The Pie-Crust Chronicles

Posted on June 8, 2008 by chatty

The rowing club had their second “meet & greet” brunch on Saturday. Since I did muffins last time, I decided this time I should bring a protein. Makes most sense, as we are a bunch of athletes coming in from practice, hungry for carbs & protein, not just carbs. So, the decision was made weeks ago to make a quiche.

No problem, I thought. A month earlier I purchased a frozen, ready-made pie crusts from Trader Joe’s. So Friday evening I stopped at the MM and up your standard quiche ingredients.

I took the pie crust out of the freezer and at that point realized, this wasn’t pie crust in a pie plate. It was the kind you have to thaw and then unfold and put into your own pie crust. Um. Okay. At least one hour to thaw. A bit of a damper but it won’t stop me from doing this. So, I just prepped all of the ingredients while the pie crust thaws. It’ll be baking a little bit later than I would have preferred, but it’s gotta happen.

An hour later, I unfold the pie crust and see that it is broken into 4 quarters. Um. Great. It’s 8:45 p.m. and I have no pie crust.

I’ve got the ingredients. I could make one from scatch. How long could that possibly take?

At this point in the story, I’d like to take a few seconds to remind everyone of my previous pie-crust making experience. Remember the New Year’s apple pie? Yeah. Haven’t attempted since, despite receiving this kick-ass pies and tarts cookbook from the MIL.

So, I start a pie crust from scratch. And it’s going unbelievably well. Until I blind bake the damn thing:

What the hell is that? That’s what happens when you blind bake a pie crust without a) weighting it down with beans and b) don’t prick the pastry shell. It’s also wise to make sure it’s chilled, but I think a) and b) are the important tips.

I had switched recipes, from Great Pies & Tarts to Better Homes & Gardens and let me tell you, big mistake. At this point, it’s is 9:30 in the evening. I’m supposed to be at practice at 6 the next morning. I tell the husband of my woes and he is so kind. He comes downstairs and cleans the kitchen. He tastes the disastrous pie crust and thinks it tastes great. He doesn’t make fun of me, too much.

The next morning, at 5:30, I go back to MM before practice and pick up an already made quiche, Spinach/Feta/Wild Mushroom. It does not go unnoticed that this whole quiche is exactly seven dollars and one cent cheaper than the amount I spent on ingredients the evening before.

The quiche from MM was ok. Not delightful, but certainly served the purpose as a protein for a post-workout meal. It disappears quickly, especially since it’s the only protein on the table.

Later on in the day, I was still kicking myself for not getting that pie crust right. Since I still had all of the ingredients for an awesome Quiche Lorraine, at 2 PM I set out to do it again. Made-from-scratch crust and all.

Four hours later, success! I made the crust, chilled it for over an hour (recipe suggests 30 minutes minimum). I blind-baked it, covered in tin foil with beans weighting it down. And I pricked the shell. And I let it chill (again) beforehand.

As for taste … I’ve gotta say, the quiche was frikkin good. The crust was buttery, flaky and baked to a T. Very impressed with the recipe that the MIL recommended. Not something I could make on a regular basis (2 sticks of butter. That’s right. Two), but at least now the pie crust no longer owns me.

As for the quiche … tons o’ swiss cheese. I added some provolone to give it a different twang as well. Lightly seasoned with nutmeg, and even used 2% milk instead of the standard whole. I also used a nice thick alderwood-smoked bacon. And everyone knows, bacon makes everything taste good. This quiche was far superior than the ready-made one I had purchased earlier (if you don’t mind me saying).

It also passed the “morning-after” test. Tasted just as good the next day, cold right out of the fridge.

Ta-da!

India Bistro

Posted on June 1, 2008 by chatty

To end my seven-day stretch of Indian-food cravings, the husband and I went to India Bistro last night for dinner. The fine owners recently added a Roosevelt location (in addition to their popular Ballard establishment). I’m a bit nervous for them, as I’ve seen at least three different restaurants open and close at that location (in a small plaza on 65th, but sort of hidden on the ‘bottom’ floor). However, if any restaurant can stay open there, it’s got to be something like India Bistro, that already has found success in another pocket of the city.

I forgot the camera, of course, so I swiped these photos from the IB Web site.

First of all, we were dressed quite casually, and although this is Seattle and EVERYONE dresses casually, all the time, even to the Opera, it was a little bit unsettling at first because the restaurant really gave the impression that it was fine-dining. We were the only guests in the place when we arrived, so it was hard to gauge what it’s really like by the other customer’s dress. Rest assured, it’s as comfortable and relaxed as the Ballard restaurant and we should leave those silly concerns to rest.

BTW, we are early eaters. We’re like senior-citizens early. We eat early for a number of reasons. In fact, we really try to avoid eating after 7PM. Gives you time to digest, gives us time to walk our pooch, and often times you’re actually able to get a seat pretty easily at nice (and even not as nice) places because you’re willing to eat out when it’s still light out. One of the interesting things I learned from a friend is that early eaters like us are always seated by a window, so that passersby will see the window seats filled with diners and hopefully this will encourage them to dine there as well.

Anyway. We started with vegetable samosas (just like Bina used to make!), then settled on the Seafood Trio, one of their “signature dishes”; Saag Paneer (a favorite of mine which I nearly always order … I should branch out more but it’s hard); rice and Keema Naan on the side; and two Mango Lassis.

The waitress asked how sweet we wanted our Mango Lassis. I looked at her quizzically.
-Well, some guests asked that they not be so sweet. So now I try to cater to your preferences.”
-Oh, I want mine sweet, all right.
-Yeah, me too, says the husband. He normally gets the King Fisher but settled and enjoyed the lassi alongside me. Mmmm. Mango…

The samosas were also presented to us almost immediately, filled with spicy potatoes and peas. A crispy outer shell and a warm, mushy filling was the type of samosa I really craved (not the puff pastry turnover I made last week). Terrific.

The Seafood Trio included King salmon; scallops and nice, big prawns, grilled tandoori style, and (heavily) dressed in a rich and tangy citrus sauce. At times, a little too tangy for my taste. The prawns were quite impressive, the salmon and scallops perhaps had too much dressing for me to enjoy it entirely.

The Saag Paneer was as expected, creamy pureed spinach and that lovely paneer cheese, full of those familiar Indian spices. Sprinkled atop was some fresh cilantro, much to the husband’s dismay. I don’t remember cilantro being part of this dish before, however it put a damper on things for the husband, a bonafide cilantro-hater. Well… more leftovers for me.

I know there are a dozen Indian restaurants closer to us. Just walk down the Ave. in the U-District and I’m bound to bump into one without even trying. But it’s so much easier to go just a little bit farther and know what you’re going to get (ok, the cilantro was a surprise but now we know). We grabbed the to-go menu on the way out … I’m sure we’ll be back.

Lime Biryani

Posted on May 25, 2008 by chatty

This one is from Women’s Health Magazine. I often find that trying recipes from fitness magazines can be hit or miss. While the recipes strive to be nutritious and healthy, they often fall in taste and/or flavor. This dish, part of the June 2008 issue’s “Summer Salad” spread, was pretty good. Lime Biryani is full of different textures … quinoa, raisins, carrots, chick peas, and toasted almonds, combined with curry seasoning and fresh lime juice and zest. Fun to make (and not too taxing, though I did have to lug the ol Cuisanart out to get the carrots just so). Also, it keeps, and tastes great the next day.

The best part, of course, is that for once, the photo actually matches (more or less) what they showed me in the magazine. Hurrah!

the recipe

Quinoa, btw, is quite interesting to work with. Cooks much much quicker than brown rice (15 minutes), and has so many more healthy benefits to it than plain white rice. The texture is also interesting … sorta pops in your mouth.

Leftovers

Posted on May 11, 2008 by chatty

One night we had a rotisseire chicken and with the leftovers I made a simple chicken salad. Eggless mayo (some day, I can tell you how it came about that we have eggless mayo in our refridgerator), celery, grapes and of course chicken chunks. I used a leftover flour tortilla (the husband had prepared quesadillas a few nights earlier), and served it with some leftover brown rice on the side. It’s always nice to go the extra step and enjoy leftovers with a slight twist.

yum

Health kick

Posted on May 11, 2008 by chatty

The household is on a health kick (at least during the work week). The husband has been cutting down on carbs and upping the salad/vegetable ante. I’m still eating some carbs, but not as much as before. Here are a couple of Japanese-inspired meals that we had this week.

First, marinated seared tuna, alongside some California rolls. The Calif rolls were store-bought, but the tuna is a husband specialty:

A nice, light dinner is all you need, though many of us are accustomed to having a heavy meal late in the day.

Here, the husband whipped up the remaining buckwheat soba noodles we had in the house, and combined it with some stir fry vegetables. It was simply cooked in chicken broth. Again, nice a simple.

Tyler Florence Classic

Posted on April 28, 2008 by chatty

Picture this. January 2003. Winter in Chicago, my second quarter in graduate school. Living in a tiny studio, with a cruddy Internet connection. With freezing cold winter days and the husband (at that point, the fiance) in a different time zone, it is no wonder that my best friend was cable television (as seen through a 13-inch VCR/TV Combo). Winter 2003 is when I discovered the Food Network. My favorite show, the one I taped if I was at school, and watched every day, sometimes twice a day, was Food 911 with Tyler Florence. This recipe, from an episode when he was helping some housewife learn how to cook with tofu, became a staple when I was in school. This, and a chick pea/tomato/spinach curry dish over rice. Hmm. I’ll have to re-create that one at some point, too.

Panko-breaded tofu, pan-fried, served atop soba noodles in a spicy ginger soup. In this instance I used buckwheat noodles, but you get the idea. The soup is a hot and sour type of broth, made with a mixture of soy, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, sambal sauce and thinly sliced ginger coins.

BTW, it was in grad school that I also loved watching reruns of NYPD Blue. I watched five or more seasons of the show throughout the spring/summer (LOVED not having class until 1PM!)

moo-shoe pork

Posted on April 17, 2008 by chatty

Here is the card Max gave me for the birthday (inside it reads ‘have a porkfect birthday’ or something like that:

No doubt this is what inspired my decision for what we should eat on the birthday, mu shu pork and chinese broccoli.

Yes, it’s true. We spent the special evening eating take-out Chinese food and watching “NCIS” reruns. I just love that show.

Oink.

Birthday Dinner, part 2

Posted on April 13, 2008 by chatty

And it’s not even my birthday yet! (here is part one)

So here is the deal with the pie. Every year on the husband’s birthday, the husband’s mother bakes him a banana cream pie. Nothing fancy. Literally it is the same pie recipe she’s been making for him for the past 30+ years. It very well might have come from an issue of Redbook or the back of a Jello Pudding package. And the husband wouldn’t have it any other way. Within the last couple of years my birthday also made it to the “birthday pie” list. Now I get a pie on my birthday! Or the day before, which is fine by me. This is coconut cream pie (recipe from Martha, according to the MIL). A coconut filling layered beneath fresh whipped cream. Toasted coconut and shaved chocolate to top it off. Plus, a homemade crust that looks like a REAL crust (unlike some crusts I’ve known). Plus plus, I also received the pie plate that the pie arrived in as a gift. Beautiful stoneware from Crate & Barrel.

And, because we couldn’t just have pie for early dinner/late lunch/whatever it is you have when you eat at 2:30 in the afternoon, the husband made one of his (and my) favorite dishes that he pulls out for guests: gnocchi al romano. Rich cheeses, eggs and milk, magically/scientifically combined with semolina flour then baked/broiled to perfection. The 16 words I just used to describe the dish doesn’t do the actual cooking process any justice. Just keep in mind that on more than one occasion, when cooking this dish, has the husband hurled out expletives and thrown a few pans around the kitchen. It’s intense. But the results are sooo good. In the background of the photo below you can see the ragu bolognese sharing the plate, another specialty he’s prepared on occasion (the pics of the bolognese didn’t come out, but picture this).

San Diego Dinner

Posted on April 12, 2008 by chatty

Yeah, so I’m kind of going backwards on the posting. Here is another meal from San Diego. Team meals are super fun for me. We stay in a hotel that has a kitchenette in each room, which is pretty crucial as we are all careful with what we are eating during a race weekend. We are a couple of blocks from a major supermarket, and we tend to go there once or twice a day. For dinner we gather in a hotel room/cottage/outdoor patio/etc. and we all bring something to the party. On the first night my hotel-mates and I made pasta salad to go along with the chicken we were barbecuing. (Sorry, no pic)

The next night was pasta night. “Jody, you’re cooking tonight” was the command from a certain rower, much to Jody’s surprise. As a Seattle firefighter she has the experience of cooking for large numbers. It was just pasta, but a lot of pasta.

At Jody’s request we went to the store bought and some supermarket-style brownies. These were extra-special because they were topped with chocolate icing. My teammates got into the spirit of this food blog I’ve been keeping and recommended that we “plate” this next one special.

Click here to see the lucky coxswain who got to take a bite. I suggested she replace the existing strawberry with a clean one, but she refused. Crazy girl.

Let me apologize again for the fuzzy pics. The lighting in the room was nil and I really dislike the look of the flash (see pasta pic above). I have to figure that one out. If you have tips/suggestions, please let me know.

Mom’s Home-Cooking

Posted on April 12, 2008 by chatty

Since I was mute for a week, I find myself on a posting roll tonight. It helps that I took a two-hour nap this afternoon and now am wide awake with nothing better to do.

My parents met me in San Diego on race day and drove me back to their home in San Gabriel (about 12 miles east of LA; a 2+ hour drive from San Diego). That evening we had dinner at my cousin’s new house in South Pasadena, but Mom was the chef. She prepared a few dishes in her apartment kitchen, we stopped at Sam Woo’s BBQ to pick up some Ginger Chicken, then one of my cousin’s prepared a chinese-style chicken soup.

Considering the state I was in when I arrived (not just tired, but depressed, you can read all about it here), and after trying to watch my food intake for so long (in addition to what I was eating, how much I was eating), this was the kind of comfort food I needed, though I didn’t know it until I was stuffed to the gills, yet still trying to wash down one more slice of watermelon.

Here is (most) of the meal. At some point I put the camera away because I was too darn busy eating …

Tomato Tofu Soup.

Spicy mustard greens (A bit too spicy for my taste. My cousins and parents had an at-length conversation about whether this was a spicy dish or not. 5 out of 6 said not spicy. 5 out of 6 were nuts. It was spicy.)

Ginger Chicken from Sam Woo’s. A take-out staple. Sorry for the fuzziness, but you get the idea.

This next dish was surprisingly my favorite. My mom used to always make her scrambled eggs WAY too salty. It was pretty gross (sorry, Mom). In this dish, eggs and scallions, she added crunchy radishes. I’m not sure how the radishes were prepared (like the chinese-style pickled ones that come in a jar, though it wasn’t that pickled tasting. Just the texture was similar). And, she toned down on the salt. I kept coming back to this one. She told me she’d tell me what was in it, but she never did. That’s her style.

Again, sorry for the fuzzy pics. Don’t know what was wrong with me this day.

What, you were expecting something different when I said “Mom’s home-cooking” and “comfort food”? Maybe you pictured creamy mac and cheese, or a tuna casserole? Well, we’re Chinese for crying out loud.

And, by the way. We don’t do Kung Pao. We don’t do Sweet n Sour. We do this. And we do it very well.

Chatty Cha

dessert first

Category Archives: dinner