It's My Birthday🔗

I've just grown from a 4-digit age to 5-digit. What an important moment! I've also fallen into the pattern that the more grown up, the more chill. No plans for a big celebration. Just have something I like and have it simple. For that I've decided early on. I'd like to have some kind of fish and some kind of mushroom. That's it. No specific dish in mind. Just improvise I guess.

A and I went to Sprouts. Ahi Tuna steak was on sale. Tuna it is. At Far West Fungi Cafe, woodear clicked with me, probably due to its sealife shape. Wood ear it is.

Fish in Coral🔗

Can you see the fish in coral? It may need some imagination.

The dish is quite simple. Oil and salt the tuna. Pan sear both sides quarter way done for rare band in the center or third way done for just a tinge of pink in the center. Made it almost well-done this time for safety as not sure if Ahi tuna is sashimi grade. Well-done tuna is a different texture, not better or worse than medium rare, just different. It's supple and tender. There is juicy seeping out between layers.

After the fish is done, use the oil in the pan to sauté wood ear mushrooms. Finish with soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar.

Happen to have some leftover horn shaped goat cheese sourdough from Companion Bakehouse. Guess it will be the fish holder.

Oh, there are some RightDown➘ carbonara sauce and chanterells from Far West Fungi special edition. Guess they will be the garnish.

Now it's time to build the ocean. The bread slices are arranged in the shape of a fish. The fish pieces are placed on top of bread as fish meat, literally. The wood ear mushrooms are clustered like corals. The chanterells are the small tropical fish. Carbonara sauce can be the color pattern on our big fish.

The dish is surprisingly fun to eat. You can pick up the bread slices and have everything, fish, woodear, chanterells and carbonara sauce, all in one bite.

Also, the star RightDown➘ carbonara sauce gives such a unique finishing touch that makes the whole dish special. There is a Chinese saying for this, finishing the dragon drawing with the eyes. Maybe bad translation, the gist is the touch that elevates everything to another level.

Last Minute Dessert🔗

How can a birthday be without a dessert? I don't have anything planned ahead. In the afternoon, I decided to make something out of what we have. There is some whipped cream in the fridge, plenty of bananas on the table, and shaved chocolate for hot chocolate in the cupboard. So I once again hand churned some ice cream, chocolate banana flavor. It's not necessarily quick. In fact, it takes quite some elbow grease to scrape semi frozen whipped cream. But it's purely handmade, albeit rustic, one-of-a-kind birthday edition ice cream. So I think it's worth it.

Get a cupcake paper, lay down some hand crushed hazelnut wafers, top a perfect smooth scoop of homemade ice cream. Happy birthday to me :)