Suffering Succotash

While we're all suffering the effects of SARS-CoV-2—and I should add that I truly hope you're suffering less than the worst, but I offer sincere compassion for all—I have still been cooking. I started the year with plans for more regular updates here but, yeah... COVID. The biggest change for my cooking is having to limit trips for ingredients, and thus doing meal plans and often making do with what I have. It's become a cheater version of Chopped: Quarantine Edition.

Southern Succotash

"Succotash" comes from a Narragansett word, sohquttahhash or msíckquatash, referring to corn kernels as boiled or broken, and the dish usually includes corn and lima beans. What I made here is a markedly Southern version which incorporates plenty of butter and bacon, plus seasonal homegrown okra, tomatoes, and basil, and I cooked it in that old cast iron skillet I cleaned up from Mississippi.

My mother and I have been (safely and responsibly) sharing ingredients and shopping trips, and we both planted a handful of vegetables and fruits in our yards as well. Her thumb is much greener than mine, but we've both still enjoyed some fresh produce and her okra has been producing very well. So we've been doing a slew of okra dishes with shared ingredients, hence Southern succotash. This wasn't quite the most adventurous so far, but it was super yummy and made for a very pretty picture!

Do You Like Fish Sticks?

This one isn't crazy gourmet, but when I caught it on a weekend cooking show we often watch, I was intrigued with one cook's seemingly obvious concept of elevating fish sticks by essentially making tempura inspired by seared tuna. I also happened to have the perfect side dish for it in mind, too.

Tuna Tempura Fish Sticks and Asian Slaw

The only things that really make this dish elaborate or laborious are the deep frying and the amount of ingredients in the slaw. I ended up blending a lot of ideas instead of just following exactly what I saw on TV. But at the end of the day, we have fresh tuna sliced like fish sticks, battered in a light tempura batter gently flavored with soy sauce, then finished with sesame seeds and flaky sea salt (everything bagel seasoning is a great idea, too). The sauce I made was from the show, which is basically a lemony wasabi-mayo. I liked it okay, but I think next time I'll whip up my go-to spicy tuna sauce or the lime-ginger-soy sauce I use with seared tuna.

This Asian slaw, which is a recipe I've been doing for years, is loaded with veggies like bok choy, napa cabbage, mung bean sprouts, ginger, snow peas, carrots, red bell pepper, etc, all tossed in a sesame-mirin-soy dressing and topped with crispy wontons (freshly fried since I already had oil at 375º).

Even though it's deep fried and the sauce and dressing has high fat content, the whole meal feels light and fresh. I didn't quite achieve a red center in the tuna even though I kept it in the freezer before going to the oil, but it was still tender and moist. I'm not sure how feasible something like emulating seared tuna is when deep frying, but that will be the challenge for next time!

Seafood Stew: Italian

Like my as-yet-unfinished Study in Fried Chicken, I've long wanted to do a study comparing seafood stews because every culture and nationality has (at least) one. I've done a few that I haven't written about here yet, but plan to eventually- Brazilian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, French, etc. But for now, here is:

Italian Seafood Stew

What makes this stew unique is that the squid broth is to die for! Normally, squid is cooked fairly quickly- a couple minutes in the pan, deep fried, or grilled over high heat. This recipe slow cooks the squid with aromatics like onion and fennel before deglazing and fully reducing white wine and then adding puréed tomatoes and oregano. The squid imparts the lovely flavor of the sea, and the cooking method gives its texture a perfect snap without being tough or chewy.

* Funny side story- at the seafood counter, a couple next to me remarked, "Ew, look! They have squid tubes and tentacles!" Immediately after that the fishmonger asked what I wanted and I said, "A pound of squid tubes and tentacles, please." The couple ultimately ordered a bunch of bottom-feeding bivalves, scallops (which I also love).  It was just coincidence, but I laughed inside. Maybe they like "calamari" better ;-)

Anyway, the broth is slow cooked with strips of lemon zest and the whole stew is topped for brightness with a simple parsley and lemon zest gremolata (just a basic lemon and herb topping, often with garlic).

This version also includes mussels, shrimp, and firm white fish. Kara is allergic to clams (and only clams!) so I doubled the mussels and used seafood stock instead of clam juice. I also left just one intact mussel on each plate as garnish and shelled the rest just before serving so the dish didn't have a pile of shells on it requiring bowls just for refuse. I splurged for halibut as the fish component, but with so many flavors here, I think I'll use more affordable cod next time or... SCALLOPS!

Served with a baby kale and spinach side salad with homemade lemon vinaigrette and grilled bread with a compound butter made with roasted garlic to sop up the broth. And that wraps up this version of seafood stew. Hopefully I'll be able to write more about others later and then collect and consolidate my comments across all cultural takes on this popular dish.

Three Cup Lunar New Year

For quite a while now, I’ve kept with the tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year by cooking cuisine from countries that celebrate the holiday. This year we turned to China. After the traditional noodles for longevity and egg rolls for prosperity, the star was San Bei Ji, or Three Cup Chicken. Just as Pound Cake is named for a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, Three Cup Chicken is named for the equal parts of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine that combine to make the sauce.

Three Cup Chicken

The dish interested me in part because I enjoy a history lesson with my cooking. Legend has it that this was first served to Wen Tianxiang, a hero of the Song Dynasty who is still revered today in China as a sign of patriotism and righteousness. After his capture by Kublai Khan’s Yuan army and four years of torture in captivity, a warden took pity on him and used the few available tools and ingredients to serve Wen his last meal before his execution, and San Bei Ji was born.

Traditionally, the three cups of liquids are used to slow cook a whole chicken in a clay pot until the sauce is mostly absorbed and evaporated so the chicken is left sizzling. The version I made trades some of the traditional techniques and textures for convenience, but keeps much of the flavor. Chicken thighs were easier than a whole chicken and I used less sesame oil, adding it at the end, but in keeping with common preparations, I cooked it along with scallions, large slices of ginger and garlic, and most uniquely, wilted leaves of Thai Basil. It’s sweet, salty, umami, and spicy from ginger, but you can add as much red pepper as you want for more heat. Delicious.

Enjoy your Year of the Rat!

Post-Christmas Goose

For years I have wanted to cook the classic Christmas goose, and I finally made it happen! Holiday schedules placed the meal on January 4th, but that's close enough ;-)

Roast Goose with Prune and Apple Stuffing and Red Wine Giblet Gravy

This entire meal was comparable to a full-on Thanksgiving dinner- a three day cooking event. The goose itself was cooked in a manner similar to Peking Duck, which is boiled for just a minute or so to tighten the skin before being left to dry for a day or more, so the skin crisps up when cooked. You know it's done boiling when you see... goosebumps. This was the first bird I ever stuffed and trussed (stitching up with a needle and thread), and in this case the bird was stuffed with apples, ham, bread, plenty of veggies, and prunes soaked in sherry. The gravy consisted of a slow cooked red wine goose stock, more sherry, and minced heart, liver, and gizzard. It was delicious and rich. I would place the flavor of the goose itself, which is all dark meat, somewhere between duck and dark meat turkey. The cooking methods kept the meal balanced, allowing the goose's fat to melt away, just moistening the meat, and being repurposed for stuffing and gravy, so it wasn't too heavy. Duck still holds its #1 place in my heart, but this was fabulous.

I served this with a Wild Mushroom Soup (a favorite simple recipe courtesy of the late Anthony Bourdain), Colcannon, Rosemary-Butter Yeast Rolls, and Broccolini and Swiss Chard with Peas and Seared Lemons. Dessert was a Blueberry Crumble.

Quiche

This dish represents my first hired food job! My sister-in-law, Tori, owns TWO art schools and wanted to thank her support team. What began as a question about where to buy quiches for that thank you became a request for me to make them. I do a lot of work for the schools' flyers, calendars, banners, etc, so I was more than happy to make them some food. Having never cooked it before, I did a test run...

Over the Top Mushroom Quiche
Quiche, a pastry crust filled with egg and cream, is considered French, but original variations date back to Italy and the word is thought to have come from German, "kuchen," meaning cake. The most popular quiche is arguably Quiche Lorraine, which adds lardons (a French version of fatty bacon), but you can put pretty much anything in it that you want. For this project, I'm staying vegetarian so I made a quiche with wild mushrooms from the farmer's market (oyster and white button) and layers of Jarlsberg cheese (similar to Swiss). You can see the layers clearly in the picture. I also made the pie crust myself in a tall springform pan, but I don't know that I'll do that again—it's a pain and I really don't like baking! We happened to be spending the day with our niece, so she was a test subject, but I think it came out very well. We all ate a full serving and I shared leftovers with my mother the next day. It's very rich, but sort of light at the same time, so you feel like you've indulged, but you don't feel heavy after eating it. This particular recipe is deep dish quiche and the star chef who created it insists that quiche has to be several inches high. (I think it might be easier to make AND eat when a little smaller.)

Bánh Xèo

In a perfect example of Vietnamese cuisine as a blend of French and Asian influence, this dish is very similar to a crêpe in concept, but the result is quite different. The batter contains no egg, rice flour is used instead of wheat, throw in some coconut milk, turmeric, scallions, and a lot of oil for cooking, and you get a much crispier, more flavorful thin pancake than the springy French crêpe. Bánh Xèo translates to "sizzling cake" due to the sound it makes when the thin water-based batter hits the hot oil in the pan. It's eaten kind of like a lettuce wrap- you tear off a chunk and wrap it in red leaf lettuce with sprigs of mint, and dip it in a sauce (there is no seasoning in the filling itself).

This is the kind of dish that takes some practice to properly execute; like a crêpe, it's tricky to flip or fold perfectly. I made two versions. My first go was okay and I learned a lot. My second try was better, but still not spot on. I just need experience to nail it.

Bánh Xèo with Vegetables
Vegan AND gluten free! Featuring fried tofu strips, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, cellophane noodles, and mung bean sprouts. Served with a soy-based dipping sauce (yes, there's gluten in soy sauce, but there are easy alternatives- I'm looking at you, tamari).

Bánh Xèo with Shrimp and Pork
This is the more simple, traditional iteration: shrimp, pork, onions, and mung bean sprouts. I served it with a fish sauce-based dipping sauce. As much as I wanted to like the vegan one, I ended up liking this one better, in large part due to the pungent sauce.

As a final note, I'm a stickler for proper pronunciations, and bánh xèo is pronounced like "bon-SAY-oh". With an attempted accent for a Western tongue, it's closer to "bon-SOW" – "bon" rhyming with John and "sow" rhyming with how. No matter what, it's a great dish!

LA Game Day Food

With the Rams in the Super Bowl this year, I decided to cook a Los Angeles style menu. But when I started to ask myself what LA food really is, I realized it's truly a melting pot of dozens of cuisines. The trick became figuring out what makes Japanese sushi, Mexican tacos, Italian sandwiches and pizza, or any other of many international dishes uniquely SoCal. California rolls didn't make the cut because of the time involved and it just didn't fit with the rest of this game day food, but I missed them. Also left out, but considered, were Canter's take on a sandwich similar to a reuben and Philippe's famous French dip. What I made must have been a success though; my favorite compliment came from Jonathan who visited the Left Coast every one of the 13 years I lived there. He said he was "totally reminded of LA." A new item was served every quarter throughout the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history:

Bay Cities Style Poor Boy

Especially if you don't get the works, it's Bay Cities' bread that makes this sandwich unique. I can't duplicate that bread, but I was very proud of nailing my favorite part, their mild pepper dressing. I made that by mixing roasted red bell peppers, sweet cherry peppers, and pepperoncini, finding there should be a lot more red bell pepper than anything else. Otherwise, you just need the classic combo of bologna, cotto salami, and Swiss cheese. The Works includes lettuce, onion, pickles, tomatoes, mustard, and mayonnaise. Love that sandwich. Instant Santa Monica.

Cali Cheesesteak Pizza

I experiment a lot in the kitchen, but almost always following recipes, rarely inventing my own stuff, but this is one dish I lay claim to, inspired by my favorite sandwich (cheesesteak). I use a CA beer like Anchor Steam for my horseradish cheddar beer sauce (the leftover is perfect for fondue) that goes on top of my homemade dough. Then caramelized onions and mushrooms, Anaheim peppers for heat and more SoCal flavor, Monterey Jack cheese, and the common West Coast cut, tri-tip, for the steak. After cooking, it gets a topping of fresh avocados, sourced from California whenever possible. The advent of California-style pizzas like this (as opposed to traditional Italian or Italian-American classics) is attributed to chef Ed LaDou in Berkeley in the 80s before Wolfgang Puck brought the concept to Spago's, and then later, California Pizza Kitchen helped popularize it for the masses.

In N Out Animal Style Sliders

In N Out makes my favorite burger by far and I wouldn't have it any way but their off-menu Animal Style. Animal Style just adds extra grilled onions and special sauce, but it adds so much flavor! (You can order animal style fries, too, when you're really feeling saucy.) In my quest to duplicate their burgers at home, I found a copycat recipe that nails it. The special sauce is similar to thousand island, but when you buy that in a bottle, it's loaded with corn syrup and other junk, so it's better made at home. Most of the rest of it speaks for itself- caramelized onions, processed American cheese, lettuce, and tomato. But the real secret trick that I think makes the beef itself taste perfect is brushing one side of the patty with yellow mustard before flipping. That seals the deal. I wouldn't have moved back to Texas if they hadn't opened In N Outs here, and the best part is that Texans are so obsessed with flavorless Whataburgers, there's never a line at In N Out, whereas you'd be in the drive-thru for 45 minutes at 1am in LA.

Baja Fish Tacos

And finally the taco, a quintessential part of Los Angeles cuisine. I don't think there's an official "LA taco" and everyone from the wealthy in Beverly Hills to the authentic in East LA have their favorite taco stand, truck, restaurant, etc. I went with Baja style because it's geographically close to LA and features fish, like any coastal cuisine should. I cheated on this and used fish sticks because I had enough going on already, but the rest is all from scratch- red cabbage slaw for crunch, pico de gallo and salsa verde for hot and sour, and a little Mexican crema to cool it all off. Served on "street taco" flour tortillas.

Spanish Beef Stew

Catalan-Style Beef Stew with Oyster Mushrooms
In keeping with our interest in Spanish cuisine, I made this stew the other night. Again, it starts with a base of sofrito (slow cooked tomatoes, onions, and spices). For this stew, I used short ribs, which I rarely cook with because it ain't the healthiest cut, just one of the tastiest. I got very well-marbled grass fed beef for this, mmmm.

After braising the beef in white wine along with the sofrito for several hours, I threw in beautiful oyster mushrooms, and then the stew is thickened with picada. Picada is another Spanish staple, especially in Catalonia and Valencia, but one that can vary widely in ingredients. The one I made here contained finely ground toasted almonds, toasted bread, garlic, and parsley. This dish also got a dash of cinnamon which really sets it apart- only 1/4 teaspoon in 6 portions, but it was enough to raise an eyebrow from those it was served to. I may skip that spice next time because it's just too unusual to most American tastebuds in a savory dish. Finally, it was brightened up with a splash of sherry vinegar, also common in Spanish cooking. I am proud of my extensive collection of vinegars, but they each have a use in various dishes, and having just inherited two bottles of good sherry vinegar, the timing for more Spanish food was perfect!

Spanish Pasta

Fideuà
We've found that Kara really enjoys Spanish food, so I've been searching for recipes and am having fun cooking dishes that are new to me and classic to Spain. This is fideuà, or Spanish-Style Toasted Pasta with Shrimp and Mussels. I've heard similar dishes called "fideo" when Mexican (as seen on Beat Bobby Flay), and there are many other variations on the word. What they all have in common is Latin flavors... and pasta.

The story goes that a Spanish cook who worked on a ship tried substituting pasta for rice when making paella because the captain liked rice so much he gobbled it up before the rest of the crew got their portions. The trick worked and the dish ended up being so tasty to everyone else, he recreated it at various ports over the years and it became a classic dish.

It is essentially paella. But instead of rice, thin spaghetti is used, carefully broken into 1" lengths in a dishtowel. The pasta is toasted in a dry pan (with bit of Spanish olive oil) to recreate the sensation of socorrat, the treasured crusty rice at the bottom of a properly made paella. It's flavored with the aromatic base called sofrito—onions, tomatoes, and olive oil, and other varying ingredients. Then I threw in some beautiful large shrimp and a handful of mussels. The flavor is rounded out by smoked paprika, which I've used for years and love, but wow, it requires a deft hand. Try it if you haven't before.

The above pre-plating photo doesn't include the lovely parsley garnish and lemon wedges which should be served alongside, but it looks great in the pan. It was delicious!

A Study in Fried Chicken Part 2: Korean

Fried Chicken with Octo Vinaigrette
This is David Chang's recipe for fried chicken from his book, Momofuku. I was particularly inspired by his episode on fried chicken from Ugly Delicious (we rewatched it as I cooked, and if you haven't seen it, queue up your Netflix!). Anyway, here we have fried chicken with no breading, but the process is still lengthy. A whole chicken is brined in salt and sugar for several hours, then steamed (a technique for cooking chicken (and other foods) that is actually quite delicious and sadly underutilized by the Western world), and then after chilling for a few hours—of course—deep fried. The skin gets crisp, the already-cooked meat is very moist and you don't miss the breading. Here, it's tossed in Chang's "octo vin" which reverses the ratio of a traditional vinaigrette (usually two parts oil to one part vinegar) while showcasing Asian flavors like ginger, soy, and sesame oil.

Since this is a study in fried chicken, I feel a responsibility to compare, and I have to say that Morimoto's Japanese fried chicken is my favorite so far, but this Korean take was also stunning. I served four people and we all loved it, and I'd be happy to make it again. More than anything, it proves that it's hard to go wrong with fried chicken!

Cherry Tomato Salad with Soft Tofu + Shiso
Another David Chang recipe—this one, declared by Jean-Georges Vongerichten as one of Chang's best dishes—is a spin on a traditional Caprese salad. Instead of mozzarella there's silken tofu, instead of basil, it's shiso leaf (one of my favorite herbs and hard to find in East Dallas), and it's all tossed in Sherry vinegar, soy, and sesame oil. Half of the tomatoes are painstakingly blanched and peeled, the other half completely raw for texture. I absolutely loved this dish and found it incredibly refreshing, but not only do you have to love tomatoes, you have to be open to tofu, be comfortable with top shelf vinegar, and enjoy the unique flavor of shiso.

Ramen Noodles + Pork Taré
The final part of this meal had to inevitably be ramen. I half-cheated by buying really good refrigerated noodles and used their pre-made taré (a versatile sauce used to flavor many Japanese dishes, from yakitori chicken to ramen—sake, mirin, and soy). But I learned a lesson about how important the broth is, not only for flavor, but most importantly for texture and serving. I've successfully made serious ramen dishes that took days to prepare, so I have an idea of what I'm doing. But I tried to serve ramen noodles with almost no broth and it was weak. It was still a nice subtle component to the meal and I'd do it again too, just a little differently.

A Study in Fried Chicken Part 1: Japanese

This is the first entry of a theme. I do not fry very often because it's not particularly healthy and it's quite messy, but it is also an undeniably delicious way to cook food. I've noticed almost every cookbook I own across many cuisines have recipes for fried chicken, and I've decided to try out a variety of them. There will be more.

Japanese-Style Fried Chicken with Scallion Sauce (Kara Age)
From Morimoto's recipe, this is light and subtle yet complex—exactly what you'd expect from Japanese fried chicken.  This is not to be confused with tempura. Here, small cuts of chicken thighs marinate in eggs seasoned with soy, sake, ginger, and garlic. That's where all the flavor comes from. It goes from there to a quick coating of nothing but cornstarch (keeps it light) and then straight to the oil. Served with a dipping sauce made of soy, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, scallions, and shiso leaf (if you haven't had shiso leaves and like herbs like mint or cilantro, they're very unique and I urge you to give them a try if you can find them; usually in Asian grocery stores). Here, I served it ichiju sansai style: protein, veg, rice, and a soup. I made miso soup with mussels, Brussels sprouts and maitake mushrooms stir-fry, plus fried shishito peppers for fun since they were fresh in season and I already had the oil going.

Bastille Day Niçoise

To celebrate la Fête nationale, the French holiday we call Bastille Day, which honors a major turning point in the Revolution on July 14th, I put a slightly heretical spin on a couple of traditional French dishes...

Hot Salade Niçoise
A traditional salade niçoise was considered lower class fare from its advent in the late 1800s, and consisted of tomatoes, anchovies, and olive oil. Today it has expanded to encompass all kinds of riffs that various chefs either admire or abhor depending on how they view traditional respect or contemporary homage, yet they all share some very familiar flavors. My version, here, has been adapted to Kara's and my own tastes. Tomatoes, haricots verts, yellow bell peppers, crumbled new potatoes, torn basil leaves, and capers in place of the more traditional niçoise olives—all roasted—beneath seared tuna topped with a runny egg and drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette. Served hot. Delicious, especially as the last bites are just the remnants of the dressing and egg yolk, thickened with potato bits, and spiced up with a few remaining capers. If you take note of the blue, white, and red table setting, you can almost hear La Marseillaise. ;-)

Blueberry Soufflé
This is not a proper soufflé and it doesn't look like it either. But it tasted good and happened to be fairly healthy as well. Whipped egg whites, sugar, and plenty of blueberry compote (fruit cooked down in sugary syrup), topped with toasted almonds. It's served on one of our hand-painted plates with the company stamp from Rise, a local restaurant that specializes in soufflés and French cuisine.

Onwards and Upwards

Welcome to the new blog! I intentionally made a little experimental dish for the launch. Nothing too fancy, but something that I'd hoped would be picture-worthy. If you're new here, be sure to read the About page and explore the archives. Without further ado...

Scallop Rosettes with Avocado and Creamed Tandoori Chayote
I love, love, love my plain seared scallops with just a little butter and lemon, and Kara loves them even more, but I wanted something different. When I stumbled across a recipe with my new favorite vegetable-like fruit, chayote, I had to go for it (though the recipe was truly rewritten with chayote standing in for the harder to find hearts of palm). I made my own tandoori seasoning from spices like ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, etc. Tandoor actually refers to a type of oven that is usually a large cylindrical shape, and it's a blast to watch the popular flatbread, naan, cooked in them—the dough is just flung against the side, suspended vertically, until it's cooked. Yum. Anyway, the spice we call tandoori can vary quite a bit (just like curry and various other Indian spice blends) and many versions have additional warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, but I stuck to more savory flavors for this. There's a dollop of avocado-tomatillo and lime puree in the center of the dish to cool the spicy Indian flavors, and the red garnish is slivers of pickled cherry peppers. The scallops are sliced along the equator and simply baked, no seasonings needed. A fun and delicious dish based on a protein we eat as often as we can afford in this house.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms with Rosemary Breadcrumbs
Since I was taking a risk with Kara's absolute favorite seafood, I made something a little more predictable I knew she'd love. While these mushrooms roasted in the oven, I fried rosemary from our garden in some olive oil until it got nice and crispy and then it was tossed with panko toasted in the remaining oil, which all goes on top of the goat cheese stuffed in the 'shrooms when they come out. A nice little appetizer that definitely served its purpose.

I hope to see all my old audience back and ideally this blog finds its way to a few new eyes and curious taste buds as well. Here's to more culinary adventures!

Super Seasonal

I’ve literally been waiting to pull this one off for over a month because so many of the ingredients only overlap in availability for a window of just a few weeks. This is a rare occasion for my waist-line and my wallet. It’s a bit lengthy, but if you’re a foodie, you might enjoy reading what’s below.

 

Beer-Battered Soft-Shell Crabs with Spring Vegetables, Benne, and Soft Fried Duck Egg

There is a LOT going on here, but the star is the soft-shell crab. A soft-shell crab is a crab that is molting and has just shed its hard shell, so you just eat the whole thing (ideally after cleaning it a bit, most often served fried). They are plentiful for the few months that they exist and then they are gone. A true delicacy. In the US, we eat the blue crab and Wikipedia will tell you it’s available from April to September, but my boy Shane at Central Market can only get the hook up from about June through July. In addition, this dish features a pistou (a Provençal sauce similar to a pesto, less the pine nuts, and no basil here) made from pea shoots, also pretty seasonal. There is a bed of veggies under the crab (not totally visible in the picture), including English peas, leaves of garlic scapes (blooming garlic) from the farmer’s market standing in for ramps (low country wild onions) which I could not find, and morel mushrooms which are very difficult to find fresh and go for $60/lb. While at the farmer’s market—just because I could—I picked up duck eggs, so that’s the runny egg on top- even more richness. The batter for the crab contains benne seeds (a low country version of sesame seeds) and the beer I used is Shiner Blonde from Texas. I fried the crabs in a dutch oven outside on my grill so that the house wouldn’t smell sickeningly awesome for the next several days. The dish was delicious, the fry and batter was light like tempura, the veggies were flavorful, the morels remarkable—though the garlic leaves were a bit fibrous. I look forward to continuing to take advantage of soft-shell crabs while they’re around.

Benne-Buttermilk Rolls

Pretty much speaks for itself. Buttermilk rolls sprinkled with fleur de sel and benne seeds cooked in a cast iron skillet. Great way to start a meal. Fresh baked bread- hello?! Kara requested I brush them with melted butter and I think her instincts were right.

Raspberry Lime Sorbet

Dessert to finish us off. Again, not much to say here, but also seasonal, and even after making all of the above, because of freezing times, this thing had to be started several hours before everything else (days, if you count freezing the ice cream maker)!

Mrom's Korean Pickles (with Chayote)

(That’s not a typo in the title, it’s a friend’s nickname for her mother.)

Most of you guys know I love pickles and olives and the like, and it’s almost that time that I start snatching up fresh cucumbers and okra at the farmer’s market to quick-pickle and snack on literally any hour of the day.

Here’s a Korean recipe by Ms. Sunny Kim, mother of my favorite stylist, Christina Kim (Solver, RWJ commercials). It’s faster and simpler than what I usually do (no boiling involved) and embraces the Asian flavors you know I love. I’ve done some Japanese quick pickles that I wasn’t a fan of before, but I like these a lot. Essentially it’s veggies marinated overnight in the right balance of soy, vinegar and sugar, though Christina likes exploring a few of her own twists. Hit me up or look up blinkblink_chewchew on Instagram for more. The veggies that come recommended are carrots, celery, cauliflower, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, jalapeños, and… CHAYOTE.

Chayote may be one of my new favorite veggies, but I have yet to explore it much, so I’m excited—it’s like a new present I just opened. I liken it to a very vegetal tasting version of a cucumber or zucchini if there were no mushy seeds in the middle, just firm flesh. Others compare it to everything from apples to celery to jicama. Good flavor, but the texture is what makes it really shine. Anyway, it’s great raw OR cooked and I can’t wait to do more with it. In the meantime, I have this huge jar of what is basically Korean giardiniera to throw on top of my noodles or rice (or to snack on at midnight).

Ugly Delicious

I highly recommend the Netflix series, Ugly Delicious. Each episode is about 40-50 minutes long and features an exploration of a different food- pizza, tacos, BBQ, etc. In particular, I found the episodes on fried rice and fried chicken to be especially interesting and thought provoking.

If you like the sarcasm of Anthony Bourdain, you’ll probably enjoy this series hosted by David Chang. If you don’t already know his name, you may recall it from a prior food email; I cooked from his book, Momofuku, for our Korean themed Super Bowl party a couple years ago. His attitude on camera is the same as in his cookbook and he doesn’t mind dropping a few cuss words, which I enjoy. I hope you find time to check it out.

Making a Run for the Border

This year, I took the same approach to celebrating Cinco de Mayo as I did in the last email I sent about it, which was in 2016. That one included all the history and how the holiday is really celebrated much more here than in Mexico. So I made Tex-Mex with careful attention to authenticity.

This year I took it further by recreating items you can find on Taco Bell’s menu, only made from fresh ingredients and virtually all components from scratch. After FIVE HOURS in the kitchen, we had...

Crunchwrap Supreme®

For the uninitiated, this is a large flour tortilla wrapped around Taco Bell’s usual fillings and a crunchy tostada. You start with the tortilla, then a layer of seasoned beef, then cheese sauce, the tostada, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and finally a small tortilla to fill the whole that the large one will leave when you fold it up with pleats around the whole monstrosity. Mine came out about twice the size as Taco Bell’s at infinitely higher quality. A couple of the highlights to these components were…

Seasoned Beef- I used 92% organic lean beef and a custom blend of seasonings. Very tasty. Same Taco Bell effect, 10x the flavor and much healthier.

Cheese Sauce- This was the experimental star of the dish and my first foray into molecular gastronomy (using the scientific application of certain ingredients and techniques to alter the physical and chemical properties of food). In this case, I used sodium citrate to emulsify fresh cheddar and Gruère with water to create the  super creamy texture you experience from something like Velveeta. Only this is actually made from nothing but real cheese and a tablespoon of some perfectly edible powder that works scientific magic. For some reason a few people who I told about this thought it sounded scary and would prefer to eat Velveeta (which has NO real cheese in it but DOES have sodium citrate in it). Anyway, it was a hit and it served as queso for chips as well.

Refried Beans

I made these from dry black beans, cooking for hours with a ham hock and then half-mashed with a sofrito (classic sauce made from of fresh vegetables and spices). Very much worth the effort. Lightyears away from Taco Bell’s offering.

Mexican Rice

Not as labor intensive as the beans, but still fairly complex. I charred and then puréed a bunch of vegetables and tomatoes, fried the rice a little (technically making it a pilaf), then mixed it all together and added some broth and finished it in the oven.

Guacamole

Nothing particularly special here, it’s not too challenging to make incredibly tasty homemade guacamole, but this was very very good.

Smoky Red Salsa

Kara and I actually both like Taco Bell mild sauce and manage to keep a stash of packets in the fridge. I wanted something reminiscent but more complex. This features toasted guajillo chiles, fire roasted tomatoes, and a handful of Mexican spices. I started with a recipe, but then continued to add additional seasonings, sweeteners, and vinegar, etc, until I found the flavor I was looking for.

Virgin Margaritas (not on Taco Bell’s Menu, but necessary)

Where’s the fun, right? Well apparently, there’s a placebo effect, because everyone was sleepy, slurring speech, and dancing to embarrassing music with Gatsby by the end of the night. Basically made with frozen limeade and fresh juice from oranges, lemons, and limes. I rimmed the glasses with fleur de sel (expensive flaky French salt) because that’s what I had on hand and I’m fancy like that.

Here’s Kara’s Cinco de Mayo table setting, including the guacamole in a real (heavy) molcajete.

 

Japanese

Though I’ve been cooking plenty, I haven’t done a food email in a long time. I also keep intending to set up a blog for this but constantly get sidetracked. Anyway, here’s the food email I know you’ve all been absolutely dying for:

I’ve enjoyed cooking as far back as I can remember; my first cookbook was a gift at the age of 5 or so, and I was the only teen I know of in high school that cooked dinner for their prom date instead of going to a trendy restaurant. Years later, Japanese was the cuisine that made me get serious. The first high end cookbook I opened was “Practical Japanese Cooking Made Easy and Elegant” gifted to me by Kara. Many sushi rolls and dozens of cookbooks later, I still love the cuisine. I gravitate toward Asian flavors and I’ve branched out specifically to Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, and some Chinese, but Japanese is still where my heart is.

This is a collection from the past few months with my latest favorite cookbook, “Mastering the Art of Japanese Cooking” by Morimoto. One particularly interesting thing he explains in the book is that most Japanese follow the principles of ichiju sansai which translates to “one soup and three dishes.” I tried to include a soup with every meal if the main course wasn’t already similar.

Also, of note when discussing Japanese cuisine, is dashi. This is the broth that builds the base in as many dishes as chicken broth does in Western cooking, but it’s much simpler to make and more delicate—yet equally complex—in flavor. It’s really just seaweed (kombu) steeped in water, and then usually adds bonito flakes, which is essentially dried and smoky tuna shavings (removed before serving). It takes minutes to make, and even in the U.S. the ingredients aren’t too hard to find.

Shrimp Shumai, Miso Soup, Ingen No Goma Ae (Green Beans with Sesame Dressing), and Ginger Rice

I have a handful of shumai recipes on standby and these are really good, but here, making a miso soup from scratch really is worth it- that’s the stand out. Neither Kara or myself were fans of the very sweet room-temp green beans though.

Kaisen Yaki Udon (Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with Seafood)

Thick noodles, shrimp, squid, mussels, snow peas, and shiitake mushrooms in a broth with typical Japanese flavors like sake and soy sauce. Can’t go wrong.

Shrimp and Scallops with Lemony Soy, Karashi Ae (Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms with Mustard Dressing), and Ginger Rice

Kara LOVES Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and mustard, so not only was that a no brainer recipe to try, I enjoy the coincidence that the Japanese name for the dish has her name in it, phonetically, at least. The “lemony soy” marinade is not from Morimoto and the ginger rice is an old simple standby inspired by Vongerichten.

Tamago Supu (Japanese Egg Drop Soup), Sake Shioyaki (Salt-Grilled Salmon), and Yasai Itame (Stir-Fried Vegetables)

Everything I love about Japanese cooking here. Quality ingredients treated simply and with love. The salmon is rubbed with LOTS of salt, rests for an hour, rinsed, and is then grilled or broiled. The salt brings out the flavor beautifully.

Nikujaga- Japanese Beef Stew, and Crispy Asian Brussels Sprouts (not Morimoto)

I was really excited to try this recipe, as Morimoto relays memories of trying his first pot roast in America and wondering where the flavor is. I have to admit, we must have different tastebuds here. I found this dish to be delicious, but its delicate balance of salty and sweet, and carefully chosen variety of textures (including shirataki noodles, made from yam) just can’t be described as a stronger flavor than a good old Western pot roast, Texan, French, or otherwise.

Food and Photography

I haven’t sent out a food email in quite a while, though I’ve been cooking plenty and just haven’t gotten around to writing anything up yet. In the meantime, here’s a very interesting article about photography’s influence on food and vice versa. It’s long and is mainly a history lesson, but I found it to be fascinating and at least worth skimming for my foodie friends. Enjoy.

http://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/40-photographs-moments-changed-way-we-eat