Cooking Momofuku, Day 1: Roasted Red Rice Cakes

Dok Boki are a perfect food. This Korean dish consists of chewy rice cakes lathered with a spicy/sweet/salty sauce. I had made these previously, using a combination of red Korean paste and sugar. They were good, but didn't blow me away.

And then were one of the first items that my co-cook and I wanted to pull off from the Momofuku cookbook. We knew we could fake the recipe and mix up some miso and chili sauce, or we could go all the way and seek out "Ssamjang" or Korean bean and chili paste.(**In the picture below, it is the green box. The brown box is "damjang" which is simply Korean bean paste.) Lucky for us, the incredible H-Mart (a chain of Korean supermarkets/food heaven) had opened up nearby. Two hours later we had all the fixings for a few batches of David Chang's, "Roasted Red Rice Cakes."

Two makes these you need a few critical things. First, you do need "ssamjang" for the most authentic flavor. We also tried to find a brand without MSG.

Next, you need rice cakes. They are available dry on the shelf, or frozen. Go for frozen and you can have fun choosing among the shapes and sizes.

These are are a perfect food for parents. Just throw some in to boil and you have a healthy meal for kids, especially if you toss in some edamame or tofu. (For kids with allergies, these are gluten-free, too!)

I have always made this dish by simply boiling the rice cakes, but Chang has you sear them on a cast iron, which adds a completely fabulous crunch.

The other Chang twist? "Roasted Onions." I glanced at the recipe and saw the dreaded words "50 minutes." We hesitated. We both are comfortable caramzelizing onions. How different could his recipe be? We also were skeptical that we needed them. But, we had time and we are always up for something new.

Um...Chang's "Roasted Onions?" They are revelatory. If you follow his method exactly (which really isn't that hard and just requires a cast iron pan), you end up with this glorious mass of seared, bitter, sweet onions that are nothing like any caramelized onions I have had.

And they added a key note to the dish, preventing it from being to sweet.

This dish is becoming a new staple at my house.

Cooking from Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking, Day 1

From Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

In our first attempt to cook recipes from the book, we were able to get most the ingredients at local supermarkets. Russo's in Watertown, however, is our key local store for getting fresh produce. We started with 5 dishes, that were all fantastic.

Stir Fried Garlic Chives with Scrambled Eggs

These might be one of my new go-to meals. I have never eaten garlic chives before, but snatched them up on a recent trip to Russos.They smelled of sweet garlic, but raw they had a sharp bite. Sauteed on high heat with scrambled eggs, they mellowed into a fresh taste reminiscent of asparagus. I am sold. Next time, I will try them sauteed with tofu or as a vegetarian stuffing for wontons.

The Wonderful Wonton

These were spectacular. We had them 3 ways. First, we boiled some and ate them with the sauce on top. Second, we pan fried them with a bit of oil in a hot wok. The rest we froze for another time. Each was juicy, flavorful and as good as we have had at local restaurants. The best part-these couldn't have been easier. You toss the ingredients in a bowl and then seal them up in wonton wrappers. (Confession-we had to resort to a YouTube video to figure out how to fold them correctly as Yin-Fei Lo's lack of images made our wontons look like mushed envelopes.)

Scallion Oil and Fried Scallions

Usually I skip details like this. But it seemed so simple. And I am so glad we did. It couldn't be easier-simmer sliced scallions in oil. And the result? Two great treats. The scallion oil can be used for sauteing or as a condiment. But the fried scallions are the Chinese version of Fried Onions...but way better!

Stir Fried Shanghai Bok Choy

Blanching the bok choy helped to keep the vegetable green and tender. But a tip for the future-dumping about half a cup of cornstarch in the sauce makes for a gloppy sauce, indeed.

Long Beans with Roasted Sesame Seeds

I have never cooked with these before, but had often noticed them at Russos. Both Momofuku and Yin-Fei Lo noted that they are liked green beans. However, whereas David Chang suggests blanching them first, Yin-Fei Lo has you simply sauteed them up. We tried them both ways-blanched and sauteed with vegetarian oyster sauce. Then, we followed Yin-Fei Lo. The verdict-we preferred the tenderness of the blanched version, but the skip can be skipped. The key to these, though? Being topped with the fried scallions which added a roasted depth.

The First FoodieMommy Garden and Why We Love Russell's Garden Center

My parents taught me many critical things about life: how to stay organized, the significance of good coffee, to be nice to people, that Cape Cod is beautiful, etc. But gardening wasn't one of the key lessons of my childhood. And, by my 20s, I had actually killed a cactus. For the last 7 years I lived in a house that had a large plot of land, but I was suspicious of the soil and too lazy to get it tested.

But last year, my 3 year old and I decided it was time to try. We head to Russell's Garden Center in Wayland (Thanks to Dadventures suggestion!) and bought our share of beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and edamame. And, by the summer's end, the boys and I were able to eat... about 10 beans, total! But each bean made my boys grin ear to ear as they picked and ate them from the vine.

I moved 3 weeks ago, though. And, in this new apartment, my landlord was kind enough to till a huge plot for me. He is also a gardener himself, and he shared that the soil was wonderful for growing, and a few tips for getting started. But Dadventures (and his lovely sons) are our real tutors for the summer.

Last year I learned that it is very hard for an inexperienced gardener to navigate Russell's with a toddler by one's side! So this year I headed out myself. It was a joy to meander among the multiple types of basil, tomatoes, unusual greens such as purslane, the range of herbs and other vegetables. And best of all, I was actually able to listen and take notes as the staff gave me some tips.

Back in the garden, I tossed out the extra rocks, added more soil and manure and set up our nets. The next day, the boys and I planted: radishes, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, cranberry beans, green beans, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, eggplant, mesclun mix, Rainbow chard, Lacinto Kale, strawberries, cilantro, basil, pineapple mint, red and jalapeno peppers, and carrots. Per last year, the boys adored getting dirty, trying to plant the tiniest of seeds, digging holes and watering our new garden.

My favorite moment, though, was when they reached over to the herbs. Last year as part of Aura's Family Friendly Nights/Events, Chef Rachel Klein pointed out that one of the best ways to get your children interested in herbs, was to let them taste them. And though my older son is finicky enough that I can't ever mix herbs into anything, he is happy to try mint, sage and basil. And my younger child eats them like lettuce!

My goal is still to have this be pretty low maintenance. I am hoping that nature will help with sun and rain and that the kids will assist with weed pulling and harvesting. I am already optimistic, though, that I will understand how gardening can be incredibly relaxing and therapeutic after a long day. Or two. And best of all, we will have some glorious new herbs and festivals for our summer picnics and meals.

Two last thoughts. If you are out at Russell's on a Saturday, head just a bit further West on Route 30 to enjoy the perfect cappuccinos at Karma Coffee. (As I remembered too late, they are closed on Sundays.) Or, anytime after June 23, head to Russell's on Wednesdays from 12 to 4 to enjoy the Wayland Farmer's Market.

Russell's Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Road (Route 30), Wayland, 508-358-2283

Tender Corn Whole Wheat Muffins-Ground by Bicycle!

How can you pass up corn meal that is actually ground by bicycle? I discovered Winter Moon Farm's cornmeal at the Wayland Winter Farmer's Market (where I also bought their fabulous eggs.) At the Winter Moon Farm they grow organic heritage corn. Then it is actually ground using a mill attached to a bicycle. More importantly, the cornmeal is so rustic that it transforms corn muffins. I leaned on my new method of adding both whole wheat flour and using buttermilk to retain moistness. These also freeze beautifully. If you can't find the Winter Moon Farm cornmeal, you can know find Bob's Red Mill brand stoneground cornmeal at most supermarkets. Note that it isn't a mistake to preheat to 450. The high heat caramelizes and browns the outside, while keeping the muffins tender inside. Make sure you give time for your oven to sufficiently preheat. This might take up to 15 minutes, and is reason enough to get an oven thermometer.

Tender Corn Whole Wheat Muffins

1 cup stone ground cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

2 Tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs sugar

2 eggs

1 2/3 cup buttermilk

2 Tbs. oil or melted butter, cooled

Preheat the oven to 450. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the eggs with the buttermilk and oil. Gently fold the dry and wet ingredients together. Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to fill the muffin tins. When your oven is ready, bake the muffins for about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Then, remove the muffins and let them cool on the rack. To freeze, just wrap in plastic wrap.

Our Summer "Cooking School": Momofuku, Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking, Zuni Cafe Cookbook and Thomas Keller Galore

I love my day job as a middle school teacher. I do. But truth be told, if I was given a scholarship and a way to support my family for a year while I interned at a great restaurant like Hugo's in Portland, Craigie on Main or Salts in Cambridge, or Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, I would go. In a heart beat. But no one has yet made the offer.

Luckily, though, I have found a friend who gets this dream. And it is a friend who is a teacher, meaning we both have the summer off. And while neither of us are big fans of a certain blogger who cooked her way through cookbooks, we both got the idea that certain cookbooks are culinary schools of sorts. So, after some debating, we deciding that we wanted to spend the summer improving our skills, particularly of French techniques and Chinese cooking. I had recently bought Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin Lei-Fo, which was precisely the kind of book we wanted to find. Set up as a cooking course, it is a complex and rich book, full of Yin Lei-Fo's directives.

Kiersten, my co-cook, had just bought the Momofuku cookbook. As soon as I started reading it I was in love with David Chang's tongue in cheek writing, as well his sophisticated and savvy sense of food. So, that quickly became our second book.

We struggled more with the French side. We are both huge fans of Molly Wizenberg of the blog Orangette, and her book, A Homemade Life. She often refers to Judy Rogers's Zuni Cafe Cookbook, so we knew that had to be another choice. The Zuni Cafe Cookbook offers precise, time consuming recipes that are perfect with a summer off, but many of her ingredients are expensive so we knew that we couldn't lean on it too heavily. Kiersten owns Thomas Keller's books, so we added them as well. And sure, the obvious choice is Julia, but her books didn't quite get us where we wanted to be.

Our goal is not to cook all the recipes. We aren't going for an award or blog style. It is simply to become better cooks, to learn more about the rich world of cooking, to have fun and of course, to eat well.

So, over the next few months, you will see and read about our attempts. My hope is that by including photographs, especially of the ingredients, their recipes will be that much less intimidating. Feel free to chime in with other books or recipes to try. And in the meantime, friends-make sure and be hungry when you stop by!

Exploring SOWA: A Trifecta of Great Grocery Stores

As much as I loved checking out the SOWA arts fair, let's be honest here, I really went for the great food in the SOWA (South of Washington Street) area. In a few block radius are 3 of my favorite grocery stores, and they couldn't be more different from one another.

South End Fromaggio is my hand's down favorite for gourmet products in Boston. I never get bored of checking out the speciality meats, jams, honey, cheeses and beans from around the world. Each item is the best of its kind, and they are priced accordingly. That being said, I got a delicious package of sardines from Spain for only $3.95. I also made a delicious dinner of some slices of Serrano ham, Surrey Farms Berkshire Bacon and some Italian Robiola cheese for under $20.

I haven't yet had a chance to cook up my Rancho Gordo beans, but I know they will be as tasty as everything else I can buy here. Finally, the knowledgeable staff alone makes this Fromaggios worth a visit.

Next door is another gem: The Syrian Grocery Importing Company. This store is packed full of products from the Mediterranean. You can find a range of olive oils, vinegars, olives, spices and sauces.

What makes this place so unique, though, is that many are remarkably affordable. I am a fan of the "Roland" brand, which packages high end products under their name. For example, I use their garlic oil on rice or pasta. But they also have items from Greece, Syria and Lebanon.

You can also buy a variety of kitchen supplies, including some great tea pots.

This store doesn't even have a website, which makes it that much more worth a visit.

My last stop on this culinary adventure was Ming's Supermarket. It is just as unassuming. Located almost directly across from Myers and Chang and just down the street from the C-Mart store, you would never realize how enormous this store is from the outside. But once inside, it is otherworldly.

It has hundreds of types of noodles, fish, dumplings, woks, soy sauces, teas, beans, dried fruits and so much more. Unlike C-Mart, which focuses on Chinese products or H-Mart that is a Korean chain, Ming's offers items from China, Korea, Indonesia, the Phillipines, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia. Be aware that most of the workers don't speak English. Most items though are labeled well enough that I was able to avoid dumplings with MSG (which included, well, all of them!), but I wasn't able to figure out one Korean sauce from another.

In the past I have found it helpful to bring cookbooks (such as those of Fuchsia Dunlop or Eileen Yin-Fei Lo) that actually write out ingredients in Chinese or Korean, etc. Ming's is also incredibly inexpensive, making it easy to stock up on hoisin sauce, fresh ramen noodles, chopsticks for my kids, 3 kinds of soy sauce and wonton wrappers for making dumplings at home.

South End Fromaggio, 288 Shawmut Street, Boston, 617-350-6996

Syrian Grocery Importing Company, 270 Shawmut Street, Boston, 617-426-1458

Ming's Supermarket, 1102 Washington Street, Boston, (617) 338-1588

Don't Miss SOWA-The Arts, The Food, the Free Parking

The Art Studio of Joanne Tarlin

Before children, one of my favorite past times was to go to Open Studios. Held everywhere from Jamaica Plain to Dorchester, Cambridgeport, Brookline, Newton to the South End, Open Studios offer a chance to see artists at work, to see a greater range of their art and to talk to the artists themselves. When my kids were babies, it was easy to put them into slings and backpacks. But as soon as they could walk, Open Studios felt out of the question. I was just too fearful of my son crashing into elegant glass work, smooshed Cherrios on paints or fingerprints on an oil painting.

This past Saturday when my boys were with their dad, I was able to head back into the world of art. And I picked well, as it was the opening weekend for SOWA Sundays. SOWA is the acronym for South of Washington Street-a previously lesser known section of the South End. From now until October, each Sunday from 10 to 4, you can head to SOWA, have free parking (!) and explore.

I started at the SOWA Open Market. An outdoor crafts and food fair, there was a glorious range of handicrafts and arts. I loved the colorful products for children, the handcrafted jewelry, reprinted vintage photos and ceramics.

I was particularly impressed with the adorable plush toys of Zooguu, the reprinted 19th century photos and the adorable children's clothing. What made me happiest, though, was that one of my favorite artists, Mike Bryce was there. The irony? I had almost headed to Providence that day to buy his work at the Rhode Island Farmer's Market/ Open Studios. Instead, by the end of the day, I had purchased my first 3 oil paintings from him, which now grace my new apartment. (**Added note: if you want to see more of his paintings, click on my "Rhode Island" link here. You will see images at his studio. You can also check out his website here. Finally, you can e-mail Mike directly to double check that he will be at SOWA on Sunday and Providence on Saturday. His address is mikebryceart@hotmail.com)

There are also a few great food stands. I stopped to talk to David Gilson of the Herb Lyceum. (His son is the talented Wil Gilson of Garden at the Cellar). He was kind enough to treat me to a jar of their Orange, Lavender Buttermilk dressing. There are also soups, in flavors such as pea and mint or carrot cardamom whipped up by Chef Paul Callahan.

Then, next was Silverbrook Farm from Dartmouth. They had both cattails (which they said taste like mild scallions), and eggs that came in shades of blues, greys and speckled browns.

The eggs themselves cooked up into golden, soft scrambles that my son and I have eaten for breakfast each day this week. Both the Danish Pastry House and When Pigs Fly offered samples of their tempting sweet products.

At the entrance, there was a SOWA Food and Produce Market that was pretty...unimpressive. Perhaps it will improve as the Farmer's Market Season kicks in.

Next door was the SOWA Antiques Market, which features antique and vintage jewelry, furniture and clothes.

One of the best parts of this past weekend (May 15th and 16th), was that it included the SOWA Arts Walk. During this time, the artists also opened their studios to meet the artists and to see their work.

My favorite building continues to be at 450 Harrison Avenue. I always check out the photographs of Debby Kirm, but it is the chance to see so much art in its space of origin that is so exciting. Don't worry if you missed it, as the studios of the South End Artists will be open on Friday evenings, from 5 to 9 on June 4th, July 2nd and August 6th.

SOWA Sundays, 540 Harrison Avenue, May through October 25th, 10 to 4.