the arugula files

Graduation Time and Picking Crabs at L.P.Steamers in Baltimore

Mary — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:47:20 -0400

My sister Noel is an MFA. That's a Master of Fine Art for the uninitiated. Impressed? I am. This past weekend my family packed into MICA's auditorium and survived a two hour commencement. 119 and 57 seconds of academic speeches. Three seconds of my sister walking across the big stage.

Totally worth it.

After the commencement we treated ourselves to dinner at L.P.Steamers, a Baltimore dive where locals go to pick crabs and drink gold beer from flimsy plastic cups.

I'm a huge fan of L.P. Steamers, but a few words of advice for you seafood seekers. The best catch here is anything steamed. That means shrimp, mussels, clams, crabs. Avoid the fried seafood dishes, as they are not that good, especially the stuffed soft shell crab; this is very sad and disappointing because soft shell season just started (If you are seeking soft shell crabs, try a few miles up the road at Woodberry Kitchen). Fried side dishes, like onion rings or french fries, are solid fillers, but you don't need those either.

If you plan to order crabs and are not dining with an expert picker (Noel gave us a very handy in-person demo, complete with samples), then watch this video. Be prepared for a mess and hard labor. Picking crabs is not for the fastidious or impatient. (Don't tell anyone, but I like Dungeness crabs better than blue crabs. And I like lobster way better than any type of crab). The steamed shrimp with onions dish is my personal favorite. Order more than you think you need, especially if this is "your" dish because everyone will eat it.

L.P. Steamers is located in an old townhouse in a residential neighborhood (1100 E. Ford Ave). Walk three flights up to the roof deck; it's nice up there, plus you just burned off a few of those onion rings.

Pasta Making Class with Mrs. Wheelbarrow

Mary — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:51:22 -0400

If I tell you what I did today, you will be totally jealous. Ready? I took a pasta making class with Mrs. Wheelbarrow. Taking a class with Cathy was on my culinary resolutions list from 2011. So, finally, a few years later, I can check it off. It was totally fun, informative, and tasty. Cathy really knows her stuff and shared lots of helpful tips. We made pasta dough, ricotta and potato gnocchi, and, my favorite, spinach and ricotta gnudi. Oh, and how could I almost forget? We also made super fancy raviolis with spinach, ricotta, and a soft boiled egg gently placed inside. You cut into the ravioli and it runs a river of creamy, yolky deliciousness through your pasta, creating a creamy sauce. How impressive is that?

Cathy showed us how to roll out pasta the old fashion way with a hand crank contraption and with a kitchen aid mixer attachment.

Here are a few of the raviolis. It's hard to resist stuffing these little pockets with too much filling. I just couldn't help myself.

The best, though? Using the leftover filling to make gnudi. Little balls of ricotta and spinach that you roll in flour, boil, toss with yummy sauce and then get ready to smile, die, and go to heaven, by which I mean take an afternoon nap.

Lovely.

If you live in the DC area, I highly recommend Cathy's classes. Sign up early, though, the limited spots go fast. Word in the kitchen is that there are only a few left for her master pasta class with my other favorite pasta lady, Domenica Marchetti, author of The Glorious Pasta of Italy.

If you don't live in the DC area, visit Cathy's kitchen through her blog and find her writing in the New York Times.

In Season: Rhubarb

Mary — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:08:59 -0400

I've been waiting for this week to end since....well, since it began. Hey everybody, it's time for the weekend! I don't know what you all have planned, but I'm taking Josie to her first art show. Bonus, it's her Aunty Noel's show. Whip out the black clothes, beret, and paint on a mustache. We are visionary artists!

After enjoying the show, we will head to the farmers market, where I hope to find some rhubarb. I heard a rumor that there was asparagus at the market last week, but I didn't get there in time. Selling out asparagus: crazy! I don't think rhubarb is as popular, but I'm not quite sure if it has made its seasonal debut. I will likely make my annual rhubarb pie. Maybe I'll make these minis? Or some rhubarb poptarts? Or, even better, rhubarb hooch.

Have you seen any rhubarb?

Mee Goreng, A Tasty Vegetarian Dish

Mary — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:21:08 -0400

This dish came together quickly, and, thanks to the spices, was full of flavor. My advice for those who want to make the dish, is to cook the ingredients in batches: first tofu, then vegetables, then noodles. Combine after each is cooked individually. Otherwise, the tofu falls apart and gets lost in noodles.

Mee Goreng

Serves 2

from Plenty

2 tablespoons of peanut oil

1/2 onion, diced

8 oz firm tofu, cut into 3/8 inch thick strips

4 oz green beans, trimmed and cut in half at an angle

4 oz choi sum (or bok choy) cut into large chunks (both leaves and stalks)

11 oz fresh egg noodles

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp sambal oelek (or another savory chili paste), plus more to serve {note: I used "the rooster"}

2 tsp thick soy sauce

2 tsp light soy sauce *I used all light soy sauce

1 tbsp water

2 oz Mung bean sprouts

handful of shredded iceberg lettuce

1 tbsp crisp-fried shallots

lemon wedges to serve

Set a wok or a large pan on high heat. Once hot, add the oil and then the onion, and cook for about 1 minute to soften a bit. Add the tofu and French beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to give the tofu a bit of color. Stir gently as you cook, trying not to break up the tofu.

Next, add the choi sum. When it wilts add the noodles and carefully spread them in the wok using tongs. You want the noodles to get a lot of heat, almost to fry. Mix gently, cooing the noodles for about 2 minutes. Now add the spices, sambal oelek, soy sauces, water and bean sprouts, and toss carefully. Cook for about a minute, or until the noodles are semi-soft.

When ready, top with lettuce, transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with crisp shallots*. On the side, serve lemon wedges and a small bowl of extra sambal olek.

*Dice up 3 shallots. Over medium-low heat, add some olive oil or 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the shallots and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes or until crispy. They should be golden brown but not burnt. {Note: you can also buy crispy shallots at places like H Mart}

Like Everyone Else, I'm in Love With Little Serow

Mary — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:09:05 -0400

There are restaurant dishes that you remember for a long time. Then there are dishes that you remember forever. I'm talking about dishes that define a restaurant. The ones that people talk about. The ones that you must order, every time you go. Everyone has their own list, but if we've been to the same restaurants, we likely share the love of experiencing that dish. Like the soft boiled egg at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Or the Palak Chaat at Rasika. The salty oat cookies at Teaism. The lemon poppy seed donuts at Birch and Barley. I could go on. But what I really want to tell you about is the pork ribs with Mekong whisky and dill at Little Serow. The small plate of petite ribs offers a sublime combination: salty, fatty, tart, sweet, smoky. You close your eyes to savor each bite. This is the dish that defines Little Serow. Like the other dishes created by the celebrated chef, it offers the perfect flavor balance.

Those little ribs were my favorite dish, but, really, it was like choosing among your favorite children, each of the five dishes served as a part of the set menu were so good. My other favorites: fermented cabbage and chicken soup, crispy tofu, and cabio and lemongrass salad.

Many would say that Little Serow is a hipster's happy place. Waitresses in bright tights and Laura Ingalls dresses, upscale ethnic food from a little-known region, and Mumford and Sons-like music. Cool? Yes. Delicous? OMG, yes. But I think it's more. Someone poured their dreams into those pistachio walls. You can feel the love behind each detail, from the menu to the genuine joy each waitress brings when they drop off your fresh vegetable and herb basket with sticky rice.

It's no wonder why the City Paper named it DC's best new restaurant and it received a James Beard nomination as well.

Reviews like that mean only one thing: crowds of people vying for one of the 28 seats. If you are planning to dine on a Friday or Saturday night, the line starts forming late afternoon--usually around 4:30 to 5. I arrived on a Thursday night at 5:20, to find about 29 people waiting in front of me. At 5:30, just as they do every night, a friendly hostess opened the door and welcomed us in a few at a time. My name went on the list for the second seating so my dinner date and I grabbed a drink at the pizza joint next door.

The menu changes weekly. I asked the waitress if the ribs were always on the list. She said no. Recognizing the disappointment on my face, she added that it will be replaced with something even better. I believe her.

Why Foodies Love Ramps

Mary — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:36:19 -0400

You know it's spring when the foodies start tweeting about ramp sightings at the farmers' market. It's a crazy commotion, as if Blue Ivy herself were strolling around Dupont Circle. This foodie has definitely TMZed those green stalks. Like, OMG, ramps! Everybody, the ramps are here! But, after trying some myself, I wondered what all the fuss was about. At first, I thought I just needed more ramps, but then, after buying more, I decided their flavor was just not that strong nor exciting. With that knowledge, I've spent the past few years rolling my eyes every time the ramp groupies, get ramped up--literally.

But this year I had an epiphany in Dupont.

Everyone is excited about ramps because they are the food equivalent of ground hogs. No one really cares about that fat, hairy rat. They care that, hopefully, he'll see his shadow, letting us know that spring is here (or is it that spring will be here in six weeks. Who cares...RAMPS!).

Ramps tell us that it's time to say goodbye to kale and time to say hello to asparagus and rhubarb, and, before long, to the taste of seasonal strawberries.

Like, OMG, spring! Everybody, spring is here.

Kale, Rice, and Cheddar Pie

Mary — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:58:00 -0400

It's no secret that I love kale. I'm particularly fond of lacinato kale, or by another name, dinosaur kale, as its scaly leaves bring to mind. But, if the weather is any indicator, I better send this winter vegetable a dear kale letter and say hello to asparagus and rhubarb. Goodbye, kale. I'll see you again in the fall. But, before I bid you well, let's have another go around. Shall we?

When I came across this recipe in Eating Well, it called for spinach. I like spinach, sure, but not as much as I like kale, so I made an executive decision Mitt Romney-style and fired the spinach from this dish. The recipe is below. The only thing I changed is the kale substitution. To prepare the kale I sauteed it for about 15 minutes in chicken stock until the bitterness was gone. Then I drained it, added a squirt of lemon, and then added it to the rice mixture (as described below). This is a hearty vegetarian meal. Serve it with a light salad with a red wine vinaigrette.

I included the nutritional information because while this dish looks like a trip to a fat farm, it's not so bad as long as you don't eat half of it in one sitting. Good luck with that one.

Rice, Cheddar & Spinach Pie

From Eating Well: March/April 2012

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups cooked instant or quick-cooking brown rice
1 cup diced extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup nonfat milk

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spinach; cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl. Add rice, cheese, pepper and salt to the bowl and stir to combine.
Whisk eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Stir into the spinach-rice mixture. Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake the pie until lightly browned in spots, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 340 calories; 18 g fat ( 6 g sat , 8 g mono ); 144 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 0 gadded sugars; 14 g protein; 3 g fiber; 309 mg sodium; 300 mg potassium.

Grammy Sullivan's Irish Soda Bread

Mary — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:07:00 -0400

Here's a guest post from my friend Kaitlyn who offered to make Irish Soda Bread, drop it off at my house, and write it up for the arugula files. Yes, that's called the luck of the Irish. Take it away, Kaitlyn!

St. Patrick’s Day is this Saturday, and you know what that means.

Pull out your “Kiss me I’m Irish” pin! Throw on something green! To hell with that Italian last name! Go and celebrate your highly questionable Irish heritage by downing Guinness and gnoshing on Corned Beef and Cabbage!

Oh, Corned Beef and Cabbage. I have such pungent memories of those two, boiling and steeping in my Grandma’s kitchen, with me hoping and praying as dinnertime approached that my Mom wouldn’t make me eat the latter. But at a young age, I had good reason. Immigrant Irish Cuisine can make you say Erin Go Blah instead of Erin Go Braugh.

But times are a’ changin’. Modern Irish Cuisine has had some promising movements. And I’ve come to learn that some oldies can still be goodies, especially if they’re updated for a modern twist.

Enter my Great-Grammy Sullivan’s Irish Soda Bread.

Unlike a lot of Irish Soda Breads, you won’t break your tooth on its rock hard exterior. This one is moist and a little sweet. Plus, it’s got Craisins! Nothing says Erin Go Braugh like Craisins!

Grammy Sullivan's Irish Soda Bread

Yield: 3 – 9x5 loaves

(Grammy Sullivan cooked for 9 kids, so yes, the yield quantity is big. Cut in half to accommodate.)

Ingredients:

2 cups sour cream

4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups Craisins

2 eggs

2 sticks butter

2 shots of Irish Whiskey

Directions:

Mix eggs, butter and sugar into a wet mixture. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry mix into the wet. Add in the sour cream, and then fold in the Craisins.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. If the tops of the loaves begin to get too dark, cover in aluminum foil to make sure the tops don’t burn. Consume 2 shots of whiskey in celebration of not completely ruining old timey family recipe.