switching it up...

Don't hate me, I'm changing locations... follow me over to the new site www.thebonappetitdiaries.wordpress.com to continue reading about my culinary adventures!

Mangoes and Sticky Rice

I haven't yet been to Thailand, but I'm sure when I do, I will live primarily off of pad Thai, satay (if that's actually Thai) and mangoes and sticky rice. I had a former roommate who made the most amazing version of this dessert - the real way. Where you soak the rice over night, steam it instead of simmering and really take your time. That said, it has always daunted me and I've always felt bad considering a short cut. Nonetheless, mangoes were super ripe a couple weeks ago, so in addition to making a whole trout on a magical culinary evening, I also made mangoes and sticky rice. I did cheat a little bit.

Here's my easy version:

• 1 cup short grain white rice
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into strips - the smaller yellow mangoes are perfect!
• 4-5 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar EK: I used brown
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 can good quality, thick coconut milk (I found this even at Safeway)
• dash of vanilla extract
• water

Rice:

• Soak the rice in 1 cup of water for 20-30 min (up to 4 hrs)
• Do not drain rice - add 3/4 cup more water, 1/4 can coconut milk, salt and 1 tbsp brown sugar in a sauce pot
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer with lid cracked for 20 min or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid
• Turn off heat, put lid on tight and let sit for 5-10 min

Sauce:

• Warm rest of the can of cocnut milk with remaining 3 tbsp of sugar, and a splash a vanilla.

Serve:

• Scoop some rice into a bowl, top with generous amounts of mangoes and sauce

The verdict? Mango and coconut magic. It may not have been a traditional method, but the flavors sure were. I thought the sauce by itself was a little too sweet and vanilla (definitely add both gradually to taste), but when it was served with the rice and the mangoes, it was just a delightful combination. My other tips are to be sure not to over cook your rice, or to simmer too high (just like regular rice) and make sure your mangoes are super soft and ripe.

I don't know the next time I'll be able to make it back to Asia, so until then I will have to suffice with flavors of the tropics and a couple simplified steps.

Cherry Vodka - Part II

I know you have been anxiously awaiting to hear how the Cherry Vodka turned out... I am sorry to tell you, it did NOT. Exactly two weeks after creating my first trial batch, I made a plan to try it out. I invited one of my girlfriends over with the enticing '"come try my home-made cherry vodka" and it was a let down for us both.

It looked great - the vodka was pink, the cherries plump with the spirit; however, each of us only needed a sip to tell that something was off. The cherry flavor was prevalent, but so was a fermented aftertaste. My poor cherries had gone bad. I can't say I'm surprised though, because they did spend two weeks in the dark cold fridge and I think if you leave just about anything in there that long, something is bound to go wrong - yet still I held out and followed the directions in the hopes that the vodka would suppress the cherries' desire to go bad.

Well, lesson learned - do not store for 2 weeks, perhaps just a few days to imbue a delicate flavor. I still think it's a great idea and am excited to experiment with what is left of my handle that I just can't seem to finish.

here fishy fishy

About a week ago on a night MUCH nicer than this, I was desperate for groceries when I spied a trout at the store, a whole one. The last time I ate trout was probably 5 years ago at Greystone in St. Helena, which was some of the best I've ever had. The irony of that dinner was that a few days prior, I had seen trout on a menu and wondered who exactly orders such a simple fish in a restaurant - alas, I was that person. The last time I actually cooked trout; however... may have been never, save for helping my dad on childhood camping trips. Despite my lack of experience, the fish called to me with a fair price and an alluring challenge.

This also happened to be one of the nicest nights in San Francisco since lord knows when, and being the sun and heat deprived resident I am, I rushed out the door as soon as I got home to join friends for a beer at a bar with some great outdoor space. Three pitchers later (between three of us) later I decided I had to go cook my trout - let the adventure begin.

While looking for cooking method inspiration, I found a recipe where the trout is cooked in bacon grease and I knew I'd found my method. I think the pictures will tell you all you need to know:

1) Render the fat from some bacon

2) Add your fish! Cook about 5 minutes on each side, tilt the pan if necessary to keep the fish in a good amount of grease.

3) Flip when it's crisp on one side - I added fresh herbs to the inside and outside: dill, parsley, whatever you have.

4) It's done when the meat easily flakes away from the bone on each side.

5) Believe it or not, this happens easily and looks oh so fancy.

6) Once one fillet is removed, taking the spine off the other half is easy too! Again, it looks much more impressive than it is.

7) Dish it up and enjoy!

And there you have it, a home version of a campfire classic. The fish was tender, moist and smokey, just the way I like it. The herbs add load of freshness to the dish and the only thing really missing was some lemon to brighten it up. Hopefully you have a chance to someday cook a trout you catch yourself, but until then don't be afraid of a little adventure if you happen to spy one in a store.

Food Trucking

Among the many food trends right now (cupcakes, speakeasys/mixology, grilled cheese, pop up restaurants, just to name a few) food trucks are one thing that I hadn't yet experienced. That is, up until this weekend. I went to Off the Grid with a friend to check out the hype and magic that is supposed to come out of these tiny kitchens. In case you aren't familiar, Off the Grid is gathering of local food trucks, that occurs on Friday nights at Fort Mason Center and at other locations throughout the week. It draws quite the crowd and is a great way to try some new things, and sample restaurants you may not otherwise dine at.

Creme Brulee, The Creme Brulee Man:

The first and best thing I tried was a Chocolate Grand Marnier Creme Brulee. I'm normally a traditionalist and would have gone vanilla, but my friend insisted on this variation and I'm glad she did. It was creamy and luscious with a palatable, but not overwhelming Grand Marnier flavor that paired well with the chocolate that wasn't too strong. Definitely worth trying again, and perhaps making on my own!

Korean Tacos, Namu:

Seaweed. That's really all I have to say about this one. While the components had flavor when tasted individually, as a whole they were all suppressed by the overwhelming flavor of seaweed taco 'shell'. It was also difficult to eat as the wrapper was hard to bite through and sent the insides falling all over. Not terrible, but also probably not something I will order again.

Fried Dumplings and Chinese 'Pancake', Happy Dumplings:

This was my first venture back to Chinese food since my trip, save for some cheap chow mein a couple weeks ago. I had such a GREAT dumpling experience in China, I was very excited to give it a go back here in the U.S.

Dumplings in China from Nanxiang Mantou Dian

The dumplings I had in China were light and airy with a tasty pork filling that created a flavorful broth as it steamed. So I guess my bar was a little high for what I was about to try. Granted, these were fried potstickers and wouldn't be exactly the same, but overall I was not too impressed. The potstickers/dumplings were way too doughy and didn't have enough filling - the dough was thick and I don't think it was cooked enough either. We tried pork, chicken (way too much cilantro) and veggie - so I feel like we gave them a fair shot. We also tried this Chinese pancake with green onions that was fried and while I did like the fried crispy texture, they also only had a fried flavor that canceled out any spring onion essence.

Happy Dumplings potstickers and pancake

Chicken Satay:

Chicken Satay is one of my favorite Thai appetizers, but I'll be brief about this, because there's not a ton to say - If it weren't for the peanut sauce I don't know that this would really be worth eating. The sauce as good and left a bit of lingering spice, but the meat was slightly questionable and the fact that I paid $3.00 for a stick of meat was a little appalling.

Summing it all up, it was quite the experience. Despite the long lines and strong winds we had a good time and I enjoyed being able to fill up on little tastes here and there. I think the key is to go with friends, strategize about waiting in lines, and share everything. I don't know that I'll be standing in any of these specific lines again (aside from the creme brulee) but the list of vendors for Off the Grid is extensive and I'm sure that there is more food to be enjoyed by other mini mobile kitchens.

Summer BBQ

Summer is great! That is, unless you live in San Francisco. Despite the nice weather this past week, fog, wind and even rain plague my beautiful city while it is sublimely warm in neighboring cities during the months of June, July and August. So when my parents planned their three week Spanish extravaganza, I planned a BBQ in their empty home. Last weekend down came my SF friends to relish in warm weather, the ease of suburban life, and some good home cooking!

Normally with large groups I don't stress to much about making everything from scratch; however, I went all out this past weekend, making one classic, one easy and two new delicisous dishes. I was shocked that they all turned out well! For any given meal, I've come to accept that there will usually be a star, while some of the other dishes flounder - and while everyone had their favorite, I must say, that they were all pretty great in my book.

1) The Classic: Grilled Panzanella

I discovered this receipe a couple years back when a girlfriend of mine made it for her BBQ, and now make it for every BBQ I have. It's actually another Ina Garten recipe that is SO easy. Grill bell peppers, red onions and some quality bread. Chop while warm and mix with tomatoes, cucumbers and dress. The secret addition, though, is goat cheese! It's creamy already and get's a little melty with all the warm veggies, so it adds to the texture and tang of the salad. The dressing is simply oil, white wine vinegar, garlic and dijon which is light, yet spicy from the raw garlic and perfect for summer - this soaks into the bread, which along with the warm veggie juices, makes the 'croutons' full of flavor.

2) The Basic: Burgers

What is a BBQ with out the staple hamburger or hot dog??? I opted for burgers this time, and put in some multi pepper blend and dried onions that my parents had in the pantry. My Dad actually always made burgers with nothing in them, and as I got more into cooking, I realized you could actully spice and flavor the meat - what a revelation! I still kept them basic this time, and they came out just fine. Definitely not the star of the show, but an essential offering.

3) 1st New & Delicious: Yogurt & Spice Chicken Kebabs

Yes, hot dogs/sausages would have been easier, but not nearly as fun. These turkish inspired kebabs were packed with flavor and super moist. You combine yogurt, dries chili flakes, paprika, tomato paste, lemon and garlic to create a rich, creamy marinade and  then grill them to perfection. I let mine sit for a few hours and was pleasantly surprised by the results. There wasn't a ton of heat, but just enough to leave a little spice in your mouth and the yogurt kept the chicken moist, while my gentle BBQ skills didn't over cook and left them tender.

2) 2nd New & Delicious: Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

WOW!! My new favorite BBQ staple - it was amazing! 2 parts mayo (I even used light mayo) and 1 part Fage greek yogurt, made me feel not as bad about making a creamy potato salad... But the real star was the herbs, they were intense and packed a punch, but at the same time were really really refreshing and delightful. Basil, parsley and specifically the dill were a winning trio. I didn't taste the lemon as much, and would probably add more next time and while I added bacon, I didn't add enough to make a big difference in flavor, and to be honest, the salad really doesn't need it. I also used a variety of fingerling potatos, which worked well and I especially loved the pop of purple.

Overall, a smashing success! I'm so happy I was able to share my family home with my friends and served up some old and new favorites.

Okie Dokie, Artichokie?

Mmm... artichokes.

My mom eats them with seasoned butter; my dad, mayo; and a host in Spain, sliced thin and grilled. I go butter at home, so tasty. They leave that sweet residue on your palate, have luscious hearts and are totally worth any extra effort.

Berkeley Bowl - yes, again mention of my favorite grocery store - was selling 3 for $1.00. How do you pass that up? You don't.

They were the small kind, so stuffed with breadcrumbs seemed like the right thing to do, seeing as that the leaves wouldn't yield much meat to teeth off. It was my first time doing this, so let's learn together.

You can either cut the top half off first - or peel the leaves until you get to the tender yellow ones. Either way you'll end up with a little something like this:

After you get down to the yellow bits, you'll cut off the fibrous green part at the bottom - where leaves were torn off. In the photo below, it's where the angled part is.

So then after that you cut it lengthwise down the middle and spoon out the 'choke' - the little hairy pieces and the purplish leaves - the photo is prior to tearing off the outermost leaves:

Finally, I stuffed them. I had panko bread crumbs and roasted garlic from earlier in the week - so I tossed those together with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Baked in a 350 oven for about 40 min, until I could easily stick a fork in the heart, and they were done! Tiny little 2-bite artichoke snacks.

Final analysis - tasty! They were crispy and tender at the same time - maintaining the best of the heart with the crunch of the breadcrumbs with savory garlic tang and the sweet, roasted, artichoke finish.

Though a few things to take away:

• Next time I will cut off more of the leaves, because once they baked for that long, they were a little too dry and crisp
• Also make sure to coat the exposed parts of the heart in olive oil so they don't dry out
• I would also recommend experimenting with the stuffing. It would have been great with regular garlic, sausage or even mushrooms. And if you use a bigger artichoke, you get an even bigger cavity to fill - yum!