weeks ago. It’s very simple, light, and tasty. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted - school has worn me down over these last several weeks, unfortunately. In any case, if you do make this, let me know! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. of halibut filets
1/2 cup of dark miso paste (if you can’t find dark, any miso paste you can find will do)
2 cups of low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of fresh green onions, finely chopped (green and white parts)
1 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp. of rice vinegar
1/2 cup of sake
3 star anise bulbs
2 tbsp. of minced garlic
2 tbsp. of minced ginger

Directions:

In a large chef’s pan or dutch oven, combine all ingredients except for the halibut into the pan making sure to distribute the miso paste well among the liquid. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour to let the flavors fully combine. Then, submerge the halibut filets into the liquid and re-cover the pan. Poach the filets for about 10 - 15 minutes. Remove and serve in a bowl with a bit of the broth from the pan poured over.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Recipe: Stout-Braised Short Ribs

OK... so I had one bottle of Guinness and some boneless short ribs left in my refrigerator, and that was the inspiration for this recipe. Yeah, I know... kinda corny, but it turned out REALLY good. Oh, how I love short ribs :).

Ingredients:

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. of short ribs (bone-in preferred)
1 16 oz. bottle/can of Guinness or other stout beer
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 1/2 cup of your favorite spicy/tangy BBQ sauce (choose one that is low to nil on sugar content, or lower the maple syrup amount used)
3 tbsp. of chopped garlic
2 cups of beef broth
2 - 3 tbsp. of olive oil

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, placing racks on their lowest rungs in the oven. In a medium-sized Dutch oven (I use a cast iron Dutch oven which seems to work the best... although a regular aluminum/steel one works fine, too), heat the olive oil on the stove over medium-high heat. Place the short ribs in the Dutch oven with the olive oil, brown on the non-bone sides (about 2 mins. each side). Add all other ingredients to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer.

Once the liquid has started simmering well, cover Dutch oven with lid and transfer to the oven (the rack you place it on should be no more than two rungs from the very bottom of the oven). Bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. The sauce will caramelize around and infuse the meat, so it's not necessary to pour any of the sauce over the meat when serving.

Short ribs are generally quite lean, but keep in mind that almost all of the fat in them cooks out during this braising process, so while 2 1/2 - 3 lbs. sounds like a lot, it'll actually only feed 3 - 4 people (2 if they’re really hungry ;)).

Makes 3 - 4 servings.

Recipe: Garlic Pepper Pork

This dish was inspired by one of my favorite Thai dishes. While not exactly the same as you’d get in a Thai restaurant, this version is still quite tasty. I add asparagus because I think this dish deserves a vegetable and asparagus absorbs the flavors very nicely and gives it a nice balance. If you have green or pink peppercorns around, reduce amounts of black and white pepper to 1/3 tsp. and add 1/3 tsp. of whole green or pink peppercorns to diversify the flavors further.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs. of boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 tbsp. of minced ginger
1 tbsp. of low-salt soy sauce
2/3 tsp. of ground black pepper
2/3 tsp. of ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. of dried basil
1/2 tsp. of ground cumin
8 small dried chile peppers (I use dried ancho chiles)
10 oz. of fresh chopped asparagus (see NOTE if you use frozen)
2 tbsp. of hazelnut or almond oil

Directions:

In a large wok, heat the hazelnut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork to the wok and sautee until the pork is nearly done, about 4 - 6 minutes. Add all of the other ingredients to the wok and continue sauteeing stirring constantly for another 4 - 5 minutes until asparagus is cooked. (NOTE: if using frozen asparagus, you will need to cook another 2 - 3 minutes and add 1/2 tsp. of cornstarch in the last minute to thicken the mixture). Remove from heat and place immediately into a serving dish.

Serves 4.

Recipe: Salmon Caribbeane

OK... I totally made this recipe up last week, but it was so good. I used Coho Salmon because it’s what I had in the freezer, but other types of salmon filets should work just fine.

Ingredients:

2 large salmon filets
1 can (15 oz.) of diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (15 oz.) of black-eyed peas, drained or equivalent portion of frozen (if you wanna take the time to cook up fresh ones or dried ones, be my guest :))
3 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 small can (7 oz.) of black olive pieces, drained OR 2 1/2 tbsp. of black olive tapenade (I prefer to use the tapenade... or you can use half tapenade, half olive pieces)
4 strips of maple-cured bacon, diced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
Ground black pepper
Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat the bottom of a large porcelain baking dish with olive oil. Place salmon filets skin side down into the baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the filets and sprinkle them liberally with pepper.

In a mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients except for the bacon. Mix well and then pour over the top of the salmon smoothing out the mixture. Sprinkle the bacon pieces evenly over the top. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 - 35 minutes until fish is cooked through (will be less time for thin filets). Cut the filets in half and serve over the vegetable mixture from the dish.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe: Drunken Beef

I’ve been to many Chinese restaurants who have “drunken chicken” or “drunken fish” on their menu, and you likely have, too, but this recipe is nothing like that (except for the fact that the recipe does use booze ;)). I derived this from a dish I had when I was in Japan - I know this is not exact, but it’s pretty darn close and really darn good.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. thinly sliced flank steak
1 cup low-salt soy sauce
1 1/2 cup good sake
3 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced ginger
2 tbsp. sugar
1 bunch of chopped scallions (green and white parts)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
2 tbsp. hazelnut oil (or almond oil)

Directions:

Combine soy sauce, sake, 2 tbsp. of the garlic, ginger, sugar, scallions, and cumin into a large bowl. Mix well. Add steak to bowl and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat the hazelnut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the steak from the marinade, the remaining 1 tbsp. of garlic, and the white and black pepper. Stir the steak constantly in the wok to prevent sticking. Once the steak has browned on all sides, add 1/2 cup of the marinade mixture to the wok, lower heat to medium, and continue to cook until most of the liquid has cooked out, stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to serving plate. Serve over sticky white rice.

Serves 4.

Wine Tasting: Mill Creek 2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California

The wine is made from my favorite varietal, Zinfandel, by a mid-sized winery up on the Westside Road near Healdsburg in Sonoma called Mill Creek Winery. The wine is their “2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.” For those of you that don’t know the appellations of Northern California, Dry Creek Valley is known primarily for Zinfandel (and lately its close relative, Syrah). It is known for producing very earthy and bold Zinfandels that are still fruity, but with not quite as much berry taste as the neighboring appellations of Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. This wine is very indicative of the Dry Creek style - very bold, nice fruit, but not over-the-top on the berry flavor with slight hints of smokiness on the nose (that’s the “earthiness” more typical of Dry Creek.). It’s a little bit young for a big California Zin, but it’s still a great drinking wine. Also, I had a glass again today after it had been open overnight and the flavors are even more pronounced and rounded. If you’re a fan of California Zin, then this is a very good one. If you always prefer to pair your wine with food, then you’re going to need some big red meat dishes or earthier poultry dishes like duck or squab to hold up to this one. Mill Creek’s staff also recommends baked/rotisserie chicken or pork chops, which could work, but I think may be a bit too light for the body of this wine.

I do highly recommend almost all of Mill Creek’s wines. I’ve had many wines from them and never been disappointed. So, if your state allows you to accept direct wine shipments, then get your hands on this one before it sells out!

Recommendation: 4 out of 5.

Restaurant Review: Maverick

I have been going to Maverick for quite a long time (an eternity by San Francisco dining standards ;))... my first time was two months after it opened a little more than two years ago and at least once every 4 - 6 weeks since. I can’t help it... I absolutely love the place. It was started by two friends: one, a chef from Cincinnati named Scott Youkilis (yes, he’s the brother of that more famous “Youkilis”) and the other, a self-professed oenophile named Mike Pierce from New Jersey. How these two got to San Francisco I do not know, but I am very glad they did.

The cuisine can be described as “Kentucky meets California by way of the Wild West.” Obviously for a southern boy like me, any restaurant that ventures into the flavors I grew up with is going to at least get some props. But what Mr. Youkilis does with the traditional southern flavors is just consistently so good to me. The only thing that is always on the menu is his fried chicken which is honestly the only fried chicken I can admittedly say I love outside of a) my own and b) my mother’s. The fixin’s underneath it change often (cheesy white corn grits and collard greens are there for winter), but it is just always so good. Their mac ‘n cheese is also one of the best I’ve had and is also one of the menu stalwarts.

I admittedly have been twice over the past several weeks because I had friends visiting from out of town and I love to “show the place off” because everyone I’ve taken there has loved it. As a starter on the first occasion, I had the house-smoked trout salad. It reminded me of a dish I had when I was in Stockholm back in 2006 - slices of perfectly cured fish with fish eggs and creme fraiche over a bed of simple greens. Of course, in Stockholm, they used local salmon - but the preparation was virtually identical. For entree I had the rabbit “three ways” - braised rabbit loin, rabbit leg confit, and rabbit liver served with a sweet potato and turnip hash. I don’t get rabbit that often, but when I do, it’s a treat - and that sir was a treat. As a side I had Scott’s mustard greens. They were cooked very differently than what I grew up with - slightly sauteed in olive oil with cracked red pepper and garlic, but so good (I’m used to boiling the sh*t out of them in salt pork, garlic, and hot sauce... thems good too :)). I skipped dessert ‘cause I was too full!

My next visit was just last week. This time I had the Baltimore crab fluffs in a spicy remoulade sauce. “Why they gotta fly that crab all the way in from Baltimore when we’ve got amazing dungeness crab here” was my first thought. But, then I realized the dungeness would have been too sweet in this particular preparation - so then I got it. For a main course I had the braised short ribs over creamy grits - talk about 100% pure comfort. That was SOOOO good... and so filling I was surprised I had room for dessert! But the second our server said, “there’s a Meyer lemon pie for dessert that’s not on the menu,” I knew I was doomed. For those that know me, I have more of a tart/savory tooth than a sweet tooth and I love anything tart for dessert. Oh, and she had to mention that the pie was made with buttermilk... oy, totally doomed! My friend and I decided to share it. Perfectly creamy and tart, great crust (forgot what it was made out of)... oh, such a lovely end to the meal!

OK... so I think I’ve made it clear that I love this place. If you’re ever in San Francisco, just call me up and I will take you... I promise! Now, on to the wine selection. This wine selection was not made by Maverick, by the way, but is from my own collection here at home that I opened yesterday. I do almost all of my wine shopping by traveling up to Sonoma and Napa so that I can taste the wines. Not only does it allow me to “try before I buy,” I’m also able to get ahold of wines that never show up in the stores or restaurants from small, family-owned producers. I do apologize if you can’t find some of the wines I will talk about on my blog - it just unfortunately sucks that you don’t live here! ;)

Recipe: Teriyaki Steak Burgers

These were just yummy! They are good grilled or pan-seared (I grilled mine) and have lots of flavor. Cut the sriracha amount in half if you can’t take the heat...

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. dry sherry
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sriracha (Vietnamese hot sauce)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 lb. of ground sirloin

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, knead all of the ingredients together evenly. Make 4 equal patties from the mixture and place on wax paper. Heat the grill (or sautee/grill pan) to medium-high heat. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 4 - 5 minutes on each side, turning at least once for each side. Use your spatula to press down on the burgers to flatten them as they cook. Serve on onion rolls with sharp cheddar cheese or whatever condiments you like.

Makes 4 servings.

Restaurant Review: Dosa

I have been wanting to go to this restaurant ever since it opened for two reasons - 1) I love South Indian food as it is much lighter and more veggie-heavy than the more creamy and heavy North Indian food that dominates Indian restaurants here and 2) The reviews from other people I know have been raving. So, my good friend Mistress Paulina picked this for our weekend get together last night.

It was a 45 minute wait (WARNING: they do not accept reservations for fewer than 5 people) and we were surrounded by the people I love to hate - invaders from the Marina. The attitude these people throw make Lady Bunny look like an angel! But I digress...

The wine list is great - lots of selections by the glass, and, as you would expect from a restaurant specializing in spicy food, selections leaned primarily on Pinot Grigios, Sauvignon Blancs, dry Rieslings, Gerwurztramminers, and dry-style Chardonnays. I chose a 2005 Selbach-Oster Riesling (from Mosel Valley in Germany) that was just fabulous. Mistress Paulina had a beer... like she always does...

The pappadum they brought out as a snack was very good... some of the best I ever had. For a starter, I ordered these fried lentil dumplings that came with sambal (spicy lentil soup), tomato chutney, and coconut chutney for dipping. They were quite good... like little sourdough donuts... and the sambal was just divine. I ended up eating all of that stuff even when I ran out of the little donuts. Paulina had little lentil cakes that were stuffed with spinach and cauliflower and also served with the same chutneys. She liked them, although she wished they had more taste of the vegetables than of the lentils.

Now, this place is known for their “dosas” - huge crepes made of lentil flour dough and stuffed with various vegetable ingredients. We actually skipped over the stuffed dosas because their curries looked more interesting. I ordered the baby eggplant in a sesame, peanut, ginger, and onion curry with a side of uttapam for dipping (uttapam is similar to the spongy flatbread you get in Ethiopian restaurants... the lentil flour they use makes it taste like sourdough). Mistress Paulina ordered the peppered chicken curry with a plain dosa on the side for dipping. One thing of note - service here is quick once you get seated, but you don’t feel rushed. Our server was wonderful and timed things perfectly to our mood for the evening.

Both entrees were quite tasty - however, I was expecting to be bowled over given all the raves about the place and the fact that is always difficult to get in there, and I just wasn’t. I was disappointed in the portion size of my eggplant dish - it only had like 5 or 6 baby eggplants in the whole dish and a lot of the curry sauce. Mistress Paulina’s chicken dish was more properly sized. And the uttapam was a bit too sour for my tastes - good, but, Paulina’s dosa would have been the better accompaniment to the dish for my tastes. Also, prepare for spice - the dishes here are quite spicy, as they should be for South Indian cuisine, but it’s not overpowering.

Netting it all out it was a very pleasant meal, very pleasant service, but it just didn’t have the “wow” factor that we both were expecting after all we had heard about it. It was tasty and unique, but, admittedly I wouldn’t choose it again for a weekend meal - I’d wait for a weeknight and go back, and next time try the dosas.

I'm Back!!!

I think I’ve succeeded in re-inventing myself more often than Cher! :) This is the third re-incarnation of this little blog and, as you can tell, I’ve moved to yet another blogging platform - iWeb + .Mac. We’ll see how I end up liking this one.

Anyways, what should you expect from this re-invention of my blog? Well, I have found there are really only two things I enjoy sharing with the internet public - my recipes, restaurants I like, wines I like, music I like, and places I travel. So, that’s what you can expect from this blog. You can say that I’ve gotten a bit bored with politics and the news - although I still have an opinion on such things, I’d rather share the parts of my life that make me genuinely happy and keep me sane. I hope you all will enjoy.

By the way, I’m the little bear in the middle... *giggle* ;)