back to basics

10-31-2011 Mon. chilly, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with ragu sauce
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed shrimp and silky tofu with cilantro and ginger | steamed and pan-fried Brussels sprouts | stir-fried garlic scape, celery, carrots and smoked tofu | rice | wine

• stir-fry , saute, and steam, basics of cooking using knife and fire.

Village, SoHo, Chinatown

10-30-2011 Sun. cold, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- (at Patisserie Claude in the Village) coffee | croissant
EARLY-LUNCH --- (tapas sampling at Despana SoHo) a collection of choizos | jamon | cured pork loin | pickled pearl onion | Spanish cheese
EARLY DINNER --- (at XO Kithcen in Chinatown ) shrimp and yuzu dumplings in broth | congee with fried twist bread | Thai style sauteed greens (tong cai) | stone snails with black bean sauce | fried chicken wings
LATE DIM-SUM --- Shangdong dumplings

best croissant in G. Village

crab specimen in Evolution Store SoHo


Eyescream SoHo

hand-carving jamon at Despana SoHo

snails in black bean sauce XO Chinatown

Thai style greens at XO Chinatown

• sun is back, took a long walk from Village to SoHo to Chinatown, sampling food and fun stuff along the way
  

Swedish cuisine in West Village

10-29-2011 Sat. cold, snow/rain/thunder/wind.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- cappuccino | croissant
LUNCH --- ( at D.D.'s ) pan-fried baby artichokes | pan-fried gyoza with fillings of Japanese greens and shiso
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- ( at Smorgas Chef West Village ) Aquavit | MAPLE FENNEL CURED BEEF | HERRING QUARTET | GOAT CHEESE FRITTER & BEETS | BLUE SHELL MUSSELS & FRIES | ICELANDIC COD | wine

home cooking at D.D.'s

at Smogas Chef

• this chef must have tried ( maybe not hard enough or too hard ) to ride the new wave of Nordic New Cuisine.
• home cooked lunch was excellent at D.D.'s
  

the Ramen King Ippudo

10-28-2011 Fri. chilly, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- apple
LUNCH --- homemade Afghan flat bread
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- ( at Ippudo , NYC) fried shishito peppers | dumplings in vegetable soup | Hirata buns | wasabi tonkotsu ramen | wasabi shoyu ramen | akamaru modern ramen

• pilgrimage to IPPUDO for their fresh ramen noodles and secret pork broth as thick as milk
  

homemade trofie

10-27-2011 Thu. cool, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- lightly pickled and pan-fried eggplant | sauteed chive flower buds and smoked tofu | homemade semolina trofie with ragu sauce | wine

• pickled eggplant is not mushy this time, has the right slightly crunchy texture.
  
• trofie is made smaller size this time, nicely chewy.
  

bok choy

10-26-2011 Wed. cool, rain and shine.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with pan-fried pork and cabbage
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- egg drop soup with tomato, bok choy and mushroom | steamed dumplings with fillings of bok choy, mushroom and chicken | wine

• bok choy gets better in fall and winter.
  

Paillard? just pound it flat

10-25-2011 Tue. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed zucchini and eggplant
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- pan-fried pork cutlet | stir-fried cabbage with Sichuan hot sauce | rice | wine

• one of the most reliably tasty and quick meal for rushed Tuesdays. the pork cutlet is flattened by pounding and seasoned and fried, a ten-minute cooking. "...Voilà: you have a paillard, a fancy French name for a thinly pounded piece of meat. " --- Take a Pounding, M. Bittman NYT
  

veggie monday

10-24-2011 Mon. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- Afghan rice with lamb
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- stir-fried zucchini, eggplant and bell pepper | sauteed asparagus with Sichuan spicy sauce | rice | wine

• how pretty and tasty are these vegetables
  

homemade three course Afghan dinner

10-23-2011 Sun. mild, sun.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | milk and egg | pear
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- Pakowray Kachalu Afghan-style fried slices of sweet potato | Qabili Pilau Afghan baked rice with lamb shank | Chalow Sabsi Afghan-style sauteed baby spinach with garlic, onion | wine

• so simple and delicious, Afghan cuisine
  

Brittnay crepes and Shangdong dumplings

10-22-2011 Sat. cool, cloudy.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | egg and milk | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | Gavottes crepes dentelle
DINNER --- Shangdong dumplings with chive and pork fillings | stir-fried garlic stems with smoked tofu and Chinese sausage | fried rice

crepes dentelle , Brittany crepes


Shangdong dumplings

• two regions far from each other, both the crepes and dumplings are examples of the good food with long history.
  

from the limited supply

10-21-2011 Fri. cool, clouds.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( takeout from B33 cafe) Jamaican vegetable filling patty
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- marinated jellyfish and radish | pan-fried gyoza | rice steamed with vegetables and cured fish

• a meal with a "put-together" look
  

a big bowl of Korean noodles

10-20-2011 Thu. chilly wind, clouds.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with ragu sauce
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- Korean noodle bowl ( Dangmyeon sweet potato cellophane noodles, vegetable broth, vegetables, Chinese sausage, chili sauce)

• solo meal with solo bowl
  

five-vegetable ragu sauce

10-19-2011 Wed. cool, rainy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- brown rice with sauteed zucchini
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- pasta with ragu sauce | wine

• onion, tomato, celery, carrots, and red pepper. chop everything really small and cook them patiently, they will merge into a wonderful ragu sauce.
  

ad hoc Mexican meal

10-18-2011 Tue. cool, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed vegetables and shrimp
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- fuji apple
DINNER --- refried black beans | Mexican rice | fresh tomato and cilantro salsa | sauteed zucchini with chipotle | bread with roasted red pepper spread | wine

• only approximately Mexican, without tortilla, real chili sauce and eggs at hand
  

red pepper and green spinach

10-17-2011 Mon. cool, clouds


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- potato stew with chriozo
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- pear
DINNER --- stir-fried shrimp with red peppers | creamy young spinach with green garlic sauce | rice | bread | wine

• shrimp does not have much flavor these days. young spinach is very good.
  

Jim Lahey's no-knead bread

10-16-2011 Sun. warm, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | Norwegian pancakes with apple and brown sugar
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | kiwiberries | homemade no-knead bread
DINNER ---sauteed zucchini, eggplant and celery with sofrito sauce | simmered baby squid with Japanese leek | potato stew with caramelized onion and Spanish chorizo | wine

24h no-knead bread


first batch of the season

unusual fruit: kiwi berries from the market

squid

potato and Spanish chorizo stew

• a gorgeous day. first weekend for the season Fuji apple showed up at farmer's market, along with beautiful purple peppers and interesting kiwi berries, soft, sweet with kiwi texture.
• homemade no-knead bread started yesterday and baked in a pot today. it turned out well with impressive crust and holey interior with a bit moist.
  

Chinese food everywhere

10-15-2011 Sat. warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | ciabatta bread | Icelandic cheese | cloudberry jam | apple | pear
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | empanadas
AFTER-CONCERT-DINNER --- egg drop soup with tomato, watercress and mushroom | empanadas | saffron rice | wine

• easy egg drop soup with vegetables and leftovers for a late dinner after concert.
  
• earlier at the Art Fair saw a queue for stir-fried noodles ( $7 an order in a Chinese take-out food carton).
  

From French Pyrenees to Catalonia coast

10-14-2011 Fri. mild, rain to shine.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- soup wonton
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- pear
DINNER --- ( a Spanish and southern French dinner for the cooking club) figs with Serrano ham | pickled mussels with roasted red pepper | Spanish sharp goat cheese | Marcona almonds | Spanish cava || braised stuffed baby squid and pickled mackerel | pear and bitter green salad | butternut squash and granny smith apple soup | duck confit | saffron rice | layered ratatouille with sofrito sauce | Provencal rose | Bordeaux white wine || Crema Catalonia | Spanish herbal liqueur | Spanish almond chocolate

figs with Serrano ham


Spanish pickled mussels

Spanish goat cheese and almonds

squid and mackerel


serving pear salad


layering ratatouille

sofrito and thyme-garlic sauces for ratatouille


baked ratatouille

duck confit, saffron rice

• this version of layered ratatouille is " a combination of all sorts of recipes... bits from Jose Andres, Thomas Keller, Smitten Kitchen, Pixar, and some bits from nowhere" (D.D.). two sauces and layered structure are crucial.