Search

Sabtu, 30 Juni 2012

Pan-Fried Asparagus



I usually boil my asparagus, or roast it, or possibly, grill it. However, I don't think I ever tried just frying it. What took me so long? This was super simple, and extremely tasty. Just heat some butter, and fry on fairly high temperature, shaking the pan every so often. It took about five minutes.

And do note my new pretty frying pan! It's white! On the inside! I'm pretty excited about this, it makes it really easy to see the level of done-ness, and browning butter is obviously much easier than in a dark pan. We'll see how long it lasts, but so far, I'm happy. (This is from Ica Selection, and I was sent this one to try out.)

"Black White Cut" 黑白切 street food ... Taipei - Taiwan

傳紋小吃 Chuan Wen Eating Place is a small shop along Lane 216 of Zhong Xiao East Road, Section 4, specializing in 黑白切, "Black and white cuts". When you look at the dishes you'll understand why the name. We ordered a table full but I'll just highlight the few that were more outstanding. I never knew fresh chilled bamboo shoots tasted this sweet when complimented with mayonnaise. Minced pork belly rice was mostly savory and the fats made the meat all the more tender.The Century Egg with Silky Tofu and Bonita flakes was most interesting to me. These 3 ingredients were mixed up in gravy. A mouthful of the mangled mess will get your palate the smooth texture from tofu, rolled up in the jelly-like century egg that gave that delightful "pungent" flavor that only most Chinese appreciate.

Jumat, 29 Juni 2012

Balsamic Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta – Currently Trending

Some culinary trends are silly. I don’t want deconstructed soups or faux-Kobe sliders. Others are only silly when done poorly. The popular savory/sweet trend is a great example.

While it's often some kind of salted caramel bacon topped ridiculousness, It can be something as easy and approachable as this sexy strawberry goat cheese bruschetta. The way the tangy, slightly salty goat cheese works with the syrupy, balsamic-coated strawberries and crispy, charred bread is a thing of beauty. 

By the way, I’ve got great news if you stink at picking out sweet strawberries. Because we are using a balsamic reduction, this dish actually works very nicely with less-than-perfect berries.

However, one thing that will not work is poor quality vinegar. You’re going to want to use real, aged balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy. There’s just no substitute. Every large market sells it now, so pick up a bottle, and try this very tasty, albeit trendy treat soon. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Dishing Gourmet, for it was their lovely photo on TasteSpotting that inspired this post!


Ingredients for 12 Balsamic Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta
12 slices of Italian bread
olive oil, as needed
1 cup fresh goat cheese, room temp
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar, reduced to 1/4 cup
1 pound strawberries, washed and diced
salt and pepper to taste
fresh thyme leaves as desired

View the complete recipe

Later Today: Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta


Kamis, 28 Juni 2012

La Fuji Mama’s Buckwheat Crêpes with Avocado & Cheddar Cheese

This pretty pancake is from my friend Rachael, aka La FujiMama, and as I watched her video I couldn’t help but think, why hadn’t I thought of this? I love buckwheat crepes, and I love melted cheese, yet I never thought to grill cheddar inside a folded buckwheat crepe. 

Anyway, I’m going to try this crepe soon, and see what kind of wacky filling I can come up with. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the video, and thanks to Rachael for sharing! After you watch, be sure to head over to La Fuji Mama to read the post and get the original recipe. Enjoy!

Grilled Meatloaf



Has it every occurred to you to GRILL your meatloaf??  I had never thought of it until recently, and now my life has changed forever.  It's the perfect summer dinner for many reasons: no hot oven warming up your house, you're able to spend time with Mother Nature, you can force a man on the grill, and then there's the flavor.  That smoky, charred, grill flavor.  Last night we used Carson's man toy, the Egg, to grill and essentially smoke the meatloaf.  He soaked hickory chips in water for an hour and used those along with charcoal.  He grilled the meatloaf at 350 for 45 minutes covered in tinfoil and another 15 minutes uncovered (at which point I smothered the top with ketchup).  It almost brought tears to his eyes, it was that good.  

You don't need a Big Green Egg to pull this off, there are many methods online like here and here.  


Some Siriously Delicious Meatloaf recipes:

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf
Meatball Meatloaf
Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

Rabu, 27 Juni 2012

Common Galaxia

P1040990

Like the silvery native fish that gives it its name, the exterior of Common Galaxia may blend into its surroundings, but step inside and you will see how fresh and unique it is.

This is the second venture for the owners of South Melbourne's Dead Man Espresso, one of Melbourne's most renowned coffee-centric cafes.  Although I have heard there are also practical reasons behind the move to these premises, I do think the fact that an already iconic business from the other side of the river should choose Seddon as a viable site for its next venture is yet another signpost in the inner west's evolution.

P1040998

The coffee's serious business here, but still accessible.  The Seven Seeds house blend is broken down into its regional components and complemented by a guest blend (today from Market Lane) plus another for pourover (above).

P1040986

Luscious latte love.  Each table has a little caddy on the side for salt, pepper, cutlery and the menu, folded up like a love note.

The menu has cut the apron strings of build-your-own breakfasts and is completely awesome.  Think pikelets with apple curd and dulce de leche, and baked eggs - yes, I know, but they're with chorizo made with Warialda Beef (think Beatrix's Rachael!) or four types of braised bitter greens.  Their namesake even makes an appearance, I think as crispy whitebait-style fish, cosying up with shaved fennel and native lemon aspen berry mayo as one of their smorrebrod offerings (open Danish sandwiches on rye).

P1040994
$14.50 (plus bacon, $18)

Choosing something was the sweetest form of torture but this dish of avocado, chevre, chickpeas and pomegranate "gems" on pumpkin bread was delicious.  The bread was quite sweet, the seeds on its crust contrasting with the melt-in-your-mouth goats cheese, the tangy pop of pomegranate seeds and a side of rich, crisp streaky bacon.

The fish may be common, but this Galaxia is truly special.

Common Galaxia on Urbanspoon

Common Galaxia
Shop 3, 130 Victoria Street, Seddon
Phone:  9689 0309
Hours:  Tues-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat & Sun 8am-4pm



View Footscrayfoodblog reviews in a larger map

Miso-Glazed Skirt Steak – There is Nothing More American Than Foreign Ingredients

This succulent grilled skirt steak recipe would be perfect for your 4th of July cookout, and what better way to celebrate America’s birthday than with an ingredient from Japan. 

Our nation has lots to be proud of; and one thing I take special pride in is our willingness to integrate any and all culinary influences into our cuisine. We don’t much care where it comes from, as long as it’s delicious, we will assimilate.

There was a time, not that long ago, when only a lucky few “gourmands” living near big cities had access to imported ingredients like miso, balsamic vinegar, truffle oil, etc. Nowadays, these items are found in virtually every large grocery store, from sea to shining sea. When I hear the words, “immigrants built this country,” I don’t think of railroads, bridges, and roads; I think pizza, sushi, and foie gras torchon.

I’ll admit to knowing very little about miso, or why it’s so effective in this simple glaze, but that’s okay. There is nothing wrong with a little mystery in your cooking (think burlesque vs. full-frontal). How and why it makes the beef so juicy and flavorful is not nearly as important as the fact it does.

I’ve done countless variations of this glaze, and oddly enough I prefer a red wine vinegar in this, over more obvious choices like rice vinegar. Maybe it’s just because I associate red wine with red meat, but I really think there’s something else going on. What? No idea (see paragraph 4).

You’ll notice the ingredient list is relatively short, and it should probably stay that way, but of course I expect you to tweak this to your personal tastes. Not doing so would be downright un-American. I hope you give this great grilled miso glazed skirt steak a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 2 large or 4 smaller portions:
1 whole skirt steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tbsp yellow miso
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 packed tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 cloves finely crushed garlic
freshly ground black pepper to taste
*Glaze should be spread over both sides of meat, and left out for 30 minutes.
**I think skirt steak has the best texture if cooked between medium-rare and medium. I'd remove at an internal temp of 130-135 F.

View the complete recipe

ideas for the 4th...

I've been perusing for you.  You're welcome.  












Chocolate Chip Cookies, revisited

soft chocolate chip cookies

Cookies is probably my favorite thing to make - so quick, so fun, so tasty. And I always look for new recipes. But as for chewy chocolate chip cookies.. I might just stop looking. Because I doubt they can get any better than these.

This recipe comes from Eric Wolitsky, who was on Top Chef Just Desserts, via Amateur Gourmet.  It is nothing short of fabulous. And SO quick! I never have the foresight to have room temperatur butter, so this recipe which uses melted is perfect for me. I actually whipped up a batch to bring to our preschool this morning, before breakfast. It's that easy.

And I guess you can mix in anything you'd like. I've just used chocolate chips so far, but I imagine it'll be a great base for more elaborate flavors as well. I'm a sucker for sweet and salty, so I think I'll try pretzels soon, and definitely some toasted nuts.

Eric's Chocolate Chip Cookies
170 g butter, melted
100 g sugar
200 g brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
300 g flour
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp baking soda
250 g dark chocolate chips

Mix the butter with the two sugars until combined. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix again. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda, and mix until it's just combined. Finally add the chocolate, and mix again.

Place large scoops on a baking sheet and bake at 160°C for 12-14 minutes. (I use a convection oven, if yours is not, you might want a slightly higher temperature.) Let the cookies set before attempting to move them. (For smaller cookies, you don't need more than 10 minutes.)

And as always, I heartily recommend freezing the scooped-out cookie dough, and then baking from frozen. You might need an extra minute or two in the oven.

Selasa, 26 Juni 2012

Squash Birds of a Feather

© Irvin Lin, Eat the Love
Those of you familiar with competitive yellow squash carving know how intense these contests can get, and an event I recently co-hosted with Allrecipes in Seattle was no different. The tension was so thick, you could've cut it with a swag-bag paring knife.

This battle royal took place at the conclusion of BlogHerFood weekend, and an exclusive group of foodies were invited based on their blogging experience, passion for edible art, and to a much greater extent, their availability.

The theme of the day was centered on my mascot and lifelong friend, the squash bird. After regaling them with the strange and mostly true story of how it came to be, and demonstrating how I make the bird, our honored attendees set to work creating their own renditions for fun and fabulous prizes.

Despite bottomless Mimosas, I thought the birds  these “gordiators” produced were extraordinary. Here are a few of the highlights. 

© Irvin Lin, Eat the Love
I only had my cell phone to take pictures with, so the blurry shots are mine. Thankfully my friend Irvin at Eat the Love was there, and graciously shared some of the pictures he took.

The winning bird was from Michael Procopio, the blogger/food writer behind the always entertaining Food for the Thoughtless. The classic combination of huge beak and fabulous hat proved irresistible to the judges. More subtle was the upright posture, which gave the bird an almost regal stance.

In addition to being a squash bird boss, the hilarious Mr. Procopio also gives good Twitter, so be sure to check him out there. By the way, be prepared to look stuff up on Wikipedia.

Speaking of fabulous, the inimitable Linda Nicholson, aka Salty Seattle, was also in attendance. As you can see, she was clearly trying to distract the competition with her choice of footwear, which mimicked the bird’s bright orange feet. Did it work? Not really, but who cares? Look at those boots!

© Irvin Lin, Eat the Love
Her squash birds were almost as striking. The saline siren attempted an ambition scene consisting of what appears to be two squash birds trying to land on the same rock. 

Unfortunately, during the lunch break, some mayo from her sandwich must have fallen on the birds, and she was disqualified for violating Chapter 3, Section 7 of the official rules, which covers inappropriate use of condiments.

Many attendees utilized "hair" and other eye-catching accessories to make an impression. Sean Timberlake from Hedonia tried to pull off the rarely seen cock’s comb/toupee combo; and DPaul Brown from dpaulbrown.com's follic affectations not only dressed up his entry, but also helped indicate what kind of cigarette was in the beak.

© Irvin Lin, Eat the Love
Another favorite was this submission from Andrew Wilder at Eating Rules. I thought it was a smart approach to make the bird look like it was bending over feeding. 

We assumed Andrew was trying to show movement, although he did spend a lot of time making sure everyone saw just how anatomically correct the tail end of his creation was, so there may have been ulterior motives.

Anyway, we really did have a great time, and I want to thank everyone who participated. Also, a huge thanks to my friends at Allrecipes for hosting and organizing such a fun event! 

If you want to learn how to make your very own squash bird, check out this video, and as always, enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (sans machine)


If you like scrambled egg whites, like we do, SAVE YOUR EGG YOLKS.  I screamed at you, sorry.  But ever since I made homemade ice cream I see leftover yolks in a whole new light.  And ever since I discovered you don't need any fancy equipment to make the icy treat, I've been dying to try new flavors.  Cut to me staring at a bag of half-eaten mini Oreos yesterday and deciding, I'm going to make ice cream this instant.  So I did.  Creamy, rich, chunky, luscious, wonderful ice cream.

I'm getting the hang of this, you guys.  It is a really simple thing to do.  At one point, I was casually stirring egg yolks into milk, reading my Twitter feed on my iPhone AND whistling.  That's three things at once.  I can totally handle two kids.        


Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (sans machine)
(Makes approx. 5 cups)
Printable Recipe

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 T vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
2 cups crushed Oreos

Heat milk, sugar, vanilla and salt in saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.  Turn off heat.  Lightly beat egg yolks in a small bowl.  Slowly add just a little of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks while constantly stirring with spoon or whisk.  Once incorporated, add all of the egg yolks into the saucepan of milk.  Return to stove and cook over low heat, constantly stirring, until mixture thickens slightly (enough to lightly coat a spoon or spatula).  Remove from heat.  Place a large plastic bowl in an even larger bowl full of ice water (essentially you're creating an ice bath).  Place a strainer over the smaller bowl.  Pour the heavy cream through the strainer into bowl.  Then pour the egg mixture through the strainer into bowl.  Stir to combine.  Remove large bowl from ice bath and place in freezer.  Leave in freezer until ice cream starts to thicken and freeze, stirring every 30 or 45 minutes.  Once thick enough (see consistency above), pour in crushed Oreos and stir.  Return to freezer and continue with 30-minute stirring rotation until you've reached your desired consistency.  Place plastic wrap directly on top of ice cream to store (this will eliminate freezer burn).      


Learning about Certified Angus Beef

Julie Boggs of Westbrook Angus
Certified Angus Beef is not the same as Angus or Black Angus which you may see on everything from beef at restaurants and supermarkets to even fast food burgers. In order to be designated Certified Angus Beef, it must pass a strict set of requirements and USDA inspection and approval, and very little of it does. In fact only 1 in 4 inspected makes the grade. That's the main thing I learned when I met with ranchers, chefs and restaurateurs to learn about beef and the Certified Angus Beef brand in particular. The ranchers I met bred breeding stock and they told me they like the Angus breed for a number of reasons, it's temperament, size, and ability to produce.

Over the course of several meals I got a chance to try many cuts of Certified Angus Beef steak including rib eye, tenderloin, top sirloin and filet mignon. It was very well prepared by restaurant chefs from the steakhouse chain El Gaucho and also from Aqua by El Gaucho. It was truly enlightening to try so many cuts at once, and while they were all tender, juicy and delicious, there were subtle differences in flavor and texture. The consistency in quality I experienced is really the reason for the Certified Angus Beef brand. I admit I like the flavor of grass fed beef as well as grain finished beef. But I learned that the health claims made about grass fed beef are somewhat dubious. While grass fed beef is higher in omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E, beef is not a great source of either. Also there is a misconception that grass fed beef is more sustainable, but the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions per pound of beef are increased three-fold in grass-fed cattle versus grain finished. Truth be told all beef is grass fed, it's just how long it spends on a feed lot fattening up on a diet of grain that makes the difference.

My usual favorite cut of steak is rib eye. But side by side tasting many different steaks, I was surprised to find the "baseball cut" top sirloin my favorite of all. It just had the best "beefiest" flavor. The Certified Angus Beef representatives say that fat is flavor. But I have to disagree. Top sirloin is actually a leaner cut of beef, and yet it was still good, even tastier than other fattier cuts, in my opinion. It's not just the fat, but the way the fat is marbled that makes a difference. While I enjoyed all the Certified Angus Beef I ate, I would love to see more availability of Natural Certified Angus Beef and an organic option as well.


When I returned home I purchased some Certified Angus Beef top sirloin chateaubriand to try cooking myself. Sure enough, it was juicy, rich and beefy, somewhat lean but very good. Because I don't eat beef often, I seek out the best I can find and rely on my local butcher to make recommendations. Recently I was buying some skirt steak and my butcher told me the Angus was better than the Kobe because it was the inside and not the outside section. Like wine and chocolate, when it comes to beef, there is always more to learn...

My thanks to Certified Angus Beef for hosting my trip and meals. Please note I paid for the beef I purchased myself.

Crazy-good corn

corn-msg

I first encountered at my cousin's son graduation party. I love corn, but this was.. something extra. I couldn't stop eating it - it was just so creamy, savory and flavorful. I had to know what was in it.

I kind of wish I hadn't asked, because the answer? Corn, leeks, crème fraîche and... MSG. Well, not straight MSG,  but close enough - the Swedish spice mix Aromat, which is mostly salt and MSG. I don't think I've ever owned a jar before, but this made me run to the store to get some.

MSG might not be the best thing to eat though, I realize that this will be a very occasional treat. But a treat nonetheless!

If you want to give it a try - I used two small cans of corn, 200 ml crème fraîche, half of a large leek and a few tablespoons of the spice mix.

Senin, 25 Juni 2012

Monga Sweet Cafe

P1040927

If you're trying to assimilate into another culture, I think breakfast is the final hurdle.  Sure, lunch and dinner can be exotica day in and day out, no sweat - but even long-term expats, faced with early morning fried noodles or rice balls, just can't stomach anything other than cornflakes or Vegemite toast.  Perhaps the second-last hurdle in food terms is dessert.  I may crave anything but meat and three veg for dinner, but I just can't see myself being hormonal and chewing Mr Baklover's ear off until he gets me a bowl of snow fungus soup.

P1040898

That's why I think Bryan had a bit of trepidation bringing me to Monga, a well-hidden "dessert lounge" above Russell Street serving Hong Kong-style snacks, drinks and desserts.  I was game anyway, and it's certainly a lovely space to linger in, all dark wood and peep-hole panelling like you're in some sort of secret club.

P1040889

Hong Kong has some absolutely zany dishes, the result of many cultures exerting their influence on this tiny island.  Monga have many savoury dishes that proudly feature Spam, plus fried instant noodles, the rather odd breakfast above (with hot dog sausage) and a toasted bun that Bryan describes receiving, only to find that between the slices was a slab of butter about half an inch thick.

P1040899
Mushroom and steamed chicken on rice double boiling set, $10.50

We went for a double-boiled chicken and mushroom dish.  The way I understand it, double boiling means the ingredients are placed in a sealed vessel that is then placed in a pot of heated water.  There's no direct flame on the ingredients themselves, making for an extremely gentle style of cooking.  This dish was quite fabulous, with tender pieces of chicken in a light but delicious marinade, plus fat shiitake mushrooms on well-cooked white rice.  The accompanying sauce, a very light, thin soy, complemented it perfectly.

P1040897

Delicious milky iced tea - far less tannic than Singaporean/Malaysian teh tarik.  This was included in the price of the chicken and mushroom dish above.

P1040917
Papaya poached in almond sweet soup, $7

Scary dessert time!  Bryan had another double-boiled dish, papaya pieces in almond milk.  I loved the almond milk - sweet and refreshing with a light marzipan flavour - and the tender almond kernels floating in it.  The papaya didn't taste ripe though and did nothing much for the dish.

P1040924
Black sesame rice ball with ginger sweet soup, $7

I went for rice balls with my choice of black sesame, in a ginger syrup.  They were fantastic!  The glutinous rice dough is tender but intriguingly sticky to the tooth, while the black sesame paste is nutty, very sweet and pleasantly textured.  The ginger syrup felt nourishing, sweet but with good ginger heat.

P1040930

Upon leaving, we spied this so we HAD to go upstairs - wouldn't you?!

P1040929

Bryan loves the upstairs here as it reminds him of an old Hong Kong-style gambling den...

P1040886

...and in fact, Monga's menu even includes your choice of game!

P1040932

If you feel like coffee and cake in the city after dark, rather than settle for a tired baklava and bad coffee on Lonsdale Street, turn the corner and ascend to Monga.  I wasn't sure if iced tea and glutinous rice balls would hit the spot, but it turns out they really did.

Monga Sweet Cafe on Urbanspoon

Monga Sweet Cafe
Level 1, 217 Russell Street, City
Hours:  11.30 am - 3 am, 7 days


View Footscrayfoodblog reviews in a larger map

Fast & Easy Creamed Spinach – Cash Rules Everything Around Me (C.R.E.A.M.)

When people ask me if I fear eventually running out of things to video, I say no, and then joke that even if I did, I’d just start filming them all over again to keep that sweet ad revenue flowing in.

While that wasn’t the reason, I did think about that while filming this new and possibly improved creamed spinach recipe. As I’ve admitted before, every once in a while I’ll film something because I feel like eating it, and not because it’s a food wish. This lovely side dish is one such recipe.

I was driving over the Bay Bridge a few weeks ago, and C.R.E.A.M. by the Wu-Tang Clan was on the stereo. As Raekwon the Chef and Method Man serenaded me over the foggy span, I started to crave a steak and side of creamed spinach. This happens more than I care to admit, where a song triggers a yearning for some sort of tasty bite. Please tell me this happens to you too.

This more contemporary creamed spinach recipe is very similar flavor-wise to our previously posted “Steakhouse Creamed Spinach,” but since it doesn’t use a béchamel, it’s a bit lighter in texture. You'll need to use a nice heavy cream, since it thickens beautifully as it reduces, leaving you with a simple, but still luxurious sauce.

The only way to ruin this dish is to not squeeze all the water out of the cooked spinach. If that’s covered, the rest is pretty simple. Keep in mind that even perfect squeezed spinach will still thin out the sauce a bit; so don’t be afraid to reduce the cream until quite thick. You can always add another drizzle of cream if you go too far.

Anyway, as the WTC would say, I hope you’re trying to hear what I'm kickin' in your ear. This would make a great side dish for your next steak dinner, and you should give it a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 pounds cleaned spinach
2 tsp olive oil
For the cream sauce:
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced shallots
pinch of salt, cayenne, freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
3/4 cup cream
2 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese