April 21
Donna
Dim Sum, Tapas and Sake
(Note: The Philadelphia Inquirer featured this event on July 5th.)
Last Saturday we got together at Min’s house for our food group of Dim Sum, Tapas and Sake. It was spectacular; everything from the table setting to the food. Min set up a table in traditional Korean fashion; attention was given to every detail.
We began with tea and had a complete food feast. I ate food that I would not have normally been exposed to (one of the many benefits of being in a food group). I enjoyed miso gazpacho, jellyfish (not at all what I thought) and even lotus root; different but tasty in an odd way.
Everyone’s food was a winner, as usual.
Renee makes the best ribs and Saturday she did not disappoint along with her dumplings.
Kathy took from one of my favorites, Martha Stewart, with her spice encrusted salmon.
Lesu did such a fabulous job with her salmon bruschetta that you had to remind yourself to stop because there was more food coming.
Dana has never failed in the dessert department and made a lovely tapioca and panna cotta in a phyllo cup.
Aside from the traditional food Min gave us to taste she prepared a passion fruit crème brulee. I just love crème brulee; I don’t care what else is on the dessert menu when I go out, if there is crème brulee I’m in heaven. I don’t need any of that fancy stuff just a plain old crème brulee. I have had more then my share of bad ones but Min’s was not one of them. She was worried that she had over cooked hers, but it was just fine. The creaminess of the brulee and the taste of the passion fruit together really hit the spot.
Dianna also hit it with her very light and tasty ice cream. I am really not a fussy dessert person and more times then not, I don’t have dessert when I go out because it is just too busy. Dianna’s and Min’s dessert are what I long for when I go out.
I made chicken, shrimp and flank steak skewers. I marinated them all in the same mixture: Low sodium soy sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, oriental chili paste and brown sugar.
I don’t have measurement; I just made it up as I went along. I will tell you that I started with the large bottle of soy sauce and worked from there. I don’t always think about measurements when I’m developing something based on what I think it will taste like or what I want it to taste like… one of the reasons I can’t seem to get a cookbook together. To make the marinade I thought about how I wanted the dish to taste and that I wanted to use one marinade. I love garlic and ginger so I used a lot finely chopped, then added a bunch of chopped scallions, a drizzle of sesame oil , about a heaping tablespoon of chili paste and at least a half cup of brown sugar.
I prepped everything in the morning so the flavors had time to mesh and since it was such a beautiful day I put everything on the outside charcoal grill and the rest as they say was finger licking good history.
There is nothing more pleasing to the soul then people enjoying your food. I often say it must be what an actress feels when she comes on to stage and everyone applauds and she is given a standing ovation.
Ladies, applauds and ovations to you all.
