The Metanerd

What I’m eating tonight. (Well, if I get off my butt and go to the grocery store.

So if you saw this, then you can understand why I’m posting this. I’ve also been cooking with miso a lot lately and it makes me feel all culinary and foodie despite my perpetual broke state and inability to actually cook anything not from Rachael Ray’s magazine.

It combines my favorite foods: corn, bacon and miso. They’re from very different worlds, but David Chang of Momofuku created this recipe and I cannot question his genius.

David Chang has built up quite a cult following. I didn’t quite understand it until I got the chance to read the first issue of his Anthony Bourdain endorsed magazine, Lucky Peach. It was an issue ALL about ramen and included a pull out diagram on how to cook the perfect egg to top off your ramen. I became a convert, which lead me to the video and experimenting with bacon (only if I walk to the grocery store).

I don’t cook often with bacon, but how hard can it be?

Cheater’s notes: I’m going to use regular smoked bacon, either frozen or canned corn kernels (girlfriend is lazy and broke) and awase miso (mixture of red and white). The onion will remain a small onion, as per the instructions and because if I modified one more thing, it wouldn’t quite by David Chang’s recipe anymore.

Corn with Bacon and Miso Butter

Ingredients:

1/4 lb thick-sliced bacon (about 3 slices; preferably Benton’s bacon)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon white miso (fermented soy bean paste)

1 small onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

10 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (6 to 7 cups)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (2 to 3)

Instructions

Cut bacon crosswise into 1/8-inch strips. Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, leaving fat in skillet.

While bacon cooks, stir together butter and miso in a small bowl.

Cook onion in bacon fat over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Add corn and pepper and increase heat to moderatley high, then cook, stirring constantly, until some of kernels are pale golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water and butter mixture and cook, stirring, until corn is tender and coated with miso butter, about 4 minutes. Stir in bacon, 1/4 cup scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with remaining 1/4 cup scallions.

What I’m eating tonight.

Trying this Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa recipe tonight. It’s baking right now and I’m so excited that I’m going to share this without a proper review. If you want to try it, here’s the recipe.

I used sliced baby Bellas (heh, heh) instead of full Portabellas and I kept the stems since they’re baby Bellas. I also used no cook lasagne noodles, but that’s because I had just enough left in the box.

Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
Good extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced 
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds cremini or portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

For the white sauce, bring the milk and garlic to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.

Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. 

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Cayenne & Gouda chips, I love you. (Taken with instagram)

Gifts under $10: Bacon Hot Sauce

Yes, bacon hot sauce really does exist.

Bad Asian Confession - I’m Chinese and I only know two ways this sauce is used, 1) in noodle soup and 2) on Peking duck. I’ve got a whole bottle of this amazing sauce to burn and I need more creative suggestions other than putting it in noodle soup. Anybody have any suggestions on how to use hoisin sauce?