A La Carte, Feb. 6

Dining out

Fu restaurant, Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road

Despite the slightly racy undertone, the name of this pan-Asian spot is fairly prosaic: "Fu" means "luck" in English. From the Woo family of longtime local restaurateurs - primarily remembered for Mayflower Cuisinier - Fu serves Chinese fusion with influences from Korean, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines. A sample of the menu:

Asian tapas: curry lobster puff ($9), steamed edamame (salty or spicy, $6), chilled shrimp with jellyfish ($20)

Soups: egg flower soup ($6), pickled green shredded pork noodle soup ($15), dry scallop porridge ($14)

Wok-fried noodles and rice: Hong Kong-style chow mein ($17), salted fish and chicken fried rice ($16)

Entrees: Peking duck with steamed buns and hoisin sauce ($29), Taiwanese-style three cups sea bass ($28), salty egg and pork patty ($20), chicken in clay pot ($18)

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Call 693-5000 or visit www.HardRockHotel.com.

Latest books for cooks

Here's a recipe from "Tiny Food Party!" by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park (Quirk Books, $18.95)

CAPRESE SKEWERS

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

24 heirloom cherry tomatoes

24 small mozzarella balls

3 sprigs basil

24 cocktail picks

For the glaze, place vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the mixture reduces by half and thickens slightly. Let cook. (Glaze will thicken as it cools.)

Using a sharp knife, cut the tomatoes in half and mozzarella balls in thirds. Sandwich a slice of mozzarella and a basil leaf between each tomato ball. Skewer with a cocktail pick, drizzle with glaze and serve.

Makes 24.

What's new

Hate to separate eggs? The Quirky Pluck will do it for you. Just hold the gadget - which is white like an egg, and shaped like one, too - over a shelled egg and squeeze gently; the yolk will get sucked into the silicone bulb. Squeeze again and you can deposit the yolk in another dish. You can find YouTube videos that show you how to do a similar operation with an empty water bottle, but if you prefer the Pluck's plucky style, it's $12.99 at www.Quirky.com.

Heidi Knapp Rinella