Lers Ros, Thai food in San Francisco

Larb Phed Yang – A chunk of roasted duck mixed with rice powder, chili powder and lime based salad dressing.

Pad Ped Alligator – Stir-fried Alligator with House made chili paste, Thai Eggplant Young pepper corn & Galangal

Lers Ros is a popular thai restaurant in tenderloin. Some say it is as good as Portland’s Pok-Pok. After looking at Yelp and Chowhound, we decided that Larb Phed Yang (duck salad) was a must have. We also decided to get the alligator from the special lunch menu.

The salad didn’t disappoint, the duck was moist and the whole dish packed a multitude of flavors that one tends to associate with south asian dishes. Raw onions had mellowed out in the lime. Basil leaves and coriander paired well with duck meat. Rice powder, somewhat grainy in texture like cornmeal, had added a crunchy texture to the duck meat which was itself cooked perfectly.

Flavors of Pad Ped Alligator were equally satiating. The curry didn’t have a coconut base and reminded me of Indian style curries. In particular I liked the fact that the quantity of green peppercorn was generous and I could actually taste them, they tasted like sichuan peppers without the numbing effect. Unfortunately, alligator meat itself was overcooked.

We went in on a weekend lunch expecting a crowd but there weren’t any. Restaurant itself is fairly canteen style. Staff is friendly and the menu is extensive. Although I won’t put Lers Ros in the same bracket as Pok-Pok, I am definitely returning. If it were my neighborhood restaurant, I would be doing take outs fairly frequently.

Distant relative of Momo Singh

Broiled dumplings

I was really inspired by the crazy funny blog by Odd Ends into making the equivalent of tandoori momo’s that are doused in butter and tossed in desi masala.

This is only the first version and I suspect I will have many variations. I started with frozen shrimp dumplings from Trader Joes’s but you can start with your favorite. I suspect beef dumplings will be the best. I cooked the dumplings as directed. Then I made a marinade with ketchup, melted butter, hot pepper powder, lime and salt. I brushed the dumplings with the marinade, and stuck them under a hot broiler. I got distracted for a few seconds and the dumplings got extra charred but they were tasty none-the-less, crispy on the outside and soft inside.

Serve with chopped coriander or mint leaves, a little lime juice and a pinch of chaat masala.

Makke ki Roti – the way mom makes it

You have surely heard stories of chefs stirring sauces with their hands. My story involves my mother-in-law shaping old-fashioned corn rotis on the hot griddle with her hands. I am presenting a story here and not a recipe. I can’t follow this recipe and I won’t recommend you try.

She estimates amount of corn flour she will need based on how hungry the family is. Adds appropriate amount of grated radish, chopped radish leaves, salt, dry mango powder, hot paprika and water. Kneads to form a pliable dough.

She puts the griddle to heat on medium-high, and keeps following things handy - a bowl of water convenient to dip her fingers in, a tablespoon and a cup of vegetable oil. She shapes tennis ball sized dough in her hands and flattens each into a fat roti with her palms.

She oils the pan lightly, places the roti on the hot griddle, dips her hand in cold water and flattens the fat roti into a thinner one. Then she ladles oil along the edges so the oil slides underneath and cooks the underside of the roti.

These rotis take a few minutes per side to cook. She flips only when the underside is done and repeats the oil treatment. The flipping is done gently as the corn rotis break relatively easily due to lack of gluten.

Voila! They are ready to serve. The rotis are crisp on the outside, melt-y polenta-like inside. Traditionally served with mustard greens that has been cooked for hours into a buttery smooth piquant sauce.

Eggs and toast – never had it this good …

Eggs and toast

Following serves 2:
Soft boil couple of eggs, preferably from organically fed and farm raised hens.

Cut up two slices of fresh sourdough bread into thick cut french fry style pieces. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on a pan and saute these bread slices until golden and crackle-y.

Crack open the top of your soft boiled egg, add some fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper, dip the fried bread sticks in the yolk and enjoy.

Cup of espresso at the end with a slice of pannetoni is nice but not absolutely essential for a great start to the day.

Pimientos de Padrón with a touch of sesame oil and flower peppers

Padrón peppers tossed with smoked salt and sichuan peppers

These Spanish peppers have caught on in San Francisco Bay Area. Last few years they were expensive and scarce at the farmer’s market, a small basket for $5. This year, our neighborhood Asian market has a large bag of these for $5. Last year, I fried these peppers in oil until blistery. This year, I got lazy and decided to push these under the broiler. Surprisingly enough, they came out at least as good as fried if not better.

Yet another Delhi street food

This is one of the great street foods of Delhi – daal pakodas (fried lentil balls) served with grated radish and carrot and  topped with chutneys. Like a small plate of chaat, this is a multi-dimensional exploration of tastes and textures. The pakodas are crunchy and the lentil is tangy. The pakodas are neither too dense nor too fluffy and provides a nice bite. Grated radish and carrot adds a refreshing crispness. Horseradish overtones and bitterness of radish and sweetness of carrots adds to the dimensions of taste. Coriander/mint chutneys are savory, tart, and gingery. Tamarind chutneys bring the taste of molasses, and dates.

Home grown radishes	Frying lentil balls
Fried lentill pakodas	Add grated carrots and radishes

Sugar, Butter, Flour

Sugar Butter Flour

Our local pastry shop, “Sugar Butter Flour” serves up excellent pastries. Here is a loot from a recent trip – tiramisu, chocolate hazelnut, flourless chocolate and a key lime mousse.