Cooking: Avocado Corn Salad!

I have wanted to do a cooking blog entry for a while, I am not sure why I never got around to it...but hey, this will be the first one. Everything I make, I feel is pretty simple and nothing overly extravagent...Who's got time for that! I hope it will be easy to follow and YOU will try it yourself!

I brought this salad to a work pot luck of mine, and it got pretty good responses. People started asking me for recipes so I figured what better place to put it than HERE! I promise next time I will have more photos of the whole process.  This was just a last minute decision.

To tell you the truth, I do not go by recipes when I cook. So there will not be actual measurements but I can definitely fill you in on the process and the ingredients I put in there.

Ingredients needed:
~"fresh" corn - please use fresh ones vs can or frozen, their texture and flavor cannot compare
~jalapeno - if you like you can definitely combine it with some spicier peppers as well, like habaneros
~cilantro
~red onions or shallots
~tomatoes
~avocadoes
~limes

Dressing:
~lemon oil
~olive oil
~black pepper
~apple cider vinegar
~honey
~salt - I prefer pink salt

Instructions:
1. Remove the corn from the stalk...here is a good way to do it (put a small bowl upside down in a large bowl.  This will help catch the kernels. below is an example)

2. Bring some water to a boil and quickly blanch the kernels of corn, then drain.  Let the corn air out until they cool off.
3. Dice the avocadoes and put it in a bowl and toss with plenty of lime juice to keep the avocadoes from oxidizing.  I like to toss the avocadoes with some black pepper as well.
3. Dice the onions and jalapenos.  Place them in a bowl and wisk in salt, apple cider vinegar, honey, black pepper, olive oil, and lemon oil (use sparingly).  Let it set and marinate for a while.
4. Dice the tomatoes and chop the cilantro and set aside until everything is ready to toss together.
5. Once the corn is cooled and the dressing is ready, toss everything together and get ready to EAT!

This goes well as just a side with a steak, tacos, or just as a snack.  You can also add in other seasonal ingredients like sweet red or yellow peppers, some sauteed mushrooms, or proteins like beef or shrimp or even some less starchy potatoes.

I hope you all enjoy this!

Canary by Gorgi - Restaurant Week 3, a delicious adventure

On a hot Texas summer night on August 2013, what is there to do?  Restaurant week!  We got to enjoy this restaurant week adventure with some fantastic friends.  What makes this night better?  Well...Delicious food of course!  

Chef Gorgi did not disappoint at all.  We asked our friends to join us, so thank goodness we didn't steer them wrong =)  

Canary by Gorgi's is a small, romantic, classy, restaurant but with a touch of friendliness to it.  This extra touch is brought out by the smile and attentiveness of the Chef and Owner, Chef Gorgi.  

 We went with 6 other people.  Other than myself, the other 7 people in our party ordered the wine pairing.

Our extra course is the butter poached shrimp on top with grilled chill avocado.  This was free with the Central Market coupon, but we would've happily paid an extra $7 for this.  It was YUMMY!  The shrimp was cooked perfectly, and the grilled avocado was just ripe enough but not over done to where it is mushy.  It added a great texture with some smoothness to the dish. Tomato sauce paired well and finished it off with some acidity.

The Escargot and the Seared Scallops was our appetizers.

The escargot were extremely tender and seasoned very well.  They were cooked in a rich pomodoro mushroom sauce which you cannot get enough of.  They came with some round toast points to pair the dish.  Our friends loved it and even the people who haven't tried escargot before fell in love that night.

Sorry about the scallop photo, I think I started eating and forgot to take the first picture.  The scallop dish was nicely done as well.  The scallops were seared to perfection.  The sugars were caramelized on top and juicy in the center.  This was paired with a cucumber, tomato, dill and goat cheese salad.  What a great combination.  This made the whole dish light enough for you to have a few more.  

Our two main dishes : Lamb T Bone with Quail and The Artic Char with Shrimp.

The chef was very attentive and came to inquire if everyones lamb was cooked to their liking.  This was nice and made everyone feel extra special.  And yes!  Everyone had a lamb that was cooked the way they wanted.  The lamb was juicy and had a great lamb flavor, the quail was also extremely flavorful and prepared well.  The skin was slightly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  

The Artic Char was also a great dish.  The fish had its skin on, just the way I like, the skin was seared and crispy, and the fish was cooked just right.  The fish was very fresh.  The shrimps were butter seared  and a good size.  Chef Gorgi added a slightly sweet acid touch by adding some barberries and a white wine sauce to finish.  

Then last but not least desserts.  The Kefir Butterfly with Dates or the Chocolate Liqueur Cake with Berries.

The Kefir Butterfly was nicely done.  The Kefir has a good tart flavor, velvety texture paired with wafer, honey, and dates.  Personally I think this is a very sophisticated dessert, and it is not something you can get at any restaurant dessert menu.

The chocolate cake was decadent!  The presentation was stunning!  The cake was moist, the liqueur flavor was just right, and the right amount of sweetness.  The berries helps break the richness.  My friend said she would come back just for this if she needed to.  

Overall a great night!  Had lots of fun enjoying delicious food with friends, being able share this experience is priceless.  The food was amazing!  All of us agreed we would come again for dinner to try his other entrees.  

Canary by Gorgi

5100 Beltline Rd

Ste 402

Dallas, TX, 75254

Domain Chandon - Enchanting Napa while pleasing the palate!

Domain Chandon was definitely captivating!  The scenery was like a walk into a dream with a beautiful secret garden.   

The views were really breathtaking!  If it was not 100 + in heat index that day we would have definitely been able to enjoy it even more.

This was by far one of the best wine tours we have ever been on and probably one of the most beautiful wineries we have seen so far.

Our tour came with a thorough explanation of the whole place, the history, their daily routines, and their interaction with the other wineries as well.

The cocktail wine tour was a pretty good deal.  We got all three cocktails plus a education tour for $40, cheaper than just buying the three drinks at the bar in the winery and the tour guide offered us extras to drink!  Can't beat that!

Our first drink was the summer crush.  The basil and lime was a delicious combination.  Very crisp and light, excellent for the hot Napa weather that day.  The best part, other than sipping the champagne was getting the chance to make it yourself.  They teach you how to make the flavored syrup at home and you get to put as much of it as you want.

The second drink was the rising star.  This was our favorite.  Sweet and tart but light enough to drink several glasses.  The sweet cherries and the pomegranate flavor really shines and blends extremely well with the Chandon Brut Classic.

The third drink was the Hibiscus Romance.  This was our least favorite but definitely the prettiest.  The combination was not great, the hibiscus flavor was kind of covered up by the sugar syrup.

Fantastic afternoon spent at the winery.  This is one tour we would go back for.  The tour guide was witty and the drinks were yummy!  By far one of the most memorable and tasty wine tours we have experienced here in Napa.

RN 74 in San Francisco...A foodie adventure

Here we are in San Francisco again!  Great weather, exquisite food, and lots to do.  If you are a food lover....YOU MUST VISIT this grand city of foodie treasures!

Tony chose RN 74 for my birthday dinner.  What a treat and a great choice as well. Michael Mina really out did himself with this place. The atmosphere was very romantic and cozy.  A little bit too cozy if you ask me...it was pretty warm inside.  I think they kept the heat on a little higher since it was chilly outside.  We loved the decoration of the old fashioned train departure/arrival board. It displayed all the prices of special wines they carry. 

We ordered 2 cocktails to start, 2 starters, 1 midi, and 2 entrees.

I forgot that we even had drinks.  I recall that they were tasty and refreshing. I had a special RN74 version of a Pimm's Cup and Tony had a Moscow Mule. 

The appetizer was absolute FOOD PORN 101!  The Uni & Warm Main Lobster Tartine was OMG........Speechless.  Too delicious for words.  The uni was soft yet firm and succulent, the lobster was sweet, creamy and full of body.  YUMMY!  This dish was so good that we almost considered ordering this again for dinner because we couldn't get enough.

The Pate de Foie de Poulet was rich and had a great depth of flavor.  The other components complimented it really well.  The silky pate paired with the crispy texture of the chicken skin, the acid of the pickles, the earthiness of the greens, and the sweetness of the cherries brought it altogether.

Our Midi

Lamb Tartar was awesome!  Wow, great flavors, texture was perfect...what can I say ONE MOUTH WATERING BITE!  If you have never had lamb tartar...YOU are missing out.

Entrees 

Polenta Crusted Sea Scallops and Heritage Pork Loin and Crispy Belly.

The Scallops were very good and large in size.  Cooked perfectly!  The sugars of the scallops were caramelized and wrapped in with the delightfully crispy polenta coating.  The morels and the fresh creamed corn was delicious....wish there was more.  A great dish!

The pork dish was MMMMMMMMM!  Sometimes you think it will be really heavy but if you pair pork well they can be very tasty,  The apricot and the bacon cherry vinaigrette was a perfect combo with the pork dish.  Both the loin and the belly was prepared well. 

What a fantastic evening.  We enjoyed ALL of it!  We would come here again just for the Uni and Lobster Tartine!

RN 74

301 Mission Street

SFO, CA, 94105

The French Room...old elegance - Restaurant Week 2013

The Adolphus is like a step into the past in an elegant way.  We loved the ambiance and the decor thoughout the place.  You can't help but turn your heads to check out all the cool murals, chandlaliers, clocks, vases, and paintings around the place. 

We were greeted and seated promptly.  The atmosphere was quite enchanting.  Our servers were all very polite and gave us explanation of our three courses (not that we needed it) but it was nice to know they knew what they were talking about.

Our starters!

Crab Cake, the best we have had!  You can tell it was packed with big lumps of sweet crab meat and not fillers.  The tomato jam was a great compliment and very tasty.

The Pork Belly with risotto was drool worthy.  Had the rich asian touch with a creamy risotto pairing.  Very similar to what we had at Morimoto Napa, but he paired his pork belly with congee vs. risotto.

Then came our fish entrees.

We ordered the Red Snapper wrapped with zucchini and Salmon with Shiitaki. 

The Snapper had great caramelization on top and paired with silky mash potatoes.

The Salmon was cooked to perfection.  Rare on the inside and crispy on the outside.  The Shiitaki's were seasoned extremely well, we wished we had a whole bowl of it!

Our desserts were amazing! 

We ordered the Grand Mariner Souffle and Key Lime Creme Brulee.  Both were awesome!  The souffle was fluffy and velvety, extremely flavorful!  The key lime brulee was YUMMY!  The key lime flavor definitely stood out and help cut down the richness.  Sugar was crispy on top and lush on the bottom. 

Overall a delicious experience!  We cannot wait to come back and try their regular menu.  For $45 per person vs what they normally charge, definitely worth the try, especially during restaurant week!

The French Room

The Adolphus Hotel

1321 Commerce Street

Dallas, TX, 75202

BRC Gastropub, a nice surprise!

We met up with some friends for lunch and chose BRC Gastropub as our lunch destination.  We were seated quickly which was a major plus considering everywhere else was packed and when we called they told us there would be a 30 min wait...we arrived 5 minutes later and was seated right away. 

To Start we ordered some mimosa, a raspberry cocktail and  another cocktail which I completely forgot so that means it was not that great.  All were very refreshing and a great beginning.

We ordered deviled eggs with fried oysters and a tomaoto basil soup to start.

 

The deviled eggs were very tasty and the touch of fried oyster and crispy bacon paired well with the creamy center of the deviled egg. 

 

The  tomato basil soup was creamy and light, the touch of avocado oil and fresh basil gave it a nice touch.   

Then comes our entrees.  Shrimp with cheesy grits and two poached eggs, and foie gras sliders.

 

The shrimp and grits were filling and made well.  The grits were a bit thick in cosistency but when you puncture the poached egg and mix the grits with it, it match well.  The yoke made the grit extra creamy.  The shrimps were big and lightly fried.  Pretty tasty!

 

The foie gras sliders were YUM!  How can you go wrong? It's FOIE GRAS!!!  The foie gras oils soaked into the bread....DROOL!  The portion was a little small so it was good that we ordered the grits.

 

Overall it was a great place to hang out with great friends on a Saturday.  We would rate this place a 6.5/10 for price, taste, and creativity.

 

BRC Gastropub

519 Shepherd Dr
Houston, TX 77007

(713) 861-2233

Houston Trip...Asian

Dallas, Tx definitely does not have the variety of Asian cusines like Houston does.  In comparison to Dallas, Houston definitely wins in flavor and diversity but Houston still has a long way to go if it wants to match up to the quality of Asian flavors San Francisco has to offer.

Here is our summary of our Asians food this time around Houston Tx. 

Our first night we arrived exhausted and really needed a late night comfort to put us to sleep.   Our choice was limited since it was around 12 am when we arrived.  We headed out to Hong Kong Food Street since it opens until 2 am.  This place offers a variety of common Hong Kong fast and comfort foods.  They offer noodles, stir frys, rice dishes, congee, soups, desserts, milk teas, and honey lemon drink. 

We had seafood rice soup and a brisket flat noodles to put us to sleep.  The congee was very comforting with an abundance of seafood...highlight was definitely the BIG sea scallops they added!  This was pretty affordable at around $6. 
The brisket was made well and of good quality but the flat noodles was not as good as I expected.  I am not sure if it is the quality of the flat noodle supplied here or if it was just not made well. 
Overall an acceptable meal at around 1 am in the morning.

Hong Kong Food Street
9750 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77036

Crawfish!  Well I forgot to take pictures of this one...*BOO* 
We had crawfish as a snack....4 lbs to be exact.  This one is located in a chinese market shopping center..in the food court, a very ethnic and good food court if you ask me.  You can find boba tea, fresh juices, vietnamese stalls, snails, balut eggs, and more.  We went to go try Crawfish and Beignets.  The Crawfish were pretty good size, service was fast, well seasoned, and they provide you with condiments like mayo, chili, and butter on the side.  At around $5.99lb, a much better deal than Boiling Crab in Dallas.  Flavor wise, Dallas's boiling crab still wins, but quality, size, and price, Crawfish and Beignets win.

 Crawfish and Beignets
11201 Bellaire Blvd
Ste A-05
Houston, TX 77072

Dim Sum time!

 

We tried Arco Seafood.  Not bad...some were still a hit and miss but overall very fresh, because they steamed or fried the dim sum when you placed the order on the sheets.  The fun roll with the fried dough on top was done really well, the skin was very soft and thin, much better than the ones offered in Dallas.  The shrimp dumplings were also pretty good, the filling was plump and filled with shrimp, the only flaw was that the skin was a tad too thick. 

The dim sum still has a long way to go before it can catch up to the standards in San Francisco in terms of variety, flavor, and quality.

 

Arco Seafood Restaurant

9896 Bellaire Blvd

Houston, TX 77036

(713) 774-2888

 

 

Shaved Ice!

Nu Cafe was one of the places we tried.  Very soft shaved ice, we chose mango flavor, but I did not taste much mango flavor.  The fresh fruits and pudding accompanied well with the soft ice and condense milk.  Worth a try if you have never tasted soft shaved ice, but this is not even close to the flavor you can get in Hong Kong, so we were a little disappointed. 

Nu Cafe
9889 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77036

(713) 771-7771

 

The second shaved ice place was Juice Box.

I personally liked this place more compared to Nu Cafe.  They do not skimp on ingredients, they put mountains of fruits of your choice on your pillow of soft shaved milky ice...and of course topped with ice cream and condense milk.  This was extremely refreshing!  The fresh fruit tea and fresh fruit juices were also delish and worth trying. 

 

Juice Box

9889 Bellaire Blvd

Houston, TX 77036

(713) 484-8085

 

Last but not least...we had to pick up souvenirs for our parents!

Kings Bakery has great baked goods!  Their eggs tarts were very authentic with a buttery flaky crust and a soft egg pudding center...awesome!  Their breads were soft like pillows and very inexpensive.  At around $1 you can get a BBQ pork bun, quite affordable.  We purchased the pinapple bun, pinapple custard bun, and a sweet coconut custard bun.

Kings Bakery
9889 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77036

(713) 367-6616

 

Overall a fantastic trip! There is still more to come.....to be continued...