Le Cheval's Back

For those of you that haven't heard, the beloved Vietnamese restaurant, Le Cheval in Oakland, has moved back to it's old location.

In November 2010, I reported the Le Cheval was shuttering it's doors because of a tenant-landlord dispute. They relocated to the other corner of the block where they had originally planned to open a wine bar called LCX. The timing worked out, in that the wine bar concept was overhauled and they brought in most of the old Le Cheval menu though in a significantly smaller space.

Fast forward 16 months, Le Cheval secured a new lease at their old 1007 Clay Street location, where they had resided for two decades before getting evicted in 2010. New building owners, a slightly altered restaurant ownership structure, but the same great menu in the same great venue. The layout is largely the same, big round tables on the right side, and several diagonally situated square tables in the other two-thirds of the restaurant. They fixed it up a bit, but still feels like Le Cheval.

Claypot Rice Lunch Special at the new old Le Cheval.

As for the LCX restaurant space, they scrapped the wine bar concept and made it a noodle house with a simple menu consisting of classic Pho and other noodle soups.

Read more about Le Cheval's new lease on life in the East Bay Express.

Cupcake Crazy

Smores cupcake from More Cupcakes in Chicago

Maybe it's just me (Ray) that doesn't get this whole cupcake craze. Sure it's cute that you get creative with the flavors, design, and gobs of artery clogging frosting. But let's be honest, it's like 3 bites of cake for $3, $4, even $5.

And there are so many of them now coming out of the woodwork and invading strip malls, mall malls, trucks, and stands. And then there are TV shows dedicated to this cupcake phenomenon showing how bush league some of these cupcakeries are operated.

Call me old fashioned, but I want some real cake. Multiple layers of cake.

I don't want a tiramisu cupcake*—I want some real rum and espresso soaked lady fingers with marscapone tiramisu dusted with cocoa powder.


* I did have a CupKates' tiramisu cupcake from a work celebration earlier in the week. And damn it, it was delicious.

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.

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.

Feeling Crabby

Tracy's been in a crabby mood the last few weeks, which found us almost having to wait for nearly two hours at PPQ Dungeness Island on Clement Street in San Francisco. Fortunately, we made a call to Yummy Yummy on Irving and they saved us a seat. I don't see the big fuss over waiting such so long for crab. I remember being quoted a wait time of 3 hours at Boiling Crab in San Jose last year.

Crab boils are pretty simple. You buy a live crab (like Ferdinand here), and throw him in the freezer for a bit so gets nice and comfy. Later, boil a huge pot of water and season it (there are tons of different crab boil seasoning recipes, just google it). Boil for 10-20 minutes depending on the size. Throw in some of your other accoutrements like chopped corn on the cob, potatoes, onion, or sausage. Once Ferdinand starts floating, go a couple more minutes and you're good.

For that "I just waited for 3-hours for this" restaurant feel, put some butcher paper down over your dining table, and dump the strained crab and goodies onto the table and dig in.

Chile Verde Soup

This dish is sort of a mash-up of Chicken Tortilla Soup and Chile Verde. I experimented by taking ideas from a few different recipes, and ditching the measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces (you can use chicken thighs if you want to impart more flavor, moisture, and fat)
• 1 chopped onion
• 3-6 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 diced anaheim chiles (or poblano/pasilla chiles)
• 10 tomatillos - husked and chopped
• 1/2 or 1 Bell pepper (I like red for contrast and flavor, green works well too in keeping it verde. If you feel bold, go with yellow or orange)
• 4 cups or so chicken broth
• Olive oil
• Oregano
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cinnamon (2 sticks preferred, but a few dashes of ground cinnamon is fine too)
• 1-3 zucchinis (depends on size)
• Cilantro
• Tortilla chips (or Fritos)

Cooking instructions:

1. Chop everything in advance, except for the zucchini (that comes at the end)
2. Season the chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Heat a wok or skillet on high heat with olive oil.
4. Add chicken and toss and stir for a couple minutes. This is to give the chicken some color. You may want to do this in two batches to get good color - don't crowd the pan.
5. Transfer to a slow cooker, crock pot, or cooking pot [hereby called the "chicken pot"]
6. Add more oil to the pan and add chopped onion and garlic for a few minutes, then transfer to the chicken pot.
7. Add more oil to the pan and add bell peppers and chiles and saute for a few minutes, then transfer to the chicken pot.
8. Add the tomatillos and chicken broth to the chicken pot along with oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, additional salt and pepper. 
9. Stir everything around in the chicken pot to mix in the seasoning and various ingredients. If you are using ground cinnamon, put a few dashes of that in before stirring, if you are using cinnamon sticks, add that in after stirring and submerge it in the mixture.
10. Slow cook that bad boy
• If slow cooking or crock potting, set it on low and slow for at least 4 hours. If you have a high setting, maybe 2.5 hours is enough, but generally longer and lower the better.
• You can alternatively simmer over the stove for a couple hours, stirring occasionally.
• If you're pressed for time, just bring it to a boil then set on medium for 15-20 minutes.
11. Add chopped zucchini with about 30 minutes remaining to avoid getting it too mushy.
12. Serve in a bowl with cilantro and crushed tortilla chips.

Some other tasty tips:

• Add canned corn at some point for extra goodness and color.
• Since I use a slow cooker and am a firm believer in low-and-slow, I like to do steps 1-9 the night before and throw it in the fridge. In the morning, I put it in the slow cooker and set it for the maximum 9-hours so its ready when I get home.

Closing Time at Le Cheval

One of our favorite restaurants, Le Cheval in Oakland, is closing its doors after 25 years. Apparently they were forced to move out of their location at Clay St. and Tenth St. due to an unwarranted eviction by the building's jerkstore landlord, Monica Ung, who's company is under investigation by California State Attorney General and Alameda County District Attorney.

Tracy and I were fortunate enough to be there for Le Cheval's last dinner service -- salty calamari, lemongrass chicken, and their famous beef cubes.

Tracy inquired with an employee from Le Cheval about their closure, and we were pleased to learn that they would be opening a new location at Clay and 11th Street where China Wok Restaurant used to be (underneath Arsimona Bar and Grill). The new location will be significantly smaller (about 100 person capacity compared to 285), and may offer a slightly different menu. Inside Scoop SF's Paolo Lucchesi reports that the new location may be a wine bar called LCX.

So its bitter sweet that they are leaving, but on the bright side, the new location will be opening, and their other locations in Berkeley and Walnut Creek will continue to be open for business.

Banana Bread

I bought a big bag of bananas from Costco, and for some reason they got ripe really quick. Tracy, our primary banana eater, likes her bananas on the green side. I don't mind a yellow banana, but I don't eat a lot of bananas, and certainly couldn't put down 7 extra bananas, especially when they start getting those brown spots. So when you're in such a situation where you've got more bananas than you can eat, try making some banana bread. Its an easy and delicious way to put them to use.

I used a modified version of Aunt Holly's Banana Bread from Epicurious. A relatively simple recipe that uses minimal ingredients.

• 3 to 4 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda*
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• Chocolate chips (as many as you want!)
• Mixed Raw Nuts**

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash the bananas in a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Bake in a buttered loaf pan until a toothpick stuck into the bread comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Slice and serve.

* I used self-rising flour in lieu of regular flour and baking soda. My baking soda has been in my fridge absorbing odors for the last several months, so i thought it unwise to use it. And my alternatives were in the freezer and shoe closet doing the same.

** Walnuts would probably be recommended for a more traditional banana bread, but given what I had available in my pantry, mixed raw nuts is what I used. I think some crushed or sliced almonds would be great, as would a handful of any trail mix.

Thai Basil Chicken

On the menu today is Thai Basil Chicken, a relatively easy dish to make. This video will take you through the basic steps and I will also list the steps below. Here are the ingredients:

• 1 package of ground turkey or ground chicken or thinly sliced chicken (1.25 lb.)
• 1 large or 2 medium zucchinis
• 2-4 tomatoes (depending on size)
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 4-10 Thai chiles (or 3-6 Serrano chiles)
• 3-5 tbsp fish sauce
• 3-5 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cooking wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

Thai Basil Chicken from Ray Huang on Vimeo.

This recipe doesn't really require exact measurements, its hard to go wrong, and you can make adjustments based on your preference of spiciness, saltiness, fishiness, veginess, meatiness, and chunkiness.

1. Start cooking your rice.
2. Wash all the vegetables thoroughly.
3. Slice the zucchini, tomato, and onion into pieces that are about the same size. Not too big or you can't get all the elements in one bites.
4. Dice the garlic
5. Slice the Thai/Serrano chiles to your preference. I prefer thin slices for even spice distribution. Remove seeds if you're a wuss. You could also halve them lengthwise or throw them in whole.
6. Pluck the leaves of the basil stems.
7. Heat a wok or pot on high and add a light coat of oil.
8. Add the garlic followed by the onions and sauté for a couple minutes.
9. Add the ground turkey (or chicken) and break it up a bit.
10. Pour fish sauce, soy sauce, and cooking wine and sugar over the ground turkey, mix together. (I forgot to say I added sugar in the video!)
11. Add sliced chiles and brown the meat for a few minutes until nearly cooked through.
12. Add zucchini and tomatoes and mix in for a couple minutes.
13. Add basil leaves and mix in.
14. Taste it and see if it needs any adjustments to flavor. Sometimes a sprinkle of salt at the end is all it needs to bring out a lot of the flavor.
15. Turn off heat.

Serve it however you like. Either by spooning it over rice, or transfer to a serving plate for self-service.

San Marzano Pizza - Video

I recently got a new FLIP HD video camera, and on a whim, I decided to try my hand at making a little cooking video. The major challenge was holding the camera while prepping food. So pardon the shaky camera, I'm dealing with a lot of firsts: first time filming, first time editing video, and our first cooking show.

Its 13 minutes long, mainly because I ramble. If I had a camera man, or even a tripod, or multiple cameras, and the skills to properly edit a video,  I think we could be onto something. So enjoy my video.


San Marzano Pizza | iPityTheFood.com from Ray Huang on Vimeo.
Ray makes a Pizza with a San Marzano tomato sauce, salami, artichoke, basil, and mozzarella, on Trader Joe's fresh pizza dough.

If you like this blog or this post, please share it!

Quickfire Dinner - Scallops and Garlic Noodles

After a late night of work, its hard to find the time to make dinner, especially when you haven't gone to the store in a few days. Last week we were in just that situation. So we pulled out some frozen scallops and defrosted them under cold running water for about 10-15 minutes. Dried them off well, and sprinkled a little  over them. Sear them in a hot pan for 90 seconds or so on each side and finish it off with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Garlic butter noodles are easy. Boil some spaghetti a minute or two less than the directions suggest. Mince a bunch of garlic. Melt some butter in a pan (I used about 2 Tbsp for half a pack of spaghetti). Throw in the minced garlic and a 1/2 tsp of salt and brown the butter and garlic on medium. Crank up the heat, and throw in your noodles. Toss them around nice and good, add some pepper, and serve. Veggies are always optional. In our case, some asparagus was in the fridge, so a light garlic and olive oil sauté was all it took.


As a finishing touch, I de-glazed the scallop pan with lemon juice and scraped the seared crud off the pan and topped the noodles with it. It added a unique lemony tang with some scallop juices and seasoning.

The lesson here, is to always keep some frozen scallops on hand. They defrost quickly and taste deluscious.

Boil, Butter, and Bike

The Miller-Lo's hosted a wonderful Memorial Day get-together which was aptly called, "Boil, Butter, and Bike." We started with a bike ride from Campbell Park through Vasona Park. We enjoyed a nice picnic of build-your-own sandwiches and spent some quality time in the park. After a ride back to the Miller-Lo's, we started boiling a couple pots of water and everybody pitched in to make the crab boil happen. We boiled up some clams, black tiger prawns (pictured in front), dungeness crabs (piled up in the background), corn, potatoes, hot links, artichoke crostini, and quinoa salad. For appetizers and dessert, we had Tracy's dark chocolate brownies.

Since I am allergic to shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp, and crawfish), my contribution was a nice tri-tip roast with my Cajun rub (pictured below). Overall, the event was a hit. We enjoyed a beautiful day with some good friends, got some exercise to work up an appetite, and all pitched in for a glorious Memorial feast.

The House - Anniversary Dinner (part 2)

Nothing says fancy food like foie gras. For the main course of our anniversary dinner at The House in SF, Tracy had the grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy, while I enjoyed one of their specials of the day, rigatoni with braised short ribs and foie gras with fava beans. In case you don't know, I'm a sucker for short ribs; so its no surprise that I ordered this. I had never really had foie gras before, but I have to say, it was very rich, and very tasty. The presentation wasn't particularly impressive and the short ribs were just modest meat chunks, also with a rich flavor. The combination of rich flavors worked really well when tempered with the pasta and the braising sauce.

Hopefully Tracy will follow up with a review of her sea bass soon.

Overall, I'd give The House a 4 our of 5 stars. I thought the service was mediocre, and the ambiance can vary by your table location in the tiny restaurant. The food is excellent, the portions a bit small, and the price a bit high (but not shockingly over priced, nor unsatisfyingly small) which brings down its value a bit for me. If you're looking for a great date spot or a romantic celebratory dinner, I think The House will do just fine.

Thanks also to my friend Nate for recommending this place nearly 5 years ago.

The House - Anniversary Dinner (part 1)

Earlier this month, Tracy and I celebrated our third anniversary. To make things both special and nostalgic, we had dinner at The House in San Francisco's North Beach, where we also went on our first date. I recall having the sesame soy glazed salmon and Tracy had the seared Ahi tuna. Both staples are still on the menu today.

This time around, we started off with the seared scallops with a yuzu vinaigrette, topped with some fancy micro-greens. Does that sound familiar? It should; in my first blog post I wrote about my version of yuzu seared scallops. They were cooked perfectly, the sauce was good, and the greens were nice too. It did however baffle me that the order came with three. I'd imagine most people at nice restaurants come in pairs, or in small groups. Three pieces? That means we had to share one, which could be a deal breaker if this were a first date.

We both slowly ate our first scallop, slicing it into quarters for each bite to make it last. I know you all do this, when you have good food in a very limited quantity. If there were 6 scallops on the plate I probably would've just popped the whole delicious bad boy in my mouth. After finishing the first, we both patiently waited to see who wanted that second one more. Tracy offered it to me, and she ate the radishes in the middle. I thought they were just for decor.

I'll write more about my main course tomorrow.

The House
1230 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
http://www.thehse.com

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BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ray's BBQ Chicken Pizza - Its not much to look at, but it tasted as good as CPK's version if not better.

Ingredients: Trader Joe's Regular Pizza dough, Chicken breast sauteed with Smith and Wollensky's Steak Sauce, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cilantro, Onion, Tomato, Jack Daniel's BBQ Sauce, and Bill Johnson's BBQ Sauce, and mozzarella [afterthought ... try adding some smoked gouda].

The BBQ Chicken pizza is a staple in modern dining. It always looks appetizing when I see it on menus, and rarely does it let you down. It takes so many of my favorite foods and creates a perfect storm of tasty goodness.

Braised Short Ribs w/ Celery Root Mashers

Braised Short Ribs served with Celery Root Mashers and Curly Mustard Greens. The short ribs are braised with a blend of onion, celery, carrot, garlic, ketchup, and red wine. Browned first, and then into the oven with braising sauce for a few hours.

This is one of my favorite recipes when I have time and the reason. Its a derivation of Anne Burrell's recipe.

The meat just melts in your mouth, and the braising liquid makes for an excellent gravy over the celery root mashers. If you're looking for a change-up from your run of the mill mashed-potatoes, try boiling a few skinned celery root bulbs and mashing those with your potatoes. Here's Anne Burrell's FoodTV clip on making celery root mashed potatoes. She uses a mill to get them real smooth-- I don't have such fancy equipment, so I mash.

Bon Appetit Fool!

I Pity the Scallop

I made this dish back in September 2008. Pan-seared Jumbo Scallops drizzled with Japanese Yuzu sauce, served with Garlic-Ginger Bok Choy, and Fried Rice.

The scallops are from Costco, available in the frozen section, in 2-pound bags (I think they're U-15... as in 15 per pound). The key is to thaw them and dry each one individually with a paper towel. If its moist, it doesn't get a good sear on it.

Yuzu is this japanese citrus fruit that has a very delicate light but distinct flavor. Its used in a lot of fancy japanese recipes. Its available at the giant asian supermarkets or specialty japanese markets.

Sprinkle salt and pepper onto all sides of the patted-dry scallops. Heat up a frying pan on high heat for a minute or two, then add some olive oil (or use a spray oil like Pam), give it another moment, then one by one add the scallops in. Drop a few drips of yuzu on top of each scallop. After 1.5 to 2 minutes (of putting down your initial scallop), start flipping each one over. Then drip a little yuzo on each one again. 1.5 to 2 minutes later, remove each one from the pan and plate.