Here is my in-process recipe. Good for snacking on a Sunday afternoon, and probably a lager beer. Boil Edamame as you would -- rolling boil of salted water (I used Hawaiian salt), 5 minutes. Drain.
Steps taken
Sprinkled Shiso Furikake over Edamame
Squeezed a Meyer lemon - next time going to try lime
Added canola oil -- flavorless, but it provides a mouthfeel carrier taste thing.
Also added sugar -- 3 or 4 something more than pinches -- which was actually nice.
Next time more Hawaiian salt in the salt water-- more oceany, or maybe some shoyu in the dressing.
Green beans and Shiso Furikake
Boiled green beans, so deep green and crunchy. Drain and cool. Stir-fry with high temp flavorless oil (canola for me). Btw when I stir-fried the beans at first started getting white milky outside scary thing -- so i tossed a few thinking that what happens to week old green beans. But the high temperature started charring the green beans nicely. So it's pre-char look.
Take the green beans into serving bowl, Aadd Shiso and a little salt. Put in fridge and eat cold. Pretty good. This is a finished recipe.
Shiso Furikake and something
What's up with all the Shiso? I realized I've got two bottles of this stuff -- which is crazy -- one bottle could easily last a couple of quarters and in reality could last a year. How much of this stuff can you sprinkle on rice? So if it ain't moving, it's gonna get Shiso Furikake -- an omlette might be nice. . . even a roasted chicken tucked under the skin -- or a steak -- maybe a baked potato, or pasta -- just the noodles tossed in olive oil, possibly butter -- and bonito flakes . Sidenote: my brother uses the left over jars for beer glasses. What about a Shiso Furikake cocktail? . . . lace the rim with sugar and Furikake -- and some vodka thing -- maybe pomegranate red thing or something greeeeeeen like a Midori. Have to think/experiment with that. I know, get a life.
Felton Road, Central Otago, New Zealand, 14.0%, $30. Violet, Medium, Soft, Silky, smooth. Enough acidity to lay down.
Argyle, Reserve, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2006, 14.5%, $40. Oregon style sits between California and Burgundy style. Not much nose, spicy, more powerful.
Nicolas Potel, Vieilles Vignes ("-" means Village wine), Savigny-les_beaune, 2006, 13.0%, $38. Sage, Anise, Tea.
Louis Latour, Marsannay (Village level wine), 2006, 13.0%, $18. Barnyard, Bret = Onion. Burguny all about the land, less about the vinyeard.
Dominique Laurent, Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Corbeaux, 1er Cru, 2006 13.0%, $55. Gorgeous. Floats. Delicate. Violet. Jasmine. Gets in your nose. Smooth. Perfume.
Jean Grivot, Eschezeaux (vineyard didn't name the village), Grand Cru, 2004, 13.5% $135 (yeeeehah). Earth, Mushroom, Barnyard, Wet. Depth.
Things Learned
- Tannin and acidity can feel similar. The difference is that tannins dry the mouth. Acidity makes you salivate. One is in the front of the mouth, the other is in back.
- One strategy - pair to the structure of the wine first, not the flavor.
- The taste of the wine shouldn't change when you eat something. Adjust the food with salt and acidity (lemon, lime, vinegar).
- Fruity and acidity -- California style
- Earthy - French
- In between - Oregon -- Why? Because land in France is expensive, so they're going to Oregon.
- Global warming - going north in France, and it's changing their understanding - what has worked for hundreds of years.
- A deep color doesn't mean that its going to be a deep big wine.
- Tip - Beaujolais Cru (not Nouveau) one of the few value French wines. Everything else is a couple dollars more -- it's a land thing. The wine guy said that Australian wines are also good values.
- Note to self: don't brush teeth before wine tasting, and take the allergy pill. Hello.
To do:
- I can see French wines going with French food, braised stuff, coq au vin. But realistically how often am I eating French food, let alone cooking it or anything close for that matter. So need to figure out what goes well with an earthy, barnyardy French style Pinot.
- On the flip side -- fruity Pinots. Turkey? That's what they say -- but I have a feeling it's more about what-the-hell-do-we-do-this-hunk-of-meat, rather than this a great pairing. So also need to figure out what to pair a fruity Pinot.
My take: White, light, clean, crisp, a hint of effervescence. Knifey. Might be nice with a fruit salad, or salmon -- probably poached, shrimp cocktail, maybe cerviche or could be too much of the same. On the opposite spectrum - sardines. Summer day wine.
SF Gate reviews Txaokoli which I first saw on Nopa's wine list. Hondarribi Zuri Getariako Txakolina 2008 Ameztoi (What?). I'm assuming Taxaokoli is the same as Txakolina
Here's a review on the bottle Nopa serves.
Price: $16.99
The Wine... Hondarribi Zuri and Hondarribi Belta are the improbably named component grapes in this wine. Chalky minerality, envigorating effervescence and faint citrus rind fruit aromas define the wine. This is a regional product that at first sip might seem too exotic to travel well. But the appeal of this thing meets an almost universal need- a flavorful, light and palate-cleaning white wine to accompany bar foods, or to get you ready for whatever's next on the menu. Small salty fish are an appropriate pairing, or fresh, firm-fleshed green olives.
The Land... Getariako Txakolina is a tiny vineyard region on the northern Atlantic coast of Iberia. This is Basque Country, a region relatively close to Rioja this is making wines that manage to remain millions of miles from anything else bottled in Spain. Picpoul de Pinet from France's Languedoc is an imperfect comparison, but there are similarities, even beyond the obvious CO2.
The Man... Ignacio Ameztoi is the seventh generation of his family to farm in Getaria. His vines are worked using sustainable farming practices. Apparently you can see San Sebastian from his land. Generally Ameztoi ferments his grapes in stainless steel to retain the Carbon Dioxide created by alcoholic fermentation in his finished wines. The Uplean Hartzitua bottling is an exception, fermented and aged in traditional large oak barrels-hence the barrels on the label. 1,000 cases of this yeasty, nuanced Txakolina are made each year.
Turtle Tower, Tenderloin - Northern style - clearer broth, and rather getting a pile of bean sprouts, cilantro and other greens, you get a tiny dish of sliced jalapenos and lime. Curious if the French influence is stronger in Hanoi where the real Turtle Tower is. Most of the pho I have is a deeper broth -- which is making me wonder if most of the Vietnamese are from the south. Similar to they way most Chinese food here is really Cantonese.
Old Mandarin Islamic, Outer Sunset - The warm pot with lamb and preserved vegetable - satifsying - hot and brothy - with slippery thin white noodles. If you like kim chee, sauerkraut, or adobo -- you'll probably like No. 49. Order the beef pankake, Mandarin lamb; lamb with green onions and leave behind dishes that you think would be weird to have in a landlocked area -- like seafood. Also nice -- spicy hot pot --a version of shabu shabu -- cook your own vegtables and meats.
Here's a nice NYT travelogue on Chinese Muslims in Little Mecca (Linxia), but people who know say that this restaurant is really Beijing style.
To do: - Ask Melanie about the history of the noodle and the Silk Road video.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Charlie Rose interviews David Chang, chef/owner of Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ko and Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City
My go to places: - Old Mandarin - Lamb - Turtle Tower in the Tenderloin for pho. Everyday food. The secret back room. - Pyung Chang in Temescal -- bubbling tofu. Everyday, all day. Love this stuff. - Fish in Sausalito, near Heath Studios, and the Bay Model, and Tennesee Valley. A nice friends-in-town kind of place. Outdoor seating, tents when it's cold, a little pricer than you think, but completely worth it. - La vie on Geary -- Roasted crab, garlic noodles. Desserts - nice and delicate -- mango panna cotta. Another friends-in-town, once-in-a-while place. - Bakesale Betty's, Temescal -- Chicken sandwich, egg salad sandwich, need to try the new roast beef sandwich. - Hog Island Oysters in the Ferry Building, or up in Hog Island. - Oyajii - Ramen, Japanese tapas, and the owner -- drunk and happy. - Redd, Yountville 6480 Washington Street -- memorable dish: cold honey dew melon soup with pieces of lobster. Amazing. Read the menu, some things are better than others. - South, 330 townsend, near the train station. Small, nice vibe, Aussie and Kiwi run and owned. Bacon that reminded me of my Uncle's smoked meat with some vegetable like asparagus.
Dim Sum near SFO airport (great for picking people up at the airport) - Hong Kong Flower Lounge Restaurant,at the corner of Millbrae and el Camino -- can't miss it -- it's the right on the corner. Cold, slightly spicy jelly fish a nice counter point to the dim sum. It's also nice to be above and have a view.
(650) 692-6666
- Fook Yuen Seafood Restaurant,195 El Camino Real, Millbrae, (650) 692-8600. Just down the street from Hong Kong Flower. Good, but somehow I prefer Hong Kong Flower Lounge. On the way to Oakland airport: - Quinns Lighthouse -- on the water, sailboats docked, deck seating, and the best part -- tossing peanut shells on the ground. Big mounds of shells everywhere.
Cocktails, well made - Fleur de Lys, Union Square area - Appletini - need to figure out how to make theirs. - Flora, downtown Oakland - creative combos - elderflower. - Florio on Filmore -- classic cocktails well made. - Absinthe, Hayes Valley - creative and classics. To do list: - Koi Palace, dim sum, Daly City. - A survey of soon tofu restaurants in the greater Bay Area - where they are. - A noodle list -- where to go where-ever you are. - Santa Ramen in San Mateo -- heard really good things. - Indian restaurants -- and what to do with those condiments. - Good, over-designed restaurants that are a little pricey for what they are. - Related topic -- Asian fusion - Over-priced, over-designed restaurants (lower left quadrant). - Why the SF chronical and other reviews are nice, but not relevant for folks like me - Boon Fly Cafe in Napa. - Car camping food -- salmon on a plank, seafood in coconut milk, sweet rice balls grilled, Wai and Lisa's chicken. - Alternate strategies - what to do when the restaurant you want is packed. - Cafes -- Where to go when you're in Union City, or where-ever, and you need wifi. - Happy hour specials - half off bottles of wine -- Solstice. Lukkas. Oysters. - Simple food combinations -- e.g. dates stuffed with cowgril creamery creme fraiche, and why it doesn't really work with other creme fraiche. Machego cheese -- from Costco and Ardi's homemade lilikoi kurd. - Favorite French fries and other fried potatoes -- Gregoire's potato puffs. - Dessert places for the non-dessert person - Nopa's creme anglaise, shaved fennel and strawberries -- their sopsasitas and pecan pie. - When my cousin Ardi comes into town -- Fleur de Lys, Quince. - Sheila's malasadas spiked with spam experiment. - How to make a Spamtini. - How to make an outrigger canoe spam garnish - Places to eat while riding your bike - Mapo Tofu places - Spices, Genki Ramen. - Mini food tours - SF, Oakland-Berkeley, Sonoma-Napa-Yountville, and the more challenging Carmel-Santa Cruz-Monterey. - Afghan restaurants in Fremont - Fried chicken and Manzilla sherry is it wonderful, or just weird? - Restaurants worth driving to - Situational restuarants - ok I'm here now where? - Drinks to order when you're at bar can't make up your mind and don't like beer- a cheat sheet for before, after, and when-ever drinks. - Where to eat late at night in Oakland, San Francisco. Paula L says include the jook place in downtown Oakland. Gotta find the name. - Reading a menu - how to pick the good stuff. In short figure out what the restaurant is about first. Recently I ordered a clumpy cream sauce seafood pasta in Carmel. Originally thought, "I'm near the ocean, I can smell ocean", but it was really a meat, big-portion-kind of place that happened to be in Carmel. My friends' steak and prime rib looked savory and fatty in all the right ways.
Why I like it: - Cerviche tostadas for $3.75. Clean, citrusy, seafoody. A fresh counterpoint to the warm and satisfying carne asada torta -- a messy steak and avocado sandwich in a soft grilled bun. Another $3.75. Most people are ordering just some version of cerviche -- soups/cocktails with extra crackers and the like -- which suggests that this is the authentic way to go. Maybe I'll get there someday, but for now I have to have steak and seafood.
More reasons: - The walk up and order at the window serivce, the covered outdoor seating. Just like the take out places in Hawaii, except they've put up see-through plastic tarp to keep the cold out in the winter -- plus you can glance over and see your car in the parking lot. Not a bad thing. Definitely a day place, haven't been there in the evening.
- The guys behind the conter in their white 50's style diner shirts and pants, their generally happy efficient demeanor. They don't seem to mind if you stare at the menu trying to recall if pulpa is squid or octopus, or camarone means it shrimp -- and when you actually order they momentarily look concerned that you don't know what we're going to end up with -- which is fair -- so they repeat the order and pause to see if that's what you wanted. a few smiles and nods back and forth, and the deal is closed.
