:: dante chocolates ::

born
bakery @wegmans

gender
desert

personality
chocolate

character
i rarely ever buy craft chocolate for myself. don’t get me wrong, i don’t hate gourmet chocolate; but when i do buy them, it would either for someone’s birthday or i will wait till someone hand me a box.

however, during my first Wegmans experience, i could not resist these little eatable jewel piece hanging out at the bakery chocolate shop. there were at least 12 flavor, and after unanimous decision of my solo wolf pack, i had chosen, from top left going clockwise, macadamia, champagne, amaretto, and royal brandy.

before i had a bite into the first piece, i thought they were those old fashion liquor chocolate with actual, liquid form, liquor filling. and it strake me with surprise and slight disappointment when i did not feel the chilled booze spilling out of its chocolate shell; and i doubt they could get you drunk...

at the end of the day, these are good chocolate on way or the other. i might not buy them again for myself, but they surely will make a good gift.

:: rice noodle stir-fry ::

born
my kitchen @Ithaca studio

gender
rice noodle

personality
chicken + shrimp + rice noodle + salt + sugar + vegetable oil + green bell pepper + onion + sriracha sauce

character
food does only creates memories, it bring back memories, too. i had almost forgotten this dish until my currently underequipped Ithaca Studio kitchen strike me when my intention was really trying to make Singapore fried noodles without any curry powder; at that very moment, i recalled my grandma used to make this rice noodle stir-fried which was basically a simplify version of the famous Singaporean street food.

the big different was the fragmentation of the rice-noodle. grandma liked to soften them with high situation in preparation stage, then stir fried them into little crispy cluster as they break apart in the wok.

she didn’t like spicy food, that’s why she make the rice noodle without curry powder in the first place; by for me, i craved for a little kick, thus the also famous sriracha sauce was a good assistance for the grandma recipe!

:: tofu sub ::

born
my kitchen @Ithaca studio

gender
fusion sub

personality
tofu + onion + green pepper + scallion + sub bun + soy sauce + sugar

character
never really thought of serving tofu on a bun until i visited a diner in Athens, Georgia six years ago; i had my first taste of a tofu Panini, served along side with a balsamic vinaigrette dip, my god, that was as much of as life changing experience as the trip down to Athens itself.
i wanted to try and recreated that dish many times, but i had yet to get a chance until now (it was hard to get firm tofu at home since mom like to cook with the ultra soft). it wasn’t a successful story, I really need a grill, or a gril-let (the stove top skillet grill pan) to crisp up the outer shell of the tofu. but for the skillet version, it was acceptable, I guess…

:: Ithaca studio ::

kitchen
Ithaca studio

yes! the new kitchen is kicking in high gear! actually i had been putting the kitchen to use already with the samurai dog, but now with a proper cutting board and dish drying rack, the kitchen can function for general meals!

still, much apparatus have to acquire, but it is hard to find something that works right with a design that i like and a budget that i can afford; but thus far, this will work, and more fun innovation are waiting to be made in this new kitchen!

as the first tenant of this newly furnished studio space, i am a happy camper.

:: Ithaca Bakery ::

venue
Ithaca Bakery @Ithaca, NY

since i moved into this town on saturday, I had been trying to find a good coffee shop. i did tried out Gimme! Coffee during my second trip to Ithaca and they have some fantastic Java.

but what i tried to look for, and always tried to seek out, was local café, where coffee was made by the heart and soul of the local business owner and his/her crews.

i had chosen Ithaca Bakery thinking i can get breakfast and a cup of joe at the same time; of course i did; the coffee was okay, and the croissant was flaky, but it wasn’t revelation. they do have a food bar, a good range of cheese and smoke salmon behind the counter, and bread, lots of bread, but the coffee doesn’t taste like heaven and the sitting area was a bit to clutter. will I come back? sure. but will i bring a book to read or a date for some chatter, perhaps not. thus the search for the holy Ithaca café resume!

:: samurai dog ::

born
my kitchen @Ithaca studio

gender
hot dog

personality
hot dog + hot dog hun + onion + green bell peper + scallion + soy sauce + sugar + olive oil + graded cheese

character
i cannot refuse to buy this giant pack of hot dog sausages for $5.40 during my second visit to Tops in Ithaca; I mean, these are no Johnsonville bull sh*t, these are proper 6-inch long hot dogs.

recently, back at home during the summer vacay, I learned a new trip to cook hot dog on stove top unit which could drastically reduce cook time and smoke/grease in the kitchen. it was easy, boil them for 10 minutes, then fried them on skillet for another 3-5 minutes, and as always, don’t poke the mighty sausage all the valuable juice will lost (that’s what she said) in a sea of hot water or frying grease.

with a few dash of soy sauce and sugar, an instant teriyaki sauce was made while the vegi were being cook; served over bun, and there you have yourself a fusion hot dog.

:: thai tofu pita ::

born
moosewood @Ithaca, NY

gender
vegetarian

personality
tofu + peanut butter sauce + ginger + carrot + pita

character
offered in half or whole, the little thai tofu pita packed a lot more kick than you think! like it’s pad thai brother, the peanut butter sauce aroma keep telling you to get more! ginger certainly made the tofu pita much more exhilarating in flavor; the sauce and the tofu mix balanced the dryness of the pita fairly well, which save us from dehydrating with the Mediterranean bread.

:: chilled cantaloupe-peach amaretto ::

born
moosewood @Ithaca, NY

gender
vegetarian

personality
cantaloupe + peach + amaretto

character
here was something rather special and surely the first for me: a chilled cantaloupe peach amaretto soup. along side with a Saranac summer brew which was a larger with a blend of lemonade. the two item together made a pleasant hot summer day treat
while sitting at the half-basement restaurant where the sun was protected by the shade of the vine, but yet the streetscape was peeking beyond the clearstory window, the moosewood was suggested by the husband of one of my undergrad professor who attended Cornell as an engineering major. who say they only make sure building doesn’t fall down, they know where to eat, too!

:: scale house ::

venue
scale house/northwest pizza @Ithaca, NY

what makes me happy? good food, good beer, live music and good companies. well, as a new resident just moved into a new town, good companies might have to wait… but a place like the scale house just south of the Ithaca mall have the rest of the qualifications.
i was driving along highway 13, trying to find the place via iPhone SatNav, no luck on the first fly by; I did not gave up, turned around and drove around the block, and voilà! it was tucked in at a small run down-ish strip mall. however, I did not hesitate to park and roll in, because the parking lot was almost full, and that was the only sign you need to know that the place must be good.
walked in, I immediately was welcome by the warm sound of the double bass on pizzicato, saxophone and jazz guitars. then i found it was a micro brew with Hefeweizen, bam, story can stop there. all I can say, it was a damn good night and a big score for the first night in a new city.

:: pete’s lamb gyro + beer batter fries ::

born
pete’s gas station and grocery @Ithaca, NY

gender
greek + american

personality
lamb gyro, pita, tomato, lettuce, feta cheese, sour cream, beer batter fries

character
a gas station, a grocery store, burger and sub joint and a liquor store, who genius think of this amazing combo? this is a true one stop shopping, a manifesto of American blue collar lifestyle.
i know it was a bad idea to get fried food on a super hot summer day, but beer batter fries, (especially when it write next to the gyro on the chalkboard menu) how can you turn THAT down?
the gyro was no revelation, but man, where those beer batter fries good! i don’t even care if the day was hot, i don’t even care if i was to eat this at the Sahara desert, these fries were some proper thick crispy potato sticks that anyone could die for.

:: smiley bbq sandwich ::

born
smiley bbq @fuel city truck stop, VA

gender
bbq [North Carolina style]

personality
pit smoke pulled bbq pork + bun + vinegar + salt + sugar + bbq sauce

character
as a North Carolinian for eight years, of course I had heard of the legendary Lexington bbq; okay, you Texan might disagreed with me of who serve better and the “right” barbeque; but as an outside of this country, who also happened to been to Texas and Memphis for a taste of the smoked meat, I frankly don’t give a damn who is right. As long as the pits are smoking their vernacular meat with craft and care, I will eat it.
I am not sure if this “Smiley BBQ” at the fuel city truck stop in the middle of Virginia has any connection with the Lexington Smiley, but they do offer both North Carolina and Texas style smoked pork.
For a street food fanatic of mine, this wasn’t exactly street food, but I do adore “food on the run” while I drive long distance, and this little bbq joint was more than satisfying for a lunch break of a 700 miles drive.

:: Château de Pierre ::

summer greatest escape in 2008! some of you might wonder if this is the Château de Pierre in France, of course not, it is only a call sign for a house which I was staying in for the summer…

with a spectacular garden along the quiet street within a crowded city. le Château de Pierre was a contemporary architectural statement while preserving some of the vernacular architectural characteristic.

the twenty-first century château not only decorate beautifully, it also embodied a well equipped kitchen filled with designers’ silverware and china. if i did not roll up my sleeve and cook in this dream kitchen, that was like denying a kiss offered by keira knightley, therefore, i did, and i repeated that for the entire summer

:: blue collar deutschland::

born
my kitchen @Château de Pierre

gender
pub food

personality
beer bratwurst + sauerkraut + curry + roasted tomato + vegi chips

character
a remix of the german sausage plate; this time no ketchup was used, instead roasted tomato to enhance presentation. vegi chips served on the side, and of course yuengling!

:: instant steak::

born
my kitchen @Château de Pierre

gender
steak

personality
chuck steak + kosher salt + sugar + paper + butter

character
a lot of people might think instant food at home only consist of ramen noodles and mac-n-cheese; for me a quick, brainless, simplest, and easiest meal at home would actually be a good’o american steak.

the only key really is butter and three minutes of your time, than viola! of course, rubbing the steak with kosher salt before sending it to the merry way of hot buttery skillet will add a crispy shell to the steak, too!

:: sweet chicken pasta ::

born
my kitchen @Château de Pierre

gender
fusion

personality
chicken tight + angel hair + cherry tomato + white wine + sugar + salt

character
slightly crispy, mostly juicy; the sweet chicken was cook on skillet after marinade with salt and sugar. a few pop of freshly picked cheery tomato helped to balance the fat. all served over boil angel hair, let the sauce from the bottom of the pan to work its magic to glaze over the delegated pasta!

:: chicken curry + bread ::

born
my kitchen @Château de Pierre

gender
indian

personality
chicken tight + curry powder + cayenne spice + coconut milk + half-n-half + onion + butter + sugar + salt + Pillsbury bread dough

character
start with fine chopped onion, browned with butter; then mix in the rest of the ingredients. the finely chopped onion gives additional body to the curry while adding smoky flavor; in contrary chicken tight provide sponge texture for every bite. i know nothing about baking, thus the use of the instant Pillsbury bread dough gives me a bread for dipping, the quick and easy way!

while some of you think this might be exotic, for me it is just simply good eat. curry, in the summer, enhance appetite and helps one cool down by making you sweat (that’s why tropical region people like spicy food)

:: german sausage ::

born
my kitchen @Château de Pierre

gender
pub food

personality
beer bratwurst + sauerkraut + cayenne spice + sugar

character
as seen on many traveling shows, s simple dish for the working class of the blue-collar Germen, now also serve at many pubs at the beer nation; but don’t let the simplicity fool you! cooking bratwurst is a trade of art itself, and i have to say, i am far from mastering the techniques. slow cook to well done, it might be a good idea to start cooking the brats 30 minutes before dinner.

no salt, needed, as the brat usually well season and the sauerkraut are often over salty; however, a splash of cayenne spice on the side help to kick up the excitement for those who desired

:: summer seafood pasta ::

born
my kitchen @Château de Pierre

gender
seafood pasta

personality
Duplin Magnolia + shrimps + mussels + onion + thin pasta + sugar + salt

character
a fusion of the ocean savor and the hint of muscadine via the Duplin Magnolia, a product of the North Carolina Rose Hill wineries. the sweetness of the wine enhance the vivid cleansing flavor of the shrimps and mussels, while the wine saturated onion slide in a glimpse of bitter. Perfect to pair with a glass of the Duplin Magnolia

:: bon appétit ::

yes… this is my second blog; don’t judge. thinking back, i don’t even remember how long i have been dreaming about this blog, from café to bar, steak house to sushi bar, chinese take-out to five star bistro… numorous time i have dinner in place and silverware in hands, i would still let my camera (or iPhone) to feast before my taste bud.

today, after discovering the blog “this is why you are fat” i knew it was time.

therefore, let this journey begin. from here and on, you will find your most exotic, erotic, and elegant fantasy that food can offer, either from my kitchen or a restaurant. in addition, those seductive and superfluous venues along with hot and spicy event that I encounter, all will go nowhere but here – E[at]Harmony

and i welcome you to this journey! bon appétit