NYC Restaurant: Buddakan

Drinks to start off!

Edamame Dumplings

Roast Duck Noodles

King Crab Hot Pot

Lovely meal, ok, meal-that-exceeded-my-expectations at Buddkan in NYC near Chelsea Market.  Super cool vibe and lounge. Service was amazing.  Worth every penny.

Drinks
BENEVOLENCE - belvedere, watermelon, pavan, Thai basil
(pavan is a grape liqueur)

RIESLING


Food
EDAMAME DUMPLINGS - shallot-Sauternes broth
(rich, flavorful, perfect)

KING CRAB HOT POT - scallops, shrimp crackers
(2 huge scallops, 4 pieces of king crab, bok choy, Chinese root vegetables?; fried shrimp crackers, white rice, cilantro)

ROAST DUCK NOODLES - superior broth, duck wontons
(salty but flavorful broth, slices of duck cooked perfectly, duck shu mai, Thai red chiles, pickled ginger)

NYC Restaurant: Momofuku Ma Peche

the dessert cart

crack pie
and
candy bar pie (in the background)

Ever since I learned about David Chang and his Momofuku empire, I've wanted to dine at one of his restaurants, and I got the chance to do so on Saturday.  Momofuku Ma Peche is Chang's largest and newest restaurant -- and allows reservations via OpenTable.  (Note:  Ma Peche means "mother peach.")

Interestingly, the service is like dim sum -- carts come around with small plates and then you also have the ability to order larger plates to share.  With just two of us, we ordered 1 large shared plate, the fried chicken habanero-style.  It was the best, most tender (and fresh-tasting) fried chicken I've ever had.

My only 2 complaints of the evening:  we asked the server to box up our fried chicken which she didn't (must've forgotten), and the dim sum cart with cold plates never came to our table.  We ended up eating a lot of fried food from the hot small plates that evening.

Also, I'd heard MUCH fanfare about the crack pie which was just ok.

Here is what we ordered:

Cocktails

• seven spice sour - sake, lime, yuzu, togarashi
• mountainside - japanese whiskey, fennel, bitters

Dim Sum Cart

• pork bun
• trout bun
• cod fritters
• shrimp balls
• spicy rice cakes

Chef's Specials

• fried chicken - habanero

Dessert

• crack pie
• candy bar pie
• decaf coffee

All good food. However, I don't have a need to go back to ma peche; next time I would like to try Chang's noodle bar or ssam bar.

Recipe: Vietnamese Pork Chops

Vietnamese Pork Chops
Bon Appetit, June 2013, p. 46
5 stars

This is a great protein to add to an Asian-inspired meal.

I love the slight sweetness from the brown sugar along with the savory/salty flavors from the fish sauce.

Here's all you need:  thick cut bone-in pork chop, shallot, fish sauce, light brown sugar, unseasoned rice vinegar, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, lime halves

Tips:

• We grilled the pork shop instead of cooking it in a large skillet on the stove
• Be careful not to overcook/over-reduce the marinade which is served with the pork chop

Recipe: Meyer Lemon Cream with Graham Crackers and Sea Salt

Meyer Lemon Cream with Graham Crackers and Sea Salt
Bon Appetit, February 2014, p. 41
4 stars

I wanted dessert but didn't want to try out a recipe that took more than 30 minutes to make.  I found this one, and while I'm not a huge fan of fruit desserts (I prefer chocolate!), I thought I'd give this a try since "active recipe time" was 20 min, and we already had graham crackers and heavy cream in the house.

This recipe turned out great.

(Photo above shows the dessert to be messy . . .  but note that we stopped a movie we were watching to quickly get dessert.  I didn't compose the dish at all.)

This recipe is SIMPLE!

Here is the ingredient list:  eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, unsalted butter, heavy cream, graham crackers, flaky sea salt

Tips:

• I cooked the mixture for 9 minutes
• We made whipped cream for the top

Recipe: Shrimp Cotija Cheese with Hatch Chiles

Shrimp and Cotija Cheese Stuffed Hatch Chiles
Central Market Recipe by Chef Dean Liesenfelt

As you can see from the photo, we didn't stuff the Hatch chiles.  (How the heck do people stuff them when this type of chile is so thin and delicate?  They're not like chile rellenos or poblanos that are larger.)

We took the recipe and modified it to create a casserole-like dish.  This had amazing flavor, is healthy(!) and would go very well with rice.

Ingredients include:  Hatch chiles, fresh spinach, shrimp, Cotija cheese, olive oil, garlic, ancho chile powder, lemon juice & zest, crushed red pepper, salt, Mexican crema

Few notes:

• In the pan, don't cook the shrimp until they're completely done.  Since the dish is baked, the shrimp will finish cooking in the oven.
• Added guajillo chile powder in addition to ancho chile
• Go light on the salt -- cotija is a salty cheese
• Bake it for 25 min (instead of 30)

Recipe: Rick Bayless' Mexican Flourless Chocolate Cake

Mexican Flourless Chocolate Cake
RickBayless.com
4 stars

I forgot to take a photo of this!  Sometimes I get carried away and forget . . .

This is a wonderful recipe that is quite easy to make and is a nice twist on the normal flourless chocolate cake.  I like how this one doesn't call for a springform pan -- it suggests 6 coffee cups (individual portions!).  In addition, I love the use of Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, ancho chile powder, Kahlua and Mexican crema.

I've basically just listed all of the ingredients above.  The other ingredients are butter, bittersweet chocolate, eggs and sugar.

Try it.  You'll like it!

Recipe: Honey-ginger Chicken with Lime

Honey-ginger Chicken with Lime
Food and Wine Magazine, July 2014, p. 113 (photo), 114 (recipe)
4 stars

Tired of the same old ho-hum chicken?  Feeling like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight?

This recipe has so much flavor!

Check out the ingredient list:  chicken, ginger, jalapeno, honey, balsamic vinegar, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne, lime zest, lime juice, butter, canola oil, sugar, salt, pepper

An easy dish that we'll definitely make again.  As you can see from the photo above, we served this with green beans and brown rice.

Also, we used chicken breasts instead of drumsticks and thighs.
Note to self:  Need to brine the chicken next time.

Recipe: Decadent Chocolate-Espresso Pie

Decadent Chocolate-Espresso Pie

Country Living, September 2014, p. 101

4 stars

Don't these photos just make your mouth water?  Don't you want some pie now?

This is Anna Jones's winning pie at the 2013 State Fair of Texas!

Really easy and talk about decadent.  I can only eat half the size of a normal pie slice because it's so rich.

Great espresso flavor and pretty too!

I have to admit that I wasn't too sure of this recipe when I read it.  The use of 1/3 cup of cornstarch was a little odd, but it turned out great!

The filling ingredients include:  milk, cornstarch, sugar, salt, instant espresso powder, egg yolks, vanilla, semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate.

The espresso whipped cream can be used on other desserts and is solely whipping cream, powdered sugar and espresso powder.

I used an America's Test Kitchen all butter pie crust recipe for the piecrust (instead of the Perfect Piecrust recipe which uses shortening which I'm not in favor of).

Recipe: Fruit Tarts with Honey and Black Pepper

Plum Tarts with Honey and Black Pepper
Bon Appetit, July 2014, p.36
4 stars

A super easy and quick dessert!  As you can see, we made 2 different kinds -- and with PEACHES instead of plums.  This was a great way to use up leftover puff pastry.

We made this recipe which was just 6 ingredients:  puff pastry, peaches, sugar, honey, black pepper, Maldon sea salt.

And we made our own:  puff pastry, peaches, cinnamon, sugar.

Afraid to bake or mess up a dessert?  This recipe is for you!

Drink Recipe: Peach Bourbon Ginger Cocktail

I saw a recipe for something like this but came up with my own version:

• 1.5 oz of Bourbon (I used Knob Creek which has a smoky flavor)
• 1 oz of Dekuyper Peach Schnapps
• Squeeze of lemon 
• Top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer
• A few dashes of bitters

Refreshing for the summer but using a brown spirit!

Recipe: Bouchon Bakery's Shortbread

Bouchon Bakery, p. 44-45
Shortbread
4.5 stars

I'm not a shortbread kind of person unless it's dipped in chocolate!  If I'm going to eat dessert calories, I'm not going to waste them on a cookie that I personally think is boring and on the dry side.  Shortbread and pecan sandies just aren't my thing.

However, I made this recipe for my co-worker who loves shortbread.  Thought it was going to be super easy (the ingredients include just butter, sugar, salt vanilla paste, all-purpose flour), but I had issues after making the dough.

It says that the dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

The recipe then says:  "Unwrap the dough and place it between 2 pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap.  With a rolling pin, pound the top of the dough, working from left to right, to begin to flatten it, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat.  (This will help prevent the dough from cracking as it is rolled.)  Roll out to a 9-inch square.  If the dough has softened, slide it (in the parchment) onto the back of a sheet pan and refrigerate it until it is firm enough to score."

Sounds easy enough.  But do you know how HARD the dough was?  It was like beating a freakin' rock with the rolling pin.  Perhaps he should've said to let it soften just a tad to where it's somewhat malleable.

Anyhow, I like regular sized cookies, so I made a dozen though the recipe says it produces 2 dozen.

My co-worked and people at work raved about the shortbread and asked for the recipe, so I'll take their word for it that it was good!

Recipe: Thai Beef with Basil

We added extra carrots

Thai Beef with Basil
Bon Appetit, November 2013, p.54
3 stars

I thought this would be super flavorful and delicious, but it felt like it was missing something.  It was.  HEAT!

I'm willing to make this recipe again but will definitely add sambal oelek or sriracha to the sauce.

Also, we'll use ground beef (what the recipe calls for) instead of ground pork.

Ingredients include:  rice, 1 lb ground beef, carrots, basil, scallions red chiles, chicken broth, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, vegetable oil, salt, pepper

Recipe: Silky Zucchini Soup

Silky Zucchini Soup
Food and Wine Magazine, July 2014, p. 120
5 stars

I have to admit that I doubted Chef Grant Achatz's* recipe. The recipe calls for just 8 ingredients (which includes salt and pepper):

1. Zucchini
2. Garlic
3. Onion
4. Vegetable stock
5. Butter
6. Olive oil
7. Salt
8. Pepper

It was absolutely delicious, is very healthy and was so simple to make.  Our Vitamix played a part in this, producing a super silky yet creamy soup consistency.  I wish we had made the full recipe instead of half; I wanted more!

*Grant Achatz is the chef of Alinea in Chicago which has 3 Michelin stars.  Check out all of their accolades.  This is a restaurant I would love to dine at in the next few years.

Recipe: Bouchon Bakery's Chocolate Chunk and Chip Cookies

Update!  Here is what 150g cookies look like.
Note the quarter in the middle so you can see
how huge these cookies are.

Bouchon Bakery, p.34-35
Chocolate Chunk and Chip Cookies
5 stars

This is THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE EVER!!!!
Soft, chewy, chocolatey.  Perfect.

Two super interesting things about this recipe:

• It uses dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and molasses (unsulfured blackstrap molasses which I found in our regular grocery store).
• These cookies are supposed to be HUGE.  150 grams of dough ball huge.  In fact, the recipe states, "The cookies are very large; bake only 3 on each pan."  I opted for the smaller cookie variant which is stated as 75 grams each.  They're still very large as you can see in the photo above.

Note/tip:

• Bake time of 17 min in a standard oven was perfect for the smaller version of the cookie.

Restaurant: Lark on the Park

Lark on the Park
2 stars

What a huge disappointment.  Great location, hip/contemporary interior, good drink menu, BUT . . .

• The worst service I've had in a long time.  
• The restaurant was more than half empty on a Tuesday night, and yet it took over an hour to get our entrees.  Note:  We were a 4-top, not a large party.  Our dining experience was 2 hours and 45 min.
• The server was unenthused;  he didn't acknowledge me when I was seated (while waiting for the rest of the party) and wasn't helpful giving recommendations.

• The food is average and overpriced for what it is.  Nothing was amazing.  Flavors are all one-dimensional, bland.  Plus:
• Two of us ordered scallops which had sand in them.
• One ordered the gnocchi which was underwhelming, and the peppercorn she bit into burned her throat.

• And don't fall for the Valhrona Dark Chocolate Frozen Souffle which we thought was going to be the highlight at the end of the meal.
• First of all, it should be spelled "macarons" -- I don't even remember seeing macarons on the dessert.
• We expected the dish to look or be presented like a souffle.  It was basically a chocolate semifreddo cut into 2 triangles -- "souffle" is a complete misnomer.

Usually, I'll a try a restaurant three times before I say I'll never go back.  Every restaurant can have a "bad" night;  however, I'm going to pass on  going back to this one.  Too many elements were off that night.

Here is what we ordered:

• Antipasto Board:  burrata, Prosciutto di Parma, roasted apricots, pistachios  13
• Curry Pillows:  potato, onion, cilantro-ginger, radish    10
• Johnson's Farms Lettuces:  fennel, radish, lemon, arbequina  8
• Seared Scallops:  corn sformato, heirloom cherry tomatoes, pistou, opal basil  29
• Gnocchi alla Norma:  roasted Japanese egglplant, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, ricotta salata 23
• Grilled Texas Hanger Steak:  Homestead Mills blue polenta, oven roasted tomatoes, peperonata, poached egg 29
• Butterscotch Blondie Coupe:  vanilla bean ice cream, blondies, butterscotch, chocolate sauce, toffee  9
• Valrhona Dark Chocolate Frozen Souffle:  graham cracker macaroons, toasted marshmallow fluff, hot fudge  9

What 3 restaurants would you like to dine at?

The question posed at dinner was, "If money were no object, what 3 restaurants would you love to dine at besides The French Laundry?"

Me: 

• Alinea
• Meadowood
• Per Se

If I could add on to this, I'd also say:  Momofuku and Tompolobampo.

Blog contributor the grandcruman's choices:

• Alinea
• Le Bernadin
• Joel Robuchon
• Sukiyabashi Jiro (the 10-seat sushi restaurant in a Tokyo subway station documented in Jiro Dreams of Sushi)

And you?  What would your choices be?

Recipe: Bouchon Bakery's Devil's Food Cake

Blog contributor the grandcruman surprised me one day and gave me Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery book.  So sweet!  (Maybe it was a hint that he wants me to bake more!)

Wanting cake, I made my first recipe out of the book -- the Devil's Food Cake on p.116.  As you can see, I used mini bundt pans (aren't they cute?!).

It was pretty good, but here are some thoughts:

• The recipe says that it should take about 10 minutes to bake.  It took more like 18 min.  At 10 min, it was nowhere near being done.  I checked on it every 2 min, so beware of the timing.
• I was shocked by how little batter it produced.  I was able to make 4 mini bundt cakes plus 1.5 cupcakes.
• Originally, I had planned to make the Palet d'Or which is the recipe right next to this one in the book and uses the Devil's Food Cake along with chocolate mousse and a chocolate glaze.  At some point, I'll make the cake -- I just didn't have time to run out and get silver sheet gelatin.  (I didn't even know silver sheet gelatin existed.)
• The cake itself is ok.  It's a good consistency and has pretty good chocolate flavor, but it NEEDS the chocolate ganache that I drizzled over it -- as well as ice cream which we added.  I think the Ina Garten chocolate cake recipe actually tastes better on its own.  Sorry TK!

More baking to come from this book!

Recipe: Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta

Urgh, I forgot to take a photo of this one!

Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta
Real Simple, Dec 2012, p.206
4 stars

A LONG while back, someone gave me their issue of Real Simple Magazine and I tore this recipe out of it.  It looked like a good, fast, weeknight meal.  It was!

Ingredients include:  a short pasta, chicken, baby spinach, frozen peas, garlic, butter, heavy cream, Kosher salt, black pepper and grated Parmesan

Super simple.  REAL simple.  And lots of leftovers.

Tips:

• We added red pepper
• Because we wanted to get more veggies in the dish, we also added broccoli

Recipe: Garden Salad Tacos

A close-up of the colorful
vegetable-and-herb salad

We used wheat tortillas and
added some fajita steak and avocado

Garden Salad Tacos

Food and Wine Magazine, June 2014, p. 129

5 stars!

I've not eaten at Chef Alice Waters' restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, but from what I've heard and read about her, this dish is a great example of her philosophy -- fresh, healthy (and "clean") food that tastes amazing.

When I read the ingredient list and recipe, my thought was, "How good could this be?  Sounds too simple and a little blah.  Well, we need to eat healthy and need a quick recipe for a weekday dinner, so let's try this out."

My expectations were surpassed by tenfold.  This is a VERY flavorful dish with lots of texture/crunch -- plus, it's extremely healthy!

Main ingredients include:  tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese, mixed baby greens, fennel, carrot, radishes, cilantro

Ingredients for the dressing:  extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, ground cumin and Kosher salt

Perhaps I should invest in an Alice Waters cookbook. . .

Drink Recipe: Strawberry-Basil-Aperol-St-Germain-Champagne Cocktail

These days, our mentality is -- why go out and spend $10 on a cocktail when we can make it at home with our own booze?  2 people, 2 drinks each plus food is a minimum of $50.

Well, that thought turned into a fun trip to our favorite liquor store where we bought some provisions, one of which was a bottle of St-Germain elderflower liqueur.  The bottle is a beauty!

Interestingly, I wasn't a fan of St-Germain about 4 years ago, but the popularity of the liqueur in drinks (and perhaps a change in my taste buds) has changed my mind about its flowery taste and smell.  It smells a little bit like lychee to me.

I created a drink inspired by a cocktail I saw on the people's last stand bar + bistro's menu.  It was called la bonne fille meaning "The good girl" - Classy, bright and sweet but when it's finished, she leaves with just a touch of bitterness.

• Squeeze 1/4 of a grapefruit into a glass
• Add 2 sliced strawberries and 6 basil leaves and muddle them with the grapefruit juice
• Add 1 oz Aperol
• Add 1/2 oz of St-Germain
• Fill the glass with ice
• Top with sparkling wine
• Pour back and forth into a mixing tin and the glass a couple of times

Enjoy!

Recipe: Soft Polenta with Mixed Mushrooms and Gremolata

Soft Polenta with Mixed Mushrooms and Gremolata
Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2013
4 stars

We made this recipe as our main entree for dinner, although, this could easily be a nice side dish!

Ingredients include:  polenta, mixed mushrooms, young greens (like spinach, kale or pea shoots), flat-leaf parsley, garlic, lemon zest, extra-virgin olive oil, butter, salt & pepper, mascarpone cheese.

Notes:

• Didn't use flat leaf parsley
• Used kale
• Added red pepper flakes
• Added a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon when serving
• Topped it with an egg (over-easy)

Easy and healthy.  Another vegetarian dish!

Recipe: Caprese Pasta

This dish doesn't have a recipe that I'm linking to since we threw it together on Friday night, and uh, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that it was inspired by a Buca di Beppo dish.  As I've mentioned before, I subscribe to at least 20 restaurant e-mail clubs for work purposes.  Buca di Beppo, in general, doesn't have the best food photography and I'm not a fan of their restaurant at all (their food is so bland); however, their Penne alla Caprese actually looked pretty good and fresh when I saw their e-mail come through on Friday!

Buca di Beppo's Penne alla Caprese

We created a dish for dinner with the same components, and it turned out great.

• Sauteed some garlic and red pepper in olive oil and then added halved grape tomatoes.
• Added cooked pasta to the pan.
• Served it in a shallow bowl, topping it with diced fresh mozzarella, basil, black olives, fresh Parmesan, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt.

Recipe: Grilled-Pork Bahn Mi

Grilled Pork Banh Mi
Food and Wine Magazine, May 2012, p.135
3.7 stars

Here's our assessment of this recipe that has been in my recipe file since 2012!  It was overall good and pretty fast to make for a weekday dinner.

• Very sweet
• Needed some creaminess so we added mayo
• Added pickled carrots (using rice vinegar and sugar)
• Next time, we must toast the buns!  

Ingredients include:  rolls or baguettes, pork tenderloin, scallions, cucumber, cinlantro, garlic, Asian fish sauce, hoisin sauce, Sriracha, vegetable oil, honey, sugar, pepper

On to the next recipe. . . 

Wild Salmon

In this month's issue of Bon Appetit Magazine (June 2014), there's a nice section on wild salmon and the five types of Pacific salmon, specifically.  I tried to find the info on BonAppetit.com to link it here, but it's not online.

I'm including the info here, as reference (credit to Joanna Sciarrino who has the byline):

• Chinook:  Also known as king, its nicely fatty flesh is ideal for slow-roasting.
• Coho:  More subtle in flavor and texture than other types, it's a smaller fish, making it great for roasting or grilling whole.
• Sockeye:  Sometimes called red salmon, it has vibrant red-orange flesh and a profound flavor that stands up well to assertive seasonings.
• Pink:  It has a lower fat content and is mostly available canned.  If you find fillets, grill them.
• Chum:  Sometimes labeled dog or keta salmon, it's prized for its roe.  The comparatively low oil content of its delicately flavored flesh means it's better for smoking or for quick-cooking methods that won't dry it out, like pan-searing and grilling.

Here's more info about salmon at  BonAppetit.com

Recipe: Luau Salad

As part of my job, I read a lot about restaurants and food, and I've signed up for over 20 restaurant e-mail clubs.  Last week, The Cheesecake Factory sent an e-mail newsletter with a link to their Luau Salad recipe.

I'm not a huge fan of their restaurant, but their Luau Salad is pretty good.

We made it last weekend, and it turned out GREAT -- and I'm sure much healthier than the version that they serve in the restaurant.

The main salad ingredients include:

• Red bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper
• Cucumber
• Green beans
• Green onions
• Mixed greens
• Red onion
• Mango
• Carrots
• Macadamia nuts
• Sesame seeds

See. . .  healthy!

Now for the "unhealthy" ingredients:

• Grilled chicken (optional)
• Fried eggroll wrappers (optional)

For the dressing, I didn't make it to the exact specs of the recipe -- it called for way too much sugar!  I made it with:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Splash of balsamic vinegar
• Splash of sesame oil
• Splash of seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp of sugar
• Salt & pepper

This plant-based diet (well, semi-plant based diet) isn't so bad!

Definition: Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes

What's the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?

Apparently, they're not even related according to this Huffington Post article!
And apparently, the U.S. government has perpetuated this confusion.  Here is a summary of the differences:

Sweet Potatoes

• Come in 2 varieties here in the U.S.  One has a golden skin with creamy white flesh and crumbly texture; the other has a copper skin with orange flesh that is sweet and soft.
• All are basically the same shape and size with tapered ends; they're generally much smaller than yams.
• The USDA labels the orange-fleshed ones as "yams" to distinguish them from the white fleshed variety even though they're not really yams!

Yams

• There are many varieties, but most have black bark-like skin and white, purple or reddish flesh.
• BTW, did you know that the word yam comes from an African word meaning "to eat?"

After reading the article, I've realized that I may have never had a yam . . .

Food Labels

I saw this article and wanted to share in case you've been confused about these food labels:

Confusion about food labels leads to waste, possible illnesses (CBS News)

• "Sell by date" is most important for retailers, telling them when they should take a product off the shelves. However, it does not mean that the food is no longer safe to eat.
• "Expiration date" means a product should not be eaten after the date listed; throw it out.
• "Best if used by date" refers to the quality of the product, not its safety. In short, it means that the product will maintain its maximum quality until that date, but it can still be safe to eat for a certain amount of time (depending on the kind of product) after the date has passed.

Recipe: Thai Duck and Grapefruit Salad

Thai Duck and Grapefruit Salad
Bon Appetit Magazine, Jan 2014, p. 18
5 stars

Can I eat this salad every day?  Talk about a decadent, non-boring salad!

Give it a try -- it's a restaurant quality recipe, yet is quite simple. While eating, I commented that this would be a $22 salad in a restaurant.

• The duck is seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked in a skillet to medium-rare
• Dressing ingredients:  garlic, fish sauce, lemon juice, ginger, sugar, olive oil
• Other salad ingredients:  scallions, cilantro, mint, grapefruit;  we added mixed greens

Bon appetit!

Recipe: Watermelon, Grapefruit, Ginger Tequila Cocktail

This is my new [and favorite] summer cocktail that I concocted this evening.

Rim 1/2 of a cocktail glass with a mix of Kosher salt and chili pepper (not seen in my photo above).

In a cocktail shaker:

• Muddle 4-5 cubes of ripe watermelon
• Add 1.5 oz of reposado tequila
• Squeeze 1/2 of a fresh grapefruit
• Add 1.5 oz ginger beer
• Add ice
• Shake and pour into a cocktail glass

Recipe: Maple-Bourbon Banana Pudding Cake

Maple-Bourbon Banana Pudding Cake
Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2013, p. 110

I wanted, no, I NEEDED dessert one day this past week, but we had nothing in the house.  (Gingerbread M&M's don't count.)

I remembered seeing this recipe recently in my recipe folder.  Woohoo -- we had all the ingredients, and it was a "one-pot" recipe!

I whipped this up (1/2 the recipe) in about 7 minutes, and 35 min later, we had a delicious bourbon-y dessert;  even more bourbon-y with the strong bourbon whipped cream we made.

Ingredients:  butter, sugar, an overripe banana, egg, whole milk, flour, maple syrup, brown sugar, bourbon, pecans, baking powder and salt.

Not a beautiful dessert, but it was exactly what I wanted.

Recipe: Grilled Potato Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette

Grilled Potato Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette
Food and Wine Magazine, June 2014, p. 108
4 stars

Nice and easy side dish.  We don't eat a lot of potatoes, but maybe we will now after making this.  This recipe involved boiling the fingerling potatoes and then grilling them which added a nice 'grill' flavor.

To make it more of a 'salad' (we like our greens, or rather, we know greens are healthy and we should eat them), we mixed in romaine lettuce.

Ingredients:  fingerling potatoes, scallions, jalapeno, rice vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper

Recipe: Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa
Bon Appetit Magazine, Jan 2012, p. 26
4.5 stars

I've had this recipe in my recipe folder for, well, 2 years and have bypassed the recipe many many times -- not sure why.

Why didn't we make this before?!?!?

Such an easy (perfect for a weekday meal!) and super flavorful dish, and it could be made vegetarian if you leave out the chicken.

I love the black beans -- how they're cooked with garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin and chicken broth.  This is 100x better than a Chipotle burrito bowl.

Ingredients include:  apple, cilantro, red onion, black beans, green bell pepper, rice, chicken, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, ground coriander, cumin seeds, chicken broth, vegetable oil, salt & pepper

Tips:

• I'd prefer using a sweeter apple - Fuji - next time instead of a Granny Smith
• Used yellow and red peppers along with the green bell pepper since we had them in the fridge
• Added a dollop of sour cream on top since we had some in the fridge\

Recipe: Potato Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragu

I really need to take better photos of our food!
Problem is that I don't have time to
compose the dish before digging in.

Potato Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragu
Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2013, p. 76
5 stars!

SUCCESS!!!!!
After a couple of gnocchi fails -- making spinach gnocchi and ricotta gnocchi, we finally made a classic potato gnocchi, and it was absolutely delicious!!!!

We did half of the recipe (just in case the recipe was a dud); it made 3-4 servings.

It wasn't hard to make at all, and I can't wait to make it again!  Really flavor and a light, pillow-y texture.  Yummmmmm.

Finally, a more complex Food and Wine Magazine recipe that worked.

One tip:  I may add a pit more flour next time.  At the point where I rolled out the gnocchi, it was a little bit too soft/wet.

Recipe: Orecchiette Pesto Pasta Salad

We recently went to an event where they served a pesto pasta mixed greens salad.  It was ok, and my immediate thought was that we could make the same dish at home -- but make it even better, and more flavorful.  Plus, we've been needing to harvest some of our basil (that's been thriving - woohoo!) and could use it in the pesto.

Pesto is so easy to make -- just blend up some basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper.  Here's an Ina Garten pesto recipe if you need one.

So, we made the pesto, and mixed it in with some mixed salad greens and orecchiette pasta.  Topped it with some Parmesan and then croutons for some crunch and voila - dinner in just about 15 min!

Recipe: Cherry and Plum Bruschetta

Cherry and Plum Bruschetta
Bon Appetit, Jun 2013, p. 42
5 stars

Why oh why did I not take a photo of this?  It was lovely in both appearance and taste and extremely easy to make!

Note:  We didn't use cherries, just plums for this appetizer, and it turned out great.

The recipe is basically this:

• Toast a baguette and slice it to 1/2" thick
• Drizzle the toast with oil
• Spread a ricotta and sugar mixture on top
• Top it with the fruit (which is macerated in oil, salt and vanilla for 10-15 min)
• Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt

Perfect for a summer gathering.

Drink Recipe: The Triple Crown (Southern Comfort)

I couldn't figure out what to drink.
I saw our bottle of Southern Comfort (which we've had for a few years).
I looked up what drinks I could make with SoCo.
I found "The Triple Crown" recipe on the SoCo website.
I made it.

In a shaker, I shook up:

• 1/2 of a grapefruit, freshly squeezed
• 6 mint leaves
• 1.5 oz of Southern Comfort
• 1/2 oz of triple sec
• a splash of simple syrup

The drink was a tad sweet for me, so I topped it with club soda which turned it into a nice spritzy summer 

drink!

Recipe: Radishes with Burrata

Photo by Danny Kim for Bon Appetit
(my photo of the dish was nowhere near as lovely)

Radishes with Burrata
Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2014, p.28
3.5 stars

We couldn't find watermelon radishes!  If anyone knows where we can find them in Dallas, please comment below.  We used a different type of radish (sparkler radishes that were a bit on the bitter side).

This dish was nice, fresh and good -- but really, what cheese-lover doesn't love burrata?  But I have to say that it wasn't super-amazing, thus the 3.5 stars.  I would make it again using the correct type of radishes.

Ingredients for this simple dish include:  burrata, watermelon radishes, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper, chives, lemon zest.

Recipe: Drunken Noodles

Drunken Noodles
Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2013
5 stars

Great recipe and HOT HOT HOT!  We used sambal oelek (thus, the major HEAT) for the red chile paste and added sauteed chicken.  Now, I kinda want to make Hot Pepper Noodles again to compare this to see which recipe is better.

Recipe: Skillet Bruschetta with Beans and Greens

Skillet Bruschetta with Beans and Greens
Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2014, p. 54
5 stars

I could eat this really basic, hearty (and inexpensive!) dish every day.

The ingredients are few:  kale, cannellini beans, bread, chicken broth, olive oil, lemon, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper

It's such a simple dish, and yet the various textures (crunchy bread, soft beans, fibrous kale) and flavors (garlic, spice, salt, citrus) come together so very nicely.

Recipe: Noodle Salad with Chicken and Chile-Scallion Oil

Noodle Salad with Chicken and Chile-Scallion Oil
Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2014, p.85

I had one of those days where I didn't want to cook after work, but we didn't have leftovers to eat for dinner -- and we had planned to make this recipe anyways that evening.  I was happy to see how easy and quick this recipe was.

A pretty healthy (and spicy!) meal that paired nicely with my lychee plum ginger drink (1/2 oz lychee liqueur, 1/2 oz plum vodka, Fever Tree Ginger Beer).

Ingredients for the dish:

• Chile-Scallion Oil:  scallions, garlic, star anise, red pepper flakes, fresh ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, vegetable oil
• Noodles, etc:  Japanese wheat noodles, scallions, cucumber, radishes, cilantro, chicken, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil

We used udon noodles and also added daikon.

Recipe: Skirt Steak Fajitas with Grilled Cabbage and Scallions

Skirt Steak Fajitas with Grilled Cabbage and Scallions
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2014, p.52
4 stars

We took the essence of this recipe and created our own fajita tacos.  (I wasn't feeling like grilled cabbage; it just didn't sound appealing.)

For our tacos, we used what we had in the fridge:  flour tortillas, lettuce, diced tomato, crumbled cotija cheese, grilled red onions, cilantro, chopped scallion and avocado.

A quick and delicious weekday meal.

By the way, the marinade for the steak = excellent.  Ingredients for the marinade: pureed garlic, lime juice, oil, hot smoked Spanish paprika, cilantro, cumin, salt and onion powder.

Recipe: Cucumber Salad

Recipe:  Grilled Hanger Steak with Cucumber Salad
Bon Appetit Magazine, April 2014, p. 16

We haven't made the hanger steak yet, but I know it's DELICIOUS because our friends made the recipe for us for dinner.

The cucumber salad pairs so nicely with it.  It's a nice, fresh crunchy Asian-y salad.

Ingredients:  cucumber, carrot, daikon, red onion, cilantro, peanuts, unseasoned rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, salt & pepper

Only tip on the salad:

• Use a 1/4 of a small onion rather than 1/2

Recipe: Vegetable Ramen Recipe

I was looking for a vegetable ramen recipe and found this one on Chef Marcus Samuelsson's site.

Not a traditional ramen recipe, per se, but it was good and took us only 20 minutes(!!!) to make -- which was great for a weeknight meal.

Note:  While I thought the addition of avocado was a little odd, it's a must!  It adds a nice creaminess and texture to the soup.

When we made this, I excluded the following:  celery, corn, savoy cabbage

But added:  ginger, tofu, daikon and shitake mushrooms (instead of regular mushrooms)

Next time, I need to add a poached egg and seaweed (which I bought but forgot to add).

Recipe: Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblano Chiles

Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblano Chiles
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2013, p. 69
My rating:  5 stars!

Really not a great photo above (I almost considered not including it) because it doesn't give this dish justice on how amazing it tastes.

This soup is restaurant quality.  It could be on Stephan Pyles' or Dean Fearing's menu in Dallas because of its southwestern profile and great flavor and texture.

Ingredients include:  poblano chiles, onion, garlic, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, black beans, chicken broth, dried pasilla or ancho chile, pepitas (raw shelled pumpkin seeds), queso fresco, oil, salt, lime

• Used pasilla chile (vs. ancho)
• Used fire-roasted diced tomatoes (vs. plain)
• Topped it with cilantro
• Stirred in some Spicy Salsa Roja that we had from a recipe we made earlier in the week (to add yet another layer of flavor and heat) -- the salsa recipe was from Food and Wine Magazine's March 2014 issue (p. 99) -- Zucchini Quesadilla with Spicy Salsa Roja.  The quesadilla would actually be a nice accompaniment to this soup recipe!

Recipe: Jalapeno-Cheddar Popovers

Jalapeno-Cheddar Popovers
Southern Living, March 2014, p.104
My rating:  3 stars

Of all the popover and savory muffin recipes I've made, this one was ok -- not my favorite.  It didn't have a ton of flavor (yet they smelled amazing), but I think I'll try the recipe again with the following tweaks:

• Add more (maybe double) the amount of cheese
• Add red pepper flakes

Notes:

• The batter was very watery but was fine!
• I let the batter stand for 10 min instead of 30

I'll update this post after I make the recipe again. . .

Recipe: Farro and Green Olive Salad with Walnuts and Raisins

Farro and Green Olive Salad with Walnuts and Raisins
Food and Wine Magazine, Dec 2013, p.150
My rating:  5 stars!

I'm digging this plant-based diet, although as you can see from the attached photo, this one has meat(!) in it.

This recipe was the salad of the month in Food and Wine Magazine's Dec 2013 issue.  I don't know if I'd consider it a salad, per se.  (When I think of salads, I think lots and lots of vegetables.)  For us, this was a main entree, and I was full after eating this hearty dish.

Ingredients include:  farro, walnuts, green olives, scallions, raisins, cheese, chives, red pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, honey.

Tips:

• Omitted the chives since we didn't have any handy
• Used regular raisins instead of golden raisins
• Shaved Manchego cheese on top instead of Pecorino cheese
• Added cucumbers
• Added ground lamb
• Need to whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and red pepper together and then dress the dish

Recipe: Double-Beet Salad with Radicchio & Blue Cheese

Double-Beet Salad with Radicchio & Blue Cheese
Food and Wine Magazine, Aug 2013

A hearty entree salad that actually made me think, "This would be a $14 salad in a restaurant."
5 stars!

To give you an idea of what's in the recipe (see recipe at link above), ingredients include:

• 3 golden beets  (we used red beets)
• Walnuts
• Radicchio  (we used a spring mix)
• Maytag blue cheese
• Minced shallot
• Walnut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, smoked sea salt, pepper  (we didn't have walnut oil or smoked sea salt so used EVOO and Hawaiian sea salt that we had in the pantry)

Pretty simple!

Tip:

• Instead of steaming the beets and sauteing them, we may try peeling the beets and roasting them next time

Drink Recipe: Italian Refresher

Here is a cocktail that I concocted (when I couldn't decide between making an Aperol Spritz and something with Campari).  I call it the Italian Refresher.

• 1 oz Aperol
• 1/2 oz Campari
• Squeeze of 1/2 a lime
• 1 oz Sprite
• 1 oz Club Soda

Recipe: Warm Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad

Warm Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad
Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2013, p. 44

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this recipe but blog contributor the grandcruman was open to trying it, so I was in.  And, I LOVED IT.

Here is the ingredient list, and you have to admit, it doesn't sound like it'd taste great:  barley, cauliflower, beans, salt & pepper, lemon juice and zest, mayo, Dijon-mustard, olive oil, parsley and tarragon.

As we try to eat more of a plant-based diet, this recipe is a keeper.  Filling and flavorful.  (I'm actually craving it right now as I write.)  It's also a quick weekday recipe since it only took about 20 min to make.

Tips:

• Used farro instead of pearled barley (since we had farro in the house)
• Used cannellini beans instead of gigante, corona or butter beans
• Didn't need to use all of the dressing

Recipe: Jumbo Pancetta, Thyme and Gruyere Muffins

What to do with extra buttermilk we had in the fridge?  I hate waste.

Fortunately, I saw the Jumbo Pancetta, Thyme and Gruyere Muffins recipe in Food and Wine Magazine (April 2014, p. 55) and made these this past weekend.

Warning:  They're addictive.
I'm definitely making these again.

Tips:

• We made half the recipe which filled 8 regular muffin cups (I don't have a jumbo muffin pan)
• Used finely diced prosciutto instead of pancetta
• Used dried thyme instead of fresh
• The batter was thick (thicker than I thought it'd be)
• It only took 27 min to bake, not 30

Bon Appetit!

Hearts of Palm

Did you know that hearts of palm is also called "swamp cabbage?"  I learned that today while reading Ask Marilyn in Parade Magazine.

I knew that my beloved salad ingredient is a "long, slender vegetable that is actually the innermost portion -- the heart -- of the stem of the palmetto tree, the state tree of Florida."

But "swamp cabbage"?  That doesn't sound appealing at all.  It has no resemblance to cabbage!

Drink Recipe: Chocolate Bulleit - Revised

This is admittedly not the best drink photo -- I was halfway through the drink before I thought about writing about this.  

I was craving a drink with bourbon perhaps influenced by the Kentucky Derby being on TV, yet didn't want a Mint Julep.

I had just used part of an orange for another recipe and decided to make my own version of the Chocolate Bulleit cocktail, but using different proportions of ingredients since that drink is a bit too strong for me.

The Bistro 31 Chocolate Bulleit recipe is as follows:

• 1 oz Bulleit Bourbon
• 1 oz Licor 43
• Squeeze of orange juice
• 6 dashes of Aztec Chocolate Bitters
• Garnished with a fresh orange slice

My "revised recipe" that is a little sweeter:

• 1 oz Maker's Mark (we were out of Bulleit Bourbon)
• 1/2 oz Licor 43
• Juice of a whole orange
• 3 dashes of Aztec Chocolate Bitters

Cheers!

Recipe: Our "Chipotle" Bowls

As we continue to strive to eat a more plant-based diet, we made our own "Chipotle" salad bowls for dinner which were quite tasty and included the following:

• Brown rice

• Black beans (cooked with onion and garlic)

• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Roasted corn
• Jalapeno (diced)
• Avocado
• Radish
• Green onion
• Cilantro

• Salsa

And just a little of the following which we already had in the fridge:

• Shredded cheese 
• Sour cream

I'm realizing that our new way of eating is requiring more time prepping ingredients (namely, chopping vegetables!).