Tag: dining

Practical Korean Cooking for Love!

For Valentine’s Day this year, I decided that I wanted to cook something really special for Ed: A proper Korean Feast! It seems like a no-brainer, but of course Ed absolutely LOVES Korean food, and in the three years we’ve been married, I really haven’t cooked it enough for him.

A few years ago, Ed’s mom bought us “Practical Korean Cooking“, a traditional Korean cookbook written by Noh Chin-hwa. It was translated to English with the intention of helping Westerners learn how to prepare Korean cuisine. The coolest part about this cookbook? There are step-by-step photos that guide you along, which was a BIG help (seeing as how I had no idea what some of the ingredients looked like or how these dishes are supposed to look)! So I guess in the spirit of “Julie & Julia“, this project turned out to be the Korean version. Instead of trying to tackle Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking“, I took on the challenge of Practical Korean Cooking! I decided on making a 4-Course meal. I knew it was ambitious, but I am proud to report that 4 hours later  it was a huge success!

1st Course: Saengseon Jeon
(Pan-Grilled Fish Cake with Egg)


These “fish & egg pancakes” (as I called them before looking up the proper name) are an Ed staple! He LOVES them so much, often times he can’t wait until they’re completely made – he has to cut off slices of the fish cake and eat them plain! Ed’s mom helped me with this recipe and she even gave me a cute idea of making them heart-shaped! They are super simple – beat some eggs, add a pinch of salt, dip the slices of fish cake in the egg and cook them like a pancake! I even found a heart shaped frame I could use at the Korean Market!

2nd Course: Komt’ang (Beef Stock Soup)


This soup got put on the list because a) I’ve never made my own soup stock from scratch before and b) Ed loves any kind of noodles!!! Basically, this recipe was a simple soup made with beef shank, garlic, korean radish and “chinese style” noodles. This was definitely the toughest to shop for – at Zion Market they had 2 whole aisles of just noodles! How’s a girl like me supposed to figure out the right one?!? I’m pretty sure I chose the wrong noodles, but Ed said it was delicious nonetheless.

3rd Course, part 1: Twaejigogi Kimch’ibokkum
(Stir-Fry Pork with Kimchi)


You’re definitely not eating a true Korean meal if there is no kimchi involved, so I knew this dish would hit the spot. No, I didn’t make my own kimchi from scratch, but there’s always next time! Thank goodness Ed’s mom told me which red pepper paste to look out for (whew!). This dish came out so spicy and bold and delicious – and Ed said everything about it was “just right”!

3rd Course, part 2: Nakchinokkum (Fried Octopus)


My goal from the start was to knock Ed’s socks off and completely surprise him by this meal – so I knew the sure-fire way to do just that was to include octopus on the menu. Octopus is a huge favorite for Ed, and there is no way he would ever expect that I would make that for him! Even though I am not a big fan of the octopus, I did give it a shot. Ed was completely shocked that I even attempted it and very happy about how it turned out!

I took this shot of him, mid-bite:

He liked it – he really, really liked it! :)

4th course: Strawberry Ice Cream and
Rice Cracker Treats


Pretty simple, but Strawberry Ice Cream is always a hit with Ed, and paired with Rice Crackers, I knew it would be a solid finish to the meal!

In total, I spent about 4 hours preparing everything tonight – and it was worth every minute of it to see Ed’s shock and amazement! Now I want to practice a bit more so I can impress my in-laws! :) A BIG thank you goes out to my awesome mom-in-law, Kay, who helped me out a lot by sharing some invaluable tips!

Here are a few more details of the evening:

Place setting + menu


Ed devours the octopus!


I did it!


My menu!

Click here to see all the pictures!
(Sorry for bad quality of some of them – technical difficulty had us using our iPhones for the majority of the evening!)

Stefan’s at L.A. Farm

Last night we enjoyed a great night dining out with our friends Britt & Wade at Stefan’s at L.A. Farm! Of course – it’s the same Stefan from Top Chef! Upon arrival, we got an awesome unexpected surprise – as we all got out of the car in the parking lot behind the restaurant, there was Stefan himself, enjoying a cigarette in the back! He was super cool – he called out to us and gave a us a warm welcoming, and even met up with us in the lobby and chatted us up for a bit before we were seated! He is a funny guy and it definitely made our night to see him so social and talkative with us. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask him directly what we should order – and his response was, “Do you like small plates?” We all gave an emphatic YES! He told us to get the tater tots with Hidden Valley ranch dressing and the “Big Mac”. I kind of laughed a bit, I really thought he was pulling my leg – but he wasn’t! He even assured us that yes, he really does use Hidden Valley Ranch. He also mentioned deviled eggs and foie gras! All we knew was we couldn’t wait to sit down and start eating …

Small plates - Deviled Eggs, Tater Tots w/Hidden Valley Ranch, Foie Gras on Toast and Oyster

Stefan’s is really casual and the menu is very fun. I wasn’t so sure what to expect – afterall, on the show, he always seemed to feature very serious sophisticated foods. But the small plates really set the stage for a good time. We took his advice and started with the deviled eggs, tater tots and the Sonoma Foie Gras with Cracked White Pepper, Smoked Salt and Griddled Brioche. Delicious! The boys ordered oysters and said they were impeccable. Its tough to see in the photo, but the presentation was awesome – the oyster sat on a simple and perfectly formed mound of salt. And the deviled eggs were topped with caviar! A very special egg, for sure.

Added bonus of the small plates? They’re only $3 each!

Stefan's "Like a Big Mac" - My burger for dessert!

Our entrees were great too … Ed ordered the Shepherd’s Pie (total Ed food!) and I ordered the veal chop with cauliflower puree and baby carrots.

The only bummer about mine was that I had no idea a veal chop would be so fatty and kind of weird. I was pretty bummed about it and didn’t want to end the meal on an anything-but-sublime note. So, when the dessert menus arrived, I decided to skip the sweets and order the “Like a Big Mac” instead! It was the best choice I’ve ever made – and no kidding, I think it’s the BEST burger bite I’ve ever tasted!

So, I am happy to sign off with this entry by saying, I had a burger for dessert!

*My iPhone pics were terrible, so these photos are from Yelp user Kwiri Y. and kevineats.com.

craft/Los Angeles

DSC04788This Saturday was a very exciting evening for Ed & I – we ate at Craft in L.A.! For those of you who may not know, Craft is one of Tom Colicchio’s restaurants – and Tom Colicchio is the head judge on Bravo’s Top Chef!

As a huge fan of Top Chef, when Ed told me he was taking me there on Saturday night I could hardly contain myself! Of course, it’s a popular dining establishment sought out by many other Top Chef fans, and we knew it would be good. But we had no idea how outstanding our experience there would be! Ed even claims that our meal was the best meal he has had all year – and that’s saying something! The ambiance is modern, but warm … the food is quality exemplified … and the service is incredible. It was a fine dining experience that felt casual somehow. It was sophisticated and rich, but not stodgy or formal. We can’t stop thinking about it!

craftLosAngelesWe did get a nice surprise right off the bat … after getting our drinks, our server came out with an Amuse-bouche! It was a Gruyère cheese puff pastry of sorts. I was so in love with the fact that I was somewhere that actually served an amuse-bouche that I didn’t mind handing it right over to Ed. (The world would be so much easier for me if I just enjoyed cheese … but I digress … )

At Craft, you are encouraged to order one starter, one main course and one side dish per person to get the true experience! The portions are individually sized, but they are served in the center of the table family style so you can share with your companions. This was great news for Ed & I, because we always want to try as much as possible! So we perused the menu and had the difficult task of narrowing things down enough to place our order!

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As usual, it was extremely difficult to get good pics of the food due to the (beautiful) ambient lighting, but we began with the roasted Octopus (on the left) and the roasted Quail. Ed absolutely loves octopus, and this dish was outstanding! It was served with diced pineapple and a sauce that I can’t remember. I’m not usually the one on-board the octopus train, but I thought this was DELICIOUS! So delicious in fact that I thought the octopus far outshone the quail. This isn’t to say the quail wasn’t yummy, but wow – that octopus was something special…

DSC04801We both ended up choosing fish for our main courses. I opted for the Alaskan Halibut & Piquillo Pepper and Ed went for the John Dory (on right). The halibut cannot be explained with words! It was the most tender piece of halibut we’ve ever had, and the roasted red pepper on bottom was sweet and meaty and essential to the brilliance and simplicity of the dish. The John Dory was a nice contrast because the fish was light, flaky and ever so buttery, but it was sprinkled with a few slivers of olive, which gave it an exciting salty kick. The dishes aren’t prissy or fancy at Craft, everything is just so simple and fresh, but that’s truly what makes everything so amazing. Our sides were roasted pee wee fingerling potatoes and brussel sprouts with bacon. Again, the family style service is perfect because it encourages sharing. I have been craving more brussel sprouts ever since!

DSC04805As if all of the above wasn’t satisfactory enough, we knew we had to order dessert. Come on, how could we not see what they had to offer?!? :) So after checking the menu, we decided on a Hazelnut Waffle with braised apples and cinnamon ice cream. However, we had no idea that there was another treat coming … these tiny panna cotta cups with fresh berries arrived at our table just minutes after we ordered our dessert! Then, even more bite-sized treats appeared at the table! A teeny plate arrived with a tiny fudge brownie, a candied pineapple square and a miniature coconut macaroon. Serious attention to the sweets were being showed, and I have to admit, I wasn’t complaining!

And finally, as if it couldn’t get any more extravagant, these two Cranberry Orange muffins perfectly packed to be sent home with us came out “for breakfast the next morning”, compliments of the pastry chef. AWESOME!

All in all, it was a perfect evening … we can’t wait to go back again, with lots of people, so we can try even more! This was absolutely a culinary paradise!!!

Southwest Road Trip Day 5: Painted Desert, Petrified Forest & Route 66

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Leaving Sedona was bittersweet for us – we were anxious to see more of the kitschy Americana ahead that we had planned for the trip, but Sedona ended up being so majestic that it was hard to tear away from the laid-back vibe there! But it was time to go, and this day it was back to Route 66 for awhile, where we’d end up in the furthest eastern destination of the trip – Holbrook, AZ – where we’d finally sleep in a teepee at The Wigwam Motel!

Route 66 Roadside Town #5: WINSLOW
First things first, we had to make a brief stop to pay homage to the town mentioned in The Eagles’ song, Take It Easy …

“Well, I’m a standing on a corner, in Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see …”

So as you can see in the photo, we aren’t the only ones to go to Winslow for this specific reason … :)  Unfortunately, this is about it for Winslow.  Aside from the eagle cleverly perched from the painted window sill above, and the reflection of the flatbed truck painted on the wall … that’s about all there is to do there!

PAINTED DESERT/PETRIFIED FOREST

We kept driving on east to get to the Painted Desert & Petrified Forest. When we arrived, it was apparent that this was quite the stop back in the late 50s/early 60s … Neutra-esque buildings in the National Park and the visitor center made of brick just oozed the boom and enthusiasm of the road-trippers during the middle of the century. It was definitely something we had trouble capturing ourselves, being novice photographers – but we sure did try, though! Eventually, we told ourselves  that we won’t obsess about trying to capture the moment, and instead just absorb it. Here are a few shots:

Route 66 Roadside Town #6: HOLBROOK

So, there was a lot of hype when it came to Holbrook – afterall, this was where we’d be staying at The Wigwam Motel! You can’t get more road trip kitsch than sleeping in a cement teepee, so we were pretty excited. So what if all the Yelp reviews said the guy running things these days is a weird Norman Bates type, or that one guest had a drunk Navajo indian knock on their door in the middle of the night asking for change  – it didn’t really matter to us, as long as we could get a reservation!  So off we went to see what was in store for us!


Things looked pretty good at the beginning – they had old cars parked outside to make it look like the old days, and the teepees looked really fun and cartoonish in person! (This was ours, #10)

Even though the hotel manager was just as weird as expected, we were still a little creeped out, but we decided to have a look inside to see what it looked like. We know you have been waiting, so here is the completely UN-authentic, average and extremely drab interior in all its glory!

No matter, we weren’t there for the interior, just the experience, so we kept our spirits high.  However, as sad as we are to say these words out loud – Holbrook is one freaky town!!! Unfortunately, Holbrook is the prime example of how these Route 66 towns completely died after the freeways were built.  This sad little town, which was once bustling with activity and enthusiasm due to The Mother Road, has been forgotten.  Modern times are harsh in Holbrook – things are so dreary and unkempt that the deterioration is unforgiving on these huge pockets of kitsch.  The people of the town are clearly struggling.  We won’t go into too much detail, but we’ll just say we have a number of stories about various individuals we saw in town.  Strange Rangers! The only way I can even describe it is that being in Holbrook was like being in a David Lynch movie.

We walked down to Butterfield, a SUPER kitschy looking restaurant next door to the Wigwam that looked promising, but despite the RAD windows with fake people silhouettes (see below!), it was 100% weird. We’ll chalk it up to yet ANOTHER EXPERIENCE!!!

butterfield400

We want to leave our last memories of Holbrook on a positive note, so here are a few pics in honor of the real kitschy gems in town. Holbrook – we know you must’ve been quite something back in the day!

(The Twin Arrows Trading Post was just outside of Holbrook – on your way into town from the west.  We passed by it several times, and it was just too cool not to post!)

Southwest Road Trip Day 3: Grand Canyon

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They always say that nothing can prepare you for the awesome sight of the Grand Canyon. Yes, we’ve all seen pictures of it, but can they really do such a monumentally place justice? Actually, both Carrie and I have been there in our youth, but it had been so long that it was truly like being there for the first time again.

Carrie and I got up this morning, rarin’ to go. We drove on in and parked in the Grand Canyon Village, where the various lodges and eateries are located. We decided from the beginning that we would follow the Rim Trail as that would afford us a great variety of spectacular views. Our first glimpse was no disappointment!

It was hard not to become reflective looking at the view…

We kept hiking the rim until we became hungry. What to do? No worries there as we had prepared a picnic lunch!

Walking further along, we finally caught a glimpse of the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon!

What an amazing day. Well, all that hiking did make us pretty hungry, and we still did need to address the matter of celebrating our third anniversary, so what better place to go within the national park than to El Tovar, the finest dining establishment at the Grand Canyon?

We started off with a few cocktails, naturally…

The restaurant turned 100 years old in 2005, as these plates show.

Carrie had a New York Strip while I went all old school and ordered Chicken Cordon Bleu. Seriously, who gets that anymore? It was delicious…

Wonderful and awe-inspiring day. And still so much more yet to come! Tomorrow, we hit the road again, so stay tuned!