eG Foodblog: Pan - How to stop cooking and love life

[Pan]

Thanks for doing that investigative reporting, Matthew.

Interesting that they were calling daikon "white carrot." In Chinese and Malay, carrot is "red radish" (hong lo bak/lobak merah, etc.).

Stay tuned while I Photoshop and upload pictures of my lunch.

[SuzySushi]

I spoke with the guy at Banh Mi Saigon where I had a chicken sandwich and and iced coffee today. I asked then about the daikon vs. jicama when I ordered. They looked at me with puzzled expression. When I asked them if they had any pickled daikon or jicama in the sandwich, they said there was cucumber, cilantro, and carrot but no pickles (although I also tasted a very spicy green pepper that was most likely jalapeno). I then inquired about the white vegetable and they replied," white carrot."

I then walked to Grand and Christie, purchased a daikon for 75 cents, and returned to the sandwich shop. When I pulled the daikon out the bag, I was immediately greeted with an affirmative smile and head nod. White carrot, or Ba Lo Pa is indeed daikon and not jicama.

Thanks for doing that investigative reporting, Matthew. smile.gif

Interesting that they were calling daikon "white carrot." In Chinese and Malay, carrot is "red radish" (hong lo bak/lobak merah, etc.).

Thanks for straightening out that confusion! (To add to it, here in Hawaii they call jicama "chop suey yam"!)

[Laksa]

I then walked to Grand and Christie, purchased a daikon for 75 cents, and returned to the sandwich shop.

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What are you going to do with that daikon?

[Laksa]

I wonder what Thai chilis are called in Mexico or elsewhere in Latin America? If get my drift about the origins of chili peppers. 

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Chile tailandés? (I'm guessing Thai chilis did not originate in the Americas.)

[Pan]

Wow, chop suey yam!!

Well, this is where I had lunch today:

Chickpea restaurant is a kosher Israeli felafel/shawarma place in the location of the late and by some (not me) lamented St. Marks Pizza, on 3rd Av. just north of St Marks Place. It's been around for just under two years, I think. Some of you may remember that they had a contest to name their restaurant. Later, they had another contest to name what became their "Chickplant Sandwich," a vegetarian sandwich with deep-fried eggplant slices, hard boiled eggs, and various other things.

I like their felafel, but my favorite thing to get at Chickpea is Chicken Shawarma. At first, they used no lamb, but they're since mixed some lamb into both their chicken and turkey shawarmas. They use a delicious spice mixture in the shawarma. Its exact composition is a secret, but the owner smilingly confirmed to me that allspice was one of the ingredients.

I sat in the relaxing though rather small back room, which is a bit dark, so I probably should have used flash, but I think you'll get the general idea of what these things are, anyway:

This special is $10.16 including tax. [Edit: It's not a lunch special; this combination costs the same no matter what time you have it.] Chicken shawarma, lentil soup, iced tea with fresh mint leaves. You can't see the lentil soup that distinctly, but it's really good lentil soup.

Here's a closeup of the shawarma:

I got it with hummus, tahini, hot sauce (which they make there -- none of that commercial b.s.), salad, spicy mixed vegetable pickles, raw red onions, and a touch of sauerkraut. They bake their own pitas all day.

I have yet to check out the Jordanian place in Astoria that zeitoun says is the real stuff, but I'm certainly grateful to have Chickpea in my neighborhood. And they're open late most days (as late as 4 or 5 A.M. sometimes).

The place is really popular with students, Israelis, and many other people. There's almost always a line at the counter, and the countermen work quickly, efficiently, and with good humor. There's always music playing. This afternoon, it was 1980s Madonna ("Borderline," etc.). Sometimes, they play Israeli rap, and especially late at night, it's sometimes sort of weird alternative stuff. My choice of things to listen to at home? Generally not, but I enjoy it as part of the ambiance, and the only time I really didn't like something on the sound system was when they played something that repeated over and over again, sort of the pop music version of minimalism.

Chickpea is a fun place. Give it a try for a quick, good meal when you're in this neighborhood.

Edited July 15, 2005 by Pan (log)

[mascarpone]

I then walked to Grand and Christie, purchased a daikon for 75 cents, and returned to the sandwich shop.

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What are you going to do with that daikon?

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I thought I would just keep it in my bag and it might come in handy someday if I ever get held up in some dark alley. I can just pull out my huge daikon and the criminals will run away in horror.

Another thought is that if I am really tired and I get on a crowded subway, all I will have to do in order to get a seat is open my bag and pull out my daikon and, I am sure that in less than several minutes the subway car will be evacuated and transit police will call in a S.W.A.T. team. "Yes, we have a possible terrorist who has pulled out a large white bomb like object from his attache. Please inform the mayor to evacuate lower manhattan."

[Pan]

I've had two more Ting Ting Jahe candies.

[Pan]

Well, folks, I'm going to leave for dinner in about 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure it'll be a good one.

[AmyDaniel]

Well, this is where I had lunch today:

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Chickpea

Actually, last week an acquaintance of mine advised me to try Chickpea again. So I'll definitely have to try again.

I have yet to check out the Jordanian place in Astoria that zeitoun says is the real stuff

Which place is that? Al Manara?

[Pan]

Well, this is where I had lunch today:

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Chickpea

Actually, last week an acquaintance of mine advised me to try Chickpea again. So I'll definitely have to try again.

I have yet to check out the Jordanian place in Astoria that zeitoun says is the real stuff

Which place is that? Al Manara?

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Yes. You know the place?

You had a bad experience at Chickpea?

Amy, I never addressed your Japanese suggestions. There are very good Japanese supermarkets in this neighborhood, which you named. There are also lots of sushi places and there are also other types of Japanese restaurants in this neighborhood. I enjoy Japanese food from time to time, but not that often. I did enjoy a trip to the East Village branch of Menkui Tei and will definitely go back some time, but I don't have any plans to make anything Japanese part of this blog. Who knows, though; that conceivably could change.

Are you all surprised I'm still awake? NAH!!!!!!

Pictures of dinner upcoming.

[Pan]

Dinner tonight was at Spicy & Tasty in Flushing, Queens (or Flushing, NY, if you send mail there), my favorite Chinese restaurant in New York:

We were a party of five: Yours truly, eGullet Society members mascarpone and ankomochi, mascarpone's Hunanese friend who will probably be joining eGullet, and ankomochi's fiance.

We started with four cold dishes:

Clockwise from the lower right: Bamboo in Hot Spicy Sauce, Cold Noodles with Red Chili Sauce, Cold Jelly Chengdu Style, and Beef Tripe with Hot Pepper Sauce.

Spicy & Tasty has the best and most extensive menu of cold dishes of any Chinese restaurant I've been to in New York. Sichuan Dynasty a block and a half away may do equally well with some of the dishes, but they don't have nearly the selection, and anyway, I really can't offer a current opinion about them because I haven't been there in a few years. The Cold Jelly was ankomochi's fiance's idea. The jelly is actually a kind of rice noodle, our Hunanese friend said. The dish was great and had some of the same taste one of their cold eggplant dishes has: It's in red oil infused with a delicious blend of spices that to my palate includes Sichuan pepper and ground cumin, and topped with a mixture of tomato and I think raw onion puree (??) plus the scallions that you can see on the left of the dish. The other three cold dishes are all favorites of mine.

The first main dish to arrive was Lamb with Scallions:

Everyone raved about this. It was very good. I'm sorry that some of the photos came out blurry. If you go to the restaurant, the dishes will all be in focus when you get them.

This is Spicy Double Cooked Pork, and it was fantastic! I think that anyone who likes barbecue would probably like this dish. The pork is fatty and smokey, and goes wonderfully with the leeks, hot pepper, and Sichuan pepper. I think that I see and remember little bits of black bean in it, too.

Next, we got the Mapo Doufu:

I think that's listed as "Bean Curd Home Style" on the menu. ankomochi commented that there was something different about the taste of this compared to usual Chinese takeout places that she couldn't put her finger on. I didn't really analyze it; I just enjoyed it.

Next to show up was Eggplant with Garlic Sauce:

If you've only had this in mediocre Chinese restaurants, you owe it to yourself to get it here. It blows away the version I've had at Grand Sichuan St. Marks, too. So garlicky, so flavorful, so enjoyable!

We waited much longer for this dish than for the others. It was worth the wait! This is Sea Bass wth Dried Soy Bean Paste, and it was a recommendation of the waitress, who knows me from repeated visits to the restaurant by myself and with friends. This is a really special dish. The fish was perfect -- moist and completely unfishy and fresh-tasting. The soy bean paste was nutty, slightly fermented and almost fishy, a perfect contrast to the fish.

When I go by myself, I tend to get more spicier dishes, but this was certainly a delicious dinner, and I'm glad to have had suggestions from the waitress and other members of the party so that I could try dishes I probably wouldn't have thought of getting.

We finished off most of the food, and ankomochi's fiance took home the remainder. We had some complimentary orange sections for dessert.

The total cost, including a large but appropriate tip, was $110 -- $22 per person, and that included two beers. A big thank you to everyone who came with me, and a big razz to anyone who could have come and missed the chance.

Edited July 16, 2005 by Pan (log)

[Pan]

Following our meal, I suggested that we go for bubble tea. ankomochi and her fiance live in Brooklyn, so they understandably preferred to go home. I asked mascarpone's Hunanese friend, who lives in Flushing, to take us to her favorite bubble tea place. Turned out, it's my Flushing bubble tea standby, too, though I don't remember ever having gotten anything to stay. Sago Tea Cafe, located on the corner of Main St. and 39th Av., has a big takeout business.

Here's a picture of the three drinks we got:

Clockwise from the lower right:

Wheat Germ (Black) Milk Tea (mine)

Papaya Milk Shake (really, just milk, papaya, and sugar; ordered by mascarpone's friend)

Sesame (Black) Milk Tea (ordered by mascarpone)

The black sesame tea is my standby there, and I in fact went back later, after the three of us had played ping pong in round-robin fashion for just under two hours at a place near Northern Blvd., and got a sesame tea to go. I had never tried their milk shakes, and the papaya milk shake was very good. The wheat germ milk tea was enjoyable; both of my drinking partners commented on how healthful it was, and I joked that it might give me some of the vitamins I had missed at dinner.

Well, we'll see if I can get to tai chi at 1 P.M., but I don't think this has kept me up any later than I would have been, anyway. I'm not even ready to go to bed yet.

Edited July 16, 2005 by Pan (log)

[Daniel]

Spicy and Tasty has been a place I have been wanting to go for some time now.. After seeing these photos I would say its a must.. I have a question for you.. How do you determine who brings the food home.. It seems to me, you have been getting the short end of the stick lately...

[Pan]

Spicy and Tasty has been a place I have been wanting to go for some time now.. After seeing these photos I would say its a must..  I have a question for you.. How do you determine who brings the food home.. It seems to me, you have been getting the short end of the stick lately... 

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I just ask "Who wants to take this home?"

I don't need the leftovers today.

And now I can tell you all something else that's not strictly food-related but hardly off-topic:

When I came home, I was alarmed because I smelled gas in the hallway and then much more strongly in my apartment, and when I tried to turn on a burner on my stove to make tea, it didn't turn on but released a lot of gas. So I waited until about 40 minutes ago to call the Super. It turned out that the pilot lights on the stove had blown out, and all that was needed was a match. But I think that the gas that was being released is one of the reasons why my stomach is upset now and I have barely slept. I mean, aside from eating some fatty food and stuffing myself too much. I sometimes really don't realize until later that I ate too much.

[Dejah]

If Pan were to take the leftovers home, we wouldn't get to "eat out" as often!

That mapo tofu is exactly the texture I like. In the Chinese forum, there was much discussion as to what kind of tofu to use: silkened, soft, med. firm, etc. That tofu looks like it retained its shape. Was it "browned" at all? I usually cook the cubes in oil after they've drained, cook the rest of the ingredients, then add the tofu in. Some seemed to think that was not the thing to do.

I have never stir-fried with lamb. Now that I have seen your pictures, I will have to try as that looks delicious! One of my students made garlic blackbean eggplant for our potluck last week. Another thing I haven't cooked myself. What else was in that dish with the eggplant?

You are introducing lots of new Chinese food to me, Pan! Thanks.

ACK!!! I hope you opened your windows before trying to light your stove! Or are you trying to salvage your eyebrows at the moment?

Gas on top of rich spicy food can made you feel nauseous. Hope you can clear your system up quickly. Can't do that with Metamuscil tho'...

Edited July 16, 2005 by Dejah (log)

[Carrot Top]

Yes, the garlic eggplant looked delicious.

Strangely enough, the best garlic eggplant dish I ever had was in a Chinese restaurant in Roanoke, VA.

Instead of having the soft, velvety texture that the dish usually has, the eggplant was cut into fat sticks about 3" long and about 3/4" wide, then deepfried (probably in a cornstarch batter) before being tossed quickly with the other ingredients. At least that is my best guess of the preparation. It was amazing. The eggplant itself had a crackly-quick texture upon biting into in, then burst into softness immediately. Amazing. And the traditional flavors of the recipe sort of swung above the eggplant rather than melding in.

I really wish I hadn't had to think of that. Now the entire day will be haunted by images of garlic eggplant.

[Pan]

If Pan were to take the leftovers home, we wouldn't get to "eat out" as often!

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Something like that.

Besides, I like to be generous. It was my idea to go to these places (except for the banh mi place, but I finished my whole sandwich there).

That mapo tofu is exactly the texture I like. In the Chinese forum, there was much discussion as to what kind of tofu to use: silkened, soft, med. firm, etc. That tofu looks like it retained its shape. Was it "browned" at all?

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I don't recall noticing that it was.

I have never stir-fried with lamb. Now that I have seen your pictures, I will have to try as that looks delicious! One of my students made garlic blackbean eggplant for our potluck last week. Another thing I haven't cooked myself. What else was in that dish with the eggplant?

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Other than lots of garlic, I can see that there were scallions and some hot pepper. I don't recall what else was in it. One of the things I've been finding out while doing this blog is that I can guess wrong about what I'm tasting.

You are introducing lots of new Chinese food to me, Pan! Thanks.

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Wow, that's really cool!

ACK!!! I hope you opened your windows before trying to light your stove! Or are you trying to salvage your eyebrows at the moment?

Gas on top of rich spicy food can made you feel nauseous. Hope you can clear your system up quickly. Can't do that with Metamuscil tho'...

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Yeah, I think that a lot of this is really a reaction from the gas. Even though the gas is gone, my system is all screwed up. I'm not going to be up to going to tai chi this afternoon, and I have no idea when I'll be able to sleep.

Yes, I did open all the windows as wide as possible, and my eyebrows are in the same condition as before.

As I sit here, I'm smelling pancakes cooking. It might be home cooking, but I'm wondering if it's at Teresa's. They make good pancakes.

[Pan]

[...]I really wish I hadn't had to think of that. Now the entire day will be haunted by images of garlic eggplant.

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But it's a good memory, isn't it? Enjoy it.

[chefzadi]

I'm speechless. You eat out a lot Michael!

[Dejah]

If Pan were to take the leftovers home, we wouldn't get to "eat out" as often!

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Gas on top of rich spicy food can made you feel nauseous. Hope you can clear your system up quickly. Can't do that with Metamuscil tho'...

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Yeah, I think that a lot of this is really a reaction from the gas. Even though the gas is gone, my system is all screwed up. I'm not going to be up to going to tai chi this afternoon, and I have no idea when I'll be able to sleep.

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[Pan]

I just realized that I'm out of chamomile and peppermint, the two things I hoped to have in tea to relax my stomach. I found some organic green tea (Celestial Seasonings), and I'm steeping it now, though I really wish it were chamomile.

[Pan]

Pan! You DEFINITELY must go to tai chi. If anything can help you feel better, it is tai chi. If your sifu is any good, he may be able to show you some moves or qi-gong that will help cleanse your system of the toxins and restore your energy flow.

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He's good, alright, but I may have trouble standing, let alone trying to balance on one foot and then the other, after not sleeping for that period of time. Also, it's not one-on-one but a class. We're assured that, at least in the long run, the regular practice of tai chi will make people who are too fat thinner and people who are too thin fatter and so forth, though. Let's see what happens if I continue this for 5 years.

[Pan]

I'm speechless. You eat out a lot Michael!

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There are two things that are atypical about this week:

(1) I usually get delivery and takeout more.

(2) I usually eat alone more.

Also, I've been consciously going to a variety of places this week to show you all different aspects of what I like about my neighborhood and some other parts of New York. I plan on continuing that.

[Tepee]

I just realized that I'm out of chamomile and peppermint, the two things I hoped to have in tea to relax my stomach. I found some organic green tea (Celestial Seasonings), and I'm steeping it now, though I really wish it were chamomile.

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Do you have any ginger?

[Pan]

I just realized that I'm out of chamomile and peppermint, the two things I hoped to have in tea to relax my stomach. I found some organic green tea (Celestial Seasonings), and I'm steeping it now, though I really wish it were chamomile.

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Do you have any ginger?

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Only a couple of Ting Ting Jahe candies.

Hmmm...I just had a brainstorm. I'm going to see if I have any fennel seeds.