May 2008 Archives

During my first few years in Fresno, Max's Bistro was one of my favorite restaurants. I was always happy with the food there, but over the last few years, I've frequented less expensive restaurants.

Last night, I returned to Max's and wondered why I'd ever given it up. The bistro environment with dark colors and crisp white tablecloths is so welcoming, and the food was, as always, delicious.

Our waitress brought us a complimentary crostini topped with cheese and strawberries. Since I am still in savory mode, I wasn't terribly crazy about a sweeter appetizer. She also brought us bread and olive oil which I uncharacteristically ignored. Why? Because Toni had a coupon for free sweet potato fries . . . which were so beautiful both to look at and eat.

The fries were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. I love the white, salty crust that forms on the fries. And I adored the jalapeno arugula aioli which was served with the fries: a little spicy, a little creamy, and oh-so-good. If there were a Fries and Chips Anonymous, I would have to join--I love fries and chips in almost any incarnation. Although I practiced some restraint last night, typically, my ability to control my intake disappears around fries. I have to eat them until they are gone, no matter how full I am. How could anyone resist these beautiful fries?

I ordered one of the specials for the night: halibut with a vegetable potsticker. I was definitely in the mood for fish, but I didn't want salmon and Toni ordered the swordfish--so halibut was the last fish dish available.

I liked the peppery crust on the top of the fish and the delicious hoisin-soy sauce on top, but halibut isn't the most interesting fish. Without the sauce, this would have been a very bland dish. I enjoyed the potsticker with its surprising filling of pea pods and scallions. However, I only had a bite or two of the noodles since I'd eaten the sweet potato fries at the beginning of the meal.

Toni's poached swordfish was quite tasty with its more meaty, substantive texture. It was seasoned with thyme and served with asparagus, roasted fingerling potatoes, and a lemon caper aioli.

Both of these dishes were presented well and prepared with care. I do wish that Max's had more vegetarian dishes and was a little more experimental in combining flavors. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my meal, the ambience, and the impeccable service.

Thursday I had a number of errands to run. Since one of my stops was campus, I decided to grab a quick lunch at Tacos Marquitos, a taco place I've already blogged about. I wanted something relatively light, so I ordered one taco de papa (potato taco) and a chile relleno.

I enjoyed the taco de papa; the appealing softness of the crema was accentuated by the mild green salsa I added. However, the relleno was really disappointing--the cheese had a strange, too airy texture that I really don't want to experience again. It almost felt like it dissolved once it was in my mouth. I wanted light, but not that type of light.

Every time I go to the Oaxaca, I have the same dish, a chile relleno. Last night I forced myself to order something new with mixed results. The chips were good, as always, with the sweet mole and specks of cheese.

My fish taco was large, packed with big chunks of grilled fish, lettuce, tomato, some kind of creamy sauce, and cheese. I squeezed the lime on top and really savored each bite.

I had such good memories of the ceviche at the Frontera Grill in Chicago that I decided to try the ceviche tostada. But it was very disappointing.

The fish was tough rather than tender and the onion wasn't sweet enough, thus overpowering the taste of the fish. I kept trying it--hoping that I would change my mind--but about a third of the way through, I had to abandon the dish. It just wasn't very good.

Sam had the mole, big chunks of pork slathered with a dark sauce. I also ordered a side of beans and the melon horchata. The beans were smooth and creamy, and I enjoyed the pecans and chunks of melon in the horchata.

Still, I left the restaurant wishing that I had stuck to the chile relleno. I guess I have to return to the Oaxaca . . .

I have great friends in Fresno. Amongst the many people I care about here, there are three women to whom I feel especially close: Samina, Toni, and Bo. Here we are last year when we celebrated Toni's birthday.

I love that we're all independent but that we try to be there for each other when it matters. I don't talk on the phone with any of them very often, but I know that they care about me in all the best ways. I think originally I was the one who brought us all together--but over the last year or so, their friendships with each other have also grown richer.

Wednesday night, we all went to dinner together. Bo will be leaving for China soon, Toni's going to Corsica and France for a couple of weeks, Samina will be going to Boston. We wanted to get together before we all take off in different directions even though we'll all be in Fresno during July. We hope to have a writing group this summer, and I know there will be other evenings out. Still, it was really nice to celebrate the end of the school year and the onset of summer.

We went to my favorite Indian restaurant in Fresno, Brahma Bull (at 3050 W Shaw Ave # 108). We started our meal with papadam, served with two different kinds of chutneys mixed together, one spicy, the other quite mild. I love food that allows me to eat with my hands--I broke the papadam into smaller pieces (didn't want to double dip) and got a nice dollop of the chutney mixture on it.

We also tried the vadas, deep fried lentil cakes that were more crunchy than I expected.

Next, we were served a savory bowl of sambar, a vegetable soup that was absolutely perfect with its hearty broth and satisfying bits of vegetable. Finally, the rest of our dishes arrived: malai kofta (vegetable balls in a creamy tomato sauce), naan, dal, a vegetable curry dosa, chicken curry and raita.

Here's my plate.

I think the kofta was better at India's Oven and the chicken curry was just okay (I'm eating a lot of vegetarian food lately), but I really loved everything else. The dosa was quite tasty with its subtle mix of curry and wrapper. The lentils were hearty and thick. And the raita just makes everything taste better, especially the spicy dishes. I used the naan to eat the more runny items, dipping and sopping to my heart's content.

We lingered over the meal, staying until we thought the restaurant was ready to close down and chatting about everything under the sun. These women are such good friends. I will really miss them next year--although I'm encouraging them to get Skype and to email me frequently. Their friendship enriches my life, helps me to feel grounded, comforts me when life is hard.

Friday evening, Sam made dinner for Bo and I. She leafed through my copy of Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian searching for inspiration. Since I'd purchased some red lentils last week, she knew she wanted to make a lentil dish. She found some great recipes to try out!

Here is a picture of Red Lentils Hyderabadi and Gujarati Cucumber Raita. Both were so tasty, and I was so impressed that Sam whipped up raita, a dish I've never made. She even toasted the spices, so it was the real deal. I didn't realize this, but the lentils turn yellow when you cook them. Since I'd been sick all day, this dish really hit the spot.

Bo brought a dish, as well, her glass noodles with vegetables were oh so tasty. I liked the fried tofu this dish included--and I loved all the beautiful vegetables Bo threw in, as well. Sam's other dish, Saag, was made of fresh spinach and tomato. This dish was also really delicious--and I felt quite virtuous eating the spinach. I really love saag and am glad to know it's so easy to make.

So nice to have a home cooked dinner that was so satisfying. Thanks Sam and Bo for sharing your culinary skills!

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Recipes (all from Jaffrey)

Masoor Dal Hyderabadi (Red Lentils Hyderabadi)

1 c. red lentils (masoor dal) cooked (in 4 c. water, with 1/4 t. ground turmeric and 1 to 1 1/4 t. salt for 40-50 minutes)
2 T. canola oil
1/2 t. whole brown mustard seeds
1 to 2 whole dried hot red chiles
8 to 10 fresh curry leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled
a few squeezes of fresh lime juice.

Heat the red lentils and keep over a low flame.

Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, put in the red chiles. Stir them once and quickly put in the curry leaves. Stir once and put in the garlic cloves. Turn the heat to medium and lightly brown the garlic on all sides. Now pour the contents of the pot, oil and seasonings, over the cooked lentils. Squeeze lime juice over the top, stir, and serve.

Saag (Spinach with Tomato)

1/4 c. canola oil
1 to 2 hot fresh green chiles, very finely chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
1 ripe tomato (4 ounces), peeled after dropping into boiling water for 15 seconds, and then peeled and finely chopped
3 pounds spinach, cut crosswise into very fine strips
1 t. salt
1 t. garam masala

Put the oil in a large, wide pot and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, put in the chile, onions, and garlic. Stir and fry until the onions turn medium brown. Add the tomato. Stir and fry for 2 minutes. Now put in the spinach and salt. Cover, allowing the spinach to wilt. Stir, turn the heat to medium, cover again and cook for 25 minutes. Uncover, add the garam masala, and stir. Cook, uncovered, another 5 to 6 minutes, or until almost no liquid is left at the bottom of the pan. Turn up the heat during this period, if necessary.

Kheera Raita (Gujarati Cucumber Raita)

1 c. plain yogurt
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
1/8 t. cayenne
1 medium cucumber (about 5 inches), peeled and grated
1 T. canola oil
1/2 t. whole brown mustard seeds
1/4 t. whole cumin seeds

Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the salt, sugar, and cayenne and mix. Add the cucumber and mix again.

Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard and cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, pour the contents of the frying pan over the yogurt. Stir to mix. Serve chilled.

I've been negligent, abandoning my food blog for the last few weeks. It's been the end of the semester, and I've been really busy. I'll try to play catch up now by posting a few pictures of food I've eaten recently.

I had a delicious lunch with Samina and her mother a couple of Fridays ago. Samina treated me to the buffet at India's Oven. They have a lot of yummy foods, including big samosas. I had two! I also enjoyed the salad with raita and the dal. Suraiya and Samina talked about their families and about Pakistan. I'm glad to be learning about an unfamiliar part of the world from them--and they are both so generous and warm. I'm lucky to have them in my life.

Within the last few weeks, I tried a recipe from an until-then-unused cookbook, World Vegetarian. The dish I made combined cauliflower, green beans, and mung bean sprouts, topped with a dressing which included red pepper, coconut, and lime juice. I liked the tender cauliflower--but the sweet taste was a little strange and eventually unsatisfying. Still, I was glad to have experimented with a new dish.

I also ate at Burma Superstar again last Sunday. We had the salad and pea shoots again--but we also tried a falafel soup and a yummy curry. The food was *as always* delicious. It was John and John's first time there, and they loved it, too. No pictures this time around.

Last night, my friend Toni made dinner for Bo, Sam, and I. Sam is visiting from Michigan, doing some research on educational policy. She was our colleague until a year ago. It's been really fun to get caught up with her and to hear about her life as a scholar at a research one university.

Sam really wanted to take advantage of California's agriculture, so Toni made a dinner that involved fresh fruit. I forgot to take pictures until after we were done eating, so here are some of the leftovers. We began the meal with chicken which Toni had marinated in cilantro, ginger, and lime juice.

She also made basmati rice and a fruit chutney with mango, pineapple, pine nuts (I think), and coconut to go with the chicken.

I made the spinach salad that I enjoyed at Lin's house a couple of weeks ago (with pear, toasted almonds, feta cheese, and poppy seed dressing). And we ended the meal with homemade cheesecake and fruit. Note the lovely presentation.

We ate our cheesecake mesmerized by Toni's enormous television with HD. HD makes everything look 3D. We watched the food channel for awhile and looked at BIG food.

So there you have it, some of the food I've eaten in early May. Since my semester is almost over, I hope I'll be back to blogging more regularly from here out.