Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Slanted Door


This cookbook brings back many fond memories.  When I used to live in the Bay Area, it was such a treat to head into San Francisco and dine at The Slanted Door.  Often, the place was packed and you just had to wait your turn.  The aromas would tantalize you.  You thought, surely by the time I sit down, I could eat the whole menu.  That's how great it smelled.  How difficult it was to narrow down your choices.

Now that I live in Southern CA, I'm glad Phan relocated The Slanted Door to the Ferry Building because it seats more people comfortably, increasing the odds I can get in.

This cookbook helps me create some of my favorite dishes and discover some new ones.  The photographs are stunning, and recipes quite easy to read and understand.  I can totally see myself making his chicken watercress soup, braised ginger chicken, shaking beef, roasted lobster with butter herb dressing.  I used to treat out of town guests to my version of Phan's roasted Dungeness crab for New Year's Eve -- always a crowd pleaser.  This cookbook also includes favorite cocktails like the Royal Pimm's Cup, the Ginger Limeade and shows what pairs well with bold flavors.  

If you can't get to The Slanted Door as often as you like, this cookbook is the next best thing to being there.  More than a collection of recipes, this book is also a diary of an American Dream come true.  Charles Phan chronicles his inspiring journey from the Mission District to the Ferry Building as he shares the dishes that helped us recognize Vietnamese cuisine as world-class.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Saint Martha: I'm a worshipper!

Trying a new restaurant that has generated a lot of buzz and good word of mouth always raises the bar, and hence, often increases the chance you will be disappointed.   Fortunately, this was not the case.  

The restaurant is small, intimate.   When we arrived, it was only 1/3 full or so.  You can sit at the bar, but the plates are stacked so high, you can't really see into the kitchen or talk to staff so we chose a table.  




Amuse Bouche
Chickpea hummus quinoa

We ordered all three appetizers:  the crab and uni cream, the chicken liver mousse, and the octopus.  The octopus never arrived, so they comped us dessert -- the panna cotta.   The deconstructed bagel was interesting, the salmon was the best part and a generous portion so it need more goat cheese, pickle and the everything churro.




The crab and uni cream




The chicken liver mousse w/mushrooms and praline hazelnut
giving it that Nutella taste

Deconstructed bagel


The star was the beet sorbet and roasted beets.   It was as tasty as visually appealing.  Must learn to make beet sorbet.





Everyone raved about the brisket, how long it is smoked, that I expected it to be more tender and moist.  Unforunately, our wasn't.  Quite dry.  The hoisin was a little overpowering.  We only ate half of it.





Although portions were on the small side, food was delicious, innovative and fun.   As is the wine.  Mary, the sommelier, is a self-described wine pirate.  I am crazy about her, and her wine picks.   She has exquisite taste.  She loved how DH could recognize a lambrusco from across a crowded room.   The food is excellent, but I'd also go for her.  "Some people collect wines, I hunt wines."  And she does.  She poured us a taste of a wine from Crete, since I had heard all about it.   It was fantastic.  Far better than the Greek wines my wine club focused on several months ago.   Mary promises new wines coming from Israel, North Fork, Long Island, former Soviet Georgia, Lebanon, all over.

I love how when you go to the bathroom, there is a tape on how to speak Korean.  The bad news, there's only one bathroom.   Other "bad" news, the wine list, thought eclectic, is expensive.  Yes, I know, so is the food.  The table next to us tried to split the diver scallop three ways.   When the restaurant is full (and it was halfway into our meal) -- it is super loud.



Panna cotta

Still, you'll find me worshipping at the altar of Saint Martha.   Perhaps, this is a good time to remind everyone I will write for food.



Thursday, October 9, 2014

Letter of Recommendation

As most of you know, I juggle several part-time jobs to make ends meet.  So believe me, sometimes I am quite tempted to tell my students, please buy ALL my work!

I think of all those years where my professors assigned their books to me, how big and expensive they were.  Cha-ching, cha-ching.  They were MANDATORY reading!

If I use my own work as an example, it is because I happen to know what I was thinking, what I was trying to do.  But when I am demonstrating craft at its finest, I often recommend and use Henrik Ibsen's A DOLL HOUSE. 

I love teaching, love helping students create and find their voice/vision.  Today, one of those talented students wrote me a letter of appreciation which I want to share with you.  It brought a few tears to my eyes.

Dear Lucy,

I am very appreciative of all the time and thought you gave to me and the play. I would like you to be able to use the following with prospective students and mentees should you need it.

I worked with Lucy Wang entirely over email when writing my first full-length play. She was remarkably prompt, responding to all my emails and drafts. She provided helpful exercises as I wrangled with character and scene development. She was always encouraging and supportive in all her communications and provided indispensable constructive feedback as well as structural guidance concerning how the play was progressing as I wrote it. When I sent her my "final" draft, Lucy was unbelievably generous, which is not to say that she simply praised my work. In fact, she combed through the entire text incredibly thoroughly and clarified many potential weaknesses that were already in my thoughts. She never attempted to make the work her own; her comments and feedback were written to spark and inspire my own process and voice. Although she occasionally used examples from her own work to explain her points or "homework", she never asked me to read her work as part of the process. I found Lucy to be extremely helpful and specific without pushing too much into my creative process. I would recommend working with her without reservations for anyone who is looking for insightful and inspiring guidance with writing a play.

Thank you very much,
with much warmth,
yours,
 KS
** I removed name and changed initials to preserve student's privacy.**

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Skinnytaste, Skinnyportions


Skinnytaste by Gina Homolka
w/Heather K. Jones, R.D.

The cover of Skinnytaste promises a collection of recipes "light on calories, big on flavor."   Love how there's nutritional information for every recipe listing calories, fat, carbohydrates.  That's really helpful.   As you drool over the food porn, what you realize immediately...the main secret to skinnytaste is portion size and portion control.  For example, the key to enjoying the corny banana-blueberry pancakes is sticking to two pancakes (259 calories).

Skinnytaste has a lot of sweet recipes so I think this book is best for someone with a sweet tooth looking to lighten it up.   Homolka also remakes many comfort and familiar dishes including chicken parmesan and chicken marsala.  Again, the photographs look sinfully delicious, the trick lies in limiting yourself to one cutlet.  Skinnytaste, skinny portions.

The book is easy for novices with plenty of "skinny scoops" (tips) served throughout.  Tips like what to do with leftover buttermilk, how long you can refrigerate a dish, and so on.


"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."