It's Greek to me!

When Sarah came to visit me last weekend, I really tried to show her the best of the best in Winston-Salem dining. Although probably not Michelin star worthy, the few restaurants in Winston-Salem that I frequent each have something special to offer. I took Sarah and four of my medical school friends to my favorite Greek restsaurant, Athena's Taverna. [Note: If I'm in the mood for gyros and have cash handy, I actually prefer Grecian Corner right next to my school]. Athena's is one of those cozy Greek restaurants that make you feel like you are in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The owner and all of the employees are part of this one big Greek family, and they even have Greek dancing on Tuesday nights.

We ordered the saganaki - a popular appetizer of flaming cheese that definitely deserves an oompah! Unfortunately, my camera was too slow for an action shot of the flames, but you can see the residual smoke. This appetizer reminded me of our past Greek/Latin dinners in high school at Melos Taverna with Mrs. Fields. This cheese was fantastic with the warm bread they provided - it was definitely one of those novelties you have to try at a place like this.

My favorite dish at Athena's is the arni psito - slices of the MOST tender lamb with rice, lemon potatoes, and vegetables. The chef just knows how to do lamb right because the texture is insanely perfect. I always say I want to try something new when I go, but I just cant resist this dish and end up getting it every time. Because they give so much delicious food, I have yet to make it to dessert...

Happy Birthday Angela!

Our dear friend Angela turned 24 today! What kind of cake did you eat?

If it were my birthday, I'd want red velvet cupcakes. Use the comments to post favorite cake recipes!

Tupelo Honey Cafe

This week, I had Friday off, so I decided to head to North Carolina and hang out with Jenny for a few days. We went to Asheville on Saturday and met Lizzie for lunch at the Tupelo Honey Cafe. It was such a cute little restaurant! We started with some yummy biscuits with blueberry jam, then for lunch I got the "Charlotte chicken sandwich"- chicken, havarti, lettuce, and cranberry mayo, and I got home fries on the side.
It was so fun to get together even if just for a few hours on Saturday. After Lizzie went home, Jenny and I walked around downtown Asheville for a while and did some shopping. The rest of the weekend we continued to eat delicious food, and now I feel like I should fast for about a week...

yesterday's meals

Here in my house in Dang Tung, sometimes the findings are tasty, sometimes they’re unsatisfying, sometimes they just exist and you don’t have much of anything to comment on, good or bad, you’re just happy to be full.

Yesterday was a good day. For lunch, we had fried fish served with m’choo svai (green mangoes shredded and marinated in sweet, salty fish sauce tinged with MSG) and pickles sliced up and spiced with chili peppers. For dinner, my host family had beef, and I had pumpkin stir-fried with green onions and duck eggs, one of my favorite dishes.



Fried fish, m'choo svai, and spicy pickles.

The type of fish we had was ‘trai k’mong,’ the fish you order. Here we cook it whole, and then at the table you pull off the head (taking the good meat off it), fish out the bones, and enjoy it over your rice with the pickles or m’choo as an accompaniment. There’s no flour involved in the frying mixture; I’ll have to watch my host sister, Bong Ann, more closely next time she makes it to see if it’s fried in anything besides oil. Our rice was really good yesterday, too—my host sister left it on high heat for too long, leaving it to ‘chireeyay,’ which basically means that it got all sticky and soft. Mmm.



Rice!

I haven’t learned how to make the pumpkin stir-fry yet either, though I know the first step is peeling off most of the skin on the outside of the pumpkin with a knife (and then tossing the skin in the yard). The dish is rich and filling and varied; the green onion gives it zing, there’s pepper for bite, and the pumpkin exudes sweetness. I plan to learn how to make it and my other favorite dishes over the summer here just before I finish service; at that point I should be able to tell you more about how to re-create ones like this one.



pumpkin stir-fry

An added bonus to family lunches and dinners is the presence of Li-Di (my 4-year-old host sister) and Li-Ching (my 2-year-old host sister. They had some pretty awesome gestures for our food photo shoot.

It was so good, I finished his plate too...

How ladylike? But you would have done the same thing.

A few days ago, George (the boy, if you're new to the game) made me this insane meal, after a full day of work and three hours in the kitchen.

As if that weren't enough, the food was perfect.

This meal was a truly exciting, enjoyable experience that made me feel special. This! This is what it's all about.

For the bruschetta, he whipped up a very fresh vinaigrette of tomato, garlic, basil, olive oil, creamy goat cheese and toasty bread. The crispness of the bread with the creaminess of the cheese, topped by the tartness and acidity of the vinaigrette, was a fantastic bite.

Then came the two leading players. The noodles are udon noodles with ginger scallion sauce, tossed with homemade pickles and cauliflower. The recipe is by David Chang of Momofuku fame (of pork bun fame, but also due credit for his delicious ramen and delectably crazy desserts). That's something in itself, because this is no easy cookbook to tackle...I've been afraid of cracking it open, myself...but as usual, GQ made it seem painfully easy.

The red snapper with citrus vinaigrette over butternut squash puree recipe is here. Thanks, Gourmet! (R.I.P.) I love fish like no other food group (is ice cream a food group yet?), but this butternut squash puree was my favorite part of the whole meal. It's creamy and, yes, buttery from the squash's natural deliciousness. It's seasonal, so you don't need to worry about upsizing your carbon footprint. It's both salty and sweet, and the cayenne pepper gives it a subtle kick. I'd eat this just as a soup, with a nice loaf of sourdough.

Red Snapper with Citrus Vinaigrette Gourmet | March 2000

Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 hr
ingredients
For citrus vinaigrette
2 tablespoons thawed passion-fruit purée or juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or malt vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons finely diced mixed bell peppers (red, yellow, and green)
1 scallion, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

2 lb calabaza or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Cayenne to taste
6 (6-oz) red snapper fillets with skin

3/4 cup olive oil
preparation
Make vinaigrette:

Whisk together passion-fruit purée, citrus juices, and vinegar. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Stir in remaining vinaigrette ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Make squash purée and fry fish:

Steam squash in a steamer over boiling water, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Purée with butter in a food processor and add cayenne and salt to taste. Keep warm, covered.

Pat fish dry and make 3 diagonal slashes through skin of each fillet. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry 3 fillets, skin sides down, until golden, about 3 minutes. Turn and fry about 1 minute more, or until just cooked through. Transfer to a platter and fry remaining 3 fillets in same manner. Serve fish, skin sides up, on a bed of squash pur)e and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Together, these dishes were the perfect balance of savory and sweet, homey and experimental, hearty and fresh.

Ah, what a pair.

Java Cabana

On my last night in Memphis in the year deux milles neuf, my favorite curly-haired friend, Amanda, and her sisters (one older and two younger twins) came through Memphis on Amanda's 25th birthday! Happy Birthday Amanda!

In high school, Java Cabana was often a Saturday night stop with plenty of coffee and board games. Don't even try to beat me in Scrabble. But on this night, it was the venue for a Dubb Nubb performance. Dubb Nubb is comprised of Delia and Hannah Rainey, my favorite Jewish twin sisters from St. Louis.

Check them out at on their myspace http://www.myspace.com/dubbnubb or become a fan on thefacebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dubb-Nubb/214392521695.

I love Dubb Nubb. And have memorized almost all their songs. Last year in Jackson, Amanda and I shared a tiny little office and our music of choice was often Dubb Nubb. Well usually Amanda's choice, but I was always happy to listen. I remember so many nights when I'd try to fall asleep, I would sing Dubb Nubb songs in my head. Since Jenny lives near me in Winston-Salem, I've made her listen to the Special Passenger CD (http://www.speshpassrecords.com/) while driving around Durham so she knew one of their songs. She and everyone else were so impressed with the performance and couldn't believe that they have accomplished so much at their age. I personally loved their birthday song for Amanda.

Java Cabana is best for its location. I love the Cooper-Young area of Memphis, and this is right in the heart of it all. Art and energy exude from these crossroads. I don't think I've had any food items at Java, but their coffee is great. And the barista wore an Ugly Mug t-shirt which made me happy. Ugly Mug was another favorite coffee shop that unfortunately has closed down. The decor and atmosphere in Java are perfect for sharing coffee with a friend, pouring your thoughts into a journal, or watching the best little, twin-packed, folk-inspired band, Dubb Nubb.

(Supriya was going to write about this but lost her camera. Oops.)

Meatloaf: An American Classic

Forgive the delay and the poor quality photo, but I present to you Turkey Meatloaf, Roasted Carrots, and Mashed Potatoes- my first dinner of 2010. Barlow made us this homey American classic on January 1, and we enjoyed at it at his home in Waltham, MA in "the nook." (A part of the house that was once a front porch but has since been converted into a cozy tv room. In addition to the couch and the tv, the nook now also houses a stately space heater, upping the coziness factor)

Being the child of Cuban immigrants, meatloaf was certainly not a staple in the Castroverde household. And since meatloaf is usually made with a variety of meats we Castroverdes do not eat, it never made it onto the dinner menu. I did finally try a turkey meatloaf for the first time last year at a local restaurant, but it was an overpriced letdown. Barlow's meatloaf was another story. He made it with turkey- which, he reported, tasted just as good as the usual beef or pork, veal, beef combination. The meatloaf was savory and moist, but when combined in the same bite with the mashed potatoes was really a taste of homey, cozy, warm, and fuzzy heaven. The roasted carrots were perfectly seasoned and a great compliment to the main dish. Eating this meal in the nook with Barlow was a lovely way to begin our very snowy 2010.

But along with discovering the joys of meatloaf, I also learned that the real reason one makes meatloaf is for the meatloaf sandwiches the next day. That sandwich, made on fresh tomato cheese bread from a Mennonite bakery, might have been even better than the original meatloaf!

When I told my mother about my adventures in meatloaf, she shared with me her only memory of eating meatloaf- in her school cafeteria in Miami. In her words, "It was so good- I didn't understand why we couldn't eat this every day!" Well meatloaf, you've certainly got some Cuban converts.

DC Restaurant Week

On Friday night, Marion and I went out with some friends for DC's Winter Restaurant Week to a highly-acclaimed trendy restaurant in Georgetown called "Farmers and Fishers." This is the sister restaurant of our favorite place, Founding Farmers, so expectations were running high. We were so pumped and had all researched the menu so that we would not make any ordering mistakes.

Mar and I arrived about 15 minutes early and decided to get some drinks before the rest of our party arrived. After reading 100+ Yelp reviews about how amazing the Creole Watermelon Punch was - I excitedly declared our order to the flannel-clad hipster bartender. "Um, watermelon is not in season." I'm sorry? I'm pretty sure you can get legit-looking Watermelon at any grocery store...but no, that would violate everything this restaurant stands for with its emphasis on fresh food that pays tribute to its regional origins. (Shit, I hope my membership to Slow Food International wasn't just revoked...) FML. Way to completely throw off my entire dining experience, dude. Frazzled, we decided to go with a pitcher of white wine sangria. "It's really bitter." Seriously? Do you serve any drinks that are actually available and that you would actually recommend? We decided to ignore his warning and go with the sangria. He brought out a pitcher and 2 glasses of ice, stirred it around a bit, and jetted off to the other side of the bar for the rest of the evening. This joker did not even pour it for us. Just as he warned, the sangria was quite tart - big emphasis on grapefruit and no trace of sugar or sweet liquor anywhere. We shrugged and drank our $24 pitcher anyways, as the rest of the group arrived and we moved to our table to start the 4-course marathon of food.

One and a half glasses (each) later, and in the middle of my butternut squash soup and Marion's homemade guacamole, Marion and I did the usual telepathic conversation with our eyes. "My stomach really hurts." and "Yah, there's no way I can eat another bite." We then excused ourselves to get some cold, fresh air - cringing that we had approximately 2.5 more courses to eat. After some pep-talking and realizing that the bartender either drugged us or the sangria was literally tearing us apart, we went back inside to finish what we had started. And by that, I mean we had our waiter box up our entrees and desserts and hopped in a cab, apologizing to our friends as we literally ran out of the restaurant. Luckily, a few Pepcid ACs and some quality time lying horizontally got us through the evening.

I love Restaurant Week because it means that group meals are organized, I usually end up trying new places, and it's normally pretty good bang for your buck ($35 for dinner, $20 for lunch). I hate Restaurant Week because it is too much food and you're usually confined to just a few options for each course. Sadly, I will not be returning to Farmers and Fishers anytime soon - whether it was the Sangria, the rude bartender, or just too much food in one sitting, I'll never know. But I've still got my Key Lime pie in the fridge if I ever regain an appetite.

Sorry there are no specific pictures - I was preoccupied with keeping it together and did not want a visual reminder of how terrible I felt. A happier post will follow!

La Baguette

Perfectly sliced, little pieces of delicious French bread. While home in Memphis, Marion, Lauren, and I decided to go to La Baguette for lunch. Lauren was worried about running late, but Marion and I had no problem just waiting for her while eating this bread and butter. It's so simple but so scrumptious. However our plan to gorge ourselves on bread was foiled by the horrible service. There were plenty of empty tables but none were cleared. No matter how bad the service is we always still love La Bag.

The Spicy Tomato Soup is always a favorite of mine. It includes a perfect blend of spices and a slice of cheese that melts in the soup and your mouth as you're eating. The bowl is enough for a meal but the cup size is always enjoyed with a sandwich. There is never a time when I come to La Baguette and do not order the spicy tomato soup. Also, how can you not resist dipping the slices of bread into the soup?!

Lauren and I decided on the bowl of Spicy Tomato for this La Bag Lunch.

Marion ordered a ham and cheese (I think?) on croissant. The pimento cheese on croissant is also a popular choice. Oftentimes, they have sandwich, soup, and dessert specials for a ridiculous price of $7.50. Unfortunately, the only sandwich special I like is the turkey. Although hardly ever ordered, the desserts here are so delicious. I fell in love with chocolate croissants and raspberry napoleans here. I was spoiled living in Paris for 7 months and eating delicious French pastries whenever I wanted. La Bag desserts don't really compare, but they are still delicious. And it was at this very place where I fell in love with French bread and French desserts.

Chicken Pot Pie

I made chicken pot pie this week. I have Thursdays off from work, so I like to make something a little more complicated than what I might make on any other work night. This Thursday my mom, aunt, and brother came over so I decided to make this. I started going to Weight Watchers meetings a couple months ago, and this is a weight watchers recipe- only 6 points for this piece! I did adjust it a little because the recipe did not include any herbs, so I added basil, sweet hungarian paprika, and marjoram. I like recipes like this that are weight watchers friendly but do not taste like it. This was also the first night that my aunt had been to my new house, so it was a good night overall:)

Scrumptious Spicy Shrimp Tostadas!

Yesterday evening, I was feeling somewhat festive, so I decided to make the journey to Boston's Whole Foods for the best shrimp money can buy (on a tight budget, in the winter). This dish is mexican, chipotle-spiced shrimp tostadas inspired by Food & Wine the magazine. It's the perfect combination of firey spice with refreshing cabbage, radishes, sour cream, and avocado to cool the tongue. The Boyfriend (he loves the title) enjoyed my cooking as usual and insists we make it again sometime. I think he secretly wanted more shrimp though. Photo credit as always go to him - http://ericschmiedl.com .

Recipe modified from something I saw in Food&Wine:
Mix half bag of shredded cabbage (I used the red stuff from Dole) with one dollop of sour cream (1-2 tbsp) and juice of 1/2 lime. Add in a handful of cilantro leaves (fresh) and a couple chopped scallions (green onion) or white onion if you don't have scallions on hand. Gently mix in a couple thinly sliced radishes, 1 cubed tomato, and 1 sliced avocado.

Toss a pound of shrimp (peeled and without tails) in a tsp of olive oil plus one-two tsp of ground chipotle (this is just dried red jalapeño peppers). The more chipotle the spicier obviously! mmm Toss in frying pan a couple minutes until lightly brown on each side.

Put cabbage mix atop one of those taco hard shells (or you can make your own by frying some tortillas!). Then pile on the shrimp and enjoy.

Wheat - free tip: Use corn tortillas/tacos instead of wheat ones. They're a little smaller but just as delicious.

Dessert tip: Use left over tortillas by wrapping them around a ripe banana saturated with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and ground cardamom if you have it. Cut up a tbsp of butter and add to the inside of the tortilla. Keep it closed while you drop it in the frying pan (a pan full of at least 1/2 inch vege oil) by pushing on the edge with a fork. Once the frying begins, it sets the tortilla! Fry until firm (about 1-2 minutes). Serve with creme fraiche (or plain yoghurt) and ice cream with a little shake of cinnamon on top!