Rice Cakes with Korean Red Dragon Sauce

Is there anything like finding a sauce that is both tasty and versatile? So far I've used it on a chicken saute and also (as pictured below) on rice cakes. Chef David Chang's recipe for roasted rice cakes, which includes also making ramen broth as well as roasted onions, was a little too involved for me to do on a weeknight. The Red Dragon Sauce as written below is very good, but I added a little more of the usukuchi to balance the salty and sweet to my liking.

Rice Cakes with Korean Red Dragon Sauce

Red Dragon Sauce
David Chang from Momofuku

• ¼ cup of water
• ½ cup of sugar
• ¾ cup of ssämjang (fermented bean and chile sauce), or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons usukuchi (light soy sauce), or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil, or more to taste

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the ssämjang to dissolve it. Stir in the soy, vinegar, and sesame and taste the sauce: no one flavor should stand out, but all should be present and accounted for. Adjust as necessary.

Brown Butter Custard Pie with Cranberry Glaze

My obsession with Christina Tosi and her crazy ingredients continues. This pie crust is made with bread crusts combined with the butter and cinnamon taste which tastes just like cinnamon toast. I could easily grub on the crust alone. The brown butter custard is also unique in the sense that the brown butter is encapsulated in a gelatin floating in the filling. With every bite you get this intense little bursts of brown buttery goodness.

I made this in a glass pie pan and found that the crust needs to warm up a bit before it will easily pop out. When this crust is totally refrigerated it puts a death grip on the pan. I warmed it slightly over a low flame on the stove.

This particular recipe was in the recent November issue of Food + Wine. The printable version for the filling is here. The Cinnamon Toast Pie Crust, which I will definitely will be using for other pies, is located here.



Brown Butter Custard Pie with Cranberry Glaze
by Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups diced crusts and end pieces from 1 loaf of packaged white bread (10 ounces crusts)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the butter is golden brown, about 8 minutes; strain into a glass measuring cup. Reserve the browned butter solids for the Brown Butter Custard Pie.
2. Pour half of the melted butter into a bowl. Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon and bread, and toss. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. Let cool.
3. Rewarm the remaining butter; pour into a food processor. Add the croutons and pulse to fine crumbs; spoon the crumbs into a 10-inch pie plate. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the pie plate; refrigerate the crust until chilled, 15 minutes.

Filling

• 2 teaspoons plain powdered gelatin
• Reserved browned butter solids from Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust
• 3 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup cranberry sauce, pureed and strained

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water and let stand until softened, 3 minutes. Microwave at high power for 10 seconds, until melted. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, microwave the reserved brown butter solids with the milk, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of the cinnamon and a pinch of salt until warm. Whisk in the gelatin and refrigerate until set.
2. In a bowl, whisk 3/4 cup of the heavy cream and sour cream to soft peaks. Whisk the custard to loosen it, then fold into the whipped cream. Pour the custard into the Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate and butter. Add the mashed sweet potatoes, the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt; whisk until smooth. Transfer the sweet potato ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and refrigerate until chilled slightly, 15 minutes. Pipe 1-inch mounds around the edge of the pie. Refrigerate until the ganache is set, 10 minutes.
4. Pour the cranberry puree over the pie and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Cut the pie into wedges and serve.

The pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

You can go for lunch in just about any city and feel a subtle anxiety beforehand over whether you’re going to be able to find a place to sit or not. You can then imagine the uncertainty we felt when we decided to attempt a lunch at Momofuku Noodle Bar on a Tuesday afternoon.

To say I had high expectations for Noodle Bar is an understatement. We had eaten at Momofuku Ssam Bar the night before (followed by a dessert stop at Milk Bar) and absolutely loved it. There was such energy in both places that it left me asking the question: Is this the Generation X/Y’s expression of haute cuisine? To say I was giddy with anticipation, as I strode up First avenue, is an understatement.

As we approached the understated front of the restaurant, I was relieved to not see a queue spilling out onto the sidewalk. It was noon and we were seated immediately (very happy.) The interior is very similar to that of Ssam in the sense that a bar runs the length of the left side of dining room with plywood tables and backless chairs down the right.

I’m not going to act like I looked at the menu for any longer than ten seconds. I knew what I was getting order before I walked into the place. Since Regina wanted to eat over at Rickshaw Dumpling afterward, she said she’d this lunch was all me. Anything that was ordered was mine. With that I ordered the chicken wings and the Momofuku Ramen.

The wings are an absolute monster. As with most things Momofuku, you’ve had something like these, but these are just a better version. Instead of being slathered in sauce these are layered with garlic, pickled chiles, and scallions. They’re crispy with a subtle bite of spice and the end. I could have sat at the table and eaten these damn things the whole time.

….then there’s the pork buns. The buns themselves have the look and feel of a light and fluffy omelet; only instead of egg it’s made from white bread (only they're white). These things are all about mouth feel. As you sink your teeth into the soft bun you find the hoisin and pork belly waiting for you inside – simple and deeeeeelicious.

Good 'till the last drop

You didn’t think I’d go to Momo Noodle Bar and not get ramen did you? I just went with the down and dirty Momofuku Ramen – pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg, and (of course) ramen noodles. The proteins were great, but do you want to know what my favorite part was? The broth with the noodles made for a perfect ending to this little afternoon feast. All of the rich flavor that had leached out of the pork along with the silky yolk of the poached egg resulted in a delicious bowl of goodness that I will not soon forget.

This place is not to be missed.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003
www.momofuku.com/noodle/default.asp

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes

When we went to David Chang’s Momofuku Ssäm Bar I ordered a spicy pork dish that was really good. When I got home one of the first things I did was look through his new book Momofuku to see if it was in there and sure enough there it was.

I found that the biggest challenge for this recipe was finding the ingredients. Silken tofu, kochukaru, rice cakes, these were just some of the things that I had to find on Asian grocery scavenger hunt. Some might find it frustrating, some might take a look at the ingredients and take a pass, but there is just something about finding this stuff that has been a lot of fun.

The ingredients, while different, have many similarities to American ingredients. Kochukaru is basically chili powder. Rice cakes (in stick form) are not the lightweight prepackaged diet snacks you typically think of, but doughy sticks that have the dense chewiness of gnocchi. Silken tofu, when whipped, has a mellowing affect on spice like one would expect from sour cream. For me it’s the kind of thing that gets the mind going a mile a minute as to the application of these ingredients on some of my favorite foods.

If you’re up for the challenge of finding the ingredients, this is a great recipe for any spice lover. My only caveat would be to make the dish with the dried chiles but pick them out when everything is done. If you’re adventurous go ahead and try them but consider yourself warned. This does freeze and warm up well.

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes
by David Chang from Momofuku

• ½ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
• 3 large yellow onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 very loosely packed cups (1-1/2 ounces) dried red chiles
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons toban djan (jarred Chinese fermented bean and chile sauce) or ssämjang (the Korean analogue to toban djan)
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon kochukaru (Korean chile powder)
• 6 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups sliced or coarsely chopped Chinese vegetables, such as Chinese broccoli or bok choy
• 8 long cylindrical rice sticks, cut in 1 inch lengths
• 8 ounces silken tofu, drained
• 1 cup sliced scallions, greens and whites
• ½ cup packaged Chinese fried shallots

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. After a minute or two, when the oil is hot, add the onions and ½ teaspoons of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to take on color and begin to shrink in the pan, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, turning the onions over on themselves every 5 or so minutes, until golden and soft and sweet, about 20 minutes longer.
2. Meanwhile, heat another tablespoon of the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. After a minute or two, when the oil is hot, add the ground pork and cook, jabbing at the meat with the edge of the spoon to break it up, for about 10 minutes, just until it has lost its raw pinkness but not so long that it brown or threatens to dry out. Transfer the pork to a bowl and reserve it. Return the pan to the stove.
3. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons oil to the pan turn the heat down to medium, and let the oil heat up for a minute. Add the dried chiles and warm them through in the oil for 1 minute, until they’re fragrant. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute to infuse its flavor into the oil – it doesn’t need to color, but when the aroma of garlic is rising from the pan, it’s ready, Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Chinese chile bean sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, and kochukaru. Reserve until the onions are cooked.
4. Add the water, cooked onions, and pork to the pan with the chile sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the soy, sugar, and remaining2 teaspoons salt. At this point, you can cool the sauce and refrigerate it (for a few days) or freeze (for a few weeks), if desired.
5. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil and salt it well.
6. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and stir in the chopped greens. Cook them for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stems are just tender.
7. Drop the rice cakes into the boiling water and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, until warmed through. Drain and add them to the pan with the pork sauce. Whisk the tofu until creamy and fluid and then stir it into the rice cake mixture.
8. Divide the rice cakes and ragu among serving bowls, garnish each with some scallions and packages fried shallots, and serve hot.

Momofuku Milk Bar

If there was ever a reason to practice restraint at dinner (other than calorie control), Momofuku Milk Bar is it.

We had just finished up dinner at the adjoining Momofuku Ssäm Bar, painfully leaving behind bowls with food still left in them due to stomach space concerns. If it’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that dutifully finishing ALL of your food can sometimes lead to “episodes” later on (without access to a public bathroom, think Trainspotting– not good when you have a ways to walk.

Not knowing that the two businesses were connected via an indoor hallway, we walked out the front door of Ssäm, walked around the corner, and through the front door at Milk Bar like a couple of goobers. We had unknowingly eaten sixty feet away from where we were going to have dessert.

As you enter from the sidewalk there are two large tables where people can stand and eat if they don’t want their desserts to go. Immediately to the left is an open work area where the staff is preparing more desserts. On the night we were there, pastry chef Christina Tosi was still there working. Straight ahead is the case with all of the pies, cookies, and cakes, along with the soft serve ice cream machine against the back wall.

If there’s one word to describe this bakery as a whole it would have to be “different”. Desserts have names like Crack Pie™, *reminds me of the Clint Eastwood psa from the 80’s “See this cute little tin here? It’s Crack Pie™ in it’s most addictive form.”* Candy Bar Pie™, and Compost Cookie™. Ingredients such as corn flakes, milk crumbs (powdered milk and white chocolate), and potato chips are used in some of the concoctions. The soft serve machine oozes flavors such as Cereal Milk™, Salty Pistachio Caramel, and Old Fashioned Donut. You can’t tell me you’re not the least bit intrigued.

Citing poor lighting and lots of people in the bakery, you can go here to see some great pictures of MMB.

My brain was on overload from the get go, mind you I had just got done eating pork belly sliders, deep fried Brussels sprouts, and most of a big bowl of spicy pork so I wasn’t exactly starving. I felt like Spalding Smales in Caddyshack, “I want a Compost Cookie™. No, Salty Pistachio Caramel. I want a Blueberry and Cream Cookie. I want Chocolate Malt Cake.” With the exception of the soft serve, we took the two cookies and the cake back to the hotel, most of which doubled as breakfast the next morning.

Impressions? My favorite was the Blueberry and Cream Cookie, which I actually made at home and did a post on here. The only thing I didn’t like was the Chocolate Malt Cake. The actual cake portion was pretty dry and the filling in between the layers was a little too sweet even for my taste.

Like Ssäm, everyone that was working here really seemed to be enjoying themselves. They were eager to explain the desserts, what they were made of, what they tasted like. It wasn’t a salesman pitch, but rather a genuine enjoyment in sharing these unique creations to a curious audience.

I don’t know that this is a place you want to bring a less adventurous eater or even a classic dessert lover (it reminds me of when I recommended the movie Momento to my mom). The offerings are unconventional and are also skewed to the sweeter side. I think I would describe it as “WD50 for desserts but with a homey aesthetic”.

Update: You can now order Crack Pie™ along with an assortment of cookies (including the ever popular Compost Cookie™) via Fedex. Just go to link this link here and set up an account.

Momofuku Milk Bar
207 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-3500
www.momofuku.com/milkbar/default.asp

Ssäm Bar

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when we decided to go to Dave Chang’s Ssäm Bar. Since reservations are not accepted at Ssäm Bar it’s a little unsettling since you don’t know if you’re going to find a line out the door or not – not that it would’ve stopped us.

Since we had driven out from Cleveland that day we were pretty tired so we wanted to eat earlier (6:30pm on a Monday). As luck would have it we were seated right away.

A bar runs the down the left side of the restaurant where people can sit across from each other. Down the right side are a collection of tables for larger parties. In the very back of the room is the kitchen.

As we sat down, a server took our drink order and gave us a rundown on the menu. I already knew we were going to try the famed Pork Buns, but found myself struggling to narrow down my choices. We finally settled on the Cured Hamachi and Pork Buns for appetizer – both of which I highly recommend.

I got the Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes and Regina tried the Pork Sandwich. I’m not going to go into the play-by-play of each dish, but I thought the Spicy Pork Sausage was monster. Certainly not for those who are averse to spice (or grease for that matter), but is a must try. The spice and the texture of this dish made it absolutely impossible to lay down the chopsticks. I kept picking the rice cakes out and getting a good bit of stuff to go with it.

The service here is a collective effort. The person that takes your drink order may, or may not, be the same person takes your dinner order, which may be the different from the person who rings up your check. We decided against dessert since we were going to Milk Bar (which is connected to the back of Ssäm Bar.)

I love the vibe here. The seating, the food, the music, the service – it’s all great.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar
207 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-3500
momofuku.com/ssam/default.asp