King Ice Cube Tray -- and an Apple Pie Cocktail

Happy New Year's Eve!

For your New Year's bash tonight, impress your guests with William-Sonoma's 'King Cube Silicone Ice Cube Trays'.  A set of 2 trays (8 cubes) is $14.95.  The 2" cubes will keep their drinks colder and won't water down their drinks as fast.  Plus, large ice cubes look cool.

The cocktail I made in the photo is an Apple Pie Cocktail:

• 1.5 oz Stoli Apple Vodka
• 2 oz Apple Juice
• Pinch of Cinnamon

Shake all 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and strain into a glass.  Enjoy!

Recipe: Vietnamese Caprese (from Chef Anthony Myint of Mission Street Food)

"Vietnamese Caprese?," you say.  Intrigued?

This recipe from Chef Anthony Myint of Mission Street Food in San Francisco is one of my favorite healthy recipes we make.  While it's a more fitting summer dish, I was craving it last night.

I love this description of the dish from Food and Wine Magazine.  "Unexplored synergies" is the perfect way to describe the combination of ingredients and how well they work together:

Chef Anthony Myint likes to play with "unexplored synergies" in food. For this noodle salad, he combines the Italian trinity of tomato, basil and mozzarella with Asian rice noodles and a version of the classic Vietnamese noodle sauce nuoc mam, made with fresh tomato juice. You could also call the dish an Asian-inflected take on spaghetti and meatballs.

Couple of tweaks we made:

• Instead of thai chilis, I used 1 serrano pepper.  I love SPICY!
• It's not completely necessary to chill the meatballs overnight (we chilled them for an hour or so).
• It also wasn't necessary to allow the tomato mixture to strain overnight (an hour worked for us).
• The photo is missing basil.  I went to 3 grocery stores last night to look for the ingredient, and everyone was sold out.  Yet another reason that we need to grow our own!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vietnamese-caprese

Food and Wine Magazine, July 2011 p.102

Food Truck: Ssahm BBQ (Korean)

Food trucks on Flora St. in downtown Dallas
next to the Nasher Sculpture Center

A daeji (pork) taco and kimchee fries!

What a huge surprise to see food trucks lined up next to the Nasher Sculpture Center during lunch today!  We were planning on grabbing lunch at Mia's on Lemmon, but opted to support the food trucks and try out their fare.  We tried a couple of things from Ssahm BBQ, and they were delicious especially the kimchee fries.

Daeji Taco:  pork, sesame soy vinaigrette salad, caramalized kimchee, cilantro & onion, salsa roja, served on 2 corn tortillas.

Kimchee Fries:  fresh handcut potatoes, monterey jack & cheddar cheeses, cilantro & onion, caramelized kimchee, spicy majo.

Ssahm BBQ (and other food trucks) are often in the Arts District in Dallas, so check them out!  They'll let you know where they are if you follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
http://www.ssahmbbq.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SSahm-BBQ/199298540108401?sk=wall#!/pages/SSahm-BBQ/199298540108401?sk=wall

For those unfamiliar with kimchee, here is how Wikipedia defines it:
"Kimchi also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings.  There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber.  It is the most common banchan, or side dish, in Korean cuisine. Kimchi is also a main ingredient for many popular Korean dishes such as kimchi stew (김치찌개; kimchi jjigae), kimchi soup (김칫국; kimchiguk), and kimchi fried rice (김치볶음밥; kimchi bokkeumbap)."

Recipe: Martin Yan's Shrimp-and-Pork Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots

We can cook, so can you!  [channeling my Martin Yan]

For dinner tonight, we made the Shrimp-and-Pork Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots recipe from Food and Wine Magazine (Jan 2012, pg. 52)  Easy and delicious, seriously -- you just need a handful of ingredients.  Shrimp, pork, bamboo shoots (found them at our local Kroger!), canola oil, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and wonton wrappers.  We added about 4 oz of pork intsead of 2 to make them more 'porky' (ha ha)!  The next time we make them, I'm going to add some green onion.

We had Ginger Garlic Green Beans on the side but without the garlic (because raw garlic = awful breath later) and added sriracha sauce to it.

Shrimp-and-Pork Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/shrimp-and-pork-dumplings-with-bamboo-shoots

Ginger Garlic Green Beans
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ginger-Garlic-Green-Beans-354956

For the dumpling dipping sauce, I concoted the following:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sugar
• About 1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• About 1 tbsp chopped green onion
• Sriracha sauce to taste

Believe me, fresh dumplings are a million times better than the ones found in the freezer section of the Asian Supermarket.

For more on what Sriracha Sauce is, click here.  You can probably find it at your local grocery store if your store has an aisle dedicated to ethnic foods.  Interestingly, the ingredient was named 'Ingredient of the Year' in 2010 by Bon Appetit Magazine.

Drink Recipe: Blood and Sand

We went to a party recently, and one of the two specialty cocktails they were serving for the event was called Blood and Sand. 

I did some research on the name (it sure doesn't sound appetizing), and on Dewar's website, it says, "Tommy Dewar loved film.  This delicious cocktail takes its name and inspiration from the 1922 silent movie with Rudolph Valentino.  In the film, he plays a matador who dies in the arena by his own reckless behavior having lost his true love."

The recipe on Dewar's site shows this as a martini, but we use a double-old fashioned and build it over ice.

2 parts Dewar's White Label Scotch Whiskey
1 part cherry liqueur (we use Heering)
1 part sweet vermouth
1 part fresh squeezed orange juice
Add orange twist

This cocktail is complex and surprisingly drinkable for someone like me who is more of a vodka and gin drinker.  Drink this and you'll feel like Don Draper.

Recipe: Apple Cider Cream Pie

I love apple pie, so this recipe caught my eye in November's issue of Food and Wine Magazine.  It's absolutely incredible if you love apple desserts.  I made this a second time the other day and offer these suggestions:

1. I was a little short on dough for the crust, so I would make a tad more next time.
2. It took me about 15 minutes to reduce the apple cider down to half a cup.
3. To give the dessert more texture reminiscent of apple pie, dice up 1 large Golden Delicious apple and 1 small Granny Smith apple and bake it in the custard.

If you figure out how to get the apple garnish on top to look like the Food and Wine Magazine photo, please let me know!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-cider-cream-pie

Enjoy!

Recipe: Gingerbread Cheesecake

This Betty Crocker recipe was a hit and so easy to make.  Not wanting to make the typical gingerman cookies, I found this recipe on the back of the packaged mix and decided to try it out.  There's a gingerbread cookie bottom, cheesecake topping and crumbled gingerbread cookies on top.

Recipe: Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington (photos & videos)

Per request, here are a few photos and videos to show how we made the Beef Wellington recipe (see the blog post on Dec 18th for a link to the recipe).

Lay prosciutto on cling wrap



Spread mushroom paste over the prosciutto

Roll the prosciutto & mushroom around the seared filet mignon

Wrap the filet mignon in puff pastry

Wrap the filet mignon in puff pastry (cont'd)
Then score the pastry

Voila!

Recipe: Apple Turnovers (using leftover puff pastry scraps)

When we made the Beef Wellingtons last week, we had quite a bit of leftover puff pastry scraps (that of course, did not touch the beef).  Alas, we did not want to waste the puff pastry, so I made Apple Turnovers last night using the following recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Apple-Turnovers-em-Chaussons-Aux-Pommes-em-350419

They were easy, easy, easy.  I made 2 adjustments -- added more sugar and some cinnamon to the filling and baked them for less time than the recipe required because they were pretty brown when I checked on them after about 20 minutes.

The Girl Who Couldn't Eat

Can you imagine not being able to eat?  This short article was in Parade Magazine last week and caught my eye.  Matisse Reid, now a 5th grader, was born without a functioning digestive system and lived off of a feeding tube until last year when she received a large & small intestine transplant.  Even when she wasn't able to eat, she cooked, created recipes, watched the Food Network, and started a cooking blog.  She is ok now but will always be on anti-rejection medication.  Seeing food and not being able to eat it would be torture for me.

Read the short article to find out what she chose for her first meal:
http://www.parade.com/news/2011/12/the-girl-who-couldnt-eat.html

Here is her blog:
http://matisseskitchen.blogspot.com/

Recipe: Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington

Our perfect Beef Wellington
on the 1st try

After watching Hell's Kitchen for so many years (I don't even know how many seasons it's been on) and watching the crazy contestants make Beef Wellington during just about every dinner service, we decided to look for Gordon Ramsay's recipe and make it for our guests last night.  While going against our rule of making a recipe for the first time for guests, we decided to give it a try (plus, our foodie friends were open to being our guinea pigs).

It was one of the most impressive, mouth-watering, craveable beef dishes we've made, and I can't wait to make it again (let alone eat the leftovers tonight).  What's tricky about the recipe is that the filet is wrapped in puff pastry, so it's easy to under or overcook it. 

Interestingly, the beef is wrapped in Parma ham (or prosciutto) and has a mushroom paste surrounding it -- both of which aren't completely detectable if you were tasting it blind.

Here is the recipe, and I've included the conversions below:

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/164868/Gordon-Ramsay-s-beef-Wellington

400 g = 0.88 lb

750 g = 1.6 lbs

500 g = 1.1 lbs

Try it -- you'll like it, or rather love it!

Product: Hide Your Booze

I'm considering buying this. . .

http://benderbound.com/

Australia approves laxative agent as wine additive

Oh me, oh my. . . .

Australia approves laxative agent as wine additive
Source: News10
By: Susanne Rust
Dec 6, 2011

The Australian government has given the nod to winemakers to begin using a chemical contained in laxatives.  While the chemical, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, has long been prized by the medical world for its anti-bulking and laxative properties, food scientists have discovered that, in small doses, it can be used to stabilize and thicken beverages and foods.

In the case of wine, the chemical prevents crystallization and cloudiness in white and sparkling varieties.  "I don't think the levels that are approved for use in wine in the EU and Australia will give that laxative effect," said Wendell Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute, the trade group for California's wine industry.

The Winemakers' Federation of Australia appealed to its government to approve the chemical, arguing that the additive would save energy and money. That's because traditional methods for preventing crystallization - cooling and filtration - can be highly energy intensive.

The chemical has not been approved for use in wine produced in the United States. However, an international agreement among several nations - including Australia; the European Union, where it is approved; and the U.S. - means that it is legal in imported wines.

But because there are no labeling requirements for food additives in wine, U.S. drinkers will remain in the dark as to its presence.

"There's nothing you can do," said Roger Boulton, professor of viticulture and enology at UC Davis. "There's no way of knowing. If it's imported and it's an approved additive elsewhere, the consumer won't know."

According to both the EU and Australian government, the chemical does not alter the taste or consistency of wine, and it poses no harm to human health.

The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which oversees labeling and food additives in wine, has approved more than 50 wine additives, including soy flour, which helps with fermentation; potassium metabisulfite, which is used to sterilize and preserve wine; and copper sulfate, to remove hydrogen sulfide.

Lee, the Wine Institute's general counsel, said that while labeling information such as allergen content or carbohydrates might be helpful to consumers, "disclosing other substances that don't have a health impact may not be worthwhile."

"Do consumers need to be told about the substances that go into wine production?" Lee asked. "I'm not sure there's a lot of useful information in that."

In its ruling, the Australian government wrote that "use of the additive to stabilise wine and sparkling wine is technologically justified and would be expected to provide benefits to wine producers and consumers as an alternative to current treatments."

As of Nov. 17, winemakers in Australia are allowed to add the chemical to their products.

Recipe: Smoked Gouda and Chipotle Grits

We made this recipe this evening and had spicy shrimp on the side.  The shrimp were seasoned with salt & pepper, paprika, chipotle chili and cayenne and were sauteed.

I'm not sure where this grits recipe came from.  We had clipped it from a magazine, but I searched epicurious.com and foodandwine.com, and it didn't come up.

Note:  The recipe makes 10 servings (or more!).  Making half the recipe is more than enough for 2 people plus leftovers for the week.  We love making cheesy grits and never thought to add adobo which gave it a nice bit of heat and flavor.

Smoked Gouda and Chipotle Grits

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) of butter
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cups water
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1.5 cups quick-cooking white hominy grits
• 2 cups (packed) coarsely grated rindless smoked Gouda cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1 tbsp chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add corn and onion.
3. Saute until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. 
4. Add 5 cups of water, the milk, 1 tsp coarse salt, and 1 tsp pepper to pan; bring to boil.
5. Gradually add grits, whisking until mixture is smooth and comes to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer until grits are thick and tender, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
7. Mix in cheese and chipotle chile.
8. Stir until cheese melts.
9. Transfer grits to shallow bowl.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Top 5 restaurants I want to visit

I didn't know a whole lot about David Chang until I saw this article today.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/david-chang-ramen_n_1121454.html


It made me think about the restaurants I want to dine at during the next 5 years.  Here are mine:

1. Thomas Keller's The French Laundry - Yountville
2. David Chang's Momofuku Noodle Bar (and Milk Bar and Ko) -- it could be a Momofuku day in NYC
3. Grant Achatz's Alinea - Chicago
4. Eric Ripert's Le Bernadin - NYC
5. Thomas Keller's Per Se - NYC

And if we can swing it to Copenhagen, then Rene Redzepi's Noma.

Who wants to join?  What restaurants are on your list?

Oooh. . . thinking about Momofuku Milk Bar made me think of their Compost Cookies.  I should make some of those this weekend!  Will post the recipe.