My Husband and the Sea

It has been quite a while, so I thought it appropriate to come back with a simple recipe from where I've been...

I've known all along that my husband has been having a love affair with the sea. When the elements don't offer sufficient waves for surf, he spends his time under them. As of late, I've been mostly alright with this as it has left me with a freezer full of lobster and fish.

Before the holidays, we had a little getaway to Kauai. The water and mountains made for a wonderful time, but we had a few delicious meals along the way - one of which I'd been waiting for just the right piece of fish to try on my own - Opah Eggs Benedict from The Garden Cafe at Common Ground, a beautiful, sustainable property in Kilauea. Though it was not Opah, my husband brought home a great piece of fish, Lingcod, which proved to be a good alternate. So, I gave it a recipe-less go and stacked a bunch of ingredients on top of each other...

- toasted, seeded english muffin

- scrambled egg (untraditionally not poached)

- seasoned tomato

- seasoned, grilled Lingcod

- caramelized onions

- sprouts

- hollandaise

Another unbelievable meal to try if ever over there is the Ahi wrap from Kilauea Fish Market - I tried it with ono - twice - and would attempt to make it at home but wouldn't even know where to begin with the dressing.

Milk Bar for the Masses

My NY indulgence, Momofuku Milk Bar, is now available for the masses, and this consumer is reaping the benefits with her new Christmas present...

The Milk Bar made a bold move mid-fall making their unique recipes public with the release of a new cookbook. I doubt the final products baked by laypeople like me will compare to those made at the actual bakery, but they will at least be fun to attempt. We'll see how it goes.

A less labor intensive option is available for a few of their cookies at Williams-Sonoma...

images from williams-sonoma.com & momofukustore.com

Happy New Year!

Milk Bar

I recently spent a bit of time in New York with some dear old friends. On a previous visit, my friend Cathryn exposed me to one outrageous cone of ice cream - Cereal Milk Soft Serve - at a little place called Milk Bar - Momofuku Milk Bar. I hesitated to order one because the idea of such a thing brings me back to being forced to drink my leftover breakfast cereal milk for lunch as a 4 year old in day care. But, with one taste of this little number I got over my bad childhood memory, and will never hesitate again.

On this past trip, I over-indulged myself in a couple more cones of Cereal Milk, not to mention an excessive amount of spectacular baked goods from Milk Bar...

Their recipes are peculiar yet so satisfying. This article from bon appetit features a few recipes - Crack Pie is at the top of my list to try.

I would highly encourage you to go out of your way to give Milk Bar a visit.

There are several Momofuku restaurants around New York with two more to come in Sydney and Toronto.

all photos from momofuku.com

Tastebuds: Richmond & D.C.

We visited my family on a trip back East this weekend. In addition to "southern proper" accents, we had some great encounters with food. The not-so-healthy highlights:

TJ's at The Jefferson Hotel:

photo from history.org

Virginia has a few distinguished dishes specific to the state. One in particular I remember from growing up - Virginia peanuts. The Jefferson Hotel (iconic to Richmond, Virginia and its history - filled with quintessential Virginian interiors) put these peanuts to good use with a Virginia Peanut Soup - yes, a soup made of peanuts. It's name almost audibly screamed at me from the menu, and I gave in - just couldn't say no. The result - about five bites of nostalgia, confusion and flavors so rich I could only take so much. I didn't regret it. It was quite memorable - just left me with a bowl half full. My dad had no trouble solving that problem for me with his hungry tummy and Virginian tastebuds.

Try this at home... Virginia Peanut Soup Recipe

(seems like a similar recipe - just add bacon and chives)

The Argonaut:

photo from here

In D.C., my brother brought us to a great little patio at a restaurant on H street named The Argonaut. The moment the words manchego, panko, honey and paprika came out of the server's mouth, I knew the dish would be ours. And it came - on a bed of greens. Simple, and to me, it did no wrong - just a lot of right.

A recipe that seems close to this - I plan on giving it a go with a different type of oil to see if it turns out... Honey Glazed Fried Manchego Recipe

Dangerously Delicious Pies D.C.:

Ever since I saw this movie, I have been craving a place where I could go to eat pies for any meal of the day - meat pies, veggie pies, quiche pies, fruit pies, custard pies, chess pies. Dangerously Delicious Pies on H Street in D.C. has done it right. I regret not having tasted any of their original pies, but their classics were mighty good. It is well worth a visit.

Last little tidbit of deliciousness - this place served a delicious veggie pizza complete with fried fingerling potato chips on top. Pizza with potato chips - worth trying at home, folks...