mizchef

posted by admin on Nov 8

On November 1, I was fortunate enough to attend the Día de los Muertos Fiesta at the James Beard House. Día los Muertos means Day of the Dead, and it is a holiday that originated in Mexico to honor loved ones who have died. It is connected to the Catholic holidays of All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day, and is most characterized by the use of “sugar skulls”—beautifully decorated edible skulls. This has become a tradition of Día de los Muertos artwork, which is often stunning in its use of color and geometric patterns. Food is a big part of the holiday, as it is offered to the dead, as well as the living in a lavish feast.

The Día de los Muertos dinner at JBH showcased 8 chefs from New York, Boston, and Pennsylvania. And I must say that it was a fabulous meal bursting with colors, flavors, and textures.

There were 6 passed hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail reception. At dinner, there were 5 entrees, and a few desserts. So, the good thing is that they give you your money’s worth and even if you don’t like everything on the menu, you will surely find at least a few things that would satisfy your palate. Plus, they usually serve a different wine, beer, or other beverage with each course.

By the same token, it’s not a cheap dinner, and it behooves one to try and enjoy as much of it as possible. At the risk of sounding judgmental, from the couple of times I had dinner there, I can say that the clientele is usually well heeled. But there are those, like me, who would not be able to pull together, or justify, the money needed for a meal at James Beard regularly, but who, once in a while, want and need to indulge themselves with a fabulous culinary experience in a place that is legendary in the food world.

Tlacoyos

The cost for dinners vary, but usually they are well over $100 for both members and non-members. I was able to eat there the first time because I was there as a journalist (and, therefore, it was free) and this time because I have a student membership, which gains me entry at a still-steep $55.

I found myself eating things that I would not have normally eaten. Aside from the fact that I was a vegetarian for so many years, there are certain meats that I never liked so never ate in the first place. But I was going to get my money’s worth. And, on a non-monetary level, I don’t get many opportunities to experience haute cuisine, so when I do, I try everything—just because. So here’s my assessment of this great meal.

Hors d’oeuvres

Slow-Roasted Goat Tlacoyos with Watercress and Goat Cheese Crema. I didn’t even know this was goat. It wasn’t goaty. It was tender and coated in a delicious sauce and was made beautiful by a fluff of microgreens, giving it freshness and lightening up the richness of the meat.

Blue Corn Sopes with Refried Black Beans, Corn–Tomatillo Salsa, and Cotija Cheese. There’s such an earthy quality about blue corn that really makes you feel like you’re partaking of something ancient and revered. It’s always a nice counterbalance to black beans and spicy salsa. This was a vegetarian’s Mexican dream.

Ceviche

Red Chile Sopes with Coconut–Habanero Shrimp and Cured Red Onions. I’m not crazy about seafood, but I gave this one a go. It had a spicy-sweet flavor that was complex and covered any sea flavors that don’t usually appeal to me. The coconut-chile sauce was mildly reminiscent of Southeast Asian dishes, but it had its own Latin twist.

Octopus Alambres with Poblano Peppers, Pearl Onions, and Lemon Vinaigrette. I couldn’t bring myself to try this one.

Chicken Tostada

Oaxacan Cheese Albóndigas with Anchoberry Barbecue Sauce. These were meatballs skewers, and I thought they were beef at first. I found out they were lamb. I don’t eat lamb because a) they’re too cute and b) it’s too gamey. I was stunned to find that I actually liked them. They were tender and the barbecue sauce was so sweet and delicious that I was tempted to eat more. But I refrained. I just couldn’t do it.

Calabasa Soup with Toasted Chile Pepitas, Piloncillo, and Canella. This soup was FABULOUS. They served this in tall shot glasses with the pepitas sitting on top. The calabasa was sweet and smooth and had just the right amount of seasoning. Then that little crunch at the end as you toss it back is so satisfying. I had 3 of those.

Dinner

Cucumber Margarita

Hiramasa Ceviche with Kiwi, Lime Sorbet, and Melon Vinaigrette. I’m not crazy about fish and anyone who knows me knows that sushi/shashimi and I are not bosom buddies. But I tried a piece and I must say, it was quite good. Light and not fishy at all. The kiwi, lime, and melon all gave it such a light, fresh taste, the fish almost seemed like a slice of fruit. This was accompanied by a cucumber margarita, which was also refreshing while having a definite margarita flavor.

Chicken Tostada with Avocado, Sea Urchin Crema, and Salsa Borracha. This was an interesting interpretation of a tostada. The chicken was tender and flavorful but made almost buttery by the slices of avocado that were wrapped around it. The “tostada” was a crispy ribbon holding up the other elements. It was playful and creative.

Chile Meco Relleno

Chile Meco Relleno: Pork, Black Currant, Pine Nut, Almond, and Green

Olive–Stuffed Meco Chile. As expected, this dish was somewhat spicy, but not unbearably so. Meco chiles were stuffed with shredded pork, which was extremely tender. The almonds had a sweet coating and were a least crisp contrast to the almost creamy stuffing.

Seared Striped Bass

Seared Striped Bass with Smoked Bacon–Black Bean Broth, Poblano Peppers, and Güero Chilies. I hate to say it, but the sea bass, as beautiful as it looked, was a bit dry and bland. This is not just me saying this; several of my table mates said it as well. This was probably the only dish that disappointed, but only by a little.

Braised Pork Belly with Calabaza Tamale, Nopales–Pomegranate Salad, Fried

Calabaza Tamale

Cheese, and Mole Negro. The tamale was so incredibly delicious. They made it easy to eat by bundling the corn husks into candy shapes (tied at the ends) with an opening on the top. The calabaza was perfectly seasoned and had a sweet-spicy profile. The Nopales–Pomegranate Salad on top was an interesting use of nopales, and the fried cheese came in the surprising form of little croutons. Pork belly is another thing I would never have eaten (just the name alone turns me off), but, going with the flow, I tried it. It practically melted in my mouth. What can I say?

Desserts

Dessert Duo: Dulce de Leche Budino and Plantain–Cinnamon Napoleon. The budino. Wow. This dessert, a parfait of cream and dulce de leche, was outrageous. It was creamy, smooth, and sweet without being cloying. There were little crunchy things on top and when they brought all the chefs out at the end, someone asked about what the little crunchy things were. The chef who made them said that they were duck cracklings, baked with sugar and vinegar and sweetened with Stevia. I was floored. The crunchies were sweet and almost maple-y. The Napolean was delicious, too, but next to the budino, it paled.

Dulce de Leche Budino and Plantain–Cinnamon Napoleon

Chefs’ Collaborative Dessert:
Plantain-Crusted Chocolate–Mulato Chile Truffles
Pecan Shortbread Cookies with Powdered Sugar
Miniature Pan de Muerto with Tangerine Marmalade

Of all these, my favorite was the pecan shortbread cookies. It was just these little one-bit morsels that was crumbly, nutty, and tender. The other desserts held their own, though. The pan de muerto was a little dry but the flavor of rosewater was delicate rather than overpowering.

Coffee service included a selection of teas, which were brought to the table in this beautiful wood box, and the selection made me feel like a kid trying to choose a toy. I finally settled on Organic African Nectar, fruity and floral.

And, so, with a round of applause for the chefs, a few nice-to-meet-yous to my table mates, I left the James Beard House and headed home, full, sated, and inspired.

For information on the James Beard House and to check out their schedule of events, click HERE.

posted by admin on Sep 9

First plating

This week, my class at the Natural Gourmet Institute began our recipe testing on our entrees for Friday Night Dinner. My team (group B) has decided on Peruvian. We were originally going with a winter harvest theme, since our dinner night is so close to the holidays. I had been thinking Peruvian all along but everyone seemed so into the harvest theme that I didn’t say anything in the initial planning class. Then, afterward, I casually mentioned my idea, and everyone really got into it. So I’m pleased that the team liked my idea; however, if it ends up sucking, I will feel so responsible. But I think we’re going to rock Friday Night Dinner. For our first recipe test, we did a pretty awesome job.

Sauteed Greens

Our menu so far consists of causa as the main entrée. Causa is a Peruvian potato pie with layers of different ingredients and topped with the ever-present black olives and egg slices. I created a version for my next cookbook and offered it to the class. We modified it to suit the class requirements and everyone’s tastes. And, of course, no eggs on top, since the meal has to be totally vegan. On the side, we’re having a couple sauces—one green, one red—sauteed greens, and curly sweet potato strings for garnish.

Entree in progress

After much debate and discussion about form, we finally decided to try a terrine mold. We layered each element (more on that later) and flipped it over. There are some things we need to tweak, but overall, the dish was pretty and delicious.

We haven’t settled on an appetizer or dessert yet. I’m a little disappointed that no one

really wanted to go with my dessert suggestion of Suspiro de Limeña, woman’s (from Lima) sigh, a traditional Peruvian dessert parfait made with dulce de leche and whipped cream. It’s a beautiful dessert and unique. And traditional. But we’ll work it out.

Suspiro de Limeña (Marian Blazes)

I’m sure we’ll come up with a great menu.

posted by admin on Sep 3

Pizza has an interesting history, which I talk about in my cookbook, What, No Meat? Here’s an excerpt:

Virtually every culture in the world has one form of pizza or another. In the last couple of decades it has even found its way to the most culturally isolated countries. You probably knew that pizza is an Italian creation, but did you know that it goes back to the ancient Romans? The Romans made what they called moretum, a plain baked piece of dough that they ate with onions. Near the beginning of the 2nd second century A.D., the word picea entered the language to describe a piece of round dough dressed with various toppings, perhaps influenced by the Greek word pièzo, “to flatten.” It finally became pizza soon after. (Sauce didn’t enter the picture until the 18th century.)

The pizza that we know today was created in Naples in 1535 in honor of the marriage of Bona Sforza to Sizismondo I, King of Poland. Despite its grand origin, it became a food for common folk. Pizzerias started out as little holes-in-the-wall, selling pizza to the local peasants. As pizza’s popularity grew, pizzaiuoli (pizza-makers) began adding tables and chairs to entice people to enter. Little by little, they began to decorate and beautify their establishments by putting in colorful tiles or fancy brickwork.

Gennaro Lombardi opened the first pizzeria in the U.S. in New York in 1905. Over time, it became very popular and more pizzerias opened all across the country, becoming a favorite gathering place for people of all classes. Today, pizza is just as American as it is Italian. According to one urban legend, U.S. pizza is so popular that in the 1980s, college students in England ordered pizza to be shipped overseas. Papa John’s pizzeria filled the largest pizza order in history by delivering 13,500 pizzas in June of 2006. This surpasses the Guinness World Records champion, Little Caesar’s, who delivered 13,386 pizzas on August 19, 1998 to employees of the VF Corp. of Greensboro, N.C. at 180 locations in the U.S.

(Excerpt from What, No Meat?: Copyright © Roberti Roberti
Do not reprint in ANY form or media without express written consent.)

Wednesday night was pizza night at the Natural Gourmet Institute. It was probably a little awkward for some because our bread class was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. Irene hit us full-on on Sunday, August 28, 2011, but the city began shutting down on Saturday. Mayor Bloomberg ordered all mass transit to halt service at noon. This meant that people could get to class but they wouldn’t be able to get home. So, the school closed. That was a relief to me because to make up those classes would have been a pain in the behind for me.

Logically, bread baking should be a prerequisite to pizza making, but circumstances precluded that. But the students in my class are pretty quick learners and in the end, we made some pretty tasty pizzas and focaccia, some of them gluten free. (However, I must say that I did not agree with all the toppings that were made available to us. I just don’t think that tofu belongs on a pizza, no matter how tasty you make it.)

First, we all started by making sponges, a starter made with yeast, water, and flour and is set aside to ferment. Some bakers make a sponge and let it sit for days, even weeks. Some starters—often called “mothers”—have been around for years and years. This is achieved by making a dough with the starter, then taking a piece from that dough and setting it aside, making a dough with that starter, taking a piece, and so on. Artisinal bakers are known for doing this, as it supposedly makes a superior bread.

One of the gluten-free versions of the pizzas was slightly gummy. The bottom was crisp but the part just beneath the toppings had the appearance and texture of undercooked dough, even though it wasn’t undercooked. But the flavor was quite good—better than you’d think from a gluten-free dough. The texture of a gluten-free dough can never be that of regular dough, but you can still get a really good pizza, with a nice, fluffy texture and, with the right toppings, a complex flavor.

We were each assigned a specific recipe. Mine was pissaladiére, which is a French pizza made with caramelized onions, Niçoise olives, and anchovies. I thought it came out pretty good, although I refused to use anchovies. Sorry, all you anchovies lovers, but I just can’t stand the sight, smell, or taste of them. And that pizza was delish! I split my dough into quarters, so I wound up with 4 small pizzas. (See the picture below.)

It was a scramble to get a pizza stone. We actually had lines forming because there were only a few pizza stones and each person had multiple pizzas to throw into the oven. But, eventually, everyone got theirs in and we feasted! At the beginning of class, I was starving. By the end of class, I was stuffed.

So, here is the recipe for pissaladiére, as I made it in school. Enjoy!

Pissaladiére

Sponge:
¼ cup warm water
1 ½ tsp dry yeast
2 Tb unbleached white all-purpose flour

Dough:
½  cup warm water
½ tsp sea salt
1 Tb olive oil
1 ½ cups unbleached white all-purpose flour
cornmeal for coating peels

Topping:
1/3 cup olive oil
4 lbs. onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled, whole
2 Tb Herbs de Provence
½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
6 plum tomatoes, sliced (optional)

Sponge
In small bowl, combine ¼ cup water, yeast, and 2 Tb flour; stir until thick like batter. Cover sponge and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for 20-30 minutes.

Dough:

1. Add ½ cup water, salt, olive oil and just enough of the remaining flour to create dough that pulls away from sides of bowl.
2. Knead dough on table about 10 minutes or until soft dough is created.
3. Place dough in medium, clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until dough has doubled.
4. While dough is proofing, place pizza stones in preheated 425 oven, and prepare toppings.

Toppings:
1. Heat olive oil in medium pan over low heat. Add onions, garlic, Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Slowly cook about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are very soft and translucent (don’t brown). Remove garlic.

2. Gently punch down dough and cut into 2 equally sized balls. Stretch out each ball of dough into a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Place on peel.

3. Spread cooked onions on top of each dough. Add tomato slices and sprinkle olives over the top. Fold edge of dough over onion mixture to cover about 1 inch around. Let rise 15-20 minutes.

4. Slide pissaladiére onto hot pizza stones and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.

posted by admin on Aug 18

Class was back in session last night at the Natural Gourmet Institute after a two-week break. We had A la Carte 2. As with A la Carte 1, the object of the class was to work our way around three stations to make three different entrees. The idea is to get a feel for what it’s like working at different stations in a restaurant.

The three entrees were Pan-Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Sauce, with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini and yellow squash; pan-seared Tempeh with Curried Coconut Sauce and Grilled Pineapple Chutney, with black rice; and Quick Tofu Teriyaki (stir fry), with basmati rice.

We broke up into three groups and each group did the mis en place for one station. Then

Photo: www.weightwatchers.com

we all rotated and worked each station. And we continued rotating until we ran out of food and time. When we completed each dish, we presented it to the instructor for evaluation. Overall, I did well, with the exception of a few issues with my sauces (the mushroom sauce needed to reduce a little more; there was too much coconut-curry sauce for the tempeh; my second round of stir fry needed a little more sauce).

Everything was delicious. The mushroom sauce was incredibly flavorful, as was the coconut curry sauce (although I’m not a huge fan of curry). My favorite overall dish was the Tofu Teriyaki, and if I took only one thing away from this class, it’s that I’ve finally learned how to make a good stir fry. When I’ve made stir fries in the past, the flavor always seemed flat, and whenever I’ve added tofu, it always broke up into crumbles, which then dispersed throughout the vegetables, creating a very unappetizing dish. I now know that there are two elements to a good stir fry: 1) a sauce and 2) marinating and cooking the tofu before putting it into the stir fry.

When I say “sauce,” I don’t mean sesame seed oil or shoyu (although those went in the stir fry, too). I’m talking about a brown sauce made by combing the tofu marinade with some kuzu to thicken it.  It gave the vegetables a more complex flavor and depth that just shoyu and sesame seed oil alone don’t. As for the tofu, that was marinated, cubed, and pan fried until golden brown.

The first A la Carte class was a little hectic for me because I was flustered. This time, I was more at ease and was able to enjoy the process more. And best of all, I have leftovers. Today for lunch, I had some that delicious stir fry. And because I was so happy with it, I’m sharing the recipe. Enjoy.

Quick Tofu Teriyaki

Copyright © Natural Gourmet Institute (with modifications)

Yield: 4 servings

Marinade
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1/4 cup peeled, grated ginger
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp shoyu
1 tbsp umeboshi paste
1/2 cup apple juice

1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
1/4 – 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp kuzu

Stir Fry
1/4 cup vegetable oil
cup julienned red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup julienned carrot
1 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup shoyu
2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Method

1. In blender, combine first 6 ingredients with 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth.

2.  Slice tofu into 4 slabs of equal thickness.

3. in a medium saucepan, combine tofu with marinade. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

4. Drain tofu (reserving marinade) and blot iwth paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

5. In medium skillet, heat oi land pan fry tofu over medium-high heat until golden on both sides.

6. After tofu is cooked, drain any excess oil out of pan and place tofu in warm oven.

7. Place marinade in blender with kuzu and process until smooth.

8. To cook 2 servings at a time: In a wok or pan, heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil; add half the red pepper, half the onion, half the carrot, and half the celery. Stir fry until vegetables start to brown. Add half the cubed tofu, half the shoyu shoyu, and a tbsp of sesame seed oil. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

9. Serve over rice. Garnish with scallions.

posted by admin on Aug 15

I work in the Jackson Heights area in Queens, NY, and one thing that’s abundant there is ethnic eateries, from sit-down restaurants and diners to bakeries, food trucks, and food carts. One of my favorites is the quesadilla lady. I call her that because she has a cart where she makes and sells homemade quesadillas for $2.50. For that price, you can get a straight-up cheese quesadilla or chicken and cheese, mushroom and zucchini,  chicken and zucchini, and even one with zucchini flowers. Optional toppings (for no extra cost) are grated cheese, crema, lettuce, and hot sauce. For $2.50!

Best of all, she makes homemade corn tortillas, and I’ve seen her make them right there in the cart, which is fairly small (it’s the size of a coffee cart, except that it’s open on one side). The quesadillas are just the right size (unless you’re the farmer’s breakfast type) and quite delicious—salty, savory, and a little spicy.

If you find yourself in Jackson Heights, the quesadilla lady does business on 82nd St., off of 41st Ave., around the corner from Elmhurst Hospital Center.

It’s the availability of simple, inexpensive, but good food like that that makes a place a “food town.” My only regret is that I can’t possibly visit every single eatery in the area. I’d be broke and 500 pounds.

Here’s a recipe for Black Bean Quesadilla, courtesy of the Cafe Sunflower, Atlanta, GA, and the Food Network.

Black Bean Quesadilla

4 cups shredded white cheddar
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Black Bean Filling, recipe follows
1 cup feta
1/2 cup vegetable oil, for grilling

Directions

Spread 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese on 1/2 of a flour tortilla. Then spread on top 1 cup of the Black Bean Filling. Then place 1/4 cup feta cheese. Fold over the tortilla. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Grill on an oiled flat grill, on medium high heat, for 4 to 6 minutes or until both sides are golden brown. Cut each quesadilla into 4 triangles and serve.

Black Bean Filling:

4 cups cooked black turtle beans, drained
2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 cup corn kernels, cooked
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated in water
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
Salt

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients.

posted by admin on Apr 21

I had lunch with a friend today and we had Japanese food. As usual, I had a little trouble with my chopsticks. I mean, I can wield them well enough to get most of my food in my mouth but I do so quite clumsily sometimes. It’s a skill I haven’t quite mastered…yet.

So, for those of you who are like me—chopstick impaired—here a couple of websites and a video that might help. The photo at right is of disposable chopsticks in the cafeteria of Waseda University, Japan. I just found it so interesting. A western pail would contain plastic forks, spoons, knives, and <shudder> sporks.

Itadakimasu! (that’s bon appetit in Japanese)

Japan-guide.com

ChinatownConnection.com

How to Use Chopsticks

posted by admin on Apr 7

We had a soy demo in class last night and I have to say, I was pretty amazed at how easy it is to make homemade soy milk and tofu. Our instructor made both fresh, right in front of us. Both processes took no more than 15 to 20 minutes (after the initial overnight soaking of the soybeans). The resulting products were far superior to store-bought. But, then, isn’t everything homemade better than store-bought?

We had several different tofu and tempeh dishes, including Tofu Teriyaki, Tofu Sour Cream, Poblanos Stuffed with Tempeh and Quinoa, Miso-Glazed Salmon, and Pan-Fried Tempeh (which I dipped in the teriyaki sauce—yum!). Saturday, we get to do more soy and tempeh cooking. Woohoo!

Anyway, if you want to try your hand at making your own tofu, here’s the recipe from the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Homemade Tofu

Equipment
Fine Chinois
Cheesecloth
Wooden tofu mold (or a colander)

Ingredients
2 cups white soybeans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
2 tsp nigari* or 1/2 cup lemon juice or 1/2 vinegar

1. Line tofu mold with 2 layers cheesecloth. Set aside. Heat 7 1/2 cups water in 2-gallon pot over medium-high heat.

2. Puree soybeans in batches with 6 cups [total] cold water in blender. add puree to heating water. Stirring constantly, bring pot to a boil.

3. Strain soymilk through fine chinois (or strainer lined with cheesecloth) into a second large pot, pressing out all excess liquid. Discard soy pulp or reserve for later use.

4. Cover strained soymilk, bring back again to boil, and gently simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

5. Dissolve nigari or other solidifier in 1 cup cold water. Add 1/3 of solidifier mixture slowly to hot soymilk, while gently stirring. Cover pot and allow to stand 3 minutes or until milk has separated into soft white curds.

6. Add remaining solidifier in two more batches, stirring each time and covering for 3 minutes. Soymilk should be c0mpletely separated into curds and whey.

7. Ladle bean curd into tofu mold [or colander lined with cheesecloth]; press with 2- or 3-pound weight for 25 to 30 minutes until firm and solid.

*Nigari — Magnesium chloride. Can be purchased at health food stores or specialty food stores.

posted by admin on Mar 22

Hey, folks! Came across Food Reference, a great site that lists events related to food and drink around the world, provides food-related quotes, and just fun info about food.

Coming up in the next few days, for example, is the 3rd international Fair of Food, Drinks, and Innovative Gastronomy in Croatia, in conjunction with the 16th annual Fair of Wine and Equipment for Viniculture, also in Zagreb? Or how about the Craft Brewers Conference and Expo in San Francisco? The National Barbecue Association is meeting in Greenville, SC this year. And the New Orleans Roadfood Festival is coming up this weekend.

Point is, there is ALWAYS something foodish going on. So check out Food Reference to see if anything’s in your neck of the woods.

posted by admin on Mar 16

Yes, I’m a day early. But why not? Some people get really into this holiday, so I thought I’d post something about it.

St. Patrick’s Day is over a thousand years old, but Americans tend to commemorate the day with lots of food and alcohol. The holiday honors the 5th-century Brit who brought Christianity to Ireland, so because of its religious overtones and solemn occasion, the only treat allowed then was bacon and cabbage, because Lenten prohibitions on meat were waived on this day. Food was so not really a part of the tradition of this holiday that up ’til the 1970s Irish pubs were closed on the day, by law.

But the holiday acquired its more celebratory tone in the US. Irish immigrants started expressing their patriotism in 1762 with parades and parties. Initially shunned by non-Irish (probably fueled by a bit of bigotry), the number of Americans with Irish roots created a 20th-century surge among Irish Americans.

Authentic Irish spreads would include soda bread and stew, and though a few first-generation immigrants clung to the bacon and cabbage thing (updated to include corned beef, which was cheaper and sold by their Jewish neighbors in New York’s Lower East Side), the foods of choice were almost universally green. The struggle to find safe food dyes is a whole other story.

So if you join in on St. Patrick’s Day — even if you’re not Irish — have fun!

H/T slashfoods

Some people really get into it, as you can see:

Chicago, St. Patrick’s Day

posted by admin on Sep 16

Hi, gang. Today, I’d like to talk about buns. Not the kind you sit on, but the kind you eat.

Chinese cuisine boasts a particular specialty that is a huge part of Chinese culture: Baozi, or buns.  Baozi, said to have been invented sometime in the 3rd century, come in a variety of styles. There are savory buns, filled with barbecued pork, beef, vegetables, and seafood, and there are sweet buns, filled with red bean paste, coconut, lotus seed paste, black sesame paste, and cream. Some buns are fried, some are steamed. There’s even a type of bun that is filled with soup—diners put a straw in the center and drink the soup, then eat the bun (if they choose).

I work in a very ethnically diverse neighborhood and one of the great things about being there is being able to go around trying the different eateries, most of which are mom-and-pop small joints. (I only wish I could do it more often, but I can’t afford to and neither can my waistline.)

Anyway, one part of this particular city is populated almost exclusively by Asian stores, restaurants, and businesses. On one of my walks, I passed by a Chinese bakery, Yi Mei Fung Bakery, which had shelves of buns in the window. I was intrigued. I stopped in. I looked. And, of course, I bought. I made a modest purchase of two buns for the whopping price of $1 each. One was a Coconut Milk Cream and the other was a Pineapple-Red Bean Paste.

The thing about Chinese sweets is that they’re not overly sweet. They are just sweet enough to satisfy that desire but “unsweet” enough to taste the flavors of the other ingredients.

The Coconut Milk Cream bun was almost cake-like with a custardy coconut center, and it was open at the top so that the yellow, creamy filling spilled out as it baked, turning the top a nice golden brown. The filling had nice coconutty flavor without that fake taste that coconut sweets often have.

The Pineapple-Red Bean Paste bun was a little more bread-like but with a sweet edge. The bean paste was smooth and thick and reminiscent of plums. The pineapple flavor was very faint, but it was probably what gave it that fruity flavor. (The red bean paste bun doesn’t look like the ones in these photos; rather, it looks more like a cheese danish.)

Yes, buns are beautiful things. They can be had as a snack any time or even, as the Chinese do, for breakfast or lunch. They are little packages of potent flavors, and best of all, you don’t need a fork or knife. Just pick it up and eat.

Okay, the Yi Mei Fung Bakery is part of a chain. That doesn’t mean what it sells sucks. I’m going to be making a trip back to Yi Mei Fung to try more of their buns. But I will be sure to share. After all, I’m supposed to be on a diet.

Yi Mei Fung Bakery
81-26 Broadway
Elmhurst, NY 11373