Monday, February 8, 2010

Two Special Birthday Dinners

January 24, 2010 was an evening that required an especially nice dinner. Katherine, my partner of twenty years, was born on January 25, 1955 and was turning 55 this year. We had invited her cousin and his wife, our dear friends Trip and Rivka, to join us for dinner.


I wanted to fix something special that would warm us up from head to toe. I chose the following: spare ribs in a delicious wine-ladened sauce cooked in the oven for hours in one of my favorite Bram pots. Wasabi mashed potatoes which are so good it is hard not to poke your finger into the serving bowl for one more bite. Caramelized carrot salad which I made ahead and served at room temperature. A salad course of beautiful greens enriched with slices of avocado and my Papaya Seed Dressing. Home-made Apple Crisp for dessert, although a Persimmon Pudding or a Lemon Mousse would do just as nicely. We drank a gorgeous 2007 Bourgueil Avis de Vin Fort from Catherine et Pierre Breton. You can find the recipes for three of these dishes below.

















The dinner party was a big success, Katherine loved the food and felt properly celebrated. As we were walking a few days later and talking more about the party, I remembered a special birthday dinner that my mom fixed for me sometime in the 1950s, perhaps in 1955 (I would have been 12), and was struck by how similar it was to the one I had prepared for Katherine. Is there a place in our brains where we store “Special Birthday Dinners”?

















Here is what my mom cooked at my request: a pot roast simmered in a large oval enamel pan in the oven with peeled potatoes and carrots. The potatoes were browned and the outside developed a skin which would ever-so-slightly resist my teeth’s efforts to get to the creamy inside. The carrots were so orange, soft and delicious, it was hard to believe that they were the same vegetable she tucked in my school lunches. When the meat had cooked until it was falling apart into succulent shreds, she would remove everything but the juices from the pan. She’d mix up a combination of water and flour in a small metal container with a lid which she would shake up and down vigorously until the mixture was well-blended. She stirred the flour mixture into the juices and simmered them until they thickened into gravy. There may have been a salad, most likely iceberg lettuce, carrots, celery perhaps, and Italian bottled dressing. I don’t remember the dessert but it could have been a boxed yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I loved this dinner, especially the meat, potatoes, and gravy. Look in a 1950s edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book for a close approximation. It was a real birthday treat.

















She was cooking her dinner for me in Toledo, Ohio in the 50s and was influenced by middle class habits and customs of that time and by availability of ingredients. It was expected that she would cook; it was her responsibility. Within that context, she made cooking decisions based on her resources, the time she had to spend in the kitchen, and her desire to please her family. Let me give you a couple of examples:
1. My family never cooked with wine; she would have added water, not wine or stock, to her pot roast.  Nor did they drink wine on a regular basis. Hard liquor before and coffee with dinner. That was their custom. Wine was an extravagance.
2. When it came to salad greens, she had one choice. Iceberg lettuce.
3. Bottled salad dressings seemed to us to be a great improvement over everyone having to eat the same one.  They also saved time in a period when efficiency was highly valued.
4. Box cakes were fashionable in the 50s and stayed that way well into the time I was learning to cook. Because dessert was pretty much a nightly requirement, boxed cakes, instant puddings, and the like were seen as very helpful.

That I prefer wine to coffee with dinner, love the variety of the greens, make my own salad dressings and most of our desserts is the result of my living in the Bay area in this particular moment where great ingredients are readily available and the desire to eat healthy food is shared with a large swath of the community. I choose to spend time in the kitchen because I love to cook. Unlike my mom, efficiency doesn't matter all that much to me and thankfully, desserts are not an everyday necessity.

Finally, I imagine my mom and me standing side by side in a kitchen, straddling the span of time that separates us, each fixing birthday dinners. We share so many of the same values. We are both willing to spend time and effort in the kitchen. We both want the food to look beautiful on the plate. We both want the food to be cooked with an abundance of love. And most of all, we both want the dinner to be delicious and special for our birthday girls. Thanks, Mom.

Sushi dictionary

untuk Japanese food lovers, hmmm sushi is the best one! jadi pengennn slurpp...

Type of Sushi
  • Nigiri: tipe sushi pada umumnya, yaitu nasi yang diatasnya diberi neta (topping) berupa tuna, salmon, dll.

  • Maki: sushi roll atau gulung. banyak jenisnya tergantung isi.

  • Oshizushi: sushi bentuk kotak dengan nasi dibagian luar.

  • Chirashizushi: sushi rice bowl, yang atasnya ada banyak macam topping sushi.

Topping/Filling

  • Maguro: tuna.
  • Akami: daging tuna yang paling merah.
  • Toro: bagian tuna yang paling sehat.
  • Shiromi: kategori ikan yang memiliki daging berwarna putih, kakap putih dan kakap merah.
  • Ikura: telur ikan salmon.
  • Tobiko: telur ikan terbang.
  • Yellow Tail: ikan ekor kuning.
  • Uni/Sea Urchin: telur landak laut.
  • Kani: kepiting.
  • Tamago: telur dadar manis.
  • Unagi: belut.
  • Anago: belut laut.
  • Inari: kulit tahu goreng.
  • Tako: gurita.
  • Kurage: ubur-ubur.
  • Ika: cumi/sotong.
  • Ebi: udang.
  • Tsukemono: sayuran seperti timun, tofu, ume, dll.

Eat them with:

  • Shoyu: soy sauce.
  • Wasabi: "cabe"nya sushi, ada 2 jenis yaitu hon wasabi (wasabi asli jepang) dan horseradish (sejenis lobak).
  • Gari: irisan jahe muda, penetralisir rasa eneg.

source: gogirl!

Katherine's Birthday Dinner

Braised Short Ribs


6 beef short ribs (about 3½-5 pounds) cut in half (best to have your butcher do it)
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 shallots or ½ red onion, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
5 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons flour
¼ cup ruby port
3½ cups full-bodied red wine
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 ribbons of orange or tangerine peel, optional
Parsley, coarsely chopped

1. Season the short ribs with 2 teaspoons of salt and the 2 teaspoons pepper. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, over high heat until it is close to smoking. Brown the short ribs well on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the ribs and set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat.
2. Lower the heat to medium, and add the carrots, onion, shallots, and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and light brown. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir well to combine. Add the port, red wine, celery, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Raise the heat to high and cook until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 325ºF while the wine is reducing.
4. Return the ribs to the pan, along with any accumulated juices. Add the stock and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. The stock should barely cover the ribs. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 to 3 hours. (My 5 pounds took about 2½ hours.) Visit the pot occasionally to stir the ribs. They’re done when the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone.
5. Remove the bones and gelatinous material (scissors work well) from the ribs and transfer the meat to a bowl or plate. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a second bowl. Press on the vegetables to release as much liquid as you can. Discard or compost the solids. Return the sauce to the pan.
6. Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a strong simmer. Add the cinnamon and orange peel, if desired. Check the consistency of the sauce. If it is like thick cream, you don’t need to do anything except warm it for a few minutes. If it is thin like skim milk, cook it over high heat until it thickens up a bit. If it is too thick, add a little more stock or wine and simmer gently to heat.
7. Return the ribs to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes to reheat. Remove the orange peel. Transfer to a warm serving platter or shallow bowl. Garnish with parsley and serve.

6 servings
Adapted from Keith McNally, Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson’s The Balthazar Cookbook

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

















3 pounds white potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1½ cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon wasabi paste (more if you want)
½ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste (remember that potatoes take a lot of salt)

1. Scrub, peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. As you cut them up, put them in a bowl of water to keep them from changing color.
2. Drain the cut-up potatoes, place them in a 4-quart pan, and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Check their doneness by sticking a knife into the fattest chunk. If it goes right through without reaching a hard place, the potatoes are done. Try not to overcook.
3. Drain well and squeeze through a potato ricer into a bowl if you wish or just put them in a bowl.
4. Warm the butter and half-and-half in the microwave. Add the garlic and begin to mash; add the warmed butter and milk, continuing to mash until the mixture is as smooth as you like it. If you need more half-and-half, warm it first. Add the wasabi, salt, and chopped parsley. Serve warm in a warmed bowl.

You can make this slightly ahead of time. Reheat gently in a pan on the top of the stove or in the microwave. Sometimes you need to add a bit more warm half-and-half if the potatoes stiffen up while waiting.

6 or more servings
Adapted from The Junior League of Honolulu, Inc.’s Aloha Days Hula Nights

Caramelized Carrot Salad

















½ cup pine nuts
3 pounds carrots, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
¾ cup olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced preserved lemon peel or zest from 1 lemon
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1. Heat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Spread the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch them carefully; they burn so easily. Transfer the nuts to a plate and set aside to cool.
3. Slice the carrots into thin ovals or rounds by hand or using a food processor.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add about half of the carrots to the pan and allow them to caramelize and brown, stirring only occasionally. This should take 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the carrots to a medium bowl and season with salt and half the sugar, if desired. Repeat the process with the remaining carrots.
6. Mix together the shallot and the lemon juice and set aside to macerate for 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and slowly pour in 6 tablespoons olive oil, whisking constantly until the dressing is well combined.
7. Add the pine nuts, preserved lemon peel or zest, parsley, and mint to the carrot bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

4-6 servings
Adapted from Jim Denevan’s Outstanding in the Field

Everyday Green Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing
The salad from my September 8, 2009 blog.
Just add avocado.
The dressing on my January 30, 2010 blog.

Apple Almond Crisp
From my October 30, 2009 blog.

Links à la Mode: February 4th

links a la mode

The Love/Hate Relationship With Fashion

Edited by Debutante Clothing

I’m always complaining about going out to fashion events by myself – I just don’t have many friends that are into fashion. While some people think fashion is frivolous and contributes nothing to the world, others are curating museum exhibits featuring 20th century clothing. This week’s links made me think about the love/hate camps in fashion. Starting with Grit and Glamour’s post on bloggers getting backlash from fashion insiders, Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell’s refreshingly funny admission of Tavi envy, or Fab Lab’s hate of people who hate. But there is some love in sight – British Style Bloggers reminds us to look in the mirror and love ourselves. Enjoy!

Note from Editor : Please be sure to check out the IFB Conference at NYFW : Evolving Influence


As you know, at Independent Fashion Bloggers exist the Links à la Mode; weekly, the best articles are chosen and I think that is interesting showing them to you; so here you have!!

Be quiet, I'll post something more a little bit later!

    when the blue sky is over my head

    350am. mata ku terbuka. terus aku bangun, menuju ke laptop. gaaa. bertuah pnye budak. adatlah org demam, cuma kali ni demam ni special skit. selalunya demam aku just flu + throat pain. as for this time, ++ berat kepala & badan penat. pinggang aku terasa cpt sakit. apakah?

    akhirnya. 8 feb 2009, blog ini di-private semula buat kali ke-2. owh ye. atas keselamatan diri an? anggaplah beberapa hari yg baru berlalu, aku dirundung sakit yg pelik. kemarahan yg melampau apabila berada di rumah. tp aku sendiri sedar, ia melampau. seolah - olah itu bkn aku. diiringi dgn tangisan aku, doa abah dan mama, ustazah, aku makin pulih. keluarga mengambil langkah berhati - hati. anggap saja semua kerana akibat permainan syaitan yg dilakukan oleh manusia lain. siapa? biarlah Tuhan saja yg balas.

    hurm. gaya penulisan BM aku agak cliche~ haha. poyos. hampir 5am, masa 'call time' mama. 'call time + wake up time' = sama je kan? i think so. btw. skrng final sem, sem pendek. mahu mati jg pk maw cari sponsor. kebetulan mcm2 nak jd skrng. kdng aku rasa bersalah dgn ahli kumpulan FYP (final year project) sbb aku rasa beberapa kali da aku excuse dr meeting. atas sbb fmly & kesihatan.

    berckp ttg fmly, 2 feb 2010 - kereta mama kena pecah. samun / rompak. wkt pulang dr sekolah, 240pm, kurang 5 km keluar dr sekolah, di traffic light. lampu merah. kereta mama berada di tengah. tidak di dpn mahu belakang, tidak di kiri mahu kanan. mama ambil salah 1 hp, hp fmly ke luar dr handbag, utk call abah. saat itu, bunyi kuat kedengaran. cermin di seat pemumpang sebelah mama, dipecahkan. lantas seorg pemboceng motosikal memasukkan separuh badannya ke dlm kereta dan mengambil handbag mama. sekelip mata, penunggang itu memecut laju. pengguna jln raya lain? hanya kaku melihat mama menangis dan mama memandu setelah lampu hijau.

    bercakap ttg hidup sepanjang 2010 ini, sungguh aku rasa 2 bulan ini dah terlalu bnyk mengajar aku ttg erti hidup, dlm aspek yg baru. org yg syg dtg dan pergi, kuasa Allah, dunia yg semakin kejam, oh pembetulan, manusia yg makin kejam, dan terlalu bnyk lg. ok. tiba - tiba rasa lapar. baiklah, the bright sight of what i've been through so far - new friends. a lot of. lya, ainie, ajin, yan, yana, and almost 20 of them. and also those uncles, aunts, juniors from IIUM english class! ta-daaa. almost 20 of them too. i've learnt bout lots of new words. yarrr~ it's the teenagers word nowdays. haha. and and, i begun to love maggie goreng. what else? bnyklah! i like ;))

    btw, i would like to thanks those who r still there 4 me, well basically i'm just too complicated + weird. diff than others kot. thanks to those who was being so patience esp fmly, and not to 4get, u, nabil. talking bout nabil... hurm. a simple explanation here - he makes me happy. that's it. if u do really know me, u know that i've this kind of attitude - i dont simply judge ppl. i don't. and i don't choose to be with who, basically depending on their look, status, material stuff, or anyhting else related with not-knowing-their-inner beauty. so, stop pointing ur finger at me as if i'm always the sinner, cuz, i'm kinda know, everything i do, everything i choose, and everything happened for a reason. and to be exact, the main reason of not being judgmental - cuz i'm no one to judge ppl.

    wahhh. makin lapar. see. demam - demam pun lapar. sbb tu tak pernah kurus kalau demam. just ni pun tekak payau2 skit, itu yg kurang mkn. perut ttp bagi tanda mcm biasa. haha. btw, hp maxis hari tu kene block dr 5th january, baru ok 1st feb hari tu. nape lame sgt? sbb autobill stuck. nape stuck? sbb abah tukar creditcard, so, die pending. haha. owh. regarding to mama's trauma selepas kereta kena pecah, abah ambil EL n blk KL last 3th feb til 8th feb just now. abah thanks 4 secret recipe, i've been craving for it quite a long time! and thanks 4 those u-called-it-apron-dress. haha. i love that dress ok abah, even when both u and mama called it 'apron' gaaa~ thanks 4 everything lah abah. ikea stuff, meatballs, and not to 4get, 2 hours karokae at wangsa walk.

    since it is almost 5am, and my eyes are getting red, idk it's a sign of sleepy or fever, haha. ok, that's all for now. or else i guess i wouldn't stop writing. hee. take care ppl. choose ur path to live ur life. till then~







    Cooking 1 Nugget Mie Saos Asam Manis

    12 februari 2010, jumat

    Setelah sekian lama mandek nih cooking game so minggu ini kita mulai lagi dengan edisi baru yang lebih gress n tentu aja dengan anggota baru. Senengnya gw, bisa mulai lagi nih game, coz gw merasa guilty juga, gara2 gw pulkam 1/2 th lalu game nya jadi memble anggotanya pada dikerubungin lalat malas...hihihi...so, sorry ya ibu2 blogger.

    Kali ini dengan semangat baru, mulai deh resep perdana pilihan LC, Nugget Mie. Resep cemilan buat si kecil, emang sip banget. Kenapa gw bilang sip?? coz anak2 pada makan banyak...heheh, seneng banget, kali ini si gorengnya uda dari pagi jadi ga bikin tenggorokan sakit hehehe.

    Resepnya gw catetin lagi, biar pada bisa nyoba bikin juga.
    Bahan :
    * 1 bks mie kering, rebus hingga mekar dan tiriskan
    * 2 butir telur, kocok lepas
    * ½ sdm merica bubuk
    * ¼ sdt pala bubuk
    * ½ sdt garam
    * ¼ sdt gula pasir
    * 2 butir putih telur, kocok lepas
    * 100 gram tepung terigu
    * 150 gram bread crumb (tepung roti yang kasar)
    * Minyak untuk menggoreng

    Saos :
    Tumis bawang putih yang telah dipotong tipis2 hingga wangi
    Masukkan saos secukupnya tambah garam lada gula secukupnya, masukkan sedikit air
    Cicipi sendiri ...gw ga pake ukuran nih saosnya...dikira2 aja rasanya biar pas.
    Photobucket
    Cara Membuat
    1. Campur jadi satu mie rebus dengan telur, merica bubuk, pala bubuk, gula pasir dan garam, aduk rata. Masukkan ke dalam loyang yang sudah dialasi plastik dan dioles minyak, ratakan. Kukus selama 30 menit. Angkat dan dinginkan.
    2. Setelah dingin potong-potong sesuai selera. masukkan ke dalam tepung terigu, kocokan telur dan balut seluruh permukaannya dengan bread crumb. Sisihkan.
    3. Panaskan minyak goreng dalam minyak banyak dan panas hingga kecoklatan, angkat dan tiriskan.
    5. Sajikan Nugget Mie dengan Saos Asam Manis.

    Met nyobain dah