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Welcome to the C.I.A. – no, not THAT C.I.A.

30 Mar

CIA’s main building – The Roth Hall

In case anyone is wondering what I’ve been up to all this time while I disappeared, I moved up to Hyde Park, NY to begin my culinary education at the famed C.I.A. Hyde Park is right above Poughkeepsie on Route 9, which is about 1.5 hours from the City by train. Its location is actually very beneficial to anyone who is interested in a culinary profession because a) it’s close to the global capital of gastronomy A.K.A. New York City, and b) it’s in the heart of the Hudson valley where fresh produce and ethically raised meats are readily available.

At the C.I.A.,  food really is life.

The Colavita center of Italian food studies

Vintage clock on a sunny day

I came up to school without knowing what to expect. But may I say that I was pleasantly surprised to find it very resourceful and well-structured? The school was bigger than I had imagined – there are +2,000 students, with the facilities such as the big main building “Roth hall”, 4 restaurants and 1 bakery café, the “Conrad Hilton” library, the recreational center, and the dorms. Unlike most other culinary schools, the C.I.A. offers a full college experience – though the academic courses are structured a little differently. Each semester here is divided into blocks of 6 weeks, and the blocks are designed to maximize the flow of learning. Since most of the academic courses last for 6 weeks, the pace of it all is quite intense. Moreover, the classes here could start at any hour. For instance, when the culinary students have a breakfast class, they ought to wake up at 2:30 AM. That’s right, AM. But as intense as it is, the school is dedicated to preparing the young professionals to lead the culinary industry. The school is designed not only to teach students skills, but the in’s and out’s of the industry, so they can apply the knowledge out in the reality. I like that part a lot.

View from my dorm

Geese hang out in and around the pond

View of the Hudson river

Aside from its superb academic program, the campus is very pretty. There are trees all around, birds chirping, geese playing around the pond, and you can even see stars at night. There is a pond right by the Rosenthal hall (which is where I am staying at), where pairs of geese swim and walk around all day long. I was surprised at how they don’t fear us human beings. They walk across the road to the grass field every afternoon and eat, regardless of the passers-by. Co-existing with the nature reminds me of the ecological and the ethical part of our food sources – it reminds me that the meats and vegetables that I eat everyday don’t just appear on the table. Whether it be for an educational purpose or for an aesthetic purpose, being surrounded by the beautiful nature is inspiring indeed. I can’t wait till spring when produces start to grow in the gardens here.


Ferran Adrià

Ferran Adrià panel discussion

Another perk of being here is being exposed to accomplished chefs of the world. I got lucky in that I chose to start in March, because we had a number of important figures at the school. To begin with, we had chef Ferran Adrià of the infamous el Bulli where one could secure a reservation only years in advance if he or she gets lucky. Often called to be Salvador Dali of the culinary industry, his creations are really out of this world. Adam from A Life Worth Eating explains well of his dining experience at el Bulli. Having a real visionary in front of your eyes is pretty exciting – kind of like how a 15-year old girl would feel if she saw Justin Bieber, or any straight male would feel about Angelina Jolie. You get the picture.

5 Volumes of food sorcery – Modernist Cuisine

Volume N.1

Next, we had an honor of seeing Nathan Myhrvold, who has been the right arm of Bill Gates at the Microsoft before he left. The billionaire loves food so much that he built a kitchen lab for the chefs to experiment and come up with answers to questions such as how to make a consistent omelet for 10,000 guests and so on. The collaboration has fruited in 5 volumes of cookbook, Modernist Cuisine, which has been praised by David Chang as the cookbook that will end all cookbooks. It’s a series of cookbooks that will change the way we look at food. And I’ll be honest here – I had no knowledge of who Nathan Myhrvold was until I was exposed to him here at the C.I.A. It was just another reminder to myself that I have much more to see and to learn.

The third visitor will be the legendary Paul Bocuse – one of the founding fathers of the Nouvelle Cuisine. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to see a textbook figure in person. This will truly be a once in a life time experience. This will be like meeting Elvis Presley in person if he was still alive.

Smoked salmon salad at the Apple Pie Bakery Café in Roth Hall

Overall, I’m very excited about the school. Its resources and the environment are perfect for growing chefs of the future. I can’t wait for my life to unfurl herein the next 21 months. Check back soon for more!



Singing in the rain (in Seattle)

26 Dec

Signature sculpture of SAM (Seattle Art Museum)

One sleepless night in New York when I was talking to my friend M who lives in Seattle, I decided to hop on a plane and go visit Seattle on a whim for a weekend. I told myself that it’s OK because 1) I’ve never been to Seattle, 2) I get to visit my friend, 3) I always wanted to go somewhere on a whim. A weekend is a short time to visit a city, but in hindsight, I’m glad I took this trip. It is always good to see a new place, new things, and new people. It is a good reminder to me that there are people living outside the city. New York is a great place to be, but sometimes it’s easy to get blackholed in it, like that’s the only place on earth. On JetBlue, the air fare wasn’t so bad either, so thank you JetBlue, and thank you M for showing me around town through the Seattle rain.

Top Pot doughnuts of Seattle

I left the JFK on Friday around 2pm, and got to Seattle around 5pm local time (because there is that 3 hr difference). Since it was already a dinner time, we headed to Purple to get some wine and food after a quick drive-through around town. Purple was spacious and chic. I think I’m so used to being cramped in small NY restaurants that this restaurant freaked me out a little bit. Like it was too good to be true. I know, it’s sad. Anyways, back to the restaurant, they had a good selection of wines, and friendly staff. After having a couple glasses of wine, and some decadent creamy, cheesy pasta dish, we walked around downtown a bit. If Paris was the city of light of the world, Seattle would be the city of light of the U.S. It’s got that vintage theater district kind of charm, with lots of light sparkles everywhere.

The next day, tired and hungry, we headed to the local doughnut joint, Top Pot. We were like zombies pre-coffee, so getting coffee and lots of sugar sounded like a fine idea. The place was set up like a nice and tall library, where downstairs is the counter, and the upstairs is the seating area, with tall book shelves around the walls. I’m not used to eating doughnuts for breakfast, but surprisingly there were lots of local peeps waiting in line to get some. I got a couple doughnuts, and I must say they were pretty good. I would still vote for the NYC’s Doughnut plant, but definitely not bad at all. Especially when I was hungry and cranky, it was just what the doctor had ordered. Bingo. Jack pot. Top pot. Maybe I had too much sugar…

Pike place market

After we got our caffeine and sugar fix, we headed to the Pike place market. The market was huge. They had everything from amazing looking fresh produce to fresh seafood to local food products and local art crafts. I could just roam around the market for hours trying different foods and looking at different crafts. Before I started serious tryouts, we walked around to skim through the market. I didn’t go in because there were way too many people, but I did walk by the original Starbucks. I guess it’s one of those things you have to do as a tourist in Seattle, like it or not. But oh my, the place was jam packed. Viva la Starbucks.

Apple fritters

Beecher’s cheese shop

The coolest fish

Fried everything

Freshly made mini donuts at the market

Chukar cherries of Seattle – so good!

There were so many bakeries, and cafés around. It rains a lot in Seattle, so I guess I could see why it makes sense for the locals to sit at a café and talk or write or people watch or do whatever it is pleases them. As we walked by the shops, we just spontaneously walked into shops that looked interesting. Beecher’s is a cheese shop where they produce their own cheese, unlike many cheese importer shops. If I had the means to do it, I totally would’ve picked up their ready-made “The best mac & cheese in the world.” But knowing that I was going to be out for the day, I couldn’t pick it up then carry it around like a schmuck. Maybe next time.

We walked through the fish mongers after seeing the shops on the side. Just looking at the fresh seafood made me happy, like I was home. I was happy looking at most everything, but I just had to do an oyster shooter, which was only 2 dollars. It was sooo good, like that big, fresh burst of sea in your mouth. In retrospect, I should’ve done about 20 more of those shooters. There is nothing like fresh oysters, it shoots me off the roof. Hence the oyster “shooter” I guess. Ha ha.

Aside from the seafood, there were lots of fried stuff. Fried fish, fried oysters, fried clams, fried chips, and I found fried chicken organs. This one spot had fried hearts, gizzard, liver, and so on. I didn’t try them, but it’s definitely something I haven’t seen around in NYC.

Speaking of fried, there was a couple doughnut stands where the automated machine piped mini donut rings into the hot oil. They looked so good, but I just couldn’t do them after eating so much of the Top Pot doughnuts. :(

The market also had an ample amount of dried fruits and nuts. There were all kinds of coated nuts. They looked good, but I knew it’s something I could make at home too. On the other hand, there was a stand where they were selling dried fruits, cherries specifically. Apparently Chukar is quite famous in Seattle – it’s the stuff you’ll find at the airports, etc. I bought some dried cherry medley bags for myself and for my mom, because she loves a good trail mix. I bought a bag for myself so I can use them for baking, but it was so good I ended up eating them all up, only in a couple of days. I’ll just have to order some more online later.

Post Alley

Wall art

More wall art

Wall of gum

Somebody went to Duke, or their name is Duke, or they like someone named Duke, or they have a dog named Duke…

The close up – gross but kind of cool how artsy it looks

Naughty Nellie used to be a well known hooker on the street. A local ale is now named after her

Missing 4 1/2 yr old burrito unicorn

If you see a burrito unicorn, please call. They really miss him…

The alley ways around the market were wonderfully hip, bizarre, and artsy. There were cool wall arts everywhere, and the tourists like me who were taking pictures of them. One of the most interesting wall art was the wall of gum. Somebody started sticking the chewed gum up the wall and people just started following it. Now the wall is full of colorful chewing gum. It’s very pop artsy. It’s kind of gross in a way, but still very cool. I never would’ve guessed that Seattle is so fabulously hipster chic like this. Well, probably because all I knew about Seattle was that 1) it rains, 2) starbucks is from here, 3) the space needle is here (which is like the Seattle version of our Empire state building). But seeing and learning about its original and hip culture, I felt closer to the city. I guess you could say that the city and I were bonding.

On our way out to the waters, we found this MISSING posters on one of the walls – they were looking for a 4 1/2 yr old burrito unicorn. We surely couldn’t find him, but maybe someone could (actually, I wouldn’t even be surprised if a bunch of stoned peeps called the number already and reported a possession of 4 1/2 yr old burrito unicorn…). Anyways, it made us LOL pretty hard, so whoever put up the poster, thank you.

Deep fried prawns and oysters, not to miss a tall glass of beer to wash’em down with!

A seagull by the water

We started walking a little further away from the market, closer towards the waters. There were a number of restaurants and stands offering fried seafood. Getting slightly hungry and tired from walking, and being cold from the drizzly Seattle weather, I insisted on getting some deep fried oysters and shrimps with a cold glass of beer. It just seemed like something I HAD to do. I didn’t want to miss out on it and regret later (like the oyster shooters and the mini donuts at the market). I’m not a big fan of deep fried stuff, but I was ready to take it down. I must say these deep fried seafood did the trick though. I was happy as a clam when I was done eating!

After getting my fried food fix, we went to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) to catch the Picasso exhibit. I was very excited because I actually missed this stuff when I was in Paris last year. Last summer in Paris, I went over to the Musée de Picasso, only to learn that it was closed for about 2 1/2 yrs for a renovation. So to catch what I have missed in Paris was just wonderful. I didn’t feel like walking in the rain anymore either, so it worked out perfectly. There were a lot of peeps (strangely many middle aged couples who seemed to be on a date), probably because it was a weekend, and probably because it was drizzly and cold outside. And probably because Picasso sort of is a big deal. It was a lot of stuff to digest, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing his work. It was well organized, so it was quite easy to follow his changing style. He was the kind of artist who didn’t settle for anything but to be ahead of the curve. True visionary in that sense. By the end of that evening, I was feeling as good as it gets in Seattle. (NYC, take that!!!)

West lake, where I stayed

Red Mill Burgers

The next morning, we grabbed a good cup of latte and drove around the other side of the town, where Bill Gates and the alikes reside. It was rainy, but still pretty to look at. The tall and skinny trees were everywhere, something I would never see on the east coast. I also liked how close it was from the waters. Seattle was a very good mix of metropolitan and the burbs, but also with the warm and cozy town feel to it. After a long drive through the Seattle rain, we were ready for a greasy breakfast. And at that point, I couldn’t think of anything but burgers. So we headed to the red mill burgers for a quick fix. It was a cute joint – I wasn’t knocked out by it, but it was still good. If anything, I knew I could only get it in Seattle. After that big burger, I was ready for a sunday nap. Zzzzz.

Bimbos in Capitol Hill

Awesome burritos here

Inside

Sadly, this night was the last night in Seattle. I was scheduled to leave at 11 PM, going back home  on a red eye flight. But that didn’t stop me from taking advantage of what Seattle has to offer. We headed over to  the Capitol Hill neighborhood, which is kind of like a mix between Brooklyn and Chelsea. It’s very hipster, very cool, and very LGBT. It’s a place where I feel like home, but still original enough to believe that I’m somewhere else. Parking is pain in the arse especially on weekends, but it surely has the cool hipsters streaming in, as it is one of the most exciting and fun neighborhoods of Seattle. Passing through many cool shops and bars on the side, we went into to M’s favorite burrito spot, Bimbos. We ordered some burritos (doh!), chips, and a pitcher of sangria, and may I say that the food here was excellent, and the pricing, very reasonable. Staff were friendly, and fellow restaurant-goers very hip. If I lived in Seattle, this would surely become one of my favorite spots. I’m not a big fan of sour cream, but their cumin sour cream was just so good, I ended up licking it with my finger. I’m not sure whether it was because I was hungry, or I was already tipsy, or I was just happy, but it was that good. Overall, I would highly recommend. There is also a bar downstairs, but didn’t have enough time to check it out. So that will have to be another “next time.”

Seattle’s cream cheese dog

Cupcake Royale

Mini chocolate/salted caramel cupcake

Chill + vibrant deco inside

As full as I was from the dinner, I still wanted something sweet to close the deal. So we started walking over to Cupcake Royale, mainly because that was the only sweets shop we saw in the vicinity. On the way, I saw a hot dog sign where it said cream cheese hot dogs. M told me that Seattlers take their hot dogs with cream cheese, which I thought was a bit confusing because I would think of Philly instantly with anything cream cheese. I would have tried it had I not been ridiculously full. Actually I’m sure I can try making at home.

Anyhoo, Cupcake Royale was chill and vibrant inside. I’m not even a big cupcake fan, so I just kind of walked in with no expectation, only with one mission that I will get myself some sweets. I ordered a small latte with a mini chocolate/salted caramel cupcake. And 10 seconds. That’s all it took me to finish that delicious little cake. The cake was very moist, and the ganache, just right. It wasn’t too sweet, too rich, nor too dry, but just scrumptious enough to give you that satisfaction. In fact, it was so good that I picked up another one so I can have it in the early AM when I land in JFK for breakfast. The nice lady at the counter also gave me a sticker for free that reads “Legalize Frostitution” in hot pink. Sharing is Caring indeed.

The famous Space Needle

After walking around a bit to digest all the food, we hopped on a car to get to the airport. And M insisted that he won’t let me go without taking a good picture of the famous Space Needle. So we stopped by quickly to get a full shot of it. I guess you would have to take a picture of either Empire state, Statue of Liberty, or Chrysler if you were in NY. I would’ve regretted like there is no tomorrow if I didn’t take this picture, so thank you M. In fact, it was a perfect wrap to the short but sweet Seattle weekend trip.

I will remember the city fondly, and will be sure to come back soon.




Welcome to Bali part II

15 Jul

BVLGARI key fob

The next day, I woke up at the crack of dawn due to the jet-lag. I came out to the outdoor patio and took some pictures. The scenery in the early morning was truly stunning. It was calm, open, and out of touch from the toxic world. Looking at the reflection of the frangipani tree on the calm waters of the pool was a therapy in itself. I soaked up the clean and calm feelings as much as I could. Like a dry sponge soaking up water.

The foyer

View from the outdoor patio early in the morning

Reflection on the pool

I’ll give you a short tour on our Villa. Once you enter the front gate of the villa, there is a foyer/mini garden that leads to the outdoor area, where there is a table, sun deck + sun chairs, and a mini pool. Then once you enter the door to the inside, a half is bedroom, and another half is bathroom. The bedroom is furnished with the clean white linen sheets, daily changing fresh fruits to munch, and the Bang & Olufsen TV and sound system along with their DVD collection (DVDs are not in the room, but you can take out 5 at a time at no charge). The bathroom is as big as any studio apartment in NYC. It has a large shower area, then a huge Kohler tub, and the outdoor shower area as well. In addition, all the complimentary toiletries are from the Bvlgari’s own Eau parfumée au thé vert (Green tea scented water) collection. I tried taking an early morning bath with the water steeped with tea bath salt – it was heavenly with the delicate smell of dried ginger, tea leaves, and dried flowers. To be honest, I think I was just overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of the place. I mean, I’ve been to nice places before, but this resort was on another level. So if I sound like I’m like a little kid at F.A.O., bear with me for a bit – I’m just simply overwhelmed myself.

Courtyard to the restaurant

Bvlgari has two restaurants: Il ristorante and Sankar. Il ristorante is an Italian cuisine, and Sankar is a traditional Balinese cuisine. Since the breakfast is served at Sankar for all guests, we called our butler for a buggy ride to Sankar. All the butlers there are super friendly and super polite. They have this friendly way of ending any sentence with ‘ya?’ For instance, when you get off a buggy to go to the breakfast, they will say “Have a nice day, ya?” or as they drop you off at the beach, they will ask “You are going to the beach, ya?” It’s not only the facilities but the people and their hospitality that really complete the experience at the Bali Bvlgari.

Breakfast pastry basket

All kinds of fresh tropical juices

Freshly brewed coffee with milk

When we got to the breakfast, the staff welcomed us and seated us in the corner outside where all we could see was the ocean. As we sat down, we were given a menu. The breakfast consists of two: the cold item and the hot item. Aside from the unlimited beverages and the breakfast pastries, you can have one of each from both hot and cold items. I got coffee with milk and yogurt to begin with. And after being informed that I can order as many freshly prepared juices as I want, I also ordered a glass of guava juice. The coffee was great. It was deep with medium body, but not bitter nor acidic. Just the way I like it. Oh, but the fresh juices were something else. I ended up having guava, mango, papaya (my favorite!!!!!), and passion fruit. I mean, I could eat them time after time. They were deliciously fantastic.

Passion fruit

Snake fruit

Snake fruit -bitten

Speaking of the local fruits, they had the usual suspects – papaya, mango, watermelon, passion fruit, etc. I didn’t even know what passion fruit really looked like until I had one in Bali. It looks like a dinosaur egg on the outside, but inside is the yummy sweet and sour jumble of encapsulated seeds. The seeds add a crunch to the jelly like texture. Unlike the passion fruit which I’ve heard of many times, there was a piece of fruit in mystery that I didn’t recognize, so called a snake fruit. Snake fruit is called Salak in the local language, but due to its scaly peel that resembles the snake skin, it got its nickname ‘snake fruit.’ It’s an indigenous Balinese fruit. It looks like a big clove of garlic on the outside, but tastes like a hard crunchy apple with a slight bit of nuttiness + acidity, and it has a big seed kernel inside. At first, I didn’t like the taste of it as much, but the more I ate it, the more I grew to like it. It’s rich in fiber and vitamins. If I had the same selection of the tropical fruits available to me, I would eat them all day and everyday. Oh how I love thee.

Bubur Ayam (Rice porridge with chicken)

Balinese cuisine is influenced by Indian/Pan Asian cuisine (like thai). At the first breakfast, I had Bubur Ayam. ‘Bubur’ is rice porridge, and ‘ayam’ is chicken. Rice porridge with chicken. It was accompanied by curry chicken, vegetable chips, and a sweet and spicy soy sauce that locals call as ketchup (in reality, it sounds a lot more like “keh-chiahp”). The soy sauce itself is quite sweet, but the tiny bird chilies they put in have some serious, serious kick to them. The otherwise bland porridge tasted actually tasty with the sauce.

Mie goreng (Fried noodles)

Sambal sauce

On the second day, I had mie goreng. ‘Mie’ is noodles and ‘goreng’ means fried. Chinese-like simple pan fried noodles. Unlike my initial expectation, the dish was not greasy at all. It was pan fried with spinach-like local greens, eggs, seafood, and chicken. It is such a hearty breakfast. I had it with the sambal sauce which added the right amount of kick to it. Sambal sauce is used a lot in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the countries alike in place of fresh chili peppers. It’s spicy but not overly spicy like those tiny bird chilies in the “ketchup.” Going back to the dish itself, I thought to myself how wonderful of a take-out it would make. It’s such a hearty, light, but filling and comforting food. Perfect for a lazy solo night in. I ended up licking the plate clean. It was that good.

Nasi goreng merah (Fried red rice)

For the third morning, I had nasi goreng merah which means fried red rice. ‘Nasi’ being rice, ‘goreng’ fried, and ‘merah’ red. It reminds me of the Korean bibimbop, or even Korean fried rice because of the perfectly cooked sunny side up placed on top of the rice. Now that I think of it, the Indonesian cuisine is also quite similar to east Asian cuisine, like Chinese or Korean. Fried rice was flavorful and light, just like the fried noodles. Purely speaking of a personal preference, I liked the fried noodles better. What got me was how light they tasted even though they’re fried.

Soto udang pesmol (Shrimp pesmol soup)

After eating so many yummy dishes at Sangkar, I started wondering how they’re made and who is behind it. Luckily, I was able to visit their kitchen where all the magic happens. It was a very last minute request, but the staff kindly prepared a quick mini demo class for us. The award-winning chef Wayan Wicaya, who holds an executive sous chef title and is a firstborn of the family, showed us how to make a light sweet and sour Javanese soup made with prawns and coconut milk called “soto udang pesmol.” ‘Soto’ means soup, ‘udang’ shrimp, and ‘pesmol’ a kind of seasoning.

Before I get into the recipes, I want to point out an interesting fact on naming in Bali. I learned this through Elizabeth Gilbert’s famed book “Eat, pray, love,” but it’s really true. Traditionally, parents name their kids between four names – Wayan (or Putu), Made, Nyoman, or Ketut. It means, first born, second born, third born, and fourth born in that order. In most cases, the Balinese first names will fall within these four, but of course there is an exception. So I asked myself what if there are more children than just four in the family? One of the butlers actually told me that in such cases, it goes back to the starting point. But instead of just naming the child Wayan, he or she will often be called Wayan Balik which means the first born again. Well, long story short, this is how I recognized right away that the chef Wicaya was a firstborn. Such a fascinating custom.

Ingredients for the soup

Going back to the recipes, there are two parts to the soup – the broth and the prawns. Both of them are based on the pesmol seasoning, which needs chili peppers, shallots, lime leaves, salam leaves, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, and candlenuts. Prawns are peeled and skewered with the lemongrass stick, so it’s ready to be marinated.

Chopped finely

Saute-ing

Bumbu pesmol

All the ingredients need to be finely chopped. You need to saute shallots and garlic first, then put in the rest of the chopped up spices in vegetable oil, or olive oil. Then stir it until all the ingredients become soft. Pour in some chicken stock and let them simmer for 10 minutes. Once the liquid reduces down, pour the hot mixture into the blender and blend. Return the paste and saute it until it becomes a thick paste, which will now be called bumbu pesmol.

Marinated prawns

Prawns being grilled

Once the bumbu pesmol is prepared, take the skwered prawns and marinate it with the paste. Then return the rest of the paste to the soup pan, add some chicken stock, then bring it to a boil. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat, add coconut milk and simmer until it achieves the right consistency. Once the broth is done, take the marinated prawns and grill them just until they’re cooked through (but not too long so it doesn’t become too chewy).

Soup is almost ready

To assemble the soup, put in chopped haricot vert, bean sprouts, diced tomato, and corn kernels into a clean bowl. Place the grilled prawns, and pour in the broth over it. Once you garnish the top with julienned chili pepper, lime leaves, and fried shallot, the soup is done and ready. Unlike some Indian dishes that are prepared from a mixture of dried powdered spices,the soto udang pesmol is made with the fresh local spices. No wonder why it’s a simple yet plain satisfying. It’s creamy, light, spicy, and sweet, all in one bite. I finished the soup to the last drop, standing in one corner of the kitchen. It was truly an amazing experience for me where I got to see the magic happen before my eyes. I loved my mini demo class, and couldn’t thank enough the friendly and kind chef Wicaya.

Kudeta in Kuta celebrating 10 yrs

The hip dining room

That night, my sister and I took the blue bird taxi (blue bird taxi is your best bet amongst the many cabs in Bali) to get to Seminyak. Seminyak is a hip area in Kutu where many Aussie surfers hang out. There are many hip boutiques, stores, restaurants, and clubs, etc. Kudeta is been a solid establishment in Bali for 10 years now – it’s a total hot spot where you can have very decent food (albeit the small food portion and $$$$) to a club/lounge music and a great ambiance with the ocean front. It felt like I was dining in the meatpacking district in NYC, only with the palm trees and the ocean around it. The food we had was very good, but we were done with everything fairly quickly – we were starving at that point, and the portions weren’t so big. After we were done, I tried to catch a cab back to the hotel. But I almost got into a fight. As it turns out, at Kudeta, they offer a car service that goes by the fixed rate, which is about twice more what it’ll be going by the metered rate. The guys over there were trying to hustle us and negotiate with us, but I walked out of the place calmly and hailed a metered cab. I ended up paying a little less than the half of what I would have paid if I took the fixed rate taxi from Kudeta. I felt proud of myself for knowing what to expect, and knowing how to go about it. I guess they don’t say that knowledge is power for nothing.

Well, even though I wrote a lot on Bali, I still have some more interesting things to write in the next entry, “Welcome to Bali part III.” So don’t go anywhere and come back soon!

Surviving my first week on the other side of the globe

21 Jun

Wall deco at W Walkerhill (Seoul)

It’s been almost a week since I arrived here in Korea. I’m getting used to the different environment here, slowly but surely. Now wherever I go, or wherever I look, there are only Asian people around – like me – with the black hair, black eyes and all. It’s not like NYC where all sorts of people coexist. I definitely miss it, but change of scene is a good thing, I tell myself. In any case, that’s what I had wanted originally. It finally hits me that I have begun the life I have imagined.

Korean Chicken Soup (Baek Sook)

By the time I finally arrived home the first day, I was so exhausted that I pretty much passed out as soon as I got in. Then the next morning when I woke up, my mom warmed me up a hot bowl of Korean chicken soup called “Baek Sook.” It’s made with an organic chick, stuffed with sticky rice, ginseng, and medicinal herbs. The result is a soup that is deep in its flavor without any unpleasant gamey flavors and/or smell. When I eat it, I take out the bones first then season the soup with sea salt and pepper. It’s so hearty and healthy, it’s totally soul-warming. When it’s made well, it’s truly a therapy in a bowl.

KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

So after the great chicken soup breakfast, due to the 13 hour difference, I fell back asleep. I think I slept until about dinner time. Since we were going to watch the World Cup game (which Korea lost to Argentina in a surreal way), mom brought some fried chicken from the local place that has been around for at least 20 yrs or so. Korean fried chicken comes in two kinds usually – plain and spicy. This one was plain, but it came with the spicy sauce and the pickled radish (it’s called “moo”). The meat is tender, and the skin is crispy. But since skin contains a lot of fat, I can’t overindulge myself and eat all of it. Well but even then, so long as I have a glass of cold beer to wash it down with, all is good.

The Aftermath of skin and bones

Besides from the two forms of Korean chicken I had, nothing really exciting has happened as such. Probably because I spent most of my time just recovering from the jet lag and whatnot. Though this weekend, the family decided to stay at the W hotel Walkerhill, just to chill and relax. But by the time we got to the hotel, we were all so tired that I only got to take a few shots of the room before I fell asleep. The room was modern with bright red and white. I could see why young people would like staying here.

W Hotel Walkerhill in Seoul

The checker board red + white decorative pillow

The bathroom shelf

The reflection

Sweeeeeeet!

Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery so I couldn’t take more photos. I would say that the week has been pretty sweet. But hold your disappointments, I promise I will have more interesting things to write about in the coming weeks. As a matter of fact, I am leaving for Bali, Indonesia, tomorrow morning. So I will have some interesting things to say when I get back for sure.

Well, on that note, have a fabulous week. Until the Bali edition!

Temporarily out of New York

12 Jun

New York, New York

I can’t believe I’ve neglected my blog for nearly two months. That’s just so unacceptable… BUT I have an excuse or two (really!).

Well, (drum roll please), I finally decided to take some time off to travel and do the things I never got to do due to not having enough time. AND, (a bigger drum roll please and hold your breath), I also decided to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris next January for a pastry course!!! So consequentially I’ve been busy preparing for it (A.K.A. quitting my job, packing, etc.). I’m sad to be leaving NYC, but at the same time I’m glad I get to go on a journey for 1 1/2 yr. Speaking of going on a journey, I recently finished reading Eat, Pray, Love where the writer Elizabeth Gilbert leaves for Italy, India, and Indonesia for a year in total to find herself. I think my journey would be something similar of sort – it’ll be a time for me where I can explore, learn, and discover the new sides of me. I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but what do I care? I get to travel in Asia and Paris!!!!

Since I will surely miss the city and everything in it, I decided to dedicate this entry to recognize a few of them.

N.1 ♥ Being able to get good coffee on-the-go

I love getting latte/cappuccino/coffee from either FIKA or Joe the Art of Coffee. Being able to get the European style coffee on the go is just great. Asia has many coffee places that offer coffee drinks to-go, that taste not quite authentic. Then in Europe, the coffee tastes amazing, but not a lot of places offer it to-go. So the fact that I can pick up a great cup of coffee, on my way to work, on any lazy weekend, or just about any occasion is something I will dearly miss. (And how about all the yummy coffee snacks they sell with!)

N.2 ♥ Being able to go out to eat amazing Pakistani/Indian food at 3AM

When I used to live in Boston, I was never really exposed to good Indian or Pakistani food. I used to go eat Indian food around Harvard Square, but in retrospect, it was very very Americanized Indian food. Here in NYC, I can go out to eat great chicken biryani and the yummy Kulfi (Indian ice cream. The one I like tastes like condensed milk.) at 3AM after a night of dancing or a friendly bar hopping. Being able to eat decently authentic Indian/Pakistani food is one thing, but where else can you get this food at 3AM? The dish I am talking about is the ultimate comfort food that has just enough grease and the spices. Of course, Kulfi has just enough sweetness to balance out the spices. I will surely get a craving for this food in the near future. I wish they would deliver to Korea or Paris. Maybe in my dreams they will…

N.3 ♥ Being able to roam around the chic streets of Soho and the Village

I used to live on the corner of Mulberry and Prince before I moved to Gramercy. I used to love the fact that I could take a walk around the Soho neighborhood into the chic streets that had many boutiques and shops. I used to walk on those streets when I felt down and needed to feel “fabulous” again. Sometimes, I will be pleasantly surprised at finding a cute dress shop or a cute dessert cafe. It’s a walk therapy wrapped around in NYC chic. I will miss those feel-good strolls on the streets of Soho on a sunny weekend, and also the occasional fashion/food finds.

N.4 ♥ The Oysters and a glass of wine on a Saturday evening (even better with a date!)

Speaking of chic, there are few fancy things I like to indulge myself with. I absolutely love going out for fresh oysters with a glass of wine on a weekend evening. I like to mix the west coast and the east coast varieties, then pair with dry and crisp white wine (like Chablis, Pouilly-Fuissé or Sauvignon Blanc) or a well-chilled glass of dry champagne. This winning combo is truly a natural anti-depressant, it instantly gets me into a happy mode. So if anyone wants to bribe me, this would be it. Anyways, I will surely miss being able to go out with S on a Saturday evening for a chic pick-me-up.

N.5 ♥ U.S. Open Baby!!!!

Around late August and early September, U.S. Open Tennis takes place in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. I like watching tennis games live, because it’s like going to a baseball stadium but more civilized. Sometimes when you get lucky, they move a game to another stadium due to a schedule conflict then reassign the seats on a first come first serve basis. I got lucky and saw Jelena Jankovic up-close and personal last year. I just wished it was Federer (or even Djokovic!!), but I guess that would have to be for the next time…

N.6 ♥ The Chrysler

Looking up at the Chrysler building never fails to remind me that I live in the great and fabulous New York City. Not only it’s classy, sophisticated and beautiful to look at, but it’s just utterly so New York. I will miss being able to walk on the streets of New York, looking far at the brightly-lit building top of the Chrysler, feeling proud and fabulous.

N.7 ♥ The Central Park

I took this picture a few years back when I used to live by the Lincoln Center. I don’t realize how beautiful it is, but just looking again at this picture, I keep thinking how picturesque the park really is. I used to come to this pond area to walk or to ponder (no pun intended!). It always used to pick me right up and put a smile on my face. And of course, how will I not miss the sunbathing in the sheep meadow and jogging around the Jackie-O reservoir?

There are so many things I will miss from the city, and the list could go on. But I must say that what I would miss the most will be my dear friends whom I’ve gotten to know through various occasions. I’m sad to leave the beloveds, but I know I’ll be back in some time. So Au Revoir NYC, and be good until then!


Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and dreamin’ of la Méditerranée

23 Feb

*If you want to listen to music while you read this, please click here. It will open on a different window/tab (Paulihno Moska “Falsa Baiana”).

Blue shrimps poached in olive oil, garlic, crushed dried red peppers, and lemon

This Sunday was a lovely sunny day, the kind of day that gives you a glimpse of spring. To take advantage of the great weather (if you live in or have lived in NYC, you know very well that you ought to enjoy it before the mother nature decides to change her mind, very quickly at that too), I decided to take a stroll to the Chelsea neighborhood. After having a good  brunch at Café Le Grainne, I needed to undo what I ate by taking a walk on the High Line. Le Grainne is probably one of the most Frenchy cafés around town. They have an extensive list of sweet and salty crêpes, and many more things french. I have always enjoyed having brunch there so I would recommend it. Plus it’s close to the High Line park where you can take a cool walk after the meal. The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan’s streets. But now it has been renovated into a public park by City of New York (in fact, only the section 1 of the whole park is open to pubic. The rest is still in construction). It is very modern in design, and just very feel-good altogether. And of course while I was there, I could not bypass the Chelsea market, which is just right by. Chelsea market is my all-time favorite playground. I am always happy like the kid in a candy store when I’m there.

Blue Shrimp

Crushed dried red chili peppers from Sicily

The downside of going to the Chelsea market is that I always end up buying more stuff than I had planned. This time around, I bought some dried pasta, dried red chili peppers, blue shrimps, manila clams, parsley, some good crusty bread, and a bottle of dry Italian white. Drifting from thinking about Italian to seafood, I started thinking about la Méditeranée, A.K.A. the Mediterranean. I adore the mediterranean food. It’s fresh, flavorful, seafoody, and oh so healthy. Just thinking about the fresh flavors of extra virgin olive oil, lemon, garlic, seafood, white wine together made my heart beat faster as I walked out of the market. I couldn’t wait to get home.

Close-up

When I got home, I started out by putting the clams in a bowl of cold salted water and by preparing the shrimps. After setting the oven at 425F, I peeled and de-veined the shrimps and pat dry. Then I arranged them in a small ceramic baking dish and sprinkled sea salt and pepper. On to the shrimps, I put lots of chopped garlic (I love garlic, and I wouldn’t give up just so I could be a lady), one whole dried red chili pepper crushed, squeezed lemon juice, and a generous pour of fresh extra virgin olive oil to cover the shrimps. It’s important to use the fresh olive oil here, because oxidized olive oil (yes, the one that’s been around in your kitchen forever) tastes greasy rather than light and flavorful. I put a foil on top of the dish and let it marinate in the cool corner until it’s ready to go into the oven. Because they cook up rather quickly, I wanted to put them in about 10 – 15 mins before the pasta will be done so I can serve both of them hot.

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Close-up

Traditionally, vongole pasta asks for clams, white wine, garlic, red chili pepper flakes, and parsley. But to the recipe, I added some smoked thick slab bacon. The bacon fat adds the sweet and smokey savoriness to the dish, and it enriches the structure of the pasta. The smell of the smoked bacon is truly out of this world. It’s one of those that makes me go Mmmm instantly. Well, back to cooking the pasta, I started out by boiling some water for the pasta, cutting the slab bacon into small cubes, then frying them in a pan with olive oil at medium-low heat. While they were cooking, I salted the boiling water and put dry pasta into the pot. When the bacon bits were slightly crispy, I ladled in some pasta water (make sure the temperature of the oil is not too hot at this point. If it’s hot, the oil will splatter everywhere. It can be dangerous), brought up the temperature slightly, and put all the clams into the pan. I shook the pan to coat the oil over all clams (pretending that I am Mario Batali), then when it’s hot, I added a round of dry white wine, chopped garlic, crushed dried red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, and covered to cook so the clams can open up and release their juice. Since the pasta was closed to being done, I put the shrimp dish into the oven. After a few minutes, I uncovered to see if there is any clam that did not open. I picked out a couple of unopened clams because that means they were dead before being cooked. I brought down the heat again, added another ladle of pasta water (pasta water is what binds the sauce and the noodles together. That’s the key to a good pasta), then added the cooked pasta noodles into the pan. Again here I pretended to be Mario Batali and shook the pan to coat all the noodles in the sauce so it adheres to the noodles. Also note that the sauce shouldn’t be too thick, because it thickens when the pasta cools down. When the pasta was done, I rolled the noodles with a big fork (or grab with tongs) and placed on a big plate. Then placed the clams on top of the noodles,  spooned some pasta sauce on top, and sprinkled chopped flat leaf parsley, fresh cracked pepper, and lots of love. There, plate of pure love. I must warn you now though, this dish comes with a disclaimer that anyone who tastes it will dangerously fall in love with you. So be ready for it.

With crusty bread and a glass of white

Around the same time, the shrimp dish was done as well. After plating the pasta, I placed the shrimp dish on a wooden board and placed some good bread to eat with. The best part of eating the olive oil poached shrimps is not the shrimp itself, but the garlicky and spicy olive oil that’s amazing dipped in. I guarantee you, if you could only eat a few grams of carbs and fat, this is the time to spend them on. The olive oil doesn’t taste greasy at all but orgasmically fresh and flavorful. For those ultra-conscious ones, I suggest not counting the calories when eating this. Just eat slowly and savor the flavors.

The Aftermath

Along with the sunny feel-good weather, I felt as if I were on the coast of Amalfi eating the food I made and sipping on the crisp white wine. It was in fact one of the most amazing meals I have ever made. The fresh flavors were bursting in the mouth which then lead to the Mmm’s and Aaaah’s. The smokiness of the bacon marries so well with the clams and creates this light savoriness that is clean but well structured. Also there is an added benefit to these dishes. I’m sure many of you already know that the shrimp and clam are both naturally aphrodisiac. Now there is one more reason to try making these dishes. Let there be love to those who share good food.


Who can say no to the tasty swedish balls? (Chokladbollar and Köttbullar)

19 Feb

*If you want to listen to music while you read this, click on the link. It will open on a different window/tab (Gang Starr “Full Clip”)

I know, I know. I said it there, tasty balls. But it’s not what you think it is. I’m talking about the swedish chocolate balls (chokladbollar) and the swedish meatballs (köttbullar) whose fame was brought to us by none but IKEA. My fascination with the swedish balls started with the visit to FIKA for coffee one morning. FIKA has great coffee (my favorite is their latte) along with great selection of swedish sweets (and select savories). Along with the truffles, I noticed a walnut-sized chocolate ball called chokladbollar. Out of curiosity, I decided to give it a shot with my coffee. And I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the taste of it. It was mildly sweet, and nutty with the deep note of chocolate. So I searched for the recipe and  it turns out that it’s also super easy to make! So along with the swedish chocolate balls, I thought of making some of those famous swedish meatballs and call it the swedish balls’ day. Very tasty ones at that too. I mean, who could resist these tasty balls? (and yes, pun is intended).

Chokladbollar on a bed of coconut flakes

Making these yummy chocolate balls are quite easy. All you need is some butter, old fashioned rolled oats, good quality cocoa powder, icing sugar, espresso shot, and finally coconut flakes. I used 1/2 cup of unsalted Lurpak butter (it’s equivalent to 1 stick of butter), 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats, 1/2 cup of icing sugar, 1/2 cup of dutch processed cocoa powder, 1 espresso shot (about 4-5 tbsp) with a dash of milk in it. In the working bowl, I put softened butter at room temperature, and on top of it I put sifted mixture of cocoa powder and the icing sugar. After mixing them well with the spatula, I mixed in the rolled oats, then poured in the espresso. Note here that when you prepare the espresso shot, put a dash of warm milk or some sugar in the espresso so it stops the chemical process and preserves the delicate flavor of the espresso. Unless you use the shot right away, the delicate structure will collapse and the taste will become more dull if you don’t mix in milk or sugar into it (in fact, the kind barista at Joe the Art of Coffee taught me that). So once you have the dough, all you have to do is to have a tray of coconut flakes ready by side, and start rolling the dough into walnut-sized balls. I find it easier to finish making the chocolate balls, then roll them in coconut flakes with clean hands. If you roll them with chocolaty hands, it won’t look as pretty, as the hands will dirty the white coconut flakes on the surface. After you have finished the balls, you can put them in a fridge so they firm up nicely. It took me less than an hour to make everything, but t is so tasty no one would believe you spent less than an hour making them. The taste is mildly sweet, with great texture of rolled oats and coconut flakes, and the deep chocolaty taste spiked with strong coffee. The espresso shot in this recipe is so important because it really enhances the chocolate flavor. Contrary to its rich sounding ingredients, it actually tastes very light in the mouth. It marries a cup of black coffee, oh so perfectly.

Wrapped with yellow + pink ribbon

Dolled-up chocolate balls

Since it’s so easy to make, I thought it would also be a great gift idea. So I tried gift wrapping them. I bought a bunch of cellophane bags from the N.Y. Cake baking supplies store, and bought two rolls of ribbon from the paper supplies store. All I did was to put the chocolate balls into the bag and tie a ribbon on top, and it looks like I got them from a bakery. If you want to gift sweets to your friends and family, this is the winner.

Köttbullar in gravy

Now moving on to the savory balls. For these meatballs, I used 2/3 lbs ground chuck (choose grass-fed organic beef if you can), 1/3 lbs of ground pork and ground veal each (also choose the organic variety if you can), 1/2 cup of fresh bread crumb (I tore small bits from the crusty white bread I bought), a little bit more than 1/2 cup of milk (or cream if you like), 1 onion, some butter, a generous pinch of allspice, salt, and pepper, 1/4 cup of flour, 2 1/2 cup of beef stock, and a scant 1/4 cup of cream. Before you forget, preheat the oven at 200F. Alright, so first, I made the bread crumb with the white roll, then let it soak in the milk while I prepare the other ingredients. Then I finely chopped one onion and sweated them in ample amount of butter until they became soft. I let the cooked onions cool down on the side, and got busy with the meat. I put the mix of ground meat in a working bowl, then added a pinch of allspice, salt, and pepper before mixing them together (I wore thin vinyl gloves so I can mix with hands). Afterwards, I added the softened bread crumbs and the cooked onions mixed them thoroughly. Finally to the mixture, I put a bit of cream until it became moist, but not watery. Now it was ready to be rolled into small balls, size of a ping pong ball. After balls were shaped, I melted 2 tbsp of butter in the pan to make brown butter (skim the butter solids on top so the balls don’t burn). Into the brown butter, I sparsely placed the meatballs so I can freely roll them to cook (it’s easier to get flat spots if you crowd the meatballs in the pan). I repeated the above to fry all the meatballs, then transferred them into a baking dish, covered it in foil, and put it into the oven so they cook through and keep warm while I make the gravy.

The up-close and personal meatballs

To make the gravy, I started with the pan drippings. On the pan I fried the meatballs, I added some flour to make roux, then deglazed it with the beef stock. After it became smooth, I put a generous dash of cream and kept stirring. I cooked the gravy until it became thick (you can tell that it’s done when you draw a line with your finger on the back of the wooden spoon and the line stays). To assemble, I took out the meatballs from the oven, placed a few on a plate, scooped over gravy over them (but not too much because you don’t want it too slobbery or too salty) and decorated the plate with some chopped parsley. Et Voilà. Finished meatballs that taste better than the ones you find at IKEA. Traditionally they are served with boiled potatoes and lingonberries, but since I had neither I had them with some of the left-over crusty bread. It had the mild meaty flavor that was just delightful. It definitely had a different charm than its italian cousin. This recipe really brings out the meaty flavor that I think it’s suitable for the meat-heavy eaters. If you are turned off by the smell of meat, I wouldn’t recommend it. Anyhow, I had a very satisfying meal out of them, so I’m happy there.

Overall, these balls, sweet and savory, were both easy, breezy, and tasty. It seems that the swedish really know how to enjoy and share the deliciousness. ;)

(Post-holiday) weekend detox

11 Jan

Bird munching on the tofu, avocado, sporuts wrap

The month of December is always a little tough on my waist line. I am not a huge social butterfly, but even then there are a handful of holiday parties to attend every year. When you go to these parties, you get to enjoy good food and good drinks and of course, good set of friends and family to celebrate with. Truly, a wonderful time of the year. Anyways, at these parties, I always manage to meet at least one girl who doesn’t eat or drink at all, or counts a number of hors d’oeurvres she had (usually the limit is about one and a half) because they don’t want to ruin their diet. I’m sure different methods work for different people – some say eat them all, some say eat nothing, some say pre-game and show up to the party stuffed, and some say just count the calories – but personally, I believe in exercising moderation. What a wonderful word, moderation! I think it’s a pity if you can’t enjoy these parties with your beloved ones because you got to count calories. I eat and drink and enjoy myself, but at the same time not limitlessly. I try to listen to my inner system, so I don’t overstuff myself to a point where I feel bad and guilty. Naturally that still throws me off my eat-healthy track, so I pick one weekend in the new year to relax and restore my former body stats. A detox weekend.

Citrus AM detox

When I do one of these detox weekends, I don’t overly do it. I just make it a point to eat clean fresh non-processed foods, and drink lots of water. Usually in the morning I start out with a cup of hot water with lemon. I use bottled water for purity, but even filtered water would do (I know, I know.  The New York’s finest (In case you don’t know what it is, it is NYC tap water) isn’t too bad, but I just want to use the best quality everything I can find for my detox menu). For about one cup, I use freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon (Of course, use organic lemon when possible). It tastes a bit acidic, but it works wonders when taken the first thing in the morning. It feels like the hot water is sweeping everything in my stomach down. Lemon is known for many therapeutic values – it helps ease bloating or digestive problems, cleanses liver and kidneys, and even works as a natural skin cleanser. Contrary to the acidic taste, lemon has an alkaline reaction, so it alkalizes our body (this is a good news because most everything we eat produces acid as byproduct of digestion). After I am done drinking the lemon water, I wait until I feel hungry to eat a fresh bowl of grapefruit salad. It’s a staple in my detox menu. Grapefruit is known to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) in our body. I usually use a pairing knife to peel, then cut the flesh out and squeeze the juice out from the leftover. Sometimes I add fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, or mint. It’s delicious and gives that wonderful oh-so-clean feeling.

Detox wrap close-up

After I down a few cups of mineral water, I treat myself with a detox wrap for late lunch. I use Ezekiel’s organic sprouted whole grains tortilla which has a high % of good protein and fiber. It brings out the nutty flavor if you warm it up a bit. On the tortilla, I put sunflower sprouts I get from the farmer’s market, cut up organic avocados, and cut up organic firm tofu. I roughly roll it up, and take a bite only to find myself in a total bliss. I initially made the wrap experimentally, but it turned out to have so much fresh flavors as well as balanced nutrients. Vitamins and mineral from the sprouts and the avocado, and good quality protein and fat from the tofu and the tortilla. It’s a fill-good, and a feel-good. Totally detoxgasmic.

Aside from these, I drink fresh squeezed vegetable and fruit juice when I felt hungry along with liberal drinking of mineral water (I prefer Volvic). The juice is from One Lucky Duck Takeaway on Irving Place and 17th St. It’s a bit pricey, but super awesome. Their juice never fails to make me feel refreshed and clean. I also make it a point to take bath with mineral bath salts (I like Molton Brown’s Unwind Atoll Crystal Bath Soak) and scrub my body with loofah brush. Sometimes when I feel like pampering myself, I put on a purifying clay mask Masque 103 from YonKa. It is yet the best mask I have used that draws all the impurities out and unclog pores.

All in all, it leads me to a conclusion that raw whole foods rock. Nature is the biggest and best cure of it all to let out all the chemicals and toxins from our body. After completing a whole day of detoxing inside and out, I feel fabulous. By the end of the routine, I feel cleaner, leaner, and more relaxed. I really feel it balancing me out. If anyone feels clogged and congested, I highly recommend trying the detox weekend. It really works wonders. Because trust me, you’ll be glowing before you know it.

Pick me up tonight

6 Jan

Petites tartines au fromage

Tonight was one of those nights when I feel like being comforted. One of those nights when you are in need of a serious pick-me-up. So on the way home from work, I stopped by at the Grand Central Market and decided to go on a grocery shopping spree. Well first, I picked up some french baguette, some Jamón serrano, emmental cheese, heirloom tomatoes and lettuce for tomorrow’s lunch – ham and cheese sandwich on baguette. Then I picked up some fresh roses from the florist next door. Finally, I headed over to Murray’s Cheese counter, my sanctuary and my favorite place in the market. I stopped in front of the display window in admiration, as always. Being at Murray’s cheese makes me feel like a kid in a candy store without fail.

Today, I asked the cheese monger for two kinds of french cheese. 1) sweet, nutty, semi hard and 2) creamy, velvety, and mild. I took his suggestions and got small portions of Pyrenées Brebis and Fromager d’Affinois. Pyrenées Brebis is from the Bearn region in the Pyrenées (Aquitaine) which is a range of mountains that act as a natural border between France and South in Southwest. Fromager d’Affinois is from Rhône-Alpes region in Southeast surrounded by the Rhône river and the Alps. The brebis is made with pasteurized sheep’s milk and aged for 4-6 months. It’s ivory, semi-firm, and has a grey moldy rind. It’s got a sweet, slightly caramely, nutty flavors with the undertones of grassy freshness. It’s mild yet strong enough to stand up to red wine.  Oh the other hand, d’Affinois is made with cow’s milk and can be achieved in as short time as two weeks due to ultrafiltration. Ultrafiltration of pasteurized milk separates water from the rest of the contents, resulting in high % fat content, silky texture, and acceleration of cheese making process. It looks like brie cheese – edible white mold and creamy, oozy center – but it’s not exactly the same. It’s milk-creamy, velvety, very mild and delicately flavored, and oh-so-luscious. The cheese monger gave me exactly what I have asked for. Folks at Murray’s really know their cheese par cœur. I just love it.

Cheeses on an old french map

When I got home, I got busy with my “pick me up” project of the night. First thing first, I cut the roses and arranged them in small vases. Then lighted some candles, and put on a music. I felt like Cuban jazz. Rubén González it will be. Then I started preparing my pick me up plate. And of course, what pick me up would be complete without a glass of wine?

Blush roses with greens

I poured myself a glass of beaujolais nouveau that I opened last night. Then broke off the crispy tip of french baguette, cut a piece of both cheese, and put a couple spoonfuls of apricot jam I made in the summer onto a plate. On little torn off bread pieces, I spread the creamy d’Affinois, juicy apricot jam, and put a wee little piece of brebis. Just looking at them made me forget it all and melt in simple pleasure.

Apricot jam front

d’Affinois front

The taste of crispy baguette with luscious cheese and tangy apricot jam were just what the doctor had ordered for me. Along with the candles, pretty flowers, and music, I couldn’t have asked for a better evening to unwind the day. Now I know I am going to go to bed happy tonight. Well on that note, good night everyone. And I hope you remember that you can pick yourself right up when you feel blue and funky. It’s the little things in life that gives you pleasure. Don’t you think?

Try 3H = hors-d’œuvres for happy holidays

25 Dec

Smoked salmon with herb cream cheese on pumpernickel bread

I can’t believe it’s that time of the year again. How did the whole year go by so fast? I think it’s true what they say about getting older – time seems to pass by quicker and quicker. It reminded me how I should really enjoy every little moments life offers. At the end of the day, life is meaningless if you can’t enjoy. N’est-ce pas ?

Anyway, in my newly found “you gotta enjoy life” holiday spirit, I decided to share with my work colleagues at Hill Holliday where I work. At first, I thought about making sweets like cookies or truffles. But there were some other coworkers who were passing out cookies, plus I often bring in baked goods. So I thought, why not do the savory? I did have a big block of lox in my fridge. Then the idea of making  smoked salmon with herb cream cheese on pumpernickel popped up in my mind. I could do a mini finger food for everyone. Sweet!

Since I had the lox on hand, all I needed to get was cream cheese, some herbs (was thinking dill), and the bread. I confidently walked down the aisles of whole foods knowing exactly what to get. Organic cream cheese, check. Eli’s pumpernickel bread, check. Dill, dill, dill… Of course there had to be no dill on that very day I needed it. So I had to quickly think what other herbs would go with smoked salmon. I walked over to the herbs corner to look through. Chives would work. Perhaps tarragon too. And why not basil while I am at it? Also, some shallots instead of the regular red onion that goes with Smoked salmon. Perfect.

I was going to assemble the mini sandwiches in the kitchen at work the next day, so I just went on to prepare the herb cream cheese. First in a working bowl, I put two blocks of cream cheese and fluffed it with a fork for a bit. Then in a separate bowl, I put finely minced shallots and spooned in a little bit of sherry vinegar. Since I am not using pickled capers (it’s traditionally served with smoked salmon), I thought I would add some kick with the vinegar and shallots. I wanted shallots and vinegar to meld together before I add it into the cream cheese mixture. Back to the cream cheese working bowl, I put chopped basil, tarragon, and chives. Basil has the sweetness and the mild fragrance that no one can resist. Tarragon has this elegant licorice like taste to it. The French cuisine calls it “King of herbs” as it is used to flavor many of the classic sauces. Chives has a mild onion like taste. It also holds up very well as a garnish. You add chives to any dish and it looks pretty and sophisticated. The aroma of these herbs together was nearly orgasmic. There is nothing like the aroma of fresh herbs. Mmmmm. Ok ok, back to work. On top of the herbs, I added the vinegar marinated shallots mixture and some freshly ground pepper and mixed them all together. Mixing can be a little tough since cream cheese is a bit dense, but it’s important to mix well through. You want to make sure you can taste all the herbs and the shallot in every spoonful. I put the cream cheese mixture into an air tight container and let it rest in the fridge.

A platterful

The next day at work, I brought lox, herb cream cheese, and the bread in to the kitchen in the morning. First, I got the platter plates cleaned for use (I used 3 of them). Then cut the crusts off the pumpernickel bread and quartered each slice to make it a bite-size (I ended up with 4 X 22 = 88 pieces). On top of each bite-size bread, I smeared the cream cheese and put a piece of lox on top except for a few pieces that I had left for vegetarian folks. Quickly, I sprinkled chopped chives over the sandwich. And there, it took me 30 mins to assemble hors-d’oeuvres for my work colleagues!

“This cream cheese has some serious flavors going on” is what Kevin (he’s a copywriter) told me. To me, it tasted of mellow licorice, mellow onion, and the hint of sherry vinegar that makes your head turn and wonder. I liked that the flavors were melded in mellow, as strong licorice, strong onion, or strong vinegar can make someone gag. In one bite, I could get the smoky and salty flavor of the lox, creamy and freshness of herb cream cheese, and sour dough/anise like pumpernickel to support the flavors above. Delicious.

Well, I think for me, it was more delicious because I could share with my coworkers whom I spend so much time with every day. It is such a cliché, but it’s true what people say about sharing. On that note, I wish everyone warm and happy holidays and I hope you share it with the ones you care :)




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