Christmas Dinner

A super nice, long Christmas Eve dinner at Mamie's. Sure was a lot of work but I had three sous chefs: toon, pops and tophe.

• Three dozen oysters & mignonette sauce
• White asparagus with mashed mint & butter sauce
• Mirin- and soy-marinated salmon eggs on blini with creme fraiche
• White crab, grapefruit & truffle vinaigrette
• Madagascan prawns & home-made wasabi mayonnaise 
• Scallop, celeriac puree & chanterelles
• Pumpkin veloute & hazelnut crunch
• Pine cone home-smoked salmon & sweet pickled cucumbers
• Spaghettini with scallops & black trumpet mushrooms
• Jerusalem artichoke soup & duck confit 
• Foie gras & Pic's rhubarb-tarragon compote
• Assorted cheeses & Loupiac 

Carpaccio & Wasabi Remoulade

Stumbling across this in an old Jason Atherton cookbook. Irresistible and need to make it soon.

marbled ribeye
1 1/2 tbsp EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
1-2 tsp wasabi paste
2 tblsp brown mustard seeds

wasabi remoulade  
1 small celeriac
1 1/2 tsp maldon sea salt
1 1/2 tsp wasabi, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp mirin
2 egg yolks
1 tsp dry English mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
250 ml groundnut oil

1. trim beef to a neat log of even thickness througout; heat frying pan and add EVOO; season beef, sear one minute on each side until brown
2. remove beef and let cool, rub over wasabi paste
3. tip mustard seeds on a tray, roll beef in seeds to coat, then wrap in double layer of cling film; freeze 1-2 hours until beef is firm
4. shred celeriac into thin strips; toss with salt and let degorge; rinse and squeeze out excess liquid; pat dry
5. for mayonnaise, put wasabi, yolks, mustard and soy sauce into food processor slowly adding oil, season 
6. add mayo to celeriac, stir in
7. remove beef from freezer, unwrap and slice into wafer thin slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, serve with wasabi remoulade, and toasted foccacia

Saltimbocca Alla Romana

I've made this many times but this one was special. Thanks to pops for a DVD of an old 1980s cooking tour of Italy, I got a first-hand look at how a local trattoria in the middle of Lazio makes a good saltimbocca. Serve with spinach or swiss chard, and Tuscan potatoes.

veal scaloppine
prosciutto san daniele
sage
white wine
butter
00 flour
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
EVOO

1. lay out veal, place 1 or 2 sage leaves on top depending on size 
2. lay over prosciutto and fasten with toothpick, which should pierce sage to hold in place
3. put plates and serving plate in oven to warm
4. drizzle EVOO into a large pan
5. sprinkle salt into the pan
6. dust the veal generously with flour
7. put them in the pan, then turn on the heat
8. saute one side until starting to turn golden
9. turn over, wait about 30 seconds
10. cut up some cold butter, dip into flour and then into the pan with the veal
11. while the butter is still trying to melt, pour in a couple small glasses of white wine
12. saute for about 2 minutes as sauce thickens
13. remove plates from oven, slide scaloppines on serving plate, adorn with some fresh sage leaves

Tonight's Dinner

A great dinner with the McNabs before their return to Melbourne. They will be missed, but looking forward to some good coffee there soon.

• bresaola, smoked mozzarella & carottes rapees
• tagliolini Assagi with 7 herbs & crushed walnuts
• a killer saltimbocca alla romana
• sides of sauteed rainbow swiss chard and tuscan potatoes (i.e., lots of rosemary and garlic)

Cotechino Ravioli & Lentils

A twist on the wonderful cotechino and lentil holiday dish.

1 pasta for ravioli
1 cotechino
ricotta
parmesan
1 egg
1 cup lentils
very finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, courgette
minced garlic
3 cup broth
half cup white wine
1 bay leaf
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
3 tblsp chopped tinned tomatoes
minced parsely

1. make lentil sauce by first sauteing the veggies and bay leaf then garlic
2. once translucent, add lentils, tomatoes, white wine
3. let wine evaporate a bit before adding stock and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until lentils are soft
4. put a couple tblsp of lentils aside, remove bay leaf, blitz the remaining lentils until smooth; should be a smooth sauce
5. make stuffing by breaking up the cotechino into small pieces, fold in ricotta, egg, salt and pepper; add parmesan so that stuffing is relatively dry
6. make pasta until you reach the 7 setting
7. make ravioli
8. heat lentil sauce, boil ravioli until 3/4 done
9. combine with lentil sauce, heat through some more
10. serve on heated plates with more parmesan, sprinkle of parsley

Celeriac Miso Veloute

I only had a celeriac and some onions, and it was a good opportunity to make use of my miso too. I think the pistachios are a nice touch.

1 celeriac
1 white onion
1 tblsp miso
chopped pistachios
EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
good quality chicken stock

1. saute onions and celeriac in EVOO
2. add miso, then stock
3. whiz hard
4. serve in a tea cup with a drizzle of EVOO and pistachios 

Sea Urchin Bottarga Spaghetti

A recipe from the friendly Brit chef at Cepe in Beijing. He kindly explained his method of making seafood pasta. The trick for him is using crushed shallots and garlic marinated in EVOO overnight. When this hits the hot pan, it simply melts. It also helps to emulsify the sauce being prepared. Love it.

crushed garlic
crushed shallots
minced anchovies
clam broth
fish broth
fresh sea urchin
fresh bottarga

1. prepare home-made clam and fish broth ahead of time; note that the clam broth is made with white wine
2. boil spaghetti
3. saute garlic, shallots and anchovies, add clam broth to emulsify; add just a bit of fish sauce to taste
4. drain pasta when done, reserving a bit of pasta water
5. add pasta to pan, along with pasta water
6. stir on high heat until pasta is well coated
7. grate bottarga over pasta, stir very quickly and serve into heated bowls
8. put a spoonful of sea urchin atop each serving

Chicken, Mayo & Anchovies

From Ben O'Donaghue. These are the flavors I love and I'd like to make this as soon as I can. He calls it poached chicken and tuna mayo salad, but it's basically a chicken tonnato. I've had veal and squid tonnato, so why not chicken too?

1 whole best quality chicken
2 spare ribs or pork bones
handful parsley stalks
4 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
1 tsp black peppercorn
maldon sea salt
500 gr new potatoes
8 anchovy fillets
2 tbls tiny capers
celery leaves
parsley leaves
tarragon vinegar

Tonnato
1 tin Italian tuna
3 egg yolks
1 lemon
500 ml EVOO
ground black pepper
maldon sea salt

1. wash & trim chicken of excess fat, place in pot; cover with cold water then add pork bones, parsley stalks, shallots, garlic, pricked chilli, salt and peppercorns
2. bring to simmer for five minutes, turn off
3. let stand one hour
4. remove chicken from pot and plunge into ice water to cool (reserve chicken stock for another dish)
5. make tonnato; make mayo first using eggs, EVOO and lemon; blend tuna and EVOO, fold in mayo
6. cook potatoes in salted water until tender, drain immediately and cut in half
7. dress with EVOO, splash of tarragon vinegar, add capers; keep salad warm
8. when salad ready to serve, toss the potatoes with parsley and celery leaves
9. to serve, pick the meat from the chicken, discarding the skin
10. arrange breast and thigh meat on a large white plate with the potato salad, dress with lashings of tuna mayo
11. garnish with anchovy fillets and more parsley and celery leaves

Hazelnut Torte & Zabaione

I don't have the recipe at hand, but will make a River Cafe hazelnut torte, and have Michelle make her zabaione, with a dash of white wine.

hazelnut torte
zabaione

1. make the hazelnut torte
2. when still relatively warm, make the zabaione and drizzle over the torte before serving

Crisp Apple & Bagna Cauda

Watching a Gary Rhodes in Italy re-run, in Piedmonte. They were eating bagna cauda with cardoon, but then finished it off with a nice crisp Golden Delicious. Just sounds wonderful.

Golden Delicious

Bagna Cauda

1. make a bagna cauda with oil, garlic and anchovies
2. keep apples cool, then when needed peel, core and quarter
3. put a bowl of apples on the table, with a bowl of bagna cauda and dip in

Oxtail & Membrillo

From Bilbao in Barcelona. Haven't been there but reading about it in the Nicolas Lander column. I can easily use my oxtail recipe here, and adorn it with best quality membrillo.

oxtail recipe (see Braised Whole Oxtail, November 2009)
membrillo

1. make oxtail
2. roughly scoop some membrillo onto a plate with oxtail

Green Olives & Anchovies

The amazing appetizer that awaits you upon arrival at Sense Pressa in Barcelona. Actually never been there but this is what I read. Can you think of anything more simple or beautiful? Preferably on a white plate, with anchovies laid on top of the olives. And a glass of cold white wine, and some crisp baguette.

best quality chilled brined green olives
best quality chilled anchovies

1. put olives on a white plate
2. lay anchovies on top
3. serve
4. this wasn't really a recipe

Non-Chinese HK Picks

A few non-Chinese places that I like in Hong Kong, to be updated regularly.

• Mandarin Grill (modern European)*
• The Principal (modern European)*
• St Betty's (modern European)
• Domani (modern Italian)
• Brickhouse (authentic Mexican)
• Mesa 15 (Spanish tapas)
• Joel Rebouchon (modern French)***
• Amber (modern European)**
• L'Altro (modern Italian)*
• 22 Ships (Spanish tapas)
• Wagyu Kaiseki (Japanese)*
• 208 (Pizza)
• The Chinnery (Gastropub)
• Yardbird (modern Japanese)

Top Picks for Champagne

Hoping to update this periodically as I come across the irresistible bubbly.

• Vve Fourny & Fils (Vertus): Blanc de Blancs, Premier Cru. Minerally with a long and refreshing finish. The Champagne of choice at the 2011 Nobel Prize dinner!

Maria Nava's Risi

I had the pleasure of meeting Maria Nava Rondolino from Acquerello at the Hong Kong Wine & Dine festival. Since she is arguably Italy's rice queen, I asked how she best likes to eat the 7-year aged rice for which they are famous. The un-hulled rice, immediately after harvest, is stored in temperature-controlled silos and aged from at least 1 year and up to 7 years. This allows the starch in the grain to completely mature while improving its taste and ability to retain starch, absorbing more cooking liquids, giving it an excellent al dente texture. She said that in order to appreciate the taste and integrity of the rice, to follow th following recipe (alternatively she said combine the boiled rice in a bowl of gorgonzola, season, stir and eat).

1 cup of rice
butter
parmesan
lemon rind
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper

1. cook the rice as you would pasta, i.e., boil water adding salt only once it's boiling
2. add rice and cook for 13 minutes
3. put some butter, parmesan and lemon rind in a bowl
4. drain rice and put into bowl with other ingredients, stir
5. season with more salt and pepper if you like

Tonight's Dinner

A dinner into the wee hours with the Mendelsohns. I had fun with the retro aperitivo.

• mortadella, scamorza and olive on a toothpick
• baby squid & persillade crostini with aioli
• san daniele and apple salad
• ossobuco and risotto Milanese, gremolata
• mozzarella & fennel salad
• Michelle's prune & oloroso sherry ice cream

Foie Gras & Hazelnut Sauce

From Hong Kong's 3-star Italian restaurant, Otto e Mezzo (I believe the only 3-star Italian restaurant outside of Italy). Nice establishment and people although in my humble opinion the food certainly isn't 3-star. But this dish was fab. Talking to the amiable chef Bomba, he nicely spelled out the recipe for me, proudly proclaiming what a match in heaven foie gras and hazelnuts is, and I couldn't agree more.

foie gras du canard
light chicken stock
dark chicken stock
reduced marsala
balsamic vinegar
hazelnuts

1. toast hazelnuts, remove a few and chop finely
2. warm the stocks, combine with other ingredients except the balsamic
3. blitz and pass through a sieve
4. warm gently, add just a bit of balsamic vinegar to taste
5. the sauce shouldn't be like a puree nor should it be runny
6. pour sauce into small warmed bowl
7. sautee the foie gras, place in sauce, and sprinkle some chopped hazelnuts around 

Tonight's Dinner

Actually not tonight's but last week's dinner in London with Etroys, Maurins, Letondots and Anne-Emmanuelle. Casual and relaxed, including some current favorites.

• Carottes Rapees & Speck
• Celeri Remoulade & Smoked Salmon Filet
• Buffalo Mozarella & Marinated Fennel Salad
• Haricots Vert and Shredded Ham Hock Salad
• Boudin Blanc, Pommes Flambees & Mustardy Vinaigrette
• Jerusalem Artichoke Puree, Seared Scallops & Morcilla
• Cheese & Caramelized Onions
• Chocolate Cake, Orange Salad & Single Cream (from the ladies)

Dressed Castelfranco

Tonight I decided that castelfranco is probably my favorite radicchio. Somewhere between a traditional radicchio and crispy lettuce, it has just the right balance between sweet and bitter. Dinner at Domani tonight was special because they invited guest chef Jacob Kennedy from London's Boca di Lupo, one of my favorites. Andrea the chef introduced me to Jacob, I mentioned to him that I used to buy castelfranco from Gelupo, the store next door to his restaurant in London. Once the veal tartare and truffle was served, chef Jacob surprised me with a lovely castelfranco salad to accompany the suckling pig, grapes and chestnuts. This is the way he made it.

castelfranco leaves
best quality EVOO
best quality balsamic
toasted young peeled almonds (or hazelnuts)
maldon sea salt
ground pepper

1. make vinaigrette, toss with castelfranco
2. roughly chop almonds, sprinkle over salad

Tonight's Dinner

A casual dinner with the girls tonight: Alice visiting from London, Virginie from Geneva and the wife. A lovely time had by all.

• bresaola bombs
• leek vinaigrette David
• carrottes rappees and mimolette cubes
• cured cucumbers, yoghurt & dill
• tarragon & cornichon celeri remoulade, smoked salmon
• parmesan polenta & foie gras d'oie
• Virginie's Mandarin Oriental cheese cake

Paris Observations

A few places that pleased this last trip.

• Camelia (1st): Guy Martin's bistro at the Mandarin, absolutely perfect for a summer day as there is a quiet terrace in the courtyard of the hotel. Highlights were an open ravioli with dressed turtle meat, a squid ink orzo with a lemongrass and ginger emulsion and braised summer greens.
• Les Boquinistes (6th): a Guy Savoy bistrot on the Quai des Grands Augustins, a good standby and bargain if in the neighborhood and craving a table with a view. Our meal wasn't extraordinary but very good quality. Best dish was an amuse bouche of cold pea soup and whipped almond cream.
• Brasserie Thoumieux (7th): a pleasant surprise; what used to be a tired old brasserie and hotel is now the bistrot of Jean-Francoise Piege's (ex-Crillion and Ducasse) more elaborate two star restaurant upstairs. Thoumieux focuses on comfort food, including a unique calamari carbonara which I will reproduce soon, essentially a spaghetti carbonara replacing the pasta with long slices of squid. Michelle had an Asian-inspired broth with cod, cilantro and tiny cubes of foie gras. Unexpected and fun. The dessert of banana, vacherin glace and lime foam was also fresh and fun.

Pea & Almond Cream Veloute

Had this at Les Bouquinistes in Paris, one of Guy Savoy's bistrots. A rather unremarkable meal overall but this little amuse bouche was impressive. This is roughly what I made out the chef to make in his tiny and noisy kitchen.

fresh or frozen peas
chicken broth
white onion
maldon sea salt
ground pepper
single cream
almond essence

1. make a pea veloute using all above ingredients except whipping cream and almond essence. Pass through a sieve a couple times so that it is nice and smooth, refrigerate.
2. make whipped cream using the latter two ingredients, refrigerate
3. fill a tea cup with pea veloute, then add a nice dollop of the almond cream and serve

Fleischwurst & Munster Salad

Loving this. The result of my visit to the fridge first eating a half slice of supermarket munster, then sneaking a piece of Manou's fleischwurst which the butcher always gives her. The flavor combo is gutsy and tasty. Wurst salad is commonplace in these parts, but interested in taking it to another level. Will refine more, hence, subject to some amendments! Serve very cold!

best quality fleischwurst
best quality munster (more solid variety)
apple cider vinegar
neutral oil
chopped chives
chopped cornichons
ground black pepper

1. cut wurst and cheese into cubes approximately the same size
2. dress with oil, vinegar, chives and cornichons
3. season with black pepper, let marinate a couple hours before serving

Formentera Observations

More thanks to Michelle for these great finds.

• Juan Y Andrea (Playa Illetas): the perfect restaurant on a white sand and turquoise water beach, with a swish crowd of yachters and fashionistas. Great food including a sea bass baked in sea salt, the house specialty. A bit of a scene at weekends, but still so much to like!
• Can Carlos (San Fracesc): one of my favorite places, very inviting outdoor terrace with cozy lighting. Lots of nice pastas, including a spaghetti langoustine. My pulpo and potatoes included black olive, an original touch. But the best dish is their famous carpaccio, which is briefly roasted in their wood-burning oven, so that the beef is slightly seared all around. Roasted rosemary, bay leaf and sage adorn the carpaccio, which can be doctored up further at the table with olive oil, salt and ground pepper. Absolute simplicity.
• Chezz Gerdi (Es Pujols):  the only night time haunt on the beach that we found; great ambiance, with focus on Italian food. 

Pesto by Pino

As good as any pesto I've tasted, even in Liguria.  Adding just a little something- in this case some broth, single cream, scallions and an anchovy, the pesto is completely transformed. Not sure a Ligurian would approve, but I'm happy to side with Pino the Puglian on this one!

pesto recipe (see previous entry)
1-2 tblsp of panna (or single cream)
1-2 tblsp of brodo
2-3 scallion tops
1 anchovy

1. add in panna, brodo, scallions and anchovy and blitz
2. put in a pan, place on very low heat
3. add cooked pasta almost immediately, adding a bit of pasta water to loosen up the sauce (keep heat very low otherwise you will end up with a pesto that separates and becomes gooey).

Sugo Pomodoro Pino

Pino from Trulli's is truly (no pun intended) a great Italian cook in the middle of the German countryside. This recipe is the product of a five minute conversation after lunch there today.

450 gr Italian tinned peeled tomatoes
1 onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
handful of basil leaves (no stems)
EVOO
1-2 tsp butter
maldon sea salt
ground pepper
pinch of sugar

1. saute onion and carrot in EVOO until soft
2. add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, saute another 15-20 minutes until cooked
3. add pinch of sugar, cook another 10 minutes
4. blitz with a mixer in the pan
5. in another pan, saute garlic in EVOO and butter, remove garlic
6. add blitzed tomato sauce and warm before adding pasta to pan, perhaps with a bit of pasta water

Gazpacho Trickster

From the affable chef at Amante Beach Club in Ibiza. The brightest gazpacho you've ever seen thanks to the addition of beets. The hint of strawberry also sweetens it up, helping to offset the dominant beet taste. Trick is not to put too much beets, otherwise you'll have a summer borscht on your hands. Chef didn't mention but rasberry vinegar in place of sherry could be interesting, and consistent with the inclusion of the strawberries.

6 best quality tomatoes
3 green onions
half garlic (boil for a minute before use)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 cucumber
1 small beet
half dozen strawberries
1/3 cup EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground pepper
2-3 tblsp (to taste) sherry vinegar

1. put all ingredients in a blender and mix well
2. put through a sieve to eliminate seeds etc, and taste further for seasoning, adding a combination of EVOO, vinegar, salt and pepper to accommodate your taste preference.

Ibiza Observations

Thanks Michelle for the many excellent quality establishments enjoyed...

• Es Torrent (Porrigg/Es Cubells):  paella pans of sea bass, red snapper and John Dory, adorned by slivers of fried potato and green pepper, and lemon wedges; fat and tasty clams in white wine sauce, boquerones and a fun and simple sauteed strawberries with vanilla ice cream. Wine of choice throughout was a Terras Gauda Albarino, which will forever take us back to this lovely beach spot.  
• Amante Beach Club (Cala Llonga): superb location on a cliff overlooking a smallish bay, with decent food, including a memorable hake with pistachios and beet & strawberry gazpacho. White wine of choice was Valdesil's Montenovo Godello.
• El Chinguritto (Playa Es Cavallet): a buzzing beach club in true Ibiza style; fried anchovies particularly memorable.
• Les Terraces (Santa Eularia): an incredible coucous, which is the theme of the evening one night a week during summer, made even better because of a tasty broth eschewing the meats. 
• La Paloma (San Lorenzo): more of an Italian restaurant, lovely atmos.

Strawberries Es Torrent

From the very accommodating head chef at Es Torrent beach club in Ibiza. Best to use a very vanilla ice cream to offset the peppery taste!

450 gr halved strawberries
2 tsp butter
2 tsp sugar
2 turns of the pepper mill (or pinch dried pepperoncini)
splash of cointreau (or armagnac)

1. take ice cream out of freezer 10 minutes before start
2. melt butter and sugar over medium heat
3. add strawberries and saute 30 seconds
4. add cointreau and let burn off 15 seconds or so
5. as this is burning off, add pepper or peperoncini
6. scoop some ice cream into the middle of a plate, spoon strawberries and sauce all around

Toby's Eel Risotto

Thanks Toby for this classy recipe. And yes I do stir when I make risotto, except at the end once we've added the butter and we put the lid back on the pot to let rest about a minute before serving. Hey Toby, I'm fond of cheese with fish...maybe add some parmesan to this one?

shallots
risotto rice
white wine
finely grated lemon peel
chicken broth
butter
EVOO
smoked eel
scallions
lemon juice
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper

1. saute shallots in EVOO, then add rice until translucent before deglazing with wine
2. stir in lemon peel
3. add broth slowly as rice cooks
4. stir in chopped eel, and finely slice scallions
5. add a few cubes of butter to render the risotto creamy, let sit and put lid on top of pan for about a minute
6. season with salt and pepper, and lemon juice to taste

The Tokyo List

Reminders of places to go in Tokyo....to be updated regularly.

• Sushi Kanesaka (Ginza): from Thom Browne suggestion in The Aesthete
• L'Effervescence (Minato-ku): chef Sinobu Namae from Michel Bras' Toya in Hokkaido, before that The Fat Duck; try his version of kabu (Japanese turnip), foie gras with kombu seaweed puree.
• Robataya (Rappongi): the original grill restaurant
• New York Bar & Grill (Shinkjuku): at the Park Hyatt
• Sushi Sawada (Ginza): Koji Sawada's seven seater two star; served directly on the hinoki wood counter
• Birdland (Ginza): the only 1 star Yakitori in Tokyo
• Sushi Sawada (Ginza): a 2 star sushi much acclaimed by David Chang
• 69 Rock & Roll (Haramachida): chicken-based ramen (no talking aloud!)
• Sushishou (Shinjuku): Edomae sushi, the traditional sushi of Tokyo, i.e., hand-formed nigiri. "Contemporary edomae sushi is sushi that is served at the apotheosis of the aging process, where time, salt and fermentation have weaved their magic". Considered by some to be the gold standard, with an "elusive treatment" of rice.

The Paris List

Places to go in Paris, to be updated regularly.

• Cibus (1st): Thom Browne suggestion in The Aesthete
• Caillebotte (9th)
• Le 6 Paul Bert (11th)
• Restaurant Miroir (18th)
• Bistrot Valois (2nd)
• Le Grand Pan (15th): great reviews in NYT
• Le Quincy (12th): true blue bistrot, guts and all
• Clamato (11th): Septime offshoot
• Bones (11th): bar a vins with nice bites
• Frenchie Bar a Vin (2nd): Frenchie offshoot
• Septime (11th): a priority
• La Dame de Pic (16th)
• Passage 53 (2nd): Japanese in Paris
• Baratin (20th): need to go back
• La Grille (20th): need to re-visit with new owners
• Frenchie (1st): American in Paris
• Les Jalles (2nd)
• Albion (10th): wine shop and restaurant
• Chez Casimir (10th): near Chez Michel
• Semilla (6th): Kiwi & Cuban-American owners, with chef Eric Torchon
• Le Sergent Recruteur (4th, Ile St Louis): team of French Londoners (ex-Greenhouse) return to Paris; the style of food and decor more like Barcelona than Paris

The Manila List

Places to go in Manila, to be updated regularly.

• Pinoy Eats World: supper club 

The Hong Kong List

Places to go in HK, to be updated regularly.

• Wagyu Takumi: Japanese chef making French food with Japanese ingredients and technique
• Ajitomi: Japanese food in a casual setting, with French and Italian inspired dishes; meatballs are Osaka-style with bits of konnyaku jelly, good fried chicken too
• Cocotte: French NY guys open a restaurant
• Mott 32: NY's Mott street opens a place in HK
• Nur: modern
• Enmaru: top izakaya from Japan goes to Time Square
• Forum Restaurant: long standing institution with deep fried crispy chicken
• Golden Leaf: nice ambiance in the Conran
• Gogyo: Ippudo's big brother in IFC
• Aberdeen Fish Market Yee Hope Seafood Restaurant: could be interesting, sea to plate
• Sabatini: should finally make the trek!
• Papi: cicchetti, 2nd opening after Kowloon
• Sushi Sase: serves good omakase
• Xuan Sushi: apparently understated, in heart of Central
• Kenjo: apparently amazing
• Kazuo Okada: superb sushi, apparently
• Once Upon a Table: private kitchen / supper club
• Sushi Yoshitake (now called Sushi Shikon): 3 star, eight seater sushi serves omakase straight out of Tokyo; in 2009, head chef Masahiro Yoshitake got three stars the first year of opening in Tokyo; same fish as Tokyo restaurant; minimum spend of HKD2,500! 
• Sushi Kuu: chef Satoru San, as recommended by the owner so Brickhouse and Blue Butcher

Sardines, Orange & Olive

Another Compartir recipe. Can't help myself.

12 best quality sardines

12 tblsp white wine vinegar

maldon sea salt

3/4 EVOO

1/3 cup lemon juice

chopped parsley

2 cloves chopped garlic

1. remove the heads of sardines (or anchovies) and clean; without piercing the fish all the way through, use the tip of the knife to loosen the spine and remove the bones from the flesh; rinse the cavity with 1 tblsp of vinegar and transfer the debound sardine to a small bowl; lightly season the cavity with salt, repeat with remaining fish
2. drain sardines, then arrange in a baking dish
3. make dressing by whisking above ingredients, massaging the marinade into the cavity of each fish; cover with pastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning fish occasionally
4. to serve, layer some small, delicate pieces of orange (membrane removed) and thinlys-sliced, pitted green olives over the whole lot

Endive Compartir

Couldn't help notice this lovely combination from Nick Lander's review of Compartir in Cadaques. My kind of food: classic combos with a fresh twist, the latter being the passion fruit in this case.

fresh, crisp endive
gorgonzola
walnuts (young if possible)
passion fruit

1. make a whipped gorgonzola cheese, perhaps using a canister and even making a foam (ok sometimes!); if latter method used combine 2/3 gorgonzola, 1/3 cream in a pot and stir until comes to a boil, season and blend, let cool and put through canister.
2. break up walnuts, remove the seeds from passion fruit
3. layer the bottom of an endive with passion fruit flesh, nibbles of walnuts, and 

Pesto, Ricotta & Anchovy Penne

Fish and cheese is always a great combo..most of the time that is. This is meant to be a very fresh pasta and no heat is necessary apart from boiling the penne. A good way to use some left over home-made pesto (I wouldn't make this dish using anything but).

penne
best quality anchovy
home-made pesto
ricotta
maldon sea salt

1. boil penne
2. heat serving bowl
3. chop anchovies into small pieces
4. drain pasta when done, put in heated bowl
5. mix pesto into pasta
6. add ricotta, fold into pasta so that it is evenly coated (don't stir too much, best to leave the ricotta lumpy and fresh)
7. sprinkle anchovies over the pasta and toss with a little salt

Tonight's Dinner

An Italian-themed dinner with Ally & Alex on a Sunday night in Hong Kong. Tasty indeed.

• bresaola bombs
• culatello & apple salad
• squid ink risotto & flash-fried baby squid
• lasagnette pesto
• vitelllo tonnato
• cherry soup & vanilla ice cream

Tonight's Dinner

A lovely summer evening in Ridgefield, CT. A good time had by all.

• Sake System Shock
• Aperol Spritz
• bresaola bombs
• coppa & scamorza
• scallops, edamame puree & truffle vinaigrette
• seared tuna & coriander avocado puree
• lentils, burrata & pesto
• chorizo & baby tomato salad
• cherry soup & ice cream

Apricots in Syrup

Very happy with this...so much more fun than eating them dry. Eat them straight or with a little butter cookie, maybe yoghurt?

dried apricots
vanilla essence
sugar
water
lime peel
pepper corn
fresh thyme
bay leaf
cinnamon

1. put apricots in a pot, add water so that the apricots are nearly covered
2. add the other ingredients according to taste, but enough sugar to get a syrupy consistency (about 3-4 tblsp for a couple dozen apricots)
3. make sure only to include a quarter tsp of cinnammon; not going after a Christmasy taste; also a few slivers of lime peel will do, as will one stem of thyme and one bay leaf
4. simmer for about an hour until you have syrup
5. let cool

Scallops & Enoki

I saw some beautiful and big Canadian scallops which reminded me of a recent Jean Georges recipe calling for scallops, truffles and parmesan. I love combining fish and cheese, so I've been wanting to do this one. Here, I replace the truffles with some enoki and little truffle oil.

4 nice scallops

a couple handfuls of enoki

fresh thyme

minced garlic

medium sherry

butter

EVOO

rapeseed oil

Maldon sea salt

ground pepper

chives

parsley

1. saute enoki in EVOO and a little bit of butter
2. add thyme, and when enoki are done, add minced garlic and stir for half minute
3. add a bit of sherry, let alcohol burn off, reduce heat, add a bit more fresh butter, sprinkle parsley and chives
4. season scallops with EVOO, rapeseed, salt and pepper
5. turn pan on super high heat for 3 minutes
6. sear scallops on each side for about a minute each depending on size
7. to serve, put scallops on plates with enoki served around
8. grate very finely some parmesan over the scallops (not the enoki), season with a bit more salt and pepper, drizzle of EVOO

Tonight's Dinner

A yummy little dinner on the whim. This followed Manou's dinner with her two friends, which included left over steak au poivre, carottes rappees and buttered rice.

• carrottes rapees & salami shoestrings
• scallops & enoki
• salade frisee
• mimolette
• ice cold vanilla yoghurt & pomegranate

Choconana & Ice Cream

Was watching a 2008 repeat of UK Masterchef. This was the winner's dessert which I think probably helped him win. Need to make this soon! Although I don't go into the recipe for the cake and ice cream, I'm reminding myself of the final step of preparing the bananas here.

chocolate moelleux
home-made vanilla ice cream
4 firm but ripe bananas
2 tblsp butter, melted
2 tblsp brown sugar
2 tblsp of rum

1. prepare chocolate moelleux
2. prepare ice cream
3. when above are ready, combine sugar and butter in a shallow dish
4. peel the bananas, cut in half lengthwise, and then again crosswise 
5. saute bananas around a minute, add a bit of rum and flambe before serving

Tasty Haricots Verts

Came together nicely tonight with what was left in the fridge. Again, it's what you don't put in the dish that is key! You could add little cubes of comte or machego to this....

petits haricots verts
prosciutto
pearl onions
walnut oil
EVOO
chives
sherry vinegar
maldon sea salt
ground pepper

1. boil green beans
2. chop up prosciutto, cut onions in half and saute in EVOO until ham is a bit crispy
3. drizzle walnut oil over the ham & onion mixture while latter is still warm, add a quick splash of sherry vinegar
4. drain and let sit to cool and dry off somewhat
5. put beans in a bowl, dress with the ham mixture and chives, season with salt and pepper

Fettucine, Jambon & Comte

Sharon reminded me of pasta French-style with butter and emmenthal or gruyere I would have at mamie's growing up. One imagines that this is still a quick lunch or dinner of choice among French households across the land. The distinctive feature here is that you put the cheese and ham on at the very end, so that the cheese and ham don't get all bundled up into little messy clumps.

fettucine
butter
3 cloves garlic, halved
jambon de Paris, sliced and chopped
comte, cubed
maldon sea salt
fresh ground pepper
chopped chives
half cup chicken stock
1 tblsp medium sherry
EVOO

1. saute garlic, remove when golden
2. add half cup of broth, then sherry and reduce
3. boil pasta, remove from boiling water 1-2 minutes before
4. drain and put into pan with broth, adding about half cup of pasta water
5. add butter to taste, and stir so that everything emulsified
6. take off heat, add ham and cheese
7. season with salt and pepper, chives and serve
8. have olive oil handy to drizzle right before eating

Pea Veloute, Squid & Coppa

I had this idea at lunch the other day. The dish I had was a pea veloute, with grilled baby squid, a drizzle of some squid ink-olive oil emulsion, a tiny bit of melted creamy cheese and a crouton. I thought it would be a lot better if we replaced the crouton with some kind of fatty smoked ham, retained the cheese and dropped the emulsion. Chorizo would be too obvious and overpowering. Coppa would work better given its more subtle flavor and fattiness.

fresh or frozen peas
white onions
one garlic
good chicken stock
coppa, sliced thinly into long batons about the length of the squid legs
baby squids, cleaned
light, soft Italian white cheese, like stracchino
EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
piment de l'espelette

1. make veloute with peas, onions, garlic and broth, passing through a fine sieve to make extremely smooth
2. grill/broil strips of coppa until they begin to caramelize 
3. flash fry squid in EVOO, season with salt, pepper and piment
4. heat stracchino on very low heat until it melts
5. to assemble, pour veloute into a tea cup, followed by a drizzle of melted cheese
6. place a squid in the soup (hopefully it floats!)
7. sprinkle some coppa batons on top, with a quick drizzle of EVOO and sprinkle of maldon sea salt and piment

Lime & Basil Sorbet

Saw this on a Jamie Oliver show last night. I love the method of making this.

2 glasses sugar

1 glass water

1 glass lime juice

zest of limes it takes to fill up the glass

1 large bunch of basil pounded to a puree

1. place water and sugar in a pan, bring to a boil and simmer four minutes with the zest
2. remove from the heat and allow to cool for a while
3. add the lime juice and basil puree
4. stir this up and leave to infuse for a while
5. pass through a sieve and pour into a stainless steel bowl and place in a freezer
6. stir around with a whisk every half an hour, for about two hours
7. serve in a glass with a sprig of basil

Spaghetti Aglio Olio Brodo

I discovered a way to make a tasty emulsified sauce tonight. Boiling the pasta in a broth from organic bouillon cube works nicely.

250 gr spaghettini

sliced garlic

maldon sea salt

half bouillon cube

EVOO

1. heat plates in oven
2. saute garlic in generous amount of EVOO until golden, turn heat off
3. boil water, add bouillon cube, then add pasta and cook until al dente
4. as pasta is drained, put a ladle of pasta/brodo water into pan with garlic and oil, turn heat on
5. put pasta back in pan and stir vigorously as sauce emulsifies
6. season with salt, some Italian chili paste if you like

Coppa, Scamorza & Chives

I love cured meat-wrapped scamorza. I've tried pancetta but that's too fatty. I've tried prosciutto but that's too lean. Coppa wins easily given that it provides just enough fat to wrinkle around the cheese. Adding chives immediately after the bundles come out of the oven allows them to wilt and infuse the whole bundle of goodness.

8 slices of coppa
8 cubes of scamorza
EVOO
chopped chives
lemon (optional)

1. wrap cheese with coppa, so that they are well covered little packets
2. grill in oven on highest heat, about 3-4 minutes
3. when coppa starts to caramelize and tighten around the cheese, the bundles are ready
4. remove from oven, transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle chives over the whole lot
5. squeeze a tiny tad of lemon if you like

Shrooms de Jerez

I found myself with some good Japanese and Taiwanese mushrooms, and put together this absolutely perfect tapa.

enoki mushrooms
king oyster mushrooms
any other good quality forest mushroom
medium sherry
minced garlic
butter
EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
chopped parsley

1. heat EVOO, put shrooms in pan but do not overcrowd
2. season with salt and pepper
3. don't stir too often, let mushrooms brown
4. add butter and garlic
5. once garlic has taken on a bit of color, pour 2 tblsp or so sherry and emusify
6. add parsley and serve on a nice old fashioned platter

Shrooms in Foil

Writing this down so I don't forget. I was watching the chef at Maru in Tokyo make a dish with little foil packets, including some white fish and vegetables, miso and maybe some wine. Anyway, I need to do this with some good forest mushrooms that I have on hand.

enoki mushrooms
king oyster mushrooms
yuzu chili paste
miso
sake
chives
garlic
shallot
maldon sea salt

1. put all ingredients in a foil
2. fold into little packets very tightly so air cannot escape
3. either put this in a cast iron pan or in the oven and cook 15 minutes or so

Tokyo Observations

Another visit, more discoveries. M&M loved it too.

• Gochizen (Minato-ku): with so many restaurants to choose from in Tokyo it isn't surprising that they must find a niche; here it is best quality organic veggies and a special breed of pork supplied directly from a farm. First up was a bagna cauda with an assortment of vegetables, most notably this green leafy mache-looking vegetable with what looked like a solidified mist covering its surface. Then came the house specialty which was roast rolled filet of pork with forest mushrooms and clarified butter with baby leek and chives. 
• Sushi Kanesaka (Ginza): sushi-master Takao Ishiyama took good care of us with highlights like baby sardine with salt & yuzu, then a Spanish mackerel with chive oil, and a sea urchin that came au naturelle; we washed this down with a creamy foamy beer, then some recommended sake.
• Kawakami an (Aoyama): a very local place with a very sophi crowd, just hang a right before the Franc Franc store, down the lane. In a small, multi-story house with top floor outdoor terrace; great for small dishes, including a very cool baby weiners and mustard, but best know for its soba. Colleagues asked for the special noodle sauce, made with walnuts.
• Bamboo (Nishi Azabu): a very casual little izakaya suggested by Quinn on one of my favorite little Tokyo streets, full of cozy and intimate restaurants, probably wonderful in winter. This was just a stop off on the way to dinner, so we had a beer, fried prawns & spicy mayo, then some octopus sashimi & wasabi.
• Ukai-tei (Ginza): a good Teppanyaki place recommended by colleagues for next time.
• Kigoji (Ginza): good for shabu-shabu....again, next time.

Los Angeles Observations

If I had to live anywhere in the US right now, it would probably be LA. Unabashedly and proudly American, it's got my vote over its "cosmopolitan" neighbor up North.  I didn't even begin to do justice, but here are a couple of reminders for what they are worth.

• Fountain Coffee Room: an unpretentious little diner that seems out of place in the basement of the Beverly Hills Hotel; it turns out that this diner churns out some pretty high quality breakfasts and burgers, club sandwiches and the like. Apparently regular people are democratically elbow-to-elbow with celebrities here, so quite unique.
• Chateau Marmont: a hidden-away neo-neo-gothic hotel that exudes Hollywood; no time to eat here, but my Americano was pretty good, once I clarified to the young waiter that I had not ordered a coffee.
• The Hungry Cat: was on my list, but couldn't go; fresh fish in an industrial-cool kind of place.
• Best Fish Taco in Ensenada: darn I didn't go but on the top of my list next time.

Pepper & Anchovy Pintxo

Watching one of Anthony Bourdain's shows on location in Spain, saw a lovely little pintxo that I need to do soon. Keep the pepper stems on because it looks prettier. Would be amazing with a chilled glass of Cava.

pickled hot green pepper (Spanish brand)
anchovy
pitted green olive
toothpicks

1. slide a toothpick through a a pepper, then anchovy and olive 
2. assemble a dozen on a plate

Gnocchi & Shrooms

Another dish that caught my eye at Komi. Sounds like a great idea for a tapas. Guests wouldn't need more than 3-4 gnocchi. I don't have the recipe, but this is how I'd do it.

best quality gnocchi, short of making them yourself
best quality combination of forest mushrooms (no supermarket white mushrooms)
EVOO
butter
minced garlic to taste
sweet sherry
1 dried pepperoncini
single cream
3 tblsp beef broth
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
parsley
chives
chervil

1. heat oil and some butter on high flame, fry up mushrooms making sure not to overcrowd pan; you want to see mushroom brown
2. when mushrooms attain some color, add garlic to taste; just before they turn golden add sherry then broth; let liquid reduce, add cream to taste, then gnocchi
3. season, add chopped herbs right before turning heat off
4. boil gnocchi while doing step 2; drain and add to sauce 

Medjool Date & Mascarpone

Reading about this fusion Japanese resto in Washington DC called Komi. This mention caught my eye, waiting to hear back from the chef on exact recipe. This is how I might do it though..

6 Medjool dates, pitted
mascarpone
EVOO
lemon juice
orange rind
maldon sea salt

1. mix mascarpone with a bit of EVOO, lemon juice and orange rind
2. dab some of this mixture inside the dates in some uniform way
3. sprinkle with a quarter pinch of maldon sea salt

Squid Ink Paella

Although risotto is one of my favorite things, there's so much to be said for paella with its intense and drier yet oilier consistency. Here I got inspired by a dish at Mesa 15 in Hong Kong, which I think is probably the best Spanish resto in town. A perfect squid ink paella was adorned by some grilled squid and herby aioli. I reproduced the same tonight, using some basil in my aioli  and a treviso salad with a very sherry vinegar dressing that cut nicely into the oily rice and thick aioli. If I serve this as one of many tapas, I think I can make a smaller portion in my cast iron pan...would look nice too.

2 cups of spanish paella rice
3 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion
5 tbsp EVOO
2 skinned / seeded tomatoes (or 6-8 cherry tomatoes)
4 cups of fish stock
1.5 tsp sweet spanish paprika
2 tsp squid ink
around 450 gr of chopped squid
aioli with basil
treviso
sherry vinegar
maldon sea salt
parsley
freshly ground pepper

1. heat EVOO in a 14" paella pan over medium high heat; add half of the squid and cook stirring frequently until all juices exuded by squid evaporate
2. reduce heat, add tomatoes, onions, garlic and cook for about 3 minutes
3. set aside 1/4 cup of stock in a small bowl, heat remaining stock and add paprika to dissolve
4. stir rice into paella pan, generously season with salt, then slowly add hot stock; increase heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, until rice begins to swell, about 10 minutes.
5. mix squid ink into reserved stock, then pour into pan; stir once, then reduce heat to low and cook until all liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes
6. remove from heat, cover with dish towel, and cool 20 minutes
7. in a frying pan, heat 2 tblsp EVOO and saute remaining squid on high heat, add garlic and parsley when almost done, saute an additional minute
8. make salad dressing of EVOO, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper and dress treviso (or some other bitter chicory)
9. serve paella with some sauteed squid alongside, a spoon of aioli and some salad  

Vietnam Observations

Vietnamese food is always good, and glad we were able to sample the real thing in Saigon and Hoi An. The whole family enjoyed, especially Ms Ly's in Hoi An.

• Hoa Tuc (Saigon): former opium refinery churning out simple, home-cooked fare with the occasional inventive streak.
• Quan An Ngon (Saigon): busy old colonial villa converted into a restaurant; the theme here is street / hawker food brought under a single roof, with various prep stations circling a tropical eating terrace.
• Trois Gourmands (Saigon): Gils the mustached chef has many stories to tell at this cozy villa in expat hood Tong Huu Dinh. His absolute stand-out home-made cheeses were an inspiration: fromage frais with truffles, fromage frais with herbs and some mimolette-type cheese marinated in a olive oil for 3-, 6- and 9 months. The beef cheeks and foie gras was hardly 90 degree weather dish, but the subsequent air con ride to the airport, along with the excellent St Nicolas de Bourgeuil, helped ease it along the digestive tract.
• Miss Ly's Cafeteria (Hoi An): we had endless sumptuous dishes here, but standouts were the white roses (open face wontons), fried wontons & crab salad, cold rice noodles & grilled pork, and the ubiquitous shredded chicken & papaya salad.
• Morning Glory (Hoi An): a cooking school and restaurant; fun in that the owner/chef clearly cares about food, but a tad too big and touristy.

Smoldering Ember

A daring cocktail from Ma Peche. The Cynar caught my eye, recalling a trip to Palermo with Ari when much was consumed. I doubt this would fly at all there, but works pretty well for me.

1 part Cynar

1 part Punt e Mes

dash of tobasco

1. combine ingredients with ice in a shaker
2. shake vigorously, pour into small tumblers

Sake System Shock

An addictive Momofuku cocktail from Ma Peche in New York. The bar tender told me exactly how to do it, and must say this came out pretty close if not perfect. Spicy, sweet and sour at the same time!

37.5 cl bottle of sake

1 tblsp togarashi

maple syrup

juice of lemon

1. combine sake and togarashi, let infuse 4 minutes and strain through a coffee filter
2. put 2 parts infused sake, 1 part maple syrup and 1 part freshly-squeezed lemon juice in a shaker
3. add ice and shake vigorously, strain into small tumblers

Marilu's Mung Bean Noodles

My favorite Marilu dish, adobo aside. A fun way to eat noodles if you prefer to avoid wheat. Serve with lemon wedges and your choice of chili sauce (I've been using a Japanese red chili & yuzu paste).

mung bean noodle

minced pork and chicken

haricots verts cut into mini julienne

minced carrot

organic chicken broth

juice of half fresh lemon

4 tblsp EVOO

fresh minced garlic

fresh minced shallots

fresh ground black pepper

thai fish sauce

3 tblsp soy sauce

1. saute garlic and shallot in a pan with the EVOO
2. when golden brown, add minced pork and chicken
3. when cooked, add 1/4 cup chicken broth
4. add minced carrots and haricots verts
5. cook for about 15 minutes more, then set aside
6. meanwhile, soak the mung bean noodles in a pot of hot water for ten minutes
7. in a pan, with 2 tblsp of EVOO, add half cup of chicken broth, the soy sauce, lemon and pepper
8. let simmer then add the softened mung bean noodles, keep tossing until cooked
9. add the sauteed pork, chicken and vegetables to the noodles

Filipino Cucumber Salad

Perfect with adobo, or anything else really.

1/8 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup cold water

1 tblsp of sugar

1/8 tsp of sea salt

dash of white pepper

1. peel and de-seed cucumbers, slice thinly into moon shapes
2. mix above ingredients and poor into bowl with cucumber

Marilu's Pork Adobo

A lovely pork adobo Marilu-style. Unlike many adobos, this one has a very intense and concentrated sauce. Serve with steamed rice and cucumber and rice vinegar dressing.

450 gr pork belly (or pork ribs)

3/4 rice wine vinegar

1/4 soy sauce

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

half head garlic (broken)

1. cut pork in 1.5 inch squares
2. put pork and rest of ingredients in pot
3. let boil, then lower heat and cook for an hour, checking every 15 minutes (stir if necessary to prevent sticking at bottom of pan)
4. cook until gravy is caramelized

Pimm's Porteno-Style

A great version of Pimm's from Sydney's Porteno...

Pimms

Cointreau

fresh lemon juice

cucumber juice

ginger ale

1. in a glass of ice, pour 1 part cointreau, 3 parts Pimms
2. add lemon and cucumber juice to taste
3. top up with ginger ale

Batanga

A seemingly great drink that I saw on the menu at Sydney's Porteno.

Calle 23 blanco tequila

juice of half lime

cola

salt

1. line part of the glass rim with salt
2. in the glass, squeeze the half lime, add a shot of tequila
3. fill up with ice, top up with coke

Antipodean Pinots

I will use this entry to list the pinots I discover in these parts, to be updated regularly. So far I like the Tasmanian's best...

• Bress Silver Chook Pinot Noire, Yarra Valley, Macedon (Victoria)

Ricotta, Cherry Jam & Pine Nuts

Another wonderful breakfast idea I must have picked up in Ayvalik, one of Turkey's true culinary capitals.

1. cut ricotta into pretty slices
2. plate, with a spoonful of best quality sour cherry preserves
3. sprinkle a few pine nuts all around

Creten Salad

A bit like a Cobb salad transported to the Aeolians. Be sure to use a harder goat cheese, probably a firm feta so that it remains intact rather than crumbling apart.

green olives

goat cheese

fresh green chili

dried red chili

dill

parsley

EVOO

lemon

maldon sea salt

ground pepper

1. dice up olives
2. chop green chili, dill and parsley
3. cut goat cheese/feta into cubes
4. mix and dress with EVOO and squeeze of lemon
5. season to taste

Canarino

A great after dinner alternative to the usual camomile. From London's Eleven Park Walk. The original canarino (canary) calls for just lemon and hot water, refers to the yellow of the lemon peel.

1. put some lemon peel, 1-2 bay leaves to taste, muscade sugar in a tea pot
2. add boiling water

Proper Spaghetti Bottarga

A recipe from Ali-Sevket's friend-chef at Eleven Park Walk in Chelsea.

spaghetti

garlic

chili

bottarga

EVOO

1. cook spaghetti in fish brodo risotto-style, adding brodo as you go
2. in a separate pan, saute garlic and chili in EVOO
3. when pasta is ready add to sauce in pan
4. when coated, grate bottarga and flip around the pan quickly
5. serve with a large fork twisted to make a nice shape

Sydney Observations

Loving this place more every time I go...

• Duke Bistrot: hipster place with mismatched furniture; some real interesting stuff like braised red radish in dashi butter, octopus with pickled pumpkin and black beans, and a lovely pinot noir. Waitress loves Saison in San Francisco.
• Porteno: classic Argentine parilla with spit-roasted suckling pig and a fabulous theme of North America meets central and south America.
• Selah: good standby in the CBA, cozy and dark, a bit like London's Great Queen Street
• Momofuku: a very good Lord Nelson beer, pork buns, chicken wings, crab roll and celery salt chips....just as good as NYC!
• Bentley: I didn't eat here, but I know it's been around a long time because of its cookbooks. Two nice items on the menu: roasted potato and jerusalem artichoke, glazed carrots with smoked yoghurt

Fernet Branca & Coke

Maybe finally a good excuse to have a coke. A combo I discovered in Sydney but hailing from Argentina. No need to mix.

1. put a few ice cubes in a glass
2. pour 1 part Fernet Branca and 2-3 parts coke depending on taste

Carrots & Salsa Verde

Any salsa verde leftovers go well with steamed carrots. The salty and tangy salsa is a nice complement to sweet carrots.

1. cut carrots into batons & steam
2. spoon salsa verde on top & serve

Hix's Risotto Nero

Need to make this soon, or the Spanish equivalent which I think might be even better.

1 tbsp EVOO

200 gr Carnaroli rice

25 gr squid ink

knob of butter

100 gr squid, roughly diced into 1 cm pieces

1 tblsp chopped parsley

stock

1-1.2 liters fish stock

25 gr squid ink

half glass white wine

1. make the stock by mixing together the ingredients, bring to a boil
2. heat EVOO, add rice and stir on low heat for a minute without allowing to color
3. add remaining squid ink
4. stir slowly, slowly add hot stock ensuring all the liquid is absorbed before adding more
5. when the rice is cooked, add the butter and a little more stock if the risotto seems dry
6. meanwhile, fry the squid in the butter and scatter it over the risotto with the chopped parsley to serve

Phuket Omelette

A recipe from Khun Bin in Phuket.

3 eggs

2-3 tblsp milk

1 tblsp melted butter

maldon sea salt

pepper

1. best eggs well
2. mix in rest of ingredients
3. heat pan with butter, pour egg mixture into pan
4. scramble eggs immediately, then allow to set
5. when ceases to be runny, roll up omelette and serve

Green Mango & Condiments

A bit like the pomelo with salt-sugar-dried red chili. From David Thompson's restaurant in Bangkok (Nahm at the Metropolitan).

green mango

green chili (long rather than short ones)

sugar

salt

lime juice

1. slice green mango thinly
2. chop the green chili finely
3. depending on how spicy you like it, add to a mixture of salt, sugar and a squeeze of lime

Burrata, Lentils & Mint

Another Granger recipe that caught my eye. I have another burrata and lentils recipe somewhere on this blog, but does not include mint.

burrata
lentils
chicken broth
garlic
carrot-onion-celery
tomato paste
bay leaf
thyme
mint
EVOO
ground pepper
maldon sea salt

1. make lentils using ingredients listed
2. let lentils cool, add burrata and mint
3. drizzle with extra EVOO, seasoning

Tagliatelle, Girolles & Gremolata

Saw this recipe on the menu of Bill Granger's new Notting Hill brasserie. Pretty self explanatory, but love the idea of the gremolata.

best quality tagliatelle
girolles, or other forest mushrooms
minced garlic
parsley
gremolata (add orange and possibly lime zest)
butter
EVOO
ground pepper
maldon sea salt
parmesan

1. make pasta
2. saute mushrooms with garlic and parsley in EVOO, adding butter at end
3. add pasta with just a touch of pasta water to loosen, season
4. heat through, serve with gremolata (and parmesan if you like)

EGM Redux

This is a simpler, and I'd argue tastier albeit a more rustic version than the Kaufmann classic, Escargots, Girolles and Mash. Thinking probably better as a tapa because it is very rich.

ready-made snails in persillade (frozen)

Joel Robuchon mash

Japanese mushrooms

minced garlic

chopped parsley

butter

EVOO

piment de l'espelette

ground pepper

maldon sea salt

1. heat the escargots according to package instructions
2. make the mash, adding hot milk now and then to keep warm and from thickening
3. saute mushrooms in a little butter and EVOO, make sure they brown, season with salt, pepper and piment
4. to serve, put a mound of mash in a bowl, spoon 2-3 snails on top of mash, arrange sauteed mushrooms around the mash so that it is encircled with mushrooms
5. alternatively for a pasta, put 2-3 tblsp of puree in a ramekin, with two snails max (even one if they are large and plump), with a few mushrooms on the sides

Pea Shoot Pancetta Pasta

The classic peas and bacon combo work well here, but using thin pea shoots with mined pancetta makes this a pretty delicate dish. Best to use spaghettini!

spaghettini

pea shoots

minced pancetta

white vermouth

chicken bouillon

garlic

ground pepper

EVOO

1. saute garlic and pancetta, add vermouth when crisp
2. stir in pea shoots and bouillon, season
3. stir cooked pasta into the pan, add EVOO

Tonight's Dinner

Our biggest dinner party in HK so far, with Toby and Donna & others. As we are approaching Chinese new year and most of our guests were Chinese, I wanted to use special occasion ingredients but in the kinds of dishes they wouldn't normally find them. I've included an escargot dish, but decided to skip it. Needless to say, they did not leave hungry.

• radish, butter & maldon sea salt
• boudin blanc, caramelized apple & mustardy vinaigrette
• squid & pancetta bundles
• bresaola bombs
• carottes rapees, smoked mackerel & horseradish creme fraiche
• celeri remoulade & gravadlax
• pan fried scallops, edamame-parmesan puree, truffle vinaigrette
• smooth polenta & foie gras
• cotechino, lentils & chestnut mostarda
• potato puree, escargots persillade & forest mushrooms
• oxtail ravioli
• robluchon & chestnut honey
• vacherin, fruit bread & herb salad
• profiteroles

Franco-Japanese Vinaigrette

The mutual culinary respect and appreciation between these two countries intensifies by the year. The proliferation of Japanese restaurants in Paris and French bistros in Tokyo continues unabated. Also witness the number of Japanese sous-chefs in Paris restaurants, this too is remarkable. As these droves of chefs return to Japan in coming years, French food will only get better there. This is a nice vinaigrette I made using a combination of French and Japanese condiments in my fridge. Went very well with some Dutch butter lettuce.

dijon mustard with lime (something I found in the 3rd)

half tsp of yuzu paste

3 cloves of garlic

1 part cider vinegar

2 parts rice wine vinegar

5 parts EVOO (although grape seed or avocado oil would have been better)

piment de l'espelette

ground black pepper

maldon sea salt

1. combine mustard, yuzu paste, vinegars, rest of ingredients together, then the oil
2. let sit for an hour or so allowing the garlic to mellow
3. remove garlic
4. dress salad right before you eat

Anchovy & Onion Pasta

Taken from a Gary Rhodes food show surveying Venetian cuisine. This recipe is from the chef at the Bauer hotel. The tad caramelized onion is a nice contrast to the salty anchovies. Also key to use artisanal spaghetti, preferably the local Venetian type that is hollow.

rinsed salted anchovies

thinly sliced onions (on a mandolin)
2-3 shallots
1 garlic clove thinly sliced
sugar

crushed garlic still in its skin

thyme, marjoram
dried pepperoncini
EVOO

lots of ground black pepper

1. put EVOO and some sugar in a pan
2. add onions, shallots and garlic
3. add thyme, marjoram, pepperoncini, salt and ground pepper 
4. saute until caramelized, about 30 minutes
5. add anchovies, let them melt
6. boil the pasta in salt water and add to pan with sauce (including just a little pasta water to loosen the mixture)
7. stir, add more pepper, little more EVOO

Tonight's Dinner

A festive menu to welcome in the new year here in Germany, accompanied by Champagne, Tokai and Sancerre Rouge.

• smoked salmon, beet & caper tartare, horseradish creme fraiche, honey-mustard-dill sauce, new potatoes
• truffled foie gras, toasted brioche, home-made grapefruit jelly
• steamed white asparagus
• boudin blanc, rum-glazed apples, dijon mustard, chives
• home-made tagliatelle & truffle butter
• vacherin & chestnut honey
• mamie's apple pie & vanilla ice cream

Unshackled Ragu

Whenever I make a ragu I feel that I need to make it like a nona would in Emilia Romagna. This time I used my intuition and came up with this. Never have I included garlic in a ragu before. Avoid adding any pasta water when finishing the dish in pan at end.

carrot-onion-celery

ground veal-pork-beef (300 gr, 300 gr, 500 gr)

450 ml tin of Italian tomatoes

few tblsp of tomato paste

1 bay leaf

2 small spring thyme

2-3 cloves chopped garlic

half bottle robust white wine

parmesan rind

nutmeg

chopped serrano ham (or prosciutto butt)

Maldon sea salt

ground pepper

butter

single cream

home-made chicken stock

1. saute vegetables, followed by meat, serrano & nutmeg
2. add wine, let reduce, then tomatoes and paste
3. let reduce half hour, then add broth & parmesan, season with salt and pepper
4. cook on low heat five hours, adding broth if necessary along the way
5. add some cream during last half hour, butter last 10 minutes