Manhattan Minimialist Challenge

A Ghetto Gourmet Challenge.

I am bringing approximately 20-ish pounds of my condensed pantry, including dried beans, flours, noodles, rices, spices, and random mixes and broth powders. This feels like preparing to move to the frontier. I have a feeling the first thing I'm going to burn through is the mashed potato flakes and sushi rice. I have learned two things in the past two days: 1) drinking whiskey on an empty stomach is like pouring hydrochloric acid into a balloon- it will eat the living shit out of your lining and make digesting anything impossible; 2) rejecting all previous dietary/allergen concerns in a half crazed/starved/withering/"I don't give a f*ck I'll eat what I want" rage will only further agitate previously stated digestive issues. Woe.

Now here is the part where I would like to get all hippie freegan and say "aw shucks man, I'll eat whatever I can get as long as its not wasting", but the truth is I have, and always have had, a champagne taste on a beer budget (the bottle of Prosecco in my little fridge can attest to this), and add this on top of food allergies (whether or not you believe in them, I think I'll punch the next person to tell me to "just get over it and suck it up") it leaves a limited arena of things that don't make my insides feel like they're rotting out. HOWEVER- glory be, most things that are pantry friendly just happen to be egg, dairy, and gluten free! Summer is also coming soon, and I hope to scout out some farmer's markets to score some boutique lettuces and weird berries. So other than when I need fine-dining-therapy, the challenge will be to see how far I can stretch my dry stores. If you've bothered to read any previous blatherings, you will have seen how handy these supplies are to have on hand for instances like: when you ain't got no damn job.

Time to test the Ghetto Gourmet skill set and see how well I can feed not only myself, but my Ent-like boyfriend who probably requires three times my own caloric needs.

That said, I welcome any suggestions, recipes, stories, or if you happen to be in the area and hungry too (i.e. I feed you, you do acupuncture on my back/give me a puppy/give me dollars). Thanks for reading...




Also, don't worry. I'm not going all Julie and Julia apeshit and going to try to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cuisine, bitch ain't got Coq Au Vin kind of money yo.

Sakura Sushi Pop-Up

There are only a few things I love about erie, but one of them has to be Frankie & May Fresh Grocer. Great food, absolutely fabulous employees, and this venue has given me the opportunity to share my passion for sushi and food with Erie. April 7th I will be doing a sushi "pop-up", which is technically when a restaurant occupies another restaurant's kitchen and serves their own food. In this case, I will be occupying Frankie & May's demo space and serving up a small menu as my love note to Erie. I hope you can stop in for a snack. I won't be gone forever, but we'll see how quickly I fall in love with Manhattan. Many thanks, I am blessed with wonderful people in my life.


4.7.13 Sushi pop-up.

Scallop ceviche | butter lettuce + pear + shisito pepper + cilantro + key lime
Scarlett snapper tataki | seared snapper + jalapeno rajas + papaya vinaigrette + chive + tamarind soy
Spicy tuna maki | chopped tuna + roasted chili aioli + avocado + scallion
Smoked salmon maki | goat cheese + crispy salmon skin + sweet eel sauce
Sakura coconut sweet rice pudding | sake soaked dried cherry + sweet rice + coconut

-ashley sayre (de rivas) a.k.a. sakura a.k.a. maki ninja. xoxo

You need art on that boring ass wall...

Don't lie. You have a wall that looks like a prison cell, or at least a doctors office. Put some relatively decent (I'm my own worst critic) art on it. Or request some if you don't see what you like.







Also random observation, wtf is up with everyone jumping on the Greek yogurt bandwagon? This shits been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, and now all of a sudden people are acting like Greek yogurt, pork belly, and brown butter are brand fucking new. Sorry. Meat-and-potato-avores are obnoxious.

Ghetto Pan-Asian Street Grub

I love Asia. I mean, I really really love Asia. I spent 3 years studying about it in college studying Japanese, and also dabbling with Cantonese and Korean on the side recently. Here is small conglomerate of some of my favorite eats that one can find on the street. Don't let anyone fool you, the best chow to be had in a foreign country, especially the countries where it's perfectly normal to go get a bowl of some steamy mess of deliciousness at 4am (hell yes, Singapore), is on the street. This goes for Mexico too. Street food is the heart and soul of a culture. It's what the rickshaw driver seeks when he's done with a shift, it's what the wok jockey goes for when he's off of work. It's moms food. Here is a small portion of my favorite street dishes. Shout out to Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand. Keep rockin.

GUA BAO

Taiwanese steamed buns (one dozen)

Garnishments:

• Pickled cucumber
• Crushed peanuts
• Crushed rock candy
• Cilantro
• Hoisin sauce
• Scallion

For the buns:

• 1 cup warm water (105-115°F), divided, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons sugar plus a pinch
• 2 tablespoons nonfat dried milk
• 3 1/2 cups flour (ideally cake, but plain works fine)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Canola oil for greasing and brushing

For filling:

Pork shoulder or belly

Soy

Brown sugar

Water or stock

Optional -

Ginger

Garlic

Scallions

Star anise

Cinnamon

Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using shoulder/butt, cut into 2"x2" cubes. In a large stock pot that is oven proof, and will fit in your oven (or ideally a 8" half hotel pan if you are fortunate to have access to restaurant cookware) add water and soy in a 4 or 5 :1 ratio, til it's the color of tea. Add sugar and optional aromatics, meat, and bring to a simmer. If using pork belly, sear chunks of the belly first, and then add the liquids and aromatics. Cover with foil, and place in oven for at least 4, ideally 7 hours.

When tender, shred shoulder in a separate pan and moisten with braising liquid. Season with soy and 5 spice (star anise, clove, cinnamon, fennel, ginger)

Mix 1/4 c water with yeast and sugar, let stand in a warm spot until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add remaining water.

In a separate howl, mix flour and milk powder. Add wet mixture to this and knead until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Some additional water may be necessary here. Knead a few minutes longer to incorporate all ingredients. Place dough ball in oiled bowl, rub or soray with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise about 2 hours or until doubles in size.

Punch down dough and flatten onto a floured surface. Sprinkle with baking powder, knead to incorporate. Allow to rise another 30 minutes to an hour.

Tear off goofball sized pieces of dough and flatten into oblong shapes. Line either a pot with a steamer rack in it or an electric steamer with parchment paper and steam baos for about 3 minutes.

Brush baos with hoisin, fill with pork and toppings. Eat gratuitously.

BINDAETTOEK

2 cups dried (split, ideally) mung beans, rinsed in a few change of water
1/4 cup short grain rice, rinsed to remove white powdery dust
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 T garlic powder
1 1/2 cups fermented kimchi, chopped
4 oz mung bean sprout, blanched and squeezed to remove moisture.
1/2 cup kimchi juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Green/red chilies for garnish, optional

Frying oil

For a dipping sauce:

1/2 c soy sauce

2T rice vinegar

Chopped cilantro

Sambal

Soak the beans over night. When soft, blend beans, rice, garlic, Kim chi juice, and soy til smooth.

Mix sprouts, Kim chi, and bean mix in a bowl. Fry felafel to pancake sized portions. The smaller they are the easier they will be to flip. Season with salt when golden and allow to sit on a wire rack or a plate with paper towels to soak up the extra oil. Serve with a dipping sauce.

PAD THAI (Kway Teow pad Thai)

This is well known to be the national dish of Thailand, however many people do not know that it's origins lie in Chinese cuisine. The full name literally means "stir fried noodles thai style". It is also argued to have Vietnamese origins, called Bahn Pho Xao Sate, meaning stir fried pho, a traditional noodle soup. It's basically stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts, egg, fish sauce, and chilis, with options such as tofu, chicken, shrimp, or even hot dogs. Garnishes will sometimes include crushed peanuts or cashews, cilantro, a lime wedge, or any other of the multitude of Thai condiments. Some people put tamarind in it, some people use rice vinegar and kaffir lime, brown sugar or jaggery, the combinations are endless

3 packages rice noodles (the thick kind, usually labeled as pad thai, not the thin mei fun noodles)

Tofu

Bean sprouts

Red bell pepper julienne

Garlic

Ginger

Thai chilis (optional)

Scallions (white and green parts separated)

Eggs

Cilantro

Crushed peanuts or cashews

Lime wedge

Fish sauce

Tamarind (juice) or rice vinegar or even lime + orange juice

Soy

Brown sugar or jaggery (palm sugar)

Cook rice noodles according to package directions, when al dente, rinse in a colander with cold water and spread out on a baking sheet with a little oil to prevent from sticking.

In a wok or large frying pan, sauté whites of scallion cut into bite sized pieces, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and sprouts.

Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add to wok and scramble. Add tofu, cut into 2"x1/4"x1/4" batons. Cook til tofu is golden.

Add fish sauce, tamarind, soy, and sugar. Add noodles and toss until all ingredients are incorporated. Serve with chopped cilantro, nuts, and lime wedge.

Mex Head Yucatan Chow for Gringos

This is my version of these Yucatecan classics. Some of the techniques vary, but the flavor will be largely similar to what you would get on the street. Felicidades putas, join me in border hopping. Feel free to tweak these too, view these recipes as a guide not rule, as most of them are from memory/translated from Spanish.

 SOPA DE LIMA

 3 pounds boneless chicken breast (about 6 or 7)
1 large white or red onion
5-6 garlic cloves
2 bell peppers
 2 large tomatoes
Bunch of cilantro
3t dried oregano
A habanero or jalapeño
4-5 limes, thinly sliced.
Lime juice (or Naranja Agria if you have it!)
Salt
Pepper
4-5 quarts chicken stock
Corn tortillas
Vegetable oil

 Dice onion, tomato, bell pepper, sauté til caramelized, add garlic and cook until toasted. Deglaze the pan with a small amount of the chicken stock and lime juice then add remainder.

Add the chicken, cut into smaller pieces to cook more quickly, to the stock, simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked. When chicken is cooked, remove from pan to a cutting board and shred, set aside or return to pot depending on how you want to plate your soup.

While chicken is cooking, cut the tortilla into thin strips and fry until crispy.

Season out your soup with salt and pepper.

To assemble, place a portion of chicken if you've chosen to leave it out of the broth. You could also pan fry the shredded chicken to crisp it up and then add it. If you've left the chicken in the stock, pour a portion into a bowl, garnish with tortilla strips, lime slices, and sliced hot chili if you've decided you like the heat.

GUACAMOLE

6-8 avocados
 Lime juice
 Minced onion
Minced garlic
Minced jalapeño
Cilantro
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Slice avocados in half longways, twist the halves to separate, remove pit and scoop out with a spoon into a large bowl.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lots of lime juice. Mash with a fork or potato masher until desired smoothness. Fold in desired amounts of onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro, finish with olive oil. This is a traditional guacamole that can be the base for limitless varieties, such as...

GRILLED SHRIMP GUAC
Guacamole base
1/2 pound or more shrimp (the bigger the better, those tiny salad shrimp are crap)
Or delicious things like...
Seared pineapple
Jicama
Apple
Cucumber
Grilled corn
Roasted tomato
Bacon
Goat cheese, queso fresco

Let the guac be your oyster.

PANUCHOS

Salt
Olive oil
Bibb lettuce
1/2 red onion
Salt and sugar
Lime juice
Rice vinegar
Limes
Avocado
Tomato
Dozen hard boiled eggs
Braised chicken, turkey, or pork.
Achiote seasoning or achiote seeds
Corn tortillas
Canola or vegetable oil

Drain black beans in a colander, rinse, put in a skillet and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer til beans are mashable. Add olive oil, mash, turn off heat, season with salt and pepper.   Julienne red onion, massage with sugar and salt in a bowl, add lime juice and rice vinegar, allow to sit at room temperature until fuchsia. Slice avocado and tomato into wedges. Mix achiote seasoning with lime juice and olive oil.
Fill a skillet with about 1/4" of vegetable or canola oil. Spread a layer of retried black beans onto a corn tortilla and fry briefly. Remove from oil and allow to drain and cool a little, layer in this order-
Tortilla
Black beans
Lettuce leaf
Sliced egg or meat
Tomato wedge
Pickled onion
Jalapeño
Avocado wedge
Salsa de achiote

EAT IT AND LET IT RUN ALL OVER YOUR HANDS, CHIN, AND ON YOUR SHIRT. That's how real Mexicans do. You don't really care when you paid only about 70 cents US$ for one of these puppies and have five more on your plate to go. If you're not a fan of black beans, nix 'em and you have the panuchos's dirty cousin the Salbute, which is also delicious, but not beany.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
2 sticks unsalted butter melted, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs (local, pasture-fed eggs for me!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (mine was heaping)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat to 350 degrees, grease up a 9 x 13 baking dish, glass preferably. Cream butter and sugar together, mix in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients, add mixed wet ingredients to the bowl of dry things, and lastly add the chocolate chips. You add them last so they don't melt and get lost in the batter which isn't a total fail but is if you like the texture of the chips. Also don't over mix, it's okay to have a few lumps. If you let it rest for a minute they will absorb into the batter, and you will have a softer brownie.

Pour into baking dish and bake 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan and then cut and garnish with whipped cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon, or dulce de leche.

Freedom Bread

Just because you can't eat wheat, dairy, or eggs doesn't mean you have to suffer not having hot delicious bread right from your oven. This loaf is for real bread lovers, hearty and texturally interesting, it will be something that even omnivorous friends can enjoy :)

Sorghum flour blend:

1 1/2 c sorghum flour

1 1/2 c potato or corn starch

1 c tapioca flour

Whisk ingredients together, keep in a zip lock or air tight container in the refrigerator or freezer, but remember to let it come up to room temp before using :)

1 T dry yeast

1 T ground flax

1 1/2 c warm (110*) milk of choice

2 c gf flour blend

1 c potato starch

1/3 c whole flaxseeds

1/4 c sunflower seeds (or chopped nut of choice)

1 T chia seeds, teff flour, or rice Bran ( optional)

1 1/2 t xanthan gum

1 1/2 t sea salt

1/4 c canola oil

1/4 c agave or honey

1 t apple cider vinegar (optional, I omitted)

Grease one regular sized loaf pan and one mini pan, or three mini loaf pans (the recipe I used as a model for this called for 3 loaf pans but it def didn't fill that many)

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and flax meal into the milk, stir a little til blended. Set aside somewhere warm.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour blend, potato starch, all seeds, xanthan gum, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps and that everything is well incorporated. Then add yeast milk flax mixture, oil, agave/honey, and vinegar. Beat the dough with an electric mister on low, or whisk by hand until all ingredients are well blended and you have a sticky but smooth dough.

Spread dough in pans with a wet rubber spatula (or use your hands!) and cover with a oiled piece of foil. Place in a warm spot (like on top of your stove) and allow to rise 45-60 min until loaf has doubled in size.

Place on lowest rack in the oven and preheat oven to 375. Yes, put the loaf in the oven before its preheated. Sounds crazy but starting from a cold oven will allow the dough to be warmed up evenly from the inside outward. Keep lightly covered with the foil tent for half of the baking time to keep the top from getting super browned, and bake 30 min for small loaves, 40-45 for regular sized loaves. When done transfer to a wire rack to cool. Slice and enjoy with some earth balance and jam or your favorite nut butter ^_____^

Energy bites!

Since I have had a couple people ask me for the recipe for the (mostly) raw vegan and gluten free (and totally healthy!) energy bites (
http://instagram.com/p/U1c1ifov-B/), I figured it would be more wise to post it on here instead of messaging everyone under the sun, which doesn't mean I don't love you, it just means I am lazy ;)
Now, with this "recipe" you can switch things up as suits your taste, add or subtract things, hell, dunk 'em in chocolate and you got candy bars!
Start with big bowl, spatula, small cutting board, and a knife. Measurements are for bitches, use your good judgement.
Oats
Cashews or any nut your heart desires
Flax seeds - whole
Flax seeds - ground
Sesame seeds
Raw cacao nibs
Goji berries
Peanut butter or your favorite nut butter
Ginger powder
Cinnamon
Honey
Hot water
Maca powder
Hemp protein powder

Coconut flakes - unsweetened, reserve some for garnish
Heat a quarter cup (about 100mL) water and add the ground flax to it, stir and let sit.
While your flax is congealing, chop two big handfuls of nuts (or one if you're a dude... Measurements will be rough estimates since I don't measure shit and I don't want to confuse my lovely international friends with our stupid measuring system)

In a big bowl, mix oats, nuts, nut butter, spices and supplements, berries, and seeds, and also your mixture of ground flax and hot water, that should be nicely congealed to the consistency of an egg. You should be able to grab a small amount and roll it into a ball. You can now portion off your pieces and roll them in the extra coconut.

Some other things that would be a nice addition are hemp seeds, chia seeds, espresso powder, chopped candy ginger, chopped dates or figs, coca powder... Errr.... CocOa powder ;) maple.... Pretty much anything you like! I got the idea for these from some chia bites I bought in Central Park west at G-Free, an all gluten free shop run by the sweetest little lady! So, get out there, experiment, trial and error, and make something tasty!