Cooking it Whole on Christmas Eve:

Grouper

It’s 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside, Christmas Eve morning and you have no idea what to cook for the evening.  I suggest you take a trip to a local market and grab yourself a whole fish, a couple aromatic herbs, saffron and start cooking.  I found myself a Grouper—typically found in the South Atlantic and the Gulf.

Cooking a fish whole does not always extend itself literally.  You can cook it whole in a pot and extract the meat for a fish curry, fry it or steam it whole.  Fish can also be broken apart and cooked in a method appropriate to each part.  I kept the fish fillets and the collarbone to be cooked at the last few minutes of the soup.  I used the bones, which have a lot of meat stuck to them, and the head to develop the base… the oh so deliciously comforting broth.

Taking the Fish Apart

Here is how I did it.

Ingredients:

1 whole grouper (3-4 lbs), cleaned and taken apart

2 fennel bulbs, using only the bulb, julienned

1 leek, chopped only the white part

1 onion chopped

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon of whole peppercorn

1 can of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of sweet paprika, dried ginger, dried Ancho chili

1/2 tablespoon of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons of honey

2 pinches of saffron

Sauté fresh herbs until caramelized. Then add the fish bones and head with 2 teaspoon of salt.  Add all dried ingredients then deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of anise flavor liquor.  In this case, I have Becherovka (herbal flavor bitter) from Czech Republic in my cupboard, so I used that.  Add 1 gallon of water and bring it to boil.  Add honey, tomato paste, cayenne and saffron and simmer until reduced by half.

Cut the fish fillets to 1-inch strips.  Add them to the reduced broth (which has been strained) for 5 minutes.  Serve with French bread.

Keep warm and wholesome.

Cheers!

Teera

Leaning Toward Mateo…My Southern Tapas

Chicharones-Crispy Chicken Skin

 

 

I miss going to Jose Andres' restaurants in the DC area, especially Jaleo, a tapas/pintxo restaurant that showcases food from the Basque and Catalan regions of Northern Spain. Having traveled and tasted food through San Sebastian, Bilbao and Barcelona, Jaleo was the closest to satisfying my craving of Northern Spanish food.

Here, in Durham, I stumbled upon Mateo. The restaurant opened its doors in August 2012. The chef, Matthew Kelly, originally from upstate New York, transplanted to NC over 20 years ago, working at a local French restaurant. Through his traveling of Spain, he fell for the food and decided to recreate the flavor here, in the Triangle area, with a southern influence.
 

Carpaccio de Pulpo

I started off with Carpaccio de Pulpo-thinly sliced octopus. This dish reminds me of the traditional boiled octopus, served with potato, olive oil and pimento on a wooden board, except it is better at Mateo’s. Chef Kelly topped his octopus with diced pepper, olive oil and pickled onion. It was so simple, yet subtly sweet and crunchy.

Mollejas--Sweetbreads

The second dish was the sweet bread. I suppose with his French cooking background, this is where the sweet bread shines. Served with a bed of Migas (bread crumb mixture) and caper. The bread was sweet!

Special of the day-Rabbit Rillettes

The Rabbit rillettes was another French twist of Chef Kelly. Served similar to a crab cake (instead of in a terrine and covered in pork fat), the flavor is much more tantalizing than the rabbit rillettes at Poole's Diner, I can tell you.

The first time I ate stewed tripe in Spain was in a local bar in San Sebastian. One has to walk to the deep end of the counter to find this dish. At Mateo’s, the special was stewed beef heart and tripe with beans, a different take from the traditional, but nice and tender.

Beef Tripe and Heart Stew

The highlight of the night was the chicken skin-deep fried in a batter (maybe tempura) and served with pickled piquillo pepper. It was an original southern tapas at its best. My mouth is watering, thinking about the crunchy texture of the chicken skin and the contrast of spicy, sweet and sour of the pepper. All I needed was a cold beer to top it off.
 

Morcilla

One disappointment I had was the Morcilla or blood sausage. Served with applesauce and slaw, which helps to compensate for the dryness of the sausage, but it was still dried to my taste. A couple of other items that I was looking for but did not find on the menu were Bacalao (salted cod) and squid ink, so I was unable to satisfy my craving for saltiness.

I did hear that the chef cooks pigtails on special occasions. Maybe pigskin will be next. I can't wait for that. But for now, I am pushing Jose Andres aside and learning to like Mateo’s...my southern tapas destination.

Cheers,
Teera

All Spiced up for the Night of Hallow

Jamaican All Spice

One of the largest storms of the century has come ashore on the East Coast. Full moon and howling wind rustles through dried fallen leaves. It is a perfect condition for Halloween and witches brews. With cold tropical rain, my body craves for the flavor of warm, savory spices...Allspice to be exact. No other cuisine uses and grows allspice like Jamaicans do. This peppercorn looks like spice but has a flavor combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and pepper all in one. In addition to allspice, Jamaican cuisine has a combination of tropical ingredients and world influences from Africa, Spain, India, England and China.
Jamaican goat curry and jerk chicken are some of the uniquely Jamaican dishes that I crave for.

There are about a dozen or so restaurants in the Triangle area that serve Caribbean food. For authentic Jamaican, I narrowed my choices down to 2 restaurants-Lee's Kitchen and Jamaican Grille.

Jamaican Grille

Jerk Chicken, Goat Curry and Oxtail at Jamaican Grille

Jamaican Grille is located in a non-descript office park. There are 10 tables with a counter to order the food. I had jerk chicken, goat curry, oxtail stew and meat patties there. The best thing there was the jerk chicken. The goat curry lacked the spice and the oxtail stew was a bit barnyard tasting. Weekend service is pretty quiet.

Lee's Kitchen

Goat Curry and Jerk Chicken at Lee's Kitchen

Lee's Kitchen Curry Shrimp

Lee's Kitchen was a very different experience. The only seating the restaurant has to offer was the seating to sit and wait for the food. The line is constant here during mid-week lunch hours. This place is Jamaican with a southern accent. They serve Mac & cheese, fried chicken and collard greens in addition to Jamaican food. The made to order popular items are curry shrimp and fried chicken. I had goat curry, jerk chicken, shrimp curry, rice and peas and plantains here and finally understood the flavor. Rice and peas (red bean and rice...similar to dirty rice in texture) has a subtle sweetness that compliments the spicy curry. The goat curry was tender with the level of heat that warms you right up. It has a much lighter consistency in comparison to Indian goat curry. The jerk chicken though was on the disappointing side. It had been sitting on the warming bar for too long. The shrimp curry was juicy and nicely spiced. You can't beat the freshly made food. Wash it all down with ginger beer. I was simply happy...humming reggae with a mouthful.

If Jamaican food is not your thing, try allspice in your pumpkin pie or sprinkle it on warm apple cider. It will comfort you and get you through the storm. Happy Halloween.

Cheers!
Teera

Durham Food Truck Rodeo Recap

Durham Food Truck Rodeo

-->What a sight! 45 food trucks, sound of generators mixing with music, exhaust, grease, people and all, filled up the streets and the pavilion at Durham Farmers Market on Sunday, September 2, 2012. The lines were about 30 minutes long before I got to taste the food (that I gobbled up in a few minutes). The experience was quite different from what I am used to, roaming the outdoor street vendors in Thailand. How hungry people in the triangle are for food on the street, rain or shine! The question is, was it worth it?

I am not an expert on outdoor vendor by any means, but I can tell you, growing up eating from outdoor vendors in Thailand, I found some drastic differences:

Menu Board at Bulkogi Truck

Bulkogi Truck and the Line

1. There was no display of the fresh ingredients. I did not know what goes in my food. All I saw were pretty pictures. It did make me feel like looking at a menu in a fast food joint.
2. There was no display of cooking. All I could see was the window. I am used to seeing a grill, frying pan or a stockpot with the fragrance of the food floating in the air. That's the part when the mouthwatering process entices you to buy...must have food even if you are a mile away!
3. The wait was 30 minutes just to order and another 15 min. before the food arrives. That's way too long. I can go to a restaurant, sit in a comfortable chair, be served and pay the same price. The same can be said to visiting an outdoor festival in Thailand. Thais may be full of patient, but when it comes to food...you better make them quick.
4. The flavors were good. I did see a lot of meat...meat and meat. Is the demand all about meat and grease or is there no food truck that serves a good vegetable dish. Why can't we have both?

Porchetta Truck

Porchetta Menu

I also found good food, which I would not find in Thailand nor many places in the US. North Carolina is known for whole hog, vinegar based BBQ. You will find plenty of that at the Rodeo. The Porchetta and the Bulgoki trucks were an exception, deliciously great finds. I skipped the dumplings and the taco truck since I know where to find authentic Asian dumplings, Hispanic lengua and Chicharron tacos locally. (That's for the next blog.).

A Porchetta Sandwich

Porchetta, an Italian pork roll is made with pork loin wrapped with pork belly and seasoned with herbs, slow roasted, sliced and served on bread as a sandwich. You cannot go wrong with Pork in North Carolina. What pushes it over the top was the fact that it was not a BBQ...but so much more.

Kimchee Hotdog and Spicy Bulkogi

Bulgoki is a Korean marinated BBQ beef/pork taco. Typically it is served with rice, bean paste, and kimchi and wrapped in lettuce leaves. This food truck, however, serves the spicy kimchi bulgoki and kimchi hot dog. The heat ranges from 1 to 10 levels. I found my taste buds satisfied at 9, crunchy and pickle delicious.

The flavor of the food is one note from each truck. A combination of a few trucks at a park can easily make a band. A 45-food trucks rodeo like this one in Durham ought to produce a symphony. Though, all I experienced was the music off tune and a herd of cowboys trying to tame the wild horses. With more practice, I am sure the wait will be less, the aroma will be of food and not exhaust, and the food will show up tasting so good with fresh ingredients from the local farmers market, perfectly arranged and displayed.
It may not be Thailand, but with the global warming in affect and more fine-tuning...we might as well become tropical and rehearse for the perfect rock band!

Cheers,
Teera 

Summer Family Affair

Thai Sukiyaki Hot Pot

Summer is a great time for a family gathering. Eating outdoors makes the food taste better, especially after the sun goes down and the heat dissipates. I love visiting street vendors in Thailand. I considered them the outdoor food court of the Thais.  There seems to be 3 sets of street vendors each day--one set caters to the breakfast and lunch crowd, the second set caters to the dinner and after midnight crowd, and the third set caters to between meals serving snacks/fruits. I prefer the dinner and after midnight street vendors. Many streets are closed after dusk through dawn, to give vendors area to set up tables and chairs. There are many types of grilled seafood and meat, stir-fry, noodles, plus it is cooler to eat after the sun has gone down.  I cannot bring the street vendors from Thailand to the US, but I can make a similar feasts that my family can cook together and fast. Two dishes my family and I made --Grilled seafood and Thai sukiyaki.

North Carolina Snapper and Shrimps

Grilling seafood is the easiest method of cooking, I think. As long as the seafood is fresh, with herbs and a good sauce, you are good to go. I use lime, lemongrass, Kiffir lime leave to stuff the fish, then wrap the fish in banana leaves. The leaf not only gives the fish a subtle smokiness, but it also prevents the fish from sticking. The herbs and lime helps dressed the fish with another layer of perfume. The shrimps are grilled whole.  The family can peel shrimp themselves, saving prepping time. The flavor is in the head of the shrimp and the shells seals the flavor...so suck the heads up!  The dipping sauce is a combination of fresh garlic, fresh Thai chili, lime, fish sauce and fresh coriander. Sweet seafood becomes even sweeter when contrasted with the lime chili dip.

Sukiyaki is a good family gathering dish for an overcast day. It has been raining almost every afternoon for the past weeks, perfect weather for hot pot. Essentially it is a one pot-Asian fondue that everyone gets to participate in cooking. Originated from Japan, the Thais adopted it and did to it what Thais do best...spicy transformation. Chinese also has a similar version of the hot pot. An American version will show up soon, I am sure. May be, there will an international Hot pot competition in the future. 

Thai Sukiyaki Assembly

Start off with a good chicken broth in an electric wok. The rest is up to your liking though good sauce is the key. Typical ingredients are mung bean noodles, sliced meat, eggs, seafood (no fish), vegetables (Chinese celery, watercress, Napa cabbage), and dumplings. Everything is cut to bite size. Each person cooks their own choosing at the table, in the same pot filled with broth. There are many versions of the Thai sukiyaki sauce, as many sukiyaki chains exist in Thailand. The most famous chain is "MK Suki". My version of the sauce is made with pickled garlic and 10 more ingredients. You can find bottled sukiyaki sauce in your local Thai/Asian grocery stores.  By the end of the meal, the soup broth will be full of flavor.  Find a table under a veranda, drink the broth and let the heat rise!

I hope your summer is going well. Stay up, make noise, watch the stars and create yourself an outdoor, midnight restaurant with your loved ones. You will feel like being in a Thailand night Market in no time.

Cheers!
Teera  

Chinese Heat

Shichuan Pavilion "Diced Chicken with Pepper"

Heat, to me, is Comfort. Growing up in Thailand, Chinese food was always considered as bland and fatty. China is a grand country. From Peking duck of the north to Mongolia, Cantonese, Sichuan and Hong Kong, there is such a variety. With its thousands of years of food history, to succumb to a stereotyping and General Tso chicken, seems rather naive. Plus, is it really true that Chinese cannot handle spices? I soon discovered after meeting one of my Chinese friends who was from the Sichuan province that I have gotten it all wrong.
There are Chinese who are addicted to spicy heat as much as the Thais...

In Southwestern region of China, the Sichuan pepper is the key ingredient of any Sichuan dish.  Grown from shrub of the citrus family, the seeds are held by pods similar to cardamom. The flavor however is lemony and peppery. You will see them cooked together with whole red chili in a typical Sichuan dish.

In the DC area, I discovered 2 places for Sichuan cuisine--Hong Kong Palace (7 Corners, Falls Church) and Sichuan Pavilion (between Farragut North and West metro stations in DC). Once you make a visit, you must order the following dishes: diced chicken with pepper, cumin lamb, Dan Dan noodles and tea smoked duck. After a visit, you will realize that you have entered another realm of Chinese cuisine.

C&T Wok "Cumin Lamb"

I crave for the Sichuan heat and almost lost hope until I tried a couple of places in the Triangle area (Morrisville and Cary, NC)--C&T Wok and Super Wok. Not all restaurants are created equal.  Thank goodness!  I find the C&T Wok cumin lamb closest to what I had in the DC area. Tender lamb, stir fried with cumin, onion and pepper. The white board is covered in both Chinese and English of the day special...beef, shrimp, Grouper, scallop and Chinese vegetable.

Super Wok "Chili Crabs"

If you crave for dice chicken with peppercorn, no one else can do it better than Super Wok, in the triangle area. Though the specialty dish is Chili Crab. I cannot get it in the DC area...not this good. The crab was battered and deep fired before stir-frying in the spicy chili concoction. Every morsel was covered in a pile high of chili, lemony goodness. With an order of steamed rice and chopstick, you are good to go.

Specials @ C&T Wok

You will hardly see anyone else, but Asians in these two joints, a great sign of authenticity. Neither will you see anyone ordering egg rolls or fried rice. I suppose you can go to a local Chinese express for that.
Next time you have a craving for Chinese food, ask yourselves which regional flavor of China do you want to try and skip the Kung pao chicken. Sichuan will not disappoint your spicy taste buds. Just like the difference in regions in China there are differences in the US, I sure don't want foreigners to think that a Hawaiian luau is the same as a North Carolina pig pickin'. Southern comfort has a lot more than Mac and cheese and collard greens but the definition of comforts needs to change. Heat and spices fit the southern climate like a glove.

Cheers!
Teera

Beating the Heat Part II: Tropical Crunch

King Narai's Summer Palace

Imagine sitting under a shade of a Charmjuree tree (another name for Kampoo or Rain tree) with a light summer breeze passing through. The white plastered, tall wall of King Narai's summer palace seems to not only keep the hustling and bustling of the city center away, but entice one to step back in time, to walk and to talk softly with a respectful gesture to the spirit and the past. Old and new, everything one touches has a spirit that lives in it. You may hear a whisper or simply a deep silence as one passes by.

Khmer Ruin Near the Summer Palace

In the mid 17th century King Narai spent most of his days in this palace, north of the city of Ayutthaya (Thailand) where he reign. He befriended the French who helped him plan the city layout. Before King Narai's time, the city of the summer palace (Lavo) was the center of the Khmer (Cambodian) and Thai civilization, dating back to the 6th century. You cannot help but feel its history in the air, walking through the palace and the city.
The summer palace is now a museum with a couple restaurants servicing small crowds. It was a place that I escaped to, to hang out with my friends. There was no Internet cafe back then, but you could always find papaya salad, sticky rice, or some sort of grilled meat to hang out with. More importantly, the place was peaceful and had shade.

Papaya Salad with Grilled Honey Chicken

Eating papaya is as tropical as you can get. It can be eaten as salad, curry, and when ripe, dessert. During raining season, you can see them ripen and practically fall of its tree daily. A midnight snack can easily be had. My aunt caught me one night after I had picked a young papaya from the garden, carved, and pounded it and was mixing a salad. Fruit of the craving was well worth the commotion that night.

Below is a simple recipe for the salad:

In a large clay mortar, pound:

1/3 cup of dried shrimp, 2 cloves of garlic and 3 Thai chili
Add 3 cups of julienne young papaya, ½ cup of cherry tomatoes, ½ of green beans.  Pound and mix lightly.

Add the flavoring: Fish Sauce, Palm sugar, and Tamarind, lime.

Sprinkle with ½ cup of ground peanut.

Lotus Stem Salad at Pho Far East, Raleigh, NC

If the spicy papaya salad is not your thing, I invite you to try the lotus stem salad at a local Vietnamese restaurant in Raleigh--Pho Far East. The fresh, crunchy lotus stem is quite refreshing. It was dressed lightly with fish sauce, lime, onion, shrimp, pork and fried shallots. Vietnamese food is mild, in comparison to Thai food, but gives your taste buds of the tropical palate that will help you cool down.

I hope you sink back through time when the sun is blazing outside and find yourselves a shady spot. Sweat it out with a tropical salad and feel the breeze. At least that's how I am planning to cope with the heat...

Cheers,
Teera

 

Beating the Heat Part I--Chilling

Watermelon Margaritas

Heat is a strong word. Unbearable, especially when one is engulfed in it. The temperature reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit the other day. Global warming sure is showing its sign. The question is how do you take the heat and transform it into coolness or simply being content with smoldering.

In the tropics, water symbolizes coolness and calmness. Living in hot climate, one walks slowly, stays under the shade and eats food that requires little heating. However much I would like to sink in a body of water all day and chill, I prefer taking the Thai approach to cool down.
Here are a few steps:

1. Eat less meat, less dairy products and more often. I love grilled meat, but with this  kind of heat, my digestive system can take a little break. Eating 5 times per day in small portion will also help.
2. Drink a lot of liquid, especially water to keep your body hydrated.

3. Take the heat "outdoor" and avoid cooking with heat indoor at all cause.

Below are some starter recipes that will help cool you down and save some energy bill. They require no heat, no meat and no sweat just a food processor and a thirsty appetite.

Watermelon Margaritas (2 servings)
2 cups watermelon
Juice of 1 lime and its zest
1/2 cup Tequila
1/4 cup Cointreau
1/2 cup simple syrup (I infused vanilla in mine)
Salt for around the rim of the glass

In the food processor, blend until smooth. Serve with crushed ice.
Our children first fell in love with the watermelon drink at a Thailand street market. This is how the Thais make them: Omit the alcohol and add the crushed ice to blend.

Hummus with Smoked Paprika

Hummus
1-15 oz can chick peas, drained
1/2 cup Tahini or ground white sesame seeds (add a drop of sesame oil if Tahini is not being used)
Juice if 1 lime
1 garlic clove
1 tbspn smoked, sweet paprika

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Drizzle with olive oil and paprika. Serve with pita chips or bread.

Gazapacho

Gazpacho (4 servings)
6 very ripe plum tomatoes
1 English cucumber
1/2 red bell pepper
1 small Vidalia onion
1 cloves of garlic
3 tbspn of sherry vinegar
1/4 cups of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour the mixture through a strainer. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled with hard boil eggs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Summer Roll

  

Summer rolls
Vietnamese fresh spring roll sheets (rice flour)
Lettuce
Cooked Mung bean noodles
Julienned carrot and cucumber
Thai basil
Hoisin sauce and Thai peanut sauce (from your local supermarket)
Another alternative is to combine peanut butter, Thai Sriracha sauce, and Hoisin sauce together and you will have your dip.

Wet the spring roll sheet with warm water. Spread Lettuce leave and basil as the first layer. Add the rest of the ingredients and roll them up. Serve with peanut and Hoisin sauce.

If you can try this first cooling down step for a week, your body will feel lighter and cooler. Trust me. Wear your linen sarong, flip flop and sit in a cool place. With a drink in your hand, let's get the summer party started.

Cheers!
Teera

 

Toward Emerald Isle

Morning at the Isle

Walking outside is like walking through a warm oven. Humidity is low. The warm breeze gives one an instant surge of a migraine plus the heat index has topped the chart. So, what does one do when it gets so darn hot? One option...the beach and here we go!

Emerald Isle is a small strip of land along the east coast of North Carolina. The orientation of the island, however, is intriguing. The total length of the island is approximately 25 miles.  The beach is due south toward the Atlantic Ocean. The sun rotates around its beach from dusk till dawn. Its north harbors the water inlet that creates a separation from the mainland. Driving the Salter Path or Emerald Isle Drive through the live oaks that flank the street gives me an impression of an upscale beach town. The wide beach is sprinkled with seashells. The inlets are filled with fishing boats. One of the three North Carolina aquariums is located here. Nightlife is catching crabs and watching the stars over the horizon.

The Pebble Beach

There are plenty of restaurants along the strip, but you will have a better luck finding varieties in Atlantic Beach. A place like Elmo McGee Mosquito and California Roll won't disappoint you if you are looking for the local food done upscale. I prefer the local seafood joint, "The Crab Shack", in Salter Path.

View from The Crab Shack

The Crab Shack is located on the inlet side of Emerald Isle where fishing boats surrounds the dock. I had the special of the day, paper shell crabs. It was the first paper shell crab I had ever had. A bit crunchier than soft shell crabs. Growing up in Thailand I became accustomed to eating fish whole, so after the paper shell crabs were deep fried, eating them whole was no stranger to my tongue. My taste buds were buzzed with the sweet crunchy goodness. The hush puppies were normal, but the black-eyed peas stumbled me a bit. Hey... you are in the south after all. My family had the other specials of the day; fried flounder, popcorn and steamed shrimp. All the seafood came from the local waters. The flounder fillet looked like normal size to me. They call it baby out here. 

The Crab Shack Meal

Once you're done with the meal and want to take fresh local seafood home, walk outside. To the left and the right are 2 seafood markets. I opt to go just a little bit off the beaten path. After you cross over to the mainland, hang a left on Cedar Point Blvd and drive for a few miles until you reach a bridge that leads you to Swansboro. Well...stop in the middle of the bridge and you will find Clyde Phillips Seafood Market. The catch of the day was grouper. There is always shrimp. Though, you have to get there before lunch. The selections are what the local boat catches for the day. I grab half of a grouper to take home and it was simply delicious.

In the middle of the Bridge

Clyde Phillips Catch of the Day

Beaches in the tropics are no doubt beautiful, but driving 3 hours to get there beats the trip around the world and getting to different continents. Plus, there are no extra fees for baggage just strap it on the car roof and drive on.

Cheers!
Teera
 

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