In sizzling hot summer days – the last thing you want to do is cook.  Your body naturally craves something cooling, like a salad (at least MOST of the time…I do have a baaad addiction to the Pancho fork burger complete with chile relleno from Bouzy’s, the local gastropub in front of Chez Melange in Redondo Beach).  They say that the more colorful the ingredients, the better it is for your body.  Greens with chlorophyll, yellows with carotenoids, vitamin C, reds with lycopene… besides – you wanna look good in a bathing suit, right?;)

Here are some great no-frills summer meal ideas:

Salads – Toss up fresh arugula with farmers’ market fresh vegetables including non-spicy peppers like anaheim and banana peppers which lend a sweet and peppery flavor and crunchy texture, kaleidoscope of colors from all kinds of cherry tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers all jazzed up with some good olive oil and fresh lemon juice/zest and snipped herbs (parsley, cilantro or basil – whatever you have in the fridge).  I typically use a 2:1 ratio on the dressing (two parts oil to one part acid), sprinkle of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper.  Gives it a nice zing that makes your mouth water~

Or – whip a savory asian salad by spiking ponzu sauce to your lemon vinaigrette.  Ponzu sauce – looks like a light soy sauce – available at most grocery stores – a mixture of soy sauce, mirin – a Japanese rice wine, yuzu/lemon juice and couple other umami-enhancing ingredients but usually no msg.  Boil some baby bok choy (a variety of Chinese cabbage), steam some chicken breast (steam keeps it moist while draining the fat), slice up some vegetables (I used red bell pepper and cute little pink radish for this one, thinly sliced or “chiffonade” some Korean parilla leaves, drizzle the lemon vinaigrette/ponzu dressing and it’s good to go!

If you feel like grilling, sizzle some Japanese eggplant cut lengthwise about ½ inch thick, salt/pepper it lightly and drizzle some grapeseed oil (has a higher smoke point than olive oil and lighter in flavor).  Eggplant is a cooling vegetable that clears heat, low in calories and great meaty taste.  Strip some sweet summer corn from the cob by breaking the cob in half and using your handy-dandy utility knife (the smaller one you use to cut apples, etc) carefully run it thru toward you – it sounds bit scary, huh?  Use caution and practice – it really is easy.  Sautee them on a non-stick pan, and when they start to become translucent, take them out and put it aside.  Take some grapeseed oil, cut tofu into 1 inch cubes and grill them on the pan for ~ 6-7 min on each side.  Assemble arugula (or any other greens), chopped veggies (like cucumber, tomato, etc), and top with the grilled tofu and corn, drizzled with dressing of your choice.  I promise – you won’t miss the meat and will get your protein fix from the tofu.

The spread included the following:

Decadent melt-in-your-mouth gourmet cheeses from Whole Foods, homemade hummus, fruit salad with mint – all from the local farmers market, finger sandwiches of (almond butter & jelly, famous egg salad from Mike’s mom, Teresa, smoked salmon and basil, and roasted chicken salad), edamame quinoa salad, fresh cotton candy and pink & green cupcakes from my friend and baker, Martha Romo (damn!  wish I was able to taste her red velvet…all gone by the time I got around to breathing and socializing…) I think everyone had a great time bouncing around the moon bounce, drinking good chardonnay and chatting away.

Aren’t they cute?

I’ve also been hosting weekly suppers on Saturday nites for friends and family.  Tomorrow nite’s special?

1) Teaser – Tzatziki with homemade artisan bread

2) Apps – Burrata cheese arugula salad with basil pesto

3) Main – Pasta bolognese (with pancetta, veal and pork

4) Sweets – Buttermilk spice cake with creme fraiche and fruit compote

We’ll see how it turns out!~

-ck

1) Eggs-n-Things: One of the few non-chain breakfast eatery in the heart of Waikiki serving pancakes with heaping whipped cream and crushed macadamia nuts & a unique “flattened” perfectly golden brown omelettes.  Get there early if you can and be prepared to wait ~20-30 min even on a weekday.  And don’t be surprised to see the place full of Japanese tourists…seriously – how do they know all these hole-in-the-wall places?

- I have no job.

I got laid off last Monday.

I wasn’t in denial, the writings were on the wall, I expected it for a while now but for some reason when I was in it, I couldn’t proactively change it.

Maybe it’s the food thing.  Maybe I needed some downtime to recharge.  Maybe – and this may seem very “spoiled” of me to be saying so in midst of a recession and stinky job market, but maybe, I don’t want a job just for the paycheck.  Maybe I’d like to have so much fun at work that it won’t feel like working at all.  Maybe I’m just a dreamer and there’s no such thing.  I gotta think there’s gotta be something bigger and better out there.  I will however admit that the older you get, the more fearful you are of going for that dream, fearful of losing it all.  Maybe that’s why the folks at work gave me a chef’s hat shadow box.

- I’ve been playing. Week one of being unemployed – there – I said it – has actually been quite busy and fun.

Took another Osteria Mozza cooking class – Bolognese sauce – which was simply. Amazing!  What high I got playing the “sous chef” side-by-side with executive chef, Matt Molina – stirring sauces, shaping homemade pasta and seeing Carnaroli rice being toasted golden brown and transforming into voluptuous risotto.  I felt like a superstar student.  Came home at 11pm with a bolognese sauce-infused arm to prove it.  Had such an awesome time!

- I volunteered to work for free. WHAAAT?  A guest speaker to the UCLA extension class on restaurant operations, Brad Metzger, a headhunter to famous chefs mentioned that he may be looking for an assistant/”sous chef” for his newly constructed Test Kitchen – where the various chefs “try out” their tasting menu to those clients who are hiring.  I found myself raising my hand up high, volunteering to be not only the assistant/”sous chef” but also cleaning up mounds of dishes.  How cool would that be to be helping side-by-side with chefs whipping up their magical creations?  After 30 min conversation with Brad, convincing him why I was the ONE – I got the gig!  Can’t wait for the first one~!

- I’ve been cooking up a storm. It started out with a book, My Bread by Jim Lahey.  Words cannot say how beautiful the book is – all about baking artisan bread WITHOUT KNEADING!  And this is coming from a non-baker, a baking avoider!  Not only is it easy but it’s just beautiful to watch the process of bread rising slowly on a 1/4 tsp of yeast and the dough softer than marshmallow but then converting into a crusty, brown outside, soft and”toothy” on the inside, singing its crackling song as it comes out of the oven.  I’ve been converted into a bread baker.

Then there was the Kitchenaid unveiling, where I baked my first organic coffee cake complete with crunchy streusel.  Served over two separate occasions, once with a pineapple compote and another with blueberries/blackberries compote – it was simply divine!  It’s making my mouth water just describing it:)

And then, of course, I had to slave over the stove for 6+ hrs making my first bolognese sauce from scratch and serving it over pasta over couple bottles of pinot noir in wonderful company of friends who gave rave reviews on the dishes.  I gotta admit it was really good – pure comfort food!

Tonight’s dish – Grilled chilean sea bass with roasted tomatoes and served with sauteed brussel sprouts – my new favorite vegetable.

- I dreamt of being famous. Waiting for almost 3 hrs in line, I tried out for Gordon Ramsey’s new show, MasterChef.  With 5 minutes to prepare, I plated my infamous Korean banh mi sandwich served with pureed korean daikon soup.  I was ecstatic after the culinary judge gave me a thumbs up but such wasn’t the case with the casting judge:(.  Didn’t get my callback.  Maybe I wasn’t eccentric enough, maybe my philosophy of eating fresh Asian-inspired dishes was too much for the comfort-food fat-ridden burgers population.  But the thumbs up from the culinary judge is more than enough for me to go on and continue to dream~

–ck

There’s something to be said about putting yourself in an unfamiliar environment, meeting new and sometimes strange people of all walks of life, almost all who wants to someday (fantasize) about opening their own restaurants, some with restaurant experience, some who are just foodies, and some who are just lost looking for that passion to be sparked.

So far, it’s been learning the basics.  The sometimes boring but necessary stuff.  After all, it is a business – it just happens to be someplace where people get together to nourish themselves, to “break bread” with others, to socialize and communicate, and have fun.

More to come on class~  hitting the books~

-ck

I think every country has their version of savory pancakes, whether it be crepes of France, latke of the Jewish tradition or hash browns of a la U.S. of A.  The thing that makes kimchi pancakes the “bomb” is that they have a lot of texture and flavors melded together in differnent notes.  You have the crispy ruffled edges of the golden fried batter.  A dip in a soy/vinegar sauce, and you’ve got a savory umami cut with the tangy acid.   Bite into the pancakes, and the sweet, tenderness of the vegetables, the crisp pseudo crunch of cooked kimchi, all wrapped up in some velvety greasy goodness of the batter – it’s the perfect food~

So have a kimchi pancake party the next time it rains, or just when you want some comfort food to ease your winter blues…

Kimchi Pancakes (6-8 pancakes)

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. (organic) white flour

1/4 c. cornmeal (gives it a nice :crunch:)

1/4 c. sweet rice flour (sold at Japanese grocery stores – I happened 2 have it around – can substitute with 1/4 c. white flour)

1.5 – 2c water

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 c. sliced onions

1/2 c. sliced leeks

1/4 c. red bell peppers, jalapeno (whatever raw veggies you have in fridge would work, well – not root vegetables like carrots or potato)

1/2 c. pickled kimchi (y’all – it’s gotta be pickled/sour/pungent – or it just ain’t good~  squeeze excess liquid and chop in small bite-size pieces)

COOK:

1) Whisk the first 6 ingredients until blended well (don’t overdo it as it’ll get tough – just enough until the clumps disappear)

2) Add veggies and kimchi and fold into batter.

3) Heat your griddle/frying pan on medium-high.  Do a water-drop test to see if it’s hot enough.  If it sizzles and takes 2-4 seconds for the water to evaporate, it’s ready.  Generously drizzle some oil – I like grape seed oil as it’s light in taste, can withstand a high temperature (perfect for frying) and supposedly is better for you due to antioxidants as well as having the least amount of saturated fats of all vegetable oils.

4) Using ladle, making sure to get enough “stuffing” along with the batter, pour into griddle and fry one-side until golden-brown.  Drizzle little more oil, flip and golden brown the other side.

5) Make a dipping sauce by mixing 1 part soy sauce to 1/2 part apple cider vinegar (not only is it a natural vinegar, but apple cider vinegar has some sweetness to it which goes nicely with the soy sauce).  You can also substitute juice of a lemon wedge.

6) Be sure to serve it while hot and crispy.  You can make it sorta like a performance cooking by having party around you while you’re cooking and getting them served straight from the cooktop.

Savor the goodness and watch your blues go away.  Bon appetit!

-chef kelly

made with two tablespoons of love; 1 tbsp love for food, 1 tbsp love for life.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

4 sm. pieces chicken tenders diced

1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh diced

1/2 diced white onion

1/2 diced red bell pepper

1/2 jalapeno, 1/2 yellow jalapeno

(trick – the heat is all in the white “innards” of the jalapeno.  Avoid massive heat by cutting jalapeno in half and cutting the white “innards” away from the outer jalapeno.  Julienne them first and then finely dice).

4 cloves of sliced garlic

2 pickled jalapeno slices (from jar) and 2 tsp of the juice from jar

2 cups organic chicken broth

Spices:

1/4 tsp ea. of black pepper, 4C’s: Chili powder, Cumin, Curry powder, and Cajun spice, oregano and 2 bay leaves

Cook:

1) Sautee garlic and chicken in grape seed oil in medium heat until chicken’s more white than pink (from cooking).

2) Add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno and sweat until translucent.

3) Pour chicken broth and spices.  After boiling for a few minutes, reserve 1/2 cup of liquid and cool.

4) Simmer for 30-40 min.  To the reserved liquid, whisk 4 tbsp of heavy cream and 4 tsp of arrowroot starch to thicken liquid.

5) With the chili boiling, stir in the reserved liquid/heavy cream mixture and simmer for 5-7 min.

6) Serve over a bed of whole grain “egg” noodles, garnish with minced cilantro, lime wedge, grated cheddar cheese and low fat sour cream.

And for desert – how about some fresh blackberries with homemade whipped cream?  Whipped cream – whip 1/2 c. heavy cream with 1 tsp of apple Calvado liquer, 2 tsp of light brown sugar, 1/8 tsp vanilla (scraped from bean), and sprinkle of lemon zest.  HEAVEN!

Enjoy!

The kitchen is now open (at least 80% as workers are still sanding drywall down as we speak) but hopefully – all the strangers will be out of the house soon and I’ll be in the kitchen full-time cooking up yummy concoctions and dishes.

In the meantime, below are some pix of all the cooking that’s been going on with the fam around…

Wishing everyone a BEAUTIFUL, wonderful, peaceful and happy New Year filled with lots of laughter and much happiness – whatever it is that makes U happy.

They (Nancy, as well as Matt Molina, the executive chef at Mozza and Dahlia Narvaez, the executive pastry chef at Mozza) made things look so easy and approachable, I thought, there’s nothing to this!  I can be a chef:)  And with beautiful and importantly, delicious out-of-this-world Italian-influenced Thanksgiving recipes – even in middle of moving and packing -I was able to impress the family with the dishes I learned.  They liked it so much that they practically BEGGED for doggie bags!  No more cooking the entire crazy bird, it’ll be roulades for me from now on.  Not only does it look beeeautiful but it’s juicy, tasty, and sooo much better than the traditional turkey.  And the brussel sprouts – oh. how. i. love. thee.  After you try mine, actually, Nancy Silverton’s, seared to perfection and drizzled with sherry vinaigrette and pancetta bread crumbs – you’ll never look at these so-called-exotic and bad-rap-with kids-veggies the same way again.  And to that point – I’d like to share the recipes below (Turkey here and Brussel Sprouts on next post).  Let me know how it turns out and what you think of it.  For those of you who’s had traditional bird for Thanksgiving, this recipe would be PERFECT for the upcoming holidays~  ciao~

Taccino Alla Porchetta – Turkey Roulade (provided by courtesy of Nancy Silverton at Mozza and tweaked by moi) – Serves 8 with some leftovers

Need:

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2c yellow onion, peeled, halved, and sliced into 1″ rounds

2c yellow onion, finely minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 tbsp fresh fennel fronds, chopped (the frilly dill-looking stuff when you buy your fennel bulbs)

2 tsp. fennel seeds

2 tbsp. plus 2tsp. kosher salt

2 tbsp plus 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

4 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

2 tbsp fennel pollen (found at your exotic spice stores – and what both Nancy and Matt refer to as “cocaine” of Italian cooking.  Intensely concentrated fennel flower pollen with beautiful color and intense, intense aroma and flavors of fennel)

4 deboned turkey thighs (~5 lbs in total and easily found at your local market like Whole Foods.  They only had the bone-in ones and I sweetly asked the nice butcher to debone it for me)

20 14″ lengths of butcher’s twin

3 c fennel bulbs, stalks cut off and sliced 1″ thick

 brine: 1/3 c sugar, 1/3c salt and 4c water

Cook:

Brine -

Mix brine and soak turkey thighs for 1 hour.  According to Mozza, this helps not only to flavor and bring moisture to your protein but also tenderizes the meat.  After 1 hr, remove turkey, pat dry with paper towl and set aside;

Prep filling -

1) Heat pan with 4 tbsp olive oil.  Add onion, garlic, fennel seed, 2tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; sweat for 7 min until tender.  Turn off heat, add chopped rosemary and cool.  Stir in fennel fronds into filling mixture – it will have a consistency of a paste.

Rub -

1) Mix the following dry ingredients: fennel pollen + 2 tbsp salt + 2 tbsp pepper.  Rub unto turkey thighs, lay skin-side down.

Jelly Roll/Roulade time - Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

1) Line up turkey thighs on cutting board, skin-side down.  Divide filling equally among the four thighs, placing it toward the end of the turkey closest to you.  Start rolling, a la egg-roll style.  Repeat for the rest of the turkey.

2) Tress your turkey by tying it once lengthwise with the butchers twine, and then tie it ~3-4 times horizontally.

3) Heat a dutch oven (a fancy name for any kind of oven-proof, preferably iron cast deep roasting pan) on cooktop with 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Sear turkey (seam side down) and brown about 2 min on each side.  This helps to tighten up the seam so that you don’t have fillings busting out of the jelly roll.  Plus – it makes a nice sear that I swear helps to keep the flavors “inside” and keep the protein moist.  Turn off heat, pull out turkey rolls, add onion and fennel bulbs to pan, scrape bottom and (if you like), pour 1/4 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan. 

Roast-

1) Place turkey roll back into the pan, and roast for 45 min until the center comes to 165 degrees.  I didn’t have a thermometer so I just guessed and cooked it for ~1 hr and it turned out fine. 

Serve -

Remove turkey from oven, let cool for ~15-20 min.  Remove twine, and slice into 1″ thick medallions.  Serve and enjoy~