Recipe: Satisfying Spinach Salad

Last night, still full from our Vietnamese lunch, the idea of a full meal was a bit daunting. Earlier that day, we went to the public market and bought a piece of chilean sea bass, thinking I would create a dish for the evening's main course, along with my spinach salad as the starter. In the end, we nixed the fish, reserving it for tonight (the sea bass will be served with sautéed chard, roma tomato carpaccio and a simple, tangy tomato broth). Last night was also snowy and cold and we enjoyed the salad with a vintage merlot, which paired well with the saltiness of the pancetta.

The key to the salad is using fantastic balsamic vinegar. It is essential. We have a bottle of 25-year old balsamico from Fish Creek Oilerie. If it's not possible to obtain this type of vinegar, a bit of sugar will somewhat do the trick.

Here's the recipe for my spinach salad, for 2 people:

2 oz. pancetta, cooked until crispy, drained on paper towels and chopped fairly finely

1/4 red onion, sliced thinly

a few handfuls of baby spinach, about half a package

1 TB shredded parmesan cheese

2 TBSPs balsamic vinegar

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

If using grocery store vinegar, add 2 tsps sugar

1 hard-boiled egg, cut into quarters, seasoned with salt and pepper

Assemble salad in a bowl by mixing the first 4 ingredients (pancetta, onion, spinach and cheese). Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil (and sugar, if using). Drizzle into salad bowl and toss. Portion onto plates and place two quarters of the egg per person onto the side.

Enjoy with a warmed batard and butter and a glass of wine!

Fantastic Vietnamese South of I-94???!

Why Yes! The other Vietnamese establishments we used to patronize have all but faded into the distance because Pho Binh Hai on 27th and Howard is absolutely the best. Don't be fooled by the stripmall location or the tiny dining room... or even the proprietress in a sequined catsuit. 

The pho broth is so very well balanced. It doesn't even need the usual dollop of hoisin and sriracha. It's simply mesmerizing. The broth is not greasy (Phan's Garden's broth usually has a layer of grease when it arrives). It's wonderful. What else can I say? 

Yesterday, I had the Grilled Pork Bun – rice noodles with raw vegetables, grilled pork and eggrolls. It's exactly the taste I have been looking for these past 4 years I've been living in Milwaukee. The meat is tender and lipsmacking delicious. The nuoc cham is neither too salty nor too sour. There is an abundance of vegetables, fresh and crunchy. There's no such thing as "extra meat" because they already serve you more than enough right off the bat.

I can't wait to go back and try their other offerings... I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Recipe: Quick Dinner, Luscious Steak

This recipe, aka, last night's dinner, was inspired by our trip to the Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. Besides watching Masaharu Morimoto cook, I also saw Stefan Richter from Top Chef and Todd English. The highlight, besides being starstruck with Morimoto, though was visiting the Zojirushi booth. Zojirushi is a brand of small home appliances from Japan. Their rice cookers are the most innovative, having ones that utilize induction heating. The Zojirushi booth always has food samples, and yesterday, it happened to be a bit of rice (of course!) with a slice of grilled steak and a bit of some kind of cilantro sauce. It was very good and prompted me to cook the following recipe for dinner last night for Bone-in Ribeye with Cilantro Pesto and Sautéed Creamy Leeks and Mushrooms over steamed Jasmine Rice:

For 2 People:

Prepare the rice according to manufacturer's instructions; or, if you have a rice cooker, use it (we have the simpler Neuro Fuzzy from Zojirushi)!

For the Steak Marinade:
2 TBSPs olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tsps champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic

Mix together the above ingredients. We love bone-in ribeye steaks. A 3/4 to 1 lb piece would be sufficient for 2 people. Set aside at room temperature for about 1-2 hours. Once marinated, grill or cook on a skillet until medium rare (when gently poked, it feels like your cheek).

For the Cilantro Pesto:

1 bunch cilantro leaves

1 TB pine nuts

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
1 clove garlic

pinch ground pepper

juice from 1/4 lemon

Put the above ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Taste, taste, taste! If it's too salty, add a bit more olive oil, cilantro and lemon juice.

For the Sautéed Creamy Leeks and Mushrooms:

1 large or 2 small leeks, cleaned, with the green tops discarded, sliced thinly

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TB olive oil

2 tsps butter

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c heavy cream

Heat oil and butter in a large sauté pan. Add garlic. Sauté for about a minute, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and brown. Sprinkle a little salt to remove moisture from mushrooms. Add leek(s). Sauté until tender. Add cream. Mix and season to taste.

Assembly:

Slice cooked meat into strips. Spoon about 1/3 c cooked rice onto a plate. Lay meat on top or on one side of the rice. Spoon creamy leeks and mushrooms on other side of the rice. Drizzle cilantro pesto around the assembly.

Enjoy!!

Style for Style

The longer I've been cooking, the more I learn about my own personal style when it comes to food and cuisine. It has definitely evolved since I fired my first stove. When Ben and I were first married, I was definitely all over the place. From French to New American, I really couldn't find my palate. About two years ago, I started feeling my way through sweet-savory dishes. I loved the melding of the complexities of the sweet and salty. 

One of the first dishes I created was seared duck breast with a madeira-mango-stock reduction. The 7-course tasting menu I did for my sister-in-law (it was a baby shower gift) was definitely heavy on the sweet-savory theme.

Two years later, I seem to have evolved (laterally, perhaps) to adhering to the slow foods movement. I really appreciate the fresh, local ingredients I can get my hands on here in Wisconsin. I suppose it's because there's such a short season for things green that I now tend to make simpler foods, foregoing too many ingredients and a pretty plate for making the base ingredients the star. I've also started utilizing a lot of aromatics like lemongrass, various herbs and more South Asian spices. 

I just find it interesting how tastes change. I'm sure I'll still make my duck breasts and lamb chops once in awhile, but it doesn't really get the creative and salivary juices flowing.

I'm excited to learn where my taste buds will take me next!

Recipe: Baked Fried Chicken

Yes, it's really good. And yes, it tastes and smells like fried chicken. And yes, there's no real guilt to accompany eating it.

My husband and I looooooove fried chicken, however, we only have it very rarely. I believe the last time he ate a nice piece of bird was at the Hong Kong airport, from what he touts to be the cleanest Popeye's he's ever seen, in 2007. I last had it during Six Feet Under's series finale. Yes, that long ago.

As much as I love fried chicken, I don't like the greasy heaviness that permeates my body after consuming it. In the last several years I've been devising a way to eat flavorful, crunchy chicken without the mess and grease of frying it.

To ensure a crispy, delicious exterior, a roasting pan with an elevated rack is necessary to let the fat drip off the meat. What you're left with is crispy, crunchy and tasty chicken.

Baked Fried Chicken

Serves 2

4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

4 bone-in skin-on chicken drumsticks

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c heavy cream

1 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs

1 c regular breadcrumbs

1 TB salt

2 tsps cumin

1 TB garlic powder

2 tsps mild paprika

2 tsps onion powder

2 tsps chili powder

1 TB curry powder

a small amount of oil for light drizzling

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix the beaten egg and cream in a big bowl.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a vessel big enough to be able to comfortably coat pieces of chicken.

Dip the chicken in the egg & cream mixture, one at a time. Then coat the chicken pieces with the breadcrumb mixture, making sure that it's evenly coated, shaking off the excess crumbs. Lay the chicken pieces on the rack for your pan. Then drizzle a little vegetable oil or brush a little oil on the chicken; this promotes browning.

Cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and done. Enjoy like fried chicken!