I almost made onsen tamago (hot spring eggs) tonight! After learning that G's parents' oven doesn't go below 180F, I figured out that the "keep warm" function on my rice cooker will maintain about a 150F water bath for at least an hour. And it was probably even warmer than 150F.
Unfortunately, 60+ minutes is too long/150F is too warm, so I have something more like a creamy hard-boiled egg. That just means I have to try this again!
Time to flesh out a twitter!
So, this kid tells me he's going to Peru this summer for two weeks with his family. (Lucky!) And he says he's going to eat guinea pig on a stick, obviously reveling in the grossout factor. We discussed what it might taste like. He guessed chicken, I guessed pork, but I've never had small mammal before. Part of me hopes I'm still around in September when he comes back for a few more sessions (at my fake job, did I tell you I have a fake job? It's boring, and 99% babysitting.) so I can hear his stories, but most of me hopes I will have a Real Job by then.
While on the topic of crazy food, I told him he would like basashi. I hope he turns out awesome, because any 9-year-old who wants to eat the crazy food is awesome. (Although he doesn't like "pasta with basil and chicken and green beans." Totally puzzling.)
Also, I bought my first shallot ever on Tuesday! So Fancy! (Sorry, it amuses me when I buy an ingredient for the first time. I was equally pleased with myself the first time I bought cauliflower.)
And it was pretty good. I think whatever yuck factor there might have been got steamrolled by my desire to try something completely new. I decided that it would be good food for eating in front of the television, where I could just chew and chew and not have to worry about gracefully spitting out knuckle bones (is that even possible?) or missing out on whatever came next.
L, I miss you. The group I went to dim sum with fixated on steamed pork buns and just filled up on them. Sure they're good (I know I had two) but I wanted to try everything, and there was no other bottomless pits in our group. The food coma didn't even hit until I got home! Sigh. I'm glad I finally experienced dim sum in Seattle though.
We went to Naked City Taphouse in Greenwood to celebrate Re's birthday with his mom. I'm pretty sure the sandwich was good, but unfortunately it took a long time to order, and around 40 minutes to get our food. Also unfortunate (and hilarious), Gr woke up late and didn't eat anything before we left for lunch, and started his day with a pint of very strong beer.
The sandwich was what I'd expect of a homemade Reuben, where all the parts are identifiable--"grain-fed natural pastrami" and marbled rye. (I guess it doesn't count as a true Reuben, since it's not corned beef.) But nothing really stood out. It's kind of disappointing, because the menu was mostly sandwiches, and you'd think the sandwiches would all be awesome. I know, it's a primarily a bar, but the Elysian was better than that.
I also made the poor choice of pairing the sandwich with a chicken chowder. I couldn't help it, I was starving, and hoping I'd get the soup right away. It was good, but it resembled a chunky creamy chicken salsa. Meh. Salad next time, for sure.
I will say that the kitchen guy was busting his ass, and I appreciated his efforts. He was the only one in the back, occasionally serving food as well. And then the Tour de Beers rolled in--20-30 cyclists on a daytime pub crawl. (Somehow, 2 more bartenders magically appeared then. Really wish they had appeared earlier.)
Final thought: If I end up at Naked City again, I will probably try something else. And try one of their million beers.
Great
Three Girls Bakery - Pike Place Market (Current Favorite)
Giant sandwich, warm and consistent. [It's been awhile since I've had one, but in my mind, it's the best one.]
Good
Naked City (5/9/09)
Tasty, but nothing outstanding. Could've been an off day because it was so busy, but I was hoping for something special. Craig's Reuben $9.50
Elysian Brewing Company - Tangletown
There's a caramelized sweetness that I couldn't identify after one bite. I need to try my own. $10 (12/08)
Update (4/17/09): I'm downgrading the Elysian Reuben from great to good. I had it on a Friday night, and it just wasn't the same. I couldn't taste the intriguing sweetness I remembered, and the corned beef was full of indigestible bits of fat. Considering I love the fatty bits, that says a lot.
The Pike Pub and Brewery (1/31/09)
Soggy bottom bread (hee hee), nothing special but still delicious. Wish I had fries or a salad instead of a half plate of chips. $10 for the smaller Son of Reuben
On Friday, April 10, 2009, I had a giant bowl of tagliatelle carbonara. It was amazing. It came with an organic egg yolk perched on top, with "hand cut noodles, English peas, smoky bacon, black pepper and Parmesan." It was a fantastic meal, and it was also a bit of a triumph.
The last time I truly enjoyed a carbonara-based dish was late December, 2003, a few days before I left on vacation for Thailand, and the day after I ate at Joyfull. I left that Italian restaurant and arrived home, happy. It was Sunday. I went to bed, and dreamed of school lunch. Around 3am, I woke up and my mouth was watering--not because I was hungry, but because that was the signal that I was about to spew. So I spewed. It was hell.
About 10 miles away, two really good friends were experiencing the same gawdawful thing. We're pretty sure meat from Joyfull was the culprit. Worst case of food poisoning I've ever had.
So here I am, almost 5 and a half years later, and I can finally eat carbonara again. I feel like this should be a clever metaphor for something, but surprisingly, it's not. (No really, I am surprised.) Instead, I'm excited that I've reclaimed one of my favorite foods, and I'm looking forward to making pasta carbonara at home. I love a happy ending.
Be proud of me, dammit. This is directed at the people who laugh because I *need* to follow the Cream of Wheat directions. Yes, I really do.
Today I made mapo tofu from a box mix. Well, don't be proud of me for that part. I assumed that if House brand curry was okay, then House brand mapo tofu would also be okay. Wrong. It was watery and tasted like spicy and oily. I didn't eat it that often in Japan, but I knew it was wrong. I was actually impressed that I could tell how flat and boring it tasted.
So I checked some recipes online, and eyeballed from there. Yes. Be proud of me for improving a box (pouch) of mapo tofu sauce with a spoonful of miso paste, a couple glugs of hot water, sesame oil and mirin, a couple glops of oyster sauce, a spoonful of cornstarch, some grated ginger, and a few cloves of garlic. (Although, I think I put in too much mirin, because it tasted too sweet and I had to glop on more oyster sauce later.) And yes, I made that list so I'll remember for next time. I know, I'll make from scratch eventually, but I bought two boxes. Whoops.
I once had heartburn so bad that I had to go to the car and lie down while my father went to the drug store to get me some antacids. I always blamed the pesto I had for lunch, and have avoided large quantities of it (in pasta, on pizza) ever since.
In reality, I was probably freaked the hell out because I was going to my college orientation.
I need to find a big bowl of pesto and test this on a stress-free day.
We went to the Pike Pub and Brewery for Ra's birthday party. (Dammit, Shodoshima Ra has the same initials as G's brother.) The Reuben was good but the bottom bread was soggy, and it was served with chips. (The fries looked better.) Decent sized portion (I only ate half), and good enough that I ate the rest around midnight while watching Steve Martin host SNL. (Not that exciting.)
Current Favorite:
Three Girls Bakery - Pike Place Market
Giant sandwich, warm and consistent.
Great
Elysian Brewing Company - Tangletown
There's a caramelized sweetness that I couldn't identify after one bite. I need to try my own.
Good
The Pike Pub and Brewery
Soggy bottom bread (hee hee), nothing special but still delicious. Wish I had fries or a salad instead of a half plate of chips. $10 for the smaller Son of Reuben (1/31/09)
I was getting ready to start some bread dough for no-knead bread at the perfect time this afternoon. Unfortunately, I think I'm about a cup short on flour. Boo! I could've substituted some of it with whole wheat flour, but I was too annoyed, and that would require de-crystallizing the honey and bleh, nevermind.
Read more...Today I was bored and I made kumquat-orange curd. I've never made it before, although I suspected it would resemble the lemon filling in my mom's lemon meringue pie. I was right.
Unfortunately, because I strongly associate that flavor and smell with meringue pie, the serving suggestions weird me out--on scones, biscuits, toast...It's good though, I think. We'll see how it tastes after it's chilled. And after I bake some biscuits.
After that, I made a pale omelet with the whites and some shredded chicken from dinner a few nights ago. Very oyako-esque, but mid-quality egg whites plus bland mid-quality chicken tasted kind of icky and metallic, so I drowned the sucker in salsa and parmesan and resolved to never try that combination again.
I've been wanting to make no-knead bread recently, but I always remember the day before I have to do something, and the timing's off. With an 18-hour resting period (I know, I need to just start making normal bread), it gets tricky. I've finally relaxed enough to realize that letting it rest for more than 18 hours is usually a good thing in my cold kitchen, but that doesn't help when I have to be somewhere in less than 18 hours. And it's worth waiting (for me, I think).
I've also decided that I want to make more Japanese food this year. Over the last year and a half, I conquered no-knead bread, buttermilk biscuits, scones, macaroni and cheese (baked and stove top), carnitas, pot roast (way too rich), a couple easy shredded salads, easy enchiladas (you're supposed to rub the tortillas individually with oil? damn, I didn't know that.), pasta e fagioli...I meant to make a list, and maybe I will someday, but you get the picture. I've been cooking from my America's Test Kitchen cookbook. So now it's time for Japanese food. I've got the time.
So far, I've made gyoza (pretty good), and I've finally figured out bacon fried rice. I know it's easy, but I could never figure out the timing, so the bacon ended up being limp and pale. And I bit the bullet and used the チャハン function on the rice cooker instead of using cold rice. Go me.
Next on deck: nikujaga, or maybe takoyaki. I've got the pan, it's just intimidating. And a bit decandent, considering I'm still not working full time (picking up odd jobs here and there, favors from friends).
Oh, and funny story. I had G's mom pick up some black vinegar from the store for me, just to try. Annnd, I accidentally asked for sweetened, because I didn't know better. Tell me if I'm wrong, but it looks like sweetened black vinegar is primarily used for pigs feet, which is mostly a confinement food. Whoa.
I am reading a cookie recipe that calls for a boiled egg yolk. I get all excited because if I were making those cookies right now, I'd get to eat the cooked egg white. Maybe I'm just craving eggs right now. Mmmm.
Read more...I will keep track of my Reubens here.
Current Favorite:
Three Girls Bakery - Pike Place Market
Giant sandwich, warm and consistent.
Great
Elysian Brewing Company - Tangletown
There's a caramelized sweetness that I couldn't identify after one bite. I need to try my own.
I have 3 and a half days to cook, eat, or freeze everything perishable in my fridge. Why? Yes, I'm leaving for 2 weeks, but it's also because I know no one will cook or eat leftovers while I'm gone. Depressing.
But on a better note: baking bacon, and then using the bacon grease to oil a roasted kabocha was the best idea EVER.
I eat slowly, I cook slowly. Latest example: Lasagna.
3:45pm, start making sauce.
6:22pm, into the oven.
It's worth it because I know I'm not doing anything else tonight, and I don't like being rushed, but still. I need to speed things up a little.
A few days ago, I was informed that for an upcoming get together, I was to provide 4-8 dozen cookies and a side dish. It's now been bumped up to 5-10 dozen cookies. (We're doing a cookie exchange, and 2 more people got invited.) At first I panicked, but then I realized that I had a quick broccoli dish I could make, and there are two cookie recipes I've been meaning to try. It's so nice having a (small) trusted recipe collection for situations like this. The recipes are below, just in case you're curious.
Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad (New York Times)
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shorties (Smitten Kitchen)
Caramelized Matzoh Crunch with Chocolate (David Lebovitz)
Also, I've decided to follow David Lebovitz's twitter. Why? Because it contains gems like these:
I just found the other half of the banana I started eating for breakfast. It's now 2:34pm.Read more...
Peanut buttter, photographed with a Canon 430EX Speedlight, looks remarkably like dog food.
some bird took the hugest dump on my window last night & I'm procrastinating cleaning it up. can you blame me?
This is probably a little bit less than half. Straight from the pot, it was fantastic.
See, this is why I didn't originally include pictures. Gross.
You really can't tell with the steam and the terrible flash, but there was easily a 1/2 inch of oil and liquid fat kicking it on top. Wow.Holy crap, two posts in one day! I haven't done that in years. And the original goal was to blog once a week!
Anyway, back to the title--I can't drink Nestle's Hot Chocolate anymore. Well, it doesn't make me ill like some other foods, and I'd drink it if you served it to me, but I'll probably stop buying it. Lately I've been drinking hot cocoa using this "cocochino" mix from Market Spice, a bulk spice shop in the market (behind the fish throwers) and it's pretty awesome. I think it's a mix of cocoa powder, cinnamon, and almond powder, which might also contain sugar. I would sprinkle it on cereal, if I were into sweet breakfasts. It's that good.
Tonight I tried drinking hot cocoa using the Nestle's mix (must hoard last bits of cocochino), and it's really different. A little salty, and I can still feel the oil coating the insides of my mouth. I wasn't really surprised, considering the first ingredient is sugar, the second ingredient is corn syrup solids, and cocoa comes right before the "less than 2% of the following..." garbage. But it's still kind of a bummer. We always drank hot cocoa when we went camping, melting a giant handful of mini marshmallows was always thrilling, and my mother even packed me a small jar when I moved up here, just so I'd have something to put in my empty pantry. Yes I acknowledge it's silly to be attached to a processed drink mix that comes in 1.73 pound canisters, but it's still disappointing.
(Hey, can you tell I just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma? It's funny, ever since I came back from Japan, I've kept an eye on the ingredients. Some foods just make me feel gross, almost ill, after not eating them for three years. But after reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, not only do I feel ill after I eat severely processed foods, I feel guilty. Thanks Michael Pollan.)
And because I like lists, here are the things I can't eat anymore, but kind of miss in that foolish, nostalgic way:
Note to self: 3 cups of water is too much for 3/4c of steel cut oats when preparing it in a rice cooker. It turned out a little too creamy (goopy!), and it left a puddle of slime under the rice cooker that I didn't notice until much later. Like 12-14 hours later. Ew.
I give it a B, as it's still edible, and I'm very grateful nothing exploded or burned or gooped all over the carpeted kitchen floor.
For the first time in my 27 years on this planet, I forgot to add water to the rice before I cooked it. For shit's sake. G opens the rice cooker and dry rice spills over the side. (No clue why he tipped it in the first place.) Embarrassing. In defense of my error, I was finishing a roast chicken and cooking asparagus, and was waiting for the water to finish filtering. But still. I'm so glad I didn't do that around family. My sister would've blogged it.
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