Myers+Chang Inaugural Cooking Class

I am now an Iron Chef of Asian cuisine, a chef extraordinaire! Ok, maybe I am just a Master Chef. Well, the reality is that I am still very mediocre, but at least I now have some additional knowledge which has enhanced my culinary skills.

Myers + Chang, which was my Favorite Asian Restaurant of 2009 as well as my Favorite Brunch, Non-Traditional Fare, held their inaugural cooking class this past Saturday morning. Twelve of us sat at the counter before the stoves and watched Chef Matthew Barros lead the class, demonstrating how to create scallions pancakes, papapya slaw and Mama Chang's pork & chive dumplings.

When the class was originally announced via their email newsletter, I was quick to respond with my interest. I wanted to know more about how they created their dumplings, and the scallion pancakes and slaw were an added bonus. I was not disappointed.

Prior to the class starting, we got to enjoy some treats from Flour Bakery, which certainly was a tasty way to begin. The blueberry muffin top was excellent, with plenty of blueberries, and it was not overly sweet. Christopher Myers then spoke briefly, introducing the class and providing the three objectives for the class: 1) To feed us; 2) For us to have fun; and 3) For us to learn how to prepare the three recipes at home. In the end, the class was a success on all three fronts.

Chef Matthew Barros then took over, first describing his culinary background. Though he claimed to be nervous, and probably was a bit, it was not evident in his manner. He did very well, explaining everything with a bit of humor and humility. We were free to ask any question, and Matt answered them all as well as possible. His down to earth manner, and lack of pretension, made him a very good instructor.

Matt first demonstrated to us how to make scallion pancakes, and you can see him above spreading the scallion mix atop the dough. Scallion pancakes are a traditional Chinese street food, and usually are made with non-leavened bread. But Myers + Chang uses a foccaccia bread, a yeast dough that gives the pancake a light, fluffy texture. At home, you could use a pizza dough, though Flour Bakery does sell their foccacia dough. The scallions are sliced thin, using just the greens, and then minced. We learned plenty of tips to ensure the pancakes came out correctly, and then we got to taste the finished product.

Now, I am very picky about my scallion pancakes, primarily because I prefer smaller pieces of scallions and many places use large pieces in their pancakes. This scallion pancake was excellent, with its finely minced scallions. Plus, the pancake itself was light, crisp and flaky. I will definitely order these again on my next trip to Myers+Chang.

Next up, we learned how to prepare papaya slaw. This dish uses an unripe papaya, which is not always easy to find. An unripe papaya is like tofu, basically flavorless and it takes on the flavor of whatever else is mixed with it. Plus, it has a firm texture and a longer shelf life than a ripe papaya. The finished slaw is hot and spicy, with citrus notes and crunchiness from the roasted peanuts. Another delightful treat.

We then moved onto the centerpiece of the cooking class, Mama Chang's pork & chive dumplings. Matt prepared the pork mixture, which uses 70% lean pork, Napa cabbage, garlic chives, ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce. It was then our chance to get interactive, to make our own dumplings. We each received three dumpling skins, and scoops of the pork mixture, and we were supposed to press the dumplings together. Easier said than done.

Joanne Chang showed us her technique for crimping, though she later noted that some of her staff do it differently. There is really no single way to properly crimp dumplings. And as Andrea Nguyen notes in her new book, Asian Dumplings, "Asian dumplings don't have to look pretty to taste fabulous." (p.3) That is very appropriate for my own efforts in that regard.

Above, are the results of my own crimping, and as you can see, I need much more practice. Too many gaps, and they don't look as good as the ones you usually see at restaurants. But it was fun to try, one of the highlights of the cooking class. I just need more practice, like most any skill. I am sure they would have tasted fine anyways.

My wife did a far better job of making dumplings, and they definitely look as good as you see in any restaurant. And she does not have any prior experience at making dumplings.

The cooking class lasted for about ninety minutes, and time flew by. It was then was time for Dim Sum brunch. We got our choice of the dim sum menu, and there are plenty of great choices there, including some new items such as their fried egg and bacon banh mi sandwich. That was quite a large and tasty sandwich. The twelve of us gorged ourselves on a wide variety of items, and no one left that table hungry. Everyone was very happy with all they ate.

After our brunch, and as an unexpected treat, Chef Barros took us over to Ming's Supermarket, which is across the street, for a brief tour, especially to show us the items he used in making the three recipes we learned. I had never been to Ming's before, and was impressed at its size and diversity of available items. It was quite busy, though understandable considering it was the day before Chinese New Year. I picked up a few things, including black Chiangking vinegar and sesame oil.

As for the original objectives for this class: 1) We definitely ate plenty of delicious food; 2) We had lots of fun; and 3) I think I learned enough to make the recipes at home, and will try to do so in the near future. So overall, the class was quite a success.

Chef Barros hopes to run about two cooking classes a month, changing the theme monthly. For his next class, he might run a sustainable seafood class. These classes will be limited to 12 people and you should sign up for the Myers+Chang newsletter to get notified about upcoming classes. They do sell out quickly so if you want to go, you better reply as soon as you learn about the class.

The class costs $50 per person, which includes the cooking demonstration plus a full dim sum brunch. I think this is a very fair price for all that you get and I certainly would recommend the classes to everyone. I know I will be signing up for more classes in the future.

Great work Chef Barros!

Rant: Ignorant Travelers

Near the end of March, I will be traveling for several days to Paso Robles, California. So I have been spending some time researching the region.

Whenever I go on a trip, I do plenty of research beforehand, especially seeking food and wine spots, from restaurants to markets, from wine stores to wineries. I want to know about some of the best and most interesting places before I get there. I want to know which places are closest to my hotel, those places I can easily walk to and those places I might need to drive to, or take a taxi.

Sure, I do like to wander around a new place, to stumble upon a place of interest by surprise. But, I don't want to rely only on surprise. For that can be a mixed bag, sometimes finding a good place, and other times being very disappointed. I want to minimize my potential disappointments, so I do my research first.

I might visit an area only once and never return, or not until years later. Thus, I want to experience the best of that area that I can, and that is unlikely to happen without research. I strongly doubt I could get lucky and just stumble upon all such places. A prepared traveler is more likely to have a better and more thorough time, getting to sample the cream of a city.

There are some places you might never stumble upon, because they are hidden away, in more remote areas. They might be well off the established tourist routes, or simply difficult to find as they are but one of dozens of similar places in the same region. For example, I would never have stumbled upon Raku, a superb Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas, as it was but one Asian restaurant out of at least 50 others in the same neighborhood. I needed advance information.

With the Internet, such research is quite easy. There are plenty of websites that will provide reams of information about your destination. All it takes is a little time and you will have almost anything you need. Yes, you will have to weed through some useless information, but the search is worthwhile. It has definitely made my prior journeys so much better.

So why do some people remain ignorant travelers? Why do they fail to do the proper research before traveling? Why take such a huge risk, especially when you may only get a single opportunity to explore a new region?

When you travel, do you do research first, or just wing it?

Saké Dictionary & iPhone App

There just are not enough Saké books available in English. I wish much more were published as the realm of Saké is so expansive yet so little is made known to the general public. Whenever a new book is published, I buy it, hoping for the best, hoping to learn something new.

One of the last Saké books I reviewed was Saké's Hidden Stories: The Personalities, Philosophies, and Tricks-of-the-Trade Behind the Brew by John Gauntner. He is a famed Saké authority and educator who is referred to by the Japanese media as the Saké Dendoushi ("Saké Evangelist"), for his intense devotion to the promotion of Saké. This was a fascinating and informative book, an excellent addition to anyone's library. It told the compelling stories behind numerous Saké breweries, and I highly recommend it.

John has now released a Saké Dictionary, which is available in two formats. First, it is available as a PDF document for $8.99, a concise list of about 200 Saké-related terms. If you come upon an unfamiliar term, you can consult the A to Z dictionary, and find an easily understandable definition. The terms include sake grades, rice varieties, seasonal sake terms, special varieties, rare types, brewing terms and more. It is easy to use, and fairly comprehensive. I even learned a few new terms from the dictionary.

Now you could print out the dictionary and take it with you for assistance when buying Saké, but there is an easier way than carrying around all those papers. The Dictionary has also been released as an iTunes App for $6.99. The App is very similar to the PDF dictionary, though it actually seems to have a few additional terms. It is easy to use and all you have to do is move down to the term you want defined.

How is this useful? For one example, consider that you are shopping for a bottle of Saké and see unfamiliar terms on the label. You can use the App to determine what those words mean, to get a better idea of what is in the bottle. You can then make a better informed decision on whether to buy it or not. An educated consumer is a much better consumer. It is very doubtful that you will find a term on a label, that is not listed in the Dictionary App, unless it is written in kanji.

You can also search the dictionary with English words, and will find all of the terms that use the search word. For example, if you searched for the word "Sweet" you would find seven different terms, from Amakuchi to Yon-dan, related to "sweet."

Though this App is useful, I think it could be improved and made even more useful. Hopefully future editions of the App will have additional content, making it even better.

First, I would like to see a section where the terms are divided into separate categories for ease of reference. For example, maybe you just want to read the different types of Saké rice. Currently, searching for just "rice" gives you more terms than just the different types of rice. And searching for "rice types" gives you no results. Second, some graphics might be nice too, like the "pyramid" often used to show the various grades of Saké or a chart of the brewing process. Lastly, the App could easily add some basic information about Saké, a brief primer.

While considering the potential of Saké Apps, I think it would also be very useful to have an App that provides more extensive information on food pairings with Saké. It is very food friendly, but too many people don't realize its potential, thinking it only pairs well with Japanese cuisine. Though there are other Apps for food pairing with wine, they generally ignore Saké, or provide extremely limited, and often poor, information.

Mizore-zake: Sleety Saké

During this winter season, it may rain, snow or even sleet. When those hard pellets of sleet fall, it may bring to mind Mizore-zake, "sleety Saké," which may also be know as Arare-zake, or "hail wine."

There seems to be a couple different origin stories for this drink, as well as differences in how it was made. Plus, there is a modern version which is very different from the other two.

In the first case, mizore-zake was created by a medical doctor from the Nara Prefecture. At some point between the late 14th and 16th centuries, brewers in Nara produced Nanto-morohaku, which became a Saké of high repute. This Saké was made with a new brewing process, a change from the usual nidan-jikomi ("double brewing") to sandan-jikomi ("triple brewing.") Plus, they used poished white rice rather than the traditional brown rice. So, this became known as Morohaku ("all white.")." The doctor decided to crumble rice crackers atop his morohaku Saké, so that it looked like sleet.

In the second case, the mizore-zake was supposedly created around 1596 A.D., though it too derived inspiration from Nara, from a famous pond called Sarusawa. Rice cakes were cut and then diluted with shochu until they eventually resembled hail pellets. They were then added to mirin, sweet rice wine, to age.

Nowadays, there is a version of mizore-zake which is a frozen Saké, like a sherbet.

The Boston Shaker: A Bitters Choice

A night out drinking can get very expensive. At many martini bars and similar cocktail lounges, you will usually have to pay $10-$15 for a drink. Have just few drinks over the course of the night, and your final bill, including tip, will easily reach $50 or more. You can do this every week, incurring significant costs, or you might try a cost-cutting measure, making your own cocktails at home.

That might seem a scary prospect, and you may worry that you could not replicate your favorite drinks at home. But, there is an excellent new resource which can not only sell you the equipment and ingredients you need, but can also provide instruction to you in the art of mixology. In the end, you'll save money, learn a new skill, impress your friends, and have lots of fun.

This new resource is the Boston Shaker, which only opened a week ago, on February 5, near Davis Square in Somerville. Originally, in 2008, the store occupied a small space in Grand, a furniture, apparel and gift shop in Union Square. But, the Boston Shaker soon outgrew the space and decided to open their own place. The new, 450-square-foot store sells a variety of cocktail tools, equipment, books and ingredients. This includes items such as shakers, strainers, muddlers, jiggers, artisanal bitters, vintage syrups, glassware, and much more.

The store is owned and operated by Adam Lantheaume, a Boston-based cocktail authority (pictured above). Adam used to work for a Cambridge-based technology company but developed a love and desire for cocktails. Adam found it difficult to acquire the tools and ingredients he needed to make cocktails at home. To fill that void, Adam decided to start a where someone could find those items. So cocktail lovers now have a local resource.

“To craft a quality cocktail it helps to start with the right tools and ingredients,” said Adam. “Unfortunately, many of these essential items are surprisingly hard to find, especially all in one place, making it difficult - and a little intimidating – to get started. I founded The Boston Shaker to solve that problem and offer cocktail enthusiasts of all levels access to the tools they need in a comfortable, approachable environment.”

I stopped by the store recently and spent some time chatting with Adam, very impressed with his obvious passion for the world of cocktails. His passion is evident throughout the store, his desire to present the best items and knowledge to his customers. Plus, I saw his interactions with some of his customers, and he treated each one courteously, being helpful without being pushy.

I asked Adam to provide me with the top three items his customers should know about cocktails. First, he stated people should not feel intimidated by cocktails. Though the new terminology and equipment may seem difficult at first, it is all fairly straight forward and easily learned by almost everyone. Second, people should not forget to enjoy cocktail making. They should have as much fun making cocktails as drinking them. Finally, people should experiment with cocktails, trying new things all the time. Though there are some basic rules, there is room for plenty of flexibility as well.

Though small, you'll find much within the store. Visible in the front window are numerous drink glasses, from martini glasses to those small glasses for liquers or even dessert wines. In the near future, Adam will bring in additional glassware, including Tiki mugs and scorpion bowls. You'll be able to order up some take-out Chinese food and then make your own Mai Tais at home.

In the back right hand corner of the store is the book section, with a significant number of titles all about cocktails and spirits. There are plenty of new titles, as well as reproductions of much older books. I was fascinated with the selection, and it includes plenty of how-to books which can educate the novice cocktail maker as well as books for more advanced practictioners. Additional books will be added in the near future and I know I will be returning here to buy some of the titles.

On the right wall, there is a diverse selection of cocktail tools, from shakers to jiggers, to stirrers and strainers. A number of the items are hand-made, and more hand-made items will be added in the future. It is rare to see so many cocktail tools in one place. For the would-be cocktail maker, you should find almost anything you need here. And if you don't know how to use something, or you need advice as to which specific items you need, just ask Adam.

On the left wall, there is more equipment, including machines to make your own soda. Plus, there is a wide variety of bitters, an ingredient used in many cocktails. The bitters come in numerous flavors, such as orange, celery and grapefruit, and many are difficult to find elsewhere. Restaurants often use bitters but many people don't have bitters at home, so it becomes difficult to emulate restaurant cocktails at home. Now you have a place to purchase these bitters, making home cocktail making more productive.

Besides bitters, they also sell artisan syrups, shrubs, tonic water, maraschino cherries and more. Again, many of these items are difficult to find, and now home cocktail makers will be more versatile, and can create a greater number of cocktails. You'll be the envy of your neighbors, capable of producing some amazing drinks. In the future, Adam will carry even more such items, trying to make it a one-stop locale for cocktail making.

In the back left hand corner of the store, Adam will be conducting a variety of educational classes, in-store tastings, and book signings. He hopes to run about two events each month, and will also have other experts come to the store and run other classes. This would be a great opportunity to learn more about making cocktails, as well as learning all the possibilities of the intriguing ingredients sold in the store.

Overall, it is a small, well laid out store with an excellent selection of cocktail equipment, tools and ingredients. You can find many items here that are otherwise difficult to locate. With their books and educational classes, anyone can learn how to make delicious cocktails at home. Adam, a truly passionate individual, is also extremely helpful and will help ease your fears about making cocktails.

I will certainly make the Boston Shaker a regular stop, and I strongly recommend it to my readers as well.

The Boston Shaker
69 Holland Street
Somerville, MA
Phone (617) 718-2999
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.