On one of my trips around the world of food blogs, I encountered an irresistable recipe. Could I really be expected to pass by "Doughnut Soup" without trying it? (Any excuse to drive out to Krispy Kreme...)So, I tried it. I made it. I didn't like it. I think I'm the only one. That's not entirely true. I took it over to my friend's bar and foisted it upon Charlie and Hunter. Hunter liked it, but Charlie was creeped out by the texture. He said it tasted good, tasted just like doughnuts, but he couldn't get past the fact that it was in liquid form.
Me? I just didn't care for it at all. It was really heavy and kind of cloying at the back of my throat. You're supposed to serve it with some espresso, but I don't drink coffee. Perhaps the java helps. I'll never know.
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Moto's Doughnut Soup from Remains of the Day
5 glazed yeast doughnuts
1 c milk
1 c water
powdered sugar
salt
For the stock:
Break 2 doughnuts into small pieces and caramelize in a dry pan.
Add milk and water, bring to simmer.
Remove from heat and steep for 20 min.
Strain.
Puree 3 doughnuts in a blender with enough stock for a cream-like consistency.
Season to taste with salt and sugar, and run through a fine strainer. Serve warm in demitasse cups alongside an espresso.
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I've got to tell you, as this recipe is like "entry level molecular gastronomy"... And coupled with my previous experiences with that genre, maybe I'm just too simple or unsophisticated, but I don't think it's for me. I've never been one to seek out the underlying meaning in songs or the metaphors in books. I am coming to realise that I'm just too literal for any of that stuff. So, world, you can keep your foams and powders and stuff that's supposed to taste like other stuff. I'll stick to real food.
-steen
tags: doughnut+soup, molecular+gastronomy, recipes, food
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The garden is in full swing, and I am determined to make the absolute most of it this year. That means cookbooks have been consulted, recipes have been marked, and preservation has already begun. I know from experience that no matter what I do, I end up with a surplus. So, I'm making a big effort toward reducing waste and I'm starting with pickles. So far, I've picked several cukes and a good amount of cherry tomatoes. I've pickled cucumbers before and, indeed, chose to plant "pickling cucumbers" specifically this year for that very purpose. My Romanian parents pickle green tomatoes every year, but they were never my favorites as they were a little too sour for my taste. But, in scouring my cookbooks for pickling recipes, I came across one for Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes in the The Prudhomme Family Cookbook. Cherries are the most abundant tomatoes in my garden thanks to several rogue plants that continue to reappear season after season, so I'm giving them a go too.Once more cucumbers ripen, as well as my beans, I'll be making a bunch of different pickle varieties, the following two are just the start.
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Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes from The Prudhomme Family Cookbook
1 pound small, very green, and unblemished cherry tomatoes, washed thoroughly and stems removed, about 1 quart
8 washed and peeled pearl onions or 8 washed and trimmed bulbs from green onions (each trimmed bulb should be about 1 inch long)
4 fresh unblemished cayenne or jalapeno peppers, washed throroughly, trimmed of stems but not seeded, and cut in half lengthwise
1.5 cups water
1.5 cups white distilled vinegar
Assemble all utensils before starting. You will need a water-bath canner with a rack and lid or a very deep pot with rack and lid; the pot must be deep enough to cover the upright jars (sitting on the rack) with 1 to 2 inches of water and still allow space for brisk boiling once the pan is covered. And you'll need 2 freshly scrubbed pint-size canning jars, metal rings, brand-new self-sealing lids, and a few clean dish towels. Fill the canner or pot with water and bring to a near boil (this takes quite a bit of time!) before beginning to fill the jars with food. Have extra boiling water ready in case you need to add more water to the canner once the jars are in it.
Submerge the clean jars in water and sterilize by boiling as directed by the manufacturer, but for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. Leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill. Wash and boil lids and rings according to the manufacturer's directions.
Trim any bruises, decay, or other imperfections from the tomatoes, onions, and peppers.
Combine the water and vinegar in a 2-quart non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the onions and peppers; boil about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Fill each very hot jar with the tomatoes, up to 1 inch from the rims, packing snugly. Using a slotted spoon, place half the peppers and onions from the vinegar mixture into each jar, pressing vegetables down to 1/2 inch from the rims. Return water and vinegar to a boil, then pour liquid over the tomatoes, leaving headspace of 1/2 inch and pushing vegetables down into the liquid. Then, promptly wipe rims well with a clean, damp cloth and place hot lids on top with sealing compound down; screw on metal rings firmly but not too tightly.
Immediately place filled jars upright on the rack in the water bath canner, or deep pot, filled with hot but not boiling water. Arrange jars so they don't touch each other or sides of pot. If necessary, add boiling water around but not on jars to cover jar tops by 1 to 2 inches. Cover pot and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat then boil 35 minutes for pints, 45 minutes for a quart jar.
Immediately remove jars with canning tongs and place upright and at least 2 inches apart on a wooden surface or on folded dish towels to cool at room temperature, away from drafts. Do not cover. Once jars are completely cooled, test for an airtight seal by pressing down center of each lid. Lid should stay down. Label and date jars, then store upright in a cool, dark, and dry room or pantry.
Store at least 48 hours before using. Refrigerate after opening.
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Dutch Lunch Spears, by the Quart from The Joy of Pickling
1.25 pounds 3" pickling cucumbers
3 tbsp plus 2 tsp pickling salt
1 quart plus 3/4 cup water
1 garlic clove
1 small onion, peeled
1 dill head
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp mixed pickling spices
Gently wash the cucumbers and remove the blossom ends. Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise and put them into a bowl or crock. Dissolve 3 tbsp salt in 1 quart water, and pour the brine over the cucumbers. Top the cukes with a heavy plate that just fits inside the crock or bowl. Let the cucumbers stand for 8 to 12 hours.
Drain and rinse the cucumbers, then drain them again. Pack the cucumbers, garlic, onion, and dill head into a 1-quart jar.
In a nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil the 3/4 cup water, the 2 tsp salt, and the vinegar, sugar, and spices, stirring to dissolve te salt and sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers. Cap the jar tightly, and let it cool.
Store the jar in the refrigerator for at least 1 week before eating the pickles. Regrigerated, they will keep for several months, at least.
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I'm looking forward to actually tasting these two recipes, and to making a lot more for myself and to share with friends. I've got pages marked in Preserving the Harvest and Small Batch Preserving, too.
Hooray for the bounty!
-steen
**UPDATE** 08 July, 2007
I finally cracked open one of the jars of green cherry tomatoes last night. I got home really late and tired and nuked some leftover pizza for dinner. The pickled tomatoes caught my eye so I brought them out too. They were incredible! I ended up eating almost the entire jar along with my slices. The tomatoes were surprisingly sweet and tender, and everything had a subtle spiciness thanks to the serranos. I am going to be making this one in much bigger batches before the summer is over.
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I love soups, especially thick, creamy ones. This baby was a fridge-cleaner as I was starting to fret about my beautiful produce going to waste. It's a quickie and so tasty, a take on vichyssoise. I used roasted beets because I roasted them as soon as I got home from the farmer's market, though I'm sure you could just cook raw beets along with the cauliflower. I made this soup the other day and, looking back on it, I have to point out what made it special.
A) I purchased gorgeous golden beets at the Hollywood Farmers Market the week before. That's worth noting cuz it means I got up early on a Sunday. Woot!
B) Bob devoured it and he doesn't like beets or cauliflower. He even ate it as leftovers for the next two meals and if there's anything he dislikes more than beets and cauliflower, it's leftovers. Shazam!
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Golden Summer Soup
1 bunch golden beets (peeled, cut into quarters)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 head cauliflower cut into 1-2" pieces
3-4 cloves roasted garlic
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp crema (or sour cream)
Toss beets with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place beets onto a large sheet of aluminum foil. Fold foil in half and crimp edges. Roast packet of beets at 400 degrees for about 1 hour. This may be done ahead and kept in fridge for up to a week.
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, combine chicken broth, cauliflower, roasted beets, and garlic. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree soup using immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with crema.
Can be served hot, room temp, or chilled. Seeing how it's summer and all... Chilled is awfully nice!
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-steen
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I like to tease Big Jonny about how I can get a really awesome schitzel with country potatoes that would feed an Ethiopian family of 7 for at LEAST a week. He keeps commenting about it, and I keep linking to the pics Steen made while she was here.
Last night I texted Sara about her wishes for dinner. Her reply? "Something greasy."
Off to the store I joyously skipped, thinking of grease, pork and fries. And beer, or course.
Making schnitzel is easy, fast and it tastes damn good. First the ingredients.
Pork, chicken, veal or turkey tenders
2 egg yolks per schnitzel
Flour
Breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil (I prefer sunflower, but use whatcha got.)
Beer.
First pound the meat as flat as you can. In vienna, they make it (no joke...) wafer-thin. So thin, it could be used as paper. But pound it till its as thick as your pinkie or so. Then dust it well with flour. This helps the yolk stick.
Next heat up the pan with a generous bit of oil. Youre frying these babies. We want grease, people. When it is sufficiently hot, dunk the meat in the yolk, covering it well, then into the breadcrumbs. The more evenly covered the better, but don't get your knickers in a twist if it's not. Also, your fingers will be well-covered in the yolk-breadcrumb goo, so wash liberally. TIP: After yolking and breading, leave them resting on the breadcrumbs. Saves you a bit of hassle, and you want that oil to be really hot, so the crispy outer doesn't fall off.
Fry it till golden brown. You can cut one to see if it's still pink inside, or you can 'go cajun' like me. I prefer a bit more black, that way I know it's well done inside. Don't forget a lemon wedge for drizzling like I did.
Serve with fries or country potatoes, and a nice cold beer. Any leftovers make a great cold sammich for the morning after a long night of drinkin as well.
—Christian
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Jonathan Gold just published his 99 essential restaurants for the latest issue of the LA Weekly:
http://www.laweekly.com/eat+drink/dinin ... -99/16643/
Here is where I still am itching to dine, and putting it out there on the blog in hopes of finding co-conspirators:
AOC
Babita
Casa Bianca
Cut
Father's Office
Spago
Valentino
-Quinn
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My last trip to NYC, I was determined to eat well. Cut down on the Sabrett's, the supposedly best pizza in the world, etc. I was going to have some memories to take home with me.
My love of Mozza in LA led me on a quest for some definitive Mario Batali cuisine. I wanted to eat the pasta tasting menu (slurp!) at Babbo, but resos were not to be had. Otto, Mozza's East Coast sister, was happy to take me on, and off we go.
My escort, David Chlopecki aka David Mason aka Milk Boy aka Shasta De Laurenta aka Premium P****
David is a non-stop fierce dichotomy and one of the best friends a mutherfucker could ask for. I knew that this would be a wonderful afternoon.
Our first course, two veggies: salsify and cauliflower:
The salsify had a nice citrus lilt and a anise-like quality, while the cauliflower was a bit under seasoned and dry. These were cold/room temperature preparations and I prefer the hot verdure that Mozza offers in contrast, but next trip to Otto shall result in some varying selections.
Then, the cheese course:
Before the cheese came along, three small plates were ceremoniously drizzled with black truffle honey, spiced apricots, and persevered cherries. This is by far the best accompaniment to a cheese course that I have ever experienced - the honey was a perfect foil to the strength of the cheeses that would soon be delievered:
We ordered a five-cheese plate. The one that I wanted to have for sure was the Gorgonzola dolce, but David suggested that we let the server/host select the rest (good call, and I will get to the impeccable service later on). When asked for general preferences, I did state that I enjoyed hard and strong. Aside from the one soft cheese we were brought, the others were superb. Of note, a sheep's milk cheese that had been wrapped in herbs that infused the rind was exceptional.
Now for our seemigly simple, trite, and obvious choices...
For David, a carbonara:
By all reports, a fine dish, and sized appropriately. I think that Americans think that Italian food is not legit unless it is comprised of a mixing boll of cheese laden carbs. David smiled throughout the dish.
As for me, pepperoni pizza:
What! I could have had that down the street! Not really. I know that Batali is known for curing his own meats (his pop runs an Italian meat shop in Seattle) so I wanted to try something that I have had my whole life and see if there was a difference. There was. I often eat the meat off of my pizza before attacking the crust. The reason I did so here was that is was so perfect - mellow pork flavors, slightly charred on the perimeter, and just enough garlic and pepper nuances. The crust was hard with some resistance and the sauce/cheese ratio was humbly calculated.I do prefer the naan like crust as Mozza better, but this was a pizza to be reckoned with and I would love to try some of the other permutations one day.
Desert:
For me: olive oil gelato
David's pick: lemon lavender
The olive oil was like a little bit of heaven, that's what it was. Very subtle and creamy. A small ribbon of oil swimming about and a few grains of salt against the sugar. I could eat this everyday. The lemon was just as good in its own right, the potentially strong flavors taken down to a more palatable denominator.
The service was some of the best I have ever experienced. The host/captain/server (?) was attentive, conversational, warm, and accommodating. All of the line staff were just as smooth.
When do I get to go back!!!!! If only Otto were not a five hour flight away.
-Quinn
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I ran across this video on You Tube. They call it Cheddarvision, the first three months of a 42 pound wheel of cheddar's life. Evan Klineman has a great interview with the man responsible, Dom Lane, in this archive of Good Food.
-steen
tags: cheesemaking, cheddarvision, cheddar+cheese
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Life, as we know it, consists of a series of events strung together over time. If we're fortunate, the good events outweigh the bad, more good luck and we can enjoy good health and fat wallets, and if we're REALLY charmed, we get to eat at Urasawa. In deciding how best to write this post, I thought of mentioning the cliche seminal moments written about in countless tomes through the ages; falling in love, the birth of a child, etc. etc. I'd go on to mention my own greatest hits including that bit about love, as well as when I bought my house, the first time my work was published, the release of my book, meeting David Bowie, seeing Prince live for the Nth time (twice in one day, 5th row with Ruben, and 10 ft from me and Quinn), spending a week with Marc Almond, and now, last night's meal at Urasawa. Yep, that covers the biggies.Quinn's a smart cookie and he's finally decided to nurture his melon and go for intellectualism and it's paid off with a degree in social work. Damn do-gooder. LOL Well, he generously chose to invite Bob and me to his celebration dinner at the one place we've all been dreaming of.
We picked Quinn up at his pad and drove over to Beverly Hills. Needless to say, it's not our usual destination and, as we pulled onto Rodeo Dr., Bob mentioned that he'd never even been in that part of town. I can't say the same as my folks dragged me there time and again when they had out of town guests; Beverly Hills was on their sightseeing route. I developed my distaste for it as a child and have never outgrown it, and I am happy happy happy about that. Other than last night's dinner, my BH adventures had been limited to shuttling MY out of town guest to her plastic surgeon for a boob job consultation, the surgery that followed, and the subsequent follow-up visits. I'm not complainging, though, because it meant she visited more often and because sometimes we'd stop at Sprinkles for cupcakes.
Dinner at Urasawa is kind of legendary. Before I'd ever heard the name, there were whispers about the "ultimate sushi bar" on Rodeo where each person's dinner cost $350 and I'd never get to eat there. In fact, in Jonathan Gold's guide to LA sushi entitled "Raw Power", he lists Urasawa under the heading "When You Win the Lottery". Back when I first heard about it, I'm sure it was in its previous incarnation, Ginza Sushiko. At the time, it belonged to Masa Takayama (who eventually moved to NYC and opened Masa), and Hiroyuki Urawasa was his apprentice. Hiro now owns this nine seat restaurant tucked away upstairs in the Rodeo Collection.
You can read other people's well-researched posts about Urasawa on blogs and Chowhound, so I'll just say that the service was impeccable (the waitress slides open the door when you arrive, again if you have to go to the potty, again when you return, she delivers completed dishes the 6" from the bar in front of you to right under your nose), Hiro was very pleasant and became friendlier as our three hour meal progressed, and most importantly, the food was beyond out-of-this-world. We took photos and notes and even some video. The chef spoke very softly, his English was heavily accented, and I missed some of the details for which I apologize. Still and all... Enjoy!
Summer vegetables in brine served in beautiful crystal, dusted with gold leaf and to be downed like a shot. It was a tasty preamble, an amuse buche that had the desired effect of galvanizing our palates in preparation for the wonders to come.
Toro Tatake - three slices of immaculate tuna belly seared, served in a shallow pool of what I think was Ponzu, with grated daikon, paper-thin slices of scallions, a smattering of wine-colored sprouts, and gold leaf. As you can imagine this dish was rich, fatty, perfectly flavored and downright exciting.
Nikogori - A terrine of mountain potato, uni, sweet shrimp and nikogori (a natural gelatin derived from cooked fish), topped again with gold. (Let me pause to say that all three of us counted uni among the foods that we would never eat. I had it once before and despised it. You're looking at three converts.) Goddamn was this good, sweet and savory, faintly tasting of the sea.
A trio of sashimi served atop a beautifully carved block of ice decorated with a single blue iris, garnished with freshly grated wasabi and seaweed. Two morsels each of uni, red snapper, and toro. This dish exemplifies the true wonder that is sashimi. Three offerings, each radically different in flavor and texture, one better than the last. Again, the uni was a revelation, sweet, rich, and meltingly soft. The snapper has a mouthfeel that I have grown to love over the years; it frightened me in my teens and I steered clear of it in favor of softer fish like tuna and yellowtail. The flavor is subtle and the flesh is a bit rigid, somewhat chewy, and a fabulous foil for the other two. And finally the toro, fully unlike any other toro I've ever had. When I took the chilled block into my mouth, I was first struck by that wondrous tuna flavor. As I bit down on it, it felt as though biting on a sponge, all of the liquid escaped to flood my tongue, and then I chewed the remaining meat. It was truly unusual and I remember concentrating hard on the sensation when I ate the second one.
Chawan Mushi - Warm egg custard with sea urchin and sperm sack, scallions and gold leaf. Unfortunately, I did not make out what variety of fish gave up his little squigglies, though I've read here that Hiro has been known to serve fugu sperm sack. As though this meal couldn't get any better, I think I actually made audible pleasure noises while eating this (and that's so not my style). My exact words were "I want to keep eating this for days". And I didn't mean for lunch on consecutive days, I meant non-stop for hours and hours and hours. It was just sublime. It was a warm ray of sunshine on my palate, immensely flavorful, unspeakably decadent. And the uni.... Oh god, it was fabulous, gently cooked, barely warm, and with the flavor and texture of small fish roe. Hiro should get a cookie for this one.
Helpers appeared and spread a paper napkin before each of us. Atop it was placed a shallow bowl filled with salt upon which sat a smooth, shiny stone of about 5" in diameter. At the far lip of the bowl was a parchment splatter screen of sorts.
There appeared a lovely bowl nestling three pieces of the most marbled, fattiest toro you've ever laid eyes on. Diminutive chunks of love as red as watermelon.
We were instructed to take each piece and sear it on all sides on the stone, paying particular attention to the fat. Great wisps of smoke floated about as the meat was browned and the fat rendered.
Up to this point, Quinn had been on note-taking duty, but he was incapable of performing as he was lost in the pleasure of this dish. He said, "This is one of the most heavenly things I've ever eaten in my life." People, it was gorgeous. Meaty, dense, carmelized, unctuous. I started making lists in my head of the people I know who deserve to experience this much pleasure. Those who would appreciate it. I pray for riches so that I can gift this dish...
And then, we lost our minds. Japanese beef cooked in sweet sake, soy sauce and yuzu juice. This, my friends, is the pot roast of the gods. Served atop a tender slice of daikon, garnished with scallions and one snow pea cut on the bias, the meat was completely infused with spectacular flavors, almost sweet, and more tender than the finest fillet mignon. It was dazzlingly beefy, an unexpected comfort food and perfectly timed within our meal.
Shabu Shabu - though it deserves some other name. Something way fancier. We were presented with a small pot of hot water into which a fanned piece of parchemnt had been placed. As instructed, we first seasoned the liquid with two kinds of seaweed, and then dropped in a generous slice of foie gras. It gently cooked for about a minute, until it had rendered a surprising amount of fat and turned soft. That was followed by a slice of impressively marbled Kobe beef swirled in the glistening broth for mere moments before dunking it in a soy-based sauce and devouring it amidst much eye-rolling ecstasy. A slice of scallop and one sweet shrimp were similarly blanched and their exquisite sweetness savored. Lastly, a slice of king eel was dispatched to the pot and cooked until opaque, about a minute. The flesh was quite firm, subtle in flavor, and surprisingly lean for eel. Finally, we were given stone spoons with which to shuttle the soup to our eager mouths.
The sushi round was heralded by the arrival of a square stone bowl of the house-pickled ginger. Of course, it was like no ginger I've ever had, spicy and gingery to be sure, but it was deeply perfumed, reminiscent of apples somehow.
Toro - Divine, firm in texture, it tasted absolutely like fish and was the perfect beginning.
Blue Fin Tuna - Rich and meaty, Bob was still raving about it on the way home.
Toro - Again, this toro was wholly different from all of its other presentations. The fish was sweet with the texture of rare beef and just as satisfying.
Skipper Jack - I've had Skipper Jack sushi before and it's delicious. I believe it's related to yellowtail and presents with similar flavor, though a firmer texture. Hiro's did not disappoint, it was mellow and delectable, easing us into bolder flavors to follow.
Spanish Mackerel - So perfect, flawlessly fresh, with that deep smokiness and firm flesh, it reinvigorated our pallates.
Red Snapper with freshly grated yuzu - Solid but not tough, yielding after a few more bites than the mackeral, this sushi was sweet and citrusy, perfectly punctuated by the yuzu.
Small Shrimp - Glorious little sweet meats formed together in Hiro's hand and placed atop the rice. It was like sweet shrimp only more so, now another new favorite.
Mirugai with yuzu juice - Mmmmmmmmmmmm..........! Giant clam is my very favorite sushi so you know I was doing backflips at this point. When the chef was preparing the mirugai course for our neighbors, I watched as he selected a piece and tossed it hard onto his cutting board. The first one moved a bit, but was discarded in favor of the next which undulated fiercely before curling up upon itself. It was the showiest moment of the meal and was tickled to witness it.
Earlier in the evening, I watched Hiro place three shitake mushroom caps onto a brazier at his side.
I believe he brushed them with soy sauce and grilled them slowly.
Shitake sushi - Each cap was cut in half, brushed with yuzu juice, and cupped around a small ball of rice. Mushrooms of this quality are well served by simple preparation. In a single bite, we enjoyed the soft outer layer, still warm from the fire, giving way to sweet, tender flesh and scrumptious mushroomy, woodsy earthiness.
Needle Fish - Easily the most eye-catching presentation of all the sushi, the meat was separated from the skin of a very small critter using the blade of a long sushi knife. Hiro split the meat lengthwise and rolled the ends into each other. A stunning, classic presentation of a firm-fleshed, smoky fish, tasting somewhat like mackerel.
Cuttlefish (squid) - Chewy goodness scored, salted, dusted with ground yuzu skin and mopped with yuzu juice. The best I've ever had, sweet and tender.
Uni - I'm such a convert that I was filled with joy at seeing another slice of sea urchin layed before me. I fairly writhed with the pleasure of its briny sweetness.
Abalone - I had abalone sushi once before and, like uni, it was wretched and never ordered again. The food police should require a restaurant to be licensed to serve it because done wrong, it's completely inedible. Not so at Urasawa. The beast was prodigiously scored, I'd go so far as to call it tenderized, and topped with soy, yuzu juice, and ground yuzu. Miles apart from the crap I ate the last time. I doubt that I'd ever order it, but I'll gladly eat Hiro's version again.
Toro - The final permutation of this versatile wonder, grilled completely (not seared), it looked and tasted so like beef. A tiny prize of fat and smoke, and sweet, chewy meat. Unfuckingbelievable.
Anago (Sea Eel) - Topped with yuzu juice, this was the least fatty eel sushi I've ever experienced. Smaller, too, than the gigungous slabs served at sushi joints, it was compact and meaty with a slight bitterness on the back end.
Tamago - Looks like pound cake, right? This wasn't the omelette that I adore, but something completely different. It was very cakey, though light. The mouth feel was surprising. A delicate, sweet ending to a powerhouse round of sushi.
Grapefruit Gelatin - I am NOT a fan of grapefruit for the simple reason that I don't do bitter. Can't stand it, actually. But, again, I was happy to put this in my mouth. There was enough sweetness to please my palate and push the bitterness far off in the distance. The gelatin was topped with red beans and gold leaf and served as a perfect palate cleanser.
I'll make note, too, of the lovely presentation, a crystal goblet snuggled into a cylindrical block of wood. Niiiice!
Sesame Ice Cream with soy milk and honey - A fucking revalation. Just gorgeous to taste, a touch of sweetness surrounded the nuttiness of the sesame, and we were all in heaven.
The ice cream was accompanied by a stone bowl of matcha frothed before us by the chef. Though I don't drink tea (I don't like the way tea tastes... Sue me.) it was perfectly paired with the dessert. Unobtrusive and cleansing. It was followed by a small cup of another tea, this one tasting of grilled rice.
Dang, it took me nearly as long to write this as it did to enjoy the meal. And enjoy we did. Dinner at Urasawa was one of the greatest pleasures of my life. I'll necessarily be a bit more frugal in the coming months as it set us back quite a bit. This was by far the most expensive meal I've ever had:
Omakase - $275 per person
2 beers (Bob) - $20
2 Cokes (me) - $8
Iced Tea (Quinn) - $6
3 bottles of Evian - $24
With tax and tip, it came to $380 per person. It hurts, but it was so worth every damn penny. Might I suggest, ever so gently, that you sell your soul, find a sugar daddy, or strut your cookies down Sunset... Just hustle up the cash and go. You won't be sorry.
Urasawa
218 N Rodeo Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 247-8939
A few final notes on the experience... There was no music, which I enjoyed, though Bob mentioned that, had there been music, we would have been able to talk louder. As it was, we spoke in hushed tones and I was probably the only one of us who heard all the conversation since I was sitting in the middle. In regard to the food, each of us has food we will not eat, I mentioned the uni earlier. Well, Quinn ate eggs (Chawan Mushi and Tamago) for the first time in 30 years, I ate foie gras (I still didn't like the texture but got over it), grapefruit, and tea, and Bob ate mushrooms, and we're all glad we did. Shazam!
-steen
Quinn's Commentary
The truth is that this experience was much more fulfilling than walking across the stage and getting hooded for my MSW. The other truth is that my bank account is really feeling the impact! Not to completely parrot Steen, but it was totally worth it and I would love to make this at least an annual event - there's got to be enough potential milestones ahead of us to warrant this kind of treat.
A lot of what made this experience is perceptual and visceral. The minute we walked off of the elevator, the server slid open the door and said "Quinn?" I like that sort of ESP shit! Not to mention the bar itself. The smoothest wood, freshly sanded - unlike any surface I have even dined upon.
What I would have said at the end of the meal (and I did) is that Hiro excels at the cooked and prepared courses rather than the actual nigiri. I have a change of heart in retrospect, but at the time, this felt true. The stone cooked toro and the braised Japanese beef were revelations. As for the toro, I had to consider it several times upon first bite to make sure it was not the most ethereal beef I had ever consumed. It is because of these moments that I frequently caught myself with a (hopefully) sweet perma-grin on my mug. I'm not sure if I will order uni of my own volition, but this is the second time this year that it has been presented to me in such an outstanding manner (earlier this year, I had the uni sabayon at Providence as part of their tasting menu - I had dreams about it twice that night!)
The nigiri was utterly perfect in terms of quality, size, presentation, taste, and probably most importantly, rice-to-fish ratio. What put me off ever so slightly was the use of his special sauce and yuzu juice. After a few pieces, those tastes felt redundant. Having said that, a couple of days later I realized that I have been dipping my sushi piece after piece in shoyu since I took my first bite at age seven! It was just unfamiliar and like all good memories, that flavor lingers on in my mind and in the inner recesses of my tastes buds for life.
As a contrast, I went and had some sushi at a place that shall remain nameless (as to not invoke an unfair comparison). It was good and fun and all that (I just love fish and shellfish, period) but my sushi mojo has been altered for life. Not a bad thing, I don't think.
I think good meals should touch me deeply, from time to time, in the manner that MFK Fisher would write. This surely did, especially that I got to celebrate my graduation with my beloved Steen. Hey, next time, we should bring a boom box with Malcolm McClaren's "Madame Butterfly"!
-Quinn
tags: Urasawa, dining, sushi, Japanese+food, Beverly+Hills
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I'm in love. Just yesterday, I was doing dishes, washing my old orange Le Creuset dutch oven. It's ancient. Chipped and prone to rust. I was thinking that it's probably time to invest in a new one. And just LOOK!!!
It's positively dreamy! Is it wrong to lust after cookware?
-steen
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As promised, I'm finally posting about Castle, my local spot for Korean BBQ. The restaurant has been there for years, though it became "Castle" just a few years ago. I honestly can't remember what it was called before, and though it was tasty, it was different.
In its current incarnation, Castle is unique among the Korean BBQ places I've dined at because their meals are served with duk bo sam, which are thin rice noodles. Here's how it goes... Cook your meat then transfer it to your plate. Top it with shredded lettuce and scallions, add one of the sauces (or both) - there's a parsley-based one or a spicy chile sauce - add garlic if you like, jalapenos, chile paste, mushrooms, then top it with a rice noodle, scoop it up and eat. YUM! The noodles add another dimension to an already wonderful meal, and if you manage to do it all with your chopsticks, then you have the added bonus of feeling like a superstar. (Those buggers are tricky to peel apart from each other.)
As with all Korean restaurants, your meal is served with a tempting array of panchan. The varieties differ, but you can see that Castle is generous and prolific.
By the end of the meal, we're usually stuffed to the gills. If we've planned ahead, though, and kept the gluttony at bay, the waitress will come over, dump everyone's rice onto the pan, add all of the remaining meat, panchan, and sauces, and create a spicy fried rice. We like to leave it on the grill until the bottom layer becomes crisp and crunchy. I have to admit, though, that we rarely have room left over for this treat.
We've been going there for years and the staff are always very friendly and happy to see us. If you're in the market for a quick inexpensive lunch, you could do worse than ordering one of their BBQ bentos or hot pots. Lunch will run you less than $10, including a beverage and tip. Dinner runs about $13-15 per portion of meat. And if you're SUPER fancy, you can get gold dust sprinkled on your food. Ooo la la!
Castle BBQ
473 N. Western Avenue #1
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 467-3813
-steen
tags: Korean+BBQ, restaurants, Los+Angeles, dining
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