waldorf astoria chicago

What are your three favorite dining towns?

Topping my list are…

• Chicago
• Las Vegas
• Paris

…in order of where I happen to be visiting at the time, and were the next reservation will take us. I recently returned home from Chicago, experiencing nothing short of culinary nirvana.

The highlight of the trip was the opportunity to be Guest-Chef-of-the-Day at MOTO Restaurant. The word “cutting-edge” falls way short in describing Chef Homaro Cantu’s vision for the feeding the future. MOTO is a culinary laboratory that dazzles, excites and inspires. I am on fire to experiment with ideas picked up from one day in the kitchen with Chef Chris Jones and his team of uber-creative chefs and cooks. And later that evening at ING, the sister restaurant next door where live tweetING is encouraged, we enjoyed the most engagING service, sippING Champagne, and flavor trippING on an incredible sweet potato dish…

ing: sweet potato chain, vanilla parsnip, balsamic, truffle, hazelnut

GLENN’S DINER is a family-friendly neighborhood spot that serves fabulous fresh fish and cereal. Cereal from a cereal bar! My nephews, Stone, 9, and Jett, 7, love this place, as do the adults. Glenn, whoever you are…you are a genius. I recommend the fresh Mahi Mahi with ginger sesame soy glaze. Stone recommends the cheesy Shrimp Cargo followed by a bowl of Reese’s Puffs.

glenn's diner: cereal bar

Another winner – brunch @ LONGMAN & EAGLE – they don’t take reservations so we had to wait at the bar…sip our coffee and torture ourselves with a bacon doughnut appetizer. Our brunch included a refreshing twist on the usual, a Bloody Lawrence – made with corn whisky, a deconstructed clam chowder, and prawn & cheese grits with a one hour egg…the shot of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer with our meal was a uniquely Chicago-y touch.

longman & eagle: brunch

The Waldorf Astoria Chicago is home to two-star Michelin, sophisticated, unpretentious, chic RIA restaurant. With Chef Danny Grant at the helm, our modern seasonally-driven French dining experience could not have been more enchanting. The gorgeous comfortable dining room is bathed in silver and gold and soothing neutral tones. Uncommon and intimate, the tables are spaced far apart, dressed in white accented with a single burgundy calla lily. The rolling Champagne cart carries unique offerings, many not available anywhere else in the US.

A FLAWLESS MEAL

gourgères

exclusive champagne offering

bubbly

Cattier
Brut, “Antique,” Chigny-les-Roses, 1er Cru Champagne NV

Pommery
Brut Rosé, “Cuvée Apanage”
Avize, Cramant & Chouilly, Grand Cru, Champagne NV

AMUSE BOUCHE

amuse bouche 1: scallop

amused

amuse bouche 2: sea urchin, cauliflower

BREAD

bread...

...and butter

WHITE WINE

auteur chardonnay

2007 Auteur Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros

Winemaker’s Note: The near perfect Hyde Chardonnay shows a remarkably crisp, refined, almost aristocratic side of California chardonnay. While reticent on the nose at first, hinting at tropical and citrus fruit, after few minutes in the glass, fruit comes gushing forth with white peach, lychee, pineapple and lemon. As these fade, the haunting aroma of hazelnut becomes apparent and is joined by an earthiness seldom found in California chardonnay. On the palate the cascade of fruit continues, constantly changing but finally coming to rest on exotic starfruit. The finish lingers with baked lemon and spice. While all the ripe fruit gives an impression of roundness, ample acidity keeps this wine fresh and coiled, suggesting not only long aging potential, but also making it a perfect refreshing spring wine in its youth.

FIRST COURSE

veal sweetbread, crosnes, celery, black trumpet

foie gras

brioche for the foie

perigord black truffle, egg pasta, celeriac, vermouth

RED WINE

volnay 1er cru burgundy

2009 Domaine Joseph Voillot Volnay 1er Cru Champans
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

dark berry intensity

Aromas  of dark berry fruit, earth and wet stone. Intense and powerful berry flavors, long finish. Joseph Voillot Volnay ‘Les Champans’ is a premier cru Burgundy produced on 25 acres of vines. Harvested and sorted by hand aged in French oak barrels, of which only 30% of the barrels are new to enable the essence of the fruit to shine through.

MAIN COURSE

suckling pig, vin jaune, boudin noir, hay, salsify

loup de mer, brussels sprouts, apple, winter squash

dry aged strip loin, leek, rapini, comte

CHEESE COURSE

cheese selection

french cheeses

cheese accompaniments: breads, crackers, pecans, spun honey

MIGNARDISES

last bite of heaven

au revoir

…until we see each other again.

Your three favorite dining towns? Please share.

Meatballs. Swedish meatballs. New Nordic Cuisine. Landscape design. Bed head. Tousled. Meatballs. Vegetarian. Quinoa. Fundamental naturalism. Foraging. Windy. Wavy. Ruffled. Native. Tasty. Satisfying. Elemental. Pickled. Fresh. Healthful. Tumbled. Unordered. Artfully disheveled. Meatballs…

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, an outstanding monthly event for sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations. It continues to be a great source of inspiration and my absolute pleasure to be a part of their fabulous Cooking Group.

Our Five Star Cooking Group challenge for January: MEATBALLS.

“We are excited to resume our monthly cooking event, and the theme for January is Meatballs. We thought it would be a fun challenge to try to transform this classic comfort dish into a 5 star gourmet creation.”

Elements of the Landscape/
A Grazing Platter for 2

garlicky hummus with tahini

quinoa & beef meatballs

roasted baby beets and pickled red onions

pickled cranberries, fresh cucumber

nasturtium whorls, micro greens

quinoa, feta, olive oil

Recipes/
Quinoa Meatballs, Pickled Cranberries

Quinoa Meatballs

The meatballs can be vegetarian or made with quinoa plus lean ground beef.

• 1 c. cooked quinoa
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (optional)
• 1/4 c. minced red onion
• 1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs, moistened with non-fat milk
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 c. finely chopped walnut
• a pinch of nutmeg and allspice
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil to sauté

Blend all the ingredients together by hand, taking care not to overwork. Form balls of different sizes to make a more interesting landscape. Sauté in olive oil until browned and cooked through.

Pickled Cranberries

•  1 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 T. Kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 8 oz. frozen cranberries

Boil vinegar with 1/4 c. water, sugar, and salt, stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool slightly, pour into a glass jar. Add cranberries and fresh ground pepper. When mixture comes to room temperature, cover and refrigerate overnight or longer.

Heart Healthy/Meatless

♡ My heart-healthy version of the Landscape which is high in fiber and has zero choleserol includes non-fat feta and vegetarian meatballs.

Make sure to visit 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro Cooks!
for the Round-Up on Friday 1/27/12
where a group of super-creative cooks make
a bold gastronomic statement with the humble meatball.

purple sweet potato soup – coconut, red chile, toasted cumin

Color, color, color. This is one intensely hued soup. It is warm and comforting because it is soup, after all. But it is also exotic, spicy, jazzy. Made from purple-fleshed sweet potatoes from the farmers’ market. But what if one was to close the eyes? No “Taste With The Eyes” allowed. Would this soup still hit the mark? Flavor, texture, balance, intrigue…yes, yes, yes.

purple sweet potato soup recipe

• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1″ knob ginger, minced
• 1/2 t. toasted cumin seed, roughly ground with mortar and pestle, divided
• 1 red jalapeño, chopped, divided

In a medium soup pot, sauté shallot in olive oil until soft. Add ginger, jalapeño, cumin, and garlic. Reserve a small amount of jalapeño and cumin seed for garnish. Sauté for another minute or so.

• 2 purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 c. vegetable broth
• 2 T. brown sugar

Add broth, potatoes and sugar to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are soft.

• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/2 c. coconut milk, divided
• sea salt

Remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Add lime juice, coconut milk, and salt to taste. Reserve a small amount of coconut milk for garnish. Interestingly, the lime juice changes the color of the soup from a deeper purple to a more reddish purple.

 a purple soup needs a flashy garnish

• coconut milk
• red jalapeño
• toasted cumin seed
• mint

Place a small amount of cocount milk in a squeeze bottle with a small tip to dot the soup. The soup and the coconut milk should be of a similar density. If the soup is too thick, the coconut dots will roll off the top. Oops.

Oops, a Lesson in Polka Dots

I returned the soup to the pot, added a bit more broth, and blended again with the immersion blender to get a smoother, thinner consistency. Not only did this make the coconut milk dots and soup compatible, it made the soup much more elegant. A good lesson, indeed. Ladle soup into warm bowls and garnish with jalapeño, cumin seed, and mint.

now the soup is ready for the coconut dots

Extending another heart-felt thank you to my brother and sister-in-law for this graceful white porcelain bowl designed by Martin Kastner. He is the creator of the breathtaking custom serviceware used at Grant Achatz’s Alinea in Chicago.

new feature on Taste With The Eyes

Now you can enter your email address in the SUBSCRIBE box at the top of the page
to receive Taste With The Eyes in your inbox, for your convenience.

I’m not usually a fan of those free food samples at the supermarket. Seen too many “grazers” with poor manners and questionable hygiene, I suppose. But every once in a while, when there is a conscientious host passing out tastes of a unique offering, I might give it a try, as was the case this past weekend at Whole Foods.

A charming older woman was enthusiastically portioning out little cups of this interesting raw kale salad. It turned out to be an outrageous combination of flavors and textures, so fresh and bright, with an unexpected umami note. I put a bag of her shirataki noodles in my cart, and went home to create a salad inspired by that sample.

Sweet, Spicy, Savory Kale Salad Recipe

Tear one bunch of cleaned/dried organic curly kale into bite-sized pieces. Place torn leaves in a large bowl and squeeze the juice of two limes over all the kale. Let  kale “cook” in the lime juice for at least 30 minutes.

Dressing

• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 T. Bragg Liquid Aminos
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 t. red chili pepper flakes

Whisk ingredients together and set aside.

Rinse a package of shirataki noodles. Cook them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain well. Use a kitchen shears to cut the noodles up a bit. Add the dressing and toss. Add dried cherries and toss again. Spread noodle/cherry mixture on top of the kale.

Gluten-free, yam-based shirataki noodles have little flavor on their own, but they absorb the intense garlic chili flavors of the dressing and add a contrasting chewy note to the crunchy kale. Bragg Liquid Aminos, made from soybeans, adds the umami quality, while sweetness comes from the cherries and tart sour flavors from the fresh lime juice. So glad I gave that little sample a try…

Something Pretty From My Garden

Silver Waves Camellia
Camellia japonica

With its large wavy silvery white petals and fluffy yellow stamens, this is a stunning winter flower.

Camellias are native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. I read that red camellias are a symbol of wealth and white camellias signify loveliness. Last year, I planted red, white, as well as pink varieties to add more winter interest to my garden.  My first Silver Waves bloom is such a beauty! Silver Waves was a seedling from an unspecified japonica variety and was introduced in 1970 by Nuccio’s Nursery of Altadena, California.

My brother Bill is in town from the Florida Keys. I invited him over to try out a Bobby Flay recipe of striped bass in a lobster broth. Being Bill, he asks, “Lobster broth, without lobster tails?” Being Bill, of course he showed up with the tails, mighty big ones I might add. I’ll try Flay’s striped bass next time.

So we went for a hike along the coast, checked out the aftermath of the major landslide that occurred in November, then cooked a dinner that was simple and easy to prepare yet had complex flavor pairings and was nothing short of extraordinary. My thanks to Bill and Bobby.

Your Next Lobster Tail Recipe

Sherry Cognac Lobster Broth

• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 small shallots, finely diced
• 1/4 c. sherry
• 1/4 c. cognac
• 3 c. lobster stock, homemade or store-bought
• 20 live Manila clams, scrubbed
• 3/4 c. frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley
• 1 T. chopped tarragon

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan, sauté shallot until soft. Add sherry and cognac, cook until evaporated. Add lobster stock, bring to a boil, and reduce slightly. Add clams, cover, and cook until clams open their shells. Discard clams that do not open. Using a slotted spoon, transfer clams to 2 large serving bowls and keep warm.

Add the corn to the broth and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes, then add the herbs. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, slice the lobster tail shell down the center, leaving the tail end intact. Pry open the shell and lift out the meat, close the shell and place the meat back on top of the shell. Brush with olive oil, and season with paprika, Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Cook under the broiler until the meat is just opaque, taking care not to overcook.

Ladle the hot lobster broth over the clams. Place a lobster tail in the center of each bowl. Garnish with parsley and tarragon. Serve with toasted baguette for sopping up the heavenly broth.

Photos taken on our hike with iphone instagram filter:

pacific coast, san pedro, california

catalina island view

sunset @ white point

This lobster recipe is the first in a five-part series over the next few months, where I cook from inspiration from the 5 cookbooks I was overjoyed to receive as Hanukkah/Christmas gifts in December:

• Bobby Flay – Bar Americain
• Stephanie Izard – Girl in the Kitchen
• Daniel Humm , Will Guidara – Eleven Madison Park
• David McMillan, Frederic Morin, Meredith Erickson – The Art of Living According to Joe Beef
• Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio – VOLT ink

Merci Beaucoup to Don, Kristy, FA, and Gary!

Mrs. Lee's Embroidered Tablecloth

Gina Lee tells her Korean Pancakes story:

“She was a fabulous cook. When Scott and I were first married she would often bring Korean dishes over to our house, including these wonderful savory pancakes. I would ask her: What is this? It’s so delicious.  I’m good at figuring out the ingredients in a dish.  What’s in the batter? Is it egg, or corn meal? I’m Italian, I thought about polenta…What makes it yellow?

But my mother-in-law would just smile.

Korean.

Pancakes.

I gave up trying to figure it out and just enjoyed them over the years. Fast forward, my husband made Korean pancakes at home as a test for our restaurant menu. And it was then I finally learned the secret. Mung beans? Mung beans and water. Really?”

Mung beans soaked in water then pureed in a blender produce an awesome mind-boggling pale yellow pancake batter.  No wonder my friend Gina was baffled for all those years. Kimchi juice adds a rich golden hue and the unique seasoning.

Dried Yellow Mung Beans

Scott Lee Teaches Us How to Make Korean Pancakes Bindaetteok

Rinse (dried, peeled) mung beans. Soak them in water for approximately 6 hours. Ladle beans into a blender with some of the soaking water and blend to a smooth consistency similar to pancake batter.

Julienne vegetables:

• zucchini
• yellow squash
• carrot
• leek
• mung bean sprout
• and tiny broccoli florets too

Heat a small amount of  vegetable oil in a non-stick sauté pan, add the vegetables and cook until lightly caramelized. Then add sliced cabbage kimchi and some of the kimchi liquid. Cook the kimchi another minute or so. Spread the vegetables evenly around the pan and ladle the mung bean batter over the vegetables. Tip the pan to spread out the batter. Cook until the bottom starts to brown. Add a bit more oil to the side of the pan and using a spatula, loosen the pancake. Flip the pancake and brown the other side.

We enjoyed our bindaetteok with a side of kimchi and a dipping sauce made with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. After Scott demonstrated making several pancakes, Gina and I took our turns practicing and perfecting bindaetteok. I’m especially grateful to Scott and Gina for the cooking lesson and the stories…what a fun and delicious way to spend the afternoon!

Later in the week when I was on my way to work, I took a detour to the Korean Market World located on Sepulveda Boulevard in search of Scott’s recommended brand of  kimchi, my cell phone rang.  It was my own mother who has recently retired in Las Vegas.

“Hi Ma, I think I’m part Korean.”

          “No Dear… your ancestry is English, German, Russian, and Romanian.”

“I know Ma, but nothing else can explain this kimchi emergency. And I’m addicted to bindaetteok.”

          “???”

My dear friends Scott & Gina Lee are the proprietors of Gina Lee’s Bistro in Redondo Beach, California. Their wildly popular neighborhood restaurant has been serving exceptional Cal-Asian cuisine nightly, Tuesday through Sunday, since 1996.

Gina Lee’s Bistro
211 Palos Verdes Blvd.
Redondo Beach, CA
310-375-4462

]]> http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/2012/01/enigmatic-korean-pancakes/feed/ 25 http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/2012/01/cinnamon-pate-for-banh-mi-canapes/ http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/2012/01/cinnamon-pate-for-banh-mi-canapes/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:06:29 +0000 Lori Lynn http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/?p=19080 Bánh Mì Canapés with Cinnamon Pâté Toasted Baguette, Chili Aïoli Pickled Daikon, Carrot & Cucumber Sliced Jalapeño, Cilantro Garnish "There's no reason to be intimidated by the idea of making pâté. You can just think of it as... Read more

Bánh Mì Canapés with Cinnamon Pâté
Toasted Baguette, Chili Aïoli
Pickled Daikon, Carrot & Cucumber
Sliced Jalapeño, Cilantro Garnish

“There’s no reason to be intimidated by the idea of making pâté.
You can just think of it as meat loaf.”
Julia Child

Our sage advice: Don’t wait for your next French or Vietnamese event to serve these canapés. In fact, they would most definitely be a hit at any gathering, perhaps even at your Superbowl Party?

Not only were we crazy about them as an appetizer on New Year’s Eve, we also thoroughly enjoyed them the next day at our New Year’s Day Brunch.

For our fabulous NYE French-Vietnamese Repas du Soir, we passed Bánh Mì Canapés and drank Champagne while we prepared the next five courses for dinner.

Banh Mi Canapés were the perfect introduction to our meal – a blend of French and Vietnamese cuisines. We took the wildly popular Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich and transformed it into a colorful, spicy, exotic canapé.

Cinnamon Pâté Recipe

• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 1/4 lb. lean ground pork
• 2 T. fish sauce
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 T. corn starch
• fresh ground pepper, a generous grinding

In a large bowl combine fish sauce, cinnamon, brown sugar, corn starch, and black pepper. Add ground beef and mix well. Fit beef mixture into a small loaf pan.

Take the ground pork and tuck it in along the middle of the beef mixture. This technique will give the pâté its jazzy two tone coloring. Compact and shape the meat into a smooth loaf, pressing down on the edges to form a slight dome shape. Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan, let come to room temperature before slicing.

While the pâté is cooking, thinly slice seedless cucumber and daikon. Use a vegetable peeler to slice thin strips of carrot. Place all three vegetables separately in a pickling liquid. They will be slightly crisp and perfectly pickled in less than an hour.

Mix Vietnamese chili garlic sauce with mayonnaise and extra minced garlic. Spread sauce on sliced toasted baguette. Top each slice of bread with pâté and pickled vegetables. Garnish with sliced jalapeño and cilantro.

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The Ultimate Vegetable Stir-Fry Tower
Pea Sprouts, Shiitake, Soybean Sprouts, Pickled Japanese Cucumber & Red Jalapeño
Chinese Chives, Tofu, Ginger, Cilantro
Over an Organic Short Grain Rice Timbale
With Three Psychedelic Sauces: Cilantro Juice, Chile Oil, Miso Sauce

JANUARY

Truffle Heaven Crostini

Fresh French Black Winter Truffle, Italian Truffle Cheese, Truffle Oil
with Shiitake and Frisée

FEBRUARY

cholesterol-free eggs benedict:

heart-healthy hollandaise
olive oil tarragon garlic poached tomato “egg yolk”
meatless canadian bacon
rustic whole grain toast with herb oil

MARCH

Lacquered Brisket of Beef

Anise Ginger Garlic Tamari Glaze
Served with Pickled Fennel

APRIL

Chicken Soup with Saffron Matzoh Balls

Beyond the beautiful rich color, these matzoh balls taste exotic, mysterious.
Do I dare serve these at Passover?

MAY

Gourmet Picnic

Spicy Cold Soba Noodles with Peanut, Scallion, and Cilantro
Radish, Tofu, Shiitake, Carrot, Cucumber, Edamame, Shrimp

JUNE

Hello Summer!
A Meal with Edible Flowers in Every Course

Baby Lettuce and Mache Salad with Meyer Lemon Wheels, Slivered Pistachios, Violas
Meyer Lemon Cream Dressing, Shallot, Thyme

JULY

8-layer farmers’ market fantasy

curried fresh carrot juice sauce with blanched okra & mitsuba
grilled green & yellow patty pan squash
sautéed spinach with sesame, garlic, soy sauce
crispy polenta cake
fire-roasted anaheim chile
fresh goat cheese & asatsuki
cumin dusted grilled beet
spicy smoky heirloom tomato & thai basil
roasted japanese eggplant, maldon smoked sea salt flakes

AUGUST

Wood-Fired Pizza & Pink Wine POOL PARTY

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.
When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore.

SEPTEMBER

Grilled Baja Fish Torta

Grilled Fresh Swordfish with Grilled Nopalitos, Pineapple, and Avocado
Caper Cumin Aioli, Pickled Jalapeño, Cilantro
On a Bolillo (Crusty Mexican Oval-Shaped Roll)

OCTOBER

An autumn affair! Oh, I am in love. He is fresh, sensuous, healthy, and playful.
He is simultaneously familiar and exotic; simple and complex.
His diverse tastes always reflect the season. And he is absolutely gorgeous.
He is New Nordic Cuisine. 

NOVEMBER

All GREEN Grilled Zucchini Tacos

Prickly Pear Cactus Tortillas
Butter Lettuce, Avocado, Shredded Green Cabbage, Cilantro, Serrano Chile
Lime Garlic Cilantro Sauce

DECEMBER

♡ heart-healthy olive oil oatmeal walnut cranberry blueberry raisin cookies ♡

Best Wishes for a Creative & Inspiring 2012!
Your friend, Lori Lynn

P.S. Feel free to share links to your favorite dishes of 2011.

Best friends, great memories, stellar food – that’s how we celebrate the New Year! The old gang is together again, this time we take A Trip To Little Saigon & cook a NYE Repas du Soir together! My old dear friends, dating back to our restaurant days in the 80′s, are visiting for the holidays.

It was Tori’s idea to spend the day in Little Saigon. Eating lunch, laughing, taking photos, getting massages, and shopping. It was her idea that led to the inspiration to cook French/Vietnamese for dinner. We picked up authentic ingredients for our repas du soir and returned to my home in LA in the late afternoon to drink Champagne and create a six-course meal together.

The dinner table was pre-set in a casually elegant Southeast Asian style with orchids, bamboo, and the color red to symbolize wealth and prosperity. We cranked up the holiday music and started cooking; everyone participated in the creation, photography, prep, and execution of the menu. We had a blast!

I had no intention of submitting this outing for the Foodbuzz 24X24 event until I read that the folks over at Foodbuzz were interested to see how Featured Publishers would be spending the last day of 2011. We had terrific culinary/cultural plans that turned out to be a fantastic way to ring in the New Year.

Extending a very special thank you to my friends FA, Al, Kirk, Tori, and Tom for your love & friendship and sense of humor & adventure! Thank you to Foodbuzz for choosing A Trip to Little Saigon & The NYE Repas du Soir as a participant in December’s 24×24 event. Foodbuzz 24×24 showcases posts from 24 Foodbuzz Featured Publisher bloggers, highlighting unique meals occurring around the globe during a 24-hour period.

Little Saigon, Orange County, California

There are several Little Saigon’s in the US but none as old or large as the one in Orange County, California.

After a pit stop at Tapioca Express for Bubble Tea, we were ready for our massage. Bubble (or Boba) tea is a unique drink which originated in Taiwan, with gummy balls made of sweet potato, cassava root and brown sugar. The balls settle at the bottom of the hot or cold tea, or smoothie and are slurped up with an over-sized straw. Flavor choices range from fruity  to exotic, sweet, and even sour.

Tapioca Express
9922 Bolsa Ave. Westminster, California
714-839-3655

We all give kudos and thanks to Tori and Tom for arranging our one-hour massage. The rest of us had never experienced this type of massage. It is a fully-clothed full-body massage. We were all in the same room together, a terrific group event. And we were all relaxed, happy, and a bit sore (in a good way) when were were handed our tiny cup of tea at the end. Ready to greet the New Year!

Olala Reflexology
9950 Bolsa Ave. Westminster, California
714-775-8588

 Vietnamese Lunch in Little Saigon

Luc Dinh Ky
9812 Bolsa Ave. Westminster, California
714-839-6813

#24 House Special Meat & Shrimp Soup, Rice Noodle

Theresa, the delightful owner of the Olala Reflexology recommended that we have lunch at Luc Dinh Ky, and gave us her list of top dishes. We took her advice 100% and were pleasantly surprised. Meat & Shrimp Soup with Rice Noodles, Hot Pot Rice with Salmon, House Special Chow Fun, Chinese Vegetable with Beef, Deep Fried Tofu, House Special Fried Rice…

#38 House Special Chow Fun

In addition to the great food, being restaurant alumni, we were also super-impressed with the service. This has got to be the fastest service we have ever had. No sooner that we finished ordering the last dish, the first dish was practically on the table.

We had tea to accompany our meal…Champagne and terrific wines to come later in the evening.

After the Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, a huge wave of Vietnamese refugees settled in the United States with the largest concentration in Westminster, California. Little Saigon evolved when many refugees were airlifted to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, stayed and settled in the area because of the climate and the prospect of reunions with friends. But many lacked American job skills and command of the language, and had few options to make a living. Except, many could cook! And they did. Opening hundreds of successful restaurants in Westminster and Garden Grove since the mid 1970′s.

Shopping in Little Saigon

This three-square-mile area is the home of more than 4000 Vietnamese-American businesses. Huge shopping centers and strip malls offer a range of ethnic boutiques, orchid florists, bakeries, cafés, Phở shops and high-end restaurants, fresh handmade tofu stores, jewelry stores, and large and small food markets, and more.

We, or course, love the supermarkets where the selection of herbs is unparalleled.

Historic Sources:
The Little Saigon Cookbook by Ann Le
Westminster Chamber of Commerce

The New Year’s Eve Repas du Soir

Le Menu

Banh Mi Canapés
Summer Rolls
Spring Rolls
Hot Rock Soup
Black Cod en Papillote
Vol-au-Vent, Coconut Sorbet

There are more than 700 orchid species found in Vietnam. Cymbidiums thrive in cooler areas and some of the Northern provinces.

When it was time to sit down to dinner, Kirk lit a fire in the fireplace and moved the huge cymbidium orchids to the coffee table.

Course #1 Appetizer
Banh Mi Canapés

Banh Mi Canapés were the perfect introduction to our meal – blend of French and Vietnamese cuisines. The French introduced the baguette during colonization. Here we take the popular Banh Mi sandwich and serve it as a canapé.

Cinnamon Meatloaf

The beef and pork meatloaf is flavored with fish sauce, cinnamon, sugar and black pepper.

Al spread chili aioli on toasted baguette then topped it with a couple slices of super-thinly sliced cinnamon meatloaf.

Banh Mi Canapés

Pickled daikon/cucumber/carrot, fresh jalapeño, and cilantro are placed atop the meatloaf. This canapé was fabulous – colorful, spicy, exotic. UPDATE: Full recipe now posted here.

Course #2 Salad
Summer Rolls

For our fresh salad-y course we all make our own summer rolls in the family room. We’ve set out all the ingredients, and six plates with (a non-traditional) soy dipping sauce made with soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, seasoned rice wine vinegar. I’m fortunate to have 2 large dining tables. The one in the family room was used to prep this meal and is where we composed the summer and spring rolls.

• Spring Roll Wrappers/Water to Soften/ Clean Dish Towels
• Red Leaf Lettuce
• Cellophane Noodles
• Shopped Peanuts
• Julienne Carrot, Cucumber, & Scallion
• Mung Bean Sprouts
• Cilantro, Mint, Rau Que (basil), Rau Ram (Vietnamese coriander)

Summer Rolls, Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

Course #3 “Fried” Salad
Spring Rolls

The next course is spring rolls which we deep-fried in the little fryer out on the patio. The ingredients are similar to the summer rolls but we add the main ingredient, a pork-shrimp mixture. Cooked minced pork/shrimp is seasoned with the ginger/garlic/chili coconut sauce (recipe follows).

Everyone created their rolls then took them outside on the patio to fry.

Spring Rolls, Rau Ram, Nuoc Cham

The traditional Nuoc Cham sauce was served with the spring rolls. Combine 1/2 c. warm water with 2 T. sugar, 1 minced garlic clove, 3 T. fish sauce and 2 T. fresh lime juice. The fried roll is then nestled in a large lettuce leaf with fresh herbs – mint, cilantro, rau que, and rau ram and dipped in nuoc cham.

Course #4 Soup
Hot Rock Soup with Rib-Eye, Aromatic Broth

I had been wanting to make a variation of Hot Rock soup for months. I sent the river rocks through the dishwasher several times just to be safe! Our idea was to combine an aromatic lemongrass-ginger chicken stock with light vegetables, and a small piece of prime thin-sliced rib-eye cooked on a hot rock in the middle of the bowl of soup.

Heat rocks in a 400° oven. Drape a piece of rib-eye over each rock. Place rock in a heat-proof soup bowl and scatter with vegetables such as mushrooms, julienne carrots and zucchini.

Ladle broth around the rock.

Hot Rock Soup: Rib-eye, Lemongrass-Ginger Broth

The beef is cooking on the rock, and the rock is keeping the soup hot. By the time the soup bowls hit the table the beef is perfectly cooked. Garnish with fresh herbs. This soup made a light and whimsical course.

Course #5 Fish
Black Cod in Papillote, Ginger Garlic Chile Coconut Sauce, Fresh Herbs

We made the ginger/garlic/chili coconut sauce to top the fish and also as a seasoning for the spring rolls pork/shrimp mixture. Combine minced ginger, garlic, and green chili in a mortar, grind with pestle. Add fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Use the pestle again to grind all the ingredients together into a rough paste. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in coconut milk.

Cut parchment paper into large hearts. Place fresh herbs, such as cilantro, mint, rau ram, and rau que, in the center of each half heart. Top with a 6 oz. fresh black cod fillet. Place a couple tablespoons of the coconut sauce over the fish. Dust with a pinch of ground star anise.

Bake at 400°F on baking sheets until cooked through. I didn’t realize it until I saw this photo, but the fish course was ready to serve exactly at 11:00 PM, perfect timing for our NYE celebration!!

Black Cod en Papillote - Ginger, Garlic, Chile, Coconut Sauce

Serve the Cod en Papillote with steamed white rice and fresh herbs.

Course #6 Dessert
Vol-Au-Vent with Coconut Sorbet, Fresh Fruit, Chiffonade of Shiso

Cut puff pastry into rounds with cookie-cutter. Use a smaller cutter to cut half-way through the pastry to make a hat. Bake until golden brown.

Vol-Au-Vent, Coconut Sorbet, Fruit, Shiso

Fill pastry shell with coconut sorbet. Serve with assorted colorful fruits and a chiffonade of shiso.

Happy New Year! Bonne année et bonne santé! Chúc Mừng Nǎm Mới 

New Year’s Day Fabulous Leftovers Brunch

Le Menu

Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne
Banh Mi Canapés (again, yay)
Fresh Fruit (leftover from dessert course)
Panini (bacon, saint andré, cambozola)
Fried Rice (made with leftover rice, rib-eye, and mushrooms)

Krug Grande Cuvée – intense and complex. This is the Champagne to drink with brunch on New Year’s Day! Golden in color with a creamy texture, slightly fruity, with flavors and aromas of hazelnuts and toast.

“Happy New Year to you, our dear friends, who manage to remain so close to our hearts over the space of time, distance and life changes.”

“Thank you for a wonderful visit, as always. You have comfy accommodations and the best of everything!”

“So, in this new year we send you our love and thanks for your long and valued friendship, and our hopes that your new year brings all of what you wish for and nothing unwanted.”

“Thanks again for your warm hospitality!”

“Thanks for sharing your lovely, warm and beautiful home with us. What fun it was to spend time cooking, eating, and sharing with such wonderful life-long friends.  Your gracious hospitality made it a very special time and the memories and pictures will continue to warm my heart and soul for a long time. Happy New Year!”

 Thank you!
Wishing you all a Delicious and Dazzling 2012!

This simple preparation of Black Cod is a welcome respite between all the rich lavish holiday foods. Wild-caught locally, off the coast of Santa Barbara, this species is relatively abundant and harvested with methods that cause little damage to habitat and other marine life. The cod needs only to be seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked over high heat with olive oil to let the fabulous textures of crisp skin and silky flesh with a buttery flavor shine through.

The bok choy cooking method is equally straightforward. Flavored with ginger, soy, sesame, and  a bit of brown sugar – the braising liquid infuses the vegetable with umami flavors, a hint of sweetness and a note of ginger spiciness. This cod & bok choy make a delightful pair, especially when one is in the mood for a clean and uncomplicated yet satisfying meal.

Crispy-Skin Black Cod Recipe

Rinse two 6 oz. pieces of fresh black cod then dry well with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and season with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Heat a non-stick, oven-proof pan over high heat. Add olive oil, then sprinkle a bit of coarse salt over the oil. When the oil is hot, add the fillets, skin-side down. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin is crispy. Turn over the fish and finish cooking in a 425° oven for about 4 minutes. Serve immediately, skin-side up.

Ginger Braised Baby Bok Choy Recipe

Slice 3 baby bok choy in half lengthwise, rinse very well. In a pan large enough to hold the bok choy flat, bring 1/2 c. water to a boil along with 2 t. olive oil, 1 t. toasted sesame oil, 1 T. soy sauce, 2 t. brown sugar, and several strips of fresh ginger. Place the bok choy in the liquid, cut side down. Cover, lower the heat, and cook until the bok choy is tender, about 5 minutes.

Serve the bok choy on a platter with the cut-side up. Ladle braising liquid over the top.

Time the vegetable so the fish can be served immediately, retaining its hot crackling skin. Serve with a bowl of simple steamed rice on the side.

A handful of diminutive garlic chive blossoms brings the dish to life, embellishing the basic preparation with a kiss of beauty and joy.

Extending my Best Wishes to You
For a Beautiful and Joyful 2012!