Joyce Chan Wins a Playlist!

Last Time – Best Meal Ever!

I’m going on a trip this weekend. The next post won’t be until the middle of next week.

Last week, Joyce Chan won a copy of my cooking playlist for being my 10^th follower. I’ll try to have more of these little giveaways to reward follower loyalty. Maybe follower 15 will get something. Suggestions for prizes can be left in the comment section. Also, you can comment about the protocol for sending a playlist to your college roommate’s girlfriend while you send nothing to said beloved college roommate. The above pic is from when I convinced said roommate to grow a moustache.

Back to the post. I think cooking to music is crucial to the success of any meal I produce. That may be just me. It stems from how I view cooking. When I start prepping a meal I picture myself in a battle against the raw ingredients. Honestly, I could care less about working with the ingredients. I want to own them. Kick their ass and bend them to my will. The music keeps me focused and sharp which is pivotal because my mind tends to wander when I am doing things like dicing vegetables and watching something sear. The music keeps me in the moment and on task.

Just a week ago I was in charge of grilling a meal for some burly men. One of these guys loves hooking up with Big Girls, but that’s neither here nor there. The whole experience involved two different kitchen locations, just 45 minutes on the grill, 5 guests, and an expansive menu (Rib eye steaks, grilled corn salad, and grilled rosemary potatoes). The key to pulling this off was all the prep I put into the meal before getting onto the grill.

I had an hour to build sauces, boil potatoes, prep corn, and prep steaks before having to pack everything up and head over to the grill. If you are familiar with my personality, cool under pressure isn’t one of my top qualities. I love freaking out, but the playlist I was bumping put me in a rhythm and kept me focused. The meal was on time and clean up was minimal. A hack could produce a decent meal, but a good cook never leaves the kitchen looking like a war zone because everything has been carefully considered and the cook is always in control.

Below is the current playlist I am rocking to. I used to call these mixtapes, but I retired from making real mixtapes when in a fit of rage I donated my cassette deck to the Iowa City Rummage Sale. It still hurts that I did that. The playlist is American folk rock inspired and I think versatile enough to be played during dining. And yes, that’s not a mistake; there is a Joni Mitchell track on this bad boy. Don’t hate. Joni Mitchell gets me.

Below the playlist are some tips for grilling steaks.

GRILLING STEAKS

*Start your grill in advance and give it some time for the grates to heat up. One thing I see a lot of people do is throw stuff onto cold cooking surfaces. There’s a time and place for starting something on a cold surface, but grilling and sautéing are by definition high, direct heat cooking methods.

*The secret to a good char is basting the steaks in oil before putting them on the grill. Peanut oil is ideal, because it has a neutral flavor and high smoking temp, but I rock a butter/peanut oil blend. The butter adds a level of flavor and the peanut oils bumps up the butter’s smoking temp.

*Diamond grill marks are simply the result of rotating the steaks 45 degrees on the grill. If you are bad a geometry, think of the steak as the face of a clock, the top steak is 12 ‘clock, rotate the steak so the top is now at 3 o’clock. If you can’t figure out those instructions you probably shouldn’t be cooking your own meals.

*Let the steaks come to room temp before you put them on the grill. This will keep you from overcooking and drying out the steak. Here is a fun fact. When you order a steak and the server asks how do you want that cooked? He or she is asking specifically for an internal cook temperature not a color. If you take the steak directly from the refrigerator to the grill it takes longer for to piece of meat to reach the desired internal temp which means more time exposed to heat. In my mind, if you overcook a quality piece of steak you were better off throwing it in the microwave and bathing it in ketchup. Also if you are worried about food borne illness, the direct heat will kill off any surface bacteria. As long as the steak was properly stored before you set it out you should be fine.

*These cook temps can be reached through timing the amount of time each side of the steak spends on the grill. You can look these up online.

*Finally, when you pull the steaks off the grill let them rest for 3 to 4 minutes before you cut into them. Simply set the steak aside on a plate. This accomplishes two things. First, the direct heat is bombarding the steak’s proteins which cause them to bunch up. Resting the steaks lets the proteins relax and results in a tender steak. Second, even though you have pulled the steaks from direct heat the steaks themselves are still cooking from their own residual heat. The instant you cut into the steaks you lose much of that heat and stop the cooking process.

I have found that the best way to get a true med rare and tender steak is to grill it until it comes short of the desired 135 F. Then resting it to let the residual heat bring it to 135 F.

*Consuming raw or undercooked meat or seafood is awesome, but can expose you to food borne illnesses. Don’t sue my ass, I warned you.

NEXT TIME – I pretend I’m doing a top chef quick fire challenge

Best Meal Ever!

LAST TIME - Mom's Greatest Hits

Despite my track record with women, eyeglasses, and life choices, people assume that I have good taste. One question I get is, "What's the best meal you've ever had?" Surprisingly, the best meal I ever had was my first Thanksgiving Dinner after leaving home for college.

I'll elaborate. Throughout most of my childhood, holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving were sources of great anxiety. I grew up in a non-Christian, Asian-American household. Naturally, Christmas and Thanksgiving weren't a big deal to my parents. That was fine, but what I really hated was the school activities that lead up to and followed these holidays. Writing paragraphs about these celebrations usually resulted in me making up stories based on the research I would do watching network TV holiday specials. The worst was making decorations I knew I'd never need. To this day, I still get pissed off when I see paper turkeys made from hand outlines. I'm talking uncontrollable, irrational rage.

Around my freshman year of high school, my friend's parent found out that I didn't have anything to do for Thanksgiving and invited me to spend it with them. I would spend the next four Thanksgivings with them. Thanksgiving became "a thing" for me. In fact, when I told my friend's mom I was going to Oberlin (see bad life choices) she said, "Steve, I'm a little disappointed you won't stay near here, but promise that you'll always come home for Thanksgiving."

My head is still spinning from my first months at Oberlin. I was socially awkward and not nearly smart enough. I still believe that my presence at Oberlin was a cruel social experiment for the entertainment of leftist communists. I couldn't wait for Thanksgiving in Norwood.

I found it funny how things had come full circle. Here I was seeking refuge from feeling out of place, and I was running towards what had once been the source of severe childhood isolation. I felt that if Thanksgiving could become a source of profound meaning then maybe Oberlin could as well. This is central to my theory that great meals are experiences.

In honor of Thanksgiving with the Reillys and my best meal ever, I'll share some tips about Roasting a Bird.

FYI ... I have spent every Thanksgiving since that once back in 1998 with the Reillys. Recently, I have doubled up on feasting so that my cousins Lucky and Bubba can say they spent Thanksgiving with family.


Brine your bird ... Before roasting let it sit in a salt and sugar water solution for at least 2 hrs. The proportions should be enough to make the water taste like sweet seawater. That's not me talking, that's my homeboy Ming Tsai.

Don't stuff it. You run the risk of drying out the bird and there are also some serious cross contamination issues. Just don't do it.

Liberally prick the bird with a fork. This is a trick for crispy skin and moist meat.

Separate the skin from the flesh. Another trick for crispy skin.

Before sticking in the oven let the meat come up to room temp. This helps prevent the meat from drying up and keeping to cook times.

Cut slits in skin on the back of the bird. This is another crispy skin tip taken from Cooks Illustrated.

Directions Assuming the above steps have taken place
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F
2. Pat the bird dry
3. Salt and pepper the bird
4. Rub butter on top of the bird, but under the skin
5. Fill the cavity with carrots, onions, and celery, close the cavity with string.
6. Stick the bird in the oven. Cook times vary by the weight of the bird, but a rule of thumb is 15 mins per pound.
7. Baste the roast every 30 mins.

Be creative with the leftovers.
I love going with roasted chicken salad sandwiches or chicken stir fry. The bones should be used to make chicken stock, which can be used as the base for numerous soups or risotto.

You can turn a 3 lb, $6 chicken into 4 or 5 creative servings of chicken. That's some serious value. The only limitations are the limits you place on yourself!

NEXT TIME - The Wonderful Joyce Chan Wins a Cooking/Dining Playlist

Mom's Greatest Hits

LAST TIME - Asian Supermarket Trip

I really wanted to blog about cooking to music, but people really wanted to know what my mom thought about sauces. She'll be happy to hear that people chose her over me.

SOY SAUCES - Golden Mountain and Maggi

Growing up, I only remember seeing these two brands and that's not just at my house but also at the homes of my mom's friends. I remember being told the Maggi was the "nice" soy sauce. Only recently after a google search did I realize that my mother wasn't alone in here devotion to Maggi. Maggi Soy Seasoning has a cult-ish following.

If you are paying attention both sauces don't have the term soy sauce on their labels. Big deal? It depends. My mother's brands don't have soy sauce on their labels because they aren't technically soy sauces. Soy sauces are fermented and brewed. These soy seasonings, while still being derived from soy are not. They are non-brewed and contains caramel color, corn syrup, salt and hydrolyzed soy.
Tastewise, it is pretty hard to tell the difference between brewed and nonbrewed ... and honestly if I can't tell the difference you've got no chance.

I have taken a moral stand. Mainly, I try to avoid things that have corn syrup in them. So, I'll look for soy sauces that have "naturally brewed" on them. I have yet to find a soy sauce that commands cult-like devotion so I tend to jump around a lot. I guess you could call me a soy sauce ho.

FISH SAUCE - Squid Brand

This is the fish sauce of my childhood. True story, my mother used to buy this shit by the case and keep them in our basement. If you've ever been around this pungent sauce you should be amazed that any family would need it by the caseload let alone go through cases, but we did. This stuff is legit.

HOISIN SAUCE - Koon Chun and Lee Kum Kee

Growing up, my family used Koon Chun Hoisin exclusively. Then one day my mom pulled the Lee Kum Kee bottle out of my refridgerator. I still think Koon Chun is far superior. It bothers me to this day. I remember Koon Chun's consistency was a bit thicker and the flavor had a rich sweetness. Lee Kum Kee seems muted. The only justification I can see as to why my mom made the switch is that Lee Kum Kee comes in a squeeze bottle, and technology is sweet

CHILI SAUCE - Sriracha

This hot sauce is apparently famous and really I wouldn't normally go any further but it has come to my attention that there are some imposters on the market. Look for the green cap and the rooster.


NEXT TIME - I actually talk about cooking something

Asian Supermarket Trip

LAST TIME - Foodie Hell

If you have found this blog you are like a lot like me. You have an adventurous palate. You think of food in the context of an experience, and you care about what you eat. If you are not here for those reasons, you’re probably my mom. Hi mom! Thanks for the support.

But let’s say you are like me. You’re probably a little pretentious. You aren’t making a lot of money because you are doing what you love. And you live in a hip up-and-coming area not because you’re broke, but because you like keeping it real. If all of those things are true, chances are you also live close to and have always wanted to shop at an Asian Supermarket.

So why haven’t you taken the plunge? You took a sociology course in undergrad, you’re legit. You don’t see or judge in terms of race or class. The real reason is you are scared of being embarrassed and rightfully so. The staffs in these stores can be very unhelpful because of language barriers or impatience. The labels are rarely in English and if they are you are skeptical about the quality or authenticity. What are you to do? God forbid you come home with the wrong package of rice noodles or a foul smelling paste. But how will you impress your former, equally douchy classmates if they peer into your pantry and don’t see rice paper or fish sauce?

That’s where I come in. Recently, I took a trip to Kam Man Supermarket in Quincy, Mass. I went to buy your typical Asian condiments (chili paste, soy sauce, hoisin sauce) and the fundamental ingredients for spring rolls, fried spring rolls, and pad thai (a friend classifies spring rolls and fried springs rolls as “things white people order” when in a Vietnamese restaurant, the friend is white so that’s cool). Below some of the items I bought that people always tell me they can't find or get too confused to buy. I have posted pictures, warm/fuzzy aisle locations, white people uses, and prices. I will post a best brands glossary to help you pick a soy sauce or some other condiment among the overwhelming number of options. The best brands have been selected by the only expert in Asian condiments I have access to, my mother. True story, if my mom finds a receipt of mine from an Asian restaurant she doesn’t approve of she’ll interrogate me about why I didn’t go to the one she prefers and threaten to disown me for not being a good son. To her, a long line or longer travel distance is no excuse to eschew quality. You guessed correctly, she is particular about her soy sauces and Kikkoman doesn’t cut it.

So, throw on your hippest skinny jeans and don't comb your hair and meet me over by the chicken feet.

NEXT TIME - Mom's Condiment Brands OR Steve's Cooking Playlist

ITEM - PRICE - USES - WARM/FUZZY STORE LOCATION

Vermicelli Noodles - $1.39 - Fried Spring Rolls- Dried Noodles Aisle
(aka Glass Noodles, Cellophane noodles. People always cross these up with the noodles require for summer rolls. These are clear and shaped as little bird's nests.)



Black Fungus - $3.69 - Fried Spring Rolls- Dried Mushroom Aisle
(The name isn't appealing, but these are crucial to the texture of good fried spring rolls, I don't know what else to tell you other than Man/Woman up)



Spring Roll Pastry - $2.29 - Fried Spring Rolls- Refridgerater Case



Rice Stick Noodles-$1.59 - Pad Thai- Dried Noodles Aisle



Tamarind - $2.19 - Pad Thai- I blacked out at this point, can't give you the location yet.



Dongguan Rice Stick Noodles - $0.67 - Summer Rolls- Dried Noodles Aisle
(People tend to mix these noodles up with cellophane/glass noodles which will F your summer rolls up. These noodles are packaged as dried square blocks and white.)



Spring Roll Wrapper - $1.49 - Summer Rolls- Dried Noodles Aisle

I am in Foodie Hell!

If my palete could talk it would say “Why Steve, why did you mess up such a wonderful arrangement? How do you expect me to thrive when our dining options are the campus meal plan, pizza, or wings? We’ve dined at Schwa for petesake!” Let’s rewind a bit.

A little over a year ago, I had a good paying job and I lived in New York City. I had cash to burn and a city to explore. I’m not a big fan of museums, I’m too socially awkward to enjoy live concerts, and my self-diagnosed ADHD makes it hard for me to sit through performances. If you consider just those things I sound profoundly lame. My one redeeming quality is that I will go to great lengths for a meal. My job gave me the means to take advantage of New York’s food scene. From eight-course chef tasting menus to bahn mi in Brooklyn's Chinatown, I spent two years in foodie heaven.

Then one night, I got a visit from the ghost of Oberlin College Past. He warned that I was too special to be wasting my youth working for The Man. I decided career-wise, I needed to be doing something I loved. That is why I am back in school, working unpaid internships and far too often, sleeping on an air mattresses.

My food problem is not a money problem. I have mastered the art of living beyond my means. The town I am in simply hates good food. I am sure of it. My choices are college town bar fare or poorly executed, locally-sourced new American. I’m all for supporting sustainable, local agriculture, but if you overcook a medium rare rib-eye and charge me $28, I don’t care if the cow was grass-fed in my backyard, massaged, and went to a Montessori preschool, your amateurism is going to make me vomit.

So, to satisfy my palete’s craving for delicious, well-executed food, I am going back to my collegiate Bohemian roots. Rather than drive great distances and spend tons of money I am going to make the shit myself and I am inviting you to come along.

I’ll do my best to share some of the things I have picked up working and eating in restaurants and being raised in an ethnic household. Hopefully, you'll learn to cook which will lead to eating better and saving some money.

Let's explore the saving money concept a bit. When I was in New York, one of my favorite lunches was chicken pad thai. $8.95 + tax and tip for rice noodles, carrots, scallions, scrambled eggs, peanuts, and 4 oz of chicken. A standard restaurant practice is to price menu items at two to three times food cost. If I made my own lunch, I would save $6/day, $42/week, and $2,184/year*. And that's just on lunch!

NEXT TIME Steve goes to the Asian Supermarket, and the Rice Noodle Aisle Overwhelms

*I made some serious oversights with this estimate, ordering lunch 7x per week, opportunity costs like time spent cooking, and increased energy costs linked to and electricity and gas. As long as you don't chop your finger off due to inferior knife skills you'll save money. If you're incapable of making that inference, give me a break, I sleep on an air mattress.