Favorites List (Spring 2011)

The plan today was to share a quick little ditty of a pasta recipe. Something I threw together for lunch this week that was super tasty. But as I sat down to type it up, it didn't feel quite right. As much as I want to get back into regular posting mode, your support for my new book has been exceptional, and kind, and - I don't know how else to say it - powerful. Last Tuesday, I looked incredulously at my laptop when Super Natural Every Day cracked the top #50 on Amazon. It has somehow gone on to hover around the #40 mark for the remainder of the week. Then there was the packed turnout at the book signing - to all of you who came out on a weeknight, thank you.

So, the last week has definitely felt great, but also very "me, me, me" - So I thought it might be a great time to turn the table a bit and do a favorites list. I'll type up the pasta for the next go-round, but in the meantime, it just feels good to be able to link back to other people, projects, and things I'm excited about. Share a little link love, you know? It has been a while. I hope you enjoy:

- Enjoyed this documentary. And this is next on my list. And this one.

- Currently, my favorite deodorant. Wild Rose.

- A way to capture a web page, mark it up with feedback and notes, and send it as a PDF. via Jennifer Jeffrey.

- Fantasy Vacation Spot.

- For when I someday set off to India.

- For when you need a laugh. Especially the part about learning to speak European.

- Dorie's Beggars Linguine

- Lunch lady series on Oh, Joy!

- Abitare.

- Homemade Spoon Butter

- This nail polish.

- Cute behind-the-scenes J.Crew goes to Italy video.

- This photo Wayne took of his Grandma.

- Camelias are in bloom everywhere, and I love them. I shot the lead photo up in Point Reyes last week.

- Water color business cards.

- This video shot by photojournalist Steve Gong in North Korea.

- Harvey Faircloth inspiration board.

- Wild Flowers

- We cooked from Moro East and The Essential New York Times Cookbook early in the year, and now we've moved on to Rose Bakery - love discovering all sorts of great new recipes and flavor combinations. Next up: Nigel Slater's Tender V.1 for May/June.

- And for those of you looking for a bit of spring recipe inspiration. Have at it.

And just a last little reminder. I'll be doing one more SF Bay Area signing/potluck this Saturday, April 16, in Berkeley: details here.

Continue reading Favorites List (Spring 2011)...

The Secret Soiree by O Gourmet Food Hall and Michel Rolland Wines at BSC

Last Thursday I was invited by O Gourmet Food Hall Bangsar Shopping Center for a Wine Tasting Event.

Located in front of Cold Storage, this corner present to you some of the finest wines and also Malaysian only Cheese Room which you can buy some premium imported cheese.

Do you know that wine pairing with foods are crucial as if you mix it with the wrong combination, the food or wine will taste bad. Be it a thousand dollar bottle of Lafite and served with a wrong food, there goes the taste.

With 2 sommeliers around, we were introduced to a range of Bordeaux (French) and Argentina wines by Michele Rolland.

Sommelier Didier Richer, a personal friend of the wine maker Michel Rolland of France

Sommelier Sebastian

It was an intimate private session where there are only 6 of us from the media who attend for this event. The foods were usually prepared by an unannounced chef that will only appear at the end of the session. I shall not reveal who the chef is until the end.

White and green asparagus with hollandaise and lemon oil

Paired with >

Michel Rolland dont do much white wines, but the Chateau La Grande Clotte Blanc would be amongst its premium line and exclusive whites that goes very well with the starter.

It is very fruity and the I can taste a hint of citrus from it. The after taste is slightly sour where it brings out the appetite for the next dish.

Satay Station @ Taman Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur

It was after a meeting with our Member of Parliament of our constituency of Setiawangsa where we had the opportunity to savour some delicious satay @ Centrum Setiawangsa.

The beef & chicken satay were chunky and tender and the stick is found bigger than its competitor and surely we had a meaty dinner at Satay Station. I was told that their Mee Rebus is good but unfortunately it was all sold out.

There are a few Satay Station branches in Klang Valley and are operating based on a franchise basis.

Satay Station Setiawangsa

Jalan Setiawangsa 8

Taman Setiawangsa,

Kuala Lumpur 54200

GPS : 3.179326,101.741707

Java Wok Restaurant

Java Wok is a bit hard to find, but worth a try if you work near Sampoerna Strategic Square and need a place to eat in the area

The restaurant has a roof, but no walls on one side, so you feel as if you were eating outside. It is only a few hundred meters away from busy Jalan Sudirman, and yet it does not feel too noisy, too polluted or too hot. The fans cool down the air, and the design is relaxing, with a small fountain and stones on the walls.

There is no " la carte" menu but a buffet of typical Sundanese dishes, a bit like the one you could find in Bumbu Desa restaurants (but cheaper). You need to choose your food first, then sit down and wait for someone to bring it to you. Almost all dishes are spicy but you can always find a few specialties that are not.

Overall, I recommend this restaurant, especially for office workers in the Sudirman area. Their food is fresh, the service is fast, and the place is modern (also with wifi). Your average bill should be less than Rp 40,000, including drinks, twice as much as a food stall but much more comfortable.

You can also ask for delivery if you order for at least Rp 100,000 (1km area): Call +62-21 5290 5103

Java Wok Restaurant
Jalan Bek Murad No 62 Karet (just behind World Trade Center/HSBC)
South Jakarta 12130

Phone number: +62-21 5290 5103
Fax: +62-21 5290 4379

Facebook fanpage: Java Wok Sundanese Restaurant

Spring & Its Tutti Frutti Crumble

It was about two months ago when I received a phone call from Loren, my uncle in law. Loren and Jan live in Wenatchee, Washington where they are surrounded by cherry and apple orchards. "I am going to send you a few cherry blossom branches" he said. "Cherry blossom branches? But how?".

A few days later a package arrived in the mail. Tightly wrapped and with very specific instructions, there were four cherry branches. "Cut the ends and place them in water. They will bloom in a few days".

And indeed they did. Tiny little white flowers that reminded me of the blossoming trees back home.



This little gesture planted a seed in my mind. I got excited about the idea of being able to see these trees in person. "We should take a trip while my parents are here and visit cherry blossoms. It would be a wonderful family vacation before they leave" I suggested to C.

I knew the kids would love it.

I really wanted to go visit Loren and Jan in Wenatchee, but a trip to Washington state was just not practical considering it takes a whole day to get there and back. "How about Washington DC?". And so we found the National Cherry Blossom Festival.



We spent last weekend there. at "George Washington CD" as J calls it.

I welcomed the wintery cold.

Beautiful flowering trees all around the Tidal Basin. Dad and I walked around the entire basin by ourselves. He had his arm around my shoulder just as he used to do when we were kids. I cherished every second of it.



Then back home, I dreamt of the wild poppies that grew in the field next to our school and blossoming apple trees.

I received my copy of Heidi's "Super Natural Cooking". I had been waiting so anxiously since I had pre-ordered it months ago. Beautiful as I expected and filled with recipes I want to cook and eat.

"Look at that crumble" I said to my mom as we were flipping through the book. Heidi's tutti frutti crumble filled with berries, oats and poppy seeds. I made a gluten and dairy free version on Saturday for our last d! inner wi th my parents. It was delicious, light and the perfect way to put an end to a wonderful visit. I miss them already.



And then, I have to thank all of you for your kind words and excitement over the workshop in France this upcoming October. Stephanie is working on some additional details as we speak (she is in France at the moment!), and then, we will post a brief notice a few days prior to opening registration to the public.

Thank you and stay tuned!

Tutti Frutti Crumble

adapted from Heidi Swanson's "Super Natural Everyday"

1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 Tbs potato starch
2 Tbs poppy seeds
1/2 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted coconut oil (do not microwave it, melt it over water bath)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until it comes together. Divide the dough into three parts and form patties. Freeze them for 10 minutes.

1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups golden raspberries
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/3 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup Beaujolais

Toss the first fi! ve ingre dients together in a bowl. Let the fruit macerate for 10 minutes. Add the wine and gently mix.

Transfer the filling to a 10" pie plate or divide it amongst individual ramekins. remove the crumble patties from the freezer and break them over the fruit leaving some chunkier pieces.

Bake at 375F until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Tavares

Portugal, Part V: Lisbon's oldest restaurant, opened in 1784, is also the city's most opulent, reminiscent of a palace room.

This Michelin-starred outlet serves Portuguese cuisine that radiates creativity.

An amuse bouche of olives, but like none we've ever seen before. One was a "molecular cuisine" sort that burst open for a liquid explosion on our tongues, while the other was a lightly battered variety similar to fluffy tempura.

Celery cream with smoked ham & truffle oil. First impression: if the complimentary starters were this unabashedly decadent, we could scarcely imagine how the main courses would turn out.

Marinated mackerel in roasted pepper gel & oregano. Not foul or fishy at all, this boasted a briny freshness that put us in the perfect mood for seafood.

"The Garden of the Hen That Laid Golden Eggs." A long-winded name for an elaborate egg recipe with earthy aromas emanating from a complex combo of mushrooms & veggies.

Fruits, veggies, edible flowers, leaves, mushrooms & sprouts _ roasted, fried, sauteed & raw, with Azeitao cheese whey, hazelnut oil & Iberian ham. It's difficult to describe how this tasted, since its complicated flavors evolved miraculously with every bite.

Pig trotters with coriander gelatin & bread from Alentejo. Mushy and boneless; virtually like eating baby food, but with a beguilingly intense porky flavor.

Cod fish Bras style. Essentially salted cod, with potatoes, veggies & Iberian ham. Moist, delicate, and captivatingly presented _ but unmemorable, taste-wise.

Roasted pigeon with Swiss chard, hazelnuts & cinnamon. Terrifically tender and flavorsome meat, but what made this a stupendous standout was the foie gras & black truffle "ferrero rocher" _ a brilliant creation that we'd happily eat all night.