And now in contrast to the previous post, we bring you something completely vegetarian AND delicious (yes, such things do exist): palak paneer – aka saag paneer. In English it translates to spinach cheese which doesn’t quite do it justice because it’s such a rich and sumptuous, complex dish that when you’re eating it, you can’t believe that it’s just well, basically spinach with some chunks of tofu textured cheese. And as prepared by my beautiful wife Shefali, you’ll see how easy it is to cook. Click on the picture below for the full recipe and video.
A few weeks ago Shef and I embarked on our summer holiday which consisted of a road trip to the Southwest (view photos here) bookended by two weekends in LA. The first weekend we went to my college friend Ben’s wedding (congrats again to Ben and Maria on a beautiful wedding and amazing food – mmmm hand made tortillas!). The second weekend in LA was for the expressed purpose of attending our friends Jacob and Sari’s eighth annual Brazilian churrasco. Again, Almir Santre brought his expertise and culinary talents to bare and served up delicious grilled meats of all varieties to a lovely and appreciative group of Sari and Jacob’s family and friends (in whose number we thank our lucky stars to be included). For those long time you-food readers (probably numbering in the single digits – sad but true) you might remember the description and back story of Jacob and Sari’s BBQ as written about in Food Weekend in LA. With the exception that everyone has gotten two years older, not much has changed except that the video you see below you is now in HD which means the juiciness of the meat comes through a little bit clearer. Sorry, no smellovision or tastovision… yet.
Pork chops + soy sauce, sugar and a few other ingredients = delicious. Right? Well for this Asian brother that’s a no brainer. But what if the equation was tilapia + peanut butter and a bunch of other stuff? Would the sum of those parts still be delicious? Well, click on the photos below for the answer as well as videos and recipes for both dishes. Here’s a hint: fuck yeah!
I have no qualms in admitting that this blog is decidedly meat-centric. But, in the interest of greater balance (and healthier bowels) I’ll sometimes include an entry sans meat. So in that vein, my friend Soojin brings to you a vegetarian option: vegetarian bibimbap. “But,” you say, ” how can this classic rice dish from Korea – home of one of the great meat eating culinary traditions – hold up without meat?” Well, I’m hear to say it holds up quite well. In fact it’s delicious and Soojin’s version is rather light and refreshing if one can consider a big bowl of rice with a bunch of stuff in it light and refreshing. Click on the photo below for the full recipe and to watch Soojin prepare her delightful version of bibimbap.
Alright, here’s a little bonus video for the four or five people who actually looked at the last pork butt post. As you’ll recall, I served it with a red cabbage cole slaw. Well, dear reader, here’s the recipe and the instructional video. Now I must be honest. This cole slaw recipe has a couple of key inspirations: 1) the pickled cabbage served on top of Salvadoran pupusas; 2) the cole slaw at Bake Sale Betty’s in Oakland that comes on top of their ridiculous fried chicken sandwiches - and by ridiculous I mean fucking good. The cole slaw is really simple to make and because of the freshness of the cabbage and acidity of the dressing it is a nice counterbalance to grilled or fried meats. It’s also good on tacos and pupusas or anything else you want to eat. Without further ado, here’s the cole slaw recipe and the video. Enjoy.
Recipe
1 head of cabbage (red of regular)
1 medium to large jalapeño pepper
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1-2 tablespoons of vinegar (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (or to taste)
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
… so delicious you can’t deny!
This is the story of how one and a half pork shoulders (butts) became numerous pulled pork sandwiches that were consumed by many people whom upon tasting the tender meat looked towards the heavens and asked the Creator, “Is this, oh All Knowing One, the secret to life?”
Intrigued? Well, click on the photo below for the full story and the video of how this transcendent meal came to be.
Tender pulled pork sandwhich with homemade barbecue sauce, dill pickles and red cabbage cole slaw.
Alright, as promised, here’s the post about what we did after we watched the pig breakdown at Kokkari. Though this post is a week later than the previous one, in reality the events about which you will soon read and see an amazing video occurred a few days after our tutorial when the lesson and the excitement was still fresh. You see, we got our very own little pig to play with! And by “play with” I mean, butcher and cook delicious pig dishes out of. Hmm, that sounds a little messed up doesn’t it? Well anyway, it was fun and judging by the grunts and the way our friends’ eyes rolled back in ecstasy as they feasted on the meal we prepared, it was indeed delicious. Click on the photo below for the full story.
Alright, so a couple weeks ago I was back in the Bay Area for yet another food inspired visit. And as usual, I ate myself silly. But as it turns out, I didn’t just get food for my belly. I also got some food for my brain. More specifically, me, Matt and Minh got schooled on how to break down a whole pig from the chefs at Kokkari, an awesome Greek restaurant in SF. It was a real treat to watch professionals in action and see where the different cuts we all see in grocery stores come from on the actual animal. And it was a lesson we would put to good use a few days later. But that’s for another post. For now, click on the picture below for the full story and video.
So it’s been a while since I’ve put up a food video and recipe but the time is right. We’re in the thick of winter right now and what better way to enjoy the cold weather outside then being in the kitchen, turning on the oven and cooking up some meatloaf. Oh yeah! And this recipe will definitely put some fat on your bones so you don’t freeze when you go outside. Think of it as a winter jacket for your insides. Alright, for the full recipe as well as the story behind my meatloaf inspiration, click on the meatloaf below.
In celebration of the Brazilian victory in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, our host (Ben’s Dad) demonstrates how to make your own caipirinha. Caipirinha is a popular brazilian cocktail made with lime juice, cachaça, and sugar. U.S. fans will want to watch to, as this recipe will surely make you forget the tragic loss!
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