All posts by Quinn

McRib: Horror of Horrors

In an attempt to attain sympathy leftovers, I went to McDonald’s and ordered a McRib meal on Thanksgiving.  I tried eating that infamous, ephemeral sandwich and it was absolutely horrid, but the fries were great as always.

The vanilla shake is exceptional with a Thanksgiving upgrade: a 2-ounce shot of Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit.

Back To My Asian Roots

Alright, I am whiter than white, but my earliest cooking lessons were from a Korean gal who taught me to make amazing dumplings, which have since evolved into my own potsticker recipe and which led to my fascination with Asian cooking, creating new recipes from Far East standards, getting a federal grant to study Japanese food with a nutritional anthropologist, throwing ridiculous Lunar New Year dinner parties, and so on.

A friend who was at that last dinner party recently commented on my penchant for Asian cuisine and I realized that I have been making mostly American comfort food for at least the last year, as evidenced by the roasted chicken,  meatballs, brisket, Brussels sprouts and mac & cheese on this site of late.

So, it’s time to get back to where I’ve never been. I’m scouring cookbooks for Asian classics to adapt and I am thinking that my next will be Japanese-style croquettes that came to mind while reading a short story by Haruki Murakami last night, and perhaps while I am back east for the holidays, I can put on a whole (or partial) kaiseki ryōri for family and friends in Vermont.

What else should I make?

Bored Stiff With Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussels sprouts, but I was getting a little bored with the usual preparations.  Here’s the alternative.

Brussels Sprouts

1/2 pound bacon

1 pound brussels sprouts

2 large shallots

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons maple syrup

salt and pepper

1 pomegranate (optional)

    1. In a large saute pan, cook the bacon until crispy, remove to a cutting board (don’t drain) and dice.
    2. Pour off the bacon fat and wipe out the pan with a paper towel, but don’t wash.
    3. Cut off the stem end of the brussels sprouts and place any loose leaves into a large mixing bowl.
    4. Slice the brussels sprouts thin with a knife or with mandolin, peel shallots and slice into the thinnest rings possible and add both to the bowl.
    5. Drizzle olive oil and maple syrup into the bowl and toss everything to coat evenly.
    6. Return pan to  high heat until almost smoking.
    7. Working in small batches, fry sprouts, seasoning with salt and pepper.
    8. Plate sprouts in a mound and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

    Mini Mac And Cheese

    I realize my mac and cheese recipe is a beast, so I am fine tuning it for people who don’t want a 30-pound batch (fools). This one (barely) fits in a standard 8×8 Pyrex baking dish. With the proper cheddar, it is probably the best mac and cheese in the entire world.

    Macaroni and Cheese

    3/4 pound elbow pasta
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for the dish
    1.5 cup panko flakes
    1 pound extra sharp cheddar
    4 ounces Monterrey Jack
    2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    1.5 cups whole milk
    1/2 cup heavy cream
    1 rounded teaspoon dijon mustard
    1 teaspoon sriracha (or other hot sauce)
    Optional: 1/2 cup cooked mushrooms, chorizo, or cubed ham; a handfull of fried shallots or crumbled bacon.

    • Note 1: the only salt used is in the pasta water, so season the water before adding noodles.
    • Note 2: In place of a baking dish, you can use several ramekins for individual portions. These can also be frozen before baking.

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, butter a square Pyrex baking dish and grate cheese while pasta cooks.
    2. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.
    3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and integrate the panko and one cup of cheese. Remove from pan and set aside.
    4. Return the pan to the stove and melt the remaining butter.
    5. Add flour and pepper and stir constantly over medium heat for three minutes.
    6. Whisk in milk, bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly and simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken.
    7. Add cream, cheese, mustard, sriracha and pasta water, and turn off the burner. Stir until sauce is smooth.
    8. Incorporate the cooked pasta and pour into the buttered baking dish.
    9. Spread panko mixture across the top and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbly.

    One Pan Brisket and Mash

    My intern demanded that if I were to justify her labor, she should learn a thing or two, so we made dinner together last night.  I had a 3.5 pound brisket in the freezer from Edgar (the grass-fed cow I split with friends) and she was craving mashed potatoes, so this is what we whipped up.  The whole meal was made with one pan and one bowl, so she wouldn’t have too many dishes to do.

    • 3.5 pound beef brisket
    • 1 bottle red wine (minus 2 glasses, which we drank)
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
    • 1 quart beef stock
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • All-purpose flour
    • 8 cloves garlic
    • 1 14-ounce bag frozen pearl onions
    • 4 yukon gold potatoes
    • 2 large shallots
    • 6 medium carrots
    • 3 celery stalks
    • 1 large sweet potato
    • 1 cup dried stone fruit
    • Fresh thyme, for garnish (mysteriously absent from these photos)
    1. Season the brisket all over with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (we used about 1 tablespoons each) and refrigerate for at least an hour.
    2. Set the oven to 350 and deal with peeling your veggies and cutting them into 1-inch pieces.
    3. In a large, oven-safe pan, simmer the wine and bay leaf over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half.  Discard the bay leaf, and add worchestershire sauce, and stock.  Pour the liquid into a non-reactive bowl and set aside.
    4. Return the pan to the stove, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and turn up to high.
    5. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and dust with flour.  Once the oil is shimmering and nearly smoking, seer the meat for 4 minutes per side, until well browned.
    6. Remove the pan from heat, lift the brisket with a pair of tongs and pour the pearl onions and garlic into the roasting pan to form a single layer and then place the brisket on top.
    7. Pile the remaining veggies around the brisket and pour in the wine sauce.
    8. Cover the pan (foil is fine if it is too tall to put a lid on it) and put it in the oven until the meat it fork tender, about 2 hours.
    9. Remove the brisket to a board to rest for 10 minutes.
    10. While the meat rests, pour off and reserve the roasting liquid and mash the vegetables in the pan before plating (For gravy, return 1 pint of cooking liquid to the pan with a tablespoon of butter and a pinch each of basil, oregano and thyme.  Return to a simmer and whisk in 2 tablespoons flour,  simmering 7 or 8 more minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Season with salt and pepper as needed).
    11. Plate a flattened scoop of mash, topped with fanned slices of brisket, drizzle with gravy and garnish with fresh thyme.

    Street Food Survey

    Street food is a big deal all over the world, but right now it is especially a big deal in San Francisco. Last weekend was Eugeapalooza: the Streetcart Wars, this weekend is La Cocina’s Street Food Festival and next weekend is Eat Real Fest, not to mention Off the Grid which happens every Friday at Fort Mason and may be spreading to other neighborhoods soon.

    I’ve been threatening to quit my day job and sell food on the streets of San Francisco for a while now, and I need your guidance.

    [SURVEYS 1]