ChompOverload

Mushroom Pork Stir-fry

2009-05-04T21:40:00.003-04:00

A friend and I went to Super H Mart over the weekend. It took us almost an hour to get there as I took the wrong exit thinking I was in the right place and we proceeded to drive up and down the wrong road for 20 minutes wondering why we couldn't find the market. Haha. When we finally got there, it was a madhouse as usual with tons of older Asian woman clamoring to grab the best bargains on meat, produce, and seafood. I picked up quite a number of good deals myself including longans (aka dragon's eyes) and enormous tiger shrimp.

Everytime I am at the Asian markets, I pick up something new to try and this time was no exception. On my friend's advice, I bought a small bundle of brown beech shimeji mushrooms for stir-fry. These were prewashed and just had to be stemmed and separated, so they were an easy addition to King Oyster mushrooms, ground pork, and green beans sauteed with oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, and a sprinkling of sugar (I find sugar gives stir-fries a more complex flavor).

Stir-fries always make me feel pretty healthy - lots of veg, minimal meat (about 1/3 of a pound in this batch which made 3 large servings). Not to mention that they are totally delicious over a bowl of steaming hot rice! Yummmm!

BBQ Leftovers

2009-04-29T17:49:00.006-04:00

Hmm, I seem to write about using leftovers an awful lot. I guess making bentos naturally lends itself to using leftovers, and being a naturally thrifty person, I never like wasting food anyway. This time, I took leftovers from a small bbq with friends to create three different meals.

sweet potato and sausage hash

First up, I had a plethora of sliced and roasted sweet potatoes, along with a couple grilled chicken sausages. I diced them both, sauteed them with onions (both the normal and green variety - I like onion!), seasoned the whole mess with a bit of chipotle chili powder, and topped it all off with a fried egg over easy. This was a delicious weekend breakfast.

miso chicken stirfry

Next, my friend had brought over a veggie tray that went uneaten. I personally dislike veggie trays as the veg always seems a bit less than fresh. Rather than eat them raw, I tossed the veg into a miso chicken stirfry. I used the celery and carrots from the tray, added frozen broccoli and corn, and sauteed with the chicken plus plenty of garlic, miso paste, oyster sauce, chicken stock, and a couple splashes each of Chinese cooking wine and rice wine vinegar. This tasted fresh and healthy over white rice. I made enough for me and the boyfriend for dinner, plus a bit leftover for my lunch.

tuna pasta salad

That veggie tray also included a handful of cherry tomatoes. I had the odds and ends of a few zucchini leftover from grilling, and I also had a can of Trader Joe's yellowfin tuna in olive oil that I had been meaning to try. I used the olive oil from the tuna to saute the diced zucchini, garlic, and tomato. I mixed that with the tuna, shell pasta, lemon juice, and plenty of fresh parsley for a quick and surprisingly mouthwatering dinner (with plenty leftover for lunch the next day). I definitely recommend the TJ's tuna! The olive oil packed tuna tastes much better than the stuff in water.

Rotisserie Chicken Bentos

2009-04-27T15:18:00.004-04:00

I posted last week about my chicken chili made of leftovers including some shredded rotisserie chicken. I didn't have any pictures at the time, but I later managed to take a picture of my chicken chili bento, eaten with a few slices of a delicious sunflower seed honey bread.

I had a small serving of shredded chicken leftover which I used for a very simple bento with leftover roasted brussels sprouts and frozen rice. I tossed the chicken with a small splash of soy sauce which helped both flavor and moisten it.

This is just a sampling of the 101 ways to use a rotisserie chicken!

Acorn Squash and Bacon Bread Pudding

2009-04-26T12:26:00.004-04:00

I recently found myself with a stale half loaf of very nice bread from the farmer's market. Being the thrifty person I am, I started brainstorming ideas for what to do with it. Freezing and reheating to eat as normal bread was no longer an option since the bread was almost rock hard. I could have ground it up for bread crumbs but I rarely use them and really - half a loaf's worth of bread crumbs?? So my mind turned to savory bread pudding, something I'd never eaten before but for some reason, that's what popped into my head.

I ended up adapting this recipe from Cooking Light, using acorn instead of butternut squash and adding bacon and frozen spinach (the latter counteracts the unhealthiness of the former, right??). I also used only 3 eggs with no additional egg whites, and omitted the nutmeg (have never been very fond of the stuff except in pumpkin pies). I was surprised and pleased with the results - a gorgeous crusty top and a soft custardy interior. The bacon definitely helped as it probably would have been a bit bland otherwise. Yum!

It also made a really nice bento atop a bed of arugula with some juicy tomato slices alongside. I took this to class, extracted the bread pudding and heated it in the microwave, tossed the arugula and tomato with a bit of italian dressing, then put the warm bread pudding back on top to slightly wilt the arugula. It was a totally delicious and gourmet-looking dinner!

Chicken Chili

2009-04-21T14:02:00.002-04:00

I've mentioned before that I love being able to create something new out of leftovers, and my latest creation was supremely satisfying. I added pantry items to my leftovers for two hearty and delicious servings of chicken chili, all cooked up in less than an hour (most of the time allotted to simmering on the stove). No pictures (ate it too fast) but here's the basic recipe:

Ingredients:
3 very ripe tomatoes, diced with juices saved
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can beans (pinto, black, kidney - doesn't matter), rinsed
-- save about 1/2 can liquid
-- mash 1/4 can beans and leave the rest whole
couple handfuls frozen corn
1 cooked chicken thigh or breast, shredded with skin removed
chopped parsley or cilantro
taco seasoning (mixture of cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder, and red pepper flakes)
salt and pepper
olive oil

In a large saute pan over medium heat, sweat onions 5 minutes or until translucent and tender. Add green pepper and garlic, cook for another few minutes, then add tomatoes with juice, whole and mashed beans, bean liquid, and corn. Season with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and parsley, let warm through, then remove from heat. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream as desired.

Unhealthy Weekend Eating

2009-04-15T17:20:00.002-04:00

It was a rather fatty and cholesterol-laden weekend. Starting with pizza and fries for dinner Friday night, then an egg over easy and leftover pizza on Saturday morning, continuing with shrimp pasta for both dinner that night and lunch the next day, and finally ending with baby back ribs for Sunday dinner. Oh, not to mention the impromptu batch of cheddar rosemary garlic biscuits I whipped up to go with the ribs.

The biscuits were pretty darn good though, and came out well even for me! Usually my biscuits are hard and dense. These weren't as fluffy as I would have liked but definitely flakey and flavorful. I followed this recipe without the kneading (that tends to make biscuits more dense and tough) and brushed the tops with butter before baking. I also cut the biscuits into squares to avoid waste, then rounded the corners by molding them in my hands. Finally, I had to jazz them up so I added a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of rosemary, and a handful of shredded cheese. Definitely will make again!

Lazy Me

2009-04-11T11:05:00.003-04:00

Two days of eating out for lunch totally messed up my food diary. Thursday, we had another team lunch at Cafe Deluxe and I was too embarrassed to ask for a nutrition fact sheet. Yes, I am a wuss! I could try to come up with the nutritional information by looking up each separate ingredient, but a) I am too lazy and b) I probably don't want to know! Cafe Deluxe has fabulous gruyere mac and cheese, so I split a side of that with a coworker IN ADDITION to my grilled chicken, avocado, and onion sandwich with fries. And two Cokes. *shame*

For dinner Thursday, I had leftover Shepherd's Pie, which I made for dinner Wednesday with the boyfriend. I also ate Shepherd's Pie for lunch yesterday (not one to waste food) followed by an exorbitant amount of beers at happy hour and a couple slices of pizza for late-night dinner. What a healthy few days this has been!

I'll probably try to count the calories for yesterday's meals and definitely will start over today. First thing on my menu is a sunny-side up egg from the Farmer's Market last weekend. Yum!

Day Off from Food Diary

2009-04-08T18:09:00.002-04:00

I had a team meeting today and the company paid for lunch at Cactus Cantina in Tenleytown. I've tried for the past half hour to find nutritional information for the food I ate, but it's extremely difficult as I had a variety of items in one platter and don't know if the information I'm finding online is anywhere close to accurate. Therefore, I'm counting this as a day off from the food diary! I don't know how people keep track of restarant meals when the nutritional information is not readily available.

I have another team meeting tomorrow with lunch at Cafe Deluxe. This time I'll look for a nutritional information sheet - hopefully they'll have one I can take home!

By the way, I had the Laredo platter at Cactus Cantina, which is one shredded beef enchilada, one chicken enchilada, and one chicken taco, with Mexican rice and frijoles a la charra (a kind of bean soup). It was delicious!

Food Diary - Day Two Results

2009-04-07T22:16:00.003-04:00

What I ate:
1000 mg Vitamin C
Dannon Thick and Creamy Strawberry Yogurt (best flavor ever!!!)
Acorn squash and bacon bread pudding (for both lunch and dinner)
1/4 cup cashews
small mixed greens salad with 1/2 tomato
52 oz water

How it added up (percentages are of recommended daily intake):
Calorie Daily Value 962.50 65%
Calories from fat 368.90 83%
Total Fat (g) 40.50 81%
Saturated Fat (g) 15.50 310%
Cholesterol (mg) 268.00 89%
Sodium (mg) 1,908.00 80%
Potassium (mg) 523.00 15%
Total Carbohydrate (g) 77.00 41%
Dietary Fiber (g) 10.00 40%
Sugars (g) 31.00 48%
Protein (g) 40.00 54%
Vitamin A 23%
Calcium 69%
Vitamin C 1684%
Iron 34%

Sorry for the horrible formatting. I started using Google Documents for my Excel spreadsheet and the formatting doesn't follow through when I paste into Blogger. Boo. I'll have to figure something else out. Also started leaving out the more obscure nutritional information like thiamin and biotin (what is that stuff anyways??)

Anyway, it appears I ate way less than my recommended caloric intake today. I feel vaguely hungry but not enough to do anything about it. I also drank the right amount for my recommended water intake, which probably explains the increased number of trips I took to the bathroom today! That also probably helped with the hunger. I also did a lot better on both cholesterol and sodium intake today; the latter was a lot higher yesterday due to the deli meat in my sandwich. Ew!

I'll have to do research on some of the nutritional values that I'm not really hitting, like potassium and iron. I think bananas contain potassium but I don't know what a deficit is doing for my health. The internet does have all the answers though!

Food Diary - Day One Results

2009-04-06T22:08:00.005-04:00

What I ate:
33 oz water
1000 mg Vitamin C tablet
Activia peach yogurt
Sandwich (potato bread, oven roasted chicken deli meat, smoked provolone, tomato, mustard, mayo)
Reduced fat Cheez-its
Bacon and acorn squash bread pudding

How it added up (percentages are of recommended daily intake):

Calorie Daily Value	1266	85%	Calories from fat	403.4	90%
Total Fat	45	90%
Saturated Fat	18	350%
Cholesterol	343	114%
Sodium	3635	151%
Potassium	346	10%
Total Carbohydrate	151	81%
Dietary Fiber	11	44%
Sugars	25	39%
Protein	64	86%
Vitamin A	10%		Vitamin C	1677%
Calcium	81%		Iron	47%
Vitamin D	0%		Vitamin E	0%
Thiamin	20%		Riboflavin	15%
Niacin	8%		Vitamin B-6	0%
Folate	16%		Vitamin B-12	0%
Biotin	0%		Pantothenic Acid	0%
Phosphorus	0%		Iodine	0%
Magnesium	4%		Zinc	4%
Copper	0%

Overall, I did fairly well on caloric intake. I usually eat a lot more at dinner, which represented about half of my caloric intake for the day. What I didn't realize was how hard it is to stay within the recommended amounts of saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium! While this may have something to do with the bacon I added to the bread pudding, everything else contains fairly high levels of all three of these "no-no" ingredients. My sandwich alone satisfied my saturated fat intake for the day.

Also, I already knew this, but measuring the actual amounts of water I drink reinforced my knowledge that I do not drink enough. My recommended intake is about 51 oz. It's now 10:30 pm and I have almost 20 oz to go to meet that! Of course, I don't want to be up all night running to the bathroom so I think I'll just try to do better tomorrow. ;P

Food Diary

2009-04-06T10:36:00.002-04:00

I'm going to try something new here, and I might not follow through with it but it's worth a shot. I'd like to write down everything that I eat and its nutritional information. I'm not doing this to lose weight but I'm interested in whether or not I'm eating healthy. I'll have to do some research on my recommended daily intake of protein, carbs, etc. but for now I'll settle for making note of what I eat and what's on the packaging. The easiest way to do this will be in Excel but I'll try to post daily recaps of what I eat along with summaries of my daily caloric and nutrient intake. We'll see where this leads...

Tofu Curry

2009-04-02T22:45:00.002-04:00

Not everyone likes tofu. Its spongey texture and bland taste are rather unappealing. But I think the real appeal of tofu is its ability to soak up flavors from everything else while remaining a healthy source of protein. I especially like tofu in curry with a small amount of meat (usually ground pork or beef) and a variety of vegetables. The boyfriend really likes this combo as well so it's become part of our regular dinner rotation.

Typically, I mix about a tablespoon of curry powder with a couple blocks of Japanese curry base. The other ingredients vary from different meats (cubed chicken, ground beef, ground pork) to different vegetables (potato, carrot, frozen peas, broccoli). The results are always extremely tasty and there are always plenty of leftovers that are even better the next day.

Quick and Easy Mexican

2009-03-30T22:01:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I get home from work and the last thing I want is to make a complicated dinner for one. At the same time, my thrifty self won't allow me to order takeout very often - in fact, I almost never get takeout except for the occasional (less than once a month) cravings for pizza or Chinese. Instead, I resort to quick meals like ramen (the curry flavored version is surprisingly good) and hot sandwiches (I have an aversion to cold sandwiches; they taste like sawdust to me).

Recently, I discovered that the Mexican restaurant next door sells their homemade corn or flour tortillas by the dozen for takeout. At less than $3 for a fresh, piping hot batch, they make the perfect base for a quick and easy Mexican dinner. I fill them with the leftover odds and ends of veggies, a little bit of protein (usually chicken), and a sprinkle of shredded cheese, then pan-fry them for crispy, golden quesadillas. Alternatively, I keep them soft and warm while I whip up a batch of refried beans, then eat them soft taco style filled with the beans, diced tomatoes, and whatever else is handy - hopefully a ripe avocado.

Refried beans are surprisingly easy and cheap to make as well. This may be the cheater's method but it works and it tastes delicious. Zero points for healthy meal here, though. The sodium in canned beans and the bacon fat used for frying makes this an indulgent treat that is often spread out over a few days to assuage my guilt.

Cheater's Refried Beans

1 can pinto beans
1-2 tbsp bacon fat (I guess veg oil would work too but olive oil might taste too strong)
optional:
handful diced onions
couple cloves minced garlic
handful shredded cheese
few sprinkles tabasco

Heat a frying pan with the bacon fat or oil over medium heat. If using, saute onions and/or garlic until fragrant, then add the entire can of beans including the liquid. As the beans heat up, mash some with a wooden spoon until the beans reach the desired texture (I like mine chunky). Add tabasco and cheese if desired, mix well, and serve right away. No additional salt is needed as the canned bean liquid will be pretty salty.

Lemon Curd Cookies

2009-03-29T18:48:00.002-04:00

Whenever we visit my boyfriend's family in Tulsa, we have to buy a batch of lemon curd cookies. Sweet-tart lemon curd sandwiched between buttery cookies dredged in powdered sugar... they are insanely delicious. We've never seen them anywhere in DC so we tried making our own with this recipe from Epicurious. While it's a bit time consuming, it's truly worth the trouble. The lemon curd lasts at least a month (we've had ours for a month and a half now and it still tastes pretty darn good), and the cookie dough can be formed into logs and frozen for later use. I could even eat the cookies by themselves with no curd or sugar - they are rich, buttery, and oh-so-tasty! Whip up a batch if you get a chance. You won't be disappointed.

Kohlrabi Stir Fry

2009-03-25T17:03:00.003-04:00

My local Harris Teeter sells bunches of baby kohlrabi for about $3.50. They're really cute but I never thought there would be enough edible portion in the baby ones. What I didn't consider was the leaves. Thoroughly washed, chopped, and ribs removed, they make a hearty addition to a stir fry with chicken, carrots, and the bulb of the kohlrabi.

B.A.T. Stuffed Chicken

2009-03-24T20:49:00.003-04:00

With a couple weeks break from school, I've found that I have far greater motivation to make creative meals after work. I've also been using a lot of leftovers in new ways, something that makes me pretty happy since I am typically prone to waste and often find unmentionables in the back of my fridge.

Last night's dinner of fish tacos with avocado, tomato, and refried beans cooked in bacon fat resulted in a bounty of leftovers: half an avocado, half a tomato, four strips of bacon (minus a nibble here and there... who could resist??), and a bowl full of beans. Setting aside the beans for soft tacos throughout the week, I combined the remainder to make B.A.T. Stuffed Chicken. Get it? B.A.T. Bacon, Avocado, Tomato! See recipe below.

B.A.T. Stuffed Chicken

two boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
half an avocado, diced
half a tomato, diced
four cooked bacon strips, roughly chopped
two slices smoked provolone (substitute any strongly-flavored cheese)
one handful shredded mozzarella (substitute any mild-flavored cheese)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a ovenproof saute pan over medium high heat. Salt and pepper each chicken breast, then on each breast, place one slice of provolone and approximately one quarter each of the avocado, tomato, and bacon. Roll up the chicken, tucking in the ends. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Sear chicken, seam side down, in the hot pan. Rotate and sear all sides, then return chicken to seam side down. Top each chicken roll with shredded cheese and the remaining bacon, then place the pan in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. When chicken is done, top with remaining avocado and tomatoes before serving.

B.A.T. Stuffed Chicken with roasted broccoli and couscous

What I've Been Cooking/Eating Instead of Blogging

2009-02-13T16:34:00.002-05:00

chicken or pork (forget which) in mushroom sauce, roasted red potatoes, green beans

roasted cherry tomato and smoked sausage medley (served over pasta)

kabocha soup topped with toasted kabocha seeds, brie and sesame crackers

miso chicken lo mein

homemade meatball sub with not-so-homemade tater tots

fish tacos with cilantro yogurt sauce

roast chicken and veggies

lor bat go (turnip cake) fried with egg

bento with edamame, pork/leek dumplings, hard-boiled egg

Food-Related Presents

2009-01-05T12:57:00.004-05:00

After almost 4 years together, my boyfriend knows me well enough to anticipate that food-related presents will be the best-received (besides jewelry, of course - what girl doesn't like some sparkle?). But I didn't think that he would be so attentive as to pick up on a food-related problem that I've been having for the past few months...

A few posts ago, I complained that the lack of sunlight has greatly decreased the quality of my food photography. Taking photos with flash washed out all the vibrant colors, but taking photos without flash were either too yellow (indoor lighting) or blurry (unsteady hand). As a result, I just stopped taking as many food photos as I have in the past.

Much to my surprise, the bf noticed and decided to do something about it! He made me a homemade light box using white foam board, clip-on lamps, and full spectrum lightbulbs. He also bought me a mini tripod to help with the shaky hand problem. The light box wasn't quite done until yesterday but I have used the tripod a number of times already, which has really improved the non-flash photos, even without special lighting!

Chinese leftovers bento: Singapore noodles, sesame chicken with broccoli, lemon cookie, and honeydew gummy

soy/brown sugar salmon, israeli couscous, roasted asparagus

Besides the lightbox and tripod, the best present I got this year was a Reynolds Handi-Vac from the bf's mother. If you haven't heard of this before, you MUST try one! It creates a vacuum seal in ziploc bags which protects frozen foods from freezer burns and helps refrigerated produce stay fresh longer. It is insanely awesome and so much fun to use. I now have a fridge and freezer full of little vacuum-sealed packets!

Brussels Sprout Overload

2008-12-22T14:38:00.003-05:00

Oh man, brussels sprouts. I like them, really, I do. I just discovered them last year via this very popular recipe on 101 Cookbooks. It's pretty much the only way I cook them although I've also had them roasted in the oven and cut into thin strips for a hash. But what was a thinking when I bought this monster stalk of sprouts??

This turned out to be 6+ servings of brussels sprouts. Thank goodness the bf likes them too so really it was only 3 different meals with sprouts, but I STILL HAVE A FEW LEFT and they are probably going to be wasted as I am leaving for the holidays tomorrow. Poor baby sprouts.

They do photograph beautifully though, especially when they're a bit charred on the bottoms and sprinkled with a lovely white shower of grated Parmesan. And they fit neatly into bentos (although I can't say that my officemates have all enjoyed the sulfurous smell as much as I have).

Food Coma

2008-12-07T22:30:00.002-05:00

That's where I've been for the past couple months... in a food-induced coma that prohibits me from blogging. Really. :)

Truthfully, it's just been a mess of too much work, school, and hibernation. Something about the cold weather makes me really sleepy and extremely lazy. I've taken a few more pictures of my food lately but nothing that excites me. There may be some more food inspiration in the near future though. I'm planning on making half a dozen baking kits in glass jars as holiday presents, which I'm sure will photograph nicely. Also, I'm having laser eye surgery at the end of the week - it's the kind that requires a longer recovery time so after about 4 days of very poor vision and being able to do nothing but sit on the couch, I MIGHT just want to cook/blog!

We'll see though. I've become quite a bear in the winter. Zzz....

Finally, an update!

2008-11-14T16:14:00.002-05:00

November has been sooooo busy so far! Work and school are completely taking over my life (having a new Wii doesn't help either). I've been making lunches sporadically but they aren't very inspired and thus not quite photo-worthy. Also, stupid daylight savings has stolen my lovely natural light and it shows in my pictures. Grrr. Anyway, here are a couple bentos that actually turned out decent.

pan-fried smoked turkey sausage, colby jack cheese cubes, grapes, bbq sauce in container

Trader Joe's mushroom turnovers, grapes underneath bear egg

all put together in a new bento box

spam musubi and siu mai on a bed of edamame

pb soba noodles, carrot kinpara, simmered kabocha, miso chicken

New Ingredients: Miso, Kabocha, and Shitake

2008-10-23T15:04:00.005-04:00

Making bento has really inspired me to try new foods, especially Japanese ones! While at the Korean market a few weeks ago, I picked up a big tub of white miso, a smallish kabocha squash, and a package of fresh shitake mushrooms. I had been reading about miso on Just Hungry and although I have had miso soup at Japanese restaurants, I have never tried cooking with it. For my first miso attempt, I modified this recipe and simmered some cubes of kabocha in a miso, ginger, garlic, soy, and brown sugar broth. After just 15 minutes, the squash was delightfully tender and almost creamy. The broth was addictive and I couldn't stop drinking it straight from the pot!

Next, I used the miso to flavor a stir-fry of pork and shitake mushrooms. While the miso by itself had an overwhelmingly salty flavor (and this is the mild kind!), the saltiness was toned down nicely when blended with the rest of the ingredients. I combined the miso pork stir-fry with the kabocha in a variety of ways:

kabocha, curry tuna onigiri, miso pork/shitake, grape tomatoes, seckel pear (so cute and tiny!)

miso pork/shitake, kabocha, furikake mixed onigiri on a bed of edamame

pork/shitake and kabocha with soba in miso broth

Finally, I made a dish to showcase the fresh shitakes - mushroom risotto with shitake, button mushrooms, lots of shallots, and fresh thyme. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough arborio rice so I added some short-grain Japanese rice and some of the kernels didn't seem to cook enough so some bits were extra chewy! Whoops...

Top: bratwurst, tomato/mozzarella skewers
Bottom: mushroom risotto
Side: raspberry cookies and freeze-dried mango

Food in Color

2008-10-16T16:09:00.003-04:00

I couldn't resist sharing the bounty from my local farmer's market with its gorgeous palette. The colors make my usual meals seem gray and lifeless. Unfortunately, the potato lurking in the back was SUPPOSED to be a purple sweet potato (Okinawan) but turned out to be yellow. :( Still tasted great!

I also picked up fresh beans for the first time. These were labeled birds egg beans but, using my expert Googling skills, I discovered that they are more commonly known as borlotti or cranberry beans. They were delicious simmered till tender, then tossed with bacon, garlic, red pepper, and pasta.

The colors inspired me to include more color in my bentos. I am particularly proud of this one:

Top: Sauteed peppers, hash browns with carrot flower
Bottom: Edamame, carrot sticks, ham/cheese rollups, golden grape tomato, mayo/mustard mix in the container

Fish Burgers and Cakes

2008-10-06T13:45:00.004-04:00

Maki over at Just Bento posted a tuna/tofu burger recipe back in April. I finally got around to trying it but with oyster sauce instead of miso. (I've been meaning to pick up miso at my local Asian grocery store but haven't had the time to venture farther than Harris Teeter!) They were still pretty good and especially cute in bear, heart, and star shapes! I ate a few right away and packed some more in a couple of bentos, including the one seen in this post, but I still have a few waiting in the freezer...

tuna/tofu burgers browning in the pan

Soon after this experiment, I had some frozen tilapia-esque fish (not sure of the name) begging to be used. I baked two almond-crusted fillets, ate one for dinner that night and planned to use the second fillet as-is in a bento. Unfortunately, the almond crust wasn't quite as tasty as I had envisioned and I found myself dreading more mediocre fish for lunch. The solution? Fish cakes!

I found some interesting looking recipes for Thai fish cakes with curry and fish sauce, so I improvised and made my own version with a beaten egg, panko breadcrumbs, fish sauce, curry powder, and green onion. I was really pleased with how they turned out and they were the perfect size for fitting into a bento!

curry fish cakes over fettucine alfredo with slivered almonds, roasted zucchini, cherry tomatoes

There are still a couple fish cakes leftover, keeping company with my tuna/tofu burgers, and I think maybe this week they will make another appearance! Mmm, I sense some tasty lunches on the horizon...

A Couple More Bentos

2008-10-01T14:37:00.002-04:00

I have a post coming up about the tuna/tofu burgers from the previous post, but for now here is a picture of a couple recent bentos:

edamame, paprika chicken, mashed potatoes

top: cheez-its, 100-calorie pack carrot cakes (so cute but not that tasty), peachy gummy, Hershey's milk chocolate with almonds
bottom: beef and bean chili

a makeshift two-tier bento box with two small containers held together by an onigiri bento band

Trying New Things

2008-09-26T22:31:00.003-04:00

I like to think I'm a pretty adventurous eater, but my forays into new and unique foods are typically contained to restaurant eating. I rarely buy new types of food when grocery shopping, preferring to stick to my staple vegetables, meats, pasta, etc. But once in a while, something will catch my eye and I'll be compelled to buy it even if I don't have any idea what to do with it!

This time, it was figs. I don't think I'd ever had a fresh fig before. In fact, the only form of a fig I'd ever had was probably in a Fig Newton. I had never even SEEN a fresh fig until Harris Teeter had them in stock last week, a pile of gorgeous black mission and brown turkey figs, three for 99 cents! I bought three of each type and stuck them in the fridge pending further research for good fig recipes. I soon realized the ideal way to eat them was as-is, without any embellishment.

brown turkey figs (black mission behind)

I tried a black mission fig first. Mine were perhaps a touch on the overripe side, but the sugary taste was undeniably satisfying. The brown turkey figs were a better texture but not as sweet. Having had a taste as-is, I decided to try them with cheese. I broiled a few with slices of parmesan cheese on top, then drizzled them with honey. The honey improved the taste of the brown turkey figs while the sharp flavor of the cheese paired nicely with the sweet black mission figs. But ultimately, I think I prefer them fresh.

I'm happy to say I've now had fresh figs and perhaps I'll had a couple more weeks to enjoy them before they quickly go out of season! I even managed to incorporate them into a bento:

top: raspberry cookies in the lid
middle: corn, tuna/tofu burgers, soy sauce
bottom: figs and edamame

Bento Backlog

2008-09-24T17:27:00.002-04:00

It seems that all I do on this blog lately is post pictures of my bentos. Should this become BentoOverload? Or are two O's superfluous? Bentoverload... that looks strange, somehow.

Anyway, on to the bentos!

Leftover Thai bento: fried rice, straw mushrooms (picked out of the bf's leftovers), fried tofu dumpling, bottle of soy sauce

top tier (which was really the bottom tier): cube onigiri and edamame
bottom tier: fried spam slices, avocado and tomato salad, clementine wedges, bottle of soy sauce
notes: This was a really weird combo and I decided that I dislike leftover avocado

Another make-your-own fajita bento: black beans, shredded chicken, flour tortillas, peppers and onions, a clementine, shredded cheese in a snack-size plastic baggie (not shown)
notes: I love how everything fits in this box! I used the subcontainers from another box and they fit rather well.

Hard-boiled egg shaped like a star (but looks like a flower), apricots, zucchini gratin covered with parmesan, black beans, curry couscous with sausage, green beans
Notes: There was too much food in this box. Also, I put too much parm on the gratin and you can't see the pretty yellow/green zukes.

My Favorite Sandwich

2008-09-17T14:30:00.004-04:00

I'm not a huge fan of sandwiches for lunch - they seem so monotonous in both flavor and texture. A good deli sandwich can be appetizing when made fresh, but somehow prepacked sandwiches look bland and lifeless when removed from their plastic baggies.

I vastly prefer a grilled or pressed sandwich. The toasty bread and melted cheese transform an otherwise boring meal into a delicious treat. Grilled cheese is the universal favorite but my twist on this adds avocado and deli meat for an out-of-this-world sandwich for which I occasionally develop huge cravings!

You can use any kind of cheese or deli meat but the key to this sandwich is mashed avocado (I like mine slightly chunky) which provides moisture, eliminating the need for mayonnaise. I also add a bit of garlic salt, pepper, and lemon juice to the mash. Above, smoked provolone and turkey give the sandwich a burst of saltiness that pairs well with the creamy avocado and toasty bread. I've had this with tomato soup too (a la the classic grilled cheese/soup combo) and it's fantastic for dipping!

Now if only I had a portable sandwich press to take to work... I'd have grilled sandwiches every day!

Rediscovering Rice

2008-09-12T12:41:00.006-04:00

When I was little, my mom had to force me to finish a bowl of rice at dinner. I refused to eat it plain and had to top if with some kind of sauce. My dad was offended by my rejection of his beloved rice and frequently scolded me for drowning the rice in sauce, turning it into a stew or soup. As I got older, the rice became an expected part of the meal, not a burden but not a delight.

It wasn't until my recent forays into bento that I realized the endless possibilities of rice. I'd always liked it as a base for stir-fry but now I'm also using it as a portable snack and a shell for savory fillings. Additionally, rice is easy to freeze and defrost, making it a quick and convenient addition to my lunches. Now I'm using it almost daily and really enjoying it!

Top tier: stir-fried tofu cubes, leftover chicken, peas
Bottom tier: rice cubes with salmon furikake, string cheese

Pork mango picadillo, rice with furikake

Pork mango picadillo, rice, mooncake, Laughing Cow cheese and crackers

Spam musubi (minus terikyaki glaze)

Furikake mixed rice in adorable bear, star, and heart shapes

Lazy Bentos

2008-09-03T13:38:00.003-04:00

I bought frozen mini-meatballs from Trader Joe's, thinking they'd be good for a quick spaghetti and meatballs dinner. Instead, I discovered that they are perfect for a few bites of meat in my bentos! The instructions said to microwave on high for 4 minutes which resulted in extremely hard, burnt, and smelly meatballs. Next I tried 2 minutes which worked initially but in subsequent trials also resulted in overcooked meatballs. 1 minute turned out to be just right!

mini-meatballs over orzo, laughing cow cheese and mini nutter butters (crackers underneath)

I've also been buying all varieties of premade pasta from Harris Teeter. So far, the only one that's appealed to me is the veal-stuffed agnolotti, while the cheese and veg stuffed versions have been slightly too chewy and unappetizing. Last night, I tried a five-cheese tortellini which did not taste very good, even with the addition of a ricotta tomato sauce.

tortellini with peas in ricotta tomato sauce, meatballs, mini red pepper, laughing cow cheese with crackers underneath

What other lazy foods can I use in my bentos? I've got frozen mushroom turnovers in the fridge, courtesy of Trader Joe's. They need to be baked but could probably be refrigerated after that and reheated in the microwave at work. I'm out of edamame but that is one great space filler which will be used more frequently in my bentos once I remember to pick some up at the store. I love lazy food!

Tuna and Orzo Bento

2008-08-28T11:21:00.003-04:00

Harris Teeter had yellowfin tuna steaks on sale for $4.99/lb the other day! I was going to buy salmon but decided last minute to get a pound of the tuna. I've never cooked fresh tuna before so it was interesting to experiment. I wanted an Asian marinade, something with soy sauce and sesame oil. As I started to pull out the ingredients, I noticed in my fridge an unopened bottle of Gyoza dipping sauce from Trader Joe's! It had most of the ingredients I wanted in my marinade so I saved lots of time and measuring by using that, with the addition of a squeeze of honey and a teaspoon more of sesame oil (love that stuff).

The steaks marinated for an hour before being pan-fried over high heat. In retrospect, the honey mixed with high heat was perhaps a bad idea as the tuna got a bit too dark on the outside. They tasted pretty good though, especially topped with the remaining marinade (boiled to kill any germs) then paired with orzo and fresh corn on the cob. One pound of tuna was definitely too much food for me and my boyfriend so I put the remainder into a really cute bento!

Top: orzo with garlic, onion, and zucchini, topped with toasted slivered almonds
Bottom: Sliced fresh tuna, skewered cornichons, adorable mini sweet pepper, bottle of gyoza dipping sauce for tuna

I've been experimenting with the settings on my point-and-shoot digicam (Canon SD1000) to find the best combination for indoor food pictures using the flash. These didn't come out too bad. I lowered the exposure setting, set the color scheme on "vivid" to bring out the colors of the food, and used the macro lens. Still not the greatest though. I'll have to experiment some more...

Texas Food!

2008-08-25T12:19:00.002-04:00

If the food I ate this past weekend was indicative of what Texans eat all the time... well, all I can say is that I love Texas. It wasn't the most healthy food, not by a long shot, but boy was it tasty. My girlfriends and I pigged out in San Antonio and Austin with BBQ, Mexican/Tex-Mex, and multiple trips to Sonic. And, of course, I have pictures of every meal we ate!

Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q

We stopped at the side of a highway for this authentic no-plates BBQ joint. It wasn't until I saw the "sause" bottles that I realized it was the same Rudy's from a coworker had bought me a bottle of BBQ sauce. We ordered a bit of everything... beef brisket, pork ribs, half a chicken, sausage, creamed corn, baked beans, and potato salad. My favorites were the ribs and creamed corn.

Although I'd seen it on TV, it was my first time eating piles of barbecued meat on waxed paper. We sat at picnic tables surrounded by Rudy's "kitsch" including this hilarious yet disturbing sign:

La Fogata

This Mexican restaurant had quite the flashy and tacky decor with hundreds of strings of lights woven in and around the outdoor patios, bubbling fountains, and neon signs. But the food? Well, I only have one picture of my meal (beef quesadilla), which is evidence of how good it really was.

Sonic

What is it about Sonic that makes it sooo good? Maybe it's because there are none in DC (always want what you can't have, right?) or because the drive-in concept is so quaint yet novel, or maybe it's because they serve one of my favorite foods - tater tots! Whatever the reason, we went there twice in our brief weekend trip.

Chili cheese tator tots

Chili cheese Coney

Liberty Bar

I read about this place on both Chow and Yelp, so I recommended that we go there for brunch. The restaurant is in kind of a sketchy neighborhood at the side of a highway, and the building is extremely ramshackle on the outside. Inside, your senses are assaulted with pink walls and slanted floors that feel somewhat fun house-esque. I could tell my friends were skeptical but the food definitely upstaged the decor. I particularly loved the scrambled egg-covered tortilla chips that were still slightly crispy with a hint of smokiness.

Hibiscus and mint iced tea with ginger and white grape juice

Refried beans, guac salsa, scrambled eggs with tortilla chips

Guac salsa and refried beans on a special roll with garlic sausage

Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill

I'm pretty picky about choosing a restaurant so I felt a bit uneasy letting a friend of a friend book us reservations for dinner in Austin. But we likely never would have found this affordable and delicious place on our own so I'm extremely grateful! The decor was very nice with stone walls and low lighting, and our waitress was the friendliest server you could ask for, even going out of her way to ring up separate checks for our party of 13. Everything I tried was good and the complimentary cornbread, which had its own huge box advertisement on the menu, was out of this world especially when paired with creamy honey butter.

Chorizo-stuffed pork tenderloin

Five-cheese macaroni and achiote chicken

Miso-grilled salmon

Seafood enchiladas

The infamous cornbread

Casa de Trimi

This last meal was a hearty breakfast lovingly prepared by one of my best girlfriends after a long night of drinking and only 4 hours of sleep. Sometimes you just can't beat home cooking.

More Bentos

2008-08-20T12:37:00.005-04:00

I made three bentos this weekend in preparation for the week's lunches (and dinner to take with me to class). The colors are pretty but I'm not quite satisfied with the taste of raw veg by itself. I need to get some sort of container for ranch dip or hummus. Also need to work on my lighting techniques... *grumble*

Leftover Pasta and Veg Bento
Top: veal-stuffed agnolotti with bacon, mushroom, and peas; cherry tomatoes
Bottom: carrot sticks and snap peas with spreadable Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese
(Notes: microwaved the pasta with the tomatoes on top, making them hot and bursty; not enough cheese for all the veg)

Ravi Kabob Bento
Top: Rice with stewed chickpeas; cherry tomatoes and spreadable Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese
Bottom: Chicken Tikka Kebab
(Notes: antibacterial grass food divider between tomatoes and rice; forgot a food pick and had to scrounge for a fork!)

Grilled Chicken and Sweet Potato Bento
Snap peas, cherry tomatoes, chicken, sweet potatoes
(Notes: antibacterial grass food divider between veg and chicken; love my elephant food pick!)

Strawberries and Cupcakes - Together!

2008-08-15T13:48:00.004-04:00

I had a craving for coconut cupcakes over the weekend, so I sent the bf on a mission to procure coconut flakes, coconut milk, and powdered sugar. Unfortunately, Trader Joe's has a very limited baking section and had only one of the above items (coconut milk). He did, however, bring back a nice quart of strawberries, so I changed plans completely and made chocolate cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting.

The cupcake recipe was adapted from Joy of Baking, but I may have taken a wrong turn when I substituted milk for water when dissolving the cocoa powder. Also, I fear I overcreamed the butter and sugar, making for an extremely dense batter (looked like mousse). The cupcakes turned out okay but rather dry and had an odd bouncy texture rather than being crumbly. I had better luck with the frosting though, which was 1 bar of cream cheese mixed with a stick of butter, strawberry puree (blended and sieved strawberries), and powdered sugar. I used a resealable plastic bag to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and got some ugly ones that were eaten immediately, and some rather pretty ones like the one below:

I also had some cut up strawberries with lunch this week and used two of the adorable animal food picks I got for bento! My coworkers are at a loss for words when looking at my lunches lately.

Making Use of Leftovers

2008-08-11T15:25:00.005-04:00

I love leftovers. For some reason (probably the thrifty voice ingrained in my head by my mother), I derive immense pleasure from turning leftovers into delicious next-day meals. The best leftover is roast chicken, which can be shredded and reused in a variety of cuisines from Mexican (quesadillas) to Italian (filling for ravioli).

This time, I purposely ordered way too much Peruvian rotisserie chicken (it's so cheap, how can you not buy more?) and shredded 3/4 of a chicken for meals throughout the week. As a full time consultant and part time student, I take all the help I can get for fast meal preparation. Some of the chicken went into the standard quesadilla with store-bought tortillas - they last forever in the fridge, shredded cheese, and sauteed onions. Most of the chicken, however, was saved for delicious chicken salad sandwiches in which I mixed the chicken with its accompanying mayonnaise (not sure what's in it but it's light yellow and phenomenal), a bit of the green pepper sauce (very spicy so a little goes a long way), and some sliced green onion. I topped sourdough bread with smoked provolone and the chicken mixture, popped it in the oven for a few minutes, and had myself a gorgeous, scrumptious open-faced sandwich.

Speaking of leftovers, ever since my experiment with onigiri, I've developed a fascination with bento boxes! What a creative and clever way to use up leftovers. I always have small amounts of leftovers too, not quite enough for a full meal but too much to let go to waste. After reading many many posts on Lunchinabox.net, I visited the online store for Ichiban Kan and bought way too many bento supplies! I have yet to use the cutesy food dividers, sauce containers, and food picks, but leftovers from dinner last night yielded this adorable version of a bento box:

Left: broccolini sauteed in garlic and shallot
Middle: rosemary rib-eye steak
Right: buttermilk mashed potatoes with green onions

Here's to many more adventures in bento-making!

Yes, I like food.

2008-08-04T16:40:00.003-04:00

I think all I do lately is think about food, read about food, look at pictures of food, cook food, and take pictures of my food. Oh, and eat food, of course. Here are a few more delicious meals from the past week.

Penne with prosciutto, mushroom, zucchini, and parm

Cute mini quiche with rosemary, prosciutto and parm

Grilled chicken drumsticks with Vietnamese marinade from Kim O'Donnell

I'd particularly like to point out this hash brown stirfry (below). This delicious-looking creation came about the other morning when I wanted a diner-esque breakfast and had only frozen tater tots, no potatoes. So I put some oil in a pan, tossed in the tots, covered the pan, and let cook for about 5 minutes until thawed. Then I mushed them all up, pushed them to the side, and added my other ingredients (bacon, onion, some broccolini). Once everything had cooked through, I pushed the whole mess down flat into the pan and turned the heat up to make the bottom nice and crispy, then tossed it around and repeated several times. Oh man, was it good. Tater tots may have to be an emergency staple in my freezer from now on!

Awesome hash brown stirfry topped with an egg over easy

Adorable Onigiri

2008-07-29T15:27:00.006-04:00

Inspired by the gorgeous photos and instructions from Lunchinabox.net, I decided to try my hand at making yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls). I used Japanese Kokuho Rose rice which is short-grained and sticky, perfect for holding the onigiri shape, and filled some of the onigiri with curried tuna (drained canned tuna mixed with mayo, curry powder, green onion, and salt). This technique from Just Hungry helped with the shaping of each ball. To differentiate filled and plain onigiri, I rolled the edges of the plain ones in toasted black sesame seeds. I also mixed some sesame oil into the soy sauce used for brushing each ball before pan frying.

onigiri (untoasted)

The result? Georgeous, toasted rice that pairs nicely with curried tuna and would be even better with some kind of dipping sauce (maybe more soy). I deem this experiment a success!

yaki onigiri

Birthday Food

2008-07-28T10:16:00.004-04:00

My birthday was yesterday and I spent the whole weekend eating! Dinner on Saturday was with a group of 10 at Al Tiramisu in Dupont. Tom used to live down the street from there so I'm not sure how we never tried it before. I'll definitely be back though! Prices are extremely reasonable (most pastas under $20 and entrees in the low $20s) and everything was fresh and tasty. We were a bit disappointed with dessert but the rest of our meal was fantastic.

Lobster pasta

Unbelievable butternut squash tortellini

Pappardelle with wild mushroom ragu

The next day, Tom and I tried the new brunch at Co Co. Sala downtown. $22 fixed price menu for a small amuse bouche (a chocolate fritter), a choice of 4 different main dishes, and dessert. Yummy and very unique but maybe only worth trying once.

Chocolate fritter

Yummy ricotta pancakes

Lukewarm but still good breakfast scramble on flatbread

Decadent desserts! My favorite was the pb banana mousse (lower left corner)

For dinner on my actual birthday, Tom and I cooked up a delicious meal. Originally we had planned on having some kind of breaded and baked white fish with lemon garlic butter but the fish at Harris Teeter wasn't very attractive. We were also going to roast up some asparagus and top it with shaved Parm, but for some reason, my HT only stocks the very thin asparagus which is not so good for roasting. We played with the idea of a rack of lamb but HT only had one rack for almost $30!

Exhausted by the (lack of) possibilities, we settled on thick-cut pork chops in a rosemary white wine sauce, corn on the cob, and red-skinned potatoes with balsamic shallot butter. Turned out pretty tasty if I do say so myself:

Alternative Hummus

2008-07-22T19:24:00.004-04:00

I was really looking forward to pita sandwiches with tuna and edamame. Much to my dismay, I was out of tuna! How does that happen? Isn't there one magical can of tuna that never leaves your cupboard? Anyway, having already cooked and shelled the edamame, I decided to make a "fake" hummus with a can of garbanzo beans, sesame oil, and loads of garlic. I also toasted up the pita bread for some quick pita chips. Doesn't look half bad, does it? Recipe follows.

Alternative Hummus

1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup edamame, cooked and shelled
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs sesame oil
3-5 tbs warm water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, blending until smooth. Add more water as needed until the hummus has reached the desired consistency.

Quick Pita Chips

Cut pita bread into wedges. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy.

More Feastyness

2008-07-21T20:38:00.003-04:00

Oh yum, I love colorful food.

Peanut butter lime soba noodles with snap peas

Insalata Caprese

Prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe

Seasonal Cooking

2008-07-15T22:23:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking lately about how different food is from season to season. Not only are different types of produce available, but cooking techniques also change. Baking and braising in the winter are replaced by sauteeing and grilling in the summer. I assume the rationale for this would be that one wishes to generate as little heat as possible in the kitchen during the hot days of summer, but do these seasonal cooking patterns apply to areas of the world where it is hot or cold year round?

My oven really does miss me though, and my stomach misses the plethora of baked goods that I would normally churn up in the winter. Cookies, brownies, bread... something about the cold winter months makes me want to fire up the oven and pull out my KitchenAid. Perhaps this weekend I'll make some bread. The NY Times no knead bread recipe is always satisfying, perhaps even more so because of the limited amount of work that goes into making it! I've also been craving popovers since tasting the hot, cheesy deliciousness that preceded our meal at BLT Steak a few weeks ago. I wonder if they would be as good in a muffin tin instead of a popover pan? Here's the recipe BLT Steak provided for their gruyere popovers:

BLT Steak Popovers (makes 12)

Ingredients:
4 cups milk, warmed
8 eggs
4 cups flour
1 1/2 heaping tbsp salt
2 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese
Popover pan

Preparation:
Place the popover pan in the oven. Heat the oven and the pan to 350 degrees.
Gently warm the milk over low heat and set aside.
Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside.
Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and gently combine until mostly smooth.
Once combined, remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with nonstick vegetable spray. While the batter is still slightly warm or room temperature (definitely not cool), fill each popover cup 3/4 full.
Top each popover with approximately 2 1/2 tbsp of the grated gruyere.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, rotating pan half a turn after 15 minutes of baking.
Remove from the oven, remove from the pan and serve immediately.

A Visual Feast

2008-07-14T22:13:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've updated. To get myself back into the swing of things, here are pictures of some of my more colorful creations over the past year. Apologies for the occasionally poor photo quality!

very red-tinted lasagna

strawberry shortcake for a coworker's birthday

shrimp fettucine with garlic rosemary twists

parmesan tilapia with green beans and roasted tomatoes

stuffed pattypan squash

sausage and butternut squash over couscous

mashed purple sweet potatoes and taro spring rolls

cheesy quickbread

salmon cakes over couscous

jambalaya

paper-wrapped sponge cakes

lo mein

sausage mushroom pasta

key lime pie

broiled tilapia and salad with yogurt dressing

chicken red curry with coconut and lime

orzo stuffed peppers

Nicoise-Inspired Salad

2007-08-06T19:16:00.001-04:00

The 90+ degree temperatures in DC have made me reluctant to use the stove or, God forbid, the oven that without fail causes my smoke alarm to go off every time I turn it on. I'm not a big fan of cold salads with just lettuce and raw veg, so a little stove-action is necessary. This variation of a Nicoise salad requires very little time spent standing in front of the stove, and it leaves a minimum of dishes to wash - perfect for a hot summer night when all I want to do is sit on the couch in front of the air conditioner, watching Anthony Bourdain eat exotic cuisine on the Travel Channel.

Nicoise-Inspired Salad

1 handful new potatoes
1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
a few small radishes, thinly sliced
1 can tuna in water, drained
1-2 eggs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Place eggs in a small pot, cover with cold water, set over med-high flame until water boils. Remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. Remove eggs and rinse in cold water, then place in ice water for two minutes. Peel, slice into wedges, and set aside.
2. While eggs are cooking, place potatoes in a separate pot, cover with cold salted water, set over med-high flame, and boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a small knife. Remove potatoes, rinse in cold water, and place in ice water until cool. Slice in half if necessary and set aside.
3. While eggs and potatoes are cooking, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Mix potatoes, tuna, tomatoes, and radishes with vinaigrette. Top with egg slices. Enjoy.

This is a very forgiving recipe which can be added to, subtracted from, or otherwise altered. Next time I'll try some chopped parsley and steamed green beans (in classic Nicoise salad style). Canneloni (white) beans would also be good and add some more substance. Whatever you choose, just make sure the ingredients are fresh - that makes all the difference.

Komi (Washington, DC)

2007-08-02T21:01:00.000-04:00

Komi
1509 17th St. NW
Washington, DC
202-332-9200

Johnny Monis, chef/owner of the acclaimed restaurant Komi, was recently named one of the best new chefs of the year by Food and Wine magazine. Following this accolade, the menu became prix fixe only with no ala carte items, raising the cost to a cool $78/person (more for the extended prix fixe with wine pairings). So I was thrilled to be able to experience the magic without paying the price when the sb took me there for my birthday last weekend.

The dining room reminds me of Obelisk with its single, small, narrow dining room which holds at most 20 tables (although that may be overestimating). The decor is simple yet elegant - but one knows that one's surroundings will no longer matter once the food appears. At the far end of the room, an open doorway allows a tantalizing glimpse into the kitchen and occasional chef sightings. (By the way, Chef Monis is not at all bad looking and the sb had to glare at me on more than one occasion as I stared longingly at the door.)

We opted for the normal prix fixe menu which includes a parade of tasting appetizers called mezzethakia, a pasta course, entree, and dessert. We chose a bottle of red Greek wine, with the help of the waiter who was generous enough to pour us tastings of our two choices before we made our decision. It ended up being truly helpful as our first choice was good but nothing special, while the second choice was something to be savored - fruity, complex, with a lingering taste on the tongue.

The mezzethakia began arriving, one by one, spaced rather far between (a little too far for our ravenous appetites). With the succession of each one, the puddle of drool by my plate grew larger. Just kidding, but they really were exceptional and each one was more innovative than the last. We had:

house Greek olives
a single French Breakfast radish, sliced in half, topped with butter and salmon roe
amberjack sashimi with olive oil, sea salt, and chives
caramelized dates stuffed with mascarpone cheese
grape gazpacho topped with mustard greens and almonds
a tiny, adorable gyro with oxtail croquette, tzatzkiki sauce, and pomegranate molasses
an octopus tentacle with avocado and quail egg over pork-braised lentils
a skewer of feta croquette, tomato, basil, and watermelon with corn vinaigrette

We were also provided with a small pot of homemade crackers in savory flavors of sesame, paprika, and thyme and asiago. We quickly devoured these and received a second pot which we consumed at a more sedate pace throughout the meal. If they sold these in a market, I would keep an unlimited supply in my pantry. They are just THAT good!

The rest of the meal was unfortunately not as exciting as the mezzethakia. For the pasta course, I ordered pappardelle with milk roasted baby goat ragu, which was good but rather oversalted. Tom's tagliatelle with blueberries and guanciale (like bits of bacon) was unique and tasty, but like my dish, the serving size was tiny - three bits, max? Our entrees were also disappointingly small. My suckling pig confit came with the pig served three ways - regular confit, with black truffle moussaka, and third way which now escapes my memory - and was accompanied by two stringy looking lengths of grilled spring onion and two types of pistachio sauce. The confit, especially the one with moussaka, was mouthwatering and perhaps it was intentionally small as a larger portion of the rather fatty meat would have made me feel quite sick. Tom ordered the Colombia River sturgeon with pineapple and fennel which was only average.

However, dessert came and once again, the puddle of drool appeared. Tom had mentioned by birthday when making the reservation, and to our surprise and pleasure, the server brought out a complimentary dessert tasting from the pastry chef. I'm not exactly sure what it was but it included something like candied lemon and was a one-bite delight. I especially liked the words "Happy Birthday" written in beautiful chocolate script on the side of the dish. My dessert was even better - Greek donuts with lavender honey, served with a cup of the most decadent chocolate mascarpone mousse. The unique taste of the honey made the donuts truly spectacular, and I followed each bite with a spoonful of the mousse, feeling utterly spoiled through it all. I didn't pay much attention to Tom's dessert, a coconut panna cotta with apricot sorbet, but the one small bite I had was pretty good.

I can't finish this review without raving about the service. I've already mentioned the wine tasting and the birthday treat, but service went above and beyond in the tiniest details. Tom excused himself to the restroom twice - on each occasion, a server rushed to replace his napkin with a fresh one, folded and placed next to his plate. The second time, Tom attempted to be helpful by folding his own napkin and placing it next to his plate so that the server wouldn't feel the need to replace it. It almost fooled them - almost, but not quite! Right before he got back to the table, not one but TWO servers rushed to replace the "soiled" napkin. Water refills were prompt and our cups were never empty. The bottle of wine we ordered was placed on a nearby table instead of taking up space on ours, and our server refilled our glasses frequently so we never ran out of the vino. The icing on the cake was the adorable homemade sassafras-lime lollipops that accompanied our check to "sweeten the deal", as our server said.

Would I return to Komi? Without a doubt. Unfortunately, the price makes it a special-occasions-only kind of place and my birthday is only once a year...

Dupont Circle Farmer's Market

2007-07-03T21:53:00.000-04:00

Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market
20th St. NW (between Mass. Ave and Q St)
Regular season (April to December 2007): Sundays, 9 am to 1 pm.
Winter Hours (January to March 2007): 10 am to 1 pm

I’ve made frequent visits to the year-round farmer’s market in Dupont Circle for at least two years now. Each time, I’ve been transfixed by the gorgeous tables piled high with fruits and vegetables that travel hours to get to the city from nearby Virginian and Maryland farms. In the summer, I usually go for staples such as tomatoes, berries, and zucchini/squash. But recently, I decided it was time to branch out and try some new things.

First on my list was a bunch of garlic scapes, a curious arrangement of long, curly green stems which actually grow out of garlic bulbs and are only in season a few weeks in a year. The Washington Post’s Kim O’Donnell blogged several times about garlic scapes in stir fry or turned into pesto, so I bought a healthy looking bunch for only $2.50. Unfortunately, the looks belied the taste - mine were perhaps too old and tasted much like woody asparagus or old, stringy green beans.

Last week, I decided to experiment with kohlrabi, a bulbous vegetable with huge leafy greens growing out of the top. Sources say to choose one no larger than a tennis ball and to pare back the harder outer layer to get to the crunchy and slightly sweet insides. I thought the taste resembled a broccoli spear, but sweeter, and it had the texture of an apple. Tossed into a stir fry with chicken, mushrooms, and onion, it was truly delicious.

What next? Perhaps golden beets, if I can still find them, or maybe I’ll sample some of the myriad of greens. Whatever it is, it will be an adventure both at the market and back home in my kitchen! Farmer’s markets are such a fun way to experiment with new food… why not visit your local market this weekend?

Eating Well

2007-06-21T20:13:00.001-04:00

In the past week or two, I've commented several times that the sb and I eat very well. We both love to cook and vastly prefer it to take-out (most days). It's something we can do together (aka "I can boss him around in the kitchen") and the results are usually delicious. Here's just a smattering of the dishes we've made in the past few weeks:

Japanese-style curry with chicken and potatoes
Whole lemon and herb roasted chicken with roasted vegetables and fresh bread
Grilled pineapple drizzled with honey, topped with vanilla gelato and crushed pistachios
Breaded pork tenderloin with balsamic-butter glazed potatoes
Seared New Zealand ribeye with mashed sweet/russet potatoes and sugar snap peas
Grilled spice-rubbed pork chops with zucchini, mushroom, and potato salad

Here's a simple, customizable recipe for roast chicken. Add or subtract other aromatics as desired. Additional spices such as garlic powder and paprika would be nice.

1 whole roasting hen (4 lbs), innards removed
1 lemon, zested
1 large onion, quartered
1/2-1 head garlic
handful fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc.), chop half
1-2 tbsp butter, softened
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Rinse chicken inside and out with cold water, pay dry. Cut away excess fat.
3. Rub butter all over chicken. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, lemon zest, and chopped herbs. Squeeze juice of half a lemon all over chicken.
4. Squeeze remaining half of lemon into cavity of chicken. Cut lemon into quarters and stuff into cavity along with onion, garlic cloves (unpeeled), and a bunch of herbs.
5. Tie chicken legs together with twine if desired. Place chicken, breast side up, into a roasting pan with rack. (If you don't have a rack, use a bunch of celery and carrots.)
6. Roast at 475 degrees for twenty minutes, then drop temperature to 400 degrees and cook for another 40 minutes or until done.
7. Let sit ten minutes, carve, and serve - crispy, juicy, and fall-off-the-bone tender!

Mount Vernon Wine Festival (Virginia)

2007-06-03T15:21:00.000-04:00

Mount Vernon, the former home of President George Washington, occupies a gorgeously green space overlooking the Potomac River. While visitors flock to this historic site 365 days a year, one weekend each spring, hundreds of people descend upon the estate for the Mount Vernon Wine Festival, which showcases local Virginia wineries amidst the backdrop of the Mount Vernon mansion, the Potomac River, and the music of local jazz bands.

Although I attended the last day of the festival on a Sunday night, the wine tasting tent was still teeming with people when I arrived. It was a struggle to push my way to the front of each table for a small sip of wine. I stuck mostly to reds - Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots were quite popular - and tried a couple whites - Viogniers and Riesling mixes - but the one wine which stood out to me the most was Sarah's Patio Red from Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg, VA. This wine, made from the local Norton grape, is a fruity and sweet chilled red that is very drinkable and perfect for summer grilling.

I bought two bottles, one to take home and one chilled and opened immediately for sharing with friends while we sat on the lawn with baguettes and hummus from Firehook Bakery, listened to jazz, and watched the sun go down. Could there be any better way to close out a weekend?

Bamian (Falls Church, VA)

2007-04-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

Bamian
5634 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
703-820-7880
http://bamianrestaurant.com

When I think of Afghanistan, I think of a war-torn country, its people oppressed by years of tyrannical leadership. Until tonight, that is the only image I had of Afghanistan. After eating at Bamian, I am left with another impression, that of delicious, heavily-spiced, wonderfully exotic food.

Located in a strip mall on Route 7/Leesburg Pike, Bamian looks nondescript on the outside. But once you pass the doors of the lobby into the main dining area, you wouldn't think you were on Route 7 anymore except for the occasional glimpse of the cars rushing by through the windows. With its high ceilings, dim lighting, and white cloth tabletops, Bamian's decor and attentive service make you wonder how expensive Afghan food can get. But then you see the menu.

With appetizers all under $5 and entrees averaging $13, it is possible to sample a variety of the tasty offerings on the menu. For my first visit (rest assured, there will be more!), Tom and I started with the sambosay goshti, a fried pastry stuffed with ground beef, chick peas, and herbs. Shortly after ordering, four of them arrived at the table, very much resembling crab rangoons. Crispy on the outside, well-flavored and curry-like on the inside, they were the perfect treat as we awaited the main courses. We didn't have long to wait. Almost immediately following our consumption of the sambosay, the waitress brought forth my boneless chicken thigh kabobs, lined up around a bed of seasoned rice and accompanied by a basket of fresh nan (bread). She also brought Tom's Qaubili Palau, lamb and rice topped with a sweet heap of shredded carrots and raisins, with a small bowl of "meat sauce" on the side. Everything was incredible. From the nan dipped in meat sauce (shredded lamb in a sweetly spicy red sauce) to the perfect pairing of sweet raisins, crunchy carrot, delicate grains of rice, and tender lamb, to the juicy grilled chicken dipped in a green sauce reminiscent of salsa verde. Delicious.

We tried to order the Goshe Feel (elephant ears topped with ground sugar and pistachios) for dessert but unfortunately they were all out. But I'm sure I will be back soon because it won't be long before I hear something about Afghanistan and this time, I won't be thinking so much of war and terrorists, but I will be envisioning lamb kabobs and warm, toasty nan.

Food: 8
Service: 9
Decor: 7
Overall: 8

Cross-posted on Well Fed On the Town

Pork Casserole

2007-02-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a casserole? It's hearty and comforting (just right for sitting in front of the TV on a winter's night); it's cleanup friendly (a one-dish meal); and you can make one with just about any conglomeration of foods from your fridge and cupboard.

Tonight, I had a few boneless pork chops sitting in the fridge, a couple leftover red potatoes (too few for mashed or roasting), and an assortment of veggies. Taking inspiration from a few online recipes, I thinly sliced the potatoes, pan-fried them briefly to help start the cooking process, then layered them in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. I seasoned (garlic salt and pepper) and seared the chops on both sides, laid them on top of the potatoes, then topped them with sauteed onions and mushrooms and a scattering of chopped red bell pepper. I wanted to smother all of that with cream of mushroom but, not finding any in my cupboard, I used a creamy potato/bacon soup instead, thinned with a bit of milk. A couple of handfuls of shredded cheddar finished off the dish before it went into the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

The result? Moist, flavorful pork with a savory sauce, tender potatoes, and a delicious assortment of veggies with surprisingly still-crisp red peppers. The best part is: you can never make a one-serving casserole, which means lunch (and dinner?) tomorrow will be very tasty.

A Light Supper

2007-02-26T21:28:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I made what is (for me) a rather healthy dinner. Having spent three weekends in a row away, I was sick of fast food and takeout, and I was craving something green. An indulgent trip to the grocery store resulted in the following meal:

heirloom tomato salad with garlic croutons
parmesan stuffed mushrooms
fresh-baked baguette with butter (Smart Balance)

The picture above does not do justice to the vibrant, fresh flavors of the juicy, sweet tomatoes, savory yet earthy mushrooms, and delightfully chewy bread. With tastes like this, who needs meat?? Maybe I should become vegetarian...

Disclaimer: TOTALLY kidding. I need meat. Badly.

Chinese New Year

2007-02-21T14:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Year of the Pig! The Chinese new year officially began Sunday, February 18. I was in New York City over the weekend and met up with my mom to have dinner at an auntie's house in Brooklyn. The grandfather is apparently a very good cook so we were treated to an assortment of authentic Chinese dishes such as salt-baked chicken, stewed Chinese mushrooms with abalone, and roast pork with that salty, crispy skin. The latter was Tom's favorite as he is a lover of all things pig. They didn't have one of my favorite dishes though, so my mom made it during her visit here in D.C. this week. The following is a very sketchy description of how to make it. There are no exact measures as everything is "to taste".

Braised Pork with Taro

pork belly (with skin on if desired), cubed
Chinese cooking wine
five-spice powder
soy sauce
fish sauce
cornstarch
vegetable oil
taro, peeled and cubed
beef broth or water

Mix first five ingredients, adding a bit of cornstarch and oil to coat the pork. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan, then saute pork until browned on all sides. Add enough beef broth or water to cover the bottom of the pan, cover, and let simmer for 1.5 hours or until the pork is tender. Add cubed taro and simmer another half hour till taro is soft enough to stick a fork through. Add more broth/water as necessary. The sauce should thicken as the taro cooks until it becomes the consistency of a sticky gravy. Serve with rice!

Love Bites: Romance in Hawaii

2007-02-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

Five Palms
Mana Kai Resort
2960 South Kihei Road
Maui, Hawaii
808-879-2607

In honor of Valentine's Day and Well Fed on the Town's Love Bites event, I wanted to mention the most romantic dinner I've ever had. I've been on dates at many fancy restaurants, but they've all been fairly similar - white tablecloths, dim lighting, good wine, mood music, ingratiating waiters. The one that tops them all is the dinner Tom and I had at the Five Palms in Maui, with the sunset as a backdrop and some of Hawaii's tastiest dishes on the table, including the aptly named Ono fish ("ono" means delicious) and the best rack of lamb I've ever had, with a brilliantly purple side of mashed sweet potatos and a savory saute of shelled edamame with peanuts. While it was also one of the most expensive dinners I've had, it was worth every penny for the opportunity to eat sumptuous cuisine practically on the beach while watching the fiery orange sun descend behind the head of my dining partner, who is not so hard to look at either!

Shabu (Park City, Utah)

2007-01-31T21:17:00.000-05:00

Shabu
Main Street Mall
333 Main St.
Park City, UT 84060
435-645-7253

To save money, our ski group decided to eat out only once during our four nights in Park City (not counting lunches at the ski lodge, which were entirely necessary). A girl I'd met during a ski lesson recommended Shabu on Main Street as a great Asian fusion restaurant favored by locals and largely unknown to tourists due to its hidden spot on the second story of a nondescript mall. The dining guide we'd picked up at the airport listed Shabu's entree prices as ranging from $13-25, which seemed reasonable so we decided to give it a try.

The dining guide lied.

Appetizers went as high as $20 with most entrees in the mid to high $30s. But the atmosphere was pleasant (dimly-lit, mahogany furnishings, modern art in sensual colors) and the food smelled delicious, so we stayed.

The drink menu was extensive, with many creative martinis including my delicious Jupiter Cosmo (Park City's signature drink, according to another airport magazine) which was made with Chambord, orange vodka, pomegranate juice, and orange juice. The other drinks looked equally tasty but one of our dining companions was disappointed in his overly tart Green Dragon with green tea and lemon juice.

Instead of one of the listed appetizers, Tom and I decided to order the Killipede, a maki roll with spicy tuna and tempura shrimp wrapped in avocado and topped with two different kinds of roe. Although Tom doubted how sushi could really be "that good", this defied our expectations and treated our taste buds to an explosion of taste and texture. The accompanying sweet sauce (teriyaki) paired perfectly with the generous portion of shrimp, the fresh tuna, and the creamy avocado, while the little piles of roe burst with satisfying saltiness between our teeth. The other couple ordered an ahi tuna appetizer which looked decent and came on a bed of creamy sweet potatoes (the only portion that I tasted).

For the main course, our opinionated waiter strongly recommended we skip the restaurant's namesake dish, the shabu shabu (a Japanese style of cooking at the table in which one dips uncooked meat and veggies into very hot broth). We followed his advice and I ordered the Miso-Glazed Black Cod; Tom had the Wok Seared Diver Scallops; the other couple had the Freestyle Sea Bass and the Shabu equivalent of Peking Duck. When the food arrived, everyone waited anxiously to dig in while I postponed the eating for a few pictures. The food was almost too pretty to eat, especially because of the bright purple garnish of edible orchid. But eat we did, and for the most part, I enjoyed every bite. My cod had a beautiful creamy texture and the miso helped bring out the fish's natural sweetness. The accompanying stir-fry of broccoli and mushroom was nondescript but the halved baby carrots not only looked pretty; they were also perfectly soft yet with a nice bite. The dish also came with a crab-stuffed pastry which tasted a little off and didn't add much to the dish.

Unfortunately, my dish was probably the best of the lot. Tom's diver scallops were overcooked and hence chewy. The steamed bass with Asian vegetables in a black bean broth was good but a bit bland. The Peking duck arrived looking like an enormous burrito, with a side of green beans in an apparently fiery hot peanut sauce. While everyone else still enjoyed their food, I venture to say I enjoyed mine the most.

Lured by the dessert menu, we ordered two: Chocolate Tempura Ice Cream and Warm Banana Cake. I did not try the ice cream although it looked suitably crisp and delicious. The banana cake was homey and comforting, with big chunks of banana in and on top, and a rich creme anglais. Not the best dessert I've had but certainly satisfying.

The dining guide may have tricked us into dining at Shabu, but our senses did not lead us astray. The rich smells coming from the other patrons' tables had us ordering eagerly despite the hefty price tag, and for that decision, our stomachs were justly rewarded. The food from Shabu was far from perfect but it was worth the cost - and coming from a spendthrift such as myself, that is a rare compliment indeed.

Food: 8.5
Service: 7
Decor: 8
Overall: 7.8

Cross-posted on Well Fed on the Town

Well Fed on the Town

2007-01-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

I've been posted! I'll be contributing articles to Well Fed on the Town, mostly as cross-posts from this blog. There are many other interesting articles up there as well, so go check it out!

Eating in Bed (New York City)

2007-01-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

Bed
530 West 27th Street
New York, NY 10001
212-594-4109

My college girlfriends and I met up in New York this past weekend. We had a great time in Bed together. Get your mind out of the gutter - I'm talking about the uber-trendy restaurant made famous in an episode of Sex and the City! The place was perfectly appropriate for a girls night out. In fact, I can't imagine any heterosexual male choosing to go there without a date in tow (or rather, a date towing him). The main dining room is filled with enormous foam mattresses on low platforms, with mounds of plush pillows for one to lean against while sipping suggestively-named cocktails such as the "Wet Spot". With low lighting and a fake fireplace projected on a large screen dividing the bar from the dining area, it sets the scene for seduction - or for some major girl talk!

Upon being seated and storing our shoes in a special compartment, my girlfriends and I each ordered a $14 cocktail. Seems overpriced to me, but then again, it's New York. The drinks were a bit on the strong side even for a Jack and Coke kind of girl such as myself, but they did have quite a variety of special concoctions including the Autumn Breeze which tasted of apple pie (still undecided as to whether or not that is a desirable taste in a cocktail). We also ordered a couple of appetizers: the barbecue blackened scallops and the beef carpaccio. While waiting, we were served warm, thin slices of bread with garlic cream cheese and roasted red pepper hummus for spreads. These were consumed throughout the meal as we just couldn't stop craving one more bite.

The appetizers came out fairly quickly. I definitely give Bed an A+ for presentation. The scallops rested on a bed of red sauce, yellow corn, and salty nuggets of chorizo, and were topped with a crispy circle of pancetta (who doesn't like bacon?). The carpaccio came with thin slices of beef on the bottom, covered with a crispy assortment of diced vegetables and parmesan shavings, then topped with a pyramid of perfectly crunchy toast points. Both were delicious. The scallops may have been a touch overcooked but went beautifully with the sauce, and the crunch of corn and saltiness of chorizo added tantalizing texture and taste. The carpaccio was very well seasoned and also had great texture with the topping of vegetables. They were gone in seconds.

It's a good thing our entrees came out soon after. Katrina opted for the Chilean Sea Bass which was snowy white with a touch of golden sear on the edges, topped with what tasted like crispy onions, and resting on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. Although the bass was suitably sweet, I thought the texture was a bit too chewy, nothing like the melt-in-your mouth dish I had at Pod in Philly. Trimi ordered the Beef Tenderloin, a nicely done steak with a Shiraz wine sauce and roasted potatoes. While it was good, it was really nothing special and not quite worth its $38 price tag. I had the New Zealand Rack of Lamb, with carrots, zucchini, and what tasted like very salty truffle mashed potatoes, but was actually something called batata baroa (does anyone have any idea what this is??). The lamb was good, but again, nothing special, and not at all as tender as other lamb dishes I have tried (the most memorable being the rack of lamb at a restaurant in Maui whose name I've forgotten - although I'm sure eating outside on the beach at sunset contributed to the heavenly taste).

After so much good food, dessert was a letdown. We split the Crepes Souffle, mostly out of curiosity for what such a dish would taste like. Putting aside taste for a second, our first thought upon seeing the dish was "Is this a calzone?" It looked unappetizing from the start and did not taste much better. Eggy, only slightly sweet, with a burnt caramelized top and a too-sour passion fruit sauce. We really should have saved our appetite for dessert fondue at Dip!

Besides food and decor, service was only decent at best. While the waitress was friendly, she did not seem to know the menu very well. Additionally, the bus boys were abrupt and almost rude, asking to take our plates almost before we were finished and failing to refill our water until asked. The only plus to the service was the speed with which our meals arrived. I also did not appreciate the hostess asking us to check our coats, then being charged $2 for each one.

While eating in Bed is a novel idea and certainly has its charms, the logistics of actually doing so are complicated and by the end of the night I had a crick in my neck from leaning down to eat and was $80 poorer. Maybe I'm just not used to New York prices, but I do think the food was not worth the cost. It was good, but not great, and there are many places that come to mind that would be less expensive yet more satisfying.

New rating system
Food: 7
Service: 6
Decor: 8
Overall: 7

Conveniently Delicious

2007-01-16T21:53:00.001-05:00

I like to make things from scratch - it makes me feel culinarily authentic. But I can't deny the pleasure of churning out something truly tasty in a sweetly short time using pre-made ingredients. Over the past two days, I have succumbed to the convenience thrice:

1. Store-bought pizza dough. Who doesn't love a fresh pizza, crispy and hot off the stone? Pizza dough is fun to make but prolongs the moment when I can bite into a layer of gooey cheese that gives way to still-crunchy vegetables, salty pepperoni, and at last, the carb-a-licious crust. But not all store-bought doughs are the same. I prefer the kind from Trader Joe's, which rolls out well and bakes to a golden brown goodness.

2. Jarred tomato sauce. I usually make my own red sauces with tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and a variety of herbs/spices. (I suppose this is not really making sauce from scratch as most of these ingredients are canned.) But simmering these ingredients till the flavors meld is often a time-consuming process. Jarred sauces, with a few additions such as crushed red pepper flakes and minced garlic, can make a shrimp fra diavolo in a fraction of the time.

3. Puff pastry. This has got to be the king of all convenient store-bought food items (well, maybe queen next to dried pasta). I tried once to make quick puff by hand. Owing partially to my overzealous food processor and partially to human error, my puff became a greasy pate brisee (savory pastry dough) which I froze into a pie plate and have yet to work up the courage to bake. My cooking teacher praised the brand Dufours but they only carry the Pillsbury kind at my local Safeway - still works a heck of a lot better than anything I could make! I used mine for cinnamon and sugar palmiers aka elephant ears. If only you could smell my house right now...

Welcome to ChompOverload!

2007-01-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

I've been blogging since 2002, but I recently began posting quite a few food-related entries, mostly for my own benefit so I can remember what I liked/disliked about a particular recipe or restaurant. I decided that it's time to let those food posts stand on their own and thus ChompOverload was born (I must give credit for the name to both my roommate Annie and one of my favorite websites, Cuteoverload.com). Hopefully it will inspire others to explore their own passions, culinary or otherwise.

To start, I'll be backposting some of the more recent entries from my other blog. Most of them will mention my boyfriend Tom, who acts as both my taste tester and dinner date. Enjoy!

Circle Bistro (Foggy Bottom)

2007-01-15T14:24:00.000-05:00

Circle Bistro
1 Washington Circle NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-293-5390

I thought I'd missed Restaurant Week when I checked OpenTable last week and discovered that most of the good places were already booked up. But Tom and I got lucky and scored a reservation at Circle Bistro for Sunday night, the last night of Restaurant Week. I've heard fairly good things about the food from both the Washingtonian and from DCFoodies. However, the service has been rated surprisingly poor for such an expensive restaurant. Our experience prtty much reflected what all the reviews have said.

The restaurant was under construction so that might account for the rather claustrophobic feeling of the small, narrow dining room (only seats about 50). Circle Bistro has large curving glass windows but they were covered by boards during our visit. Otherwise, the soft lighting from Japanese-style paper lamps provided a nice ambience with the minimalist decor in subtle tan colors.

This being our first time there, I was not sure if the menu offered for Restaurant Week was inclusive of all regular menu items, but there was a very good selection with a few upcharges (of which we were not aware until we received the bill, not knowing what "2 supplement" or "3 supplement" meant on the menu - an extra $2 or $3 as it turns out).

For starters, I had the diver scallops, which were a tad on the small side but they went perfectly with the bed of leeks and a delicious lemongrass sauce. Tom had steak tartare which came with an adorable paper cone of perfectly crisp pommes frites and garlic mayonnaise (perfect for this mayo lover). The tartare itself was well-seasoned with a lovely sushi-like texture. Next, I opted for the hanger steak as a main course, while Tom tried the risotto. Both were excellent choices. While not terribly original, the steak was perfectly medium rare, juicy and tender, with a savory sauce, fingerling potatoes, and wilted greens. The risotto was a flavorful combination of creamy arborio rice that I thought was too chewy but Tom loved, with small bits of pancetta and blue cheese. For dessert, I had a chocolate bourbon cake and Tom ordered the madeleines. The cake itself was a poor imitation of the molten chocolate cakes served at many famous steak chains, but it did come with a delicious shot of cinnamon hot chocolate topped with a rich whipped cream. Tom's madeleines were mediocre, nothing special, with a sour cherry compote that was just that - sour.

The service was decent, although our water glasses were not topped up as often as I would have liked. Also, several tables near us waited fifteen minutes each for their checks, although the waitress did offer to bring at least one table another round of drinks as they waited.

Overall, it was a good experience but probably not a place I'd go back to until I've tried all the other places on my list! And oh, the list is long...

The Trials of Baking

2007-01-15T14:16:00.001-05:00

Original posting date: January 12, 2007

Ever since mid-December, when my coworker Kate gave me her old, unwanted Kitchenaid mixer, I have had the biggest urge to bake. To date, I have used the mixer a handful of times to make cranberry and chocolate scones, butterscotch blondies, chocolate mousse, pate sucree (pastry dough), and maybe one or two other things that I have now forgotten.

After work today, I decided to make both sweet and savory foods using my mixer. For Christmas, Annie gave me a gorgeous red tin of sugar cookie mix from Williams Sonoma, so I mixed up a batch of sugar cookie dough which looks good enough to eat already but must be refrigerated for four hours before being rolled out. I also tried out the dough hook attachment for the first time, using it to knead a dough for pull-apart garlic bread. I'm rather disappointed though - I forgot to add 3 tablespoons of sugar, which may prevent the yeast from doing its full duty. In addition, the dough seemed a bit dry and did not roll into a ball easily, so I'm skeptical as to its outcome.

Results: As usual, Tom and I made too much food for dinner so we didn't have room for the sugar cookies. Good thing the dough can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days. We'll roll it out into cute shapes tomorrow and drizzle them with melted chocolate when they're done. As for the bread, I was a little worried when it came out feeling quite hard, but the middle was still soft and chewy and it had a fairly decent savory flavor. The sugar may have helped give it more depth but it still wasn't bad for my first attempt at bread-making!

More results: I made the sugar cookies the day after whipping up the batch of dough. After letting it rest for half an hour on the counter, I rolled it out to about a 1/4" thickness, cut it into circles with a small water glass, and cut delightful little shapes out of the centers using mini-cookie cutters that Annie got me along with the sugar cookie mix. Baking at 325F for 12 minutes resulted in slightly too-crisp cookies that I let cool and drizzled with melted chocolate/milk. Next time I think I'll make them a little thicker and bake them for less time. Oh well, lessons learned!

Wild Goose Chase

2007-01-15T14:13:00.000-05:00

Original posting date: January 7, 2007

My coworker's boyfriend is an avid hunter and was filling up their fridge with all his game, so she pressed upon me a few frozen goose breasts which I promptly stuck in my freezer and ignored for a few months. Lately, I've been talking to another coworker who also loves to hunt and he gave me some ideas for how to cook the goose. I tried his recipe tonight.

A few days preceding the cooking, I soaked the goose in water and put it in the fridge, changing the water out once or twice a day. Yesterday, I washed the goose off, patted it dry, and marinated it in a simple mix of olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Tonight, I washed the marinade off, patted it dry, and once again drizzled with olive oil and a bit of salt. Then I grilled it on an electric grill at high heat for about 20 minutes. About halfway through, I realized the breast was too fat so I butterflied the meat and placed both halves back onto the grill. The goose turned out to be medium to medium rare with a deep pink center. I served the goose cut into 1/2 inch strips with a mushroom garlic sauce, roasted balsamic carrots, and homemade beer biscuits (no milk, had to use beer).

As far as wild game goes, I suppose this tasted pretty good. The goose had the texture of steak but slightly chewier and very rich, with a mild liver taste. It tasted better with the sauce to mask the liver flavor (although if you are a liver fan, you probably wouldn't want to do this). The biscuits didn't rise very well and ended up tasting like large chewy oyster crackers. The carrots were probably the best part of the meal so I'm posting the recipe below. Enjoy - goose optional.

Balsamic Roasted Carrots

2 carrots per person
olive oil
salt and pepper
thyme (optional)
balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Peel and slice the carrots on the diagonal into 1 inch sections.
3. Toss the carrots in a shallow roasting pan with a drizzle of olive oil and seasonings, minus the balsamic.
4. Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until fork tender.
5. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, mix well, and return to the oven for a few minutes.

Ardeo (Cleveland Park)

2007-01-15T14:07:00.000-05:00

Original posting date: December 22, 2006

Ardeo
3311 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
202-244-6750

Tom Sietsema, the award-winning food critic from the Washington Post, gave Ardeo 2.5 out of 4 stars. His description of the food made me drool longingly, especially when he described the lemon and thyme roasted chicken as well as the chocolate peanut butter bomb. Unfortunately, neither were as good as I imagined them to be.

Tom (my boyfriend, not the food critic) and I tried it out last night with three of his college friends. My first impression of the place was: "Woah, fancy." The interior of Ardeo is every bit as classy and stylish as it looks on the outside, with dim lighting and snow-white tableclothes. The staff graciously invited us to have a drink while we waited for Tom's ever-late friends. I asked the bartender to make me something fruity but not too sweet, which he obliged with a tart and yummy key lime martini, one which turned out to be more potent than it tasted. He was appropriately friendly and humorous for a bartender, but only to me; he practically ignored Tom.

When his friends finally arrived, we ordered: the roast chicken for me, tagliatelle (lamb/fennel sausage over papardelle) for Tom, and for his friends: squash ravioli, duck, and the New York strip. While waiting for our food, we nibbled on mediocre bread and a small plate of olives. Tom and one of his friends ordered a beet and goat cheese salad to share, which was thoughtfully arranged on two separate plates. The few bites I had were tantalizing to the senses - creamy goat cheese surrounded with an interesting texture contrast of crushed pistachios, accompanied by bites of perhaps overdressed greens and sweet cubes of beets.

In comparison to the delightful salad, our entrees were decent at best. My chicken was dry and almost chalky. The risotto was an interestingly crunchy farro and parmesan blend, topped with rather stringy chard and a few sun-dried tomatoes. The lemon thyme jus was probably the best part of the meal, without which the chicken would have been almost inedible. Tom's vegetarian friend did not seem full after consuming the one vegetarian entree on the menu, squash ravioli with a mere seven or eight one-inch wide medallions. The duck was a bit tough in texture, definitely not the best duck I've ever tasted (that honor goes to Little Fountain Cafe). Tom's pasta was perhaps the best of the dishes I tried (I did not sample the steak), with nicely spiced and not too gamey ground lamb mixed with fresh-made papardelle noodles, but even that was lacking in one of the advertised ingredients: roasted peppers.

I thought that perhaps the acclaimed dessert chef of Ardeo could compensate for the lack of "wow factor" in my meal, but I was sadly disappointed. A Reese's peanut butter cup, with its slightly salty sweetness, would have been preferable to my overly sweet and fluffy chocolate peanut butter bomb. The caramel-coated popcorn was a cute touch but could have been pulled out of a box of Cracker Jack. Tom's vegetarian friend was again disappointed; his duo of chocolate cakes with a minty creme filling were tasty enough, but the second of the two was hard as a rock and virtually inedible. Surprisingly, the waiter had no response when this was brought to his attention.

Bottom Line: I may try Ardeo again but perhaps only to grab a drink and an appetizer before heading elsewhere in the area for a tastier and cheaper meal.

Ray's the Steaks (Courthouse/Rosslyn)

2007-01-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

Original posting date: December 14, 2006

Ray's the Steaks
1725 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209
703-841-7297

After hearing about this local rival to Morton's and Ruth's Chris, I had to go check it out for myself. But three times I arrived at Ray's doors and was turned away. The first time, the restaurant was closed (they don't open Sundays and Mondays although that has now changed). The second time, the wait was one and a half hours so I walked down the street to Cafe Asia instead. The last time it was a few days before Thanksgiving and they had closed early for the holidays. After three attempts, my patience was wearing thin, but the thought of a juicy hunk of beef was too much to resist.

Last night, Tom and I went to Ray's once again, this time calling first to make sure they wouldn't be closed for some random reason, and showing up at 6pm to ensure that we would be beat the dinner rush. Success! We were seated promptly and presented with a small dish of spiced cashews and a menu filled with... steak. As far as entrees go, Ray's is strictly a steakhouse although it offers one vegeterian option - portobello mushrooms. Of course, I am very much a carnivore and did not hesitate to order the filet mignon with mushroom brandy cream sauce. Tom decided to go for the New York Strip au poivre (coated with crushed black peppercorns). While we waited, we snacked on the cashews as well as some soft rosemary flavored bread. The gratis snacks were small, but I appreciated that since I wanted to save my appetite for the main attraction.

The steaks arrived with small cast iron skillets of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, which were nothing to write home about. But the steaks.... they looked PHENOMENAL although I was a bit taken aback at how small my filet was in comparison to Tom's strip. But the quality of meat is much different and I really can't eat that much anyway. My first bite was bliss. Hot, juicy, and cooked just right (medium-rare) with wonderful flavorings and slightly sweet brandy sauce that was the perfect complement to the meat. Tom's steak, on the other hand, was definitely overcooked, bordering on medium-well, although he had requested it medium-rare. Our waitress noticed this right away and graciously offered to make him another one. While he was considering whether or not to take her up on the offer, another waitress (or hostess) came by and said "I won't let you eat this" and immediately whisked it away. The first waitress offered him a complimentary cup of crab bisque while he was waiting. He declined (damn sb!) but we really appreciated the offer.

When the second steak came out, it was done right, maybe even a little undercooked, but otherwise great. The peppercorn sauce was a little too spicy for me but it tasted good for the first couple bites. I nearly finished my filet even though towards the end, each bite was pleasure mixed with the intense pain of forcing more food into a full stomach. After she had cleared our plates, the waitress brought us a complimentary slice of key lime pie to atone for the overdoneness of the steak. Although I was stuffed to the brim, the sb and I still managed to polish it off. The crust was perfectly crunchy with a not-too-tart custard, topped with whipped cream and strawberries. I also loved the tiny gratis cups of homemade hot chocolate that come at the end of each meal.

In the end, the wait was truly worth it. Not only was the food delicious, the service was also exceptional and I wouldn't hesitate to go back the next time I have a craving for nice bloody steak.