Monday, February 28, 2011

Bulgogi Speedy Gonzales-Style

In case you have no idea what Bulgogi is, it’s deliciously marinated Korean beef that’s grilled or barbequed. I have never had the real thing (Korea), however the closest thing I come to is making it at home. Although I like to experiment a lot, sometimes it’s easier to just buy the darn thing already marinated and ready to go. As usual, Trader Joes has Bulgogi wrapped up for you in the refrigerated section. It’s right next to the other marinated meets (Hawaiian short ribs, curry chicken, etc.).
When you get it home, pat it dry and throw it on the grill or in a skillet. Bam, another dish that’s done in under 5 minutes, depending on the side of course. I usually make a salad to go along with this but the picture below shows steamed broccoli. Whatever, it all works.

Serves 2

6 strips of bulgogi meat
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 cups of broccoli florets
2 teaspoons of salt


Steam the broccoli until fork-tender (about 5-10 minutes depending on the stalk thickness). Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add half of the bulgogi strips to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute per side. The strips are very thin so the meat cooks instantly. Remove the first batch of meat and set aside (cover with aluminum foil to keep warm). Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and add the second batch of meat. Cook the same way. Serve the meat alongside the broccoli or if you made a salad (or other side), serve that instead. The meat is filling so I wouldn’t serve it with anything starchy. Keep it light with veggies or leafy greens.



Sunday, February 27, 2011

Salami, Salumi

My favorite food of all time. I prefer salami over chocolate, as long as it’s good quality salami. I mentioned before that sometimes we simply have salami, cheese and baguette for dinner. Because of this, we pretty much have salami in our fridge all the time. I know the healthier way to go is to buy turkey breast or chicken, but I don’t prefer dry slices of turkey deli meat on my sandwich when I can have a very flavorful portion of Sopressata or Genoa salami instead.
The best salami producers in my opinion are the Italians, however there are many varieties available from different regions and countries. Take the Germans for example. They have a very good Kantwurst (salami) which is rectangular-shaped and it’s usually my favorite. They also have the Paprikasalami (with paprika), Haussalami (lots of spices), Putensalami (turkey), Weisse salami (literally means white salami), and Rindersalami (beef) just to name a few. The Hungarians have their Hungarian salami which has paprika in it and can be a bit spicy. The Spanish have their Fuet and Longaniza salami. The Italians have a never-ending list: the aforementioned Genoa and Sopressata, Capicola and Calabrese just to name a few. There are of course other deli meats but those will be mentioned in a different blog.
Thought I’d share pictures of the different types of salami, however not sure how helpful this will be to you since they all pretty much look the same. I suggest you go to your local deli and sample a few types. The German ones tend to be moister whereas the Italian ones are drier. The larger the diameter of the salami, usually the moister, so the really skinny ones are drier. Not the case for every single salami, but that’s usually how it goes. Also pay attention to the salt content and spices used. Some have pepper or paprika, some are made with garlic or fennel seeds. The more you try, the pickier you’ll be about future purchases.
People go wine tasting all the time, and now I hear olive oil tasting is quite the rage (or am I behind the times?), so I encourage you to do a salami tasting. I promise you, you’ll come out an educated happy camper.


Austrian Wieners


Sopressata 


Capicola


Genoa


Hungarian



Fuet


Kantwurst 


Saturday, February 26, 2011

Chicken Stir-Fry

This is a dish I made pretty often during the last month as we were staying in the tiny NY apartment. Now thankfully I have a bigger kitchen and can expand my cooking methodology but this is still a good dish that I’ll come back to. It literally takes about 10-15 minutes to make so it’s perfect for dinner during the work week. As usual, feel free to put your own spin on it.
As a side note, I usually use thigh meat when cooking chicken however I happened to have chicken breast this time and used that instead. Chicken breast can dry out quickly so be sure not to overcook it.


Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup of mushrooms, chopped
¼ of a small onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons of salt
3 teaspoons of olive oil


Sprinkle half the salt on the uncooked chicken pieces and mix well. Heat half the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and brown the meat on all sides for about 5 minutes. The pieces are small so they’ll cook fast.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and keep warm on a plate covered with aluminum foil. Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent, then add the diced zucchini. Sauté the zucchini until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cook for a couple of minutes and finally add the tomato halves. Squeeze the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or spatula so they release their juices into the pan. Mix all the vegetables together, season with the remaining salt and add the chicken to heat through one more time. Serve on a big platter to share.



Friday, February 25, 2011

Chocolates

Chocolates used to be a staple food group of mine, but with age, tastes and tolerations change. I still enjoy chocolate every now and then but not to the degree that I used to. Back in the day, my favorite was white chocolate, which is not really chocolate at all due to its makeup. Then I progressed into milk chocolate thanks to the plethora available in Austria. You know how Switzerland is known for its chocolate? Well, Germany and Austria are in the same vicinity, so they all kind of rub off on each other. I indulged in the Milka, Kinder, Manner, Ferrero, and Rittersport brands. Plain, nutty, creamy – you name it. Particularly as a kid I got a kick out of the Kinder Ueberraschung, which are hollow chocolate eggs filled with a surprise. The surprise always consists of a small plastic toy that has to be assembled. Go figure, the Germans always thinking how to feed and create smart minds.
Coming to America was a big shock in terms of chocolate. The most popular chocolate here is Hershey's, which is not something I eat unless it involves graham crackers and marshmallows. I’m honestly surprised that the big Euro brands haven’t jumped across the ocean and made it big here. I guess everyone is used to their own flavors. Here dark chocolate seems to be very popular, especially in these health-conscious times. Tried it a few times and it’s just not my thing. I need the milk added to it.
So since I only occasionally find my beloved German chocolate at a local imports store or online, I don’t eat much of it. Even chocolate cakes are too rich for me. Take a bite and you hit sugar overload. That doesn’t bother me too much though because I’m discovering different dessert flavors that are equally delicious.
Naturally I want to share my chocolate knowledge with fellow foodies, so if you are feeling adventurous and travel to Central Europe, give these chocolates and/or brands a try.



















Thursday, February 24, 2011

Brussel Sprouts

I read this hilarious blurb on CookingChannelTV.com that said brussel sprouts are finally trendy. I have seen them pop up on restaurant menus and on TV recipes however I’m not sure people actually like them more now than before.
I had tried cooking them whole before as they are most often served and found them to be very bitter. The trick is to cut out the core which removes the bitterness. The best recipe I have found was from Jacques Pepin who advised to cut the sprouts into small pieces or shred them before cooking. I don’t have my cookbooks with me in NY (they are back in SD) so I can’t give you the exact recipe but here’s how I remember cooking them.
I cut out the core with a small paring knife and since I don’t have a mandolin, I sliced them julienne-style (thin strips). I crisped some bacon in a sauté pan and added the shredded brussel sprouts to the pan. Or did I blanch them in hot water first? Might have done that first (blanch for 30 seconds in hot water) or just added them to the pan with the bacon and added a bit of water to the pan. So I cooked them in that pan, added a bit of butter, bit of salt (not much cause of the bacon) and served them as is. My husband Mark made a face as I told him we were having brussel sprouts but he actually enjoyed them. Since then he’s converted to brussel sprout advocate.
Try cooking them this way next time you think you want to give them a second chance. Or cook them any other way but cut out that core and/or chop them into smaller pieces.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Sound of Music Food

I recently attended an Austrian classical concert here in NY and they concluded with a couple of Sound of Music songs. Ever since that concert, I have been thinking about Salzburg. In case you didn’t know, most of that movie was filmed in Salzburg, Austria. My husband Mark and I had the chance to visit Austria again last fall and we even went to Salzburg. Unfortunately we only had one day to see the city and scarf down as much traditional food as we could.
I talk about Austria a lot because that’s where I mostly grew up. It’s a beautiful country with very nice people and delicious food. The mountains are majestic and the lakes dazzle in the summer and take your breath away in the winter. I should be the country’s tourism spokesperson….
So the food is by far my favorite cuisine. The food we had in Salzburg did not disappoint of course. After checking out one of the Mozart museums (yes, there are multiples), we stopped at a local tavern to warm up. Since we were there late in the fall and this is a mountain town, it was drizzling, cold and not as pretty as in the summer. Nevertheless, we were determined to see the sights as best we could and eat until we could not see another dumpling (actually, I’m the dumpling person, my husband could very well never see another dumpling in his life). He ordered Cordon Bleu, which is pounded chicken or veal, filled with ham and cheese, breaded, fried until crisp and served with some sort of jam and potatoes. That’s Mark’s Austrian go-to meal. I ordered the beef Gulasch because it was pretty darn cold and we were sitting outside. I needed a warm meal as much as a warm spirit. We shared Gluehwein, which is mulled wine and something they call Orangenpunsch - basically hot, alcoholic orange punch. For dessert, we ordered the most traditional thing on the menu – Salzburger Nockerl. For as long as I had lived in Austria, I had never tried that dessert, so I was very excited to finally do so. The waitress came out with a behemoth of a platter carrying pillows of sweetness covered in raspberry coulis (sauce). It looked just stunning and almost too pretty to eat. We attacked the dessert and after the first bite, my husband and I looked at each other in anticipation. He had a funny look on his face, and I’m sure I probably did too. The dessert is similar to a baked Alaska, I’m assuming. Never actually had that but they look the same, so that’s what I’m going with. The texture however is funky. It fizzes and then melts in your mouth. My husband called it soda cake. It was so huge too that we could only finish a few bites after our heavy meals. Afterwards we walked off most of that and still munched on roasted chestnuts from a street vendor. We also had a few more cups of mulled wine (it was cold outside). Everything was pretty delicious (maybe the soda cake was questionable) and I wish we'd had more time to enjoy both the sights and the food.
Salzburg is one of the prettiest small cities of the world and definitely worth a visit. If and when you go, I strongly encourage you to check out any of the Mozart museums and to try the Salzburger Nockerl (now famous soda cake), just make sure you don’t fill up on a big meal beforehand. Also, try any of their stews or soups as well. The hills will be alive…with the sound of your happy tummy….


On the way to Salzburg


City Center 


Cordon Bleu 


Gulasch 


Salzburger Nockerl (soda cake) 


Gluehwein & Orangenpunsch


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Gnocchi in Marinara Sauce

Made this for lunch a few days ago. Took me a bit longer than this recipe indicates because I didn’t have left-over chicken so I cooked my chicken first, but if you do, it won’t take long at all.


Serves 4

1 cup of shredded/chopped cooked chicken
1 package of gnocchi
half a jar of marinara sauce
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of goat cheese
1 cup of mushrooms (I used a small can of whole mushrooms)


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Dump the gnocchi into the boiling water carefully. Heat the marinara sauce in a skillet over medium-low heat. Chop or grate the garlic into the sauce. Add the mushrooms, chicken meat and goat cheese and stir to combine. Once the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, they are done cooking. Strain and add them to the sauce. Stir to cover all gnocchi with the sauce and serve about a handful per portion. Gnocchi are very filling so don’t go overboard.



Monday, February 21, 2011

Wine and Cheese

A perennial favorite of ours. Actually I should title this salami and cheese, the wine is optional. Sometimes a heavy meal is not in the cards or at 10pm, slaving in the kitchen isn’t either, so that’s when the snack platter comes into play. We have this for breakfast on the weekend or at least once a week for dinner (lately we’ve had this a lot for dinner since we’ve been moving). There is no rule for what should be served. If you are putting this together, serve whatever sounds good, whatever is your favorite, or simply whatever is in the fridge. I’ve had plenty of last scrap platters too.
I pretty much always (yes always) have salami in the fridge, as well as some kind of cheese. These are staples in our household. In addition, we’ll add cherry tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers or olives, again, whatever is on hand. A fresh baguette is nice but not always available so any kind of bread will do. If you run out of bread, as we often do, crackers or large salad leaves will do the trick too. And sometimes we just darn forgot to go to the grocery store, so we don’t have any canvas to use for the salami and cheese. Then we just munch without the bread.
The wine as I’ve said is optional. I’m not a wine connoisseur so I won’t pretend to tell you that a particular wine goes well with the munchies. I guess it depends on what cheese you are eating and what sides.
My husband usually buys a Pinot Noir or Shiraz. I am not a fan of heartburn-inducing red wine so I usually skip it. If I have a bottle of Eiswein or some other white dessert wine on hand, I’ll imbibe then. Regardless, the drinks are entirely up to you. Want water or orange juice, that works too since this is basically a picnic and anything goes. Try it out, eat at home Euro-style.


Breakfast


Dinner

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Farmers Markets

Is there a greater place to shop for food than the farmers market? I don’t think so. My love of the market probably stems back to my childhood when I would accompany my family to the market in Romania. I’ve enjoyed the experience ever since.
I make it a point to check out the farmers market in every city I visit, if possible. Now I live in NY and thankfully there are several markets to choose from throughout the week. The biggest one I’ve been to so far is the Union Square Green Market. Excellent options, plenty of vendors and many new varieties of produce I can experiment with. Unfortunately the weather hasn’t been so great since moving here so that particular market has dwindled down to less vendors. Hoping that changes once it warms up more.
The markets I’m familiar with are those in San Diego since that was my hometown. SD actually has a pretty good selection of markets and the city has wonderful weather and spectacular views going for it as well. Can’t hurt to munch on samples as you enjoy a view of the ocean, right? I was lucky enough to work with a buddy at the market while I was still in high school. I worked on Saturdays and Sundays selling apples, nuts and dried fruit. I inevitably stuffed myself with too much dried fruit every time to the agony of my poor stomach. That was the best summer job I ever had.
My latest market tradition was sharing fresh oysters and coconut juice with my mother. That was a short-lived tradition every Saturday morning for us until I moved. Now I’m hoping she is enjoying those treats for me too.
I haven’t found either of those items at the markets here in NY but I’m still hopeful. Nothing like a creamy, sweet oyster to get your day started and coconut juice to wash it down. Mmm…

Friday, February 18, 2011

Favorite Pizza Toppings

There is a small little hole-in-the-wall pizza place a few blocks from our current home called 2 Brothers. We discovered it one night as we were making our way home from a bar. The smell of hot pizza tempted us and we gave it a try. It’s super cheap at $1.50 per slice and it is made fresh every 15 minutes or so. The place is packed every time we go there so the pizza doesn’t sit around for long getting cold. It’s thankfully always fresh out of the oven. It tastes very good even though it only has a couple of toppings per pizza. I usually like it laden with ingredients, but this simple one satisfies my craving every time.
This got me thinking about my favorite toppings and toppings others put on their pizzas. For example, my family in Germany (the Germans) has been making and selling pizza on the weekends at different sporting and music events for probably two decades now. They can make pizza dough in their sleep. When we visited them last fall, they made thick-crust pizza covered with tuna. They also made a couple of more traditional ones (cheese, ham, etc.) but the tuna was unusual for us Americans. At least I’ve never had tuna pizza in the US.
I don’t usually make my pizza from scratch and either buy pizza dough or the frozen pizza. There really is only one frozen pizza I buy from Trader Joe’s. It’s an Alsacian flatbread (very thin) covered with cheese, ham and caramelized onions. We even got to try the real thing in the Alsace region of France a few years ago (they call it Flammkuchen – a German name) and the Trader Joe’s one measures up pretty well.
When I do buy plain pizza dough, I cover it with as many toppings as possible. My favorites are ham, cheese, bell peppers, olives, corn, artichokes, mushrooms and oregano. Most people are surprised by the corn on pizza, but it tastes very good. I highly recommend it.
Another idea I got from Artichoke, a different NY pizza joint, is making pizza covered with spinach artichoke dip. Very inventive and popular since there was a line out the door at 3am (in January). I’ll have to try making that myself next time.


2 Brothers pizza


Artichoke pizza




Thursday, February 17, 2011

Chicken and Rice

I know, a second entry today! I'm on a roll.... Really I just had to share this recipe that I made for lunch today.
To keep with the small kitchen cooking formula, I made chicken and rice, a one-pot easy meal. This is delicious and super easy to make. Definitely comfort food any time of year.
I used brown rice but you can definitely use whatever rice you have. Arborio rice is usually used for risottos but this is not necessarily a risotto so any other white rice including long grain rice will work too.
The goat cheese is a surprise element even for me. Our fridge was practically empty and I was trying to figure out what else to add to this to impart more flavor – hence the lonely tomato and goat cheese. They both work and the cheese adds a creamy saltiness to the dish that works perfectly. You can very well make this without the goat cheese but if you have it, use it.


¼ of a small purple onion
2-3 garlic gloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of rice
3-4 chicken pieces (wings, drumsticks or thighs)
water (about 8 cups)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 tomato
2 tablespoons of goat cheese


Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Dice the onion and sauté in the oil. Chop the garlic or grate it into the oil. Let the onions and garlic caramelize for a minute or two. Add the rice to the pot and fry slightly until it has absorbed the oil.
Sprinkle the salt over the chicken pieces and add them to the pot with the rice. Pour enough water over the rice and chicken to cover, which in my case was about 8 cups. This really depends on how big the chicken pieces are. Chop the tomato and add it to the pot. Cover the pot and bring to a vigorous boil. Once it has boiled for a bit (10 minutes or so), turn down the heat to medium/low and let it simmer until the rice is cooked. Brown rice takes a long time to cook so I cooked it for 30-40 minutes. If you let it cook longer, the meat will soften and fall off the bone, which I recommend. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, crumble the goat cheese into the chicken and rice mixture and stir until dissolved. Bon appétit!





Global McDonald’s

We're moving into our new apartment this week and surprise, surprise, there is a McDonald’s down the street from us. As much as I like to eat healthy and buy organic whatever, I love me a good old-fashioned McDonald’s cheeseburger. I don’t eat there often unless I’m in need of fast comfort food (if I’m sick and can’t cook) or if I need something to hold me over while I’m running errands. So I think I’ve ordered the same thing at McDonald’s for the last decade – a cheeseburger, a chicken sandwich and small fries. Yes, that’s two sandwiches and I finish them both no problem.
It never crossed my mind that I might not be able to order the same thing at a McDonald’s in a different country. I think the first time I noticed a different McDonald’s menu was in Austria three years ago. I was visiting my uncle in the mountainous countryside (think Sound of Music style) and the whole family indulged in McDonald’s one single night during our visit. I pulled up to the counter to order my usual, but low and behold, they didn’t have my usual. I looked at the menu and saw some similar things as in the US but they also had things such as a Hollywood burger and a Texas burger. I was stunned. It never occurred to me that people across the world might be eating different McDonald’s food. So after that, whenever I visit a new country, I make it a point to stop at a local McDonald’s and check out their menu. So far, I’ve seen menus from Austria, France (Paris and DisneyWorld), Germany, Romania and Amsterdam. If possible, I try to take pictures of the menus for future reference (not sure why I would reference those photos but what the heck, guess they’re coming in handy now). So here are a few photos I took during my travels. Feel free to share your own Mickey D photos.


New York Classic on left, Big Texas Bacon on right





Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Morning Huevos

This entry is dedicated to my husband who doesn’t usually like to be very domestic in the kitchen unless it comes to breakfast. I will give him props for hooking up a pretty nice spread in the morning though. His usual is scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, sometimes cottage cheese and if not already included in the eggs, cherry tomatoes.
I’m not really a breakfast person but I’ll give in every now and then and partake of the treat he puts together. I also sometimes steal his ingredient list and make an omelet for lunch. Here’s how it goes (rough measurements – feel free to customize to your liking):


Ingredients – serves 2

3-4 eggs (usually 3 medium sized eggs are enough for both of us)
¼ cup of cherry tomatoes (about 6)
¼ of a small red onion
¼ cup of mushrooms
1 tablespoon of fresh herbs such as parsley or dill, chopped or torn
2 tablespoons of freshly grated cheese (whatever kind you prefer)
2 teaspoons of olive oil
½ teaspoon of salt

Directions

Chop the onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in the pan and sauté first the onions, then the mushrooms and tomatoes over medium heat. Season the veggies with half the salt. While the vegetables are sautéing, beat the eggs in a bowl and add the remaining salt. Once the vegetables are soft, pour them into the beaten eggs in the bowl. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the pan, turn down the heat to low and add the egg/veggie mixture to the pan. If you simply pour the beaten eggs into the pan with the veggies, all the vegetables will be pushed to the sides of the pan. Combining them first ensures they are spread out evenly throughout.
Let the eggs cook slowly over very low heat. While they are cooking, add chopped or torn herbs and the grated cheese. Let everything melt together for 5-10 minutes. Don’t touch the eggs during that time and let the omelet rise and puff up. Once the eggs are set but still moist at the top, fold the omelet in half. At this point, the bottom is cooked through and it should be easy to fold. Slide onto a platter and enjoy with a buddy.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Fennel Salad

Not sure how many of you are familiar with fennel but it is an excellent vegetable to cook with. Eaten raw it has a beautiful licorice taste without the actual licorish-ness of the candy. Once it is cooked, it softens and becomes just the right kind of sweet. I usually roast it in the oven until the edges crisp up and the thicker flesh starts caramelizing, but I always see recipes that call for a fennel/orange combination so I decided to try it. Granted, I didn’t actually follow a recipe when making mine and sort of winged it, but it still came out refreshing and eatable.
Here’s the no-cook recipe (served 2):

1 fennel bulb
handful of chopped purple onion strands
1 orange
½ teaspoon of salt
half a lemon
drizzle of olive oil

Cut the green top, bottom and small core of the fennel bulb off so that only the white bulb is left over. You are basically prepping the fennel. Cut the bulb in half and slice each half into thin strips. Place the fennel strips on a platter. Cut the top and bottom of the orange so that it can sit up on its own. Slide the knife along the sides of the orange, cutting away the skin and white pith. You want to peel the orange while keeping it intact. Once you have cut away all the skin and pith, hold the orange in one hand while you cut out the segments slowly. Do this over the platter with the fennel so the juices run onto the fennel. Let the cut orange segments fall over the fennel. Once all the segments are cut out, squeeze the remaining orange membranes to release any juices. Scatter the onion strands over the fennel and orange and tear a few fennel fronds (from the green leafy top of the fennel) to sprinkle over the salad. Squeeze the lemon over the salad, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, season with salt and let sit for 5-10 minutes to develop the flavors. Enjoy any time of day!


Monday, February 14, 2011

Need A Bigger Kitchen!

I mentioned before that the temporary place we are staying in since moving to NY is tiny. The kitchen is about a fourth the size of our last kitchen. There is no counter space, no spatula or wooden spoon and only one dull steak knife for chopping anything that I could practically tear apart with my hands. I considered buying cooking utensils but we are moving in a week to a bigger place and are having our old stuff shipped from San Diego, so it would be pointless to buy anything now.
Due to my lack of tools and fear of using the archaic oven, I have been preparing most of the main meals the same way, on the stove or in the sauté pan. At this point, it all blends into the same formula – soup, stew or sautéed meat and veggies. I love winter fare but need to be able to mix it up a bit. Can’t continue to make the same darn chicken stew forever, no matter how good it is. I’m drooling at the thought of a casserole, shepherd’s pie or baked fruit. Mm, cobblers and crumbles…. I saw Nigella Lawson make caramel croissant pudding on TV the other day. That shall be the first thing I make with my new stove. It looked fluffy, custardy and freakin’ out of this world rich. Ok, can you tell how desperate I am now? I better go get a snack.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Dumplings, Dumplings, Dumplings

In case you didn’t know, today I’ll be talking about dumplings. Hoping to have Dim Sum for lunch today, which got me thinking about this topic.
Growing up mostly in Austria, I became acquainted with every type of dumpling imaginable. Coming to the US, I encountered Asian dumplings at restaurants and supermarkets such as gyoza and shumai. I never knew there is a whole world of dumplings out there. Considering historical trends, I’m pretty sure the Chinese actually invented the dumpling, much like everything else useful.
To this day, dumplings are one of my favorite things to eat. Even people who insist on not liking dumplings eat them without realizing it. Ever had gnocci, the Italian baby dumplings made out of potatoes and flour? The appetizers you get at a Chinese restaurant for about $10 that you can buy for $3 at the grocery store – those are delicious dumplings too.
My favorite are the ones I was first introduced to in Austria. They give the word a whole new meaning. They’ve got dumplings in soups, as starters, as sides, as mains and as freakin’ dessert. They make them out of stale bread, potatoes, meat, stuff them with jam, sprinkle them with bacon, and coat them with poppy seeds and vanilla custard. Can I say more?
My curiosity with these fascinating culinary creations led me to research of course. Here’s a list of dumplings around the world:

Gyoza (Chinese)
Shumai (Chinese)
Siopao (Filipino)
Ravioli (Italian)
Germknoedel (Austrian)
Matzoball (Jewish)
Chicken & Dumplings (American)
Spaetzle (Austrian)
Knoedel (German)
Serviettenknoedel (Austrian)
Leberknoedel (Austrian)
Pierogi (Polish)
Galuste (Romanian)
Corn Dumplings (Mexico)
Pelmeni (Russian)
SouskluitjiesSouskluitjiesSouskluitjies (South African)
Banh bot loc (Vietnamese)

And here’s a picture of probably my favorite dumpling of all time – Germknoedel, which in German means yeast dumpling. It’s a monster, filled with plum butter (jam that’s reduced to a very thick consistency), served with the aforementioned poppy seeds and vanilla custard. I was served this occasionally at the Catholic school I attended in Austria. When I last visited a year ago, I was able to buy these suckers in the frozen food section of the supermarket and made them at home with my cousin. The two plates fed 10 of us.





Saturday, February 12, 2011

Trying Something New

So I channeled my inner Andrew Zimmern and had my first sweetbreads yesterday. My husband Mark and I went to the restaurant across the street from our apartment, which turned out to be very popular. The place is called Belcourt and as we showed up, we were asked if we had reservations. Fancy fancy, but even without the reservation, we were seated right away.
The selection of food consisted of a one page menu with international fare. I decided to be adventurous and try the fried sweetbreads and bone marrow tacos. My husband had shrimp dumplings and calamari with shoestring potatoes. The portions were appetizer size. When I got my food, it actually looked pretty good. Anything fried can’t be that bad, right? So I tried a piece of the fried stuff (squirted with lemon juice) and it tasted good. As soon as my tongue ran over the grooves, I freaked out and could not focus on anything else other than that. Now let me tell you that this entire time I thought that sweetbreads were brain. I actually googled the term afterwards and got this definition: “thymus glands of veal, young beef, lamb and pork.” So I thought I was eating brain but I wasn’t. Regardless, it was still freaky in texture.
I tried the bone marrow tacos and it only got worse. Not sure if any of you reading this have had bone marrow in anything other than cooked chicken bones. That’s the bone marrow I remember. The big old hunk of beef bone I got on my plate had melted bone marrow in it that can only be described as melted fat. I was very excited to try it since I’ve heard how good it’s supposed to be. I disagree. The calamari and dumplings on the other hand were tasty albeit skimpy in size. So last night’s dinner was very adventurous but not what I hoped it would be. Who knows what we’ll try next.


Bone Marrow Tacos (assembly required)

Fried Sweetbreads


Friday, February 11, 2011

Opa!

I never thought I’d be the type of person to dream about tropical places in the winter. I’ve only been in NY a couple of weeks now and I’ve been reminiscing about Greece. Went there on our honeymoon and loved it. Guess I’m not really thinking so much about the warm weather as I am about the delicious food we had there. Since we visited mostly islands, we sampled a lot of light sea fare. I never used to be a big seafood lover, although I’m happy to discover that my palette is maturing like a fine wine. We had fresh, and I mean fresh, octopus salad that my husband brings up occasionally out of the blue; of course the traditional Greek salad every day – that’s pretty much the only thing I ever ordered regularly; and lots and lots of pasta, who knew? Turns out that Venetians occupied many Greek islands back when that was fashionable and left their Italian culinary touches behind. My husband ordered seafood linguini five times a week. Their moussaka was divine and I tried to replicate it at home and of course it wasn’t the same. It’d go back for that alone.


Greek Salad


Octopus Salad

One thing we both agreed on was how absolutely terrible their signature drink ouzo was. The first night we were there we decided, what the heck, when in Rome…, so we ordered a small pitcher of that lighter fluid. I bravely took three gulps before I gave up. My husband didn’t fare any better. We saw guys who didn’t even dilute it with water or ice as is recommended, so you know those are locals. Blah, I definitely don’t recommend that. Other than that, all food and desserts were excellent. I was pleasantly surprised by the many pastries they produce. We had fresh walnut or cheese-stuffed pockets every morning for breakfast. The views from our beach hotels didn’t hurt either. I think all that sea air made everything taste extra good.
The country itself is beautiful and the people are the nicest we’ve encountered so far on our travels. We were surprised that everyone spoke English and there were even street signs with English subtitles. It was the easiest far-away country to navigate.
We tried to see a bit of the historical sites as well as the relaxing beaches, so we explored Athens, Mykonos, Ios and Santorini.
The sightseeing we did was typical for Athens – the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum. We tagged along with other tourists marveling at the marble statues and the grand views from the Acropolis, but also rubbed elbows with locals in Monastiraki square (main tourist area), fed the occasional stray dogs and snacked on cherries we picked up at the market. We finally felt the last shred of our technology-ridden stress melt away as we enjoyed the view of the Acropolis and watched millions of tourists journey along. We explored the Plaka district, where the shopping is as much revered as the food. We had the most delicious gyros, for about $2 each. Needless to say, we devoured those every day we were there. We also hiked Mount Likavitos behind our hotel to enjoy a drink at the popular bar. It was breathtaking to sip cocktails, situated at the top of the highest mountain in Athens, overlooking the entire city. After spending three days in Athens, which believe me, is more than enough time, we headed to Mykonos.
If you’ve ever seen a postcard of Greece, the picture was most likely taken in Mykonos, where the white-washed buildings with their blue-shuttered windows cannot help but put you at ease. We spent much time walking through the village, shopping for souvenirs, sunbathing at an exclusive VIP beach recommended by our hotel manager, and trying to avoid the well-known Mykonos winds. We drank overpriced Coronas at the fancy beach and checked out the local windmills.


Mykonos


Little Venice in Mykonos


Ios was the second island we went to, and although the smallest and quietest, it was the prettiest to me as well. Rolling hills beckon you to lay down and take a nap. The Ios Palace Hotel where we stayed, overlooked one of the local beaches, and since we were there mid-season (hint: cheaper rates) and also during the global economic crisis, we not only had the hotel almost to ourselves, but also the beach. We checked out the local town once, but since there were no other tourists, every small restaurant or shop was closed. We decided to spend the rest of our two days at the beach. Instead of renting a car, we rented the very popular ATVs and I hung on for dear life as my husband cruised up and down the mountains. The views were nothing short of spectacular. While cruising around, we discovered a small tavern at the end of the beach, literally built on the rocks. That’s where we had the best food during our entire trip. The first time we arrived for lunch, we were the only people there. The owner was leaning over the edge of the boardwalk, pulling up a bucket of fresh mussels - I still dream about them. We also tasted their famous deep-fried Haloumi cheese, a Greek specialty, and several more plates of fresh fish, seafood spaghetti and stuffed zucchini blossoms.


Ios


Ios Hotel Pool


The last island we journeyed to was Santorini. It is famous, crowded, beautiful, and definitely not to be missed. We had a suite that was spacious, the breakfast on the front terrace could not be beat, and the views were spectacular, especially from the hotel swimming pool. This is where we ate the most pasta. They also have vineyards on the island which most people don't know about but we didn't have a chance to go wine tasting.
Greece was absolutely amazing. We met many gracious, friendly and extremely generous people and learned about a culture totally unfamiliar to us. We indulged in deliciously fresh food, and at the end of our trip, we were very full but happy, albeit a few extra pounds. Now if I could only book tickets again….


Breakfast in Santorini


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Famous Food

I usually don’t spend much time in front of the television. When I do, I watch either cartoons or cooking shows. Since moving to NY, I’ve only had access to Food Network and Cooking Channel, so I’ve been catching up on the latest shows. Right now it’s chocolate all the time since it’s the season of love.
Needless to say, I was very excited when I stumbled upon The Best Thing I Ever Ate, which features a lot of restaurants in NY. Being new in town, I need all the pointers I can get. And who better to point me in the right direction than people on TV, right?
Heard about a small place in my neighborhood called Porchetta, so we tried it out a few days ago. The place specializes in pork prepared Italian-style. They also have a couple of sides (beans and greens) which my husband and I didn’t try since we played it safe and shared a sandwich. Thank goodness we did. The freakin’ sandwich on TV looks moist and delicious and very beckoning. The sandwich in real life was dry as hell with cracklings from the pig that only invite a dental bill. My Filipino husband said the meat tasted like lechon (Filipino pig) which I agreed with. Granted we were there on a non-busy evening and the pork might have been sitting in the warmer kinda long, but that’s no excuse. Being featured as a dope spot in NY on national television means you better deliver. In Porchetta’s place, maybe they shouldn’t deliver….
The only other time we’ve been to a celebrity restaurant in NY was during one of our visits. Last year we ate at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant at The London hotel. The guy is hyped up everywhere so I was eager to try it. Can’t remember what my husband ordered but I had the duck breast, which I’m sorry to say was not crispy but overdone. A couple of drinks and dessert later, we broke the bank for a disappointing meal.
Of course I’m not saying that we’ll rule out all celebrity restaurants or reviews but our first two experiences left bitter tastes in our mouth. However, I am actually curious to try a couple of other ones – Morimoto by Morimoto and The Spotted Pig by Mario Batalli. Let’s hope that pig is better than the last one I had.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Food Trends

Read an article yesterday (2011 Food Trends on Cookingchanneltv.com) that listed food trends for the year. I can’t remember everything they listed but one thing that jumped out was people’s inclination to make everything at home nowadays. I’m talking canning, pickling, brewing, etc.. Coincidentally my obsession a couple of years ago was perfecting canning. Learned how to make home-made jam and I successfully didn’t poison anyone who received the jam as a gift. But that was my own inclination to master yet another cooking technique. The trends article mentioned reverting back to the good old days out of necessity. Of course the economy sucks and we’re all strapped for cash, thus people are turning to what the article calls “home artisanship.” So I guess I was part of the first wave of this DIY cooking a couple of years ago when pickling and canning were popular. This year (new recession cooking wave), people are doing more elaborate things such as curing their own meats, brewing their own beer and roasting their own coffee. Come to think of it, before moving out here, I met a lady who said her husband was brewing his own beer at home. Much to her annoyance, their kitchen looked like a science lab. I actually am quite excited to hear this because I’m always talking my husband’s ear off about lost craftsman and artisanship. Not sure that I’ll turn to curing my own meat although I would very much like my house to smell like prosciutto. I have given thought to making my own yogurt or ricotta cheese though, which I saw on TV.
If any of you decide to create a new flavor of beer, coffee, meat or anything else, let me know. I might be your guinea pig.