Sofregit

Sofregit is a foundational sauce in Mediterranean Catalan cuisine. A fragrant tomato-based sauce made out of tomatoes, onions, olive oil, garlic and onions, it can optionally include other vegetables, such as mushrooms and peppers.

The word Sofregit comes from the Catalan verb sofregir, meaning to "underfry" or fry lightly. In essence, you are sauteing these aromatics under low heat for an extended amount of time. This brings out wonderful depth and aroma to the sauce, which then intensifies any dish to which you add this yummy base.

I used this sofregit to make the Spanish Catalan dish - Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes with allioli as part of the Daring Cooks challenge in August 2009.

Here's how to make it!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt
• Touch of ground cumin
• Touch of dried oregano
  

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
2. Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)
   

 

Since I was halving the recipe, I started by browning 1 chopped onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic in about 1 T vegetable oil over medium heat.

 

After about 5 minutes, I added the remaining vegetables (3 heirloom tomatoes, 1 package (12 oz) of Baby Bella mushrooms (chopped in half), and 1 bay leaf. I also added 1-2 "shakes" of oregano and cumin.

I cooked it over medium-low heat for about an hour until the vegetables softened and gave off water to form this delicious soupy goodness.

I then added this entire pot of sofregit to the rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes dish I was making for the Daring Cook's Challenge.

Sofregit

Sofregit is a foundational sauce in Mediterranean Catalan cuisine. A fragrant tomato-based sauce made out of tomatoes, onions, olive oil, garlic and onions, it can optionally include other vegetables, such as mushrooms and peppers.

The word Sofregit comes from the Catalan verb sofregir, meaning to "underfry" or fry lightly. In essence, you are sauteing these aromatics under low heat for an extended amount of time. This brings out wonderful depth and aroma to the sauce, which then intensifies any dish to which you add this yummy base.

I used this sofregit to make the Spanish Catalan dish - Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes with allioli as part of the Daring Cooks challenge in August 2009.

Here's how to make it!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt
• Touch of ground cumin
• Touch of dried oregano
  

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
2. Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)
   

 

Since I was halving the recipe, I started by browning 1 chopped onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic in about 1 T vegetable oil over medium heat.

 

After about 5 minutes, I added the remaining vegetables (3 heirloom tomatoes, 1 package (12 oz) of Baby Bella mushrooms (chopped in half), and 1 bay leaf. I also added 1-2 "shakes" of oregano and cumin.

I cooked it over medium-low heat for about an hour until the vegetables softened and gave off water to form this delicious soupy goodness.

I then added this entire pot of sofregit to the rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes dish I was making for the Daring Cook's Challenge.

Allioli

Allioli is a fragrant, pungent garlic sauce that has the consistency of mayonnaise, the kick of wasabi, and the deep fragrance of garlic. It really pops of flavor, and the first time I tried it (while making it for these photos), I was like WOW. The pungent raw garlic combined with the oil and just a dash of lemon is addictive.

This recipe is based off of José Andrés' book Made In Spain and was made as part of the Daring Cook's Challenge for August 2009. For the challenge, I made allioli as part of a bigger dish: Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes (a Catalan version of paella). The allioli and the sofregit make this dish uniquely Catalan.

Allioli is a bit tricky to make. It involves a temporary suspension of garlic and oil into a beautiful creamy emulsion of a sauce that can be put on top of your food. The first step, add finely minced garlic (2-3 cloves) and a dash of sea salt to a mortar and pestle. The salt not only adds flavor, it also stops the garlic from slipping during the grinding and aids in the pulverization of the garlic.

1. Start mashing the garlic until it becomes a smooth paste.

2. Add 1-2 drops of lemon juice.

3. Drop by drop, add olive oil to the mixture while continually grinding and stirring. This is important! If you add too much oil at once (I think I had added like 3 mL), the oil breaks up the emulsion and you are left with bits and particles of garlic floating around in oil - not pretty. 

If this happens, however, do not fear! Set the separated suspension aside and start over with just one clove of minced garlic and some salt. Once you have a new emulsion going, slowly add back in the separated suspension and it should all blend together again. This happened to me once, and luckily it was easy to fix!

All in all, with 3-4 cloves of garlic, you might end up adding about 10 mL of oil. It's all by taste, and feel free to stop when you are happy with the sauce. If it looks like mayonnaise, you might be good to go!

 

José says that the allioli should be refrigerated before serving and that it should always be made the same day that it is eaten. Since it does involve raw garlic, it's true that the sauce does lose potency over time. I tasted a bit right after making it, and it was still delicious. I guess refrigerating it might help with the texture so it's not so runny!

Allioli

Allioli is a fragrant, pungent garlic sauce that has the consistency of mayonnaise, the kick of wasabi, and the deep fragrance of garlic. It really pops of flavor, and the first time I tried it (while making it for these photos), I was like WOW. The pungent raw garlic combined with the oil and just a dash of lemon is addictive.

This recipe is based off of José Andrés' book Made In Spain and was made as part of the Daring Cook's Challenge for August 2009. For the challenge, I made allioli as part of a bigger dish: Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes (a Catalan version of paella). The allioli and the sofregit make this dish uniquely Catalan.

Allioli is a bit tricky to make. It involves a temporary suspension of garlic and oil into a beautiful creamy emulsion of a sauce that can be put on top of your food. The first step, add finely minced garlic (2-3 cloves) and a dash of sea salt to a mortar and pestle. The salt not only adds flavor, it also stops the garlic from slipping during the grinding and aids in the pulverization of the garlic.

1. Start mashing the garlic until it becomes a smooth paste.

2. Add 1-2 drops of lemon juice.

3. Drop by drop, add olive oil to the mixture while continually grinding and stirring. This is important! If you add too much oil at once (I think I had added like 3 mL), the oil breaks up the emulsion and you are left with bits and particles of garlic floating around in oil - not pretty. 

If this happens, however, do not fear! Set the separated suspension aside and start over with just one clove of minced garlic and some salt. Once you have a new emulsion going, slowly add back in the separated suspension and it should all blend together again. This happened to me once, and luckily it was easy to fix!

All in all, with 3-4 cloves of garlic, you might end up adding about 10 mL of oil. It's all by taste, and feel free to stop when you are happy with the sauce. If it looks like mayonnaise, you might be good to go!

 

José says that the allioli should be refrigerated before serving and that it should always be made the same day that it is eaten. Since it does involve raw garlic, it's true that the sauce does lose potency over time. I tasted a bit right after making it, and it was still delicious. I guess refrigerating it might help with the texture so it's not so runny!

Upstairs on the Square (Soiree Room) - Dinner devoted to Corn!

Even though we had just gone to the Monday Club on, heh, Monday, I just had to go back to the Upstairs on the Square (Soiree Room) when I found out that they were having a special dinner devoted to one of my favorite carbs of all time - Corn.

It was called "Dinner Devoted to Our Esteemed Colleague: Corn"

I love corn. I love sweet corn on the cob, I love corn chowder, I love cornmeal (grits - YUM!), I love cornbread. Corndogs, popcorn, corn-flavored jelly beans - I love them all. I just love corn. I'm from Ohio - how could I not love corn? They grew corn a mile from my house growing up. Man, I would even love corn ice cream if they made that.

So, when I found out about this meal, which was only available August 5-7, I just had to go. It's a 4-course tasting for $49 ($75 with wine). We ended up getting the tasting and also a bottle of La Dote, which we got last time we went.

Corn Pudding Terrine, Baby Arugula & Native Radishes

This was delicious - tons of sweet corn flavor in the rich flan contrasted well with the sweet brown mustard sauce and the crisp vegetables.

Creamy Sweet Corn Soup with Spiced Shrimp Fritter

I love corn soup, and this soup was heavenly. I think I was more in the mood for a simple corn soup, so, even though the fritters were really good, I was sort of wishing for more corn soup.

It's OK. The recipe for my favorite corn soup from Craigie on Main is posted on his website! I can't wait to try it!

Steve's Almost Famous Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Grilled Buttered Corn on the Cob, Corn & Sausage Pan Gravy

Oh my - this was probably the best fried chicken I had ever had in my entire life. It was SOOOOO good. The coating was really crunchy and flavorful and the meat was super juicy. Even though I was full I kept picking at the chicken. The corn on the cob and the pan gravy were great too.

Corn Ice Cream on Blueberry Cobbler

Have you ever had corn ice cream? Bryan's comment: "it tastes like corn." It does really taste like corn, and I think it's really yummy. This dish was solid, although not particularly unique except for the corn ice cream.

Over all, the food was fabulous. The atmosphere upstairs is a bit more formal, and the AC was on sort of strong, so I was a bit cold and had to put on my sweater. I was really missing the outdoor seating and the more casual atmosphere that we usually get when we eat at the Monday Club. I would go upstairs again, maybe, if they had really special food (like corn!). Otherwise, at least in the summer, I'll stick with sitting outside at the Monday Club and enjoying excellent food for just a tad less money.

Upstairs on the Square (Soiree Room) - Dinner devoted to Corn!

Even though we had just gone to the Monday Club on, heh, Monday, I just had to go back to the Upstairs on the Square (Soiree Room) when I found out that they were having a special dinner devoted to one of my favorite carbs of all time - Corn.

It was called "Dinner Devoted to Our Esteemed Colleague: Corn"

I love corn. I love sweet corn on the cob, I love corn chowder, I love cornmeal (grits - YUM!), I love cornbread. Corndogs, popcorn, corn-flavored jelly beans - I love them all. I just love corn. I'm from Ohio - how could I not love corn? They grew corn a mile from my house growing up. Man, I would even love corn ice cream if they made that.

So, when I found out about this meal, which was only available August 5-7, I just had to go. It's a 4-course tasting for $49 ($75 with wine). We ended up getting the tasting and also a bottle of La Dote, which we got last time we went.

Corn Pudding Terrine, Baby Arugula & Native Radishes

This was delicious - tons of sweet corn flavor in the rich flan contrasted well with the sweet brown mustard sauce and the crisp vegetables.

Creamy Sweet Corn Soup with Spiced Shrimp Fritter

I love corn soup, and this soup was heavenly. I think I was more in the mood for a simple corn soup, so, even though the fritters were really good, I was sort of wishing for more corn soup.

It's OK. The recipe for my favorite corn soup from Craigie on Main is posted on his website! I can't wait to try it!

Steve's Almost Famous Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Grilled Buttered Corn on the Cob, Corn & Sausage Pan Gravy

Oh my - this was probably the best fried chicken I had ever had in my entire life. It was SOOOOO good. The coating was really crunchy and flavorful and the meat was super juicy. Even though I was full I kept picking at the chicken. The corn on the cob and the pan gravy were great too.

Corn Ice Cream on Blueberry Cobbler

Have you ever had corn ice cream? Bryan's comment: "it tastes like corn." It does really taste like corn, and I think it's really yummy. This dish was solid, although not particularly unique except for the corn ice cream.

Over all, the food was fabulous. The atmosphere upstairs is a bit more formal, and the AC was on sort of strong, so I was a bit cold and had to put on my sweater. I was really missing the outdoor seating and the more casual atmosphere that we usually get when we eat at the Monday Club. I would go upstairs again, maybe, if they had really special food (like corn!). Otherwise, at least in the summer, I'll stick with sitting outside at the Monday Club and enjoying excellent food for just a tad less money.

Asian Crunchy Broccoli Stem Salad

This broccoli stem salad is refreshing in the summer, strangely addictive, and is a great way to use up broccoli stems!

Step 1: Gather your broccoli stems together, remove the outer part of the stem, and chop into bite size pieces.

Add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic and sprinkle with some salt (1/2 tsp). Stir and let marinate for at least 20 minutes. Pour out any water that may have collected during the marination time.Add a splash of soy sauce (to taste), about 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil (or more, to taste), about a pinch sugar (or more, to taste), and red pepper flakes to taste. Eat immediately, or for better results, let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Asian Crunchy Broccoli Stem Salad

This broccoli stem salad is refreshing in the summer, strangely addictive, and is a great way to use up broccoli stems!

Step 1: Gather your broccoli stems together, remove the outer part of the stem, and chop into bite size pieces.

Add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic and sprinkle with some salt (1/2 tsp). Stir and let marinate for at least 20 minutes. Pour out any water that may have collected during the marination time.Add a splash of soy sauce (to taste), about 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil (or more, to taste), about a pinch sugar (or more, to taste), and red pepper flakes to taste. Eat immediately, or for better results, let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Salmon with Scallions and Bacon

This dish is so easy to make (literally 10 minutes), presents beautifully, and tastes delicious. I can't take credit for this recipe. I actually learned it from my husband's mom, who used to make this for her family all the time. I recently brought it to a potluck and it was a huge hit.

I used Wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon, which naturally has a beautiful red hue and also tastes incredible. The bacon also adds a nice smokey flavor to the dish. Moreover, this not-so-secret cooking method keeps the fish nice and juicy (not dry!!).

Ingredients
1 piece of salmon filet
raw bacon (3-5 strips - enough to cover the fish)
scallions (~2 stalks)
salt & pepper
garlic powder

Step 1
Remove most of the fat from the bacon and cut up the bacon meat into small strips approximately the width of the fish (around 10-15 cm by 1/2 cm).

Step 2:
Cut the scallions into similar sized "strips."

Step 3:
Lightly sprinkle salt and garlic powder on both sides of the fish. Lay the scallions and bacon across the fish, covering the entire fish.

Step 4:
Cover and microwave for 4 minutes (if the fish is already defrosted) or 6 minutes (if the fish is frozen).

Step 5:
Serve and Enjoy. It really is that easy!

Salmon with Scallions and Bacon

This dish is so easy to make (literally 10 minutes), presents beautifully, and tastes delicious. I can't take credit for this recipe. I actually learned it from my husband's mom, who used to make this for her family all the time. I recently brought it to a potluck and it was a huge hit.

I used Wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon, which naturally has a beautiful red hue and also tastes incredible. The bacon also adds a nice smokey flavor to the dish. Moreover, this not-so-secret cooking method keeps the fish nice and juicy (not dry!!).

Ingredients
1 piece of salmon filet
raw bacon (3-5 strips - enough to cover the fish)
scallions (~2 stalks)
salt & pepper
garlic powder

Step 1
Remove most of the fat from the bacon and cut up the bacon meat into small strips approximately the width of the fish (around 10-15 cm by 1/2 cm).

Step 2:
Cut the scallions into similar sized "strips."

Step 3:
Lightly sprinkle salt and garlic powder on both sides of the fish. Lay the scallions and bacon across the fish, covering the entire fish.

Step 4:
Cover and microwave for 4 minutes (if the fish is already defrosted) or 6 minutes (if the fish is frozen).

Step 5:
Serve and Enjoy. It really is that easy!

Mulan

For some reason, there is a dearth of good Chinese food in Cambridge. Cambridge is filled with wonderful sandwich shops, really good upscale-ish cuisine, great gastro-pubs, and a fair share of interesting ethnic restaurants such as Portuguese, Indian, and Italian. However, most of the best Chinese restaurants are in Chinatown and Allston, with a few scattered throughout Malden, Quincy, and the suburbs.

Mulan is one of the better Chinese restaurants in Cambridge. It has an extensive menu full of many authentic Taiwanese dishes. Although the food is not phenomenal, it's decent for the area. This is one of those restaurants where you get really excited reading the menu and then you walk away feeling somehow dissatisfied with the experience, even though it seemed like it could have been so good.

Nevertheless, the food is decent, and some dishes are actually quite good. If you are around, especially during lunchtime, it's worth a visit. The prices are very reasonable (most of the dishes shown below were around $8 or so) and the food is decent.

Eggplant with Hot Garlic Sauce

Shredded Pork with Baby Bamboo

Fish Filet in Black Bean Sauce

Tofu with Dry Bean Sauce

The tofu with dry bean sauce is one of Mulan's "Must try" dishes and also happens to be one of my favorite dishes there. The crunchy soy bean based topping is sweet, savory, and fragrant. It contrasts perfectly with the soft blocks of plain tofu. I really love this dish and I often find myself scooping up bits of the crunchy topping that's left on the plate so I can eat it with rice. Unfortunately, I have found that this dish is not always consistent, and on my last visit (during lunch), the topping was a bit over-salted. At other times, however, it has been delicious, so it's unpredictable.

228 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-441-8812

Mulan

For some reason, there is a dearth of good Chinese food in Cambridge. Cambridge is filled with wonderful sandwich shops, really good upscale-ish cuisine, great gastro-pubs, and a fair share of interesting ethnic restaurants such as Portuguese, Indian, and Italian. However, most of the best Chinese restaurants are in Chinatown and Allston, with a few scattered throughout Malden, Quincy, and the suburbs.

Mulan is one of the better Chinese restaurants in Cambridge. It has an extensive menu full of many authentic Taiwanese dishes. Although the food is not phenomenal, it's decent for the area. This is one of those restaurants where you get really excited reading the menu and then you walk away feeling somehow dissatisfied with the experience, even though it seemed like it could have been so good.

Nevertheless, the food is decent, and some dishes are actually quite good. If you are around, especially during lunchtime, it's worth a visit. The prices are very reasonable (most of the dishes shown below were around $8 or so) and the food is decent.

Eggplant with Hot Garlic Sauce

Shredded Pork with Baby Bamboo

Fish Filet in Black Bean Sauce

Tofu with Dry Bean Sauce

The tofu with dry bean sauce is one of Mulan's "Must try" dishes and also happens to be one of my favorite dishes there. The crunchy soy bean based topping is sweet, savory, and fragrant. It contrasts perfectly with the soft blocks of plain tofu. I really love this dish and I often find myself scooping up bits of the crunchy topping that's left on the plate so I can eat it with rice. Unfortunately, I have found that this dish is not always consistent, and on my last visit (during lunch), the topping was a bit over-salted. At other times, however, it has been delicious, so it's unpredictable.

228 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-441-8812