Momofuku's Pork Belly Buns

During the past few months, I've really been trying to expand my horizons by cooking with ingredients that are new and interesting to me.  When I saw that I could order local pork belly from my farmers' market delivery, I knew just what to make - Momofuku's Pork Belly Buns.  I had heard so much about this dish and when I went to David Chang's Momofuku Noodle Bar this past spring, it was easy to see why everyone is raving about them.  Ever since I tried them, I have always wanted to try making this delectable dish at home and with my recent local pork belly purchase, I had no excuse not to give it a try. 

With a little bit of research, Bret and I decided to found  David Chang's recipe on another great food blog, He-Eats.  To start, we had two pounds of beautiful pork belly to work with.

Bret gave it a dry rub of 1/4 cup of sugar and kosher salt and let it sit for about six hours.

After six hours were up, I pat the pork belly dry and put it in the oven for an hour at 425 degrees.  After the first half hour,  Bret basted the pork belly with all of the rendered fat and then let it cook for the remaining thirty minutes.  I then turned the over down to 215 degrees and cooked the pork belly for another hour.

While the pork belly was cooking, we also prepared a side dish of green papaya slaw (which will be blogged about in tomorrow's post), along with homemade pickles to top the pork belly buns.  I've never made pickles before and I was surprised at how easy they were to make.  I first rinsed and thinly sliced two pickling cucumbers from Keown Orchards.

When the cucumbers were sliced, I added one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of vinegar.  I gave the sliced cucumbers a tossed and put them in the fridge to let the flavors really soak in.  And just like that, our pickles were made.  Easy, right?

Bret and I decided to take a shortcut and decided to use frozen buns that we purchased at Ming's Supermarket in the South End.  Chef Matt Barros (from Myers + Chang) told us that this was an easy substitute from homemade buns and tasted just as good.  I prepared the buns by giving it a steam over medium-high heat for about fifteen minutes.

Finally the pork belly was done roasting, we were both in awe at how delicious it looked.

We sliced the pork belly and added it to the steamed buns, along with pickles and hoisin sauce.  We actually purchased scallions to also top the pork belly buns but completely forgot about it!

The steamed buns were light and fluffy but held the juicy pork belly well.  The sharp cucumbers added the right touch of acidity to break up the decadent pork belly and hoisin sauce.  The pork belly buns made great leftovers too and we re-heated the pork belly by frying up slices on the skillet.  I'd have to say that I was glad we tried to make this dish and especially proud at how closely they resembled David Chang's pork belly buns! 

What have you been most proud of creating in your kitchen recently?

Two Birthdays & A Bridal Shower

This weekend I celebrated the birthdays of two good friends. Derek was celebrated on Friday night at Delux and Franklin Cafe, the usual South End stomping grounds.

Mike was celebrated on Sunday night at Victoria Station, a Steak & Seafood restaurant located on picturesque Pickering Wharf in Salem, MA.

The Bridal Shower earlier that day was in honor of Adam's sister Kirsten.

That would be me and the giant shower present from Crate & Barrel. I think no matter what you buy there, you get a larger-than-necessary box filled with an excessive amount of tissue paper. The bridal shower was held at the elegant Boston Harbor Hotel. I adore this hotel and not just because it is within walking distance from my apartment. We stayed here on a family trip to the city when I was very young, maybe five or six? I don't remember the details, just that we stayed at the "biggest and fanciest hotel ever", with an incredible archway connecting the city to the waterfront. I knew from a young age I wanted to live in this city someday. My infatuation's origin can pretty much be traced back to this very spot. No menu accompanied lunch, just great service in a luxury hotel function room with exquisite food and drink.

The views were absolutely stunning. Here is Rowes Wharf complete with the Blues Barge and the Rotunda out the windows to the left.

The front of the room looked directly out over the pristine Boston Harbor. It was a memorable afternoon for sure. I can't wait until the wedding!

Another great weekend with friends and family comes to an end. It was goodbye to July and welcome August. There are plenty of plans in store for this month, beginning tomorrow with my Aunt Joyce's annual visit.

Bergamot: Worth All the Buzz

I feel as though everyone is talking about Bergamot lately.  I've read so many wonderful reviews about this New American cuisine restaurant that opened up earlier this year in Somerville.  Actually, Bergamot took over the space from EVOO's previous location.  Since I loved my dining experience when it was EVOO, I was hoping for similar experience on Friday night when I finally paid a visit to the little restaurant that everyone is raving about.

Bret made an 8:15 PM reservation and we arrived just a few minutes early.  Our host told us that there were a few tables open but that one intimate table by the window was being cleared if we wanted to wait for that table.  Since neither Bret nor I were in a rush, we agreed to wait.  While we waited, I got a chance to take a look around.  The space looked very similar to its predecessor, EVOO, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. 

When we were finally seated, I was thrilled to find that we had some great light, which meant some great photos for the evening.  After a really long and stressful day (with a big client emergency to deal with) to end an overall long and stressful week, I was excited to start the evening off with a glass of wine.  I chose a sparkling red wine (Lambrusco di Sorbara Rosato, Enilia - Romagne Villa di Corlo).  I really think that sparkling red wines are my new obsession.

We were quickly offered a slice of the house sourdough along with their addictively delicious honey butter.  And soon thereafter an amuse bouche was plated - a bruschetta topped with sea bass, basil puree, pine nuts and an heirloom tomato.  This introductory plate was not only beautifully plated but I was impressed that they managed to really bring out the flavor of the sea bass in such a small bite.

Bret and I had a tough time deciding on appetizers.  At our server's urging, we ordered two dishes.  The first was a beautiful La Quercia Proscuitto.  The proscuitto was paired with local peaches from Verill Farm, pistachios, balsamic vinegar and the most amazing fried goat cheese croutons.  When you got it all together, every ingredient layered together to make such a beautiful bite but the real beauty of this dish were the amazing goat cheese croutons.  The croutons had a crispy texture on the outside but were filled with creamy, tangy goat cheese goodness.

Our other appetizer was a huge heaping plate of fried clams.  These were fried clams done perfectly - no fuss, no muss - with a spicy aioli sauce.  I loved that they also deep-fried parsley leaves and lemon slices, which gave it a contemporary touch.  

I also went with seafood for my entree with the pan-seared scallops atop a Finnan haddie (smoked haddock) chowder, shoe peg corn, Yukon gold potatoes, and a crispy piece of wild boar bacon.  The chowder had a nice creaminess that contrasted nicely with the perfectly seared scallops.  The entree sizes are huge but my only request would be that just another slice of crispy bacon to the dish! You can never go wrong with too much bacon!

Bret's entree was again a generous serving of sliced duck breast atop baby bok choy, a circle of Yukon gold potato, black truffle mushrooms and tied together with a red currant sauce.  I stole a bite and the duck was a bit salty for me but cooked a perfect medium rare.

Even though we moaned and groaned at how full we were, we couldn't leave without ordering dessert.  We settled on a flourless chocolate pave made with Taza guajillo chile chocolate, milk stout ice cream, apricot caramel, and crumbled pretzels.  This dish hit all the right notes of sweet, spicy, salty, crunchy, gooey, and creamy.  Yes, this little dessert had it all and it completely wowed us.  I think that despite all of the great dishes that night, this was probably the best plate the entire evening.

And just when we thought we had hit the perfect note to end the evening on, we were presented with two adorable miniature rose caramel macaroons.  They were light, airy and not-too-sweet.

I loved everything about Bergamot - from its pleasant and attentive service, attention to detail, and intensely honest flavor combinations.  Their wasn't anything particularly fancy about the ingredients that they use but the kitchen knows how to use them just right.  It is easy to see why everyone is raving about Bergamot and after dining there on Friday night, I'd have to say that they are worth all the buzz.

Bergamot is located at 118 Beacon Street, Somerville, MA.

Sherry's Radish Tops Pesto Recipe

"Can you guess what's in there?" Sherry asks me as I bite into the pesto crostini."
"Um. Sun dried tomatoes, almonds, garlic ... I don't know, but it's really good!" I replied between bites.
Each time I visit my friends Bob and Sherry in California it feels like opening up an unexpected gift as they graciously offer a lavish spread of appetizers accompanied by excellent wines from their extensive collection, and always with good company. This time, in addition to several small dishes, Sherry had whipped up a bowl of pesto composed of radish tops, a novel appetizer replete with exciting pesto flavors with a unique kick from the spicy radish tops.

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"Baked" Goods

I bet you're wondering if I even bake anymore. It's been quite a while since I've posted some baked goods, hasn't it? Have no fear, the baking continues here. I guess I just haven't been posting as much lately. Today you're in for a double treat though!

I finally purchased Baked. With a full shelf of baking books, I can't easily justify getting new ones. But many Baked recipes use unusual or interesting ingredients (like piloncillo or root beer), so obviously I needed it.

Because so many people had raved about the The Baked Brownie, it had to be one of the first recipes I tried. And because I'm obsessed with peanut butter and chocolate and because people also went crazy over them, I knew I'd need to make the PB Krispy Bars right away too.

It's a good thing that I have my coworkers; Jeff's coworkers; our friends, families, and neighbors; and in this case, Jeff's softball team to help eat what I bake, or I'm sure I'd be in a lifelong sugar coma.

Softball season had just reached the playoff stage, and I knew I'd be watching a double header with some of the other team members' girlfriends last week -- or more that we would be chatting and occasionally glancing at the field -- so I decided to make these Baked treats for all of us to feast on during and after the games.

I'm kind of relieved softball season is coming to an end  because Jeff coaches (and plays on) the team and has to be there every Tuesday and Thursday night. It just figures that his games are scheduled the nights I need to go to bed early so I can get up and get to Flour by 6 am. Because I really need my sleep those nights, I don't often get to go to the games, but for this important double header (oh, let's face it... mostly because I knew all the girlfriends would be there and we could catch up), I made an exception. One benefit to working at a bakery is the free coffee anyways!

I'm not good at showing up places empty-handed and I was armed with these new recipes, so on Wednesday night I whipped up the crispy bars and the brownies (not to mention some dark chocolate peanut butter ice cream for myself and some fried green tomatoes for my dinner -- I was on a roll).

I packaged up most of the snacks for the game on Thursday night and brought the rest to work on Thursday morning. They received the thumbs up (and return visits to my desk for more) from my coworkers, so I knew they'd be a hit at the game too (no pun intended... ha ha).

The girls I met up with at the game came prepared with snacks and a picnic blanket. We clearly had a fabulous time.

And Jeff hit a home run and made two amazing catches in the outfield, so it was great to be there to see that. The guys ended up winning both games (14-0 and then 9-2)!  I'm really excited for them... but I guess that means softball's not ending yet. At least we can plan more picnics! (And these two games went so quickly that we still got home by about 10:30, which is my usual bedtime.)

Alright, back to the goodies... the brownies were slightly fudgy but not overboard and had that deep chocolate flavor I definitely crave in a brownie. I think they'll make for great sundaes when I pair the leftover ones with my chocolate peanut butter ice cream!

The Baked Brownie recipe

The PB Krispy bars are my new favorite snack. They're easier to make than you'd think, and they combine the best snack food elements: sweet, salty, chocolatey, and peanutbuttery! How can you go wrong?

PB Krispy Bar recipe

If you'd like to put the Delicious Dishings spin on both of these recipes, cut them into about 1-by-1-inch squares. I always like serving small bites of things rather than huge chunks because people are more willing to take something small, they can try more than one thing, and they can always come back for more!

What treats do you bring to games or similar outdoor events?

Have you made any treats from Baked?