Fun At Your Table: A "Place Setting" Placemat

Bryan and I still live in an apartment and don't have a great dining room table. In fact, I still have the same dining room table I bought straight-out-of-USC as my first "adult" dining room table. It's compact-able, having traveled with me from LA to Chicago, Chicago to Dallas, Dallas to Scottsdale and finally settling in a tight dining room in our 1950's LA apartment. Forget the fact that it can barely accommodate the plates and wine glasses of four people; it's great for other things (stacks of mail, anyone?) and until we upgrade to an adult home with an adult table, it still does the trick.

That's not to say I will buy accoutrements for it, as we still use the same placemats from years past and "wow" our guests with paper towel napkins. We're pretty casual, I guess you could say. Which is why I think these Place Setting placemats, made by Donkey Products (don't get me started) are really cool. If you're at risk of forgetting how to place the knives vs. forks, consider your problem solved. Same goes for the wine and water glass arrangement. The placemats blueprint-esque design makes it both modern and a great conversation starter.

Photo courtesy of Design-3000.de

And while you're at it, why not check out the DIY tablecloth? It comes with markers so your guests can thank you for a dinner well done right in front of your eyes. Or draw pictures of flowers and butterflies. Their choice. :)

Photo courtesy of Design-3000.de

Homemade Wonton Soup

What is it about being sick that makes us all crave warm, comforting soup? Whether it's chicken noodle, tomato or wonton, a great soup can calm our achy joints and soothe our sore throats.

Homemade pork & shrimp wonton soup

Someone is sick in our household, and this time it's not me. Bryan woke up with a bad cold yesterday morning and has been feeling pretty icky ever since. That's our technical term for feeling like complete and total crap. Luckily today he's feeling better today, but he's been craving soup for over 24 hours. To satisfy his appetite, last night we ordered tofu soup from our favorite local Thai restaurant. The simple yet robust broth inspired me to try my hand at homemade wonton soup tonight. After an inaugural trip to the Asian market to find ingredients for pork and shrimp wontons in a homemade broth (thank the good gods above for an incredibly helpful stocker) I gathered my wits about me and hit the kitchen. Once I started, the realization hit me that making wonton soup is not only much easier than making homemade ravioli – especially if you've got pre-made wonton skins – it's incredibly fun. It's like Arts & Crafts with food, so get your family or friends involved! It turned out truly delicious with rich yet healthy flavors including sesame, garlic, ginger, scallions, spinach and shitake mushrooms, and now I can't wait to try my hand at other Asian dishes. That supermarket stocker is going to become my new best friend...

Broth Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 10 cups canned low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup sliced shitake mushroom caps
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
• Alternative: Use baby bok choy and sliced bamboo shoots

Pork Wonton Ingredients

• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3 tablespoons scallions
• 1 teaspoons soy sauce
• 3/8 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, e.g. Sriracha)
• About 15 wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen

Shrimp Wontons Ingredients

• 13 cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3 tablespoons scallions
• 1 teaspoons soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, e.g. Sriracha)
• About 15 wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen

In a large saucepan or soup pot heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of sliced scallions and the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low so that the broth just simmers. Allow broth to simmer for at least 20 to 30 minutes while the wontons are being assembled.

Simmer garlic, ginger and scallions in chicken broth.

Make the shrimp filling: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, scallions, shrimp, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper (or hot sauce). Pulse until thoroughly combined. Transfer to separate, small bowl.

Place shrimp wonton ingredients into bowl of food processor.

Pulse until well combined. Transfer to separate bowl.

Make the pork filling: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, scallions, pork, egg yolk, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper (or hot sauce). Pulse until thoroughly combined. Transfer to separate, small bowl.

Put pork wonton ingredients into bowl of food processor.

Pulse until well combined. Transfer to separate bowl.

Assemble the wontons: Working on a flat work surface, lay out a few of the wontons. (Keep remaining wonton wrappers covered with plastic wrap.) Fill a small bowl partially with cool water and set aside.

Pre-made wonton wrappers, available at Asian markets.

Arrange wonton wrappers on flat surface.

Using a teaspoon measure, place a heaping teaspoonful of the meat filling in the center of each wonton. Using your fingers, lightly wet the edges of the wonton.

Place teaspoon of shrimp mixture on 15 wonton wrappers.

Place teaspoon of pork mixture on 15 wonton wrappers.

Lightly wet edges of wonton with your fingers.

Bring 2 opposite corners of the wonton together to form a triangle and enclose the filling, pressing edges firmly around the mound of filling to eliminate any air pockets and seal. Moisten opposite corners of the long side. Curl moistened corners toward each other, overlapping one on top of the other, and press the edges together to seal. You should now have a rounded stuffed wonton with a triangle poking up at the top. Assemble the remaining wontons in the same manner. When the wontons are all assembled, set aside.

Bring corners of wonton wrapper together and press to stick.

Curl moistened corners towards each other, eliminating air pockets.

Add sliced mushrooms and spinach to broth and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Shitake mushrooms.

Slice shitake mushrooms and spinach and add to broth.

Using your hands or a slotted spoon, gently add the prepared wontons to the simmering broth. Increase the heat slightly so that the broth returns to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally (very gently to ensure they don't stick to the bottom of the pot), until the wontons float and the pork filling is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

(Alternatively, if you're not serving the soup immediately boil the wontons in a separate pot of water. this will prevent the cornstarch from the wonton wrappers from clumping up the broth. Place the cooked wontons in the hot broth when ready to serve.)

If not serving immediately, boil wontons in separate pot.

If serving immediately, boil wontons in prepared broth.

Serve immediately and enjoy! Makes five delicious servings.

Gourmet Magazine: Dec. '93 Pancake Recipe

My mom has made these pancakes for as long as I can remember. It was always a treat, waking up on Sunday mornings to the aroma of butter-rich, syrupy pancakes and sizzling bacon. In fact, she still has the original December 1993 issue in a kitchen drawer, its pages permanently glued with batter of bygone eras to this special pancake recipe.

Gourmet Magazine, December 1993 Pancake Recipe

This recipe holds a special place in my family's heart. Not only was it our Sunday morning pancake recipe, it was the recipe my mom and I made for brunch on Christmas morning. It was the brunch item my grandpa couldn't get enough of, the one my godfather would actually eat without complaining and the recipe that – requiring a bit of concentration – my grandma would inevitably want to chat about as I whipped the egg whites. As time has passed, my grandpa still raves over the pancakes every year, my godfather is in his 90's and can't make it to brunch anymore, and we miss my grandma very much.

That said, this pancake recipe is one of the things that brought – and still brings – my family together. I hope it does the same for you.

Gourmet Magazine Pancake Recipe: December 1993 Issue

• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pure maple syrup as an accompaniment

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, softened butter, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, flour and sugar until the mixture is smooth.

In another bowl (preferably chilled metal or glass), with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks and fold them into the flour mixture gently but thoroughly.

Whip egg whites until they hold soft peaks

Gently fold egg whites into batter mixture

Heat a griddle over moderately-high heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface. Spray griddle with non-stick spray or rub with a pat of butter to avoid sticking.

Grease a hot skillet or griddle pan

Pour spoonfuls of batter onto hot griddle. When batter begins to bubble, flip pancake and let cook until fluffy and browned, about 1-2 minutes.

Spoon batter onto hot griddle

Let batter cook until it begins to bubble, 1-2 minutes

Flip and let cook until fluffy and golden brown

Move cooked pancakes to slightly warmed rear of griddle

Transfer pancake to a warm plate; top with pat of butter and hot maple syrup. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Recipe makes ~20 pancakes (3-4 per serving)

Review: Sashi Sushi + Sake Lounge

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a food blogger dinner at Manhattan Beach sushi hot spot, Sashi Sushi + Sake Lounge. Also in attendance were Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, Kevin of KevinEats, Javier of Teenage Glutster, Matt of Mattatouille and Sonja of Active Foodie. Equipped only with the knowledge that Sashi's Chef Makoto would be preparing a tasting menu of his signature dishes paired with sake, I went with relatively little idea of what to expect. It was nearly five hours and 22 masterful courses later – when I was caught in a battle between my palate saying "yes" and my stomach saying "no" – that I remembered Chef Makoto's mantra: "What's possible?" That night anything was possible and we were all fortunate to bear witness.

A bit about Chef Makoto: Growing up in Nagoya, Japan, Chef Makoto began his career in the kitchen at age 15. For over 10 years, he trained in the classics under Master Sushi chef Makoto Kumazaki, gaining centuries of knowledge with tradition and discipline. Passionate to keep growing, he moved to New York where Chef Masaharu Morimoto recruited him. The opportunity was eye opening. Under Morimoto's direction, Makoto learned to meld classic Japanese cuisine with cooking styles from all over the world. During his six years with Morimoto, Makoto opened new restaurants in Manhattan, Washington D.C. and Tokyo. Morimoto Tokyo earned a coveted Michelin star. Chef Makoto also performed as a sous chef in 13 episodes of the Food Network's hit show, Iron Chef.

Simply put, Chef Makoto's cuisine is stellar. His discipline, training and dedication to his craft is clear; but what pushes Makoto over the edge is his freedom to explore new-Japanese techniques in his own kitchen. As a result, guests experience dishes through more than just their eyes and palates. That experience extends to Sashi's decor, which within the restaurant (not the bar) is a celebration of simplicity and nature. Shelves of rustic driftwood and moss contrast against a neutral back splash of beige glass tile, bringing a diner's attention to the chef's work rather than the decor. Reserve that attention for the bar area, which is dimly-lit and almost obtrusively loud from the antics of, dare I say it, cougars. And I don't mean of the"Big Cat" variety.

My sincere thanks to Chef Makoto, Greg and Cary for an all-around delicious evening.

1. Amuse Bouche | Airbread, clam chowder infusion, Manila clam, truffle oil. A perfect way to start our evening. One bite into the thin airbread resulted in an explosion of warm, comforting clam chowder. The Manila clam was melt-in-your-mouth good, topped with a generous helping of truffle oil. As a truffle lover, I found it wonderful.

2. Edamame 2 Ways | #1 - Steamed edamame, cinnamon, black pepper, sea salt, chili, mirin, nutmeg. #2 - Hot edamame, sea salt. An interesting spin on traditional edamame. The spices did not overpower the taste of the bean, providing just enough kick to keep one going back for more. The sea salt edamame was a standard alternative.

3. Crispy asparagus | Beer battered asparagus, nori aioli. A hit at our table, the asparagus was fried to perfection. The crisp, flavorful coating of tempura hid a perfectly steamed asparagus. The nori aioli was an provided a cool, creamy contrast to the hot crunch of the tempura.

4. Lemon Oregano Mushroom | Char grilled shitake mushroom, oregano pesto. Large shitake mushrooms bathed in an earthy, oregano pesto. While the dish had great flavor and texture – shitakes are one of my favorite mushrooms – the larger size of the mushroom made it difficult to bite and chew.

5. Sashimi & Vegetable Lettuce Wraps | Tuna, salmon, yellowtail, red snapper, surf clam. Cucumber, shiso leaf, bean sprouts. Dip trio: wasabi soy, spicy chili and miso aioli. Our table literally fought over this dish. The freshness of the fish and crisp chill of the vegetables made it impossible not to enjoy. The trio of sauces lent a variety of bold flavors to each bite, giving even the most serious of sashimi lovers permission to play with their food.

6. Gindara | Alaskan wild black cod, sweet miso marinade. Miso black cod is one of my favorite dishes, but Sashi's robata version would have benefited from less time on the grill. It had a fabulous miso flavor and crunchy exterior, but the cod's interior flesh was a bit too soft, bordering on mushy even. The marinade was so wonderful it negated the housemade sauces for me, but they were a nice touch.

Housemade mustard, sweet vinaigrette & garlic ponzu sauces.

7. Steam Bun | Roasted kurobuta pork belly, pickled cucumber, kewpie slaw, scallion. The pork belly was cooked to smoky perfection; its delicate texture practically melting in your mouth. The pickled cucumber and kewpie slaw gave the dish a great crunch and wonderfully tangy flavor, while the bun itself could have been less dense. A lighter, fluffier bun and this would have been flawless.

8. Toro Tar Tar with Caviar | Fatty tuna, soy dashi broth, wasabi, paddlefish caviar. The toro's presentation was gorgeous, with a custom ice mold made and tableside pouring of the soy dashi broth. Individual spoons were laid on the icy foundation, making them the perfect icy temperature for scooping the toro. The toro's richness was cut nicely by the wasabi's heat and smooth, yet not overly salty, taste of the glossy paddlefish pearls. Japanese plum served a garnish.

9. Sashi poke 2010 | Tuna, avocado, cucumber, pistachios, sweet lime chili vinaigrette, truffle aioli, wonton chips. Opinions were mixed about the poke. Some felt the pistachios in this dish were overpowering, but I absolutely adore nutty flavors. That said, this dish was wonderful. The textural contrast between the buttery ahi, the crunch of the pistachios and the crisp of the wonton chips was excellent. A faint dusting of chili powder on each wonton likened it to a Lay's BBQ-flavored potato chip, leaving a pleasant amount of lingering heat on the lips.

10. Black Tiger Prawn Tempura | Tempura battered black tiger prawns, wasabi aioli, baby frisee salad. Unfortunately, a too-generous helping of aioli overpowered the shrimp, taking away from their crisp texture and sweet flavor. A bit less aioli and this would have been great.

11. Lobster with Crispy Onion | Lobster sashimi, chili oil, ponzu sauce, crispy onion. The sweet, succulent lobster sashimi, peppery micro greens, hint of citrus ponzu and natural sugar from the crisp onions made this a beautiful dish.

12. King Crab Claws "Corn Dogs" | Tempura batter crab claws, lemon thyme, sea salt, lemon grass dipping sauce. Incredibly innovative and fun, if not frustrating, to eat after the first magical bite. Frustrating in a good way, as you'll do everything possible to extract every last bit of meat from the crab claw. Chopsticks don't work? Use your fingers. Fingers don't work? Break the claw into as many pieces as you can and dig into the sweet flesh of the crab. The lemon grass dipping sauce was a perfect accompaniment, but many of us abandoned it after the first bite, preferring to go straight for the sumptuous crab meat.

13. Tai with Uni | Japanese snapper, sea urchin, yuzukosho, shiso salad. One of my favorite dishes. Supple snapper topped with rich, creamy uni and shiso/nori slaw. Fantastic.

14. Chicken Teriyaki Pizza | Red onion, shishito peppers, nori aioli, parmesan cheese, teriyaki sauce. This was surprisingly good, if not a bit heavy on the teriyaki. Clumps of Japanese mushrooms gave the pizza a great earthiness and the sweet red onions were a lovely compliment to the smoky grilled chicken. The crust would have benefited from fewer toppings, allowing it to maintain its structural integrity.

15. Tuna Sashimi Pizza | Tuna carpaccio, cilantro, cherry tomato, red onion, black olives, jalapeno. A perfectly light dish. Farm fresh, crisp vegetables, jeweled ahi and a cracker-like crust made this a winner.

16. Wagyu "Hot Rock" | Japaneese Wagyu beef prepared tableside on a hot rock. One simply cannot go wrong with high-quality Wagyu. Marbled gorgeously, the beef cooked within seconds on the sizzling stone. Each bite was increasingly rich and satisfying.

17. Ishiyaki "Crafted Tableside" | Spinach, namul, pickled dikon, carrots, Jidori egg, jasmine rice, hamachi. I love this spin on Bimbimbop, traditionally served with beef or pork. Slices of hamachi were gently lined against the sides of the scalding bowl, given a chance to cook while the attendant broke apart the Jidori egg and combined its glorious yolk with the rest of the ingredients. I could have eaten much more than my alloted 1/7 of the bowl.

18. Kalbi | Short ribs marinated in house special sauce. Cut against the grain for a more practical, meat-filled bite, the Kalbi were an interesting alternative to traditional Korean short ribs. The smoked flavors were robust, but per usual the short rib meat was a bit too tough for me.

19. Foie Gras | A-grade Hudson Valley fois gras, sweet shiso marinade. A perfect sear encrusted the delicate fois gras, and while I was getting very full at this point, one bite was perfect. The fois gras was incredibly rich and buttery and I found a tiny dip in the ripened raspberry coulis to be a great complement.

20. Taiwan Ramen Noodle | Nagoya-style spicy noodle soup. Beef, pork, asian chives & dried red chili. I wish this had come earlier in the evening because it was at this point that my dinner experience became a "(Wo)Man v. Food" event. The Taiwan Ramen Noodle soup was, in a word, amazing. The epitome of asian comfort food with ground pork, beef, perfectly slurpy noodles and a strong kick from the dried chili flakes, the soup was a show-stopper. I've been craving it ever since.

21. Toban Yaki | Bananas, pineapple, fuji apples baked in toban pot. Passion fruit white chocolate sauce and coconut ice cream accompaniment. There's just no two ways about it, this was awesome. Imagine ripe, juicy tropical fruits jumped into a passion fruit and white chocolate jacuzzi, then invited coconut ice cream to cool down the party. It was hot, tart, sweet, rich, creamy goodness. And the tagine presentation was a great touch. Yum.

22. Bamboo Cup | Chocolate orange mousse, cinnamon crumble, green tea ice cream, Cointreau foam. Eating this was like digging to the center of the earth, if the earth was made of layers of chocolate mousse, cinnamon crumble and green tea ice cream. The complex flavors, hot vs. cold and creamy vs. crunchy contrast was great, and the citrus Cointreau foam cleverly hid the subterranean delights.

23. Japanese Frozen Yogurt | Calpico yogurt, mango passion fruit sorbet, fresh berries. A light alternative to the other two desserts, we were encouraged to make a mess of the presentation. Take your spoon, break down the ice cream cone into the sorbet and berries and mix it up. The result is a refreshing spoonful of ripe berries, frozen sorbet and a slight crunch from the cone.

SAKE

1. Junmaiginjo Jokigen | Beautifully soft with aromas of pear, apple and slightly acidic finish.

2. Hana Hou Hou Shu Sparking | Sparkling and infused with rose petals and hibiscus. My favorite sake of the evening.

3. Ama no To Tokubetsu Junmai "Heaven's Door" | Slightly dry with an earthy aroma. A sip revealed an essence of fruit and sweet finish.