A Fish Story Based On A Lye

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Val

Lutefisk

Norway

A lutefisk dinner as traditional as it gets

A lutefisk dinner as traditional as it gets

Some foods strike fear into the hearts of mortals; with each cautious bite we visualize the grim reaper taking us one step farther down the black velvet carpet towards a carriage drawn by the four horsemen of the apocalypse: fugu, poke salad, seso and lutefisk. Of the four, lutefisk is probably the least understood. The Norwegian cod delicacy has been eaten for so long that no one really knows how the unusual preparation came about; the process was most likely an invention of necessity and convenience. The cod is filleted and hung to dry where it ends up looking like a long strip of sycamore bark; these are bundled like wood for storage or transportation. It is the process of reconstituting the fish that frightens people – in Norway, the cod is soaked in plain water over a period of several days with the water replaced on a daily basis. The fish is then soaked in water with the addition of lye for several more days. You heard right, folks – lye, the old-time caustic component of laundry soap. Although many Norwegians will deny this, if the fish is left too long in the lye solution, the fish is inedible, and eventually the fat in the fish will be converted to soap which the Finnish call saippuakala (“soap fish”). During the lye soak the fish will swell to multiple times its original size; after the proper amount of time has passed the lutefisk is rinsed and soaked again for up to a week in plain water which is changed regularly. This is the epitome of a “kids don’t try this at home” dish – most people who prepare the fish do so from lutefisk carefully frozen and packed by trained professionals. Even when lutefisk is prepared properly, it is recommended that sterling silver cookware or utensils should not be used as the fish will ruin it. The fabulous explanations of how the dish was created truly are fish stories – they range from the Vikings invading Ireland having their dried fish poisoned but taking a liking to the caustic dish to the fish having caught fire on wooden racks and then cleaned to be eaten. The simplest explanation is usually the best – the lye helped make the dish go father by swelling it up (as it does for hominy); old recipes call for lye created using birch ash, limestone, and water. The same dried cod is exported from Norway for use in similar dishes using less caustic preparation such as baccalà (Italy) and bacalhau (Portugal).

The dried cod destined to become lutefisk

The dried cod destined to become lutefisk

Lutefisk has come to be known as a food of the people; where in the old days it was eaten all year round it can now be found on the menu primarily during the holiday season (November through Christmas). Lutefisk dinners are common in the U.S. in areas where there are large populations of Scandinavian immigrants such as Minnesota, however the Sons of Norway in Van Nuys, California host an annual lutefisk dinner that has been an tradition at the Norrøna Lodge for over 40 years. The lodge was founded in 1942, and they have been serving the dinner at their current location since 1956. For the dinner, the lodge sources its lutefisk from Olsen Fish Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The fish is caught and dried traditionally in Norway during the winter and then shipped to Olsen Fish Company where it is reconstituted. After the long reconstitution process, an average of 700 pounds of the lutefisk is then sold wholesale to the lodge, packed and shipped for the dinner. One of the lodge members (Bob Olsen) has been cooking the fish for 40 years, 30 of them at the annual dinner. Cooking lutefisk is an art that takes awhile to master – boil it too long and it literally turns into a gelatinous soup; not long enough and it becomes chewy. In addition to cooking up enough lutefisk to feed 400 people, the lodge also bakes 375 pounds of pork and beef Norwegian meatballs (and they are quick to point out that these are not Swedish – they’re better); the meatballs were formerly mixed with lamb, but are still made with breadcrumbs, dry milk, nutmeg and spices and individually hand-rolled. Each table is stocked with limpa (a Swedish rye bread, with citrus peel and anise) sourced from Berolina Bakery in Glendale, California and lefse, a traditional flatbread made from potatoes and served topped with butter and brown sugar. The meal also came with mixed vegetables, a fresh, light coleslaw and small boiled potatoes. Dessert was on the table even before the meal was brought out – each setting featured a cup of creamy rice pudding with sugar, butter, whipped cream and lingonberry sauce with a rolled krom krage cookie on the side.

Bob Olsen prepares the lutefisk for cooking

Bob Olsen prepares the lutefisk for cooking

Dinner is served communal style at big round tables. In case you assume that the consuming of lutefisk is somewhat hazardous to your health, consider that the majority of the people attending their dinners were probably septuagenarians and older, and these people could put away the lutefisk like it was going out of style (or being banned). Two of the “younger” people at our table matched us fish for fish – we easily knocked back six or seven fillets each. The taste was remarkably mellow, although there was a slight chemical aftertaste. Lutefisk is rumored to have an offensive odor, but it wasn’t present in this case. The texture of the fish on the platters varied, and I found that I preferred it slightly mucilaginous where it dissolved on the tongue with no chewing required; it was easy to identify simply by shaking the platter. The traditional sauce of choice is simply clarified butter, but in recent times a less traditional cream sauce with nutmeg has been used and gravy boats of the creamy topping were provided at each table. Eddie Lin (who I had joined for dinner) referred to the lutefisk as “poor man’s lobster” because of the texture of the firmer preparation, although lutefisk and monkfish (the original “poor man’s lobster”) now are pricier than American lobster. I asked someone at the table what the proper traditional method of prepping the lefse was – it involved smearing a small pat of butter and sprinkling brown sugar on top, but one of our fellow diners went renegade and poured the clarified butter over an anthill of brown sugar to where you could barely see the lefse.

Aquavit that really packs a punch

Aquavit that really packs a punch

After dinner we walked out behind the dining hall where Scandinavian gifts were available for purchase as well as a bar where one could purchase a shot of traditional after-dinner aquavit (akvavit). This golden beverage is made from potatoes similar to vodka with a 40% alcohol kick. Akvavit is enhanced with a variety herbs, spices, and fruit extract, but smooth as the drink is it is all business. The drink takes on more of a golden color as it ages in oak. The general rule of thumb is that the darker the color, the longer it has been aged, or it has been aged in “young” casks with more resin content, although some aquavit uses artificial coloring. Lutefisk is not the kind of thing you’d want to eat on a daily basis, but at the annual Sons of Norway lutefisk dinner I think I may have redefined the term “all-you-can-eat”. Ryan (one of the younger cooks in the kitchen) was wearing and embroidered apron that read, “Take the risk – try lutefisk”, and I couldn’t agree more. Don’t let fear or rumors prevent you from experiencing this tasty and unusual dish. The taste, texture and experience of sharing this special meal with the members of the Norrøna Lodge is something I won’t soon forget – I’ll be back next year and that’s no lye.

Sons of Norway
Norrøna Lodge #50
14312 Friar Street
Van Nuys, California 91401
GPS Coordinates: 34°11’7.96″N 118°26’41.51″W

See images from the annual Sons of Norway lutefisk dinner at the Norrøna Lodge in Van Nuys, California

NOTE: This cost for this meal was provided by Norrøna Lodge #50. The content provided in this article was not influenced whatsoever by the organizer of the event.

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Ars Longa Vita Brevis

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Val

Artisanal LA

Los Angeles, California

Chef Joseph Gillard of Napa Valley Grille makes a fall salad

Chef Joseph Gillard of Napa Valley Grille makes a fall salad

The recent inaugural Artisanal LA event held at Los Angeles’ Cooper Building ambitiously set out to be a collective of local restaurants, farms, artists, horticulturists and other artisan goods offering samples and selling their wares under one roof. The fall event featured demonstrations and discussions over a two-day period, and if the event’s sold-out status was any indication, it was a rousing success. The brainchild of Sauce LA’s Shawna Dawson (who also co-conspired to present this year’s LA Street Food Fest at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl), Artisanal LA promised to wear out your shoes and satisfy your senses for the better part of the afternoon. Held in the expansive space high up in the Cooper Building, the grid layout paired chocolatiers, urban farm collectives, beekeepers and bakeries in an overwhelming display of hand crafted, sustainable goods. Some booths attracted attendees from across the hall with enticing aromas; Rashida Purifoy’s Cast Iron Gourmet was like the pork pied piper, filling the air with the come-hither of cooking bacon, candied and used in the copious samples of trail mix. That’s A Nice simply opened a jar of their whipped, roasted garlic, which worked better than a GPS unit to get people into their booth. More substantial fare was found as well; savory and hearty individual meat pies were available from Flying Pie Man Yuichiro Sato, whose ground beef pie took top honors for best savory pie at this year’s KCRW Good Food pie contest. Little paper cups and small bites of tasty treats and beverages were available from vendors throughout. Homegirl Industries offered a vat of green liquid that looked like a movie prop; their spinach and mint limeade only looked intimidating, but in fact was sweet, cool and surprisingly refreshing. For those looking for more traditional micro-brewed beverages, Jeremy Raub, owner of Eagle Rock Brewery was on hand to squirt out cups of their Imperial Amber Wit and Solidarity Black Mild beer, which was also available for tasting during a panel discussion with Brian Lethcoe of Nibble Bit Tabby Brewery and moderated by The Beer Chicks.

Butcher Erika Nakamura (Grundy) breaks down half a pig

Butcher Erika Nakamura (Grundy) breaks down half a pig

As part of a “biodynamic” wine pairing demonstration, Chef Joseph Gillard of Napa Valley Grille threw together an incredibly popular fall salad featuring cubed squash, pumpkin and pomegranate seeds and roasted Brussels sprouts, tossed with a basic apple cider vinaigrette dressing. Mixologist Blake Edwards created beautiful and lush garden cocktail infusions placing cut herbs, vegetables and fruit in clear bottles and then dousing them with vodka, water and rum. These would have been amazing kitchen decorations, but are designed to be consumed before the flavors overpower the spirits, and eating the drunken vegetation is highly discouraged. Of all the demonstration, the most attended and captivating was the butchering demonstration by Lindy and Grundy – across three butcher blocks, they reduced half a young pig to paper-wrapped cuts including trotters, chops, and skin for chicharrón in just under 20 minutes. After the hog was packaged to go, the cuts were distributed to the crowd (I went home with a substantial parcel of pork belly). Watching their flying knife-wielding hands hard at work whetted my appetite for desert; a sparse booth manned by Tartist featured an astoundingly delicious looking and smelling pumpkin tart that needed eating. I purchased a slice of the shallow graham cracker crusted pastry, which tart baker Xárene offered to box for me until I told her that it wouldn’t last that long. Between the samples and the food items I purchased I was too stuffed to jump, continuing to attend the demonstrations and discuss food preparation with the folks in the booths.

Fresh pork belly with candied yams and garlic and sour cream potatoes

Fresh butchered pork belly with coconut candied yams and garlic and sour cream potatoes

Just before I left I was approached by Jill Flomenhoff of Bangers and Smashed, who offered me a container of her coconut candied yams and garlic and sour cream mashed potatoes, which I knew would be the perfect side dish to go with the pork belly Lindy and Grundy gave me. Claudia prepared the pork belly using a Chinese recipe, although we cut some corners since we didn’t have any star anise on hand and lacked several other ingredients. The pork fell apart, full of the flavor of the young hog and the ingredients it was cooked with, and the potatoes complemented the meat perfectly. The yams were sweet without being sugary and the shredded coconut added an unusual flavor and texture I hadn’t experienced before. Although the garlic mashed potatoes had more of a whipped consistency they were still flavorful, but a little light on the garlic.

The event was held to benefit St Vincent Meals on Wheels, Woolly School Gardens and LA Regional Food Bank; it was a good feeling to support local artisans, see money raised for a good cause and enjoy the sights, smells and tastes of what are truly works of art. I think the great Leonardo da Vinci said it best when he exclaimed, “That’s-a-nice!”… or was that Leonardo DiCaprio?

Artisanal L.A.
The Cooper Building
860 South Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014-3311
GPS Coordinates: 34°2’26.70″N 118°15’13.40″W

Links to the vendor web sites available at Atrisanal L.A.’s web page

GALLERY: See images from Artisanal LA at The Cooper Building in Los Angeles’ Fashion District

NOTE: Admission fee for Artisinal L.A. was waived in exchange for volunteering for the event. The content provided in this article was not influenced whatsoever by the organizer of the event.

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That’s Some Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Val

Pumpkin

North America and elsewhere

Pumpkin sculpture in Freemont CA

Pumpkin sculpture in Freemont CA

Although durian bears the title of the King of Fruit, the true crowned monarch is the world’s largest fruit, the pumpkin. Most people casually disregard the pumpkin as being only good for jack-o-lanterns and pies, but like other squashes, the pumpkin lends versatility and flavor to a wide variety of dishes including soups, side dishes and pastries with the flesh, seeds, flowers and leaves all being edible. Pumpkins come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and textures, with every one of them being edible (although some of the ornamental varieties are somewhat lacking in taste). They are thought to originate in North America, but have been easily cultivated worldwide; the U.S. still grows and consumes more pumpkin than anywhere else in the world. Pumpkins keep for a while if the thick outer skin is unbroken, but once that has been compromised eating the fruit is not advised (your best bet is to throw that jack-o-lantern on the compost heap on November 1st). Since pumpkins typically reach maturity in the fall, that’s the best time to find them in grocery stores and on “seasonal” restaurant menus from early October through Thanksgiving Day. Fortunately you don’t have to live in New England to enjoy pumpkin in autumn dishes, but if you do you may have a hard time getting an iced tea to go with it.

Outstanding coniglio with pumpkin over wide noodles

Outstanding coniglio with pumpkin over wide noodles

Around the same time leaf-peepers are swarming through the woods of New Hampshire and Vermont with their SLRs at the ready, the leaves are also changing color in the Northwest, and in the Portland, Oregon area pumpkin rears its big, fat head in clever and delicious ways in many of the area restaurants. Typhoon (CLOSED), a local upscale Thai chain features several seasonal items, but the most spectacular is their pumpkin curry dumplings. The fried dumplings have an al dente chewiness to their skin, and each bite releases the creamy pumpkin inside. The dumplings wade in a sweet and slightly spicy pumpkin/curry sauce that demands sponging up with bread after the dumplings are done. A few doors down from Typhoon at The Round in Beaverton is MiNGO, an Italian bistro that features what I consider to be the ultimate autumn dish – coniglio. Although the name sounds like a skin disease, “coniglio” is Italian for rabbit, and this outstanding dish features a ground rabbit sausage, northwest mushrooms and chunks of pumpkin over wide, flat noodles and lightly drenched in a sage cream sauce. Just the aroma instantly transports you to the woods, where you can imagine yourself chasing the rabbit through freshly fallen leaves in the crisp autumn air; the experience gives way to the taste of victory with every savory, earthy bite. The combination of textures and flavors is what fall would taste like if you could capture it in a Mason jar.

Wiffies fried pumpkin pie at Cartopia food pod in Portland

Wiffies fried pumpkin pie at Cartopia food pod in Portland

After either splendid meal, a venture to one of Portland’s few late-night food cart pods is in order for dessert. The aptly named Cartopia at the corner of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and Southeast 12th Avenue features one of Portland’s highest-rated and most talked-about food carts – Whiffies Fried Pies. The pod features a stand specializing in crepes, a Mexican cart, and other vendors dealing pizza and French fries, but Whiffies seems to be the cart Portland is talking about. They have a very simple menu, featuring a rotating variety of fried pies (about the size and shape of empanadas), including a mixed-berry pie that contains the oddly named Marion berry (which sounded eerily like Washington D.C.’s famous crack-smoking Mayor, Marion Barry). Lest I digress, this is an article on pumpkin and fall cuisine, and I was on a quest to try the seasonal fried pumpkin pie. My first bite into the thick flaky crust released a flow of spiced pumpkiny lava, which was rich, creamy and delicious. About halfway through the pie, the hot gooey filing refused to be contained and I ended up with a generous dollop on my pants, but it tasted so good I was tempted to recapture the spilled filling. It was a new take on a classic dessert – one I could easily get used to.

Pumpkin ravioli with chunks of pumpkin and seeds

Pumpkin ravioli with chunks of pumpkin and seeds

Many L.A. area restaurants also roll out their fall menus, and at Culver City’s Rush Street pumpkin elbows its way throughout the menu. At a recent media dinner to coincide with the ongoing Culver City Block Party they had decorated the outside of the restaurant with scarecrows, pumpkins and faux-fall foliage. While deciding how to get my pumpkin on I considered several fall-influenced cocktails including their own green appletini and a frothy, whipped-cream infused pumpkin martini; although I had a taste of both I opted for the pumpkin ale from Buffalo Bill’s Brewery, which unfortunately only seemed to be pumpkin-colored (although not a bad ale, I feel like I drank a pig in a poke). I kicked off the meal with a bowl of rich and creamy soup featuring pumpkin’s second cousin, butternut squash. The thick, hot soup was naturally sweet, warming and welcome on the unusually brisk southern California fall evening. As far as substantial menu items go, the obvious choice was the pumpkin ravioli. While similar in appearance to the pumpkin curry dumplings at Typhoon, that’s where the similarity ended – there wasn’t a dramatic contrast between the pumpkin filling and the ravioli pasta and although it was slightly spiced with sage it was mostly sweet. Naturally no pumpkin adventure would be complete without a slice of pumpkin pie, and although there didn’t seem to be a landmark departure from the traditional telling, it did not disappoint.

The Zucha pizza with pumpkin at Lucifers

The Zucha pizza with pumpkin at Lucifers

As covered in a previous article, Los Angeles’ Lucifer’s Damned Good Pizza features pies year-round topped with pumpkin: my personal favorite, the pumpkin and prosciutto with roast garlic, basil and spinach, and the Zucha (featuring pumpkin, olives, feta, zucchini, red bell pepper and spinach). Although I’m not certain if the luscious pumpkin tart from L.A.’s tartist is available year round, the rich dessert is the perfect end for any homemade fall meal – more information is available in the article on Artisanal L.A, where the tartist held a commanding presence. Because pumpkin is so versatile, it is easy to include it in meals cooked at home. It can be used as a substitute for potatoes, mashed, steamed – the possibilities are limitless. If cutting up a pumpkin to be used as an ingredient seems too much like work, you can take the easy way out and buy canned pureed pumpkin, but for flavor there’s no beating fresh. Pureed pumpkin added to pancake batter makes a wonderful seasonal breakfast or the basis for cupcakes and breads. Over Thanksgiving I created a dish I call (for lack of a better term) Puritan Chow; the concept was to make a side dish composed of only ingredients the English settlers and Wampanoag people would have had access to in 1621, which research shows to be not as easy as it sounds (sweet corn, potatoes and cranberry sauce were not readily available at the time). I finely chopped turkey and fried it, adding in diced pumpkin that was parboiled for 2 minutes. While cooking the two primary ingredients, I added in cranberries, raisins, green onions and finally shredded spinach and pumpkin seeds at the end. Those who sampled the dish seemed to like it, but I hope they weren’t being polite; since I’ve purchased several pumpkins to cook over the next few weeks I will probably try a version with venison and a vegan version and serve it in a baked whole pumpkin.

Puritan Chow featuring ingredients from 1621 Plymouth MA

Puritan Chow featuring ingredients from 1621 Plymouth MA

Fall ends officially late in December, so take advantage of the availability of this delicious fruit. When next October rolls around, consider purchasing several pumpkins – one for carving and the others for your culinary enjoyment; you’ll be gobbling it down like there’s no tomorrow.

Typhoon (CLOSED)
12600 SW Crescent Street
Beaverton, Oregon 97005
(other Portland area locations)
GPS Coordinates: 45°29’26.45″N 122°48’24.43″W

MiNGO
12600 SW Crescent Street
Suite 120
Beaverton, Oregon 97005
GPS Coordinates: 45°29’26.88″N 122°48’26.51″W

Whiffies
Cartopia
SE Hawthorne Blvd. at SE 12th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
GPS Coordinates: 45°30’44.47″N 122°39’11.67″W

Rush Street
9546 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232-2631
GPS coordinates: 34°1’22.78″N 118°23’41.51″W

Lucifer’s Damned Good Pizza
1958 Hillhurst Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
GPS coordinates: 34°6’25.41″N 118°17’14.10″W

tartist
Address available for order pickup

GALLERY: See images of various pumpkin dishes Val has enjoyed

Posted in Trippy Food (Tasty flora and fauna), USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on That’s Some Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Tastes As Great As Its Name

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Val

Stinky tofu and blood soup
(Lee’s Garden, Alhambra CA; Dynasty Plaza, Rowland Heights CA)

Stinky tofu, no further description needed

Stinky tofu, no further description needed

Think of the gleeful cries of joy when you tell the kids to get in the Wagon Queen Family Truckster for a road trip to get some stinky tofu just like momma used to make. I know, the wave of excitement is indescribable, after all, who wouldn’t want to try the Taiwanese taste treat without having to fly there? If this sounds like you, then I have the answer to your culinary prayers at Lee’s Garden in Alhambra, California. Lee’s Garden is in a storefront of a strip mall that you might drive past several times without realizing it’s there. Hui, a friend who turns us on to some amazing and unusual Chinese cuisine told us about the place and mentioned that they had other food unusual to our Western sensibilities that we might enjoy. The sign is slightly smaller than its next door neighbor, Dr. Lee’s Family Dentistry – I’m not sure if there is a link between the two but I feel not knowing in this case makes me a happier person. Inside is a testament to simplicity – no cork sculptures or laminated panels on the wall here, just tables, chairs and a hand-written menu on a big whiteboard that changes daily. We knew we wanted an order of the stinky tofu (which was listed on the menu as “fried odor bean curd”, a delectable title to be sure), but when I saw pork blood soup and chitterlings with garlic sauce I was sold.

Hui escorts us to Lees Garden in Alhambra

Hui escorts us to Lees Garden in Alhambra

The soup was brought out first, a stark contrast to my premonition of a dark red cauldron of bubbling brew. The broth was relatively clear, allowing a look at the various ingredients including lemon grass, chunks of coagulated pig’s blood and the extra added bonus of chitterlings. The blood didn’t really have the usual metallic taste – it was smoother, like a sweet blood Jell-O, which tasted good with the broth. The chitterlings added more texture than flavor, making it a nice, well rounded soup choice. The chitterling appetizer had a firmer texture than the pig guts in the soup, with garlic and chilies being the predominant flavors. I imagine the intestines were cleaned well, since there was no insidious aftertaste or bad intestine juju vibe sneaking in from underneath. Both were good enough to finish off and still leave room for the pièce de résistance, the stinky tofu.

An epic battle between man and stinky tofu

The tofu was an adventure for the senses. Bringing one of the spongy cubes up to my mouth exposed me to a whiff of the pungent, funky odor that gives the dish its name. The tofu was served with a brown, spicy sauce to the side, but I wanted to try it naked. A little sauce snuck its way into the first bite, and as soon as it hit the tongue, a wide range of things started happening. The tofu was hell hot, and quick reflexes prevented me from burning my tongue. The frying at high temperature locked in the funk, which was released on the first bite, wending its way up into my nasal passages from the back of my mouth. The spice from the brown sauce acted as a tease and a diversion, but the strong smell of the tofu itself demanded the most attention. It is such a curious dish that you find yourself eating it slowly to get all the different subtleties of flavor and aroma.

Frying the funk in the window of Dynasty Plaza

Frying the funk in the window of Dynasty Plaza

For a crispier stinky tofu with a bit more crunch to it, one need not search any further than Rowland Heights, California. You should be able to find Dynasty Plaza easily by smell; the clouds of seemingly toxic vapors will hit you well before you spot the tiny two-table restaurant tucked in a paved courtyard. Stinky tofu is their forte; there’s hours of entertainment value to be had by watching the spongy cakes of funk floating on a sea of hot oil like odiferous little pillows in the front window. Once you’ve witnessed the chef frying up the stinky tofu, you’ll never go back to watching the donuts come tubing down Cholesterol River at the Krispy Kreme. A small basket containing three of the stink bombs (each about the size of a small bar of soap) will set you back about five bucks; it is accompanied by what looks and tastes like kimchi and a dab of tasty red chili paste. Although the tofu at Lee’s Garden has a bit more funkiness to it, Dynasty Plaza’s are spongier (they’re filled with tiny air pockets, probably a side effect of the fermentation process) with a wonderful crispiness on the outside. They are fermented for about a week (which is typical of stinky tofu), but the proprietor explained that they’ve had to tone down the stinkiness by request of the Board of Health in recent times (who must think the name is just a catch phrase).

On the whole, my food adventures at Lee’s Garden and Dynasty Plaza were a success, and I was happy to be able to take in three new tastes (and smells). Stinky tofu is not a dish for the faint of heart or an acute sense of smell, but it can be had for much less than the price of a ticket to Taiwan. Trust me, I can smell a good deal from a mile away, and the thought of passing up this opportunity just plain stinks

Lee’s Garden
1428 S. Atlantic Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803
GPS coordinates: 34° 4’37.73″N 118° 8’1.18″W

Dynasty Plaza
Eastwood Village Shopping Center
18414 Colima Road, #S-2
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
GPS coordinates: 33°59’10.56″N 117°54’10.97″W

See images of stinky tofu, blood soup and chitterlings from Lee’s Garden and Dynasty Plaza

See video of Val eating stinky tofu, pork blood soup and chitlins at Lee’s Garden in Alhambra, CA:

Posted in Trippy Food (Tasty flora and fauna), USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Of Cabbages And Kings

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Val

Kimchi

Korea

Enjoying hand-made kimchi at Cham Bistro R&D Kitchen

Enjoying hand-made kimchi at Cham Bistro R&D Kitchen

Mention kimchi and most thoughts turn towards the familiar chili-seasoned, fermented Napa cabbage (baechu kimchi) provided in various degrees of quality as an integral member of banchan in Korean restaurants. While it’s true that this rendition is the most popular today, kimchi throughout the centuries has been a staple food of the Korean people using a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and seasonings. Shopping for kimchi at your local neighborhood Asian market can be a mind-numbingly baffling task – with the plethora of tubbed and jarred versions available it’s impossible to choose. Historically kimchi was prepared differently depending on the season, with the dish being consumed fresh in the warmer seasons and fermented underground in huge earthenware jars during the colder months (baechu kimchi is typically an autumn kimchi). Kimchi is a dish that incorporates complex tastes, smells and textures, and because of the multitude of preparation methods, differences in fermentation times and temperatures, each experience eating it is unique (although refrigerators designed specifically for making kimchi create more consistent results in a controlled environment). Do any cursory research on kimchi and you’ll discover that it also garners high ratings as a superfood because of the presence of beneficial lactobacillus that forms during the fermentation process, it is low in fat and calories, high in fiber and contains considerable amounts of vitamins A, B1, B2 and C. Some questionable studies suggest that it may even ward off avian flu (a fact that you should find comforting if you’re a chicken subsisting on a diet of kimchi).

Some of the ingredients for making kimchi

Some of the ingredients for making kimchi

I have come to terms with my kimchi addiction and no longer entertain the notion of breaking into the local 99 Ranch Market at 3 AM for a kimchi fix, but the recent invitation to attend a kimchi-making class at Chām Bistro’s R&D Kitchen in Vernon, California was like giving a crank-head a spot on a meth lab assembly line – an opportunity too good to pass up. Chām Korean Bistro in Pasadena, California was opened to the public as a direct result of the culinary work done at !iT Jeans (a denim fashion line founded by CEO Kimmy Song). !iT Jeans creates clothing in a progressive environment; in addition to a fully equipped gym and a proliferation of art on the premises, Song provides meals for the staff in a state-of-the-art kitchen. Many of the meals served (as well as the dishes served at Chām Korean Bistro) are developed and executed by Chef  E. J. Jeong (late of A.O.C and  BOA Steakhouse); Jeong served as the coach for the class that I attended. Prior to the start of the session we applied generous quantities of pickling materials, including a fresh, fruit-packed cocktail featuring Korean bokbunjajoo (black raspberry wine), the citrus yuzu and sparking wine, and a tropical beverage featuring makgeolli (Korean rice wine), pineapple purée, agave syrup and Sprite that tasted like a piña colada in search of a coconut. Presumably to keep us from eating our class projects, some light Korean tapas-style dishes were also available; these included pickled neon-green seaweed, sautéed kimchi and spicy tuna in tofu pockets, what I like to call “ahi-pops” (seared ahi tuna with chimichuri on a stick), and my new favorite: roasted and salted kale. The kale made the sound of dry, autumn leaves and dissolved like rice paper on my tongue; there was only the slightest smoky bitterness familiar to kale lovers, and the coarse salt grains coating the leaves cracked like Pop Rocks.

Folding over the cabbage loaded up with the kimchi mix

Folding over the cabbage loaded up with the kimchi mix

With our appetites whetted temporarily it was time to suit up and get down to business. Our instructor demonstrated the process from the beginning, starting with the scoring of the large heads of Napa cabbage near the bottom and splitting the sections for an initial soaking in salted water. She extracted wilted sections from a bowl in which cabbage leaves were soaked prior and instructed us on how to salt between the leaves and place the sections back in the briny bath. A third bowl held leaves that had already been rinsed and were soft, pliable and ready for the big treatment. In yet another large steel bowl (of which seemed to be in limitless supply) she combined the pickling ingredients, starting with a creamy, translucent rice porridge that looked like library paste and dried and crushed red chili peppers. After blending these together, she added julienned daikon radish, loosely chopped mustard greens, Korean chives, an anchovy-based fish sauce and ultra-salty tiny shrimp (for protein) and Asian pear (for sweetness). These ingredients were all mixed together by latex-gloved hand (although I’m not sure if it was for sanitary reasons or to avoid chemical burns from the chilis); when the concoction was a limp, wet mess it was time to load up the cabbage sections. We pulled back each of the leaves and slathered a generous dollop of the organic goop over and between them before folding the bunch over; it was delightful wet-work and I felt like an obstetrician on game day delivering an 8-ounce Napa-baby. I delicately placed my little bundle of culinary joy into a Mason jar to take home and allow to gestate for 20 days in the back of my refrigerator. Out of curiosity I licked my gloves to see what the substance tasted like prior to fermentation, and I have to admit it was pretty tasty.

Sweet and spicy persimmon kimchi

Sweet and spicy persimmon kimchi

Once the kimchi-making was complete, it was time to sit down to enjoy a beautiful and fresh bo ssam featuring a Hama Hama oyster, braised pork shoulder slices, kimchi, wilted Napa cabbage leaves, tiny salted shrimp and a red chili paste (with sesame leaves provided to wrap all the ingredients together in a tasty little bundle). The combination of flavors and textures was astounding and I savored every bite, not wanting the moment to end. We were also treated to two additional kimchis: a “young kimchi” (freshly made using the same process as the one created in the class, but without fermentation) and a delightful persimmon kimchi that had a firm texture and a curious contrast of sweet and spicy flavor. Out of curiosity, I asked Chef Jeong about kimchi I had in the past that seemed to have a certain degree of carbonation (almost like bubbles in a sparkling water) and wondered what caused that; she asked if I remembered where I had it, since the bubbles were the produced by lactic acid during the fermentation process and signified a superior kimchi. If you have the opportunity to attend one of these sessions, I highly recommend the educational and cultural experience. I’m sure when I open my matured jar of hand-made kimchi it will go down in history as the finest crafted kimchi in the western hemisphere, chock full of spicy effervescence – at least that’s how I imagine it, so please don’t burst my bubble.

Chām Bistro R&D Kitchen
5251 S. Santa Fe Avenue
Vernon, CA 90058
GPS Coordinates: 33°59’40.74″N 118°13’49.89″W

Chām Korean Bistro
851 Cordova St.
Pasadena, California 91101
GPS Coordinates: 34° 8’33.46″N 118° 7’57.74″W

See images of Val’s visit to the Chām Bistro R&D Kitchen to make kimchi

NOTE: This cost for this event was provided by the restaurant. The content provided in this article was not influenced whatsoever by the organizer of the event.

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