Arnold Palmer

When on the links, what else would you drink besides a cool brisk "Arnold Palmer"?

McRib is Back

Remember those McRib sandwiches at McDonald’s with the delicious, zesty BBQ sauce with the meat falling off the bone? I really don’t, since I was but a young lad when it was readily available. Apparently there are no bones, and heck, it’s not even rib meat. But what the heck, I’d like to give it a try, since, on November 2nd, they’ll be readily available again for a short time. There’s quite a following for these sandwiches and stories of people driving 4 and 10 hours when they hear of a McD’s offering it, since they still do appear from time to time at select locations. Read this NPR article, or better yet, listen to the interview to hear about others who blog about it, create Facebook pages for it, and so on. This makes me want to eat the sandwich more so than what the actual sandwich will be. I gotta recollect if I liked this sandwich or not. There is really a cult following to it. In fact, look at the replies to Aramis' 2-year old post.

Edible La-Yu

Granted even vegetables can taste GREAT with a steak, this edible La-Yu is a fantastic condiment.

Marketed as 食べるラー油 (La-Yu) in Japan, this is a home run condiment that is about to hit the US market.

Not overly spicy but flavorful and accompanied with deliciously roasted garlic, I am a FAN!

Unbelievable

Most likely not up for a Michelin Star.

Enchang Sausages

XLB

Just because.

Ruby Tuesday's (Orlando Airport)

Slim pickens my friends.
I chose what I thought was bulletproof and yet these corporate chefs never cease to amaze me.

How this was OK'd for the menu is beyond me.
This was absolutely horrible.

If there was the opposite of a Bocuse D'or, these guys would place pretty high.

The Fountain of Youth is at McDonald’s!

No, really; they found the secret of looking young. Just ask Sally Davies, a New York-based artist and photographer. She bought a happy meal back in April, has taken pictures of it, and posting them to her Flickr account ever since. The incredible thing is that it looks – but not feels – almost like it did from the day she bought it. It didn’t even accumulate mold. She did this because she told her friend that she heard of a teacher that has a 12-year old Mickey D’s burger that still looks the same. Perhaps this is the secret to Ronald looking so young. Heck, have you seen what he looked like years ago? Worse than now! McD’s needs to go into the Nip Tuck biz.

You know what’s the saddest thing is, however? After reading this article, seeing the various pictures & videos out there…. it still won’t stop me from getting a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger. (No ketchup/extra pickles, thank you.) I know, I know!

That's right; you know you want it.

Troegs Pale Ale

Question : Is there any beer better than a (India)Pale Ale?

Answer : No

Matsuri in Miami

Someone once told me there's no "real" or "authentic" sushi joints in Miami.
Wait, that a$$hole was me.

Well I'm literally eating my words because I've found a solid place called Matsuri. They would hold their own in any city in the states.
Owned by a Japanese fellow and the head sushi chef is Japanese as well.
They take an annual trip to NYC and Tokyo every year to hone their palate and schmooze with their peeps.

Big fan guys.
When in Miami, this place is my go to Sushi joint for sure.

(Google "matsuri" and "Miami" for their location and info.
Apologies; I'm blogging at the airport on my phone.)

Hotel Breakfast

I'm not complaining. Quesadillas for breakfast is quite alright for this fellow.

My new favorite pasta...

I'm always on the lookout for the best pasta to get and I've found my new favorite supermarket pasta - Colavita. Yes, this is the same people that make decent olive oil. I used to swear by Barilla, then De Cecco, but this is head and shoulders above in my opinion.

The texture of Colavita's pasta is phenomenal with a great chewy al denteness and a somewhat silky texture at the same time. Barilla has decent texture and De Cecco has even better with better flavor, but Colavita takes the cake for me. I've tried the penne and the spaghetti and both blew me away - really phenomenal with any sauce. I can't wait to try some more...

Pube

Whats wrong with this picture?
Is this equivalent to a potato Pube?

Goat Cheese and Homemade Plum Jam

My wife's cousin Josephine makes some phenomenal homemade plum jam, so we were lucky enough to get a jar. As soon as I had a taste, I knew a nice soft, stinky goat cheese would pair well with the jam and I was definitely right. Paired with some thin, crisp crackers and a bottle of wine and you get a great Sunday night dessert.

Thai Green Curry

I’ve been dabbling in making Thai food recently, and here is an easy and authentic dish to make. It’s quite good, and those you serve it to will wonder what place you ordered carry-out from. I’ll describe how to make it, but the amounts of each ingredient are guesstimates. So here we go…

INGREDIENTS
2 cups coconut milk
1 T green curry paste
Veggie(s) (I used 2 carrots – more common would be bamboo shoots, Thai eggplant)
1 cup cubed beef
1 cup cubed chicken (shrimp is good, too)
½ cube chicken or beef bouillon
1 t sugar
Couple handfuls of Thai basil
Some water

DIRECTIONS
Put about 1 cup coconut milk in a pot, and boil.
Add the green curry paste, and mix it into the milk.
Add the meat, mix, and let it simmer until the meat is cooked.
Add about a cup of water, the bouillon cube, and boil.
Add sugar and veggies, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add Thai basil to the pot, and fold it into the rest of the food (similiar to Vietnamese phở). Remove from heat.
Right before serving, add some more coconut milk for taste and creaminess.
Done!
Serve with rice, preferably Thai jasmine rice.

Nuevo León Review

Nuevo León
http://nuevoleonrestaurant.com/
1515 W. 18th St.
Chicago, IL
312-421-1517
Little Village - Pilsen neighborhood

*** ca$h only ***
BYOB

When I was visiting the Mexican side of my family that live on the Mexican-American border about a year ago, I told them I want some good, good Mexican eats since it’s hard to find in DC. A couple of my cousins who have worked in Chicago in the past both told me they actually like the Mexican restaurants in Chicago better than the ones there.

Better than the ones where Mexico meets the US.

I knew the Mexican food in ChicagoLand was good, but that, my friends, is quite a bold statement.

Last weekend was in Chicago, so I moseyed over to 26th St. a.k.a. Little Mexico a.k.a. Little Village. That whole area is so Mexican-ey from the restaurants to the people to the stores to clothes right down to the street vendors that push carts calling out with cowbells selling tacos, paletas (popsicles made with actual fruit (what a concept!)), and so on. Of course, it comes with graffiti (Aztec, holy Mary, and gang), danger when the sun goes down, and constant patrolling of police. It is sooooo hard to decide which place to go, since the looks, smells, sounds, and everything food-related are all so good. I was going to go back to the places my Dad always took me to, but there just has to be good food elsewhere. The Internets can’t pin down one specific place, so I just drove up & down the streets. I got to 18th St., the Pilsen neighborhood, and coincidentally, my cousin calls me. She works in the area sometimes, and she named off “Nuevo Leon” without batting an eye. I pulled it up on the GPS, and I was just a couple minutes away.

Loud Mexican music blaring from the record store across the street, large belt buckles and cowboy boots everywhere, murals on the buildings, and a colorful outside; I’m here. I park on the street, feed the meter, and I walk in. The place is sort of split in two. The “second part” is more festive with Mexican murals covering the walls and ceilings. The waitresses are dresses in traditional garb. You get to the table, and before you open the menu, chicken soup is placed in front of you. While you look through the menu, warm tortilla chips and three different kinds of salsas are brought to your table. As you peruse through the menu, wondering if you should order one of everything, you can’t help but look at every dish that the wait staff carries as they walk by you. You look online to see what people suggest, but almost everything is recommended. In the end, below is a copy/paste from their menu of what was ordered (with my reviews):

NACHOS $3.00 (12) $6.00
Corn chips covered with beans, cheese, avocado and sour cream
*** The table next to me had these, and that’s what broke the ice for me to talk to them. They said they enjoyed them, and guacamole is a favorite at my table. The presentation is cute. (Did I just say “cute!??”) That really is the adjective for these. Each individual chip is topped with refried bean, cheese, guac, and a dollop of sour cream. What can you say? Pretty good! Though I will say I was expecting more flavor from the guacamole. In fact, my guac is tastier: http://dudesonfoods.blogspot.com/2009/11/enchiladas-and-guacamole.html


CAMARON AL MOJO DE AJO $10.00
Shrimp Grilled with fresh garlic and red pimiento sauce, served with rice and salad.
*** Several plump, juicy, butterflied shrimp in all their seasoned glory on top of the typical Mexican rice surrounded with a salad of lettuce, tomato, and avocado with cojita cheese sprinkled around. Nice size dish with some good flavor. I barely had a taste of it, so I can’t comment much except for the look.

COMBINATION $6.00
A combination platter of traditional favorites that include: 1 beef taco, 1 bean tostada, topped with cheese, lettuce, guacamole, and sour cream, 1 tamale and 1 cheese enchilada.
*** There was a noob to Mexican cuisine at the table, so I suggested this combo as an “Intro to.” The usual suspects are here. I was happy sampling this dish. These simple things is just something I cannot find around DC. I take it back; I can find it, but it’s just not good, the wrong version, and so on. This is the authentic stuff, the realio dealio. Though I rarely order this myself, since I go for other items that aren’t as typical, I still ate more of this at home, since it was too much to eat at the restaurant.

BARBACOA $8.00
Tender, juicy beef steam cooked Nuevo León style, served with refried beans.
*** To steal from Aramis’ ratings, this is WTF in a heavenly way. OMG is I could have a bathtub filled with the pork, I’d lick myself clean. The flavor clobbers you over the head. They ask if you want corn or flour tortillas. Although corn is more authentic, get the flour since they’re made at the restaurant. That’s not easy to find: a Mexican place that makes their own tortillas. Writing this is literally making my mouth water. I want some now. STAT. The salad, rice, and beans predictably accompany the pork, and I sopped the plate clean, but the pork… the P-O-R-K!!! Damnit I wish there was a barbacoa place by me now.

Though it’s BYOB, as you can see by the 21-pack on another table, no alcohol was on my table. Horchata, water, and limeade – not lemonade, and there’s a huge difference (I know it’s obvious to you & me, but not to so many others) – but limeade. That’s Mexican. No place around here has it. Not sure why. I make it, and it’s quite simple (except for hand-squeezing the limes). But sometimes you just want to buy it and have it with your meal.

So with 3 dishes, app, and non-alcoholic drinks, it all came out to $34. Cheap!

Mermaid Inn

$1 oysters at the bar from 5:30 to 7pm (happy hour) every night.

Kind of a good deal in my book.

Pork Congee with Thousand Year Old Eggs

People say I'm brown, look white, act yellow, but talk black (when I'm drunk). Well, it was time to get my yellow on this morning, so with that, I made a typical Asian breakfast of congee. It was my first time, and it was quite a success (if I do say so myself). Here's how I did it:

Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice (I used jasmine rice and used a rice cooker)
- 3/4# ground pork
- 2 T oyster sauce
- 2 T thin soy sauce
- 1 T seasoning soy sauce
- 2 t sugar
- 1 t ground pepper
- ½ chicken bouillon cube
- 1 green onion
- ½ root ginger (about an inch)
- 2 preserved duck eggs (century/thousand year old eggs)
- 4 cups water

- 1/2 package dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in water over night)
- *** couple springs of cilantro, if desired

Preparation
1. Mix ground pork with oyster sauce, 1 T thin soy sauce, seasoning soy sauce, sugar, and ground pepper thoroughly and set aside.

2. Wash & peel ginger and pat dry. Finely slice green onion (and cilantro), shred ginger, and set aside.

3. Pour 2 cups of water in a large pot, bring to boil on medium-high heat, then add chicken bouillon cube and (already soaked) shiitake mushrooms. Put cooked rice in food processor, add 1 cup water, blend well, and then put minced rice in the pot.

4. Stir well, reduce heat to low heat, simmer for 15 minutes, stir frequently, and remove from heat.

5. Pour 1 cup water in another (smaller) pot, bring to boil on medium-high heat, add seasoned ground pork, boil until the pork is cooked, and then add 1 T thin soy sauce.

6. Transfer pork and contents of small pot to large pot, stir well, and then remove from heat. Remove century eggs from shells, and cut into sixths.

7. Put pork congee in a serving bowl, place cut century eggs on top, sprinkle with finely sliced green onion (and cilantro), shredded ginger, and ground pepper, then serve immediately.

It may not look appetising to non-Asians, but try it; it's quite good!

Porterhouse Steaks : Morton's Style

***disclaimer ***
I make no apologies ripping on people... especially ignorant foodies.
I take my profession and industry pretty seriously and pointing out the weak and hoping they disappear is (in in my humble opinion) a public service.


I recently searched the web for simple instructional videos on how to grill steaks. I was curious to find what was out there in terms of informational or educational pieces.
To my amazement, and utter shock from what my eyes witnessed, I now know why guys like Bobby Flay or Rachel Ray have national television presence.
They are like gods compared to the general pool of talentless chefs across America.

The very first video I stumbled upon was this one. YouTube URL here
(and unfortunately didn't get any better)
Mr. Elias Iglesias is the executive chef of Morton's Steakhouse.

What this video taught me more than anything, was to never eat at a Morton's Steakhouse.
But being the relentless food journalist that I am, and by journalist, I mean masochist, I will give them a try and probably rip them up like the time I went to PF Chang's.

My favorite part of the clip wasn't even the video itself, but the comments on the bottom.
Absolutely mind-boggling! (I wish I had the vocabulary to describe the Superlative form of "Mind Boggling")
People have NO idea what they are talking about. And yet they are trying to correct each other here and there.

Here's a thread in the Comments sections I isolated.

Person A : "a porterhouse is filet and new york strip, not sirloin"

and a few posts later...

Person B : "no Person A, a t-bone is a strip and tenderloin, porterhouse is sirloin and filet"

call me an instigator, call me what you will...
but I proceeded to ask this Person B what the difference was between a NY Strip, Sirloin, Tenderloin and Filet Mignon.
(fyi : a NY Strip and a Sirloin is the exact same cut of meat. a Tenderloin and a Filet Mignon is the exact same cut of meat.)

and this was emailed back to me

steaks

well out of them a sirloin is the lowest quality... dosent have a good meat flavor its the most common steaks at a place like chilis... strip steaks arent very tender, but theyre definitely not tough... theyre my favorite kind of steak if its cooked right... a filet is definitely the best qualty cut of meat a 7 oz filet cost as much as a 16 oz strip...
its usually a fat circle cut and it is like butter, i dont like them because theyre so small for the price...

Bobby's Burger Palace - Review

Intro
Bobby's Burger Palace - Recommended
610 Bergen Town Center
Paramus, NJ 07652
Phone: (201) 368-7001

I admit it - I'm a Bobby Flay hater. It's not because he's famous and on tv, but more the fact that I've been to his restaurants and they were generally average-below average (Mesa Grill) or god awful (Bar Americain). The only decent restaurant he had was Bolo and go figure - the place closed down. Any who, his burger joint "Bobby Burger Palace" is near my local Whole Foods in the burbs, so we decided to check it out since we were starving and we were already at the Whole Foods next door. Going in with zero expectations, I am surprised to report the place does not suck bad like his other high priced joints.

Our Menu

Bobby Blue Burger *
Blue Cheese/Bacon/Lettuce/Tomato

Good meat flavor and I liked the grind of the meat as it provided a nice texture. The burger was a tad overcooked, but it was still relatively juicy. The sesame buns rocked as they were soft enough and provided a subtle sweetness. The bacon was also stupendous - perfectly cut and cooked. This was spot on - an awesome crunchiness which yielded to a meaty texture. Blue cheese sauce was a little too runny which almost overpowered the beef.

Napa Valley Burger
Fresh Goat Cheese/Watercress/Meyer Lemon Honey Mustard
Although the meat and buns were the same as the blue cheese burger, this burger was not good at all. This is where Mr Flay comes in and rocks his annoying love of honey. The goat cheese had some real good flavor and texture, but the damn honey mustard sauce was too sweet for a savory burger.

Sweet Potato Fries *
These were surprisingly ridiculously good. Crispy on the outside, but nice and fluffy on the inside with an almost roasted sweet potato flavor. However, this is again where Mr Flay flaunts his love of honey which ruins a perfect dish - oh that damn honey mustard horseradish sauce. Sweet on overly sweet is not pleasant at all. I asked for his chipotle ketchup and that complemented the fries perfectly - spicy and vinegar does work with sweet.

Strawberry Milkshake *
Great texture and flavor, but this milkshake is a tad on the sweet side. Either way, I haven't had a milkshake in a long time and this was pretty friggin fun. Also, I actually tasted some real strawberries in there which was a pleasant surprise.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way | (no stars - poor to average) | * Good | ** Great | *** What the F – in a good way

Overall Restaurant Experience

• Food (7.5/10) – Classic americana and pretty decent burgers.
  
• Service (7.5/10) – You actually get in line to order and pay like at a chipotle, but then you pick any seat and they bring the food to you. Food came out relatively quick - within 5 minutes and the servers were generally nice.
  
• Atmosphere (7.0/10) – This has the same look and feel as all his other places. Dark and light wood colors with the freaking disco colored wallpaper and lights covers. The place consisted mainly of families (obviously in the burbs), but there were some couples there also. You get to see the cooks since this is a relatively open kitchen. We got there at 7pm on a Sunday and waited in line for 5 minutes. It was completely packed in there though.
  
• Price (7.5) - Standard pricing for a fast food burger - think Five Guys or Shake Shack.
  

Closing Comments
Five guys is slightly better in terms of juiciness and flavor, but the atmosphere is nicer at this joint. No idea if I would want to go back, since it's not blow you away good - but for the price and closeness to Whole Foods I just might randomly show up again.

Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Raisins, and Capers

After watching Gordon Ramsay's BBC show The F Word, I was inspired by his dish of seared Scallops, Cauliflower Puree, and Raisin-Caper Sauce. I know Jean-Georges has an exact replica of this dish at his flagship restaurant, so not sure who made this first or if this was some famous old school combo. Any who, this combination totally made sense to me and I knew this would be a perfect combo for a pasta dish. It really eff'n worked well as the cauliflower added some mild sweetness and a little texture, while the capers added the saltiness (and oddly meaty quality) and the raisins added a nice punch of sweetness. The clam juice adds that salty seafood thing that the scallops provided which rocked with the pasta. Any who, a pretty friggin ridiculously flavorful pasta dish and maybe one of the top 5 pastas I've ever made.

Ingredients
1/2 head of cauliflower - florets cut up of equal bite size pieces
1 red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup capers
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 bag spaghetti
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 cup clam juice
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

1) Start a pot of water to boil - heavily season with salt.

2) Saute the cauliflower over medium high heat with some olive oil in a large saute pan or wok. The key is to not touch the cauliflower in the first 5 mins of cooking so it caramelizes well - a key to making this dish flavorful. Season with salt and pepper

3) Add the other vegetables into the pan. Cook the onions for 5 minutes, then the garlic, capers, and raisins for 30 seconds.

4) Add the liquid ingredients in to the pan. Clam juice and broth not only adds complexity of flavors to the sauce, but it also helps breakdown the cauliflower. Drop the pasta into the boiling water, while you cook the cauliflower down. Cook the cauliflower until it is to your liking. I like it on the firmer side - the cauliflower is easily cut with a fork, but with a little resistance - maybe another 5 to 10 minutes.

7) Add pasta to the pan with all the other ingredients when the pasta is about 1 minute from being finished. Cook over high heat with a cup of the starchy pasta water. Stir around until the pasta is finished cooking and you get a creamy sauce from the broth and pasta water - pretty magical. If it's too dry add more pasta water, but if it's too liquid cook it down some more.

8) Finish the pasta off the heat with extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano-reggiano, and pine nuts. When plating, add a tad more olive oil and cheese. Buon appetito!

Breakfast for Champs

Unfortunately just only once a month, my co-workers and I get a little treat at work.
Breakfast Danishes or Cakes to celebrate everyone's birthday.
A humble gesture I guess.

I think we get them from a Korean bakery in Fort Lee so they do all sorts of savory and sweet goodies.

To my delight, I picked a puff pastry based Italian meatball danish this morning and it completely rocked my world.

Pork Belly and Chinese Chive Buds

This is one of my best original dishes I think I've ever made.
It's been a dish in progress. With about 5 previous prototypes.
But I think I got it down. It's mighty good if I don't say so myself.

Ingredients :
1# - Pork Belly (Sliced Thin)
2" diameter bunch - Chinese Chive Buds (More tender and milder in flavor)
1oz - Ginger
1T - Lemon Grass Puree
Thai Basil (as you like)
4 - Chili Peppers
2T - Soy Sauce
4T - Chinese Cooking Wine
2T - Hoisin Sauce
1T - Namplah (Fermented Fish Sauce)
1/3C - Chicken Stock


This was inspired by countless visits to Vietnamese/Thai restaurants and grocery stores.
Every time I step into either the restaurant or grocery store, I would get a beautiful whiff of all these spices and herbs. I just wanted to replicate that same sensory overload and enjoy it with my favorite Japanese white rice. (Donburi Style)

Hence I used pork belly because it's guaranteed super juicy and flavorful. The Chinese chive buds are a nostalgic flavor that reminds me of my mother's home cooking. And the rest is just my interpretation of what Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Thai focused) must taste like.

Directions :
Heat a large 12" sautee pan (reasonably tall side walls will help keep everything inside while stirring) on high. Add a generous amount of cooking oil and add julienned ginger root.
Add pork and stir to break up. As the color changes and the protein cooks to about 70% done, add in chopped up chili peppers, soy sauce, namplah, hoisin sauce, and chinese cooking wine. After about another minute of stirring, add the chives and vigorously stir to coat everything evenly. Add the lemongrass puree and basil and finally add in the chicken stock. Let it go for another 30 seconds or so and plate onto a serving dish.
(All this time, you want to keep the BTUs ripping at Max. So all your attention should be focused on this dish.)

Serve with white rice.

En Brasserie

I can't think of too many other dishes I would rather have kick-start my meal.
A plate of seasonal sashimi is always a great way to waken up the palate.

This plate is the first dish of En Brasserie's Omakase Course.

- Chu Toro
- Kampachi
- Scottish Salmon
- Kuruma Ebi

1 Pot Dinner

Organic chicken, Italian sausages, potatoes, onions, mushrooms all browned and braised in chicken stock.

Easy-peasy Friday night dinner.

Watermelon

I mean... SERIOUSLY!
How do you even do this?