Korean Supper Club

Two years ago, after graduating from law school, my friend Lindsay and I started a little supper club as a commitment, or tradition, to explore cooking centered around vegetarian foods around the world. And maybe an excuse to make sure we saw each other fairly regularly. Occasionally, it involved a few card games along with some arguments about said card games. Sometimes, at the end of the night, we were so full of delicious food that all we could do was quietly clasp our hands around our bellies and smile and sigh.

Back in September, during what would be our last supper club, my friend, Lindsay abruptly announced (over a rather heated game of Settlers of Catan, actually) that she and her husband just bought a house in Fort Collins, Colorado and they were moving at the end of October. And just like that, as I reached for more of the raspberry wine to wash down the news, our two and a half years of supper club has come to an end.

Maybe we could call it a hiatus instead, separated only by a couple of states and some serious mountains. During that time, Jason and I managed to cook our way through the foods of Japan, Mexico, China, Hawaii, Korea, and even some Jewish cuisine. Lindsay and Patrick cooked up feasts from the South, the Mediterranean, Spain, Italy and France. It was a good run, I must say.

While I am sad to see them move so far away, I am so grateful for the friendships that have been nourished by our dear supper club. Bon voyage, friends!

Besides being exceptionally spicy, Korean food is really centered around banchan--lots of little dishes with explosive flavors. If you've ever gone to a Korean restaurant and balked at the menu prices, it's because no less than five to eight little dishes also accompany your meal. Think of it as free appetizers.

From top to bottom: Kongjaban (black beans stewed down in a sweet soy syrup; recipe here); Quick-pickled cucumber (I made this one); and boiled peanuts in a soy glaze.


Besides some jap chae, I had never cooked an entire Korean meal. Or a vegetarian Korean meal (who knew that most prepared kim chee has anchovy or shrimp powder in it?). I didn't have it in me to make nine or ten dishes in my small San Francisco apartment kitchen, so, to make things a little easier, I picked up some ready-made banchan from Woo Ri Food Market and First Korean Market. These stores have such a wide selection of prepared food, you could eat lunch or dinner at the grocery store.

Now, the banchan pictured below typically comes in one of my favorite korean dishes-Bi Bim Bap, which is a sizzling rice bowl decorated with these delicious crunchy veggies and various BBQ meats or tofu. At a restaurant, they will sometimes crack open a small raw egg (sometimes a quail egg) on top of the hot rice and the pot is so hot that it cooks as you stir it all up. The bowl is so hot that it also creates a nice crispy rice crust along the bottom.


From clockwise: boiled bean sprouts; cold seasoned spinach (sigumchi namul); spicy pickled daikon; and Kongnamul--boiled mung bean sprouts.

These dishes might not look like much, but, added to your rice or tofu dish, they are packed with flavor and add the perfect crunchy texture to balance things out. It also helps that they are all cold dishes to cool down the heat in other spicy dishes.

Another classic Korean dish is pajeon, which is typically a seafood and vegetable pancake similar to the Japanese Okonomiyaki or the Chinese Scallion Pancake. I had been wanting to make this ever since Namu, a modern Korean restaurant, started selling these tasty pancakes and other street food items at the Thursday Ferry Building Farmer's Market. Namu's pancake costs just under $10 and comes heavily adorned with Kewpie-mayo, a savory soy glaze, bonito flakes, shredded nori seeweed and a fried egg.









While this pancake can easily be made with flour, eggs and water, it is much easier and far tastier to buy a package of Korean pancake mix and save yourself the hassle. I just made some batter with the mix according to the directions on the package and added in some sauteed vegetables (I used a mixture of cabbage, carrots, onion and flat scallions). I cooked it on a hot griddle just like you would cook a pancake, then I drizzled some Asian Kewpie-mayo on top of the pancake and topped it off with shredded nori seeweed.

I also made a classic spicy tofu stew, which was gobbled up before I could take any pictures.

It was a really good meal. We followed it up with some Korean dessert treats such as banana milk and choco pies.

Oh, and I lost at Settlers of Catan.

Supper Club: French Cuisine

I was so excited for this Supper Club. I really like French food, but it doesn't always translate well into vegetarian cooking. Amongst the many amazing French restaurants & bistros in San Francisco, I really want to try Chez Maman, Clémentine, and Fleur De Lys. But, I would also like to see a French restaurant specialize in vegetarian cooking so I could see the creativity in action. Wouldn't you?! I don't know of any restaurant like that, but, luckily, my lovely friends, Lindsay and Patrick, were up to the task of making a delicious vegetarian French meal.

Of course, I had boldly requested my all time favorite dish: French Onion Soup. French Onion soup, when done right, can taste incredibly complex and rich with carmelized onions stewed in wine and broth...but if done poorly, it tastes like onions in brown water. I have had my fair share of mediocre onion soup at various cafes and restaurants, but if you happen to be in San Francisco (and eat meat), the absolute *best* French Onion soup I have ever had is at Lark Creek Steakhouse. The vegetarian version of French Onion Soup was fantastic despite its lack of traditional beef broth. I am not sure what type of broth was used, but I imagine a vegetarian version of beef broth would work quite nicely...The soup was flavorful and rich and perfectly complemented by a nice fresh slab of bread from the lovely Tartine with melted cheese on top. Tartine can forever be counted on for the best bread. Ever. Lindsay had also purchased a loaf of their olive bread, which is the best I have ever had (and could devour an entire loaf with nothing on it and still want more).
The second course was, in my opinion, the star of the show. And now my new favorite salad. A mix of red and yellow endive topped with toasted walnuts, creamy roquefort cheese crumbles, and a fan of steamed and thinly sliced beets and then drizzled with a very simple creamy vinaigrette. The textures and flavors were just perfect and I was so busy eating every bit of my salad (and onion soup) that I hardly noticed that everyone else at the table had moved onto the main course. I might have even considered reaching over and helping myself to someone else's salad plate if it hadn't been all of my very good friends sitting at the table. Plus, I really wanted to be invited back over for dinner.
The main entree was a traditional Ratatouille made with a mix of tender vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and zucchini, which was scooped into a flaky pastry cup. It was served with a side of wild mushroom risotto, which was absolutely delicious.

Since dessert and drinks were my responsibility, I really wanted to bring something traditionally French. I brought over a Lavender Saison homebrew (made by the Henry brothers) and a French wine (Côtes du Rhône). As for dessert, I sifted through all sorts of recipes for fabulous gâteaus and silky crêpes, and finally settled on making a clafouti with fresh blackberries instead of the traditional cherries.
I was looking for something light with a silky custard texture, but the recipes I came across were so vastly different (especially in the various quantities of flour) that I ended up making modifications to create my own recipe. The result was really tasty, but not quite recipe-worthy without another trial.

Dinner was so marvelous...We topped the night off with a game of Settlers of Catan.

The Most Impressive Tiramisu

The theme for this vegetarian Supper Club was Italian food. *YUM* Dinner was exceptional--oh, I wish you could have been there...

THE MENU:
* Caprese salad with imported mozzarella di buffala
* Antipasto salad
* Bruschetta on Crostini
* and.......a gorgeous plate of ravioli hand-stuffed and pressed with butternut squash and topped with shaved truffle cheese, toasted and crushed hazelnuts, parsley and a fried sage leaf:

The ravioli was so delicious, but what really made me swoon was the salty fried sage leaves which brought the flavor of the dish to new heights....My friend, Lindsay, doesn't know it yet, but I plan on shamelessly begging her for the recipe for a Guest Spotlight. You want the recipe, don't you?!

And since I can always count on my supper club friends to go the extra mile when its their time to cook for supper club, I wanted to make something really special for dessert. In addition to bringing a 2003 Chianti Reserva and a white wine called Venetian Moon, I made tiramisu (from scratch) for the first time. It really is an easy dessert to make despite a prevalent misconception that it is a complicated dessert.
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TIRAMISU:
Adapted from Food Network's Barefoot Contessa

INGREDIENTS:

* 6 egg yolks (room temperature; save the egg whites to make yourself a yummy protein-filled omelette)
* 1/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice (or sugar)
* 1/2 cup dark rum (I used Myers)
* 1.5 cups cups brewed espresso (if you use a drip coffee pot, use enough water for 4 cups of coffee and 1/2 cup espresso)
* 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
* your favorite dark chocolate bar (to make shavings for garnish)
* 4 Tbsp. powdered sugar (half for whipped cream and half for garnish)
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract (imitation will never live up to the real thing)
* 1 package of 24 Italian Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)

DIRECTIONS FOR ESPRESSO CREAM:

* Whisk egg yolks and sugar for a few minutes until thick and creamy.
* Add 1/4 cup of the rum, 1/4 cup of the espresso and all of the mascarpone.
* Whisk until smooth and put espresso cream in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.


DIRECTIONS FOR WHIPPED CREAM:

* Put the heavy cream, 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla in a bowl.
* Use an electric mixer (or a whisk and some serious elbow grease!) to whip until the cream is stiff enough to form stiff peaks. refrigerate until needed for the top layer.

DIRECTIONS FOR LADYFINGERS:

* Put the remaining 1/4 cup of rum, 1.25 cups of espresso and 1 tsp. of vanilla in a shallow bowl.
* Break ladyfingers in half.
* Dip one side of each ladyfinger in the rum/espresso/vanilla mixture (you do not want to oversoak them!)

Note: If you don't want to discard the remaining liquid (i.e. throwing away perfectly good rum makes you frown), freeze it in ice cube trays and then put them in a glass with some Coke for a roasty, yummy twist on a Rum and Coke!

DIRECTIONS FOR ASSEMBLY:

* If you are using a glass or wine goblet, you will want to put a layer of lady fingers on the bottom and then cover it with espresso cream and then use lady fingers to go around the inside of the glass--gently press it up against the glass so it sticks.
* Repeat layers until you reach about 2 or 3 inches from the mouth of the glass.
* Fill in the rest of the space with whipped cream until it is almost overflowing.
* Use the straight edge of a butter knife to scrape across the top of the glass to make a very flat surface.
* Place glass on a flat surface and use a sifter to cover the top with a fine layer of cocoa powder.
* Use the powdered sugar to make another optional design and/or add chocolate shavings.
* Freeze for 15-20 minutes to let it set together.
* Refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving.
* If you want to use a small glass pan, start with the dipped ladyfingers on the bottom and layer in the same order as above.

Note: Tiramisu will also freeze well if you want to make little individual servings and freeze them for up to 4 or 5 days.

Buon Appetito!

Nota Bene: Whole Foods has an excellent recipe for Vegan Tiramisu.

Supper Club: Jewish Cuisine

You have been so patient waiting for recipes that I decided to do a rewarding post with multiple recipes by letting you in on a little "event" I do that involves creating full menus with various courses and executing them all in one evening for company: Supper Club.

We have a couple of vegetarian friends that we get together with regularly for said Supper Club (it's fun because I really enjoy hosting and appreciate the opportunity to see my friends regularly to do something fun and creative). We usually pick a theme for the food (Japanese, Mexican, Chinese, French, Carribean, Mediterranean, Spanish, etc.) and trade off on who cooks while the guests are generally in charge of dessert and drinks...Sometimes cooking vegetarian necessitates a deviation from authenticity in certain ethnic dishes, but it forces me to be more creative with the recipes, which is always a welcome challenge! (Note: all of the recipes below can easily be adapted to be vegan!)

It was my turn to cook for this Supper Club...Theme: Jewish food! The menu: Potato Latkes with Applesauce and Sour Cream, Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup, Vegetarian Golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls) and Challah bread.

Potato Latkes with Applesauce and Sour Cream--Latkes are delicious potato pancakes that are usually made from grated potatoes, grated onion, egg, flour and salt...of course, there are countless variations (you could even try adding grated parsnips for a unique twist) but I went for a simple, authentic recipe...Now, if this is your first time making Latkes, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get all of the excess moisture and water out of the grated potatoes and onion before frying them if you want to avoid a watery disaster!


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 or 2 large russet potatoes (a nice starchy potato is best for latkes), peeled and grated
* 1 medium onion, grated
* 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/2 tsp. salt (sea salt or kosher salt)
* canola oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

* Grate potatoes and onion.
* Add lemon juice and mix.
* Working in small batches, place scoops of the potato onion mixture in a dry paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
* Add egg, flour and salt and mix thoroughly.
* Heat oil in a shallow fry pan over medium high heat.
* Use about 2 tablespoons of mixture per latke and flatten it into small round shapes for about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
* Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 3-4 minutes more.
* Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with kosher salt.

Serving Suggestion: Latkes are traditionally served with applesauce and sour cream (I use fat free greek style plain yogurt instead). (As a side note, I was recently mortified to find that many brands of applesauce are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, which, to me, is just yucky and unnatural, so I recommend looking for an all natural, organic brand that will generally list apples and water and sometimes ascorbic acid--Vitamin C--as the ingredients).

Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup--Matzo Ball Soup is traditionally made with chicken stock and chicken, but it can easily be made vegetarian and is one of my favorite comfort foods.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 package Matzo Ball Mix (prepare Matzo balls according to directions on package)
* Vegetable stock (I prefer to make my own homemade stock)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
* 2 celery stalks, diced
* parsley (optional)
* 1 tsp. oil (canola or olive)

DIRECTIONS:

* Sautee onion and celery in oil for about 3-4 minutes.
* Add carrots and cook another 3 minutes or so.
* Add stock and bring to a boil--let cook for about 15 minutes.
* Add parsley.
* Use a ladle to gently lower matzo balls into the soup.
* Cook another 3-5 minutes and serve immediately.

Vegetarian Golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls)--Golabki is traditionally a Polish dish made with cabbage leaves stuffed with ground beef or pork, but I figured that there has always been quite a Polish influence in Jewish cuisine...Now, I have seen vegetarian versions that use mashed potatoes or other various vegetable fillings, but my vegetarian friend is a big fan of faux meats and so I decided to get really creative and they turned out great!

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 large head of cabbage
* 3 carrots, boiled and mashed
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 6 or 7 mushrooms (button, cremini or baby bella), diced
* 1 package Yves Vegan Ground "Turkey" (or other soy crumbles)
* 1 cup cooked rice or barley
* salt, pepper, onion powder, parsley to taste
* 1 can tomato soup (or tomato sauce, if preferred)
* grated cheese for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

* Parboil/steam cabbage leaves in large pot with shallow water. Note: There is a trick to peeling cabbage layers in order to parboil them. Flip the head of cabbage upside down and use a knife to cut around the core creating a cylinder shape and remove the core. Then cut shallow marks along the bottom edges so that you can peel away the layers without ripping the beautiful cabbage leaves (because you want to try to keep them whole for wrapping!). Once you have pulled away each cabbage leaf, arrange them in a loose circle in the pot before covering it with a lid to steam. Any broken or torn pieces can go in the middle of the pot to be used for the bottom layer of the cabbage rolls. The cabbage will cook in about 3-4 minutes--just enough so that the leaves are flexible and pliable for wrapping (be careful not to over boil the leaves or they will be a soggy mess).
* When the cabbage is done, remove leaves from water and set aside to cool.
* Boil the carrots until cooked, drain and set aside to cool. Then mash them up with a fork (some chunks are okay--it doesn't have to be completely smooth).
* In a shallow pan, heat olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
* Sautee onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.
* Add mushrooms and set mixture on the side,
* Add Yves ground "turkey" to the pan and spice with salt, pepper, onion powder, parsley to taste and cook until browned.
* Add the onion mushroom mixture in with the "turkey" and mix.
* Remove from heat and place in a large mixing bowl to cool.
* Once the "turkey" mixture is cooled, add the cooked rice or barley and mashed carrots.
* Using one cabbage leaf at a time, place about 1/4 cup of the mixture towards the bottom of the cabbage leaf and wrap the leaf around the mixture to make a nice little bundle!
* In a 9 x 13 pan, coat the bottom with a little bit of tomato soup or tomato sauce. Line up wrapped cabbage bundles.
* Pour can of tomato soup over the cabbage bundles so that everything is covered in tomato soup or sauce.
* Grate some parmesan, mozzarella or other cheese on top.
* Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, uncovered.

It's true--these cabbage rolls take some time to prepare, but they are worth the effort and time and I am certain that you will find them to be a delicious and unique treat! They were a hit at the Supper Club!