Pan Fried Strip Steak Dinner

NY Strip Steak pan fried medium rare please!

I will never forget my first juicy steak that was made by my lovely grandmother. Perfectly charred and tasty every time, seasoned with only salt and pepper, filling up the air with the most delicious aroma. She only ever used her favorite well seasoned cast iron skillet ( god knows how long she had it ). 

I wonder which of us sister owns it now hmmmm? they should be so lucky,

Here sharing a quick and easy steak dinner.

2 Strip Steak

Remove from fridge and let it sit in room temperature for about 10-15 mins.

After that, season well with salt and pepper 

Roast Onion and Tomatoes

While the steak is coming to room temperature. Heat oven to 375.

Slice tomatoes and onion, season with salt, pepper, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.

Pop in the oven and let it roast for 30 mins- I like to check on them at 20 mins

Add the steak to a heated pan with oil.

They were a little less then a inch thick so i fried them for 3 mins on each side.

Pan fried strip steak medium rare 

 with rice,  roasted tomatoes & onions

and sugar snaps.

I love having steak with rice, 

as you cut into the steak with the rice soaking up the tasty juice, soo good.

Very juicy and tender with sweetness of the veggies.

Who is having steak tonight?

Pho' Grand Vietnamese Weekend Lunch

Pho Grand Vietnamese Restaurant

277 Grand Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 965-5366

When having Vietnamese food, I always like to order a

No#2 Pho Beef Noodle Soup -

with fresh eye of round, brisket, navel, tendon, etc..

with a squeeze of lemon and handful of fresh basil...

to the very last drop pf pho' ...slurp!

and sometimes -

Beef stew with toast bun

chunks of beef shank, gelatinous tendon that melts in your mouth

and carrots swimming in this rich broth.

so savory

First time trying -

Deep Fried Crab Wanton

first bite was delicious then the richness of the cream was overpowering

so just one bite was fine for me

We like to come here whenever we can. Nice quick service and place seems clean.

Are you hungry yet?

VacatioNg- Braised Ox Tail

I'm still experiencing withdrawals from 7 days of fun and food with my family. I miss waking up everyday at 7 (that's really 4AM since we're west coast time!) just so I don't miss a minute of hanging out time with everyone! We all met in Orlando in the most lovely vacation rental house. It was a week of relaxation, tennis, swimming and EATING! We started the trip with a fun dinner at the Black Angus steak house! Then the next day we went straight to the Asian market with a pit stop at the Vietnamese restaurant next door of course. We stocked the fridge and pantry full of food and snacks and I mean FULL! Then the cooking began! I'm going to let my sisters talk more about the food but I would like to highlight my pride and joy for the week, braised oxtails!

We saved this dish for later in the week as you will see from the other Ngs that there were many nights of succulent roasted meats! We served it with rice, roasted zucchini and Cindy's delicious corn casserole.

Em's Ox Tail Stew

1 oxtail cut into pieces

1 can of whole plum tomatoes (hand crushed with juices)

1 carrot diced

1 onion diced

5 cloves garlic crushed

thyme - 1 teaspoon dried or 4 sprigs fresh

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon Goya sofrito (if not available, totally ok to leave out)

• brown oxtail in 9 qt dutch oven or other large pot
• remove oxtail and saute onion, garlic until caramelized
• add sofrito if using
• add tomatoes and bring to boil
• add bay leaf, thyme
• return oxtails and bring to boil
• add water to almost cover, bring to boil
• simmer for an hour and half to 2 hours until oxtails are tender

Vietnamese for Lunch

Three Treasure Rice - 3 style pork with soft fried egg

Grilled Pork with Vermicelli Dry / with Soup Bowl

Tomato Beef

We love tomato beef! Growing up, this dish would appear on the dinner table at least once a week, a memory of deliciousness and comfort.

 It is perfect with fluffy white rice, the sauce savory and a little sweet. For this dish we insist on the best ingredients since it is so simple. If possible use heirloom tomatoes, Chinese fermented black beans and garlic and organic beef.

4 medium tomatoes sliced in wedges

1 lb flank steak sliced

2 tablespoons chinese cooking wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 slices ginger

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon fermented black beans - Dau Si (soaked in water for 15 mins)

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch and some water
cilantro

• marinade flank steak in cooking wine and soy sauce for 20 mins
• wok on high heat, brown steak in a little oil for a few minutes, remove
• add garlic, ginger and black beans sautee for a few mins
• add tomatoes and cook down until soft
• add brown sugar
• return beef and add cornstarch slurry a little a time until thickness of sauce desired
• add salt or soy sauce to taste

Hunan Deliciousness!

Are you ready for some Heat?! Let's talk Hunan style!

Our friend Max speaks highly of this Restaurant "Hunan House" and his favorite dish, the Braised Fish Head.

Right away I was intrigued. His good friend Roger and family also joined us, which was perfect as he knew exactly what to ordered. And here is his order:

Started with the cold appetizers

Pickle Cabbage with chopped chili

Chilled Marinated Beef Tendon with Tripe.
The tripe was thinly sliced giving it a smooth light texture.

Chilled Conch in chili oil

Deep Fried Little Fish, stir fry with fresh chili and scallion.
( with tail and head crunchy yet tender inside and very tasty)

White Pepper with Chunks of Beef which I believe was preserved.

Thinly Sliced Lamb stir fried with watercress,onion,chili and cumin

lamb and cumin ...yes .. i know....

Little Wok with Pork Intestine simmering away in Chili oil.

Grilled Whole Peppers and Stir Fried Water Spinach Stems

Fried Pumpkin Cakes

And star of the night is the Braised Fish Head. I believe it a Asian Carp

Which I found perfect with freshly chopped chilies, tomatoes and green onion bathing in a tangy broth with a hint of heat.
Quite amazing right? Oh boy one taste and believe me you will be HOOKED!

I was surprised that I was able to handle this amount of heat! The chilled pickled cabbage and a bowl of rice helped.

Leaving with the numbing sensation from the spices was a really nice way to end a cold snowy night.
We'll be back!

Quick Stir Fry - Beef Cubes Eggplant & Chinese Greens

Who doesn't like a nice quickie meal especially when you're tired from work.

Here is a dish with easy prepping and all you need is a pan or a wok.

For a good stir fry try to use a wok, that way it maintains the heat with the ingredients.

Ingredient: A

beef - cut into cubes

eggplant - slice into 2"

chinese greens - slice in half

oil

Sauce: B

Lee Kum Kee-Black Bean Sauce

sugar

ginger

fish sauce

Marinade for Beef Cubes: C

soy sauce

rice wine

sesame oil

1. Marinate beef cubes with "C "for 10 mins.

2. In a bowl mix together "B". You can add water or broth to thin the paste (black beans are fermented and are very strong in flavor , so be careful with amount you can always add more when tasting)

3. Heat wok with oil, oil must be hot , add the beef cubes - work them around the wok to give it a quick browning. Remove and put aside.

4. Add the vegetables and cook until done then add "B" on the inner side of the wok ( i like the sauce to thin out so it can distribute evenly)

5. Add the beef cubes back to the wok and give it another quick stir with the rest of the ingredients. Done!

Here is a savory dish with tender beef cubes, crunchy greens and eggplant that just melts in your mouth mmmm

This was very good with a bowl of rice and chili garlic sauce.

Let's Sic Faan!

Anyone want to share their quickies?

Shanghai Nice Green Bo - #2

Another Sunday visit to Green Bo. We can't help it everything on the menu sound so delicious we must try them all. Can't wait to try their Rice Cakes.

Here we started with an cold dish of aromatic beef (chilled sliced five spice marinated beef tendon ), side with roasted sesame oil jelly fish ( crunchy and slippery with hints of sesame oil and vinegar).

Gave Soup dumplings a rest ordered Wonton soup instead ( the wrap just melts in your mouth)

Dry stir fry string beans with pickle greens.

Fish Belly in brown sauce.

All good except the fish was a bit on the sweet side.

Previous Green Bo Lunch 

Nice Green Bo Shanghai Restaurant - Click for the full MENU *

Where are your favorite places to eat in NY and why?

I always ask that question. It's a great way to get to know someone. I find people who likes to eat, especially adventurous eaters are vibrant, interesting, fun, sexy people...

and of course I think I am all of the above :P

Here are some of mine:

Bar Masa- It's because I can't afford Masa. I've never experienced such fresh, velvety, soft fishes. I had...Toro, Hirame Fluke, Tai Sea Bream, Toro Tartare with Caviar, Kobe steak, Uni and Sweet Corn Risotto, Summer Truffle Fried Rice and whatever my friend didn't finish. I think I cried that day. It was the greatest day of my life.

Blue Ribbon Sushi- Late night dining. The kitchen closes at 2am! I absolutely love the food. They have freshest fish and an amazing fried chicken with wasabi honey. Must have dishes: Season salad, Kanpachi with Yuzu, Hamachi Kama, Beef Marrow, Fried Chicken and anything on the specials menu.

Employees Only- Let's talk about the food first. Great cheese and wine selection, Yummy pasta dishes, and tasty Porterhouse Pork Chop. Now the fun part... This place turns into a lively bar scene after dinner. Ahem.. I never leave without a number. :)

The Spotted Pig- It's such a great downtown scene. I feel extremely cool when I am there. Memorable dishes: Deviled Duck Eggs, Crispy Pig's ears and Crispy Pork Belly. Delicious!

Ippudo- Maybe it's because they don't care who you are and make you wait at least an hour for a table. The ramen is exceptional. Go for lunch instead, the wait is shorter.

5 Ninth- I have a big crush on one of the bartenders even though he confuses me with another Annie. Who cares... the food is really good there. Think local farm fresh food.

Raoul's- This used to be a secret meeting place for me and an ex of mine (yeah, he was married). Our favorite table would be in the room past the kitchen to the right. We used to talk about nothing over seared Foie Gras and Oysters. I was there a few weeks ago. Food is still really good. The ex...not so much. Thank god I got rid of him.

Congee Village- Food is close to home cooking here. This is the place where the COOKNGS love to pig out! We would order the same dishes.. Garlic Chicken, Black Bean Snails, Sauteed Snow Pea Leaves, Steamed Fish with Scallion and Ginger, Steamed Salted Fish with Minced Pork, Fried Tofu, Salt and Pepper Pork Chops and of course Congee.

Please share yours....