The Birthday that Never Ends...

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Since Rene had to work on my birthday last week, as a belated celebration, yesterday he whisked me away for a little getaway, a series of destinations which remained a surprise until time to enjoy each one.

We began with a visit to Hakone Garden in Saratoga, a classic Japanese-style topiary garden featuring a koi pond with turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, a tatami tea house, a wisteria arbor, a bamboo forest, and a zen garden. It was a beautiful summer day, and in that perfect setting, it was as if we'd been magically transported across the Pacific to the foothills of Mt. Fuji.

Next, Rene drove us to the town of Campbell, where we had dinner at Furu-Sato, a serene and impeccably appointed Japanese restaurant. We sat at the sushi bar and ordered a combination sampler of nigiri sushi, which included standards such as shrimp, tuna, yellowtail, tilapia, snapper, and freshwater eel, as well as a couple of unusual items, bonito and albacore, both served seared. The sampler also came with six California rolls made with the freshest and most delicate crab and avocado. And among the nigiri selection was a single serving of salmon, which I saved for last. And wisely so, because it was the best two bites of food I've eaten in a very long time. Hours later, I was still savoring its perfection in my mind and even toyed with the idea of sweet-talking Rene into going back for seconds.

One of the benefits of celebrating a birthday in June is the late sunset, so we still had time to enjoy it after we checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Pacifica. Once we were settled into a room with a view of the ocean, we walked down to the beach to share a few quiet moments at day's end before retiring for a warm bath and restful night's sleep. In fact, we liked the hotel so much we decided to stay an extra day.

We began our day today with a nice long chat while sitting on the rocky cliff overlooking the beach watching the waves crash beneath our feet. It's one of the best balms in the world for putting things in perspective and leaving your worries behind. Afterwards, we headed to Chinatown for a dim sum lunch at the Far East Cafe on Grant Street, and at long last, a visit to the Asian Art Museum for their after-hours admission, which is open until 9 p.m. The collection is awesome, with artifacts from Tibet, Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan. There are ancient sculptures, dazzling metalwork, intricate textiles, delicate scrolls, and opulent jade carvings in every imaginable color. And never in my life have I been in a room with so many statues of Buddha.

I was still walking on a cloud when we stopped afterwards at a late-nite deli for a couple of croissant sandwiches to go, and headed back to Pacifica for another night's rest with the sound of the waves to lull us softly to sleep.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

09:49 PM PDT Permalink |

How My Indochine Vietnamese Dinner Turned Out

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Last night's Vietnamese dinner was every bit as beautiful and delicious as I'd hoped it would be, although I did have to spend all day in the kitchen to make it happen on the eve of my little getaway with Rene. The Lemongrass Chicken Soup was even better than I'd envisioned, but it took two tries to get the rice right. The first batch soaked up too much of the broth and turned to mush, so I had to strain it out and start over. But the result was a subtle, lemony, warming bowl of soup that's sure to cure whatever ails you.

The salad was doubly delightful, since the greens were harvested right from my own garden. My patch of mesclun greens yielded baby romaine, red leaf lettuce, and frisee, which were the perfect match for the peppery spice of my homegrown watercress. I topped them with a colorful mango salsa and nuggets of orange roughy, dusted with golden turmeric flour and delicately deep fried.

The stuffed crabs were attractive, however, the seasoning in my recipe needs a little work. I used nuoc cham to moisten the bread crumbs and it turned a little bitter in the baking process. So I'm going to have another go at it using a different blend of ingredients to see if I can improve upon the finished dish.

The shrimp noodles were an attractive yet simple alternative to rice as a side dish, and the stir-fry vegetable medly is always an easy, tasty and colorful complement to any Asian meal, especially when the snow peas are picked fresh from the garden.

Photos and recipes will be posted at the end of the month along with my Indochine film review.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

08:57 PM PDT Permalink |

My 'Indochine' Vietnamese Dinner

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

It was a busy day in my kitchen today as I prepared five Vietnamese dishes for my 'Indochine' dinner: Lemongrass Chicken Soup, Golden Fish Nuggets with Fresh Baby Greens and Mango Salsa, Stuffed Crabs, Shrimp Noodles, and Asian Stir-Fried Vegetable Medley.

I had originally intended to prepare the soup and salad as a separate meal, but I got caught up in too many other things to devote two whole days to the task, so I doubled them up and served them as a three-course meal. Fortunately both Rene and my son Will were here to help and enjoy the bounty on my dinner table. The photos and recipes will be posted at the end of the month.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

08:32 PM PDT Permalink |

First Harvest

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

It was a beautiful summer day in my garden when I went out this morning to survey my crops. When I first planted them, I went out twice a day, morning and afternoon, to scrutinize the newly tilled soil for signs of life. And once they'd germinated, I had to run a tight patrol for the garden pests that can destroy a young sprout overnight. But I've been so busy with other things this week that I've only gone out there to turn on the sprinkler, not to mention that we had a couple of rainy days which fulfilled that task for me.

So imagine my surprise this morning when I discovered that my snow peas had matured and produced enough to make a generous serving for my 'Indochine' Vietnamese dinner. I got the scissors and snipped all the mature pea pods that I could find amid the tangle of thick stalks, broad leaves and tightly coiled tendrils. I can't wait to add them to my Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry Medly tomorrow.

I also went shopping today for all the fresh ingredients for tonight's soup and salad course, as well as for my main course dishes tomorrow evening. Among them is a recipe for stuffed crabs, however, the only crabs I could find still in the shell were huge Dungeness crabs, which when filled would probably serve six. I guess I was foolishly hoping to find some nice little blue crabs like the ones we used to get back home on the Gulf Coast.

So I had to settle for the next best thing. I bought a couple of halved snow crabs with the legs still attached, and on my way home, I stopped at Shackford's, a quaint little kitchen and restaurant supply store downtown and found some unglazed ceramic dishes shaped like little crabs. I'm going to fill them with the stuffing mixture and save a couple of the leg sections to use as a garnish so they look like crabs. No doubt the effect won't be quite the same, but sometimes we have to make do with what's available. And all this talk of stuffed crabs has reminded me of the ones my Mom used to make when I was growing up in Alabama. If mine turn out half as good as hers, I will declare them a success.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

03:06 PM PDT Permalink |

Revisiting My 'Indochine' Vietnamese Recipes

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

With the schedule of festivities I've been keeping for the past week, the Soup and Salad phase of my Indochine Vietnamese dinner is about to collide with the day I have chosen for the Main Course. So I will be shopping for both events at once, and preparing them on two separate but consecutive days.

I sent my son Will to the market on his bicycle yesterday for chicken and some fresh ingredients that I will use to make the soup, but I still need some fish filets to make the Golden Fish Nuggets for the salad, some lemongrass for the soup, a fresh papaya, some ginger root, and [fingers crossed] some fresh crabs in the shell for my stuffed crab entree. If not, I may have to improvise with something like crab cakes, which, come to think of it, sound almost as good.

So it looks as if a trip uptown to Trader Joe's and a couple of other gourmet grocers is in store for me tomorrow. But the good news is that the mesclun greens in my garden are ready to pick for my salad, and perhaps a few snow peas too. So I'll be making the soup and salad when I return from my shopping trip, and the main course the following day.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:12 PM PDT Permalink |

Sweet Nothings

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

I've never been much good at idling away entire days doing nothing, but I've promised myself that after finishing my two books and celebrating my birthday, I will take the remainder of the month off from everything except e-mail and my Dinner & a Movie weblog. And although it sounds like a glorious indulgence, it's easier said than done for a gal who's used to working nearly every waking hour [and sometimes even in my sleep].

But I was determined to uphold the promise I'd made to myself, and so yesterday I spent the whole day reading a novel and making a big pot of lamb curry [playing in the kitchen doesn't count as work]. I rarely read fiction anymore, but the book came highly recommended by David Swanger, an old friend from high school who has recently rematerialized in my life. The book is Replay by Ken Grimwood, a story about a guy who keeps reliving the same twenty-five years of his life, a kind of expanded version of Groundhog Day, my favorite movie. I read the book from start to finish in about seven hours, stopping at the end of every chapter to chop vegetables, saute the lamb, and stir the pot.

And there's an odd little bit of synchronicity with the story of Replay. My son Will read the book last week...gobbled it up in one day and loved it. The copy he read was borrowed from the library, but one day last week when we stopped by our favorite thrift shop to donate some household flotsam and jetsam from last week's closet-cleaning project, he found a copy of Replay in their used book section. So now we own it proper. It's a wonderful piece of work, and the lamb curry turned out splendidly. I served it with mango chutney and a side dish of tomato-cucumber-yogurt raita. A perfect combination.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

10:43 AM PDT Permalink |

Back to the Business at Hand

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

After three straight days spent celebrating my birthday, it's time to get back to the business of my 'Indochine' Vietnamese dinner. I've already prepared, photographed and sampled the appetizers, and now it's time for the Soup and Salad phase of my menu. The dishes I've chosen are Lemongrass Chicken Soup, and Golden Fish Nuggets with Watercress and Papaya Salad.

The watercress I planted in aquatic containers in my garden is so abundant it's spilling over the rims of the pots and onto the patio, so I think it's time to harvest a few sprigs of it for my salad. It will be the very first item from my garden to appear on my dinner table. Can't wait, as watercress is so hard to find, and when I do, it does not resemble the variety that I know and love, the very kind that's growing in my garden.

Shopping for ingredients tomorrow should be easy. White fish filets from Trader Joe's, a papaya and some lemongrass from my favorite gourmet grocery, a couple of chicken breasts from my favorite Mexican carniceria, and I'm good to go. I may even shop for my main course ingredients as I will be making those dishes mid-week. And since my son Will is with me for several more days while his father is traveling, he will be here to share the experience. Alas, Rene is still booked up with grad nites and will have to settle for leftovers.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

03:06 PM PDT Permalink |

At Long Last...A Birthday Repast

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

The last time I met with my publisher, we discovered that he was going to be in town for my birthday, and I already knew that Rene was going to be working that day, so he asked if I would like to go to the French Laundry for dinner. Well...having been named the world's best restaurant for several years in a row, who could say no to an offer like that. Little did I know the hoops one must jump through to procure a table at the French Laundry.

It seems that they start taking reservations exactly two months before any given day, so to get a reservation for the 15th of June, I would have had to start speed-dialing my phone at exactly 10 a.m. on the 15th of April in hopes of getting an answer before they booked up the restaurant for that day. Rats, I was just one day late. I called for a reservation on the 16th of April and they had already booked the 15th of June the day before. Somehow I think my odds of winning the Irish sweepstakes are better than my chances of getting a table at the French Laundry on my birthday, or any other day for that matter.

So...we decided to settle for the next best thing...Bouchon. Thomas Keller's other place, right next door. The 'Poor Man's French Laundry', if you will. Or rather, 'The Belated Phone Dialer's French Laundry'. Anyway, I was easily able to get a reservation at Bouchon two months in advance.

We were seated at a narrow table for two, the end table in a row of many along a cushioned banquette. The place hadn't filled up yet, so we were greeted promptly by our waiter, who served us a plate of sourdough croutons with a puree of white beans and fresh chives. Being my birthday, I was in the mood for something bubbly, so in honor of the occasion, my host ordered two glasses of Veuve Clicquot, my very favorite champagne in all the world.

For the first course, I ordered Salade Maraichere au Chevre Chaud (Mixed Greens with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Warm Goat Cheese, and Herbs de Provence), and for the entree, Gigot d'Agneau (Roasted Leg of Lamb with Yellow Corn Polenta and Summer Squash in Thyme Jus), and a glass of Pinot Noir to go with. My companion ordered Le Potage du Jour (Sweet Corn Chowder) and Steak Frites (Pan-Seared Prime Flatiron with Maitre d'Hotel Butter and French Fries). Every bite was sheer heaven, and for dessert, Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce and a wedge of Lemon Tarte.

Before the first course arrived, I was met with the moment of truth, the presentation of the two manuscripts that I've been working on since last November. There's no feeling like it in the world, especially with a glass of 'The Widow' standing by to toast the occasion. Throughout the meal, we discussed a dozen new projects and filled my dance card for the rest of the year.

Having diligently completed two books, I've officially declared myself 'Gone Fishin' for the remainder of the month. After which, it's back to the Modal Auxiliary Mines for this gal.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

03:02 PM PDT Permalink |

One Fine Day

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

I celebrated my birthday today, beginning with the discovery of a dozen fragrant roses in pastel shades of yellow, peach, cream, and pink that Rene had left for me to find when I awoke. He arrived home in the wee hours of the morning after braving tsunami warnings and working all night as a caricature artist at a Grad Nite in San Francisco. Bless his heart, he made a special trip uptown to an all-night Safeway to buy them for me so that I would have flowers to herald the start of my special day. What's more, when I opened the fridge, I found a bright pink bakery box with a gorgeous cake inside [see gorgeous cake above]. There were also a half-dozen e-mails from family, friends and clients, and my Texas brother Michael called to wish me a Happy Birthday in person.

Much to my surprise, at an unexpected moment in the mid-afternoon, Rene and Will appeared in my doorway with a regalia of streamer-filled squibs and a perfect tenor chorus of 'Happy Birthday to You'. The remainder of the afternoon was spent running errands and tending to mundane household tasks until time for dinner with my publisher...a meal so delicious and memorable, I'm saving it for tomorrow's blog.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:47 AM PDT Permalink |

O-tanjobi

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Tomorrow is my birthday. "How old?" you wonder. Well...haven't you heard? A lady never tells...and a gentleman never asks.

I have always regarded my birthday as a kind of personal New Year. A time for resolutions and new beginnings. And in honor of the occasion, I have dedicated a Daruma doll to the coming year. For those of you who don't know the story or significance of the Daruma doll, here is a little explanation.

Daruma dolls are traditional symbols of determination and accomplishment in Japan. An interesting legend and significance is associated with these ubiquitous bright red dolls. The spherical papier mache figures are hand-painted in red and gold, and represent a Buddhist monk who, according to legend, sat in meditation for seven years, until his arms and legs atrophied. It is even said that he cut off his own eyelids so that he could stay awake during meditation, which is why Daruma dolls have no arms, legs or eyes. Today, Daruma dolls are a symbol of resolution and dedication to a task. When committing oneself to an important goal, the left eye of the doll is painted in, and once the goal is accomplished, the right eye is added to symbolize success.

And much like birthday wishes...I never tell my Daruma resolutions until they are a fait accompli.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

11:25 PM PDT Permalink |

Can We Have a Big Ol' Taiko Drum Roll Please...

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Many moons ago, in a neighborhood not so far away, I started reseearch on two books, one on Japanese food, and the other a directory of American boarding schools that accept international students. Since that day, I have celebrated the winter holidays, moved all my belongings to a new residence and set up some semblance of orderly housekeeping, took a two-week vacation to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and Yosemite, planted a back-yard garden, made eight Asian dinners to accompany my monthly Dinner & a Movie project, and saw my son Will's school year through to the end, including two chorale concerts, six performances of As You Like It, and a bridge made entirely of spaghetti.

And at long last, I am proud, relieved and ecstatic to say that my two books are finally finished....Just in time for my birthday on Wednesday.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

02:19 PM PDT Permalink |

How the Appetizers Turned Out. and ... A Welcome Respite from the Kitchen

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Last night's Indochine Vietnamese appetizers were a delight. I filled the Summer Rolls with crab, shrimp, julienned cucumber, shredded carrot and delicate baby lettuce leaves and served them with nuoc cham, a dipping sauce made with nuoc mam fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and chili peppers. The beef skewers were marinatd in soy sauce, sugar and garlic, grilled and served with a dipping sauce of fresh lime juice, sugar and garlic. The meat was tender and juicy and the lime sauce was a novel complement for a hot summer evening.

As a bonus, just to round out the meal, I grilled the leftover shrimp from the summer rolls on skewers and served them with drawn butter. For the vegetable accompaniment, I made a batch of simple salt pickles, with baby carrots, cucumbers and radishes in a sweet rice-wine vinegar dressing. A light and lovely yet simple little meal.

And after many unrelenting days at the keyboard finishing up my two manuscripts, I finally consented to take the day off with Rene for a visit with his cousin Luisa and her husband Jose in Fairfield, about a half-hour's drive east of Napa. When we arrived, we were invited on a tour of her beautiful Mexican-style home, tastefully appointed with terra cotta tile floors, Diego Rivera reproductions and classic portraits of the Madonna. Meanwhile, Jose was hard at work preparing a feast of grilled tequila-marinated prime rib, roasted corn, and a savory medley of mixed potatoes, pearl onions, and button mushrooms...And plenty of cold Corona Cerveza Mas Fina.

Afterwards, we went for a walk down to the lake with their two darling children Paulina and Emmanuel to feed the ducks. It was a lovely and much-needed respite for us both after many weeks of hard work. Thank you Luisa and Jose.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

06:48 PM PDT Permalink |

Of Shopping and Sorting, Horseraces and Hors D'oeuvres...and Shakespeare

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

It was a busy day for me that started with a trip to my favorite Mexican market to buy some limes and a jalapeno pepper for this evening's Indochine Vietnamese appetizers. When I returned, Will and I sorted through all the boxes and files in my home office, some residual work after the move last winter, a task made less onerous while watching the Belmont Stakes. As anticipated, Afleet Alex won the race, revealing Giacomo as the true spoiler for the Triple Crown.

Afterwards, it was time for the appetizer phase of my Indochine dinner, so I made Shrimp and Crab Summer Rolls, Grilled Beef Skewers and Shrimp Brochettes with two different lime dipping sauces. Will and I enjoyed them while watching The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino. Most excellent. Next to Hamlet, it's my favorite Shakespeare play, and the appetizers were equally stellar. More tomorrow on the details of how they turned out.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

02:29 AM PDT Permalink |

Revisiting My Vietnamese Appetizer Recipes

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Tomorrow afternoon, my son Will and I are going to watch the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown horseraces, even though there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, since Giacomo's chances were nixxed by Afleet Alex in the Preakness. But Will and I plan to go the distance and watch it anyway. After that, I'm going to go shopping and make my Vietnamese appetizers, Crab Summer Rolls with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, Beef skewers with Lime, and Vietnamese salt pickles.

My shopping list is quite short, with only a few fresh vegetables, herbs and seafood on it, so I'm going to shop in the afternoon just before preparing them. The recipes call for rice paper wrappers and bamboo skewers, lots of fresh lime juice, nuoc mam, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, carrots, cucumbers, leafy lettuce, mint, daikon radish, fresh lump crabmeat, and some kind of tender beef. And since it's the weekend and summer vacation too, Will is going to be here to share them with me. Too bad Rene has to work.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

10:14 PM PDT Permalink |

Serving Dishes for My Vietnamese Dinner

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

After more than a year of preparing and presenting Asian dinners, I have several baskets of attractive serving dishes in my cupboard. But with my newly-added photo of the day feature, I still crave more, if for no other reason than the sake of variety. Fortunately I have several good sources for eclectic tableware at our two local kitchen shops, the factory outlets here in town, and several excellent thrift shops. Oddly enough, I don't particularly enjoy shopping, except when it comes to preparing for a special meal. For that I will go the extra mile.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

02:42 PM PDT Permalink |