To the wonderful anonymous poster, you so know your sh&$t because the board members who grew up in Hawaii brought both the Haupia cake AND the guava chiffon cake to the board meeting. Both were DIVINE. It's day four of my trip to Hawaii and I have yet to go a day without eating macaroni salad. For the most part my experience with Oahu has been confined to Honolulu and Waikiki. Today is my day off. My agenda is twofold: 1. To see the Lost rainforest. 2. To go snorkeling.
I am still in awe about how much Asian culture permeates the food of Hawaii. If I can figure out connecting my camera to the computer, you all will see a photoblog of Asian fast food in Hawaii. It's kind of amazing. Yesterday I went to the conference for Native Hawaiians which started off with an oli chanting workshop run by what I can only name as the Native Hawaiian equivalent of Ysaye Barnwell. The Native Hawaiian language is HAAAARD. You have to pronounce EVERY vowel sound and then there are all these break's in vowel that are punctuated with an apostrophe. Because our organization is going to be co-hosting the Convention next year, all the board and staff have to learn the pules (pronounced pull-lays).
I'd have to say that this is one of the best run conferences I have ever been to. Everything has ended on time, the speechifying is mercifully short and the name badges is this awesome holder that is made out of backpack material and has all of these pockets for business cards, pens etc. I find it very interesting the fusion of culture that goes on with Native Hawaiians. While only 1% of Native Hawaiians speak the language fluently, almost everyone inserts some word into their vocabulary. In fact, most Asians who have lived on the islands for generations do the same. Case in point, when talking about the 2006 election, one passionate person said, "It's all aobut mobilizing the ohana for get out the vote. If the kumu and kapuna aren't educating the kiki, then we won't get this bill passed."
I'm kind of amazed by the genuine friendliness of the folks in Hawaiian. I cannot sit down or stand still without having someone strike up a conversation with me. There's a genuine interest about what I do on the continent (the incorrect word is mainland) and people are happy to share about their work and lives. There's a strong affinity between Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians and there was a large contingent of Alaska natives at the convetion. I sat next to on guy who ran his tribal corporation in Barrow Alaska (above the Artic circle). He told me about polar bears walk through town and three day whale hunts as if he were talking about going to the supermaket.
On Monday one of my board members took us on a driving tour of this side of the island, seeing the Royal Palance where the kings and queens of Hawaii lived, going to diamondhead for vistas of the ocean, and driving to Manoa valley and the University of Hawaii for rainbows. I love that the rainbow is the mascot of the University of Hawaii. The trip ended with the best shaved ice I have ever eaten. It's at this one tiny store and the shaved ice is like eating snow. I got the rainbow flavor which had lychee, banana, coconut, strawberry, and guava flavors.
Next up, my trip to the rainforest and snorkeling.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
Board Meeting in Paradise
I’m sitting in the Board meeting surrounded by scents of orchids and fresh guava fruit wearing a lei. Yes dear readers, I am having a board meeting in Hawaii. Cue violins.
For once in my life, I am very grateful for jet lag as it has meant I woke up at 5:30 am and had time to go to the beach. Staying in the downtown part of Honolulu, I walked over to the Ala Moana park. It was a quirky tableau of toned and tanned runners, beefy outrigger paddlers, old Asian couples walking, and tourists. I am continually surprised at how warm the water is. I’m used to the cold Atlantic. It’s also surprising how many people are on the beach at 6:30 in the morning, ranging from the surfers to the old Chinese tourists.
One food observation I’d make is how ubiquitous macaroni salad is in Hawaiian cuisine. Saturday night, having refused to pay $5.00 for s stupid snack box on United Airlines, I was STAAARRRRVVVING by the time I got to Honolulu airport at 7:30pm Hawaii time (1:30 pm EST!!!). Having not eaten in 10 hours I was hungry. My boss was volunteering for the Akaka campaign all week and called the campaign headquarters to see how the festivities were (and how much food they had). Typical of an event thrown by Asians and Native Hawaiians, the food was plentiful. On the ginourmous buffet was sticky rice, Hawaiian chili, teriyaki chicken cutlets, sweet and sour meatballs, chicken curry, and the usual macaroni salad. The entertainment at the rally was a blast. The Hawaiian band would just point at someone in the audience and they victim would go onstage and do a hula perfectly timed to the music.
Along with the pervasiveness of macaroni salad, the cuisine(s) of Hawaii is such a kaleidoscope of Asian, Native Hawaiian and U.S. military food. Case in point – fried sticky rice with spam. The majority of the restaurants in Honolulu are Asian of some sort, from Korean BBQs, Vietnamese pho houses, sushi joints and a gazillion Chinese restaurants. A “Hawaiian” meal can consist of Pad Thai, Filipino Pork adobo, pulled pork, and…macaroni salad.
When I am done with the board meeting I will be going to a convention for Native Hawaiians where I am dead set on learning how to make a lei (in anticipation of a Hawaiian luau themed bridal shower I want to throw for Rootbeer). Coming up this week are many,, many 6:00 am swims in the ocean, going to the beach where Lost is filmed, and snorkeling in some crater.
For once in my life, I am very grateful for jet lag as it has meant I woke up at 5:30 am and had time to go to the beach. Staying in the downtown part of Honolulu, I walked over to the Ala Moana park. It was a quirky tableau of toned and tanned runners, beefy outrigger paddlers, old Asian couples walking, and tourists. I am continually surprised at how warm the water is. I’m used to the cold Atlantic. It’s also surprising how many people are on the beach at 6:30 in the morning, ranging from the surfers to the old Chinese tourists.
One food observation I’d make is how ubiquitous macaroni salad is in Hawaiian cuisine. Saturday night, having refused to pay $5.00 for s stupid snack box on United Airlines, I was STAAARRRRVVVING by the time I got to Honolulu airport at 7:30pm Hawaii time (1:30 pm EST!!!). Having not eaten in 10 hours I was hungry. My boss was volunteering for the Akaka campaign all week and called the campaign headquarters to see how the festivities were (and how much food they had). Typical of an event thrown by Asians and Native Hawaiians, the food was plentiful. On the ginourmous buffet was sticky rice, Hawaiian chili, teriyaki chicken cutlets, sweet and sour meatballs, chicken curry, and the usual macaroni salad. The entertainment at the rally was a blast. The Hawaiian band would just point at someone in the audience and they victim would go onstage and do a hula perfectly timed to the music.
Along with the pervasiveness of macaroni salad, the cuisine(s) of Hawaii is such a kaleidoscope of Asian, Native Hawaiian and U.S. military food. Case in point – fried sticky rice with spam. The majority of the restaurants in Honolulu are Asian of some sort, from Korean BBQs, Vietnamese pho houses, sushi joints and a gazillion Chinese restaurants. A “Hawaiian” meal can consist of Pad Thai, Filipino Pork adobo, pulled pork, and…macaroni salad.
When I am done with the board meeting I will be going to a convention for Native Hawaiians where I am dead set on learning how to make a lei (in anticipation of a Hawaiian luau themed bridal shower I want to throw for Rootbeer). Coming up this week are many,, many 6:00 am swims in the ocean, going to the beach where Lost is filmed, and snorkeling in some crater.
Friday, September 22, 2006
TV Observations
Has anyone noticed that Paula Deen has jumped into the sea of Sandra Leeish trashiness? I feel like ever since she moved the show to Savannah, the stuff she's making is steering into the land of prepackaged garbage.
For example, her eclair cake calls for:
1 (1-pound) box graham crackers
2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Whipped topping? What happened to the days she gleefully whipped her own cream?
And what are the first two ingredients in her spicy cinnamon pecan cake?
1 (18-ounce) package spice cake mix
1 (4 serving) package instant vanilla pudding mix
And her quick crab stew?
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
It's not all that much more time-consuming to just saute some diced potatoes with the onions, make a roux, and add some whole milk instead of using the condensed cream of sodium.
Finally, I might propose that not only could the change in scenery be the cause of such trashiness but also the presence of her two boys. How do Jaime and Bobby make doughnuts? Deep fry canned biscuits and toss them in sugar and cinnamon. Case closed.
In earlier shows there have been the ocassional uses of prepackaged good with liberal uses of frozen pie crust. But it seems like two of the three dishes she makes in each episode are just advertisements for Kraft crap in a box. I myself have three boxes of Kraft mac 'n cheese in my cupboards but no way will I pass adding some peas and chopped salami to a box of Kraft mac 'n cheese as a recipe.
On a non-food-tv note, how much am I loving the new season of Grey's Anatomy? A whole effing lot. Great character development, great acting. They just need to tone down the over the top plotlines. Bubonic plague? What is this, ER?
For example, her eclair cake calls for:
1 (1-pound) box graham crackers
2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Whipped topping? What happened to the days she gleefully whipped her own cream?
And what are the first two ingredients in her spicy cinnamon pecan cake?
1 (18-ounce) package spice cake mix
1 (4 serving) package instant vanilla pudding mix
And her quick crab stew?
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
It's not all that much more time-consuming to just saute some diced potatoes with the onions, make a roux, and add some whole milk instead of using the condensed cream of sodium.
Finally, I might propose that not only could the change in scenery be the cause of such trashiness but also the presence of her two boys. How do Jaime and Bobby make doughnuts? Deep fry canned biscuits and toss them in sugar and cinnamon. Case closed.
In earlier shows there have been the ocassional uses of prepackaged good with liberal uses of frozen pie crust. But it seems like two of the three dishes she makes in each episode are just advertisements for Kraft crap in a box. I myself have three boxes of Kraft mac 'n cheese in my cupboards but no way will I pass adding some peas and chopped salami to a box of Kraft mac 'n cheese as a recipe.
On a non-food-tv note, how much am I loving the new season of Grey's Anatomy? A whole effing lot. Great character development, great acting. They just need to tone down the over the top plotlines. Bubonic plague? What is this, ER?
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Weekend O' Food - The Recipes
Risotto Balls - So luscious. So yummy. A tad on the oily side but yummy cheesy ricey goodness. Go to the link for the recipe.
Dill dip - ever since watching Barefoot Contessa, I have been using dill as my go to herb. I think it's fairly mild with a nice herby, onion taste. This is crazy easy. Just throw together a cup and a half of sour cream, a half a cup of mayo (GOOD mayo if you're Ina), the juice of half a lemon, 1/4 cup of dill, and one finely minced garlic clove in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. I served with the my crab balls and fresh sugar snap peas (my favorite vegetable).
Crab Balls - Being in DelMarVa, we had to have something with crabs but since we weren't at Dewey Beach, the crustaceans would have to do. (RIMSHOT! - I'm here all night folks). I got a pound of backfin crab meat (because lump is so fricking expensive), mixed in 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of Old Bay, 2 eggs, and 1/4 of mayo. Formed them into balls and deep fried them. Mmmmmmmmmm.
Other than going to Crabby Dicks, what do you all like to eat or make when at the beach?
Dill dip - ever since watching Barefoot Contessa, I have been using dill as my go to herb. I think it's fairly mild with a nice herby, onion taste. This is crazy easy. Just throw together a cup and a half of sour cream, a half a cup of mayo (GOOD mayo if you're Ina), the juice of half a lemon, 1/4 cup of dill, and one finely minced garlic clove in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. I served with the my crab balls and fresh sugar snap peas (my favorite vegetable).
Crab Balls - Being in DelMarVa, we had to have something with crabs but since we weren't at Dewey Beach, the crustaceans would have to do. (RIMSHOT! - I'm here all night folks). I got a pound of backfin crab meat (because lump is so fricking expensive), mixed in 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of Old Bay, 2 eggs, and 1/4 of mayo. Formed them into balls and deep fried them. Mmmmmmmmmm.
Other than going to Crabby Dicks, what do you all like to eat or make when at the beach?
Monday, September 18, 2006
Weekend O' Food
The gang spent the weekend at Spyrogyra's beach house and the theme was endless amounts of food. This was the kind of weekend I love. The location of the beach house, in Rehoboth meant that there were many options - beaching, shopping, boardwalking - and the size of the group (10 people in all) meant that other than hanging out at the house, noone was obligated to do anything they didn't want to do. Case in point - the afternoon saw Pauline sleeping off lunch in a hammock, Slim and Connecticut Bob at Delaware Pride, Slyin' watching football, and me, J, Rootbeer and Spyrogyra at the boardwalk where we were joined by Golden Sister and Lawn.
Anyway, we arrived at beach house Friday night where I noticed a tasteful fall arrangement on the table and something sparkly on Rootbeer's finger. Not knowing what was appropriate, I held my tongue. Luckily, the happy couple spilled the news that Spyrogyra proposed the previous night, complete with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries. We were all overjoyed but the rightness of this coupling made the actual engagement seem predestined and therefore not a complete surprise. Fortunately, Golden Sister more than made up for my deficit of surprise. We're happy to welcome Spyrogyra into our crazy family of choice and told the happy couple the SNDP wedding machine could be put into motion. This made a cavalcade of wedding discussions because Lyin' and Lawn are due to be married this Saturday.
The cavalcade of food started with doughnuts from the Fractured Prune - AlL 36 of THEM! that's a lot of fried dough. That allowed for a lot of variety. The winners included the mocha doughnut, and the French toast doughnut. The loser was the mint doughnut that was an unnatural green. Between the banana, three doughnuts, two English muffins and a half a bagel, I was going into a carb coma. To keep myself awake, I went to the world's most comfortable adirondack chair and quilted. J and I went for a walk and gathered seashells. For those of you who haven't been to our place, we have bowls of seashells on our shelves. Half the group went to Crabby Dick's for lunch and the rest of us went for provisions for dinner.
When we all reconvened, Spyrogyra and I got going on our antipasto dinner. I love having antipasto and tapas potlucks because those little bites are crazy expensive in restaurants and fairly expensive if you wanted to put it together yourself but very cheap if done potluck style. Laid out at the table were an olive bread and a roasted garlic bread along with an assortment of salami, proscuitto, olives, fresh mozarella, roasted peppers, peppadews, and spicy fontina cheese. J and I were fry daddies last night, making risotto balls and crab balls and a dill dipping sauce. Spyrogyra made some tasty pasta with broccoli, shrimp, and olive oil. And I did make a balsamic reduction because almost everything tastes better with a balsamic reduction. Perfect for drizzling on a crostini of olive bread, proscuitto and mozarella. We barely had any room for the carrot cake and the chocolate pie.
The next morning Slim and Connecticut Bob made breakfast for everyone consisting of eggs benedict, roasted potatoes, and a incredible fruit salad of grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. Not a melon in sight! I did have to assert myself when I found out they were gonna make the Hollandaise sauce from a mix and I huffed, "I'll make the damn sauce before I let it come from a mix." That was seriously rude on my part and I apologize to Slim for the outburst and said that Hollandaise from a mix would be fine. Slim was gracious to accept my apology and said it would be fine if I made my own. In the end we did both. The Hollandaise from a mix was a touch too reunny whereas mine was way too garlicky. Lawn mixed them together for a perfect Hollandaise.
Thank god I played some tennis that weekend otherwise I'd still be in a food coma.
Recipes are on their way.
Anyway, we arrived at beach house Friday night where I noticed a tasteful fall arrangement on the table and something sparkly on Rootbeer's finger. Not knowing what was appropriate, I held my tongue. Luckily, the happy couple spilled the news that Spyrogyra proposed the previous night, complete with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries. We were all overjoyed but the rightness of this coupling made the actual engagement seem predestined and therefore not a complete surprise. Fortunately, Golden Sister more than made up for my deficit of surprise. We're happy to welcome Spyrogyra into our crazy family of choice and told the happy couple the SNDP wedding machine could be put into motion. This made a cavalcade of wedding discussions because Lyin' and Lawn are due to be married this Saturday.
The cavalcade of food started with doughnuts from the Fractured Prune - AlL 36 of THEM! that's a lot of fried dough. That allowed for a lot of variety. The winners included the mocha doughnut, and the French toast doughnut. The loser was the mint doughnut that was an unnatural green. Between the banana, three doughnuts, two English muffins and a half a bagel, I was going into a carb coma. To keep myself awake, I went to the world's most comfortable adirondack chair and quilted. J and I went for a walk and gathered seashells. For those of you who haven't been to our place, we have bowls of seashells on our shelves. Half the group went to Crabby Dick's for lunch and the rest of us went for provisions for dinner.
When we all reconvened, Spyrogyra and I got going on our antipasto dinner. I love having antipasto and tapas potlucks because those little bites are crazy expensive in restaurants and fairly expensive if you wanted to put it together yourself but very cheap if done potluck style. Laid out at the table were an olive bread and a roasted garlic bread along with an assortment of salami, proscuitto, olives, fresh mozarella, roasted peppers, peppadews, and spicy fontina cheese. J and I were fry daddies last night, making risotto balls and crab balls and a dill dipping sauce. Spyrogyra made some tasty pasta with broccoli, shrimp, and olive oil. And I did make a balsamic reduction because almost everything tastes better with a balsamic reduction. Perfect for drizzling on a crostini of olive bread, proscuitto and mozarella. We barely had any room for the carrot cake and the chocolate pie.
The next morning Slim and Connecticut Bob made breakfast for everyone consisting of eggs benedict, roasted potatoes, and a incredible fruit salad of grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. Not a melon in sight! I did have to assert myself when I found out they were gonna make the Hollandaise sauce from a mix and I huffed, "I'll make the damn sauce before I let it come from a mix." That was seriously rude on my part and I apologize to Slim for the outburst and said that Hollandaise from a mix would be fine. Slim was gracious to accept my apology and said it would be fine if I made my own. In the end we did both. The Hollandaise from a mix was a touch too reunny whereas mine was way too garlicky. Lawn mixed them together for a perfect Hollandaise.
Thank god I played some tennis that weekend otherwise I'd still be in a food coma.
Recipes are on their way.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Nigella Lawson, Who We Love
As you may know, Nigella Lawson will be debuting on the Food Network sometime in October. Here is a list of some upcoming appearances leading up to the big debut.
Now if we can just get some more Kylie Kwong! And for those of you who are no longer watching Disney-owned ABC and seeing ABC in the link, Kylie's site is from the Austalian Broadcasting Corporation.
Nigella's US TV Appearances (from Nigella.com).
27 September
NBC-TV
The Today Show
27 September
CBS-TV
The Late Show with David Letterman
28 September
NBC-TV
The Today Show
28 September
NBC-TV
The Late Late Show with Conan O’Brian
Now if we can just get some more Kylie Kwong! And for those of you who are no longer watching Disney-owned ABC and seeing ABC in the link, Kylie's site is from the Austalian Broadcasting Corporation.
Nigella's US TV Appearances (from Nigella.com).
27 September
NBC-TV
The Today Show
27 September
CBS-TV
The Late Show with David Letterman
28 September
NBC-TV
The Today Show
28 September
NBC-TV
The Late Late Show with Conan O’Brian
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Not food Related - Fiction will always be inadequate
Does anyone read the Foobiverse livejournal? It's a complete hoot. It's basically a bunch of people ripping on the For Better or for Worse comic strip. So yesterday the host does something different. She writes about where she was and what she was doing on September 11, 2001 and asks others to write in about their whereabouts and what they are doing now. It's probably the most moving memorial to the events of September 11 I've ever encountered. A lot of people wrote in about the loved ones they lost. A lot talked about how their lives changed even though they had no direct connection to the terrorist attacks. For everyone who posted September 11 was something that happened to them. It changed the fabric of their being in profound ways. One poster wrote, "Before 9-11, I didn't think anyone hated the US as much as al-Qaeda does. Now I'm much more concerned with the view of America abroad, and I don't have the sense of security I once had."
We as a nation experience September 11, 2001 together. We were all fixed to the tv trying to find out what happened. It was what we all talked about for the weeks following. For some it got us in conversations about our country's role in the world. For others it brought up feelings of building more walls and barriers. However we processed it we were all processing about the same event.
So why do we need fiction? I'm not talking about an artistic response to September 11 but FICTION. Made up stories that didn't happen. Dramatizations of real people as if the real people and the real story wasn't powerful enough. I have assiduously avoided any kind of movie, made for tv movie, or mini-series that had to do with September 11. It just feels so stupid to make people PAY MONEY to experience a fictionalized version of the reality we all experienced. Why do people need to put such an immense national tragedy in a box?
Knowing that movies about 9/11 turn my stomach in general, ABC's Path to 9/11 was beyond nauseating. This went beyond interpolating the feelings and experiences of a firefighter or plane passengers, this was making shit up about the policy decisions that affected finding or not finding Osama Bin Laden. That's like making a movie about Franklin Roosevelt calling Emperor Hirohito to ask him to bomb Pearl Harbor because Roosevelt didn't want it getting out he was cheating on Eleanor. Beyond the crass fictionalizing is the fact that this stupid movie was billed as being based on the 9/11 Commission's Report and having advertisement saying crap like "what REALLY happened on 9/11." That part is hilarious since it left out Cheney hiding out in a bunker and Bush reading My Pet Goat for 7 minutes.
September 11, 2001, I had just ended a job and would start another one the following week. It was a gorgeous day and I was looking forward to my week of relaxation. J kissed me goodbye before he went to work and I made myself the big pancake breakfast I couldn't have made myself on a workday. I turned on the tv and saw the big gaping hole in one of the twin towers. I stared at the screen and watched the other tower get hit and both towers collapsing. Like I do in every major event of my life, I called anyone and everyone I could get in touch with. That day I was kind of separated from the rest of the world because going out just felt weird. J came home around 2:00 pm. Downtown was a mess and by that time, DC took it's own hit with the Pentagon being smashed into. Buses were packed but what was overflowing was the milk of human kindness. J was saying that left and right people were beckoning their fellow commuters into their cab. J coming home when he did was the direct result of that kind of kindness. Some friends came over and we watched the continuing coverage together. I spent Tuesday glued to the cable news networks, trying to see if there was anything new. Bill Clinton talking intelligently about terrorism was a balm for me. By the end of Tuesday I had to stop watching the news.
Wednesday I turned on the Food Network. I know it's a day late, but where were you on September 11, 2001?
We as a nation experience September 11, 2001 together. We were all fixed to the tv trying to find out what happened. It was what we all talked about for the weeks following. For some it got us in conversations about our country's role in the world. For others it brought up feelings of building more walls and barriers. However we processed it we were all processing about the same event.
So why do we need fiction? I'm not talking about an artistic response to September 11 but FICTION. Made up stories that didn't happen. Dramatizations of real people as if the real people and the real story wasn't powerful enough. I have assiduously avoided any kind of movie, made for tv movie, or mini-series that had to do with September 11. It just feels so stupid to make people PAY MONEY to experience a fictionalized version of the reality we all experienced. Why do people need to put such an immense national tragedy in a box?
Knowing that movies about 9/11 turn my stomach in general, ABC's Path to 9/11 was beyond nauseating. This went beyond interpolating the feelings and experiences of a firefighter or plane passengers, this was making shit up about the policy decisions that affected finding or not finding Osama Bin Laden. That's like making a movie about Franklin Roosevelt calling Emperor Hirohito to ask him to bomb Pearl Harbor because Roosevelt didn't want it getting out he was cheating on Eleanor. Beyond the crass fictionalizing is the fact that this stupid movie was billed as being based on the 9/11 Commission's Report and having advertisement saying crap like "what REALLY happened on 9/11." That part is hilarious since it left out Cheney hiding out in a bunker and Bush reading My Pet Goat for 7 minutes.
September 11, 2001, I had just ended a job and would start another one the following week. It was a gorgeous day and I was looking forward to my week of relaxation. J kissed me goodbye before he went to work and I made myself the big pancake breakfast I couldn't have made myself on a workday. I turned on the tv and saw the big gaping hole in one of the twin towers. I stared at the screen and watched the other tower get hit and both towers collapsing. Like I do in every major event of my life, I called anyone and everyone I could get in touch with. That day I was kind of separated from the rest of the world because going out just felt weird. J came home around 2:00 pm. Downtown was a mess and by that time, DC took it's own hit with the Pentagon being smashed into. Buses were packed but what was overflowing was the milk of human kindness. J was saying that left and right people were beckoning their fellow commuters into their cab. J coming home when he did was the direct result of that kind of kindness. Some friends came over and we watched the continuing coverage together. I spent Tuesday glued to the cable news networks, trying to see if there was anything new. Bill Clinton talking intelligently about terrorism was a balm for me. By the end of Tuesday I had to stop watching the news.
Wednesday I turned on the Food Network. I know it's a day late, but where were you on September 11, 2001?
Monday, September 11, 2006
Potpourri of Reviews
It's been a whirlwind of eating for me these past few weeks. Our friend Boy Married is quite the restaurant connoisseur and know his stuff and I've been the beneficiary of being dined (and not wined) by my organization's funder. So here's my reviews of some of the places I've eaten in the past few weeks.
Ten Phenh
The title of this review is "thank god the funder paid for this one." Our major funder took me and my E.D. out for lunch at Ten Phenh last Tuesday to talk a little policy. I will say that I like the decor and how the managed the noise level. Lunch is always crazy for a sit-down meal because of all the chatter. Foodwise the meal was up and down. My biggest beef about Ten Phenh is how rice doesn't necessarily come with your entree and if I wanted rice with mine, I would need to pay $6. For an Asian restaurant that just seems so absurd.
The theme of the lunch was competent but unimaginative food. The limeade actually tasted a notch down from the fresh and tart limeade I'm used to at a Vietnamese dive. We all got an assortment of appetizer. I got the generous servings of lumpia the size of Cuban cigars and tasted the Peking duck rolls. The lumpia were competently made with three different sauces - a sweet chili, a hot remoulade, and a spicy soy. As with most of the meal I was befuddled about how they could spend so much time on decor and buzz and have food that was on par with a Duangrat's or a Sala Thai. Obviously the presentation and ambiance reflected the fact the same elegance of Ceiba which is owned by the same group. The food just didn't keep up. Their duck rolls tasted strong of hoisin but the sauce overpowered any flavor of the duck meat. I got the whole fried catfish where the lack of rice was really irksome. The fish was perfectly cooked and served with a nuoc cham dipping sauce (a sweet nuoc mam) and an Asian cucumber salad. But the strong flavor of the sauce was screaming for rice that I wasn't willing to make my funder pay for. The serving was more than generous and I didn't order dessert.
Woodland
On the almost opposite end of the spectrum is woodland in Hyattsville. I have to thank Married Boy for this find. It was our boys night out as our friends were throwing a friend a girls-only bachelorette party. Nestled in an ethnic strip mall that reflected the Latino, South Asian, and Vietnamese character of that part f Hyattsville, the decor and ambiance of Woodland was befuddling. Giant murals of some form of sign language adorned the walls along with woodland creatures and Indian princesses. Even more interesting was the fact that a tourist bus full of South Asians took over half the restaurant. They were led by a petite Chinese woman who would try and lead them in a cheer. The waitstaff served this party as if they were family, just slopping huge servings of curries onto the tourists' plates. Because Married Boy lived in Virginia and didn't get out to this part of Maryland often, we both ordered a curry AND a dohlsa, a crispy Indian crepe. I ordered the vegetable makhani curry with the masala dohlsa, the crepe with potato. Boy Engaged ordered the paneer curry and the onion dohlsa. Both were incredible. One top of our two GINORMOUS entrees, we split the appetizer sampler. Along with the usual samosas and pakoras (which were excellent) were savory coconut dougnuts. For TWO entrees and an appetizer sampler, we ended up paying $40. I had to suppress a giggle at the price.
Rustico
The final part of my eating out experience was going to Rustico in Alexandria for dinner last night. We had to drop off Married Boy's bag he left the previous night and he recommended that we go to Rustico. With it's high ceilings, open kitchen, and modern and eclectic decor, Rustico promised interesting food. This time, the food didn't disappoint. Considering we came at 9:00 pm, the services was prompt and friendly. We started with their BBQ pulled pork mini-sandwiches and their garlic knots. The BBC sandwiches were served on an excellent cheddar-herb biscuit with sweet potato chips. The pork was competent but the biscuit it was served on was out of this world. Light and savory the biscuit could have been served on their own. The sweet potato chips were light and crisp. The garlic knots were pieces of friend bread dough rolled in garlic, herbs and a little lemon and served with a marinara dipping sauce. Rustico knows it's deep fat fryer because the knots were light and delicious. The lemon flavor cut through the greasiness of the knots. It would be hard to top the appetizer, but the entrees lived up to the innovative decor. J ordered the seared tune with fingerling potatoes and green beans with a sun-dried tomato tapenade. I ordered the mac and cheese alfredo with assorted mushrooms, peas, pancetta, and sausage. I would say both dishes were highly salted but not so much that it distracted from the flavors of the entrees. I loved the mac and cheese with its sauce that was strong enough to cling to the pasta but not so gooey thick that I couldn't eat it. Each ingredient - mushrooms, peas, pancetta, sausage - all had their moment in the sun and worked well together. The seared tuna was a true delight, moist, flaky and perfectly seared. There was a caper egg sauce that complimented the tuna perfectly. It gave variety to the tapenade that also accompanied the tuna. The serving were healthy enough for us not to order dessert. This was a perfect date restaurant along with a great after work spot.
Ten Phenh
The title of this review is "thank god the funder paid for this one." Our major funder took me and my E.D. out for lunch at Ten Phenh last Tuesday to talk a little policy. I will say that I like the decor and how the managed the noise level. Lunch is always crazy for a sit-down meal because of all the chatter. Foodwise the meal was up and down. My biggest beef about Ten Phenh is how rice doesn't necessarily come with your entree and if I wanted rice with mine, I would need to pay $6. For an Asian restaurant that just seems so absurd.
The theme of the lunch was competent but unimaginative food. The limeade actually tasted a notch down from the fresh and tart limeade I'm used to at a Vietnamese dive. We all got an assortment of appetizer. I got the generous servings of lumpia the size of Cuban cigars and tasted the Peking duck rolls. The lumpia were competently made with three different sauces - a sweet chili, a hot remoulade, and a spicy soy. As with most of the meal I was befuddled about how they could spend so much time on decor and buzz and have food that was on par with a Duangrat's or a Sala Thai. Obviously the presentation and ambiance reflected the fact the same elegance of Ceiba which is owned by the same group. The food just didn't keep up. Their duck rolls tasted strong of hoisin but the sauce overpowered any flavor of the duck meat. I got the whole fried catfish where the lack of rice was really irksome. The fish was perfectly cooked and served with a nuoc cham dipping sauce (a sweet nuoc mam) and an Asian cucumber salad. But the strong flavor of the sauce was screaming for rice that I wasn't willing to make my funder pay for. The serving was more than generous and I didn't order dessert.
Woodland
On the almost opposite end of the spectrum is woodland in Hyattsville. I have to thank Married Boy for this find. It was our boys night out as our friends were throwing a friend a girls-only bachelorette party. Nestled in an ethnic strip mall that reflected the Latino, South Asian, and Vietnamese character of that part f Hyattsville, the decor and ambiance of Woodland was befuddling. Giant murals of some form of sign language adorned the walls along with woodland creatures and Indian princesses. Even more interesting was the fact that a tourist bus full of South Asians took over half the restaurant. They were led by a petite Chinese woman who would try and lead them in a cheer. The waitstaff served this party as if they were family, just slopping huge servings of curries onto the tourists' plates. Because Married Boy lived in Virginia and didn't get out to this part of Maryland often, we both ordered a curry AND a dohlsa, a crispy Indian crepe. I ordered the vegetable makhani curry with the masala dohlsa, the crepe with potato. Boy Engaged ordered the paneer curry and the onion dohlsa. Both were incredible. One top of our two GINORMOUS entrees, we split the appetizer sampler. Along with the usual samosas and pakoras (which were excellent) were savory coconut dougnuts. For TWO entrees and an appetizer sampler, we ended up paying $40. I had to suppress a giggle at the price.
Rustico
The final part of my eating out experience was going to Rustico in Alexandria for dinner last night. We had to drop off Married Boy's bag he left the previous night and he recommended that we go to Rustico. With it's high ceilings, open kitchen, and modern and eclectic decor, Rustico promised interesting food. This time, the food didn't disappoint. Considering we came at 9:00 pm, the services was prompt and friendly. We started with their BBQ pulled pork mini-sandwiches and their garlic knots. The BBC sandwiches were served on an excellent cheddar-herb biscuit with sweet potato chips. The pork was competent but the biscuit it was served on was out of this world. Light and savory the biscuit could have been served on their own. The sweet potato chips were light and crisp. The garlic knots were pieces of friend bread dough rolled in garlic, herbs and a little lemon and served with a marinara dipping sauce. Rustico knows it's deep fat fryer because the knots were light and delicious. The lemon flavor cut through the greasiness of the knots. It would be hard to top the appetizer, but the entrees lived up to the innovative decor. J ordered the seared tune with fingerling potatoes and green beans with a sun-dried tomato tapenade. I ordered the mac and cheese alfredo with assorted mushrooms, peas, pancetta, and sausage. I would say both dishes were highly salted but not so much that it distracted from the flavors of the entrees. I loved the mac and cheese with its sauce that was strong enough to cling to the pasta but not so gooey thick that I couldn't eat it. Each ingredient - mushrooms, peas, pancetta, sausage - all had their moment in the sun and worked well together. The seared tuna was a true delight, moist, flaky and perfectly seared. There was a caper egg sauce that complimented the tuna perfectly. It gave variety to the tapenade that also accompanied the tuna. The serving were healthy enough for us not to order dessert. This was a perfect date restaurant along with a great after work spot.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Pho 88 (Beltsville)
Once upon a time, two soup loving boys lived just outside Washington, DC in a little cottage, in a tiny forest where they often had dreams of the perfect Vietnamese meal.
They had explored the grand land of Eden, enjoyed many adventures with the Pho 75 villagers, and tasted more hoisin and siracha soaked porridges than Goldilocks who now eats only steak and tamales.
One day, on a cold and bitter-winded morning, and after feeling a bit tummy sick and tired, the two headed out of their little cottage in the tiny forest for a bowl of spice and sustenance.
They had dreamed for days of healing, salty broths and perfectly cook meat. Visions of noodles and piles of sprouts, mint, limes, and jalapenos danced in their heads. There was a lot riding on this adventure.
After a brief search for Viet Deli in the Hyattsville section of the forest, the boys landed at Pho 88, in the land of Beltsville and the village of Stripmallia just past Ikeaville.
And they soon realized the soup of their dreams had been here all along. Yes, here in the land of Beltsville, in the village of Stripmallia and just past Ikeaville was a heaping, beautifully spiced bowl of pho that came out piping hot with a sweet, beefy, fragrance. The noodles were just cooked enough and finished their softening in the broth.
One had the chicken (pho ga) with the light and delicious broth. A bit more flavorful than most and definitely the best he has had. The chicken was just a bit more moist than others he had tried, and more flavorful without being overwhelming.
The other had the combination pho with a few types of beef. It's flavor was distinctively different than that of the pho ga. Think beef, but the dreams of this one later will recall its anise and clove hints as well.
The fresh squeezed lemonade was a perfect compliment to the flawless pho, that almost brought both boys back to reality.
What a great place!"
They had explored the grand land of Eden, enjoyed many adventures with the Pho 75 villagers, and tasted more hoisin and siracha soaked porridges than Goldilocks who now eats only steak and tamales.
One day, on a cold and bitter-winded morning, and after feeling a bit tummy sick and tired, the two headed out of their little cottage in the tiny forest for a bowl of spice and sustenance.
They had dreamed for days of healing, salty broths and perfectly cook meat. Visions of noodles and piles of sprouts, mint, limes, and jalapenos danced in their heads. There was a lot riding on this adventure.
After a brief search for Viet Deli in the Hyattsville section of the forest, the boys landed at Pho 88, in the land of Beltsville and the village of Stripmallia just past Ikeaville.
And they soon realized the soup of their dreams had been here all along. Yes, here in the land of Beltsville, in the village of Stripmallia and just past Ikeaville was a heaping, beautifully spiced bowl of pho that came out piping hot with a sweet, beefy, fragrance. The noodles were just cooked enough and finished their softening in the broth.
One had the chicken (pho ga) with the light and delicious broth. A bit more flavorful than most and definitely the best he has had. The chicken was just a bit more moist than others he had tried, and more flavorful without being overwhelming.
The other had the combination pho with a few types of beef. It's flavor was distinctively different than that of the pho ga. Think beef, but the dreams of this one later will recall its anise and clove hints as well.
The fresh squeezed lemonade was a perfect compliment to the flawless pho, that almost brought both boys back to reality.
What a great place!"
Impromptu Dinner
For most of the weekend, J has been hounding me to write this entry. Last Thursday we had the Marrieds over for an impromptu dinner. Boy Married watched tennis with me and Girl Married read trashy magazines with J. I made my satay vegetarian meatballs for an appetizer (which ended up being a main course) and the Marrieds brought over some fresh vegetables from their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We marinated the vegatables in some garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and grilled them on the grill pan. BTW it's been the entire summer and we haven't used our outdoor grill once. However we've used the grill pan at least 10 times. What does that say about us? TO go with the grilled veggies, I put together a pasta salad with a roasted pepper sauce. This is seriously about cleaning out our fridge because we have six red peppers on the verge of going bad. It was a hit with everyone and J wanted me to write down the "recipe." As a perfect ending to the meal Boy Married went to the 7-11 and got ice cream sandwiches for all of us.
I'm going to write this in narrative form because a recipe seems so hard a fast for this pasta dish. I first roasted three red bell peppers in the toaster oven at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes until the skin got charred and started to separate from the flesh. Then I put them in a bowl covered in plastic wrap to steam. After a half an hour I peel the skin off, put them in a food processor with four peppadews that were in the fridge, three cloves of roasted garlic (I put them in with the peppers halfway through the broiling process), a few dashes of the balsamic, about 1/4 cup of olive oil and some red pepper flakes and S&P. Whirl until its a saucelike consistency and toss with pasta. I used tri-color rotini. I also added some peas and a healthy does of grated pecorino romano. This sauce is also great as a dip if you mix in a block of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup of sour cream.
I'm going to write this in narrative form because a recipe seems so hard a fast for this pasta dish. I first roasted three red bell peppers in the toaster oven at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes until the skin got charred and started to separate from the flesh. Then I put them in a bowl covered in plastic wrap to steam. After a half an hour I peel the skin off, put them in a food processor with four peppadews that were in the fridge, three cloves of roasted garlic (I put them in with the peppers halfway through the broiling process), a few dashes of the balsamic, about 1/4 cup of olive oil and some red pepper flakes and S&P. Whirl until its a saucelike consistency and toss with pasta. I used tri-color rotini. I also added some peas and a healthy does of grated pecorino romano. This sauce is also great as a dip if you mix in a block of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup of sour cream.
Friday, September 01, 2006
10 Things I Learned From ... Julia Child
I suppose this is another 10 Things that's long overdue. Between nasty Chinese meals and work I haven't had a chance to think of a proper 10 Things until now. Julia Child is the Ur-Mother of all television cookery and her good natured love of cooking and food is infectious. I think her school marmish accent led folks to think that the recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, would be hoity toity. But if you read the book, the recipes are completely straightfoward and easy to master. She was such a great television presence because on paper, she would be such a horrible television presence - big boned, squinty, with kind of crazy hair.
Ten Things I Learned From Julia Child
1. How to make cream puffs. This was one of the first things I made from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. What seems like a elegant dessert really just requires some vigorous stirring.
2. Additionally, how to make pastry cream that goes into the cream puffs.
3. Don't be afraid of butter. While the woman doesn't reach Paula Deen levels of butter love, she uses quite a bit of butter. Rather than reduce the level of butter in a dish, she just recommended eating that dish less.
4. Always have a catchphrase. I loved how she always ended her shows with a cheery, "Bon Appetit." I think there was a week I would try and start every meal with that same cheery "Bon Appetit." Sadly I didn't have the gravitas to pull off the Frugal Gourmet's "I Bid You Peace."
5. Free to be...you and me. Julia was seriously the first grownup in my life who didn't have children or wasn't planning on having children. For a little Asian kid, that was mindblowing.
6. Things go wrong in a kitchen. One of the things she always asked her guests was if X went wrong with their dish, how would you fix it. Coming from a long line of excellent cooks who made things from memory and therefore things that were foolproof for them, I didn't know things went wrong in the kitchen.
7. There are some things too complicated to make. She had one lady who made crosissants. There were twelve million steps.
8. Sole en papaiotte. Sooo good. Soooo moist.
9. Keeping the ingredients cold when making pastry. She said it first on tv.
10. Chill the heck out. What was wonderful about Cooking with Julia was that things went wrong in her kitchen. THings fell off the cutting board and onto the floor. That didn't get in the way of Julia's good time and she took every disaster with good cheer.
Ten Things I Learned From Julia Child
1. How to make cream puffs. This was one of the first things I made from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. What seems like a elegant dessert really just requires some vigorous stirring.
2. Additionally, how to make pastry cream that goes into the cream puffs.
3. Don't be afraid of butter. While the woman doesn't reach Paula Deen levels of butter love, she uses quite a bit of butter. Rather than reduce the level of butter in a dish, she just recommended eating that dish less.
4. Always have a catchphrase. I loved how she always ended her shows with a cheery, "Bon Appetit." I think there was a week I would try and start every meal with that same cheery "Bon Appetit." Sadly I didn't have the gravitas to pull off the Frugal Gourmet's "I Bid You Peace."
5. Free to be...you and me. Julia was seriously the first grownup in my life who didn't have children or wasn't planning on having children. For a little Asian kid, that was mindblowing.
6. Things go wrong in a kitchen. One of the things she always asked her guests was if X went wrong with their dish, how would you fix it. Coming from a long line of excellent cooks who made things from memory and therefore things that were foolproof for them, I didn't know things went wrong in the kitchen.
7. There are some things too complicated to make. She had one lady who made crosissants. There were twelve million steps.
8. Sole en papaiotte. Sooo good. Soooo moist.
9. Keeping the ingredients cold when making pastry. She said it first on tv.
10. Chill the heck out. What was wonderful about Cooking with Julia was that things went wrong in her kitchen. THings fell off the cutting board and onto the floor. That didn't get in the way of Julia's good time and she took every disaster with good cheer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
