Whenever I visit home, I can’t help but spoil my parents with baked and cooked treats, because when they come home after a long day and smell something delicious in the air, they get the most precious looks on their faces that show me that their worries from the day have abated ever so slightly. And if it’s that easy to make someone happy, why not do it everyday?

I try to make sure that they not only get some sweets, but some healthful foods in their diet to keep them strong and healthy. These modified Salmon Cakes full of Omega-3 fatty acids fall into the healthful food category. I topped these salmon cakes off with a Cucumber Yogurt Salad that lent the dish a refreshing twist. I’m never precise whenever it comes to cooking, so here’s a rough recipe to follow if you’d like to try it out yourself!

Salmon Cakes
Makes 3-5 portions

• 3 fillets of fresh salmon
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 cup whole grain bread meal*
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste

* Basically take a couple slices of whole grain bread and leave out to dry. Alternatively, lay the slices on a baking tray and bake in a 175 degree F oven until they’ve dried out. You can also add some herbs to this mix as you like.

1. Steam the 3 salmon fillets until tender. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine the pine nuts, walnuts, and bread meal in a food processor and process until fine.
3. Thoroughly drain the bell peppers by squeezing them within a cheese cloth.
4. Add the bell peppers, onions, lemon juice, and garlic to the salmon fillets in a large bowl.Using a fork, mix to combine until the salmon flakes. I like some sizable chunks of salmon in there. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that you will be adding the bread meal and eggs to the mix, so compensate for that by adding just a bit more seasoning than you think is necessary.
5. Crack in the 2 eggs and gently combine. Add the bread meal as necessary until the salmon cakes reach your desired consistency. If the salmon cakes are difficult to handle, you can also put them in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour to make handling easier.
6. Spoon up ~4 tablespoons of salmon cake into the palm of your hand, roll, and press gently until you make a patty about .75 inches thick.
7. Heat a pan with just a touch of oil, butter, or cooking spray and place the patties on the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until cooked through and golden on each side.
8. Serve warm.

Cucumber Yogurt Salad

• 2.5 cups Greek style plain, fat-free yogurt
• 2 cups cucumbers, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Combine everything in a bowl. Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for ~8 hours.
2. Serve cool.

M, J, K, and E visited the East Coast this spring break, bringing with them a bit of Cali sunshine and tons of “home.” It was such a treat to see them again as we rediscovered favorite haunts and made new memories. We wreaked havoc on the streets as we frightened passerbyers with our alarmingly fast walking paces, and we ate our ways through three states over four days. In short, it was a fantastic time.

The cozy hotel we called home for a night – the Hudson – was conveniently located next to one of the best bakeries in town – Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery. We didn’t waste any time hitting it up and sampling their caramel macaron and chocolate torte. The chocolate torte with its silky and rich ganache did not disappoint. And as we settled down on a wooden bench on the outskirts of Central Park to share our treats, I was so happy I was sighing all over the place.

After a romp in Central Park and a “visit” to the Met, we refueled at Sofia’s (or Serafina’s for that matter) before we headed out to 60th b/w 2nd and 3rd for some frrozen hot chocolate that was served to us by the creator of the delicious strawberry fields sundae, himself!

And as if that wasn’t enough, we set off for midtown for some korean fried chicken at Bonchon on 5th ave. We rounded out the night over some chicken (and lamb) and rice from the halal guys on 53rd and 6th, where K discovered just how hot their hot sauce was, and D managed to outeat all of us combined. I, just like nearly every tourist and New Yorker, have always loved the halal guys, but the chicken and rice from that night after we had torn apart the city on foot was even more special than usual. My mouth waters just writing about it.

Day 2 was just as sweet and savory as we walked our way downtown, stopping along the way for cream puffs from Cafe Zaiya, sushi from Chiyoda Sushi, a slice of Chocolate Pizze from Max Brenner, a NY slice from the one and only genuine Famous Ray’s of Greenwich Village, a bag of amarettis and pignolis from Caffe Roma, and ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

New York’s a great city, made even sweeter when discovered over delicious food, laughs, and good people. I’m looking forward to calling it home soon.

vs.

David Chang has catapulted into the culinary world, bringing with him a hefty slab of pork belly. Some may call pork belly just an over-glorified, fatty cut of meat, while others see it as a tender, earthy morsel that melts in your mouth, leaving behind a richness on your tongue, and a satiated sensation in your tummy. As for Koreans, we’re just surprised that it took so long for the pork belly to take off: pork belly is among the most inexpensive cuts of Korean barbecue meat around. It has been enjoyed for generations, thinly sliced, sizzling on a low-standing korean grill, dipped in the perfect blend of sesame oil, salt, and pepper, wrapped in freshly picked red lettuce leaves with a spoonful of rice and a hefty dollop of red pepper paste with a sliver of fresh garlic, and chased with some ice cold soju on a hot summer day.

This common food item, however, has made its way into stardom, making its debut appearance on the menus of 4-star restaurants around the nation. To many restaurant patrons, the belly has become an obsession. Chefs all over the U.S. have responded to the uptick in interest and have started braising, crisping, roasting, and doing all sorts of fanciful things in hopes of creating a dish that will wrest away the title of best pork belly from Chang’s delectable pork steamed buns.

I recently had the chance to sample two variations of the pork belly at No. 9 Park with D. and J. and at Uni with D., E.,and S. The pork belly at No. 9 was roasted and accompanied by creamy polenta, hedge-hog mushrooms, and fennel agrodolce. The skin was roasted to a crisp and the crunch was a delightful counterpoint to the sometimes overwhelming fattiness of the meat. Unfortunately, ease of edibility was sacrificed for taste, as the skin was crisped to such a degree that it could not be cut through with a fork and knife. So unless the restaurant patron was blessed with a fantastic set of molars and incisors, the skin had to be set aside, unable to be enjoyed. Thankfully enough, the naked cut of meat left behind was delicious enough on its own, melting in my mouth at first bite, with a hint of sweetness from the polenta, and rich earthiness from the hedgehog mushrooms.

Unsurprisingly, the Japanese-style sushi restaurant and bar Uni took an entirely different approach from the French and Italian peasant-fare inspired restaurant No. 9 Park. While No. 9 Park’s pork belly was roasted, its skin was crisped, and it was served with a number of accompaniments, Uni’s pork belly was braised, its texture was tender throughout, and it was served with minimal accompaniments, letting the pork take center stage. Additionally, while No. 9 Park’s pork belly was minimally seasoned so that the full body of the meat could resonate on its own, Uni’s pork belly was marinated and served in a subtle sauce smelling faintly of soy sauce, sesame oil, and daikon. The daikon in the sauce and served alongside the pork in the dish was key to the success of the dish, as it lent it a refreshing overtone that cut through the richness of the meat. The texture of the meat was meltingly tender, and the mushroom in the dish highlighted the earthy flavors of the pork. The dish was excellent overall. And in E’s and my cases, it helped create a sense of nostalgia as it conjured memories of comfort meals enjoyed in our mothers’ kitchens.

While both of these dishes are delicious, they are a far cry from Chang’s simple and delectable steamed pork buns (tender pork belly sandwiched in a steamed bun with cucumbers and hoisin sauce) that are simple to the point of elegance, proving that oftentimes, less is definitely more.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

The Channel Cafe is a great lunch spot that moonlights as a chic, chill, and laid-back dinner date spot/lounge. Don’t let the long trek over deter you; Channel Cafe’s unique location in the basement of an art gallery in the heart of Fort Point adds to its charm, and everyone who visits feels like they’ve chanced upon a hidden gem in Boston.

Tilapia Burrito

One word that can be used to describe their menu offerings is: solid. D and I shared the quesadilla of the day – Chicken and Cheddar Quesadilla – to start, which was perfectly seasoned. It had the ideal texture combination of crispiness from the tortillas and tender, moist, juiciness from the chicken. After, I opted for the Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Darren chose the Tilapia Burrito. Both were excellent, though the Moray Sauce on the Chicken Cordon Bleu fell a little flat. Nevertheless, the entire dish worked well. Darren’s Tilapia Burrito was excellent, and the deliciousness of the dish was heightened by the artsy diagonal cut D made – what an artiste! We rounded it all out with a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake topped with some crumbles and chocolate. Overall, it was a satisfying meal highlighted by the great ambiance and company.

We will visit again. And so should you!

Maybe it was because fat snowflakes were holding us hostage in our rooms all day as they covered the Square, but I was feeling particularly energetic and antsy the other night. I needed a release, and there really is no better release for energy than kneading dough. So I looked up some recipes for quick breads, and came across two self-proclaimed “Irresistible” and “Amazingly Easy” recipes for Irish Soda Bread. While the Irresistible Soda Bread did, indeed, look irresistible, I opted for the Amazingly Easy recipe since it called for kneading while the Irresistible did not. Such misnomers!

Prep and baking was relatively straightforward, and the outcome was a moist, rich dense bread with a flaky crust. The interior was subtly flavored by buttermilk, with bursts of sweetness from the raisins. All of this was rounded out by the nuttiness of the walnuts I threw in just for fun. I might improve upon the recipe next time by cooking at a lower temp for a slightly longer period of time and adding some orange zest to cut through the bread given how dense and rich it is. (A million Irish grandmothers are probably turning in their graves as I write!)

Here is the recipe (Adapted from MP Welty)

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tblspns white sugar
1 tspn baking soda
1 tblspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 1/2 cup raisins
1 cup roasted walnuts
zest of one orange
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in softened margarine and mix until combined.
3. Make a well in the dry mixture and stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Mix until combined. And raisins, walnuts, and orange zest.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Jo Jo Taipei
103 Brighton Ave
Allston, MA 02134
(617) 254-8889
www.jojotaipeiboston.com

Fried Steamed Buns

(The stuff dreams are made of)

D and I trekked out to Jo Jo today to celebrate our 4th V-day together, and it was such a treat! Jo Jo is a cute little space in Allston with a smiling staff and really great dishes.

This time around, D and I shared fried steamed buns and stinky tofu to start. The fried steamed buns were nothing short of amazing; imagine a burst of sweet condensed milk and rich peanut powder hitting your tongue as you bite through a perfectly crisped, flaky outside and into the steaming, moist, and tender center of the bun. As for the stinky tofu, it was, well, stinky. It apparently is not as stinky as the true Chinese like, but it was stinky enough for me!

We followed with Beef and Vegetable with Noodles sauteed in Sa-Cha Sauce, Flounder Fillet, and Kung Pao Chicken, and rounded it all out with their Mango Sa-Sa Bin. I could tell you how amazing the flounder was (perfectly seasoned in a spicy sauce with sweet undertones), and how the Mango Sa-Sa Bin (shaved ice with mango ice cream, mangos, and condensed milk) was so good that we couldn’t help but dig in despite it being a cold winter night. But I will not bore you with the details. I will simply give you this promise: we’ll be back at Jo Jo soon to test out even more of their dishes, and I’ll be sure to let you know about the best ones.

For the time being, swing by Jo Jo and snag an order of their fried steamed buns. I know I will!

It’s 18 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and it is just one of those days when you want to curl up with a blanket, a good mystery novel, and a hearty bowl of vegetable stew. But today of all days, the sight of our poor, droopy cucumbers wasting away in our refrigerator prompted C. and me to create an utterly out-of-season dish inspired by her mother: cucumber salad.

Prep time is minimal, and seasoning is entirely off-the-cuff (hence the frustratingly vague measurements in the recipe, below), but the outcome is fantastic. So don’t fret about an extra teaspoon of this or that, and have fun!

Summer in a Bowl (Adapted from C’s mother’s recipe)

Ingredients:

Some crispy, fresh cucumbers, sliced paper thin
A generous handful of sugar
An even more generous handful of salt
A couple drops of vinegar
Some rough-chopped cilantro
Minced peppers (the spicier the better!)

Directions:

1. Throw the handful of salt on the cucumbers with a few drops of vinegar, and mix together.
2. Season with sugar to taste. There should be the slightest hint of sweetness in each bite.
3. Add cilantro and peppers.
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. Chill for ~30 minutes prior to eating to let the flavors get all happy together.

And there you have it – a super easy, refreshing dish that is really just like having summer in a bowl. The best thing about this dish is the interaction of the sweet sugar, erm … salty salt (?), and sour acid coming together all at once, with the cilantro adding a hint of complexity to the flavor.

I am fairly certain this dish is present in a number of cultures in a variety of forms. It’d be great to hear about them!