Ramen Noodles

Lately I have been totally obsessed with noodle soup. First of all because it's delicious, and secondly, because it is super cheap. R and I can share 2 appetizers, a bottle of sake and 2 ramens for under $50.....good deal! This past weekend we went to Menku Tei, a Japanese restaurant in the East Village. After this meal I was determined to make my own noodle soup, which pretty much failed miserably. Well...maybe I'm being dramatic...but in no way did it resemble the noodle soup I was craving. It was a little embarrassing, especially since I kept telling R, "this is SO easy, there is no way I can't make this!"

I made a stock with ginger, garlic, red peppers, various spicy peppers, shrimp shells, lemon grass and water. I simmered this for about an hour, but unfortunately it wasn't super flavorful so I started adding "a little of this, a little of that" which didn't really help. The broth would have worked out better if I had started with chicken stock and picked up some more potent peppers. The other mistake I made was cooking the noodles in the stock, vs cooking in advance and combining in our bowls. The noodles got all gummy and totally changed the texture of the broth. What resulted wasn't a fresh clean soup, but a kind of mucky noodle dish. It didn't taste terrible, but it totally wasn't what I was going for.

Next time I need to be a little less cocky, and actually familiarize myself with Japanese ingredients and techniques, otherwise I'll never get the result I want.

I had significantly more success with my spring rolls, which I filled with shredded carrots, scallions and pickled cucumbers.

Back to the Land

Just enjoyed reading this on the New York Times website.

(Swiss Chard from our garden.)

THANKSGIVING

Sarah making spiced nuts,

and cranberry sauce.

Spicy, sweet, buttery pecans and walnuts.

Sauteeing apples for the apple crumble.  After sauteeing a mixture of Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Rome apples in butter, we stirred in a mixture of cider, lemon juice, maple syrup, corn starch and cinnamon.  The apples then went into the buttered cast iron skillet where they were topped with a buttery brown sugar oat crumble.

Turkey brining in a mixture of salt, sugar, bay leaves, and cloves.

Ping pong and BBQ'ing.

Mark Bittman's sweet potatoes with prosciutto and sage.

The turkey! After brining for 24 hours, the turkey went on the grill where it cooked over indirect heat (and a drip pan) for about 3 1/2 hours.  Trevor continuously added fresh coals and soaked mesquite wood chips so that the grill maintained a consistent temperature, and also basted the turkey with melted butter to keep it moist and achieve that beautiful, smoky brown skin.

Sarah successfully executed our idea to make personalized paper leaf name tags for the wine glasses.  

Carved turkey on our great grandmother's platter.

Sarah made the Traditional Stuffing with torn buttermilk sandwich loaf, celery, onion, button mushrooms and the secret ingredient: poultry seasoning! (left).  I made a Southwest Cornbread Stuffing with poblanos, jalapenos, green onion, corn, chipotle in adobo, and lots o' butter (right).  Not pictured: Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce with orange zest, and Giblet Gravy with Pinot Noir (and smoked pan drippings).  Sarah made the gravy by simmering the neck and giblets (sans liver) in a small stock pot with some celery, onion, pinot noir, and a few more ingredients.  This broth was then strained and mixed with a roux made with the pan drippings.  You would not believe this gravy-- it was so rich, smoky and delicious.

We decided to eat around the ping pong table so that we'd have plenty of elbow room.  Thanks Trent, Craig, Rebecca, Nick and Kush for the excellent company, cold beer, and help with the dishes!

Two tired sisters squeezed into an armchair.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Smitty's

NOT QUITE.

For lunch yesterday we decided to drive out to Lockhart, TX for a BBQ lunch at Smitty's.

From left to right: Trevor, Sarah & Caitlin.

We were joined by our friend Nick.

While Trevor and Nick ordered the meat, Sarah and I ordered the sides.  Unfortunately we

found the sides to be lackluster.  The beans were blah, and despite having a

tremendous amount of mayonnaise the potato salad was pretty flavorless.

WARNING: DO NOT get the "sweet" pickles, they taste like Christmas potpourri.

We ordered 5 lbs. of meat to share amongst the four of us.  Here are our thoughts:  AMAZING fatty brisket (unanimous!), forgettable lean brisket (the fatty is soooo much moister and more delicious.  Smitty's does not offer BBQ sauce, so it is hard to mask the dryness of the leaner BBQ'd meats), so-so sausage (Nick and Sarah didn't mind it, Trevor thought it was underseasoned, I thought it just tasted like fatty offal), prime rib (Nick loved it, Trevor thought it was good, Sarah and I didn't enjoy the contrast of the medium-rare meat along with the rest of the very well-cooked BBQ), and pork ribs that were excellent (though maybe not as good as City Market?)

Despite certain complaints we all agreed that the best bite of the day (or perhaps the week?) was a warm piece of fatty brisket wrapped in soft white bread with a crunchy ring of onion.  SO GOOD.  Sarah, we're glad we got to show you some real Texas BBQ!

Two Sisters, Two Suppers: Gearing up for Thanksgiving in Austin!

Hmm... I love traditional cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving table, but I bet that would be awesome on a turkey sandwich!  I think this recipe for Cranberry-Currant Relish looks delish.
In other news, our new patio furniture arrived today!  Cross your fingers for warm and sunny weather next Thursday so we can sit outside and enjoy some pre (and post) Thanksgiving cocktails.

I was hoping we would be able to serve home-grown broccoli and/or brussels sprouts on the Thanksgiving table, but they're not quite there yet.

Readers, don't forget to tune in next week! Sarah will be making her grand Texas debut, and Two Sisters will be cooking (and chronicling) our first Thanksgiving dinner sans parents.  We're sad that sister # 3 can't make it... knock 'em dead on Black Friday Whitney!

Stamberg and Reichl Make Cranberry Relish

I'm listening to NPR right now, where special correspondant Susan Stamberg, and Ruth Reichl, former Editor in Chief of the now defunct Gourmet Magazine are discussing one of their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes - Cranbery Relish. The recipe involves red horseradish, sour cream and brining, resulting in a crazy pink looking side dish. I've never considered a relish/slaw to be something I would serve at Thanksgiving, but Susan says the tangy taste cuts through some of the heaviness on the Thanksgiving table.

Caitlin- something to consider for our first Thanksgiving next week!

Click here to view the recipe and interview

Creamy Cauliflower Puree with Bacon, Bay Scallops, and Buttered Peas

Last night I was finally cursed with less-than-fresh fish from Central Market.  I saw Bay Scallops on special and since we have had nothing but good experiences buying meat and fish on special, I bought a pound of scallops.  They weren't terrible- they just smelled fishy and weren't really that good.

The star of the meal -- however -- was the creamy cauliflower puree.  I braised a head of cauliflower florets in milk and cream with some thyme, shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper.  When the florets were tender- yet still toothsome, I pureed them in batches in my teeny tiny food processor, slowly adding in the creamy braising liquid to give the puree the right consistency.  I stirred in a pat of butter and UGH- this was so good!  The chewy bites of bacon and sweet, buttery peas were delicious with the puree.  I think this puree would be great with a juicy lamb chop (or some fresh scallops!)

Creamy Cauliflower Puree

Serves 4

1 med-large head cauliflower

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup water

1 clove garlic, halved at root

1 shallot, halved at root

2 sprigs thyme

S&P to taste

Cut cauliflower into florets, discarding the core.  Bring milk, cream and water to a very low simmer and add in the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to ensure even cooking.  Puree cauliflower, garlic, shallot and thyme, adding the braising liquid slowly to achieve proper consistency.  I had about a cup of liquid left in my pot that I didn't use.  Season to taste, add butter as desired to make an even richer, creamier puree.

Out & About: Momofuku Noodle Bar, NYC

Last night we went to Momofuku Noodle Bar, one of 5 of Chef David Chang's restaurants in NYC. Despite having lived around the corner from this popular noodle bar for 2 years, it took a double date to finally get us there. We waited for about 30-40 minutes, which wasn't too painful, especially once we ordered a round of Lone Stars.

We ordered the Sliced Fluke- apple puree, celery and furikake; Jar of Pickles (ehh not great considering I thought I was getting this); Smoked Chicken Wings - pickled chili, garlic, scallions; Steamed Pork Buns and Momofuku Ramen - pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg.

The sliced fluke itself was pretty simple, what really made the dish pop was the furikake, which is a dried mix of seaweed, sesame seeds and other things, which is meant to be sprinkled on rice. I bought a version of this awhile back, and what makes it great is it's crunchy texture and slightly fishy flavor.

Smoked Chicken Wings

Photo courtesy of Gastrosnobs

The smoked chicken wings were really delicious, definitely something that I would eat on a daily basis if I could!

Steamed Pork Buns

Photo courtesy of bionicgrrrl

The steamed pork buns were definitely the highlight of the meal. A fluffy steamed dough is filled with roasted pork belly that falls apart in your mouth, but it has a crispy fatty layer that kind of *pops*, then it has crisp pickled cucumbers and sweet hoisin....so delicious! Apparently, David Chang added these at the 11th hour and I'm so glad he did! You can also buy these around the corner at Milk Bar, a more casual dessert bar that doesn't require a 40 min wait. I'd love to learn how to make these at home, but I'll definitely need a partner because I'm intimidated by the dough process. (Pork Bun Recipe, courtesy of Gourmet)

Momofuku Ramen

Photo courtesy of Amuses Bouche

The ramen soup was yum, primarily because of the delicious fall-apart-in-your-mouth roasted pork. However, it didn't exactly blow my mind, as one blogger said- it lacked "umami." Overall it was just well made ramen, using delicious ingredients- you can't really go wrong! I'm confident I can make this at home as it is very similar to Crossing the Bridge Noodles, with the exception of learning how to roast pork shoulder!

All in all, delicious dinner, and only about $200 for 4 of us, which considering we had sake and beers, wasn't too bad at all.

After dinner we went to Milk Bar, which was too gimmicky for me. You'll see what I mean when I tell you what we ordered- Cereal Milk Soft Serve, Slice of Crack Pie (toasted oat crust, gooey butter filling), Compost Cookie (pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, chocolate chips), Chocolate Malt Cake (malt fudge, malted milk crums, charred marshmallows) and some pistachio pie I can't remember the name of. The only thing that stood out to me was the crack pie, because it was gooey and sweet and butterscotchy. The cereal milk soft serve had an earthy dirt taste that I did not like. However, one friend who likes to drink the milk when he is done with his cereal enjoyed it!

I will definitely go back to Milk Bar to pick up a pork bun for the road, it would be a great refection (word of the day from captivate.com aka elevator tv).

Spicy Italian Sausage, White Bean and Seafood Soup

This week R picked up spicy Italian sausages from our local butcher, which I wanted to use in a light and healthy dish. I had fennel, shallots and chicken broth in my fridge, so I decided to do a jambalaya type soup, sans rice. You can spice the dish to your liking, I was throwing in a-little-of-this and a-little-of-that, so my spice measurements aren't very accurate.

Spicy Italian Sausage, White Bean and Seafood Soup

• 3 Small Spicy Italian Sausages, sliced into 1/2 pieces
• 1 tbs Tomato Paste
• 1 Fennel Bulb, chopped
• 1 Shallot, chopped
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 Can Navy Beans (or any white bean), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup White Wine (I used Kendall Jackson Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1/2-1 cup Chicken Stock
• 2 tsp (total) of Dried Thyme, Rosemary and Fresh Sage, chopped
• 1/2 tsp of Paprika
• Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes
• 6 Little Neck Clams
• 6 Mussels
• 4 Shrimp, peeled, deveined
• White Wine Bread or any crispy bread for dipping
• Manchego Cheese, shredded (optional)

In a pan over medium-high heat I browned my sausage for 3-4 mins per side, while caramelizing the tomato paste in the corner of the pan. Once the sausage had browned I added in the fennel, shallots and garlic, covered and reduced the heat, cooking for about 5 minutes until until the vegetables began to get soft. I deglazed the pan with the white wine and cooked, uncovered for 3-4 more minutes until some of the wine had boiled off. Then I added the beans and enough chicken stock to cover the beans/fennel by about 1-2 inches. At this point I added the thyme, rosemary, sage mix, S&P, paprika and red pepper flakes. I let this mixture bubble together for a few minutes then added the clams and covered, cooking for apx. 5 minutes before adding the mussels and cooking, covered, for another 5 minutes. All in all, the mussels and clams needed about 10 minutes to cook. You know they are done when the shells open. Lastly I added the shrimp, covered and turned off the heat.

I topped the soup with shredded manchego, using my new hand held microplane grater (so fun!!) and a good handful of chopped parsley. I served the soup with warm white wine bread from Orwasher's and dinner was served!

This was really yummy and ultimately a quite healthy and budget friendly meal. Because you are purchasing such small portions of seafood, you don't spend more then $5-6. I will definitely make this again!

Le Weekend

Friday dinner for one: Angel Hair with White Beans, Tomatoes and Capers.

Saturday (dinner for two): Grilled Trout and Grilled Zucchini with Dill Pistachio Brown Rice.

Sunday Comfort Food: White Cheddar Mac n' Cheese with Peas.

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Risotto

At the Farmer's Market on Wednesday night I picked up a basket of three baby Butternut squash.  I was debating whether to do a pasta or a risotto and since the risotto went over so well last time, I thought I'd give it another try!
I peeled and cubed my squash, tossed it with salt and olive oil, and roasted it in my cast iron skillet for about 30 minutes in a 425 oven until soft and caramelized.  While the squash was roasting I melted 2 tbsp. of butter in my Le Creuset and added one small diced sweet onion, which I cooked until slightly caramelized.
When the squash and onions were done I set them aside in the cast iron skillet.  In the Le Creuset I added another tbsp of butter, a tbsp of olive oil and 1 1/2 cups of arborio rice.  When the rice started to smell "toasty", I stirred in 1/2 cup of white wine.  As you can see in the 3rd photo above, I had a pot with my stock/water mixture gently simmering next to my risotto pot.  When you make risotto, slowly ladle the warm liquid into the rice, stirring until the liquid has been absorbed before adding more liquid.  When the rice was just al dente I stirred in the squash and onions and 1/2 cup grated parmesan and seasoned to taste with S&P.
I felt my risotto was lacking... somehow the flavors weren't coming together.  I stirred in another pat of butter and presto- smooth, creamy, rich and perfectly balanced.  The more I cook, the more I realize that butter truly is the secret ingredient to making everything taste better.  We enjoyed the risotto with a green salad simply dressed with a big squeeze of Meyer lemon, olive oil and freshly cracked pepper.

Fall Feast

Fall tablescape using leftover thyme and candles

Last Sunday, Meg, Lauren and I planned a Fall Feast to kick off the holiday season. I loved being able to cook and enjoy a festive meal with friends. Below are our ingredient lists as some recipes were modified, and links to our recipe sources.

Chicken and Mashed Potato Croquettes (Courtesy of Diana Rattray, About.com)

Ingredients

Filling

• Roasted Chicken, skin and meat minced (2 cups)
• 1 Cup Dry Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• 1 tbs Parsley, finely chopped

Sauce

• 2 tbs Unsalted Butter
• 6 Scallions, thinly sliced
• 4 tbs Flour
• 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• Salt

Coating

• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten with 1 tbs cold water
• 2 cups Bread Crumbs

Served with a size of cranberry sauce

We followed recipe directions, but these kind of fell apart while cooking. I think it was due to the fact that I used butter in the mashed potatoes, and when they got hot, the butter started to melt. Regardless, they were really delicious and definitely a recipe I would try again.

Gruyere Stuffed Pumpkin (Courtesy of dorriegreenspan.com)

Ingredients

• 1 Pumpkin
• 1 Stale Baguette, sliced into 1/2" pieces
• 4 oz Gruyere, shredded
• 1 handful Cheddar, shredded
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves , chopped
• Chives for topping

This was so much less intimidating then I thought it would be! Once you cook the pumpkin, you stir up the inside to combine everything then slice and serve. Our only error might have been using too much garlic as some bites were a little bitter. Next time I would also use bacon, fresh herbs and a mix of cheese instead of just Gruyere. This was a really delicious and interesting dish!

Mini Chicken Pot Pies (Courtesy of Epicurious.com)

Ingredients

• Roasted Chicken, shredded, skin chopped
• Frozen Baby Peas
• 1 Carrot, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 1 Parsnip, cored and chopped into 1/2" pieces
• Mushrooms, quartered
• 2-3 Celery Stalks, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 1 tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
• Butter
• Pillsbury Biscuits
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Disposable Pot Pie tins

Once you mix the filling, pour into individual tins and top with a biscuit and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Cook according to package directions, 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Filling may be made ahead. These were very cute, next time I would use more filling, less biscuit!

Butternut Squash Soup with Crisp Pancetta (Courtesy of Food & Wine)

Ingredients

• 3 Butternut Squash, halved and seeded
• 3 oz Pancetta, thinly sliced
• 1 Large Spanish Onion, chopped
• 6 Thyme Sprigs
• 2 Quarts Chicken Stock
• 2 Tbs Heavy Cream
• Sugar

Follow recipe directions. Soup may be made ahead, re crisp pancetta prior to serving. This soup was more time consuming then most soups, mostly because it requires multiple steps. Regardless, it was really yummy and is a great thing to be able to make ahead for a party.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

We needed a no-stress side dish, so we roasted frozen brussel sprouts and then blackened in a skillet over high heat. These were a great thing to have on the table, a lighter side dish to balance out all of the rich main dishes.

Butternut Squash Hash

Roasted Vegetables, Egg Ring

This meal came out of trying to empty my fridge of vegetables. It's in the vein of "breakfast for dinner" but with a hearty, fall feeling.

Butternut Squash Hash

• Mushrooms (I used cremini and button), quartered
• 1 Butternut squash, peeled and cubed (seeds roasted for 5 minutes)
• 1 Shallot, cut into wedges (maintain connection to root)
• 1 Baking Potato, peeled and cubed
• 4 leaves Fresh Sage, juliened
• 1 tsp Dry Thyme
• 1 tsp Dry Rosemary, chopped
• 2 Sweet Italian Sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
• Manchego cheese, shredded

Sauce: Mayonnaise, Garlic, Sauteed Leeks, Champagne Vinegar, S&P, cayenne

Side of sour dough toast with roasted garlic

I chopped the vegetables into 1/2" cubes and added to a baking dish with sausage and spices, and tossed with olive oil. I wasn't hungry quite yet, so I decided to roast garlic for my toast. I placed the vegetables in the fridge and preheated my oven to 450 degrees. I sliced the top off of a head of garlic, drizzled with olive oil and placed in a foil pouch. I roasted for approximately 40 minutes, when the cloves started to brown. I removed the cloves from the head and mashed into a paste. Later I spread this on bread with butter and toasted. When I started to get hungry I popped my vegetables in the oven and cooked for 30 minutes. When there was 10 minutes left, I sprinkled a handful of shredded manchego over the top of the vegetables. I wanted the vegetables to have a a crust, similar to hash browns, and once the cheese browned it provided that texture.

At the last minute I decided to make a "hollaindasy" sauce, combining sauteed leeks (garlic and butter) with a mix of mayonnaise, champagne vinegar, cayenne, S&P.

To top my hash browns I made a fried egg using an egg ring, a new gadget I picked up with my Williams Sonoma gift card. I was a little skeptical about the egg staying inside the ring, but it produced a perfectly round fried egg in 5 minutes. I'm not sure I prefer the look of this egg to regular fried eggs, but it's a good tool to have when you need to cook multiple eggs at once.

This was a really good dinner, somehow pretty rich, even though it was just vegetables and eggs. What I most debated about was whether a sauce was necessary. Of course it made it taste delicious and salty, but at the end of the day it's really the egg yolk that provides a sauce for the dish.