The Porter house is:

• Jli and all the wonderful things that the very name entails
• A warmly lit front door with a Tomblesaurus leaning out with a welcoming grin and a giant wave
• Tacos
• Romping around and jumping on the most comfortable bed
• Sofa-side girl chats under blankets

In many ways, the Porter house is a hub of warmth and comfort. So when I set my mind on developing a recipe just for the lovelies at the Porter house, I knew I wanted something to capture the feeling of comfort I felt when I was there. It took some experimentation, but I think this is it: a moist pumpkin cupcake scented with cinnamon and a kick of nutmeg with a hidden sweet and tart apple pie filling in the center that surprises you mid-bite.

Jli, Tomblesaurus, Abdelsamad, Abaclig, and Mr. CIA, this one’s for you!

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Pumpkin Spice Apple Cupcakes a.k.a. “The Porter House”
Makes 19 cupcakes (18 cupcakes for guests + 1 for the baker, of course)

Pre-work:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Bring the eggs for the cupcakes  to room temperature and lightly beat them
• Bring the melted butter for the cupcakes to room temperature
• Set out the cream cheese and butter for the frosting to soften
• If you are using cupcake liners, line your muffin tin with the liners. If not, lightly grease your muffin tin.

Prepare the apple filling first:

• 2 medium apples peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
• 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Soak the diced apples in a bowl of water with the tablespoon of lemon juice.
2. Then combine the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, grapefruit zest, and vinegar in a bowl.
3. Mix the apples into the apple filling seasoning mixture.
4. Lightly sautee the apples with the butter until fork tender. Set aside.

Now prepare the cupcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted melted butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg intended for the cupcakes in a medium bowl
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar butter, and eggs until smooth
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet as you continue to whisk until smooth
4. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk it in until combined
5. Fill the muffin tins 1/4 of the way with the pumpkin cupcake batter. Drop a heaping teaspoon of the apple filling in the center of the batter. Pour the pumpkin cupcake batter over the filling until the muffin tins are about halfway full.
6. Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when you gently push on them with your fingertips.

Prepare the cream cheese frosting as you wait:

• 1.5 packages cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1.5 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Cream together the cream cheese frosting and butter until smooth
2. Mix in the vanilla
3. Gradually add the granulated sugar
4. Pipe or smear onto the cupcakes once cooled

*I opted to top the cupcakes with a sprinkling of candied walnuts instead of a cream cheese frosting, but for those not worried about such a silly thing as calories, I would highly suggest topping these off with a swirl of cream cheese frosting, as it would be a lovely complement to the cupcakes.

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.

Growing up in perpetually sunny ca, my vitamin-d enriched young self always wondered why the weather was the cliche conversation starter. I mean, how many shades of yellow and gorgeousness can the sun take on? It was only after I survived my first Boston winter, shivering, ghostly-pale, but more or less intact, that I realized just how many variations the weather could take on.

The weather’s an even more capricious tease these days. Winter apparently didn’t get the notice that spring’s taking over on March 21st and in a (hopefully) last act of protest will be blasting us with snowflakes on the 23rd. It’s hard to imagine bundling up in winter attire again as I sit here, writing outside, bathing in the sun in flip flops and a light sweater (God bless 55 degree days). But they say it will be so.

I don’t know about you, but this whole fickle weather pattern deal has thrown me in a tizzy. So I’m in the mood to bake something just as complex, fickle, and capricious. I’m thinking something lemony-tart, but sweet … something velvety smooth with hints of crunch. What to do? Suggestions are welcome. Winning suggestion gets honorary tasting of baked good!

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!

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!

Shabu-Ya
57 JFK St
Cambridge, MA 02138
www.shabuyarestaurant.com

Dancing visions of thinly sliced rib eye and steaming hot pots of vegetables simmering away in a rich broth enticed d. and me to venture out  and try out Shabu-Ya in the square tonight.While the idea of having a shabu shabu restaurant so close to home was exciting, and the trendy, youthful restaurant decor was promising, all-in-all, we found that Shabu-Ya still has much room for improvement.

Cook-your-own food restaurants are always in a tough spot. There is no chef to work magic on the dish at the very end. And most diners like myself are far from being culinary masters. So it’s up to the restaurant to make sure that the quality and range of ingredients provided are so good in and of themselves so that even silly diners can throw everything together and still make something that tastes good in the end. And that’s a pretty tall order.

In the case of a shabu-shabu restaurant, this comes down to offering a rich soup-base and a variety of vegetables that will add the right complexity to the soup, so that diners can leave with full tummies and the final memory of noodles swimming in a delightfully rich broth at the very end. Because, as we all know, there really is nothing quite as anti-clamatic as a shabu-shabu that ends with a tasteless broth.

Shabu-ya unfortunately fell short in both respects; the soup-base lacked flavor, and the variety of vegetables offered, which primarily consisted of cabbage and bok choy added little depth to the soup. And so I must confess that while I was absolutely captivated by d.’s dinner conversation the entire time, I couldn’t help but daydream from time to time of an imaginary veggie patch from which I could pick just a small bit of asian turnip, a quarter of an onion, and a couple bits of ginger and garlic that I could slip into the soup. What wonders they could have done!

All in all, Shabu-ya’s enthusiastic owners, attentive servers, great location, and young decor give the restaurant great potential for success. To make sure it becomes a main staple in the competitive Harvard Square restaurant scene, they need to go back and improve upon the backbone of the restaurant – the shabu-shabu – by improving the broth, because really, a shabu-shabu restaurant with a bad soup is sorta like a steak house with a bad steak. And that’s just devastating.