Category: Food

Food is love. Plus art. Oh, and it keeps you alive. That, too! You might not find a single recipe here, but you may find the inspiration to go create one. Unless, of course, you’re left speechless because you’re drooling so severely at the sight of these glorious images. Regardless, you are NOT always what you eat.

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Sushi Dabu: Great For A Birthday Lunch!

And that birthday lunch was for someone very dear to me, so much so, that I took half the day off just so we could do lunch together!  And we chose Sushi Dabu, the oh-so-authentic little Japanese restaurant that has to be one of the best-kept secrets in town!

Having changed ownership in only the last year or so, Sushi Dabu, on the southeast side of town doesn’t attract the type of attention a typical downtown restaurant would, but if that is the only downside to the dining experience, then that is no downside at all!  Because the smaller crowds have no bearing whatsoever on the quality of the food and the service.  Not to mention the classy decor.

The three of us had a platter of Sushi Rolls, a Bento Box, and a Stirfry of meats and veggies that came in a big soup-like bowl.

Given that two of the three among us has traveled to Japan in person, we are no stranger to the ubiquitous miso soup, and the spicy ginger-dressing on the starter salad.  Not to mention the tempura, the cold udon noodles, the pickled radish and ginger, and the killer wasabi. 

You might not have had a chance to go to Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, or Nagoya in Japan (like yours truly has had the pleasure and privilege of traveling to), but you can certainly experience authentic cuisine right here in a small town in the Midwest.

Sushi Dabu, Arigato Gozaimasu!

Bentobox

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Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes

Seriously, that’s the name of the restaurant:  Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes.  True to its name, it’s a crepe place in Midtown, a few blocks from my office; as to whether it attracts only good girls (or boys), this is to up for debate.  Incidentally, this was my early-midweek treat with some friends for lunch today.

Made to order in the most authentic Parisian-style of crepes, you can take your pick from a long menu of both savory and sweet fillings that go inside the crepes. 

And if you ask me, they’re like dosais, only not so crispy.  For my recent post on dosais, by the way, click right here. 

My crepe was called the Dana: grilled-chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, mozarella, and a pesto spread. 

Reminded me of the time I had crepes in Paris, France at the Eiffel Tower grounds… who would’ve thought I’d get a taste of the same right here in the Midwest?

Mmmm! 

Crepes_020

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Buttermilk Biscuits

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via thekitchn.com

Having lived in rural Tennessee for many years, I have had my fill of this ubiquitous item found in every home, made from scratch, and served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Incidentally, for my non-American readers, Biscuits are fluffy bun-like things, not to be confused with the cracker-style sweet biscuits that go with tea.

I came across this post in http://thekitchn.com today that made me reminisce about this great southern comfort-food.

Click on that link for the entire post. Or check out the recipe right here:

Buttermilk Biscuits

(makes about 10 biscuits)

2 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons butter, chilled (plus a little more for brushing the tops of the biscuits)

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss dry ingredients together with a fork. Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry blender. Add buttermilk (don’t stir dough to death). Pour dough onto board and knead using extra flour (the lighter the touch the lighter the biscuit). Roll 3/4 ” thick. Cut out with biscuit cutter (don’t twist biscuit cutter, biscuits won’t rise properly). Brush tops of each biscuit with melted butter. Bake 10 – 12 minutes.

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Perfect Fried Eggs: Getting the Whites to Set

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via thekitchn.com

In case you didn’t know this little tip about making the perfect fried eggs, the word from thekitchn.com is:

Our usual method for cooking fried eggs involves cracking them in a pan and letting them sizzle. If the whites are taking too long to set, we’ll cover the pan with a lid to encourage even cooking.

Our friend takes things one step further. Before putting the lid over the pan, she’ll pour a little water into the pan. Just a tablespoon or two. The water steams the top of the egg to perfection in no time.

She does admit that the bottoms don’t get as crispy as they would otherwise, but we think this is a small sacrifice for set whites and runny yolks.

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Cottage Inn – An Ann Arbor Institution

So, where would you want to go for the finest pizzas and pastas and canolis and tiramisu in town?  Well, if you’re in Ann Arbor, the choice would be clear:  Cottage Inn.  The one downtown on Williams, that is.  We paid a visit today, and got some of all of the above.  Check it out:

Cottageinn

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Dosai, Podimas & Garlic-Chilli Chutney

So, for the uninitiated, Dosai or Dosas as they are more commonly known are the most delectable crepe-like pancakes made of fermented rice and lentils.  They’re served any time of the day, and could be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Check out the slideshow above for how they look while they’re cooking in a dosa tava and later when they’re served on a plate.

Dpc

And so these Dosais, they go with just about anything.  The classic accompaniments are a variety of chutneys, and a seasoned mashed-potato filling.  The not-so-classic accompaniments include two that I served up this morning:  Eggs Podimas and Garlic-Chili Chutney.

The Podimas is a simple way of breaking the eggs directly into the pan of finely-chopped sauteeing onions.  Only, I gave it a twist by adding a Mexican seasoning of cilantro and annato available in a popular brand called Sazon Goya.

The Garlic-Chilli Chutney is a home-made staple you will find in my refrigerator at all times.

And what better beverage to wash it all down than home-made Cappucinos?

Mmmm!  Mmmm!  Mmmm!

Yep, that’s how we roll sometimes on a Saturday morning!

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, mine is the larger cup!

 

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Lunch @ the DIA

The lunch scene at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a very lively one.  This was my third time there today.  And I wasn’t disappointed!  The food is fresh and freshly-made-to-order in the huge cafeteria housed within the DIA itself.  The Salad-Bar is spectacular, and the Soup-and-Bread Station is very aromatic, but today, I decided to stop at the Grill and ordered a Buffalo-Chicken Wrap and made a stop at the salad bar to get a few choice items.

The wrap came in a spinach-flavored tortilla with fresh tomatoes, lettuce and a ranch and hot-sauce dressing.  It was such a large one, and cut into half, I polished off one-half of it, but knowing that I couldn’t finish the second-half, I decided to scoop out only the filling and finished that in no time.

My salad was awesome.  I selected those things from the bar that I normally don’t get to eat too often:  artichoke hearts, black olives, and red beets.

My friend got a grilled salmon that came on a bed of wilted spinach, a medley of blanched string-beans, and a side of mac-and-cheese.

Mmmmm!  This picture below of the artichoke hearts is nothing short of a work of art, don’t you think? 

Oh, and if you wish to check out the DIA, click here.  And stop by for lunch, if you can.  I highly recommend it!

Artichokes

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How to (allegedly) Make a Proper Pot of Black Tea

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via thekitchn.com

Okay, first off: it probably will take you longer to read this entire post than it would to brew a cup of tea in the manner in which she recommends.

And the manner is all kosher, mind you, only there’s two things I do differently. 1. I pour my (warmed) milk into my cup and THEN pour the brewed tea into the cup. You’ll of course need to know just how much milk is good for the perfect color and taste, but if you do it often enough, you’ll get it right the first time itself so as to not need to go back and add more AFTER you pour the tea into cup.

2. If you let the tea-leaves steep for the right amount of time (depends how much you’re brewing in your teapot), you’ll find that they will descend to the bottom of the pot, and you don’t even need a strainer when you pour into cup.

Oh, and just FYI, I take my tea with milk, but no sugar, thank you!