I had to try Momofuku Ko and the Ssam Bar. So delicious. The pork buns were ridiculous and the Ramen at Ko was incredible. This is a must if you’re in New York. Check the menus below from Ko and the Ssam Bar and some food shots… The Spicy Rice Cakes were also pretty interesting tasting.
Momofuku Ko Menu
Blueberry Drink
Steamed Buns
Ko Ramen
Ssam Bar Menu
Ssam Bar Sashimi
Ssam Bar Steamed Buns and Pickles
Ssam Bar Spciy Rice Cakes
We were lucky enough to score some front row Mets tickets when they played Dusty’s team, the Reds. Thanks Traci T!
our overenthusiastic Mets fan friend
A sweet rooftop view. Love it. Live it.
Sharing the view with friends
Scott and I decided to try something new, real new. Spherification, part of the modern Spanish culinary art called Molecular Gastronomy. We settled on melon caviar for our first attempt. They call it caviar because it looks like the large fish roe you get on sushi with a similar consistency. A kind of thin skin surrounds a liquid inside that tastes like whatever you are spherificating – in our case, melon.
sodium alginate and calcium chloride
We started by blending the melon into a fine puree and then straining out the pulp. We then mixed it with Sodium Alginate. We prepared a mixture of water and Calcium Chloride that we injected droplets of the melon mixture into using a large syringe. The proportions for everything are very precise and require a scale. The amount of each chemical to use depends on the pH of the substance you are using. I will soon have an algorithm and hopefully a website that will help to calculate the proportions for common substances.
pureeing the melon to prepare for spherification
straining out the pulp
the caviar bath
Our first attempt was a success: the little caviar balls tasted just like melon and the consistency was pretty cool. It’s kind of like boba except the inside is liquid. The possibilities with these things are endless. Stay tuned.
spherification: melon caviar!
Very easy to make. Get a Trader Joe’s crust, flatten it, cover in olive oil, mozzarella, sliced figs and gorgonzola cheese. Bake on a pizza stone until crispy… So delish.
Waiting to capture the magic of child birth. Why? Hmmmm.
Location: Cedars-Sinai, Maternity Ward
This was very quick and easy to make. I would have liked to use smaller clams but this is all Whole Foods had to offer. Check the recipe after the pics.
making the vongole sauce
To make the sauce you will need the following ingredients:
Soak the mussels and clams in salt water for 10 minutes and rub them together to get the dirt and gunk off. Heat the oil and saute the shallots. Drop spaghetti into salted, boiling water. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the oil and crush them with the back of a wooden spoon, let cook on medium high heat for about 6 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the parsley, basil and mussels and clams and cover and continue cooking on medium high heat until they all open. Remove from heat. When spaghetti is ready (about 7-10 minutes) drain water and add sauce and toss together. Garnish with a little parsley.
A little breakfast: zucchini flower omelette, olive bread toast, fix and strawberry.
Malibu with the Cohn’s is always fun but for the 4th they took it to another level: RV on the beach. Genius. We set up camp in front of the RV and behind the lone volleyball court. The day started with brunch and a little informal home-run derby. Next was volleyball followed by lunch and naps. We had the very special opportunity to watch fireworks from an incredible house up in the hills directly across from the paradise cove. Definitely one of the best 4th’s I’ve ever had.
We ventured to Venice to try the bbq’d delicacies that Baby Blues had to offer. I told our waitress that it was my first time. She was gentle and gave us three free sides, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and coleslaw. My stomach hasn’t been the same since. It was so good, way better than Mr. Cecil’s but I’m not sure my stomach or Grant’s stomach would agree… Try at your own risk.
Just a small part of my meal
Definitely try the baby back ribs. The mac n cheese was also ridiculous but I would suggest staying away from it if your lactose intolerant. Also, we agreed that the waitresses at Baby Blues were all suspiciously good looking. Just another reason to visit.