Daddy’s Smoke Signal

Wild Horse Lake, Steens Mountain, Oregon

Two cedar planks, soaked in water for 8 hours, do salmon wonders when it comes to grilling the fish. The reddish color of the Sockeye and its silver glistening skin make one think of the Pacific Northwest. Father's Day came and went. Our celebration was simple...a Pacific Northwest meal. A combination of grilled cedar salmon, wild rice, grilled asparagus and a bottle of Oregon Pinot noir.

My husband lived in Oregon a few years back. Though the desert of eastern Oregon is drastically different from the western side of the Cascade Mountains, it is still a beautiful place. The immensely breathtaking view of the vast Steens Mountain is hard to describe, but I think we all could agree of its beauty. I was working in the densely populated city of Bangkok during the time that my husband was in Burns, Oregon. After having lived in the US for a while, my expectation of personal space grew. In Bangkok, I was suffocated. Getting photographs from him of the mountains and the deserts gave me a new meaning of fresh air and a longing to breath.

Sockeye Salmon on Cedar Planks

Here's how we remembered the Pacific Northwest:

Mix 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of kosher salt, 1/4 cup of sweet paprika, 2 tbsp of ginger powder and 1 tbspn of yellow mustard powder.
Cover the meat side of the fish with the brown sugar mixture.
Turn the fish over and drizzle olive oil and salt on the skin side of the fish fillet.
Let the fish marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Sit the 2 planks in the middle of the grill. If you have a gas grill, turn the middle burner off. If charcoal is your way, situate the charcoal around the plank to get indirect heat.

Once the temperature reaches 300 degree F, lay the fish skin side down.
Let it cook for about 30 min. at 275 degree F.

The asparagus can be in the same grill for 15 min., the drizzled and mixed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cook the wild rice in a boiling pot of water for 45 min. Please, no salt when cooking rice. You will taste the sweet, nuttiness better.
Assemble the dish...and serve. 

Our Northwest Meal

This is by far the best way of cooking salmon. The meat is sweet, smoky and delicate. The wild rice gives you an incredible depth that is compatible with the salmon. The asparagus was simply my husband's favorite vegetable.

The Steens Mountain range still seems to have an air of when the first European arrived and chased the Indian tribe away. This is the furthest one could get before it flips over to civilization. We hope to share it with our children one day, where their father used to live, close to their Indian descendants and the mountain where the wild horses run.
For all you dads out there...hope you have a chance to show your little ones where you have been. Happy belated Father's day.

Cheers!
Teera

What will the kids eat--Tasu, the Pan Asian?

Tasu Sushi and Sashimi

I find it funny when people ask me what can the children eat when going to an Asian restaurant. Should we have gone to a pizza or a burger joint instead? My response is "you feed your child what you eat." Asian children do not typically have an option of eating chicken nuggets, burgers or pizza. They eat what is available to them...fried fish, noodles, rice, stir-fry, etc. The flavor may not be as intense as the adult version, but it is tastier than chicken nuggets, I can assure you. This is your chance to develop our little ones as the future connoisseurs and to help them establish the flavor profile, moving forward.

Tasu Kids Meal-Tempura Shrimp & Vegetable

Tasu Kids Meal-Korean Galbi and Chinese Lo Mien

The best place, I think, to introduce the little ones to the Asian flavors, is the "Pan Asian" restaurant. This type of restaurant offers a range of Asian cuisines, all in one roof. In the DC area, I often visited "Cafe Asia". This joint serves Sushi, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food. I think the US is the only country in the world where this concept developed into fine dining other than a food court vendors congregation concept. It does reflect who we are...a melting pot.

Tasu Peking Duck

Tasu in Brier Creek, Raleigh, is a "Pan Asian" joint that serves an awesome variety of Asian dishes, ranging from sushi, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. On the children's menu there were Korean short ribs, shrimp tempura, Lo Mein. Our children love this place. On the regular menu, there were endless of dishes. I was, however, hooked on one of them--Peking duck! You may ask...Peking duck in a Pan Asian joint? How could it be good?  It was surprisingly awesome.  The crispy skin was lacquered soy sauce brown; the meat was moist with no fat hanging around. Wrapping it with scallion, Hoisin sauce, cucumber, chili and pancake...I was very happy. The sushi here is great, but I would recommend you try the tuna tartar. A similar combination as what I had at Alan Wong in Hawaii, it has a layer of avocado, topped with sliced jalapeños, and eaten with crackers. The flavor balance is better here.

Tuna Tatar-East Meets West at Tasu

It is a comfort to me going to a Pan Asian place. This concept that has been embraced in South East Asia and other places around the world since the spice trades linked the Pacific and Indian oceans together and cultures traveled along the Silk Road. It is no secret that American cuisine, while searching for its roots, does not need to look anywhere else but within. Though, to compose a new paradigm of taste, we need to acknowledge the newcomers and their variety of flavors.  Our children will appreciate growing worldly, all because their parents lead the way.

Cheers!
Teera

The Play Group Blues

Chesapeake Blue Crabs

When we took our first born to the neighborhood 4th of July parade, we met many neighbors. The most memorable ones however have since grown to become close friends. We formed a "play group" that started during our maternity leaves. The 3 months of lunches and learning how to raise a child exchange programs happened spontaneously. 3 children turned into a group of 8 who have known each other since they were a few days old. They became like brothers and sisters. We often have play dates, happy hours, potluck dinners, etc. One tradition we created is the annual crab feast.

All of us, unknowingly, came with a specialty in the kitchen. One of the parents, Mr. "Dave", born and raised along the Potomac River, is known for his steamed Blue crabs. The River borders Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, connecting Great Falls to the Chesapeake Bay outlet.  Mr. Dave harvests the Chesapeake Blue Crab from the Maine Ave. seafood market in Washington, DC. For those of you who have not been there, imagine about 20 open-air seafood stalls, with sellers shouting, enticing you to buy their seafood. Mr. Dave introduced us to appreciate the river. A boat ride with the family was an experience and yes, you can swim in the Potomac!  The seafood market can be reached by boat or crossing the 14th street Bridge into DC, from Virginia. Chesapeake Blue Crabs are sold by the bushel, crawling and snapping. Getting crab during May and June means that the crab’s shells are still thin, easy to crack and has lots of moisture, according to Mr. Dave.

Steamed Blue Crabs

The basic rule of thumb is to cook with an outdoor stove and a large steamer pot. Mr. D stacks about 15-20 crabs in the steamer, sprinkle lightly with Old bay seasoning, and steam about 30 min. The method of steaming allows the crabs to maintain its sweetness without being infused or diluted with another flavor. Steaming seals the juice of the crabs in, making them succulent. When you taste the crab, its true sweetness shines. If you want to use condiments, the combination of Old Bay seasoning, lime, melted butter and Sriracha chili sauce, are more than suffice.

The secret to a successful crab feast in addition to good Chesapeake Blue crabs and a great chef is a group of friends to crack your crab with.
With boiled corn, cold beer and the kids playing in the background, the Blue Crab tradition will continue. I hope you find yourself a playgroup...trust me, it's better than any dinner club...and more.

Cheers!
Teera