Fried mochi rice (you fan)

You fan (Taiwanese "oily rice")
You fan (Taiwanese “oily rice”)

When Thanksgiving season rolls around, I get very strong and specific food cravings. It’s hard not to, since the weather’s just turned cool (well, cool for California anyways), and all my conversations inevitably turn to who’s making what delicious dishes this year. While my mom and I haven’t actually gotten a game plan yet (reminder to self, decide what to do for Thanksgiving), our national tittering about turkey just makes me crazy for Thanksgiving food.

Last week, I thought I might pass out if I didn’t get mashed potatoes right then and there (I survived). And I’ve been completely preoccupied thinking about pretzel bread stuffing for ages, now. But something I come back to every year is savory, satisfying, sticky rice. I love anything made with sticky rice, but this particular dish also has nostalgic appeal. My mom has made it for Thanksgiving a few times as Asian-style stuffing. My ideal Thanksgiving meal might actually just be two kinds of stuffing and nothing else. I’ve sort of cobbled together a few recipes and my memory (and replaced some sausagey parts for tofu, and removed shiitake mushrooms because I can’t get myself to like them) to make my rendition of you fan, literally, Taiwanese oily rice. Mmm, with a name like that, you know it’s going to be awesome.

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You fan (fried mochi rice)

1.5 cups of sweet/glutinous/sticky rice, soaked in water overnight
1 shallot
1 clove of garlic
A few servings of seasoned tofu
Small handful of cilantro, chopped
Soy sauce (to taste)

Steam the sweet rice until it’s just barely done. You may need to stir or flip the rice to get it to cook evenly. This took me about 20 minutes, but I think it varies depending on the shape of the container holding the rice and how you’re cooking it. I’ve found using a steamer to be the most effective, but in a pinch, you can cook it stovetop like you would normal rice. Use much less water, since it’s already been soaking.

Thinly slice the shallot and mince the garlic. Then, toast these aromatics in a large, generously oiled pan until fragrant. Add the tofu (or sausage, or mushrooms, if you like) and warm through or brown, if you’d like. Then, add the rice and stir fry all together for a few minutes. Season with soy sauce as you are stir frying. Since the rice is so sticky, it really needs to be worked pretty hard to get the ingredients to incorporate.

When the rice is sufficiently fried (I do this until it smells slightly ricey toasty in the air), remove from the pan and adjust soy sauce and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. Leftovers reheat pretty well, too.

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Pirosmani in Brooklyn

After reading this account of a meal at Pirosmani in Sheepshead Bay, I became actually obsessed with the idea of eating Georgian food. I knew that it was destiny (or that I was really unhealthily obsessed) when, a few months later, I learned I was traveling to New York for work. After a bit of panic that the restaurant was closed and lengthy subway rides, Victoria and I finally arrived at Pirosmani. And it was glorious.

For anyone who’s spoken to me since September, I apologize, because I’ve probably already told you about this place and then deemed Georgia (in Eastern Europe, not in the Southern US) my “spiritual home.” But, I mean, the things they do to cheese and bread… it’s beautiful.

Bread to start
Bread to start

We started off our meal of cheesy bread with just bread, of course. It was warm and chewy and salty with a very crispy crust, and I had difficulty restraining myself so I could eat more other stuff later.

Adjaruli Khachapuri
Adjaruli Khachapuri from Pirosmani

And, of course, the real reason I wanted to go to this restaurant. I feel like I don’t even really need to say anything about it. It’s obviously a boat-shaped bread filled with cheese, an egg, and (soon) butter. It was amazing.

Adjaruli Khachapuri getting all mixed up, Pirosmani.
Adjaruli Khachapuri getting all mixed up, Pirosmani.

See what I mean about Georgian food and perhaps my spiritual home?

Fried potatoes and mushrooms, Pirosmani
Fried potatoes and mushrooms, Pirosmani

And then, of course, because we had not had enough beige food, we got a huge platter of deep fried potatoes and mushrooms. The spoon that is pictured is enormous, so don’t be confused about scale. This is a big plate.

There was nothing not to like about this plate, of course. Both the potatoes and mushrooms were fried perfectly and crisp and salty, and I’m literally drooling a little bit writing about it, so I have to stop.

I am fairly certain we also got chicken swimming in garlic butter, but I can’t find a photo of that. But let’s be honest, we’re all in it for the cheese bread, right?

New York is for eating

About a month and a half ago, I went to New York for work, but I had the great fortune to also spend some extra time with friends and eat my way through as much of the city as possible. I wish that I had been able to stay for longer, but the one good thing about my limited time was that I didn’t even feel bad about doing my only sightseeing with my mouth. Priorities.

I took a redeye from San Francisco and landed, pretty exhausted, just in time to squeeze on the subway for rush hour. Muddling my way through that, I emerged, and my friends Victoria & Phil graciously welcomed me into their studio, where I proceeded to pass out.

Upon waking, I found that Victoria had picked up some treats from City Bakery, because I am the most spoiled, so we nibbled, and then set off to go eating.

First stop was al di la, a charming Italian place apparently favored by Deb. I could see why.

I had some fresh cheese and corn filled pasta. Tortelli? I forget the exact name for the shape, and I can’t quite discern it. But whatever, they were delicious. Rich and sweet from the dairy and corn, with chives and a tiny amount of truffle to make it savory. Victoria got some sort of polenta that was also quite good.

al di la Trattoria's filled pasta of some sort
al di la Trattoria’s filled pasta of some sort

And, of course, we got two desserts.

Pear chocolate tart and cheesecake, al di la
Pear chocolate tart and cheesecake, al di la

The pear and bittersweet chocolate tart was incredible, and I can see why it’s so loved. Layered and not-too-sweet, but with the whipped cream, definitely a treat. The cheesecake was definitely pure decadence. I mean, cheesecake, what’s not to like?

Later, we met up with my friend Shelly, and we wandered around, chatted, and ate Ample Hills ice cream. It was fantastic, obviously.

Buccatini with eggplant from Eataly
Buccatini with eggplant from Eataly

Since we hadn’t eaten enough pasta, for dinner, we set off to Eataly, which is sort of like a theme park that is Italian-food themed. It was particularly magical in that though it’s definitely a tourist destination, the plates were very, very good. The pasta was cooked beautifully al dente, and while a large portion (I still finished it), showed a lot of restraint that I lack at home for sure.

That night, I remember sleeping like the dead. Massive kudos to gracious hosts Phil & Victoria for dealing with an unconscious Jade in the middle of their studio.

The next morning, we set off to Dominique Ansel (of cronut and various pastry fame). After some very difficult decisions, we left with a bag that was so large that a woman asked, “Is that all pastries?” Yes. Yes, it is.

Kouign amann, "lobster tail," and nutella milk bun from Dominique Ansel
Kouign amann, “lobster tail,” and Nutella milk bun from Dominique Ansel

And, I mean, there’s everything to like about all the pastries. They’re playful and fun but all very well done. The kouign amann, a favorite of mine back home, was buttery and caramelized with a nice “light” texture. The “lobster tail” is pretzel dough that is then somehow mixed with caramel and peanut butter (one of these is a dipping sauce) that was obviously delicious. The Nutella milk buns were fluffy and enriched and reminded me of pastries from an Asian pastry shop, though with Nutella instead of red bean paste.

Lime tart and mango pudding from Dominique Ansel
Lime tart and mango coconut pudding from Dominique Ansel

From this post, I was intrigued by the Lime Me Up Tart and Coco-Mango Riz Au Lait, which I think were two of the most playful offerings that day. The lime tart had a shell filled with custardy, tart filling, like key lime pie, upon which you sprinkled sugar or squeezed lime to your liking. The mango item is coconut rice pudding paired with mango slices and mango “pearls,” which I thought was a fun way to enjoy that classic flavor pairing.

I eventually went off to staff the conference for work, where, I swear, I ate only vegetables, because up next were a few rich work dinners, and then a meal so mind-boggling that I’m saving it for another post! Also, this one is really long.

Udupi Palace in San Francisco

I recently revisited this restaurant after an unintended hiatus, and mostly, I thought, “Why did I stay away for so long?”

Udupi Palace is a vegetarian Indian restaurant that serves enormous plates with little sauces and maybe curries and various doughs as vessels. The Internet tells me it is southern Indian food, but I really have no idea. But I do have a fervor for doughs and spiced sauces.

Giant puffed dough with sauce / chutney
Giant puffed dough with sauce / chutney

I always insist on getting “one of the giant puffed doughs” there, though I can never remember the name… so I have to furtively Google every item on the menu until they look right. But, for posterity and for the common good, these things are called batura, and they are amazing. They are these large, puffed, chewy and flaky bread that comes with a sauce or two, and maybe a chutney? It’s all sort of a blur after you deflate the bread and start digging in.

Flat crispy bread with additional sauces
Flat crispy bread with additional sauces

Next, we have a giant roll of crispy crepe-like bread (seriously like the length of my lower arm) that comes with a whole suite of new sauces, some of which are savory, or tangy, or sweet. The giant, thin and slightly crisp bread is a dosa, I believe.

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Pancake style bread, more sauces

And finally, we have the uthappam, which is a thick, chewy, pancake-like creation that has vegetables already cooked in. It comes with the same sauces as the dosa above and is also delightful.

It’s all pretty inexpensive for quite a lot of food, too. The only downside is that everyone else likes it, too, so it can get crowded. But nothing gets me riled up to brave crowds like delicious bready items.