It was yummy ...

Valentine's Day Dinner

2010-02-14T22:14:00.009-05:00

Who needs chocolate when you can eat cheese

First off, I can't believe it has been so long since I last updated my quasi-defunct blog. My MBA program has taken over so much of my time, but now that the summer internship process is coming to an end I can start blogging again ... and my Valentine's Day dinner was so amazing it made it a perfect time to start!

So what does a guy get for a girl that does not like chocolate for Valentine's? CHEESE! Here are some pics of the food we had tonight:

*We went on a trip to Murray's Cheese to create our cheese wheel. We decided on a little European tour with cheeses from Spain, The Netherlands and France. From left and clockwise (from the mildest to the strongest): Gallego (cow soft cheese), Murcial al Vino (goat cheese cured in red wine), 2 year Boerenkaase (gouda with crystals) and Bleu D'Auberegne (sheep roquefort)*

*After buying the cheese, we made a stop at the charcuterie, on the left we have wagyu beef bresaola and on the right side black truffle salami*

*To accompany our meal, we opened the Newton unfiltered chardonnay we bough at a wine tasting some months ago. We have been saving it for a special occasion*

* And for dessert, we split a red velvet cupcake from Crumbs*

As for presents, we gave each other things that we have both wanted for a while. In other words, we bought our own presents and just have them to each other. Brendan got his golf shoes, and I got a new racing swimsuit and water goggles for my swimming training.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Opera in the park

2009-07-13T23:11:00.003-04:00

*The sun setting in Central Park*

The only thing that is better than going to the Opera is going with friends

Every year the Metropolitan Opera of New York puts on a Opera performance for free in Central Park. I love the opera soI got the girls organized and we got tickets. This is one of my favorite events of the year, what can better to lay out on the lawn, have a picnic, drink some one while listening to the Opera with friends? Oh, having all of that, for free.

*Toast with cheese ... it was yummy!*

Goodbye lunch at Sushi Yasuda

2009-07-09T15:06:00.006-04:00

*The master, Chef Yasuda, hard at work at the end of the sushi bar*

A very memorable goodbye!

My last day at the company is next Wednesday, so my people manager Tatjana took me out to goodbye lunch. Since I was allowed to choose I had not doubt in my mind that I wanted to eat at Sushi Yasuda. I was so happy to go to Yasuda with Tatjana, she is the best manager anyone could ever ask for, I wouldn't have been able to do half of the things I have done at Towers without her advice and support (and since I am leaving the company I do not have to kiss anyone's @$$, so I am being completely truthful when I say she is the best).

Sushi Yasuda is one of the best sushi restaurants here in NY. Its one of those places where the fish is so fresh and cut so masterfully that, as it melts in your mouth, you have a life-changing experience and your soul feels uplifted from its mundane existence for a little while.

Another amazing fact is that at lunch time they have a great prix fixe for around $25!!!! Of course, I needed to order some additional things here and there, since it was my goodbye lunch after all. The menu changes every day, and Chef Yasuda's recommendation for the day are circled in red. It took me a good, intense 15 minutes to make my selections.

*Sake from Hokkaido, it was very sooth and now to sweet (I don't like sweet sake)*

As part of my pre-fix menu, I ordered the sushi and sashimi special. The sashimi was picked by the chef, I got makarel, tuna and yellowtail. All three were incredibly fresh and melted in my mouth.

*Assorted sashimi*

*Starting from the bottom right: mackerel, orato, sea trout, scallop and uni (uni not pictured)*

For the sushi, I could acually pick my selections, so I did a mix of some favorites and some new fish. For some tried and true selections, I picked mackerel, uni and scallop. The uni was unreal, it had that fantastic, briny taste that develops in your mouth, and it melted like butter. I also tried some fish that that I had never eaten raw before. I picked orato and sea trout, the sea trout was a great new discovery for me.

And for dessert, I had some red bean mochi ice cream. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to Towers Perrin and to Midtown.

A nice sunday

2009-06-30T10:36:00.002-04:00

Good food, good Sunday

The vintage shoes I bough from Etsy finally arrived and I got to wear them for the first time this Sunday. I am absolutely in love with them, they are as cute and comfortable as I was hoping they would be!

I did not have a lot of food left in the fridge at lunchtime, so I ate soba noodles (I didn't even have scallions for the sauce!), avocado with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, and kiwi and apricots with honey. It was very simple and very refreshing.

After my long run around lower Manhattan, I stopped by Pinkberry and rewarded myself with a fozen yogurt (not pictured, I don't run with my camera). Then made a stop at the supermarket and bought somefood items for dinner, I ate sauteed shrimp with an avocado, orange and radish salad and dates for dessert. Then curled up with The Economist and read until I fell asleep. Overall, it was a really nice Sunday.

Dinner at Momofuku Ssam Bar

2009-06-28T11:48:00.005-04:00

* Watching the rain from the window of Momofuku Ssam Bar*

Rainy day, delicious food

One of my really good friends from Georgetown is in town, and since he loves food as much as I do I suggested dinner at Momofuku Ssam Bar. Ssam Bar is one of David Chang's three restaurants in the East Village , he is only 30 years old and he is getting nominated for his third James Beard award! I am a big fan of his cooking and I have been wanting to go eat at Ssam bar for a while. I am so glad we went, his food is terrific!

I forgot my camera (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) so I used my iPod to take pictures of our great dinner. The pictures do not make justice to the delicious flavors of the dinner. Here are some pictures of the things we ate:

* Cured hamachi with horseradish sauce, edamame and wakame*

* Steam buns with pork belly, hoisin, cucumbers and scallions (these are seriously delicious)*

* Pork shoulder steak*

* Beet and lime ganache with goat's milk frozen yogurt in a pistachio/granita bed*

Dinner was absolutely delicious, but the most wonderful part of the meal was the dessert. I typically do not like sweets and seldomly order dessert, but this dessert was phenomenal. It was the perfect combination of sweet from the ganache, cream from the frozen yogurt and savory crunch from the pistachios. My mouth starts watering again now that I am writing about it!

After dinner I decided to walk home and stopped by St. Mark's bookshop on the way. I have a summer reading list and decided to buy the first book on that list.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

An afternoon in Georgetown

2009-06-21T01:24:00.005-04:00

Spending some time in the old neighborhood

This weekend was my turn travel, so I came to see Brendan in Washington D.C., . Today we decided to go to Georgetown to see a movie, eat at Booeymongers and walk around our old neighboorhood.

Booeymongers is a small sandwich shop in Georgetown that all Georgetown students hold dear. Many times when I come to see Brendan we go to Booeys and relive a small but good part of our student life (both Brendan and I went to Georgetown for undergrad).

* Booeymongers in Georgetown, Washington D.C.*

Brendan and I still order the same sandwiches we did when in college. I got the "pita pan", I just love that sanwich!

* The "pita pan": whole wheat pita filled with muesnter cheese, avocado, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and mushrooms*

After eating at Booeys we went to see the movie "Up", which was really fun and cute, and then we went for a walk around Georgetown before heading back to the apartment.

* The C&O Canal*

* Georgetown houses that Brenan and I dream about*

Right before reaching the apartment we made a detour to get some frozen yogurt from Tangy Sweet! I picked raspberries, blueberries and captain crunch for my toppings. It was so refreshing and absolutely perfect for a warm summer night like this one.

Hope you are having a good weekend!

Dinner: Lazy, lazy, super lazy dinner

2009-06-18T23:14:00.006-04:00

Because I should also post the food I cook that does not look pretty

I came back from a killer cardio-kickboxing class and I was too hungry and too tired to put effort into my meal. But I knew that I needed to eat some sort of protein after my workout, so here is dinner: leftover quinoa with "tortilla de huevo" (the Latin version of the omelette) and a salad of whatever veggies I had in the fridge (tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber). I was so tired and hungry I didn't even try to set it up in a pleasing way.

Was it any good? I don't really know, I inhaled the whole thing in 10 minutes.

Dinner: Roasted mahi mahi and quinoa salad

2009-06-17T21:15:00.002-04:00

* Should have paired it with white wine, but I have to finish an open bottle of malbec*

Very yummy quinoa

I was watching the food network (as I religiously do), and one of the cooking shows had this great quinoa salad recipe that I paired with grilled mahi mahi. The salad was absolutely delicious! It contains quinoa, cucumbers, scallions, raisings and orange zest in an orange-based dressing. The orange zest is what made this recipe really special.

Quinoa is a grain that was domesticated by the ancient communities of the Andes and was considered a sacred grain by the Incan empire. Its still part of the basic diet of the people in the Andes, especially in the regions that used to be part of the Incan empire (Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador). I grew up eating Quinoa and I love it, although I do remember they used to make the worst quinoa soup at my house.

Quinoa is nowadays considered a "super food". It has a very high protein content and contains all essential aminoacids, making it a complete protein. While I appreciate all the amazing qualities of quinoa, in reality I eat it just because its yummy.

Dinner: Arroz con Pollo

2009-06-15T21:06:00.004-04:00

Craving some home cooking

I have been craving Latin food lately, so today I made arroz con pollo. Although its not exactly the same as the one I used to eat in my house in Ecuador, its close enough to do the trick!

*I sort of overdid it with the green peas. But I love them so it is ok*

Dinner at Takesushi

2009-06-13T11:28:00.004-04:00

This place is a keeper

I am a grateful subscriber to the Chowhound.com newsletter and credit them for helping me find new great food spots. A couple of weeks ago the newsletter included great reviews about Takesushi, located in Murray Hill. This weekend Brendan and I decided to go check it out.

Takesushi is definitely a hidden gem. From the outside, I would have never thought that the restaurant could have such good food. They have a very simple green awning that reminds me more of cheap chinese takeout than of great sushi. I thinks this is a good lesson for me, I must not forget to never judge a book by its cover

Once we entered, we were happy to see that the majority of the patrons where Japanese, which is always a good sign here in Manhattan. And soon we understood why, the food was delicate and authentic, the sushi was of very high quality and dinner was affordable. We are definitely going back to Takesushi.

*Yasai nimono (simmered vegetables). We were so hungry that I only remembered to take the picture AFTER we ate the pumpkin ... oopsie*

*Simmered eggplant*

* Fried soft shell crab. This crab was delicious, light and crisp and not oily*

* The "Omakase Deluxe": Ten sushi pieces and one roll picked by the chef. The uni and chu-toro were my favorites! Brendan loved the eel*

* Last, and one the house: Castella cake (thanks to Ai for making me realize this is not pound cake!)*

Things that made me happy this week

2009-06-12T15:45:00.014-04:00

A good week just came to and end

1. Finding the blog MY MILK TOOF. Its one of the sweetest, unbearably cutest ideas I have seen. I really hope that Inhae publishes these in print one day. I would buy them for myself and for evey little kid I know!

2. Having fresh berries in my cereal every day this week.

3. Running the Corporate Challenge. I go to the gym pretty regularly but only started running longer distances about three months ago. I think I am addicted to cardio!!!

4. My latest purchase on Etsy. I can't wait for it to arrive.

What made you happy this week?

Dinner at Blue Hill

2009-06-12T11:24:00.007-04:00

Good food, bad pictures

Last night my foodie coworkers and I went for dinner at Blue Hill. Blue Hill is on of the main restaurants credited for driving the whole "local, seasonal food" approach to cooking that has become a trend in NY. Ingredients come from nearby farms, including Blue Hill Farm and Stone Barns. The commitment of this restaurant to support local produce and artisanal techniques is really amazing. Click on this link to see their website, learn about their food philosophy and see some gorgeous pictures of their restaurants, dishes and produce.

We tried to make a reservation to go eat at the Blue Hill in Stone Barns (45 minutes outside of NY), but it was impossible. We called more than a month ago and all they could give us was a table on July 5 at some very odd hour, so we decided to go to their restaurant here in the city.

I regret to say that I have no good pictures of dinner because the lighting was so low! The atmosphere was very serious, so I decided not subject the other guests to annoying flashes from my camera. The only decent one I took was that of my wine glass, pictured above. However, I thought that I could at least share the menu items I ordered:

Appetizer - "This Morning's Farm Egg": a slow-poached, beautiful and perfectly runny egg with morels, peas and pine nuts

Entree - Berkshire Pig: Cuts of pork loin and pig belly with sugar snap peas, shiitake mushrooms and pistachios. As part of their philosophy, Blue Hill goes thorugh a whole lamb and a whole pig throug the night, so the cuts you get are dependent on what part of the pig the chef has gotten to. We got lucky and enjoyed the contrast of a lean cut and a fatty cut.

Sides: Creamy parsnips and marinated beets. The creamy parsinps were so light and delicious!

Dessert: Rhubarb with poached meringue, crème fraîche and tapioca. I am not a big fan of dessert but this one was really delicious, light and intricate. I really wish I could have taken a picture of this one.

Overall, dinner was extremely good, but it was not the most amazing food experience I have had in NY. My dinner at Le Bernadin remains as my most sublime food experience in the city.

Fresh Berries

2009-06-09T12:19:00.005-04:00

Simply wonderful

So the summer has officially started and one of my favorite things about the summer is that berries are now affordable! During the year I usually make a mix of dried blueberries and cranberries to make sure I get my antioxidants every day (also, because they are delicious), but during the summer I can have fresh berries for breakfast almost every day!

*Today's Breakfast: Cottage cheese drizzled with honey on whole-wheat toast with blueberries and raspberries (~210 calories)*

I usually drink coffee with breakfast, but today I didn't want the taste of coffee overpowering the delicate taste of the berries, so I had some of my favorite Fortnum and Mason tea instead.

Macaroons from Paris

2009-06-05T10:52:00.007-04:00

So beautiful and delicious!
Last night I went to dinner to see my good friend Venus who is visiting town. She used to work here in NY in the same company as I do now but realized that she wanted to be a doctor instead. Now she lives in Boston and I was so happy to see her last night.

She is on break from post-bac, so she went on a trip to Paris, Portugal and Ireland. When I saw her last night she gave me this box of macaroons that she fell in love with in Paris.

The box is so beautiful, but the taste of the macaroons was even better!!! The yellow and pink ones are already gone, but I am saving the chocolate one for my fiance, he loves chocolate. Thanks Venus!!!

Detox Week: Monday and Tuesday

2009-06-03T11:00:00.006-04:00

I really need it
So after the partying and eating in West Palm Beach and in preparation to the 10k race I am running this weekend, I feel the need for some serious detox. Not the "I will only drink liquids" type of detox (I don't think I could ever put myselft throught that), I mean cooking my meals with good, healthy and nutritious ingredients, minimizing the amount of fat used in my cooking and staying off the alcohol for a week. Anyway, here is the food I prepared on Monday and Tuesday. I have been eating the leftovers at lunchtime and have been snaking on heatly fruits like kiwi and tangerines.

Monday: Pasta putanesca made with whole-wheat spaggetti, my own marinara sause, olives, capers and tuna.

Tuesday: I am still missing the delicious latin flavors from West Palm so I decided to cook latin food. Baked tilapia in citrus marinade, arroz amarilo (latin saffron rice) and a mango, onion and cherry tomato salad.

Is this a really good start? I hope so. I am starting to feel light again and have plenty of energy. Going back to the gym has helped tons too! I only wish there was better lighting in my apartment at night so the pics would come out better. I absolutely refuse to use flash!

West Palm Beach

2009-05-31T22:14:00.004-04:00

Great getaway

Brendan and I decided to go away for a quick trip before he starts summer term. So I took a day of from work and we went to visit his friend Phil who lives in West Palm Beach. The weekend was the perfect balance between relaxation, good food and partying (maybe a little too much partying). Thanks Phil!!!

This last picture was taken at 4 A.M., it is the Taco Bell drive-thru window as we saw it from our cab . We were so drunk and hungry!

I have not partied like this in a long long time and my body is definitely letting me know so today.

Memorial Day Weekend #2: Hiking the Hudson Highlands

2009-05-28T11:13:00.015-04:00

Awesome way to spend a Monday

Brendan and I haven't been hiking since around this time last year, so we decided to go hiking for Memorial Day weekend. Our friends wanted to come too, so on Monday we went to the Hudson Highlands, which are about 1 hour north of New York City.

We were trying to hike an intermediate trail called "Anthony's nose", but I guess our sense of orientation is not all that great, so we ended hiking a trail called "Breackneck Ridge". It was a lot more intense than the trail we had intended to, but it was fantastic. Here are some pictures from that day.

For the first part of the trail, there was a lot more rockclimbing thank hiking

Brendan and I rest and enjoy the view

This view of the Hudson river valley was worth all the effort

A hawk in the sky

Breakfast: Apples & Oatmeal

2009-05-26T12:09:00.008-04:00

Great way to start the day

I accidentally ordered more apples from FreshDirect that I usually do, so I have been trying to incorporate apples in my meals to make sure I finish them all. I found this recipe on the Foodnetwork website while browsing recipes that involved apples (by the way, the Foodnetwork is one of my favorite channels).

I absolutely love this recipe! It's delicious, very healthy, gives me lots of energy and keeps me full for a good three hours! I also estimate that its about 320 calories per serving, which is great!

Recipe: Apples Cinnamon Oatmeal
Adapted from: Food Network Kitchens - Microwave Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Ingredients
1 apple, cored and coarsely chopped (I use Fuji, but they suggest McIntosh)
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 small cinnamon stick (can also be a pinch of ground cinnamon)
Pinch kosher salt
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (this is key, none of that fake "syrup" in here. Honey is a great substitute if you do not have maple syrup)
1 cup of milk (optional)

Method
In a small pot combine apples, oatmeal, cinnamon, salt and water and turn on low/medium heat. Cook accoding to the oatmeal instructions (usually about 4-5 minutes) but add an additional 3 more minutes of cooking so the apples can soften and caramelize. Stir the oatmeal regularly to prevent it from sticking to the pot.

Once cooked, split the oatmeal into two bowls, add1/2 cup of milk and pour 1 tablespoon of maple syrup into each bowl. Serve hot and enjoy!

A good deal?

2009-05-21T22:19:00.007-04:00

Deli, you will be missed

I was really sad to find out today that the great little deli next to my building is going out of business. It has been open for business 7 days a week for the last 25 years, and tonight it closed for good. I think the landlord did not let owner of the deli renew his contract.

The little deli was great, during the weekdays a line would form outside of the deli at lunchtime. The windows were piled with truffles, chocolate covered pretzels, nuts and pastries. The owner was very nice, I used to eat their sandwiches on the weekends and he would always give me a small sweet treat with my sandwich. They also had a nice orange cat living there, I hope the cat will be OK.

Tonight is the last night the deli is going to be open, so the owner was trying to sell everything he had left. He stopped Brendan and said that the whole store was buy one get two free, so we went to stock up on water bottles and other essentials. The owner kept showing us food and cheese and sweets and we felt so bad about his situation that we let him do it. In the end, we walked out with this.

Trios starting on the top left: jelly bean boxes, cornichons, cheese crackers, a giant pack of American cheese, shredded parmesan, gruyere, provolone, roquefort, cheese twirl crackers, trident gum, ricola cough drops and 10 chicken cutlets. He said the total was going to be around $65, but we only had $45 dollars with us so he gave us all the food for $45 dollars. The chicken cutlets he gave to us for free.

* 10 chicken cutlets that Brendan has promised to finish*

So how do we feel about getting such an amazing deal? We feel terrible, we are so sad for the owner that had to close his deli after 25 years. So we have made a promise to not let any of the food go to waste. We are going to try to throw a wine and cheese party next week to pay our respects to the great deli.

Gifts from Ecuador

2009-05-19T11:39:00.002-04:00

Gracias papi y mami! (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

My sister just graduated from the University to Notre Dame! So my parents came from Ecuador and stayed a couple of days in New York City before we all headed to Notre Dame. They brought me Ecuadorian coffee and papaya and passionfruit jam. Both are absolutely delicious!!!

One of the things I miss the most about Ecuador is the amount, variety and affordability of fruits we have, this jam is a perfect reminder of home.

And the graduation was great. I got to see President Obama live! I wont forget that any time soon.

Comfort Food: Canned Tuna with Rice

2009-05-12T10:59:00.004-04:00

Brings me home every time

Last night I made my favorite comfort food: canned tuna with tomatoes and onions, dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and salt. We use a lot of lemons and limes in Ecuadorian coastal cooking, so this is how I grew up eating tuna (which people here in the U.S. find interesting). I love this dish but due to the high mercury levels in tuna I make aconcious effort of only eating it once a week. I ate it with brown rice and a carrot and broccoli salad.

Onigiri in Manhattan: Oms b Rice Ball Cafe

2009-05-06T23:44:00.016-04:00

So pretty I feel sad about eating them

Another great lunch place I go to often here in Midtown East is Oms b Rice Ball Cafe (the name is supposed to replicate the phonetic pronunciation of "omusubi" in english). This cafe's main staple are the onigiri, although they do have some noodle dishes.

What I love about this place is the variety and creativity of the onigiri. Each onigiri is carfully put together and made with fresh ingredients (which might explain why the prices at Oms b are not particularly "recession friendly"). There is so much variety that standing in line is always torture as I agonize about which onigiri I will pick for lunch.

* shrimp popcorn onigiri*

* yukari-plum and wasabi onigiri*

So what did I eat today? These were my three picks. The "gorgeous football" was the tastiest one!

*counterclockwise from the upper left: eel, salmon and "gorgeous football" onigiri*

Breakfast: The perfectly cooked egg

2009-05-05T23:16:00.006-04:00

Rainy day, sunny breakfast

Sometimes the simplest foods are the most delicious and rewarding. A perfectly cooked egg, with completely cooked egg white and perfectly runny yolk, is one of them. Here is the recipe I used to make my breakfast today:

Put eggs in a pot with enough water to cover them
Bring the water to a boil
Once the water starts boiling, set the timer to 3 minutes and 30 seconds*
After the three and a half minutes, scoop the eggs out of the boiling water and run them through cold faucet water (this will stop the cooking process and cool the eggs enough so you can peel them)
Peel open, and enjoy

*If you live at a higher altitude (New York is close to sea level: at 768 feet/234 meters) you might need to adjust the timing, as water takes longer to reach boiling point in higher altitude. Test by increasing/decreasing the cooking time once water has reached boiling point)

An accidental trip to the Farmers' Market in Union Square

2009-05-02T14:05:00.013-04:00

Good for my tummy and wallet

Today I got up at 7:30 AM (painfully early for a Saturday) to go to the Valentino Sample Sale. I have gone to this sample sale three years in a row and have always come out dragging huge shopping bags filled with beautiful clothes, shoes and bags. This year however, I came out empty-handed and sad. There were were so many beautiful things I fell in love with, but since I am quitting my job soon to pursue my MBA, I decided to save the money for an upcoming school trip or some other school activity.

I decided to walk home to shake of the images of those beautiful, buttery leather boots I tried on, and I ended up at the Farmers' Market in Union Square. This place is great, it gives New Yorkers access to fresh produce from local producers. So instead of shopping for high-end luxury items I decided to buy some fresh, local produce. This is what I walked away with: shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choy and asparagus.

And this was lunch, asparagus and tomato salad, and soba noodles in miso broth with shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choy, tofu and eggplant. This soup was loosely based on this recipe, but I made my own broth with bonito, kombu and the mushroom stems instead of using vegetable stock.

So did it work? My lunch certainly made me happy, but I am still thinking about those boots. I think I will go back to the sample sale on its last day, when they have deeper discounts. Who knows, I might get lucky.

Sweet Cucumber Pickles

2009-04-30T13:50:00.004-04:00

It's pickle time!

In the list of favorite foods that resides in my head, pickles certainly take one of the top five spots (there are probably about 10 different foods fighting for the top 5 spots, which I guess could be a little troublesome). This weekend I realized that I am running low on pickles, so its time re-stock the pickle jar.

I like this recipe for sweet cucumber pickles, they are refreshing, lightly sweet and have a small kick of heat at the end.

Sweet Cucumber Pickles

Ingredients

5 Japanese cucumbers
1 2/3 Tbsp of salt
1 1/2 cups of rice vinegar
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup of sugar
2 pods of dried chilli pepper
1 bay leaf
1 small cinnamon stick
6-7 peppercorns
1 pickling press
1 glass jar

Method

First, wash the cucumbers and trim off the edges (otherwise they will taste bitter). Once they are clean, cut them lengthwise in half. Mine will look a little smaller because my pickling jar is small, so I cut them into smaller pieces.

Lay the cucumbers in the pickling press and add salt, rub the cucumbers to make sure that the salt is evenly distributed. Then, pour over 1/3 of salted water to make sure the salt is soaked into the cucumbers evenly

Put on the lid of the pickle press and screw down to place weight on the cucumbers. this will allow the water to drain out of the cucumbers and the pickling process to begin. Store them away from the sun from 12-24 hours.

Take the pickles out of the press and rinse them to remove excess water. Put the pickles in the shade and let their surface dry.

In the meantime, heat up the marinade for the pickles using the remaining ingredients. Make sure the marinade never touches any metallic objects (that includes measuring cups, spoons or the pot). Rice vinegar reacts to metallic objects and develops an unpleasant, metallic taste. Some people have enamel covered pots that work quite well. I don't have one, so I use a Latin technique called "Bano de Maria", I heat up a ceramic bowl within a pot of boiling water and place the marinade inside the bowl. Bring the marinade to a boil , then turn off the heat and let it cool.

Finally, pack cucumbers in a pickling jar, and pour over the marinade. Let them soak in the flavors of the marinade for one day. These pickles will be good for a couple of months!

Hanami in Washington, D.C.

2009-04-28T04:00:00.002-04:00

* The Washington Monument hiding behind the sakura*

No "kanpai" in Washington, D.C.

In 1912, the city of Tokyo presented the people of Washington, D.C. with a gift of 3,000 cherry trees. Most were planted around the Tidal Basing in the National Mall. Washington is at its most beautiful during the few days in which the cherry trees are in bloom, so Brendan and I decided to go for a little Hanami (flower viewing) in the Nation's Capital.

As we were walking and admiring the sakura and the monuments, I remembered something my friend Yoshiko told me when we visited Japan. That in Japan is very common to drink during hanami. The majority of cities in the U.S. prohibit alcohol consumption in public areas, so our hanami in Washington, D.C. was pretty dry.

* The Jefferson Memorial*

It would have been great to enjoy a little bit of sake while walking the Tidal Basin, which brings me to the following observation from our visit to Japan. On our first day in Tokyo, Brendan and I were happily surprised when wen found little "juice" boxes containing sake at most convenient stores. We loved the idea of having single-serving, accessible, transportable alcohol containers (I loved that most of them came with their own little straw! So cute.). We made a point to try as many as we could during our trip.

I will be the first to admit that none of them were the best-tasting sake I ever had, but I am not going to complain (considering that during college I drank some of the most cheap, horrid beers the United States has ever produced). The one that became our staple drink during the trip was "One Cup Ozeki". The big one was for Brendan, the small one was for me.

Dinner: Miso Black Cod

2009-04-26T12:00:00.001-04:00

The best part of this dinner is that I have leftovers

Tonight I had a little extra time, so dinner included miso black cod, rice with veggies, soy eggs and pickles.

Miso-marinated black cod is famous in NY thanks to Nobu Matsushita. It is an expensive dish at restaurants, so for years I considered it to be an indulgence. That is, until I got a hold of the modified recipe from Rasa Malaysia and realized that it is very easy to do. Enjoy!

Recipe: Black Cod with Miso (Miso-marinated Black Cod)
Adapted from Nobu: The Cookbook

Ingredients:

2-3 black cod fillets (about 1 lb)

For the marinade:

1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin
4 tablespoons of white miso paste
3 tablespoons of sugar

Method:

Mix the marinate ingredients thoroughly in a plastic container (with lid) and set aside. Save some for plating purposes.
Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and put them into the plastic container with the marinate. Cover the lid and leave to steep in the refrigerator overnight or for 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
Preheat an indoor grill at the same time.
Lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinate clinging to the fish fillets but don’t rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill and lightly grill on both sides until the surface turns brown.
Transfer the fish fillets to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Add a few extra drops of the marinate on the plate and serve hot.

Onigiri in Manhattan: Café Zaiya

2009-04-24T23:35:00.002-04:00

The devil is in the details

Many Japanese subsidiaries have set their headquarters in Midtown East (for example, my company is in the same building as the giant Itochu Corporation). Consequently, several Japanese restaurants have established businesses around the area, catering to the many Japanese working around here. When it comes to picking quick, fresh and inexpensive lunch around work, Café Zaiya is my favorite place in midtown Manhattan

Café Zaiya deserves a post on its own. But lets focus on onigiri for now. Zaiya's onigiri are particularly delicious for a couple of reasons:

The onigiri is freshly made every day, so if you go there at lunch time, the onigiri has just come out of the kitchen and its warm! I have been completely spoiled by Zaiya's warm onigiri. In fact, the first time I tried onigiri from the combini store in Japan and bit into cold rice, it made me a little sad
The onigiri comes with plastic packaging that separates the nori from the rice, so the nori retains its crunchy texture until its ready to be eaten
The onigiri costs approximately $2 dollars each, so they are both budget and palate friendly

* Plastic wrap = crunchy seaweed*

Wajima Onsen

2009-04-24T09:27:00.001-04:00

On serene, quiet days, Wajima often comes to my mind

Our trip to Japan could not be complete without experiencing the hospitality and hotsprings of a ryokan, so Brendan and I decided to go to one near Wajima, a sea-facing city in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Wajima is pretty far from the typical western tourist route. Even though there is a train station in Wajima, the train does not run there anymore, so our Japan rail pass took us as far as Wakuraonsen station, and then we hopped on a local bus to Wajima.

In a way I am happy that the train does not run to Wajima anymore, because the bus ride was absolutely gorgeous! With views of tranquil, rural Japan on one side of the road, and the dark Eastern Sea on the other.

I don't think anything I have seen before prepared us for our stay at the Notonosho ryokan*. We could see the sea through our window while we enjoyed the constant sound of water from our private pine bath.

After the bath, we put on our comfortable yukatas (cotton kimono) and went to have dinner at the restaurant in the ryokan. In retrospect, I remember the yukata was very comfortable for me, since I am 5' 1". However, it was probably not that comfortable for Brendan, who is 6’ feet tall and not really the standard size for a male in Japan. Still, he was a total trooper.

Dinner at our ryokan has been one of the most memorable Japanese culinary experiences I have had. All produce was locally sourced, and presented in the most delicate lacquer ware (Wajima is known throughout Japan for producing beautiful lacquer ware). I will describe some of the dishes we ate as best as my limited Japanese allowed me to understand that night.

* Grilled baby squid with locally sourced seaweed *

* Notogyu (beef from the Noto Peninsula) grilled with shiitake mushrooms*

* Grilled, ponzu-marinated squid*

After dinner, we went to some of the onsen pools in the ryokan. By the time we got back to our room, our comfortable futons had been laid out for us. After such a beautiful, relaxing day, we got to rest, enjoy our beautiful room and be a little silly with each other.

* Note: If you are are planning a trip to Japan and want to stay at a Ryokan or Minshuku, I recommend making reservations through JapaneseGuestHouses, a free reservation website service. Not only do they have information on hundreds of Ryokan all over Japan, but also help you make reservations, as many Ryokans do not have english-speaking staff.

Lazy, delicious dinner

2009-04-23T21:52:00.003-04:00

Rice with gim = nom nom nom

Many nights when I come to home from the gym I am too lazy to cook, so I try to get away with fast, easy dinners. Tonight I am eating leftover brown rice, myeongran jeot with gim and cucumbers I pickled a couple of days ago.

Gim is korean seaweed salted and roasted in sesame oil. Myeongran jeot is korean pickled pollock roe. It's similar to mentaiko, the japanese version of marinated pollock roe. Every time I go eat at Koreatown I make a point to go to the grocery store afterwards and purchase some myeongran jeot.

There are several ways to eat myeongran jeot, its can be used in stews or mixed with noodles. Tonight I am eating in its simplest form, adding it to rice wrapped in gim.

Pretty Octopi

2009-04-23T17:22:00.001-04:00

These octopi are so beautiful, they look like flowers.

Last May, my fiancée and I went on our first trip to Japan together. Since the jetlag had us both up and running by 4 A.M., we followed the suggestions of many tour-guides and ventured into central Tokyo to visit the famous Tsukiji fish market, the greatest seafood market in the world.

The amount of seafood we saw was mesmerizing. It was also saddening, because everything looked amazing and we could not purchase any of it. This is my favorite picture from that day.