21 Central

Couple of days ago, I was caught off-guard when J said "When are we going to a restaurant, we haven't gone out to eat for a long time?" So I had to plan something quickly. (I know it sounds silly that we have to plan something as simple as going out to eat. We are not spontaneous, people!)

We were very lucky that it turned out to be a nice day. (The weather this year has been strange. It was really nice till early May, then all of a sudden, spring retreated and we are in winter.) We went to downtown Kirkland so the kids can play around after dinner. I've been meaning to try 21 Central Steakhouse, and today is as good as any.

We arrived early. There were only 2 parties. The place seemed small for a steakhouse with its big booth, and bar area. Though, it was nice and quiet.

Hubby and I don't really drink much. Normally we just share a glass of wine when dining out. A white one at that. (Usually not Chardonnay. Yes, we have not acquired the taste for red wine yet.) Today, we chose a glass of Jo Vina Pinot Gris. It was poured into probably a red Bordeaux glass. Some wine purist would probably say that this wouldn't complement the wine. However, we didn't care - we were just thrilled that it was THE biggest glass of wine we've ever had.

My fresh Chilean Seabass was stuffed with bay shrimp and fresh mozzarella, coated with herbed bread crumbs, then pan fried and served with Champagne butter sauce. The fish was very tender, the breading thin and crispy. The shrimp and mozzarella stuffing was a little bland, and not really necessary. The sauce didn't do much for the fish either. A simpler preparation would probably have been able to better emphasize the natural richness and sweetness of the fish. Nevertheless, the fish was still very delicious. The linguine was nicely done, but a little greasy, which is often the case at restaurants.

Hubby got Top Sirloin, a Prime 12 oz cut. The steak to cooked to the perfect pink. The baked potato was huge, accompanied by your choices of green onion, sour cream, etc. and REAL bacon pieces. We also got sauteed fresh vegetables and their "21" fries for everyone to share. The vegetables were just OK. The fries were great, and portion was so generous! (See that picture? That's only half of the fries!)

Overall, I think the food was pretty decent. We'll probably try it again even though the price was a little high.

21 Central Steakhouse
21 Central Way (Market Street), Kirkland, WA 98033
(425) 822-1515

Vegan Banana Raisin Bread

D loves bananas. He has to have one everyday. When he was little, he used to throw fits because I wouldn’t give him the 2nd or 3rd banana of the day. Unfortunately, he couldn’t have most of the banana desserts like banana sundae or banana cream pie. Nevertheless, till I figure out how to make a vegan banana cream pie, he could at least have this banana raisin bread. (Oh, he loves raisins too! =)

Vegan Banana Raisin Bread
Adapted from this recipe

3 very ripe medium to large bananas or 4 small bananas
½ cup silken tofu
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¾ cup raisins

For topping:
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Butter or spray an 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Puree the bananas in the food processor. Put the banana purees in a medium mixing bowl. Puree the tofu in the food processor. Add the pureed tofu to the banana, and stir well to combine. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla, and stir to mix. Add the raisins, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Note: I often use 50/50 raisin/craisin mix. Everyone loves it!

Yum Yum Fat

Even though I've never been to Taiwan, I think Taiwanese food is best known for its savory snacks, night market food, etc. (I've been meaning to go for years, just haven't had the chance yet. Can't wait to try all those good eats when I go!) The first time I had the spiced pork stew over rice, I fell in love. The fat from the pork belly all disolved. It wasn't greasy on the tongue at all. So yummy. The sauce was salty with a little sweetness, full of spices. Perfect mixed with rice. I would start drooling every time I thought about this dish. Couple of months ago, I decided to try it at home. It was such a hit! D would eat not 1, not 2, but 3 bowls of rice mixed with sauce! (I'm still puzzled how he can fit all that food in his little body.)

Taiwanese Style Spiced Pork Stew

1 lb Pork belly
1 shallot
2 dried Shiitaki mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled
salt
oil

Sauce:
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tsp rock sugar
4 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp chicken bouillion
1 star anise

serve with:
4 baby bok choy, sliced in halves, boiled in lightly salted water
rice

Soak the shiitaki mushrooms in warm water for 1 hour.

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce, set aside.

Thinly slice the shallot, deep fry in oil till golden and crispy. Put on paper towel to drain the oil. After cooling, put in a zip lock bag, crush with a rolling pin.

Wash the pork belly, blanch for about 5 minutes (turning over half way through). Dice after it's cooled down a bit. Alternatively, you can dice first, then blanch for 30 seconds. (I have found it's easier to cut after blanching.)

Dice the mushroom, reserve the water.

Add a little bit of oil to the pan, when hot, add garlic and ginger, stir till golden, add mushroom, stir a few seconds. Add pork, stir until the meat is white. Add the sauce and deep-fried shallot pieces. Stir for a minute, till everything is well mixed. Add the mushroom water till it covers the meat. (Add additional water if necessary.)

Bring to boil. Transfer to a clay pot, add the eggs. Simmer on low for 2 hours. Season with salt after an hour if necessary.

Serve with baby bok choy, halved egg, slices of pickled radish, on top of steamed rice.

Note: If you don't want to fry shallots at home, you can buy packages of fried shallot pieces at Asian supermarkets, use about 1-2 tbsp. Or use half a small sauteed onion, but it doesn't taste as good.

It's best to buy the pork belly with skin on from Asian markets. (I once bought some from Whole Foods, not only it didn't have skin, it was way too fatty, more fit for curing.)

Tip: Sometimes the eggs would stick to the bottom of the pot, you can lay a lettuce or cabbage leaf in the clay pot before pouring in the meat mixture to prevent this.