One of the great food-related gifts I received from my parents was an early appreciation for Asian food. As the story goes, they would make stir-fries and wash the spicy bits off, until I was about 3 or so and demanded to eat everything fully spiced. I'm not sure of how accurate this story is, but I do know that I love pretty much all types of Asian cooking, the spicier the better.

Back then, of course, Chinese was the big thing-- easily accessible outside urban areas, and very much Americanized. Now there's a Thai restaurant on every corner, and Vietnamese, Malaysian, Japanese, Cambodian, Korean, and many more... and in many places you can get Chinese that consists of more than Chop Suey, and is acually accurate for its region. (Supposedly there are eight main Chinese cooking traditions, although I believe that is debated.)

(A note to mollify my parents, if they are reading-- they certainly never prepared or purchased anything as prosaic as chop suey or egg foo yong.)

Now, my favorite flavor profile is the salty-sweet-fishy-yummy taste of Thai and Vietnamese food made with lots of fish sauce. It's all part of the greater taste sensation of umami, which in context can make my mouth water like nothing else.

But sometimes I want those flavors to be easy to come by. I don't always want to go out to dinner, or get take out, or work too hard for any sort of cultural or culinary authenticity.

Faux Thai Pasta fulfills this need. Basically, it's pork meatballs over rice noodles in a spicy peanut sauce. It's got lime, fish sauce, peanut, chili paste, cilantro, and vegetables, and only takes about half an hour to prepare. Click the link to check out the recipe.

When I was in law school in Michigan, and I lived in the dorm for the first summer, I had a little electric wok and a teensy fridge, and I ate a version of this almost every day, made with a packet of ramen noodles, a lime, p.b., soy sauce, and chopped scallions. (I was very poor. I don't necessarily recommend it as an everyday meal!)

The Portland Press Herald ran a story over the weekend that featured various Jewish families getting ready for the Passover holiday. Reading about all of the cleaning, and cooking, and removing of chametz, I found myself wondering when they were going to get to the point of Passover-- the food! There's a brief mention at the end of the article of gefilte fish, never my favorite traditional food (in a word: blech), but so much was left out. I'd wager that for most American Jews, like those in my family, Passover doesn't actually include any wall-washing or sink-bleaching, or even abstaining from leavened bread. What it does include is a celebration of friends, family, and freedom.

But most importantly, it's a celebration of food.

When else do we have the opportunity or reason to prepare those recipes our grandmothers and great-grandmothers brought over from whatever 'old country' they called home? When I was a child my family spent every Passover on Long Island with my paternal grandparents. Under normal circumstances the fare at "Nanni and Grandpa's" was as American as it comes--my grandpa Gerry was a particular fan of pork chops, if I remember correctly. But come Passover my grandmother became the quintessential Jewish grandma--she made her own horseradish by grinding the roots by hand; her matzoh ball soup featured both soft and hard matzoh balls; her chopped liver was the highlight of the meal for my dad (again: blech).

This year, inspired by our on-again, off-again Sunday night dinners we enjoy with some dear friends, a group of us came together and created our own seder, complete with haggadahs cobbled together from the internet (I particularly enjoyed the Open Source Haggadah). Only two of us of the six at the meal were raised Jewish, but I think that everyone who attended got the flavor of the traditions, and had a great time. Not to mention got to eat some phenomenal food.

The menu included a beef brisket smothered in caramelized onions (adapted from a recipe in the Hannaford Fresh magazine), carrot-leek soup, my own charoset, a vegetarian faux-chopped liver made with green beans (can someone send me that recipe, btw? not blech), potato kugel, carrot/prune tsimmes, and a salad. And, of course, the symbolic foods: salt water, matzoh, horseradish, a piece of paper that was supposed to be a lamb shank, a roasted egg, and a piece of lettuce. If you're interested in all of these symbolic foods and what function they serve in the seder, look here.

Everything was delicious, we all drank a bunch of red wine (not Manishevitz), and we ended the night with an intense debate about Ironman triathlons, and whether people who do them have issues. (It's a fairly sedentary group, so our conclusions were undoubtedly biased.)

Here's my recipe for charoset. And a note to the Press Herald: writing an article about Passover and only interviewing people who either clean out the chametz, create special kitchens, or eat off paper plates is sort of like writing an article about Christmas and only interviewing people who go to midnight Mass--you're missing a lot of peoples' perspectives!

Ingredients

3 apples, chopped into 1 cm pieces (I like to use a mix of apples; this year I used gala, granny smith, and fuji)
2 t ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 T honey
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
Juice of 1 lemon
Splash sweet vermouth

Mix everything in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour so the flavors can meld.

Easter is traditionally one of those food holidays, probably growing out of its roots and connection to Passover. It's also always been one of my favorites, especially because it usually features ham, one of my favorite meats. (There was some paranoia in my household when I was a child about nitrates or nitrites or something like that, which lead to me being unjustly denied my rightful amount of ham. I've been spending the rest of my life trying to make up for that early disappointment. Sniff.)

Under normal circumstances, Otis and I head to Chicopee, MA, where his Gramma lives. However, this year I just felt spent-- starting a new job, a lot of wedding-related activities coming up for my friend Alysia, and and overall case of the 'spring' blahs-- so I played the bad wife and stayed home. At the last minute, my friend Kendall invited me to an Easter dinner hosted by her BFF, the lovely Leslie of Aurora Provisions.

And what a lucky Easter ducky I was! An incredibly diverse and fascinating group of 20+ folks came together to feast, toast, and chat. A lot of the attendees are active in the Slow Food Portland group. Some were farmers, including John and Stacy of Broadturn Farm and their daughters. Some were restauranteurs, including the couple who are opening Bonobo Pizza, a brick oven pizzeria, in the former Supreme location on the corner of Pine and Brackett. (Otis wants to know the connection between sex-crazed monkeys and pizza. If anyone knows, please advise.) Tom and Sarah Flanagan of Flanagan Fine Art were there, along with their charming children. I also met Karl and Margaret Hathaway Schatz, and got to learn about her upcoming book, the Year of the Goat, and meet their sweet baby Charlotte.

All in all it was a lovely afternoon. Not to mention the delicious, delicious food, most of which was kosher for Passover and chametz-free...morroccan spiced lamb roast, savory matzoh brie, fish balls, roasted asparagus, chicken with preserved lemon, potato kugel, and much more. I rolled on home about 5 with a full belly and the glow of having had a day of great conversation. I still feel a little bit guilty about missing the Baron family Easter, though. I hope they'll forgive me.

Unfortunately, since I didn't do any of the cooking, I have no recipes from Easter. But, Kendall came over for chicken curry on Tuesday, and suggested I share that recipe since she enjoyed it so much.

Here it is!

The past week has been so full of deliciousness I don't even know where to begin. Friday night was Tu Casa with Ron and Diane. Otis and Ron both destroyed enormous Plato Montaneros (steak, rice, beans, plantain, avocado, fried egg) while Diane had some taquitos and I attempted, and failed, to eat an entire burrito. As usual, everything was delicious, cheap, and the hot sauce flowed like water. Mmm.

Sunday was the wedding shower for my dear friend Alysia, at her parents' house in Falmouth. The spread was incredible, with fruit salad, shrimp salad, bagels, cream cheese, and lox, pound cake, pineapple walnut cake, and the two quiches and a strata thing brought by yours truly. The quiche was a big hit-- it's the same recipe my mother has always made, and it's absurdly easy and completely non-authentic (no custard needed!). I'm going to include that recipe below. The strata/baked bread is my mother-in-law Jane's recipe, and it's delish, with lots of cheese and linguica.

Luckily for us, we never lost power during the crazy storm, although the wind was blowing so hard it was hard to hear the dialogue on the James Bond movie we were watching. Oh, the humanity! It was such a nasty day even the dog didn't want to go outside. Which made it perfect for comfort food: roasted garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and chicken breast with a black-pepper/balsamic reduction pan sauce. Even though I overcooked the asparagus (bad Marya! Shocking!) it was a delicious and cozy meal to enjoy while the wind howled outside.

On Tuesday we met Ravinder and Katey for burgers at Wild Willy's in South Portland, on a tip that they serve the best burger in town. I wouldn't go that far, but they were tasty and pretty cheap. My main complaint was that my medium-rare was more like medium, which is pretty damn annoying.

And finally, last night Otis prepared mustard-crusted wild salmon, adapted from Mario Batali's wonderful Babbo Cookbook, with scallion quinoa and fennel salad.

We are so spoiled.

I'll try to get it together to include more recipes later. For now, here's my mom's quiche. The fun thing about this recipe is that you can do whatever you want with it, and it's practically impossible to mess up. (Once I forgot to add the eggs. It ened up pretty watery, but still tasted pretty good.) It doesn't rely on a traditional custard base, so it's not going to break. I like it vegetarian, but you could toss in some ham or cooked bacon lardons. Or use a mix of cheddar and monterey jack, use red and green peppers for the vegetables, and add some minced chipotles in adobo.

We were lucky enough to have our first BBQ of the season be glorious. Jenn and Matt invited us over for the Survivor finale and burgers. And oh-- what delicious burgers they were. Juicy, rare, perfectly cooked, with grilled onions, and slabs of blue cheese.

We offered to bring sides, which Otis executed because I was lazily napping away the afternoon in the living room with the windows open and the curtains swaying in the breeze. Zeke was nice enough not to lick me to wake me up, as he was in the kitchen watching anxiously lest any pieces of cabbage or green bean fall to the floor. He takes his responsibility as floor cleaner very seriously.

As Otis takes his BBQ responsibilities very seriously. First he made green bean salad-- a simple enough preparation, green beans roasted with garlic oil & S&P, then chilled with a touch of balsamic.

He also made a fabulous yellow cole slaw, adapted from the book Peace, Love and Barbeque. (If you've never seen this book, check it out. In addition to some amazing recipes, it's a wonderful narrative, full of stories and anecdotes from barbeque culture.)

We've been eating the slaw all this week. It just gets better. Here's the recipe:

1/8 cup pickle juice
3/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 T annatto oil (optional. this is what makes it yellow.)
1 t pepper
1 t salt
1 t celery seed
1 t mustard powder
1 t sugar
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 1/4 cup mayo
1 cabbage, shredded (we use our glorious cuisinart. thanks mom!!)
4 carrots, shredded
1 small onion, shredded.

Mix everything together and chill.

Enjoy the spring and summer! We've had a little weather setback here, and it's back down to the 50s during the day, and rainy. I'm sure it will turn around soon. Plus, the rain is good for the garden. Our azalea is getting ready to flower!

My mom was nice enough to bring up a copy of Mark Bittman's article in the New York Times about grinding your own burger meat, and how a) that's the new trend, and b) it's way better.

All I can say is, Otis and I were wayyy ahead of that trend. I asked for, and received, the kitchenaid food grinder attachment for one of my holiday gifts a couple of years ago. For about six months it sat in its little box, languishing away.

But then! We began grinding here, grinding there, grinding thither and yon! I think I mentioned in my previous posting about Thai meatballs that grinding the meat for those is the way to go. Well, the grinder also makes incredible meat for loaf, and, (coming to the point of this post) makes some damn tasty turkey meatballs.

I was especially pleased to learn when I returned home from work today that Otis is planning on making tortellini with turkey meatballs for dinner tomorrow. (Tonight is leftover bbq pork and corn on the cob with garlic oil. Hey, there's that garlic oil again...))

Anyway, coming to the point. Turkey meatballs! You need a grinder for this, obviously.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless turkey breast, very cold
2 stale dinner rolls, torn into pieces
S&P
Basil, oregano, other herbs to taste
2 eggs, beaten

To Prepare:
Grind the turkey and the bread through the grinder on coarse
Mix in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients
Form into small round balls
Fry in a small amount of olive oil until cooked through

OK. That was not a very exciting recipe, especially if you don't have a grinder. How's this for a teaser... we bought four thai chile plants this weekend, each of which should yield 200+ hot-as-hell chiles. Coming soon: lots of hot stuff!

Until I was about 27 I had a visceral horror of all thing mayonnaise related. Something about the combination of creaminess, blandness, and viscosity really grossed me out, and it was extreme-- I would send back sandwiches that had even a trace of mayo on the bread, and forget about pasta or potato salad with mayo-based dressing.

Slowly, however, over the past few years, I've begun to appreciate mayo as a flavor vector. I still couldn't stomach just plain mayo on a sandwich, but with the help of garlic aeoli and other complementary sauces, I've realized that a mayo-based sauce, as long as it has a lot of other flavors, can be really delicious.

Due to a variety of work and personal factors I've been an extra-lazy cook lately, and Otis has been picking up the slack, but this Tuesday I decided to make up for it by making a quintessential summer supper: shrimp salad for the main course, and blueberry crumble for dessert.

Against all weather-man odds, it turned out to be a gorgeous summer day, so my hour in the kitchen with a hot oven wasn't ideal. But the supper turned out to be absolutely delicious.

I adapted the shrimp salad recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

Shrimp Salad

1. Boil 1 lb shrimp in 2 cups of water with the juice of three lemons, the lemon rinds, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon each black peppercorns and salt. (About 5-10 mins, depending on the size of the shrimp.)
2. When the shrimp are done (pink and opaque) remove them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Remove and dry.
3. Drain and reserve the shrimp stock, and place in the freezer, never to be seen again. (That's what I did. Hopefully I'll actually remember it's there and do something with it.)
4. Whisk together 1/4 cup mayo, the juice of 1 lemon, 3 tablespoons minces chives (I used chives from our container garden! whoopee!), and 2 tablespoons chipotle mustard. Season to taste.
5. Cut shrimp into appetizing bite-sized pieces and mix into the dressing.
6. Serve over watercress dressed with a quick squeeze of lemon juice.

That's it! Although if you're hungry, I might double the recipe...Otis ate about 3/4 lb of the shrimp. I think he spent all day working outside on a deck or something, so he deserved it. (He also ate 2 sourdough dinner rolls.)

For the blueberry crumble, I also adapt a Cook's Illustrated recipe. It's really easy:

1. Macerate the blueberries with sugar and lemon zest for about 1/2 an hour.
2. Process together flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and sliced almonds. Bake on a parchment-covered cookie sheet until light brown.
3. Mix 1 T of cornstarch in with the berries (mix with a little water 1st to avoid clumping)
4. Put the blueberries in a square pyrex, and cover with the crumble, crumbled.
5. Bake for about 1/2 hour.

Serve warm, with a dollop of whipped cream if you have it. Or, do like the Brits and just pour some cream or half-and-half over it. Best thing to come out of English cuisine since the fish finger.

When Otis read my turkey meatball entry he was shocked to see I didn't include his turkey meatball recipe, which is much better than mine. So here are the ingredients-- I think you can figure it out from there.

1 1/2 lb ground turkey
1/3 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 or 2 small dinner rolls, toasted and processed
1 beaten egg
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/8 t white pepper
1/4 t crushed red pepper
2 T garlic oil
1/4 t oregano
1 T parsley flakes

He makes these up and serves them with pasta and a yummy cream sauce. They're also good in sandwiches.

After a fabulous week in Montreal (why we didn't make it to San Francisco is a long story), full of good food and lots of walking, we returned for a crazy week of BBQ and work.

The CSA for the fourth included lots of yummy vegetables, many of which are our favorites.

1 head romaine
1/4 lb mixed greens
1/4 lb lettuce mix
1 bunch parsley
.3 lb sugarsnap peas
2 kohlrabi (yum! more on that later)
10 garlic scapes (also yum!)
1 head Chinese cabbage
1 bunch swiss chard

Last night I made some egg rolls with this week and last week's Chinese cabbage. They're a great way to use a lot of Chinese cabbage and make a few meals.

Egg Rolls

1.5 lb ground pork (I used boneless pork loin and ground it myself)
2 heads Chinese cabbage
1 bunch scallions
3 cloves garlic
1/3 lb sugarsnap peas
1 T cornstarch
Water
1 egg
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar
Sesame oil
1 package egg roll skins
Oil

1. Thinly chop the cabbage and sugarsnaps
2. Mince the scallions and garlic
3. In a wok, saute the scallion, garlic, and sugarsnaps until slightly soft
4. Add the ground pork and saute until white
5. Add the cabbage, about 1/4 cup soy sauce, a splash of rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil to taste
6. Mix the cornstarch with a splash of water and add to the mixture
7. Cook on high until the cabbage is soft
8. Remove from heat and add 1 egg, beaten
9. Let cool
10. Follow the directions on the egg roll skins for rolling
11. Fry in oil until brown (I used about 1 inch of oil and flipped, but you could easily deep fry for extra yumminess.)

Serve! I made a nice dipping sauce with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, and rice wine vin. Otis likes hot mustard and duck sauce, but we didn't have any, so he lost out.

We've also been eating a lot of salad, of course. So, current veg status is as follows:

1 head romaine
1/4 lb mixed greens
1/4 lb lettuce mix
1 bunch parsley
.3 lb sugarsnap peas
2 kohlrabi (yum! more on that later)
10 garlic scapes (also yum!)
1 head Chinese cabbage
1 bunch swiss chard

More on garlic scapes in the next entry! I think we'll see the return of charmoula, and possibly some kohlrabi chicken salad.

I can't believe I haven't posted anything for almost a month. Time has been just zipping by; I've been working like a dog at USM, freelancing, and getting ready to start school on Tuesday.

We also had a fabulous long weekend in Wellfleet earlier this month, visiting Otis's parents and brother, complete with a fish fry, bbq, a day at the flea market, delicious crab dip, and lobster. And, of course, drinks at the Bomb Shelter.

Whenever we go to Wellfleet we make sure to pick up a tub or two of the crab dip they sell at Hatch's, along with our fish or lobsters or whatever. Ironically, the dip is produced downeast somewhere, and so it theoretically available in Maine; but it is so decadent and delicious, it's probably better for our waistlines and cholesterol levels that it stay a special-occasion food. I don't have a tub here (thank goodness; otherwise I'd be eating it for breakfast), but I think the ingredients include mayo, crab, ketchup, french onion soup mix, and other seemingly random ingredients that, when combined, end up as delicious, addictive, ambrosia.

Our other Wellfleet summer visit tradition is to pick up boiled lobsters from Hatch's and eat them at Jane and Walter's house, along with fresh corn, bread, and the onions in vinegar that Jane's dad used to make.

A word about Hatch's. Otis and Nick (his brother) both worked there, starting at about age 13, for many summers-- about 8 in Otis's case, I believe. The place is fabulous, and Rob, the owner, is a very funny guy who simultaneously takes his job very seriously and not at all. Otis has a host of wonderful stories about providing fish to various demanding New Yorkers-- many of whom were and are eminences of some note. My favorite story is of the day when Diana Trilling first came in, and requested lobsters, "split entirely in half," live o
of course. (There's more to the story, and I am probably mangling it, but the gist is there. Otis is still sleeping so I can't verify.)

Anyway, back to the lobsters. Normally, we get small lobsters, about 1-1 1/2 lbs, one for each person. This trip, however, for some reason smaller lobsters were not available, so we each had half of a 4-ish pounder. During dinner, I realized that this was the largest lobster I had ever eaten! I think that's what comes of growing up in Maine, where they tend to be on the small side.

The flavor and texture was actually a little bit different. Normally, the claw meat is my favorite, but in the larger bugs it evidently tends to get slightly overcooked, so it's not as tender. This time, the tail was outstanding, and better than in the smaller ones, I thought. (I also appreciated the lobster being pre-split, so I didn't have to wrestle with it, or ask Otis or Nick to do so. Yes, I am lame.)

Regardless, it was really a delicious meal, and a wonderful visit, as usual. Otis brought a jar of his dilly beans, which were a big hit. The recipe is from Putting Food By, the classic food-preservation tome. I'm going to include the ingredients but not the recipe because I really recommend you buy the book if you're planning on doing food preservation. (He modified the recipe somewhat-- I don't think the original includes Thai chiles.)

Dilly Beans

Brine:
5 cups vinegar
5 cups water
1/2 cupl + 1 T pickling salt

For each jar:
2 dried thai chiles
A goodly amount of dill
1 clove garlic
1 T mustard seed
1/2 T peppercorns
1/4 T dill seed

Before I go start my homework (yay!) I shoudl give a shout-out to Margaret Hathaway Schatz, author of Year of the Goat...you may remember her from such entries as Passover Eating. Her book just came out, and we had the pleasure of attending the release party: Goatstravaganza! It was great to see such a huge crowd come to celebrate Margaret, and of course, all things goaty. (You can see the back of Otis's head in the top photo on the left.)

The party was held at Rabelais Books, a really wonderful bookstore on Middle Street, and featured a tasty spread from Aurora Provisions, and photos by the talented Karl Schatz (Margaret's husband). And, yours truly won the door prize, an adorable t-shirt.

Good luck on your book tour, Margaret!

(Note, I haven't started the book yet, but it's on the top of my pile. I just finished Heat by Bill Buford, for the Slow Food book group meeting this month.)

I suppose that's all for now. If I can pull it together I'll post my recipe for Law School Ramen Noodles. They'll blow you away!

Oh yeah, vegetables. Well, suffice to say they are delicious. I'm making quiche for dinner tonight, but you already have that recipe, so that's that. Seriously, I haven't been doing that much cooking, since I've been working on The Website that Must Not be Named, and it's always so hard to extract recipes from Otis.

I did make some Artichoke basil pesto, actually, with some of the CSA basil and some from Jane's overflowing planters. So here you go.

Artichoke Basil Pesto

Enough basil to fill a 14-cup cuisinart
A large jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/2- 3/4 cup grated parmesan
4 cloves garlic, minced, sauteed very quickly, and splashed with wine (I don't like the really strong raw garlic flavor)
EVOO as needed
S&P to taste

Put all ingredients in Cuisinart and whir until chopped and very slightly chunky.

No nuts! The artichokes provide that nutty unctuous mouth-feel.

Yes, it's been a long time. No, I am not going to make excuses, except that the past two weekends have been not-so-fun, and the weeks are pretty full with work and school. Otis has been doing most of the weeknight cooking, including another fabulous soup-- this one with tomatoes, kale, and chicken-pork-sage meatballs. I've gotta say, there's something about a meatball in soup that just feels so homey.

He tells me that since we're often out of eggs, he's been using mayo as one of the ingredients of the meatballs. Odd, but it seems to work-- they're fabulously light and fluffy.

Last night, however, it was my turn to finally make an effort in the kitchen. Our friends Rebeccah and Pete came over, and we had a great time hearing about their (soon to be) new house-- they're closing in November. It sounds like an amazing place-- horribly decorated, but enormous, structurally sound, and in a great spot-- South Portland's Ferry Village.

In honor of fall, I decided to make a roast chicken and roast veg. Of course, it was 70 yesterday, but in comparison to the 90-degree weather we enjoyed earlier in the week, it felt positively crisp. We've been accumulating root veggies from Wolf Pine for a while, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to throw them all in the bottom of the roaster and have fun.

Under the chicken, we had carrots, turnips, and celeriac, and in a separate pan in deference to Pete's beet-phobia were some beets. I tossed the veg with s&p and olive oil, and added a couple of heads' worth of whole garlic cloves.

For the chicken, I chopped about a quarter cup of our homegrown summer savory with half a stick of butter, and rubbed that under the skin. Then I cut up a couple of lemons and threw them inside the chicken.

Roast at 425 for about an hour and voila-- yummy dinner. (I also made some chicken gravy with the drippings, flour, some vermouth, some red wine, s&p, a squeeze of lemon, and some chicken broth. Yummmmmmer. Nothing like gravy.)

There's a reason why comfort food is so comforting, at least for me-- it makes me think of family holidays, and helping out in the kitchen when I was a little girl, and lying on the couch reading while dinner makes itself in the oven.

I'm hoping that the sudden drop in temps heralds the real start of fall. It's been odd to be back-to-school in the heat!

(We sadly missed the Common Ground Fair last weekend, because of my darned cold, but heard it was wonderful. Next year, hopefully.)

Jeez louise, I have been the The Worst Blogger Ever™ lately. In my defense, there were a few family health issues (everyone is fine) and then , suddenly, it was the end of the semester. I try to avoid talking about Real Life in here, under the theory that nobody cares, but I am going to marshal the fact that I work full time and take 10 credits in law school as an excuse for poor blog maintenance. Happily, finals are over (pray for As, everyone!) and I have a little bit more time on my hands. Just a tiny bit, though, because I have to go to work today and then jet out to the Old Port to do some horrifically belated Christmas shopping-- I am leaving tomorrow morning for the holiday trip.

So, although I haven't been writing, I have certainly been eating. Here are a few short takes from the last month and a half.

Japanese Overview

Like Thai restaurants, Portland is 'blessed' with an overabundance of Japanese/sushi restaurants. (Note: these are not necessarily synonymous, although here they seem to be.) These include Miyake, Yosaku, Sapporo, Fuji, Benkay, King of the Roll, and Ginza Town. All of these places have specific strengths and weaknesses (with the exception of Fuji, which has only weaknesses), but for the freshest, most unique uses of 'special' fish, I consistently vote for Benkay. When Otis's parents were here in November, they took us out for a delicious dinner there. We had some incredible toro; delicious tuna; and a few really unusual fish I had never had before. I especially love the appetizer they make with their freshest fish and a soy/yuzu sauce. I've only had noodles from Miyake, once, and I wasn't that impressed, but I have been hearing lately that their sushi and sashimi is phenomenal. Evidently the chef came from Yosaku. Oh, Yosaku. It used to be fabulous but the horrible service and intermittently low quality of their fish (there's no excuse for mushy tuna) have made me resolve never to go there again. King of the Roll is fun-- don't go there for the best fish, but go for the deep-fried tempura-battered spicy tuna roll with wasabi sauce. Mmmm. Be prepared for incompetent waitservice, though, which can sometimes be amusing and sometimes make you want to pull your hair out. Ginza Town is 'eh.' If I were French I would shrug my shoulders eloquently. Sapporo is very good but I never feel thrilled with a meal I have there.

So, soon we'll be checking out Miyake. But in the meantime if I want great sashimi I'll go to Benkay and ask what's fresh.

The Eternal Dinner Made Short

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while may remember the Eternal Dinner: a Puerto-Rican style chicken and rice dish Otis made from the New World Kitchen cookbook by Norman Van Aken, which took hours and hours to prepare. Well, I was craving those deliciously complex flavors, so I set out to simplify the dish. It came out incredibly well, and only took about an hour. Here you go:

Marya's Stewed Pork and Rice, Van Aken Style

Ingredients:
Pinch Saffron
About 6 Cups chicken stock (we use Imagine foods organic when we don't have homemade)
About 1 T each dried oregano, cumin
S&P
Annatto oil (if you have it. Since the eternal dinner, we usually do have some prepared.)
2 lbs pork chops, cut into large cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 head garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups white rice (long grain)
1 1/4 cups grated parmesan
1/2 large can chopped tomatoes (we use Muir Glen fire-roasted)
1/4 cup capers
1 cup green olives with pimentos, roughly chopped
1 small bag frozen peas

1. Heat the annatto oil on medium in a large Dutch oven, and add the garlic and onion, cumin, oregano, s&p, bay leaf. Saute for a bit, and add the pork. Get it brown on the outside.

2. Add the rice and mix well.

3. Add the saffron and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.

4. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add more stock if it seems low.

5. Add the parmesan, tomatoes, capers, and olives. Stir well. Cook over low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock if necessary, until rice is tender. (You'll want to make sure the pork is cooked through too, obviously.)

6. Add the peas, stir.

7. Serve, with an array of hot sauces. Cholula goes especially well.

That's it! Now, isn't that easy?

I hereby make a vow that I will be a better blogger in the future. We're going to Fore Street soon, so I will report back on that. And of course, the holiday meals...oysters rockefeller, baked bread, ham, pierogis, etc....I can't wait.

Otis and I took an extra day off MLK weekend and jetted off to San Francisco. It's was a fairly long trip for such a short visit, but due to our schedules (school started for me on Jan 22) it was really the only viable time we could go; plus, my mom was visiting at the same time, and it turned into a big family weekend.

My grandfather, Moe Haber, lives in SF, in the Jewish Home for the Aged. He just turned 93, and I hadn't seen him in 2 and a half years. (The actual birthdate is a matter of some internal family debate, since he always said his birthday was Dec 25. It now seems that was a dramatization, and his real birthday is Dec 29. Part of this also stemmed from the fact that his parents were named Mary and Josef. He is a character.)

So, we flew out of Boston early Friday morning (6:10) and had a whirlwind weekend visiting the city and my family. We had gorgeous, sunny weather, and had the chance to see my grandpa, my cousins Leila and Damon and their respective spouses and adorable children, my uncle Merrill and aunt Nancy, and my mom. We also got to visit Otis's old high school friend Seton, his wife Patty, and their adorable little toddler Eva.

Part of what makes spending time with my family amusing is the constant food-related talk. (Hey, I come by it honestly!!) This is a group of people who plan their dinner while eating breakfast. We basically arrived, went to visit my grandpa in the home, and then went out to dim sum, without a pause.

So, there was a lot of delicious food to report on:

- Friday dim sum at Mayflower Seafood
- Friday dinner at my cousin Leila's house, which featured a delicious warm shrimp salad which was prepared from a recipe Merrill and Nancy learned at a cooking school during their recent trip to Vietnam
- Irish breakfast at O'Reilly's in North Beach
- Burritos at a restaurant in Alameda with Seton (I forget the name of this one, I'll have to check with Otis!)
- Pastry and coffee at Caffe Trieste
- Sunday brunch with bagels, lox, some insanely cheesy hash brown casserole, and mimosas at Leila's house
- Dinner at Cafe de la Presse

I think that's it! A lot of food in one short weekend! It was a wonderful time, and if I have a chance I will post restaurant reviews. And, as a special treat, here is the warm salad recipe from Vietnam. The recipe calls for squid, but you can make it with anything, really.

Also, there are comments written on my copy by my uncle Merrill... but I can't read them, his handwriting is so bad. Hopefully there's nothing important! (This recipe is from the Red Bridge Cooking School in Hoi An, Vietnam. If you're ever there, it sounds like a fabulous day of cooking and eating!)

Warm Squid Salad in Half a Pineapple

100 grams sliced squid
2 t vegetable oil
1 t garlic, chopped
1 t ginger, chopped
1/2 t sugar
1 t light fish sauce
1 T tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 T sweet and sour chilli sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup chopped hot pepper
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T water
Few pieces cilantro

Add vegetable oil to wok with ginger and garlic. Add squid, fish sauce, and sugar, and stirfry 1 min. Add vegetables and tomato puree, and stirfry 3 minutes. Add water. Serve in hollowed-out pineapple sauce and top with cilantro and hot pepper.

Sweet & Sour Chilli Sauce

1 T water
1/2 t sour chilli sauce (super sour sriracha is probably what they mean here)
1/2 t tomato puree
1/2 T finely chopped white onion
1/2 T finely chopped pineapple
1/2 T finely chopped tomato
1/2 t crushed ginger
1/2 t veg oil

Heat oil in wok and add all ingredients except water, sour chilli, and tomato puree. Fry for a few seconds, then add reserved ingredients. Bring to simmer, simmer until cooked.

I've been spending the week crunching numbers, which makes a girl crave something a little more crunchy and tasty. How about...bacon cups? What a brilliant idea. There is a 100% chance I will make these for our next party. The possibilities for filling are endless!

In other news, the continued battering from Ye Olde Man Winter is starting to get me down. However, last week I invented a speedy way to make creamy and delicious chicken pot pie in a remarkably short period of time.

Short-Cut Chicken Pot Pie

1 grocery-store rotisserie chicken (I got the herb-rubbed chicken from Whole Foods)
1 bag frozen peas
1 bag frozen carrots, or whatever other veg you want. (I used mixed carrots & green and wax beans, which Otis didn't like that much. I thought the beans were tasty.)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Splash white wine
1/2 cup half-and-half
s&p and herbs and spices (I used thyme and marjoram)
Drop biscuit dough

a. Preheat oven to 350.
1. Make a roux with the flour and butter. add the garlic. Sautée in heavy pot until brown.
2. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring, so as not to form lumps
3. Add herbs, spices, s&p, any other seasoning you desire
4. Add wine
4. Simmer on med-low for 5 minutes
5. In the meantime, pull all the meat off the chicken and put it in a bowl.
6. Pour the drippings from the chicken into the sauce.
7. Snack on some of the chicken skin. Give some to the dog. Give some to Otis.
8. Add the half-and-half to the sauce, simmer for another 5-10 minutes until it seems the right creamy texture. Remember to stir once in a while!
9. Remove from heat, stir in chicken and frozen vegetables
10. Pour into large flat pyrex pan.
11. Make biscuit dough* and drop in large spoonfuls onto top of pot pie mixture
12. Bake in oven until biscuits are nice and brown and pot pie mixture is bubbly and hot, about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. In the meantime, catch up on your law school reading while drinking a Pabst.

* A note on biscuits. There is no need for bisquick. Seriously, people. Cut 1/4 cup butter into 2 cups flour, 1 T baking powder, and 1 t salt, add a cup of milk, mix with a fork. Ta dah!!

That's it! A nice cozy dinner requiring less than half an hour of prep time. I wonder if chicken pot pie would be good in bacon cups. I guess the filling would run out the holes...

I'm a creature of ridiculously boring habits. Until this week when I vowed to give up soy products I've been eating the same breakfast every day. Now, unfortunately, I'm going to need to find a replacement for my much-beloved Morningstar Farms fake sausage patties. It's fairly tragic. If anyone has any suggestions I would much appreciate it!

Breakfast is such a balancing act. I want to have enough food to keep me satiated until lunch, but not too much-- I'm often just a touch queasy before 8 a.m., but since that's when I get to the office I need to eat around 7. I've been trying cereal (Barbara's hippie brand) but I start getting hungry at 11, which is inconvenient. I love eggs on the weekend, but I don't have the energy or time to cook in the morning. For a while I had wasa with peanut butter and cottage cheese on the side, but for some reason that's just not satisfying me lately either.

If I could afford it I would get a breakfast sandwich from the OhNo every morning on the way to work, but the cost would add up quickly, and I would feel too guilty about being extravagant.

Weekends are another story. There are so many options for a breakfast out in Portland it's crazy! (Erin of TypeA is doing a poll at the moment-- head over there and vote for your favorite.)

Depending on how we feel and what we're in the mood for, Otis and I will head to Ruski's, Local 188, the Porthole, the Bayou Kitchen, Hot Suppa, or the Front Room. All of these are great for what they are-- obviously you can't expect gourmet food at Ruski's but it's always well cooked and yummy. (Note; I like weird fake hollandaise sauce. If you don't, don't order the benedict.)

One restaurant I don't enjoy is Bintliff's. When we first moved here about four years ago we went there frequently... but the quality of the food was very inconsistent, and the prices are astronomical. The last straw came when I ordered huevos rancheros and got a pile of unseasoned canned black beans and white rice with eggs on top and a teaspoon of bland salsa. It was so nasty I sent it back to the kitchen...and still got charged the $12.95 or however much it cost. It's just not worth it, especially when you factor in the long waits for a table.

I'm excited to try a new option Mothers' Day weekend-- Caiola's is opening for weekend brunch! It will be wonderful, I'm sure, and once the sun warms us up again we'll be able to sit outside on their lovely patio. When I was growing up the West End Cafe was in that location and I loved going to brunch there with my parents.

The one restaurant that developed my love of brunch, though, was the Magic Muffin on Congress Street. When I was in high school I'd go there with friends all the time. They had the best little glass/ceramic coffee mugs that they'd eternally fill with coffee, and the coffee cake muffins were phenomenal. It was a long time ago, but I think the special breakfast, which included 2 eggs, coffee, meat, and a giant muffin, was around $4. I loved that place. The waiters were always great to a bunch of degenerate teenagers, and let us nurse our coffees forever.

I wasn't living in Maine when it closed. I wonder what happened to it?

Edited: As I was posting this, evidently Erin was posting the results from her poll. Bad timing. Regardless, I think it's interesting that her results, and opinion, diverge so dramatically from mine. That's why there are practically as many restaurants as people in Portland, I suppose.

Edited again: The Breakfast Club (which I was not aware of and just added to the blogroll; I found them courtesty of the Portland Food Map) just re-reviewed Bintliff's.

The sun is shining, the bees are buzzing around the garden, and it's time to grill.

Around our house, there's a shamefully sexist division of labor-- Otis does all the grilling and barbecuing while I make salads and such. Or sometimes, just stand idly by and drink beer. Regardless, he is a master of the Weber, so I am happy to leave it up to him.

This being Memorial Day weekend, we were invited to our friends Jenn & Matt's for dinner last night, and were treated to some lovely jerk chicken by Matt. We and the rest of the guest brought side dishes, and without any discussion managed to overlap perfectly: Zeynep made rice salad, Trent and Rebecca made pasta salad, and I made potato salad.

Oddly, I have never made potato salad before. I'm not sure why. Partly I suppose it's because of my historic but now abandoned refusal to eat mayonnaise. But I did feel inspired yesterday and came up with this recipe. It was actually quite delicious, if I say so myself!

Made-Up Potato Salad

2 lbs potatoes, cut in cubes
2 onions, chopped or thinly sliced, whichever you prefer
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup dill relish
1/3 cup mustard (I used Otis's homemade beer mustard. It's grainy.)
1 t celery salt
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 garlic powder
s & p

1. Boil the potatoes with some salt for about 12-15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Whisk together the mayo and the other dressing ingredients.

3. Add the onions and potatoes and stir.