nickels and anchors

I haven't done a wardrobe post in a long time, and I really haven't taken any shots of my outfits lately, but I happened to get some pictures at a nickel arcade in Chicago last weekend.

 

I made Matt stop taking pictures of my slack-jawed concentration face and catch my outfit.

dress - Zara in Tokyo

tights and cardigan - Target

boots - Good Style

The arcade was the greatest place to spend the afternoon!  Tetris and PacMan for free and skee ball for nickels.  My dress was perfectly comfortable for playing skee ball and had great big pockets for nickels! 

 

We finished the night off with a nice dinner with friends.  This was the only shot of the front of the dress, with its cute little anchor buttons.  I picked up the dress in Shibuya last summer at Zara--pretty much the only affordable place in that neighborhood.  Nautical style was everywhere, so there were lots of tempting pieces.  I still sort of regret not buying an oversized T-shirt with a huge anchor.

 

Lucy & me

korean out and in

Since we got back from Japan, at least half of the recipes I've added to my list to try have been Asian recipes of one kind or another. Actually, more of them have been Thai or Korean than Japanese. I have tried a couple of Korean and Korean-inspired recipes and have really enjoyed them. We also made it Chicago for dinner at Dancen Korean restaurant (it is really, really dark in there).

fire chicken with cheese

seasoned rice balls

I tried making a Korean barbecue chicken earlier this year that turned out just okay. The daeji bulgogi, or barbecue pork that I made recently knocked my socks off. It's sweet, spicy, oniony, and meaty--in other words, pretty complex.

daeji bulgogi, pickled kohlrabi, kimchi, & rice

I can't say how authentic this is since I have never eaten its equivalent at a restaurant. I just know that I thought it was really great.

daeji bulgogi

Daeji Bulgogi
from Serious Eats

I let this marinade for at least 24 hours, and that seemed to be the key to the pork's tenderness.

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and excess fat
1/4 c soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp gochujang
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp crushed ginger root
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 green onions, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced

Place the pork in the freezer until it firms up, about 1 hour (or if frozen, thaw until it is still slightly firm). While the pork is in the freezer, combine the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, gochujang , mirin, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and green onions in a small bowl.

Remove the pork from the freezer and slice into pieces 1/8 inch thick. Place the pork and sliced onion in a large Ziploc bag, pour in the marinade and seal. Toss to evenly distribute the marinade, then open and reseal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least one hour to overnight.

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over the charcoal grate. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place the pork slices on the grill and cook over direct, high heat until the meat is seared on both sides and cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the grill and serve immediately with bibb lettuce or rice, kimchi, and quick pickles.

Chinese-style pickled kohlrabi

We're always up for a breakfast sandwich, so we jumped on the chance to have a Korean-inspired bacon muffin. I made some adjustments to the original recipe, swapping out the Canadian peameal bacon for plain old American bacon. I also added a fried egg, which you can see dripping out of the sandwich in the photo and left off the sesame-vinaigrette salad.

bacon, egg, & kimchi sandwich

Bacon, Egg, & Kimchi Breakfast Muffin
adapted from Closet Cooking
makes 2 sandwiches, can be easily multiplied for more

4 slices bacon
1/2 c kimchi (drained and chopped)
2 eggs
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp gochujang
2 English muffins (lightly toasted)
1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese
shredded romaine in a korean sesame vinaigrette, optional

Cook bacon until crisp (we like a cast iron skillet), then drain on paper towels. Pour off all but a couple tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add kimchi to the skillet and saute until a bit caramelized. Carefully crack one egg at a time into skillet, cook over medium until bubbling, then flip and cook just until set, 1-2 minutes.

Mix mayonnaise and gochujang in a small bowl. Sprinkle bottom of muffin with cheese, then top with fried egg. Add bacon, kimchi, and romaine salad, if using. Slather top muffin with gochujang mayo mixture, join the halves, and enjoy!

confession

I'll admit, Matt and I are one of those couples who check out restaurants based on drool-inducing shows on Food Network or Travel Channel. We went to Lucky's in Wrigleyville after we saw their french-fry-stuffed sandwiches on Man v. Food. Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives featured Cemitas Pueblas, so we drove to Chicago to try it.

Unfortunately, sometimes these features mar the authentic local flavor of the place by sending out-of-towners like us flocking to try it. Comet Cafe in Milwaukee is often too busy for people in the neighborhood to get in since the suburbanites saw Guy Fieri's visit.

On the other hand, these restaurants are getting this kind of publicity for some reason. And each place we've tried at a TV show's recommendation has not disappointed. So, a few weeks ago, we did it again. My parents and their friends were going to do some sight-seeing in Chicago with us, and they had the brilliant idea to head for one of Rick Bayless' restaurants. He has a veritable complex of eateries: the high-end Topolobampo, mid-range Frontera, and a lunch place, Xoco, with churros that smelled soooo good. Brunch at Frontera was all we could get reservations for, which was fine since that's where we had seen an amazing dish featured on Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

carne asada a la Oaxaquena

Matt and I shared this rib steak, which was easily the most flavorful, tender steak I've ever had. The smoky and slightly spicy sauce made the perfectly-cooked meat so succulent. Fried plantains topped with a bit of queso fresco and crema rounded out the meal as Bananas Foster's more subtle cousin. The other plates at the table were also good, but in my opinion none held a candle to that steak.

tacos al carbon with duck

sapitos: gorditas with chorizo & plantains, scrambled eggs, and chicken and black bean mole

frothy Mexican hot chocolate

chocolate hazelnut tart

The entire meal, from the tasty limeade margarita and chips and salsa to the desserts, was perfectly enjoyable. I would return to try the new menu when it changes. We even got to see chef Rick Bayless himself, making his rounds in the kitchen. Thank you again, food television.

weekend

First, deep-dish pizza at Giordano's in Chicago on Saturday night. Mmmmm...

stuffed cheese pizza with pepperoni, green pepper, onion

Then an art show opening for Anders Nilsen at Home Gallery in Hyde Park.

Sunday morning breakfast at Sophia's in Madison. Delicious.

omelette with spicy sausage, roasted red & yellow peppers, caramelized leeks, and asaigo
breakfast potatoes

berry & cream cheese coffee cake (still warm)

And a funny little hair salon.

wow

Matt and I headed to Chicago last Thursday night to see Jason dj at Sonotheque (and luckily we had two days off of work because of the cold weather). The show was fun, and it was great to see Jason and our friend Jamie.

The highlight of the trip was probably our lunch on Friday. We ate at Cemitas Puebla, a Mexican restaurant that specializes in tasty sandwiches called cemitas. Everything was absolutely delicious.

Matt's cemita carne enchilada was a spicy butterflied porkchop marinated in guajillo chilies on a sesame bun, layered with Oaxacan cheese, avacado, and adobo chipotles made in-house daily.

I ordered two chicken tacos on corn tortillas with chopped cilantro and onions, your typical taqueria fare. The chicken was excellent, not laden with grease like some spiced chicken. Jamie actually called it "fluffy".

Even better were the chalupas that Matt and I split. There were 5 corn tortillas, each covered in one of their yummy fresh salsas: a smoky, spicy red tomato-based sauce and a milder, tangy green tomatillo and cilantro sauce. Then the tortillas were topped with more of that "fluffy" chicken, more Oaxacan cheese, and some cilantro.

All of these authentic Poblano dishes were very reasonably priced, and were worth every penny. If you live in Chicago or happen to be nearby, I highly recommend you try this place.