We Girls Love Our Meat!

Last Thursday, I fell in love.

Picture the scene: the sun shining as I step a field of flowers, wind gently blowing through my hair. [Cue slow-mo running and sappy music.] Hello, you gorgeous hunk of meat.

By "gorgeous hunk of meat," I REALLY do mean, gorgeous hunk of MEAT. See?

Ain't it beautiful?

Yes. I did call it beautiful. I happen to think that a big hunk of prime meat can be a beautiful thing. Think about it: a thick slab of an 8 oz juicy steak, the salty primal turkey leg, a savory lamb chop with some cool mint jelly, or, in my case, a fine rack of pork ribs, drenched in a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce, juicy, tender meat literally falling off its bone. mmm...My stomach's true love.

Ok, so maybe I wasn't in a field of flowers, sun at my back, gentle breeze through my hair. Maybe I was in Davis Square, soaked from the torrential downpour, wind blowing so fiercely, my umbrella kept flipping the wrong way. Maybe I was on my way home from the bank when I decided to stop into McKinnon's--a GREAT butcher shop: fresh meats, low prices--to see what I could make for dinner. Maybe.

But then, I saw it sitting there in the refrigerator section, on its Styrofoam tray and encased in its plastic sheath, and I knew. I could see its potential; I could feel our connection. This slab of meat was mine, and by all that is Holy, I was going to savor it!

After lugging it home halfway across town, I began to ponder: what was I going to do with it? what would I sacrifice it for? But, in my heart, in my stomach, I already knew. It would become...my famous barbecue ribs.

I rubbed it down with brown sugar and a pork rub and then slathered it all over with a bit of Jack Daniels Original No. 7 Barbecue Sauce and some beer (I had some Corona handy). Threw it in the oven at 400 F for an hour with aluminum foil on. While that was cooking, I made a side of mashed potatoes and roasted some asparagus and onions. When the hour was up, I poured out the extra liquid at the bottom of the pan and made some really delicious gravy out of it for the potatoes. Slathered another layer of BBQ sauce on them and threw them back into the oven, without the foil, for another half hour to give it a nice smoky/crispy texture while encasing the tender juicy meat on the inside.

 That hunk of rib was about 1/8 of the entire slab. 

I was disgustingly full afterwards.

Dinner turned out AMA-ZING! Not only was everything delicious, but everyone knows that any food that requires Wet-Naps and a stack of napkins to eat is AWESOME. Plus we had enough left-overs for the rest of the weekend. Score!

Now, what's a nice home-cooked dinner without dessert??? I had recently watched Waitress, a movie that came out in 2007 about this small-town waitress with a big-time talent for making delicious pies. So naturally, after watching this movie, I really *really* wanted some pie. Dr. Miso, at the time, was on a chocolate pudding kick so not only did I want some pie, I wanted a chocolate pudding pie. So I *finally* made it.

I started with a homemade honey graham cracker crust and placed some sliced fresh strawberries on top. Dr. Miso had some blackberry preserves that were on the verge of expiring so I heated a few tablespoons of that, added some black raspberry liquor, and some Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder. The sauce was fruity but rich with the chocolaty flavor. I poured that on top of the strawberries and then whipped up some Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding. Waited for it to firm up and topped it with some strawberries for decoration. SO GOOD!

I ate soo much food that night but knowing I made it all myself made it all that better. Home-cooked meals: now that's AWESOME!

-Originally Posted: 3/16/2010-

Taco Night!

I love grocery shopping.

I love pushing the cart up and down the aisles, around the fresh produce piled high on wooden kiosks, and past the counters, inhaling the sweet bakery aromas, the briny fishiness of the seafood counter, and the whiffs of smoky meats at the deli. I love seeing the beautiful colors, hearing the sound of the sprinkler spraying the fresh veggies, and feeling all the different textures of the fruits. I love just standing there, letting my surroundings soak in and saturate my senses.

Most of all, I love getting inspired by all the possibilities, all the different combinations, all the different ways I can make my stomach very, very happy.

Last week, I was at the store with Dr. Miso, and while wandering up and down the aisles, we got inspired. In the authentic cuisines aisle, you know, the aisle with all the Asian sauces and the Goya boxes, we saw...TACO KITS! lol. I hadn't had a taco since over the summer when I worked at a dude ranch in Montana. Taco Mondays were a ranch tradition: ground beef, chicken fajitas, and beans; hard and soft shells; grilled cheese quesadillas; freshly cut lettuce, tomato, and onions; shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. All the fixings. YUM-MY!

So naturally, Dr. Miso and I turned to each other and simultaneously said, "Taco Night!"

Saturday night came and we were ready. Since this was our first attempt at Taco Night, we decided on just buying the Less Sodium Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Packet for our ground turkey (which, incidentally, was also on sale. Score!) and added our own chili powder to increase the heat. Next time, I think I'll try to figure out my own seasoning combination--with a LOT more fire. Sadly, our meat was milder than we had expected. Still delicious, but we had wanted to experience the burn. Unfortunately, the only thing that got burned was my finger when we were making the flan for dessert.

Dr. Miso never had flan before so when we found a box of instant flan, we decided to give it a try. The instructions on the box seemed easy (think JELL-O Instant Pudding easy. Actually come to think of it, the box kinda looked like it too). We first melted the required amount of sugar for the topping and then went on to make the custard part. I had remembered that the sugar topping was liquid-y so when the sugar looked like it hardened, I got worried. So naturally, I check it. By sticking my finger in it. In HOT melted sugar. Yeah. Genius, that I am.

The second my finger touched the sugar, it conformed to the surface of my skin and hardened into a shell. Normally, when you burn a part of your body, your reflexes will jerk it away from the heat source to reduce damage. Unfortunately, when my reflexes reacted, some of the heat source came away with my finger, like a second skin. Surprisingly, when I peeled the sugar coating away, it was already cool to the touch, not that I could feel it with my finger which had already started to blister.

 10 Points if you spot the blister!

Lucky for me, it wasn't too painful. And I got out of washing the dishes. ^_^ hehe. Also, it's callousing very nicely which is actually helping my efforts to learn guitar, as the strings don't bother my finger as much as the others. Maybe I should burn my other fingers too...

[Update 3/14/10: Just finished cooking lunch today when I burned the side of another finger. Aiya! Klutz in the kitchen. Look out.

Dear Lord,
Please don't take my sarcasm seriously anymore. It's not cool.
Thank you.
Amen.] 

Taco Night was surprisingly quick to prepare. The meat took about 10 minutes; we threw the hard shells into the oven for 6 minutes and soft shells into the microwave for two. We quickly shredded the lettuce and diced the tomatoes and onions, opened the bag of cheese, popped the tops of the salsa and sour cream (no guacamole, unfortunately =( oh well...next time...), set the table, and we were ready to dig in!

Yes. All this food for two girls. And we finished it all. 

Well, most of it.

I like my tacos with the crunch of the hard shell, but I hate the mess it makes when the shell cracks, and everything falls out. My solution? Wrap the soft shell around the hard. You still get the crunch and salty taste of the hard shell, but the soft shell contains the mess.

I also made some margaritas for Dr. Miso and I.

And with this statement, I commence the math lesson:

Tequila + margarita mix + an extra splash of triple sec + ice = easy cocktail.

Margaritas + Tacos = Yummy combination

Add in a bit of salsa music (thanks to Pandora) for an extra touch, and we have a festive, delicious dinner.

Dr. Miso and I agree that this will be a night we'll definitely try to repeat. Not only was it easy and fun, it was pretty healthy, even despite the amount we ate.

-Originally Posted: 3/13/2010-

Good Food For Cheap: Gourmet Dumpling House

Last Saturday night, a group of us friends decided to get together to have dinner in Chinatown. Where did we go? Gourmet Dumpling House, of course! Located in the heart of Chinatown, GDH is the mecca of traditional Taiwanese/Chinese cuisine at affordable prices.

Just from it's name, you already know what GDH is famous for. It's superstar? The Mini Steamed Buns with Pork (8 for $6.95). Called "Xiao Long Bao" (小笼包) in Chinese, it literally means "Little Basket Buns" because it is traditionally steamed in bamboo baskets. It is made with unraised flour which gives it a dumpling-like skin--smooth and somewhat translucent--instead of the white, fluffy skins, made from raised flour, most Chinese people associate with the term "baozi" (包子). What sets it apart from normal dumplings is the explosion of hot soup in your mouth as you take your first bite--hence its other name, the "soup dumpling." I had always wondered how the soup got into the bun and thanks to Wikipedia, now I know. Turns out, a solid meat gelatin is wrapped along with the traditional pork filling inside the skin. The heat from the steaming melts the gelatin into a hot broth. Yum!

GDH's buns aren't the best I've EVER had--that designation goes to the street vendor my mother goes to whenever we go back to China--but it definitely takes top spot for this side of the Pacific. About two and a half inches in diameter, the buns can fill you up pretty quickly. You must be careful when picking up the bun from the steam pan--with one little rip, the soup quickly drains out, and you're left with a plain, over-sized dumpling. The first bite is the best. Your teeth breaks the skin and the savory warmth of the broth rushes into your mouth. It can be hot, so take care not to burn your tongue, but, in my opinion, it's the best part. GDH doesn't scrimp on the meat filling either--there's a good hunk of meat in the bun. I would like a bit more complexity in the taste, perhaps some more spices or a variance in texture by adding some kind of vegetable, but overall, it hits all the right spots.

Don't let the name "Gourmet Dumpling House" fool you, though. Just because it has the word "dumpling" in it, it doesn't mean it's all they offer. They have quite a selection of other traditional Chinese dishes, as well as your typical Chinese-American take out fares. However, I'd stay away from the latter as the authentic dishes are so much better. And if you're going to go through the trouble of eating out at GDH, why bother with the stuff you can get at Panda Palace? We ended up ordering some Scallion Pancakes ($3.95) to start, the Sauteed Chinese Watercress with Garlic ($9.95), the Homestyle Braised Eggplant with Basil ($8.95), Pork and Leek Dumplings ($6.95), and an order of the Xiao Long Bao.

The scallion pancakes were thick but crunchy, definitely a good way to start off the meal. The watercress, buns, and dumplings stood their ground as always but were overshadowed by the eggplant dish, by far my favorite of the night. Now, I love eggplant and I love fresh basil, but I wasn't expecting much with this dish. I had assumed it was going to be a simple stir-fry drenched in some kind of mixture of soy sauce and other Chinese dressings. Boy, was I wrong! The eggplant was soft, but not too mushy, soaking up the sweet chili sauce it was covered in. While stronger in flavor, the sauce did not mask the subtle eggplant taste that I love, and its heat was not overpowering. In addition, the sweetness of the sauce paralleled the initial sweetness of the fresh basil which soon gave-way to its signature earthy and musky, almost menthol, flavor. Pure deliciousness in each bite. I will definitely be ordering this dish again.

One thing to heed however, when coming to GDH--it is a popular place and there is almost always a wait. How long that wait is depends on the day and time, but you can shorten it by making reservations ahead of time. When you get there, you will see that while the size of the dining area is typical of a small-to-medium sized restaurant, they have managed to squeeze as many tables and chairs as possible without compromising fire safety guidelines into the area. Hence, you sometimes feel as though you're eating on top of the stranger at the table next to yours. But don't let that frighten you away--the food is definitely worth the discomfort. Besides, the guy could be cute. ^_~

Service is adequate, nothing special. You ask for something, they'll give it to you without much hassle. In my opinion, there might be one or two servers more than necessary, which might add to the feeling of being trapped like a sardine, but on the other hand, there's always someone around to get you what you want. The owner and his wife who work at the front desk are easy-going and personable. While we were in line, I gave a box of my homemade truffles to one friend who I hadn't seen in a long time, and the owner started joking with us about using the chocolates as a bribe. Btw, hazelnut is his favorite flavor, just in case the line's too long.

Overall, GDH is quite a good find in Chinatown. As a Chinese person who prefers authentic food, I definitely recommend it. Great food, great company, a full belly, and money still left in my wallet? That's a successful night in my book!

Gourmet Dumpling House
52 Beach St.
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 338-6223
Orange Line: Chinatown, Downtown Crossing
Red Line: Downtown Crossing, South Station
Green Line: Boylston Street

-Originally Posted: 3/2/2010-

Good Food For Cheap: Cafe Mami

On Friday, I met up with my cousin Dennis who was going home for spring break. I wanted him to bring some stuff home for me (his parents oh-so-conveniently live right around the corner from my parents) so we decided to meet up and grab some lunch together before he left. He goes to Northeastern so he rarely gets a chance to stop by my old Tufts/Cambridge neighborhood, and when we get together, we usual stick to Chinatown. In an effort to broaden his mind, I took him to my old favorite, Cafe Mami. Now, I do have to admit, I have a bias in favor of Cafe Mami because I used to work there. But, I can honestly tell you that the food is extremely well done and tasty. Otherwise, why would I have stuck around for 2 years?

It's a small operation, lunches consisting of a cook, kitchen helper, dishwasher, and one waitress with an added waitress for the dinner and weekend shifts. It's popular among college students (easy access from Tufts, Harvard, and MIT) as well as young professionals because of the quick service, great food, and big portions. However, there are a total of 16 seats so during peak dinner times, there is a line, but the waitress can take your order while you wait so by the time you sit down, your meal comes right out, making for a very quick turnover rate. Luckily for us, Dennis and I came for lunch and didn't have to wait at all for a table.

One of the perks of knowing the menu inside and out is knowing what's good; unfortunately, almost everything there is amazing. Why unfortunately? Because it always takes me forever to decide on my order. We finally settle on the Teriyaki-Style Hamburg ($8.99) and the Tatsuta Curry with Cheese ($8.99 + $1.00 for cheese) with complimentary miso soup and rice. I've had both many times, and I've never been disappointed; this time was no different.

A Japanese-style hamburg is similar to the Western hamburger patty except instead of the tougher and chewier Western version, the Japanese hamburg literally melts in your mouth. While the patty is usually made of just ground beef, the hamburg is made with a mix of beef and panko--Japanese-style bread crumbs--similar to the way you make meatloaf. The result is a soft, lighter patty that doesn't scrimp on the meaty taste. The homemade teriyaki sauce is the right balance between sweet and sour and is the perfect compliment to the savory hamburg. The hamburg can also come in three other styles: Tokyo-style--a simple tomato sauce, similar to the Italian Marinara but still retaining an Asian flair; Chili-Tomato--a spicy version of the Tokyo-style; and the Wafu--a classical Asian-style hamburg with a freshly grated daikon radish topping, drizzled with a homemade ginger sauce (all $8.99).

Curry was first introduced in Japan in the Meiji era (1869-1913) when India was still under British rule. Since then, it has adapted to become a national dish and is now one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It differs from the Indian-style curry in that Japanese curry is 1) sweeter, due to the addition of fruits, and 2) thickened by roux--a mixture of flour and fat, also used to thickened the traditional French bechamel sauce, as well as gravies and stews. Cafe Mami's curry sauce contains carrots and potatoes as well as chunks of tender chicken and beef. In the tatsuta curry, the curry is poured over three large tatsuta pieces--chicken tenders marinated in a ginger sauce and deep-fried to a golden brown.

Dennis was a bit skeptical about adding the cheese, but I assured him it was delicious, and soon enough, he agreed. A generous mound of shredded mozzarella is placed atop of the rice and covered with the chicken and curry. The heat of the curry melts the mozzarella onto the rice, making for a fun stringy mess (think of the strands of cheese coming off of hot pizza after you bite into it). As soon as it's in your mouth, you can see how the creaminess of the cheese softens the sharp spiciness of the curry. For "dessert," we each order a Green Tea Milk Shake ($3.50)--a cool delicious treat that tastes just like my favorite green tea ice cream. I am stuffed to the brim and loving every minute of it.

When I go to Cafe Mami, I usually like to bring a group of people, despite the difficulty in seating, so that I can order more of my favorites to eat family style. The Pork Katsu Set and the Yaki Beef Tofu Set (both $8.99) are two of them. With a choice of chicken or pork, the Katsu--or deep-fried cutlet--is served with the traditional sweet Tonkatsu sauce and mustard. The Katsu has a delightfully crispy coating surrounding a tender, juicy meat filet, so it's no surprise that it's a popular favorite. The Yaki Beef Tofu Set consists of thinly sliced beef pan-fried with fresh onions, tofu, and beansprouts in a light, spicy Yaki sauce, served on a sizzling plate. The big taste of the savory beef and onions are balanced well with the fresh clean taste of the tofu and beansprouts, and the hint of spiciness in the undertones of the flavors bring the dish to the next level. If you're in a rush, you can get the same flavors--without the tofu--in the Yaki Don ($5.00 with the lunch special, $7.00 regular), or you can try any of the other Donburi, rice bowls served with your choice of meat, sauce, and various veggies. No matter what you get, you won't be disappointed.

Cafe Mami
1815 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 547-9130
(Red Line: Porter Square)

-Originally Posted: 3/1/2010-

A Day of Chocolate...

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Chocolate is sweet,
And...mmm....chocolate...

As a girl who appreciates the delicious ambrosia that is chocolate--the velvety textures, the bitter and sweet flavors intermingling and exploding in your mouth, the orgasmic rush of hormones to your brain--I naturally couldn't resist the temptation of Groupon's Taste of Chocolate Truffle-Making Workshop. At $45 per person, buying the Groupon meant some serious scrimping on my part, but it was well worth the money.

As Fizzy and I arrive to the workshop, I can smell the heady aroma of the chocolate wafting out into the hallway. We are greeted by two helpers who hand us each a cup of hot chocolate. REAL hot chocolate--not that Swiss Miss crap. It is rich and frothy and probably one of the best drinks I've had in a long time. Note to self: Chocolate + Milk + Vanilla = Heavenly Goodness.

The first part of the workshop is a lecture by our chocolatier, Dorian. He first talks about the history of chocolate and then proceeds to demonstrate the various ways to correctly make truffles. Interspersed with the demonstration, he appeases my inner nerd--I DID major in chemistry--by often referring to the "science of chocolate." Go crystallization curves!

Then comes the fun part--making our own truffles. We are given 3 bars of ganache--the inside yumminess of the truffle--one bar of each flavor: caramel (yum!), raspberry (double yum!) and whiskey (hehehe...). As we roll them into balls, I can't help but start singing to myself: "Rollin'. Rollin' on the river...." (the version of Proud Mary sung by the cast of Glee--yes, I watch Glee, it's my guilty pleasure). I'm pretty sure I've attracted the attention of some of my compadres but, oh well...

Rollin'. Rollin'. Rollin' on the river...

Next, we dip our chocolates, add toppings, and let the shell harden. In total, each person makes approximately 30 truffles, or what is known as my dinner--the $45 had to come from somewhere...

A few weeks later, Fizzy and I decide to take our new skills and make truffles for Valentine's Day gifts. It took what seemed forever but we managed to finish them. And they didn't look half bad, if I do say so myself:

How do they look?

For more information about the chocolate workshop, visit: www.tasteofchocolate.com 

-Originally posted 2/25/2010-

Mango Love

Recently I was at a friend's birthday party and I was at a loss for what to bring. All I knew was that my friend LOVES food and his favorite food is mango. So I promptly Google'd what types of cakes I can make with mango and this was what I found!

Mangomisu - made by Fizzy

Source: http://www.6bittersweets.com/2010/07/catching-up-on-few-birthdays.html

This fantastic creation is exactly what the name sounds like, a tiramisu cake with a mango twist instead of coffee/chocolate. I pretty much followed exactly what the author wrote except I made my own ladyfingers instead of buying them at the store (our past experience with store bought ladyfingers were below par). The general concensus was very, very positive and there was not a single crumb left by the end of 10 minutes.

Favorite comment: "it's an oral orgasm!"