Presto. Cilantro Pesto

I've always wondered what to do with that extra cilantro sitting in the fridge.  Most often after one use I end up tossing it, which is a terrible feeling for a person who absolutely cannot waste.  This time around I couldn't bear to let another good bunch go bad, so while it was still perky and green I tried to imagine creative ways to put it to use.  This pesto recipe was the inspired dish.  Basil pesto is awesome but because the taste is so familiar, replacing it with cilantro is a completely refreshing familiar taste.  The lime gives it a light tanginess, and the variety of nuts give it great texture. Cilantro also has the benefits of containing antiviral, antibacterial and antioxidant properties (among many others), making it an ideal germ fighter for this winter season.  And because there is no cooking involved, pesto is incredibly quick to make.  Easy, tasty and healthy are all good in my books, and now in my recipe book too :o)

Recipe for Cilantro Pesto 

• 1 large bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and dried thoroughly (about 3 cups, loosely packed)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup mix of *pine nuts, walnuts and almonds (or any one or two of them)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

*I like to use raw nuts but roasted are fine too.

Roughly chop up the cilantro leaves and stems.  Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Delicious with pasta, in a sandwich, as a dip or served over fish or chicken.  Makes about a cup and a half.  

Getting Baked

Ghoulish Goodies from the Baker's Market

The Vancouver Baker's Market is now on and I'm so glad I made it there relatively early in the season.  After getting my first taste of its offerings, I'm already planning many trips back.  Situated inside a warehouse in an obscure part of East Vancouver, it takes a bit of effort to locate, but once there you find a welcoming space with clean white walls that make the perfect backdrop to the multitude of colours on display.  The space is not huge but well-stocked with tables practically poking out the door.  There is a good selection of vendors selling a wide variety of goodies, but not so many that it feels overwhelming at all.  The set-up encourages you to stroll slowly by each table, chat with the bakers and of course, sample.  I found it almost impossible not to buy everything I tasted.  Because there is a variety of sweet and savoury treats, it's easy to get something for your meal and dessert.  I ended up buying a multigrain Epi loaf, numerous kinds of cookies, marshmallows, macarons, and macarons filled with marshmallow!  

One of my favourite tables was Joyful Confections, which featured cupcakes and decorated sugar cookies.  They had pretty packaging, and I just loved their Halloween themed cookies.  Along with ghost and skull cookies, they also had creepy headstones, and candy corn designs.  They looked very professional, and their cookies were perfectly sweet.  

My other favourite table belonged to Buttercup Cake Design.  Unfortunately, save but one, all of the goodies from that table were eaten too fast to photograph.  But the Peanut Butter Marshmallow lollipop is not only visually awesome, but tastes amazing, and the Fleur de Sel Butter Caramel Macarons are crumble in your mouth gooey sweetness, with the perfect touch of saltiness.  Serious magic in your mouth.  

The Baker's Market is aptly titled "The Sweetest Event in Vancouver", because that it truly is.  I hope you get there soon to fill your belly with goodness, and to support your local baker.  This season's market goes until December 11th and is every Saturday from 11am to 3pm, with free admission.

Visit the websites below for how to get there and for more info:  

www.bakersmarket.com
www.joyfulconfections.ca
www.buttercupcakedesign.com (Check out her blog, too!)

Something Fishy

Chinese-Style Steamed Fish

I can often be heard heralding the praises of my mother's cooking.  It's hard not to.  I've had the extreme fortune of being fed restaurant-worthy dishes filled with what is known to be the main ingredient of all great food:  love.  My mom is a self-taught cook, her skills being fueled and honed by a keen sense of taste, observation and of course, passion. There are no recipes, only instinct. There have been many occasions when I've said to myself that I must start recording her recipes.  Between ambitious ideas of videotaping her in action (cooking show-style) and creating a cookbook, making it happen just hasn't happened.  But I have come to realize that some kind of recording is happening in the form of osmosis.  For all the years of helping out and being around the incredible aromas of her kitchen, her recipes have become a part of me.

I first came to this realization a number of years back while living in a small town in Quebec. It was a desperate situation - no authentic Asian food!  Instead of settling for sad substitutions, I opted to try making a dish that was simple enough to replicate, but could still conjure up feelings of home:  Chinese-Style Steamed Fish.  With a sense of disbelief, my attempt tasted a lot like mum's.  Now, having recreated a number of my mother's recipes, I can certainly give credit to osmosis, but perhaps I've had the genuine luck of inheriting some of her instinct, too.

My version of my mom's Chinese-Style Steamed Fish:

(For this recipe, you may have to tap into your own instincts, as I eyeball all measurements.  Just like mom!)

You will need:  Halibut (wild-caught Pacific Halibut is the most sustainable choice), oil, ginger, garlic (optional), green onions, cilantro and soy sauce.    

Finely slice the ginger/garlic and put into a small saucepan.  Pour just enough oil to cover, and gently fry over medium-low heat until golden brown.

Put the fish in a ceramic or stainless steel dish and place whole strips of green onion on top. (You can also julienne the green onions and place on top of the fish after it's steamed, and before you pour on the oil.)

Steam the fish until opaque and flaky in the middle. (Use a fork to twist the centre of the fish.  If it separates along the grain, it's done. The general rule is to cook for 10 minutes per inch of fish.)

Pour out all the liquid from the steamed fish. Generously spread fresh cilantro on top. Drizzle the hot ginger/garlic oil over the fish, and then immediately dash on the soy sauce, according to taste.   You should hear it sizzle.

Best eaten with steamed rice, and if possible, with your mom at your side :o)

Coming up: Oregon!

A Sticky Situation

The first time I tried Thai Sticky Rice and Mango Dessert (Kow Neuw Mamuang) was a few years back at a restaurant in San Francisco.  Although the main dishes were good, it was what finished off the meal that made it memorable.  Although my guy and I were already exceptionally full, like always we glanced over the menu to see if there was something we could make just a little more room for.  Two of our favourite food items jumped off the page:  sticky rice and mango.  The choice was made.  That dessert was so good that after the first, we made even more room for another.  

Ever since then, we've been on the lookout for this dessert about town and in our travels.  To much chagrin, it hasn't been that easy to find, and when we have, it's been with slight dissatisfaction. A hard mango, or undercooked rice does not a memorable Kow Neuw Mamuang make.  So when a perfect version was found at Maenam in Kitsilano, we were two very satisfied folk.  And after all that searching out there, that version inspired me to try making it right here at home.  

(This recipe is super fast to make, thanks in most part to the use of a microwave oven.  Yes, I shuddered too at first, but the results are amazing and the method is said to be perfected by the "Microwave Queen" :o) 

Thai Sticky Rice and Mango Dessert (Kow Neuw Mamuang) 

Thanks to ThaiTable.com for this recipe.

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup glutinous rice (found at Superstore or most Asian markets)
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 mango, peeled and sliced or cubed

Soak the glutinous rice for 10 minutes in warm water in a glass bowl (an essential step). Pour out the water and add fresh water. The water level should be just above the rice, so 1 cup of rice and a little over 1 cup of water (about 10% more).  Cover the glass bowl with a dish and cook in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir the rice around to move the rice from bottom to top. Some of the rice will be translucent (cooked) and some will still have white centers (uncooked).

Microwave again on high for another 3 minutes. Check and see if it's done. When cooked, all the rice should be translucent. If it needs more cooking, continue microwaving on high for 3 minutes or so until done. The cooking time will vary depending on your microwave.

Heat the coconut milk in a pot over medium heat. (Be sure not to heat on high or the milk will curdle.) Stir constantly and let the coconut milk simmer. Add the sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Pour 3/4 of the coconut milk over the hot sticky rice and let it sit for 5 minutes. The rice will absorb the coconut milk. At serving time, place the mango on top or to the side, and spoon the rest of the coconut milk on top of the rice.  Best served up warm.

Crème de la Crème

I've never considered myself an actual sweet tooth, but upon taking a closer look at my relationship with all things sugary, there is evidence that I am. For one, I am almost never without a tub of ice cream in the freezer, (my favourites being Soy Delicious, Udder Guy and sorbetto of any sort), and as full as I am at the end of any restaurant meal, I abide by the cliché that there is always room for dessert. But as tempting as any treat on the menu may be, if there is Crème Brulée, the decision is clear. I have always held this creamy custard in high regard, partially because of its fatty decadence, but also because I love the aroma of vanilla, and the great fun of whacking its signature sugar-crusted top. Because of its heavenly taste, I always imagined that much labour was behind the making of it.

When a friend suggested we try creating it at home, I was at first confounded by the idea. Could it really be done, and done with any justice to the French? With her encouragement and conviction that it was possible, we took on the challenge. The process was not as difficult as I imagined. All it required was focus and patience, and the motivations of a true sweet tooth. The results were surprisingly magnifique.

Recipe for Crème Brulée:
4 cups of heavy cream or whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
1 cup white sugar or cane sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
8 cups hot water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, bring the cream and vanilla (pod and pulp) to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. If using a vanilla pod, remove from the mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk 1/2 a cup of sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and colour slightly lightens. Add the cream a bit at a time, stirring continuously. Pour the mixture into 6, 7 to 8-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake or roasting pan and pour in the hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40-45 minutes until set, but still jiggly in the center. Remove the ramekins from the pan and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Remove the Crème Brulée from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before browning the sugar. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar equally among the 6 ramekins and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar to form a crusty top or broil in the oven until the sugar is caramel brown. Let sit until cool prior to serving, and then get cracking :o)

Only in New York, Part II

More places, and of course, more food... :o)

The High Line, Chelsea to the Meatpacking District
www.thehighline.org

Although there are plenty of ways to view New York City from above, this one involves no revolving restaurant or King Kong references. What there is, is an architecturally designed walking path, that allows you to experience the bustle of the city, and the wild of nature hand in hand. Once a freight train line in the 1930's, the track was transformed into a public park through the vision of a few locals living in the area, protecting it from demolition.

Artists and galleries are also involved in the project, and have contributed installations that are strewn throughout the path. The Highline is an interactive experience and you can't walk it without taking pause. A particularly good place to do this is a tiered seating area reminiscent of a theatre space, with the stage being a giant glass window. The performance? New York City traffic whizzing by 30 feet below.

The best thing about the Highline is that it's ever-changing just like nature, just like cities. Each visit is an experience anew.

Cafe Habana, 17 Prince Street, Nolita
www.cafehabana.com

Cafe Habana is situated in the area known as North of Little Italy, a kind of a mini-SoHo, but more eclectic, less generic, and slightly more down to earth. And what could be more down to earth than corn on a stick. At this popular Mexican-Cuban cafe, they take this humble snack and take it up a notch. No butter drizzle here. It's corn on a cob that is char-grilled, and then smeared in a combination of cotija cheese, fresh lime, and chili powder. It may sound awful, but it's awfully good, and their signature dish. There is also a Habana Outpost in Brooklyn with a twist. The restaurant is almost entirely eco-friendly. It's run mainly on solar power, uses rainwater toilets, and diners can mix their own margaritas using bike-powered blenders. I say yay! to good corn and good conscience.

Cafe Sabarsky, 1048 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side
www.cafesabarsky.com

Nestled inside the Neue Galerie (featuring Austrian and German works), is the very charming Cafe Sabarsky. Feeling very old world, and very European with high ceilings, dark wood walls and marble tables, this Viennese cafe was one of our dining highlights. After ducking into the grand foyer of the gallery, and soaking wet after a surprise torrential rainstorm, we were hoping to seat ourselves and get comfy. Not possible at Cafe Sabarsky. This place is popular and lineups are a given. But it was all well worth it once seated. The menu is expansive and it was a challenge to decide what to have as everything looked amazing. I liked that the items were listed in Austrian and English, although I did not attempt to say, "I'll have the Kleines Wiener Schnitzel mit Kartoffel-Gurkensalat & Preiselbeeren" when I ordered my dish. But my Small Wiener Schnitzel with Potato-Cucumber Salad & Lingonberries was the right choice. The pickly-flavoured potato salad was quite
incredible and was the perfect pairing for the subtly spiced schnitzel. My guy had the Baked Pasta with Bavarian Ham, Cream & Emmentaler which was rich, savoury and delicious. And the desert, though simple to the eye, was mouthwatering to the palate. All I can say is, if you are there, please have the Quark Cheese Strudel with Vanilla Sauce.

Vanessa's Dumpling House, 118A Eldridge Street,

Lower East Side
www.vanessasdumplinghouse.com

There is nothing glamourous about Vanessa's Dumpling House, and therein lies its charm. It is a no-nonsense, completely unpretentious place where you line up, order, try to find a place to sit in the very narrow seating area across from the long service counter, get your order and chow down. It is small and a little run down, but it's fun. It's so cool to watch the middle-aged Chinese ladies behind the counter boiling and frying dumplings, scooping soup, and slapping together sandwiches in perfect choreography, managing never to bump into each other. And the food! Their deliciously greasy dumplings are top notch and sold at an incredulous price. Four tasty Cabbage & Pork Fried Dumplings or Chive & Pork Fried Dumplings set you back a dollar. A dollar! My guy and I indulged ourselves for just over six dollars and that included eight dumplings, a delicious Sour & Spicy Cucumber Salad, a Sesame Pancake, a hot Horlicks (so good) and a tea. I only wished we had discovered this place earlier in our trip. On our next voyage there, I will most certainly have their Sesame Pancake Sandwiches which come stuffed with a variety of fillings, including the one I await to try: Peking Duck. And I will certainly be back at Vanessa's at the very beginning of our trip, so we can return again and again and again.

Big Onion's Walking Tour's
Original Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour, Lower East Side
www.bigonion.com

The Lower East Side neighbourhood was, and still is, home to New York's many immigrant families. As this has been the starting point for many a newcomer, it's full of fascinating history. The inhabitants of each area has changed dramatically throughout the years, as families established themselves and moved further north or to the boroughs. And that's what made this tour super interesting, to hear of the many incarnations a single building or block had taken. Throughout the walk we learned about hardships endured, stories of corrupt politicians, racist policies, turf clashes, gang mayhem and survival. Particularly notable stops were the infamous Five Points from Gangs of New York lore, the Bloody Angle in Chinatown, a blind corner where rival gangs would ambush each other, and the evolution of tenement housing. We walked, listened, learned, and yes, ate too. The tour was punctuated by stops at many of the local food shops and eateries. Along the way we ate Dominican fried plantain, Kosher pickles, Jewish halvah, Chinese rose petal candies, and Italian bocconcini,

salami, and cannoli. I'm so glad we took this tour. Not only was my stomach happy, I felt like I gotten to know this city that I love, a whole lot better. Yes NYC, I ♥ you even more.

Big Onion offers walking tours aplenty throughout Manhattan and the Boroughs. The guides are specialists in the fields of architecture, urban development, cultural history, sociology, and labour issues. They have also won several awards for their work.