golden
[ˈɡōldən]
colored or shining like gold
(of a period) very happy & fulfillment
afternoon
[ˌaftərˈno͞on]
time from noon to lunchtime to evening
“there’s a wealth of happiness & romance,
all in the golden afternoon”
- Walt Disney Records, 1951
As I sit here & think about what to write…I’m at a loss.
A loss of words that express my confusion, frustration, exhaustion of my body, mind & soul.
With the current affairs, it’s been difficult trying to motivate myself to write for my blog. I’m chalking it up to my lifelong inexperience & inability to keep a journal. Other blog writers always seem to know what to say & how to say it. Me…I’ve never really been good with words. But here we go…what’s been happening lately?
We (southern California residents) are in week 9 of quarantine 2020 and I’ve finally able to bring myself to put pen to paper. Yes, all my posts start with me kicking it old school. It’s a meditative process. I’ve gone through the stages of Q2020:
vigilance + optimism
Take every precaution with a “WE CAN DO IT!” attitudecheerleader mentality
”Keep Going!” rah-rah-rahloss of faith [in humanity] - this stage unfortunately came very early for me
What is wrong with people??anger at the world
why…WHY?!?pit of despair
f*ck this sh!tclimbing up [then falling down]
Look! There’s still good in the world!!
and then…these a$$holesacceptance of the inevitable
ok…2 more months…for the good of all
**I’m sure there are many more stages but these were the most memorable to me**
A bit dark? You have no…well, actually you do.
But…
Wait for it…
The beginning of week 9 marked two very special days of celebration in my family. May 10, 2020 - in the midst of all this crazy - my mom’s birthday & Mother’s Day! For several days, as I was planning a meal for my mom, a song kept popping into my head. “All in the Golden Afternoon” from Walt Disney’s animated film Alice in Wonderland. For the first time in weeks, I was excited. I was going to visit my parents, cook a meal & hang out in (let’s be honest…pillage) their garden of blooming vegetables, fruit & flowers. I looked forward to our golden afternoon celebrating my beautiful momma.
While thinking about what to cook for the woman who always loves me, taught me (still teaches me) to be open to everything, kind & strong, has so much patience for this wild child & is my guiding light in everything I do, my team came across a southern Californian native team that supplies fresh caught, sustainable seafood to consumers & premier restaurants all along the west coast - get their information at end credits of post. And their main specialty catch…sea urchin (uni)…my mom’s favorite!! This was an opportunity for me to share with her in the experience of preparing & enjoying fresh caught LIVE uni and I couldn’t wait to see her face! Along with the uni, we decided to get live rock crab (females - for the yummy eggs) and finish off with another of my mom’s favorites, guava mimosa.
Creamy (Golden) Uni Pappardelle Pasta
Only the best for my mama…for fresh homemade pasta!
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
pinch of kosher salt
2 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) - I love the flavor so I add more than just 1 tbsp and it helps out later with the elasticity of the pasta
On a clean, sturdy work surface, turn out flour and salt and make a large well in the middle with your hands. It’s going to be messy so make sure it’s a LARGE well…if you think it’s too big, then it’s just right!
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and olive oil together in a medium bowl until combined, then pour the mixture into the well.
Using the same fork, whisk the eggs, slowly incorporating more and more flour into the eggs by moving your fork along the edges of the well.
Once almost all of the flour is incorporated, start bringing the dough together with your hands. (The dough should be malleable, but not sticky--add more flour if the dough is sticking too much to your hands or the surface. Alternatively, if it’s too dry and tough, whisk another egg with 1 tablespoon of water and use your hand to sprinkle some of the mixture over the dough, continuing to do so until the dough is easier to knead.)
Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. When you poke the dough, it should spring back.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the dough does not spring back when poked.
Unwrap the dough and cut into 8 equal pieces so that it’s easier to work with. Take 1 piece and wrap the rest in the plastic wrap so that they don’t dry out.
I used a pasta rolling machine to help speed up the process. If you would like to do it by hand, lightly flour your work surface, and begin rolling out the piece of dough into one long piece. Then, fold the top third down, and the bottom third over that, like a letter. Rotate the dough 90˚ and roll the piece back into a long shape. This helps form a more even rectangular shape and makes the dough a little bit easier to work with.
Continue using the rolling machine or rolling out the dough by hand until it is very thin. When you lift the dough, you should be able to see your hands through it.
Fold the top and bottom of the rectangle to meet in the middle, then fold over again--this will make the dough easier to cut. Cut the dough to your ideal shape. Loosen or unravel the cut dough immediately, so it doesn’t stick, sprinkle with a bit of extra flour, or semolina, if using. Let the pasta sit out for about 30 minutes to dry out slightly.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir to ensure it doesn’t clump. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or 30 seconds to 1 minute after the pasta comes to the surface (fresh pasta will cook much faster than dried pasta!)
Take out a noodle and taste for doneness. Once cooked to your liking, remove the pasta from the water, being sure to save at least 1 cup (240 ML) of the pasta cooking water.
For the creamy uni sauce:
Sea Urchin (Uni) - as much as your heart desires but save a few good, plump ones for a topping to the finished pasta dish
**the shell has a similar texture as a sand dollar. You can cut into the shell with kitchen scissors or a knife - either down the middle or flat across the top. I found it was easier cutting it down the middle which will expose the uni more for better access while scooping out with a spoon. Cutting across the top allows you to get a nicer picture of the uni fully in the shell and a cool bowl after it’s cleaned out. However, it’s more time & effort.**
1/4 cup of butter (half stick)
shallots (chopped)
lemon juice
white wine
heavy cream
masago (roe or fish eggs) - again, as much as you want. I like to add it to give a bit more texture to the sauce and as a topping
cayenne pepper powder
salt + black pepper
nori (seaweed)
In a skillet on medium/high heat, add & melt butter.
When you see the butter starting to foam, add chopped shallots and let it sweat a bit. Add wine, dash of cayenne pepper powder & lemon juice. Let simmer and reduce until shallots are translucent.
Add heavy cream and let it simmer for approx. 3-5 minutes. Season with black pepper.
In a bowl, add sea urchin (not the ones saved for topping) & masago. Pour the cream mix into the bowl.
Using an immersion blender until smooth and homogenized. Season with salt & pepper as you prefer.
Add cooked pasta into skillet and pour uni sauce on top. Stir until all the pasta is coated, add some of the reserved pasta water if needed to add a bit of body and silkiness to the sauce.
Plate & top with extra sea urchin, masago & nori.
Enjoy
take a look at my mom’s reaction in images below when she first saw her surprise ingredient!!
Love her reaction…she’s so cute.
Steamed Rock Crab (bibimbap)
Rock Crab - fresh caught female crabs approx. 1 lbs. each
1 can/bottle of beer - we used what we had which was Red Stripe - any lager will do but it’s all to your preference
1/2 can of 7-UP - it’s odd but it helps take away the fishy smell and gives it an extra airy sweetness to the meat
cooked white rice
kimchi, with juices (chopped)
sesame oil
nori
Rinse crabs under cold running water. Clean all sides with a brush - be careful of the pincher, especially if they’re fresh & live…feisty little buggers = yummy yummy!!
Place (belly side up - so you don’t lose all the yummy juices) into a tall pot with a folding steamer basket. Add the beer & 7-UP to the pot. The folding steamer basket will keep the crab from being submerged into the liquids thus preserving the juices.
Steam on high heat for approx. 15-20 minutes or until bright reddish orange.
Serve and enjoy. Be sure to remove the head shell off the body & legs/claws. This is where all the eggs & juices are and will be used for the bibimbap afterwards.
Once you’ve gotten your fill of the crab meat, combine crab eggs & some of the juices with the white rice, chopped kimchi & sesame oil. Add more juice as you mix - it can get super salty. Mix thoroughly with a spoon and enjoy!!
Guava Mimosa
guava juice, chilled - store bought or fresh
champagne, chilled
Pour the guava juice in a champagne flute/glass and top with champagne. Serve and enjoy! Phew…lots of work on this one and so much reward~
depending on the ratio, you will get a beautiful shades of pink - see below images!!
Mom’s birthday + Mother’s Day 2020 was an experience we will always remember. The challenge of cutting into a live sea urchin, the delicious food, the best company…all in a time of COVID-19 & quarantine. I love you, Mom. Thank you for being so amazing and I hope you know that you are appreciated everyday!!
Thank you to Santa Barbara based Stephanie Mutz & Harry Liqournik @ Sea Stephanie Fish for diving & offering your amazing catch to locals like myself even during this crazy time. I will be ordering from you again very soon. You can find them & place an order at www.seastephaniefish.com or follow the @seastephaniefish on IG. Follow on IG to get updates on the catch of the week and when the store is open for ordering each week. Go to their website to find more information on delivery & pickup locations in Southern California.
A special shout out to my team, Teri & RJ, for your support, editing & being my taste testers at any moment notice.
Onward, fellow foodies, to our next culinary(-ist) adventure,
theCULINARY·IST