jayspun's Profile
Beef Stroganoff, my take on Thomas Kellers Ad Hoc Recipe
Hey Randy, much love back at ya! My intention was to honor a great and creative chef; I did not expect such a vehement debate. While I am glad to have catalyzed an interesting exchange I do admit that I read it with a nagging, "chill out bro," in the back of my head. I'm glad you appreciated the post! Peace and take 'er easy :)
Anybody know of a Thai place that serves Pad Thai like they do in Thailand?
This is the pad thai I'm talking about:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/751877?tag=boards;topic-751877
See my blog for pictures.
Beef Stroganoff, my take on Thomas Kellers Ad Hoc Recipe
The carrots and wine are only used in the braise; the sauce ends up very traditional in it's creamy mushroomess. Also, as far as I can tell, sour cream is very traditional and the sauce is cream based. I do, however, think you make an excellent point about naming new dishes.
Beef Stroganoff, my take on Thomas Kellers Ad Hoc Recipe
does it count if it was quick seared before the braise?
Pad Thai Classico
A new tradition was born tonight, Andrea Bocelli crooning Christmas songs while Shelese sets up the miniature Christmas tree and hangs the ornaments, and I slave away over a wok making pad thai. I know it's jumbled and cross-cultural but it somehow just works, take my word for it. Perhaps the holidays usually elicit thoughts of foods like pot roast, country ham, and pumpkin pie for most of us; but why not pad thai? Yeah, it makes sense, it should fit in! Soul satisfying, hitting on all cylinders in each corner of the flavor trifecta. Sweet, salty, and spicy dancing on the tongue like sugar plum fairies. Okay enough yuletide imagery; truth is, a friend requested the recipe and it's been awhile since I made the dish so voila.
Almost exactly one year to the day before the dreadful Southeast Asian tsunami that took the lives of many poor souls, I was in the very place the waves ravaged the shores. Actually, I was on the peninsula coast opposite of the heaviest hit beaches. The Thai people are a warm and welcoming group. While there, I was told that the literal translation of Thailand was, "The Land of Smiles." True or not, I can vouch for the abundance of smiles. Such a passionate and gentle nation with stunning nature and exquisite cuisine. My heart truly aches for the people shocked and awed by the violence nature wrought that inauspicious day.
As you hop around Thailand you'll see that pad thai is a popular dish offered at many street vendor stalls and ramshackle restaurants. There was not much regional variation that I picked up on; some places offered dried shrimp, others chicken. The dish was relatively consistent throughout the country, and I was fortunate enough to spend time north, east, south, and west. As the smiling Thai woman set my first plate of steaming hot noodles in front of me, a few scent waves permeated my nostrils and I knew life would never be the same! Alright, melodrama aside, I have to say it was frigin' awesome yo! Back in the States, I haven't been able to find a restaurant that produces classic pad thai. Most add such bastardizing ingredients as tomato and/or sweet and sour sauce, paprika, and pineapple. I apologize if you enjoy yours that way... no body's perfect.
While I was in the north in a city called Chiang Mai, I took a cooking course. We learned how to pick produce, make curry pastes, properly stir fry, make coconut soup, and prepare pad thai al la classico. The one dish that has been committed to memory from excessive preparation and consumption was pad thai. I'll get right to the point, here's how I make it now.
Like many Asian dishes, the labor is in the preparation of the ingredients and the cooking is fast and furious. What you'll need: thin, flat rice noodles (Thai or Vietnamese), soy sauce, fish sauce, tamarind juice (orange juice if you can't find it), tofu, green onion (reserve the green portion to be eaten fresh with the finished dish), sprouts, peanuts (roughly crushed), eggs, palm sugar (cane is fine as a substitute), and red pepper flakes. Not shown in the picture below are vegetable oil, and lime wedges. Prep everything as shown below and try not to be frustrated with the lack of exact amounts. The preparation of this dish requires some culinary intuition only gained through the trial and error of several batches. Don't let that turn you off, the first time you make this it will be somewhere between awesome and totally awesome; just realize that the dish gets better as you experiment with adding more soy sauce, and/or fish sauce, and/or sugar, and/or chili flakes. It may take a few tries to reach pad thai Nirvana but rest assured, it awaits you.
Prepare the ingredients and turn the heat on the wok.
While the wok heats up, cook the noodles until just soft. They will continue to cook while you assemble the dish so don't over cook them in the water.
Once the noodles are cooked enough, add some oil to the wok and crank up the heat to high. Just before the oil starts to smoke throw in the drained noodles but BE CAREFUL! They are moist and the oil is hot and splats all she wrote. Wow! I cant believe how cheesy I can get sometimes.
Let the noodles fry, flipping them occasionally until there is a crispy skin formed on the mass of noodles. They will be a large congealed mass of glutinous, sticky noodles but don't worry. The juice, tamarind or orange, does a good job at de-gumming and de-tangling the mass of fried noodles. Continue to toss and the noodles until the juice has evaporated.
Move the noodles to the side and add a little more oil to the empty wok space. Crack in as many eggs as you like and scramble them up.
Next, add the sprouts, white part of the green onions, peanuts, tofu, fish and soy sauces, sugar, and chili flakes.
Give it all a good toss and taste for seasoning. Add more of anything to your preference and serve hot.
Garnish with the green of the green onions and a wedge of lime. In Thailand you would be provided with a tray of add-ons to top your pad thai with. They usually include sliced chilies in vinegar, sliced chilies in fish sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, chili paste, and granulated sugar. Any, all, or none of theses add-ons go wonderfully with the dish depending on your mood. For me, all I need is lime and the onion. Okay, going back for leftovers, thanks for reading. Kop khun krap (pronounced cup coon cup): thank you in Thai.
Check out the photos on my blog!
Beef Stroganoff, my take on Thomas Kellers Ad Hoc Recipe
What do you do when you buy cream for a dish and you only need about a third of it? Well, you embark on a two day preparation of beef stroganoff of course. I know that's not what most of you were thinking but perhaps next time you have leftover cream, you will...
Lately, I've been trying to cook intuitively; you know, think about what's in the fridge and pantry and bang out a really good dish. It's been going well, hopefully you'd agree with me since the products most often end up here, in the blogosphere. I decided that I need to mix it up a bit and execute some recipes from my favorite chefs. In my opinion, an experience even the best home cooks need to do on a regular basis. So the first in my recipes entries is, Beef Stroganoff by Thomas Keller. For those of you that don't know who he is, let me first say that I have a bit of a man crush on him. Not only did he lead the only west coast three-star Michelin rated French Laundry in Napa, he has his prints all over several other culinary creations ranging from cook books to television to other restaurants. Never have I executed a recipe more intricate and detail meticulous than one of Kellers. I have his Ad Hoc at Home book; he claims that it is a gourmet interpretation of classic home-cooked favorites. When I hear, "home-cooked favorites," I picture tasty one pot, rustic dishes that get right to the flavor point. The recipes in Ad Hoc are as complicated as the blueprints for a nuclear reactor. Okay, I exaggerate a bit but they are intense. I'll get right to the point, here is my execution of his stroganoff.
Add leeks, mushrooms, onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves to a bottle of red wine and reduce until the wine is a glaze.
Meanwhile sear the beef (should have been boneless short rib, I used boneless chuck roast instead) in oil and set aside
Chop up more aromatics and spices (leeks, carrots, onions, thyme, and bay leaf), add them to the wine glaze and cover with cheese cloth to create a pillow for the beef to rest upon.
Add beef broth to the pot.
Create a parchment lid, cover the braise, and place in oven for about two hours.
Remove beef, strain, and reserve braising liquid.
The ingredients for the rest of the dish are below. I told you Keller was intense. It's no wonder The French Laundry can get away charging a minimum of $240 for a prix fixe dinner, without wine. Cream, creme fraiche, mushrooms, butter, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, cubed braised beef, parsley, canola oil, noodles (pappardelle preferably).
Add cream and sachet of bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns.
Meanwhile brown mushrooms in butter and canola oil. Keller instructs to turn each mushroom over after three minutes to brown both sides.
The same goes for the braised beef, browned and flipped. Then into the oven for about ten minutes.
The cream sauce is blended and strained and put back on a low flame. The browned mushrooms are then added.
The finished product was as good as it looks. The beef would have been much more tender had it been short rib but I did enjoy the chuck roast for it's deep beefy beefiness. The preparation of the beef, while labor intense and time consuming, left a nice little crisp to the browned bits. The mushroom cream sauce is the true star of this dish though. The processing and later blending of the mushrooms embedded the essence of mushroom deeply through the layers of silky cream, tangy creme fraiche, and peppery thyme. Seasoned with gray or sea salt and chopped parsley, the dish is as visually stunning as delectable.
Paired nicely with a dry red, in this case a Barbera.
You can see the pictures of each step on my blog!
What are the 10 most essential things in your spice cupboard?
Check out a picture of mine:
http://jayspun.blogspot.com/2010/12/10-favorite-spices-in-ol-spice-cupboard.html
kosher salt, pepper, red chili pepper flakes, sweet paprika, saffron, sea salt, garam masala, nutmeg, truffle salt, vanilla bean
Anybody know of a Thai place that serves Pad Thai like they do in Thailand?
Very interesting, thanks for the link. I suppose having the classic pad thai in Thailand before trying the modern western version has ruined my chances of enjoying the non-classico. The variation you speak of is what I enjoy. For some reason paprika and/or tomato sauce has made it's way into the dish and I really don't feel as though they make it better. There is a happy simplicity when the balance of sweet and spicy mingle with herbaceous green onion and lime juice. Kup Kun Kup (thanks).
Best Beef Stroganoff in L.A.?
I guess I'm used to the American version but the old school sounds incredible! Thanks for the recs and let's none of us use the Hamburger Helper. okay :)
Best Beef Stroganoff in L.A.?
Any recs hounders? Had it at Ford's Filling Station and was thoroughly unimpressed. The dish has such potential to knock socks off but I rarely see it executed to the 9s it deserves.
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Ford's Filling Station
9531 Culver Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90232
Anybody know of a Thai place that serves Pad Thai like they do in Thailand?
When I was in Thailand a few years ago, I was in noodle heaven with the ubiquitous pad thai street vendors. Unlike virtually all pad thai I have had in the States, in Thailand you find it with green onion, sprouts, peanuts, tofu, and meat of your choice. The seasoning is mild with fish and soy sauce and you add sugar and chili flakes and squeeze fresh lime on your own. For some reason the pad thai here is overly-sweetened with something akin to a sweet and sour glaze. Any help hounders would be greatly appreciated; preferably something near the Valley.
Where to buy fresh truffles?
You can also get them at the farmers market in Studio City. Check out the one I got: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Fh-_2UkWs3w/TJ_cbRw4DlI/AAAAAAAAAKs/GdB363vM4XU/s1600/IMG_2201.JPG
Umami Burger, does hipster cred excuse terrible service?
It has been a while since I've eaten at Umami, until two weeks ago. I went to one of their newer locations, Santa Monica during lunch. The hipster snubby service was absent and the burgers are still the best in L.A. I think they had some kins to work out and still may be a bit slammed during peak dining hours. In my opinion there are no kinks to work out with the burgers themselves and at the end of the day, as Mr. Hokey Pokey said, "that's what it's all about." That said, I do not endorse the namesake Umami burger. All of the other burgers pop in originality and intense flavor. The Umami burger is just a tad bit underwhelming. My favorite is the hatch burger. In an attempt to make my own at home (check out my blog to see the end product: http://jayspun.blogspot.com/2010/10/hodgepodge-update.html) I gained even more appreciation. It's a complex burger with layer after layer of umami and the bun rounds it out with it's subtle sweetness. The burger is always the right balance of salt and sweet and always delivered at the right temperature. I love you Umami Burger.
http://jayspun.blogspot.com
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Umami Burger
850 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hatch Chile Roasting 2010
i also some some sold individually at Whole Foods, Sherman Oaks if you don't want to commit to the full 30 pounds
Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate". What have you tried in L.A.?
Pastrami Sandwich - Langer's Deli
- Hands down the best Pastrami (and YES, better than Brent's). The Reuben style with zippy cheese is the way to go
Bacon Chocolate Crunch Bar - Animal
- Pretty delish. My only criticism is that the bacon bits were a little overcooked; although, I believe it was intended to be this way. In my amateur opinion, leaving a little bit of fat un-rendered in the bits allows for a more harmonious play between the bacon fat and the luscious ganache. But hey, I'de order it again in a pig's heartbeat.
Office Burger - Father's Office
- Nice but massively over-hyped. It lacks the juiciness and serious beef flavor that I expect from a burger. However, finding a better sweet potato fry would not be an easy task.
Burger - Umami Burger
- THE BEST BURGER I EVER ATE Period. The So-cal, Hatch, Truffle, Pork, Manly, and Port Stilton are my favorites. Not to keen on the Umami and Turkey Burgers.
Korean Short Rib Tacos - Kogi BBQ Truck
- Very good but a little overspiced for me. I would like to taste the meat a little more but I eat here whenever I see the truck.
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Kogi
Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles, CA
Umami Burger
850 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Father's Office Bar
1618 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA
M Restaurant - Hotel Metropole
205 Crescent Ave, Avalon, CA 90704
Best Bargain Tasting Menu and Wine Pairing
Hey Hounders. The wifey is taking me out this Saturday for my birthday so we're looking for the best tasting menu and wine pairing that L.A. has to offer... that is as long as the cost does not exceed $75 a person. I'm really open to any genre of cuisine; I just want some nice attention to detail and some unique wine pairings. Thanks for the help!
Umami Burger, does hipster cred excuse terrible service?
you will deny yourself a truly delectable and unique burger. don't do this to yourself! it's almost criminal!!! okay enough drama. take a bottle of wine to distrct you and simply ignore any bad service and/or embrace any good service. it is worth it
Umami Burger, does hipster cred excuse terrible service?
while hipster burger it may certainly be it is the dang tastiest burger I've managed to find in the L.A., rather any, area. does the scrum-diddilly-dumptionsness of the burger excuse poor service? depends on my mood. the hollywood location is definitely a more pleasant experience in terms of service but the sound of the second hand ticking away after ordering still grows quite loud. my solution: I only go in off hours. if i go to the La Brea location I bring a nice bottle of wine or a sixer of craft brew and happily wait.
Can I roast a duck Zuni-style?
Thanks for the feedback. I want to use the duck fat immediately and a chilled fat separation wont work. I know I could skim the fat with a spoon but that seems tedious. My goal is to use the rendered fat to roast potatoes as a side.
Best Burgers in Los Angeles
Just tried Bill's in Van Nuys and while the burger did not claim the best burger status in my world, it was a tasty burger. Definitely in-n-out style, perhaps better than in-n-out. Make sure to get the double though cause the patty is quite thin.
Can I roast a duck Zuni-style?
Question for y'all. How do you steam over water and also use the precious rendered fat if it drips into the water? Does anybody have any suggestions on how best to save the fat or does it separate easily enough from the water?
Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog
Thank you! Portillos for sure!!! Don't forget Cupid's in the Valley also.
Studio City to Encino: Monthly meeting/eating place?
See this previous post: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/613804
