Minnie Eat World

Never Apologize: Things I Learned from Julia Child

2011-04-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

I think I will always, in one way or another, be a student. I love to learn and gain knowledge, so that I can share it with others. When I was in the restaurant marketing world I was young and I was focused on finding a mentor. That's what many chef's do- if you look at the bios that are sent forth from their PR agencies you will see their resume does not list things such as, great knife skills, amazing palate, people personality, etc. It lists where they've worked, and especially which chefs that have worked under. The understanding is that just by being in a great chef's orbit and airspace you have gleaned something of value. (By the way, the word chef, in French means "chief," so if you tell someone that you are a chef, they may ask you what you are chief of, so you must say you are a chef de cuisine, if that is the case. ) In my search for a mentor I asked some people to mentor me. No one stepped up, and it was disappointing, until I realized that you don't need to formally declare a mentorship relationship with someone, you just have to ask the rights questions.

While I was in France I read Julia Child's memoir, "My Life in France," which the movie Julia & Julia was partly based on. I know several people in Boston who were in direct contact with Julia when she lived in Cambridge, and by all accounts she was an amazing, larger than life person. One thing I learned from her was to never apologize for your food, even if it''s obviously terrible. If you look at cooking as a creation, then you must never apologize for it. Number one, it's probably not as bad as YOU think, and it puts the person eating your food in an uncomfortable situation. When I read that part in the book, I vowed I would never demean my own cooking again. You make mistakes all the time, some things are out of your control, you might think you made the best souffle to ever grace this planet and your guests will still not like it cause it brings them bad memories from their childhood. Just remember, every time you get into the kitchen and cook, it's a gift.You must always honor that gift.

A Letter from France

2011-04-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Notes on the French Riviera:

I have been working on this e-mail to update you on my trip, but I have become seduced by all of the sights, sounds, smells of the French Riviera, and there seems to be so much to take in that it leaves little time to sit and contemplate how it is changing me as a person. It just seems that I am living my wish, that I made at Kripalu at the end of last year to see the world with a beginner's mind, as if I were a child with fresh eyes and an unspoiled mind.

I am working as a private chef in Cap d'Antibes. The house is on a hill, hence the "cap", right next to a lighthouse with gorgeous view of the many yachts drifting in the harbor. When I first arrived I was very anxious to learn how to get around, to shop for food that I would be cooking, to deal with the day to day things that I required to achieve my standards of success for work. After all that is the primary reason why I'm here, to cook-in France. I decided to take baby steps, first venturing to the marche provencal, where you can get fresh tomatoes that taste so sweet they could be mistaken for candy, cheeses from the fromager, seafood with the head and eyes bulging out at you, all kinds of meats, which are done in the charcuterie format, or whole cuts, which if you're not careful to ask (in French) you might mistakenly buy cheval (horsemeat), which looks very similar to skirt steak. The problem with the market is that it's located in vielle Antibes (old town), which has tiny, narrow cobbled streets, jammed with scooters, trucks, and pedestrians. It is a nerve racking affair trying to squeeze through through these ancient passages without leaving a scratch on your car. So far so good, even for a girl inherited her driving skills from the intrepid driving culture of Massachusetts, and now can freely switch among the 6 lanes on the 405 in California!

To say that the French take great pride in their food is an understatement. They take their time to show you their produce, and there is absolutely no rush, even if there's 20 people waiting behind you. Marketing is a daily part of their existence, which is evident in the mornings when you see everyone up and early with their market baskets and carts, bumping along the uneven streets. They have a different sense of personal space, so cutting is good French form, which, being determined to do as the French do, I have mastered completely. Except that I shop for food for a large number of people, so I pity those who get stuck behind me. Every morning at 7 AM I go to the boulangerie to buy croissants and baguettes for work bringing my own boxes so the pastries don't get squished. I get about 20 different pastries and at least 8 baguettes, and it takes a while to pack them into my boxes and inevitably there is always a guy behind me who just wants one croissant. While there certainly are regular grocery stores, I generally avoid them and only go there for things like yogurt, cereal,olive oil, and wine. Otherwise you have to go to the fishmonger for fresh seafood, the boucherie for meat, the marche for produce, the boulangerie for bread and pastries and so on. It is an involved processional from shop to shop, but as a chef half of my job requires sourcing the best possible ingredients and I quite enjoy it.

The food here is Mediterranean food, which complements my own style of healthy, flavorful Asian influenced cooking. Fresh produce, seafood, herbs and spices, influenced by North African foodways, olives, garlic, parsley, the bounty of the sea, and the pastas and pizzas from nearby Italy all abound. Meat, if you noticed in French food needs to be "worked"-- it's either cured, charcuteried, or stewed and braised in wines and stocks, because it isn't as good as you would expect, but the seafood is just as good as New England.

As for fun, I have 2 days off which I take advantage of to the fullest. I've been to Monaco, which is straight out of a James Bond novel, mega yachts, $money, $money, $money. The yachting scene is the thing here. I've been to Cannes, which is 2 stops on the very efficient local train- great shopping. Nice is the biggest city, which has everything, it's about 25 minutes away on the train. I've taken the ferry to St. Tropez, which has a great Saturday market where you can buy paella, Provencal lavendar, sausages, scarves, and vintage Hermes and LV bags. There is also Grasse, the perfume capital of France, and Italy , which is only about 1 hour away on teh local train. I'm planning a trip to San Remo, Italy for my last week here.

Last week I decided to get out of this LA of France and headed to Aix en Provence, which is 3 hours away by train. I stopped in Marseille, which is the oldest city in France, and the namesake of their national anthem. Marseille has a different vibe than any other city in France because it is the largest port city in the south, and has through its history been a gateway for Muslim immigrants from French colonies in North Africa, it is more multicultural, working class, and a melange of languages. Marseille is also the hip hop capital of France, and I met a young man who was listening to Tupac on his ipod. The train ride from Antibes to Marseille follows the Mediterranean coast, with views of the nooks and crannies where people plunge into the teal Mediterranean, then gives way to the fig trees, and lush, green vineyards, then approaching Marseille you see more humble villages with graffiti along the train tracks for miles, like a moving modern art show. Aix en Provence is a 30 minute train ride inland, famous for being Cezanne's home and inspiration. It's a university town, which was not unlike Cambridge, full of students, and professor types. I enjoyed it immensely. Well, there's another 3 weeks of work, then Tim is coming out here. We will be traveling to Cassis, Avignon, Cote Rotie, Condrieu, Chateneuf de Pape, Burgundy, Champagne and then on to Paris before we get home on August 10th. I'm looking forward to having someone to share all of this with. I'll keep you all updated on our wine travels.

Miss You & Love You

From France

xoxo

Minnie

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite and... Cuisine

2010-06-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

One of the major rites of passage for a chef is to pack up their knives and to hit the road. In many ways you are a journeyman, an adventurer, and though you don't know where the road will take you, you embrace it all-the good, bad and the ugly-because you know in the end you will learn and grow as a human being and as a chef.

I'm precisely at that point in my life right now, and happy to be here.

Today I am leaving for France for the summer, where I will be working as a private chef. When I started this blog 4 years ago, my intention was to explore my lifelong passion for food, cooking, and writing. I never expected it to lead me to Los Angeles, where I finally achieved my dream of getting paid to do what I love, which is to feed people. Now I am heading to the culinary mecca of the western world to experience the French foodways and I couldn't be more excited to soak in each moment into my culinary DNA.

Whether you want to be a better cook, or pursue a career as an award winning chef, you can approach every moment of contact that you have with food as an exciting adventure. Explore new ingredients and techniques; expand your taste buds by eating something you've never dared to eat; use your all your senses and above all your imagination.

I will be sending my dispatches from France throughout the summer, so thanks for coming along on this amazing journey with me!

Malibu Family Winery: AMGEN Festival

2010-06-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Malibu Family Winery hosted one of the best food and wine events I've ever been to. Although I belong to their wonderful wine club and frequent their al fresco tasting room often, I had no idea that they had a huge ranch directly across the street. Unequivocally this place is the prettiest winery in all of Southern California! We were greeted by alpacas, horses, camels and even zebras as we drove up to through the breathtaking property. There is an amazing view of the valley, framed by rolling hills of grapevines- this is what California living is all about.

The food and wine festival featured huge jumbotrons for people to watch the AMGEN cycling race, and provided a place for food and wine lovers to eat and drink to their heart's content. I even got a massage from the Westlake Four Seasons Spa!

Here are some pictures of the fabulous food and some Chef friends I ran into that day.

The very talented and friendly Chef Alberto Vasquez from Mediterraneo Restaurant in Westlake. He made my favorite dish of the day. A crispy flatbread with sunkissed cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, caperberries, olives, and fresh herbs. A good chef like Vasquez can elevate a simple, unfussy dish into a sublime eating experience by taking into account the setting, the seasonality, the textures and colors of a dish such as this one. The flavors just burst in my mouth and catapulted me into summer in this gorgeous setting.

And of course I saw my favorite Top Chef, Fabio. I just love this guy! This is his second time I've accosted him to take a picture with me and he's been duly gracious every time. Go visit him at his restaurant, Cafe Firenze, in Moorpark.

The Blind Leading the Wine

2010-06-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

Recently our friends Pat and Cynthia McKeever invited us to celebrate Cynthia's birthday by hosting blind wine tasting party. The rules were simple: each person brings a bottle of wine, which is whisked away by the hosts upon arrival and then assigned a brown paper bag and number. Collectively, we taste and rated the wines on a point system from 1-5. 1point was deemed "trash," a 4 rating "Damn this is good, " and a 5 signified "perfect."

The best part of the night was the "reveal," and we were all shocked by the results. Here they are:

1. (49 points) Shenandoah "Special Reserve" Amadour Zinfandel, 2008, $9.99, K&L
2. (48 points) Fetzer Merlot, 2008, $6
3. (44 points) Wakefield Cabernet, Clare Valley, 2006, $35
4. (43 points) Chateau St. Michelle Riesling, 2008, $12, Target
5. (41 points) Charles Shaw "Two Buck Chuck" Cabernet, 2009, $2, Trader Joe's

5. (41 points) Brunello La Rasina, 2004, $58, Cinderella Wine
6. (40 points) Jaffurs Mouvedre, 2008, $27, Jaffurs Wine Club
7. (36 points) Deloach Pinot Noir, Sonoma, 2008, $16
8. (35 points) Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah, 2007, $3.99, Trader Joe's
9. (34 points) Sanctuary Pinot Noir, Santa Maria, 2006, $30
10. (32 points) Fattoria dei Barbi Rosso di Montalcino, 2006, $30
11. (23 points) Frei Brothers Syrah, 2006, $23
12. (22 points) Turning Leaf Chardonnay, 2008, $4.99, Ralphs

Here are some tips to hosting your own blind wine tasting party:

1. Keep your invite list limited to under 12, or you will all be seeing double by the end of the evening.
2. As with all soirees involving drinking, provide food beforehand, so no one has to taste on an empty stomach.
3. Create a scoring sheet and have plenty of pens.
4. Make sure you have a spit bucket for those "trash" wines.
5. Have plenty of plain crackers on hand for palate cleansing, as well as pitchers of water handy for rinsing and sipping.

Video: Mother's Day Meal, Coriander Roasted Salmon Salad

2010-05-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Video: Mother's Day Meal, Rosewater Mint Lemonade

2010-05-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Video: Mother's Day Meal, Cheesecake

2010-05-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Meal: Cheesecake with Strawberries & Lemon Curd

2010-05-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

Graham Cracker Crust Cheesecake with Lemon Curd & Strawberries

20 (small) graham crackers, crushed

4 tablespoons butter, melted

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup milk

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 lb strawberries, sliced

¼ cup sugar

1 jar lemon curd

Macerate by mixing sliced strawberries with ¼ cup sugar, and small pinch of salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Grease a 9 inch springform pan with butter.

In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Serve each sliced with a drizzle of lemon curd and some artfully arranged strawberries.

Mother's Day Meal: Coriander Roasted Salmon Salad

2010-05-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

Coriander Roasted Salmon Salad Recipe

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

SERVES 4

2 lbs center-cut skinless salmon fillets, cut into 4 ",slices

1 cup celery, diced small

1/2 cup red onion, diced small

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1 head of butter lettuce, torn into bite size and washed and dried

Half a cucumber, de-seeded and sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toast coriander seeds in a pan for about 2 minutes, or until the whole kitchen starts to smell like coriander. Do not burn. Grind the coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle or in a ziplock bag. Let cool.

Season the salmon filets salt & pepper. Press crushed coriander seeds on top of salmon, to form a crust.

Cook the filets in oven for about 20 minutes. Let chill refrigerator or cool to room temp.

Break filets up into small chunks and put into a bowl.

Mix onion, celery, capers, dill, raspberry vinegar, olive oil in a bowl.

With your hands break the salmon into chunks and add to bowl, gently mixing all of the ingredients. Season with salt & pepper.

Arrange butter lettuce and cucumbers on a plate, add a good serving of mixed salmon salad in the center of the plate, garnish with dill and serve.

Recipes for Mother's Day Meal: Rosewater Mint Lemonade

2010-05-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Rosewater Mint Lemonade

³⁄₄ cup sugar
³⁄₄ cup water
2 quarts water, plain or carbonated
Juice of 4 or 5 lemons
¹⁄₂ to 1 teaspoon rose water (found in Middle eastern or Indian stores)
Dried rose petals, mint sprigs for garnish

Make simple syrup: combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan over moderate heat and stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. That takes maybe three to five minutes.
Cool the syrup to room temperature. Pour into your serving pitcher.
Juice the lemons, reserving some lemon slices for garnish. Add to the simple syrup.
Top off with water. If you're serving all of it right away, sparkling water is a nice touch.
Add rosewater. Start with ½ teaspoon increments, and increase for taste.
Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices, mint sprigs, and dried rose petals. This is also good with vodka if you want an adult beverage.

Shopping List for Mother's Day Meal

2010-05-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the shopping list for those of you who are running out to the market today and want to get a head start on your cooking!

Produce

Mint

7-8 Lemons

Butter lettuce

Fresh dill

1 Red onion

Celery

Strawberries

Dairy

Eggs

Sour cream

4 – 8 oz, packages Cream cheese

Butter

Milk

Protein

2 lbs. center-cut skinless salmon fillet (for 4 people, add 1/2 lb for each additional guests)

Dry Goods

Whole coriander seeds

Olive oil

Sugar

Raspberry Vinegar

Rosewater (You can find it at Middle Eastern or Indian Grocery stores), also pick up dried rose petals if you see them there.

Vanilla extract

Graham crackers

Capers

Miscellaneous

Jar of store-bought lemon curd/ or homemade

Video: Minnie Reveals Mother's Day Meal

2010-05-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9th.

Video: How to Cook Garlic Shrimp Romesco

2010-04-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Shopping List & Recipe for Shrimp Romesco

2010-04-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Shopping List for Garlic Shrimp with Romesco Sauce

Protein:

1 lb shrimp

Produce:

2 medium tomatoes

2 red peppers

garlic

1 lemon

1 bag arugula

1 lb snap peas

Dry Goods:

Paprika

Olive oil

Marcona almonds, or regular roasted almonds

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Minnie’s Garlic Shrimp with Romesco Sauce, Seared Arugula & Snap Peas

Romesco Sauce:

¼ cup of Marcona almonds

4 cloves garlic

2 medium tomatoes or 1 large tomato

2 red peppers

juice of ½ lemon, or a few splashes red wine or sherry vinegar to taste

pinch of paprika

olive oil

Garlic Shrimp:

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

pinch of paprika

salt & pepper

juice ½ lemon

Arugula & Snap Peas:

A good 3-4 generous handfuls of fresh arugula

A good 2-3 generous handfuls of snap peas, roughly chopped

Turn oven on to 375 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half and add to roasting pan. Add 4 whole garlic cloves to pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and mix tomatoes & garlic with your hands, making sure everything is well coated with oil, salt & pepper. Arrange tomatoes flat side down and roast in oven about 30 minutes.

Place whole red pepper on gas burner. Roast pepper until one side turns black,. Rotate pepper with tongs until entire pepper is charred and black. When the entire pepper is black and charred, place in a Ziploc bag and cool in refrigerator.

While tomatoes are roasting and peppers are cooling, slice garlic cloves for the garlic shrimp. Roughly chop your snap peas.

Peel the roasted peppers and add them to a food processor. Add the roasted tomatoes & garlic, oil from the roasting pan, almonds, paprika, lemon juice, and olive oil and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a generous amount of olive oil In a low sautee pan. Add sliced garlic and sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add a pinch of paprika. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on one side. Flip shrimp and squeeze ½ lemon over it and cook for another minute, or until shrimp is done.

Sautee arugula & snap peas in a pan with olive oil until wilted. Season with salt & pepper.

To plate, spoon romesco sauce onto a plate, top with arugula & snap peas and arrange shrimp on top. Spoon garlic and pan juices on top of the shrimp.

Minnie Reveals Secret Dish 4-24-10

2010-04-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen We Have a Winner!

2010-04-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Elaine Izumoto from Manhattan Beach for being the first person to make the Secret Dish of Lemongrass Grilled Beef and Rice Noodle Salad. She took home the prize of Estancia Grassfed Beef!

"It was very easy to prepare, " Elaine said, "I learned how to use lemon grass for the first time, something I never used before."

Kudos to Elaine and all of you who made this dish! Stay tuned to find out what the next Secret Dish is going to be...

About Grassfed Beef

2010-04-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Recently I was invited by Kevin Coleman, from Estancia Beef, to join a bunch of chefs in a grassfed beef cooking party. Since then I have become a fan of cooking grassfed beef so want to share with you some of my insights on how to cook it and its benefits:

1. Grassfed means that the cattle has been raised on eating grass instead of corn. If you're a purist make sure to ask your butcher if the cattle is fed with grass year-round. In some places they feed the cattle grass during the warmer parts of the year and then switch to corn when the ground freezes, but they still label it as grassfed.

2. True grassfed beef is actually good for you. It has alot less fat than cornfed beef and almost as many healthy omega acid as salmon.

3. Don't throw a grassfed steak on a grill and walk away. It cooks alot faster because it's not as fatty, so pay attention.

4. Season it well. I noticed that the grassfed beef I used needed just a touch more salt than usual to bring out the flavors.

5. Don't want to turn on the stove? Grassfed beef is so clean you can eat it raw. My friend Chef Erik Fischer made delicious beef carpaccio and tartare with Estancia beef and it was so clean and flavorful!

Video: How to Cook Lemongrass Beef Noodle Salad

2010-04-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Any tech people out there? When I uploaded my video to Viddler I lost a ton of quality. Any suggestions? Thanks, Minnie

Shopping List & Recipe for Revealed Dish!

2010-04-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Lemongrass Grilled Beef Noodle Salad Shopping List

Protein

2 lbs grass-fed beef, chicken, shrimp, or tofu (FYI-Estancia Grass Fed Beef is available at Co-opportunity Market in Santa Monica)

Dried Goods

1 package of rice noodles

1 roasted and lightly salted peanuts

1 bottle fish sauce

sugar

1 jar chili sauce, or 1 chili

1 can coconut milk

1 sesame or canola oil

Produce

1 stalk of lemongrass

1 bunch mint

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch scallion/green onion

1 carrot

½ red cabbage

1 cucumber

3 limes

1 lemon

1 head of garlic

1 small piece ginger

1 bottle sesame or canola oil

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Minnie’s Lemongrass Grilled Beef with Rice Noodle Salad Recipe

Serves 4

Marinade:

3 Tbsp minced lemongrass (substitute ginger if you can’t find lemongrass)

2 Tsp minced garlic

2 Tsp minced ginger

2 Tsp fish sauce (substitute soy sauce)

1-2 Tbsp sugar

2-3 TBSP coconut milk

2 Tsp sesame oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Beef:

1.5-2 lbs Beef, thinly sliced. I like the ribeye cut.

Rice Noodles:

1 Package or rice noodles- Pho noodles or rice vermicelli/ or use brown rice or a bed of lettuces.

Vegetables:

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup julienned cucumbers

handful of fresh bean sprouts

chopped cilantro and/or mint

½ cup crushed roasted peanuts

sliced green onions for garnish

Zesty Sauce:

Juice of 3 limes

2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tsp fish sauce

1 minced chili, or 1 Tsp chili sauce

1-2 Tbsp sugar to taste

splash of water and/or rice vinegar

1. Make marinade by mixing all of the marinade ingredients

2. Slice beef and add to marinade, mixing well. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temp or covered in fridge overnight.

3. Boil rice noodles until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Rinse well with water and set aside.

4. Prep all of the vegetables:

5. Shred cabbage and carrots, mix together in a bowl and set aside.

6. Julienne cucumbers and set aside

7. Crush peanuts and set aside

8. Make zesty sauce by mixing all of the ingredients and set aside.

9. Grill marinated beef for about 7 minutes. Flipping the meat only once. You can use a grill pan, or even sautee it if you don’t have a grill.

10. Assemble the noodles in bowls, top with carrots , cabbage and cucumbers. Add grilled beef. Garnish with bean sprouts, peanuts, and chopped cilantro , mint and scallions. Serve with zesty sauce on the side and invite your dining companions to add the sauce to their noodles and mix everything up.

Enjoy with people you love!

Sharpen your knives! I reveal the first dish to cook! ***and a special prize

2010-04-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Minnie Eat World video announcement!

2010-04-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

I'm launching a new program using the wonderful tools of video and technology to help you get jump started on cooking. Each week I will be cooking a different meal and announcing it via video. If you want to cook the dish then you can send me an e-mail, or tweet me and I'll send you the shopping list, recipes, pictures and videos.

Check out my video announcement.

Asian Noodle Soups: Recipes & Pics

2010-03-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

If you don't know it by now, I love teaching people about food and cooking. My hope is that people everywhere will be inspired to cook for themselves and their loved ones. Still, it makes me nervous to get up in front of 80 people and talk to them for 2 hours about food and cooking. But, it's what I was born to do, so I do it every chance I get.

Here are some pictures from my last cooking class at Surfas, taken by Antonis Ricos.

Minnie’s Quick & Easy Chicken Pho

Serves 4

Soup Base:
2 whole star anise
2 quarts chicken stock (store bought or homemade)
1 whole roasted chicken (store bought is okay)
1/2 onion

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, smashed and tied into a knot
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce

Noodles:

1 lb Pho rice noodles

Accompaniments:

Fresh bean sprouts

Onion, thinly sliced, or thinly sliced scallions

Thai basil or cilantro

Lime wedges

Fresh bird chilies

Hoisin sauce

Sriracha

Soak noodles in hot water until soft.

Remove and shred chicken meat from the roasted chicken, reserving the bones.

In a large pot brown onion, carrots, and celery. Add chicken bones, star anise, chicken stock, lemongrass and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add fish sauce and sugar and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently. Taste broth and add more fish sauce or sugar if necessary. Strain the broth and discard solids.

Arrange bowls with drained noodles. Ladle the broth into bowls. Divide the shredded chicken evenly into each bowl. Top with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, onion or scallions, and other accompaniments, OR artfully arrange a table salad with sprouts, fresh herbs, lime wedges, fresh chilies, and small dipping dishes of hoisin and sriracha sauce, for your guests to add to their Pho. Enjoy!

FREE Asian Noodle Soup Class, this Saturday at Surfas!

2010-02-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

I'm back at Surfas this Saturday, Feb. 27th from 12-1 PM for a FREE Asian Noodle Soup class.

I hope you will join me this Saturday to learn how to make quick and easy Vietnamese Chicken Pho, and learn all about Japanese ramen, udon, and soba noodle soups.

Scenes from a cooking class

2010-02-25T13:53:00.000-08:00

Plain and simple, my mission in life is to empower people to cook for themselves, their friends and loved ones. That's why I write about food, accost people in the grocery store with unsolicited cooking tips, and why I love to teach the young, the old, and the completely hapless how to channel their inner Julia Child to make a beautiful meal.

I had the pleasure of teaching an Asian Street Foods cooking class for an ambitious bunch of gourmets. As you can see, everyone had a great time, rolling up their sleeves and diving right into the mix. Cooking classes are such a fun way to get together with friends, relax with a glass of wine (in this case, the Saddle Rock brand from Malibu Family Wines), and enjoy an evening centered around the creative pleasures of food.

If you are interested in booking your own private cooking party please e-mail me from the link above. I am also offering a special rate for those who follow me on twitter.

Me and Top Chef Master Mark Peel

2010-01-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Please allow me to nerd out a little bit here. I live in LA, where celebrities are as ubiquitous as the year-round sunshine. I have cooked for some of these celebs, from D-List to A-List (Brangelina!), but nothing makes my head swivel like the sight of a Top Chef Master like Mark Peel.

Now chefs are notorious for being boisterous creatures who don't know how to use their inside voices. After all, cooking is a craft and art form, and you know those creative types...

But Mark Peel was kind enough to let me have a picture taken with him in the kitchen of his new venture, Tarpit. Tarpit, located right next door to Cube on La Brea, is a retro-fabulous cocktail lounge and restaurant that just opened 4 weeks ago. In this age of "Tapas" and small plates I have come to expect miniscule portions and a disproportionately large bill, but the serving sizes were generous on the bar menu items. For example, for their $9 duck sliders, I expected to receive one slider, but was happily surprised to get double. The Mac n Cheese was earthy and distinctive with mushrooms and sage and arrived at our table in a cute black cauldron; and the steak tartare was clean and classic and nicely textured. They have some kinks to work out, like all new establishments, but I loved the service, the atmosphere, and the menu selection.

Thursday, Dec. 3: Get Your Brazil on! with Slow Food Boston

2009-12-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Brazilian Cocktail Party, Part 1 This December Slow Food Boston is kicking off a series exploring the food traditions of local immigrant groups. First stop: Brazil! Nazare and Washington—two of the volunteer cooks for our upcoming festa—and I are here at Casa de Carnes Solução, a Brazilian butcher shop on Bow St. in Somerville. We're shopping for the ingredients for pão de queijo, rolls made from manioc and cheese from Minas Gerais, region of origin for most of Massachusetts' estimated 75,000 to 230,000 Brazilians. Let's take a look inside!

Brazilian Event Promo Shopping from Slow Food - Boston on Vimeo.

We hope you'll come by on December 3rd for a frosty caipirinha, piping hot cheese rolls and 7 other delicious appetizers prepared by the Brazilian staff of the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), our host and partner for the event. Proceeds will be donated to their AIDS/HIV Prevention & Education Program. Brazilian Cocktail Party Thursday, December 3rd, 6:30-9:30 pm Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers 1046 Cambridge Street Tickets $20; reserve them here.
Next up: a Vietnamese picnic in spring 2010.
Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, Slow Food Boston

The Rules of Turkey Engagement

2009-11-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

I am feeling the joyous Thanksgiving buzz all around me. The grocery stores are jammed with people, casual conversation inevitably turns into discussions of where to get a good deal on turkey, and more importantly how to cook that darn bird. What a great holiday, all centered around cooking, eating, and being with people you love. Because so many of you want to know, here are my rules for Turkey engagement:

1. Do not be afraid. Embrace the challenge and put all the love you have into your turkey, there's no one way to turkey. Turkey IS the way.

2. To brine or not to brine. This is a hot debate in around Thanksgiving. Soaking your turkey in a mixture of salt, water, herbs & seasonings is intended to give you a juicier bird. I will brine this year, since I am already devoting myself to 2 days of cooking, so why not? But don't get all worked up about brining, just throw in some extras that you already have around for your other dishes.

* 1 cup kosher salt
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar or regular sugar
* 2 gallon water or vegetable stock
* 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

Feel free to throw in some lemon, orange peels, fresh sprigs of thyme, parsley, a bay leaf, a little beer, white wine, maple syrup, whatever floats your boat. Place your defrosted turkey breast down in the brine for 8-16 hours. Weigh down if necessary. Flip bird halfway through brining. Keep in refrigerator or a cool area of your kitchen.

3. Don't play guessing games. Buy a thermometer and stick it in the widest section of the breast, it should read between 161-165 degrees, and in the joint between the thigh (without touching the bone), it should be 180 degrees. The juice should run clear. If you can help it don't poke it too much, or the juices will escape.

4. Keep it simple. I'm doing my turkey with a simple butter and herb mixture from Saveur's recipe.

Pat your turkey dry with paper towels. Season turkey all over and inside the cavity with salt and pepper.

Combine the following:
12 Tbsp UNSALTED butter, softened
2 TBSP finely chopped sage & thyme
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp light brown sugar

Rub the herb butter mixture all over your turkey, and under the skin, where the breast is, like Julia Child. Save some butter mixture to melt for basting.

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Set turkey on roasting pan with rack on the lowest part of your oven. Pour 2 cups of water in the bottom of your roasting pan and roast bird for 30 minutes, baste with butter once. Then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bast occasionally until your temperature reaches the guidelines listed above. Cover loosely with foil and let it sit for 15-30 minutes before carving.

5. We love stuffing, but not in the bird. Make your stuffing separately from the turkey. I know it's called stuffing -or dressing if you're in the south- but it will just mess up your bird, because by the time the stuffing is cooked your bird will be dry and overcooked, or worse, you could give yourself food poisoning.

Instead fill your turkey cavity with this mixture:

1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped,
1 rib celery, chopped
orange or lemon slices, some leftover sprigs of fresh herbs

****Here is a great stuffing/"dressing" recipe from Food Network's Tyler Florence with sausage and chestnuts!

6. What to drink? The herbs and butter in this turkey will be great with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

7. I'm from New England, so you got to have FRESH cranberries. Here's an easy, refreshing cranberry sauce:

1 seedless orange
1 12 oz. fresh cranberries

pulse in food processor, add 3/4- 1 cup sugar according to your taste, some thyme if you have it.

Makes 2.5 cups

8. Have a wonderful, joyous, food coma-inducing Thanksgiving! I hope you have many things to be thankful for!

Free Asian Street Food Cooking Demo at Surfas!

2009-10-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 10, 12-1 PM @ Surfas Chef's Warehouse

Asian Street Foods with Chef Minnie Luong

Do you crave colorful bites bursting with big Asian flavors? Join Chef Minnie at Surfas for a FREE cooking demo and learn the secrets to creating fiery Korean BBQ tacos, fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, and fragrant lemongrass chicken Banh Mi sandwiches. It’s so easy you can do it at home, in a truck, or on the street.

Street Cred:

Minnie Luong, a private chef, food writer, and cooking teacher, grew up eating in the bustling streets of Boston’s Chinatown. She has cooked in professional kitchens, high profile private homes, and for large scale catering events. She is the author of a popular food blog called, MinnieEatWorld.Com and the editor of Hungry? Boston: the Lowdown on Where the Real People Eat, a restaurant guidebook featuring local eats from secret food trucks, to historic diners and hole-in-the-wall Mom and Pop joints. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Where to Eat Magazine, The Somerville News, Boston’s Weekly Dig, and Swindle Magazine.

Top Chef Fabio Sighting!

2009-08-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

LA is the limitless land of celebrity sightings. I could indulge you on some of the very ordinary celebs I've come across, but that would be boring. I get more of a kick out of cooking for these illustrious stars and yes, I can say I've made food that has touched the lips of Brad and Angelina.

But when I ran into Fabio Viviani, of last season's Top Chef, I transformed into an aggressive picture taking seeker, and he was gracious enough to pose with my bulging eyes. Fabio even offered me a job, cooking at his Cafe Firenzi restaurant, which I think it was nice gesture, but all I really wanted was this picture.

So there you have it, my Top Chef geek moment.

A Quick Bite of Heaven

2009-08-21T12:14:00.003-07:00

Some vegetables, such as portabello mushrooms, can have a meaty quality to them. For me a dense, juicy, slice of a summer ripened heirloom tomato is the kobe beef of vegetables. From the corner of your eye they even resemble a rare piece of steak or tuna, but without the price tag.

So, when all I had in the kitchen was an heirloom tomato, a garlic clove, a basil plant, and a half a baguette, I did not despair, because it was exactly enough to create a light, but soul satisfying lunch.

Recipe:

1. Slice a garlic clove in half lengthwise and rub on an oven warmed baguette.
2. Drizzle with olive oil.
3. Place a slice of your tomato on top. Season with salt & pepper; drizzle more olive oil.
4. Garnish with torn basil leaves.

If this takes you more than 5 minutes to make, you're over thinking it.

Tips on Heirloom Tomatoes:

1. I recently got a a variety box at Trader Joe's for only 5 bucks!
2. Fry the green ones in a bread crumb mixture (see my post on Fried Green tomatoes)
3. Grill think slices to get a nice smoky, carmelized taste.
4. NEVER refrigerate your tomatoes, unless you like them mealy. Think MEATY not MEALY.
5. Don't be afraid to salt them; as with meat, salt is what brings out their flavor.
6. Slice them horizontally so you can "oooh" &"aaah" over their beautiful Persian rug-like patterns.

Edible Gifts

2009-08-02T14:43:00.004-07:00

Some friends actually invited me over for dinner, and I'm really excited to try someone else's cooking for a change. Of course it has been drilled into my head since an early age never to show up empty handed, so I'm bringing this cute edible arrangement over as a hostess gift. I found these chilies at my favorite Asian farmer at the Brentwood farmer's market, and added some fragrant Thai Basil leaves to complete this incredible, edible bouquet. If you have a nice herb garden consider plucking some herbs as a nice hostess gift, or bring some of your surplus zucchini. Good cooks love fresh veggies, and it is a nice simple gesture that will set a tone of goodwill and friendship.

10 Tips to Becoming a Better Cook Right Now!

2009-08-01T11:21:00.003-07:00

1. Look at several different recipes for a dish, and choose the simplest one. I use recipes to understand the architecture of a dish, then modify it to my own tastes, and the different ingredients that I have in my pantry. For example if something calls for sherry vinegar, I know I can also use red wine vinegar that I have in my cupboard instead of running out to buy sherry vinegar.

2. Learn how to sharpen your knives. Cooking is no fun when you are hacking away at something with a dull blade. Once you learn how to create a nice sharp edge, you'll be halfway there to improving your knife skills.

3. Use Youtube to learn technique. Sometimes it's easier to see how to do something than to read about it in a cook book. I found a great new way to clean lamb ribs using a piece of string.

4. Use your senses. Get acquainted with your sense of taste, smell, touch, and sight. Be sure to taste everything as you are going along. For example, when making a salad dressing, mix together the acid and seasonings and taste them. If your taste buds feel good only then add your oil. If not, you can always adjust it, before adding oil. I often forego a kitchen timer and know that when the entire kitchen smells like chocolate chip cookies, it means that their close to being done. Learn how to tell when meat is cooked by touching it. Use your eyes to create visually appealing presentations, using a prism of different colors. If it looks like you put too much of one ingredient in a dish, you probably did.

5. Avoid overworking your food. Alot of people make the mistake of flipping or stirring their food too much, thinking that they are really cooking now. You need to let the food make contact with heat in order to cook it, and if you move it around too much it will not cook evenly.

6. My friend says that the best meals I make are what we call "refrigerator dishes." That's when I limit myself to cooking with only the ingredients I already have. This is great way to hone your innate creativity and spontaneity and to use up any leftovers you have. Leftover roasted vegetables and the last piece of cheese can be added to lettuce for an exciting new salad. Just about anything can be transformed into exciting crepes, soups, spring rolls, pizzas, fried rice and dumplings. Fried eggs and sriracha are great on top of almost anything!

7. Don't be afraid to mess up. Chances are you won't mess up as much as you think you will. I'm a believer that the only way to truly learn to cook is to make mistakes and learn from them.

8. Take pictures of your dishes. Alright, my dining companions may get a little annoyed when I turn every meal into a photo shoot, but after visually cataloging all the meals I've made I get a sense of accomplishment when I see what I've created. It is also a great reference for what I did right and wrong, and helps jog my memory when I'm trying to improve upon the dish many months later.

9. Your freezer is your friend. Freeze garlic and ginger paste, or chopped herbs that can be used in a pinch for soups, stir fries, Indian food, sauces, salad dressings, marinades, and pasta sauces. I keep hard to find ingredients like kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and fresh tumeric in the freezer for times when I want to add some Asian flavor to a dish. Other items I always have in the freezer are butter, chicken stock, peas, which are great for throwing into rice, pasta dishes, and paella, miso, pita bread, red curry paste.

10. Keep fresh herbs around at all times. At the Vietnamese table you will find a beautiful plate arranged with fresh, fragrant herbs to be used like condiments at almost all times. I keep a "vase" of fresh herbs in my fridge at all times, to add aroma, color, and flavor without adding alot of calories. If you don't use them up by the end of the week you can always make your own pesto and freeze it for later.

A Laid Back Friday Night

2009-07-31T20:58:00.005-07:00

It's Friday night, so that means it's date night. After a day of re-arranging furniture in our postage-stamp-paradise by the sea, I feel like enjoying the pleasure of a tasty meal without messing up the kitchen. So, I decided to make a Margherita pizza, paired with a tasty arugula salad with prosciutto, toasted pine nuts, parmesan and truffle vinaigrette. It turned out to be a simple and satisfying dinner!

Arugula, Prosciutto, Pine Nut Salad with Truffle Vinaigrette:

The rich aroma of truffle vinaigrette goes well with the spicy kick of arugula, and the nutty pignolias, and of course the salty, creamy Prosciutto. I could eat this salad as a main course!

Salad:

Arugula
Shredded red cabbage (for color & crunch!)
Good Prosciutto sliced thin
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Pine nuts

Truffle Vinaigrette:

1 Tablespoon minced shallots
1 Tablespoon white truffle oil
2 Teaspoon of dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl except for olive oil. Add olive oil in a thin stream while whisking to emulsify the vinaigrette. Set aside to let the flavors meld.

2. Toast the pine nuts in a pan until golden and the kitchen smells of pine nuts.

3. Toss the arugula and red cabbage with the truffle vinaigrette, adding salt & pepper to season. Artfully arrange the prosciutto slices on a bed of the arugula, garnish with parmesan and pine nuts.

Margherita Pizza:

1 Trader Joe's pizza dough (I used the herb one)
1 Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce, or 1.5 cups of homemade sauce, or another brand.
1 heirloom tomato, sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup shredded lite mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
fresh torn basil leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
flour to work the dough

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice tomatoes and mix in a bowl with garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside to let flavors meld.

3. Dust your hands with flour like an Olympic athlete. Dust work surface to kneed the pizza dough to get rid of any air bubbles.

4. I like to use a rectangular cookie sheet with a silicone mat for my pizza, you can use a round pan if you have it. Lightly coat the bottom of your pizza pan with olive oil. Shape dough, by sliding your two closed fists under the edge of the dough, using gravity to your advantage. You will improve this technique with practice. Once you have an even thin shape, transfer the dough to your pan. You can patch up holes, and work the dough in the pan to even out the shape, but don't over work the dough too much.

3. Using a silicone pastry brush, spread the tomato sauce evenly on the pizza, reserving a 1/2 inch border for the crust.

4. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese first; then the parmesan all over the sauce.

5. Artfully place the fresh tomatoes on top of the cheese, and spoon the reserved garlic & tomato juices right on top of the tomatoes.

6. Spread the torn basil leaves on the pizza. I keep a basil plant on my window sill so I'll always have fresh basil. Brush the crust with olive oil.

7. Bake in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

8. If you are using a silicone mat, DO NOT use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the pizza. My favorite technique for cutting pizza is to use a clean pair of kitchen scissors. Just snip your way to easy pizza slices!

Look into the whites of their eyes

2009-04-24T11:21:00.006-07:00

Meet my new friends-- the Dorade fish, a Mediterranean sea bream that has a nice, delicate texture and flavor that pairs well with just about anyything. I came upon it accidentally, when I was looking for the Bronzino, a similar, highly coveted Mediterranean fish, that is sold at the new seafood emporium at Santa Monica Seafood.

Grilled whole Dorade with bacon, sage, roasted garlic sauce.

A whole fresh fish is best when prepared simply; enjoyed most with intimate friends who take pleasure in making sport out of picking away at the sweet flesh around the bones.

Bacon, Roasted Sage and Garlic Sauce:

To make bacon, sage, garlic sauce:

In a ramekin or oven safe dish combine whole garlic loves, whole sage leaves, and EVOO.

Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the entire kitchen smells like garlic and sage.

Chop bacon into 1 inch pieces and render the fat, until the bacon starts to become crispy. Pour off about half the bacon fat and add some chopped shallots. When the shallots become soft, and the kitchen smells amazing, add the roasted garlic and sage, and a few tablespoons of the sage garlic oil, reserving the rest to brush onto the fish. Before turning off the heat hit your bacon, sage, garlic sauce with a squeeze of lemon (preferably Meyer lemon), chopped parsley and coarse ground pepper, and salt if needed.

Grilling the Fish:

Rinse fish and pat dry.

Brush with roasted garlic and sage oil

Season with salt and pepper (not too much salt as the bacon sauce is already salty)

Grill on each side for about 3 minutes

Top the fish with bacon, roasted garlic & sage sauce.

Game Over

2009-04-24T11:02:00.004-07:00

Thanks for playing along with me readers, I enjoyed your guesses from fish intestines to roasted slugs. This was a roasted sage and garlic oil that was created for a fun dinner with My friends, Danielle and Teddy, who were visiting from Miami. It filled the entire kitchen up with the most amazing smells. Here's a tip: When you have guests coming for dinner, sizzle your garlic and onions, or roasted some herbs and garlic in the oven so that the whole house smells warm, and enticing.

Can you guess what this is?

2009-04-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Cult Coffee Alert!

2009-03-17T09:50:00.006-07:00

Don't want to get mixed up in the McDonalds versus Starbucks coffee debate? I don't blame you. Bay area caffeine addicts are hooked on Blue Bottle Coffee, which I discovered at the Berkeley Farmer' s Market a few weeks ago. Their organic beans are roasted in small batches and sold within 48 hours of coming out of the roaster, so you're guaranteed to get a truly fresh cup of java. You can order their Chez Panisse house blend or their popular Bella Donna coffee on their website.

Watching coffee drip is like watching performance art, and the smells will transport you to a warm and happy place!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T18:18:00.012-08:00

What a relief! 2009 is finally here and I am hopeful that this will be a fresh start from the ups and downs of the past year. The dismal economy and ongoing wars around the world has been on my mind. Now this year I don't have a resolution but more of a mission statement on how I want to live my life. My goal is to spend my valuable time here on this earth doing the things that I love: reading, writing, cooking, gardening, doing yoga, and spending time connecting with my loved ones. These are the things that make me truly happy and make me feel alive.

In keeping with this spirit, I decided to make my sweetheart a nice dinner for a quiet, restful New Year's Eve. Beside, I was bursting at the seams to try out all my new cooking gear that he got me for Christmas! I'm sure he had this in mind when he picked out my new Global vegetable knife.

I was in the mood for surf n' turf so I decided to make my version of steak au poivre with Maine lobster tail. We got our lobster at the Ranch 99 Asian Market ($12/lb) in Van Nuys, which has a great selection of fresh seafood at reasonable prices.

Two 1.5 lb lobsters were steamed. See my post on How to Kill A Lobster humanely. I stab the nervous system (about 1 inch from eyes) before putting into pot.

To go with the lobster tail I created a jalapeno citron buerre blanc, which is essential a butter and citrus sauce.

I just read a study that said marinating meats for at least an hour reduced the carcinogens by half. These filets were coated in a mixture of fresh rosemary, hand-ground pepper, garlic, olive oil and salt and left to marinate for an hour before hitting the iron hot grill.

Maine Lobster tail with Jalapeno citron buerre blanc, and Minnie's Filet Au Poivre

Trip Notes

2009-01-01T08:08:00.012-08:00

Cambridge/Boston

Just returned from a whirlwind trip back to the East Coast where I had many fun adventures and wonderful family times. In spite of two back-to-back blizzards I did manage to reconnect with some Boston food scenesters like my dear friend Chris Young, and Matthew Curtis, who hosted us for a nice glass of wine by his fireplace. I was most intrigued when he showed us his "cheese cave" packed with brightly colored tins of the cult cheese made by Washington State University. Look out for the new Harvard Square restaurant venture from Curtis and his partners, which will be located in the former Greenhouse space, it's sure to be a highlight of 2009!

I met Chef Rachel Klein, who heads the kitchen at Aura restaurant in the Seaport Hotel. Klein, who was formerly the Chef at Om Lounge in Cambridge, was impressive and I intend on following her career to see where she lands next.

I made it to Vanessa and Rebecca Alssid's house for a lovely dinner by the firelight. I love going to dinner at their house because they always finish a meal with a beautiful cheese plate. We sampled a hulking block of Parmesan Reggiano that was hand delivered from Italy; a decadent truffle cheese; and wonderful cheese from Vermont that I must track down.

Stomach Alert: I have a new favorite breakfast spot called Sofra, in Watertown. Yet another fabulous eatery from the visionaries behind Oleana, my favorite Cambridge restaurant. Get the Turkish Breakfast, which features a soft boiled egg deep fried in crispy fideos alongside an pitch perfect tomato sauce with toasted sesame seeds. It will really challenge the way you think about eggs for breakfast.

Providence

Thanks to Facebook I organized a little mini reunion with friends that date back to elementary, junior high and high school at Temple, a stylish, subterranean bar and lounge located in the Rennaisance Hotel directly across from the Rhode Island state house.

With my family we feasted in our annual Christmas dinner of Thai seafood hotpot. Every year we all look forward to this communal meal, where everyone takes part in filling the lemongrass and kaffir lime scented hotpot with fresh seafood, (some of which my father actually caught off the coast of Rhode Island) fragrant herbs, napa cabbage and water spinach.

Pittsburgh

On to Pittsburgh, where I finally got my fill of good Italian cooking thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Silver's collaborative meatball dinner. Oh how I love a good meatball!

I went to the famous Primanti Brothers for their legendary sandwich filled with french fries, coleslaw and your choice of meat. Too big for my slender jowels, but it's a Pittsburgh institution.

We practically had to fight to get a booth at Fiori's Pizzaria but it was worth the wait. Thick, crusty, and generous with the toppings, Fiori's is the kind of East Coast pie I crave out here in Southern California.

Down to the Strip District where I salivated over the bounty of specialty food shops from the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, which had huge drums of olive oils, those highly coveted Bella San Marzano canned plum tomatoes, and a cheese counter full of wonderous delights. I made a pit stop to pick up some spices at the Penzeys shop, including, aleppo pepper, Za'atar, a Middle eastern mix of sumac, thyme, sesame, and salt, Tuscan oregano, and an assortment of dried peppers. I like to mix my Za'atar with oregano and sprinkle it on pita bread with olive oil and salt before it goes into a warm oven. An easy and satisfying snack!

We picked up some fresh oysters at Wholey's and though we didn't pack an oyster knife, we somehow managed to pry them open. We taught Nick Silver how to shuck oysters and watched him as he tasted his first bivalve.

I can't believe all of the good eating I've experienced in the last few weeks!

Adventures in Latkes

2008-12-14T18:35:00.005-08:00

I think I must be a Jewish Grandmother trapped in a Vietnamese Buddhist's body. The sound of Yiddish is music to my ears and I have been known to crave chopped liver. But above all else I love making and eating latkes!

I like to make my latkes with a mixture of sweet potatoes and russet potatoes to give it color and more of those good vitamins. Served with light sour cream and applesauce, these latkes make a festive, easy-to-create party treat or snack.

To Make Latkes:

2 large sweet potato, grated by hand or in a food processor
1 large russet or Yukon Gold or Russet potato, grated by hand or in a food processor
1 medium white onion, grated by hand or in a food processor

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup flour
salt
pepper
pinch of cumin
olive oil, for frying

1. Combine all ingredients except oil into a bowl and mix well.
2. Heat frying oil on nonstick pan.
3. Using a 1/8 cup measure spoon mixture into frying pan. Flatten mixture with a spatula to form a small cake.
4. Fry latkes in batches for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden.
5. Place on paper plates to drain oil, and season with salt if needed.
6. Serves with applesauce and sour cream.

Gifting: Homemade Peppermint Bark

2008-12-14T17:22:00.013-08:00

Peppermint Bark is my holiday eating downfall. During the holidays there are nights that I cannot fall asleep knowing that there is Peppermint Bark in the house. Last Christmas, while I was in the middle of finishing up my book, I caught myself thinking, there's no way that I ate that whole tin of Peppermint Bark. I frantically searched the entire house for the missing bark only to find the final piece hidden in a mountain of papers on my desk. Use your imagination to figure out how happy I was.

Tonight I'm headed to my friend, Chef Erik Fischer's house for a holiday party. I have a rule never to turn down an invitation to a Chef's house, and so far it's served me well. If you want to be popular among chefs and lay-people, do make your own edible holiday gifts, like some of this homemade Peppermint Bark. Be sure to put it in a nice box and present it like the special gift that it is.

To Make Peppermint Bark:

Try to buy the finest chocolate that you can afford. Use chocolate chips or discs to avoid the messy task of having to chop up the hard chocolate bars. I got some Callebut Belgian chocolate discs from Surfas.

1/2 pound of dark chocolate chips

1/2 pound of white chocolate chips

1-2 teaspoons of peppermint extract

1/4 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

nonstick spray

wax paper

1. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and line with wax paper. Spray more nonstick spray on top of the wax paper. Set aside.
2. In a double boiler melt the dark chocolate until the chocolate comes off your spatula in a nice stream.
3. Pour dark chocolate onto cookie sheet, using your spatula to spread a thin, even layer.
4. Rest the melted dark chocolate in the freezer for 5 minutes.
5. In a double boiler melt the white chocolate and peppermint extract. Take out the frozen dark chocolate sheet.
6. Pour white chocolate on top of the frozen dark chocolate, gently spreading into a thin, even, coat.
7. Sprinkle crush candy canes all evenly over the top of the melted white chocolate and freeze.
8. When the bark is completely frozen, remove from the freezer and remove the wax paper.
9. Using a sharp, knife, cut the bark into chunks.
10. Place the bark into a nice box, tin, or cello candy bag.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

2008-11-24T22:03:00.019-08:00

I was blessed to be invited to a lovely Thanksgiving dinner in Beverly Hills, where good friends, old and new, gathered to enjoy a beautiful meal in a gorgeous setting. It was a perfect way to spend my first Thanksgiving in LA.

Our hosts, Richard and Jeff, had a glass of Champagne in my hands within 30 seconds of our arrival. Now that's the mark of a truly good host, to make everyone comfortable and at ease from the moment you cross the threshold.

My contribution to the dinner was an assortment of shellfish, which went perfectly with the bubbles-- oysters, shrimp cocktail, crab dip, and my aromatic marinated mussels.

Shucking is so much fun.

Festive oysters with cucumber water and pickled cranberries

Mussels marinated with lime juice, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, and a touch of coconut milk

The delicious spread

Lighting the candles was a communal effort, since there were so many to create that beautiful candlelight which casts everyone in a good light. The peonies were eye popping and in full bloom!

I missed out on all of these great vintages because I was enjoying a post-prandial nap, but the rest of the gang thoroughly enjoyed them.

Having a Martha Stewart moment.

Crepe Expectations

2008-10-22T12:01:00.004-07:00

Growing up, there was only one pan in my stepmother's kitchen that was off limits. Even though she had it for years, it looked like it was brand new. It had no scratches or dents; no history of conflict or traces of culinary self doubt; and it was only unearthed to make the perfect Banh Xeo, the Vietnamese Crepe.

To me this crepe is a perfect example of the beautiful, natural, marriage between French and Vietnamese cuisine. The crepe batter is made with rice flour, coconut milk, tumeric and curry powder, and thinly sliced scallions which lends it that golden yellow color and aromatic flavor. Inside, it's filled with shrimp, bean sprouts, and vegetables-I love asparagus and mushrooms in mine. You can fill it with almost any of your leftover veggies.

Making a perfect Vietnamese crepe comes down to technique, so the more practice the better you'll get. Ideally they should be made a la minute so that the freshest crepe will hit your plate. We used to wait patiently for my stepmother to make them one by one. I am still tinkering with my technique to try to make a bunch at a time. So far, putting them in the oven at 200 degrees to keep them warm works fine. Do not cover them, though, as the steam from the moist veggies will make them soggy. Make sure you have your mise en place set up efficiently, though, because you'll want to eat them as soon as possible.

The crepes, like spring rolls, should be eaten Vietnamese style- that lettuce and mint isn't there just to garnish your plate. Cut up your crepe and wrap it in lettuce with fresh herbs, chopped cucumbers, and carrot and radish pickles and dip it by hand into the traditional nuoc mam sauce.

Are you there muffin top? It's me Minnie

2008-08-27T14:58:00.008-07:00

Someone, please hold my hand. I am about to have my first ever snarky blogger moment. Granted, I did just get a rejection letter for a grant I really worked hard on, so that doesn't help. As I sit here looking at my growing muffin top, I am trying to mentally process this article on a food writer's secret to staying a size 2 in Bon Apetit.

Have they run out of compelling story ideas that involve real food? I mean come on, with lines like: "Ordering isn't a problem for me: I usually go for the tasting menu." Life at Bon Apetit must be good. Most of the food writers I know, including myself, can't afford the tasting menu, never mind the calories.

While I'm annoyed by self indulgent comments such as, "Blatner calls this habit of mine 'naturally slim behavior'," it's her self proclaimed "Tricks of the Trade" that bug me the most:

STOP EATING WHEN you're only two thirds full. It takes time for your brain to know that you're actually satisfied.

SHARE DESSERT. Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian, has a three-fork rule: Make sure there are at least three forks for every one dessert.

ORDER A SALAD or a vegetable side dish with your meal, and eat it.

DON'T EAT ANYTHING on the plate that you don't like. Ever.

IF YOU REALLY WANT to order the ten-course tasting menu with wine pairings, go for it. But try to eat sensibly and exercise a little more the next day.

This blather is nothing new or revolutionary. You're better off reading French Women Don't Get Fat, at least it's entertaining. The lesson here is don't ever take dieting advice from a food writer. The good ones love food so much we don't have to make up such rules for ourselves, and if we gain a few pounds in the pursuit of a new taste we don't whine about it.

The sound and the honey

2008-07-14T12:08:00.004-07:00

Wanna get buzzed? Check out this documentary video about bees, honey, and the people that love them, by filmmaker Brynmore Williams, Bees in the Key of A.

Cravings & Other Good Stuff

2008-06-11T12:49:00.018-07:00

I went down to Westminster to satisfy my craving for Banh Mi, otherwise known as the Saigon Sub. $2.50 will get you a French baguette filled with your choice of grilled pork, beef, or traditional assortment of bologna-like loaf meats. I always get mine with homemade pate, veggies, and pickles.

Thanks to Izzy's Deli, in Santa Monica, for my latest cravings-knishes. Their hefty meat and potato knishes stand up to any East Coast style delis. Be sure to remember the gravy and pickles!

Not to toot my own horn, but I think I accidentally invented a new pancake! Well it's new to my household at least. I added white chocolate chips and blueberries to these homemade pancakes and they were delicious... especially with bacon!

But do me a favor and use real maple syrup (from New England) even if there's only a couple of drops left in the bottle.

This I call the $140 Bouillabase because that's how much it cost for the ingredients (including a bottle of Prosecco to go with dinner) at Whole Foods. Bam! They got me again. Oh well, it was just what I needed. Saves me a trip to the therapist. Be sure to use orange zest, it really brings out the nice flavors.

I did alot of useless research before I decided to buy this Japanese Global knife. I couldn't decide between a Japanese or German made knife because basically all of the articles I read came to the same conclusion: It depends. I chose Global because I liked the super sharp blade, sleek, sexy design, and it was lightweight enough for my small, but prodigious hands.

After all those cravings I've been trying to eat healthy, cheap, and with more veggies. I remembered hearing something about leeks being a weight loss secret from "French Women Don't Get Fat, "so into my potage they go!

Spaghetti squash with parsley and parmesan is another tasty and wholesome treat!

Tailgate Season

2008-05-15T11:27:00.006-07:00

I must confess I had never tailgated before. So when it came time to plan a menu for the Phil Lesh and Friends show at the Greek Theater, I was quickly put in my place when I suggested bourgeois dishes along the lines of gourmet cheese plate, dainty chicken salad sandwiches on croissants, and fresh spring rolls. The co-chair of the food committee (my boyfriend) handed me a copy of Mario Batali's Nascar Tailgating cook book as a starting reference point. Batali's book was full of hearty, carnivorous dishes that involved some hardcore grilling, which was problematic since open fire cooking is a no-no in the dusty hills surrounding the theater-- California is very susceptible to fires, apparently.

So we hit up the Italian food emporium, Bay City Deli, in Santa Monica for some of their specialty sandwiches and deli delights. Bay City is a haven for those East Coast refugees who crave Italian sandwiches known by their noms de guerres that suggest heft and power such as grinders, subs, and hoagies. Think delicious, crusty bread without a trace of sourdough with all the fixings such as olive oil, and spicy pickled peppers.

Jello shots are the new dancing on the ceiling

2008-05-08T10:08:00.008-07:00

Let me be the first person to tell you---jello shots are not just for college kids anymore. I made 300 of these high flying Grey Goose jello shots with Dana Rolland, owner of the wonderful catering company, Atmosphere, for the Bill Blass fashion show on the rooftop at Blu in Beverly Hills. Pick your poison--they came in three different flavors--chocolate, lavender and pear creme brulee, and blood orange with jalapeno.

Mr. Ritchie with Dana Rolland

Don't believe the hype? Just ask this guy. He told me himself how much he liked those tasty Jello shots.

The Hills are alive with the sound of beautiful people

Preview from the Bill Blass collection

Just another beautiful day in the 'Wood

Book Expo America or Bust!

2008-05-06T16:18:00.004-07:00

I will be signing copies of my book, Hungry? Boston: the Lowdown on Where the Real People Eat at Book Expo America, the largest book publishing convention in the country. This year, the expo takes place in Los Angeles, so if you are in the area, please stop by the Hungry City booth on Sunday, June 1st. Hope to see you then!

Win a Free Copy of My Book...Hungry? Boston: The Lowdown on Where the Real People Eat

2008-05-06T15:22:00.003-07:00

Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address in the top right hand corner and win a chance to receive a free copy of my latest book. Hungry? Boston: the Lowdown on Where the Real People Eat is the only restaurant guidebook you'll need to find the most delightful, charming, and affordable eateries that Boston has to offer. By the time you're done with this book, you'll have eaten through Boston like a true insider. Current subscribers will also have a chance to win a free copy.

All the Best,
Minnie

P.S. To purchase a copy, please click on the Amazon link listed above.

Family Style

2008-04-16T10:43:00.016-07:00

Out here in LA, I am 3,000 miles away from a home-cooked family meal. If there is any inkling of a critic in me, I must have acquired it from my family, who set the bar pretty high when it came to food. My father is a talented gardener and fisherman so we always had fragrant, delicious fresh herbs and fresh caught seafood on our table. Summers we were put to work, knee-deep in water, we dug for those famous quahog clams off the Rhode Island coast, which would be grilled until they popped open. I loved every minute of it.

Food is intertwined with my spiritual life as well. I grew up in house with two kitchens, where once a year we honored the Kitchen God. On the anniversary of my grandparent's deaths my family came together, in the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition, to honor our ancestors with an eye catching and abundant feast laid out in front of the ancestor alter featured in every respectable Vietnamese home. Dropping to our knees in deep prayer we invite our ancestors spirits to enjoy the meal through the fragrant trail of incense.

Afterwards, with more dishes than people present, we dig into the feast. As our family grows through marriage I noticed new dishes appearing from different regions of Vietnam. My cousin's wife is a splendid cook who has incorporated dishes from her native region of Vietnam, such as this green papaya and mint salad with cured beef (similar to bresaola). Everyone contributes in their own special way. My youngest sister, Duckie, sliced the bread in an inventive way. She pressed the baguette on its side and cut in a "V" to form the heart shapes.

My Grandmother & Grandfather

Witness my baking power

2008-04-02T14:45:00.013-07:00

It's unfortunate that I've been telling myself that I'm not a baker, because good pastry chefs are in high demand. Well, when I moved here to Los Angeles I decided to stop telling myself what I'm not good at and accept that with effort and practice I can be good at making the perfect pie crust, or the occasional meringue. Baking can be unforgiving. If you don't follow the exact procedures you can end up in all kinds of precarious situations. For example have you ever mixed up the salt for the sugar and ended up with salty birthday cake?

I got the new Sweet Melissa Baking Book and decided to make the simplest recipe, Strawberry Shortcakes. Strawberries were cheap ($5/3 pints) at the Larchmont Farmer's Market, but I warn you there is a reason--they go bad quickly so make sure you use them within a day or two.

Let me tell you about cookbook author, Melissa Murphy, she owns a well-known bakery in New York City, called Sweet Melissa's. She loves baking with fruit, as her book is full of great cobblers, preserves, and her famous sour cherry and pistachio pie.

Making Biscuits
Sometimes when my friend's cat likes to kneads its paws against my belly we call it "making biscuits." In human biscuit making there is no such kneading as I couldn't resist using my cuisinart food processor to make the dough. Be sure to use the plastic dough blade instead of the steel blade.

Once the dough is ready, form into a rectangle.

Cut the dough into biscuits, and brush the dough with milk or heavy cream, before baking in the oven.

Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries. I love how Melissa uses the culinary term "macerate" to describe the process of adding sugar to the berries and letting it sit.

While your biscuits are cooling on a rack, and your strawberries are self macerating, make whipped cream. Melissa calls for you to used an electric mixer to whip the cream. Instead, I used a metal mixing bowl, which was stored in the freezer for an hour beforehand, and a whisk. If you have a cooking partner, you can switch off on the whipping so that no one suffers wrist fatigue.

Which shortcake jumps off the page?

Overall, I'd say my biscuits didn't rise enough, so I had to use surgical precision to slice it in half. But homemade biscuits covered in hand whipped cream and fresh, local strawberries... what a treat!

Whatchu know about teas?

2008-01-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

Whittard of Chelsea

I think by now I can go head to head with anyone on the subject of teas. I attended four very different tea tastings as part of my research for my recently published article in the Weekly Dig. You can check it out here.

Here are some pictures from my recent tea tasting escapades:

Timeless Tea's Sri Lankan Tea Seminar

Professional Cupping Set

What is a professional cupping set, exactly? It is a specially designed cup used by master tea blenders in Sri Lanka. A master blender can taste a tea and tell you exactly which tea garden it was grown in.

The Agony & Two Leaves and a Bud

Afkhan Salie, a certified tea expert, stressed the importance of finding "two leaves and a bud" as an indicator of highest quality tea. While we waited for the tea leaves to unfurl, his mother, Haleema, also a certified tea expert, described the waiting as "the agony." How poetic. Sure enough, my leaves unfurled and indeed my professional cupping set came through with two leaves and a bud.

But let's be honest, I'm all over the food. I have been thinking about Saleema's Sri Lankan fish cutlet for days.

Swan's Cafe Afternoon Tea in the Park Plaza Hotel

You know it's time to go home when your leftovers get wrapped up into a swan.

Whittard of Chelsea's Blending Bar.

If these spices could talk...

2008-01-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Leaving is hard. That's why I rarely do it. As I am packing up my kitchen, in preparation for my departure to the west coast, I am finding more about myself as a chef. Take my spice collection for example--sorting through the multitude of glass vials, smudged with fingerprints, I realize I am becoming increasingly sentimental. How could I not be? There were the spice bags that my friend brought to me from India, and powerful saffron used in my favorite paella dinner party. That was when a bunch of my good friends came into this very kitchen to huddle around the stove, drinking Spanish wines, and taking turns stirring the seafood filled paella . Nothing tasted more delicious than eating such food that was made in the spirit of true friendship and fellowship.

Today I saw a copy of Andy Husband's cookbook called "The Fearless Chef." Aha! That's what I always wanted to be, a chef devoid of fears. That's what I tried to instill in my cooking pupils this summer when I made them do a "stinky cheese" tasting. But right now I'm a Sentimental Chef. I am feeling uncomfortably fond of my collection of spice bottles, and that's not good when you're trying to pack. I have already filled up two boxes of them to bring with me to California. Yes, I know they have cumin in LA, it's a melting pot, but not cumin from my kitchen, that's gone into my dishes. Twice last month, that cumin schlepped to New York with me in a blizzard.

The title to Andy's book reminded me that every chef I admire has a meaningful story to tell. If you are attuned to it, and if they are good at it, you can clearly taste it in their cooking. These are the chefs that can make a dish that is canonical, sexy, thought-provoking, hopeful and exciting. These are the ones that we love to adore.

In my research on the Los Angeles food scene, I am increasingly intrigued by the restaurant Providence. First of all, I grew up there, and have enjoyed its one-of-a-kind cuisine from the Italian salumerias of Federal Hill, to the hot weiners dusted with celery salt by McCoy Stadium, to piping hot clam cakes at Rocky Point amusement park and the quahogs that my dad used to make us dig. I still think now that it would be sweet to be a quahog digger. More importantly, I am struck by the meaning behind the word that inspired the name of the city, as well as one of the most buzzed about restaurants in the country. I take it's meaning as this: to have foresight, to have a vision, to have a story to tell. From what I've read, Chef Michael Cimarusti has a compelling story to tell, and I haven't even tasted his food. But that's my whole point in a nutshell. From the looks of it, he has created a desirable menu based on his love of the purity of fresh, wild seafood inspired by his fisherman Grandfather, Jo. My father, like Cimarusti's Grandfather, is "a man of the sea." He loves to fish down in Narragansett Bay, and he's quite good at it. In fact, he and I came to this country by way of the sea.

Rumor has it that there are plans to create a chocolate room at Providence. At first I thought it sounded odd to even think about mixing chocolate with seafood. I love chocolate and relish the time Jacques Pepin wisely advised me that to be happy, one must eat one piece of chocolate each day. And there's no question that I'm an elitist when it comes to New England seafood. I mean, even a skinny Jasper White once flirted with me. Just kidding.

So I had to call up my friend and sometimes collaborator, chocolate expert and author of the wonderful blog, The Tasty Show, Dana Zemack, to ask her if seafood paired well with chocolate.
Her answer, was: "for most part no." She said it would be an unusual pairing, a much better dessert for a seafood dinner would be a citrus fruit based dessert. The sweetness of chocolate along with its the lack of acidity would not pair well with seafood. However, Dana did recall one shrimp, coconut, and cocoa dish that she taught in a savory chocolate cooking class, but even then it was more cocoa than chocolate.

Then I came across a possible explanation to this question. Written on their website where they described their "a vision of creating a restaurant instilled with East Coast tradition mixed with just a slight twist of West Coast eccentricity."

And suddenly it all made sense, and I gained faith in divine Providence that if anyone could pull of a blended vision of seafood and chocolate off it would be this Chef. Okay, I'm being a little literal and dramatic here, but I have a feeling that soon a number of my future, fellow Los Angelenos will be asking each other my initial thought: What exactly is a chocolate room? And where can I get one?"

Save Toscanini's, not the Coffee Cards

2008-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Yep, the rumors are true. I am moving to Los Angeles in a few short days. There has been a flurry of activity going in support of this move, including sifting through a decade of accumulated detritus. One of the items I was excited to find was a number of those Toscanini's Coffee Cards--you know the ones that with enough stamps and due diligence you can get a free coffee? Somehow, I can never hang on to them long enough to score that free coffee, so I gave up a long time ago. Well my plan was to do some more packing, and then reward myself with a free Batdorf and Bronson coffee. I had a vision of the music stopping and the crowds parting as I triumphantly marched up to the counter waving around my stamped coffee cards from circa 1999, while hearing someone say, "step aside, here comes a regular."

Well, much to my dismay I got a MySpace bulletin alerting me that there would be no free coffee since my beloved Tosci's is now closed and seized by the MA Department of Revenue for failing to pay meals taxes. MA Meals taxes are the 5% that they tack onto your bill and is supposed to be remitted to state on a regular basis. Sometimes when places don't have enough working capital it can be tempting to use that extra 5% to make the difference in cash flow. It's kind of Restaurant Biz 101 to know not to do that.

What's surprising is that Toscanini's had been in business for years, and is widely regarded as one of the best spots for ice cream and coffee around. The New York Times lauded it as one of the best ice creams in the country, and it was.

But there's hope for those of you who are still hanging onto your coffee cards. A group of Tosci's fans have mobilized to raise the money owed for back taxes. Like the Someday Cafe (which was once under the same ownership as Tosci's), this is another case of consumers banding together to try to save another independent coffee shop. So far they have raised $3,000 towards that end. Toscanini's is so loved in the community that they may make it.

For the record, I won't be donating any money to Toscanini's. No, naysayers, not because I'm moving to LA, and not because I don't love me some Tosci's. If you want to shell out some money, go ahead, but personally I don't believe it is the place of the consumer to be donating money to businesses. That's what equity investment is for. Admittedly it is a tough environment for small businesses, but all the more reason to have all your ducks in row when it comes to business matters. Aside from that, I'm the self- impoverished writer trying to score a free coffee, remember?

So for now, I guess I won't be holding onto these now defunct coffee cards. But I still have my China Pearl Dim Sum card if there are any takers.

I must interrupt this series...

2007-12-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

To mention that I posted a blog about more of my popcorn adventures over at Good Magazine 's Blog. To see a recipe of my White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn with crushed candy canes and Sweet Riot cacao nibs. Thanks to Hope Equity, who sponsored my Pop-Up Popcorn Stand.

While the weather outside is frightful...

2007-12-13T17:14:00.001-08:00

Stay indoors with me while I catch you up on my recent kitchen escapades.

Some people will go great distances for a good home cooked meal. Take my buddy, Tim, for example. A food lover of of the highest caliber, he decided to fly out from the West Coast to celebrate his birthday in Boston. I figured, if he's going the distance, then I will too, culinarily speaking. So with my guest of honor I hosted a brunch for all the neighborhood foodies and gave them the mantra to get drunk before noon.

But First, a Note to Self:

The special attraction of the brunch was a do-it-yourself Bloody Mary Bar consisting of my special mix, and a wide range of fresh herbs, garnishes, and flavorings, including blue cheese stuffed olives, gherkins, fresh pomegranate seeds and pineapple, lemon grass stirrers, sriracha sauce, and searing thai chilies. In fact, when I announced a special contest prize to whomever was daring enough to douse their Bloody Mary with Phu Quoc fish sauce, Jason and Maya did not hesitate. No surprise, since the two of them are escaping to Hanoi this winter. I still owe them a prize, perhaps some homemade snake wine, which naturally I will have to hand deliver it to their new doorstep in Vietnam.

Let's Get Drunk Before Noon Menu

Poached Salmon with Brioche Toast Points & Herb Creme Fraiche

Haricovert with Pernod & Orange Zest

Blue Cheese Souffle

Pancetta

Fruit Salad (made by Vanessa Alssid) sweetened with fresh squeezed orange juice

To prevent food blog fatigue, I had to break these recipes down and make them into a series of separate blog posts. Those who can make it to the end will get to see how the whole brunch turned out. So hold off on your questions such as: "Did the souffle collapse like she feared?" or "Did they manage to get drunk before noon?"

For a GOOD Time... Visit Minnie Eat World Live from New York!

2007-12-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

December is a great time to be in New York for many reasons. If you're in the Soho area come down and visit me at the Open House, a sustainable venue located at 201 Mulberry Street (Between Prince & Kenmare), where I will be curating the Good December Cafe as part of Good Magazine's pop up community.

This is where I'll be for the next few weekends stationed at my DIY Pop Up Popcorn Stand. Come by, enjoy some free beverages, or make your own crazy pop corn concoction with my spread of surprising flavorings and spices from my own Vietnamese tamarind, Pop Rocks candy, to the Vermont cheddar cheese powder that Todd English allegedly uses as a supplement in his heavenly creamy Mac n' Cheese. Otherwise try some of my impromptu popcorn creations from Chorizo, cumin and peanut popcorn; orange chocolate popcorn with fresh orange zest, or my popular and seasonal white chocolate and crushed candy cane popcorn.

Next weekend I'm bringing on the bacon, so watch out.

If that's not enough you can also ....

Check out free moving screenings, make your own DIY crafts sponsored by the wonderfully crafty people at ETSY; leave a book take a book, grab a free record, or instant message with thought leaders from around in the world on various topics, such as, what's better, bacon or chorizo?

This GOOD IDEA was produced by Kyla Fullenwider, the woman behind the ground breaking NYC public art project, Garden in Transit, and Max Schorr, Publisher of Good Magazine, with the help of many talented collaborators and thinkers.

In Case You Missed It.

2007-11-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

It's officially party season. and if you want some insight on how to throw a fabulous themed holiday bash, check out my recent article in the Boston globe. Don't you fret, I have some more great party ideas and of course my holiday gift guide for foodies is around the corner.

PS. I did win the best costume contest at the 1957 party, but I couldn't put that in my piece.

Pictures courtesy of Mishka, author of the fabulous blog, Goodbye Volcano.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

2007-11-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

The universe has a funny way of correcting itself when the need arises. If you have a healthy relationship with openness and awareness you will recognize this and see minor frustrations and setbacks for what they are--signals and signposts that are leading you down the right path. Case in point-- the other night I was invited to a private dinner for Jacques Pepin in the home of Rebecca Alssid, head of BU's Culinary school which she established a number of years ago with the help of Julia Childs. Before heading out to dinner I was dismayed to find that my camera was busted, and I would not have a chance to snap pictures of this dinner for this blog. You can understand my frustration, I mean it's not every day I get invited to dinner with a group of world-class, and well renowned foodies. Yet, I believe the my broken camera was trying to tell me to step back, relax, enjoy this memorable dinner without trying to transform it into another photoshoot. And that's exactly what I did.

If you don't know about Jacques, then let me say that it is not hyperbole to state that he is a living legend in the food world. Long before the Food Network, before Chowhound.com, before the new wave of celebrity chefs on steroids, and before citizens bloggers like myself started pontificating about food on the information super highway, Jacques was cooking for Charles De Gaulle, spreading his gospel of French technique while starring in several television shows with Julia Childs, and writing around 18 cookbooks. He turned down a job at the White House to help start the Howard Johnson's chain of hotels, received a Master's Degree at Columbia in French poetry, has won Emmys and in 2004 was awarded the Légion d'honneur.

And so this was the man, who sat next to me eating chocolates after a satisfying dinner of beef bourguignon, made from a recipe from his new book, Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook (w/Tom Hopkins, 2007). Now, I'm not a sales person, but based on this dish alone, I recommend you go out and get this book. The beef was tender, moist, and delicious, and easy to make. Make it a day early, as Rebecca did, and the wine and flavors will taste even better when it reaches your plate.

That night, when I remarked how excited I was to have a home cooked dinner, and someone responded by saying, "Well, you've done a good job of setting the bar pretty high." Indeed, I did.

Buddha's Hand

2007-10-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Sadly, many weeks have passed since my last trip to LA, where I frolicked under the ungodly California sun, drank wine and danced in a honky tonk in dusty Santa Barbara, and felt up every piece of produce in the farmer's market and then subsequently sliced and diced it up for my dinner. Of course I had to have a relaxed, LA style dinner party with some rising stars in the food and entertainment world, whatever that means. But first I had to navigate through the poorly designed Whole Foods in West Hollywood.

Yes, I'm spoiled. I have my pick between two Whole Foods, one is the size of an airplane hangar, abundant with free samples, with broad, well organized aisles, an attractively laid out cheese and wine shop, and a salad bar that could serve the incoming freshman class at Harvard. Side note: do not be fooled by the overpriced, flavorless prepared foods at Whole Foods, which will always end up disappointing your wallet and your stomach, except for the sushi (but I'm sure my LA friends will want to weigh in on that).

Then there's what I call Le Petit Whole Foods, which is a postage stamp, but convenient for those last minute ingredients, and if you want to avoid extra calories from free sampling, because they have none. Also there's a Shaws, but in general I avoid it because I hate being asked for my Shaws card, and I end up buying too much soda and junk food just because it's there.

And really, let's not forget about the Harvest Co-op, which in its prime was a hang out for patchouli smelling, anti-globalization, hobo-esque trustafarians, and self styled hippie millionaires on paper, vegetarians who don't mind fly swatting rotting vegetables, goody-two shoes who enjoy schlepping their reusable containers to stock up on flax seed oil. I do, however enjoy browsing the community wall displaying the psyche of my 'hood, wallpapered with ratty flyers offering promises of a new shiny racing bike, a way to find my inner animal soul, a poetry reading honoring someone's private parts, and sleep studies that can make you rich, and sick, very quick. Recently they have installed a slick looking cafe with a preachy, but forgettable name and all too narrow entrance, which appears to have been designed to prevent people with wheelchairs from rolling in to get their vegan muffins. I admit I have not tested this theory out, but I have had the coffee and for $1.90 I expect it fresh brewed, and hot. No such luck.

Just behind the Harvest on Mondays in season there is a lovely farmer's market, which is the closest thing replicating the multicultural David Vichter murals that adorn the buildings of Central Square. My downstairs neighbor, Fi Fi, a graceful Ethiopian lady who has worked at the Middle East Restaurant for at least several decades now is on one the murals. The other day I ran into her in the breezeway, told her I was trying to be happy, and she told me in earnest not try too hard. Point taken. I will have to have her over for dinner to get the lowdown on how to be happy without trying. Maybe then I will be depicted on a whirling dervish mural exemplifying how happy I am to be a swath of color on an endless rainbow.

Trust me, I've seen worse stores. Even still, last summer in New York, with some quick thinking I was able to whip up a lovely summer meal from a grocery store in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, where the Notorious B.I.G. probably traded food stamps for disappointment back in the day.

But there's hope for me yet. My little store across the street is an Indian spice store where a my neighbor "Singh" presides over the delicious Chai and Newport Cigarettes. We have a ritual. I order chai. He asks me if I want sugar. I say no, I'm on a diet. He shakes his head at me, and then proceeds to add 3 spoonfuls of sugar, while looking me straight in the eyes. This has been going for years.

Around the corner is a Trader Joe's, which is great for a single gal like me. There I stock up on cheap, decent wine, yogurt, almonds, and sad, but well packaged frozen goods that I would not be caught buying anywhere else.

In past seasons I have frequented the two farmer's markets in Central Square and Cambridgeport, always visiting my Jamaican farmer Al, for callaloo and local honey, just to hear the lilt in his voice. He is my human scale, telling me if I'm fat or not, and depending on my level of fatness he will pare down or pump up my order. Then there's the Hmong herb stand, with an abundant selection of Thai basil, mint, bean sprouts, pea tendrils, and cilantro.

Sadly, I must lament the closing of my favorite Japanese grocery store, Yoshinoya, where I was a card carrying Yoshinoya reward points member. One day it was there, stocked with individually wrapped sweet Japanese cucumbers, stacked of bright jars of kimchee, shiny slabs of sushi grade tuna, seductive looking candies, mylar wrapped shumai dumplings, and earthy tubs of miso that sent signals to that heavenly Zen center in my clouded brain. And suddenly it was gone. Always the reward points, never the reward, I say.

Unlike in LA, I can walk to all of these place within 5 minutes and feel at home in the world. But I did not feel at home in this haphazard (Hollywood up to No good)Whole Foods. I wanted to make a deconstructed chacarero consisting of grilled flank steak, chimi churri sauce, and snappy green beans. First setback--there was no flank steak to be had behind the butcher's counter. I searched around the store with my over-sized and under-filled cart, looking for Abby to hep me do some damage control--my entire meal was in jeopardy. We stood in front of the butcher for 10 minutes trying to coax him out of that little piece of flank steak, that we were convinced was must have been hidden and overlooked in the walk-in in the back. In truth we were being annoying, pushy, East Coast girls who needed their meat, like yesterday. Well, I was at least. Resigned, we bought some other cut, hoping for the best. My plan B for these situations is to get everyone really wasted before dinner so they don't notice the lack of Flank in my tank. I bought a Buddha's hand citrus as a gift for Katie, because I thought it was beautiful and meaningful. But even I know that beauty and meaning are not for sale, and when we arrived at the bottlenecked register I wasn't even in the mood to browse through Shambahla Sun and Yoga Today magazines like I normally do. Instead, my Buddha's hand was holding up the impatient line growing behind me, while the clerk made small talk and called over the intercom for a price check on my piece of citrus. In the mean time, a group of guys recognized my friend Camille and I started mentally comparing the contents of our grocery carts, satisfied that we were destine dot have a better meal than they were.

Back at the ranch, I was feeling nervous cooking for people who I did not know very well. Even though I get all preachy about being fearless in the kitchen, I still get temporary moments of nervousness. Cooking is a pure expression of myself, it's how I see the world, it's my joy, my pain, and my love all laid out on a dish. I can be an exacting perfectionist, and sly dominatrix in the kitchen, which is such a contrast to my normal demeanor. My point is, once I cook a meal for you, we are no longer strangers, and there's no turning back.

Camille's kitchen is a cook's dream. For starters she had good knives, a thick butcher block, a sensible layout and shiny, expensive pans. Abby and I decide to do a very simple, quick marinade with our meat consisting of olive oil, garlic, tons of salt and pepper, and a little Worcestershire sauce. Good meat does not need much more than that.

Inevitably when someone comes over for dinner they ask to help, but don't really mean it. At first I was reluctant to ask Michael "Terry" Thomas, a chef who had been on the Food Network and the Tyra Banks show, to help. But pretty soon we were all having fun, blanching green beans and then plunging them into ice water, concocting micheladas, and collectivley wondering if the olive oil had turned rancid. It had.

The crux of my dish was chimi churri sauce which is essentially a Chilean "pesto" made with cilantro, parsley, garlic, shallots, chilies, and lime juice. I had eaten many times, but I had never in my life made it before, so I did what I do best--I just winged it. A week later, I receive a text message from Camille: " By the way is it bad that i'm still using the pesto sauce" My response was something like this: "No but its chimi churri sauce its freakin cold here"

Michael "Terry" Thomas was safely installed on grilling duty in the backyard. Always seizing upon teaching moments he demonstrates how to cook meat to temperature by pressing on various parts of his palm. I am pressing my palm right now, and I'd say the whole thing is pretty medium-rare. He shows us the manly way to tenderize meat and starts beating it with the blunt edge of his tongs while grease and gristle fly everywhere, like the way spit gets in your eyes when you're conversing with a close talker. By the way, I secretly create a file in my head for anyone that mentions the word gristle while eating meat in my presence. Camille comes up with a great solution for all of extra fat that came with the non-flank steak I purchased. She lovingly cut it up for her adorable pooches, which was true to her sweet and thoughtful nature. And sure enough, the meat was perfectly tender and tasty.

After dinner, Abby and I have some fun styling a photo shoot of "food in decline" a la Irving Penn, with photographers Eric Blackmon and Richard Guaty. These two are funny, amiable, and really into taking pictures. Loaded with their high powered cameras they intensely snap pictures of the remnants of our meal and analyze their shots in lingo I don't understand. Stuff about lighting, shutter speeds, angles and props.

At one point they both aim their cameras and Abby and I. They pause to review the photo, shake their heads, quietly consult with each other and say, "One more." Again, they pause, look at the second photo, and then tell us to do the old kiss each other on the cheek pose. Later on Abby and I laugh about how pathetic we are that two professional photogs couldn't take a good picture of us and then had to resort to the classic two girls kissing pose.

And then we all immediately fell into a group food coma...

October 10

2007-10-10T05:17:00.001-07:00

30 years ago today, I sprung forth from my mother's womb and became my own person with my own needs and desires. Last weekend I was feted by some wonderful friends in New York City. It was a hilarious night that was beyond my expectations, involving impromptu toasts, hijacked limousines, and of course lots of Sake, Patron and Champagne. This is a picture of my "world premiere" birthday cake made of foie gras and chocolate, two of my favorite things on earth.

My friend Meg took me to the weekly Saturday farmer's market in Fort Greene. We sampled fresh fuji apple juice, spicy and perfectly crunchy home made kimchee green beans. I swallowed Concord grapes as they popped out of their tannic skins and slipped down my throat. Yes, that was me sniffing and man handling the plump tomatoes in so many gorgeous shapes and shades they could be strung into a dripping necklace.

Fancy cakes, party dresses, and top shelf liquor is fine by me, but the thing I love most is cooking and eating with my friends. Our Sunday night dinner was a collaborative effort where everyone played a integral part in pulling together a memorable meal. Meg and Ben made homemade whole wheat pasta that became its own form of performance art. There is beauty and lyricism in all of the rolling, kneading and stretching. My sister and I made bolognese sauce from thick, spicy Italian sausages that were liberated from their casing form. Kyla and Max set the scene with a welcoming table top, and set the mood with candle light, reminding me that it isn't about setting the table, but about setting the tone. It was simple, delicious, and an unforgettable time. Yes indeed, it is a good time to be thirty.

Letter to a Young Food Writer

2007-09-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

When people ask me what I "do" I tell them that I write about food, cooking, and dining culture. I know it sounds vague. Usually people assume that I write restaurant reviews, and get free meals because that's what dominates much of the PR driven media coverage when it comes to food. Ethical questions aside, there's no such thing as a free meal in food writing.

The proliferation of the blogosphere has helped to lower the barrier to entry in food writing. It's still staggering to me that with relative ease even a luddite can set up their own blog in minutes and begin broadcasting their viewpoints across the globe. One of the most touching experiences when I started blogging occurred when a South Asian immigrant living in London wrote to me to ask me how to cook the free anchovies he got from his Italian grocer. I hope my advice helped.

While editing Hungry? Boston I have come across many promising writers who aspire to be food writers. The lucrative business of seminars on food writing draw many ambitious food writers who are willing to fork over big bucks to learn the secrets of the trade from how to pitch, how to talk to editors without sounding like an idiot, how to come up with story ideas, etc...

Most of them won't make it. Very few can handle the fierce competition, the self imposed poverty, the inbred insecurity, and the swinging pendulum between the lonely solitude of writing and the exposure of putting yourself out there.

So, before you drop your fork to pick up a pen and piece of paper, take some of the lessons I've learned for what it's worth. And to quote Kanye West, "Welcome to the Good Life."

You have to have a strong stomach to be a food writer, and accept that you will always have somewhat of a spare tire, even if your clothing hides it well.

You have to cultivate loyal friendships, so your friends are more willing to put up with your numerous disastrous attempts at making souffle while drunk on champagne. With tears in their eyes, they end up chopping onions, doing the dreaded dishes and holding the hot stuff, while you take all the credit that they deserve.

You have to tip well, and possibly be the tip monitor for those who have never worked in the service industry. Gracefully, they sacrifice social lives and family holidays to serve 0thers and that deserves proper renumeration.

It is a glamorous job, only if you are passionate about food, cooking, and writing. In my mind, anyone who spends their days doing what they truly love has a glamorous job. I was never an early riser until I started seriously writing. I began calling my friends early in the mornings to chat while they were stuck in traffic on their way to work and they would ask me, what was wrong and why was I up so early. I had spent my entire life telling myself that I was NOT a morning person. But then curiously, suddenly my body started to spring out of bed just after dawn and the urge to get to my writing would rise up inside me. I changed my behavior after all those years, without conscious debate, because I now had a good reason to start my day early to pursue my true gift and passion.

Just because you eat out alot does not mean that you are an authority on food. Most people in the world cannot afford to eat out regularly in restaurants. The best food I've ever tasted was made in someone's home. Think about it. When was the last time someone invited you over for dinner? In the United States a home cooked meal is facing extinction, and the $537 billion restaurant industry is counting on it.

You have to be okay with disappointing people. As soon as you put yourself out there you will be opening yourself up to criticism. Learn to deal with it. If you have something meaningful to say, people will be quick to point out why you're wrong. Every time I go into a modern art exhibit and I overhear people foolishly saying, "I could have painted that." The response in my head is always, "Well you didn't." Don't let those dissonant voices live rent free in your head--it will your writing into a fearful mush.

Why am I giving away my free advice when I mentioned above how competitive this business is? Because I believe in myself, my words and ideas. I know I'm not the only person on earth who can construct a good sentence. But I know that I have something important to contribute to the conversation, just as every human being does. Unfortunately, I was not born with this good self esteem. From an early age I was taught to take up as little space in the world as possible, my survival depended upon it. My father and I escaped Vietnam in the early 1980's as one of the "boat people" and I spent my early years in cramped, crowded quarters--first in a refugee camp, and then as an immigrant living in tiny apartments with many others in the same dismal situation.

By reaching out, and asking for support I have dealt with this traumatic start to my life. I have had countless cheerleaders and mentors who believed in me before I believed in myself. This kindness was not lost on me and I believe that all humans deserve to have a place in this world where they are valued, and able to live out their lives with dignity, meaning, and passion.

I almost drowned in the South China Sea because the boat was dilapidated and overcrowded, so I have learned to handle competition by completely turning the notion on its head.

Wherever I Go The People Always Know... How Much I Love to Eat!

2007-08-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I attended the wedding for my friends Dave and Anna at the Glen Magna Estate in Danvers. It was a lovely, low-key, garden style affair made complete by many personalized touches, including these adorable gift baskets with English tea and the sweetest strawberries I've tasted all summer. What a nice surprise!

Behold this perfect dessert plate I got from the dessert bar! The cream was obviously hand whipped, which I appreciated.

Nothing hits the my zen center like a good old vegetarian lunch at the Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center located at 950 Mass Ave., between Central and Harvard Square. For less than six bucks enjoy some soup and a heaping plate of Chinese vegetarian dishes from steamed vegetables to tofu and mushrooms wrapped in seitan. Everything on the menu is vegan, except for the bubble teas, which contain some dairy. Now that's what I call guilt-free eating.

Don't worry, while your waiter may be a Buddhist monk, they will not try to proselytize you.

This is a great place to have a tranquil lunch, or to catch up on your summer reading.

I'm easily seduced by interesting and unusual products I find at the grocery store, like these preserved lemons and organic raisins from Whole Foods.

These impulse buys were transformed into a dish of Morrocan chicken with preserved lemons and raisins. The raisins plumped up nicely as it was cooked along with the chicken stock.

It's My Party and I'll Fry If I want To...

2007-08-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Chris Young

One of my pet peeves is when people invite parties of more than 10 people out for their birthday. It's uncomfortable for the waitstaff, overwhelming for fellow diners, bad turnover for the bottom line, and someone always ends up getting stiffed. Next time, rent a private dining room, or go all out like my friend Chris Young, hired his own chef, and took over the Middlesex Lounge the other night to host 30 of his closest friends to a delightful eight-course dinner. I know because I cooked it myself.

I must commend the intrepid eaters who endured my marathon tasting menu, which progressed in the following order:

Blue Fin Poke with Pickled Mung Beans & Ginger

Corn Fritters with Chili Aioli

Oleana Deviled Eggs

Grilled Chorizo on Brioche with Orange and Chocolate

Fresh Champagne Grapes, Lime, Cilantro and a Champagne Float

Heirloom Tomato Salad, Fennel, Great Hill Blue Cheese & Pancetta

Sake & Soy Short Ribs with Pineapple, Cucumber, Mint, & Sprouts Salad

Lobster Paella

Artfully decorated cupcakes, made by Stephanie

This endeavor was planned on a whim only 48 hours in advance.

Day 1

Early on Saturday we headed out to Russo's in Watertown to stock up on fresh produce for our eight-course tasting menu. We also purchased beautiful summer hydrangea and fragrant Casablanca lilies to be arranged simply in clear glasses.

I picked up some sweet Champagne grapes that reminded me of oversized caviar and undersized bubble tea pearls for a surprise course.

Next we headed to Whole Foods to pick up some boneless beef short ribs, and other ingredients from our excel spreadsheet.

Don't be fooled by the previously frozen sashimi tuna at Whole Foods. You must have fresh sashimi grade blue fin tuna for poke, or you might as well order takeout. I picked up eight pounds of the good stuff at the New Deal Market on Cambridge Street. Thanks to owner Carl, for keeping his shop open just for me. By the way, he's gonna think I'm cuckoo because it's midnight and I just left him a message to see if he has any Branzini, which I just had at Dante for Restaurant Week.

Day 2

In the morning I call Market Basket to reserve an order of 25 lobsters, shrimp, and mussels for Chris to pick up at their deli counter. I felt nervous sending him out there for his first time because the place is nutty on Sundays, but he came through beautifully. Conventional wisdom dictates that one should avoid seafood on Sundays. After all, Catholic tradition is to eat fish on Fridays. Fortunately, the seafood tasted fresh and was reasonably priced and convenient.

The first thing I do before I start cooking is set up my mise en place. In between prepping Chris and I configure the dining room and decorate with our fresh flowers.

I finish off the ribs, which have been marinated overnight and cooking slowly for hours on end.
I choose plates as I visual what the dishes will look like. Heaven help me; I ruthlessly executed more than two dozen lobsters from Market Basket.

With the help of Alex, Christine, and Chris's sister, Shelley Young, I put out the initial courses
while I prepared the paella a la minute. They were amazing.

I promised Shelley that I would post the recipe for the ribs so she could make it for her boyfriend, in spite of the fact that she's a vegetarian. Now that's very sweet. I hope he makes her vegetarian dishes from time to time.

Sake-Soy Braised Short Ribs, adapted from Food & Wine recipe

5 pounds ribs, in this case boneless
1/3 cup sake
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
7 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
fresh ground pepper
4 cups beef stock
2 scallions, sliced on the bias
5 dried star anise

To Make The Marinade

1. Rub the ribs all over with granulated sugar and sake and let sit, covered for 15 minutes.

2. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, scallions, brown sugar and sesame oil. Add water and stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in vegetable oil and pepper. Marinate over night. Make sure to bring the ribs to room temperature before cooking.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and drain the ribs, reserving the marinade.

4. Brown the ribs in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, about 4 minutes on each side.

5. Place browned ribs in a roasting pan.

My "loose" mirepoix

Traditionally mirepoix is a mixture of diced carrots (25%), onions (50%), and celery (25%), comprising the base for many French based stocks, soups, and stews. My loose version is based on what is around my kitchen. In this case, I added fennel because it goes well with star anise; and baby leeks, which arrived from my farm share. Leeks are a supposedly a diuretic which is highlighted in the book, French Women Don't Get Fat.

2 carrots
1 leek
1 large onion
1 cup fennel
2 celery ribs

Chop all of the ingredients and brown on medium-high in a pan with a few 2 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil.

Cover ribs with the mirepoix mixture.

In a pot, bring beef stock, anise, and 1 cup of reserved marinade to a boil. Add liquid to the ribs in the roasting pans, cover with aluminum in the oven until the meat is soft and falling apart, about 4 hours. Be sure to turn the ribs halfway through. Cool down and refrigerate. When the ribs are cold, skim the fat off the top of the ribs, using a spoon. Before serving, reheat for 30 minutes in the oven at 350 and trim off excess fat before serving.

Think You Can Cook Better Than a 5th Grader?

2007-08-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Notice the look of concentration on my kids' faces as they nimbly prepare summer peach and blueberry tarts 100% from scratch. These kids make it look so easy.

I hope my kids will walk away from my cooking class with the idea of what I learned early on in life. There is a simple and astonishing joy to be had from making something out of nothing. From working with your hands to create something beautiful, one of a kind, and irresistably edible.

Blueberry and Peach Tart Recipe

To Make Crust:

Mix 1 .5 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar in bowl.

Add 10 tablespoons of cold butter.

I prefer to use the hand mixing method. Using your fingers, rub the butter and flour together to create a cornmeal like consistency.

Mix in 2 egg yolks.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of ice water.

Form the dough into a ball with your hands.

Flatten, wrap, and freeze for 15 minutes.

***Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Make Fruit Filling:

Peel 2-3 fresh peaches. Cut into 1/4 inch slices.

Add 1 pint blueberries and 2 tablespoons sugar

Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and zest of one lemon, chopped. Mix well.

Roll out the dough. If you want to make individual tarts, divide the dough evenly and roll into a ball and roll out. The dough recipe makes 4 small tarts, 2 medium tarts, or 1 large tart.

Arrange fruit mixture on tart.

With a pastry brush , brush melted butter and honey mixture the dough and fruit,

Finish the tart by rolling up the sides and pinching to secure.

Brush some additional butter and honey mixture on top of the finished tart.
This beautiful, one-of-a-kind summer tart is ready to go into the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

Voila!

The Poor Man's Margarita

2007-08-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

My first taste of the michelada was on a very memorable trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico in 1999. I was hanging out at Los Arcos, a popular outdoor cafe in the center of town. When you order Corona there they bring you an ice filled bucket with about a half dozen adorable Coronitas.

I was there alone on a Sunday evening enjoying a michelada on my birthday. There was a live band playing melodic and percussive mestizo music. After the band's set the drummer, approached me and we started this convoluted conversation about music and philosophy, the plight of indigenous people of Mexico and god knows what else. I say the conversation was convoluted because when two people speak different languages you grab the words you understand, and this leaves you wide open to any turn the conversation takes. It started to downpour like a monsoon under our flimsy tented cover when I said something insipid like, La lluvia es bueno para los arboles. He looked over his shoulder to point out a couple making out on a nearby table and stated La lluvia es bueno para los novios, tambien. Apparently we were both right.

To make a michelada start by rimming a glass with fresh lime.

Roll the glass in salt, preferably kosher salt.

Squeeze the juice of one fresh lime into the glass.

Add ice, and a Mexican beer such as Corona, Pacifico, Dos Equis, Tecate.

OPTIONAL: Add a little bit of tabasco and worcestershire sauce for a little kick.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2007-08-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

What I can't get across to you is the incredible smell of these green tomatoes plucked fresh from my father's garden at twilight on a summer evening. My father planted his garden over 20 years ago to grow fresh fragrant herbs, spicy chili peppers, crunchy cukes, Asian eggplants, bitter melon, and an assortment of items that I only know the name of in Vietnamese. Today, these tomatoes will make a simple and beautiful dish of fried green tomatoes.

Get your mise en place set up for dredging with flour, egg, and a mixture of Italian bread crumbs and panko. Dredge 1/4 inch slices of fresh green tomatoes in flour, egg, then crumbs.

Pan fry tomatoes in hot olive oil on medium high for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt and pepper.

DO: Sprinkle a few drops of water in the hot oil. If it sizzles then it's ready for frying.

When finished line on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.

Fried green tomatoes with pancetta, grass fed ribeye au poivre with roquefort sauce and maitake mushrooms.

Future Thomas Kellers?

2007-07-25T06:34:00.001-07:00

These are my most unabashed critics, and also my cooking pupils for the summer. They have shown their potential with their bravery in the kitchen. Many have had their first taste of lychee, rosewater,and local fennel and champagne grapes. Grinding cumin with a mortar and pestle they have closed their eyes to take in the memory if its smell. This is what I did on my summer vacation.

I Knew it: It's a Man's World Afterall

2007-07-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what this guy has in his bag? That casual, confident swagger can only mean one thing...

Feeling manly? Feeling Pocky?

A Saturday afternoon at the Porter Exchange is a time well spent. Kotobukiya, a great Japanese grocery store, carries everything you need to stock up your Japanese pantry from fresh shisho, to quail eggs and sushi grade tuna, to a dazzling selection of gender specific pocky.

I was eyeing this Hello Kitty vending machine in the bcak when a grown man swooped in front of me to claim his prize. That's what's cool about being a grown up, you don't have to beg your parents for quarters.

Now you're hungry from that testosterone rush. Grab a seat at Ittyo and order what looks good off of their picture menu. Don't be shy to share a communal table with strangers, you can spy on what they're eating and eavesdrop on their conversation, err if you know Japanese that is...

Unbelievable tofu in dashi broth with pickled ginger at Ittyo.

If This Trash Could Talk

2007-07-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

I was so engrossed in reading Good Magazine the other day that I missed my subway stop completely. Brooklyn artist Katherine Hubbard, chronicled a year of her trash in a stunning photo project, an evocative personal accounting of consumption and waste. Check it out here.

I think I will be good and make Sasha Issenberg's gracefully illustrated piece on the global sushi market by into a birthday card.

He is the author of The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy. I think I'll get that after I finish Michael Pollen's, The Omnivore's Dilemma.

RAT-A-TOUILLE!

2007-07-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

I can only talk about this now after clocking in some serious hours in therapy. You see I have a major phobia of all rodents. This means keeping your cute little kid with his new pet guinea pig or hamster the hell away from me. This means my own unborn children will cry endlessly in the pet store in years to come. This means dead, alive, fake and plush, there is no room in my repertoire of neuroses for any rodent of any kind. Except, maybe, Minnie Mouse. But this is also the logic I apply to not eating pork unless it's been processed into bacon, chorizo, pepperoni, or prosciutto.

A few weeks ago after returning home from a relaxing walk I stood over my stove to squeeze lemon into an oversalted pot of collard greens when I was viciously bitten by a rat. I did not see the vile creature straight on. But I knew instantly from its aggressiveness and from the corner of my eye, that I was under attack. The next few moments were a blur of shock and complete breakdown. It did not break my skin, but for days my foot ached with the memory of the incident seared into my foot from a growing bruise and two toothy indentations on my foot.

Later on, the pest control professional we hired confirmed that the rat had come in through our open window. I never imagined living on the third floor of a tall apartment building that these vile creatures could scale walls. Apparently, someone is gutting two very old buildings on my block, which contributed to the problem.

As you can imagine, I did not enter my own kitchen for many days. I did not cook a thing and I was devastated. I felt so violated in my own sanctuary. Was this some kind of guerilla promo for the movie Rataouille? Suddenly Ratatouille was every where-on tv, popping up on my myspace page. Oh the irony of the two things I love most--Paris, and chef's kitchens, combined with the thing that I despise most. Looming over the Javitts Center in where I attended the Fancy Food Show was a giant unavoidable poster for Ratatouille. Was the universe conspiring against me?

Again I remind myself that this was an isolated incident- a freak accident. I keep reminding myself that I'm okay. I keep cooking in my kitchen because it's what makes me get up in the morning. It's what makes my world go around. It's what I love. Rat or no rat.

The Perfect Summer Dinner

2007-07-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Summer time and the living is easy--especially when I'm having a dinner party with my good friends Meg & Kyla, in New York. On the menu were: tortilla with homemade aioli, Meg's handcrafted fruit tart, sangria, fresh corn with cumin-lime wands, gazpacho, and watermelon, cucumber, feta & mint salad.

The trick to pulling off a good dinner party is to keep thing simple and manageable and to make everything as beautiful and eye catching as possible. It was hot that night and we hardly "cooked" anything, except for the tortilla and the corn. We relied on fresh herbs and colorful produce to add flavor, and enticing aromas to create delicious and eye-catching dishes. Best of all our dinner party cost only $60 for 12 people, less than the cost of one dinner out in New York.

I'd like to call a moratorium on gratuitous mesclun greens. This simple salad is eye catching and refreshing.

I knew when I cut into this tortilla that it was personal best. It had the heft and weight that a good tortilla should have. Instead of pouring the egg directly into the pan of cooked potatoes and onion, place the onion/potato mixture into a bowl and pour in the eggs and gently mix. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then pour it back into the pan to cook.

Gazpacho was made by blending tomatoes, red peppers, cucumber, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil and a splash of vinegar.

DO: Display your homemade creations in your vintage Le Creuset cookware. It makes a great conversation piece and reduces dishes.

Bits and Pieces

2007-07-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Forget about 22 inch rims and a drop top. I've decided that when I have a mid life crisis I'm going to get this hand made La Cornue stove that I saw in the Joanne Hudson showroom in Philadelphia.

There is no place on earth a more perfect and exciting to me as Fenway Park on a summer evening with Dice K on the mound. I'm biased though, as I did grow up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, beloved home of the Paw Soxs. I have admiration for those young yellow shirts who navigate the stands peddling their goods the old fashioned way since 1912. The smell of the famous Fenway Frank is as seductive and overpowering to me as a trail of freshly shaved white truffles across a finely carpeted dining room. Last night, one of the concession workers deployed a unique approach for lightening his load by repeatedly announcing, "Get your processed meat!" during an exciting 6th inning. He stopped at my row, and said, " See it works every time," as he passed a dog down my row to an eager fan.

Lobster Alert!

2007-07-03T13:12:00.001-07:00

I called a good friend in Maine today, excited to tell her that I had received a hot tip on some lobsters for $7.99 per pound. She replied, oh yea they're $4.99 down here on the pier, a reminder that Maine does trump Boston for lobsters. If lobsters are the insignia for New England dining then there is no better place to get a cheap lobster than the deli at the local Market Basket store. This is a first rate New England grocery store where the lobsters are quietly hidden behind the deli counter, among other earthly delights. This is a place where you take an orange ticket and patiently wait your turn. The professionals at MB have a special repore with children who are dragged to the grocery store with their parents, kindly offering them slices of honey baked ham and roasted turkey.

Ever since that summer clambake in Truro, I've been known as the go to girl for lobster executions. I was adamant that the more humane way to kill a lobster was to stab its head to detach its nerve system instead of letting it steam slowly in a death pit. I think I methodically stabbed all 25 lobsters that day just to prove my own point.

But suddenly I was here in my kitchen with two lobsters on my hands and I didn't feel so righteous or brave. I was about to crack under the weight of my Buddhist guilt when I remembered Trevor Corson's article December 24, 2005 entitled,

How to Kill a Lobster, Dedicated to David Foster Wallace.

I could think of no better way to honor these fallen lobsters than to
make them the main attraction to my saffron scented Spanish Paella.

In a large pan, brown 1 large chopped onions, 2 sliced chorizo sausages, and 4 cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil. Add 6 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 tsp. saffron and 1/2 cup of dry white wine. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour out the liquid and set aside, keeping the onion and sausage mixture in the pan. Add the lobster claws and tails, cooking until hey turn slightly pink. Remove lobster from pan and set aside.

Return reserved stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of aborio rice to liquid. Simmer, stirring often until 1/2 of the liquid is absorbed. Add a cup of frozen peas. Add two large handfuls of scrubbed mussels and 3 tbsp. of fresh chopped parsley, salt & pepper.

After the mussels are open, add the cooked lobster to the pan, stirring the mixture, on med-low for 5 minutes.

Here' s picture of the final product... Lobster Paella

We also enjoyed some lobster tamale toasts, stuffed clams, and fresh local, corn.

Minnie's Guide to Wedding Gifting

2007-06-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Wedding season is in full swing. Not only am I'm faced with the dilemma of choosing between chicken, beef, or vegetarian options, but now I have to choose something from an over-picked gift registry? Well forget about all that. Here are my picks for elegant, useful, and beautifully made wedding gifts for the foodies you love. Click on the pictures for more information.

1. Walnut Pepper Mill, MOMA Design Store, $140.

2. I love this eye popping Italian designed bowl from MOMA Design Store, $65.

3. Champagne glasses should as light and airy as the bubbles dancing in them. These Riedel crystal champagne flutes were designed to reflect light and enhance effervescence that will help make every day a celebration! Amazon, set of four, $39.68.

4. These hand crafted serving plates from Christopher Jagmin will be a conversation piece for a long time to come. The numbered series are custom made in your choice of odd and even numbers . Christopher Jagmin, e-mail for prices.

5. New Englanders consume the most amount of ice cream per capita. How about a floral Ice Cream scoop for the gadget crazy couple? Have they not thought of everything yet? Napa Style, $42.

6. For the couple that loves to entertain, this wooden appetizer tray has slots to fit up to 8 wine glasses and plenty of room to pile on some yummy nibbles. This tray will elevate any workaday picnic. Napa Style, $55.99.

7. These Italian made nesting earthenware bakers are versatile, space saving, and will look striking tableside. Napa Style, set of three, $128.

8. I don't know who this Chef Yossi guy is, but his hand care gift pack contains some of the best hand lotions and soaps I've ever tried. Designed to eliminate food odors and sooth burnt and beaten hands, this set comes in an attractive wooden gift box. Napa Style, $68.99.

9. Add the word French to any product description and I'm sold. This French Folding Carving Set is made of carbonized steel and chrome with a Laguiole blade, both fold beautifully in the giftable wooden box. Carving sets are the new steak knives, and I'm definitely getting this for a sepcial couple who are getting hitched in August. Napa Style, $103.99.

10. Salt is just salt right? Apparently not. This selection of 24 artisanal salts from all over the world comes attractively packaged in a bamboo case. Napa Style, $148.99

11. Chocolate fountains are the hottest trend in celebrity weddings. What's more romantic and fun than some fresh summer strawberries dipped in a fountain of chocolate? Comes with a choice of dark chocolate and milk chocolate. Napa Style, $ 79.99.

Looking for Foodie Contributors

2007-06-26T13:43:00.001-07:00

Local Boston contributors wanted for upcoming dining and drinking guide to Boston called Hungry?/Thirsty Boston: The Lowdown on Where Real People Eat and Drink. Focus is on interesting restaurants, cafes, tea houses, and bars (all types—diners, trendy, global, American, Bostonian, live music, hamburger/hot dog stands, etc ;) in the city.

This is your chance to support your favorite local restaurant and let the world know why dining and drinking in Boston is so great. Foodies of all occupations and day jobs are encouraged to apply. So if you know Boston and care to share your neighborhood secrets, we want to hear from you!

You get a full byline after every review/sidebar you write, and you get a 2-3 line bio in the back of the book. You get the pleasure of seeing your name and opinions in print, and available through all major booksellers. Thousands of people will read your words. You get to support your favorite restaurant/eatery (many of which are small, family-owned businesses that appreciate the attention—they can’t afford an advertising budget).

And, you receive a complimentary copy of the published book and a deep discount on additional copies.

If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, please reply to minh@dopamine-records.com, or e-mail me from this blog, with HUNGRY BOSTON in the subject line, and I’ll provide more information and samples.

Taberna De Haro

2007-06-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

It seems funny to only now be reviewing a restaurant that I have loved for so long. While some storefronts are cursed by a rotation of failed restaurants, Taberna De Haro, on the corner of Beacon and St. Mary's Street in Brookline, is a blessing to the Boston dining scene.

I have a connection to this particular space. One of my first restaurant jobs in Boston was the summer in college when I worked as a waitress at Cafe Jaffa off of Newbury Street. Jaffa's owners, Danny and Moishe, also owned a brick oven pizza place on the site where Taberna is located. A husband and wife team from Spain took over the auspicious address of 999 Beacon Street, deciding to utilize the existing brick oven to heat their tapas. It was a smart move. The well seasoned brick oven imparts flavors to the tapas that can't be replicated.

My one complaint about Taberna has always been the lighting. On every occasion I wished that the lights were dimmer, especially in such a small cozy space. I suppose because all of the cooking action takes place in an entirely open kitchen, the demands of safety superceded the lighting situation. But on my last visit I noticed that the lighting was much more warm and intimate, with candle light reflecting off the caramel wood and glass front. While did wait for some time, we were greeted with very friendly, knowledgable and attentive service staff.

This picture of potato salad demonstrates how the lighting has improved for dining, but not for picture taking. Oh well, every meal can't be a photo shoot.It was a perfect amuse bouche because it instantly made me crave more food.

The Special of the Night:
Sole with tomato and onion salad. Normally I wouldn't waist a keystroke writing about tomatoes in off season, but this salad, made with roma tomatoes from Georgia, had a great crunch, with sweet sulfury onions, and fresh oregano which demanded to be eaten with the delicate sole. I think this dish hit upon all the things that I adore about how the chefs at Taberna stylize their brand of Spanish cooking. Their food is simple, fresh, and possesses its own grace. Our server took pride in their naturally raised meats from River Rock Farm. There's also lots of room for adventure if you're willing to try the frogs legs, or oxtail stew. I've had both, and they're quite good.

A plate piled with tapas, or pinchos, as they call it. It included, solomill0, steak with Asturian blue cheese, and Anchoates, premium anchovies with boiled egg, roasted green peppers, and tomato.

The black ink paella came out looking like a fine piece of abstract modern art.

Who's Hungry in Boston?

2007-06-25T04:33:00.000-07:00

Oh naughty Minnie... sitting in Cambridge traffic was never so much fun as seeing Minnie strapped to a Mack truck with her skirt hiked up.

In other news-- I'm happy to announce that I have been chosen to be the editor for a restaurant guide book called Hungry? Boston and a new bar guide book called Thirsty? Boston which will be published in the fall. These guide books will reveal where the real people like to eat.

I will be looking for foodie contributors who are interested in writing about the restaurants, bars, and cafes that they love, so stay tuned.

Ever think about blogging? To find out how blogging has helped my food writing career, check out Penelope Trunk's column in the Boston Sunday Globe.

Vote for Minnie Eat World

2007-06-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know I'm coming late in the game but I'm going for it anyways. Apparently culinate.com is having a contest to send one food blogger and one culinate.com reader to a Grilling Master Class in Napa Valley. The food blogger is chosen by online votes from fans. Now normally I try not to get wrapped up in these marketing ploys, but I could use a free trip to Napa Valley, and some grilling action, which of course, I would share on Minnie Eat World.

Click here to enter, or vote for Minnie Eat World.

Ortanique is Quite Irie

2007-06-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

Perhaps there would be hope for British cuisine if you took into account the cuisines of those countries that they colonized, such as the Jamaicans.

Jamaicans take great pride in their indigenous Taino roots, as well as an eclectic culture that is united by uplifting music, and a sensual landscape, containing a bounty of edible resources. Premium coffee, sugar, callaloo, ackee, sorrel, mangos, pineapple, coconuts and of course, herbs, flourish there.

As far as I know, Ortanique, a family run Jamaican restaurant in the docile village of West Cambridge, is the only place in the area that serves home made sorrel drink. This highly anti-oxidant beverage, made from dried sorrel leaves, is packed with zesty fresh ginger that will clean out your system, making it the perfect hangover cure.

I'm a firm believer that every culture has its own dumpling, and the Jamaican beef patties are a delicious and snacky variety. I've had callaloo and lobster patties made to order at Niah's hut on the beach in Negril.

I recommend trying the eskoveitch, or escabache fish, one of my favorite Jamaican dishes. Eskoveitch refers to sauce that the fish, usually snapper or tilapia, is prepared with. Its key ingredients are lime juice, vinegar, scotch bonnet peppers, onion, carrots, and allspice. The fish tasted fresh and had the perfect balance of acid and flavor. I had to pause for a moment of reflection over the perfectly cooked and buttery cabbage that was on my plate.

If you go to Ortanique expect a modest, but charming space with communal tables and copies of Saveur to browse through while you wait for your food. Prepare to be won over by the homegrown hospitality from owner Leon, who is never to busy to check in and see how you are doing. Expect ridiculously good value for money which makes me feel like I am wasting money by NOT eating there. Just one warning, they are closed on Sundays and Mondays, so don't set yourself up for disappointment.

Farm Share Fantasies

2007-06-12T12:55:00.001-07:00

I must admit that there is a part of me who longs for the simplicity of living off the earthly fruits earned through painstaking labor. I get this from my father, a meticulous gardener who beat out all of the old aunties with his prized scorching hot peppers. He is a magisterial man who would never throw a good fish back into the sea. Once, he gave me a three-foot bass that he fished out of Narragansett Bay. Ruefully, I accepted this gift, knowing I would have no place to store a fish of this size. At the time my friend was living in a vegetarian co-op. I convinced him to let me store it in their extra fridge, with the intention of inviting the whole neighborhood over for a fish fry. Well, I lost my nerve. The poor fish remained there until the vegetarians discovered it one day and got pissed, threatening homelessness upon my loyal friend. Oh well, sweet dreams are made of these.

While I plan out my adulthood garden in my mind, I have my weekly farm share as my muse.

I opened my box up today to discover a beautiful arrangement deserving of a moment in time before I chop and shred and eat it to pieces. Already in the two weeks since I've had it I've tried two new vegetables I've never eaten-kohlrabi and broccoli rabe.

Last week I whipped up this quiche with organic spinach, pancetta, and mozzarella cheese.

Sopranos Dinner

2007-06-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

Was anyone else disappointed with the Sopranos finale on Sunday night? I thought for sure Tony was gonna sing to the Feds. It left me with all kinds of existential dilemmas. Well, at least there are some leftovers from the Italian feast I made last night.

On the menu were Minnie's Homemade Meatballs in Marinara, Spaghetti Alla Carbonara and
Fresh Spinach and Mozzarella Salad with Fried Anchovies, and Tiramisu for dessert.

Take your time when preparing meatballs with marinara sauce. I always find that it tastes better if you can give yourself a day in advance to prepare it. This will make you less crazy and allow time for the flavors to intensify.

Marinara:

Start with olive oil, large chopped onion & garlic in a medium low skillet. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Try to avoid burning the garlic like I sometimes do, or else it will taste bitter.

When the onions are soft, add a 28oz. can of diced tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. You can use fresh chopped tomatoes if they're in season, but above all else do not buy those overpriced flavorless tomatoes if they're not in season. New Jersey tomatoes are incredible in late summer, as are local heirloom tomatoes.

Next, add some seasoning to your sauce. I keep it simple with a little salt, pepper and a spoonful of sugar. Finish with fresh basil at the end.

Meatballs:

Start with two spicy Italian sausages, taken out of their casing, and mixed with a fork.

Add ground beef, grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, fresh chopped parsley, and salt and pepper.

Mix ingredients with a fork.

Beat 2 eggs and add to the meat mixture to form generously sized meatballs

Over medium heat, brown the meatballs in a skillet.

Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Simmer meatballs in marinara for 2o minutes.

Miner Update

2007-06-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

I just got an e-mail from Jack Edwards from Miner Winery with good news.

Minnie,
Just reading your blog.
The 2005 Wild Yeast Chardonnay should be hitting the shelves soon. July 1st from the winery. Same with the new vintage of Viognier 2006!

Hooray! If you see it on a wine list, or in a shop let me know, as they don't ship wines to Massachusetts.

Cooking Notes

2007-06-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Do you see the world through rose colored corn like I do?

Try this bi-color corn available at Whole Foods. This corn changes to a paler color when it's cooked.

Melt some unsalted butter and add a pinch of cumin, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper.

Cut up lime wedges. Pierce the lime skin with a fork to create a "brush." Dip the lime into the butter mixture and brush the corn with the seasoned butter.

Softshell crab on toasted brioche with arugula and radish salad. Yes, it looks beautiful, but it was not my favorite meal. The crab I think was a little off.

My newest obsession is Spaghetti alla Carbonara, which makes a great brunch dish because it has pancetta and eggs. I added peas and fresh parsley for texture and color.

We paired it with local, organic kale and broccoli harvested in the rain on Monday by students at the Farm School. There a more shares available and prices will be pro-rated for those who missed the first week. Contact Jennifer at 978.249.2656 or via e-mail at jennifer@farmschool.org.

Midsummer Night's Dream

2007-06-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes me want to emerge from the pale cocoon of New England winter more than the prospect of dining outdoors. Here are my picks so far:

Westport, MA
Situated between Buzzard's Bay and the Rhode Island Sound is my favorite summer escape in the town of Westport, MA. An easy hour and a half drive from Boston, Westport Rivers Vineyard, is arguably one of the best local wine producers in New England. Do take advantage of their $7 wine tasting with a selection of sparkling and white wines. We are gathering quite a collection of their commemorative champagne flutes, which comes free with the tasting. They offer good discounts on their wines in their store.

We enjoyed a homemade picnic accompanied with glasses of bubbly overlooking the tethered grapevines, before hitting Horseneck Beach. Everyone, including baby Cassius, had a great time.

Oleana
It started with an unyielding craving for Anna Sortun's famous deviled eggs. Since we live down the street, Alex, my sister Duckie and headed over to Oleana, hoping we could snag a spot before the dinner rush set in.

When we got there at 6:30 PM, we were told to come back at 8:30 to sit outside in their garden patio. What a stroke of luck! It was the opening night of their patio season.

In the interim our friend Tim called and we asked him to join us for an al fresco dinner. He had just gotten off work and was concerned that his attire would be too casual for dinner. I explained to him that in Cambridge no one cares about how you're dressed for dinner. For the most part this is true. My only rule is that a man should be wearing pants at dinner, unless they are of the cargo variety. Above all else do not bring out the cargo shorts at any meal. But this is my own personal prejudice that is not extended to strangers at all.

So the four of us arrived at Oleana to wait in the tiny, active bar area to enjoy a cocktail before dinner. They were out of the St. Genevieve Sparkling Rose, which is the perfect way to kick off a festive night of eating, laughing, and exchanging tall tales. Instead we opted for white sangria, which was a tad too sweet and viscous for my taste. But I drank it up because it was hot out and I was thirsty.

We ordered a bottle of 2005 Viognier from the Sierra Foothills, south of San Francisco. Is this a new wine region I didn't know about? I like Viognier because it's always surprising and the taste differs depending upon the terroir. The Condrieu that they had on the wine list at Clio is like drinking lilacs, and it's complexity begs for food. My all time favorite is the Miner Viognier from Napa, which I had last year at Sibling Rivalry. It hits you with honeysuckle, and a the perfect amount of acid to balance it out, while gaining a distinctive complexity throughout the meal.

Miner has built a reputation on creating surprising and bold wines that not only stands up to food, but seems to tease out its flavors, too. I try to avoid buttery, oaky, Chardonnays at all costs. It's just not my thing. However, Miner became known for its wild yeast Chardonnay. This stuff is powerful and memorable, an attractive lemony color. Unfortunately it is now sold out.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Cafe
The Cafe at the ISGM was hopping last Wednesday afternoon.
Situated in the tranquil garden of the Venetian palace, you will find it hard to believe that this was the site of the most famous art heist in history. The service is slow. But the food is simple and sublime. The roasted salmon with a beet and turnip salad with wasabe mayo was craveable.

Noir
I have a thing for hotel restaurants and bars. They attract an eclectic mix of visitors and locals which is good for people watching. Noir seems more like a local spot than most other hotel bars, but maybe because every time I go there I recognize someone I know. Sit outside between
5-7 PM on any weekday and sample their always wonderful cocktails along with great deals on their snack menu. I'm obsessed with the spinach, bacon and Gruyere dip.

Guess the condiments

2007-05-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

Exhibit A

Poking through my over stuffed refrigerator today I realized that it was truly a match made in condiment heaven. No one loves mayo more than my boyfriend. But then again some people are just lucky like me that their partner will allow inordinate amount of condiments into their lives. So see if you can guess what these condiments are. Answers are listed below.

Exhibit B

Answer Key

Exhibit A. (left to right)

FRONT ROW:
Plum preserves- I got suckered into this from a free sample station a Whole Foods, paired with a creamy soft cheese before I realized it was plum.
Korean chili paste- For those disasterous attempts at making kimchee
Yuzu- Japanese citrus, which reminds me to lament the closing of my neighborhood Japanese market. Now what am I gonna do with all of my leftover Yoshinoya points?
Honey Comb- I discovered the joy of eating honeycomb with cheese on a beach picnic with some cooks from Clio.
Pesto- Okay this one is a sin, since, I do have homemade pesto in my freezer. But alas, another Whole Foods sample experience caused me to temporarily lose my mind and buy this tiny tin of pesto for $6 bucks. It is excellent, by the way.
Anchovies- Just do me a favor and don't tell me you don't like anchovies until you've tried good ones. They're expensive, but worth it.
Wasabi Paste- It's way cooler to use your own wasabi root and grate it fresh on a shark skin paddle. But I'm just not that cool.
Salsa Verde- So much more attractive than red salsa, this one goes on fish tacos.
Soyaki- Leave it to Trader Ming's to come up with the perfect Asian marinade. I often doctor it with Tamari soy sauce and let it sit.
Tahini- Keep this on hand for making my own hummus.

MIDDLE ROW:
Honey mustard
Jerk Rub- a sweet reminder of Jamaica
Blueberry Jam
Korean Chili sauce
Relish- For last minute tartar sauce
Ketchup- Not eating too much of this these days.

BACK ROW:
Peanut butter- I don't know why that's there. I don't like peanut butter.
Thai chili paste- I hope this is not a remnant from my days teaching Thai Cooking, because that was a long, long time ago.
Korma sauce- I got Alex hooked on chicken Korma from our neighborhood Indian restaurant.
Green curry paste- In Thai Cooking I taught my students to make their own green curry paste.
Starbucks Mint Mocha- Not a condiment

Exhibit B. (left to right)

TOP SHELF:

Tartar Sauce
Mirin- A sweet Japanese cooking wine, is a great way to add a hint of sweetness
Sriracha Sauce- An ubiquitous Vietnamese chili sauce with a hint of sweetness
Horseradish- For Bloody Marys or horseradish mayo.
Mayonnaise
Honey Cream- This one is strange to me.
Tabasco Sauce
Caesar Dressing
Worcestershire Sauce

BOTTOM SHELF:
Fish Sauce- It's like hanging a Vietnamese flag in your house, but smaller and tasty.
Salsa Verde
Barbecue Sauce
Pickles- Who can live without them? I'll be making my own this summer.
Club Soda- Essential for mojitos
Red Stripe Beer

My Muse: The Spanish Tortilla

2007-05-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

Over the years, very few dishes have tormented me more than a traditional Spanish tortilla. Eggs, potatoes, onions, and olive oil in one skillet, sounds easy enough, right? This staple of Spanish cuisine is so easy to screw up. I've done it many times. So do alot of chefs.

But one must be brave when it comes to cooking.

The execution of a well made tortilla can excite pure bliss which will leave you always struggling towards this state of being. Like a gear head when it comes to perfecting the tortilla, I'm always tinkering with recipes, equipment, temperatures, timing and techniques. Making a tortilla has been a good exercise in cooking zen for me. The recipe alone won't save you. This is a dish that has a tendency to jump off the paper. So practice.

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
4-6 potatoes, peeled and chopped. I used Yukon Gold.
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 eggs

Start with a good round cast iron skillet if you can. I would not trade my $25 cast iron skillet for the entire All Clad collection. Whatever pan you use, make sure it is oven safe, because you will be finishing the tortilla in the oven.

Make sure you heat the skillet to medium-high on the stove before you add a good amount of olive oil. Essentially you're goal is to poach the onions and potatoes in olive oil, so you'll need enough to generously cover all the onions and potatoes.

Once your skillet is heated and oiled, add the onions, you should hear some sizzling. Cook the onions until they are soft, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the potatoes, stirring theme often so they don't stick to the pan and burn. Adjust your heat if the onions and potatoes start to brown too much. When you can poke a fork easily through a potatoes, it's done.

Season the potato/onion mixture with salt and pepper. You can be generous with the salt if you dare. Since I usually make home made garlic aioli to accompany the tortilla, I try not to oversalt it too much.

Lightly beat the eggs with grated Parmesan. The cheese adds a subtle touch of complexity, upping this dish's umami quotient a few notches.

Before you add the egg mixture to your skillet make sure to pat down the potato & onions to even out the top. There should be enough egg to cover almost all of the potato mixture. Keep some extra eggs on handy if there's not enough.

The egg will quickly start to bind the onions and potatoes together, forming a crust on the rim of the skillet. When that happens you can use a spatula to press down the cooked egg on the edges. The uncooked eggs will seep into the open spots and help to add density and reduce cooking time.

Cook the tortilla on the stove for 8-10 minutes, until almost all of the egg is cooked. I rotate the skillet on the stove top so that it will cook evenly under the direct heat of the flames. You will find your own tricks in the process.

Place the tortilla in the oven at 350 degrees, for about 15 minutes, or when the egg is completely cooked through.

Dislodging the tortilla from the pan is the most dangerous and nerve racking final step that is akin to delivering a baby. I recommend drinking a glass of Cava while you're doing this, to ease the nerves.

Make sure the tortilla cools down in the pan. It is meant to be served cold or at or temperature.

If you did a good job, you will notice that the tortilla naturally separated from the edges of the pan. Take a knife to score the edges of the tortilla to loosen the residual "cling."

Using the handle of the skillet. Shake the tortilla back and forth to loosen the tortilla. More often than not this can lead to a full on shimmy throughout the kitchen. Go with it.

Place a plate on op of the skillet and flip the tortilla onto the plate. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Congratulations! You have just given birth to a tortilla de patatas!

Meanwhile, make some homemade garlic aioli to go with your tortilla.

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
3 tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
4 pressed garlic cloves
salt & pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
2 tbs chopped parsley

I use a Braun Stick Blender for whipping out quick aioli in a large liquid measuring cup. You can use a food processor, blender, or if you have strong arms, a whisk.

Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, garlic salt and pepper in one dish and set aside.

Slowly begin to add in streams, the olive oil, while blending.

The mixture will begin to thicken as you make your way through half of the oil. Add parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice and blend.

Taste the concoction before you serve it. Add lemon, salt and pepper if needed.

Voila....zesty, addictive fresh garlic aioli!
Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Paella Party
Over the winter Spanish cooking has earned a place in our kitchen since Ilan took the crown of Top Chef with his Spanish inspired fideos and baby eels. One of the most memorable meals was cooking seafood paella with friends who were visiting for the holidays. Everyone gathered in the kitchen, prepping, sipping on homemade sangria, and taking turns stirring the pan, contributing in some way. It was a perfect cooking party dish that everyone is still talking about to this day.

Trust Yourself
Above all else you need to trust yourself in the kitchen. Remember if you know how to eat, then by all means you can teach yourself to cook. Cooking is about knowledge of ingredients, proportion, seasoning and presentation. Focus on your strengths, and avoid your weaknesses. I'm no good at baking --I've tried it. When I do bake it is from a box mix, but I do try to make the presentation look good. I mean really good.