Heart Shaped Boston Cream Donut...

...from Dunkin' Donuts!

♥♥♥ Happy Valentine's Day ♥♥♥

Heart Shaped Boston Cream Donut...

Mitsuwa Marketplace, Edgewater NJ

I have a new favorite specialty market... Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater NJ.

This Japanese superstore is your one-stop shop for produce, prepared foods (sushi, bento meals, Japanese pickles), fresh bread, sake, thinly sliced meats for shabu-shabu (Berkshire pork and wagyu beef!), Japanese confectionery, sushi-grade raw fish; the place for hard-to-find Japanese specialty ingredients and to purchase the high-tech rice cooker of your dreams.



Also a great place for a quick lunch - we found ourselves overwhelmed by all the choices at the food court. A warming bowl of ramen at Santouka? Perhaps some Berkshire pork katsu from Katsuhana? Or maybe some cold zaru soba at Kayaba?



After carefully weighing all my options (and inspecting the numerous plastic food displays), I settled on the spicy cod roe spaghetti from Italian Tomato:

Mmmmmm... salty/briney flavor of the creamy cod roe sauce reminded me a little of sea urchin, spaghetti was perfectly al dente.

Kris made a beeline towards Katsuhana for the pork tenderloin combo meal - two small Berkshire pork tenderloins, 2 tempura prawns, 1 potato croquette filled with 'crab cream). Here's the plastic display:

...compared to the real food:

The Berkshire pork katsu was really tender and not greasy. The combo also came with rice, potato salad, and a small bowl of soup (pork broth with veggies).

For dessert, Ito En's green tea soft serve ice cream (really addictive, good matcha flavor):


The purplish gray hue of the black sesame soft serve can look intimidating but the taste is actually quite mild, tasting almost like peanut butter:


We also grabbed some doughy treats from Oishinbo (from left to right: taiyaki, creamyaki, obanyaki):

Taiyaki and obanyaki are filled with red bean paste; creamyaki is filled with a vanilla custard:


Couldn't resist picking up a couple of Kobe-Injinkan maki (thin crepes filled with chestnut paste and red bean paste) from Japanese confectioner Kobe Fugetsudo:


And a slice of 'kase tarte' (souffle cake with made with cheese) from Italian Tomato:

Tasted like a cross between cheesecake and spongecake with a mild, creamy, slightly egg-y flavor.

But the weirdest thing we encountered that day was a limited edition azuki-flavored Pepsi imported from Japan (and yes, it really does taste like azuki red bean!):


Three hours later, we finally left Mitsuwa carrying $75 of groceries we didn't really need (thank goodness we live over 60 miles away, otherwise I'd be here everyday):



Mitsuwa Marketplace (New Jersey location)
595 River Road
Edgewater, NJ 07020
(201) 941-9113
http://www.mitsuwanj.com/

Mitsuwa Marketplace, Edgewater NJ

Dim Sum at Sunny Palace, East Brunswick NJ

As Chinese New Year approaches, I start getting mad cravings for Asian food.

Last weekend I was DESPERATE for dim sum. YEARNING for yum-cha. And willing to drive 40 miles for it.

I started grabbing items off dim sum carts before Kris could even sit down.

har gow (shrimp dumpling):

siu mai (pork dumpling):


scallion cakes:


shrimp spring rolls:


lo bak goh (pan fried radish cake):


bible tripe:


lo mai gai (sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf):


stewed beef tripe:

congee w/ pork & century egg:


stuffed eggplant:


Yes, 10 dishes is a lot for 2 people. But I kinda lost control (this is what happens when I don't have dim sum for over 6 months). Thank goodness the dishes were reasonably priced from $2.50 - $4.

Despite being a dim sum 'snob' from Vancouver, I found the quality of the food at Sunny Palace fairly decent. Hubby was also impressed with the restaurant's cleanliness and ample parking. We'll definitely be back.

Kris had to literally drag me out of the restaurant, as I couldn't get enough of the giant aquarium located in the main entrance, especially this cutie-patootie puffer fish:

Sunny Palace
1069 Route 18
South East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(732) 651-8668
http://www.sunnypalace.com/

Dim Sum at Sunny Palace, East Brunswick NJ

Visiting the Cake Boss: Carlo's Bakery, Hoboken NJ

Over the weekend, we thought we'd take a drive up to Hoboken (our old neighborhood) and see what the Cake Boss was up to.

The massive line up outside Carlo's Bakery at 5:30 pm on Saturday evening:

More chaos inside:


Apparently it could have been much worse, Kris' coworker Pete says that sometimes the line up gets so long it wraps around the entire block. Crowds can also get riotous during the occasional Buddy-sighting.

Despite a TLC disclaimer posted on the front door, we didn't see any cameras around during our visit. Once inside, a bakery employee hands you a number, followed by 25 minutes of standing uncomfortably crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers. At least there were some pretty cakes to stare at during our wait:


I couldn't help recalling how different it was 8 years ago, when we used to walk by Carlo's everyday during our commute to NYC. Very quiet, no crowds, just a non-descript Italian bakery. We occasionally stopped by after dinner for some tiramisu, and even contemplated ordering our wedding cake from there after noticing the cake displays in the window.

During our visit on Saturday, the bakery staff were suprisingly unphased by the crazy crowds, super friendly and very efficient. And though we didn't get to see Buddy (he was in a meeting, according to his sister Mary), we still left happily carrying $25 worth of goodies.

chocolate and raspberry rugelach (buttery creamy deliciousness):


mini cannolis (filling was perfection - with a hint of vanilla/cinnamon/citron and the occasional chocolate chip, shells stayed really crisp even after 2 hours), small 'lobster tail' (flaky, crunchy pastry shell filled with a thick custard whipped cream), & chocolate hazelnut biscotti (chocolaty, packed with hazelnuts):


linzer tart (crumbly buttery cookie, generously filled with raspberry jam):


rainbow cookies (raspberry jam between layers, frosted with chocolate on both top and bottom):


Have to admit we were a little disappointed in the rainbow cookies - at $18.95/lb, the cake layers were a bit dry and didn't contain enough almond flavor. I also prefer versions that contain both apricot and raspberry jam (Carlo's only uses raspberry). But they get major bonus points for actually doing a labor-intensive 7-layer version (5 layers of cake, 2 layers of chocolate), as most bakeries only do 3 layers of cake and a layer of chocolate on top.

Overall, a fun and delicious experience at Carlo's Bakery, totally worth the 'designer' prices and the wait (and the $10 we spent for parking after being at the bakery for over an hour).

Carlo's Bakery
95 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 659-3671
http://www.carlosbakery.com/

Visiting the Cake Boss: Carlo's Bakery, Hoboken NJ

Santa got run over by a reindeer?!

No. But he did encounter some unexpected turbulence on his long flight from Vancouver.

This chocolate art sculpture by Thomas Haas (my favorite chocolatier!) was a belated Christmas gift from my good friend Liz. Despite a valiant effort from Liz to keep Santa safe during his flight, he still sustained several injuries along the way.

Poor Santa. But nothing I couldn't fix with some melted chocolate and a tube of white icing.


Well, I'm happy to say that Santa and his chocolate house have been restored to their former glory :)


Happy New Year!

Santa got run over by a reindeer?!

The best kind of gifts are the ones you can eat...

I got a wonderful surprise in the mail last week, a container of homemade fudge, sent by my friend Erin and lovingly made by her mother-in-law, Lois:


I have to admit I was skeptical at first when Erin told me about her mother-in-law's famous fudge. I'd never really been a fan of fudge before, all the varieties I've tried have either been too sweet or artificial tasting. But Lois' fudge, which she's been making for the last 30 years, was melt-in-your-mouth AMAZING, especially the white almond flavor. So good in fact that I was forced to ration out the remaining pieces so we wouldn't devour it all in one sitting (and so hubby and I wouldn't fight over it).

The next day I called Erin and pleaded her to get the recipe from her mother-in-law...

Lois' Famous White Almond Fudge
(makes 3 lbs)
Ingredients
3 cups sugar
3/4 cups butter (margarine will also work but butter is better, see note*)
2/3 cup or 6oz evaporated milk
1 12oz package of white (vanilla) chips
1 7oz jar marshmallow cream
1 cup sliced almonds, crushed (see note**)
1 scant Tbsp almond extract

Directions
Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in 2 ½ qt saucepan. Bring to a FULL ROLLING BOIL stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring for a full 5 minutes over medium heat. Use a timer, don’t guess. Remove from heat and stir in chips until completely melted. Add marshmallow cream, nuts and almond extract. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan (I like to use glass pans). Cool at room temperature. I like to cut the pieces just before they are completely cooled but don’t try to remove them until they are completely cooled.

Phyllis' notes:
*I detected a hint of salt in Lois' fudge so I used salted butter
**I substituted chopped slivered almonds because they were all I could find in our local supermarket (try shopping for baking supplies the day before a blizzard hits the Northeast). But I really loved the results using the skinless almonds, it gave the fudge a lovely milky white color throughout:

Perfect for the holidays...


Thank you to Erin and her husband Dan for sending us the fudge (and for not eating it all before it could make it to the post office).

And a special thanks to Lois for sharing her easy and fabulous recipe.
Thank you so much for thinking of us :)

The best kind of gifts are the ones you can eat...

It's Raining Bulgogi

Have you seen Ninja Assassin yet? This movie is NOT for the faint of heart, possibly the most violent movie I've ever seen, with buckets of blood and severed body parts flying everywhere. Gratuitous violence is not typically my thing, but I owed hubby Kris a movie after I forced him to watch New Moon (the 2nd movie in the Twilight series) with me last week.

While the plot kinda sucked and the supporting actors were really annoying, I found myself completely captivated by the lead actor, Korean R&B/pop mega-star Rain (in his first starring role in an American movie). Although his lines were minimal and consisted mostly of 5-words-or-less sentences, I couldn't ignore his magnetic on-screen presence, although hubby would argue that I was just mesmerized by his sexy abs (hubba hubba). Seriously, Rain's body is SICK in this movie (I'm talkin' zero percent body fat, people!)

I guess I must've been living under a rock or something because prior to watching Ninja Assassin, I'd never even heard of Rain, who apparently is one of the biggest stars in Asia. He's also a frequent player on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world - currently ranked #9, right below the Pope!

Over the past few years, Rain's been involved in a heated 'rivalry' with his Time 100 arch-nemesis, political satirist/comedian Stephen Colbert. Check out the Colbert/Rain rivalry in this hilarious video from Comedy Central (be sure to stick around till the end of the clip for a dramatic 'Dance Off' between Rain and Colbert):

The Colbert Report
Stephen vs. Rain
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor

So wait a minute, isn't this blog normally about food? Hold on, I'm getting to it...

A couple days ago I had a sudden craving for bulgogi so I decided to make it for dinner that night. I haven't made bulgogi at home in a very long time, so of course hubby got a little suspicious and accused me of craving Korean food only because I had "Rain on the brain". LOL! Guilty as charged :)

MeHUNGRY BULGOGI*
(Ninja Assassin-style, inspired by Rain)

Ingredients

Marinade
4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3rd cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
Juice from 1/2 of an Asian pear, grated
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 red onion**, roughly chopped

1 - 1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced ribeye steak***
2 tsp vegetable oil
splash of Coca-cola****
cornstarch slurry, 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp of cold water (optional)*****

Directions

Puree marinade ingredients till smooth in a food processor or blender.******

Place sliced ribeye into a gallon-sized ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Tighly seal bag and lightly 'massage' the marinade into the meat. Marinate for at least 4 hours, refrigerated, flipping the bag over half way through the marinating time.

Drain excess marinade from ribeye. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir fry for 3- 5 minutes till meat is is almost cooked through and edges start to caramelize a bit (if your pan isn't large enough, fry in two batches to avoid over crowding, you don't want to end up boiling the meat).

When meat is almost cooked, throw in a splash of coca-cola for some extra sweetness and flavor and let simmer for a minute.

If using the cornstarch slurry, add now and simmer for another minute.

Serve immediately, over white rice. Or make a bulgogi lettuce wrap with Boston lettuce, white rice, and a dab of Asian chili sauce (kochujang, sriracha, or chili garlic sauce).

Enjoy!


Notes
*this is not meant to be an authentic version of bulgogi, just a yummy one :)
**traditional bulgogi recipes usually use green onions/scallions but I find sometimes that gives the bulgogi an grassy unappetizing flavor so I use red onions instead
***I buy razor-thin frozen slices of ribeye at my Asian food market, if you can't find it pre-sliced, freeze your steak for 10 minutes to make it easier to slice thinly
****I just happened to have coca-cola around so I thought "Why not?!" Actually this isn't really that strange because I've seen people marinate their meat in 7-up or cola before!
*****totally non-traditional, but I like to thicken and shine up my sauce a bit with cornstarch, but you can leave the sauce thin and it'll still be delicious
******I puree the marinade because I hate having garlic or onion chunks in the finished product

It's Raining Bulgogi

NYC: The High Line & The New Amsterdam Market

The High Line

Have you checked out the High Line yet? This cool elevated city park (30 feet above ground), located in NYC between 10th & 11 Avenues, was formerly used as a freight railroad till 1980.

Section one (b/t Gansevoort & 20th streets) has been open to the public since June 2009, with plans to extend the park all the way up to 34th street.

You can still view the train tracks in between the plants and the wildflowers:


10th Avenue Square, a wooden amphitheater with a view of 10th Avenue traffic (and a giant billboard of Posh & Becks in their skivvies):


"The River That Flows Both Ways" by artist Spencer Finch, 700 colored glass panes inspired by the Hudson River (located in the Chelsea Market Passage, where the High Line cuts through a building in Chelsea Market):


But my real reason for visiting that day was to try the cinnamon sugar donuts at the newly opened Craft Sweets on the Highline, located in Chelsea Market Passage (do I ever go anywhere unless it's food related?!):


"It tastes a little dry", grumbled hubby Kris. "Sorry, honey, did you say something?" Wasn't going to let grumpy gus ruin my mood as I stared out at the Hudson River on a gorgeous fall day, perfectly content while sipping my hot apple cider and munching my donut...


The High Line
http://www.thehighline.org/
Section 1 (Gansevoort Street to 20th Street)
Open from 7am to 10pm daily
Street access from:
Gansevoort Street
14th Street (Elevator under construction - not yet open.)
16th Street (elevator access)
18th Street
20th Street



New Amsterdam Market (Oct 25th 2009)

"Reinvented for our present time and needs, New Amsterdam Market will incubate a new and growing business sector: purveyors who source food directly from farmers and producers whom they trust to be good stewards of our land and waters. Centered in this Region - once called New Netherland - New Amsterdam Market will foster a renewed appreciation for our natural environment and its ongoing potential to nourish. And as true of public markets, New Amsterdam Market will be accessible to all, striving to diminish the economic, social, and educational impediments to sound nutrition."

- from the New Amsterdam Market website

The New Amsterdam market is currently operating as a monthly outdoor event in South Street Seaport, next to the old Fulton Fish Market. Yesterday's event ran from 11am to 4pm and we arrived around noon to a crazy jam-packed market. While I tend to enjoy the energy of a bustling market, hubby found it way too chaotic. Luckily, I convinced him to stay by bribing him with some gelato from The Bent Spoon:
Roasted pumpkin cocoa nib ice cream (YUM!):

Next up, a sandwich from Porchetta, filled with roasted pork (complete with crackling pork skin):
We loved the flavor and tenderness of the meat, you could really taste the seasoning and herbs. However, hubby didn't love the overly crusty bread and the hardness of the pork skin (Kris said he almost broke his teeth when he inadvertently bit down too hard; but as a pork skin lover, I actually enjoyed gnawing the heck out of it).

After the sandwich we found ourselves craving something sweet, but instead came across some tempting savory pastries at Saltie:
We just couldn't resist the visual appeal of the potato, leek & cheese pie, especially the vibrant contrast between the pickled onions and the yellow mustard:
Tasty and filling but I probably would have enjoyed it more if it was warmed up. Kris disagreed, saying it was perfect at room temperature.

We also stopped to chat with the friendly folks of Stone Barns after noticing that they sell hard-to-find leaf lard:

Leaf lard, rendered from the fat which surrounds a pig's kidney, is considered the finest lard for baking because of its neutral taste. Stone Barn's product is made from their pasture-grazed Berkshire pigs. I was really tempted to buy some and bake the perfect pie crust with it, but ended up walking away empty handed (didn't want to carry around a pound of lard in my purse during a unseasonably warm day).

And check out the line up for lobster rolls at Luke's Lobster:

New Amsterdam Market
http://www.newamsterdammarket.org/
South Street, between Beekman Street and Peck Slip
On the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan
11:00am to 4:00pm
Future 2009 market dates:
Nov 22nd, Dec 20th

NYC: The High Line & The New Amsterdam Market