From Waste of Space to Fillin My Belly: Chilled Cucumber Soup August 21, 2008
Posted by sicatmeow in Health, Recipes.Tags: cucumber, dill, soup
3 comments
Our favorite fancy friends like doing fancy things. That’s cool. R and I like fancy too. We went to Saul. I hated the teeny tiny portions but I loved loved the canape of Chilled Cucumber Soup. Now, in the past I have been known to say that cucumbers are a waste of stomach space. But mush them shivs up, add some cream and salt and you got yourself a winner. I found a good ol recipe and threw it together. Check yourself:
4 major cucumbers (like, the kind that make you feel embarrassed a little), peeled, seeded, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of fresh mint, minced
1/2 cup of fresh dill, minced
1/2 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
cayenne to taste
sliced scallions for garnish
First things first, get a handle on your cuke. (giggle. remember the eggplants?)
Next, mash your garlic into half the salt creating a paste on the cutting board with a knife. This is real fun and easy to do and makes you feel like michael chiarello. When all your stuff is chopped, toss everything into a blender (you may have to do batches, so dole out the liquids accordingly) and pulse till you get a smooth consistency. When blended all nice, put into covered bowl and refrigerate for an hour. Serve with scallion and spoon. Eat and feel healthy. Dont try to make out cause your bref be all garlicy.
She comes for the Beef, stays for the Yoke: Ramen July 6, 2008
Posted by sicatmeow in Recipes.Tags: beef, egg, kimchi, noodles, ramen, scallion, shitake, sirachi, soup, spicy, zucchini
4 comments
C came over for lunch cause I wanted to show her my Ramen. I promised her beef to trick her into eating kimchi – totally worked. My obsession for spicy noodles was launched about a year ago, and I still want to eat them all day long. This is also my favorite dish to cook because it is damn cheap (see the receipt below), quick, easy, filling, and CAN BE healthIER when adding fresh ingredients.
The fanciest part of this whole recipe is the poached egg, which for me, has become an absolute essential item. I learned this from David Chang, which I guess everyone knew except for me for the longest. Thanks guys.
Check it. Cook it. Eat it.
3 packets of original flavored Ramen, whichever brand
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
10ish dried shitake mushrooms
1/4 lb slices roast beef from the deli
kimchi (mine’s homemade, that’s for the next post, you can buy it at most specialty food shop these days)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 eggs
a dash of vinegar
optional:
snow peas, frozen greens of any kind, bean spouts, cubed uncooked tofu… um, anything you want really.
The longest part is reconstituting the mushrooms. Boil 2 cups of water, add to mushrooms and cover. Let sit for 20 minutes. When done, remove the mushrooms to slice, and reserve the newly created mushroom broth.
Cook the Ramen according to the packet’s directions. For 3 packets, you will need 6 cups of water. Additionally, add the 2 cups of reserved mushroom broth and bring to a boil. Add the Ramen noodles, mushrooms, zuccini and any of the optional ingredients you desire.
Simultaneously, bring a deep frying pan to boil with a dash of vinegar for poaching your eggs. At a soft boil, crack your eggs directly into the water. They should congeal and turn a solid white. After about 2 minutes, the eggs and noodles will be ready.
Add the noodles to a huge bowl for eating lots. With a slatted spoon, grab an egg for each bowl and float on top of the servings. Divide the sliced beef and add to the steaming bowl of noodles. Garnish with kimchi and scallion. For added spice, I recommend using Sirachi, not some vinegar-based hot sauce like Tobasco.
And?.. You’re welcome.
