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."

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.

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.**

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."

 

Well-Nourished

Jennifer McGruther's cookbook feels like a book of love.  Her approach to food mirrors mine so I was quite excited to read her cookbook.  Instead of advising you to swear off carbs or meat forever, she encourages you to eat local, nutrient dense, and focus on quality over quantity.  Just say no to processed foods.

The Paleo diet forbids legumes so I found the section where she lists the nutrients legumes offer quite informative and helpful.  I enjoyed reading her recipes for sardines, bone marrow, elk and anchovies -- ingredients often overlooked.  

As someone who strives to be a fit foodie and is a fitness ambassador, I wish some of her recipes used less butter, less cream, less sugar (albeit honey, maple syrup).  The art of fermentation chapter is useful for any gardeners facing an overabundance and worried about fermenting vegetables safely.  There is a fine line, and McGruther guides you.

The photographs are lovely, but the book could've used more.   Some of the most delicious sounding recipes, sadly, had no photos.  And some photos like the chicken foot broth were thumbnail.

The Nourished Kitchen makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over.  The recipes are well-written, not difficult, and with a few exceptions (e.g., dulse) ingredients are not obscure.   Nourish yourselves and your loved ones.  You only have one body, embrace your health.

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

All directions point NORTH

NORTH
The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland
by Gunnar Karl Gislason & Jody Eddy
foreword by Rene Redzepi of Noma

If I thought I wanted to visit badly before, and I did(!) thanks to New Scandinavian Cooking on PBS,  -now it's imperative.  This cookbook is a gorgeous cookbook and travelogue.  The photos are stunning, stories gripping and recipes loving.  Many of the recipes, however, are too time-consuming, and call for many hours of smoking, brining/pickling, refrigeration, rehydration.   So, I doubt I will be making many of the recipes verbatim.  But you know what they say, never say never.

The chefs do make suggested substitutions for those of us unlucky to live outside of Iceland.  Bay leaf for birch, tarragon for angelica, regular thyme for arctic thyme, et al.  I love how the cookbooks include interviews with the farmers, the fishermen, the smokers -- Restaurant Dill's providers and suppliers -- it makes you feel even closer to the food.   Certainly whets the ole appetite to know a few of them welcome tourists as well.

Some of the artistically plated masterpieces and heartfelt stories make you feel close enough to taste the love, the history and the culture.  It's so palpable that you will want to book the next flight so you can eat at Gunnar's table, and tour the country.  Damn those active volcanoes.  Then again, maybe that's how you'll get to extend your stay in Iceland.

Until I can afford to travel to Iceland, I do expect these stories and recipes to inspire me as I push my culinary boundaries and imagine an untouched natural landscape.

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

You Gonna Use That Pickle?

Who doesn't love a good pickle?  

I'm not sure I want to know that person.  Then again, that person would give me their pickle :-)

Karen Solomon has put together a collection of her favorite pickles from China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia.  It is not exhaustive, nor is it meant to be.  It amazes me how many things you can pickle, and how good they taste.  I especially love her recipes are completely devoid of preservatives, artifical colors and flavorings.  Some of the pickles take weeks, others take an hour.  As an organic gardener, I love having this guide so I can preserve the bounty and extend the season.  

The photographs are beautfiul and look fresh, like you can reach out and taste them.   I was pleasantly surprised to see a spinach with sesame recipe -- it fit the pantry and the palate.   Simply delicious.  Plus the spinach keeps for four days  in the refrigerator, if covered and refrigerated.  My garden is long on long beans, so I also enjoyed her salt-cured long beans with ginger. 

This book is a wonderful resource and guide for the pickle lover.

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