7x7 Big Eats 2013 - Wing Wings

Location: 422 Haight Street, San Francisco, California 94117
Date: Friday, January 17th
Food: Angry Korean Wings
Price:$6.00 (for 5)
Comments: These technically shouldn't count towards the list because they were consumed in 2014, not 2013. But since the 2014 Big Eats list was not-yet-released @ that point, we let it slide. I thought the wings were neither angry nor were they Korean. They were just sort of sweet, & maybe a little tangy. Perhaps the fact that these wings had sat in a box for a couple of hours before reaching my palette had played against my experience...but I didn't expect flavor to just completely disappear. For the same price, I would actually recommend the Papalote salsa wings...they were muy delicious.

From the Oven - Baked Lamb Shanks

HAPPY NEW YEAR

One of my goals this year is to allow myself more opportunities to enjoy the people, places, & things I love...like food!

A while ago Russell's mom brought us a couple of lamb shanks; but we hadn't found time time to cook it until things slowed down for the holidays.

When it came time to look for a fail-proof recipe to treat my lamb shanks, I turned to the place that I have learned not to doubt: America's Test Kitchen. I have always loved America's Test Kitchen because it is scientific & it is their job to takes out all of the guess-work for the home cook. Unfortunately, there was not a recipe for lamb shanks there...@ least not 1 that I can get without providing my credit card information.

Next I turned the search over to my good friend Google (it beats Bing...I've tested it) & the result was overwhelming. Most of the recipes call for a large dutch oven - which I don't have - & for braising the lamb shanks in a good amount of liquid at a high oven temperature for 3-4 hours. The only recipe that was different was one from Jamie Oliver which called for minimal equipment, lower oven temperature, & a shorter cooking time. Can anyone say perfect?

The Prep List...
   2 lamb shanks (~3 pounds total)
   4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
   3 sprigs of fresh thyme
   8 fresh sage leaves
   3 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
   1 large carrot
   0.5 yellow onion
   1 leek, well rinsed
   6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
   6 ounces white wine
   Olive oil
   Salt + Black pepper

Step-by-step Instructions...   
   Roughly chop up the leaves of 2 sprigs of rosemary, all 3 sprigs of thyme, & 4 of the sage leaves
   Thoroughly combine the chopped herb with the softened butter
   Using a small knife, separate the meat of each lamb shank from the bone, creating pockets
   Evenly distribute the herb butter into the pockets on the lamb shanks, set aside
   Peel the carrot and dice into small pieces; Thinly slice the onion and the leek
   Tear out 2 pieces of foil (about 10x12) and divide the vegetable & the garlic cloves onto each
   Oil the lamb shanks, season with salt & pepper, & place 1 on each pile of vegetables (bone sticking up)
   Place 1 whole sprig of rosemary & 2 sage leaves on top of each lamb shank
   Gather the foil & pour in the white wine; close it tightly around the bone to form 2 packets
   Place the packets onto a baking sheet & bake at 350F for 2.5 hours

Makes 2 servings

The result was tasty but a little too oily. The lamb shanks were tender & flavorful thanks to the pockets of herb butter. While we certainly enjoyed the animal protein, the vegetables on the bottom were even more delicious. The onion & leek were extremely tender & sweet, & the carrots were not the least bit crunchy or grassy...just the way I like them. We ate the dish with rice (poor planning) but it would also go well with rice pilaf, creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or even mashed cauliflower!

Risky (Meat) Business

After years of resisting, I finally broke down & got myself a Twitter account a few months ago....for the sole purpose of being able to conveniently stay up-to-date with the rest of the world.  One morning a few months ago, the American Public Health Association posted a tweet that read:

Ground beef & chicken are the riskiest meat & poultry products in the U.S. food supply, says @CSPI

I had no idea what CSPI is or how it came to that conclusion, but it appealed to my inner PH260 (principles of infectious disease) nerd & so when I got home from work that day, I followed the link on the tweet & downloaded the report.

To start off, I found out that CSPI stands for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.  Founded in 1971, CSPI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit consumer advocacy group that focuses on nutrition and food safety in the United States.  Thank you, Wikipedia. [1]

In this report, CSPI compiled and examined 1714 food-borne outbreaks that occurred in the US between 1998 and 2010. [2]  To make sure they can make a clear link between a particular meat product & an outbreak, the report only included outbreaks that were fully investigated by the CDC & were definitively linked to USDA-regulated meat & poultry products.  Of all the outbreaks examined, 564 did not have a known etiology, or pathogen.  Each of the 1700+ outbreaks were categorized into 12 groups according to its associated meat or poultry product.  To determine the foodborne disease risk of each group, CSPI calculated a "severity score" which is equal to the sum of the number of cases caused by a particular pathogen multiplied by the CDC-defined hospitalization rate of that pathogen.

Severity score of a meat/poultry product = ∑(cases)_i(hospitalization rate)_i

Now to to some results.  At the top of the list with the highest severity score is chicken.  Within the 12-year period examined, there were 452 outbreaks - totaling 6896 cases of illness - associated with this poultry.  The most common pathogens found in chicken were Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens.    Second on the list is ground beef with 336 outbreaks & 3800+ cases of disease.  The most common pathogen associated with ground beef was E. coli O157:H7 which caused approximately 38% of all cases.  Over the 12 years, outbreaks have led to the recall of over 70 million pounds of ground beef.  At "high risk" are steak, beef (other), and turkey.  At "medium risk" are deli meats, barbecue meats, pork, and roast beef.  Finally, processed meats such as chicken nuggets, ham, & sausages are in the "low risk" category.

Most people - if not all - have experienced at least 1 episode of foodborne intoxication/infection & it is not fun.  While most people get away with diarrhea and vomiting, many have been hospitalized & some  have even died from ingesting contaminated or improperly cooked meat/poultry.  I am a meat eater, I think meat is delicious, & reading this report is not going to stop me from eating meat.  And it shouldn't stop you either, if eating meat is your thing.  However, this report does remind me that I - along with other omnivorous & carnivorous human beings out there - should always make sure that my meat products are stored properly & that they are cooked to the right temperature.  To take this 1 step further,  it would be even better if we grind our own meat so we are assured that the end product we get started from a single source.  It's not possible for a lot of people (me included) to grind their own meat; in that case, choose products that specify a single origin (e.g. ground from whole turkey breasts).  I can't say these claims are 100% trustworthy, but that's a whole 'nother issue that I'm not prepared to tackle.

References:

  [1] Wikipedia. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Accessed 1 July 2013.

       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Science_in_the_Public_Interest

  [2] CSPI. Risky Meat: a CSPI Field Guide to Meat & Poultry Safety. Washington DC.  2013.

       https://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/riskymeat.html

7x7 Big Eats 2013 - Zuni Cafe

Location: 1658 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94102 (main entrance on Rose Street)
Date: Saturday, February 9th
Food: Roasted chicken & bread salad
Price: $48
Comments: We have talked about getting this dish since August of 2010 & we finally did it!  It was worth the wait & anticipation too.  The chicken was moist & flavorful & all it was missing was that perfect crispy skin.  The texture of the chicken meat was firm; a complete 180 from the supermarket rotisserie chicken that I know too well.  While the chicken was great, the true star was the bread salad.  The bread was grilled first which gave it a toasty undertone & a more substantial body to stand up to the chicken juice that it was soaking up.  The pine nuts & the currants added a sweetness which enhanced the bread.  Last but not least, the bright vinaigrette & bitter greens lightened up the dish & gave it balance.  The 2 of us ate most of the chicken & polished off that salad.  I think if we didn't have appetizers and weren't planning on getting dessert, we would have finished off the chicken too.  The dish takes about 40 minutes to be ready so think about ordering that first & then browse/order your appetizers.

Weekend Dinner - Turkey Lasagna

I don't go out much on weekends anymore...actually I never did go out a lot on weekends, but I digress.  So instead, I cook dishes that are more complicated & too time consuming for a week night after coming home from work.  I don't know what made me want to make a lasagna since I haven't made one since sophomore year in college & it sucked.  Maybe it was the 2 for 1 lasagna noodle sale @ Safeway.  Maybe it was the random pack of ground turkey I found in the back of my freezer.

The ingredients list is long but it's easy to find in just a few section of the store...
    11/2 pounds ground turkey
     1/2 onion, minced
     2 cloves garlic, crushed
     28oz (1 can) crushed tomatoes
     12oz (2 cans) tomato paste
     13oz (2 cans) tomato sauce
     1/2 cup water
     12 lasagna noodles
     16oz (1 tub) ricotta cheese
     1 egg
     3/4 pound mozzarella, sliced
     3/4 cup grated parmesan
     11/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
     1/2 teaspoon oregano
     Salt & black pepper to taste

There are a lot of steps, but it's worth it in the end...
     In a large pot, cook the ground turkey, onion, & garlic until the meat is browned
     Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, & water
     Season the sauce with Italian seasoning, oregano, & salt/pepper
     Cover the pot & let the sauce simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally
     Cook the lasagna noodles for 2 minutes less than the instructed time
     In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the egg
     Assemble the lasagna in a 9x13 baking dish in the following layers:
          11/2 cups meat sauce
          6 lasagna noodles, overlapping lengthwise
          1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture
          1/2 of the mozzarella slices
          11/2 cups meat sauce
          1/4 cup parmesan cheese
          6 lasagna noodles, overlapping lengthwise
          The rest of the ricotta cheese mixture
          The rest of the mozzarella slices
          The rest of the meat sauce
          The rest of the parmesan cheese
     Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray & cover the baking dish
     Bake the lasagna at 375F for 25 minutes covered & 25 minutes uncovered
     Let cool for 15 minutes before serving

I used crushed tomatoes & tomato sauce that already had some seasoning in it to help boost the flavor since I didn't get the dried basil or the fennel seeds.  But for some reason, the dish was still too sweet for our liking.  Be prepared for some serious stove cleaning after making this recipe because no matter how low you turn down the heat, the tomato sauce will splatter everywhere when you try to stir it every-so-often.  Oh and watch your fingers too because the sauce will get you & that does not feel good.

Weekend Dinner - Turkey Chili

One of the things I like to do on weekends is to cook a big portion of something that we can bring for lunch & reheat for a quick dinner throughout the next week.  I particularly like making chili since it is filling & we can just eat a bowl of it without having to bother with rice, potatoes, or any other kind of starch.  When I was on Lent many months ago, I made a vegetarian chili that I liked a lot.  But now that I can have meat again, I need a new chili recipe.


The grocery list called for...
     11/2 pounds ground turkey

     1 yellow onion, chopped

     1 green bell pepper, chopped

     1 can kidney beans

     1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes

     1 cup water

     1 tablespoon garlic, minced

     11/2 tablespoons chili powder

     1/2 teaspoon paprika

     1/2 teaspoon oregano

     1/4 teaspoon cayenne

     1/2 teaspoon cumin

     Salt & black pepper to taste

All you have to do is follow the steps...

     In a large pot, brown the ground turkey in a little bit of oil

     Add in the onion & bell pepper; cook until they are tender

     Add in water, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, & garlic

     Season with chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne, cumin, salt & pepper

     Bring the whole thing to boil

     Reduce heat & let simmer for 30 minutes

It sucks that I don't have a picture but all chili look about the same so you can imagine what this one looks like too.  We happened to have some really spicy salsa leftover from a taqueria in the Mission in our fridge so I threw that into the pot and it gave the chili some really good heat; just reduce the amount of water by 1/4 cup.

Quick & Easy - "Winging It" Turkey Meatballs

We got 4 packs of ground turkey from Costco & are constantly trying to find different ways to cook it.  And what better way to use ground meat than to make meatballs with it?  After browsing a bunch of recipes online, I felt like I knew the gist of it & I was just going to wing it (not to mention I was late getting home & had to get this done quick).


All it took were...
     1 pound ground turkey
     1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
     1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
     1 egg, beaten
     1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
     Salt & pepper

And all I had to do was...
     Take the onion pieces & sweat them out until they're soft, let cool
     Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl & season with salt/pepper
     Using your hands, mixing everything together until well incorporated
     Make a small patty & cook it to make sure the seasoning is good
     Using your hands again, roll the mixture into 1 inch balls
     Sear the meatballs in a pan until all the sides are browned (~5 min)
     Continue to cook the meatballs in tomato sauce until cooked (~7 min)
     Serve with a pasta of your choice.

And there you have it.  If you are not thinking of cooking the meatballs for a pasta, you can continue cooking the meatballs after they've been browned using chicken broth or baking it.  I thought the turkey was kind of mushy but it is ground meat after all.  Surprisingly, these microwaved really well the day after.

7x7 Big Eats 2012 - Nopalito

Location: 1224 9th Avenue, San Francisco, California 94122
Date: Tuesday, July 3rd
Food: Carnitas
Price: $15.50
Comments: The waitress said this is "life changing."  The pork was flavorful, tender, & super duper hot! Unfortunately, the flavor of the meat did get overpowered by the carrot/cabbage slaw when eaten together.  It is slightly pricey but worth it once in a while.

7x7 Big Eats 2012 - San Tung

Location:     1031 Irving Street, San Francisco, California, 94122
Date:            Saturday, May 26th.
Food:           Dry fried chicken wings
Price:           $9.50 for an order of 12
Comments:  Actually got this @ Next Door Sweets next to San Tung because the
                    line at the restaurant was way too long.  The wings were not dry as
                    expected but they were not drenched either.  The flavor was slightly
                    too sweet & not spicy enough but the wings were moist & would be
                    a great snack to have with an ice cold beer.

7x7 Big Eats 2012 - House of Prime Rib

Every year, San Francisco's very own 7x7 magazine publishes its list of Big Eats,100 things to try in San Francisco before you die.  I have wanted to tackle this list for a couple of years now & this year I'm finally going to try to consume as many as I can get my hands on.

Location: 1906 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, California 94109

Date: Saturday, May 19th.

Food: Prime rib

Price: $35-$45 (depending on the cut of meat)

Comments: Prime rib comes as a dinner with salad, potato, cream spinach/corn, & Yorkshire pudding. The beef was absolutely delicious but everything else just was too salty for me.  If you are not one for salt, ask for less jus & maybe sauteed spinach instead.  For anyone who finishes their steak, the restaurant gives free seconds (maybe even thrids & fourths) but it was no steak; this was about 2 ounces of thinly sliced roast beef that sat in way too much jus.  Service was great & it's never a bad thing to add a little cheesy theater to dinner.  We wanted to love it but...

Quick & Easy - Pasta with Sausage

I got home from work on Friday & realized that I hadn't prepared anything for dinner.  So I looked around my fridge for a few minutes & decided to throw together a quick spaghetti with sausage.

The prep work...

     Thinly sliced up some onions.  I used 1/4 because that's what I had wrapped up in my fridge.

     Slice up your sausages.  You can use whatever kind you want but I would suggest to stay away from something that has really strong flavors like a hot link.

Heating things up...

     Over a medium flame, heat up some oil.  Add in the sliced onions when the oil is hot & cook for a few minutes until they become soft and looks translucent.

     Once that has happened, add in the sausage slices and let those cook until they are a little bit brown on the outside.  Sausages are already cooked so you don't need to spend a lot of time on them.

     Add in your tomato sauce & stir everything around.  @ this point, season the sauce according to your taste.  I waited til now to season because store bought sauces are usually already flavored & I don't want to risk having super salty food.  Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.

     Add in your pasta.  If you're using just cooked pasta, toss everything together gently & serve.  If you're using leftover pasta like me, toss everything together & let the pasta heat through.

Voila...everything including prep finished in 10 minutes!

Last night, I heated up leftover of the leftover pasta with dices of mozzarella cheese.  This added a new dimension to the sauce & minimized some of the punchy acidity of the tomato.  Yum yum yum.