Archive for the 'The Main Event' Category

May 09 2008

What The Pho?

Published by admin under Soup, The Main Event

Sitting down to an over-sized bowl filled with crunchy vegetables, paper thin beef, rice noodles and creamy tofu all swimming in hot fragrant broth is one of those simple things that just puts a smile on my face. I was first introduced to pho (pronounced fuh) nine years ago by my co-worker Eliz. Each day Eliz would bring in a small vat of pho from the Vietnamese restaurant down the street and each day I would watch him as he gleefully and rather comically ate his pho, all the while wondering what was the big deal. At that time I didn’t really get how amazing simplicity in cuisine truly was and figured that unless it came in the form of a napoleon, vol au vent or needed to be set on fire it probably wasn’t worth my time. Thankfully curiosity trumped my youthful snobbery (some may say ignorance), and one day I asked Eliz for a taste of his pho bo. I still remember how spicy, tangy and full bodied that first taste was and how I knew that he would be splitting the rest of the container with me.

While Phil and I were apartment hunting in April we had dinner with my sister at an amazing Vietnamese restaurant in Federal Way*. I love walking into an ethnic restaurant and not hearing a stitch of English, it seems to signify that something really delicious is in store. The restaurant was full of Vietnamese families gathering for dinner, doing homework and sharing their day; it felt as if we were entering someone’s private dining room. We were served a lovely pot of jasmine tea, ordered fresh spring rolls with an amazing sesame coconut sauce, potstickers, bun cha and my beloved pho. I blissfully munched, sipped and slurped my meal, only coming up for air long enough to help my sister hone her chopstick skills**. This lesson did not go unnoticed by an elderly woman at the next table who took great delight in mimicking my movements and openly laughing at us. Slightly mean old lady aside, this was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. Hot, simple and delicious.

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Mar 21 2008

Kelaguen Bundles

(Vegetarians, I have a variation for you too!)

In my neighborhood a party invitation to Alfredo and Raquel’s was something to be cherished. One of the loveliest families I know, they enjoy being surrounded by friends and sharing the delicious foods of their native Guam. Their kitchen table always seemed ready to succumb under the weight of dishes piled high with crisp lumpia, succulent spareribs and spicy cucumber salad just waiting to be descended upon by the hungry masses. Kelaguen was hands down the most popular and requested dish in their repertoire and is the sort of dish for which hungry party goers would gladly wrestle a troll.

Simply, Kelaguen is a dish of thinly sliced beef, chicken, fish, etc., that is cooked by marinating it in citric acid with onions and as many hot peppers as you can stand. I am not a huge meat eater, but I have always been a sucker for this type of dish. Admittedly, until I met Alfredo and Raquel my knowledge was limited to various carpaccios, tartares and ceviches. I still enjoy those other versions, but there is something so addictive about this nasal clearing concoction that I rarely go for the others anymore.

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Feb 24 2008

Green Pea and Chevre Tart

Published by admin under The Main Event

If I had to describe my week using a color it would be beige. Between fighting off a cold, my impending move to a place yet to be revealed and a debacle with fig pate, this week has left me decidedly non-plussed. So, how do I shake off this beige colored week? Why, by baking a brightly colored tart of course.

The first step in salvaging this week was to hop in the car and head to Lucy’s Whey for a really special chevre to use in the tart. Catherine and Lucy* helped me to choose the right one for my tart and in the end we settled on a Hoja Santo wrapped chevre that worked beautifully with the citrus and basil notes in the tart. Those ladies really know their cheese.

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