Home Cooking Journal
MONDO DINNER IN SAN FRANCISCO AND WINE COUNTRY | JULY 2011 | PART 2
JULY 10th
Sunday was a day to explore some local beers. We had the time to visit two local brewers/restaurants, Thirsty Bear and 21st Amendment. Thirsty Bear is a certified organic brewing company that also serves delicious Spanish cuisine. We began with a sample taste with the 7 brews, the following is the description that is featured in their website.
Tasty bocadillos (pork sliders)
Morcilla (blood sausage) flat bread
Browm bear ale
14.5 OG / 27 IBU / 6.3% ABV
Inspired by the brown ales of northern England, we brew this ale with crystal malt for color and brown malt, which provides toasted “bisquity” flavors. This ale is lightly hopped to accentuate the maltiness.
Golden vanilla
11 OG / 15 IBU / 4.5% ABV
A unique ale, lightly hopped and easy drinking, but “dry-hopped” with pounds of whole vanilla beans to infuse the beer with flavor and provide an incredibly aromatic sensation.
Howard street IPA
17.5 OG / 65 IBU / 7% ABV
The india pale ale is our strongest house ale brewed with copious amounts of American hops to highlight their resinous, piney, citrusy flavors and aromas.
Koslov stout
14.5 OG / 35 IBU / 6.3% ABV
Black ale the color of midnight, due to being brewed with black malt, chocolate malt and roasted barley. Flavors of espresso coffee and bittersweet chocolate accentuated by a smooth mouthfeel provided by the classic nitrogen pour.
Meyer ESB
15 OG / 30 IBU / 6.4% ABV
Our interpretation of the great British extra special bitter, but offered with the twist of a cascading nitrogen pour! It is a harmonious blend of caramel malt flavors with floral hop aromas, complemented by the smooth nitro mouth feel. A house favorite.
Polar bear pilsener
13.5 OG / 35 IBU / 5.7% ABV
A golden, bohemian-style pilsner brewed with munich malts and generous portions of “noble” Czech saaz hops for a spicy finish, then fermented cool with our house lager yeast strain.
Valencia wheat
12 OG / 17 IBU / 5% ABV Our wheat beer brewed in the belgian-wit tradition, including unmalted wheat and spiced with coriander and orange peel. Added complexity provided by our house belgian yeast blend after its characteristic high fermentation temperatures.
My favorite was Meyer ESB and Alfie had Howard Street IPA. Considering the tapas inspired cuisine, we were tempted with the tasty bocadillos (pork sliders) and morcilla (blood sausage) flat bread. Great beers and god food.
That day we met a Mexican gentleman that gave us great tips for our next three days in Napa and Sonoma Valley. His name is Raúl Torres and hopefully in our next trip to the Bay area we will visit him in Berkeley.
Raúl Torres getting ready to take a photo of us.
Later that evening we walked to 21st Amendment Brewery, there we tasted three interesting beers.
Gigantes IPA (American IPA | 7 ABV)
The Conventioneer (American blonde ale | 5.50 ABV)
Hell or High Watermelon wheat beer (Fruit beer | 4.9 ABV)
Grilled asparagus with Kalamata olive tapenade butter and roasted red pepper relish.
Caribbean jerk wings
21st Amendment Brewery
563 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA,94107
415 369 0900
JULY 11th
On Monday morning we drove to Napa and Sonoma Valley to spend three days there. The drive was nice and after 45 minutes we arrived to downtown Napa to check-in at Avia Hotel. I have to say this is so far the nicest hotel of our trip.
Crossing Auckland Bay Bridge
Days before I read about the Oxbow Public Market and we decided to have lunch there, the food offer was abundant and diverse. I went for Mexican trying C Casa, an innovative taquería and Alfie went for Pica Pica Maize Kitche and tried a pernil arepa.
Oxbow Public Market
C Casa at Oxbow Public Market
Pernil arepa
After lunch we went for a walk and later we drove through Napa Valley, visiting Yountwille, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga.
It was interesting to see a Wine Spectator office right there in Napa.
During our excursion we found redwood trees located west to Calistoga.
At the end of the day we had dinner at Downtown Joe, a local brewery. The burger and steak sandwich were OK but the Tantric India Pale Ale was really tasty and brewed with local hops. I would recommend this brewery for its beers but not for its food. Before coming back to the hotel we stopped by at Back Room Wines to get some local wine. After some considerations they gave us great two Carbernet Sauvignon suggestions:
2007 Obsidian Ridge and Stone Edge Farm 2007 Surround
To pair the wine, we stopped by Oxbow Public Market to get mini Italian pastries at Ca’Momi Enoteca, Pizzeria, Pasticceria. They were perfect with the wine and the nice Terrace at the Avia Hotel.
JULY 12th
We started our day driving around Sonoma Valley, getting a quick breakfast and experiencing at least one wine tasting at Hall Wines. It was very interesting to discover and recognize the different notes on each wine, but definitely if I have to select the best wine of the trip, that would be the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Educated Guess. Sadly we cannot get it in New York city, but I know that my cousin Ceci would love to try this wine and she can get it in Las Vegas at Southern Wine & Spirits (702 876 4500).
For lunch we got a sort of picnic at the Oxbow Public Market: semi-soft cheese, baguette, a heirloom tomato and juicy peaches for dessert. On my online research I found the Amstrong Redwoods State Reserve, close to Guerneville and we decided to drive to the cost to see the beautiful Pacific and also have the opportunity to see these magnificent trees.
By mondo
Published: August 14, 2011
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MONDO DINNER IN SAN FRANCISCO AND WINE COUNTRY | JULY 2011 | PART 1
Even if some of the picture were lost in digital translation, (well… s*** happens), we truly believe that our San Francisco and wine country memories will last. For me was the first time on this beautiful city of chilly summer fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture, and its famous landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and Chinatown. For us the new stars are the Ferry building and its wonderful bounty of fresh produce, the delicious food and the amazing amount of great restaurants that you can find and of course the breathtaking views of the bay.
JULY 7th
We arrived on July 7 close to 11 AM to SFO, after some transportation option considerations we took the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to Powell St Station (Close to Union Square). Pretty decent ride, fast enough and affordable. After an interesting”hike” on the steep hills we arrived at The Stanford Court Renaissance, (Nob Hill) well located and with great service, it’s definitely a good hotel to recommend.
Hungry enough we went for a walk around downtown and later to the Ferry Building Marketplace. This time we tried the outside vendors, Hapa Ramen and its delicious slow cooked pork ramen bowl with slow cooked egg ($10) and RoliRotti with its tasty RoliRoti Combo (1/4 chicken and side of roasted potatoes - $6) and Porchetta sandwich for $8.50. To cool down our thirst we enjoyed Soda Craft creations, Xtra Dry Ginger Ale and Blackberry Rex
Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building
San Francisco, California 94111
415 983 8030
info@ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
That night we dined at the Hotel. The Aurea Restaurant is proud to support local organic farmers in their efforts towards protecting the environment, recycling natural resources, increasing sustainable foods, and illuminating consumers on the food connection between healthful food and environmentally
sound growing practices.
We followed our friendly server recommendation to try an amazing Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Educated Guess, Napa Valley.
Also…
Cream of white corn soup with jalapeno crème fraiche
Roasted three beet salad, honey goat cheese, candied walnuts, citrus vinaigrette
The day special Grilled Pork shop with curry lentils
and super fresh cheese cake with strawberry sauce.
JULY 8th
On Friday morning we went to try more deliciousness at the Ferry Building. On our way there we stopped at Minamoto Kitchoan, a Japanese sweets store that is located very close to Union Square.
We tried the fruit ones, (kumquat and peach). If I have to describe the packaging, I would say a beautifully wrapped container with two layers to preserve the sweets…and when you open, a clear jelly with the preserved fruit inside. They serve it cold so it’s very refreshing, slightly sweet and full of fruit flavor.
648 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel | Fax: 415 989 164
Photo from Minamoto Kitchoan website
At the Ferry Building we tasted Boccalone, tasty salted pig parts. They have an interesting menu, but we were saving some appetite for lunch so we tried the mixed salumi cones ($3.50), a tasty appetizer followed by a glass of wine at Wine Merchant.
After waking around, we got an outside table at The Slanted Door, a modern Vietnamese restaurant that showcases the abundance of produce as well as ecologically farmed meat, game and poultry found at farms around the San Francisco Bay Area.
We began our experience tasting two nice beers, Echigo ($10) and Trumer Plis ($6), followed by:
Appetizers
Chilled greenlip mussels steamed in wine and lemongrass with roasted chili aioli ($12)
Slanted door spring rolls with shrimp, pork, mint and peanut sauce ($10)
Vietnamese crêpe with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts and onions ($12)
Entrees
Grass-fed anderson ranch lamb sirloin with spring onions and red chili ($18)
Hodo soy beanery organic tofu, with lemongrass, shiitake mushrooms, pressed tofu and roasted chili ($12)
The food was fantastic and with great service. Don’t miss it if you travel to San Francisco.
Later on the afternoon we walked around and end our day at Rogue Ales Public House in North Beach. We tasted 4 delicious beer:
Juniper Pale Ale
XS IPA
XS Imperial YSB
Morimoto Black OBI
673 Union St
San Francisco, CA
415 362 7880
JULY 9th
Saturday was a fresh market day outside of the Ferry Building so we decided to take a look and later go for a boat ride on the Bay. The fresh market was packed with locals and tourists, but somehow everybody shared the space friendly. After our walk I tried the Sidekick Cowgirl Creamery Kefir and Cheese and Jam (Fresh chèvre with fig jam) and Alfie decided to have Argentinian empanadas at El Porteño Empanadas. He really liked the Prosciutto and fontina cheese and he also tried the mushrooms one.
After brunch we went for a boat ride on the bay on Blue and Gold Fleet ($25 each ticket for an hr) to see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The ride was beautiful and we were able to see the city from another perspective. As an advice bring a jacket because the wind is cold.
Golden Gate Bridge
Alcatraz
For dinner we were really excited on visiting Sebo, the fine art of sushi. A highly recommend San Francisco restaurant located closed to Japantown.
517 Hayes street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Sushi: Tuesday-Saturday from 6:00 pm-10:00 pm
Izakaya: Sundays from 6:00 pm-11:00 pm
We decided to try Omakase (six course tasting menu for $80)
Our sake selection was Shirataki Jozen Mizunogotoshi followed by:
Medai sashimi salad
Octopus, cucumber, shiitake and roe roll with eel salad
Striped jack, Medai, wild macarel, raw octopus, raw scallop
Salmon roe, pickle cucumber, eel and sea urchin over rice
Grilled macarel
Fish balls soup
Sea urchin, shrimp and scallops custard. This dish wasn’t part of the tasting menu, but I was curious about the taste…I love it.
By mondo
Published: August 10, 2011
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BEERS, GARDEN AND SANDWICHES AT BIERKRAFT
Good times at Bierkraft in Brooklyn. Stop by to refresh yourself with the interesting tap selection, grab a bite or take home a couple of growlers full of goodness. Cheers!
191 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718 230 7600
By mondo
Published: July 2, 2011
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“CHICHOLINA” BEER BATCH N°13 | BITTER PALE ALE | A TRIBUTE TO ILONA STALLER (CICCIOLINA)
By mondo
Published: June 14, 2011
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A VISIT TO NOM WAH TEA PARLOR
On a Saturday we went to Chinatown in Manhattan to taste some Dim Sum. Following a New York Time recommendation we ended up at Non Wah Tea Parlor.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor first opened at 13-15 Doyers Street back in 1920 as a bakery and a tea parlor. For most of the 20th century, Nom Wah Tea Parlor served as a neighborhood staple offering fresh chinese pasteries, steamed buns, dim sum and tea. After it lost its lease at 15 Doyers in 1968, it moved into a brand new kitchen at 11 Doyers Street and has occupied 11-13 Doyers Street ever since. Nom Wah is most famous for its homemade lotus paste and red bean filling for moon cake during the Chinese autumn festival. It is also famous for its almond cookie.
The first known owners of Nom Wah, the Choy family, dates back to the the 1940′s. It was then sold to Mr. Wally Tang in 1974. Wally has worked at Nom Wah since 1950 when he was 16 and started to manage it when he was 20. Nom Wah hasn’t gone through much changes thru the years. Its vintage looks, good food and great value has kept generations of families coming back. If you have ever been at Nom Wah in the past 60 years, you would know who Wally is! Thru the years, numerous movies and TV shows have been shot at Nom Wah. A few include Reversal of Fortune, Premium Rush, All Good Things, Quid Pro Quo, Third Rock and Law and Order.
In late 2010, Nom Wah gets a facelift while retaining its mid century feel. A completely redone kitchen along with just a few minor technology upgrades and changes in the dining area will bring Nom Wah into the 21st century. Nom Wah will also be managed by the next generation of the Tang family, Wilson Tang, under the watchful eyes of Wally himself and his team of culinary experts in dim sum.
13 Doyers Street,
New York, NY 10013
212 962 6047
By mondo
Published: June 12, 2011
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AN AFTERNOON IN FLUSHING, QUEENS
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, 10 miles (16 km) east of Manhattan. It is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City. Flushing’s diversity is reflected by the numerous ethnic groups that reside there, including people of Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, European and African American ancestry.
In a search for new flavors we went to Xian’ s Famous Food, watch the dumplings ladies work with grace and speed, and stop by a restaurant supply store. It can’t get any better. Next time we will explore the Mexican side of Flushing.
By mondo
Published: June 5, 2011
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A HAPPY SUMMER WITH BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN | RECIPE BY THOMAS KELLER
It’s officially Summer in New york and last weekend we celebrated with a juicy fried chicken, biscuits, caramelized onions and miso butter corn salad. We used Thomas Keller’s recipe from his book Ad Hoc at Home.
YOU WILL NEED
Two 2 1/2 to 3 pound chicken
Chicken brine, cold
FOR DREDGING AND FRYING
Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying
1 quart buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
COATING
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black-pepper
Ground fleur de sel or fine sea salt
Rosemary and thyme sprigs for garnish
CHICKEN BRINE
5 lemons, halved
12 bay leaves
1 bunch (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch (1 ounce) thyme
1/2 cup clover honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
1/4 cup black peppercorns
2 cups (10 ounces) Kosher salt
2 gallons water
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for a minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
HOW TO DO IT
1. Cut the chicken into 10 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast quarters, 2 wings. Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken pieces, add in the chicken, and refrigerate fro 12 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from the brine (discard the brine) and rinse under cold water. removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Let rest at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature. If you have two large pots (about 6 inches deep) and a lot of oil, you can cook the dark and the white meat at the same time; if not, cook the dark meat first, then turn up the heat and cook the white meat. No matter what size pot you have, the oil should not come more than one-third of the way up the sides of the pot. Fill the pot with at least 2 inches of peanut oil and heat to 320°F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Meanwhile, combine all the coating ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer half the coating to a second large bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a third bowl and season with slat and pepper. Set up a dipping station: the chicken pieces, one bowl of coating, the bowl of buttermilk, the second bowl of coating, and the parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Just before the frying, dip the chicken thighs into the first bowl of coating, turning to coat and patting off the excess; dip them into the buttermilk, allowing the excess to run back into the bowl; then dip them into the second bowl of coating. Transfer to parchment-lined pan.
5. Carefully lower the thighs into the hot oil. Adjust the heat as necessary to return the oil to the proper temperature. Fry for 2 minutes, then carefully move the chicken pieces around in the oil and continue to fry, monitoring the oil temperature and turning the pieces as necessary for even cooking, for 11 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is a deep golden brown, cooked through, and very crisp. Meanwhile, coat the chicken drumsticks and transfer to the parchment-line baking sheet.
6. Transfer the cooked thighs to the cooling rack skin-side-up and let rest while you fry the remaining chicken. (Putting the pieces skin-side-up will allow excess fat drain, whereas leaving them skin-side-down could trap some of the fat.) Make sure that the oil is at the correct temperature,and cook the chicken drumsticks. When the drumsticks are done, lean them meat-side up against the thighs to drain, then sprinkle the chicken with fine sea salt.
7. Turn up the heat and heat the oil to 340°F. Meanwhile, coat the chicken breast and wings. Carefully lower the chicken breast into the oil and fry for 7 minutes, or until golden brown, cooked through, and crisp. Transfer to the rack, sprinkle with salt, and turn skin side up. Cook the wings for 6 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the wings to the rack and turn off the heat.
8. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter. Add the herb spring to the oil (which will be still hot) and let them cook and crisp for a few seconds, then arrange them over the chicken.
By mondo
Published: June 4, 2011
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PORK BELLY CONFIT | RECIPE BY THOMAS KELLER
Following our love for good food, last week we adventured to the magic of pork belly confit. Pork belly is a tough muscle, so it must first braised or confited for hours to tenderize it. Then it can be sliced into smaller pieces and sauteéd to form a delicious crisp exterior while the center remains tender and juice.
This recipe was done following instructions on the book Ad Hoc at home by Thomas Keller.
We served it with pan seared scallops, halibut and cherry tomatoes salad.
YOU WILL NEED
Pork brine, cold
One 2 1/2 pound slab pork belly with skin
About 6 cups lard (3 pounds)
Canola oil
Gray salt or coarse sea salt
Pork brine
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
12 bay leaves
3 large rosemary sprigs
1/2 bunch thyme (1/2 ounce)
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup garlic cloves, crushed, skin left on
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 cup kosher salt
8 cups water
Combine the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bringing to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. This amount of brine is ideal for up to 4 pounds of pork.
HOW TO DO IT
1. Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the pork belly and add the pork. Refrigerate for 10 hours.
2. Remove the pork belly (discard the brine) and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°F
4. Choose an ovenproof pot, such a 12- quart Dutch oven, that is only slightly larger than the pork belly and has a lid; the pot should be large enough that the pork will be surrounded by the lard. Put the belly in the pot and cover with the lard; the lard should cover the pork by 1/2 to 3/4 in.
5. Heat the pot over low heat until the lard registers 190°F. Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook until the pork is
tender; this will probably take 5 1/2 to 6 hours, but start checking after 4 hours. As the belly cooks, it will lose fat and shrink;
it is best to transfer the meat and fat to a smaller pot, always keeping the belly covered by fat.
6. Remove the pot from the oven and let cool to room temperature. The belly can simply be refrigerated in its fat, but we prefer to press it to compress the internal layers of connective tissue and force out some of the excess fat, resulting in a better texture and appearance. To press it, transfer it to a deep baking dish. Pour enough fat into the dish to just cover the belly. Cover with plastic wrap, top with a smaller baking dish, and weight it down with a brick or large can. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours; reserve the extra fat. Once it’s been pressed, the pork belly can be refrigerated, covered by fat, for up to 1 week.
7. To serve, remove the pot from the refrigerator and let sit in a warm spot to soften the fat for 2 to 3 hours. You want to soften the fat enough so you can scrape it from the belly while keeping the belly as cold as possible so it will be easier to slice.
8. Remove the pork belly from the fat, and wipe off any cooking fat that clings to the meat. Remove the skin and score the fat on the belly in a crosshatch pattern. The belly can be cut into any shape. Slice it or cut it into squares, and let sit a room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before sautéing. (The fat can be reused to confit pork belly several more times as long as it does not taste too salty. Pour it into a pot and heat gently to liquefy, then strain a fine-mesh conical strainer into a storage container. Refrigerate for up to 2 months or freeze for up to 6 months)
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
10. Heat some canola oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat just until smoking. Put the pieces of belly fat-side-down in the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the excess of fat is rendered and the fat side is browned, about 18 minutes; pour off excess fat about halfway through the cooking.
11. When the pork is browned, transfer the pan to the oven to heat through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with gray salt and serve.
By mondo
Published: May 27, 2011
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