tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73538257826051658922024-03-19T01:21:04.310-07:00Sriracha for breakfastBecause oatmeal and waffles are for wussiesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-29243620492357441772014-01-06T22:13:00.001-08:002014-01-06T22:14:32.844-08:00Bucatini all'Amatriciana: The Best Pasta and Tomato Sauce You Will Ever Eat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I first learned of this recipe in one of my first non-Betty-Crocker cookbooks, Mario Batali's <i>Molto Italiano</i>. I first made this about 6 years ago. For those of you who know me, you know that I rarely make the same dish twice. In fact, I get bored after 1 night, even if I like it. Life is short, and there are too many recipes to try.<br />
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So naturally, when I make something more than 3 times, you know its got to be GOOD. Don't take my word for it. If I lived alone, I might have forgotten about it by now. After all, its way too mainstream now, and I'm an irritating recipe hipster. But whenever I ask my husband, Dan, what I should make for dinner...he always, always requests "Bacon Pasta" (the much easier way to say "Bucatini all'Amatriciana"). Not just him - family and friends have asked for it time and again. So now, with this post, you can quit nagging me to make this dish, and make it yourself! But don't forget to invite me over...<br />
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Before I bequeath you my version of this recipe, I should have you know that there are a million ways to do this. Its really simple. At its most basic, just cook bacon to render the fat and then add a tomato sauce, toss with pasta. But that's too easy, and doesn't taste as good as this version. But its like mac and cheese - its really freakin' good and you can't screw it up. So if you can't find this stuff, or are short on time, don't worry. </div>
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<i>Sugo</i> (sauce) <i>all'amatriciana</i> originated from the town of Amatrice in the Lazio Region of Italy. The traditional Italian version of this dish calls for <i>guanciale</i>, or Italian-cured pork jowl. I've had a hell of a time finding this at the grocery store. So I just use <i>pancetta</i>, which is an Italian seasoned bacon which is both sweet and spicy - its a tough flavor to replicate. If that is hard to find (which it can be, or it can be very expensive at that), just get really good and thick slab bacon. Note that you can buy Volpi brand <i>pancetta</i> online, like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Volpi-Pre-Sliced-Pancetta-4-oz/dp/B0002564BM">here</a>.<br />
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Also, the pasta. You can do this with any pasta, but I really recommend <i>bucatini</i>, which is hollow spaghetti. Its so much fun! And it looks and feels thicker than it is, which I think adds to the flavor. The sauce gets inside of the hollow and really fills this with so much flavor. And you can impress your friends - and the kids! - with a new pasta shape. Warning, <i>bucatini</i> can be really tough to find. You can order it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/De-Cecco-Bucatini-16-Ounce-Boxes/dp/B001EPPBE0">online</a> - I suggest ordering bulk because I know you're going to love it.</div>
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For what its worth, to be especially traditional, use ingredients that are found locally, which is actually much more legit - so don't really listen to my purist rant above. The ingredients of the original dish were easily obtained in Amatrice, and reflect what was available to commonfolk at the time. Think of it as Italy's version of pot roast and mashed potatoes (but really, much more tasty).</div>
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Something else you're going to notice with this recipe is that the sauce barely covers the pasta. And that's the way it should be! Italians don't tend to drown their pasta in bulky sauces, that's soooooo American. With a pasta as good and tender as <i>bucatini</i>, you'll want as light of a coating as possible. This way, you can feel the texture of the pasta, and more easily taste the bacon. </div>
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Ok, finally, here is the recipe.</div>
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<b>Serves 8</b><br />
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1 pound <b>dried bucatini</b><br />
2 tbsp <b>olive oil</b><br />
1 24 oz. can <b>crushed tomatoes</b> (preferably San Marzano)<br />
3 cloves<b> garlic</b>, diced or mashed<br />
1 <b>onion</b>, sliced into quarter inch thick half-moons<br />
12 ounces finely chopped <b>pancetta</b>, or good quality slab bacon<br />
3/4 cup <b>dry white wine</b> (or 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1/2 cup chicken broth)<br />
Pinch of <b>hot red pepper flakes</b> (optional)<br />
2 tbsp <b>sugar</b> (omit 1 tbsp if using San Marzano tomatoes)<br />
3 tbsp <b>salt</b><br />
<b>Pepper</b> to taste<br />
2 cups freshly grated <b>Pecorino Romano</b> (or good quality Parmesan)<br />
1 cup finely chopped <b>basil</b><br />
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In a large saute pan, add olive oil, onions, hot red pepper flakes, and sugar, and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the pancetta and garlic, and cook until the fat has been rendered, about 12 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until mostly evaporated. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. While the sauce simmers, bring 6 quarters of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tbsp salt. Add the bucatini and cook for 1 less minute than the package directions (until al dente, or very firm but not crunchy). Drain and add to the sauce and toss for about 1 minute to coat. Add the basil and toss again. Serve with pecorino.<br />
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Pair with a vibrant sangiovese (Italian style red wine).</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-19599098512724867682013-07-31T21:34:00.000-07:002014-01-06T20:19:23.704-08:00Happily eating my way through Portland<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRns35SmxpF4tMZ5smysgWSt7Yug_oH55m8r-sn4BKeSh_EVFSEwtAfPkYkVqnWWU9Z4Lg6C8akyvmZ_yhagoTDLFJquHOFJGIad5QC6oUzTgv82ZvITtq9hzigM_315CuOn1Sao-vg6M/s1600/imageedit_6_3059670999.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRns35SmxpF4tMZ5smysgWSt7Yug_oH55m8r-sn4BKeSh_EVFSEwtAfPkYkVqnWWU9Z4Lg6C8akyvmZ_yhagoTDLFJquHOFJGIad5QC6oUzTgv82ZvITtq9hzigM_315CuOn1Sao-vg6M/s400/imageedit_6_3059670999.gif" height="223" width="400" /></a>One of Portland's greatest mysteries is how a city full of such amazing and wondrous food and drink also contains some of the skinniest hipsters I've ever seen. Maybe it's an optical illusion. Or heroin. If I lived in this town, there is no way I could bike or jog my way to <i>not</i> gaining 25 pounds. There is nothing you can't find in this town. Beer. Wine. Beer and Wine. Meat. Vegans. Meat and Vegans. Clouds. Sun. Clouds and Sun (but mostly clouds). Incredible. If you've never seen Portlandia, download this show, my friends, as it is shockingly truthful. Food aside, you can have all the fun in the world just people watching alone. Even the 10 year olds are decked out in retro-80's punk eclectic garb. Frump is even trendy around here. I feel right at home.<br />
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How did I find Portland? One night at the pub, our friends Allan and Jeanette indicated to us that they were going to Portland on July 4th holiday weekend on a whim. I joked that I was jealous, and Alan mentioned "well we have room in the back". For real?!? I think he was tipsy and didn't really mean it, but we nevertheless changed our schedule at the last minute and inserted ourselves to their trip, and can't be more thankful! What an adventure!<br />
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I've known for years that Portland is a foodie mecca, and having only been once before for a day, never really explored all that it had to offer. I have to admit that I became stressed out, and I stressed out my friends (sorry Alan and Jeanette for dragging you to opposite ends of the universe). I have a habit of "maximizing" as one of the things I fear most is regret. If you've never heard of maximizing, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ted.com%2Ftalks%2Fbarry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html&ei=ZXTbUdapCqqmiQL0kIHoCg&usg=AFQjCNEvl33Nxh3xM65LA-wCyy1F_RGF8A&sig2=SJ0mwtjkT4YH9cCuFBeBkw&bvm=bv.48705608,d.cGE">watch this TED talk</a>. Basically the Psychologist Barry Schwartz identified that we are paralyzed by indecision on things that aren't that important when faced with too many similar choices. And I have a bad case of foodicus maximizitis. What to eat? Download ALL OF THE FOOD APPS! I triangulated, took scientific internet surveys, read the last 10 issues of Food and Wine and Bon Appetit, added "Portland food" to my RSS feed. And still I was not prepared. So enjoy this tour-de-force of my somewhat planned/somewhat random restaurant and brewery picks.<br />
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I've also inadvertently discovered the recipe for restaurant success. Take gorgeous skinny hipster culinary artisan in a plaid shirt (my lord, bearded hipsters in plaid are <i>hot</i>) + interesting and unique food ideas that involve some sort of a.) pork product <i>and/or</i> b.) organic and locally sourced ingredients + rustic digs <i>and/or</i> cutesy food cart + pickles = successful food enterprise. That's it. I'm quitting my job and opening up a food cart.<br />
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<b><a href="http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php">Voodoo Doughnut</a> </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">22 SW 3rd Ave</span><br />
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You've probably heard of this place. Everyone has. In fact, the line was until next Tuesday. I suppose they have gotten <a href="http://www.tvfoodmaps.com/restaurant/OR/Portland/Voodoo-Doughnuts">some major television press</a> over the years, and it has attracted a crowd. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't necessarily worth the line. I shouldn't say that, because our friends Drew and Ashley waited on line for us while we chomped down on sub-par calzones and subs next door at a place I won't bother summarizing (ok, Captain Ankeny's Well wasn't bad, it was just alright, their calzones had honey in the dough which was nice and interesting). They picked out a maple bacon, captain crunch, and bubble gum donut. And yes, I'm from NJ, they are donuts, not doughnuts, goddamit. Fascinating, tasty, and totally sinful, but not worth an hour line. Although if I had been there back in the days of <a href="http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1975826_1975753_1975584,00.html">NyQuil and Pepto-Bismol</a> donuts, you might have had my attention (well, I would have gawked at the menu but wouldn't have purchased...).<br />
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<a href="http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/"><b>Deschutes Brewery</b></a> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">210 NW 11th Ave</span><br />
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So it turns out that arriving on July 4th in the city meant that everything was shut down. I guess restaurant staff need a holiday, too. But where are some foodie adventurers to congregate? Deschutes Brewery of course! If you live in western America, you've probably heard of them. A Bend-based brewery, and famous for their Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter, these guys know how to play up the gastropub concept as well, in a commercial sense. Ordered a Black Butte XXIII (there are apparently many) and a nice pork belly crostini with a craftily perched egg yolk over a velvety mustard sauce, which really hit the spot with whatever-my-husband-was-drinking. Oh, I remember now, it was the "Mussel Relaxer" Belgian Brown. Mussels were relaxed.<br />
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This isn't food, but it is some fireworks! Tasty. Alan takes some lovely photos. We were on the Broadway Bridge, a fine place to quietly view the fireworks. Until all the drunkards showed up. But they were cutesy hipster drunkards, so all is forgiven.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.broderpdx.com/">Broder</a> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">2508 SE Clinton St</span><br />
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Trendy brunch spots in Portland have a little secret. Open up at 9, and thereby force hungry breakfastgoers to congregate at your door just before 9 to beef up your line. Works like magic. Fortunately, it was worth the wait. We were lucky to get in line just in time to get the first seating, because this place is cozy. Gorgeous plaid-clad bearded hipsters await you with a fresh smile and a cup of hot coffee with warm milk (yes, it's wonderful) at this adorable Scandinavian-influenced eatery on SE Clinton - in an intensely cute little artsy street corner near the Hawthorne neighborhood.<br />
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I ordered the smoked trout "pytt i panna" (swedish hash), which was mostly tasty but could have used a boost. But I had some order envy at the husband who had some smoked salmon baked scrambled eggs, with what I thought was the most luscious dill potato pancakes ever (this was closer to what we consider "hash browns" whereas the hash are cubed potatoes). The Bloody Mary was amazing, and the first time I've had one with aquavit! I'm a convert.But the best part are these adorable mini iron skillets they used to make perfectly square fried eggs. Did I mention that the wait staff were as gorgeous as the food layout? Not to mention all the all-too-neat-to-be-authentic farmstead themed decor - still love it.<br />
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Oh, and check out what I discovered - a new hot sauce. Secret Aardvark! This habanero sauce packs quite a punch, and isn't too vinegary for my taste. It's everywhere too. Portlandians love their local things. Added this to my pytt i panna to give it some rocket power.<br />
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<b><a href="http://wafflewindow.com/">Waffle Window</a></b> 3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6og3OveZqx39ZKR2YygC3NWm1XI9lOSTfcV-OGfUgrokhOc-NrkOnX62tA6WBbam9XRAmGHMXz3NdLudbZTGQ4E2mk23dIHRLv4tpgws9UGtFvYicpl7Qf1Dv60_Pj4k-keloMlHxfR4/s1600/wafflecollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6og3OveZqx39ZKR2YygC3NWm1XI9lOSTfcV-OGfUgrokhOc-NrkOnX62tA6WBbam9XRAmGHMXz3NdLudbZTGQ4E2mk23dIHRLv4tpgws9UGtFvYicpl7Qf1Dv60_Pj4k-keloMlHxfR4/s400/wafflecollage.png" height="300" width="400" /></a>What can I say about this hole in the wall - yes, its a brick building with a window. Those bastards stole my idea! On our trip to Belgium last year, I had discovered the Liege waffle - which is a richer and denser variety (almost like a doughy cake) made with sweet heavenly orbs of pearl sugar. They put Brussels waffles (the kind most Americans eat) to shame. None was better than the waffles at <a href="http://www.railbike.be/de/waffelhaus.aspx">Waffle Time</a>, a waffle hut (actually a train) nestled in the Haute Fagnes of eastern Belgium. Ok, I'm a little biased, this is a family-owned establishment. But when you are there (because I know now that you will go), you must try the rail bike too! Anyway, I was sad when I returned to the states and couldn't find Liege style waffles. Thought I might quit my job and open one up and try crazy things like adding savory ingredients to it. novel concept, I'm sure. Turns out Waffle Window beat me to it. These were amazing - had the Three B's - pepper bacon, brie, and fresh basil with peach jam. You can also order waffles with goat cheese, mushrooms, spinach, avocado, salsa (ok, yuck), and whatever these crazy people randomly come up with. After this place, I began seeing Liege style waffle huts all over Portland. This is how I know for a fact that Portland is indeed legit. Amen.<br />
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<b><a href="http://oregonhophouse.com/">Hophouse</a> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">4111 SE Hawthorne Blvd</span><br />
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We stopped by this busy pub nicely hidden in a strip mall off of Hawthorne, drawn in by the fresh green sign with the cute hop symbol. We only intended to go there to beat the heat after walking around Mount Tabor, but ended up staying for beer and snacks instead. I had been on a porter obsession since I arrived, and ordered a Full Sail Brewery - Top Sail Imperial Porter - Bourbon Aged Barrel Aged Brewmaster Reserve, 2012 (they say my memory is a steel trap, you see). Oh, and we ordered some very tasty poutine and wasabi deviled eggs. The eggs were zingy, but not enough umami for my taste (I have <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/07/adult-update-of-childhood-favorite.html">high deviled egg standards</a> these days). You can't go wrong with poutine. Not sure if it paired well with a porter (does anything?). Oh well.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.carteblanchefoodcart.com/">Carte Blanche Food Cart</a> </b>(variable)<br />
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The cutest little food truck you will ever see. Portland isn't as much know for their food trucks as their "food carts", which are more permanent establishments and look like the back of a truck with a window cut out. So actual trucks, let alone awesome things like an Airstream RV, were tougher to find. We stumbled upon this food RV at the corner of Hawthorne and 33rd. Carte Blanche, with its stylistically fonted sign and religious adherence to OSL (organic, seasonal, and local - yes, I just came up with that acronym), had a short but intense menu of drool-worthy bowls and sandwiches. Their selection changes daily with creative names like "Juniper's Keynote Speech" (watermelon and cabbage salad), "Nebraskan Eggplant Folklore" (eggplant and tofu bowl), and the "Tricycle Apocalypse" (grilled salmon sandwich with pickles and sriracha mayo). There are many more ingredients in there, but I'm short on space, so check out the menu. Can you guess what I ordered? The Tricycle Apocalypse was a sweet and spicy explosion of crunchy flavor that really beat the heat. The cooks were also adorable and sweet. I have a crush on this food cart.<br />
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Skyline, fireworks and Voodoo sign photos courtesy of <a href="http://allan.hise.org/welcome.html">Allan Hise</a>. Voodoo line courtesy of <a href="http://theunworldlytravelers.com/2012/09/voodoo-doughnut-review/">The Unworldly Travelers</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-43165376751330796982013-07-20T18:55:00.002-07:002013-07-21T21:05:13.884-07:00Sriracha Smackdown Part II: Who Reigns Supreme?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Round 2 is complete! Folks, these results will knock you out of your chair.<br />
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But this time, I didn't run the show. Oz du Soleil, of <a href="http://datascopic.net/">DataScopic</a>, took the lead on this round and built the most incredible interactive sriracha spreadsheet in history - he also enlisted the help of Ashley Bower for the final design. (This is what happens when you get some data nerds like Oz and I to design a sriracha review). And we had some very special contributing judges - Griffin Hammond, the producer/director of the <a href="http://srirachamovie.com/">Sriracha Documentary</a>, and Brian Meagher of <a href="http://hotsaucedaily.com/">Hot Sauce Daily</a>! Round 1 judge Juli Johnston joined us again to contribute. We compiled the results LIVE through Google Hangout. What an awesome crew! </div>
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We ended up tasting at least everything I had that was new, and we brought out some old favorites to try again. This time, no blindfolds. Also, we switched the consistency bonus from only receiving a bonus for being "just right" at 3 (where 1 is runny and 5 is gloppy), to "liking the texture" from 1-5, with a bonus at 3 and higher. This allows for some additional flexibility. Believe it or not, this new scoring approach shuffled our results around for <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">Round 1</a> a bit (and it changed our overall winner!), so I ended up combining the analysis and re-running.<br />
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<b>The New Results</b></div>
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To see the original Round 2 results, check out <a href="http://datascopic.net/excelwebapp-sriracha-smackdown/">Oz's blog post</a>. The result? <i>Sky Valley edges out rooster by a smidgen, FTW</i>. And in the "all natural ingredients category", Sky Valley wins once again!<br />
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Here are the newcomers and re-dos, and the final numbers (using the new scoring criteria for Round 2 only).<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>2.5/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>1/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>2.5/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>2.5/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Fun colors and stylish logo, but looks like a bottle of shampoo. Don't bring into the shower, wouldn't want to mix that up...<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Like eating a sriracha-infused orange - very interesting, but doesn't "feel" like a sriracha at all. Would go well on fish. This sriracha is made with yuzu, so that's no surprise. Smooth, somewhat glassy texture. Heat is very mild, but vinegar makes it prickly.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>3.5/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>4.5/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>2/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Parrots are always fun, but are on all of their products. No creativity. Couldn't the parrot be wearing a hat, or clutching a pepper? Come on, folks.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Very smoky, and full of bursts garlic (strange, because it isn't made with garlic). Feels like a mild campfire in my mouth. Could bear some more heat to balance out the smoke.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>3.25/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.5/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>2/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Still snoring<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>See our <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">original comments</a>. Nothing new to report here, except maybe we can appreciate the umami a little bit more. It's pretty much like mixing soy sauce and sriracha.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>3.5/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>4.2/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>2/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Font is cute and stylish, but could use some animal logos. Gotta love the odd spelling of "sarachee"<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Maybe "sarachee" isn't sriracha after all... definitely more like a hot sauce than sriracha. Small amount of heat and a thin texture, with a powerful sweet vinegar bite. But damn tasty, and powerful but well balanced heat - it's got a zingy full flavored punch that begs to be put on pizza crust.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>3.2/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>4.3/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Juli and Rachel love the dragon. But Griffin wasn't impressed - TJ's is just trying too hard to look like Huy Fong.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Didn't have much new to offer besides what was described in Round 1, but definite confirmation in the metallic taste. Thick and gritty, but definitely better than some of the runnier srirachas.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>2.8/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>4.5/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>2.8/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>5/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Not only does this bottle have an awesome mascot (who doesn't love T-rex?), but clever labeling and a very convenient bottle for air travel (or purses). But Juli and Rachel had a tough time getting sauce onto the spoons and not all over Juil's clothes.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Very complex, but definitely bordering on a hot sauce versus a sriracha. Starts sweet, heat is delayed, then kicks in with some umami and garlic. Turns into a hot mess.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>4/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>4.23/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Very nicely designed font, lovely star, simple yet powerful colors. Stylish.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Everyone who tasted seemed to love the flavor, but some debate about it's "srirachaness" (more like a hot sauce). Balsalmic vinegar definitely came through, and tasted like a a sweet buffalo wing sauce. Well rounded, dark flavors. Fascinating.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>4.3/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.5/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3.8/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>4.1/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>While we agree that the rooster is an icon and a our personal hero, there is something unnerving about having more than 5 fonts. Broke some of the rules of sound graphic design.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>What is not to love about the rooster? It's the same sweet garlicky heat and well balanced texture that inspired us to make movies (ehem, Griffin...). Except Oz, who is just a tough critic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuI-wMfEYxmIxYWutDLpj5Dk9ywg9ZnvhExHKqnVSicKohBzS35rkXhaS3Y8-Z6kE5rYtn2jUVlHayYVbg2BW2jiLxUuV2LnoXI8KDgkOtC91wxH1XOIkHceD1J8JWlV37gAMeEENdNI/s1600/SkyValleyJoinScoreRound2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuI-wMfEYxmIxYWutDLpj5Dk9ywg9ZnvhExHKqnVSicKohBzS35rkXhaS3Y8-Z6kE5rYtn2jUVlHayYVbg2BW2jiLxUuV2LnoXI8KDgkOtC91wxH1XOIkHceD1J8JWlV37gAMeEENdNI/s320/SkyValleyJoinScoreRound2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Taste: </b>4.2/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.2/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>4.4/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art:</b>4.4/5<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>We still love the colorful phoenix and cutesy font.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Similar to Round 1 comments, (except it seemed to taste better this time now that we can see it). Starts sweet (but could be sweet), and then the heat sneaks up on you. Sharp and metallic Garlic and even a ginger-like flavor sneak in there toward the back of the throat. Fun.<br />
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<b>The Re-Analysis</b><br />
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Check out my excel-embedding skills! Here is the master spreadsheet of the whole ball of spicy wax (Round 1 results folded into Round 2). Note that some scores might have changed from Oz's results in Round 2 because of srirachas that we tasted in both rounds. Not that I think you're going to call me out on anything, right? And just in case your eyes are going cross, <i>the new ultimate winner is HT Traders, with Rooster and Sky Valley in hot pursuit.</i><br />
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Go ahead, play with the slicers and take a closer look!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="518.1" scrolling="no" src="https://skydrive.live.com/embed?cid=BD6B7417AF8DB5FA&resid=BD6B7417AF8DB5FA%21112&authkey=AMQiHpcdSmlRkik&em=2&wdHideGridlines=True&wdHideHeaders=True&wdDownloadButton=True" width="602"></iframe>
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<b>The Post-Re-Re-Analysis</b><br />
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What does this all mean? Well, frankly, this means that I now have a fridge full of sriracha that I am trying to find uses for. There are no winners and losers (well, ok, there are some losers), but I think you can find it in your heart to let each and every one of these brands in to your kitchen, for different uses. I've probably used about 50% in some dish or another (how else am I going to make room in my fridge for actual food?).<br />
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Yuzu Pao would go great on fish. Thai and True is a great sriracha/hot sauce crossover, and increases your Portland Hipster Cred. Dark Star would make an epic buffalo wing sauce. Sky Valley will please your organic purist friends, and goes great in dishes that ask for garlic. Saigon Sisters has so many layers of taste going that it would amp up any asian-style noodle dish. Shark sauce and Three Mountains are mild and can please your wimpy friends. ABC sauce goes great on fish tacos and avocado. Sriraja Panich has good taste but a thick texture, and goes well in any blended cooked dish. Rooster goes well raw on everything, for those that don't fear the heat.<br />
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Here are some additional slices and dices for the purists.<br />
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<b><i>Best brands without artificial preservatives:</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_4Sj_ARVamWFhhJjZ3lrqqNKQgirU-fNpHJCZEf4A6vyfOFWUcAGCJayEwFJ8MfTBaa4lYfo4n6iGCsWUCjlrBPhpBKsyAdOOHvNfj4oLrIVGeHTxuf1J6gTc-RRQxA0uX353hvuqpI/s1600/BestAllNatural.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_4Sj_ARVamWFhhJjZ3lrqqNKQgirU-fNpHJCZEf4A6vyfOFWUcAGCJayEwFJ8MfTBaa4lYfo4n6iGCsWUCjlrBPhpBKsyAdOOHvNfj4oLrIVGeHTxuf1J6gTc-RRQxA0uX353hvuqpI/s400/BestAllNatural.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Best bottle art, still accounting for some taste and heat:</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5EWpXKgvvghp2ACXUoBCl61e7Y-pKjhScKtyrj5_PCbXONwDYttcSaIka6_1Jn_nZfOgHbJ1wmvGw0SzUndW0sw-bloQ9701t8rFQJ7q6UTRHWReG0Sf1_x1ZWm8_xTX1XYziPOEJ8w/s1600/BestBottleArtsometaste.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5EWpXKgvvghp2ACXUoBCl61e7Y-pKjhScKtyrj5_PCbXONwDYttcSaIka6_1Jn_nZfOgHbJ1wmvGw0SzUndW0sw-bloQ9701t8rFQJ7q6UTRHWReG0Sf1_x1ZWm8_xTX1XYziPOEJ8w/s400/BestBottleArtsometaste.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>For those who like it strictly hot, with a little flavor:</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyY_EJvfmVI0Sn9Sckp5vhQ260yBHSVsqpsgMG3gcCLT6eq6WVQHDb26JxH0BoRsSExVtWwg6l_YrBCyXpdUbNLr3z9rExd7Hijv3vJtzTZReGq98y1vSAIqBQJWDbE8ExsR5hBEIWiho/s1600/BestHeat.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyY_EJvfmVI0Sn9Sckp5vhQ260yBHSVsqpsgMG3gcCLT6eq6WVQHDb26JxH0BoRsSExVtWwg6l_YrBCyXpdUbNLr3z9rExd7Hijv3vJtzTZReGq98y1vSAIqBQJWDbE8ExsR5hBEIWiho/s400/BestHeat.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Best accessible brands (you don't have to "know someone" to get it):</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcT9YW77oo5ygNTVdiJpClGHuNEUint2vyc5efGZnqbGfmBn12FOuxk1MB1jGN7-tpKgI7XYHLzINNvmveYANmkZnO_gDITUaa8XZj7Eh5tCvAUE6OOmMnSxzL-NVfhcfwyzBN_y-LB0/s1600/BestAccess.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcT9YW77oo5ygNTVdiJpClGHuNEUint2vyc5efGZnqbGfmBn12FOuxk1MB1jGN7-tpKgI7XYHLzINNvmveYANmkZnO_gDITUaa8XZj7Eh5tCvAUE6OOmMnSxzL-NVfhcfwyzBN_y-LB0/s400/BestAccess.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Want to see another slice, but afraid to play with the spreadsheet? Let me know and I'll try it!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-9738219692947125982013-07-01T21:04:00.004-07:002013-07-03T07:25:16.571-07:00Adult update of a childhood favorite: "Asian" deviled eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsyXfE5sy_okRk0dE2BNQhvB-nObjYXCIPpM8oOjJYburSTegAqPbZEFtXemWNf-vwwwj7QMegO0SBBG4xlfH0LrAvqDu7Z9FtXdaeoXQTANxvhUc8tk8OSQJ-f-Jkh4v_nLI_jzIhRo/s960/deviledeggtraysquirt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsyXfE5sy_okRk0dE2BNQhvB-nObjYXCIPpM8oOjJYburSTegAqPbZEFtXemWNf-vwwwj7QMegO0SBBG4xlfH0LrAvqDu7Z9FtXdaeoXQTANxvhUc8tk8OSQJ-f-Jkh4v_nLI_jzIhRo/s400/deviledeggtraysquirt1.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
Forgive me and my gaijin offenses, these deviled eggs aren't Asian, and I don't claim them to be. But, by extension, loading up normally boring deviled eggs with oils, spices, and seasonings that I also tend to find in Asian-American cooking indicates that I might be able to call these Asian-inspired.<br />
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This reminds me of the time I went to Belgium last year and we ordered "filet americain" (akin to the French "steak tartare", or raw beef chopped and mixed with mayo, mustard, parsley, egg, etc) and someone was shocked to learn that 99% of Americans would never dream of eating raw beef (we are such a wimpy bunch). So why is it called American filet in Belgium? I'm still not sure, but when we asked our server one day at a train-station diner in Liege (where we had what I thought was the best filet americain on that trip. I lived to tell the tale), the answer seemed to be that Americans love hamburgers and filet americain was the consistency of hamburgers, and therefore seemed American. Seems legit.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Anyway, back to the point, this post isn't about filet americain (maybe it should be, I'm drooling), but I'm asking your permission for me to call these Asian deviled eggs because they have asian-ish ingredients (and because, if you couldn't tell by now SFB readers, these are my favorite flavors in the universe). Are we OK now? We are. Fantastic!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYBf31iu9w4-wlsa01f0-FAdoWXMXq1qUO8ReeBXKT0YHUsp0dDlsyMPq4PNHHePC7IYGDHn-ccm05vmPqQYKHUZKMfP_MZLP9SoJUQPT_WKIy2nzoqGinFLHmtQ3Gq6W9Xk4GYcBPEY/s346/kinderkrunchies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYBf31iu9w4-wlsa01f0-FAdoWXMXq1qUO8ReeBXKT0YHUsp0dDlsyMPq4PNHHePC7IYGDHn-ccm05vmPqQYKHUZKMfP_MZLP9SoJUQPT_WKIy2nzoqGinFLHmtQ3Gq6W9Xk4GYcBPEY/s320/kinderkrunchies.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
I have more story here, folks. Hang on. As a child, deviled eggs were my Achilles heel. I never knew I was eating deviled eggs, but they were the devil. Mom and dad bought me a children's cookbook called Kinder Krunchies back around when I was 5 years old. Oh internets, how I love you in the same way that I love that I can also download episodes of the Care Bears and The Real Ghostbusters, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kinder-Krunchies-Healthy-Recipes-Children/dp/B0006QZKYO">here it is</a>! I was always so upset because we never had the ingredients on hand to make any of the "healthy" recipes in the book, except for "Egg Boats". These were essentially deviled eggs with a toothpick and little paper sail. Genius! Fast forward 5 years and 300 cholesterol points later (so high for a child my age that I had the doctors baffled, but before the days of good/bad cholesterol), I was still asking for egg boats for breakfast every morning and as any spoiled but pouting child, I got was I asked for - just a simple mix of eggs and low-fat mayo. But they were my Achilles heel because it was that nasty cholesterol that led to the age of mandated <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2012/07/bizarre-foods-from-my-youth.html">fat-free american cheese and "turkey salami" sandwiches on nut bread</a> and then, ultimately, the <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2012/07/bizarre-foods-from-my-youth.html">Great 7-11 Hot Dog Backlash of 1992</a>. The rest was downhill.<br />
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Long since the days of egg boats, and now that I'm all grown up and in charge of my own culinary destiny, I've come back to that favorite-of-foods but have also been on a quest for recipes or ideas to make deviled eggs zingy and exciting. My cholesterol has settled down (well, nobody has ever run into the examining room wide-eyed and horrified about my numbers, so I guess I'm good). Now that I'm on my sriracha mission, no deviled egg goes with it, it's my specialty (sriracha deviled eggs, pretty simple and similar to that printed in <a href="http://thesrirachacookbook.com/">The Sriracha Cookbook</a>). The perfect sweet heat kick for a bland deviled egg.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVhV3hp7TfI7jt-xP6SXI6rhesaIO39FoY8BBi8Lra_wpnxaSEn9dKtx1zI2bj99awXaoKn34idny-EGKpF9-K5GffZVIE44TEgLsUBDRnZhbRf0LbigET9Chbx6PuCnip9C8uTVm5Yg/s960/eggingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVhV3hp7TfI7jt-xP6SXI6rhesaIO39FoY8BBi8Lra_wpnxaSEn9dKtx1zI2bj99awXaoKn34idny-EGKpF9-K5GffZVIE44TEgLsUBDRnZhbRf0LbigET9Chbx6PuCnip9C8uTVm5Yg/s320/eggingredients.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The challenge comes in when I want to serve my deviled eggs to my friends at parties when a majority of people "don't like spicy food". How is this possible? But what else is it about sriracha eggs that makes me smile, without the heat? A little nuttiness, smokiness, savory salt, a little sweet, slightly acidic tang, but never so much so as to outweigh a creamy egg. So I used a mild sriracha for this recipe, "Shark brand" regular. Actually, this is also a great excuse to go through my <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">recently-acquired sriracha inventory</a>. Also raided my cabinet for Asian condiment goodies: soy sauce, <a href="http://www.grubstreet.com/2012/02/kewpie-japanese-mayonnaise-cooking-dynamite-mussels-recipe.html">kewpie mayo</a> (this ingredient deserves its own post), sesame oil, ginger, sweet chili garlic sauce, and a few other treats, and you have yourselves a mild Asian deviled egg that is nutty, sweet, and umami. Hey, remember, you gave me permission to call it Asian two paragraphs up! Thank you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUrkAN4cR0Z30ScyRAzxijH_qyv-Z3boMiAQQEX8KA98irT5upxCqJNfsM4233qLDYnS5eA6lw1jzop2VXPjhKLabYBYTErIAxCNwX_QruCE0o-L4e2n3A-PORGPJ2Wdh5a9f6f2lg1Y/s960/deviledeggtray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUrkAN4cR0Z30ScyRAzxijH_qyv-Z3boMiAQQEX8KA98irT5upxCqJNfsM4233qLDYnS5eA6lw1jzop2VXPjhKLabYBYTErIAxCNwX_QruCE0o-L4e2n3A-PORGPJ2Wdh5a9f6f2lg1Y/s400/deviledeggtray.jpg" width="400" /></a>Oh, did I mention that these aren't entirely Asian-ish ingredients? I also threw in some non-asian-themed stuff like dijon mustard, sweet Hungarian smoked paprika and smoked salt. You need to trust me on this.<br />
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Oh, and more discussion points. Deviled eggs are photo-worthy with Pampered Chef gadgets. I forgot the name of this product, but we call it the egg squirter around our kitchen (since that has been the only thing I've used it for, being that I don't bake cakes). Just look at what you can do with it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLjCQfyg_PBl_poUHuwSKiAXp6LWixd6_g8PYeaw_qPJXIuNJ6EUORsSDYatZ9E1X1gUXbygdUFhXXHuOxp1no0kuit6gPmB6UuSpBIc0K-0X98v19RkjFEFkqe_cN6AZmBx390_PuzY/s960/deviledeggsquirter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLjCQfyg_PBl_poUHuwSKiAXp6LWixd6_g8PYeaw_qPJXIuNJ6EUORsSDYatZ9E1X1gUXbygdUFhXXHuOxp1no0kuit6gPmB6UuSpBIc0K-0X98v19RkjFEFkqe_cN6AZmBx390_PuzY/s320/deviledeggsquirter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Cleaning is a pain, but it's worth it. Also, if you are as serious as I am about these things, buy an egg tray for serving. Besides looking pretty, they keep your precious cargo from slipping off of the table and ending up doggie brunch. Maybe next time I'll even put little sails on them...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRardkRM7ay_1eFDcoUSD8klRRPJ75ASq-M4yJ82p8VPFYCQOsL3ATDlW1FyGnaAFTpgv63H1DUzldsAzoCc-V4yDh12ltwWoidAHqrFkIIwUQVDVA5aIKjQO6j6OoJoDeSksDAV8hl0/s960/deviledeggmixbowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRardkRM7ay_1eFDcoUSD8klRRPJ75ASq-M4yJ82p8VPFYCQOsL3ATDlW1FyGnaAFTpgv63H1DUzldsAzoCc-V4yDh12ltwWoidAHqrFkIIwUQVDVA5aIKjQO6j6OoJoDeSksDAV8hl0/s320/deviledeggmixbowl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Servers 12 (2 deviled eggs each)</b><br />
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12 2-week old eggs (if you are worried about appearance, make 14 in case you have a blooper, then eat it)<br />
1/3 cup <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kewpie-Mayonnaise-17-64-Oz/dp/B00023T3IA">kewpie mayo</a>*<br />
1 tsp sesame oil<br />
2 tbsp <a href="http://www.efooddepot.com/products/shark/3832/shark_sriracha_chili_sauce_(medium_hot)__hypen__7fl_oz.html">"Shark brand" sriracha</a> (mild)*<br />
1 tsp ground ginger<br />
1 tbsp soy sauce<br />
1 tbsp sweet chili garlic sauce*, such as <a href="http://www.gourmetfoodworld.com/Oriental-Products/Mae-Ploy-Chili-Sauce-Sweet-Oriental-Products-details-3554.asp?af=googleprod2&gclid=CLiv_qzVjrgCFWFxQgodal0AHw">Mae Ploy</a><br />
2 tbsp dijon mustard<br />
1 tsp rice vinegar<br />
1 tsp <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SMOKED-HUNGARIAN-PAPRIKA-PACKED-seasonings/dp/B000NCXRSM">Hungarian sweet smoked paprika</a>*<br />
1 tsp <a href="http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/spices/saltaldco.html?gclid=CPyt4u3VjrgCFQE6Qgodk0cAbQ">alderwood smoked salt</a>*<br />
1 tsp white vinegar<br />
1/4 cup chopped green onions<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVdMU6HMRMyLTHuculqc2Uz8gsaHThxPlgGfSpur_QZ6TBMVGVcLK3yORJhMGhgvRRBxZqSeNqC8thOBhW4OjjoMAZeE9H1mwisDYJZVoW1T-XocJpjXHeVqX33zebDrgYriMmtePC4Y/s960/deviledeggsquirtload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVdMU6HMRMyLTHuculqc2Uz8gsaHThxPlgGfSpur_QZ6TBMVGVcLK3yORJhMGhgvRRBxZqSeNqC8thOBhW4OjjoMAZeE9H1mwisDYJZVoW1T-XocJpjXHeVqX33zebDrgYriMmtePC4Y/s320/deviledeggsquirtload.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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*I'm going to start a new system of flagging non foodie hipster ingredient alternatives. I can't promise they'll come out the same way, but I understand not everyone is as obsessive as I am about obscure ingredients. Kewpie mayo can be subbed for regular old boring MSG-free mayo (but I can't promise you'll have much umami). You can use regular sriracha, but if you have heat-averse guests, I suggest just adding 1 tbsp sriracha and more sweet chili garlic. If you don't have that either, just add a touch of maple syrup, 1 tsp chopped mild de-seeded jalapeno, and ground garlic. Regular paprika works too, but the Hungarian sweet smoked adds both sweet and smoke which is amazing. If you don't have smoked salt, just use regular and consider using a 1/4 tsp of liquid smoke.<br />
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Add enough water in a large pot to cover eggs at least an inch or two and drop in the white vinegar and half tsp of salt (this keeps egg whites from running out of eggs and makes them easier to peel). Boil, then reduce heat to low for 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat and keep covered and let sit for 12 minutes. Remove eggs and let cool under cold running water for 1 minute (or you can move them onto ice or a pot of cold water). Peel eggs, slice in half, and place yolks in a bowl. Mix with the remainder of the ingredients except for green onions. Place in Pampered Chef egg squirter and squirt into 24 egg halves (or, if you don't have the squirter, just use a small spoon and be delicate). Sprinkle with additional paprika and green onion.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-87464347947153859462013-06-26T21:07:00.001-07:002013-07-03T07:21:39.463-07:00Fish Tacos with Indonesian Sriracha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I'm on a quest to find uses for 20+ bottles of sriracha from the <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">Sriracha Smackdown</a>, and I'm always curious if the srirachas taste better in food than on a plain cracker. Most folks feel pretty safe and secure with a fish taco served with something remotely Mexican, like Valentino, Tapatio, or Cholula. Well, sorry, ain't nobody got time for new hot sauces, let's look into the existing inventory!<br />
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<a href="http://importfood.com/sakm1109.html">ABC Extra Pedas</a>, an <a href="http://tomwebster25.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/abc-sambal-extra-pedas/">Indonesian brand</a>, only scored a 12 out of 19 on our original list. And in looking at the raw score, it was me that brought it down! Take away my taste score and discard the bottle art as criteria...and it was number 2 (and HT Traders wins). Well, there is a reason for that. This sauce has a time and place. And it is on a fish taco.<br />
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Before you cook this, you should learn up on some history. Sunset has a <a href="http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/flavors-of-the-west/in-search-real-fish-taco-00400000013842/">great article on the origins</a>, and there has been some controversy, but everyone can agree that the original is from Baja. One theory goes is that Rubio's (a popular fast food chain) carries the incarnation of the authentic invention. This recipe was obtained from a mystical local hero named Carlos who gave then-college student Ralph Rubio the real deal on his trip to San Felipe Mexico. Carlos was too humble to go big-time, but Rubio decided to make some cash through snatching the recipe. And what is the recipe? Keeping it simple, it's lightly battered cod on a corn tortilla (or two) with shredded cabbage, thin creamy mayo-like sauce, a bit of salsa, and lime.</div>
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We never keep things simple, or authentic, here at SFB. So let me present to you this recipe that uses ABC Extra Pedas chili sauce (and Lee Kum Kee sriracha too, gotta get rid of that stuff...). Our version is baked, and we baked lime into the fish, mixed the cabbage with the mayo-sauce to make a slaw, and topped this with the hot stuff. Why ABC extra pedas? It has the perfect blend of sweet heat that will send a sometimes mild fish taco into the stratosphere of awesome.</div>
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Kudos to the hubby for actually making this, while I sat back, enjoyed a glass of wine, and snapped some photos.</div>
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<b>Serves 4 (2 tacos each)</b></div>
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<b>Coleslaw</b></div>
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1 head <b>Savoy or Napa Cabbage</b>, thinly sliced</div>
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1.5 cups <b>mayo</b> (ours is <a href="http://whatscookingamerica.net/Sauces_Condiments/HomemadeMayonnaise.htm">homemade</a>, which I recommend, but if you're lazy, that's cool too)</div>
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1/4 cup <b>creme fraiche</b> or sour cream</div>
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2 tbsp <b>Lee Kum Kee</b> <b>sriracha</b> (or Rooster sriracha and 1 tsp soy sauce)</div>
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1 tbsp <b>chipotle oil</b> (or canola oil and 1 tsp chipotle seasoning)</div>
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1 clove <b>garlic</b></div>
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1 tbsp ground <b>ginger</b></div>
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1 tbsp <b>balsamic glaze</b></div>
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4 tbsp <b>cider vinegar</b></div>
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2 tbsp <b>sweet smoked paprika</b></div>
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1 tsp <b>maple syrup</b></div>
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2 tbsp kosher salt, plus additional salt and pepper to taste</div>
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<b>Fish</b></div>
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1.5 lbs <b>white semi-firm fish</b>, such as cod</div>
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1 <b>red bell pepper</b>, thinly sliced</div>
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1 <b>onion</b>, thinly sliced</div>
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1 <b>lime</b>, thinly sliced</div>
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8 <b>corn tortillas</b></div>
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2 tbsp <b>canola oil</b></div>
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<b>Other Topping</b></div>
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1 <b>avocado</b>, sliced thin</div>
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<b>ABC Extra Pedas chili sauce</b></div>
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For coleslaw, mix all of the non-cabbage ingredients in a bowl until smooth, and then add the cabbage and mix well. Let stand for 2 hours. Wrap a baking dish in tin foil and place fish, peppers, onions, and lime inside, sealing the tin foil above the fish to create a "packet". Bake for 30 minutes. Just before done, heat oil in a cast iron skill and fry corn tortillas for 1 minute per side or until golden and bubbly (the tortillas shouldn't be pliant or soggy with oil). Place pieces of fish on corn tortillas, and top with coleslaw, avocado, and a healthy dose of ABC sauce. </div>
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Pair with a cool lager such as New Belgium Shift, or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc such as St. Supery from Napa Valley (no, they don't pay me for these, but this is what we were drinking and it was awesome!).</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-92087392639063164252013-06-22T10:03:00.000-07:002013-07-18T07:37:41.716-07:00Sriracha Smackdown ROUND 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Update 7/16/2013: </b>The results for Round 2 have been posted by Oz! <a href="http://datascopic.net/excelwebapp-sriracha-smackdown/">Check it out</a>. Full SFB analysis coming soon!<br />
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And just when you thought it was over. There has been an outpouring of new data/recommendations on srirachas we didn't try. So you know what that means. ROUND 2!<br />
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How will this work? This time, we want more judges. And you don't have to be here. Here is the list of new brands we will be trying. If you can get your hands on any one of these, you can participate. We're going to limit Round 2 to about 5 more brands, and compare them with the results from <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">Round 1</a>. Blindfolding is optional.<br />
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Scoring will work the same as the last round so we can compare results - simply rank on overall taste (1-5), heat (1-5), bottle art (1-5).We'll run it through our algorithms and come up with the new winner.<br />
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Send me a note if you are interested in participating! And send me some additional srirachas! We may even do this live!<br />
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Here are the list of newcomers so far:<br />
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1.) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saigonsisters/posts/10151423219793601">Saigon Sisters T-racha Awesome Sauce</a> (only available if you live in Chicago)<br />
2.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yuzu-Pao-Sriracha-Style-Citrus/dp/B005GAPX60/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_img_y">Yuzu Pao Sriracha</a> (only available online)<br />
3.) <a href="http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-1067974/">"Pain is Good" brand</a> (only available online and in some specialty shops)<br />
4.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Dark-Star-Sriracha-Organic/dp/B007GCC7TW">Dark Star Sriracha</a> (only available online)<br />
5.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H1QN0Q">Thai and True "Sarachee"</a> (available online and in Oregon specialty shops)<br />
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We wanted to find <a href="http://www.amazon.com/MW-Polar-Foods-Sriracha-7-5-Ounce/dp/B004TEXILQ">Polar brand</a> which was a winner on a recent S<a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/06/taste-test-the-best-sriracha.html">erious Eats sriracha contest</a>, but they are out right now (probably had a run as a result of the blog).<br />
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We will also be re-testing the following brands with the newcomers:<br />
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1.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Sriracha-Chili-Bottle/dp/B0002PSOJW">Huy Fong</a> (available everywhere)<br />
2.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Kum-Kee-Sriracha-18-Ounce/dp/B003GU0TIO">Lee Kum Kee</a> (available at many asian markets and some regular grocery stores)<br />
3.) <a href="https://kc.doortodoororganics.com/shop/condiments_and_sauces/sky_valley_by_organicville_sriracha_sauce">Sky Valley</a> (Whole Foods sells this brand)<br />
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We will be doing this live at an upcoming <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c069jdog2ev824vbqs7rt0prr6s">Google Hangout!</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-59963005308232357512013-06-18T19:04:00.002-07:002013-07-03T07:06:17.325-07:00Help support the Srirachumentary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Griffin Hammond, valorous independent filmmaker, has decided to pay homage to the holy grail of hot sauce, our beloved sriracha. Get ready for Sriracha the Documentary! Or shall we say... cockumentary? Griffin is pulling out all the stops - palling around with Randy Clemens (author of the <a href="http://www.thesrirachacookbook.com/">Sriracha Cookbook</a>... I smell a "cooked-through" project coming...) and David Tran (the inventor of the rooster sauce), and even travelling to Sriracha, Thailand to learn more about the original/authentic inspiration to the American version (we wonder if he'll be swayed by the well-scoring Sriracha Panich... or to other local brands we can test in <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">Round 2</a>).<br />
You can check out more about the film on his <a href="http://srirachamovie.com/">page</a>. For a 5 dollar donation through <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/griffinhammond/srirachaa-documentary-film-by-griffin-hammond">Kickstarter</a>, you can get your name in the credits. For more, you can get a poster, pre-releases, video chats, etc.<br />
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Photo of the poster courtesy of <a href="http://srirachamovie.com/">Griffin and his fans</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-45217067781327375302013-06-16T01:26:00.004-07:002014-01-12T21:32:26.600-08:00The Sriracha SmackdownAnd the winner is...<br />
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Well hold on, I don't give away answers for free...you'll need to read to the bottom (or just scroll, lazy reader). For those of you who haven't kept up, here is the <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/05/get-ready-for-next-judgement-of-paris.html">premise of the test</a>. Bascially, we went in blindfolded and tasted a ton of srirachas to determine which had the best flavor and texture - and see if we could identify the rooster. Check here to <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/05/update-on-sriracha-smackdown.html">see our list</a>. We made some tweaks to the original concept - didn't do the food round since we had so many srirachas (19 to be exact) and were afraid of burnout. Better to go naked.<br />
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<b><i>Update as of 7/21/2013: We've also completed <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/07/sriracha-smackdown-part-ii-who-reigns.html">ROUND 2</a>! Be sure to check it out!</i></b><br />
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First, meet our judges and crew. I was on the panel as the premier expert, of course (I didn't correctly identify the rooster though, so call it what you will). Jeanette Volmer and Juli Johnston, avid sriracha fans and fans of spicy food, joined our crew. Dan Hathaway was the administer and Alan Hise took these wonderful photos.<br />
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The scoring was supremely simple. Well ok, for those of you that know me, I don't do anything "simple" (at least to others). So here is how it goes.<br />
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<b>Taste: </b>We evaluated overall taste on a score of 1 to 5 where where 1 was not edible and 5 was an indicator that this sauce should go on everything. We took into account taste complexity, pleasurable flavor, good texture - just our overall enjoyment. This category was given a weight of 3 and was the most important category.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ep7ifI-cfdUPDP3FtduKCkATCwWbl-qDzyHx98bGGX8R5Tp0QbvZCxUk2nnoSTYspsQDVVesmrGgl1VvC8XW-3PNl55qmCqSbPOtT1kiRqQqsyRBtN_4zJQewRrORQt3KPXSvBN-zEg/s1600/D300s_20130606_27327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ep7ifI-cfdUPDP3FtduKCkATCwWbl-qDzyHx98bGGX8R5Tp0QbvZCxUk2nnoSTYspsQDVVesmrGgl1VvC8XW-3PNl55qmCqSbPOtT1kiRqQqsyRBtN_4zJQewRrORQt3KPXSvBN-zEg/s320/D300s_20130606_27327.jpg" width="212" /></a><b>Heat: </b>We then evaluated heat level on a score from 1 to 5. Because the essence of a supreme sriracha is to bring on the heat, we added a score with a weight of 1 (heat being favored). The lower weight reflects the fact that we didn't want to punish a flavorful sriracha that doesn't light one's head aflame - sometimes too much heat without good flavor can destroy food as well.<br />
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<b>Visual consistency: </b>We then evaluated visual consistency, with 1 for thin and smooth to 5 for thick and gloppy. In this case, a score of 3 is just right (not too gloppy and not too runny), and all srirachas received a bonus score of 2 if they scored a 3. You can see the photos below with sauce running down a plate.<br />
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<b>Fun bottle: </b>Bottle art was also ranked from 1 to 5, where 1 was a pretty boring bottle and 5 was so fun that we would buy even if the sriracha tasted pretty bad (well, maybe that's just me). This was given a weight of 1 as well. Looks aren't everything though.<br />
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<b>Health: </b>Finally, I've identified the srirachas that do not have artificial preservatives (rooster would be eliminated), since we've had requests to highlight the "healthier" srirachas. We decided not to use this in the final scoring, but we will highlight the healthier sauces.<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 2.3/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>5/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
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<b>Ranked: </b>19<br />
<b><br />Bottle Art Comment: </b>Come on, be more creative, folks.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>A mouthful of bitter rusty metal, and a bit salty. Had an interesting thick texture but also some grittiness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwneJ-b9OHgU1LXLCiegk2WbHT1iNQwQn_iW7_nvsurrs4hex30LPL7_FxvfDzvAus-NtNCJuF6LcorYhAhj_2kGWWsVcmmXlPdm22yo0ZiORwCjKAAzq9k5vkbLfxxB4dTcSAo2fpsc/s1600/Sharkbrandmildjoinscore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwneJ-b9OHgU1LXLCiegk2WbHT1iNQwQn_iW7_nvsurrs4hex30LPL7_FxvfDzvAus-NtNCJuF6LcorYhAhj_2kGWWsVcmmXlPdm22yo0ZiORwCjKAAzq9k5vkbLfxxB4dTcSAo2fpsc/s320/Sharkbrandmildjoinscore.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3.3/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>1.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>1/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>2.3/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Ranked: </b>18<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>The shark is awesome, but they label features the chilis. Should be the other way around.<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Taste Comment: </b>Vinegary, very sweet, no heat but a smoky flavor and a little bit of garlic. Thin consistency. Almost tomato-like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQNue2hqH1g8YQAsmKDlNWBeuSbUXi4GLKWIKMydMG23ZLb9qQTLJcgFncZoQJej6wD3p2Lldl6SQtuTk-phATMXbTeZrD5TNXq7qmDrKxvoqL_hKTFDEZyX0EpBPWrLm3CdN6PZdlU0/s1600/CaravelleJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQNue2hqH1g8YQAsmKDlNWBeuSbUXi4GLKWIKMydMG23ZLb9qQTLJcgFncZoQJej6wD3p2Lldl6SQtuTk-phATMXbTeZrD5TNXq7qmDrKxvoqL_hKTFDEZyX0EpBPWrLm3CdN6PZdlU0/s320/CaravelleJoinScore.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3.7/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>1/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b><b> </b>2/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>1.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Ranked: </b>17<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Just chilis, yawn.<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Taste Comment: </b>Very sweet, barely any heat, some slight tartness similar to ketchup. Has garlic notes. Fruity-light in texture, and very smooth and runny.<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 3/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>1.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>1.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>Yes (MSG, potassium sorbate)<br />
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<b>Ranked: </b>16<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Just chilis, but good use of light and color.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Baby's first sriracha. A bit chunky, very sweet, tangy, and ketchup-like. Sweet and tangy. Smooth and thick.<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 3.3/5, <b>Heat: </b>2.7/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>5/5, <b>Bottle Art: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Ranked: </b>15<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>Yes (sodium bisulfate)<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>The dragonfly is neat, but could be bigger.<br />
<b>Taste Comment: </b>Mildly sweet, tangy with vinegar, very flavorful. Some garlic and metallic notes. Runny but smooth tomato-like base, similar to ketchup.<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 3/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
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<b>Ranked: </b>14<br />
<b><br />Bottle Art Comment: </b>Simple but effective, and very cute.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Sweet and metallic with a vinegar bite and fruity notes, but gritty, almost dirty. Lingers on the tongue. Had an aftertaste of...schnapps?<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 3.3/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.7/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>1/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>2.3/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
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<b>Ranked: </b>13<br />
<b><br />Bottle Art Comment: </b>The shark is awesome, but they label features the chilis. Should be the other way around.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Basically thin but spicy ketchup. Totally sugary and takes over the palate. Good heat but not too much. Extremely runny.<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 3.7/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.8/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>5/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>1.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No, but does have vitamin C which is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C">produced artificially</a><br />
<b>Ranked: </b>12<br />
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<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Boring logo, but full of color.<br />
<b>Taste Comment: </b>A bundle of sweet heat with a hint of garlic and a paprika finish, but unpleasant aftertaste. Sludgy but gritty ketchup - like molasses.<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 3.2/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>4.5/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>2.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
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<b>Ranked: </b>11<br />
<b><br />Bottle Art Comment: </b>Lots of color, but where is the mountain?<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>All garlic and heat, followed by sweet and metallic. Overpowering flavor. Thin and runny.<br />
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<b>Taste:</b> 4.2/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>2.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ranked: </b>10<br />
<b><br />Bottle Art Comment: </b>No logo, but a big bold font.<br />
<br />
<b>Taste Comment: </b>Very flavorful, fruity, garlic notes, sparkling chilis. Good balance and very fun. Texture was runny.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozB4ME_t0e2NQ27NvjVAZJmSvQMgov1u-qCJ0OtjPRUPLy0VOU8kGYVy40XnnTryL1Qa9MvMayjqHC9ZrwVsLZktDfEAPRUrriDaUfKVh1EGx8PNtJavVSzTGB6FJOpoZlY-CQOBJZ7A/s1600/RolandJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozB4ME_t0e2NQ27NvjVAZJmSvQMgov1u-qCJ0OtjPRUPLy0VOU8kGYVy40XnnTryL1Qa9MvMayjqHC9ZrwVsLZktDfEAPRUrriDaUfKVh1EGx8PNtJavVSzTGB6FJOpoZlY-CQOBJZ7A/s320/RolandJoinScore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>2.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>5/5<br />
<b>Ranked: </b>9<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>Yes (potassium sorbate)<br />
<br />
<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>These dragons are definitely sexy, font is bold and inspiring.<br />
<b>Taste Comment: </b>A complex flavor of copper, garlic and salt - no sweetness. A bit too salty and not well blended. Filmy and gritty on the tongue, but a good consistency (not too runny or gloppy).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3hD-lWhA3AKWdORez2SeIxQ0LHXp2X8O69mrd0e0rcMjqj8Gtw4G0iMEydhIsfPhQZ-EkTPDf8dxBXP4M-jSyer2vLXi8MX4S_QaaOXdV7WG2v6QTbcZoMSJl7VBisjwsXNoFPBkTYE/s1600/ThreeMountainsRegularJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3hD-lWhA3AKWdORez2SeIxQ0LHXp2X8O69mrd0e0rcMjqj8Gtw4G0iMEydhIsfPhQZ-EkTPDf8dxBXP4M-jSyer2vLXi8MX4S_QaaOXdV7WG2v6QTbcZoMSJl7VBisjwsXNoFPBkTYE/s320/ThreeMountainsRegularJoinScore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3.7/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>2/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>3.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
<b>Ranked: </b>8<br />
<br />
<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Simple but effective, and very cute.<br />
<b>Taste Comment: </b>As sweet as ketchup, but would go great on a hot dog and pleasant on the palate. Garlic seemed to be the top flavor, not too much heat. A little runny and gritty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPhTrYlKgi-IanUsT0Vdk22FQ3NGdnEtirtsdm9T6ewxOGz1TFOahrI6YkuBxZNzlb7r5-_55GGtPr30H_oORDLkAbhn2T0hj7o1UD8RhMFpTA7JMXv9QIYB7-h8hBhguabdxZpk3RaE/s1600/UncleChenJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPhTrYlKgi-IanUsT0Vdk22FQ3NGdnEtirtsdm9T6ewxOGz1TFOahrI6YkuBxZNzlb7r5-_55GGtPr30H_oORDLkAbhn2T0hj7o1UD8RhMFpTA7JMXv9QIYB7-h8hBhguabdxZpk3RaE/s320/UncleChenJoinScore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 2.8/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.5/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>5/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>Yes (sodium bisulfite, potassium sorbate)<br />
<br />
<b>Ranked: </b>7<br />
<br />
<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Uncle Chen is so darn cute! Daw.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Hot salty bomb of copper and mace. Tasted like spicy soy sauce with a vinegar undertone. Gritty texture. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNMqOq62u1RoVBfBy0IO_eBEqM9_uS64mT-lo0gpZqfXwOLOZQa0GtZGdnDfPiddXLuVexvACyRH23OMzyO0YMwcDo9GsIlnviLdpVhxqSLqUQfLoDtQwM22UMEjumPdEwQlc6OjnVGY/s1600/FlyingGooseJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNMqOq62u1RoVBfBy0IO_eBEqM9_uS64mT-lo0gpZqfXwOLOZQa0GtZGdnDfPiddXLuVexvACyRH23OMzyO0YMwcDo9GsIlnviLdpVhxqSLqUQfLoDtQwM22UMEjumPdEwQlc6OjnVGY/s320/FlyingGooseJoinScore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b>Taste:</b> 4/5</div>
<b>Heat: </b>3.7/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>4/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>3.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>Yes (MSG)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ranked: </b>6<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>It's like a rooster. But a goose. Win.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Decent texture - a little on the chunky side, some particulates. Garlicky, smoky, and salty with a nice linger to it. Good burn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVBLjIoTJ9WRBBO4U9P-e_2HuTrs9F_dYxruwEjDvb1MsJ5mUjQYM_xYP-91nDbDuyfmoSPJGTHTtkiRTP1MaefnpuAKja8FYBSiIxWpgHZC3FjPp6PSChp5_11kh6AsWNgKHsahqf8U/s1600/TraderJoesJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVBLjIoTJ9WRBBO4U9P-e_2HuTrs9F_dYxruwEjDvb1MsJ5mUjQYM_xYP-91nDbDuyfmoSPJGTHTtkiRTP1MaefnpuAKja8FYBSiIxWpgHZC3FjPp6PSChp5_11kh6AsWNgKHsahqf8U/s320/TraderJoesJoinScore.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3.2/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>5/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ranked: </b>5<br />
<b><br />Bottle Art Comment: </b>Dragons are epic. Enough said.<br />
<br />
<b>Taste Comment: </b>Sweet and garlic with hints of ginger, barely sweet and mostly hot. Flavor grows with time (good aftertaste). Gritty texture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFGgkBBlRRX-AOZsPA_yZwStxhRuoiEhP_AJbyQF0TYcgRjuRKy5BewpfIB85LIy8KxoGKo5aFqfzIEZwM1ZrNRtgp8bui5ZhrsoCfsFSH76H8KjdHPHH6s3u0-TH_P8upEyxTuxTB6I/s1600/CryingTigerJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFGgkBBlRRX-AOZsPA_yZwStxhRuoiEhP_AJbyQF0TYcgRjuRKy5BewpfIB85LIy8KxoGKo5aFqfzIEZwM1ZrNRtgp8bui5ZhrsoCfsFSH76H8KjdHPHH6s3u0-TH_P8upEyxTuxTB6I/s320/CryingTigerJoinScore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3.7/5, <b>Heat: </b>5/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>5/5, <b>Bottle Art: </b>4/5<br />
<b>Ranked: </b>4<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>Yes (potassium sorbate)<br />
<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>The tiger is a definite win, and artfully drawn yet simple and fun.<br />
<b>Taste Comment: </b>Starts out with mild heat with a sweetness that is just right. Then turns into a hot bomb. Ketchupy in texture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisieEs-_f0pUOKnoywN6mYRLLgMq7R1O6EcJ4SRmb_siwdkoVanYh2AcEUjJON-CmLHAW4ujSfPuUK4VKNFP0jV_hwiMIvWk3GKR9piWoOnwjCV9lAW4bzlGEGqoCr4cZPbydLowqKHa8/s1600/HTTradersJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisieEs-_f0pUOKnoywN6mYRLLgMq7R1O6EcJ4SRmb_siwdkoVanYh2AcEUjJON-CmLHAW4ujSfPuUK4VKNFP0jV_hwiMIvWk3GKR9piWoOnwjCV9lAW4bzlGEGqoCr4cZPbydLowqKHa8/s320/HTTradersJoinScore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 4.7/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.5/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>4/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>2.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ranked: </b>3<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>Elephant is cute, but they could have tried a little harder.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Pure sweet heat with a burst of garlic, a little metallic but very fun. Perfect blend of hot and taste. Consistency is a little thick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtK136enq2CHPnz_hcvOArtUMi69vPevZTNE3xsip7hH3ukCpNwjCDeRzcrIeIUFO0AvfIAhNsA4QR7HuPvVKsW7yiVrbq9-M6oqigOyJM1IE1qGHIDd6BrB6P_zrZplkYXmlJbu7NyI/s1600/SkyValleyJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtK136enq2CHPnz_hcvOArtUMi69vPevZTNE3xsip7hH3ukCpNwjCDeRzcrIeIUFO0AvfIAhNsA4QR7HuPvVKsW7yiVrbq9-M6oqigOyJM1IE1qGHIDd6BrB6P_zrZplkYXmlJbu7NyI/s320/SkyValleyJoinScore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3.2/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>4.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>4.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>No<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ranked: </b>2<br />
<b><br />Bottle Art Comment: </b>The phoenix rocks, and love the curly font.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Tangy and vinegary, but also sweet, with a bold kick. Hits in the back of the throat, breaking a sweat.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Drum roll please....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfNSuWp0uRzUu-pJTeDd7pXoNsGnIKGfmnr7KOggydeLrA7jC-aYMqnLwFjVrl5eEsiq4iAbynJ5yg5kjYfY_RZVn4nE57uTcm0StjXLv-lciw04HCQlKku1SolsBHSgfkKuTgdvZq_k/s1600/HuyFongJoinScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfNSuWp0uRzUu-pJTeDd7pXoNsGnIKGfmnr7KOggydeLrA7jC-aYMqnLwFjVrl5eEsiq4iAbynJ5yg5kjYfY_RZVn4nE57uTcm0StjXLv-lciw04HCQlKku1SolsBHSgfkKuTgdvZq_k/s320/HuyFongJoinScore.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<b>Taste:</b> 3.7/5<br />
<b>Heat: </b>3.3/5<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>3/5<br />
<b>Bottle Art: </b>4.7/5<br />
<b>Artificial Preservatives: </b>Yes (sodium bisulfite, potassium sorbate)<br />
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<b>Ranked: </b>1<br />
<br />
<b>Bottle Art Comment: </b>It's just iconic.<br />
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<b>Taste Comment: </b>Not for sissies. Heat was powerful and bold, good balance of garlic undertone, salt, and peppers. Had a natural sweetness that wasn't overpowering. Slightly metallic finish. Great texture.<br />
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Well there you have it, folks. A month of gathering the best in the business and it came down to the rooster after all. By the way, none of us correctly identified the rooster, and I was shocked that I didn't give it the best taste rating out of the bunch. In fact, my raw notes say that I found it metallic and somewhat overpowering. I was fooled! Maybe rooster has a little hipster hype after all. However, buffered by the judging panel, we as a team selected rooster for all that it gives - great taste and texture, amazing heat, and fun bottle.<br />
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Note that bottle art and consistency played a heavy role in the winner. If taste were all that matters, Harris Teeter would have won. For the healthier sriracha, Sky Valley takes the prize (but Harris Teeter, also free of artificial preservatives, still won best flavor). Sadly, Harris Teeter is only available from Harris Teeter stores on the east coast. Bummer.<br />
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Call our bluff or don't like the choices, and want a do-over? Want to try it yourself? Let us know! Use our scores and try playing around with the weights and coming up with a winner that met your sriracha objectives.<br />
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Does anyone want us to mail them a bottle? What am I going to do with all of these srirachas?<br />
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<b>Update as of 7/20//2013:</b> Don't forget to check out the results of <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/07/sriracha-smackdown-part-ii-who-reigns.html">ROUND 2</a>!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-20598416280082198802013-05-29T07:51:00.001-07:002013-07-03T07:22:14.838-07:00Hawaiian-style pulled pork sliders, bite-sized happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/969000_10151661816504120_160807874_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/969000_10151661816504120_160807874_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
If you've already read my blog post about <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/05/recipe-mac-salad-king-of-side-dishes.html">mac salad</a>, I bet you're wondering about the other half of the dish in the photograph at the bottom.<br />
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Some folks are <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/06/25/food-trucks-bacon-truffle-oil-and-more-overplayed-food-trends.html">tired of slider mania</a>, but I say that this trend should live on forever and ever and ever. What is not to like about mini-sized sandwiches? I mean, it's great for kids, and it's great for those of us on diets (I like to put tiny sliders on small plates and fool myself into thinking that it's full size, or I've shrunk. Whatever. It works). It's also great when you want to turn a sandwich or burger into an appetizer so that your party guests don't have to leave early because they are suffering from food coma. <a href="http://www.krushburger.com/">Krushburger</a> here in Sacramento has capitalized on this awesomeness, you can order a mix-and-match so you can try all of their tasty offerings without busting your belt. Oh shucks, they are just so darned cute! What's not to love?<br />
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Now, I add an asterisk that not all sliders are good. It's easy to neglect them because they are an appetizer, and dry them out because they are so small. I hate when restaurants serve little burned hockey pucks, it's just as much of a crime as <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-20-list-of-food-from-love-to-hate.html">serving a bad burger</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNrZZbekBlHAgqPdxQeAja1A53lzFnXM_bniiAJHR_mLGC1YvwP2v8c-RO73D2cE_SVvD_H6dWdWNrAUVtC5qIMYSff0Z-_GfwT4dqJdmDkxz1Uj4eoNLCnIzJe5TDIjrwRdcJXkEmdg/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNrZZbekBlHAgqPdxQeAja1A53lzFnXM_bniiAJHR_mLGC1YvwP2v8c-RO73D2cE_SVvD_H6dWdWNrAUVtC5qIMYSff0Z-_GfwT4dqJdmDkxz1Uj4eoNLCnIzJe5TDIjrwRdcJXkEmdg/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I think the slider allows you the opportunity to go all-out; something that would be just too intense in a full size sandwich can be a dynamite kick-in-the-pants with a few bites. How can you pack maximum punch into such a small package? I was originally inspired by Krushburger's Ninja, which is beef and sliced shortribs marinated in a korean-style barbeque, with "asian slaw", crispy scallions, and sriracha aioli (or fancy-pants for sriracha mayo). Sweet, spicy, salty, smokey, gooey, and crunchy smack in the face.<br />
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I will follow this truck into hell.<br />
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So wait, where's the Hawaiian part? I was also inspired by looking up recipes for authentic Plate Lunch, and by visiting <a href="http://www.northshorehawaiiangrill.com/">North Shore Hawaiian Grill</a> in Tahoe City after a long day paddleboarding on the lake - if you are in the area you must stop here. The teriyaki pork I had there was like no other. Again, a similar taste to the marinated short-ribs in the Ninja. It was probably the sweet/salt/smoke that really did it. Soy sauce or teriyaki, sugar, vinegar, liquid smoke (or from a smoker), seemed to be a theme. So without any real direction, I decided to take an SFB twist and create these suckers.<br />
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I originally used this with Trader Joe's mini burger buns - it was OK but I think they can be better. They can get pretty dry. So coat in something moist (which we did). If I were to do this again, I would use dinner rolls or Hawaiian sweet rolls. If you try it let us know how it goes.<br />
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One other thing, folks. Since this is a slow cooker recipe, you can do something awesome with the leftover juice to trick out these sliders (yes, my husband loves to BBQ! Which to him usually means putting something in a slow cooker and adding BBQ sauce. Someone should remind him that we invested in an outdoors grill). You'll see at the bottom - basically reduce the juice down to a glaze. Another lazier option is to just add Hoisin sauce.<br />
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<b>Ingredients (makes about 30 sliders)</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0IVxU2-Svbi1wgxiqFBQ7mSNRLHByexJF-GqB5Poeb_qLPrmaysqaWiC3oqkRcROmltSiUB_4tfrRrvn093ImZrCYwMHPmYCeQHfXMi4zK39io0gCYYPsHp1MAz7cSqOzqAcsAmwaHQ/s1600/slidertrio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0IVxU2-Svbi1wgxiqFBQ7mSNRLHByexJF-GqB5Poeb_qLPrmaysqaWiC3oqkRcROmltSiUB_4tfrRrvn093ImZrCYwMHPmYCeQHfXMi4zK39io0gCYYPsHp1MAz7cSqOzqAcsAmwaHQ/s320/slidertrio.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b><u>Pork and marinade</u></b><br />
4-6 lb <b>pork shoulder</b><br />
1 cup <b>BBQ sauce</b> (we used Stubbs from Austin, but anything is OK)<br />
1/4 cup <b>soy sauce</b><br />
1 tbsp <b>sesame oil</b><br />
2 tbsp <b>gochujang</b> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/korean-food-supply-500g-Gochujang/dp/B002WTE0MQ">Korean fermented chili paste</a>)<br />
2 tbsp <b>sriracha</b><br />
3 tbsp <b>sweet chili garlic sauce</b> (such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mae-Ploy-Sweet-25-Ounce-Bottle/dp/B00016UX0K">Mae Ploy</a>)<br />
2 tbsp <b>mirin</b><br />
1 tbsp <b>rice vinegar</b><br />
12 oz. <b>IPA </b>(we used Mad River Steelhead)<br />
2 tsp <b>liquid smoke</b><br />
1/4 cup <b>brown sugar</b><br />
1/2 <b>ginger knob</b>, diced or mashed<br />
2 tbsp <a href="http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/spices/saltaldfi.html"><b>alderwood smoked salt</b></a><br />
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<b><u>Mango Slaw</u></b><br />
2 cups diced<b> mango</b><br />
2 bags thinly sliced <b>cabbage</b> (or 1 savoy cabbage, thinly sliced)<br />
2 <b>bell peppers</b>, thinly sliced<br />
1/2 <b>red onion</b>, thinly sliced and soaked in red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp sugar for 30 minutes<br />
1/2 cup <b>mayonnaise</b><br />
1/4 <b>creme fraiche</b> or full fat sour creame<br />
1/4 cup <b>greek yogurt</b><br />
2 tbsp <b>brown sugar</b><br />
2 tbsp <b>mirin</b><br />
1 tsp <b>sesame oil</b><br />
1 tbsp <b>sriracha</b><br />
1 tbsp <b>sweet chili garlic sauce</b><br />
2 tbsp <b>rice vinegar</b><br />
1 tbsp <b>minced ginger</b><br />
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For the Pork, mix all of the non-pork ingredients in a bowl except for 2 tbsp soy, the gochujang, the ginger, and the salt. For those, mix together separately to break up the chili paste, then add. Rub the pork with the ginger and salt, and add whatever falls off to the sauce mix. Set your slow cooker to low and slow, add the pork, and add the mix. Cooking times depend on pork shoulder size. A 6 lb should take at least 11 hours.<br />
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For the slaw, add the mango and veggies to a large bowl, the mix all of the other ingredients in a smaller bowl until smooth (since you are adding vinegar and mayo, this may take some time to remove the clumping, or you can use a food processor). Let sit while the pork cooks (the earliest you should take out is 2 hours to let the flavors mix).<br />
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You might want to check on the pork every now and then to make sure it's coated. Take pork out of the slow cooker and shred with a fork, it should be extremely tender (so much that you do not need a knife).<br />
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Finally, here is the extra step that is worth the effort. Make your own BBQ sauce from the marinade! Fill about 4 cups of the leftover cooked marinade to a shallow pan, bring to a boil, and simmer on medium to low for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until reduced to a glaze. You can keep the shredded pork warm in the slow cooker while you wait. Be patient, it's worth it!<br />
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Assemble pork and slaw into sliders on toasted buns and add a bread and butter pickle. Serve with <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/05/recipe-mac-salad-king-of-side-dishes.html">mac salad</a>. You're welcome!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-19958953867743860422013-05-27T22:38:00.000-07:002013-07-03T07:22:41.947-07:00Mac salad, the king of side dishes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We just finished an epic Memorial Day weekend full of friends and fun, and hosted a luau-ish style party! We have never been to Hawaii, so you'll have to forgive me for my lack of authenticity.<br />
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We needed to come up with a Hawaiin style main dish and side that was easy to make and a real crowd-pleaser. Luckily, that isn't too hard, <a href="http://www.fodors.com/news/story_4105.html">these folks know how to eat</a>! My favorite is the "Plate Lunch". The Plate Lunch typically consists of a protein (pork, beef, chicken, or fish) in some sort of BBQ or teriyaki or other awesomeness, served with rice and a side of my all time favorite food ever, macaroni salad - or as the locals like to affectionately call it, "mac salad" for short.<br />
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Macaroni salad and I, we are long-time friends - enemies maybe? If you haven't checked out <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2012/07/bizarre-foods-from-my-youth.html">Bizarre Foods from my Youth</a>, you should do so. What I didn't talk about there was my obsession with macaroni salad. Sometimes still, when I see macaroni salad across the room, I drop what I'm doing and listen to the hypnotoad, waking up only to find myself in a faceplant over the bowl. It's very strange, I tell you.<br />
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But I didn't just fall for any macaroni salad - I hated the really globby stuff (like a mayo to pasta ratio of 3:1, that would be bad). ShopRite "Word Class Macaroni Salad" was the absolute best. They don't sell this stuff anymore, although they do sell "Black Bear" macaroni salad, and looks pretty much like a 3:1er. For you non-New Jersey natives, ShopRite is a grocery chain that sells every NJ-style deli item ever imagined. If you're touring NJ (not sure why you would, but roll with me here), you should make this store a part of your cultural immersion.<br />
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This macaroni salad changed my life. It was the best @#$% I've ever eaten. I blame it for my butterball-like exterior as a kid - I would save my couch pennies for the $2.95 it took to obtain a plastic container of this stuff. "Oh no, mom, how did that get in the cart? It must have fallen in! But here's the money to cover it!" I would say this stuff has a ratio of 0.25:1 on the mayo to macaroni, which made it awesome. And it had many other ingredients, quantities in secret. A little sweet, not too much. A little peppery, just enough to stimulate the senses. Some crunch from celery and onion, not too much. A dash of magic, too, I'm sure.<br />
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Anyhow, back to Hawaii - at first I thought I'd take my shot at <a href="http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2009/12/4/hawaii_style_plate_lunch_macaroni_salad_recipe/3">authenticity</a>, but I quickly turned to try and make the macaroni salad that had flavors that reminded me of my childhood memories. A little sweet, a little salty, a little tangy, not globby. So here it is.<br />
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Note that I didn't just magically come up with this all on my own - a great big thank you to <a href="http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/26754">Ezra Poundcake</a> for the great tip of cooking macaroni for twice as long as package directions and to add cider vinegar to the pasta for about 30 minutes prior to adding the dressing. This makes every bit exciting with less mayo, as it has a tangy crisp bite to it, just like the stuff I remember. I believe this has a ratio of 0.25:1, which is perfect. I also had to add some of this and that from my condiment cabinet until I hit it perfect. I know this was not what went into ShopRite's macaroni salad (it was probably much more simple than this, and cheaper to make), but I think the flavors come close.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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1 lb <b>dried macaroni</b>, large preferred<br />
1/4 cup <b>cider vinegar</b><br />
2 large <b>bell peppers</b>, any color, finely diced<br />
1/2 large <b>onion</b>, finely diced<br />
1/2 cup <b>mayonnaise</b><br />
1/4 cup <b>greek yogurt</b><br />
1/4 cup <b>creme fraiche</b>, or full fat sour cream if you cannot find<br />
1 tbsp <b>sriracha</b><br />
1 tbsp <b>sweet chili garlic sauce</b>, such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mae-Ploy-Sweet-25-Ounce-Bottle/dp/B00016UX0K">Mae Ploy</a> or <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=689">Trader Joe's</a><br />
1 tbsp <b>soy sauce</b><br />
1 tsp <b>worcestershire sauce</b><br />
1/4 cup <b>brown sugar</b><br />
Pinch <b>sweet smoked paprika</b><br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Cook macaroni twice as long as package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Add cider vinegar and let sit for 30 minutes. In another bowl, add chopped veggies. In yet another bowl, add the mayo, creme fraiche, sriracha, sweet chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, worcester sauce, sweet smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Mix until smooth. Add all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least another hour to allow flavors to blend.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-59546406642675078502013-05-21T23:08:00.004-07:002013-07-03T07:07:45.692-07:00The srirachas are rolling in<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Update as of 5/21/213</b><br />
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Roland came in today! This one is made in China. Another Dragon Sauce. Can't they all just like get together and have an international expo or something and pick different mascots? That would be pretty darn cool. They can call it SrirachaCon!<br />
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Color and texture in the bottle are looking pretty similar to Trader Joe's. Waiting on Lee Kum Kee, Flying Goose, and a few others. On that note, if anyone knows how we can obtain <a href="https://twitter.com/saigonsisters/status/326892267531026433">Saigon Sisters "T-racha Awesome Sauce"</a> (based out of Chicago), please let us know, we will send you a check. Oh and look, there already is a Hot Sauce Expo. Need to plan our trip...<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/24/2013</b><br />
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HT Traders came in today. Brian Meagher from <a href="http://hotsaucedaily.com/">Hot Sauce Daily</a> lent us a helping hand by sending us the Harris Teeter brand. Harris Teeter stores are only found between Delaware and South Carolina. Thanks Brian! Should be interesting, they used pickled chilis! Brian does some <a href="http://hotsaucedaily.com/2012/10/31/sriracha-sauce-trio-kikkoman-ht-traders-rooster/">great sriracha comparisons</a> that you can use to occupy your time while we wait for the rest to come in. Brian is an expert at judging all things hot! So be sure to check out his page.<br />
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As you can see, we also picked up some Lee Kum Kee. The Whole Foods here in Folsom only carries Lee Kum Kee and Sky Valley for some reason. Judging by the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lszh_KPN1o">preliminary results</a> from our friend Oz, this should be a good contender. Check out other stuff on his You Tube channel; he also gives great Excel tips! What do I like more than sriracha? Excel, of course! Go Oz!<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/25/2013</b><br />
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Ok folks, here is an update on our srirachas to date. I've quickly realized that there are numerous srirachas out there, but I have no clue as to whether they'll be any good. And they will need to be good to take down the rooster. I open this list up to you, kind readers, that you might suggest the best or suggest awesome srirachas that we missed. If you do suggest, please let us know how we can get them in the next week or so. There are many srirachas that we can't find online, or that won't let me buy a single bottle. Looking for bottles that will come in at less than 10 dollars shipped.<br />
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<td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 128pt;" width="170"><b>Srirach
Name</b></td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 98pt;" width="131"><b>Origin</b></td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 104pt;" width="138"><b>Status</b></td>
</tr>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Huy Fong</td>
<td>US</td>
<td>Obtained, duh!</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Caravelle</td>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">"Shark Brand" Mild</td>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">"Shark Brand" Hot</td>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Shipped</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Grand Mountain</td>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Trader Joe's</td>
<td>US</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">"Flying Goose"</td>
<td>Europe (as bottled)</td>
<td>Shipped</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">"Crying Tiger"</td>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Shipped</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Lee Kum Kee</td>
<td>US</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">HT Traders</td>
<td>US</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
</tr>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Roland</td>
<td>China</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
</tr>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Yuzu Pao</td>
<td>Japan</td>
<td>Shipped</td>
</tr>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Oxygen Amazon</td>
<td>Not really sure</td>
<td>Shipped</td>
</tr>
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<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">ABC</td>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Shipped</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Sriraja Panich</td>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Shipped</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Sky Valley</td>
<td>US</td>
<td>Obtained</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">T-racha Awesome Sauce</td>
<td>US</td>
<td>Might have a lead</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><br /></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-44935097854667836752013-05-18T10:29:00.000-07:002013-07-03T07:22:58.267-07:00Throw some hot shrimp on that barbie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No no no, that's just silly. What I'm talking about is firing up the grill while things get hot outside! To match the Sacramento heat, there is nothing like making some spicy shrimp kebabs on the BBQ!<br />
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So this is a true SFB original, no inspiration here besides me opening up my condiments cabinet and having at it. Try it out and tell us what you think.<br />
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Ok, I was inspired by reading about a <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/smoky-glazed-asparagus">Nate Appleman recipe</a> in Food and Wine calling for mayo on grilled asparagus to "create a beautifully blistered crust". Basically, it acts as an oil that has sticking power (and what is mayo besides egg, oil, and a vinegar?). On another blog topic, we make our own mayo, <a href="http://onemessykitchen.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/homemade-mayonnaise/">and you can too</a>, and I suggest you try it some time.<br />
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Wait, what, are you squeamish about cooking with mayo? I don't have online proof to show you that it's bad - but think about it. This will go on the grill, and will likely kill anything that could be lurking in raw egg. So let go and trust me. My Grandpa, who was always a Nervous Nellie, would have had some <i>agita</i> at this - I remember as a kid I used to toast sandwiches with mayo all the time. "Rae, stop, you'll get sick from that!". Snort. Oh Grandpa, it tasted great, no sickness to be had! If he were still here today, I hope I'd convince him to try this recipe out. Maybe. He used to love a little tabasco on his scrambled eggs in the morning, and I know he would have appreciated this blog.<br />
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What else makes this spicy shrimp BBQ special? I have a new-found obsession with <a href="http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2012/09/what-is-gochujang/">gochujang</a> (a Korean paste made from chilies and fermented rice and soy beans), which is a key ingredient in <a href="http://rasamalaysia.com/bulgogi-recipe/">bulgogi</a> or <a href="http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2010/01/bibimbap-korean-rice-bowl-with.html#.UZeviKJ_7ng">bibimbap</a>. It's thick and sticky (it's a paste) and has a hearty heft akin to drinking a summer ale spiked with smoked hot chili peppers. I added some sriracha for an extra spicy vinegar kick. Why not? Threw some mirin and sesame oil in there, too, along with some Alderwood smoked salt (I put this on everything!). What we came up with is a sweet, rich, spicy, and smokey marinade that will make your shrimp sing!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaU6mpjNTiDMngqEUMvapiyEJ5ctuWhA_froWJWTfaHOSd5v0UbluQWJVogEOUwwkaZ27rqqsrJhbBgYbgqgKZ-Rg94-qNDFXrnbtzz6TGjko_gvbkrZBgzc5Ypx6zlzKAgADTxyw2Ro/s1600/grilledshrimp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaU6mpjNTiDMngqEUMvapiyEJ5ctuWhA_froWJWTfaHOSd5v0UbluQWJVogEOUwwkaZ27rqqsrJhbBgYbgqgKZ-Rg94-qNDFXrnbtzz6TGjko_gvbkrZBgzc5Ypx6zlzKAgADTxyw2Ro/s320/grilledshrimp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We will likely try this again without the mayo - it did deliver the nice crust as promised but could be a little heavy if you're not feeling up to it. So after all that, I think this dish would go just as well without the mayo and just using the oil. So if you try this out, let us know how it goes! Here's to summer...<br />
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<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
<br />
2 lbs <b>raw shrimp</b>, shelled and de-veined<br />
<br />
1 large <b>red bell pepper</b>, cut into 1 inch skewerable pieces<br />
<br />
1/2 cup <b>mayonnaise</b><br />
<br />
2 tbsp <b>gochujang</b><br />
<br />
1 tbsp <b>sriracha</b><br />
<br />
1 tbsp <b>Alderwood smoked salt</b><br />
<br />
2 tbsp <b>mirin</b><br />
<br />
1 tbsp sesame <b>oil</b><br />
<br />
1 tsp <b>ground black pepper</b><br />
<br />
Mix the mayo, salts, oil, and sauces/paste in a bowl. Mix with the shrimp and peppers. Near a sink, skewer the soaked shrimp and peppers (if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak in water for at least 20 minutes to avoid a skewer fire). Light a grill, and grill on both sides for a total of about 6 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and crispy/blistered on the outside. Enjoy with a nice glass of bubbly.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-15845729872015443622013-05-16T20:49:00.003-07:002013-07-27T11:23:29.796-07:00Update on the Sriracha Smackdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Update: See our results for <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">Round 1</a> and <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/07/sriracha-smackdown-part-ii-who-reigns.html">Round 2</a>! The post below tells the story of how we came by these many srirachas, and some additional facts about them.</i></b><br />
<b><i>________________________________________________________</i></b><br />
<br />
For those of you that missed a beat, we have decided to put The Rooster and Huy Fong foods <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/05/get-ready-for-next-judgement-of-paris.html">to the test</a>.<br />
<br />
Here is an update of our srirachas to date:<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: left; width: 439px;"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 6217; mso-width-source: userset; width: 128pt;" width="170"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 4790; mso-width-source: userset; width: 98pt;" width="131"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 5046; mso-width-source: userset; width: 104pt;" width="138"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"><td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt; width: 128pt;" width="170"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 529px;">
<colgroup><col span="3" style="mso-width-alt: 5997; mso-width-source: userset; width: 123pt;" width="115"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 5997; mso-width-source: userset; width: 123pt;" width="184"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115"><b><u>Srirach
Name</u></b></td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115"><b><u>Origin</u></b></td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115"><b><u>Status</u></b></td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184"><b><u>Tested</u></b></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Huy Fong</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained, duh!</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1 and Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Caravelle</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">"Shark
Brand" Mild</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">"Shark
Brand" Hot</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1 and Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Grand
Mountain</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Green
Mountain</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Green
Mountain "Strong"</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Trader
Joe's</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">"Flying
Goose"</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">"Crying
Tiger"</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1 and Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">"Pain
is Good"</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Ordered</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Lee Kum
Kee</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1 and Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">HT
Traders</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Roland</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">China</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Yuzu Pao</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Japan</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Oxygen
Amazon</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Colombia</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">ABC</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Indonesia</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Sriraja
Panich</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Sky
Valley</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1 and Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">T-racha
Awesome Sauce</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Aroy-D</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Thailand</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Uncle
Chen</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Dark
Star sriracha</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">US</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">Obtained</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; mso-height-source: userset;">
<td class="xl65" height="23" style="height: 17.25pt; width: 86pt;" width="115">Homemade</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">My House</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 86pt;" width="115">In the works</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 138pt;" width="184">Round 2</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td><td class="xl65" style="width: 98pt;" width="131"><br /></td><td class="xl65" style="width: 104pt;" width="138"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 492px;">
<colgroup><col span="3" style="mso-width-alt: 5997; mso-width-source: userset; width: 123pt;" width="164"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 123pt;" width="164"><br /></td><td class="xl65" style="width: 123pt;" width="164"><br /></td><td class="xl65" style="width: 123pt;" width="164"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 492px;"><colgroup><col span="3" style="mso-width-alt: 5997; mso-width-source: userset; width: 123pt;" width="164"></col></colgroup><tbody>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Update as of 6/29/2013</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wqAHebKFYwuPBw6a-VHpcvQh_Xr0qHOxTeY-8OFPRzjGDHviHDd4je8EL_X_FuHuT0gDmVFI-rQAzLlftRbJFw73BVu-4wdTfqajno3_Do8Oghul2_OqZtLC84rxbbqeWSQ4zqRwbB0/s960/srirachaquad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wqAHebKFYwuPBw6a-VHpcvQh_Xr0qHOxTeY-8OFPRzjGDHviHDd4je8EL_X_FuHuT0gDmVFI-rQAzLlftRbJFw73BVu-4wdTfqajno3_Do8Oghul2_OqZtLC84rxbbqeWSQ4zqRwbB0/s320/srirachaquad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Four more srirachas have been obtained for Round 2!<br />
<br />
Our friend Oz (and future remote judge for Round 2) came through and obtained a bottle of the very-limited T-racha Awesome Sauce from Saigon Sisters in Chicago. Not only is this bottle limited, but it's tiny enough to fit in my purse, or pocket even. Since it sold out last time, even with such a small production, I hope Saigon Sisters can get their act together and increase production should this sauce be in more demand. A tiny bottle for 8 bucks (and which can only be purchased at their restaurant or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saigonsisters/posts/10151423219793601">one store in Chicago</a>) is no way to run a business. This stuff better be good.<br />
<br />
Dark Star was a cool find from a smallish Ohio hot sauce company, and can be purchased <a href="http://20brix.com/DS/index.html">here</a> or on amazon. This brand has balsalmic vinegar, which is very unique, but will it ruin the character of a sriracha (whatever that means)? They don't leave much in the way of ingredient details ("herbs" and "spices"). Love the instructions ("shake well. use often"). No preservatives in this one.<br />
<br />
There really isn't much information on "Amazon" sriracha from Oxygen Imports. Oxygen Imports is mainly a kosher food supplier, but is the exclusive carrier of <a href="http://www.oxygenimports.com/images/catalog/Oxygen%20Imports%20Amazon%20Hot%20Sauces.pdf">Amazon hot sauces</a>, products of Colombia. And our first South American brand! First ingredient is cayenne pepper, which would make this potentially similar to Sky Valley; however, this brand does contain preservatives. But it's kosher!<br />
<br />
Yuzu Pao was another interesting find from Japan. The only sriracha made with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu">yuzu</a> (including both zest and juice) an Asian citrus which looks like a small grapefruit and probably tastes like a tart mandarin. If you've ever had authentic ponzu sauce, it likely contained yuzu. Apparently this is a <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/breakawaycook/article/Yuzu-The-many-wonders-of-Japanese-citrus-2328331.php">key foodie-hipster ingredient</a>, so we're in.<br />
<br />
But this brings up an interesting debate - we now have two srirachas with non-common ingredients (vinegar and citrus). Yuzu Pao is "sriracha style" - what makes something sriracha style versus actual sriracha? What is authentic sriracha (is that Sriraja Panich?) and have Americans re-defined it with Huy Fong? Another post for another day...<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Update as of 6/16/2013</b><br />
<b><br /></b>The results of <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sriracha-smackdown.html">Round 1</a> have been posted. However, we are going in for more! Get ready for <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2013/06/sriracha-smackdown-round-2.html">Round 2</a>!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Update as of 6/5/2013</b><br />
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Ok patient readers, this is finally happening <b>tomorrow (June 6th)</b>! No more dilly dallying. We don't have all of the srirachas, but this train need to leave the station. Besides of which, all of these tasty sriracha bottles are staring at me imploringly from my kitchen counter. Makes my mouth water every time I walk in.<br />
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And in even better news, we now have Flying Goose! We are now topped at 18 srirachas.<br />
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Did you know that Flying Goose comes in a variety of flavors? They also sell garlic, lemongrass, ginger, sour, onion, and...galanga? (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galangal">Galanga root</a> is in the ginger family and is commonly used in Indonesian and Thai cooking. I've seen it at the store but never had the stones to try it, but maybe that needs to change). We kept it simple - and also because shipping these from Europe was a pretty penny. But if any readers are from Europe or elsewhere, where the other flavors are sold on the cheap, be sure to try them and let us know how they are! More about Flying Goose at the bottom of this blog post.<br />
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<b>Update as of 6/1/2013</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52CXJWDYEaIIrLGKzO50BEmPVxQvYyNXd0k_iFXRjgY-Rs7yyhfV4gBU00jbSUKJYL-3Aj-e91jE9xzDIpWo72TQcLcKqEGxkP6EiOHsRzRQyl1wN131emYrd3GQc_jd_0RAGSB73C-Y/s1600/unclechenduo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52CXJWDYEaIIrLGKzO50BEmPVxQvYyNXd0k_iFXRjgY-Rs7yyhfV4gBU00jbSUKJYL-3Aj-e91jE9xzDIpWo72TQcLcKqEGxkP6EiOHsRzRQyl1wN131emYrd3GQc_jd_0RAGSB73C-Y/s400/unclechenduo.jpg" width="400" /></a>Well we are close to the end. Sadly, I don't think Flying Goose is going to happen. A few others got lost in the mail. T-racha awesome sauce is out of stock - in fact, apparently they are out of chili peppers! So we'll have to deal with what we've got. Maybe we'll need a round 2.<br />
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In another sad turn of events, today was going to be the day, but one of our judges developed food poisoning, so it is postponed until further notice. I'm sure spoonfuls of fire won't help.<br />
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But in some good news, we found 2 additional contestants right here at the <a href="http://www.99ranch.com/">Ranch 99 Supermarket.</a> I think this place has KP beat on noodle and BBQ pork bun selection. They also had a giant thing of Kewpie mayo which I snagged. Although far less Korean products that KP (there is no aisle entirely dedicated to Korean sauces).<br />
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Aroy-D is another Thai brand, and carries the green cap. They are a fairly <a href="http://thai-united.com/brands/aroy-d">large producer</a> of asian products and are best known for their <a href="http://unitedasianfood.com/AroyDUpdate.html">coconut milk</a>. It also seems to be a popular name for Thai restaurants. Although I'm not too excited about this one as this is our first sriracha with MSG. We might have to add a health category to our ratings.<br />
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Uncle Chen was an interesting find, seems that some other brave souls seeking to do a sriracha taste test have compared this brand, including <a href="http://www.freshhotsauce.com/2011/02/sriracha-roundup-and-surprise-winner.html">these guys</a>, and <a href="http://else.oaklog.com/?action=view_list&id=1173&sort=Date&order=ascending&i=12343">these guys</a>. Bottle is definitely cutesy. First gold cap. Only thing I could dig up about the company was a recall on their products back in 2009, but I'll let that go. Also quite a few preservatives, but no MSG thankfully.<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/28/2013</b><br />
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Flying Goose is taking it's sweet tail-feathery time. In the mean time, Crying Tiger and Three Mountains have arrived!<br />
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I think Crying Tiger wins for sauce names. I really can't find much on this sauce, except that it popped up in comments on some Food Beast <a href="http://foodbeast.com/content/2013/02/22/watch-out-for-fake-unicorn-sriracha-other-tips-on-how-to-spot-fakes/">whine-fest about counterfeit srirachas</a> (don't get me wrong, I love Food Beast and Food Republic, but they always give the rooster way too much credit).<br />
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And yes, the middle sriracha is actually yellow (it's "strong"). Which means we are definitely going to need blind folds on this contest. We found this one on a google search journey through eBay. Again, no information out there on Three Mountains that we could find. New territory!<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/27/2013</b><br />
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Our importfood.com order finally came in! Ok, well, it came in two days ago, but we've been pretty busy with Memorial Day weekend activities. I originally wasn't going to consider srirachas that didn't say "sriracha" on the bottle such as the ABC "extra pedas" hot chili sauce, but this came at the personal recommendation of Brian Meagher at <a href="http://hotsaucedaily.com/">Hot Sauce Daily</a>, and had all of the ingredients that make up a sriracha sauce. He knows his hot sauce stuff. We'll let this one in for now, but it is a can of worms as there are many sauces that have sriracha-eligible ingredients, but don't call themselves as such.<br />
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ABC sauce is actually <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-08-27/how-heinz-is-spicing-up-sales">owned by Heinz</a>, and they are known for their soy sauces (they claim to be the <a href="http://www.abcsauces.com/about-us/">second largest-selling soy sauce brand in the world</a> - they also make a sweet soy or "Kecap Manis" which I'm sure is worth a try.<br />
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Sriraja Panich is getting a lot of attention lately. Bon Appetit says it's the "original Thai version" although I'm not sure about the accuracy of that claim since there are many brands from Thailand. I'm no srirachistorian though. A Q&A with Eastland Food, the sole distributor, indicated that this was created over 80 years ago. You can read more from BA <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2013/03/original-sriracha-low-down.html">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/25/2013</b><br />
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Ok folks, I've quickly realized that there are numerous srirachas out there, but I have no clue as to whether they'll be any good. And they will need to be good to take down the rooster. I open this list up to you, kind readers, that you might suggest the best or suggest awesome srirachas that we missed. If you do suggest, please let us know how we can get them in the next week or so. There are many srirachas that we can't find online, or that won't let me buy a single bottle. Looking for bottles that will come in at less than 10 dollars shipped.<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/24/2013</b><br />
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HT Traders came in today. Brian Meagher from <a href="http://hotsaucedaily.com/">Hot Sauce Daily</a> lent us a helping hand by sending us the Harris Teeter brand. Harris Teeter stores are only found between Delaware and South Carolina. Thanks Brian! Should be interesting, they used pickled chilis! Brian does some <a href="http://hotsaucedaily.com/2012/10/31/sriracha-sauce-trio-kikkoman-ht-traders-rooster/">great sriracha comparisons</a> that you can use to occupy your time while we wait for the rest to come in. Brian is an expert at judging all things hot! So be sure to check out his page.<br />
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As you can see, we also picked up some Lee Kum Kee. The Whole Foods here in Folsom only carries Lee Kum Kee and Sky Valley for some reason. Judging by the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lszh_KPN1o">preliminary results</a> from our friend Oz, this should be a good contender. Check out other stuff on his You Tube channel; he also gives great Excel tips! What do I like more than sriracha? Excel, of course! Go Oz!<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/21/213</b><br />
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Roland came in today! This one is made in China. Another Dragon Sauce. Can't they all just like get together and have an international expo or something and pick different mascots? That would be pretty darn cool. They can call it SrirachaCon!<br />
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Color and texture in the bottle are looking pretty similar to Trader Joe's. Waiting on Lee Kum Kee, Flying Goose, and a few others. On that note, if anyone knows how we can obtain <a href="https://twitter.com/saigonsisters/status/326892267531026433">Saigon Sisters "T-racha Awesome Sauce"</a> (based out of Chicago), please let us know, we will send you a check. Oh and look, there already is a Hot Sauce Expo. Need to plan our trip...<br />
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<b>Update as of 5/19/2013</b></div>
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Well, we are still gathering the sriracha contestants. Took a trip to the KP Korean market here in Rancho Cordova to check to out the selection (sorry, "International Market", it features foods from around the world, plus serving the large Ukrainian and Mexican communities). They conveniently located all of the sriracha in one aisle, to which to me looked like a majority of Thai sauces (although rooster was proudly displayed - and not just in the Thai aisle, but also in the Ukrainian and Mexican aisles - go figure. None to be found in the Korean aisle). This place is incredible though, and on a side note, got me very inspired to branch out to probably hundreds of different hot sauces. Another post for another day...</div>
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<b>Update as of 5/18/2013</b></div>
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We are still tracking down the remaining sauces - Flying Goose, Unicorn (<a href="http://foodbeast.com/content/2013/02/22/watch-out-for-fake-unicorn-sriracha-other-tips-on-how-to-spot-fakes/">the one most despised as a "counterfeit" here in the US</a>), Sky Valley, "Pain is Good" Sriracha Pepper Sauce, Roland, Kame, and Lee Kum Kee brands.</div>
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We were first alerted to the Flying Goose while in Belgium back in October of 2012 - we stopped at a cute little restaurant in Bruges name <a href="http://www.stoepa.be/">Stoepa</a>, waiting for the train back to Liege, and spotted this perplexing awesomeness on our table. First thought - Belgians know how to eat! Second thought - Flying Goose? Apparently this is the brand that supplies <a href="http://planetgermany.wordpress.com/2008/04/11/beware-the-flying-goose/">Europe with their sriracha fix</a>. We kindly asked our server at Stoepa what this was all about, and he exclaimed that this was the new up-and-coming condiment of choice for Belgians. What better sauce to pair with your Belgian Frites?</div>
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If you have any other suggestions for competitors, speak up! This is going to be a great contest, folks, can't wait!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-59674904115899785702013-05-15T21:13:00.001-07:002013-07-03T07:08:40.798-07:00Get sriracha for breakfast, (almost) every day!Don't forget to visit our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sriracha-For-Breakfast/515813455124341">facebook page</a> for daily links to interesting food news, food politics, crazy recipes and tips, and plain old tomfoolery! And while you're there, hit that like button, will ya? The Rooster thanks you.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-43418766995788290772013-05-15T07:58:00.000-07:002013-07-03T07:08:54.925-07:00Get ready for the next "Judgement of Paris"... Is Rooster King?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok sriracha fans, you've asked for it. Less non-sriracha and more sriracha. While this really wasn't the full intent of the blog, I can't deny requests for content.<span id="goog_1082392329"></span><br />
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As you're probably aware (well, at least if you read sriracha news like I do, and I know you do), there has been quite a kerfuffle about <a href="http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/01/17/how-spot-fake-sriracha-and-why-it-matters">"counterfeit sriracha"</a>. More on that <a href="http://www.artifacting.com/2012/11/how-to-tell-if-your-sriracha-is-fake/">here</a>, and <a href="http://foodbeast.com/content/2013/02/22/watch-out-for-fake-unicorn-sriracha-other-tips-on-how-to-spot-fakes/">here</a>, and <a href="http://blog.zagat.com/2013/01/have-you-fallen-victim-to-fake-sriracha.html">here</a> (yes, even Zagat is on this).<br />
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But I say - so what? Why does Huy Fong have a corner on the market? Is it true that Rooster is King? Turns out, everyone and their mother makes sriracha sauce. True, it was David Tran's version that sparked the Great <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/dining/20united.html?pagewanted=all">Sriracha Revolution back in 2008/2009</a>, but really, sriracha was inspired by Thai hot sauce that has been around for an undetermined amount of time. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha_sauce">Don't believe me</a>? In fact, what you know as rooster sauce is as American as apple pie, and tells of a <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-21/sriracha-hot-sauce-catches-fire-with-only-one-rooster">classic immigrant success story</a>.<br />
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Anyhow, I'm here to challenge the Power of the Rooster. Why not give the others a try? Why are people so upset to receive a "counterfeit" sriracha, when sriracha can be as general as ketchup?<br />
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We are still in the process of gathering all of the competitors, and so far, my list is up to 10. I still have to find a way to obtain them all, since eBay is not my friend financially. But some are easy to find - just check out what I found yesterday (Trader Joe's "Dragon Sauce"!). If you have any suggestions on alternative sriracha sauces to try, let us know and we will line them up!<br />
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The contest will have 2 rounds - first will be a blind line up of all the sauces, with a milk product in between to refresh and cool the pallet. The next round will have the sauce in a bite of food (yet to be determined) to avoid judgements of texture. We'll be rating on spice level, overall flavor, and aftertaste (and texture in the first round). Finally, we will attempt to identify the Rooster sauce. My judges are experts in the hot sauce field, so we will NOT disappoint.<br />
<br />
Maybe we'll find the next secret Sriracha King!<br />
<br />
Stay tuned, folks...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-41602808490218599382013-04-20T15:52:00.001-07:002013-07-03T07:23:13.837-07:00Ground lamb and spinach stuffed onions<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghy2nQ0E0tp4AxHauIb37OQAJSq1Ld_OOJ1C4q7uKqfGJ_u_0L_-YkUOcMouRKRDa7vNepe1wCO9v-4F9qAmWDFpaK_GBRr3DiVoMpYpnSGUHY0JxcBtUjCLO_rvR3bveeNudwWS03pE/s1600/StuffedOnions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghy2nQ0E0tp4AxHauIb37OQAJSq1Ld_OOJ1C4q7uKqfGJ_u_0L_-YkUOcMouRKRDa7vNepe1wCO9v-4F9qAmWDFpaK_GBRr3DiVoMpYpnSGUHY0JxcBtUjCLO_rvR3bveeNudwWS03pE/s400/StuffedOnions.jpg" width="437.7104" /></a></div>
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Call me a cold and cruel baby animal killer who hates the
environment and wants glaciers to melt all you like, I don’t care. Really.
Because lamb is so damned tasty, it’s worth the stones. And if you haven’t yet tried
lamb (you probably have, don’t forget that gyro is lamb meat) and can get past
cute little fluffy animal images in your head, you’ll be singing its praises once
you take a bit. If you’re counting your <a href="http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/eating-lamb-worst-environment/1161/">carbon
footprint</a>, I really can’t help you out here today, in fact, you should
probably abandon this post. So ok, folks, make this an every once-in-awhile
treat.<br />
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Now, if you want to drop some serious cash, wait until a
special occasion and buy some rack of lamb (a different recipe for a different
day). But today’s recipe post is a little bit cheaper since this uses ground lamb,
and is a good introductory to the flavor. It’s very earthy and even slightly
acidic. Ground lamb has much of the same consistency as ground beef. Some lamb can taste and smell a little gamy, I’d
try to buy it fresh from the butcher if possible that carries a lamb from a reputable
and stress-minimizing ranch. And you’ll
feel better about yourself after releasing all of that carbon.</div>
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I didn’t make this recipe up, but did modify it from last
April’s <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lamb-and-spinach-stuffed-onions">Food
and Wine Magazine</a> so that it’s not quite as many steps. It also included
what I had on hand at the time. The hard part here is making the onion cups,
but if you can’t get it perfect, don’t worry. If all else fails, just chop the
onion up and make it a baked casserole. It will taste similar. Warning, this
recipe takes <b>2 ½ hours</b>.</div>
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<b>Ingredients<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Two unpeeled 1 1/2-pound <b>yellow onions</b>, root ends trimmed</div>
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<b>Extra virgin olive
oil<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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5 ounces <b>spinach</b>,
washed</div>
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1 pound <b>ground lamb</b></div>
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2 teaspoons <b>sriracha,</b> <b>ancho
chile powder</b>, <b>or other smoked chili seasoning </b>such as chipotle</div>
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1/8 teaspoon <b>Chinese five
spice powder</b>, or cinnamon</div>
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1 cup <b>panko</b></div>
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1 cup shredded <b>Gruyère
cheese</b>, or other strong nutty cheese that melts well</div>
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1 cup <b>dry red wine</b></div>
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1 cup <b>canned crushed
tomatoes</b>, preferably San Marzano</div>
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1/4 cup <b>heavy cream</b></div>
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1 cup <b>parsley</b>,
chopped</div>
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Salt</div>
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Freshly ground black pepper</div>
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For the onions, preheat the oven to 350° . Place the onions
in a small rimmed baking dish with the root ends down into ½ inch of water, and
brush with oil until coated. Cover with foil and back for about 1 ½ hour. Pour
yourself a nice glass of red wine and enjoy the onion smell.</div>
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When onions are done, take them out and remove the foil, and
wait about 20 minutes until they are cool enough to handle. Separate the layers
(you can use a pairing knife to help with this) until you have various sized “cups”.
Don’t worry if there are holes in the bottom. With onion that is too small to
make a cup, chop up and set aside.</div>
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In a large heated skillet, add spinach and toss until
wilted. Add the lamb and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up pieces,
until no pink remains (about 3-4 minutes). Add the chili powder and five spice
powder until aromatic, 1 minute. Stir in the ¾ of the bread crumbs, ¾ of the
cheese, the red wine, the remaining chopped onion, and ½ of the crushed
tomatoes. Cook on moderate heat for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. It
will be chunky because of the bread crumbs and cheese, but that’s OK. </div>
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Fill the cups with the lamb mixture, but leave the skillet
in place. Add remaining tomato and the heavy cream to the skillet, and simmer
while capturing all of the bits from the lamb filling. Pour on top of onion
cups, cover with foil, and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes. Be patient,
it’s worth it!</div>
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Meanwhile, mix the rest of the cheese and breadcrumbs, and
add chopped parsley. Place on top of the onion cups, increase heat to 450, and
cook for 5 minutes until the topping is crisp. Let rest for 5 minutes before
serving. Ok, now you can eat it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-58964610945540662042013-04-13T09:46:00.001-07:002013-07-03T07:23:54.564-07:00Shaking Beef: tender loving morsels of sweet, salt, and savory<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AEkcn-kk1WENZUcm6CJROzS1D-NzCI5Ea6L-ujOwRUm26SPoI1GPu5mPLoFRIjaKJyeBqPoibg8umA8fDhsK0801fRrKvTmQc3Ryl2MonEr38zqaZs2MPNyb_FaY5rbKoyys6x_OBbY/s1600/ShakingBeef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AEkcn-kk1WENZUcm6CJROzS1D-NzCI5Ea6L-ujOwRUm26SPoI1GPu5mPLoFRIjaKJyeBqPoibg8umA8fDhsK0801fRrKvTmQc3Ryl2MonEr38zqaZs2MPNyb_FaY5rbKoyys6x_OBbY/s320/ShakingBeef.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Ever since moving to California, we’ve staked out a couple
of extraordinary places that we come back to (mostly to take our friends) even
though there is so much more out there to try. One of these places is <a href="http://www.slanteddoor.com/">The Slanted Door</a> in San Francisco. Of
course, being in SF, your restaurant is likely not successful unless you use
organic produce and ecologically sustainable meat products, and keep it fresh
and locally sourced. Especially if you live at the <a href="http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/">Ferry Building</a>. </div>
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Charles Phan created an epic establishment with national acclaim, and introduced me to combinations of flavors that I’ve never imagined possible. <a href="http://charlesphan.com/index.html">This man is my hero</a>. Now, I won’t claim that I know a lick about Vietnamese cuisine, and Slanted Door is very distinctively American (California) with a blend of half the world’s countries (isn’t that what America is all about?), but I will say that if the menu reflects elements of what Vietnamese food is, I should really get more involved. A gateway to a world of discovery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTONd8W2cBdUNoQisoOkvd46X-FC2iBaBU0mwZYZlO4u8iLxGoTJiYbkVUudDQXmLj6mXpQFz05-VmnV5074CAbOQIJTU6syBSit-vCRzCo0-FBGD_M-aqXnCjPU5iJR3Wg6l790Xhyphenhypheng/s1600/Chef_Charles_Phan_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTONd8W2cBdUNoQisoOkvd46X-FC2iBaBU0mwZYZlO4u8iLxGoTJiYbkVUudDQXmLj6mXpQFz05-VmnV5074CAbOQIJTU6syBSit-vCRzCo0-FBGD_M-aqXnCjPU5iJR3Wg6l790Xhyphenhypheng/s320/Chef_Charles_Phan_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, if you will kindly forgive me for my lack of knowledge about Vietnamese cuisine (and if you’re itching to know more, I implore you to consult your local <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_cuisine">internet</a>), I am very excited to promote this most monumental of incredible dishes (and a signature dish at Slanted Door), Shaking Beef. This is actually a very popular dish, but the version I had at Slanted Door is one to be remembered. I have to thank Food and Wine magazine for publishing a recipe from CP himself, so that I might have the honor and the privilege to eat this dish, in my house no-less. I’m not worthy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DD6fMVF-iJWhyphenhyphen7LKl8F8CNPwIUdRIVOszZy0RKpHSzLFxXN33iRNWNXbsifkqUYjI0s60MJGO3S93Zht6VAoeSt0OH9f-XMxFxVCw-siZ8KZReH3wvwCAgTycGhnF0GuO-az0neo2b4/s1600/Wearenot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DD6fMVF-iJWhyphenhyphen7LKl8F8CNPwIUdRIVOszZy0RKpHSzLFxXN33iRNWNXbsifkqUYjI0s60MJGO3S93Zht6VAoeSt0OH9f-XMxFxVCw-siZ8KZReH3wvwCAgTycGhnF0GuO-az0neo2b4/s200/Wearenot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Shaking Beef, or Bò Lúc L<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ắ</span>c, is simply a dish of beef cut into cubes and
marinated, and served with greens and onions (sometimes tomatoes). Why is it
shaking? Because of the motion you use when stir-frying. But it’s more than
beef stir fry, folks. Don’t believe me? Read the recipe ingredients I’ve posted
from a very adapted (but in-the-same-spirit) version based on the Food and Wine
recipe. And then get cooking.</div>
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Oh, one more thing – DO NOT cheap out on the meat. Pull out
the paycheck and buy beef tenderloin (filet mignon) – and to be a true
California hipster, make sure it’s organic, grass fed, locally sourced, and the
like (a nod to how Charles Phan would want you to eat it. All hail Charles Phan).
I also suggest making this slightly on the raw side (don’t overcook). You’ll
thank me later.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQjVfvdOb85IkQF44I9cfzYmSR5ZtCqr7Qm2NbgiVYbhCvbJ-SYI9xDEi-6COYjXyiSWozTGci0XpH7ncbQQW8VyL9My70MCxTh0DFrQF-_bVhIN8_NH4V84LGgbGOESmZ9WBZ6YKuh4/s1600/ShakingBeef2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQjVfvdOb85IkQF44I9cfzYmSR5ZtCqr7Qm2NbgiVYbhCvbJ-SYI9xDEi-6COYjXyiSWozTGci0XpH7ncbQQW8VyL9My70MCxTh0DFrQF-_bVhIN8_NH4V84LGgbGOESmZ9WBZ6YKuh4/s320/ShakingBeef2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Serves 2 – 3</div>
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<b>Ingredients for stir-fry<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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1 lb <b>filet mignon</b>, cut into 1-inch pieces</div>
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3 tbsp <b>sugar</b></div>
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1 tbsp <b>canola oil</b></div>
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3 tbsp <b>sherry or rice wine</b></div>
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2 tbsp <b>fish sauce (optional)</b> – or, add more soy sauce,
sherry, or rice wine</div>
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1 tsp <b>rice wine</b></div>
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¼ tsp <b>Chinese five-spice powder</b> <b>(optional, if you like
things on the sweet side)</b></div>
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3 <b>garlic cloves</b>, minced</div>
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<b>Ingredients for vinaigrette
<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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2 tbsp <b>soy sauce</b></div>
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2 tbsp <b>canola oil</b></div>
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1 tbsp <b>sherry</b></div>
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1 tbsp <b>red wine vinegar</b></div>
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2 tbsp <b>ginger</b>, minced</div>
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1 <b>lemongrass stalk</b>, lower third of the tender inner bulb
only, minced (or, if you’re intimidated, use dried lemongrass) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exe3Aa1d7Ro">Here is a helpful video on
how to cut lemongrass</a></div>
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2 tbsp <b>sugar</b></div>
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4 <b>garlic cloves</b>, minced</div>
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2 <b>scallions</b>, minced</div>
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¼ <b>red onion</b>, sliced into half-moons</div>
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6 ounces <b>watercress or flavorful green</b> (I actually prefer
arugula or spring mix, as shown)</div>
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In a bowl, toss meat with the marinade (everything but the
scallions, red onion, half of the garlic, and 1 tbsp canola oil), and salt and
pepper. Either let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, or if you’re feeling
nervous, refrigerate for up to 5 hours.</div>
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A half hour before serving, combine all of the ingredients
for vinaigrette (except for the lettuce and 3 cloves of garlic). Let stand and
stir occasionally.</div>
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Add 1 tbsp canola oil to a pan or cast-iron skillet. When
shimmering, add marinated meat and some of the marinade. Let cook undisturbed
for 1 ½ minutes until browned on the bottom. Shake the skillet to release the
meat and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Check one piece to make sure
you are OK with the rarity. If shaking doesn’t work, there is no shame in using
a spoon to toss the beef, I won’t tell anyone. </div>
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Use the remaining beef juices to
cook the remaining scallions, red onion, and garlic, 30 seconds to 1 minute.</div>
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Toss lettuce with half of the vinaigrette, add the beef, and
then toss with the remaining vinaigrette and stir-fried onions and garlic. </div>
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Charles Phan photo courtesy of the <a href="http://charlesphan.com/">Charles Phan Phan Page</a> (ha!). Wayne's World photo courtesy of google image search, since it's reposted everywhere. And if you even get the reference, you're as old as I am, congratulations. Oh, and the shaking beef photos? Courtesy of moi! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-23735901109419260132013-04-10T20:54:00.000-07:002013-07-03T07:20:09.365-07:00Momofuku. Buy the book, and wait in line. Trust me.<br />
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Look! I do book reviews too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGfWNYKrZSfXhLaCmqutgFOhtgdEK50ZeXBsT-dt4rvEopzkA8tFKmMwd8AM4W5aA_jW2u8VxjxLW0CtHKscioDIjhZQh6sqHy1hLTcqni3B-Ie_5178ynCPeOKZMiCUnrLCizM20JXg/s1600/Momofuku-Noodle-Bar-460x345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGfWNYKrZSfXhLaCmqutgFOhtgdEK50ZeXBsT-dt4rvEopzkA8tFKmMwd8AM4W5aA_jW2u8VxjxLW0CtHKscioDIjhZQh6sqHy1hLTcqni3B-Ie_5178ynCPeOKZMiCUnrLCizM20JXg/s320/Momofuku-Noodle-Bar-460x345.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I’ve been hearing about this place for just about ever.
Every time I go back home, I often feel overwhelmed at the choices of new
trend-setting restaurants that define the New York scene – such that, my desire
to go to Momofuku Ko was outdated. Since 2008, this place was plastered in
every food magazine, website, and television show for “best of” – but by the
end of 2012, the chatter mostly petered out to be replaced by
the-next-best-thing (and oh, there are so many…). But I didn’t forget (and
thanks to a college friend who came to visit us in Sacramento to remind us
about this place).<br />
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Christmas rolled around and we were desperately searching
the webosphere for an amazing restaurant that wouldn’t break the bank and be a
one-of-a-kind experience. So I remembered – and quickly learned that getting a
<a href="https://reservations.momofuku.com/login.aspx?unit=1">reservation</a> at Momofuku Ko was not possible within 5 days, maybe not within 5
months (the place only seats 12). But, luckily enough, the original
incarnation, the Noodle Bar, didn’t take reservations, just some perseverance
and an ability to stand outside without giving up (something I was afraid my
husband wouldn’t do after we waited 2 hours in the rain outside of Hot Doug’s
in Chicago). But a famous restaurant, and only 2 $$? Oh, but ramen was the
specialty. Ramen, seriously? What is all the fuss? Well, you have to trust
David Chang. (And now that I’m in the know, I see ramen on the rise as a major
force in trendy dining).<br />
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I’m not going to review the restaurant - if you want that,
just google a real reviewer. What I will say is that this ramen changed my
life. It elevated the purpose of sriracha to a new plane (in fact, the ramen
was so good, I DID NOT USE SRIRACHA!). I immediately looked online for more
information, and saw the Momofuku cookbook. SOLD.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguyGbEOEZP6PWFaVBW1vZACGDJ_b4MGFonlWWUma6JLFfT0E6y4sOn_-a8RYkigGhJWpKGI8b51gYpXoyIKmzSOeL3wQJgpO02pRPf5XtbZP8oy0CrnS2t2ieoAyn10ZuZsXSIhOQvDI/s1600/momofuku-cookbook-cover-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguyGbEOEZP6PWFaVBW1vZACGDJ_b4MGFonlWWUma6JLFfT0E6y4sOn_-a8RYkigGhJWpKGI8b51gYpXoyIKmzSOeL3wQJgpO02pRPf5XtbZP8oy0CrnS2t2ieoAyn10ZuZsXSIhOQvDI/s320/momofuku-cookbook-cover-photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is more than a cookbook. It’s the story of how noodle
bar started, and how the empire that David Chang unintentionally (as his
supposed modesty would like you to believe) changed the way we think about
Asian fusion. I dare say he wouldn’t call it that, but alas, in blending of classic
French technique and a love for goose liver, modern gastronomic chemistry (he
has been known to use a substance called “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transglutaminase">meat glue</a>” to fuse chicken parts
together), all things Korean/Japanese sweet/spicy/fat/salt, and a righteous
obsession with pickling, what else could you call it? The fact that this is
really a story, with the added bonus of some earth shattering recipes strewn
along the way, is something to be shared.</div>
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I won’t ruin the story for you, but I what I will tell you
is that anyone who has struggled to enact a vision can relate. He pissed off a
lot of people (and continued to do so) early on but refused to give up even
when some of his ideas didn’t quite work out. It took them getting things wrong
many times before they would get it right – and getting it right was often
stumbled upon by mistake. Only perfection was acceptable. Even the alkali
noodles used in the ramen took painstaking research and refusal to allow for
inferior short cuts. Noodle bar paved the way for bigger things as the Asian
fushion progressed to challenging, inventive, and game-changing cuisine. </div>
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But his badass persona isn’t always a good thing (<a href="http://www.chow.com/food-news/8322/san-francisco-to-david-chang-go-momofuku-yourself/">besides getting him press</a>) – I do think he’s really not as modest as he’d let you
believe. I’ll end this by saying that this man is a complete asshole, but I’m a
huge fan. I’ll also say that I’m an amateur and have really only mastered (ok,
only had the guts to take on) the ramen and pork buns – the rest, I’ll have to
finally get that reservation as Ssam Bar or Ko one of these days…</div>
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Here is my shortened/modified recipe for ramen. This takes
way less time that David Chang’s, and tastes pretty damn good. Before you riot
on me, I merely print this so that you’ll make it, busy people - but check this
out for a copy of the <a href="http://www.foodiebuddha.com/2011/11/26/momofuku-ramen-recipe/">full thing</a>.</div>
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<b>Tare (seasoning for the
broth)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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1 cup sake</div>
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1 cup mirin</div>
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2 cups light soy sauce</div>
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2 tablespoons Chicken demi-glace</div>
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<b>Broth<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Konbu (kelp)</div>
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2 cups dried shitake</div>
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1 small whole chicken</div>
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3 slices very smoky bacon</div>
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¼ lb pork hock or other fatty pork product</div>
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1 tsp smoked salt</div>
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<b>Accessories<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Pre-made fresh lo mein noodles (I say lo mein because I just
cannot find good pre-made ramen noodles that aren’t the 12 cent pack, but if
you find ramen, go for it). You can also make it yourself.</div>
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Fish cakes, sliced</div>
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Nori</div>
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Pickled mushrooms (<a href="http://momofukufor2.com/2010/01/soy-sauce-pickles-pickled-shiitakes/">see recipe here</a>, I use mushrooms from the broth) or other pickled product
– don’t use pickled cucumbers though</div>
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Slow poached eggs (<a href="http://momofukufor2.com/2010/01/slow-poached-eggs/">see recipe here</a>)</div>
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Sriracha</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AuRHxTATkFjNNrmP9tIwowTnR_jOoVKwaWvvXJF4E1tcaB5oR4MhhqcpyrXJTikoic6pLOT9n0jKpEU0vY91nFeQ9IlpLoe30bbwSfBzEHh2xoU6757ZyZqGJPwX2PTiBL84vF_jvUo/s1600/ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AuRHxTATkFjNNrmP9tIwowTnR_jOoVKwaWvvXJF4E1tcaB5oR4MhhqcpyrXJTikoic6pLOT9n0jKpEU0vY91nFeQ9IlpLoe30bbwSfBzEHh2xoU6757ZyZqGJPwX2PTiBL84vF_jvUo/s320/ingredients.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To make the tare, place everything in a skillet, bowl, and the simmer for 1 hour (you can do this while you make the broth, or while you drink a beer, whatever).</div>
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To make the broth: Place konbu in a pot with 6 cups of water. This will be like those little sink sponges, and will become HUGE. Leave in for 30 minutes, and then add shitakes. When your pot is full of expanded konbu, freak out your friends and pull the full leaf out of the pot, you'll feel like you're at the beach. Leave the mushrooms in for another 30 minutes, then strain (save for later, to make mushroom pickles for your ramen). Then add all of the meat products, and simmer for 4 hours.</div>
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Pull out the chicken, and shred. Discard the bones and non-edibles. Strain broth to get rid of all other heavy particulates. </div>
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Season with tare to taste (I usually end up using the whole thing anyway).</div>
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Place noodles (cooked to package directions) in a bowl with all of the other accessories. Add broth to desired level. </div>
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Line photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.billboard.com/">http://www.billboard.com/</a>. Noodle bar photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.immaculateinfatuation.com/2009/05/momofuku-noodle-bar">Immaculate Infatuation</a>. Ingredient list and recipes courtesy of <a href="http://momofukufor2.com/">momofukufor2</a>, this brave soul had the courage to do what I could not - cook through the entire Momofuku book! Cheers to you!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-41998671914527436832012-09-02T13:06:00.001-07:002013-07-23T07:04:52.225-07:00Top 20 List of Food: From Love to HateBack in the saddle! Since everyone just loves lists, I thought I'd make up for not posting for awhile by including my current top 10 loves and hates in food (that's 20 opinions, people! In one blog post! What a bargain!). This list will be updated from time to time as I formulate new thoughts about food with passing trends and new experiences.
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<b>Top 10 loves</b><br />
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<b>10.) </b><b>Buffalo blue cheese: </b> Ok, while it’s sort of boring, unimaginative, and part of generally boring grill menus (see my hates), there is something ethereal about the buffalo blue cheese combo which will continue to hold it high for the rest of time. Chile pepper and tangy blue, you have my heart. Dips, sandwiches, spreads. It’s as American as apple pie. Buffalo blue cheese apple pie? Hmm, that’s an idea. And it’s better than baconating everything, because, well, I have no logical reason. But, buffalo ranch? NO, that is pure blasphemy, and should be outlawed.<br />
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<b>9.) </b><b>Smoked fish: </b>It’s not just for breakfast, and it’s not just for salmon. Smoked whitefish, trout, mackerel, cod, you name it – fit for a queen! I can taste it just typing about it, and my keyboard is probably now damaged beyond repair.<br />
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<b>8.) Well planned wine and food tastings:</b> I have an awful time trying to pair food and wine, and I seem to always make just about the worst choice no matter what. When this happens, I might as well be drinking bad vodka on the rocks. Yuck! The apps have not been extremely helpful. Therefore, I would pay good money for restaurants that do wine pairings for me. It’s an amazing thing when wine and food go well, and its usually not what I expect – like a fruity white paired with spicy dishes, genius!<br />
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<b>7.) Olive bars: </b>Bigger the better! Unbelievably delicious. I could eat olives for the rest of my life. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. One of the best olive bars I have ever been to was at Central Market in Texas. There is a whole aisle dedicated to olives and other cured veggies. Only downside is that they have different codes for different items so you need separate containers, big pain in the keister. So I guess this like goes with an asterisk: olive bars with one price by the pound.<br />
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<b>6.) Whole Foods: </b>Many of you gripe and groan about “whole pay check”, or perhaps you have good reason to hate them because of their increasingly large corporate actions like taking over the organic standards board or taking a stand against healthcare reform. And you’d have good reason to hate them. But I still love shopping there, and I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s my years in Oklahoma where Walmart was just about the only thing near me, so I’m making up for lost time. Or maybe its because everyone there is so helpful, especially the butcher and fishmonger. Maybe its because the Folsom Whole Foods has a freaking bar. Whole Foods, you have my heart, and my pay check.<br />
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<b>5.) California beer and wine culture: </b> Never a state, except maybe for Texas, has been so accommodating of beer and wine customers as California. You can buy just about anything in the grocery (unlike New Jersey and many other states), and most restaurants have exceptional selections. None of this 3.5% grocery store shiz, liquor distributor conglomerates, or other strange laws, that limit your selection like you get in Oklahoma and elsewhere. You have real choice, and the choices are GOOD. California wine country will always be #1 in my book. I live in a state where people plan vacations around the booze, and if that isn’t awesome, I don’t know what is.<br />
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<b>4.) A good burger: </b>A bad burger is really bad, but a good burger is the stuff that heaven is made of. What is a good burger? One that is juicy no matter how its cooked, one that is rare when you ask for it rare (but again, you don’t need it to be rare), one that goes with any topping and that doesn’t need bacon or avocado to be good. Pass me a good burger with a Pliny the Elder IPA, and I am on another plane of existence.<br />
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<b>3.) A good pizza: </b> This is sort of a love wrapped in a hate, because I have so many more hates than just 10. While pizza is everywhere, good pizza is practically nowhere, especially outside of the northeast. A good pizza does not need toppings. A good pizza can rest on top quality mozzarella and sauce with a thin crust where the slice wilts just slightly at the edge when folded before taking a bite. Jon Stewart can tell you. Good pizza does not come from Chicago, and does not need pesto or barbecue sauce or nuts or fruits or those other things Californians try to do to it.<br />
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<b>2.) Food trucks: </b> Mobile food mania! This fad still has engine fuel in my book. Some of the best new food is coming out food trucks. I think the best part is that food trucks generally have small and simple menus because of their spatial capacity, which means that they can focus on prioritizing production of awesome things. What’s even better? Food truck festivals. Too bad I get full after the first truck. You can try foods from all over the world if you’ve got the stomach capacity, time to wait in line, and an open wallet.<br />
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<b>1.) Sriracha:</b> Um, yeah, it’s the title of this blog. No explanation needed.<br />
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<b>Top 10 hates</b><br />
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<b>10.) Pasta al’amatriciana in food magazines, over and over again:</b> While this is no doubt my most favorite dish in the world, this was SO three years ago. But it’s still cropping up in food magazines, and it’s the same goddamn recipe, no matter who the chef. It’s a total crutch for unique content, mostly because it’s awesome. Bacon and pasta, together? You cannot go wrong. Make the dish different or unique, make it better than the one I make <proud gloat="">, or stop publishing. I pay good money to learn new things.</proud><br />
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<b>9.) Kale: </b>While my internal statistics are indicating that this ingredient is finally appearing less often in food magazines and food blogs, it’s still making a regular appearance. And why not? It’s a super food: healthy, extremely nutritious, available year round, and it’s just so darned trendy. Who doesn’t eat kale? Me. I’m sick of it. It’s just not tasty, I’d rather swallow vitamins. Plus I’d like to keep my pee yellowish, thank you very much. So stop making me feel guilty for not eating the thousands of Kale recipes you publish every year. Don’t want to turn into <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/low_concept/2012/05/the_all_kale_diet_how_i_stopped_eating_anything_else_.html">Scott Jacobson from Slate.</a><br />
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<b>8.) Worshipping the small farmer: </b>Ok <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/celebrate-the-farmer/">Mark Bittman fans</a>, sorry to be a downer, but small farmers are not the savior of the world. Many do not pour love in to every tomato, and love doesn’t make the tomato taste better. Workers can just as easily be treated poorly, and farmers can just as easily have disregard for their neighbors and be selfish or greedy. They are still businesspeople, and they still need to make money. If they were in it for the craft alone they are probably retired or have another stash of funds. So upcharging me for an item just because it comes from a small farm does not win my business. What will win my business? An awesome tomato, not from Mexico, and in-season. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamar-haspel/dont-romanticize-small-farmers_b_1837187.html">Tamar Haspel puts it very nicely</a>.<br />
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<b>7.) American grill/pub menus: </b>I know it’s a staple of our meat and potatoes culture, and I won’t turn down buffalo wings (unless they are served with ranch dressing), but frankly, it’s boring as hell. I’m so damn tired of burgers (especially bad ones!), grilled chicken sandwiches, California grilled chicken sandwiches (because they have sliced avocado), bacon cheddar mushroom grilled anything, chopped chef salad (with canned black olives), strawberry spinach salad, and the like. You know what I’m talking about. I’m falling asleep just writing about this one. <br />
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<b>6.) The Baconator: </b>Who doesn’t love bacon? But stop using it as a crutch for dull recipes. Not everything needs bacon. And bacon won’t save a boring or unimaginative recipe. Stop putting bacon on my cupcakes or in my ice cream, I’m not impressed. Pork belly sandwiches are just a trendy code for a fancy BLT. And a recipe made entirely of smoked cured pork products, like the bacon quilt roll? If there is any way to make bacon boring, that’s got to be it. The heart attack is not worth it. I couldn’t have said it better than <a href="http://whatshouldimakefordinner.typepad.com/what_should_i_make_for_di/food-fads-i-am-sick-of-bacon/">What’s for Dinner</a>?, though – you like bacon? Really? Wow! Maybe you should get a tattoo to express your unique point of view.<br />
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<b>5.) Deep fried sushi: </b>I just don’t get it. Deep frying is like bacon – of course adding gobs of fat to things makes them taste better. But sushi? No. California sushi establishments seem notorious for this. If your fish is poor quality, deep frying the rolls are not going to make it better.<br />
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<b>4.) Standard breakfast food: </b>Ok, I know most of you are going to hate me for this. See the title of my blog? I’d rather eat that. Cereal, pancakes, French toast, granola, oatmeal, yawn, super yawn, mega yawn. Give me some chorizo hollandaise smoke trout with hot sauce on fried sourdough with a cup of spiced coffee, before I fall asleep. I will make an exception for when I’ve been doing field work – sometimes I have a hankering for French toast – but it’s rare and inexplicable. <br />
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<b>3.) Peanut butter and jelly:</b> As a kid, this always signified the absence of bologna and cheese, and became my symbol of all things disappointing. I suppose I’d eat it if there were literally nothing else to eat, and I was truly hungry, maybe if it were the apocalypse. But that’s about the only situation.<br />
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<b>2.) A confused menu: </b>While it’s always good to diversify your menu, have some semblance of continuity, for the love of God. I recently saw a menu for an Italian pizza and pasteria (whatever that is), with Pad Thai and Japanese soba noodles. No. Stop. Just stop. When I go to an Italian restaurant, I actually lose my appetite thinking about those vastly different flavors. It’s just wrong. Chain noodle shops in general are notorious for this, which is why I stay away, very far away.<br />
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<b>1.) Bad burgers: </b>Need I say more? This should be outlawed. Restaurant owners: a burger is hard to mess up, but somehow you manage to do it, and then try to sell it to me. You can do other things poorly, and get away with it, but NOT a burger. I don’t care how good the view of the lake or the ocean is from your window. It’s a crime against humanity. If you are going to serve me a half pound pre-cooked previously frozen hockey puck, and then have the gall to ask me how I want the burger cooked knowing full well that it’s going to end up well done anyhow, charge me $1.99 or leave it off the menu. A bad burger is a sure-fire way to lose your restaurant business, and I will see to it personally.<br />
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Blue cheese photo from <a href="http://www.drvino.com/">Dr Vino: Wine Talk that Goes Down Easy</a> Olive bar photo from <a href="http://www.centralmarket.com/Home.aspx">Central Market</a> Hipster farmers from <a href="http://healthfreedoms.org/">Health Freedoms </a>
Food truck photo from <a href="http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/">Nanny Goats In Panties</a> Unappetizing fried sushi photo from <a href="http://ohsofat.blogspot.com/2009/07/shogun-sushi-all-you-can-eat-2700.html">Oh So Fat!: One Man’s Journey into Obesity</a>
Bacon log photo from <a href="http://playingwithmyfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/bacon-explosion.html">Playing With My Food</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-56404814233578818862012-07-15T20:00:00.001-07:002013-07-03T07:11:03.123-07:00Sunday Dish: The Locavore's Dilemma and Food Literacy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8h_jxKpKU3OSmyPsvT3gkzFhDyth8DXuVMwmUG5Ym3AF1zzMHvoiCZprJEYgq1uPTrNHiIIF1stFw9Q03jBfLBHU_NsRRciVIqxCTACPqDsllQk54T8QW8I2dK0tbFfOH_v1rJVfC5qk/s1600/farmers+market+stuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rel="image_src" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8h_jxKpKU3OSmyPsvT3gkzFhDyth8DXuVMwmUG5Ym3AF1zzMHvoiCZprJEYgq1uPTrNHiIIF1stFw9Q03jBfLBHU_NsRRciVIqxCTACPqDsllQk54T8QW8I2dK0tbFfOH_v1rJVfC5qk/s320/farmers+market+stuff.jpg" width="300" /></a>Huffpo is full of interesting tidbits on food news, with a focus on California. Nowhere else does "out of the box" laws get more attention than in this creative yet experimental state, especially as the fruit basket of the US (I mean that in the most culinary sense of the word, folks..). <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/california-food-literacy_n_1662179.html">This article</a>, a forwarded link from California Watch, discusses a new resolution on Food Literacy whereby September is to be dubbed Food Literacy Awareness Month.
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This resolution will allow resources to be put toward encouraging several state departments to work with local communities
to increase awareness about environmentally healthy food choices and promote local California-based local food products (in support of the "locavore movement"), among other somewhat vague but seemingly innocuous vision statements. You can read the full bill <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0151-0200/acr_161_bill_20120613_introduced.html">here</a>.<br />
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So what's the harm? Who wouldn't agree with this bill? Well apparently there are some industry interests that do not. According to the article, the legislature received 20 signatures from egg, tomato, grain and warehouse supporters against the measures in the bill, citing claims of inaccuracies in the foundation of the bill in regards to nutritional value of organic food and economic benefits of eating local food.<br />
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I've <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2012/07/sunday-dish-what-do-to-about-big.html">waxed philosophical</a> about organic food, so I'm going to focus on the pros and cons of the local movement, something I've been conflicted especially since the Micheal Pollen revolution of 2006. Don't get me wrong, I love farmer's markets, but mostly because the variety of items available is astounding in this state and I run a higher likelihood of buying something in season (a merit to the local movement, IMO) <br />
These are industries local to California, why would they be opposed to promotion local food, in other words, their products? Strange. Guess there might be some money at stake. Maybe it comes from the fact that its easy to be a local around here, but doesn't always have the same cost or meaning.<br />
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Major agricultural industries (large producers) right here in the Central Valley can easily claim local status at any grocery in this populous state, which doesn't have the same value as say going to a farmer's market and buying food at a more micro scale (even then you still have to do your homework). The bill does promote improvement of access to farmer's markets, gardens, and local food stands, which might put the large producers at risk. My guess anyway as to the problem, I'm no agricultural economist.<br />
Before you throw organic tomatoes at these hold-outs, oh committed locavores, consider that this movement might not be all that its cracked up to be, and really ask yourself why you do it.<br />
The antithesis of the Omnivore's Dilemna, Pierre Desrochers and Hiroko Shimizu authored the book the Locavore's Dilemma, which when I have some more spare time I may decide to read both side-by-side. In an <a href="http://www.spiked-online.com/site/reviewofbooks_preview/12642/">article review</a> of the major points of the book, re-considerations of the main reasons people have want to eat local have some merit.<br />
You can read all the reasons on your own and make your own opinions about whether these points bear weight, but the one that struck me the most were the environmental considerations and reductions in greenhouse gases. <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es702969f">This study</a> showed that the bulk of greenhouse gases were not from transportation, but from production. Therefore if reducing the effects of climate change is your goal, you should seek out those foods that are in the best spot to be produced, not necessarily what is in your back yard.<br />
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Water use and land conservation come to mind - are we really meant to have all types of foods to also be local? Does it make sense? Is the climate right? What are the alternate uses of this land? Is this really in season for this area or is this filling a comfort-based national demand (i.e. winter tomatoes in CA)? The Central Valley has a history of lush soils, but competition for water with fish and wildlife makes some operations, even the friendly "mom and pop" operations somewhat environmentally controversial (bear in mind I'm a hydrologist working to defend conservation, and so these things are always on my mind!). Never stop asking questions.<br />
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Finally, coming back to the bill at hand, if we are trying to improve the environment and our health, we should ask ourselves the best way to do it. We need to promote consumption of more vegetables over easy fast food calories (in general, not ban them as some communities attempt to do to <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57468681/million-big-gulp-march-to-protest-proposed-nyc-soda-ban/">avoid unintended consequences</a>) especially in poor neighborhoods, and promote urban gardens (to me these have more of a social benefit than a nutritional one, teaching children how to grow their own food - something I need to learn too, with my little garden of death looming over me every day).<br />
So I wish the bill luck. And I also challenge you, locavore friends, to ask yourself why you strive to eat local. To quote Helen Lee of the Public Policy Institute of California, "Maybe we have to look at the relationship between food pricing, taste ... and other dynamics like comfort and cultural aspects of social class."<br />
Buy local logo comes from <a href="http://savingdinner.com/articles/buying-local-produce/">Saving Dinner</a>, who discusses the pro side to the local movement, although I'm inclined to disagree with some of the statements. Overgrazing photo comes from a Natural Resources Conservation Service photo <a href="http://luirig.altervista.org/naturaitaliana/viewpics.php?title=Overgrazed+pastures+promote+soil+erosion+in+southern+Iowa.">linked here</a>, but I've seen similar scenes on the hills near Petaluma where San Francisco bears an increased demand for local beef. California Aqueduct photo from <a href="http://essentialurbanism.wordpress.com/tag/water/">Essential Urbanisim</a> that has a wonderful article on food, water, and desertification, which is another topic for another day.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-68754217711504027272012-07-14T17:05:00.002-07:002013-07-03T07:11:18.422-07:00Sriracha Blood Mary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj7fHziRCW0yFFB836QN3Z2ZnGeZxYDiyB_jbYMqKYpBYSjKix-zj7Cnuzt6G5Rp1BXbTH5WAjvsm5gNsCVkWsvPDBveul1dIsALfPhyZgB-J_omBToVJRt8GT3_SFyzPNdKjQBXaoxU/s1600/srirachabloody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rel="image_src" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj7fHziRCW0yFFB836QN3Z2ZnGeZxYDiyB_jbYMqKYpBYSjKix-zj7Cnuzt6G5Rp1BXbTH5WAjvsm5gNsCVkWsvPDBveul1dIsALfPhyZgB-J_omBToVJRt8GT3_SFyzPNdKjQBXaoxU/s400/srirachabloody.jpg" width="299" /></a>Of course! With the name of this blog, this is kind of a mandatory post. So, what's the best part of waking up? Sriracha in your cup! Simple. Obvious. No backstory needed.<br />
Except for adding that I adore the olive bar, not just for snacking, but for making a most excellent Bloody Mary Schwag. What kinds of prizes do you sneak into your Bloody Mary? Please share!<br />
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Ingredients (makes 1 serving):<br />
<b>5 oz. V8</b><br />
<b>1.5 oz. Grey Goose</b> (yeah, we live the high life, but its worth it!)<br />
<b>1 tsp Sriracha</b> (more if you like it spicier, of course)<br />
<b>1/2 tsp Worcestershire</b><br />
<b>1/2 tsp Maggi Seasoning</b><br />
<b>3 grinds of black pepper</b><br />
<b>Ice</b><br />
<b>Spicy marinated olives and peppers</b><br />
Directions: Mix. Stir. Garnish. Drink. Fish out the schwag that sunk to the bottom with a toothpick.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-90312785050289457782012-07-11T20:10:00.003-07:002013-05-25T11:41:35.839-07:00Cruise gourmet the lazy way: gnocchi with candied bacon and Marsala thyme butter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj009zCVOcbKxvdn8-lUKoWm7fiBUXCFy_QlZIcLr1Tl8oKDBSur2WJssmmTyUhJZUY6Uh59XJOnpwd-DjAnOAp5k5pTMEh96Ur8uL1_rKaf3Y7uRb2CYHGy3CyeZyyI0YWmms6TqI8V8s/s1600/Labadee+crop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj009zCVOcbKxvdn8-lUKoWm7fiBUXCFy_QlZIcLr1Tl8oKDBSur2WJssmmTyUhJZUY6Uh59XJOnpwd-DjAnOAp5k5pTMEh96Ur8uL1_rKaf3Y7uRb2CYHGy3CyeZyyI0YWmms6TqI8V8s/s400/Labadee+crop.JPG" width="400" /></a>I recently went on my first cruise to the Caribbean with my husband and some of my brother and sister-in-laws (he's got a large and complex family and I'd have to draw you a flow chart, which I'm not going to do). We went on Royal Caribbean <a href="http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipClassCode=VY&shipCode=NV&br=R">Navigator of the Seas</a>, and when I tell you that this ship is a floating castle, I'm not kidding.<br />
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Words cannot describe the decadence of a cruise ship of this size. Fifteen floors, 16 bars, and I'm guessing about 10 restaurants (3 upscale). Many pools. A spa and fitness club. Rock climbing wall (I do not rock climb, but its a nice thought). An ice skating rink. A two floor night club. There is a reason some people retire onto this boat and never even leave at the Ports of Call.
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The food! Unbelievable! Even the "complimentary" main dining room was an exquisite affair. The buffet was absolutely ridiculous. Kind of made you feel remorseful as you step foot onto impoverished Caribbean islands. But that's not where I'm going, you see...not today anyhow.
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After tasting night after night of amazing dishes, I couldn't help but notice a cook book for sale outside the main dining room, "Carte Du Jour: The Restaurants of the Royal Caribbean International". MINE! Even got it signed by the captain, head chef, and head sous chef.
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So I bring you this amazing dish, which after all of my story above, didn't even come from a restaurant that was on the Navigator of the Seas (it was from 150 Central Park Restaurant on an even bigger boat, the <a href="http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/video.php?ship=oasis">Oasis of the Seas</a>). This book is great, however, these are not really recipes for home cooks (at least not of my meager caliber). So I took it upon myself to shorten and change this (originally "Gnocchi with Chanterelles") into something feasible.
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Whoever came up with this recipe is my all time personal hero for life. Except for the part where they had you make gnocchi from scratch, not messing with that on a Tuesday night (just look at that mess!). Or the 20 dollar a pound chanterelles? Not unless I'm already paying for a cruise - I went with simple cremini.
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And yes, candied bacon is just what you think. Add sugar to bacon before baking in the oven, and you make it even better! Hard to believe that is possible. I guess you could sub for maple bacon and it would be easier, if you do that let me know how it goes.
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Little balls of wonder, these are fantastic! I served this with a 2010 Barbera from our foothills fav, <a href="http://www.boegerwinery.com/Home">Boeger Winery</a>.
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Ingredients:
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<b>3 lbs pre-made gnocchi</b><br />
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<b>8 oz. bacon</b><br />
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<b>1/4 cup brown sugar</b><br />
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<b>1/2 cup unsalted butter</b><br />
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<b>1 tbs extra virgin olive oil</b><br />
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<b>8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced</b><br />
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<b>1/2 cup Marsala wine</b><br />
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<b>1/4 cup fresh thyme</b><br />
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<b>2 cups whole parsley leaves</b><br />
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<b>1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped</b><br />
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<b>Juice of 1/2 of a lemon</b><br />
- Place bacon slices on a parchment-line baking sheet, sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 15 minutes or until you are drooling over the oven from the incredible smell. Drain on paper towels, and once cool, dice and keep in a dry area and try not to "taste test" all the bits before using in the dish.<br />
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil and saute mushrooms for 5 minutes. Deglaze with wine. Add thyme and sage, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.<br />
- Cook gnocchi in a large pot of lightly salted water, and cook according to package directions. Drain and gently toss with some melted butter in a large stainless steel bowl.<br />
- Finish thyme sauce by whisking in the remaining butter a little at a time. Incorporate the lemon juice at the last minute.<br />
- Toss all ingredients together with parsley leaves, and serve.<br />
- Enjoy. Thank me later with a kind comment on this post :-).<br />
Gnocchi dough photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/.tastespotting.com">Tastespotting</a>. Candied bacon photo courtesy of David Lebovitz's <a href="http://www.blogger.com/davidlebovitz.com">colorful food blog</a>. Happy retiree courtesy of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/dailymargarita.com">Daily Margarita</a>, that's the life, huh?
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-49534428582771947662012-07-08T14:39:00.002-07:002013-07-03T07:11:31.221-07:00Sunday Dish: What do to about Big Organic?<a href="http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Gifs/organic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Gifs/organic.jpg" width="222" /></a>Hmmm, well, maybe to make this blog a little more appealing and to get a few more regular followers, I'll have to start doing something regular like "Sunday Dish". Sure, why the hell not? I'll find a story that gets me thinking, come up with some assorted opinions about the topic (I'm full of opinions...), and then share them with you! Maybe get a debate going - post a comment and tell me how you feel!<br />
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So anyway, I read a lot of news in the morning, and am usually drawn to food articles (maybe because I'm always hungry, who knows...), <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/business/organic-food-purists-worry-about-big-companies-influence.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp">but this article</a> from the New York Times got me in a pensive mood. The article talks about how large corporate interests are diluting the meaning of organic - by slowly adding lists of exceptions in food processing, stacking the boards with corporate interests, and placing dollar signs about integrity. This is nothing new, just a reminder of what we knew has been going on since the organic branding started to take off in 1995.<br />
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I've often shied away from committing to the organic culture, usually out of convenience or the fact that I'm cheap at heart, plus that I'm not all that convinced that eating organic is really going to improve my health or save the world. Maybe the environment, but things <a href="http://www.american.com/archive/2008/june-06-08/the-problem-with-organic-food">like shipping foods across large areas </a><a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=organic-farming-yields-and-feeding-the-world-under-climate-change">or requiring more water or "natural" fertilizer</a> (still contributing to nutrient loading to our rivers) to grow organic food also gets me to become a little nervous. Not to mention that there is evidence that we have to find alternative solutions to feed the globe. There are ALWAYS trade-offs, and no decisions are easy or come cheap. The list of damning articles about the pitfalls of organic as a mass produced commodity <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/2011/07/18/mythbusting-101-organic-farming-conventional-agriculture/">goes on</a>, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2011756_2011730_2011720,00.html">and on</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/dining/04cert.html?pagewanted=all">and on</a>...<br />
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But that's a story for a different day. What I'm saddened by with this story is that the people who do decide to go organic for whatever reason (and this includes 78% of families in the US!)- maybe they are concerned about the health of themselves, or their children, or simply want to know and understand what goes into what they are eating - are being duped by large corporate interests to the tune of 28 billion a year. And slowly and continually. But look at the marketing? Who wouldn't want to buy from these nice honest farmers? <br />
The "certified organic" label, and the faith that goes into it from the consumer, doesn't mean much anymore when a number of synthetically derived items are going into your food. Usually these additives are to maintain texture, promote taste, all the things that go into making processed food what it is and why most people are drawn to it. <br />
Even my favorite store in the universe, Whole Foods, is one of the prime culprits for promotion of additives. I'll still shop there though, call it what you will ;-). But what bothers me is the sad migration and corruption of an honest intent, given the high dollar signs that organic labeling commands. <br />
The solution? If you are one of these religious organic consumers, pay attention to what you are buying and don't trust anyone. <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255/">Ask questions</a>, look online, google things. An app that I find really helpful is <a href="http://www.fooducate.com/">Fooducate</a>, which compares many items and looks at synthetic additives in foods to help you make good choices. Not buying organic foods because you don't trust the certified organic label is the best way to send the message that you don't like what is going on.<br />
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Secondly, if you are really concerned, don't buy pre-made packaged or processed food like the one pictured here, and cook yourself, from as much scratch as you can. Buy organic produce, and ask questions at the local store or farmers market. Focus on priorities and spend your money on the <a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#fbIndex1">produce where you get the best benefits from buying organic</a> such as stone fruits and spinach.<br />
Finally, organic shoppers, relax a little bit, and enjoy good healthy food that is naturally low in fat and sugar and high in fiber and protein. Protecting your heart and keeping your weight down will do many wonderful things for your health, and your life, and might just be more important than following the organic label to religious zeal.<br />
Don't forget to treat yourself to some <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2012/07/bizarre-foods-from-my-youth.html">spaghetti with american cheese</a> every now and then when you need a treat ;-). Did you know that Whole Foods doesn't sell "american cheese"? Cheddar doesn't cut it. Kraft singles, baby! Ok sorry for the aside...<br />
Happy farmer photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.organicvalley.coop/">Organic Valley Coop</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-42040242606483687382012-07-04T10:40:00.001-07:002013-07-03T07:11:47.402-07:00Good Ole Fashioned AmericanaSo I recently <a href="http://srirachalove.blogspot.com/2012/07/bizarre-foods-from-my-youth.html">described strange foods from my youth</a>, and the dominant themes were filled with american staples like processed cheese, 7-11 hot dogs, white pasta/bread, and the like. It was good, goddammit. My inner child still swoons for these things. Especially american cheese.<br />
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This <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/dining/top-chefs-say-that-sometimes-only-supermarket-brands-will-do.html?pagewanted=2&hpw">wonderful article</a> in the NYT got me thinking even more, and you should read it too. Especially here on the West Coast, where ordering grilled american cheese, doritos, and a Miller Lite might be considered heresy in many places. No shame! This is what makes the US go round, and its what us plebians flock to on those busy weekday nights. Me included. Well, sometimes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCZ5EKJ1_XsYoIR1VdDIsdPZTaKUGUPCR5Q_qVe429Ar64b2JpghvziFzyjbSk38FwUrD9xGAN-lF7nUC_ms22k0CDIHqo1ymUoc1eor6AvT9vXd9sbbgUEwJDmjGOGHTNApO_CD7T_U/s1600/SearsGrand_aisle_lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199.5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCZ5EKJ1_XsYoIR1VdDIsdPZTaKUGUPCR5Q_qVe429Ar64b2JpghvziFzyjbSk38FwUrD9xGAN-lF7nUC_ms22k0CDIHqo1ymUoc1eor6AvT9vXd9sbbgUEwJDmjGOGHTNApO_CD7T_U/s1600/SearsGrand_aisle_lo.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Ok ok, I know, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/05/14/152667325/pounding-away-at-americas-obesity-epidemic">there is an obesity epidemic going around</a>, and American food is largely to blame. All hail to Micheal Pollan, yada yada. I'm not playing it down. But relax, just for today! Please? Everything in moderation. Go and buy some ball park franks with Heinz ketchup, some velveeta nacho cheese, and a coke (or a Miller), and enjoy yourself!<br />
American cheese photo courtesy of the <a href="http://www.cheesesociety.org/">American Cheese Society</a> - yes that actually exists! How can I join?!? Walmart aisle photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.americajr.com/">Americajr</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353825782605165892.post-78155452880149994662012-07-04T09:56:00.003-07:002013-07-03T07:24:11.779-07:00A pasta dish that covers all the flavor elements: orecchiette with eggplant and burrata<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MWMgoQKc7Re88gvZbLhYjkC8DKNQPga3QJjq_PEwPn-FXxAMD9i3wTBBLybsgEX69gB8eXePCwAppPK2MypGx6M5i3zon8zJrxjr756jKsaccAk37aK_d2ETjTgEO6YwD3Vrhb3r8uY/s1600/Orrechiette_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MWMgoQKc7Re88gvZbLhYjkC8DKNQPga3QJjq_PEwPn-FXxAMD9i3wTBBLybsgEX69gB8eXePCwAppPK2MypGx6M5i3zon8zJrxjr756jKsaccAk37aK_d2ETjTgEO6YwD3Vrhb3r8uY/s400/Orrechiette_Final.jpg" width="299" /></a><b>Orecchiette with Marinated Eggplant, Chiles, and Burrata</b> (modified from Food and Wine, July 2010)
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This will be the first of my recommended recipes series. As you may know, I'm not very good yet at completely inventing my own dishes (I'm working on it though, and it will be better than the bizarre foods of my youth...). Until then, I am currently an obsessive fan of Food and Wine, I subscribe to the annual recipe books and hound their website every day looking for amazing new dishes to try. I'm rarely disappointed, and I usually learn something new, like a flavor or wine pairing, or use of a new ingredient.
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The author of this Puglia-based recipe, Missy Robbins, is one amazing chic (I say that because this recipe is amazing). She apparently is Executive Chef <a href="http://avocerestaurant.com/">A Voce</a> in New York, and was awarded one of F&W's Best New Chefs of 2010. Honey, I will get to A Voce one day! I swear! I will make the pilgrimage after having this dish.<br />
This recipe calls for one of the odder pasta shapes, the orecchiette, which in Italian, means something like "small ear". This pasta holds sauces very well, and is better for those that just coat the shape. Its a fun texture.
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But even better, this recipe calls for burrata, so I'm in. Burrata is an amazing thing. It looks like mozerella but don't be deceived! The outer shell is solid mozzarella and the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it a soft texture that oozes out of the harder shell. Burrata in Italian means "butter", and that's what it tastes like. I picked up Di Stefano Burrata from Whole Foods, and I instantly fell in love. This is some authentic stuff, stuff with Stracciatella, and made right here in SoCal! I could say more, <a href="http://www.distefanocheese.com/rosengartenreport74.pdf">but this article</a> pretty much sums up how I feel.
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Its a labor intensive recipe though, for a pasta dish, but its worth it. Look at all the ingredients! Never fear.
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Yes, that is vinegar. Brilliant! Its pretty tangy to add to a pasta dish, but it almost coats the pasta like a warm pasta salad, and pulls all the other flavors out of their hiding places.
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The pickled chiles add a salty/spicy kick, but not too intense. I used chiles from the olive bar, so they are pickled but not sweet. Eggplant is there as an accent in my mind, but soaks up the flavors wells and adds some new texture dimensions. Marjoram? Well, I only had dry so I'm not sure how this added anything, maybe next time I'll try it with fresh if I can find it (or get it to grow it in my sad little garden of death). I decided to throw the lemon juice in there instead of just the zest because I need some completeness.
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The cool creamy milkiness of the burrata on the warm, tangy, spicy pasta, is something of wonder. Have this dish with a glass of fruity red - the only thing to handle all of the forward flavors of the dish. I had 2010 Pallas Tempranillo on hand, and it worked like magic. Made all my worries melt away, just as the Burrata melted over everything else.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/orecchiette-with-marinated-eggplant-burrata-and-chilis">original recipe is here</a>, but I've made some mods, below:<br />
<b>2 large Asian eggplants(1 pound total), halved lengthwise and quartered</b><br />
<b>1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil</b><br />
<b>Kosher salt</b><br />
1/3 cup red wine vinegar<br />
5 large garlic cloves, thinly shaved or sliced<br />
1 tablespoon dried marjoram<br />
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper<br />
1 pound orecchiette<br />
1/4 cup grated pecorino<br />
1 cup whole leaves flat-leaf parsley<br />
1/2 pound burrata cheese, creamy filling scooped out<br />
1 lemon's worth of juice, and all the zest<br />
5 oil-marinated red chiles, cut into thin strips<br />
-Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the cut sides of the halved eggplants with olive oil and season with salt. Grill the eggplants cut side down over moderate heat until lightly charred and browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Let cool. Dice the eggplants into 1 inch bits and pour the vinegar over them.<br />
-In a small saucepan, combine the 1/4 cup olive oil with the garlic, marjoram, crushed red pepper and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Bring the oil to a simmer, then pour it over the eggplant and toss. Let stand for 30 minutes, but longer is ok. <br />
-In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.<br />
-Add the vinegar-soaked eggplant to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring lightly, until hot, about 30 seconds. Add the orecchiette and the reserved cooking water and cook, toss. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pecorino, parsley, lemon and zest, and chiles. Smell, because its GOOD. <br />
-Scoop the pasta into bowls. Place 3-4 little magical dollops of burrata filling over each bowl.<br />
Photo of burrata courtesy of <a href="http://janssensmarket.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/cheese-di-stefano-burrata-alla-panna/">Jannsen's Market</a> of DelawareAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04354137763419535158noreply@blogger.com0