Anthony Bourdain is a Douche

I am still working on finding my voice in this Blog and I am not sure which way I will go with it. I know for now that I do not want to simply list recipe after recipe. Frankly, that has been done countless times and it is pretty boring.  I will try and include all of the parts for each recipe so you can try my ideas if you feel inspired.

I just finished reading Anthony Bourdain's latest, "Medium Raw."  I am starting to find his particular brand of angry intellectualism boring. To be perfectly honest, the more I read this guy, the more I think he is a narcissistic douche. Most pretentious line from the book: "Is there something fundamentally, ethically....wrong about a meal so Pantagruelian in its ambition and proportions?" Seriously?

Oh yeah, Soup. It's one of those things we all tend to avoid because it seems like so much work. The truth is that soup is easy and is also very healthy.This particular recipe takes about twenty minutes to prep and about thirty minutes to cook. Sure you can open a sodium laced can of crap or you could put some effort into an amazing meal. Once you get into the groove of cooking fresh each night, you will never go back to frozen or canned crap.

You will need about a pound of organic carrots, (fresher is better), three nice sized leeks, one clove of garlic and one onion.  Chop it all up. In a soup pot at medium high, (I like La Creuset cast iron pots), heat three tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil. Sweat your carrots, leeks, garlic and onion. After about 5 minutes add 3 medium Russet Potatoes chopped and cook for another 5 minutes. Salt and Pepper.

In a separate pot, heat up 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of water. Add the hot stock to your soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes.

You can either blend the soup when it is cooked or use an immersion blender to smooth it out. I like immersion blenders because you don't have to remove the soup from the pot.  Add 1 tablespoon of chopped flat parsley and 3/4 cup of milk. (You can use lowfat milk and it won't hurt the flavor). Continue on low for about another 5 minutes.  Salt and Pepper to taste and serve. You can also put some Reggiano Parmesan cheese on top.

You can make this a true vegetarian soup by substituting olive oil for the butter and skipping the milk.

I adapted this recipe from experimenting with Vichyssoise. (A cold potato and leek soup).  You can vary the flavor of this soup by adding a tablespoon of fresh chopped ginger at the beginning or using curry spices to really spice it up.

Restaurant Review

Honey Pig
7220 Columbia Pike
Annadale, VA 22003

The Honey Pig is a Korean BBQ joint off Little River Turnpike in Annandale. The exterior is unimpressive and blends into a myriad of Korean restaurants and businesses in this ethnic enclave outside the Beltway. The interior is campy and Asian but goes for a hip warehouse look with its corrugated steel walls and commercial exhaust vents over each table. The walls are covered with goofy pictures of entrees that smack of a cheap Chinese carry-out. Nightclub music drones in the background and the smell of barbecue fills the air. The crowd is decidedly young, Asian and very hip. There are just enough old folks like us to keep the balance without compromising the cool feel of the place.

It was absolutely packed when we arrived and the pace did not appear to let up as the night went on.  Be prepared to wait for about 30 minutes for a table on the weekends. The Pig does not take reservations but they will let you sign in and head next door for drinks while you wait.

We started off with some Korean Saki called "Soju" and some bites including kimchi, pickled watercress, potatoes and salad. Kimchi is cabbage that is spiced and put in a box in the ground to ferment for six months. It's an acquired taste.

If you have never been to a Korean BBQ restaurant you should try it. Typically, there is a propane burner in the center of the table that is covered with a cast iron dome thing that is heated until it is red hot. The various meats and vegetables are seared at the table.

We ordered, marinated beef, pork belly and spicy squid. The flank steak is marinated in a sauce that is sweet and spicy. You make a wrap with lettuce and beef. You dress it up with condiments like grilled garlic, Korean spicy paste and chilies. Washed down of course by Soju. It's so damn good that it's easy to forget to pace yourself for the other entrees.

Next up, Pork Belly which was barbecued until crispy brown. The pork was accompanied by grilled Kimchi and more grilled garlic and chilies. You roll the pork belly with kimchi, chilies and garlic into your lettuce for a spicy and satisfying wrap. There is also a sweet and spicy sauce that makes for a phenomenal dip 

Soju Etiquette:  The man always opens the Soju and pours for the lady. He then picks up his glass so the lady can pour for him. It's easy to get hammered if you are with the right woman who insists on being polite and topping off your glass after each sip. Trust me, pace yourself or you will end up next door singing Karaoke in a private room until 2:00 a.m.  I have been there and it is not pretty.

Our final entree was the Squid, the punishingly spicy and unforgettable squid. The tentacles raise up towards the exhaust fan as if trying to escape as the searing heat of the grill sizzles and shrinks the flesh. Chopped cabbage is dropped on top as the squid sears. The aroma of the spices fills the air and your mouth waters in anticipation of the pleasure that is sure to arrive soon. The first bite is both sweet and painful as the spices work on your taste buds. A bit of Soju and you are reaching back towards the grill for another piece. It's just too damn good to resist.

Pork.....

I know it's bad for you, but I love Bacon. Everything is better with bacon. I once had a chocolate cake with bacon and it was well, better. So last night I thought, "I wonder if Pork Tenderloin would taste better if I wrapped it with bacon?" Shocker, it was better. The bacon moistens and flavors the very lean and often bland pork tenderloin. The fresh rosemary makes the combination sing. Each bite was better than the last.

It's a simple recipe really. You salt and pepper the tenderloins and brown them on a high heat in the cast iron skillet. Remove them and pat with fresh rosemary that you have minced. (Enough to cover both tenderloins). Place the tenderloins side by side and wrap together with bacon, covering completely and tie together with cooking string. Put back into the skillet and put into oven at 375 for about 35-40 minutes. Check the temp at about 30 minutes and cook to an internal temperature of 150. Remove and cover with foil for about 10 minutes.

Sauce:  You cannot eat meat without sauce. Don't be afraid. Sauce is your friend and once you get in the sauce groove, you cannot believe you lived without it. Plus, chicks dig the sauce. Okay, sauce, drain off the grease while keeping the bits in the bottom of the pan. Heat on high heat. (Don't be afraid of the heat).  Add 1 tbs of butter (up there with bacon) and whisk lightly until melted. Now add about 1/4 cup of chicken stock and continue to whisk. Your sauce will be bubbling and reducing, that is good. Add a pinch of salt and white wine, about 1/2 cup. Whisk until the wine reduces and concentrates down into a beautiful sauce.

Last night, I also made broccoli Raab. The bitterness of the broccoli raab nicely balances the sweet of the tenderloin. The bitterness is balanced perfectly when cooked with, wait for it...... bacon. Take two strips of bacon and chop into bits. Cook over medium high heat until the bacon begins to brown. Add your broccoli raab to the pan and toss until it reduces. It will reduce very much like spinach. Toss in the pan until covered with the baconny goodness and put into a bowl.

Cut your meat, spoon sauce over your potatoes and meat and enjoy with a nice glass of red wine!

Things got a little weird last night.....By the way, I tried cooking Wild Boar. I used a very spicy recipe from the Internet that was not so good. Simple really, cumin, salt/pepper, ginger, honey, soy sauce, oil, mustard seed and cayenne pepper. Boar is very gamey so the sauce really has to take that edge off. I think my big issue with Wild Boar is that they recommend that you cook it through. I just do not like well done meat no matter the flavor. So I can I say I did it but I don't see doing it again.