Kitchen Chick

Sushi Zen @ Brighton, MI

Sushi chef Alex putting the finishing touches on an order of yellowtail sashimi  (REMEMBER: you can click on any photo to see a larger version.  It's worth it.)

Brighton, MI, is not known as a hotbed of exotic cuisine, so it's a pleasant surprise to find a place like Sushi Zen there. It's a good sushi restaurant, with an innovative take on things, some amazing rolls, decent prices, great staff, and truly outrageous presentations. 

Most Westerners would assume the "Zen" in the name suggests simplicity and minimalist design — while that's broadly true for the restaurant's decor, it's not at all true for the creative (and sometimes bizarre) ways they plate the food. The sashimi flower above is an example, though it's a relatively small presentation. Below is what you get with the "Standard Sashimi Plate," complete with blue glass vase filled with ornamental greens, shiso leaves, and a plethora of other items, all served on a lazy susan. 

Standard sashimi platter — you can just see the blue glass vase at the back

And that's nothing; we've seen towering pedestals, long sticks, flowers, glass trays, and who knows what else. (Unfortunately, we didn't get shots of anything truly spectacular on this trip, but trust us.) They've got the largest sushi boat we've ever seen ready and waiting behind the bar. In the two times we've been there, the one thing we haven't seen them do is repeat a presentation. I'm sure it happens, but not all that often. An interesting note is that they're of the "thick chunk" school of thought on sashimi, rather than the "long thin slice" school. It's a deliberate decision, and they've prepared the fish for that format. I tend to be more of the "long thin slice" persuasion myself, but the sashimi was certainly good. (They'll also do it the other way by request.)

Samurai roll, Amazing roll, and tamago sashimi — note the wasabi mushroom in the far corner

The sushi itself?  Good quality. The fish is respectably fresh, the rolls are good, and some of them are really creative. They've got a bit of Korean influence (they have Korean dishes on the menu too) showing through, with the use of gochujang as one of their hot sauces. They also use some unusual ingredients, like pickled wasabi root, which is basically pickle relish which can blow your head off. That's served as a garnish to salmon roe with a quail egg (see below). We saw it being served to another table, and they gave us a taste of the pickled wasabi.

Amazing roll, salmon roe with quail egg and pickled wasabi, tamago, not sure what else

The Amazing roll — the whitish one in both of the photos above — is wrapped in "white tuna" (aka escolar) which has been lightly charred with a blowtorch before serving, giving it a nice smoky flavor.  The Samurai roll is a relatively standard construction of tempura shrimp, tuna, avocado, and eel... but with a great set of sauces drizzled over it. 

The crew at the Sushi bar (unfortunately I don't remember everyone's names, but the two on the right are Leo and Alex)
 
If you're ever near Brighton and have a craving for sushi, Sushi Zen is definitely worth a visit. Most sushi restaurants are very similar to each other; this one really stands out. 

And, as a bonus, we got to see our first sake bombs. We didn't partake, since the roads were in bad shape and we had to drive back to Ann Arbor, but maybe next time...

— Joe

Sushi Zen
114 W. Grand River (at the corner of Main St.)
Brighton, MI 48116
810-225-3330

Tomorrow is Paczki Day!

I've been in the clueless department this month, so in case any of you have been as crazy-busy to notice what time of year it is, I offer this Public Service Announcement:

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, which means it's Paczki Day!

I'll be picking up mine tomorrow from Copernicus, which brings theirs in from Canada. If you're ordering 3 dozen or more, you can call them at 734-222-9633 and they'll have them packed up and ready to go; otherwise, just show up at 617 S. Main St., Ann Arbor.

Amadeus makes their own fabulous paczki, but it may be too late to order from them. They haven't been answering their phone all day today. (They're probaby crazy-busy making those paczki!) 

Finally, some people are partial to Dom Bakeries.

Support a local business and make your co-workers happy, too: buy some paczki tomorrow!

Caramel Nut Tart

I had never made a tart before.  Something about them always intimidated me, and for the longest time I couldn't figure out why. I had conquered pie crusts, so a tart crust shouldn't be that much different. Then I finally realized: tarts seemed ridiculously hard because I lacked a tart pan.

It's a belief of mine that if you have the right equipment or ingredients on hand, then cooking (or baking) is easy. Lack of a crucial ingredient or equipment, and suddenly a recipe becomes that much more difficult. A dinner that should take just 30 minutes to cook can —  if you need to make extra trips to the store for those missing items — be so impractical as to be impossible at that time. So planning is everything.

Not that I plan or anything. When I saw this caramel-rich tart featured in the March 2009 edition of Bon Appétit, it reminded me of a "musician's tart" but without the fruit. We were getting together with some friends for an evening of food, conversation, and piano music on their newly restored 1876 Steinway grand (I'm soooo envious!), and I decided it was the perfect dessert for the night.

Which meant it was time to buy that tart pan and make my first tart.

Of course, I decided this the night before I needed to make the tart. The next day, I took a lunchtime trip to Macy's (it's close to my work) for a tart pan, but couldn't find one. So I went further into the mall to Williams & Sonoma, but they only had square ones. They had been out of round ones for months and didn't know when they would have more. The recipe specified a round pan. I was in a rush and not up to converting the area of the square one to see if it'd be equal to the round one that I wanted. That afternoon I called Baker's Nook in Saline, but learned that they closed at 5pm and there was no way I'd be able to make it there in time. Finally, at the end of the day, I remembered that Ace Hardware has an excellent kitchen department. They were a bit out of my way, so I called first. Yes, they had tart pans. Many tart pans. In many sizes. And they were open late enough for me. Whew! Disaster averted. (Which is to say: I didn't have to search for a different recipe.  Or square the circle.)

Let that be a lesson to me! Plan further in advance!

And I am glad that disaster was averted, otherwise I would not have discovered this delicious dessert. The orange juice and zest gives this caramel a great citrus flavor that goes fabulously with the nuts. With all those nuts (and the vitamin C from the citrus!) you can pretend it's almost good for you. 

(recipe in extended post, or at above Bon Appétit website)

Welsh Teacakes via Argentina

When I bought a cookbook on Argentinian cuisine, finding a recipe for Welsh teacakes was a rather unexpected surprise.  As it turns out, the southern coast of Argentina is home to a Welsh settlement that began in 1865. They settled in remote Patagonia, along the Chubut River. Today the Welsh-Argentinian population is around 20,000, but only some 1,500 speak Welsh.

Well, I had the ingredients, the recipe looked simple, and I was intrigued by a recipe that used a whole teaspoon of nutmeg, so I made them late one night. Oh, yum!

Traditionally, these teacakes are cooked on a flat iron plate hung over a peat fire.  We don't have that setup (and if any of you do, post pictures!) but a seasoned cast-iron pan on a gas range works just as well. In fact, though the recipe says to oil the griddle or skillet, I found that unnecessary to do in my cast iron pan.

Welsh Teacakes
from Argentina Cooks! by Shirley Lomax Brooks
My changes are in parentheses

2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp powdered allspice
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C butter
1/4 C lard or shortening (I've only made these with shortening)
1 egg
1/4 C milk
1/3 C dried currants

In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, spices, salt, and sugar. (I put it all in a food processor and pulsed until mixed.) Cut the butter and lard into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives. (Chop butter and shortening into pieces, add to processor, and pulse some more in the food processor until crumbly.)

Beat the egg into the milk and add to the flour mixture, blending well. (Add beaten egg and milk to processor and pulse some more until dough starts to come together. The dough will be somewhat crumbly when you turn it out.)

Gather dough together into a ball and roll it out on a floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into two-inch rounds with cookie cutter or glass.

Head griddle until very hot. Cook teacakes on one side until brown, turn and cook on the other side until brown. Serve warm.

Serving suggestion: serve with clotted cream or butter and jam.

KC's Notes: I've made this recipe three times so far. The recipes claims to make 18-20, but I've found that if I actually roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick, I get closer to 30 teacakes. We've been discussing doing a savory version with applewood bacon, but haven't tried it yet...

A Knife's Work & Molecular Gastronomy in Ann Arbor

Fruit trio: mango, green apple, and guava

We like to do something special for each year's holiday party. Twice we've had a catered chocolate fountain. (It's worth having it catered. A chocolate fountain takes a lot of work to keep running smoothly, not to mention the cleanup!) This year we asked Brendan and Jay of A Knife's Work to propose something... interesting. Non-standard. Unusual. Something they've been wanting to try, but haven't had the chance to do yet.

They proposed a trio of molecular gastronomy appetizers, complete with live demonstrations, since we've got a number of food enthusiasts among our friends.

We said, "YES!"

Brendan and Jay setting up their workspace

Some of you will remember Brendan and Jay (along with Chewy, now in California) as the chefs at Everyday Lunch. After Everyday Lunch closed, Brendan and Jay turned to catering and carry-out meals. You can find their delectable entrées to-go at Everyday Wine. They post their weekly menu on their website.  (Totally worth it!)

They started our tour with a savory "cookie" made of duck and topped with an orange-ginger gel. Followed it up with tropical fruit "caviar" (above). For a desserty finish, they assembled three-layered chocolate bites with chocolate cake base, chocolate gelatin, and chocolate crumbles on top. 

They — Brendan, Jay, and their food — were a hit.

Duck cookies with orange-ginger centers

And three layers of chocolate

See all the photos on flickr or view this slide show

Alinea, Chicago, August 2008

 Rouget with artichoke, garlic, and bottarga

I've been meaning to write this up for a long time. We were in Chicago, me for vacation and Joe for work. By chance it coincided with Joe's birthday, and as a special birthday dinner he tried to set up a reservation at Alinea, but alas! they were fully booked. They put us on the cancellation list, but we didn't raise our hopes. So I cruised around Chicago while Joe went to his meetings. On Sunday the 24th, I dragged him off to the Shedd Aquarium (which I knew he'd love). We tossed some nicer clothes in the trunk "just in case" we ended up somewhere more upscale for dinner.

Cut to 4:45pm at the Shedd Aquarium. We're sitting in the Oceanarium. The dolphin show is just about the start when Joe's cell rings. It's Alinea. They have an opening for 5:30. Do we want it? Can we be there?

I think it is a rule of the universe that if you need to change clothes in your car in a parking garage that was full of cars but empty of people, suddenly your area will not only be filled with people, but the owners of the cars parked on either side of you will also return when you are squirming and contorting yourself trying to pull up panty hose while sitting in a car.

We made it, and the dinner was fabulous. The staff, well-informed of our mad-dash from the Shedd to Alinea, were amused and treated us really well. We even got to visit the kitchen and meet Chef Grant Achatz.

Watch a slideshow of our meal, or click to go directly to the photographs and their text descriptions on flickr.

Our custom menu, presented to us at the end of our meal.