MangiaMore: KALE caesar salad

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Another week, another obligatory meal preparation. It may seem like I did not fulfill my weekly duty last week, but I did (although there is no photo evidence to prove it); I made easy peasy tacos. This week was another low-key dinner. There was far less prep than the zucchini lasagna, less financial responsibility than shrimp tacos, and far less salsa than regular tacos. Instead, there was far more… kale.

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RER 7.19.16

For some reason, some strange reason, I was really yearning for a kale Caesar salad. Vegetables are not really my thing. I like them, but I do not long for them on the regular, like I would a cheeseburger, pizza, or a good old chocolate chip cookie. I eat salad, but mostly because I have to, and it is easy to pack up and carry to school (when there is school…). But I am going to go ahead and say, salad is not my ideal lunch, by far. But sometimes the desire for dark leafy greens arises, and you must give in, even if it seems counterintuitive.

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RER 7.19.16

So I did and forced this vegetal meal on my family. There are endless kale Caesar salad recipes out there in the great wide world of the internet, but I instantly gravitated towards one on Gimme Some Oven.  This kale Caesar salad recipe included equal parts kale and romaine (though, in reality, this did not happen; there was much more kale involved) and a homemade Caesar dressing with a secret ingredient…

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RER 7.19.16

Lime! Lime instead of the traditional lemon. And non-fat plain Greek yogurt, for all of the creaminess without the calories and fat of mayonnaise. And, anchovies (typical, but something I have never worked with before). Get this— went to the store and no anchovy paste. So I got some canned anchovies and put them in my baby food processor with my too big Parmesan and my too big garlic, made a paste and mixed up them ingredients. Perfecto!

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RER 7.19.16

Mixing mounds of greens in my almost too small salad bowl did not make nearly as much mess as putting it all together. But the stray kale leaves, soaked spinner, Parmesan strands, and slew of dirty dishes were so worth it. The Caesar dressing was unlike anything I have had before. It was missing that gloopy, heavy texture that weighs down the salad; instead, the dressing was light and softened the earthiness of the dark kale and brightened the flat crisp romaine. The lime in the dressing really made a difference, transforming the salad from a warming winter food, to a fresh side (or main, or whatever) for smoldering summer. It was addictive, with just enough chew and crunchy croutons.

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RER 7.19.16

Plus, the leftovers will make for a great (no sarcasm) salad lunch.

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7.19.16

RER 7.19.16

LONDON calling: The Pantechnicon Rooms

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This is just a wee bit more than your typical pub. So we had a wee bit more than your typical lunch at Pantechnicon. With a pitcher of summery Pimms on deck, it was a veritable feast in celebration of our arrival in London after many years away and old friends.

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The starters were mixed: some stronger than others, some memorable and some lost. Four miniscule Scottish scallops were surrounded by wisps of fennel and peas and dribbles of chorizo dressing. It had a little bit of everything from spicy fatty chorizo to sweet earthy peas and tender scallops, just not enough. Fried calamari came in a basket, crisp, hot and fresh with just enough cooling lime dressing and spicy chilli sauce. It was typical, familiar and tasty. The sharing plate trio was much less appealing— the short rib pastrami was dry and burnt, the pulled pork croquette was flavorless, and the pork ribs were dull.

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What possessed me to get a salad is beyond me. Maybe it was that crispy duck egg that hypnotized me. Sometimes salads are your favorite, but this “salad” was missing what makes a salad. The base of the “salad” was a thick bed of chewy, stiff, dark wild rice, which was mostly inedible in my book. The crispy duck egg, figs, zucchini and almonds, however, were tasty on their own. There was so much crunch from the egg and a creaminess from its soft yolky center that added richness to the merlot dressing and summery ingredients. Good thing my friend and sister are much lighter eaters than I am.

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Both mains were hearty, not extremely creative nor memorable, but solid and satiating. The flanks of pork rib eye were tender and juicy, topped with a chunky apple chutney to complete the classic pair. The sweetness of the round sweet potato contrasted the earthy mushy peas, highlighting the salt of the meat and long crunchy chicarron. Even the spicy baby chicken was well executed but just chicken with a fat scoop of mashed potatoes. The bone marrow and Madeira jus and mushroom sauces added oomph but were unnecessary in the end.

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Yes, lunch was necessary and nourishing, but it was just a backdrop for memories, laughter, catching up and the essential Pimms. It was more than just a meal; it was the start of a great trip with great friends.

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RER 7.29.15

starring SALAD: Park & Sixth Restaurant and Drinkery

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It’s funny when a salad is your favorite dish of the meal, especially when you’re gorging on gastropub fare. It happens, and it happened at Park& Sixth Restaurant and Drinkery. You never would’ve guessed that a beet salad would be the star of your show when cheesy pulled pork mac and cheese, succulent scallops with dense risotto, and garlicky oil-drenched chorizo and scrimp sidled up to your table.

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But it was. It was fresh and it was last. And it was beautiful. Sweet ruby beets, velvety in texture and in color, resting on emerald mesculin lettuce, provided a cool kind of warmth with a royal delicacy. Pale pink rings of pickled onion and herbed goat cheese shone like diamonds against the darker richer hues, while the salad glimmered, sparkling with cayenne candied almonds. This was just a salad, but the combination of the flavors from the sweet beets, the spicy nuts and aromatic cheese was magic, only rivaled by the raucous textures and crunch.

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Everything looked just as scrumptious as that broach of a salad, but flavors fell flat, textures were off, and execution was a shadow. The pulled pork mac and cheese, a special for the evening, was hot and melty, just like you like it, but the meat was so sparse in the sea of fluctuating cheese.

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But the two scallops had promise, the sweetness of the sea and salt with a healthy dose of pepper. It was the truffled risotto dotted with wild mushrooms that held back the small starter. The rice was not cooked enough, with dry chewy centers, and the risotto was lacking the creaminess you were expecting.

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Shrimp and chorizo go together, forever, but the oil became spicy almost until you could not bare it. The crunchy bread dulled the heat and softened with the oil, enabling the shrimp and fatty chorizo.

Park & Sixth’s (gastropub) refined renegade menu offers classics with a twist to amp up “dive bar bites,” but the lovely beet salad wove into your memory as those gem tones emanated in the night.

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7.18.15

the let-DOWN : UMAMI Burger

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Maybe, I wasn’t finding that the meal was worth the hype. Don’t get me wrong— I’m a burger kinda girl. I really love a good burger. But as much as I wanted to love my burger from Umami Burger, I did not.

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I got the Manly Burger, which was topped with beer cheddar, bacon lardons, onion strings, house ketchup and mustard spread. It was greasy and a lot. The textures were fun—the chewy lardoons, the crispy onion strings, the decadent beef and almost fluffy bun. But it was too much grease, too much heavy, and somehow I feel like truffle had infiltrated everything.

I did try my friend’s Truffle Burger and that too, was greasy and difficult to get down. Delicious, but more than three bites of one of these burgers seemed nearly impossible to me.

By the end I peeled off the cheese, removed the strings and lardoons, skipped the bread and just ate my patty. My Manly Burger was emasculated and denuded.

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And as much as I love truffle, it is possible to over-do it. It seems like truffle is “the thing” at Umami Burger, and my friend wanted to eat there for the Truffle Burger. But I wasn’t feeling it. The truffle fries were skinny and salty, with a dense glob of truffle cheese. It lay thick and creamy and truffly, too truffly. Next time I would opt for the plain fries.

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I really wanted the truffled beet salad, before I realized how truffly everything was going to be. Surprisingly, I really liked the salad, even though its base was spicy adult arugula. The truffle was definitely highlighted but it made the arugula less aggressive. The smooth ricotta, sweet beets and smoked almonds broke up the utilitarian truffle. It was a vicious cycle of necessary evil and vanquishing that evil.

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The staff was super nice and friendly, even though our server never brought the beer I ordered. He answered all our silly questions and gave his recommendations. I don’t know if the cool vibe and the service are really enough to make me try another burger, though the dessert list looked pretty up my alley! 

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1.12.15

DINNER before the show: The Oak Room Restaurant

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Dark and majestic, The Oak Room in the Westin St. Francis in Union Square, San Francisco, is the kind of place where established people dine before a show at the theatre. The lights are dim, the furniture heavy, and the ceilings high, but there is the kind of refined coziness similar to that hidden in a smoking lounge of an old gentlemen’s club.

It is easy to sink low into one of the couches, graceful with tall backs, or get settled into one of the rigid armed chairs, but the food brings a different kind of comfort. It is familiar but translates elegance and luxury like the decadence of the room.

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Four plump Maine lobster ravioli cuddle in a thick and buttery cognac cream, silky and sweet. Chewy pasta hides smooth succulence of lobster which echoes the sweet of the creamy dark sauce, while micro greens highlight earthy undertones. And toasted bread nestles warmed fresh burrata floating perfectly on a consortium of slow roasted tomatoes, acidic and sweet. The smooth cheese mellows the aggressive tart attributes of the cherry while a chiffonade of basil adds cool refreshment.

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Texture is tossed around in the West Coast Chopped Salad, a rhythm of juicy roasted chicken, smoky salty bacon, wet cucumbers, buttery avocado, smooth egg and pungent blue cheese. The chop of the romaine adds more surface area for toppings and sparkling champagne vinaigrette.

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The braised short rib, perched on a bed of root vegetables, swiss chard and lima beans, redolent of Sunday suppers offers something more hearty. Its tender meat strings and shreds practically melting into the rough hash pile, caressed with meaty liquids and classic flavors.

The dessert menu presents traditional favorites, like tarts, cheesecake and crème brulee, and undoubtedly displaying the same precision and quality of the restaurant’s more savory dishes. But when running late for the theater, there is no time for dessert!

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8.21.14

RER 8.21.13