stinky but delicious.

the other day work was busy so i had to pick up foods to eat at work... and i really wanted  banh mi, but had serious trepidations that it would smell up the office.  funny right?  it's not that banh mi smells bad, but it's asian.. so it smells... different.  and i didn't want to be THAT person at work.  you know the person who smells up the office with their foods, like the person who burns popcorn in the microwave.. i hate that person.  
i ended up ordering the charbroiled pork one on the reasoning that it would smell the most normal.  while i normally get the combo or pate version.  but really they probably all just smell the same.. this got me thinking about other stinky but delicious eats.. and thinking that people probably just think it stinks because they don't know what it is or how it tastes, although some foods are unargumentatively smelly.  if they knew that it was delicious would it still be a bad smell?  i've decided that stinky foods are foods that i don't want my house to smell like (actually i don't like my house to smell like food at all.. baked goods are ok though so this is probably not a good method of judgement), but prior to eating these foods.. smell good. real good.
for instance.. curry.  if you like it, it smells delicious.. but you want that smell to go away after you eat it, and you certainly do not want to smell like it or your house.  then there's shrimp paste..  salty deliciousness.. goes well in chinese/vietnamese/malaysian foods.. this also goes to pretty much all dried/preserved chinese things.. like dried salted fish.. and there's fish and the fermented items like kimchi, soybean paste, stinky tofu... (this list could go on)  why is it that asian foods are so smelly but delicious.  i guess some cheeses smell.. and the more pungent the more i like it.  also some charcuterie can be a bit unpleasant as well as offal.
but in the end all these smelly foods... smell delicious to me.. at least until after i've eaten them.. then it just goes back to being smelly.

ad hoc adventures - chicken pot pie

this was the second recipe i made from thomas keller's ad hoc at home.  i cheated slightly by purchasing my pie dough, but still it created a delicious meal.  the hubby was quite impressed, and i was surprised at how easy it was. this is not your generic frozen pot pie. the flavors were rich yet simple with béchamel sauce and fresh herbs.  i decided to serve it with a side of cucumber salad.. a perfect light, fresh dinner.

uchi

at the end of may, me and T made a quick trip to Austin.. for some outlet shopping and eating.. and pretty much just to getaway.  one of our stops that we've been planning on for.. years.. was Uchi.  and we finally got to try it.


i went ahead and made reservations, since i've heard that the wait is generally long, but the cool thing is that they only set a small portion for reservations and the rest for walk-ins.  still we had reservations.. at the super early time of 5:30.  we arrived, and there were several others already feasting and drinking. the place was small and quaint, with a small bar up front and tables rather close, dim lighting and modern asian decor.  after looking over the menu and from several suggestions from friends we decided to skip the omakase and order ourselves.
here's what we ate:

hama chili - quite delicious when each bite consists of a slice of mandarin orange, some chili's along with the hamachi.  the citrus sauce was tasty along with the chili's that added a slight kick, although not overly.  i did hope for a more melt in your mouth experience from the hamachi.

mongo ika - i actually enjoyed this, i've never had cuttlefish served this way, so i was slightly skeptical expecting it to have the chewiness of say squid or arctic claw.  while it turned out to be the complete opposite.  T on the other hand didn't enjoy the slight after taste it left behind.

kona kanpachi - amberjack sashimi mixed with rice in a still hot stone bowl, then topped with a sweet soy sauce.  the stone bowl crisps the rice as well as slightly cooks the fish.  the flavors and everything meld quite well together here.  it seems to be a crowd favorite.. but maybe a bit overhyped.

 japanese pumpkin tempura - i like tempura.. and it was happy hour, so this was $1.  i had to get it.  not much else to say.

walu walu - grilled escolar in a bed of yuzupon sauce served with a spoon so you can indulge in large scoops of the sauce.  i also can't say i've had cooked escolar, and was surprised by the meaty texture of it.  it went well in contrast with the sauce.  satisfying but not simply amazing.

foie gras nigiri - aahhh  pure deliciousness.  melt in your mouth seared perfection here.  this dish does no wrong.. and mixed with the rice, is surprisingly delicious.

bacon sen - grilled pork belly with apple puree, such genius.  each bite was melt in your mouth, with a perfect mix of salty, sweet, and tartness from the shaved fennal/cilantro salad on top. we would go back just to order this.

jizake creme caramel - with brown butter sorbet and ginger consume.  honestly the creme caramel was the forgettable part of this dish.. while the brown butter sorbet along with the ginger consume i would've licked up the last drop off this plate.  it was refreshing and light.. and the perfect end to the meal.  i wish i could have this on a hot day.


we had very high expectations going into uchi.  and while the high praises may be merited, this probably hindered our palates, which expected more each time.  even so, it was an enjoyable experience with good food, would we go back? certainly, but not make a trip to austin for it.  luckily for us, there has been news of an uchi coming to houston next year.


uchi
801 South Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 916-4808

ad hoc adventures - roasted poussin

recently, i  finally cracked open my ad hoc at home cookbook by thomas keller.  the inaugural recipe was the roasted poussin.. it didn't sound complex and i already had cornish game hens in my freezer.  preparation was rather basic, and the result was delish.  the flavors were simple and light, really letting you taste the mix of thyme and parsley and the hen.  i decided to roast some potatoes to serve alongside them.

okonomiyaki

last week i decided to finally try to make okonomiyaki.  originally introduced to it via the anime Ranma 1/2, but not actually tasted until our trip to Tokyo last spring.  sometimes referred to as a japanese pizza, it is really not similar besides it's usually round shape.. it's much more akin to a korean pancake.
after finding an okonomiyaki kit at the local korean store, i decided to give it a shot.  it came with engrish directions, and the flour needed as the base of the dish. which mainly consists of cabbage, green onion, and egg.  oh and can't forget the bacon.. (recipe asks for sliced pork... same thing right?)
i have to say it turned out not too shabby.. and flipped much better than my first experience back in tokyo.  i did have to purchase the okonomiyaki sauce separately.. but it is necessary.. also mayo is good on top too.  success.

the perm.

digital perm to be exact.  i had a strong urge to get one a few years ago.. and i finally did it.  the difference between a digital perm and a regular perm.. is that a digital perm uses rollers that get heated, to give more of a  curling iron effect.  also they perm only to about eye level.. and i'm pretty sure it started in korea... so my korean bff made an appointment for me at a local korean salon. (tabong salon on long point)  $150 poorer and about 2.5 hours later.. i was done.  initially i was expecting large lush waves like namie amuro.

but they chopped off A LOT of hair.  like scary amounts.. to get rid of the split ends, as well as to add LOTS of layers. so instead it's a bit more like song hye gyo from full house.

which is not necessarily a bad thing.. and i've always heard a perm takes some getting used to.. but it's day 5 and i'm glad to say i'm starting to like.  and once i get more practice.. with 'styling' which is super easy.. and low maintenance.. which i'm all about.  although one thing, when it's wet it's a bit scary curly.  but once it's dry.. it's fantastic.

published.

thanks to fantastic photogs anniecat and dru, that i've gotten to dabble into photography and even been blessed with the opportunity to do some photography outside of just personal photos.


top image from Yellow Mag Mar 2010 issue
bottom image from Culture Map online article