Maria and Tony sings One Life

This is my friend's daughter who performed at her Performing Arts Training Center at Stagedoor Manor in Upstate new York as Maria in West Side Story.  Isn't she great?!

PEKING DUCK HOUSE

I've been to Beijing, China and have eaten at the Peking Duck restaurant where they've taken dignitaries to.  This place in Chinatown New York can pass for the one I visited in Beijing.

They have prix-fixed Peking Duck meals which include a variety of dishes besides the Peking Duck at a very reasonable price.  But for those days where you crave for a Peking Duck without having to over eat, I am so glad that I can have it without having to travel far away.

You can actually order 1 Peking Duck, a vegetable dish and if you want something else more to eat, you can order the house fried rice.  This order will feed a party of 3 maybe up to 4 if the group are light eaters.

Above, is a video of how Peking Duck is carved to be served.  The process to prepare the duck itself is the secret.  Some blow air between the skin and the meat which makes the skin crisp when baked.

My Chinese Pediatrician told me long time ago that to prepare a Peking duck, you prick the skin and brush the entire duck liberally with Sherry or Chinese wine.  Then, you hang it a few hours before baking or roasting it in the oven, to drain all the fat out.  Would you believe that I actually tried it at home?  Although the skin became crisp, I think it's easier to eat this at a restaurant that specializes in Peking duck.

The Peking duck was served on our table with thin slices of scallions and cucumbers in a dish and some hoisin sauce to add to the duck.  Not shown is the container of warm pancakes where you put some duck, sauce, some scallions and cucumbers.  Roll  the pancake to eat it.  It's like a thin wrap.

I never complete a dinner without vegetables.  The broccoli with lots of garlic was perfect. 

Since childhood, I've always loved Chinese fried rice.  So, to make the meal perfect, we had to have some fried rice.  By the way, this fried rice is so similar to the kind I grew up with knowing.  Lesson #1, there are many ways of making fried rice.  There are some fried rice whereby the Chef adds soy sauce in it.  I prefer the clean taste of a light fried rice such as the one pictured on the right.

The duck was first shown to us and then carved.

pekingduckhousenyc.com

PEKING DUCK HOUSE:

28 Mott Street
New York
(212) 227-1810

or  in Midtown at

236 East 53rd Street
Manhattan
(212) 759-8260

CURRIED CHILEAN SEABASS

A few years ago, I came across this recipe from a newspaper which the author Florence Fabricant had featured.

This dish has a very light curry sauce unlike other curry recipes.  It has a light delicate taste.  The original recipe called for sea bass which I didn't have; but I had a Chilean sea bass which has thicker but light meat.

I have actually changed the recipe a little bit.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 lb fillet of Chilean sea bass or halibut
3 TB grapeseed oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 cup finely chopped onion
1TB slivered ginger
1 jalapeno pepper seeded, and slivered
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1TB tamarind paste (found in Asian groceries - has many uses like my previous recipe)
1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)* (optional - or clam broth)
Season with 2 TB of fish sauce**

In a large saute pan, heat the 3TB grapeseed oil.  Add the mustard seeds, chopped onion and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add the next 5 ingredients including the fish.  Cook for 1 minute, then flip it over.  Add the coconut milk and cover to cook for about 10 minutes and serve over plain white rice.

You may serve it with any kind of chutney on the side.
*
** If you can't find unsweetened coconut milk or fish sauce in your area, you can look it up on Amazon on the right hand column of this blog.

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

National Fried Chicken Day

Clinton Street Bakery was started by Neil Kleinberg and Dedeh Lahman in 2001.  Their first and foremost intention was to be the best bakery in town.  With their baked goods, they also serve delicious and outstanding pancakes and waffles for breakfast or brunch.  They became known in the neighborhood which to this day you will see lines form on weekends practically all the time.

Clinton Street Bakery is also open for dinner.  Tonight I ordered their famous fried chicken on waffles.  Although it was fried, I actually didn't think it was that greasy.  But if you happen to be one who avoids to eat chicken skin, then it will be greasy for you.  The skin helps keep the chicken juicy and tastier.  As a foodie, if it's really worth trying, I would eat it.  I selected their Award winning fried chicken served on top of waffles.

And it's National Chicken Month so today, I had to have the Award Winning Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Clinton Street Bakery.

I am conscious of my diet so I ordered their fried kale.  It's to die for!  I have never had kale so light and yet crisply fried.

The picture of the kale on the left doesn't look fried but it was.  The texture is so light - they are like green snow flakes!

No meal is complete without dessert.  This Lemon Meringue pictured above was just perfect.  The lemon custard is made with true lemon.  It reminds me of Lemon Bars with a super thick egg white meringue on top.  That's a sign of a good bakery!

Clinton Street Bakery is located in the Lower East side - a few steps south of Houston Street on Clinton Street.  The street has other interesting restaurants around it as well as shops.  So, while you're waiting, feel free to roam around and explore.  That's how I find out more places to go to.

TIP:  For weekend brunch, lines could be an hour long.
http://ourfriendben.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/national-chicken-month/

And since it's also Ice Cream Month, we stopped at Il Laboratorio for some ice cream.  I had chocolate-orange gelato and a scoop of cucumber sorbet.  So good on a hot summer day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ice_Cream_Month

http://www.clintonstreetbaking.com/
4 Clinton Street  New York, NY 10002
(646) 602-6263