tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75444256180317225082024-03-13T17:51:43.138-07:00Food 4 WibowoAn attempt to chronicle my food adventures - cooking at home and eating outVWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-51649346850518525682014-05-12T22:20:00.001-07:002014-05-12T22:27:08.154-07:00My First Week at San Francisco Cooking SchoolWow, it has been almost 3 years since the last time I blogged... A lot of things happened, Porgy and I bought our first house together, got another dog (Sophia), quit my job and decided to be a full-time student at the <a href="https://www.sfcooking.com/">San Francisco Cooking School</a>. Look at my kitchen clogs and chef pants!<br />
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For our first week, we learned about kitchen etiquette, knife skills, butter, how to make a french omelette, various stocks, soups and sauces, and also visited <a href="http://www.greenleafsf.com/">GreenLeaf</a> - a purveyor of produce. We sliced, diced, chopped, minced our way through a lot of onions (sniff sniff), carrots, celery, and potatoes. Even though it is hard to learn the correct technique after years of doing it my way, I think it's going to be worth it at the end. I'm still adjusting and it's going to take a lot of practice, both in the classroom and at home. As you can see from the botched turned-potatoes below, I need A LOT of practice.<br />
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Having a little OCD turned out to be an advantage in the kitchen, I learned that it is good habit to read the recipe twice so you know your action plan, put things away right after you use it, and keep you work area clean all the time. Also, do similar things in batches - for example, if you want to dice a carrot, it's best to peel all the carrots first, then cut them into planks, then into batons and then diced them. This method is more efficient than if you peel, plank, baton and dice one carrot at a time. </div>
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Another thing that I'm somewhat obsessing in the past few days is making a French-style omelette correctly. I bought a carton of eggs so I can practice at home and I get to school early everyday so I can practice even more. You would think it would be easy to have a fluffy, perfectly cooked (no browning) omelette but in reality it's a b****. Apparently, the trick is a lot of butter and to move the pan on a circular motion for almost the entire time. Lastly, in celebration of Mother's Day, I'm attaching a video of Julia Child - our culinary mother - doing the Omelette show. Enjoy!</div>
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PS - here are some of the dishes that we made on the first week:</div>
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Veloute of potato and leek </div>
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Broccoli and cauliflower gratin</div>
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Turned potato and potato scraps fried in clarified butter, mushroom toast, and glazed carrots</div>
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VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-13417495172496313712011-05-31T23:39:00.000-07:002011-06-01T23:14:26.371-07:00Chapeau!A couple weekends ago, Porgy and I went to <a href="http://www.chapeausf.com/" target="blank">Chapeau!</a> - a French restaurant in the Richmond District in San Francisco - for a date night. I've been wanting to go there for the past few years but somehow it just never happened... so I was super excited that we finally went. We loved our experience there - Chef Philippe greeted us, the server was attentive and the food was delicious (the Seared Scallop and Basil Risotto in Lobster Sauce was the best dish for the night!). I opted for the 4-course tasting menu while Porgy had the 3-course early bird special.<br /><br />Kir Royale to start the dinner...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKZGgE0lzNRvXc_uXI5XEBXQGcHNApxWXw2prsMJeMUITrt33WLPXohQ0sNb8e3vJTA1FsZHoie1xdlQvbLF6xb-efPt6aEeXa3DqLzArROiBXkyvfa-IlEkAlEJuabtSVBm-pYyLx5s/s1600/IMG_1344.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKZGgE0lzNRvXc_uXI5XEBXQGcHNApxWXw2prsMJeMUITrt33WLPXohQ0sNb8e3vJTA1FsZHoie1xdlQvbLF6xb-efPt6aEeXa3DqLzArROiBXkyvfa-IlEkAlEJuabtSVBm-pYyLx5s/s320/IMG_1344.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613496526807830690" border="0" /></a><br />Blue Cheese Puff Pastry with Pear and Salad<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8Rc8HyEugTNMl9cPudWtTipmIHK7WjFiVlWu37n9skZ4JcksTX2rbmak8FJL2h5k3uVFnpoZE5Cerj-1gjs5NycYYdDqaduBBcrVjVxUJ2F21EN5yiwwGMqbWVSt55gGw5-wmW2D8j0/s1600/IMG_1352.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8Rc8HyEugTNMl9cPudWtTipmIHK7WjFiVlWu37n9skZ4JcksTX2rbmak8FJL2h5k3uVFnpoZE5Cerj-1gjs5NycYYdDqaduBBcrVjVxUJ2F21EN5yiwwGMqbWVSt55gGw5-wmW2D8j0/s320/IMG_1352.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613496527328265714" border="0" /></a><br />Escargot in Butter, Garlic and Parsley<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pw7tsPwxURbSy2kzjTx7a13pXrpVhH-reEw2wSAh9Zqm8Vg1XwqY1FAHtm0K34SrTuE9lyQVleC5-bHlEBDy4oy5j_ZhfZ1RPVDLJMXus-75CuXMoH_hhwzwdeQhkg3DWClZaBuphm4/s1600/IMG_1354.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pw7tsPwxURbSy2kzjTx7a13pXrpVhH-reEw2wSAh9Zqm8Vg1XwqY1FAHtm0K34SrTuE9lyQVleC5-bHlEBDy4oy5j_ZhfZ1RPVDLJMXus-75CuXMoH_hhwzwdeQhkg3DWClZaBuphm4/s320/IMG_1354.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613496529791737586" border="0" /></a><br />Seared Scallop and Basil Risotto in a Lobster Sauce<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv8eoa5FByKlagtR7bUTeH16h3CkFk5d-_nvi9uxQJ6GtiZblyMqDYmRR-23mNM0Ui9utZ-R1v1fXdwA7rGpFiSeGM6ygpRdSJ8y8zyMmg_geH4eeaBIl_6qjQ6GEtI0mThduQ6Kbisc/s1600/IMG_1357.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv8eoa5FByKlagtR7bUTeH16h3CkFk5d-_nvi9uxQJ6GtiZblyMqDYmRR-23mNM0Ui9utZ-R1v1fXdwA7rGpFiSeGM6ygpRdSJ8y8zyMmg_geH4eeaBIl_6qjQ6GEtI0mThduQ6Kbisc/s320/IMG_1357.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613496536416899922" border="0" /></a><br />Duck Breast and Duck Leg Confit with Polenta and Bok Choy in Orange Sauce<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4sPhb4wmQypg02bgyMnb3WXHaqEAvo16gjLc5O1oT-jc8nXpzqEt-G0a8bwazoPcbK-jIepuW9lknPrstBxGLpsJhb4wkd1J5mp8j5o-Lk8XH9qglD85dmDPwiix_jIfrO72O306hyE/s1600/IMG_1363.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4sPhb4wmQypg02bgyMnb3WXHaqEAvo16gjLc5O1oT-jc8nXpzqEt-G0a8bwazoPcbK-jIepuW9lknPrstBxGLpsJhb4wkd1J5mp8j5o-Lk8XH9qglD85dmDPwiix_jIfrO72O306hyE/s320/IMG_1363.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613501372389767074" border="0" /></a><br />Cassoulet de Toulouse - Canellini Beans, Shredded Braised Lamb Shoulder, Duck Leg Confit, Garlic & Toulouse sausage<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjRpdGvPoHL6Rm7FSAVqH1U0WzRRwG5EEqhCa3Ysk7kUxtZGBwnGJ_QGknmAZl1_625YfgK5Dv1PZtAm6umYz4FdxTM8lEcF-DhwoOxER_amRTHoVnf7MHohLq0Bu3NqkiqRLiAAcWnY/s1600/IMG_1360.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjRpdGvPoHL6Rm7FSAVqH1U0WzRRwG5EEqhCa3Ysk7kUxtZGBwnGJ_QGknmAZl1_625YfgK5Dv1PZtAm6umYz4FdxTM8lEcF-DhwoOxER_amRTHoVnf7MHohLq0Bu3NqkiqRLiAAcWnY/s320/IMG_1360.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613496538425634322" border="0" /></a><br />Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRoA5QWZZ6zj1JISVxxM5RjpcobhOapL5Nhl3q_o-V-uwXXS2UFqsgWaQN3HRTtEZd_hg8Sf7b9VgOFqttNvDzb99_teXvTrHUasK2SvDArfINgvaLSl3V60a0zBsCrItfThyphenhypheneOcdtww/s1600/IMG_1370.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRoA5QWZZ6zj1JISVxxM5RjpcobhOapL5Nhl3q_o-V-uwXXS2UFqsgWaQN3HRTtEZd_hg8Sf7b9VgOFqttNvDzb99_teXvTrHUasK2SvDArfINgvaLSl3V60a0zBsCrItfThyphenhypheneOcdtww/s320/IMG_1370.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613496661183012770" border="0" /></a><br />Apple Tart with Hazelnut Ice Cream<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvOER_qxXZAajINxJK_6YYYMCgD1Zfpa1yUyK6ARM_Mhw_eqXsT6zScGzGgQnToYm73NwFp4pOrClnHLdwGnWBVNCHeshXgQHhP0tYuvvY10h-rLG_EKVyvtUAkJStnwQrKnC4i4bYcE/s1600/IMG_1374.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvOER_qxXZAajINxJK_6YYYMCgD1Zfpa1yUyK6ARM_Mhw_eqXsT6zScGzGgQnToYm73NwFp4pOrClnHLdwGnWBVNCHeshXgQHhP0tYuvvY10h-rLG_EKVyvtUAkJStnwQrKnC4i4bYcE/s320/IMG_1374.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613496665046624962" border="0" /></a>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-9537895599396666942011-05-31T23:37:00.000-07:002011-06-13T21:21:55.238-07:00Banana Bread with Walnuts and RaisinsAfter taking a break from baking for awhile, I made a variation of <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=25349" target="blank">America's Test Kitchen Ultimate Banana Bread</a> - skipping the sliced bananas on top and added some raisins soaked in rum. I made this banana bread <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2011/01/americas-test-kitchen-ultimate-banana.html" target="blank">earlier this year</a> and I really enjoyed the strong banana taste and moist texture.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGm1A6tK3dvIz-i9WSxgFNUqqk7gvz3EljgiesUZ-842IkGBnSbTGOtwk2DeCqMszKHDbMjWNKjcZzK7sKn6rPDvX-KlIgyLZ0mtNtJnVTtPkf6jglll4SB5xsJYIww-kS1yhez8pSqQ/s1600/IMG_1335.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGm1A6tK3dvIz-i9WSxgFNUqqk7gvz3EljgiesUZ-842IkGBnSbTGOtwk2DeCqMszKHDbMjWNKjcZzK7sKn6rPDvX-KlIgyLZ0mtNtJnVTtPkf6jglll4SB5xsJYIww-kS1yhez8pSqQ/s320/IMG_1335.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613137040222123618" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR17YOxgwI-4_heyRTcQk4Y3BSkWXbhb73LFcHm00OuIU5wTojVXTNB3Eln7SUcUiSzQfzGNlCObMlTem_mnV_M07MH1c5-wthr4erbHiUnUyhgvJEAp5pZl5ZnlY5P5JLrzbJVIFqs8/s1600/IMG_1339.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR17YOxgwI-4_heyRTcQk4Y3BSkWXbhb73LFcHm00OuIU5wTojVXTNB3Eln7SUcUiSzQfzGNlCObMlTem_mnV_M07MH1c5-wthr4erbHiUnUyhgvJEAp5pZl5ZnlY5P5JLrzbJVIFqs8/s320/IMG_1339.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613137037319698162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon table salt<br />5 large very ripe bananas, peeled<br />8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly<br />2 large eggs<br />3/4 cup packed light brown sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped<br />1 cup raisins soaked in a couple tablespoons of rum for 30 minutes, drained after<br />2 teaspoons granulated sugar<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.<br /></li><li>Spray 8 1⁄2 by 4 1⁄2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.<br /></li><li>Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.</li><li>Place the bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup liquid).</li><li>Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1⁄4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth.<br /></li><li>Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts and raisins, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.</li><li>Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 75 minutes.<br /></li><li>Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack.<br /></li><li>Serve warm or at room temperature.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-44449478599423321312011-05-31T23:36:00.000-07:002011-06-13T22:00:25.653-07:00Beef Stew in White Wine<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> We were in the mood for something comforting so I made this Beef Stew in White Wine based on a recipe from <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=21334" target="blank">America's Test Kitchen</a>. I didn't have put any anchovy fillets because Porgy is allergic to seafood or any salt pork because I wanted to keep it light. I substituted the red wine with white wine and added some fresh English peas for some crunch.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cOYFYkGQ0Iw_MlisuxPKm8LPdvTQ9MaL_QxqjQTyaaKezlk34qvpJtMmvFHEX-q3HRRbEa0SGGdTMG-4m4enrvBdsCPEss30K7ZP5vdk3MMhV24mRixoYywnaXGfNIiHkJvasm_jHyE/s1600/IMG_1323.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cOYFYkGQ0Iw_MlisuxPKm8LPdvTQ9MaL_QxqjQTyaaKezlk34qvpJtMmvFHEX-q3HRRbEa0SGGdTMG-4m4enrvBdsCPEss30K7ZP5vdk3MMhV24mRixoYywnaXGfNIiHkJvasm_jHyE/s320/IMG_1323.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613136692651089090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press<br />1 tablespoon tomato paste<br />3 pounds of beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces<br />1 large onion, roughly chopped<br />3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1 lb potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1/2 lb Crimini or button mushrooms, halved<br />1/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />2 cups white wine<br />2 cups low-sodium chicken broth<br />2 bay leaves<br />4 sprigs fresh thyme<br />1 lb fresh English peas<br />2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />1 tablespoon of corn starch<br />salt & pepper<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Heat the oven to 300 degrees.</li><li>Pat the meat cubes dry with paper towels. Do not season. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. Cook the beef cubes in batches until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Repeat the remaining beef adding another tablespoon vegetable oil if necessary, set aside.</li><li>Reduce heat to medium, add onion and carrots to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Cook, scrapping the bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until onion is softened about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.</li><li>Return the beef cubes to the pan along with the beef juice, slowly add wine, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Increase heat to high heat and allow wine to simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to simmer, cover, transfer to oven, and cook for 1 1/2 hours.</li><li>Remove pot from oven; remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in potatoes, cover, return to oven, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes.</li><li>Using large spoon, skim any excess fat from surface of stew. Dissolve the corn starch with 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl and pour into the pot. Stir in the English peas and mix carefully until stew is thickened about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-56949162612366602082011-05-31T23:07:00.000-07:002011-05-31T23:31:44.284-07:00Tortiglioni with Sausage and Asparagus in Tomato SauceAfter eating plenty of Asian food in the past few days, Porgy asked me to cook a pasta dish so I whipped up this dish. It's pretty simple pasta dish - I added some asparagus and fresh basil to make it<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk76OyfhhGLrDuzeza1cxFDXJTaemNlxt1_RhZmdw-P7olbJfz7_2cJA4jTYFYk7wBQuTq435d-CBiH5YwP4udkKXFpgqx7bITmau9UqRMyXYkmeow0fBnr_oQhGs5Moa6XhEh-iv6o4/s1600/IMG_1308.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk76OyfhhGLrDuzeza1cxFDXJTaemNlxt1_RhZmdw-P7olbJfz7_2cJA4jTYFYk7wBQuTq435d-CBiH5YwP4udkKXFpgqx7bITmau9UqRMyXYkmeow0fBnr_oQhGs5Moa6XhEh-iv6o4/s320/IMG_1308.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613134729607773442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 package of Tortiglioni<br />1 tablespoon olive oil<br />3 cloves garlic, minced<br />2 shallots, minced<br />1/2 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes<br />1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, remove from casing<br />1 28-oz canned whole tomatoes<br />1 asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1 bunch of basil, de-stem and chifonade<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Direction:</span><br /><ul><li>In a large pan, saute minced garlic, shallots and chili pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.</li><li>Add in the sausage, breaking up the pieces and cook until done.</li><li>Roughly chopped the tomatoes and pour everything into the pan.</li><li>Add in half of the basil, cook until the sauce is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and stir occasionally. Adjust seasoning by adjusting salt, pepper and sugar accordingly.<br /></li><li>In a separate pasta pan, heat up enough water to cook pasta. When the water is boiling, blanch the cut asparagus for 2 minutes, rinse over cold water and set aside.</li><li>While the sauce is simmering, cook the Tortiglioni pasta for 2 minutes shorter than the time according to the direction in the package. Drain the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water.</li><li>Add in the pasta and asparagus into the tomato sauce mixture, stir gently and cook for a couple more minutes until pasta is cooked al-dente.<br /></li><li>Sprinkle the remaining of chiffonade basil on top.<br /></li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-34081953535011416272011-05-31T22:42:00.000-07:002011-05-31T23:02:59.335-07:00Soyaki-Braised Potatoes & BroccoliThis Soyaki-Braised Potatoes and Broccoli dish is a variation from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Everything-Completely-Revised-Anniversary/dp/0764578650" target="blank">Mark Bittman's Soy-Braised Potatoes</a>. It's a tasty vegetarian dish that's easy to make in less than 30 minutes, perfect on top of a bowl of steamed rice.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XeBAYiEv6w6pF0B0WGZKkOb23JI6U6kyVaRDRFWQgl3XSFYebyWa37Xuhr1FiK1w80YbkmZ8nqUrPAbVTZLvCb8W28WFyA4Essfu0kqp5Z29MJk5hOJ_m3pzuBMoyGevzkna56oWh9k/s1600/IMG_1326.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XeBAYiEv6w6pF0B0WGZKkOb23JI6U6kyVaRDRFWQgl3XSFYebyWa37Xuhr1FiK1w80YbkmZ8nqUrPAbVTZLvCb8W28WFyA4Essfu0kqp5Z29MJk5hOJ_m3pzuBMoyGevzkna56oWh9k/s320/IMG_1326.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613127702079753186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 pound baby Dutch potatoes, cut in half<br />1 tablespoon sesame oil<br />2 tablespoons neutral oil<br />1/4 cup soy sauce<br />1/2 cup soyaki sauce<br />1 1/2 cup water<br />1 pound broccoli florets, cut into pieces<br />1/2 pound crimini mushroom, sliced<br />4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.</li><li>Cook, stirring occasionally, until coated in oil and beginning to turn golden.</li><li>Add the soy sauce, soyaki sauce and enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and stirring once in a while to make sure the potatoes aren't sticking, then the heat to medium-low so that the mixture bubbles gently.</li><li>Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes almost tender, 15-20 minutes.</li><li>Add the cut broccoli florets, sliced mushroom and green onions into the pan and cook for 5 more minutes.</li><li>Taste and adjust the seasoning and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-44459637650438128822011-05-23T20:50:00.000-07:002011-05-23T22:08:12.148-07:00OahuAloha! According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloha" target="blank">Wikipedia</a>, Aloha in Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. It also has been used as an English greeting to say goodbye and hello since the middle of the 19th century. In this case, the Aloha greeting in the start of this post is a <span style="font-style: italic;">Hello</span> to you all.<br /><br />Porgy and I did a quick 5 days trip to the island of Oahu a couple weeks ago. We had been looking forward to this trip... the idea of relaxing on a sunny beach and eating good Hawaiian and Asian (mostly Japanese)-influenced food made us (well, mostly me) super excited. I researched a couple of books, online and asked our foodie friends for places to go and local restaurants to check out and tagged them on a paper map (yes, I’m old school!) to help me plan our trip better.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DydKvrDg-lq0jgCEKExY706xoPMIlq8pG7ZA0ijUfH3teRFMALaGYmya0WZD_g9jk4ncbnk_jV_SfXRlWJAclJw1fAmzXyQZijChVekPVpQS4lUsfwuQWANrTvawbj8yLps_3xv04qo/s1600/IMG_0871.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DydKvrDg-lq0jgCEKExY706xoPMIlq8pG7ZA0ijUfH3teRFMALaGYmya0WZD_g9jk4ncbnk_jV_SfXRlWJAclJw1fAmzXyQZijChVekPVpQS4lUsfwuQWANrTvawbj8yLps_3xv04qo/s320/IMG_0871.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610128386946297090" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqEWessNkEbRikKvp9pHnAh6yp-8-Q77K5_KHipf0WeGqDDSQttlXYI0GqxF8zRnnhSQlwSieLdz0VQ84FXsakfo42lb1zWRVj1MaTw9blNKa7dzneKxHkl9DII73rbcwA2gEReFWVlk/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqEWessNkEbRikKvp9pHnAh6yp-8-Q77K5_KHipf0WeGqDDSQttlXYI0GqxF8zRnnhSQlwSieLdz0VQ84FXsakfo42lb1zWRVj1MaTw9blNKa7dzneKxHkl9DII73rbcwA2gEReFWVlk/s320/IMG_0880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610128446727603442" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC_uUNIfxeJhqWP2w1C981DVoAem3hiqJUw_Lnr7px2Tmt3Yr7zBHRjwnrFO_qK6XnVzYM7MV9JUMSB2fydqMvJRwxS1tZ7yqaeUovPLlLbTuAQTF-Hr3jnHBL7UcZx2S4oeYShAewmY/s1600/IMG_0867.JPG"><br /></a>The weather was super gorgeous on the day we arrived in Oahu alas the weather for the rest of the days in Hawaii was not that great as it was rainy, windy and pretty cold most of the time. Although we were disappointed because we couldn’t relax on the beach as much as we wanted to, we still had a great time in Oahu. We went to several fantastic restaurants and, unfortunately, also a couple not so good restaurants.<br /><br />Here are some quick recaps of the restaurants that we went to.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Highly Recommended:</span><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/ramen-nakamura-honolulu" target="blank">Ramen Nakamura</a> – a ramen place in Waikiki that specializes in Oxtail Ramen. It can be a bit messy gnawing those oxtails but it’s so worth the effort.<br /></li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVwLrjd46ro7atwiqZ0zTo0f3VgeSaw2PU_Iipm7OkqnJ7M9T_a7z30B2GON-GPGAuASVcyWsjimOpyRL6IaY4njHdSRwe0CFfdxiyFTqGsOfIoGWfkhzDk2WJJdYSfHZfWCIE0T7zwY/s1600/IMG_0870.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVwLrjd46ro7atwiqZ0zTo0f3VgeSaw2PU_Iipm7OkqnJ7M9T_a7z30B2GON-GPGAuASVcyWsjimOpyRL6IaY4njHdSRwe0CFfdxiyFTqGsOfIoGWfkhzDk2WJJdYSfHZfWCIE0T7zwY/s320/IMG_0870.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610128398439515170" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JSSI4TzGE1sTLI49Cpo41dEizeVYSfFwW1vYDZ9W-R-8DsDrUzno4utyaeDPVe-bTnldaTcLL21c3DW_0Qt6bPCAWBTh4uHvCZIq5GOQH-Kc4pD0EEUb-0GH7jI2ALFQfzXmNo6QVz4/s1600/IMG_0866.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JSSI4TzGE1sTLI49Cpo41dEizeVYSfFwW1vYDZ9W-R-8DsDrUzno4utyaeDPVe-bTnldaTcLL21c3DW_0Qt6bPCAWBTh4uHvCZIq5GOQH-Kc4pD0EEUb-0GH7jI2ALFQfzXmNo6QVz4/s320/IMG_0866.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610128407882852530" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC_uUNIfxeJhqWP2w1C981DVoAem3hiqJUw_Lnr7px2Tmt3Yr7zBHRjwnrFO_qK6XnVzYM7MV9JUMSB2fydqMvJRwxS1tZ7yqaeUovPLlLbTuAQTF-Hr3jnHBL7UcZx2S4oeYShAewmY/s1600/IMG_0867.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC_uUNIfxeJhqWP2w1C981DVoAem3hiqJUw_Lnr7px2Tmt3Yr7zBHRjwnrFO_qK6XnVzYM7MV9JUMSB2fydqMvJRwxS1tZ7yqaeUovPLlLbTuAQTF-Hr3jnHBL7UcZx2S4oeYShAewmY/s320/IMG_0867.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610128421616226338" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-izakaya-gaku-honolulu" target="blank">Sushi Izakaya Gaku</a> – a sushi restaurant near Waikiki. Fresh and innovative sushi, great sake selection, friendly servers & sushi chefs!<br /></li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_6qP7JLyXC-1XA2fFCtolQzoETY8WFc-nUHMZNB8fe_PxTtuDTNzxWJGgPbu29RUsDy2nyLNccbFcTnjvzpwbEKG6yJtk20dFJDD8y6tnzOXyj85R_xO7_TltHGd56PIn2IDsmL51JM/s1600/IMG_0915.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_6qP7JLyXC-1XA2fFCtolQzoETY8WFc-nUHMZNB8fe_PxTtuDTNzxWJGgPbu29RUsDy2nyLNccbFcTnjvzpwbEKG6yJtk20dFJDD8y6tnzOXyj85R_xO7_TltHGd56PIn2IDsmL51JM/s320/IMG_0915.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610129199565765714" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG9G8Pd0XJEuXYeX4vExHFMlYtpc9uVtnjKHTwHMPq1bJ3PQtdPY5EhZvD3Cr7xa1d3v9ZRSfeBk3KlVB_u5QzAAFYrR9nyzuH_E0EPIq4SQYOhl54asP8TZ6iiPQxxIeyaXwSU1VXcc/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG9G8Pd0XJEuXYeX4vExHFMlYtpc9uVtnjKHTwHMPq1bJ3PQtdPY5EhZvD3Cr7xa1d3v9ZRSfeBk3KlVB_u5QzAAFYrR9nyzuH_E0EPIq4SQYOhl54asP8TZ6iiPQxxIeyaXwSU1VXcc/s320/IMG_0919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610129233991189602" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rS9t81NhDxXpdCKDzhCPG_lX5AOI_85O7mq_pDmLy_uHCVIq4PwudmH2Nf_Wza3xiNYR8iOKVmz1EmoWHhO0qLtKQFaZP30mWsByVaow4mBrqhMp6yA_nSACz4RFL1u6DCPQW1vgu7Q/s1600/IMG_0932.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rS9t81NhDxXpdCKDzhCPG_lX5AOI_85O7mq_pDmLy_uHCVIq4PwudmH2Nf_Wza3xiNYR8iOKVmz1EmoWHhO0qLtKQFaZP30mWsByVaow4mBrqhMp6yA_nSACz4RFL1u6DCPQW1vgu7Q/s320/IMG_0932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610129287554932402" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtbXQH08S3rAZKZ9KweelcWw3gvwUwuE0NA7ixOBzkKfUqYY7Avag_jSCCdtfIPipFAMBvubDiioWSqfHyFSKpUChFKr3tVdkrz1WsGq4bp9WqiWn1w2DfYZu7kwBBtY33RjPtdl86D0/s1600/IMG_0928.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtbXQH08S3rAZKZ9KweelcWw3gvwUwuE0NA7ixOBzkKfUqYY7Avag_jSCCdtfIPipFAMBvubDiioWSqfHyFSKpUChFKr3tVdkrz1WsGq4bp9WqiWn1w2DfYZu7kwBBtY33RjPtdl86D0/s320/IMG_0928.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610134608902624194" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQ3oAvn-pmiuX7H7cDalsPXuCYnjK4cPWj4I6qt7Q72SvQMsLaNxlJnlrUuTksvD_Q8roisE1ksKZAZawIB5rTYRVO9SPFcoSSUiSB5LnHkwhIY8c7ShkrD8_K9mWzBv1mOI4Mf4Ropg/s1600/IMG_0924.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQ3oAvn-pmiuX7H7cDalsPXuCYnjK4cPWj4I6qt7Q72SvQMsLaNxlJnlrUuTksvD_Q8roisE1ksKZAZawIB5rTYRVO9SPFcoSSUiSB5LnHkwhIY8c7ShkrD8_K9mWzBv1mOI4Mf4Ropg/s320/IMG_0924.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610129258365581362" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPt3V0ixcnie7dPfY-hNTZ56oWkRo7bUCVBWrAPH0nbqqhqs6xBznM2GiBmd4ieqLzMNQnAoBtuOXUcLWW7mHMXqjUXvBiAtRnqLATddbPsjl8_mM8fWLm9kN4kMqzJD5rPCKBbd0lAw/s1600/IMG_0926.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPt3V0ixcnie7dPfY-hNTZ56oWkRo7bUCVBWrAPH0nbqqhqs6xBznM2GiBmd4ieqLzMNQnAoBtuOXUcLWW7mHMXqjUXvBiAtRnqLATddbPsjl8_mM8fWLm9kN4kMqzJD5rPCKBbd0lAw/s320/IMG_0926.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610129270480000178" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mitsu-ken-honolulu" target="blank">Mitsu-Ken</a> – a hole in the wall take out place around Kahili area that is famous for its garlic chicken.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DSpDi9qchgJorZJmvwpys22_qnzOimf4xBoabNXoWx1M_eh2a3NxSaetpzYxmd58X-2_jbknNdhsa0aHsbVSayILjr0rz50kSiKzc-sriRGvvPNaGMuhX-FR46JvFVNPxQAV9Z-evB0/s1600/IMG_0953.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DSpDi9qchgJorZJmvwpys22_qnzOimf4xBoabNXoWx1M_eh2a3NxSaetpzYxmd58X-2_jbknNdhsa0aHsbVSayILjr0rz50kSiKzc-sriRGvvPNaGMuhX-FR46JvFVNPxQAV9Z-evB0/s320/IMG_0953.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610136330851087714" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDVHe0SCH9jKGuxtL2fZ7giR49wAjuHuLYyCoOzyHB0xIdmeEni2aaIPZ86ZhOiQ_T88yopo3NGW_kS4UdRL9EkRZSdpSAti2f_wunjOqIReeEEgO03Dtt97qSnbaeKGL6g4EJ2kkMvM/s1600/IMG_1002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDVHe0SCH9jKGuxtL2fZ7giR49wAjuHuLYyCoOzyHB0xIdmeEni2aaIPZ86ZhOiQ_T88yopo3NGW_kS4UdRL9EkRZSdpSAti2f_wunjOqIReeEEgO03Dtt97qSnbaeKGL6g4EJ2kkMvM/s320/IMG_1002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610134622065635698" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_ceZai2Nl3ZG0wAsotnANbTN9lPXF1j-2yv2c1vF7bvZj-V-MZm-9IFvGLrakYE5xA07ll6dw8JgiHo-pvhWW6nsQq5QpNC-K7qJLAvNifpEFnBSORUD6ixluuwr1pLcb9NRSWbk9tY/s1600/IMG_0999.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_ceZai2Nl3ZG0wAsotnANbTN9lPXF1j-2yv2c1vF7bvZj-V-MZm-9IFvGLrakYE5xA07ll6dw8JgiHo-pvhWW6nsQq5QpNC-K7qJLAvNifpEFnBSORUD6ixluuwr1pLcb9NRSWbk9tY/s320/IMG_0999.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610134616408798338" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.helenashawaiianfood.com/" target="blank">Helena’s Hawaiian food</a> – somewhat a hole in the wall Hawaiian restaurant (also in Kahili, almost across Mitsu-Ken). It was pretty crowded since it was featured in Travel channel’s Man vs. Food segment earlier this year. Helena (the owner) and her staff are very friendly. Love the Pipikaula- ribs (although a bit salty), the Kalua pig and LauLaau.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgMCOVD5QyysnGmsccBOfc_fd8N67_YN2xsyWfnziUOc9J5I7roVJRvxi6F5CC6tbHd8CCYiDvVH-b7L5-Z3OGUhnmepLrLMCUYNChVj-FSvj1omvv9iFwTrqSktqc1ekZmZZGBSDUyk/s1600/IMG_1064.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgMCOVD5QyysnGmsccBOfc_fd8N67_YN2xsyWfnziUOc9J5I7roVJRvxi6F5CC6tbHd8CCYiDvVH-b7L5-Z3OGUhnmepLrLMCUYNChVj-FSvj1omvv9iFwTrqSktqc1ekZmZZGBSDUyk/s320/IMG_1064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610134637495933906" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2ZbONhHrpSdGNHk6V1Oc9alSB3mcMuIYiQit9-njexbIql9e4NpXv0I2dXMNYy3k1YurMe0_LSqFi96hARTWeJC7-4iE-sWgm88wMFkVR7c9X7KacTSDnRGzG3PTUZWb789EThv9eOs/s1600/IMG_1070.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2ZbONhHrpSdGNHk6V1Oc9alSB3mcMuIYiQit9-njexbIql9e4NpXv0I2dXMNYy3k1YurMe0_LSqFi96hARTWeJC7-4iE-sWgm88wMFkVR7c9X7KacTSDnRGzG3PTUZWb789EThv9eOs/s320/IMG_1070.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610135280747165314" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLBlVu1OKX0-1j9nfJeaH_oGGuzbvTNeFJJ5fJ0Sfd-PUKvOXGufXml8UdOrJ064SjnmSi6dI7OEpmPdj2UJm1loCCITWtaAQK23yPnAZ0cs7R9_dMhreAOlyPdWNnOXLE5JT24wMU9E/s1600/IMG_1072.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLBlVu1OKX0-1j9nfJeaH_oGGuzbvTNeFJJ5fJ0Sfd-PUKvOXGufXml8UdOrJ064SjnmSi6dI7OEpmPdj2UJm1loCCITWtaAQK23yPnAZ0cs7R9_dMhreAOlyPdWNnOXLE5JT24wMU9E/s320/IMG_1072.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610134643510406354" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.fukuyadeli.com/Site/Welcome.html" target="blank">Fukuya Deli</a> – a great place to buy boxed/take-out food to bring to the beach near Waikiki.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdJJNp66GqZd3NrqUSTu72iboogJjq6JYNI7ifMRNKUYfPGMx2Cv-OVppP9ykhDIG5QO_gf1PlH-s5uG5HcYqfv5MI_zP46wFUZMe6Ynhnd2iFdPfZnzFZdTQ2s5eObtep94rH7XK8TM/s1600/IMG_1114.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdJJNp66GqZd3NrqUSTu72iboogJjq6JYNI7ifMRNKUYfPGMx2Cv-OVppP9ykhDIG5QO_gf1PlH-s5uG5HcYqfv5MI_zP46wFUZMe6Ynhnd2iFdPfZnzFZdTQ2s5eObtep94rH7XK8TM/s320/IMG_1114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610135298465313282" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VevVe6Y3NIBWNUksOs6SigsLYP33XQbS5nsRsOy4RVUBN0deQRt3v_HbakvwDlTj5FznPD1dBUjvyiJAYzDXoZg0dZ8j_kqEzJ0e8wl5plwrkMZtHgOwgenrtlo0gABXJNDKmbS3Iko/s1600/IMG_1118.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VevVe6Y3NIBWNUksOs6SigsLYP33XQbS5nsRsOy4RVUBN0deQRt3v_HbakvwDlTj5FznPD1dBUjvyiJAYzDXoZg0dZ8j_kqEzJ0e8wl5plwrkMZtHgOwgenrtlo0gABXJNDKmbS3Iko/s320/IMG_1118.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610135305182936210" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQQ4trbbYCsv3Dc84xsy7LJwJwLw0BW8vwNAbXVsfAAMu2ia66pMgJWBWaUuoISjbWbJnb8fbhjYm0Euy2jPJJpftBzMmUqED803ZIECY_tXESMjFcRPiJtWyHv81ljNuJZHB_VNiKts/s1600/IMG_1117.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQQ4trbbYCsv3Dc84xsy7LJwJwLw0BW8vwNAbXVsfAAMu2ia66pMgJWBWaUuoISjbWbJnb8fbhjYm0Euy2jPJJpftBzMmUqED803ZIECY_tXESMjFcRPiJtWyHv81ljNuJZHB_VNiKts/s320/IMG_1117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610144896854442770" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJc4hlMUpn1Aw9OyK3ElXItkD-Psm991BcHWubjfkXF0JwN6c1uDqM4jfh7cnuZpXTlt8VygW-db3cCQkv5cfdWgg092R-GP2gyPB7yxyFtmOOzVPPI8_19hrwHWHn0yObQJdZNHu2rL4/s1600/IMG_1120.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJc4hlMUpn1Aw9OyK3ElXItkD-Psm991BcHWubjfkXF0JwN6c1uDqM4jfh7cnuZpXTlt8VygW-db3cCQkv5cfdWgg092R-GP2gyPB7yxyFtmOOzVPPI8_19hrwHWHn0yObQJdZNHu2rL4/s320/IMG_1120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610144906114471906" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mikawon-korean-restaurant-honolulu">Mikawon Korean Restaurant</a> – a Korean restaurant in Waikiki by the International Market. We wanted to eat at the restaurant but there was a wait and it’s so smoky inside so we decided to do take-out instead. Pretty good food, huge portion, friendly staff.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__GkpNvFXQVwsRNo81r9nDtMeQQOq-SeOYe0ipBX34v3W1iyuDNiKnbDKM9PzLlk2e8ZtQY-I030zeOP-_h93KHGYp3cIMMBGkSn_GTc1tN_Nme2nIELwM5RcIpRmjV684K782cddTiI/s1600/IMG_1124.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__GkpNvFXQVwsRNo81r9nDtMeQQOq-SeOYe0ipBX34v3W1iyuDNiKnbDKM9PzLlk2e8ZtQY-I030zeOP-_h93KHGYp3cIMMBGkSn_GTc1tN_Nme2nIELwM5RcIpRmjV684K782cddTiI/s320/IMG_1124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610136350455611586" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcqRaVvUFp2N_S0lySjnHU7Ej497C0MKiRoVw9S32cjQnwpW-KETHlg7SV8PHrSN_9HJCcjIDTeGGe3OZbOT1emddcOV8zYkCXgZn3ZTJ4sZgml1yCdT7vpYFPslDdFIAa5LbsWqHWvo/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcqRaVvUFp2N_S0lySjnHU7Ej497C0MKiRoVw9S32cjQnwpW-KETHlg7SV8PHrSN_9HJCcjIDTeGGe3OZbOT1emddcOV8zYkCXgZn3ZTJ4sZgml1yCdT7vpYFPslDdFIAa5LbsWqHWvo/s320/IMG_1135.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610136336069741378" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>McDonald's – the best breakfast ever - Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs and rice. I wished they have this in the mainland.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2d7M54ONelP1xnpJqfPqx0onksa49Qitog2YxukvuP4Cnb3kOGlvC9hsOFj1F1yuOW6uhVl53BvPMva6fGZjseghGW5qJEsK0if8DEiG2KeAXI2LQJrzg9VEFnkYmCyiIghe4Czi-rg/s1600/IMG_1269.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2d7M54ONelP1xnpJqfPqx0onksa49Qitog2YxukvuP4Cnb3kOGlvC9hsOFj1F1yuOW6uhVl53BvPMva6fGZjseghGW5qJEsK0if8DEiG2KeAXI2LQJrzg9VEFnkYmCyiIghe4Czi-rg/s320/IMG_1269.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610136373478843682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br />Thumbs down:</span><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tonkatsu-ginza-bairin-honolulu" target="blank">Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin</a> – we went to this restaurant with high expectation because we had a fantastic experience at a Tonkatsu-specialized restaurant in Tokyo and this restaurant got 4.5 stars on Yelp. Unfortunately, the food here was not good. Period.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzahAEtaAJ-tNtr4iQUiKM-x0UI-m-y7DXCAHLc-AufqILNALQror6shMkFpFZ_6wcE2L1yLQVZfqhbJ-kux9RKHk1CVl7PFj_298Q503OwBiZT8JpG-ODJugTEAddQDPvBqCK5Q97Erg/s1600/IMG_1105.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzahAEtaAJ-tNtr4iQUiKM-x0UI-m-y7DXCAHLc-AufqILNALQror6shMkFpFZ_6wcE2L1yLQVZfqhbJ-kux9RKHk1CVl7PFj_298Q503OwBiZT8JpG-ODJugTEAddQDPvBqCK5Q97Erg/s320/IMG_1105.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610135288864250738" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/dillingham-saimin-honolulu" target="blank">Dillingham Saimin</a> – it is supposed to be the #2 saimin place in Oahu, after Palace Saimin. We didn’t go to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/palace-saimin-stand-honolulu" target="blank">Palace Saimin Stand</a> because it was closed on Sunday and Monday. Unfortunately, it was not good – the wonton skin was chewy and the broth was too salty. It’s definitely nothing compared to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/hamura-saimin-stand-lihue-2" target="blank">Hamura Saimin</a> in Lihue (Kauai).</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7wHI7xk4awx0gp-4zu06_DboIB0bZvsYXvZiUXVJRAowmSEN9N4vXvdovVZo8FkDsXLvkF8-2_AvI3tr6BN89P3PPN9YusIRUpJWQeYp5YZ6nJoTB1nWgb7j1ulDG4CWQvGYvWAX5Ms/s1600/IMG_1174.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7wHI7xk4awx0gp-4zu06_DboIB0bZvsYXvZiUXVJRAowmSEN9N4vXvdovVZo8FkDsXLvkF8-2_AvI3tr6BN89P3PPN9YusIRUpJWQeYp5YZ6nJoTB1nWgb7j1ulDG4CWQvGYvWAX5Ms/s320/IMG_1174.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610138245050248738" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e1b-qJo2ZdxinLiHwSfKqcUBiO9pNvDPdvWYEvQl6kOQqkA9QbZGxvPLtppldswKi8gqbKYCpS0EsUFFnnS-Bh6vBEDhVAGOENaE9oM7QK6DOG9XlmitAUUS5HsZ-7OqShyrL7UKrCM/s1600/IMG_1185.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e1b-qJo2ZdxinLiHwSfKqcUBiO9pNvDPdvWYEvQl6kOQqkA9QbZGxvPLtppldswKi8gqbKYCpS0EsUFFnnS-Bh6vBEDhVAGOENaE9oM7QK6DOG9XlmitAUUS5HsZ-7OqShyrL7UKrCM/s320/IMG_1185.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610138262105927122" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3u9jqFYKGtarm44o9A_QVudMrtWWbVYFUpioK5XLgGUveuhsz4d3TVy02IR0z2S9GAObCzAk5DQWrGFCyuZlZtxnzB6jWtLNpHDvECh6p58EiKrSETxujMeWI95hE1BkcugW56ED2j0/s1600/IMG_1181.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3u9jqFYKGtarm44o9A_QVudMrtWWbVYFUpioK5XLgGUveuhsz4d3TVy02IR0z2S9GAObCzAk5DQWrGFCyuZlZtxnzB6jWtLNpHDvECh6p58EiKrSETxujMeWI95hE1BkcugW56ED2j0/s320/IMG_1181.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610138251322577954" border="0" /></a>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-34956762186115984702011-04-20T20:58:00.000-07:002011-04-20T21:23:56.046-07:00Fennel and Orange SaladAfter getting disappointed with his <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2011/04/cheese-straws.html" target="blank">Cheese Straws</a> recipe, I totally scored with this Fennel and Orange Salad from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Everything-Completely-Revised-Anniversary/dp/0764578650" target="blank">How to Cook Everything</a> book - it's refreshing, tasty and crunchy. I thought the fennel anise taste would overpower the dish but i was wrong... marinating it with lemon & orange juice made it mellower. I added some raisins, avocado slices and a soft boil eggs and oh it's so good!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPeoO37EUXZn-VpKZaRHuoLQKSmQhxnTk8MSm78smLSzoFegNeZyH_1RIGUgYoWNbhy-eRXuuoYHWduVRvBzg_qSqeBX-7lL58DaM7Wj63A_ohBMFpDsLG9VUvam9p3VYrA_FTtGvWYY/s1600/IMG_0688.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPeoO37EUXZn-VpKZaRHuoLQKSmQhxnTk8MSm78smLSzoFegNeZyH_1RIGUgYoWNbhy-eRXuuoYHWduVRvBzg_qSqeBX-7lL58DaM7Wj63A_ohBMFpDsLG9VUvam9p3VYrA_FTtGvWYY/s320/IMG_0688.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597883804143547938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 pound fennel (1 large or 2-3 small bulbs)<br />3 small sweet oranges or tangerines<br />salt<br />1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice<br />2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Trim and core the fennel and cut into thin slices.</li><li>Squeeze the juice from one of the oranges, pour over the fennel, add salt and lemon juice, and let it sit for a couple hours while preparing the orange slices. </li><li>Peel the remaining oranges and <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2129282_segment-an-orange.html" target="blank">segment into orange slices</a>.</li><li>Add the oranges and cilantro to the fennel, toss, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.</li><li>Add raisins, avocado slices and soft-boiled.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-16418986501074475822011-04-19T20:36:00.000-07:002011-04-19T21:41:55.645-07:00Chicken with Carrots, Mushroom & FigsI was searching for what to cook last Sunday and stumbled across several interesting recipes on Martha Stewart's website. Since I could not decide which one to cook, I decided to combine those recipes together and made this <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/281793/pan-seared-chicken-with-shallot-and-carr?czone=food/dinner-tonight-center/dinner-tonight-main-courses" target="blank">Pan Seared</a>, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/256331/roast-chicken-with-wild-mushroom-sauce?czone=food/dinner-tonight-center/dinner-tonight-main-courses" target="blank">Roast</a> & <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/281043/braised-chicken-with-dried-plums?czone=food/dinner-tonight-center/dinner-tonight-main-courses" target="blank">Braised</a> Chicken with Carrots, Mushroom and Figs. It tasted so delicious and comforting ... yum yum!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobYbUo2T3FIfL2mwTd-oCtFVhoI9JmRPsaKEgGy2LhD_j03dgbTPmLjlpWepaibpKII3DSdGjJqb5A8GnF0f05cm09zaCp1eUortmixj7IXyovP0HlkXOH9juzbi9ZQ7T2dZV_b3x_dw/s1600/IMG_0668.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobYbUo2T3FIfL2mwTd-oCtFVhoI9JmRPsaKEgGy2LhD_j03dgbTPmLjlpWepaibpKII3DSdGjJqb5A8GnF0f05cm09zaCp1eUortmixj7IXyovP0HlkXOH9juzbi9ZQ7T2dZV_b3x_dw/s320/IMG_0668.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597512617941257458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />4 chicken thighs<br />4 drumsticks<br />coarse salt and freshly ground pepper<br />extra-virgin olive oil<br />1 medium yellow onion, chopped<br />4 carrots, thinly sliced<br />1 pound assorted mushrooms (such as shiitake, cremini, and white), stemmed and quartered<br />1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or white wine)<br />1 cup quartered dried figs<br />1 tablespoon corn starch<br />2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Preheat oven to 375 degrees. </li><li>Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. </li><li>Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large ovenproof skillet or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. </li><li>Add chicken, skin side down; cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Transfer to oven and roast for about 10 minutes, transfer to a place and cover.</li><li>Cook the onion in the same pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil for 2-3 minutes and then add in the carrot slices and cook for 5 more minutes. </li><li>Add mushroom, chicken stock and the chicken pieces back to the pan, cover, cook stirring occasionally for another 3 minutes. </li><li>Dissolve corn starch in a small bowl with a couple tablespoons water and add into the pan.</li><li>Add dried figs, chopped parsley and adjust seasoning if needed. </li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-45359570931049251562011-04-17T20:39:00.000-07:002011-04-19T21:58:46.906-07:00Cheese Straws<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrtjZyaYzzDz5h67jPhyphenhyphenoHdhjnxGowEjNw0BotV4CTIHsow79dV9czfdracIc7LXRyzPZO0CuBGGWX_786I19-m-RQ95Z7B6LKA9NM5ClkBFsRexVTmanbyUvvKXwThW1jteGiUIZdms/s1600/IMG_0675.jpg"><br /></a>I made these Cheese Straws using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764578650/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0028610105&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01TKQFHQHSV3YTH0VNHW" target="blank"> Mark Bittman's recipe</a> because I wanted to have some salty snacks in the afternoon and also use them as substitutes for croutons for our salad. They are pretty easy and tasty but I noticed that the direction and measurement in the book are not very clear - I had to add more water than 'a few drops of ice water' because the dough was not doughy enough and baked them for twice as long. I think next time I make them, I would use <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/06/cheese-straws/" target="blank">Smitten Kitchen's recipe</a> since hers is clearer and easier for me to follow.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg2K6R5khjx6egOUPcPOaBTwF-uw-Y_BT7tmk-t6doQ6NxPBZaL-W3AYgFv9PcaQx0DBZzC7lQc1XWIG0Jk6vdF7UuAT4qKE_VA5d1L2tFF_OBF-l6LgbYQWOfuW2QQamaZ6QkMJOriY/s1600/IMG_0592.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg2K6R5khjx6egOUPcPOaBTwF-uw-Y_BT7tmk-t6doQ6NxPBZaL-W3AYgFv9PcaQx0DBZzC7lQc1XWIG0Jk6vdF7UuAT4qKE_VA5d1L2tFF_OBF-l6LgbYQWOfuW2QQamaZ6QkMJOriY/s320/IMG_0592.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596783111384763314" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrzBEP9GMm8aG97hMi8BO_UBQlEJI_hVZVYy-6mUg1f-gxIrgZwwNrfX8W01kHziD2ampmW3coxDBCfam8Fo_-m-5_HhTv0JgpkrT_QelH9UNPIif7famCRXXxzs5PO0vhyoQQbFkPbs/s1600/IMG_0621.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrzBEP9GMm8aG97hMi8BO_UBQlEJI_hVZVYy-6mUg1f-gxIrgZwwNrfX8W01kHziD2ampmW3coxDBCfam8Fo_-m-5_HhTv0JgpkrT_QelH9UNPIif7famCRXXxzs5PO0vhyoQQbFkPbs/s320/IMG_0621.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596769008297158658" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrtjZyaYzzDz5h67jPhyphenhyphenoHdhjnxGowEjNw0BotV4CTIHsow79dV9czfdracIc7LXRyzPZO0CuBGGWX_786I19-m-RQ95Z7B6LKA9NM5ClkBFsRexVTmanbyUvvKXwThW1jteGiUIZdms/s1600/IMG_0675.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrtjZyaYzzDz5h67jPhyphenhyphenoHdhjnxGowEjNw0BotV4CTIHsow79dV9czfdracIc7LXRyzPZO0CuBGGWX_786I19-m-RQ95Z7B6LKA9NM5ClkBFsRexVTmanbyUvvKXwThW1jteGiUIZdms/s320/IMG_0675.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597525637969619906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />1/2 lb cheddar or other flavorful hard cheese<br />1/3 lb Parmesan cheese<br />2 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder<br />8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into chunks<br />~1/4 cup of ice cold water<br />coarse salt (optional)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Heat oven to 450F.</li><li>Grate the cheese in a food processor, then remove from the bowl.</li><li>Add flour and cayenne to the processor and pulse to mix.</li><li>Add butter and process to combine, pulse in the grated cheese. </li><li>Knead the dough by hand until the dough comes together, adding ice water one tablespoon at a time. </li><li>Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, using flour as necessary, and cut into long strips and about 1/4-1/2 inch wide.</li><li>Put on a lightly greased baking sheet or a silicone mat and sprinkle with salt.</li><li>Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.<br /></li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-49832431379453956642011-04-17T20:05:00.000-07:002011-04-17T22:00:38.426-07:00Bacon Fig SconesI made this Bacon Fig Scones using <a href="http://www.macheesmo.com/2010/07/figgy-scones/" target="blank">Macheesmo's recipe</a> because I was still in the mood some bacon-y scones even after having <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2011/04/bacon-cheddar-scones.html" target="blank">Bacon Cheddar Scones</a> in the past week and since I had some dried figs that I needed to use. I thought that if bacon and figs are great together with <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2009/12/brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-and-figs.html" target="blank">Brussels Sprouts</a>, they would be perfect in pastries too - sweet and salty goodness.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LEJX3ifXhWyGXxd7BzTPEl14C80R_q3TqqxXSUkbgifhJJ7wgYFeKJBAs_QEH_t7cpQ8kurZEnJB6ooMZUKCyG5rOeWnKZr7p0QykYb8bFui1gdtRytkfz6h2ZJYKc1L9bQ9o_PyYZo/s1600/IMG_0642.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LEJX3ifXhWyGXxd7BzTPEl14C80R_q3TqqxXSUkbgifhJJ7wgYFeKJBAs_QEH_t7cpQ8kurZEnJB6ooMZUKCyG5rOeWnKZr7p0QykYb8bFui1gdtRytkfz6h2ZJYKc1L9bQ9o_PyYZo/s320/IMG_0642.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596761502577988114" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-o0CoSFmmXsYUeDJ5fotXEsrYTPkA4b_2CErr5OUwybhqcV8Ss-MFX3DaNHHK5oJgA8unHqK_-sBKWtz_ErPSEIuw99n8GtVV__KiVjIYyHhhKogVd4BrnL-nmJoVBl4_ZtK6NDTnDo/s1600/IMG_0648.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-o0CoSFmmXsYUeDJ5fotXEsrYTPkA4b_2CErr5OUwybhqcV8Ss-MFX3DaNHHK5oJgA8unHqK_-sBKWtz_ErPSEIuw99n8GtVV__KiVjIYyHhhKogVd4BrnL-nmJoVBl4_ZtK6NDTnDo/s320/IMG_0648.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596761504152504546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />3/4 cups sugar<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />2 sticks (1/2 lb) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes<br />1/3 lb dried figs, cut into small dice<br />8 slices bacon, cooked and roughly chopped<br />1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream<br />1/4 cup maple syrup<br />1 egg<br />2 tablespoons cream or water<br />raw sugar for sprinkling<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.</li><li>Cut in the butter until you have pea-sized pieces. </li><li>Add in the chopped figs and bacon and stir to combine.</li><li>Add all of the liquid and stir a few times until just mix. </li><li>Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured flat surface.</li><li>Pat the dough into a ball.</li><li>Using a well-floured rolling pin or palms of your hands, flatten the dough into a flat disk about 3/4 - 1 inch thick.</li><li>Cut the dough into 8 to 10 wedges, depending on the size scone you prefer.</li><li>Whisk the egg and water in a small mixing bowl.</li><li>Brush each wedge with the egg wash.</li><li>Place scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat; bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-8562247432048569162011-04-14T19:42:00.000-07:002011-04-14T20:01:22.125-07:00Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Black Bean SauceThis Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Black Bean Sauce is another vegetarian dish that is easy to make and super tasty. It is similar to the <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2010/03/eggplant-and-tofu-braised-in-fragrant.html" target="black">one</a> that I made last year but I added Chinese black bean garlic sauce after I saw this dish on <a href="http://www.veggiebelly.com/2011/04/spicy-szechuan-eggplant-tofu.html" target="black">Veggie Belly</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcliP9Nx1RoLRNHmGvOWHwpjGI6g_qqG7Y8oG2gFGkQPPtoFIx08XQiR7_28qCjp_sen1G7HZ5nVAL3mZWysoIOKqW_hJuWkQTK2zD_zeLLVJsalyXwryyBVM55M7A4zk8iTs4VfRTIZo/s1600/IMG_0452.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcliP9Nx1RoLRNHmGvOWHwpjGI6g_qqG7Y8oG2gFGkQPPtoFIx08XQiR7_28qCjp_sen1G7HZ5nVAL3mZWysoIOKqW_hJuWkQTK2zD_zeLLVJsalyXwryyBVM55M7A4zk8iTs4VfRTIZo/s320/IMG_0452.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595639756893349666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />4 medium Chinese eggplants<br />2 package of cooked fried (yellow) tofu<br />3 tablespoons oil<br />1 head of garlic, finely chopped<br />8 slices ginger, finely chopped<br />2 Serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped<br />4 green onions, cut into 1-inch section<br />1 tablespoon chili paste (I used Sambal Oelek)<br />1 tablespoon Chinese black bean garlic sauce<br />1/2 cup water<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Sauce:</span><br />1.5 tablespoons soy sauce<br />1.5 tablespoons sugar<br />1 tablespoon mirin<br />1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar<br />1 teaspoon salt<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Cut eggplants length wise and then cut each half into 1-inch pieces.</li><li>Cut tofu into 1-inch pieces.</li><li>Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.</li><li>Stir fry garlic, ginger and Serrano pepper over medium low heat in a heavy bottom pan or a wok for 5 minutes fragrant.</li><li>Add in the eggplant pieces, cook until the eggplants absorb the oil and begin to soften (about 5 minutes).</li><li>Add in tofu, green onion and the chili paste and cook for another 2 minutes.</li><li>Add the sauce and mix carefully to combine all the ingredients.</li><li>Add the water and cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat, simmer for 6-8 minutes until eggplants are fully cooked. </li><li>Stir to mix carefully and serve over rice.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-9462557718111078612011-04-14T19:36:00.000-07:002011-04-14T19:41:38.940-07:00Lima Beans, Leeks & Artichoke Stir-FryI came across this recipe from <a href="http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/fresh-frozen/" target="blank">Bitter Sweet</a> when I was looking for a simple vegetable stir-fry dish that is different from the usual Chinese stir fry. I like the fact that it uses frozen vegetables so you can cook it all year round and it has artichoke - as much as I love artichoke, I always think that it’s such a hassle to peel and eat them. I cooked this at the same time I made <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2011/04/spaghetti-with-spiced-meat-sauce.html" target="blank">Spaghetti with Spiced Meat Sauce</a> so I was able to use the same pot of boiling water to blanch the vegetables and cook the pasta.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JRj2UF2TxeUAdSeiA1KuaB9IJi4FaNtnY5BoSvjvBI4un_Fg9-u3ZywKFBcRmX75T_x2a4vlU1CiAeiy6oVHe1Se_wUGMa2SvY3lWw-AMatIv12QBzTHCYtzGUd11Nm9nilIQmwtJTM/s1600/IMG_0416.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JRj2UF2TxeUAdSeiA1KuaB9IJi4FaNtnY5BoSvjvBI4un_Fg9-u3ZywKFBcRmX75T_x2a4vlU1CiAeiy6oVHe1Se_wUGMa2SvY3lWw-AMatIv12QBzTHCYtzGUd11Nm9nilIQmwtJTM/s320/IMG_0416.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595634449418770098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 1/2 cups frozen shelled and skinned lima/fava beans, blanched quickly for a couple minutes<br />1 bag frozen artichoke hearts (8oz or 12oz whatever available in your grocery stores), blanched quickly for 1 minute<br />1 red bell pepper, cut into small diced<br />1 leek, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced<br />2 garlic cloves, minced<br />1 Serrano pepper, finely diced<br />2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped<br />¼ cup roughly chopped parsley<br />Grated zest from 1 lemon<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Cook the garlic, Serrano pepper and rosemary with a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until fragrant (~1 minute).</li><li>Add in the leeks and cook until the leeks started to soften up.</li><li>Add in the blanched lima/fava beans, artichoke hearts and red bell pepper and cook for 3 more minutes.</li><li>Add in the chopped parsley and lemon zest, stir to combine and serve.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-19153627955395400272011-04-13T22:43:00.000-07:002011-04-13T22:53:56.484-07:00Bacon Cheddar SconesEver since I got back from my <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2011/04/napa-valley.html" target="blank">Napa Valley trip</a>, I have been thinking about <a href="http://bouchonbakery.com/" target="blank">Bouchon Bakery’s</a> bacon cheddar scone. I searched all over the web trying to find the recipe and if there is a Bouchon Bakery cookbook. Unfortunately, I could not find any – although now I know that the Bouchon Bakery cookbook is on the work to be released some time in 2012. I decided to use the recipe from <a href="http://www.dork-a-thon.com/?p=388" target="blank">Dork-a-thon</a> (thank you, Emma!) because I had to have some bacon cheddar scones soon! They turned out really good although they’re not the same as Bouchon’s scones – maybe not enough cheese & bacon? Next time, I’ll try to add more to the mixture. Now, if only I know how to take good pictures of these scones... it's hard to take a good one!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU75wL_JkDi9-4JGnFN3kn01UBdCu0Xt7OAZfJVrH_XXdwNAAwXPtCbUzmcMAJMxG7RSO_rDmA3OOE0meFW6nAKWlg45ZQqwJFJzeu4eqmJJ3Nqk3GzrGOem1zTCP0B6IP0h4zHxtARU/s1600/IMG_0393.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU75wL_JkDi9-4JGnFN3kn01UBdCu0Xt7OAZfJVrH_XXdwNAAwXPtCbUzmcMAJMxG7RSO_rDmA3OOE0meFW6nAKWlg45ZQqwJFJzeu4eqmJJ3Nqk3GzrGOem1zTCP0B6IP0h4zHxtARU/s320/IMG_0393.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595312086775462466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />3 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 tablespoon baking powder<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper<br />1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, grated<br />1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese<br />4 green onions, thinly sliced<br />10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into 1 inch pieces<br />3/4-1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used heavy whipping cream instead)<br />1 large egg<br />2 tablespoons water<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Preheat oven to 400°F .</li><li>Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.</li><li>Gradually cut butter in with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles small peas.</li><li>Stir in cheese, green onions, bacon.</li><li>Add in 1 cup heavy cream to the flour and cheese mixture.</li><li>Mix by hand just until the ingredients are incorporated.</li><li>If the dough is too dry to hold together, use the remaining heavy cream, adding one tablespoon at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball.</li><li>Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a light-textured scone.</li><li>Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured flat surface.</li><li>Pat the dough into a ball.</li><li>Using a well-floured rolling pin or palms of your hands, flatten the dough into a flat disk about ¾-1 inch thick.</li><li>Cut the dough into 8 to 10 wedges, depending on the size scone you prefer.</li><li>Whisk the egg and water in a small mixing bowl.</li><li>Brush each wedge with the egg wash.</li><li>Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or silicone mat); bake 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle.</li><li>Serve warm and enjoy with a fresh brewed coffee.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-84068346972497815712011-04-11T22:05:00.000-07:002011-04-11T22:14:06.288-07:00Spaghetti with Spiced Meat SauceI was not in the mood to make anything complicated and fancy because I was feeling a bit hungover from Saturday night outing so I made this simple & quick pasta dish using <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/262778/rigatoni-with-spiced-meat-sauce?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/quick-italian-recipes" target="blank">Martha Stewart’s recipe</a>. I substituted the rigatoni with organic spaghetti and used ground veal instead and I used the whole (12 oz) can of tomato paste and pasta water to help thicken the sauce and add more flavor. It turned out really good and we didn’t even need to add grated parmesan cheese on top because it’s already so tasty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi078o3dgC7g13aRvLoejiushyEiIt2wZi7ib2iAC09PKWLClN8KXwDK3nroalYX11NBqRhWcRcNrDGs_qi03L4hGQ8xq6EX2i952QtrNFuLmi07bZ27vXCKN9keFgi4ZOV5FtT3vYnU/s1600/IMG_0422.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi078o3dgC7g13aRvLoejiushyEiIt2wZi7ib2iAC09PKWLClN8KXwDK3nroalYX11NBqRhWcRcNrDGs_qi03L4hGQ8xq6EX2i952QtrNFuLmi07bZ27vXCKN9keFgi4ZOV5FtT3vYnU/s320/IMG_0422.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594560654305018130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />12 ounces spaghetti (or other pasta)<br />1 pound ground veal<br />1 medium onion, finely chopped<br />4 garlic cloves, minced<br />1 12oz can tomato paste<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1 Serrano pepper, finely diced<br />1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar<br />¼ cup roughly chopped parsley<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain, and return to pot. Set aside.</li><li>While pasta is cooking, cook lamb in a large saucepan over medium-high, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.<br /></li><li>Add Serrano pepper, onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper.<br /></li><li>Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 4 to 6 minutes.</li><li>Stir in tomato paste and cinnamon, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.<br /></li><li>Add 2 cups of pasta water; bring to a boil.<br /></li><li>Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.<br /></li><li>Stir in vinegar, and season again with salt and pepper.<br /></li><li>Add pasta to the sauce pot and the chopped parsley, and toss to combine.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-85486475750488332562011-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:002011-04-11T21:31:47.047-07:00Thought For Food - Hands OnDo you like to play with your food or ever wonder how you would cook if the evil kitchen elves place things at the bottom of the drawer and hide all your utensils? Well, if you do, this event does just that. Recently our friend Lisa at <a href="http://www.autofuss.com/" target="blank">Autofuss</a>, an amazing production studio here in SF, invited us to attend a food/cooking experience founded by her office called <a href="http://www.autofuss.com/thoughtforfood/handson" target="blank">Thought For Food - Hands On</a>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF45MSW_kbo80ieP9XpfoUO2hXd_Zj2y5cCZNZJCjrtKirzcTM1ygdCYJqninCQ2XzPteI2gzdz6Gm0ycGX4Bv51saLoOmAEHPov3XZ1g7xt-51oT9JMwgPPUpTRVb2l9_XJ1Fq7GsH4/s1600/IMG_0323.jpg"><br /></a><br />We cooked a three-course meal without using any utensils, just our hands. No measuring spoons/cups, no forks/spoons/knives, no rolling pin, no whisk – just our two hands, the ingredients, a set of instructions, a couple of bowls, pot of boiling water and diagrams on how to measure ingredients with just your hands. Not to mention the endless glasses of wine.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF45MSW_kbo80ieP9XpfoUO2hXd_Zj2y5cCZNZJCjrtKirzcTM1ygdCYJqninCQ2XzPteI2gzdz6Gm0ycGX4Bv51saLoOmAEHPov3XZ1g7xt-51oT9JMwgPPUpTRVb2l9_XJ1Fq7GsH4/s1600/IMG_0323.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF45MSW_kbo80ieP9XpfoUO2hXd_Zj2y5cCZNZJCjrtKirzcTM1ygdCYJqninCQ2XzPteI2gzdz6Gm0ycGX4Bv51saLoOmAEHPov3XZ1g7xt-51oT9JMwgPPUpTRVb2l9_XJ1Fq7GsH4/s320/IMG_0323.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594548771323542530" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eyW9xVPChUPcY0Vj3RSRe5AgxkuXFNRwjQkrOhUuVyCS3g1FFaSntaziXztYg5-KfA-toU80dhuiYwlMFEYCDkJRebOTFa2eG8IjJ4ZjIrQtrbLKqyDLb5Athg6O7VDJ2POPS5Hy804/s1600/IMG_0326.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eyW9xVPChUPcY0Vj3RSRe5AgxkuXFNRwjQkrOhUuVyCS3g1FFaSntaziXztYg5-KfA-toU80dhuiYwlMFEYCDkJRebOTFa2eG8IjJ4ZjIrQtrbLKqyDLb5Athg6O7VDJ2POPS5Hy804/s320/IMG_0326.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594548777600083922" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMCJkkeDkNF3OyKT3D_dNTL6oP4RMgWVjBzOh0hhaJZGnNeXNGSAp5VXX1VvqscMaMJQyiVYn_2TztsRYouZJ16CsahN1brt4ub8p6qwlxPT_p6mOPtZ0HuOIovvfOkDmuxLK1XN_0TQ/s1600/IMG_0328.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMCJkkeDkNF3OyKT3D_dNTL6oP4RMgWVjBzOh0hhaJZGnNeXNGSAp5VXX1VvqscMaMJQyiVYn_2TztsRYouZJ16CsahN1brt4ub8p6qwlxPT_p6mOPtZ0HuOIovvfOkDmuxLK1XN_0TQ/s320/IMG_0328.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594548785589617506" border="0" /></a><br />The menu:<br /><ul><li>Italian wine</li><li>Traditional Caesar salad</li><li>Homemade pasta with pesto sauce</li><li>Tiramisu</li></ul>It was a little weird at first using just your hands to scoop up the mascarpone cheese for the tiramisu and rolling out pasta dough with a carrot, but it brought me back to my childhood playing with playdough. As you can see from the pictures below, Porgy and I were not very successful in creating our pasta dish. Some couples were able to rollout their dough thin enough to make pasta strips and ours looked more like potato chips. Although the pasta texture was a bit chewy, the flavor was fantastic.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHtnH3ZIC_O2oMah3aVMRXV7A1wDiBNLOVfTtsVWFSrALkDHLBWldXcL53hc3xv2r6kPkYaV4nPuPgHiSe5g4uF6CSHp0hnnoD3QUm0v9laKicZG-iEFeyNxLbI1nKWlobYtykCqx1lE/s1600/IMG_0354.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHtnH3ZIC_O2oMah3aVMRXV7A1wDiBNLOVfTtsVWFSrALkDHLBWldXcL53hc3xv2r6kPkYaV4nPuPgHiSe5g4uF6CSHp0hnnoD3QUm0v9laKicZG-iEFeyNxLbI1nKWlobYtykCqx1lE/s320/IMG_0354.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594548790829767154" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J7ugPKkPk0moVA-ZLPQ1at7Sft-yIhzXQMZa3c9Xa2gMo4jbV20dxO81_qxv8wOSA4LHJR68k_wdTVU-adYjeAzRVHAc2_d3R1c2FVgKFn7IhA8UfPSVfE4DCPXZa3kFlLvPXCKGY4U/s1600/IMG_0359.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J7ugPKkPk0moVA-ZLPQ1at7Sft-yIhzXQMZa3c9Xa2gMo4jbV20dxO81_qxv8wOSA4LHJR68k_wdTVU-adYjeAzRVHAc2_d3R1c2FVgKFn7IhA8UfPSVfE4DCPXZa3kFlLvPXCKGY4U/s320/IMG_0359.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594548793065512978" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILwEO70MS6Lo5pWS5hyUryJLigDCJ6Ot7mocje20vLfE4Yf4ZkYHZzW7TQP_fgElKVip6fDzVwo0QSDcYpiBRRrQ5Oo_XttdN7Pz-kIYJjxbU_7UdfvgH7zsncLVvmRQXOqgFdlqmK5k/s1600/IMG_0376.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILwEO70MS6Lo5pWS5hyUryJLigDCJ6Ot7mocje20vLfE4Yf4ZkYHZzW7TQP_fgElKVip6fDzVwo0QSDcYpiBRRrQ5Oo_XttdN7Pz-kIYJjxbU_7UdfvgH7zsncLVvmRQXOqgFdlqmK5k/s320/IMG_0376.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594549361443868498" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJhZrW0rXaiaf2R1bFf3win7-tJO2ulDgnnKltp2bFFfS31RWEaSrYa1kKW5SN-AtwuulSJcF6nGBQYsoIxIsk8VT3TzdkvbfdkXvlnRATqJWcpjxhHM8pOwb4MEjuTtKrK9M75Q1mXY/s1600/IMG_0388.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJhZrW0rXaiaf2R1bFf3win7-tJO2ulDgnnKltp2bFFfS31RWEaSrYa1kKW5SN-AtwuulSJcF6nGBQYsoIxIsk8VT3TzdkvbfdkXvlnRATqJWcpjxhHM8pOwb4MEjuTtKrK9M75Q1mXY/s320/IMG_0388.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594549365136798834" border="0" /></a><br />All in all, it was a fun and educational evening for us – catching up with old friends, doing some experimental cooking, getting our hands really messy and most importantly, I learned that I am totally dependent on my cooking utensils. If you’re interested in checking out Autofuss' next event, <a href="http://www.autofuss.com/thoughtforfood/upcoming" target="blank">Hunger Tool</a>, go to their site for more information.VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-51204008487812300722011-04-11T17:28:00.000-07:002011-04-11T17:48:28.646-07:00Napa ValleyA couple weeks ago, Porgy and I took an impromptu day-off from work and went to <a href="http://www.napavalley.com/" target="blank">Napa Valley</a> for some delicious wine and food loving.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kM0ru56vjAQlRQQQlnPhh5dln__JbZBxWZf9QDLfIOpKqfSWkz8BpZYQoYswjSWaD0lNn_Qtx0F-cNwUjK8DNsq_ClxuwAFlZLuLDJw8jh61pWVOD42OVeOJ1I5wORisTzpvzI5qGDI/s1600/IMG_0278.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kM0ru56vjAQlRQQQlnPhh5dln__JbZBxWZf9QDLfIOpKqfSWkz8BpZYQoYswjSWaD0lNn_Qtx0F-cNwUjK8DNsq_ClxuwAFlZLuLDJw8jh61pWVOD42OVeOJ1I5wORisTzpvzI5qGDI/s320/IMG_0278.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490112487044434" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yAyn07e285JthTFAX7FmjZBpXJmqC9zZ3ktWs4qNy3vfGHiwFpg1_5Mz-nfiYLW5jRhsoPzAvPumP7ZQqQaK6RwDj_ijYk0grPd3a1iZcxWHcheZY4cbkLnK5WvoPvWaqAiN55DI-Ak/s1600/IMG_0259.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yAyn07e285JthTFAX7FmjZBpXJmqC9zZ3ktWs4qNy3vfGHiwFpg1_5Mz-nfiYLW5jRhsoPzAvPumP7ZQqQaK6RwDj_ijYk0grPd3a1iZcxWHcheZY4cbkLnK5WvoPvWaqAiN55DI-Ak/s320/IMG_0259.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490109775204130" border="0" /></a><br />We first stopped at the <a href="http://bouchonbakery.com/" target="blank">Bouchon Bakery</a> in Yountville for yummy pastries – I had the bacon cheddar scone and Porgy had the cross bun. Heavenly!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rRZLH6_N_u1Tx0BRXoYIEL1ashM5M4hPKpnOswOybQhAe5P2vSpHY_wMNZbnooNuxYGQIMo9VgPV6J9l3NSouqfU3Yo1DonGDbnpslO8Yk4tajm3ZClnxC6PXXfNBFh9b2IygIcq6zw/s1600/photo+5.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rRZLH6_N_u1Tx0BRXoYIEL1ashM5M4hPKpnOswOybQhAe5P2vSpHY_wMNZbnooNuxYGQIMo9VgPV6J9l3NSouqfU3Yo1DonGDbnpslO8Yk4tajm3ZClnxC6PXXfNBFh9b2IygIcq6zw/s320/photo+5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594489209696428306" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQ6PZxKPErvhe201kFKifgF_oszv4FbgkkyYK_0SFadP9aXMNrujqSwKuZTabQdAZmrNHJD3oLPRPPEcEGxmOWK4c-3KSbbkHbj9Lh7o9n9pNeay_bSbAq1mIhon_H6OODPoCpC656VY/s1600/photo+7.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQ6PZxKPErvhe201kFKifgF_oszv4FbgkkyYK_0SFadP9aXMNrujqSwKuZTabQdAZmrNHJD3oLPRPPEcEGxmOWK4c-3KSbbkHbj9Lh7o9n9pNeay_bSbAq1mIhon_H6OODPoCpC656VY/s320/photo+7.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594489221199738578" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLIxCTqIZiMyoXaJnMDe5fmnF9V250Ue-k0y4l77877LlflxGjLuYUcmIEAoHr_uack6cKkaXUPiRHKHu4lb3m9EELuwUhHF_FV9Z1G7Je3rIn7IUG3-vg8FrA6qgO4V54mld9e_D7vM/s1600/IMG_0265.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLIxCTqIZiMyoXaJnMDe5fmnF9V250Ue-k0y4l77877LlflxGjLuYUcmIEAoHr_uack6cKkaXUPiRHKHu4lb3m9EELuwUhHF_FV9Z1G7Je3rIn7IUG3-vg8FrA6qgO4V54mld9e_D7vM/s320/IMG_0265.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594489225349730290" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASgT-uDEg3o9eKSdzrc8wPPxMovTEeBbth9Imgm62Sc8mjhvPavCsYyWwJlfeXvaN0jCZlNVUszEY-2Rgz-L6c-DMZe7XfMX2oHae2C9m_btO1S-LqSBxbW7SjlBXh-hlWqkvPBjbRTM/s1600/photo+6.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASgT-uDEg3o9eKSdzrc8wPPxMovTEeBbth9Imgm62Sc8mjhvPavCsYyWwJlfeXvaN0jCZlNVUszEY-2Rgz-L6c-DMZe7XfMX2oHae2C9m_btO1S-LqSBxbW7SjlBXh-hlWqkvPBjbRTM/s320/photo+6.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594489215282021570" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeQOxzbor_DMuXZ_rxE-D2l0REBrXPmehS3TW2WFpqyxnzLbHzvH8LinOyLG3G19aQ-BY1-k9dbNn3x4N6GS_-lAzkTYXz0FFKWoPgAOWqea295Kr-axRNKqGhIJ34zmwsWLbSW27ehg/s1600/IMG_0272.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeQOxzbor_DMuXZ_rxE-D2l0REBrXPmehS3TW2WFpqyxnzLbHzvH8LinOyLG3G19aQ-BY1-k9dbNn3x4N6GS_-lAzkTYXz0FFKWoPgAOWqea295Kr-axRNKqGhIJ34zmwsWLbSW27ehg/s320/IMG_0272.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594489224776704258" border="0" /></a><br />then off to <a href="http://www.frogsleap.com/" target="blank">Frog’s Leap Winery</a> to sample their wine flight...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54F6TruP_Tml4Y7o2VSrZlpTxWz6ujw8KI-8hy5s1AhpGea_KEV08aCNdy1KCPI6_1ee89yPbdJg8ZVAp1pm9TZkS0zxwtbJfpc53vXJgdg-vdVIfH27sJlpVMKJokAWfGWv4CZ4PNk0/s1600/IMG_0287.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54F6TruP_Tml4Y7o2VSrZlpTxWz6ujw8KI-8hy5s1AhpGea_KEV08aCNdy1KCPI6_1ee89yPbdJg8ZVAp1pm9TZkS0zxwtbJfpc53vXJgdg-vdVIfH27sJlpVMKJokAWfGWv4CZ4PNk0/s320/IMG_0287.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490114687560258" border="0" /></a><br />more wine flight at <a href="http://www.grgich.com/" target="blank">Grgich Hills Estate</a> ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EtGVLQB5Mky53ez_s91jZHZIEi5SQJgS6ebYgQsGYH9AGvt0UMc-_BEML1sNvqZR2HYBMwTLSOdxMtQH5dqyyinfj3eVngZ0lKY6RX7HknQ7IJX0QsUynmWOkglluf4SNvE7T3l6L-U/s1600/photo+2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EtGVLQB5Mky53ez_s91jZHZIEi5SQJgS6ebYgQsGYH9AGvt0UMc-_BEML1sNvqZR2HYBMwTLSOdxMtQH5dqyyinfj3eVngZ0lKY6RX7HknQ7IJX0QsUynmWOkglluf4SNvE7T3l6L-U/s320/photo+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490117677717394" border="0" /></a><br />and finally we had a couple glasses of smooth Cabernet Sauvignon tasting at <a href="http://www.silveroak.com/" target="blank">Silver Oaks</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtm6wJeuYvBmpnL3cYPksKIZe66yANXIBynPiHC_5rCaGqzBtQ_ZQeKUGxus31txvPfD7OctgL_t-CkJ1an-ZyFA5efdBIfUrstEk-sqcOWZCq2B6QVdjQe_kUMX5WcmKGNKk2i1_4Do/s1600/photo+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtm6wJeuYvBmpnL3cYPksKIZe66yANXIBynPiHC_5rCaGqzBtQ_ZQeKUGxus31txvPfD7OctgL_t-CkJ1an-ZyFA5efdBIfUrstEk-sqcOWZCq2B6QVdjQe_kUMX5WcmKGNKk2i1_4Do/s320/photo+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490121537735090" border="0" /></a><br />On the way back we stopped by at <a href="http://barbersq.com/" target="blank">BarbersQ</a> to fuel ourselves for the drive home. I got the full rack of baby back ribs while Porgy had the lamb sliders. Their ribs are definitely one of the better ones that I have had since I moved to the SF Bay Area a decade ago. It is annoying that I cannot find a good American-style BBQ restaurant in San Francisco. Do you know a good BBQ restaurant in San Francisco that I should check out?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjwD1-lILvb-uhDDSvfXhkXFOH81gmFPUsHCP6c5xcnlIhEBHdb-jf4sHRnI8EyZXZ9BKyryGW1xuUSg7BGm-_T8Dp6cThD9YKw55C4dbXLUZ8Pgl6300i6aaEYSQGxJKp9USfgmlhGY/s1600/IMG_0317.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjwD1-lILvb-uhDDSvfXhkXFOH81gmFPUsHCP6c5xcnlIhEBHdb-jf4sHRnI8EyZXZ9BKyryGW1xuUSg7BGm-_T8Dp6cThD9YKw55C4dbXLUZ8Pgl6300i6aaEYSQGxJKp9USfgmlhGY/s320/IMG_0317.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490802458845938" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC84frRPAVjwjFjz2N9R6q0CSXopYOwXFNzK9o5R27btoA6wlvHn5015u5fjLTD2v-wjFOrT5YBSkWafqLkv2smyleM9Z1e38bG2tCN59gQt4Xg0v8QeWbzqtzJWmb7E4vauEALgBp8w/s1600/IMG_0299.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC84frRPAVjwjFjz2N9R6q0CSXopYOwXFNzK9o5R27btoA6wlvHn5015u5fjLTD2v-wjFOrT5YBSkWafqLkv2smyleM9Z1e38bG2tCN59gQt4Xg0v8QeWbzqtzJWmb7E4vauEALgBp8w/s320/IMG_0299.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490799701728338" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNAXbSp85yZM9NxEkJVbqmtoIsKsXaNdkbLqkNoZx1E1fn3AivVcKs1SNGuV5JIanISHhTHYPGChBxLLelvewX_i_r6YKQVYGdSAww4MZ7IujYnQjTbJOx0bAHaAtllRO4U3cGDfbU60/s1600/IMG_0303.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNAXbSp85yZM9NxEkJVbqmtoIsKsXaNdkbLqkNoZx1E1fn3AivVcKs1SNGuV5JIanISHhTHYPGChBxLLelvewX_i_r6YKQVYGdSAww4MZ7IujYnQjTbJOx0bAHaAtllRO4U3cGDfbU60/s320/IMG_0303.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594490796986561618" border="0" /></a><br />PS: Since I was the designated driver, I only sipped, swirled and spit the wine. It’s hard for me but it’s the responsible thing to do.VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-55009616365153779152011-04-05T21:10:00.000-07:002011-04-05T21:43:34.067-07:00Hawaiian Shoyu ChickenAfter hanging with Auntie Sandy and Mo-Fo at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, I got inspired to make a Hawaiian-inspired dish since they are from Kauai so the next day I made this <a href="http://danazia.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/history-of-hawaiis-cuisine/" target="blank">Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken</a>. It is a delicious meat dish to be eaten with rice for lunch and with salad for a light dinner.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_iI2AdBYLAo0BLoLf9WAa9tYJBJ1okWyojTk0UDTu7ZUoeoYY8y8C6F_coUcl7Lv74PuAv5QcOpz2r9y1WJpEEGPiRwUFdiENuy31PrRXGw_FiQay9OVDGK3TgXcFbaU58mMJR9AzOk/s1600/DSC_0103.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_iI2AdBYLAo0BLoLf9WAa9tYJBJ1okWyojTk0UDTu7ZUoeoYY8y8C6F_coUcl7Lv74PuAv5QcOpz2r9y1WJpEEGPiRwUFdiENuy31PrRXGw_FiQay9OVDGK3TgXcFbaU58mMJR9AzOk/s320/DSC_0103.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592324510515831506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />½ cup of low sodium shoyu (soy sauce)<br />½ cup of brown sugar or ½ cup of honey<br />½ cup of chicken broth or water<br />2 tablespoons of sake (I used dry white wine)<br />3-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced<br />2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, grated fine (skins on)<br />1 teaspoon of Chinese five spice powder<br />Hot sauce such as Sriracha to taste (I used Sambal Oelek)<br />5 pounds of chicken thighs<br />Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar (or honey), chicken broth, sake, garlic, ginger, five spice powder and hot sauce in a large bowl. </li><li>Add the thighs to the marinade and stick in the fridge for one hour.</li><li>Heat up the oven to 350 degrees. </li><li>Pour the chicken and the marinade onto a large baking pan, arrange so the meaty side is down. Cook for about 40 minutes, turning the chicken 3 or 4 times. </li><li>Turn up the oven to 450 degrees our put chicken in a broiler for another 5-10 minutes to brown the chicken, skin side up. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds and serve with white rice. </li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-83934484004691987602011-03-20T18:10:00.000-07:002011-03-20T18:43:44.215-07:00Carrot Raisin MuffinsThe weather had been so bad in San Francisco lately and the forecast called for another wet and stormy night on Friday. Since I didn't want to go out in the rain by myself while Porgy did some work, I went to the Whole Foods during a rain break and got the ingredients to make Carrot Raisin Muffins. I had a similar muffin from <a href="http://theauwest.com/" target="blank">the Golden West</a> earlier in the week and totally loving it. I used the recipe from <a href="http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/01/gingered_carrot_muffins.html" target="blank">Craft:</a> (check out their site for step-by-step directions and pictures) and added some extra raisins and almonds to add some sweetness and crunchiness to the muffins.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a8HPGwoUpr5pzqzonZd-ih3vONwps0KIugv5qDtnEBNdBM9e7hf3ajkMnxI1-P2Rmkp1hxXwwjOsrZtulE6tMrxpKFNQaxG2YbKFiXmjL9-Pnv9HRN35XN4OUgDXQcpUMqvMPu0tV0s/s1600/DSC_0080.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a8HPGwoUpr5pzqzonZd-ih3vONwps0KIugv5qDtnEBNdBM9e7hf3ajkMnxI1-P2Rmkp1hxXwwjOsrZtulE6tMrxpKFNQaxG2YbKFiXmjL9-Pnv9HRN35XN4OUgDXQcpUMqvMPu0tV0s/s320/DSC_0080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586337693397433666" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 1/2 cups white flour<br />1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />3 cups grated carrot<br />1 cup raisins, soaked in rum for 5 minutes and drained<br />1/2 cup sliced almonds<br />8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) butter, melted<br />3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />3/4 cup brown sugar<br />2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />Zest of 1 orange<br />Juice of 1 orange<br />2/3 cup milk<br />1 teaspoon fresh ginger<br />powdered sugar (optional)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>Preheat the oven to 350° F.<br /></li><li>Peel and grate about 4-5 carrots, using the regular-sized hole on a box-type cheese grater. Set aside.</li><li>Grate the ginger with a microplane grater until you have a fine pulp. Set aside.</li><li>In a medium bowl, mix together the sugars, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and juice, milk, and ginger until well combined. Stir in the melted butter.</li><li>In a large bowl, stir together the white and wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix to combine well.</li><li>Add the grated carrot to the flour mixture and stir to coat and evenly distribute. Make a well in the center of the flour and carrot mixture.<br /></li><li>Add in the raisins in the liquid mixture and pour everything into the flour mixture. Add ub the sliced almonds and, using a wooden spoon, stir until combined and moistened. Do not over mix.</li><li>Line muffin cups with paper liners and pour 1/4 cup batter per muffin cup. Bake on the middle rack for ~25 minutes until the muffins are golden brown or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.</li><li>Set on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, remove the muffins from the tin and let them cool another 10 minutes.</li><li>Sprinkle powdered sugar and some more sliced almonds on top.<br /></li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-21966638854017293102011-03-16T21:31:00.000-07:002011-03-18T14:00:02.612-07:00Roast Pork HashAfter eating the <a href="http://food4wibowo.blogspot.com/2011/03/roast-pork-shoulder.html" target="blank">Roast Pork Shoulder</a> for several days in a row for lunch and dinner, both Porgy and I were getting bored with it so I had to figure out what to do with the 2-lb meat leftover. I remembered reading a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/dining/05hash.html?ref=dining" target="blank">NYTimes article on hash</a> and, interestingly enough, one of the recipes was called <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/dining/05hashrex4.html?ref=dining" target="blank">Country Pork and Apple Hash</a> which uses Pernil-style Roast Pork. Unfortunately, since I do not have any cast-iron pan, I had to use my non-stick pan to cook the hash so it was hard to get the meat and potatoes crisped. All in all, it was a delicious dish and it was specially satisfying to be able to eat it with a sunny side-up egg on top for a Sunday brunch.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEC6L_LRQfaK8JtMWaj7w5XpqAbJUaSS5zMwVfdSm-PQurfrwsUxc1AjUFUbS1UjvHukBTxwlDqICgrm-wUgwoYZ4bT_wNSB2QbVyWOfiqjxhvwaXI_L8efBBXWK0W9C7FViC1vjT0n0/s1600/DSC_0060+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584909437928597410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEC6L_LRQfaK8JtMWaj7w5XpqAbJUaSS5zMwVfdSm-PQurfrwsUxc1AjUFUbS1UjvHukBTxwlDqICgrm-wUgwoYZ4bT_wNSB2QbVyWOfiqjxhvwaXI_L8efBBXWK0W9C7FViC1vjT0n0/s320/DSC_0060+copy.jpg" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced<br />Salt<br />4 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />2 onions, minced<br />2 pounds roast pork, leftover or pernil from Latin American restaurant<br />1/2 cup chicken broth<br />4 sprigs thyme, leaves only<br />Poached or sunny-side-up eggs, for serving<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Directions:</span><br /><ul><li>In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold salted water, bring to a simmer and cook until barely tender (do not overcook, or boil rapidly). Drain.</li><li>Melt butter in a very wide skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened and golden around edges, about 10 minutes. Add pork and broth; cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and thyme leaves and cook, stirring occasionally and pressing mixture in pan until hot and edges are crisped. Serve topped with eggs, if desired.</li></ul>VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-63411983415511838662011-03-13T20:08:00.000-07:002011-03-13T21:29:16.954-07:00Sausage BunsAt least once or twice a week, I would stop by at a Chinese bakery in Chinatown on the way to work to get a Sausage Bun. I thought that it would be interesting to try making it this weekend so I don't have to do a pit stop on the way to work and save some money. After searching for the recipe online, I finally settled on this one on <a href="http://toxobread.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/bbd19-sausage-buns/" target="blank">Toxo Bread</a> because there's a detailed step-by-step instruction.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMSmS1dMGWpjSuBRtK6DaEp7aR5ERAUCgv-o4DASWEAhiDW0hA7DhW5RSOersVw2o16kGo6cn2faTG6VqX95WG-p28DIL9Uet9ycfE0Jl_rgzj6wbe7yhkJfDvquuaelOuvehJ2ouJTE/s1600/DSC_0039+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMSmS1dMGWpjSuBRtK6DaEp7aR5ERAUCgv-o4DASWEAhiDW0hA7DhW5RSOersVw2o16kGo6cn2faTG6VqX95WG-p28DIL9Uet9ycfE0Jl_rgzj6wbe7yhkJfDvquuaelOuvehJ2ouJTE/s320/DSC_0039+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583780630548824338" border="0" /></a><br />From this experience, I am convinced that baking bread is NOT my forte because it's just too complicated for me and I only had 1 bun came out looking decent and the other 7 were an embarrassment. Although they tasted good, I'd rather spent $0.95 to get one in Chinatown instead.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />300 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour<br />5 grams (1 teaspoon) instant dried yeast <br />10 grams (2 teaspoons) white granulated sugar <br />6 grams (1 teaspoon) salt <br />1 egg, lightly beaten<br />220-230 grams (1 cup) lukewarm milk<br /><br />2.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened<br />8 pieces of hot dog sausages<br /><br />egg wash: 1 egg, lightly beaten <br />sesame seeds, for topping<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />Follow the step-by-step direction at <a href="http://toxobread.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/bbd19-sausage-buns/" target="blank">Toxo Bread</a>.VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-14534640861890430642011-03-10T15:48:00.000-08:002011-03-10T22:04:43.985-08:00Dippy Eggs and SoldiersSome of my most cherished moments with my 8 month old son happen on weekend mornings. Right after I get ready and my husband takes his turn to shower, I announce to my son "foodie time!" and I start to get my breakfast ready while letting him crawl around me in the kitchen.<br /><br />The bread has been made the night before. I boil the eggs, toast the bread, put on butter, brew a cup of English Breakfast tea, and set a relatively elegant and complicated breakfast onto our dining table. Then I put my son in his high chair and hand him his banana. And we both just dig into our food, like two ferocious animals who haven't eaten in days. At the end of the feast, we look at each other, and laugh uncontrollably for no apparent reason. Him from his sugar high, and me from my egg/butter/bread/caffeine/sugar fix.<br /><br />This egg/butter/bread/caffeine/sugar is possibly my favorite food combo. Or, we can call it by its fancier name: dippy eggs and soldiers. It's really just soft boiled eggs where you dip your sliced toast in them to scoop out the runny yolk. Simple yet decadent.<br /><p align="center"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevV-5T0rR2C0PRclf771-WITYlcJFz36e1wFpEGgSLn7zHS7QxXg1-O2zKSK1BsB-WEm7l33qpk6IhSwg0gjCAoaGqiZfwLYi0LvczonaxnqL-wQeJhPyk6OvtNwTDCz8M460FHs7aMw/s1600/dippy+soldiers.jpg"><img style="width: 400px; height: 267px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582602758833446578" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevV-5T0rR2C0PRclf771-WITYlcJFz36e1wFpEGgSLn7zHS7QxXg1-O2zKSK1BsB-WEm7l33qpk6IhSwg0gjCAoaGqiZfwLYi0LvczonaxnqL-wQeJhPyk6OvtNwTDCz8M460FHs7aMw/s400/dippy+soldiers.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></p><span><p align="left"></p></span><p></p><strong><em>To make the homemade buttermilk soldiers:<br /></em></strong><br />I have tried many buttermilk bread recipes, and after numerous tweaks here and there, this is my favorite recipe which I have memorized. The key ingredients are wheat gluten and dry milk powder.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong> (yields a small 1lb loaf):<br />2 and 1/4 cups of King Arthur bread flour<br />1 egg<br />1/2 cup of buttermilk<br />2 and 1/3 tablespoons of butter<br />1/4 cup of water<br />1 tablespoon of wheat gluten<br />1 tablespoon of all purpose flour<br />1 tablespoon of dry milk powder<br />1 and 1/2 tablespoons of sugar<br />1 teaspoon of salt<br />1 teaspoon of yeast<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br /><ul><li>Follow directions from you bread machine</li><li>Or follow directions from this <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/buttermilk-bread-ii/Detail.aspx" target="blank">recipe</a></li></ul><br /><strong><em>To make dippy eggs:<br /></em></strong><br /><strong>Ingredients:<br /></strong>farm fresh eggs (or whatever good quality eggs you can find)<br /><br /><strong>Directions:<br /></strong><div><ul><li><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Boil a small pot of water.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;font-family:arial;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After water boils, lower carefully the eggs in water along with an <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/thermometers-timers/egg-timer/s353892" target="blank">egg timer</a>. </span></span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Turn down the heat so the water is simmering. </span></span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">While waiting for eggs to cook, slice your bread, butter them, and brew your tea.</span></span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Depending on how hard you want your eggs, it will take between 3 to 5 minutes to cook an egg with fairly runny yolk.</span></span></span></strong></li></ul></div>candicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130338534085744558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-66373402850127481262011-03-09T13:49:00.000-08:002011-03-09T19:11:35.876-08:00Sake Ochazuke (porridge with broiled salmon)<span>At a glance, a bowl of porridge with a piece of no-dressing, no-marinade salmon sounds almost sad. As in, it's-Saturday-night-I-am-home-alone-slurping-instant-ramen sad. But in fact, this <a href="http://www.eataduckimust.com/classic-ochazuke" target="blank">dish</a> is full of rich and nice flavors and has quickly become a staple at my house. </span><br /><br /><span>The key is to get the right ingredients and not under- or over-cook the salmon. Once you assemble the porridge with a hint of green tea and that dashi stock umami with the fatty crispy salmon skin and slightly salty salmon flakes, the flavor combination just doesn't get better than that. Oh wait, it does, put some roasted seaweed on top. Now you've got the texture, the taste, and the warmth all from a single bowl of pure goodness. </span><br /><span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZuDEGiUxjWMTkY_eSw246HdSlp_YxtwuDAQxlsSw0i_nu2qo9trk8kDrZwNFhhEr71KMhJ83rS_semiSzoalVZqqcQd4eetSN9VsS3jtzpdZzvKXCx0F_wwJ12yCFxcf6cUCMf4kcGQ/s1600/salmon+porridge.jpg"><img style="width: 400px; height: 267px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582201900975650930" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZuDEGiUxjWMTkY_eSw246HdSlp_YxtwuDAQxlsSw0i_nu2qo9trk8kDrZwNFhhEr71KMhJ83rS_semiSzoalVZqqcQd4eetSN9VsS3jtzpdZzvKXCx0F_wwJ12yCFxcf6cUCMf4kcGQ/s400/salmon+porridge.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br /></div><span><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />4oz Salted Salmon Belly<br />1/2 sheet Roasted Seaweed ( like Yamamoto nori)<br />2 cups Cooked Rice (use Nishiki brand rice)<br />1 cup Green Tea (use Japanese green tea such as genmaicha for its nuttiness)<br />1 cup Dashi Stock<br />Canola Oil<br />Salt<br /><br /><strong>Direction</strong></span><br /><ul><li><span>Rub the salmon with a generous amount of salt </span></li><li><span>Cover and let it refrigerate overnight</span></li><li><span>Remove the salmon and rinse under cold water to remove the salt</span></li><li><span>Dry the salmon with paper towels or a kitchen towel </span></li><li><span>Drizzle oil over salmon and place under a broiler in low setting</span></li><li><span>Broil for 15 minutes until a nice crust has formed; if the skin is still not brown enough, you can turn the broiler to "high" for a couple of minutes and monitor closely to make sure the salmon doesn't burn</span></li><li><span>Break apart the salmon into flakes and set aside </span></li><li><span>Add rice to a bowl with salmon flakes and seaweed on top</span></li><li><span>When you are ready to serve, mix the hot green tea with the stock. You can add as much liquid as you would like, as long as you remember to use it in the ratio of one part tea one part dashi stock. </span></li></ul>candicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130338534085744558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-1592871462929895982011-03-09T12:34:00.000-08:002011-03-09T19:11:35.877-08:00The Ultimate Bread Pudding<span>I am not an advanced chef or baker, but I am quite proud of my bread pudding. I have actually converted a non-bread-pudding-believer once. Bread pudding is just such a great dessert. It's so easy, can be made ahead of time, and you can save it in the fridge and have dessert every night for the rest of the week (depends on how fast you eat it).<br /><br />I started with this <a href="http://blog.delementals.com/2009/09/09/peach-bread-pudding/" target="blank">recipe</a> and modified it over the year(s). Here is my version. You can use any fruit toppings really. I have tried quite a few and everything is delicious, except bananas. Do not use bananas ever. They create this inexplicable weird rancid taste.<br /><br />Do use challah bread! I have tried all kinds of bread (French, sourdough, country-style, brioche). Basically anytime I have stale bread I think, hmm, I don't want them to go to waste so I will make a bread pudding out of them. Nothing tops challah bread.<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUW2OmfyrI8y4KVbcQO1GEr4dNr9A4-vW9iPchWusmyKLpVU_5UEJRG8bAmuzxfTKEfTOEdd_mpqrbS8CgsXIJkfo-CnO9hyWj8AGkPmxdMACryTPEoNe_z_ydOtlNv2F2IciwO1VYwd4/s1600/bread+pudding.jpg"><img style="width: 400px; height: 267px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582198365431927506" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUW2OmfyrI8y4KVbcQO1GEr4dNr9A4-vW9iPchWusmyKLpVU_5UEJRG8bAmuzxfTKEfTOEdd_mpqrbS8CgsXIJkfo-CnO9hyWj8AGkPmxdMACryTPEoNe_z_ydOtlNv2F2IciwO1VYwd4/s400/bread+pudding.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span><br /><strong>Ingredients:<br /></strong>1 lb of Challah bread (or a little less depending on if you want your bread pudding to be more bread-y or more custard-y)<br />1 cup of berries (blueberries and blackberries are excellent; you can even mix a variety of berries)<br />2 cups of milk<br />1 cup of heavy cream<br />3 eggs<br />1/2 cup of sugar<br />1/4 cup of bourbon (optional)<br />1 teaspoon of vanilla extract<br />1/2 teaspoon of salt<br />butter (for pan)<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong></span><br /><ul><li><span>Use day-old Challah bread and tear it into 1" pieces and set them aside in a large bowl.</span></li><li><span>Whisk eggs, sugar and salt together.</span></li><li><span>Add the milk a little at a time and whisk to combine.</span></li><li>Gently stir in cream, vanilla, and bourbon.</li><li>Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes and berries and stir to combine, pressing bread down to get the floaters if neccessary; make sure bread cubes are all covered.</li><li>Cover and refrigerate over night.</li><li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9"x9" casserole pan.</li><li>Bake for an hour and let it cool slightly before you serve.<br /></li></ul>candicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12130338534085744558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7544425618031722508.post-10491867715186673322011-03-08T23:28:00.000-08:002011-03-09T00:06:12.582-08:00Date Night at ChottoToday was one of those days that we both were very blah at the end of the day and we felt that we needed something to cheer us up. We were supposed to go to <a href="http://www.sftsunami.org/" target="blank">Tsunami swimming practice</a> tonight but we just did not have it in us to do it and we decided that, instead of going there and do a bad swim session, we would do an impromptu date night at <a href="http://www.chottosf.com/" target="blank">Chotto</a> - a new Japanese Izakaya restaurant in the Marina district.<br /><br />We started our dinner with a carafe of hot Hakutsuru sake, Imo Age (garlic french fries with spicy miso aioli) and Tori Age (crispy chicken wings, shichimi buffalo sauce).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxanQRjmYnzJ3Eho-jxiH6etgC3hXuTVhhKKG8AHfLExxLl-Mg_0X4FDPHKauSlVw_geRYdtzfQoVjaNIrRzFBjq8gRwbqGlv-ak53ycCNwQruObHbMMKANIbNNgdWPnPDGMP0l29jlk/s1600/_IMG_0302.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxanQRjmYnzJ3Eho-jxiH6etgC3hXuTVhhKKG8AHfLExxLl-Mg_0X4FDPHKauSlVw_geRYdtzfQoVjaNIrRzFBjq8gRwbqGlv-ak53ycCNwQruObHbMMKANIbNNgdWPnPDGMP0l29jlk/s320/_IMG_0302.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581981278763121074" border="0" /></a><br />Bacon Mochi (applewood smoked bacon, mochi, nori) - Very interesting combination, I kind of liked it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC37DYg43U2BibnrkElUJDregCRKIKQteqYOAesLx0XeJYlvAFRkOqLFZ4h7pdAwGE_-lMhogE3Rqd5O9iqDN3hjCp-79m-yBjq_JwSmmo_7kRimkJMYoBpr5bxr0AYsw28hmqBJosIU/s1600/_IMG_0306.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC37DYg43U2BibnrkElUJDregCRKIKQteqYOAesLx0XeJYlvAFRkOqLFZ4h7pdAwGE_-lMhogE3Rqd5O9iqDN3hjCp-79m-yBjq_JwSmmo_7kRimkJMYoBpr5bxr0AYsw28hmqBJosIU/s320/_IMG_0306.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581981279914117186" border="0" /></a><br />Tsukune (chicken meatball, eggyolk, homemade teriyaki) - I can eat multiple orders of this. Delicious!!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O-0rM87t4z_BoShnM7ozK5f7JuJ53suo_LFGaszD-K18Eklplq0aAl3K10MWy_EeLx-W8zTiZpSMyNnBNDiBKemIAjQ2EdGLUD7fusg922tpzvjaH-XvdM22Z-4wDEAYqP2tQNL4Itw/s1600/_IMG_0312.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O-0rM87t4z_BoShnM7ozK5f7JuJ53suo_LFGaszD-K18Eklplq0aAl3K10MWy_EeLx-W8zTiZpSMyNnBNDiBKemIAjQ2EdGLUD7fusg922tpzvjaH-XvdM22Z-4wDEAYqP2tQNL4Itw/s320/_IMG_0312.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581981281255181010" border="0" /></a><br />Tontoro (pork cheek, sea salt, shichimi chili) - Yum yum...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUq8to5UdQheRCfTPw8F83sP2b4l0hQWLltVWJtXWhzggmAnsEv9jbhMBiYpRJ3Z6nUx6Rnyj0JvedErd8-lHm4cFpFZLOiyfOeOSmy8H-2QTtybqhBFLngGqu6WhILTh6_kB7Y97V7g/s1600/_IMG_0314.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUq8to5UdQheRCfTPw8F83sP2b4l0hQWLltVWJtXWhzggmAnsEv9jbhMBiYpRJ3Z6nUx6Rnyj0JvedErd8-lHm4cFpFZLOiyfOeOSmy8H-2QTtybqhBFLngGqu6WhILTh6_kB7Y97V7g/s320/_IMG_0314.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581981284268742706" border="0" /></a><br />Miso Tonkotsu (pork & chicken broth, miso, chashu) - I think they gave us the Karamiso Tonkotsu (the spicy miso ramen) since it had a nice spiciness to it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTzPXLrmvZn2DhAkaMedY9HpgeOg0gE8ljkWSgsPCjvzW-8kue8HKC9g_aIkawc_azWXuOELkJTZMHDQ0XzoXy-EqC2PucjcTFXxPgcUCG3igNJOB8uXK54hFeBCXRaojTf6t-bLCuXs/s1600/IMG_0315.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTzPXLrmvZn2DhAkaMedY9HpgeOg0gE8ljkWSgsPCjvzW-8kue8HKC9g_aIkawc_azWXuOELkJTZMHDQ0XzoXy-EqC2PucjcTFXxPgcUCG3igNJOB8uXK54hFeBCXRaojTf6t-bLCuXs/s320/IMG_0315.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581983474440865490" border="0" /></a><br />After dinner, we decided to stop by at the <a href="http://www.lafolie.com/" target="blank">La Folie Lounge</a> for some night caps on the way home. Porgy got Dark and Stormy (Goslings dark rum, ginger beer, lime, canton ginger cognac) and I Rye Manhattan (Rittenhouse rye, carpano antica sweet vermouth, bitters).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2liroIRuShckOc3hghaKK3-JOMZt9uq7W6-ceIc6vbIzopFRwZj8FUOV0yMzDv5gRI61I2qttQAjLzohT_tXanNN0U1wzw6lO7f4jeRAs3PbmgWC_fw0hbr2eMBGPDSGSZp-8wOr1Q8/s1600/_IMG_0329.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2liroIRuShckOc3hghaKK3-JOMZt9uq7W6-ceIc6vbIzopFRwZj8FUOV0yMzDv5gRI61I2qttQAjLzohT_tXanNN0U1wzw6lO7f4jeRAs3PbmgWC_fw0hbr2eMBGPDSGSZp-8wOr1Q8/s320/_IMG_0329.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581981286026549698" border="0" /></a><br />So did I feel guilty for skipping swimming practice? Eh... kind of but not really. I think it's nice to be able to do this impromptu date nights to keep ourselves sane. We promised ourselves we would go to the practice on Wednesday and Thursday but we'll see how that goes.VWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07304174890520942201noreply@blogger.com0