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Local Faves: Thai Taste

March 6th, 2010

Okay: when I’m craving Pad Thai, I mean really craving it, I need to know that what I get will satisfy the craving. There are lots of places in town that make a Pad Thai of some description but most seem to fall short.  The concoctions I’ve found around town are often too sweet or too fishy, and sometimes, not spicy enough!

Thai Taste makes a Pad Thai that is right close to perfection for me. Just enough garlic and spiciness, a spot-on noodle-to-peanuts ratio, and plenty of sprouts and green onions.  I also like mine HOT. Not “Native Thai,” burn your face off hot, but close to it.

Thai Taste has recently come under new management, so the menu has changed a bit, but their Pad Thai is the business. It’s the kind of dish that tastes so good you have to remind yourself that there are at LEAST three servings in the styrofoam container and you really shouldn’t eat the whole thing stop eating it and put the rest in the fridge just put it in the fridge!

Tonight, I ate my Pad Thai accompanied by a Blue Moon Seasonal beer, “Rising Moon,” a delectable mix of Blue Moon flavor plus kaffir lime leaves and lime peel. It was an insanely perfect compliment to the Thai food.

Overall, a lovely dinner.  And I’m glad to be blogging about food again.

Find Thai Taste on Google Maps

Local Faves: Tandoor

February 15th, 2010

So I’ve told you all about our dear friend Nasir up in Clarksville.  On Valentine’s Day, Evan and I were planning on laying low, sharing a bottle of wine, maybe throwing a steak under the broiler. However, mid-afternoon, we got a call from Nasir, inviting us up for dinner. He’d changed his menu a bit, he said, and wanted us to have at it. We were only too eager to make the drive up.

There’s no good way to really describe everything, except for the fact that the food quality is amazing.  Roast meats, decadent sauces, fresh baked bread…all of it was excellent.  My favorite? Roast goat shanks, complete with plenty of marrow: yum yum yum!

The meal was phenomenal. Pictures are worth more than words.

Find Tandoor Indian Bistro on Google Maps
www.tandoorclarksville.com

Thank you for holding…

February 12th, 2010

…Please continue to hold as your attention is very important to me.

I haven’t been blogging, but I sure have been eating.  Hoping to get back at this soon.  In the last several (has it really been four?) months, I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family, eaten some amazing food, been to Mexico and played around in the kitchen.

One of the toughest things is reminding myself to take pictures of the food while eating or cooking.  As my husband photographer Evan Baines can tell you, people don’t like to be photographed while they’re eating.  And I know that it drives people crazy when I whip out the camera to snap a photo of their plates so I find that I don’t do it very often to save others grief.

Might be helpful if I asked permission or briefed them on the car ride to the restaurant, though.  I should be more considerate.

See you soon.  Happy eating.

In the Fridge: Duke’s

November 25th, 2009

Usually, people you meet fall into two categories: those who like mayonnaise and those who don’t. I am in the like-it camp. Like it a lot. But only one kind: Duke’s.

Duke’s is hard to find in some parts of the country: I have only ever seen it in my native South and am loathe to locate it north of the Mason-Dixon, though I see from their Web site that their reach is wider than just that. My family has always purchased this brand and it’s the only kind we eat. Ask my mother or my grandmother, Nannie, if they could eat for a week with a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs and a jar of Duke’s and they would most certainly say “well, duh: you’ve just described my menu every July for as long as I can remember.”

Now that I’m more of a foodie and have tried different kinds, I attribute the affinity for this particular brand not just too tradition but to its lack of sweetness: Duke’s is sugar-free.  And while that’s great for those who can’t have a lot of sugar (meanwhile those same people probably shouldn’t be eating a ton of mayo either) it makes for better transparency in foods prepared with it.  You don’t have to worry about your tuna melt having any weird unnatural sweetness or your deviled eggs being wonky.  The salty, vinegary flavor is predictable and, dare I say it, familiar.

So yes, Duke’s mayonnaise is one thing that is always in the fridge. I don’t really make that many sandwiches at home but this time of year, there’s a big jar of the stuff in there, waiting to be added to turkey sandwiches, casseroles, dips, you name it.

Deviled eggs are always the star of Thanksgiving around these parts and the first things to disappear off the buffet.  I whipped some together tonight and I think they’d make my Nannie very proud.

Nannie’s Deviled Eggs

1. Place 6 eggs in saucepan and cover with cold water.  Add 1/2 tsp. of salt to the water.
2. Bring water to a boil, stirring eggs gently “to make sure the yolk is centered.”
3. Just as water is coming to a full boil, remove pot completely from heat and cover with a tight fitting lid (overcooking will make the surface of the yolks an ugly greenish color).
4. Set your timer for 15 minutes and go about your business, leaving the eggs in the pot with the lid on.
5. After 15 minutes, empty the hot water from the pot into the sink and rinse the eggs in cold water until they are cool to the touch.  I also suggest adding ice cubes to the water and letting the eggs chill for a few minutes: the idea of all that rinsing is to shock the eggs and stop them from cooking.  Eggs that are an even, cool temperature throughout will peel more easily.
6. Once the eggs are cool, crack them gently on the countertop and peel.  Rinse off any excess shell.
7. Half the eggs lengthwise and remove the yolk, place whites on a plate.
8. Mash together the yolks with about 1/2 cup Duke’s mayo.  Whip together with a fork until desired consistency is reached: if mixture looks dry, add more Duke’s! Just before finishing, add cracked pepper and salt to taste.
9. Using a small spoon, scoop the mixture into the egg white cups that stand waiting.
10. If serving right away, tap a little paprika over each egg.  If waiting up to 12 hours, wait to do this until just before serving: that’s why the ones in the picture don’t have any: they’re for tomorrow!  Paprika that sits on the eggs too long will discolor the lovely yellow yolk color.

Simple, tasty, perfect: Nannie never did cotton to using relish or anything like that in her deviled eggs, but you certainly can do that if you like. Some people add pickle juice, too, which can be…interesting…but I prefer simplicity.

Cast down the Hellmann’s!  The Miracle Whip is not miraculous at all!  Get you some Duke’s and all will be well…or at least delicious.

www.dukesmayo.com

Local Faves: Samurai Sushi

November 24th, 2009

It doesn’t look like much from the outside: just a hole-in-the-wall sushi place. A big sign declares OPEN (or not) and there’s a line out the door (or not), but the quality and taste can’t be beat: it’s some of the best sushi I’ve had anywhere, even counting our trip out to San Francisco where we ate at Sebo (that was freakin’ amazing but it’s hard to get things like fluke and butterfish in a landlocked state).

Since we are in a landlocked state, our sushi options are few and far between. Well, perhaps that isn’t accurate: there are sushi options but you just don’t know if you can trust them. Sad-looking “California Rolls” found on Chinese buffets, quite frankly, scare me a bit. Wait: so does being at a Chinese buffet.

Moving on.

A good friend of mine from work (thanks, Julie Z.) took me to Samurai for the first time and in my mind, there is no other sushi place in Nashville.  Yan Choo and his team of sushi chefs make amazing rolls and nigiri, as well as serving up some very tasty miso soup and salads. The rice here is always consistent and delicious (a problem I’ve seen at some would-be “good” sushi places: crunchy rice-middles) and the cuts of fish are generous and skillful, the textures excellent.

My favorites are the spicy scallop (a mix of chopped scallop, chilis, salmon roe and green onion) or the hamachi (yellowtail), and The Playboy Roll, shrimp tempura with avocado, spicy tuna, spicy mayo and crunchies on top.  Husband always goes for the unagi (freshwater eel) and tamago (egg omelette). Purists who don’t go for saucy fusion rolls will be happy with the sashimi or nigiri: and there are more traditional rolls here, too: Rainbow Rolls and simple California Rolls are consistently delicious.

Not to be missed.

Find Samurai Sushi on Google Maps

Don’t You Eat No Wimpy Sub

November 20th, 2009

I am a sub snob. I hate a wimpy sandwich: fresh bread, meats sliced while I watch, and don’t try to skimp on the veggies. So I think sure, if I had to eat a Subway sandwich everyday for like, two years, I would lose weight just like Jared: I would dread mealtimes and therefore eat less.

So no, you can’t eat an Italian sub on wheat with all the trimmings every day of the week, but if I had to pick a sub to eat (and could deal with the 200+ pounds I would gain from this practice), it would be a Lenny’s sub. They make their Italian subs with provolone cheese, ham, prosciutto, capicola, and Genoa salami. And oh man: there may not be bacon on this thing but there’s plenty of pork.

The toppings are tasty and fresh and the crew at the Lenny’s near me knows that it’s either an Italian day or a Turkey Club day for me.  Lettuce, tomatoes, sometimes onions (depends on my mood), then oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, oregano and mayo.

Sorry, I just started drooling a little bit.

Find a Lenny’s Subs near you: www.lennys.com

Local Faves: Joey’s House of Pizza

November 17th, 2009

My husband Evan grew up in New Jersey and as a Jersey boy, he never knew “bad pizza.” Pizza Hut and Dominos were necessary evils spawned of the nation’s desire for carb delivery on demand, but the places that really cleaned up and lasted in his hometown of Red Bank, NJ were “good pizza places.” Quite simply, “bad pizza places” couldn’t survive in a community comprised of pizza connoisseurs.

That sentence would have been better if I was talking about calzones (”community comprised of calzone connoisseurs”) but alas, we’re talkin’ about pizza.

Anyway: I was born and raised in the South, never lived above the Mason-Dixon, and grew up eating all manner of different kinds of pizza (none of it, according to Husband was “good”).  Pizza Hut, Pizza Inn, Domino’s, Little Caesar’s, and the dreaded Cici’s pizza buffet were all on the roster.  And oh, woe unto ye if you mention Cici’s with a tone of anything but disdain in our household: Husband will let you have it.

So as long as we’ve been together (almost 6.5 years), we have lived in the South, a place with a nearly palpable deficit of “good pizza” anywhere to be found.  We’ve tried the odd place here in Nashville only to find establishments putting up a valiant effort but not quite hitting the mark.

Enter Joey’s House of Pizza in Brentwood.

It was as if the stars and gods and what have you all teamed up to bring “good pizza” to the Nashville area, and by proxy my dear husband.  The Macca family (lead by The Joey) bustle behind the counter and huge wall of ovens, taking orders, tossing dough, laughing and shouting around mealtimes.  The pizza slices are mammoth, with cheese and all the toppings you can dream up available on demand by the slice.  You can also get Italian dishes like chicken parmesan or lasagne, as well as salad and (mmmm) tiramisu.

Joey’s enjoys huge crowds at lunch (it’s situated in a strip mall near to a few dozen office buildings in Brentwood), and from the moment they open at 11 to around 2pm they are slammed.  But don’t think you can go late to miss the crowds: you might miss out on your favorite pizza roll!  Dinner time is considerably lighter, but don’t wait too late: they’re only open until 6:30 Monday through Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday, they stay open a little later (until 8:30pm) but no dice on the weekends: they’re closed.

It’s well worth braving the crowd at lunch if you’re close, or if you have time in the evening to call in a pizza order and pick it up.

I highly recommend The White Pizza or a Chicken Parm Roll (strips of chicken parmesan wrapped in pizza dough and baked), and their cheese slices can’t be beat.

Find Joey’s House of Pizza on Google Maps
www.joeyshouseofpizza.com

A Rare Treat: Homemade Indian

November 16th, 2009

We’ve been friends with Nasir Hakeem (owner of Tandoor in Clarksville, TN) for several years now.  When we lived in Clarksville a few years ago, eating at his restaurant was a bright spot in our week almost every week.  It was a great place to take friends and a great place to wind down. We’ve eaten at lots of Indian places in our lives (from London, England to Portland, Oregon and lots of places in between) and his food is some of the highest quality and most flavorful stuff I’ve ever had.

Nasir and his wife are always so warm and friendly that we love just hanging out at the restaurant with them but it was a unexpected and awesome when they invited us over for a home-cooked meal. In his home, Nasir is totally in his element, throwing ingredients into pots, cooking and laughing with us and his beautiful children and wife while we sat facing the stovetop of the long kitchen bar.

Our menu was to die. Prawn Vindaloo to start (and which was so delicious I forgot to even take a picture): spicy and herby with potatoes and perfectly cooked prawns.  Followed by Chicken Pasanda, Evan’s absolute favorite, a rich saucy curry with nuts and yogurt.  Then Chicken Malai, my personal favorite, chicken in coconut milk with spices, cooked in an oven and topped with pistachios, almonds and raisins.

Lastly, Nasir served us something that we’d never had at the restaurant. He said it was his mother’s recipe and the name of it translated to Chicken “with Standing Spices,” meaning that the spices were not ground but were rather added whole into the pot.  So there were whole cloves, whole cardamom pods, whole fenugreek leaves…it was hot and a little sour and wonderfully flavorful.  The chicken in this dish was also cooked with the bones left in and was very tender.

In truth, the food quality that Nasir serves in his own home to guests is totally comparable to what you get at his restaurant: identifiable cuts of meat and freshly prepared spice mixes and sauces and the cornerstones of what he does. He shuns microwaves and pre-cooking anything.  Throughout the meal we talked about how awesome it would be if he could expand and open a place in Nashville with him responding with something along the lines of “…but think how fat you would be!”

We felt completely spoiled: everything was wonderful.  Before we left we took a ride on the couch swing in his living room.  I have to get me one of those things.

You can visit Nasir at his restaurant in Clarkville, TN.  If you’re lucky, maybe one day he’ll invite you over for dinner, too!

Find Tandoor Indian Bistro on Google Maps
www.tandoorclarksville.com

Recipe: Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

November 14th, 2009

This is a weekend kind of meal because it needs a lot of time to cook properly; it’s not something you can rush.  Short ribs are stringy and chewy if you don’t cook them long enough, but they are buttery and succulent when done right.  But in saying that, don’t let me scare you:it’s not hard to make these at all, just time consuming.  Short ribs are very forgiving as well as inexpensive: it’s dang near impossible to screw them up and if you do manage to, well, it didn’t cost you much.

I am braising these in red wine but you can braise in any liquid, even water: just depends on what you want things to taste like. I’ve tried several varieties of wines and beers, Lapsang Souchong tea that had just been brewed (lemme tell you, caffeinated beef is somethin’ else!), as well as stocks of various varieties.  For this recipe, we’re going with a bottle of red wine that was corked that I have been saving in the fridge.

Corked wine makes EXCELLENT cooking wine.  So does wine you open that doesn’t agree with you for whatever reason.  Don’t pour it down the drain!  Save it and use it later.  You’ll thank me and so will your wallet.

When buying short ribs, look for ribs with good marbling and minimal chunks of fat that you will just have to cut out anyway: fat is all part of the weight, so look for a package that has the most edible chunks.  I like to start short ribs a day ahead of time by salting them.  That’s all it sounds like: season them on all sides with some kosher salt and throw ‘em back in the fridge.  Then, 24 hours later, you’re ready to go.

Ingredients

• 4 short ribs
• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 small onions
• 1 cup carrots
• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2-3 cups red wine
• 3 ounces of slab bacon (optional)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions Part 1

1. Like I’ve said before, salt the short ribs a day ahead of time, trimming them of any excess fat in the process.  Keep in mind that short ribs are a little fatty and that a lot of this fat will be cooked to such a degree that it will almost disappear.
2. Preaheat your oven to 300°F. That’s right: not super hot. Remember, you’re cooking this for about 3 hours!
3. Cut your carrot, fennel and one of the onions into large chunks.  Cut the other onion into a smaller dice.  The smaller bits of onion will cook down more easily and disappear into the liquid of the braise.
4. When you’re done with all your prep, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil on medium-high in a large oven-safe stockpot (should be big enough to fit into your oven, too: don’t go usin’ a lobster pot on me).
5. Brown the short ribs on all sides, turning with tongs, then remove from the pot.
6. Add onion first, stirring to coat evenly in any remaining olive oil.  When the onions are fragrant, add the fennel, carrot and herbs and stir together.
7. Turn off the heat on the burner and nestle your short ribs in among the vegetables in the pot.  Make sure they are not touching.
8. Season with salt and pepper, then pour over your wine until the liquid comes a 1/2 of the way up on the meat.  You want things to be touching the liquid but not submerged!
9. Make sure the herbs are pressed into the liquid and, if using the slab bacon, submerge it in the middle of the pot into the liquid.
10. Cover your pot and slide into the oven, set your timer for three hours and go take a nap.

I’d like to take a second here to talk about the bacon I just threw in.  You don’t have to do that but I, however, am a bacon lover extraordinaire.  I also really like more complex flavor profiles in my food.  When you have two different kinds of meat in a dish, it gives it an amazing layered quality.  The slab of bacon will cook slowly, along with the meat, offering its flavor but also its aroma, making things that much richer.

And it’s not like it costs you any time or that much extra money, right?  I mean you always have slab bacon in your fridge, right?  Wait, what?  You don’t?  Oh heavens, now I know what I’m posting for my next In The Fridge installment.

Anyway, back to it.

Directions Part 2

1. The timer has gone off and your house should be full of an absolutely heavenly aroma.  If you are in an apartment building, your neighbors will be completely dissatisfied with whatever they were planning on making for dinner for themselves and wishing you had invited them over.  And hey, maybe you can: there are four short-ribs in the pot.  You don’t have to eat them all, you know.
2. Remove the stockpot from the oven carefully and uncover.
3. You can do a few things now:
   A) If you want to make a heavenly sauce to go with these, you can ladle off some of the liquid in the pot to a sauce pan and reduce the heck out of it.
   B) If you just want to dig in, pair these with some of those dirty mashed potatoes like I made the other night.
   C) If you’re looking for a quick side dish, you can also use a slotted spoon and dig out some of those carrots and serve them alongside everything: they should be awesome by now, too.

This is an amazing plate of food. The meat will literally fall off the bone, no knife required at all.  Mm!

The best part of a yummy dinner: yummy leftovers!

November 12th, 2009

Those broiled steak sandwiches left me with 3-4 ounces of steak left over and a few onions. Now I’m enjoying the best steak salad ever for lunch.  Yes, today I do not have to eat chips for lunch: I remembered to bring something from home.

I’ve heard meals of this nature called “Kitchen Sink Salads” and I suppose that’s relatively accurate: take whatever you have in the fridge that’s still edible, throw in on top of some fresh greens and toss with a little dressing.  Heck, if the stuff that’s leftover is juicy, dressing may not even be necessary.

I sliced the steak thin, cut the onions into manageable bites and tossed with a little baby arugula and green goddess dressing.  Mmm!

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