Reporting Back: Syvlan Mishima Brackett of Peko Peko at Mission Street Food

Last night at Mission Street Food was great.  Sylvan did an excellent job, and as I predicted, the croquettes were a sleeper hit (neither of the two people I was dining with wanted to order them and we ended up getting a second order).  Here’s my evening in pictures:

Above is the facade of the restaurant known as Mission Street Food every Thursday and Saturday evening.

On each Thursday and Saturday evening a simple laminated sign that reads “Mission Street Food” is posted on the hostess stand.

And on each Thursday and Saturday folks line up three and four deep and down the block for their dinner.

The lovely hostess takes names.

This Saturday Sylvan Mishima Brackett (in blue) prepared the steelhead salmon for the Ochazuke (a bowl of rice with green tea and dashi, salt-cured steelhead salmon, scallions and nori).

This Saturday Sylvan Mishima Brackett described the Oshinko (cucumber with shiso, napa cabbage with kombu and red chili and green pepper and katsuobushi pickles) to the team of servers at a menu meeting.

It was too dark for great pictures, but we ate some amazing halibut (Hirame kombu-jime: local halibut cured with kombu; with little lettuces and radishes).

Here is the transformation of the steelhead you saw Sylvan pouring over above.

The croquettes and pork belly went too fast for the shutter (we ate two orders of both), as did the scallion pancake with duck and apricots (x2) not mentioned on the previous menu (it turned into a beautifully refined taco when folded).

Bravo Sylvan!

Sylvan can be found at eatpekopeko.com and twitter.com/pekopekobento

Hardly Brackett-worthy, but what is?

I fought to pull it together tonight for a casual outdoor dinner with family.  We hadn’t seen these guys in a while in spite of the fact we live about a twelve-minute walk apart (it was that kind of semester).  I was uncharacteristically exhausted this afternoon I found myself debating with I. about whether to order Zachary’s (an East Bay thing I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to convert to after living in New York for as long as I did–I’ll never forget the first time I had it at my mother-in-law’s house–Chicago-style pizza??? Qu-est-ce que c’est??!!  At this point I eat it and I enjoy it, but I don’t ever think I’ll totally get it).

Suffice it to say it wasn’t my finest moment in the kitchen (or at the grill for that matter) but I love this super easy recipe for grilling.  You prepare a sort of relish of garlic, paprika, lemon, parsley, and olive oil (which takes about five minutes) and then do a simple grill; could be vegetables, seafood, or steak.  Cook to your liking then simply drizzle the sauce over your vegetables, seafood, what have you.  I’ve done it with halibut, cod, and mixed vegetables (peppers, zucchini, onion etc.) so far, and everyone is happy.  Technically I haven’t tried this with steak, but I think it would be perfect.  The epicurious recipe says it’s for seafood–try it and let me know what you think.  Here’s the cod from tonight:

Click here for the original recipe. They call it a “dressing” but I like stretching the definition of “relish,” just for fun.

I’m thinking about:

• building student confidence to improve academic achievement; see NY Times and The Situationist
• how did I forget today was Earth Day?  Jewels of New York in Fort Greene (details on their Twitter) My students are super excited about the film Earth.  “It looks hecka tight!”  Opening today, Earth Day.
• why aren’t there more floral design blogs?  And where did I put all those Parisian florist business cards I collected last spring?
• Summer!
• (in this case still thinking about) how many of my students were stoned on 4/20, how I’m supposed to feel about that, and what I’m supposed to do…NY Times on legalization
• so much trouble in the world; breath in suffering breath out loving kindness
• my latest “ethical dilemma.”  Would you like to read it? 
• Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri—YES! recipe at Epicurious

photo by Romulo Yanes

Back to Basics

Now that I have a big project behind me, I’m trying to get back to “normal”–which means exercising once in a while, going outdoors, and eating something other than frozen food from Trader Joe’s.  God bless Trader Joe’s, but it gets a little depressing to eat three meals a day out of your freezer.

With all the dark chocolate salt caramels I’ve been eating, I’m looking to do a little spring cleaning of the ole’ bod with fresh fish and vegetables.  I think I might try this recipe posted at Orangette: Poached Halibut with Sweet Garlic, Parsley, and Lemon Adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s Weeknight Kitchen newsletter.

 And I’ll steam some artichokes on the side.  There were some at Easter brunch yesterday and I’d forgotten how much I love a good artichoke.  Calling mom for homemade mayonnaise recipe (nothing like anything (or any mayo) you’ve had before).  If you’re lucky I’ll share…