Writing With My Mouth Full

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    • Roman-Style Veal Cutlets with Sage

      Adapted from Mario Batali’s Saltimbocca alla Romana

      Ingredients:
      4 veal cutlets
      4 fresh sage leaves
      4 slices of prosciutto
      flour for dusting
      3/4 cup dry white wine
      lemon wedges
      salt and pepper

      1. Lay 1 sage leaf lengthwise on each veal cutlet, then wrap a prosciutto slice around each cutlet, encasing the sage. Set aside.
      2. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper and use to coat each cutlet.
      3. In a large skillet with hot oil over medium-high heat, cook cutlets through until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
      4. Add wine to skillet. Cook over high heat until reduced. Pour over cutlets and serve with lemon wedges.

    • Roast Sirloin Steak with Thyme Au Jus

      Adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe using prime rib

      Ingredients:
      1 1-pound sirloin steak
      4 cloves garlic, crushed, thinly sliced
      1 cup red wine
      2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
      salt, pepper, olive oil

      1. Thirty minutes before roasting the steak, remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350º.
      2. Make small slits all over the prime rib and fill each slit with a slice of the garlic. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat some olive oil on a skillet and brown both sides of the steak, just enough to give it color. Set the skillet aside.
      3. Place the meat on a rack with a roasting pan to catch the drippings. Roast for about 15 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the meat to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
      4. Transfer the drippings to the skillet. Add the wine and cook in medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half while scraping the bottom of the skillet. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour on top of the steak.

    • Quickly Shabu-Shabu

      237 Grand Street on Bowery
      212/431.0998
      about $50 for two, without drinks, without tip

      We wanted to stay away from Canal Street to celebrate Chinese New Year and Jase suggested that we do hot pot instead of dim sum. Who am I to say no to soup even at 11am?

      For about $20, one person can have his own hot pot of either vegetables, seafood, beef or both seafood and beef (“surf n’ turf”) in his choice of broth. The fee includes a bubble tea under $2.75 and a few dollars for gratuity. It’s a lot of food for one person and I prefer the Shabu Tatsu way of sharing one big pot, family style but when it’s cheap, you can’t help but eat.

    • Silkie Chicken with Pomegranate

      The Chinese man and I understood each other with just hand signals. I waved my hand against my throat to ask for the head to be chopped off. I shook my hands so that he would understand that the legs also have to go. I had no clue what the gray chicken was in the store until another customer told me it was Silkie chicken. Do I cook it like regular chicken? I asked. Yes, she said, but it’s silkier inside; that’s why it’s expensive.

      When my mother saw it this morning, she recognized it as the manok ng Intsik, Chinese chicken. They’re poofy and they look like they wear pajamas. She said that one of my grandfathers, the Chinese one from her cousin’s side, used to cook the black chickens all the time. Do I cook it like regular chicken? I asked. Yes, she also said, but the meat is moist and it doesn’t dry up like normal chicken. Oh, that’s what the man meant by sirr-kee.

      I Googled it and sure enough, they are from Asia and they are white and poofy. Pajamas aside, Silkies are a rare breed because they have black skin and bones and their feathers look like hair. They are also able to sit (how cuuuute!) and they have five toes (aaaaw!). Because they’re docile, they make good pets.

      Mario Batali had a recipe using game hen. After being convinced that Silkie is just like regular chicken, I went to the grocery store to buy sage, pomegranate and a bottle of Marsala. Never have I needed only three ingredients that took two hours to accumulate. It was almost 2pm when I got back home. I ate some prosciutto and baguette for lunch in between soaking the pomegranate seeds and preheating the oven.

      The recipe was so easy to follow, it took less than an hour to cook. Too easy in fact, that I was skeptical it was going to taste good. I should never doubt my ability to cook because this turned out to be delicious and, well, sirr-kee.

      Ingredients:
      1 Silkie chicken, rinsed and patted dry
      seeds of large pomegranate
      1 cup Marsala
      12 sage leaves
      zest of an orange
      1 stick of butter
      salt, pepper and olive oil

      1. In a small bowl, cover the pomegranate seeds with the Marsala. Set aside, covered, for 1 hour.
      2. Preheat oven to 375º. Season the chicken inside-out with salt and pepper.
      3. Drain the pomegranate seeds and reserve some of the liquid. Stuff the birds with half of the seeds. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
      4. In a large ovenproof sauté pan, heat some butter with the olive oil over high heat. Add 3 sage leaves and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 9 sage leaves and the rest of the pomegranate seeds.
      5. Tranfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle 3 tbsps of the reserved Marsala liquid. Dot the chicken with some more butter and baste with the pan juices. Roast for another 15 minutes or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced.
      6. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, melt the remaining butter over low heat. Add the zest and cook for 5 minutes so that the zest absorbs the butter. Remove from heat.
      7. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the zest and drizzle pan juices with pomegranate seeds over it.

    • Nobu

      105 Hudson Street at Franklin
      212/219.0500
      $200 for four, with a few drinks, without tip

      I went back to Nobu five years after my first time. Nothing has changed except that maybe Leonardo’s posse doesn’t stop by anymore. Their black cod with miso is still very delicious and their yellowtail tartar with caviar still kick my sinuses. Their sushi and sashimi are still worth holding for–they still had four ladies answering the phones during lunch peak next to coat check–but with numerous sushi restaurants in New York City, you can skip Nobu especially if you’re not using your boss’ expense account.

      But if you’re like me and you’re still hungry after a $200-bill for four, the warm apple tart topped with ice cream and served with honey sesame sauce will make your eyes roll. The chocolate soufflé cake with shiso syrup and green tea ice cream is also a great way to end your meal.

    • Oui, Oui, We’re Going to Paris

      Last September, I did something I’ve always wanted to do for my parents: I bought them tickets to France. They’ve never traveled outside of their New York-Philippines route and Paris is one of those places a person has to go to at least once in their lifetime. (Others say that’s Disneyland, but we can have a long discussion about that.) My parents have always wanted to go to Paris but they’re not very adventurous in terms of traveling and spending. My mother just turned 58 and my father is 59 today. I can’t think of a more perfect time to give them, and myself, a treat.

      There was an affordable non-stop flight via Air France to Charles de Gaulle, but I couldn’t help but pick the flight with a stop over at Reykjavik. Our layover is only forty-five minutes each way, but for my own selfish reasons, I’m already thinking of how many vacuum-sealed fish I can buy, duty-free, at the Keflavik airport! Crazy, right? But you’d understand if you were also the type who’d spend $74 on cab fare to eat barbeque ribs from the Houston airport.

      My father is what Filipinos would call maarte. I can’t think of a better English translation than “coquete.” When I first told my parents about going to Paris, my father did not even bat an eyelash. My mom squealed in delight (like mother, like daughter) but my father just pursed his lips, probably still figuring out where the hell Paris is in relation to Manila.

      My father is like your father. He is not mean, but tact has never been his strength (like father, like daughter). From when he refuses to taste anything I cook to saying that he doesn’t really want to see Paris, it doesn’t occur to him that how he reacts or what he says would hurt his daughter’s feelings. My father is of the male species, after all.

      So the last few months, he has refused to read any books about France or look at the Paris map I’ve bought to get them oriented. My mom has been reading the guide books I gave her and she’s been checking off tourist spots she wants to see in person. (In the movie Constant Gardener, one of the characters said, Adam was God’s prototype; he got it right with Eve.) But my father has been saying things like I’ll just take the next flight back to New York if I don’t like it. He kept his mouth shut after I suggested that he might want to look at the metro map to get his aSs back to the airport without us.

      The other day, my mom told me to be nicer to my dad. That in fact behind closed doors, he has been asking my mom if I am making reservations at some fancy restaurants and if he needs to pack his suit. My mom reminded me that whenever we go anywhere together, even in the city, he’s the first one to pose for a photograph. He’s just being maarte, she said.

      So we’re going to Paris and we’re traveling as a family–sans my older brother–for the first time in our lives. I just want my parents to enjoy the trip and know that their daughter is thinking of them.

    • Barney Greengrass

      541 Amsterdam Avenue, corner of 86th Street
      212/724.4707
      about $40 for two, without drinks, without tip

      An institution more than just a trendy brunch place, Barney Greengrass serves the best smoked sturgeon in the city. The fish is perfect with scrambled eggs and onions even at $14 a pop. It’s probably the only place I’d actually enjoy salmon and lox with potatoes and not cringe at the $44 bill for two at the end. (No worries, that includes coffee and orange juice plus toasted bagels and cream cheese.) If you like your caviar, this is the place to order them. They even deliver overnight to your house in the Hamptons, you know, if you actually have a home in the Hamptons.


      Matzo ball soup


      Cameron’s salmon with eggs and onions

      They don’t need your business at Barney Greengrass. They do well with just the upper west side residents lining up outside during the weekends. The service is too hasty but attentive in that New York City kind of way; don’t expect to be buttered up here unless you’re a regular or if your name is Richard Dreyfuss. (I only name him because I’ve seen him eat here during one of my visits.) The maître d’ screams to get your attention when it’s your turn to be seated but the food is too good–and the day is too early–to pay attention to such trivial matters.

    • Pasha

      70 West 71st Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
      212/579.8751
      about $100 for two, with two drinks, without tip

      After a half bottle of Moillard, we just couldn’t shake off the idea of lamb for dinner. Fortunately, Pasha was around the corner of the wine bar we were in. Even with the coat-check girl’s attitude, (If they find you a table, it will be uncomfortable because you don’t have a reservation.) we enjoyed their grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts and currants. I’m going to have to copy this appetizer, also known as yaprak sarmai. We also shared the artichoke braised in lemon while we devoured their delicious bread in virgin olive oil. For a main course, I don’t think I’ve ever had a better hunkar begendi, baby lamb with puréed grilled eggplant. The smokiness of the eggplant was a great compliment to the tomatoes that were braised with the lamb. The meat was tender but not overdone.

      Minus the coat-check girl–there’s a reason why she’s stuck with the coats–the service was notable. Perhaps it was quick because the maître d’ told us he would need our table after an hour even before we were seated but it didn’t feel like the waiters rushed us. They let us enjoy our meal and we actually did.

    • Jane

      100 West Houston Street, off Thompson
      212/254.7000
      about $100 for two, with two drinks, without tip

      We needed a table for six during peak dinner hour and Jane called us from a taxi cab on Houston. Seated in the back booth next to the kitchen, we were able to make noise that was way above the hushed tones of the entire restaurant. We started with a bowl of mussels and a plate of calamari. The tarragon in the mussels was a good burst of flavor but the Chardonnay broth was hardly slurpable; it needed some ginger to make it more hearty. My rare yellow fin tuna was excellent, served with spinach, shiitake mushrooms and fingerling potatoes in warm barigoule sauce.

      The rib eye steak was very tasty with roasted garlic butter which came with a plate of giant onion rings. Never have I ignored good onion rings because of an even better steak.

      On a Thursday night, the special was lamb with pasta that was only so-so but their dessert menu included warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk with vanilla gelato that surely sealed the deal: we like Jane.

    • Li Hua

      171 Grand Street on Baxter
      212/343.0090
      about $25 for two, without drinks, without tip
      ♥ ♥

      Perhaps the only Korean restaurant near Chinatown, Li Hua attracts a lunch crowd willing to pay $9 for a lunch box of bulgogi, fried zucchini, salad and rice. For us coming from an office in SoHo, $9 isn’t bad; it’s even better when food under $10 is not Chinese.

      Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but now that we’re situated in Chinatown, we’ve pretty much exhausted our Chinese food options. Li Hua impressed me with their yuk gae jang and chap jae noodles. Their special ramen bowl is also comforting at less than $7. When I’m feeling hungry, their hot stone bibimbap is worth it.

    • Oxtail Butcher’s-Style

      Adapted from Mario Batali’s Coda alla Vaccinara

      Ingredients:
      2 lbs calf oxtails, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
      3 tbsps tomato paste
      3 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped
      1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
      4 ribs of celery, leaves reserved, stalks finely chopped
      1 red bell pepper, julienned
      1 large red onion, thinly chopped
      2 cloves of garlic, minced
      3 strips of bacon, cut into pieces
      1 cup dry white wine
      a pinch of ground cinnamon
      2 tbsps sherry vinegar
      salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, olive oil

      1. Bring 12 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add the oxtails and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the oxtails and save 2 cups of the broth. In the 2 cups of broth, dissolved the tomato paste.
      2. In a large Dutch oven, heat some olive oil and cook the bacon. Brown the oxtails on both sides and transfer them to a plate.
      3. Add garlic, onions, carrots and half the parsley to the pot and sauté until carrots are tender. Return the oxtails and add the wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the wine is reduced in half.
      4. Pour the tomato-broth mixture over the oxtails. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Then add the celery, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the oxtails to a platter.
      5. Remove the meat from the bones. (This is a pain in the aSs but the meat should come off easily and a boning knife will help you get into the nooks.) Stir the meat into the sauce to warm it up. Season with salt and pepper.
      6. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the celery leaves, the remaining parsley, bell pepper, onion, pepper flakes and cinnamon together. Toss with some olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve this on top of the oxtail meat.

    • Cheese Tortellini Kielbasa Soup

      I got this recipe from Cameron who got it from epicurious.com. It’s one of our favorite cold-weather soups. I’ve done several versions of this, and actually like it better without the beans. Sometimes, I use orzo or leftover boiled white rice if I don’t have tortellini available. Because I usually make my own chicken stock, I end up cooking this soup as soon as I’ve removed all the impurities that float to the top.

      Ingredients:
      1 9-ounce package cheese tortellini
      1 packaged fully-cooked smoked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
      1 15-ounce can cannellini, or white kidney beans, rinsed, drained
      1 bunch kale, thoroughly washed, roughly chopped
      1 medium-sized fresh fennel bulb, roughly chopped
      1 onion, roughly chopped
      4 garlic cloves, minced
      2 tbsps fresh thyme, chopped
      1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
      10 cups chicken stock
      1 cup Asiago cheese or Parmesan cheese, shaved
      salt, pepper, olive oil

      1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic until golden, onions until translucent, fennel until soft and kielbasa is brown, about 12 minutes.
      2. Add broth and bring to boil. Stir in thyme, kale and cannellini. Reduce heat to low and simmer until kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
      3. Add tortellini to soup. Simmer until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve and let your guests top it with cheese.