Cooking with LMNO

[LMNO]

I seem to have hit a new wave of urges to share my food pictures.  Better capitalize on it while I can.

http://earfatigueproductions.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushroom-stock.html?m=1

That sounds, and looks, delicious. Probably a silly question, since the answers probably "whatever you want to taste mushroomy" but I'd be interested to see what kind of recipes that works with (I'm guessing soups, mostly). I've seen recipes before and I love mushrooms, just not sure what I would do with it. For instance, there are very few places that I wouldn't substitute some chicken stock/broth for water, but I imagine mushroom stock would have more of a distinct flavor.

For now, I'm using it in combination with other stocks, to add a depth of flavor when needed.

[East Coast Hustle]

OK, fair enough.

In your opinion, is it worth me trying to learn how to cook this stuff?  The Boston Thai scene isn't that great (there's a lot more/better Vietnamese food), but I can sort of taste what's supposed to be going on, and I'd like to be able to bring that stuff out more at home.

And if ECHGF has any tips or tricks (or if you do), I'm more than willing to learn.

It's all about having a good wok and a gas-flame ring burner with some serious BTUs. And the prep. And the prep. And the prep.

That was what I took away from my brief stint in a slightly-better-than-average-suburban-thai-food-for-americans-but-owned-by-actual-Thai-people restaurant. Mind you, when I was cooking during service I was mostly doing the wok stuff (chef said I was better at it than any other white guy she'd seen try to do it, which is some sort of backhanded compliment) so I didn't learn much about the grilled stuff.

[LMNO]

I have the wok, and the gas stove pushes serious heat, so it's looking like mostly the ingredients and prep that I have to worry about.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

So, in other news, I recently decided, for no real apparent reason, that I'd like to learn how to cook Thai food.  In response, for Christmas I was given a wok and the book Pok Pok written by a guy who has a restaurant in Portland of the same name, who has studied the authentic dishes of Northeastern Thailand.

Whoa.  This kind of cooking is like an entirely different language.  The techniques and combinations are almost alien to me.  The prep work is the most time-consuming part.  The "cooking" is more like "plating", in that most of the ingredients are ready to go, they just need to be combined, and perhaps shown some flame for fifteen seconds.  And the clay mortar and pestle, like... cool.  I need to get one, but it's amazing how they use gentle bruising of ingredients to slightly break down the cell structure, much like a sautee would, but without heat.

I'm starting to see some common patterns, a thread that weaves its way through these dishes.  It's going to take a lot of work.  But I'm really excited to try out something completely new for me.

Incidentally, could one of the PNW folks consider taking a swing by Pok Pok?  It's at 3226 SE Division Street.  It doesn't seem too terribly expensive, and I'd love to hear what you think of the place.

So, I'm gonna stuff the expletive-laden rant that immediately sprang to mind when I read this post.

Pok Pok is OK. The wings are unbelievably delicious and deserve all the hype they get. The rest of the food is just OK, and badly overpriced for what it is. This may be a result of PDX lacking good thai food in general, or it may just be typical PDX that they decide to elevate to goodhood some hipster white guy who goes bumming around thailand every now and then learning to cook street food. I will say that Andy Ricker's food doesn't hold a candle to anything ECHGF's grandma has ever made for me, but it is comparable to the good-but-not-great Thai food I can get here for about 2/3 the price of pok pok.

All of that said, from everything I've heard/seen/read he's actually a really cool guy and a good boss, so that's worth something. But the deification over his Thai food is inexplicable to me.

Is it expensive? I don't remember anything being over maybe 8 bucks.

[East Coast Hustle]

I have the wok, and the gas stove pushes serious heat, so it's looking like mostly the ingredients and prep that I have to worry about.

Nah, see, that's what I thought. but if you don't have the ring burner so that the wok sits down IN the flame jets and not over them it's still not gonna be quite right. I can never replicate it at home.

[East Coast Hustle]

So, in other news, I recently decided, for no real apparent reason, that I'd like to learn how to cook Thai food.  In response, for Christmas I was given a wok and the book Pok Pok written by a guy who has a restaurant in Portland of the same name, who has studied the authentic dishes of Northeastern Thailand.

Whoa.  This kind of cooking is like an entirely different language.  The techniques and combinations are almost alien to me.  The prep work is the most time-consuming part.  The "cooking" is more like "plating", in that most of the ingredients are ready to go, they just need to be combined, and perhaps shown some flame for fifteen seconds.  And the clay mortar and pestle, like... cool.  I need to get one, but it's amazing how they use gentle bruising of ingredients to slightly break down the cell structure, much like a sautee would, but without heat.

I'm starting to see some common patterns, a thread that weaves its way through these dishes.  It's going to take a lot of work.  But I'm really excited to try out something completely new for me.

Incidentally, could one of the PNW folks consider taking a swing by Pok Pok?  It's at 3226 SE Division Street.  It doesn't seem too terribly expensive, and I'd love to hear what you think of the place.

So, I'm gonna stuff the expletive-laden rant that immediately sprang to mind when I read this post.

Pok Pok is OK. The wings are unbelievably delicious and deserve all the hype they get. The rest of the food is just OK, and badly overpriced for what it is. This may be a result of PDX lacking good thai food in general, or it may just be typical PDX that they decide to elevate to goodhood some hipster white guy who goes bumming around thailand every now and then learning to cook street food. I will say that Andy Ricker's food doesn't hold a candle to anything ECHGF's grandma has ever made for me, but it is comparable to the good-but-not-great Thai food I can get here for about 2/3 the price of pok pok.

All of that said, from everything I've heard/seen/read he's actually a really cool guy and a good boss, so that's worth something. But the deification over his Thai food is inexplicable to me.

Is it expensive? I don't remember anything being over maybe 8 bucks.

I haven't been there in a couple years now but the wings were something like $12 or $13. Most of the entree- type dishes were in the $12 to $15 range, which isn't absurd but is still pretty 'spensive for Thai food. At least, compared to up here where you can get good-but-not-great for $7 or $8 and you can go to Thaiku and stuff yourself stupid for under $20.

[East Coast Hustle]

They probably have happy hour specials. Also I have never eaten at Pok Pok Noi or Whiskey Soda Lounge, just the original Pok Pok. It was walking distance from my old apartment and I only ever went there twice, which is telling in its own way. I would walk just as far to An Xuyen at least once a week, usually more, and sometimes twice in one day.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

So, in other news, I recently decided, for no real apparent reason, that I'd like to learn how to cook Thai food.  In response, for Christmas I was given a wok and the book Pok Pok written by a guy who has a restaurant in Portland of the same name, who has studied the authentic dishes of Northeastern Thailand.

Whoa.  This kind of cooking is like an entirely different language.  The techniques and combinations are almost alien to me.  The prep work is the most time-consuming part.  The "cooking" is more like "plating", in that most of the ingredients are ready to go, they just need to be combined, and perhaps shown some flame for fifteen seconds.  And the clay mortar and pestle, like... cool.  I need to get one, but it's amazing how they use gentle bruising of ingredients to slightly break down the cell structure, much like a sautee would, but without heat.

I'm starting to see some common patterns, a thread that weaves its way through these dishes.  It's going to take a lot of work.  But I'm really excited to try out something completely new for me.

Incidentally, could one of the PNW folks consider taking a swing by Pok Pok?  It's at 3226 SE Division Street.  It doesn't seem too terribly expensive, and I'd love to hear what you think of the place.

So, I'm gonna stuff the expletive-laden rant that immediately sprang to mind when I read this post.

Pok Pok is OK. The wings are unbelievably delicious and deserve all the hype they get. The rest of the food is just OK, and badly overpriced for what it is. This may be a result of PDX lacking good thai food in general, or it may just be typical PDX that they decide to elevate to goodhood some hipster white guy who goes bumming around thailand every now and then learning to cook street food. I will say that Andy Ricker's food doesn't hold a candle to anything ECHGF's grandma has ever made for me, but it is comparable to the good-but-not-great Thai food I can get here for about 2/3 the price of pok pok.

All of that said, from everything I've heard/seen/read he's actually a really cool guy and a good boss, so that's worth something. But the deification over his Thai food is inexplicable to me.

Is it expensive? I don't remember anything being over maybe 8 bucks.

I haven't been there in a couple years now but the wings were something like $12 or $13. Most of the entree- type dishes were in the $12 to $15 range, which isn't absurd but is still pretty 'spensive for Thai food. At least, compared to up here where you can get good-but-not-great for $7 or $8 and you can go to Thaiku and stuff yourself stupid for under $20.

There are asstons of Thai restaurants in Portland, and most of them are decent. None of them are really great, definitely not as good as Pok Pok. Entrees are mostly $9-14.

The last time I ate at the original Pok Pok was probably seven-eight years ago, and it was definitely cheap then - I think $7 for noodles and $5 for the papaya salad? The last time I ate at Pok Pok noi doesn't seem like that long ago, but all I remember was that the wings were definitely $9.

[East Coast Hustle]

I mean, what good is getting yourself all famous if you can't use it to justify raising your prices? Ultimately, that's kind of the point for any chef.

[LMNO]

I have the wok, and the gas stove pushes serious heat, so it's looking like mostly the ingredients and prep that I have to worry about.

Nah, see, that's what I thought. but if you don't have the ring burner so that the wok sits down IN the flame jets and not over them it's still not gonna be quite right. I can never replicate it at home.

I'll probably be heading to Chinatown this weekend, I'll see about wok rings.

[LMNO]

In the meantime, I made soup.

http://earfatigueproductions.blogspot.com/2014/01/spicy-soba-noodle-soup_17.html

[LMNO]

And then this.

http://earfatigueproductions.blogspot.com/2014/01/crispy-chicken-with-harissa.html

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That chicken recipe looks pants-creamingly delicious, as well as incredibly simple. I want to try it.

Your recipe thread always makes me want to post recipes, for which I should really have my own recipe thread, but I only ever think about it when you post recipes.

[LMNO]

Thanks! It feels good to know that I inspire you, in whatever small way.

[LMNO]

Fish.

http://earfatigueproductions.blogspot.com/2014/02/garlic.html