Author Archives for Swati Raje

Generally when I return from a business trip, I ask my son what he would like me to make for dinner his first night home, and so I did again yesterday after a brief stint in Atlanta.  He asked for a beef stir fry.  I had already picked up a few things I could use at the farmers’ market earlier that morning and then added a few more to my list for the trip to Wegman’s for my week’s menus.  The stir fry turned out very tasty and several folks on my Facebook page requested the recipe and so here it is:

Recipe serves 2
Prep time : 30 minutes
Cook time : 10 minutes approx.

Ingredients

2 thin sliced strip steaks cut into small squares
4 Tbsp Ponzu sauce
1 Tbsp Mirin
3 dashes sesame oil
1/4 tsp ginger oil
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 small hot red chili seeded and cut into small fine strips – leave the seeds in if you can handle the heat
1 inch piece ginger diced finely
1 medium onion cut into large chunks
2 carrots – peeled and cut on the bias
10 Snow pea pods cut on the bias into strips
1 small bunch Tat soi – I found it at the farmers market – if you can’t find, baby spinach will work too
10 – 12 sprigs fresh cilantro – coursely chopped
juice of half lime

Recipe

Combine the beef squares, Ponzu, Mirin, sesame oil, ginger oil, fish sauce, salt & pepper in a bowl and set aside.  Prep all the other ingredients while the beef marinates.  Heat a wok on high heat and add 3 Tbsp canola oil.  When the oil is hot, add the beef only (save the marinating liquid for later) to the wok and stir to brown all the pieces – about 2 minutes.  Add the sesame seeds and stir for another 30 seconds.  Remove the beef into a bowl.  Keeping the wok on high heat, add the red chili and ginger and stir for 10 seconds being careful not to burn them. Quickly add the onions, carrots and snow peas and stir for about 2 – 3 minutes or until the onion starts to caramelize.  Add the marinating liquid and continue stirring for another 2 minutes.  Add the seared beef along with the Tat soi into the wok and stir for one more minute.  Turn off heat and add the cilantro and lime juice.  Serve with Jasmine or Basmati rice.  

Gewurztraminer or a semi dry Riesling would be a great pairing for this recipe

For a vegetarian option you can use extra firm tofu or add soy beans to the mix of vegetable.  If using Soy beans you may want to pre steam them for a short time as they can be tough if not cooked enough.

I hope you try it out and enjoy.  Feel free to provide feedback if you do.

Bon Appetit!!!
Swati

I go to my local town market in New Jersey almost weekly to help support the local growers and other purveyors, but this market was something else.  I’ll even go as far as to say it is better than the Union Square market in New York City.  As soon as I walked in I felt like a kid in a candy store.  Unfortunately, I realized very quickly, I couldn’t buy anything but fruit since I was staying in a hotel room with no kitchen at my disposal.  The cook in me was thoroughly disappointed.  Then I walked into a stall devoted to mushrooms.  I don’t think I’ve seen so many varieties of mushrooms in one location; varieties such as lobster, chanterelle, matsutake, shiitake, hen of the woods, abalone and even black truffles.  If you don’t like mushrooms, you may not understand but the scent in that stall was heavenly!!  Now I was really disappointed but decided to keep exploring.  Along the way, I passed stalls selling fresh pasta, amazing breads, homemade chocolates, giant peaches, apples, flowers and lots of vegetables. 

determined to buy and cook for the evening.  I text my friend D who lives in Portland, and asked if he would let me borrow his kitchen in exchange for a meal.  I suppose not many would turn that offer down but it’s always polite to ask.  He agreed and we also invited another mutual colleague (J) who was flying in that evening.

I used my stroll back to the hotel to plan my menu and made a mental list of additional items to buy at the store later.  After catching up to some emails and bills, D & I went for a short hike before heading to the airport.  On the drive we decided that if we just picked up a few cheeses, no protein was necessary and our meal menu wound up as follows:

The meal was delicious and I was happy to have had the opportunity to cook with such wonderful produce.  J & I decided to have another glass of wine at the hotel bar before calling it a night and as I went to sleep I realized that I was relaxed enough to not need a valium again.  I slept great and woke up late on Sunday to spend the entire day relaxing, walking & watching a lot of football at the bar.  Another great weekend in Portland had come to an end.

I love getting into NYC whenever possible and if I time it right I can be there in about 30 mins. Last night I went to dinner in the East Village. Since it was raining, I found a close parking spot on the street which is always a nice bonus. We first had a drink at the Ducks Bar on east 12th St and 1st Ave.  then we moved on to Motorino which is two doors down. It’s a small restaurant with tiny tables. It was packed so we waited outside till our table was ready.

Clams Oreganata

As soon as we walked in we smelled the amazing aromas. We sat and perused the menu which is intriguing. What’s different about this place is the odd pizza toppings that one might not consider normally but somehow they work. We ordered the Fennel Salad and sautéed mortadella for appetizers. Both were very good.  The salad was made with olives, oranges, and just the right amount of dressing.  For our pizza we chose the Ramp Pizza which was the special and a Clams Oreganata Pizza. If you’ve never had ramps, they are delicious. They are a sort of spring onion and only in season for a short time. On pizza they are quite delicious.  The Clams Oreganata too was a surprise.  It was garlicky and briny and rich all at the same time.  I think what made the pizza even better though was the crust.  It was thin and charred and while often I throw out the end crust because it’s chewy, this crust had me wanting to start on the “wrong” end.

The one pizza that intrigued me the most was the one topped with brussels sprouts.  Since we didn’t have that one I decided I would have to return here to try it next time.  As we were leaving the guy at the table next to us had a brussels sprout pizza brought to him and it smelled and looked awesome. Motorino’s house red, a Montepulciano d’ Abbruzo, is nothing to write home about but it was fine with pizza.  They do have other wines on the list that are quite good.

It was raining harder as we left but not wanting to end the evening just yet, we decided to go have a beer at the corner Ale House on 12th St & 2nd Ave and then headed home.

Ramps Pizza

 

This past Sunday, a friend and I decided to visit the Smorgasburg food market which is held weekly in multiple locations throughout New York City.  It is held in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn on Saturdays and in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) on Sundays.  During the Winter it moves to an indoor venue at the old Williamsburg Bank clock tower.  I had heard about Smorgasburg for a while through newspaper articles, food magazines, TV shows and once even on the gondola at Stratton Ski Resort in Vermont, but my attempts to get there had not been successful till now.  I find it’s much better to not make plans too far in advance and just go on the spur of the moment.

Manhattan Bridge

I was excited to finally get there.  Not only was I looking forward to trying all the food from the various vendors but I was also excited to be going back to a neighborhood I grew up in.  Now technically, I did not grow up in Brooklyn, but I went to college there for four years in the mid 80s.  I consider those years a sort of coming of age for me.  To this day I believe I got a better education there than I could have gotten at any Ivy League college.  Some may find that a ridiculous statement and may argue the point however, there are many different kinds of education in my opinion.  I had always been raised to be book smart but when it came to street smarts I was a complete failure.  I lacked confidence, was too shy to speak to boys or anyone else for that matter, wouldn’t stand up for anything and just accepted authority without questioning it.  Downtown Brooklyn changed all of that for me.

Brooklyn in the 80s was not a pretty place.  If you remember the show Welcome Back Kotter, you get somewhat of an idea.  The six block walk to and from the LIRR station to the campus was always one to make me nervous on the days I had to make it alone.  My first experience on the Subway took me, with my freshman honors program classmates, to the Cloisters on the A train through Harlem.  Right at 125th street, a shady gentleman got on the train and started harrassing us.  The rest of my classmates had grown up in the city and didn’t think much of it, but I had been fairly sheltered up until that and pretty much freaked out.  Over the four years, I experienced being followed on the street, a close call with a driveby shooting on Flatbush Ave, and being stalked on my college campus by some crazy graduate student.  I was definitely not in Kansas anymore!!

But when I think about my years in Brooklyn I only have fond memories.  Memories of the friends I made from so many different parts of the world, the cheesecake & coffee at Juniors, cutting classes to go shopping at Macy’s in Herald Square or to Chinatown for great food, and most of all the introduction to cuisines from around the world that my new found friends shared with me.  All of these experiences, good and bad, were a whole different kind of education that one does not get on all college campuses.  I came out of Brooklyn a completely different person – a better, more confident person.

Fast forward 30 years and I am blown away by the changes that have taken place in my Brooklyn.  The Smorgasburg market was a fun place to get some great food.  It is located in the old abandoned power plant along the East River near the carousel and not far from The River Cafe.  There is now a great park behind it with benches to sit on with your food and people watch.  One could likely spend the entire day there and sample foods from all the vendors.  With 3 hours on our time clock, we opted to have some Spicy Tuna Ramen, bite sized sandwiches in fluffy pancakes (I had the spicy Thai chicken & my friend had the duck) and we split a merguez sandwich.  All the food was delicious, but our favorite was the bowl of Ramen. It just had the right balance of heat, acidity, and flavor.

Feeling quite full, we decided to walk around the area and found a foot bridge that has recently been built to take you from the river through a park to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.  If you’ve never been there, you must put it on your list.  The view from the Promenade is beautiful, particularly on the right kind of day.  It looks out onto downtown Manhattan and it’s absolutely breathtaking!! From there, I suggested we walk down Montague street and check out some of the fun cafes and restaurants there, stopping at one for a Brooklyn Summer to soothe the heat of the 90 degree day.  We continued toward the courthouse and onto Flatbush Ave past my old campus, which by the way looks quite nice now, and over to the new home of the Nets, the Barclay Center.  Standing at the corner, I felt like I was in a strange and yet familiar place all at the same time.  I didn’t recognize the surroundings and yet, pieces of it were still the same.  The LIRR station is completely renovated and yet, the flight down the stairs I took so often to rush for my train is still very familiar.

The Barclay Center is an interesting edifice made of steel that is allowed to rust naturally.  It is certainly a very modern and futuristic sight that is in complete contrast to its location.  And yet the old clock tower stands to its other side to remind us that we have not left the past behind.  The whole day had left me with mixed feelings – a bit sad to have lost the Brooklyn I remembered and yet excited for the wonderful changes that had taken place and continue to take place in an effort to improve the area.  I found myself wondering if I would have “grown up” quite as much had I attended the LIU of today.

We took the 2 train back to the car and drove back over the Brooklyn Bridge towards home.  I know I will go back to Smorgasburg again and will take my son next time.  And maybe I can take him down memory lane with me.

I spent much of the month of April in Portland Oregon for work.  While I’m not a fan of too much traveling for work, I really don’t mind going to Portland.  Mostly because I know the city and have friends there.  A part of me feels at home there.  I mean good wine, good food, and people to share them with – how could it not feel like home?  Portland is such a great town for food that I went on this trip with a mission to try some new places along with some standing favorites.  Here are some of my favorites/memorable eats/drinks!!

Food

1) Boke Bowl – This restaurant is near the office and so is very convenient for lunches.  Recommend – Korean Pot Roast Steamed Buns (spicy, sweet & tangy all in the same mouthful), cauliflower & brussels sprouts salad (flash fried & seasoned with tofu cubes – really delicious & light), and the Ramen bowls with all kinds of topping options.

2) Bunk Bar – Around the corner from Boke bowl – On my first visit I had the French Fries with debris gravy & bunk cheese  – definitely an artery clogging, once in a blue moon kind of treat.  This is like poutine (A Quebecois specialty) on steroids.  It’s a plate full of golden crispy fries topped with a pulled pork gravy and cheese which melts on top.  Yum!  Their soups & tater tots & sandwiches are really good too.  Especially the grilled cheese & tomato soup.

3) Raven & Rose – A fun place for late night drinks – Logsdon Seizoen from Hood River OR  – Awesome beer and a great place to hang out with a group!  Food was pretty good too!

4) Kell’s Irish pub – This place has really great pub food.  The Spicy BBQ wings made with Jameson whiskey are out of this world!!!  I did not try any of their beers but was told they have a great variety.

5) New Seasons Organic market – This food market is so cool. You have to understand that I love food markets!  I could spend a whole day in one.  Malls I can live without.  The cheese selection alone at this market had me drooling for a 20 minutes.  And all the produce was so fresh.  Even at the best markets in the Northeast, I don’t see such great quality and variety.

6) Departure Restaurant at the Nines hotel – This is one of the new “IN” places in the city.  The food is Asian fusion. The restaurant is located on the rooftop of the hotel with seating inside and outside and great views of Portland.  The kale and roasted squash salad with goji berries & warm bacon vinaigrette was very yummy! I also had their short rib steamed buns to compare with those at Boke Bowl.  They each had their own appeal and I can’t say I have a favorite.  My favorite at this restaurant was the cocktail I ordered called a Tasho macho made with chili infused vodka, muddled Thai basil, lime juice, and ginger beer.  While I wasn’t disappointed in the food, it’s likely a place I would only go back to for cocktails.  The vibe was better for it to be a bar or lounge than a restaurant.  The seating too is very uncomfortable unless you have amazing posture and long legs.  I have neither.

7) Toro Bravo – This restaurant was recommended by one of the pourers at Anne Amie winery (see below).  I went with a friend of mine who lives in Portland and we had a great time, first enjoying some sherry while waiting for a table and then ordering an array of tapas to try.  Some of things we ate were grilled octopus on toast, arugula fritters, grilled bread with goat cheese and greens and ofcourse the required empanada.  The octopus was the best I have ever eaten.  It was grilled to perfection and just melted in your mouth.  I have to go back here on my next visit to try more things on their menu.

8) Mother’s – This restaurant was recommended by the server at the makeshift Starbucks in my hotel, but I had heard of it before.  I had also heard the lines are really long.  I decided to chance it for brunch on Sunday before hitting the wineries.  Sure enough the line was wrapped around the corner and I was told the wait was nearly two hours.  Luckily, they have a bar that you can eat at which is first come first served.  I looked over and saw a tiny little spot in the corner made just for someone my size, and grabbed it.  I ordered what this place is known for – biscuits & gravy with two eggs over easy & a bloody mary.  All I can say is OMG!!!!  That’s how good it was.  I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much before and was thinking I wasn’t going to be able to fit out of that tiny little spot I’d manage to get into.   I left happy and glad that I had a 1.5 mile walk back to the hotel to work off some of those calories.

Some of the other restaurants that are standing favorites that I go to on nearly every trip include Rockbottom Brewery, Three Degrees Grill (only because it has a nice deck overlooking the river), and the Veritable Quandary (the “VQ” as the locals call it).

Drink

1) Prost – A German Biergarten with wonderful brews and traditional food like sausages, sauerkraut, pretzels, etc.

2) Willamette Valley Wineries – On this trip I went to St Innocent to order my usual case from them.  Even found a few 2008s stashed away in their cellar.  The new ones I went to were Anne Amie & Carlton Cellars.  Both great wines with friendly staff.  Anne Amie has a beautiful patio that overlooks a gorgeous vista.  The whole drive that day was just very picturesque with blue skies and white, puffy clouds.  I did also go to Ken Wright Cellars but the experience was forgettable.  They couldn’t have cared less and were too busy collecting far too much money for small tastes and letting you know that the wine could only be purchased in multiples of six bottles.  That’s one I’ll be boycotting in the future.  I like to give my business to folks who actually want it.

St Innocent Winery

View from Anne Amie’s Patio

3) Aviation Gin – This is a locally produced gin that when I first had it in a martini, I did not care for – too herbal.  Then someone at my office suggested I try it with Dry Cucumber soda.  So of course I had to go searching…..I did not find the Dry brand but did find cucumber flavored sparkling water from RW Knudsen which I bought and took back to the hotel bar to see if they would mix me up a drink.  With a little muddled mint and lime, the cucumber water was a perfect combination with the gin.  I loved it so much that I ordered two cases of the stuff on Amazon when I returned home.  I will likely mix it with my favorite gin, Rangpur.

Lastly, I cannot forget to mention the Downtown Waterfront Marriott Lobby Bar where I ate so many meals when it was raining or if I just didn’t feel like going out. The food is your typical, overpriced hotel variety but the staff is friendly – most of them know me now so sometimes I felt a bit like Norm.  I don’t have my own bar stool…..yet!  The pulled pork tacos and buffalo wings are my favorites.  The mushroom & goat cheese flatbread isn’t too bad. Their wine & draft beer selections are also decent and changing regularly.  If you’re ever there, be sure to say hi for me!

The next time you find yourself in Portland, I hope you’ll give some of these places a try.  Let me know what you think.  If you find a new place not on this list, I’d love to get your recommendations.

Happy Eating!!