Marsala in a Minute

JC and I haven't had much time to cook recently. Both of us have been exhausted beyond belief, so I thought it would be nice to finally have a home cooked meal. One of my favorite dishes is Chicken Marsala. I love the sweet hint the wine gives to the flavor of the sauce, and the mushrooms just add to the yumminess. I like to serve it over a bed of plain linguine sprinkled with some chopped parsley, it makes it look really fancy. This dish is so so so easy. You just need some chicken and a few other ingredients to make a dish that looks and tastes like it took hours. Also, don't buy that cheap stuff they call "Marsala" in the cooking wine aisle by the vinegars and oils. Just go to the alcohol section and get a real bottle of Marsala. It will only cost you about five bucks and will make the dish taste so much better.

As our veggie side, I decided to try and easy recipe for roasted cauliflower. Cauliflower is a big face in this household, and this is an incredibly simple and easy way to prepare it. You can season it with whatever you like. We did a curry powder and it was delicious. It is so easy to prepare, takes just about 20 minutes to bake, and you have a scrumptious (an healthy) vegetable side.

 
Chicken Marsala
from Houseboat Eats

• 8 chicken cutlets (or about 1½ pounds of chicken breasts)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ small onion, chopped fine
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup Marsala wine
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

To make chicken cutlets, just pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap using a meat pounder, an empty wine bottle, or the bottom of a heavy saucepan or skillet. You want them between ¼ and ½ inch thick.

Pat the cutlets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets in the flour to coat and shake to remove excess. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the cutlets and cook until golden brown, 2 to 2½ minutes on each side. Transfer to a large plate and tent with foil. Repeat with the remaining oil and cutlets.

Reduce the heat to medium high and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the now-empty skillet. Cook the onion and mushrooms until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and tent with foil.

Add the Marsala and broth to the empty skillet, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to ⅓ to ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, return the chicken and their juices to the skillet, and turn the chicken to heat through, about 1 minute. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Turn off the heat, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, parsley, and mushroom mixture. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Serve over a bed of linguine tossed in olive oil and chopped parsley.


Roasted Cauliflower

• One head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or just enough to coat the cauliflower
• Any spices your heart desires--we did a couple teaspoons of curry powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cauliflower, oilve oil, and spices in a large bowl. Dump onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring half way through, or until the little guys are browned and crispy. 

Restaurant Review

Hello World! Long time no see. I've definitely been busy here on this end. I've spend the past five weeks at The University of Arizona Medical Center--South Campus (aka UPH Kino) on the psych units. It has been fabulous. I spent my first few weeks on Senior Care working with wonderful geriatric patients. There I saw my fair share of mood disorders and dementia. Now I am on a non-senior care unit so I'm seeing a lot more schizophrenia, SA, and personality disorders. I can't divulge details, but it has been fascinating. I love talking to my patients and am having lots of fun on this rotation.

My rotation has been keeping me plenty busy. Unfortunately, that means JC and I are eating out more often than we would like to. We have become regulars at a new restaurant in town called Impress Hot Pot. This place is the real deal. If you want to feel like you're walking into a restaurant in China, go to this place. It is owned by a UA business student who couldn't find his favorite foods from home here is Tucson. Obvious solution: open you're own restaurant! If you've never heard of hot pot, it is similar to fondue/shabu shabu (depending on what language you want to speak). You have a piping hot bowl of soup on a hot plate in the middle of the table. You're served a variety of raw dishes including thinly sliced meats, vegetables, meatballs, and noodles to dip in the soup and enjoy. They have a wonderful "make-your-own-sauce" station with a mix of different condiments like garlic, ginger, satay sauce, cilantro, cilantro, sesame oil, chili oil, and even peanut butter. They serve two kinds of broth: spicy and house soup. Spicy is an understatement. It should be called boiling, bubbling broth of lava from the deepest parts of hell--yeah, it's that spicy. When it comes to your table, you can see the hot broth loaded with chili oil and little floating bits of spices to add flavor and more heat. The other soup broth is a non-spicy savory broth that I personally enjoy more. It's still delicious and you're not in pain while trying to enjoy your dinner.

We brought some of our "white friends" here last week and basically asked for white person spicy level. This was perfect. The chef went easy on the spices and it was great. We ordered a mix of pork, beef, lamb, napa, asian mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, shrimp meatballs, and fish meatballs. When you add all of these wonderful flavors, you make a tasty soup and it's perfect for dipping in your homemade sauce.

One of my other favorite things at Impress are the cold dishes. My absolute favorite is the spicy beef tongue. Now, before you judge me, you need to try this dish. I know there are a lot of skeptics out there that will jump to conclusions about the taste and texture of beef tongue, but seriously, it is delicious. I have a firm belief that I will try anything once before I jump to conclusions. Scratch that, almost anything. The one thing I couldn't stomach was blood from the neck of a freshly slaughtered goat in Kenya. That crossed the line. Otherwise, I've had the opportunity to have palm weevil larvae in Ecuador and chicken feet, tripe, tendon, and fish eyes are all staples out of my grandmother's kitchen. Back to Impress. This dish is a mix of beef tongue, tripe, cilantro, and a spicy oily sauce. It is the perfect combination. Also, they use a special pepper called ma la from the Sichuan province in China. It's unique in that rather than the spicy burning your mouth, it makes your mouth feel numb and alter the flavor of other things. For instance, eat a few bites of this dish, and your plain water will taste like someone threw rotten lemons in it. Have I convinced you yet? I should be a restaurant critic.

Now that everyone is familiar with one of my favorite restaurants, I'll talk about the wonderful, cute cupcake I made this week. One of my favorite flavor combinations is strawberry and nutella. It is the inspiration for a mouth-watering crepe filling and so I thought I would adapt it into cupcake form. I did a little searching and found the strawberry cupcake recipe from Sprinkles' Cupcakes. The texture and moistness of the cake was just perfect, but the strawberry flavor was lacking and they turned out this terrible grey color. Next time, I think I will puree the strawberries and then reduce it on the stove for a bit. That will pull out the water, giving the mix a brighter color and stronger flavor. The real star of these treats was the frosting. I could not have asked for a better product. The frosting firmed up just perfectly and had a rich hazelnut flavor. This recipe could easily be adapted by using any other sort of spread with the same consistency as nutella. Enjoy these little cuties!

Strawberry Mini Cupcakes
adapted for mini cupcakes from Martha Stewart

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a four 12-cup mini muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 10-15 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Nutella Frosting
from Crepes of Wrath

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-4 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Combine the butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix well with electric mixer, adding more milk as needed to make a fluffy spreadable frosting.
2. Makes enough to pipe frosting onto over 48 mini cupcakes. If you want to just spread the frosting on, I’d half or even third the recipe.The extra frosting can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container.

Labor Day Hike in Rose Canyon

Everything in Moderation

JC and I have recently been on this workout kick. With my love of food, I realized the scale and I were not the best of friends, so I needed to take control. I am a huge advocate of healthy living and eating, but sometimes I am not the model spokesperson. I admit it, I love my sweets. My new rule: everything in moderation. Most of you know my passion for baking. I have decided I will only allow myself to bake if I plan on sharing the goods. I can keep a few for myself, but the rest have to get out of the house. That way I still can have fun in the kitchen, have some tasty treats in moderation, and get to feed my friends all together. I think it is a win-win situation.

Speaking of being gym rats, JC and I have been hitting the gym nearly every day for the past month or so. This is the longest I have ever stuck with a workout regimen. I have tried all the videos P90X, Insanity, Zumba... they just get boring after a while. I can't listen to Tony Horton say "do your best and forget the rest" one more time. Going to the gym has been fun and I have been learning how to use all the machines. I have been switching off between the Wellness Center at UMC and the Rec Center on main campus. I think it is hilarious to see the difference between the two locations. For instance, at the Rec Center, I'm probably one of the oldest people there by a few years. At the Wellness Center, I am probably the youngest person there--by about 40 years. At the Rec Center, you hear frat guys grunting as they lift way more than they should. At the Wellness Center, you hear oxygen tanks rolling on the ground. One of the things I love most about the Wellness Center is that the windows look right towards the smoking deck. As I'm running, I get to watch people smoke their cigarettes while eating a bag of potato chips. It drives me to work that much harder.

With all that said, here is a great cookie recipe. Only make these if you are planning on taking them somewhere because they are addicting. One of my favorite cookies are white chocolate macadamia nut. I found this recipe with a slight twist on a classic. It is an oatmeal cookie with white chocolate and sea salt. The oatmeal keeps the cookie nice and soft and the salt is the perfect touch to compliment the white chocolate. You could easily substitute something instead of the white chocolate, just keeping the oatmeal cookie base. I think it would be great with some butterscotch chips, or dried cherries and dark chocolate, or with some chopped nuts. Let your imagination run wild. The only thing I would have changed would be to use some nice big flake sea salt. I only had some fine sea salt, which was fine flavor wise, but the cookies look so much nicer with the sparkle of those big salt flakes. It's not a big deal, just purely aesthetic.

This is a really really great recipe. Enjoy these tasty cookies, but remember: moderation is key!

Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate bar)
• 1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat or grease. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

3. Grab about 2 Tbsp of dough and roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.

4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie

5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Bacon Makes The World Go 'Round

Everyone loves bacon--I think vegetarians do too, just in secret. It's part of our DNA, the sequence is right there next to the "love garlic" and "love ice cream" genes. Bacon has such a unique flavor and is so versatile. It can be the star of a breakfast with eggs and toast, forefront in a BLT sandwich for lunch, speckled in a pasta for dinner, mixed into bacon cupcakes with maple syrup frosting for dessert, and even infused in a bacon bloody mary during happy hour. Now what other food can be incorporated into every single meal of the entire day? Not many, but bacon is a superstar.

I have already professed my love of brussels sprouts and here is yet another way to enjoy them. I bought a pound of them with the intention of making the usual brussels sprout hash, but after some searching on tastespotting, I thought this recipe looked interesting and it features our favorite friend bacon. The dish called for cooking up some bacon and then sautéing the brussels sprouts in the bacon fat. Toss with some chicken broth and cream, and you've got a winner. The only thing I added were some sliced shallots for a little more flavor. The dish is incredibly simple and doesn't call for many ingredients, but the finished product was way better than I could have imagined. The bacon adds just enough savory meaty flavor to pair perfect with the sweetness of the brussels sprouts. The cream makes the perfect sauce that isn't too heavy. I used orrechiette pasta because I thought the little cups looked cute, sort of mimicking the shape of the brussels sprout leaves.

This probably took be about 45 mins, start to finish. It's a great weeknight meal because it is so quick and easy and also makes great leftovers. You get your fill of brussels sprouts and bacon wrapped in a perfect dish.

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pasta
adapted from Taste Food

• 1 pound orrechiette pasta
• 1/2 pound bacon, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 pound brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain; transfer to a large bowl. While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. Remove all but one tablespoon bacon fat from skillet, reserving the rest in a dish on the side. Add brussels sprouts and saute until they start to soften. Add garlic and shallots and saute until fragrant, 1 minute. Add a few more tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat if the brussels sprouts get too dry. Add chicken stock and continue to cook until brussels sprouts are tender.  Add cream and simmer until reduced and thickened. Stir in salt and pepper. Add brussel sprouts and bacon to the pasta. Toss with cheese to combine. Serve with extra cheese on the side.

Indian Saag 2.0

I don’t know what it is about Indian people (dots not feathers), but they are so secretive. Close to 10 percent of my class are of Indian descent and I’ve asked every one of them to ask their mom for their family Saag recipe. I’m still waiting.

Until now I have been using a recipe that is a sad imitation of the creamy, smoky saag that I eat at Saffron or any Indian Buffet for that matter. My saag is too green. I’m sure you’re wondering what color has to do with taste. Well, this is purely speculation on my part, but I’m pretty sure, the reason my saag is so green is because I didn’t cook it long enough. Also, this may also account for why my saag is bitter instead of smoky and pasty, not creamy.

This past month I was fortunate enough to work with a doctor who is Bengali and not so tight lipped. I know I know Bangladesh is not India. But let me remind you that Bangladesh is surrounded by India on all but one of its borders. So, this is as close to authentic as I will get until I can convince an old Indian woman to lend me her secrets.

Lamb Saag
from Dr. Halder

• 20 oz frozen chopped spinach
• 1 med onion (yellow)
• 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and coarsely chopped)
• 1x1 inch piece of ginger (sliced)
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp tomato puree or tomato paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp regular whipping cream

1. Defrost your chopped spinach and drain. I used a salad spinner.
2. Coarsely chop onion, garlic, ginger.
3. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger to a blender.
4. Add the 2 tbsp of water and puree into a paste.
5. Next heat your oil into the pan under medium heat. Get it hot but don’t allow the oil to smoke because it will start to combust into flames sooner than later.
6. Add your cumin seeds. (Do not substitute powdered cumin for seeds because it will burn faster)
7. Allow the cumin seeds to cook until golden brown.
8. Once golden brown add the turmeric and spinach.
9. Stir for 5 minutes and then add the coriander, tomato puree/paste, and blended onion, garlic, ginger.
10. Cook for another 20 minutes still under medium heat. Stir continuously to avoid any burning.
11. Add the garam masala and regular whipping cream to the dish.
12. Salt and pepper to taste.
13. I also cooked chopped lamb shoulder separately and mixed it into the finished dish to give the dish more volume.
14. Enjoy!

A Little Taste of the Islands

I can remember growing up and my mom, grandmother, and uncles always cooking delicious Hawaiian food for our family potlucks. Some of my favorite memories of my childhood involve food. My uncles would all bring their version of poke and I would be the official taste-tester. Some involved combinations of tuna, octopus, and different seaweeds, but my favorite was always the traditional version. I remember having a Hawaiian themed birthday party and my mom cooked a feast. The table was filled with chicken long rice, kahlua pig, lomi lomi, lau lau, spam musubi, poke, fried wontons, potato mac, poi, and (my favorite) haupia for dessert (I purposely left out loco moco, ick!). That list probably sounded like a foreign language to most, but to me, that's a list of some of my favorite things in the world.

Yesterday, my mom made a great spin on haupia. She got this recipe from my Auntie Tammy. Haupia is like a coconut jello. It is simply made with just coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, and water. If you like coconut, you will love this. This classic dessert reminds me of Hawaii--just take a bite, close your eyes, and imagine you're sitting on a beach. This version takes the classic haupia and adds a wonderful buttery crust and a layer of cool whip to sweeten the deal. You also get a sprinkling of nuts for a little crunch and a nice flavor. Bring this to your next summer bbq, it will be sure to make a splash.

Haupia Delite
from Mom and Auntie Tammy

Crust:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 4 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 sticks butter

Mix flour, sugar, and nuts. Cut in butter. Press dough into 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool

Filling:

• 2 c. coconut milk
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. water
• 7 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/2 c. water
• 8 oz. cool whip
• Chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top

Mix coconut milk, sugar, and water. Cook until hot. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until thick and boiling. Cool. Pour into baked crust. Chill 3-4 hours. Add cool whip and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Fiber Filled Salad

I have been putting off posting this recipe for a while since we make it all the time and I just haven't had a chance to write it down. This is a staple in our house--I think we probably make it once a week. This is a super fresh and healthy dish that can pose as a side to a main dish or even as the star for lunch. It's very light and refreshing and perfect for a summer afternoon.

This recipe is from my mentor at school. Each semester we have a Societies party and she knows my classmates and I love this salad. She was the first one to introduce me to wheat berries which are the wheat kernels. We got them all the time in our CSA, and you would have to remove all the husks, rocks, and other tidbits that got mixed into your bag. I have come to learn it is so much easier just to buy wheat berries in the bulk food section at Whole Foods. Wheat berries are really easy to make, but can be a bit time consuming if you do not have a pressure cooker. I promise, you will like the finished product. They are a very versatile grain. My favorite way to prepare them is this wheat berry salad, but I have also made an easy tabbouleh, a dessert with oranges and cream, and they are also great as an oatmeal substitute to mix with yogurt and fresh fruit in the morning. If your diet is lacking in fiber, wheat berries will definitely get your gut moving. I love that they have just a bit of chewiness, they almost remind me of barley or couscous. Enjoy this super easy salad at your next summer picnic!

Wheat Berry Salad
From Dr. Lebensohn

• 2 c. dried wheat berries
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 bell pepper, cut into bit sized pieces
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1/2 c. diced sundried tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you like your food)
• 1/3 c. crumbled feta
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Cook wheat berries with 4 c. water for 45 minutes in a pressure cooker. While the berries are cooking, prep all of the veggies and mix them with the dressings, cheese, and spices. When the berries are done cooking, let cool to room temperature. Mix with the veggies and dressing and chill in the fridge. Serve cold.

Yum Sauce

This is one of the best secrets in town. Every Friday, the UA Animal Sciences Meat Science Lab has a Meat Sale from 3-7 PM. It's that tiny "MEAT SALE" sign you see on the side of Campbell when you're driving to Trader Joe's. They have lots of cuts of organic beef, pork, and chicken that are at ridiculously low prices. For instance, today I got two NY strip steaks and a huge cut of flank steak for under $20. The meat is really great quality and perfect for the Griddler. 

I decided to try my hand at a chimichuri sauce. It seemed like a nice, fresh summer topping for a warm steak and veggies. I started with the base recipe of parsley, garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and salt, then put my own twist on it. I would have loved to add some fresh cilantro, but they were all out at the store. I also used some basil from the garden and for acidity some rice vinegar (I was out of red wine vinegar). The sauce is this crazy bright green that looks amazing. It tastes great with a nice steak and I also drizzled some over my grilled veggies. I even used some of the leftovers for dipping carrots today. This sauce is super versatile--I could see it mixed in a pasta salad, poured over some grilled chicken, on the side with some baked fish. It adds a nice fresh flavor and a little hint of spice. Enjoy!

Basic Chimichuri Sauce

• 2 c. fresh parsley
• 1/2 c. fresh basil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp. rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt (or more to taste)

Throw everything in the food processor. Bam! You're done!

The Veggie Everyone Loves to Hate

Currently I am in the midst of board studying and to say the least, it is incredibly utterly terrible. On a better note, a couple of weeks ago, before I dove into boards world, JC and I went to the Nutrition and Health Conference in San Francisco. This is by far my favorite conference of the entire year, for obvious reasons. We heard great talks about vitamin D, soy, GMOs, the dangers of fructose, and lots of other important topics. I also saw a cooking demo with Mollie Katzen and Dr. Wendy Kohatsu and also met with Michael Pollan. The conference was absolutely amazing and I'm really hoping to be able to attend next year in Boston.

Michael Pollan and I

Appetizer at The Slanted Door

 Another highlight of the conference was that it was in San Francisco, one of my absolute favorite cities. Not only is the city tons of fun, but some of my favorite people live there too. They showed us a great time, thank you guys so much! We basically had a foodie trip around the entire city. We started with the farmer's market at the Ferry building and then did some tastings at St. George Spirits in Alameda. The next morning we had dim sum at City View restaurant--super delicious, but come with a full wallet. We made a stop at Magnolia near Haight-Ashbury for some fried pig ears washed down with a great kolsch.We also hit up an amazing Pakistani restaurant (Lahore Karahi), had great ramen (Katana-ya), udon in Japantown (Mifune), and our splurge of the trip was The Slanted Door at Embarcadero. We also had a fabulous dinner at Crustacean (Garlic Noodles!)--thanks Will! We also took a quick day trip up to Berkley to see my sister. She showed us around the campus and we were lucky enough to eat lunch at Chez Panisse and an afternoon snack of pizza at The Cheeseboard. We did an ice cream tour of the Mission stopping at Bi-rite (salted caramel and honey lavender) and Humphry Slocombe (Secret Breakfast and Vietnamese coffee). We had lunch at 'wichcraft and also coffee at Blue Bottle and Philz. But the food highlight of the trip was Izakaya Sozai. I was so excited about the food, I completely forgot to take any pictures. We had a great dinner (with great company) of ramen, tempura maitake with truffle salt, shishito peppers, takoyaki, fried oysters, tempura flounder, beef tongue yakitori, yamaimo fries, raspberry duck yakitori, tsukemono, and probably a few other dishes. It was absolutely divine. Everything was cooked to perfection. Great choice Ralph!

Lunch at Chez Panisse

 You can tell we are big foodies in this house. We also had a dinner in and had a dumpling night. We taught our wonderful hosts the art of dumpling making and made a huge mess of flour. An odd pairing, but our veggie of the night was Krista's brussels sprout hash. A word about brussels sprouts: this is definitely the veggie everyone loves to hate. I don't know where it got its terrible reputation from because it is one of my favorites. Prepared right, you can eliminate that sulfur flavor and bring out a wonderful sweet, nutty essence that goes great with just a little butter and garlic. You need to make sure you cook them long enough to release the sulfur, and then a beautiful veggie will emerge. I've been trying to convert JC to because a brussels lover like me, and this is the only brussels sprout dish he has actually enjoyed. It's so simple yet so tasty, and also great for you. Plus, it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

I paired the brussels sprout has with some baked salmon. The acidity of the veg goes nicely with the fish. We also had some lemon goat cheese on had that tasted great on top of the fish. Enjoy!

Krista's Brussels Sprout Hash

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, diced
• ~20 brussels sprouts, sliced from butt to head into 1/8th inch slices
• 2 Tbsp honey
•  Sea salt
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Brown the butter with the shallots. Toss in the sliced brussels sprouts and add the honey and salt.  Cook on medium high, tossing occasionally until bright green and softened (this should take about 7-8 minutes). Turn up to high to char the bottom layer. Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice.

Kuma was sick earlier this week. Sad but so cute.

Umami Pasta

JC and I are getting ready for the Nutrition and Health Conference in a couple of weeks. I am so excited. We will be spending a week in San Francisco for some much needed time off. We'll be doing some of the touristy things like Alcatraz, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Park. I'm also super excited to see my friend K (thanks for letting us stay with you)!! I'm ready to foodie out and eat at lots of fabulous restaurants.

In honor of the fast-approaching conference, I bought The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. She will be speaking at the conference and I'm so excited to hear her. I'm sure most of you realize I have a slight obsession with pasta, so I found a great mushroom sauce recipe that looked delicious. It also was super simple.

I stuck pretty close to the recipe, only changing it a bit with the type of mushrooms it called for. This recipe turned out much better than I expected. It had a great creamy component with a delicious earthy mushroom flavor. This is definitely a keeper and something I'll make again. According to JC after eating this sauce, "Mollie Katzen knows how to cook!" On a side note, a bit of salt and pepper go a long way in this dish. If it doesn't taste right, add a little kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper and it can make a 180 degree turn.

Now, when I think of mushrooms, one of the first words to come to mind is umami. According to wikipedia, this is the 5th taste (along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) and it can be described as savory. Scientifically, umami represents the taste of the amino acid L-glutamate and 5’-ribonucleotides such as guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and inosine monophosphate (IMP). These terms should sound familiar to my med school buddies--who would have thought that GMP and IMP tasted savory? Other food rich in umami are ripe tomatoes, shellfish, spinach, and (surprise) breast milk.

Enjoy this flavorful pasta rich with umami.

Stellar Mushroom Sauce
slightly tweaked from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

• 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lb. domestic mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 lb. fresh shiitake and oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 1 c. minced onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 6 Tbsp. dry sherry
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 lb. pasta
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature
• Parmesan for the top

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl. Add 1 c. boiling water, cover with a plate, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, squeezing them out to save all the liquid. Remove and discard the stems and coarsely chop the mushrooms.

2. Put some pasta water to boil. Melt butter in a deep skillet. Add all mushrooms, the onions, and the salt. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the sherry.

3. Turn heat to low, and have a whisk ready. Slowly sprinkle in the flour, whisking steadily. Keep whisking for a minute or two after all the flour is in. Meanwhile, begin cooking the pasta.

4. Add garlic and black pepper; continue cooking/stirring for 10 minutes.

5. Stir in the sour cream and the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid from Step 1, mixing well until incorporated.

6. Drain the pasta, transfer to serving plates, and spoon a generous amount of sauce on top. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

Your dog looks just like a fox!

Hawaiians Love SPAM

This is a go to staple in my house. I have vivid memories of my mom cooking fried rice on a Saturday morning for breakfast. I think this was probably one of the first things I learned how to cook. I remember my mom teaching me how to measure and wash the rice. How to scramble eggs. How to test the oil to make sure it was hot enough. How to add ingredients and keep tasting until it was just right. This dish is so simple and easy to make, plus it only requires one pan. It is also incredibly versatile, you can literally add whatever you shave in your fridge. I usually make it breakfast style with eggs and bacon/SPAM, but you could easily add some frozen peas, carrots, or other veggies too. I always make sure I have the three ingredients for fried rice in my cupboard--soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. That's it. And of course, given I'm Asian, I always have rice on hand.

Now, you will notice that I use SPAM in my fried rice. I need to preface this recipe that this is not the same fried rice you'll get from your neighborhood Chinese takeout joint. This is Hawaiian style fried rice. It has a very different flavor and has the addition of the miraculous wonder meat SPAM. I know most of you have already started judging me because I east this mystery meat. I bet many of you are thinking "what is that stuff anyway," "is it even meat," "why is it shaped in a cube," "how does it have such a long expiration date?" These are all very legitimate questions, but if they stop you from trying the stuff, I think that's a huge loss. Don't judge it until you tried it. So far, my record is converting three haters/skeptics to lovers. I'm being serious, you need to try the stuff, prepared in the right way, and I promise you won't think it is half as bad as you expected.

Enjoy this breakfast fried rice for a hearty start to the day!

Hawaiian Fried Rice

• 3 c. rice, cooked
• 3 eggs
• 1 can SPAM (I like to use the lite version)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. light soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 tsp sesame oil
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Sriracha (optional)
• Chopped green onions (optional)

While your rice is cooking, scramble and cook your eggs. Set aside in a medium bowl. Cut the SPAM into bite-sized cubes and fry in the same pan. Once finished, mix in with the eggs in the bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in the pan, you know it is hot enough when you add a few grains of cooked rice and they begin to sizzle. Once the oil is hot, add the rice and stir to coat. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha if you'd like (the measurements I listed are rough approximations, I just add to taste). Once all the sauces are mixed, stir in the eggs and SPAM. season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on some chopped green onions and serve.

Spring is Here

I am 100% sure Spring has sprung. My itchy nose and eyes prove it. The trees have new green leaves and the plants are blooming. The weather is amazing right now, blue skies, a slight breeze, and sun shiny days. In honor of the new season, I decided to whip up some springy cookies. These are so cute with the blue glaze and these adorable pastel sprinkles. I have a confession, I have an obsession with sprinkles. My favorite place to get them are from the dollar aisle at Target. They come out with new sprinkles every season/holiday and I probably have almost every single one. I have a large plastic box that I keep all of my decorating supplies in. It's filled with sprinkles, frosting, food coloring, cupcake liners, piping bags, cookie cutters, and lots of other goodies. Here is my sprinkle collection:

On a side note, last night I went to a the Cindy Wolf Humanism in Medicine talk featuring Dr. Rachel Remen. She is the author or Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings and also the creator of The Healer's Art program. She is inspirational. Myself and a group of other medical students just finished the Healer's Art course and I loved it. I truly do believe what I learned and experienced will make me a better doctor. Last night, Dr. Remen told stories. She is a master storyteller. I have heard almost all of the stories she told nearly three times now, but they still brought tears to my eyes last night. They are so touching and moving, yet most of them are so simple.

Back to the treats. These cookies are really really tasty. The recipe called them teacakes because they are like a dropsy cookie on the outside but light and cakey on the inside. They aren't too sweet, which I like, and the glaze adds the perfect touch. These are the perfect cookies to bring in Spring.

Teacakes
adapted from Delicious Inspiration

For the cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour

For the glaze:

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• Enough water to make a thin glaze
• Food coloring
• Sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and grease a few cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, adding the eggs one at a time and then mix well. Add the vanilla extract, then the flour and stir until everything is well incorporated.

Roll dough into small balls and slightly smash down and place onto the baking sheets and bake until lightly golden on the outside, about 8-12 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack before glazing.

In a small bowl, make the glaze by whisking together the sugar and water, adding as much as you need to get a thin, pourable glaze (this should only be a couple tablespoons of water, add it slowly!). If your glaze gets too runny, add a little more powdered sugar until you get the right consistency. Add the food coloring until you get your desired shade of happiness (I added one drop of blue to get my springy blue color), then dunk the cookies in and let them dry on a cooling rack, sprinkling away before the glaze sets.

The Whole Enchilada

JC has been in-and-out of the house recently bouncing between Honduras, California, and Tucson. That means I have been home alone and it has made me realize how difficult it is to cook for just one. With that said, the past couple of weeks I spent little time in the kitchen (sad day) and much of my meals were prepared for me. I managed to make Indian takeout last for 3 meals (dinner, lunch, and another dinner), one pasta dish last a couple days, and various other forms of drive-through eateries.

JC is finally back in town for an extended period of time, so we decided to cook together last night. I was craving something rich, tomato-y, and cheesy. Originally we were going to do spaghetti night, but decided to postpone that for later in the week. Instead, I did a little online searching and a recipe for goat cheese enchiladas caught my eye. Enchiladas are one of my favorite dishes, but it is crucial you have good quality tortillas and sauce. My personal favorites are the cheese enchiladas from Rosa's on Campbell and Ft. Lowell. This is definitely the best Mexican restaurant north of 22nd St, and it is conveniently located just a few minutes from my house. They have, hands down, the best chile rellenos in town and their cheese enchiladas are to die for. My standard order (all a la cart): a cheese enchilada, a chile relleno, and a beef taco homestyle. Go there, you won't regret it. And to sweeten the deal, they have amazing salsa--beats Guadalajara by a mile! It is a cozy place, family owned, and they treat everyone like family. It's nearly always the same people working. Your food comes out on these rolling supply carts and everything is always piping hot ("hot plate!"). I love Rosa's.

I digress. Back to dinner last night. A recipe for goat cheese enchiladas caught my eye so we decided to try it out. The recipe is by Bobby Flay, who I am normally a bit skeptical of. My guilty pleasure is watching Throwdown even though I know it blatantly demonstrates how cocky Bobby is. Regardless, I still like the show and we decided to try one of his recipes. It seemed simple enough with a homemade sauce and tortillas stuffed with heaps of creamy goat cheese. The filling was perfect, the richness of the cheese and the cilantro flavor blended so well together. To be honest, the enchilada sauce was just meh. It wasn't anything too spectacular, just tasted like your run of the mill tomato sauce. Next time I'll probably try a different recipe or (gasp) I'll use something out of a can. But definitely hang on to this filling mix, it's just wonderful.

There are a few ingredients that may be difficult to find at your local grocery store. Luckily I live in Tucson, so everything I needed was readily available at my local Safeway. The ancho chiles and Mexican oregano can be found in the "Hispanic Foods" aisle where they keep all the bags of spices like menudo seasoning, pickling spice, etc... Cotija cheese is something really special. It has a flavor sort of like parmesan or feta and is nice and crumbly. It adds a great touch to the filling mixture to cut through some of the goat cheese. It can be found in the cheese section in basically any grocery store here in Tucson.

Goat Cheese Enchiladas 
from Bobby Flay

For the sauce:

• 3 ancho chiles 
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 (16-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, pureed
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:

• 1 1/4 pounds goat cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated cotija cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (add more if you love cilantro as much as me!)

For the enchilada assembly:

• 12 corn tortillas
• 8 ounces Monterey jack, grated
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Make the sauce:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chiles, remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove stems and seeds, then place in food processor with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid and puree until smooth.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add ancho puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, pureed tomatoes, and stock and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with honey, salt, and pepper, to taste. For a chunkier sauce, leave as is. For a smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender, or puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Make the filling:

Place goat cheese, garlic, cotija, and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the cilantro.

Assemble and bake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Dip tortillas in chile sauce to lightly coat both sides. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese filling on each tortilla and roll up. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato-chile sauce into a medium, deep casserole dish. Arrange rolled tortillas in the casserole so they fit snugly. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the enchiladas are heated through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Garnish with green onions.

Side note: My parents have spent the past week in Berkley/San Francisco and LA. My mom bought me these ridiculous socks and I had to share. You can compare them to our real dog--he is sitting in his new favorite spot in the backyard.

Irish for a Day

Yesterday was St. Patrick's day. My schedule was filled with class, class, and more class. I ate dinner at my parents house. My mom had been cooking corned beef in her crock pot since 8 AM that morning. She used the broth to boil up some cabbage, carrots, green beans, and potatoes. We have this dinner every single year. We do not have one bit of Irish blood in our bodies, but I have a huge love for corned beef. It must be the incredibly salty flavor and how it's so juicy, fatty, and soft when cooked just right. This is one of my favorite dinners during the year and it never disappoints.

Last year I treated myself to a green beer and made some delicious Guinness stout cupcakes with Bailey's frosting. They were ah-mazing! To be honest, I don't like Guinness very much. It's way too heavy and I'd much rather have a nice amber. Regardless, Guinness tastes great in cupcakes for St. Patrick's day. Since I didn't want to have to buy a 6-pack of beer and have all this extra, I decided to change the cupcake recipe. Rather than an Irish car bomb cupcake, I decided to do an Irish coffee cupcake. I have a great recipe for a Black Russian bunt cake (are you sensing a cake theme here?). It is an absolutely delicious cake, so I amended it a bit to have more coffee flavor and be cute little cupcakes. The final product was perfect. A little chocolate coffee flavor from the cake and the sweet touch of Bailey's in the frosting. Topped off with some cute green sprinkles and you have the perfect St. Patty's day treat.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen

Cake:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding
• 1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. Kahlua

Frosting:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp Bailey's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the cake: Line a muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners. Combine all cake ingredients and beat with a mixer. Fill cupcake cups 1/2 full and bake for 20-22 minutes (rotating half way) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Bailey's and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

When the cupcake are completely cool, frost with your homemade frosting and decorate with cute green sprinkles. 

**What surprised me today: Every time I leave my house in the morning, I'm never really in a super chipper mood. I probably just woke up 20 minutes ago, haven't eaten anything, and now I have to go to school and sit through lecture. Every morning, I walk by the graveyard of a flower bed, filled with the corpses of my used-to-be bountiful veggie garden. Now all that remains are skeletons of what's left of a basil plant, jalapeno, cucumber, and a beautiful gardenia. I also have the pungent aroma of dog poo wafting over me because my neighbors do not clean up after their new puppy and some mystery animal has decided my driveway would be the perfect place for them to defecate on a daily basis. I ride my bike the 1/4 mile to school, trying my best to avoid the vast obstacle course of potholes, shattered beer bottles, and sorority girls leaving the fraternity houses disheveled and barefoot (heels in hand). This really is definitely not the best way to start your day. Today, I walked out the door and this is what I saw:

It surprised me so much I just had to snap a picture of it. Every morning I go by this tree and for the past few months it has been a mere skeleton. The branches had turned brittle and a stark white, as if it had literally been frozen to the core. All of the leaves were gone and it really was a sad sight. I had no idea if this tree had made it through the frost. I had pretty much forgotten about this tree, given that I see it every day and it looked like it had died. I passed it everyday, but never gave it a second thought, just another plant among the others. But when I saw it this morning, I noticed it was dotted with little splotches of bright green. I leaned my bike against the wall, and went up to take a closer look and it was covered in vibrant green leaves and buds. It seemed so amazing to me that these growths of new life were coming out of branches that looked as if all the life had already been sucked out of them. Though not scientifically correct at all, I envisioned these tiny green buds traversing the treacherous, dark tree branches and persevering to finally emerge, poke their heads out, and feel the sunshine. It reminded me that sometimes you'll find yourself if dark places that you think you'll never get out of, but then Spring comes bringing the sunshine and blue skies and you'll emerge stronger than you were before.

Crustacean

crus·ta·cean   
[kruh-stey-shuhn]
–noun
Any chiefly aquatic arthropod of the class Crustacea, typically having the body covered with a hard shell or crust, including the lobsters, shrimps, crabs, barnacles, and wood lice.

That is a crustacean. But I'm not talking about the sea creature. I'm talking about the restaurant. I first heard about Crustacean a few years ago from my mom. I heard about it again just a few months ago on the Food Network show Best Thing I Ever Ate. Duff from Ace of Cakes was talking about the garlic noodles at Crustacean in Beverly Hills. They looked delicious. Garlic and noodles, two of my favorite things in the entire world. I heard about Crustaean yet again a few weeks ago when I found out one of JC's friends works at the restaurant.

JC and I are taking a trip to San Francisco in May for the Nutrition and Health Conference sponsored by the College of Medicine and the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. I went to the conference last year when it was in Atlanta. Hands down my favorite conference of the entire year. I am so excited to go in May, especially because it is in San Francisco. Health, integrative medicine, nutrition, San Francisco...who could ask for a better conference?

Back to Crustacean. I was talking to my mom about how excited I am go try these "famous garlic noodles." She said she had a recipe from my uncle on how to make these noodles and emailed it to me. It is so incredibly simple. I need to preface this with I have never tried these garlic nodes, but if they are anything like this recipe, they must be amazing.

The only thing that really makes these noodles somewhat asian is the addition of oyster sauce. Everything else is pretty generic. I did use my special Chinese chicken soup base. I have no idea what this stuff is called, but my grandma fondly refers to it as simply "chicken in an apron". You can get these chicken granules at any Asian grocery store, I like 17th street market just because it is close by. I don't know what they put into these little yellow granules of yum, but they definitely know what they are doing. This soup base is so versatile. I use it for soups, pastas, and anything you need a little chicken broth for. Pick up a jar of this, you won't regret it.

Also, I used linguine pasta because I didn't have any sort of asian noodle on hand. I'm sure these would taste spectacular with a hand-pulled noddle from China Magic Noodle House. The type of noodle can really make or break a dish. Just like if your pasta is served too al dente or overcooked, the dish is totally ruined. With this dish, a great noodle paired with a delicious sauce is pure bliss.

So here is the famous An family garlic noodle recipe. I am excited to try the real thing soon. If you have tried them, let me know how the recipe compares. They don't look like much in the picture, but I promise, these won't dissappoint.

Garlic Noodles
adapted from Rasa Malaysia

• 1 lb fresh noodles (or pasta)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic (pounded)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (I use "chicken in an apron")
• 2 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 5 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

Heat up a pot of water and let it boil. Boil the noodles in the hot water until they are done, drain the water, and set aside to cool down the noodles.

In a pan, saute the garlic with the olive oil in medium heat. The purpose is to infuse the olive oil with garlicky flavor. Discard the garlic and then add in 4 tablespoons of butter and turn the heat to low. Add in the chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, oyster sauce and blend well.

Pour the garlic mixture over the noodles and toss them together to blend well. Add in the grated parmesan cheese, toss well, and serve immediately.

General Chao's Sizzling Rice Soup

This recipe is Sizzling Rice Soup, but I just added the General Chao part to grab your attention. It seems like everyone I know (when I say everyone I know, I really mean maybe a handful of people, preferably of Caucasian descent) is always asking me who exactly "General whats-his-name" is. To be honest, I don't think he exists. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Would you believe me if I said this was an ancient Chinese recipe salvaged from Confucius's grave. Yeah, I wouldn't either. In any case, for those of you out there who are worried that there are "exotic meats", birds nest or shark fin in this soup, and you know who you are. Fear not. If you're a vegetarian, this might just be your type of meal....sans chicken broth and the beef.

But the main point I want to make is that what makes this soup so good is really the sizzling rice. No, really...I'm not even joking this time.

Sizzling Rice Soup
adapted from Mommy Chao's Recipe

• 4-6 bunches of baby bok choy (substitute similar qty of any bok choy-like veggies)
• 1 large handful of snow peas (not sugar snap peas)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 0.5-1 lb of flank steak (in this case I used chuck steak)
• 1 large daikon root (chinese radish - go to any asian market)
• 1 qt of chicken broth (vegetable broth may be substituted)
• Soy sauce (to taste)
• 1-2 cups dried out white rice
• ~2 cups of vegetable oil

First things first: Drying Out Your Rice

Preface - Chinese/East Asian people have been known to eat rice fairly often. If you find yourself making rice or have left over rice from last night at Pei Wei, don't throw it away. This is the dish you need it for.

1. Lay out your rice on to tin foiled baking sheet and cover it with a paper towel.
2. Wait for the rice to dry out and harden completely
3. This may take a day or two....or three?

Now, that your rice is ready, it is time to make soup.

1. Pour 1 qt of chicken broth into a large pot (one that you cook spaghetti in) on high heat to boil. If you don't have chicken broth boullion cubes will work too.
2. Add the olive oil to this. Stir
3. Chop your bok choy into 1-1.5 in squares
4. Peel your daikon like a potato and cut it into small squares too
5. Clean your snow peas (Here's How).
6. Next cut your beef into long thin strips (1 in long and 0.25 in wide....eyeball it.
7. Once the broth is boiling, drop all of these ingredients into the water.
8. Bring heat down to medium heat and simmer.

Now it's time to make the sizzling rice. Never fry the rice before you make the soup. The key to a good sizzle is to add your rice to your soup as you take it out of the oil.

1. Pour your vegetable oil into a sauce pan on high heat
2. When is your oil hot enough? Test by throwing a little grain of dry rice into it. If it is ready it will puff up and look similar to a rice cracker.
3. Portion out your soup into bowls.
4. Once your oil is up to temperature you want to add your dried rice. Use just enough to cover the bottom of the sauce pan.
5. Stir the rice around to get an even fry.
6. Once they are puffed up like a rice cracker place them on a plate.
7. Immediately add the rice to the soup.
8. Watch it sizzle. Oooohhh....Ahhhhhhhhh. Wave your hands around it like you're a chinese chef/magician.
9. Eat it now. The soup is the best when the rice is still crunchy.

And now for pictures.

Before:

Gone From My Sight

No food writing today, just a poem to reflect on:

I am standing at the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There she is, gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

-Henry Van Dyke

What Surprised You Today?

When I was a kid, I had a friend whose mom would always make spicy pretzels. It was one of my favorite snacks and I still make it today. I made this last year for the Superbowl and they were the perfect party snack. They take less than a minute to make (plus some time to let them sit), and turn out absolutely delicious. These will disappear in no time. The ingredients seem simple, but when you combine them all together it makes a kickbutt snack. Over the years I have played with the recipe, trying different seasonings, baking it, etc but I think I've finally perfected it. A friend discovered the secret--lemon pepper and Hidden Valley ranch dressing packet. Lemon pepper is a very interesting seasoning to have in this mix, but it really gives the pretzels exactly what they were missing. Also, make sure you buy Hidden Valley ranch packets. I have tried to store brands and other brands and they just do not taste as good. I don't know what they do over at Hidden Valley, but they know their ranch and they do it perfectly. Make this snack whenever you have a craving for something salty and spicy, you won't regret it.

On a separate note, today was our last session of the Healer's Art. I cannot tell you how much I got out of this course. My oath to myself is "May my patients trust me. May I trust my patients. May I trust myself." This is something that I will hopefully stay true to the rest of my life. Moreover, I promised to myself that I will be surprised everyday. One of my favorite things from the course is to reflect on what surprised me, what inspired me, and what moved me everyday. You don't realize it until you actually consciously think about it. For me, it is my dog. No matter how his day was, he is always excited to see me when I get home. No questions asked, his tail is always wagging and he is so happy. Because of this, he exudes his positive energy upon me and I am then happy as well. No other human is ever like this. No questions asked, every single day, he is always so incredibly happy to see me. I had never noticed this small action before, but after opening my eyes and mind I notice these little surprises. 

Since it was our last day of the course, we were given the book Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen. It is a collection of short stories that heal. I am so excited to start reading it.

Now, make these pretzels to snack on and curl up with a good book!

Spicy Pretzels

• 1 bag pretzels
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix
• 3/4 c. vegetable oil

In a small bowl, mix cayenne pepper, garlic powder, lemon pepper, ranch mix, and vegetable oil. Pour pretzels into a large ziploc bag. Pour seasoning/oil mix over pretzels. Seal bag and gently shake to mix. Let sit for at least 2 hours. 

Meatless Monday

Happy Valentine's Day! What did you do on this national day devoted love? I had the opportunity to learn about breast cancer and endometrial cancer, participate in a human chain to honor humanism in medicine, talk to a sweet old lady about how to reduce her risks for falls, do a male GU exam, and stick my finger into a prostate model. What an eventful day. What I learned: 1) Breast cancer is very confusing. 2) Humanism in medicine is a great thing, (especially since Dr. Rhee was part of our chain). I wish more people would work with the patient in a humanistic manner rather than just trying to fight the disease.  3) Old people are really cute. 4) GU exams on old men are not very fun ("now please turn your head and cough for me"). 5) After sticking my finger into a plastic model of a gigantic butt, I do not feel in any way prepared to do my first prostate exam. And I learned I have very short fingers.

Like I wrote yesterday, JC and I are celebrating Valentine's Day tomorrow. I decided to cook a nice pasta meal for the two of us tonight. For the past couple months we have been getting a lot of spinach in our CSA baskets. Every week we have made some variation of lamb saag, but we have yet to make it just right. I don't know what it is about Indian food restaurants, but they have some secret ingredient to make their saag taste so delicious. Our saag just doesn't live up. If you have a delicious saag recipe, please let me know, I would love to try it out.

Rather than another batch of botched saag, I decided to try to make a spinach ravioli. My favorite food is Japanese (noodles, sushi, tempura...) and coming in a close second is pasta. I know it is not a healthy obsession, so I have been limiting my intake, but I love pasta. I found a recipe for a really easy spinach ravioli filling and used wonton skins for the pasta. I would love to make my own pasta, but I just don't have the patience, so wonton skins is the second best thing. In my previous posts, I have always stressed the importance of getting really good quality wonton skins. In the case of ravioli, it really doesn't matter what kind of wonton skins you get. You're simply going to boil them and whatever you get will turn out fine.

Now on to Meatless Monday. What is Meatless Monday you ask? It is an initiative by the Mondays Campaign in association with Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health to reduce meat consumption to help in overall health. I totally agree with the campaign. In general, Americans do not have a healthy diet and that may be attributed to the amount of unhealthy meat products we consume and the lack of healthy veggies. It's easy to make one night a week to be a veggie night, it can really open up your eating options and have you try something new and different. Rather than a salad with bacon, try garbanzo beans. Instead of a chicken enchilada, try a melty cheese one with green chiles. It's really easy. In the same light, not all vegetarian options are extremely healthy either--ie: broccoli smothered in cheddar cheese, cheese pizza, french fries, etc. You need to use your own judgment. Now, I am not a vegetarian by any means and I have nothing against vegetarians. To be honest, I probably am a vegetarian more days of the week than I am a meat eater, but that is solely based on taste preferences. Today I had a salad with chicken and picked out all of the meat and just ate the lettuce--only because I don't like chicken that much. If I order a pasta dish with meat, more often than not, I will pick out the meat and just eat the pasta and veggies. Don't get me wrong, I do love a great steak every once and a while, but overall, I am not a huge meat eater. In no way am I advocating for you to be a vegetarian or not, just make healthy choices in your diet.

Today I had a Meatless Monday, not really intentionally though, it just happened that way. I had a greek yogurt with fruit for breakfast, salad (with chicken picked out) and a side of cottage cheese with fruit, a red velvet cupcake, a chocolate raspberry cupcake, spinach raviolis, and coconut cheesecake for dessert. It might not have been the healthiest diet for today, but it's a holiday that revolves around sweets and treats. Moreover, it was a completely Meatless Monday.

These raviolis turned out bomb-dot-com. The filling was just perfect and the wonton skins added just the right touch. I didn't have a sauce for these, so I simply drizzled a little truffle oil on top with a sprinkle of cheese and they were amazing. These were so easy to make and turned out just great.

Spinach Ravioli
adapted from Cook Your Dream

• 1 bunch of fresh spinach (you could substitute frozen if you want)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 c. ricotta
• 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 c. shredded parmeasan
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 1 package wonton skins
• 1 egg, beaten

Heat oil in a pan, add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes just until wilted. Transfer it to a bowl and let cool slightly. Roughly chop the spinach. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, lemon pepper, nutmeg, cheeses and spinach, add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the raviolis by placing about 1-2 Tbsp of filling onto one wonton skin. Brush the edges with the egg wash and lay another wonton skin on top. Make sure the edges are sealed well and try to push out all of the air bubbles. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Reduce the heat and gently cook the ravioli in batches for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the water, drain and keep warm. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkled with cheese.