Sad

I’d really like to have a kitchen.  I’d really like to prepare food the way that I like it.  I’d really like to wash my dishes in a sizable sink.  I’d really like to have my food and dishes and stuff in one place.  All in good time, I suppose, but right now, it’s a drag to feed myself.

Eating out all the time is not a good option for my wallet, or my waistline.  I like my sandwiches fine, but that too can be fattening, or monotonous.  Sometimes I just want a salad.  Even though a salad doesn’t require much cooking, it’s an effort to put together when there’s no space and the cutting board doesn’t fit in the bathroom sink.  My black bean salad wasn’t as good as it usually is due to not being able to mince the jalapeno and cilantro as well as I would like given my teeny backup cutting board and paring knife.  It’s time to go back to sandwiches. 

Black Bean Salad

-drain and rinse 1 - 15 oz. can black beans

-mince 1 jalapeno pepper and 1/3 cup cilantro

-toss with 1T olive oil and juice of 1/2 lemon and salt and pepper to taste

Minced scallions or garlic would add spicy piquantness.  Chopped roasted red bell pepper or tomato would give color and contrast.  All welcome additions if on hand in a working kitchen.  

Top 10 Sandwiches

In The Littlest Non-Existing Kitchen, I do not have the slightest desire to cook. I have a microwave, a toaster oven, a George Forman grill, a rice cooker, and a crock pot, all of which could facillitate my cooking needs. But without having a designated area to concentrate my efforts, it’s all a hassle. I only have the wherewithal to heat leftovers from meals out, or assemble sandwiches.

The key to a good sandwich is on the spot, fresh assembly. That’s why I refuse to bring sandwiches to work. In those few hours post-assembly, it enters rigor mortis and it’s just not satisfying. I like distinct texture and flavor from all the ingredients that harmonize together. In tribute to my new favorite meal (and the Earl himself), here are my Top 10 sandwiches, in no particular order.

1. Lil’ Pig’s meatloaf sandwich has velvety meatloaf, tangy swiss cheese and carmelized onions all pressed together in a loving embrace. Lil’ Pig, 64 Lafayette Avenue at South Elliott Place, Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

2. Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1’s House Special is the classic banh mi of roast meat, creamy pate, pickled carrots and refreshing cilantro on a crusty baguette, a cross cultural gift. Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1, 369 Broome Street between Elizabeth and Mulberry Street, Chinatown, Manhattan.

3. Clinton Street Baking Co.’s egg biscuit is the best way to start the morning - fluffy scrambled eggs on a buttery biscuit with a blanket of melted cheese, a schmear of tomato jam, and crispy bacon. My favorite breakfast sandwich. Clinton Street Baking Co., 4 Clinton Street between Houston and Stanton, Lower East Side, Manhattan.

4. Or would it be Egg’s ham, Grafton cheddar and fig jam on a biscuit? Egg, 135 N. 5th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

5. B & H Dairy has my favorite grilled cheese on challah. Perfect with a cup of split pea soup. B & H Dairy, 127 Second Avenue between St. Mark’s Place and 7th Street, East Village, Manhattan.

6. Taim’s falafel sandwich isn’t served on an ordinary flavorless pita, but an airy, springy disc more akin to a round ciabbata, upholding perfectly toothsome falafel and crisp salad. Taim, 222 Waverly Place at W. 11th Street, West Village, Manhattan.

7. Tulcingo Del Valle’s roast pork cemitas is a torta plus with spicy smoky chipotle peppers, mild and creamy queso blanco and avocado, and a mysterious herbaceous leaf that asserts itself in an already flavorful sandwich. All on a sesame seed bun. Tulcingo Del Valle, 665 Tenth Avenue between 47th and 48th Street, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan.

8. Togo’s #16 is essentially an antipasto platter in a hero roll. A sentimental favorite from high school. Togo’s, nationwide.

9. #1 Dumpling House’s tuna sandwich is the sandwich that taught me that tuna loves minced scallion and I love a tuna salad on their sesame scallion pancake. #1 Dumpling House, 118 Eldridge Street, between Broome and Grand Streets, Chinatown, Manhattan.

10. Margon’s cubano sandwich is my new favorite Cubano now that Manhattan Heroes is no longer, and much better than the precious Bouchon Bakery for half the price. I think the trick is the slow low press, so it steams, but doesn’t dry out. It takes longer, but it’s worth it. Margon, 136 W. 46th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Midtown, Manhattan.

My current favorite at home is roast beef and horseradish cheddar and tomato and mayonnaise on Trader Joe’s toasted ciabbata roll. There are weeks of sandwiches to be had.

Lard Bread

Not the most appetizing name for baked goods, enough to offend low-carb and low-fat dieters alike, but I salivate like a Pavlov dog when I hear those words. Luckily for my waistline, I can only get this belly bomb at Caputo’s in Carroll Gardens during the day, which occurs rare to never, making it more of a special treat. I assume it’s the lard that makes this the wonder bread that it is - crisp, flaky crust and a fluffy yet creamy interior which suspends bits of salami and cheese and black pepper - I could eat the whole thing in one sitting. That sitting would take a few hours as every bite is to be savored and enjoyed.

Kichen re-opened

This was originally supposed to be posted on Monday, March 24.  

The Littlest Kitchen was closed last week due to out of town guests. No new progress, and lots of eating out. One evening’s dining bonanza was the bo ssam pork butt at Momofuku Ssam. An 8-lb. hulk of pork shoulder, that has to be ordered ahead of time for a party of 6-8, arrives at the table as a mountain of meat, served with lettuce, rice, and a variety of condiments. A freestyle event in which the goal is to wrap the meat and rice and kimchee and kimchee puree and hot soybean paste and scallion oil, like little almost healthy burritos. This hands on pork-orgy lends to overindulgence given its largess and how good it tastes. I had a meat hangover the next day.

And the leftover bounty of almost 2-lbs. of pork! For days, I’ve had pork and kimchee sandwiches on brioche rolls. I’ve added it to an austere kale, potato, and white bean soup. I’m still not sick of it.

I could easily survive on the sandwiches alone, but I hate bringing sandwiches to work. There is something so unsatisfying about a sandwich that is a few hours old, maybe it’s how it has had time to meld or its visual compactness, but it really has to be freshly made. I much prefer to bring a soup or stew, which doesn’t suffer over time. Searching for recipes for pork stews, I was most intrigued by this variation on menudo-like hominy stew from Epicurious. Adjusting to what I have, my bastardization involves leftover meat and canned jalapenos, instead of uncooked pork shoulder and poblano peppers.

Pork and hominy stew - serves six

-fry up 3 slices of chopped bacon in a stockpot
-remove bacon with slotted spoon, reserve for later
-add 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped carrot, cook until soft, 5 minutes
-add 6 cloves minced garlic, stir to coat, 1 minute
-add 1t marjoram and 2t chili powder, stir to coat, 1 minute
-add 1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup beer, 2-15 oz. cans hominy, 1 can diced tomatoes with juice, and 10 pickled jalapenos stir and bring to a boil, simmer covered for 20 minutes.
-add 1lb. shredded pork, cook until heated through, 10 minutes-serve with sprinkled bacon bits on top

Spicy and flavorful, I find the marjoram to be negligible. I’m sure it can be substituted with oregeno and/or bay leaf, or left out altogether. I also wouldn’t mind celery added to the vegetable mix, if I had it.

Yakitori Ice Cream

Working in midtown west for the past few years, I must have walked by Yakitori Totto a million times, but have never been in. My loss, as I have missed out on some of the best yakitori around. Cooked on a well-seasoned iron grill, skewers of chicken parts and ever-tender meatballs come out juicy with just enough char. Relatively simple, but done so well. They even grill their gyoza on a stick for a crisp skin that is fused by the heat creating a thin lacy layer of starch, sublime in the way that burnt crispy rice is. Speaking of burnt crispy rice, the rice balls offer a textbook example of this kind of perfection. Equally good off the grill are the salads with either a shiso or wasabi dressing. A small dish of raw tuna cubes makes me embrace mercury whole heartedly.

The revelation of the evening was the dessert - vanilla ice cream with drizzled molasses and toasted soy bean powder. It’s not everyday that I find a new taste sensation, and this I can have every day as long as I can find the ingredients. It took two Japanese grocery stores to find the soybean powder, discreetly tucked away on a shelf with other mysterious powders and flours at the Sunrise Mart. Just as an exotic of a find is the generic, non-fancy, non-organic grocery store which has the molasses. Almost a refined derivative of the hot fudge sundae, it is creamy and sweet, with just enough acrid bite and nuttiness.

Yakitori Ice Cream
-scoop 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream in a bowl
-drizzle 1t molasses over ice cream
-sprinkle 1t soybean powder over top

Sad Little Mangoes

As a good will gesture to my friend from whom I borrowed the skinny screwdrivers, I brought over brunch from Whole Foods. Bagels, fruit salad, and Siggi’s Icelandic yogurt made for a nice, light meal. I deemed the fruit necessary to balance the starchy bagel, but it might as well have been wax. Wincingly tart raspberries, flavorless blueberries and potato-like mangoes - my friend gave them back to me. Thanks, but no thanks.

The berries were acceptable cloaked in yogurt, but what to do with the tuber mangoes? Hard and bland, they barely met the description of fruit. One way to make it better is to grill them. I love grilled fruit - grilled peaches over ice cream, grilled apples in salads, why not grill mangoes? The searing heat will bring out the juiciness and carmelize the inherent sugars. For a little more flavor, I add some ground ginger, cinnamon, and sugar. A little ice cream wouldn’t hurt either.

The Littlest Kitchen happens to have a George Foreman grill from the larger kitchen of previous inhabitance. I don’t mind it’s simplicity - it doesn’t even have an on/off switch - but it’s merely okay for grilling, and can’t be compared with a real barbecue. Most of the time, I prefer a frying pan since it’s easier to clean, unless I really want those grill marks. For grilled mangoes, I really want those grill marks.

Grilled fruit - serves two

-slice 1/2 cup fruit (mangoes, peaches, apples, etc.)
-toss with 1/2t oil and 1/4t sugar, ground ginger, and cinnamon
-lay on a George Foreman grill in a single layer, cook for about 4 minutes until grill marks appear on the bottom
-flip fruit with tongs, cook another 2 minutes for the other side

The truth is grilling these sad little mangoes made them better and more palatable, but they did not meet my expectations for grilled fruit. They became more tender, but not juicy. Slightly more flavorful, but not sweet. These were just crappy mangoes.

Curried Tofu Scramble

As an equal opportunity eater, I don’t discriminate between vegetarian and meat-centric cuisines. If it’s good, it’s good. One is equally delicious as the other. So as much as I love fluffy scrambled eggs, I love a good tofu scramble. Inspired by Smooch’s curried tofu scramble, I’ve supplemented with extras from the fridge that I happen to like with eggs too.

Curried Tofu Scramble - serves two

-finely chop 1/4 onion and 1/4 red bell pepper
-heat 1T oil in a frying pan over medium high, add onion and pepper, cook until soft, about 3 minutes
-in the meantime, crumble 1/2-10 oz. cube of firm tofu with a fork until it looks like cottage cheese
-add to onion and peppers, along with 1t curry powder and 1/4t salt, stirring to integrate, cook until heated through, about 2 minutes

Unlike scrambled eggs, they still taste good as leftovers, and make for a tasty breakfast burrito.

Guilty Pleasure

A fact that I’m embarrassed to admit to my closest friends - I like American cheese slices. Only in the most specific cases as in a hot sandwich - cheeseburger, grilled cheese, tuna melt, egg on a roll - is it often preferred to real cheese. The orange plasticheese melts smoothly becoming the industrial ooze that blankets my food. The molten gooey-ness unnaturally sticks to my teeth. I love it. Not even a sentimental holdout from my less sophisticated childhood, this is a conscious decision after my foodie conversion. But I absolutely refuse to eat it cold out of the wrapper.

Warm Lentil Salad

 

I always feel so healthy when I eat lentils. I practically feel holier than thou macrobiotic vegan locavore when I eat a warm lentil salad over salad.  Earthy lentils combined with crunchy sweet red pepper and celery, a trinity that balances texture, flavor, and color.  A little feta adds for a creamy, salty surprise.  The oil that is cooked with the vegetables also dress the greens.  A squeeze of lemon gives extra brightness. 

Warm Lentil Salad - serves six 
-boil a quart of water, add 1 cup lentils 
-cook until tender, but not mushy, about 20 minutes 
-in the meantime, prepare the vegetables - mince 2 scallions, and chop 1/2 red bell pepper and 3 celery stalks 
-when the lentils are done, drain 
-in a large frying pan, heat 2T olive oil over medium high-add scallions, heat until fragrant, about 1 minute
-add red pepper and celery, saute until vibrant and still crisp about 3 minutes
-add lentils, 1/2t salt, and 1/4t pepper, toss until well combined, about 1 minute
-turn off the heat, add the juice of half a lemon and 1/2 cup cubed feta cheese 
-serve over salad greens  

I also like chopped parsley when I have it.  Other vegetables can be added to the mix -carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, as long as their chopped to the scale of the lentils.  For more spice, add hot sauce, but I  like being able to taste the subtle flavor of the lentils.

Garlic Soup

I have tried to replicate my favorite garlic soup from La Nacional to twice fail miserably in order to find that the third time’s the charm. Before La Nacional, I’d never been tempted to have garlic soup. I like garlic and I like soup, but together it seemed either uninteresting or lethal. Now, I crave it. La Nacional’s version has a complex and pungent flavor that is not overpowering, with bits of egg and bread for body and textures. How hard could it be to make? I asked the owner, who replied, “You’ll have to call me, if you want the recipe.” Wink wink nudge nudge.

So I looked it up on the internet instead. I tried the Epicurious version which is essentially a puree of tomatoes, peppers, and garlic heated in olive oil, then poured over toasted/dry bread. I can’t say that it didn’t taste good, it did, but it wasn’t La Nacional. This soup was more vegetal-y, thicker in texture, and strong in a raw garlic way.

Upon another visit to La Nacional, I asked again, explaining my failure. A guessing game ensued - “Is there tomato?” “No.” “Are there peppers?” “No.” “Is there onion?” “No?”. My badgering led him to finally reveal the secret ingredients - chicken stock, garlic, paprika, egg, and bread. Hmmm, “no fish stock?” “No.”

I got the proportions from another internet search, which seemed right except the loaf of French bread. I don’t recall that much bread in the soup, but it seemed necessary for the process since in the beginning, slices of bread are placed in the pot after the garlic is cooked and covered with water. Part of the body of the soup? The flavor was on target, but it was hardly soup. More like soggy bread pudding, or soggy sponges! I tried to convince myself that it was custard-y, but it was just another flop. So close yet so far.

Ever determined, the third attempt combined he ingredients of failure #2 and the final step of failure #1. Just right.

Garlic Soup - serves four

-mince 6 cloves garlic
-heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat, add garlic. DO NOT BROWN, about 2 minutes until fragrant.
-add 1 quart chicken stock and 6t sweet paprika. Bring to a boil, simmer for 30 minutes.
-add 4 eggs, beaten, while stirring the soup
-add 1/4t salt
-pour over a slice of toasted, not browned, French bread

If you like a soupier soup, cut back by an egg or two.