The Yum Yum Factor

Oh Cinco de Mayo, how I love you because you are another excuse to throw a pork roast in the oven and make some tacos. Okay, I don't really need an excuse to do that but sometimes it's nice to be put yourself on the spot when you realize it's been ages since you have roasted up a big, old chunk of pig to wrap in stack of corn tortillas. Sometimes we all need a push. I like to use this David Chang recipe for pork sometimes because the meat comes out delicious, with crispy, crunchy bits but the flavour is neutral and I can use it for a ton of different things afterwards. A bit of ginger scallion sauce with some gochujang something or other and it's kind of Korean or add some smoky BBQ sauce and I have a pulled pork sandwich. Since this was a big 10 lb picnic pork roast, I wanted lots of leftover meat that could be repurposed. I am not even going to link to any one of the 100000 versions of this recipe that are out there because everyone makes it, everyone tweak...

Last week I went to Momofuku with my friend, Alice,  for ramen at long last. I have been putting this visit off since it opened because it seemed like it was nearly impossible to get a seat at lunch but we happened to be working at the Shangri La Hotel all day so I couldn't not go. More or less living up to the hype, the soup was pretty damned fabulous but the thing I couldn't stop thinking about afterwards was the poached egg they add to it. We get a soft cooked egg in our ramen all the time but it just comes to the table with the egg already in there and I have always just assumed that they poach them the same way I poach them. I bring a pot of water to a simmer, stir the middle to make a vortex - DAMN YOU WINTER VORTEX- and gently slide in an egg that I have cracked into a small bowl. I simmer that for about 3 minutes and gently remove with a slotted spoon and then drain on another paper towel lined slotted spoon. It's not brain surgery but it requires your full att...

This is what dinner often looks like around here when it's just The Kid and I. Shack is off working and doing manly things so there is no need to butcher and roast a beast and mash potatoes and all that Shack stuff.  He needs a good, solid dinner after a long day of work because he spends his entire day climbing and pulling and jumping off things while he hauls grown ass adults up into the air and that makes a guy hungry. The Kid and I , on the other hand, do nothing more strenuous than operate a mouse and try to remember to sit up straight and take a computer break every half an hour. Since we are not busy doing manly things, we are always happy with anything involving noodles, tofu, a few veggies and the salty goodness of asian condiments. I have been opening the fridge for days just to look at the package of deep fried tofu that has been sitting in there. One of my favourite things to do to deep fried tofu is a spicy stir fry like my green beans, tofu and mushrooms in black b...