Easy Recipe for Green Leafy Vegetables

One pot wonder for green leafy vegetables.  You can use Kale but I prefer Chard.

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion chopped
1 head of green leafy vegetable chopped
1 regular can of chopped tomatoes (nothing fancy, prefer Hunts)
1 regular can of beans rinsed (garbanzo, pinto, navy - beans without a lot of flavor)

Method:

Use a large skillet or a wok.
Cook garlic for about a minute on med high
Add onion and cook until translucent.  About 3-5 minutes.
Add meat (if you choose to - a few ounces of sausage, ground beef, ground turkey - not necessary, hence I left it out of the ingredients)
Add the green leafy vegetable.
Let it reduce for 5 minutes for the vege to get down in volume.
Add the tomatoes.  Reduce again for 5-10 minutes.
Add beans.
Salt and pepper to taste.  If you forgot to rinse the beans, do not add salt.

Insipid Diner

I am appalled at the "Intrepid Diner" segment shown during the 2008 Summery Olympics on NBC. The segment follows Mary Carillo (a former tennis star turned sports commentator) as she samples the local cuisine in Beijing.

Mary begins her food adventure by actually eating the food, but when she tries to be more adventurous and visits “snack street” her behavior goes downhill. I couldn’t find the commentary before and after the segment. I wish you could see it on my tivo. The extra commentary shows Mary admitting to not trying the food and it really showcases what a neophobe Bob Costas is as well.

Why the heck would NBC put her Mary Carillo in charge of cultural commentary?

Here is why I hate the segment:

1) She can’t describe anything she does eat as anything other than “good”. "Good" is completely useless and doesn't help me understand the flavors and texture of the food.

2) She thought that a scorpion was a cricket. Then she proceeded to make a display of herself not eating it.

3) She is afraid of tripe (btw – she does use the culinary term “tripe”, which signifies that this food is not unheard of. And I’m sure she’s eaten some sausages in her lifetime that are encased in intestines).

4) She made a reference to Harry Potter, insinuating that a hot pot eaten by at least 1/5 of the world’s population could only be fantasized by a British woman who writes children’s books about wizards.

5) She sang the “little teapot” song during a Chinese tea ceremony. Okay, it wasn’t really a tea ceremony, but it was a really fancy restaurant.

Stick to tennis, Mary Carillo. And where is Anthony Bourdain when you need him?

Bacon Wrapped Dates

This is an amazingly simple dish that satisfies your sweet and salty craving. The dates become soft and pastey (in a good way) and the bacon can be crisped to your liking. I became obsessed with these tapas at Primitivo in Venice, CA.

Ingredients
18 large, pitted Medjool dates (with a small paring knife, make a slit and remove pit)
9 slices bacon, cut in half (I like maple bacon)
Toothpicks (soaked in water for 20-30 minutes)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place rack in center of oven.
2. Wrap 1/2 piece of bacon around the date. Pierce a toothpick through to secure.
3. Place on a baking sheet (I place the treats on a rack above the sheet to catch the fat)
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn over. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Drain on a news paper.

Tips
You can make these a day in advance and refridgerate, or a month in advance and freeze. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

Where to Eat Bacon Wrapped Dates?
Primitivo
1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 396-5353
http://www.primitivowinebistro.com/

This is a wonderful wine bar on Abbott Kinney in Venice. Fabulous wine selection. Happy hour 5:30-6:30PM.

Hoisin Glazed Chicken Wings

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken party wings
5 Tbsp Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic Asian Marinade
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp warm water

Method

1. In a small bowl, mix Soy Vay Marinade, honey and water.
2. Reserve about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the marinade separately.
3. Place chicken in a non-reactive dish, or plastic bag and cover with remaining mixture. Place in refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
4. While the chicken is marinating, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and shake gently to remove excess marinade. Place on a baking sheet*. Bake for 30 minutes, open the oven two times during the cooking to quickly brush with the reserved marinade.
6. Raise the heat to broil. Cook for five minutes. Flip once half way through cooking.
7. Serve.

*Tip. For crispier chicken, place chicken on a baking rack set above the baking sheet.

Where to eat chicken wings?
Why ask the obvious. Hooters, of course.

Chicken Leg Mushroom

I went to a presentation by Chef Theresa Lin “The Julia Child of Taiwan” at the local public library. This is a really easy vegetarian dish. The mushrooms are so meaty, it really is like chicken!

Ingredients
4 large Eringii mushrooms (remove the cap)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium ginger knob, sliced into matchsticks
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sugar

Method

1. Slice mushrooms into thin strips length-wise along the grain. Then cut into smaller pieces, about 1 1/4.
2. In a wok, over medium, heat oil.
3. Cook mushrooms and ginger until mushrooms have softened and the outer edges turn brown, but middle has not. Have patience.
4. Add soy sauce and sugar and cook for a minute.
5. Take off heat and serve while hot.

Where to eat it? This is the first time I've ever tried it. Track down Theresa Lin and see if she will make it for you!

Fat on Fat Pasta

A former colleague gave me a recipe similar to this. I since lost it, but I think that this is a close recreation. It's simple, but sooo good.

Ingredients
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 Tbsn butter
1 Tbsn olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound Penne pasta, cooked al dente according to package
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish

Method

1. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat until brown. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage while cooking. Remove sausage; set aside.

2. Drain excess grease from skillet; melt butter and oil in skillet; add onion and sauté until softened and golden in color. Add garlic, cook and stir 1 minute.

3. Return cooked sausage to skillet, add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in salt and pepper.

5. Place cooked penne in large serving bowl; pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan cheese and toss to combine.

Where to eat it?
I haven't found this dish at a restaurant, yet. Most versions in a restaurant use tomato.

Black Cod with Miso

Ingredients
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
1 cup white miso paste (must be white, not red or yellow)
1/2 cup sugar
2-3 black cod fillets (1 pound, one side with the skin still on)

Method
Marinade

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine mirin, sake and miso. Stir constantly with a whisk until the miso dissolves completely.
2. Increase heat to high and dissolve the sugar, stirring constantly.
3. Take off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Fish

1. Wash fillets and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Reserve a few tablespoons of the marinate in a container and refrigerate.
3. Place remaining marinade in a large plastic bag along with the fillets. Ensure that the fillets are coated with the marinade.
4. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, but up to 3 days.
   
5. Heat oven to broil.
   
6. Remove fillets from plastic bag and shake off extra marinade.
7. Place fillets, skinless side up, on a non reactive dish (oven safe) under the broiler until the top layer of the fish has browned.
8. Transfer fish immediately to another oven safe dish.
9. Reduce heat to 400 F.
10. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the fish is cooked through and opaque in the center.

Garnish plate with a few drops of the marinade.

Tip: If you want to make life even easier and you live near a Mitsuwa Marketplace, they often carry black cod that is already marinated in white miso.

Where to eat a fish with miso?

Musha Restaurant

424 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-6330

The recipe above is a simpled/modified version of Nobu's recipe. And although this dish was awesome at Nobu, the rest of my dining experience there was so-so. The sushi was fresh, but some of the roll combinations were too complex and the rolls didn't showcase the fish. I'd rather give props to Musha's. The food is fab and the staff is very friendly. No pretension at Musha. Funnily enough, I don't recommend the sushi at Musha's but there are plenty of small plates to share with friends that I really love. The pumkin croquettes, garlic somen and Salmon miso are my favorites. You can substitute salmon for the same recipe above. It is also very flakey and yum-eee.

Gambas al ajillo - Shrimp with Garlic

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp (21/25 count), shell still on
4 large cloves of garlic (sliced)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 tbsn fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 lemon
Salt to taste

Method

1. Season shrimp with a sprinkle of salt. Allow to sit for up to 10 minutes.
2. In heavy skillet, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat.
3. Sauté garlic slices until the garlic is fragrant and translucent but not yet golden (1-3 minutes)
4. Add red pepper flakes for a few seconds to release flavor and oils.
5. Add shrimp. Stir frequently. Cook for 1-3 minutes each side until shrimp turn pink.
6. Add half a juiced lemon.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Garnish with parsley.

Serve with fresh toasted baguette slices.

Where to eat a Gambas al ajillo?
Bar Pintxo
109 Santa Monica Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.458.2012
http://www.barpintxo.com/

The shrimp at Bar Pintxo are juicy and bright with a good hint of lemon and parsley. The recipe above tries to replicate Joe Miller's dish.