August 2006
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
« Jul   Sep »
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Day August 29, 2006

Entries 3 Total

Fatty Crab

Aug 29, ’06 4:57 PM

643 Hudson Street between Gansevoort and Horatio Streets
212/352.3590
about $70 for two, with three drinks, without tip
♥ ♥

Chef Zak Pelaccio is my kind of guy because he would fry pork belly until it’s crispy and serve it with watermelon chunks and its rind, pickled. The result is a delicious balance of saltiness with juiciness and just the right amount of sourness. I can live with just this dish for a while.

The rest of the menu is also good. During our first visit, we tried the quail egg shooters after I was alerted by a reader about an oyster-sake version. Four quail eggs are lightly poached and topped with sambal oelek, a traditional Indonesian spice; the other three come with a single anchovy and shredded dried pork floss. We also ordered the Jalan Alor chicken wings named after what used to be the Red Light District of Kuala Lumpur but where the best street food stalls are now located. It was a messy ordeal trying to eat them with our fork and spoon, and then later, with our hands. A very large serving of short rib Rendang came braised with kaffir lime, coconut and chili. It was absolutely delicious but I wished it wasn’t $20–I would like it in a smaller portion for half the price.

We sat at the bar at 7:30pm on a Monday night and just made it before people started lining up outside to get the next table. It’s warm near the kitchen and with all the spicy food we were eating, we felt like we were actually in southeast Asia; Tiger and San Miguel beers flowed between my brother and I. An extra star for the spoon and fork setup, the oscillating fan on the ceiling, Chef de Cuisine Corwin Kave in baseball cap, and of course, the porn in the bathroom.

Comments (0)

Korea: Jjorim Fish Stew

Aug 29, ’06 10:58 AM

Simmering meats or fish for a long time is what Koreans call jjorim. Usually a soy sauce-based marinade is used to make jjorim stew. This is Nabi’s mother’s recipe but she’s adapted it to make a vegetarian version with tofu. I copied and used both fish and tofu and it turned out to be the perfect bowl to nurse during a rainy day. I julienned a carrot and a radish while I roasted a small sweet potato. I put them all together in a pot with some firm tofu, poured over the soy sauce marinade and topped them with a beautiful cod fillet. The saltiness of the soy sauce evaporated when I put everything into a low simmer; I turned off the heat when the fish was white enough to look tender.

Ingredients:
1 1-pound black cod fillet
1 package of firm tofu, diced
1 small daikon radish, julienned
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small sweet potato, roasted, sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
5 tbsps soy sauce
2 tbsps white wine
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsps red chili flakes
a small knob of ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 garlic, minced

1. Mix and stir all the liquid together with the maple syrup, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes to make marinade.
2. In a Dutch oven, layer all the vegetables and tofu. Pour the marinade into the pot. Add the vegetable stock. Top with the fish.
3. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Top with roasted seaweed.

Related post/s:
More Cooking the World recipes: China
About Cooking the World: Global Gastronomy Food Project

Comments (0)

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Grape Gelée

Aug 29, ’06 9:00 AM

This didn’t come out as pretty as I had hoped. I forgot to dip the set panna cotta gelée ramekins in warm water before unmolding for a smoother finish, but at least they came out deliciously purple. This was adapted from Gourmet Magazine. I took advantage of the fresh seedless grapes at Fairway and the leftover gelatin packets in my cupboard. I rarely make desserts but the last couple of summers, I’ve gotten the hang of making gelée and panna cotta. To test the waters, I only made two of these and excluded the grappa on both the gelée and the panna cotta–they still turned out yummy.

Ingredients:
For gelée:
1 tsp of unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup all-natural grape juice
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup seedless grapes, thinly sliced crosswise
oil for greasing ramekins

For panna cotta:
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
a pinch of salt

1. Make gelée. Sprinkle gelatin over half of the grape juice in a heavy saucepan and let stand for 1 minute to soften. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve gelatin. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining grape juice with the grapes and the lemon juice. Lightly oil the ramekins and put in a shallow baking pan. Divide grape mixture evenly among ramekins and chill in freezer for about 30 minutes or until gelée is set.
2. Make panna cotta while gelée sets. Stir in gelatin and half of the cream in another heavy saucepan and let stand for 1 minute to soften. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the gelatin. Add the rest of the cream with sugar and return to a simmer until sugar is dissolved. Whisk together yogurt and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour in cream mixture and whisk until combined well.
3. Pour mixture into ramekins over set gelée and chill, covered with Saran wrap, until firm, about 8 hours.
4. To unmold, run a thin sharp knife along the edge of the ramekin to loosen. Dip in a small bowl of very warm water for about 6 seconds. Invert a plate over each ramekin and then invert panna cotta gelée onto plates, gently lifting off ramekins.

Related post/s:
Gelée with blackberries
Making gelée with sake
Coffee panna cotta

Comments (0)