Reading is fun.

And tasty!

Since I wasn't hosting a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner this year, I totally jumped at the opportunity to host and cook a feast for book club last night!

This month's book selection...

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Apparently I'm not really into reading fiction...I realized this as I searched and searched for a potential book. A friend suggested Shanghai Girls since it also took place (for a little bit at least) in San Francisco. So fitting!

It took awhile to get into the book, but once I got past the first few chapters, I found myself completely engrossed. In fact, I actually gasped on the bus while reading and almost got misty at one point!

Overall, I thought it was an entertaining read. I even found myself really hating one of the characters - she was incredibly annoying and frustrating. I'd recommend it for a long plane ride.

My imagination went wild with appetizer possibilities! There have been a couple things floating around in my head and this was the perfect opportunity to test them out.

Menu:

Edamame Miso Crostini w/Shiitake Mushrooms

Pulled Chicken Adobo over Coconut Rice Patties

Chicken Banh Mi

Tofu Banh Mi

Bulgogi Sliders with Kimchee Mayo and Cucumber Apple Salad

Zesty Baked Crab Rangoon

These were supplemented with some wine, cheese, and sweet treats from guests, of course.

Edamame Miso Crostini w/Shiitake Mushrooms

1 package frozen, shelled edamame, defrosted

1 tsp white miso paste

1 tsp chili garlic paste

2 tbsp garbanzo beans

1 tsp sesame oil

1 c shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp sherry

salt

pepper

Puree first five ingredients together with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms and garlic powder until mushrooms start to soften, stirring frequently. Add sherry and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread edamame mixture over toasted bread and top with some of the mushroom mixture. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

Verdict: Not my favorite. Not at all. I didn't realize that this would end up with a really funky texture. It looked like Play-Doh...or maybe wasabi. So weird. I also wanted a smoother texture spread. Not a fan.

Pulled Chicken Adobo

3 boneless skinless chicken thighs

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

4 tbsp cider vinegar

salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp coconut milk

2 bay leaves, broken in half

1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp coconut milk

1/4 c chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1/2 - 1 c chicken broth

Combine first ten ingredients in a shallow dish and let chicken marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes on each side.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Place chicken in pan, shaking off excess marinade. Cook for 3 minutes on each side.

Pour in marinade, soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, coconut milk and chicken broth. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Let chicken sit until cool enough to pull apart. Shred chicken and set aside.

Remove bay leaves and any fatty chicken bits from the saute pan and melt butter over medium low heat, scraping up any brown bits. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Continue whisking as you add soy sauce and vinegar. Gradually whisk in chicken broth until a thinner sauce is formed.

Strain out large bits and stir 1/4 c of sauce into shredded chicken.

Coconut Rice Patties

2 c short grain white rice

1/3 c coconut milk

2/3 c water

1 tsp salt

Place ingredients in a rice cooker and cook. Allow rice to sit until cool enough to handle.

Wet hands and gently form small patties and place on a baking sheet. If you have a hard time forming the patties, gently press the rice into a mini muffin tin.

Heat oven to 350 and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Verdict: The adobo turned out DEEELICIOUS! The rice patties, however, ended up a little too crunchy since I left them in the oven for too long. Oops. Flavor was still good though...I'd even eat them as not patties ;p

Bulgogi Sliders

1 lb sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/4 c dark soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp sriracha

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sugar

Combine ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for at least 2 hours.

Strain liquid and place half of the beef in a food processor. Pulse until smaller bits form, but not until pasty. Place in bowl and repeat with the remaining beef. Form patties and grill to your liking.

Kimchee Mayo

1/4 c mayonnaise

2 tbsp kimchee, minced

1/4 tsp sriracha

Mix ingredients together and let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Cucumber Apple Salad

1 /2 c seedless cucumber, finely diced

3 tbsp apple, finely diced

2 tbsp scallion, minced

salt

pepper

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp sugar

Combine ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour.

Zesty Baked Crab Rangoon

1 package wonton wrappers

1 egg

4 oz cream cheese, softened

6 oz crab meat

1 tbsp scallion, minced

1/4 tsp Maggi seasoning or Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp lemon zest

splash soy sauce

squirt sriracha

salt

pepper

Combine cream cheese, crab, scallion, Maggi or Worcestershire, lemon zest, soy sauce, sriracha, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Lay out wrappers and place a teaspoon of the crab mixture in the center. Swipe egg on two sides of the square wrapper, fold over to make a triangle and pinch sides to seal. Fold corners in to meet each other and seal with egg.

Bake for 5-7 minutes on one side, flip and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.

MUCH better than my first attempt.

Also, courtesy of Saigon Sandwich (my fave)...

Chicken Banh Mi and Tofu Banh Mi. It was my first time trying these flavors and I think I might stick with my standard roast pork. Ta da.

Have you read anything fun lately?

My first DNS

Kinda embarrassing, but I didn’t run yesterday’s Bridge to Bridge 12k for one simple reason: I woke up late. Terrible, right? In my 5 years of running, I have not missed a race and I’m still kicking myself for the snafu. I have no idea if I hit 'off' instead of 'snooze' on my phone, or if I just didn’t hear it go off…either way, MAJOR fail. At least the registration fee went to a good cause.

I knew I needed to get at least one run in to break in the new kicks

Me likey the new color :) I was a little worried that I wouldn't get these in time, but as soon as I laced these puppies up, all was well in the world again. I love fresh cushioning! Now, what to do with my other 3 pairs...o yes, we're back to this again. Anyone know of places in SF that take old running sneakers??

I also dated them...my new sneaker process.

I took a windy loop around the neighborhood before running errands. Not quite the same as racing a 12k, but I’ll take it. On the race week agenda: Tuesday 5 miler w/the running group, maybe a short n' speedy Wednesday run, and an easy 2 miler on Saturday...just to get the legs moving.

This DNS was a fairly appropriate way to close out yet another week of firsts...

First time I realized a speedy run can be comfortable

Tuesday's 5 miler was another speedy one and I felt amazing afterward. I was in the zone and felt like I was running strong (well maybe not at the end when I was too nervous I'd trip on my own two feet since it was so dark). All this time I've been sticking to my cruising pace...I had no idea I had a speedy side that was itching to bust out!

First Giants game

Wednesday night I went to my very first Giants game...

Amazing seats. I don't think I'll be able to go to another game. I've been spoiled. Hahaha. Also, I found out that they serve amazing caramel corn at AT&T Park.

Warm, gooey, buttery, AAAAHHH!! SO GOOD!

First knife purchase

(source)

Hi new knife!

I've been sitting on this WS gift card since I moved so when I got an email saying there was a sale on Wüsthof Classic knives, you bet I zoomed out to get one.

It's not my first Wüsthof knife, but it's the first I've purchased on my own. My o so favorite santoku knife was a gift from Jamie. I went into the store with the intent to buy the 6" chef's knife, but when I compared it to the feel of the 8", there was too big of a difference not to upgrade. The 8" just felt right (that's what she said har, har, har). Plus, why would I get a shorter knife than the one I already have?

I'm content. Best. Purchase. Ever. And yes, I'm THAT excited about a knife.

First stew-y/to be frozen and eaten later kitchen adventure

It had to be done sometime (recipe is at the end of this post)...

I was craving some Japanese curry and I figured what better time to make it than oh, you know, a Friday afternoon. That's just how I roll.

It's been awhile since I made a batch and I was worried I didn't have a pot big enough, especially with all the nuggets of deliciousness I planned on putting in it. Thankfully my pot didn't overflow and it was a successful curry afternoon. This version used a couple ingredients I had in the apartment that desperately needed to be cooked: Japanese sweet potato, mystery box carrots, kabocha squash, and (the not so perishable) frozen peas. Delish.

First time out on a Friday night (you know, out out)

I met up at a friend's for dinner before we all went to a going away party. *Note: I also had my first Morningstar Farm Chipotle Black Bean Burger and I LOVED IT.

(source)

I think I just love all bean-y foods. It was nice and spicy, filling and had a great texture. Definitely recommend it.

The going away party was at a very interesting (to say the least) bar called Kozy Kar on Polk Street. I say interesting because there are booths/seating areas set up like the back of a van and the floor is lined with naked photos. It's kinda like the bar fell out of a scene in Boogie Nights. Very random.

(source)

Anyway, it was a wallet-friendly bar from what my receipts tell me and cans of PBR were all over the place. I don't think I've ever seen so much PBR before!

So that was my pre-race week week of firsts. This week I'm taking it easy, getting lots of rest and taking a preemptive strike against germs. Yeah, my office is full of sickies right now and with my luck, I'll catch something this week. Ech. Oh, hey Airborne, NyQuil and water...my three best friends.

Kitchen Cabinet Curry

3/4 to 1 lb stew beef

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 kabocha squash, chopped

1 japanese sweet potato, chopped

1 3.5 oz package S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix, medium hot

1 1/2 tbsp oil

2 c water

3/4 c chicken broth

1/2 c frozen peas, defrosted

2 bay leaves

Sprinkle flour, salt and pepper over beef to coat. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 3 quart pot and add beef. Brown beef and scoop pieces onto a plate, leaving oil and brown bits in the pot. Add 1/2 tbsp oil and saute onions for 1 minute. Add squash and sweet potato and cook for 3 minutes.

Pour in 1/2 c water and cover for 5 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once root vegetables start to soften, pour in the remaining liquid and bring to a boil.

One by one, stir in the sauce mix blocks until they are fully incorporated.

Add bay leaves and peas, simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Serve over rice. YUM!!

soju monster galbi

first off, i apologize for no pictures.  karena always harps on me for pictures in my posts, but the sad fact is that i have no pictures for the subject below.  if you want to see pictures of korean barbeque it is quite easy to run a google search.

i never imagined how difficult my korean food withdrawal would be now that i’m back in the states.  sure, i can find it in northern virginia, but somehow it doesn’t taste the same.  maybe some places hold back on the copious panchan.  maybe it is because a three-dollar dish in korea becomes an eight-dollar dish here.  maybe it is because the cabbage is not grown in the dirt patch between the restaurant and the road.  i dont know; there are probably lots of reasons.  luckily, i can fall back on the teachings of my subcontractors to get me through the serious cravings. 

you see, towards the end of my tdy at one base, the weather started getting nicer.  so my subs and i decided to start grilling for lunch.  we figured that since we humped through 83 inches of snow, negative temperatures, and double-digit wind speeds, we deserved some of the good life.  what did we do?  we grilled!!  i would usually buy some meat the day before and let my guys marinate it over night.  then we would find a nice grill overlooking the base and sit down for a nice lunch. 

i wish i could describe the mountains of beef and meat products that usually found their way to the table.  i remember one day i bought eight packs of hot dogs, seven steaks, about four pounds of short ribs, a box of potato chips, and two packs of soda.  that was just from me.  my guys brought fish, corn, kimchi, bean sprouts, and soup.  looking back on that afternoon, i’m not sure we were too productive.  haha.  whatever though, that was a delicious day.

i miss those barbeque afternoons, which is one reason i’m glad i had my soju monster scribble down his marinade.  my soju monster was a special sub.  the other guys didn’t hate working with him, but they didn’t particularly enjoy working with him.  he was an old, crusty, former korean marine.  crabby.  temperamental.  bossy.  short-tempered.  prone to yelling.  yes, soju monster was all of those, but we developed a great bond and were able to work together.  i quickly learned that i needed to entice him with coffee, cigarettes, and long nights of soju drinking.  when he realized i wanted to involve myself in the culture and experience korea, he opened things up for me. 

that is a round-about way of me getting to the point of this story.  my buddy, tater, and his wife have thrown a couple of grilling events since my return.  i want to share my experiences from korea with most people, so i always insist on brining my galbi.  it is always a hit, and today was no different.  someone said my galbi were the best ribs they’ve ever eaten.  right now i’m a little on cloud nine and wanted to share the soju monster’s recipe.

soju monster galbi

five pounds korean-style short ribs (also called l.a. cut)
1 3/4 cups of soy sauce (i use low-sodium)
1/2 can of dark soda (coke/pepsi/etc – use this to tenderize if ribs are a bit tough)
1/4 cup sesame oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
five to six cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
three to four scallions, washed and chopped  
one tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (use more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
two or three korean peppers, deseeded and chopped
two tbsp toasted sesame seeds

mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  taste and add extra seasoning as needed.  place one layer of ribs in 9x13 baking dish.  ladle an even amount of sauce over ribs.  place another layer of ribs in baking dish.  ladle sauce on top.  repeat until no ribs and no sauce remains.  place in refrigerator for one day.  on the second day, remove ribs from refrigerator and reverse order (i.e., place bottom ribs on top and top ribs on the bottom).  refrigerate one more night.  grill and serve.  you can cut between the joints for a more finger-friendly option as some people may not like ribs hanging out of their mouth.  serve with many cold bottles of jinro.

Time to catch up!

Jeebus. It's been awhile! Ever get those weekends that just completely slip away from you? I've been meaning to post for the past few days, but each time I ended up being too tired or in no mood to sit at the computer. Sometimes it just happens...and when it does, you guys get one of these ginormous posts!

I believe I left y'all hanging as I went on my first Sunset Run last week. First of all, this whole getting to a run at 6:30pm on a weeknight is a little harder than I thought. I sampled some of these since I had empty afternoon belly syndrome

and booked it to the Marina Green, getting there just in time to check my bag and pick up my shirt. The Honey Stinger Chews were actually pretty good and didn't give me any tummy issues. Hurrah!

Thankfully there was a raffle planned for before the run (yours truly didn't win anything) so we had a few minutes to get settled before we were off. It was a spectacular evening for a run - slightly warm with a bit of a breeze...paired with a gorgeous sunset along the water. We ran out to Hopper's Hands and back to log in little over 5 miles.

50 minutes later, I found myself back at our starting point with the DJ blasting some fun music and some fun snackies for everyone:

For some reason the popchips screamed my name. Pretty sure I needed salt.

Once the sun went down, the temperature dropped fast and I wasn't dressed appropriately in my capris and fleece. I grabbed a bagel and shivered a few blocks to the bus stop. Once I got home, dinner was an o so random selection of grape tomatoes and snap peas with Trader Joe's Edamame Hummus. What can I say? I was craving crispy, fresh veggies!

The hummus was ok...nothing to write home about. I didn't love it, didn't hate it, but I probably won't buy it again.

Half day Friday sort of happened this week and I made sure to pack a snack just in case I didn't get out on time. In my bag went this Luna Dulce de Leche bar:

SO glad I threw that in there. I was pretty busy so I didn't leave until close to 3 and no lunch for me! Badbadbad!

Eventually dinnertime rolled around and we headed over to Henry's Hunan in Noe Valley. Do I really need to tell you the first thing that came to our table?? TWO MEAT PIES hahhaa. Don't judge. There were 5 of us! I was SO excited for meat pies...the wonderfully salty, meaty filling with the crisp and refreshing lettuce and crispy, fried goodness that is the flour tortilla. AAAHHHH.

We learned our lesson from last time and split 3 other dishes family style. First up was the Spicy Curry Chow Mein with Chicken:

It reminded me of Singapore Noodles, but with fatter, squishier noodles. It also packed quite a punch!

Once our mouths were nice and warmed up, the Shredded Beef with Bell Peppers arrived:

Also a fire in the mouth dish...which was then followed by the spiciest (or maybe it just seemed like it after all eating everything else) dish of the night: Hot Prawns with Green Beans. Yeah, at this point, I forgot to whip out the phone to take a picture.

Everything was delicious and filling, but definitely saltier than I usually like. Let's just say I woke up to get water at least 3 times that night. In fact, I was a little concerned about my run the next morning. Oops.

Saturday morning was sunny, breezy (noticing a trend?) and a comfortable 50ish degrees. I hauled my butt out of bed and out of the apartment by 9am and once again, BARELY made it to the run on time...damn you bus schedule!! We did a quick warm up and then set off on our first 'long run' of the training season. I was scheduled for a 6 miler, but told myself I'd decide at the turn around point whether or not I was going to drop it down to 5. I felt surprisingly good the whole time so 6 miles it was!

I learned a few lessons that day...

1. 50 degrees is only cold when you're not running
2. 50 degree weather gear = capris, tshirt, thin pullover
3. I'm bound to get lost even when I pay attention to the course description
4. hitting start on your watch is always a good thing to do, especially if you're trying to time yourself

Yep, I forgot to hit start on my watch so I have absolutely no idea how fast I went. I know it felt like an easy run and afterward I was chatting with a couple girls and we figured it must have been done at 10 minute pace. Not too shabby for the first long run back!

I had to scoot out quickly to get some stuff taken care of at the new apartment (yay!) before heading out on a touristy excursion with a friend. Yeah...this starting at 9:30am on a Saturday is cramping my weekend schedule. Maybe it'll force me to run faster so I can get more done? HA.

After a long hot shower, I met up with a friend at Pier 39. Neither of us had ever been before, so it seemed like an appropriate Saturday afternoon activity...until we both realized we don't deal well with crowds. D'oh! We ended up doing a quick walk through, popping into the not so crowded stores and trying not to get blown away while watching sea lions

Um, it smelled all sorts of unpleasant over there. I have no idea why anyone would want to stand as close as those people were standing. Clearly we had a good view from above. Talk about a pile of lazy pinnipeds (you like how I just busted out a word from elementary school science class?? haha).

Friend and I moseyed toward Fisherman's Wharf in hopes that we'd find a crab stand. Friend mentioned she remembered standing and eating whole crabs before so we were on a mission. A little while later...TA DA!

We found the crab stand street! For $12.95/lb, the vendors pick out a decent sized crab for you and the guy behind the counter starts whacking it apart. A little bit of melted butter, a crapton of lemon slices, some cocktail sauce, and voila!

Commence first Dungeness crab experience.

Now I've mentioned that my very first whole crab experience was in Maryland, yes? We remember I'm an East coast girl, correct? Ok. So the dungeness crab...it's a big crab compared to the trusty blue crab. That's the first thing I notice. Second thing is that the claws actually have meat in them. Hey now!

As I snacked on my first piece of Dungeness crab meat, I immediately took note of the texture. This had a texture similar to a King crab (?). I guess you could say it was meatier? Then I noticed that the meat was a little sweeter than a good ol' Maryland blue crab. It was strangely delicious AND super easy to eat! Am I a convert? Not just yet, but I'm very excited to learn how California does crabs :)

With Sunday came a delicious birthday barbecue in Burlingame followed by dinner at home for the Lost finale (sniffle, sniffle). Selin was itching to use her new indoor grill, so we ended up making some Thai Inspired Grilled Beef Skewers with a Papaya Mango Noodle Salad. Nice and tropical for the last Lost episode EVER. Are any of you Lost fans? Thoughts on the finale? I felt a little gipped, but I'll accept it as an ending. I've never followed a tv series for that long before...SIX YEARS!

Thai Inspired Grilled Beef Skewers

1.2 lbs flank or skirt steak, pounded thin

1/4 c ponzu

1/4 c soy sauce

juice of 2 limes

1 tsp chili garlic paste

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp ginger, grated

salt

pepper

skewers

Lay steak flat in a large rectangular glass dish. Whisk together ponzu, soy sauce, lime juice, chili garlic paste, brown sugar, oil, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. pour over steak to coat and let marinate for 25 minutes. Flip steak over and let marinate for another 15-20 minutes.

Cut into large pieces and return to marinade for another 20 minutes. Skewer pieces and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve over rice, greens or noodle salad.

Papaya Mango Noodle Salad

1 papaya, slightly unripe, julienned

1 mango, slightly unripe, julienned

1/3 c carrots, julienned

1/3 c cucumber, julienned

1 package mung bean noodles, rehydrated

1/4 c mint, chopped

2 tbsp scallions, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp water

juice of one lime

2 tbsp fish sauce

1/4 tbsp chili garlic paste

1/4 tsp salad oil

pinch salt

Combine noodles, papaya, mango, scallion, mint, carrots and cucumber in a bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together sugar, water, lime, fish sauce, chili garlic paste, oil and salt. Pour over noodles and toppings. Stir and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

The beef was fantastic in my opinion. I'm so glad it had time to soak up all the tart/sweet/spicy flavors. In hindsight, I think I'd redo the noodle salad with rice noodles. I think they'd hold the dressing a little better. Ah well, you cook and you learn, right? Right.

Tonight, after some intense mattress shopping (who knew it was such a process??), I made it home with the intent to make something reminiscent of Chana Masala. I grabbed a package of Garam Masala, some brown rice (TJ's was out of the frozen Jasmine rice I want to try), tomato and onion. I was convinced I packed some curry powder and turmeric when I moved, but no such luck finding them :(

Instead I made do with what was in the kitchen and hoped it turned out okay. Enter Indian Spiced Chickpeas with Mango and Spinach.

Indian Spiced Chickpeas with Mango and Spinach

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 c baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp cilantro

1.5 tbsp garam masala

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp olive oil

salt

pepper

1 mango, chopped

Heat butter and olive oil in a small pot. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic, garam masala and cayenne. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato, chickpeas, spinach, cilantro and mango.

Lower heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I really wish I had those extra spices to give this dish a little more flavor. Overall, it wasn't too bad...just missing something. I think that's why I ended up adding the mango. I was stumped and stared at the extra mango sitting on the counter! Mango is surprisingly good w/chickpeas and garam masala!

Of course, whenever I have something really savory and spicy, I crave something sweet. Lucky me, I grabbed a package of Fat Free Fig Newtons yesterday

Yeah, that's right. Fat free. There are very few foods I prefer in fat-free/low-fat form. Fig Newtons are one of them mostly because of the cake texture (and no, I don't want to know why it's firmer than the regular ones). Milk is another thing I prefer in fat-free form. What about you?

Ok, as usual it's getting late and I need to be up early tomorrow. Seriously need to stop sleeping at midnight! Hope everyone is having a great start to their week!