Produce Profile: Culinary calendar a double-whammy
12.02.10
AS THE DISCO-ERA song goes, "Celebrate good times "... come on!" (I always think of Oakland A's games when I hear that song.) In the days ahead we'll have two somethings to celebrate. Sunday, in addition to being Valentine's Day, is the start of Lunar New Year.
Lunar New Year, this being the Year of the Tiger, is an Asian mangia moment.
What is actually celebrated is hope for a prosperous New Year adding to a life of longevity and completeness.
The latter two characteristics are mirrored in the foods featured. For example, a popular item in the fruit department is the mandarin orange complete with leaf and stem.
Also sought after is the navel orange with leaf and stem and even leaf-and-stem pomelos, those overstuffed relatives of the grapefruit.
The veggie world is also well-represented. A common item most associated with Asian cooking is the flat snow pea, or sugar pea that is featured so often in stir-fry dishes.
Source: Alameda Times-Star
BIG FLAVORS IN LITTLE CHINA RESTAURANT
10.02.10
Umami Asian Kitchen offers a perfect example of why it isn't always wise to storm the gates of a new restaurant. There are few joints that get it right from the jump, despite every intention to do just that. Opened in January 2009, it has taken Umami the better part of a year to really hit its stride. And word, finally, is beginning to spread of its beguiling charm.
For all its gentility and grace, Chagrin Falls is woefully lacking in creative, elegant dining spots. In a village where burgers, ribs and steak wash over the land like a pesky rash, Umami is a bona fide breath of fresh air. This tiny jewel box of a bistro — seating a scant 30 when full — offers an alternative that is both original and delightful. Svelte and sexy, the shotgun space features hardwood tables, stylish pendant lights and vases filled with lucky bamboo in place of ho-hum blooms.
Skippering this diminutive dinghy is Matthew Anderson, former executive chef of Sapore at the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking. Anderson took the place of opening chef Michael Longo, who has a lengthy culinary history in the immediate area. What makes Umami unique, in addition to its contemporary Asian menu, is how it operates. On most nights, the skeleton crew consists of a server and the chef, who conducts business from a small open kitchen. In a place this petite, bus boys likely would only get in the way.
Source: Cleveland Scene Weekly
5:00 to 10:00 pm Umami Asian Kitchen offers a ideal sample of why it isn't always sensitive to to outburst the gates of a new restaurant. There are few joints that
