The Culinary Diaries

Cookbook Conundrum...goal for 2010.

No, these are not mine...this was taken at a Williams-Sonoma store where I frequent ALL the time. When I get the chance of course. Although I do have the Roasting cookbook. The others, I intend on buying soon.

I am a curious person by nature, and I figure, if I can read it out of a book, I will learn some techniques, although it will take me all day to figure out a long and complicated recipe (as in a long ingredient list, so many steps).

I started out 2009 vowing to make a new recipe every week. Alas, I was not always successful as I faced a lot of busy weeks of either school, work, or traveling. Some of those new recipes I have made are keepers, while others, I hesitate to try again until I can figure out how to make it better. What also takes a lot longer I found is taking photos of them, but it is SO worth having for later on so I can do a lot of self-criticizing. What can I do to make this process faster? Better ingredients? Take it from another angle? Different amount of spices maybe?

When do you know you have officially become a "foodie"? When you find yourself in a store like Williams-Sonoma, or A Southern Season and buying things you do not normally buy, when it comes to food. Like different kinds of cinnamon, salt, curries, paprika. Or when you get overly excited when a friend of yours show you a store dedicated to spices. Just. Spices. Period. Not only did it solve my gift-giving dilemma, but it found me salivating over their spice selections since. (This was back in April of soon to be last year, in 2009)

When you're pouring over food magazines like a religion. When The Joy of Cooking is flecked with various sauces that you accidently splattered when you are trying to mix for an overnight marinade. When you find yourself looking for inspiration in the new dishes that you eat. And of course, when you find yourself sharing your findings and discoveries on a blog like this. I'm not one to be a self promoter, but I am doing this blog for fun. The fun part especially, are the photos, I glean inspiration from the millions of food photos that come across my computer screen every day.

So here is what I am eyeing on for 2010:

The French Laundry: As I mentioned in my last post, apparently, it is one of those pricey restaurants. Lucky for me, they also have a cookbook. I want to see what the fuss is all about.

The Professional Chef:  I think that this is the standard book that you buy when you go to Culinary School. I was astonished to find it at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and even Amazon.com...so why not buy this book? I'd like a lesson as much as the next guy and find out what they tell these aspiring chefs that nowadays, I'm finding on TV. I know that probably does not compare to what they say in the classroom, but why not?

Mastering the Art of French Cooking:  Nothing but servantless Americans living here! I bought the movie Julie & Julia and was completely inspired. But the book itself has been around since the 60's (I may be wrong though) along with Julia Child's The French Chef series that started the cooking show craze. They now offer the series on DVD which I will also get. I would love to try Beouf Bouring-boring-bourig--oh hell. I'll be making that dish next year.

The Chez Panisse Cookbooks:  I have an older edition that I found at a Salvation Army which I will be flipping through soon, and my husband has eaten at the restuarant before. I can't wait to see what these series of cookbooks have to offer.

Momofuku: I hear that Chef David Chang, owner of the restaurant of the same name, takes a page out of Anthony Bourdain's book. Full of passionate attitude (to put it nicely) about food, and of course pretty outspoken. I am a big fan of Asian food, and after flipping through the book at a bookstore, it has enough material that I feel comfortable enough with making. Adding this to my book wishlist.

Jamie Oliver: Currently, I have two of his books...Jamie at Home, and Jamie's Italy and they have impressed me...enough to buy the rest of his books that he already has out, starting from his Naked Chef days. I need to know what started it all.

On Food and Cooking; the Science and Lore of the Kitchen:  I heard a lot of good things about this book, so it will be on my reading list in 2010.

Larousse Gastronomique: Another book to peak my curiosity. This is been around since the 30's with new editions coming out every so often.

The Professional Pastry chef: The stuff that they show you in here is just mind-blowing. I'm finally going to buy it.

That is all for now. I just finished a late lunch, and spending the rest of this year, watching Bizarre Foods, and eating some chocolate ice cream, and plan out how I am going to attain this goal of a new recipe every week...and taking that goal seriously. We shall see.

In the meantime, Happy 2010! I hope you will take it easy tonight.

                                                                                                                    

Strictly Op-ed..."25 Things Chefs Never Tell You"

Well sure! I'm certain that chefs never divulge their secrets, but after reading this article, it has got me thinking. 

**I'm taking a break from the Florida series to share an article that I read a couple of days ago from a recent issue of the Food Network magazine. **

First off, is it really necessary to go to Culinary school to learn cooking? I can understand those who want to be a pastry chef only because there are certain things about that craft that will simply take way too long to figure out at home.

I work at a hospital, where they have a little library available for patients and staff to go into when they want a break from the stresses of the day. They depend entirely on donations, so there are a lot of books, magazines, and children's books available to patrons to borrow and return...by honor system. No one mans the library.

I go in there for the food magazines, copy the articles that catch my eye, and return the magazine to a waiting room in the hospital if I don't have time to go back to the library.

That's where I found the Food Network magazine dated August-September 2009; it is actually the first time I sat down to flip through this magazine since it came out, because I usually go to the Food Network website.

One article in particular caught my eye: 25 Things Chefs Never Tell You and after copying it, I sat down to read it over lunch and again after eating dinner at home.

Here they are, in the order I read it and my opinion about it afterwards:

1. Chefs are pickier than you think. Only a few actually eat anything and everything. Among the items that most chefs hate the most are: liver, sea urchin, tofu, eggplant, and oysters. I wonder how that is, if they have to taste most of the these things, as least from my understanding, before they can serve the dishes that they create? 

2. Still, chefs hate picky eaters. At least 60% of chefs said requests for substitutions are annoying. Biggest pet peeves include: when customers pretend to be allergic to an ingredient, and when vegetarians make up rules like "a little chicken stock is ok".          

While I can understand their frustrations about picky eaters and that we should be open to try anything that they dish out, but I am sure people who are allergic to mushrooms or just do not like mushrooms will not knowingly order a dish that the ingredient is prominent, or simply, they will just pick out what they do not want to eat if the ingredient is not significant to the taste of the dish. Everyone has different tastes and preferences, and chefs should cater to their customers' tastes and preferences, not their own if they are to have a successful restaurant. Furthermore, what about the people who have health issues and they cannot eat certain things? They are leaving them out, and certainly that is not fair to them. They are paying customers as well. Show them a little respect right?

3. When eating out in other restaurants, chefs say they avoid pasta and chicken. The reason being is that these dishes are often the most overpriced and least interesting on the menu. Said one chef: "I won't pay $24 for half a chicken breast." Said another, "I want something I can't make myself."

Overpriced if you go to an overpriced restaurant. I don't know why chicken and pasta are so uninteresting. If they are cooked right, they can be the best dishes around. However, there are some dishes that are better left to the experts. Like my fried egg situation. Sad isn't it? 

4. Chefs have expensive taste. The restaurants most often cited as the best in the country was The French Laundry in California's Napa Valley. It ought to be--dinner there is $240 a person, before wine.

Are you kidding me?!!!! That leaves people like me out then, when a meal is more than a quarter of your paycheck. No way I can see that for myself!!! And even if I did have the money...why in the world would I pay $240 a meal? Have they tried Frontera Grill in Chicago? Or Cafe Ba Ba Reeba? Ana Maria Pasteria? B&0's Fish Shack in Key West, Florida? The solution? Get The French Laundry cookbook and try out their recipes before I can make any further judgements...and it will be a lot cheaper for me than going to their restaurant. 

5. ...and yet they like fast food.
Their favorite chain: Wendy's.

Wendys' actually do have more healthy options than most fast food chains.

6. Culinary degrees aren't necessarily the norm.
Just half the chefs surveyed graduated from a cooking school. The rest got their training the old fashioned way, by working their way up through the kitchen ranks.

The way it should be...I learned to cook from the best teachers possible: first my parents, then my aunts, and when you grow up in a culture where food is prominent? You can never go hungry. Besides, the real world versus the classroom: you learn more in the real world.

7. Critics trump movie stars in the VIP pecking order.
A whopping 71% of chefs said they give special treatment to restaurant critics when they spot them; only 63% do the same for celebrities.

Here's my problem with that view. Everyone that comes into a restaurant is a critic. Sure they do not work for a magazine or a newspaper, or a news organization, but if they are paying to eat in your restaurant, they should be called a critic, because people will often complain about bad food or bad service than good. Everyone should get the same treatment of good service because quite frankly, there are many dining choices out there...I can care less about celebrities, they should be treated no less than us ordinary paying customers.

8. Making out in the bathroom is old news.
More than half of the chefs have found customers kissing--and much more--in the restaurant loo.

I think they just put this here to see if we are still paying attention. But come on, who hasn't done anything of that caliber in a restaurant loo?

9. Only 13% of chefs have seen a cook do unsavory things to a customer's food.
The most unbelievable tale: "Someone once ran a steak through a dishwasher after the diner sent it back twice. Ironically, the customer was happy with it then.

I vote that cameras should be put in the kitchen to catch the a$$holes that do it. Makes me cringe to think that someone would do this kind of thing if they do not cook the dish right in the first place...if I had to send it back the second time, I'm walking out. Without paying. Come on, you're paying to have your meal cooked, and cooked properly. Is that so wrong?

10. Roaches are more common than you think.
Yes, 75% of chefs said they've seen roaches in their kitchen. And yet, chefs swear their kitchens are clean. On a scale of 1 to 10, 85% of chefs ranked their kitchens an 8 or higher for cleanliness.

Bottom line: if you clean your kitchens on a regular basis, there should not be any roaches or any insects in a kitchen in the first place. Any little crumb, dirt left for a longer period than it is supposed to, you will have problems, and it does not only apply to the kitchen...once a friend of mine and I were dining at the Rainforest Cafe in Gurnee Mills Mall in Illinois...and my friend found a spring in his rice. Needless to say, we both lost our appetites, sent back both of our meals after I took a picture of the spring of course in case there was ever an issue...and we walked out and had lunch somewhere else...again, without paying. Why should we? We can't pay for what we do not and cannot eat after finding something inedible in our food. 

11. Your bread basket might be recycled.
Three chefs admitted that uneaten bread from one basket  goes right into another one.

I never eat the bread anyway because it is way too filling, but that is how germs are spread if they are touched by customers whom you have no idea where their hands have been. (Recall: the incident at the restaurant loo...) EW!!!! Now I definitely have a reason not to eat the bread at a restaurant.

12. Chefs work hard for low pay.
The chefs we surveyed work between 60-80 hours a week and almost all of them work holidays. Sixty-five percent reported making less than $75,000 a year. Waiters take home an average of $662 a week, often tax free.

That depends on how often that server works, but even if you work only three days a week, like my husband did when we first met, if you are a fantastic server, you can easily make off with $500 a night. That was how much my husband made as a server. That does not include tax or even the base salary that the company provides every two weeks. Here is a clue: have a clue and get to know your customers...you will see your tipping increase tenfold.

13. "Vegetarian" is open to interpretation.
About 15% of chefs said that their vegetarian dishes might not be completely vegetarian. Beware if you're one of those super-picky vegan types: One chef reported seeing a cook pour lamb's blood into a vegan's primavera.

Hey 15% of you chefs: be honest for goodness sakes, so those vegans that you are deceiving can go somewhere else to patronize. Look in the Oxford Dictionary or the Food Lover's Companion if you can't seem to recall the definition of vegetarianism. And for those super-picky vegans? Make like my friend Vince, and cook your own meals. You are safer that way. 

14. Paying for a last minute reservation probably won't work.
Only one chef said bribes will help you score a table when the restaurant is fully booked; he suggested "promising to buy a bottle of Dom Perignon or Opus One." A better bet: being buddies with the chef.

Either that, or eat a full meal somewhere else, and go for dessert at one of those popular restaurants; case in point: my husband and I were in Savannah, Georgia, and we had already eaten on an oceanside seafood restaurant, when, on our way back to our car, we passed by Paula Deen's Lady & Son's Restaurant...and not only that...there was no line snaking around the block to get inside. The hostess however said we need to have a reservation to come in and eat, but my husband intervened and said we were only going there for dessert. The hostess then proceeded to show us to the second floor to the bar area. SCORE!!!! We had one of the best chocolate desserts ever. Who needs entrees? And it will be cheaper for you in the long run. 

15. Menu "specials" are often experimental dishes.
Contrary to the popular belief--that specials are just a chef's way of using up old ingredients--most chefs said they use specials to try out new ideas or serve seasonal ingredients. Only five chefs admitted that they try to empty out the fridge with their nightly specials.

So it's kind of like a Catch-22. Unfortunately, I only find one or two of the specials that I would order.

16. The appropriate tip is 20%...
That's what chefs leave when they eat out, and it's the amount that they think is fair.

Agreed on that front unless...

17. ...unless the service is really poor.
An astounding 90% of chefs it's fair to penalize bad waiters with a smaller tip.

My husband and I both worked in the industry, so as a result, we are very particular on what we look for in a server when we go out to eat. And yes, we have had bad service before. I would not tip at all if that was the case...only because it is enough that I am paying for the meal. If the service is fantastic, I never tip under $5 no matter what the amount of the bill was, from diner to fancier restaurant.

18. That rule about not ordering fish on Sunday might be worth following.
Several chefs warned, "We don't get fresh deliveries on Sunday."

Fine. I'll order on Monday.

19. Chefs hate working on New Year's Eve more than any other holiday.
Valentine's Day was a close second, but don't take that to mean chefs aren't romantic: 54% of those surveyed said they like it when couples get engaged in their restaurant.

When it is a party, I don't mind being in the middle of the action. But, from a server's standpoint, it is one of the few days of the year that will gain you the most tips. 

20. They secretly want to be Alton or Giada.
Nearly 60% of chefs said they'd want their own cooking show.

Hmm...and add more stress? No thank you...

21. The five second rule actually applies.
A quarter of the chefs surveyed said they'd pick up food that dropped on the floor and cooked.

...and the dirt that accumulates on the food is still there once the food hits the floor. So is there such a thing as a five-second rule?

22. Chefs cook when they're sick.
It's a long-standing tradition in the restaurant industry: Cooks report to duty unless they're practically hospitalized. Half of those we surveyed said they come to work sick, and they stay there through injuries, too. Many chefs have cut themselves on the job, gone to get stitches and returned to work to finish out the night. Accidents definitely happen:
almost every chefwe surveyed have been injured on the job in some way, and several chefs said they're missing parts of their fingers.

I just hope to GOD they those missing parts of their fingers do not end up in the patron's food. But, as there is no such thing as sick days in a restaurant, that poses a real problem, and the spread of germs onto others...very inconsiderate. Something needs to be done to fix this.

23. Restaurants mark up wine a lot more than you might expect.
Most chefs said that a bottle on their wine list costs 2 1/2 times what the same one would cost in a wine store.

All the more reason not to drink. But that's just me. Get all you can, the next time you go cruising to one of the Caribbean islands. Although, I wonder how long that will last if they keep changing the security measures at the airport. 

24. Your waiter is trying to influence your order.
Almost every chef surveyed (95%) said he or she urges servers to steer customers toward specific dishes on the menu each night.

Always go by your instincts, not someone elses. Unless those dishes sound tasty of course!

25. There's a reason so many restuarants serve molten chocolate cake.
More than 75% of chefs said they take inspiration from other restaurant menus.

I tell you, I must have tasted tiramisu from at least 15 different restaurants. My husband thinks I'm weird...I, however, think it's important to taste different versions of it.

So here are the warnings if you did not catch Food Network Magazine's August/September issue of 2009. Like I said before, always go with what you know as a diner, but yet keep an open mind, to new dishes, especially if they involve your favorite kind of meat, poultry, or fish, it is what I was raised on. We all have our own preferences when it comes to food, and I am not one to tell anyone what they should eat, although I will say: all in moderation. Too much of anything is not good. Keep yourself out of the hospital as long as you can.

Pt. 9: A Taste of Columbia

So we have tried Chinese, Italian, and Tex-Mex. I have tried Cuban style pastries. I ventured to a Filipino take-out spot, and even had breakfast food.

Columbian food? Now that is totally new.

Seriously. Like Filipino food, Columbian food is found practically nowhere in the travel mags, or even the write-ups of food critics...at least from my experience. I even heard of British food but they can only be found in either pubs or Renaissance Faires.

My husband's presentation went well, as it always does, and his coworker, Sarah, sat next to me and said after it was over: "He's terrific at what he does. I wish I was that good."

(Good because for years he had an audience of a totally different kind: the audience of the theater...)

We were going to have dinner with both Sarah and Prem that night but somehow it fell through, so Prem lent us the rental car and off we went to celebrate the presentation going smoothly. (We look for the smallest reasons to eat out.)

I drove to the downtown area of Hollywood, Florida where earlier that day, I drove through there to get to the highway on our way to this place called the Monkey Jungle with Prem's wife and little boy, Pranav. This area had more new places to eat than I can count. As we through the street, we spotted a couple of Italian restaurants, Thai and Chinese, but as we had the latter in the past couple of days, and the former we will dine on the next night, we were looking for something different to try. Then we found this place:

It was a Tuesday night, which may explain the emptiness of the place, which at first had me a bit worried...because they say you always look for a crowd, if not a few people in any dining establishment.

My husband wanted to try it anyway. Two guys run the place, and we found out that they were only open for more than a month. A brand new restaurant.

Another thing we noticed was the decor: the tables and chairs came from IKEA, our favorite store! The furniture adds to the modern interior design of the dining area, and we are big fans of modern design.

This place is called Borojo, and wait till you see what they have to offer. First off we ordered this:

Borojo's version of empanadas. Here is a better photo of them:

Two came with each order but they were so small, but yet, full of kick-butt flavor! The corn covering was perfectly crunchy, the best I have ever eaten!!! If only it could be reheated...and if I can figure out how they make this corn mixture for the pastry...

They have a specialty which is also made out of corn for the base, much thicker than a tortilla. At first glance you would think that it would be a tostada, but on some, they do not have a lick of veggies on it. At least, ours did not...they have three kinds of sauces: Basil, Pink, and Pineapple, and each Arepas Gourmet uses each of these sauces, along with our choices of chicken, shredded beef, pork loin, and shrimp. Some of their other signature items include their version of a bechamel sauce, Columbian sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

They also have their own versions of hamburger, hot dogs, and even corn dogs with their signature corn mixture for the outer "pastry". While it is fun to taste another country's version of a common food known to us here in the United States, the reason to come to Borojo are their Arepas Gourmet, or gourmet corn cakes topped with various meats, sauces, and cheese. 

My husband's chicken Arepa:

My Pork Loin and Shrimp Arepa with the basil sauce instead of the pink sauce.

The corn cakes were crispy, the sauce perfect, overall, this simple meal gives an impressive flavor punch.

I ordered some more empanadas to take back to the hotel so I can take some photos of it, before devouring them...with Florida being home to a lot of Latin Americans, and this food concept being brand new in my eyes, I wished there was something like this in either Chicago or New York City, where this concept would be pretty successful and a gem for foodies living there. We told them so before we left for the evening.

Back at our hotel room, full of Latin food goodness, and getting rid of blurry pics, it was a very good food day. 

They have a web address on the menu, but when I tried to find it on the internet earlier today, they do not have it up yet, but for those on vacation in Hollywood Florida area, or are planning a vacation there, it is a short hop north of Miami, short hop south of Fort Lauderdale, here is their address:

Borojo:                                                                                                                                         1940 Hollywood Blvd                                                                                                              Hollywood, FL 33020

Probably one of the many Columbian restaurants for all I know, in Florida, but it is a new culinary experience that you do not want to miss.

Pt. 8: What can $56 dollars get you?

Hopefully, a lot, with a delicious result.

I suppose that we should have just gone and bought take-out. It would have been a whole lot cheaper, but with my husband's presentation scheduled for tomorrow morning, and us not having a car (we were sharing the car with his coworker, and they had the car for the evening) that was out of the question.

So the only solution would be room service.

We perused the menu several times, and I must say, there were not a lot of options. And most of the entrees were over $15 a plate...yikes. The sides were a whopping $9 bucks each. Dessert? $12 buckaroos.

So add two entrees, two sides, and one dessert and what do you get? A grand total of $56 bucks, and that's without a drink and a tip. (Drink meaning alcohol, not the water we asked for)

See if you think this meal is worth $56 dollars:

Caesar Salmon Salad.

Turkey Club sandwich with seasoned fries (separate cost).

Chocolate molten cake. Plus the two sides of veggies. 

I wish I had the bill to show you...it's absolutely ridiculous. The upside of it was that my sandwich was outstanding. The salad was nothing special though...just a cooked salmon thrown on top of a Caesar salad.

Lessons to us...NEVER order room service at a hotel. Period.

Pt. 7: Pastries all day...

I have yet to meet a person who does not like pastries.

After the buffet lunch, I wanted to zip over to this place:

Located right next to the Crowne Plaza, and it was advertising Cuban sandwiches, but there was a couple of problems with the sandwiches: one the sandwiches looked like subs, and it had mustard in it. It was in a display case, already made, and for some reason, I thought it was going to be like a hot sandwich with pork or something. Instead, it looked like an ordinary sub sandwich, and when I found out that they do not make them so they can remove the mustard out of it, I ordered these instead:

Little Cuban pastries with a variety of fruit fillings. It's more delicious when they are warm.

I'm thinking of just trying the Cuban sandwich at home, and without mustard.

Later that afternoon, I decided to take a drive...maybe do a little shopping, and went to Burlington Coat Factory. It is one of those places where you can take all day shopping because you have to literally go through everything. That was a bit exhausting, and I quit after an hour. Then I drove north on Ocean Drive just to see what is around...and then I found this place:

It's a combination bakery, bar & grilled called Georgio's, but I did not order any entrees...

Napoleon's, Chocolate and cheese pastries. Oh yeah. 

Georgio's Bakery is located right by the ocean on Ocean Drive in Hollywood Florida.

The pastries will be my breakfast the next day. The next day is also my husband's presentation so we decided to stay in for dinner.

Pt. 6: Lunch was better

Dinner was okay, but the next day, a Monday, lunch was better.

It was a buffet, something I could not skip this time.

 

Roasted corn, refried beans guacamole, tamales, a tomato-cucumber salad, and fajitas! Well, they have the tortillas for it, but alas, I didn't take part in the fajitas per se...rather, I just ate the skirt steak that was supposed to go into the tortillas...flour tortillas...yick. I never liked flour tortillas, I always eat the corn tortillas.

The tamales was supposed to have some kind of meat in it, but after several bites into it, I found meat of no kind. That is too much carb to have on one pocket. If you're going to call it a whatever-meat-it-is tamale, (in this case, I think it was supposed to be chicken) I expect some kind of meat to be in it...but alas, we were disillusioned.

The rest of the meal was delicious despite the "Meat-filled" tamale.

Pt: 5...One grand reception.

Sunday night, and it is the night of the opening reception of the ACNP meeting, kicking off 5 days of meetings about the happenings in our Central Nervous system and what discoveries that the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology have made.

 
On the pic is:

Roasted veggies, two different kinds of pasta: one a salad and one a marinara, mackerel steak, rice pilaf, salad of cucumbers and tomatoes, and roast beef.

A very rare, roast beef that is found to be very hard to chew and get down the throat. Yikes.

The best part is always dessert. And perhaps, given our health epidemic, this may be the best portion of dessert that we should be eating and we can at least eat two. There were several people at our table that we gladly shared our dessert plate with, and of course, it was most enjoyable.

On our dessert plate:

Strawberry shortcake, Key Lime pie, chocolate mousse with chocolate sauce in the middle, flan, and a simple sponge cake with whipped cream on top that is a take on a creme brulee.

I never had Key Lime pie, and I can see why: it is way too tart, of course, coming from the lime, something I can do without, but it is a popular dessert down here in Florida, and of course, I'm sure it is prominent in Key West, which we headed to later that week. I will have to learn the history about the Key Lime Pie.

The people at our table included some of John's lab mates, his boss Brian Roth, and his wife, plus our landlord who happens to be a famous scientist in John's field of work in G-proteins. Lets just say it was a very interesting conversation going around and not all of it was science. 

It was a very relaxing evening, and when we returned to our hotel room, we knocked out...a very long day indeed.
   

 

Part 4: Pegasus Pinoy Restaurant

.If you have an IPhone, please check out the neat applications that they have to offer...especially the free ones. I have run into a lot of places that I might not otherwise have found. Like the Asian grocery store that is located 5 minutes from my house. But I'll save that for another post.

I state this because it was all thanks to an IPhone app called Asian Food that I found a Filipino take-out spot in Fort Lauderdale, which is surprisingly only a short 10 minute drive from our hotel.

 This is a typical set up of different Filipino dishes at a take-out or dine-in place, cafeteria-style. I can Diniguan, apritada, and maybe pinakbet, but I did not go for any of those: just my old standbys: steamed shrimp with tail on head on, and pork apritada all with steamed rice:

I guess you can call this the Filipino version of a Bento Bowl.

The meat is way drier than I remember it, but it's compensated when I pour the sauce right over it, which is kind of thinner than I remember it. But, it is delicious, especially with the steamed rice...which is cooked in a rice cooker. I'm itching to buy one of those very soon. There is one that my friend Karen recommended, which belongs to Sanyo. I need to look that up.

Steamed shrimp, with the head and tail attached makes for tasty shrimp, something I have grown up on, but have not had in ages. I guess it is the nostalgia: I'm willing to sacrifice time and gas to go to these mom-and-pop places that put out these delicious treats that brings back so many memories.

And speaking of which, here is a book that I recommend getting for anyone wondering about the history of Filipino food, and where you should get the best of it...you may be surprised at the answer to the latter: Memories of Philippine Kitchens and it gives you an in-depth look at the history of each dish. Wondering about fusion food and why it is such a craze? The Filipino's have it down to the max, as many of our native dishes come from a fuse of Spain, China, and Polynesia, and a slew of others, including a section of the influence of American cuisine last century.

Look up Pegasus Pinoy restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale if you get a chance, and sample the indiginous and fusion foods of one of the (7,000) isles of Asia.  
 

Viva Miami Pt. 3: The Flashback Diner

Diner's are my thing.

Breakfast is comfort food. Period. Who does not want to savor the salty taste of bacon or sausage, or the soft texture of eggs (when they are done right that is), and perfectly seasoned potatoes?

I have a problem with potatoes in the morning. Some hashed browns are too dry...while others are too bland. What am I looking for in my morning potatoes? Moist, and perfectly seasoned so I do not have to drown them in salt afterwards.

Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa had the right idea when it comes to potatoes: perfectly seasoned, and you can't go wrong: salt, pepper, parsley and a hint of garlic.

It was a Sunday morning, and my hubby was off to his first round of meetings. Yes, even on a Sunday morning, but when the background is the Atlantic ocean, I would not mind at all about going to a meeting!

Even though the ACNP was providing breakfast, my idea of breakfast is not the yogurt, pastries, bananas and oranges, not to mention no orange juice put out on the table. Pastries I can get any time of the day...which I did as the week progressed. Yogurt? I can pick that up anytime on my rounds to the supermarket.

Freshly cooked eggs, bacon, and hashed browns with freshly squeezed orange juice? For me, that is better left to the experts at this diner:

I have no confidence at all in cooking breakfast food in my own kitchen. I know it is impossible to mess up fried eggs sunny side up, but I have. Tons of times. My solution for a long time was just to go to a diner, any diner, because they know what they are doing with eggs. Me? I just know how to bake with eggs, or add eggs to a dish that calls for it.

 A glass of water because I do not drink enough, and of course, the freshly squeezed orange juice. H1N1 or any kind of flu is kept at bay.

The service is pretty fast here, and when I entered the restaurant, it was surprisingly not busy for a Sunday morning, but then again, I keep forgetting where I am: southern tip of the Bible belt where the diners are at church in the morning (service does not end until noon in most places) and will not show up until around lunchtime. Good for people like me who are craving breakfast food after being turned off by yogurt and pastries.

Check out the texture on these morning spuds:

That is my idea of hashed browns, or as they call them down here: home fries.

For all of you Hollywood, Florida residents, this place is located on Highway 1 and Hallandale Beach Blvd, coming from east, make a left on Hwy 1, and go maybe a block south. You will not miss the flashy but colorful building with the occasional Harley parked out front. Best time to go, especially if you are a Sunday morning person, before 10 a.m if you want fast service and no crowds.  
   

 

Viva Miami Part Two: Welcome to Mott Street

Chinese restaurants are everywhere. You can't get away from them, so why even try?

After the cocktail hour, we were pretty famished from the plane trip and driving to find our hotel, so while driving down the main drag called Hallandale Beach Blvd in Hollywood, Florida, we passed several Chinese restaurants, some are buffets, but we were in the mood for just the average Chinese restaurant. Enter...

Love the decor...but let's move on to my favorite...Mongolian Beef as shown on the previous post.

Comfort away from home, and one of my aims is to try this same dish in different Chinese restaurants where ever we travel...why? No reason...I just love this dish! We tried this dish last year when we were in Arizona while in Sedona...now if I can only find that picture I'd show you!

It was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday night, which is a blessing actually since we were pretty pooped from the day's travels.