Korean Fried Chicken Lunch at Momofuku Noodle Bar

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Fried Chicken at Momofuku Noodle Bar

Fried Chicken at Momofuku Noodle Bar (the Southern style is in front)

The Mrs. treated us to a Korean fried chicken meal at Momofuku Noodle Bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. You get two whole chickens for a Benjamin, one fried up Korean style and southern style, and assorted condiments. They can only prepare one chicken meal at a time so reservations must be made far in advance.

It was mighty good. David Chang has a unique way of cooking the chicken which would be difficult-to-impossible to duplicate at home. It’s brined, then sweated in a steam filled oven of the type used for bread baking until it reaches an intenal temperature of 160 degrees (I think… Chang says it is cooked at 160 degrees but that doesn’t make sense because it wouldn’t produce steam). Only then is it battered and fried. This process somehow makes the batter and skin adhere to the meat instead of peeling off like it usually does.

Condiments at Momofuku Noodle Bar

Condiments (what was left of them halfway through the meal) with scallion/ginger, my favorite, in front

The Korean style chicken had a glaze that was definitely gochugaru yet milder and less vinegary than my prep. It had cooked all the way through to the point that the smaller bones were crunchy and brittle and could be gobbled like sardine bones if one wished (I did) yet the meat was not overcooked. The southern style had a buttermilk batter with an unusual spice mix that we decided might be pumpkin pie spice but was later identified as Old Bay Seasoning.

Along with this came a big bowl of veggies for eating in a rolled up lettuce leaf, ssam-style and a container of crepes/pancakes that were like the ones you get for moo shu pork but thicker. And lots of condiments for dipping and pouring on. We tried all the combos and there was no way to avoid a gloriously messy eating experience. (Our table, unlike others, was covered in butcher paper in anticipation of our arrival.) These were proud, meaty birds, raised I am confident in a happy manner at one of the farms listed on a blackboard as you come in, and even the wings had plenty of meat.

The most distinctive part of the meal actually came at the end, when I was in a food coma so unable to photo it. Chang has acquired a soft serve machine and presents unusual combinations, consisting today of a beet/lime combo crossed with yogurt and served on a bed of pistachio crumble. Incredible.

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Of pepper sauce, sport peppers and pepper sport

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers

The current management added a table service at the Highland Park Cafeteria. You still have to carry your own tray (unless, like many of the patrons, you’re too infirm to do this) but then a solicitous person will stop by and ask you if you want ice tea refills and “can I bring you any pepper sauce?”

Cajun Chef Tabasco Peppers

Cajun Chef pepper sauce

That last would be nonsense to a northerner, but it’s music to our ears down south. Pepper sauce isn’t Tabasco (we call that “tabasco”) or a less legendary sauce like Crystal or Louisiana (we call that “hot sauce”). “Pepper sauce” is, specifically, green peppers that have been cured in vinegar and packed in a little bottle with a shaker top. The peppers never leave the bottle; you shake the flavored vinegar onto collards, turnip greens, blackeyed peas and, if you’re me, fried items like okra and chicken. The vinegar adds tanginess to a mild base flavor and the pepper gives just the right amount of heat.

In my family we would buy whatever brand was at Tom Thumb (usually Trappey’s) and refill it with white vinegar when the liquid ran out. After a few refills the peppers would look wan and shriveled and it would be time for a new bottle. When I sat down to write this post it occurred to me that probably isn’t a best practice; aren’t there other ingredients that add flavor complexity to a newly opened batch? Taste test time!

I compared a well-used bottle and brand new bottle of the same brand, Cajun Chef (that’s what they now serve at HPC) and there definitely is a difference. The newer pepper sauce is saltier and has a vegetal muskiness that’s missing from the well-used bottles. From now on my policy will be 2 refills then out.

Now as to sport peppers. The last time I was at HPC the sauce was actually “Sport Peppers” not “Tabasco Peppers” though it tasted the same. The chiles looked like tabascos but a bit bigger. Roadfood.com, not surprisingly, has a very long thread spanning many years on what sport peppers are and are not. It’s wonderful to see how passionate people can completely disregard solid botanical evidence in the post just above theirs.

Various folks allege that sport peppers are a/just bigger tabascos b/serranos c/pepperoncinis Italian style d/a specific variety called “capsicum annuum” or d/a cultivar of capsicum annuum. At least some of these folks are intentionally talking out their bunghole, and that’s when the sport comes in.

I am going to cast my vote for a/ and d/, and agree with the poster who says “sport” means they are a sport or offshoot of tabascos vs. a pepper served at a sporting event (yes, others say that). Anyone who has had a hot pepper lose its heat because it’s planted near a bell pepper plant in the garden knows how easily this can happen. And capsicum annuum turns out to be the entire happy family of capsicum peppers; they even have their own website.

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The miracle of cole slaw

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Sour Slaw from Highland Park Cafeteria

Sour Slaw from the dearly missed Highland Park Cafeteria in Dallas

The classic L’il Abner comic strip had a recurring character called the Schmoo. To quote Wikipedia, “Shmoos are delicious to eat, and are eager to be eaten. If a human looks at one hungrily, it will happily immolate itself—either by jumping into a frying pan, after which they taste like chicken, or into a broiling pan, after which they taste like steak. When roasted they taste like pork, and when baked they taste like catfish. (Raw, they taste like oysters on the half-shell.)”

Shmoos are imaginary, but cabbage is almost as good and it’s real.

Here is a vegetable that is cheap, available everywhere year round, and prevents cancer. What more could you want, for God’s sake? You don’t even have to wash it; just peel away the top layer and you’re good to go.

Cabbage can be sautéed as a satisfying side dish; it can be made into sauerkraut; the leaves can be steamed and filled with any number of things. Burnt My Fingers will examine all these preparations in due time. But the noblest preparation of cabbage by far is cole slaw, and that is why I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make my slaw the best it can be.

I have three standard preps: sour slaw, creamy slaw and vinegar slaw. Follow my recipes and you will have an easy, refreshing and reliable side dish that’s especially well suited for BBQ, fish and deli sandwiches. But add your own tweaks and you will be amazed at how minor modifications make a major flavor difference.

The first thing to remember about cole slaw is that it contains cabbage juice: an earthy essence that will be released at a time of your choosing. For sour slaw, we sweat out the juice and then discard it so the other ingredients can shine through. For other preps, the cabbage juice leaches out into the dressing so it becomes noticeably more liquid and flavorful an hour or two after it’s made. This is why I say you should never taste-correct your slaw in less than 1 ½ hours after preparation and certainly should not serve sooner than that.

Similarly, the way you cut your cabbage can make a huge difference. Coarse chopping, shredding or slicing each yields a very different texture and I believe these different textures make a difference in the way the slaw tastes: the larger the morsels are, the more they will taste of cabbage vs. dressing.

I don’t want to close this post on a negative note but there is one more thing I want to mention about cole slaw: the tendency of certain establishments (usually fast food places) to serve their slaw in an approximately 1/4 cup measure that’s akin to the specimen cup you might find at the medical lab. These establishments regard their menu as a set of abstract commodities rather than food, and they equate cole slaw with condiments like catsup or cocktail sauce or tartar sauce, which can fit easily in these small containers. But don’t stand for it. Next time you are offered one of these cups, look your server in the eye and tell them you expect a full serving of cole slaw, then hold up the line until the problem is solved. If enough of us do this, soon there will be abundant cole slaw for all.

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Recipe: Creamy Cole Slaw

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Creamy Cole Slaw

Creamy Cole Slaw

This is an intentionally mild recipe that plays well with others and fits most any desire for a creamy cole slaw. If you want to kick it up a notch, see suggestions at the end. Makes about 8 cups slaw (16 servings).

Ingredients:
1 medium head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 T mayonnaise
2 T cider vinegar
3/4 t Kosher salt
¼ t pepper
½ t sugar

Method: Thoroughly mix all ingredients; don’t worry if the slaw seems a bit dry because the cabbage throws off liquid as it cures. Refrigerate 2 hours then correct the seasoning as desired. Add some chopped onion (red or green), garlic, green pepper or all of them before serving if you like.

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Recipe: Vinegar Cole Slaw

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Vinegar Coe Slaw

A picnic-size bowl of vinegar cole slaw

A Greek-style vinegar cole slaw that goes particularly well with grilled meats, chicken or fish; the key ingredient is white vinegar.

Ingredients:
1 medium head green cabbage, sliced very thin
1/2 medium red onion, sliced very thin
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c white vinegar
1 t Kosher salt
1/4 t ground black pepper

Method: Dump the cabbage into the bowl you will use for serving; mix salt and vinegar to dissolve in a jar, add oil to the jar and shake; pour over cabbage; mix well; add onion on top. Refrigerate at least 1 1/2 hours, taste and correct the seasoning if you like, then serve. The slaw will seem dry at first but will become more moist as the cabbage throws off its juice.

Variations: since this is a Greek-influenced slaw you could experiment with any of these Greek-style add-ins:
1/4 t ground cumin, or 1/2 t whole cumin seeds
2 T chopped fresh mint
1 t dried oregano

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Recipe: Sarah Willis Chocolate Cake

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Sarah Willis Chocolate Cake

The frosting is the recipe on the tin of Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa… REALLY good.

Sarah Willis is a Niman Ranch pig farmer in Thornton, IA. She contributed this recipe for a farmers’ cookbook we were working on that hopefully will be published one day soon. Her grandmother first got it from the radio and it has been passed down through the family. Several family members have slightly different versions but it is agreed her version is the best.

Ingredients:
2 c all purpose flour (Sarah specifies organic)
2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
Pinch Kosher salt

2 eggs (Sarah specifies free range and organic)
½ cup cooking oil (she likes to use Smart Balance)
½ c cold water
1 t vanilla
1 c hot fresh brewed coffee

Method: Combine first four (dry) ingredients in one bowl. Beat the eggs in a second bowl and combine with oil, cold water and vanilla; add the contents of the second bowl to the first bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour in the coffee and mix again. Grease and flour a 9″ round or square cake pan and pour in the batter. Bake 30-40 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven or until the cake passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean because the wet ingredients have solidified). Turn out onto a serving plate; cool, then add frosting if desired. Sarah likes to serve this with a cream cheese frosting or, for a non-dairy alternative, she puts a pattern (doily) on top then sprinkles with powdered sugar. (For my prep, I used the recipe on the back of the Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa tin.)

Chocolate Cake Cross Section

I cut the 9×9 cake in half then stacked the halves to make a really tall slice.

Tips for first time cake bakers (which would include me, since I forgot everything I used to know when I baked this today) on judging doneness: 1/do use a toothpick (or maybe a matchstick) for the test instead of a knife: when the toothpick test was clean my knife was still coming out covered with batter. 2/What you are doing is making sure the center is set (not jiggling like jell-o®) while the overall cake is still moist; you can also judge this by pressing the top of the cake to see if it springs back (if it does, it’s done). 3/Remember the cake will continue to set after you remove it from the oven. 4/Allow to cool thoroughly before removing from the pan; it will shrink and that makes removal easier.

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Recipe: Vincent’s Garlic Cole Slaw

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
VincentSwa

Vincent’s Cole Slaw

Vincent’s is a seafood place that was on Inwood in Dallas when I was growing up, around the corner from the Miracle Mile. I visited their new location in Plano, TX and confirmed Vincent’s cole slaw is as good as it used to be. Goes great with grilled or broiled seafood.

Ingredients:
1 medium head green cabbage, shredded*
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c cider vinegar
3 T garlic**, very finely chopped and then smashed
1 1/2 t Kosher salt

Method: To smash garlic, chop it very fine on a cutting board then dump the salt on top. Use the flat side of a chef’s knife to rub the salt and garlic together so it becomes atomized. Transfer garlic and salt to a jar then add oil, mayo and vinegar; shake to mix. Pour over cabbage, stir to mix and allow to cure at least 2 hours. Mix again before serving.

Note: There are some truly strange recipes for Vincent’s slaw circulating on the internet, including one claiming to be “official” which would be inedible if you followed the measurements accurately. Most of them recommend soaking the cabbage in ice water overnight and this is not a bad thing to do; I tested with and without soaking and by the time the slaw is ready to serve, the difference in crispiness between soaked and non-soaked cabbage is negligible to nonexistent.

*I used to shred the cabbage  by hand but now use the coarse side of a box grater. I’ve seen a giant version of this grater in restaurant supply stores, making me thing that is likely what they used at Vincent’s.
**Yep, that’s a lot of garlic!
***UPDATE January 2022: at the suggestion of Michael Vincent, grandson of the original owner, we made this recipe substituting red wine vinegar for the cider vinegar and olive oil for neutral vegetable oil. It came out great! Soon after mixing it had a pleasing fruity note, but eventually it tasted very close to the original recipe. The salt and garlic overpower other flavors, in a good way.

NEW TO BURNT MY FINGERS? Check out Squash Casserole a la Highland Park Cafeteria!

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Recipe: Chopped Spinach Salad with Horseradish

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Chopped Spinach Salad with Horseradish

Chopped Spinach Salad with Horseradish

Another favorite from the Highland Park Cafeteria. This makes a nice composed salad for a ladies’ bridge club lunch, I suppose, but the horseradish packs a wallop that interests more manly types. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 lb spinach, very thoroughly washed and completely dry
2 T mayonnaise (approximately)
1 t lemon juice
4 T grated horseradish
2 hard boiled eggs
Lettuce leaves for serving

Method: Chop the spinach extremely fine. Add lemon juice then just enough mayonnaise to allow the spinach to be molded into a genteel mound for presentation (see picture); divide into 4 serving portions and place a spinach mound on top of a lettuce leaf, using a large spoon for shaping. Duplicate the shape of the spinach with a 1 T mound of horseradish on the side. Grate or finely chop hard boiled eggs and distribute evenly on top of the salads.

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Red Boat Fish Sauce… da shizz!

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Fish Sauce

Red Boat stands tall among fish sauces.

Aunt Pat likes to show up with tchotchkes and gourmet specialties sourced along Fillmore Street in San Francisco’s Pac Heights. So when arrived with a bottle of Red Boat Fish Sauce I probably busted out a smirk. Artisanal fish sauce, heh heh. Then a double take. Whoa… artisanal fish sauce! And I knew I had to get me some some.

Red Boat is made by a Vietnamese American, Cuong Pham, who journeyed back to the “crystal clear waters off the Phu Quoc Island archipelago” to find the best anchovies and the best salt and press them into the best nuoc man or Vietnamese fish sauce. Red Boat is the first pressing—“extra virgin”—and uses only fish, salt and water.

I did a blind taste of Red Boat against Tiparos, my standard sauce, and all three tasters preferred the Red Boat. Tiparos is saltier and has a feral quality that I like (it may also be intensified by evaporation; the Tiparos bottle I used is on its last legs after 2 years in my kitchen) but Red Boat was just more rounded and complex.

If you order from the Red Boat website, a 500 ml bottle is around $10 plus shipping (which becomes very modest when you buy extra bottles to give away) compared to around $5 for Tiparos… that’s a reasonable up charge for a product that will last a long time.

I also tried the 50N Red Boat vs the 40N, the numbers referring to the concentration of protein. 50N is unquestionably expensive at $10 for 80 ml. But I can’t keep my hands off it. It has the briny saltiness of the really good anchovies I like to slather on my pizza and in fact I’ve already discovered that a few dashes on a plate of pasta turns an ordinary dish into something special.

The 40N becomes part of my regular rotation and will replace the Tiparos when that bottle is empty; the 50N will be kept in a secret cabinet and brought out as needed. If you are lucky enough to score a bottle (or resourceful enough to go to the website where it’s sold by the pair—one for you, another to give away), here’s a deviled egg recipe that shows it off to kick-ass perfection.

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Gluten-free ale from Steadfast Beer Co

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Mike and Alison Hosier of Steadfast Beer

Jeremy and Alison Hosier of Steadfast Beer

Had a conversation at Saratoga Beer Week with Alison and Jeremy Hosier, brewers at Steadfast Beer Co. in Albany. They brew with sorghum in place of barley and wheat, and their new product, Sorghum Pale Ale, is just about to hit the stores. I liked it a lot. It is a medium-to-dark ale but without the breadiness usually found in such brews, and there were plenty of hops for my taste. There was an indefinable extra that Alison suggested as “sudsiness”; sounds like a dish soap but it’s actually positive, a liveliness in the mouth that counteracts the heavy notes. At 6.8 ABV, it’s not a session beer but one meant to be sipped and taken seriously. A really nice counterbalance to the IPAs I was tasting at the show. The brewers are starting small and the first distribution will be around the Capital District (including EBI here in Saratoga) with plans to grow.

The Steadfast website isn’t live yet, but their Facebook links to an interesting community page on gluten-free beers. I have no personal problem with gluten but did not realize I was getting it in my beer since I don’t like wheat beers; I found that barley has gluten too. And learned that while in Europe and the US, a beer can have trace amounts of gluten and be called gluten-free, in Australia absolutely no measurable gluten is permitted. No worries, celiacs! (I’m told that’s an Australian catchphrase…)

Giant Paella from Pies on Wheels

This giant paella from PiesOnWheels.com, a Saratoga caterer, helped condition our guts against the brews

This was the inaugural Saratoga Beer Week, and things seem to be going well. The organizers throw several regional beer festivals but they are all in the summer. They were nervous about an indoor, winter event but the weather cooperated nicely. I was happy to see brews beyond the usual Lake Placid, Olde Saratoga, Long Trail, Magic Hat etc… successful regional brands that try hard to look crafty but go for mass appeal in their flavor. Lagunitas, for example, was here with just two brews, one of them the definitely not-for-the-masses Little Sumpin’ Wild, thanks guys!

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