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Senin, 31 Oktober 2011

Jamie Oliver's Parents’ Spicy Butternut Squash Soup… Because I Have Gas Problems

I had a lovely apple-braised pork shoulder recipe all set to post today, but was unable to finish it off because PG&E turned off the gas line to do repairs on our street. So, stay tuned for that tomorrow, but in the meantime, here’s a great butternut squash soup video from Trevor and Sally Oliver, parents of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Jamie’s one of my favorites, and not only are his parents adorable, but you can see where he gets some of his skills from. Enjoy!

This video was originally posted on Thisisbrandculture's YouTube Channel, February 22, 2011.

Happy Halloween.


It's early.  And this is what is happening.  

Peanut Noodle Salad

noodle-thai-salad-1108

This recipe is based on one from one of my favorite old bloggers, who sadly isn't updating anymore: Cloudberry Quark. I love the dressing, and you can certainly vary the veggies to fit your mood. If you'd like, you can cook the veggies slightly, but I left them raw this time, and used carrots, snow peas, some scallions (I think!) and red pepper. Fresh coriander is always a nice addition, but that goes without saying...

75 ml peanut butter
4 tbsp soy sauce (Japanese)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sambal oelek (or fresh red chillies, minced)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ginger, minced
3-4 tbsp water, or possibly a little more

150 g rice noodles

Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more water if it seems to thick - it should be fairly runny.

Cook the noodles - usually rice noodles just need soaking in some hot water for a few minutes.

Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again, and toss with the veggies and (most of) the dressing. It's nice to have some additional dressing on the side, too.

Recipe in Swedish:
Nudelsallad med jordnötsdressing

雞窩 Ji Wo Claypot Chicken Soup for the soul .... Taipei, Taiwan

Chicken Soup is medicine, says US Scientists. If chicken soup is so good for us, we'll need to make it a point to visit Ji Wo 雞窩  in Taipei, Taiwan. Ji Wo Restaurant is a Sichuan restaurant that specialized in claypot chicken soup. It is a branch of Ji Yuan 驥園 Sichuan Restaurant. At Ji Yuan 驥園, the chicken soup includes a whole chicken and that's the standard portion. Ji Wo 雞窩 was then started where smaller portions of the same chicken soup are served. For a party of less than 4, Ji Wo would be a better choice than Ji Yuan.

Chicken soup at Ji Wo was served in a claypot in a portion that's just right for both HY and me. We ordered  chicken soup with mushrooms. Apart from mushrooms, there's a choice of chicken soup with vegetables and tofu, bamboo shoots and of course the original chicken soup. In Ji Wo, the chicken soup is boiled for 20 hours with Hokkaido dried scallops and premium Chinese ham into a nutritious thick broth that was utterly fragrant and made our stomach growl. Needless to say, the chicken meat have to be tender till it just fall off the bones after the 20 hour of preparation. Chicken Soup for the Soul indeed! After we were done, there was nothing left except the chicken bones in the claypot.

Crunchy seaweed, lightly salted with a sprinkle of white sesame seeds, was served as appetizers.  I thought it was worth mentioning as it taste really delicious and refreshed the palate.

In comparison, this Beef Fried Rice appeared to be the less healthy than the chicken soup. Well, fried rice that not a bit greasy wouldn't taste nice. This fried rice was fragrant. We didn't get to eat a lot of fried rice cooked with pearl rice and this was above the mark. Another dish that we polished the plate.

台北市敦化南路2段81巷63號
No. 63 Lane 81 Dun Hua Road Section 2
Taipei, Taiwan
Tel : 02 27043038

Minggu, 30 Oktober 2011

California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil


California is producing some very good extra virgin olive oil, some using old European varieties of olives, harvested the old fashioned way, and--some high quality extra virgin olive oil harvested in a very modern way, for a fraction of the price. So how is possible to get high quality extra virgin olive oil at a low price? Last week I visited California Olive Ranch, the largest California olive oil producer, and learned just how they do it.


It all comes down to freshness and quantity. California Olive Ranch plants three varieties, arbequina, arbosana from Spain and koroneiki from Greece. Their olive orchards look nothing like what you may have seen in Europe. The olive trees are pruned into a hedge shape that is harvested mechanically, using a harvester specially developed for shaking the trees to get the olives off without damaging them. Less damage means better quality oil.

Here are some numbers for California Olive Ranch:

Their olive trees grow 6-8 feet high

Trees are planted 5 feet apart

There is 13 feet between each row

There are about 675 trees planted per acre

Each tree yields 7-12 pounds of olives

Only 20% of the olive is oil, 55% is water

12 harvesters run 24 hours a day during harvest season

5,000 acres are owned by the company

5,000 acres are managed by 67 farmers who have long term leases

Each truck holds 66,000 pounds of olives

Each truck is unloaded in 35 minutes


Some more facts:

The tree trimmings are mulched

The ground pits and olives, called pomace, is fed to cattle

California Olive Ranch is using bird boxes and buffer zones to minimize the use of pesticides and tests each batch of olives, and has test plots for organic olives


If you ever get a chance to ride a harvester and see the olives jiggle off the trees I highly recommend it! That I got to share the experience with blogging friends Chef John from Food Wishes, Chrystal Baker from The Duo Dishes, Aleta Watson from The Skillet Chronicles, and Jane Bonacci from The Heritage Cook made it all the more sweet!


Speaking of sweet, all exra virgin olive oil should be a balance of fruity, bitter and pungent. The best way to find your favorite, is to taste them...however...California Olive Ranch uses descriptors like intense and bold and mild to help you find one to your taste.


* If you want the freshest olive oil, known as "olio nuovo in Italy, sign up to buy California Olive Ranch's Limited Reserve.

* If you like a buttery mild oil without too much bite, look for their basic extra virgin olive oil

* If you like a fruitier variety, try the Arbequina

* The Arbosana is most complex

* The Miller's blend is bold and balanced (and a favorite of some bloggers, food writers and chefs too.)

My thanks to California Olive Ranch for inviting me up to visit during harvest and letting me sample their fresh oils!

Sabtu, 29 Oktober 2011

Joo Hing Restaurant 裕興 ... Simple Chi Char Fare Made Perfect

Joo Hing Restaurant 裕興 is a popular Chinese restaurant along Joo Chiat Road that serve chi char style food in a simple restaurant setting. The menu shows all dishes that would be commonly available in chi char places. However, what made Joo Hing popular is that they cook these common dishes much better than the rest. Ever since HY and I had a simple hor fun and stir fried venison with ginger, we've been dying to go back to Joo Hing for another session. This time round we gathered mum and dad to have 'Chi Char' dinner. 

As we arrived at Joo Hing, my dad recognized the boss of Joo Hing. Boss used to have the chi char restaurant at Dunlop street more than 20 years ago and was my grandma's customer. My grandma used to sell Joo Hing vegetables. Since then, Joo Hing was here to stay in Joo Chiat inside the shop houses with air conditioning. Dad had a little catch up with boss and I think he was quite happy about it.

If I didn't order this steamed grouper 红班, the cost of our dinner would be just slightly more than any other chi char place, but I think I've ordered the more expensive fish they have on the menu. We ask to have the grouper steamed Hong Kong style. As we dig our chopsticks into the fish, the meat slide off the bones easily. It was fresh and sweet. 

Tapioca Leaves stir fried with sambal is a must-try. The tapioca leaves were actually slightly sweet and apart from the sambal chilli some preserved beans seemed to be added to give a differentiated taste than what you normally get elsewhere. 

Another of Joo Hing's signature is the Tofu Prawns. The prawns curled up into a ball of succulence while the tofu was pre fried till it had a fragrance before mixing up in the appetizing egg white sauce.

I must say one of Joo Hing's 'unsung hero' was this dish of Sambal Chilli. It's a really good dip for the prawns that we had. One of the uncles from a nearby table was helping himself with several helpings from the condiment counter at one side of the dining area. 

Other than the dishes recommended above, we ordered the lotus root soup. However, this was a pass. It's either making soup is not Joo Hing's forte or they gave us the last bit in the soup pot. The soup had too much sediments. My MIL's version definitely tops this one. I've to tell HY to stop ordering double boiled soup in future cos' we always have MIL's standard as reference. It's not fair to the restauranteurs out there.

When you visit a chi char place, you wouldn't be bothered with service standards. I think you can expect the same here in Joo Hing. They don't allow booking for dinner during the weekends so there may be a good wait for tables.


360 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore
Tel : +65 6345 1503


Opening Hours : 
Daily 11am~2pm, 5pm~10pm
Closed on Monday

Apple Almond Crumble

apple-almond-crumble

Swedish apples are finally really in season, and while I know - in theory - that there's so much you can do with them, I usually just opt for a simple crumble. After all, why mess with perfection? However, I rarely try the same recipe twice, and this one was new to me, using almond paste and almonds. It's lovely - but the almonds burn real easily (as you can see in my photo) so beware!

Apple Almond Crumble
serves 4-6

4 apples
2 tbsp sugar
1-2 tsp cinnamon
100 g almond paste
75 g butter
45 g oats
45 g flour
30 g almonds (mine were blanched, but it's not necessary)

Peel and slice the apples, and place in a pie dish. Toss with sugar and cinnamon.

Place the almond paste, butter, oats and flour in a bowl, and pinch with your fingertips until it forms crumbs. Put this on top of the apples.

Coarsely chop the almonds and sprinkle on top. Bake at 200°C for about 20 minutes.

Serve with vanilla custard or ice cream.

Recipe in Swedish:
Äppelpaj med mandelsmul

Jumat, 28 Oktober 2011

Riding High at the California Olive Ranch

Michele and I were invited to tour the California Olive Ranch this week, where we got a firsthand look into how olive oil is produced. The ranch is the largest producer in California, and uses state-of-the-art equipment and technology to produce extra virgin olive oil that’s cold pressed within a few hours of picking.

I was shocked to learn that only two percent of the olive oil purchased in the United States is made domestically, but thanks to producers like California Olive Ranch that number is sure to be going up. The oils are reasonably priced, and tend to be more on the buttery/fruity side, than their more intense and peppery European counterparts.

The ranch plants three varieties of olives that were selected especially for the high-density planting method they employ; Arbequina and Arbosana from Spain, and Koroneiki from Greece. The trees are much more shrub-like than one would expect, but perfectly suited for the ranch’s unique harvesting methods.

It would have been cool enough just to watch how these olives are harvested, but when we were actually invited to climb up on the Oxbo picking rig, the tour went to a whole other level…literally, like 20 feet off the ground. I was amazed at how quickly the large bin next to the picker was filled with fruit. Luckily the machine has a large storage unit inside which holds the olives until another bin is brought into position.

After a loud, dusty, but nonetheless thrilling ride though the fields, we headed into the mill where we saw the rest of the process, as the olives were turned into oil in a remarkably short amount of time. The tour ended with a tasting, where I enjoyed everything I sampled, especially their Miller's Blend. We also got to taste some bright green, just-pressed olive oil, which was a rare and special treat for sure.

By the way, we were joined on the trip by Amy Sherman from Cooking with Amy, Chrystal Baker from The Duo Dishes, Aleta Watson from The Skillet Chronicles, and Jane Bonacci from The Heritage Cook. I invite you to check out their blogs for what I’m sure will be more great coverage.

Here’s a short video with some of the sights and sounds from our tour. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into what I found to be quite a fascinating experience. A sincere thank you to Kirsten Wanket, Mike Forbes, and the rest of the California Olive Ranch team for all their hospitality. Enjoy!




Disclosure: This is not a paid endorsement, or sponsored post, however, the California Olive Ranch did take us out for a lovely dinner after the tour, and provided us with overnight hotel accommodations.

Bittersweet perspective

One of the truest things I have come to know about motherhood is that the days can feel like years, while the years go by like days.  Early motherhood was not easy for me.  I started out with no pram, no cot but a homemade sling, a pile of flat cloth nappies I had made myself in bright pink cow print, and oodles of idealism.  When told we couldn't be released from hospital unless we had a car seat installed, we said no problem - we were going home with the baby in a sling on the train!

It wasn't easy though.  I struggled with no sleep and being in the middle of my degree, the frustration of my life being on hold for this tiny, irrational being who inspired such terrifying extremes of emotion.  Old ladies would stop me and between reprimanding me for not dressing my child warmly enough, instruct me to "treasure these times, they grow so fast".  I would only nod in a sleep-deprived haze and had no idea what they were talking about.

SS QV HF 034


When I moved to the western suburbs, I hardly knew anyone.  Days would stretch out in seemingly interminable boredom.  Then I found Hausfrau and nearby Fels Park.  Now the parks throughout the municipality are being upgraded, but many used to be pretty crappy five years ago.  Modern Fels Park was always guaranteed to be full and you could perch on the sandpit and have someone to talk to, even if it was nothing more than that banal, ritualistic "And how old is she?" question.  I guess "how many times have you lost it so far today?" is a bit personal!

SS QV HF 037

So Hausfrau was a refuge for me during those times.  It is grown up enough to feel like you are not totally compromising yourself in the cafe equivalent of a McDonalds playground.  The coffee is old-school Genovese and usually great (the boss, in pink Euro housewife-chic kerchief, makes the best coffee).

SS QV HF 038

I love their mini cakes which are perfect, just enough for a child or an adult, especially when you are still wearing threadbare maternity clothes a year later!

Hausfrau helped a lot and things got better.  My babies turned into curious, delightful toddlers and funny, effervescent preschoolers.  I met wonderful, like-minded people and made an amazing community here in Footscray.

My children still frustrate me.  I lament the lack of spontaneity, endless sisyphean cleaning and a feeling of moving through molasses, that it takes so long to cook a meal or leave the house.  I still complain about stupid things.  Then suddenly an incredibly brave friend's baby daughter is diagnosed with leukaemia and everything just seems to fall away in total insignificance.

J, it is all so unfair.  You are so positive and always have been through everything.  When you are ready for a coffee and cake delivery (mini or maxi!), just call.

Babas Peranakan 娘惹小吃 @ Chinatown Complex Food Centre ... Delightful Nonya economic rice

I remembered Dad telling me about this stall that sells delicious Peranakan economic rice in the Chinatown Complex food centre. He was asking me to join him to eat Peranakan food with sambal belachan at 9am in the morning. I think not man. Nonya economic rice in the morning just didn't resulted in a logical output from my brain's computation. Not that I'm one without any idiosyncrasies about my food, but No. I bluntly doused his enthusiasm to egg me on. However, having that for lunch was a different matter. That's why I was here at Babas Peranakan at Chinatown Complex food centre for lunch. Edwin Tan the boss of the stall was there serving the queue that formed. Most folks in the queue seemed to be in their 30s and 40s. I liked that as I thought folks in this age group have some sense of persistence about their quality of food.

Here's my plate of nonya economic rice at S$6. There's the big fried chicken drumstick that comes with the extra meaty chunk from the chicken thigh, a slice of Goreng Ikan Pedas (Deep fried mackerel with tumeric powder), some fried onion omelete and a heap of Sayur Lemak (Curried Vegetables). The fried chicken drumstick was really good. Savory golden brown skin and tender chicken meat inside. This is a generous portion. So, some ladies just ordered this drumstick with only vegetables to go with their rice. The Goreng Ikan Pedas was how I liked it . It was like how grandma used to cook it. The mackerel was cut up in sections, marinated in tumeric powder and then deep fried. Portions near to the tapering ends that forms the edges of the elliptical hole, where the fish stomach used to be, will be the crispy, salty and dry bits. The rest will have chunky juicy meat underneath the coat of golden brown savory exterior. I got my rice drizzled with assam sauce from the Assam Ikan Pedas that they served too. It made the meal more appetizing. The sambal belachan did it's work with the extra punch of spiciness.

Well I guess Dad was right. Babas Peranakan's economic rice rocks! But I'll still insist on having it during lunch and not breakfast, especially after a sweaty morning walk.


Blk 335 Smith Street #02-225
Chinatown Complex Food Centre 
Singapore
Tel : 97229698 (Edwin Tan)


Opening Hours : 
Daily 9am ~ 2pm
Closed on Wednesday

Ham and Potato Soup – Tuberlicious!

This title is dedicated to all those who chimed in on our root vegetable gratin video to let me know that a potato is a tuber, and not a root, even though I mentioned that fact in the video and the post! Bless your hearts. ;-)

I know we did a black bean soup not too long ago, but I had a piece of leftover ham that needed to be used up, and this time of year you just can’t have too many soup recipes. In addition to being a proven antidote for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the recipe is definitely filling enough to serve as a main course.

The version I presented here is a little on the lighter side, but by adding more meat (including bacon, sausage, etc.), and finishing with cheese, you can significantly increase its heartiness.

By the way, if you do want to finish this with some nice sharp cheddar, or perhaps a pepper Jack, do NOT add it until you’ve turned off the heat. Cooking the cheese is never a good thing, unless you want an oil slick floating on the surface of your soup. There will be plenty of residual heat to melt shredded cheese, so turn off the heat, stir it in, and dig in.

If you’re one of these vegetarian types, may I suggest you caramelize some diced mushrooms to a dark meaty brown first, and then proceed with the rest of the procedure as shown. Either way, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb gold potato (or any other kind will work)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery
8 oz diced smoked ham
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne
chives

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Bars



apologies for not getting anything posted for a few weeks...i have writers block.  still cooking up a storm with tons of recipes and photos, but i just can't seem to get a post out.  so pardon me if the next few post are a bit short on words...sometimes i like those posts best.  who needs to here all the blah blah blah.

GET TO THE POINT ALREADY !

THESE BARS ARE FABULOUS!

the original recipe can be found at Cooking Light.  great reviews, but i knew i could make it even lighter by what i had gathered from the other bakers.  i substituted the sour cream with non fat greek yogurt and sub'd the white sugar with Splenda.
one thing i would say is don't weigh out your flour...measure it out in a cup.

2 friends already asked for the recipe and i have made them a second time using figs, cardamom, toasted pistachios and lemon zest (might be posting about it).  this second batch i weighed out the flour and they came out a little too moist for my liking, but it DID lend itself to the fig bars.  they turned out like a glorified middle eastern flavored fig newton...DELICIOUS !

try different filling and spices...check the original at Cooking Light and read the reviews.  my friend made the original recipe and said they were great...i just lightened them up a little.  oh, and i added more lemon zest.  enjoy.



CRANBERRY OATMEAL BARS

for the crust...
1 cup white while wheat flour
1 cup oats...i used old fashioned
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (do not substitute)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
cooking spray

for the filling...
1 1/3 cup dried cranberries (6oz.)
3/4 cup non fat greek yogurt
1st time i used 1/4 sugar and 1/4 splenda, but you might try 1/2 cup all splenda
2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp grated orange rind
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

preheat oven to 325 F degrees
to prepare the crust, combine flour and the next five ingredients, through cinnamon, into medium bowl.  stir well with whisk until combined.  drizzle melted butter and orange juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened...mixture should be crumbly.  RESERVE 3/4 CUP OF CRUST MIXTURE.  press remaining mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

to prepare filling...combine cranberries, yogurt, splenda and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine.  spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust and sprinkle remaining oat crust mixture evenly over filling.  i made sure it was crumbly looking by pressing some of it between my fingers and then gave it a little over all pat down to secure the crumble...
i hate it when you take a bite of a good crumble and it all ends up in your lap !

bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until the edged are golden.  cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

when cut into 16 squares the nutrients are approx...
(nutrition for 1/4 cup sug. and 1/4 cup splenda recipe)
107 calories, 18. carbs, 3.3 fat, 2.1 protein


Nougat from Sugar & Spice 糖村 - Taipei, Taiwan


HY was helping a friend pick up some goodies during our Taipei trip which led us to Sugar & Spice 糖村. Sugar & Spice is a bakery that originates from Taichung. It has a delectable selection of cakes and even the Taiwanese style pineapple tarts. I find it strange that we were asked to bring back Nougats from Taiwan??!!! However, after sampling the nougats at Sugar & Spice, we decided to bring a box back for ourselves. The mouthful of coffee caramel nougat blossomed of immense coffee and caramel fragrance and I especially like it for its milkiness. There were the coffee caramel flavor and the original milk flavor for the nougats. The nougats from Sugar & Spice were soft and chewy. I thought that the coffee caramel was good but the original flavored one was even better. If anyone, like me, had a fetish for eating milk powder straight from a teaspoon, you'll like the original flavored nougat. It has an intense taste of milk. I'm chewing on one as I'm typing now. Delicious!


台北市大安區敦化南路1段158號
158 Dun Hua Road Section 1
Da An District, Taipei, Taiwan
Tel : 02 2752 2188

Kamis, 27 Oktober 2011

The Blue Goat: RVA Goes Nose-to-Tail

 
As you know, I very recently visited my hometown, Richmond, Virginia. Richmond has pretty sweet restaurants and I have been lucky enough to sample many of them throughout my life. The city is flecked with small, intimate corner cafes and independent bistros with thoughtful food, kind staff and, more often than not, big windows and pressed tin ceilings. And, almost always, a welcoming bar where one can comfortably sit and eat.

To this day that is the style of dining experience to which I am drawn. I prefer small spaces with big food.

Prior to arriving on this particular trip, Paz, Dad and I decided to share a meal out together on my first night in town. We all settled on the Blue Goat, a new venture by Chris Tsui and chef, Kevin La Civita (Osaka, Sushi-O and Wild Ginger) with a nose-to-tail concept. Here in LA we are certainly not for want in this department. We have Animal, Sotto, Gorbals, Lazy Ox Canteen, of course,  Salt’s Cure (my favorite), to name a few. But for Richmond this is pretty damned cool. Their products are also all sourced from local farms including the much lauded Polyface Farm. I was excited.

We had 8pm reservations on a Friday night, rolled in right on time into a bustling scene, and yet were seated immediately by our welcoming and smiling hostess. Take that LA!


The restaurant is occupying what I grew up knowing as Peking, a Chinese restaurant that kicked around for 31 years. I remember their Peking Duck fondly. In a Grosse Point Blank moment, I was shocked to notice that it is entirely unrecognizable in any semblance of my recollection. But it does look pretty great. The walls have been stripped, leaving the original exposed brick. The wooden ceiling, once hidden by another layer of wood, is now exposed. That extra wood was converted into the restaurant’s refinished Douglas-fir tables and, after some digging, Tsui and company found and polished the floor that was used when the building was a grocery store in the 1930s. The space includes a bar that runs the length of the building, as well as spacious, cozy booths, high tables and even a private wine room that seats parties of up to 12 and has a window looking right into the kitchen.


The menu is vast. We were overwhelmed. We wanted one of everything. But we first ordered cocktails. Now y’all know I am by no means a cocktail person, but I figured I was back home and they were doing this whole she-she-la-la cocktail thing everyone’s got their panties in a bunch about everywhere, so why not? I went for the obvious choice as it was entitled, The Only Thing You Drink: Aperol Apertivo, St. Germain, Fresh Squeezed Lime, Rosemary Sprig ($9). I enjoyed it, actually. Dad ordered his standard martini and Paz ordered a glass of Albarino.


We went ahead and got some Pork rinds with gray sea salt ($4) to go with cocktail time. They were straightforward and genius. They managed to be light and airy without the greasy and heavy. The pork flavor came through absolutely and the gray sea salt only brought it forth one step further. I would appreciate a big bag of them now to snack on while I write.


Then we went a little bit crazy…

Daily Shellfish Selection $17 
Local Fresh Raw Oysters (selection of Chincoteague, Upper James & Sting Rays)
With Jumbo Carolina Head On Shrimp Paired
With house made pepper relish and mignonette sauces

This was exactly what it was: fresh, local, beautiful shellfish. I never bother with relishes, mignonettes or the like when I have raw shellfish before me. Just give it to me straight up, no chaser.

 Batter fried, julienne strips of Smithfield Farm pig ear, a sunny side duck egg with crispy Swiss chard ($12)

Oh my. This was decadence. This was my salt fest. Slice through that egg and let all of the textures and flavors marry and this is one hell of a dish. This dish would bowl over any of my pig ear-loving Angelinos, for sure. And most certainly Maggie.

 Hudson Valley seared foie gras over black mission fig quick bread, huckleberry
and plum compote and pomegranate reduction ($15)

Foie is one of my all-time favorite things to put in my mouth. This did not disappoint. It’s exterior was ever so slightly crisped to give way to a luscious, ethereal interior. I even triedit with the compote and didn’t drop to the floor in dramatic convulsions. Even I could see that the flavor profiles were matched beautifully. 

*For you Richmonders reading this: please note that “compromised” fruit is – and always has been - something of a fear of mine.

 Manakintowne mixed field green salad, Hanover tomato, strawberries, white anchovies, with a pomegranate mint vinaigrette ($7)

Two things in the description of this salad had me at hello: Hanover tomatoes and white anchovies. So much so that I threw caution to the wind with the strawberry factor (see fruit disclaimer above). The salad was perfectly conceived. The only criticism I have is that the tomatoes were either not entirely in season any longer or not ripe. Eagerly anticipating my first Hanover tomato in over a year, I was, admittedly, disappointed. Fantastic dressing, however.

 Fallen Oaks Farm rabbit pate “country style”, bruschetta and white truffle honey ($11)

This was an unexpected treat, brought over to us by the manager, Chris (could it have been my huge camera, perhaps?). I’m so pleased he brought this as it was a surprise hit. The white truffle honey was glorious and this dish’s smoothness and warmth added a perfect follow up to the anchovies and pomegranate vinaigrette. Thanks, Chris!

 House made Ravioli stuffed with braised goat, ricotta and swiss chard with sage brown butter and shaved Pecorino Romano ($11)

This was another I-must-have-this-immediately dish I spotted on the menu. I am somewhat fixated on hand-made pasta at present, and anything with brown butter is a go. Unfortunately the ravioli was a little bit too toothsome and a lot bit too oleaginous. The brown butter was not tremendously visible aesthetically or on the tongue. The braised goat, ricotta and swiss chard insides were remarkable, however.

 Braised pork cheeks over spaetzle ($15)

Hold the phone. Hold. The. Phone. This dish was RIDICULOUS. I wish we had ordered it earlier on in our gluttony as I wanted to savor each and every droplet in each and every bite. Dear Chef LaCivita, Pretty please ship me 284969 pounds of this tout suite!

We all agreed that this was our favorite of the evening.

If you can believe it, we also tried to order the Veal marrow bone with gray sea salt, bruschetta and black olive tapenade ($11) – but (thank God) they were out.

I can’t recall what Paz or Dad ordered in the wine department but I paired my meal with a glass of The Prisoner ($13) and a glass of the Petît Batard ($12) – and they were absolutely tailor-made for the meal.

Listen, the food was great. The service was great. The atmosphere, if a bit loud, was great. I totally applaud that Tsui and LaCivita are giving Richmond diners a bit more credit than they often receive.

I know my dad and Paz will be back, if they haven’t already. I plan to return upon my next visit to Richmond--VERY SOON. And Hell, I’m sitting here in Los Angeles writing about a restaurant 3,000 miles away because I think if you are able, you should go there, too.


One Year Ago: Pecan Shortbread
Two Years Ago: The Grilled Cheese Truck

Candy Apples


Read 'CANDY APPLE' out loud.  Did you just hear and see a bunch of dyslexia in your ears and brain? Sort of, right?  At first glance, when you saw the title of this post, you thought 'CARAMEL APPLE' didn't you?  Well, that's what happened to me like 5 times yesterday when I told people I made Candy Apples.  

Me: I made Candy Apples!
Person: OMG I looove Caramel Apples.
Me: No, I said CANDY apples.
Person: There's this great place in Big Bear that makes THEE best Caramel Apples.
Me: Get away from me.  And don't say "thee."

Why does no one remember candy apples???  Was it just me who preferred them over the caramel kind as a little kid??  I will admit, these days I would pick the latter, but I wanted to introduce my son to the magic of a candy apple around Halloween.  A giant, bright, homemade lollipop with a beautiful, juicy apple wrapped inside.  Guaranteed you have all the ingredients and could make them in 5 minutes.   

Clean apples, remove stem (go ahead and play the 'ABC/This Is Who I Will Marry' game), place wooden skewer as far as you can into apple core...


1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup and 3/4 cup water... boil until it reaches 300 degrees (if you don't have a thermometer, you'll know it's 300 when you take a spoonful of it, drop it in a bowl of water, and it turns hard)... remove from heat and quickly whisk in 4 drops red food coloring... immediately dip apples...


...and place on parchment paper.


*This recipe makes 3 apples, double for 6.