New Orleans 2009 Thursday: Poydras is my Favorite Street

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

OK when we decided to go econo for the first part of this trip, I chose our room based on its proximity to Mother’s. When I woke up at the crack of noon, that was our first stop for po’boys.

Kristina, I’m sorry, but I went for the pure debris instead of the ferdi (ham and debris). You know when you cook a roast for a long time, then cut it, then leave it in the oven to heat up, you start to accumulate little bits of meat at the bottom of the pan? That, my friends, is debris. One of the finest foods known to man. It comes soaked in the pan juices too, and is guaranteed to soak through the bottom of the bread

So I have developed the habit of flipping the bread over and eating the debris or Ferdi po’boy upside down.

We also got grits and a po’boy bursting with deep-fried jewels of shrimp.

We headed down to the Mississipi to check out the aquarium, but we were running late and instead went to an underwater 3-D movie at the IMAX. Because underwater IMAX is badass.

That evening we walked across the street to another Nawlins classic, the Bon Ton Cafe. There was a slight wait, so we chatted with the super-cool bartender. Later he came by our table and allowed me to snap a photograph of him. Only later in the meal did I realize that we had been hanging out with the owner, Wayne Pierce. Amazingly, Shalai, the same waitress as Kristina and I had befriended on the Ash Wednesday during my trip there four years ago served us again. Even more amazingly, she remembered us and pointed out the table where we had been sitting!

2005

2009

We absolutely had to order the crab gratin. It’s one of those dishes that you dream about as your plane lands. Like as soon as you think, “I’m going to New Orleans” your second thought will be, “I’m getting the crab gratin!” The thumb-sized crab hunks in a rich creamy sauce were begging to be eaten on crusty bread.

For dinner we split the T-Bone in a cabernet sauce. OK, most people go to the Bon Ton and to New Orleans for seafood. But I am telling you, that was one of the best steaks I have ever had in my entire life. Hang on everybody, I’ve got to click over to Expedia again right now!

For dessert we shared the classic bread pudding. It tastes like they just pour pure uncooked whiskey over the top. It is definitely not something one person can handle. In fact, this entire meal was a team effort!

BON TON CAFÉ’S BREAD PUDDING

1 loaf French bread
1 quart milk
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp margarine
1 cup raisins

Soak bread in milk; crush with hands till well mixed.
Then add eggs, sugar, vanilla and raisins and stir
well. Pour margarine in bottom of thick pan and bake
until very firm. Let cool; tnen cube pudding and put
in individual dessert dish; when ready to serve, add
sauce and heat under broiler. Serve with Whiskey
Sauce.

Whiskey Sauce

1 stick of margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Whiskey

Melt margarine. Cream the sugar and egg until well mixed. Add melted
margarine and continue to dissolve. Add whiskey to
taste which should make sauce creamy smooth

Posted in New Orleans | 6 Comments

Food Crime: Pork and Beans

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Man allegedly stabs brother over pork and beans

According to Associated Press, a 54-year-old man stabbed his 63-year-old brother during an argument over a can of pork and beans. The 54 year-old stabbed his brother in the left arm and shoulder blade after his brother threw a punch at him. The two brothers had been drinking – shocker.

The Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindy Chadwick said the suspect was booked Tuesday on one count of aggravated battery.

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The Peanut Butter Burger

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Next to the tourist favorite, Pat O’Briens, the inconspicuous storefront of Yo Mama’s on St Peters is easily overlooked. The worn bar and comfortable wooden booths of this French Quarter institution make you feel like a local. The friendly servers, especially Leyla, reminded me of one of the reasons I love New Orleans. Even if you are not a local, you treated as if you were at least a regular.

The menu is mainly burgers, with a few hot sandwiches and salads. All of their burgers are 1/2 pounders and run about ten bucks. There is a quarter pound burger for 5.75 and a mega one pound burger for 13.75. I like foods with the word mega in the name. We were immediately excited by burger #8

Peanut Butter Burger with baked potato or side salad. Top your burger with peanut butter and bacon

Before you freak out, think about it. It has already been established that bacon and peanut butter are an odd but successful pairing. And you’ve had beef satay with peanut butter sauce, haven’t you? You know I ordered it. And it was fantastic!!! I ordered my burger medium, so the peanut butter didn’t melt and caramelize around the burger the way Leyla said it does on her well-done burger. Covered with a mountain of chopped smoky bacon, it is one of the best burgers in the world.

The huge fully loaded baked potato will also be popping up in my carb-laden fantasies as I go back to a sensible diet.

Other burgers on the menu that piqued our curiosity are the “Bullfighter”

Topped with avocado, jalapenos and salsa

and the “Burger Romanoff”

Sour cream and caviar make this very rich

Umm I have a note on the menu that this is Tim and Leyla, then there are a bunch of chicken scratches…so sorry third guy, I don’t have your name. It appears I wrote “Smarp up Pither A ! 3” and that just can’t be right.

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New Orleans Wed: Fly High and Proud

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Wednesday our flight out of Burbank was delayed, which meant that we would be missing our connection in Dallas. After much furious typing on behalf of the counterperson, we were put on a different airline, and scored by getting bulkhead seats. In Dallas, it looked like the usual fast food stuff. We asked for BBQ and were directed to Dickey’s. It was like 20 gates away, but when it’s Texas BBQ vs. Wendy’s no distance is too far.

The other meats on the sampler platter were alright, but the brisket was oustanding. For sure get the brisket. I also loved the potato salad, which was kind of a surprise – I don’t usually like potato salad made with mustard and vinegar.

We got into New Orleans at 11pm, and it was midnight by the time we got into town. We checked into the Parc St Charles, which I booked for its low price of 69. a night and its proximity to Mothers. I could swear the desk clerk was on speed, or at least about 6 red Bulls. The room was decent, with a few touches of weird. At least it was quiet.

Our usual late-night place is Jumani, where we go for ass-pork sandwiches. If I may digress for a moment, I will tell you the story of the ass-pork sandwich. Delicate ears need read no further. The first time I ate at Jumani, it was on the recommendation of a cab driver. It was very late at night, or very early in the morning, depending on your perspective. On that first visit, we ordered pulled pork sandwiches. While we waited, I asked a patron if I could sit on the empty barstool next to him. He looked at me as if I had just suddenly appeared out of thin air, and he could do nothing but blink uncomfortably at me.

I looked around and I noticed that I was the only woman in the bar. I looked up at the TV and I saw a screenful of BARE NAKED ASSES. It was some kind of home video shot outdoors in a large crowd, comprised of nothing but naked ass after naked ass. In retrospect, it was probably a “Girls Gone Wild Mardi Gras Ass Fest,” but I was still innocent of such things at the time. I’m not a prude, but those asses weren’t just playfully wiggling. Those asses were up to no good.

I asked for our sandwiches “to go”. The aggravated bartender groused, “Why didn’t you tell me they were ‘to go’ before I started making them?!” I replied, “ Because I just now decided that I prefer my pork without so much ass on the side.” Well, as it turned out, those were the best damn pulled pork sandwiches we have ever had outside of Tennessee. We have returned to Jumani time and time again, willing to brave homemade porn just to get to those sandwiches.

I asked the taxi driver to wait while I scoped it out since it is also inbetween two of the skeeviest strip joints off Bourbon street. Ass pork was no longer on the menu, and the place was full of strung-out strippers so followed the advice we got from the doorperson at the Hilton and hit “Yo Mama” for burgers.

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The Most Awesome Chili Fries …EVER

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Cartoonist B. Kliban once advised, “Never eat anything bigger than your head.” But what did he know? He also thought cats should play banjos.

The Hat has been serving up deliciously greasy pastrami sandwiches since 1951. They are so old-school, they only recently started accepting credit cards. Although pastrami dips are the main attraction, locals know to go there for the chili fries. The massive mound of junk food is a sight to behold, a challenge to the heartiest of appetites. Even the big, burly blue collar workers that inhabit the formica booths are unable to finish an entire plate.

The chili fries are a deal at 4.79. For 53 cents you can add cheese, which we highly recommend. If you want to add tomato and pickle for 20 cents more, hey, it’s all you. You can even get pastrami on top. Do not be tempted to try the wet fries covered only in gravy. They are too bland and midwestern – you will be wishing for chili.

Their nine locations in places skirting Los Angeles, like Pasadena, Simi Valley and Alhambra aren’t officially LA to purists, but we are more than willing to expand our borders a little to include The Hat. If only to give last summer’s block o’ fries a run for their money.

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Seattle Thursday: The Home for Wayward Girls

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Thursday Anne and I had a little bit of time together before she had to take me to the airport. She wanted to visit the Home for Wayward girls, where her mother Lillian had stayed when she first came to Seattle as a young runaway.

On the way I spotted this place, which naturally warranted a stop. This is the kind of sign that makes me hang dangerous U-Turns on busy streets. Dick’s has been around since 1954.

The burger and fries were OK — the kind of thing you love if you grew up eating them. The chocolate shake kicked serious ass.

The Home for Wayward Girls was suitably religious and asylum-like to be creepy.

We drove around the university district looking for a Nepalese restaurant I had heard about.

The restaurant was long gone, so we ate at the Indian restaurant that had taken its place.

Difficult emotions can make even the best food taste like sand. I can’t remember the taste of anything. I guess it’s a lamb curry, channa masala and a coconut chicken curry. It looks beautiful. It must have been delicious.

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Seattle Wednesday: All Tom Douglas All the Time

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Wednesday I had lunch alone at Dahlia Lounge, a Tom Douglas restaurant that has been around for 20 years. They are heavy on the fresh and organic with a light Asian influence. Their bread comes from their own bakery next-door, and is really the best thing in the restaurant.

I ordered ” lemon-scallion dungeness crab cake, stir fried long beans, Hong Kong soba noodles, fermented black bean sauce”. I don’t think they realized when they did the plating how much this looked like a giant tarantula. The crab cake was unremarkable. But the sauce was so delicious I wished I just had a giant bowl of noodles and long beans soaked in the black bean sauce.

The Dahlia Lounge is known for its coconut cream pie, and rightfully so. Why didn’t anyone ever think to use shavings of fresh toasted coconut before?

While I was there, I couldn’t help but notice the impressive pizza coming out of Serious Pizza, a Tom Douglas pizzaria next door. I made a mental note. I went shopping at the Elliot Bay Book Company, a fantastic place for obscure and inexpensive new books.

I found a little shop called FIREWORKS that I fell in love with.

Then I just wandered around Pioneer Square, a historic preservation district. Most of the buildings date back to 1889, when a fire destroyed most of the area. Over the next five years, the town was rebuilt. I admired the architecture and the century-old pergola. I love that word. Pegola. Purrrr-goh-laaaaaah.

I called in an order at Serious Pie, and had my taxi driver pull up so I could run in and pick up my pizza. I ordered a white pizza – no red sauce – with roasted chantarelles and cheese.

It rocked my mouth off. The crust – oh my God, the crust – yes they have a bakery that puts LaBrea to shame, but this pizza crust was pure heaven, with huge spongey holes and a crispy exterior. The cheese was salty and just the right texture. I love this pizza. I want to marry it. The pizza with cherry bomb peppers and sweet fennel sausage looked tempting as did the yukon gold potato and rosemary olive oil. I will definitely be back. Plane fares are cheap right now.

As long as I was on a roll, and it was open late, my nephew and I hit The palace Kitchen for a late dinner.

The bread was outstanding. No surprise since they are kind of Seattle’s LaBrea bakery.

The appetizer with goat cheese and bread was one of the best things we ate. It was amazing.

drink

short ribs

chicken

justin

ice cream

ladies room

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Seattle: Tuesday Night with Justin

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Justin and I decided to try an Ethiopian place called Assimba, partly because I’d spent all day studying Lucy, partly because an Ethiopian cabbie reccomended it, but also because we had both had good experiences with Ehiopian food in San Francisco.

The menu told the story of cooking in Ethiopia

Both men and women have their own special roles when preparing the food…Food served to guests where the meat is not the right type and and size, where the bones are fragmented, brings disgrace which will destroy one’s reputation. In some places, it is a major cause of mariage failure!

…Meseret points out that every food prepared is unique like the person is. Thus, the food that one has prepared has its own unique pesonality reflecting the personality of its cook. That is why lacking cooking skill is so dangerous to one’s reputations. The person man or woman who cooks bad may be labeled and end up with bad nick name for the rest of his/her life.

So that’s why people keep calling me Kiki “holes in pie dough” Maraschino!

I wish I could say it was a revelatory experience, opening us up to a whole new world of Culinary delights, but I guess I’ll have to save that one for Maori cuisine.

The injera, is a large flatbread made out of teff flour. It is extremely sour. Otherwise it had the texture of thin pancakes. Incredibly sour pancakes. The teff are used as a utensil to pick up the various stews and vegetables.

We ate a variety of foods, but they were all similarly spiced and extremely hot. We tried a sort of tartar called kitfo, which was raw ground beef marinated in mitmita. Sauteed meats are called tibs. We tried Gored Gored, cubes of beef sauteed in Nitir Qibe with onion, rosemary, green pepper and tomatoes. That one was pretty good. Our favorite dish was actually the lentils cooked with diced gnger and turmeric.

We did dig their decor.

This is not Jesus

But this is Stevie Wonder

We were a bit peckish after we left, so Catfish Corner was serendipity. The fried catfish was Southern fried without a trace of grease. The chicken wings were huge, like bat wings. I’m not usually a fan of potato salad made with vinegar and mustard, ut theirs was pretty impressive. A servicable red beans and rice rounded out the meal nicely.

The service was super friendly. The next day the special was going to be gumbo. Our server told me to call ahead if I was coming and she would save some for me. Now that’s the kind of place that makes you feel at home.

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Seattle Tuesday: One Busy Day

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

I had an agenda for Tuesday, and we not only accomplished it, we outdid ourselves! We started off with a trip to Top Pot donuts. Roadfood had swooned over their peanut donuts. I couldn’t wait. When the girl at the counter reminded me that peanuts had been recalled, it was like that shot in the movies when the main character throws their head back and screams to the heavens and the camera pans back up into the sky until you just see the earth and hear the screams of “Nooooooooo”.

But the blueberry donut was still dang good. They had such an elaborate menu, the counterperson confided in me that she has never even see a few things on the menu, like the lemon bullseye and she has been there for years. We tried to split a cream filled donut but after already eating one, it was just too much sugar. Even for me. Even for a 12-year-old with an endless supply of milk.

Next we hit the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), newly re-opened after a two-year overhaul.

I have always loved Borofsky’s Hammering Man.

I was impressed by Inopportune: Stage One by Cai Guo Qiang, a horizontal version of the vertical artwork I had seen last year in the Guggenheim.

Flying cars test our reaction to unexpected events. Are you seeing the fulfillment of an innocent dream about flying through space? Or is the future hanging by a thread with the ominous air of disaster?

There was a fantastic exhibit of “Edward Hopper’s Women“. I never really appreciated him that much before, but in person, the colors and brushstrokes were inpressive. At the time, many midwesterners were moving into the big city to work in the factories. His juxtoposition of country bumpkins with big-city loneliness and industrial images is much more striking given the context. His self-portrait, dark and brooding against the black oil painting is in stark contrast to the gentle pastels he is known for.

On the second floor, we moved between the rooms, Textiles, American Art, European Art, etcetera, and discovered a small room hidden away in the corner. The wall described it as “Black Art”. We looked at the bathrooms on one side and the plastic sheeting from construction on the other. I didn’t want to say anything, but Eartha announced loudly, “Well, that’s racist.” This kid doesn’t pull any punches.

We passed through a section filled with native Northwest art, which always makes a chill run through my DNA. Eartha said, “Look, they have dimples just like your dimples.” We passed figures wearing traditional native masks. Even though I have always liked them, especially The Crow, the stuffed human dummies always give me the creeps. So when we hit the top floor and discovered an empty floor inhabited only by masked “characters” I really got the willies.

“African Crowd Control” Mingle with an unusual crowd of masked characters from today’s Nigeria. Some are on parade, wearing clothes that indicate whether they are Muslim, British, or of high status.

There was an interactive area with a building made out of blocks. We were dying to knock it down. A security guard busted us – not for knocking down the blocks, but for using a camera in the museum. Killjoy.

For lunch we went to Salumi, a charcuterie and sandwich shop run by Mario Batali’s family.

I wanted to order the Porchetta – braised pork with fennel, carrots and celery, but I got the porky names mixed up and ordered the lomo. I also ordered a Salumi Muffo to take home for dinner – hot soprasetta, cotto and provolone with a fresh olive tapenade – the only one on which they mix meats.

Eartha ordered lasagne, which was one of the best lasagnes I have ever stolen a bite of.

After Salumi, we went over to The Science Center, where they had Lucy, the first human being found – an Austriolopithicus Afikanus. I studied her in physical anthropology, so it was very exciting. Anthropologists really are obsessed with the foramen magna. I also learned a lot about the history, culture and food of Ethiopia.

The Science Center had all kinds of crazy stuff for kids, kind of like the Exploratoreum in San Francisco. We hit IMAX 3D. Nothing beats IMAX underwater 3D

The Science Center has all kinds of scary mechanized bugs to freak me out.

Anne and Ed came to the hotel that evening. They packed up Eartha and took her back home. I was kind of looking forward to an evening to myself, but I missed her right away. Luckily I was on my way to meet my nephew Justin, who is going to school at U Dub.

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Seattle Monday: More Pikety Pike Pike

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

I was staring out the window, and I asked Eartha if she might want to go up in the Space Needle. She pointed out that we were looking down at the Space Needle and therefore had a better view anyways. Smarty.

After splitting an eggs benedict and one more viewing of the can’t-get-enough-of-it Twilight, Anne picked up Eartha and I Tuesday and we went down to Pike Place. Eartha was a little rambunctious, running around the boardwalk. Anne asked, “Have you been giving her sugar?”
“Of course not.”

I got a baffling fortune from one of those animatronic fortune tellers:

Standard setting directives you set must be followed but the important thing is self reformation. The words of appointment for accomplishment are pleasing but the important thing is self reflection. There is nothing you can do to gain complete satisfaction without self reflection. Nor can there be compliance without self reformation. Put loyalty and reliability first.If you have faults do not fear self-improvement.

We started out at a nice fish restaurant upstairs so we could relax, but I knew I wanted fish from The Salmon Cooker, so I just had a clam chowder. For once I forgot my camera, and didn’t take any pictures of that meal. Shocker. But then Ed showed up with a camera and I was able to get some photos of the arcade and The Cooker. Here is what I said about it on my last visit to Seattle:

The Salmon Cooker is owned and operated by local indians. They alder-smoke all of their fish. The cod was smoky and flaky, and the chips were done perfectly all the way to the center even though they were humongous. The chowder was intense with the usual Italian herbs – rosemary, thyme, possibly marjoram, but there was one distinct taste I couldn’t place. The helpful cook let me in on the secret – mustard seed! Anne loves their coleslaw and can eat 2 orders in one sitting.

This time I tried the halibut with their thick-cut fries. The cod is the better of the two.

The view from our room was lovely, especially the sunset that evening.

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Seattle Saturday cont.: Pike Pike Pike

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

We met up with Anne and Ed and pushed our way upstream to Beecher’s where I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with crab and a small mac and cheese.

The mac and cheese was amazing — as always, with a bigger cheesy sauce to mac ratio than I remembered. The crab on the sandwich was just gilding the lily really. Dungeness crab is a little fishier than the blue crab I’m used to.

Anne and I went for a walk along the little cobblestone side streets. We startled a group of pigeons, and they fluttered over our heads. One fell short and hit me right in the face. Just like Fabio on the rollercoaster. We were doubled over with laughter. As funny as it was for us, my friend Ellin later pointed out, “I bet that pigeon went home and was like, ‘You won’t believe what just happened to me!'”

Anne and Ed had Thai food, which looked good enough, then they headed back to the hospital. I noticed we were right next to Cafe Yarmarka Even though I was stuffed, I placed an order for a combination to take back to the hotel for dinner. And a few Eastern European cookies for good measure.

Eartha was coveting my mac and cheese so she and I headed back to Beecher’s but they were all out. Denied! I picked up some of their Flagship cheese and Cowgirl Creamery triple cream to take home as well. In addition to the usual guava paste they had a variety of fruit pastes and I couldn’t resist the apricot.

We added some lovely raspberries and perfectly ripe blueberries to the growing grocery bag. I made a fatal error in not picking up a loaf of bread somewhere.

But then I spotted the Roadfood-recommended Crumpet Shop. Sadly there was no bread or scones but we got a pack of crumpets. We ordered an open-faced pesto sandwich out of curiosity. It was a little disappointing.

I asked Anne to bring some crackers to the hotel when they stopped in at dinnertime and we all had a nice Pike picnic. The meat pierogie were a tad spicy but far better than the potato-cheese, in which the cheese was barely discrenable. I wish I had gotten some dufferent pastes and another wedge of Beecham’s cheese to pack in my suitcase.

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Seattle Saturday: Instant Auntie

Posted on March 21, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

I got an urgent call Saturday to fly to Seattle. I reserved a hotel near the hospital and headed to the airport.

After a visit to the Medical Center, we had a late dinner at the little hospital take-out. We headed back to my hotel so everyone could take a break. My friend Anne’s 12-year-old daughter Eartha hung out for awhile. Then I just kinda kept her. And I didn’t give her back until she had to return to school. As much as the fluffy bedding might have helped her feel more comfortable during a rough week, Eartha’s boundless energy and fearlessness were exactly what I needed. (her name has been changed, and yes, she picked her own).

Sunday morning we ordered room service and cozied up in our beds watching Twilight. Little did I know that was going to be one of many, many viewings of Twilight. Eartha figured out that if you paused the movie 5 minutes before it was over and rewound it you could watch it over and over and over…

We hit Pike Place market in the afternoon. There was a huge crowd, it being a long weekend.

Sadly World Class Chili is no more. Most likely due to the recent loss of the owner, Joe Canavan.

Mr. Canavan died Nov. 11 2008 while vacationing in Maui with his wife of 48 years, Dorothy. While snorkeling for the first time, he took in water after possibly suffering a heart attack or stroke and died the next day. He was 78.

Mr. Canavan had bounced back from a heart attack in 1980 to run a marathon and climb Mount Rainier. More recently, he had returned to the Market after a hip replacement.

Luckily there were still donuts. Fresh out of the fryer, they are the best donuts in the world. After sitting for a few hours, they are pretty comparable to grocery store donuts.

I can’t get enough of the market.

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DineLA 2009: Simon

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Simon LA was chosen as the first stop on our Dine LA blitz because of the impressive appetizers we sampled at the Behind the Unseen event held there. Simon Kerry, who is known as the rock and roll chef, stood in the kitchen staring intently at the dining room, which was not empty but definitely not bustling. The servers were bursting with enthusiasm and friendliness. They responded to our bad jokes by adding their own quips, and their positive energy was contagious.

The decor of Simon LA, which is nestled into the Sofitel and adjacent to Stone Rose, is hip and stylish, but maintains a mellow and relaxing vibe. The taupe interior and comfy Eames-inspired chairs that are offset with metal features and glossy black surfaces makes the dining room feel like a room you could live in.

The menu is solid, and dotted with bits of whimsy. There are surprises throughout the meal and for the most part food is handled with a deft hand. Occasional problems with execution kept it from being a perfect meal, but only one dessert was truly a letdown. The regular menu holds lots of intriguing possibilities and I’m sure there are many surprises yet to come, such as the big puff of cotton candy that arrived at our table at the end of the meal.

The first course: SALAD: A salad of rocket and shaved fennel in a light dressing with pine nuts, blue cheese, and tangerine was a blank canvas marked with sharp flavors in small bits, Nicely balanced between the sharpness of the cheese and the sourness of the tangerine.

SOUP: The aroma of pork rises up from the lentil soup as soon as it is set down. It was a good combination of whole and blended lentils. Delicious and comforting at first, but did not hold my attention enough to make me finish an entire bowl. The soup was accompanied by a charming lagniappe, two dainty ham & white cheddar grilled sandwiches brought on a childlike excitement.

The main course. SEA BASS: The most successful dish of the night was unquestionably the California sea bass, two thick planks of fish perfectly cooked. The Piccata style sauce could have overwhelmed the delicate fish but did not. Banana potatoes and spinach were treated with such care, it made me wonder what Kerry could do with a spa menu.

SKIRT STEAK: Skirt steak, though quality meat, was still a skirt steak, which is one tough cut. The generous portion was seasoned with cumin, which made it almost as Indian as Southwestern. The unusual addition of pine nuts in the black beans worked surprisingly well.

One dish fell apart. Lemon marshmallow pie with passion fruit marinated raspberries sounded much more appealing than it was in reality. It is true many an argument has broken out over the campfire as to when a marshmallow crosses the line from toasted to burnt. But the marshmallows atop the small lemon tart were burnt to black and that flavor overwhelmed even the tart intensity of the lemon curd, which was slightly runny, probably due to the heat used to roast the marshmallows. Even the crust was thick, tough and unremarkable. This one needs re-thinking.

For the finale, the dessert course, the chocolate mousse cake is probably the best bet, reminiscent of 1950s layered desserts. The bottom layer is combination of chocolate and thin wafers. It tastes almost like an Aero bar. The top and middle layers are a darker and a lighter chocolate mousse, topped with little bits of chocolate-covered puffed rice, almost like Cocoa Krispies.

and a bonus

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Just a wee more Irishy Goodness? Just a trifle?

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino

Irish coddle, also known as Dublin coddle, is a pork-based stew with – surprise – potatoes! This recipe is a combination of various versions from Irish Country Cooking, Family Cooking with Chef Mom, and from my brooder from anooder mooder, Eamonn. His mother Ina would leave the stew cooking for days, and add potatoes in batches so they would thicken the stew and also provide texture. Eamonn says, “You’re s’posed to have it ready for when yer man comes home from the pub.” Don’t even get me started.

Although trifle is traditionally English, it has been borrowed by the Irish. Some people add sherry, jam, gelatine, and whatever is in the cupboard at the moment. This is my mother’s version. I find pudding is too bland, and custard is too runny, so a combination of the two is just right. If you can’t find Bird’s custard in the import shop or at Cost Plus, you can make your own custard; it is more authentic. But we’re willing to take the short-cut here. We can’t spend all day in the kitchen. We’ve got to get to the pub!

Irish Coddle

1 pound sliced bacon, cut into 2″ pieces
1 pound pure pork sausage links or English bangers
1 large onion, sliced
6 medium red or white boiling potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
2 chicken boullion cubes, preferably OXO
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Fry bacon until crisp in a large, deep frying pan. Set bacon aside. Lightly brown sausages.

Layer sliced onions and potatoes over sausages. Cover with bacon.

Crush boullion cubes and sprinkle over. Add black pepper, thyme and parsley.

Pour water over to cover the potatoes and cover pan with lid. Simmer at least an hour and a half (Some recipes suggest 8 hours). Do not let it come to a boil.

Trifle

1 store-bought or homemade pound cake
1 (75g) envelope Bird’s custard
1 box vanilla “Cook and Serve” pudding
3 cups whole milk
1 banana, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Slice the pound cake crosswise, then cut the slices into triangles. Line the bottom and sides of a medium-sized serving bowl with the cake. There will be some cake left over. Don’t eat it. I’m watching you.

Prepare custard according to package directions with boiling water. Prepare pudding according to package directions using the 3 cups of milk. Combine the two and mix well.

Pour half of the custard mix into the serving bowl. Layer with banana slices, remaining cake, and half the raspberries.

Pour in the rest of the custard. Stud with raspberries. Cover with cling wrap and press the wrap down so no air can reach the custard and make a “skin”. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

When ready to serve, whip the cream with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Spread whipped cream over trifle.

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The Guinness Cupcake Returns

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Kiki Maraschino


No one really likes green beer or Shamrock Shakes. And corned beef and cabbage is iffy at best.

Luckily Yummy Cupcakes has brought back their Guinness cupcakes this year, available today and tomorrow at both store locations, in Burbank and in Santa Monica.

The Guinness is added with a light hand, so the mild cake tastes mostly of buttermilk, cocoa and brown sugar. The glazed topping holds the strongest taste of ale, topped with a light cocoa whipped cream and green sanding sugar.

Other special St. Patrick’s Day flavors served tomorrow will be:

Irish Cream Pie: Chocolate cupcake filled with whipped cream, topped with an Irish cream whipped cream and chocolate blossoms

Chocolate Mint Chip: Chocolate cupcake topped with a light green peppermint buttercream mixed with chocolate chips

and of course…Lucky Charms: Vanilla bean cupcake, centered with marshmallow cream, frosted with a light green vanilla buttercream, sprinkled with Lucky Charms…magically delicious!

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