Food is Food

Thai-Style ribs - sounds weird, but this was pretty darned good. 

Recipe is from the winner of Swedish masterchef - Amir Kheirmand, and his book "Världens bästa mat". ("Best food in the world") I simplified the recipe a little and might simplify it even more next time, feel free to play around with it. (I omitted most of the heat - none of us appreciate spicy food, to be honest.)  We ate the ribs with plain rice and some veggies tossed with teriyaki sauce. 

The book is fun - I liked it a lot. It has great photos and plenty of recipes. Next on my list to try are skewers with spicy Indian chicken thighs, or maybe the coca-cola soaked ribs. I do like coca-cola. And my husband really likes ribs. 

Thai-Style Ribs

two small slabs of thick-cut ribs (about 1,2 kilos), separated

thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, coarsely cut (don't bother peeling it) 

2 lemongrass stalks, pounded and coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1-2 red chilis, sliced

50 ml japanese light soy sauce

Place all ingredients in a pot. Add water to just cover the ribs. Bring to a boil, remove any scum, cover with a lid and let it cook on low heat for about 90 minutes. Meanwhile, get on with the marinade...

marinade:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 red chili, minced

50 ml japanese light soy sauce

50 ml oyster sauce

3 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp brown sugar

100 ml ketchup

2 limes, juiced

humb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Mix all ingredients for the marinade. When the ribs are cooked, drain them from the cooking liquid and place in the marinade for at least half an hour. (I haven't tried but I bet you can do this well in advance and chill the whole thing.) Heat the oven to 225°C and cook the ribs for about 15-20 minutes. Turn the ribs halfway through to ensure they don't burn, but crisp up evenly. Serve, and enjoy!

And finally a photo of my husband's lunch - leftover ribs, on toast, with a fried egg. He says it was delicious. 

I love meringue cakes and this was no exception. Store-bought meringue rounds, layered with whipped cream and frozen-then-thawed berries and a little sugar. Easy as.. cake. And yummy. 

Simple and delicious - crunchy roast chicken, small-cut veggies and a lovely light lemon sauce. Do try this. 

The veggies are extra delicious when they're cut pretty small. And the sauce brings the whole meal together, so don't skip that - it's truly a winner.

Herby chicken with root vegetables & lemon sauce

1 fresh chicken
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme

marinade:
1 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp chili sauce (I used Heinz)

veggies:
4 carrots
4 large potatoes
2 parsnips
2 red onions
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
lemon zest
salt

lemon honey sauce:
1 lemon - zest and juice
200 ml crème fraiche
salt
black pepper
1 tsp runny honey

Start with the sauce. Zest the lemon, and use half for the sauce - half for the veggies, later on. Stir with the creme fraiche and the juice from the lemon. SAVE THE SQUEEZED-OUT LEMON! Season with a little salt and pepper, and add a drizzle of honey. Place in the fridge while you cook the rest of the meal.

For the chicken, mix together the butter with the dried herbs. Try to spread this under the skin of the chicken, as well as possible. Whisk together the marinade, and brush half onto the chicken. (save the rest for later!) Get those reserved squeezed-out lemon halves and stuff into the chicken. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin and roast for 10 minutes at 200°C.

Meanwhile, prep the veggies. Peel and cut the carrots, potatoes and parsnips into dice. Peel the onions and cut into thin wedges. Mix and place all around the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil, the dried herbs and salt, and the reserved lemon zest. Brush the chicken with the rest of the marinade.

Place the whole thing back in the oven for about 40 minutes. Check periodically - the chicken might need to be covered with foil to prevent it from becoming too dark, and the veggies will benefit from some tossing.

When the vegetables are soft and roasted, and the chicken is cooked through - you're all done. Serve with the Lemon-Honey sauce.

One of the nice perks of writing about food is being invited to restaurants and even getting to preview ones that have not yet opened. While busy writing the cookbook I have taken some breaks to see what's going on around town. Here are some highlights:

Hog Island Oyster Co. Bar has long been one of my favorite little hideaways at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza. Tucked away in an awkward spot, it had fantastic views of the Bay Bridge and soul soothing clam chowder, not to mention an always stellar range of oysters on the half shell. The space is certainly not awkward any longer. Now that the oyster bar has taken over the adjacent spot, it’s a spacious and nicely unified expanse with two bars and plenty of outdoor seating. The menu is larger too. My picks are still the classic clam chowder that has no flour so it’s rich and creamy, not goopy, and the white anchovies. Served with piquillo pepper aioli, chopped eggs and green herb sauce on baguette slices, the anchovies are are bright and juicy, nothing like what you get out of a can. In case you didn't know, Hog Island was founded by two marine biologists who are passionate about the future of sustainable seafood.

Originally founded in 1893, Schroeder’s was long overdue for an overhaul. The German style beer hall has a brighter, cleaner, more sophisticated look and also a much greater emphasis on food. Chef Manfred Wrembel has German parents but grew up in California so he has a lighter touch with the more traditionally heavy cuisine. At a recent preview my favorite dishes were the delicate beef tongue, sliced paper thin and served with capers, radishes and creme fraiche and the beet salad with crisp thin pumpernickel wafers and goat cheese; a very refined version of what’s become a classic salad. 

Chino is one of the newest restaurants in town, it opened just this week. It was inspired by owner Joe Hargrave’s love of Chinese dumplings and cocktails and desire to enjoy them together. I tried several dishes and the dumplings were superb. They should be, they hired a veteran dumpling maker previously at The Mandarin. The gingery chicken dumpling was my favorite. I also loved the rich and sticky pork tamarind hoisin riblets and the super tangy and crisp chicken wings a recipe from Nick Balla, currently the chef at Bar Tartine, from when he was cooking Asian food. 

Last but not least, a restaurant that has not yet opened, Pabu is a collaboration between Michael Mina and Ken Tominaga who is known for his much acclaimed sushi spot Hana in Rohnert Park (he also previously worked with Cindy Pawlcyn at Go Fish in Napa). The restaurant will be opening up in the old Atrium space at 101 California Street. The preview pop-up just had a few nibbles, but the Happy Spoon is reason enough to check it out. It’s basically some of the tastiest things all combined—a raw oyster, salmon roe, Santa Barbara sea urchin, tobiko and a ponzu creme fraiche. This is a tried and true dish from Pabu in Baltimore, and sure to make a splash here as well.