Restaurant Recap: O Ya, Boston, MA

The next time I complain about having bad luck, please remind me about the time I was lucky enough to snag bar seats at O Ya on a Friday night.

A few girlfriends and I decided to try O Ya, a Boston sushi restaurant famous for its creative preparations and impeccable presentation. We sat at the bar in full view of the theatre before us, watching three sushi chefs preparing a wide variety of dishes for each table of eager diners. Small, unassuming, and tucked away on East Street, a small side street off of Atlantic Ave., O Ya is the definition of hidden gem.

While I’d like to think that I have a way with words, I cannot pretend to have the talent to describe each of the preparations we sampled in O Ya’s Omakase, a 17-course tasting menu that can be customized to accommodate diners’ preferences. Every plate that came out had me saying, “There’s no way they’ll be able to top the last dish.” They made a liar out of me each and every time.

Paired with a few glasses of sparkling sake, here are the dishes we sampled in the Omakase, with a few additional plates added in along the way:

Kumamato Oyster – watermelon pearls, cucumber mignonette



Hamachi – spicy banana pepper mousse

Salmon Tataki – torched tomato, smoked salt, onion aioli

 

Warm Eel – Thai basil, kabayaki, fresh Kyoto sansho

Homemade Fingerling Potato Chip – burgundy truffle



Wild Santa Barbara Spot Prawn – garlic butter, white soy, preserved yuzu



Fried Kumamato Oyster – yuzu kosho aioli, squid ink bubbles

Wild Bluefin Maguro – soy braised garlic, micro greens

Kyoto Style Enoki Mushrooms – garlic, soy

Shima Aji & Santa Barbara Sea Urchin – ceviche vinaigrette, cilantro

Scottish Salmon – spicy sesame ponzu, yuzu kosho, scallion oil

Hamachi – viet mignonette, thai basil, shallot

Bluefin Tuna Tataki – smoky pickled onion, truffle oil

Shiso Tempura with Grilled Lobster – charred tomato, ponzu aioli

Eclectic Eel – tamago, foie gras, Kyoto sansho

Grilled Chanterelle & Shiitake Mushroom Sashimi – rosemary garlic oil, sesame froth, soy



Seared Petit Strip Loin of Wagyu Beef – smoked potato, grilled onion, fresh wasabi

Kushiyaki Of Strip Loin of Wagyu Beef – roasted onion, yuzu kosho, maple soy sauce



Foie Gras – balsamic chocolate kabayaki, Claudio corallo raisin cocoa pulp, sip of aged sake

We also tried three of the desserts:




Yuzu Curd – Almond, blackberry-jasmine, meringue

Warm Mochi cake – soy gelato, coconut kaffir, blackberry

Passion Fruit Mango – white chocolate coconut soy milk, lychee shiso

Chocolate Truffles

Other than the telephone number to call and make a reservation, there is little else you need to know about O Ya. Come in with an open mind and an empty stomach—O Ya will be one of the most memorable dining experiences you’ll have in Boston, and probably in your lifetime. Cheers!

Ingredient Spotlight – Tripe; Recipe – Tripe and Red Bean Stew

The other day, I had a craving for tripe…I am well aware that that’s a very odd thing for an American to say, but I love tripe. Its flavor is great, similar to a mild chicken liver, and it readily absorbs flavors of accompanying ingredients and sauces. Tripe’s texture is what makes it amazing. If you like the texture of barely-cooked sautéed calamari, you’ll love the texture of tripe! Thinly sliced in Vietnamese Pho, it blends in with the noodles and gives you a lovely, chewy surprise when you sink your teeth into it. In Spanish Callos, it adds a soft and silky counter to chorizo and morcilla, two dense, spicy sausages. In my recipe below, it simply satisfied my craving.

If you are unfamiliar with tripe, it is the lining of a cow’s stomach. If you’re put off by this, don’t be—if you’ve eaten sausage, you’ve eaten tripe. In fact, Wikipedia gives a list of global dishes containing tripe, and this list includes American breakfast sausage, which typically uses tripe as a filler. Most tripe sold in American markets is sold prepared, which means that it has already been dressed and pre-boiled. Even if it has been boiled, tripe benefits from slow cooking, so I boiled mine for an hour before adding it to the stew.

It may be hard to find tripe at your run-of-the-mill supermarket, but if you know of a good Italian or Latino market or butcher shop, you should be able to find good tripe.



Tripe and Red Bean Stew

For the Tripe:
1 lb. / 455 g honeycomb tripe
6 peppercorns
1-2 dried red chiles
Pinch salt
Water to cover

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about an hour. Drain, set aside until tripe is cool to the touch, then slice into thin strips.

 
For the Stew:
4 strips streaky bacon, chopped
1 small carrot, minced
1 large brown onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chiles, minced
2 green peppers, chopped, divided
1 lb. / 455 g. fresh roma tomatoes, chopped
1 28 oz. / 822g can red beans (do not drain)
Tripe, cooked as prepared above
Generous pinch dried chipotle pepper
2 t. / 5 g. dried oregano
1 packet La Flor brand sazon (or another brand without MSG)
Splash water or chicken broth
Drizzle olive oil
Handful chopped cilantro

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over a medium flame and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon begins to crisp, then add the carrot, onion, garlic, Serrano chiles, and one of the chopped green peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

Now, add the tomatoes, red beans, tripe, chipotle pepper, oregano, sazon, and water or chicken broth. Stir, then cover and reduce heat. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the remaining green pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped cilantro. This dish is delicious on its own, but is also wonderful served over seasoned rice.

* To purchase ingredients used in this recipe, click the link(s) below:

Frontier Herb 61965 Organic Chipotle Chili Peppers (Google Affiliate Ad)

Nutritional information (without rice): serves six. 230 calories, 6g fat, 28g carbohydrates, 19g protein

Campaign Cocktails for Debate Drinking

Ladies and gentlemen, Election Season 2012 is underway, and the first Presidential Debate is airing on Wednesday, October 3. Whether you’re a committed party member or just a committed partier, the Presidential Debates can provide loads of information—and, often unintentionally, loads of laughter.

Whether you’re genuinely interested in what the candidates have to say or if you’re just in it to play a few drinking games (remember “Palin Bingo?”), here are three cocktails that everybody can agree on: For the Lefty, the ALObama Slammer; for the Righty, the Mitt-tini; and for the Swing Voter, the Singapore Mudsling.


The ALObama Slammer

The traditional Alabama Slammer is made with Amaretto, Southern Comfort, and Orange Juice. In this version, we substitute Peach Lambic beer for the peach-flavored Southern Comfort, because we know our President likes his beer. This recipe serves two, because when it comes to good beer, it’s always nice to share your wealth.

2 shots amaretto
Orange juice
1 750 mL bottle Lindeman’s Peach Lambic

Divide the amaretto between two pint glasses. Add a splash of orange juice to each, and fill each glass with the Peach Lambic beer.



The Mitt-tini

Sometimes a candidate has to abandon ideals to appeal to his/her base, so this martini features a few things that your typical Mormon would frown upon, but on top is a float of Goldschlager, which contains flakes of gold. This recipe serves one—if someone else wants a sip, just say, “You didn’t build that!”

1 oz. vodka
½ t. cocoa powder
2 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. goldschlager

Combine the vodka, cocoa powder, and Kahlua in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Pouring slowly and carefully over the back of a spoon, “float” the goldschlager atop the mixed drink so that you can see the gold flakes.


The Singapore Mudsling

This drink is for the person who can’t take the back-and-forth blame game or the mudslinging. Sometimes, all the lying and the finger-pointing and the half-truths will drive you to drink! This cross between a Singapore Sling and a Mudslide will do the trick. It serves two, and I must warn you that it’s deceptive strength may sneak up on you, so make sure you don’t drink too many and sleep through Election Day!

1 oz. dry gin
2 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. coconut coffee creamer (SoDelicious is my favorite brand)
2 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. brandy from brandy-soaked cherries
4 brandy-soaked cherries
1 t. cocoa powder
Squeeze lime juice
Handful ice cubes
Lime wedges, to garnish
Sprinkle cocoa powder, to garnish

Blend all ingredients except the lime wedges in a blender—the drink will foam a bit, so pour immediately. Serve in margarita glasses, garnished with a lime wedge and a sprinkle of cocoa powder atop the foam.

Butternut Squash Risotto, Cinnamon Spiced Chicken

“I could go crazy on a night like tonight, when summer’s beginning to give up her fight.” So goes the lyrics to my favorite Indigo Girls song. But as much as I love the beach, grilled food, and rooftop bars, I don’t go crazy when summer fades away. The shift in seasons means a shift in cooking. The beers we drink get a little darker and a little heavier. Oysters start to taste a bit crisper. Fresh beans and tomatoes give way to apples, squashes, and grapes, and the cooler temperatures mean more time that I get to spend indoors, particularly in my kitchen, where I love experimenting with autumn’s bounty.

Two recipes that showcase some of my favorite fall flavors are Butternut Squash Risotto and Cinnamon Spiced Chicken. These are perfect dishes to cook on that first fall day that’s chilly enough to make you wear a jacket!


Butternut Squash Risotto

4 cups chicken broth

2 T. butter
1 medium butternut squash, cut into cubes
1-2 shallots, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 t. nutmeg*
¼ t. cayenne pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 ½ c. grated pecorino romano
Handful chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan. Keep the broth simmering on low while you complete the remaining steps.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the butternut squash cubes and the shallot. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes, or until the shallot has softened.

Add the Arborio rice. Stir until each grain of rice is coated with the melted butter. Reduce heat to low and add the wine, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir constantly until all of the wine is absorbed.

Add 1 cup of the chicken broth. Again, stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step, adding more chicken broth, until the rice is fully cooked through but not mushy.

Once the rice is cooked, add the olive oil, pecorino romano, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted.

Serve piping hot, alongside Cinnamon Spiced Chicken.


Nutritional information: serves four. 300 calories, 14 g fat, 36 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein.


Autumn Spiced Chicken

½ t. cayenne pepper
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. nutmeg*
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. chicken breast tenders, pounded thin

First, preheat the oven to 400. Next, combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Blend well, then rub the spice blend into the chicken until the chicken is fully coated.

Place the spice-coated chicken strips on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes. Serve alongside piping hot Butternut Squash Risotto.

Nutritional information: serves four. 124  calories, 1 g fat, 0 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein.


 
* You can use ground nutmeg in these recipes, but that stuff is practically flavorless – you’ll get a much brighter flavor if you buy whole nutmegs and grate them with a microplane grater just before use. To purchase a microplane grater, click the link below:

Soft-Handle Microplane Zester Grater, Green, 12" (Google Affiliate Ad)

 

 

Curry Crusted Swordfish With Vegetables and Sriracha Cream

This is the first actual meal that I cooked from scratch in my new kitchen! There’s not much to it – if you can slice, you can cook this dinner. This dish goes together in no time, and the combination of hot jalapeno, bold spices, and cool cucumber is surprisingly refreshing!


Curry Crusted Swordfish with Vegetables and Sriracha Cream

For the spice crust
Pinch kosher salt
1 t. / 5 g coriander
1 t. / 5 g cumin
1 t. / 5 g mustard seed
½ t. / 2.5 g kala jeera*
½ t. / 2.5 g turmeric powder
½ t. / 2.5 g coarsely ground black pepper

16 oz / 455 g swordfish, tuna, or other firm-fleshed fish steaks
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
2-3 jalapeno chiles, chopped

For the sriracha cream
4 T. / 60 g sour cream
1 T. / 15 g sriracha
2 t. / 5 mL mild vinegar (white wine vinegar is a good choice)
2 c. / 450 g cooked rice

 

 

toasting the spices

First, toast the salt, coriander, cumin, mustard seed, and kala jeera in a frying pan until they become fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes. Place them in a mortar and pestle along with the turmeric and black pepper. Grind coarsely. Rub the spice mixture into the swordfish, set aside.

Preheat your broiler. Line a baking dish with foil, then add the tomato, cucumber, and jalapeno in a single layer. Place the spice-crusted swordfish on top of the veggie layer, and broil for 12-15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

While the fish and vegetables are cooking, make the sriracha cream by whisking together the sour cream, sriracha, and vinegar. If the mixture seems too thick, add a few drops of water to the sauce until it is thin enough to drizzle.

Take the fish and vegetables from the oven; let rest for 3-5 minutes. In the meantime, divide the rice among four individual plates. After the fish has rested, divide the fish and vegetables into four equal portions, serve atop the cooked rice. To finish, drizzle with the sriracha cream.

* Also known as black cumin – if you cannot find kala jeera, you can order it online from Penzey’s.

Nutritional info: serves four. 317 calories, 9 g fat, 29 g carbohydrates, 25 g protein.

My New Kitchen!

Folks, it's been a hectic few weeks! I moved into a new apartment, which means getting used to a brand new kitchen. I finally unpacked all my kitchen items, and last night I christened the new kitchen with a quick dinner featuring sauteed salmon alongside leftover saag paneer.

While it is definitely going to take me a few weeks to get used to cooking in a new kitchen, this space has one major plus that my last kitchen did not have - open space! My old kitchen was separated from the dining room and living room by a wall. Although there was plenty of counterspace, the kitchen felt cramped when friends congregated in the kitchen while I cooked, and there was no seating. My new apartment features an island with chairs, and it is open to the dining room so friends can sit at the table as well. I can socialize while I cook!

The only thing I have left to do is to buy a bottle of champagne. It is my belief that one should ALWAYS have a bottle of champagne chilling in the refrigerator, because you never know when life will give you a reason to celebrate.

Cheers!

Restaurant Review – Sip Wine Bar (Boston, MA)

I’ve found an upside to the hell that is moving—the lack of time to cook means that I get to try new restaurants!!! I recently visited Sip Wine Bar with a few fellow bloggers, and Sip got a unanimous two thumbs up!

Sandwiched between Chinatown and the Theatre District on the corner of Washington & Avery, Sip boasts a perfect patio for people watching—enough foot traffic to keep it interesting, not so much that it’s overwhelming. There are plenty of tables inside the restaurant, including a good-sized bar and a small, slightly private booth area that would be great for a small celebratory gathering.

Sip’s concept is great—you can try “sips,” which are 2-oz. pours, of most of the wines on the menu. What’s nice about this is that unlike a wine tasting, you can leisurely decide which wines to try, you can base your choices around your food orders, and if you find one you really like, you can order more without having to commit to an entire bottle (they pour most of their wines by the glass as well). This is perfect for anyone who, like me, believes that variety is the spice of life.

Sip’s menu, like its wine list, certainly offers something for everybody. The chef pulls off eclectic variety without appearing schizophrenic and all of the small plates and sushi rolls are perfectly portioned for sharing with a small group.

We tried the following dishes:

• Crispy Stuffed Olives (sweet Italian sausage, panko crust, crushed red pepper)
• Skillet Roasted Mussels (shallot oil, Italian parsley, grilled ciabatta)
• Blackened Dayboat Scallops (horseradish marmalade)
• Tempura Green Beans (chipotle barbecue dipping sauce)
• Mini Arancini (warm mozzarella centers, oven roasted tomato sauce, truffle essence)
• Ahi Tuna Poke (minced #1 tuna, ginger, sesame, chili oil, sushi rice cake)

The two dishes that stood out most were the Ahi Tuna Poke—spicy and gingery but not overwhelmed by the seasonings; there was no question that the tuna was the star of this dish—and the Tempura Green Beans. Wow! Barbecue sauce with fried green beans? I wouldn’t have thought to combine those two things, and it worked fabulously!

Those six dishes took us through our first bottle of wine, the Clean Slate Riesling, recommended because it is dry and pairs well with seafood. I usually don’t drink Riesling, but this was not sweet, so I enjoyed it.

Next, we grabbed two of Sip’s sushi options, the Firecracker Yellowtail sashimi and the Sip Scallop Roll. Along with our sushi, we ordered a bottle of Sokol Blosser Winery’s Evolution White, a blended white wine that had been recommended to us from the time we were seated. We couldn’t turn down such a highly recommended wine, and this bottle exceeded my expectations. It paired perfectly well with the sushi, and while drinking it on its own, I picked up new notes with each sip. Its balanced, nuanced flavors make it very versatile.

The sushi itself was phenomenal. The Sip Scallop roll featured tempura scallops rolled inside salmon belly, which was wrapped around the scallops and torched, serving in place of what would typically be nori in a maki roll. The Firecracker Yellowtail was a beautifully presented sashimi with a spicy ponzu sauce, and it was presented so artfully that it almost felt wrong to eat it, like I was using chopsticks to destroy the Mona Lisa.

Finally, we topped off the night with dessert—each dessert on the menu! I was born without a sweet tooth and my body exacts its revenge on me via nasty headaches, so I did not partake in all the offerings. However, the apple crisp and chocolate cake were pretty stellar! I’d even order the apple crisp on my own, and I next to never order dessert!

Sip is one of those restaurants where I have trouble deciding what to order because everything sounds amazing. That is a good thing. Luckily, the fun wine list, the great location, and the vibrant atmosphere give me great reasons to go back and try more—who’s coming with?!?

Crispy Stuffed Olives


 

Skillet Roasted Mussels
 

Blackened DayboatScallops
 

Mini Arancini
 

Ahi Tuna Poke
 

Firecracker Yellowtail
 

Sip Scallop Roll

 

Apple Crisp

 

Chocolate Cake

 



 

 

 

 

 

Restaurant Replica Recipe: Gourmet Dumpling House’s Beef with Longhorn Peppers

Longhorn Peppers

Readers, I must apologize for not posting much lately. Before my vacation, I found out that I needed to search for another apartment, so I spent the greater part of July seeing dozens of apartments, subsisting on Chinatown takeaway and frozen toaster waffles. Now that I know where I’ll be living in September, I’m back in the swing of actually cooking meals for myself, but I still find myself craving certain dishes that I fell in love with during my “no time to cook” period. One of those is Gourmet Dumpling House’s Beef with Longhorn Peppers! This is not their exact recipe, but I did my best to duplicate it. I found longhorn peppers at C-Mart in Chinatown, but if you cannot find these, you can substitute poblanos. Try this if you’re looking for something quick and easy!


Gourmet Dumpling House’s Beef with Longhorn Peppers

1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 lb. top round steak, sliced into thin strips
8 long horn peppers
1 T. garlic and ginger paste*
2 T. soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced
Cooked rice, to serve

Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the sesame oil, shake the pan to coat. Add the steak, peppers, and garlic and ginger paste. Stir-fry until the beef is cooked through. Finally, add the soy sauce and green onions, stir fry for about 30 seconds until well-blended. Serve over cooked rice.

* Garlic and ginger paste can be found in most Indian or Asian markets
Nutritional information: Serves four. 355 calories, 7.9 g fat, 42.4 g. carbohydrates, 28.5 g protein.

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Vacation Food Photos!

Dear readers,

I am in the process of packing up and moving into a new apartment and recipes might be posted less frequently than usual. Once I’m settled, I’ll resume cooking and posting! Until then, here are some food pictures from my recent vacation to Martha’s Vineyard – I’ll post some of these recipes soon!

Grilling a ginormous steak

My mom slicing the charred deliciousness

Bringing my plate of awesome from the kitchen to the table

Baked sole with butter and lemon

Seared scallops in browned butter; served with a chile-lime dressing

Toasted marshmallow!