Taco Night: Korean Fried Chicken Tacos

I've been studying at my mom's for the last couple of days because of the unlimited coffee, flowers and snack plates (thanks mom!). Last night, I was planning on heading back to LA when my mom offered to make me dinner, which turned into me making her dinner... and then cleaning the kitchen. Yeah, I don't know how that happened - she's good at what she does.

My mom had purchased gojujang (Korean chile paste) at the Korean store and I had been meaning to use it for something. When I realized we also had soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil (loving this well-stocked pantry), I got to work. 

The recipe turned out amazingly - if not a bit hot. I cut down on the honey and added another tbsp of the chile paste. The recipe here is for the more faint-hearted, don't worry.

Now back to my lavender coffee and my lecture (and watching the world cup game).

xx

Korean Fried Chicken Tacos:

Make the SLAW:

Two cups julienned green cabbage with two or three grated carrots and 1/2 a red onion, sliced.

Juice of two limes

1/2 inch grated ginger (for digestion people)

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

The CHICKEN:

Cut up trimmed chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.

Mix 1 cup flour with 1 tbsp cornstarch and enough water to make a pancake-like batter.

Coat the chicken.

Heat up pot with a few inches of oil.

Once it's hot (i.e. chicken sizzles when placed in), throw in some pieces

Fry for a few minutes (4-5)

Let drain while you fry your subsequent batches.

THEN FRY AGAIN (4-5 minutes)

It should become a more golden brown

Once chicken cools off so it doesn't blister your finger,

Throw the chicken bits in the SAUCE:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp gojunjang
2 tsbp rice vinegar
1/2 tsbp sesame oil (my mom is not a huge fan, I would add 1 tsbp if it was just me)
1 tbsp honey

THEN throw the SLAW and CHICKEN in a charred corn tortillas. Sprinkle with some CILANTRO and serve with LIME.

Yum.

A Light Summer Meal

I wrote a few essays today, so I'm not much into words. So here's two recipes. You're welcome.

Baked Feta 
- Throw some crumbled feta in a baking thing.
-Zest a bit of orange zest over top
-Broil for a couple minutes until softened (just a couple of mins)
- Drizzle with honey
-Broil for two more minutes
- Serve with melba toast or crackers
[This was a big hit!]







Sweet and Spicy Tilapia Filets

Marinate two tilapia filets in the following for 15 minutes:
- Two minced garlic cloves
- Juice of one orange
-Juice of one lime
-Grated ginger - about a 1/2 inch
-A tablespoon or so of soy sauce
-Two tablespoons rice vinegar
-1 tsp ground cumin
-Two tbsp brown sugar
-1/2 tsp paprika
-Salt and pepper

Broil for 15 mins until cooked and tender.
I served with arugula with lime and olive oil and some simple ancient grains (quinoa, millet, amaranth).

Yay.
Now sleep.
And yes, I know, it's only 8pm.

Taco Night: Banh Mi Tacos

Thursday night after a wretched day of bar prep, Evan and I finally gave up. Seriously, that multiple choice was bad news bears. On the bright side, our normal meager bar prep dinner turned into a little dinner party with Jacy, Annie and Paige coming over for my new banh mi tacos.

The banh mi tacos are made of chuck roast braised in amazing seasonings for four hours, over charred corn tortillas, some homemade guac, sriracha mayo, cabbage slaw, and a radish-red onion garnish. Total yum.

Banh Mi Taco Recipe:

1.5 lbs of chuck roast
3 tbsp (approx) olive oil
5 cloves garlic sliced
1 inch ginger sliced
1/2 red onion diced
1/2 cup water water
1 package miso soup powder (or 1tbsp paste)
2 tbsp sriracha
3 tbsp hoison
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
two tablespoon brown sugar

Heat up a heavy sauce pan with a heavy dose of olive oil. Sear the cubes of meat, then add garlic, ginger and onion. Let that wilt a bit, then add the rest of the ingredients. Super simple, but tastes way complicated. Cover and simmer (LOW LOW HEAT) for four hours. Check periodically to give a stir. At the end of the four hours, the meat should literally fall apart/easy to shred with a fork. Serve with sriracha mayo, gauc, and a combination of your favorite slaws, my favorite being a simple cabbage and radish one. 

xx

Le Cachat - Copy Cat Number 2

One of my favorite things IN THE WORLD is the lavender honey goat cheese at Church and State. The rest of the food there is pretty phenom too, but that starter combines my favorite things in one dish. Clearly, I can't just go to Church and State for a paltry app, so I decided to replicate it at home for far less than the $8 at C&S. So simple and gorgeous for a quick summer app with a glass of wine.

Herbed Goat Cheese with Lavender Honey:
- herbed goat cheese from TJs
- Clover honey
- Dried organic lavender (I stole it from a neighbor's bush and dried it)

This is all by taste. I had about 5-6 sprigs of dried lavender and crumbled them into the room temperature goat cheese. I then added about a tablespoon or so of honey and whipped that sh*t up. Spread over a quality baguette and inhale. Total cost? About $3.

And you get a photo of Sophie and her new boyfriend, Jasper, the Great Dane, at the Silverlake Dog Park.

Horse Thief at Grand Central Market

I had a meeting in DTLA the other day and met up with Anthony and Alene for lunch. I hadn't been to the Grand Central Market in agesssss - probably since wrapping up my clerkship with the LA City Attorney's Office. It's certainly more polished and more modern, with pockets of the original authenticity that I remember.

We decided on Horse Thief, the BBQ with a patio and a bar(!) on the side that faces Hill and Angel's Flight (which is indefinitely closed - sad face).

I had the beef brisket sandwich with the bacon bleu cheese potato salad and mac and cheese. I wasn't really aiming for healthy clearly.

A few pros:
- OMG THE POTATO SALAD. It was amazing, flavorful and satisfying.
- The beef brisket - proper BBQ with a spicy sauce.
- The patio and the beer in line. The way every LA line/venue/restaurant should be constructed.

Cons:
- The line was brutally long - like over 30 mins to order.
- The burger bread was like eh. A little lackluster.
- The Mac and Cheese was just okay, but I really wanted it to be more cheesy.

Overall opinion: If I were in the area, I would definitely go back with a few minor changes - not during lunch rush, no Mac and Cheese (I'll try the slaw), and I'll just get the meat, minus the bun.