IsItEDible in Philadelphia

I've had a really bad craving for a particular eating establishment for the past three years. That's how long it's been since I'd eaten there. When I lived in St. Louis, I used to goto this place at least once a week. But alas, we don't have them in San Francisco. It's not that the food is particularly fresh. Nor it is particularly tasty. But there's something about the combination of grease and salt that completely entices my taste buds.

I was driving around looking for a place to eat one night. And then I saw it. The yellow sign. Calling out to me from amidst the darkness of the evening sky. A quick u-turn and I was pulling into the parking lot. A few steps and I was inside the restaurant, inhaling all the greasy goodness. Four pieces of shrimp, 2 pieces of fish, 2 hush puppies, and an order of fried clams later, I had satisfied my craving. Check out this website if you want to know more about my guilty pleasure that I indulged in last night.

And now for something completely different....

I was able to secure last minute reservations tonight at Morimoto, Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurant in Philadelphia. Hands down, it was one of the best meals I ever had. Looking over the menu, I was tempted by the Morimoto tempura with gorgonzola cheese sauce appetizer ($12) and the lobster caesar salad with poached lobster, quail egg, and Asian caesar dressing. But, at the last minute, I decided to COMPLETELY SPLURGE and order the Morimoto "Omokase" which is basically a chef's choice tasting menu that allows one to "experience the essence of Morimoto's cuisine. My entire meal, I kept pretending that I was one of the judges on Iron Chef (the Japanese version).

"MMMM. I like this alot. I'm amazed at how you perfectly balanced the saltiness of the caviar with the yellowtail."

"Ooooh. I like this. When I put it in my mouth, the flavor explodes. In my mouth. hehehe"

Here's a play by play of the 8 courses, but I warn you that no words can adequately describe the Morimoto experience. I tried to write down each course as I ate, but I may have gotten a few minor details wrong (Darn short term memory loss).

1st Course - Yellowtail tartare with osetra caviar and fresh wasabi. This was served in a dashi broth flavored with soy sauce and mirin. When I first bit into the tartare, I was pleasantly surprised by a nice crunch from crisp-fried shallots that were mixed in. This was an amazing way to start off the meal.

2nd Course - 4 thin slices of red snapper that were poached in olive and peanut oil. Served with fresh ginger and scallions. The fish was extremely moist, tender, and flavorful.

3rd Course - Kanpachi (very young yellowtail) served over microgreens with a yuzu vinaigrette and freshly shaved bonito.

4th Course: An intermezzo. Yuzu with Peruvian citrus sorbet. This was a very nice palate cleanser. It was refreshing yet had a nice surprising little kick. The best way I can describe it is as a frozen "spiced" lemonade.

5th Course: Black cod miso with shaved red and yellow sweet peppers. I love black cod. Morimoto's version was basted with miso and then served on a yellow sauce that was either sweetened miso or sweetened yellob bean paste. Regardless of what the sauce was, I think it made the black cod taste magically delicious.

6th Course: Flash grilled Kobe beef with slices of Japanese sweet potato served with a sesame soy sauce and finely julienned scallion and ginger. This was my absolute favorite course.

7th Course: Five pieces of sushi including chu-toro (medium-fatty tuna), hirame (fluke), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), and sayori (needle fish). All were very tasty, but my personal favorites were the chu-toro and the sake.

And finally, the dessert course: Persimmon pudding with white chocolate ice cream served with creme and molasses. This reminded me of a spice cake and was the perfect way to end the meal.

As to be expected, the service here was very friendly and attentive (and attractive). All that being said, there can be no other winner in my book than Iron Chef Morimoto.

I never realized that the food in Philadelphia was so good. It's not just about Philly cheesesteaks (I really like the ones at Campo's). I didn't have much time to explore on this visit, but here are two other food finds that I found.

Sahara Grill - My friend Ron and I had a chance to catch a quick lunch here. The standout was the hummus with meat ($4.95). The hummus (made with mashed chick peas and sesame paste) is topped with ground lamb. A great variation that's not found on many Middle Eastern restaurant menus.

Naked Chocolate Cafe - My friend Ron also recommended that we stop in for a quick hot chocolate here. I am sooooo glad he did. We both indulged in a petit hot chocolate ($3.50). He had the bittersweet which was good, but I had the Aztec ("full bodied chocolate with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves") which was even better. This isn't your Swiss Miss hot chocolate. It'is more similiar to the Starbuck's Chantico (but MUCH MUCH better) . They also have an extensive dessert menu and sell chocolate by the pieces. I'll definitely be coming back here on my next visit to Philly.

Breakfast Panini

I don't usually eat breakfast. But this morning, I was craving an Egg McMuffin from McDonald's when I woke up. So I decided to make my own version using my trusty panini press. Consider this a gussied-up version. In my version, salami stands in for the bacon/sausage. And smoked gouda replaces the American cheese. All the salty, cheesy goodness gets sandwiched between the tangy, crispy sourdough slices.

I've been experimenting a bit with the panini press that Dean gave me for my birthday. It's been a lot of fun trying out different recipes. Stay tuned for more panini recipes in the near future.

BREAKFAST PANINI

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 eggs
4 slices of sourdough bread (about 1/2 inch thick)
16 slices of dry salami
2 slices of smoked gouda
3 tablespoons olive oil

1) In a small omelette pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat.

2) Whisk the eggs together and pour into the omelette pan. Cook until done. Cut in half and set aside.

3) Preheat your panini pan and press on medium heat over two seperate burners.

4) On top of two of the slices of bread, layer the following:

4 slices of salami
1/2 slice of smoked gouda
half of the egg omelette, folded to fit
1/2 slice of smoked gouda
4 slices of salami

4) Cover with the other two slices of bread.

5) Brush olive oil over the top and bottom of both sandwiches.

6) When the panini pan is well-heated, place the two sandwiches on the panini pan.

7) Using oven mitts, carefully place the panini press on top of the sandwiches and push down slightly.

8) Grill the sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes two sandwiches.

Sauteed Mushrooms

I used to REALLY like Michael Chiarello. I truly enjoyed his shows on PBS, and Tra Vigne (where he was founding chef) used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Napa (but my last two visits there were dissappointing).

What I like about Michael's cooking is his emphasis on seasonal ingredients and flavors. Here's a simple recipe from his Casual Cooking cookbook. It's really easy to put together, but extremely flavorful. I made a few substitutions because I didn't have fresh herbs in the kitchen. (I know! Blasphemy!)

I still like Michael, but I must admit that Tyler Florence is my latest culinary crush. Who is yours?

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pound mushrooms, halved
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1) Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Place mushrooms in single layer in the pan. Leave them alone for 2 minutes.

2) When bottoms of the mushrooms caramelize, cook the mushrooms for another 5 minutes.

3) Drain out the oil and return pan to heat.

4) Add butter to the mushrooms. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5) Add garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.

6) Add wine, parsley, lemon juice, and thyme. Reduce heat and simmer until the mushrooms are nicely glazed.

Makes 4 servings.

IsItEDible in Palm Springs

Dean, Zoe, Rocco and I spent the last week sunning ourselves in Palm Springs with our friends G and C. (Doesn't Rocco look like he has a bit of a tan in his Bat-Rocco picture?) We usually go down there 2 or 3 times a year. These trips give me not only a break from work, but also a break from cooking.

Below are some the places we ate at on this trip.

El Pollo Loco - I love this place!!! For just under $15, you get 8 pieces of "flame-grilled" chicken, tortillas, and two large sides. I love their chicken which reminds me of a spiced-up rotisserie chicken. And they have a salsa bar. My favorites are the pico de gallo and the avacado salsa. What's that you say? You can't finish 8 pieces of chicken by yourself? Well, check out this recipe guide for dishes you can make with El Pollo Loco chicken.

Manhattan in the Desert - We usually go to Sherman's Deli to satisfy our Jewish Deli Food craving, but on this trip we decided to try something new. And I'm glad we did. I think Manhattan in the Desert will be our deli of choice on our next trip. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the huge bakery/dessert cases. Which is a good thing because it's a very visual reminder to save room for dessert. This is easier said than done because the portions here are gi-normous! Dean really enjoyed his calf liver dinner (BLEAH!). I had a half-order of the Manhattan Cobb salad which was still huge. The salad is piled high with pieces of fresh turkey meat, ham, american cheese, and swiss cheese. I also ordered a half-order of their potato pancakes which are fried to a crisp yet still moist on the inside (and served with sour cream and apple sauce). For dessert we indulged in the banana cream tart which is like a banana cream pie but with a tart bottom (and who doesn't like tart bottoms?) and topped with a huge mound of whipped cream. I already know what I want to order for dessert on my next trip: the carrot cake cheesecake.

Kaiser Grill - Rachel Ray profiled this place on her $40 a day show. I haven't seen that episode so I'm not sure how she was able to fit this into her budget (entrees start at $17.95). But, the food here is pretty good. Dean really enjoyed the sweet corn and crab chowder that was one of the daily specials. And his surf and turf of prime rib and pancetta-wrapped shrimp was absolutely delicious. The lobster and scallop risotto $29.95 had a great flavor but unfortunately was a bit underdone on this visit. Probably an oversight as we were one of the last seatings of the evening so I would definitely give this dish another try.

On the drive back to San Francisco, we stopped at:

In-N-Out Burger (in Pasadena) I've always liked their burgers which are made fresh to order. For under $5, you can get a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink. When you first see their menu, it looks a little limited (Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Fries, Milkshakes). But there is a "secret" menu that you can order off of. For example, you can ask for grilled onion on your hamburger or cheeseburger. I've never been a big fan of In-N-Out fries because I thought they were a bit soggy. But, I recently learned that you can order them "Well-Done" which I did for the first time. I will be ordering my fries "well-done" from now on. And if you are feeling adventurous, try ordering your fries "well-done, animal style" and see what you get.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Palm Springs? If so, then please leave a comment so I can check it out on my next trip.