Mosa Asian Bistro

Thursday, the beloved calendar date we are all itching to arrive, provides the time and space to stop everything -- work and the daily grind, especially -- and celebrate family. Whether around a table, in a football stadium, or over video chat, we collectively pause our routines to appreciate those whom are most special to us. Those who are the reason we're here today.

One family, in particular, celebrates and appreciates such values; not just on Thanksgiving, but every single day. It's apparent as soon as you walk through Mosa's doors on Poplar and White Station. You're greeted by Michelle or Alex, most likely, and then you peek over the 25 sauce-studded bar to find the man behind it all: their father, Eddie Pao. He's whipping up a fabulous lo mein that he's mastered since beginning the business 37 years ago.

Eddie and the Pao family represent one of the few long-standing, family-owned Memphis restaurant businesses that has sanctified tradition yet evolved through the generations. After sitting for coffee with Michelle, I witnessed her continuous commitment to updating the menus, refreshing the space, and perfecting the customer service that keeps diners on the meal plan for years and years to come. The face-to-face value creates loyalty, in my opinion. It's why I love grabbing basil rolls and sautéed vegetables to-go, just so I can catch up with sweet Michelle at the register. It's why my family deems it our go-to spot while everyone is out and about and in need of a centrally-located, reliable, and enjoyable setting for dinner.

Just as we value the family dinner table as routine, Mosa seeks to be a routine, everyday experience for its customers. With its price point, menu variety, and Asian farm-to-table specials, you can come to Mosa on a weekly basis without getting sick of it or breaking the bank. Personally, I go between the pad see ew, shrimp and broccoli with brown rice, and mushroom lettuce wraps. Always a basil roll or spring roll to start. Dumplings if I'm feeling extra hungry. The dozens of choices are fantastic for families, large parties, or a party of one on a weeknight.

The fresh vegetables, brought in weekly through a CSA program, are prepped for hours before the restaurant even opens. I'm in awe of Michelle's description of her team's day-to-day duties, which I hope to experience soon in-person. The bok choy and broccoli never arrive pre-cut. Eddie and his team hand chop the vegetables, formulate the 25 sauces, and prepare for catered affairs, take-outs, and tables seven days a week. It's remarkable!

For the party of five who has transformed customers into "family" for almost four decades, I encourage you to try the consistently delicious Pan-Asian fare, especially once Thursday passes and we'll all be sick of cooking! You'll be impressed with Mosa's fresh focus. It's about great food and great service.

photos by Sophorn Kouy

Mark Your Calendars this Holiday Season

For the time being (although, fingers crossed, it becomes a permanent necessity!), I have created a page (at the top) for upcoming Caramelized events. I'd love for you to join me in celebrating this holiday season, especially with two noteworthy shopping opportunities in Memphis. First of all, I  am honored to be co-hosting an evening of shopping and socializing at Madewell Saddle Creek on December 4 from 6:30-8 p.m. We'll be sipping bubbly, snacking on Muddy's desserts, and getting an exclusive look at the winter store collection! I'll assist your wardrobe styling needs and gift a select few shoppers with a holiday tea set DIY treat. (Hint: The sooner you arrive, the better your chance will be to receive one.)

I am also thrilled to be sponsoring the Memphis Indie Holiday Market at Muddy's Grind House on Saturday, December 13 from 11-5 p.m. The vendors are the best of the best -- I can't begin to brag on the local talent I have recently discovered through this curated collection of artists, designers, and makers!

In addition, I'll be managing my own market booth. I plan to sell little things in tiny jars to elevate holiday sips and sweets. How do y'all feel about sugared cranberries, hot cocoa mix, oatmeal mix, dried citrus, lavender- and espresso-infused sugars with attached recipe cards and holiday entertaining tips? If you have any other mason jar gift ideas, send them my way...

featured image courtesy of umami girl

Sea Bass with Chickpea Puree and Parsley Sauce

I'm the Bon Appétit and Food & Wine fan who dreams about (and drools over) each issue's recipes, rips them out for later use, and completely forgets about them after the fact. However, when Zoe and I invited a few friends for dinner earlier in the month, I spent one evening sorting through dozens of torn pages and narrowing them down to the finest. This sea bass recipe stood out among the rest; and boy, does it still stand out. The chickpea puree leftovers made for a fabulous post-work appetizer and wine accompaniment the following day, and the parsley sauce added just the right amount of color and flavor to the mix.

I served my fillet with a green bean salad with mustard seeds, roasted fingerling potatoes, and some sautéed portobello slices.

Makes 4 servings

1 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 4 six-ounce sea bass fillets Salt and pepper 4 fresh bay leaves 4 small rosemary sprigs 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary 2 cups Italian parsley leaves 2 tablespoons lemon juice Two 15-ounce cans chick peas, rinsed and drained 1 small garlic clove

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium baking dish, mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to marinade, and nestle with bay and rosemary leaves between fillets. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. In a blender, combine parsley with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water. Puree until smooth. With the machine on, gradually add 1/2 cup oil until incorporated. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

3. In a food processor, combine chick peas with garlic, minced rosemary, 1 cup water, remaining 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Transfer puree to a medium saucepan over low heat. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm on stove.

4. Remove fish from marinade. Place on baking sheet. Roast for 12 minutes, until just cooked through. Spoon chickpea puree onto plates and top with fish. Drizzle with parsley sauce and serve immediately.

P.S. The parsley sauce and chickpea puree can be made ahead!

adapted from food & wine

How to Host Holiday Guests with Room & Board

The middle of November has already arrived, and it's about time to turn your hostessing preparations from holiday stress into holiday cheer! Thanks to Room & Board, this collective list serves as your tool for out-of-town visitors throughout the season. From sprucing up the apartment with flowers, to serving bites and sips upon their arrival, these stress-free ideas will provide ultimate memories and the utmost holiday comfort. It's all in the details, too, which makes the tasks totally doable and (surprisingly) enjoyable. You might even be lucky enough to treat your home to a Room & Board accessory of your own...Scroll through my hostess list, note the accessories (all made in the United States by artists), and pick your favorite piece for the enter-to-win giveaway, which will arrive just in time for the holidays!

1. Freshen up with florals.

Arranged in the shore rectangle planter, I tend to choose softer floral colors since a) I'm such a matching maniac, and b) The flowers will not overwhelm or clash with merry holiday decor. I have found plump white hydrangeas to work well with any occasion, whether casual or formal.

2. Stock the pantry.

It is never a bad move to restock the pantry for any possible situation. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and smooth. . .I recommend using good bowls for easy clean-up snacks to hold over guests until dinnertime. My go-to stockers, right now, are wasabi peas, dried berries, almonds, and yogurt- or chocolate-covered raisins.

3. Serve a signature drink.

Remember those nostalgic instances while visiting grandparents? Without fail, I was always offered a glass of lemonade. The gesture, while traditional in fashion, expresses ultimate hospitality -- and a reason to toast! Of course, adding liquor is an option, especially depending upon the person and time of his/her arrival. A lovely morning mimosa after an early flight could be the ultimate relief of jet lag, and a cider wouldn't hurt for a colder evening. Whether drinks are placed on the kitchen counter, coffee table, or guest room nightstand, use the ply walnut tray to transfer any glasses and garnishes.

4. Create ample warmth and lighting.

A lamp and a candle do wonders in any setting; they not only physically brighten the room, but they brighten moods and ambiances. I tend to choose a more natural candle scent, such as lavender, for the therapeutic aroma. And a modern, minimalist table lamp would look fabulous in any guest bedroom. To keep guests extra cozy during winter nights, these horizon throws are made of soft, strong wool, which insulates without the bulk.

5. Make the "list."

Rather than being overwhelmed with questions on nearby locations and must-see spots, provide your guests with an easy-to-follow, reliable list for family favorites and new discoveries. Name your favorite nearby local cafés, shops, etc. The "list" will be reused countless times, even if it only took you a few moments to put together. I like to place my list on top of a stack of magazines, which can vary according to your guest. Bon Appetit for relatives...Vanity Fair or InStyle for the girlfriends...pick and choose nighttime reads as your guest would like.

Guess what? If you're on our "list" -- meaning you follow Caramelized and Room & Board on Facebook (or Instagram, if you're feeling fancy) -- you are in the drawing for a Room & Board giveaway. The winner will choose the accessory of her choice from my holiday list, just in time! The entire Caramelized collection is on a Pinterest Board, for easier access. Follow the instructions for your chance to win:

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A Caramelized Conversation with Eugenia Bone

I’m sitting down with nationally-acclaimed cookbook author Eugenia Bone, who just released her fourth book, The Kitchen Ecosystem. Eugenia is resourceful and innovative, intuitive and noteworthy. Her work has circulated in dozens of publications, including Saveur and Food & Wine Magazines. We are lucky to have her in Memphis next weekend, where she will be signing books, cooking at the Memphis Farmers Market, and preparing a tasting at The Elegant Farmer! Read below to discover her cooking philosophy and why she chooses to continuously visit our city… 

This post can also be found on Choose901.com.

What inspired your most recent cookbook? We love the concept!

I am so glad you do! The concept is really an articulation of an observation. This is the way people used to cook, and the way people who cook a lot, cook now. But here’s what got me thinking about this notion of a kitchen as an ecosystem: Years ago, some friends put together a little party where everyone made dishes from my first cookbook, At Mesa’s Edge. They followed the simple recipes exactly, and everyone enjoyed them very much. However, I was disappointed. I found the dishes weren’t as intense as mine. The flavor wasn’t as punchy. A little investigation and a few phone calls later, and I realized most everyone had used store-bought chicken broth, where I had used homemade. Or store-bought mayonnaise where I had used homemade. That’s when I started to think, hmm, all the components of a dish are like individual species, and the healthier those species are (and in food terms that would mean fresh, regional, and homemade), the healthier the ecosystem. 

What are your five favorite farmers market ingredients for this time of year?

I love the fall foods: brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, beans, potatoes…oh, that’s more than five. Why five? Why not fifteen? How about cranberries, apples, pears, walnuts, broccoli rabe, baby ginger, wine grapes, fennel, and the mushrooms! Hen of Woods are under the Oak trees now.

Every home cook needs…

Fresh water. Which is why every home cook should be out there fighting to protect her local water resources.

How did you begin writing about food, in particular? 

Before I started writing about food I was writing about whatever I could get an assignment for: celebrities, movies, metro, humor…I was an omnivore career-wise. But food was something that I knew a lot about, having grown up in a food family (my dad is Edward Giobbi, who wrote cookbooks and hung out with a lot of terrific chefs) and one of those people who would brave the mankiest little joint in Chinatown if it meant I might get to taste a really rocking jelly fish appetizer. That, and I cooked at home constantly (on a hot plate) and shopped in all the boroughs (on a ridiculously low budget). I began writing about food when I caught a look at an early copy of Saveur Magazine at my butcher’s and realized someone out there thought about food the way I did. I started writing for them and never looked back.

What are you most looking forward to in Memphis?

I love eating in Memphis. The food is fabulous. My mother is from Memphis (Elinor Turner is her name) and I spent a lot of my childhood sitting in my grandmother's kitchen learning how to make corn pones, butter beans, turnip greens, and a proper leg of lamb. I used to go to The Little Tea Shop with my grandfather, who’s office was nearby, and my grandmother used to take me to the polo club to eat peppermint ice cream. But lately when I’ve come to visit, I’ve been floored by the new cooking that is going on here. So I am looking forward to the restaurants, especially Mac’s Elegant Farmer. We are doing some cooking together next Sunday night, November 23.

Here in Memphis, food is a big part of life, and what we eat is such an indication of our culture. What do you think food says about people and, more broadly, cities and their cultures?

Food reflects so many things: the nature of the local economy (Is it regional? Is it global?), the traditions of the people (the holidays foods, and food prohibitions), the values of the society (insular and family oriented, or all about guests?). You can break down a cuisine into these component parts and explain a place. The food in the city of Memphis is the city of Memphis in food.

How do you add sweet touches to everyday experiences (the mantra of Caramelized food blog)?

It always changes. Lately I have been serving up a little plate of sliced feta cheese and dressing it with good olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. The cheese is wonderful as a garnish on stewed meat, vegetables, salads, and pastas. It is a simple, quick, and totally charming addition to a dish (and feta is made from sheep’s milk, which lots of people can manage). All last summer I was making beet granita (recipe in The Kitchen Ecosystem) and serving it before a meal, in the middle of a meal, and after a meal. It was refreshing, always. Come winter, I don’t know. Probably something with nuts. Stay tuned!

Meet Eugenia next weekend at the following events: 

• Book signing at Booksellers at Laurelwood, November 20, 6:30 p.m.

• Book signing and cooking demo at Memphis Farmers Market, November 22, 9:30 a.m.

• Tasting (with wine and a signed copy) at The Elegant Farmer, November 23, Time TBD ($45/ticket). Call the restaurant to reserve your seat at 901-324-2221.

photo courtesy of huffington post

Second Bar and Kitchen (Austin)

If you have seen yesterday's Facebook post, you most likely laughed at the length of restaurants I intentionally squeezed into my epic three-day visit to Austin, Texas. It was absolutely wonderful from start (at Clark's) to finish (at Juiceland) with seventeen of my best friends. The coffees, afternoon snacks, and dirty martinis were not taken for granted, either. I don't know how I managed to consume that many calories (Was the Easy Tiger pretzel really necessary? Yes.), but I'm still standing. So let's continue.

For our first dinner, thirteen of us took a piece of the vast Second Street heated outdoor patio at a favorite, Second Bar and Kitchen. The long table provided enough room to pass and share plates among the group. So that's just what we did!

Unfortunately, we dug into the appetizers too quickly to photograph, but the variety was perfect for our party size. The baked brie with sweet currant-apricot mostado and spicy basil was crowd pleaser -- melted cheese spread onto a toasted crostini like butter. The garlic gnocchi with winter squash was excellent and super seasonal, considering its light and simple disposition. Pumpkin seed-flecked ricotta salad added a slightly rich component. If only the gnocchi was a large plate instead of a small one! We also enjoyed the avocado fundido (think guac and queso combined), bite-sized veal meatballs, and a margarita pizza.

For my entrée, I about died over my vegetarian mushroom carbonara. The combination was smoked and raw mushrooms was fascinating, and the housemade linguine melted amongst the grana padano cheese and crispy arugula. The above photograph shows only half of the portion (since I split with Risa), so be aware of the mighty large portions. I could've eaten two, this was so unbelievable!

The flank steak with chimchurri had a colorful presentation with fresh chiles and cilantro. Others enjoyed the infamous pizzas and raw kale and carrot salad with jumbo grilled shrimp. We were impressed with the efficient service and attention to detail, even for a large group. And while I had already experienced Second Bar and Kitchen twice -- once for an afternoon cheese plate and once for a Sunday night dinner -- I loved the weekend patio vibe. I can't wait to revisit!