Post 113: Portland - Kenny & Zuke's Hipster Pastrami and Cookies Galore (Portland: North Portland/Northeast/Boise)

After finishing a pre-breakfast snack and then our actual breakfast at Tasty N Sons, we thought we should digest our food by walking around a little bit.  However, upon exiting the restaurant we noticed a Kenny & Zuke's across the street.  So we hopped across the street to check out their pastrami, which Angela had on her list of things to eat in Portland.

This K&Z location had opened just that week, and since it was still new, Kenny himself was on hand to help welcome customers.  He said hello to many of the guests and even dropped by to take a picture with me and Angela.

Back to the food.  Angela was dying to have some of their ever popular pastrami slider, sandwiched in between toasted rye and wedged in with melted Swiss, kraut and Russian dressing.

It was a very neatly formed sandwich very different from the layered pile from Langer's in LA or the mile high heap from Katz's Delicatessen in NY.  It looked minimalistic and modern.  Like a sandwich that a hipster made.  Well, it was a sandwich that a hipster made.

While Angela munched on the sandwich, I ate cookies.  Lots of lots of cookies.  And I brought more cookies back with me.  Cookies, unlike the meats from Chop Charcuterie, could be easily taken aboard the flight home.  Unfortunately, they did not make it back to LA.  Half of them did make it back to the hotel though.  My absolute favorite was the walnut lime cookie.  The gritty crushed walnut atop the circular wonder added a welcoming crunchy texture to the otherwise simplistic cookie.  The slight tart from the lime allowed me to continue chomping away when I was already full from eating so much.

I also really liked the peanut butter cookie with strawberry jam.  It was a mini version of a childhood classic, complete with the raised ridges and sweet yet salty flavor.  I loved the jam that was sandwiched in between the two peanut butter discs.  Sweet, fresh, delicious.  Yum.

Other favorites were the pistachio ring and the caramel sablé.  The pistachio ring was fun to eat just because it reminded me of a doughnut but in cookie form.  I like doughnuts, but I would pick cookies over doughnuts any day.

Sable, meaning sand in French, is an appropriate name for these cookies because they are crumbly and have an gleaming golden color.  These tasted almost like shortbread because the cookie almost melted in my mouth. 

Although we only had a small slider and some cookies, everything was made to perfection.  I would return for more cookies for sure, but I would also come back for the half a dozen desserts, the beer selection and the wide variety of cocktails for happy hour.  But another time... because we just ate four meals in approximately four hours.  We were stuffed, and it was due time for a nap.  Oh man.  Until the next meal in Portland, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120914

Post 112: Portland - Chop Charcuterie and Eat: An Oyster Bar at the Hub Building (Portland: North Portland/Northeast/Boise)

While waiting for our breakfast board at Tasty N Sons, Angela and I wandered around the Hub Building where the restaurant is housed to explore and warm up our stomachs.  The Hub Building contains eateries, shops and even a small cooking school for those who might be inclined to learn about the dish they just ate.  Our first stop was Chop Charcuterie, a cozy butcher and sandwich shop located near the back door of Tasty N Sons.

Chop Charcuterie offers a variety of various sausages, smoked meats and unique pates made from guinea hen and venison.  From a charming chorizo to peppery picante sausage there is sure to be a delicious deli meat suited to your palate.

The shop makes sandwiches from the cuts of meat in the fridge case and even provides samples of the different meats to taste for those who are undecided.  We even noticed some dried pig snouts made for just for man's best friend too.

And even though I really wanted to take a pound of pate back to Southern California with me, sadly, there was a high risk of perishing at some point along the way.  I vowed to return.

Continuing through the back of the Hub Building and around to the front we came across Eat: An Oyster Bar, which had just opened its doors for the early lunch crowd.  We were treated with extra attention up at the bar counter since no other customers had ventured into the restaurant yet.

The daily oyster selection is posted on the chalkboard between the entrance and the bar.  There is a wide array of wine and beer on tap and contained within the old school refrigerators where the bartenders roam.  The environment is relaxed... chill, you could say.

We ordered half a dozen from both the East Coast and the West Coast to taste the difference.  Supposedly, oysters grown on the Atlantic shore are more briny and saltier than the ones grown in Pacific waters.  I haven't quite been able to distinguish the flavors of the oysters just yet, but I do know that I love a good, plump and jiggly sea creature when it's fresh.

The shreds of horseradish is a really neat addition to the oyster platter at Eat.  It sets this place apart from all the other oysters bars that pair their bivalves with simple mignonette and cocktail sauce.

As soon as we slurped down our final oyster, Tasty N Sons called us over for breakfast.  What great timing.  Stay until for more eats across Williams Avenue at the newly opened Kenny & Zuke's.  Let's get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120914

Post 111: Portland - A First Meal at Tasty N Sons (Portland: North Portland/Northeast/Boise)

Last September I visited Portland for the first time.  My friend Angela and I took an early morning flight out from Long Beach headed to the mecca of modern and inventive hipster cuisine.  Right after touching down at PDX, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and hailed a cab straight for Tasty N Sons, a self-titled neighborhood restaurant that has made itself into a Portland institution.

We settled down to a freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and a cup of local Stumptown brew, which was served with a very cheeky carafe of milk.  There's nothing like a good cup of acidic liquid to start your morning right.

Under the advisement of our welcoming and friendly server, we ordered the renowned Breakfast Board, which arrived complete with various proteins, an assortment of breads, fresh blackberries and pickled beets, and even a duo of supple spreads that pulled the smorgasbord together.

The strips of house made beef jerky were more moist than expected, and the hard-boiled eggs were more tender than expected.  But the double smoked applewood bacon was delicious just as expected.  It is hard for me to remember another time when I had bacon as good as this.  With a crisp crostini of chicken liver mousse spread over the top, I was in absolute heaven.  The only thing that may have been better than the luxurious chicken liver mousse was the Lebneh, the creamy yogurt cheese drizzled with olive oil.  Whether it's spread over crostini or encircling the fresh blackberries, the opulent tasting dairy spread cannot be beat.

For some heartier fare, we ordered the BBQ Chicken Hash.  It was topped off with some onion sour cream and an over easy egg.  I immediately popped the runny yolk so that it ran down the sweet and savory shredded chicken.  Ah, isn't that the best part of every egg done over easy?

We saw all of this being prepared on the spot while seated at the bar counter.  The chickens were pulled out of the oven, cooled and shredded, and blended with the barbecue sauce by hand.  Heart and soul was being injected into our fresh food live in front of us.  Very cool.

I was mesmerized by all the happenings of the open kitchen.  Everyone worked at a quick but steady pace without the frenzy and chaos of other kitchens I've seen.  No drama here... just genuine cooking.  It must have been the Portland air.

Our last taste at Tasty N Sons was the Chocolate Potato Doughnut with crème anglaise.  This was a must because it was prominently featured on the menu twice.  It was literally the first item on the menu, and it was on the desserts list as well.

It was densely packed with chocolate, and although I love chocolate, the granulated sugar coating on the exterior of the decadent doughnut and the pool of crème anglaise really made the dessert what it was.

Our first meal at Tasty N Sons gave us a solid first impression that this supposedly quirky city has to offer.  And now, next door to Chop Charcuterie and Eat: An Oyster Bar for a little taste of what they have to offer.  Let's get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20120914

Post 110: Collaboration with Whisks & Ruffles - Pork Belly, Part 2

In my previous post, I shared the first part of my collaboration with Angelina Ang Lee of Whisks & Ruffles.  This post will continue with more pork belly deliciousness.  Rather than braising this time, I grilled some thinner cuts of the pork belly.  And so continues the life of an inner fatty...

I used thin cuts of pork belly strips with beautiful fat on the trim.  The pork belly was marinated with a mixture of gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), a bit of soy, sesame oil, chopped perilla (sesame seed leaves also known as shiso), and sesame seeds.  I added some ground black pepper too, but salt is not needed since the gochujang and soy sauce provide enough of that saltiness.

I faux grilled the pork belly using a Korean stone wok, which works great because it heats up quickly and retains the heat even after the stove is turned off.  The strips were cooked at medium-high heat.  The temperature must be hot enough for the fat to sizzle.  Must... hear... sizzle! Like... cooking bacon! Mmmmm... Flip the meat once only, and cook until it's brown and crisp on both sides.  If the heat is high enough, the meat will be fully cooked through because the cuts are not very thick.

Tiffany, my Chinese-American from Taiwan but also raised in Korea friend, came over for a taste test.  We ate the pork belly wrapped with fresh perilla leaves, raw sliced garlic, jalapeños, and diagonally cut scallions (see instructional clip by yours truly).  We also had sides of kimchi, yellow pickled daikon, and kimbap (Korean sushi or rice rolls) from the supermarket.  See Angelina's post on homemade kimbap to prepare your own.

I have been cutting down on some carbs lately, but the grilled pork belly would also work really well with steamed rice.  No worries, I could never cut carbs out entirely, but for now, meat and greens are good enough for me.  If the jalapeños aren't spicy enough for your taste, an extra dash of Sriracha hot sauce also helps add a spicy yet sweet flavor to your dish.  Or try Angelina's method, which is to add dried hot peppers... Indonesian style. 

Check out what Angelina came up with in the Lee kitchen using pork belly two ways.  Her double recipe storm includes a pork belly braised low and slow, which looks absolutely mouth watering.  Her second recipe is something that her mom used to make in Indonesia called babi kecap, a simmered stew of pork belly, tofu, and hard boiled eggs.  Ah, Mom's home cooking... my mouth is literally drooling right now...

Great job, Angelina.  I truly enjoyed our coast-to-coast collaboration.  Let's do it again soon! Until the next collaboration, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20130221

Post 109: Collaboration with Whisks & Ruffles - Pork Belly, Part 1

I began this year by meeting and collaborating with food bloggers on S.O.F.A.T. posts.  My first official collaboration (Gordon Ramsay BurGR) was with local Vegas food blogger Amber-Rose Kawawehi of Cheer Up With Food.  It was great to meet fellow food lovers from around the country, so I continued meeting more food bloggers on my trip to New York last month.  I met The Girl Who Ate Everything Robyn Lee, one of the inspirations for starting up S.O.F.A.T. Blog.  Also on this trip to the Big Apple, I got a chance to meet up with Angelina Ang Lee.  She creates recipes in her home kitchen, cooks for herself and her super busy doctor husband Brian, and posts her masterpieces on her blog Whisks & Ruffles.  The pictures of her food are ridiculously beautiful.

Since Angelina's posts are primarily of home cooked meals, we decided to do a kitchen collaboration.  With the help of some more bad ass local New Yorkers, we settled on a battle of pork belly.  What would Angelina and I cook with pork belly in our own kitchens? Well, this is the first of what I came up with in my tiny kitchen back in Orange County...

A beer braised pork belly with mango jalapeño salsa and an apple and pear mint salad.  Yum.  The thick cuts of pork belly were marinated in light soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper, green onions stalks, sliced jalapeños, and Sriracha.  They were all thrown into a Ziploc freezer bag for a few hours.  Check out this video on how to use green onions made by yours truly.

To braise the pork belly, season them with salt and pepper.  Then they are seared on each side.  An entire bottle of OB, a Korean brand of brown lager, is added to the pot.  To the beer I tossed in the marinade.  It took a good 20 minutes or more for all of the liquid to simmer down.  The result was a spicy, sweet, and flavorful reduction sauce.  So good.

While the beer reduces down to a condensed sauce, chop up some ripe mango and jalapeños for a quick and simple salsa.  Throw in some cilantro and season with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.  It may need a bit of oil to bind together, but I used the mango jalapeño jam from D-Lish Jams.

For simple and refreshing salad, slice up apples and pears, and toss with freshly chopped mint.  Add a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the fruit from oxidizing and turning brown.  Any types of apples and pears will do.  I love Fuji apples and Korean pears because they are fragrant and crisp.  Parsnips can also be used as a substitution for the pears.

After all of the beer simmers down, let the pork belly sit for a few minutes to cool down.  The juices need to redistribute equally throughout the meat before slicing.  I placed the slices of pork belly over strips of scallions for some bite and crunch.  And the final reduced sauce can be drizzled over the top of the meat and around the plate for an extra touch of flavor and presentation.

The dish would have been great with a starch, either rice, noodles or even potatoes or steamed buns, but I decided to go without them this time.  The salad and salsa were both great ways to cut the grease from the pork belly, so that was good enough for me.

I will post Angelina's kitchen creation on the next post (Pork Belly, Part 2).  In the meantime here is a pork belly recipe and a mango salad from the Whisks & Ruffles archive.  Some of my favorite posts by Angelina on Whisks & Ruffles include her seafood cioppino, her master recipe of Japanese ramen, and fancy mac & cheese.  Angelina was born in Indonesia, and her husband Brian is Korean-American, so you may find some Indonesian and Korean influences in her home cooking.  Yum!

Stay tuned for the second part of this blog collaboration.  Until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20130221

In the Kitchen Video 01 - Green Onions (Scallions)

With the help of super director and producer Christina Colorina, I made my first instructional cooking video with green onions this weekend in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

The video is on five way to cut green onions (scallions) for use in Taiwanese cooking.

Check it out here: S.O.F.A.T. in the Kitchen - Green Onions (Scallions)



Does it really have anything to do with St. Patty's Day? Not really, other than the scallions we used were GREEN.  It's a bit dorky, and there are a few flubs here and there, but the first time is never what you expect anyway, right? HA.  Enjoy, and leave a few comments to help improve our future clips!

Until then, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 20130317

Post 108: Jammin' in the Kitchen with D-Lish Jams

Elizabeth Sinanyan of D-Lish Jams in Pasadena approached me recently with a business proposal.  You blog about my jams.  You get free jams.  That was simple enough... done deal.  Well, rather than boast and gloat about the plethroa of unique jams flavors and combinations that Liz has been making for over 20 years, I thought it was a better idea to come up with some interesting uses for the jams.  After all, it is pretty easy to spread this classic condiment on our morning toast.

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Liz provided me with five flavors of fruity fun: lavender strawberry, mango japaleño, mixed berries, low calorie strawberry margarita, and a classic orange marmalade.  I used the five flavors in various ways to show how dynamic this spreadable sweetner can be.  These jams got layered into a yogurt parfait, mixed in with a meat marinade, spread over crostini, drizzled over ice cream, and stirred into hot tea.

Brunch - lavender strawberry jam in Greek yogurt parfait

This is an affordable way to make your own morning parfait rather than buying the yogurt and jam combination at the store.  And it definitely beats the packaged stuff that can be bought from drive-thru windows at the fast food chains.  The floral scent of the lavender goes great with the slightly acidic Greek style yogurt, and the sweetness from the strawberry smooths the flavors out.  Don't forget the cereal or granola for a much needed crunch.

Mealtime - mango jalapeño in marinade for seared pork belly and fresh mango jalapeño salsa

The mango jalapeño jam is both sweet and spicy, which are two smart flavors to add to any meat marinade.  I added that to a Ziploc bag of light soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper, green onions stalks, sliced jalapeños, and a bit squeeze of Sriracha hot sauce.  I also added a few spoonfuls of jam to freshly chopped mango and jalapeños to help bind the salsa together.

Cocktails - lo cal strawberry margarita jam over toasted crostini with goat cheese

The happy hour platter only gets more interesting with this alcohol infused fruit spread.  Goat cheese is an ideal base for the jam because it is also sweet and tart at the same time.  A medium bodied red wine pairs great with the buttery toasted crostini.

Dessert - mixed berries jam over vanilla bean ice cream sundae

Instead of adding syrups, chocolate, or other sauces that are high in sugar, why not top off your ice cream with a healthier option instead? Granted the jam does contain sugar, but the D-Lish Jams are all natural and made without adding any perservatives.  Garnish with some toasted almond slices, a cookie, and mint for presentation.

Nightcap - orange marmalade in Earl Grey tea

The Brits have a habit of adding sugar and milk into their afternoon tea to enhance the flavor, but Asian cultures such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean refrain from doing so in order to retain the original essence of the tea.  Well, as an alternative option to both the Western and Eastern habits, may I suggest the essence of orange mamalade to naturally sweeten the tea? Koreans already have a type of tea based on mixing sweetened orange peel and pulp wih hot water, which gives a soothing feeling, especially during the cold winter season.

Ever think about how to finish that Costco sized behemoth jar of Smuckers in the pantry? Well, here are five ideas.  And when that jar is finally finished, think about visiting the D-Lish website to place a few orders of the handmade, artisan jams.  They are freshly made in small batches, come in a variety of solidly unique flavors, and are much more conveniently sized for quick consumption.  They are also sold at your local Greater LA farmers market.

It was fun jammin' in the kitchen with these creative conconctions.  Thank you Liz for the jams and the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen.  Until the next jam session, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML