Matsu Chan

Cuisine: Japanese
Address: Harvard Square Plaza, 5990 Sheldon Rd., Canton, MI
Telephone: (734) 459 1779
Web: http://www.matsuchan.com
Price: $

Hidden in the corner of a stripmall, Matsu Chan is a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves Japanese ramen noodles. It is run by a husband-and-wife team - the wife waits the 6 or so tables while the husband cooks up a storm behind a tall counter. The decor is quirky - the walls are lined with a collection of license plates from all over North America and there are stacks of Japanese comics in a corner. Most of the customers are Japanese (which we took as a sign of authenticity) and the wait could be long if you go during lunch hour.

There are ample options for vegetarians and you can also request substitutions. We tried the plum rice ball appetizer ($1.75) and we thought the plums gave it a pleasantly tangy taste. The gyoza were stuffed with meat (unfortunately, there wasn't a vegetarian version) and pan-fried. We thought they were a little chewy.

The main attraction at Matsu Chan are of course the noodle soups and we have tried a range of them. The vegetable ramen came in an overwhelmingly big bowl with a ladle to match! The veggies were just crisp enough and plentiful. The menu suggested that the noodles would come in a "clear" broth, but we found the broth to be anything but clear - it was starchy and gelatinous. The mountain vegetables (山菜, sensai in Japanese or shan tsai in Mandarin) ramen ($7) came in a "soy" broth that had much the same properties as the clear broth. Very tasty once one overcomes the disappointment of the broth consistency. The last ramen soup we tried was the seafood ramen ($9), served in a clear broth similar to the vegetable ramen one. It came in a huge bowl with plenty of leafy greens, squid and prawns. We also tried both a seafood and a vegetarian version of the nabeyaki udon ($11). Both were very satisfying and are probably our favorite soups at Matsu Chan, but contrary to what we had experienced in other versions of this dish, the udon came with a hardboiled egg, rather than a poached one. Finally, we wanted to try one of the rice-bowl entrées, so we ordered the eel rice bowl (there are no vegetarian rice bowls). It tasted fine, although we think any of the soup entrées would have been a better choice.

Overall, Matsu Chan is a good dining choice on a cold winter day - and there are plenty of those in Michigan!

Lemon Corn Muffins

We love how crunchy these muffins are - we can't get enough! They are not too sweet and have an exquisite lemony flavor. And the best part is - you can make them with ingredients that you likely stock in your pantry.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/8 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh or dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a large 6 muffin pan. If you don't have a muffin pan handy, use ceramic ramekins instead and increase the cooking time by a few minutes.

Combine the sifted flour, baking powder, cornmeal, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl.

Melt the butter. In a separate bowl, beat the egg. Add the butter and yogurt to the egg, along with the milk.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing thoroughly. Once the batter is well mixed in, add the blueberries and stir them in gently.

Pour the batter into the greased muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6 muffins

Garden Vegetable and Potato Lyonnaise

This could serve as a delightful side dish or as a main dish if accompanied by a salad. We liked the flavor of the caramelized vegetables and the sweetness of the onions. We have modified and decluttered a recipe found in Michel Nischan's Homegrown Pure and Simple cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sweet potato, peeled
5 small turnips, peeled
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 red-skinned potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a 9-by-11 inch pan with half the olive oil.

Peel and cut the sweet potato and turnips into 1/8 inch slices and keep in separate bowls. Slice the onions. Without peeling them, thinly slice the potatoes.

Next, place consecutive layers of each vegetable in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper in between. There should be enough for two layers of each sliced ingredient. Sprinkle the top layer with a tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Tightly wrap the pan in aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes to allow the top layer to brown.

Serves 8

Castello D'Alba

Producer: Castello D'Alba
Varietal: Tinto Rariz
Region: Douro, Portugal
Vintage: 2003
Store: Everyday Wines, Ann Arbor
Price: $16.99

The back label claims that one would be able to taste "silky smooth, intense blackberry and red plum fruit flavors combined with a creamy note of vanilla." The wine was relatively smooth upon opening but it got even better a few days later.

Zucchini Quiche

This quiche is one of the staples in our cooking. It is easy to make and simply delicious. And the best part is - it keeps well and tastes even better the following day!

INGREDIENTS

Pie crust
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup olive oil
salt

Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 zucchini, sliced
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 ounces hard cheese, grated
2 teaspoon fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

To make the pie crust, mix the flour and salt. Add the olive oil, and mix with a fork until you see fine crumbs. Add about 1/2 cup water or enough to form a firm dough. Let dough sit for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the dough and put on a pie plate. Pierce dough with a fork and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 -15 minutes.

In the meantime, use a large pan to sautee the onions in the olive oil until golden brown. Add the zucchini and cook for another 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk and dill. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spoon the sautéed vegetables into the pre-baked pie crust. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and pour the egg mixture into the crust. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes or until set in the middle and slightly brown on top.

Serves 8

The Metro Café

Cuisine: Modern American
Address: 303 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI
Telephone: (734) 213 9100
Web: http://www.metrocafea2.com
Price: $$

The restaurant space is on its fourth incarnation that we are aware of. The interior has been slightly updated - new artwork and (thankfully!) no dolphins in sight - to create a modern, comfortable atmosphere without pushing the envelope too much. Dinner starts with a bread basket many sizes too large for the three rolls inside it. The rolls were a little greasy and chewy - stay away unless you are starving! We sampled three small plates - beef empanadas ($7), teriyaki tofu ($8) and spiced vegetable tempura ($7). There were three beef empanadas on a bed of mesclun greens and an orange sauce drizzle. The teriyaki tofu came slightly charred, layered with gently sautéed spinach and mushrooms. The tempura was a mix of sweet potatoes, peppers, asparagus, etc. and came with a rather heavy cream-based dipping sauce instead of the traditional soy sauce based one. All three dishes were tasty and nicely presented. Although we ordered from the "small plates" section of the menu, the portions were larger than expected and enough to feed two hungry diners. The dessert platter looked tempting and decidedly more original than anticipated. We tried the raspberry passion fruit tart ($6) and the molten lava cake ($7). The passion fruit tart was pleasantly tangy offering a nice contrast to the intense chocolate of the lava cake. The molten lava cake came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and both desserts were accompanied by a raspberry sauce drizzle. Very tasty!