Kamameshi at Kotobuki

02-29-2011 Wed. chilly, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at 33 Cafe) Jamaican beef patty
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
BEFORE-CONCERT-DINNER --- ( at Kotobuki ) eel Kamameshi rice | 4-dish set: simmered pork, simmered greens, sashimi, pickled vegetables | marinated monk fish liver | shumai | beer

• photos at Kotobuki turned out to be video clips. Vienna Philharmonic's concert was very Viennese style.
  

simply homy dumplings

02-28-2012 Tue. chilly, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- cumin rice and daal lentil soup
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- steamed dumplings | bok choy and tofu soup | wine

• how many dumplings have been made over the years, life goes on, hard time or good time.
  

a Northern Indian feast

02-27-2012 Mon. chilly, sunny.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- Italian bread | brie | sharp cheese | spicy silken tofu
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | apple
DINNER --- ( at Francesca & Oreste's ) potato Kofta with cilantro chutney || German Riesling || Radish Daal lentil soup | Quom Tandouri | Naan | Garlic chutney | Bengali style Brussels sprouts | Cumin rice || Italian Riesling || cocktail drinks

• Francesca's Indian cooking, everything from scratch, including grinding and mixing spices.
  

simmering together with spices

02-26-2012 Sun. cold, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | Italian bread | brie | grapefruit | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | sharp cheese
DINNER --- simmered meat, egg, and tofu skin with spices | sauteed Swiss chard | fermented dried mustard with bacon | rice | wine

• 卤 (lu), simmering with low heat, long time and lots of spices, a Chinese cooking method as common as stir-fry.
  

shabu shabu afer concert

02-25-2012 Sat. cold, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | homemade orange bread | apple AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | aged cheese and Italian bread
DINNER --- ( after concert) shabu-shabu, hot pot on the table: beef, mushroom, tong-hao green, napa cabbage, silken tofu, fried tofu,Thai basil, wood-ear, fish balls | sha-cha dipping sauce | wine

• a shabu-shabu hot pot with more southwestern Asian flavor with beef, Thai basil, and fish paste based dipping sauce.
  

duck confit

02-24-2012 Fri. mild, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with tong-hao porridge
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- curry angel hair potato | sauteed carrot and celery | duck confit | rice | wine

• salt and herb cured for two days, the duck confit has the just right amount of saltiness and tight texture.
  

comfort food

02-23-2012 Thu. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at G.Joe's ) pastrami sandwich | curly fries
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- pasta with spicy cauliflowers | scrambled eggs with tomato and Thai basil | sauteed pea shoots | wine

• Joe's pastrami sandwich is so good, and so generous
  

Asian winter vegetables

02-22-2012 Wed. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried chive flowers and smoked tofu
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- tong-hao porridge with crushed peanuts | simmered Japanese pumpkin Kabocha | Shanghai-style short ribs | rice | wine

• planning the community vegetable garden, shishito Japanese sweet peppers, Romano beans, English peas, zucchini for harvesting flowers.
  

stir-fry

02-21-2011 Tue. chilly, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with Thai-style shrimp
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- stir-fried king mushroom and bean sprouts | stir-fried chive flowers with smoked tofu | Sichuan style spiced cabbage | rice | wine

• quick meal, 10 minutes for each stir-fry dish
  

tom yum seafood noodle soup

02-20-2012 Mon. chilly, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | homemade orange bread | orange juice | grapefruit
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | fresh peanuts simmered in spicy broth
DINNER --- hot & sour seafood noodle soup | sauteed chard | smoked tofu and cilantro salad

• good shrimp from Thailand, good tom yum sauce.
  

a brief tour of Asian cooking

02-19-2012 Sun. chilly, cloudy.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | apple | orange
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- baked Japanese sweet potato fries | pan-fried gyoza || fried silken tofu with dashi dipping sauce and kombu knot | Shanghai salsa on endive boat with fresh peanuts simmered in spicy broth |Thai hot & sour seafood soup (scallop, shrimp, squid, beech mushroom, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and Thai chili) | Shanghai style short ribs braised in rice wine infused with five spices | stir-fried snow peas and king mushroom | rice | wine || taro root sweets | green tea

• an Asian theme dinner for two young friends from France and Germany.
  

Chinese taco buns

02-18-2012 Sat. mild, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | homemade Swedish limpa bread | apple | Shanghai baked buns
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- mushroom and manila clam soup | Chinese taco bun with BBQ pork shoulder and eggplant relish | wine

fillings for Chinese taco buns

clam soup

• a late dinner of steamed Chinese taco buns filled at table
  

Kaffir lime and green papaya

02-17-2012. Fri. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at T.B. Pizza) Mexican pizza
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- ( at Drew's) fish chips and nuts | champagne cocktail | green papaya salad | roasted kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) | red curry chicken and eggplant | wine | homemade cookies with passion fruit sorbet

garlic, chili, dried shrimp, palm sugar,
green papaya, green beans,cherry tomato,
peanuts, fish sauce, karffir lime juice
pounding away in Thai mortar and pestle


juicy papaya salad


red curry chicken


roasted Japanese pumpkin

• a Thai dinner made by Drew
  

daikon simmered in dashi

02-16-2012 Thu. mild, rain.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- diakon simmered with shiitake, lotus root and konbu knots in dashi broth | Japanese angel hair noddles with sweet curry sauce | sauteed kale | wine

daikon


konbu & bonito for dashi broth, simmering


simmered daikon

• daikon simmered in dashi for about 40 minutes, it gets tender and absorbs flavor.
  

steamed dumplings

02-15-2012 Wed. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried cabbage ad pork chop
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- steamed dumplings with minced chicken and boy choy filling | shiitake and boy choy soup | wine

• its a dumpling night
  

spicy and fragrant

02-14-2012 Tue. chilly, sunny.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with hong-hao porridge
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- Chinese silky squash and Thai basil soup | pan-fried pork chop | Sichuan style spicy cabbage with fermented fava bean sauce | rice | wine

• spicy and fragrant, very satisfying vegetable dishes
  

Tong-hao porridge

02-13-2012 Mon. cold, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- saffron rice with vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- tong-hao porridge | rice |stew of fried gluten balls stuffed with minced chicken and mushroom | rice | wine

• who thought of cooking porridge out of minced mum flower leaves
  

Thai curry stew, Norwigian boller

02-12-2012 Sun. cold wind, clouds.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | popovers with apple | grapefruit
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- Thai green curry stew of fish, shrimp and lotus root | sauteed kale | baked Japanese sweet potato | rice | wine || Norwegian boller

popover with apple


Norwegian boller with raisin

Thai green curry fish stew

• the coldest day so far this winter. a fine day to have Thai curry stew with a kick of hot and sour ingredients found at Thai Market: hot chili, Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Three-Crab fish sauce, galangal.
• two sessions of baking: popovers in the morning and Norwegian bollers for the evening.
  

an afternoon with Götterdämmerung

02-11-2011 Sat. cold wind, snowy.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | chibatta bread | jam and butter | grape fruit | scrambled eggs with cilantro
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple | mini doughnuts
DINNER --- sauteed baby spinach | broiled lamb chops | sauteed celery, mushroom and carrots | saffron rice | wine

• 6 hours for the conclusion of the Ring cycle: Twilight of the Gods
  

It is Friday!

02-10-2011 Fri. chilly, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with kung-pao chicken
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tangerine | tea
DINNER --- Shanghai salsa | sauteed green beans with black bean sauce | Spanish chorizo and baby potato stew | wine

• a busy evening, but did not skip cooking a nice dinner
  

as Chinese as it gets

02-09-2011 Thu. cold, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with baked winter squash
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tangerine
DINNER --- stir-fried chive flowers and smoked tofu | Sichuan style kung-pao chicken with celery, sweet onion and roasted peanuts | tomato and egg drop soup | rice | wine

• easy and tasty
  

savory butternut squash

02-08-2011 Wed. chilly, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- Turkish clam rice
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tangerine
DINNER --- baked butternut squash with Romano cheese and fresh thyme | stir-fried eggplant and red pepper | tomato and pea shoots soup | rice | wine

• butternut squash gets caramelized, plays sweet and salty game with savory spices, fresh herbs and cheese
  

simmered radicchio with porcini broth

02-07-2011 Tue. chilly, sunny.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- (at work party) homemade beer | deviled egg | vegetable wrap | chili | stuffed dates
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tangerine
DINNER --- simmered napa cabbage, radicchio, porcini and tofu skin rolls | pan-fried pork chop | rice | wine

• a variation of D.D.s recipe, used Italian porcini strong flavored broth instead of Japanese dashi to simmer radicchio, cabbage and tofu skin rolls.
  

linguini with seafood

02-06-2011 Mon. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- jalapeno pizza
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tangerine
DINNER --- linguini with clam sauce, scallop and squid | sauteed pea shoots | wine

• the sauce is the reduction of clam juice, garlic, parsley and tomato. squid and scallop are cooked in wine.
  

Super Bowl Sunday without chicken wings

02-05-2011 Sun. cold, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | Swedish limpa bread with jam and butter | grapefruit AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | tangerine
DINNER --- ( super bowl dinner ) tortilla chips with guacamole | baked Japanese sweet potato fries | fried crispy silken tofu with dashi dipping sauce | five-spice braised beef soup with noodles

• Super Bowl Sunday food consumption statistics: 1,25 billion chicken drumettes, 35 million avocados for the whole nation. We are lucky to grab two avocados, no chicken wings left at the market.
• Giant got the Bowl.
  

all over the food map, searing steak with a torch

02-04-2011 Sat. chilly, cloudy and rain



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( at A&J) dim sum | fried twist bread | congee | Shanghai style wonton soup
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- Thai hot & sour seafood soup (Tom Yum Talay ) | simmered napa cabbage and radicchio with dashi | crispy scalloped potato | seared frozen steak with mushroom sauce | Italian bread | wine || Chinese sweet rice dumplings

dim sum


delicious wonton soup


simmered cabbage



Tom Yum Talay


searing with a torch

seared frozen steak

• there are no boundaries for good food, dim sum, tom yum, and modernist seared frozen steak.
• an alternative searing method: used the torch to sear the frozen steak instead of cast-iron pan on stove. the local temperature of the torch flame is much higher than that in a pan. the oven cooking time is about a hour and 15 minutes at 180 F. it could have been shorter for a bit more rare and tender result.