Balls and Walnuts
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Thirteen Gastronomic Orgasms The challenge here is to come up with thirteen omigod food experiences which I haven't blogged about. Let's see how far I can get before I have to fall back on some old favorites. 1. Funky red bean paste dessert. Let me describe this Chinese confection to you, since I don't know the proper name. It uses a sheet-like wrapper derived from tofu to enclose sweetened red bean paste. The packet, sort of like a flat burrito, is deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It's amazing -- hot, sweet, a bit salty. 2. Shrimp scampi at La Pergola's, North Beach, San Francisco, early 1980s. Yup, you'll need a time machine for this one. Karen and I went back there in the mid-80s, ordered the scampi, and it just wasn't the same. The key features of die-and-go-to-heaven scampi: fresh prawns cooked to perfection, and a buttery sauce, no skimping on the garlic. This has to be one of the most commonly messed-up recipes, since I am inevitably disappointed. 3. Eggplant parmigiano, Il Giardino Restaurant, Ashland, OR. I make a mean eggplant parmigiano, but mine does not compare to Il Giardino's. Theirs is unparalled for melt-in-your-mouth goodness. I suspect they use Chinese or Japanese eggplant, since your typical fatso aubergine won't turn behave like this, no matter how you coddle it. And, yes, I've tried salting it, rinsing it, and squeezing out all the excess water. No go. 4. Soft tacos, El Grullense, Redwood City, CA. As hard as I try, my soft tacos can't hold a jalapeno to the ones they make at El Grullense. We first ate there in the mid-80s, when they were a hole-in-the-wall place serving food to go, lines spilling out on the sidewalk. Now they're a chain, and as busy as ever. My guess as to the secret ingredient: pork lard, and lots of it. The perfect soft taco: pork carnitas (or lengua -- beef tongue) on a homemade corn tortilla, garnished with chopped yellow onion, cilantro, salsa, and a squeeze of lime juice. 5. Any sausage at Top Dog, Berkeley, CA. Certain moments in my life have crystallized as images of paradise. One such is the time I ate three sausages in a row at the Top Dog on Durant Ave. It was summer, the sky was that shade of China blue I've only ever seen in the Bay Area, the temperature was around 70, and those sausages (a Polish and a couple of brats, if I know me) slid down the gullet like raw oysters. The counter guy joked I'd need a new stomach. Wrong! 6. Thai seafood hot pot, Berkeley, CA. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but they've long since closed. This hot pot featured unbearably fresh scallops, prawns, and calamari, all simmered to perfection, along with an exquisite balance of pepper, garlic, fish sauce, and cilantro -- yet another Wonder of the World I have not been able to reproduce in my kitchen. 7. Hazelnut gelato, Vivoli's, Berkeley, CA. Gggrrrhlllhgggrrllhgglarrrrhll. 'Nuff said. Oh, and the alternate lifestyle wimmen who own and run Vivoli's -- total fantasy material, hairy armpits and all. 8. White sandwich bread, Virginia Bakery, Berkeley, CA. Are you beginning to understand why I miss Berkeley so much? If I won the lottery, first thing I'd do, I'd buy a house in Berkeley, north of the campus. I went into Virginia Bakery one day and asked the counter gal, "My God, what smells so good?" She had just pulled a tray of white bread loaves from the oven. I couldn't believe white bread could smell so good, so I bought a loaf. "I'm taking this home right now," I said, and she encourage me to try a slice. What, no butter, no jam? Yes, just a dry slice of white bread, and yet it tasted like heaven. Nothing compares. 9. Soft shell crab, New Orleans. I wish I could remember the name of that place -- a converted church, if that rings anyone's bells. Karen and I ordered one helping of the appetizer. The waiter said, "What? Only one?" Um . . . yeah. "But there's only one crab per order," he said. This shocked us, given the price of the appetizer, but aw hell we're on vacation let's splurge and get two. Two of the BIGGEST mofo soft shell crabs we had ever seen in our lives, each one swimming in its own sea of clarified butter. Needless to say, we had no room left for dinner, let alone dessert. 10. Bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce, Palace Cafe, Santa Barbara, CA. At last, something we have been able to reproduce at home. Karen uses Wonder Bread, believe it or not. If I had a loaf of white bread from Virginia Bakery for Karen's recipe, we would all die with smiles on our faces. 11. Fried clams from the East Coast. Will one of you east-coasters tell me if there are still fast food joints that serve nothing but fried clams and French fries? I remember this from childhood, our occasional 12. Blood pudding in France. I mentioned this on someone's blog recently, but never here. When Karen and I honeymooned in Europe, we tended to order without knowing what it would be. I'm not sure I would have ordered blood pudding knowingly. I remember something savory, spicy, so good I was sopping up the remnants with my bread and wishing for more. 13. Mussels in Paris, in a place across from the Louvre -- also during our honeymoon. I don't think I had ever tasted mussels before, so I didn't know quite what to expect. I've had good mussels since then, but nothing quite as good. There's nothing worse than a bad mussel, and nothing better than a perfect one. Yippee! I did it. Not a single repetition from previous food posts (I don't think; although, it's hard to imagine I've never raved about Top Dog before on these pages.) Okay, your turn: what gives you a resounding gastronomic orgasm? D. The Thirteen Crowd: 1. Kate Rothwell holds forth on writing; 3. Joan imagines a bunch of stuff |
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That would have been my blog with the blood pudding, unless you have been doing some sort of gastronomic vampiring act across the blogosphere.
My tastes are pretty simple – native Colchester oysters with nothing added, washed down with Black Velvet (50/50 Guinness and (real) Champagne) is hard to improve upon. Alternatively, at the other end of the delicacy spectrum, Colston Basset Stilton that has never been imprisoned in a fridge, served with freshly baked oatcakes. An old Chateauneuf-du-Pape to wash it down – not Port, which is too sweet, too cloying and too hangover inducing to risk with the god of cheeses.
The one food that I really missed during my four years in the US was good cheese – particularly really mature cheddar (eg Keen’s). Once you have tried it, you’ll never be satisfied with the everyday US stuff.
Thanks for stopping by my 13..
lets see.. I’m not big on seafood at all.. so that’s out..
My favorite foods are Italian and Mexican….
And that said..
I’ll have to go with Just about any kind of pasta.. but the favorites
Shells tossed with peas, carrots and a ranch/bacon dressing..
MY lasagna.. The key is the sausage used in it.. We make the sausage ourselves..
Parmesan Chicken
Cheese Enchiladas.. Simple but still my favorite since I was a kid..
A really good salsa..
and as a dessert.. I’m not big on them but I had this brownie the other day that was called i believe a turtle brownie.. It had caramel and chocolate icing and fudge.. I think it was the best brownie Ive ever had..
Im not a picky eater but I dont have “rich” tastes..
Hi Stephen. Now I remember that blood pudding business at your place!
I’ll have to see if I can mail order that Stilton. You’re right about cheeses here in the US. Unless you go to an honest-to-God cheese shop (and we have very few — the nearest good one is in San Francisco), you’re SOL.
We had a company in Bandon, Oregon, that sold a wonderful aged cheddar. They went out of business, of course. It’s always that way.
Your funky red bean paste dessert sounds similar to one of my favourite dim sum dishes – little, sweet dumplings, deepfried, rolled in sesame seeds, with a dollop of red bean paste in the centre. I have no idea how they’re spelled – in any language – but they’re pronounced ‘jin doi’.
I’ve got thirteen but they’re not as yummmy as yours.
>>Will one of you east-coasters tell me if there are still fast food joints that serve nothing but fried clams and French fries?
If you ever find yourself on Long Island, make a trip to Bigelow’s, in Rockville Centre on Montauk Highway. Best fried clams I’ve ever had–not greasy at all. Great cole slaw and clam chowder, too. (It does sell more–other fried fish, maybe a burger. But it’s known for the clams.)
Tiny little place with a lunch counter and just a couple tables, so expect a wait at busy times.
(I’m salivating right now–no kidding.)
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oh Jim Donohue reminds me: when I was a kid there was a baker in Amagansett. Bessie’s Bread. BEST bread I’d ever had. I don’t have a clue where it was sold but it was the most amazing . . .oh lord, it was. . .orgasmic, yes. [pant, pant]
Sounds like you are a seafood fan. I’m not. The bread pudding sounds heavenly, though!
My 13 are posted.
Dude, TOP DOG!!
And being orginally from the East Coast (Boston, but went to Portland, ME every summer) I have to say that I have dreams wherein I do nothing but eat fried crunchy, salty clams. And drink lemonade, and then eat fried oysters. Oh! And Lobster roll made with lots of fresh (not oily) butter.
But at least I can get to Top Dog within a half hour.
Suisan, I am jealous. JEALOUS, I tell you.
On the other hand, my lipid ratios would probably be even more screwed up if I lived 30 min from Top Dog.
YUM!!!!!!!!!!!
That is a delicious list.
The clams? Seven E’s…I salivate for those every now and then too. One of the few things the folks know about is their clams, and that place was a great one. I have the names of a couple of other places out by Cape Cod given to me by a pen pal.
Thanks, Sis. One of these days, we’re going to make it out there, just for the clams. Oh, and our friends out that way, too 😉
Take me with you?
You’re on, Sis.
I love #1. I’ve been eating since I was born (and developed the ability to chew, and grew teeth). The name we call it translates to ‘red bean paste cookie’, although the translation of cookie is fairly rough. Mmmmm. Now I want some.
Angela, I’d love to know where I can get (1) those tofu skins, and (2) prepared red bean paste. I tried to make red bean paste from cooked beans in jars, but that had an off taste, and milling away the bean skins was a pain in the ass.
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