Kitchen Wish List

I admit, I am picky...somewhat :-)

I can be a picky eater, and I most certainly am picky when it comes to house hunting. Why pay for a house that you won't be happy with?

One of the most important features to me in a house is the kitchen. I truly believe it is the heart of the home. Add to it that I love to cook.

My husband thinks I ask for too much in a kitchen, when in truth, I would be happy with any kitchen with more than a foot of counter space, good ventilation and a cooking range that is not parked right next to a wall. I am done with cooking in tight living quarters where my elbow or pots would hit the wall and your furniture ends up smelling like your food.

So to my husband, who occasionally skims this blog, below is my wish list for a kitchen.

MUST HAVES:

• Counter space - more than a foot would be a huge upgrade
  

• Good ventilation - either a window in the kitchen OR a great hood (not one of those over the range microwave) so we can breathe easy after I fry my spring rolls, and especially on curry night

• Cooking range not parked next to a wall - it really is more pan and elbow friendly

• Storage space - for our new kitchen equipment and tools so we don't have to use plastic pull-out drawers anymore
  

CHERRY ON TOP

• A wide and deep sink - for those countless times I do dishes even though our policy is one cooks, another cleans
  

• An island - yeah right, I can keep on dreaming

Pork Chop Buns on My Mind

As you may already know, I am a recent pork convert. I confess, I have said before that I am only dabbing into little pieces or thinly sliced pork, but I have had a whole pork chop since my conversion. I didn't plan on it, but to my surprise, it happened. Now I can't stop thinking about that delicious pork chop bun I had in Macau! That's right, a lonely pork chop (bone in and all) sandwiched between a small baguette. Yup, no sauce, no lettuce or tomato.


My cousins brought me to a place in Macau that only served pork chop buns. The pork chop bun I had in Hong Kong was no where near as good as the one I had in Macau. The shop only opens a few hours a day, and by the looks of the line that wrapped around their shop, I knew that it had to be good. Apparently, the joint opens at 3pm and closes within 2 hours, when their buns sell out.


My pork chop bun arrived in a brown paper bag, which could not seal in the wonderful aroma of the grilled pork at all. Originally, I planned on only taking one bite and leaving the rest of the sandwich to my brother, but it was so deliciously addictive, I had to have more. The pork was so flavorful, juicy, tender and perfectly cooked. Add to it that the warm bun soaked up all the delicious juices. Before I knew it, I finished the whole thing!

Have You Ever Had Fresh Soy Milk?

And by that I don't mean those cartons you buy from your local supermarket here in the States...I mean the freshly ground soy milk made from soy beans. You can really taste a difference between the fresh and prepackaged soy milk. This one you see below is the one I had in Macau. It was so refreshing and had just the right amount of sweetness.


Soy milk can be served hot or cold. I grew up with this stuff, and it is the best! If you're around Chinatown, you can definitely find a shop that makes this.

It's No Secret...

...that I dislike networking. I finally figured out why, thanks to one of my favorite blogs by Jasmine Star. I was crazy about looking through photographers' blogs when I was doing wedding research, and her blog had such beautiful beautiful beautiful photography and was written with such passion.

Anyways, Jasmine's latest post was on her workshop, where she tackled the subject of ANTInetworking. Her slide spoke to me. Lots of people in the business world focus on networking, but I don't believe they truly make a real connection because there are plenty of people in this world who think "what's in it for me?" And then there are people who are just plain fake. I've always believed in being genuine and helping people, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who's ANTInetworking.

Ask Martha on Clams

Below is a series of questions I just received from a devoted reader, Clamor Girl, also known as my sister.

Hi Martha,

I purchased 3 doz little neck clams for $10 last night at Fairway. My questions are:

1. How long can they stay in the fridge for before cooking
2. Can two people eat three dozens in a sitting?
3. Would Martha be interested in clam dinner this week?

Sincerely,

Clamor Girl

Dear Clamor Girl,

Wow, that sounds like a good deal! I would eat them that same night or the night after at the latest - the fresher, the better! I would not store them for longer than 3-4 days. Cover them loosely under a damp towel in the fridge and indirectly on ice if possible. I am interested in your offer, but I am not sure that they will survive beyond 5 days.

If you don't eat them that same night or night after, check to see if they're still alive before cooking by tapping on the shells that are opened (they're alive if they close upon tapping) or immersing them in water (they're alive if you see bubbles when they breathe).

Sure, two can eat three dozens in one sitting if you're really hungry. It really depends on the preparation - you can make clams casino with a dozen for appetizers, and the rest (or even the entire three dozen) in linguine with clams. If you just want to steam them, you can pretty much use my husband's recipe for steamers (and skip the bay leaf), and make some garlic bread.

I hope I have answered your questions. Enjoy your clam-licious meal!

Sincerely,

Martha Fung

A Step Closer to Martha

My husband and I have said goodbye to Boston and potentially hi closer to Martha Stewart's territory - CT. We have also explored Bedford NY (land of one of MS' homes), but it really wasn't my husband's cup of tea. In CT, we attempted to go to SoNo Baking in Norwalk (John Barricelli of MS' Everyday Baking) and Margot's Cafe (Margot Olshan of MS' Everyday Food), but it didn't happen. We will try again, I'm sure.

Instead, I did some research and heard a lot of the pizza from Colony Grill in Stamford. From what I can tell, it is an institution in the area due to the popularity of its thin crust pizzas. The restaurant is so popular and confident in its pizzas that it neglects everything else (using paper plates, keeping its dated decor, etc.). Many patrons rave about its hot oil topping, so we tried that, plus half anchovies (at the recommendation of an acquaintance) and half sausage. The appearance of the cheese on our pizza was very reminiscent of the horrible school lunch pizza, but I didn't let that sway me.


I have to say that it wasn't bad at all. The crust was thin like flatbread and perfect. The hot oil topping added a tiny bit of spice and flavor to the pie.


I didn't have high hopes on Stamford's food scene (and still don't), but I have become less of a cynic since my experience at Colony Grill.

So Jealous!

I love to cook, but I'm not dying to see Julie & Julia. Surprised? I do have some interest though, in seeing how Meryl Streep pulls off the great Julia Child...she is just such an incredible actress. From what I can tell from the commercials, she does a pretty good portrayal of her!

Image from Wikipedia

There has been a lot of press for Julie & Julia, and I was so jealous to learn that they have been holding publicity functions for the movie at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, about an hour from NYC. Known for their use of fresh produce from their farm and other local producers, Blue Hill has been on my radar for a while now, but I haven't been able to bring myself to their location in NYC. Anyways, apparently, the press have been treated to their fare at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Lucky.