Yoony Eats Paris: Falstaff Bastille

Bastille

Boy and I arrived in Charles de Gaulle airport all bundled up and ready for the cold weather. After lugging our luggage around the busy place, busing it to the metro, then transferring, then transferring again, we finally arrived at our last stop - Bastille. As fast and effectively as we could, we rolled our fat luggage over the small sidewalk, making sure not to run over any pedestrians, to our flat which was only a block away.

When we got to the door there was a piece of paper addressed to us taped to the door - a quiz for the passcode to open the gate door. The first clue: "The San Francisco __ers". 49! Whoa, I got that one right. Impressive. Second clue: "First and second letter of A's last name". My mind was well onto a Jeopardy fantasy when Boy pulled out a piece of paper and said "I think we got the code right here". Trivia dreams shattered, I stepped inside the gate to a quaint courtyard with a cute lil shining Christmas tree and a cute lil orange kitty walkin around. Tres adorable! Je t'aime beaucoup!

We walked through the courtyard excited to finally arive, making loud unintentional noises caused by our luggage rolling over the stony ground. Suddenly a window on the second floor flung open and N greeted us with a "bonjour!" [Possibly that was a "hi guys" but we'll go with "bonjour" to keep it frenchy].

The flat was charming with warm tones, painting of all sorts, and kids bedrooms. Maybe a little dusty and dingy but nevertheless charming. I believe the building itself was made in the 16th century or so. It was lovely how the residential area was kept to itself inside the secret courtyard, separated from the street by only a metal door to unassuming passersby. It reminded me of a travel show episode on Lyon, which has all sorts of secret passageways and streets that also house residences. Simply, it's just so cool! I like the sense of mystery and romance to it.

Anyhow, after quickly nourishing ourselves with a biere blanche and British crisps we picked up at Heathrow airport where we connected from, we headed out for dinner. Wow was Boy excited when he found out that the highly beeradvocate-rated bar Falstaff Bastille was right down the street. After a short minutes walk we arrived at the bar. Quickly looking over their menu that was displayed outside I saw croque monsieur on it. Croque monsieur by the way is a French ham and cheese sandwich made with ham, gruyere and bechamel. A croque madame is just that but topped prettily with a fried egg.

I've made it two times now. The monsieur back in November '05 for a dinner party I threw for my brother. And a madame for Boy's recent birthday dinner. But I've never had it anywhere else so this first chance to try it in Paris, where the dish first popped up on a menu back in 1910 (answers.com), was quite exciting.

When we walked in it was crazy smoky in there. Then the beer menu came and basically blew our mittens off when we saw their prices. I ordered the Hoegaarden Grand Cru which was 9 euros which came out to about $13!!! The witbier was delicious though with flavors of coriander and warm spices. Its ABV is 8.70%, much higher than its originial Hoegaarden White Ale whose ABV sits at a modest 4.9%. The flavor of Grand Cru reminds me a lot of Unibroue's La Fin du Monde, except that it is less coriander-y. Delicious! Boy ordered the Grain D'Orge Biere de Garde for a whoppin 13 euros.


(sorry for the horrible picture. not only was the place smoky but we were put in a really dark corner)

Sadly the croque madame I ordered was just okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the delicious mouth-watering croque madame I was looking forward to. Ok maybe I set my goals too high for a place that is supposed to be a good beer bar, not a good cafe or bistro. But it did its job to fill up my hungry and well-travelled tummy. I was more partial to the delicious Hoegaarden Grand Cru though.

Here's Boy's review of Falstaff: click here.

Paris

Nite view of Paris near Louvre.


Some fancy street near a club we went to.


Cute kid waiting in line for the catacombs. We both got shafted as the placed closed after we were waiting in the rain for like 10 minutes.


Alleyway in a Jewish region of Paris.

Happy Birthday Boy~!

Back in the middle of December Boy turned added another ring to his tree trunk. We usually take each out for birthdays but I wanted to do something a little bit more special, something a bit more tailored to what he loves.

To put it simply, the Boy loves beer.

Hmmm, at first I thought about getting him a case of Westvleteren Trappist ale which is not available in the states but I decided against that when the mailing seemed a bit dodgy. What if it never showed up? (Which has happened to Boy before with international purchases). So instead I got him a case of delicious domestic beer. Now this is not just any domestic beer, but Stone Brewery's 10th Anniversary IPA. Only a limited batch was released and lucky me, I picked up the last full case of these at Beverage Warehouse.

But the real gift was a dinner - a five-course beer and food pairing dinner plus the addition of a special pre-dinner nibbly. Here's the menu:

Pre-dinner: Zonin Prosecco & Iberico Bellota Lomo
I got the lomo from the first batch of em (after FDA approval) that was sent over to the U.S. back last summer. It is seriously stupendous. I love pork. Especially the cured kind.

Marshmallow-Stuffed Sweet Potato Croquettes with Cranberry Chutney
*Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino Nest White Ale*




Croque Madame with Southern Peppered Bacon, White Truffle Oil & Quail Egg
*Ommegang Witte*



Roquefort & Roasted Garlic on Charcoal Cracker
*Moylan's Old Blarney Barleywine Style Ale*



Skirt Steak with Arugula, Harissa & Ricotta Salata
*Alesmith YuleSmith*
Sorry, I forgot to take pics for this one!

Ricotta Fritters with Prosecco Berry Compote
*Girardin 1882 Gueuze Black Label*



Overall the dinner went really well and Boy proclaimed "This is the best meal I've ever had!" Of course we know what really won him over is the overflowing of all sorts of delicious beers. And the croque madame.

An About...

After a reader recently asked me about my profession and how I started cooking, I thought it would be a good idea to tell you a little bit more about myself since the profile on the side doesn't do much. I was almost done writing the long post yesterday, then POOF. All gone in one fatal click. Doh!

So here it is again...

I had a few cookbooks in college but didn't cook much back then except for some easy Korean recipes, turkey sandwiches, and pasta with jarred tomato sauce. Otherwise college was filled with much junk food, take-out, burritos, burgers, beer. However I watched FoodTV obsessively though.

After moving back home I finally started to cook more. Having a job, a nice kitchen to cook in, and Boy the willing taster was motivating. I think the first dish I ever cooked for Boy was Seared Beef Carpacccio with Arugula, Balsamic & Parmesan. Cooking became a hobby for me.

Then early 2005 I discovered the food blogging community! This was pretty much food-life-changing. I didn't even know what blogging was before then and I had no idea there was an actual community of people so passionate about food and madly driven to cook and eat delicious dishes. Food blogging and loving to cook is probably one of the best things that's happened to me.

But I didn't know if I myself could have a blog, being technology-averse and a cooking-newbie. Also writing never being my forte in school. Who the hell would read it anyways? Well I started one anyways I am so glad I did because I've discovered so many great blogs.

Thank you readers for keeping my blog alive and motivating me to cook and write! :D

Red, Hot Bubbling Cauldron of Mandu Jungol - Gonjiam

Spicy, red and hot? I am so there. And that is exactly what I'll get when I order mandu jungol at a hole in the wall called Gonjiam. The waitress brings out a vessel filled to the brim with generous dumplings, zucchini, mushroom, scallion, and udon noodle. Then it is placed atop one of those mini gas range thing and kept bubbling and hot. It is so damn good. It makes my mouth water just to look at that picture.

First two times I had mandu jungol there it was pretty spicy. I rememebr Boy and I finishing a whole pitcher of water while trying to finish our own little pot. But the third time I only drank a glass of water. Hmmm, I hope it's spicier next time I go back. It is quite refreshing in a sweating, runny nose sort of way, sending hot spicy broth down one's throat.



Before we started on that cauldron of red, we appetized ourselves with the modeum-jun, meaning literally everything pancake. Those cute little juns are a lot fluffier than ones you get at most Korean restaurants. More eggy than battery, imo. We saw other tables that had a huge plate of noodles and such but I find it hard to sway from my spicy mandu jungol.



One spectacular thing about Gonjiam is their pa (scallion) kimchi. Definitely one of the top two pa kimchi I have ever tasted. I don't make kimchi but I tell ya I definitely know a quality kimchi from a supermarket overseasoned crap kimchi. This was fresh, pungent, oniony. I was in kimchi heaven.

Ohh, wish I was there right now! Me getting hungry. :/

Gonjiam
Beverly & Western

What I Eat

Hmmm don't think anyone is posting anymore what they've eaten. I guess the busy holiday season and all. Well here is mine, with a few pics to be posted later.

Monday
*taco bell hexagon thing - i don't even know what it's called. my mom had it leftover and told me to take one for lunch. and i obliged.
*4 jalapeno poppers & few bites cheese burger from jack-in-the-box; diet coke - boy went to jack and then tempted me with the smell of fast food.
*kimchi fried rice w/pepper jack cheese
*lindeman's framboise; freixenet cava; too many cute miette bakes
*1/2 tj olympiad pizza; 1/2 grilled cheese w/deli turkey, brie & onion

Tuesday
*toasted pain de mie (bread bar) w/santa barbara seafood spread
*jasmine tea
*3 mini corn tortilla quesadilla w/deli turkey, chipotle salsa & jalapeno
*taco bell hexagon thing - doh! why did i eat another one. it was in the fridge. i was hungry after work. sigh, bad eating habits continue to profliterate.
*white rice; spicy napa cabbage soup; radish & chive kimchi

Wednesday
*toasted pain de mie w/tj organic strawberry jam and peanut butter (yummy!)
*lemon water
*spicy napa cabbage soup; tj organic dark chocolate 73%
*lemon water; deli turkey
*2 LA galbi; radish kimchi; spicy gochujang soup (vege, pork, red pepper paste)

Thursday
*toasted pain de mie w/fried egg, cheese, deli turkey and sriracha
*2 pocket coffee - sadly defective so without the espresso gush
*2 LA galbi; tj soba noodle bowl
*satsuma; 3 pieces dduk (rice cakes)
*mixed grain rice; dakdoritang-spicy chicken w/gochujang, potatoes, mushroom
*geundae soup - haven't figured out what the name of this vege is in english but it looks like a leafy green.

Friday
*deli turkey; satsuma
*pocket coffee
*mixed grain rice; dakdoritang
*satsuma
*salchichon iberico; rogue creamery smokey blue cheese; the cheese co rosemary crackers; port brewing wipeout ipa; afflingem noel; prosecco; one bite sprinkles chocolate cupcake

Saturday
*geundae soup; mixed grain rice; chive kimchi
*bibim nyengmyun-cold buckwheat noodle w/spicy marinade from ktown galleria food court
*waldorf salad sandwich from cake house

Sunday
*geundae soup; mixed grain rice; dakdoritang
*fuller's esb
*rocco's pizza w/cheese, green peppers & meatballs
*gatorade
*more rocco's pizza; hansen's 0 calorie soda

Holiday in Paris

I will be spending holiday this year in Paris with Boy and five of my close friends. Woohoo~!

We're heading out there after Christmas and celebrating the new year there. And eating, sleeping, drinking, exploring, and probably putting on some pounds. This will be my second trip to Paris, the first visit being back in summer of 2003. My god, was I a different eater then. I barely knew anything about food, was oblivious to the food blogging world, and was so clueless in general. Having blogged now for a mere year and a half, I've visited so many good blogs introducing me to so much good food. I'm ready to go back to Paris and do some serious eating. Not to mention, not being broke like I was backpacking years ago, this trip should prove to be tres bon and filled with deliciousness.

I've been checking out David's blog and of course the famous foodie jetsetter Chez Pim's reviews and recommendations but if you've been out there recently I would love some advice!

Ome-rice!

When I was a little kid I used to make a lot of kimchi fried rice. But when I wanted to make it a little bit more special I would envelop the kimchi fried rice in a thin egg crepe to make ome-rice. Like an omelet but filled with fried rice of your choice. It's awesome!

This particular one that I made used up some leftover omelet filling which consisted of bacon, corn, peas & onion. After frying up some sliced up napa cabbage kimchi in butter I added the omelet filling and some gochujang. Then the rice, some nori powder and sesame oil. Then in a separate pan I cooked an whisked egg into a thin crepe. Then you know the rest. Wrap up that kimchi goodness in the golden egg and you got yourself some fine comfort food.

You can get ome-rice at "boon-shik" Korean restaurants, which are casual eateries that sell both snacky stuffs and other Korean dishes. They provide an extensive menu covering dishes like steamed dumplings, soups, noodles and of course kimchi fried rice and ome-rice.

I like a generous squeeze of ketchup and sriracha on mine. I was a complete ketchup whore when I was wee. But now that I've become a sophisticated adult I now add sriracha. ;)

Skirt Steak with Romesco, Dandelion Greens & Toasted Israeli Couscous

Do the ingredients sound familiar? Yes, the little bits of leftovers of this and that from the catering gig. I can't believe it but I actually managed to finish all the leftover israeli couscous without wanting to choke myself. For this meal I switched it up by sauteeing the remaining couscous until it got nicely browned and toasted. Then placed it in an oven-safe dish with a light grating of parmigiano reggiano and kept it warm in the oven while I got the steak ready.

I got some skirt steak to use up romesco. :) Now that may seem counter-intuitive considering I was buying more groceries, steak at that, to use up leftovers. But this is not just a thrifty endeavour but also a creative one. One that takes opportunity and turns it into a pleasant dinner. And the skirt steak would be the perfect complement to the toasty and spicy romesco sauce which together would make one very pleasant weekday dinner for Boy and I.

For the steak marinade, I smashed up some garlic, chile de arbol and rosemary with my humongous Thai mortar and pestle. After trimming the steak of some of its excess fat I rubbed the marinade in and kept it in the chiller while I got the broccolini ready.



I blanched the broccollini in salted water for a few minutes then drained it. I gently heated up some olive oil in a saute pan and cooked the leftover garlic-rosemary marinade until the aroma filled my eager nose. I like sticking my head above garlic cooking oil. It's a very comforting smell. To this comforting pan I tossed the broccollini and seasoned it with black pepper and salt.

I believe an IPA accompanied this comfy weekday meal. And perhaps a warm electric blanket.

Beef Meatballs with Cumin, Coriander & Mint; Israeli Couscous; Dandelion Greens with Bacon Lardon, Ricotta Salata & Sherry Vinaigrette

Remember that gig I did a few posts back? The birthday party? If you've been keeping up with What I Eat you should remember israeli couscous with this, israeli couscous with that. Jesus christ, so much israeli couscous leftover! Ok, I miscalculated but you know how them pasta can be. Blowin up and all.

So I wanted to make something to go along with the israeli couscous studded with dried currants, pinenuts and chopped basil. I also had greek yogurt leftover in the fridge and I thought ooh, why not some meatballs and cucumber yogurt sauce? Except I didn't make the cucumber yogurt sauce because I didn't want to buy a whole container of persian cucumbers at Trader Joe's when I really only needed one. So I seasoned the greek yogurt simply with lemon juice, liberal amounts of garic and black pepper.

Now for the meatballs, I wanted to make lamb meatballs but Trader Joe's does not sell ground lamb. Nor ground pork, fyi. So I went with what they had, some really good looking ground angus beef. I seasoned it with a coriander-cumin spice mix I had made ages ago (maybe half an age) from making roasted cauliflower. I also added to the seasoning a small handful of withering mint which I was determined to use up. Perhaps some parsley went in there too. Then I added some milk-soaked dinner rolls leftover from the sliders from the same gig.

I formed them into nicely sized patties (instead of completely round spheres for quicker cooking) and cooked them up in a jiffy. Paired with the cool touch of the greek yogurt and light and still textural israeli couscous, these meatballs made a satisfying meal.



But alas there was another challenge. Using up the leftover dandelion greens. I made a similar salad to the one I served at the birthday party sans roasted kabocha squash. But the bacon, ricotta salta, shallots, and sherry vinaigrette was still there so it's all good!

What I Eat

Here is what I ate last week. I thought now that I'm airing all my dirty food laundry maybe I would eat better but on the contrary I've been eating "too well", if you know what I mean. I did a few lunges though...

Monday
*lemon water
*chicken yuekgyejang (spicy Korean soup w/chicken, scallion, fern braken, eggs); mixed grain rice w/beans; pickled onion
*lemon water; tj 73% organic dark chocolate (just a small piece - i've had the same chocolate bar for forever)
*dongchimi (white winter daikon kimchi); few bites rice & fried anchovy - a little snack desperately needed when I got home from work
*skirt steak w/romesco; toasted israeli couscous w/light grating of parmigiano reggiano; broccolini w/mashed up garlic, rosemary & chile de arbol (leftover marinade from skirt steak)

Tuesday
*tj non-fat english muffin w/peanut butter & tj organic strawberry jam
*lemon water
*skirt steak w/romesco; toasted israeli couscous
*lemon water; greek yogurt w/wildflower honey & toasted almonds
*happy hour@Tom Bergin's w/Boy - 5 excellent chicken wings with liberal dips into the thick blue cheese sauce; pilsner urquell
*daikon soup; mixed grain rice w/beans; banchan - dongchimi, chive kimchi, radish kimchi, fried anchovies - i love kimchi as you can tell
*1 tiny bite vanilla tofutti dipped in leftover almond praline which I gave to Mom (I studded the exposed sides with the praline crumbles I saved from way before - my motto is reduce waste!)

Wednesday
*lemon water; santa barbara seafood spread (yes the one with the huge list of ingredients i can't pronounce. this is one of my few guilty pleasures)
*edamame; tuna pasta salad; pepperjack cheese (work brunch)
*steak caesar salad made w/leftover skirt steak
*lemon water; few bites omelet filling (bacon, corn, peas, onion) as quick snack after work
*kimchi mandu (dumpling) stew w/korean squash, button mushroom, tofu, scallion, potato

Thursday
*omelet w/mixed grain rice on side, like a deconstructed ome-rice; marinated dried daikon
*kimchi mandu stew
*lemon water; 1/2 wheat bagel w/santa barbara seafood spread
*spicy vege soup w/little bits of pork; mixed grain rice; many kimchis
*i indulged - ate 3/4 twisty donut from a korean bakery
*brown rice tea

Friday
*petit croissant from Bread Bar w/tj organic strawberry jam
*lemon water
*spicy vege soup w/little bits of pork; white rice; brown rice tea
*lemon water
*baechu gook (spicy napa cabbage & daikon soup); mixed rice; kimchis
*Miette bakes Boy brought back for me from SF - lavender shortbread, mini scones, thumbprint cookies, coffe & hazelnut macaron
*hmmm beers... i'm thinking... trader joe's dark lager, new belgium 2 below, watermelon ale from some sf brewery

Saturday
*ome-rice w/kimchi fried rice
*lemon water
*Abbot's Pizza - bianca, diet coke
*a refresing pint of racer 5 ipa (left glass) from father's office
*korean bbq - LA galbi to be exact. that the crosscut shortribs with three little bones; kimchi fried rice; more kimchi!; ipa of some sort

Sunday
*baechu gook (spicy napa cabbage & daikon soup); mixed grain rice; kimchi
*diet coke
*2 pints heinekin, 4 glasses champagne

Happy Holiday!

Maggie's Farm Wild Arugula with Buffalo Mozzarella, Bresaola & Pomegranate

Miso Scallops with Sauteed Spinach & Crosne

I spotted a bag of frozen Japanese scallops at Trader Joe's that I might find useful. At about $10 for the bag I thought it would do myself just fine to make some home meals with the frozen scallops.

I marinated them with white wine, white miso, soy sauce, and mirin. Broiled them. Tapped my fingers waiting for them to brown on the edges. Waited more - maybe I should have moved the oven rack to the highest level. The scallops were a little bit overcooked but they sure look pretty in brown.

To complement I cooked up those curly looking crazy tubers called crosnes, which is actually a village in France where it was introduced to the country in 1882. Also known as Chinese artichoke, Japanese artichoke, knotroot, and chorogi, these little tubers are said to taste similar to Jeruselem artichoke.I got them from the Weiser Farm stand. I can't explain why I was immediately attracted to them considering they look like larvas. But I was. They tasted mild to me and the texture was crunchy and the shape so much fun! Until I'm reminded they look like larvas.

After trying to somewhat unsuccessfully rub off the brown color off the crosne, I cooked them in a pan with a little bit of water. When the water almost evaporated I put in olive oil and garlic. Then the spinach along with a drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil. Then plated and topped with the miso scallops for a nice weeknight dinner.

In Search of a Food Mill

Hello all!

I'm looking to get a food mill but don't know which brand to get. The highly rated ones on Amazon are Cuisipro and MIU. But I'm not sure those will be sturdy for a long time. Otherwise I'm willing to fork over more dollars for something like All Clad or Matfer.

Is there a hardware store in LA I can goto for a good food mill or one that you would recommend?

Thanks!

Happy 1st Birthday Lunch in the Palisades

I was hired few weekends ago to cater a lunch party celebrating the client's 1-year old baby daughter. Sure why not? I didn't have any plans that weekend and 20-25 people sounded like something I could handle. The guests were to be mostly adults but a few children in tote also, so I had to make sure there was something kid-friendly in the menu.

That Saturday was a beautiful and clear day here in LA. Driving down PCH was nice. It had been a long time since I've gone that way, which I frequented daily commuting to high school the last two years of attendance. I got to the house early and started setting up but had to be quiet for the baby was peacefully asleep upstairs. The house and kitchen was beautiful though which made it such a pleasure to work there.

A sizeable island with a viking range took up camp in the middle of the kitchen while the two ovens were off to the side and I was blessed with so much counter space. Not only that, the house and the kitchen was flooded with daylight. It was refreshing and of course I started daydreaming about my own dream kitchen. It was impeccably clean, organized and peaceful.

Then the guests started to roll in. With the kids. This is the point you drown out the noise and concentrate. I was pretty relaxed the whole time but I could feel the hectic raise the tension of the host and the helpers as they tried to get everything in order.

I started off the guests with two appetizers...


Goat Cheese Mousse with Roasted Grape


Cannellini Bean Crostini with Salsa Verde

Then....


Roasted Kabocha Squash with Dandelion Greens, Bacon, Pecans & Ricotta Salata


Israeli Couscous with Currants, Pinenuts & Basil


Organic Beef Sliders with Romesco & Smoked Cheddar

The client and guests were really pleased with the food which made me happy. see? ----> :D I even got to use their outdoor viking grill for the little itty slider patties, which acquired that great smokey grilled taste. While I had a short break I stuffed my mouth with one of em, one that was cooked a little more pink. Yumyum! I like cheese, I like burgers, and I like romesco. Taste of success.

What I Eat

Here is what I ate last week.

Monday
*tj non-fat english muffin w/1 slice bacon, wild arugula, buffalo mozzarella; izze pom
*jasmine tea
*israeli couscous w/basil, currants & pinenuts; lemon water
*1/2 fuyu persimmon
*pollack dumpling soup w/egg; nooroongbap

Tuesday
*vege omelet w/bacon; mixed grain rice; grandma's pickled onion; fingernail size dark chocolate (my mom had accidently used with a liberal hand dave's insanity hot sauce thinking it was a regular hot sauce and i needed something to coat my dying tongue)
*izze pomegranate
*lemon water; 3/4 fuyu persimmon; roasted almonds
*lemon water
*dandelion greens w/bacon, shallots & ricotta salata; israeli couscous w/basil, currants & pinenuts; beef meatballs w/herbed greek yogurt

Wednesday
*mixed grain rice w/beans; sauteed anchovy; chive kimchi; dried daikon
*izze pomegranate; dark chocolate
*israeli couscous w/basil, currants & pinenuts; beef meatballs w/herbed greek yogurt
*sweet rice w/red beans; chive kimchi
*wild arugula w/buffalo mozzarella, bresaola & pomegrantate; mac n cheese w/bacon lardons

Thursday
*tj udon
*thanksgiving dinner - turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, pumpkin tart, fudge brownie, 1 glass red wine, 1 glass yuelsmith
*sweet rice w/red beans; chive kimchi & dried daikon

Friday
*2 peanut butter & jelly dinner rolls; izze blackberry
*mac n cheese w/bacon lardons
*lemon water
*samgyetang - korean chicken soup; mixed grain rice; kimchi
*2 tacos from Armando's; tj potato chip & sea salt caramel

Saturday
*samgyetang w/mixed rice, kimchi
*2 carne asada tacos from El Parian; izze blackberry
*spicy dumpling soup w/cabbage, red pepper & potato
*tj potato chips

Sunday
*spicy dumpling soup w/cabbage, red pepper & potato
*Boy's delicious brunch he cooked for me: scrambled eggs w/jack cheese; rosemary potatoes; 1/2 bagel; 1/2 bottle sparkling wine made into mimosas; 2 slices thin bacon
*brinata & rogue creamery smokey blue cheese; few slices prosciutto; 1/2 bagel; 3 glasses red wine; 1/2 glass yuelsmith
*1/3 tj sea salt caramel
*Seoul Garden - beef jingheeskahn (korean shabu shabu); 1 glass sapporo


Check out Sam's great post on what she ate last week. She took pictures of everything! That sounds like a huge challenge for me which is why I haven't done it. I am running out my door every morning, breakfast in hand if there is one. Also no cameras allowed at work so I wouldn't be able to take pictures of snacks. And I eat lunch around 1130-12 everyday which would warrant not so great pictures. Okay, you've all heard my excuses. :) I'll try to add some pictures next week though.

Mini Poppyseed Lemon Bundt Cake

What to do when you have a huge container of poppy seeds...



Buy a $30 bundt pan and make adorable mini poppyseed lemon bundt cakes.

I need to make many many more cakes if I'm going to use up those poppyseeds. I hear that they're highly perishable! And I've had them since that spring dinner I made for my parents... when I only needed a pinch actually.

If you have a delicious poppyseed cake recipe that I can make in my new bundt pan, please share!

What I Eat

In keeping with my plans to continue sharing my record of everything that I've consumed here is last week's eatings and drinkings:

(days approximately divided into 5 intervals of breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon, dinner which denotes the time of day more than the succession of meals... then additional nighttime stuffs if applicable)

Monday
b: tabouli; babaganoush; tzatziki; pita
mm: (should have been drinking water but too lazy to leave my cube)
l: tabouli; babaganoush; tzatziki; pita
ma: lemon water (1 mugful water, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp maple syrup, pinch cayenne a la master cleanse - always gulped down); few bites of kimchi jjigae when I got home
d: lavash, babaganoush, kebabs (chicken, lamb, beef), few sips beer

**Boy and I had lots of leftovers from last weekend from Marouch. The food there is so delicious and fresh. I brought the tabouli, etc for lunch but as you can see I split it up between 2 meals. Then leftovers again at dinner. But I never get sick of Marouch! It's that good and satisfying.

Tuesday
b: lemon water
mm:
l: pineapple variety heirloom tomato, arugula & avocado salad; 1/2 large apple
ma: small piece dark chocolate; 1/2 large apple
d: scallop pajeon (scallion pancakes w/japanese scallops); kimchi jjigae

Wednesday
b: tj non-fat english muffin w/fried egg & buffalo mozzarella
mm:
l: blt w/niman ranch applewood smoked bacon, focaccia rolls, red leaf lettuce from weiser farms, pineapple variety heirloom tomato; small red leaf salad
ma:
d: mixed grain rice w/kimchi, spicy eundae (type of fish which i don't know the english name of) & daikon, scallop pajeon; kimchi jjigae
n: 1 very small bite of each hot dog and pizza (Boy's dinner at the movies); 1 isabella's cookies in peanut butter bomb; few sips diet coke

**My Korean dinners may sounds like a whole lot of food but it's really just a few bites of each banchan (side dishes that accompany every meal) and the main dish if there is one.

Thursday
b: lemon water
mm: big piece red velvet cake :/ (work people birthday celebration)
l: blt w/avocado (everything else same as yesterday); small red leaf salad
ma: almonds
d: mixed grain rice w/kimchi, soybean sprouts, pickled sesame leaves, sauteed spicy baby potato
n: red wine & too many hor d'oeuvres (pizzetta, salami, cheese - none of which were just ok which makes me want to kick myself for eating so many anyways! and to top that the wine was merlot, not my fav.)

**The red wine and hor d'oeuvres were at the Coalition for Clean Air annual fashion show which was held by Ebell Theater, which I live across the street from. Boy works at the Coalition and told me to stop by. Andre from Project Runway was there! He designed, created and donated a wedding dress that was made from all cotton, so that it would be enviromentally friendly and biodegradeable. Andre's mantra for the dress was, "you don't want the wedding dress to outlast your marriage!". :)

Friday
b: 5 vege ghimbap from Yanusa inside the Hanam Chain Market
mm: lemon water
l: tj punjab eggplant; pillsbury paneer naan; 1 isabella's cookies in peanut butter bomb
ma: lemon water; 1 isabella's cookies in peanut butter bomb
d: mixed grain rice w/kimchi, miso scallops, sauteed crosne & spinach, soybean sprouts

Saturday
b: walnut raisan bread from galleria bakery; izze blackberry; 1 isabella's cookies in peanut butter bomb
mm: 2 bites ham & cheese croissant fromt the breadman
l: slider w/romesco, smoked cheddar
ma: mixed grain rice w/kimchi, bulgogi vege soup; white wine (4pm - so I guess a really early dinner)
d: (still full from late lunch/early dinner)
n: beer - i believe double ipa of some sort; pizza w/eggplant - I vaguely remember eating this very late in the night

**Saturday and Sunday were wacky eating days because I was catering/cooking on both days. Saturday I catered a 25 people birthday lunch over in Pacific Palisades. I was working there from 10-230 so all I ate was a slider, which was part of the menu. Breakfast was whatever I could grab on the way out, so bread, cookie and izze. I stopped by the Santa Monica Farmer's Market to grab some greens and picked up a croissant in case I might get hungry at the gig. And when I got home I fixed myself a small Korean meal and relaxed with a glass on wine watching The Celebration. The house I catered at was so beautiful! More on that later...

Sunday
b: (sleeping)
mm: vege & bacon omelet; mixed rice; cucumber kimchi (10am)
l: (i was prepping, cooking, packing)
ma: pancetta lardons
d: few bites mashed fingerling potatoes w/creme fraiche; few pieces comte; 1 hoegaarden & 4 glasses sauvignon blanc

**Sunday my friend Ellen ("yoonyang") and I cooked a birthday gift dinner for two of our close friends, one being E's boy, along with a few special guest family members. We wanted this to be very special and not just another casual dinner which seems to be as close to civilized we get with our big group of friends. We made a six course dinner + hor d'oeuvres for six people total. More on this later too. I just ate a few bites of this and that while cooking which is what usually happens at caterings. Grabbing hot pancetta lardons from the pan, tasting and retasting delicious mashed potatoes. A cook's gotta taste, right? But I damn well treated myself to some alcohol though.

I still need to make an effort to drink more water though. Sadly I only drink water when it's on a schedule. Lemon water, here I come.

I gotta say, I am really really tired right now. But with a delicious breakfast involving bacon, romesco, buffalo mozzarella & wild arugula, and a glass of hot and soothing jasmine tea I feel a tiny bit revived. Thanksgiving thoughts will have to wait til tomorrow.

Pecan Praline Shorbread Bars

Once upon a time, I tried to make pecan praline. I followed the instructions carefully making sure I brought up the caramel mixture to the correct temperature.

I poured the praline mixture onto a silpat lined sheet pan. But misery. It never hardened. Caramel definitely hates me. However, I could not get myself to to throw this sugary mix out. I thought. Then figured, why not pecan praline shortbread bars?

I made a typical shortbread dough of butter, flour, sugar. Lined a square baking pan with the dough making sure there is a little edge. Reheated the praline mixture in the microwave then poured it on top of the shortbread base. Baked it off which made my kitchen smell sooo good. Yum. Then the pecan praline was saved. The end.

Endive, Roquefort & Walnut Salad; Pork au Poivre with Red Wine-Shallot Sauce

The combination of endive, roquefort and toasted walnuts never fails to bring happiness to my buds. Pleasantly bitter, crunchy and juicy leaves paired with nutty crunchy nuts, and pungent creamy blue cheese. It's so elegant but so simple to make.



Then came pork au poivre. I followed Ellie K's suggestion of using pork tenderloin by cutting it open, ending up with a flat piece of meat. I cut this into portions and slathered it with dijon and pressed in my poorly cracked black pepper onto the surface. I cooked the pork in olive oil until it was brown and yummy. When it was done cooking I made the sauce in the same pan which consisted of shallots, red wine, demi-glace (the little package ones you thin out in hot water), and a dab of butter. And on the side simple green beans with sliced almonds.

It was a simple and delicious weeknight dinner. Mmm... the pictures are bringing back memories! I'm hungry.