Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Three Amigos, Three Branzino


My cousins like to gather for Sunday supper, usually at my aunt and uncle's.  I don't usually attend since I'm the black sheep.

This year my BD falls on Good Friday March 25th, so my cousins asked me if we could celebrate my BD the weekend earlier, on the 20th to avoid being subjected to long fiery sermons on Easter Sunday. Some folks wanted to get away for the holiday weekend as well, so it just made sense to celebrate my birthday as an extended family one Sunday earlier.

My relatives kept teasing me.  "When are we going to taste your cooking?"  "I hear you're a good cook. Prove it."

Even though branzino isn't typically found in Chinese restaurants, my relatives love seafood. Seafood is plentiful in Taiwan.  Plus whole roasted branzino is one of my favorite dishes.  I made it last year for my BD and it was a huge hit with my guests.  What's not to like about this mild, white-fleshed fish?  Besides, fish in Chinese culture symbolizes good luck.  We could all use more luck.  But to make sure, I shared my vision for the dish with my cousin Wesley and he said he couldn't wait.

Next task at hand was securing the fish.  Luckily, Fish King Seafood had some clear-eyed branzino for sale at $12.98/lb.   I bought 3 fishes, about 2 pounds each.

To minimize any trauma in someone else's kitchen (what, you don't have this!?  am i in your way again?), I prepped as much of the dish at my home.  I stuffed and twined all three fishes, and even brought my All-Clad roasting pan.  My relatives were impressed.  OMG, that is so much fish!  This All-Clad roasting pan is so heavy!  They took photos and they aren't even foodies!

When I first arrived, however, the early birds at the party chided me.  Fish!  Who told you to bring fish and three bigs ones!?   We ordered take out and one of the dishes we ordered was fried fish fillets.  Inside, I was thinking fried fish fillets, ugh.    I looked at my cousin Wesley, who gave me a sheepish look.  I'm sure we'll still eat it.

My heart sank, I was out $80 for the fish alone, and they preferred fried fish fillets to fresh branzino?   I tried to look on the bright side.  If no one liked my dish, my husband and I would gladly take the fishes home. Leftover branzino makes great fish tacos.

Silly me.   OMG, when we set the piece de resistance in the center of the table, it looked majestic.   It is the first dinner I've attended where everyone dives for the fish head!

There were no leftovers.  None.  The large all-clad and fish bones were scraped clean.  Suddenly "too much" fish was "too little" fish.  All the garnishes were eaten too.

My aunt told me she's never ever cooked a whole fish before and doesn't know how.  I found this astonishing because whole fish is ubiquitous in all Chinese restaurants so I erroneously assumed...

We were also astonished by everyone's reaction to my husband helping me flip the fish.   "He helps you?"  "He knows how to cook?"  "Does he like to help you?"  We were barraged with questions.

I felt like I was transported back to medieval times.   To my father's house because my father would never lift a finger in the kitchen to help me.  When my mother left, cooking became my responsibility, and when I left, my father called his mother and asked her to come to America to cook.  She did.

 It is the first dinner I've attended where everyone dives for the head!  Dibs!

Towards the end of the meal, a cousin asked, "Is this dish Chinese?"

Is it?   Hmmm.   How to answer.   Fennel, Italian, not Chinese.   Yuzu, Japanese.   Soy sauce, Chinese parsley (cilantro), Chinese.   Worcestershire sauce, American.   I plead the fifth.

One hurdle at a time.

Monday, March 21, 2016

The More of Less



After reading Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I was curious what wisdom and insights Joshua Becker might have to offer in the More of Less.

Becker defines minimalism as the intentional promotion of things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from them.   Minimalism doesn't mean owning nothing and giving up everything.  He argues that when we let possessions own us, we don't enjoy what we value most in life.

Kondo shares a lot of her personal life stories about what sparked and didn't spark joy, Becker shares a lot of other people's stories and stories from the Bible.  Becker offers a list of familiar questions to help you zero in on your passions and reevaluate if your lifestyle matches your values.  He gives you homework like Declaring Your Why, Write Down Your Goals to guide you. Becker reminds us of how easy it is to buy mindlessly, or for the wrong reasons.  How we've been conditioned to always want bigger, better, more, and how liberating it is to live more mindfully.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this book, for me, was learning about how others have defined minimalism their way, and letting that set my imagination afire.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.


Saturday, March 12, 2016

Crispy Lentils with Orange & Yellow Carrots, Peas, Shallots & Chives

Sometimes a Dish

Changes How You Feel About Something.   That's partly why even though I love to cook and experiment at home, I love to eat out.   At friends', at restaurants, in different countries.    Sometimes when a restaurant closes, you don't just mourn the restaurant and the staff, you mourn dishes that you cannot find anywhere else.   For example, my mother-in-law at 89 still recalls quite lovingly and in great detail the best bay scallops she's ever eaten at a long-closed restaurant in Chelsea, Manhattan.  

I hate lentils.  Too mushy.  It doesn't help they are super healthy.  Dr. Oz can't stop raving about the benefits and how on the eve of his colonoscopy, he snuck some in, and they were found the very next morning in his intestine.  Busted!  

Cobras & Matadors changed how I feel about and looked at lentils.  The restaurant closed, but if you google crispy lentils and Cobras & Matadors, you'll see how many people loved that dish.   Crispy French puy lentils, jamon serrano, scallions and a splash of balsamic.  I ordered that dish every time I was there, and anyone dining with me also fell in love with that dish.   

Every once in a while, I would attempt to recreate the dish and failed.   Last night marked a victory.  I brought a pot of water to a boil, turned it off, and then soaked the Zursun Idaho heirloom black beluga lentils in that hot water for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, I drained the lentils.

I proceeded with my mise en place.   Diced yellow and orange carrots.  Cut up some Chinese chives in 1" lengths.  One shallot.  Two slices of bacon.   Shelled some English peas.  Chopped up some parsley.  Threw in a bay leaf.  



Once the carrots softened, I added the beluga lentils.



Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Good to the Bone


BRODO
a bone broth cookbook



Marco Canora reports that Brodo sells more 40 to 50 gallons of hot broth every day and 50-80 quart jars of frozen broth.   Where is this demand coming from?

Well, I never met anyone who didn't want to live a healthier life.  Most people just don't know how, or equate healthy with bland.   We need to be shown the light, the way.  Enter Canora who says his broth is a nutritious and delicious alternative to that umpteeth cup of coffee.   These mugs of wellness offer a multitude of benefits including healthier hair, gut, skin, and reduced joint pain and inflammation.

So the question is how long do these broths take to make a home?  Luckily Canora busts the myth that you will be simmering broth for days.  Make that hours.  The recipes are simple, but time consuming.  The key is getting the best bones you can.  His hearth broth and golden chicken broth simmer for 3 to 5 hours.  The grass fed beef broth, veal broth and duck broth simmer for 12-16 hours.  No wonder people are lining up at Brodo's window.  You need time, but the good news is your health is worth the investment and these broths are good to the bone.   Also, these recipes yield large quantities and can last up to 6 months in your freezer. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.