EricMBloggie

Before This chicken was roasted using a modified version of the Zuni Cafe recipe [Serious Eats] that I’ve been experimenting with recently. Yes, that’s a compound butter stuffed under the breast skin. Yes, it was delicious.

The first time I tried the recipe, I also combined it with America’s Test Kitchen’s baking powder skin [Paupered Chef] and a one day dry brine with better (excellent) results. After I try this combo method a couple more times, I’ll write up a recipe. The skin was super crisp, and the meat moist and seasoned throughout, despite being slightly overcooked (no one could tell anyways.)

The broccoli was boiled until tender and tossed with some butter, parmigiano-reggiano, salt & pepper. I went a little heavy on the sea salt (still figuring out how much is the right amount with that stuff), but it was still very good. The potatoes sat in a glass baking dish next to the chicken. They were in too long or something, because they developed too hard an exterior. I’m still figuring out those guys.

I just started Jeffery Steingarten’s book, “The Man Who Ate Everything,” and was surprised by a paragraph concerning cheese and lactose.

“Overnight, everybody you meet has become lactose intolerant.  It is the chic food fear at the moment.  But the truth is that very, very few of us are so seriously afflicted that we cannot drink even a whole glass of milk a day without ill effects.  I know several people who have given up cheese to avoid lactose.  But fermented cheeses contain no lactose! Lactose is the sugar found in milk; 98 percent of it is drained off with the whey (cheese is made from the curds), and the other 2 percent is quickly consumed by the lactic-acid bacteria in the act of fermentation.” (p.8)

I fell victim to this food myth as well, but wonder why some cheese gives me an upset stomach.  Maybe when I was eating a cheesy food like pizza, I was also overeating.   After all, should anyone actually be eating TWO slices of Lorenzo’s at 2:00 am?  I definitely get an upset stomach from drinking milk, but cheese is certainly getting reconsidered.  I’ll have to do a little research into this, and eventually update the post.

For only $4.01 (they couldn’t have priced it at $4.00?  REALLY?  REALLY?!) you’ll get a fresh, delicious, and mostly filling lunch at Maoz.  The other day I got the more expensive Falafel sandwich, which is quite good, but not all that healthy.  Today I opted for the Pita with Eggplant, which was wonderful, and still not that healthy– the eggplant is fried.  Next time, I’ll probably go for the Pita with Hummus.  Both times I chose whole wheat over white pita.

The photos below show my Pita with Eggplant in various stages of being eaten.  It’s stuffed with a bunch of options from the salad bar including carrots, basil couscous, vinegary-dilly cucumbers, tomato and onion, and corn salsa.  The eggplant is creamy with a fried crunch on the outside.

Maoz
1115 Walnut St. & 248 South St.
Philadelphia, PA

Every once in a blue moon, I’ll put on my hunting gear, grab my pump-action Remington 870 shotgun, and ruthlessly track down and murder a flying buffalo.  Leaving everything save the wings to rot in the redwood forest in which they live, I roast them and toss them in Frank’s Red Hot sauce.  Let’s talk about how to make these things without resorting to the artery clogging goodness of a deep fryer.  There are countless variations on the buffalo wing, but I think this slightly healthier version is pretty bomb.  This recipe was an experiment that turned out really well.

** I doubt it’s actually healthy **

Ingredients:

some      Chicken Wings
1/2 cup  Franks Red Hot Sauce
1T           Butter
1/4 cup  Stock / Water
2T          Maple Syrup
pinch     Cinnamon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare the chicken wings by cutting off the wing tips and separating the mini drumstick part from the other part.  Pat them dry with paper towels.  Make sure they’re really dry.  Dry chicken = crispy skin.  Heat up vegetable oil on medium-high in a pan big enough to hold all of your wings.  Season wings with salt and pepper, place them skin down in the pan.  When the skin browns, flip the wings with tongs.  If they don’t release from the pan, let them brown for a little while longer.  They should release easily once the skin browns enough.  Transfer to the oven until they’re done.  Let’s say 20-25 minutes.

Sauce:  Combine the rest of the ingredients into a saucepan.  Reduce until saucy.

Be careful with the cinnamon– don’t add to much.  It should be far in the background.  I didn’t plan on adding it, but I tried it with a small spoonful of the sauce, and decided it was a good idea.  Using stock in the sauce thins it out a bit at first, but it takes the edge off of the hot sauce, and makes it go a little farther.  You could probably use water to the same effect, or omit it.  Traditionally, buffalo sauce uses way more butter, but I’m trying to live past 30.

The miso soup at most Japanese restaurants tastes and looks like it comes from the same wholesale distributor. Little cubes of rehydrated tofu and pieces of scallion float in a too-salty broth. It’s an acceptable precursor to a meal, but it’s standard, and as I found out today, sub-par. Morimoto taught me that miso soup is actually much better than that.

Step through the double set of green glass doors to a comfortable and hip design. The walls and ceiling undulate to the back of the space where sushi chefs assemble rolls at the bar. I sat back there by myself, enjoying the nearly automatic motions of the chef, and another cook who cooked big fillets of fish with a propane blowtorch. The serving platters, little bowls, and chopsticks were made of the same dark wood. The space fit together well, from the glowy green accents to the big comfy bar stools.

I ordered food that I’d get at any other sushi place to offer a comparison between average and Morimoto. The ‘Yellowtail and Scallion Roll’ and ‘Boston Mackerel Sushi’ came out first. I was off to a good start. The yellowtail was finely minced and there was just the right amount of scallion to boost the flavor. It melted in my mouth. The mackerel was fresh and oceanic with a good texture. It wasn’t too big a bite, which is important in comparison of the giant sized fish slabs on snowballs of rice served at lesser sushi joints. The white pickled ginger tasted fresher and seemed like a natural product compared to the normal pink stuff. Everything looked beautiful on the dark wooden platter.

My miso soup arrived next, in an oversized white bowl, with a heavy shallow metal spoon. The broth was salted, sure, but this is a far cry from the packets you get at Trader Joe’s. This soup has a full, balanced flavor, accented with hits of thinly sliced scallion. But what really makes this dish are the big chunks of fresh silken tofu floating in the soup. I’ve never had tofu like this before. It’s totally different from the blocks of tofu from the store. Wikipedia explains, “its texture can be described as similar to that of very fine custard.” From now on the reconstituted tofu blocks won’t cut it– bring on the fresh silken stuff.

You may not know this, but chances are you’ve never had real wasabi before.

Almost all sushi bars in America and Japan serve imitation (seiyō) wasabi (see Etymology section, below) because authentic wasabi is extremely expensive. Few people, even in Japan, realize that the wasabi that they consume is in fact an imitation. Although very hard to find, real wasabi powder (from Wasabia japonica plant) is a convenient way to experience true wasabi’s remarkable flavor, but most commercially available “wasabi” powders contain no true wasabi at all. Most utilize a powdered imitation made from horseradish, mustard seed, and green food coloring (sometimes Spirulina). Whether real or imitation, the powder is mixed with an equal amount of water to make a paste. (Wasabi Wikipedia)

I asked the chef if they served it at the restaurant.  He told me that even though he was out of it today, they almost always have it.  They normally serve a good version of the commercial wasabi powder (I knew it tasted better…) and for certain dishes bring out the real wasabi powder.  He went into the kitchen and brought out a small bowl of that for me.  It’s texture resembled a pastey fresh grated ginger.  It was mellower in heat than standard wasabi, and had more of a taste.  In comparison, the standard wasabi tastes, looks, and feels artificial.  He said if he mixes the real wasabi powder with wasabi root in a dish, he can barely tell the difference.  Also, he’ll only give out the wasabi root to someone who knows their sushi.  If he notices someone eating with proper protocol and they ask, they shall receive.  He was pretty serious about this– if they’re doing it wrong, they’re not getting any.  If you’d like to know more about sushi etiquette, here are some links:

Google
Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” on Sushi part 1
Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” on Sushi part 2

One roll, a bowl of soup, and one piece of sushi came to $22.75 with tip.  I left full, relaxed, and content.  Unless you’re making some serious dough, this is not an everyday lunch spot.  Hell, I’ve been working a block away for a couple of years now, and it’s the first time I’ve gone.  I can’t wait for a good excuse to go for a big, multi-course meal.

Check out Morimoto Restaurant for top notch service, atmosphere, and cuisine that costs a pretty penny.

MorimotoRestaurant
723 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 413-9070

(For a more modest, but still wonderful sushi place, try Moshi-Moshi on 18th and Sansom, right across from Di Bruno’s, next to Sue’s Produce Market.)

The Naked Burrito from ‘El  Fuego’ tastes better than it looks in what passes as a picture from my cell phone.   They use fresh, never frozen, ingredients, and the food is quite good.

Rice, black beans, peppers & onions, chicken, salsa fresca, salsa verde, and lettuce for $7.22.  It’s a big enough lunch for the price and the promise of fresh ingredients cooked in house.  I want to believe this has less fat and calories than the exact Qdoba equivalent, which I’ve included below.  It would be a shame if the ‘Fuego’ naked burrito reached the same fat and sodium content.  Imagine what that Qdoba burrito is like with cheese, sour creme, and guacamole! Lunch shouldn’t have 60-100% (depending on where you look) of your daily intake of sodium.

El Fuego
723 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3208
Phone: (215) 592-1901

[El Fuego on Citysearch]