tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83019434192135570232024-03-14T02:11:46.437-07:00Han Not Soloa food, cooking and new mommy blogfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-588966860161041852012-07-28T02:48:00.001-07:002012-07-28T03:05:05.309-07:00Seattle 2012We recently returned from Seattle, our first trip post-baby! H2 did great! We were so blessed to have the nicest people next to us on the plane rides, so understanding of H2's fussy periods.<br />
<br />
Here are some of our best food moments of the trip:<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://www.paseoseattle.com/" target="_blank">Paseo</a> - a friend's recommendation for cuban sandwiches and bowls of chicken/pork with rice and chips, but this place is definitely not a secret! A small place with a few tables, we were lucky enough to find one--the place was busy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77K51N_8QKNs77q_LylGEWd0Z_G7CG4jfiTSDpxUYf5O8mrmViWXtQH_D4Sl54i9LRKTiq4hcfhbJAh_oBScnwqYhEUvLkBjVyk5a_d0ioS9qsZJNrXt4RisgHvj5FmLXyYNKrv1OEWM/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77K51N_8QKNs77q_LylGEWd0Z_G7CG4jfiTSDpxUYf5O8mrmViWXtQH_D4Sl54i9LRKTiq4hcfhbJAh_oBScnwqYhEUvLkBjVyk5a_d0ioS9qsZJNrXt4RisgHvj5FmLXyYNKrv1OEWM/s320/photo%25281%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwY1awmmBMRJlVc3njrRK6X93gmTxK6QfhvoPofyp4LDjGu2wmoz7CKb-KN-bcSbvZIQSD7m26GT49MkQio6vLtheP8mQBPIj4INT2oAN8cOq2da6JHSenXC524cOI9vg9krQBLXbn7E/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwY1awmmBMRJlVc3njrRK6X93gmTxK6QfhvoPofyp4LDjGu2wmoz7CKb-KN-bcSbvZIQSD7m26GT49MkQio6vLtheP8mQBPIj4INT2oAN8cOq2da6JHSenXC524cOI9vg9krQBLXbn7E/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /> </a> </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
2. <a href="http://www.skilletstreetfood.com/" target="_blank">Skillet Diner</a> - thanks to yelp for this find. Even on Monday mid morning, we waited for 15 minutes or so. We had the yummy chicken and waffles (so good!) and tasty deconstructed corned beef hash. The hash portion was pretty tiny; Han was still pretty hungry after his meal. <a href="http://www.heyprettything.com/2011/10/skillet-diner-seattle.html" target="_blank">Hey Pretty Thing</a> has some great pics of the food! <br />
<br />
3. <a href="http://www.eastindiagrillwa.com/" target="_blank">East India grill</a> - in Federal Way, at a nondescript strip mall. Amazing, affordable lunch buffet with great variety. Samosas, naan, tandoori chicken, tikka masala, lamb curry, cauliflower with carrots & peas, curried rice, to name a few. We met a woman there who said she eats there everyday; she also said H2 would be interested in music :) Han's parents thought this place had the best Indian food they've had in the states!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxopRha5G9k3ZBH4y3Mno3GRPZSfOGn8IYIlPgbsoUb8QIET-T0_7zwUEaG5ipukwCYiaMidwpArcK6w8ZPNPJ7Y-Fsp3m58kXobmgOLJg4TWpaaoGQbqTLB39n7LDYgdFpWvm9ozFVQo/s1600/photo%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxopRha5G9k3ZBH4y3Mno3GRPZSfOGn8IYIlPgbsoUb8QIET-T0_7zwUEaG5ipukwCYiaMidwpArcK6w8ZPNPJ7Y-Fsp3m58kXobmgOLJg4TWpaaoGQbqTLB39n7LDYgdFpWvm9ozFVQo/s320/photo%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
4. <a href="http://www.ilovesushi.com/" target="_blank">I Love Sushi</a> - I really enjoyed this udon. The broth had a strong chicken-y flavor, but it was just what I needed at the time. Yummy and noodles with good texture. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21x4QpdDp7jL-bpZK7ST2Ld1qt4R27D7ghr1WE-hxBQNzO06zdMwXFGo0oRhu302SuF-H74soV2F8lc99sZX99UFvm-Y1YXuYeHkBljNamkF2sB2yhZVQ8mH3wcL-zAZgZJQhZ45oe_w/s1600/photo(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21x4QpdDp7jL-bpZK7ST2Ld1qt4R27D7ghr1WE-hxBQNzO06zdMwXFGo0oRhu302SuF-H74soV2F8lc99sZX99UFvm-Y1YXuYeHkBljNamkF2sB2yhZVQ8mH3wcL-zAZgZJQhZ45oe_w/s320/photo(3).JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
5. <a href="http://cafebesalu.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Besalu</a> croissants - Cafe Besalu won our Seattle croissant battle a few years ago, over Bakery Nouveau and others. On this trip, we tried Honore's and Besalu still wins on balance between flakiness and depth of flavor. We were able to have some with Besalu's homemade nectarine jam, but were unable to get the amazing almond croissants which they only have on Sundays. Thanks to Hawbone's Flickr for the photo below:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawbone/6280723744/" title="Cafe Besalu Croissant w/Nectarine Jam by HawBone, on Flickr"><img alt="Cafe Besalu Croissant w/Nectarine Jam" height="332" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6222/6280723744_a701e17bd4.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
6. Bulgogi Salad - a great idea! Tasty bulgogi stirfried with onions, atop greens and a light ranch-like dressing. So good!! We got this from a korean street food stand at Pike's Market.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUeSUUfEHMUs3mimqw0mpSpFuNi7xP8KtNwcBjsm5yjoXb578nSe7Zi7aJXnS6bj2IiDhyphenhyphenAlkh3KqIOnvtYttG9S-xAUJB8rWppXhByS6CJdrLJLETOPKM1VcR9yhWP854eEXaUt5zpg/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUeSUUfEHMUs3mimqw0mpSpFuNi7xP8KtNwcBjsm5yjoXb578nSe7Zi7aJXnS6bj2IiDhyphenhyphenAlkh3KqIOnvtYttG9S-xAUJB8rWppXhByS6CJdrLJLETOPKM1VcR9yhWP854eEXaUt5zpg/s320/photo(2).JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TO COME: Han are now really into Acai bowls. We've been making our own bowls, for friends and family, as well as trying out bowls we find around town. That'll be our next post!fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-25299290936994554332012-06-11T23:33:00.001-07:002012-06-11T23:41:00.974-07:00Back to the Future, 2012It's June 2012. I've read through my blogs from three years ago and I can't even believe it's been so long since I've blogged! It was nice to go back in time and remember our foodie adventures. Han has been urging me to get back to blogging for well... three years!<br />
<br />
A little update... We never stopped trying new foodie joints, cooking and enjoying life here in Hawaii. I have alot of thoughts and tidbits to share :) Also, Han is even more "not solo" in that we've had a baby boy 8 months ago (aka H2). He's the absolute love of my life, so I've now gotta post some mommy related things too.<br />
<br />
<i>Here's what was going on in our kitchen today:</i><br />
<br />
<h3>
French Toast with Kanemitsu Bakery Bread</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Brunch: French toast with Molokai's <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/kanemitsus-bakery-and-restaurant-kaunakakai" target="_blank">Kanemitsu Bakery</a> french bread with some Purity portugese sausage. Sorry, I didn't take pics of this. Just something I threw together for Han since my dad brought back some of this amazing bread. I also grew up going to Molokai to camp and fish, so I had to honor this loaf :) We tried two different "recipes" to compare using evaporated milk versus condensed milk. We only used about 4 big slices of bread (day old plus air dried a bit) so we made small batches of batter:<br />
<ul>
<li>One egg</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of vanilla</li>
<li>1/4 cup of evaporated milk</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of sugar</li>
<li>dash of cinnamon</li>
</ul>
Condensed milk version used 1/8 cup of condensed milk and 1/8 cup of skim milk, no sugar or cinnamon. Liked both, but I preferred the evaporated milk version because it was not very sweet and allowed me to enjoy the toast with maple syrup. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Kabocha squash baby food</h3>
<div class=separator style="clear:both; text-align:left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZaoUGl9I1UqHj8i2VvhAyuzQd1go0whvHY2mMIsr03xJEPFg6UjaNT9SzVp37oIMMQPWqb-0vT7cN6AJFLOMCOiCVOh8eEfmPIJIBNh9kapEXM1Nhp93G6fNu_B-e-R384az-0jvLUM/s1600/2012-06-11+16.38.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZaoUGl9I1UqHj8i2VvhAyuzQd1go0whvHY2mMIsr03xJEPFg6UjaNT9SzVp37oIMMQPWqb-0vT7cN6AJFLOMCOiCVOh8eEfmPIJIBNh9kapEXM1Nhp93G6fNu_B-e-R384az-0jvLUM/s320/2012-06-11+16.38.43.jpg" width="320" /></a><p><i>Our first kabocha squash baby food</i></p></div>
Thanks to <a href="http://www.champuru.net/blog/2009/04/24/babyfood-kabocha/" target="_blank">Champuru's blog</a> for helping me make this for our little one (H2). I was only able to find organic kabocha at Nijiya Market, though. H2 had this for dinner with organic peas, baby bok choy (from dad's garden) and oatmeal cereal. I love making my own baby food, although we use Earth's Best cereals for the iron baby needs now.<br />
<br />
<h3>
For dinner: Stir-fried Turkey with Basil</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqI2A6nFVkNH9uqHvrYABBssQ4peD5fFWqd6pKcMm3G_g2WMIS-y_WrnvUISUP_zFnYtmiyTThbsSnMWIKH8-zlBM7S-30-nkGjM14hozV0eqaUaFhM7XqnLVnzfKA8GNhnCcpM52z7Q/s1600/2012-06-11+20.31.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqI2A6nFVkNH9uqHvrYABBssQ4peD5fFWqd6pKcMm3G_g2WMIS-y_WrnvUISUP_zFnYtmiyTThbsSnMWIKH8-zlBM7S-30-nkGjM14hozV0eqaUaFhM7XqnLVnzfKA8GNhnCcpM52z7Q/s320/2012-06-11+20.31.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="parseasinTitle " style="font-weight: normal;">
Over the years, I've collected a
few super easy, healthy and tasty recipes that go into my rotation...
I'm picky in this area. It can't be much of a fuss and it has to still
be amazing (A future blog topic!). Here's something I've recently adapted from Madhur
Jaffrey's cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffreys-Step-Step-Cooking/dp/0066214025" target="_blank">Step by Step Cooking: Over 150 Dishes from India and the Far East, Including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia</a>.
It's also a great use of the ground turkey that I pick up from
Costco. So flavorful that a little goes a long way! Here's my version:</div>
<ul>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">1 onion, finely chopped</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">4 garlic cloves, minced</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">1 inch ginger, minced</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">2 green or red chilies thinly sliced (seeds and membranes removed if you like it mild)</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">1.25 lbs ground turkey</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">1-2 cups thai basil, some chopped, some whole</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">5-6 t. fish sauce</span></li>
<li><span id="btAsinTitle">2 t. brown sugar</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="parseasinTitle " style="font-weight: normal;">
<span id="btAsinTitle"></span>Fry
aromatics together, then ginger and chilies, brown turkey, add chopped basil, fish sauce
and sugar. Then right before serving, throw in whole basil leaves until wilted. Ono with hot rice!</div>fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-25848197759657158432010-01-04T00:30:00.000-08:002010-01-04T01:48:23.290-08:00HNS Top 25 of 20092009 has been a mostly happy, albeit difficult year. We thank God for our family's good health and for His great love for us. That would be our #1. Here are 24 other things that have brought us joy (no particular order).<br /><ol><li>Best Bread Pudding of 2009: <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vermont-Maple-Bread-Pudding-with-Walnut-Praline-230662">Maple Bread Pudding</a> sans praline</li><li>Hiroshi's Eurasian Tapas: Tofu Salad</li><li>Grilled Portugese Sausage at Mac 24-7</li><li>Pasta Alla Norma, adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking<br /></li><li>The Chocolate Malt from <a href="http://www.liloven.com/">the Little Oven</a></li><li>Mark Enomoto's Tuna Sandwich (winner of Wellspring Church's Sandwich Showdown)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbF3cuGtnHja-1aIM198MR-iqWFgWrZSkQYhwvuOWxLtL9QoB48dvf9_zvOb10VMkN8-3JiukcykAtlv4r-M5UB2PJVJPH9YK-bitdJoZzZa6pTl8UnWE2ThOv7-3fGgyV6ggKc__VEU/s1600-h/DSC_0069.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbF3cuGtnHja-1aIM198MR-iqWFgWrZSkQYhwvuOWxLtL9QoB48dvf9_zvOb10VMkN8-3JiukcykAtlv4r-M5UB2PJVJPH9YK-bitdJoZzZa6pTl8UnWE2ThOv7-3fGgyV6ggKc__VEU/s320/DSC_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422808910787108786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></li><li>Town Restaurant: Grass Fed Steak & fries<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawr4iNpaR0qOW5nLP62EM3EkzRuv5Vj7a9j2x2o5G__1Mb-5NLpkkFLY4b6ksaj8bFY9EELVy6o8Fq467jNlsZ4HRG8vt4zN_0drevqxVi__NmrwUfD4oT63HNuzEYzHGWC8-PwA8EpM/s1600-h/DSC_0866.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawr4iNpaR0qOW5nLP62EM3EkzRuv5Vj7a9j2x2o5G__1Mb-5NLpkkFLY4b6ksaj8bFY9EELVy6o8Fq467jNlsZ4HRG8vt4zN_0drevqxVi__NmrwUfD4oT63HNuzEYzHGWC8-PwA8EpM/s320/DSC_0866.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422806116628757218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></li><li>Mexican food from Han's birthday party!!! Including this <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Rice-109800">Mexican Rice</a> recipe from Bon Appetit</li><li><a href="http://www.himalayankitchen.net/index.html">Himalayan Kitchen</a></li><li>Han's Steel Cut Oatmeal, based on <a href="http://veganyumyum.com/2007/11/apple-cinnamon-steel-cut-oatmeal/">this recipe</a> from VeganYumYum</li><li>Glee!<br /></li><li>Movie: Snow Prince, a Japanese film</li><li>My dad's salad dressings</li><li>Our cute herb garden (now sorely in need of tlc!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWaUE6FvrBLCHeRUrgJwCKQxW18JoSB2X4fgGJV8JuAA6KDecNK9sguQ4SCUqCn1SCJMB8ZFC6CSTBlEQ3FLDnwdIciz0ZQaK5mLrvElCLvNoTkkmBfgz_HG5NAtt_BZVr_bmWdpYX6k/s1600-h/DSC_0046.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWaUE6FvrBLCHeRUrgJwCKQxW18JoSB2X4fgGJV8JuAA6KDecNK9sguQ4SCUqCn1SCJMB8ZFC6CSTBlEQ3FLDnwdIciz0ZQaK5mLrvElCLvNoTkkmBfgz_HG5NAtt_BZVr_bmWdpYX6k/s320/DSC_0046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422810165964359922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></li><li>Paninis, especially with grilled veggies, basil pesto & carmelized onions<br /></li><li>Food movie: <a href="http://www.foodincmovie.com/">Food, Inc. </a><br /></li><li>Town Restaurant: Croissants<br /></li><li>This <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Beef-Sandwiches-with-Sweet-and-Sour-Red-Onions-and-Blue-Cheese-106962">Roast Beef sandwich</a>, with my dad's smoked prime rib and au jus<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/details/green-tea-kombucha/">Yogi Kombucha Green Tea</a></li><li>Moosewood LowFat Cookbook: Mediterranean Couscous Salad</li><li>Stracciatella<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gourmet.com/images/recipes/diaryofafoodie/season02/rear_doaf206stracciatella_ice_cream_RY344.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 344px; height: 344px;" src="http://www.gourmet.com/images/recipes/diaryofafoodie/season02/rear_doaf206stracciatella_ice_cream_RY344.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> (gourmet.com)<br /><br /></li><li>Mole Tamales from <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mercado-de-la-raza-honolulu">Mercado De La Raza</a> (available 3x/year)</li><li>Fries and dipping sauces from <a href="http://www.hankshautedogs.com/">Hank's Haute Dogs<br /></a></li><li>Auntie Ann's Cocoa Crispies Cookies!! (We'll try to get the recipe!)<br /></li></ol>fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-69371355249366877312009-05-14T00:16:00.000-07:002009-05-14T01:19:19.249-07:00Zuni Chicken and Bread SaladThis is such an iconic dish and everyone who has a food blog has already chronicled this, but for me, this was a special undertaking. Maybe it was the cozy lighting and the crisp January air outside, but my first experience at Zuni Cafe, consisting of the Olive oil fettunta (yum!), House-cured anchovies, Caesar salad, Zuni Chicken and Bread Salad and the Red Hawk Cheese (<a href="http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/cheeses.asp">Cowgirl Creamery</a>) was culinary magic for me. Needless to say, it left an deep impression on me. I learned how the best ingredients with artful, sometimes painstaking, preparation makes all the difference. It made me a better cook, for sure.<br /><br />My friend who I shared the experience with bought me Judy Rodgers' book, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zuni-Cafe-Cookbook-Compendium-Franciscos/dp/0393020436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242288849&sr=8-1">Zuni Cafe Cookbook</a>, and I'm extremely grateful. (Being from Hawaii, it is a little difficult to cook many recipes from this book since we don't have the same sources for ingredients, but it's a very interesting read for any cook.)<br /><br />I made the chicken and bread salad for a small dinner party, along with a minestrone and the barefoot contessa's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/deeply-chocolate-gelato-recipe/index.html">deeply chocolate gelato</a> and giada's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chocolate-hazelnut-gelato-recipe/index.html">hazelnut gelato</a>. Here are my pics:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9MaCr13XBfuTzCIfya8xT68G-xGEpeu1wY5mYWhc0kc2t47WcuZixyRTHbingKAFlbaUwVfhRco3wWz8Rs3ERP8_Wxfj4yuBTAKcHylVpFzxpQXEJ_SBTkufcv2Eu2nmb6w50OpPAbE/s1600-h/DSC_0903.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9MaCr13XBfuTzCIfya8xT68G-xGEpeu1wY5mYWhc0kc2t47WcuZixyRTHbingKAFlbaUwVfhRco3wWz8Rs3ERP8_Wxfj4yuBTAKcHylVpFzxpQXEJ_SBTkufcv2Eu2nmb6w50OpPAbE/s320/DSC_0903.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335581742700525042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The toasted bread with scallions and currants -- I used LaBrea's Roasted Garlic Loaf. You can find dried currants at Foodland's R. Field or at Whole Foods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cYqq5Aek8gNLUN69xgy2eoqW-NC5-UoxfYWrFa1mZt_emhZ5ncjP_wIY6psOs4vZzNPM4LCsM2j3_4HlavITL0BdyWnakYzhAmJHM4RWdF78_w0zcfeLFA5wS_wDyWD-OQ5Dgff4elw/s1600-h/DSC_0909.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cYqq5Aek8gNLUN69xgy2eoqW-NC5-UoxfYWrFa1mZt_emhZ5ncjP_wIY6psOs4vZzNPM4LCsM2j3_4HlavITL0BdyWnakYzhAmJHM4RWdF78_w0zcfeLFA5wS_wDyWD-OQ5Dgff4elw/s320/DSC_0909.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335582676738320434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Chicken (before turning over, the skin did end up sticking to the pan even though I preheated it!) The chicken was Mary's from Whole Foods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iYIARuOdSN-jCDvDJFA1oZ4wqpqtUp8WEDVJcnMPHQ5FkrSR-5LZQ0M1skUcpSQmFO4QdwQMX8cTpNxnq7uCdGbVWmkD76F3Dy69_KvRk7m34zjenIyA6rlkRbyEpkiTIYQ5WbgZiPY/s1600-h/DSC_0915.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iYIARuOdSN-jCDvDJFA1oZ4wqpqtUp8WEDVJcnMPHQ5FkrSR-5LZQ0M1skUcpSQmFO4QdwQMX8cTpNxnq7uCdGbVWmkD76F3Dy69_KvRk7m34zjenIyA6rlkRbyEpkiTIYQ5WbgZiPY/s320/DSC_0915.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335583064750038546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Salad dressed, waiting for the chicken<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UyAYhizoOE80E1y-391DKsYsXcCycXZhlrpmIqbhzUxnqdbtBuAZU1pB6XkZhkORyb1hzl-TfngQFKlByBsRx1QM8l984nWsL8Qef5rH-v5CN7YacxpGo7AmMpl-qJ2niPRfeI9MFJU/s1600-h/DSC_0923.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UyAYhizoOE80E1y-391DKsYsXcCycXZhlrpmIqbhzUxnqdbtBuAZU1pB6XkZhkORyb1hzl-TfngQFKlByBsRx1QM8l984nWsL8Qef5rH-v5CN7YacxpGo7AmMpl-qJ2niPRfeI9MFJU/s320/DSC_0923.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335584134981228130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My guests really enjoyed this, and I was extremely glad I was able to share a bit of Zuni with them. I also appreciate Judy Rodgers for writing her cookbook, in such a didactic and detailed way, so home cooks like me can relive our memories at Zuni. The recipe is also online <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4401342">here</a>.fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-37742823299249653412009-03-23T20:18:00.000-07:002009-03-23T20:30:18.461-07:00Our Macaroons in ParisHere's a quick pic of the macaroons we got from <a href="http://www.laduree.fr/public_fr/produits/macarons_accueil.htm">Laduree</a>, a little bit of a snobby yet gorgeous patisserie/cafe on the Champs Elysees. I believe we tried Lemon, Cassis, Strawberry, Rose Petal, Pistachio and Chocolate. We haven't had a chance to try making different flavored macaroons, since making our chocolate ones <a href="http://hannotsolo.blogspot.com/2008/03/first-macaroons.html">last year</a>. Hopefully soon...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bbfGXjcteyY/STiRPqZ50kI/AAAAAAAAE24/uNmUvxTh444/DSC_0055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 373px; height: 249px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bbfGXjcteyY/STiRPqZ50kI/AAAAAAAAE24/uNmUvxTh444/DSC_0055.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-54696253217121967932009-03-23T18:03:00.000-07:002009-05-22T19:28:13.971-07:00Little OvenOne of our favorite places, possibly in this world, is Little Oven, on King Street <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=little+oven+honolulu&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&ei=-14XSoCrHY6aiAO72P0u&hl=en&sll=21.297853,-157.838543&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&latlng=21297853,-157838543,11113890653050064328&sig2=JHZFEiJz18oO7kGejxY85g&cd=1">map</a>. We've been visiting Joyce Harada and enjoying her homey, yummy and beautiful desserts for a couple of years now. Truly, as others have written, Little Oven IS little, and very easy to miss. Look for the shop with the warm orange glow and funky modern light fixture, just past the old Fro-yo bar and parking is in the back, turn right on Kaheka and right again. The hours are W-Sat 7pm-midnight, but you may want to go a little bit later, around 7:30 or 8, as they don't always open right on time. I've been meaning to do a post on Little Oven for so long, but never had the opportunity to take good pictures. We finally brought our camera the other night, expecting the usual casual and relaxed atmosphere probably seeing the same ol' people, but we were greeted by what seemed like a barage of patrons, most of whom we'd never seen before! Little Oven was recently featured in <a href="http://honolulu.metromix.com/restaurants/photogallery/metromix-eats-the-little/1029387/content">Metromix</a>, a local entertainment guide, and so now the secret's out!<br /><br />We had the Irish Apple Cake and Irish Tipsy Cake, both $6.50. The Apple cake was like an apple pie but with a biscuit-like crust. Joyce makes some of the most satisfying pastry, from tarts to cobblers to pies. Anything she does with fresh fruit is also lovely. The Tipsy cake was a strawberry layer cake with some sort of liquor between the cake, strawberries and cream, very light and tasty.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Irish Apple Cake, $6.50</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0hUCuHSKpWoDxnJxLxEa0V5lnixGDxWZWM58VWGabujaDivFEn9v9Z2R6OFOvxEMF_bdP3xOeVIO6VYhJP3VRRh2JKLj-EW5792ZIxl5b7VDWxVGn6QnnYXA0EKMLP8y0Sw1MFxJGuU/s1600-h/DSC_0880.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0hUCuHSKpWoDxnJxLxEa0V5lnixGDxWZWM58VWGabujaDivFEn9v9Z2R6OFOvxEMF_bdP3xOeVIO6VYhJP3VRRh2JKLj-EW5792ZIxl5b7VDWxVGn6QnnYXA0EKMLP8y0Sw1MFxJGuU/s320/DSC_0880.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316601973499504162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Irish Tipsy Cake, $6.50</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPk_5NyBmqPQwVJCVimyKgpeYjC6EsNowEhVwzpDgGIKT1LyNYwwSsfE2pdBFcSJmB9a3aDs-hffRlDdTIQAdcRX-nrhDm8Cjx9b5927qdL3nyP9Vuz319uTtSpU8j1uh_bEVHR6zt4g/s1600-h/DSC_0881.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPk_5NyBmqPQwVJCVimyKgpeYjC6EsNowEhVwzpDgGIKT1LyNYwwSsfE2pdBFcSJmB9a3aDs-hffRlDdTIQAdcRX-nrhDm8Cjx9b5927qdL3nyP9Vuz319uTtSpU8j1uh_bEVHR6zt4g/s320/DSC_0881.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316601975496922738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We can also attest to mostly all of Little Oven's homemade sorbets and ice milks. Strawberry sorbet and ice milk, and the banana ice milk are particularly good, bursting with fresh fruit flavor. In addition to the frozen desserts, we are also huge fans of the lilikoi pavlova, calamansi tart and the mixed berry and peach cobblers.<br /><br />What is most compelling about Joyce's desserts is that she makes everything herself, you can almost taste the love that goes into it. Some of her desserts have become comfort food for us, they have a simplicity to them that just grows on you. On holidays and at different times of year, she creates special desserts and prix fixe menus. You really can't visit just once.<br /><br />Little Oven had become such a special place for us that we asked Joyce to make our wedding cake. She created a beautiful cake for us, an amazing lilikoi cake! She is truly talented, and has a whole host of cakes at <a href="http://liloven.com/postindex/album.htm">her website</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Our wedding cake:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bbfGXjcteyY/SMS8X6CxpuI/AAAAAAAAD_I/vCNt4FO3k9s/s720/425_080727WFH.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 331px; height: 499px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bbfGXjcteyY/SMS8X6CxpuI/AAAAAAAAD_I/vCNt4FO3k9s/s720/425_080727WFH.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-64186654932210584762009-03-08T20:13:00.000-07:002009-03-08T20:57:59.127-07:00Croissant Tour of Honolulu #1Croissants never meant much to me, one way or another. They were a banal staple at conferences where refreshments were served. Here in Hawaii we are used to the Costco variety, soft, somewhat flaky, somewhat buttery croissants, similar to the bun stand-ins in a croissant-wich. I actually love the occasional croissant sandwich, especially how the sandwich is never dry because of the buttery, flaky exterior. What I'm getting to is, croissants now mean a great deal to me. On a non-descript 'rue' in Paris, we visited a VERY small bakery named Poilane. World-famous, this bakery was not crowded or glitzy. It paled in comparison to any of the other large boulangeries with famous culinary namesakes. The croissant I was lucky enough to eat was life-changing, unlike any croissant that had crossed my path!<br /><br />Flaky is an understatement when talking about this croissant. I have actually tried making croissants, in Hawaii sans a marble slab or air conditioning. On a positive note, I ended up with some homely crescent shaped biscuits. The Poilane creations looked like any other in France, but it was so crisp in its top layers, incredibly flaky, tender and beautifully layered on the inside, butter hardening the flat bottom into a crust. I was sure I would never be content with any other croissant after this, and so far it has been true.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bbfGXjcteyY/STiR4aXu4GI/AAAAAAAAE-s/xoVMozk0IC8/s720/DSC_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 392px; height: 262px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bbfGXjcteyY/STiR4aXu4GI/AAAAAAAAE-s/xoVMozk0IC8/s720/DSC_0004.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sometimes I visit Poilane via Google Earth, that's how powerful a memory it was for me! I always dream of visiting France again, recreating meals and sifting through our photos. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful croissant this weekend that had Han and I trekking to a few more bakeries to give some Hawaii bakeries a real look. The croissant that has given me hope was from Town, in Kaimuki. What a wonderful croissant, ultra crisp and flaky, soft and gorgeous on the inside! My hope was being restored. We bought a croissant and pain au chocolat at Bakery Boulangerie on King Street. We headed to Manoa to try Fendu Boulangerie and Bakery Manoa's offerings.<br /><br />These are our findings:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTF_nfLpgcJqgC9t8rhvJpDhLQ8m75SF05AP61BZcwzFR3MQl4lbP6Ucnuas8ssDhIVVFeq9nZCn8DaAz_qmlP7gJRS8aKiCsFXUdReHN4ko_4VcNY_NngYpqmmxOo3cw0zZGOGdIk5As/s1600-h/DSC_0258.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTF_nfLpgcJqgC9t8rhvJpDhLQ8m75SF05AP61BZcwzFR3MQl4lbP6Ucnuas8ssDhIVVFeq9nZCn8DaAz_qmlP7gJRS8aKiCsFXUdReHN4ko_4VcNY_NngYpqmmxOo3cw0zZGOGdIk5As/s320/DSC_0258.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311027554101834082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Town croissant - wow! Ultra-flaky, crisp, most like the Poilane croissant! Very satisfying weekend breakfast moment.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurd80VaSHgxANH_d9Hn5qYqmS8UZ55CKSNb183XkwyjRIwpKx2ZXp9jqck9Lor7uOAl1vtoanKMgaIUepHMRTwwZgWK8XO3twh4QXqo8nLxFmfGRJ7nVDHEzgHHdVkf2fVvK_m_JEUDU/s1600-h/DSC_0332.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurd80VaSHgxANH_d9Hn5qYqmS8UZ55CKSNb183XkwyjRIwpKx2ZXp9jqck9Lor7uOAl1vtoanKMgaIUepHMRTwwZgWK8XO3twh4QXqo8nLxFmfGRJ7nVDHEzgHHdVkf2fVvK_m_JEUDU/s320/DSC_0332.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311027559527876882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bakery Boulangerie - really good, tasty croissant. Not quite as crisp as I like, but it was tender and flaky. We loved the apricot/peach glaze and sliced almonds. The pain au chocolat, also very good! Nice dark chocolate interior!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2CmNEWObZCgdrhj83l-D7vBJIxsYPiIXk_RNJewnNWE4BZeEK80ZY-iMJiStEktBTltfZpzljuC0UMld_6aUUzCyGVVLOXEPtIT6qFNRKti9OXz7hsfUEbdSrDM-KvR32SOgyeCCKIw/s1600-h/DSC_0334.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2CmNEWObZCgdrhj83l-D7vBJIxsYPiIXk_RNJewnNWE4BZeEK80ZY-iMJiStEktBTltfZpzljuC0UMld_6aUUzCyGVVLOXEPtIT6qFNRKti9OXz7hsfUEbdSrDM-KvR32SOgyeCCKIw/s320/DSC_0334.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311027842444136722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bakery Manoa's (shown left) was a disapointment. It was "alright" having a somewhat flaky exterior but a more dense, bready interior. It also had a slighty chemical taste to the croissant.<br /><br />Fendu was out of croissants, so we got their chocolate croissant (shown right). The pastry was quite nice, somewhat crisp, quite flaky and buttery! We were not very happy with the chocolate, the chocolate tasted of low quality and there was too much chocolate for our tastes.<br /><br />We definitely want to do more croissant taste-testing! Pass along any noteworthy suggestions.fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-53662353981777148722009-02-18T23:20:00.000-08:002009-02-19T01:05:38.109-08:00Hale VietnamI haven't visited this "hale" on 12th Ave for many years. A couple we were meeting suggested it and pho sounded great. The ambiance was unchanged, although it did seem a bit more colorful. On a rainy Wednesday night, it was busy with people constantly at the door waiting for tables. That explains why the moment we sat down the waitress asked for our order and then two minutes later and then again two minutes later. We finally made our selections, Garden Delight Roll, Large Beef/Flank/Brisket/Tripe Pho, Lemongrass Chicken; our friends ordered Peanut Curry and Vegetarian Crispy Noodles.<br /><br />We shared an appetizer, the Garden Delight. It was pretty tasty and it LOOKS like there's meat inside! It was filled with lettuce, basil and some sort of garlicky filling. Pretty tasty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjML8gNgorSWxLGlXpJtc6uMA-JF_7KBfnYkw5iHcG8oOBxZ8mT5rRjbKwweP2XYzJAqW6cBePoRoFSjV2AJye4yn3iCHEGAQKHSo7WLbJBURc0_4mriM4CNMgVeMtT2-_UjDU04JbKmf8/s1600-h/DSC_0202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjML8gNgorSWxLGlXpJtc6uMA-JF_7KBfnYkw5iHcG8oOBxZ8mT5rRjbKwweP2XYzJAqW6cBePoRoFSjV2AJye4yn3iCHEGAQKHSo7WLbJBURc0_4mriM4CNMgVeMtT2-_UjDU04JbKmf8/s320/DSC_0202.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304423698125461490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I got the pho and it was pretty good, although not the best. One of the best I've had is from Cuu Long 2 and Han likes Pho Baci (both in Chinatown).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitRb3LdYPa7dD3MWkUGNkhbPyBu9U8_e2eEaMfptcA9kgAM1OOn1EXsIjikkcEG3KB6sO8ROPYW4MgJbe9P2Wbzuq7oFqnoQxPUHqKvaphPaTZVT-j95hGHcIoovJT3Gb4sMuEYEqUwk/s1600-h/DSC_0216.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitRb3LdYPa7dD3MWkUGNkhbPyBu9U8_e2eEaMfptcA9kgAM1OOn1EXsIjikkcEG3KB6sO8ROPYW4MgJbe9P2Wbzuq7oFqnoQxPUHqKvaphPaTZVT-j95hGHcIoovJT3Gb4sMuEYEqUwk/s320/DSC_0216.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304420379623697314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />According to Han, the Lemongrass Chicken was pretty good especially with the tasty bits of fried garlic. It had really subtle lemongrass flavor; he was hoping for a stronger lemongrass taste.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7PSyIzZ1r1xVKcXuLrni7jJqSsUrcy7AXDxQsdgwhhZK1I5O6YxitxK3JXrPM6qj6o-TpuB5NXPDBpd-I41rKLTwzcKfFmeIfE3NFYT8_53jmf46v9XW7AXBWzlRedtyEZjzoGDtM44/s1600-h/DSC_0205.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7PSyIzZ1r1xVKcXuLrni7jJqSsUrcy7AXDxQsdgwhhZK1I5O6YxitxK3JXrPM6qj6o-TpuB5NXPDBpd-I41rKLTwzcKfFmeIfE3NFYT8_53jmf46v9XW7AXBWzlRedtyEZjzoGDtM44/s320/DSC_0205.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304421529583617810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our friend who ordered the Peanut Curry said it was "awesome" and really enjoyed it. It reminded him of a Thai penang curry.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM9DBGbyqnCovFMP7fl737SXDVumUXxRQWm5BZeJCBSH9b1c-B214dFyLWb3Zu-gAbiPEoEC622juKtaAii525Z4dzi03U28qlN1jcXRJynTiyu1hU322mRXCj80-Sxa2TzxFGO6ytPk/s1600-h/DSC_0208.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM9DBGbyqnCovFMP7fl737SXDVumUXxRQWm5BZeJCBSH9b1c-B214dFyLWb3Zu-gAbiPEoEC622juKtaAii525Z4dzi03U28qlN1jcXRJynTiyu1hU322mRXCj80-Sxa2TzxFGO6ytPk/s320/DSC_0208.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304422245185178322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Vegetarian Crispy Noodles, not a hit with our friend who ordered it. She liked that the noodles were fluffy but the sauce was also too subtle, not enough flavor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8pEGTtsGvUzAhW4Pu1ai0P9OVc7LRToMphzQNCFfesTuUrd4D_SwHcK2xtjnslVnDBOYo79qD_uK0i2s4dvhpgkEzZ0LjwozbSyoAvNOExMfVXwg_OLWDzGoyz0pzfDRsK9QXaERtAo/s1600-h/DSC_0215.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8pEGTtsGvUzAhW4Pu1ai0P9OVc7LRToMphzQNCFfesTuUrd4D_SwHcK2xtjnslVnDBOYo79qD_uK0i2s4dvhpgkEzZ0LjwozbSyoAvNOExMfVXwg_OLWDzGoyz0pzfDRsK9QXaERtAo/s320/DSC_0215.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304423975703455778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Overall, I remember Hale Vietnam being better in the past, but it's still a Vietnamese restaurant that you can enjoy more than a bowl of pho. It's a neighborhood establishment with a lively ambiance, the perfect place to gather with friends.fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-25490657674338018972009-02-16T01:03:00.000-08:002009-02-16T01:30:26.827-08:00Indian Food CravingsOn our amazing honeymoon to Europe, we were lucky enough to visit London and partake of the fabulous Indian food there. We like Cafe Maharani in Honolulu, but the Indian food we had in London took the cuisine to another level for us. We visited the fabled Brick Lane and were actually a little turned off by the salesmen luring us into their restaurant with free drinks or 15% discounts. It was dizzying choosing from "Best Curry of 2007" or "Best Chef 2008," every restaurant had a claim to fame. Nonetheless, we had an amazing meal there. Our personal favorite, though, was a chain restaurant just a few steps from our hotel in the Earl's Court area, Masala Zone. It was very warm, trendy and had such wonderful food! We filled out our comment card and asked if they could please open up a restaurant in Hawaii!!<br /><br />I've had a sort of love affair with things Indian, stemming from a few Indian movies I've seen. Han too has begun to appreciate Indian food and culture more too since we've been together. So, he recently created a wonderful Indian meal for me. We enjoyed Indian Ginger Chicken, Tomato Dal Soup, Cucumber Raita, Vegetable Biryani with Naan from Maharani. Hope you enjoy the pictures and get to grab some Indian food soon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Ic9foPi-OmehcV_K4mIG95GHOYChierbDJ_frC7oZ29HblIktfBpW-JxNW2Chviyet0Eckje0XpMgw9jrVjAEELoSAuOnTOp4FsNNjZO1CdQ7qy3w8UMA8nlE8J6IUXrr8yO0iKS6o/s1600-h/DSC_0201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Ic9foPi-OmehcV_K4mIG95GHOYChierbDJ_frC7oZ29HblIktfBpW-JxNW2Chviyet0Eckje0XpMgw9jrVjAEELoSAuOnTOp4FsNNjZO1CdQ7qy3w8UMA8nlE8J6IUXrr8yO0iKS6o/s320/DSC_0201.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303323272981380530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Vegetable Biryani<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x3BsUQAIsqbMKgcrlWzlSk5DR0_52tm3XAyMlbOj1EhMa_Duq79_IGvFpxXLtYE7R2-GteIzmru6-frSHsj_JxFXm01W5KRC3OGw9WgGoWfmFg6TMTTnU157yCV0Gk4pU9g9pmFwgWs/s1600-h/DSC_0192.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x3BsUQAIsqbMKgcrlWzlSk5DR0_52tm3XAyMlbOj1EhMa_Duq79_IGvFpxXLtYE7R2-GteIzmru6-frSHsj_JxFXm01W5KRC3OGw9WgGoWfmFg6TMTTnU157yCV0Gk4pU9g9pmFwgWs/s320/DSC_0192.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303324728794076946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tomato Dal Soup<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKXDLHW4XmtKI8aZThWdd06W3hC_GuZHE0CWlLJArHyZNFTm4SnelEWMpczmO4Ma01gr_dY7BpVY5awBQTsDPaySH7NRBIP8ZtjNIQFSPlMhEcxo02CaTrO_eJQRz_5GZgDL9H5Poo5g/s1600-h/DSC_0213.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKXDLHW4XmtKI8aZThWdd06W3hC_GuZHE0CWlLJArHyZNFTm4SnelEWMpczmO4Ma01gr_dY7BpVY5awBQTsDPaySH7NRBIP8ZtjNIQFSPlMhEcxo02CaTrO_eJQRz_5GZgDL9H5Poo5g/s320/DSC_0213.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303323276905355586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Indian Ginger Chicken<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaGl5pxkZx4aX2-NXsuKG8I6waltvNC-9oyNPBH3SMrAN7k6KXGqsoCwP598lYuQpGLCOCB-06ZyMPiGmz7IQx8buF8lDoTdTb2ZTIx8dgxPio0l-_e0e2jbOCkliaBS4GaN7Fzshjc8/s1600-h/DSC_0214.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaGl5pxkZx4aX2-NXsuKG8I6waltvNC-9oyNPBH3SMrAN7k6KXGqsoCwP598lYuQpGLCOCB-06ZyMPiGmz7IQx8buF8lDoTdTb2ZTIx8dgxPio0l-_e0e2jbOCkliaBS4GaN7Fzshjc8/s320/DSC_0214.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303323621125114898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our Spread!!fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-43633648028785874572009-01-15T19:05:00.000-08:002009-03-24T19:31:06.830-07:00Panini Love #1We love our new <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/8409526/index.cfm?pkey=celectrics-top-rated&cm_src=hero">panini press</a>. Here are some of Han's great panini shots! We tried the <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tuscan-Style-Grilled-Chicken-Sandwich-107093">Tuscan style chicken sandwiches</a> with our press--awesome--as well as some spontaneous ones with onion marmalade, roasted garlic jam, tapenade, roasted peppers (not all together). We also added a salad caprese for good measure.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BdpKHr4k7CHuOA5qtfkU0PXchPOqn3m5pbWLou-YEbZ0vuOcN2WsoxFR15IAWlm_PnY0hejpOv1fRGIynRnv7FXG9_64F2OzL-LpwQLAvbLJ-umO1sPehlYig2M_AXpYjCjhp-FhL4w/s1600-h/DSC_0188.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BdpKHr4k7CHuOA5qtfkU0PXchPOqn3m5pbWLou-YEbZ0vuOcN2WsoxFR15IAWlm_PnY0hejpOv1fRGIynRnv7FXG9_64F2OzL-LpwQLAvbLJ-umO1sPehlYig2M_AXpYjCjhp-FhL4w/s320/DSC_0188.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291724692559474786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjT5yrUfsGVzNMYX_cAvpgS6kgAgEL1o62h5aMFWXn8K6MuY__TuffU6aTSUgUatiGnTwbDHdOnoZPK8k6Ke2L0iAKeTpEbOSr2PfSlL8fgy-5JdjgjRi75FVmmVP1G9F8cgCQeTDIOo/s1600-h/DSC_0193.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjT5yrUfsGVzNMYX_cAvpgS6kgAgEL1o62h5aMFWXn8K6MuY__TuffU6aTSUgUatiGnTwbDHdOnoZPK8k6Ke2L0iAKeTpEbOSr2PfSlL8fgy-5JdjgjRi75FVmmVP1G9F8cgCQeTDIOo/s320/DSC_0193.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291724689931843186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yqD-p8uTNZPK-IQFjJrpYEjN-J08NTBFpn5bC59-FMTX1MWGUvj63OgcnMu2QrQ0BreDv3XxdasoNJYqWAD4Rh5rmnXDJoqjZIYIcurjCduUgPYFz-WTXPGq6jFhnoBDxb7zd5cf4YI/s1600-h/DSC_0189.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yqD-p8uTNZPK-IQFjJrpYEjN-J08NTBFpn5bC59-FMTX1MWGUvj63OgcnMu2QrQ0BreDv3XxdasoNJYqWAD4Rh5rmnXDJoqjZIYIcurjCduUgPYFz-WTXPGq6jFhnoBDxb7zd5cf4YI/s320/DSC_0189.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291725799484783554" border="0" /></a>fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-40870105688117055112008-11-04T12:30:00.000-08:002009-03-23T21:18:36.593-07:00Some Washoku Dishes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG_ATy7PKfA4NgIkd0LsOjSBQjjh4OukqBPzCz9IolW_gXJAndWygNAT5qtyn5vEh6Hw8l6KgxUq5p-7Dm4GL3hQj1K4ycS0iOS_OniauM0PqWyo9B-tzkgy6oKUJQTXsOQObm5KueZ8/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG_ATy7PKfA4NgIkd0LsOjSBQjjh4OukqBPzCz9IolW_gXJAndWygNAT5qtyn5vEh6Hw8l6KgxUq5p-7Dm4GL3hQj1K4ycS0iOS_OniauM0PqWyo9B-tzkgy6oKUJQTXsOQObm5KueZ8/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316603628769479826" border="0" /></a>Even though I have grown up eating a multitude of Japanese dishes, like shrimp tempura, miso soup, teriyaki chicken or yakisoba, I appreciate the simple to make, yet complex-ly flavored everyday dishes that Elizabeth Andoh gives us in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Washoku-Recipes-Japanese-Home-Kitchen/dp/1580085199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225831895&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Washoku</span></a>. I have a favorite Izakaya in Hawaii, Imanas Tei, and this pub food is what I've been missing all my life! Lovely small side dishes flavored with sea stock, shoyu, sake, mirin and other unassuming ingredients. Stews and soups that are full of subtle flavors, mingling of meats or vegetables that impart the indescribable gestalt that is Japanese food. I can't tell you how worthwhile some of these dishes are. Okay so here are some of the dishes I've tried and loved from the cookbook: Soy Braised Hijiki with Carrot, Asparagus Tossed with Crushed Black Sesame, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Gingery-Ground-Chicken-234367">Gingery Ground Chicken</a> (except I used turkey), Flash Seared Steak with Two Sauces, Temple Garden Summer Chowder. I cooked up the Hijiki and Asparagus dishes this weekend so I have some pics:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2qSMwWEtO1yaDAPqkDnWWg-Z1OQmGL-ouTjba6Hq3QxfvKi8LmhCVTHGztn6ge8pSSkLedPNDOq2NmIzZlg9l0a2yqY1afic2pNNrAqeihg8YfUJWqZCJ86VcjE7HIOLJUSE8DhAuEM/s1600-h/IMG_5537.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2qSMwWEtO1yaDAPqkDnWWg-Z1OQmGL-ouTjba6Hq3QxfvKi8LmhCVTHGztn6ge8pSSkLedPNDOq2NmIzZlg9l0a2yqY1afic2pNNrAqeihg8YfUJWqZCJ86VcjE7HIOLJUSE8DhAuEM/s320/IMG_5537.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264907052989746050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2O3yAhPTFdtM2NYxA8ex9Z0ll7xxPGfq32Er7cHKOykDQlU1GKOWzZJGKkvVh76aHJvnfFOQKquQART5DxVdhC3Y98wcG6HOqbIlQo9JY6pd6HS20aOwXVzKnwTGebEy7dbvNB5W04g/s1600-h/IMG_5533.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2O3yAhPTFdtM2NYxA8ex9Z0ll7xxPGfq32Er7cHKOykDQlU1GKOWzZJGKkvVh76aHJvnfFOQKquQART5DxVdhC3Y98wcG6HOqbIlQo9JY6pd6HS20aOwXVzKnwTGebEy7dbvNB5W04g/s320/IMG_5533.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264907067268617266" border="0" /></a>fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-36438276611724756462008-11-01T12:36:00.000-07:002008-11-01T13:53:38.680-07:00A French Dinner PartyLast night, we had some dear friends over, one of my pastors and his wife, actually. So, I wanted to cook up a special dinner for them. Han and I are still in our francophile stage (having just come back from our European trip), so I put together a French inspired menu: <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Leaf-Lettuce-Pomegranate-and-Almond-Salad-232966">Green leaf lettuce, Pomegranate and Almond Salad</a>, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/FRENCH-ONION-SOUP-236714">French Onion Soup</a>, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Chicken-with-Tomatoes-and-Olives-em-Poulet-Provencal-em-241766">Braised Chicken with Tomatoes & Olives</a> and <a href="http://cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=8641">Apple Galette</a>. We had a wonderful time, chatting about Europe and travel; everyone seemed to love the food. By the way, our guests brought a Pinot Grigio that worked well with the meal.<br /><br />Since we had them over on a Friday, I needed to start cooking on Tues! Tuesday night, I put beef bones, celery, carrot, onion, thyme and peppercorns into my crockpot and cooked it for 10 hours, then I put it on overnight, basically cooking it for about 24 hours. The result was a deep rich beef broth. Wednesday night, I started on the French Onion soup, cooking the onions til a deep golden brown, about 1.5 hours, adding garlic, thyme, shiitake mushrooms, then sherry (per a epicurious reviewer's suggestion). I added the beef froth and simmered it for another 1.5 hours. The flavor was still not there, as most of my soups tend to go. On friday, I simmered it for another 2 hours and added a bit of salt and pepper. My guests loved the soup, served in my Apilco lion's head soup bowls topped with croutes, emmental cheese and parmagianno.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KMI120liEqR8Yg8yduDsm9b-Nvb7GqyEEg8wEqdPQQfyUM5yFa-mhtzaPUr0elOnQyHyiAivFYXmRYqlNKAufwWVwGEhpbeF_QQcOrNs2D3LXTlDeJKG5ujWx6jRwlGd8NgnvBiUcKU/s1600-h/IMG_5498.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KMI120liEqR8Yg8yduDsm9b-Nvb7GqyEEg8wEqdPQQfyUM5yFa-mhtzaPUr0elOnQyHyiAivFYXmRYqlNKAufwWVwGEhpbeF_QQcOrNs2D3LXTlDeJKG5ujWx6jRwlGd8NgnvBiUcKU/s320/IMG_5498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263789943816493698" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzctPZRevOVMPGIR0IUAnwFhZ3xtNWm77lRsKCci4WnplhzOr4k-rEoi6zmTzZNdfF75uMkZWPC4Bg5j2AE9oy8e4XgGXU4TCzhHR92sox0DdJNesvCOQ6PHCyKGqaO2NCXjiL27cLy4/s1600-h/IMG_5496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzctPZRevOVMPGIR0IUAnwFhZ3xtNWm77lRsKCci4WnplhzOr4k-rEoi6zmTzZNdfF75uMkZWPC4Bg5j2AE9oy8e4XgGXU4TCzhHR92sox0DdJNesvCOQ6PHCyKGqaO2NCXjiL27cLy4/s320/IMG_5496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263789617724453746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On Thursday night, I prepped the chicken and veggies for the Braised chicken. Basically cutting the veggies (tomatoes, olives, onions) including red potatoes and a fennel bulb, adding fennel seeds, herbes of provence, salt and olive oil. I also prepped the chicken with the herb and garlic mixture, placing a lemon and fennel frond in the body cavity. On Friday, all I did was throw everything into our roasting pan. The chicken was tasty and juicy, the veggies rich in flavor.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6dQXzX8aS6Ybu1x2vBE1AZkZy-OnSYD2qnGKDAu4EBp35cYG3vbObehNlmneByq6NlBtfOxMiZCkm5LyYc-aqZSBcZ7SJbyp9cOXB9Q_ADZZPUNmnXtq1kHmHUmEzAM3QbdH51Nrsuc/s1600-h/IMG_5483.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6dQXzX8aS6Ybu1x2vBE1AZkZy-OnSYD2qnGKDAu4EBp35cYG3vbObehNlmneByq6NlBtfOxMiZCkm5LyYc-aqZSBcZ7SJbyp9cOXB9Q_ADZZPUNmnXtq1kHmHUmEzAM3QbdH51Nrsuc/s320/IMG_5483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263787526342369842" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlkEMQblsFVKJYTzal36HT21aeTe3brqKYVH7Nwk4q9EMK012DhoSkeU2YXmmBdv1tj6lvuIa5ksm1QudPkwCE2p-QP58wDFXkNh0Uaa06McjKtXrjCyRikYSF9rb5ZGmAdAXqSqYt0U/s1600-h/IMG_5492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlkEMQblsFVKJYTzal36HT21aeTe3brqKYVH7Nwk4q9EMK012DhoSkeU2YXmmBdv1tj6lvuIa5ksm1QudPkwCE2p-QP58wDFXkNh0Uaa06McjKtXrjCyRikYSF9rb5ZGmAdAXqSqYt0U/s320/IMG_5492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263788327679386466" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ghZBVEqAYI8Hbw7fwB5PCLIzV4p7JvM7fp_okUShkq2IbIicGDP84waPr39Yuqkl59NNxNI7455O8ULdjl5brmbDQq5_SYjJ0aIEgrinM3ct296R4ckY1ASGUIx_OnACX3vbXMNkMA4/s1600-h/IMG_5493.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ghZBVEqAYI8Hbw7fwB5PCLIzV4p7JvM7fp_okUShkq2IbIicGDP84waPr39Yuqkl59NNxNI7455O8ULdjl5brmbDQq5_SYjJ0aIEgrinM3ct296R4ckY1ASGUIx_OnACX3vbXMNkMA4/s320/IMG_5493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263788528843851346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ever since I saw the Apple Galette recipe and accompanying video on Cook's Illustrated.com, I have been wanting to try this recipe. It's not a hard recipe, especially with the video that spells everything out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m3Lo-vTFjdRvO7va69TNKC5QVwgrq_lUakQlQeR06jWmM0Y7Pw9BCPMOhtm5BV4l3bkD5EuKwgck3M01byZG9QB9WVhRrLu1QwaTRRjG2I9NvmNv6d4eiBGXF8Gi5wH5us1IQSTyYi4/s1600-h/IMG_5486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m3Lo-vTFjdRvO7va69TNKC5QVwgrq_lUakQlQeR06jWmM0Y7Pw9BCPMOhtm5BV4l3bkD5EuKwgck3M01byZG9QB9WVhRrLu1QwaTRRjG2I9NvmNv6d4eiBGXF8Gi5wH5us1IQSTyYi4/s320/IMG_5486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263789259669547170" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HdK12s9kuPASlS1XQZvRUsCfpL3XGsmrQmcbxeiC5CrR_HjtlaSri9abPHUq8cqlLP4fxwbeWsHaoVvUmAINybTQPIluirKv2_jVWfbH011lCKbmTy8U0n2UA9EsRnDjAyFdJEbScxw/s1600-h/IMG_5502.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HdK12s9kuPASlS1XQZvRUsCfpL3XGsmrQmcbxeiC5CrR_HjtlaSri9abPHUq8cqlLP4fxwbeWsHaoVvUmAINybTQPIluirKv2_jVWfbH011lCKbmTy8U0n2UA9EsRnDjAyFdJEbScxw/s320/IMG_5502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263789407218306226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I just received two cookbooks from Amazon that I hope to write about soon. I've cooked a bunch of recipes from <span style="font-style: italic;">Washoku</span> by Elizabeth Andoh and they were great, so I had to buy the book! I ordered the beautiful green book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Fast, Easy, Fresh</span> from Bon Appetit Magazine, so I'll be trying some of those recipes soon.fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-26473333060556542582008-03-16T23:45:00.000-07:002008-12-08T22:00:49.018-08:00Tabouli SaladLast week, I attempted to make <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabbouleh">tabouli</a> but could not find bulghur in the usual stores. At Star, I found a tabouli mix by Fantastic Foods. I followed the directions, soaking the mix (seemed to contain bulghur and dried herbs) in boiling water, adding tomatoes, extra parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, cucumber, s/p. Being a tabouli novice, I took a bite after putting the ingredients together and almost threw the whole bowl away! The herb flavors were so strong and I wasn't used to such a strange flavor combination. Han told me he'd eat it, that it wasn't bad enough to throw away.<br /><br />The next day after work, I came home hungry and decided to try the tabouli again. It actually tasted good, but still a bit strange. My <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Low-Fat-Favorites-Flavorful/dp/0517884941/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205736608&sr=8-1">Moosewood Low Fat Cookbook</a> has a recipe for a yogurt-tahini dressing (nonfat yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, tahini, cumin, s/p) that I used with the Cannelini Patties (the recipe that made Han love eating vegetarian). I doused the tabouli with this amazing dressing, and I was hooked.<br /><br />I ended up finding <a href="http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/flavorprofiles/bulgur.html">fine bulghur</a> at Down to Earth. Safeway had a red large bulghur, which didn't look like the right type. The fine bulghur looks like large couscous when rehydrated.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIDAas8hEWNe82yNH2UdiS_9jjSJcqx8nC7MF-T2a2TYkHA56P52u1wpLeHxWM6JTk7p6pnhMFM-faBgwcS4ptSPfgrnpaHF9ROdkKr47glO9EpxX-KIMHICeecD-uoyeAKjBhuIsMaU/s1600-h/DSC_0209.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIDAas8hEWNe82yNH2UdiS_9jjSJcqx8nC7MF-T2a2TYkHA56P52u1wpLeHxWM6JTk7p6pnhMFM-faBgwcS4ptSPfgrnpaHF9ROdkKr47glO9EpxX-KIMHICeecD-uoyeAKjBhuIsMaU/s400/DSC_0209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178601200611694082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I used Moosewood's tabouli salad recipe, and went to work, hoping that my homemade version would be better than the box mix. First I rehydrated the bulghur, (1 cup bulghur, 1.5 c boiling water). Added chopped tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, chickpeas, scallions, chives, s/p and lots of lemon juice (1/3 cup). I normally dislike large amounts of raw parsley, but the recipe called for 1-3 cups of minced parsley! I ended up putting a little less than one cup of parsley and a 1/4 c of minced mint. Apparently large amounts of parsley is what makes the tabouli what it is. Moosewood's recipe doesn't call for olive oil, but I added some McEvoy Olive Oil for flavor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rKx7Mc-eEaYZrl4AdSL2lNy6eJaXMt4Ivt2Foi7SMJh5sNdC8f8G5Sms3OkvEnLThkuIa29pShuriMOaBV0AEhDKPLp-uRypGMutq6Ae18B9BoVj8JKr_Qq0gQUeNtnfE58luIi48Z0/s1600-h/DSC_0213.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rKx7Mc-eEaYZrl4AdSL2lNy6eJaXMt4Ivt2Foi7SMJh5sNdC8f8G5Sms3OkvEnLThkuIa29pShuriMOaBV0AEhDKPLp-uRypGMutq6Ae18B9BoVj8JKr_Qq0gQUeNtnfE58luIi48Z0/s400/DSC_0213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178601728892671506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I knew not to eat it right away and to let it sit overnight. My tabouli turned out a little mushier compared to the box mix, but the taste was more fresh and clean (probably due to using more fresh herbs). I enjoyed the tabouli in a pita with curried cauliflower (also from Moosewood's Low Fat Cookbook).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgD-ArxlqoXQ7UdppM1RJaNRZd3gFJsRAMI2KRHbX-hG8caGeNrQ0IkyJ9Oo1priBRo2e7_nAC4dpJZcw9RhsSa8H7w3iDijvOmGXvV6rtlW5ZBBOSxX2sH7OP7Nc5ZmyWZh7cdw9c-w/s1600-h/DSC_0224.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgD-ArxlqoXQ7UdppM1RJaNRZd3gFJsRAMI2KRHbX-hG8caGeNrQ0IkyJ9Oo1priBRo2e7_nAC4dpJZcw9RhsSa8H7w3iDijvOmGXvV6rtlW5ZBBOSxX2sH7OP7Nc5ZmyWZh7cdw9c-w/s400/DSC_0224.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178603021677827618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've scoured a few vegetarian cookbooks so far and many, many omnivorous cookbooks, and Moosewood's Low Fat Cookbook is really something special. Since Han and I are trying to eat healthy and hopefully shed some pounds, I wanted something that was both tasty and low in calories. They've created truly tasty, low fat vegetarian recipes that doesn't make you think you're eating low fat or vegetarian. The cookbook is written with practical supporting information, also providing useful notes and menu suggestions. Moosewood cookbooks have a great reputation, in general. I love their simplicity, while bringing such flavor and variety to dishes that we can enjoy on an everyday basis.fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301943419213557023.post-24129339808821735392008-03-09T01:57:00.000-08:002008-12-08T22:00:49.487-08:00First, MacaroonsHaving had some great macaroons in various flavors from <a href="http://www.miettecakes.com/">Miette</a> at the San Francisco Ferry Building, we were both excited and intimidated at the thought of making these seemingly too-delicate french cookies. Splendid Table's <a href="http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/about/lynne.html">Lynne Rossetto Kaspar</a> had Dorie Greenspan on her show recently, and Dorie described the process in a way that sounded doable and fun. Also, I've been missing my friend Amber who recently moved to San Francisco; she turned me on to the macaroons at Miette. These macaroons are dedicated to her (if it's possible to dedicate baked goods!).<br /><br />Han and I intended to start our food blog for some time now and I wanted to kick it off with something new, something we've never tried. We've been eating more vegetarian fare lately, trying to do our part to live more sustainably. Since we're new to vegetarian cuisine, I suspect we'll be blogging about some of our finds. I'm loving the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Low-Fat-Favorites-Flavorful/dp/0517884941">Moosewood Low Fat Cookbook</a> now and just borrowed a copy of Deborah Madison's <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Cooking-Everyone-Deborah-Madison/dp/0767900146">Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone</a>.<br /><br />We wanted something easy, a recipe that didn't create TONS of cookies and we couldn't find blanched almonds, so we used the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29104,00.html">hazelnut mocha macaroon recipe</a> from the foodnetwork. Our first problem was peeling the hazelnuts, which we did following Joe Pastry's <a href="http://joepastry.web.aplus.net/index.php?title=peeling_hazelnuts&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">method</a>. It worked pretty well!<br /><br />We used ghiradelli cocoa powder and hazelnuts from R. Field. Han tasted the nut mixture and said it was pretty awesome as is. We did strain the mixture but had to force the larger bits of chocolate and sugar through the sieve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNq6PRRev-1sI5tFG-UQGEVEbQkpclVo3xD_cdt9xKG0aS7V_MCSjbNJRxEJb4DlrnmUdK7Irz93gzQkI9yVb56psZGlZ8sIJCOdyiPfenaQo7pCAPWanUt_nuJKhGqCeYqvekDQ3B38/s1600-h/DSC_0193.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNq6PRRev-1sI5tFG-UQGEVEbQkpclVo3xD_cdt9xKG0aS7V_MCSjbNJRxEJb4DlrnmUdK7Irz93gzQkI9yVb56psZGlZ8sIJCOdyiPfenaQo7pCAPWanUt_nuJKhGqCeYqvekDQ3B38/s400/DSC_0193.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175689414648468930" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The egg white mixture came together very quick with my kitchenaid, faster than 2 minutes. I was worried that they were too stiff.<br /><br />I don't have a pastry bag and tips so I used a large ziploc bag with the corner cut out. Not exactly elegant, but saved me the trip to a cooking supply store. It was pretty easy to make the cookies this way, although some were not perfectly round. Perhaps with practice, I'll get better.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTggtSxjdvD9XPqT-tcx_4LKg_6RDdHKcvRiFIa00z5eKIB1htXG8xeuZ2e_pW9tOSsX2gWzVO_t5fKz8WCtO-CEcqEe8CEkQEszrdP02MAapQLy_yxrhFe-Hkdb5bIrtnVpClY0Yd18M/s1600-h/DSC_0195.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTggtSxjdvD9XPqT-tcx_4LKg_6RDdHKcvRiFIa00z5eKIB1htXG8xeuZ2e_pW9tOSsX2gWzVO_t5fKz8WCtO-CEcqEe8CEkQEszrdP02MAapQLy_yxrhFe-Hkdb5bIrtnVpClY0Yd18M/s400/DSC_0195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175689509137749458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I didn't realize that the cookies would not spread in baking. I put them too far apart and could not get them to fit on the pans. I had to keep some of the dough in the bag too long and the<br />subsequent batch came out flatter and more cracked. (The photo below shows our good batch!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLSa1y7Y5Olxf6sr7Rp3ks-aey-hCIlUzzXQupYlL4oNUyg1dnuiCPg88f_iEnBD2ajsfjjsL-P5Xwpz60gDEQXnoHqZDfQ4M9CLnKSQ_rP1Ix4P9N0iqJtGkoJKrmK2_ZQC27wyWlzU/s1600-h/DSC_0204.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLSa1y7Y5Olxf6sr7Rp3ks-aey-hCIlUzzXQupYlL4oNUyg1dnuiCPg88f_iEnBD2ajsfjjsL-P5Xwpz60gDEQXnoHqZDfQ4M9CLnKSQ_rP1Ix4P9N0iqJtGkoJKrmK2_ZQC27wyWlzU/s400/DSC_0204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175691162700158434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm not a huge fan of coffee flavoring in desserts, so we left out the espresso powder. I actually think the recipe would be great with it. The hazelnut flavor would be enhanced. Also, we ended up buying whipping cream instead of heavy cream for the ganache so the filling came out a little more soupy than I was expecting. We used Valrhona chocolate, 61%, not the fancy stuff.<br /><br />We were still able to fill the cookies and <a href="http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/dessert_parismacaroons.shtml">Dorie's recipe</a> on the Splendid Table website says to refrigerate overnight so we'll see if the cookies are more set tomorrow. Of course we had to have a few tastes tonight and they are great. We love our first macaroons. We're excited to try different flavors, different nuts. Tonight, I added some peanut butter to the ganache and created a few special ones for Han since he's such a chocolate peanut butter fan. Check it out, a few of our macaroons looked as beautiful as the Miette ones!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtEqm9_h70UFOEywKUP6_Uz2WMY0YBZj4yHcHjbRPJq4di_SUUiDTuBGBNX7NQwc_Pstjr0MxGlnRRRdHcGTUtMAqwNAFi458jnyC-tGoe9xdCUxRublYMBz3RvUzh4R3P7vM8K7Hq58/s1600-h/DSC_0210.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtEqm9_h70UFOEywKUP6_Uz2WMY0YBZj4yHcHjbRPJq4di_SUUiDTuBGBNX7NQwc_Pstjr0MxGlnRRRdHcGTUtMAqwNAFi458jnyC-tGoe9xdCUxRublYMBz3RvUzh4R3P7vM8K7Hq58/s400/DSC_0210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175691222829700594" border="0" /></a>fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539767268783499044noreply@blogger.com2