toastykitten (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
toastykitten) wrote2007-01-15 09:04 am
toastykitten) wrote2007-01-15 09:04 am
Entry tags:
foodie weekend
This weekend has unintentionally become a total foodie weekend. Mark's sister and her friend had come up to visit, and their trip became really shopping-intensive, as they could not resist the allure of the new Bloomingdale's.
On Friday, we had dinner at The House, which came with high recommendations fromangeeela and good reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately, while the food we had was excellent, the service was not. Mark's sister had to send something back because she couldn't taste anything but the wasabi, and the waitress came back and argued with her. It's not like she ate the entire plate and said she didn't want it anymore. She took one bite, maybe two and could barely breathe after that from the spiciness. It's not just that, but she wouldn't leave us alone and just kept standing there, lecturing her about how she shouldn't order spicy things if she can't handle it. It was really unpleasant.
Maybe we'll go back if we can somehow guarantee we're not served by that waitress.
Today, to complete our foodie weekend, we are making a stab at roast duck, from Ming Tsai's cookbook. Wish us luck.
On Friday, we had dinner at The House, which came with high recommendations from
angeeela and good reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately, while the food we had was excellent, the service was not. Mark's sister had to send something back because she couldn't taste anything but the wasabi, and the waitress came back and argued with her. It's not like she ate the entire plate and said she didn't want it anymore. She took one bite, maybe two and could barely breathe after that from the spiciness. It's not just that, but she wouldn't leave us alone and just kept standing there, lecturing her about how she shouldn't order spicy things if she can't handle it. It was really unpleasant.Maybe we'll go back if we can somehow guarantee we're not served by that waitress.
Saturday I spent at home with my parents, and we looked at a bunch of China pictures that my sister got developed. I look horrible in all of them. I really liked how our village pictures turned out, though I haven't talked about that portion of the trip because I can't figure out what parts I do want to tell, and what parts I don't. I really don't want to get into the people my parents were staying with, because I can't think of them as relatives, even if my parents refer to them as such. Their presence has resulted in so many family fights that I don't want to rehash it. I don't know most of the people I saw. Some of them my dad didn't even recognize. (He hadn't seen some people in thirty years, but some of his former students came up to him and remembered him.) I really liked finding out more about my parents, though - like that my dad was not just a teacher, he also helped people in the village write letters, and did all sorts of things. It was also a little bit sad, too - I think in twenty years, there will probably not be much of either village left - old people dying off, the young ones moving on into the bigger cities (or America if they're lucky), and farm workers from the North coming to take over the farm work. And then who will visit our ancestors' gravesites?
For Saturday dinner Mark and I cooked for the girls. We decided to use our cookbooks more, since we have somehow acquired a ton of them. From my Fine Cooking magazines, Mark seared some rib-eye steaks, and I made "smashed red potatoes". The girls wanted to make something, too, so we had them make a simple recipe from Jacques Pepin's book - asparagus sauteed with butter and shallots. It turned out very yummy.
Sunday morning we made them pancakes and bacon. I think I was the only one who had two pieces of bacon. What can I say? I LOVE bacon. Then we drove them up to yes, Bloomingdale's again. They didn't stay in Bloomingdale's, but they went shopping in other parts of Union Square. Mark and I decided to explore the other parts of the new mall. We ate downstairs at the new food court, which is really nice. You get served on real silverware and everything. I got a Green Apple Freeze from Teaz, and Mark got a plate of spicy pork from the Korean restaurant. It was actually pretty delicious for mall food - goodbye Panda Express! I went into a few clothing stores and then came back out of them when I realized that even at 50% off I'd still be paying $75 for a turtleneck sweater. *sigh* However, there is an awesome tea store, and a couple of really nice Japanese stationery stores. I made myself not buy anything, though, because today we are going to Daiso today.
Then I suggested going to Rasputin, which of course Mark liked. So we trekked up there and browsed for about an hour. Mark got Lord of War and something else. I got nothing!
For Saturday dinner Mark and I cooked for the girls. We decided to use our cookbooks more, since we have somehow acquired a ton of them. From my Fine Cooking magazines, Mark seared some rib-eye steaks, and I made "smashed red potatoes". The girls wanted to make something, too, so we had them make a simple recipe from Jacques Pepin's book - asparagus sauteed with butter and shallots. It turned out very yummy.
Sunday morning we made them pancakes and bacon. I think I was the only one who had two pieces of bacon. What can I say? I LOVE bacon. Then we drove them up to yes, Bloomingdale's again. They didn't stay in Bloomingdale's, but they went shopping in other parts of Union Square. Mark and I decided to explore the other parts of the new mall. We ate downstairs at the new food court, which is really nice. You get served on real silverware and everything. I got a Green Apple Freeze from Teaz, and Mark got a plate of spicy pork from the Korean restaurant. It was actually pretty delicious for mall food - goodbye Panda Express! I went into a few clothing stores and then came back out of them when I realized that even at 50% off I'd still be paying $75 for a turtleneck sweater. *sigh* However, there is an awesome tea store, and a couple of really nice Japanese stationery stores. I made myself not buy anything, though, because today we are going to Daiso today.
Then I suggested going to Rasputin, which of course Mark liked. So we trekked up there and browsed for about an hour. Mark got Lord of War and something else. I got nothing!
Today, to complete our foodie weekend, we are making a stab at roast duck, from Ming Tsai's cookbook. Wish us luck.
Smashed Red Potatoes:
Smashed red potatoes are fairly simple - use 12-15 baby red potatoes and boil with water until easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain, and place the potatoes on some towels. Use the side of the towel to smash each potato flat. Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet, salt generously, and bake for about 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway. Serve hot.
Mark's Mom's Middle Eastern Roast Chicken Legs Recipe
Ingredients are approximate: 4 chicken legs, 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup vinegar (we kept omitting this part, and it really makes a huge difference), lots of peeled garlic (it's really your preference - if you're the type who's like "we have food with our garlic", then go ahead, go crazy, if not, about 5 cloves will do), 2-3 yellow onions, sliced thinly, extra-virgin olive oil (lots of it), allspice, paprika, and potatoes (optional) - if you're using potatoes, use about 2-3 russet potatoes and peel and dice into 1inch cubes.
Wash chicken thoroughly. You don't want salmonella, do you? Place chicken somewhere flat so you can salt and pepper. Mark and I usually do this together so that one of us can spice the chicken while the other person rubs in the spices. So salt and pepper the chicken. Add paprika and allspice - lots of it. Combine the chicken with the lemon juice, vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil and marinate for about half an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, season potatoes generously with salt, pepper, olive oil, allspice and paprika.
You can either use the chicken and potatoes in the same pan/casserole dish, or use separate dishes to roast the potatoes and chicken in. Place the chicken in one, and potatoes in the other. Make sure dishes are sufficiently covered in olive oil, so that nothing will burn while cooking. Spread onions evenly among both potatoes and chicken. Cover the chicken with foil, and place potatoes and chicken in the oven. We found it makes for a crispier skin when you put them skin side down first. Bake for about an hour and fifteen minutes. About halfway through, remove the foil, and flip the chicken and potatoes. Put back in oven and bake until ready.
If you're new at cooking chicken, check the temperature with a food thermometer. I forget what it is. Anyway, don't dry out the meat, though. The chicken should come out really tender, and about to fall off the bone. Serve hot.
Smashed red potatoes are fairly simple - use 12-15 baby red potatoes and boil with water until easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain, and place the potatoes on some towels. Use the side of the towel to smash each potato flat. Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet, salt generously, and bake for about 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway. Serve hot.
Mark's Mom's Middle Eastern Roast Chicken Legs Recipe
Ingredients are approximate: 4 chicken legs, 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup vinegar (we kept omitting this part, and it really makes a huge difference), lots of peeled garlic (it's really your preference - if you're the type who's like "we have food with our garlic", then go ahead, go crazy, if not, about 5 cloves will do), 2-3 yellow onions, sliced thinly, extra-virgin olive oil (lots of it), allspice, paprika, and potatoes (optional) - if you're using potatoes, use about 2-3 russet potatoes and peel and dice into 1inch cubes.
Wash chicken thoroughly. You don't want salmonella, do you? Place chicken somewhere flat so you can salt and pepper. Mark and I usually do this together so that one of us can spice the chicken while the other person rubs in the spices. So salt and pepper the chicken. Add paprika and allspice - lots of it. Combine the chicken with the lemon juice, vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil and marinate for about half an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, season potatoes generously with salt, pepper, olive oil, allspice and paprika.
You can either use the chicken and potatoes in the same pan/casserole dish, or use separate dishes to roast the potatoes and chicken in. Place the chicken in one, and potatoes in the other. Make sure dishes are sufficiently covered in olive oil, so that nothing will burn while cooking. Spread onions evenly among both potatoes and chicken. Cover the chicken with foil, and place potatoes and chicken in the oven. We found it makes for a crispier skin when you put them skin side down first. Bake for about an hour and fifteen minutes. About halfway through, remove the foil, and flip the chicken and potatoes. Put back in oven and bake until ready.
If you're new at cooking chicken, check the temperature with a food thermometer. I forget what it is. Anyway, don't dry out the meat, though. The chicken should come out really tender, and about to fall off the bone. Serve hot.