Writing With My Mouth Full

Pickled Scotch Bonnet Peppers

It always tempts us: that clear, glass jar stuffed with peppers, carrots and onions, drowned in vinegar. We know it’s going to hurt, but it’s one of those things we can’t help but eat when we’re on some island in Central America. The coasts of Belize, Costa Rica and most recently, Nicaragua, reminded us that African slaves were imported by the Spanish to fulfill their labor needs. Slave traders supplied the colonies with their human cargo, and as they intermingled, they formed ethnic groups like the Creoles. The settlers adapted to their new homes and passed on their beloved cultures and histories to the next generations.

Scotch bonnet pepper is just one of the ingredients that make Creolan food livelier than the rest. They are related to habaÃ±eros, only they “cause dizziness, numbness of hands and cheeks, and severe heartburn” when eaten raw. When I made jerk chicken, I had to wear disposable gloves before I handled them to avoid trouble. But there is no gain without the pain, so I attempted to make my own and relive our time on the islands. A day later, I served it on the side with roasted pork ribs on the bone, and the rest of the night was, well, spent at home. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Ingredients:
2 palm-fulls of scotch bonnet peppers, some halved
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, cut in matchsticks
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small knob of ginger, peeled, sliced thinly
white vinegar
salt

1. In a sauce pot, simmer the garlic and ginger in the vinegar with some salt. Add carrots and peppers. Keep the fire low and stir ocassionally to avoid the vinegar from boiling.
2. When vinegar is somewhat reduced, remove the garlic and discard. Taste the liquid at your own risk. Season with some salt. Turn off the heat and let cool before transferring to a glass jar. Keep in room temperature for at least eight hours and then refrigerate to preserve. Serve a small portion when needed.

Sushi Zen

108 West 44th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues
212/302.0707
$190 for two people with sake, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥

You have a favorite spot when you’re craving something and you just know that whenever you go, it would not disappoint. This is how I feel about Sushiden, my restaurant of choice when I crave sushi after having been away from the city. When the Dr. and I return from a vacation, the first full meal we eat the next day is sushi. It’s like a cleansing ritual for us; to rid off a lot of fried foods from Central America or decadent meals eaten in Europe. When we came back from Nicaragua, Sushiden was closed, but we found Sushi Zen a few blocks away.

And what a find it was. The fish of the day was a special kind of yellow snapper flown in from Japan. It tasted like Japan was only ten minutes away. It was so fresh and so buttery, I couldn’t help but order two pieces. (Which probably explains our bill at the end of the night.) The bowl of seared tuna with yuzu, sprouts and pea shoot leaves was a great indication of a great meal. The pea shoot was a little peppery and it gave a nice contrast to the citrusy flavor of the broth and highlighted the freshness of the tuna. We were impressed with the salmon tagine, which simmered only in Japanese scallion broth, some miso and hot peppers. It reminded me of Korean chigae, only more pure than any stew I’ve ever tasted. The giant clam was sliced to look like enoki mushrooms waving on my plate–tender with good texture. The jack mackerel wasn’t as oily as I expected and the kelp rolled with the fatty tuna helped me from rolling my eyes in superlative appreciation.

And Anthony Bourdain said sushi on Mondays is a bad thing!

Related post/s:
My favorite sushi place, Sushiden

‘cesca

164 West 75th Street on Amsterdam Avenue
212/787.6300
$280 for four people with eight glasses of drinks, without tip
â™¥ â™¥ â™¥

Ah, the upper west side, you keep surprising me. ‘cesca has been on our list of places to eat for the past year because Cameron lives around the corner. After Telepan, I’m more confident to pick a restaurant in the upper west side even if it bills itself as a family-owned Italian restaurant. (I don’t have any good experiences to write about family-owned Italian restaurants in Little Italy and the space next door has turned over more than I can count.) The ‘cesca menu looked good the first time I read it from the outside of the restaurant and it looked good the night we visited. Four of us were seated in the wine nook; a table fit for ten became our own private space for three hours. The sommelier, a giant with a short ponytail, selected for us a light red wine after our glasses of Prosecco.

The octopus sopressata, so called because it’s dried, pressed and sliced thinly, reminded me of the octopus carpaccio we ate in Prague. The pickle-ly taste offset the bitter mustard greens. I couldn’t pass up the chance to try their veal meatballs. They were served in a clear, hot broth, perfect for the harsh temperature outside. The Parmigiano gave it a beefier, fuller taste. We also shared a third appetizer, the escarole salad with tuna, fennel and pomegranates. While we waited for our two main dishes, we were served a complimentary course of faro wheat. We didn’t really understand how we became so lucky, but our waiter quietly mentioned Babbo when we asked. I think he overheard us talking out our most recent experience at Babbo and appreciated the fact that we like our authentic Italian food. (I think taking photos of food really helps.) The special of the night was a seafood risotto and we divided that with a rack of lamb chops and servings of broccoli rabe and roasted Brussel sprouts that tasted like fresh potato chips. To tell you the truth, I enjoyed my medium-rare lamb so much I don’t even remember tasting the risotto. During our espressos, we split the panna cotta with mixed fruit compote and the warm chocolate cake with crÃ©me fraiche. I really won’t make fun of the upper west side again.

Shrimp Hot and Sour Soup

Brrrr. It’s winter in New York City! This soup warmed the deepest of my organs.

Ingredients:
1 pound of shrimps with heads and tails saved, peeled and deveined
chicken stock
1 bunch cilantro, thoroughly rinsed
1 bunch watercress, thoroughly rinsed
2 red chilies
1 small knob of galangal or ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, pounded with a pestle
lime juice
fish sauce
sambal oelek
shrimp paste, to taste
peanut oil

1. In a large pot, heat some peanut oil and add the shrimp heads and tails until they turn orange, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the lemongrass and the ginger with the stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the shells and heads. Return the stock to the pot.
3. Add lime leaves, scallions, mushrooms, cilantro and watercress. Cook for less than 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimps and cook for another 3 minutes. Adjust the broth taste by adding lime juice, fish sauce, sambal oelek and shrimp paste.

Tomato Bread Soup

I had everything I needed in the kitchen. What could I make that’s easy, quick and filling? This soup took about 30 minutes to make and fulfilled a soup craving during brunch.

Ingredients:
3 vine-ripe tomatoes
3 slices from a day-old loaf of Italian bread, cut into smaller pieces
1 quart vegetable stock
5 slices of bacon
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
fresh basil leaves, torn
salt, pepper, oil

1. Score a cross in the bottom of the tomatoes and place in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and plunge in a bowl of cold water to peel the skin off. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Chop the tomato flesh and set aside.
2. Preheat oven 400Âº. Bake bacon for 8 minutes or until crispy. Let drain on a paper towel. Chop coarsely and set aside.
3. Heat some oil in a pot. SautÃ© the garlic and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring ocassionaly. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the bread and cook until the bread softens and absorbs some of the liquid.
4. Season with salt and pepper and stir in some olive oil. Top with bacon bits.