Delicious History

Like so many culinary greats, the Key Lime Pie has been cheapened, mass produced, and complicated.  Even when on sale, bad pies are just not worth the money or calories.  My mother recently told me of a recipe handed to her from a colleague: One 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk and one cup of fresh Key Lime juice.  That’s it.  Blend thoroughly.  Have a beer, wine, or cocktail if possible.  It is only right to celebrate the small triumphs.  Pour over a pie crust (I like graham cracker) and put in freezer until it sets, about 3 hours.  Eat whenever and wherever you can.

You may find this version much more sour than your are accustomed to, especially if you can use real Key Limes, which are small and quite tart.  Use whipped cream to balance the dessert.  Here, I used fresh pineapple, cinnamon, and a little whipped cream.

This experiment was too good to end, so the Janer, the sister I never had, tried an orange and chocolate fudge pie.  Instead of artfully decorating her noble Florida orange pie, she smothered it with The Fudge Madness.  She mixed condensed milk with melted dark chocolate.

It began innocently enough…  Then it was find of fun…  Then it got out of hand and Jane was completely out of control, with an insane gleam in her eye.  Chocolate is truly the devil’s food.

Although the fudge tasted good, it was far too thick and chewy, and overwhelmed the orange flavor.  I made a pie a couple weeks later with half oranges and half tangerines and poured the filling over an oreo crust.  Bingo— it was perfect.  No Fudge Madness required.

I also experimented with a “Mojito pie”: using key limes and adding fresh mint and a shot of rum before blending.  It turned out great, and the rum doid not prevent the pie from setting.  I’m tempted to try two shots next time…  but then I may succumb to the Rum Madness….  Pray for me, baby.

Choosing a place to eat Chinese food in Tampa just got a little more difficult.  The public is about equally divided on the superiority of China Yuan or Yummy House, and the befuddled critics haven’t even tried to choose a favorite.  You all know I don’t shrug off tough decisions, but it would be expensive ande time consuming to sample enough of all three menus to make a definitive judgment. If I could secure corporate sponsorship, it would be within reach.  Probably an anti-cholesterol drug.

I think this calls for a group evaluation.  But this will be no simple clash between two Chinese dragons, but three!  (Insert exaggerated anime gasp here!)

The new Chinese dragon is Chopstix, which i stumbled across quite by accident.  I was attending a show at the Brass Mug on Fletcher Avenue.  My neighbor invited me to see his friend’s metal band play.  I arrived hungry and a little tipsy.  I walked past a storefront where a lousy Chinese fast food place had resided.  I discovered a new restaurant had opened in its place, and although it was late (11 at night), the sight of their empty restaurant made me want to like the place.  They invited me to sit down and sample the food.  Soon, various small dishes of food graced the table: steamed chive dumplings, a seafood and tofu hot pot, shrimp— like from the tank— with garlic sauce, and crispy milk balls— a milk custard battered and fried.  All washed down with jasmine tea.  (Sometimes I order oolong just because i like to say it.)  I was in heaven that night.  After the great food, the concert and flying headbanger hair rather bored me.

Brand new upstart Chopstix has some fire to breathe of its own in the upcoming tournament of Chinese dragons.  Opened in September by three siblings: Michelle, Eva and chef Stan Du.  For a man of just 28, his skills are impressive indeed and boasts of training in China as a young man and honing his restaurant kitchen skills in places such as T.C. Choy’s, a Hyde Park Chinese/Pan-Asian “Bistro” with prices higher than the quality of its food.  Down there, you’re paying for waterfalls, slick decor, and the “bistro” monikker.

After my first night of bliss, I returned a couple weeks later with some friends to sample the menu further.

The watercress soup was delightfully subtle, with sliced pork, soft tofu, and the namesake vegetable, which was cooked just right, not boiled to death.  The honey and black pepper short ribs arrived sizzling and steaming.  They did not disappoint.  The sauce was slightly sweet, and the white mushrooms were lovely in the dish.

The seafood and tofu hot pot was excellent, with shrimp, scallops, fish, squid, and a more firm tofu.  It also arrived steaming in a pan, with some folded Chinese newspapers to protect the plate underneath from the intense heat.  This was not a  giant pot of gravy, but all of the ingredients cooked immediately in the pan with a slightly spicy sauce.  So simple and so good.  This could be the best tofu I’ve yet tried.  Someone on Chowhound mentioned that tofu is normally like eating water, and I must concur.  The heat and sauce of hot pot at Chopstix improve it.

The beef with ginger and scallion stand up well to China Yuan’s, but lacks the large pieces of ginger that I love so much.  Then again, I like the ginger to burn my mouth a bit, and I imagine most people aren’t this fond of it.

Bok choy flowers out from a shitake mushroom to the right of the vegetable pan fried noodles.  The noodles varied between crispy and softened with the subtle sauce.  The baby bok choy with mushrooms were beautiful and glossy.  I loved the meaty texture of the mushrooms and the bok choy was perfectly cooked.

I returned again for a weekday lunch, and was disappointed to find only a menu of typical lunch specials.  I later discovered that I should have been given a regular menu as well.  The food was still good, but the lunch special menu was too limited.  If you have company, skip the cheap lunch specials and pay a couple extra dollars for the family style portions off of the real menu, which is quite extensive.

Call it what you will, a clash of the three Chinese dragons, or a menage a Chinese, but I look forward to comparing Chopstix, China Yuan, and Yummy House side by side.  It will probably feel a little promiscuous, but sometimes that’s okay in service of a good cause.

Without a doubt, picadillo is one of my favorite Cuban dishes.  It is easy to make, packs a lot of flavor, and is ideal for parties in a number of ways: it is relatively cheap, can be served as an entree over rice, in a sandwich on Cuban bread, in empanadas, and so on.

Like so much great food, picadillo is a simple dish with unclear origins.  One of the first times it was served was to the new emperor of Mexico in 1821, a fruity version with spicy pork served with walnut sauce inside a poblano pepper.  I’m not sure which detail was more surprising: that the dish was made with pork and walnuts or that the leader of Mexico ever held the lofty title of emperor.

Versions of the dish spread around Latin America.  It is especially popular in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.  Today, we’re dealing with the Cuban version, which is replete with the tangy flavors of olives, capers, white vinegar, red wine, and capers.  I used the Columbia Restaurant’s recipe long before I became involved in documenting the restaurant’s history.  I tweak it to maximize my favorite flavors (the Columbia’s recipe does not call for capers) and cut down the fat content.

Once again, I bypassed the robbery taking place at a supermarket near you— Publix is a flagrant offender, regularly charging $3.99 a pound for red/yellow/orange bell peppers.  This dish requires a good deal of peppers, especially when you triple or quadruple the recipe as I usually do.

I went to the Sanwa market on Hillsborough Avenue, where prices are as low as three red peppers for one dollar.  Take that, Publix!

Start by cooking 2 pounds of ground beef until just done.  Drain pan of all but 1-2 tablespoons of grease and juices (add vegetable oil if necessary) and cook 1 cup diced onions and 2 bell peppers.  When they are soft but not brown, add 2 cups canned whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (or 6 medium fresh ones), and 2 tbl minced garlic.  I just added those ingredients in the photo above.  Stir and cook until most liquid in the pan has evaporated, about 5-10 minutes.

Now the beef comes back into play, seasoned with 6 bay leaves, 1 tbl dried oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes.  Throw all into the pot with the vegetables.  Stir and cook for about 3 minutes, long enough for the spices to wake up.

Next, we really start layering in the flavors.  Add 1/2 cup of pimiento-stuffed olives, 1 tbl white vinegar, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 small jar of capers, and 1/4 cup burgundy wine, cooking over low heat for about 15 minutes.

I usually add very little salt, as the olives and capers bring plenty of brine with them.  In fact, if i want to add salt, I just drizzle some of the olive brine in.

Simple and rustic, but full of balanced and sophisticated flavors, picadillo is a great reminder that most good food percolates from the bottom up.  This is not the stuff of fancy bistros, but is a respectable dish for company.  For a hearty variation, add some additional liquid, like tomatoes, beef broth, and wine, and simmer the picadillo with cubes yucca, potato, or mix in a little sweet potato.  If you want to go over the top, fry the potatoes.

I once ate a sandwich in Key West, in which picadillo had been encased in a large hollowed-out bun, sealed shut and dipped in egg batter, and deep fried.  I had to at least try the thing, but i didn’t expect it to be awesome.  It wasn’t.  Lame picadillo, and the deep frying  may have been novel, but it added nothing to the sandwich but a bunch of grease.  I probably had two or three bites, and ate a real dinner instead.

I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my book, The Columbia Restaurant: a Century of History, Culture and Cuisine.   I’ve been kept plenty busy with home projects as well, but it will soon pass.  The other night, I felt jolly and grilled some fine NY strip steaks with a teriyaki pan sauce with onions and mushrooms; I sauteed some green beans with garlic and sesame oil, and served brown rice on the side.  Sadly, I didn’t have a camera around.

That night’s food is not a good example of what I’ve been eating lately.  I’ve been driven by expediency, such as my concoction of frozen pierogies (potato and onion) topped with sauteed onions, Granny Smith apple, and ham.  With a little whisky thrown in with some melted butter, those toppings take on a nice flavor.  It may not be much to look at, but it works as a decent meal in under ten minutes.

Eating packed lunches at work doesn’t have to be a chore.  I try to make things that keep well and I want to eat, lest I be tempted to go out for lunch.  On this occasion, I wanted noodle bowls with stir fried vegetables, fresh herbs and veggies, and grilled teriyaki chicken.

First off, I strongly urge anyone who likes teriyaki to make the real thing.  It is very flavorful and a snap to make.  Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce (I use the dark stuff from asian markets) with 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger, and 2 minced garlic cloves in a small saucepan.  While the liquid heats up, whisk together 2 tablespoons mirin (a sweet Japanese cooking wine), and 1 tsp cornstarch until smooth.  Mix with  liquid in saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a syrup.  I adapted the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, which is perennially skimpy with garlic ande culinarily conservative in general.  I also added more cornstarch, as the sauce never seemed to thicken quite enough.

I then stir fried broccoli slaw with onions to toss with vermicelli noodles.  I added a bit of teriyaki, probably just a couple tablespoons, and a little vegetable oil with a kiss of sesame oil.

I grilled bone in chicken breasts that had been rubbed with a little salt and pepper.  Boneless chicken doesn’t hold up well to the intense heat of a grill and tends to dry out.  Kepe the meat moist is especially important if you plan on using it for leftovers.  A little glaze of teriyaki makes this bird special.

The finished product is part noodle bowl, part salad, with our cooked chicken, vermicelli and vegetables, and raw shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, red pepper, green onion, and a drizzle of teriyaki.  Although it looks a bit chaotic on the plate, it is a great meal that is great at room temperature.  Nice for a fancy dinner or a packed lunch you’ll actually want to eat.