Sumie Nouvelle - Japanese Fine Dining in Taipei

Our third day in Taipei, we were a little tired of Chinese banquet dinners (we had two 10-course meals with family the two previous nights. So after a day of checking out the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and shopping in Ximen Ding, we decided to have dinner at the nice Japanese restaurant inside our hotel, San Want Hotel, called Sumie Nouvelle Cuisine Japonaise.

We went for the chef's tasting menu, a seven course dinner.

First course was this beautfully plated guava, crab, soy gelee, cucumber, and tomato salad with miso dressing.

 Second up was Sashimi on the Rocks—snapper, hamachi, salmon, grilled white fish, and blanched shrimp. It was served with a white-fish ceviche.

The sashimi was very fresh and tasty, and the ceviche knocked it out of the park. The only thing that really didn't work for me was the shrimp. Anytime I've had shrimp with sashimi it's been fully cooked. This one was was reddish, but still translucent, and the texture in the mouth reflected that. But I manned up and swallowed it.

Third course was a play on tempura. Puffed rice crusted prawn, fried kabocha squash, fried fish.

Fourth course was a filet that was still cooking on a bed of hot rocks. Mine was delicious, but ended up a bit more done then I would've preferred. But that's the price I pay for taking too long to snap photos of all the food.

Steak is really expensive in Taiwan, because there isn't much that is locally raised on the island. So it must be imported from Japan, Australia, or the U.S.

Fifth course was a small collection of sushi (not pictured) and an amuse-bouche of hamachi.

Sixth course was a ginger lobster soup. The soup was extra gingery but delicious because it stayed piping hot the entire time. The soup was served in a bowl but lined with a water-resistant paper; inside the bowl, underneath the paper was a hot tile of granite to keep the soup hot.

Finally, for dessert we had mochi and cantaloupe. But this was no ordinary mochi, for inside this beautifully shaped mochi pillow topped with cocoa powder was a tiramisu filling. A wonderful little surprise to end the night.

In fact we were so inspired by the tiramisu mochi, that when we came back to the states, we had a holiday party where we took part in a dessert competition. We took the idea, and made a pumpkin pie mochi, which wasn't as beautiful (my first time making mochi), but a winning dessert none-the-less.

Waffle Tree near Sun Moon Lake - Taiwan

While on our tour in Taiwan, we went to a small aboriginal village in Sun Moon Lake in Central Taiwan. Strolling down the street towards the lake, I came across a random stand selling waffle trees. A waffle, shaped like a skinny Christmas tree, drizzled with a choice of sauce. I chose a coffee sauce which was delicious. I was a little bit concerned because a lady came out of the back with foil in her hair (getting her hair dyed)—when in Rome.

So it was a nice little treat after a long day of sightseeing. I was a little sad when I finished it in a few bites.

I Pity the Holidays!

Happy Holidays from Ray and Tracy at I Pity The Food.

Be sure to check out our photos from our trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong at our Shutterfly Site:
http://tracyandraytaiwanhongkong.shutterfly.com/pictures.

We promise to update this soon with all of our fabulous food from our trip and the holidays.

Bijan Wine Bar

Walking around the streets of downtown San Jose with a coworker after a conference, we encountered a waitress posted out by a restaurant patio with 4 glasses of wine, and asked if we wanted a sample. This wasn't some sample of deep fried orange chicken from a food court, these were generously poured glasses of a Port and Sauvignon Blanc.

Naturally we were sold, so we went in and sat down for a drink. The waitress looked really excited, likely because we were the only customers there. We learned that the Bijan Wine Bar had only been open for three days, and was owned by their more famous Bijan Bakery and Cafe located across the walkway.

We navigated three tabloid-sized menus of food, dessert, and drink, but the waitress persuaded us to trying the wine flights. I guess that's their thing. My coworker had a Sauvignon Blanc flight while I had the Pinot Noir flight.

Each set of three wines was presented on a piece of paper, with circles where each glass was supposd to be placed with the name and vintage of the wine as well as a detailed description and tasting notes.

The food—while not intended to be a meal, but rather to complement the wine—left us a little wanting due to ultra small portions. The saving grace though was the Opera Cake, layers of cake and almond, amaretto and chocolatey goodness.

Definitely a place to check out some evening, after dinner, but it still has some kinks to work out.

CHIFA by Iron Chef Garces

Parihuela

I was so enamored with Iron Chef Jose Garces at Garces Trading Company, that I took some of my coworkers to another of Chef Garces' restaurants, CHIFA—a hybrid of Peruvian and Cantonese cuisine. A little history on the Peru-China connection, according to the CHIFA website,  when Chinese workers "came to Peru in the late 19th century, they brought their cuisine with them. Over the years, they adapted their foods to work with Peruvian ingredients and incorporated native South American cooking techniques."

The food is served tapas style primarily—small plates. And our group of 6 ordered a lot of food to share and to hoard for ourselves. What did we order?

Pulpo

• BBQ ribs with a char sui glaze
• Spicy garlic ginger chicken wings
• Mussels with a broth of coconut, lemongrass, and Thai basil
• Lobster bowl with noodles, rocoto cream, bacon, parmesan, and green peas
• Red Curry with jumbo lump crab and coconut
• Chaufa with oxtail—essentially an oxtail fried rice
• Salt and pepper shrimp (which our group found to not be very good with the head and shell on)
• Thai beef salad
• Pulpo—rock octopus with a ginger gastrique
• Lomo Saltado—braised beef with potatoes and stirred vegetables
• Yuca fries with a red chile mayo and a chimichurri sauce (highly recommended))
• Parihuela—a ciopoino-esque dish pf lobster, clams, mussels, and scallops

Amazing meal along with excellent drinks. I had a Pisco Sour which is a Peruvian brandy and lime juice.

I'd easily give CHIFA a 5 stars. I don't pity CHIFA, I just pity the fools that don't have an opportunity experience it.

Garces Trading Company, Philadelphia PA

My travels brought me to Philadelphia, where it is said to be the "Best Restaurant City!" according to the Loews Hotel welcome book. After a walk around the Liberty Bell and Washington Square, I found myself a few blocks west at Garces Trading Company, founded by the newer Iron Chef America, Chef Jose Garces.

Vichyssoise Chaude

There's a bit of a disconnect between what Garces intends as "a casual sit-down meal" and the $50 pp you'd have to drop for an appetizer/soup/salad, an entree and a glass of wine.

That being said, the food was amazing and worth the $50 I dropped. The ambiance is mixed as part of the place is a deli style market, with a sit down cafe portion. This food is certainly worthy of a classier dining experience.

Pappardelle With Lamb Ragu

I started with the Vichyssoise Chaude which was served table side. A shallow bowl with potato, leek, scallop, bacon, and truffle shavings, and then the server poured the hot chowder into the bowl. It was rich, complex, and amazing (though I still contend that using truffles is culinary cheating).


I also had the Pappardelle With Lamb Ragu—long and wide pasta with slow cooked lamb with sunchoke puree, peas, and piave vechio (which is Italian for fancy parmesan). Lots of great flavors if you like lamb, but not too heavy. Each bite dances a little in your mouth with layers of flavors playing off each other.


Honorable mention that I almost got, was the Sunday night special of ox-tail and braised short rib lasagna.

Check out my blog on Chef Garces' other restaurant, CHIFA, Peruvian-Cantonese cuisine.

Guinness Braised Corned Beef

Found a nice recipe for a unique spin on corned beef.

Mirepoix, thyme, dijon and Guinness. Added potato, more onion and carrot, as well as kale and swiss chard to the braising liquid. Then made a little gravy from the liquid as well. Delicious!

Here's a link to the recipe I was inspired by:
http://www.food.com/recipe/ale-braised-corned-beef-with-horseradish-gravy-swedish-style-215890

I used Guinness instead if their recommended Killians Irish Red. And instead of cabbage, I used kale and chard.

I also went freestyle on the gravy on account if not having horseradish or milk.

Tuscan Kale Salad

When I was in Scottsdale, Arizona I tried this amazing kale salad at True Food Kitchen. I love the idea of eating raw kale over your typical romaine lettuce in a salad because it is much more nutritious. This recipe calls for dinosaur kale or a black Italian kale. This refreshing and spicy salad is perfect for a warm summer night.
Ingredients:

• Thoroughly wash 4-6 cups of dinosaur kale, midribs removed, chopped.
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3-4 T EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• salt and pepper to taste
• hot red pepper flakes to taste
• 2/3 cup of grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (I used Parmesan)
• 1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread (optional)

1. whisk together lemon juice, EVOO, garlic, salt, pepper and a generous pinch of hot red pepper flakes
2. pour over washed and chopped kale in serving bowl and toss well
3. add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again
4. let the kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

Enjoy!

Chicken, Fennel, and Artichoke Fricassee

One skillet dishes are the way to go for week night dinners. This recipe came from Martha Stewart Living April 2011 issue. There is incredible flavor in this one-skillet dish. Fennel and red onion intesify the braising liquid, which becomes a pan sauce.

This meal costs about $20 including two bunches of asparagus and polenta I used for sides. I used an organic whole chicken fryer that I butchered into 10 pieces. I also saved the unused chicken parts (carcass, neck bone and innards) and made stock out of it for soup for later use.

Chicken, Fennel, and Artichoke Fricassee

Active time: 25 mins. Total Time 35 mins. Serves 4

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 T EVOO

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges, 1/4 cup fronds reserved

1 can (15 ounces) water-packed whole artichoke hearts, drained

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (I had a yellow onion, either works well).

1 cup of chicken stock

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

3 T fresh flat-leaf parsley (I did not have this to add, but it is optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 1 T of fat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Brown fennel wedges, artichokes and onion in skillet, stirring occasionally 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Return chicken to skillet. Add stock. Transfer to oven. Braise until cooked through 18-20 minutes. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a platter. reduce braising liquid over high heat to about 1/3 cup. Stir in vinegar. Pour sauce over chicken and top with fennel fronds and parsley.

Roasted Asparagus

Wash and trim 2 bunches of asparagus. Place on baking sheet. Toss with EVOO, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 15-20 mins. Can cook this at the same time as the chicken.

Polenta

boil 6 cups of water

slowly stir in 1 3/4 cups of polenta

add 1 teaspoon of salt

turn down heat to low to medium heat and stir occasionally.

cook for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened.

add 1-2 T of butter, stir in until melted.

Polenta will thicken/harden as it sits.

Enjoy!

Sushi at Home

One of my favorite healthy foods to eat is sushi. There are plenty of mediocre sushi places in the Bay Area of all price ranges. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely top notch sushi restaurants that offer exceptional quality and variety, but it will cost you about $40+ per person if you really indulge.

Customizing your sushi rolls at home is easy, especially if you have access to fresh sushi grade fish. Two great places to get sushi grade fish is Berkeley Bowl and Tokyo Fish Market, which are both located in Berkeley. Because I needed other items at the store, I decided to walk to Berkeley Bowl for my sushi items. Berkeley Bowl usually only carries sushi grade fish in a couple of fish types: tuna (today: ahi and albacore), salmon and yellow tail. They are all fresh and tasty. Next time I will go to Tokyo Fish Market for a wider selection.

The cost of the fish was about $6 1/2 lb of Hawaiian Albacore Tuna and $4.50 for a 1/2 lb of king salmon. The veggies, rice, nori, wasabi all proportionally cost about $7. This is an inexpensive way to enjoy sushi they way you like it for under $20. Remember to buy sushi grade fish and consume at your own risk! Sushi Rice courtesy of Alton Brown.


The following Sushi Rice recipe courtesy of Alton Brown and Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sushi or short grain rice
• 2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Directions:

Wash a rice two or three times and cook in rice cooker (short grain rice is usually 1 cup of rice to 1 and 1/4 cup of water).

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi

Chicken, Fennel, & Artichoke Fricasee

Tonight, Tracy made an incredible one-skillet dish. She literally took a page out of Martha Stewart's magazine -- April 2011 issue of Living.

B Restaurant in Old Town Oakland

I've got a new favorite restaurant in Oakland -- it's B Restaurant. Tracy and I have been there a few times now, and it hits the spot every time. The ambiance is great, and its situated in Old Town Oakland (9th Street between Clay and Broadway), which is urban without being ghetto.

What we usually order:

• Truffle Fries    $6
• Perfectly fried potatoes tossed with parsley and truffle oil.
• P.E.I. Mussels - bacon, smoked gouda broth, rosemary foccacia   $14
• The idea of a smoked gouda broth sounds odd, but is super tasty without being heavy.
• Lamb Sugo - braised lamb, mostaccioli pasta, carrots, onions, tomatoes, ricotta salata   $12 small/ $19 large
• I love saucy braised meats, and this hits the spot every time. The thick chewy pasta complements the texture of the chunks of lamb.

They also have some pretty good wood-fired pizzas which we've had a couple times. The host, bartender and wait staff are all very professional, personal, and inviting. So come check it out for dinner some time soon. They're only open for dinner.

UPDATE: I just bought three $40 gift certificates on Living Social, for only $20 each, so we'll be going there several more times for sure.