Stone Brewery 10th Anniversary

Gargoyle - A fearsome figure carved from stone that has powers to ward off evil spirits. The Stone Brewing Co. gargoyle wards off modern day evil spirit such as chemical preservatives, additives, & adjuncts. One taste, and you can tell he does his job very well.

Boy and I like Stone and beer. So off we headed to their 10th anniversary celebration which boasted 40 guest breweries. The proceeds were to be donated as charity to different groups including Boys and Girls Club of San Marcos and YMCA of Escondido. According to the current calculations, they already passed the $62K they raised last year. At $25 a person for 10 tasters, it was good money spent and good money raised.

Here are some of the ones I drank:
Alpine Brewing Co (Alpine, CA) - Duet, Pure Hoppiness
Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY) - Hennepin
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, DE) - Punkin Ale, Dogfish 90 Min
Russian River Brewing Co (Santa Rosa, CA) - Depravation, Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder
Avery Brewing Co (Boulder, CO) - Maharaja
Marin Brewing Co (Larkspur, CA) - Hopsicle
Port Brewing (Carlsbad & Solana Beach, CA) - Avalanche
Victory Brewing Co (Dowington, PA) - Prima Pils

The beer that stole the show for both Boy and I was the Russian River's Depuration, a just-bottled unreleased beer that the brewmaster (Viinie Cilurzo) poured for us on the side. It was one of the best drink I've ever tasted. Aged in white wine barrels, it had a fruity complexity and smoothness I never knew could exist in a beer.
Blonde Ale aged in French oak Chardonnay barrels with white wine grapes for one year with three strains of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, & Pediococcus
Depravation is truly amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on some.

My other favorites were Alpine's Duet and Pure Hoppiness. Boy and I had previously gotten a taste of Alpine at the Strong Ale Festival at the Carlsbad outlet of Pizza Port. It was our favorite brewery there so it's no surprise that they would please us again. Lots of delicious hops came from these two beer which are both categorized as San Diego Pale Ales on their site.

And the always delicious Prima Pils from Victoria Brewing. The best pils I've ever had. Light, refreshing with a good malt background, I always get happy when I see this one in Boy's fridge.

Wait, I love Avery's Maharaja too! So many good beers at this festival. I'm already looking forward to next year's celebration.

If I could fill up my fridge with the above beers, lambics and saisons I'd be a very happy girl. Of course, food is a whole 'nother list. Definitely some Korean bbq, babyback ribs and sausages up in there.



I didn't have this beer because it's wee heavy for me. But you gotta love the name.



After the celebration o' beer and a much needed nap we heaed out to Liar's Club for more beer. With a side of delicious jalapeno hush puppies I sipped on my Russian River Pliny the Elder for some more hops. Damn, why is Russian River so good! We ended the night by retreating back into our hotel room and chillin with a nightcap of Fat Tire to lull us into sleep. It was a beautiful weekend in San Diego filled with delicious beverages. What all weekends should be like, minus the slight sunburn.

Sometimes All You Need Is a...

a warm, soft, big chorizo egg burrito to dull the Monday working pangs.

Romero's Mexican Food
516 S Western Ave
213.480.8438

Road Trip to Paso Robles & San Luis Obispo

Recently a group of us headed up to Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo for a short sweet weekend getaway. Well I stayed for one night due to impending duties for the wedding thing. Once the trip plans got into gear, there was only one other thing I had to think about, the eats. Afterall, isn't it important to be well sustained and healthy on such a long drive up?


My fridge is in deperate need of an Izze refill. It's such a great drink - cold, refreshing, lightly carbonated. And the only two ingredients are natural fruit juice and carbonated water. Izze filled mornings are definitely better ones. Truly addicting and hydrating without all that excess sugar (orange juice), fat (milk) or caffeine (coffee).

Before meeting up at the rendez-vouz point, I made a pit stop at Wien bakery in Koreatown. I could have been the first customer there but there were at least three huge Korean tour buses outside. Meaning, the bakery was rampant with Koreans all getting between me and my baked goods. I prevailed though and left with some freshly baked and fried goods.



All of the bakery edibles were delicious but having a freshly fried croquette filled with potato, vegetabled and minced meat is special. You're probably thinking, fried?! But perfectly fried, not greasy at all but crunchy from the panko covering over a thin dough. Truly a swoon-worthy piece of food. I wish there was a Korean bakery on the way to work for a delicious on-the-go brekkie.


This scary looking thing is their pizza bread. It's only scary 'cause Boy and I ravaged one side of them and the rising sun reflecting off the cheese is blinding you. And me. This too was way too delicious. Light crust, warm savory topping with melted cheese everywhere. Yumm.

But we can't forget one of our favorite items there, the Peanut Cream Soboro Bread. A flat, round light bread with crumble topping, sliced horizontally then stuffed with fresh peanut whipped cream. Fresh peanut cream! First time I tasted that I thought genius. Why didn't I think of that?

Then we were off on a beautiful drive up the 101...



We stopped by some weird villagey town and ate at a pizza shop. The scary dude in the pic described exactly what the inside of the restaurant was. Dark, full of very serious-faced people not talking to each other at all, and scary. The only good thing was CCR on their radio. But no fear, we sat outside where the sun warmed us up and kept the scaries inside.


I got this crazy looking hamburger with salsa and jalapeno. I believe its name was the Artic Grill?? Weird, yes. Messy, yes. A good lunch to fill my tummy before pouring wine in meself? Yes.

Then we finally got up to wine country with only 2 hours left to wine taste due to holiday traffic on the way up. Among the few wineries we visited which included Turley, Denner, Adelaide, and Tobin James. But the wine that stood the most for me was the Denner Vineyards 2005 Viognier. Oh my god it was amazing. I didn't even know viogniers could taste like that. The ones I've had before didn't have the same complexity or lush fruit as this one.

Here is their description of the Viognier: Exhibits aromas of candied leechee, pineapple and mango fruits, vanilla beans, and perfumey jasmine notes. These elements all tie together in the wines rich, fruity, buttery mouthfeel. The intense tropical fruit flavors persist in the finish with a subtle shadow of creme brulée peaking in during the lingering aftertaste.

After a short break back at our inn we headed out for dinner at Kolberl at Blue in downtown San Luis Obispo. We started with some fried calamari, fresh oysters and a half-bottle of Cristalino.



For the main course I ordered the duck breast with duck spring roll, snap peas, and pea shoots. The duck was delicious but the dish itself could have been composed better. The rice that came with the dish was prett bad first of all. Bland, dry, absolutely no flavor. The spring roll, although delicious, should have been on the appetizer menu or something. I love veges so the pea shoots and the snap peas were a treat but they didn't come together on the plate. The dish felt like 5 different things on a plate (spring roll, duck breast, dry rice, snap peas, pea shoots), not a dish composed of 5 different ingredients. You can see that the snap peas were cooked separately and placed on one side while the pea shoots were probably stuck in the middle after the rest of the food was plated. The duck was succulent though. I just wish it was complemented better. Perhaps a saffron risotto with the snap peas and sauted pea shoots placed on top and the sliced duck breast placed on one side. Then the delicious sauce drizzled over. Overall it was good.



But looking at Boy's UFO looking carpaccio dish... it's so unneccesarily complicated. What's up with the vertical baguette slices? It's like an elementary school project. The beef slices were way too thin and could not hold up to the strong horseradish sauce. Plus it kept ripping into shreds when picking it up off the plate. Not cool.

I had some pinot noir with my duck, I forget the name, but I do remember it being delicious.

Now breakfast the next morning at old-timey Apple Farm, that was great.



I find it hard to pass on a big plate of corned beef. Damn it was good. Corned beef hash is definitely on my list of favorite foods. And I've mostly just eaten those crazy canned ones. Hopefully eventually I'll corn my own beef.



Boy had the pancakes with eggs, sausage, and hash. It's his usual deal. I don't like pancakes nor waffles too much. That's because I haven't had one like this. This one was amazing. I've never been swooned by a pancake before but this was so fluffy, not doughy but kind of sweet. A pancake I never knew existed.

The trip was a nice relaxing and delicious time to hang out with great friends, delicious food and wine. I vote yes to more road trips!

Crab Cakes & Cucumbers with Gochujang

While testing recipes for the wedding menu, there were some crab casualties. My visions of crab and cucumber canape were not working out so well and I was left with a batch of crab tossed with creme fraiche, curry and lime. Well there is only one thing left to do in this case. Make crab cakes of course.



These beautiful green peppers are from the Japanese stand at the Santa Monica farmer's market. I chopped and sauteed the peppers with some onion then added it to the failed crab mixture along with some egg, panko, cilantro, and scallion. Formed them into little discs, dipped both sides into a plate of panko, then chilled them in the fridge for a lil bit.



Meanwhile, I had sliced up some korean cucumbers, lightly salted it then had it draining in the sink. I love cucumbers! Especially when it's paired up with some fiery gochujang (Korean red chili paste). For the seasoning I mixed the gochujang with some minced garlic, sesame oil, water to thin, sesame seed, and scallion. I rinsed the cucumbers, drained and blotted them dry, then tossed them in the gochujang sauce and let it soak up all the goodness.



The crab cakes cooked up beautifully with a crispy crust and a light fluffy texture. Topped with chives and a dab of sriracha and paired with the refreshing cucumbers and pillowy white rice, it made for an excellent dinner. And excellent lunch too!

Three Salads, a Cake and a Cheers for a Birthday Girl

A poolside self-serve bar, a table full of delicious munchies, a dessert table, a dj set up on the deck... what more can you ask for at a birthday party? The weather was still warm and going strong at the end of August. Perfect for Champagne sipping, toe wading, snack nibbling, celebrating A's birthday. She was having some delicious bbq catered and so I was commissioned for three salads to complement the meats.

Potato and Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese, Walnuts & Mustard Dressing


What a mess this salad looks! :/ It was delicious however with its roasted potatoes, crisp-tender blached green beans, crumbled Danish blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and a dijon-herb dressing. Something nice and hearty to stand up to the bbq. I should have added the crumbled blue cheese after I got to A's house though. Doh!

Corn Salad with Green Pepper, Lime & Pea Shoots


I really wanted to make Grant's Corn and Snap Pea salad so much. I went to three different markets hoping to find some fresh snap peas. Even went to the Santa Monica farmer's market on Saturday for one last desperate search but the season had ended and snap peas had gone. Boo~ sadly I did not once buy any snap peas this whole summer. What's wrong with me?!

So I decided to just make a simple corn salad. I stopped by the Japanese farm stand and got some beautiful green bell peppers and the sprouts table for some refreshing pea shoots. I took off all the husk and silk from the corn, lightly rubbed on some olive, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and roasted them in the oven. Meanwhile I diced up the green bell peppers and some red onion. Once the corn had cooled a bit, I cut off all the kernels and combined it with the onion and pepper along with lime juice, pea shoots, a pinch of cayenne, and olive oil. Surprisingly, my makeshift corn salad was people's favorite.

Cherry Tomato & Arugula with Pickled Onion & Buttermilk Dressing


This was my favorite salad though. I had also picked up some Arugula at the Japanese farm stand. It was so tender and fresh. So much better than the bagged baby arugula at the markets which I do turn to often. The leaves were so beautiful and springy green. Paired with juicy cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, herbs & a light buttermilk dressing, this salad was necessary item for my bbq plate. I had pickled the red onion the night before to add some zing to the salad but raw red onion would have worked nicely too.

Dessert Table


The desserts got their own table! Going clockwise from the top-right, cupcakes from Sprinkles, treats from Phoenix bakery in downtown, Ellen's fab chocolate cookies, "White Trash Hostess Plate", and the last one is from me! Yes this savory girl made some dessert. Hey, it's a special occasion. I can break out the dessert diva once in a while.

Chocolate Custard Cake with Ganache, Roasted Pistachios & Fleur de Sel


Upon reading Tokyoastrogirl's post on Boca Negra and seeing how easy the recipe was, I knew this had to immediately go on my shortlist of Desserts I Can (and Willing) Make. I added my own touch though by pouring some ganache over the top, sprinkling with roasted chopped pistachios and fleur de sel. The chocolate custard cake was so smooth and rich while the ganache added some extra richness, gleam and glam on top along with the crunchy pistachios and delicious salt crystals.

Asian Bits for a Polynesian Wedding

Labor Day weekend was the setting for a chic intimate wedding. One of little paper lanterns, polynesian music, Kahlua pork, and bride's maids dressed in Hawaiian gear.

The bride requested of me Asian inspired hor d'oeuvres. The exact suggestion was "Polynesian, Indonesian". Of course I freaked. Polynesian, Indonesian! The only Asian food I can cook with confidence is Korean. Well, being Korean and having had Korean food almost every single day for the last 25 years.

I was pulling my hair doing research for the menu and also from fear that I was going to completely ruin the wedding with my subpar hor d'oeuvres. Through taste tests, adaptation, editing, and lots of brain-hurty thinking I came up with this menu which also includes the bride's requested mini hamburgers.

Japanese Cucumber Salad with Soba & Crab


I cut out the base from a wonton skin with a fluted cutter then baked them off in a greased baking sheet for a few minutes. It's good to keep checking their toasting process since one side of the sheet may cook faster than the other, or worse, burn! Originally I planned to make the sweet and sour Indonesian cucumber salad but the recipe test deterred me. I think the type of cucumber (English) and the shape of the pieces (diced) put me off. But I moved on anyways and decided on the Japanese cucumber salad which uses vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.

To this I added some soba noodles with tamari dressing, for a 50-50 cucumber to noodle proportion. The crabmeat got a quick splash of seasoning from the leftover cucumber salad dressing along with cilantro and green onion. And for garnish, chives and black sesame seeds.

Ahi Poke with Mango Salsa


Marinated lightly with sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, scallion, sweet onion, sriracha, red chili oil, and Korean red pepper powder, the super fresh ahi tasted delicious. After filling little wonton flowers with the ahi poke, I topped it off with a simple mango salsa made with mango, lime, cilantro, red onion and jalapeno.

Maui Sliders with Sweet Onion-Scallion Soy Relish


I seasoned the ground beef simply with soy sauce, sugar and black pepper. Now the onion scallion relish is where I brought in a little bit of my Korean. The scallion soy relish condiment is one that my mom and I makes a lot and it is so simple and delicious. It is sliced scallion, soy sauce, Korean red pepper powder, garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. This is good on practically EVERYTHING. Until now I never even thought about it, but yes, even on these sliders.

I added chopped sweet onions to the relish which added an extra crunch to the sliders, refreshing but not sharp like regular onions. The mini patties were custom fit for the soft sweet Hawaiian rolls [which were less than perfect shaped. :P], and topped with the sweet onion scallion relish and few sprigs of watercress, it was the most popular item at the wedding.

I did try to see if custom ordering the sweet rolls from King's Hawaiian was possible. Preferably ones that weren't cooked side by side but individually which would have made the presenation so much prettier. But they never got back to me and plus it would have probably put me out of my budget considering the cost of the ahi and crab. But flavor-wise these sliders won people over, including me.

A tiring day but a successful one thanks to Dylan who came out to help me work the event. Although we did almost die from breathing smoke from the grill in a very poorly ventilated kitchen. We survived though. Then we drank.

Fresh Pasta with Basil & Tomato

Beautiful tomatoes from the farmer's market, torn basil, minced garlic over warm pasta. Simple, rustic, delicious. My favorite sort of meal.

My Pantry

I've been meaning to take an inventory of my whole pantry but kept putting it off thinking it would take forever. But finally did it yesterday due to the fact that my cable was broken temporarily and I was bored consequentially. But it didn't take long at all and I feel like a weights been lifted off my shoulders due to the organization and cleaning out of my pantry. Here is what I gots. And what I better use now that I am aware of their existence!

GRAINS, BEANS, FLOUR, PASTA
rolled oats
bulgar wheat
brown jasmine rice
brown basmati rice
garbanzo flour
farro
arborio
panko
spanish rice
kalgooksoo
nokdoo (mungbeans)
chickpeas
carnaroli
polenta
all purpose flour
spaghetti
fusili
large penne
egg noodle
soba noodle
spanish white beans
couscous

OIL, VINEGAR, HONEY, SAUCE STUFF
grapeseed oil
roasted almond oil
organic raspberry honey
orange blossom honey
wildflower honey
mirin
italian olive oil
spanish olive oil
canola oil
soy sauce
apple cider vinegar
white distilled vinegar
fish sauce
red vine vinegar
sherry vinegar
canola oil spray
walnut oil
ginger dressing
pomegranate mollasses
white wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar
marsala
rice vinegar
sesame oil
sesame soy oil
bacon bouillon
chicken bouillon
demi-glace

DRIED FRUIT, NUTS, SEEDS
currants
mission figs
california apricots
raw pistachio
sliced almonds
raw almonds
roasted peanuts
poppy seed
rosemary crackers
walnuts (f)
pinenuts (f)
raw blanched almonds (f)

SPICES
steak seasoning
fennel seeds 2 (duplicity is a good reason to keep track of your pantry. 1 bottle will probably go stale. boo.)
cayenne
seaweed powder
star anise
curry powder
ground ginger
oregano 2
allspice
vanilla extract
chili powder
juniper berries
nutmeg
saffron
coriander seeds
cumin
herbs de provence
spicy paprika
cream of tartar
togarashi
baking powder
bay leaves
cinnamon
whole red chilies
pasta seasoning
cinnamon sticks
crushed red pepper
bittersweet paprika
cumin/coriander mix
bonito furikake
pulao rice spice mix 2
indian grilled vege spice mix 2
nasi goreng spice mix
madras curry paste

OTHER PANTRY
tj pav bhaji
sardine
baked beans
menudo
beef chili
corn
tuna in water
canned chicken (my mom bought this!)
coconut milk
enchilada sauce
tonic water
tomato paste
soba noodle soup
portugese soup
roasted seaweed for rolls
dried wild mushroom
grape leaves
tj ketchup (the best ketchup ever)
spicy bbq sauce
hot chili peppers
giardinara
san marzano tomatoes
spring roll wrappers

FREEZER
fresh bread crumbs
edamame
turkey meatloaf
puff pastry shells
puff pastry sheets
phyllo
corn
baguette
fish sticks
chicken sausage
buffalo popcorn shrimp
pork belly
samgyupsal (thinly sliced pork belly)
chadolbaeggi (sliced deckle)
nengmyun
vege lasagne
brown vege curry
kimchi gook
dumplings

FRIDGE
duck fat
parmesan rinds
rosemary pecorino
grana padano
smoked provolone
grated gruyere
carmelized onion
roasted garlic

I haven't gone food shopping in a while so that's why the only things left in my fridge is cheese!

Summer Pudding

Less than perfect according to what I saw on Barefoot Contessa, but I'm sure no less delicious. With blueberries, raspberries and strawberries that are cooked down in a bit of sugar and water, and buttery brioche to soak it all up into a little pretty cake, the only thing that can make this summer pudding better is freshly whipped cream. And mimosas. :)


Summer Pudding (Barefoot Contessa)

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
2 half-pints fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons framboise (raspberry brandy)
1 loaf brioche or egg bread (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup of water in a large saucepan and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the raspberries and all the blueberries and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a simmer, and simmer for a minute. Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise.

Slice the bread in 1/2-inch-thick slices and remove the crusts. In the bottom of a 7 1/2-inch round by 3-inch high souffle or baking dish, ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooked berry mixture. Arrange slices of bread in a pattern (this will become the top when it's unmolded) and then add more berry mixture to saturate. Continue adding bread, cutting it to fit the mold, and berries. Finish with bread and cooked berries, using all of the fruit and syrup.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap loosely over the pudding. Find a plate approximately the same diameter as the inside of the mold and place it on top. Weight the mold with a heavy can and refrigerate. Remove the weight after 6 to 8 hours. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, run a knife around the outside of the pudding and unmold it upside down onto a serving plate. Serve in wedges with rum whipped cream.

Rosemary Parmesan Polenta Bites

Can you guess where the above polenta "stars" came from? Well its an easy peasy question considering the little polenta circles that left behind the spread of stars is featured on the prior post.

Try to use up scraps whenever you make food. You never know, it might just be super delicious. I broiled off the little polenta stars and here is what came out:



The star edges are essential to this being delicious because they brown and crisp up so nicely. Crispy and cheesy with a teeny bit of heat from red pepper flakes. I think it would make a perfect anju (side dishes that accompany alcohol) to a nice chilled glass of beer. So next time you make polenta cakes, save the leftover bits and transform into something delicious like these polenta poppers!

Opening Party + Summer + Hor d'oeuvres

My blog stamina has been lacking these days. I seriously don't know what I do at work. Every morning I used to go down my blog bookmarks (back then there was about 30). Each and every single one I would peek into as soon as I got to work while eating breakfast of some sort. Now days, I neither blog like a loony nor blog surf with speed and agility as I used to. But I don't work either. So what the hell am I doing?!

Hmm, not blogging on time is one of em. Recently I catered my biggest production to date. It was a hair salon opening party and the gig fell into my lap via a few friends who recruited me for help. But somehow I took charge and became the ringleader of this challenge.

Although I was nervous at first at the number of people, once I ran a few logistics through my head, I knew we would have it under control. The client was expecting around 70 people and wanted hor d'oeuvres. I churned my head and thought of these to serve...

Gruyere Gougere



Let's just call these Gruyere Cheese Puffs. Trust me, people will keep saying "what?!" if you say gougere. Basically it's a pate a choux dough piped out into little balls, sprinkled with grated gruyere and baked off til puffed like this:

So much nicer straight out of the oven and before the toll of the unusual LA humidity we were having for a few weeks. However it was delicious and a few guests were hooked on it. Served up in little berry baskets that I saved and accented with complementarily hued flowers, the cheese puffs looked so pretty and unique.

Caponata Canape with Pecorino



Caponata crostinis were wildly successful for one of my Writing Pad menus so I thought why not. Except this time I bought little cocktail cups at Surfas. There is no way I'm baking 120 gougeres and toasting 120 crostinis. In one electric oven. No frickin way. Anyways, these little cups did not disappoint and even one guest mentioned that this was her favorite. Yay!

Caponata, by the way, is a Sicilian dish made up of eggplant, tomato, raisan, capers and red pepper. Of course I had to add cheese to it. I swear I was going to serve it og style but it was missing something. Teeny small diced tangy Pecorino Romano can't hurt right? In fact, it did not hurt and it was even better. Love that pecorino.

Rosemary Polenta with Currant-Pinenut Relish

Polenta is my ever resourceful dish in the kitchen. I made this one in the style of Barefoot Contessa but I think I added more Parmigiano Reggiano. This polenta was wreaking parmesan. That's not a complaint by the way.

I believe the currant pinenut pairing is Italian. I've seen that combo in a few recipes. It's a dynamic combination and this relish is one that will make a veal scallopine special, or maybe a cheese stuffed chicken thigh, or in this case a little polenta cake infused with piney floral rosemary, butter, red pepper flakes, and parmesan.

What a looker too. I really liked the varieties of colors that each dish brought to the table. Cute little edible round stuff in all sorts of colors but organized prettily to bring a smile to my face, the guests face, and most importantly the client's face.



And oh yes, dessert. Dessert isn't my thing but it is everyone else's according to personal experience. My accomplices took charge of baking and with a little help from an unnamed source of immense help, these were easily made and easily consumed. I iced them with Santo's Mascarpone Icing although I failed to make the beautiful spikes. Instead I made little flowers which actually looked cute. Just not as cool as the spikes. I thought hair salon? Spikes? Would have gone funkily cool together but oh wells. I should stay away from desserts. How can I make something good that I don't even like to have that often?

The most people I've catered for so far is about 12. Then jumped to 70! More like 60 but who's counting. It was a success, I was tired, and I was ready to drink at the end.

Where Would I Be

Where would I be if deprived from Asian packaged foods? I would certaintly be at hungry. Today's breakfast - instant miso, Japanese microwave rice, Korean seafood flavor rice seasoning. Simple comfort, all in cute small packages.

Flatbread Pizza; Pig Candy; Roasted Almonds with Fleur de Sel

Flatbread pizzas are so easy to make and so delicious, like any pizza with a good base and good topping. I made two varieties which both started off with a base of ricotta and carmelized onion. Then they split off - one was crowned with roasted red pepper, anchovy and goat cheese.



While the other one got sauteed creminis with pancetta and pecorino. If I had a one of those wooden pizza spatulas I could have put them on the oven rack directly and the base would have been crisp throughout. I'll add that to my "To Buy" list, although the pizza stone I currently have has used been only once. I swear I'm going to get around to making a real pizza dough again sometime. Hmm, sometime soon?



I also made some delicious and wholly addicting pig candy. I was alerted to its existence not too long ago when LOU came up in LA Weekly. I made mine with Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Cured Bacon. Sprinkle of brown sugar and cayenne then it went into the oven to bake and make my house smell like the most delicious edible thing ever. It was hard not to open the oven door just to inhale the aroma. I love bacon!!!

I baked the smoky bacon twice to adjust for the flavoring and made sure it had a nice heat to it, mellowed by the brown sugar, and just the right amount of crisp. I also roasted some almonds tossed in olive oil, then tossed the toasty nuts with fleur de sel. Let's just say my kitchen was smellin pretty good after all the pizza, bacon, and almond business.

A catered menu for www.writingpad.com

Ricotta Pea Crostini with Pecorino; Greek Salad

Over the last six months I've made some crazy number of crostinis. And here is another one - Ricotta Pea Crostini with Pecorino. I got idea from Seven Spoons but I made mine a bit different. I cooked down some small diced shallots with itty bitty bit of thyme, then added the peas and warmed it up. I was planning to just smash it up with a fork and mix in the ricotta but the smashing wasn't goin so successfully. I threw everything into the food processor with a squeeze of half a lemon and then came out the pretty green puree. Oh yea, I added a small mint leaf and someone actually detected it! Impressive only because I remember how small the mint leaf was and how subtle it tasted in the puree.

Oh yes, back to the crostini. Shave some pecorino with a vegetable peeler and top the crostini. That's it. I don't think it can get simpler than that.



Then a pretty little Greek Salad. I know, you're thinking greek salad?! But look how pretty it looks? It's not the big bowl of tomato, onion, romaine, crumbled feta family style greek salad you recall. Not that there is anything wrong with that and I love me a big bowl of salad. But this is for guests so it needs to be a tad bit more presentable.

So this above salad shows off pretty pear-shaped tomatoes from Trader Joe's sliced in half, a block of feta cut into chunks instead of using the messy looking pre-crumbled stuff, peppery frisee, nice juicy olives, and very very thinly sliced, cold water-bathed onion slices.

I just love the combination of juicy tomatoes, crunchy fresh veges, salty briny olives, and tangy feta all together. Delicious!

A catered menu for www.writingpad.com

Endive with Spiced Chickpea Puree & Salsa Verde; Manchego, Quince Paste, Rosemary Crackers & Spanish Soria Sausages

Endives, although on the pricey side used as an appetizer or hor d'oeuvre base, seem to add an elegant aesthetic touch to the presentation. With its pale, perfectly boat-shaped leaves with just a tiny tinge of yellow-green to the feathery thin edges, it cannot help but look cute lined up on a plate. This time carrying a dollop of warm spiced chickpea puree brightened by a spoonful of herby salsa verde.

The chickpea puree is quite easy to make. I sweated some onion and garlic with thyme for a few minutes then added drained chickpeas to the pan. Then add your choice of spices. Mine were paprika and cayenne. Then add a bit of chicken stock. A few minutes of whirl in the processor and you got chickpea puree. Taste and adjust liquid, salt, pepper, and olive oil to your taste.

Although I did buy the hugest Thai mortar and pestle that's been sitting on my counter, I decided to chop up the herbs for the salsa verde. So parsley, mint, garlic, anchovy, capers, lemon juice, and olive oil all mixed up together for a vibrant sauce.

I also served a cheese plate of Manchego, quince paste and The Fine Cheese Co's rosemary crackers. I haven't had Manchego in a while but that first bite reminded me of its delicious flavor. Semi-soft, a slight tang and nuttiness. It's quite easy to keep popping in your mouth. Maybe too easy.

A plate of Soria sausage accompanied the cheese plate.
Soria or Spanish Girl sausage: This variety originated in Old Castille around Soria and Logroño. Although actually a sausage, it resembles a gently seasoned, lean pork loin with a concentrated meaty taste. The meat is diced by hand, seasoned, and cured overnight to reduce its moisture. The mixture is then tightly packed into natural, Portuguese net-like casings and air-dried for three months. Simply eat it sliced and in sandwiches. [www.laespanolameats]

Cured sausage, what would I do without cured sausage? I would wither away.

A catered menu for www.writingpad.com

When the Temperature Goes Down...

After being debilitated last weekend and melting away in the crazy humid heat, I am so happy to announce that I cooked this week! And thank god I did, because I had leftovers in my fridge that were getting impatient with me. Some stuff did go bad but some stuff survived. Here is what I made this week trying to use up all the leftovers...

Monday



It's still hot on Monday. Bugger. I picked up a few slices of prosciutto, marinated some leftover roasted pepper with sherry vinegar, capers, golden raisans, and olive oil, toasted leftover baguette that had been sitting in my fridge drawer, sliced up some manchego. And a simple dinner it became as Manchego Prosciutto Crostini with Roasted Pepper Relish. The crostinis could have been thinner but I was in a hurry to stop being hot!

Tuesday


No cooking! Ate spicy tuna roll and hwaedupbap (sashimi rice) takeout from Yanusa.

Wednesday
My mom told me to eat the rest of the turnip beef soup for dinner that she had made a few days before. But little did she know that I've been eating this for breakfast. It makes a perfect breakfast though with a little mound of rice. Soupy, soothing, something nice to gently wake me up in the morning.



But there were only dregs left in the pot by Wednesday. I had eaten the last good bit in the morning and was planning to clean the pot when I got home from work. But then when I got home, I suddenly got an idea to use up the scraps. Donburi! Now I've never made donburi before but had been checking out oyako donburi recipes when I crave comfort food.





I took the meat, flank I believe, out of the pot and shredded by hand. Marinated it in equal portions of mirin and soy sauce. I wisked up a few eggs with scallion, mirin and soy sauce. I brought the tidbit of broth up to a boil, added the meat, then added the egg. Although the eggs didn't coddle wholesomely as I would have liked, the dish was delicious. I ended up mashing the beef and egg into the rice anyways, so who needs perfect coddling? (Next time I will try better though). My mom was surprised at how good it was and also impressed with my use of trash-destined scraps.



I also had leftover carmelized onion and sauteed cremini mushrooms begging to be used. Sorry but it's just been way to hot to cook. Until Wednesday that is. I defrosted a sheet of puff pastry, rolled it out, laid some carmelized onion and cremini on top, sprinkled some thyme leaves, grated a bit of pecorino, and baked it off. Puff pastry is never bad is it? The Carmelized Onion & Cremini Tart made for a delicious and satisfying lunch the next day.



I had made plans to make Apple Coffee Cake last week. Instead the heat got me lazy the apple I had bought for this recipe were sitting in my fridge. Poor things, they were a little bit dried up and bruised lightly in some spots. I used Emeril's recipe and they came out perfect. I reduced the amount of sugar by a third though, which is perfect for my taste.

Oh yeah, the reason I searched out this recipe was because I had leftover sour cream and had nothing to use it in. Although the sour cream expiration date was 7/15, it stayed good until the 26th. It stayed good for 11 more days than it said it would! Miracle I tell ya. The container stamped with 7/14 went bad. Good thing I finally used the sour cream up. I think it was waiting for me to make the coffee cake.

Thursday


By now you're probably thinking damn this girl's got so much leftovers! Yes, yes I do. I had some leftover chocolate sauce from making profiterols two weeks ago. I searched and searched for a recipe to use this up in. And Chocolate Mousse was the winner.
I had stored the chocolate sauce in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. I popped that in the microwave with a few tablespoons of butter. Whisked in 3 yolks into the chocolate mixture. Then whipped up 3 egg whites in the mixer with cream of tartar and sugar. Whipped up some cream by hand and added vanilla extract. Folded the egg white into the chocolate. Then folded the whipped cream into the chocolate egg mixture. Then finally spooned into little ramekins and chilled. Topped it off with some whipped cream and grated chocolate.

It was so airy and light! It almost give you the impression you're not eating that much chocolate, but more like chocolate air. A happy success for my first chocolate mousse.

*pic to be inserted here*

More leftovers or stored food... Long time ago I made chicken stock from scratch. It's been sitting in my freezer for a while now. Not so long that I couldn't use it but long enough that I better find something good to put it in. With plans to make brown curry I defrosted the two containers full of my first homemade chicken stock ever. I also had turkey meatloaf sitting in my freezer too. It's more like emergency food, if I don't have time to make lunch or get lazy or something. I defrosted two balls of those.

I threw in some potato, onion, carrots, zucchini, summer squash, and button mushroom into the broth. Added the cubed up tender pieces of turkey meatloaf. Added the curry mix. And the deed was done - delicious Brown Curry with Veges and Turkey Meatloaf.

Friday
Ahh, I feel clean and purged of my leftovers and freezer-stored foods. I still have bits of leftovers here and there but mostly I've cleaned out my fridge. And my conscience at that. I crown myself Master of Leftovers. :)

And here is today. Well I happened to get hooked up to a catering gig tomorrow for 70 people so I'll be cooking it up tonight with a few friends. Hopefully I won't have too much leftover ingredients from the gig or else I will have to rack my brain for more recipes!