Writing With My Mouth Full

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    • Rayuela

      165 Allen Street between Rivington and Stanton
      212/253.8840
      $103 each for a group of 8, with 3 bottles of wine and tip
      ♥

      As soon as we walked up the steps to sit at our 8-person table, I thought Rayuela had promise. It was a bit too dark to read the menu without holding it up against the lamps, but the lighting made for a very intimate ambiance. We had a reservation and didn’t have to wait to be seated and except to remind the sommelier to bring out our third bottle of wine before our desserts came, service was pretty attentive.

      But what about the food? Rayuela bills itself as a Freestyle Latino which “respects yet redefines contemporary Latin American and Spanish cuisines”. It stays loyal to that all throughout their extensive menu but what’s missing was the warmth of home-cooking I’ve always loved about those cuisines.

      I probably ordered the best ceviche in the group: Siete Potencies or lobster, shrimp, scallop, crab, clams, mussels and octopus in a green tomatillo sauce. The crab and shrimp ceviche in lychee and guanabana citrus sauce was too sweet for me. Did I already mention that all the ceviches came in martini glasses? I could have done without that style.

      I liked my steamed white asparagus with crabmeat, spinach, onions and roasted almonds just fine tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, as well as my octopus and chorizo served with paprika, tomato and olives, which lead me to think that sometimes you should just stay safe rather than sorry. I feel like the more traditional dishes just about made it and the more experimental lacked a coherent bind. Two of us split the duck breast marinated in sugar cane and it didn’t work with the pan-seared foie gras. The arepa was like a hurried addition to make it more Latin. Another person did good damage to her tenderloin, but left all the mushrooms untouched. The Ecuadorian seafood stew, I heard, wasn’t worth the $24 price.

      At least the unlisted Malbec bottle the sommelier offered us for under $60 kept the group happy enough to fork over their hundred dollars. Nice try, Rayuela, but I think I’m okay with arroz con pollo that’s not $22.

      Related post/s:
      Crave Ceviche Bar has some expensive selections but better
      Chef Alex Ureña learned his lesson and reopened as Pamplona

    • Sichuan Chicken

      Sometimes, the best part of leaving filthy New York City is coming home to it. A day after I returned, I picked up my latest farmer’s share and got back in the groove of cooking again. In the Philippines, all the food we ate was done for us whether it was from a restaurant, from a street vendor or from one of my many relatives who cooked us a meal. When I picked up my share of scallions and green peppers, I thought of a stir-fry dish that would be easy to make for my first dinner back.

      I was eating a lot of pork while I was in the Philippines so it wasn’t weird when I wanted to eat something with chicken. I had already gotten the sushi out of the way my first night back–my way of cleansing my system after returning from a vacation–and a quick toss of greens with breast fillets was a no-brainer as a next step towards getting back to my routine.

      I marinated the chicken here overnight, but you can certainly spend less time and just marinate while you chop the rest of the ingredients. I also skipped the peanuts and used sherry vinegar instead of Chinese vinegar for the sauce and that’s why my version is paler than the traditional one. You can use balsamic vinegar as well to get that dark color.

      Ingredients:
      2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, without skin, sliced in smaller pieces
      1 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped
      4 scallions, white parts only, chopped
      4 garlic cloves
      a small knob of ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
      3 Thai chiles, seeded
      1 tsp whole Sichuan pepper
      a handful of roasted unsalted peanuts (optional)
      peanut oil

      For the marinade:
      2 tbsps light soy sauce
      2 tbsps rice wine
      2 tbsps cornstarch
      1 tbsp water
      salt

      For the sauce:
      3 tbsps sugar
      1 tbsp dark soy sauce
      1 tbsp light soy sauce
      3 tbsps sherry vinegar
      1 tsp sesame oil
      1 tbsp water

      1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large container with the chicken pieces. Mix well and set aside in the fridge until ready to cook.
      2. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
      3. Using a large skillet, add some peanut oil and heat over a high flame. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the chiles and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until they are crisp and the oil is spicy and fragrant. Try not to burn them.
      4. Add the chicken and the bell pepper and fry over a high flame, stirring constantly. As soon as the chicken pieces have separated, add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and white. Feel free to drizzle some more peanut oil to add some moisture.
      5. Give the sauce a stir and add it to the skillet, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce has become thick and shiny, add the peanuts, if using and stir them in.

      Related post/s:
      Smoked tofu and celery salad recipe to match
      Sweat your aSs off at Spicy & Tasty

    • The Mermaid Inn

      568 Amsterdam Avenue between 87th and 88th Streets
      212/799.7400
      about $70 for two, with two beers, with tip
      ♥

      I’ve never been big on moderation and that’s why a lot of the time, I find myself eating and drinking too much and paying way more than I can afford. At The Mermaid Inn, the Dr. pushed on the brakes and ordered for both of us while I went to the restroom. He ordered just enough food to keep me happy and full. The half a dozen oysters were from Washington: briny and just delicious. He’s a bigger fan of littleneck clams than I am so I let him finish five out of the other half dozen.

      If I called the shots, I would have ordered a whole roasted fish after the oysters and the littleneck clams that we started with. Instead, we split a bowl of steamed mussels. It hit the spot and our waiter accommodated our request for some extra toasted bread to sop up the leftover aromatic broth.

      Sometimes, you just want a no-frills dinner in the city. At the new branch of the Mermaid Inn, we got just that.

    • Bar Boulud

      1900 Broadway between 63rd and 64th Streets
      212/595.3034
      about $60 each for two, with drinks, with tip
      ♥

      The first time we tried to eat at Bar Boulud, we chose to sit outside with the theater crowd. We were looking at the menu when the heavy wind hit, taking fragile wine glasses with it, shaking the awning violently and scaring the diners enough to make them run inside and to the basement. When it was time for a second visit, I sat at the bar where one of the servers excused himself more than once to use the ham slicer. He heeded my joke about giving me a plate of the jambon for the inconvenience.

      The Thomas Schlesser-designed space is stunning. The long vaulted ceiling reminds you of an old wine cellar as soon as you walk in. Even if the restaurant is full–and even if your purse gets bumped into by the runners multiple times–you still get a feeling of some intimacy and warmth.

      I can’t resist a duck leg confit whenever I’m eating bistro food, so two of us split that after a serving of pea soup with mint crème fraîche and escargots with potato croquettes. The summer beans were a little too chewy for my taste and I wanted the duck meat to give more easily than it did. I can recall better duck confit at Balthazar.

      One of the dessert specials involved blackberries and blueberries so it seemed like the best choice for a summery and tart end to our night. I’m no expert on sweets but I had no clue why whatever came out was chewy and candied. It looked unappetizing. We picked the berries and left the pie barely touched.

      I still remember my experience at Daniel six years ago. It was my first foray into fine dining. The food was something I’ve only read in books and seen in photographs. The bill was the first time my heart skipped a beat inside a restaurant. Though I knew that Bar Boulud would be more casual, I still had high expectations of the food. It wasn’t quite what I expected Chef Boulud would put out and approve of.

      Related post/s:
      I was young then, at Daniel
      You’d feel better at Dovetail if you’re in the upper west side

    • Hearth

      403 First Avenue corner of 12th Street
      646/602.1300
      about $80 each for four, with drinks, with tip
      ♥ ♥

      I don’t think I’ve met a more sincere maitre d’ than the petite woman at Hearth. We didn’t have reservations when four of us stopped by. We were hoping to get seated at the kitchen pass, a first come-first served area where food is served omakase style. They had just seated another group a few minutes before we walked in but the maitre d’ let us have a table in the back.

      The restaurant was buzzing at 8pm so service was a little too slow. It took about 15 minutes to get the chance to order our cocktails and another 15 to actually receive them. We waited another 20 to order our food. I finally waved to the bread guy to get the sommelier’s attention. We didn’t mind, though, because we were able to catch up with our friend from out of town. (The wine list comes with a lot of copy that can keep you entertained while waiting.)

      We started with the New Zealand red snapper crudo with lemon, red pepper and some rosemary. They easily popped in our mouths and they were gone in less than 10 minutes. The fava beans and Pecorino salad was more substantial; the pepperoncini adding just a touch of brightness to the dish’s summer flavor. Our Dame Judi Dench vodkas cooled us down while we waited for our main dishes.

      Our friend liked the tagliatelle with Laughing Bird shrimp, arugula and basil. But the other wasn’t a big fan of the pork belly (!) that came with the Berkshire pork loin, so I ended up picking from his plate. After all, there is nothing more sad than pork belly going to waste. The Dr. and I split the braised veal breast with sweetbreads, peas, carrots and Hen of the Woods mushrooms. We paired the dish with a side of very firm but tender gnocchi. It was hearty and earthy at the same time, and with the bottle of delicious Sao, we fast-forwarded to autumn.

      Hearth reminds me of the early years of The Tasting Room when everything tasted simple. If I wasn’t still mourning the loss of the Alevras’ restaurant, I’d probably make room for Chef Marco Canora and Jordan Frosolone. But like any other Cia favorites, that comes with more than one visit.

      Related post/s:
      My heart was broken into smithereens when The Tasting Room closed
      This kind of New American cooking reminds me of what Dan Barber is doing

    • Sweet Corn Soup with Vanilla Bean and Pancetta

      Serita came back from Bali a couple of weeks ago and brought home fresh–and very fragrant–vanilla beans. I was able to get my hands on a few of them. I wouldn’t have thought about corn soup with vanilla if I didn’t have them, but once I did, I only imagined a soup that was velvety and smooth. I followed an existing vegetable soup recipe as my guide, but I added heavy cream to complement the milk that came from puréeing the corn kernels. To give it some extra body, I added mashed boiled potatoes. The corn was naturally sweet, so adding pancetta just rounded off the taste. It was the perfect balance of salty and sweet; a great appetizer for another Supper with Strangers.

      Ingredients:
      5 fresh corns on the cob, husk and silk peeled off
      1 vanilla bean, scraped
      2 potatoes, peeled, boiled, mashed
      half a pint of heavy cream
      1 tbsp sugar
      a chunk of pancetta, chopped, fried until toasted
      fresh nutmeg
      salt

      1. Steam corn for about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, slice off kernels into a sauce pot. Cook kernels with vanilla and mashed potatoes in low heat until combined. Mix in salt and sugar and stir well.
      2. Transfer to a food processor and purée. Add a little heavy cream in batches until desired smooth consistency is reached. Feel free to add a little water if it’s too thick.
      3. To serve, spoon corn soup in a bowl, sprinkle pancetta and grated nutmeg on top.

      Related post/s:
      Join us at Supper with Strangers once a month
      July Supper with Strangers photos on Flickr
      Asparagus soup recipe

    • Roast Pork Tamales

      Because I bought the roast pork to assemble these tamales, I’ll let you call me lazy. For our second Supper with Strangers, our featured ingredient was corn and we served mini roast pork tamales as amuse-bouches. How lucky was I to discover homemade pork stock from the Dr.’s fridge made from the leftover pig’s trotters I bought last week? (Thanks for letting me gloat.) Sure you can also use store-bought stock, but it made a difference here. Of course, if you roast your own pork, then you can save the stock when you boil the pork before roasting.

      Even though the pork was store-bought, these tamales still required some work. I soaked the dried corn husks for about an hour before I sat down to assemble them, and when the husks weren’t quite pliable, I soaked them overnight. You can get masa harina from the Spanish or Mexican aisle of your grocery store or ask for the flour they use to make tortillas. It should be where the corn husks are if your store is organized.

      Use a whole corn husk if you want to make your tamales bigger and obviously use a larger ball of masa and pork. If they’re bigger, then you can get away with just putting a heavy bowl over them to keep them closed until you’re ready to steam. If making extras for later, store in a resealable freezer bag and steam frozen for an extra 5 minutes.

      Ingredients:
      6 dried corn husks, rinsed clean, soaked in water overnight, dried with paper towel, halved
      2 cups roast pork, shredded with a fork
      2 cups masa harina
      pork stock
      half a stick of butter, melted in the microwave
      chili powder
      salt

      1. Get your masa ready. In a large bowl, combine masa harina with the butter, chili powder, salt and some of the pork stock. Mix with your hands and pour in a little bit of the stock at a time until the consistency is spreadable.
      2. Assemble the tamales. Starting with a spoonful of masa, mix in a bit of the shredded roast pork and make a small ball with your hands. Spread masa with pork on half a corn husk with your fingers. Fold sides until they just overlap and then fold the top and bottom flaps over. You can tear a thin strip of corn husk to use as a ribbon to tie each tamales close.
      3. When ready to cook, boil some water in a large skillet. Steam tamales in a metal colander placed inside the skillet for 15 minutes, covered.

      Related post/s:
      Join us at Supper with Strangers once a month
      July Supper with Strangers photos on Flickr
      North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork recipe
      Find the tamales lady in west Harlem

    • Islands

      803 Washington Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Lincoln Place, Brooklyn
      718/398.3575
      about $40 for three dishes, without drinks, with tip
      ♥

      No roti today? I wanted to make sure I heard correctly. I was so excited to eat at Islands after hearing favorable reviews on places to eat around the Brooklyn Museum, but eating goat curry without fresh, warm roti to wrap the meat and sop up the yellow sauce with just about killed the experience.

      We craned our necks to climb the steep and very narrow stairs to sit where the air conditioning was working properly. With our goat curry, we ordered the Jamaican staple of jerk chicken and the oxtail stew. Whatever disappointment I harbored because I was unable to show off how roti tastes to my friend, who came all the way from New Jersey to hang out with me, disappeared as soon as I had a taste of the oxtail. The meat separated from the large bone right away, with only a slight pull using my fork. I scooped up some of the red orange sauce onto my rice and ate heartily. The chicken was not as jerky as I would like it to be, but we devoured the meat down to the bone. The goat was salty, without the roti and all, so it was barely touched. I would have taken it home if we didn’t plan on being out all day because there’s something about leftover curry that I like.

      Walk down Washington Avenue and you’ll see a few more places to while away your time after a visit to the museum or the botanical garden, including Franklin Park beer garden off St. John’s Place, but do yourself a favor and eat island food that will keep you going all day.

      Related post/s:
      See? I go to Brooklyn
      Roti and everything else in Trinidad

    • Beef Burgers with Blue Cheese

      Burgers are burgers, right? It’s summer and you’ve gone to your fifth barbecue this season and yet, you really haven’t had a decent burger. There must be something you can do to make it more than just a burger. Over the weekend, the Dr. and I invited several people to upstate New York where we rented a house. We drove the night before bringing with us a cooler full of meats I ordered from my CSA share, or Community-Supported Agriculture. I ordered them ahead of time from Lewis Waite Farm in Greenwich thinking of the lamb chops, pig’s trotters and beef burgers we could grill for us and our friends.

      Cameron volunteered to make patties out of the grass-fed ground beef with smoked Gouda cheese and the prerequisites: garlic, onions, parsley. Two days later, I couldn’t help but recreate them at home. I used my grill pan and turned the vent on high to absorb the smoke and the smell. Instead of smoked Gouda, I used the blue cheese I’ve kept fresh in the fridge using Press’n Seal. The flavor is more fierce than the ones Cameron made because of the cheese, but man, did I have an excellent dinner for a Monday night.

      Ingredients:
      1 pound ground beef
      a small chunk of blue cheese, crumbled
      1 medium red onion, finely chopped
      half a bunch of parsley, finely chopped
      3 cloves of garlic, minced
      1 red chile, seeded, finely chopped
      oil, salt, pepper

      1. Combine all ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl with a dash of salt and pepper. Form extra large golf-sized balls with your hands to help them stick together and then gently flatten them out with your palms to form patties.
      2. Heat some oil on a grill pan over medium-high heat. When almost smoking, add the patties to fry. I was able to fit 3 of the 5 patties I made. Using an iron grill press, put on top of the patties to weigh them down. Remove press and flip the burgers slowly using a heat-resistant spatula. Replace the press to cook the other side of the patties. Each side can be cooked medium-rare in about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and finish cooking all the other patties.
      3. Serve sandwiches in toasted buns with some hot pickles and mustard.

      Related post/s:
      It’s like making flat meatballs
      Blue cheese with your burger? It’s all about The Spotted Pig.
      Pickled scotch bonnet peppers are the perfect addition

    • Where to eat in Vancouver, Canada: Japa Dog

      Walk around downtown Vancouver and you’ll come across several hotdog stands flocked by a diverse group of people. I come from a city where there is a hotdog stand on every other block and where a Japanese guy stuffs his face with Nathan’s every Fourth of July, so I’m not new to the Japanese-hotdog combination, but the hotdog from Japa Dog is definitely one of the most satisfying snacks I’ve had in a very long time.

      We’ve been walking all day and the last thing the Dr. wanted to hear was my request to keep walking towards the other direction to buy a hotdog. I tried to explain that the hotdogs have a Japanese flair to them, but there are plenty of days when a Korean boy just won’t listen. I spotted the line of Japanese girls across the street before I realized we were finally on Haro Street. We crossed and joined the queue for the first hotdog drawing that caught my eye.

      The Oroshi is a bratwurst sprinkled with grated daikon and finely chopped scallions with a “special” soy sauce. I was halfway into finishing it when the Dr. finally asked for a taste. I tried to deter him from sharing it with me by telling him, Eh, it’s just a hotdog, but my eagerness to finish it didn’t help. The last bite made an impression on him and he encouraged me to join the queue again to buy another one. This time, I chose the Terimayo: hotdog with mayo and fried onions in teriyaki sauce and nori. If dinner wasn’t in the next hour, I could have eaten another. And perhaps another.

      I pretty much rested my case with the second dog. I might make you walk miles for your food, but most of the time, the work is worth it.

      Japa Dog is on Burrard Street on the corner of Haro in downtown Vancouver, Canada. For five Canadian dollars, you can join the others who have come before you: Ice Cube, Anthony Bourdain, and oh, “that Asian guy from Lost“.

      Related post/s:
      Japa Dog photos and Vancouver, Canada photos on Flickr

    • Where to eat in Vancouver, Canada: Tojo’s

      We were escorted by the maitre d’ to the sushi bar as soon as we walked in for our 7pm reservations at Tojo’s in Vancouver, Canada. While I was trying to hoist myself up on the tall bar seat, I immediately recognized Chef Tojo because Anthony Bourdain sat and ate at the same sushi bar for one of his No Reservations episodes. The chef fucker that I am, I was thrilled that Chef Tojo will be the one preparing our food for the night.

      We didn’t have any concrete plans for our weekend stay in Vancouver, but I made sure that we had a spot at Tojo’s bar for our last night in Canada. When Chef inquired where we came from and we said New York, he asked us if we knew “Mistah Boh-dain.” That man drinks and smokes too much, he said, while pretending to chug and smoke with his hands. When Chef Tojo smiles, his eyes get smaller, and you can’t help but love the cheery old Japanese man in him.

      I promise you that everything you taste here, you’ve never had before. It was a big challenge and we were up for it–armed with an empty stomach and a credit card to swallow the equal exchange rate between the American and Canadian dollars.

      We started off with the albacore tuna with puréed Japanese yam and micro greens. I’ve had the yam before at Sobaya off St. Marks back in the city and really love that consistency which reminds me of the okra goo. It was an excellent start: the tuna was tender yet buttery. There was a subtle trace of ponzu sauce that was just enough to make you want more.

      Just the day before, we were at the Granville Island public market where we salivated over morels that were priced significantly less than in New York. (I suppose everything is.) I would have smuggled them across the border if I had the balls to, but I don’t, so the morels stuffed with scallops on a bed of dandelion greens and sprouts just had to do.

      Crunchy and toasty, I felt sad that I can’t afford to buy morels in the United States to try and replicate this dish at home.

      The next dish put a smile on my face: octopus salad with one of the tentacles’ suction cups and a small edible flower to perhaps sweeten the initial reaction that most people have upon seeing an alien-looking part in their food. Right under the slivers of octopus were julienned daikon and cucumber. I’ve never had octopus sliced this way before; its thinness gave it a slithery texture and I had to slurp each piece down before it had a chance to escape my mouth.

      The next dish was a nice surprise because we definitely never had it before. You know when you eat at a restaurant and you’re offered one dish that makes you think, “This is it!”? That’s how I felt about this one. It had Chef Tojo’s signature all over it. Wrapped in paper, our bowl had a sablefish inside cooked in a broth I can’t even begin to explain. When we unwrapped our bowls, a faint smoke escaped and you just had to close your eyes to catch a whiff of the sophisticated smell. It was one of those dishes that looked simple, and yet tasted so elegantly that you know a lot of thought was put into it.

      Deconstructed, the smokiness of the fish remained and even through the skin, the broth tasted pure and clean. The burdock root and asparagus held the dish together with their crunchiness. I could have ended here and shaken Chef’s hands, but alas five more awaited us.

      The geoduck was referred to as the giant clam. I suppose only a few of us would like to eat anything pronounced “gooey”. It was a typical Japanese roll with mayo and I hardly tasted the clam because of it.

      It seemed that our dishes got more simpler as we progressed. The tamago, or egg, roll with herring roe was nothing new.

      Probably my least favorite was the crab meat with avocado and pineapple roll. I just thought I’ve graduated from rolls with fruit.

      The inside-out broiled salmon skin roll was very delicious, but how about more of the stuff I haven’t tasted before?

      But we finally reached our limit, so I just asked for something with uni to end our meal. Ask and you shall receive at Tojo’s–I received a roll with uni inside. Nothing less, nothing more.

      For dessert, we picked the pineapple ginger sorbet with a black sesame seed cracker. I like pineapple as much as the next guy, but I don’t know what it is about me that can’t deal with too much sweetness in her life. You are what you eat?

      All in all, Tojo’s has its good dishes but very few that elicited a reaction like the sablefish did. It’s like we got the promised VIP performance, but halfway through, we got the same show that everyone else did. Would I go back? Absolutely. Tojo’s is still one of the best places to get sushi in Vancouver, Canada.

      Tojo’s is on 1133 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V6H 1G1. Call 604/872.8050 and reserve a spot at the sushi bar. Be prepared to spend New York City prices, only converted to a stronger Canadian dollar.

      Related post/s:
      Tojo’s photos and Vancouver, Canada photos on Flickr

    • Garlic Scape Pesto

      This season’s prettiest produce is definitely the garlic scape. I’ve received eight stalks so far from my farm share this season. If it weren’t for the garlicky smell, I don’t think its identity would have been obvious to me.

      Garlic scapes are the flower stalks that shoot up from the garlic bulb. They curl up when they’re long, but they’re usually cut off for the garlic bulbs to grow bigger. I’ve used them like minced garlic cloves and I’ve also sliced them thinly to add to breakfast omelets. Pesto, though, is the way to go if you want to use them before they dry up. After a couple of servings of this garlic scape pesto on toasted bread and on gnnochi, I returned the rest of it to the food processor and added fresh basil leaves to tone down the garlicky flavor.

      Ingredients:
      8 garlic scapes, chopped
      a handful of pine nuts
      1 cup Parmiggiano Reggiano, crumbled
      lemon juice
      olive oil
      salt, pepper

      1. Pulse garlic scapes, pine nuts and cheese in the food processor until puréed. Slowly drizzle a little bit of olive oil while pulsing. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Store in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

      Related post/s:
      Add basil leaves to this recipe and make a more subtle pesto
      Mmm, and then press your own Gruyere sandwiches