Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

Craving Hot and Sour Soup just like your favorite Chinese restaurant? This recipe will hit the spot! It's made with Chinese mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, and a beaten egg.

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Master Sushi Chef Nozumu Abe Reveals His 5 Prized Kitchen Tools

Welcome to “Kitchen Essentials,” a new series from Chowhound where chefs and bartenders from around the country invite viewers into their kitchens and bars, unveiling the five tools that are simply essential to their work.

Nozumu Abe puts on a show at Sushi Noz every night. The owner and chef at the acclaimed Michelin-starred Upper East Side restaurant finds that making sushi sushi is synonymous with a performance. 

“We mix rice and condiments right in front of our customers,” he explains. “That’s part of the entertainment.”

Along with the barrels of steaming white rice that are shepherded out of the kitchen, hunks of pink fish are sliced and grilled by charcoal in sight, to the diner’s delight. Ribbons of fish are molded on top of nubs of rice, then handed over the counter like a wrapped gift.

Related Reading: 5 Essential Tools to Make Perfect Couscous from Scratch

It’s decidedly entertainment, but that’s only partially the point. The food, too, is exquisite, replete with an Edomae-style tasting menu of 5 to 6 small plates and a seasonal selection of nigiri, which will cost diners $325 per person. But the experience is worth it, perched at the small sushi bar, to see the sushi wizard work his magic.

For a taste of what the sushi master relies on to make his famed pieces of art, we asked Noz (as he’s known) to reveal his most essential kitchen tools. And while it’s certainly feasible to replicate sushi rolls at home, not everything that he stocks his kitchen with can be purchased so easily by the home cook. But armed with a few of the essentials, making sushi at home is entirely possible.   

Tezu Matcha Bowl, $12.38 on Amazon

Amazon

A meal at Sushi Noz is certainly about the food—but Noz believes that coming to the restaurant is also a bit of a show. That’s where his collection of Japanese ceramics fits in. The restaurant is home to a trove of imported items, ranging from antiques to contemporary plates, which the chefs serve sushi on. “How customers perceive Japanese culture is important,” he says. “That’s why I value using antiques.” For example, Noz uses a matcha bowl to hold tezu, a liquid made from water and rice vinegar. It’s an ingredient employed by every sushi chef. By lining your hands and fingers with tezu, Noz explains that “when we grab the rice, it makes our hands stick to it less.”Buy Now

Hinoki Refrigerator

This specially designed fridge is key to storing fish and keeping it fresh at Sushi Noz. Two slots at the top of the fridge hold large blocks of ice—the gentlest way to preserve fish—which generates mildly cold air to age the fish, thus preserving the freshness and flavor. Plus, the carpenter-made fridge is built out of its namesake hinoki wood, a wood that kills bacteria. 

Japanese Knives, $31.99 on Amazon

Amazon

Noz boasts a large collection of Japanese knives, each with an explicit purpose. Some are designed to be extra sharp—so sharp that they won’t kill the nutrients of the fish when slicing into it. Others are used to chop vegetables, or specifically for slicing tuna, or leaf carving art. “We control the thickness, length, and weight [of the fish] with the knives,” he says, which is why using the right knife for the right job is so important.Buy Now

Binchotan Charcoal, $87.50 on Amazon

Amazon

If there’s one thing that stays the same at Sushi Noz, it’s the use of binchotan charcoal to sear fish. Different from a gas torch, bincho charcoal provides a different heat distribution and the distinct aroma from the smoke permeates the fish. The wood is imported directly from Japan and can often be more expensive than the edible ingredients. Buy Now

Hagama, $159.95 on Amazon

Amazon

A traditional Japanese tool, the hagama is a deep, rounded pan, complete with a ridged wooden top, that cooks rice. “The most important element of sushi is rice,” he says, which is why cooking it properly and getting it just right is so essential at Sushi Noz. By using the hagama, the rice is sweet inside but remains chewy on the outside.Buy Now  



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Try One New Wine Every Month in 2020

Mission: Try one new wine every month this year.

You are a 2020 visionary. You have set yourself up with a New Year’s resolution that can only be successful, because you found a way to underwrite a worthy cause—trying new things—with an object that easily reconciles it with your natural, hedonistic, self-indulgent tendencies. Wine. Let 2020 be the year that you drink AND you know things. About the things you drink.

Special DeliveryThe Best Wine Clubs to Try in 2020Wine can be an unwieldy subject in that what begins with an innocent “I’d like to know more about that” premise can quickly lead you down a rabbit hole of archaic French inheritance laws. Much to my own chagrin, this does not tend to make one the life of the party. An easy way, however, to expand the palate of your mouth and your mind is a simple commitment to going beyond your garden variety varietals and giving new grapes or styles a chance to show you what they’re about. Once a month. Easy!

So in support of your 2020 thirst for wine—I mean, knowledge—here are 12 under-the-radar wines, with a handful of sommeliers chiming in on their merits, that deserve a go-around toward achieving New Year’s Resolution success this year.

January: Mourvèdre


January is made for Netflix-and-chill on constant repeat while a large pot of something savory simmers on the stovetop; a bottle of a big red upended into the braise with a second bottle upended into your glass. You don’t need to go for broke on a pricey Bordeaux or over-blown Napa Cabernet, though; Mourvèdre’s got you covered. It’s a lush, plush, bold red from Provence that doesn’t require all the fanfare. It just knows it’s good. Look for red selections labeled with the region called Bandol.

February: Muscadet

There are wines named for their grape; there are wines named for their region, and then there are wines mysteriously named for a characteristic that the wine itself doesn’t necessarily possess. Enter: Muscadet. Made in western France from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, Muscadet is a light, bright, and briny white that comes from soils littered with seashells that will have you dreaming of your next beach vacation, or the oysters you plan to dip into your lover’s throat, come Valentine’s Day. (Or both.)

Louis Metaireau Black Label Muscadet Sur Lie Loire, price and availability varies on Saucey

Oysters sold separately.
Buy Now

March: Pinotage


Pinotage is here to remind you that even when things don’t go as you expect them to, sometimes the outcome is still worth it. Or that children will always try at some point to defy their parents. Born of an experiment to create a fresh, light-bodied red wine that could thrive in South Africa’s climate, the result was a grape that possessed none of its desired attributes. A brooding, intense red with dark fruit, smoke, and herbs, try Pinotage on a March day that is more lion than lamb.

April: Grüner Veltliner

Just when you think winter will never end, the first bits of green start to push up from the earth, and Austria’s Grüner Veltliner is just the grape to mirror the moment. “Grüner Veltliner comes in a range of styles starting like spring with flowers and blossoms…” offers Daniel Ford, certified Sommelier and General Manager of Peppercorn Events. With bathing suit season around the corner, Grüner is also a specifically excellent pairing for vegetables. “Lighter styles are very refreshing with a light spritz and a delicate vegetal undertone of radish, asparagus, sweet herbs, and white pepper.” If I’m gonna have to eat salad all month long, it might as well be in the form of wine.

Forstreiter Gruner Veltliner, price and availability varies on Drizly

Because you always strive to eat (or drink) your vegetables.
Buy Now

May: Crémant de Limoux


Listen, I think rosé is as delicious as the next person, but perhaps we can consider adulting a little harder this year and not letting all of our spring wine choices be hashtag-driven. Crémant is a term used in France for sparkling wines made in a Champagne way, but outside of the region of Champagne. Limoux is one such region that’s been nailing the bubbles game since before the time of Dom Perignon. So what you get is an extremely classy sparkler without the classy price tag. More bubbles for your buck. I’ll drink to that.

June: Cinsault


“Odds are you’ve drank much more Cinsualt than you realize…” says one D.C.-based sommelier who wishes to remain anonymous, “whether it be as southern French rosé, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, an old vine South African red, or from Chateau Musar in Lebanon.” I can only speculate on the security clearance levels of wine professionals in our nation’s capital, but it’s a fitting metaphor for a worldwide grape that always delivers, over-delivers even, but rarely takes any label credit. Cinsault is all about the chase. A heady dance partner that “tends to add a soft red fruit character and perfume” and then disappears into the background leaving behind a whiff of smoke and mystery. To taste it on its own, look for old-vine bottles from Australia, South Africa, or even Chile that are “fruit-driven and intensely aromatic.”

Chefman Electric Wine Opener with Foil Cutter, $23.95 on Amazon

Make this easy-to-use electric wine opener part of your New Year's resolution!
Buy Now

July: Finger Lakes Riesling


Riesling is perhaps more capable of fireworks than any other grape, not only for its dynamite tension between sweetness and acidity, but also for the passion with which people either love it or (think they) hate it. Riesling is a grape that thrives in cold weather areas, resulting in grapes that are decidedly tart, so some sweetness is often desirable in the winemaking process to produce the balance that exceptional riesling has in abundance. But dry styles are still widely available, and equally dynamic, and are especially easy to spot in domestic selections without any knowledge of German, as they are simply labeled “dry.” New York’s Finger Lakes region produces excellent examples, plus it’s July, so, drink American. Patriotism!

August: Assyrtiko


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Let me introduce you to my favorite wine so far from Santorini. Our amazing winery day was a full day of tastings, and this one was at the top of my list! Santorini wine from @gavalaswinery is produced from the white variety of Assyrtiko, which is native to the island and the prominent grape in most whites here. This vineyard is considered to be the oldest in Greece, and the grapes are grown on original stock. The rainfall on the island is minimal (20 days per year) and the winds can be very strong, so the vines are very close to the ground and pruned in a cylindrical form, with the grapes growing in the middle. The harvest begins in the middle of August. The grapes are brought to the winery, carefully placed in crates and baskets (never completely filled so no damage occurs in transportation) Only 25% of the grape juice is extracted. It is then placed in stainless steel tanks where with a cold process it is separated from the lees. Fermentation then takes place in stainless steel. . The result is this lovely and very distinctive dry white wine. Bright yellowish white color. On the nose, light aromas of fruit – pear, lemon and pineapple. On the palate, it’s smooth, rich, fruity and full-bodied with balanced acidity. . I’ve heard some compare it to a Sauv Blanc, but I’m not sure I agree with that. While it has the acidity, the aromas and flavors are quite different. Super excited to be bringing some of this home! 🍷🇬🇷 . Anyone else tried this wine? (Or a fan of Assyrtiko?) . . . #gavalaswinery #santorini #greekwine #santoriniwine #assyrtiko #oia #whitewine #greece #wine #yamas #views #winestagram #winetravel #drinkgreekwine #winenot #wineinfluencer #winelife #wineglass #winedown #winelover

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“If you have one bottle of white you need to pick up,” says Barbara Wong, sommelier at Le Bernardin, “an Assyrtiko would be the winner.” To help pronounce Assyrtiko, just think “assertive,” which also helpfully describes the ability of this Greek white to endear itself to you. “Especially if you want one bottle to do it all,” says Wong. “It can be the Muscadet to your oysters, your mineral and powerful white to hold up to heartier dishes, can be for someone who likes something crisp and clean, and can also just be a bottle to sit with and enjoy. Price point is also super friendly.”

September: Nerello Mascalese


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#castiglionedisicilia #nerellomascalese #pistachio #nativegrapesofitaly

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The odds of you finding a Nerello Mascalese in your local wine store are maybe slim, but when you next find yourself in an Italian wine bar, perhaps on a crisp night in the early fall when the thought of drinking red again seems appealing, give a chance to the things that seem unpronounceable, before you default to ordering Chianti. Even if it means mumbling and pointing at the menu. What you get in return for your bravery is a surprisingly light, tight, mineral-driven red that veritably tastes like it grew on the slopes of a volcano. Because it did.

October: Viognier

Viognier (VEE-own-yay) is the grape you need for pumpkin spice latte season, precisely because it’s the kind of ripe, lush, perfumey white that could pair beautifully with pumpkin-this and butternut squash-that. Its spirit region is in Condrieu, in the Northern Rhone region in France, but new world selections are also available including some stellar options from California and even Virginia.

Stag's Leap 2013 Viognier, check price and availability on Drizly

A rich and robust white from a California icon.
Buy Now

November: Mencia


“Mencia is definitely a red wine to look out for,” says Jamie Schwartz, sommelier at one of New York City’s most prestigious restaurants. “Think dark fruit and pepper notes of Syrah with a lighter body, almost like Pinot Noir. Plus it has a lot of things going for it: incredible vineyard sites and some of the most talented/up-and-coming winemakers in Spain working with the varietal.” Taste, cachet, and the opportunity to flex your Barcelonian lisp? Call me converted.

December: Carménѐre


During the holidays, consider the parable of Carménѐre. All but cast out of its ancestral home of France, Carménѐre is a grape that found refuge on the other side of the globe, becoming one of the most widely planted grapes of Chile. A story of generosity for a generous grape, whose bold flavors include blackberry, chocolate, and pepper. Equally good with impressive roasts as with giving up cooking altogether during the holidays and ordering pizza.



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