Contest Rules

Our Cook Quest (OCQ) Community Supported Recipe Contest Rules*:
Updated: January 31, 2011

Eligibility

Entrants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of entry. You must be a legal United States resident of the continuous 48 states. A legal name and address are required for submission; no PO boxes will be accepted. One submission allowed per person. If you know a judge or judges, please indicate his/her name(s) in your entry.


Entry Rules

Please submit your local/sustainable inspired recipe with a fun name. The use of alliteration is suggested, but not required. One well known general example is "Meatless Monday". Variations on published recipes will be accepted as long as you site your source.


Recipe Submission Rules:

1.  Emphasize the use of local/sustainable ingredients and provide "shout outs" to your purveyors. Examples: produce from a farmers' market or CSA, products sourced within reasonable driving distance, eggs found in your grocery store that were laid a couple towns away, etc. Even better, use ingredients that you grew or produced yourself. This includes indoor herb pots, root vegetables stored in your basement, backyard fruit trees, canning, cheese, wine, beer, etc.
2.  Two photographs are required: one plated and one in process.
3.  Keep the recipe simple and straightforward. Maximum time limits: one hour for preparation, two hours for cooking and one overnight set.
4.  Please do not include the use of high end ingredients like truffles, foie gras, caviar, etc.

Things to Keep in Mind:

Judges are from all over (US & Canada). Readily available ingredients in the South may not be accessible in the North. However, creative replacements are welcome. If one is not provided, judges will find the best alternative available.

Optional Fun:

Guess what the seven ingredients are in the blog post picture announcing the contest. Ingredient names start with the first letter from each day of the week. The first recipe submission contestant to guess the correct seven wins a prize from the pool. 

Submit a story on what inspired you to start cooking. Please limit it to 200 words or less.


When to Enter:

The entry period is from Monday, January 24th 3:30 PM EST to Monday, February 21st 3:30 PM EST.  


How to Submit Your Entry

Please email your recipe and two photographs to ocq.entry@gmail.com. Please use the name of your recipe as the subject line.

Upon submitting your recipe, you accept the terms and conditions of all the contest rules.


Prizes

OCQ wants to support purveyors of local and sustainable products. One establishment from each of the winners' entries will have a featured blog post highlighting the product used and their local and sustainable efforts on the Local In Season website.

See the Prize Pool page for the donated prizes. The pool will be split into two packages and the winner will choose one. The runner up will be awarded the remaining. All prizes were generously donated by multiple parties to make this a fun event. We will provide your information to donors so they can mail your prize. All prizes are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed by OCQ. The winners of the contest will be sent the prizes from multiple sources, so be understanding when it comes to delivery. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery, but this time frame may vary. OCQ is not responsible for any issues that are involved with the transfer, delay and/or receipt of said prizes. All winners are solely responsible for any and all taxes and/or fees, and all such additional costs they may incur.


Notification

The winners will be announced on the Our Cook Quest blog once the final judging is completed. The projected announcement of the winners is 30 days after the entry period is closed. This time period may vary.


Judging Rules & Responsibilities

Judges must identify if they know a contestant and will not be allowed to vote or comment on that contestant’s submission.

Once the entry period is closed, judges will evaluate all the submissions and vote on their top five. Votes will be tallied for all the judges to see and finalists will be determined. The finalists and their recipes will be posted. 

The prize contributions will be closed following the announcement of the finalists. The prize pool will be evaluated by judges and split as evenly as possible. A single prize will be pulled for the winner of the ingredient guessing game. The winner of the recipe contest will be allowed to choose between the two packages and the runner up will receive the other. 

The judges will test all finalists' recipes and evaluate using the following point system:

100 point total: 80 – flavor, 10 – originality, 10 – use of local/sustainable ingredients

Once all the recipes are tested and graded, judges will convene and decide on the winners.


Releases

By submitting a recipe, entrants agree to be bound by these official rules and the decisions of OCQ and the judges, which shall be final in all respects. OCQ is not responsible for any issues involved with not receiving your submission, which includes any delays or incomplete transmissions. Contest entrants agree to release OCQ, judges and prize donors from any and all liability, loss or damages arising from or in connection with the contest, award, receipt, and/or use or misuse of the prizes or participation of any prize-related activities.

Upon submission of your entry, you give Our Cook Quest the rights to distribute and publish your work without any compensation.

OCQ reserves the right to alter and amend any rules of any contest at any time. The latest version of the contest rules posted always supersedes any past version or conflicting information in the blog. OCQ and participating judges are not responsible for any errors that may occur during the contest.


Miscellaneous

Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

OCQ reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process and to cancel, terminate, modify and/or suspend the contest in the event of tampering or other circumstances, including but not limited to acts of God or civil disturbance that render it impractical or impossible to complete or fulfill the contest as originally planned.


We appreciate your entry and hope you have fun developing your recipe.

Good Luck!


* Portions of the contest rules are influenced by Food52's, which can be found at http://www.food52.com/home/tos.

Keys to Harold McGee, an Interview

No pretty pictures this time.  It was the end of Dr. Harold McGee's "Keys to Good Cooking" book tour and I had to respect that.  

I find myself in the lobby of The Charles Hotel having a moment of deja vu.  It wasn't long ago when I was sitting right there with Chef Jose Andres.  However, Bianca and Cathy aren't there to support me this time.  I'm doing this one solo.  I make my way over to the reception desk, politely state my business to the attendant and she calls up.  She relays the message that he'll be down at the scheduled time.  I find a seat in the line of sight of the main stairs.  I break out my snazzy new audio recorder, so I won't miss a beat.   

I see Dr. McGee out of the corner of my eye as I'm setting up and walk over to greet him.  I ask him about recording our conversation and he approves.  We start to get settled in and hear the voices from the reception desk carrying over.  He suggests that we find a quieter location.  I agree.  We locate a decent spot and get comfortable.  Dr. McGee made it a point to find an optimal location for recording and I am thankful for his pragmatism.

During our search for a place to chat, I asked him, "What convinced you to meet with me?"  He told me that Chef Andres persuaded him.  This was Chef's response to a request I posted about meeting with Dr. McGee while he was in town.  I abide by the rule, "It never hurts to ask," because this is what happens. 

-----

The Interview

Note:  My questions/comments are in bold and Dr. McGee's responses follow in standard font. 

Can you talk about umami or glutamate's role in food?  Fish sauce as well?

The Japanese have believed for more than 100 years now that we had a fifth basic taste sensation.  It’s caused by MSG and other related compounds that stimulate a particular receptor.  It’s still a mystery why we’ve got that taste.  The original idea was that it’s because glutamate is an amino acid and many of our tastes have to do with essential nutrients or avoiding poisons in the case of bitterness.  People thought that maybe this is an indicator of protein content.  It’s true that many of the fermented foods that we get our biggest hits of umami from are protein rich and fish sauce is an example of that.  Where you start with animal tissue, full of protein, let it sit around for a few months or years with bacteria and the fish’s own enzymes going to work on the proteins.  They get broken down into amino acids and that’s how we end up with a condiment that’s especially rich in umami.

What is your favorite preservation method?

I’m not sure I can say that I have a favorite preservation method.  The combination of salting, drying and fermentation give us cheese, sausages and preserved fish.  In a way, those three go together.  Each one by itself has preserving effects, but practically speaking we rely on all three at the same time for many things.  Alcoholic fermentation has a lot to say for it, but I’d hate to choose between wine and cheese.


What food discovery are you most proud of and why?

Well, I’m not sure I’ve made any discoveries.  I’ve certainly looked at a lot of things, but discovery...  I’m not so sure what that might be.


What’s your earliest childhood memory of investigating food?

I didn’t really do much with food myself until I was an adult.  I did a little bit of cooking at the age of maybe ten or twelve, but it was more learning the ropes than experimenting.  I certainly remember making bread for the first time, using yeast for the first time.  But, that was more just following a recipe and being amazed by the result.

Is that memory strong with you?  What did that lead to?

I think that it was part of my experience with the world.  I certainly don’t call up that memory up every time I bake.  It takes some effort to remember it, but you know those kinds of things become part of you.  Whether they’re conscience memories or not.


Chef Andres once said you were, “...the guy with the light when we didn’t even know there was darkness.”  What are your thoughts on that?

Well, I think that’s a very generous and eloquent thing to say.  A very beautiful thing to say.  I’m happy to say that I think there’s an element of truth to it, but it was more a historical accident. 

I think it’s true that chefs didn’t understand because they had never been encouraged to think about food.  They were encouraged to learn specific ways of preparing foods, but not to really think for themselves.  I feel very fortunate to have been in a position to help turn on the lights, but it’s as much because cooking as a profession was tradition bound and people weren’t writing about the science of cooking.  I lucked into a unique moment in history when someone could turn on the lights.


What’s your favorite fundamental cooking technique?

I don’t have favorites if you know what I mean.  The reason I do what I do in fact is that I love that there are so many different foods, ways of doing things and ingredients.  People often ask me, "What’s your favorite dish?" or "What’s your favorite cuisine?"  My answer is, I don’t have a favorite.  What I love is the fact I can do something different for breakfast, lunch and dinner today, tomorrow and the next day.  The same with techniques, each one of them is fascinating in its own way.


How do you feel your research would be received by Brillat-Savarin if he were still alive today?

I think he’d approve.  I think he’d be interested in all the details since he’s one of the first people to make the connection between cooking and chemistry.  I think he’d be happy to be alive today since there’s so much interesting stuff going on.


What is your food related guilty pleasure that no one would ever suspect?

I’m not sure no one would suspect because it’s a pretty common one.  I love potato chips.  I could eat a seven or eight ounce bag at one sitting with no problem.

Any particular kind of potato chips, preparation?

I actually like both styles.  The blond, very thin … style, but I also like the darker kettle style.  They’re both delicious in different ways.

I assume you’ve made your own.  What types of potatoes do you like to use when you’re making chips?

Yukon gold because they have a very pretty color and I think they have a little more flavor than some other potatoes.  Most potatoes make pretty good chips.  Maybe not the white and red really moist ones.  Russets are great. Yukon golds are great.  Purple potatoes make pretty good chips.

Have you ever used beets or sweet potatoes?

I’ve played around with sweet potatoes, not so much beets or other root vegetables.  Celery root would be good.  I've never tried that.

That does sound good.


What are your thoughts on smell-o-vision?

Well, I think there are some basic challenges to doing that kind of thing.  The fact that smells linger and you have to get them into your system and get them out fast, the air around you as well.  I did read that there was a presentation in New York.  I think it was a short opera that was accompanied with perfumes or smells.  It did sound intriguing.  The only direct experience I have had with anything like that are scratch and sniff John Waters movies, which are fun but in a fairly crude sort of way.


I spoke to you before the Chef Adria seminar at Harvard.  You expressed that there were a lot of nights when you were writing "On Food..." wondering if anyone would be interested in the material.  What kept you going? 

A fascination with the material and a belief that other people would be as fascinated as I am if I were able to communicate it well enough.  A very basic interest in and curiosity about these natural materials and what it is that human beings learned to do with them.


How did you get into photographing food at the microscopic level? 

Foods are such beautiful materials.  As a kid, I loved photography.  My father gave me a camera when I was very young and I used to develop my own film, so that’s been a life long interest.  That’s something I enjoy doing when I can excuse myself the time.

Do you still develop your own film?

I only did black and white.  I still love black and white for what it can offer.  I no longer have the equipment, facilities or the time.  That is the great thing about digital.


In all your research, what universal truths have you discovered?

I’m dubious about universal truths.  Partly because foods are complex, human beings are complex, and the interaction between them is so complex.  If there is a universal truth, it would maybe be that things are too complex for us to understand and encapsulate in one single view.  It's much easier to talk about universal truths as a physicist or theologian.  For me, food doesn’t lend itself to that way of thinking.

-----

After the interview, I thank the good doctor for his time.  I offer him refreshments that I brought, the choice between a basil seed or mangosteen drink.  He settles on the mangosteen because it didn't contain any artificial flavors.  I also had some of the thin Chef Andres inspired brittle I prepared.  I explain to him how Chef suggested that I pulverize the peanuts to make it thin.  I read that Dr. McGee didn't have a sweet tooth, but couldn't help myself.  He tried it and said, "It's nice." 

I talked about my recent basil seed discovery and my plans to source my own and infuse flavors into them.  He suggested that I investigate fenugreek, which is now on my list.  He took interest in who I was and he listened to me go on about my adventures in blogging and interviewing people who are passionate about food.  I appreciated that.    

At the end of our meeting, Dr. McGee thanked me for travelling a distance to see him.  I expressed my gratitude for his time.  It was a long trip for him and I was honored that he squeezed me in at the end of his book tour.  I invited him over for a home cooked meal the next time he's in town and said, "I’m not a great cook."  He said, “Neither am I.” 

The scholarly gentleman who wrote "On Food and Cooking" tells me, "I’m looking forward to see what you write," before he departs.  I'm hoping this post finds him well. 

-----


Takeaways:

1.  Don't think that most of your questions will have the response you're hoping for, even if you've done a ton of research. 

2.  Don't ask interviewees what their favorite "X" is, because you probably wouldn't like it either.

3.  Keep sharing your knowledge because it opens doors.  Something that I've always believed in.  I have Chef Jose Andres to thank for reinforcing this to the Nth degree.

4.  It's never too late to start pursuing a passion.


Please feel free to post yours in the comments.

Moroccan Magic - Olive Market in Malden, MA



Olive Market's Harira, Traditional Moroccan Soup


A good friend of mine hounded me for weeks a couple months ago to visit Olive Market in Malden.  Eventually, I made plans with my family to go there with him, check it out and make dinner with product from the store.  We all had an awesome experience learning about Moroccan cuisine and ingredients.  I had such a great time meeting Mostaf (the owner), his wife Nora, son Adam and the staff.  They all made us feel like family while we were in their lovely store.  I felt the least I could do in return was to blog in hopes that I could help spread the word.  I talked Mostaf into doing an interview in a few weeks.

I show up before Mostaf and start chatting with Nabil, a student employee.  I explain to him my plan to write about Olive Market.  I request to take some shots of the store.  Below are pictures of just a few of the many Moroccan items they carry.




Traditional Tagine

 


Countless Bags of Dried Mint

        

Coconut, Nuts and Dried Fruits After I mill around the store for a bit, I grab a seat and Nabil serves me a bowl of harira.  "Mostaf told me to take care of you."  I thank him for the soup and begin enjoying it.  My friend walks into the store shortly after.  Mostaf shows up and quickly greets me.  He heads out back to touch base with his crew and get ready for the day. A family heads up to the counter immediately to my left and starts chatting it up with Mostaf.  I figure the lady's a regular and I tell her that I'm writing about the store.  She introduces herself as Aisha and she's originally from the UK.  I ask her to talk a little about Mostaf, his family and the establishment.  Here's what she had to say: "There's nothing like this in the whole of Malden and I'm a foodie, so I look.  Seriously, I come every day.  It's fresh... not the same as everyone else's menu.  [Olive Market has] ...all the traditional things from Morocco."

Kefta Being Prepared with Freshly Ground Meat --------------------------------------------------------------------------------





"I have bought the kefta from here because it's all hand made and it's got the spices in it already and the sausages as well."

One focus of the store is the organic Halal meat.  They carry chicken, beef, lamb and goat.  They typically have sides of beef, whole lamb and goat hanging in the walk in for cut to order.  They also provide all sorts of offal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hear the meat band saw buzzing through bone at the end of our conversation.  I love that sound, so I head over to see what's going on.  Lahcen, the butcher, has shifted over to grinding some beef. 






He sees that I have a camera and asks me to take a good picture of him.  He requests that I send him the prints, so he can send them home to his family.  How could I refuse his heartfelt request?

Nabil is cooking some chicken on the griddle.  I ask how it's been seasoned and Mostaf tells me that it has turmeric, white pepper, paprika and cinnamon.



I notice that Mostaf is heating up a skillet.  He tells me that he's making an egg and tomato scramble for his breakfast.  He seasons it with paprika, turmeric, black pepper and salt.

"Usually, I add some blue cheese, but we don't have blue cheese [today]."  I really wished he had.



Lahcen requests to have more pictures of him to be taken.  Who’s going to refuse a nice guy who cuts meat for a living?  I get a good one of Mostaf and Lahcen together.  Mostaf comments, “We have to lose weight.”  I say, "Nah, you guys look fine." 




I ask Mostaf about the coffee he’s making.  He tells me that Moroccans, “…don’t just use regular coffee. We use cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and nutmeg.”







Back to the eggs.  “When I eat it, I add something different.  I’m going to add tahini. It’s very rich in calcium.” He also adds a side of raspberry jam and surrounds the eggs with some dates.  “I love dates in the morning."

We all sit down when Mostaf finishes plating his brunch that will carry him until late in the evening after closing. Mostaf offers me some of his chef’s meal.






I ask my friend if he’d like some too, but he protests with, "That’s all he’s going to eat until the end of the day."  Mostaf adds, “I’m glad he already had the soup, otherwise he’ll eat all my breakfast.” We all have a nice chuckle at my expense.  “Eat! No double dipping!  People, when they eat together they become family.” 

Mostaf begins to explain how, “Moroccans love to eat with their hands. I prefer using my hands because my hands are the best tool.”  He rips off a small piece of bread, demonstrates and says, “Remember maximum three, two on one.”

-----

So we start the interview...

JD:  What are your favorite parts of the animal to prepare outside of main cuts?

Mostaf:  Shoulder and neck of the lamb. "It depends on the mood and what you want to eat," as well as the season.  "You must cook with the bone, because it brings flavor."
  

Dedicated Sign for Couscous, Enough Said


JD:  For those who haven't tried Moroccan cuisine, what should they try?

Mostaf:  "Couscous is a must. [It's] very healthy, has lots of vegetables and it's steamed.  It brings family together.  Twenty people eat from one plate," that's about two feet in diameter.




JD:  You once said to me that, "Guests are a gift from God." Can you talk a little more about that?

Mostaf:  "When you have a guest, give them the best you have.  If we are cooking lentils and chicken, we give them the meat. The hospitality in Morocco is very unique."



Harira Simmering Away




JD:  What are your favorite things to cook for family?

Mostaf:  "Soup, harira, lots of good stuff inside.  Sometimes I like to do a tagine with lamb." 

Start of the Beef and Prune Stew






"Beef with prunes, good for [the] digestive system.  You always need bones with meat."









JD:  What are your favorite spices?

Mostaf:  Paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper and tumeric.  "If it was up to me, I would put cinnamon in everything."

JD:  What is unique about Moroccan tea?

Mostaf:  "Every house has tea. Everybody drinks tea."  The fresh mint has to be strong.  The plants need to get lots of sun.  Farmers starve the plants of water for five to seven days before harvest to concentrate the flavor.   There is an interesting method of pouring the tea.  It is poured from a distance by raising your hand high in order to make it foam.  One tenth of the glass should be foam.  "Never, ever fill up the glass. Always half way," because it's elegant.   

Making Moroccan tea is a very old tradition.  "You learn from a professional. You can observe for ten to fifteen years before you start learning."  People specifically ask for trained individuals to make tea for large parties.  If you make tea for guests, "you have to be confident, 200%."  It's an honor if you're asked and people enjoy your tea. However, it's a disgrace if it's not good.    

"You need two to three hours to enjoy tea.  It's quality time with tea and friends."

Mostaf closes the interview with, “Wait until we get the hood. We [will] do shawarma, falafel, Moroccan cuisine…then you’ll see the difference.”

-----

I learned a lot from Mostaf and his family at Olive Market over my two visits.  I am still in awe of the Moroccan hospitality.  It is refreshing to experience and quite infectious.  I also took away an interest in implementing sweet preserved fruit elements into savory dishes, which I only dabbled in before. 

Please go to Olive Market and take part in this family's American dream.  I plan to do a monthly run to get some great cuts of meat and my date fix.  Maybe I'll see you there?  I close with a quote from Aisha, "I think everyone should come.  Everyone needs a part of Morocco in their house."

74 Pleasant Street
Malden, MA 02155
(781) 324-5900

http://olivemarketmalden.com/index.htm

-----

Here's what I made with ingredients I picked up.  Enjoy the show.

Moroccan Spice Rub:

Paprika, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, White Pepper and Turmeric



Lovely Color & Scent



Moroccan Spiced Lamb Chops w/ Mushroom Tomato Marsala Sauce

& Braised Freshly Made Sausages

Chops Rubbed with Spices and Olive Oil

Seared on the Cast Iron

Braised Sausages, Mushrooms & Tomatoes Plated

Lamb Chops Plated & Sauced

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash

w/ Pearl Onions & Golden Raisins



Large Dice of Butternut Topped with Spice Mix



Mixed Above with Olive Oil and Golden Raisins

Results After 15 Minutes @ 400 F

Stop, Sweet Savory Squash

Moroccan Spiced Couscous

Toasting Couscous with Onion and Spice Mix

Couscous with Chicken Broth Added

Pearls of Goodness

Drop me a comment and let us know about your recent Moroccan experience.  Would love to share it.

Oeuf Macaron Gosh - Euro Pane Bakery & Cafe

For Here and To Go

My cousin recommended Euro Pane Bakery and Cafe when I unexpectedly found myself in Pasadena.  Of course, I had to check out the reviews.  All of my regular food-centric sites had great things to say about this place, so I had to give it a try.  I also found out that Sumi Chang, the owner, worked as the breakfast chef at Campanile, a ringing endorsement. 



Open Faced Egg Salad Sandwich

My cousin told me that the open faced egg salad sandwich was to die for.  My friend and I ordered it on our second visit.  It just so happened that Chef Chang was working the counter.  She asked what bread we'd like and of course, I inquired which she'd recommend.  She told me that it's frequently served on their rosemary currant bread, but everything is good.  I decide on sourdough because I feel that it will help cut the richness of the sandwich. 

Macarons Safely Stowed Away

I add a cafe au lait to my order as well as half a dozen macarons (one of each flavor) to go.  As we wait for our order, I see Ms. Chang zip around making coffee, directing her employees and attending to customers.  Doing it all without missing a beat.  I see her at the espresso machine and take the opportunity to chat.  I complimented her on the pear tart I had on the first visit and expressed interest in blogging about Euro Pane.  She told me that she'd come by our table.

We were served our amazing open faced sandwiches. They're so legendary that if you search "Euro Pane open faced sandwich" you'll see an endless sea of links.  Here's what Jonathan Gold & Michelle Huneven of LA Weekly had to say, "And the egg-salad sandwich — soft-center boiled eggs in homemade mayo on sourdough toast smeared with sun dried tomato paste — is worth a drive from any corner of the county."  Don't forget the counterpoint of crisp mixed greens and chive garnish.

I struck up a conversation with Chef Chang and told her that we were from Boston and here to try her pastries.  She said, "I am honored."  We were the ones who were honored by her wonderful creations. 

Pear Raspberry Tart

As we enjoyed our mountains of eggy goodness, she slid a piece of pear tart with a raspberry filling onto our table.  She said, "Try this."  We were too full to partake at that moment, but enjoyed it thoroughly later in the day. 

What I found to be fun about significant breakfast and lunch offerings was the matching side treat.  The pineapple wedges as a refreshing pallet cleanser after the egg salad. 

  

Spinach Frittata

 


A raisin roll to complement the richness of the frittata. 
(My friend's order and I did not have the pleasure of trying it.)








Salami & Cheese Baguette w/ Olive & Roasted Pepper Tapenade & Tomato Pesto


  



A cookie to counter the saltiness of the salami tapenade baguette.

The balance of flavors and textures in all that I tried was what really caught my attention.  Great execution on everything I tasted.  French Cafe/Patisserie treats driven by fresh ingredient combinations that were a party in my mouth.  My friend, who was recently in Paris, said that the macarons were better at Euro Pane.

I was not able to head back for a fourth visit, because we had an early flight out.  I saved half a caramel salted macaron and slice of tart in the refrigerator for breakfast.  A match made in Pasadena for a bittersweet ending.

If you're ever in the area, stop in for great eats and send my regards to Chef Chang for me.

Euro Pane Bakery & Cafe

950 E. Colorado Blvd. (Original)  345 E. Colorado Blvd. (New and Improved)

Pasadena, CA 91106

In closing, I apologize for the lackluster camera phone shots.  Do yourself a favor and search for Euro Pane images and you'll see some seriously beautiful food. 

Help me plan our next adventure.

Taiwanese Treats

Savory Bean Curd Soup

I never took the time to look for Taiwanese food.  I figured that it didn't exist in these parts.  I got turned onto the Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown by a friend of mine who is well versed in Boston area restaurants.  It just so happened that my aunt was in town for a weekend and thought it would be great to give her a taste of her childhood. 

She asked me what I would like to eat.  I told her that I'd like to try what she enjoyed in her younger years.  Check out the highlights.


*Steamed Pork & Mushroom Sticky Rice w/ Gravy

This brought me back to a time when I was a kid and my mom stuffed the Thanksgiving turkey with sticky rice.  I think the key to good sticky rice is the reconstituted dried mushrooms.  There's this earthy quality that is unique to the ingredient.  The mushrooms have this concentrated flavor punch that is a great contrast to the rice background.  Sticky and slippery were part and parcel of a good percentage of dishes I tried.

*Braised Pork w/ Peanuts & Sour Mustard Green[s] in [a] Steamed Bun

The crown jewel was this braised pork belly topped with pickled mustard greens, chopped peanuts, sugar and cilantro in a steamed flat bread.  The topping reminded me of a mochi treat filled with chopped peanuts and granulated sugar that I'd had time and time again.  Talk about a neat flavor and textural experience.  Slight sweetness of the bread, salty meat, sour punch of greens, deconstructed peanut butter topping and brightness of cilantro.  Airy light bread, pork fat melting in your mouth, tender & juicy meat, crunch of the sugar & peanuts, and crispness of the cilantro.  For me, it would be a tough choice between this and a bahn mi.  I do love a good bahn mi. 

The ketchup-soy red gravy on a couple dishes made me think about the origin.  Long ago, I read that ketchup originated from a fish sauce.  As a shortcut, I looked to see what Wiki had on the subject.   

-----
Directly from Wikipedia:

In the 1690s the Chinese mixed together a concoction of pickled fish and spices and called it ke-tsiap.

The Webster's Dictionary of 1913 defined "catchup" as a "table sauce made from mushrooms, tomatoes, walnuts, etc. [Also written as ketchup].
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After this quick etymology look, I wondered how two completely different products were given the 'same' label.  Umami was a strong possibility.  They both have glutamic acid, which adds body to what they're smothered on.  My guess is that Americans back in the day would have been less accepting of the unctuous bottle of our fermented finned friends.  Tomatoes and sugar are an easy sell.  Just check out any kid at a restaurant who is availed the sweet bottle of goodness.  Today, that is clearly not the case.  People are a lot more adventurous and willing to accent dishes with all sorts of umami pop.  Maybe a new soda concept?

I'm going to have to dig a litter deeper on the etymology.  Maybe Harold McGee will be open to helping me out?

Don't forget The Plans we made.

* Caption title taken directly from Taiwan Cafe menu