Luscious Leg of Lamb and a Food Gal Giveaway

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Rosy slices of lamb topped with a vibrant salsa verde.

Rosy slices of lamb topped with a vibrant salsa verde.

 

Let’s face it — bones can be a bit of a pain to deal with.

Just try eating chicken wings gracefully.

Or de-boning a whole fish in front of guests without mangling it.

But bones serve a purpose in cooking. They add more flavor to the flesh as it cooks. They also conduct heat, allowing the meat to cook more evenly with less shrinkage.

So when Superior Farms, one of the largest distributors of lamb in the country, offered to let me try any cut on the house, I went for one with a bone. A big bone.

I chose a bone-in leg of American lamb because it’s not a cut you find all that easily in markets these days. Sure, you can get a boneless leg of lamb with little effort, but one that still has a bone in it often requires a real search. That’s because it’s a lot heftier to handle. It’s also more challenging to carve. But what a dramatic presentation it makes for at the table.

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Green Beans with Japanese Flair

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Green beans you won't be able to stop eating.

Green beans you won’t be able to stop eating.

 

Planning a picnic this Memorial Day? Or a backyard barbecue this long weekend?

Then, you’ve got to make these green beans.

I guarantee they will be the talk of the table.

I first made “Green Beans with Miso and Almonds” last Thanksgiving as a novel alternative to the usual green bean casserole. My in-laws couldn’t stop eating it. Each of them kept reaching for seconds, even thirds. Now, whenever my husband sees me trimming fresh green beans from the farmers markets, he secretly hopes they’re destined for this dish.

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A Glutton for Butter Mochi

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Butter mochi -- my downfall.

Butter mochi — my downfall.

 

Last week, I gorged myself.

And I blame Chef Jeffrey Stout for it.

You see, after a recent trip to Hawaii, I happened to post a photo on Facebook of a unique sweet treat that I enjoyed there that was quite new to me: butter mochi.

Stout, former chef of Alexander’s Steakhouse in Cupertino who’s now building his own restaurant, Orchard City Kitchen in Campbell, did what any self-respecting chef would do when he spied the photo and sensed my longing — he emailed me a recipe for it.

Curses!

It was far easier to make than I thought it would be. When I tried a piece, I immediately ate a second, then had to restrain myself from reaching for a third.

Chef, what have you done!

The recipe comes from Stout’s neighbor, Taryn Esperas, who has been known to make this for neighborhood block parties, where it’s always one of the first things to be gobbled up.

It’s cake. But not. It’s custard. But not really. It’s sort of its own delightful hybrid.

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There’s WHAT in These Cookies?

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A cookie that's flavored with something rather unusual.

A cookie that’s flavored with something rather unusual.

 

White chocolate. And, uh, wasabi.

Say what?

Yes, together in a cookie.

Leave it to Jen Laska and her husband Joe, founders of the Los Angeles-based Jen & Joe’s Cookie Dough to sneak the fiery green Japanese sushi condiment into a cookie.

Their cookie dough comes frozen in boxes that contain 12 portioned balls that need only to be baked off in an oven for about 11 minutes.

Recently, I had a chance to try this rather unusual sounding cookie made by Laska, who’s always loved to bake and even attended pastry school.

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A Singular Take on Thai at Kin Khao

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Kin Khao's version of chips and dip. Truly addictive.

Kin Khao’s version of chips and dip. Truly addictive.

Let’s get this out of the way at the start: I’ve never visited Thailand. And with the exception of Chef Andy Ricker’s former trendy Ping restaurant in Portland, Ore., the Thai food I’ve experienced has been relegated to mom-and-pop places doing their best but not looking to pioneer in any way.

As such, I’m no Thai food expert by any means.

But all I know is that the Thai food at San Francisco’s new Kin Khao is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before.

Kin Khao, which is a colloquialism for “let’s eat,” was opened a few months ago by first-time restaurateur Pim Techamuanvivit.

If you’ve followed her long-time blog, Chez Pim, you know she’s a stickler when it comes to perfecting flavors and techniques.

She’s not behind the burners, herself. But the dishes are crafted from recipes she learned from her grandmother and aunts. Chef de Cuisine Michael Gaines, former sous chef of Michelin two-starred Manresa in Los Gatos, heads the kitchen and translates her vision onto the plates. And unless you’ve been asleep for a decade, you probably already know, too, that Techamuanvivit’s long-time companion is Manresa’s Chef-Owner David Kinch.

Sign

DiningRoom

The 78-seat restaurant is housed in the Parc 55 hotel downtown. It can be a little hard to find, as it’s located on the second floor with minimal signage. The easiest route is to enter directly from the corner of Mason and Ellis. In any event, once you hit the lobby level, just follow the whiff of steamed jasmine rice to find it.

What makes the food at Kin Khao so different?

First, the concise menu is made up of dishes that you don’t often find at other Thai establishments in the Bay Area.

Second, a tight fist is exercised when it comes to sweetness. In fact, even the “Number One Brand” Thai iced tea ($5) was the least sweetened version I’ve ever tasted, allowing the slightly tannic and floral qualities of the tea to shine through more prominently.

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