Lick My Spoon » Lick My Spoon: a place for all things delicious

The Slanted Door {Giveaway}

Stephanie — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:27:15 +0000

The Slanted Door is one of those classic San Francisco restaurants that had been on my to-go-to list for years. The flagship of chef/restaurateur Charles Phan’s restaurant group, The Slanted Door has made a name for itself with its modern take on Vietnamese cuisine.

I finally got to check this off my list, thanks to Acqua Panna Natural Spring Water, who so kindly invited me to finally get a taste of what everyone has been raving about. Everyone…like the James Beard Foundation. That’s right, The Slanted Door is a nominee for this year’s James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award.

As I settled into my meal, I could see that the nomination was well-deserved. The vibe was comfortable yet classy. The food had all the vibrance and freshness I loved about Vietnamese street food, but executed by a refined hand, with an eye towards high-quality ingredients and adorned with lavish touches like grass-fed Estancia beef and wild California uni.

Mmmm…uni.

And a whole lot of it. Eyes widened as this beautiful plate of sea urchin roe came to the table. Delicate pearls of black tobiko topped the uni, which blanketed crisp slivers of cucumber and creamy avocado. Creamy and luxurious, I tried to make this sea-kissed bliss linger as long as possible.

It passed too quickly, as always, but before we had the chance to miss it, new delights appeared...[Read Full Post]

Unicorn Poop

Stephanie — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:24:35 +0000

Oh man, I am so excited for you.

You are about to experience the magic that is Unicorn Poop! What exactly is Unicorn Poop, you may be wondering? If you took your average Rice Krispies Treat, doused it in fairy dust and sparkle magic, and bathed it in liquid gold, you maaaay get something nearly as amazing as Unicorn Poop.

As we all know, unicorns feed on a steady diet of double rainbows and high-end chocolate. They also love to nibble on bits of marshmallow clouds late at night (unicorns get munchies too).

Contrary to popular belief, it's not all play and no work for unicorns. When they need to get down to biznaz, roasted salted peanuts give unicorns the protein boost they need to kick some major ass. And that subtle buzz of coffee you’ll detect? Yep, unicorns are caffeine fiends.

These chocolate-y, marshmallow-y, peanut-y treats are so good, only a breathtakingly magical creature like a unicorn could have created it...[Read Full Post]

Asparagus Salad with Eggs Mimosa

Stephanie — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:54:58 +0000

It’s official, spring has sprung and the markets are exploding with asparagus. You can’t walk two feet without getting assaulted by these vibrant green spears.

I’ve fallen in love with this cold preparation for asparagus salad. It’s perfect for a big brunch or dinner party because you can easily prep it in advance and let it sit at room temp. Plus the presentation of the dish with the mimosa of hardboiled eggs is dramatic.

Have you heard of eggs mimosa before? No, this is not some bizarre brunch cocktail with an egg in it. This kind of mimosa is simply finely chopped hardboiled eggs, often used as a garnish. The preparation gets its name from the yellow blossoms of the mimosa flower. Spring blooms for a spring meal...[Read Full Post]

Antonio Lee: The Chef, The Legend, The Grandpa

Stephanie — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:30:32 +0000

When I think about my culinary influences, there is a certain chef that comes to mind first: Antonio Lee. The man, the legend, my grandpa. My mother’s father, known to us as Gong Gong, worked as a cook for a number of years in New York’s Chinatown, and also opened up a restaurant of his own called Jade East, out on Long Island circa 1965.

Growing up, I didn’t know all the details, but what I did know was, my grandpa must have been a big deal (or a Chinese mafioso) because everyone in town knew him. We always got the star treatment when we dined out in Chinatown.

Gong Gong shaped many of my earliest food memories. He introduced me to the gold standard of char siu bao at an early age. While my older brother was in school (sucka), Gong Gong and I would hold court at our booth at Hop Sing. Chinese newspaper in hand, he would sip on his coffee with cream while I tried to wrap my two-year-old mind around the layered complexity of the barbecued pork bun in my chubby little fist. It was savory, it was sweet, it was meaty, yet it was a bun. What was this sorcery? I still don’t know...[Read Full Post]

Irish Cream Cream Puffs for St. Patrick’s Day

Stephanie — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 23:26:19 +0000

It’s that time of year again to let the luck of the Irish rub off on us. Every year, I take this as an excuse to whip up a batch of my favorite homemade Irish Cream.

It’s always a fun little self-imposed challenge of mine to figure out what to do with all that Irish Cream. This year, we’re classin’ it up with cream puffs: Irish Cream Cream Puffs. Double the cream. How could you go wrong with that?

Cream puffs are made from a versatile dough called pâte à choux. It’s a lot easier than it seems to make this impressive looking dessert. Here’s how you do it...[Read Full Post]

House of Cards: Politics, Power, and BBQ Ribs

Stephanie — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:45:51 +0000

Hi long lost friends! Sorry I’ve been MIA lately. I’ve been buried under a House of Cards. Have you watched this? Don’t start unless you want to ignore social engagements until you’ve steamrolled through the entire season.

Sorry, this post isn’t about food. The characters in House of Cards prefer to sustain themselves on steady diet of power and late night smokes. And Freddy’s BBQ of course – the best in town.

Not to worry though, we will return to our regular programming soon!

For now, I’m going to continue shirking my responsibilities and sacrificing sleep for one. more. episode.

Maybe I’ll pull an all-nighter and prep a rack of ribs for breakfast.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Stephanie — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:59:49 +0000

The very first Valentine’s Day Hua and I spent together, he invited me over to his apartment and cooked for me for the first time. I still remember, he made me teryaki salmon and baby bok choy (yeah, knew he was a keeper then). We ate at his coffee table, sitting on big throw pillows, and tried to be coy as one does only a few months into a relationship.

We’ve certainly come a long way. We survived a cross-country relationship. Flew way past the nervous flirting stage and dove right into the good stuff. The lovey dovey-ness. The learning to communicate-ness. The never forgetting to cherish and appreciate one another-ness.

There is no one I enjoy sharing a delicious meal with more than my love. And no matter how much we enjoy going out to eat, there is always something special about staying at home and cooking for one another. After all, home is where the heart is.

For a special Valentine’s Day meal, we start with this irresistibly pretty dish I like to call Heart Beet Salad. It’s a dramatic, heart-shaped, layered Napoleon of beet slices and goat cheese. Blood orange and cara cara segments adorn this arugula salad, and toasted hazelnuts are the finishing touch.

For our main course, we’re bringing it back to salmon. Hua knew what he was doing back then. Salmon is a great special date night choice because it’s almost impossible to mess up. Because it’s naturally high in fat, it’s pretty forgiving if you accidentally overcook it. It also cooks really quickly, so let’s get to our side dish first: Braised Fennel with Pancetta...[Read Full Post]

Homemade Nutella Soufflés

Stephanie — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:23:14 +0000

Valentine’s Day can be kitschy overkill. Still, there are some things that just never go out of style. Like chocolate. Sure, a box of chocolates is great, but you’re looking to impress, right? Step it up with Homemade Nutella Soufflà©s and bask in the adoration.

Soufflà©s are one of those dishes that sound fancy and intimidating, but they’re actually not too difficult. Best of all, they can be made ahead of time, so come dessert, it won’t matter if you’re a bottle of wine in, all you have to do is turn on the oven and pop them in (and set a timerâ€¦you know, in case you get carried away with your wooing).

This particular soufflà© recipe goes the extra mile with homemade Nutella as the main ingredient. I made my first batch of this heavenly chocolate-hazelnut spread this past Christmas, and I must say, it has changed my life. No melting chocolate, no heating milk, or double boilers. Literally, this recipe is just six ingredients blended to smooth, creamy decadence...[Read Full Post]

High Five Fridays: Weekly Meal Plan, Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Stephanie — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 07:20:22 +0000

Chinese New Year is a special time of year for us. It’s a time to celebrate with family and friends, and of course, EAT! Usher in a prosperous new year full of good fortune and plentifulness by making sure there is an abundance of good food on the table. No really, you are actually supposed to have so much food that there are leftovers because it’s good luck! Now that’s my kind of holiday.

These Chinese New Year recipes will have you starting the Year of the Snake off to a sssensational sssstart:

Scallion Pancakes. These are a favorite of mine – crispy, flaky, and full of aromatic scallions. Impress your guests (or yourself) and try your hand at making these at home.
Whole Steamed Sea Bass. Whole fish is a classic Chinese New Year dish because it is supposed to bring good luck and abundance from the beginning of the year all the way to the end, from â€œhead to tail.â€
Jiao Zi. Dumplings are also good luck because they are said to resemble purses, thereby hopefully making it rain fortune and riches all year long! The pork and shrimp recipe here is a Hua family favorite.
Homemade Dim Sum. While these may not necessarily be traditional Chinese New Year dishes, they are some of my favorite, and remind me of home (especially that Lo Bok Go). And in the end, that’s what it’s about right? Traditions, family, home. Plus, these dishes will definitely start your new year off on a delicious start. What’s more auspicious than that?
TREAT YO SELF: Almond Cookies. These are a classic treat – crumbly and buttery, almost like a shortbread, but with that lovely almond aroma. My favorite way to enjoy these? With a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

More on Chinese New Year Recipes and Food Traditions:

High Five Fridays: Weekly Meal Plan, Super Bowl Spread

Stephanie — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 05:35:44 +0000

It’s going to be a big weekend here in San Francisco. Are you going to be ~~day-drinking~~ watching the Super Bowl this Sunday? Are you fan-fan or are you more of a half-time-and-commercials kind of viewer? Maybe you’re like meâ€¦in it for the snacks.

Either way, the Super Bowl is a good excuse to get together with friends, eat, drink, and get rowdy on a Sunday. Here are some dishes to make sure your Super Bowl Spread is a winner:

Avo-Cobb-O Guacamole. For a party version of this, I’d skip the egg component, but otherwise, this guac is a sure crowd-pleaser. I mean, hello, it is guacamole with crushed chips already mixed in! Brill-iant.
Best Oven Fried Buffalo Wings. So you’re telling me these oven-fried Buffalo Wings not only don’t suck, but taste like the real thing? That they’re â€œactually indistinguishable from the deep-fried versionâ€?! I’m game.
Atomic Buffalo Turds. Yes, that is what they’re really called. A reason in and of itself to make them if you ask me. I mean, if you can’t serve Atomic Buffalo Turds on Super Bowl Sunday, when can you serve them?
Red and Gold Beet Crostini. Probably not your typically football fare, but we are representing San Francisco after all, so not too far off the mark (as long as your beets are local and sustainably farmed, of course). Go Niners!
TREAT YO SELF: Spicy Caramel Popcorn Mexican Chocolate Brownies. Leave it to Irvin to come up with this brilliant combination. It’s sweet, salty, a touch spicy, and totally fun.

Overtime Bonus Roundâ€¦because it’s good karma:

My famous Big Ass Pot of Chili (2 lbs bacon, 4 lbs sausage, 6 lbs ground beef) yeah, this feeds a happy crowd
Jambalaya Arancini, a shout out to our Super Bowl host city!
Pancetta Mac and Cheese, another NOLA-inspired, amazingly delicious dish
More Football Food
And if you’re actually in NOLA this weekend, you’ll want to have this in your back pocket: 12 Great Bites of New Orleans

Have a great weekend, friends!