Monthly Archive for December, 2010

The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Recipes of 2010

Published by Gastronomer on December 31, 2010 in Potpourri and Year in Review. 6 Comments

Bison Burgers with Cheddar and Onions

Bison meat is often lauded for its nutritional prowess, but doesn’t have the greatest reputation for moistness due to its lower fat content. However, this recipe for Bison Burgers with Cheddar and Onions from Cooking the Cowboy Way by Grady Spears makes an extremely flavorful, juicy, and satisfying specimen. And as an awesome bonus, it’s actually good for you.

–

Fisherman’s Paella (Paella a la Marinera)

Not too long after arriving home from Spain, I tried my hand at making Fisherman’s Paella (Paella a la Marinera). Taste memory is a very powerful asset in the kitchen and I wanted to take full advantage of it while the flavors of Valencia were still fresh in my mind. I also wanted to use the saffron and rice that I picked up at the Mercado Central while they were at their absolute best. My homemade Fisherman’s Paella turned out as pretty and tasty as I had hoped. The rice was cooked perfectly al dente, while the seafood was sublime. Best of all, I was able to achieve the subtle flavors that made the paella in Valencia so special.

–

Blackberry Cloud Cake

Martha Stewart and company were right on the money when they compared this cake’s texture to that of clouds. The combination of fluffy whipped cream and soft meringue was truly lighter than air.

Continue reading ‘The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Recipes of 2010′

The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Sweets of 2010

Published by Gastronomer on December 30, 2010 in Potpourri and Year in Review. 9 Comments

No matter how stuffed I feel at the end of a meal, I’m always game for a dessert (or two). Heck, I’m down for a sweet treat at just about any hour of the day! Whether the dessert was Taiwanese, Spanish, or Belgian, I was an equal opportunity sugar fiend this year. Without further ado, here are the ten best sweets that I ate in 2010…

Shaved Snow from Class 302 in Los Angeles, CA

Shaved snow is a very distant cousin of Hawaiian shaved ice. Its unique ribbon-like texture is achieved by freezing huge chunks of flavored water and milk, and then shaving it using a special machine. The resulting sheets of snow are gloriously creamy and dissolve ever so quickly on the tongue. One of my favorite varieties pairs green tea snow with red beans, mochi, and condensed milk. The snow was perfectly balanced, not too sweet and not too bitter, and tasted even better with the array of toppings. I was fighting my friends for the limited number of sticky mochi balls.

–

Chocolate y Churros from San Gines in Madrid, Spain

The bittersweet brew was just as I had hoped—dark, warm, thick, and dreamy to sip and dip. The crisp and hot churros provided the perfect vehicle for delivering more richness down our gullets. The Astronomer and I polished off our mugs with ease.

Continue reading ‘The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Sweets of 2010′

The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Savories of 2010

Published by Gastronomer on December 29, 2010 in Potpourri and Year in Review. 9 Comments

It’s hard to believe that after all these years of blogging, this is my first time posting a year-end retrospective. From coast to coast and to Spain and back, I ate like a champion these past 365 days. Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing many more meals in this space. Without further ado, here are the ten best savory dishes that I ate this year…

Camarones Aguachiles from Mariscos Chente in Los Angeles, CA

Magdalena Garcia, the restaurant’s owner, takes a bus down to the Mexican coast several times a month to bring back fish and shrimp for the restaurant. While that initially struck me as a lot of unnecessary work, one taste of the camarones aguachiles and it was clear that the extra effort was worth it. Flash marinated with lime, salt, and jalapeno, the raw shrimp were supple and crazy delicious.

–

Ethiopian Kitfo from Zenebech Injera in Washington, D.C.

The kitfo (raw ground beef) was mildly spiced so that the meat’s natural flavor was front and center. It was accompanied by a mound of dulet (lean minced beef), a tomato salad, house made cottage cheese, and a bit of mitmita (ground African Birdseye chili peppers, cardamom seed, cloves, and salt) for dipping.

Continue reading ‘The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Savories of 2010′

Seared Gnocchi with Green Olive Sauce

Published by Gastronomer on December 27, 2010 in Pasta + Rice, Recipe, Vegetarian and Vegetarian. 3 Comments

Before leaving town for the holidays, The Astronomer and I planned a low-key dinner at home. With ten whole days between us and the quiet we’ve grown accustomed to, we made certain to savor this evening before our loving but chaotic families filled our days.

This recipe for Seared Gnocchi with Green Olive Sauce, which I found on Heidi Swanson’s lovely site 101 Cookbooks, called out to me on this occasion. In addition to sounding absolutely delightful, it intrigued me because of its unusual methods and ingredients. To prepare the gnocchi, a hot skillet is used in place of the usual boiling water. I wasn’t especially confident in this cooking method, but was most surprised that it yielded a tray of doughy potato balls with crisp exteriors and fluffy interiors.

I was also excited about the idea of a green olive-based pasta sauce. The original recipe used pitted olives procured from a specialty grocer, but the jarred ones that I had in my pantry and pitted by hand worked perfectly fine. Any fear of an intensely briny sauce faded the moment I took my first bite. The cream, broth, and onions mellowed out the olives’ punch, resulting in a memorable and unique sauce that paired tastily with the gnocchi. We ate the leftover sauce with penne and angel hair pasta with equally good results.

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 2/3 cup (200 grams) green olives, pitted and chopped
Fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 pound gnocchi, either fresh or packaged
Fried capers
Bread crumbs, toasted
Sliced almonds, toasted

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the garlic and onion in the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, until softened, a few minutes. Add the broth and cream, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add the olives and let cool for a couple minutes.

Transfer cream mixture to a food processor and blend until no large chunks remain.

Continue reading ‘Seared Gnocchi with Green Olive Sauce’

Family Obsession: Hủ Tiếu Mỹ Tho at Phở King

Published by Gastronomer on December 22, 2010 in Hu Tieu My Tho, Restaurant Review, San Diego and Vietnamese. 12 Comments

How silly of me to order a bowl of phở when I dined at Phở King about a year ago. In spite of the restaurant’s name, I’ve since learned that phở doesn’t actually reign supreme here. The specialty at this El Cajon Boulevard shop is hủ tiếu, a slightly sweet and thoroughly porky variety of noodle soups. I guess Hủ Tiếu King doesn’t have as nice (or racy) a ring to it as Phở King does.

My uncle Thanh and aunt Phuong were the first to venture to the hủ tiếu side of the menu. Once it received their seal of approval, word quickly spread to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and mother. I love how news of good eats travels very quickly in my food-loving family.

The Astronomer and I sat down for a proper hủ tiếu introduction during our previous trip to San Diego. Even though my mother had already downed twelve or so bowls in the span of a few months, she was down for another go with us.

Taking my mother’s expert lead, The Astronomer and I both ordered the hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho with clear tapioca noodles (hủ tiếu dai) and with the broth served on the side. Originally from the Mekong Delta city of Mỹ Tho, the noodle soup contained everything under the sun. Atop the tangle of chewy noodles were bits of liver, chives, barbecued pork, ground pork, shrimp, fried shallots, Vietnamese celery leaves (rau cần), fried fish balls, meat balls, squid, pork stomach, scallions, and pork hearts. Whew!

As requested, the pork broth was served on the side, along with a red-tinged ground pork sauce that is unique to this restaurant’s interpretation of the dish.

Continue reading ‘Family Obsession: Hủ Tiếu Mỹ Tho at Phở King’