Umami!

Whenever I think of the term umami, I immediately think of the unagi Friends episode. I don't know why! I don't even like eel!

So when I heard all this hoopla about Umami Burger in LA, I was kinda ehh. Fish + burger = yum? I like my In-N-Out just fine, thanks. It can't be beat! But as much as I love an In-N-Out burger, I have mixed feelings on the fries. It could be because they're all natural in veggie oil, and not surreptiously coated with beef flavor like the super tasty McDonald's fries. Fries are totally a burger's best friend, and In-N-Out deserves a better friend.

The tipping point that got me over to Umami Burger was when Maryn told me about their cheesy tater tots. And then she showed me a picture of their crispy golden deliciousness! That was it. I had to go...if only for the cheesy tater tots.

And it was so totally worth it! So crispy! So cheesy! It was seriously the most amazing burger side I've ever had. I'm really happy we shared this one...because I could've easily eaten 2 bowls of these!

This is the Manly Burger with smoky grilled onions and cheese! But I have to admit, the original Umami Burger was pretty hard to beat. That little Parmesan frico and homemade ketchup (!!) was beyond delicious. And the best part is that they make them small but chubby, so you feel like you're having a small burger. Which means you can have more cheesy tater tots.

For dessert, we had the salted caramel ice cream sandwich from Milk. OMG. I was expected just a little ice cream sandwich...not a macaron ice cream sandwich!! So much better! The macaron was light and chewy and the perfect cookie for an ice cream sandwich. I definitely had one of those "why didn't I think of this??" moments.

More Umami!

Naan

My first taste of Indian was several year ago at an Indian lunch buffet. And I mostly remember my fascination with the little triangular samosas and how at some point, I had an entire plate full of them and a few naan. My second round of Indian food came a few years later, and then a third, and fourth...and so many that I can't keep track. And I'm sure you know what happened next. No less than 3 Indian cookbooks have been added to the bookshelf, and little jars of cardamom and cumin seeds have been added to the spice drawer.

Yet despite all this guidance, I have consistently only produced mediorce Indian food. It's been a little crushing to my culinary ego. But that only means that I've been making the same things again, and again...and again. Luckily, my taste tester is polite enough to not complain about the Groundhog Day of Indian food around here. But finally, after 5 or so tries at naan, I think I got this one right!

Interesting enough, this is the only recipe I tried that was not a yeasted dough! Even the naan at the stores have yeast. (Yes, I checked!) This dough is hydrated with a generous dose Greek yogurt, which I think is what makes it so soft. The leavening is from baking soda and baking powder. The charred spots are from finishing right on the grates on the stove!

Finally! Success! So now the score is - Clarice: 1, Indian food: 10

I sense a comeback

SFMM

I'm not sure when it happened, but the weather has been perfectly awesome here. The days are long and warm and the sun is out when I leave for work and when I get home. This part of the year always makes me feel like the days really are longer, and I have more time. Which means more post-work walks to the store, rather than driving, which helps my tan and exercise routine!

The first decidely warm weekend we had was last weekend, and that also happened to be the weekend we all decided to haul up to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. I've actually never been there before...which isn't uncommon for someone who has a slight (slightly more than slight) fear of  fast-moving roller coasters. It's not that I can't go on them...I'm just the most annoying person to either wait in line with and to sit next to on the ride because I can't/won't shut up about how scared I am, and how high it is, and did you see that kid that just got off that looks like a wreck??? But finishing your MBA makes you do crazy things, and the next thing I knew, I was in line for Viper.

And then Jet Stream, Riddler, Superman and Tatsu.

I have to admit it was pretty amazing and fun! Especially Tatsu...even after a 2.5 hour wait! I was pretty shaken up after Viper, but I realized that closing my eyes immediately helped a lot. And the screaming. The first thing that really gets you when you enter the park is the how loud the roller coasters are as they zoom by you...and how tall they are...and loopy!! But I guess that's what makes them fun. It was just too bad that all the credit card machines broke, Superman broke and they ran out of turkey legs! But thank goodness there was funnel cake!

I honestly didn't think I was capable of such bravery!

Stuffed Pizza

My favorite part about pizza is the crust, specifically the crust baked with tomato sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. When I was little, my mom and I would go to this pizza place at Maui Mall, and I would proceed to rip off all the toppings and pile them on the side of my plate. After that place closed, Pizza Hut was my go-to pizza place. I know, I know...Pizza Hut? A little Hawaiian island isn't exactly bursting at the seams with pizza eateries. My mom didn't have her first slice of pizza until her 20's! I can't even imagine.

The thing I really like about Pizza Hut was the richness (read oil-laden) crust. I loved how it was crispy on the outside like a french fry, but soft on the inside. So you would think that it would be totally natural for someone with a pizza crust infatuation to gravitate towards Chicago pizza. I thought so, too! Until I triedone. In Chicago! I was at Uno's a notable pizza place in the city, and I found that Chicago pizza is really nothing like pizza at all. Sliced cheese? Provolone cheese? Sauce on top? I realize this may be pizza blasphemy, but it really wasn't for me.

I had pretty much sworn off all sort of Chicago style pizza until last weekend, when I was poking around the King Arthur website and I saw this recipe for Stuffed Pizza. I was quite dubious, but when I read that this pizza was in fact lidded...and then topped with sauce, I was completely sold. And even better, there was a plethora of commentors saying how it was not "authentic Chicago style pizza". Perfect!

The best part about the pizza was the assembly.

I know it seems like a lot...but this is supposed to make a 3 lb pizza!

Chicken sausage and onions

Spinach and tomatoes. At this point, I realized I forgot to put the cheese, which was supposed to be the second layer. Whoops!

Half pound of sliced mushrooms

Lidded and sauced! It somehow turned out to be 4 lbs!

It was so gooey and delicious! The crust was super tasty from the olive oil and semolina flour.

Only 2 lbs left to go!

It also is lovely as a cold pizza lunch!

Fun Fridge

Refrigeration has never looked so...green. And goopy. And so mesmerizing.

And the best part? It uses absolutely no electricity! The green goo suspends the food in its own little cubby and somehow keeps the food cool. Check it out here.



It's just a concept, but I'm pretty sure Judy Jetson would have one of these.

Garam Masala

I think of garam masala the same I do of teriyaki sauce. Everyone has their own way of making it. I like a splash of sake in my teriyaki sauce, but some people go with just sugar shoyu, or even add mirin. So when my little jar of my own mix of garam masala ran out, I was very anxious to try a new recipe.

I'm relatively new to the Indian cooking scene, so I have yet to settle on a garam masala that I really like. You could also buy ready made garam masala at the store, but that's like buying bottled teriyaki sauce. I could never.  The last time I mixed my garam masala, I took a shortcut and used pre-ground spices, but this time, I decided to use this recipe, and grind them myself.

The fact that I don't own a spice grinder did not deter me. Although, it should have.

I first had to get the little seeds out of the cardamom pods. I tablespoon worth.

How many cardamom pods = 1 tablespoon? Unknown. I stopped counting after 20. The jar was full before I got started.

Grinding spices my hand is pretty tough. Especially when you're using a mini mortar and pestle. But I guess it was a good workout.

The cumin was slightly easier. But it might have been the fact that I was already warmed up from the 10 minutes of cardamom smashing.

Luckily, I have no qualms with using ground cinnamon, and a few other spices later, I had my new jar of garam masala.

I know. It's like 2 tablespoons. Sigh. But it's just in time for tomorrow's Indian food experiment: biryani. Or bi-ri-yaaaaaa-niiiiii as I call it. Potato, potatoe. Yum! (I hope!)

Challah

Whether or not you're from Hawaii, you're probably very familiar with King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread. Perfect for snacking, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and my personal favorite, french toast. The name "Hawaiian sweet bread" is a bit of a misnomer because the bread is actually Portugese in origin. Pao Doce is the original sweet bread and is made at a few bakeries, but my favorite is from Leonard's on Oahu. It's pillowy soft and rich and slightly sweet.

I've searched around for recipes for sweet bread, but haven't found one compelling enough to try. And I couldn't think of anyone who makes sweet bread who I could ask for the recipe. I mean, there was my 4th grade teacher Mrs. Lung, but I think it was her grandma that did the baking. So when I saw this recipe for challah, a Jewish egg bread, it looked close enough. Eggs, sugar and a shiny brown top.

All the eggs, water and oil make for a very soft dough. Speaking of eggs, I read the recipe wrong and added all 5 eggs to the dough, only to find out later that I was supposed to reserve one for the egg wash. Whoops! That's why they tell you to read recipes through before baking. Sigh.

Sticky doughs can sometimes be tricky, but it just means that it will result in a soft bread. At least that's what I tell myself every time I try to unstick the dough from in between my fingers.

Squidy bread legs. Now here comes the tricky part...braiding. I can't even braid my own hair all that well! And that's only 3 strands. It felt like I was back in 5th grade May Day with the May Pole.

Soooo...of the 4 little loaves, 2 were braided and made into rounds...and 2 were well, just loaves. As you can see, I took some liberties with the braiding.

But they baked up great! The shiny brown crust was no doubt due to the double coating of egg wash.

Sliced! These slices are parked in my freezer for weekend French toast.

Challah is slightly heavier than Portugese sweet bread, and with a more distinct crust, but it is definitely delicious. This week's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just got a litle bit better.