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Priscilla Tsai
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Smorgasbord / Priscilla Tsai A Bangalicious dinner
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 1:02 PM
A big thanks to Spencer Walker for taking dinner club duties off my hands this week!
Walker, L.A. native and the author of the blog CookToBang.com - Recipes to get you laid, is coming out with a Cook to Bang book in May 2010. As part of the book promotion, he is being filmed traveling around the nation invading people's homes, apartments, and dorms, and throwing together gourmet meals from whatever he can scrounge up. This week he was in Charlotte.
Since it was my week to host the weekly dinner club with my gal pals, it was the perfect opportunity to shirk off my cooking responsibilities and let this kind sir cook for me and my guests. Walker, with camera man/brother Andrew in tow, stopped by my house last night and created a feast.
First we went through all my food ...
Here are the contents of my fridge and pantry spewed all over the countertops:
The chef was quick in deciding what he was going to cook. He lumped ingredients together based on dish. (See the Golden Grahams with the marshmallows? That's dessert.)
Walker got busy as we drank martinis and relaxed. At one point we felt slightly guilty sitting around watching as he toiled in the kitchen, so we made sure he got a good pour of martini straight from the shaker down his throat. As the dishes came together, Walker brainstormed dirty names for his dishes.
What we ate last night:
- Cambodian Love Rolls (Rice paper rolls filled with stir-fried minced chicken flavored with fish sauce, hoisin and soy sauce, tossed with coconut and walnuts)
- White Trash Buffalo Chicken Dip (This one needs a better name. Ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, cheese, buffalo wing sauce, cream cheese, shredded chicken)
- Pork Your Pasta (Black truffle pasta served with a spicy tomato-based sauce with chopped up rosemary pork)
- Ram That Graham (Golden Grahams baked together with marshmallows and caramel, covered with white and semi-sweet chocolate, toffee bits, and whatever else we could find on my baking shelf)
Everything was delicious and we were all amazed at what he was able to come up with. My favorite line from the night: "Ok, ladies. Have a seat because I'm going to serve you." Music to my ears.
A man in the kitchen cooking up a four-course meal ... I could get used to this! Walker did say that in his experience, women do tend to respond favorably to a home-cooked meal by a man...
Check out more pics on the jump.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Smorgasbord / Priscilla Tsai Cook to Bang is coming to Charlotte
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Cook to Bang, a cooking blog illustrated with step-by-step photos of humorously named recipes that will keep you busy in the kitchen and in bed, is soon to be a book. To give you a flavor of what's to come in the book, just check out the names of some of the recent recipes on the blog: Coconut Cod-Piece, Raw and Raunchy Oysters, Don't be Coy, Bok Choy and Ants on My Log.
Tomorrow Spencer Walker, author of CooktoBang.com blog and book, will be coming to MY KITCHEN. The chef of "recipes to get you laid" will be stopping by to film a promotional cooking video for his new book.
His mission (and challenge): To concoct a feast from whatever he can scrounge up from my fridge and pantry.
Er, good luck with that. I've got half-blocks of cheese, lemon curd, Hoisin sauce, cranberry juice, pasta, yogurt, frozen chicken breasts, ramen, chocolates and cereal. Sounds to me like it's gonna be quite the challenge.
I'm inviting a few ladies over to taste test the feast tomorrow. Let's see if they end up in the bedroom for dessert...
Check back on Wednesday for pics!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Smorgasbord / Priscilla Tsai Only in Japan...
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Eat rabbit-shaped foods and cuddle with bunnies at this bunny cafe in Japan! Or if you would like, you can BYOB (Bring Your Own Bunny). Customers can pay per minute to play with the restaurant's pet rabbits (for cuddling purposes only –not for eating). Apparently this place is a hit in Japan. Anyone want to open a franchise in Charlotte?
Friday, September 11, 2009
Events / Priscilla Tsai Photos from Greek Festival
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 10:53 AM
The annual Yiasou Greek Festival kicked off yesterday at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. As I walked through the festival last night, I was transported back to Greece, surrounded by the intoxicating smells of sweet loukoumades and savory gyros.
Within an hour, I had eaten my way through the festival like Templeton the rat ate his way through the town carnival in Charlotte's Web. Among the foods I ate were:
Lamb and beef gyro - Tender, thin slices of seasoned meat topped with a slice of tomato and tzatziki sauce.
Spanakopita - Flaky phyllo pastry sandwiches a filling of spinach and feta cheese. Served up hot, it was a buttery delight.
Mythos beer - The ice cold Greek brew washed down the gyro nicely.
Amygthalota - A crescent-shaped almond cookie made of flour, almonds, sugar, eggs and butter. The slight chew and almond flavors of the cookie were delicious.
and my favorite ... Loukoumades - Greek honey balls that look like munchkins donuts, but better! Hot little balls of dough are fried up fresh, dunked in a bath of honey and then sprinkled with a healthy dose of powdered sugar. A. MAY. ZING.
The festival runs through Sunday so get over there. They also offer a drive through for your convenience. Read more about the festival here.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai Chocolate cake
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Every time I eat a huge wedge of chocolate cake, I feel like the fat kid in Roald Dahl's book Matilda. You know ... Bruce Bogtrotter. The boy who gets caught eating the Trunchbull's coveted chocolate cake and gets punished by being forced to eat an entire chocolate cake in an auditorium in front of the entire school?
Ok. Maybe you don't know what I am talking about. Maybe I have issues. Anyway .... Here's a recipe for a scrumptious chocolate cake. One that the Trunchbull and Bruce may have enjoyed.
If you hate washing dishes like I do, then you'll appreciate the simplicity of this chocolate cake recipe — it only requires dirtying up one bowl. Hurray.
Because this recipe easy to make and produces good results every time, it has become my default chocolate cake recipe. To make a layer cake, I bake the batter in two round pans, and then layer the cakes on top of each other with a filling of chocolate mousse (courtesy of a boxed mix) in between.
Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup cold brewed coffee
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch round pans.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, milk, oil and vinegar. Mix until smooth, batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai Fig and Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 11:47 AM
While perusing the gourmet foods aisle at the Marshall's store at the midtown Metropolitan shopping center this past weekend, I came across a jar of Dalmatia fig spread.
It was from this inspiring find that I came up with this flatbread pizza, which I will call "The Metropolitan" because all the ingredients can be found at the Metropolitan.
Grab some fig spread for $4.99 at Marshall's, then head down to Trader Joe's and get yourself a bag of arugula, a package of prosciutto, a chunk of mozzarella cheese, and package of TJ's pre-made plain pizza dough.
I blew my own socks off with this creation. Sweet fig flavors blend well with salty prosciutto. The mozzarella lends a creamy texture and the spicy, peppery arugula adds a slight bite. Trader Joe's reminds me again why I love them ... their pre-made dough is amazing — it cooks up perfectly crisp and chewy.
Making the pizza is incredibly easy and it's ready to eat in less than 20 minutes. This recipe would be a great option for a weekday meal.
Using a pizza stone makes a big difference in making this pizza, so use one if you can.
The Metropolitan Flatbread Pizza
Ingredients:
Fig spread
Pre-made pizza dough
Arugula leaves
Slices of prosciutto
A ball of mozzarella, sliced
Olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper
Sea salt
Directions:
Preheat pizza stone in oven set to 450 degrees.
On a baking sheet or pizza paddle dusted with cornmeal, roll out pizza dough into a rough 12-14" circle. (I put the dough over my fists and used my knuckles to carefully stretch the dough out.) Make sure the dough is loose and isn't sticking to the baking sheet or paddle. (You'll need it to slide off easily when you transfer it onto the stone.)
Drizzle olive oil over dough.
Dollop bits of fig spread over dough, and then spread it evenly over dough.
Top pizza with strips of prosciutto and then place a layer of sliced mozzarella over that. Season with black pepper.
Transfer pizza onto the pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Take it out of oven and top with arugula. Sprinkle on a pinch of sea salt. Slice and serve.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Food News / Mouthful / Smorgasbord / Priscilla Tsai Enso opens in the EpiCentre
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Enso Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar has opened at the EpiCentre uptown. The posh restaurant, located across from CVS on the lower level, threw their V.I.P. grand opening party Wednesday night. Guests were treated with a red carpet entrance, a looooong sushi bar, an open bar that included high-end liquors, small plates of appetizers, and a bottle of pear sake as a take-home gift.
The restaurant's decor features luxe red and gold colors. Upon entering the restaurant, you will find dark wood floors, stone walls, red crocodile print stools, velvety lounge chairs, high-backed red upholstered dining chairs, and red bars flecked with metallic pieces. Glass lotus flower votives illuminate the bar area with a rosy glow.
The sushi was exceptional and served with pickled ginger arranged into rose buds and wasabi molded into little leaves placed on radish slices. Among the small plates that were passed around were dumplings which Enso calls "dim sum," Kobe beef with fried rice, impressively large rock shrimp, lamb shanks, sea bass, and more. All were beautifully presented and served by attentive wait staff (many of which were Asian!).
Watch out Nikko ... there is a new hip sushi restaurant in town. I anticipate Enso to become the new chic place to see and be seen on the weekends prior to a night of schmoozing uptown. Check out these pics:
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Green tea cupcakes 5
If you love green tea too, you'll appreciate my newest cupcake creation: Green tea cupcakes.
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Eat This: Bun No. 28 at Viet Thai
The official name for it is Bun Dac Biet, which loosely translates to "bun with all the things."
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Checking in at Heist Brewery 1
NoDa brewpub offers good variety in its libations
