Garam Masala Explored.

For this past San Valentin menu, I stumbled upon a recipe for fried rice with duck confit that involved garam masala. The last time the spice had intrigued me was circa 1997: Michael Lomonaco's recipe for fancy oatmeal that combined old-fashion rolled oats with mango yogurt and...you guessed it, a "pinch" of garam masala. I was fairly impressed with a desperately underrated spice. But, after moving to Northern California I rarely encountered it.

(Though one other memory stands out circa 1998 at "Big Sherms" chef pad in Lower Haight, SF where spices lined the windowsill in neat rows of baby food jars. We took one down and opened it. "Garam masala," C-double said. Yet, with one single breath, I already knew.)

Fast-forward to 2009...
In the never-ending pursuit of transforming boneless, skinless chicken breast into a dish that will truly blow your mind, an old high school chum offered this marinade:

"try marinating chicken (or ur fav meat) in garam masala, juices of limes and lemon, melted butter, and salt. marinate overnight and grill."

It tastes as good as it sounds—salty, sweet, savoury, buttery and tart hugging the senses! I marinated two chicken breast halves and one boneless skinless thigh (for more levels of fat flavor) for about 4 hours before grilling. Pragya said she's also employed oranges for the marinade, but this time I only used Meyer lemon and lime. I was concerned about the butter as I'm so used to marinating with olive or sesame oil, but it worked out well and brought a distinct richness to the final dish. I served the chicken with a side of micro-greens tossed with cucumber-ranch dressing and got a little naughty with indulgent slices of Acme's Rustic Italian loaf toasted with Straus Creamery salted butter and laced with olio tartufo bianco (extra virgin olive oil infused with white truffle).

Food glee at its finest. Truly.

Buon Gusto, Pragya!

Where's the Ube?

My good Catholic-self should have seen the false idolatry. My Bourdain fawning had to come to an abrupt pause at some point. So, why not when he's covering my cultural homeland (and possibly yours)—the Philippines.

It wasn't utter disappointment but... Where's the ube? The ubiquitous purple yam used in jams, fillings, cakes and ice cream among other specialties was conspicuously missing in Tony's reportage. It was like a Jeepney without horns. And, speaking of Jeepney's, the show's pacing was like a Jeepney stripped by bandits sitting in a deserted mega-mall, living to rust.

(Am I exaggerating? Perhaps, a bit... But, this show, simply and sadly, was not their best. I even caught a sputtered micro-reference to the Iceland episode from season 1. Was it textbook Tony? Using sarcasm to mask fear?)

Let's start off with the camera work. There are over 7000 islands in the Philippines yet there isn't one aerial showing bodies of water and lush landmass. Ultra-green rice terraces captured from the jumper seat on a bi-plane? No. Handheld shots POV'd off the back of a ferry? No. Tony moving among the massive throngs, wedged between giggling schoolchildren on a crowded jeepney? Nope, nope. nope. Where was the director on this thing? Did they have a director? To make matters worse, this was the first episode to follow last week's Food Porn special—So, where was the Filipino food porn? Where were the close-ups of hacking up that crispy, crimson-skinned lechon with machetes? The nat sounds of primal food forage. And, the cutaways of steam rising from the swines cooked haunches barely veiling the sweat-drenched gaze of accomplished cooks? If Cebuano lechon is truly the best open-pit roasted whole pig in the islands and this episode's pinnacle where's all that luscious eye candy? With exception of the pig's skin, not one camera did the lechon justice. Hello?

Like I said, It wasn't utter disappointment... Poetry and choice bits were scattered throughout: The montage of Manila's battle scarred buildings and pensive populace, the deep yet ambiguous American influences and scenes in the dried fish market were spot on. The dinner at home with artist Claude Tayag was an nice peek into the life of one of the many artists attempting to stay Pampangan tradition in a traditionally Americanized land. Even Tony's rabid observations of poor Agosto were appreciated... Genuine sympathy for the cherubic fan who lured NR to finally tackle PI were noted with an ethnographic tone minus any hurtful edge. Busy and informative at best, emotionally reaching and idling at worst, this episode also lacked an essential element: The bittersweet national historian, or, the ravenous ex-patriot foodie planted in the show to spar with Tony or encourage him partake the latest cultural experiment or ancient food ritual. It cried out for someone or something to add zing. Oh, what I would have paid to see Tony dancing the tinikling!

While they respectfully avoided the Fear Factor-esque exploitation of binging on tuba wine and balut, the show simply wasn't cohesive. Tony himself seemed to apologize in voice-overs, confessing the pressure he felt from Filipino fans. And, then there's the actual possibility that something went terribly wrong... production-wise. After checking the NR site's Philippines episode summary , I noticed the list does not jive with what made it on screen.

No Reservations waited four seasons to produce a show on the Philippines. Andrew Zimmern's show beat them to the punch which is embarrassing enough. And, now that they've been, Tony admits they missed out on a lot. I spent a bewildered twenty minutes or so post-episode harassing my TV: What about American influence on cuisine and culture? (Hot dogs and spaghetti! American Cheese Ice Cream!) What about Spanish, Malay and Chinese influences? The dozen different native bananas and how to prepare them? And, if they ever do this again, I thought, they definitely need to pick better music tracks.

Despite this show, Bourdain still rocks. He's observant yet cool. He processes and intellectualizes but still aspires for wonderment. On camera in the Philippines, he knew sh*t was going sideways. And, let's face it, as a television professional, I know better than to simply blame the "pretty" face on screen. Producers, associate producers, researchers, fixers and DP's (yes, even they screw up), play a plentiful part in poor booking, footage misfires and creating messes that cannot be fixed in post-production. Several fellow foodies even noted one shakey fact that made it into the final cut...

Dear NR:

For the record, the 'adobo template' is not just soy sauce, black pepper and onions. There is one other crucial component...vinegar. Originally used to preserve meat for mountaineers and travelers, vinegar achieves the essence of adobo. The salty, sour and sometimes sweet national dish of an equally pungent yet inviting country and its people. But, don't let that put you off the Philippines.

Peace out,

Spicy

Bourdain says, "I'm a total egg slut."

There are plenty of things on food shows that we want to make at home, but every once in a while you see something so straightforward that it can go from your eyes to your brain to hands and ingredients to table with just a little sheer creativity. Such is... the Three little pigs sandwich as seen at the Silver Palm restaurant in Chicago.

I just saw this culinary beast featured on the best food show ever... No Reservations.

As you all know, Spicy is a Bourdain disciple like no other. Even though his commentary may be delusion-arily over the top at times (c'mon, was that "mother in law" tamale-dog that good?) or induced after blindly engorging salve for a mean hangover, I'm willing to trust him on this sandwich. Big? Yes. Good enough to each off a t.v. screen? You betcha! What I'm wondering is: What spices are involved in the making of the Three Little Pigs? What kind of breading on the cutlet? Smoked ham? Should I smoke it myself? Condiments?

Enter, gastro-imagination.

As described in the segment, the Three Little Pigs ("3 li'l pigs"?) is one mama fried pork cutlet, smoked ham, strips of bacon, fried eggs (two, I think, topping alternate layers of pork) and melted gruyere on a white, seedless roll. This concoction will be any pork lover's last sandwich on earth. An enormous mound of crispy, smokey, tender and faintly charred and fatty pork parts, touched with hot yolk and topped with nutty cheesy gruyere goo fresh from beneath a flaming salamander. Inspired by good onscreen t.v. etiquette or simply old age and good sense, placed before him Bourdain cut the sammy in half and marveled at its dripping cross-section. "I'm a total egg slut," he remarked at the addition of not one but multiple fried eggs to the layered wonder.

At the Silver Palm, they even have the audacity to serve the Three Little Pigs with french fries.

Here's my proposal: We all do-it-yourself this mama sammy in our own kitchens and report back...

Tell Spicy how your friends and family reacted. And, how many meals you skipped before you could eat again. Tell me where you got your pork. And, whether you braved the smoker. And, of course, my condimentia requires a full detail of the condiments engaged in this sexy act of sandwich making. (Is aioli too rich? Will mustard compromise? Fruit spread?) Trial and error is earnestly encouraged. Send pictures!

*Now that we have a little pet pork project, my friend Juls has also alerted the locals about BaconCamp...proceeds going (lovingly, with terrible irony) to the AHA. I really hope there's wild boar bacon. And, the potluck approach sounds very interesting. I can't wait until March rolls in like a lion and we're all sample-stuffing ourselves indoors without a care...satisfying deeply rooted bacon cravings and popping lipitor.

OK... Ready, set, pork... mobile pic uploads encouraged. I know some of you are standing in professional kitchens as I type, so get going!

Six more weeks of winter according to my blue-eyed groundhog.

- Spicy!

random thoughts on the NR chicago episode:

Bourdain: This is what people mean when they say fish that tastes like the ocean...

"...exactly," Ripert says.

Ripert on smoked oyster jus, "I can have like a dozen like that."

Why is Eric Ripert so cute? Like french cheffym broken english, dorky cute?

Why is Anthony Bourdain's writing so brilliant?

Taste of 2008.

This pomelo-induced smile is dedicated to home cooks everywhere—especially Chef Dad.

“…home cooking is a link, a continuum from one generation to the next, a flow of knowledge and love that strengthens and nourishes everyone it touches.” Nancy Harmon Jenkins in Gourmet. (1/08)

(please click on any photo to engage BIG photo)

30. Guinness Milk Chocolate Ice Cream poured from the cold canister. The undisputed favorite in the summer of ice cream. It’s handmade by design from David Liebovitz’ The Perfect Scoop. A creamy revelation tamed by milk chocolate and the bitter tang (and fizz?) of Ireland’s beloved stout. (Aug 08)

29. Harvest Supper. (Sept 08) Hanger Steak was the runaway hit at the inaugural Harvest Supper. Do you remember when Anthony Bourdain stepped back behind the line at Les Halles? “Onglet, onglet!!” the expediter bellowed. Onglet is the French name for this sassy, flavorful cut—the hanging tender—also called butcher’s tenderloin, a cut they kept for themselves. Thanks to Chef Dad, I’m a cheap beef aficionado. I stockpile flank and skirt as well.

Our dinner's sweet finale? Straus Family Creamery Vanilla whole milk Froyo with seasonal peaches, waffle cookies and SEVEN spoons!

28. NY Cheese Flan. NY-sister gets “epicurious” in her quest for a formidable flan. Move over NY cheesecake! (Oct 08)27. My nephew discovers pepperocini peppers! It’s "like unlimited flavor."

26. Gotham Eats. (Oct 08)
NY Pastrami from the 2nd Ave Deli And, the answer to the “Gotham Eats” eyeball bender.

Rainbow Cookies. Only in NY? If you’re in Northern California and you know where to get delicious Venetians, Tre-Colore aka Rainbow cookies, please let Spicy know!

25. Ellsworth Farm Cider Doughnuts (10.08) Made in New England and superior to the popular Atkins. Moist apple bits, cinnamon sugar and a cakey-cakey mouthfeel. Heaven.

24. Stainless Steel Central. Form, function and one happy home cook. Giant Sous Chef hangs the pots-n-pans rack! S-hooks hook it all up!



23. Salmon is the new chicken breast, i.e. Getting-bored with a sea -food staple? Perk it up! Poach with wine, red onions, capers, lemons. Cut lemon aioli with poaching liquid for a quick sauce. And, serve with garganelli (“quills”) over leafy greens.

Then, a classic skillet-seared wild salmon with Tyler Florence’s chili seasoning and some sexy sides: blue lake beans and mashed sweet potatoes spiked with Vermont maple syrup.


22. Anchovies! If you’re still making Caesar dressing with anchovy salt or paste, please stop now and buy a jar of oil-cured (or salt-cured) anchovy fillets from Italy. You will be happier. I promise you. I grew up in an Italian-American neighborhood when anchovy pizza was out of fashion, and it still may be, but on a hand-tossed thin crust with a little sautéed escarole…
21. Food for a Rainy Night. Oven Roasted Chicken. The Essential Knife Skills class at Sur La Table taught me to cut root veggies as a foundation for roasting. No rack needed!

20. Help in the Kitchen! Spicy parked Giant Sous Chef at the dumpling filling station...With delicious results.

19. Giant Sous Chef’s Happy Blood Orange Valentine Game Hen paired with a big fat bottle of Trefethen’s Cabernet Franc. (2.14.08)


18. The Great Cocktail Experiment: Pepperocini Martini in honor of culinary beginnings in a very Italian-American ‘hood.


17. Gambas al Ajillo (y limon meyer). Inspired by Mrs. Barre and accompanied by prosciutto-wrapped zucchini spears.

16. Brie & Beef Sliders on Ciabatta. Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.

15. Spicy’s favorite lunch from Whole Foods. Brown Rice sushi and fresh organic fruit.

14. Filipina Girlfriends who like to Eat! Bridal shower + Crispy lechon=Happy Chicas! (8.08)


13. Lentils du Puy with roasted squash and white truffle oil. Another favorite from BI-RITE.

12. Grub for Homesick New Yorkers: Onion Bagel and REAL Straus Family Creamery Euro-style butter. Thank goodness for House of Bagels in SF. (10.08)

11. Linguine Alla Vongole to christen my 3 qt Le Creuset. Transported to a kitchen by the sea, fresh littlenecks steeping and popping in the covered pot. Searching for a mother recipe led me to the thrift-minded linguine con le vongole finte that replaces the clams with fingerling potatoes cooked until falling apart. (Jan 08)


10. Strawberry Mint Julep Inspired by a springtime trip to the South. A slightly spicy gentlewoman's drink. (5.08)

9. Rebuilding New Orleans: Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter. Manning jersies on the wall. And, the best char-grilled oysters in town.


Covert picture-taking at Cochon! The city’s ubiquitous Boudin Balls with house grainy mustard. One restaurant we can say without hesitation is worthy of splurge. Try Everything!

Potato rolls at Cochon. If these are the last thing I eat, I will be happy.

Food for the Spicy Soul: Evening jazz at The Spotted Cat, Frenchman St, NOLA (April 08)
8. Alemany Market frutas. A San Francisco locals favorite.
When Chef Dad visited in Winter ’07 he became mildly obsessed with the local pomelos. There's also a flea market for cookware freaks.


7. 18th Street Gourmet Ghetto throws a post-modern Barrio Fiesta. Roast heritage pork at the summer's block party.



6. The Other White Meat: What to do with a pork tenderloin? Two words: Bánh Mì.



5. Fast-food for Filipino Foodies.
Pampangan Sisig—Max’s Chicken-Style.
Lumpia Shanghai takes a dip. (12.31.08)





4. Cherry Pie (11.08) Memories of gloppy, gelatinous and offensive filling (McDonald's? Hostess?) erased with one forkful of Nora’s Bakery’s (nee Geneva’s in Daly City) buttery, creamy, juicy, cherry pie. Distributed at Drewe’s Bros, SF during the holidays. (So f*ing good.)


3. Cook’s Holiday. After our Christmas feast of pristine local steaks and Maine lobster, who the hell wants to cook? Spicy turns out the Lobstah Roll. (Wicked good.)


2. Pork Love! Incanto’s Pork Ragu made with their Boccalone salumi. Known in SF as the chef’s hangover cure. Just add fried egg.
1. Panettone French Toast. Aaah! Made with Pasticceria Fraccaro’s Panettone al Cioccolato. Creamy dark chocolate nibbles compliment vanilla-rich double-risen bread, sliced thick and transformed using CI's recipe for Challah French Toast (minus ½ t of vanilla and using melted salted European-style butter). Warning: Bear-Hug-inducing.

(aka Panettone Pain Perdu, an alliterist’s delight)


Do as I eat. Eat as I do...Thanks for reading!
Spice-E

(pls. click any pic to enlarge)

Tony Returns.

For those who know Spicy, you know I'm a big Anthony Bourdain fan. I say this gleefully clutching two signed books, a signed chef coat (gifted to Chef Double in 2001) and memories of working with him when he was nothing but a blip on the Times best-seller list. Even lately his words of advice ring like carillon bells in my ears. "Cook. Write." He pronounced to me over a quick cigarette.

Last night, I christened a carbon steel seasoned-it-myself wok with some tofu-chard stir-fry and whipped up some buffalo tacos in Bourdain's honor. Then, I sat down to the season premiere of No Reservations, the show where Tony (he insisted I call him that!) travels the world seeking the soul of his very global palate. He went to Mexico to bond with Carlos, his Pueblan successor at Les Halles where Bourdain used to be the Executive Chef. Carlos was last seen in "Into the Fire" where he harshed on Tony's performance on the hot line. (Gotta love it! You know AB does.)

I loved this episode. Not only does it give props to Latin restaurant staff whose hard work and skill have their hand in more fine dining than you think in the U.S., but it hammers home the point that NR's fanatical about: It doesn't take white tablecloths, Micheline stars or impossible-to-make reservations for a meal to be worth traveling halfway around the globe. Tasting a variety of street vendor tacos (bull! blossoms! tongue!) were the thread of this episode to illustrate his point. Cameras easily document an absolute truth: Gritty, romantic shots of succulent exotic meats and veggies glistening and sizzling on a streetside flat grill, stuffed into handmade tortillas, into Tony and his compadres eager paws and straight into their rapidly filling bellies.

I know I'm not the only one who over the past ten years has witnessed her haute cuisine lifestyle go from caviar to crackers for the purposes of economic practicalities. So, when I asked myself, Why did they shoot in Mexico? I think NR producers are smart enough to kick-off the season with an inside look at a popularized and democratized travel destination. In other words, a majority of us can actually splurge and fly off in search of a taco bender. Not that they aren't scheduled to air a 'Venice, Italy' episode next week. But, they do hang in DC the following week (Gee, I wonder why?). Within this variety programming, NR has discovered a fine balance of gustatory swooning and marked social commentary.

For all of the above, the show producers deserve a big fat pat on the back. Anyone who works in television and loves food should be dying to work on this show. My one question for them: Does Tony write his own copy? For those of you who haven't read his books, he is talented in his own right. (He's not a celebrity chef cut-out well-oiled by a network agenda). The writing for Season 4's New Orleans episode was, in my mind, either James Beard Award or Emmy-worthy or both. Click here for an insightful essay (graphs 2, 3, 4) on Bourdain and co's work on a Beirut special.

See you next week in Venice! And, stay tuned for Spicy's Best of 2008.
If you watch NR, read Bourdain or have a comment... Please leave one!

Stay tuned for Spicy's Best of 2008...

Definitely on my list...Delicious Chocolate Panettone Pain Perdu.

Celery. Simplicity.

..............Post-post-Thanksgiving. The turkey meat's made its final round as breakfast hash. The veggie barley and turkey stock soup's in the freezer. Even the last scrap of pie crust's vanished.

So, what to eat now?

Reared all over UK, Giant Sous Chef's first greatest American memories involve food. At a healthy six-foot-five, his first traditional Thanksgiving dinner--a nearly jaded 24 year-old--was a revelation. "A holiday," he said, "devoted to eating!"

When all is said and done and eaten, my palate begs for simplicity. Something substantial and flavorful. Something to make quickly, yet savor in piece. Something that will use up the whopping bundle of leftover celery jammed into my produce drawer. Mocking me with their giant wands.

But, then, a Gourmet mag recipe leapt off the page. One of the main ingredients? CELERY!!! Yay!
Now, (in three weeks) I can avoid cleaning out the produce drawer of poor celery's Dali-esque remains. Of course, this delicious stir fry recipe was in Gourmet's November issue... the one with the big fat Turkey (stuffed with about 3/4 of a cup of celery) on the cover.

I made it in a flash last night using an amazing flank cut of Estancia grass-fed beef. And, if you don't have Chinese rice wine or whole cumin seeds you can sub out Japanese ginjo sake and ground cumin.

See my messy mise-en-place? (pic, left) for...
Cumin Scented Stir Fry Beef with Celery
straight outta Gourmet Magazine, Nov 2008

• 6 ounce steak such as blade or flank (trim any fat and gristle)
• 2 1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
• 2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or medium-dry Sherry
• 2 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
• 2 celery ribs, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick, leaves chopped and reserved separately

• Equipment: a well-seasoned 12- to 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch heavy skillet.
  

• METHOD and PREP: Halve steak lengthwise if large. Slice across the grain about 1/8 inch thick.

  Toss beef with 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch, and a pinch of salt.

  Stir together rice wine, remaining 2 teaspoon soy sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch.

  Heat wok over high heat until smoking, then pour 1 teaspoon oil down side and swirl to coat. Add beef in 1 layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, less than 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.

  Add remaining teaspoon oil to wok, then add ginger, garlic, cumin, and red-pepper flakes and stir-fry 15 seconds. Add celery and stir-fry 1 minute, then add beef and juices and stir-fry 15 seconds. Stir rice-wine mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry until sauce is bubbling, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in celery leaves. Serve with: steamed white rice

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR LEFTOVER CELERY? LEAVE A COMMENT FOR SPICY.

(Spicy serves her stir-fry with BROWN rice, of course!)