Steamed Fish w/ peppered Sesame Oil

I decided to head to Chinatown on Sunday to start my grocery shopping. I needed some basics that I had long run out of and some nice cheap fresh fruit. I usually frequent the food stalls on Mott Street, mostly because the quality of fruits and veggies is pretty decent, plus the fact that there are quite a few seafood purveyors on the block. What this means is that there is always some nice fresh fish waiting to be taken home.

I'll admit that most of the time I don't know what I am buying. I just point at whatever is swimming and looking healthy. My recipe more or less stays the same. Its pretty much the way my mom preps almost any white fish.



1 whole fish. The fresher the better. Descaled, head on!
2tbpn minced garlic
2tspn minced ginger
sesame oil

Clean the fish. They'll descale it at the market, but I usually make sure that they didn't miss any. There's nothing worse that a bite of fish with scales.

Cut a few slits on both side of the fish. Set the fish on a heat proof plate. Rub the ginger and garlic around the fish.

Add water to a large pan or wok. Place the plate onto a trivet. Steam the fish for 8-10 minutes.

As the fish is about to finish cooking, heat up some sesame oil. Make it hot. When ready, take the plate of fish out of the pan and pour the hot oil over the fish. Serve immediately. You can actually add chopped green onions over the fish before you pour the oil. This time I decided to add some dried pepperish flakes to my oil.

I don't think this recipe has ever failed me. It definitely didn't Sunday night.

Rice and Beans

My 'breakfast' last night was eaten at dinner. Overall it turned out good, especially for my first time making this. I've only recently (within the last year and half) started liking beans. I love it because it requires little effort, even though total prep/cooking time is long. But it smells wonderful as it cooks and when the foreplay is finally over, you can dig right in.



1/2lb dried black beans, soaked overnight
2cups water, for soaking beans
2cups water, for cooking beans
1 medium tomato, skin removed, chopped
4 strips bacon, chopped
2tsp finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlick, minced
2 bay leaves
2tsp paprika
1tsp cayenne
1tsp chili powder
1tsp olive oil
kosher salt to taste

Serves 2-3

Soak the beans overnight. Combine all the ingredients in a pot (minus salt). Bring all the contents to a boil and simmer for ~3 hours or until liquid has evaporated and beans are tender. Salt to taste. Make rice. In a bowl, add beans with rice and a little vinegar. Eat.

Very simple. The bacon adds so much to the dish and removes the need to add salt. Everything else sort of just melts together to create this wonderful aroma and taste. I sort of also wished I had some japanese picked radish as it would have been the perfect compliment to this dish.

Guilty Pleasures: Instant Noodles

Last night, after a long bus ride from Boston back to NYC, I needed something comforting to eat. Something easy to make. And what else fits that descrition than a bowl of Top Ramen. For me, it really is a childhood comfort (like mac and cheese).

Growing up, it was always a treat to make some ramen for myself. It was easy. It tasted good. I didn't know any better. During my college years, when I ate it our of neccessity, I learned how to throw away the MSG packets and make it a tastier treat. When it comes down to it, anything you do to ramen, you can do to other staple asian carbs. You can replace it with rice or even better noodles, for the same price. But what you can't replicate is the texture of those noodles. Its that texture that brings me back to my childhood and that's always a good feeling.

What I love about this preperation is that I always end up with extra Japanese curry, which I end up eating with rice (another comfort food I enjoy). Adding parmeson to curry helps add an extra layer of creaminess. The grilled tomato is amazing in this dish. It adds a degree of freshness to a heavy dish, plus a little acidity and sweetness (from the burnt kosher salt). And who doesn't love a poached egg on top of anything.

Ramen with Japanese Curry; onions, grilled tomato, & poached egg

2 packages of Top Ramen
1 4.1 oz packet S&B Golden Curry Hot or any instant curry
1 handful Parmeson rinds (optional)
1 small onion halved and sliced
1 large tomato cut into 1 inch slices
1 large egg
2 handfuls grated Parmeson
3 cups water
1 tbsp hot oil
Butter
Kosher salt


Start off by melting some butter in a wok. Add the onions and cook until they became translucent. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the curry paste(cut into small cubes) and some parmeson rinds(optional). Stir until paste breaks down and sauce becomes thick. Turn down the heat, keeping the curry at a simmer. At this point start working on the rest of the dish while keeping an eye on the curry, stirring occassionally.

Start a 2 pots of boiling water. one for the ramen and another to poach an egg.

Melt some butter in a pan. Cut a tomato into 3 large slices. Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on a flat side. Cook the tomato on the pan until you get a slight burn. Turn off the heat in the pan. Let the tomato rest.

Cook the ramen without the MSG packet. Drain. Mix in a little hot oil (pepper flakes soaked in oil). This will add some flavor to the noodles, while keeping them from clumping together.

Put the noodles in a bowl. Add some grated parm on top of the noodles. Pour some of the curry over the noodles and add more grated parm on top. Add the 'grilled' tomato. Poach the egg and add on top.

Eat.