Nermo » Food

January Fascinations

Quinn — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:55:52 +0000

Here’s what’s held my attention of late:

While home for the holidays, I spent some time with my dad in the carpentry shop, where I made a french rolling pin for a dear friend who is starting her own cookie business, and a muddler for the guys behind the bar at Anvil Bar and Refuge in Houston.

Oh yeah, I drove through Texas over the holidays, starting with ten days in Vermont and 36-hours in NYC (one great night at Prime Meats and Bourgeois Pig). I was supposed to spend New Year’s in Manhattan, but I got a call at Christmas asking if I wouldn’t rather celebrate in the middle of nowhere, than attend the usual fete at Death and Co., so I flew to San Antonio, where I was driven through the night to a little town called Marfa.

We spent New Year’s Eve in a little honky-tonk called Padre’s watching Jimmy Dale Gillmore and Butch Hancock play to a sold out house of about 120 people, then David Byrne walked in around 11 o’clock. He seemed like a nice guy! He said hi to me when he walked in and waited in line for a drink like everyone else.

From there, we drove to Austin to see friends and Houston for a couple nights to visit the above-mentioned Anvil, to experience “Fancy Cocktails in Plastic Cups” at Fitzgerald’s and to linger well past closing with the gorgeous ladies behind the bar at Grand Prize.

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What else? I got a new glass water bottle from Takeya that I love. Drinking from glass is great because it never tastes off, and this model is slim enough to fit in any cup holder and has a wide mouth. I also think their glass tea makers would be great for infusing spirits and making liqueurs.

Caligraffiti
The Skitch clothes hanger design opens me up to the idea of a hangar that holds a whole outfit, but rather than the creepy punk skeleton motif, I’d like to see something classier that holds a pair of pants, shirt, jacket and even socks, boxers and an undershirt. The idea of just grabbing one hanger in the morning seems amazing to me, and it would save space too, so I may prototype my own design soon.

Strelein Warehouse by Ian Moore Architects

I would like to live here, or build my own little modernist hide-away. I’ve been into very small homes of late and wish I had a tiny plot of land on which to build.

This video amuses me, even if I don’t wear scarves.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Phone Stack

Quinn — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:32:30 +0000

My new favorite group dining experience was thrust upon me last week over the best Thai Food in the Richmond District. Quite simply, everyone piles their phones in the middle of the table at the start of dinner, face down. The first person to reach for their phone – before the check comes – buys dinner.

Lunar New Year Party Planning 2012

Quinn — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:59:59 +0000

The year of the Rabbit is coming to an end and the Dragon is upon us, so I should throw another party.

I generally invite 20-30 people to my tiny apartment and serve 8-10 courses over the span of the evening. This year, I would like to get out of the kitchen, so we are going to shake it up a bit, but be no less ambitious.

1. Since it is a Water Dragon year, there will be several interstitial liquid courses, and by that I mean shots. Between courses, we’ll have a palate-cleansing round of Red Dragon Shots, Golden Dragon Shots, etc.

2. All of the utensils and dishes will be compostable, because I don’t wanna do dishes.

3. Food will be prepped to the heat-and-serve level. Nothing fried, as it requires too much attention.

So far, the menu is looking like something like the following:

Braised Bunny Banh Mi

Red Dragon Welcome Shot

Dragon Roll (sushi with some combo of bbq eel, cuke, avo, tobiko and tempura)

Dragon Buns (steamed bao full of bbq gator)

Dragon Ribs (probably just my OMG ribs again, but grilled instead of pan-fried)

Potstickers

Green Dragon Shot

Noodle Bar with lots of customizing options

Golden Dragon Shot

Magic Dragon Puffs (profiteroles filled with something fun)

Orange Slice Jello Shots

Looking back at previous invites, I also realized that I must craft another absurd illustrated invitation. Hmmm… something with dragons and current events… Occupy Mordor?

Thoughts, questions or suggestions? Please comment below!

Have You Heard About HeardAbout?

Quinn — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:29:55 +0000

I’ve recently started contributing to HeardAbout, and along with my writing and photos of some of my favorite foods in San Francisco, they will also soon be featuring some of my favorite cocktails.

From the HeardAbout website:

“HeardAbout features one delicious dish each day handpicked by our community of passionate local food bloggers, chefs, and restaurateurs. Occasionally we provide offers to try featured dishes for less – this is free to the local businesses (we take no commission or fee) and the offers are free for users to claim. Our goal is to provide authentic recommendations and to motivate locals to try the great food their city has to offer. Every so often we’ll run a sponsored feature (we do have bills to pay, after all) – but we promise these will be relevant and may even include fun offers as well!”

Site Use Idea: Hipster Relocation Project

Kindle Fire in the Kitchen

Quinn — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:42:04 +0000

I’m pretty sure Amazon’s Kindle Fire will be my ultimate kitchen gadget.

It’s not a robust laptop replacer, but it will likely save my laptop from total destruction. I always have it with me in the kitchen to check a recipe, jot notes on whatever I am making, listen to music while I cook, or watch Top Chef while I wash dishes, and it always comes precariously close to total destruction.

The Kindle Fire can manage all those tasks and costs $200 (not cheap, but a lot cheaper than replacing my laptop), and it has extra-durable and scratch-resistant glass. It’s also flat and light, so I am probably going to just stick a strong magnet on the back so I can just slap it onto my fridge or the steel hood over my stove while I’m in there.

Slimmer Kitchen

Liptauer

Quinn — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:04:43 +0000

Have I ever mentioned that I’ve mapped out the concept for my first cocktail bar? As incredibly pretentious as it sounds, the theme is Freudian, fin-de-siecle Vienna, but way more fun and playful than that makes it seem.

I won’t get into it more than that, because I have surely horrified you, but one of my favorite bar snacks from when I lived in Austria, which will certainly be on the menu, is Liptauer, a zesty cheese spread that’s easy to make in advance, and can be served simply.

Liptauer

16 ounces cream cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
4 tablespoons capers
8 gherkins, chopped
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoons course-ground mustard
2 tablespoons canola oil

In a food processor, whip the cream cheese and cottage cheese until very smooth.
Add everything but the oil and last 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and blend to incorporate.
Transfer the spread to a quart-size bowl or a half-dozen ramekins.
Drizzle the oil over the top and slap some plastic wrap over it and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Serve cold with crisp bread or crackers and more gherkins. Some people like a little red onion as well.

Potato Leek Soup

Quinn — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 03:38:29 +0000

I’ve been sick, so I’ve been eating a lot of soup. Now that I have drained every Thai and Vietnamese restaurant in the neighborhood, it’s time to make my own. I want something creamy and coating with strong flavor, since I can barely taste anything. This recipe requires no skill and is simple, but even more so if you have a mandolin slicer and an immersion blender.

1/2 stick unsalted butter, plus more for other nefarious purposes
3 medium size leeks, cleaned and dark green ends removed but reserved
1 quart broth or stock (chicken, beef, veg, whatever – you can even use bullion)
3 medium-large Yukon gold potatoes
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

In a medium-size stock pot, melt butter over medium low-heat, add the leeks and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, until soft, stirring occasionally.
While the leeks are cooking, peel and slice the potatoes as thin as possible. This is where the mandolin comes into play, because if you can cut paper thin, the next step can take 20 minutes instead of 40.
Add the broth and potatoes, and let simmer, covered, until potatoes start to break down, stirring occasionally. Don’t be startled; the broth becomes a thick, starchy goo as soon as it reaches a boil.
Turn off the heat and blend until smooth, if need be, in a traditional blender in batches.
Stir in all the dairy products, season to taste and bring slowly back up to temperature if need be. Finish with a knob of butter stirred in at the end.
For garnish, lemon zest, and/or take the leftover green parts, slice thinly across the grain and saute over high heat in butter until crispy.

Crispy Crab and Pea Ravioli

Quinn — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 05:41:32 +0000

On assignment from Newman’s Own, I shot my first ever cooking video. They were kind enough to furnish me with snacks and a video camera to shoot this piece, as well as a replacement for the first camera, which didn’t work. Now that we have the federally mandated compensation disclosure out of the way, I will just say that I had fun shooting this, but it was kind of stressful. I think that has a lot to do with working in a small, counterless kitchen, but it was a rewarding experience, and I think I might just do this again.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pics of Mac

Quinn — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:46:15 +0000

I know, I know! It’s all I’ve posted about lately, but I promise to stop talking about Mac and Cheese soon. SF Food Wars just uploaded these pics, among others, to their Flickr page, and I wanted to post them here for nostalgia, and for anyone else who wants to see them.

Here are the pics of Team ¢#€€$€ (because my mac is money) and “The Crusty Vermonter”.

Award Winning Mac And Cheese Recipe

Quinn — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:23:31 +0000

I always knew my mac was money, but it was nice to get an affirming 2nd place medal at the SF Food Wars Competition last week!

Here is the recipe. You may want to scale it back.

The Crusty Vermonter

Makes approx. 800 bites (you had to be there)

5 pounds elbow pasta
2 sticks salted butter
2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for pans
12 cups panko flakes
2-pound bag shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons black pepper
8 pinches (1/3 teaspoon?) red pepper flakes
3 quarts whole milk
1 quart heavy cream
4 pounds Velveta
3 pounds Flagship Cheddar
1 pound Beehive Seahive Cheddar
1 pound Beehive Promontory
1/2 pound asiago
1 pound fontina
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sriracha (more or less to taste)
3 pounds chorizo, cooked (recipe here)
2 pounds prosciutto, finely chopped
5 granny smith apples

Preheat oven to 400, and cook the pasta in salted water (the only salt used in this recipe, so don’t forget). Butter four 12×20-inch aluminum pans and grate cheese while pasta cooks. Drain the pasta, reserving 3 cups pasta water.
Working in 4 batches, combine 3 cups panko and 1/2 pound Mexican cheese blend in large ziptop bags, shaking to combine. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons salted butter and integrate one batch panko-cheese blend, melting to integrate. Remove from pan and set aside, rebagging when cool. Repeat with 3 remaining batches.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter and add flour, red pepper flakes and black pepper, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
Whisk in milk, bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add cream, cheese, mustard, sriracha and pasta water, and turn off the burner. Stir until sauce is smooth.
Incorporate the cooked pasta and chorizo, and pour into the buttered pans.
Top each pan with 1/2 pound prosciutto and bake 10 minutes.
Spread panko mixture across the top and bake another 10 minutes.
Julienne apple over the top and serve with a side of spicy slaw or homemade pickles.