Potluck

For a potluck luncheon tomorrow bidding a few people farewell, I made a vegan dish. My intention was to bring a colorful room temperature no-fuss vegetarian dish, flip-flopping on the inclusion of goat cheese. Since we didn't pick any cheese up last weekend, we ended up with a vegan dish. 

Day 338/365

Ingredients are hearts of palm (yes, we bought more), grilled asparagus, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, and kalamata olives. Mixed with the vegetables are olive oil, oregano, vinegar, black pepper, and sea salt. The later addition of artichoke hearts packed in oil brightened the salad by adding a bit of piquancy.

- Cassaendra

Kimchi Noodle Soup

Since last night, I was in the mood for some kind of noodle soup. Not in the mood to eat a carbohydrate laden meal after we had settled in for the evening, I reluctantly pushed the idea out of my mind.

This morning, while looking through some pictures of my contacts on Flickr, I saw a delicious bowl of noodles. Argh! Not wanting to duke it out with frantic last minute Easter meal planners, I scanned the refrigerator expecting to make a fried noodle dish. 

Day 280/365

While foraging for ingredients and ideas with the refrigerator door agape, a large, ancient bottle of kimchi (forgotten for at least a year judging from the July 2011 ?expiration date) came into view. A red container of gochujang sat to my right in a cubby along the refrigerator door. The gears in my head began to creak. I knew I had a container of miso in the vegetable drawer, but no tofu. Koji ajitsuke baby clams that my father sent me were staring at me from the second shelf. I dug into my dried noodle stash and found a few bundles of buckwheat noodles and oat flour noodles.

Like a puzzle falling into place with a few missing pieces, kimchi jjigae inspired soup with oat flour noodles became the functional plan. Due to the impromptu nature of this dish with rummaged ingredients, I do not have an exact recipe to share. The amounts listed are a rough approximation. As is frequently the case, even when cooking with recipes, I sampled intermittently and adjusted to taste.

Soup:
several cups of water
several pieces of konbu
1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
1 Tbsp yellow miso
1/4 c infused water from two rehydrated shiitake
2 tsp grated and minced ginger
2 shiitake, rehydrated and sliced
1-1/2 c kimchi, sliced
1/2 c koji ajitsuke baby clams (Japanese seasoned baby clams)

For the broth, simmer the water with konbu, gochujang, miso, and shiitake infused water. To create the shiitake infused water, I heated 1/4 c of water in a small microwave safe glass cup for 45 seconds, then soaked the dried mushrooms for approximately 10 minutes.

When the edges of the broth form tiny bubbles, add the sliced shiitake and ginger, then simmer for a few minutes. Add the kimchi and baby clams, then simmer for a few more minutes. This is a good point to ascertain whether the soup needs more miso, ginger, gochujang, or a different flavor like shoyu, as desired.

The remaining ingredients were what I had on hand and not traditional at all to kimchi jjigae. Well, the seasoned baby clams added above are not traditional, but it did add shoyu and some body to the soup.

As pictured, I added:
4 bird's eye chili peppers, seeded then minced
1 c edamame, steamed then shelled
1 c asparagus, sliced
1 c red peppers, sliced
2 bundles of oat flour noodles, cooked just short of al dente
1 egg
shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7-spice, literally, "7-flavor chile pepper")

Most of the bird's eye chili peppers were added to the soup, with a pinch reserved as garnish. Since the edamame were already cooked, and asparagus and red peppers take only a couple minutes to cook, they were incorporated into the soup just a couple minutes prior to turning off the heat.

When I have eaten kimchi jjigae at restaurants, the egg appears to be added in the kitchen last so it arrives poached in its bubbling cauldron, or at the table. I added the egg in my bowl, then sprinkled shichimi togarashi and a pinch of the minced serrano peppers.

As listed, this makes around 5-6 servings.

A couple of things to note:
1. Oat flour noodles have a subtler flavor than buckwheat noodles, but are gluten-free.
2. Do not boil miso, as it kills the healthy enzymes.
3. Tofu is part of kimchi jjigae and would have been desirable had I not forgotten to re-stock our supply.

This was my first time making this dish. While it didn't taste exactly like the kimchi jjigae I've had at restaurants, it was close and I quite enjoyed it. Along with clam and squid bits, I'll often find bulgogi pieces in my jjigae at restaurants, so the sweetness of the seasoned clams, which was barely noticeable, was not alien.

Bug enjoyed his bowl apparently, since he asked that I make this again. However, he suggested that I add more miso next time. In addition, I'll set aside more bird's eye chili peppers to add more heat to my bowl so the soup is not overly spicy for others.

- Cassaendra

Sausage Egg Casserole

At the end of each year that we have been a member with Costco, they have distributed a cookbook. This is the first recipe we decided to try of the numerous interesting recipes in their cookbooks.

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Inspired by the vegetarian recipe, Cheesy Veggie Sausage Breakfast Casserole, in A Decade of Cooking the Costco Way contributed by MorningStar, we used a meat breakfast sausage, added red peppers, altered the type of cheese and amount, removed green onions and several ingredients used as garnish.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb turkey breakfast sausage
8 large eggs
1/4 c milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 c cottage cheese
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly squeezed
1 c red pepper, chopped
2 c shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Cook breakfast sausage in a frying pan, break into small pieces.
2. Drain grease from cooked sausage. Spread across paper towel and pat to absorb extraneous grease and cool.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F.
4. Grease or spray 9"x13" casserole dish with oil or nonstick spray.
5. Beat eggs in a large bowl, then mix milk, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
6. Mix cottage cheese, sausage, spinach, red pepper, and cheese to the egg mixture until incorporated.
7. Pour bowl ingredients into the baking dish and bake to desired firmness (35-45 min).

I ate my servings with salsa, while Bug ate his with chipotle Tabasco. This was a colorful and tasty dish. Plus, I didn't have to pick out any onions.

We will try an egg substitute next time to gauge if the flavor and texture hold. Why pack on the fat and cholesterol if the flavor remains the same?

- Cassaendra

Crunchy

Day 183/365

Salads aren't exactly winter food. Raised in warm weather climate and fortunate to have a mother who prepared meals every day with flavor, texture, color, along with nutrition, I can't go long into the winter without cool, crunchy, and colorful foods - a contrast to winter's warm stews and baked casseroles.

As soon as my eyelids fluttered open this morning, a craving for salad stirred, so salad it was for breakfast. While the eggs were being boiled, I assembled the salad and toppings -- sliced cucumbers, baby carrots slivers, a handful of spring mixed greens, and fried strings of summer sausage, followed by toasting pecans, and a dusting of shichimi togarashi and crushed black pepper.

The dressing was a mixture of tahini, miso, rice wine, grated cucumber and baby carrots, black pepper, onion powder, and a dash of shoyu. I admit that I was pleased with the slightly sweet, salty, sour, and nutty flavor. The texture of the grated vegetables mixed with the onion powder gave the illusion of grated onions. In hindsight, I should have used some orange zest to add a citrus spark.

My crunchy cool craving was satisfactorily sated.

- Cassaendra

Savory Sweet Potato Pancakes

Day 125/365

Bug was in a creative mood last night and surprised me with an experimental dish using a couple of sweet potatoes that we procured for under $1.

Ingredients:
1 lb sweet potato, grated
1/2 - 2/3 c flour
2 eggs
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of allspice
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
cooking spray

Combine ingredients. coat pan with cooking spray, then fry up the pancakes.

After Bug grated the sweet potatoes, he did not set the potatoes aside in salt to later drain the liquid, as may be customary in some circles. Instead, he adjusted by adding flour incrementally until he was satisfied with the consistency.

The sweet potato pancakes were savory, sweet, with not too much spice to overwhelm the cabbage and red pepper and spinach chicken sausage that were also a part of the meal.  There was enough spice the potatoes tasted like an indulgence.

I look forward to eating this again!

- Cassaendra

Salmon and Miso Hotpot

Day 100/365

I recently received a gift from my sister -- Japanese Home Cooking with Master Chef Murata, bilingual version published 03/29/2011. The format of my version is slightly different from the link, but the recipes are the same.

It has been quite some time since I last had yellow miso. I grew up enjoying light miso in glazes on fish, as a marinade, salad dressing, and various other preparations.

This was Bug's first experience cooking with miso aside from [red] miso soup. At first, he didn't know what to think of the combination -- salmon in a light, slightly sweet broth. Partway through the meal, he proclaimed his fondness for this dish and looked forward to making it again. The inclusion of butter provides a rounded and richer flavor.

Salmon and Miso Hotpot by Chef Yoshihiro Murata
Ingredients:

7 oz (200 g) fresh salmon, skin removed

1/4 head cabbage

1 large all purpose potato

4 green beans

2 large fresh shiitake

1 oz (30 g) enoki mushrooms

1/2 c (120 ml) chicken broth

1-1/2 c (360 m) water

2 Tbsp yellow miso

1 Tbsp butter

Directions: 

1. Cut salmon, cabbage, and green beans into bite-sized pieces.
2. Peel the potato, cut into thick, bite-sized rounds, blanch, and then drain.
3. Remove shiitake stems. Trim the roots off the enoki mushrooms and rinse.
4. Pour chicken broth and water into a large pan and mix the miso. Add the salmon and vegetables to the pan, cover, and bring to a simmer.
5. Add butter and allow it to melt partway before serving.

We made a few minor changes to the recipe: 

1. Salmon was cooked skin-on, since I love eating salmon skin.
2. Red potatoes were used for its texture and color.
3. Dried shiitake were used instead of fresh, since we couldn't find fresh shiitake over the weekend.
4. We multiplied the ingredients! 

The next time we make this, I would like to try bean sprouts, bok choy, and spinach. I am sure carrots shaped into flowers would work well with this dish also.

- Cassaendra

Snack

Akemi knows a few words like dog park, friend, and sit; however, her favorite words are peanut butter and snack.

Day 088/365

I recently uncovered a recipe for peanut butter dog biscuits sitting in my inbox, dated a couple of years ago. It didn't denote from where the recipe was copied. With my master sleuthing skills (Google), the recipe was likely from The Daily Drool.

Ingredients:
4 c whole wheat flour
2 c oatmeal
1/2 to 3/4 c chunky peanut butter
2-1/2 c hot water

1. Mix all ingredients, adding more hot water if the mixture is too sticky.
2. Knead dough, then roll flat to 1/4" thickness and shape cookies with a cookie cutter.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a cookie sheet.
4. Bake cookies for 40 min.
5. Set baked cookies on a rack to cool and dry for several hours.

This made a heap of doggie dough! After baking two batches, approximately 20 biscuits, Bug had only used up half the mixture, so he threw the unbaked dough out.

Akemi loves these treats! The bones are a little over 5" long, so we have been giving her a third as as a treat, breaking that piece into three pieces so they are bite-sized for her.

- Cassaendra

Kumo

Why do I do this to myself?

We went to Kumo Japanese (loosely) Seafood Buffet in Parma, a large beautiful Chinese buffet that serves sushi and udon.

My eyes are always bigger than my stomach! As a result, Bug and I end up sharing some of my booty like the sushi.

When we come here, I am drawn to the surimi salad, pickled daikon and carrots, and the seaweed salad.  I'm generally not tempted by the hot case -- 2-1/2 hot cases of food one would normally find at a Chinese buffet -- or the made to order stir fry.

Day 082/365

My favorite dish here is the udon. It is very simple, not high quality, but made to order so the noodles are never overdone. A bowl of laver and shichimi togarashi to add to your bowl at your belly's desire is a nice touch. I always add too much shichimi togarashi.

The availability of shrimp tempura would greatly augment the udon. Oddly, they do not serve any type of tempura here. Too bad.

Adjacent to the udon station sits a large crepe maker where plain, chocolate, and fruit crepes are made to order.

Occasionally, there is a dish that makes you step back and do a double take.  I noticed a heaping platter of shiny brown and white elastic strips.  I peered at the sign above it and it read "Pig Ear."

Day 082/365

I've never had pig ear before so I was intrigued and snagged a couple of strips -- one each for Bug and me. When I told him what it was and explained the rubbery yet crunchy texture that tasted like char siu (slightly sweetened five spice powder), he politely declined.  I'm not a fan of char siu myself, but I ate both not wanting to be rude. Whose feelings am I hurting? 

I don't feel the need to eat pig ears again, but I won't turn it away if someone's mother made it.

My favorite dessert items are their fruit salad with basil seeds and haupia. The fuzzy basil seed pods are so cute and make them look alien. Also served is a smooth, gelatinous coconut dessert similar to haupia -- a Hawaiian coconut dessert.

We always walk out feeling bad that we succumbed yet again. In several weeks, we'll be back again, and I'll look forward to eating another bowl of udon and more basil seeds with my haupia.

- Cassaendra

Kumo Japanese Seafood Buffet
1975 Snow Rd
Parma, OH 44134
Tel: (216) 741-3038

Chill

We met up with a couple of good friends and their two children for lunch at Melt in Cleveland Heights. What a lovely lunch and day at the zoo!

They ordered the Cleveland cheesesteak melt; 2 Kindergartens (plain grilled cheese); and Wake and bacon (fried egg, bacon, American cheese). I didn't want to be that crazy lady from Cleveland, so I left the kids' sandwiches alone, as far as poking my lens in their food.

Bug ordered the chorizo and potato melt, which is simply as advertised, and includes sharp cheddar cheese. I took 2 bites of Bug's melt. While it wasn't bad, I didn't think it was memorable in the way my sandwich was. What this sandwich did was showcase their bread.

Day 078/365 - Chorizo and potato melt

My sandwich was the August sandwich special, the Magically Magnificent Flying Falafel Melt, a behemoth of a sandwich. I was extremely pleased that all of the components individually were well done, not that I didn't have confidence Melt could pull off a falafel melt. The falafel was crisp and filling with an appropriate punch of cumin.

Day 078/365 - Magically Magnificent Flying Falafel Melt

After gobbling up one-sixth of my sandwich, it dawned on me that the thinly sliced faint pink medallions were, in fact, pickled turnips and not turkey. I thought it odd that turkey would be added to this hefty sandwich and did not recall reading of its inclusion. Also, each time I took a bite, it crunched in a very unturkey-like manner.

I would have been happy as a clam at high tide eating a bowl of their falafel and pickled turnips.

While everyone was moaning from distended (full) bellies and cried, "no more!", I ordered chocolate chai bread pudding to share with everyone.

Everyone has room for dessert, right?

Day 078/365 - chocolate chai bread pudding

This concoction arrived at our table steaming with a scoop of very thick vanilla ice cream. Despite what your left brain says, this is scrumptious. The chai spices work in the same way gingerbread blends beautifully as warm bread with creamy ice cream. I would return and order this alone.

Melt is a fun place to eat as it offers sandwich combinations to suit a full range of funky to conservative moods. Service was fine during the meal and the food was well made. However, it's not an ideal place to catch up with friends. Being in high demand, business is brisk so there is a lot of pressure to push people out; at least that was how we interpreted the three thank-yous for dining with them. :P

- Cassaendra

Melt
13463 Cedar Rd
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Tel: (216) 965-0988

Hot Bacon

For decades, I detested pizza. It has only been the past few years when I've slowly stepped away from being a hater to standing within arms reach into the liker camp.

Since it was going to take Bug several hours to prepare chicken gumbo (I can't wait!!), we ordered a medium hot bacon spinach pizza ($13.95) and a dozen buffalo wings ($6.95) for dinner at Edison's Pizza Kitchen.

Day 071/365 - Hot bacon spinach pizza

While I prefer very simple thin crust pizzas, what is not to like about bacon, fresh spinach, sweet tomatoes, crushed red pepper, feta, and hot bacon dressing all on a white pizza? Nothing!

All the vegetables are fresh and laid out on the pizza with an abundance of bacon, an appropriate amount of feta, and hot bacon dressing drizzled on top creating a luscious, sweet, salty, tangy, and smoky pizza.

All these ingredients and the pizza survived the trip home without turning into a soggy mess. Had I prepared this pizza myself, it would have probably turned to soup.

The inclusion of honey packets is a wonderful bonus, whether it is to drizzle over pizza or to use as a dip for the bones (crust).

I'm still not too fond of wing pieces because it's a lot of work for a paltry amount of food. It's mostly skin and bones, and I don't prefer to eat floppy, chewy, and fatty tasting skin.

Why order a dozen wings?

Day 071/365 - Lip tingling buffalo wings

It's the lip tingling sinus clearing buffalo sauce and the carnal satisfaction of having food all over your face and fingers. Of course, I'm eating this in the privacy of my own home and not in front of Christian Bale, so it's not quite as appalling as it sounds.

- Cassaendra

Edison's Pizza Kitchen
2365 Professor Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113
Tel: (216) 298-4484

Root, Bun, and Roll

My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Cleveland is #1 Pho on Superior Avenue. We've been to Superior Pho (when it was Pho Hoa), Minh Anh, and Taydo, as well as a few other restaurants who advertise serving Vietnamese food but fail miserably. None of them come close to the variety of dishes, great flavor, and service of #1 Pho.

Day 053/365

Not only do I adore the food, I like the space -- hardwood floors, and a simple, open floor plan.

Our favorite appetizer is the chargrilled pork summer rolls (2 for $4). Since we first came here several years ago, there has never been a time when we have not ordered this. The marinated meat is smoky and thinly sliced so it isn't chewy. Along with the fresh vegetables, these rolls are perfection with the nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Day 053/365

Today, we also ordered a meatball summer roll (2 for $4), our second favorite summer roll. Don't let the red color scare you. The meatballs are seasoned, but not spicy. The thicker, sweeter sauce complements the grilled meatball.

Sauces served with #1 Pho's rolls are different for each roll, and complements each ingredient.

Day 053/365

While I absolutely adore their pho tai, bun rieu (tomato crab noodle soup), and other delectable dishes, the heat and humidity wilted my desire for them. A cool, crunchy salad and bowl of cold noodles were what we craved.

Our favorite salad is the lotus root salad because it has a refreshing flavor and crunchy texture. Generous portions of tender, young, and slender slivers of lotus root and shrimp are tossed with onions, and carrot slivers in a slightly sweet and piquant sauce that tastes of lime, fish sauce, and vinegar. Crushed peanuts are sprinkled on top.

Thai basil was added since I do not eat cilantro. A plate of cilantro was served on the side for Bug to enjoy. Order substitutions are done without hesitation. If we are not in the mood for pork in our salad, chicken may be substituted.

Day 053/365

We usually order the chargrilled pork bun (cold noodles); however, I wanted to try a different bun today -- meatball and shrimp spring roll. The shrimp roll consists of whole shrimp wrapped in rice paper, then deep fried. This roll is much smaller than their spring roll filled with ground pork and rice vermicelli.

The noodles always arrive cool and perfectly cooked. They are served over a handful of crisp lettuce and crunchy bean sprouts. Pickled daikon and carrots, cucumbers, crushed peanuts, and french fried onions are served atop the noodles.

Day 053/365

Nuoc cham is served in a cup to pour over the noodles. Manners be damned, I enjoy the flavor of the sauce-soaked rolls so I usually bury a bite of my spring roll at the bottom of the bowl and another bite in some reserved sauce in the sauce cup.

The owner chef is a nice man who is pretty hip, easygoing, and unpretentious. It is always a pleasure to talk with him. #1 Pho is one of our top three restaurants we return to most often in this city filled with what seems like an infinite number of solid restaurants.

- Cassaendra

#1 Pho
3120 Superior Ave E
Cleveland, OH 44114
Tel: (216) 781-1176

Stuffed

If I sound delirious, it's probably because I'm falling asleep as I type this. Bug crashed out an hour ago! I just typed "delicious" instead of "delirious" - twice.

Bug was in the mood for Mexican food tonight. He wasn't in the mood for Mi Pueblo Mexican, but Don Ramon Mexican.

Mi Pueblo is where I get my fix of birria (steamed goat) and lengua tacos (beef tongue), while Don Ramon's clientele tend not to be Mexican. The servings are good and filling, and margaritas are everywhere.

Bug ordered the Special Dinner ($12.30), a sampler dish that arrives in two platters.

The first platter has a chalupa, chile relleno, and a hard shell ground beef taco.

Day 038/365

The second platter comes with a beef enchilada, tamal, refried beans, and Mexican rice.

A good variety when you're in the mood for Mexican food, but can't decide which item. The kitchen is consistent and provides comfort...comfort in knowing exactly what you're going to get each time you order.

Day 038/365

I decided to try something new, so I ordered the Camarones al Chipotle ($13.25), shrimp with a creamy tomato chipotle sauce. Mexican rice and a salad of shredded iceberg lettuce with pico de gallo.

The sauce was a creamy spiced tomato based sauce. I do not have any complaints, but I don't feel compelled to order it again. It wasn't what I expected, which was a more smoky spicy sauce.

Day 038/365

I ate half of the shrimp and all of the Mexican rice. The remainder was packed away for Bug to eat for lunch tomorrow.

Before my forehead rests too long on the space bar, buenas noches.

- Cassaendra

Don Ramon
6278 Pearl Rd
Cleveland, OH 44130-3062
Tel: (440) 886-0566

Taste of Tremont

Bright orange signs were tacked along Professor Avenue on Friday. By police order, the streets would need to be cleared out from 04:00 through midnight Sunday (today) for the Taste of Tremont, a neighborhood festival that celebrates its restaurants, businesses, and organizations bringing 15-20,000 visitors to this street from noon until 8:00 p.m.

As we walked along Professor Avenue, a Kufner tow truck had a car in tow. I'm sure it was a busy morning for him. It wasn't the last time I saw him towing a car. *cash register sound*

Day 036/365

For the past few years, I've wanted to try the basil lemonade at Lolita. Each time, I didn't want to wait in the long line (5-10 minute wait) to get it. Last year, around an hour before closing, I noticed there was no line so I stopped by. They were sold out.

This year, I was determined to try that basil lemonade. At 12:15, we made a bee-line to their tent. When we arrived, the sign read:

mac and cheese $5

mint lemonade $2

Heh. We happened to be standing in line and it was going quickly, so I ordered the lemonade. The creamy goat cheese ziti looked interesting, but pasta and cheese are just not my thing especially with so many potential choices.

The lemonade was minty, but not to the point of being bitter or grassy, and it wasn't as sweet as I expected (good). I would definitely order this if the basil lemonade wasn't available.

Not every stand was ready, even 30 minutes after the announced starting time. A couple of tents were still being fiddled with or display tables were being arranged.

Fat Cats' shrimp roll had not arrived yet when we went up to order. With so many choices, I didn't feel the need to stick around for 10-15 minutes and wandered from stall to stall looking for something else to catch my eye that was ready.

At the Ty Fun tent, kai ka prow ($6.00), beef panang ($6.00), vegetarian pad thai ($5.00), and pork spring rolls ($3.00) were offered.

"Spicy" caught my eye, so I ordered kai ka prow -- spicy slices of chicken breast, Thai basil, carrots, beans, peppers, and onions. Thai basil has such a wonderful aroma and flavor. After I ate through the top, I discovered the container came with jasmine rice. I would order this if I didn't have to choose between mango curry, massaman, or green curry. :)

Day 036/365

We have only eaten at Ty Fun a couple of times when they first opened their doors. We had a lovely time. The food was delicious, service was impeccable, and the prices were reasonable. The space is beautiful in its black and white simplicity, and very clean. They run a tight ship.

However, we have our favorite Thai restaurant, Bangkok Thai Cuisine, a 30 minute drive further away, that offers all of the above for slightly cheaper and a more relaxed atmosphere. While I adore black, grey, and white living rooms, I'm a sucker for rich, spicy-hued spaces when it comes to restaurants.

Day 036/365

Some of the restaurant tents were poorly executed. A couple of places had nice menu boards set on the ground leaning against their front table, so it was impossible to decipher the slivers of information between everyone's legs. Handwritten paper signs taped to the front, while not as aesthetically pleasing, showed some semblance of business common sense.

South Side stood out in this regard, since I would have expected better as this was not their foray at the festival. I didn't feel it was worth the aggravation to push people aside to read what they had to offer or stand in line to find out what they were selling, so we walked by. With the size of the crowd, I'm sure they didn't miss our patronage.

Day 036/365

This was likely a very successful event for most by the sheer number of people. Reading about nightmare food festivals around the country where people have to wait 30+ minutes in lines or food running out just a few hours in; nitpicking aside, this event is well run in comparison.

- Cassaendra

Dave

We enjoy eating at Famous Dave's because their food is delicious, consistent, modestly priced, and the service ranges from average to excellent.

I believe am pretty open-minded to variations of food that I am familiar with, namely local Hawaiian and Japanese, but find myself to be critical when specifically labeled dishes are advertised as authentic or a key component of the dish has changed.

Despite having several well-loved items on their menu, I looked forward to trying the Huli Buli chicken ($11.99) when I saw it advertised, intrigued to find out what the "Buli" was about and hoped I would not be disappointed.

The platter arrived with three chicken thighs that were charred nicely, corn on the cob, and a corn muffin. I chose as my sides, Firecracker green beans (onions, bacon, garlic) and steamed broccoli (touch too much salt). Its major departure from typical huli huli chicken was the presence of fresh sauce slathered all over the thighs.

023/365

I do not normally eat chicken skin, but sampled a small piece. The sauce had a slight sweetness and a spicy tinge that worked well with the charred skin. Their roasted chicken is always moist, cooked to perfection.

From their website, the sauce is made of ketchup, shoyu, brown sugar, honey, ginger, garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar, Maggi sweet chile sauce, sambal oelek, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

The serving was quite generous and fed me for 2 full meals, even after giving Bug 1 thigh, some of the green beans and broccoli, my corn muffin, and half of my corn.

Bug ordered his usual, the dinner platter with a choice of two meats ($18.99) -- 1/2 slab Memphis style (dry rub) baby back ribs and Texas beef brisket. His sides were potato wedges and cole slaw with horseradish. Their brisket was fantastic, smoky and tender, as always.

On the way out, we took advantage of their holiday priced full rack of ribs and brought home Memphis style baby back ribs ($15.99).

023/365

The dry rub is delicious but salty to my palate, but I'm also sensitive to salt. Under the thin, perfectly charred topmost layer of spiced rub and meat lies a tender and moist, smoked treasure.

As to whether I would order the Huli Buli chicken again -- while I cannot find any glaring faults in the dish, I probably wouldn't order it again. There are other dishes I adore, like the beef brisket and smoked salmon salad.

- Cassaendra

Famous Dave's
26410 Great Northern Shop Center
North Olmsted, OH 44070
Tel: (440) 777-0200

The District

In early April, we took a quick day trip to Washington, DC to attend the National Cherry Blossom Festival and visit the World War II Memorial. Where does the time go? It has been less than 90 days, and I am drenched in sweat just sitting here in the humid heat.

Under the cherry tree

Temperatures were in the 20s (°F) and it was hours before dawn when we packed Akemi into the back seat with the cooler. This was her first trip out of town so she was intensely curious of all the strange sights and smells along the way. Unlike me, she did not fall asleep during the entire 7-1/2 hour drive.

Driving across Pennsylvania was a bit treacherous at times with the intermittent heavy snow bands.

In Pennsylvania

When we stopped to gas up and eliminate, I saw a bag of Utz barbecue chips sitting on the shelf on my way out. I read in various places online about how wonderful Utz potato chips were, so quickly grabbed a bag and paid for it. Like a junkie with a fix, I tore open the bag.

The scent that emanated was gamey, not what I expected. As a result, the flavor turned me off even after trying on 3 separate occasions along the drive. It was probably a bad bag of chips, since I cannot imagine something like this being palatable. It's not like I bought a bag of deep fried intestines. Perhaps that was an unfair comment, since I have not yet tried deep fried offal. I'll give their chips another try the next time I'm in PA.

As if traveling in a magical land or crossing zones in an MMORPG, the snow switch was flicked off as soon as we left the Pennsylvania border and entered the warmer Maryland climate. When we headed out that morning, I did not believe the DC forecast of mostly cloudy, rain, with temperatures in the 50s.

Festival map

Despite the aid of a handheld GPS, we still drove around for 30 minutes recalculating wrong turns, nearly running over people wandering the streets, as thousands of people shuffled everywhere we looked. We finally found parking (red star on the map) along the Potomac River in East Potomac Park, a couple kilometers away from the heart of the festival, and joined the thousands.

Until recently, I didn't realize that DC residents were not represented in the Senate, have a nonvoting representative in the House, and were unable to vote for the President until the 1960s. While it is merely a district and not a state, I find it interesting that not all Americans are represented.

Washington Monument

Most of the sites along the Mall are grandiose; however, amidst the aura of magnificence, it is impossible to miss the World War II Memorial with its numerous pillars, each representing the states and territories of the Union, and columns representing the conflicts that took place in both the Atlantic and Pacific.

Within the Memorial is the Freedom Wall. Each star represents 100 American soldiers who died or are missing. The plaque adjacent to the wall notes that there are 4,048 stars assembled.

Freedom Wall

It is difficult for me to imagine this large plot of land was green in 2001, without the stone and water landscape. The construction of the Memorial was completed in 2004, only 7 years ago.

Nearby is the Korean War Memorial. Compared to the World War II Memorial, this memorial resonates more solemnly.

Perhaps it is the realistic statues of marching soldiers with flowing garb in the shrubbery. Or the wall of polished black granite etched with spirit-like images looking on. The World War II Memorial, on the other hand, is built with what appears to be symbols of strength and victory, with its tall, strong white pillars.

Additionally, rain tends to make for a more somber presentation.

Korean War Memorial

All the walking that we did made us quite hungry. Food and souvenir tents along with portapotty stalls were located in a parking lot along the Tidal Basin.

I stopped in my tracks when I read "teri mayo dog" posted on a couple of menus.

Teri mayo dog

Toppings included cole slaw with a little shoyu and French fried onions. It hit the spot or I was incredibly hungry. Seriously, it was tasty. The fries were pretty good too.

I realize we all poop and having a conveniently located place for this function when you don't know the town is a luxury, but it still made me feel a bit repulsed entering a portapotty.

:(

Akemi did pretty well having walked over 5 hours with us. Even though her fur is weather-resistant, because of the heavy rain and construction, she became a bit muddy to her dismay. On the walk back to the car, Bug poured a bit of our bottled water onto her belly and feet.

As is customary with shiba inu, she preened herself and looked as clean as always in no time.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye

Akemi was zonked out for several hours on the trip home. It reminded me of the The Hunt for Red October where Jack Ryan's fear of flying due to past trauma, established early in the story during a flight to Washington, DC from London, is dead asleep on his return flight having undergone a harrowing fighter-helicopter-ship-submarine adventure.

Having traveled cross country twice (still missing a few states), I wish all Americans could visit our nation's capital and travel across our great country. We are fortunate to have beautiful, diverse, and fertile land, culture, and people.

- Cassaendra

Dinner Dash

We love delicious, healthy, and inexpensive meals. Bonus if the meal is quick and easy. Who doesn't?

For dinner tonight, we made grilled salmon with fresh ground black pepper, sauteed zucchini, surimi salad (okay, mostly healthy), steamed spinach with toasted almonds, and quinoa with toasted almonds.

016/365

This meal was easy, but not a one pan/pot meal. No complex cooking method or hardware was utilized, just 4 burners on our stove.

1) salmon + grill plan
2) zucchini + frying pan
3) spinach + small pot
4) quinoa + sauce pan
5) almonds + small frying pan

While the almost everything was cooking, I made the surimi salad by first defrosting the frozen surimi sticks for 25 seconds in the microwave oven so the sticks were malleable, cut them into ~2" sticks, then broke them apart.

Mayonnaise and Kewpie mayonnaise were added to the surimi. I prefer the texture of the salad to be midway between dry and goopy, so I used roughly 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and approximately 1 teaspoon of Kewpie mayonnaise. One-half teaspoon of sesame oil was added.

After the surimi was coated with the mayonnaise and oil, the roe was incorporated into the salad with a gentle hand, careful not to smash the fish eggs.

My intention was to add cucumbers, but I forgot. While I like to write lists, I don't always follow them. This also goes for meal preparation. I don't always prepare my ingredients first, nor do I strictly follow recipes.

The roe provided enough crunch, but very little in the way of color contrast.

This meal was inexpensive. For under $10, this meal made a filling dinner for two.

Here is the breakdown:
1/2 lb wild caught salmon, $8.99/lb = ~$5
1/4 c quinoa, $8.99/4 lb = $0.21
1 zucchini, $0.99/lb = ~$1.00
3 sticks surimi, $4/20 sticks = ~$0.60
~1 Tbsp roe, $7.00/lb = ~$0.40
large handful of spinach, $4.00/lb = ~$0.50
Kewpie mayonnaise, $4.00/bottle

No idea how much these cost:
mayonnaise
almonds
sesame oil
shichimi togarashi

Since we always have quinoa, surimi, roe, spinach, almonds, mayonnaise, Kewpie mayonnaise, olive and sesame oils on hand, and shichimi togarashi this was "cheaper" for us.

This meal was relatively healthy. I've talked myself into believing that since I ate a small portion of the salad, it was okay. The salmon was grilled with a mist of oil, olive oil was used with the zucchini, the spinach was steamed, and the nuts were toasted without oil.

Day 16/365 Project - some days have been difficult scrounging for material to take pictures. I can't imagine what it will be like half way through, if I make it that far!

- Cassaendra

What's the Point?

Black bean burger

Because we can.

A recent Weekend Cook and Tell topic on Serious Eats challenged us to create a beefless burger.

Having never met a black bean dish we liked, Bug and I have always scoffed at black bean burgers, often asking, "What's the point?"

About a month ago, a sample of MorningStar Farm's chipotle black bean burger at Costco changed our minds. Obviously, it didn't taste like a juicy, smoky chargrilled hamburger. In a salty, smoky grilled bean-grain patty sort of way, it tasted better. [Easily?] Impressed, we hurried home to search online for a palatable black bean burger recipe.

A week later, we were at Au Bon Pain (ABP) reviewing the sandwich board -- something I rarely do, opting usually to create my own sandwich (if you're curious, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, roasted red pepper hummus, and sometimes fresh mozzarella on multigrain bread).

I had not realized ABP served black bean burgers. How long have they had them? Bug thought I wasn't well when I ordered one to split between the two of us.

Their burger is constructed with guacamole, feta, romaine lettuce, and tomatoes on feta flatbread baked with sunflower seeds, flaxseed, and other grains. While fairly high in carbohydrates, the fiber accounts for nearly 20% (14/76 g, whole sandwich). One glaring drawback is the amount of sodium (930 mg)!

Having read several recipes online, I had an idea of what I wanted in my burger. Everything we make is an experimental-kitchen sink affair. The following ingredients list is an approximation.

Yes, that is my disclaimer that some measurements may not be precise to the nearest . They are very good approximations, however. No, this does not mean I am trying to hold back ingredients on my sekrit recipe in order to make millions on my creation (scroll up and look at it!).

Burger that won't kill you because it doesn't have any meat
Servings: 4+

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can black beans (unsalted), rinsed and drained (approx. 1-1/2 c cooked beans)
3 Tbsp yogurt
1/3 c bread crumbs
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
black pepper, crushed
pinch of salt
1 15 oz can black beans (unsalted), rinsed and drained
1 c fresh mushrooms, finely diced
parsley, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Directions:
1. Mash black beans by hand or pulse in a food processor.
2. Add yogurt, bread crumbs, cumin, cayenne, oregano, paprika, garlic, pepper, and salt. Use more cayenne if you would wish to have a spicier burger or less/omit if you do not. Mix/Puree until ingredients are combined evenly.
3. Transfer pureed bean mixture to a bowl if a food processor was used. Add whole black beans, mushrooms, and parsley.
4. Add enough lime juice until the contents are cohesive enough to form patties.
5. Cook patties in a grill pan or frying pan, approximately 10 minutes per patty.

We enjoyed the cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne flavors. Bug likened it to a Mexican version of a Sloppy Joe (Jose?).

What we will do in the future:
1. Allow some time for the patties to firm up in the refrigerator. The consistency was a challenge when the patties were at room temperature upon cooking.

2. Reduce the thickness of the patties by one-half to reduce the cooking time and create a firmer, more consistent texture throughout.

3. Cook red bell peppers, mushrooms, and parsley prior to combining ingredients. I wanted red bell peppers in the burger, but forgot to buy them. Cooking them first would theoretically help provide more control over the integrity of the patty by controlling the amount of moisture released.

4. Experiment with harissa in the burger mixture. Use avocados and chipotle or sriracha-mayonnaise

A question that nags at me, at what point does a burger become a slice of [meat]loaf?

- Cassaendra

Home is Where the Mabodoufu is

Mabodoufu over brown rice

Japanese mabodoufu is one of my favorite comfort foods. I have fond memories of eating this over white rice on cool winter evenings.

My mother did not cook spicy food so we ate the mildest version using House's deliciously saucy mabo tofu packets; one of possibly 2-3 dishes she did not make from scratch.

While in college, I frequented Sanoya Ramen and was delighted to discover mabo tofu ramen! Ramen in broth with mabo tofu poured on top.

When Bug and I were at the library recently, I stumbled upon a beautiful yet down-to-earth Japanese cookbook by Harumi Kurihara, Everday Harumi. Flipping through the pages, her mabo dofu recipe leaped out.

Ms. Kurihara warns that with the addition of the dashi, her version results in a much lighter sauce than the thicker sauce one typically finds at Chinese restaurants. I enjoyed this lighter version for that very reason.

Recipe for Mabo Dofu adapted from Everday Harumi
6-10 servings

Ingredients
2 c dashi
1/2 c shoyu
2 T sugar
2 T sake
4 T mirin
vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 oz fresh ginger, minced
1 lb ground pork (beef is okay too)
1 c bell peppers, red preferably, but any color will do
4 fresh birds eye chiles, trimmed and sliced (any chile pepper you are comfortable with)
2 lb tofu, rinsed then cubed
1 T potato starch (any thickener will suffice)
1 T cold water
cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Mix dashi, shoyu, sugar, sake, and mirin. Since I used a powdered dashi, the broth was warm so the sugar dissolved quickly. Set aside.

2. On medium high heat, add some vegetable oil to the skillet and fry the garlic and ginger for a few minutes until aromatic. Add ground meat and cook through, then add bell peppers and chili peppers.

3. Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Add tofu and stir, being careful not to smash the tofu.

4. Mix potato starch and water in a small bowl, then add the starchy liquid to the mabodoufu in the skillet, quickly mixing to avoid clumps of potato starch from setting. Serve.

I prefer my food to be a little spicy, but not searing. A sprinkle of cayenne adds a little heat to this dish on top of the birds eye chiles. Bug adds sriracha to his bowl.

When fresh green beans are available, we may add it. As with many Asian recipes, ground meat is not absolutely necessary. Bug adds oyster sauce to his bowl for a darker, deeper, and saltier flavor.

This recipe has been added to our regular rotation of dinners. Not only is this a good example of a dish that is greater than the sum of its parts, its simplicity is brilliant and the cost is nominal.

- Cassaendra

Enchiladas

Bug enjoys interesting food preparation, Mexican food, especially enchiladas, and Rick Bayless' show, One Plate at a Time. One night, he caught an episode that showed Bayless preparing enchiladas using a green sauce made with spinach. Yes, spinach!

A dish of enchiladas Popeye would love

Adapted from Rick Bayless' recipe, Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts or your preferred chicken pieces to yield 3 c of shredded chicken
chicken broth (~4 c)
1 Tbsp adobo seasoning
2 fresh poblano chiles
2 c chicken broth
2 c milk
6 Tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c flour
salt
1 c chopped spinach leaves
12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
Mexican cheese
cilantro or parsley (optional)

Directions
1. Place chicken in a pot and add enough chicken broth to generously cover completely (at least an inch above) and 1 Tbsp adobo seasoning. Bring to boil then simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, the rest of the dish can be put together or this step can be done earlier. Chicken should be removed from the pot and the meat chopped and shredded.

Store bought [Goya] adobo seasoning was used. I've seen several adobo seasoning recipes online. The standard blend utilizes paprika, black pepper, onion powder, Mexican oregano, cumin, chile powder, and garlic powder. Some recipes may add salt, MSG, achiote (annatto) powder, brown sugar, and/or saffron.

2. Roast poblano chile then set aside.
a. Preheat oven to 425°F or use the broiler, setting the rack 4-5 inches from the heat source.
b. Place chiles on a baking sheet lined with foil, then place into the oven for ~20 minutes or in the broiler for ~10 minutes, until peppers darken or appear blistered.
c. Remove from oven or broiler when ready and wrap the chiles in foil for 10-15 minutes or when the peppers are cool enough to handle.
d. Remove the blackened skin by gently rubbing; cut open to remove the seeds and stem, then rinse. If chiles are hot, i.e., high Scoville scale, please use gloves.

3. In a saucepan on low heat, add milk and chicken broth. Make sure the milk does not scald.

4. In another saucepan, melt butter. Turn heat to medium, add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or when the garlic becomes aromatic. Increase heat to medium-high and slowly add flour. Stir until fully incorporated.

5. Add the chicken broth mixture to the flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for a few minutes, then set aside.

6. Add chopped chiles, spinach, and pour approximately half of the flour-broth mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining flour-broth mixture. Stir. Salt to taste.

7. Warm tortillas in your desired manner (oven, stove top, microwave oven).
Stovetop method: Heat a skillet and add 1-2 c of vegetable (neutral) oil. The oil just needs to be warm, not screaming hot. With tongs, quickly submerge each tortilla into the skillet for a few seconds then remove. Stack tortillas and cover so they remain warm.

8. Heat oven to 350°F. Add 1 c of the spinach sauce to the shredded chicken, then mix. Spread 1/4 c of the spinach sauce along the bottom of a 13"x9" baking dish. Roll shredded chicken into the tortilla so they are cylindrical, open on both ends, and place them in the baking dish with the tapered, sealed end down so they are tightly adjacent to one another. Spread another layer of the spinach sauce over the layer of enchiladas, scatter a layer of cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro. If you are averse to the flavor of cilantro as I am, parsley should be fine.

Ug ug ug ug!

Bug had made more shredded chicken to make flauta. Instead of baking the rolled tortilla, he deep fried them in vegetable (neutral) oil using tongs to hold the end together for a minute to seal, after which he flipped the flauta and cooked the other side.

Bug's prior experiments making flauta were unsuccessful because the tortilla would split. Quickly frying them helped immensely.

Flauta

The shredded chicken was seasoned well, thanks to the adobo seasoning, and moist. Despite being cooked for over an hour, it wasn't bludgeoned into mushy nothingness. The spinach sauce was surprising. I wouldn't have guessed spinach was in it. The thick texture and color could have fooled me that it had avocado. I can't wait to have this again!

- Cassaendra

A Sometime Food

Milk n cookies

Recently, Bug called me at work and greeted me with a yelp, "chocolate chip cookies!" I replied, "Oooh!"

These cookies don't have lavender, matcha, or chocolate from La Maison du Chocolat, which would have been silly and wasteful. The ignition of my craving for chocolate chip cookies? A Tollhouse recipe with a couple of adjustments that I discovered at La Fuji Mama's blog several weeks ago.

They were delicious, crisp around the edges and soft in the center. In its familiar circular form, they didn't last more than 12 hours. I think this is why Cookie Monster had to go on his campaign educating everyone that cookies are a "sometime food."

Bug took care of making the cookies as I've had bad luck making cookies since I was a kid. They turn into cookie sheets, literally.

From Rachel at La Fuji Mama, adapted from the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:
2-1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c (12-oz package) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large mixer bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the dough is creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the dough well after each addition. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes and then remove the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

The recipe made 20 cookies for us. We used chocolate and peanut butter chips.

In some way, I was hoping the cookies would come out as a sheet to validate that I'm not an awful baker. As evidenced by the photograph, it quite assuredly validated that I am an awful baker.

The next time we make this, I'd love to use matcha and white chocolate chips.

La Fuji Mama has an esprit de corp named the Washoku Warriors who cook from the book by Elizabeth Andoh, Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen, a wonderful book that I purchased a couple years ago. Her book beautifully captures traditional techniques of Japanese cooking and applies it to traditional dishes, as well as maintaining that spirit with new dishes.

- Cassaendra