My regular readers will know that I am a big fan of L'Andana restaurant. If you don't know, check out my last post on L'Andana. If you have not eaten there yet, you definitely should go. It is one of the best new restaurants.
I have some good news to announce concerning L'Andana. On January 28, they will open their doors to serve lunch, Monday through Friday, from 11:30am-2:30pm. They did not have a menu available yet but mentioned that the menu will include items such as salads, pasta dishes and sandwiches. I am looking forward to their lunch and will likely try it out next week.
In addition, L'Andana will soon start serving Sunday brunch. Brunch will start on February 10, from 11:30am-4pm.
Can't wait to try out lunch and brunch!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sake & Food
Umami
It was once thought that we could only taste four flavors: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Umami is a fifth flavor and the term translates roughly as "delicious" or "yummy." It is now considered a legitimate flavor with a scientific basis. It appears that glutamic acid is the key component in food rich in umami such as parmesan cheese, ripe tomatoes, soy sauce and scallops. Saké can also possess umami in varying degrees.
Saké & Food Pairing
What are the appropriate foods to pair with Saké? The Japanese have an apt saying, Nihonshu wa ryori wo erabanai. This basically translates as "Sake does not get into fights with food." This is an indication that they feel Saké pairs well with many different foods, and generally won't overpower anything. With all the different types of Saké, there really is Saké that is appropriate for nearly any type of food.
There are some standard foods that are considered most appropriate for Saké and they are collectively referred to as "sakana." This usually includes slices if raw fish, grilled meats, vegetables (often pickled), edamame and tofu. Almost all Saké really goes well with seafood.
Here are a few general guidelines for Saké and food pairings. Junmai Saké are sometimes considered to be the “red wines” of Saké and thus can pair with stronger foods, including beef, fried foods and rich sauces. Ginjo and Daiginjo Saké are lighter, more subtle, and thus need to be paired with milder foods. Nigori Saké and aged Saké pair well with desserts. As Saké acidity varies, you should pair higher acidic Saké with oilier foods. Lower acidic Saké pairs better with rich or salty foods.
What foods shouldn't you eat with Saké? The primary guideline is that you should not drink Saké with rice dishes, including nigiri sushi and maki rolls. Since Saké is also made of rice, it is thought that pairing rice with rice does not work well. I don't usually follow this guideline though, often drinking Saké at Japanese restaurants with my sushi. I have not really found it to be a problem. But some will look askance at the practice.
Cooking With Saké
Like any wine, Saké can be used in cooking. In most recipes that call for the addition of wine, you could probably substitute Saké instead. There are many benefits to cooking with Saké. It is said that cooking with Saké adds flavor, helps other ingredients absorb other flavors, reduces the strength of some strong odors, reduces the impact of salt and can help tenderize meat.
I have two favorite receipes involving Saké.
First, there is my Garlic Teriyaki recipe. You can make this ahead of time and store it in your refrigerator for when you need it. It is very versatile and can be used on fish, poultry, meat and more.
Second, there is the Saké Miso Glaze. This too is a versatile glaze, though it is more commonly used for fish.
Ingredients
1 cup light miso (shiro-miso)
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup Saké
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1/2 canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
Combine the miso, mirin, Saké, ginger, oil and sugar in a large bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth and well mixed. Coat your fish, poultry or meat with the mixture. Cover the coated item with Saran wrap and marinate overnight in your refrigerator. The next day, saute or broil your Miso glazed fish, poultry or meat.
It was once thought that we could only taste four flavors: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Umami is a fifth flavor and the term translates roughly as "delicious" or "yummy." It is now considered a legitimate flavor with a scientific basis. It appears that glutamic acid is the key component in food rich in umami such as parmesan cheese, ripe tomatoes, soy sauce and scallops. Saké can also possess umami in varying degrees.
Saké & Food Pairing
What are the appropriate foods to pair with Saké? The Japanese have an apt saying, Nihonshu wa ryori wo erabanai. This basically translates as "Sake does not get into fights with food." This is an indication that they feel Saké pairs well with many different foods, and generally won't overpower anything. With all the different types of Saké, there really is Saké that is appropriate for nearly any type of food.
There are some standard foods that are considered most appropriate for Saké and they are collectively referred to as "sakana." This usually includes slices if raw fish, grilled meats, vegetables (often pickled), edamame and tofu. Almost all Saké really goes well with seafood.
Here are a few general guidelines for Saké and food pairings. Junmai Saké are sometimes considered to be the “red wines” of Saké and thus can pair with stronger foods, including beef, fried foods and rich sauces. Ginjo and Daiginjo Saké are lighter, more subtle, and thus need to be paired with milder foods. Nigori Saké and aged Saké pair well with desserts. As Saké acidity varies, you should pair higher acidic Saké with oilier foods. Lower acidic Saké pairs better with rich or salty foods.
What foods shouldn't you eat with Saké? The primary guideline is that you should not drink Saké with rice dishes, including nigiri sushi and maki rolls. Since Saké is also made of rice, it is thought that pairing rice with rice does not work well. I don't usually follow this guideline though, often drinking Saké at Japanese restaurants with my sushi. I have not really found it to be a problem. But some will look askance at the practice.
Cooking With Saké
Like any wine, Saké can be used in cooking. In most recipes that call for the addition of wine, you could probably substitute Saké instead. There are many benefits to cooking with Saké. It is said that cooking with Saké adds flavor, helps other ingredients absorb other flavors, reduces the strength of some strong odors, reduces the impact of salt and can help tenderize meat.
I have two favorite receipes involving Saké.
First, there is my Garlic Teriyaki recipe. You can make this ahead of time and store it in your refrigerator for when you need it. It is very versatile and can be used on fish, poultry, meat and more.
Second, there is the Saké Miso Glaze. This too is a versatile glaze, though it is more commonly used for fish.
Ingredients
1 cup light miso (shiro-miso)
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup Saké
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1/2 canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
Combine the miso, mirin, Saké, ginger, oil and sugar in a large bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth and well mixed. Coat your fish, poultry or meat with the mixture. Cover the coated item with Saran wrap and marinate overnight in your refrigerator. The next day, saute or broil your Miso glazed fish, poultry or meat.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
WBW #42: Just Seven Words
The theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday #42 has now been announced. Spittoon is hosting this month and has chosen an intriguing theme. You must review an Italian wine, of any time but hopefully something new and unique, but use only Seven Words.
Additional rules: "The finished tasting note must make sense, be grammatically correct(ish), punctuation will help of course. The wine name, type, producer, vintage do not have to be included in the 7. But a reference to aroma, flavour, length, food matching etc. should be considered. Inventiveness is the key."
You just post your review on Wednesday, February 13 and email him with a link to your review. If you don't have a blog, email her your tasting notes and she will be happy to publish them on her site and include it in the Round-Up.
This will certainly be a challenging theme but one I look forward to participating in. Won't you try it as well?
Additional rules: "The finished tasting note must make sense, be grammatically correct(ish), punctuation will help of course. The wine name, type, producer, vintage do not have to be included in the 7. But a reference to aroma, flavour, length, food matching etc. should be considered. Inventiveness is the key."
You just post your review on Wednesday, February 13 and email him with a link to your review. If you don't have a blog, email her your tasting notes and she will be happy to publish them on her site and include it in the Round-Up.
This will certainly be a challenging theme but one I look forward to participating in. Won't you try it as well?
Stoneham Sun: Summer Winter
My next column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the January 23 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is my weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants as well as other interesting food and wine topics.
The new column was published today and is currently available online. The new column is a restaurant review of Summer Winter, a new restaurant in Burlington. This new place is a collaboration between Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, the chefs/owners of the renowned, high-end Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. Summer Winter though is a more casual restaurant.
If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here. Next week, I will present another restaurant review.
Dine with passion!
The new column was published today and is currently available online. The new column is a restaurant review of Summer Winter, a new restaurant in Burlington. This new place is a collaboration between Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, the chefs/owners of the renowned, high-end Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. Summer Winter though is a more casual restaurant.
If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here. Next week, I will present another restaurant review.
Dine with passion!
Saké-Nog: Cure for a Cold?
Seems like so many people I talk to right now have a cold or the flu. Winter time, and time for various illnesses. I have been lucky so far, having avoided being sick. I certainly hope that I can avoid being sick all winter.
If I did catch a cold, there are lots of medications I could take to try to stave off the worst part of it. Or I could try some more natural solutions. What do you use to stave off your colds? And have you ever considered Saké as a cold remedy?
In Japan, tamagozake is a traditional home remedy for the cold. Tamagozake, which translates as "egg Saké," is a drink made from Saké, sugar and raw eggs. Outside of Japan, this may also be called Saké-Nog because of its resemblance to egg nog. Tamagozake is given to both adults and children.
There are a number of different recipes to make tamagozake though they generally share the basics. Traditionally, tamagozake should also be eaten using chopsticks. It is supposed to be eaten when you first feel a cold coming on. Are you willing to give it a try?
Here are a couple recipes for tamagozake.
Recipe #1: (This is a very simple recipe)
Ingredients---
1 egg
2 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup Saké
Mix the egg and sugar in a small bowl. Heat the Saké in a microwave until warm. Then add the warm Saké to the egg/sugar mixture and mix well. Makes one serving.
Recipe #2: (This is just a different preparation)
Ingredients---
1 egg
2 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup Saké
In a saucepan, heat the Saké and let it cook for a bit to evaporate the alcohol. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes to let it cool. Add beaten egg to Saké little by little, stirring constantly. Then add the sugar and place back on a very low heat, stirring constantly until thick and creamy. Makes one serving.
Recipe #3: (A slight variation)
Ingredients---
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of honey
3/4 cup Saké
In a small saucepan, heat the Saké over medium until hot but not boiling. In a small bowl, mix a beaten egg and honey until completely combined. Add the Saké to the egg/honey mixture and mix well. Makes one serving.
If I did catch a cold, there are lots of medications I could take to try to stave off the worst part of it. Or I could try some more natural solutions. What do you use to stave off your colds? And have you ever considered Saké as a cold remedy?
In Japan, tamagozake is a traditional home remedy for the cold. Tamagozake, which translates as "egg Saké," is a drink made from Saké, sugar and raw eggs. Outside of Japan, this may also be called Saké-Nog because of its resemblance to egg nog. Tamagozake is given to both adults and children.
There are a number of different recipes to make tamagozake though they generally share the basics. Traditionally, tamagozake should also be eaten using chopsticks. It is supposed to be eaten when you first feel a cold coming on. Are you willing to give it a try?
Here are a couple recipes for tamagozake.
Recipe #1: (This is a very simple recipe)
Ingredients---
1 egg
2 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup Saké
Mix the egg and sugar in a small bowl. Heat the Saké in a microwave until warm. Then add the warm Saké to the egg/sugar mixture and mix well. Makes one serving.
Recipe #2: (This is just a different preparation)
Ingredients---
1 egg
2 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup Saké
In a saucepan, heat the Saké and let it cook for a bit to evaporate the alcohol. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes to let it cool. Add beaten egg to Saké little by little, stirring constantly. Then add the sugar and place back on a very low heat, stirring constantly until thick and creamy. Makes one serving.
Recipe #3: (A slight variation)
Ingredients---
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of honey
3/4 cup Saké
In a small saucepan, heat the Saké over medium until hot but not boiling. In a small bowl, mix a beaten egg and honey until completely combined. Add the Saké to the egg/honey mixture and mix well. Makes one serving.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)