Happy Healthy and Hungry

Wedding Menu

2010-09-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with a good friend today who asked me why I didn't post anything on my blog about my wedding or the food for that matter. I told her, 'Well blogging is so slow in China because blogspot is blocked.' She pointed out my husband A works makes games for Facebook (also blocked). Point taken ... If he can make high production games, I ought to be able to deal with a simple blogspot.

So a preview to A and my wedding menu, an aspect of the wedding we paid quite a bit of attention to. As I wrote on the front of the menu:

For some, it’s the flowers. For others, it’s the music. For us, it’s the food. This wedding menu is one of the most important elements of our wedding … not only because we love food but because we consider this our special opportunity to showcase the richness of Chinese cuisine to you. We feel honored to have spent hours working with The Peninsula Shanghai’s Michelin award-winning chefs – Chef Chi Ping Xu and Chef Tang Chi Keung – putting together a custom menu that honors the Chinese art of点菜 (ordering food) - to create a dining experience where each dish complements the others in color, texture, temperature, and flavor.

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Detail about each course to come later!

Going to China tomorrow

2010-03-11T01:15:00.000-08:00

I look forward all the simple fare and favorites ... street-side roasted sweet potatoes ... mixed rice balls from QQ ... dou jiang you tiao ... Dandan noodles ...

Yum. :)

Food blogs

2010-03-04T22:01:00.001-08:00

http://www.saveur.com/contest_bow.jsp?ID=1000011135&main=yes

A list of great sites for anyone interested. :) I love flipping through the pictures ...

Happy Chinese New Year!

2010-02-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

All pictures are creations of Chef Jereme Leung & courtesy of Whampoa Club Shanghai

Happy Chinese New Year all! Year of the Tiger ... an extra special year, given that my sister was born in the year of the Tiger, and it's a big year for me in general (graduation, wedding, move to China, ...)

In honor of the new year, another tribute to Chinese food and all its glories. As one of my good friends (who has a wonderful culinary excursion business in BJ) once said, Chinese cuisine - like Chinese culture - is so rich in tradition and culture but so often misunderstood ...

... Agreed, and one of these days, with her help, I'll sit down and write the limited amount I know about the regional cuisines, flavors, spices, cooking techniques, etc ... but for now, just beautiful pictures courtesy of Whampoa Club Shanghai of Chinese cuisine photographed in its splendor and beauty. I promise it tastes good too. :)

My newest (and easiest) experiment

2010-02-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

My love for granola started only after college, when it became the selected girls night snack of choice, since it was the only thing in our San Francisco apartment. Between a particularly close girl friend of mine (recently married :) congrats hon), we used to finish a whole box between the two of us in a few hours.

I've always meant to try to make it myself, particularly since the one I like best is a homemade one sold as a topping at Fraiche yogurt, one of my all-time favorite Bay Area snack destinations. I finally got around to it yesterday, since I thought it would be fun to make into V-Day snack packages for friends. (The healthier alternative to chocolate, hah.)

It was surprisingly easy to make and very yum ... with the key ingredient for me being shredded coconut (I think that's why I like the one at Fraiche so much.) I think what I like most about making my own granola is the fact that I can tailor the sweetness (sugar, maple syrup or honey), clumpiness (oil, maple syrup or honey), and 'flavor' (other nuts, spices, dried fruit, ...).

For this first trial, I just used whatever was in our pantry: coconut flakes, pistachios, hazelnuts, and it was terrific. I like the fact that this batch was loose and not clumpy, so that each flake was slightly sweet and wonderfully toasty! I put them in little V-Day baggies for friends. To be delivered on Monday. :)

THE Whole Foods ... to rule them all

2010-02-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd write about a happy event, which was my recent, most fabulous weekend trip to Austin - the capital of Texas, the destination of my sorority class' reunion (it's in the middle of the country), and the HOME of Whole Foods!

As many know already, Whole Foods is one of my favorite places in the world. Sounds silly ... but I find grocery stores fascinating, and Whole Foods in particular makes the typical grocery story experience a supremely interactive, engaging, premium, 'feel good' experience.

This particular Whole Foods in Austin wow-ed me so much that I started thinking about what it would be like to live in Austin ... heh. There were four levels of parking, most of it filled. When I went in, I saw why. The place was three times the size of the Whole Foods in Cupertino (the flagship one in Northern California) and had in the store:

A dedicated burrito bar section (including burritos - normal and breakfast and tacos)
A barbecue bar (to sit and enjoy some Texan bbq ... I had a free rib sample :))
A vegan bar (New, I think)
A dessert bar
A chocolate station, with a chocolate fountain, large chocolate carmel apples, ...
A bread station and tasting with all of its loafs laid out in separately compartments with little signs and a small basket with samples to taste each one
A walk-in beer freezer
An aisle full of stainless steel oil vats so that you can pour your own oil
A 'make your own trail mix' station
... ... ...

The pictures don't really do the store justice ... but try to imagine your most beautiful grocery store, and that was it. :) Sort of. In any event, thanks to all my loveliest 'sisters' for indulging my desire to visit. Much appreciated.

A new book recommendation

2010-02-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

Ordered it but have not yet read it ... a recommended reading about the power of positive attitude in health and healing. 'Anatomy of an Illness: As perceived by the patient,' by Norman Cousins ... an autobiography about his own journey with his illness and ability to make himself better through reframing his experience through a more positive light.

I know it sounds very hard to grasp, but the book has been so well received, so I have high hopes. Will update post reading!

Off of University Av ...

2009-05-31T05:04:00.000-07:00

My most restaurant review for the school blog ...

People sometimes ask me for restaurant recommendations, and recently it’s been for ‘date’ venues. Supposedly, the challenge is that the restaurant needs to be a little bit off the beaten path … ‘preferably North of Menlo Park or South of Mountain View … and definitely not on University Avenue. (The chances of ‘getting spotted’ are too high).’

So with this in mind, I wanted to showcase a favorite restaurant with quality food, reasonable prices, and a casual yet intimate feel that is appropriate for a date. More importantly, it’s close enough to be easily accessible but far enough such that I have not run into classmates there … yet.

Restaurant: Sumika
Cuisine: Japanese (Yakitori focus)
Must Trys: Uni jelly, oyako-don, yakitori, roasted tea panna cotta

There are so many reasons why I love Sumika … the ambiance (classy but home-y), the view into the kitchen grill, the small / intimate size, and most importantly, the food. It’s fantastic and also new. There are some interesting items for the more adventurous diner, including ‘ume shiso’ (sour plum mixed with shark cartilage), jellyfish sashimi, and more.

Some ‘must try’s that I love include:

Uni jelly: For anyone who loves uni (sea urchin), this will be a treat. Two slices of fresh uni on top of a delicate bonito-flavored jelly. It’s a wonderful complement, since the jelly is a refreshing balance with the richness of the uni.
‘Yakitori’ (skewered chicken): Given that its web address is ‘sumikagrill,’ it makes sense that its yakitori selection is a highlight of the menu. There are a variety of chicken skewers with interesting sauces, along with other specialty items such as kobe beef and scallops. My favorite was actually the liver!
Oyako-don: This is a very casual Japanese dish that consists of stewed egg, chicken, and a bit of sweet onion over rice, but it’s done extremely well here. The chicken is extremely tender, the moisture of the egg perfect, and the rice wonderfully dressed with a bit of sweet teriyaki.
Roasted tea panna cotta: The best panna cotta that I’ve had hands-down. Extremely light with a hint of roasted tea flavor (which matches the barley tea that accompanies your meal). It’s presented beautifully in a small wooden box and decorated with a sesame tuile, a little bit of red bean and small mochi.

In summary, the food is wonderful, and the cost is reasonable (Most dishes in the $10 range, with skewers ranging from $3 to $5 each). For any Japanese cuisine fans, adventurous foodies, or GSB guy/girl looking for a new restaurant (e.g. date venue), Sumika is definitely worth a try.

Sumika
236 Central Plz
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 917-1822
http://www.sumikagrill.com/

Four hours of driving; One hour of eating

2009-05-26T23:43:00.001-07:00

From the source ...

I recently went on my first oyster shucking trek with a few classmates, and it was quite the experience - what we all agreed 'business school is all about.'

Four hours of driving along the coast of California for one hour of eating the freshest oysters I could have imagined. It was quite incredible sitting there knife in one hand, heavy glove in the other (to prevent me from stabbing myself I suppose), shucking my first oysters and slurping them up one by one ...

There was nothing particulary 'glamorous' about the event. No white linen. No oysters in their half shell on ice. No mimoellete sauce ready for dipping. Just a brown tray with dozens of oysters dressed with only the taste of the salty sea water it was just pulled out of ... accompanied by a baguette, some potato chips, and wine drank out of red pastic cups. There we sat on a wooden picnic table and looking out on the California coast. Simplicity at its best.

A must visit for anyone who is remotely interested in oysters, a scenic coastal ride (car or bike!), or just a new experience.

Hog Island Oyster Company
20215, Highway 1
Marshall, CA
http://www.hogislandoysters.com/

Who knew the bell pepper could be so versatile?

2009-05-20T23:52:00.001-07:00

I participated in my first 'Iron Chef' competition today. Organized by the EAT club, teams of four, two hours to cook, four dishes to prepare (drink, appetizer, main, dessert), six judges total (one of which was one of my professors!)

My team and I tried to guess the secret ingredient and categorized into one of four possible categories: (1) Fruit, (2) Nut (unlikely due to allergies), (3) Vegetable (probably carrot or tomato most versatile with dessert), (4) Root vegetable (sweet potato?)

Who knew it would be Sweet Bell Peppers? (small and large ... red, orange, and yellow). The whole event was incredibly fun ... from grocery shopping, walking down the aisles picking fun ingredients that we thought we *may* use (e.g. candied ginger) to tasting all the wonderful foods the following teams cooked after us. We didn't win (got beat out by the Exec Ed students!) but had fabulous time. Next year I want to be a judge. :)

Our menu below (no pictures, since we were in a mad dash to finish cooking)

***

Four takes on Pepper

Puree
Bloody Red-Pepper Refresher

Deep-fry
Boursin, goat cheese, and bacon stuffed mini pepper
Paired with a gorgonzola sauce

Roast
Cous cous stuffed orange pepper bowl topped with a poached quail egg
Paired with slices of cumin-spiced ribeye with a spicy tomato, basil, red-pepper compote

Bake
Phyllo cups filled with sweet cream and yellow-pepper jelly
Topped with raspberries and dusted with powdered sugar

Chefs: The one-and-only Shake&Bake Team :)

***

Potato Post #2

2009-05-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

I found the perfect potato picture in my archives!

From a visit last fall to Ubuntu: A garden potato medly - fried, roasted, boiled, accompanied by a poached egg and edible garden flowers.

Happy Potato Day

2009-05-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

Two inspirations for this post …

Today is May 4 – the lovely birthday of my loveliest little sister who also happens to be the biggest fan of potatoes (in every form). Happy birthday!
A recent dinner conversation I had with some friends over ‘super foods’ and the sad reputation that fad diets have given to wonderful starchy foods such as potatoes

So on May 4, a tribute to the wonderful food that is the potato, with some random here and there's on potatoes ...

My fondest potato memory: The surprise potato potluck I threw my sister before she left overseas; friends brought potato salad, potato chips, roasted potato wedges, McD French fries, and more ... she thought it was ridiculous (I'm convinced that is sister language / code for fabulous ;))
My favorite ‘potato’ varietal: Not really a potato varietal but a close family member. I love sweet potatoes in all forms – but the simplest preparation of just roasting the sweet potato is my favorite ... the natural sugars having oozed out to leave a sweet burnt skin, which is so loose that you can peel it off at one go. Mmm ... I have such fond memories of winter lunchtimes where I would leave the office factory (in Shanghai’s industrial zone) to see the nice sweet potato vendor on the side of the street for a hot steaming sweet potato. 2 RMB (~30 cents)!
My simplest potato recipe: Roasted rosemary potato slices. Wash potato, slice, drizzle with olive oil and chopped rosemary, and roast in oven until crispy brown. So simple yet so fragrant!
My all-time favorite potato dish: Delica’s wasabi potato salad – the famous potato salad found at the organic Japanese deli in SF’s Ferry Building and my daily lunch (literally) for about six months before I moved to China. 'Half of a half pint of the wasabi potato salad please ... and a salmon onigiri rice ball. Thank you!' The healthiest I think potato salad can get, with crispy snap peas, edamame, fresh lettuce, and a hint of wasabi.
My random potato nutrition 101: I always tell my friends on ‘no carb’ diets that carbohydrates themselves are not evil. Carbohydrates in excess (a heavy restaurant serving of pasta) or carbohydrates laden with sugar and preservatives (white wonderbread) are not good for you. But everything in moderation in good, particularly if it is of the natural variety. And a potato is as natural as you can get. A medium potato has Vitamin C (45% of daily value), Potassium (18%), Vitamin B6 (10%), and other trace minerals. Moreover, the sweet potato, which is extremely high in fiber, beta carotene (Vitamin A equivalent), Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6, it is known as one of today’s ‘superfoods.’

Now all I’m missing is a great potato picture. Your pictures all welcome. :)

2 ingredients ++

2009-05-03T03:59:00.000-07:00

Dark chocolate truffles

I coated with: Crushed pistachio, Shaved coconut, Crushed almonds

Chocolate + Cream. Done.

I’m going back to Shanghai!

2009-04-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

Confirmed for the summer and excited. I will be spending eight glorious (and swelteringly hot) weeks in Shanghai on a hotel pre-opening! No idea what to expect, except that it will be refreshingly different from all my previous experiences … and *hopefully* as fabulous as I’m imagining. And in honor of my excitement, a post about the arguably, most famous / must try dish of the city ...

'Shanghai Soup Dumplings'

上海小笼包

These dumplings are coveted for their extremely thin skin and savory soup inside. The best ones have a paper-thin skin that you bite so delicately to make a small hole so that you can suck the steaming broth inside. The filling is usually pork but there are various seafood, meat, and vegetable combinations. (And for those of you who are wondering how you make soup inside the dumpling, the process involves wrapping “meat gelatin” (e.g. lard) within the wrapper; the steaming causes it to melt into the rich soup that we love.)

***

Thank you to Justin Fung (great friend, brilliant colleague, world traveler, and Master Photographer) for all the gorgeous photos.

Procrastinating … my favorite food websites

2009-04-23T02:37:00.000-07:00

I don’t understand how it is almost 3 am and how I have done nothing but skim through one case for the past five hours since I’ve come home? What am I doing … listening to Pandora, reading restaurant reviews for an event I’m planning, procrastinating reading my favorite food websites, and of course now - writing in my blog.

*Sigh* How is it that I have such an appetite for all things food? I can flip through different restaurant menus and not get bored … read through cookbooks in my bed and tag the ones I want to make … and (probably my favorite) read through people’s food stories and adventures on their blogs until the sun comes up!

So a tribute to all my favorite sites that keep me up and prevent me from doing what I ‘should’ be doing (e.g. work – or better yet – sleep!)

***

Hias Gourmet
http://www.hiasgourmet.com/

I love this site because it is an entrepreneurial venture (and success) of a good friend of mine, Adlyn Teoh. Know Gourmet on Tour? Same concept – just focused on exposing the world to gourmet Chinese cuisine. She’s started a fabulous business with customized culinary vacations, food tours, dining etiquette classes, and more. For anyone who loves food and planning a trip to Beijing, it’s a must do.

Chubby Hubby
http://www.chubbyhubby.net/blog/
One of the first food blogs that I got hooked on. He’s a famous Singaporean food blogger named Aun Koh, but probably what I love most about his site is the name and concept. ‘Chubby Hubby: Whining, Dining, and Marriage.’ He always references his wife ‘S’ and talks about making a homemade chirashi one day in an entry called ‘Scattered rice for a tattered wife.’ How can a girl not love that? Food, love, life. (Plus, he has a post about making a hazelnut mousse chocolate torte with pop rock candies!)

Nordljus
http://www.nordljus.co.uk/
By Keiko Oikawa and available in both Japanese and English. I can’t help but flip through every entry in her blog because her pictures are absolutely stunning. I have downloaded several of them as screensavers for my own desktop, so I can be inspired. Her website is the epitome of why I love food and am obsessed with Japanese food culture. The attention to detail and celebration food as an art. Exquisite.

RasaMalaysia
http://rasamalaysia.com/
I love this site because it’s so useful and it’s such a great shout out to the diversity and delicious-ness of Asian cuisine. It has a good repertoire of recipes spanning Chinese, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian, and Baking (Because really, how can you not include baking as a key building block in your cooking skill set?)

Friends’ blogs
http://bloomingiris.blogspot.com/
http://frutchman.wordpress.com/
http://www.eating-sf.com/
And of course, potentially my favorite by far – friends who also casually blog on the side … I love reading your blogs because they provide a little bit of insight into your creative endeavors and culinary adventures. I feel like I get a little personal glimpse into your lives!

***

Awesome Friend ... and the best winning bet ever

2009-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

(Clockwise from top left: Pulao, Aloo Gobi Palya, Mutter Paneer, Kosumbri)

I don’t normally make bets but for fun, but I recently got pulled into one with an old high school friend whom I refer most of the time to as ‘Awesome Friend’. The bet I won (yay!) and my winning prize was probably one of the most fantastic displays of culinary warmth and effort I have ever seen!

The details of the bet I will not go into, but his ‘losing task’ was to prepare a multi-coursed dinner party with the guests and time of his choosing. The end result was spectacular! The occasion – the birthday of Awesome Friend himself. The setting – his family’s beautiful home in Saratoga hills. The people – over 25 of his friends. The food – six courses of his favorite Indian home-cooked foods.

I have prepared dinner parties for 8 but six different courses for a party of 25 is a whole different story. But in addition to the food being delicious, I think I was just in awe of the effort and warmth of the entire setting. There I was, dressed up for my first time in a traditional Indian outfit (we played the part) eating home-cooked Indian food made by my awesome friend whose private equity schedule rarely lets him leave the office, let alone cook! It was really such a treat. Happy belated birthday Awesome Friend; a huge thank you from all your friends for a wonderful birthday treat.

***

Awesome Friend's birthday dinner party menu

Bhel puri
bhel mix, garbanzo beans, tamarind chutney, potato, onion, coriander, salt, chili powder

Pulao
basmati rice, swiss chard, bell peppers, cashews, almonds, raisins, spices

Eggplant curry
eggplant, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, spices

Aloo Gobi Palya
potato, cauliflower, bell peppers, onions, coriander, tomato, spices

Kosumbri
carrot, cucumber, dhal (lentils), coriander, coconut, mustard seeds

Mutter Paneer
paneer (cheese), peas, onions, tomatoes, tomato paste, spices

***

Tea with the Bedouins

2009-04-08T00:35:00.000-07:00

My Bedouin Tea Afternoon
(Clockwise) Traditional teapot; Bedouin tent made of goats hair (to keep cool in the desert);
Fresh cup of Bedouin tea (green West Africa tea with sugar and cardamon); Our Bedouin host

I just got back from a class trip to the Middle East, which was more fabulous than I could ever have expected … in large part due to a day where we camped out in Wadi Rum – a sandstone / granite rock valley in southwest Jordan – and home of the Bedouins, an Arab nomadic tribe that lives out in the desert.

I’m a creature of comforts. Those who know me can attest to the fact that I am unfortunately not the nature-loving, outdoors, camping type. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever really truly 'camped’ before (at least as my friends describe how 'real' camping should be experienced). But this was one of those life experiences that I’ll never forget …

Sitting in the back of an old, rickety pickup truck, driving up and down the sand dunes in the Jordanian desert, stopping by a traditional Bedouin tent made out of goat hair, taking off my sandy and dirty shoes to have an oh-so-delicious cup of Bedouin tea (Green tea from West Africa spiced with cardamom and sweetened with sugar). Not blissful (that denotes some level of comfort which was completely lacking in the situation) – but truly magical.

A tribute to the wonderful food that is the banana

2009-03-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

I procrastinated on my studies BUT was productive with my rooommate’s overripe bananas. I love the smell of my room right now … :)

A Health Note:
I love making desserts with bananas because I tell myself that they are healthy. :) Granted, cakes and muffins in general aren’t – BUT the banana version is still relatively healthier. Bananas are a great source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium … and a wonderful natural sweetener and flavor for baking (allows you to cut down on the fat and sugar content). Plus, they’re so versatile (banana breads, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate, banana/nutella sandwiches …) and pair so well with chocolate!

Banana chocolate chunk muffins
(adapted from Epicurious)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar (1/2 of the original recipe)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

~ 2 large mashed ripe bananas - makes about 1 cup
1/3 cup butter melted (1/2 of the original recipe)
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chocolate chunks (I used bittersweet)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line your muffin pan with muffin cups. Mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Mix wet ingredients: mashed bananas, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, and milk in bowl. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

St. Patrick's Day brain food

2009-03-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about being back in school is getting into a cramped study room with good friends and having an unexpectedly good time …

Today was one of those days. Lots of papers … lots of white-board action … lots of confusion (still not sure that I get this marketable-securities accounting speak) … And … thanks to the ‘goodwill’ (forgive the bad pun; I’m in the middle of finals week) of a fabulous study mate, the perfect brain food – Sprinkles cupcakes! (One decorated in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.)

On the few occasions I do write, I usually like talking about some food experience, experiment, reading, health fact, or encounter that is new, unique, or inspiring in some way. There is none of that in this case … but somehow right at this moment as I upload the photos, I feel like today’s cupcake study break was – in the most simple and ordinary way – extra special. Nothing beats hanging out in a stuffy room with good friends to indulge in plainly decorated but oh-so-delicious cupcakes with disposable forks on makeshift plates made out of Kleenex tissues.

Ah, sometimes, I’m such the health nut ... and the presentation/design nazi … but today, the plain old chocolate cupcake with pure buttercream icing (literally chocolate-flavored butter) topped with chocolate sprinkles was the absolute perfect brain food and St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

393 Stanford Shopping Center

Palo Alto, CA 94304

(650) 323-9300

Simply beautiful

2009-02-18T03:28:00.000-08:00

One of my favorites from a recent triple-date Valentines dinner at Ubuntu in Napa Valley:

Carrot gnocchetti with mimolette & roast oxheart carrot

Carrot pulp 'crumble' with almond, warm spices, and tarragon

I love this picture not because the food was delicious and not because it encapsulates a great memory but because it's so effortlessly beautiful. The ingredient - so simple: carrots. The dish - so basic: pasta. The presentation - so natural: baby carrot sticks and garden flowers. And somehow it culminates into a vibrant orange garden laid so simply on a spotless white plate, accentuated only by a few greens.

It seems silly to say that food of all things (or a picture) can make me sit back and revel in the beauty of life - its sweetness and simplicity ... and can also make me wistful that life can't also be that simple. Why does it seem like life's happiness can be so easy yet so hard, so intense yet so fleeting? Food is consistent.

Happy belated Chinese 'Niu' Year

2009-02-18T03:20:00.000-08:00

Happy year of the Ox!

And in honor of the holiday, my first Chinese dessert attempt: Portugese Egg Tarts (蛋挞). :)

New Year Resolutions

2009-01-20T02:12:00.000-08:00

We are three weeks into 2009, which makes this an overdue ‘New Years’ post but better late than never! New Years resolutions this year include many of the usual suspects but among them, I want to highlight my:

Ongoing aspiration for living a healthier life (both eating and exercise) and
Desire to take advantage of my time as a student to indulge in hobbies important to me

Specifically for this blog, this means that I want to cook more and write more often. So to start off the New Year, here are two of my favorite homemade healthy foods – to serve as my inspiration for a healthy (and happy) 2009.

My breakfast of champions

I know the Atkins diet has made ‘carbs,’ especially anything ‘white’ completely taboo and unhealthy. However, I think quite the opposite, particularly when it comes to rice. To me, rice is comforting, filling, and always delicious (since it is incredibly versatile and can be prepared in so many ways). Moreover, it satisfies me such that my appetite is far more controlled for later meals. Above all, I challenge the notion that it is unhealthy simply because it is ‘white.’ By virtue of simply being natural, it is more wholesome for your body compared to any processed grain – particularly bread, even if it is of the ‘whole wheat’ sandwich variety (which is all marketing, since I guarantee on the ingredient list you will find sugar /corn syrup (lots of it), preservatives (likely calcium propionate to prevent mold), oil / fat, and many other complex chemical names that we don’t quite comprehend). Thus, I eat my rice happily and without guilt; it is for me a wonderful start that gives me energy and satisfaction to carry me through my day.

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Onigiri (Salmon and sesame): Japanese rice balls
Japanese rice seasoned with a little bit of sushi vinegar pressed into balls and stuffed with any filling you desire. The flexibility in this dish is one of the reasons it makes it so wonderful! Common fillings include umeboshi (Japanese dried plum), ground pork, or salted fish. I used salted salmon flakes and sesame seeds here.

Chazuke: Japanese rice porridge
Similar to Chinese ‘congee’ except that the rice is not cooked as long, and the soup is usually a dashi/tea broth. Top with anything you desire (typical: pickled vegetables, salted fish, seaweed). I used salted salmon flakes, wakame furikake, and toasted sesame seeds. Eat hot.

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A chocolate lesson

2008-08-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

It’s been so long since I’ve written (this is a recurring introduction for ‘recent’ posts …) that I almost feel like I need to explain why I’ve been absent and reintroduce myself to my own blog. Suffice it to say that I have left Shanghai (tear) and have spent a wonderful past two months not in one place … For a month, I was tasting my way through continental Europe with A; another week was spent visiting the Northwest on a ‘bon voyage’ trip with my sis, and most recently, I completed a crash ‘Pastry & Baking’ course at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), up in the beautiful Napa wine country.

Naturally, all of these experiences have produced enough memories and pictures for a blog ‘novel,’ and perhaps I will be motivated to revisit some of them in future posts … But for now, as a reintroduction back into writing and my first post back in the US, I thought it most fitting that I write about – yes, chocolate. :)

My ‘chocolate lesson,’ if you will, was the last day of the CIA one-week pastry & baking course. I learned a lot (hard not to when your teacher is the former pastry chef of the French Laundry!) and found every day immensely fun (also hard not to be when the subject matter is sweet treats and your classmates are a fun group of folks, united by a common love for food and goal to get our daily recipes out by dinnertime!). But of all days, my favorite was – unsurprisingly – the chocolate day – where we made chocolate ganache tarts, chocolate soufflés, flourless chocolate cakes, and a host of chocolate candies – rochers and lots and lots of truffles …

I have tried my hand at making chocolate confections before – less because I enjoy them (which I do immensely) but more because I love making small packages for friends. And I consistently find that small candies are always a hit, no matter how ‘perfect’ the end result is. Whether slightly melted, deformed, extra sweet or extra bitter, chocolate always finds some way to be good. So based on the wisdom my class imparted on me, I want to share with my fellow home cooks truffle making – a process seemingly complicated (and sometimes is, with high-end boutique chocolatiers making perfect shapes with meticulously imprinted designs) but that is in essence, really quite simple.

Truffle making (for the home cook)

Truffles are no more than a melt-in-your-mouth creamy chocolate center (‘ganache’), which is often but not always surrounded by a more solid chocolate exterior. The flavor and shape are flexible and sometimes more wonderful when completely inventive, which makes truffles virtually impossible to ‘mess up.' Below, I’ve listed not a specific recipe but general principles so that you are incentivized to use your imagination to create any varietal you’d like – because that’s the beauty of chocolate. It’s good with almost everything!

Make your ganache center - Mix two ingredients: heavy cream and chocolate. Bring the cream to a boil and pour it into a bowl of chopped chocolate to melt the contents together, mixing to incorporate. Pending what type of chocolate you use, your proportion of cream to chocolate will be different; the rule of thumb is for dark, the ratio is 1:2 while for milk and white, the ratio is 1:3. Cover and chill the ganache in your refrigerator, preferably overnight so you can roll it easily the next day.

Tip 1: Flavorings Your time to experiment and add what you might love. Bits of candied fruit peels? Chili? A favorite liqueur? Just add to ganache mixture to taste until you are content with the flavor. One of my personal favorites is a tea infusion – just steep your tea bag into your hot cream until the flavor has fully permeated the cream.

Tip 2: Efficiency A food processor could speed up the process and help you handle chunks of chocolate that seem too stubborn to melt. Put your chopped chocolate in a food processor, pour the hot cream in it, and turn on the mixer. Your ganache will be done in a couple of minutes.

Tip 3: Texture Note that some recipes call for butter, which gives it an even more rich texture. You can add or exclude it based on your individual taste. Shape into balls (or cut into squares, though this is harder), either by using an ice cream scoop (make sure it is completely dry; water moisture is the end of good chocolate) or a pastry piping bag.
Enrobe in chocolate exterior (optional) –Assuming you want to a hard chocolate shell surrounding your ganache, melt your desired couverture (the chocolate you are using for the shell) completely, saving a solid piece for later. Once melted, remove chocolate from heat and mix the solid piece you just saved into the chocolate to slowly bring the temperature down and instigate recrystallization of the solid chocolate. Once it reaches a working temperature range (Dark: 87-91 F; Milk: 84-87 F; White 81-84 F), the chocolate is ready. Dip your rolled ganache centers into the chocolate (two coatings; one is too thin).
Coat with final layer – Dip your truffle (with or without the chocolate exterior) into any other desired toppings (e.g. dried coconut, chopped nuts, cocoa powder, etc). Rest on parchment paper to set.

That’s it! Enjoy on the spot or put them in small cupcake wrappers or bakers ‘chinese takeout boxes,’ tie with a small ribbon and send to your friends. Be warned though that since it contains fresh cream and homemade (meaning no additional added preservatives or stabilizers), they’ll keep for about a week before they go bad. So enjoy quickly!

A tribute to Chinese food

2008-06-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

It’s been forever since I’ve written. My easy excuse is that it’s been tiresome to post with the restrictions on blogspot in China. The real reason is that I’ve just been lazy and done more eating and traveling than blogging. But given that I’m in my last week here in Shanghai (how time flies), I am growing nostalgic and thinking about all the things I’ll miss … people, places, pace of life, and interestingly … even the food.

In my 15 months in China, I have probably complained more about the excess use of oil and MSG in the local dining scene than lauded its merits. However, my stay here has convinced me that Chinese cuisine is one of the finest in the world, with an expansive use of ingredients made more complex once one delves into tastes and techniques of different regions. I firmly believe that with the application of some Western philosophies (e.g. less is more) and presentation techniques (coursed dining), ‘modern’ Chinese can be just as exquisite in both taste and presentation as French or Japanese …

But for now, a pictorial tribute to some favorite food memories in China – from local street food to meticulously prepared gourmet dishes ...

***

Fried soup dumpling / bun
生煎包 (sheng jian bao)
Even though eating this consistently will probably give you a heart attack, it is one of my (and the rest of the city’s) favorite street foods. A pork dumpling made juicy from the melted lard of the meat and wrapped in a thin wrapper and deep fried at the bottom for a crunchy finish.

Meat steamed bun
肉包子 (rou bao zi)
Another street food and consistent breakfast food of mine (though I usually opt for the vegetarian). It is incredibly comforting and satisfying when it comes right out of the big bamboo steamers. The bun is incredibly fluffy, and there are multiple types of fillings – both savory and sweet – to suit your fancy.

Fried dumplings
锅贴 (guo tie)
One last street food picture. Deep fried dumplings – another popular snack for Shanghai locals (although this picture was taken in Nanjing). I include it both because it’s tasty and because the picture is demonstrative of how street food is cooked –lots of oil (a similar frying technique for the fried soup dumpling / bun).

Yang zhou fried rice
扬州炒饭 (yang zhou chao fan)
Fried rice is the most basic when it comes to Chinese cuisine and perceived as the ‘cheap oily stuff’ that comes in takeout Chinatown boxes. It wasn’t until I went to Yang zhou, home of the fried rice we see in the rest of the world, that I learned that truly good fried rice is probably as hard (if not harder) to make as any gourmet Chinese dish. A well made fried rice (Yangzhou style) will have the rice moist from being freshly cooked but dry enough so that each kernel is separate from each other. Each kernel should also be ‘glistening gold’ from each having received a touch of seasoning and coating of egg. (Of course, to each his own. A loves his fried rice with a rich sauce and completely devoid of any of the above principles.)

Grilled snake
A testament to the variety of animals (and animal parts) that Chinese cuisine uses. Local Chinese like the exotic (e.g. turtles, shark’s fin, bird’s nest, blowfish) and more tender, rich-tasting areas of meat (dark meat on chicken for example or fatty pork / pork knuckle, to name a few)

Hand-made bean thread noodles with sliced cucumber in a soy-sesame sauce
Not a particularly special dish by Chinese standards but one that I appreciate for its presentation. A simple dish of bean thread noodles in a light soy-sesame sauce, made far more appetizing with a wrapping of extremely finely sliced cucumbers and topping of slices of rolled egg and roe. Vibrancy in color and excellence in knife skills.

A 'Chinese take' on a mille-feuille
There are many Chinese desserts to celebrate but I decided on an East-West combination from one of my favorite cake shops. A Chinese take on a puff pastry dessert … a girl friend calls it ‘diet cake’ since the local taste is less sweet and rich than Western counterparts. Both are delicious.

A taste of Japan ... in China

2008-04-17T02:07:00.000-07:00

I love Japanese food. Anyone who has eaten with me is acutely aware of this fact, as I have probably dragged him or her to my ‘go-to’ place to eat my ‘go-to meal.’ (In SF, this was the wasabi edamame potato salad at Delica in the Ferry Building.) Fortunately for my friends here in China, my compulsive ‘eating Japanese food’ behavior is less pronounced, given that my options for decently-priced yet clean sushi is far scarcer. It means though that when I do find a restaurant I like, I am supremely … blissfully happy.

The restaurant that has recently elicited this emotion is 满腹满足 (Man fu man zhu), a small, completely unassuming Japanese eatery on a street which I often frequent. If it weren’t for a colleague’s recommendation, I would have never noticed it. It has no English name, no windows, and there is little to boast about the interior – clean, classic, but otherwise ordinary wooden tables. The food though is remarkably delicious and for someone who loves Japanese food, I found myself smitten by my meal, sighing with satisfaction at every bite.

The owner is Shanghainese but had apparently spent a good deal of time in Japan, developing not only fluency in the language but a love for the food – and it was quite apparent. He recommended we eat the dinner set because he could pair the best seasonal foods in an appropriately balanced manner for us. He looked earnest and almost animated, so A and I decided to give it a shot. We chose the 200 RMB per person set, which little did we know was a 9-course menu (Yes, it is an incredible deal).

That meal, from start to finish included …

(1) A cold vegetable salad assortment – green sprouts, bonito-covered bamboo, and pickled seaweed

(2) Tempura-battered “unagi-roll” – with soba noodles instead of rice, sitting in a mild fish broth (This dish was one of my favorites)

(3) 3-piece sashimi selection

(4) Oven-baked miso cod with a side of pickled carrots/radishes

(5) Tempura assortment with a salt rather than a sweet broth dip

(6) Lotus root stuffed with a shrimp-pork filling topped with grated daikon and sprouts

(7) Japanese version of a ‘lion head meatball’ in a daikon soup

(8) Sesame and plum onigiri ball

(9) Caramel flan

It sounds like a lot of food, and it was, although rest assured that each portion was quite small. I loved the meal. The taste was incredible – the food fresh and cooked perfectly. Moreover, several of the dishes surprised me in their unique construction such as the “unagi roll,” which replaced the rice with noodles before it was deep-fried. In other visits, I’ve eaten a potato croquette battered in flakes of tofu skin rather than tempura batter. Most of all though, the restaurant reminds me of why I love Japanese food. The cuisine celebrates the original taste of the ingredient, relying on freshness rather than heavy sauces or extreme preparation to mask flavors. It also pays attention to minute details, with garnishes that balance flavor, colors that liven up presentation, and dishware that seems individually customized to the particular food that is presented in front of you.

In that meal, everything just seemed ‘right’ and ‘in balance’ – a beautiful, delicious, healthy, and leisurely meal that delights your eyes, your taste buds, your health, your mood, and at this price … your wallet!

满腹满足 (Man fu man zhu)
395 Da gu lu (大沽路395号, 近石门一路)
+86 21 6327 0605

'Cooking for Mr. Latte'

2008-03-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

I’m writing this aboard my flight back to Shanghai, inspired after just having read a book entitled ‘Cooking for Mr. Latte’ by New York Times food writer Amanda Hessner. I don’t usually read books … those who know me well can attest to that fact. The fine print causes my eyes to glaze over, and the often painstaking descriptions make me skim pages impatiently, as if looking for picture inserts that never exist. But this book is different. As a girl who spends her free time reading recipes and cookbooks, I view a book that integrates food, friendship, and love as far from ordinary. So instead of following my regime of watching terrible in-flight movies until I fall asleep, I have been pouring over each delicious adjective in Hessner’s recounting of her love affair with food and ‘Mr. Latte’.

The book, contrary to what the title may suggest, is not only about meals Hessner may cook for Mr. Latte but is a diary or memoir of her experiences during the love affair from attending a home-cooked meal by Mr. Latte’s mom to 6-hour dinners with Vogue food critic (and Iron chef judge) Jeffrey Steingarten. It’s entertaining, practical (with over 100 recipes from the short stories she recounts), and incredibly heart-warming …

There’s something special about the integration of food and love – the delight of each builds on each other to form supremely sensual combinations. This is why I enjoy watching Ina Garten thoughtfully prepare a meal for her Jeffrey on the Food Network … why I smile almost gleefully when I hear of romances starting in the kitchen … and why I find an ordinary meal is made extraordinary if it is A who is accompanying me.

Have I cooked for A? Yes, a couple of times … and it is every-bit as nerve-racking as Hessner’s first experience cooking for Mr. Latte. There is the laying on your bed at night unable to fall asleep because you’re pondering over your menu, the next-day doubt over whether your recipe selections are adequately simple, unassuming yet delicious, the day-before concern over working with your availability of ingredients and kitchen appliances, and of course the day-of anxiousness in execution, result, and of course, reaction.

The first time I made a full meal for A, I had decided to experiment with new recipes, settling on a hearty vegetable soup topped with aged cheddar cheese … followed by a simple seared salmon on top of a bed of risotto-style potatoes and corn … and ending with a winter-friendly, warm cinnamon rice pudding with a dark chocolate center. The food was only average, but A’s reaction was naturally positive – effusively (and embarrassingly) so. Just as love makes the cook put extra care and attention in preparing the meal, it also makes the taster enjoy it as much as if he were sampling the most grand of tasting menus at a 3-star Michelin restaurant.

It’s amazing to me the combination of food and love … and how each enhances the other to deliver an escalated level of delight. And this is why after 12 hours of sitting on a cramped economy seat having just finished a quite-unsavory airline meal, I am still smiling – just reading about it has quite a strong effect!

Sweet dreaming

2008-02-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

I had a most interesting conversation yesterday with food writer Crystyl Mo. Those in Shanghai may recognize her name as the dining columnist for the popular City Weekend magazine. But as I found out in our coffee chat, she’s not only a writer extraordinaire but the wife of an ex-chef / now Shanghai restaurateur (who coincidentally opened one of the restaurants featured here in my blog – Hamilton House.) It was our first encounter, but as two food enthusiasts, we were far from at want of an interesting conversation topic, talking excitedly about everything from favorite Shanghai restaurants to real food sustainability … and even touching upon love stores in the kitchen!

I left the conversation on a high, feeling sublimely refreshed, excited, and inspired. Here is a woman who pursued her passion for food in a region for which she had an intense curiosity but in which she had no prior experience. And in her adventures, she has gained expertise in her personal passion, fluency in a new language, and what I, of course, consider best of all, her partner in crime and love of her life …

Reflecting on my own life, I certainly have no regrets and rather can’t imagine feeling more content or appreciative about my present situation … But the encounter got me thinking … dreaming really … Wouldn’t it be fun to enroll in the Cordon Bleu Paris and learn how to make a perfect macaron, supplementing my education with daily tastings of Pierre Herme’s own creations? Wouldn’t it be satisfying to join the real food movement and expand artisanal farmers markets from select California communities to the rest of the country? Wouldn’t it be thrilling (and utterly indulgent) to spend next summer as a budding brand manager for a gourmet chocolatier, brainstorming new campaigns while sampling the sublime taste that is a rich dark chocolate ganache in a freshly made truffle?

It’s fun … exciting to dream … to devise how I can indulge in my utter obsession with food. But to take a lesson from Crystyl’s life, there’s no rush to figure it out. Enjoy life, appreciate the sweet moments, and trust that with passion and love, you will take the right turns, open (and close) the right doors, and choose the right person to share in your adventures with you.

And on that note, I’ll end with one of my favorite pictures … one that I find fitting for this entry in multiple ways … it’s a carefully designed, wonderfully executed sweet ending in a beautiful wedding of one of the most inspirational couples I know.

Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

I always heard that spending Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) actually in China would be an experience, but I didn’t realize how overwhelming the celebrations would be. I watched Shanghai ring in the new year with five straight days of incredible (and deafening) fireworks, interesting/superstitious customs, and of course endless amounts of eating.

I had a couple of quite epic meals, thanks to the generosity of both A’s family and other local Shanghainese friends. My NY Eve meal, for instance, consisted of a series of 10 or so cold appetizers and 11 or so hot entrees, including some old favorites such as braised fatty pork thigh and steamed king crab … And accompanied by some new eats including grilled garden snake (for any who are wondering, it tasted like a slightly more dry, chewier version of chicken. Then again, that’s how anyone describes any mystery meat without any particularly pungent flavor.)

I was trying to decide how to encapsulate my Spring Festival eating extravaganza, given that each family eats different things to suit individualized tastes; however, there are a few uniting items that typically appear at most dinner tables. Fish – because it’s more of a delicacy and signals that you will have fish to eat for the rest of the year … Rice cakes (‘nian gao’) – savory and/or sweet because the sound of the word ‘gao’ denotes that you’ll be 'happy' for the rest of the year and reach 'higher' goals … But what I find more particular and a source of pride in every home that makes it homemade is the classic Chinese spring roll (‘chun juan’).

I’ve had these ‘spring rolls’ many times before, but they were always the deep fried egg rolls served in your ‘3-dishes for $4.99’ lunch set available at your local Ranch 99 supermarket. Never had I tasted homemade ones nor realized how delicious they could be. The filling so moist it almost borders on a thick soup … and expertly wrapped in an ever-so-thin and crispy bronze skin. When A told me before that he eats upwards of 20 or so each time he visits his aunt, I was shocked but now that I’ve finally tasted them, I know why. If fresh and carefully fried to avoid the excess oil and sogginess that usually accompanies deep-frying processes, the spring roll is more of a crispy, light vegetable delicacy rather than a starchy, oily sweet-and-sour soup accompaniment.

I have also searched online for the ‘recipe’ to this new years treat so that I could post it on this blog for friends and family; however, there are too many variants that there is no ‘one’ I feel that I can recommend. Each region will make its spring roll differently, so it’s impossible to dictate what the best or most ‘accurate’ method of making it is. Moreover, every family I think has their own recipe and notion of what the correct ‘way’ of cooking them is. But if this is any direction at all, A’s response to my request of his family’s recipe was that it’s made of ‘sliced pork, bamboo shoots, yellow chives, napa cabbage, diced carrots … and a whole lot of awesome …’ The rest I guess is up to your own creativity.

Chocolate Obsession

2008-01-16T04:35:00.000-08:00

I’m addicted to chocolate. It sounds trite, I know, because who doesn’t? There’s something magical about enjoying a truly luscious piece of chocolate – taking the smallest bite and letting it slowly melt on your tongue as you savor the flavors … a sensual, almost sinful pleasure. Whether it’s a rich ganache steeped with sweet Indian curry or a smooth, glossy bar of the classic dark varietal, good chocolate rarely disappoints.

So in commemoration of the just-passed holiday season and my sister’s recent visit, I write this entry in appreciation of one of the most thoughtful gifts I have received. My sister, the artistic genius of the family (I wish I could post a link here to a page with pictures of her work, but the girl doesn’t even sign her own pieces, let alone display them for others!) had long promised me a personalized piece for myself. I made no requests in regards to medium (I don’t even know the difference between acrylic and oil pastel.) or subject matter. I just wanted it made for me.

This holiday, I returned to find my ‘piece’ completed. Her selected medium: photos (sepia, personally developed in her class’ darkroom) and her subject: chocolate. It was a trio of 8x10 horizontal photos to be matted and framed in black to accent the sepia tone. The pictures themselves were interestingly not of chocolate but of chocolate books – the text, spines, and pictures (apparently she had scoured every corner of the Borders in downtown Chicago for any title that referenced chocolate).

I stared at the series of photos for quite some time, appreciating how my sister had used what I consider one of the simplest art forms to put together a classy, subtle, and intellectual display of one of my finest pleasures in life. Of course, I would be undermining the whole gift package if I didn’t mention that accompanying the photos were a selection of truffles from Chicago and LA’s gourmet, boutique chocolatiers (Vosges, Teuscher, Ethel’s, K’s) and the book ‘Chocolate Obsession,’ written by Michael Recchiuti, maker of my favorite ‘Peanut Butter Puck’ truffle.

Sitting back and typing this entry now, I have a huge smile on my face. Partially because there are still a set of those truffles sitting in my freezer (I saved them to help get me through the gloom of my first cold winter.) … partially because the mere thought of quality chocolate gets me excited and inspires me to try new flavors, chocolatiers, and personal recipes … but more because when I reflect on my holiday chocolate gift, I think of all the thought, time, and love that went into making it. And that’s what will make tasting every one of those winter truffles a truly blissful experience.

A birthday dinner party entitled 'Indulgence'

2007-12-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

Certainly any birthday dining experience is indulgent, but when the theme of the entire dinner is ‘Indulgence,’ you know you’re in for something else …

One of my favorite Shanghai gal pals, aka - my BCG twin on the other coast (we’re convinced we’ve lived parallel lives), graciously threw me a beautiful and yes, utterly indulgent, birthday dinner party. From the shiny, fur-trimmed hats and bright pink feather boa to the assortment of fine wines and meticulously prepared hors d’oeuvres, my lovely hostess prepared a gastronomic feast that incorporated the fun and flair of childhood birthday celebrations.

We started with an appetizer of Thai lettuce chicken wraps, with the skewers of breast meat marinated in a curry paste I had brought back from my recent visit to Thailand and plated alongside a host of accompaniments – cold glass noodles, a cucumber and red onion salad, julienned vinegared carrots, and crushed peanuts. What followed as our main course was a wonder to all the guests – a perfectly grilled flank steak, done medium rare and served with what may have seemed like an unassuming side of macaroni and cheese …

However, it was this macaroni and cheese that had me murmuring sighs of contentment and the other guests cleaning the bowl. We called it ‘Shanghai style mac & cheese,’ given that the city is of want of ovens and our hostess thus had to improvise a cooking method to put it together and select the appropriate cheeses to match. Her choice of cooking – a simple stainless steel pot and the cheeses – gouda and gruyere, a creamy and mild flavored combination that melded perfectly in the lightly spiced mushroom butter sauce she had created. It was, by far, my favorite part of the entire meal – which says a lot given how much I love dessert …

But our dessert itself hit the spot as well – and certainly reinforced the theme of indulgence. We began with a green tea gelato cake because what’s a birthday without cake? And in the spirit of excess, complemented the iced dessert with more ice cream – and the richest kind at that – Coldstone Creamery. Our hostess had planned for my menu ‘make your own sundaes’ with all the toppings from whipped cream to colored sprinkles; there was even crushed Butterfinger, a candy bar I haven’t had since I went trick or treating in elementary school.

I ate … and ate until my mind, stomach, and spirit were bursting in all senses of the word – from the bliss of fine food, the glow of fine wine, and happiness of the finest company, my friends. It was a truly indulgent affair.

‘Shanghai Mac & Cheese’

½ stick butter
¼ cup cream
600 grams creamy cheeses (Used Gouda and Gruyere)
500 grams shell pasta
1 cup mushrooms (Used shitake)
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmigiano reggiano (to top)

Sauté the mushrooms in butter and olive oil; season with salt and butter to taste. (Optional: Add garlic, onion, or fresh herbs such as thyme, per your own taste).

In a large pot, heat the butter, cream, and cheeses; stir consistently until all ingredients have thoroughly melted (sauce will be more stringy compared to that in more traditional creamy mac & cheese dishes)

Slowly mix sautéed mushrooms, followed by cooked shell pasta until thoroughly combined
Finish with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano on top. Mange bene!

Birthday celebration at Hamilton House

2007-12-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

One thing I love about Shanghai is that new venues open up every day and when that venue relates to some sort of dining experience, I’m doubly excited.

For my birthday, A brought me to the recently opened ‘Hamilton House,’ a French brasserie featuring Chef Philippe Leban and located right off the bund in a 1930s-era Art Deco tower. I don’t have the most favorable opinion of Bund dining, finding it slightly snobbish with sub-par service and food that rarely lives up to its name or price tag; however, perhaps because it’s new or perhaps it was the celebratory ambiance of the evening, but I found Hamilton House supremely delightful.

The brasserie’s menu itself is quite short; however, A and I still found ourselves taken with more items than we could order. I settled on an appetizer of poached eggs with spinach, shallots, and pork belly on a slice of homemade brioche. A’s selection was far healthier – boudin blanc, a freshly made chicken breast sausage. Both were done extremely well. My dish melted in my mouth (the joys of butter) – the brioche had a crispy crust but was still moist and was made more rich by the red wine butter sauce dressing it. The texture of A’s boudin blanc was amazing – less of a sausage and more of a mousse, with a mild flavor enhanced by the tomato and pesto sauces decorating the plate.

For our main course, I had the pot au feu of pigeon, a roast pigeon breast in a light broth on top of a fois gras ravioli. A settled on the sea bass over a fennel puree with a creamy sherry reduction. Both were done quite well, though with my fois gras ravioli, the texture of the skin and consistency of the filling made me think more of hearty Chinese dumpling than the creamy Italian ravioli I had expected.

At end the meal, A and I decided to share dessert given how full the rest of our meal had left us. It’s a good thing we did because the apple tarte tatin we ordered was both large and thick – the size of a small personal pizza. I usually order chocolate desserts to fully satisfy sweet cravings, but this tatin gives chocolate fondant a run for its money in terms of how rich it was. The thick halves of caramelized apple were set on a soft, flaky crust whose layers were melded together by the warm syrup of the apple and cold vanilla bean ice cream that topped it. The taste and experience can only be described as a sweet goodness that comes from indulging in a hearty classic dessert on one’s birthday. I enjoyed every bite.

Maybe it was the birthday … maybe it was the company … or maybe it was the anticipation of classic French food after watching Ratatouille … but my dinner at Hamilton House was definitely a highlight in my Shanghai dining experiences and a wonderful way to celebrate my start to a new year.

Hamilton House
137 Fuzhou Lu (near Jiangxi Lu)
福州路137号，近江西路
Shanghai, China
+86 21 6321 0586
http://www.hamiltonhouse.com.cn/

The Shanghai hairy crab 'experience'

2007-11-19T06:22:00.001-08:00

I've eaten crab before, but Shanghai hairy crab (大闸蟹) is a different experience altogether. I had heard about these furry creatures (and their claws are quite furry - hence the name 'hairy' crab) since I arrived back in March. The famed 'hairy crab' season is a special two-month period from mid October to mid December where all of Shanghai (and Asia for that matter) erupts in a frenzy for the delicacy. They're everywhere - from the raw seafood shelves of my neighborhood Tesco hypermarket to the eight-course tasting menu at the Ritz Carlton's Hanagatami restaurant.

Eating the crab is an experience all in itself, and my first true taste of it was in the most classic of settings - a homemade Shanghainese meal. A's parents graciously invited me over to their home for a hairy crab feast, as A's dad had just brought back eight crabs from the most prized region of China - Yangcheng Lake. I was excited, not only by the prospect of sampling China's finest but also watching A's mom prepare the meal. (I love observing domestic goddesses at work, and with my best friend all the way in Thailand and my mom back in California, I've felt at loss of a role model - until recently. :))

The classic way to serve these crabs is steamed with a simple but fragrant ginger vinegar sauce that enhances the delicate flavor of the sweet meat. It's a true example of how simplicity and an appreciation of fresh, original flavors can produce something truly exquisite. The Shanghainese also pair the crab with rice wine (shaoxing jiu) to add a 'warming' balance to the otherwise 'cooling' crab.

But the reason I call Shanghai hairy crab an 'experience' is because of the arduous but oh-so-fun process involved in eating it. It's something like performing surgery (not that I've ever done it) where you meticulously dissect your subject in front of you, removing inedible parts such as the stomach and lungs while preserving the juicy and cholesterol-heavy orange roe. Eating one crab (and it's a small creature about the size of my fist) took me over half an hour. But the effort was more than worthwhile and the entire process fantastically messy - which is the only way to do it (or so I tell myself).

Looking back, there are a few of lessons I took away from the whole affair - one, do not wear white while you're eating crab, two - practice does not make perfect (I was far more impatient on my second crab), and three, homemade meals really are the best. The food is prepared with such love and the meal experience is so comforting. It's only at home that you can let loose and sit around the table cracking crab legs in your teeth, laughing over the carnage in front of you, and taking crazy pictures of all the embarrassing slipups ... it was truly an unforgettable and warming (not because of the alcohol) experience ...

Good friends, dinner parties, and my first homemade panna cotta

2007-11-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

I love food, and I love spending time with friends and meeting new people. Dinner parties are a perfect venue for that. So when one of my favorite BCG gals and fellow foodie announced that she was holding her first dinner party here in Shanghai, I was thrilled.

Preparing and executing a successful dinner party is not an easy event, so a huge thanks and warm hug to the gracious hostess for a truly wonderful evening. Not only is there the planning, tasting, and precise timing needed in cooking a delicious multi-coursed meal (particularly difficult in Shanghai as many Western ingredients are not easy to find) but equally important is the ambiance including the dining setup with the appropriate china/silverware, the mid-table fresh-flower display (or other decorative item), the music in the background, the wine/drink selection for your alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) guests, the hors d'oeuvres to whet the palate, and many many more details that we often overlook because our hostess (or host!) makes it look so easy.

The evening started with a fantastic Prosecco from our hostess. (For a full list of wines served, see below.) A also brought a great bottle of Pinot Noir from our favorite wine bar – Just Grapes. It's too bad I don't drink because I don't have enough (experience or quantity!) to fully appreciate. But there was, of course, a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages, so as the light drinker, I made a mango 'schorle,' a mixture of sparkling water and mango juice (a tribute to my apfleschorle that I had enjoyed so much in Germany).

The menu consisted of lovely Italian fare accompanied by carefully selected wines and served in the classic five-course fashion - antipasti (appetizer), primi (first course - usually soup, pasta, or risotto), secondi (second course - usually meat), contori (side dish - usually vegetables), and dolci (dessert). We devoured the appetizer almost immediately as we stepped in the door, eating, drinking, and chatting all at the same time. Our hostess had laid out beautiful plates of tomato and mozzarella bruschetta - the flavor and color enhanced by the fresh basil topping it.

After an hour or so, we were all seated to begin our meal, beginning with the first course, an orrichiette pasta (after 'orecchio' or its 'ear'-shape in Italian) in a creamy pesto sauce topped with fresh parmesan and accompanied by a wonderful, hearty bread from Paul, courtesy of one of our guests. Our second course was beef filet accompanied by a side dish of colorful sautéed vegetables including red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, and onions. The filet – done medium-rare – was fantastic, lightly spiced and incredibly tender. All us guests were surprised that such a great piece of meat could be found in China and at Carrefour of all places, but the credit of course goes not only to the quality of the meat but the skill of the chef who prepared it!

I was responsible for bringing dessert. Normally, I would bake some chocolate item because as a chocolate lover, I am somehow convinced that it is a universally appreciated food (please don't burst my bubble by telling me that is not the case). Unfortunately neither I nor our hostess has an oven (Chinese folks don't seem to bake), so I opted for a creamy panna cotta, a classic Italian dessert to round out our Italian meal. The preparation is simple and the recipe versatile, as it can be served in anything from cocktail glasses to empty eggshells and adjusted for sweetness, creaminess, and accompanied with different flavors. My most difficult part was securing the ingredients. Unflavored gelatin powder is a mystery to the Chinese consumer but thanks to our import supermarket, I found everything I needed.

Panna cotta is a rich, milk and cream based dessert. The recipe called for a topping of fresh berries, which I have never seen in Shanghai. So I opted to make a grape/berry gelee mixed with bits of dried cranberries and topped with whole dried blueberries, all the fruit courtesy of my parents in California. A loved it and scraped every bit out of the glass – but then again, as my biggest fan, I think he would love anything I made, even if it was just a cup of boiling water. Personally, I was pleased with the result, although next time I think I would make smaller portions (as it is quite rich for one person at a sitting), lower the honey/sugar factor, and experiment with different flavors (e.g. espresso topped with white/dark chocolate shavings).

All together, the evening was fantastic from the company to the Jay Chou mix playing in the background (prep for the upcoming concert in two weeks!) Good friends + good food (especially homemade) = good times. :)

Evening's wine list (in the order it was served)
* Carpene Malvolti Prosecco di Conegliano Extra Dry DOC
* Feudi Di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo DOCG
* Donnafugata Sedara Sicilia IGT
* Penfolds Club Tawny (Port)

Living JJ Lam's '豆浆油条' (a breakfast date of soymilk and fried donut)

2007-11-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

If any of you have heard JJ Lam's song 豆浆油条 ('dou jiang you tiao'), this entry will be of particular amusement to you. (If you haven't, it is a must listen - it's the cutest song! Listen here.) The name refers to a popular Chinese breakfast of hot savory soymilk accompanied by a savory donut. It's certainly not the healthiest thing for you, as the donut is essentially a deep-fried stick of dough, but it certainly is yummy.

A and I love the song, as it uses the two breakfast items to refer to a couple that compliments each other. A is the 油条, and I am the 豆浆. We have listened to the song so much and have always said that the meaning would be enhanced if we had the breakfast together. So to celebrate a sunny Saturday and a fantastic song, A and I ventured on a classic Chinese breakfast 'date' at one of Shanghai's most popular joints – 永和大王 (originally called '永和豆浆') near the Ritz Carlton Portman.

The venue, despite being a local joint, is quite clean and warm. It's almost the equivalent of a Chinese McDonalds establishment where local residents come to get soymilk or sit down for a quick meal in the morning. A and I decided to live the experience in full and seated ourselves in the busy dining area. We ordered two bowls of savory soy milk (xian dou jiang), an egg pancake wrapped around a savory donut (dan bing you tiao), and a beef pancake (niu rou bing). A full breakfast, which all together came to 21 rmb!

I was quite pleased with the entire event. The savory soy milk contained pieces of seaweed and green onion, which was new to me but really enhanced the flavor. And of course, it contained crispy bits of the fried donut, which despite swimming in a bowl of soy milk was so fresh that it still had a nice crispy bite to it. The egg pancake, which I love so much and used to eat all the time from food stands in Taiwan, was done slightly differently because it contained the fried donut itself along with a spicy sauce that gave it a nice kick. The beef pancake was equally good, essentially fried up with shredded beef and of course, lots of oil. The breakfast was by no means 'what the doctor ordered' in terms of healthy ways to start your day but completely hit the spot on a Saturday morning in Shanghai.

I left with my stomach happy from an indulgent yet oh-so-homey breakfast and my spirits warmed from living the lyrics of the song. It's a meal I would definitely have again and a local establishment I would happily return to. A and I loved the experience and both agreed it was a fantastic way to start our weekend. (The only point of contention was one we happily have over many of our favorite Chinese foods – whether it is more Taiwanese or Shanghainese. :) But that is a discussion for another day!)

永和大王 (yong he da wang)
南京西路2-68号新世界商城地下一层
+86 21 62900555
http://www.yonghe.com.cn/

Is there such thing as Chinese fine dining?

2007-10-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

I meant to write about this last week but got so caught up with work and my parents’ arrival that I didn’t get a chance. But my first post! And how fitting that it be ‘Shanghainese.’ So last Wednesday, A and I did a fun BCG couples dinner at Whampoa Club at 3 on the Bund. I was intrigued by the restaurant because it held the promise of Chinese ‘fine dining’ and received a very complimentary review in Chubby Hubby.

The menu was pretty expansive and took me a while to get through. I have a very bad case of ‘fomo’ (my friend recently taught me – ‘fear of missed opportunity’), so I poured over the menu for quite a while before ordering for the table. We opted not to do the tasting menu because the choices didn’t look particularly exciting and there were so many other things to try! Eventually, we settled on an array of both traditional and more fusion-like dishes. Cold appetizers included the classic Shanghainese glutten (kao fu), a beautiful tea egg array paired with quail eggs and roe, and a fois gras and date combination over fresh spring vegetables. Hot dishes included the classic sweet and sour fried mandarin fish (gui yu), crisp fried taro balls, lion’s head meatballs in a clear broth (shi zi tou), Cantonese broccoli in soup (shang tang), and almond and cocoa braised spare ribs.

My takeaway though was mixed. The ambiance was fitting, the view of the Bund of course beautiful, and the food good but not particularly special. Arguably it’s difficult to make classic Chinese dishes served family style especially ‘special’; however, I thought the other restaurants like the Four Seasons’ Chinese restaurant did a fantastic job at that (excellent food, presentation, and service).

The exceptions were the more interesting fusion dishes. I found them delightful of the interesting and new combinations of flavors and ingredients. My two favorites (A's top picks as well) were (1) the almond/ cocoa spare ribs – braised perfectly in a sauce that had a hint of chocolate and appropriately fatty without being excessively oily, as ribs tend to be; (2) the fois gras and dates – the dates were stuffed with white mochi (glutinous rice), which made for a nice, slightly chewy texture. And I liked the combination of the classic Chinese dates with the fois gras – it was an interesting tangy and sweet addition to the richness.

All in all, I wouldn’t go again but still think Whampoa Club is still great for the out of town visitor. I would recommend ordering exclusively the fusion dishes though – there are better places for classic Shanghainese. Definitely a great night though – as always, it’s the company that makes the evening special. :)

Whampoa Club
3 on the Bund
3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Shanghai, 31 200002 China
+86 21 6321 3737
http://www.threeonthebund.com/

Beginnings ... about me and my first blog

2007-10-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my best friend's (and now one of my) favorite websites – chubby hubby – I felt inspired to write up a few notes about my Shanghai eating experiences. I don’t claim to be at all knowledgeable but just an excited reader who enjoys reading food blogs. Plus, it’s an easier way to indulge in my obsession with food, capture the loads of pictures I take, and share an integral part of my year-abroad experience with my friends back home and anyone else interested in dining in Asia (or wherever the winds take me. :))

And for any of those wondering, the name 'Delica Recchiuti' refers to two of my favorite shops (both introduced to me by my best friend!) in one of the most beautiful places in the world - the Ferry Building, San Francisco. Delica is an organic Japanese deli with a fantastic wasabi sweet pea/edamame potato salad; Recchiuti refers to the gourmet chocolate confectioners home of my favorite peanut butter puck truffle. The combination of the two truly epitomizes me - the ultimate health nut and chocolate addict. :)