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So this past this weekend, I stopped in by this microbrewery after a night of drinking. Don’t know why but had to get some beers even though my body was probably not agreeing.

8 bucks and you get their 5 beer sampler. Seems that they only have 5 beer at a time on tap. Not a bad thing at all esp that sampler.

I also decided to get the chicken tenders and fries. Simple choice really and I thought it was gonna be pretty standard but it wasn’t. The breading that went with the tenders were awesome. Light and didn’t seem like it was overfried. Also the coleslaw that went with it was so fresh and refreshing. Made with fresh parsley.

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Walked across this at the reston town center, unfortunately the store was closed, but look at the peeps tower!

How many do you think there are???

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Today I had a craving for Korean food. Pictured above from left to right is a simple egg omelettes with ketchup, kimchi jjigae, and fried tofu with soy sauce and red pepper.

Now for the kimchi jjigae. The soup was really simple. Get some old. And I mean really old ass kimchi….kimchi cant go bad so the older the better. Boil in a pot of water with some red pepper paste and salt for season and you got your standard kimchi jjigae. Additional stuff was added to mine though. Some spam, enoki mushrooms, and tofu.

For the fried tofu all I did was coat them in some beaten eggs before frying on a pan and since I didn’t use all the beaten eggs, I made a mini omelette. Ketchup because for some reason that just seemed like the Asian thing to do. Btw, did not realize how low in carb this meal was. Must be old habits.

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Making sushi rolls is much easier than you may think, and it’s really a lot of fun. And considering how much you have to pay at restaurants, it will cost you almost nothing. You can put just about anything inside sushi. I made a chicken and rice sushi roll one time that turned out to be amazing. Be creative! The only special tools you need are a sushi mat ($1.50) and a really sharp knife. If you don’t have a sharp knife, you’ll have a difficult time cutting the sushi roll.

Ingredients

1 packet of sushi seaweed (the large seaweed mats — seasoned or unseasoned)

3 cups of raw sushi-grade rice

4 cups of water to cook the rice

1 fillet of sushi grade salmon, cut into strips

Vegetables of your choice, cut into strips — I used carrots, cucumbers and pickled daikon radish

3 hot dogs cut into strips

2 tablespoons sushi vinegar

Mayonnaise and Sriracha Sauce (optional)

Bonito shavings (optional)

Directions

1. Wash the rice, and cook it according to the directions on the package. The type of rice you use will change the water-to-rice ratios and cooking time.

2. While the rice is cooking, peel the vegetables. Slice the vegetables, hot dogs and salmon into strips and set them aside.

3. Once the rice is cooked, let it cool. You can air the rice out with a plastic spatula — a rice spoon works wonders here since rice doesn’t stick to it.

4. While the rice is still warm to the touch, add the sushi vinegar and mix well.

5. Put your seaweed on a sushi mat with the matted side facing up.

6. Spread a thin layer of rice on top of the seaweed, covering about three-quarters of the seaweed mat. Leave the top quarter without rice. Try to cover all the edges of the seaweed.

7. Put your desired filling in the middle of the rice portion.

8. Take the bottom part of the seaweed to try and wrap it around the fillings, the way you would with a burrito.

9. Roll the seaweed up, and then roll everything up in the sushi mat.

10. Give the sushi mat a quick squeeze and then take the roll out.

11. Cut the roll into eight equal pieces and serve.

12. (Optional) To make a spicy mayonnaise sauce, mix Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise together. Sprinkle the bonito shavings on top of the sushi.

A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, April 13 edition. Timothy Shi is the student chef. Email him at studentchef@nyunews.com.

 

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This week’s guest chef and recent winner of Master Chef NYU, Thuy Nguyen, introduced me to a truly addictive recipe. These caramelized matzo crackers with chocolate and sugar on top will keep you coming back for more. I would definitely recommend making large batches of these, because they will be gone the minute you finish spreading the chocolate. They’re sweet and salty with a great crunch, sure to satisfy all your cravings. They also make for a great snack for a movie night or to sell at a bake sale.

Salted caramelized matzo crackers with chocolate
4 to 6 matzo sheets
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
A big pinch of sea salt
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)
1 cup toasted chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or a nut of your choice (optional)
Extra sea salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 11×17-inch baking sheet completely with foil, then line the base of the foil with parchment paper, cut to fit.

2. Line the bottom of the baking sheet with matzo. You’ll need to break pieces to fit any extra spaces, which can be frustrating. Despite being perforated, it does not actually break in straight lines. Try pressing a serrated knife straight down along the perforations.

3. In a medium heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Stir the mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil. Once it boils, let it bubble for three more minutes, stirring well. It will thicken a bit as it cooks. Pour in the cream and stir to combine. Remove from the stove and add the salt and vanilla, and then quickly pour it over the matzo. You’ll want to spread it quickly, as it will begin to set as soon as it is poured.

4. Bake the caramel-covered crackers for 15 minutes, watching carefully to make sure they don’t burn. Reduce the heat if you see this start to happen.

5. Remove from oven and immediately cover your crackers with chocolate chips. Let them stand for five minutes, and then spread them evenly across the caramel. An offset spatula works great here. Sprinkle a generous amount of sea salt onto the crackers.

A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, April 6 print edition of Washington Square News. Timothy Shi is a student chef. Email him at studentchef@nyunews.com.

 

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Loving the fact that I can post on the go. Went to my parents this evening where my mom was preparing a nice home cooked meal for the family.

Top picture is a shrimp stir fry with oyster sauce, red pepper, green pepper, king oyster mushroom, zucchini, onions, and shrimp.

Middle picture is Kimchi jjigae with pork and tofu topped with green onions.

Bottom picture are the final products. BTW love the stone bowl the jjigae was served in to keep it nice and hot.

Yum!

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Pan Seared Shrimp and Scallops Over a Bed of Pureed Peas with Mint and Dill.

This is a great recipe that looks fancy is really healthy for you.  I got inspiration for this recipe from the most recent issue of Bon Appetit, but made a few changes to it to make it healthier.  If you do not have a food processor for this dish, you can also mash the peas by hand, however you may not got the same fluffy texture as you would from using a food processor.  I hope you all enjoy this dish!  It’s great for any dinner party.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  Or if you think you found a way to make the recipe your own, I would love to know that too!  Happy eating!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Pea Puree

• 2 1/4 cups  frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons  Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon (packed) fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon (packed) fresh dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Shrimp and Scallops

• 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
• 8 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 8 large sea scallops, side muscles removed
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon small fresh mint leaves
• Salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Directions

Pea Puree

1. Cook peas in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 2 minutes.
2. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
3. Place remaining peas in processor. Add mint leaves, dill, and garlic. Puree pea mixture, adding pea cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if too stiff, to form light and creamy puree. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Shrimp and Scallops

1. Heat Canola oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp and scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook shrimp and scallops until golden brown outside and just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side.

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Oh yea.. this definitely works. Butter, garlic salt, garlic powder, and Italian herbs on a 110 calorie bagels thin. 5 min in the broiled. Good stuff.

Of course. It’s better when pair off with a NY strip steak. Veggies. And some bow tie pasta with shredded Monterey jack cheese. 🙂

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Sayy what?

Craziness…..

Definitely more posts from this…:)

And not an empty bowl…

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My apologies for the short break…..

I present you this bahn mi for forgiveness

bahn mi @ community canteen

Forgiven? yes? Why thank you. Now onto the actual bahn mi sandwich. If you ever had one, then you know these little sandwiches are addictive. They taste so fresh. So clean. Its wonderful. The mixture of meat, cilantro, and pickled radish just all blends well together. Now I would say community canteen wouldn’t be my first choice to get bahn mi’s but I was craving one and it wasn’t half bad here…

only complaint…bread’s a little hard