Mako's birthday (2022)

"Breakfast" course

If possible, lets start the day with those grilled ratatouille sandwiches from Bakery Nouveau!

Beer and Peanuts course

• Hazy IPA (ideally Crux or Cloudburst)
• Salted peanuts in the shell

Appetizer Course

Baha fish tacos!

- Crispy plant-based battered fish - creamy jalapeno slaw - cilantro - pico de gallo - a lime wedge

Tapas course

The tapas course will include three different simple dishes that I had on my travels this last year.

1. Mixed cheese yaki (ミックスチーズ焼き)

Mixed cheese yaki from 「鉄板バル SOURCE」

Ingredients:

- base is a simple crepe - the top is just a generous helping of mixed shreeded cheese (jack + cheddar) - top is just pepper

2. Mushrooms and eggs

A very simple wild mushroom dish similar to what we had at Le Venecia in Madrid. Three ingredients: (1) very good olive oil, (2) mushrooms, (3) eggs from El Cisne Azul. Here's a simple picture.

Another photo is on Tripadvisor here that looks more like what we got.

3. Gazpacho soup

We had a delicious gazpacho soup at Achuri in Madrid. It was incredibly creamy and I think the trick was (a) extremely good olive oil, and (b) bread. Let's try this recipe: https://tasteoftheplace.com/gazpachoandaluz/

• 3 pounds (about 6 medium) ripe tomatoes, cored
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, halved, and seeded
• 1 medium green bell pepper, halved, cored and seeded
• 1 small red onion, peeled and halved
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
• 1 small serrano chile, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• Kosher Salt (see note)
• 1 slice High-Quality White Sandwich Bread, crust removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for serving
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus extra for serving (see note)
• 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley, chives, or basil leaves
• ground black pepper

Salad Course

We'll have a salad with:

• shredded carrots,
• red cabbage
• grapes
• feta
• mixed greens
• pepitas
• walnuts
• quinoa

This is the dressing: https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-mint-dressing-recipe/

Main Course

Collard green melt sandwich from the Turkey and Wolf (NOLA): https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/the-collard-green-melt

Pictures:

• http://www.turkeyandthewolf.com/#/new-gallery-25/

We can use the slaw for this sandwich and the tacos.

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5511f5eee4b0b870a8cb7fc2/1593892140237-4ID6S1KH27ODWGC8HTYP/180321_T%26W_Capture_0655.jpg?format=750w

Drinks

Sakura Martini

Recipe: https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/sakura-martini

2 1⁄2 oz Sake

1 oz Gin

1⁄4 oz Maraschino Liqueur

+ garnish w/ pickled sakura

My comments: "Definitely 5★ in terms of looks. Taste is simple and sake forward. I would add a pinch of salt before mixing, especially if using fresh Sakura (which is even better looking)."

Early Bird

Recipe: https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/early-bird

2 oz Rum, Plantation 3 Star

3⁄4 oz Simple syrup (skinny)

3⁄4 oz Lime juice

1 Cherry (Klug Farm, Pitted, Muddled)

1 rinse Coffee liqueur, Bittermens New Orleans Coffee

My comments: "A shockingly good daiquiri." (5)

Akoya

Recipe: https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/akoya

• 1 1⁄2 oz Japanese Whisky (Yamakura)
• 1 oz Sloe gin (Plymouth)
• 1⁄3 oz Suze
• 1⁄4 oz Pine liqueur
• 2 ds Orange flower water
• 1 ds Bitters, Angostura

Shopping list

general supermarket like QFC or safeway or the farmers market

• [TODO] jack and cheddar cheese (a bag of the premixed shredded is fine) [mixed cheese yaki]
• [DONE] veggie fish fillets (we have 2 small fillets already plus some veggie crap cakes) [for tacos]
• [TODO] fresh very good tomatos [pico de gallo, plus gaspacho]
• [DONE] jalapenos [pico de gallo]
• [DONE] four bunches of collard greens [collard green melt]
• [TODO] red wine vinegar [collard green melt]
• [DONE] sherry vinegar [soup]
• [DONE] head of cabbage (ideally red) [collard green melt and tacos]
• [DONE] mama's lil peppers (or similar pickled red cherry peppers) [sauce in collard green melt]
• [DONE] swiss cheese [collard green melt]
• [TODO] sliced caraway rye bread [collard green melt]
• [DONE] cilantro [tacos]
• [DONE] mixed greens [salad]
• [DONE] masa for tortillas [tacos]
• [DONE] grapes [salad]
• [TODO] salted peanuts
• [DONE] cherries (they are in a can) [cocktail]
• [DONE] creole seasoning like Zatarain’s [sandwich] or we can improvise something with like this
• [DONE] cucumber
• [TODO] mint

uwajimaya or similar

• [DONE] kewpie mayonaise [tacos and collard green melt]
• [TODO] preserved sakura [cocktail]

somewhere fancier (met market?)

• [DONE] foraged mushrooms (ideally chanterelles) [mushrooms]

Big John's PFI

• [DONE] high quality olive oil
• [DONE] feta