dsm Dish - April 4, 2025

At Hotori, find heritage and hospitality

By Hailey Evans

When you step into Hotori, you’ll likely be greeted by a pair of wet noses and eight fluffy paws — Miles and Pia, the two English cocker spaniel sales associates. Owners Nam Ho and Torri Myers are next to say hello. The store’s name combines their names.

They opened their Asian-inspired boutique at 1417 Walnut St. in March. Inside, shoppers can find snacks, housewares and kitchen gadgets, host gifts, cookbooks, and likely much more as the sales floor and inventory expand in the months ahead.

Ho and Myers, who have been dating since 2018, were inspired by similar stores they came across during trips to California visiting Ho’s family. As they explored new neighborhoods, many with Asian heritage and influence, they collected unique items to bring back to Des Moines.

“We handpicked a lot of these brands,” Myers said. “Most times, I’ve reached out directly to the person that makes the product. I have products from a Korean American tattoo artist who makes incense in the store right now. What’s crazy is for a lot of these small brands it's the first time they’re being sold in Des Moines, in Iowa even.” She likes to use the word “artful” to describe the store, and the experience of it.

An assortment of colorful cookbooks about a wide range of Asian cooking styles and cuisines lines the front of the checkout station. “I always beeline toward the cookbooks section in any bookstore,” Myers said.

They also carry Hasami Porcelain, a Japanese brand you might recognize if you’re into Japandi style, which mixes Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism. It’s one of Ho’s favorites. It’s a popular brand online, but Ho said they wanted to carry it at Hotori so people could see and feel it for themselves before making the investment.

Other products come from one of their favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, Woon, where the owner and his mother, the chef, created a line of sauces, seasonings and tea blends from their Chinese restaurant.

“People our age are now making traditional things new and fun, maybe more approachable or just bringing new light to it,” said Myers, who is 33. She’s half Korean, born and raised in Des Moines, and Ho, who is 36, is Vietnamese. Learning more about other Asian cultures and being able to share them with customers “has been a pleasure and what we always hoped this store would do,” Myers said.

“There’s a range of identity in this store,” she added. “As a Korean American, I haven’t always been aware of how I’ve felt about my own identity. For me this is a way of celebrating it; showcasing it can be meaningful and colorful.”

It’s no surprise that Ho and Myers enjoy hosting their friends and feeding them the foods they grew up with. Just before their official opening in March, the pair took over Horizon Line Coffee, the neighboring coffee shop Ho co-owns with Brad Penna, and hosted a party for the Lunar New Year. They went all out with homemade food and red decorations. Myers teared up a bit as she explained how embracing her culture has affected her: “I can’t speak the language, I can’t read the language, but I can cook the food and I can share that.”

Torri’s tips for a perfect host gift basket

“Start with a cookbook.” Try “Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories From a Cantonese American Home” by Calvin Eng.

“Mom’s dish sponge.” Myers’ mother crochets these sparkly Korean dish scrubbers by hand. They’re a traditional Korean housewarming gift.

“Something to eat right away.” Fossa Chocolate, an artisanal brand in Singapore, makes all kinds of unique flavors like hojicha (roasted green tea), lychee rose, matcha yuzu, and ginseng chrysanthemum.

Add a few cooking staples, like Queens Cham Gireum Roasted Sesame Oil or a wooden spoon.

Quick Bites

Jane Wong, a poet and self-described “restaurant baby,” will be featured at this weekend’s Poetry Palooza, and will lead a workshop called “Writing Deliciously” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Grand View University.

The Des Moines Biergarten in Water Works Park is nearly open for the season. The outdoor hangout area under the oak trees already opens for weekend pop-ups, whenever the weather cooperates, so keep an eye out for updates on social media.

Accesi-Wine, a special blindfolded wine-tasting event, is set for April 17 at the Wakonda Club. At the gathering, sommelier Robert Nielson and Kate Mallam will describe Napa Valley wines to help guests appreciate their aromas and flavors. Proceeds from the tasting and a silent auction will benefit the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service (IRIS), which serves more than 11,000 visually impaired Iowans through radio broadcasts and live audio description.

An Ashes & Diamonds Wine Dinner on May 29 at Oak Park will celebrate the terroir and midcentury modern aesthetics of the Ashes & Diamonds Winery in Napa Valley. The dinner is six courses, with wine pairings.

Events

April 9: A five-course dinner with wine pairings led by chef Katie Van Dyke will take place at her alma mater, DMACC’s Iowa Culinary Institute.

April 9: Cicchetti Night, a small-plates party hosted by the Italian-American Cultural Center of Iowa, is set for Noah’s Italian Ristorante.

April 10: Urban Dreams and Winefest present a fundraising dinner paired with Chris Christensen’s Bodkin Wines, a Black-owned company with Iowa roots.

April 11: A Surf & Turf Dinner at the Rollins Mansion promises four courses of delicacies from the Artisanal Food Co., paired with wine, in the historic home’s ballroom.

April 18: “La Cocina” (“The Kitchen”), a 2024 comedy-drama that unfolds in the high-pressure kitchen of a touristy restaurant in New York’s Times Square, screens for one night only at the Varsity.

April 26: Winefest’s Vino in the Village takes over the East Village for an afternoon of samples, scavenger-hunt style. Pick up a glass and a map at check-in and stroll through participating stores to taste wines from around the world.

Cooking 101: Make the most of chicken breasts

By Haley Scarpino

I am a food editor and spend most of my day reading recipes. But somehow, even I often feel overwhelmed by the idea that I must come up with something to eat for dinner every night for the rest of my life. It's a lot, even for someone who adores cooking.

I turn to chicken a few nights a week because it's good and good for you, although sometimes it can seem a little uninspired. I’ve perfected a few methods that can spin into endless variations, so I don't have to think too much about dinner.

Chicken breasts get a bad rap for being bland and dry. I disagree. Like most things, they can be delicious if prepared correctly. I make an absolute ton of chicken and have perfected how to make them moist, tender and delicious.

I buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts in bulk at Costco. They are excellent quality and a great value. I spend a little time wrapping them individually before freezing them. I set them out a day in advance in the refrigerator to defrost. Once they’re defrosted, I turn them into cutlets by cutting them in half horizontally. It requires a very sharp knife and practice. (Here’s a handy guide.) Chicken cutlets cook much faster, which helps retain moisture that keeps them tender and juicy. My favorite way to prepare boneless, skinless chicken cutlets is to grill or pan-sear them.

Brining
Before I grill or pan-sear chicken cutlets, I marinate or brine them, which really makes a big difference. To brine them, I dissolve one tablespoon of kosher salt and one tablespoon of sugar in one and a half cups of water, which is enough for two to four cutlets. Depending on how many you're cooking, you can easily double or triple the brine. I let them brine for 30 minutes and then dry them thoroughly so they get nice and brown when cooking.

Marinating
For a marinade, I use a 2:1 ratio of olive oil to acid (either citrus juice or vinegar). For every 1/4 cup of olive oil, I often toss in 1 finely minced clove of fresh garlic, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Once you understand the oil-to-acid ratio, the possibilities are endless. I love making it with lemon juice and zest for a delicious grilled lemon chicken. Or I use lime juice, zest, cumin, and Mexican oregano for a Tex-Mex spin. You can use red wine or balsamic vinegar with dried oregano for an Italian or Mediterranean version.

I like to marinate chicken cutlets for 8 hours, but they will get a lot of flavor even after 30 minutes. Before grilling or pan-searing, season the chicken generously with more salt and pepper.

Grilling
I recently bought a gas grill, and I love it. I was a diehard charcoal grill user for many years, but I found myself grilling less because it was a bit of a hassle to set it up. I still have my charcoal grill and love the flavor of charcoal-grilled foods, but it's better for weekend cooking when I have more time. I use my gas grill for weeknight cooking in the spring, summer and fall.

If I marinate the chicken, I don't use any additional oil, just the oil from the marinade and a lot of salt and pepper. If I brine the chicken, I pat it dry and coat the chicken in vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Then it's ready for the grill.

Once the grill is nice and hot, I turn the heat to medium-high and grill the marinated or brined chicken cutlets. Once the first side is brown, I flip them and do the same on the other side. If needed, I turn the heat to low and close the lid until they reach 160 degrees. Keep in mind: The only way to cook chicken breasts that are tender, moist and delicious is not to overcook them. The only way to avoid overcooking them is to use an instant-read thermometer (like this one).

I find boneless, skinless chicken cutlets cook for about 10 minutes, but temperature matters more than time. I pull the cutlets off the grill at 160 degrees, place them on a dinner plate or quarter sheet pan, cover them tightly with foil, and let them rest for 10 minutes. Letting your chicken rest is critical. The proteins relax, and the juices redistribute.

Pan-Searing
My method for pan-searing is similar to grilling. I like to cook the cutlets in an enameled cast iron skillet, but this method also works with a traditional cast-iron skillet or stainless steel pan. I get my pan very hot, then add olive oil and butter in equal parts. Don't skimp here. You want to coat the bottom of the pan so it shimmers before you add the chicken. Cook them on the first side until they’re brown, for about 5 minutes. Then flip them over and let the second side brown, usually about 5 more minutes. I pull them off once they reach 160 degrees and let them rest for 10 minutes. Like grilling, the temperature is more important than the time.

For grilling and pan-searing, leaving the meat alone is essential once you start cooking it. The more you fuss with it, the less brown it will get and the longer it will take to cook, resulting in less moisture and flavor.

There are certainly more ways to cook chicken so it’s tender, juicy and delicious. But these techniques I use time and time again, and it almost always turns out well.

Would your dad dig a band called Arkansauce? Here's a good way to find out: Tickets go on sale Tuesday for the first-ever Free Range Music and BBQ Festival, set for June 14, the day before Father's Day, at Jasper Winery just south of Water Works Park. The saucy bluegrass band and Cole Chaney headline a lineup of rootsy Americana acts, but the real draw may be the feast provided by Cornbred Barbecue, Farm Boys BBQ, Smokey D's BBQ and Whatcha Smokin? CraK brews will bring the beer. Outside Scoop will bring the ice cream. All you need to bring are a few lawn chairs and dear old Dad.