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Savory & Manila: Clam Talk

February 15, 2015by have you eaten?7 Comments

At U-district farmers market, this cheerful, personable and warm hearted lady working the Hama Hama stand and I were chatting about their excellent quality of oysters. She recommended clams this week and they carried 2 kinds of clams, savory and manila. I bought both.

It was BEAUTIFUL today. It was around 50 degrees and sunny. Yes, SUNNY in Seattle. I am happy that I was able to have a relaxing Sunday. So, what I need is an easy but delicious meal on this relaxed early Sunday evening.

Combination of savory and manila clams, about 2lb.

Half of mayor lemon, peeled and sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

Little bit of white wine

I put the above in my favorite Staub cast iron pot and put a lid on and left alone for about 10 min over medium low heat.

Sliced baguette (from Tall Grass Bakery) toasted in a Turk iron frying pan to accompany that.

There, all I need is to sit down and enjoy this simple and relaxed dish with Archie. I even have a cherry pie from Janeli’s Alki Pie Company in the oven right now.

I can’t ask for a better Sunday night than this. I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday.

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Buddies: Anthony Bourdain and I

February 9, 2015by have you eaten?1 Comment

I feel like Anthony Bourdain and I know each other. At personal level. After watching his shows millions of times, when he says, “this is delicious,” I can actually tell if he means it or not. I actually understand how happy he is when he is slurping his noodle bowl at this tiny street vender in Saigon. I do because I love slurping noodles and I can taste them when I watch his show. He and I should start traveling all over the world together to eat, eat and eat, especially Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia…beautiful Southeast Asia.

Ba Bar. http://babarseattle.com/ This is a Vietnamese restaurant with a French influenced bakery shop. This place is not your regular joint so you can’t have 6-dollar pho here. But they use happy cows and do not use any MSG. Store design and interior are very well thought out. It almost looks like the club or bar where hipsters go to inside. Wait staffs are actually pretty hip as well. Don’t get fooled by it however. They serve fragrant, satisfying and deeply comforting pho so you don’t want to leave any drop in your bowl after eating it. They are legit. Again, this bowl costs you 4 more dollars than regular pho, but you will not regret paying the 4 dollars extra.

I am day dreaming about Anthony Bourdain coming to Seattle and me taking him to Ba Bar to slurp Pho Bo Tai Nam together. I am certain that I can get his genuine “oh, this is delicious!” out of him.

food, restaurant

To Be or Not To Be: Red Cow Has an Answer

February 4, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

To be or not to be a meat eater, that is the question. Right? I was vegan for a while and was pescetarian until October 2014. I was vegan when living in Atlanta, which I was eating vegetables, fruits and grains. When I moved back to Seattle in 2008, I just added seafood to my vegan diet. But I was vegan and pescetarian not because of animal cruelty, wanting to reduce CO2 emissions or wanting to save the world eventually or anything like that. My body got used to vegan diet for a while so every time I tried to eat meat products, I didn’t feel well afterwards so I just avoided for a long time.

In October 2014, I traveled to Paris with Archie, my best friend. The trip turned my world upside down. I wanted to taste EVERYTHING that Paris had to offer. Beef bourguignon, beef tartar, pork rillettes, lamb, quail, baguette and butter (of course, French cuisine is not complete butter!) My stomach felt a little funky at first but slowly I have gotten used to eating meat.

So, this is one of Seattle’s be-loved chefs, Ethan Stowell’s 9th restaurant called Red Cow. It is located in this quaint Madrona area in Seattle near Lake Washington. They change menu seasonally, which I respect and admire so much.

http://www.ethanstowellrestaurants.com/locations/red-cow/

We shared smoked duck breast, beef tongue, pork rillettes as charcuterie plate and the plate was more than excellent. They had so much flavor and melted in my mouth. Smoked meat can be tricky sometimes but this one was quite tender and had a very unique taste. They offer 16oz Rib Eye. Yes, 16oz. I kind of wanted to try to be honest just to see how ridiculously big that was but I didn’t want my heart to stop next day either so I decide to have 8oz Filet Mignon. It was superbly prepared (well, for my taste, medium rare) and inside was perfect reddish pink with crunchy fries and lots of homemade butter! What a divine plate of Steak Frites.

When we were seated, we told our waiter “We are vegans. What can you do for us?” “We have tons of lettuce,” he replied. I like witty and smartass people. I consider Red Cow is doing something right by offering excellent healthy and well-taken care of animals and hiring experienced smartasses.

Just to mention, if you are vegans, vegetarians, or pescetarians, or whatever diet method you are using, Red Cow is not the place for you. At all. But if you are meat-eater, flexitarians (I can’t keep up these names anymore…have you heard kangatarian; vegetarian diet plus occasional kangaroo meat consumption?), you would appreciate this place very much.

To be or not to be…is not a question for me anymore.

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Paris in Chinatown: only in San Francisco

January 31, 2015January 31, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

It is supposed to be my art trip but it (of course) turned into eat trip. We found this little Paris influenced cafe in Chinatown in SF. This place took right back to Paris. Please enjoy with me.

<img src="https://hikarumc.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/img_3459.jpg" alt="IMG_3459" class="alignnone size- Continue reading “Paris in Chinatown: only in San Francisco” →

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Musician, Author or Rocky?: No, she is Emily Crawford Dann

January 30, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

Have you ever been disappointed in a second album of a particular musician who released a phenomenal 1^st record? I have many times. How about writers? His/her 1^st book was so damn good and you can’t stand the second book? Or the movie “Rocky,” which I don’t think I need to explain.

Emily Crawford Dann is not a musician or author who produces a disappointing 2^nd creation or Rocky. She is a law school graduate, bright, very sincere, calm, fun, knowledgeable, thoughtful and beautiful. This is a story about her and her restaurant, The Corson Building. http://www.thecorsonbuilding.com/

One night in February 2012, somewhere around 9:30pm, he and I were driving through Georgetown on Corson Avenue in Seattle after checking out a couple of venues that we considered having a party with a small group of close friends and family. We were looking for something quaint, classy, vintagie and yet fun. We were not quite excited about both places and were tired, and so headed home. We stopped at red light. I looked out to the window and I saw this quaint, classy and vintagie place tucked away on Corson Ave, and I let him know. As soon as he saw that place, he flipped a U-turn and got out of the car. We hesitantly opened the gate and looked inside the building. We could see someone in the back of the building so we approached the back door and poked our heads in. It was a gorgeous, organized and stunning kitchen. Pots and pans hanged from the ceiling. Utensils and kitchen tools were on one side and plates on the other. And unmatched silverwares! I fell in love with that kitchen with just a glance. Then this soft-spoken, elegant looking women, with a gorgeous smile and apron said, “Do you want to take a look inside? Come on in”. As soon as I heard her voice and encountered her graceful manner, I decided this place was it. It must have been the same for him because I remember him saying, “We don’t need to look further.”

Last night, we went to a “Seafood Chowder” dinner at this place. I repeat, she is not a musician, author who produces disappointing 2^nd creation or Rocky. We’ve been to her restaurant countless times and she and her creations never disappoint.

When we had a dinner party in October 2012, the only request I had for Emily was no carrots (because I do not like carrot so much). I had so much trust in her and I didn’t request anything else because I wanted to have HER food, not our modified version. Of course, she delivered beautifully.

Emily is Seattle’s treasure. She loves ingredients and has a strong emotional connection to food and those who enjoy food. In fact, every time I taste what she makes, my heart starts aching. She uses a mix of many kinds of spices but it never loses its original flavor of ingredients. Her food makes you want to use all of your feelings, emotions and senses.

If you ever have a chance to visit Seattle, this is the place that should be first on your list.

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Korean or Hawaiian: it’s BOTH

January 29, 2015February 6, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

What came to my mind was “divine.” I mean, conjoining of Korean best invention, kimchi and rice whoever invented (I am forever thankful).

I barely take a lunch break. I usually power through the day without breaking. Today, one of my great friends at work, Kathy, made me go outside to take 1 hour break with her. What a splendid day. Sunny and air crisp but not too cold. We do have 2 or 3 food trucks for lunch hour every day, we are lucky that way. When we were outside, I saw a long line for this particular truck, “Marination.” They also have such a jubilant menu, such as Kimchi quesadilla, Kalua Pork or SPAM sliders, Hawaiian Mac Salad, SPAM musubi and so forth. Just a mixture of…well, many regions.

http://www.marinationmobile.com/

(you can see beautiful city of Seattle in back ground)

I was hesitant to be in that line but Kathy said “no, we don’t have to be in line because I made our order using Marination app.” This food truck is so popular and the “order-ahead” app was in such high demand. Now Marination has a restaurant by Puget Sound, called Alki Beach in my neighborhood, West Seattle.

I had Kimchi fried rice for lunch, which I have to say it was an excellent choice.

Now I have my Thursday go-to place . Thank you Kathy for pulling me out of my chair AND ordering my food so I eat on time.

Also, thank you, Marination, you guys rock.

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What is Hama Hama?: PNW Treasure

January 28, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

2-year residency in Atlanta, Georgia was quite tough for me. It was challenging to find fresh and organic produce (maybe I was not looking hard enough?) and seafood! Oh seafood…you have no idea how much I missed the fish market in Seattle when I was in ATL. They are available there of course, but there is no denying that northern ocean water produces finer seafood, especially shellfish.

This small vendor at the farmers market that I mentioned a couple times before in my blog offers seasonal shellfish. This past Saturday, they had 2 kinds of clams (one of them is called Happy Clam!) and a variety of oysters. The name of the vendor is “Hama Hama Oysters and they grow Hama Hama oysters at their farm. Isn’t that such a fun sound, Hama Hama? I just want to repeat saying that.

http://hamahamaoysters.com/

I purchased one jar packed with 7 x medium size Hama Hama from granddaughter of the founder of this oyster farm in Lilliwaup, Washington near Olympic National Forrest. It was shucked and packed that morning and I was there 9:30 in the morning, which tells me the oysters are incredibly fresh. I didn’t want to add too many condiments because I wanted to taste the intense sea water and umami-packed sweet flavors spreading through my mouth (I was already salivating when purchasing them).

Straight up Hama Hama Oysters without lot of seasonings

1) Rinse gently

2) Place them in cast iron pot

3) Drizzle olive oil and add a bit of sea salt and splash or dry white wine

4) Put the lid on and cook about 5 min (no need to touch, just let your pot do its job)

5) Add little bit of fresh lemon

6) Yay!

Accompaniment was lightly steamed leek with butter and salt.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Hama Hama. This is your magic word of winter (or all year around). Hama Hama, Hama Hama….

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Chopping Therapy: Prep for Gyoza

January 27, 2015January 27, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

It really helps me when I have a bad day or I am upset about something. Chopping vegetables is one of my meditation methods.

When I was a young child, helping my mother and grandma in the kitchen was mandatory. My mom started to let me use “old person’s kitchen knife” when I was 4. I always wanted to sound like them. They make this passionate, happy and fun sound of their knives hitting wooden cutting board with 100 miles per hour speed.

When I have a rough day at work, I tend to choose a dish requires a lot of chopping. Gyoza (dumpling) is one of them. I have a fond memory of helping my mom to prepare and wrap gyoza. You chop Chinese chives, garlic, ginger, napa cabbage and onion. You chop them all as finely as you possibly can. How fun does it sound? I feel like I am getting high, just thinking about it. I guess I am a creature who is easy to be pleased.

This is my amusement and is also delicious. You have umami from soy sauce, pork and veggies and sweetness from pork and other ingredients.

1. Mix REALLY well ground pork (or mix of ground pork and ground beef), chopped Chinese chives, garlic, ginger, napa cabbage, onion, soy sauce, salt (lots), pepper, potato starch (needs to be potato starch, not corn starch), sesame oil. Use your hand. It gets messy, but no utensils or tools, just your hand.

2. Wrap 1 with very thin gyoza wrappers (you can buy them at Asian grocery stores).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2_p_ny4eTE

3. Place them in oiled and heated skillet.

3a. Cook over high heat for 1 minute or so

3b. Reduce heat to medium and add little bit of water (not too much) and put the lid over skillet. Leave it for 2-3 min

3d. Remove the lid and increase heat to medium high and add oil.

4. Enjoy

Only thing I would like to mention is that it is SUPER important not to move around gyozas in the skillet. Just leave them as they are until they are done. Oh, that smell while cooking! This Japanese soul food’s glorious aroma takes me right back to where I grew up. My mom teaching me how to wrap dumplings and my small hands trying to mimic what she does.

Now, pull out your well-sharpened knife and start chopping. You will know exactly what I am talking about as soon as you finish chopping first clove of garlic.

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Sunday Happiness = Winter Vegetables in Staub 24cm

January 25, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

I used to dislike Sundays. Lots of people don’t like Mondays but Sundays were loneliest and longest of the week to me. However, since 2010, that has changed drastically.

I am cooking cauliflower today for lunch. A whole cauliflower plus some other winter vegetables (more like left over veggies in the fridge), lotus root, Japanese sweet potatoes, carrots, carrots, brussels sprouts. Here is what I did.

1. Place all vegetables in cast iron pot

2. Add white wine vinegar, water (50ml-ish? maybe), olive oil, sea salt, thyme, ground cumin seed

3. Put the lid on and cook about 25 minutes over low-medium heat.

4. Bon appetit!

Accompaniments are La Parisienne’s demi-baguette www.laparisienneseattle.com/gallery.html and Loki Fish Co.’s smoked salmon spread http://www.lokifish.com/

I get to do this kind of stuff every weekend. Not only that, I get to share these dishes, joy, love and passion for food and cooking with my best friend. Lonely Sundays? I am so over it.

cooking, food

Color of Saffron: STAUB 22cm

January 24, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

I don’t like shopping really. No, let me rephrase that. I do not like shopping except for books, grocery and kitchen tools.

Yesterday, this little but heavy box arrived at my cube at work. I tried so hard not to show my excitement. But it was really hard, Oh My God. It was my Staub pot! When I decided I was going to get rid of all tools, pots and pans that I was not in love with last year, I especially started to invest in pots and pans. I contemplated for a LONG time, like 8 months. Which one was better for me to get, Staub or Le Creuset (I am a thinker, what can I say)? Finally I decided to get Staub and my first pot was Grenadine Round Cocotte 28cm. It was a significant decision and I enjoy cooking even more because of Staub. It is cast iron pot and it is heavy but what I love about this pot is the lid. The lid closes very tightly and steams inside really well with small amount of water. Let’s say you are cooking winter vegetables, it usually takes a long time to cook them because they tend to be dense. Because of the tight lid closure, it cooks with small amount of water, which means that it cooks with water that vegetables contain, therefore it has a stronger flavor. Also these dimples in the lid. Whoever thought about these is genius. My hat’s off to that genius. Here is why. Those dimples circulates water inside of pot and has a basting effect.

I do have an emotional connection to this series. This my 3rd Staub and this is just gorgeous. There are so many things I want to cook. This a damn good problem to have.