Yogurtsoda – Page 87 – Eating my way around the world by Mariam Hosseini

Cha Cha Cha

August 2, 2010

I’m not sure what kind of restaurant Cha Cha Cha is – in fact, I’m not sure anyone is. One part Caribbean, one part tapas, and one part Cuban, my favorite Cha Cha Cha outpost in San Francisco is the one in the Haight. As one of my favorite haunts from my college days, the place evokes a sense of nostalgia for me. It had been years since I’d visited until recently, when I dined with a friend to celebrate his return from three years spent living in Egypt.

Cha Cha Cha’s menu has changed since then, and while the sangria still flows freely, their arroz con pollo wasn’t on the menu the day we dropped by for lunch. My dining companion and I decided to split a few dishes instead. We started with the warm spinach salad:

Rich and creamy, and tossed with flecks of crispy bacon, this salad could have been a meal on its own. The dressing was savory and delicious, albeit too heavy. The leafy greens helped balance things out.

Next came our fried platanos maduros.

I love sweet plantains, and these were prepared wonderfully: thick and tender, with a slightly crispy, sugary exterior. The beans were good too, but next to the plantains were almost an afterthought.

Our main dish arrived next; the Jamaican jerk chicken.

The jerk chicken was good, but it didn’t blow me away. I expected more flavor and more spice, but the meat very tender and literally falling off the bone.

For me, Cha Cha Cha has always been about the ambiance. The food is good (a few are great), the service is nice, but it’s the fun atmosphere that really seals the deal. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I’ve always dined there with good company. After all, isn’t half the fun of dining out spending time with those you enjoy?

Classic Hot Wings

July 25, 2010February 7, 2019

I know, I know. Hot wings are overdone. They’re on every party menu and come in a million variations. But these are baked! And taste like they’re fried! I guess you could call these healthy hot wings, except that they’re doused in their fair share of butter. Still, they’re tried and true, and I’ve been getting requests to make them for nearly every casual gathering lately.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds chicken wings
3 tablespoons red hot sauce, preferably Frank’s Red Hot
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 500Â°. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil. In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Spread the chicken on the baking sheet in a single layer.

2. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, turning once at the halfway point, until browned and crispy. In a bowl, whisk the hot sauce with the butter. Add the chicken wings and toss. Serve warm.

Khoom Lanna

July 22, 2010

I am forever wishing there were more ethnic restaurants in Sonoma County to explore. To be fair, things have come a long way in the last few years; after all, Santa Rosa now boasts more than a few Vietnamese restaurants and there’s even an Ethiopian restaurant (and a good one at that).

One of my newer favorites is Khoom Lanna, a Thai restaurant located in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. I visited on a Saturday night, and was struck by the simple, elegant interior. This theme carries over into Khoom Lanna’s food, as each dish is beautifully prepared but isn’t overdone or stuffy.

My dining companion and I shared two entrees. The first was eggplant with beef.

Stir-fried with ample basil and chili, the eggplant was soft and buttery and the beef was well-seared. Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, so I really enjoyed this dish and found myself wishing the serving size was a little larger.

The next entree we shared was the drunken noodles.

I can’t seem to visit an Asian restaurant without ordering at least one noodle dish, and I’m glad I chose this one at Khoom Lanna. The wide rice noodles were stir-fried and had that great chewy, slightly charred flavor that I love. Strips of beef, basil, chili, garlic, and vegetables rounded out this dish.

Unable to resist the siren call of fried bananas and coconut ice cream, I also split a dessert.

This was a decadent dessert to say the least and definitely meant to share. I don’t have much a of a sweet tooth, but I’m a sucker for Southeast Asian ones. Warm, crispy bananas with molten interior against cold, tropical ice cream? Yes, please.

The service at Khoom Lanna is great too: attentive without being pushy. I left feeling excited not only for my next visit, but finally, for the state of ethnic food in Sonoma County. We’re headed in the right direction.

Sesame Chicken

July 4, 2010February 7, 2019

Karaage is a Japanese-style of frying where meats are lightly dusted with starch before deep-frying. The result is a wonderfully crispy coating that also works to seal in moisture. It also absorbs very little oil so this isn’t nearly as greasy as most deep-fried foods.

This sesame chicken dish, adapted from a Martin Yan recipe, employs karaage-style frying and amazingly, when I reheated leftovers of this dish the next day, the chicken was still crispy. Served atop a bed of steamed spinach and alongside rice, it’s a complete and easy to make meal.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup dashi stock
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 bunch spinach, stems removed, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-by-2-inch pieces
cornstarch
vegetable oil
steamed rice

1. Combine soy sauce, sake, dashi, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Keep sauce warm.

2. Cook spinach in boiling water for 1 minute; drain well and set aside.

3. Dredge chicken in cornstarch; shake off excess. Place a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add oil to a depth of 1/4 inch. When oil is hot, add chicken and pan-fry, uncovered, until no longer pink in center, about 4 minutes on each side. Lift out and drain on paper towels.

4. Place rice in 4 individual bowls; top each serving with 1/4 of the spinach. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips, dip in sauce, then arrange over spinach. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with rice.

Braised Bamboo Shoots and Mushrooms

July 2, 2010August 17, 2023

Mushrooms and bamboo shoots are both common ingredients in Sichuanese cooking, which is known primarily for its fiery, bold flavors. This healthy vegetable dish is much more mellow than the spicy Sichuan dishes you may be accustomed to seeing on Chinese restaurant menus, but it’s just as satisfying.

This has become one of my favorite side dishes to make when I’m cooking a Chinese meal, since it’s easy to prepare and I’m a big fan of mushrooms. It reheats well too so it’s especially ideal for making ahead of time.

Ingredients:

12 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 15-ounce can bamboo shoots (preferably tips), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 pound white button mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 slices ginger, crushed
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1. Soak shiitake mushrooms in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Slice caps in half. Slice bamboo shoots lengthwise. Combine chicken broth, water, oyster-flavored sauce, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl; set aside.

2. Place a large saucepan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and button mushrooms; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add sauce and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add snow peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute.