Restaurant Week Boston -- Toro!

Restaurant Week Boston 2009.

One of my favorite weeks of the year. This year, a group of us re-visited Ken Oringer's Toro in the South End of Boston, just as we did last year for Restaurant Week.

Toro is an amazing, but tiny, tapas restaurant in the South End neighborhood of Boston that was recently named as the best place to live in Boston for food. Amidst the beautiful brownstownes and brick sidewalks are tiny, cozy restaurants with character and amazing food.

Ken Oringer is a Boston restauranteur and award-winning chef (James Beard 2001 Best Northeast Chef winner!) who has opened some of the most acclaimed and delicious restaurants in Boston: Clio (contemporary French-American), Uni (sashimi bar), KO Prime (steakhouse), affordably-priced La Verdad (taqueria near Fenway Park). He's even been on Iron Chef America!

(photo credit: www.starchefs.com)

For a mere $33.09 per person, we were able to each get one pincho (basically, an appetizer), and 20 tapas for 8 people. Believe me, we were plenty full by the end.


They had very tasty mixed drinks, and an exclusively Spanish wine list. The sangria (which I did not partake in) was reported to be delicious!


My pincho was Queso Mahon -- marinated cow's milk cheese from Menorca. It came with toothpicks (which is the rough translation of a pincho), and was very tasty.


Some of the other pinchos people ordered were Pan con Tomate (a classic), and Datiles con Jamon (serrano ham wrapped dates!!).

In the tradiational small-plates style of eating, we shared everything. We had the Atun Crudo, which is a non-traditional tapa, and is yellowfin tuna with citrus and soy, garnished with beansprouts. Being a big fan of sushi and sashimi, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!


We also had Anna's Empanadas -- chicken and potato empanadas with aji roja and aioli. Deep-fried to a golden crunch, these were tasty little bites of heaven.


We also enjoyed some vegetable selections, including Escalivada Catalana -- marinated wood roasted eggpland, onions, peppers, and tomato with sherry vinegar and olive oil. The eggplant was mushy and very tasty.


There are several items for which I do not have actual descriptions from the menu (the one on the website must not be updated). But we also had some delicious baby clams in a broth that was fit for sopping up with crusty bread, or just drinking straight.


We also had some deliciously crispy and fatty duck that had a nice sweetness with an Asian flair. Yum.


There was also a deliciously tender and fatty braised short rib, which just fell apart under the knife. Just the way braised short ribs should be!


We also had a shrimp dish that was probably cooked in a saffron cream, although I'm not certain. Either way, it was delicious, and perfectly cooked. Who likes overcooked rubbery shrimp?


Oh... finally, and certainly not least... the piece de resistance, "La Especialidad de la Casa" as they say on the menu... the very famous Maiz Asado con Aioli y Queso Cotija. This is the one dish every review for Toro will discuss. This is the dish that is the most memorable, the most messy, and possibly the most delicious. It's grilled corn on the cob that is just smothered, drowning in a rich creamy cheesy buttery herby sauce that gets all over your fingers and in between your teeth, and you need a wetnap afterwards. Then, with all the leftover sauce, you just eat it up with some nice crusty bread. Oh, I will dream of this corn... dream and dream until I meet it again. Soon, I hope.


Some of the other dishes we had were Croquetas de Bacalao (traditional salt cod fritters with lemon rings), Coliflor a la Plancha (cauliflower a la plancha, pimenton de la vera), Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes with aioli and spicy tomato sauce), Garbanzos con Chorizo (chickpeas with chorizo, spinach, and hard boiled egg), and Hamburguesas de Kobe (mini burgers with smoked tomato, aioli, and pickled red onion).

If you are in Boston, I highly recommend Toro for a night of tapas you won't soon forget. And be sure to get more than one order of the corn... and save some for me!

Wishlist

I am so new at this. New at photography. New at blogging. Sort of new at cooking. Not new at eating (I've been good at that since I was a kid!).

As I read other food blogs, I realize there are some AMAZING food bloggers out there. Particularly, some bloggers have amazing and creative recipes, some bloggers are very talented writers, and some bloggers are truly talented photographers.

I always wonder, "How do they get their photos so vibrant, so focused, so beautiful?" Allen at EatingOutLoud recently posted a great recipe, and at the end of the post, showed a rare behind-the-scenes look at his photography "studio." He also has a link to his favorite photography items in his store. What insight he has provided for a novice photographer like me!

Here's what is on my photography wishlist:
1. Lowell E1-92 Ego Two Light Set (I realize one of my biggest problems is LIGHTING)


2. Accessory Power Series Tripod with 3-way Panhead


3. Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash



And while we're on the topic of wishlists, here is what's on my wishlist for new kitchen items/gadgets/tools:
1. Cast-iron pan for searing, even baking things like cornbread


2. Le Creuset Oval French Oven, for braising things in the oven


3. All-Clad Stainless Steel Slow Cooker, for those long busy days with little time to cook


4. Food processor, for endless options!!!


5. KitchenAid Stand Mixer, for baking, even making dough for bread or pizza!


6. Cuisinart Immersion Hand Blender, for easily blending soups to a smooth consistency


7. Silpat Baking Mats, for multiple uses!


8. Electric thermometer, so I can cook meat in the oven at just the right done-ness!


BUT, there is one thing that was on my wishlist, which D surprised me with the other day:

SHAM WOW!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so in all honesty, they do NOT work the way the commercial makes it seem. But that darn infomercial host, Vince, is so convincing (haha, get it?). Anyway, I am using them to dry the counters in the kitchen, and even put clean, wet dishes on instead of a dish towel. So far, I am pleased, even if they don't work as advertised.

(all photos from amazon.com)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love cookies. Any cookies. When I came across this recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies by wine blogger Catie, I just knew they would be wonderful. Even though pumpkin is traditionally an autumn flavor, I love it so much I'll use it any time of year!


Some people prefer thin crispy cookies... other people prefer soft chewy cookies. These definitely fall in the latter category. In fact, they are almost cake-y and muffin-like. So much so, that after having baked these a few times, I think I will try them as muffins next time!


The recipe is straightforward and easy. Here are the ingredients you'll need:


The original recipe calls for shortening, but I chose to use butter. I started by mixing the butter and sugar together (I don't have an electric mixer or a stand mixer, so I did this with a whisk by hand!). Once they were fully incorporated and the mixture was fluffy, I added the pumpkin and egg. I mixed thoroughly until everything was combined.


I then combined all the dry ingredients, and added it to the wet mixture. I mixed this together thoroughly with a rubber spatula, until all the flour was dissolved.


I then added the chocolate chips. Admittedly, I added almost twice the amount the recipe calls for (what can I say?). I was using pretty good chocolate chips, so I figured more is better! I also added the vanilla here.


You will find that the cookie dough looks and feels more like batter at this point. If you want, you can put the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes or so. This isn't a necessary step, but it might make the dough easier to handle. I dropped the dough onto baking sheets, and put them in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes. I let the baking sheet sit for a minute outside the oven before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.

You will love these cookies!! They are so moist, and the pumpkin flavor is subtle, but adds an interesting flair to a basic chocolate chip cookie. I could eat a dozen of these in one sitting. Bad idea, but I definitely could do it!


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used almost 2 cups!)

Directions:
1. Beat or whisk butter and sugar together until fluffy.
2. Add egg and pumpkin. Mix thoroughly.
3. Combine flour and next four ingredients, and add to pumpkin mixture.
4. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets.
6. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
7. Let set a minute before removing from cookie sheet to cool.
8. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk!

Attempt at Korean #2: Dolsot Bibimbap

So here is my second attempt at cooking Korean food. This time had better results than the last time making soondooboo jigae. My mom gave me a dolsot, or a stone pot, which gets really hot and is perfect for getting that crispy almost-burnt rice on the bottom.

Dolsot bibimbap is one of the most basic and classic Korean dishes. It's probably the most commonly ordered food at Korean restaurants by people who don't know much about Korean food, because it's pretty benign -- just rice, veggies, and meat mixed around. In fact, that's what bibimbap basically means -- mixed rice. Us Koreans, we keep things simple and straightforward!

I didn't have a recipe to go by, so I just reached deep into my Korean core and allowed my cultural instincts shine through. Ok, not really... but I think it turned out alright! As an overview, you have to prepare each individual ingredient (vegetable or meat) separately, then combine them all later. This is probably the only annoying part about making this dish.

The first step was to put the dolsot in a hot oven (I set mine to 400F, pretty arbitrary) for maybe 15 minutes or so, while I was preparing the ingredients. I used frozen spinach, carrot, zucchini, bean sprouts, bulgogi (Korean-marinated beef), and a fried egg. The key is to julienne the carrot and zucchini, or roughly in matchsticks. If you have a mandolin, I recommend using it for this dish, it will save you a lot of time!


I cooked the spinach in the microwave... you can certainly use fresh spinach, but I find frozen works just fine for this dish.


I made a very simple marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced garlic. I essentially coated each set of vegetables separately in the marinade, and cooked each in a small frying pan individually. After each was cooked, I placed them on a plate in a neat pile, separate from the other vegetables.


As for the bulgogi, I used some inexpensive eye round steaks, which I put in the freezer for a bit before slicing it into thin pieces (makes it much easier to slice). I marinated the beef with sliced onion, scallion, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and a little bit of sugar. I cooked the beef in a pan until browned.


I next took the dolsot out of the oven (carefully!), and onto the stovetop on medium-low heat. I brushed some sesame oil along the inside of the pot, then added some cooked white rice. I pressed it down into the bottom/sides to ensure crispness.


I then just added each set of cooked vegetables and meat, arranging them in an organized circular fashion. I fried an egg (and broke the yolk accidentally), and added that on top. After letting this go on the stovetop for maybe 10 minutes, I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top, and added a dollop of gochujang (Korean hot chili paste). Then I mixed it around, scraping the bottom of the crispy rice (my fave part!!), until everything was incorporated. YUM!


You could certainly make adjustments as you see fit -- use chicken or tofu instead of beef, add shitake mushrooms, etc. It's a great dish to make with produce you want to get rid of in the fridge at the end of the week. And if you don't have a dolsot, you can make the same dish in a regular bowl. Just don't put a regular bowl in the oven or on the stovetop, obviously!

Dolsot Bibimbap
serves 1

Ingredients (all approximate):
dolsot, or stone pot
1 cup cooked white rice
1/2 carrot
1/4 zucchini
small handful bean sprouts
1/4 cup cooked spinach
minced garlic
1 egg
1 onion
2 scallions
1 lb eye round steak (or other cut of beef, or even chicken/tofu)
soy sauce
sesame oil
salt & pepper
sugar
sesame seeds
gochujang (Korean hot chili paste)

Directions for bulgogi (ahead of time... this makes a lot, good for future meals):
1. Put beef in freezer for 15 minutes or so. This will make it easier to slice.
2. Slice the beef as thinly as possible.
3. Slice the onion, and cut the scallions into 2" pieces.
4. In a large bowl or dish, add about 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sesame oil, several cloves of minced garlic, 1 Tbsp sugar, salt and pepper.
5. Add the beef, onions, and scallions to the marinade and stir to ensure everything is evenly coated.
6. Cover and put in refrigerator for at least a few hours, or overnight. The longer you leave it, the better it will get!

Directions for bibimbap:
1. Place dolsot in 400F oven.
2. Julienne the zucchini and carrot.
3. Heat a small skillet with a bit of vegetable oil To a bowl, add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 clove minced garlic. Add the julienned zucchini. Cook the zucchini in the skillet, leaving the marinade in the bowl. When zucchini is tender, remove from pan and set aside on a plate.
4. Add the carrot to the bowl, then cook in the skillet, leaving the marinade in the bowl. Remove from pan and set aside on same plate, in a separate pile. Repeat this with the bean sprouts and spinach.
5. Cook the desired amount of bulgogi/onion/scallion in a hot skillet. Add this to the plate with the vegetables.
6. Carefully take the dolsot out of the oven, and put on the stovetop, over medium heat.
7. Add about 1 tsp of sesame oil in the dolsot. Use a brush to spread the oil around the inside of the dolsot.
8. Add 1 cup of cooked white rice, and press the rice down.
9. Add the vegetables and bulgogi, one item at a time, arranging them on top of the rice in an organized fashion.
10. Crack an egg into a heated skillet, taking care not to keep the yolk intact. Add the egg to the dolsot.
11. After about 10 minutes, remove the dolsot from the heat. Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Add a tablespoon or so of gochujang (according to your desired level of spice).
12. Mix thoroughly, scraping the crispy rice from the bottom, and enjoy!

Cooking with the crew

[Note: these photos are not the best food photos, I was not initially planning to blog about this dinner, but the camera came out and we got a few snaps.]

Not the best presentation, but you get the idea... also, my brother prefers his steaks on the well-done side, hence the steak sans pink center.

On our last night in California, we decided to celebrate my brother's 32nd birthday with a home-cooked dinner. When asked what he would like for his birthday dinner, he replied simply, "Steak." Easy enough, I thought. So, I bought a big ol' flank steak to pop on the grill, something that would be easy to feed a group of 6. I bought a pre-mixed spice rub from Whole Foods (I cheated!), and slapped it on the steak before grilling.

I had a big pot of polenta bubbling away on the stove, made primarily with water, but also with a quart of whole milk. I added a generous amount of salt and pepper, and then about a cup of shredded cheese (parmesan/fontina/asiago... again, a pre-mixed, pre-shredded blend from Whole Foods). The polenta was salty, creamy, cheesy, and thick. Yum! And a reminder to myself: polenta expands... three cups of dry polenta makes a LOTTTTT of cooked polenta. Didn't intend on 25lbs of polenta leftovers.


I also roasted some brussel sprouts, which are one of my favorite vegetables. Growing up in a Korean household, I always wondered why my American friends complained about brussel sprouts. I had no idea what they were, what they looked like, or tasted like. Now that I've discovered them, I can't get enough! I blanched them in water briefly, then sliced them in half. Blanching them takes some of that bitterness out. I laid them in a single layer on a baking dish with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted them until they got golden, soft, and caramelized. I don't know what my childhood American friends were talking about!!


My lovely sister (who has her own great blog) wanted to chip in and make an appetizer for the group while the dinner was cooking away. As an aside, let's just say my sister is not particularly proficient in the kitchen, and more often than not, the smoke alarm will go off, or some other near-disaster will occur. But, I give her credit for trying!!

She was making kimchi-jeon, which is basically a savory Korean pancake made with kimchi, onion, flour, and water. She made them one by one in a pan, gently cooked them on each side, and they all came out beautifully golden brown.


All but....

Oops, looks like she left this one on the stove for a big too long. Pat on the back for effort, sister!

And finally, dessert!!! My friends, Rena and Mike, were so great to bring an amazing dessert from Opera Patisserie in San Diego. Not only were they so kind to bring it, Rena even went after-hours to their sketchy warehouse because the retail store was already closed!! Thankfully, she got out of there in one piece, and with a delicious Chocolate Raspberry Crumble Tart... a decadently rich and sweet tart with raspberries, and an awesome cookie crumble topping. It was fabulous!!


Don't you just want to devour it whole??

Anyway, I think everyone enjoyed the birthday dinner.... I certainly enjoyed cooking it! Happy Birthday, brother!

Dolcissimo!

While out in California, D and I drove to Pomona/Chino Hills to visit my best friend who is in osteopathic medical school. After dinner, we went to this fantastic cupcake shop in Chino Hills called Dolcissimo! And boy does this place live up to it's name!! The cupcakes are sweeter than sweet and so memorably wonderful. (sorry about the poor quality pic).


I had the red velvet cupcake, which for some reason is always my favorite even though I know it's just a basic cocoa cupcake with a crap ton of red food coloring. This particular cupcake was first of all absolutely beautiful. They are made by hand, but they are all so uniformly perfect, you would think a machine decorated them!


I have had cupcakes before that look pretty but aren't moist enough, or don't have the right flavor. But this cupcake... oh, this cupcake... I can confidently say it is the best cupcake I have EVER had. EVER! It was so incredibly moist, but didn't fall apart as I bit into it. The icing was so delightfully creamy and soft and sweet and buttery, and just the right amount too. Oh the memories!! If only I could re-live that moment...

If you are anywhere remotely near Chino Hills, I highly recommend you try these cupcakes. I hope I'm not hyping them up too much, but I devoured mine, and I wanted another one but resisted. They were about $3 each, and they also came in mini-cupcakes that were equally as beautiful (and tasty, I'm sure).

Dreaming of red velvet...

Gordon Ramsay is a jerk... but his food is good.

This will be a posting of all words, no pictures... because I have no pictures (couldn't bring the SLR into a nice restaurant...)

While in L.A., D and I went to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in the London Hotel in West Hollywood. This hotel is a small boutique hotel, with a relatively hidden entrance/driveway, in a non-commercial non-descript (albeit affluent) area. After we valeted the car, we walked into the opulent lobby, only to run into P. Diddy walking out of the lobby! Yes, Puff Daddy! Sean Combs! He is much shorter in person than you would think, and he wasn't with an entourage. Way to be low-key, P. Diddy.

Anyway, we had an amazing server who was British (D thinks he was faking the accent, maybe an aspiring/starving actor) and very charming. The restaurant suggests ordering the dishes to share, so we got quite a few between the two of us...

First, the dressed king crab, avocado and cucumber, basil puree, and paddle fish caviar. Fantastic combination of flavors and textures. Cool, refreshing, and they were not stingy with the caviar!

Next, the tiger prawn ravioli, creamy fennel puree, deep fried basil, and a light lobster bisque. It was basically one huge ravioli, sitting in a bit of the bisque. This was delightfully seafoody and salty, and the prawns in the ravioli were huge!

Next, the special: lobster risotto. Two of my favorite things, combined in one perfectly creamy dish. After seeing Gordon Ramsay freak out over the risotto being cooked perfectly on Hell's Kitchen, I was expecting greatness. My expectations were met and exceeded! It was a delicious risotto with a lovely lobster flavor.

Next, pressed foie gras with fresh black truffle, braeburn apple, and Pedro Ximenez reduction. I really love foie gras, and truffle, so I was expecting this to be the highlight of the evening. But, I was somewhat disappointed. The foie gras and black truffle were served terrine style, pressed and raw. Both foie gras and black truffle have independently strong flavors, and I found them way too overpowering in combination. Sadly, I did not enjoy this one.

Next, the braised Japanese eel, scallions and deep fried ginger with sushi rice. This was good, but it did not taste any different than eel you would get in unaju (eel over rice) at a basic sushi restaurant. Perhaps this was not worth the price.

Finally, the steamed sea bass with roasted langoustine, paddle fish caviar, and basil sauce. This was pretty forgettable and not particularly special.

Dessert -- the special was an apple tart tatin, which was quite good! Except the pie crust was a bit overcooked, almost burnt. Otherwise, a good dessert.

I really wish I had pictures to share, but I only have words and memories. Overall, I enjoyed the dinner and the atmosphere, and the service (and of course, the company), but I'm unsure if I would recommend it to you as a must-eat restaurant. If you ever eat there, let me know what you think!