Yearly Archives: 2006

Chinese take-out just like Mom used to order

Chinese take-out in Binghamton NY

We had take-out Chinese food today, the kind I grew up with in New York City.  It was nostalgic to go into the place and see the make-shift pencil holder, which is raw rice in a plastic soup container with holes poked in the lid.  You go in, take a pencil, and circle what you want on a long paper menu.  You hand it to the person behind a tall counter and wait.  They had all the suspects I was looking for, like those red spare ribs that are packed in a special red and white bag lined with foil; egg foo yung; shrimp with lobster sauce; chow mein – which is not noodles in this neck of the woods, rather a runny dish with lots of bean sprouts.  If you want noodles that are on the thin side, you need to order ‘lo mein’ on the East Coast, but they will be thicker than chow mein noodles.  I even saw the word ‘subgum’ on the menu, which is a real blast from the past.  The place was called Fu Star (1185 Vestal Avenue, Binghamton).  What a hoot!  They even used pieces of cardboard to create layers in our take-out bag and then stapled the menu to the outside.

Red Lobster in Vestal

Well, screw it, we ate at Red Lobster in Vestal, New York today.  I always hated Red Lobster, and I am able to trace this to some super-lousy coconut shrimp in Daly City in 1997.  Matt and I arrived in Binghamton like two soggy pretzels, having started our trip from Albany, CA at 4:00 a.m.  After getting to the car rental place on Vestal Parkway, we next wanted to grab something to eat before going over to the nursing home to see my father, who is in the final stages of his illness.  We both ordered the “endless shrimp” and it was not bad.  We had plates of various kinds of fried shrimp, scampi and fettuccini.  The specials came with a starch and veggies and we were fine with the whole nine yards.  It wasn’t great in that the shrimp were small and the breading-to-flesh ratio was a little lame, but it was good and the people were very nice.  Total cost with iced tea was about $45.

Braised beef shanks

Braised beef shanks

Yes, I braised the beef shanks I talked about yesterday.  This is an easy recipe.  As long as you have shanks, canola oil, a decent acid, some aromatics and salt and pepper, the rest is gravy. 

raw beef shanks that have been sliced

 This is something you make by feel.  Really, it is very hard to mess this one up unless you make it too salty, so take care with salt or salty ingredients.  Start with fresh beef shanks, sliced or not.  Salt and pepper them.  Brown all sides in a large, heavy, oven-proof pot with a little canola oil.  Make sure the pot is good and hot when you add the meat.  Add some aromatics, such as onion, celery root and garlic.  Peel and cut into rough slices.  The garlic may be tossed in without chopping.  Feel free to brown the aromatics, but I did not do so here.  Whatever does not dissolve into the braise may be fished out and discarded, as you prefer, at the end of the cooking process. Add some flavorful liquids, including at least one acid.  I used soy sauce, red wine, beef stock and a can of tomatoes.  Use ratios that make sense; clearly you want more stock and wine than you do soy sauce.  Add enough liquids to just cover the shanks, but you do not want them lost at sea.  Add a little dried thyme or something similar, like marjoram, if you have it.  Dried herbs are perfect for a braise since they have plenty of time to release their flavors, so don’t bother wasting money on fresh herbs for this recipe.  A small handful of dried mushrooms works well at this point, in case you have some on hand.  If not, don’t bother.  Bring this mass to a boil, then cover and place in preheated 325 degree F. oven for a good 2 1/2 hours – more if your shanks are not sliced.  You may also braise them, covered, on the burner if you must — like if your oven is broken or you use it as storage — in which case you should maintain a low simmer for aboutthe same amount of time.  Just check them every now and again so they don’t burn.  The braise will look thin and pale for the first hour or so, but don’t worry as it will develop color and body as it cooks.  The finished product should be fall-off-the-bone-tender, but not mushy. 

Serve as is, or use a hand blender to homogenize the sauce, but be sure to serve with something that makes full use of the sauce, like potatoes or a good bread.

Berkeley Bowl’s prepared food

Berry - happy that I'm making braised lamb shanks tomorrow

Berry - happy that I'm making braised lamb shanks tomorrow

We are in our summer redux now, so Berry spent some quality time on the patio while I was reading cookbooks selecting a nice braise for the beef shanks I picked up today at Berkeley Bowl.  I heard it would cool down in a couple days and I’ve been itching for some slow food.  I’ll prepare the shanks tomorrow and post the recipe.  For tonight, though, I have some sushi — Berkeley Bowl carries excellent packaged sushi that is made behind the counter — and lemon chicken, a prepared item I have not yet seen there.  The prepared food at Berkeley Bowl is superior to anything found at the chain supermarkets, by the way, even the fancy-schmantzy ones, like Andronico’s.  Personally, I think the prepared food at Andronico’s is awful, and the prices unconscionable.  They manage to take quality ingredients and turn them into sodden messes, in many cases.  I suppose the old adage about a fool and his money applies, though, since Andronico’s does not want for patrons.  My dislike for this chain knows no bounds.

A little post about the dog

Berry the akita in the bunglow

Find the dog in this photo.  It’s Berry snoozing on the futon in the bungalow in our back yard.  He doesn’t normally go in there since he is not a fan of small spaces.  He’ll only stay in there if the door is wide open.  We use the bungalow for art projects and as a space for anyone in our 903 square foot house who needs some time alone.  When Jon stays over the guys sleep in there, since the digs are outfitted with a PlayStation, VCR, DVD and CD players and karaoke setup.  If you wanted to do something that involved actual paper, you’d find drawing and writing supplies and books to read.  This is my overflow space for cookbooks, as well.  The main house is not insulated, but this room is, so it stays nice and toasty when heated up.  If you want to know how to set something like this up, just email me.