HOLIDAY HIATUS

HOLIDAY

/ˈhäləˌdā/

  1. A day of festivity or recreation when no work is done

HIATUS

/hīˈādəs/

  1. A pause or gap in sequence, series or process

A bite of Thanksgiving

A bite of Thanksgiving

During this time of year, we’re so busy planning family time, trips & meals that we tend to forget to actually experience the moments we obsessively schedule. So with this in mind, I’ve decided to enjoy what’s left of 2018 (good riddance, really) with family & food and really be in the moment; not hiding behind a camera and making everyone wait while I get the perfect angle & lighting. But still, here are a few candid shots of family time moments.

~Sweet Food, Sweet Life~

After a few attempts, FAILS, and eventually perfecting the technique, making mini candied apple pops have been fun & therapeutic. It’s amazing watching people of all generations & cultures enjoy such a simple little treat. I got so many comments and compliments of how it reminds them of their childhood and how it helps them connect with their own children today. I ♥ food!!

**funny realization…While making these delicious treats, I felt like the evil queen of Snow White, down in my “laboratory” making apples for kids and a friend recently referred to me as the witch in Hansel & Gretel because I’m not very fond of kids. Regardless, I do love cooking for them. So in conclusion…I’m a Disney/Fairytale witch!! Dream come true…minus the killing/poisoning part…although, let’s be honest…SOMETIMES I’m tempted. MUAHahahaha~~

~Sweet+Savory Tradition~

During the time of year for traditions, my family & I are not fans of turkey…but every now and then, I want something that is reminiscent of an all American Thanksgiving meal. This year, along with everything else we made, I made a bite of Thanksgiving:

Whipped Duck Liver Mousse on Croissant Toast with Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Turkey, chicken, duck…all fair game (bird), right? See what I did there? 😊

~MaMa’s Comfort Food~

After any holiday, as does with alcohol, there’s the “hung over” day after with much needed recovery and rest. And there’s nothing better than my mama’s clam kal gook-soo (noodle) soup! I love watching her cook…watching her hands. It’s so natural for her…no instructions, no measuring. Just a pinch of, a drop of, a bit of…that’s probably why (if you’ve noticed) I don’t have precise recipes/instructions on my blog. Just suggestions. It allows room for imagination, exploration and discovery.

Added bonus, my mama’s homemade water (dong-chi-mi) kimchi…so refreshing!! Made with all home grown veggies & persimmon vinegar!! Yes, I know I’m spoiled~

~Late Night Snack~ 

For my fam, that means 8pm veggie & shrimp dumplings!!

Going back to the subject of hands…They have the magical ability to make things taste better. When dumplings (or ravioli from my previous posts) are handmade, it tastes so GOOD! As if all your heart, soul and good intentions are transferred into the food through your hands. And my mama has incredible hands. SHE, like all mothers, have all the power in her hands:

  • the power to heal & comfort

  • the power to feed

  • the power to give an EPIC ass whooping (true story~)

That’s why “mama” is not just my American term for mom/mother for her…it’s really Ma-Ma (마마) which in Korean is a way of addressing the Queen. And my mother is indeed theQUEEN!!

So let the feasting continue and I hope you enjoy every minute of the holiday…may it be the amazing foods+drinks, close friends and especially the time spent with family. Yes, if you’re anything like me and my family, there will be tears, drunken shouting, eye rolling, and the strong desperate need for therapy afterwards BUT there’s also the laughs, hugs+kisses, the re-retelling of fond memories and last but definitely not the least, FOOD!! Nothing says “I love you” like a room full of family+friends with full bellies dozing off to the sound of contented conversation and the TV.

So where ever you may be or however you are celebrating, may your lives be filled with happiness, good health, wealth and the adventure of a great meal!! Stay tuned for a new blog post in the new year. BRING IT ON 2019!! theCULINARYIST is ready~

Happy meals and onward to our next food adventure,

theCULINARY·IST

SPICE with SUGAR

SPICE

/spīs/ 

1.      an aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor food

 SUGAR

/ˈSHo͝oɡər/ 

1.       a sweet crystalline substance obtained from various plants, especially sugar cane and sugar beet, consisting essentially of sucrose, and used as a sweetener in food and drink.

2.       make more agreeable or palatable 

3.       term of endearment or an affectionate form of address

dinner is served…come and get it!!

dinner is served…come and get it!!

My favorite time of the year is HERE!!  There’s a chill in the air that requires a scarf and jacket; it even smells different~! After living in the Pacific Northwest, the South, and NYC, I always look forward to even the slightest indications of the weather changing in SoCal (Los Angeles). And food is a great way to bring on the feels of Autumn. It’s when it’s socially accepted to be a bit lazier, eat heavier foods, and pack on a few pounds…you know, for Winter survival.  

It isn’t uncommon for me to be longing for Autumn or humming holiday songs mid-summer, especially when I smell or eat something that have certain spices. Cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cloves, saffron…list goes on. SPICE with SUGAR is my way of bringing some seasonal cheer to my East Coast friends living in LA. 

MENU 

  • Roasted Corn & Jalapeño Pepper Cheddar Corn Bread

  • Pumpkin Chicken Pot Pie

  • Stuffed Steak Pinwheel – provolone cheese, prosciutto, arugula

  • Roasted Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

  • Candy Lace Apple Pop bites with an “Autumn’s Kiss”

Perfectly timed, as if by the cooking saints, I got to meet one of Francis/RJ’s east coast friend Mikee, who was forced (hopefully not too harshly) to become a taste tester for our Autumn meal. It was great to have someone who’s currently living in Boston to join in our festive meal and give us his thoughts on the season, food, friends & life.  It really is amazing how people, whatever the level of familiarity, can connect through smell & taste. And TASTE we did!! As much as I enjoyed cooking this meal, I loved eating the foods and having great conversations with new+old friends. The flavors and dishes made it feel so cozy, warm, and for a moment it made me feel like I was back living in NYC where the wind is chillier & I could almost expect snow to start quietly falling outside on this Saturday night.

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Thank you Mikee for being such a wonderful addition and hope you enjoyed the meal!! Always appreciative of Francis, RJ & Jordan for always being great hosts and fr-amily!! A special thank you to RJ for his artistic eye and beautiful photography (you can get more info at www.typeintypeout.com). 

Ever grateful to myTERI for being so supporting and encouraging on my journey to culinary happiness. 

Happy meals and onward to our next food adventure!!

theCULINARY·IST

CHEF'S TABLE

CHEF’S TABLE

/SHefs/ /ˈtābəl/

 A table located in the kitchen of a restaurant, reserved for VIPs and special guests, served a themed tasting menu prepared & served by the head chef (and support chef’s)

When I started planning our trip to Maui – exactly a year ago – I wanted to make sure we did (3) things: 

  1. RELAX – we both needed a reboot to our systems. Me to reboot my love for life & design work through my love for cooking; Teri to reboot after all the stress of buying a school & business that she absolutely loves

  2. EXPLORE – I wanted to find every nook and cranny of beautiful Maui. I know it’s ambitious and wouldn’t happen but I still did my best to get lost and find new favorite hide-a-ways. One in particular, the last time I was in Maui and drove the road to Hana, I saw a beach that I couldn’t figure out how to get to. It wasn’t crowded like other tourist spots. This time I was looking for it…any opening into the forest from the road. You could seriously blink and miss the turn but we FOUND IT!! A small dirt road that leads you to a secluded beach where we only saw about 4-5 local surfers. It was one of those places where I worried that the locals would be upset that tourists invaded their paradise oasis…so we enjoyed the cove for an acceptable amount of time and returned to the main road. If you see Big Moe’s…you’ve come too far.

  3. EAT – I mean…who wouldn’t?? And for the timid…WHY?? What better activity to do than to try and experience things you couldn’t at home? Or at least better quality of it? We did the tourist attractions and we did the local. I had the best sushi I’ve had in the US during this trip. From an old Japanese Itamae in a sushi bar that only serves 8-10 people in an unassuming strip mall in Kihei. Worth more than any bougie world known restaurant on the island! No frills, no BS, no regrets!! Omakase Ohmygod!!

Welcome sign to the magical world of culinary brilliance

Welcome sign to the magical world of culinary brilliance

An experience I happened to come across while researching was Maui Chef’s Table on the Maui Tropical Plantation property and once I found it, it was one that I just could not wait for!! As it describes on their website (www.mauichefstable.com) it’s an interactive, multi-course dining experience inspired by chefs’ personal stories & told through Maui’s seasonal ingredients. An open air dining space next to the beautiful Mill House restaurant, we, the guests, are encouraged to come up to the open kitchen while the chefs are cooking to ask questions, get some tips, and take pictures. And I took FULL advantage of this opportunity!!

Before going any further, let me remind you that all foods pictured in this post were not cooked by me (theCULINARYIST) but by professional chefs. I only took photos of the beautiful dishes presented to me. So, enjoy and get inspired by the artistry as I did!

Menu – Saturday, September 8, 2018 

  • Beet Baguette Lace, Tomato, Watercress, Caviar 

  • Kanpachi Rillette, Leek, Onion, Crème Fraiche 

  • Roasted Vegetable, Tahini, Golden Raisin 

  • Kanpachi, Shitake Mushroom, Mac Nut Picada 

  • Strip Loin, Alii Mushroom, Rutabaga, Dijon Butter 

  • Kabocha Chocolate Cake, Olive Oil Ice Cream

My first interview - brief but to the point - about our experience:

theCULINARYIST:  What was your favorite part of the Maui Chef’s Table experience?

myTeri:  I enjoyed watching your reaction to it all. You were like a little kid on Christmas. **me laughing** You really were!! All excited for everything from firing up the grill, watching the chefs working as a cohesive unit, the plating, asking questions.

theC:  hehe…I LOVED IT! I felt like I was being such a pest, asking them so many questions and being such an Asian tourist with all the photo taking!

Teri:  But that’s what you paid for!! And as they said, what they want you to do.

theC:  What about the dishes? What was your favorite?

Teri:  Has to be the smoked fish on toast [referring to course 2: the Kanpachi rillettes]!

theC:  mmm…yes, mine too! And the Olive Oil ice cream!

Teri:  Yeah, that was really surprising.

theC: What did you think about Chef Jeff & Staff?

Teri: All so nice. I was surprised at how personable & talkative (down to earth) Chef Jeff was! He talked to us in the back for at least 15-20 minutes during his break.

theC: Yes, I hope we see him again…maybe in LA!! **chef, there’s a lot of good food in LA too~!** We’ll for sure do this again and anytime we visit Maui! The menu changes seasonally. I’m recommending to everyone I know!!

I’ll be dreaming of Maui until my next visit!!

Mahalo to the beautiful people of Maui, the chefs and staff of Maui Chefs Table/The Millhouse and to myTeri for always being such a champ & supporting me!!

Happy meals and onward to our next food adventure,

theCULINARY·IST

A LOCAL FLAIR

LOCAL
/ˈlōk(ə)l/ 

Belonging or relating to a particular area, neighborhood, person or thing

FLAIR
/fler/ 

A special or instinctive aptitude or ability for doing something well; stylishness & originality

Les poissons, les poisons~ how I LOVE les poissons!!

Les poissons, les poisons~ how I LOVE les poissons!!

What do you do when you’re vacationing on a Hawaiian island? Lounge on any beach, snorkel & swim with sea turtles, jump into every waterfall you can find, and eat EVERYTHING & ANTHING LOCAL. Spending time in Maui inspired me to look for locally caught seafood and see what I can come up with.  

Maui has so much to offer – meats & seafood, fruits & vegetables, wine & vodka – and I’ve only barely scratched the surface! After a couple of days of eating delicious foods made by others – the professionals – I wanted to have a home cooked meal. We found a small local market off the beaten path called Rexel Pacific Fish Market. Honestly, the market didn’t look like much but we did see that they had fish that was freshly caught that morning and we were hooked in – see what I did there? We were sold on a fish I’d never heard of before called Papio or locally known as Ulua, members of the jack family which can be caught shore fishing in Maui. I had told the owner that I wanted to make fish broth and he recommended us using the Papio fish head.  Add in some garlic, onions, carrots, celery, green onions, bay leaves, and of course local pineapple wine…et voila, fish broth!!! The pineapple wine definitely gave it a surprisingly sweet and tart flavor to the stock that I wasn’t expecting. We found Fuji Apple Sake (from California, funnily enough since that’s where we flew in from) while digging around in a small grocery/hardware/everything store in Hana and I think it’ll be a great substitute for fish broth in the future. It’s all about trying things for yourself, learning, and seeing what can be improved or changed.

With the fish broth, I decided to make Potato & Leek soup with seared fresh Maui scallops and shrimp topped with crispy prosciutto.  And since I was already getting the potato, I tried my hand at making homemade gnocchi for the very first time. If you recall, I made homemade ravioli in my last post and I’m finding that after making homemade pasta, it’s a bit hard to go back to the store bought, dried stuff. I say this now, but I’ll get lazy soon enough and go right back to it…until my next menu calls for it.

I was able to make gnocchi twice this Maui trip. Once for this meal and once for a meal I made for us and my sister-in-law & her family who met us here all the way from Florida. My Gorgeous Girl niece helped me make the second batch and I was so proud of how well she did!! She not only listened to my instructions but also watched what I was doing and followed suit…kids are amazing little sponges. I may not be a kid person but making gnocchi with my 4 year old niece on a kitchen island on the island of Maui, miles away from home, created a bond with a niece in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. Food truly brings everyone closer together and gets us to try new and different things. This is a memory that I will never forget and I’ll never let her forget either…I guess this is why I started this blog. To keep a record of my happiest of happy memories.

Mahalo to the beautiful people of Maui, my sister-in-law Melissa, her husband Eliot and their two mischievous kids, and my Teri!!

oy my heart~~ this lil’ girl!! Our last sunset in Maui…until next time!!

oy my heart~~ this lil’ girl!! Our last sunset in Maui…until next time!!

Happy meals and onward to our next food adventure, 

theCULINARY·IST

**this is only part 1 of my Maui food excursions…look for part 2 on my next post “Chef’s Table”**

PREP WERK

Prep

/prep/ 

  1. prepare (something); make ready
  2. prepare oneself for an event

 Work

/wərk/

Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result

A quick photo blast of what my weekends have been looking like...PREP WERK!!

A quick photo blast of what my weekends have been looking like...PREP WERK!!

For the majority, the weekends are regarded as a time for leisure whether it’s reading a good book, watching a movie, hiking or partying…For me, it’s taking on a whole different meaning. Unless I’m visiting my parents, going into the office, or cleaning around the house, the weekends are becoming filled with menu planning, grocery shopping & prepping for my cooking excursions. Each step is an adventure of its own. 

Menu planning is drawing from my own experiences at various restaurants US & International, home cooking from Mom & friends, and my past cooking experiments (successes & of course, fails). I may not have traveled to all four corner of the world but every chance I get, I’m open and willing to try everything and appreciate the flavors & foods of all cultures. Honestly, why limit oneself?? LIVE and see how others live through food!! If you don’t, you’re missing out. It always surprises me how different foods are, and yet always reminds me of something familiar. Food has a way of filling your stomach, pulling at your memories and making your heart skip a beat…or is that just me and my never ending stomach pit?? 

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate shopping…for clothes that is. However, grocery/homeware shopping…I’m in heaven and can spend all day from market to farmer’s market looking at what’s available & what I could do with it all. It’s fun to see what’s seasonal+regional and if you find someone who’s knowledgeable of their product, they’ll tell you where it comes from, advise on what it pairs well with and what they themselves do with it. It brings us all together...food+community…we’ll come back to this later. 

Work is work…but food prepping is WERK!!! As time consuming as it may be, I’m finding that it’s very soothing and therapeutic. Not just the chopping of the ingredients but it’s also the prepping process before food prepping. Checking off the list of ingredients, laying out all the items to chop in its proper order (and yes, there is an order…figuring that out is also a whole other learning curve), chopping & storing and later, packing everything into a cooler for transport! Phew, tiring but oh so satisfying. Preparing for a meal really makes you plan ahead and shows you that you might be a bit more OCD than you think…especially when you have an annoyingly small kitchen as I do. But it’s OK and great things come from it…

The past couple of weekends, our friends opened up their homes to me to cook a meal and I decided to make homemade lobster ravioli. Let’s be honest…you can NEVER go wrong with lobster & pasta!! Two Saturdays ago, I got to cook in Lucia & Raffie’s kitchen which is an amateur cook’s dream!! HUGE island with a vegetable wash sink that can hold an entire grocery store produce department and amazing stove & double oven!! And the kitchen comes with a very handsome taste tester (their 12 year old son) and a very enthusiastic & animated sous chef (a 9 year old daughter).  I wish I had taken some pictures with the kids but I’ve learn and will do next time! I’ve made homemade Korean noodles before but had never used a pasta rolling machine. It was definitely a learning experience working the pasta roller and I have a few notes for beginners like me: 

  • Use lots of flour for dusting the machine, the board, the pasta, your hands…just EVERYTHING! And dust as you roll!!

  • Start with a small chunk of dough and work it through the settings from lowest to thin. I started with a larger chunk at setting 5 and found that it doesn’t go through the roller and gets stuck. For my machine, I started at a 1 then 2, 4, 6 and finished at a 7 which I found was the perfect thickness for ravioli

  • If you’re making the pasta alone, like I did, it’s best to roll small pieces at a time. When rolling out pasta for ravioli, it gets really long and if you don’t help it roll out, it gets scrunched and uneven. Also, it dries out very quickly.

    • Another tip, when rolling with the final setting, softly pull on the pasta as it comes out. It helps make it a bit thinner and the elasticity of the pasta when cooked is so nice~

  • Unless you’re cooking the pasta immediately, freeze the ravioli as you go. I made 5-6 ravioli at a time and placed them on parchment paper (dusted, of course) in the freezer, immediately. It keeps the ravioli from getting dry or sticking. 

Last Saturday, I made more lobster ravioli (perfecting my pasta rolling process) for a potluck dinner at Dave & Jill’s sunshine home in North Hollywood, CA. Our glamorous friend, Elena, was visiting from Spain and it called for our legendary potluck dinners. This particular group of fr-amily members have been gathering together for years and food is always involved! It’s been a long standing collaborative tradition of planning a menu of paired foods, cooking, drinking, & fun conversations. Our talks consist of everything imaginable…our origin stories, cooking secrets, life tips & passions, dreams and struggles. We encourage each other to be adventurous, listen to our troubles, advise each other on life and plans for our next meal together.  

Thank you so much to Lucia+Raffie, Dave+Jill, Elena, RJ & my Teri!!

Happy meals & onward to our next adventure!

theCULINARY·IST

sidenote…As I’m chop, chop, chopping away in the kitchen, my inner soundtrack is forever blasting werk, werk, WERK, WERK, WERK!!

**a special THANK YOU to RJ Guillermo for his beautiful eye and photography**
www.typeintypeout.com

TEA+TOAST

Tea
/tē/
a hot drink made by infusing the dried, crushed leaves of the tea plant in boiling water

Toast
/tōst/

1. sliced bread browned on both sides by exposure to radiant heat.
2. a call to a gathering of people to raise their glasses and drink together in honor of a person or thing, or an instance of drinking in this way.

Our beautiful outdoor setting

Our beautiful outdoor setting

In celebration of theCULINARYIST’s maiden voyage (blog-age?), I want to raise a teacup & glass to new adventures of food, drink, friends & life. To TEA+TOAST…bubbly that is. As different as they may be, both beverages have a long history; coming from humble beginnings, and have woven into the fabric of our culture. It all started as an accidental discovery that shifted from being the drink of the wealthy (royalty & aristocrats) to becoming a popular modern day lifestyle.

I, personally, look to tea to quench my thirst and to sooth my body+mind. It’s the sweet and bitter nuances that help calm my mind and open my senses to the different levels of flavor.

OK…word association time…CHAMPAGNE…GO!

·         New Years / Anniversary / Celebration
·         Fancy / Classy
·         Joyous
·         Bubbles
·         Prosperity
·         Friends

You see it, right? It’s all about happy! Whether it’s champagne, sparkling wine, or prosecco, the bubbles symbolically & visually represent the overflow of abundance + joy.

TEA+TOAST is to celebrate our times of great food, fun conversations, wonderful friends and an appreciation of overflowing happiness that cooking brings to me.

My friends, Tracy & Eric Stultz, opened up their beautiful home to me and allowed me to take over their kitchen for a Sunday brunch in their beautifully designed back yard oasis. I wanted to do a sampling of different dishes along with chilled tea & bubbly to compliment our hot LA summer days. After much planning, changing, and changing again, here’s the menu:

  1. Apricot canape w/ roasted pistachio & blue+goat cheese & wildflower honey drizzle
  2. Poached quail egg on smoked salmon & cucumber+dill sauce on toasted English muffin
  3. Zucchini fritter…enough said!
  4. Roasted corn+red pepper puree w/ lightly panko encrusted shrimp skewer & toasted baguette
  5. A play on surf & turf…roasted bone marrow & caviar on toasted sourdough baguette

There’s always surprises during meals like these…some are food fails and some are happy ones like this day when we got an unexpected addition to our meal. The beautiful Stultz daughter, Ms. Ariana. As long as I’ve known Tracy and heard so much about her daughter, this was my first time meeting their daughter and I was so happy to have her join us! Food works in mysterious ways to bring us together…nah, it’s obvious, we all love to eat!! And eat we did…and talk…and drink!

It was a beautiful day and calm setting where a group of friends talked candidly about life, love, loss & the future. Thank you Tracy, Eric & Ariana!!

Onward to our next food adventure!! Mahalo (that's a hint...get it get it?) and happy meals!!

theCULINARY·IST

**a special THANK YOU to RJ Guillermo for his beautiful eye and photography**
www.typeintypeout.com

A YUMMY PREFACE

PREF·ACE
/’prefəs/
an introduction, typically stating it’s subject, scope, or aims

A quick introduction to my brain…complicated and filled with nonsense. Well, that was simple. With everything going on, I found that my brain is the most calm when I’m in the kitchen. Maybe it’s the smells, maybe the blissful knowing that I’m going to be eating soon, maybe it’s the open bottle of wine or cognac. Let’s be honest, what kitchen or meal is complete without a bit of liquid FIRE! One thing’s for sure is that it’s all about friends gathering around a meal and having great conversations together.

This blog is exactly that…the exploration of foods and allowing the conversations to fluidly take it’s turns around the history and life of the dishes and the people enjoying them.

This past weekend I got to spend some time with my fr-amily (friend+family), RJ & Francis and their boy, Jordan. It was a last minute, impromptu visit and brunch at their beautiful mid-century modern home in Mid-City, CA. Honestly, most of my meals with my friends are very spontaneous and we work with what we have readily available. I was planning on going to the farmers market at The Grove and decided pick up some prosciutto de parma and olives. Along with puff pastry, steak, and garlic, we decided to do a simple brunch meal:

· Parmesan encrusted puff pastry toast with an olive & rosemary tapenade spread & topped with prosciutto

· Medium rare rib eye steak with roasted garlic bulb

· Last but never least, MIMOSA (part bubbly part orange juice…ALL healthy for the body and mind)!!

**I originally wanted to add a poached egg on the puff toast but TOTALLY failed! I’ve poached eggs before, no problem but sometimes, it just doesn’t work out as planned…and that’s ok! Next time!!

The time I get with RJ+Francis and any friends over a meal is so special. Food really does bring people together and closer by opening up communication…talking about their troubles & frustrations, their happiness & future goals. I cherish all of these moments and hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Like Anthony Bourdain said “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.”

Maybe this will inspire you to try exploring in your own kitchen. Remember, the kitchen is your very own laboratory…discovery by trying is the best way to cook…even if it means failing and trying again. Fear of failure should never stop you from trying something new. NOT DOING is in essence FAILURE.

Thanks and happy meals!!

theCULINARY·IST

**a special THANK YOU to RJ Guillermo for his beautiful eye and photography**
www.typeintypeout.com