Super Rich Mac and Cheese

Let me tell you a story. A few weeks ago, my friend Lara and I set out to cook something simple and delicious. Immediately mac and cheese came to mind. Of course--mac and cheese, comforting and easy. Except only the EZ is easy. We were deceived. Mac and cheese, unlike the Annie's packaged version that so many college students (including myself) depend on for their survival during desperate times, is not simple at all. No, it is actually kind of...complicated?

Shoddy attempt at breadcrumbs, but everything else looks yum.

Ok the whole thing isn't complicated. Lara might say the cheese grating part is since she spent the better part of 30 minutes grating two blocks of Cheddar and Pecorino Romano into shreds. But we mainly ran into trouble when, after heating butter with flour, we added the heated milk and it congealed into a hot brown mess. I thought we had failed, but ALAS! that was just a natural step on the way to cream-land. The moral is, don't despair. Cream sauce is made out of unhealthy amounts of unhealthy things and for a moment there, it might also look unhealthy. But keep stirring, and it will be delicious in the end. And unhealthy.

Everything is better with bacon.

In the end, it turned out pretty well. The combination of cheese was very good--definitely rich but in exactly the way we wanted it to be. And of course we added bacon just because. We thought we would never be able to finish the whole thing, but with the trusty aid of my roommate and another friend we finished a whole casserole dish of very rich mac and cheese. We must have done something right...

We adapted a recipe from Smitten Kitchen, who in turn adapted it from Martha Stewart. We used Pecorino Romano instead of Gruyere because it was cheaper, and shell pasta because we couldn't find elbow macaroni. We also added bacon. We didn't exactly follow procedure with the breadcrumbs so that may be why it looks weird. Here is the original recipe:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.<

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

Enjoy!
Nosher

Pinche Taqueria

Pinche is where it's at. I would say I've been eating there an average of once a week, now that my internship puts me at less than five blocks away from the Nolita location and I am always hungry when I leave. From work, I walk right past La Esquina and snicker at all the people eating inside who think they are having the best tacos, not from taste, but from hype. I was once one of those people. Now I know that, yes the tortas are pretty great there, and I enjoy myself a good ol' cup of black beans topped with salsa and queso fresca for $2 once in a while, but if I'm jonesing for some authentic tacos of the Mexican-by-way-of-SoCal variety (which is practically comfort food for me as you know), I will go to Pinche.

Pinche's tacos are the perfect size and composition--a small tortilla topped with meat, onions, cilantro and a little guacamole. Guacamole isn't typical but Pinche's doesn't offend me--it is light and airy and has the acidity of a fresh squeezed lime slice. Don't worry, if you want more, there is a whole bowl of limes at the counter. Pinche also has a never-ending supply of red and green salsa for the taking. The price isn't bad either. The best tacos I've had in LA (see my post on Yuca's here) are $2.00--I'll pay an extra 50 cents each to have a taste of home transplanted into New York.

Carnitas on the left, fish on the right

My go-to is the carnitas taco--shredded braised pork that is moist and mostly soft save for the few bits of crunchy skin that add a welcome texture. Lately I've also been a big fan of the fish taco, which is perfectly cooked--the breading holds the filet together but isn't tough to bite into--and garnished with the house guac, cabbage and the obligatory white sauce.

I also love how kitschy the place is, yet it still somehow feels welcoming. Another plus: I don't feel weird eating there alone. Actually, its quite relaxing. Especially since they serve five different varieties of  Mexican beer...

What can I say, I love this place. I also find it telling that an old friend whom I hadn't seen too long of a time walked into Pinche while I was there just the other day. It was perhaps the most appropriate place to run into someone who shares my strong affinity for SoCal tacos.

Pinche is the real deal.

Pinche Taqueria
227 Mott St. & 333 Lafayette St.
NYC

Lot's more posts to catch up on...keep checking in
Nosher

Pio Pio

I've recently been holed up in my room nursing a bad cold, but I feel bad for not posting in over a week so I'm going to do the noble/lazy thing and link to a review I wrote for my school's official blog.

Check out Pio Pio, it's a great Peruvian rotisserie chicken joint on the upper, upper west side.

photo: Gothamist.com

Read the review here

Pio Pio has multiple locations throughout NYC

sniffle,

Nosher

Minca

It's getting chilly! Which means I'm entering my soup phase...I swear somtimes I will have soup for lunch and dinner several times a week when it's cold outside. There are a few great markets around Morningside Heights which make this possible. But I just got a wonderful package in the mail from my mom with an immersion blender in it--which means I can finally make my own soups! And dips, and smoothies, and...I'm so excited! I have no microwave, no cuisinart, no toaster oven, but I do have an immersion blender? One step at a time until I get out of college kitchens...

One of the soup varieties I love in fall and winter weather is ramen. There are tons of ramen shops popping up all over the city, all competing for title of most authentic or richest, porkiest broth. I'll have to try a ton more to be a true judge, but I like to think I know when something tastes really good, good enough to blog about at least. Minca was really good.

Minca is an intimate place with an open kitchen on the Lower East Side--it kind of feels like you're eating out of someone's home. The menu is pretty straightforward, with some appetizers and then an abundance of ramen choices, centered on different kinds of broth and noodles. I like the fact that you can make youre own combinations, though at the same time I'd like to be able to trust in the restuarant's combination and go an authentic route. The choice was easy for me--bring on the pork! But for those who want something lighter, there are chicken based broths, or vegetarian options. You can also choose a miso or soy-based broth as well--basically, any kind of ramen you want, you can get.

I chose the basic pork broth ramen, which comes with slices of pork, fermented egg, nori, and slices of wild mushrooms. When it arrived the bowl smelled so rich and earthy.

The broth had all those components that a nice strong pork broth should--the saltiness and the rich, meaty tinge to it. I like my ramen to be like an asian beef stew. This ramen was also distinctly garlic and onion flavored, which I liked. The mushrooms were also really nice because they not only added flavor but a crunchy texture which complimented the soft noodles.

I also ordered a side of kimchee, half of which I ended up pouring into my soup. I've had kimchee ramen before and loved it, but I wanted to try the ramen as is beforehand and add it in to my liking. I was tempted to order a spicy version of my ramen but I withheld, because I didn't know just how spicy it would be. I'm glad I did because then I was able to add my own amount of spice with the kimchee--with the pickled cabbage flavor as well. It was a great combo.

My friend ordered the spicy basic ramen, which was also really good, but a little too spicy to eat a whole bowl of that night. It just depends on my mood. Her ramen came with corn, which was an interesting addition I hadn't seen before. But it was a welcome addition.

My meal seemed steep at $9.50 for the ramen and a bowl of kimchee for $4.50, but since the bowls are HUGE (you could easily share one), I only ate half and took the rest home. So in reality, two full meals for $7 each isn't that bad.

All in all Minca is a great ramen find.

Minca
536 East 5th Street
Between Ave A and B
NYC 10009

(Another location with the same menu, called Kambi, is located at 351 East 14th St, between 1st and 2nd Ave.)

Later,

Nosher

Billy's Bakery

The other day my friend James took me to Billy's Bakery after we visited some galleries in Chelsea. Damn James! Now I will never be able to resist a giant slice of cake in the middle of the day next time I'm down there (which is often for an art history major).

The bakery is a slice of small town charm transported to the middle of New York. It feels like you've stepped into another world--a great world that smells like butter and frosting and cake batter! It's got a charming vintage feel, with floral wall paper and old signs hung on the yellow brick walls.

I ordered a slice of carrot cake before I noticed there was a cupcake version...whoops. It was a huge slice!

But so delicious. The cake was really moist and the frosting not overly sweet or cream cheese-y. They also sell these small bottles of local Ronnybrook milk in whole, skim, or chocolate. And it comes with a good deal: a slice + a bottle of milk for $6. The same goes for the cupcakes for $4.

James got a vanilla cupcake with buttermilk frosting. It was beautiful!

I like these cupcakes much better than Magnolia's (gasp!). Theirs are just way too sweet and buttery, and I can barely even finish a single one. Billy's cupcakes balance the sweetness well, with just the right amount of comfort but not to the point where you're regretting indulging after you take the first bite.

Next time I want to order a cake or some sweets for a birthday or another occaision, I'm definitely going to order from Billy's.

Billy's Bakery
184 Ninth Avenue (Chelsea)
&
75 Franklin Street (Tribeca)


Nosher

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breast

I am still learning how to grocery shop. Shopping for one is the hardest thing ever; something I was planning on cooking tomorrow always goes bad yesterday. Most of the time when I look into the depths of my fridge to find a magical combination of ingredients that will allow me to make something edible other than packaged risotto (they do have good ones, by the way...I've just eaten way to much of it), I cave and end up not cooking at all.


But sometimes, the food gods look down upon you and you just happen to have all the ingredients just staring at you in the face, shouting "combine me into something delicious, please!!" Well, I just happened to have a chicken breast, some pesto, and some prosciutto lying around.

This recipe is so easy. There are only three ingredients involved, assuming you don't make your own pesto (I'm asking for a food processor for Christmas). And I swear it tasted better than it looks in this photograph...I have yet to master food photography..

That's the breast cut in half--you want the prosciutto to be slightly crispy on the outside, the chicken to be moist, and the pesto to ooze out of the center.

Take your boneless skinless chicken breast, and slice it sideways through the center, but not all the way through, so it's like an open book. Spoon some pesto into the crevice, a good amount but not too much that it all squeezes out when you close the chicken. Season the breast with salt and pepper and whatever other fresh herbs you like. Lay several pieces of prosciutto down vertically next to one another, so their sides are slightly overlapping. Lay the breast down on top of the prosciutto and wrap the prosciutto around the breast. The ends of the prosciutto should meet and seal around the chicken.

Heat some oil in a pan over medium head and place the breast in the pan, browning on each side, 3-4 min. Make sure to place the side with the prosciutto ends down first, so that it seals quickly. Ideally use a pan that is safe in the oven also--I dont have this so I just transferred the chicken to a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, making sure to keep some oil on the breast. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 15-20 min or until chicken is cooked through. If you do have a temperature thermometer, the chicken should be 160 deg F in the middle.

Let set for a minute or two before cutting so the juices don't run out. This can be prepared many different ways, I just made it this way because it's what I had handy. A good alternative would be a Florentine version with a spinach and ricotta stuffing. Or you don't have to stuff the chicken at all. If I did it over again, I would either use less prosciutto or have it sliced thinner. For some reason the guy at the grocery store had no idea what I meant when I asked for prosciutto and then proceeded to slice it pretty thick. Several very thin slices will cook nicer than a few thicker ones.

I have a lot of posts to catch up on, including Billy's bakery in Chelsea and some yummy ramen in the Lower East Side. Soon!

Nosher

Providence Chocolates

Right before I came back to school my parents celebrated their 29th Wedding anniversary at Michael Cimarusti's two-star Michelin restaurant Providence. I've never been but my parents have and they rave about it--just a fantastic dining experience every time. They brought home a box of chocolates that were too beautiful not to share. My sister and I devoured them too fast for how pretty they were, but I managed to snap a few pictures first.

Even the box was beautiful:

And the 12 mini works of art:
The flavors were very unconventional and exciting. Some of my favorite chocolates are those with tea-infused ganache--flavors like jasmine, earl gray and darjeeling work so well with dark chocolate--but these pushed the boundaries a little bit more. My favorites were the chocolates that incorporated spices (we know this works from Mexican staples like molé), like the Dark Chocolate Baharat with cinnamon, pepper and chilies (bottom right corner) or the Milk Chocolate Coffee Urfa with Turkish urfa chili (bottom left corner). Some of the fruitier chocolates were interesting as well, even though they're not usually my preference--there was a Kalamansi (tropical lime) Mint White Chocolate (top row, second from left), and an Apricot Saffron White Chocolate (top left corner), both great combos.

I have to apologize for this post being merely mouthwatering eye-candy without any immediate satisfaction of being able to order it/going there to eat (Michelin star = $$$), but keep a look out for similar flavor combos next time you're fiending for chocolate.

NOSHER

Indulgences

Okay, I know this really fancy shmancy, especially for dorm life, but I can't get enough of truffle butter. It's not my fault! Blame my mom! But really, it's the best.

Today I cooked my eggs with truffle butter. I should probably be using it for more elaborate meals, but I went to Whole Foods yesterday and am still in that over-excited, fridge stuffed with lots of new goodies phase. I couldn't resist.


I bought small container yesterday manufactured by Wild Forest Farms and I like it a lot. They use white truffles and it cost $7, which for truffles seems like a bargain. It is certainly way cheaper than buying whole truffles, and when every bite is infused with truffle flavor, it doesn't seem to matter anyways. It's just so good. Wild Forest also sells a lot of other truffle based products on their website (linked above). Another kind that I have used in the past and is also widely available is D'Artagnan Black Truffle Butter, which also costs $7. If you use your butter wisely and sparingly, you can get a lot of use out of it and it will last quite a while--just dont forget to really indulge once and a while and spread it on your toast.

Nosher

Asian Sandwiches

You can take the girl out of Asia, but you can't take the Asia out of the girl. Only in New York City can you find such a plethora of foreign flavor combinations that are making the until recently lesser known street foods of Southeast Asia accessible to just about everyone.

Lately I've been on such a sandwich kick, and here are a few of my finds:

I stopped by Xie Xie (pronounced shuh shuh), last week to try my hand at this new trend. All the sandwiches looked great and I couldn't decide which one to get, so I asked the owner, Angelo Sosa, who was behind the counter making the sandwiches, which his favorite was. He guided me in the right direction with the shredded braised chicken sandwich with smoked egg salad, cilantro, and picked onions.

The chicken was slow cooked to perfection and retained a ton of its juices, so it naturally went well with the generous amount of pickled vegetables. I love it when a good sandwich contrasts both flavors and textures--the deep, rich flavor of slow cooked meat with the vibrant and sour crunch of picked vegetables.

My friend had the Vietnamese bbq beef sandwich with basil mayo and carrot kimchee. While tasty, it wasn't as rich in flavor as the chicken was; the beef was a little dry and the carrots weren't really kimchee-d at all, but the basil mayo was a nice touch.

I would love to go back and try the Asian Lobster roll with kewpie mayo and tarragon crispy shallots, but I was a little short on change the first time around. The sandwich I got was $8.50--a little pricey but in my opinion, worth it.

Sosa also stocks up on some unusual beers and will recommend some combinations for you. My boyfriend tried the Lighthouse Ale with the "100 year old" Ice Cream Sandwich--a thick block of vanilla ice cream surrounding black caramel in between two thin and chewy chocolate cookies. Yum.

Xie Xie
645 9th Ave at 45th St
New York, NY 10036


More recently, I went on a Banh Mi excursion with my friend Adam. He took me to Baoguette/Pho Sure on Christopher Street. While there seemed to be a lot of tasty and authentic options on the menu, many of which I had just had in Vietnam, my choice was easy--classic, please.I think I had a banh mi sandwich every day in Vietnam, yet it still hasn't deterred me from eating some more. All the ingredients and flavors were spot on, and it definitely had a kick to it--Adam had already warned me that "medium" spicy actually means really hot, so I went with the mild and it was still spicy, but not in an overwhelming way. And at $5, it was pretty cheap for the size--I couldn't finish. Definitely not the dollar I paid in Vietnam, but in NYC it's a great price. I did have one major qualm though--their ingredient distribution is way off! Distribution is key!! They stacked all the components of the sandwich horizontally in the roll instead of vertically, which meant that I could only ever get a bite with everything on it in the middle of the sandwich, and to get to the middle I would have to have two very uneven bites on the sides first--all picked vegetable/cilantro or all pork. Banh mi is really a revelation because of the combination of components in between the bread, and doesn't work as much for me when the ingredients are separated. For someone who takes sandwich making very seriously, this was a big no-no. But alas, if you're not so much of a stickler, I would say go for it anyways. It was still substantially satisfying at the end of the day. I will have to keep exploring, though.

Baoguette/Pho Sure
Various locations
NYC


Nosher

Highlights from SE Asia, or, Mostly Pork

Sorry for the delay, but moving into college yet again is quite time consuming. Although it's pretty nice to come back to a roomate heavily armed with fridge magnets for our daunting grocery lists and magazine clippings of impending bacon excursions. I already have a few blog posts lined up from the city.

But this must come first: a round up of the best of my food adventures from SE Asia. And for lack of imagination, in chronological order.

THIS was the first thing I ate upon arriving in Asia:GOOSE. With BBQ Pork hidden underneath there. I actually flew into Hong Kong, and a friend of mine from school took me to Yung Kee Restaurant in Central, which is apparently one of the most authentic and oldest dim sum restaurants in the city. It tasted a lot like Peking Duck, but was inexplicably better. The key is the crispy skin. MMMmmm.

Novelty is the tastiest; this was my first meal in Thailand: Josie and I stumbled upon a small place our first morning, and we lucked out. The lone woman working at the cafe couldnt cook both of our orders at once, so she cooked mine first, served me, and then went back to cook Josie's dish. True home cooking. This is fried rice with pineapple, pork, baby corn, onion, and bell peppers. A simple dish that tasted infinitely more authentic and delicious in its native environment.

The Sunday market in Chiang Mai had a wealth of amazing street food. My friend Liz got this roast pig's feet served over rice with a vinegar dressing poured on top-- The meat was so juicy and melted in your mouth. I got some fried quail eggs, miniature eggs cooked in this big circular pan with a dozen half circle inlets. They're served with pepper and soy sauce. Soy sauce is actually really good with eggs. Try it at home with regular eggs and eat with toast slathered with coconut jam. This is how they serve it at Street in LA.

There were so many choices at Quan An Ngon in Saigon that Josie and I had to go there twice. It's an established restaurant but all of the owner's favorite street vendors line rim of the seating area, preparing their one signature dish. My single favorite dish from here was the Nom Quan Ngon, or pork salad with cucumber and bean sprouts, with rice cakes and two different sauces (a fish/vinegar sauce and a chili sauce):

But the real street food was even better in Saigon. We ate at the market near our hotel every morning and other various markets elsewhere for most of our other meals, choosing our eats mainly by seeing something that looked appealing and then pointing. One staple, however, was Cafe Su Da--iced coffee with milk. Or in other words really fucking strong espresso with sinfully sweet condensed milk. It was the only way to survive in the heat.

After only eating soups, curries, and rice in Thailand and Cambodia (the equivalent of Thai food but less spicy; left out of this section because nothing honestly made the cut and paled in comparison to the Vietnamese food we had), Josie and I were seriously jonesing for bread. Good thing Vietnam has a history of French rule and awesome baguettes to match. The result? Banh Mi sandwiches...we had one every day were were in Vietnam. They. were. so. good. Perfectly crisp/soft combination baguette with pate, various cuts of pork, picked vegetables, cucumber, chilies, soy sauce, chili sauce, and most importantly cilantro used to the extent of lettuce. Genius combination. Luckily these are pretty trendy in NYC so I can get my Banh Mi fix (and of course post them here).

Another market favorite was Banh Xeo, a crispy egg pancake with minced pork and shrimp inside. A balanced breakfast!

And, to top it off, the perfect bowl of pho, eaten at an impromptu streetside cafe while watching thousands of motorbikes fly by. So many things in Vietnam are served with a huge basket of fresh herbs--basil, coriander, lemongrass to flavor the broths, different kinds of lettuce to wrap the spring rolls in, etc. It's the most genius concept ever and just reinforces how farm fresh (mostly) everything at the markets were. How is it that I got to eat the most delicious bowl of noodle soup with unlimited fresh herbs for the equivalent of a US dollar?

That's all for now.

Can't wait to get into it here in NYC. The food adventures have only just begun.

Love,

Nosher

Cooking Class in Chiang Mai, Thailand

The cooking class that Josie and I took in Chiang Mai was one of the highlights of our trip. It was really well organized and informational; before we started cooking we went to the market and shopped for our ingredients, learning all about traditional Thai spices and products. This is me shopping at the market:
In the beginning of the class they served us a tasting of tropical fruits: Rambutan, Dragon Fruit, Lychee, Mangosteen, Sugar Cane, and some other random things; mangosteens (the ones in the middle) are my favorite; the corn jelly not so much...

And then we got cookin'. Most of the dishes we made were remarkably easy--mainly based around the concept of throwing ingredients in the wok/pot/pan at different intervals and creating a balance of flavors based on your personal preference. This one was probably the easiest, and most closely resembled a stir-fry I would do with random stuff I have in the fridge at home. The only thing that makes this different is the Thai ingredients. Luckily, in Los Angeles or New York it's really easy to find curry powder/chili paste/fish sauce or other things of the like. The fish sauce is key; almost every dish in Asia incorporates fish sauce in some way, and it really becomes the essence of Oriental food--if you use, like I've done many times, soy sauce in your stir fry and wonder what's missing, it's most likely the fish sauce. (though if you must, soy is a good vegetarian alternative to fish sauce)

These are the dishes I made:

Stir Fried Prawn with Curry Powder100 g prawn
1 tbsp spring onion
1 tbsp Chinese celery
2 tbsp onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp soy oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp roasted chili paste

Put the oil in the wok; when the oil is hot, add the garlic and pepper and stir until fragrant
Add prawns, curry powder and chili paste and stir
Add fish sauce and sugar
Add spring onion and chinese celery
Cook to taste, alter with more of certain ingredients if you desire--too fishy, add more sugar or vice versa

Chicken in Coconut Milk 75 g chicken
30 g straw or oyster mushroom
2 cups coconut milk
3 fresh chillies
1/2 onion, quartered
1 tomato, quartered
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass, sliced diagonally
2 slices galangal (ginger)
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 finely sliced coriander (or cilantro, to taste)
1 finely sliced spring onion

Heat the coconut milk in a pot over a low flame
Put the lemongrass, Siamese ginger (galangal) and kaffir lime leave in the pot (in Thailand, this combination is what's called a "soup packet" and they sell it in bunches together at the market for this purpose)
Add the chicken and wait until it is cooked (which happens pretty fast)
Add the onion, tomato, and mushroom
Add fish sauce, sugar and lime juice according to taste
Serve in a bowl and top with chopped coriander/cilantro, spring onion and chillies (open up the chillies if you like it really spicy)

Our teacher told us to add however many chillies we wanted depending on our spice tolerance; with the smallest, hottest chillies some people could only take 1 or two. I put in three. She told us when she cooks at home, she adds fifteen (15!!)

This was my favorite dish; I plan to cook it all winter long when I seem to routinely enter my soup phase. The flavors of the spices are really bold but not overbearing, and the coconut milk absorbs them really well.

Panaeng Curry with Pork75 g pork, cut 1/2 cm thick
1 tbsp red curry paste (I have a recipe for this paste, ask me if you want it)
1 cup coconut milk
3 kaffir lime leaves, stem torn off
1 tbsp ground roasted peanut
25 g pea eggplant
1 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp mixed spices powder (Pha-Naeng Powder; see below)
2 sliced red chilli
2 tbsp oil

spice powder:
1/6 tsp cumin
1/6 tsp cardamon
1/6 tsp coriander seed
1/6 tsp clove
1/6 tsp nutmeg
1/6 tsp black pepper
mix together

Heat the wok and pour pour oil into the wok over low heat
Put in the red curry paste and Pha-Naeng powder and stir continuously until fragrant and oil surfaces
Add pork, 1/4 cup of coconut milk and stir until cooked
Add the remaining coconut milk and pea eggplant
Add fish sauce, palm sugar and ground roasted peanut, stir continuously until coconut milk becomes thick and the pork is tender
Pour into the dish, topping with kaffir lime leaves, red chilli and serve with rice

Spring Roll
Filling:100 g glass noodle
100 g bean sprout
50 g minced pork
4 Chinese chives
1 tbsp garlic
4 tbsp oil
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1.2 cup water

Put the oil in the wok, fry garlic until golden and pungent
Add minced pork, fry until pork is almost cooked
Add fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar
Add glass noodles, bean sprout and spring onion
Stir until the fresh vegetables are cooked, set aside to cool

Prep:
10 spring roll wrappers
1 beaten egg

Place a tablespoonful of filling on a spring roll wrapper
Fold sheet over filling, away from you, until rounded tip is at the middle; fold in the sides and continue rolling away, sealing the sheet closed with the egge
Deep fry in plenty of oil until golden
Serve with a sweet chilli sauce (store bought or ask me for a recipe)

These were really easy and you can make any variation on the filling that you want--veggie only or a different meat etc. Although it's a little bit of work if you're only cooking for yourself; save this one for a bigger group and you can probably make a lot cheaply and everyone will be pretty impressed that you rolled them yourself.

All in all this was really fun and informative. I wish cooking classes were as cheap as they were in Thailand in NYC. For now I will just have to practice in my tiny dorm kitchen...

Welcome Back to California

I'm back in America.....well, I have been for a little bit, but I've had a hard time convincing myself to do anything other than lie and swim and catch up on tv shows, relishing my last few days of summer. That and technology has become a bitch lately, as iPhoto decided it would not cooperate with the hundreds of photos I needed to upload.

Anyways, I spent a few days lounging around my house recovering from jetlag, but my real homecoming came when I went to visit my friend Lara in Newport Beach. She took me to this great new fish joint, Bear Flag Fish Company. Lara just returned from a semester stint in Berlin, so her need for some good SoCal coastal seafare was just as strong as my need for tacos (what else). The result? Fish Tacos, of course. Mmmm these tacos were good. A mild white fish crisp on the outside but moist and flaky on the inside, topped with purple cabbage slaw, salsa fresca, pink sauce, and gotta have that avocado. Nothing makes a fish taco like avocado. One of the best things about the taco was the tortilla--while it technically a soft taco, the tortillas were more than warm. They were cooked a little bit overtime, probably in the slightest amount of oil, so they were slightly crisp. This added a nice texture to the taco as well as providing more support for the overflowing contents inside of it. It was a great touch.

We also split a seared ahi tuna sandwich. Oh man this was good too. The baguette was really nice and fresh--the perfect combination of crispy softness that a baguette should have--and garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, and this nice green and red onion mayo spread that went really well with the ahi. I salted it a little bit, but all in all it was great, fresh flavor (...and who am I kidding, I salt almost everything).

If you're in Newport for a beach day, definitely stop at Bear Flag for lunch. Their fish is top quality, and they have a great variety, from tacos to sandwiches to crab cakes to lobster. Yum.

Bear Flag Fish Co.
407 31st Street
Newport Beach, CA 92663


Nosher


Sorry for the delay...but in the next few days I'll be posting a full account of my Southeast Asian gastronomic adventures. Keep a lookout!

And I'm Off!

What justifies a sushi dinner better than a $4 lunch? Going to have another perfect food day today--Yuca's and Katsu Ya--before I leave for three weeks.

I'm off to Hong Kong tonight to meet up with my friend Josie. From there we'll be traveling to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. And predictably, the thing I am most excited for is the food! I CANNOT wait to have dinner meats for breakfast, and the best smoothies of my life. I've already booked a cooking class in Chiang Mai, and I heard about this place in Saigon, Quan An Ngon, that has all the best street vendors under one roof.

I will be unable to update the blog while I'm away, but will definitely be taking notes and pictures of all the best things I eat. So look forward to a series of long updates upon my return.

See you in mid-August,


Nosher

Oh. My. God.

Ate at Susanne Tracht's Jar. I just had one of the best meals of my life. In a food coma.

Nosher

Orris

Last week I ate on Sawtelle with my friend Zoe. Zoe is a japanophile like me and introduced me to Sawtelle Blvd. back in high school. It's like the little Tokyo of the west side, with tons of cooked Japanese food and sushi restaurants, and a really great Japanese market with authentic groceries you can't find anywhere else.

We went to Orris, which is kind of like a fusion tapas bar--there is not really a good way to categorize the restaurant, but it is all small plates with Japanese, American, Italian and even Indian flavors represented on the menu. While I understand that some restaurants set out to embody a chef's "vision" or represent a distinct style or taste, I like the idea that a casual restaurant like Orris doesn't adhere to just Japanese food, like its neighbors. It's very satisfying in a way that you can have a taste of everything, and surprising that it all goes together so well. Check out what we ordered:

Grilled Romaine with Parmesan dressing and shavings: A really great take on a classic salad; grilling the romaine transformed something that could be simple and boring into delicious and new.

Albacore Lettuce Cups with Jalapeno aioli and greens:I love using lettuce as a spoon. The albacore was just slightly seared to give it a different texture, and very fresh. I couldn't really taste the jalapeno in the aioli, which was regrettable since it could have used a little spice, but there was a strong taste of extra virgin olive oil. This was a surprisingly good combination with the fish, especially since this was one of the more traditional asian dishes.

Curry Infused Shrimp Tempura: We contemplated not getting this since it seemed sort of generic but Zoe assured me it was delicious, and I am so glad I was wrong. The shrimp was served with a very bright yellow curry sauce. It was much less creamy than a traditional curry, but still packed with all of those flavors. AND to top it off, there was a small pile of fresh sea salt, which I have already made clear is my favorite condiment of all time.

Fried Squash Blossoms stuffed with Shrimp Mousse and served with a Kalamata Olive tapenade:I'm aware that this was probably not what we should have ordered, considering our previous dish had shrimp and was also tempura-ed, but I had to get it anyways. It sounded really interesting and I can't stay away from zucchini and/or squash blossoms when they are in season. And interesting it was! The olives were definitely an unconventional addition but worked surprisingly well. Its funny how with certain dishes you can predict that there are certain components that need to be there to make it work. Without the tapenade, the blossoms would have needed an acidic component to square it off--while olives don't necessarily come to mind for that purpose, they were sweetly acidic in a way that worked well. All in all I would say it was a success.

Orris was a great restaurant for trying new flavor and plate combinations. Eating by the rules is no fun at all!

Nosher


Orris
2006 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (310) 268-2212

P.S. very special night tonight--a friend of my parents' is in from out of town so we are going to Suzanne Tracht's Jar. I have never been and always wanted to go, but have been especially eager since seeing her win on Top Chef Masters. Look for an update on Jar soon!

Square One Dining

My sister just returned from camp, and one of the first things out of her mouth was "I already decided, I need eggs benedict tomorrow morning." Obviously I took this as an opportunity to do a little breakfast joint hunting in the neighborhood.

I am usually not a big breakfast eater at home; not because I don't like breakfast, but because I LOVE breakfast too much. As in, I need to go get my breakfast somewhere that can make two eggs over easy with homefries and a side of bacon well and in a timely manner because I know I can't always wake up and do that for myself. While I dabble in the occasional greek yogurt/granola/honey mixture, I will always choose savory over sweet. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to find a cool breakfast place.

A few of the best reviewed Hollywood breakfasts, like Little Dom's on Hillhurst which I've been meaning to try, didn't feature a classic benedict on the menu. Thanks to the hordes of people who take Yelp seriously, I found Square One Dining, a joint in the hood that is very dedicated to their eggs, and make several different kinds of benedict. They open early and only stay open until 3 pm, if that is any indication.

Even though it was very hot, we sat outside because the patio was so enticing. Here's my sister Natalie on the patio: Natalie's classic benedict was well prepared. It added a bit of arugula to the traditional combination of bread, canadian bacon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce, which was a welcome touch. The eggs were cooked perfectly, with the right amount of runniness without being too gooey. The thing I liked best was that Square One is not ashamed to admit what makes breakfast, albeit just about every food so good--butter. A small bit of butter was served with her dish, which she proceeded to pour on top of her grits (love grits) and eggs. No shame. Everything looks a bit more yellow than normal because we were under a yellow umbrella.

In an attempt to remind myself why I commit "carbicide" (I swear the only term I will take from Bruno into reality) many days of the week eating egg-and-cheese-on-a-bagel from the place near my apartment in New York, I ordered an egg sandwich with tomato, cheddar and bacon. I feel like this is something I would not have ordered prior to living in New York, but now I am a cheap deli fiend, so a gourmet version of my usual hangover cure is more than welcome. It was delicious. Fluffy eggs, juicy tomato (they are in season and so good), melted white sharp cheddar and last but not least bacon on toasted white bread. Heaven. Served with a salad, a weak attempt to make you feel better about yourself.

Check out Square One's ode to eggs and other breakfast and lunch goodies here

Square One Dining
4854 Fountain Ave, 90028
(323) 661 1109


Until Lunchtime,

Nosher

Perfect Food Day

Every time I come home from college, I have to have my perfect food day. It has become comfort food to me--not comfort food in a "grandma's beef stew" kind of way, but as comforting as having two of your favorite meals in one day can be when you have looked forward to them for a long time (answer: very).

Lunch at Yuca's, Dinner at Katsu-Ya

Yuca's is "my" taco stand. Every southern Californian has one, whose honor they fervently defend against claims of other better or "more authentic" stands/trucks. I have become THAT girl...but I don't really care, because Yuca's really is the best. All of my friends in New York know about it without having visited; I am physically incapable of eating any mexican food without mentioning it. I'm sure it gets pretty annoying. (But seriously, tacos in New York just don't compare. Sorry, Taqueria on the UWS). And anyone who has ever visited me in LA has tried it--it's a signature part of the Nosher experience.

Case in point: here is my friend Isla trying her first Yuca's: Yummmmm

#1 rule of eating at Yuca's: order the cochinita pibil, which is slow roasted pork. If you don't order this, you are not my friend. The tacos are superb but sometimes I get the pibil burrito with cheese, because the pinto beans and the melted cheese go so well with the ridiculously juicy pork. Also, the burritos don't have rice, so it isn't inedibly large.

A cochinita pibil taco at Yuca's, served with onions and cilantro: No sauce, just juice! The meat speaks for itself.

On to Katsu-Ya.

To clarify, I am not talking about the Philippe Starck designed, paparazzi mecca and megaclub of a sushi restaurant version of Katsu-Ya. More power to them for turning their little gem in between pet stores in a strip mall into an empire, but I will stick to the original Sushi Row location on Ventura. (Okay, I lied--I also go to Izaka-ya, same menu location on 3rd St., but only because it has a the same casual atmosphere as the original. Minus smell of pet store.) My mom found Katsu-Ya years ago when it was first starting; she would go before picking me up from elementary school nearby. Like Yuca's, I have an allegiance to Katsu-Ya, a place where my younger palette developed over time. I could say that familiarity makes the food taste better, but really it just tastes great to begin with.

I have by now memorized the entire menu at Katsu-Ya and of course have some favorites. I die and go to heaven every time I have the creamy rock shrimp tempura: The perfect combination of hot, crispy, and creamy.

Their trademark, crispy rice with spicy tuna, which they did before everyone else: The jalapeno adds the perfect bite.

The baked crab roll in soy paper: Heavenly. There are appropriate times for seaweed, but I love soy paper for these kinds of rolls. Because it is served warm, seaweed would get soggy and be messy to bite. The softness of the soy paper goes better with warm rolls, and manages to keep everything intact.

Another one of my favorites is their Red Snapper sushi. Red Snapper is my favorite sushi fish, and it is best (in my opinion) when prepared with sea salt and lemon juice, with a sprig of mint in between the fish and rice. It is a traditional way to eat Red Snapper, and it is SO GOOD.

Almost everything I have tried at Katsu-Ya has been top notch, but some other things to look out for are:
Bonito Sushi (dont dip it in soy sauce!)
Albacore with Crispy Onion
Grilled Shishito Peppers
Uni Tempura
4 1/2 Roll
And of course, the basics are always fresh--Yellowtail, Salmon, etc. Just look at the specials on the menu--get Sockeye Salmon or Toro if they have it.

There is a reason why Katsu Ya is so popular. It is good. Really good. The fish is fresh, and the dishes are inventive. The quality stretches from traditional sashimi to strange concoctions that surprise your taste buds. There is something for everyone, though for some reason when I eat there I think they are catering only to me.


Yuca's
2056 Hillhurst Ave, LA 90027
Side note: on Saturdays they have tamales
(323) 662-1214

Katsu-Ya
11680 Ventura Blvd., LA 91604
(818) 985-6976