Old Bay Chex Mix

Modified from Martha Stewart

4 C Chex

2 C cheese crackers (I used one bag of Pepperidge Farm cheese fish)

2 C oyster crackers 

2 C pretzels

1/2 butter (melted)

2 tsp. hot sauce (I like Cholula)

2 T lemon juice

2 T soy sauce 

3-4 T Old Bay seasoning

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Dump cereal, pretzels and crackers in large mixing bowl. 

Add melted butter, soy sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice and Old Bay. Stir to mix well. 

Dump onto sheet tray and level out. 

Bake in oven for 30 mins, mixing about half way through. 

Let cool and enjoy with your fav beverage (a Natty Boh, of course)!

Korean Style Slow Cooker Short Ribs

In San Francisco, it's easy to spend a lot on food. There's new restaurants popping up all the time in addition to the hundreds (I'm estimating) already in existence. Of course, the taquerias are an excellent place to get cheap food most times of the day, from breakfast to 2:30 a.m. munchies.

But let's not forget about cooking. With fresh produce within reach at local markets and farmer's markets, a variety of international ingredients and whatever your neighborhood's Whole Foods store may be, there's endless opportunities to try cooking something new or even an old favorite using fresh, authentic ingredients.

I was recently inspired by an episode of My Grandmother's Ravioli, which featured Ki Sook Yoo, a Korean mother (and grandmother) who's lived in Pennsylvania and California. I have to admit, I've never watched one episode of the show, but this one was adorably heartwarming and authentically heartbreaking. They make "galbi", which is as traditional Korean BBQ short rib dish.

Slow cooker meals are a fantastic solution for dinner on a busy day (especially in the summer). They need little attention and they don't heat up your kitchen like the oven does. If you're like me, your kitchen is almost half of your apartment, so the entire place will get warmer very quickly.

I picked up about 1 3/4 lbs. of sliced short ribs from the store, along with a few other items I would need. I always like my short ribs sliced thin, BBQ style. Typically, Koreans will grill their short ribs (or "galbi"), which is why they're sliced thin. The cut can be tough if you don't marinate it before grilling (or use a slow cooking method). Luckily, this lady saw me coming and automatically inquired if I was going to need them "Sliced for BBQ?", a three-word question any Korean should know the answer to.

What's in this pot?

1 3/4 lb. thin-sliced short ribs (you could use 2-3 lbs.)

1 C soy sauce

1 C Sprite (or 7-Up)

1/8 - 1/4 C sesame oil

1/2 yellow onion - sliced or chopped

1 shallot - chopped

1 kiwi - slightly mashed (you can also substitute this for Asian pear)

2 inches fresh ginger - peeled and chopped roughly

3 garlic cloves - minced (use a little more if you really like garlic!)

2 dried chili peppers

red pepper flakes ("gochugaru", in Korean) - to taste

Cilantro leaves

I cooked it for about 7 hours, until the meat separated off the bones easily - about 5-6 hours on high, at the least.

Stella supervised the entire thing from her perch above the cabinets.

I also made 2 scallion pancakes because I wanted to try out my scallion shredder I bought at Daiso Japan, which is like the Japanese dollar store. 

The scallion pancakes were made of:

2 C of AP flour

1 C chicken broth

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 shredded green onions

I whisk all the ingredients (except for the green onion) together in a bowl. Heat a pan on medium heat and coat the pan in vegetable oil (like for typical pancakes). Then, I pour about half the batter into the pan and lay the green onions into the batter. I've also seen the reverse done - laying the green onion and then the batter. Once the one side cooks, you just flip and cook the other side. I like a little browning on each side.

I remove them and place them on a paper towel to soak up some extra oil.

Then, I carefully cut them with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. They are typically cut into triangles (like a pizza) or into squares. Cutting on the green onion side of the pancake helps to ensure that you cut through all the onion.

After the short ribs are ready, I spoon out the meat (the bones should fall off the meat) and serve it on a bed of rice and garnish with chopped cilantro, green onion and sesame seeds.

I served the short ribs and rice with a side of kimchi and ginger pickles. If you aren't familiar with kimchi, it is a spicy fermented cabbage traditionally served with every Korean meal (breakfast, too). It is often made with cabbage, but it's also made with daikon or green onion. This type was made with all three (winner!).

If you want to learn a little more about kimchi, check out this video. Warning: video is about 10 minutes in length, but Kun Umma is both traditional Korean mom and adorably hilarious. 

Ta-da! 

Things to think about: 

• If you haven't eaten kimchi: Would you try it?
• If you have eaten kimchi: Aren't you hungry for kimchi now?

Ravioli: Round 1

I've spent the last few weeks focused on finding a new job and was starting to feel like I'd fallen into a rather grouchy slump. It wasn't the job hunting that was making me grouchy; finding a new job in a new city has been a very useful exercise. What had happened was that I was focusing so much time on reading about jobs, writing cover letters, applying to jobs and researching companies that I forgot about food. Gasp! Okay, I hadn't 100% forgotten about food. A girl needs to eat.

But what had happened was that I was focusing so much effort on jobs and very little on cooking. For someone who voluntarily spends a significant amount of time in grocery stores a markets, reading new recipes, watching food tv/movies (Netflix, yo) and reading food or chef-related books, the break from it all ended up being rather depressing.

It's curious how quickly you (or I) can lose a sense of self when you ignore the things that make you happy. For me, food is an experiment, an adventure and education all in one bundle. It satisfies my creative side and the part of me that refuses to stop learning.

So, back to the ravioli. I decided that the best way to get my mojo back was to try something entirely new, and that's what brings me to ravioli.

If you read my post about roasting the mushrooms shown below, you already know there is a local Italian store where you can buy sheets of ravioli dough. You buy it by the half or full table. That's their measurements. I bought the half table, which was pasta sheets wrapped in butcher paper. I didn't know I'd end up carrying it home, a few blocks' walk, holding the sheets horizontally (as instructed by the clerk) so the pasta doesn't bend or break. It was a good arm workout.

Prior to picking up the pasta sheets, I used my balsamic roasted mushrooms to create a mushroom filling for half the ravioli. I chopped the mushrooms I had roasted earlier that day and mixed in some goat cheese, grated parmesan and fresh herbs.

Then I proceeded to cut the dough. This part was an experiment, for sure. I found out a pizza cutter works better than a knife because the cutter will roll as it cuts, eliminating drag. I experimented with sizes and ended up with about a 2x2" square (1" smaller than a sticky note). Next time, I might like a slightly smaller size square or a slightly larger amount of filling. 

I also decided to use my oven-roasted tomatoes to make a caprese-type ravioli filling consisting of the tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh pesto and basil.

I used this tool, which was given to me by my friend Ashlee as a Christmas gift this past year. So far, I had only used it to seal dumplings. I pressed the tool to seal the edges. You don't want your filling leaking out later!

Here are the three stages of ravioli:

1. Filling is placed in the center and covered with the top half
2. Pressed to seal the filling inside
3. Crimped for good measure

I crimped the edges two ways, one that was just shown above in the 3-stage photo and the second (shown below). Why two ways? I wanted to distinguish the mushroom-filled ravioli from the caprese-style ones. For the mushroom, I trimmed the ravioli and then pressed the edges diagonally with the fork. For the caprese-style, I pressed the edges with a fork perpendicular to the center square and then trimmed.

Pressing the Edges of Ravioli 

Here is one of the caprese-style pieces. I ended up trimming the edges slightly to straighten them out. I'm not spectacularly precise in cutting same-sized pieces. If you're better at this or have a ravioli press, hats off to you. I am not so fortunate.

And here's one of the finished trays! The half table of pasta made me about 5 dozen ravioli, but mine are cut a little on the larger side I think. I layered them on a sheet pan and froze them flat before bagging them in freezer safe plastic bags.

The entire process took me a little under 2 hours, which I suppose isn't bad for my first attempt.

Here are things I would change next time:

• Use more filling or cut smaller pieces of ravioli - The filling to dough ratio wasn't exactly what I wanted
• Try a ravioli press - By the time I reached 3 dozen, my hand was starting to hurt from pressing, plus the tool cut through some of them slightly. I tried using it as a cutting tool, but couldn't get it to cut through the dough without a good deal of force.

Things I wouldn't change:

• Both fillings were very tasty - I served the mushroom with a cream sauce and the caprese-style with balsamic and olive oil
• Buying pasta sheets - What a time saver!

Easy Roasted Mushrooms

My adventure roasting mushrooms began with a desire to learn to make ravioli. I discovered Lucca Ravioli Company not only sold house-made ravioli but pasta sheets, too.

I arrived earlier in the day with the hopes of buying some fresh pasta sheets. Little did I know that you had to buy your pasta in sheets by "half table" or "full table", which is actually more pasta than it sounds like.

I bought a half table of pasta and then realized I didn't prepare nearly as much filling as I was going to need for this project. My initial plan was to make caprese ravioli with the oven-roasted tomatoes I already prepared. Quickly realizing my tomato to ravioli sheet ratio was not balanced, I figured I'd also make a mushroom filling and freeze the extra ravioli.

So here we are. Mushrooms.

Mushrooms are great in nearly everything (probably with the exception of cereal) from pasta to soup to salad - stir fried, raw, dried, fried...it's true. Ravioli and cream sauce? Gimme.

First, I brushed my mushrooms clean and removed the stems. I bought a regular brown mushroom, nothing fancy.

Then, I tossed them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and minced garlic. The amount you use here is partially going to be personal preference, especially with the garlic. The key with the liquids is to coat the mushrooms, not soak them.

I baked my dish of mushrooms in the oven at 450 F for about 20-30 minutes until they browned nicely (but weren't dried out). You can see they are measurably smaller and darker now. Instead of being firm, they are spongy.

I removed them from the baking dish and let them cool on a plate. The reason I removed them from the baking dish was because I wanted them cool so I could chop them and stir them into the goat cheese filling for the ravioli. I imagine if you aren't going to do this, you can let them cool in the baking dish instead. It just depends on how quickly you need to cool your mushrooms.

Oh man, they look good. Right?

• What are your favorite kinds of mushrooms?
• Do you prefer to brush them clean or wash them?
• Have you ever tried chewing on a dried mushroom?

Easy Thai Iced Tea

Mmmm, summer.

There's something about hot weather that is just as good for eating spicy food as it is for drinking a cold beverage. That's one of the most perfect combinations, right?  If you don't believe me, you can just ask these guys.

A little dairy is helpful when fighting the burn of capsaicin because milk contains casein, which helps wash away capsaicin oil when water does not.

Pain aside, Thai tea is refreshing no matter if you're spicing it up or not. The most noticeable thing about the tea is its creamy orange color. It is a black tea with a spicy vanilla flavor, spicy meaning cinnamon or star anise, not hot pepper spicy.

I was thrilled to find this bag of Thai Tea Mix at our local Asian grocery store. If you want to find this stuff, you'll probably have to visit your local Asian grocer, too.

I really like this brand, which seems to be a popular one.

To measure and brew the tea, follow the directions on your brand of tea. This brand suggests using 4 T per cup of boiling water. I brewed the tea for about 4 minutes.

Here's what the mix looks like.

I brewed the tea in our French press, which is good for things like loose leaf tea, coffee, draining quinoa, and pretty much infusing and straining anything.

Oops, I should have added the tea first!

Steeping the tea in the French press

I pressed the tea after about 4 minutes (3-5 here is average) and poured it into pitcher, adding sugar to sweeten it up. You can add white sugar or sweetened condensed milk (which is also part of what makes Thai iced coffee so good). Personally, I like my tea less sweet, so I just dissolved a little sugar into mine before putting it into the refrigerator to cool.

Once cool, I poured myself a glass of this tea goodness! It's a reddish orange color here, but just wait until I add the half and half!

Iced, sweetened and chillin'

BAM! Sittin' pretty with some half and half.

And that's it, folks! Now you have a glass of Thai iced tea (or a pitcher if you're me).

Thanks for reading today! Here a few things to think about:

• Where is your closest Asian grocer?
• Are you interested in learning how to make Thai iced coffee?
• Would you like to see more videos?

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

I'm roasting mine for about 1 hour at 350 degrees F. I don't want my tomatoes completely dried out (which I believe you can do at 250 degrees for longer time), just a little shriveled. I have a plan for these later.

What you need:

• 1 pint tomatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt
• Fresh chopped basil

I sliced each tomato in half lengthwise and placed the halves in a square baking pan, seed side up.

I drizzled one tablespoon of olive oil on the tomatoes, followed by a few pinches of salt and some fresh chopped basil. I gently mixed them around with my fingers and flipped the tomatoes seed side up again.

You could also use thyme instead of basil if you want a brighter flavor or give chives or garlic a try if you want something more tangy.

By this time, I was ready to dig in and eat them. Just look at how good they look. Look. At. Them.

I grew up with a tomato garden, and to me nothing says "summer" like fresh tomatoes from the garden. I'm the person who will shamelessly eat a tomato sandwich.

About an hour later, this is what I pulled out of the oven. The tomatoes are soft but shriveled. Perfect.

I can't wait to use them soon. I'm debating between a goat cheese crostini and ravioli.


Have you tried oven roasting tomatoes? What herbs did you use?

Do you have a favorite recipe for using oven-roasted tomatoes?

Isn't Le Creuset fantastic?

My First Tea with Strangers - Stanza Coffee

Image: teawithstrangers.com

Since we moved to San Francisco I've been trying to find a way to get out and meet new people. What I'm learning is that most of the people I've met have an interesting story, whether they've just moved here from [insert any place here] or have lived here for 20+ years.

I was lucky enough to catch a tweet that mentioned something called Tea with Strangers. What caught my attention was the idea of meeting people over a cup of coffee or tea as opposed to a beer in a bar. Sure, I like grabbing a beer and chatting, but sitting down with a cup of coffee or tea is a different experience, one that is probably more my style.

The idea for Tea with Strangers was started here in San Francisco and is currently operating in Princeton and Miami with plans to start in DC, Boston, NYC, LA, Chicago, UPenn, Portland, Seattle and Palo Alto. So if you're not based in San Francisco, you might still get your chance to grab a cup with some people you've never met.

I signed up for a local tea at Stanza Coffee (16th and Valencia, Mission), a local shop I've passed by but never stopped into.

There were six people including a facilitator who helped get the conversation rolling. We met out on the back patio, where we talked for two hours about who we are, where we're from, our parents, careers, hobbies, apartment living, hiking in San Francisco, vegetarian food...etc. What was interesting about this group was that we were all very different people, but four of us lived or grew up in the Northeast. Two of us have had the joy of driving on I-83.

I discovered a new hiking spot I want to try soon.

I learned about Emperor Norton.

It was a well-spent two hours of my afternoon, and I'd be happy to invest time into another tea time. The atmosphere was casual. It wasn't a job interview. It wasn't a work-promoted networking event. It was an easy way to meet new people that only costs a few dollars. If you like talking to strangers, this just might be for you.

Check Them Out: teawithstrangers.com