Recipes

May 25, 2011 New York

Eataly

Eataly is a dream come true for any Italian food lover.

What is Eataly?

Oh, just the largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in the entire world. The first one opened in Turin, Italy two years ago by a fellow named Oscar Farinetti. This past summer, Farinetti teamed up with Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Lidia Matticchio Bastianich to build a second one in New York City.

This new one occupies 50,000 square feet of space in the former Toy building at 200 Fifth avenue. Inside, you'll find all sorts of hard-to-find Italian specialties, a number of Italian restaurants, wines, cheeses, and even various types of classes and cooking demonstrations.

It's every food lover's dream, which would explain why the place is always packed like a mad house.

I guess coming on a Saturday afternoon is always a bad idea. It gets so crowded that you may have trouble walking around comfortably. Forget eating at one of the restaurants! (or at least we did!)

There is a huge selection of various types of cured meats, many of which hang right above the counter. Check out those huge prosciutto legs!

They stock a beautiful assortment of cheeses from all over the world, including Italy (of course), France, and even Indiana! Of course there's a selection of local New York cheeses. There is even "Il Laboratoria De La Mozzarella", a place where fresh mozzarella is made right in front of you. If you're lucky, you might be able to catch a demonstration.

So this is where you get speck, porchetta, and pancetta! There are so many types of cured meats here, it's mind boggling. Bryan's super food-loving cousin told us this was among the best cured meat she'd ever had in her life.

Check out the fresh seafood from all over the US and Canada (yum, razor clams! PEI mussels! Oooh, Wellfleet oysters!) One could ooh and ahh forever here.

A wonderful bakery that makes fresh bread continuously throughout the day. Check out all those lovely rustic loaves!

Want dried pasta? You have aisles and aisles from which to choose! There are popular Italian supermarket brands (like Barilla), as well as many artisanal choices. So hard to decide!

Of course, if you're like Bryan, you'll opt for the many fresh pasta choices! Countless raviolis, a green spinach pasta, and "noodles" of all different widths.

So many cheese wheels!

Venchi specialty chocolates

This place is really a sight to behold. Its sheer size as well as the endless options of absolutely delicious Italian goods can be downright overwhelming (in a good way!)

Though we did not have a chance to dine at his restaurant, we are pretty confident that the food quality will be high here. We've always loved anything from Mario Batali. His pastas are absolutely incredible (even the recipes I've tried at home). His steak is the best I've ever had. Even his casual dining spots are perfectly enjoyable.

This place is crazy popular but definitely worth a visit. If you are on the lookout for interesting Italian imports, I can't imagine a place with more options.

If you do want to come, try to avoid coming on weekend afternoons, where it's truly a madhouse.

Eataly
200 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010

May 24, 2011 Michelin

Peter Luger Steak House

This post is part 1 of our Eating in New York (again) series.

I've been hearing so much about this place.

First, there was the post + giveaway where I asked all my readers to share their favorite steak and/or burger places. This particular restaurant kept showing up over and over again.

Then, there was the winner of that same giveaway who, after enjoying the meal courtesy of the winning gift card, told us "the dinner was good, but not as good as Peter Luger."

And then there are the numerous accolades, such as Zagat's number 1 steakhouse 26 years in a row or the Michelin star. How many casual steak houses get Michelin stars?

When we found out we would be going to New York again this year, Bryan said, "there are two places I definitely want to try. Peter Luger and Marea."

I was lucky enough to land a 12pm reservation for four last minute, so we decided to meet up with some friends for lunch in Brooklyn at this super famous steak house.

Peter Luger is right across the Williamsburg bridge in Brooklyn. It's been around since 1887, although the Luger family sold it to one of their biggest fans, Sol Forman, when business started declining in 1950. Thankfully, Mr. Forman was able to revive the place enough to garner an excellent review from the New York Times. This boosted its popularity, and it has remained that way ever since. Today, Mr. Forman's granddaughter oversees the buying of the meat (which actually undergoes an extremely rigorous process!).

We love walking, so we actually walked from Midtown (around 50th street) all the way to Brooklyn. The bridge has a wonderfully huge pedestrian/bike section that makes walking easy and very pleasant.

It's a long walk from Midtown (I think it took us around an hour), so we were relieved when we finally saw the restaurant. It's really right on the other side of the bridge.

We heard the thick bacon was good, so we ordered it. I wish we had known how big it was! Silly us, we ordered one slice per person, which was way too much food. Seriously, I think one slice for the table (just to taste) would have been plenty. The bacon was very tasty though - juicy, nicely charred, and flavorful.

Of course, the showstopper was their signature dish - the Porterhouse. Peter Luger only purchases USDA prime beef, mostly from the Midwest. Above that, however, they personally inspect each piece of meat and only purchase ones that pass their own even higher standards. They look at factors such as color, fat distribution, and bones.

We ordered the Porterhouse for 4, which is basically two Porterhouses. The crust was beautifully charred and the inside was a perfect medium rare. In short, it was absolutely delicious. This steak seriously rivals the best steaks we've ever had. Ha ha, we thought we would have trouble finishing it, but we ate the whole thing!

The sides are also really really good. I think their creamed spinach is the best I've ever had in my entire life. It was exceptionally smooth and "creamy," yet did not seem to actually contain much cream or cheese. Perhaps it was more broth-based. Whatever it was, I preferred it so much more to typical creamed spinach, which I personally find to be too rich for my tastes.

Similarly, the German roasted potatoes were fantastic, with perfectly crispy browned edges. Many recommend these two sides, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Cash only!

Well, close. Peter Luger only accepts cash, checks, debit cards, and their own branded credit card. Thankfully, there is an ATM literally right outside the restaurant.

Overall, I can see why this restaurant is so popular. Though the menu is limited, they execute every single item tremendously well. The steaks, of course, steal the show, and you must try the Porterhouse your first time here. The creamed spinach and roasted potatoes are also delicious, and makes perfect sides to this very very satisfying meal.

Peter Luger
178 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211

May 23, 2011 New York

Eating in New York (again) and Giveaway winner!

Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Building

Congratulations to Vicki who won the Tapena Wines giveaway. Vicki said "I made beef bourguignon with cheeks once, it was so good! For the tapas, I'd have to go with the sardine cakes with salsa verde."

Thanks all for participating!

The past few years I've had the privilege of visiting New York City for work. Bryan and I have fun dressing up in our formal attire to attend an annual black tie event in Manhattan. In fact, Bryan buckled down and purchased a tuxedo this year to avoid having to rent in the subsequent years.

Of course, a fun "side effect" of this business trip is that I always extend it into the weekend, which give me and Bryan ample opportunities to try a bit of all that New York City has to offer!

Here's a peek at some of the upcoming posts you'll see in this New York series . . . .

You'll have to cross a big bridge to get to this restaurant . . .

. . .which serves a mean steak worthy of a Michelin star!

You aren't allowed to take pictures of the food in this restaurant, although they may let you get a picture of yourselves (as long as the background is a blank wall and not the kitchen!!!)

Exquisite, beautiful food in a restaurant named after its address

A huge marketplace full of amazing imports - an Italian food lover's dream

Among the best Italian food we've had in New York from this recently upgraded two star Michelin restaurant near Central Park

All decked out . . . Can you guess where we are?

Enjoy the series!

May 20, 2011 Back Bay

Asana

Asana (noun) in yoga, a sitting position intended to restore and maintain well being.

Asana is one of several restaurants inside the Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay right next to the Prudential Center. The Mandarin hasn't been in Boston for that long, only about 3 years. Within that time, Asana is still trying to find its voice.

As many of you may know, the Mandarin Oriental is an Asian hotel, with headquarters in Hong Kong. When the hotel first opened, French Chef Nicolas Boutin (who has worked at several three star Michelin restaurants) left the Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental to come on as Executive Chef in Boston. Unfortunately, his innovative fusion of Asian and French cuisine wasn't that popular with Bostonians. Since then, Asana has taken a safer approach, offering local, seasonal New England inspired fare with an emphasis on fresh, high quality ingredients.

Asana's actually looking for an executive chef right now. Meanwhile, the current staff is doing an admirable job of delivering a wonderful assortment of farm fresh, locally-inspired dishes.

The space is beautiful and is connected to the Mandarin Oriental. This means that residents of the building can order room service from here and also dine here without having to step outside. Though it's not as flashy as, say, the Ritz Carlton, the Mandarin gets its own share of celebrities and dignitaries. They are just much more low-key about it.

Housemade Pappardelle wild mushroom, arugula, truffle oil, shaved pecorino romano cheese $21

I was excited to see that all their pastas are freshly made! The housemade pappardelle was very good, though I wished it were just a hair more al dente. I loved the fragrant flavors of the wild mushrooms, truffle oil, and cheese. This dish was richly full of umami and very enjoyable. Bryan enjoyed my leftovers and spoke quite positively about dish (he loved the fresh pasta, of course!)

Georges Bank Seared Scallops Siena Farms english pea, pancetta crisps carbonara style gnocchi, sorrel $26

This was one of my favorite dishes. The scallops were cooked perfectly - nicely seared yet moist and near sushi-quality in the center. I loved the seasonal addition of English peas as well as the crunchy, circular pancetta discs.

Crispy Maryland Soft Shell Crab vine ripe tomato, avocado, wild arugula, meyer lemon vinaigrette $25

Though we didn't order this crab dish, the chef brought out this new menu item for us to try because it was one of his favorites. I thought it was alright, but then I've never been a huge fan of soft shell crab (I feel like I'm eating shrimp shells), so I can't really be objective on this one.

Four Course $58 / Wine Pairing $31
My dining companion, Edwina (who actually works for the Mandarin Oriental), decided to try their new tasting menu. Every month they switch up the tasting menu to feature a seasonal ingredient. This month? The ingredient was cheese!

Below are the four courses you would get with this tasting.

Shaved Serrano Ham
arugula, farmers cheese, heirloom melon, 12 yr aged, balsamic
2009, bodegas burgans, albarino, rias baixas, spain

Chef Tim uses house made ricotta cheese in this simple but flavorful starter. And guess what? I was able to get the recipe for the cheese! I'll be trying it soon and promise to report back.

Homemade Farmers Cheese Gnudi
shaved easter radish, cherry tomato, Siena farms english pea, blondie frisee, ramp pesto
2009, terrazas, torrontes, reserva, argentina

Do you know what a Gnudi is? It's like gnocchi, but made without flour. Some refer to it as a "naked" ravioli since it has the cheese and "filling" but no wrapper! In fact, "gnudi' means "nude" ravioli. I loved this dish - I'm already a fan of fresh peas, and the ramp pesto was so flavorful and totally reminded me of spring.

Grilled P.T. Farm Hanger Steak
hand cut truffle fries, farmers cheese, asparagus rosemary jus
2010, laboure roi, pinot noir, burgundy, france

Edwina let me try a small piece of the steak, which was also served with the house made ricotta cheese. Alas, I enjoy my steaks medium rare (or maybe even rare sometimes!) so I thought this medium-cooked piece of steak was too tough. Hanger steak is tricky. It's a flavorful cut of meat, but it's also a tougher cut of steak and thus needs to be cooked as little as possible (or prepared using sous vide!). If you plan on getting the hanger steak, definitely order it rare or medium rare.

Housemade Ricotta & Raisin Tart
lemon sorbet, apple wine air, lemon crisp

Desserts are amazing here.

Executive Pastry Chef Nelson Paz is really really good at his craft. Edwina absolutely loved her Ricotta and Raisin tart, which she could not stop praising. The dessert is composed of several different complex parts, each of which takes quite a bit of work to prepare. For example, Nelson described to us how the he dried the lemon "chip" for countless hours (I think at least 6!) in a low heat oven in order to prevent it from burning.

Quintuple Chocolate Cheesecake - $10
Valrhona chocolates

This crazy chocolate cheesecake is one of Asana's signature desserts, and it's worthy of the accolades. It's made from at least 5 different kinds of Valrhona chocolate, starting from the white chocolate caramels to the 85% ultra dark coating and all the way to the 100% cocoa nibs sprinkled throughout. This dessert is excellent - it truly showcases both Chef Nelson's attention to detail as well as his exquisite artistry.

The food at Asana is overall very good. I personally especially enjoyed the fresh pastas (both the pappardelle and the gnudi), as well as the pan-seared scallops.

Nothing on the menu is particularly risky - you'll see a pleasant assortment of seafood, meat, and farm fresh vegetables. Like most hotel restaurants, they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's the type of place that would be perfect for special family gatherings like Easter, Mother's Day, or graduation dinners. It would also work fine for client dinners as well as other work related meals.

The desserts are the true stars here. They would stand perfectly well on their own in a fancy patisserie. If nothing else, try the quintuple chocolate cheesecake. You won't be disappointed.

Asana
776 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02199

Disclaimer:
Time to time I receive free products, meals, etc. as a food blogger. I do not receive any payment for blog posts/reviews nor am I required to write a post when I receive free products, meals, etc. The views expressed in this post are completely my own. This meal was paid for by Asana.

May 17, 2011 Beef

Beef Cheeks Boeuf Bourginion + Wine Giveaway!

Beef cheeks are so underappreciated. I first tried beef cheeks in Napa Valley at a lovely dinner at Nickel & Nickel Winery during the S. Pellegrino 9th Annual Almost Famous Chef Competition. I fell in love with the ultra soft texture, collagen-rich texture of the meat. It was much less dry, much less stringy than any meat I'd ever enjoyed. Later, I found out that beef cheeks are really really cheap, because no one wants them! Our local upscale market (Savenor's) sells them for $2/lb (unprocessed), or $6/lb processed.

Around the same time, a Spanish wine company called Tapeña (derived from the words Tapas (small plates) and Peña (close group of friends)) contacted me asking whether I would be interested in trying some wines that were designed to go with Spanish tapas.

Well, we ended up making a French dish to pair with the Spanish wine, so maybe you can call this a European fusion meal?

I mentioned earlier that beef cheeks are a lot cheaper if you buy them unprocessed. Please note that it takes A LOT of work to process the cheeks. You literally get this "flap" that's the entire cheek. You have to do a lot of work to cut away all the fat and connective tissue surrounding the cheek meat. I personally think it's not worth the effort and I'm happy to pay $6/lb for the cleaned version (pictured above).

Since we were having wine, I invited my wino friend Peter (he's written a few guest posts on this blog) to come over. I figured I could finagle a blog post out of him. I always love cooking with Peter and his wife Chia Chi because they really enjoy good food and do not mind cooking time-consuming meals with me in my tiny kitchen.

We decided to make Boeuf Bourguinion straight from Julia Child's book (a la Simply Recipes). By now, this is probably one of the most popular food blogger recipes because it's the first dish that Julie tried to make in the movie Julie and Julia.

Of course, we put a slight twist on the Julia Child recipe since we were using beef cheeks instead of normal beef chuck (thanks to this blog's inspiration).

The final dish turned out great! Yes, you have to cook beef cheeks for a long time before you break down the connective tissue. However, because of its slightly higher fat content, the texture of the final product is deliciously soft.

Since I basically just followed Elise's and Ryan's recipe, I will not be reproducing it here.

And how did the wines taste with our fantastic meal?

Here's Peter . . . .

When Jen invited me to try three "Tapas" wines under $10, I was skeptical. While there is no correlation between price and quality above $20 (Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator asserts that the cost of making even a top quality wine is $15 a bottle), wines under $10 tend to be designed for mass market appeal and few are produced with the level of care and precision needed to be outstanding.

Also, I admit that I am a bit of wine snob. If a wine does not garner 92 points or higher from a reputable rating system or come recommended by a person whose palate I trust, I typically don't even consider it. Why waste the opportunity when you could drink something better? But to be a true lover of food and wine, sometimes you have to put aside your prejudices and judge a product on its own merits.

Our beef cheek experiment gave us the perfect chance to try the three Tapena wines and find the best match. The normal pairing with Boeuf Bourginion is a red Rhone, Burgundy, Beaujolais, or Saint Emilion Bordeaux. But the Tapena wines are from Spain, so the available varieties are Garnache, Verdejo (the Spanish version of Sauvignon Blanc) and Tempranillo.

Not surprising, the Verdejo does not pair with the beef; but in a standalone taste test, it is the hands down winner of the three wines. The fresh white has the most complexity with a nose of melon, apples, and peach. Not overly dry or acidic, it has the balance to satisfy a large audience and would be a crowd favorite at any summer party.

Typically fruity and spicy, Garnacha usually pairs with ethnic foods with a kick. The Bourginionm with its earthiness, poses a real challenge for this wine. With a nose of cherry and red fruit, Tapena's Garnacha is surprisingly sweet and tasted strongly of red fruit. While not spicy, it is too jammy for the hearty beef dish.

The violet Tempranillo is the most hearty of the three competitors. It has nice dark red color bordering on violet. With an interesting nose of peppermint and crushed rocks, the wine smells fairly herbaceous. On the palate, it carries a hint of spice but also has a nice earthiness that makes it the best pairing of the three.

Thanks Peter!

Giveaway!
Tapeno has been generous enough to give one lucky Tiny Urban Kitchen reader ingredients and supplies to host your own "Tapas" Party! The winner will receive the following ($150 value):

THREE bottles of wine: Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Verdejo
TAPAS PARTY SUPPLIES! Coasters, Olives, Nuts, a Corkscrew, Pens, a Tapas Book, an Ice Bucket, and a Spice Pack

To enter, check out Tapena's extensive recipe collection of Spanish tapas! Pick your favorite and mention it in the comments below. For additional chances to enter, please tweet (one additional entry) and/or put on facebook (one more entry) a link to this post. If using Twitter, please mention @tinyurbankitchn in your tweet.

Example:
Giveaway! Throw a tapas party! Win three bottles of Spanish wine plus tapas ingredients @tinyurbankitchn http://bit.ly/jDGiNs

Please comment below letting me know if you posted something on facebook and/or twitter.

Maximum number of entries per person: 3

Contest ends THIS FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2011 at midnight EST.

Good luck!

May 16, 2011 Beijing

The Art of Hand Pulled Noodles - Noodle making class in Beijing, China

It's arguably becoming a lost art.Many of you might know that I'm a bit obsessed with hand-pulled noodles.

OK, I should clarify. My husband is obsessed with eating fresh, handmade noodles. As a result, I became obsessed with figuring out how to obtain them. After an exhaustive search of Boston, we realized that hand-pulled noodles do not exist in Boston.

So I set out to learn how to make them myself. It wasn't easy. I soon learned that the internet is sparse when it comes to information in English for making hand-pulled noodles. Sure, there's some information, but at the end of the day, I think a lot of the information is still hidden in China.

So when I went to Beijing last fall (after having made my noodle making Project Food Blog post), you know what I had to do. I signed up for a hand-pulling noodle class with a Chinese noodle master.

First, we learned that Beijing-style hand-pulled noodles are different than the Shaanxi-style hand-pulled noodles. Shaanxi-style hand-pulled noodles make use of a base (called kansui or jiansui), which is typically a mixture of potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate. The version I had been making at home was based on this method, but used sodium bicarbonate instead (baking soda), since it was easier to obtain in US markets. Beijing noodle dough, on the other hand, is simple, consisting only of high gluten four (te jing fen), water, and salt.

What causes hand-pulled noodle dough to be flexible and stretchy?

1) an increased water to dough ratio
2) the addition of salt
3) continual kneading and twirling of the dough

Because the class was only 2 hours long, the instructor had pre-kneaded the dough for us already. (Yeah, I know, he did the hardest part!) Nevertheless, it was interesting to learn some proper techniques related to dough twisting and pulling.

The idea is to stretch out the dough like a rope, bring the two ends together while twirling, and then stretch the dough again to its original length. Check out the video below to see this in action. You do this over and over and over again until the dough reaches the right consistency. It takes a bit of experience to be able to tell when the dough is the right consistency. A proper dough will be soft, pliable, and can stretch easily without breaking.

Many things can affect the quality of the dough - humidity in the air that day, temperature, gluten percentage in your dough. He told us that on a humid summer day you may only need to twirl for about 10 minutes, whereas in the winter you may need to twirl for 15-20 minutes.

Ideally, you twirl in different directions each time: counterclockwise, then clockwise, etc.

When the dough is finally ready, then you begin pulling. For Dragon's Whiskers, which are super, super thin, you end up pulling the dough close to ten times! That's like 1024 noodles! The noodles become so thin, you really can't boil them. They would fall apart if you tried. Instead, these types of super thin noodles are typically deep fried.

If you want to make noodles for boiling, typically you don't want to stretch them more than 4-5 times!

Despite the fact that I had some experience with making noodles, I was surprised how hard it was when I tried do everything "properly." I guess the lesson is - don't learn bad habits! They are hard to unlearn.

Here's a brief video I made of the class. Below, I've provided the recipe that they gave to us.If you want to take the class yourself, check out the offerings on their website.

If you have trouble watching the video embedded here, click here to go straight to Youtube

Disclaimer: I have not tried this recipe at home. The only recipe I have validated at home is the one from my first blog post on this topic.

Hand Pulled Noodle Dough

167g high gluten flour (te jing fen)

100g water

1 teaspoon salt

Combine flour, water, and salt. Knead dough until elastic (possibly up to an hour, or you can try using a stand mixer on speed 4 or a bread machine). Cover the dough with plastic and let it rest at room temperature for at least 15-20 minutes (to relax the gluten). Twist the dough for about 15-20 minutes or until it is nice and stretchy. Pull noodles.

This is part 14 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai.

Other posts in this series:

part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing

part 2: Xian'r Lao Man (handmade dumplings)

part 3: Made in China (Peking duck)

part 4: Noodle Bar (hand pulled noodles)

part 5: Bao Yuan Dumpling (handmade dumplings)

part 6: Da Dong (Peking duck)

part 7: Jia Jia Tang Bao (Soup dumplings / xiao long bao)

part 8: Yang's Fry Dumpling (Pan fried steamed buns / shen jian bao)

part 9: Din Tai Fung (dumplings)

part 10: Eating At the World Expo

part 11: Crystal Jade (Dim Sum)

part 12: Jiu Men Xiao Chi (Nine Gates Snack Street) - the best Street Snacks in Beijing

part 13: Noodle Loft (Mian Ku)

China: Lost in Translation

Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks
How to make hand-pulled noodles, la mian, shou la mian,

May 15, 2011 Recipe

Oven Roasted Golden Beets

There are some things that inherently taste so good, the best way to enjoy them is really with minimal preparation.

Ever since I discovered what fresh beets taste like, I've been a huge fan of them. Fresh beets, which you can simply cover with foil and roast in the oven, are healthy, easy to prepare, and taste absolutely delicious.

Who would have thought that peeling them first, and thus caramelizing them in the oven, would glorify this humble root vegetable to new heights?

Of course, red beets are a pain to peel. Your hands turn bloody purple and they stain everything around them like crazy. I think that's why most people just roast them whole in the oven. It's makes everything so much cleaner, so much easier. At the end of a long work day, the last thing you want to do is get your hands dirty peeling beets.

But then there's the lovely golden beet. The beauty of the golden beets is that you can peel and chop them up before roasting without staining your hands.

Once roasted, they caramelize beautifully and taste even better than whole-roasted beets (which are essentially just steamed in the oven). I first had this at a friend's house, and I've been hooked ever since. I was surprised that I had a harder time finding websites that talked about this method. Almost everyone just covers them in foil and (essential) steam-bakes them.

Let me tell you - this way tastes so much better.

I wouldn't recommend it for red beets (for all the reasons I mentioned above), but if you can get your hands on some golden beets . . .

well, you're golden. 😉

Oven Roasted Golden Beets
2-3 golden beets
2-3 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop into cubes golden beets. Toss with vegetable oil and put in a baking sheet or tray, making sure the beets are in a single layer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until beets are soft and have golden brown edges.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

May 13, 2011 Back Bay

Lucca [Back Bay]

After a long day of shopping in Back Bay, what's a hungry girl to do if she's craving good Italian?

Lucca Back Bay is the second outpost of the original North End location right on famous Hanover Street. Owned by the same people (Ted Kennedy, Matthew and Sean Williams), this location has Anthony Mazzotta working as the executive chef. Chef Mazzotta has worked in some pretty well known places, such as The French Laundry, Per Se, and Ken Oringer's Toro, before coming to Lucca Back Bay.

The food at Lucca is inspired by different regions of Italy depending on the season. The winter menu features Piedmont and Lombardy, while the the spring focuses on Umbria and Abruzzo. The summer highlights Sicily and Calibria while the fall focuses on Sardinia and Larzo.

Here's a look some dishes we enjoyed on a chilly day last fall.

The space inside is beautiful, with a grand marble staircase leading up to the second floor and wine bottles displayed high up on a backlit wall.

Insalata a la Romana
wedged romaine, parmesan emulsion, deviled egg, marinated white anchovies and pickled shallots $13
The fork and knife "deconstructed" Caesar salad came with anchovies, pickled onions, and a deviled egg on the side. Although fine and creatively presented, the salad did not stand out to me in any special way.

Grilled Bread and Smoked Prosciutto Soup
cipollini onion marmalade, taleggio cheese and rosemary oil $11
The thick grilled bread and prosciutto soup was interesting. The prosciutto gave the soup a deep, rich flavor while the bread made the soup so thick that it almost seemed more like a gravy.

Ricotta Cavatelli Pasta
fresh mozzarella, broccoli rabe, cipollini onions, cherry pepper pesto, pine nut crumble $22

We always love having fresh pasta, and this was no exception. The homemade cavatelli had a wonderful chewy texture. The cherry pepper pesto was delicious, and the pine nut crumble added a nice crunch to the texture of the entire dish.

Housemade Yukon Gold Potato and Peppercorn Gnocchi, chanterelle mushrooms,
bacon, spinach and roasted cipollini onions $13 (appetizer)

Similarly, I loved my fresh, homemade gnocchi, tossed in a rich and creamy sauce deeply rich full of flavors from bacon, onions, and mushrooms.

Overall Thoughts
If you're in the Back Bay and you don't feel like making the trek all the way to the North End, Lucca is a pretty solid choice for good Italian food. We were surprised how close it was to Newbury Street. In fact, it took us only about 10 minutes to walk from the Apple Store on Newbury Street to Lucca.

The decor is beautiful, the service is good, and the food is quite enjoyable. It's definitely a step up from most of the dining options right on Newbury Street, many of which are, unfortunately, quite wanting. Prices are similar to what you'd find in the North End at some of the more upscale restaurants. It still doesn't beat our favorite restaurants in the North End. However, if we're in the Back Bay and craving some high quality Italian food, Lucca's a pretty solid choice.

What are your favorite places to dine after shopping in the Back Bay?

Lucca Back Bay
116 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02116

May 11, 2011 Cambridge

Bom Cafe

Nothing beats a local, neighborhood restaurant where the owners know the neighborhood, know the guests, and consistently dish out fantastic food.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you would know that Muqueca, a (formerly tiny) Brazilian seafood restaurant, is one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area. Why do I say "formerly" tiny? Well, since my last post about Muqueca, which was only about a year ago, Muqueca has moved into a larger space down the street.

In some ways, this is a welcomed relief. The biggest limitation of the old restaurant was always the tiny space, which translated to looooong waits for a table. The bigger restaurant can accommodate so many more guests and the food is still just as good. Better yet, the new place has a liquor license as well.

However, in other ways, it's bittersweet because I'll miss that old space. That tight space made it cozy and intimate. Visiting Muqueca was like visiting a Brazilian family and having them cook a fabulous meal for you. The new place just isn't quite the same.

Well guess what? You might just have a chance to visit that old space again and relive some of the nostalgia.

Less than a month ago, Bom Cafe opened in the old Muqueca space. You'll feel right at home here because Bom Cafe is owned by the same folks who own Muqueca. They've repainted the space and opened it up a bit, so it feels much brighter and much more airy. Other than that, it feels a lot like the old Muqueca.

Antonio and Fatima (Fafa) Gomes own both Muqueca and Cafe Bom. Antonio holds down the fort at the cafe while Fafa watches over Muqueca. When the cafe closes in the late afternoon, Antonio heads over to Muqueca to help out.
Antonio Gomes making a cappuccino at the cafe

I asked Antonio, "why did you decide to open a cafe in this spot?"

"Because I wanted one in the neighborhood."

Now that's a true neighborhood cafe! If only I could just build my dream cafe down the street from my home because I wanted one. Antonio made me a lovely cappuccino as he told us a little about the cafe. He gets up early every morning to bake everything from scratch. It's just him and his one helper right now, although they hope to hire more people soon.

For now, he's started out with a small, simple menu, although he hopes to expand it soon. He dreams about providing other simple grocery items for the neighborhood, like fresh baguettes.

One of my favorite items on the menu is the cheese bread. If you've never had Brazilian cheese bread, you have got to try this stuff. It's cheesy, chewy, and absolutely delicious. The texture almost reminds me of mochi in some ways, which might explain why I like it so much.

The passion fruit muffins are also packed with genuine fruit flavor. I'd never tried anything like it before, and I was wowed by the sweet and tart "zing" of the strong passion fruit flavor. It's even got passion fruit seeds strewn throughout! If you like softer muffins, I would get a large muffin. The mini muffins are purposely baked to be a bit harder for people who like to dunk them in their coffees. I wouldn't advise eating it alone - it's a bit hard!

As I mentioned earlier, the cafe menu is simple right now, with just omelets and sandwiches as savory choices. Of course, everything has a slightly Brazilian bent, which makes this place so much fun!

We ordered an omelet with ham, peppers, and palmitos (palm hearts). The omelet was quite enjoyable and came with a side of boiled yucca and bread. The boiled yucca was fine, although we preferred the deep fried yucca fries we tried before at Muqueca (ha ha, who wouldn't like a fried version more?).
We also tried a linguica (Brazilian sausage) sandwich, which came with sauteed onions and peppers. The sandwich was fine - nothing fancy, but it was good. It came with a side of potato chips.

They also have fresh fruit smoothies which are fun to try. I decided to try the most interesting thing on the menu - cashew fruit drink! The fruit of a cashew plant is pear-shaped and very juicy (you can see it in the painting above on the left most side next to the papaya). Unfortunately, its skin is super fragile, so it's quite difficult to transport the fresh fruit to the US from Brazil. Instead, it either comes frozen or as a concentrate.

I tried the cashew juice (from concentrate right now because it's not in season yet) and I loved it! It's light, slightly tart, not too sweet, and just really refreshing.

I had a lot of fun hanging out at Bom Cafe. Antonio is really friendly, and he was really generous in giving us little tastes of his baked goods. It's too bad Bom Cafe is not closer to my home. I would love to have that exact sort of intimate and friendly neighborhood cafe right down the street.

Definitely stop by for a baked good, a cappuccino, or smoothie. There's plenty of space to sit now, and the space is bright and friendly.

Don't miss the cheese bread!

May 9, 2011 Greater Boston

Wild Willy's

The Rio Grande Burger - Roasted Green Chilies and Cheddar Cheese

I love it when I learn cool and interesting things from the community of readers of this blog. Close to a year ago, I conducted a giveaway where the question was, "what is your favorite steak and/or burger place?"

Two places showed up over and over again - enough for me to notice. One was Peter Luger in New York City (not a surprise, considering it actually won a Michelin star in 2011!! - post coming soon!). The other was this humble little burger place in Watertown called Wild Willy's.

I finally had a chance to try Wild Willy's the other day to see what all the loyalty and hype was about.

French Fries

I soon discovered that Wild Willy's is unique in that it is one of the few (cheaper) places that serves grass-fed beef. For an extra $1.50, you can substitute grass-fed beef in any of the burgers on the menu. Grass-fed beef is a great option for a variety of reasons. Most notably, grass-fed beef is healthier. It's reported to be lower in saturated fat and have higher omega-3 content and than traditional corn-fed beef. I really like having the option to pay just a bit more for it.

"The Spicy Cactus" - Black Bean Veggie Burger

On top of the classic burgers, their menu offers various other interesting burgers such as the Annie Oakley (blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions) or the Rio Grande (roasted New Mexico green chilies and cheddar cheese). They even have a surprisingly delicious black bean veggie burger called The Spicy Cactus. I was surprised at how tasty it was - it had a crusty grilled edge just like a normal meat burger, and somehow the patty had tons of umami flavor. The salsa that was paired with the burger added juiciness and a kick to the burger. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Onion Rings
The burgers may not be as creative as, say Bartley's (still my favorite!) or the recently opened 5 Napkin burger. However, the menu has a solid variety that's sufficient for most people. Additionally, at around $6 a burger (or closer to $8 if you want grass-fed), it's definitely cheaper than Bartley's, where burgers run closer to $10.

I would probably say it's somewhere between Five Guys and Bartley's in terms of "fast-foodness" (you order at a counter and they bring it to you), though taste-wise I'm not sure if it's actually better than Five Guys. Bryan still says he much prefers the burgers from In & Out in California, which cost about the same (if not less).

The French fries and onion rings were quite solid, though the mac & cheese was forgettable.

Mac & Cheese

Overall, Wild Willy's has a good concept and executes it solidly: they provide no-frills high quality burgers at reasonable prices. Granted, there are better burgers Boston. However, if you're just looking for a solid burger and you're not looking to spend too much, Wild Willy's is a fine option.

If I ever find myself in Watertown again, I would most definitely be happy to return.

Wild Willy's
46 Arsenal St
Watertown, MA 02472

May 9, 2011 Asian

A Belated Happy Mother's Day

5-Spice Dried Tofu (Jen's mom)

Man, time really flies doesn't it?

I can't believe it's already been a year since I wrote my first Mother's Day post. As I get older, I appreciate more and more what our mothers have done and still do for us. Many of my friends are young mothers right now, and it amazes me how much work goes into raising good, happy, and healthy children. It's a bummer it takes us so long to realize and truly appreciate it.

5-Spice Soy Braised Beef Shank and Tendon (Bryan's Mom)

This post is dedicated to our moms (Bryan's mom and my mom). Last year I had highlighted some favorite family recipes that our moms made. I ended the post by pointing out two special ones that had been passed down through multiple generations. At the time, I had no recipe to share. Ha ha, in fact, I had never tried making those dearly-loved family treasures!

Soy Braised Pigs Feet - Jen's Mom

Thankfully, since then, I have not only successfully conquered the dishes, I have written blog posts about them as well! (both were entries in Project Food Blog). In case you missed it last fall, below are two of our favorite family recipes, passed down through many generations from China and Taiwan.

Chinese Rice Dumplings (Bah-Tzang)

My mom makes the yummiest Bah-Tzangs (Chinese rice dumplings), tweaked and modified to suit our tastes. This particular rice dumpling is a mix of various regional nuances. It incorporates chestnuts, peanuts, and also the classics ingredients (pork, mushrooms, shrimp). My mom's version is healthier because it removes some of the pork fat which was used in my grandmother's original version. Of course, there's tons of flexibility in how you fill this thing, so it's really up to you! Add back in the fei zhu ro (fatty pork) if you want. 🙂

It took years to perfect this, but I'm finally pretty comfortable making these dumplings from start to finish. Click here to see step-by-step instructions for the fillings as well as how to wrap these Taiwanese Rice Dumplings (Bah-Tzang).

Savory Pan Fried Pumpkin Cakes

Bryan's mom makes these awesome pumpkin cakes every year for the extended family. She's the only one who knows how to make them, after learning the art from Bryan's paternal grandmother. Bryan's grandmother learned it years before from her own mom, who brought the recipe over from Xiamen (Amoy Island) in Southern China.

This is one of the most popular dishes in the extended Che family, and everybody requests it all the time. I finally buckled down and learned how to make it myself this past fall. Click below for the full details on how make these famous Che Family Pumpkin Cakes.

In loving memory of . . .
Finally, I wanted especially to honor Bryan's maternal grandmother, who passed away in March. She was an amazing mom of SEVEN kids! (Six girls no less!) She lived a full and wonderful 90 years, growing up in China and then eventually moving to the US. I was privileged to know her and had many chances to talk to her this past decade while she was living in California. It's funny, she only speaks Chinese, and since Bryan's Chinese is awful but mine's decent, she actually talked to me a lot more than she talked to Bryan.

Soon after she passed away, one of the aunts found her handwritten recipe collection. She was so kind to scan each page and send it to all of us! I can't wait to try some of the dishes in that notebook. I'll be sure to share some of them with you.

Heh, but first thing's first. I can't really read Chinese very well. Ha ha, I guess I should get working on those translations.

Rest in peace Grandma, and Happy Mother's Day to you too.

Chen Tuan Chao
December 20, 1920 to March 14, 2011

May 6, 2011 Boston

Tiny Urban Tidbits #19: My Visit to NPR's Studios in Boston

Some of you might remember that I had my first radio interview last fall. It was during the tense, final round of Project Food Blog when Boston's NPR station, WBUR invited me to come in for a radio interview. They were interested in interviewing me because I had made this animated stop-motion video of Boston out of vegetables. They even called me and asked me to bring some radishes so they could eat them on air!

I've been meaning to share that experience with you, since I found it quite interesting. I'd never been inside a radio station before, and it was really cool to watch them stitch together live programs on the fly.

The radio world moves very quickly since many of the programs are time-sensitive. Although I was originally slated to come in early in the week, important news on Tuesday took precedent and pushed my interview back to Thursday.

Thursday Noon
I arrived at the studio around 1PM. I stared in awe as I took in my surroundings: multiple soundproof, glass-walled rooms filled with people conducting live interviews and shows! You could hear the live broadcast of the station throughout the hallways. I was tickled by this one live interview because the host was trying so hard to diplomatically tell the interviewee that his time was up!

I then met Sacha Pfeiffer, the host of Radio Boston, who was really really nice! She found out I lived in Cambridge and we chatted for quite some time about our favorite restaurants in the area.

I had no idea what she was going to ask me during the interview, so I was a bit nervous. However, she totally put me at ease.

"Just talk as if we're having a conversation."

Thankfully, the interview was going to be recorded (not live!) and broadcast a couple hours later. If I totally screwed up, we could always retake something.

Well, we ended up not having to re-record anything! Sacha made everything so natural I really felt like we were just chatting. I was shocked she actually ate one of my little MBTA radishes right on air (which, honestly, weren't flavored at all and probably didn't taste so good!). She's such a good sport.

I was surprised how much fun I had at the interview. It was even more interesting afterwards to hear how they edited the simple interview into a produced clip, with music and everything! I can't imagine how they do it for the live interviews . . .

If you missed it the first time around, you can hear the interview at the link below.

Holy Eggplant! Is that the Pru?
Article: Holy Eggplant! Is that the Pru?
Listen Now: Holy Eggplant! Is that the Pru?

Have a wonderful weekend!

May 5, 2011 Appetizer

Grilled Halloumi Cheese and Meyer Lemons with Spring Greens

Spring is finally, finally here. After a rough, rough winter, it really feels like a sigh of relief.

As you may know, I was in Greece a couple weeks ago. If any of you are thinking about getting away to "warm and sunny" Greece during the spring - forget it! It was just as cold there, if not colder than Boston. I ended up wearing all my warm clothes that I had intended for London (the first portion of my Europe trip). Ironically, London was warm and balmy by comparison.

Yes, I guess freaks of nature happen.

Anyway, when I was in Greece, I got to try one of my favorite cheeses there. Halloumi (or χαλούμι in Greek), is a traditional cheese originating from Cyprus. It is made from a combination of sheep's milk and goat's milk. What's unique about halloumi cheese is that it has a really high melting point, so you can safely grill it without it melting!

I am so in love with this cheese. It reminds me a bit of mozarella, but much more aged, complex, briny, and dense. It's almost squeaks a bit when you bite it, sort to like cheese curds.

Although this cheese used to be hard to find and only available locally in the Mediterranean region, it has become very popular more recently. Nowadays, you can find halloumi in many specialty markets all around the world. I bought mine at Broadway Market in Cambridge, but I'm pretty certain you can find it in other places like Whole Foods and the like.

Grilled Halloumi cheese from a restaurant in Delphi, Greece

If you can find halloumi cheese, it's really easy to prepare. Frankly, if you just grill it and serve it, it will already taste really really good. That's how I had it in Greece (see photo above), accompanied by a simple lemon wedge and some fresh vegetables.

If you feel inspired, you can also bring it up a level by grilling some Meyer lemon slices and stacking it all up into one pretty tower, layering spring greens with the cheese and the lemons.

Of course, if you don't feel like taking the time to stack, the dish will taste just as good simply thrown together like a salad.

This "recipe" is so simple there's really no need for one. However, for those of you who like some direction, feel free to use the "recipe" below.

Grilled Halloumi Cheese and Meyer Lemons with Spring Greens
1 package of halloumi cheese, cut into ¼ inch thick slices (about 8 oz)
Mixed spring greens (2-4 cups)
1-2 Meyer lemons, sliced thinly ¼ inch thick

Put the cheese and lemons directly on a hot grill ( I used a preheated grill pan) and cook until nicely charred and slightly golden brown, flipping the cheese and lemons once (after about 3-4 minutes for the cheese and 4-6 minutes for the lemon).

If making a salad, toss the greens with Meyer lemon vinaigrette and top with grilled lemons and halloumi cheese. If serving in stacks, starting with a bed of greens on the bottom, layer the cheese, lemons, and greens in an alternating fashion in a stack.

Serve!

May 4, 2011 Michelin

Michelin Stars Gallery

I just wanted to let you know that I've set up a new Michelin Star Gallery. It's a quick way for you to see all the Michelin starred restaurants that I've written about on this blog. The above collage is just a sneak preview. To see the whole thing (plus names & links to all the restaurants), click here.

Explore, and enjoy!

May 4, 2011 Boston

Trattoria Il Panino

It has been close to two years since one of our favorite neighborhood Italian haunt closed due to exorbitant rent increases. We always knew that Il Panino Express had another outpost in the North End. However, it's hard to choose a casual sandwich shop for dinner when you're literally steps away from the likes of Mamma Maria, Prezza, and Monica's.

So we never went.

But nostalgia can be a pretty strong force, and eventually I convinced Bryan to try Trattoria Il Panino "for old time's sake."

He finally relented and agreed.

Gnocchi with Basil Pesto and Pine nuts $15.95

Instead of actually going into the casual sandwich shop (Il Panino Express), we instead opted to go to their restaurant (Trattoria Il Panino).

One of my favorite dishes from Il Panino in Cambridge was the gnocchi pesto. I wouldn't even say it's THAT amazing from an objective point of view (they use pre-bagged gnocchi, not homemade), yet I always loved the thick chewy texture and the deliciously rich pesto sauce.Ah, such good memories.

I didn't exactly see my gnocchi pesto on the menu, although I did see a pesto pasta and a gnocchi Sorrentina. Bryan encouraged me to ask them to custom-make my favorite dish, which they happily agreed to do.

The verdict? It was very close to the original that I remembered from the old Cambridge location, so I blissfully enjoyed every bite while remembering the good old days.

Carpaccio Di Bresaola dried cured beef with arugula salad - $13.95
This simple starter of cured beef was quite nice as well. I really liked how the pungent arugula provided the peppery balance to the salty beef and cheese.

Baby Octopus Affogato garlic, white wine & cherry tomatoes - $14.95
The waiter strongly recommended that we try the octopus. The flavors were nice, though the octopus could have been cooked just a tiny bit less. I personally found the dish a tad salty for my tastes, although Bryan thought it was fine. We ended up taking a portion home to save room for our entrees.

Ossobuco Alla Milanese braised veal shank served with saffron risotto $28.95
Bryan very much enjoyed his osso buco. We were both tremendously impressed with the texture of the risotto, which was beautifully al dente and infused with a lovely saffron essence.

Lemon Cake
We ended with a simple lemon layered cake, which was very nice.

Overall, our meal at Trattoria Il Panino was pretty good, with all the dishes solidly executed. Nothing's particularly unusual or creative. Instead, the restaurants churns out solid, traditional Italian food.

It's not anywhere close to being in the same league as the really nice restaurants, such as Mamma Maria, Prezza, or Monica's. However, its prices are also lower (e.g. Osso Buco at Mamma Maria is $36), so it's unfair to do a direct comparison. Appetizers go from $10.95 to $14.95, pastas range between $12.95 and $18.95, while main entrees start at $19.95 and go up to $29.95.

It was a lovely meal and a great trip down memory lane. However, I'm not sure when we'll be back again. When you're in the North End, there are just too many other tempting places competing for my attention. Nostalgia aside, Trattoria Il Panino really can't compete with the likes of our other favorites, even if it costs slightly less.

Trattoria Il Panino
11 Parmenter St
Boston, MA 02113

May 3, 2011 Boston

Towne Stove & Spirits

Typically, if I see lamb souvlaki, Yangzhou fried rice, pappardelle with housemade ricotta,and lobster tempura all on the same menu, I get very very scared.

There's no way one restaurant could pull off all those dishes well . . . or is there?

If you've shopped near the Prudential Center anytime in the last year, you must have noticed the brand new space right near the the main entrance of the mall. Towne Stove and Spirits is one of the newest ventures of Lydia Shire and Jasper White, arguably amongst some of the most famous chefs in Boston.

Towne bills itself as a warm, welcoming place where "people relax and enjoy steaks to share, lobster done eleven ways, and plenty of unexpected culinary surprises from around the globe."

One look at the interesting ingredients that dot the multi-national flag filled menu and it's clear - this is not your typical suburban chain restaurant unsuccessfully trying the multi-ethnic thing.

The menu at Towne is dotted with flags indicating the country that inspired each dish. Most of the dishes are not authentic. Instead, they are creative, upscale interpretations of dishes that borrow flavors from a country's cuisine. Dishes with names like "english pea soup with pork belly bap" clearly incorporate ideas from both England and Korea. Similarly, the lobster tempura is very New England in nature, yet is influenced by Japan.

The types of dishes on the menu are not a surprise. The bar menu alone has multiple different renditions of lobster, a nod to Jasper White's seafood expertise. The dinner menu reminded me a lot of Scampo, Lydia Shire's other restaurant at the Liberty Hotel.

I guess we weren't feeling too ethnic that day, and mostly picked dishes that were reasonably Western in nature.

Note - the menu has changed since I dined there, so my descriptions of the dishes are not word for word from the menu, but just my personal summary!

Pan seared scallops with pork belly cracklings over parsnip puree

Roasted beets with whipped goat cheese, watercress, and crushed hazelnuts

Duo of tartare (steak and tuna) with watermelon radish, deep fried capers, taro strings, microgreens, potato crisps

Skirt steak Wagyu

Key lime tart with macadamia nut crust, candied lemon peel, and sorbet

General First Impressions
Overall, we were impressed with the execution of the dishes. The scallops and the steak were cooked perfectly, and the overall flavors of all the dishes were very solid. I especially enjoyed the deep fried capers in my duo of tartare, which added a surprising zing to the muted tartare. I like how there are many types of dishes at various price points on the menu. You can choose to order a $42 sirloin or a $16 pasta or pizza. Alternatively, you can nibble at the bar, where menu items range between $6 and $24 (most items around $12). The choice is yours.

Upstairs of Towne

The ambiance is festive, and I can imagine it getting pretty loud on the first floor (which has the bar). The upstairs is gorgeous, with an impressive view of the open kitchen. This space would be perfect for a corporate Christmas party or some other sort of celebratory group dinner.

Overall, Towne has the winning combination of good food, a nice space, and an excellent location which will keep it humming along for quite some time.

And really, who can resist such awesome water glasses?

Towne Stove and Spirits
900 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02115

May 2, 2011 Cambridge

Pinkberry

Bryan's family is from Southern California, so every Christmas we get the privilege of enjoying a week of sunshine before returning to snow-piled-high Boston for the rest of the winter.

The past several Christmases, we never failed to seek out and visit (multiple times) the nearest Pinkberry we could find (usually about 7 miles away). Although I've tried many other frozen yogurt places, for some reason I have always liked Pinkberry the best.

Perhaps it's the bright, crisp yogurt flavor or the high quality of their fresh cut fruit. Whatever the reason, I always looked forward to Pinkberry as a treat - a once a year indulgence during my annual holiday trek out to California.

Imagine my sheer excitement when I found out that Pinkberry was finally coming to Boston! Not only that, a location just opened up right in Harvard Square a couple weeks ago.

Of course I was super excited when I found out the great news. Better yet, I had the wonderful privilege of attending the launch party, where frozen yogurt flowed and flowed. I've always been a fan of the plain yogurt (I actually most prefer it without any toppings! yes, call me boring, but I'm a purist). At times I'll venture out and get mochi or kiwi topping, which I like quite a bit as well.

Unlike me, most people love toppings, and the norm is to try several. You can be healthy and pick between a huge variety of fresh cut fruit. Or, if you prefer, there's no shortage of candy, crushed cookies, or various types of cereal from which to choose.

Mochi, pomegranate, and mango

I tried their new parfait, which mixes yogurt with granola and fruit. I have always been a huge fan of normal yogurt parfait, so of course I enjoyed this unique Pinkberry version.

Pinkberry was also introducing Lychee, their newest flavor. Although I thought it was pretty good, I still stand by the plain yogurt as my all-time favorite flavor.My friend actually thought the lychee was too tart and much preferred the plain yogurt which, ironically, was labeled as "tart."

All in all, I totally think Harvard Square can support several more ice cream/frozen yogurt places (still mourning the loss of my favorite ice cream place from Harvard Square). The more the merrier!

Welcome to the neighborhood Pinkberry!!!

April 29, 2011 Cambridge

EmPower Breakfast at Rialto

Happy Friday everyone!

I had a wonderful chance to attend a charity breakfast to benefit ATASK (Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence) a few weeks ago. For those of you who many not be familiar with ATASK, ATASK is a Massachusetts-based organization that provides support for Asian families and individuals who suffer from or are at risk of suffering from domestic violence.

This event was held at the lovely Harvard Square restaurant Rialto, definitely one of the best restaurants in the Boston area. Bryan and I personally love having dinner at the bar at Rialto. It's a great way to enjoy a taste of Rialto (especially on Monday nights when raw oysters are only $1) without breaking the bank.

This breakfast was special, as we got to hear from some really inspirational women.

Jody Adams from Rialto

Jody Adams is the chef-owner of Rialto. She competed (and performed quite admirably) on Top Chef Masters last season. She has been phenomenally successful with her restaurant. She also spends a lot of her time and energy on charity events, especially the organizations she supports, such as Partners in Health. This summer Jody will be biking for 2 entire days in the Pan Mass Challenge in order to raise money for cancer research.

Janet Wu from Channel 7

The host, Janet Wu from Channel 7, asked Jody what inspired her to do so much to give back to the community.

Jody’s answer really made me think. She quoted someone (I wish I could remember, but it went by so fast). Here’s a paraphrase:

We have been given two lives to live. Unlike people in places like Haiti, who spend all of their time and energy just trying to survive, we are abundantly blessed, and in essence have two lives to live. We should use that second “life” to give back and help others.

There's no question that Jody has done so many things with the second "life" that she's been given.

Jody Adams and Joanne Chang

Joanne Chang is the pastry chef who founded Flour Bakery and Café as well co-opening Myers + Chang with her husband. Joanne is a super busy woman. Not only does she run three bakeries and a restaurant, she recently published her first book. Despite all that, she has donated countless hours (and baked goods!) to various charity events throughout Boston and beyond.

Finally, Atsuko Fish is the co-founder of the Japanese Disaster Relief Fund in Boston. She has chosen to dedicate her energy to a wide variety of charitable causes. He latest efforts involve looking for ways to help those who suffered from the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan.

The breakfast, of course, was quite pleasant. We had a lovely starter of asparagus antipasti with horseradish aoili, roasted baby beets, and chevril.

The next course was "Gypsy Eggs" - farm fresh, perfectly poached eggs on polenta, spicy cappicola, peppers, tomatoes, and scallions – really perfect food for a women's breakfast.

Dessert was decadent! Bittersweet chocolate cream, skyr yogurt, fresh berries, and a cookie crisp.

More important things . . .
Honestly, though the meal itself was delightful (I even ran into Fun and Fearless In Beantown there!) the food was quite secondary compared to the content of the morning. Jody Adams’ comment especially touched me deeply. I personally feel really blessed in this world, but only recently have I really been convicted to think about how I can give back more.

I came away from the breakfast inspired, refreshed, and excited to think about what's next.

Thanks so much to ATASK for giving me the opportunity to attend such a unique event.

Rialto
1 Bennett St
Cambridge, MA 02138

Disclaimer
Time to time I receive free products, meals, etc. as a food blogger. I do not receive any payment for blog posts/reviews nor am I required to write a post when I receive free products, meals, etc. The views expressed in this post are completely my own. I was invited to attend this event for free.

April 26, 2011 Japan

Sushi Kanesaka

Today we come to the end - the culmination of the Tribute to Japan series. I purposely chose to write about this special restaurant last because it's the epic, gastronomic pinnacle of our dining experiences in Japan.

You would think it would be hard to beat perfection.

After our last trip to Japan, we returned to the US unable to eat sushi for months because it paled in comparison to the incredible dining experiences we had in Japan, most particularly at a wonderful place called Kyubey (frequented by none other than the likes of Steven Spielberg and Nicholas Cage!!). We had fond memories of that place, and even went back for a second visit this time around.

Our epic meal at Sushi Kanesaka completely blew all those previous experiences away . . .

Sushi Kanesaka is a tiny, non-descript sushi bar hidden in the basement of a building in Ginza. 35-year old Chef Kanesaka trained at Kyubey for years before opening up his own place nearby. He is a huge proponent of "Edomae-style" sushi, simple sushi and sashimi made with an emphasis on the pure flavors from the fish. You won't find any funky fusion rolls here.

Sushi Kanesaka has received a ton of accolades, including two Michelin stars. The prices are crazy steep and the menu is simple. You have your choice of three omakases (set menus): 20,000 yen, 30,000 yen, or 50,000 yen. At today's exchange rates, you're spending a minimum of over $230 per person, plus drinks!

Bryan tried to order the 50,000 yen meal, but something was lost in translation, and we ended up receiving the 30,000 yen meal instead.

Unlike Kyubey, this restaurant is tiny and seats just 14. There are only two sushi chefs, each one serving around 6-8 people. Although Chef Kanesaka was there that evening, we were served by another sushi chef. This quiet, intense young man prepared each piece with a focused concentration that clearly demonstrated the seriousness with which he regarded his craft.

Now onto the meal!

30,000 Yen Omakase at Sushi Kanesaka
Disclaimer: I have tried my best to name each dish accurately, but I can't guarantee they are all completely accurate. I typed the names of the dishes as quickly as possible into my iPhone as he presented us with each dish. Sometimes he would just give us a rough English translation, so some of the descriptions may not be super detailed or precise. I apologize in advance!

We began with a lovely mixture of tai and ebi (red snapper and sweet shrimp). The red snapper is the dark red stuff on top, while the sweet shrimp is on the bottom (the pale pink/white mixture). The ingredients were extremely fresh - not a hint of fishiness at all.

We moved onto some "fish liver" (sorry I can't be more detailed than that) which was sitting in a light ponzu-like sauce with freshly cut scallions. The slight tartness of the sauce and the crispness of the scallions perfectly offset the creamy, decadent liver. Update! More than one commenter has told me these are probably cod sperm sacs! Glad I didn't know that WHILE I was eating it!

A traditional omakase always begins with sashimi first and ends with sushi later. Here we began with our first piece of fresh fish: a simple slice of yellowtail.

We then moved onto chutoro sashimi (medium fatty tuna belly). In general, toro is one of my favorite types of raw fish, so I was super excited. These high quality slices were perfectly cut and luxuriously soft and flavorful.

A small amount of grilled fish with a spicy chili sauce followed . . .

Next up, katsuo or bonito (Skipjack tuna), a fish that is also commonly used to make the Japanese dried fish flakes (bonito flakes or katsuobushi) commonly used for making dashi.

I loved the fresh, simple, yet beautifully rich flavors coming from these humble cuts of octopus (tako) and abalone.

This next piece of otoro (super fatty tuna belly) was absolutely decadent. I think I still prefer it just slightly seared (just like my favorite toro experience ever), but this was so good I actually forgot to take a proper picture of it after he put it on my plate! Thankfully I have the picture of him slicing it!

Grilled Tuna Cheek
Next up came one of our favorite and definitely most memorable dishes of the evening. Surprisingly, it was a cooked dish that stole the show! Slightly grilled tuna cheek is simply out of this world. It is buttery soft, takes on a beautiful sear, and has a wonderfully full and rich flavor that's really hard to describe.

I was quite sad when I finished my piece - it was so good. We later on found out that one difference between our meal and the 50,000 yen meal is that they get more tuna cheek.

This stuff's so good . . . gosh, it might actually be worth considering . . . .

After several pieces of sashimi, we moved onto traditional nigiri sushi, which is rice mixed with vinegar topped with fish. The first one? Otoro (full fatty tuna) with just a brush of soy sauce. Unlike in the States, many high-end Japanese restaurants do not give you wasabi with your nigiri. The philosophy is that there is already a perfect amount of wasabi inside the nigiri (between the fish and the rice) -- so there's no need to add more.

Maguro

Furthermore, in almost all cases, the chef brushes on soy sauce (or some other sauce) for you, so you do not even need to dip the fish into soy sauce. The nigiri that he hands you is already perfectly formed, perfectly seasoned, ready to eat with absolutely no additional intervention on your part.

I loved the texture of the rice at Sushi Kanesaka, which was perfectly al dente. You could really taste each individual grain of rice. The assistant sushi chefs brought out new rice frequently in small batches, which meant we always had the freshest rice possible with every nigiri piece.

When our chef brought out the tiger prawns, visions of horror from my last "prawn" experience at Kyubey popped into my head. Thankfully, there were no live beheadings or anything of that sort. Instead, the prawns had already been cooked, and he merely made some simple but perfectly executed nigiri with them.

Tiger prawn with shrimp powder and wasabi

Next, a mackerel ginger seaweed roll. Check out those perfect individual grains of rice!

Although I've put the next four pieces together in one photo, they actually came out one by one. In fact, every single piece comes out separately, served moments after it is made. The chefs really want to ensure that you enjoy the piece at its best and not a moment later.

Clockwise, from top left: aji (horse mackerel), ikura (salmon roe), clam, and anago (sea eel).

I discovered that I actually love uni (sea urchin) after trying it in Japan. Before, the ones I had tried in the US were always strong smelling and, in my opinion, stinky. The ones I've had in Japan are very fresh and actually quite sweet and creamy. This beautiful piece was deliciously creamy with a lovely fresh uni flavor without a hint of stinkyness.

The final fish "course" - toro temaki (fatty tuna hand rolls).

We capped off the dinner with the most elegant and refined piece of tamago (sweet egg omelette) I'd ever had in my life. It was like a delicate custard, yet denser throughout. I absolutely loved it.

It was truly a perfect way to end such an incredible meal.

General Thoughts
We loved our meal at Sushi Kanesaka. Every single small bite was a brand new experience, delighting the senses and surprising the palate. There was a super high level of sophistication in the execution of every single piece. It was like we were watching a master artist exercising his craft right in front of our eyes.

Our sushi chef was quite serious and didn't talk too much, so we did miss out a bit on the fun, jovial atmosphere that we enjoyed at Kyubey. I believe Chef Kanesaka himself is actually a bit more talkative, so the overall experience could vary wildly depending on which sushi chef you get.

Overall, food here is absolutely incredible and hands down the best sushi experience I have ever had in my entire life. I still dream about that tuna cheek . . . .

Tribute to Japan Epilogue
In short, I hope this series has given you a bit more appreciation for the richness and depth of Japanese culture. It's a country with which I have always been fascinated. I never tire of Japan, and I am always seeking opportunities to learn more about the country.

Let's hope they can recover as quickly as possible from the aftermaths of the earthquakes and tsunamis.

Still praying for Japan . . .

Posts in this Series

Part 1: Kappabashi Dori

Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar

Part 3: Suzuran

Part 4: Matcha and Azuki Breads

Part 5: Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

Part 6: Maisen (Tonkatsu)

Part 7: Snacking in Japan

Part 8: Sushi Kanesaka

Related Post: Everything I Learned About Sushi I Learned from My Mom . . . . And Kyubei

April 22, 2011 Europe

Greetings from Greece!

Well, technically speaking, I'm not in Greece anymore. After a super long flight (2 layovers, one of which was 5 hours long!), I finally arrived in Boston last night. It's been a whirlwind trip (2 weeks in Europe) and I've got tons to share with you. Right now, though, I'm soooo exhausted, so I'll finish off this week by sharing with you a few pictures from Greece.

Soon though, I do plan on writing both a London Series as well as a Greece Series!

For now, please enjoy these snapshots of this beautiful country. 🙂 Have a wonderful Easter holiday!

If you love history, Greece is an amazing place to visit. The ruins here span back to thousands of years B.C. It's awe-inspiring just to stand in the presence of such magnificent structures built without any benefits of modern technology.

One of the biggest and most well preserved ancient theaters - the acoustics here are simply astounding. A few friends and I sang some songs (a cappella!) on the stage below and you could hear us clearly from the very top. Simply incredible. And you can't beat that mountain view in the background!

The island of Santorini is absolutely stunning, with the cities built on top of soaring cliffs overlooking the ocean. Here is the main town of Thira.

We stayed in the town of Oia (pronounced "Ee-ya"), which is well known for its picture perfect blue domed churches.

How could we forget the food? Greek salad is classic and you see it everywhere. Unlike in the US, it never has lettuce, and instead just has cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, olives, and capers tossed together with olive oil and topped with a big chunk of feta. I much preferred this version to the US version.

Lamb is huge in Greece, and you see it much more frequently than beef. These souvlakis were cheap and simply divine.

My favorite Greek cheese! This simple, hearty cheese (called halloumi) is one of the few that can be grilled, and tastes perfectly fine just simply prepared.

I loved the gyros here. They were much less greasy than the ones I've had in the US, and nothing beats fresh pita bread!

We tried so many different varieties of baklava! I liked how the ones in Greece tend to be less sweet than the ones I've tried here. They were really really good!

And finally, my favorite way to start the day in Greece - full fat Greek yogurt with honey. So simple, yet so delicious.

Have a wonderful weekend!

UPDATE: Here are the posts from the entire series!

Sweets in Greece
Tavernas
Gyros, Souvlakis, and Pitas, Oh My
Eating in the Greek Isles - Santorini
Papa Galos (Santorini)

April 18, 2011 Boston

Radius

This burger is probably the most expensive burger in Boston.

Ringing in at a whopping $19, it beats out Craigie on Main’s famous $18 grass-fed beef bone marrow burger. Its price also blows away other very very famous burgers in the Boston area, such as Bartley’s (around $10), R.F. O’Sullivan’s (around $8), and burgers from top notch steakhouses (Smith & Wollensky’s prime steak burgers, for example, are a bargain at $13).

Is Michael Schlow’s unique burger, piled high with fried onion strings and dressed with horseradish, worth it? Of course there was only one way to find out.

We took a seat at the trendy bar on a cold, blustery winter evening in mid-February. Though we were keen on trying the burger, we decided to use this unique opportunity to try a variety of Michael Schlow’s dishes.

Though Radius is often cited for its burger, it actually stands strongly on its own right for its entire menu.

Here's just a bit of background. Chef owner Michael Schlow opened up Radius as his first restaurant back in 1999 after training extensively in New York. Within a year, Schlow won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef in the Northeast.” Early on, Radius was recognized as one of the top 25 Best American Restaurants by Gourmet, as well as “Best New Restaurant” by Food and Wine.

To get a sampling of the entire restaurant, we decided to try a mix of bar menu items as well as items off the dinner menu (all available at the bar).

Fancy Schmancy Popcorn with togarashi butter ($5), Tasting of Adrienne's Pickles ($6), and Amuse Bouche of a fruity shooter and a tiny bite.

For fun, we began with some starters that looked interesting. The togarashi butter popcorn was priced reasonably at $5, although we found it to be just a bit soggy from the slight over-use of melted butter. Adrienne’s pickles were a delight – we had never tasted pickled cauliflower before and were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it. The pickled beets were excellent as well.

Handmade Potato Gnocchi - braised rabbit, wild mushroom, celeriac, fines herbs ($18)
The rabbit potato gnocchi (from the regular dinner menu) was flawlessly executed and one of my favorite dishes of the evening. We loved the rich, earthy flavors of the rabbit and mushroom sauce. The freshly made gnocchi also had incredible texture - pillowly soft yet slightly resistant at the same time. I couldn't stop eating it.

"The Burger" - Vermont cheddar, crispy onions, horseradish sauce ($19)
The famous burger was absolutely delicious - perfectly-cooked, juicy, and very flavorful. The onion strings provided an added dimension of flavor as well as a satisfying crispiness to each bite. Bryan loved the strong horseradish sauce, which gave the burger a wonderfully hefty kick.

Vegetables 5 Ways - our changing plate of fresh and originally prepared vegetables ($32)
I'm not much of a meat eater, so I decided to try the "Vegetable 5-ways" off of the regular menu. Personally, this was my least favorite item on the menu. I thought the "soba" with dipping sauce was a bit too salty, and many of the other tastes were only "alright." Overall, this was not worth the $32 price tag. I'd skip this and order something else next time.

Pilon de Chocolat - bittersweet chocolate cone, fenugreek ice cream, peanuts, raisins, caramel ($12)
The waiter highly recommended this dessert, which we both thought was solid.

Overall Initial Thoughts
Bryan and I had a great time chilling at the bar at Radius. The ambiance at the restaurant is elegant yet relaxed at the same time. I like how you can choose to just have a simple drink, a casual burger, or the most expensive entree off the dinner menu - the choice is totally yours. Although we only tried a few dishes from the dinner menu, we can see that the overall quality of the food at Radius is excellent. Chef Schlow and his team are clearly good at their craft and execute some pretty incredible dishes. If you're a burger fan and you love horseradish, you have to try this burger. I would also highly recommend the rabbit gnocchi, one of the best dishes we had that night.

If Radius were just a bit closer, I could totally see this becoming a regular haunt. Alas, it's a bit far from our place in Cambridge, so we'll just have to save it for the times we find ourselves in the city.

Highly recommended - looking forward to going back again.

Radius
8 High St
Boston, MA 02110

April 12, 2011 Dessert

Grape Nut Ice Cream

This recipe was originally part of my final, winning Round 10 post for Project Food Blog. I have decided to split it out so it's easier to find! This is my favorite ice cream, and thus I look it up a lot!

Toscanini’s is my all time favorite ice cream place in Boston. We used to have one on my college campus and I used to go there all the time (hello “freshman 15!”). Not only is the texture of Toscanini’s premium ice cream uniquely thick and doughy, the flavors at Toscanini’s are constantly changing and are always really, really interesting.

My all time favorite ice cream flavor is Grape Nut Ice Cream. I know it sounds weird, but the Grape Nuts soften considerably once they're mixed into the ice cream, and they give a wonderfully malty flavor to the ice cream.

I've developed my own version of Grape Nut Ice Cream, which I love making at home in the summertime, or the wintertime, or . . well, anytime, for that matter.

Grape Nut Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
¾ cups sugar
4 egg yolks
¼ to ½ cups Grape Nuts Cereal

Day 1
Heat the half & half, heavy cream, and sugar in a pot on medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot cream mixture while continually stirring.

Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (~8-10 minutes). Optionally filter the cooked liquid and allow to cool overnight in the refrigerator.

Day 2
Pour the cream mixture into the ice cream maker and make ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is "done," pour Grape Nuts into the mixture and stir by hand until incorporated. Freeze finished product for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Jen's Notes
I tend to really really like Grape Nuts, and thus I pour tons of it in there (way more than the original Tosci's version).. This is really a matter of preference. My version is usually teeming with Grape Nuts, to the point where I wonder whether I'm actually eating ice cream with Grape Nuts or Grape Nuts with a bit of ice cream!

This ice cream taste better after sitting in the freezer for some time. The Grape Nuts soften a bit, and the ice cream freezes to become really hard and dense, like premium ice cream.

April 12, 2011 Europe trip report

Greetings from London

Greetings from London!

Of all months to be in London, I choose the crazy month of the Royal Wedding. London has always been an area of diversity, excitement, and activity, but this month . . . it's a bit crazier than normal!

Since I am in Europe right now, the Tribute to Japan series will be put on hold until I return. Meanwhile, since I'm busy here working, I may be posting a little less frequently than normal. I definitely plan on checking out a few Michelin restaurants while I'm here though, so stay tuned!

A few pictures from my last London trip . . .

Gourmet Burger Kitchen - this was where I learned what the term "rocket" is . . . did you know that's how you say arugula in "British"?

Westminster Abbey
This is apparently where the royal wedding will be. I tried to attend an organ concert the last time I was here but arrived too late to get in. So, instead, I just enjoyed the sunshine and sat outside.

The Tower Bridge is huge, imposing, and fun to walk across! I took a super long multi-hour long walk along the Thames the last time I was there. There's tons of fun discoveries you make when you just randomly meander along the river. It reminded me of Boston, but much much larger.

Here's one of the fun discoveries I made while in London. Anyone know what this place is called? (I can't remember)

Fun food markets!

My company's offices are not far from Oxford, so I took a little side trip one morning just to check it out. It looks just like what you'd imagine . .

And of course, a visit to England is not complete without a pub!

April 8, 2011 Japan

Snacking in Japan

It's all my dad's fault.

Starting from when I was around 2 years old, My dad started me on a tradition. Every day, he would place me in the front basket-seat on his bike and we would visit . . . . . the ice cream shop. I'll never forget the look of that unique ice cream shop in Toledo that was shaped like a huge igloo.

And thus the habit began.

I love love love ice cream. In high school I used to eat three scoops a day after school. Even now, whenever I make ice cream, I end up eating it day after day until it's all gone (especially if it's my all time favorite flavor).

This post is actually not just about ice cream, though it was one of the first "snacks" that caught my eye when I was in Japan. Instead, think of this as a mini tour of my snacking experiences during my trip to Japan.

Soy Milke Soft Serve at Mr. Bean

Mr. Bean is a new chain (originally from Singapore, which hails over 50 stores!) that just opened up in Tokyo. This Shibuya location is the first one in Japan. I must admit, I was totally drawn to the super cute bean character smiling at me. Isn't he cute? This stand offers various types of soy milk soft serve, such as plain soy and green tea.

They also have these cute griddle cakes filled with various sweet or savory fillings -sort of like a conveniently neat sandwich on the go.

Of course, don't eat while walking! Unlike the Chinese, who are all about street food, the Japanese tend not to eat while walking around. You also can't eat in the trains, so you basically have to find yourself a nice corner to enjoy your snack.

I loved the fresh and natural soybean flavor of the soft serve. It reminded me of a nice, cold glass of fresh, homemade soy milk. It was clean tasting, not too sweet, and just really refreshing.

Sushi for Breakfast in Tsukiji

Another fun thing to do in Japan is to enjoy sushi in the morning after visiting the fish market in Tsukiji. If you can help it, avoid the weekends, because the lines can get super super long! I've often heard great things about Sushi Bun and Sushi Dai. Unfortunately, the line was about three hours long when we tried to go, so we opted for a smaller, lesser known place with a shorter line.

At Tsukiji, we saw lots of sea urchin (uni), various grades of tuna (maguro, toro, otoro, chutoro), and lots of salmon roe (ikura). Essentially, you are eating whatever is in season at the time - straight off the boats. Prices aren't too bad - you can get a nice bowl topped with lovely slices of super fresh seafood for around $10-20.

Streetside Snacks at Asakusa

One of the most fun places to enjoy more traditional Japanese snacks is on the main street leading up to the temple at Asakusa. Along this admittedly touristy way, dozens of street vendors sell souvenirs as well as snacks. It's fun just to explore and try various things. Most snacks aren't very expensive, and thus you can definitely try several!

Here's a man baking rice crackers . . .

A nifty little machine that cranks out little round leaf shaped pancakes filled with red bean paste.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a savory, octopus-filled cake that is very often sold in little street stands. It's typically served with mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce, and dried bonito flakes. These are especially satisfying on a blustery autumn day since they come out fresh and hot from the griddle.

Depachika
One of my favorite things to do when I go to Japan is to explore the vast food-filled basements of the department stores. They are called "depachika", which is a shortened form of "depato" (department store) and "chika" (underground mall). There are countless different types of shops selling everything from raw vegtables to high-end bakery items (like Pierre Hermes!) It's a fun place to try various snacks or grab dinner (although, again, you won't see anyone walking around and eating).

On our first evening in Japan, Bryan left to attend a business dinner, so I just wandered the basement of Tokyu (a department store) and bought some fun a la carte salads. It was one of the first times I tried to use my rusty Japanese and (thankfully) I was able to communicate. Corn and mizuna salad on the left, lotus root and gobo root salad on the right.

The supermarkets are filled with beautiful produce. Just the selection of thinly sliced super marbled beef (some of which looked like Kobe!) was mind-boggling.

Of course the bakery selection is phenomenal - many of Europe's most famous bakeries are represented in these depachikas. Naturally, I visited my favorite and picked up my favorite macaron.

I guess I broke the cultural rules and ate my macaron while sitting on a random chair in the hallways of the depachika. Oh well . . .

Related Posts in this Series

Tribute to Japan

Kappabashi-dori

Tapas Molecular Bar

Suzuran (Ramen)

Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

Maisen

April 5, 2011 Japan

Maisen

This post is part 6 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori, Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar, and Part 3: Suzuran (Ramen)
Part 4: Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads, Part 5: Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

Here in America, it's tough to truly appreciate the nuances and diversity of Japanese cuisine.

In most parts of the US, all Japanese food is lumped together in one restaurant. Sure, some of you are lucky enough to live in New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, where you'll actually see dedicated ramen shops, sushi restaurants, or izakayas.

For the rest of us, however, "Japanese food" connotes this general idea which is essentially a mish-mash of popular Japanese dishes - spicy tuna rolls, shrimp tempura, noodle soups, a curry dish, and inevitably your chicken or salmon teriyaki bento box. If you're lucky, you might see tonkatsu or its cousin, katsu-don on the menu.

One thing I love about visiting Japan is the opportunity to learn about (and taste!!) all different types of Japanese food at dedicated, specialty shops. For example, visit the best shabu shabu restaurant in Tokyo, and you'll receive a menu that's literally just full of different shabu items (e.g., Kobe beef . . . sooo good!). Similarly, there are scores of ramen shops, curry houses, and all sorts other shops dedicated to various narrow slices of Japanese cuisine.

One of my favorites? Tonkatsu.

Surprised? Indeed, there are many dedicated tonkatsu restaurants in Japan.

Tonkatsu is a breaded and deep fried pork cutlet, usually served with a thick, tangy sauce ("Tonkatsu sauce"), shredded cabbage, and miso soup. Inspired by European cuisine, it first appeared in the late 1800's in a Western-food restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo.

Maisen take-out counter

These days, Maisen in Tokyo is pretty universally acknowledged as one of the best tonkatsu houses in the city. Their signature dish is the kurobuta tonkatsu (literally "black pork," also known as Berkshire pork in the US). Kurobuta is known for its high fat content and intense, juicy flavor.

The restaurant is uniquely situated inside a former World War II public bathhouse. In fact, the main dining room (pictured above) was once the changing room, complete with some of the original architectural details in the high ceilings.

There's a simple English menu, but we could clearly tell that it only had select items on it. The Japanese language menu is an entire book which, thankfully, has a tons of pictures. Bryan and I both decided to go for the kurobuta set menu, which came at quite the hefty cost (around $35 each! - Grr . . horrible exchange rate!)

I still remember asking the server in my broken Japanese, "what's the difference between hire (fillet) and rosu (loin)?"

She smiled, "rosu has more fat."

"Which one is better?"

She smiled, "Definitely rosu."

We immediately got two orders of kurobuta rosu.

Wow.

There's no question - this is seriously by far the BEST tonkatsu I've ever had anywhere in the world. There's really no comparison. The meat is flavorful, tender, and deliciously juicy. The outer panko breaded layer has a nice crunch to it without harboring any hint of greasiness. We first visited this place in 2009 and we made sure to return this time again.

As part of the set menu, you get a nice, light miso soup (complete with konnyaku!), along with some pickles, shredded cabbage, and rice.

Finish off with a perfect palate cleanser of citrus sorbet and fruit.

General Notes
The restaurant is pretty hard to find. It's hidden behind the Omotesando Hills shopping complex not too far from Harajuku. Thankfully, there are several signs that point you through the meandering backroads which eventually lead to the restaurant. I'd recommend bringing a map or taking a taxi! [In either event, definitely spend some time exploring both Omotesando and nearby Harajuku by foot!}

We were staying in Shibuya, so we actually walked here.

Just follow the yellow, circular signs!

Definitely check out this place if you like tonkatsu. Not only is the food unbelievably delicious, you get to experience a bit of history by dining inside of a WWII public bathhouse. It's conveniently close to Harajuku, Omotesando, and Shibuya, which are must-visit destinations in Tokyo anyway, so why not stop by for a meal while you're there?

Maisen
4-8-5 Jingumae
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo
Phone: 03/3470-0071

Related Posts

Tribute to Japan

Kappabashi-dori

Tapas Molecular Bar

Suzuran (Ramen)

Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

April 1, 2011 Japan

Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

This post is part 4 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori, Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar, and Part 3: Suzuran (Ramen)
Part 4: Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

I'm not one that typically buys souvenirs.

Sure, there was a time back in high school when I obsessively collected pins or mugs from every place I visited, keen on bringing back with me physical mementos of my trips. As the unused junk started piling up at home, I subconsciously began coming home from my trips empty-handed.

That totally didn't happen on this Japan trip. For some reason, (probably via Bryan's insistent prodding) I decided it was time to upgrade my knives. Up until this point, I had been using the same, relatively economical knife set that I got right after college.

Japan is probably THE top maker of knives in the entire world. Japanese steel is generally much harder than Western steel, and thus their knives hold their edge a lot better. How else do those sushi chefs cut such perfectly thin and delicate slices of fish? Of all cuisines, Japanese is the one with the artistry and sophistication that really demands the highest quality knives in the world.

After doing some reasonably extensive research online, I decided to visit Masamoto Tsukiji in Japan's most famous fish market, Tsukiji Fish Market.

This old world knife shop opened in 1891 and is currently owned by the 5th generation of the family. Not to be confused with Masamoto Souhonten, a completely unrelated company (although they do have the exact same logo - likely due to a split earlier on?), Masamoto Tsukiji is the smaller of the two, but still extremely highly regarded.

It's arguable which knife company is better. Of course Masamoto Tsukiji claims it's better, though others would argue that Souhonten is the industry standard for excellence.

Some report that Tsukiji knives are all handmade whereas Souhonten has gone the larger, commercial route, selling machine-made knives in bigger, fancier stores. The logo for most Tsukiji knives are hand "stamped" while the Souhonten ones are machine stamped. In fact, you can get your name personally engraved on the Tsukiji knives! I was fascinated by the skills of the store owner, who sharpened our knives for us and also hand-engraved our name on the knives.

It's a bit overwhelming to pick out a knife, as the store is filled with many, many different types. Many of these knives are pretty specific for Japanese cooking, especially the various sushi knives, and therefore there's a high likelihood that a typical home cook will not consider most of them. In fact, 90% of Masamoto Tsukiji's users are culinary professionals in Japan.

Steel
For me, the choice came down to a few key issues. First, I had to choose whether I wanted a carbon steel knife or a stainless steel knife. As a general rule, carbon steel knives sharpen more easily and have a smoother and sharper edge. Overall, they perform much better than stainless steel knives.

However, there are some disadvantages. Carbon steel knives are slightly more "brittle" and may not retain their edges as well. They rust easily, and therefore you must take care to wipe the knife dry after every use. They are sensitive to acidic foods and can easily discolor upon contact.

Stainless steel knives, although perhaps not as sharp, can withstand a lot more abuse. They are much less brittle and pretty impossible to rust. If you leave it in a wet sink and forget about it, you won't see a rusty knife the next day. Overall, they are much lower maintenance.

Industry professionals tend to use the superior carbon steel knives. It was quite clear that Masamoto Tsukiji was geared toward the restaurant industry. In fact, out of the hundreds of knives in the store, there were only four stainless steel knife choices.

I knew myself as a cook and knew that I needed a knife that I could sort of abuse. I decided to purchase three stainless steel knives and one carbon steel knife.

Chinese Cleaver (carbon steel)
Rectangular, heavier blade, all purpose knife for Chinese cooking. This workhorse is super sharp and chops like a dream. It's a bit big for my hands, but the large size makes chopping large vegetables (such as huge heads of cabbage) or huge fruit (like watermelons) much easier.

Santoku
Light, thin-blade, typically vegetable knife. Though some argue that this is not worth buying, it has become one of my favorite knives. The slightly smaller size fits my hand absolutely perfectly, and thus I feel like I have a lot of control (compared to the gyuto, which is just a bit long for my comfort).

Gyuto
"Butcher's Knife" - this is the closest thing to a chef's knife by Western standards. This medium weight knife can be used for meats, vegetables, and even bread! Most will argue that if you're going to get just one knife, this one is by far the most useful.

Small "Petty" Knife
I'm not sure of the name of the smallest knife on the bottom, but it reminds me of a slightly longer paring knife. The only stainless steel knife I didn't buy was an even smaller one which reminded me of a steak knife. Basically, the store employee recommended the larger one over the smallest one.

Once you've picked out your knives, they sharpen and engrave each one at the store. It was fascinating watching them go through the step-by-step process of sharpening - first with a huge rolling stone and eventually down to whetstones of different "roughness" grades.

Here's the store owner, manually sharpening my knife on a whetstone.

Sparks fly!

I was really amazed at the artistry of the hand-engraving. With just a few tools, he was able to write out beautiful-looking Chinese/Japanese characters on the side of the knife.

The knives at Masamoto Tsukiji are not cheap. I think the prices for my four knives ranged from around $75 (for the smallest one) to over $200 for the Chinese cleaver. I think I spent close to $600 in the store. One inconvenient point is that they accept cash-only (Euros, dollars, Yen all OK). We had trouble taking out so much money at one time from the ATM. We ended up having to withdraw multiple batches before being able to come back (nearest international ATM was 10 minutes away in Ginza) and pay with cash. 😛

Absolutely no complaints, though. I love love love my knives. I have never used such sharp knives before in my life. They seriously make prep work so much easier. Prep tasks that used to be a chore are now simple, as these knives will cut through most things like butter.

I have accidentally hurt myself a few times because I forget how seriously SHARP these guys are. I'll lightly brush my hand against the edge and the next thing you know, I'm bleeding.

Must show respect!

I highly recommend these knives. They are beautiful, cut like a dream, and are a special, sentimental reminder for me of one of my favorite countries. I think they are worth the hassle of lugging all the way back from Japan because:

1) They are very difficult to get outside of Japan (thought there might be ways now) and

2) They are very very useful, totally different from the scores of keychains, mugs, and T-shirts I used to buy while traveling

3) It's totally worth it to watch the knife being hand-sharpened and hand-engraved right in front of you at the shop! A personalized souvenir!

Here's the hand engraved logo (bottom) with our family name (CHE) on top.

4-9-9 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku
(Harumi Dori, Shin Ohashi Dori)
81-3-3541-7155
tukijimasamoto.co.jp

March 31, 2011 Dessert

Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

This post is part 4 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori, Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar, and Part 3: Suzuran (Ramen).

I've always had a special place in my heart for Japanese bakeries. I like how Japanese desserts in general are not nearly as sweet as their European/American counterparts. I also love Japanese flavors, like matcha (green tea) and azuki (red bean).

Alas, unfortunately, I am really not a baker. Between all 10 rounds of Project Food Blog, the baking challenge was by far the most difficult one for me. I seriously felt out of my element there.

A couple weeks ago, Foodbuzz invited us to develop a recipe using King's Hawaiian rolls. I actually grew up eating these sweet rolls and loved them as a kid. It has been years since I've tried some, mostly because I thought they didn't sell it in Massachusetts.

I was thrilled to find out that these rolls are actually all over the place. In the spirit of my tribute to Japan, I decided to use my favorite Japanese desserts as inspiration for my creations.

Best part? No baking required. You can "whip" these up in less than 15 minutes. 😉

Fillings!
I decided to make two fillings - green tea and red bean.

I had never made whipped cream filling before, and I was floored how insanely easy it is! Just take some heavy whipping cream and a sweetening agent (I used agave syrup) and beat using an electric mixer on high. After about 1-2 minutes, the cream will aerate and become reasonably stiff. At that point, stir in matcha (Japanese green tea) powder (about 1 tsp). Careful not to beat for too long, or else you'll make butter!

That's it! So easy, and so delicious! The flavor of the whipped cream is strongly affected by the quality of the green tea powder you buy. I used the expensive stuff ("Ceremonial Quality" by Maeda-En on the left), which cost close to $20 for the tiny little can. You can also use their normal stuff ("shiki matcha"), which costs $12.99 and is still very good.

For azuki, you can purchase canned sweetened azuki (red bean) paste at many Asian grocery stores.

"Napoleans"

First I decided to try making layered "Napoleans." I sliced up the sweet dinner roll and then created stacked layers. Red bean, green tea, red bean, green tea.

Serve!

King's Hawaiian rolls are very moist and have just the right amount of sweetness that I find them to be quite similar to the bread sold in Japanese bakeries. They are not quite as refined, but I still think they are the closest substitute you'll find in an ordinary American grocery store.

Azuki and Matcha Buns!

Another favorite of mine is the Japanese "An-pan", a slightly sweet bun filled with red bean paste. An-pan is so popular in Japan there is even an animation character, called An Pan Man, named after the bread.

Here's a picture of An-Pan Man buns I saw in Japan.

I decided to make my own rendition of An-Pan (plus a Matcha Pan!) using these sweet rolls. It's really quite straightforward - cut open the rolls, cut or spoon out a bit of bread, and then fill with either azuki paste or matcha whipped cream. You can also mix the azuki paste with some whipped cream and fill the bread with azuki whipped cream instead.

It was sooooo good and ridiculously easy.

Enjoy!

Recipes

Matcha Whipped Cream
½ cup whipping cream
1-2 teaspoon agave nectar (or 1-2 teaspoon confectioner's sugar)
1 teaspoon matcha powder

Combine heavy cream and agave nectar in a bowl. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer for about 1-2 minutes, or until the cream is stiff. Gently fold in the matcha until incorporated.

Matcha and Red Bean "Napoleans"
1 4-pack of King's Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
Matcha Whipped Cream
Azuki paste (1-2 tablespoons)

Optionally remove crusts from all sides of the King's Hawaiian Rolls. Slice each roll into 1 cm thick slices (about 3 per piece of bread). Alternating slices, spread one with matcha cream and another with red bean. Stack the "creamed" slices in alternating order. Serve.

Azuki and Matcha Buns (An-Pan and Matcha-Pan)
1 4-pack of King's Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

Matcha Whipped Cream

Azuki paste (1-2 tablespoons)

Slice King's Hawaiian Rolls in half. With a knife, carefully cut out a small square (about 1 inch wide and ½ inch deep) on each side. Fill the hole with either matcha cream or azuki cream. Recombine the two halves and serve.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program, I received a stipend to cover the cost of supplies for this post

March 30, 2011 Japan

Suzuran (すずらん)

Tsukemen (dipping noodles)

This post is part 3 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori and Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar

There's something I can't resist about tiny, hard-to-find, authentic yet undiscovered gems that serve absolutely incredible food.

Now, I'm not sure if Suzuran, a tiny noodle bar off the beaten track in Shibuya, exactly falls in to that category. For one thing, I would hardly call it "undiscovered," as lines sometimes literally go out the door due to its popularity. However, there's definitely something special about this authentic and surprisingly hard-to-find noodle bar tucked away in a back alley of Shibuya.

Bryan and I discovered Suzuran back in 2009 while hunting for fresh, handmade noodles. We found this delightful gem tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Shibuya. As we sat among Japanese businessmen in suits slurping up noodles for lunch, we truly felt like we were living and breathing a slice of everyday Japanese culture.

Suzuran is not your typical ramen shop for a couple reasons. First, they serve what's called tsukemen or "dipping noodles." Instead of having your noodles in the soup, your noodles and meat are served separately from the broth.

You then dip it, sort of like the way you would eat soba.

Second, they serve fresh handmade noodles (YAY!). In fact, they offer FIVE different kinds of sizes and shapes. They pride themselves on the freshness, variety, and quality of their noodles. It costs an extra 100 yen (a little over a dollar) for the fresh noodles, but it's well worth it.

Bryan's a huge fan of super wide and flat noodles, so of course that's what he got.

The restaurant is tiny. It's mostly KITCHEN, with barstools on three sides of the tight space.

It's very very Japanese. Both times we went, we were the only non-Japanese people there. The menu is written completely in Japanese, and the people there hardly speak a word of English. In fact, we had a hard time ordering. I have limited broken Japanese, so I was able to ask the lady to help explain the menu a bit. However, in the end, I felt that I didn't really have a good sense of the menu, and I had to order one of the few items that I knew how to say in Japanese.

The better thing to do if you're in that sort of bind is to do what Bryan and I did the first time we came. I just told her to give me their most "famous" dish. They served us their famous Kagoshima style pork belly (buta kakuni), which is delicious and absolutely worth it. You get your choice of dipping sauces (soy sauce based, miso based, etc).

This time, Bryan ordered the chasu, which is reminiscent of Chinese roasted pork. Both are delicious, and the texture of the unusually fat noodles is one of the best parts.

I got a simpler noodle dish of eggs and scallions with a miso based broth.

Here's what the humble little restaurant looks like from the outside. Nothing's written in English, so it's a bit hard to find if you don't read Japanese. The first time we searched for it was on a dark rainy night - NOT easy! This time we came out during the day for lunch. The daylight coupled with our vague memories from our past visit helped a lot.

If you're a noodle fan and you love authentic experiences, I would highly recommend Suzuran. Definitely try their signature Kagoshima style pork belly with the wide and flat handmade noodles. You can use these directions to try to find it, which is what we did.

And yes, in Japan it's totally OK (in fact, encouraged!) to slurp.

March 29, 2011 Japan

Tapas Molecular Bar

This post is part 2 of my series: Tribute to Japan which will explore Japanese culture through my trip there back in November 2010.

It's not everyday you get to feel like you are sitting atop the clouds, staring down at the city below you. Here, on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo, floor-to-ceiling windows display unparalleled views of the city's shimmering lights.

Better yet, each night seven seats open up at the bar (once at 6pm, once at 8:30pm) for one of the most unique molecular gastronomy experiences in Tokyo. Instead of just an extended tasting menu of twenty or so courses, think of this as a show - an evening of entertainment and delight both for the eyes as well as the palate.

Welcome to Tapas Molecular Bar, a one-star Michelin restaurant that really takes "Tasting Menu" to a new level. Here, you'll experience familiar flavors delivered in unconventional ways. It's both a lesson in science as well as food. Be prepared to be surprised, delighted, and entertained the entire evening. I came here on my birthday and enjoyed a night that was full of surprises and loads of fun.

Sparkling Muscat
We started out with a sparkling muscat jelly, which was light, fruity, and a wonderfully bright way to begin the meal.

Bryan got a fun fruit (maybe lychee?) flavored cocktail.

Matsutake Gohan
This dried out rice "cracker" reminded me of a pork rind, except that it was made out of rice and Matsutake, a kind of Japanese mushroom. I loved the earthy flavors.

Aero Cheese
Next up was aerated cheese between two slices of pear (shown on left).

Apple Manchego
A super thin slice of dehydrated apple was wrapped around Manchego cheese sorbet.

Caesar Salad
A frozen Romaine lettuce hemisphere was topped with shaved Parmesan "snow." This was a unique gustatory experience, as the flavors were very reminiscence of Caesar Salad (something I've had hundreds of times), yet the vehicle of delivery was so whimsical and different that it was still surprising.

Next, the chef took out a rack of syringes and began pressing out black liquid into a clear bath. If you're familiar with molecular gastronomy, you'll recognize this as spherification, the process of using calcium chloride and sodium alginate to make tiny little balls filled with any liquid you desire. They short of remind me of salmon roe.

Here's a close up of the chef making the deep black spheres.

Amaebi
These spheres were then used in this "Amaebi" dish filled with seaweed, rock shrimp, and tiny little grape tomatoes.

Porcini Cannelloni
Thick slices of Porcini mushroom wrapped in a gelatin shell.

Tilefish, Powdered Aromas
This dish was subtle. You dip the raw fish slice into the warm foamy broth and also into one of the three powders (I believe they were different types of spices). To be honest, I had a hard time tasting the nuances of the broth. I also used so little of it (we didn't drink it), that I sort of felt bad wasting it all.

Duck Panna Cotta
Next we had super tender (I'm guessing sous vide) duck breast alongside kabocha panna cotta and a lime and cumin foam.

Emperor's New Mojito
The next course was a funny play on the diners. The bartender put on this whole convincing act of pouring nothing into these empty mojito glasses. The chefs then handed each of us the empty glass, which had a metal straw inside. Perplexed and confused, we sipped at the straw. BAM! A tart, minty, and rum-like concentrated shot exploded from inside the straw.

That was it - a surprise that made some gasp, others giggle . . .

Xiaolongbao
I was totally expecting to see some sort of dumpling when I saw the name of this item on the menu. Imagine my surprise when I saw a lamb rib! It turns out, the lamb is actually filled with hot soup! Thankfully, they strongly advised us to eat the entire thing in one bite, so most people did not have any squirt incidents. The experience was fun and not too messy! This was paired with a very young peach on the side.

Wagyu
We then had a super tender sous vide cut of Wagyu alongside a strip of parsnip.

Miso Soup
This next course was quite unique. Essentially, you have this HUGE spherified miso-soup flavored ball. It totally reminded me of an egg yolk. Once you bite into it, miso soup oozes out. It's surrounded by scallion oil and tiny spherified tofu. It was an odd juxtaposition of very familiar flavors delivered in such an innovative way.

Music by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0".

Liquid Nitrogen?
Next up we had a really funny and interesting dessert. It was a meringue of sorts frozen in liquid nitrogen. You have to watch this really short video (16 seconds!) of Bryan trying it - it's sooooo funny!

Puff; Fois Gras; Kinako; Raspberry Soda; Chocolate Pumice

This was followed by an assortment of interesting and whimsical desserts. A simple "puff" that was like cotton candy (mostly air); a fois gras filled savory doughnut; thin pieces of freeze-fried raspberry that sort of "fizzed" to give the impression of soda; aerated chocolate pumice which reminded me of Aero chocolate from England. Kinako, roasted soy bean powder, is commonly used in Japanese sweets. It was the coating on the "lollipop"-like dessert.

Birthday Egg
As I had mentioned before, it was my birthday. They gave me an intact but super light egg shell (no holes!), which they told me to break, revealing a paper crane (with the words Happy Birthday Jennifer!) inside. I have no idea how they got the crane inside of the egg. They must have either used molecular gastronomy techniques to create an egg shell or somehow re-fused it together.

Fruit
Our last dessert was a plate of citrus fruits. First they told us to taste the lemon, the lime, and the orange. Nothing that spectacular. If anything, they were pretty sour and not that enjoyable. Next, they told us to bite into the little red nut and roll it around our tongues for 30 second.

We then tried the fruit again. Whoa!!! Miracle berry! Everything tasted like it had been infused with lots of sugar! I felt like I was slurping lemonade and limeade. Surreal and weird, everything tasted like a sweet cousin of itself.

Miracle Berry is a fruit that temporarily suspends your ability to taste sour for about an hour. This berry has a glycoprotein called miraculin that binds to your taste receptors, altering the way you perceive acids. It's great fun to get one and then try all sorts of acidic foods, like vinegars, various fruits, sodas, coffee . . . you name it!

We had a great time enjoying this crazy interesting meal. I wouldn't say that any of the flavors were mind-blowingly sophisticated. Instead, the experience is more about the way the food is presented and less about the uniqueness of the actual flavors. For example, the "miso soup" tasted just like a normal miso soup you would get at any Japanese restaurant. It just happened to be served in a really unusual way. Coming to Tapas is really about enjoying the crazy science behind novel and unusual ways of presenting familiar tastes.

It was quite helpful that at least one of the chefs spoke English. Two chefs entertained us the whole night. One who spoke Japanese (and served 3 of the Japanese guests), and one who spoke English (who served the 4 foreign guests). Having the meal presented in English enhanced the experience greatly, as we could ask questions and learn much more about each dish.

A few negatives - you are in a bar, so there will be smoking. Everything from my coat to my sweater smelled like stale cigarette smoke the next day. Also, the ambiance is a bit more casual than you might expect for such a nice and expensive meal. There's live music in the background plus the low roar of lively conversation from the hotel bar area. Some may prefer the casual environment while others may wish for a more quiet atmosphere.

All in all though, a meal at Tapas will be undoubtedly fun, interesting, and entertaining.

Plus, you absolutely cannot beat the view - even from the restrooms*!!

Tribute to Japan Series

This post is part 2 of my series: Tribute to Japan which will explore Japanese culture through my trip there back in November 2010.

Part 1: Kappabashi-dori

Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar

*Accordingly to Bryan and many others, the view from the urinals in the men's restroom is incredible. Imagine the sinks in the picture above (which is of the womens' restroom) replaced by urinals.

March 25, 2011 Uncategorized

Tiny Urban Tidbits #18 - Local News

Kyubey in Tokyo, Japan

Happy Friday everyone!

I realize I've been doing a lot of non-local posts lately, so I thought I'd take a tiny break from the Tribute to Japan Series and talk briefly about local things going on around the city.

If you still want a taste of Japan, you can check out the one crazy post from the November Japan trip that I wrote earlier. In Round 9 of Project Food Blog, we had to write a restaurant review. The stakes were high, as 12 contestants were about to be narrowed down to three!

I decided to write about Kyubey, one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Japan. The entire meal is simply unforgettable, especially if you've never had a high end sushi experience Japan before. Check out the post here.

James Beard Award Nominees
Congratulations to some of my favorite local chefs for their nominations! Cambridge made a strong showing, with Tony Maws (Craigie on Main) nominated for Best Chef Northeast and Will Gilson (Garden at the Cellar) nominated for Best Rising Star Chef.

Barbara Lynch's Menton has been nominated for Best New Restaurant and Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery + Cafe and Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana have been nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Tim Cushman (O Ya) has also been nominated for Best Chef Northeast.

Several restaurants I've visited on my travels also made the list. Picasso (where I just went in January) has been nominated for both Outstanding Restaurant as well as Outstanding Wine Service. Richard Reddington from Redd and Josiah Citrin from Melisse are also nominated for Best Chef Pacific. Per Se in NYC has been nominated for Outstanding Service.

Finally, Gary Danko, who I just met a few weekends ago in Napa Valley, has also been nominated for Outstanding Chef. I would love to try his restaurant one day!

Congrats to everyone who was nominated!

New Openings!

Pinkberry will be opening right in the heart of Harvard Square at the old Alpha Omega Building (sharing that space with a spanking new Starbucks Coffee!). On top of the typical (delicious!) frozen yogurt and toppings, this Pinkberry will also serve breakfast as well as offer Pinkberry Take Home, a 25-oz swirl-to-order tub of your favorite yogurt.

Floating Rock, well loved Southeast Asian restaurant originally in Revere, has moved to Central Square and will have a soft opening next Friday, April 1. They are currently selling gift cards at a discount. These discounted cards will only be available up until the opening of the restaurant.

Purchase a gift card worth $25 for $20, a $50 card for $40 and a $100 card for $75. E-mail [email protected] for details.

Thelonious Monkfish, a new Asian fusion place, has recently opened in Central Square. They have a full sushi menu, as well as plenty of Southeast Asian dishes plus many standard Chinese dishes. I've tried it a couple times and I plan on going again before writing up a full post. Initial thoughts? Some dishes were quite tasty while others were more average. Overall, I think it's a great addition to the area. Central Square can really benefit from a place like this.

EmPower Breakfast at Rialto with Jody Adams!
EmPOWER Breakfast is an annual benefit in collaboration with women from the business community to raise much needed funds for Asian women and children impacted by domestic violence.

This year, the event will be Thursday, April 7 from 8AM -10AM at Rialto. There will be breakfast, a silent auction, and a panel discussion. I'll be there blogging about the event as well!

To find out more and to purchase tickets, please visit this page.

This event will be hosted by Jody Adams (Chef/Owner of Rialto Cambridge), Vivian Hsu (Principal of Hsu & Associates, LLC) Renee Inomata (Partner at Burns & Levinson, LLC) and Janet Wu (7News/CW56).

Pop Up Restaurant!

They've struck again! It's yet another pop up restaurant! As many of you know, I went to my first pop up restaurant at the Taza Chocolate Factory.

This time, Aaron Cohen and Will Gilson (along with Sel de la Terre chef Louie Dibiccari) will set up a pop up restaurant at Mizu hair salon on Saturday, April 9, 2011. A 5-course menu will costs $100 and includes tax and gratuity. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the International Medical Corps to aid Japan.

To learn more and to buy tickets, click here.

That's it folks! Have a wonderful weekend, and we will continue the Tribute to Japan Series next week!

March 24, 2011 Japan

Kappabashi-dori

This post is part 1 of my series: Tribute to Japan which will explore Japanese culture through my trip there back in November 2010.

For anyone who loves to cook or just loves kitchen supplies in general, a visit to Tokyo is not complete with a stop by Kappabashi. Not too far from Asakusa, Kappabashi is the area in Japan to get cooking and baking supplies, high quality knives, fake display foods, dishware, silverware, etc. etc.

Because this area is catered toward the restaurant industry, the prices for many things are quite reasonable. Better yet, many of these restaurant-grade items are super durable. I bought miso bowls from this area over a decade ago (for only $1 each!) and to this day they are still as good as new! (I even throw them in the dishwasher all the time!) Some of the smaller shops only accept cash, so definitely come armed with a wad of bills if you plan on shopping (which you definitely will because you'll be so tempted to get stuff!)

On both sides of the street, stores tempt you with beautiful Japanese ceramics, bento boxes, knives, pots and pans, and so much more. Oftentimes the best deals are out on the sidewalk, so it's always fun just to rummage through those piles.

Even the building architecture reflects the food-focused nature of the neighborhood.

One popular gift item with tourists is the fake display food. In Japan, almost all restaurants will have these displays showing what their dishes look like. You can even custom make dishes, although those are pretty expensive!

Plastic lobsters, various species of fish, and beef slices.

I thought this fake mochi looked very realistic! The price (about $12 USD each) gave it away!

I bought a fake beer glass for Bryan's dad. The ones with bubbles were more interesting looking and also cost more.

I bought a bunch of baking supplies, such as these cool cookie stamps! I also got some with Japanese characters, which I'll get around to using one of these days. 🙂

2 hours later, my nylon tote was filled with miso bowls, baking supplies, tiny wooden spoons, a huge plastic Kirin mug, and several magnets in the shapes of gyoza (dumplings), kamaboko (fish cake), and various other Japanese foods. I left Kappabashi with a huge smile on my face. It had been super fun just to take my time exploring all the shops at my own pace. What a great, relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

I would highly recommend visiting Kappabashi if you are ever in Tokyo. It's just one stop away from Asakusa, which is another popular tourist site that's really fun to visit. It's a great place to pick up reasonably priced dishware, souvenirs, gifts, and high quality Japanese knives at very reasonable prices.

Note - many of the stores are closed on Sundays.

How to get to Kappabashi
Take the Ginza line to Tawaramachi Station.
Take Exit #3 out of the station.
Once you emerge, you will be facing north on the corner of Asakusa-dori and Kokusai-dori.
Turn around (180 degrees) and walk west along the Asukusa-dori away from Asakusa toward Ueno. At the second light look up and you will see a huge plastic chef guy wearing a hat and also a police box. Turn right and you're on the street Kappabashi-dori!

Explore!

This post is part 1 of a larger series called a Tribute to Japan.

March 23, 2011 Japanese

A Tribute to Japan

I have always loved Japan.

As a child, I was exposed to a bit of Japanese culture because my parents were Taiwanese. Taiwan was occupied by Japan for 50 years (between 1895 and 1945), and thus my grandparents lived under Japanese rule for a large part of their lives. Inevitably, they absorbed various aspects of Japanese culture. In fact, my maternal grandparents felt more comfortable speaking Japanese than Taiwanese or Chinese with their kids.

As a college student, I decided I wanted to learn more about Japan. I studied the language for two years before spending a summer interning at Hitachi Chemical. I absolutely loved living there. One of my favorite things to do was to roam the immaculate and beautiful supermarkets after work, picking out my dinner for the evening.

Of course, it's not just about the food. I also loved the people that I met. Even after leaving Japan, I continued to hone my language skills, building long lasting relationships with Japanese friends through language exchange partnerships.

The news of the recent earthquakes and aftermath in Japan is downright devastating. My few friends who live in Japan are in Tokyo, so they are safe, although extremely frightened. My heart continues to ache for those who have suffered great losses, and I pray for them.

The Japanese are quite resilient, and I am confident they will rebuild, recover, and come out stronger in the end. As a tribute to them, please join me as I begin a series dedicated to Japan: a celebration of their unique culture, rich history, and (of course) amazing cuisine.

Sneak preview ahead . . .

Bryan and I had the privilege of visiting Japan this past November. Bryan had a business trip there, so I just came along for the ride. We stayed in Shibuya, a bustling area with one of the most famous and crazy crosswalks in Tokyo.

The view from our hotel on top at Cerulean Towers

I always get one of these whenever I come to Japan!

You gotta love the plush version!

Of course we had to stop by Domo-kun's home - NHK Studio Park!

You can get your favorite characters in all different sorts of colors.

Or Hello Kitty wearing all different sort of "suits." (yes, this is borderline disturbing)

Or if you prefer kitchenware, visit this super fun neighborhood in Japan devoted to restaurant supplies, fake plastic foods, and other fun kitchen gadgets. It's where I got my cookie stamps!

Or stop by Tsukiji fish market to get some seriously quality (and expensive!) knives.

The food in Tokyo is among the best in the world. Here, we visited one of Tokyo's most famous molecular gastronomy restaurants (1 Michelin Star)

One of our favorite ramen places with handmade noodles, of course!

Kurobuta Pork tonkatsu at a former bath house.

Street food! Do you know what these are?

Everything I learned about sushi I learned from my mom . . . and this place.

Probably the best sushi I've ever had in my life at this 2-star Michelin unassuming sushi bar.

Cherry Blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen

March 22, 2011 California

S. Pellegrino 9th Annual Almost Famous Chef Competition: Signature Dish

This post is part 4 of a larger series about the 9th Annual S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition.

This was it. This was the moment that would decide the final outcome of the entire competition. 10 students from all over North America had come together here in Napa Valley to compete for the Grand Prize of the Almost Famous Chef Competition.

Each had already competed in the Mystery Basket competition a day earlier. A combination of their scores from both events would determine the final winner.

The Signature Dish competition is especially interesting because each student has complete creative control over what dish to create. All of these regional finalists are cooking the winning dishes that got them here. You're seriously tasting the best of the best here. The twist? Instead of cooking it for 8 judges, they must now cook the dish for 200 guests!!

Crazy Challenging? Most definitely.

Let's meet the judges, the competitors, and (of course), find out the results!

There was a star-studded line up of judges, well-known media personalities and famous chefs.

The judges sat together in a separate room and tasted each entry, one by one.

Meanwhile, the general guests outside visited the stations one by one to sample the dishes.

The entire competition was streamed live online for anyone in the world to see.

Meet the Competitors & their Dishes!

Jean-Francois Daigle from The George Brown Chef’s School made Honey Seared Bison Tenderloin with apple-parsnip puree.

Mark Maier from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts of LA made Deconstructed Chile Verde, which consisted of pork, pico de gaillo, salsa, polenta cake, and guacamole.

Alex Schnell from The culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park made Ginger Roasted Pork Tenderloin with ruby port and figs, and toasted walnut gnocchi.

Chunchira Eshleman from The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Las Vegas made Hawaiian Chicken with sauteed bok choy and mushrooms, mashed taro root, and crushed pineapple.

Nicholas Hymel from Nicholis State University – John Folse Culinary Insititute made Quail Fricassee with creole cream cheese grits and smothered collard greens.

Emma Louth from Drexel University made "Smoke/Ocean/Prairie" which consisted of rare Bison tenderloin on a fig balsamic reduction topped with smoked and deep fried oysters with a crispy potato Napoleon and arugula pine nut salad.

Christopher Mckevitt from the Lincoln Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach made "Bounty of the Rockies" which consisted of a trio of lamb including smoky loin, homemade sausage, and Denver ribs with sweet shredded apple plus a corn fritter.

Elizabeth Freer from The Culinary Institute of Charlestown made "Two Way Rabbit", which consisted of braised rabbit ravioli and pecan encrusted tenderloin.

Marco Bahena from Kendall College made Mediterranean Lamb Loin with Chicken Mousseline, olive oil poached potato, Lyonnaise salad and sauce foyot.

Anthony Messina from The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts made Squab with Apple-Parsnip Puree, smoked chard, fois gras emulsion, and garnishes.

In the Kitchen

The students had four hours to work on these dishes before the bell rang "Dong!" Time to bring your food downstairs!

At that moment, students immediately began packing up their ingredients in order to set up downstairs, which is where the guests would arrive.

Guests enjoyed sampling the various dishes and then voted for the "People Choice Award" by putting their coins into the box of their choice. Similarly, people online voted for the winner of the "Fan Favorite Award."

Meanwhile, judges deliberated, took notes, and voted as well.

Votes being tabulated . . .

And then it was time to announce all the winners. Welcome our hosts, Ralph Pagano and Gail Simmons! Here's the moment we had all been waiting for . . .

We applauded all the judges and all the students who worked so hard for this.

There was a lot at stake. $10,000 to the winner plus a one year internship with one of the chef judges. The winners of the other awards would still win $3000 each.

Fan Favorite

And the winner of the Fan Favorite award is Emma Louth!

People's Choice

Congratulations to Elizabeth Freer for winning the People's Choice Award.

Mystery Basket

Winner of the Mystery Basket? Jean-Francois Daigle!

Signature Dish

Winner of the Signature dish competition?

Congratulations Marco Bahena from Kendall College in Chicago!!!

Marco also ended up winning The Grand Prize!!!!

Here's a closer look at Marco's winning dish, which I personally thought was absolutely delicious and definitely one of the best dishes of the night.

Mediterranean Lamb Loin with Chicken Mousseline, Olive Oil Poached Potato, Lyonnaise Salad and Sauce Foyot.

Congratulations Marco!

I also had a chance to meet in person some of the judges & hosts . . . .

Sophie Gayot

Gail Simmons and Ralph Pagano

Dana Cowin

Chef Jean Joho

Rick Moonen

And a shout out for Tony Messina, our local New England representative (he goes to school in Cambridge!) Tony worked really really hard for this competition and I personally think he did an absolutely fantastic job. It was disappointing that he did not win, but I'm still confidant that Tony will go very, very far.

Seriously, everyone here is truly a winner. These culinary students have done so much just to earn the privilege of competing here in Napa Valley. Congrats to all you rising chefs! I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to observe your hard work first hand and also to taste your delicious creations. I can't wait to visit all your restaurants someday . . . soon!

Til next year . . .

8th Annual Almost Famous Chef Posts
Welcome Reception (Mar 11, 2010)
Mystery Basket (March 11, 2010)
Signature Dish Competition (March 12, 2010)
Del Dotto Caves / Winery (March 15, 2010)
Antica Vineyards (March 15, 2010)
Bouchon Bakery (March 16, 2010)
Our own Excursion: Vineyards (Robert Mondavi and Opus One) (March 17, 2010)
Redd (March 18, 2010)
French Laundry (March 19, 2010)
Disclaimer
I was invited by S. Pellegrino to attend this competition. Like for all the other guests, S. Pellegrino took care of my airfare, hotel, and the cost of all the events.

March 21, 2011 California

Trefethen Vineyards

This post is part 3 of a larger series about the 9th Annual S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition.

Napa Valley is a beautiful place all year round. However, the spring season is especially unique because the surrounding hillsides are all very, very green from the rainfall during the winter. According to the locals, the grass on the hills are pretty dry and brown most of the year. However, this time of year everything is especially verdant and just really, really lush and beautiful.

A wonderful way to experience the region is by bike! There are some really nice, virtually car-free roads on which you can ride. It's so relaxing to just be outside, drinking in the surrounded views of vineyards and hills.

On Sunday morning, the guests who were attending the Almost Famous Chef Competition road our bikes out to Trefethen Vineyards for a fun and educational morning leaning about food from our celebrity chef judges.

Here we are in Yountville, gearing up for our bike ride!

The bike ride was a smooth pavement road most of the way, although at the end we actually road through the vineyard!! It was a bit bumpy and definitely took a bit of effort!

John and Hayley Trefethen

When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by The Trefethen family! Here's dad (John) and daughter (Hailey) on top of their truck giving a welcoming speech.

"Did you know this vineyard has been here since the 1800's?"

Interestingly, back in the late eighteen hundreds there were over a hundred vineyards in the area. After Prohibition, however, the numbers reduced drastically. This particular vineyard survived Prohibition by producing sacramental wine. It fell into disarray by the 1940's, and it wasn't until 1968 that the Trefethen family (John's parents) purchased the land, completely cleaned it up, and made it a working winery again.

For the remainder of the morning, we wandered around the vineyard visiting various "stations," each of which offered a unique educational perspective on a food topic.

Chef Rick Moonen (RM Seafood in Las Vegas)

Chef Moonen is passionate about sustainable seafood. In his demonstration, he taught us how to shuck an oyster as well as how to make ceviche. He had participants taste oysters from different bodies of water, showing the vast difference in flavor that the water can make on the raw oyster.

Chef Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia in Chicago)

Chef Mantuano gave a pasta making demonstration. He showed us how to make ricotta raviolis from scratch. He also provided different types of ricotta samples that people could try.

Chef Jean Joho (Everest, Chicago)

Chef Joho talked about honey and how the source can make such a difference in the flavor. We tried several different honeys and it was amazing how different they each tasted.

He also worked together with 2010 winner Luis Young to demonstrate how to make mozzarella cheese from scratch. Chef Joho emphasized the importance of enjoying mozzarella when it's fresh. "When you order it at a restaurant or buy it in the supermarket, you have NO IDEA how old it is. This is why it's better to make it yourself!"

This super fresh mozzarella was absolutely delicious! Chef Joho also told us there is NO NEED for balsamic vinegar on really good mozzarella. Just high quality olive oil and a dash of sea salt is all you really need. It was seriously really really good. I really want to try making some at home!

Chef Michel Richard (Citronelle, Washington DC)

Chef Richard provided samples of chocolates that were different % cocoa to show how the cocoa and sugar ratio really affect the flavor. He also made a really interesting little bite - chocolate truffle covered grapes!

These were interesting. Some people loved them while others, like myself, found them to be a bit unusual. Not my favorite, but it's definitely a healthier way of enjoying truffles. 🙂

Bob Hurley (Hurley's Restaurant, Yountville)

Chef Hurley gave us samples of normal pork and wild boar just to demonstrate the differences in flavor. He talked about how there were many wild boars roaming the hills of California, but due to USDA regulations, he's actually not allowed to serve the meat from those boars. The flavors were definitely different, with the wild boar having a much gamier and earthier taste.

These two British folks from Calistoga Roastery were super friendly and definitely brewed an absolutely delicious cup of joe. Clive Richardson left The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf back in 1992 to start his own coffee company. He was obsessed about perfecting the flavors that are extracted from coffee, and thus started Calistoga as a way to completely control every step of the the coffee making process (from green beans to the final cup).

I must agree, this coffee is fantastic and I very much enjoyed my perfect cappuccino.

Chef Gary Danko (Gary Danko in San Francisco) and Chef Brooke McDougall (Bymark, Toronto)

I stopped by Gary Danko's station first, where he taught me all about various olive oils and balsamic vinegars. I had a chance to try several different kinds, and it was definitely fascinating to see what a difference terroir can make. I actually sampled the same olive grown in different regions, and you could definitely taste a difference.

Chef McDougall had us taste wild watercress and hydroponically-grown watercress. Even though the hydroponically-grown watercress was much prettier, I actually preferred the taste of the wild watercress, which was a little sweeter and less strikingly spicy/peppery. I thought that the wild one also had much richer flavors. Chef McDougall agreed that he also liked the wild one better for flavor, although he often used the hydroponically-grown watercress as a garnish since it is a lot prettier.

Family Style Outdoor Lunch

We then sat down in the Trefethen's lovely outdoor eating area and enjoyed a delicious, family-style lunch.

There were endless amounts of delicious food, lively conversation, and overall fun times.

This dessert reminds me of my favorite chocolate doughnut from Bouchon Bakery. I loved the crunchy cocoa covered topping, which sat on top of light chocolate mousse and an edible chocolate bowl!

Chef posing with Mrs. Janet Trefethen, who flew all the way back from Dallas just to see us!

Chef Joho arrived late in style.

Thanks to all the celebrity chefs for helping to make this Vineyard experience so educational, fun, and unique! Of course, thanks to S. Pellegrino and the wonderful staff at Salt Communications for setting up this fantastic event!

March 18, 2011 California

Nickel & Nickel Vineyard

This post is part 2 of a larger series about the 9th Annual S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition.

Welcome to Nickel & Nickel Winery!

After watching the Mystery Basket competition in the morning and relaxing in Yountville in the afternoon, guests arrived at this beautiful vineyard for a truly unique experience on Saturday evening.

Nickel & Nickel is different from most wineries because it aims to dedicate itself to only making single vineyard wines. What is a single vineyard wine? In short, it's wine made from grapes originating from the same vineyard. Typically, winemakers purchase grapes from various sources and blend them together to make their wines. The ability to use different grapes from different areas allows a winemaker to more easily tweak the flavor profile of the wine.

In the case of single vineyard wine, you are constrained to using the grapes from your plot of land. According to US wine laws, you can only name the vineyard on the label if 95% of the grapes come from that vineyard. Single vineyard wines really express the soil, climate, elevation, and other characteristics of the grapes' specific growing conditions. Drinking a single vineyard wine is the best way to really taste the terroir of the land.

A high quality single vineyard wine can be challenging to make. You can't use grapes with slightly different terroir (from another vineyard) to balance out or tweak the flavors of your wine. It's also challenging to keep consistent quality, as weather patterns can vary wildly year to year.

We had the wonderful privilege of enjoying a unique wine tasting as well as an unforgettable dinner at Nickel & Nickel. This was a great chance for the contestants, who had worked super hard earlier that morning in the Mystery Basket Competition, to relax and have someone else cook for them!

Upon arrival we were greeted with a row of servers all holding trays filled with glasses of wine. It was so pretty that most of the guests stopped to snap pictures before walking down towards the red barn.

A warm welcome from S. Pellegrino and Mrs. Nickels herself!

And then they opened the door . . . .

Wow! So pretty!

We walked down a beautifully decorated reflection pool and mingled briefly before heading into another part of the winery.

Here, amongst giant cylinders, we sampled various wines (some from barrels!) and enjoyed small finger foods.

We headed underground into the wine caves. I almost gasped when I saw how they had set it up. It was so beautiful. One immensely long table stretched all the way down the entire length of the wine cave.

We sat and ate amongst hundreds of wine barrels. The table seemed to go to infinity.

And the food?

Grilled line-Caught Yellow Fin Tuna
Wood Oven Roasted Sunchokes, Citrus Segments, Nickel & Nickel Estate Olive Oil, Chorizo, and Salsa Verde
2009 Nickel & Nickel Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa Valley

Braised Snake River Farms Beef Cheeks
Winter Mix Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Fennel, Aged Asiago Polenta, and Cipollini Onions
2007 Nickel & Nickel Suscol Ranch Merlot, Napa Valley
2007 Nickel & Nickel Carbernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley.

I learned from this meal that I absolutely love beef cheeks. I am typically not a huge beef person and I shy away from it because I don't like its tough and stringy texture (yes, even beef cooked rare still will not melt in your mouth - not unless it's Wagyu or Kobe!). These beef cheeks (which I assume had been cooking for hours) were super soft, moist, and amazingly tender.

Warm Walnut and Pear Cake, Vanilla Custard, Calvados Apples and Sea Salt Caramel

Nickel & Nickel 2006 Dolce, Napa Valley

Host Ralph Pagano pretending to pull the table cloth out from underneath the dishes.

Simple chocolates with coffee

Parting gift - a bottle of Nickel & Nickel Merlot. I can't wait to try it!

March 16, 2011 California

9th Annual S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition: Mystery Basket

Welcome to the Almost Famous Chef competition in Napa Valley! This prestigious competition is held at one of the most beautiful spaces I can imagine for this event – the Culinary Institute of America (“CIA”) in Napa Valley.

Nestled between verdant hills and idyllic vineyards, the CIA not only sits in a beautiful location, it also houses some of nicest kitchens I’ve ever seen.

The first day of the competition, the contestants square off in the Mystery Basket Challenge. I really think this is the most stressful part of the entire weekend.

Just imagine: you are told that you have two hours to create eight portions of a dish that will be judged. Not only that, you will not be told the mystery ingredient(s) until right before the two hour clock starts ticking.

Moments after they tell you the mystery ingredient, you're brought in to survey the ingredients that you will have at your disposal. You have ten minutes to design your entire dish. At that point, you must tell the judges what you will be making. If you veer from that later on, points will be deducted.

This particular challenge really tests the students’ ability to think quickly on their feet, exercise utmost creativity, and execute with precision within the allotted time. Unlike their signature dishes, this is not something they can really practice beforehand. It’s really a test of how they execute all the skills they have acquired thus far under extreme time pressure.

So, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. This year’s secret ingredient is . . . . . pork tenderloin!

The students actually seemed quite excited about pork (very different from last year where they all were really surprised and caught off guard!). Pork is quite versatile –you can do various things with the fat, the bones, the meat . . .

And the students ran with that . . . .

2 hours later, the contestants began presenting their dishes to the judges. Here they are, one by one . . .

Alex Schnell from The culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park made Pork Loin with Herbs in a Citrus Marinade accompanied by Barley Pilaf, Almonds, Scallions, Parsley, and a Citrus Mustard Sauce

Chunchira Eshleman from The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Las Vegas made Basil Pork Chops with Curry Sauce. There's host Ralph Pagano, interviewing Chunchira while she's frantically trying to churn out her sauce.

Emma Louth from Drexel University made Braised Pork with Brandy and Veal Reduction, Herb Root Vegetables, Fresh Ricotta. The judges loved her carrots, and one judge actually said if she'd presented earlier (she was last) he would have eaten the whole thing.

Marco Bahena from Kendall College made Rosemary Apple Stuffed Pork Chops, Baby Turnip and Mushroom Salad, Meyer Lemon Gastrique, Bearnaise, and Potato Crisp.

Mark Maier from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles seemed to take the Asian route with shitake mushrooms and noodles. I missed Mark's presentation, and thus I don't have the actual name of his dish.

Christopher Mckevitt from Lincoln Culinary Institute, West Palm Beach made Seared Pork Tenderloin with Tomato Butter, Ravioli Aperto with Fresh Ricotta, Carrot Ribbons with Fennel, and Rosemary Crème Brulee with Apples. Can you believe this guy was actually a tatoo artist before deciding to enroll in culinary school?

Jean-Francois Daigle from The George Brown Chef’s School made Roasted Rack of Pork with Roasted Vegetable Plin (Pasta Ravioli), Onion and Apple Compote, and Natural Jus. Check out the handmade pasta rolling action!

Nicholas Hymel from Nicholis State University – John Folse Culinary Insititute made Pepper Crusted Pork Loin, Fresh Sauteed Turnips, Crispy Potato Cake with Jus from Roasted Bones. He also gave all the judges a ginger-infused sparkling drink as a palate cleanser before his dish.

Anthony Messina from The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts made Za’atar Spiced Pork Loin, Parisian Gnocchi, Confit Vegetables, Mustard Emulsion. Don't you love the exquisite presentation of his dish? I'm not surprised - he used to work at Menton (among other places!).

Elizabeth Freer from The Culinary Institute of Charleston. I also missed the name of Elizabeth's dish! I believe there was polenta and some sort of sauteed greens alongside the pork.

The judges were generally pretty friendly, although they did ask probing questions and were not afraid to give constructive criticism.

The judges really emphasized the importance of not overcooking the pork and keeping the fat!! More than once they commented positively on dishes that incorporated the pork fat to enhance the flavor.

All of the dishes were laid out for everyone to inspect.

Chefs chilled and posed for photographs after a grueling morning of cooking!

And the winner of the Mystery Basket?

Jean-Francois Daigle with his Roasted Rack of Pork! (he must have been shaking that check back and forth really fast! Or many shaking with excitement?)

Jean-Francois wins $3000!

Here's the beautiful winning dish. You gotta love all that work he put into making his own pasta. Doesn't that ravioli just look lovely?

Congratulations Jean-Francois!

March 15, 2011 California

A Taste of Napa Valley

I am exhausted.

In a good way!

It's been a crazy weekend. I hopped on a plane early early Friday morning to head out to Napa Valley for the S. Pellegrino 9th Annual Almost Famous Chef Competition. It was a weekend filled with food, laughter, intense competition, crazy talent, and lots and lots of fun.

Of course, I had an incredible time. I'm still digesting everything that happened this week, but I promise I'll share all the gory details with you once I process everything!

Here's a sneak preview . .

A stars-studded line up of judges - how many do you recognize?

A fun, insanely talented, and super hardworking bunch of contestants. You guys are awesome!

A beautiful dinner at a really unique vineyard.

An early morning bike ride to Trefethen Vineyards

Cooking demonstrations from the celebrity chef judges and past winners

A beautiful family-style lunch

Great hosts for the Awards Ceremony

Celebrating the wonderful work done by both the judges and all the students

A wistful good by - a shot taken from the car on my way back to the airport . . .

Stay tuned to find out more about the contestants, the wonderful dishes that they made, and much, much more. 🙂

March 15, 2011 Sponsored

Pasta Lensi Giveaway Winners

Thanks everyone so much for your amazing responses! It was so fun to read about everyone's favorite way of having pasta. I was really surprised at how many of the answers are really very simple preparations!

You don't need to be fancy to enjoy really delicious pasta. 🙂

Here are the two winners!

Matt Stephens and Krafted by Kelly!

The question was: what is your favorite way of preparing or eating pasta?

Matt Stephens said, "All summer long I love angel hair tossed with browned butter cut with olive oil, meyer lemon zest & juice, fresh basil, parmesan and bread crumbs. Such amazing, light flavors, but still hearty enough to fill up on."

Krafted by Kelly said, "I love pasta best when my mom cooks it at home. Sauce from the jar, plenty of onions and garlic, and generous chunks of Jimmy Dean sausage is absolute heaven with a helping of childhood memories. :)"

Congrats Matt and Kelly! Please e-mail me to claim your prize!

March 11, 2011 California

9th Annual S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef's Competition Nationals

Culinary Institute of America

Guess what?

I'm going to Napa Valley again! I'll be covering the Finals for the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition this weekend. It was barely over a month ago that I went to the New England Regionals competition, held virtually in my backyard at Bunker Hill Community College. I'll definitely be cheering on our local winner, Anthony J. Messina from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

The stakes are high in this competition! First of all, you have all of the regional winners coming together here, so competition is stiff! Second, winner of the Nationals Competition gets $20,000 along with a one year paid apprenticeship from one of the chef judges!

Last year was my first time coming. Foodbuzz held a contest to send one person to attend this event as a VIP. I was shocked but totally thrilled to be chosen. VIPs are treated really well! You can check out a summary guide to all the activities I attended here. If you're curious, here's the winning post from last year.

It's so cool to watch these accomplished young chefs execute such amazing dishes under such pressure. I can't wait to see what they have in store this year!

If you want to watch the competition this weekend, it will be streamed live from this link. Hosts this year are Ralph Pagano (STK Miami Executive Chef and also finalist from "Hell's Kitchen" Season One) and Gail Simmons, Food &Wine's Special Projects Director and Bravo's "Top Chef" Judge.

Mystery Basket Competition
Each competitor must transform a set of mystery ingredients into a delicious entrée in two hours or less. The winner receives $3,000.
Sat 3/12, 10:30am-2:00pm PST

People’s Choice Tasting Gala and Award Reception
Competitors will prepare their signature dishes, with the help of an appointed sous chef, for 200 VIP guests at a gala dinner. The winner receives $3,000. Gala participants will also vote on their favorite chef. This winner will also receive $3000.
Sun 3/13, 5:30pm-8:00pm PST

You can also vote for your fan favorite! Fan favorite also wins $3000. Better yet, people who vote get a chance to be entered to win a trip to Napa next year! Voting Starts Sunday, March 13th at 5:30pm PST to 7:00pm PST

Follow the competition on facebook or twitter. Stay tuned next week as I bring back delicious pictures and coverage of competition!

Media Judges

Dana Cowin of Food & Wine Magazine

Sophie Gayot of Gayot.com

Mitchell Davis of The James Beard Foundation

Bonnie Stern of The National Post

Chef Judges

Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle

Chef Rick Moonen of RM Seafood

Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia

Jean Joho of Everest

Gary Danko of Restaurant Gary Danko

Brooke McDougall of By Mark

Bob Hurley of Hurley's

Opus One

If you're interested in last year's competition (plus our other Napa Valley excursions), explore the posts below! (You can click on the pictures too, which take you to the same posts!)

Also, it's still not to late to enter the Giveaway going on right now! Ends Sunday, March 13!

Welcome Reception (Mar 11, 2010)
Mystery Basket (March 11, 2010)
Signature Dish Competition (March 12, 2010)
Del Dotto Caves / Winery (March 15, 2010)
Antica Vineyards (March 15, 2010)
Bouchon Bakery (March 16, 2010)
Our own Excursion: Vineyards (Robert Mondavi and Opus One) (March 17, 2010)
Redd (March 18, 2010)
French Laundry (March 19, 2010

March 10, 2011 Italian

Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce with Bacon + Giveaway!

Bryan and I disagree about our favorite pasta shapes.

For him, thicker is better. Chewier always wins. Long and fat is better than short and skinny. The ultimate goal? The ability to wrap the noodles around a fork into a big, dense ball so that he can create the chewiest, thickest bite of them all.

Me? First of all, I love sauce. So, the more nooks and cranny that a pasta shape has, the better. Radiatore or Fusilli are typically my favorites, though I also love a good angel hair.

One thing we both agree on - we don't like mushy pasta. Al dente all the way.

Dried Pasta with Really Good Texture?
This company called Pasta Lensi contacted me in January and asked me whether I wanted to try some of their dried pasta.

Well, Bryan loves pasta and is always looking for that perfect texture when it comes to pasta, so . . . why not? Hey, you never know.

Seriously, I didn't have super high expectations. Bryan is pretty picky when it comes to pasta texture. He almost always orders the handmade pasta option at a restaurant, almost regardless of the sauce with which it is paired. The pasta comes first!

I decided to make one of my standards - a great tomato vodka cream sauce recipe from Cook's Illustrated (see end of post). I make this dish all the time, so I thought it would be interesting to compare a new pasta brand with an age-old recipe.

The Verdict?
According to Bryan, "this is the best dried pasta I have ever had." It far beats out all the other dried pastas we've ever tried. Granted, we haven't tried too many really expensive artisanal dried pastas, but we have tried reasonably well known Italian brands, like de Cecco and Barilla, for instance.

I have to agree that the texture of this pasta is superior to your normal supermarket boxed pastas. We had been buying de Cecco before, which is still very good, but this one is noticeably better. The pasta doesn't go mushy easily. Typically I try to take out my pastas as soon as possible because they become unbearably soft and mushy so quickly if I don't cool them down quickly. This pasta is unusually dense, or something, making it much harder to accidentally overcook and ruin.

Bryan told me to give away the rest of our pasta boxes and just order Lensi from now on.

Pasta Lensi online

Just a bit of background
Pasta Lensi is an Italian pasta company that has been making pasta since 1920. Their pasta is still not widely available in grocery stores right now, although you can buy it on online at Amazon. Pasta Lensi is a bit more expensive than normal, but if you buy in bulk online, it's comparable to the cheaper pastas.

Giveaway Details
The folks at Pasta Lensi were kind enough to give me TWO sample gift bags so that a couple of you could try this amazing pasta. Each bag (a Pasta Lensi cloth tote) contains two bags of dried pasta to try.

Seriously, this stuff is really good, and Bryan and I are totally planning on buying a bulk pack soon. We just need to agree on a shape!

To Enter the Giveaway:

For one entry: comment below telling me your favorite way of preparing or eating pasta!

For an extra entry: tweet the link (http://bit.ly/fKFadQ) to the giveaway and mention @tinyurbankitchn [easiest way is probably to just tweet the example tweet below). Please also comment below telling me that you tweeted.

Example tweet: @tinyurbankitchn is giving away two gourmet Italian pasta gift bags! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/fKFadQ

For a third entry: please share a link to this post on facebook. Again, please comment below telling me that you linked on facebook and tell me where to look for your link.

Here's my answer to the question:

I love a simple pasta tossed with fresh mozzarella, vine-ripen tomatoes, basil, and olive oil. I also love anything with white alba truffles!

Giveaway ends SUNDAY, March 13th at midnight.

Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce with Bacon

Slightly modified from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes , drained, liquid reserved
1 T olive oil
3 ounces of pancetta (can substitute bacon)
½ small onion , minced (about ¼ cup)
1 T tomato paste
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
½ t hot red pepper flakes
⅓ cup vodka
½ cup heavy cream
1 pound pasta
Fresh basil leaves

Puree in a food processor about half of the tomatoes from the can (around 5-6). Dice the other half. Combine the puree and diced tomatoes in a 2-cup measuring cup and add the reserve liquid from the can until you have 2 cups total. Cook the pancetta in a pan until crisp (about 5-10 minutes). Remove from pan and place on paper towels. Pour off most of the oil, leaving 2 T.

Saute the onions and tomato paste in the remaining fat until the onions are shiny and a bit translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.

Stir in tomatoes and a tiny pinch of salt. Stir.

Remove the pot from the heating source and slowly pour in the vodka. Bring the pot back to the heating source. Turn heat back up to medium high and boil off the alcohol (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, bring a bot of water to boil to cook the pasta. Cook pasta until al dente.

Once the alcohol has boiled off, add the cream and stir it in until hot - about 1 minute.

Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta. Stir in the freshly cut basil and the bacon. Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Disclaimer
Time to time I receive free products, meals, etc. as a food blogger. I do not receive any payment for blog posts/reviews nor am I required to write a post when I receive free products, meals, etc. The views expressed in this post are completely my own. The pasta in this post was provided for free by Pasta Lensi.