mary eats

Hope you are enjoying the holidays with friends, family, and mugs of spiked egg nog
xoxo

Mary

Petite panettone

fruit studded so rich yet light

Forget calories

Seattle’s cold chill has me looking for any excuse to turn on my oven, and this morning (a bone chilling 18 degrees out), was no exception.

Slowly, I’m returning to cooking projects. This summer I whole heartedly wanted to craft blue ribbon pies with flaky crusts to die for, but waiting till the hottest day of the year to cook a blueberry pie stopped that fantasy in its tracks and instead I turned to jams.

Now, rather than concentrating on one specific item that I would be eating over and over again and no doubt get sick of quite quickly, I am focusing on cuisines. Last month I rocked out 31 days of Thai Food, and from it fine tuned my technique for Panang curry and came away with killer recipes for papaya salad and jack fruit curry, which I promise to share with you soon.

This month I have my eyes set on India. Just about a week in I’ve wrestled up Chicken Curry, Chicken Vindaloo, and a disastrous Potato and Pea Dosa. Tempted this morning to bag it and reach for a blueberry muffin, I set the oven to broil (as I don’t have a toaster), and crafted this humble little Indian Breakfast Sandwich- and ate a blueberry muffin. Proof that a refrigerator full of condiments is nothing to be ashamed of, but a toolbox for layering flavors. Breakfast sandwiches are ridiculously simple and need only to consist of bread and an egg, or tofu, From there, with a refrigerator full of savory and sweet jams, chile pastes, chutneys, hot sauces, aioli, you name it, you could build a nice little mobile food truck business from it.

Indian Breakfast Sandwich
Serves 1 sleepy early morning riser

1 egg, scrambled in a hug of butter
1 half piece garlic naan, cut in half again and broiled till browned on the edges
a slap of vegenaise (because it is better than mayo, I swear)
and a glop of mango chutney

Assemble and eat!

Last night I attended a food bloggers event here in Seattle, something I don’t often do because a, I haven’t been blogging (you noticed, didn’t you), and b, I still think it odd to sit in a room full of people who I might or might not follow on twitter, who I might have read some odd personal bit of information about on their blog, and vica versa, and NOT SAY HI, or have them say hi to me, like I’ve known them for years. Let’s be honest, It’s weird. Like online dating, but wooing with food and a touch of look look away.

The absolutely adorable Keren Brown (you have to hear this girl laugh, it will send an honest grin across your face- Keren I’m being sincere!!) hosted food celebrity, Jaden of SteamyKitchen.com- THE resource for Asian Recipes. All us food bloggers were asked to bring our signature dish to be judged by Jaden. I brought along not a signature dish, but a signature style of dish, the grain salad, something I’ve been consuming a lot of over the summer and well into fall.

As a single lady in the city, I’m a fan of a dish that is going to offer more than just a wild night of culinary esctasy. I want something that is going to last me a bit, sustain me. The brilliance of grain salads is that they lend themselves beautifully to leftover reincarnations. No wham-bam-thank-you-mam here.

• You can throw them into a tortilla, or rice paper, with some greens, pickles and various condiments for a lunch time wrap/spring roll
• Add an egg, form into patties, dredge in flour and pan fry. Serve with a lusty sauce (ghetto aioli- vegenaise with mashed garlic and sea salt is my personal favorite)
• Boil some bow tie pasta and toss with the grain salad, along with a handful of baby spinach or arugula.
• Fill and shape egg roll wrappers into samosas, deep fry and serve with an tangy accompaniment, ie spring roll dipping sauce, dijon mustard mixed with a bit of maple syrup, or… ahem- ghetto aioli.

Below is my current go-to and my offering at the food bloggers meet up. Make a big batch and keep in the fridge for up to four days, single lady or not.

Red Quinoa, Cilantro and Carrot Salad, with Red Onion, Avocado and Toasted Almonds
Makes 4 servings, takes an hour.

3/4 cup red quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water* if using water add a good pinch of salt for flavor.
1 bunch carrots (about 5), peeled and sliced on the diagonal into rounds, and sliced in half again (half moons)
1/2 red onion, julienned, soaked in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes* soaking the onions in cold water helps to take some of the heartburn bite out of them!
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, washed and dried
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Dressing
Juice and zest of 1 lime (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
Agave nectar or Honey to taste (at least a teaspoon)
1/2 a jalapeno, veins and seeds removed, small diced
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, and near minced
A big dash of fish sauce- if that’s the type of thing you keep in your cupboard.
1 1/2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
Kosher Salt

1. Place quinoa in a medium sauce pan and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid and if too soupy (the quinoa should look like cooked rice, no liquid floating about), drain in a fine mesh strainer and return to pot. Fluff with a fork, replace the lid and let sit off the heat for 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a baking sheet, spread out the grains and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. While the quinoa is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and faster than it takes to update your status on facebook, drain and rinse with could water (about 2 minutes). Transfer carrots to a large bowl. Add the onion, cilantro, nuts, and avocado.

3. In a another large bowl, mix the lime juice with the avage nectar, jalapeno, ginger, and fish sauce to combine. While whisking, slowly add the oil in a pencil thick stream. Continue whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Add a wee pinch of salt and taste. What do you think? Is it good? Does it need more agave? More lime? More salt? Adjust the seasonings by adding just a touch at a time. At this point I like to pour out about half that dressing and reserve it in a separate bowl, you can always add more later.

4. Add the carrot onion mixture to the bowl with the dressing, and using tongs, toss to evenly coat the veggies. Add in the cooled quinoa and toss to combine. Taste again. What do you think? Does it need more dressing? Yeah? Well go on! Add a little more, tasting after every addition. How about the salt? Good? No? Add a bit more. Need more heat? chop up the rest of that jalapeno that will likely end up in a sad coat of plastic wrap in the back corner of your produce drawer and throw it in. Continue tasting and adjusting until you’re satisfied.

Serve the salad in a large shallow bowl, garnished with a few more cilantro leaves or chopped almonds, or dish up onto individual plates, or, if like me, you live alone, eat right out of the mixing bowl.

Delicious, right? Well here are some tips to keeping that salad fresh over the next few days. Add the highly perishable items (the avocado, the nuts) as you go. These will keep fine in the fridge, however the moisture will soften those nuts right up. Same goes for the dressing. You can easily toss all the salad ingredients and keep that dressing on the side, only adding as you go.

In the New York Times: Crock pots have always been thought of as the prep-it-then-fuggatabout-it cooking tool, Julia Moleskin takes a look at the rice cooker for one pot meals. I also covered this trick as one of my very first blog posts, though Julia’s recipes look way tastier. The next generation of eaters, more adventurous thanks to mom. In house butchery allows both cooks and customers to get closer to the source.  He had my heart at Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.  Knowing exactly where your food comes from, grocery stores to begin labeling meat and fish.  The face of urban farming.

In the Washington Post: Mushrooms are in season, and what to do with them.  Jen Lin-Liu, Chinese cooking authority, is 31 and a Fulbright scholar. I might love and hate her at the same time.  A look at the food responsible for making me the foodie I am today, tofu.

In the Wall Street Journal: Get ready for more food magazines.  How chef/restaurateurs expand in tough financial times.  A tour of the Northwest’s own Clear Creek Distillery.  The WJS’s take on beef origin labeling. Pick your poison, er- energy drink.

In the SF Gate: I’ll have a Pinot Noir and Soda, wine cocktails from cocktail authority Gary Regan. Taking advantage of sunny fall days with a hearty picnic spread. 

In the LA Times: Keeping your Monday Morning Quarterback sated all season long, and expand your fungi lexicon to include King Trumpets, Maitake, and Shimeji.

A day late, but not a dollar short. Words from the food world.

Original gin, the new boutique gin,  a new way with beets, a Rosh Hashanah recipe, and finding a silver lining in Hurrican Ike in the way of dining all in the New York Times.

In the Boston Globe the delima of Rosh Hashanah dinners explored, plus a host of mouth watering recipes.

Real questions and answers about high fructose corn syrup in the San Francisco Gate.

In the LA Times the ins and outs of my culinary world boyfriend Jose Andres, his restaurants, TV shows, and cookbooks, any 21st century fusion in LA.

The toughest reservation in Tokyo, a restaurant with two tables. Food Security. Where does your beef come from? The Jack Rose, for Hemingway protagonists, gangsters and hostesses alike. The new Spanish taste makers, where to park your yacht and have a bit to eat from the Wall Street Journal.

Paying homage to the Omnivore’s list of 100 foods you have gotta try, Zen Kimchi has put together this thorough list of 100 Korean foods you gotta try. He says his list contains foods that paint a well rounded portrait of Korean cuisine, that goes beyond the usual tourist fare. On the list there were quite a few foods I’ve never heard of, and the one I’ve tried are bolded. I didn’t score too high, but for someone who was a vegetarian for the first 3 years (of 4) that she lived in Seoul, I’ll take it, (and I will not eat Beondaeggi ever so really this is a list of the top 99 foods you gotta try). If you don’t know what something is, I’ve linked what I could to photos, while the hangul is over on Fat Man Seoul.

What have you tried? Anything missing?

1. Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)

2. Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) I love this soup. I love the flavors, the picking apart of the chicken the, rice, everything about it screams comfort food.

3. Bulgogi (Grilled Marinated Beef) I’m a sucker for a sweet marinade on a meat.

4. BulDalk (Burn-your-pants-off Spicy Grilled Chicken)

5. DalkBal (Spicy Chicken Feet)

6. Korean Fried Chicken Colonel Sanders ain’t got nothin’ on Korea’s fried chicken.

7. Dalk Galbi (Stir-fried Marinated Chicken and Veggies)

8. San Nakji, chopped (Semi-live Baby Octopus)

9. San Nakji, whole (Live Octopus)

10. Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew) My go to staple for Korean food.

11. Juk (Rice Porridge) Totally unassuming, but delicious in the most subtle way.

12. Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs)

13. Galbitang (Short Rib Soup)

14. Shinseollo (Fancy Hot Pot)

15. Gobchang Gui (Grilled Beef Intestines). I haven’t had Beef intestines, but I have tried stirfried pork intestinesfrom a street vendor in Dongdaemoon. Does that count?

16. Seng Gan (Raw Beef Liver)

17. Galbi Jjim (Stewed Ribs)

18. Bossam (Steamed Marinated Pork with Lettuce Wraps)

19. Japchae (Clear Noodles Stir-fried with Pork and Vegetables)

20. Jaeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Pork)

21. Kimchi Jjim (Stewed Kimchi with Tofu)

22. Ddong Jip (Chicken Gizzards)

23. Odeng/Eomuk (Street-side Fish Noodles)

24. Hoddeok (Stuffed Street-side Pastries) Mmmmm. Fried dough with brown sugar. Well worth waiting in long lines for.

25. GeiJang (Raw Fermented Crabs) One of my favorite side dishes. Raw crab has a fanstastic gelatinous textures.

26. Hongeo (Fermented Skate)

27. Gochujang Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly Smothered in Red Pepper Paste)

28. Lotteria’s Shrimp Burger My favorite fast food burger.

29. Sae-u Kang (Shrimp Flavored “Fries”)

30. Doenjang Jjigae (Fermented Bean Paste Stew) One of the first dishes I ever tried in Seoul.

31. Cheonggukjang (Stinky Fermented Bean Paste Stew)

32. Boshintang (Dog Soup)

33. Seonji Haejangguk (Hangover Stew with Clotted Cow Blood)

34. Ddeokbokki (Chewy Rice Cakes in Spicy Sauce) My favorite after school snack.

35. YukHui (Raw Beef Salad)

36. MiyeokGuk (Seaweed Soup)

37. Mae-eunTang (Spicy Fish Soup)

38. Nakji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Baby Octopus)

39. Ojingeo (Dried Cuttlefish)

40. Beondaeggi (Silkworm Larvae)

41. Golbaenggi (Sea Snails)

42. Jangeo Gui (Grilled Eel)

43. Jaratang (Turtle Soup)

44. Bogeo (Blowfish)

45. Sae-u Sogeum Gui (Salt Grilled Shrimp)

46. Deodeok Root

47. BindaeDdeok (Mung Bean Pancake)

48. Pajeon (Green Onion Pancake) I am still looking for the perfect pajeon. Does a thin crispy one exist?

49. Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables) The absolute first dish I ever tried in Seoul. It must have been my first week or so. I was so disappointed. Then a co-worker introduced me to dolsot bibimbap.

50. Boribap (Mixed Barley Rice and Vegetables)

51. Marinated Garlic My new favorite condiment/banchan. To be chased with several pieces of mint gum.

52. Patbingsu (Shaved Ice and Red Bean Treat) Korea’s national dessert. Shaved ice, red beans, sweetened consendened milk, and a host of toppings, from rice cake bits to cereal.

53. Dotorimok (Acorn Jelly) A gelatinous block generally served with a spicy soy sauce.

54. Naengmyeon (Chilled Noodles) Pear, beef, a hard boiled egg, chewy noodles, and a briny cold beef broth. Delightful.

55. Makkoli/Dongdongju (Rice Beer) Enjoyed by many of the elderly men we passed on our way up the mountain. Low alochol, midly fizzy, and you can polish off a bottle without to much pain the next morning.

56. Bokbunja (Raspberry Wine) Too sweet for my taste, but can be paired with soda water for a sundowner.

57. Soju (Rice Whiskey) A sweet potato liquer, strong, and will have you cursing the world if consumed in copious amounts.

58. Andong Soju (Strong Rice Whiskey from the Andong Region)

59. Jogae Gui (Grilled Shellfish)

60. Haepari (Jellyfish) Nice crunchy texture.

61. Gyeran Jjim (Steamed Egg) Pleasantly subdue, a nice counterpoint to spicier dishes.

62. Corn Ice Cream

63. Dolsot Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables in a Sizzling Stone Pot) The dish that won my heart. Vegetables, rice and a fried egg…….Breakfast of champions.

64. Mandu (Stuffed Dumplings) I prefer my dumplings steamed over fired, kimchi being my favorite.

65. Ddeokguk (Chewy Rice Cake Soup) A traditional soup served for New Years. I love the variety of textures, the chewy rice cake, beef, eggs, and a delicate beef broth.

66. Songpyeon (Stuffed Chewy Rice Cakes) Rice cakes stuffed with sugar and sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, or red bean.

67. Hot Bar (Fried Fish Batter Street Food)

68. Shikhye (Sweet Rice Punch) Hot sticky summer days call for this refreshing rice punch.

69. Any product with Green Tea in it Green tea appears to be the bridge between traditional Korean desserts and European sweets, showing up in everything from frappuccinos, chiffon cakes and ice creams.

70. Gujeolpan (Nine-section Dish) I never had this in a restaurant, but I tried to make it once, and those little crepes did not turn out nicely.

71. Yogurt Soju Cocktail I raised my eyebrows the first time some one offered me soju mixed with a yogurt drink served to my preschool students, but one sip and it is the best darn creamcicle you’ve had in years.

72. Baechu Kimchi (Cabbage Kimchi) The traditional kimchi, made with nappa cabbage.

73. Any Kimchi that’s over 3 years old

74. Baek Kimchi (White Cabbage Kimchi) A nice way to ease into kimchi, pleasantly briny, vinegar-y and ferment-y without the chili flakes.

75. Shake-’em-up Dosirak

76. Mul Kimchi (Water Kimchi) Individual bowls to be consumed like tea at a Chinese restaurant.

77. Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi) Crunchy cucumbers, stuffed with the “guts” of kimchi, garlic, chili, and salted shrimp.

78. Ggakdugi (Cubed Radish Kimchi) Cubes of mu, tossed with garlic and chili flakes, can be made quickly and is easy to eat like candy.

79. Sae-u Jeot (Salted Tiny Shrimp) Essentle for makng kimchi, stinker than fish sauce.

80. Myeongran Jeot (Salted Pollack Roe)

81. Changran Jeot (Salted Pollack Guts)

82. Ssamjang (Mixed Soybean and Pepper Paste) A great dip for raw veggies.

83. Kalguksu (Hand-cut Noodle Soup) Another conforting soup, teeming with veggies, hand cut noodles and thin broth.

84. Ramyeon (Ramen Noodles) in a Tin Pot One of my lunch favorites.

85. Entire Hui Meal (Korean style Sashimi) We are ours at Seoul’s Norangjin fish market, but weren’t blown away. Perhaps something to try with someone who knows their way around hwe.

86. Gimbap (Seaweed Rice Rolls) The sandwich of Seoul, my personal favorite, the tuna gimbab, sans odeng.

87. Jokbal (Pigs Feet) I didn’t love this when I tried it in Seattle, but it made a great sandwhich the next day. What a little mayo can’t do!

88. Sundae (Blood and Noodle Sausage)

89. Yeot (Traditional Korean Candy) I was too woried abut breaking my teeth on this stuff to really get into it, though I did enjoy the peanut foam looking one that instantly gave way to the least bit of pressure.

90. Naengi (Shepherd’s Purse) blanched and seasoned with salt and sesame seeds is the best way to eat this namul.

91. Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew) Oddly enough I never had this in Korea, but first had it a week ago in Seattle. I’m a sucker for the permeated funk the kimchi brings.

92. Budae Jjigae (“Army Base” Stew, traditionally including hot dogs and Spam)

93. Agu Jjim (Stewed Monkfish)

94. Haemultang (Seafood Soup) I still find the intense flavors and aroma of the sea to be a bit much for me.

95. Nurungji (Hot Water Mixed with Rice Scrapings in a Stone Pot) If you explore Korean food without a guide, some of the assumptios you make about what you are being served are quite amusing in retrospect. I was sure the ajuma wa sporing hot water in my rice bowl to soak the rice, making clean up easier for the dishwasher.

96. Sujebi (Rustic Dumpling Soup) These dumplins are usually made from potatoes. A nice departure from rice cakes or noodles.

97. Janchi Guksu (Thin Noodles in a Seaweed Broth with Condiments) Thinner and less dense than hand cut noodles, add a light broth and darn near any condiment you can think of.

98. BungeoBbang (Goldfish-shaped Stuffed Pastry) Red bean jam encased in a sweet dough is a staple for street snackers, but I prefer the one with the cooked egg inside.

99. Raw Ginseng or anything with Ginseng in it Candied, in tea, or the classic, samgyetang.

100. MakHui (Chilled Sashimi Soup)

It’s finally Fall in Seattle and with it a comes whole new set of cravings. Gone are my desires for briny cold soups and fiery sauces, dinners that fit in a leaf or rolled up in rice paper. Bring on the stews and the eggs.

All I could think about this last week was egg toast, a daily staple for me and Kevin back in Seoul. Every morning, stepping sleepily out of Guro Station, Kevin and I would greet our regular pojangmacha ajuma (street food vendor) and wait for our breakfast.

Sitting in her mobile restaurant, she would coat the wide griddle separating her and us with ample butter, rubbing the brick back and forth over the hot surface as intently as I slather softscrub in all corners of my porcelain kitchen sink. Once satisfied with the amount of fat now glistening, she would place down two slices of absolutely square white bread.

Turning on her stool only slightly she would grab a silver bowl and crack in just enough eggs and a handful of finely shredded vegetables. On the griddle the omelet went, followed by a turn of the bread, one side now perfectly golden. Before assembling the sandwich, a quick swirl of ketchup graced one slice of bread followed by a dusting of sugar. The whole deal was wrapped neatly in a square of aluminum foil by her husband (his only job aside from chuck and jiving with passers-by as far as I could tell), and off we went, the two blocks to our middle school, lost in the moment of good food, temporarily forgetting about the day’s work that lie ahead.

And so my craving reared its head and I answered. But this time I was looking for something a little more from my egg toast; bigger flavors. Tweaking the ingredients and giving it the gastro-pub treatment, I landed at The Luxury Egg Toast.

Luxury Egg Toast
Serves 1

1 tablespoon butter
1 Brioche bun
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup carrots, julienne, grated, or brunoise
1/4 cup white onion, julienne
1 duck egg
1 tablespoon tomato jam, recipe from NY Times column The Minimalist
3 curls Parmesan or other high quality hard cheese- optional

1. In an 8-inch skillet (or griddle pan if you have one) heat 1/2 tablespoon butter. Cut the brioche bun in half and place in the pan cut side down. Turn heat down to medium low and allow buns to achieve the coveted golden brown.

2. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix together the cabbage, carrots, and onion. You’ll only need to use a healthy pinch of this mixture. Take what you need and wrap up the rest and place in the refrigerator for tomorrow’s egg toast.

3. In a second small bowl, beat the duck egg to combine the yolk and white. Add the cabbage mixture, a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.

4. Heat a second sauté pan over medium high heat with the remaining butter. Add the egg mixture and reduce the heat to medium low. Personally I like a brown free egg, and this is achieved by low heat and constant movement of the egg, much like how we made our French omelets at Veil. But cook the egg as you see fit, the end result should be a nice patty-ish shape.

5. Remove the now very warmed brioche and slather one side with tomato jam. Slide on the egg, followed with cheese if using. Top with remaining brioche and eat- you could wrap it in aluminum foil and eat it on the run but since this is the luxury egg toast I suggest sitting down and enjoying it with a nice chilled glass of rose.

In the New York Times, Orange juice laced with anchovies, and other tales of frakenfood from Julia Molskin. A rethinking of Americans’ eating habits results in healthier dieting and more home cooked meals, from Tara Parker Pole. Kim Severson explores eating local in Alaska; moose. Deciphering the claims of the egg carton. The minimalist serves up an antidote to bland poached chicken.

Boston area chefs spill the beans on their secret ingredient for upping the wow factor in today’s Boston Globe. More spice than vinegar, fruit pickles to add an element of bright, sharp, sweet-tart flavor to the plate.

An inspired office lunch for one in today’s Washington Post. First it was scents, now it’s spirits. Jason Wilson of the Washington Post explores this new celebrity brand market.

The Wall Street bangs out more impressive Wednesday reads with Fall’s top 10 foods to eat. Eric Felten uncovers the not so delicious truth behind cocktail pre-mixes. Foodie Baseballer Andre Ethier’s tips for throat meat tacos in LA. A look at one of Indonesia’s famous dishes, Gado Gado explored. Read before buying, Comparing ceramic knives.

In the San Francisco Gate, fat takes over the hearts of chefs around the country.

Enjoy

From the New York Times: Local Wheat is a growing trend around the US and other parts of the world as folks worry about food security. Mark Bittman shares the secret of a SCA box success with a recipe for Summer Vegetable Soup. Melissa Clark comes up for a recipe for plum sauce- using real plums, thanks to an inquiring 9 year old. The evolving start of dining options at the airport. Vegansstill in search of something to eat.

From the Washington Post: El Bulli followers get a chance to recreate dishes at home, sans the $250 price tag for the cookbook, Texturas kit not included. The anatomy of the American freezer. Learn how to do it right.

In the LA Times: Uses for fresh bay leaves. Strange but true- Politics and cooking showsdon’t play nice in Thailand. French Laundry Chef Thomas Kelleron navigating the new avenues for the modern chef. A long held culinary tradition translated for the home- aioli. Do not fear the raw egg.

From the SF Gate: Beyond calamari- the secrets of squid revealed.

The Wall Street Journal bring us musings on why Chinese food isn’t hip. From Georgia (the country) with Love, Brandy usually headed for Russia, now to the US. The $20.00 slow food challenge. Can you make a meal out of twenty bones shopping at the farmer’s market?