cirque duford

Pho Inspired Yaki Shirataki

Had a bunch of left over fresh herbs and seitan, so I wanted to do something southeast asiany again.  Shirataki, if you haven’t messed with it, is a tofu based noodle.  You can get it at every grocery store and most good bodegas.  Most of the time when I cook with it it turns out crappy, but this was pretty good.  I think the key is to stir the noodles with a fork as they pan fry.  They are pretty clumpy so its tough the get all the ingredients intertwined, but with a fork its easier.  Also, this time I took the time to rinse off the shirataki for a good half hour and I think it helped.  They have a strong flavor that is distracting if trying to use them in a light dish, rinsing takes that away.

Recipe_

start rinsing 3 packs shirataki(drain and repeat for a half hour)
saute seitan in a peanut oil over high heat, add pepper

after browned add sliced white onion and red pepper(save a little for later)

when onions are translucent add a sliced clove of garlic, and teaspoon of fresh ginger and chopped jalepenos(save some)

not long after add shirataki and start stirring to incorporate all the ingredients

allow shirataki to release water and pour out extra liquid

add fresh oregano, mushrooms and sliced white cabbage

add some ponzukeep stirring, let cabbage and mushroom soften

add saved red peppers and jalepenos(diced), plus handful each of chopped basil and cilantro, kill heat

 
serve with more chopped basil and cilantro, squeeze fresh lime and garnish with gomasio

Tofu Ciopinno

Tofu Cioppino_

i’m cold and wet after the walk home from work. knew i had a block of tofu and as i walked, and the closest “grocery store” was my corner bodega. “what could i cook for cheap to warm my damp bones”. my dream meal would’ve been a gallon of cioppino from el pescador in la jolla, so i activated my taste bud memory and channeled a so-cal version of a nor-cal favorite……with tofu.

tuned out perfect. light, warming, spicy, good stuff. would’ve been better with seafood stock.

recipe:

hot skillet with olive oil
add chopped yellow peppers
blacken
add slices of yellow squash and tofu chunks
blacken some more
add sliced jalepenos
stir at times
after charred
add sliced garlic and spinach
stir
add sliced basil
add can diced tomatoes and shit tons of dried oregano
simmer for a beer or two, or until you’re hungry

pour over fresh spinach, brown rice, or whatever and enjoy.

Check Up

Hello there.  Haven’t posted anything in a minute, no moving revelations or journal entries.  Nothing insightful, but figured I’d do a quick update of Cirque DuFord.  I just was thinking about the fact that although the year is young, I already feel worn out.  Wondering why, I started jotting down all the things I’ve done since the ball dropped on 2011.  Since the Colombia trip nothing romantic or exciting has happened in my opinion, but figured I’d fill in the gap of what happens between adventures.  Been feeling more like the low side of Babyface Nelson than the high side of Keith Richards as of late, an inevitable hangover after a year of travel and 2 months of backpacking, but snapping “out of it” and needing to fill in the gap. So….

3 weeks ago I was in Bogota, Colombia.

Overnight bus, rainy day in Bogota, early flight out, and I’m back in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Weird.  My first day back, after what felt like an eternity, couldn’t stop thinking “I can’t believe I had breakfast in Bogota this morning”.  My first few weeks back in country(the last 3 weeks) have mostly been filled with the desire to order delivery thai food, drink IPAs and watching TV.  Phone turned off, no desire to leave whichever couch I’m residing on, I call it “reseting”.  I’ve had a few personal highlights over the past few weeks besides Foodography on DVR, but for the most part a soft couch, Sportscenter, and quiet apartment have been more than enough to happily hibernate me.

An early highlight was at my sister and and bro-in law’s place a couple days after being back from Colombia.  I think it was a Sunday.  I had had a “long” Lebowski style weekend, and I was oddly motivated to cook up a storm.  My main goal was to make my first from scratch patacones and arepas.  The arepas were easy.  Corn meal, water, form “pancake”, grill.  And for a protein I made a vegan “chorizo”, bean stew.  Usual slow cooked goodness.  Patacones were daunting but easy after I fucked up my first 2 or 3 my first two.

Patacones

Cut green plantains into 3′s(yeah, I know this plantains ain’t green, but its all they had at Ralphs…still worked)

Fry chunks for a few minutes in oil, remove and…SMASH!

I only had room to fry 2 at a time and had plenty of time until the beans were done, so I soaked my “phase 1″ patacones in water with sliced garlic and drank a couple beers.

An authentic patacon is then fried again before eating, but I tried to LA-ize them and baked before serving instead, and it worked fine.

Served with my other comfort food, Colombia style, and had a great brunch to watch TV and sit on the couch with my sis and brother in law.  Showed them my photo’s from the trip to get a full 4D experience.

4 days in country, I drove down to San Diego with Irie to see the folks.  I only had a couple days down there, but it was the usual DuFord fiesta.  Pescador, card games, coffee, home.  Said goodbye to the Pacific my last night, still punch drunk from culture shock and not quite ready to leave the nest…

Then I drove across the USA.  2,850 miles, leaving the gorgeous west, firsts snowy Rockies crossing, 4 days and I’m back in my favorite  big city in the States.

I’ve been back in NYC, still grumpy and antisocial, not sure why.  4 days later I was shipped off to South Beach.  Should’ve loved this bonus, but didn’t.  Feel bad saying it but it’s true.  South Beach brought back memories and I do love it there, but the Vegas-party-town-after-taste and the fact I was still reeling from travel made the short trip lackluster.

4 days later, Irie and I are bouncing around couches and tenuous subleting situations, but on the nights I’m free and alone, been thoroughly enjoying some simple cooking exercises.  Mostly dumb shit, but its been 3 months since I’ve had more than my rice cooker for a “kitchen”, and loving the fact that I can have baked tofu and quinoa in the fridge for breakfast.  The home cooking has been a centering few experiences in the past days.  I do love hats, but I am reminded that home is where you hang your apron, your hat can hang in anybody’s place for a while .

Had an exciting cooking session with Nate and Adam at 230 Frost.  Calling it Tuxla 1, and hope to evolve it into a once a week cooking club.   Grilled Salmon, Smushed Red Potatoes, Sauteed Green Beans

So I find myself in New York City, Electricity, cutting edge, social hive.  Getting back into the NYC hustle was tough, but slowly and steadily I am working my way back into the mind set.  Love this town, finally back in work mode, grinding.  As of today I suddenly feel ready for the pace and challenge of the Big Apple.  Its been 3 weeks since I landed from Colombia and I’m stoked for the next chapter.  All it took was a little hibernation.

NYC’11