The Hungry Rose

Dead.

2007-11-04T08:57:00.000-05:00

My digital camera took its final shot this week.

This will make posting to the blog even more eratic.

Ripping on Food Critics

2007-10-14T10:03:00.000-04:00

My friend Napoleon directed me to this great send up of food critics published by The Onion.

LOL.

warning: a wee bit vulgar, but SO worth it.

Am adventurous, but even I have limits.

2007-10-04T01:55:00.000-04:00

Typed an innocuous email this morning in my Gmail account and pressed "send".

This is the advertising "link" that appeared at the top of my inbox.

As my 10 year old English students like to say, "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!"

An Open Letter

2007-07-25T05:01:00.000-04:00

Dear "middle aged lady sitting next to me yesterday on the MRT,"

Please dutifully reconsider carrying a bag of durian fruit on your next metro ride.

Thank you,

The Hungry Rose

Lucky number 7

2007-07-08T08:55:00.000-04:00

My pal Mei has tagged me for what's probably the 30 gazillionth meme going around the blogosphere. I guess if that's what it takes to make me finally post something...

So, I'm supposed to tell you 7 things you didn't know or might not know about me. Hmmm...well, here goes:

1. As a kid I refused to eat white rice if it had anything on it. I don't know why, but I just preferred eating it plain. Thankfully, I'm over that.

2. I am a huge, huge Golden Girls fan. I have watched every episode at least twice. You know those Lifetime Channel Golden Girl marathon sessions? I've sat through at least 5 of them.

3. I had never owned my own pet till a month ago (D doesn't count...she's the family dog). I am now the proud owner of a goldfish, Doramon. Whoopee!

4. I knew I would go to graduate school (eventually) even when I was in 9th grade. I am such a nerd.

5. I went through a period in high school where I ate 5 kiwis and 10 boiled egg whites after school everyday. Together. All I can say now is, ew.

6. My first distinct memory of a dish that I ate in a restaurant was a fig and prosciutto appetizer.

7. When I was 5 I was such a big fan of the Mister Ed sitcom, I asked my parents for a talking horse for my 6th birthday. I'm still waiting for one.

As I don't want to burden others with continuing this meme, I'm going to leave it up my readers to find seven new things we don't know about them and, well, maybe let others know.

Stay tuned for more!

New food blog alert!

2007-04-15T05:27:00.000-04:00

There's a new food blog in town!

My friend and foodie in crime has started her own food blog, Mei Eats. My gal has got the low down on food in Taiwan and brings her own "flavor" to food blogging.

Go over and take a look!

Noodle making...

2007-02-26T06:59:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit behind, but here's a clip I shot at the 2006 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival:

Nothing better than fresh noodles!

新年快樂! Happy Lunar New Year!

2007-02-17T23:55:00.000-05:00

Welcome, Year of the Golden Pig! That's right, it's lunar new year. A time when most Asian families gather together, celebrate and of course, eat, eat, eat!

As I'm away from most of my family this year, I've been celebrating quietly with my roomates and friends, who don't have family here either. Our new year's eve meal was seafood-not quite traditional, but it was tasty!

In Chinese tradition there are lots of foods that symbolize different things for the coming year. Some are eaten and some are offered at altars big and small. Last year I wrote three extensive posts on the foods of Chinese lunar new year, so I won't dally too long on the subject but give you some pics I've taken this year here in Taipei.

Last week I went shopping at a special lunar new year food bazaar and bought a ton of snacks.

Sweets anyone?

I have yet to try sea cucumbers. They look icky but I won't hold that against them.

Do you think he was able to make a choice?

And here's a two pics of my new year's eve meal last night:

The top photo is my first bowl of shark's fin soup. The texture was gelatinous and goopy, reminding me of these little blobby toys that I had as a child which I would throw at the wall and watch it slowly slime its way down to the floor. Of course, I didn't flick the soup against the wall, but my first few sips gave me the impression that the soup was missing something. Sure enough, my host informed me that it tastes worlds better with vinegar. She was completely right. It added depth to the soup and cut into the gooiness. There shark's fin was a fine mesh like substance that didn't really taste much of anything, to be honest. The flavor of the soup had an undercurrent of chinese medicinal herbs, which could explain part of its huge popularity in Asia.

The second photo is the half asian lobster (sorry, don't know the specific name) which I could eat a small piece as my allergies to shellfish have become more severe in the last year. My small bit though was a succulent and almost sweet taste of lobster meat. It was perfectly steamed, topped with shredded scallions and ginger. Unfortunately, a single bite was all I could allow myself and my roomate devoured the rest of it (with a huge satisfied smile).

With that, I'm going to end this post with a big Gong Xi Fa Cai!

a wee bit closer to the big 3-0!

2006-12-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

When you move to the other side of the world...

2006-11-18T04:24:00.000-05:00

Okay. So it's been a while.

A long, long while.

And I promised so much. Seattle, Greece, Istanbul. Then the summer flew by and before I knew it I was on a plane at JFK, internationally bound.

Sure, I could write up a million excuses as to why I have not posted a single thing since June, but the biggest reason is that I left my beloved New York City and MOVED halfway across the world to Taipei.

Yup. I packed up and moved here in September. Of course I've been eating this whole time. Eating a lot. A helluva lot.

My life here in Taiwan quickly took shape and it has been a busy one at that. Like the locals here I've tended to eat out almost every meal, but after two months of eating like this its begining to take its toll. I've had some serious cravings, everything from bagels to baklava. With the recent addition of a new toaster oven (most kitchens here are not outfitted with a regular oven), I'm sure I'll be back to baking and cooking soon.

Since the last time I was here in the summer of '05, I'd forgotten just how incredibly delicious the fruit can be in Taiwan. I've consumed pounds of guava, pomelos and now I'm begining to munch on wax apples (by far and away my favorite fruit in Taiwan...even if it sounds like something totally indedible).

In addition I've been exploring the food scene at a much faster pace than my previous visit with help from both locals and expatriates. I live near a lively night market breaming with street food. I've taken to trying out quite a few vegetarian restaurants, too, with some great results. A few weeks ago I even attended the closing of the 2006 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival (including the final cookoff for 1st place in the beef noodle competition). More on that in a future post.

I'll be back to blogging more regularly now, I PROMISE. I'll be posting not only about Taipei eats, but what I experienced over the summer as well.

For the moment, please enjoy these foodie pics of recent foods I've enjoyed.

I find guavas tastes best when their still crisp, but sweet.

Known as a mochi to the west, "moji" is cooked rice that's been pounded out to become smooth, sticky and soft. Often its rolled in crushed peanut or some other crunchy ingredient.

Walking along Heping East Road, I came across a man selling what looks like a Chinese version of rice krispies. I was curious enough to buy a half bag. They're not so chewy or sweet as their american counterpart, but I found them satisfying, especially with a nice cup of freshly brewed wulong tea. They became breakfast bars for quite a few rushed mornings.

There's a Yunnuan restaurant a few blocks from my apartment. From my two visits I've found most of the dishes to be decent, but nothing stood out, except this one. It's crispy sour chicken with lightly fried chicken doused in vinegar on a bed of shredded cabbage.

And the Hungry Rose has been visiting...

2006-06-09T16:06:00.000-04:00

I'll let this picture give you the answer.

Not too long ago I was in "sunny" Seattle (well, I happened to have had 3 days of sunshine while I was there, so I didn't exactly get a realistic sense of the weather).

However, I have just come back from a family vacation on a cruise to Athens, the Greek Islands, Istanbul and Naples. Hence, the hints from my last post: yogurt, lamb and pizza. Believe it or not, I only ended up eating one of the three!

Here's some food porn to keep you busy while I reflect and write up my recent journeys:

Where has The Hungry Rose been? Where is she going?

2006-05-21T10:52:00.000-04:00

So it's been a while, the blog and me. The lack of posts are the result of exams, papers, my thesis and quite a bit of travel (and travel preparation). In fact, I just returned from a certain North American city with the experience of having eaten some of the best Mexican food. EVER.

Oh, and really great coffee.

Can you figure out where?

To keep you salivating, here's some food porn for kicks...a pic of my mexican feast:

It was as delicious as it looks.

Even though I just returned from this happy excursion, I'm jetting off today for another two week trip (Yes, lucky me).

I'll give you some 'food' clues as to where I'll be going: yogurt, lamb, pizza. Write your guesses in the comments section.

I'm probably not going to have the best access to internet, but I'll try to check in at least once.

Bon Voyage!

Un-easy dark chocolate cupcakes

2006-04-22T12:14:00.000-04:00

When I was putting together the lasagna for my St. Patrick’s Day shindig, I realized I needed something sweet to round out the meal. I searched through my copies of Cook’s Illustrated and found a few earmarked, yet untested recipes and settled on making cupcakes, something I thought would be pretty simple and easy to make—plus, who doesn’t like cupcakes? I knew I already had most of the ingredients for both the cupcake recipe and the vanilla bean frosting. I figured I could find the few other items pretty readily.

One of the ingredients I did not have was Dutch-processed cocoa. I knew from reading a number of articles that the alkali in the Dutch-processing neutralizes the acids in natural cocoa powder, creating a delicate flavor when used in baked goods. When recipes call for Dutch-processed cocoa it is best, therefore, to stick with it because natural cocoa powder can impart bitterness from the acids. I just didn’t realize how hard it would be to find Dutch-processed cocoa in New York City. I spent a great deal of time searching all the nearby supermarkets, specialty and gourmet shops. When I could not find anything besides natural cocoa, I made a trip to several uptown places and only after my 5th or 6th store did I finally find a box of Droste Cocoa.

With my precious box of powder I trekked back down to my apartment to get to work on both the lasagna and the cupcakes. Since the baking time for the cupcakes was a lot less than the lasagna’s hour, I decide to make them first. I was surprised at how labor intensive this recipe turned out to be because the author implied that it relatively quick and easy.

Heating the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering saucepan was actually a bit of a balancing act. Maybe it was due to the fact I didn’t really have the best equipment at hand, but I was constantly having to make sure that I didn’t overheat the chocolate/butter/cocoa mixture—that takes quite a bit of concentration and maneuvering. The several step process of adding and mixing the different sets of ingredients together is slightly complicated and really counters the notion that this is an easy recipe you can just “dump and stir” like they declare on the front cover. I’m a big fan of Cook’s Illustrated because they often simplify complicated ethnic recipes that are delicious and user friendly, but in this case suggesting this was an 'easy' recipe was quite a stretch.

This all being said, the final products were deliciously rich, moist and chocolatey—the essential elements of a perfect cupcake. If you have the time and energy and are looking for to make a scrumptious cupcake, I highly recommend this recipe, but it is not for those who are looking to produce a 'quick' dessert.

P.S. Thanks to J.F. for supplying the green decorating gel which we all had fun using to make the silly patterns and designs on the cupcakes.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (Adapted from Cook's Illustrated March & April 2005)

Makes 12 cupcakes

According to the author, the recipe doesn’t double very well, so make two batches separately.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1 ½ ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa
¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
¾ cup (5 ¼ ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pans (cups have ½ cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.

2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to touch.

3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean. 18 to 20 minutes.

6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream (Adapted from Cook's Illustrated March & April 2005)

Makes about 1 ½ cups, enough to frost 12 cupcakes

The frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated, but it must stand at room temperature to soften before use. Mixing times are increased by 50% if you use a handheld mixer.

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise [I used a whole bean and the flavor was much more intense]
1 ¼ cup (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
Pinch table salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean onto butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl and add vanilla extract and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

It's been a while since I last participated in Weekend Cat or Dog Blogging, so here's my latest entry that covers both.

It seems that K has gotten out of the sink and into G's arms.

For more adorable pics of pups and kits, check out the weekly cuties at Eatstuff and Sweetnicks.

Lasagna, Lasagna, Lasagna!

2006-04-15T12:27:00.000-04:00

Oh boy.

Today I realize it’s been about 3 weeks since my last post. Again, I apologize. Life, as you all know, can get real busy and things get ignored. Better said, this blog got ignored (by me).

I teased and tempted everyone with a mouth-watering pic and then didn’t follow up. Again, my apologies because I know some of my friends have been waiting patiently to see the photos and read about the recipe.

The lasagna, as you can tell, was delicious and it vanished by the end of my party. I also made some wonderfully moist chocolate cupcakes from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe (March & April 2005) that I’ll write up in a separate post.

As a recap, back in March I was seriously frustrated with the ridiculous price of marinara (pasta) sauce at the supermarket and asked other food bloggers if they had any favorite recipes. Alysha from The Savory Notebook shared her version, which has even been featured in Cooking Light magazine.

At the same time I remembered I had wanted to try a ricotta cheese recipe published by Sam of Becks & Posh and figured the two cooking projects would come together brilliantly as lasagna.

First, I’d like to state that making ricotta cheese was one of the easiest foods I’ve ever attempted to make by myself. I was astonished at how quick I produced a huge blob of the freshest ricotta I’d ever tasted. I highly recommend making your own ricotta cheese if you want to make lasagna.

Making the marinara sauce was a lot more complicated, but it was very satisfying. I would probably cut down the amount of crushed red pepper flakes next time as I personally found it a tad too spicy, but I think that’s an individual decision. The red wine is an essential part of this recipe as it flushes out the other flavors in the sauce.

For a lasagna recipe, I decided to go with a vegetable version in The All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book. Although I sometimes find it cumbersome, this cookbook has some great ‘staple’ recipes that make it a great reference in the kitchen. Since I didn’t know if there would be any vegetarians at the meal, I decided to play it safe and go meatless. I was a bit worried that the lack of meat would equal a lack of flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it both flavorful and full of texture. I think pre-baking the zucchini slices really rounds out the flavor and the parsley intensifies the spinach-ricotta mixture.

I also tweaked aspects of the recipe to my own preferences. I added more garlic than the recipe called for, just a tad less crushed red pepper and much more mozzarella. After cooking this twice (I cooked it once more as a thank you for friend who got me incredible seats to a Rangers game), I've figured out that the amount of zucchini the recipe calls for is not enough (maybe add one more to make it 3) either.

Vegetable Lasagna (Adapted from The All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book)

Prep: 1 hour Bake: 40 minutes

3 ½ cups marinara sauce
12 lasagna noodles (10 ounces)
2 medium zucchini (8 ounces each), cut into ¼ inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk, warmed
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese [my homemade version was not part-skim]
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

1. In large saucepot, cook lasagna noodles as label directs. Drain and rinse with cold running water. Return noodles to saucepot with enough cold water to cover.

2. Preheat oven to 450ºF. In large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Arrange zucchini slices on large cookie sheet and bake, turning once, until tender, about 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in nonstick 12-ince skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook until garlic is golden. Stir in flour until blended. With wire whisk, gradually whisk in warm milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened and boils, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

4. In medium bowl, stir ricotta, parsley, remaining ¼ cup Parmesan, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper until combined.

5. Turn oven control to 350ºF. Drain lasagna noodles on clean kitchen towels.

6. in 13” by 9” baking dish, spread about 1 cup marinara sauce. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread ricotta mixture on top of noodles. Arrange 4 more noodles over ricotta and top with all of zucchini, overlapping slices to fit. Spread with 1 cup sauce and sprinkle with half of mozzarella; top with all of spinach mixture. Arrange remaining 4 noodles on top and spread with remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

7. Cover lasagna with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is lightly golden, about 10 minute longer. Let stand 15 minutes for easier serving. Makes 10 main-dish servings.

Each serving: About 219 calories, 13g protein, 14g carbohydrate, 13g total fat (5g saturated), 27 mg cholesterol, 687mg sodium.

Another picture to keep your mouth watering...

Being a bad bad blogger...

2006-03-23T23:06:00.000-05:00

Apologies all around for the lack of posting. This past week THE HUNGRY ROSE has become THE BUSY BUSY ROSE.

As I mentioned in the previous post's comments, the photos were of homemade ricotta cheese and ingredients for a marinara sauce I made later that day. They were both for a delicious lasagne I served for a small St. Pattie's Day get-together at my place.

Here's another pic to keep you salivating before I post the recipes and even more lovely food porn (beautifully taken by my dear friend Tanying):

Guess what I'm making today?

2006-03-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a few cooking projects during this week, my spring break. Can you figure out what I'm making?

Here's a picture of homemade "something" I made this morning:

and a picture of some other ingredients I'm using:

Any guesses?

Sticker, Sticker, SHOCK! Plus a shout out for recipe suggestions.

2006-03-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

A quick stop by the local supermarket yesterday for just one item gave me a near heart attack.

Really, I could feel the air being sucked out of my lungs as I stared at the shelves.

And what exactly did I see that put me in such distress?

Dear reader, it was the price of pasta sauce.

Yes, pasta sauce. The lovely red marinara, vodka and cream varieties you mix into your bowl of pasta.

There on the shelf I saw the numbers flash before me: $6.99, $7.99, and even $8.99!!!

WHAT!!! $8.99 for a jar of boiled tomatoes, herbs and spices? I don’t care how famous a chef is or how celebrated some exclusive restaurant may be, nobody should be charging that much for PASTA SAUCE!

Is there some sort of exquisite ingredient that’s cooked in it? What could cost so much that somebody thinks they can get a way with charging that much for PASTA SAUCE? Nothing I could read off any of their labels indicated a special ingredient—there were no truffles or other expensive foodstuffs. I mean, are they getting their basil off a special farm in a far, far away land? Highly doubtful.

Really, its pasta sauce folks, mostly tomatoes and water. It's probably bottled in a plant somewhere in America. If someone could justify these prices, please do—I can’t find a good reason.

Now, you’re probably asking how come I never knew about the ridiculous prices before yesterday. Well, in college my roommate taught me to make my own sauce and on the few occasions we did buy sauce, on our budgets, it was Prego (which I might add was the cheapest bottle I saw yesterday at $3.29). Even when I moved back to New York, I tended to make my own sauce—though it was a rather simple recipe with little flavor, it was easy enough and I was, quite frankly, just used to making it.

At some point my mother started giving me bottles of Victoria’s Marinara Sauce, which she bought at a discount from a local wholesale close-out store. I used them on occasion, especially when I was short on time. When my stock ran out recently, I thought I should buy a bottle of sauce just for last minute food emergencies.

So on my way home from classes I dropped by the local supermarket and there I stood with my eyes wide opened and my heart beating away.

I can still hear my inner monologue: “$8.99! What the #%&*@!”

After calming down a bit, browsing the shelves and comparing ingredients on the labels, I decided on a jar of Barilla Tomato and Basil sauce (only $3.89, whew!).

As I walked home, my shock gradually turned into curiosity and I realized that I should turn my exasperation into a cooking challenge.

My own old homemade pasta sauces, while perfectly decent, never wowed me either. One of the reasons I always accepted my mother’s donations of Victoria bottles was that unlike my own versions or the Prego, it has a real smooth aftertaste with little acidity, a creamy texture and the flavors are understated. My experiment, therefore, will be to find a recipe that emulates this subtlety.

For this, I am asking readers if they could direct me to their favorite pasta sauce recipes or helpful tips that might help me in this project. Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. And a big “Thank you!” in advance.

P.S. The Barilla wasn’t too bad, but it’s nothing like Victoria and closer in taste to the Prego.

Now, for Weekend Dog Blogging I introduce to you last week's guilty instigator of D's scratched eye:

G is my brother's Alaskan Malamute, a big fluffly cutiepie and a sweetheart (most of the time). We've forgiven him for last week's incident, but according to my dad he's on probabtion in our house. For more adorable better behaved doggies, go check out all the WDB entries over at Sweetnicks!

*Pasta photo is courtesy of John Wise-he's got some great travel photography on his blog. Go check it out!

Almost here!

2006-03-01T11:37:00.000-05:00

Trader Joe's will open it's first Manhattan location on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th!

On a Whym

2006-02-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

When Tanying and M.P.S. left it up to me to decide on a dining venue for our big “Three Amigas” dine out night, I knew we needed something different from our regular afternoon lunch spots—cheap sandwich places with little décor and often scruffy looking patrons. And I was lazy—I really didn’t want to venture far from my humble abode on such a cold wintry night. So I needed to find a place close by, new to all of us and a place that wasn’t going to trim down our already slim graduate student wallets.

I remembered reading a post on Whym a few weeks ago by the guys at NYCNosh, who waxed on about the creativity of the dishes. I took a look at the online menu and the prices seemed really reasonable, it was within walking distance and the website’s photo gallery seemed to indicate pretty sophisticated interior design (not the place to attract scruffy clientele).

Whym’s cuisine can be defined as eclectic American with breezes of Asian influence, like their Duck Negamaki and Wasabi Pea Crusted Tuna. When you first walk into Whym, you are struck by the contrast of the deep brown sleek chairs, tables and bar wood panelling against the bare white walls, ceiling and floor of the dining room (well, the floor is a bit more beige, but it’s still a steep contrast to all the darker elements). It’s sleek, but simple—there is really nothing adorning the dining room, but a long mirror that runs across half of one of the long walls. When we started our dinner, around 6pm, remarkably the lights in the restaurant were on full blast and it was very, very bright—the brightness was the first thing I noticed when I entered the restaurant because I’m so used to exceptionally dim lighting in restaurants these days.

I was intrigued by the appetizer named “Sexy Mushrooms.” How did these ‘shrooms get their sex appeal? Our waiter claimed that it was the marscopone cheese that “dressed” the fungi up. Well, that was enough for me to know—I figured a bit of sexiness is good for my meal anyhow, so I went for it. Tanying decided to have the Asian inspired Duck Negamki and M.P.S. ordered the dressed up Chopped Salad with apples, asparagus, beets and feta cheese.

A sophisticated restaurant (no matter what the price range) brings not only tasty food to the table, but they bring it to you in-style. Whym really wins on this score. All the dish presentations were stylish and lovely to look at before devouring.

My mushrooms may or may not have been sexy, but the dish was smooth in texture, which I liked, and a bit too salty in taste which I did not like so much. The Chopped Salad was a nice combination of sweet, crunch and soft flavors and textures--an inspired reinvention of a rather traditional dish. The hit of the appetizers was the Duck Negamaki, chunks of soy sauce sweetened and coated duck on a bed of "forbidden" rice (a black highly textured variety). The gritty bits of rice was a compliment to the soft tender duck.

The night was bitter cold and the warm thoughts of a Chicken Pot Pie called to me when I scanned the menu. Whym’s version arrives covered in melted chedder cheese and chopped chives. It is HUGE. It could have served two, maybe even three people. Underneath a delicious golden, crispy biscuit crust (making a wonderful “riiip” sound as I plunged my fork in) were bits of chicken apple sausage, carrots and potatoes. Pot pies are one of those American classics that I’ve found to be mediocre at best in restaurants—this is not one of them.

Tanying enjoyed the Pan-Roasted Cod and M.P.S. ordered the Grilled Salmon for her entrée. In restaurants fish can be overdone, oversauced or just plain bad. Whym gets it right with both of these dishes. The cod was accompanied by a pretty decent tomato-aspargus risotto and the salmon was cooked in a distinctive black pepper sherry sauce.

For dessert, I ordered what sounded the most interesting—this is can be a hit or miss method—the Peanut Butter Martini. A large glass arrived at the table filled with alternating strips of a peanut butter cream and a dark chocolate ganache and topped off with some cream and sliced strawberries. It was a rich as it sounds—the chocolate was so thick it stuck to the roof of my mouth before melting away to my stomach. In my opinion peanut butter’s best compliment is always chocolate and this dessert is no exception. However, it should come with a warning that it should be a shared dish—even with the help of my two amigas, we could not finish it. Plus, Tanying ordered the Warm Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream for herself. I must say, she had the winner of the two desserts. It was a soft fluffy puff of dark chocolate and the ice cream was smooth, sweet and silky.

The service at Whym was outstanding, from the friendly hostess to our knowledgeable waiter and even to the manager who made sure we had our water glasses filled while eating our rich desserts. We were even more impressed when our bill came—for such great food and service in a chic atmosphere, Whym is a steal. It is an excellent choice for a weekend lunch or weekday dinner, especially those who are looking to find an inexpensive location before a show in the nearby theatre district.

Whym, 889 9th Avenue @58th Street, (212) 315-0088

For this week’s Weekend Dog Blogging event, hosted by the recovering Sweetnicks (I hope you're feeling better!) I’m contributing a photo of D in restful sleep as she recovers from a bad eye scratching incident this weekend. On Thursday evening went to grab a raw hide bone, the trouble was it was G’s bone—and he's bigger and tougher than her (he's a sweet one, really, he is and I'll feature him in a future WDB post). An hour later she was in the animal emergency room. Fortunately, the scratch wasn’t too bad and the doctor expects a full recovery. In fact, D was in pretty high spirits all weekend—you wouldn’t know she had gotten hurt with all her running around—she puckered herself out and slept peacefully here on the couch.

I’ve never contributed to Weekend Cat Blogging run by Clare because I don’t really know many people with cats. However, my little brother now has two very cute kitties. So here’s my entry of K, a purr-ty black male with an affection for the bathroom sink.

Meow!

Say Cheese!

2006-02-18T16:41:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago a certain James Beard Award-winning writer wrote an article about food blogs in Food & Wine Magazine. And then all hell broke loose.

The dust has settled and most of us food bloggers have chosen to respond with what we know best: food. In particular we're featuring a certain type of food that the writer took as symbol of bad food blogging, the cheese sandwich. This gave me the perfect opportunity to try a local shop that I keep walking past and telling myself to go try it.

Say Cheese! has been a Hell's Kitchen spot for the last several years and it bills itself as the "Home of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich."

The shop is filled with just a few tables and chairs in primary colors against a natural brick wall on one side and simple long white wall running back to the counter, above which hangs a blackboard listing the different sandwich and smoothie options.

The menu features a number of melts and flats filled with everything from pesto to artichokes. I decided to go a bit more traditional and ordered "The Big Cheese", a three cheese (muenster, provolone, wiss) sandwich with roasted red peppers, garlic and red onions on olive bread.

The crunchy and gooey combination are what make grilled cheese sandwiches so delicious for me. But the sweetness of the peppers was an unwanted contrast to the salty melted cheese and it interrupted my moment with with Mr. Crunch and Mr. Goo. My first bites were also rather messy as I fought valiantly with the pepper bits and onions when they tried to slide out of the sandwich; I would try to ram them back in, but I lost that battle and they ended up spread all over my tin foil covered basket. The bread was decent, but its crunch could almost be defined as "jaw-breaking." I yearned for Wonder Bread.

Maybe its my not-so-refined palate or that I just like to reminisce about the simple versions I ate during childhood, but I think I prefer a plain grilled cheese sandwich on that Wonder Bread, even ones with *gack!* Kraft singles. Yes, the orange hue is unnatural (and probably terrible for you, too), but there is something so strangely comforting in that color. I connect happy moments in my youth to that bright orange-as-Halloween cheese sandwiches.

Reflecting on this particular cheese sandwich, I probably would've been better choosing a funky version with some odd combination of ingredients. Well, at least I had my say and my cheese for food blogging.

Say Cheese!
649 9th Ave,
NY, NY 10036
Between 45th and 46th Street
212-265-8840

Pete Wells Loves Cheese Sandwiches

No cheese sammichie for me today!

2006-02-17T18:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the official Cheese Sandwich Day, which unfortunately I could not participate on time due to an exam. However, big cheese sandwich plans are in the works for tomorrow!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2006-02-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

Here in New York we had a delighfully warm january that felt like spring. So it was wishful thinking that such nice weather would last through february. Today's storm has brough nearly two feet of snow into manhattan! I've gotten as far as the front door, but I have yet to venture outside.

Inspired by the lovely notion of still far distant summer weather I present a very cute picture I snapped in Himeji, Japan last June for Weekend Dog Blogging.

Rangers, 4 vs. Devils, 1: Bistro Du Vent

2006-02-11T18:05:00.000-05:00

This post is part of a hockey sports bet I made with my friend Y.O./J.C. back in September. If you follow the NHL, then you might realize I’m a bit behind in posting—the Rangers have beaten the Devils quite a few times so far this season. My first hockey bet post can be found here.

For weeks I egged on Y.O./J.C. to own up to his end of our sports bet. The Rangers had not once, not twice, but three times won against those menacing horned ones across the Hudson River, the Devils. Initially we planned to go to L’Impero—an Italian restaurant in Tudor City that Y.O./J.C. kept raving about to me. However, with his hectic schedule as a nubie lawyer (i.e. he’s being slave driven by the law firm's partners), he couldn’t commit to a specific day to make a reservation.

Finally, I called him and put it to him straight: “Me hungry...please meal, now!” Okay, I was bit more polite and articulate than that—but I sure felt that way. After a few more calls to harass—er, remind him of our dinner deal, he finally showed up in my neck of woods one cold winter night.

“Where do you want to eat Rose?” he asked.

“How about Esca?” I reply with enthusiasm.

“Uh, how about something that won’t lighten my wallet so much," he quickly shot back.

Dang it. I really wanted to go there.

“Okay, how about Bistro Du Vent around the block?” I replied.

“Never hear of it.”

Fantastic—he’s clueless!

“French fare from the guys who run Esca. I hear good things about it,” I say with a devious smile.

“Okay, but is it Esca expensive?”

Again with a smile I said, “Oh no, it’s much more low-key. It’s a theatre district restaurant. Serves those going Broadway bound.”

Okay, so I told an itsy bitsy untruth here. Esca and Bistro Du Vent are both co-productions from Mario Batali, David Pasternack and Joe Bastianich (now producing the much touted, yet much plagued Del Posto Restaurant in the Meat Packing District)—the prices are nearly the same—but not being a foodie or very aware of the NYC restaurant scene, I snuck this past him.

When you walk into Bistro Du Vent you get a sense of rich colors and fabrics—from the wood paneling at the entrance to the deep tones of the leather upholstery in the back section. The subdued and very dim lightening matches the décor—it was so dark unfortunately none of my pictures came out very well. One large wall of the restaurant is dedicated to the restaurant’s wines—it almost jutts out into the main dining area. Behind white wooden doors with large glass cutouts were racks of their wine collection. We were seated near the windows, which are lined with bottles of fancy fizzy water which did seem a bit casual for such an otherwise stylish interior.

I started my meal with a crab salad with Peekytoe crabmeat, celery and green apply curry. I was impressed by the presentation—strips of apple crisscrossed on top of the crab mixture—it seemed so perfectly set in place I almost didn’t want to break up the harmony. That thought lasted two seconds and then I dug right into it. The curry was mildly sweet with a touch of spice that cut through the creaminess of the mixture and it turned a slightly boring crab meat mix into something a tasty and different from the norm.

For my entrée I ordered a wild stripe bass with a side of gnocchi in a shrimp-bouillabaisse sauce. I’m always hesitant about ordering fish. Some of my worst dining experiences have been when the “fishiness” of the fish cuts through and overpowers every other ingredient in the dish. Bistro Du Vent’s kitchen, however, has gotten the art of cooking fish down. It was cooked just long enough to render it soft and flakey which allowed the sauce to shine through instead of the fish. The sauce went incredibly well with the handmade delicate gnocchi.

The portions are a wee bit on the small side and my friend is a big eater. No, I take that back, he's a HUGE eater. So we ordered a side of pommes frites initially to share, but he pretty much ate them all. I did enjoy a few pieces, but nothing about them shouted "WOW!" They were just good, decent french fries.

To wash it all down I asked our waiter for some suggestions on wines that might compliment my dish selections. Our waiter seemed very knowledgeable about the wine selection and felt very certain that a glass of Henri Bourgeois "Le Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon" 2004 would be the best choice. It kind of took me back as how sure he felt about his suggestion. In most of my fine dining experiences the waiters or the sommeliers will often pepper me with questions about my own wine preferences and even then suggest several options, not just one. But I decided to go with it and he was right on the money. The glass was a perfect match for the light seafood dishes I chose—clear and subtle with a bit of zing.

Bistro Du Vent is clearly what it aims to be, an upscale French bistro restaurant that caters to the out-of-town theater going crowd. The dishes are a clever and smart twist on French bistro cuisine by using ingredients that we don’t normally associate with it. The waitstaff were very attentive and even my all wine knowledgeable waiter, while a bit assured of himself, was cheerful and positively on the mark with his suggestions.

Chinese Lunar New Year Part 3: Customs

2006-02-05T11:21:00.000-05:00

In my last two posts I’ve discussed Lunar New Year food traditions in Chinese culture from fruit to sweets, but there are lots of non-food customs associated with the holiday as well. Many of these may seem familiar to you but you may not have a clear understanding of their meaning or history.

Lion Heads/Lion Dance/Dragon Dance

I’m sure you’ve seen a lion dance performed in person or on television. In Chinese culture, lions symbolize protection and goodness and they aren’t limited to being performed during the Lunar New Year either—owners will have them at business openings and couples will invite them for their wedding celebrations.

The lions’ heads are actually based on Tibetan dog heads rather than an African lion head. The dances are normally performed by Chinese dance troupes or martial arts groups. It requires two dancers, one maneuvers the head and his partner moves like the body of a lion behind him, covered by a large swath of fabric that is connected to the lion head. The performances require musicians to play the drums and cymbals and the lion should be accompanied by a smiling monk named Mi To Fu who holds a leaf of lettuce and lures the lion through the dance. The dance’s finale entails the lion grabbing the leaf in its mouth and then spitting it back out again. Why does the lion do this? Once again, homophones are at play—the word “green” in Chinese sounds like the word “shared prosperity,” so eating the lettuce and spitting it sends out good fortune to the community or the new business or the newlyweds.

Decorations

Couplets are poetic and lucky proverbs that represent good wishes for the new year. Normally they are written with black ink on vertical strips of red paper. They are hung on either side of a door or in window, entrance or hallway. Some of the most common messages: May you have good health, May the Star of Happiness/ the Star of Wealth/the Star of Longevity Shine on you.

When I took a quick look through the flower market this year I noticed these elderly Chinese gentleman writing couplets for passerbys. And then I noticed they were sponsored by Foxwoods Casino! Need luck for the craps table anyone?

Fu 福

The character “Fu” in Mandarin or “fook” in Cantonese means fortune. During the Lunar New Year season families hang signs with this single character on doors, entrances and anywhere else in their home in order to bring in fortune. In the northern areas of China, the “fu” is hung upside down to suggest that luck as already arrived because the word for “upside down” and “to arrive” sound very similar in Mandarin. However, in southern Chinese dialects the words aren’t similar and therefore families from the south many not hang their signs upside down.

Red Envelopes (Hong bao/laisee)

During the Lunar New Year adult members of the family will give small red envelopes filled with a bit of money to their children (or grandchildren). Money is normally given out in even numbers with the exception of “four” because the word sounds like the word for “death.” The children are persuaded to save their money until the next year so that they may maintain their luck through the year. The family hopes to entrust the family luck by giving out these cute red envelopes to their children. Most envelopes are decorated with emblems of luck such as the character “fu” for fortune or peaches and oranges that symbolize prosperity.

The Kitchen God

A domestic deity, the Kitchen God lives in the stove of every family and watches over them throughout the year. Many Chinese family kitchens acknowledge his presence with a wooden figurine, a plaque or piece of paper with his image or name on it that sits above or near the stove. A week before the Lunar New Year, the family will remove that image and burn it thereby sending his spirit to the heavens were he will report to the Jade Emperor about the family’s behaviour over the past year. Sweet and sticky foods are offered to the Kitchen God at this time so that his mouth will be so full and gluey he won’t be able to open it and verbalize his report. Some examples of the foods that are offered: honey, molasses, sticky rice and sweet treats I mentioned in my last post like Nian Gao.

The Do’s and Don’ts of the Lunar New Year

There are lot of superstitious traditions that many Chinese continue to practice every year. Here are a few:

- Don’t get your hair cut on New Year’s Day because sharp objects like scissors could possibly cut your luck
- Don’t wash your hair either on New Year’s Day because you don’t want to wash your luck away
- Don’t sweet the floors or good fortune will be swept away
- Don’t argue on New Year’s Day because the negativity (or harmony) you show on this day will follow you through the year
- Do wear red and don’t wear black
- Do Wear jade jewelry to increase your good luck

So now you know what to eat, say, decorate and wear for next year! I hope you have enjoyed reading about popular Chinese Lunar New Year traditions as much as I have had in writing about them.

For this week's Weekend Dog Blogging event, held by Alicat at Something So Clever this week, D has a special message:

*Yawn* ...all this celebrating for the Year of the Dog can wear out an 'ole pooch like me. Woof to peace and prosperity, but I need a nap folks.

** Much of my information are sources from tour guide materials provided by MoCA.

Chinese Lunar New Year Part 2: Sweet Treats and Edible Eats!

2006-02-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

I don’t think I need to wax on about how food holds such a prominent position in Chinese culture. Food is the CENTER of Chinese culture and the Lunar New Year holiday is no exception—it is traditionally believed that what you eat can affect next year’s fortunes. So what are you going to eat this year?

Like the New Year customs I mentioned in my previous post, Chinese food traditions are based on homonyms. Sweets are particularly ubiquitous during the Lunar New Year—Chinese bakeries all over the world produce lots of different yummy and delicious treats because having something sweet to eat will help make your New Year just as sweet as well.

Tray of Togetherness

This is a really good example of how symbolism works during Lunar New Year. The Tray of Togetherness is often offered by the host to her/his guests when people visit each other during the season. The tray is divided into eight sections because the word “eight” in Chinese sounds like the word “prosper.” Typically it will be filled with dried fruit and seeds, but more contemporary versions have candies and chocolates in them. Here a few good examples along with their intended meaning/purpose:

Traditionally, melon and lotus seeds are believed to bring a family many sons (progeny) in the New Year. In the past, having sons were critical to the Chinese family as they would carry on the family line and take on the financial responsibilities. Times have changed, of course, and the meaning of these (dyed) red melon and lotus seeds now signify joy, happiness and sincerity. Also, having longan fruit implies the wish to have many sons, too.

Lychee nuts symbolize the hope of strong family ties, while peanuts represente the desire for a long life. Candied coconuts suggest togetherness (amongst family and friends) and candied pineapples signify prosperity in the coming new year. Red dates also mean prosperity as well as the ability to have “all good things” and obviously their bright red color is an indication of a lucky new year.

I've been trying to get a good picture to show as an example, but I have not found any good ones. Anyone have any pictures of their own?

The Sweet Treats

Tong Yuan

This is can be roughly translated into “sweet glutinous rice ball soup.” The words “tong yuan” sound like the Chinese word for “togetherness” and therefore the soup is eaten on the eve of Lunar New Year to ensure the family will all be together for the coming year. Tong yuan can be filled with black sesame paste, red bean paste or even peanut paste. You can find savory versions that are unfilled and arrive in a broth of mushroom and dried shrimp. I had a sweet black sesame paste filled one this year and it was absolutely delicious—there is usually a slight tinge of vinegar in the soup that accents the sweet mushy glutinous rice ball.

This cart at the Lung Men Bakery on Mulberry Street was stocked full of Lunar New Year sweet treats for sale. The top two shelves you see are many of the edibles I explain below.

Xiao Kou Zao

This dish’s name translates literally into “Crunchy Smiley Face.” It is a sesame-coated sweetened dough ball. Some believe it looks like a laughing face (hence the name) and that the face symbolizes the happiness you will have all year long.

Yau Gok (Cantonese transliteration)

This Lunar New Year treat can be translated as “little crescent” and it is a favorite because it is shaped like traditional Chinese gold ingots. The dough is filled with peanuts and sesame and fried to a golden brown color. This is the "must have" treat for families during the Lunar New Year because these golden treats symbolize the stuffed pockets you’ll have in the coming year.

Fa Gao

We can accurately translate this as “prosperity cake” and it is customarily made with wheat flour and either yeast or baking powder. This simple batter is steamed in order to allow it to rise and then splits open at the top—this indicates that your fortunes will rise and spill out to you in the New Year. The ones pictured above are the "extra big" variety.

Jin Dui

Jin Dui are Chinese sesame balls that are rounded out of glutinous rice flour and mashed sweet potatoes before being filled with red bean paste, deep fried to a “golden” hue and then finally rolled in sesame seeds. This sweet and crispy treat is a symbol of prosperity in the coming year (are you catching on to the theme here?). I love these crunchy balls that are subtley sweet. I am especially fond of the texture of the sesame seeds on my tongue. Note: You can find these all year round at many dim sum restaurants.

Luo Bo Gao

“Turnip cake” can be found in restaurants and supermarkets all throughout the year but during the Lunar New Year season it can be found in every market in a Chinese community. It is often served on New Year’s Day because it implies prosperity and rising fortune. The word for "cake"--“gao” is a homophone for the Chinese word “tall” or “high” and children eat it so they may grow taller or adults will eat it hoping they can achieve a higher position in their careers. A classic version would have turnips, bits of Chinese sausages, black mushrooms, dried shrimp and flour. I found it sold in large blocks in several bakeries and when you bring it home you slice into smaller portions, pan-fry it and then serve with oyster sauce.

Nian Gao

This is the most significant cake eaten during the Lunar New Year. The words literally translate out to “Year Cake” and it is similar in texture to pudding, albeit stickier. Again, the word “gao” sounds like the word for both “cake” and “high” so eating it would guarantee you progress in the New Year. In most versions, the cake is primarily glutinous rice flour whose sticky quality is a symbol of cohesiveness and family. Plainer varieties have just sugar, oil and white sesame seeds, while more impressive ones are mixed with brown sugar, dried red dates (see explanation above), yams and nuts. I have actually never tried this before, it wasn’t a tradition in my family, but I’m looking forward to having a bite of it this year. If you are visiting a Chinese family for the Lunar New Year, this is the ultimate gift.

The Fruit of the Season

In my last post I discussed the different symbolic meanings of fruit during the Lunar New Year. The exchanging of fruit among families and friends is one of the most common traditions amongst Chinese people all over the world. This year my mom received a beautiful box of Korean pears from our friends the T. family. Sweet and crunchy they were the perfect refreshing end to our New Year’s Eve meal.

I wanted to share with you a few of the photos I took of the fruit vendors last Friday. On the streets of Chinatown I saw these fake peach trees which imply longevity next to the much more edible pomegranates which represent children (or the hope for them). The picture below show these gi-normus grapefruit being sold by the street vendors and which were very tempting, especially at such cheap prices, but I had no more hands to carry such large pieces of fruit.

I hope this post helps explain a lot of the sweet treat food symbolism of the Chinese Lunar New Year that you may have glanced at or even tried, but not understood its symbolic meaning. This is a special season to celebrate family, friends, home and of course, food. Through decorations and special dishes we can express our desire for happiness, prosperity, peace and many other good things through the new year.

* I almost exclusively use Mandarin transliterations unless noted.
* Much of my information are sources from tour guide materials provided by MoCA.

Woof! Woof! Happy Lunar New Year—Part 1: Introduction to Origins and Symbols

2006-01-29T01:13:00.000-05:00

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

There are many tales on the origins of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. My favorite version is the one that describes the man-eating dragon Nian. He would terrorize the villagers once a year, but they soon realized that he feared the color red and loud noises—they used firecrackers and red objects to drive him away. The story is often told to young Chinese children and it is the basis for many of the Lunar New Year traditions we see in Chinese communities around the world today.

Lighting firecrackers was the way for the Chinese to send off the old year and bring in the new one. Today, fake firecrackers decorate shop windows of Chinatowns all over the world (some even imitate the explosive noises).

Chinese believe the color red can keep evil at bay and bring in good fortune. That is why everything is red during Lunar New Year—sometimes even the food! Oversized red lanterns decorate restaurant interiors, businesses will paste auspicious poem couplets on red paper along their doors, and everyone tries to wear as much red clothing as possible.

The first day of the Lunar New Year is today, January 29th, 2006. It is the Year of the Dog, one of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. Those born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, or 2006 are all under this sign and their personality characteristics are loyalty, generosity, honesty and compassion.

Much of the traditions surrounding Lunar New Year in Chinese culture are based on homonyms, using the sounds of Chinese characters and applying the meaning to similar sounding words.

For example, the word for “fish” (yu) sounds similar to the word for “abundance.” Hence, a family will serve a whole fish for the Lunar New Year Eve meal to encourage abundance for the family in the coming year. I found these decorative red fish hanging along the vendor stands of the New York Chinatown Lunar New Year Flower Market on Friday. Now that leads me to the next example…

In the Chinese language, the word for “flower” (hua) sounds like the word for “fortune.” In Chinese culture, flowers are said to bring luck and prosperity into the New Year and therefore traditionally many families will buy flowers to decorate their homes for the festivities.

Certain flowers (and fruits) are favored for specific auspicious symbolic values. Peach blossoms signify longevity and happiness. Narcissus implies good fortune and prosperity. The kumquat tree is a sign of wealth, luck, unity and perfection. I found many real and fake varieties on the streets of Chinatown as well as in the Flower Market, which is organized annually by MoCA, United East Athletics Association and the Asian American Arts Alliance.

Fruit is another important element in the traditions and symbols of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Families often buy oranges and tangerines to give to their guests—they represent abundant happiness. Pineapples are also auspicious symbols as well and you can find a fake gold one in the picture at the top of the post. Do you see it?

For the last two weeks, piles of citrus fruit have been on the street vendors carts. I’ve spotted grapefruit and loads of kumquats on a walk through Chinatown on Friday. Tangerines can be found in tin pans because they’re offered as such in Buddhist and Daoist temples as well as to the Kitchen God. More on the religious influences of Lunar New Year in a few days.

In the meantime, please come back tomorrow for Part 2: The Edible Sweet Treats of Chinese Lunar New Year.

In the spirit of this year’s zodiac and to put in my effort for Sweetnicks’ Weekend Dog Blogging, here’s a new pic of D in her brightest New Year colors:

* Much of my information are sources from tour guide materials provided by MoCA.

The 4x8 Meme

2006-01-28T14:44:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Kalyn tagged me for another meme going around the blogosphere. Simply it is a list of things you’ve seen and done in your life in groups of 4.

So here goes:

Four Jobs You’ve Had in Your Life:

1. baby clothes retail assistant
2. museum docent/tour guide
3. curatorial collections assistant
4. babysitter

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:

1. Pride and Prejudice (The BBC version with Colin Firth, NOT the new one with Keira Knightly)
2. Eat Drink Man Woman
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
4. Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison

Okay, so that's actually five movies--but really, aren't all Adam Sandler movies one and the same?

Four Places You’ve Lived:

1. Chicago, Illinois
2. Beijing, China
3. Taipei, Taiwan
4. New York, NY

Four Websites You Visit Daily

1. Food Blog S’cool
2. The New York Times
3. BBC News
4. Gridskipper

Four TV Shows You Love to Watch:

1. Animal Precinct
2. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
3. 60 Minutes
4. The Charlie Rose Show

Four of Your Favorite Foods:

1. Cheese (pretty much any kind will do)
2. Dark, slightly bitter chocolate (with a high cacao content)
3. Mexican Food (all of it but the pork dishes)
4. Tian bu la (a salty fish ball used in Southern Chinese hotpot)--it means "sweet not spicey" in Mandarin

Four Places You’d Rather Be:

1. Shanghai
2. Paris
3. London
4. Australia or New Zealand

To be honest, I love traveling and I’ve lived both around and outside the US for several extended periods of time, so I’m pretty comfortable being in other places, period. I just love the experience of a new city, new country.

Four People Who Are Now Obligated To Do This To Their Blog:

1. Barbara at Winos and Foodies
2. S’kat
3. Sarah at The Delicious Life
4. Cookiecrumb

Weekend Dog Blogging #18

2006-01-22T00:08:00.000-05:00

Are you thirsty?

D sure is :-)

*This photo has not been doctored. Boxers are known for their looooong tongues!

You can check out all the dogblogging action at Sweetnicks, our dog blogging guru ;-)

Beet of this Rose

2006-01-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

Music playing on the radio. Hillary Duff singing: "To the beet of my, to the beet of my, to the beet of my heart...."

Lately, I've been noticing beets just about everywhere.

It's been in dishes I've ordered at Compass and Roberto Passon, in recent food blogging recipes, and for sale at the farmer's markets.

Inspired by all this, I decided to concoct a beet recipe of my own. I had friends coming over to celebrate a birthday and I volunteered to make a dish of carbs. I figured slightly firm potatoes would go nicely with roasted beets. Taking a cue from Shauna, I added garlic, cilantro, tomatoes and capers. I decided to use balsamic vinegar instead of her recommended tomato vinegar--I love the sweetness of balsamic and I thought it would cut into the blandness of the potatoes.

My friends brought marinated eel and roasted veggies and we washed it all down with a bottle of 2002 Carneros Chardonnay from Larson Family Winery along with a bottle of 2004 Meridian Pinot Noir Central Coast. Between bites, we giggled and laughed at some of the more ridiculous outfits worn by the figure skaters at US Nationals. Who knew you could pair sequins and beets for a dinner with friends?

Roasted Beets with baby potatoes and balsamic vinegar

4 lb. red beets
2 lb. baby fingerling potatoes
Olive Oil
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
4 Tomatoes (vine ripened), cut into 1-2 in. chunks
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
½ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 ½ tbsp. non-pareil capers
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Smother unpeeled beets in olive oil and season generously with salt and ground pepper. Place in a pan and cover with foil.

Roast in the oven for about 50 min (I tend to check it a few times with a knife) or until tender. Remove from oven, cool, de-skin and then chill in the refrigerator.

While the beets are roasting and chilling, boil potatoes until tender, yet still a little firm (unless you like your potatoes mushy). Drain the potatoes, let them cool and then cut into 1-2 in. chunks. Set aside.

Cut the beets into 1-2 in. chunks and place in a large bowl. Mix and gently stir in the tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, capers and balsamic vinegar. Add the potatoes and stir very gently. Chill in the fridge for an hour.

Serves 6-8 people

Whoo Hoo!

2006-01-19T00:48:00.000-05:00

Finally! It is opening.

Now just a three month countdown for their amazing peanut butter.

Too Much Information Meme

2006-01-14T19:19:00.000-05:00

Mona tagged me for this irreverent meme going around the blogosphere:

Write 10 weird or random things about you that most people don't know about. Then tag 5 others for at the end of the post.

So, here's my stab at it:

10. I have a really funny way of eating deli pickle slices. I eat the middle soft core first, almost slurping it up into my mouth. Then I bite away the crunchy outer core.

9. I cannot carry a tune to save my life. I am so bad I don't even sing in the shower because I can't stand the way it sounds to myself.

8. I figure skated for 11 years, though I never competed.

7. I eat Jewish rye bread pretty strangely too. I like to peel the firm outer crust and eat it before I eat the soft interior.

6. Despite my moniker, I don't really like red roses all that much, I prefer champagne or peach colored varieties.

5. I am a huge Andy Rooney fan! I'll take him over Mike Wallace anyday!

4. I have been practicing Chinese painting and calligraphy on and off since my senior year of high school.

3. My favorite drink is a glass of ice wine. My favorite ice wine winery is Inniskillin.

2. My first formal training in Mandarin Chinese was with a group of first graders, but I was 16 years old at the time! My legs barely fit under the school desks. The kids giggled when I entered the room. (If only my calligraphy looked as good as the image below)

1. I've read Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in the original Spanish. Unfortunately, I don't remember all of it and would like to read it again--if I could ever find the time.

So whose weird ways would I like to know more about?

Well, how about Helen from Grab Your Fork?

Or Adam from the Amateur Gourmet?

Could Kel from Green Olive Tree tell us about some of her stranger habits?

What sort of wacky things does Robyn, aka The Girl Who Ate Everything, do?

And lastly, I'm very curious what interesting things Barbara from Tigers and Strawberries might reveal.

Looking forward to seeing all the oddities we posses :-)

UPDATE: Whoops! Robyn already did this meme and I laughed very hard while reading it. Well, I hope she does it again :-)

Compass Restaurant

2006-01-14T18:33:00.000-05:00

When my birthday was approaching, Papa Rose asked where I wanted to go to celebrate. I carefully considered my options, but really, what fine dining establishment should I choose?

Then, I read the comparison review of Café Luxembourg and Compass Restaurant in the Dining and Wine section of The New York Times. With Frank Bruni’s recommendations, I decided we should try Compass once more.

My first time at Compass, some three years ago, was a special dinner as well. I had just gotten my first job out of college and my proud parents wanted to celebrate. The meal was pretty good and although I don’t remember everything I had that night, I recall the lamb dish being hearty and flavorful. But when my parents went back there with friends some six months later, Mama Rose complained that the service and the food were rather uneven. None of us went back after that and I even came across an article that mentioned the restaurant was having issues with keeping a head chef.

Unlike our last visit, we were seated in one of the private rooms. The back wall was opened up with large windows looking into the kitchen. I’ve never been seated in such close proximity to be able to see the inner workings of a restaurant kitchen so it was I guess you could say it was a “dinner and a show” all in one.

The meal started with a palette cleanser from the kitchen, a spoonful of squid and scallops with baby greens—there was a hint of anise flavor that left a refreshing taste on my tongue.

Normally, I try to stay away from the bread basket when I dine at a particularly high end restaurants. I find that the bread usually fills me up and I don’t enjoy the rest of the meal as much. Being it was my birthday meal, I decided to at least sample the bread. I tore off pieces from several different kinds--all were good and decent, but nothing spectacular.

I was really intrigued by one of the special appetizers our waitress mentioned. It was a salad of heirloom beets and ruby red grapefruit with Greek yogurt and pistachios.

Beets and grapefruit? I was very curious.

The salad really blew me away. The acidity of the grapefruit cut through with the sweetness of the beets and the yogurt’s smoothness really blended all the other elements together. What a terrific combination of ingredients I would never think would go so great together.

Therefore, I was doubly excited to try the veal tenderloin I ordered as an entrée. You see, this is the first time I’d be eating veal in almost 18 years. As a kid, I watched a young calf born at summer camp and then traumatized when my counselor told me the “truth” about inner workings of veal production. I couldn’t bring myself to touch the meat again for years and eventually just got used to skipping it when I looked at menus.

As I had jumped into new territory with my appetizer, I decided to take a risk and try the veal. The tenderloin was accompanied with a side of roasted potatoes, red peppers and artichokes. With such hope for this dish, I was looking forward to a juicy chunk of meat full of flavor. Unfortunately what I got was a rather large, tough and rather texture-less hunk of meat. Granted, I hadn’t had veal in so long, I didn’t really remember what it was supposed to taste like, but I do know that meat in general should be tender and retain some sort of flavor. This entrée did not do that and although it wasn’t horrible, it was a bit deflating after such a great appetizer. The side was pretty savory, but it lacked creativity—I felt I could find this in a diner.

For dessert I had a bowl of mango mousse—it was like a tangy and sweet chilled soup. It wasn’t the most impressive dessert I’ve had, but it hit the spot after such a hearty entrée.

For libations, we shared a bottle of Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2003. Just a bit of sparkle, this white was a little dry but with a sweet overtone. It matched my light appetizer perfectly and was vigorous enough to cut through the tough veal.

I topped my meal with a glass of dessert wine. I love dessert wines. It is the drink of choice at the end of a meal. Usually it is not within my graduate student budget to be able to order it often, but it was my birthday. I settled on a glass of 2002 Hopler Trockenbeerenauslese Neusiedlersee. This Austrian vintage holds a lot of complexity and it had tones of spices like nutmeg and clove. Mama Rose, a newbie to dessert wine, took a sip and loved the wine’s sweet zing.

Compass’ interior is slightly darkened, yet cozy. We were one of two tables occupying a room that looked out to the main dining room in addition to the view of the kitchen. Without the hustle, bustle and noise of other diners, it felt like we were having our own private dinner—for a birthday meal that made me feel just a little bit special.

Compass makes a good stab at being creative in the kitchen. I’m not sure if my disappointment in my entrée had more to do with my inexperience with veal or the dish itself. Only another visit to the restaurant will give me a chance to see what other interesting dishes the can produce. But overall I was pleased with my meal and I’d recommend it for those looking for a place for a dinner celebration.

Compass Restaurant
208 West 70th Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 875-8600

A cookie with no name...

2006-01-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

Surfing through my favorite food blogs, I came across this discussion about a mysterious and nameless bakery producing yummy cookies down in the East Village.

Like bars that don't have signage in order to remain hip for "those in the know", maybe this is the new way NYC bakeries are trying to make a name for themselves (since there seems to be a new one popping up each week).

Looks like I have to check out a new bakery...hopefully I can find it!

Goodbye Matzo Ball Soup...

2006-01-10T16:11:00.000-05:00

Please, a moment of silence for the passing of one of NYC's most beloved dining institutions.

Weekend Dog Blogging #16

2006-01-07T13:27:00.000-05:00

It is freezing today here in the greater NYC region. And D is colddddd! So it was time to pull out her brand new coat. It is a very very bright orange--brighter than even the butternut squash soup I made last night.

A warm bowl of soup was the perfect respite from the chilly air. It paired beautifully with a large chunk of sourdough.

And the winner is...

2006-01-02T19:45:00.000-05:00

Karine Perttula!

Come on down Karine...You've just won a historic walking tour of Chinatown restaurants for up to four people!

Send me an email and we'll plot the specifics.

A Menu for Hope campaign raised over $17,000!!!! WOW. Thank you to everyone who contributed and congratulations to all the winners.

Weekend Dog Blogging #15

2005-12-30T14:35:00.000-05:00

Sweetnicks holds an adorable dog blogging event every weekend. This week, I decided to join in on the fun.

Meet D:

She's a cutie. However, she is as dumb as her tongue is long. Not the brightest pooch we've ever had, but certainly the most rambunctious and the sweetest.

D poses for us in her puppy bed. We call it that because although she actually outgrew it a while ago, she refuses to sleep in anything else. We've even tried to get her to sleep in *gasp!* the bedroom with us, but she'd prefer to lounge in the warm confines of her puppy bed.

She wishes everyone a safe and healthy New Year. Best woof in '06!

A Jewish Christmas Dinner : One Family Chinese Restaurant

2005-12-26T14:57:00.000-05:00

Christmas dinner, for many people, means gathering at home to eat a traditional meal of ham, potatoes and the like. For Jews, Christmas dinner means a night out at the local Chinese restaurant chowing down on beef with broccoli and lo mein noodles.

For my Chinese-Jewish family, we’re usually found devouring a bit more authentic Chinese cuisine. A plate of General Tsao’s chicken is not typically found amongst our orders.

Last night was no exception. Having spent the whole day cleaning the post-finals mess of the apartment (imagine papers strewn into every nook and corner), I joined Mama and Papa Rose in Flushing for dinner. I was hoping for dim sum, but it was really too late in the day for it and Mama Rose suggested going back to a restaurant they had been taken to by others the previous week, 一家餐廳 (One Family Chinese Restaurant). I never question her Chinese food restaurant choices, she’s usually right on the money.

Mama Rose is quite discerning about Chinese food—whether ordering it or making it herself. As a kid I never really realized the good fortune I had with a mom who could make all sorts of food and best of all—different types of Chinese cuisine. I’ve tried very hard in the last few years to make up for it--when I’m home, I ask a lot of questions while she cooks. “How much of X spice do you use for this dish?” “Why would you add those two ingredients together/separate?” “Why do you use X spice instead of Y spice?"

It is a similar story with ordering Chinese food. Until I went to China during college, I had never ordered food in a Chinese restaurant and all of a sudden I had to order Chinese food in CHINESE! It was a daunting and frightening task and I wasn’t very good at it in the beginning. I somehow managed for those six months, but I vowed when I returned home to learn the names of dishes (in Chinese and English) my mom ordered and that I loved to eat at Chinese restaurants. With my language skills improving over the years, I’m now able to order more competently in either English or mandarin, but I always desire to expand my cuisine vocabulary.

Last night was no exception and I paid close attention when she asked the waitress specific questions about a variety of dishes and then I peppered her with a few of my own food queries. I find that I now scan the menu to find the names of the dishes in Chinese, a way to remember them when I’m ordering by myself or with a group of friends.

One Family Restaurant serves a wide variety of food, such as Taiwanese snacks, Chinese breakfast items, and more familiar northern and southern noodle dishes. There are also some dim sum on the menu as well as cold dishes and Chinese casseroles.

We started our meal with 海鮮豆腐羹 (Seafood and bean curd soup). It was thick and gooey, similar in consistency to egg drop soup. The soup was loaded with shrimp, scallops, and fish plus mushrooms, egg whites and sliced green beans. The ingredients were simple and the freshness of the seafood came through in every slurp. I must admit, I’m a big fan of gelatinous soups because I love the way it clings down my throat, warming me from the inside. What I really liked most about this soup is that it wasn’t very salty. Many Chinese restaurants load their soups with salt (or worse, MSG) which forces you to drink an inordinate amount of tea that eventually leads to multiple trips to the restroom.

Our next dish was 核桃脆皮大蝦 (Crispy Prawns with Walnuts). When it came out I realized right away that this was most certainly Taiwanese cuisine. The prawns were fried and smothered in sweet Japanese mayonnaise and served on a bed of broccoli. The 50 year colonization of Taiwan by the Japanese in the first half of the 20th century left an indelible mark in Taiwanese culture and society--food is no exception. With the politics of today, Taiwanese often still look to Japan for cultural inspiration and the use of sweet mayonnaise is a product of all these influences. That said, I’m not a fan of the mayonnaise and I find it overpowers what ever else is in the dish. In this case, I spent a couple of minutes trying to slide each shrimp back and forth across my empty plate in order to remove the excess mayonnaise. The lightly caramelized walnuts were a nice crunchy complement to the prawns, but the whole thing was too sweet for what should be a much more savory dish.

Our second course was 紅燴海參 (Braised Sea Cucumber in Brown Sauce). Considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, especially due to its medicinal value, sea cucumbers are used with other ingredients to create a glutinous texture to braised dishes. With some shredded beef and snow peas, ours was both light and flavorful. Like the soup, it was not weighed down with salt and the brown sauce covered the ingredients, but did not drench them. It’s a rather expensive dish compared to the rest of One Family’s menu, but if you’re looking to try something new in Chinese cuisine, I’d highly recommend braised sea cucumber.

During our ordering, Mama Rose questioned our waitress about a specific roast duck dish she had tried before. Aptly named 香酥鴨 (Fried Crispy Duck), it was just that. The skin was certainly crispy, but I did find the meat a bit too dry. Papa Rose felt it tasted both “ducky” and salty, but I felt it was a pretty good version of a dish that can often be well overcooked.

Our final dish was a simple side of snow pea leaves with braised scallops. I’m particularly found of snow pea leaves and have found them a refreshing change from the usual spinach leaves and watercress I often eat during a Chinese meal. The scallops were very fresh and like the braised sea cucumbers, they were not drenched in brown sauce.

The biggest problem with One Family Chinese Restaurant is the noise level. The downstairs section is a rather narrow room with no carpeting and wall to wall mirrors. This makes every whisper into a shout and the upstairs karoke room does not help the matter. Throughout much of our meal I found myself nearly screaming to my mother across the small table. The ambiance aside, the meal was very good and definitely a place I’d go back to with friends.

So another Rose Christmas dinner of Chinese food goes down as a keeper.

Yi-Jia (One Family) Chinese Restaurant
46-26 Kissena Blvd
Flushing, NY 11355
Tel: (718) 886-1558

Now that I don't have finals anymore...

2005-12-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

...I can make myself a decent breakfast.

I've discovered that Sonoma Jack hot pepper flavored cheese is an excellent filling for omelettes. It adds flavor and heat to the eggs. These mini wheat pitas are decent, but Barbara has inspired me to try making my own. A food adventure that awaits for me this holiday break.

I recently bought some fig jam from a local greenmarket vendor, Beth's Farm Kitchen and have been waiting for the right time to use it. Well, the jam pairs deliciously with nonfat greek yogurt. I wonder whether it can double as an ice cream topping ...I'll have to try that too.

To top it off, I had a refreshing glass of ruby red grapefruit juice, nicely countering the heat of the hot pepper cheese.

Now, if I could only have a breakfast like this every moring during the semester.

Just a Reminder: A Menu for Hope 2

2005-12-22T00:46:00.000-05:00

There has been an AMAZING response to A Menu for Hope 2 campaign: $11,749 as of this moment.

A recap: this is a campaign to to help raise funds to support the victims of the devastating earthquake in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan.

It is a virtual raffle that offers a really diverse range of prizes from food bloggers all around the world.

Pim has a montage composed of pics of the prizes, go check it out. The hardest part is choosing which prize you REALLY want.

To add to the huge pot of gifts, I will be offering a historic restaurant tour of New York City's Chinatown for up to 4 people. The tour will highlight the history of restaurants in Chinatown and Chinese food in America and will include stops at local eateries.*

All you have to do is donate $5 and you will be eligible for the raffle drawing for a gift of your choice.

To peruse the long list of prizes, click here.

The deadline to give will be 12am PST on December 24th. Winners will be announced after January 1st on Chez Pim.

PLEASE NOTE: No money will pass through any person's hands. All donations will be through First Giving, going directly to UNICEF, for the victims of the earthquake.

*The tour must take place before September, 2006. All arrangements must be made by email. My schedule is pretty flexible, but please be aware that the winner must give me at least a month's notice and that there are some "blackout dates" (i.e. times when I will be unavailable).

Chinatown Restaurant Tour: Menu for Hope 2

2005-12-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year again...the time to give.

In what is becoming an annual event, Chez Pim has organized A Menu for Hope II, a drive to to help raise funds to support the victims of the devastating earthquake in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan. This year there will be a virtual raffle that offers some really novel and delicious prizes from food bloggers all around the world.

This year The Hungry Rose will offer a historic restaurant tour of New York City's Chinatown for up to 4 people. The tour will highlight the history of restaurants in Chinatown and Chinese food in America and will include stops at local eateries.*

So, what's the 411?

First, check out the fabulous prizes you can win. Then, donate just $5 to A Menu for Hope campaign.

Each $5 donation gives you one chance to win. The more you donate the more chances you have to win. Make sure that you note your desired prize or prizes in your donation's comments section.

The drawings will be held December 23rd and results will be announced after January 1st.

Please note: No money will pass through any person's hands. All donations will be through First Giving, to UNICEF, for the victims of the earthquake.

*The tour must take place before September, 2006. All arrangements must be made by email. My schedule is pretty flexible, but please be aware that the winner must give me at least a month's notice and that there are some "blackout dates" (i.e. times when I will be unavailable).

(photo by Heidi Swanson)

Roberto Passon

2005-12-10T22:08:00.000-05:00

The snowstorm that never came on Monday (I saw like three flakes—the weatherman was so off) pretty much ruined any chance of having my entire family together to celebrate my birthday. Mama Rose and little bro Rose both did not want to drive back in the predicted (although unrealized) weather conditions, but Papa Rose did make it into the city.

Having already cancelled our original reservation at a swanky uptown restaurant (which will remain nameless because a new reservation—and eventual review—has been made), we decided to try a new-ish (it opened up right before I left for Asia this summer) Hell’s Kitchen Italian restaurant called Roberto Passon. Zagat and citysearch both had pretty decent reviews and Papa Rose really wanted Italian.

I’ve always had a somewhat uneasy relationship with Italian restaurants, whether it is Northern or Southern cuisine. Most tend to serve pasta that’s extremely heavy and loaded with sauce, therefore overpowering the texture of the pasta itself. Another common problem I’ve encountered is that the pasta is almost always overdone—a mushy plate of pasta, yuck! When I have eaten some great Italian meals, they’ve often been extremely expensive (or even just plainly overpriced). So I was a bit hesitant to try this new joint in my ‘hood. Would I just end up with a blown up belly, an unsatisfied tongue and a much lighter wallet?

I am happy to report that it was one my best meals of 2005.

The restaurant, owned by New York City Restaurant Group, features Venetian cuisine (i.e. lots of seafood and spices) by—get this—chef Roberto Passon. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten Venetian cuisine (or at least not knowingly) other than my trip to Venice some three years ago, so to try it once again—with hopefully a more refined set of taste buds—turned out to be a pretty great choice.

The restaurant is located in the former space of Dashkin—an Indian restaurant that should have sailed out long before it did this past spring. Dashkin’s boring red awning and orangish exterior brick walls have been painted an eye-popping bright yellow—I noticed the restaurant from almost a block away! The interior is simple in design—the light beige walls are only decorated with just a few wine racks that display some of the restaurant’s all Italian wine selection.

Our waiter was clearly Italian—he had a lovely accent and was pretty good lookin’ to boot (hey, it never hurts). Unfortunately, for me that is, he went off shift before our meal ended, but alas, he was replaced by yet another good lookin’ Italian man—this restaurant seems to be stocking up on all the best eye candy from Italy. Ah, but I digress—both our waiters were friendly, always prompt in taking our orders and serving us our food.

Now, onto the review of much more important matters...the food and the drink!

Speaking of the latter, I had had the whole day to think about what kind of drink I wanted to celebrate my birthday with. I realized I was best to have a glass of one of my favorite drinks. Unfortunately, they’re wine selection does not have any Italian version of champagne rosé, nothing even close. Our handsome waiter suggested I try a Kir Royale. While it did not have the same soft fizzle I love in champagne rosé, it was sufficient.

As we often do in the Rose clan, we decided to split our entrees—that way we could sample more than one dish. We chose three appetizers: a warm beet salad with haricot verts and leeks that was garnished with crushed walnuts and alpha sprouts, fried rice balls stuffed with saffron and mozzarella on a bed of thick marinara sauce sprinkled with some alpha sprouts (chef seems to like this ingredient) and breaded sardines with caramelized onions and raisins on a bed of sweet potato.

I chose the salad in part because of a recent blog post on beets by Shauna, who made beets sound so much tastier than they look in the produce section of my local supermarket. My first bite told me I had made the right decision. The warm soft beets really complimented the crunchier haricot verts and the leeks spiced the entire dish just a tiny notch.

While I enjoyed the rice balls—salty and lightly spiced, I have to admit they tasted like a zupped up version of a mozzarella stick. The sweet chunky marinara sauce didn’t help in distinguishing them from their bar food cousin.

Papa Rose had most of the sardine dish and he felt that the sweetness of the onions and raisins balanced out the saltiness of the sardines. He felt it wasn’t overly heavy, considering it was breaded.

Our two entrees came up out one at a time. First, they served us taglieri with lamb ragu—a thin, narrow and flat variety similar to spaghetti that was by far one of the freshest bowls of pasta I have ever eaten. The meat bits were just at peak tenderness and there was only enough sauce to coat the pasta, rather than drowning it. Papa Rose felt that it was one of the best ragues he’s ever eaten!

For our second entrée, we had a Mediterranean sea bass that was baked in a coating of sea salt. Our second handsome Italian waiter brought the fish tableside, removing the salt, de-boning it and squeezing a fresh lemon over the whole thing. I must admit, watching him carefully arrange the fish on our plates was added entertainment. Again, I digress…the fish had a good balance of flavor and texture—it was subtly salty and fluffy soft with just a hint of acidity from the lemon juice.

Maybe the only slight disappointment in our meal could be found in the desserts. There was nothing inherently wrong with them, but neither my saffron crème brulée nor Papa Rose’s profiteroles (supposedly the chef’s favorite) were standouts. They were just good—satisfying but nothing that leaves your mouth craving for one more bite.

However, Papa Rose—a finicky eater, to say the least—did say “This whole meal was excellent, all cooked just the way I like it!” And I have to agree with him because it really is so hard to find good Italian fare and at such reasonable prices. The lamb ragu was a steal at $13! The sea bass was a tad more at $28, but it was also a special that night and had been cooked cooked so well to be worth the extra money.

Overall, prices were really not bad at all, considering the quality of the food—especially the freshness of the pasta, the variety of ingredients and the creativity of the dishes. If you’re looking for a good, unpretentious and practical place to eat before or after seeing a show (it is in the theatre district) or are just looking for good Italian fare at reasonable prices, Roberto Passon is an excellent choice.

Roberto Passon
741 Ninth Ave, NYC
212-582-5599

The Breakfast.

2005-12-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

For breakfast at home, I'm a Cheerios with fruit kinda gal, but this morning I decided to be a bit daring and eat something totally different.

So I had a toasted slice of tomato garlic basil sourdough from my local greenmarket bread vendor, medjool dates from Fresh Direct, portabello Sonoma Jack cheese bought at--get this--Costco and green grapes from the local supermarket.

It was all very fresh and tasty, but I think that was enough of a breakfast adventure for the time being--I do miss my dear Cheerios.

Another year...

2005-12-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

...has gone by.

Yes, today is my birthday, a great reason to try a new food destination.

Originally, the Rose clan was going to celebrate at a fancy schmancy UWS (Upper West Side, for all the non-NY'ers) restaurant . Unfortunately, an impending snowstorm has forced Mama, Papa and little bro Rose to stay in the suburbs while I get to blow out my imaginary candles alone.

However, after wallowing in this small bit of self-pity, I am going to take this day as a sign that great things will be coming my way this year.

UPDATE: As it turns out, Papa Rose made it into the city after all (Hooray!). Unfortunately we had already cancelled our reservation at aforementioned "fancy schmancy" restaurant. With only the two of us, we decided to try a more low-key venue, which turned out to be terrific and I hope to put up a post about the experience in the next few days.

A few changes...and more problems.

2005-12-04T15:47:00.000-05:00

I spent a good part of my saturday night fiddling with the layout of my blog. It's getting there. I like the white background a lot better than the pink/purple color combination of the original template.

I'm a bit frustrated because I spent a lot of time and came up with very little of what I really wanted to change in the design/look of this blog. I'd like to change the banner and add some borders too. Quite frankly, I'm a bit lost in the html.

I think the rest of these changes will have to wait until I have completed my finals.

On a food note, tomorrow is a very special day for me and a time to celebrate with my family. The result of which, I hope, will be my first ever published restaurant review!

Fridge Check 2005: Tanying!

2005-12-03T18:02:00.000-05:00

Lately, I haven't had much in my fridge. With the extended weekend holiday of Thanksgiving at Casa de la Rose and a tendency to eat out/order in more as the semester comes to a close (and I get bogged down with my studies), I haven't bothered to stock up on much. Besides the staples of cheese and milk, there's been a few bell peppers, some ginger and I even had this chocolate bar, dark with a spicey afterkick. Unfortunately, it didn't stay in there for very long.

So instead of exhibiting the bare confines of my refrigerator, we're going to peek into the one owned by my friend Tanying. She has some terrific photographs of her last trip to China this past summer up on her blog. Go check it out.

The pic isn't the best, but I think I spy green tea ice cream, lots of soft tofu, apples, salmon fillets and a lot of asian leafy greens.

Rangers, 2 vs. Devils, 3: Lamb Chops with cilantro-mint herb sauce

2005-11-23T14:47:00.000-05:00

Like many hockey fans, I was elated, overjoyed and just plain relieved that the lockout ended this summer. Growing up in a family that was not much for athletics, I never had much of an interest in most sports except hockey. Watching baseball or basketball bored me, but I was always ready to watch a hockey game. I'm sure my interest is in large part due to the fact that I figure skated for many years--just being around pucks, sticks and of course cute hockey players had a big influence. So, the New Yorker that I am, I grew up an avid Rangers fan. And, of course, like any good Rangers fan, I DESPISE the New Jersey Devils.

So this year, after all the hoopla of actually having a season, I proposed my first ever sports bet to my friend Y.O./J.C. (he has two names--it's a long story involving a fengshui master, his parents and his supposed future), a New Jerseyian now living in Manhattan who has a misguided love for the Devils. As they are in the same division, the two teams play each other eight times during the regular season. I felt that this was equal to eight dinners and therefore made a bet with him.

Alas, the first game was a loss by my beloved Rangers to those evil ones across the Hudson River. That meant I had a dinner to cook. What to make, what to make.

I decided to center the meal on lamb chops. I must tell you, dear reader, I LOVE lamb chops. It's just one of those foods that gets my mouth salivating at the mere thought. I have terrific memories of Mama Rose using the toaster oven to gently cook the individual chops and I would wait patiently by that square little machine watching the meat sizzle and brown, ready to grab one as soon as I saw my mother's look of approval.

Normally I roast the chops "naked." No, I do not cook without wearing clothing. What I mean is that I just don't usually marinate my chops before they go into the oven--I cook them plain. Other than in restaurants, I hardly ever eat lamb chops that have been pre-marinated. Therefore, I decided I should try to marinate them this time and settled on a cilantro-mint mixture. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Why? Well, I forgot to do it the night before. Doh!

So instead, I roasted the chops "naked" in the oven and made the mixture into a sauce.

Lamb is a meat with a sometimes overpowering earthy flavor and therefore I like it paired with simple veggies, like green beans. So I steamed a bunch I picked up from Fairway on my way home from class.

To round out the meal I made a simple dish of wheat pasta (which I found very rough and dry--I don't think I'm going to buy it again) topped with Victoria Marinara Sauce.

To finish, I opened up my last bottle of wine from my trip to Venice two years ago. The bottle of Domini Veneti Valpolicella Classico Superiore 1999 was a perfect match--this slightly light bodied variety with some floral hints complemented the deep earth flavors of the lamb.

We both enjoyed the meal (although I'm sure he was gloating over his win) and I was able to prepare it in less than an hour. Afterwards, Y.O/J.C. and I went to 44 and ½, though I can only recall one of our desserts, the lemon tart. My memory of our time there is a bit fuzzy--I had just consumed a half bottle of wine.

Since our meal, the Rangers have won 3 games against the Devils! Y.O./J.C. doesn't cook so he'll be taking me out to eat to keep up his end of the bet. First up: L'Impero in Tudor City. Stay tuned!

Buddhists eat matzo too!

2005-11-22T17:14:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I enjoyed a lovely Sunday morning with my friend C.K., her boyfriend J., and her adorable grandmother at a Buddhist temple in Chinatown. Every Sunday her grandmother goes to this temple to pray and have lunch with her fellow congregants.

We arrived around the end of the morning service and joined her for a vegetarian lunch served in the basement of the temple. All around us you could hear the slurping of noodles and clicking of chopsticks as people of all ages chattered away in several dialects of Chinese.

After our meal, C.K.'s grandmother escorted us around the main hall of the temple pointing out pictures of Buddhist masters as well as the sutra scripture books she reads during the service. On our way out, I noticed (what I thought were) offerings of treats such as fortune cookies and candies placed next to the Buddhist statue by the front door. Hmmm...why was a box of matzo amongst the offerings to Buddha?

As it turns out, the matzo is actually food for congregants to nibble on if they are hungry during the Buddhist services, which can be quite long. But it was funny to see it placed next to a Buddhist statue.

I might like one of those...

2005-11-21T17:12:00.000-05:00

A new appliance has come to my attention.

It's called a Thermomix and was featured in the NYTimes Magazine this weekend. Sold through direct marketing (Anyone ever been invited to a Cutco demonstration? Someone comes to your home, demonstrates the product and prodes you to buy it), it's a blender, mixer, grinder that can weigh your ingredients, saute and steam them too.

Interesting.

The reviewer seemed to be pleased with the machine, though at $945 (plus shipping and handling), my first reaction was "are you kidding?"

But after thinking about the machine for a while I realized that the average NYC kitchen is quite small and that it only takes up the space of one of those aforementioned items, so actually, you're saving a lot of room in your "closet" for other equally important things, like an ice cream maker!

The other advantage with the Thermomix, which the author pointed out, is that you are essentially paying for quite a number of kitchen appliances and tools in one machine, so you're saving yourself some "dough" in the process.

That said, it's out of my price range for now. Another item for my "wish list" (which seems to grow daily).

For the love of Asian Food

2005-11-05T17:53:00.000-05:00

I noticed this icon while on the Asia Society webpage.

It's a link to a website that is devoted to all things about Asian food.

It's divided into sections with recipes, features on different aspects of Asia food, links to other online Asian food sources, a glossary of terms, an easy navigable list of NYC Asian food restaurants and even a listing of cooking schools that feature Asian themed classes both here in the US and around the world.

I'm impressed with the recipe search engine, which allows you to search by regions and types of dishes. I haven't yet tried any of the recipes, which seem to be mostly pulled from Charmaine Solomon's Encyclopedia of Asian Food as well as a few from the Korea National Tourism Organization.

The restaurant listing (granted it is only for the NYC area, but if you've ever been here, you know just how many Asian food restaurants exist here and how daunting the decision can be to pick one) is quite an extensive compilation. It's divided by region and country and then the neighborhoods of NYC. Judging from the Thai restaurants they have listed in my area, they have a very well rounded listing (you can also send them the name of a restaurant that is not on the list).

The glossary of terms on the main page is also pretty impressive. I've had a few experiences with Asian food recipes that mention ingredients that I can't even pronounce much less figure out what they may taste like or be used for, so I can see myself using this helpful online source.

I'm glad I websurfed my way to this website. It's a helpful and insightful source of the varied tastes that exist in Asian cultures.

* Graphic courtesy of Asia Society

But the question is does it taste good?

2005-11-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

Check this out.

I'll take the hand, you take the face :-)

It's coming...

2005-10-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

I hate to make doomsday-esque predictions, but like I said before, it's coming and there's little we can do to stop it.

The apple of my eye...Part 1

2005-10-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

The months of September and October in this part of the world means apple season. Many New Yorkers (the city folk) will make their annual pilgrimages to points north in order to spend a day apple-picking in their favorite orchard.

For me it means getting a huge bucket of apples from the Rose home. My parents happen to have quite a few older apple trees in their yard that yield so many apples in some years that Mama Rose can be found giving buckets to every person she meets (I’m not totally kidding here).

Looking at my bucket exploding with apples, I had to think quick with what I was going to do with them before they started to go bad. Since they are MacIntosh apples, they’re really not great for baking pies (Mama Rose has made several attempts, no luck). They are, however, great for applesauce.

Applesauce is also so simple and easy to make. It can be jarred and then gifted to friends and family.

I’ve been in a "spice mood" recently and I really wanted to do something different with my applesauce. I hate to use this phrase (since I find him pretty irritating as a food personality), but I wanted to “kick it up a notch”. I looked on my spice shelf and pulled out a few of the usual suspects. I peeked into the fridge, but found nothing interesting to add. Then I opened the freezer and there it was, my farmer’s market jalapeño pepper. Perfect!

I found that this "spiced up" version makes a great topping for plain low-fat yogurt or just a snack by itself.

Rose’s Spiced Applesauce

This recipe does not really have measurements because it’s all about taste preferences. Some people like a whole lot of spice and some don’t. I prefer to use the jalapeño pepper, but if you have a favorite type of pepper, go for it and change it up. I used about one pepper for every 8 medium-large apples.

Since this year’s crop turned out really sweet, I didn’t even have to add sugar, but if your apples aren’t as sweet, you can always add it after the initial boil.

Apples (peeled, cored and diced)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Jalapeño peppers (finely chopped with seeds removed)
Sugar (optional)

1. Place the apples and jalapeno peppers into a pot. Fill the pot with water till it reaches the top layer of apples. Place pot on stove and turn on high heat. When the water starts to boil, turn it to low heat and allow it to simmer (stir occasionally) until all the apples are very soft and mushy.

2. The simmer time depends on how many apples and water was added, but the sauce should reduce to 3/4 of the initial volume. While it simmers, add cinnamon, nutmeg (and sugar) to your desired taste. You can also mash the apples with a ricer (a tool used for mashing potatoes) at this point or wait till the water level reduces.

3. The sauce should reduce to about 2/3 of the original volume (or even a bit less). Allow the it to cool before placing in jars or cans.

Introducing "Fridge Check 2005"

2005-10-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

I hardly ever watch any television anymore. A lot of it is due to the atrocious programming the networks seem to be producing; honestly, the "reality" of reality TV is that it's pretty boring. The Food Network is often what I turn to when I actually watch television. And even that frequently bores me (I can only take "Baam!" so many times).

But one night, soon after I returned to the US, I was fighting off jetlag and watching of all things, MTV's Cribs. Anyone who is not familiar with the show, it's basically celebrities giving a tour of their home. Most often it is a gigantic ball player with a Disneyland-esque theme park in his backyard showing the viewer his gadgets and toys (albeit big and very expensive ones). Quite frankly, I could care less about the posh cars and decked out rooms that hold 400 people at once. I just wait for them to show their KITCHENS!

And boy, are there some kitchens in these homes. Besides being just plain huge, they're often setup with unique cabinetry and cool appliances. I loved one kitchen's French antique stove (granted, it may not have been a very good stove for cooking but it was so cute!) and another person had this really sleek Sub-zero refrigerator that I'd put in my fantasy kitchen, the kitchen that can be found only in my dreams.

That day may never happen, but inspired by one aspect of Cribs, I've come up with a new series for the blog. You see, every celebrity who does this show always opens their refridgerator to show the audience the contents. So give a warm welcome to a new reality blog series: FRIDGE CHECK 2005.

My blog audience will get to check out what I have in my fridge from time to time and maybe what my friends have in theirs (if they'll let me in). So here's the first one:

Yes, those are two 18 piece cartons of eggs. Somehow I managed to use them up within 2 weeks. Milk and blueberries for my favorite breakfast--cheerios with fruit. And unfortunately you've caught me, those are Lender's Bagels, EECK! I know, I know, no self-respecting New Yorker would eat them--but I'd like to mention that I didn't BUY them. However, I did eat one--tastes just like it looks, rubbery. No one's perfect okay?

It's only a matter of time...

2005-10-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

...before the bird flu reaches our shores.

Globalization at its worst.

What have you been up to Rose?

2005-10-07T16:58:00.000-04:00

I'm resting here in my living room with the Food Network on in the background. This week has been exhausting: my first exam of the semester, Rosh Hashanah, all the work I had to make up because of the holiday and battling a bad head cold through all of it. I had little time or energy to cook this week, so after a nice sleep last night I was ready to cook something exciting, something with a bit of a kick.

Since returning to the US last month, I've been slowly catching up on the latest issues of Cook's Illustrated. The Thai Chili Beef recipe (July/August 2005) sounded both simple and tasty with the "kick" I was looking for. I had ordered the blade steak last week from Fresh Direct as well as having bought and freezed a handful of jalapeÃ±o chiles at a local farmer's market.

Making this dish was fairly simple, although I realize I need to get a new garlic press ASAP (I accidently put my old aluminum one in the dishwasher. Oops!), I'm just not very good (or quick) at mincing garlic the old-fashioned way. I love cilantro in just about any Asian dish (and Mexican for that matter) and there's lots of it in this recipe.

One of the best things about recipes from Cook's Illustrated is that they have been tested so many times so that the kinks have been worked out and it's all explained in clear and simple language (which isn't always the case with many recipes in magazines and even the most well-known cookbooks).

To accompany the beef dish, I made both Chinese white rice (I think jasmine rice would have been better, but I've run out of it) and another recipe from the same issue of Cook's Illustrated: Mango and Sweet Pepper Salsa with Toasted Pepitas. The sweetness of the mango and the acidic kick of the lime juice plays really well against the Asian chili-garlic paste in the beef recipe. The pepitas add a nice crunchy texture to the soft mango and of course I added lots of cilantro.

So I'm rested and well fed. The best way to end a very busy week.

Stir-Fried Thai-Style Beef with Chiles and Shallots serves 4 with rice

(adapted from Cook's Illustrated-July/August 2005)

Beef and Marinade
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 lb. blade steaks, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch thick strips (against the grain)

Stir-Fry
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. Asian chili-garlic paste
3 med. garlic cloves, minced or pressed thru garlic press (about 1 tbsp.)
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 serrano or jalapeÃ±o chiles, halved, seeds and ribs removed, chiles cut crosswise 1/8 inch thick
3 med. shallots, trimmed of ends, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and layers separated
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, large leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
Lime wedges for serving

1. For the Beef and Marinade: Combine coriander, white pepper, brown sugar, and fish sauce in large bowl. Add beef, toss well to combine; marinate 15 minutes.

2. For the Stir-fry: In small bowl, stir together fish sauce, vinegar, water, brown sugar, and chili-garlic paste until sugar dissolves; set aside. In small bowl, mix garlic with 1 tsp. oil; set aside. Heat 3 tsp. oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking; add beef to skillet in even layer. [Here's where I changed up the recipe a bit because it didn't want to cook the beef in batches like the recipe called for.] Cook without stirring, until well browned, about 2-3 minutes, then stir and continue cooking until beef is browned around edges and no longer pink in the center, about 30 seconds to a minute. Transfer beef to medium bowl.

3. After transferring the beef to the bowl, reduce heat to medium; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now-empty skillet and swirl to coat. Add chiles and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until begining to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Push chile-shallot mixture to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir to combine garlic with chile-shallot mixture. Add fish sauce mixture to skillet; increase heat to high and cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 30 seconds. Return beef and any accumulated juices to skillet, toss well to combine and coat with sauce, stir in half of mint and cilantro; serve immediately, sprinkling individual servings with portion of peanuts and remaining herbs, and passing lime wedges separately.

UPDATE: Calling me around 4pm,, right around when I cooked this dish, my good friend D.B. called to invite me to a Nada Surf concert at the Bowery Ballroom later that evening. The ticket was her treat and dinner was mine. I packed the beef, peanuts, herbs, lime wedges, and mango salsa in separate containers and headed to her place on the East Side. We dined nicely in her living room watching the Food Network, no less, and catching up on 'girl stuff'. The concert was great, even with the weird 50 something guy rocking back and forth into D.B. A delicious and fabulous night in NYC.

A few images from my trip...

2005-10-05T12:29:00.000-04:00

...to peak your interest in what I've eaten and seen on my travels through Taiwan. I ate some...

...delicious vegetarian wontons in Puli, as well as...

...encountering loads of shrimp crakers in Tainan and finally...

...devouring fruit and ice in Taipei.

I'm Baaaaaack...

2005-09-21T14:04:00.000-04:00

...and of course I'm still hungry!

First off, my apologies for ignoring my adoring audience (all three of you). I've been the busy bee after returning stateside at the beginning of September. I had had less than 48 hours to get ready for my classes and you can imagine that it was a bit exhausting. I'm over my jet lag and ready to eat, eat, eat!

So here's a recap:

I spent the last few weeks in Taiwan traveling through it. I have plenty of pictures from my travels to the Penghu Islands, Tainan, Taizhong and Sun Moon Lake, including shots of most everything I ate and dishes that my travel companions ate as well. I'll be posting about these meals in the coming weeks.

I'm planning on continuing my series about Tea as well. I had a couple more lovely tea house experiences in my last few weeks in Taiwan and I tasted Hakka tea while visiting a Hakka community during the summer (I even brought back a package of it for Mama Rose to try).

There's been quite a few interesting food experiences since returning to the US. Some of them have been quite good and others were just bad experiences I hope to quickly forget. Recently, I had an incrediblely delicious meal at Aberdeen and let's just say that Manhattan's own Better Burger should re-name themselves "Better NOT" (eat here, that is). I'll be posting on these experiences soon as well.

So, that's it for now. Stay Tuned!

2005-08-16T01:43:00.000-04:00

This is a "tie ban niu rou" or "iron skillet beef steak" that I had a few weeks ago. The meat was a bit tough, but the meal included a buffet salad bar, so the price of $9 USD wasn't too bad overall.

2005-08-16T01:39:00.000-04:00

This dish was called "Western style fish". It's an odd mix of white fish with black bean sauce over fried rice with shrimp and topped with melted orange cheese. It was okay, but a bit strange for my palette.

2005-08-16T01:38:00.000-04:00

Dante Coffee Shop: My favorite thing to have here is the Classic Earl Grey Milk Tea.

Some English memories...

2005-08-05T12:40:00.000-04:00

Not too too long ago I spent some time visiting friends in the UK. I was mainly in London, but I did venture to Oxford and Cambridge for day long visits. I had a fabulous time and much of it was due to the meals I had with my friends. Some home-cooked and others in posh restaurants, these memories are quite a nice trip down memory lane as I sit here in Taipei waiting for the typhoon to clear its tail out.

Roast Dinners…

Not known for having storied national culinary institutions like their rivals across the English Chanel, the British do have a certain tradition I think needs serious promotion: the roast dinner. Sure, we Americans have roast dinners of some sort and other cultures have them, too, but there is something rather comforting in this British tradition.

I was introduced to roast dinners by my British pal, A.H.N. who, on our drive to Cambridge, decided we needed a “pit stop” and dropped off at the first pub he saw, a somewhat dodgy place somewhere on the road. The interior of the pub was like a scene out of East Enders: a smoke-filled room full of middle aged, potbellied working class blokes drinking pints, playing pool or fixated on the telly as they watched a soccer match (yes, I’m American and that’s what we call the sport). It was too early in the morning for me to start drinking, but it is never too early for a true Englishman like A.H.N. and he ordered himself a pint of Guinness. For our roast dinner we had a choice of lamb chop, chicken or some other meat I can’t really remember (I was just a tad hungover). Of course I went with the lambchops, Rose always goes with the lambchops.

Like much of traditional British food, the chops were heavily laddened with a salty brown gravy. We could even add more from the gravy boat our pub lady supplied us with, but I found that there was enough on my plate to mix with the carrots, corn, cabbage, sliced potatoes and smashed potatoes. The corn, cabbage and carrots were definitely a frozen variety—hey, it was a pub not a four star restaurant—but the gravy on my plate masked the blandness of frozen veggies and intensified the texture.

Lamb roast dinner at an East End pub

The lamb chops were quite tender so they must have been roasted and simmered for quite a while. I decided to dip pieces of the lamb into the smashed potatoes and then into the pool of gravy—ah, delight! This was an incredibly satisfying bite of comfort food. The warm juicy lamb and the buttery smooth smashed potato blended well and melted in my mouth. We continued onto Cambridge happy folks full of food and drink.

A few nights later A.H.N.’s friend H.R. invited us over for a home-cooked roast dinner. It was a nice bird, a chicken with herbs. We opened the wine and started drinking right away (this seems to be characteristic of the Brits), well before the food was ready. We had a nice shiraz that A.H.N. and I had picked up at the local supermarket—I recall it went down very well, a smooth finish.

The chicken was lovely, it had that home-cooked flavor, the kind one can only get from a home oven and a busy life. No, it was not burnt…not at all. It was quite moist.

H.R. had cooked up something I had never seen or tasted before called "bread sauce". It's quite common in Britain, but I don't think it's common stateside. It looked, well, like white floaty stuff. But I liked the mixture of bread and cream; it was a homey sidedish to our bird, though looking back it must have been a caloric/fat nightmare for my body.

For his conclusion, H.R. made us 'Banoffee Pie'. Again, I had never had it before. It seems to be a very Brit dish, a pudding dessert made of biscuits (or crackers) and butter for the base and caramel, bananas and cream layered on top. Having bananas and caramel together fulfills the important three s's for a good dessert: sweet, soft and sticky.

The best thing about the whole dinner was that it was just wonderful being able to have a home-cooked meal amongst friends. The conversation, always helped along with “liquids”, is just as comforting as the food itself. I had such a great time talking, eating, talking, laughing at good jokes, bad jokes and the like.

Throughout the whole meal I kept thinking and wishing to have long roast dinners back in America. It’s one of those cultural traditions I wish I can take back with me and incorporate it into my own life. But I think life in New York isn’t very conducive for taking out the time and enjoying a long meal with friends.

To the British roast dinner, here’s a Rose salute. Like the Beatles, punk rock and Simon Cowell, I hope you come stateside.

Champagne dreams…

2005-08-05T12:21:00.000-04:00

Being slightly food-obsessed (heck, I have a food blog, right?), I tend to have moments of nostalgia: memories of incredible food or drink. One of the most recent was a bottle of Billecart Salmon Rosè (champagne) that I shared with A.H.N. at Fifteen in London. It was the meal to top off all the meals I had had during my ten-day jaunt in the UK.

No doubt the multi course meal was a well earned treat for my palette, but it was this champagne that A.H.N. picked off the wine list that still lingers in my mind. He had guaranteed that I would love this bubbly and he was so right.

I still remember the tingling of the bubbles in my mouth and the light touch it left on my tongue. As a rosè it was not quite as sharp as other champagne I’ve tasted, which made it a great compliment to the delicate flavors of our dishes.

I must admit that this champagne left such an impression on me (and my tongue) that occasionally it pops up in my dreams (yes, I dream about food and wine, doesn’t everyone?). I hope soon enough I can find another occasion to once more order a bottle…or two.

Ah, bubbly dreams…

Another day in Taipei and another typhoon…

2005-08-05T07:01:00.000-04:00

So I sit here on my aunt’s couch with not much to do and a typhoon (#2 for the summer) blowing hard against the windows (scary, scary wind). Okay, I’m fudging just a bit. There is a lot for me to do (I have an essay on the Chinese Communist government system that I have yet to start), but for now I’m procrastinating…like usual.

Last night I walked through the apartment door drenched from a sudden typhoon downpour and what do I see? There's my aunt having the LAST of the milk I bought the other day. So, of course, I had no milk to eat with my cereal this morning. Sure, you’re thinking, “Oh, little Rose, stop complaining, it’s not that bad, at least you have other food and a dry place to sleep.” Yes, true, I shouldn’t complain, but it got me thinking that I really do love my milk and cereal in the morning. It’s just one of those meals that I look forward to most everyday. It’s one of my food rituals. Even with all the different chinese breakfast foods available here in Taiwan, I always make sure I have cereal at my aunt’s place.

At home in New York, I often buy two or three cartons of Cheerios from Costco at a time—and that’s just a 2 month supply for me (I live by myself, too). I’m particularly fond of having fresh berries with my Cheerios. I love blueberries, but as a student it can be prohibitively expensive to get them all the time. So I suffer a bit and add chopped strawberries instead. I haven’t been able to find plain Cheerios here in Taipei, so I’ve opted for Kellog’s Cornflakes. For me there’s something so comforting about a big bowl of cereal and milk. I haven't come across fresh berries (or at least ones that look edible), so I've been adding dried cranberries as a substitute. I love the crunch of cornflakes, the creaminess of the milk and the sweet tart flavor of the cranberries. This is going to sound like a television commercial, but it just jumpstarts my day.

So today I wake up with no milk and pretty much nothing but Korean 方便麵 (pronounced: fangbian mian)--instant noodles to eat. Granted, my aunt was a bit creative and cooked them with onions and eggs. And for what it’s worth it was decently tasty. But nothing beats cornflakes and milk for a great morning start.

Korean fangbianmian/instant noodles with eggs and onions

Tea and me: Part 1

2005-07-18T01:56:00.000-04:00

This is the first post in a series on all things I know and have experienced with Tea.

In the Rose home we always had lots of tea around. Boxes of tea bags and a few canisters of loose leaves could be found tucked in kitchen drawers and sometimes even lining several shelves in the pantry. Mama Rose always seemed to buy more tea even when we hadn’t finished any of the ones she had bought months before. When I was real young we did have some loose leaves around, but she’d normally buy the Bigelow box sets and sometimes even the plain Lipton bags. As I got older I noticed she bought a lot more tea from our weekly trips to Flushing, Queens. She’d buy bags of loose leaves of Chinese green or black tea. Today, all her loose leaf teas are lined up on the counter—ready to be brewed at a moment’s notice.

I remember Mama Rose carefully selecting teas she wanted to buy for both our home and as gifts from Ten Ren tea shop in Flushing, Queens (this is a well known purveyor of Chinese tea and teaware from Taiwan that has stores in mainly highly Chinese populated areas of the US). Recently, when I wanted to give a friend’s mom a tea set and Chinese tea as a thank you gift, I went directly to Mama Rose who bought me a small canister of some green tea variety. I knew I could never pick out the right tea myself.

For a long time, I couldn’t tell the difference between one tea leaf or another. I’ve only begun to understand the subtleties in the last few years and recently I did some online research. Stephen Jack wrote a really thorough article on the subject of tea you can find here.

The different varieties of tea essentially come from the same plant but are processed differently:

Green tea: Non-oxidized

Wulong (Oolong) tea: Semi-oxidized

Black tea: Fully oxidized

Then there are the blends: fruit infused teas and chai (which is tea mixed with spices).

I’ve had a few good tea learning experiences. Like the time I went to a tea house in MaoKong 毛空 (on the hills outside of Taipei) four years ago and recently had a chance to revisit. During my first trip, my chinese language teacher had organized it so that the tea house visit was the reward after a day of climbing the hills of MaoKong 毛空. My Chinese listening skills were not as good as they are now, so I didn’t really totally understand everything the proprietor said. Therefore, when my teacher decided to organize another trip to the same tea house two weeks ago, I was the first one to sign up.

During the first visit, the tea master explained to us the way in which to pluck the leaves and which ones were for what grade of tea. He also showed us how the leaves were processed: some dried on special racks and others that were even microwaved (yes, this is actually a method used by some tea producers here in Taiwan). We then drank several different varieties he had brewed to show us the difference between leaves that were processed using a variety of methods.

My second visit was a bit different because it was raining and we were unable to go out onto the hill and inspect the tea trees. Instead, we stayed under the canopies of the tea house while he explained different categories and aspects of the tea he has produced. We also had a wonderful meal in which he cooked a number of dishes including one that used tea leaves as an ingredient. But I will discuss this meal in another post.

Tea drinking is an essential part of Chinese culture, particularly in Taiwan (mainland Chinese regard tea as an important part of life and culture, but the Taiwanese appreciation is just at another level altogther) and the tea drinking “ceremony” (I use this term with caution as the Chinese do not emphasize the same type of “ritual” aspect to tea drinking like their Japanese counterparts) really deserves to have its own post, so stay tuned for that one.

But to continue with this post...though I’m not totally ignorant on the way of the tea, I don’t claim to be a connoisseur. I do, however, enjoy a freshly brewed glass of loose leaves almost everyday. Being in Taipei now is no exception. My aunt J.C. has quite a few canisters of tea, including one from Canada that has been processed with maple essences. It’s a really nice slightly sweet loose leaf tea and I particularly enjoyed it during my first week in Taipei when I would come home everyday trenched from a Taiwan downpour. It's still a bit funny to me that I was enjoying a Canadian tea in Taiwan. I have since moved on to locally produced teas, but after this typhoon, I might want to brew a glass of the maple leaves.

Tea is an essential part of food and drink culture in Asia. No matter what country, city or town you’re in, tea will always be around you. It’s served in the restaurants, by your hosts, sold in the vending machines or at the grocery store. Tea drinking culture can be seen and tasted throughout Asia. Even though the number of coffee shops (“Thank you” Starbucks) has quintupled or more in the last 5 years in every Asian country (particularly those in East Asia), tea houses and tea stores are still quite prevalent. During my visits to Kyoto and Seoul, I noticed that dining establishments are not only serving hot and cold tea, but cakes and other desserts with tea as an ingredient.

In Kyoto R.X. and I had a green tea crushed ice dessert at a cute little café on the top floor of a nearby department store. We waited a while for it (how long does it take to make this?). It came with red bean and green tea mochi balls (sweet glutinous rice balls that are soft and sticky). It was refreshing but after a while a tad too sweet. We ordered one and it was huge--even R.X. and I couldn’t even finish it together.

Green tea flavored crushed ice with mochi balls, topped with sweet red bean.

In Seoul, R.X. took me to O'Sulloc , a tea house that serves an assortment of foods and drinks with green tea. As we waited to be seated in the brightly lit, sleek and modern café, I noticed the delicious looking cakes in the displace case. Each one had some sort of green tea filling, frosting or even sprinkles. It was a delight to look at and they all looked savory. We were seated on the second floor and given a stiff leather bound menu book. Each dessert and drink was pictured along with a description (in Korean, of course, so my Korean friends translated when I could not figure out from the photos). We settled on three small cakes and mochi balls. The largest of the three was similar to a tiramasu and had a layer of green tea cream in the middle. A round cake was filled with cream and topped with peaches and green tea frosting. The third cake was a flat chococlate cream and wafer cake with green tea sugar dust on the top. The mochi balls were light and sticky, just as the should be. The green tea in these Korean desserts differed from the Japanese version. Particularly in the third cake, I noticed that the tea flavor was much more subtle. The Japanese shaved green tea ice had a distinct taste of Japanese green tea and really was intensely sweet. The Korean cakes had just a slight tinge of green tea, a muted flavor amongt the cream and wafers and they were definitely not as sweet.

I’m now in Taiwan and have yet to try any green tea desserts—actually, I haven’t seen any. I have good tea memories of past visits to Taiwan—drinking "zhenzhu naichai" 珍珠奶茶 (literally translated as “pearl milk tea”), known in the states as bubble tea and, of course, my visits to tea houses. However, I’ve never had any Taiwan dishes (dessert or not) that were made with green tea as an ingredient. I’ve been on the lookout for the last few weeks, but still haven’t found any.

Till then, I’ll be sipping another brew.

Tagged, I'm it - A Cookbook Meme

2005-07-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm back. I apologize for the enormous delay since my last post. The Chinese language has overtaken my life apparently. I got a break with the help of Typhoon Haitang. No worries, I'm safe and dry, but a day off from school. Yahoo!

So what do I tackle first?

Well, a few weeks back, Sylvie at Soul Fusion Kitchen tagged me for the cookbook meme that has been going around the food blogosphere. This is my first attempt at a meme, so bear with me.

1. Total number of (cook) books I’ve owned:

Since I’m in Taiwan right now and not exactly near my cookbooks, this is a rough estimate: 12. Yes, that’s not a lot for a foodie, but my mom's collection is somewhere around 350 and I usually just borrow hers when I need to (she doesn’t use all of them simultaneously). I also have quite a few recipes cut from newspapers and magazines that are stuffed in various folders.

2. Last (cook) book I bought:

Does a sort of “diet book” count as a cook book? If so, then I bought French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano a month before I left for Asia. There are lots of interesting recipes that I look forward to trying when I return to New York. And hopefully shed a few pounds in the process.

3. Last (food) book I read:

Same as above, I read almost the entire book. The author makes quite a few good pointers (most of which I already knew) on eating sensibly and understanding that developing good food habits directly relates to maintaining both a healthy weight and a nutritious lifestyle.

4. Five (cook) books that mean a lot to me:

My mom has a small paperback book, Jewish Cooking, that has a lot of traditional recipes which bring back a lot of great childhood food memories. It’s the best type of cookbook: yellowed from age, a bit smelly and stained with chicken soup.

A children’s book of easy recipes that has a bright orange cover in an flexible binder. The title is unknown since its currently half a world away. It was my first cookbook and I got such a thrill when I made its pancake recipe (I had simple tastes back then as I do now).

The Fannie Farmer Cookbook is my friend. Period.

And The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook is a good acquaintance.

Pride and Prejudice. Granted it has nothing to do with cooking, but it’s my comfort book and it means a lot to me.

5. Which 5 people would you most like to see fill this out in their blog?

Tanying (what do opera singers like to cook?)

Jesse (I'm curious what he's reading, even it's not food related)

Linda (I miss Chicago and its food)

Clotilde (Can i even ask the high goddess of food blogging? According to Ana from Pumpkin Pie Bungalow, my favorite French food blogger has been tagged quite a few times already.)

Noodlepie (I don't know if a guy who eats his way around Saigon--and he will eat almost anything it seems--would own a cookbook, but I'm curious)

Nishiki Market, Kyoto

2005-06-24T22:15:00.000-04:00

I love food markets—in the US more and more cities and towns are opening farmer’s markets and yes, you can still go to the Fulton Fish Market (just not on Fulton Street, Hunt's Point anyone?). I especially love open air markets like the Union Square farmer's market in New York. It’s always a pleasure to venture through from vendor to vendor and see what sort of tasty goodies I can pick up as a snack or find a new vegetable or fruit to try.

When I read in my guidebook that Kyoto had a famous market, Nishiki, in the heart of Kyoto, I knew I had to make a visit. It's been in existence for some several hundred years, I was ready to get over there from the moment we left the hotel on our first day sightseeing. Little did I know that the market was actually a few blocks from our hotel, but it was actually the last stop on my tour of Kyoto.

Unlike the Rialto fish market in Venice or food stalls in Taiwan, the vendors in the Nishiki market don’t really open fully till 9am. Even then all the stalls weren’t fully stocked and deliveries were still being made. So my first visit at 8:15am became a trip to a 7-11 for some rice cake and yogurt. I returned with R.X. an hour and a half later, strolling down the narrow street of small stalls.

What I think struck me the most about my visit to Nishiki was that all the different items in the bento boxes (boxed lunches that have small bites of a variety of Japanese dishes) we had had in Kyoto and Nara could be found ready to eat amongst the different stalls in the market. No wonder bento boxes were plentiful in Japan!

One of the favorite foods I tried during my trip was the many kinds of tofu. It is food staple that’s appreciated and even revered by some in Japan. There were several different tofu stands in the market and each one seemed to sell exclusive varieties. In fact, one stall had just one type in its display case. Soft, dry and skin tofu is available and I ate quite a few types. In particular I enjoyed the “skin tofu” (pictured below) for its delicate chewiness and sweet aftertaste.

The Nishiki market also had quite a few pickled radish and vegetable vendors. Their colorful foodstuffs were obviously arranged and displayed with great care. I got to taste quite a few of these pickled veggies and radishes (I’m particularly fond of the latter, one of my favorite snacks are the pickled kimchi radishes often served in the starter plates in Korean restaurants). In Japan, some pickled foods seem to be dyed in a variety of colors. There was a moment at one point when I questioned whether I should place something so fluorescent pink into my mouth (really, it could have glowed in the dark). The sweet and salty pickled flavor is a great compliment to the customary scoop of rice in the bento box.

R.X. commented that the vegetables sold in Japan in general seem to be fresher than those in the US. This is probably because produce is sold in small quantities within a few days of being picked and not sitting for weeks in sterile supermarket. The leafy greens looked particularly fresh and bright, almost gleaming.

The Nishiki market was a lot of fun to walk through (and snap pictures—everything was arranged so well for fabulous food photos) and definitely should be on the “must-see” list of any visit to Kyoto.

Nishiki Market, Kyoto photos 2

2005-06-24T21:58:00.001-04:00

Top Left: "Skin" tofu
Top Right: Salty dreams
Bottom Left: Vegetables
Bottom Right: Radishes, more vegetables...oh my!

Nishiki Market, Kyoto photos 1

2005-06-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

Top Left: Nishiki Market
Top Right: Tofu vendor
Bottom Left: Pickle this and pickle that...
Bottom Right:Fry this!

Fish delights...

2005-06-19T09:31:00.000-04:00

My little bro Rose hates fish. He generally won’t eat it. It’s think it’s because he loves his live fish so dearly. Every time one dies, he’s upset. He’s got lots of them, but the only one I can remember is his little lobster (which, true, isn’t even a fish).

I, on the other hand, love to eat all the little fishies! I guess I can’t really comprehend how one can get attached to a pet fish. Dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and even iguanas I can understand having attachments with. I’ve never gotten attached to a pet fish—even at age 10 when I was flushing down the goldfish (who had survived 3 months of my caretaking) I’d won at the country fair. Call me cold-hearted and without feeling for those scaled and gilled creatures, but to me, it’s still a darn fish whom you can’t:

a) pet and shower affection (unless someone has developed a new breed)
b) play fetch with
c) scratch their belly or play with their ears
d) teach silly tricks like “roll over”
or
e) train them to say cool stuff like “hey fatso, you really want to eat that 2nd piece of cake?”

But fish is yummy and when it’s fresh, it’s just sublime. And there is no place better in the world to have fish than in Japan. Granted you pay through the nose for it, but R.X. and I wanted at least one meal of delicious fresh sushi. On our last night in Kyoto we decided to go to back to the top floor of the department store near our hotel where we had had our green tea shaved ice the night before (and which I will post about soon). We had seen one of those sushi belt restaurants next door. We picked out quite a few things from the belt, but also choose some sushi from a menu list the waitress handed us.

The freshness of the fish was so evident in every bite I had. Unlike in the US, where almost every fish is frozen before being thawed and then served—this is due to USFDA regulations—these slices of tuna, salmon and white fish were smooth, silky and fresh, fresh, fresh. I would bite into each one and let it sit in my mouth for just a second or two more than I normally would to enjoy the fish just bit longer.

There was a Japanese lady of a certain age sitting next to me who pointed to a few things on the belt that we should try. I tried some eel as well as some fatty tuna. It was all so delicious and fresh that I was actually stuffed for the first time during my trip to Japan (portion sizes are particularly tiny in Japan and I think I was hungry most of the time I was there).

I can only try to imagine what fish at the top restaurants in Japan must be like if the sushi at this “belt” restaurant was this good. I suppose I can only hope to one day return to Japan and be able to afford a really indulgent meal of fresh fish. For now though, it’ll just be in my fishy dreams.

Fish delights photos

2005-06-19T09:19:00.000-04:00

Top Left: Tuna, salmon and a white fish...just delish
Top Right: Sushi La Belt
Bottom Left: Salmon, salmon with fish eggs, plain and fatty tuna sushi pieces
Bottom Right: Unlike in the US, eel tends not to be drenched in soy paste and one can truly taste the texture of the meat.

Just a few words...

2005-06-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

Below are some shots of food I ate or saw in Seoul and Kyoto. I ate pretty well in both places and I have a lot more to say, but it will have to wait for a rainy day (which in Taipei will likely mean this afternoon or tomorrow).

Enjoy!

Kyoto Snapshots...

2005-06-18T21:18:00.000-04:00

Left: This was my last bite of Okonomiyaki I had in Kyoto on our first day. A pancake of eggs, flour, diced ginger, lettuce, scallops and shrimp. We addd mayo and seaweed flakes at the table.

Right: It seems every type of picked radish or vegetable can be found in Japan. This cute little stand was on our way to the Philospher's Path of temples and shrines. I was especially attracted to the bright colors.

Below: In Japan, sweet rice cakes as well as moon cakes are sold in every store you pass. The glutinous rice cakes are delicate and often filled with fruit pastes.

Seoul Snapshots...

2005-06-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

Left: Egg and toast! Koreans really seem to like this as a morning munchie. There's shredded carrots and cabbage along with some cheese and hot sauce (can't forget the hot sauce!).

Right: My first real meal in Seoul (albeit at the airport on the way to Kyoto). This dish seems to be a hybrid of different East Asian influences. There was Chinese tofu, Japanese udon noodles and Korean kimchi.

Hot hot baby!

2005-06-17T23:55:00.000-04:00

So I made a nice discovery today. Figure out what it was:

Q.

Korean hot pepper paste goes really well with….

A.

a) yogurt

b) scrambled eggs

c) greek salad

d) croissants

The answer is…B! “ding ding ding!!!!” Really, hot pepper paste and yogurt?

So the story goes…

As I’m staying in Aunt J.C.’s apartment in Taipei for the summer (while I try to cram as many Chinese characters into my head as possible—oy!), I’m trying to cook for myself as much as possible. This is not easy. No, it’s not because of limited resources (there are plenty of supermarkets and vegetable/fruit stands everywhere in Taiwan) nor is it that my aunt doesn’t have a kitchen (she’s got a fully stocked one and even has a small toaster oven—note: very rare to have any type of oven in homes in Taiwan or mainland China, they just don’t bake their food).

The truth is that Taiwanese (especially those in Taipei) tend not to cook because getting cheap, good quality take-out is just too convenient. I walk down the block and I can find 6 different storefronts with various noodle and rice dishes. A large bowl (enough for two dinners) of noodles is about $1.50. There’s a pushcart at the end of the block with a woman selling a fried tofu dish. Or I can head over tp the local 7-11, Family Mart, OK Mart, Hi-Life or Niko Mart convenient store (there are more convenient stores in Taiwan per person than anywhere else in the world—and if you don't believe me check this out) and grab a cold noodle platter with shredded carrots and cucumbers. So, I’m finding that getting the urge to cook for myself is a bit more difficult than I had anticipated.

I went to the grocery store the other day and bought a package of soba noodles, eggs, daishi sauce, dried Chinese mushrooms (can’t remember the English name for them) and string beans.

I really enjoyed the soba noodles I had in Japan and while I might not be able to get that quality of noodle in a supermarket here in Taiwan, I still crave that hearty taste. Yesterday I added some soy paste to the daishi sauce and it added a nice touch to the broth, a bit of depth to the saltiness of the daishi.

Today, as I sit indoors because of yet another rainy day—it’s been raining everyday since I got here—just hope there are no typhoons like the last time—I was craving for something a bit less hearty than noodles. I pulled out the eggs from the fridge and added a bit of grape seed oil (I couldn’t find butter at the store and my aunt doesn’t have any other oil—however I found it works really well and doesn’t add any flavor to the eggs—unlike olive oil) to the pan (which is really a pot because I haven’t found the pans yet—I need to ask my aunt where they are). Originally I thought I’d make some eggs sunny side up (I had no spatula—another thing to ask my aunt), but one broke and using the only kitchen tool I had, a pair of chopsticks, it became scrambled eggs.

I'm guessing the chicken feed is a bit different here in Taiwan because the yolks are a shiny bright orange color. These eggs are also organic (or at least according to the package), but I don’t know what standards they use that deem products “organic” in Taiwan.

I put the eggs into a small bowl and looked around the kitchen for some sort of herb or seasoning. The daishi sauce and the soy paste would not be appropriate this time—too salty. I looked around and saw the Korean hot pepper paste I took as a foodie souvenir from the Korean Air flight to Seoul. I was a little hesitant at first and put a tiny dab in and mixed the eggs. I could barely taste anything on my first bite. I squeezed the tube a bit harder the second time. I mixed it more too and my second bite was delicious. It really wasn’t “my tongue needs a fire hose” spicy, but, WOW, the paste added a kick to the eggs I never thought would be so tasty.

I would have never thought Korean hot pepper paste to be such a great complement to scrambled eggs. Of course, Koreans have probably been doing this for centuries or more.

Do you have a favorite dish spiced up with hot pepper paste? Do tell.

Written on Thursday June 16, 2005

Hot hot baby photos

2005-06-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

Left: Soba noodles at a Kyoto noodle house.
Right: Korean Air hot pepper paste.

and away I go...

2005-05-29T23:21:00.000-04:00

I'm off on a 3 month journey through Asia. I will trek to various destinations in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and mainland China (including Dunhuang, yay!). My exploration in food shall be an intersting tale I'm sure. I'm particularly keen on Korean food--I loooove Korean food. I have days filled with dreams of bibimbop, bulgogee, BBQ, and all that wonderful bahn-chan (the little dishes of fermented, preserved, or marinated vegetables and radishes that are ubiquitous on any visit to a Korean restaurant). My classmate, E.H. has given me some tips on what I should try to eat while I'm in Seoul and I'll dutifully report what I've chowed on.

Having lived previously in Taiwan and China, I'm not as excited about what food I may encounter, although I'm sure I'll be much more attentive now that I am blogging about what I eat. Maybe it's because I've eaten so much Taiwanese and Chinese food over the years that they don't have the same cache like muching on some new (at least to me) Korean specialty or Japanese delicacy. So I'm going to make a promise to myself right now that I will try some Chinese dishes that I didn't dare before, like "chou dofu" (stinky tofu).

Preparing for my upcoming trip triggered memories of the last trip I took to mainland China with Mama Rose. I started digging through the photographs I took on that trip and realized I shot some food related images. I was already documenting my forays into food well before starting this blog and I didn't even realize I was doing it at the time! So below I've posted some of these photos.

I may not have much in the way of internet access during the first leg of my trip, so when I can post again is uncertain...but there's more to come. Stay tuned!

Food photos from in and around Shanghai (2004)

2005-05-29T23:13:00.000-04:00

Small restaurants are lined up along the small canals of WuZhen (which is situated about an hour away from Shanghai).

A woman making zongzi (sticky rice with a meat or sweet filling wrapped in bamboo leaves) in WuZhen.

The front of a Shanghai department store sells all types of food, including every part of a pig possible.

Live chicken sold in Shanghai

2005-05-24T22:55:00.000-04:00

Finished yogurt container

Libertè Six Grains Stirred Yogurt

2005-05-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

This was a tasty treat I bought from Fairway a few weeks ago. It's produced by Marque Libertè in Quèbec and I have never seen it before (although truth is I never really look at the yogurt selection at the supermarket). It was a bit more expensive than most other brands on the shelf(about a $1), but I felt it was well worth it.

My first impression was that the yogurt wasn't overly sweet. The label says "No Sugar Added, Sweetend with Fruit Juice" and this is really the key to the product. It's refreshingly tart but with a touch of subtle sweetness. One of my biggest gripes about Dannon and even "earth friendly" Stoneyfield Farm is the deep sugary aftertaste. I always feel I need to wash my palate out after I eat these big brand yogurts.

The "Six Grains" are really just that: Buckwheat, Rice, Barley, Wheat, Rye and Oats. The grainy bits mixed into the yogurt really complement the tartness as well as adding a much needed "crunch" to the soft peach pieces.

Even though it is a tad expensive for my grad student budget, I hope I can indulge in some of the other flavors soon. It is a great late night snack or a treat after a good workout.

Have you tried this brand? I'm curious to know what others think about this particular yogurt or other yogurts produced by Marque Libertè.

2005-05-16T18:28:00.000-04:00

Wine bottles

Wine and cheese affairs…

2005-05-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

Maybe it was watching Sideways. Maybe it was the numerous bottles sitting patiently on the wine rack, brought back from many a European excursion. Whatever it may have been, I had a stock of great wine and no outlet to enjoy them with others. So I set out to create one.

And the wine and cheese affairs were born.

The first time, back in December, I had just a few friends: E.P., K.A. and Tanying, join me in this mini-feast. Unfortunately, this was before I discovered food blogs and understanding the importance of writing down my food and drink opinions, so I’m relying on my memories to guide the first part of this post. I remember we had a gorgeous bottle of Cline 2002 Marsanne. The white wine felt so moist and buttery as it traveled from the top of my tongue down to the back of my mouth. The butteryness lasted long into the finish and I could still taste it well after my last drop. There were two other bottles, a red and a sweet wine, both from the Veneto region. Unfortunately, they did not leave me with any real lasting impressions and I hardly recall the tastes, lest their names.

E.P. brought a cracked pepper (chedder?) cheese and some plain Carr’s Table Water Crackers. These bland, but crispy crackers paired well with the pepper cheese because they didn’t overpower the sharpness or spicy aftertaste of the cheese. A few days before I had picked up a massive 5 lb. bag of dried fruit from Costco (gotta love warehouse shopping). The figs, peaches and apples blended especially well with the Marsanne and even the other two wines—so well that the whole bag was almost finished by the end of the night! Yep, 5 lbs!

My second wine and cheese affair, held last weekend, was also low-key with just a few friends and friends of friends. It was a gathering to celebrate the end of classes (for some of us) and just an excuse to drink wine and be merry for the rest. My two gallerying (note: this is a made up adjective to describe the activity one does with certain friends on particular Sundays in the arty neighborhoods of NYC) pals Tanying and J.M.R. as well as J.M.R.’s friends, D.K. and A.K. joined us for the festivities. I think one of the keys to holding these kinds of affairs is to limit it to 4-6 people. Anything more seems to be like a dinner party and just a tad too unwieldy for wine and cheese.

We started out with a 2000 Legend R Bordeaux, a white bordeaux from Barons de Rothschild. The Roses were given a case of this wine as a gift from our very kind and generous neighbors and of course I “gifted” myself a bottle (I’m in the process of trying to “gift” myself a 2nd). A.K. tasted hints of honeysuckle and other herbaceous matter. It was a very satisfying wine with a wonderful finish. I felt it went quite well the mild chevre that Tanying had picked out from Fairway’s gigantic selection of cheeses (note: going to the Upper West Side branch of this gourmet supermarket can become a game of squeeze, push and pull—not the most pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon).

Our next wine was a 2000 Masi Campofiorin Valpolicella from the Veronese region of Italy. Valpolicella is produced at the foothills of the Alps, just west of Verona and often composed of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes. This vintage is a combination of red Veronese and semi-dry grapes. The wine was full-bodied with a powerful bouquet—one that seemed closer to a leather like taste than the normally associated floral essence.

The third bottle of the night was a vino frizzante, Soligo Marzemino Colli Trevigiani. A sweet, mildly bubbly wine that had clear hints of strawberries on its palate. It may have even been too sweet for the cheeses we had—the chevre, a peppery brie and a dutch cheese that A.K. brought with him. The fizz, again, was not very strong and did not overpower the sweetness of the wine. It was interesting, but I think I’m going to stick to good champagne for my next fizz fix.

The last bottle of the night is always a crowd pleaser and a favorite of mine, a 1996 Reserve de la Comtesse Pauillac from Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (now, if I could only pronounce this properly in French—sigh—I think it is a hopeless cause). A few years ago (like 1998) Mama Rose decided to get a few cases of this wonderful red—we are still “chuggin” away at our supply. I have “gifted” many bottles, for my own consumption, for actual gifts, and of course for my wine and cheese affairs. An intense and fully-bodied wine that has a deep full red, almost black color, the taste is complex and lingers long after drinking your glassful. I could taste the hints of currants and berries and its complexity would be a great accompaniment to a roast (or two).

To enjoy the company of close friends with food and drink is something I've only begun to appreicate. I hope I can afford (time and money wise) to continue this tradition for many years to come.

Turkey Delight

2005-05-04T21:18:00.000-04:00

I first started cooking frequently when I had my first apartment in college. I had a limited meal plan at the cafeteria--a conscious choice as the food selection was either bland or extra salty--and a fairly well stocked kitchen, courtesy of Mama Rose who sent me off to college packed with every pot, pan and kitchen appliance I could imagine having at the time (today I know that there is an endless supply of kitchen stuff and in my kitchen fantasies I want them all--I savor the day I have my own set of LeCreuset pots or a Cuisnart ice cream maker).

At the time, my friend and new roommate, Mel had just come back from a year of studying abroad in Bologna. She returned to the US with some Italian dishes she had often cooked during the past year. From her I learned how to make basic sauces like tomato with tuna and zucchini (not necessarily together) and simple chicken dishes.

Looking back, it seems silly that I was so intimidated and anxious at the prospect of cooking by myself. I suppose it's because I did not have Mama Rose looking over my shoulder and directing me how to cook what, etc. She is a terrific cook and several of her dishes are famous amongst my family and friends. In future posts I will attempt to create them myself--we'll see if I'm successful.

I think Mel's casualness toward cooking calmed my own internal fears of it. After a few months I was compelled to cook more than just pasta sauces and chicken, but the fear of royally screwing up the food I cooked stuck in the back of my mind. After consulting a few friends about acquiring good basic cookbooks, I settled on two: The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (13th edition) and The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook. The recipes in both books seemed free of complexity and easy enough to build upon.

Through the rest of my years in college up to the present, I used these cookbooks whenever I cooked...usually creating the dishes exactly as written. Again, that little fear of ruining the food I cook stopped me from applying any creativity in the kitchen. Maybe it's because Mama Rose is practically a genius at invention en la cocina--it seems like she just pulls out a bunch of ingredients from the fridge at random and voila, an instantly delicious dish!

Recently, I've been trying to find inspiration in both selecting the ingredients I buy and what I end up creating with them. I'm trying to wean myself from relying so heavily on cookbooks and allow myself to be a bit more inventive.

Well, I'm trying.

A trip to the Union Square Greenmarket last week was rather fruitful (note: no actual fruit was bought) and I found a few items I normally don't buy. I've passed DiPaolo's turkey stand many times (they setup in several open air markets around NYC). I always tried their free tastings of grilled ground turkey breast and found it very fresh, but for whatever the reason I never bought any.

Well, I decided, "today I will buy a pound and find something to create." As I turned the corner of the market and walked along the north side of Union Square Park I saw bags of fresh spinach looking green and perky--with a quick change of a few dollars I had my veggies. Across the way I saw the mushroom man (sorry, don't know which farm he represents) and he had some pretty looking portabellas. I took a moment to pick the one I liked most (actually they all seemed fine, but I always hesitate)--my spinach now had a companion.

Of course, when I returned home I took a second look at the container of ground turkey breast and just sighed because I knew, Fannie was going to have help me with this one...again. But at least I knew that the veggie dish would be my own.

Baby steps, Rose, baby steps.

Ground Turkey Patties and Spinach with Portabellas

Ground Turkey Patties:
--from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (13th edition)

1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil

In a large bowl put the turkey, zucchini, onion, bread crumbs, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper, and lightly toss with a fork until well mixed. Form the turkey mixture into 4 or 6 patties. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the patties about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until done and the meat in the center has turned opaque and is no longer pink. Do not overcook or they will be dry.

A few things I learned or changed after cooking this dish:
- I substituted shallots for the onions because I find the latter overpowering
- limit the bread crumbs to less than a cup as the patty can dry out quickly while grilling
- the first patty was too thick and I quickly realized this when it became easily burnt on the exterior but obviously not cooked through

Spinach with Portabellas
--a simple Rose creation (very simple!)

1 bag fresh spinach (washed and cut to 2 inch pieces, including stems)
2 small minced cloves garlic
2 large portabella mushrooms (1/2 inch slices)
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and salt and let cook for 20-30 seconds. Add mushrooms, and let cook for another 30+ seconds. Finally, add spinach and stir the greens with the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for about 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

So, basically I'm still relying on the recipe books and not being as inventive as I'd hoped...but this is a start.

Turkey Photos

2005-05-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

Ground turkey patty and spinach with portabella mushrooms (and a side of green beans)

Ground turkey patty

Ground turkey mixture before grilling

2005-05-04T20:27:00.000-04:00

Image: Pei Hsieh

Have you eaten yet?

2005-05-02T14:17:00.000-04:00

If you're going to be in the NYC area anytime from now until June (2005), I highly suggest a stop at MoCA in Chinatown to view their current exhibition, Have you eat yet?

This exhibit explores the one of the most iconic themes of Chinese-American culture, the Chinese restaurant. The museum is small and the exhibition is really only in one large room, but the curators and designers really maximized the space the have--they managed to document the rise and popularity of Chinese restaurants in America and how they changed and influenced American culture itself. It is fascinating to see a story of food that can be told through immigration

Since you're already in the heart of Chinatown, after your visit step outside and find yourself your next great Chinese meal.

Welcome to The Hungry Rose!

2005-05-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

Some weeks ago I made a huge "discovery" that seems to have consumed much of my time lately. I've discovered food blogs. I somehow stumbled upon one (in the fast blur of web surfing I cannot recall how or which) and then hopped my way through many more. That first time I must have spent 5 hours online jumping amongst them and reading my way through. I was totally a captive audience (of one) to many of these sites. I took such enjoyment in reading the comments, convictions and discoveries of fellow foodies. I always knew other people were as obsessed or in all likelyhood even more obsessed with food than myself, but I didn't quite expect the multitude of opinions, ideas and passionate outcries from others or that there was this incredible community one could enter to give one's own take on the food consumed and savored in their life.

Yes, I'm not the most tech or web savy person around and this is likely why I didn't understand or enter the blog world till recently, although deep down I wish I found out about it sooner.

This "discovery" has affected my daily life. Now, after I turn my computer on in the morning I first check my favorite food blogs instead of my email or the front page news. I often spend hours reading new food blogs, looking for inspiration to my own cooking or just savoring what others have experienced when I should be studying or doing some other more important or urgent activity in my life.

Often, it was the writing style of a blogger that attracted me to their food blog. Sometimes it was the theme. In other cases it was the fabulous food photography that captured my interest. All of these food bloggers inspired me to start my own food blog, The Hungry Rose.

I do have my favorite food blogs, Chocolate and Zucchini, The Food Section, Orangette, Becks and Posh and The Tasting Menu to name a few. There are so many and of course, everyday there seems to be a gazillion more (like this one). For myself, I think I will keep this blog to discussions of food and other issues food related (i.e. wine, restaurant reviews). I would love to write about my travels and other aspects of life in general, but I'm going to try to keep these to a minimum--I've created this blog because, quite frankly, I'm passionate about food.

So dig in and let's eat!