korean beef bulgogi: a barbecue among friends.

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I always find Fridays are impatient days. I sit at work, almost visibly tapping my foot, my eyes quickly moving to the clock and away again: I just want the weekend to begin!

To delay this its-the-end-of-the-work-week fever, I always try to do something that will distract me during lunch. So, after a quick pop-in, pop-out to my favorite place - the library - I headed over to CBC to see what mellow distraction they could provide me with.

Throughout the summer, at lunch time, the CBC is giving live concerts in front of their downtown Vancouver location. Yesterday was South American, and it was lovely.

I raced home (the mellowness of the concert didn't supersede my excitement about my friends would were coming over for dinner) to check on how my marinade was I had thrown on beef the night before. It was really a spur-of-the-moment thing - "what should I make Gord and Steve" followed by "what ingredients do I have around me" followed by "I love Korean food (after seeing my old bottle of kimchi" followed by "Korean barbecue!" It is also the most lovely to serve with friendship and fellowship in mind, for it is a meal where everyone shares every dish.

My kimchi was bad unfortunately (how does anything pickled go bad?!). So an integral part of our meal was left out, but it was delicious anyways. Besides, for those who have not experienced Korean food, throwing kimchi (figuratively of course) at them during their first meal is not the best of ideas. 

But, they loved it. I could finally relax after a hasty Friday.

 (And, a preview of what I'm making tomorrow night! A whole lotta meat!)

Beef Bulgogi
(adapted from Kitchen Wench Blog)

2 lbs. thinly sliced sirloin (if you buy it as one big mound of meat, just stick it in the freezer for a bit, and then cut it - t'will be much easier my friends!)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 nashi/Asian pear, chopped
1 apple, a sweet variety such as gala, juiced (grate and squeeze the juice out)
2/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
3 tbsp superfine sugar
2 green onions, sliced
black pepper, to taste
 
1. Pour the apple juice over the beef. Put the pear and onion in a blender and blend until smooth. Add soy sauce, garlic, and sugar.

2. Pour marinade on, along with oil and onions, and let sit overnight.

3. Serve with a bowl of rice, kimchi, and other bachan (Korean side dishes). Alternatively, you can use the meat to make Korean lettuce wraps with ssam jam paste.

4. Pray. Eat. Enjoy. Remember that while Fridays may herald the start of a weekend, never wish for them to go by any faster - enjoy them as you would any other day (well, maybe with a bit more foot tapping).  

jordanian beef mansaf: a dish to honour guests.

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They say (whoever 'they' are), that there is a national dish for every country. If that is true, especially in today's globalized world, I think I would judge each country not on its people, culture, natural beauty, or historical sites, but on this one supreme dish.

And, if I was to judge Jordan on this basis, it would be one of the top countries in the world. I remember eating mansaf at a small little restaurant tucked in a small winding alley near our hotel in Amman. The scent of cinnamon wafted out and mingled with that of roasting meat and tomatoes as we walked closer to the eatery. There were shouts down the street from storekeepers rolling up their awnings, the call to prayer echoed from building to building, and the sun cast a pink glow over the sand-coloured buildings. Mansaf embodies all those things to me now - the Jordanian culture is one of the most hospitable that I've ever experienced, and the idea of a huge platter of meat and rice in a yoghurt sauce, shared by many, fits perfectly with their warmth and affability.

The dish is traditionally eaten with bare hands, an old culinary characteristic of Jordan. We decided against that and went with the usual four-pronged object.

"Label out now Josh, we're classy folk around here."

Afterward, to help ease the pressure in our stomachs and lethargy from overindulging in meat and rice, we meandered down to that beautiful (and early-to-close) island at the bottom of Granville street. Not the same nightlife as Amman, but as close as I could get.

Jordanian Beef Mansaf

3 c. rice
2 tbs. olive oil

2 large steaks (I used sirloin)
2 c. water
3 c. beef stock
4 cardamom pods
3 sticks of cinnamon
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 liter plain yoghurt, preferrably goat's
1 tbs. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
two pinches of saffron
2 tbs. white flour
1 egg
salt, to taste

1 c. parsley, chopped (optional)
1 c. almonds, sliced and toasted

arabic flatbread

1. Put meat in a cooking pot with water and stock. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam. Put rice in a bowl and cover with water, let soak for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add cardamom, whole cinnamon, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, onion and garlic to the pot with meat. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, until liquid is reduced and meat is cooked.

3. Put yoghurt in the blender with flour, saffron, egg, cinnamon, salt, and blend it all together. Place the mix in a small saucepan on the stove and boil.

4. Put vegetable oil in another pot on low. Add rice, stirring constantly. Drain the meat broth and reserve. Take 2 1/2 cups and add to the rice and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let the rice cook for about ten minutes or until done.

5.Add a cup of the broth, and the yoghurt mix back to the meat and spices. Bring to a boil. If too liquid-y, simmer for a while to reduce.

6. Cover a plate with a flatbread. Put rice on top, and then spoon meat and sauce on top. Garnish with almonds and parsley. Serve with a simple Arab-style side salad.

7. Pray. Eat. Enjoy. Imagine you hear the haunting call to prayer, echoing from building to building.

savory shepherd's pie with yam crust: celebrating the arrival of baby 5D.

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I love shepherd's pie. Even as a kid, just adored it. The tender meat with herbs, occasional veggies, and sauce saturating the fluffy potatoes piled on top. I would want the flavor all over, so I would swirl and mix it together, and although it looked ugly, it was marvelous.

People prefer their shepherd's pie in different ways, with different ingredients - I think the instinct for peas in a savory sauce comes from mothers placing them there, otherwise, why would you want it with little round globes of squishy-ness?

I made dinner plans in Langley and so hitched a ride out there with our stagette counterparts - it is the epic stag on Schuswap Lake this weekend, and as you can see (and can't see because I cropped certain things out) the boys were 'stoked'. I pity da' Josh.

So I left them getting ramped up, and went over to my other Josh's house. I must admit, it was a distracted night. I was oh-ing and aw-ing over the newest addition to my life - my newest baby (though it has a heavier birth-weight than before!), my Canon 5D. A full-frame thing of beauty. The little brother is jealous. my Xti, but I'll find him a good home.

Wine combined with a new camera is not necessarily a good thing, but in this case, I had to celebrate (and I was taking the skytrain back, so a glass wouldn't hurt). Look at the beauty, the magnificence. Oh it is glorious. And the sound, oh the sound! The shutter caresses the air as it closes, making a rich click, rather than a tinny-sounding snap.

I was so distracted by my new little piece of glory, that I didn't really notice the smoke pouring out of the stove. Turns out that Josh's handle-less oven also likes to create smoke even when we aren't burning the food!! His small yet homey apartment became even cozier as a gray cloud filled it, causing tears and general mirth.

After the smoke was ushered, kindly, out of the apartment, though windows, bathroom fans, and Josh's vigorous towel waving, we sat down to eat. It seems to always be an adventure with these two. Lamb was the first one, we were supposed to have deer shepherd's pie but someone (ahem, Blair) forgot the integral part of the recipe at home across the Fraser River (a bit too far to go back just for some meat), and soon, this Thursday, we will be picnicking down at Wreck Beach, watching the human form of beached wales, in all their nudist glory, parading before us as we partake of some tapas.

But back to the shepherd's pie. Even without the array of spices that I would normally add (I placed my standard recipe below, not the more sparse one that I made last night), we ate comfort in a pan last night. Also refered to as 'Cottage Pie' or 'Potato Pies' (in Aussie-land), this general meal has been in use in Europe for several centuries (ever since the advent of potatoes from the 'New World' and their acceptance into the English culinary stream around the 1700s). It was a good way of using cheap ingredients, carrots and potatoes, to supplement leftover meat to create a hearty meal. Again, like any really good recipe, it was the poor that use to partake of 'cottage pie'. The English, Irish and Scottish all argue that this pie originated within their borders, but no matter where it came from, it is now loved around the world. I think of comfort, and childhood when I eat it. Never a bad thing.

Savory Shepherd's Pie with Yam Crust
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 c. mushrooms, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 lbs. beef (or deer)
1 c. beef stock
1 large can roma tomatoes, puréed with juice
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 c. red wine
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dried oregano
2tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried thyme
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
pinch of cloves

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. half and half (or 2% if you like)
2 tbsp, butter 

salt, to taste

pinch of nutmeg

1 tbs. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Put potatoes in a huge pot of boiling water. Cook until soft. Remove and drain. Add half and half, butter,  salt, nutmeg and Parmesan.

2. While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion and garlic and saute until brown and caramalized. Add veggies and saute until a bit soft, 3-4 mins. Add ground beef and cook about 8 minutes until most traces of pink has disappeared. Add spices, canned tomatoes and paste, worschestershire sauce, wine and stock. Simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Spread meat mix at a bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread the potatoes on top. Dust with paprika. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown (and bubbling enough to make your oven smoke).

4. Pray. Eat. Enjoy. Welcome a new member of the family with comforting goodness.

taco salad with mango salsa: browning ground beef after browning our bodies.

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I love breakfast places. I have to say, the Nice Cafe might become one of my favorites. Tucked away off of Main St. on 8th Ave., it is a charming brick-walled establishment with the smells of the-best-kind-of-Saturday-mornings wafting out of its doors.

I sat there with my glorious breakfast, and a good cup of coffee, while listening to Stelna expound the positive attributes of free-range eggs while Josh discounted them. They ended the conversation with Josh making the statement: "mmmmm, oppression tastes so good" (in reference to the non-free-range eggs).

All in all, a good morning. The boys left Stelna and I to do a slow boutique-crawl up Main Street. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the sun was in its ray-filled-glory, and so we became distracted quite easily - deciding to put our bodies to a more leisurely use.

I have never seen Kits beach so busy as it was on Saturday. The people were literally stacking up like sardines beside us. Row upon row of small groupings, having their own intricate and intimate interactions. Naguib Mahfouz was my best friend on the sand; he took me to a different sandy place through his prose - Cairo. However, occasionally I closed my eyes and let the snippets of life from the other occupied towels invade my thoughts - realizing that my own was just one story, while so many others swirled around me.

When the sardines finally came within hand-holding room, Stelna and I decided to leave for more familiar company. Yet the day had been so hot, and food seemed like an unappetizing notion, with its heat and heaviness. I decided that taco salad was in order - light, with enough protein to get us by, but definitely not heated.

Taco salad isn't really a true mexican dish - its more of a North American adaption of all the good things we could draw (yet things that would still interest five year old kids with the simplicity of flavors and ingredients) from the Southern cuisine that so many enjoy, yet are not inclined to partake of often (think - beans!). The 1960s marked the advent of this pseudo 'salad' into common day dinners.

After a light meal enjoyed by all, we left in search of a rooftop patio and enjoyed a meandering walk across the Granville Street Bridge (and many other adventures later on). If you ever have the chance to do the walk on a balmy night with the sun sinking in the distance, please do - trust me, its worth it (the camera was left at home to wallow in disuse at this point in the day's escapades). Just make sure to have a light dinner before you go - it is a long walk. I suggest taco salad.

Light and Breezy Taco Salad with Mango Salsa

1 lb. extra lean ground beef (please use this - the others are so oily, it just makes everything a little more . . .slippery and not as lovely in the salad)
1 tbs. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbs. chili powder
1 tbs. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried basil
salt to taste 

1 mango, chopped
1/2 english cucumber, chopped
3 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 head garlic, roasted, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 lime, juiced
handful of cilantro (also to taste - and ask your guests about this fine herb, some do not like it!), chopped finely
salt to taste

1/2 head iceburg lettuce, thinly sliced

corn tostadas

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add garlic and onion and saute until brown and caramelized.

2. Add spices and ground beef to the frying pan. Cook until brown and cooked through.

3. Add all the chopped veggies together in a bowl. Add salt to taste, drizzle lime on top.

4. Place tostadas on a plate. Place iceburg lettuce on top. Add salsa. Add meat mix. Chop up a little more cilantro and sprinkle on top.

5. Pray. Eat. Enjoy. Walk across the Granville Street Bridge.

chipotle burger. the sustenance a day before the celebration of a country.

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I left work on Friday with a hankering for meat. A burger to be precise. I took off my sweater and pranced home, with the very feminine intent of scarfing down a thick, juicy burger (a cliche way of describing a burger, but it is true). But one thing about this pervading popular dish (somewhere I heard that on average, Americans consume three hamburgers a week!) - why was it labeled a hamburger when there is no ham in it? Simple answer (which I just learned from my trusty Google) - the origins of the name lie in the city of Hamburg, Germany. But the actual history remains a mystery (ha, I love rhyming). Some think that hamburgers came to North America through German immigrants, some argue that it was created in the early 1920s at a fair, while others have a more exotic take on its creation - arguing that it lies with the Tartars in Asia. Whatever the beginnings of the hamburger, it has become a popular go-to for BBQs, weekday dinners, potlucks, or as an ending to nights out on the town (it is the reason why McDonalds is so popular at 2 in the morning in the heart of downtown). 

The only thing about burgers - they are greasy. And making low-fat ones usually turns into a crumbly mess. But there are mistakes that people make when using extra-lean beef. They are generally overcooked - lean meat takes less time to cook. Add moistening bits - such as onion, garlic, sauces, and egg. A small amount of tomato or black bean puree wouldn't go amiss. Don't overmix - this is a big one (the trick is to pack firmly but don't overmix)!! And always add seasonings.

 So while I was cooking these little slabs of meat, I continued on my bird's nest drawing. Completely inspired to draw something so delicate as I cooked ground raw beef . . . 

 

 And while the patties were cooking, Jacqui received one of the most impressive and thoughtful gifts I had ever seen - given to her by her loving ex-roommates. Putting me completely to shame.

 

They posed in her former room, with her current bed sheets, teddy bear, etc. with little to no clothes on, took photos and made her a mug. What a great memento she will always have.

I continued on my adventurous culinary week by partaking of an alligator (!!!) dish (pictured here with John consuming a bite) at the jazz club Ouisi.

And then, after karaoke at Darby's (evidently Wednesday night is unofficial UBC law student night), we walked over to the 24 hour vegetarian restaurant, the Naam, in Kits. A medley of an evening to say the least.

Low-Fat Chipotle Burgers

1 lb. ground beef
3 chipotle chillis, from a can, chopped
2 tbs. of adobo sauce
1 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp. of oregano
1/4 tsp. of ground cumin
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. tomato juice/sauce 
1/4 c. cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
hamburger buns

1. Combine the beef with the rest of the ingredients (except for the hamburger buns!) and mix (careful not to overmix!). Rest the meat mix for a couple hours in the fridge (this makes all the flavors meld and spread evenly throughout the mix).

2. Shape the beef mix into 4 patties and grill/fry (I had to fry, but grilling is the best way to cook these) each burger for 4 minutes on each side or until the meat is fully cooked.

3. Serve on toasted burger buns with lettuce, a thick slice of tomato, mayo, refried beans, and guacamole.

4. Pray. Eat. Enjoy.