March 13, 2009 - 3 courses of seafood and a NM add-on

Thankfully the camera tags when you took pictures otherwise I would have no clue which meals and pics go together to put up in my "procrasti-blog". At least I am keeping up taking the pictures!

First course: Hamachi sashimi with pickled jalapeno peppers and Ponzu sauce

I can't get enough of this as the peppers just add a bit of crunch and spice to the sashimi. These are also topped with a little grated daikon radish. Luckily Wholefoods is getting a couple different cuts of sashimi grade fish in so I didn't fully waste money on the Yanigaba knife.

Second Course: Thai Chili Squid Salad

My first foray with calamari steaks. They are so cheap and the texture is great...IF (big if) they are not over cooked. I was experimenting with cooking time so as not to overcook I would blanch quickly in boiling water and then plunge into ice water. 2 min is about the cumulative time. I also cut these with "scales" like Morimoto shows in his book.

Third Course: Teryaki Glazed Sea Bass over wilted Spinach

I did the sea bass sous vide to begin with and brought it to a temp of 125F. The plan was to finish it off quick in the cast iron pan while making the glaze but it was too close to being finished so the fish fell apart. Mental not to drop temp to 120ish next time so it finishes in the pan and stays together.

Fourth Course: Blue Corn Chile Rellenos and Some Cut of Beef

I didn't even realize that this was part of this meal. Too much food! I wasn't that impressed with the texture of the blue cornmeal on the outside of the rellenos but the overall flavor was nice. Stuffed with cheese from Oaxaca and chorizo sausage if I remember correctly. I have no idea what the beef is here.