The Paradoxical Post: Recording the Ephemeral

Some cuteness to start off this post for extra karma points!

After watching Exit Through the Gift Shop, I couldn't help but notice analogies between mediums that are reflected in my very own blog. The film can generally be described as a documentary of street art. If you haven't seen it, do so now. (It's on Netflix instant play). Like food, street art is ephemeral, leftover from the art happenings of the 60s era. It's something well-known and seen by the masses... that is, until a business gets upset that their pretty and unique white wall has been ruined or until an orange jumpsuit finishes up their community service hours somewhere. My mission as a "blogger" (considering my inconsistent posting, I take the term lightly) and Thiery Guetta (Mr. Brainwash)'s ends up being completely paradoxical. We attempt to record the temporary. How does one document the ephemeral? Poorly, that's how.

At least I try my best not to. There is no perfect way to catch the taste of a roast chicken fresh out of the oven. There is no perfect way to catch the smell of spray-paint mixed with adrenaline as the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up, alert and on the lookout for incoming police. Nonetheless, we ignore this paradox of the ephemeral and try anyway.

We attempt the impossible. We attempt--as sort of amateur historians--to record the quotidian details of our culture. Whatever that is and whatever we can make of it. Because at the end of the day, these are the marks we leave. These are our artworks--from mosaic space invaders and vandalized telephone booths to basil and sun-dried tomatoes prosciutto-wrapped tilapia--our masterpieces. My recipe is my stencil. My photographs and blog posts are my documentary. These are our collective additions to culture. Sometimes, we forget that culture can't be learned or read in a textbook. We forget that we are the sources of culture. So, take advantage.

The other mental tangent derived from this film is about something too often taken for granted--friendships. How is it that the crazy Mr. Brainwash came to befriend the infamous Banksy? How did you meet your best friend? Friends come in many different shapes and sizes. There are those you may have and love but who measure your relationship in number of drinks at the local bar. Seeing the same drunken shallowness every week may make you stop and think twice about whether or not that's how you want to be valued. Some friendships unexpectedly (yet not always surprisingly) go wrong. People go astray and some can't be bothered to maintain it outside of the bar. Unhealthy relationships exist is many shapes and sizes. Some may base a relationship not on how much they help you but on what you have to offer them--be it a cool factor, help on homework (AKA 'nerd factor'), or something else entirely. They may take more than they receive, assuming they are blameless. The worst part is, usually, it's completely unintentional. But, friendships at their core are not a give-and-take system. Not to quote How I Met Your Mother, but "you can't keep score." That being said, you also can't allow yourself to take advantage nor be taken advantage of. It's a fine line that even Philippe Petit and Rick Wallenda have trouble walking.

But please, don't let me make a cynic out of you for I am no cynic! As often and unexpectedly trains may run off their tracks, the best friendships are the unexpected ones. The RA may not be out to get you and may actually have 'promoting community' as a priority! That girl you thought hated you may be your new best friend! That girl in your high school you never thought about much may become your secret role model! Take it from me as these are all come from my first-hand experiences! I never fully trust my first impression and I always give second chances. The best friends are the ones you can do anything and everything with; the ones whom you accept and who accept you--flaws and all.

All the pictures posted are of food made with friends and family to be shared with friends and family. They're shrines to the physical act of eating and sharing the memories with those you love and to the often too-short-lived lives of the delicacies made. But then again, if the lives of these foods lasted longer, they wouldn't quite be the same... The first set pictures come from an annual tradition where my mother and I cook for my friends at school in dorm facilities.

The Spread!

Cherry Tomato and Parsley Salad with Toasted Almonds and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Mashed Potatoes and Green Peas with Mint à la Jamie Oliver

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Sweet & Sour Squash à la Mario Batali

Prosciutto-wrapped Tilapia with Basil and Sun-dried Tomatoes

The second set comes from a weekend spent in San Francisco with Cameron and Brent. We each made a component to this delicious perfectly-balanced meal.

Cucumber, Parmesan & Candied Walnut Salad (Brent)

Mushroom Risotto à la perfection (Cameron)

Roasted Salmon with a crunchy Rosemary-Lemon Panko Crust (Me)

Lastly, the third set of photos come from our annual Martin Luther King Jr. dinner with my family (my parents, Ashami, and some other neighborhood family members). If you ever desire to make anything that I've posted, please message me! I will send you back a recipe as soon as I can.

I've always enjoyed table setting... (it's better to enjoy something than to think you are being forced to do it)

No dinner is complete without a good cheese plate

Mixed Greens with Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Roasted Daikon, Star Anise and Green Onion Roasted Chicken (My mom)

Ashami's ridiculously amazing Manchego & Cheddar Cheese Mac n' Cheese

Fish n' Chips (Ashami: served traditionally on newspaper)

Ashami makes the BEST Red Velvet Cake I've ever had... hands down

Sprinkles, Magnolias, etc. ain't got nothing on her! She's my teacher

So this post is a toast! (excuse the inexcusably cliché rhyming) A toast to all the good people out there, both friend and foe. A toast to the true friend who shows their love and affection not with words but actions. A toast to the homies, the homies of the homies, and the dudes, too. A toast to you, who took time out of your life to not only look at the food pornography but actually read this. I salute you, the genuine. The ones who can make the simplest of chores a fun activity. You are the reason the world goes round. Indulge yourself: Live well. Eat well.

To all those who've hung in there (whether with me or someone else!)

[taken at the San Francisco Academy of Sciences, Feb 2012]

Ironically, Just a Normal Sedar

So a while back there was this holiday called Passover. Passover is a holiday filled with tradition and lots of delicious food.... Passover and Easter fell on the same week this year. So obviously that must mean that an apology is in order. I apologize that I took three weeks to write this post. I now have posts stockpiled for the next few weeks...

Midterms, finals, work, blah blah blah. Excuses will get me nowhere and you to boredom-ville. In any event, SEDAR. This "normal" sedar is an oxymoron. First of all, there is no such thing. Jewish families make different recipes, depending on their origin (Sephardic vs. Ashkenazy), read different haggadahs, and celebrate in different ways. (Sephardic Jews are those who come from the Medittereanen area, spanning from North Africa to the Middle East to Southern Spain. Ashkenazy Jews are those of Eastern European descent and some of Northern Europe, as well.) However, something that transcends all sedars:

1. There must always be a sedar plate.

... It includes a bone, an egg, bitter herb, parsley, lettuce, horseradish (in a bottle not pictured above), and charoset (that bowl to the right).

Each item is a traditional symbol to remind us of when the Chosen People--no controversy intended--fled Egypt to their homeland in Israel. If this were a political blog, I would probably go on about the current political situation vis à vis Israel vs. Palestine, but it's not. Let's get some culinary action going.

2. There will/should always be a sedar, whether yours lasts five minutes or five hours (no joke. I've heard stories of hours of being crowded in a small room in the Bronx, shvitzing up a storm, waiting for food and praying in the meantime).

3. No leavened yeast allowed. (While passing through the desert, Moses and his followers lacked such amenities, so you must suffer in his pain as well)

Well for my sedar, which I prepared in one day (quite a feat if you know any Jewish mothers...), I made Yemmenite Charoset, Iraqi-Jewish Chickpea Chicken Soup (with Matzoh balls), Roasted Carrots and Yams, and Honey-Glazed Lemon Roast Chicken. You are about to be hit with all of these recipes. I hope you're ready... The Charoset and Soup are not super cheap to make, although with a little price-tag checking, aren't too much of a splurge. The cheap recipes are the roasted vegetables ($5) and Honey-Glazed Lemon Chicken ($8). So for $13.00, you can make a very good and substantial meal for 5 people. Sticking it to the recession!

Yemmenite-Inspired Charoset

You eat Charoset with Matzoh. It's meant to symbolize the mortar used by the Jewish slaves for building. It's SWEET and DELICIOUS! This recipe is Sephardic, in case you were curious.

Ingredients:

1 package of Dates

1 spoon of Fig Jam (or preserves.)

1/2 cup Orange Juice

1/2 cup Golden Raisins

1 tsp Hot Pepper Powder (or chili powder)

1.5 tsp Turmeric

1.5 tsp Cinammon

1 tbsp Honey

1 Apple, cut-up into squares

1/4 cup Pine Nuts

DISCLAIMER: This is a messy recipe. If you don't want to have pine nuts, you can use any other type of nuts, or none at all. I honestly made this recipe up based on yemmenite charoset, a recipe my aunt used to use, and tid-bits of leftover ingredients from other recipes.

-Pit the dates. This is a messy job and will require you to get your fingers covered in dates. It doesn't matter how you pit the dates. As long as you put the flesh of the date into a bowl withOUT the date, then you'll be fine. You're mashing them up, anyway.

-Ideally, you would use a food processor to mix the dates and fig jam. However, if you're like me and thus, lacking in such technological advances, you will have to roll up your sleeves and use a wooden spoon (or anything that will get the job done) to mash the dates.

-Once this job is done, stir in everything else. You can change up the ingredients to have more of something you like or less of something you don't. Make sure you keep tasting it along the way. As long as it's tasty, then it's a success. Also, it's supposed to look like mortar.

-Voilà! Eat it with matzoh or bread (once your week of no-leavened-yeast is done) and enjoy!!

(Here, I am performing a tradition of the sedar, where you make a sandwich out of horseradish and charoset. The horseradish is the bitterness of the slaves and the charoset is the sweetness of freedom. I recommend only doing this during sedar and enjoying charoset by itself, in the meantime)

Iraqi-Jewish Soup (Oshee Kifte)

Traditionally, this recipe does not have matzoh balls, but I decided to add Matzoh balls because what's a sedar without Matzoh Ball Soup? Without the matzoh balls, this is a Sephardic recipe.

Ingredients:

Soup:

2 1/2 quarts Chicken Stock (preferably clear)

1 1/4 cups Chickpeas

1 large onion (chopped into medium-sized chunks)

1 can Whole Tomatoes (chopped into medium-sized chunks)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup Dried Apricots (chopped into quarters)

around 1/8 cup Coriander Seeds

Meatballs:

1 small Onion (chopped into small squares)

1 package Ground Chicken

1 bunch of Cilantro

2 pinches of Flour

Matzoh Balls (Buy a box and follow directions):

1 package of Matzoh Meal

1-2 eggs (depending on the Matzoh meal you buy)

1/2 cup water

-In a large pot, allow the chicken stock, onions, and chickpeas to simmer for a bit. On a low heat, you can allow it to simmer for as long as you want. The longer it simmers, the more tender the ingredients are and the more the flavors come out. This can be 10 minutes to over an hour. Add some salt and pepper.

-In the meantime, make the chicken meatballs and matzoh balls.

-Start with the matzoh balls, as once you mix all the ingredients (matzoh meal, eggs, water), it needs to be refrigerated for 30 minutes to an hour. BE CAREFUL: Let it sit for too long and the matzoh meal gets harder. (This happened to me. so beware!)

-For the Chicken Meatballs, mix the ground chicken, onions, chopped cilantro, and add some salt and pepper.

-Then form the mixtures into small balls. Matzoh balls are traditionally larger.

-Add in the matzoh balls to simmer for 20 minutes or so. (Again, follow the box's directions!)

-Do the same for the Chicken meatballs, except only for 10-15 minutes. When you add the chicken meatballs, add the apricots and coriander seeds.

-You can keep the soup warm by keeping it on a very low heat. SERVE and ENJOY.

Roasted Yams and Carrots

-Yams (Sweet Potatoes)

-Carrots

-a drizzle of honey (optional)

-Paprika (optional)

-Chili Powder (optional)

-Cut up the yams and carrots as seen above. The carrots should be julienned--culinary jargon for stick-like--and the yams should be sliced into circles.

-Set the oven to 425 degrees.

-Place the vegetables on baking sheets. There should only be one layer of vegetables on each baking sheet.

-Sprinkle paprika and chili powder on the carrots and yams. IF YOU ONLY WANT TO GET ONE SPICE, I RECOMMEND CHILI POWDER. (It's more versatile and you will more likely use it more often. However, if you get your hands on paprika... go for it!)

-Drizzle some honey (very little) on the yams.

-Put in the oven for 15 minutes for the carrots and 20-25 minutes for the yams. The Yams take a little longer. The important thing is that the vegetables are tender when you poke them with a fork!

-Enjoy! (This recipe is delicious, VERY healthy, and the easiest way to cook vegetables. All the work is in the chopping... which isn't very much)

(The carrots are surrounding the chicken. Sprinkle some cilantro for garnish!)

Lemon-Thyme Honey-Glazed Roast Chicken

(I doubled this recipe. But this should be enough for 4-5 people!)

Ingredients:

1 Chicken for Roasting

1 package of Thyme

1 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup honey

a little olive oil

-Marinate the chicken in lemon juice for at least an hour. (Ideally, six hours... but who has that much time?) Do this by putting the chicken and lemon juice in a plastic bag and refrigerating for your choice of time.

-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Take the chicken out of the plastic bag and place on a roasting pan lined with foil. Pat down the chicken so it's dry with a paper towel.

-Cover the chicken with thyme. Ideally, try to cover as much of the chicken as possible. (and yes, that means even the insides... See below picture) Also, sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chicken.

-Place the Chickens breast-side down and roast for 15 minutes.

-Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Roast for another 45 minutes.

-In the meantime, heat the honey with a little olive oil so the consistency is more liquid-y. It needs to be pourable.

-Take the chicken out, turn them breast-side up and pour the honey over it. Try to cover the entire chicken with the honey-glaze! (You want every single bite to be equally delicious).

-Put the chicken BACK into the oven for another 25-30 minutes.

-Take the chicken out. The skin will be darkened. Pour any juices in the pan over the chicken.

-Let stand for 15 minutes, then serve!

This recipe is amazingly delicious and every single bite was tender and juicy. If the breasts aren't dry, then you know you cooked a delicious chicken!

The "normal" sedar was complete and delicious. Here are some lovely photographs taken by my friend, Lora Ngai, of the during and after of the sedar!

Here I am, acting as the master of the ceremony, reading the sometimes tedious haggadah. The Haggadah is what outlines the sedar: prayers, stories, questions, and songs included. We printed ours off the internet. (Judaism, welcome to the 21st Century)

Alex and Jenna helping describe the ten plagues brought on Egypt. You use your finger to put a drop of wine (or grape juice if you're not yet of age) on your plate for every plague.

Brandon acts out/tells the story of the Jews and their escape from Egypt... It's a thumbs up, according to Laura.

Willie, Adriana, and Lora make the charoset/horseradish sandwiches. (as described in the charoset recipe)

After math of our feast. Notice the empty plates and smiling faces. And those who are planning the rest of their evenings (Brandon).

The main reason for the success of this sedar was not only the food, but the great company. It's always important to stay in good company. We welcomed both good friends and new friends. Jewish, not jewish, it doesn't matter. Celebrating freedom is something everyone should be able to relate to and want to celebrate. We also talk of how to help those who lack this basic human right. Our love and hope goes out to all of these victims across the globe. Go read some MLK or Jefferson to find inspiration if you haven't found it already.

This sedar kept old tradition alive in a new environment with our student communal lounges, and our diverse attendance. We had Christians, Jews, a Muslim, and a Buddhist attending. I'm sure this is not how my Jewish ancestors pictured sedar, but it's how I do.

So welcome to the 21st Century where we welcome friends and family, tradition, diversity, freedom, and good food!

Did I mention that while eating we were listening to the tribe and ghostface?

(p.s. Live well. Eat well.)