we have been extremely busy lately.
between running from good friend's
to good friend's to family members'
birthdays.
between trips to germany
and impossible ridiculous
work schedules (like, um, once
not leaving until after
4 in the morning).
between late nights spent
not at home and a ton of home
time spent in the kitchen baking
for said birthdays,
we've been busy.
busy is good.
but one of my favorite things
of the whole entire week
comes on saturday and sunday,
when i can enjoy a cup of coffee
in bed, watching the
food network
tlc
or reruns of 90210
until i am ready to face the day.
we did that this morning.
and it had been way too long.
like - the middle of june long.
after a trip to the farmer's
market, we decided not to mess
around, not to waste time
deciding what to do - following
a maybe somewhat indecisive
saturday that started with me
working, ended with us at a
great wine bar, but certainly
hosted a cranky, tired,
not wanting to go anywhere
me, in between -
and we settled on a picnic.
now.
i love to cook all of my own
stuff:
graham crackers and
marshmallows,
ravioli and pizza,
plus most other things
you throw my way.
but sometimes it is so
nice to make the decision
to just not cook. to go
to a market and read their
offerings and say,
i'll have number 8 -
clearly larry's sandwich -
and can we please have
a pint of those mini
stuffed peppers on the side?
it's a treat to take the small
wedge of cheese that you
splurged on at the farmer's
market and decide to turn
it into nothing and just enjoy
it piece by piece on the blanket
that used to be on your bed
when you were little.
and it's such a relief to just
grab a carton of lemonade,
(because doesn't that seem like
what you should drink on a picnic?)
instead of setting to work
squeezing your own lemons.
so that's what we did.
for two hours - maybe less,
because i was
reminded that i grow
rather bored in the sun,
even in the most beautiful of
weather and even with good
books around. plus,
my arms were hot.
but all of that,
made me feel refreshed
and ready to come home and
make dinner, something
i seem to have little interest
in lately.
i've been wanting
to remake a rice noodle salad
that i made months ago for jenn's
birthday (back when the camera
was out of commission), and
today i decided was the perfect
hot summer day.
after the park,
we went grocery shopping
and then i went to the fourth
store in a week,
in search of daikon for the
pickled carrots and daikon.
because, yes, i love rice noodle
salads now, but i think the
reason i was initially enamored
with the dish was because
of the
pickled carrots and daikon.
i'm a sucker for anything pickled,
but i think in this case,
when the cooking method has the
ability to excite me about an
ingredient that i'm typically
meh about (carrots), it's a winner.
i use a tinkered-with recipe from
my vietnamese standby.
you can slice the root vegetables
into 1/4-inch sticks, but i
love cutting them using this
that has never let me down.
it turns them into spaghetti-thin slivers
and when i combine
them later
with the rice noodles,
i can spin them around
on my fork in a tangle.
it's a good idea to make these
at least a couple hours ahead
to let the flavor really permeate
the vegetables. as soon as they
are marinating,
i make the universal
vietnamese mixture that can
serve as a
dressing or
dipping sauce,
nuoc cham,
because it tastes better
when the
fish sauce
lime juice
garlic
ginger
and other flavorings have
melded together.
thin rice noodles are like
angel hair, except i think,
more forgiving with their
flexibility. literally. plus, i usually prepare
them a while in advance, because
as long as they're played with
every now and again, they
keep very well in a strainer in
your sink.
and as for the cabbage - i don't
think it is a must. the greens
succeed in making the dish seem
more like a main meal, an entree salad,
not just noodles tossed with veggies
for an appetizer, but it's nice
without them, too.
to make a good rice noodle
salad, there are
a bunch of steps, for sure,
but most
can be done ahead
so that when it's time
to eat, all you have to do
is cook whatever you've
chosen to put on top
(i like, tofu, shrimp and squid)
and create.
shrimp are easy, just
peel, season and sear.
but i'm partial to the addition
of squid. i like that when
halved and scored,
they create a shape
unbeknownst to their
cousins,
the breaded and fried rings.
and i love that they're tender
and fresh, without
competing with the noodles
or pickled veggies.
if the veggies are pickled
(a day or a week ahead),
the dressing/dipping sauce
is whisked together
and the noodles have been
cooked (again a couple
hours ahead), the cabbage
chopped, washed and dried,
all you have to do is assemble.
and yes, i realize i just said this
above, but when i reread, i realized
how true it was and how important
this may turn out to be - once you
see the recipes below.
this makes it perfect for
a dinner party,
or just a really nice
on a day when you're tired
from staying out in the sun,
you haven't finished
that book you've been
reading for weeks and
really, you're still
not in the mood for
heavy duty, heat up
the kitchen cooking.
but, most importantly,
you're too busy trying to pretend
that you're still hanging out
on a blanket in the middle
of a lazy sunday to actually
make dinner.
that's what kind of meal this is.
vietnamese rice noodle salad
adapted from the little saigon cookbook
i've never really felt very good about my rice noodle making skills until i learned how ann le cooks them. instead of pouring hot water over them and letting the threads soak, she submerges them into boiling hot water for two minutes. they are perfect every time. as for the shallots and garlic - i usually do not agree with anything that involves a ton of oil, but these sweet, slightly crunchy rings justify the quick fry. the tangy, clean salad wouldn't be the same without them. oh, and speaking of crunch, i like to top this salad with chopped cashews, or as is customary, chopped peanuts. here, however, i completely forgot about them until a few hours later. i know this may seem like a lot of steps - but it's really not (i did it all after 5pm) and a lot can be done the day before.
pickled carrots and daikon
le pickles her vegetables with a chopped thai bird chile, which i only did the first time i made these. although i like spicy, it was almost too much for everyone. maybe i would try a jalapeno? i've also increased the proportions of all other ingredients and changed a few things around, like adding the garlic to the brine mixture. just so you know, whenever i pickle, i worry that i don't have enough liquid, but somehow, it always works out. use leftovers on sandwiches, as a garnish, with dumplings or just eat them strand by strand.
1 1/2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 medium carrots, peeled
3/4 - 1 pound daikon, peeled
in a saucepan, bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer 5 minutes. remove from heat and let cool at least 20 minutes.
meanwhile, use mandoline peeler, mandoline or sharp knife to cut the carrots and daikon into small pieces. place carrots and daikon in bowl or jar, mixing with your hand to combine. pour vinegar mixture over vegetables, stirring until wilted and submerged. let sit at room temperature several hours or until cool; cover and chill.
they can keep in the fridge for 3 weeks.
nuoc cham
for this all-purpose dipping sauce, i've combined my favorite aspects from two of le's recipes (one for nuoc cham and the other for nuoc cham gung, or with ginger). this sauce may seem unfamiliar as you're putting it together, but i have a feeling that once you see the finished result, you'll recognize the mixture.
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons, peeled and finely chopped ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
couple drops sriracha, or your favorite hot sauce
in small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. let stand at room temperature for several hours. serve, or cover and chill.
fried shallots and garlic
it rarely happens, but by the time i got to this part of the dish, i ran out of garlic. so, i only used shallots. it's up to you whether you would rather use one or the other, or a combination of the two. i use the smallest skillet i have (i think it's 6-inches), coat the bottom of it with oil and go from there.
olive oil
2 small shallots, peeled thinly sliced
and/or
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
coat bottom of the smallest skillet you have with olive oil. warm over medium heat until hot and shimmering. add one piece to test - it should bubble. add remaining shallots or garlic in batches, trying not to overcrowd the pan. when rounds become golden brown and fragrant, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined-plate to drain. (i find it's a good idea to take them out of the oil just before they're the color you would like them to be - this way, when they darken more, they won't burn.)
rice noodle salad with broiled squid
1/2 pound tubes of cleaned squid
1 package thin rice noodles
1 head napa cabbage (about 2 pounds)
12 large basil leaves
3 scallions, thinly sliced
nuoc cham
pickled carrots and daikon
fried garlic and shallots
1/4 cup chooped cashews or peanuts
using paper towels, dry squid completely. following the seam, use a sharp knife to open the squid into a flat triangular shape; dry inside of squid completely. using sharp knife, score a crosshatch pattern into the squid, making sure not to cut all the way through. (this can be done a couple hours a head of time - place in single layer on baking sheet and store in the fridge).
in large saucepot, bring water to a rolling boil; turn off the pot and add the noodles. let sit 2 minutes, swishing occasionally, or until tender. drain and immediately rinse with cold water, using your fingers to separate.
when ready to eat:
peel outer layers from cabbage; slice cabbage. wash to release grit; dry completely. tear 10 basil leaves and add to cabbage with 2/3 sliced scallions. add 3 tablespoons nuoc cham, tossing to coat and adding more dressing if necessary.
divide cabbage among plates; top with rice noodles, pickled vegetables and fried shallots and garlic. tear remaining basil leaves and add to plate. (you could also add sliced cucumber, bean sprouts and other herbs at this point.)
season the squid with kosher salt. i broiled them: heat broiler. place scored side-up on greased baking sheet; brush with olive oil. broil 2 minutes, flip. brush with olive oil, sprinkle with remaining scallion and kosher salt. broil 1 minute more, or until tender, making sure not to overcook. you could also grill the squid (1 minute on each side) or saute it quickly. place squid on top of salad.
top with chopped cashews or peanuts.
serve with remaining dipping sauce on the side.
2 comments:
Dork Whore is an awesome book. I can't believe how Brooke slogs through those historical biographies one after another.
funny, funny man. and, condescending, too?
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