Yi Jiang Nan just off Hollywood Rd. on Staunton St. tucked along more Western style restaurants in Hong Kong is a small restaurant for regional Chinese cuisine. One of their particular specialties is a fish soup which is a pure white. The soup is made simply with turnips a whole bony fish (very bony) and a drop of milk. It is simple, clean and delicious.

After I tasted the soup, I knew that I had to try to recreate it (with a few additions):

I started with the basic soup stock (turnips, ginger, whatever fish was fresh at the market). After straining the stock into another pot I added the milk and enoki mushrooms. The beech mushrooms were roasted in the oven and finished with a flame.

Gongnam Fish Soup with Enoki Mushrooms and Fire Roasted White Beech Mushrooms

Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 large eggs
3 egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar Confectioners' sugar and/or cocoa powder, for dusting

Yesterday, we celebrated Anne's birthday, which is coming up this friday. As is the tradition for her birthday (done 3/4 times during medical school), the cake had to be personally made. Which is nice in theory (especially since usually there are 3 of us making the cake); but this year it fell onto me to make the cake. So I thought it would be a nice time to try out a flourless chocolate cake.

For anyone who's counting there is only one more week till match day and the beginning of my super senior slide. Yesterday, we had our monthly M4 class and cookie party, where we all get to bellyache together. It seems like I'm not alone in having these weird occult manifestations of tension. Sadly knowing that hasn't helped me.

So last night, more experiements.
Chicken Enchilada w/ Salsa Verde

In the interim I've been wasting away in the ER. It's not quite as intense as the show of the same name, but it is pretty fast paced (over 200 come through the emergency department a day). I've seen some interesting things; but nothing too crazy - some MVA, lots of chest pain and the occasional bulging rectal abscess.

Just waiting in agony for Match Day. "Beware of the Ides of March" indeed. The only thing that seems to keep me from totally obsessing over where I'll be for residency seems to be cooking. Luckily, I've been able to experiment more and more since I started Dermatology. My sister recently bought me a few jars of caviar which have to been really fun to use.

Crab Salad on Endive with Beet Saffron Caviar, Grilled Onion & Pepper Quick Pickle Salad topped with a Fried Quail Egg

Poached Cod in a Shrimp Bisque with Stewed Vegetables Topped with Truffled Caviar

Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Sauteed Fennel with Panceta Gravy, Roasted Mushrooms, Balsamic Vinegar Reduction, Mint Chutney