It’s hard to believe it has almost been a year since the twins graduated from college! It feels like it was just a couple of weeks ago we were making our mad dash from Nashville to Houston to make both graduations! And yet I know it has been a while because I miss both cities and feel like I should be planning a trip back to each one. I might just have to do that.
A friend asked me for dining recommendations in Nashville. Looking back I realize I missed a couple of spots that were definite favorites on our visits to the Music City.
Stroll down Broadway both during the day and the night. It’s the tale of two cities. Noisy, honky-tonk vibe by night, historic walking friendly district by day. During the day, take a stroll on the riverfront, visit Ryman Auditorium or the Johnny Cash Museum. By night, enjoy live music and shenanigans at the many bars on the street. It’s lively and a lot of fun.
Close to Vandy, you would invariably find us stopping at these 3 places at least once during a trip. Friendly, noisy, always a good time.
I headed out to Minneapolis last weekend to see my girl. MISSED her so much I dropped everything I was doing, hopped on a plane and got out there. Really, what a good mom…through wet and snow and chilly temps, I went to visit my girl.
Did I mention she had tickets to Ali Wong?
Not a factor AT ALL. Nope, not at all.
I am still laughing a week later. She was HILARIOUS. For those wondering who is Ali Wong? She is a comedian, writes for Fresh Off the Boat, and has a couple of Netflix specials under her belt. A little rude, sometimes crude (ok, more than sometimes) but so damn funny. Ironic she is from the Bay Area but I went all the way to Minneapolis to see her, go figure.
I arrived in the afternoon so I had a couple of hours to kill before Jamie got home from work. Luckily, Minneapolis is a very easy city to get around. I took the light rail from the airport to Jamie’s house, 20 minutes to the US Bank Stadium which is right across the street from her AND less than 3 dollars for the ride!
How did I fill the hours pre and post Ali Wong? Lucky for me the weather was warm and balmy on the Minneapolis winter scale, about 30 degrees, perfect. I raided Jamie’s fridge, found a delicious chicken and mushroom soup and then headed out to walk the neighborhood.
If you ever get the chance to visit Minneapolis. Go. It’s a great city, very walkable, great art, awesome food, and a friendly Midwest vibe. A five-minute walk from her apartment took me to the river path and the Mill City Museum. My favorite for all things flour.
Worked up an appetite on my walk (just an excuse) and as soon as Jamie arrived home, we headed out for dinner.
Spoon and Stable, walking distance, delicious food. We started with a cheese plate (of course) and ended with dessert. In between? Squid Ink Pasta, Grilled Octopus, Creamed Spinach with those infamous Cheese Curds-I’m in dairy heaven…needless to say, we decided we needed to walk home too.
Ended with a delicious Buttermilk Panna Cotta.
Saturday found us hunting for a pop-up event at Lowry’s Meat Co. Two Guys, Chris and Yia, of Union Kitchen Mn, making delicious Hmong food in the Twin Cities. Today’s menu featured Khoa Poon, a Laotian bowl of comfort made with chicken, curry, coconut milk, lemongrass and a bunch of herbs-cilantro, mint, and basil. On top of the noodles sits an array of veggies-cabbage, radishes, sprouts and fried shallots. OMG, freakin’ delicious! Their second offering, Duck Pho, the slices of duck literally melted in my mouth, so good. It was so delicious I didn’t want to share with Jamie! Chris and Yia are cooking, sharing, and teaching folks all about Hmong food and culture. They’ll be “poppin up” @ #sociableciderwerks every week, check them out.
I love Minneapolis, just like Houston, it has become a melting pot of people and cultures. This is the America I envision, people from everywhere working hard, exchanging ideas, sharing their lives, food, culture, putting their unique stamp on America. I had the best bowl of pho ever and the most amazing bbq all in one day in Houston. Yep, that Houston-Houston, TEXAS. My next trip to Minneapolis we are going for Somali food. I can’t wait.
I still dream about this bowl of Khao Poon…so good.
Great Lakes = Lotsa Duck dishes. Damn good duck, that’s for sure.
Yia, one half of the Union Kitchen Team! I’m a noodle nerd groupie, what can I say. Addendum: I’m really excited for them, they are featured on Episode 3 of United Shades of America on CNN with W. Kama Bell ( I plan to watch when I get home from Japan).
Needing desperately to walk off lunch, we headed to The Minneapolis Institute of Art A wondrous exhibit “Sunken Treasures of Egypt” had us mesmerized.
This tablet stands at least 3 feet high. So impressive…until I found out it was a tax bill! Great art scene in Minneapolis, don’t miss it. Somethings stand the test of time…convoluted, BIG tax codes.
Our walk home from the Ali Wong Show gave us an excuse to cruise for food so we stopped at a Japanese joint right down the block from Jamie’s, Zen Box Izakaya. Their Kimchi Ramen is off the hook as is their grilled yellowtail collar.
Sunday morning: Study time
With a Korean language test looming on Monday when I return home, Jamie and I headed to her favorite bagel joint Rise for a breakfast bagel and coffee (lots of it) and study time.
On the way to Rise, the walk wouldn’t be complete without passing MTM. I know, many of you are thinking what? (Check it out on You-Tube) But, for those of you old enough to remember, I’m sure you are smiling right now, The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Who can turn the world on with her smile…Go, visit Minneapolis, you’ll have a great time.
Egga-licious Down Home Cooking (Steamed Egg with Shiitake Mushrooms)
There are dishes that with the first bite I am instantly transported back to the dinner table of my childhood. My dad clanging pots and pans, putting the finishing touches on our meal. Me or my brother setting the table and my mom cleaning up in my dad’s “kitchen wake” (big job, trust me). A typical meal would be corn soup, stir-fried greens with oyster sauce and ginger, soy sauce chicken from our favorite Chinese deli, and a steamed dish. The steamed dish might be minced pork patty with salted duck eggs or steamed eggs with clams. These are the dishes of my childhood, my soul food.
Asian Soul Food
So, this past month, Food 52 featured Fuscia Dunlop’s Every Grain of Rice in their cookbook club. Listed is a recipe for steamed eggs. Bam, I’m 10 years old again watching my dad cook, hoping he will give me a morsel to “taste-test”. I flipped to the page with the recipe and hmmm, honestly, her egg dish didn’t look that great. (In her defense I tried a couple of the other recipes in the book and they are delicious). It looked a bit overcooked and bubbly on the top. My dad’s steamed eggs were silky smooth and soft, kind of like silken tofu or Japanese Chawan Mushi. Both are savory custards with tidbits of shrimp, bbq pork, or clams, indescribably delicious.
Guess what, I have never made this simple, homey, delightful dish and I’m not sure why. I love it. My kids love it. My niece Marisa REALLY loves it. Hello, what was I waiting for? I reached out to my bro for tips on how to make dad’s steamed eggs, he’s smart, he makes it all the time.
There is some wiggle room to the ratio of egg to liquid in this dish. Four eggs to one and a quarter to one-half cups of water. I replaced the water with low sodium chicken stock to amp up the flavor. The TRICK to mind-boggling silky, smooth custard is to steam the eggs over very low heat. Low and slow so you don’t get bubbles or overcooked eggs.
Add-Ins
Following Fuscia’s recipe, I added shiitake mushrooms and opted for diced Chinese sausage (lop cheung) instead of ground pork. The mushrooms add a nice earthiness and the sweet & salty sausage provides both flavor and texture. My dad liked dried shrimp or bbq pork. Ham or ground chicken or pork would work well. I mixed the ‘shrooms and sausage into the egg mixture before pouring it into the bowl. Next time I will scatter them on the bottom of the steaming bowl and pour the eggs over so they don’t float to the top as much. But really, NBD it will still be delicious.
Remember LOW AND SLOW, the key to a silky, smooth, damn that’s delish, egg custard. WORD.
The dish is done when the center is just set and does not jiggle too much. Garnish with green onions (mandatory) and cilantro (optional). Heat the peanut or vegetable oil until you see wisps of smoke, then immediately pour it over the green onions. This brings out the flavor of the aromatics and gives the eggs a nice sheen. Drizzle with soy sauce and/or oyster sauce on top. Ready, set, EAT.
Get out the bowls of rice and then follow my kids’ lead. Stir the eggs into your rice so it’s all smooshed together and goopy, grab a spoon and start shoveling.
Microwave Magic
Now you can make steamed eggs in the microwave! I recently bought Cook Anyday microwave cookware and whaddya know, the microwave works well for dishes that are steamed!!!
Put your ingredients all in one bowl, zap it, bring it to the table, off chance you don’t eat it all….toss the bowl in the fridge. Truly one-bowl cooking! I cooked at 300 watts or 50% power (I have a teeny 600w microwave) for 8 minutes, or until the custard is barely set in the middle, and jiggles gently if shaken. If it’s too runny, add time at 50% power in 30-second increments. Let rest with the lid on for 1-2 minutes to let the egg gently finish steaming.
1.5cupswarm watersubstitute all or part with chicken stock. Liquid should be lukewarm
2dried shiitake mushroomssoften in warm water and diced
1lop cheung (Chinese sausage)diced, substitutions include ham, little clams, fresh or dried shrimp
2tsprice wine
1/4tspsalt
1pinch of each white pepper and sugar
Optional (for garnish)
2tbsppeanut or vegetable oil
1green onionfinely chopped
cilantrofor garnish
2teaspoonslight soy sauce
2drops toasted sesame oiloptional
2 tspoyster sauceoptional
Instructions
Heat water in a wok or large saute pan with a steamer insert. Combine eggs, water or stock, salt, rice wine, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Add mushrooms and Chinese sausage to egg mixture. Pour mixture into a shallow heatproof bowl or pyrex pie plate. Place in steamer and cover. Steam over low heat for 20-25 minutes. The eggs should look set and not jiggle in the middle but not look dry. Heat peanut oil in a small saucepan until wisps of smoke form. Garnish eggs with green onions and pour hot oil over the green onions and egg.Drizzle with soy sauce and/or oyster sauce over top.Serve immediately with rice.
MIcrowave Cook It!
Put your ingredients all in one bowl, zap it, bring it to the table, off chance you don't eat it all....toss the covered bowl in the fridge. Truly one-bowl cooking! I cooked at 300 watts or 50% power (I have a teeny 600w microwave) for 8 minutes, or until the custard is barely set in the middle, and jiggles gently if shaken. If it’s too runny, add time at 50% power in 30-second increments. Let rest with the lid on for 1-2 minutes to let the egg gently finish steaming.
Oyako Donburi Hmmm, Maybe the Chicken and the Egg Came Together?
I am soooo excited! We are adding a new category to 3Jamigos! The kids have flown the coop and are making their own way, Jeff in the City close by (yippee), Jorge in Korea teaching (so far away) and Jams currently working and freezing her tush off in Minneapolis (half of so far away). Luckily we have FaceTime, phones, texting and when that just won’t do, flights. Just an airplane ride away.
A California-Texas kinda gal, winter in Minneapolis is a new experience for Jamie. Down jackets, scarves and gloves are now a part of her wardrobe vernacular, as is staying indoors. The winter weather has her looking for activities inside to keep her busy. For Christmas, we gave her knitting needles, yarn and starter lessons from Wes on how to knit. Big hit, knitting up a storm haha.
Jamie has always loved to bake and cook. She’s a natural, and with this weather, she has been doing alot more cooking and baking.
A recent call went like this:
Mui (her nickname): Mom, can you send me your Oyako Donburi recipe? Is it easy to make?
Me: Sure. Yep, it’s pretty easy. One pan, a couple of eggs, chicken, and onions.
Mui: That sounds good, I love rice bowls and I can bring the leftovers to work.
LIGHTBULB MOMENT: Hey, why don’t we both make Oyako Donburi and then post about it? You have done spots before on 3Jamigos. We’ll alternate picking recipes to make and blog about!
THUS a new 3jamigos category was born, M&M which stands for Mom and Mui. Mui means little sister. We have been calling Jamie Mui since Day One.
Oyako Donburi is the perfect dish to launch M&M. Chicken, sliced shiitake mushrooms, onions are cooked in a savory-sweet sauce of soy sauce, sake, dashi. Lightly beaten eggs are then poured on top of the chicken and sauce and simmered until just cooked through, then the chicken and egg mixture is placed on top of hot rice. Watch your kids, hubby, neighbors, everybody gobble it up. So delicious, classic Japanese soul food.
So without further adieu, our inaugural M&M post by Jamie on making Oyako Donburi in cold & snowy Minneapolis.
HELLOOOO WORLD/readers of 3jamigos.com. It’s ME. J A M I E. Ya know, that crazy girl who moved to Minneapolis to live in -30 DEGREE WEATHER. Nope, that wasn’t a typo. It really was NEGATIVE 30 on my drive into work last week. GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL PEOPLE. (I know that doesn’t really make sense, but global warming is causing polar vortexes normally over THE NORTH POLE to break apart and dip down to lower parts of the globe). It’s so cold that you can’t stand outside with exposed skin for more than 5 minutes without getting frostbite. FROSTBITE. Schools were closed. The roads were empty. But I still had to go to work. Once I got over that, it really wasn’t bad. They are GREAT about paving and salting the roads, so it was actually a breeze getting to and from work.
BUT enough about me. Let’s talk about the fact that my mom and I decided to start a mother-daughter blog where we cook the same dish separately and talk about it, AND THE FIRST DISH WE PICKED JUST HAPPENED TO TRANSLATE TO “Parent (chicken) and child (egg).” Damn, we are GOOD, people. You couldn’t even make this stuff up. I mean, I guess you could. It would make a great lifetime/hallmark movie. Ok. Enough interruptions. Let’s get down to the food.
Okayo Donburi. The ultimate comfort food. It’s a mix of chicken and eggs (parent and child) with a sweet/salty/chickeny sauce and sautéed onions. Pour it over some rice, and all the stresses of your day melt away. The best part? It is SO easy to make.
Chop up some onions, slice some mushrooms, toss it into the pan with some chicken broth, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar, and top it off with some eggs and chicken. E A S Y and so foolproof even my mom could make it and she suuuuckkss at cooking (if you couldn’t tell). I like to add in extra mushrooms and chicken. Sometimes extra onions. Pretty much extra everything. It is that good. Mom used to make it all the time when I was little, and it was one of my favorite dishes then too. So far, I’ve made it 3 times since winter started. That’s how good it is.
So now, for lack of a better conclusion, stop reading this post and go make it. Go!
Gung hay fat choy! Happy Lunar New Year! This is the Year of the Pig and in celebration of this, I spent the last week in Hong Kong with my boys-PIGGIN’ out. It has been years since I have been in Hong Kong and with Jordan living in nearby Korea, we decided a rendezvous was in order.
I walked off the plane and took a deep breath and instantly knew I was back in Asia. The scent that wafted through the air and surrounded me immediately transported me back to my first visit to Hong Kong so many years ago. An amalgam of daily life, food, incense, years of humanity all rolled into one.
Before I regale you with our travels in Hong Kong…let me tell you about our flight. It’s been a while since I have been on a flight that lasts 14 hours. AUUUGH! I don’t care if you are in First Class, Business, or Economy…it’s a LONG time to be cooped up in a plane. I did manage to catch 40 winks, watch a couple of movies, and pick through multiple cafeteria-like meals. The highlight was a bowl of instant ramen on the last leg of our journey. By then even the K-Movie I was watching knew how I felt.
One of the meal selections was Three Cup Chicken. I knew of this classic Taiwanese dish but have never had it. This peaked my curiosity so I made a mental note to try this dish when I got home.
A day of vegging out to get over my jet lag and I was ready to hunt down the recipe for Three Cup Chicken. The first thing I noticed was, though called 3 cup chicken, most recipes did not use those proportions. Thank goodness since that is a lot of sesame oil.
I decided on a mash-up from two of my go-to blogs, The Woks of Life and No Recipes. You can use bone-in pieces like chicken wings but the next time I think I will try boneless thighs. This dish is easy to prepare and lands on the dinner table in minutes…my kind of dish.
The soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine form the braising liquid but the addition of garlic, ginger and Thai basil really sets this dish apart. No wonder it’s a classic that has stood the test of time. One recipe called for a touch of sugar, sounded good, so I included it. If you like spice, throw in 1-2 Thai chili peppers for good measure.
The aromatics are heated in oil before adding the chicken. Brown the chicken and add the braising sauce. Simmer, turning the pieces occasionally. The sauce will reduce and coat the chicken creating a deep caramel color. Can you say yum? Finish with the basil and green onions. Be generous with your basil it adds a ton of flavor to the dish.
The chicken is browned in the ginger, garlic infused oil.Isn’t that a lovely color? Serve with steamed rice and veggies. The perfect meal.So delicious. Don’t tell Cathay Pacific, but this version of 3 Cup Chicken is so much better than theirs!
Sitting in my kitchen right now finding ways to avoid cleaning the mess I made earlier in the day. Sheesh. All I needed to do was make a holiday cheese board for a friend’s open house and put the finishing touches on my goodie box for Food52’s Holiday Gift Swap. My holiday “swapee” will receive homemade treats including Jule’s Granola,Spicy Pecans, Dorie’s Candied Cocktail Nuts, a beautiful ceramic bowl made by my friend Snook, and a hand-carved wooden spoon made by my Hubby. As part of the Holiday Swap, Action Against Hunger receives a donation from each participant. Looking forward to receiving my holiday swap gift.
Music Makes the World a More Beautiful Place
Back to writing this post to avoid cleaning. To motivate myself, I turned on my holiday playlist. I LOVE Christmas music. The rule in our house is as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers are put away, I can play holiday tunes. To kick off the holiday season, we listen to A Christmas Carol by Dickens performed by Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard-Trekkies). Right after Tiny Tim says “God bless us, everyone”, the holiday music marathon begins. My iTunes Holiday list is 15 hours and 22 minutes long. Yep, love me some Christmas music.
As I was typing, a rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer started to play. It’s bittersweet, to say the least. It’s my kids, when they were little, playing the piano and singing with their piano teacher Chris. Chris was nothing short of amazing. He was talented, compassionate and so damn nice. Chris composed music and played multiple instruments. Additionally, he was a voracious reader, a fantastic photographer, and a gifted athlete. A true Renaissance man.
Life Can Be So Unfair
Sadly, a drunk driver killed Chris and his wife a few years ago. As I listened to the song I thought about the precious time my kids spent with him. Make no mistake there is not a concert pianist to be found among my kids but our lives are so much richer for having known him.
So take a listen, it brings a smile to my lips but tears to my eyes.
My Christmas To-Do List
Reach out to friends I haven’t talked to or seen in a while to let them know I am thinking of them. Set a date to get together, share a meal, go on a hike, meet for coffee, catch up, and enjoy each other’s company.
Thanks so much to all of you for following 3Jamigos. May your holidays be filled with love, joy, and lots of COOKIES.
Gettin’ Jjigae with Anthony Bourdain (Korean Army Stew)
Ok. Are you looking at the pic above and thinking WHAAAT? Hot dogs? Spam? Kimchi? VanCamps BAKED Beans? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It’s like Mom pulling things out of the fridge and the pantry to make dinner… in the 1960s. But stay with me, these are actually the building blocks for Anthony Bourdain’s version of Budae Jjigae or Army Stew. A crazy concoction created during the Korean War when food was scarce and the US Army PX was ground zero for processed foods like SPAM and hot dogs-cheap, available protein. Combined with familiar Korean ingredients, a not so healthy but totally delicious, comforting stew was born.
Anthony Bourdain’s mischevious side was in overdrive when he decided to make this dish for Anderson Cooper. He thoroughly enjoyed watching Anderson squirm as he popped open the can of SPAM, container of kimchi, hot dogs, rice cakes, plopped them in a pan and added a generous dollop of Gochujang or Korean pepper paste on top. Anchovy stock is poured over this bed of deliciousness and set to simmer for 30 minutes. A pack of INSTANT RAMEN is added at the very end. Ten minutes later Bourdain was doing a happy dance while slurping his noodles. So was an amazed Anderson. Catch the episode here, watch it, smile and remember his wicked sense of humor, his intellect and his ability to never take himself too seriously. Then go make your family a pot of Budae Jjigae to fill your tummy, warm your soul and comfort your heart.
This dish is like that bad boy you were always crazy about in high school, knew you should stay away from but just couldn’t. My favorite line in the clip is when he says to Anderson, “it seems so wrong but taste so right, like true love”. Budae Jjigae is right up my alley, processed meats, fermented vegetables, ground meats and instant ramen noodles, yum. I grew up on baloney sandwiches on white bread, Fizzies as the fruit in my lunch, Spaghetti out of a can, thanks to Chef Boyardee, and Friday night Swanson’s TV dinners. In college, I survived on instant ramen and Banquet frozen fried chicken. Those were the days.
Just before serving, place a slice of American cheese right on top so it melts and oozes all over your ramen. That literally takes it over the top. Thank you, David Chang, for that addition.
Tips for your Budae Jjigae
Use Korean instant ramen, my favorite brand, Shin Ramen. If you don’t make Budae Jjigae, at least try the instant noodles. Use the seasoning packet and up your ramen game with an egg cracked into your bowl of noodles (the soup will cook it) and topped with a Kraft single (uh-huh you all know what I am talking about, real cheese food). You end up with a pretty fine bowl of totally unhealthy but ridiculously yummy noodles. To appease your conscious add some veggies, corn, peas, kimchi or shredded lettuce.
If you can find it, use Vienna Sausages (those old enough know EXACTLY what I am talking about, mini hot dogs in a flip top can) in place of hot dogs.
Rice cakes (tokbokki) come either tubular or disc shape, either will work. You can find them at Korean markets, along with kimchi, Gochujang and pepper flakes.
In place of anchovy stock you can use Japanese dashi or broth.
Have plenty of beer on hand to wash it all down and to toast the life of Mr. Bourdain.
Gettin’ JJigae with Anthony Bourdain (Korean Army Stew)
Ingredients
1dried shiitake mushroom
4large dried anchoviesheads and guts removed, wrapped in cheesecloth
One 3 × 5-inch sheet dried edible kelp or konmbuUse Japanese dashi in place of anchovy stock
½teaspoonsea salt
12ouncesSPAMcut into ½-inch- thick slices
1½cupsNapa cabbage kimchitongbaechu drain
8ouncessliced Korean rice cakes
1white onionpeeled and thinly sliced
2scallionswhite and light green parts, thinly sliced
5garlic clovespeeled and crushed
3hot dogsthinly sliced
6-8ouncesground pork
3tablespoonssoy sauce
2tablespoonsgochujangKorean fermented chili paste
3tablespoonsmedium/fine gochugaruground Korean red pepper he uses a dash only I used about a teaspoon, he did not come close to 3 T in the video...trust me start small
3tablespoonscheongjuKorean rice wineor Chinese rice wine of Sake
3tablespoonscanned baked beans
1package ramen noodlespreferably the Korean brand Shin, seasoning packet discarded
Instructions
To make the anchovy broth, combine the mushroom, anchovies, kelp, 4 cups water, and the salt in a medium, heavy-bottom pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain and discard the solids, and set the broth aside.
Place the SPAM, kimchi, rice cakes, onion, scallions, garlic, hot dogs, and pork in small separate piles in a large shallow pot.
Add the soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, and cheongju to the pot, then slowly pour in the reserved anchovy kelp broth. Add the baked beans and 1½ cups water. Bring the contents to a steady simmer over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the ramen noodles. Ladle the broth over the noodles to help them break apart. Continue to cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the noodles are cooked through but still chewy.
I admit to being a foodie. I love to cook, I love to eat out at restaurants, I love to dissect everything I eat. When I travel I hunt out the local favorites, my philosophy, eat where the locals eat. Hot chicken in Nashville, BBQ in Austin, Tacos in Los Angeles, Lox and Bagels in NYC, my bucket list goes on and on. I drove four hours for pie for Pete’s sake. My favorite movies include Chef and Tampopo. I binge watch Japanese & Korean dramas on Netflix like Samurai Gourmet and Let’s Eat-Must See Foodie TV, and re-watch episodes of Chef’s Table over and over again.
Parts Known and Loved
Sunday evening CNN’s Parts Unknown is appointment TV for me. My foodie world was rocked last week when Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. Parts Unknown was unique. Not content with showing places through rose-colored glasses, the show found the edgy parts, counter-culture, fringe elements or disenfranchised. He didn’t shy away from talking about politics, injustice, or controversial topics. But his approach was disarming, ask the hard questions over a shared meal and drinks and be genuinely interested in the answers. His journeys strove to capture the heart and soul of each place he visited, to tell a story. My favorite episodes? Hanoi with President Obama, Koreatownand Eastside episodes in Los Angeles, Iran, and Shanghai, I traveled vicariously through his show.
When his book, Appetites came out, I eagerly snatched up a copy. I loved just flipping through it. I read, laughed and savored his storytelling and irreverence. His recipes screamed, “this is the stuff I like to eat and share with family and friends, I don’t give a shit if you like it or not” Now, I felt I had to cook out of it, my own tribute to Mr. Bourdain and personal catharsis.
I made his Roast Chicken, it just seemed like a good starting point.
The recipe is loosely written (is that code for poorly edited? You be the judge). A 2-1/2 pound chicken? I used a 4-1/2 pound chicken which worked fine. I placed the chicken on a bed of chopped carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, and celery to roast just like the photo in his book despite the fact that the recipe does not call for veggies. Does it make a difference? Don’t know, but I have a sneaking suspicion it would be fine either way.
It was simple, delicious, the perfect comfort food to soothe the soul and mend the heart.
Roast chicken by Anthony Bourdain, to soothe the soul and mend your heart.
Course comfort food, dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword anthony bourdain, roast chicken, Soul Food
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
1best-quality chickenabout 2 1/2 pounds, preferably organic (ok, my chicken was 4-1/2 pounds) where you get a 21/2 pound chicken 🤷🏻♀️
Sea salt to taste
Crushed black peppercorns to taste
4tablespoons1/2 stick unsalted butter
10sprigs fresh thyme
1fresh bay leaf
1/2lemoncut into 4 wedges
1cupdry white wine
Juice of 1 lemonabout 2 tablespoons
1 1/2cupschicken stock
1/4cupfinely chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
Rub the bird inside and out with salt and crushed peppercorns.
Stuff a 1/2-tablespoon pat of butter under the skin of each side of the breast, and under the skin of each thigh.
Stuff the thyme, bay leaf, and lemon wedges into the chicken’s cavity.
Use the tip of a paring knife to poke a small hole in the skin just below each of the chicken’s legs, and tuck each leg carefully into that hole. (You may also truss the chicken with butcher’s twine if you know how, but this is much simpler.)
Place the chicken in a flame-proof roasting pan* and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan, moving it to different parts of the oven to account for hot spots, and basting the bird two or three times with a bulb-top baster or long-handled metal spoon.
*Place chicken on a bed of chopped vegetables including carrots, onions, celery and garlic.
Reduce the oven’s heat to 300˚F and continue to roast, basting frequently, for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the bird is done: When you poke the fat part of the thigh with the paring knife, the juices should run clear.
Remove the bird from the oven, let it rest 15 minutes, then remove the breasts and legs from the carcass, reserving everything. Use a ladle to skim off and discard as much surface fat from the pan juices as possible.
Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over high heat and stir in the wine and lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge and dissolve the browned bits. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook until it is reduced by half. Stir in the stock with the wooden spoon, bring to a boil, and reduce again by half. Remove from the heat and strain this sauce through a sieve into a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is thick and glossy. Fold in the parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary.
Serve the chicken—half of the breast plus a drumstick or a thigh per person—with the sauce ladled over, and any remaining sauce in a sauceboat on the table.
I recently made a quick trip to Los Angeles to celebrate my Aunt’s birthday. I spent ten years in LA, going to school and then working before heading back to the Bay Area. Auntie Ada was my SoCal Mom and a big reason I lived in the Los Feliz-Silverlake area. Being a stone’s throw away from a warm smile and a delicious home-cooked meal was huge for a kid living away from home for the first time. I loved living in Silverlake, it reminded me a lot of San Francisco and the East Bay. Bordered by Echo Park, Griffith Park, Downtown-Chinatown, and Glendale the vibe is definitely urban, reminiscent of the funky, edgy mixed neighborhoods of Oakland present day.
With a couple of hours to kill before dinner, I decided to visit my old haunts. My first stop was Hillhurst Avenue, a little shopping area I use to frequent. My favorite shop on Hillhurst was a tiny bakery called La Conversacion. I would stop by in the morning for one of their delicious croissants, flaky buttery fresh out of the oven. Delicious. I Googled it and found they had moved to West Hollywood where they can still be found. Ahh, next trip. I stopped at Yuca’s, a tiny taco shack, one of the few places I recognized. A cute little shop on Hillhurst, Mise-En Place, was ground zero for my cookware and kitchen gadget addiction. Sadly for me but happily for the pocketbook, the store is now gone.
I headed Downtown to check out Grand Central Market. Back in my student days, the market was a place to get produce, meats and food reasonably priced. Fast forward a whole lotta years, and it has been transformed into a trendy, neon, foodie mecca. From cheap eats like Villa Moreliana, Mixed Carnitas Tacos (all things porkalicious) to Clark Street Bakery (ah-mazing avocado toast and heavenly breads) there is something to nosh on for everyone.
My favorites…
Yep, an entire avocado in each order of toast…
Do not miss the Buko Pie at Sari Sari Store a coconut pie I’m still dreaming about, fresh young coconut pieces, creamy custard, and flaky pie crust. If you haven’t tried Filipino food yet- GO, try one of their rice bowls or noodle dishes BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR THE PIE.
And the tacos at Villa Moreliana, a heaping mound of mixed carnitas (every conceivable part of a pig), steaming hot corn tortillas, salsa-your choice along with pickled onions and cilantro. FOR A MERE BUCK SEVENTY-FIVE A TACO. Go NOW to the Grand Central Market.
Head across the street from the market and climb the stairs of the historic Angel’s Flight or take the tram itself to a great view of the City of Angels.
Did I mention dinner? South Pasadena Oak Tree Inn, yep a delicious 9-course Chinese meal to finish the day.
So many places, so little time…LA I’ll be back…soon.
Yep, an entire avocado in each order of toast…
Do not miss the 
