Nature v. Nurture

This seems to be a never ending, always debated, and almost hackneyed topic in most freshman humanities courses. What really shapes the development on an organism – its innate/inborn nature? Or those external environmental factors in which it is nurtured? I will admit that I am a child of excess – born into prosperous times, driven by the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley, bred in a privileged and ambitious academic environment, and taught that the moon and stars are merely the lower limit of my potential. What I wanted, what I worked for, what I dreamed of – I got. This wasn’t just correlation – there was a clear causal pathway. Yet just a few years later and toward the end of this generation, the mentality seems different. The world became a lot less stable. Hard times, more strife, less prosperity, fewer opportunities. That ‘can-do’ attitude and ambition are now curbed by realism and some apprehension to jumping too far or deviating from the comfort zone. It’s created a generation of inertia. Immobilized by fear. In a way it seems counter productive. Perhaps it is even self-destructive. Others would say its self-preservation.

And yet those same environmental factors have also molded a resilient generation, tempered in hard times and taught to be mindful and careful. A generation that assesses the risks and benefits of each and every decision. A generation that was reminded of the scarcity of resources and realized that real limitations do exist. It toughened their skins, gave them character, and made them more accountable for their own failures and successes. That same generation can surprise you. Recently, while selfishly ruminating my next vacation and plotting my next step-up in the world, I was reminded that there were people directly in my line of sight who could probably benefit from such resources. I was reminded of my excess, and took the hint to be (yes I admit it) more mindful.

Chicken and Preserved Lemons
Source: Food Network
I recently purchased a heavy ceramic dutch oven at (surprisingly) Costco (thanks Nicole for the rec)! It’s a fraction of the price of a Le Creuset or a Staub, but so far, it’s been working REALLY well, and I absolutely love it. I broke it in by making a chicken and preserved lemon dish, reminiscent of my visits to Cafe Mogador in the East Village. The chicken is tender and savory through the bone. The tartness of the lemon in combination with the warm spices – smells like heaven. I made some modifications to the original recipe – you’ll love the changes, I promise.

Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sweet or hot paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp whole cloves [I used ground]
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 large pinch saffron
1-2 tbs of harissa (depends on your comfort with heat)
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) free-range chicken, cut into 10 pieces [I used 8 pieces of thigh meat]
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 preserved lemons, flesh removed and peel julienned
1/2 cup cracked green olives, rough chopped
1 cup chicken stock

Directions
Toast the cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and cloves until they start to smoke. Remove from the heat and grind as needed. Place all spices, garlic, ginger, cilantro, bay leaves, saffron, harissa, and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large bowl, mixing well to form a paste. To the bowl, add the chicken, rubbing the marinade all over the chicken pieces (including under the skin). Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

The Marinade

Preheat oven to 350*F.

After 2hours or overnight, remove the chicken from the marinade, saving the marinade for later use. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Preheat the dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tbs of olive oil. Place chicken pieces, skin side down first, and brown the chicken. Flip as needed to brown the other side – about 5 minutes total time. To the pot, add onions and allow to sweat and brown. Then add the preserved lemon peek, olives, reserved marinade, and chicken stock. Cover and bring liquid up to a boil.

Once at a boiling point, carefully slide the dutch oven into the preheated oven, and allow to cook/simmer until the chicken is cooked through, tender, and brown in color – about 30-40 minutes. I find that this cooking method yields a more tender and beautiful chicken that just doing it on the stove. Once done, taste the juices and adjust seasoning as needed with salt, pepper, and sugar. I like to skim off any excess fat at this point as well. Serve chicken with couscous, pilaf or some nice flat bread, making sure to spoon as much of that sauce over as possible. An extra squeeze of harissa here doesn’t hurt either.

Saffron pilaf with dried cranberries, chopped nuts, fresh parsley and cilantro.

Today’s environment did not birth children of excess – but rather, children of caution and consideration. This over ambitious, A-type, ends-justify-the-means girl needs to remember and appreciate that.
AnhD

PS. On a final note, I wanted to share that I have given a lot more thought to future wedding and life planning. I was just in NYC this weekend, and made it a point to stop at Kleinfeld and a few other salons. Did I “say yes to the dress”? Details to come, or you can follow my Pinterest account. Thanks for reading!

Limbo

Lim·bo [lim-boh]
noun, plural lim·bos.

1. (often initial capital letter) Roman Catholic Theology. A region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants (limbo of infants) and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ

2. A place or state of oblivion to which persons or things are regarded as being relegated when cast aside, forgotten, past, or out of date: My youthful hopes are in the limbo of lost dreams.

3. An intermediate, transitional, or midway state or place.

4. A place or state of imprisonment or confinement.

Despite its definition, it feels awfully wonderful to be in limbo sometimes. That state of inbetweeness, of not knowing which direction you’ll fall into, of having the choice to lean in or lean out, of being both here and there. In its own way – it is quite liberating. Am I here in California or in New York? Either way, I am reaping the benefits of both, and I (surprisingly) could get use to this…

Empire State of Mind

Just after snapping the above picture of the Empire State Bldg, I flew back to California and the following Monday, I had the honor of dining at Nicole’s new home in the city. It’s always a treat to eat with her – I credit her for my love of food. You can read more about her here, here, and here.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Source: Bon Appetit
For dinner, Nicole prepared a delicious braised short rib dish, coupled with a side of veggies and mash. It was hearty and savory; the meat was suuper tender, and the braising liquid was rich and velvety. These pictures don’t do the dish any justice.

Ingredients
5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2″ pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbs vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1 tbs tomato paste
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
4 c low-salt beef stock

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 tbs drippings from pot.
Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

We paired this braised beef dish with a bottle of petite sirah, and kicked off dinner with some St. Marcellin cheese and crackers. Talk about a perfect pairing – I highly recommend it.

Being in limbo has meant that I can go from chowing down on Chicken & Rice one day, and then noshing on this beautiful Tartine Bakery banana cream pie the next morning for brunch (highly advised with the morning bun, almond croissant, and a scoop of Bi-Rite for good measure). I love the limbo life.

Until soon food lovers,
AnhD

Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sundays are the best Sundays. Heavy carb-loaded brunches; plenty of naps; maybe grazing the tail end of the local farmer’s market*; more napping, perhaps outside at the beach or under the shade of a tree at some park; taking in that rich California sunshine. After a rough few weeks at work where I hardly got to see the light of day, a lazy Sunday is just what I needed to recharge and prepare for the next grueling week ahead.

A few weeks back, I bought a copy of the new Bouchon Bakery Cookbook and have made a few of the recipes with some success. The recipes are quite exacting (requiring a scale rather than just volume measurements), which may be initially intimidating/scary for an amateur home chef. I bake with my kitchen scale maybe 50% of the time, and eyeball everything else. TKeller cannot stress enough the importance of a scale – and because he is my kitchen idol, I am forcing myself to rely more on my scale. The results have been fantastic so far. I highly recommend it.

Blueberry Muffins

TLCs (Oatmeal Cookies)

Coffee Cake

Bouchon Coffee Cake
This coffee cake recipe is probably the best I have ever made – soft interior, nutty streusel topping, and not too sweet. It beats my Ina Garten Coffee Cake by a hair in terms of texture, but I still prefer the taste of the Ina Garten coffee cake more, and have replaced the TKeller filling for the IGarten one. The original instructions say to bake this in a small springform pan or mold, but I’ve found that a regular bundt pan works best (shorter baking time) though a regular cake pan works fine as well (takes longer for the center).

Ingredients
Batter:
203 g all purpose flour
5.5 g baking powder
1.7 g baking soda
1.7 g salt
75 g butter, room temperature
210 g granulated sugar
75 g eggs
20 g vanilla paste [substitute for vanilla extract OK]
225 g sour cream [creme fraiche works well too]

Topping:
15 g light brown sugar
60 g all purpose flour
60 g almond flour/meal
60 g granulated sugar
60 g butter, cold
2-3 g ground cinnamon

Directions
For the batter, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for 3-5 minutes on low speed until it has a consistency of mayonnaise and holds a peak when the paddle is lifted. Add the sugar and cream until the mixture is fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla just until combined. Make sure not to overwhip the batter once the eggs are in as it may cause the cakes to expand/crack too much during baking. To the butter mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream, beating on low speed until all combined. Remember to occasionally scrape down the bowl as well. Once all incorporated, cover the batter and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 325*F and grease baking pan as needed. In the meantime, combine all the topping ingredients together, breaking any large lumps.

Keller instructs to pipe the batter into the bottom of the pan in a nice spiral shape – being lazy, I unceremoniously dumped half the batter into the buttered pan, then dusted half of the topping over it. I then added the remaining batter, using a spatula to even it out before dusting the rest of the topping over the top of the cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool on a rack before using a shark knife to separate the cake from the pan’s edge and unmolding the cake. Enjoy.

Crazy work schedule and life aside, I hope to continue sharing more food adventures with you soon. I’ll be alternating coasts for the next couple of weeks, but hopefully this will bring me one step closer to permanently relocating to the Best Coast. Until soon and thanks for reading!

AnhD

 

*Note: The local farmer’s market is going crazy over the latest spring arrivals – sugar snap peas, beautiful spring onions, some stinging nettle, bunches of beautiful early carrots, and bountiful varieties of lovely flowers. Make sure you visit for the freshest local ingredients and best produce you can find in your area. As a good tip – the closer you go toward the end of the vendor time frame, the cheaper the produce becomes as vendors try to get rid of their goods. It is an excellent and very opportune time to stop by. In addition to spring stables, I was able to find remnants of winter and made a lovely salad of purple kale, Brussels sprouts, mixed with a bit of spring baby arugula greens. Inspiration here.

Taste of Yountville 2013

Last weekend we went to the annual Taste of Yountville festival and made a quick weekend getaway out of it. Of course, it did not disappoint. From Chef Bob Hurley personally serving up some corned beef & cabbage to all the vineyards that showed up to meeting the French Laundry chickens and honeybees. It was a glorious day bathed in sunshine, good food and good drink. We were groaning on our way out of the festival – happily stuffed and very satiated. Good thing I wore a stretchy maxi skirt – it more or less hid the food baby…

A glass of Chandon bubbly rose and a some chili hidden under all that cornbread…

The savory…

If we had to choose a favorite, it would have to be these delicious turkey corn dogs. Unfortunately I forget where they’re from, but the corn dog + chipotle aioli were incredible and the only booth we visited TWICE.

Pea soup with lovely edible flowers… so appropriate for Spring.

One of the adorable hens at the French Laundry garden…

The sweets from Bouchon – TKO cookie with Irish cream (in celebration of St. Patty’s Day). Not pictured: TKO/Ganache cookies, caramel popcorn, breakfast pastries (including those weekend donuts), macarons, croissants, and loaves of bread… we may have gone a little overboard… oops.

Now to wash it all down with some red ale from Napa Smith Brewery.

Honorable mentions include the folks at Ludy’s Catering for generously & graciously giving us another portion of pulled pork when I accidentally grabbed an extra and culinary gardener Aaron Keefer for the awesome guided tour of the French Laundry garden. We definitely plan on coming back during peak season to see the garden in full bloom and hopefully have some more pictures up. And who knows – maybe I’ll even be able to snag a reservation

Thanks for reading and until soon!
AnhD
PS. Right after the festival, I used my Amazon app to purchase the new Bouchon Bakery Cookbook which I had been eyeing for a while. Amazon recently restocked and I received it less than 2 days later (thank you Prime!). This weekend will be spent pouring over the recipes and stories and perhaps even trying my hand at some of the baked goods. Posts to come.

Wolf Pack

Over the 3 years of living alone in New York, I’ve developed a bad hermit tendency and an insular, withdrawn, and almost selfish personality – very little regard and way too remote from other people. It didn’t help that I was working from home 80% of the time, and that my weekends were spent working or doing solo activities (like blogging, ironically).  I developed a rogue, lone-wolf mentality. Solitude became a welcomed companion, and I became accustomed to the quiet. In fact, I relished it. Recently, however, I’ve been staffed in San Francisco for a project, closer to my family and friends (and really everything I could hope for), and it’s been a surprising  change.

aziza
5800 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94112
Homepage: aziza sf

I first heard of aziza while browsing my local Williams Sonoma for tagines – I fell in love with the hand crafted tagines and Chef Mourad Lahlou. So of course, I HAD to try Aziza while in SF. After all, I’m not technically paying for it… and even if I did, it would have been worth every penny. Each dish was unique and featured bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and lovely presentation.

chickpea, yogurt-dill, and piquillo-almond dips with grilled flatbread

medjool date and lentil soup

lamb loin with such cute little fish mint leaves (rau dấp cá)

date cake with pink peppercorn ice cream, lemon curd and blood orange slices

Chambers
601 Eddy Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Homepage: Chambers

Located in the Tenderloin, Chambers is a trendy little spot by the Phoenix Hotel that has a rocking vibe and menu.

Yes I think I will…

Truffle Dip – yup you heard me right. Black truffle dip and waffle chips

sizzling kobe tri-tip (on a hot stone to cook yourself) with pickled veggies

duck breast with forbidden rice and proscuitto

Some kind of apple cake with meringue and maybe buttermilk ice cream – to die for, despite such a heavy meal preceding it

Ecco
322 Lorton Avenue
Burlingame, CA 94010
Homepage: Ecco

Near the client site where I work, there aren’t a ton of food options, so I ventured out a little further to Burlingame and found this cute restaurant for a post-work dinner. It was pretty easy to find a table on a Friday night. While we only chose 2 dishes + a seafood bisque, I thought it was generally pretty good. My only complaint was the taste of the seafood bisque (not pictured), which while very fishy was also too salty – a little off balance, but still edible. My favorite part of the whole experience was the dessert tray. I absolutely LOVE it when a restaurant puts out a dessert display. It’s a tradition that most modern restaurants have strayed from, but I really appreciate. The dessert menu of 6-8 items apparently changes every day or so, but I was happy with my selection of a mousse cake.

Crab Salad

There is a swordfish steak under the prawns and veggies

Dessert

So far, this opportunity to work in San Francisco has been a mixed (though mostly positive) blessing. At times I miss my quiet and  secluded New York apartment – far, far away/shielded from and ignorant of everything else that was going on. Now I feel like being back in the Bay Area makes me more aware of the things going on in the lives of my close friends and family, and I selfishly wished I didn’t know; secretly wished I was still all alone – life was so much simpler then. A close friend recently told me that being here, close to home and family, means I need to resume the duties and obligations I had neglected while in New York, and that I have to abandon my insular ways. I have to re-learn how to live among and with other people again. I have to be a functioning member of society again. I need to remember my wolf pack. So here I go and begin my reintegration into society. Full of treacherous missteps, social foibles,  lessons, mini-celebrations, self-victories, and lots of delicious food  along the way. I’ll be in Yountville this weekend for the annual Taste of Yountville food festival, and I also have reservations at Gary Danko (among other delicious gems) later this month. A lot to look forward to, hope you’ll join me.

Until soon,

AnhD

The Golden Coast

Nothing comes close to the golden coast…

A week ago, I left snowy New York City for the sunshine of California; and like a deprived sunflower, I opened my arms wide and took in all the warmth and welcomed the sun. Every time I fly west, each mile left behind is like a weight lifted from the shoulders – I physically feel like I can breathe easier knowing what waits at the end of a long journey. I’ve come home. Time to cleanse, detox, recharge and rejuvenate. California – are you ever not good for me?

Bottega Louie
Homepage: http://www.bottegalouie.com/
700 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Its reputation precedes it, and these pictures do more than my (redundant) praise could ever do. Located right in downtown LA, Bottega Louie is the dessert lover’s heaven, but features a solid savory menu as well. It’s a great place to people and celebrity-watch, and of course to munch on delicious and beautifully prepared food. It’s always packed and is one of those super trendy places – but that definitely does not detract from the quality of the food.

Grilled Octopus – slightly overcooked, but beautiful presentation and great balance of flavors

Brussels Sprouts – zingy and buttery to contrast the more mellow nuttiness of the Brussels sprouts

Eggplant Parmesan – perfectly breaded, bright tomato sauce, very fresh ingredients

Portabello Fries – in one word – divine; most tables ordered a basket of these babies

animal restaurant
Homepage: http://animalrestaurant.com/
435 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

animal is a gem – with a menu celebrating all parts of… the animal. It is a true homage to the beast from the brains to the entrails, and everything in between. I appreciated the concept and enjoyed several of the dishes but 3 thoughts come to mind here. (1) Considering what the ingredients are, I think the food is actually quite pricey! And trust me – I am not one to balk at the price of good food. (2) While some of the dishes were beautifully executed, others could have used more thought. In particular – brains are soft/squishy-textured things that are really bland. They really need lots of bold and bright flavor. In Vietnam, I’ve seen brains eaten raw with lemon/salt/pepper. At animal, the preparation was simply breaded and fried, but overall there was very little taste. I am wondering though if that was to highlight the taste/texture of the brain? To quote my friend, it seemed a bit like a cop out. (3) The flavor combinations, while very good, were also very safe. Char siu quail. Buffalo style tail. Balsamic ribs. While the meats may be considered adventurous to some eaters, these flavor profiles are quite familiar to most people and don’t necessarily stand out. Still good, if not a bit (dare I say) boring?

Hamachi Tostada with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

Plum Char Siu Grilled Quail

Veal Brains with Curried Carrots

Buffalo-style Pig Tail

Balsamic Pork Ribs

Tres Leches Cake

Joan’s On Third
Homepage: http://www.joansonthird.com/
8350 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Located on 3rd Street in Midcity, there is an adorable little French market and cafe that serves up the cutest and freshest of brunches, pastries, deli items, and all sorts of items to stock your French pantry. I apologize for the blurry phone pics, but indulge in this:

Plethora of pre-made snacks

The bakery counter

French toast [not pictured - berry banana smoothie]

Poached eggs and corned beef [not pictured - side hash]

We also visited a few other eateries (most notably Father’s Office, a super fun and really great gastropub) that I wasn’t able to document. Next stop is Northern California and my thoughts on the life of a corporate AmEx holder. Stay tuned!
anhd.

PS. Thanks to Amanda, Sarah, and David for making my weekend perfect. <3

Year of the Snake

Cung chúc tân niên, sức khỏe vô biên,
Túi luôn đầy tiền, sung sướng như tiên,
Thành công liên miên, và hạnh phúc triền miên.

Happy Year of the Snake readers! Wishing you a joyous, prosperous, and very lucky new year. Despite the blizzard and cold, I managed to make the most of the new year earlier today with firecrackers, lion dancing, and of course – lots of good food. It made me feel a tad bit better about not being home to celebrate Tết with my family.

Firecrackers to ward off the evil spirits.

Lion dancing to bring good luck and fortune.

Homemade Prosperity Pot Stickers

New Year Pot Stickers
While in Vietnamese culture, Pot Stickers don’t really have a role during the New Year, I thought it was still an appropriate New Year party food regardless. This is a really quick and simple recipe for pot stickers – lots of delicious flavors bundled in a crispy shell and drenched in a tangy soy sauce. The filling is comprised of ground pork and a ton of veggies that add both texture and flavor – ginger for some zing, onions and Napa cabbage for some crunch, shitake mushrooms and bits of shrimp for added meatiness, and of course the ground pork to hold it all together. The dipping sauce is a pretty simple concoction but make sure you really drench each pot sticker in the sauce – it is absolutely delicious. Disclaimer: these proportions are estimates, so please taste test and readjust as necessary to suit your needs, thanks!

Ingredients
100-150 pot sticker wrappers [available at all Asian grocers]
1 1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, fine dice
2 tbs fresh ginger, minced
1/4 c shitake mushrooms, fine dice
1/2 c Napa cabbage, thinly shredded
2-3 tbs soy sauce
1-2 tbs Maggi seasoning [optional; if not using, increase soy sauce amount]
1-2 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg + 2 tsp water

For the sauce:
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c sugar
1/8 c fresh lemon juice
1/2-2 c water
minced garlic
Sambal oelek or minced pepper [optional]
finely sliced scallions

Directions
To prepare the filling, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. To taste test, I microwave a spoonful of the filling and then adjust the salt as needed.

To fill each pot sticker, spoon ~1.5 tablespoon of filling onto the center of the pot sticker wrapper. Using your finger, brush the egg wash along the outer rim of the pot sticker, then fold in half. The egg wash acts as an adhesive so the pot sticker won’t burst open. Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges of the pot sticker. At this point, you can freeze them (on a tray individually then store in ziplock bags) and save for later use, or proceed to cooking them.

Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

To cook, boil a large pot of water, and have handy a large pre-heated frying pan with enough hot oil to coat the pan. Once the water is boiling, in batches, cook the pot stickers until they are translucent and float to the top. This should take no more than 3-5 minutes per batch. Immediately remove from the boiling water and allow the liquid to drain off, then quickly place into the hot frying pan. Please be warned that it is pretty difficult to do this step ahead of time. Par-boiled pot stickers are sticky and fragile, so it is best to fry them immediately after the boil. Fry so both sides of the pot sticker are golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil, allowing the excess fat to drip off. Serve hot with the dipping sauce as an accompaniment.

I hope your new year is off to a great start. Despite not being with my family, I still made due and even set up my own traditional decorations at home – cherry blossom branches and lì xì. It helps with the heartache. Luckily, next week I will be going back to sunny California to celebrate with my family as well as defrost my toes and my heart. See you there.

AnhD
PS. Thanks to H&H for helping me wrap all 150 pot stickers! You two are the best sous chefs ever! <3