Once upon a time, I read in a now-forgotten cookbook that “There is no such thing as al dente in Japanese noodles.” That author had never had a proper bowl of ramen. To be fair, a proper bowl of ramen is a rare thing. As viewers of the classic Japanese film Tampopo and the less classic…
Eating ABQ: Lunch at Street Food Market
It was a gorgeous day today in Albuquerque, one of those perfect blue-sky-and-sunshine fall days where you just have to get outside. It was so warm that no jacket was necessary, especially if you strolled with a warm cup of coffee in hand. (I chose a Mike’s Mocha from Michael Thomas Coffee.) After we wandered…
Eating PDX: Lan Su Chinese Garden Tea House
Last month Arne and I spent a week in Oregon to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary… as well as my ability to eat again. (Sorry, OR friends and family… this was a gooey romantic trip, and we made no room for anyone else.) We had a wonderful time and, of course, ate as much as…
Spam Ramen, or Rescuing a Terrible Recipe
Cooking has been my passion since college. For more than twenty years I’ve spent a huge amount of my time reading cookbooks, trying recipes, learning methods, combining ingredients. I’ve gotten good at tasting “in my head,” having a pretty good idea of what a recipe will taste like before I try it. Usually I can…
Eating ABQ: Fan Tang
I have no idea why it’s taken me so long to post about Fan Tang. I kind of feel like I’ve failed this favorite restaurant of ours, because I didn’t post about it when it was young and struggling. It’s finally becoming popular – if not as popular as it deserves – and now I…
Korean Shiitake-Beef Lettuce Wraps
It’s NaBloPoMo on Unfussy Epicure! NaBloPoMo is National Blog Posting Month. Bloggers who choose to participate post to their blogs every day. As with NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month, where participants write a minimum number of words every day – it’s a little hard to pin down what month actually is the official month…
Eating ABQ: Talin Market’s Pop-Up Dumpling Shop!
NOTE: The dumpling shop’s days have changed from Thursdays and Fridays to Fridays and Saturdays. Do not go on Thursday! You will get no dumplings, and you will be sad! I was so excited when I got the event notice from Talin Market’s Facebook page. All it said was “Talin Market Pop-Up Dumpling House starts…
The Crispy Chicken Chronicles: Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Chunks
As I discussed in the first installment of The Crispy Chicken Chronicles, I have been craving all kinds of crispy, crunchy, spicy, sticky chicken lately. But the one preparation that I keep coming across, that haunts me, that I just cannot keep out of my mind – that is KFC. No, not that KFC – I…
Homemade Napa Cabbage Kimchi
I love Korean food. I only know of two places to get it in Albuquerque: Korean BBQ House and Soo Bak Foods, the local Korean food truck. Both are very tasty. But of course, if I love a food I need to be able to make it myself. And if you want to make Korean…
Singapore Crab Cakes with Sweet and Tangy Red Chile Sauce
I am a sucker for the words “street food.” They call to mind the most exciting and delectable experiences: sizzling fish tacos handed down from the window of a brightly painted truck; smoky grilled meat sticky with spicy lemongrass-chile sauce; colorful drinks in plastic bags, skewered with straws for sipping; steaming bowls of soup slurped…