Baked Brie at Emily’s 21st
September 30, 2009 § Leave a comment
My roommate, Emily, turned 21 on September 21st, but because it was a Monday evening, we decided to celebrate with a small dinner party.
There was a lot of great food involved – spinach salad with blue cheese, craisins, and candied pecans, mushroom tortellini in an alfredo sauce – but the best dish definitely was the appetizer, a baked brie with walnuts and honey.
Emily always gets Le Parisien salad at SweetGreen which has arugula, brie, pears, and almonds, so even though she isn’t a big cheese fan, we thought it’d be a good idea. Plus, the recipe is super easy and we already had the ingredients on hand.
It was even more of a success than we thought it would be. Some of the guests proclaimed themselves to be anti-French food, but that didn’t stop them from helping themselves to extras. Within 10 minutes, the entire wedge, walnuts and all, was wiped clean from the plate and the rosemary garlic crackers were gone.
Baked Brie
Wedge of soft Brie
honey, as much as you want
walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 F. Set the wedge of brie onto an oven safe serving platter and scatter with walnuts. Drizzle with as much honey as desired. Put serving platter on sheet pan and bake for 6-8 minutes or until the brie has started to ooze but not melt. Serve with crackers or slices of French baguette.
Post-LSAT visit to Momofuku Ssam and Milk Bar
September 28, 2009 § 1 Comment
I’m not getting test result for another three weeks, and even though I’m still pretty nervous, thank goodness the LSAT is finally over (for September anyway).
Sunday, our entire family went to New York City since Laura had to take pictures with the Wall Street Bull and some other historic NYC sites for her US History course. The weather was pretty awful, a drizzle that came at us sideways, but when we got out of the car to take a photo with the bull, there was a film crew surrounding it! Turns out Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell were in town filming a new comedy called The Other Guys.
Even with our intrusion onto a film set, the highlight of our day definitely had to be a visit to Momofuku Ssam and Milk Bars near Union Square. The last time I had visited was two summers again and I missed those pork buns like no other. Plus, I was dying to try the awe-inspiring desserts (with names like “Crack Pie”) at the new bakery.
The Momofukus did not disappoint. For savory, we got the famous pork buns, spicy rice cakes with chinese broccoli and sausage, and braised beef brisket pho. The pork belly oozed of fatty delicious and I loved how the cucumbers and Sriracha cut the richness just enough. The rice cakes were Korean ddukbokgi on steroids, fried so they had a crispy outer crust and gnocchi-soft on the inside. Plus, they were spicy as hell, mixed with a good amount of greens and…of course, more pork. And what is more comforting than a good bowl of pho? ‘Course, the $16 bowl was more expensive than an even larger portion at Pho 99, but after walking in the rain for so long, I thought it was well worth it.
Ssam Bar is the place for savory Asian food with a twist, but Milk bar just reminded me of my childhood. There aren’t any seats, just tables where you stand and eat your food. Laura and I tried the horchata soft-serve with the cinnamon sugar and tortilla toppings, a blueberry cream cookie, and the biggest slice of strawberry cake I have ever seen.
Everything tasted wonderful. The ice cream was rich and the toppings were inventive and delightful, the blueberry cream cookie (85 cents since they were actually from yesterday’s batch) was heavenly and still soft – Laura and I later regretted that we didn’t snag more – and the cake…with strawberry jam and sweet corn crumble fillings (which definitely reminded me of Cap’n Crunch cereal) was so large but so delicious that we felt obligated to finish it all regardless of the calories. Laura now demands that she gets such a cake for her birthday. We’ll see what happens.
Our visit to New York concluded with a visit to the Met, where we had hoped to see the roof garden exhibit, but it was closed due to the weather. However, the new Egyptian wings and American wing were more than interesting enough to keep us occupied until we had to head home. What started out as a rainy, gloomy day ended up being quite memorable.
Georgetown Clyde’s and a Two Week Hiatus
September 13, 2009 § Leave a comment
This past week Amy and I went to Clyde’s on M. street for dinner. Our original intention was to try Old Glory Barbecue since I was really craving some pulled pork and cornbread, but when we got there, it turned out there was a wedding reception going on for the rest of the evening.
I’d never been to Clyde’s before, despite the fact that it’s a classic. When you enter the restaurant, you can see why it’s a Georgetown favorite – the wood paneling, the old-school aviation decor and the long bars. We were seated in a nice area in the back where there were sky lights, so I didn’t have to do anything with the point and shoot I brought along, even though the tables were a bit cramped.
Amy and I ordered the grilled pizza – mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto and chanterelle mushrooms – as an appetizer which turned out to be surprisingly good. The exterior of the crust was really crispy while the interior still doughy soft and there was definitely a good glug of extra virgin olive oil in that pesto.
My entree was the chili-lime hanger steak with roasted corn, pico de gallo, and black beans. Though there could’ve been a bit more seasoning with the salad, the meat was perfectly pink and not stringy at all, which is usually a problem. Amy’s grilled shrimp looked HUGE and delicious, although I didn’t get to try any because I already had my own food to contend with.
Verdict: Clyde’s is good, but not great. The ambience certainly gives the restaurant extra points, but I’m going to have to try their brunch before on deciding how I feel about the place.
Also, just wanted to mention that I’ll be taking a two week hiatus from posting. I’m taking the LSAT on September 26 and it’s SERIOUSLY crunchtime for me. People keep asking why I’m taking it so early as a junior, but truth be told, I’ll be graduating a year early (this coming May to be exact) and applying this fall. I have no idea what’s gonna happen after I take the test (who knows, I might even have to take it again >.<) and I don’t even want to think about it right now.
See you in two weeks! I’ll probably cook/bake/grill/fry something to celebrate afterwards.
The start of weekly roommate dinners
September 10, 2009 § Leave a comment
Last night was the first of our roommate dinners and we started off with the steak au poivre I used at the tapas party over the summer as well as some roasted thin asparagus with sharp parmesan. Everything looked so nice with the white porcelain dinnerware, new silverware, and lavendar tablecloth. Plus, I’m still loving the fact that our dinner table is located in the nook we have near the windows, which just makes everything even more cozy.
Assuming that my roomies weren’t just being nice, the dishes were a success despite the fact that the stove top I was cooking the steaks on wasn’t even level. I hope they all get used to being my guinea pigs.
Steak au poivre
4 4 oz. steaks, I used rib eye but New York strip or filet mignon would work beautifully as well
3 tablespoons butter
extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion,thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
minced parsley to garnish
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Pepper the steaks really liberally and salt as well. When butter is melted, turn heat to high and cook steaks. Leave for about 3 minutes. Remember: don’t move the steaks once you’ve placed them in the pan. You want a good caramelized crust to form on the outside and shifting the steak just ruins that. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the meat has a small bit of resistance when press down on the center if you like your meat medium-rare (which is how it should be IMHO). Take out of the pan, cover with foil, and let rest.
Pour excess grease or oil out of the skillet but leave the brown bits on the bottom. Add the remaining butter and stir until melted. Add the water and dijon mustard and stir, all the while scraping up the brown bits, which have all the great flavor from the meat. Add onions and cook until soft. Season to taste.
Spoon sauce over steaks and garnish with the parsley.
Roasted asparagus with parmesan
1 lb green asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Meanwhile, cut the woody ends off the asparagus spears. On a shallow baking pan, drizzle asparagus with extra virgin olive oil and season with liberal amounts of salt and pepper. Mix the asparagus well and then place in a single layer. Top with the parmesan and roast for about 25 minutes or until the asparagus are slightly brown.
Korean Barbecue in Annandale, VA
September 5, 2009 § Leave a comment
Last night a bunch of us went to a Korean BBQ place called Honey Pig in Annandale, VA, about an hour’s bus ride away from DC. I never knew this but there’s a really big Korean community in that area; once we got off the bus, almost all the signs I saw had Korean translations as well. When we went inside the restaurant, there was pop music – Korean and American – blaring as loud as possible and tons of little bbq stations set up. The decor wasn’t fancy or pretentious at all. In fact, it reminded of those little hawker stands in China where everyone just crowds around a table on makeshift chairs and just eats to their heart’s content.
One of us pointed out the huge posters advertising their current sales (1 serving of barbecued pork belly for only 12.99!) but it turns out that those posters are always up to make the customers feel like they’re getting a better deal.
We were seated in the back of the restaurant, far away from all the really loud music, and give two grills. Because one of the girls, Yung, had been before, she suggested that we just get pork belly instead of beef, which apparently was only mediocre. And oh. my. god. Well, in all honesty, the plain pork belly wasn’t that great; our lady didn’t get a good first sear and some of it was overcooked, but whatever’s in the spicy sauce of the second round, I LOVE. I’m willing to bet there’s a healthy amount of gochujang in there and if that’s really the case, I’m making some as soon as I get home.
Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean Grill
7220 C-Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
703.256.5229
Spinach Catalan style and Shrimp with Garlic
August 19, 2009 § 1 Comment
Here are two more recipes from the tapas party that I promised. I first had the spinach dish at Jaleo in D.C. and I think it’s part of the reason I recently overcame my aversion to green and leafy vegetables (yes, I was one of those kids). The toastiness and crunch of the pine nuts adds really great flavor as well, and plumping the raisins in the hot water beforehand makes all the difference.
The shrimp was definitely the most popular dish of the night. We didn’t even bother with transferring it to a nice serving platter; I just moved the hot saute pan from the stove and set it on the counter, right before every one attacked the garlicky olive oil with crusty slices of bread. I think we bought about 2 pounds of smaller sized shrimp, and within 25-30 minutes, we had eaten it all. It was so good that we couldn’t even stop eating it even if we wanted to! It’s also something that anyone, even complete kitchen novices, can make so if you’ve never cooked anything before, I HIGHLY recommend letting this be your first attempt.
Spinach with raisins and pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1 pound of fresh spinach, stems removed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nutes
salt and black pepper to taste
Soak the raisins in hot water for about 10 minutes, until they become plump. Wash the spinach, but don’t completely dry the leaves. Steam in a large saute pan until they’ve become wilted and tender, less than 5 minutes. When the spinach is cooler, squeeze out all excess moisture and chop roughly.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, drizzle in olive oil over medium heat and add the pine nuts and raisins. Stir occasionally, until the pine nuts have become toasted and slightly golden. Add the spinach and sautee for about another 4-5 minutes until everything glistens. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot or at room temperature.
Shrimp with garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (it must be EVOO, the fruitiness really adds to the flavor)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced as thin as possible
1 pound peeled shrimp (in this case, it’s better if the shrimp are on the smaller side)
coarse salt to taste (NO black pepper)
chopped parsley for garnish
On medium heat, combine oil and garlic in a deep skillet or saute pan. When the garlic begins to sizzle and turn golden, add the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimp have become opaque. About 3-4 minutes. MAKE SURE that you don’t overcook the shrimp, otherwise they get all nasty and rubbery and the dish is ruined (no pressure!).
Stir in however much salt you want, garnish with parsley and serve immediately, directly from the pan. The sauce tastes AMAZING with good country bread.
Straightforward sangria and crispy patatas bravas
August 5, 2009 § 2 Comments
As promised, two of the many recipes from tapas at Phil’s.
Sangria
1/2 cup sugar syrup (half part sugar, half part water, heated until sugar dissolves)
two bottles of fruit red wine or red Zinfandel (we used one of each and doubled the recipe)
juice of 2 lemons
2 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
2 apples, sliced
2 peaches, sliced
1 large bottle of sparkling water
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher or large punch bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Serve with ice.
Patatas bravas
These are a classic tapas dish in Spain, and as with anything involving potatoes and extra virgin olive oil, they are so delicious without the heaviness of something deep-fried. Really easy to make too. They’re traditionally served with a spicy tomato sauce and/or allioli, the garlic mayonnaise.
16 small red potatoes, quartered. Leave skins on.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or enough to coat all the potatoes
coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the potatoes in large pot and cover by 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat to medium. Leave for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet, toss with the olive oil and salt, and spread into one even layer. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with tomato sauce.
Tomato Sauce
2 cups plain marinara sauce
cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika to taste
Combine to personal taste and heat.
Tapas party at Phil’s
August 3, 2009 § Leave a comment
My friend Phil recently got his entire kitchen renovated (it’s soooo beautiful!) so a bunch of us invited ourselves over there to cook up some Spanish tapas dishes. Needless to say, after three hardworking, sweaty hours, and two rounds of delicious food (and before we were even able to get to the churros and Spanish hot chocolate), we were gut-bustingly full on gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic), patatas bravas (crispy, peasant-style potatoes dipped in tomato sauce), and other dishes. And I just wanted to thank everyone for putting up with me barking orders at them, especially Phil, who had his kitchen taken over by a food-obsessed mad woman and his parents who trusted that we wouldn’t destroy their house, and Julia, who took all the pictures while I was running around the kitchen.
Menu
- Spicy and candied almonds
- Gambas al ajillo, shrimp with garlic
- Sauteed wild and cultivated mushrooms with parsley
- Patatas bravas, peasant style potatoes
- Pan con tomate, bread with tomato rub
- Espinacas a la catalana (Spinach Catalan-style)
- Steak au poivre (which, yes, is French and really had no business being there but we needed beef)
- Sangria
The shrimp, potatoes, and steak (no surprise with this meat and taters loving group) were the biggest hits of the night but what made me happiest was everyone seemed to be eating everything. Even the spinach wasn’t neglected.
Ddukbokgi, Korean-style gnocchi
June 30, 2009 § 2 Comments
A lot of people call dduki Korean rice cakes, but that name always conjures up images of the Quaker oats man and flavorless pieces of cardboard. I think these dduk can be more likened to gnocchi, but instead of potatoes and flour, these dumplings are made of rice flour and water.
One of the most popular dishes to feature these starchy bites is ddukbokgi which I tried for the first time at Mandu in Dupont Circle, DC. After some recipe browsing online, I realized that I’d never be able to recreate the dish authentically unless I had the Korean hot pepper paste, dochujang, and since I had never tried anything else with that same sauce, I thought I’d never have the opportunity.
However, thanks to my mom and her grocery shopping impulses, the last time I was home during spring break, she brought home a HUGE tub of the stuff that only cost $7 without even really knowing what it was good for. When I saw it after coming back from Hong Kong, on my first trip to Kam Man supermarket, I made a beeline for the cylindrical dduk (you can use ovalettes in this recipe too but I prefer the meatier cylinders) and cooked the dish the same day. Paired with Korean-style bbq short ribs, this makes a really delicious and satisfying meal.
Unlike the version at Mandu, I add red bell peppers, which accented the sweetness of the sauce and added the necessary crunch to contrast with the soft and squishy dduk. Yum. Just a note: if you’re heating leftovers the next day, it’s better to heat them on the stove rather than the microwave. That way they soften up again.
Separate the dduk. If you think the cylinders are too big, you can cut each of them in half, but I like them to be quite substantial bites. Drop the dduk in a large pot of boiling water, making sure you salt the water first. Drain after cooked all the way through and soft; this usually takes about 5 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, dochujang, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. It should taken on the consistency of ketchup.
In a wok or large saute pan on medium heat, add oil. When hot, add vegetables and stirfry for 3-4 minutes until cooked. Add the drained dduk as well as the sauce mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated and heated through. Add salt to taste. For garnish, you can top the ddukbokgi with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Not your average ham
June 28, 2009 § Leave a comment
This past winter while walking around M St, I noticed a small sign on the door of Dean and Deluca, “Jamon Iberico: $80 per lb.” As much as I love dried and cured meats, I couldn’t imagine paying that much for a slice of ham. But little did I know, Spanish jamon iberico is nowhere near your typical Hormel deli meats but the Rolls-Royce of everything porky.
Jamon iberico entered my life again when I started becoming obsessed with Spanish food after watching Anthony Bourdain gorge himself on No Reservations. My mom bought me a wonderful cookbook called Culinaria Spain that covered all the country’s different regions and cuisines, and there it was: a huge blown-up picture of the black bellotas and what they would soon become. But I never thought I would get to try this ridiculously expensive ham (which is also extremely hard to find in the US since only a couple slaughterhouses in Spain meet the necessary USDA regulations) so imagine my surprise and childish delight when I found it being sold at the C!tysuper (think HK’s version of Whole Foods) for about $12 per package (which is still pricy since each package only had several thin slices) in Hong Kong of all places. I know, I know. If I’m in China, what the hell am I doing lusting over Spanish food? But, everytime my friend Kendall and I would get groceries, we’d find an excuse to wander to the deli section for samples straight from the leg.
While I would never buy this regularly, jamon iberico certainly has a reason to be that expensive. It was complex, smooth, and truly special, and I’ll always remember its distinct and delicious taste. Even now I’m drooling just thinking about it. One day I’m gonna have to go to Spain just to have it again.
Notes on Food 