tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76140688079481602722024-03-16T11:52:52.502-07:00Slice of RiceVickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.comBlogger894125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-61164850227994554532014-06-07T16:28:00.000-07:002014-06-07T16:28:53.332-07:00Grilled Ramps with Pecorino, Lemon and Sea Salt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTPsiklfXsa9_0UCjI5glaiebFqMkRRYN9kTxFhQvOhAgepgml4cAly6pToVD7jf0Ey3Z348H1F8t9_B0wSSCv_wcaD3KzU6bdaFe1YGLH_phziUx0RgvfnQ8JE8-ii5kac6Ni3ESbmo/s1600/DSC_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTPsiklfXsa9_0UCjI5glaiebFqMkRRYN9kTxFhQvOhAgepgml4cAly6pToVD7jf0Ey3Z348H1F8t9_B0wSSCv_wcaD3KzU6bdaFe1YGLH_phziUx0RgvfnQ8JE8-ii5kac6Ni3ESbmo/s1600/DSC_0171.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Spring is my absolute favorite time of year. Alex loves fall (which is
comparable enough when you are looking at the temperature) but a large
part of what I love about spring is the appearance of things like sugar
snap peas, asparagus and rhubarb at the farmers' market. The
reappearance of the sun and warm temperatures are a bonus. Ramps are one spring ingredient that has I have never really understood. The dishes we made at home with ramps were all pretty good, but they never blew my mind (the best was this <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2012/04/white-pizza-with-ramps.html">White Pizza with Ramps</a>) </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">and I can't remember ever ordering a dish at a restaurant with ramps that really stuck out in my mind. I did have a lovely carrot pasta at <a href="http://www.blancanyc.com/">Blanca</a> a few weekends ago that had a ramp sauce and a single grilled ramp on top that was lovely, but I think it would have still been lovely without the ramps.</span> I'm sure I have ordered other dishes with ramps because that's what you're supposed to do at a farm-to-table type restaurant in the spring, but seeing as I can't remember a single one they couldn't have been that amazing. And yet I keep trying new ramp dishes because I am stubborn like that. I see them in the farmers' market and I just have to buy them. And then I have to figure out what I want to do with them. Again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Anyway, I saw this recipe in Hugh Acheson's cookbook, <i>A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for your Kitchen</i>, not too long ago and I mentally bookmarked it for my next ramp experiment. It looked different from the usual ramp recipes I come across (i.e. serving them with eggs, pasta or pickling them). Our fallback is usually pickled ramps, but I wanted to try something new. And I'm glad I did because this was probably the first ramp recipe where I started to understand why people enjoy ramps so much. In this dish they have such a lovely garlicky flavor that is nicely tempered by the salty flavor of the cheese and the brightness of the lemon juice. "Grilling" our ramps on the grill pan seems to have taken their almost oily and pungent flavor down a notch. I know some people enjoy ramps and eggs together but I have had dishes where the ramps just seemed greasy and a little too in your face funky to me (like in these <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2012/04/fried-eggs-with-sauteed-ramps-and-duck.html">Fried Eggs with Ramps and Duck Bacon</a>) or completely disappeared into the dish (like these <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2012/05/oeufs-en-cocotte-with-ramps.html">Oeufs en Cocotte with Ramps</a>). We served these ramps with some seared salmon, but I could see serving them any number of other dishes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Grilled Ramps with Pecorino and Lemon </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Hugh Acheson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tsp kosher salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">24 wild, but clean, ramps</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 tbsp evoo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 lb Pecorino-Romano, shaved with a peeler to thin strips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">juice from 1/2 lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Blanch ramp bulbs in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, until bulbs are tender. Then cool in an ice bath.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat a grill pan over moderately high heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Remove ramps from ice bath, dry well and drizzle with 1 tbsp evoo. Toss to coat. Season with kosher salt. Grill ramps on hot grill pan until charred in places, about 2-3 minutes. Remove ramps, top with cheese and </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">drizzle with remaining evoo (if desired) and lemon juice</span>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Serve. </span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-25448351161394909992014-06-04T12:46:00.003-07:002014-06-04T12:46:56.094-07:00Update on Restaurants to Try for 2014<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We are 6 months into 2014 and I decided it was time to update my list of restaurants to try for 2014. We have done a pretty good job of checking restaurants off the list, but we have a ways left to go. I would like at least a 50% success rate (plus at least one of the runners up) by the end of the summer, which I think is definitely do-able. I'm thinking Betony and another trip to Brooklyn to try either Pok Pok NY or Roberta's, but we will have to play it by ear. I have been very pleased with the meals we had at all of the restaurants on the list thus far; hopefully any other restaurants we visit will be similarly delicious. If I were to add some new restaurants to the list (or the runners up) now, they would be <a href="http://www.dynamic-ink.com/gorb/">The Gorbals</a> (Ilan Hall was an early Top Chef winner and I love his show <a href="http://tv.esquire.com/shows/knife-fight"><i>Knife Fight</i></a> so I am excited to try his restaurant in Brooklyn once it opens this summer), Mu Ramen (their pop-up closed but I think they are also opening a restaurant this summer), <a href="http://bassanovanyc.com/">Bassanova Ramen NYC</a> (I know very little about this place but it made it on the NY Times list of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/05/dining/slurp-worthy-the-top-10-ramen-destinations-in-new-york.html">Top 10 Ramen Destinations in New York</a> and Serious Eat's <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2013/09/best-ramen-nyc-ippudo-hide-chan-yuji-yebisu-totto-chuko-bassanova.html">Best Ramen Shops in NYC</a> - plus their green curry ramen looks delicious), <a href="http://www.thegandernyc.com/">The Gander</a> (we love Recette, so why not try </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Jesse Schenker’s new restaurant) and <a href="http://decoynyc.com/">Decoy</a> (the Peking duck restaurant by the Red Farm team). </span><br />
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brooklynfare.com/">Brooklyn Fare</a> </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brooklynfare.com/">Parm</a> and <a href="http://carbonenewyork.com/">Carbone</a> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://empellon.com/cocina/single.html?id=1526182"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Empellon Cocina</span></a></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pokpokny.com/home">Pok Pok NY</a> </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://robertaspizza.com/">Roberta's</a> and <strike><a href="http://www.blancanyc.com/">Blanca</a></strike></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><strike><a href="http://fungtu.com/">Fung Tu</a></strike> </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://aldernyc.com/">Alder</a> </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://missioncantinanyc.com/">Mission Cantina</a> </span></li>
<li><strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pearlandash.com/">Pearl & Ash</a></span></strike></li>
<li><strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://estelanyc.com/">Estela</a> </span></strike></li>
</ol>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Runners Up: M. Wells Dinette, Sripraphai, Perla, Charlie Bird, Toro, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Betony, Sushi Nazakawa, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Cecil, Contra</span></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-72307028297762331652014-05-26T08:57:00.001-07:002014-05-26T08:57:48.746-07:00Ramp Drop Biscuits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWDSg2bhrxjFyotn0NeownfnC0AhhKNKHa63F0s63sOjTSXhOOJhxQJUqAFqvzfVIufP9fMRtQRO4feeZqcotZz90WDj5e1HIDMNBFhzqehxrDGRXe8LFHXrpN_aS6zaP28m3iYxdT_c/s1600/DSC_0898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWDSg2bhrxjFyotn0NeownfnC0AhhKNKHa63F0s63sOjTSXhOOJhxQJUqAFqvzfVIufP9fMRtQRO4feeZqcotZz90WDj5e1HIDMNBFhzqehxrDGRXe8LFHXrpN_aS6zaP28m3iYxdT_c/s1600/DSC_0898.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sometimes I wish we lived in the South (or at least closer to the South). Then again, if we lived closer to good barbeque and biscuit sandwiches, I would probably weigh a good 5-10 pounds more. So maybe that's not such a good idea. Every once in awhile I get a little anxious for a good BBQ and/or biscuit fix. I tried to convince Alex a few weeks ago that we should go to Chapel Hill for a weekend in June so I could eat pulled pork at Allen & Sons and biscuit sandwiches from Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen and Bojangles. Alex shot me down. But I convinced him to make ramp drop biscuits today and we bought a Fast Pass for Big Apple BBQ in early June, so I will have to make do.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> I am generalizing a bit here, but drop biscuits tend to be less flaky and layered and more tender, with a nice crust. In my opinion, they make really good biscuit sandwiches. Alex prefers flaky biscuits, but drop biscuits are nice because they are quick to make and aren't as messy - if you're feeling lazy you can totally make them in your food processor or your stand mixer in a matter of minutes. You don't have to cut in the butter by hand and then roll them out on a cutting board before cutting them with a cookie/biscuit cutter (which inevitably results in a huge mess and lots of wasted dough scraps). These biscuits came together so quickly and so easily that I was halfway tempted to declare that we should only make drop biscuits from now on. But there are times when I want a really flaky biscuit so that plan isn't going to work. Ramp biscuits aren't for everyone - they leave an interesting lingering (somewhat garlicky) aftertaste. I think these biscuits would make an excellent breakfast biscuits - some scrambled eggs and ham or bacon would work really nicely with the flavor and texture of the biscuits.</span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Ramp Drop Biscuits </b></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/05/ramp-drop-biscuits-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a> </span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:<br /><span class="ingredient">4 cups (about 20 ounces) all purpose flour</span><br /><span class="ingredient">4 teaspoons baking powder</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 teaspoons sugar</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes</span><br /><span class="ingredient">About 12 young ramps, bulbs chopped fine and leaves cut into thin strips (about 2/3 cups)</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 cups buttermilk, plus more for brushing</span><br /><span class="ingredient">Freshly ground black pepper</span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Set a rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. In bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Turn mixer on to low speed, then add butter and mix until butter is in pea-sized or smaller chunks, about 4 minutes. Add ramps, then drizzle in buttermilk. Once buttermilk is mostly absorbed, turn off mixer and carefully fold any stray flour or buttermilk into the dough with a rubber spatula.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Scoop biscuits into 1/2 cup mounds, leaving at least 2 inches between each biscuit on all sides. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate pan, reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until lightly colored on top and firm to the touch, Allow to cool slightly before eating.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-65728265712760332512014-05-24T13:35:00.002-07:002014-05-24T13:35:33.743-07:00Red Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBAZRpg_JqecEtb7Ae8S0p5T8z7v-0BzkZ471b5oX_VX3Dep6009E1tFQu9mHeM1GW-ZT2OVahb-mJVuaCQAJ_WG3Ncgt8VEGgqnrkbbGpgj6jzlc05tcmcvwOpmC_OOY1OwVOkVukNk/s1600/IMG_0776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBAZRpg_JqecEtb7Ae8S0p5T8z7v-0BzkZ471b5oX_VX3Dep6009E1tFQu9mHeM1GW-ZT2OVahb-mJVuaCQAJ_WG3Ncgt8VEGgqnrkbbGpgj6jzlc05tcmcvwOpmC_OOY1OwVOkVukNk/s320/IMG_0776.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">RedFarm was by far my favorite restaurant that opened on the UWS in 2013. We have been 4-5 times now and every trip I find a new dish that intrigues me. We have a few standards that we order every time (the soup dumplings, the pastrami egg rolls and the crispy duck and crab dumplings, all of which are pictured). Those soup dumplings are some of the best soup dumplings I have ever had - the broth inside is more flavorfulThere are a few other dishes that we order ALMOST every visit (the shrimp-stuffed crispy chicken and the bacon-fried rice), but depending on how many people we are there with and what dishes they want to order, they might not make the final cut. Not every dish is a winner, but I have never left with less than an excellent (and innovative) meal. Where else can you go to a "Chinese" restaurant that serves pastrami egg rolls and dumplings that look like pac man, horseshoe crabs and/or other little ocean creatures that are actually delicious? Also, the chef there has the perfect touch with the deep fryer. I'm usually leery of fried food - too often it comes out a little soggy and very oily. But all of the deep fried dumplings and other appetizers at RedFarm come out perfectly crispy and tasty. Some of the entrees and rice/noodle dishes are exceptional (their rib steak is a little pricey, but one of the most tender and perfectly cooked steaks I have eaten in the city and the grilled pork chops can be pretty fantastic), but most of the dishes that I have been less blown away by have been either entrees or rice/noodle dishes. If you are going to RedFarm for the first time (or any time thereafter), I highly recommend loading up your order with a few different types of dumplings, one or two appetizers/salads and then consider the entree and rice/noodle options. You won't be disappointed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">More pictures after the jump!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qo-uUe0h1ahomx4yDhyETBJmWiVNy-FVSWmqfPo0NYN3uY24PQKQlc3WygUuQmBxupYZLVtL4A48cXhug56fjRQh2f8menn7x7hLsAU09oy4SBiy51Ipo7uttUIJB3yVFmO73uz1iek/s1600/IMG_0778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qo-uUe0h1ahomx4yDhyETBJmWiVNy-FVSWmqfPo0NYN3uY24PQKQlc3WygUuQmBxupYZLVtL4A48cXhug56fjRQh2f8menn7x7hLsAU09oy4SBiy51Ipo7uttUIJB3yVFmO73uz1iek/s320/IMG_0778.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Katz's pastrami egg rolls</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvuDskwv-fC8u24lMQIAJ33fM2gJchJ2gwCn592_GnhdFOuVgwkZghJyh1_vwz35EhDEn54saMbbftGfEw_breeqC1JzPyCPqG8xxKF4cdkCKtqqUgikApE1wdkT3ODIyGShAK3RBDb4/s1600/IMG_0783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvuDskwv-fC8u24lMQIAJ33fM2gJchJ2gwCn592_GnhdFOuVgwkZghJyh1_vwz35EhDEn54saMbbftGfEw_breeqC1JzPyCPqG8xxKF4cdkCKtqqUgikApE1wdkT3ODIyGShAK3RBDb4/s320/IMG_0783.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"Pac Man' Shrimp Dumplings (what you can't see in this picture is the giant piece of fried sweet potato that actually looks like Pac Man chasing the dumplings across the plate)</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Soup dumplings</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fYLTEu9taWeL96ilOKc3eZF7w9FAyTPf4jl_ZkadzSzBHrtEPL5oUa3p1kB5j2N-gjyTtLd-BqQsSv2I29PdzN5-OnQ8ZM7FnNDoZYSfFYsFEI1f8cQzBd5mDHNhyphenhyphenaYM8Dw8rERZPgs/s1600/IMG_0790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fYLTEu9taWeL96ilOKc3eZF7w9FAyTPf4jl_ZkadzSzBHrtEPL5oUa3p1kB5j2N-gjyTtLd-BqQsSv2I29PdzN5-OnQ8ZM7FnNDoZYSfFYsFEI1f8cQzBd5mDHNhyphenhyphenaYM8Dw8rERZPgs/s320/IMG_0790.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">BBQ’d ‘Black Foot’ Berkshire pork belly with grilled jalapenos</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Five flavor chicken dumplings</span> </div>
<br />Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-90940534382555180502014-05-23T08:56:00.003-07:002014-05-23T08:56:36.911-07:00(Belated Again) Chinese New Year Meal #7: Crispy Pan-Fried Noodle Cakes with Seafood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO-i71LOeCFNLhVbHgFV93GipZk1J-2IWfRwm8sMPkMUfW0sJCp2nlBugEt-ySRm-P4a77ctzAPQyukmo0D1yqoYkB5rlJZY4XXlL_li3E66fMYfK6x__ErX16Si5Hue4LCd-fE2Wk-0/s1600/DSC_0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO-i71LOeCFNLhVbHgFV93GipZk1J-2IWfRwm8sMPkMUfW0sJCp2nlBugEt-ySRm-P4a77ctzAPQyukmo0D1yqoYkB5rlJZY4XXlL_li3E66fMYfK6x__ErX16Si5Hue4LCd-fE2Wk-0/s1600/DSC_0895.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Guess what? We finally finished our week of Chinese New Year meals! It only took a couple months... When I first started posting a week's worth of Chinese New Year meals on the blog I spent hours pouring over recipes trying to represent the different regions and cuisines of China. I wanted seven meals made from different ingredients, some spicy, some meaty, some vegetarian, some noodles, some dumplings... It was quite a process. This year I didn't have a lot of time to plan. And since I was so behind the ball in getting started I rushed into things a little. Fuchsia Dunlop is always a good source for a few Chinese New Year meals. I love all three of her cookbooks. In the past year or two I have come to rely more and more on <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/">Serious Eats</a> for new recipes. I love that they make up their own recipes in addition testing out cookbooks. I also love that their recipes run the gamut of different types of Chinese cuisine. Four out of the seven Chinese New Years meals I made this year (including this one) were from Serious Eats. There were a few other recipes I found elsewhere, but for one reason or another they didn't make the cut. Some were a little too fusion-y, others involved ingredients that I couldn't find. But what tended to happen was that I stumbled across a recipe that I wanted to make more. This recipe for pan-fried noodles wasn't one that I originally planned on making. I don't typically make more than one noodle dish, but I really love pan-fried noodles. But other than the double-up on the noodles, I think we did a pretty good job of diversifying our meals. We did one Sichuanese dish with beef and another with chicken, one Taiwanese dish with pork belly, one Xinjiang dish with lamb, one Cantonese dish with seafood... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This dish was surprisingly successful. I was pretty happy with it. When we tried to make pan-fried noodles in the past we always ended up with burnt noodles that stuck to the wok, which resulted in burnt noodles and made it far more difficult to transfer the noodles from the wok in order to flip them over and cook the other side. But these worked out pretty well! There was some sticking on the first side after we added the water, but the second side worked perfectly. And the process of parboiling the scallops and blanching the greens worked out really well because both ended up perfectly cooked. The original recipe on Serious Eats calls for the addition of calamari and fish balls, but the grocery store was out of calamari and I don't really like fish balls so I decided to leave them out. I really liked the combination of bay scallops and shrimp, but I might try the calamari next time if it was available.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>(Belated Again) Chinese New Year Meal #7: Crispy Pan-Fried Noodle Cakes with Seafood</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/05/crispy-pan-fried-noodle-cake-seafood-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 pound large shrimp, cleaned, deveined and shelled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6 tbsp vegetable oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 tsp white pepper powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 cloves garlic, finely minced (about 2 tsp)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tsp oyster sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 tsp white pepper powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tsp cornstarch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 pound choy sum or other Chinese greens</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 pound bay scallops</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8 ounces Hong Kong Style Pan-Fried Noodles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8 fresh shiitake mushroom, about 1/2 lb</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine shrimp, baking soda, 1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Cover with cold water, stir to combine, and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine stock, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a medium while. Stir to combine and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat 2 cups of water in the wok until boiling. Add choy sum and cook just until tender, about 30 seconds. Remove with tongs, run under cold running water to stop cooking, then set aside to drain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Add scallops and squid and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Drain and run under cold water to halt cooking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Gently break apart the noodles with your fingers to separate any large clumps. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large saute pan (we had more luck with the saute pan because there was more surface area and better contact with the pan-fried noodles) over high heat until shimmering. Add noodles and cook, swirling gently, for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, add 1/4 cup of water, and cook, swirling pan occasionally until beginning to brown. Gently peek under noodles by lifting the edges with a spatula and pushing the edges in towards the center. Continue cooking, swirling, until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes total.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Top the wok or saute pan with a plate and flip the noodles onto the plate. They should be golden-side up. Heat another 2 tablespoon of oil in the wok or saute pan until shimmering. Slide noodle cake into wok or saute pan and continue to cook, swirling regularly, until golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate or shallow bowl and keep warm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">While the noodles are pan-frying, heat another tablespoon oil in another wok or saute pan over high heat until smoking and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring regularly, until browned and tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Carefully drain shrimp. Heat another tablespoon oil in the wok over high heat until smoking and add shrimp. Cook, stirring regularly, until barely cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl with mushrooms and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If the wok looks dry, add another teaspoon or two of vegetable oil and heat over high heat until smoking and add scallops. Cook, stirring regularly, until barely cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl with mushrooms and shrimp and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Return wok to heat. Stir sauce mixture and add to wok. Cook until simmering and lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Return seafood and mushroom mixture to pan and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Pour mixture over noodle cake, add choy sum, and serve immediately.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-23404563323928738422014-05-23T08:25:00.004-07:002014-05-23T08:25:50.558-07:00Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel and Raw Asparagus Caesar Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfT1e9EttxqXCSOT-9O7U_8ElXjR0_cloOHmNiK5vwfkSzJEHElKKR2YuAxENMFupYE-JlRCyCczIZDOFZ99n8cVBkZgMQyx6gMeQfusicAsTywJInEcDH75e9NQtll4hFNf4GryZg9M/s1600/DSC_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfT1e9EttxqXCSOT-9O7U_8ElXjR0_cloOHmNiK5vwfkSzJEHElKKR2YuAxENMFupYE-JlRCyCczIZDOFZ99n8cVBkZgMQyx6gMeQfusicAsTywJInEcDH75e9NQtll4hFNf4GryZg9M/s1600/DSC_0880.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Chicken schnitzel doesn't exactly sound sexy (if I had to pick a sexy-sounding schnitzel it would be duck schnitzel like the one they serve at <a href="http://www.themarrownyc.com/index.php">The Marrow</a>). And it doesn't look sexy. But I feel like I keep running across recipes for it lately and honestly, schnitzel can be really tasty (provided it's not dried out and flavorless, which can be a serious problem with chicken breasts and/or pork). Alex and I have long been fans of breading and cooking chicken. Generally we bread the chicken with some panko and/or cornflakes and throw it in the oven because it's easy and the breading tends to fall off on us when we try to cook it in a pan. But this recipe worked out beautifully - the panko was beautifully golden brown and crispy and the chicken was cooked through without being dry. And none of the breading fell off! Plus when you added the <i>piccata</i> sauce it makes everything that much more delicious. Who doesn't love browned butter with capers and lemon juice? I think chicken schnitzel always needs a sauce</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> because
the breading often isn't seasoned and even though the chicken breasts here weren't
all dried out and overcooked, it's still boneless, skinless chicken
breast with breading</span>. By definition the combination is a little dry. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This <i>piccata</i> sauce works nicely, but a spicy sriracha mayo (or a simple squirt of lemon juice) works too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As for the asparagus salad, I love asparagus salads. And this one worked nicely with the chicken schnitzel because it is crisp, bright and acidic. It cuts through the slight richness of the chicken nicely. This isn't my favorite raw asparagus salad that we have ever made, but it was really nice and fresh, but the dressing gives it a little creamyness and umami. I would make it again.</span><br />
<div class="two-columns" id="ingredients">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="two-columns" id="ingredients">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipes after the jump!</span></div>
<div class="two-columns" id="ingredients">
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<div class="two-columns" id="ingredients">
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIU4OfRlYT5vIP2wmB0HPc70mcZ5j47o8kSFxKGojUIOuLEMvgbAKkABPMJsxodQhbDR71us8ZAOsU8Lv5sOsKaX2ySe44XPUD_35C2i-VorlA83MHFNCI-prQAd4loSqOnjpYksiebQ/s1600/DSC_0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIU4OfRlYT5vIP2wmB0HPc70mcZ5j47o8kSFxKGojUIOuLEMvgbAKkABPMJsxodQhbDR71us8ZAOsU8Lv5sOsKaX2ySe44XPUD_35C2i-VorlA83MHFNCI-prQAd4loSqOnjpYksiebQ/s1600/DSC_0876.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="two-columns" id="ingredients">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel</b></span></div>
<div class="two-columns" id="ingredients">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/panko-coated-chicken-schnitzel"><i>Food & Wine</i></a></span></div>
<div class="two-columns" id="ingredients">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
1 cup flour
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
3 eggs, beaten
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
2 cups <i>panko</i>
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), butterflied and pounded 1/4-inch-thick (we used pre-pounded, thin sliced chicken breast from the grocery) </span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
s&p
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
1/4 cup canola oil
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
3 tablespoons butter
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">1 tbsp evoo </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">2 teaspoons capers
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
2 tablespoons lemon juice
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
</span></span>
</div>
<div class="four-columns" id="directions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Set the flour, eggs and panko in three separate shallow bowls.
Season the chicken cutlets with s&p. Dredge the chicken in
the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the eggs, again shaking off any excess, and coat
thoroughly with the panko<i>,</i> pressing lightly to adhere.
</span></div>
<div class="four-columns" id="directions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In each of 2 large skillets, heat 1/4 cup of canola oil. Add the chicken
and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and
crispy, about 3-4 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined
baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
</span></div>
<div class="four-columns" id="directions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and cook over moderately
high heat until browned and nutty, about 4 minutes. Add evoo and stir in the capers,
lemon juice and parsley. Spoon over the chicken and serve immediately.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="four-columns" id="directions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Raw Asparagus Caesar Salad</b></span></div>
<div class="four-columns" id="directions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/04/asparagus-caesar-salad-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 bunches (or about 2 pounds) pencil-thin asparagus, tough ends trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 tablespoon mayonnaise</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon Dijon mustard</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 anchovy filet)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">6 tablespoons evoo</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">s&p</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (we used a little less Parm-Reg than called for, maybe 1/3 cup)</span></span></div>
<div class="four-columns" id="directions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="procedure-number checked">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine mayonnaise, red wine vinegar,
lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and anchovy
paste in a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream until
incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In a medium bowl, toss the asparagus
with the dressing. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-60664649778394630572014-05-21T19:29:00.002-07:002014-05-22T07:42:47.086-07:00(Belated Again) Chinese New Years Meal #6: Sichuanese "Send-the-Rice-Down" Chopped Celery with Ground Beef (Jia Chang Rou Mo Qin Cai)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVLYQG-HLzk5hzocl8l7rqT9nvxAMbXTDlx_V3w8GORLeT1Ns0ADRWkujmhPiLgdmnKQEdfkEcngIU3-nijCIV4tYZ5IOwjXEFotOB2wLhmQ_HgoM5NVVcqClrFJMWn0H33_LPjHpgBY/s1600/DSC_0888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVLYQG-HLzk5hzocl8l7rqT9nvxAMbXTDlx_V3w8GORLeT1Ns0ADRWkujmhPiLgdmnKQEdfkEcngIU3-nijCIV4tYZ5IOwjXEFotOB2wLhmQ_HgoM5NVVcqClrFJMWn0H33_LPjHpgBY/s1600/DSC_0888.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Some recipes are far more trouble than they are worth. We have made more than our fair share of dishes that take hours and involve dirtying up every single pot and pan in the kitchen, but turn out to be just ok in the end. Other recipes are so simple and come together so quickly that you can't imagine that they will be that good in the end. And then they end up blowing you away. Those recipes are few and far between, but this dish happens to be one of them. There are less than 7 ingredients total in the entire dish, but there is so much flavor. The broad bean paste gives the dish heat, but what I really enjoyed is the combination of ground beef and Chinese celery. The meaty, rich flavor of the ground beef is a really good counterpoint to the grassy, distinctly herbal flavor (and crisp texture) of the Chinese celery. I don't know how substituting regular celery for the Chinese celery would affect the dish, but I would definitely be willing to give it a shot. I think if you use regular celery the recipe says that you need to peel the little celery strings off, which seems a little finnicky and irritating, but such is life. If the flavor of the final dish is a rough approximation of the flavor of the Chinese celery in this dish, I would make it again and again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Sichuanese "Send-the-Rice-Down" Chopped Celery with Ground Beef (<i>Jia Chang Rou Mo Qin Cai</i>)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Fuchsia Dunlop </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">11 oz. Chinese celery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 tbsp canola oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 oz ground beef</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 tbsp broad bean paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp light soy sauce (or to taste)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp Chinkiang vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Cut celery lengthways into 3/8-inch (1 cm) strips. Finely chop the strips. Bring water to a boil and blanch the celery for about 30 seconds. Drain well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add ground beef and stir-fry until cooked and fragrant, pressing it with the back of your wok scoop to sear and separate the beef. Add the chili bean paste and continue to stir-fry until fragrant and the oil has reddened. Add the ginger and stir-fry for a few moments until fragrant, then add Chinese celery.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Continue to stir-fr until the celery is piping hot, seasoning with soy sauce. Stir in vinegar and serve with rice.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-71310405979554379312014-05-18T19:10:00.001-07:002014-05-18T19:10:40.550-07:00(Belated Again) Chinese New Year Meal #5: Pork Belly Buns (Gua Bao)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4DRSsWI6WNyREshPAmaZNJOX4-NsqXt8G37EGjIriUAowekvKpASEPE5bqUKZE0w6xxhFQvAz65BOwlghyphenhyphenwrRLRorlHsgYNBYmnqsQO1eBe7o1lYs3XHW2N826JXCODYKfsnmoJ_OZs/s1600/DSC_0865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4DRSsWI6WNyREshPAmaZNJOX4-NsqXt8G37EGjIriUAowekvKpASEPE5bqUKZE0w6xxhFQvAz65BOwlghyphenhyphenwrRLRorlHsgYNBYmnqsQO1eBe7o1lYs3XHW2N826JXCODYKfsnmoJ_OZs/s1600/DSC_0865.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I have to admit - it is more than a little ridiculous that I am still posting Chinese New Year meals. It's almost June. But I started posting them back in March and promised to post another week's worth of Chinese New Year meals so we are committed. I'm sure I could stop doing it and no one would notice, but we're just going to keep slowly trucking along because that's what we do. We finally had time to visit Chinatown this past weekend for another few meals' worth of Asian groceries, so we should be making a few other Asian recipes this week (the goal is to knock off 2 belated Chinese New Year meals this week and they we will only have ONE left to do). Whoo-hoo! I refuse to let this carry on into June if I can help it... I want to make some seafood panfried noodles and another meat or tofu dish with Chinese celery (this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/dining/04minirex.html?_r=0">Celery and Tofu</a> recipe from the NY Times has been taunting me for years) and then I will call it a day for this year. The noodles might need to wait until next weekend, but I'm thinking the other dish is definitely do-able next week without another trip to the grocery store.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Anyway, these pork belly buns are one of my favorite pork belly dishes we have ever made. When we tried to make the <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2013/01/pork-belly-ssam-with-mustard-seed-sauce.html">Pork Belly Ssam with Mustard Seed Sauce</a> from the Momofuku cookbook our pork belly was way salty and verging on burnt. Previously our most successful pork belly dish was this <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2012/01/red-braised-pork-hong-shao-rou.html">Red-Braised Pork Belly (<i>Hong Shao Rou</i>)</a>, which was lovely and very flavorful. But it was a little heavy and very rich. Even though the flavor was really good, you felt like you were eating a heart attack on a plate. This pork belly was super flavorful - savory and a little sweet with just a hint of lingering heat from the Thai chili (I highly recommend you include it). The cilantro gives the dish some freshness and crisp texture, the peanut powder is nicely sweet and crunchy and the pickled mustard greens are vinegary and tangy. It is the perfect balance of the fatty pork, tender steamed buns and a variety of flavors and textures.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Pork Belly Buns (<i>Gua Bao</i>)</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/taiwan-eats-pork-belly-steamed-buns-gua-bao.html?ref=title">Serious Eats</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">INGREDIENTS:</span><span class="ingredient"><strong> </strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span class="ingredient">For the Pork Belly:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil</span><br /><span class="ingredient">One (1-pound) slab skin-on pork belly, cut into 2-inch strips, then sliced 1/4 inch thick</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 medium cloves garlic, crushed</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 (1/8th-inch) slices fresh ginger (unpeeled)</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 star anise pod (optional)</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 small fresh red chili, such as Thai chili (optional)</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 tablespoons rock, brown or raw sugar</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup Asian rice wine</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon five spice powder (see note above)</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup dark soy sauce</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup light soy sauce</span><br /><span class="ingredient">4 cups water</span><span class="ingredient"> </span><br /><span style="color: red;"><span class="ingredient">For the Buns and Toppings:</span></span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 tablespoon rock, brown, or raw sugar (see note above)</span><br /><span class="ingredient">6 fresh or frozen Chinese-style steamed buns (see note above)</span><br /><span class="ingredient">6 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped</span><br /><span class="ingredient">4 tablespoons coarsely chopped Asian pickled mustard greens (see note above)</span></span><div class="ingredients-section">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><div class="procedure-text">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Cook pork
belly until lightly browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip pork
belly and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer
pork belly to a plate and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In the same skillet, add garlic
and ginger and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until fragrant. Add
star anise and chili (if using), and sugar and cook, stirring, until
the sugar is melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add rice wine and
bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add
five spice powder, dark and light soy sauces, and water and bring to a
boil.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Return pork belly to the skillet
and reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and cook until pork belly is very
tender, at least 1 hour or preferably 2 hours.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Meanwhile, combine peanuts and sugar in a blender or food processor and
pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the mixture resembles a
coarse powder, about 1 minute.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Set a steamer over a pot of
boiling water. Add buns, cover steamer and cook until buns are heated
through and fluffy, about 3 minutes.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Spread
pickled mustard greens inside each steamed bun and set a piece of pork
belly on top of mustard greens. Top pork belly with a pinch of the
chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of the peanut powder. Serve immediately.</span></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-15217448643939215542014-05-12T17:55:00.001-07:002014-05-12T17:55:09.068-07:00Charred Asparagus Tacos with Creamy Adobo and Pickled Red Onions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWf1zmMOxy61HYoljdYtlW-uSfPpS8jba0wq0hTpBr3tfxxQFkMHpQgBD4yMJuooWxqLCmMcY6kvj9ThDlcVNZHqtG6iqMHrVGy_7AwavC9VcmUaq_3x9uBN8okmW6fRejxTmiI782u0/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWf1zmMOxy61HYoljdYtlW-uSfPpS8jba0wq0hTpBr3tfxxQFkMHpQgBD4yMJuooWxqLCmMcY6kvj9ThDlcVNZHqtG6iqMHrVGy_7AwavC9VcmUaq_3x9uBN8okmW6fRejxTmiI782u0/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There are a lot of things that I love about this recipe. The first is the asparagus itself. Fresh asparagus is one of the things I love most about spring. Charred in a pan with evoo, s&p, the asparagus was sweet but grassy. The second is how wonderful the creamy adobo sauce is. This is a sauce that I want to slather on all sorts of dishes - it is spicy, sweet and tangy. Actually, I think this sauce would work really nicely with skirt steak tacos. I told Alex that if we ever have people over for a Mexican fiesta I want to simply grill up some skirt steak for tacos and make these asparagus tacos. You can use all of the same fixings for both sets of tacos, whip up some homemade guacamole and some <i>elote</i> and it will be an amazing meal. Somehow you taste all of the various flavors here - the adobo sauce adds a ton of flavor without obscuring the flavor of the asparagus or the sweetness of the pickled onions. My two biggest complaints about the Smoky Chicken Tinga Tacos we made were that the flavor of the chipotles obscured everything else and the tacos didn't have any texture. All you tasted was heat and everything was soft. This dish had varying textures and serious depth of flavor. It was sweet, spicy, crunchy, creamy and tangy. In a nutshell, these tacos were delicious. And I will be adding them to my regular taco rotation. They were great with fresh asparagus, but with all of the other flavors and textures going on, normal supermarket asparagus would work too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Charred Asparagus Tacos with Creamy Adobo and Pickled Red Onions</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available on <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/05/charred-asparagus-tacos-with-creamy-adobo-and-pickled-red-onions-recipe.html?ref=box_quick">Serious Eats</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded (we didn't have ancho chilis, so we used Anaheim chilies) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tablespoons vegetable oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 small onion, finely sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 medium cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 teaspoon dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tablespoon cider vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 chipotle chili and 1 tablespoon sauce from 1 can chipotles en adobo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2/3 cup sour cream or Mexican crema</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 teaspoons fresh juice from 2 limes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 1/2 pounds asparagus (green, white, or a mix), bottoms trimmed, cut into 1-inch segments</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">24 corn tortillas warmed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Pickled Red Onions (see recipe below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Queso fresco or queso cotija</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Fresh cilantro leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Lime wedges</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat ancho chiles in a medium saucepan over high heat, turning occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a microwave-safe measuring cup and cover with 1 cup water. Microwave on high heat until just simmering, about 2 minutes. Let steep until chilis are softened. Drain chilis, reserving liquid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, and cook, stirring frequently until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar, chipotle chili and sauce, and reserved chili liquid. Scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Transfer contents to jar of a blender along with soaked chilis, sour cream, and lime juice. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat remining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook without moving until well charred on bottom, about 2 minutes. Toss and repeat, allowing asparagus to char before tossing again. Repeat until all asparagus is charred and softened, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Form 12 double stacks of tortillas. Spread a tablespoon of sauce over each one. Divide asparagus evenly between tortillas. Top with pickled onions, cheese, and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges and extra sauce.</span><br />
<br />Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-78992984220180653012014-05-10T12:05:00.004-07:002014-05-10T12:05:47.376-07:00Asparagus and Avocado Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCWzndhdrosaFaLDyGlwRyCVXsklI0m7AJ6huQHWW45ebPXn1MIy0JEjB28qr9RQVSxfAVDHdxQlNPgWuDw7LpTO5Tsk6H11re0DF54sSo5tXPO1hNrf2ieKSSQZ5OQ-Eq8S2gt70I2Q/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCWzndhdrosaFaLDyGlwRyCVXsklI0m7AJ6huQHWW45ebPXn1MIy0JEjB28qr9RQVSxfAVDHdxQlNPgWuDw7LpTO5Tsk6H11re0DF54sSo5tXPO1hNrf2ieKSSQZ5OQ-Eq8S2gt70I2Q/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Hurray for fresh asparagus! Before I go on I should disclose that I bought about 3 lbs of fresh asparagus at the farmers' market this week (along with a LOT of other fresh produce, some of which we already used) and as of today we have only used about half of it. So you can expect a few more asparagus recipes shortly. We already made a much lazier version of this <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/04/spring-salad-of-asparagus-ramps-snap-peas-and-peas-with-poached-egg-and-lemon-zest-vinaigrette-recipe.html">Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas, with Poached Egg and Lemon Vinaigrette</a> and we are planning on making some asparagus tacos tomorrow. We will have to wait and see how much asparagus we have left after that, but I'm thinking it will be enough for at least one more dish. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I guess I should turn to this salad. I bought <i>My Pizza</i> by Jim Lahey roughly two years ago but we haven't had the opportunity to use it much. There are a ton of delicious looking pizzas in there (one of which I am considering for our remaining asparagus), but there are also some nice salads and other appetizers. For us it has become one of those cookbooks I always mean to use, but somehow never do. I need to fix that because this salad was one of the easiest and tastiest things we have made at home recently. The combination of asparagus, avocado, lime and mint isn't an intuitive one for me but it works really nicely. I was worried this salad would be a little too simple, but it works - it's really simple, but the avocado makes it creamy and a little indulgent and the fresh farmers' market asparagus has a lovely grassy sweetness. Our lime was a little stingy on the juice so I would recommend tasting and adding more lime juice to taste (or a little lime zest if your limes are similarly stingy). This is a dish I can definitely see us making in the future - it's perfect on days where you just don't want to turn on the stove and/or oven, but a mixed green salad doesn't work. It makes a really good side dish that could work with a number of entrees, but I can see myself serving it for brunch with </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">a simple frittata or omelet and some fresh fruit</span>. I don't think I would pair it with pasta, but it could also work nicely with some homemade pizza. I would probably do a simple pizza without too much cheese and meat - maybe a <i>margherita</i> or <i>stracciatella</i> pizza or a pizza with prosciutto and arugula. <i>My Pizza</i> also has a spinach pizza called a Popeye Pie that I would pair this with. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><b><br /></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Asparagus and Avocado Salad</b></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My Pizza</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Jim Lahey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">60 grams (4 or 5) thick asparagus spears</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">16 fresh mint leaves, chopped</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1/2 lime</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">20 grams (about 2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">Pinch of fine sea salt per serving</span><br />
</span><div class="instructions" id="preparation" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="instructions" id="preparation" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Cut away about 2 inches of the base of each asparagus
spear. With a vegetable peeler, shave the entire asparagus from bottom
to top, reversing your grip and rotating as necessary to shave as much
as possible. Don't rush it; be deliberate for the greatest precision.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Divide the asparagus strips among 4 salad plates. Cut
each avocado half into 4 sections and place 2 wedges on each salad.
Sprinkle with the mint leaves. Squeeze lime juice over the salads,
drizzle evenly with the oil, and sprinkle with salt.
</span></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-11323149914683979812014-05-08T20:09:00.004-07:002014-05-08T20:09:59.216-07:00Smoky Chicken Tinga Tacos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfo8IAM2Bphv4cD_h88s872AgPXgaZ4mQP0tFs89H5awQetiFhbhzjQsieAk6IdlHTvHqoHiQI3IpCoHUtiVXzKou3kBY_TMZEzKfufBZ3C2HLfzWTacN4url7erAWFFunt-VKH8H8OrQ/s1600/DSC_0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfo8IAM2Bphv4cD_h88s872AgPXgaZ4mQP0tFs89H5awQetiFhbhzjQsieAk6IdlHTvHqoHiQI3IpCoHUtiVXzKou3kBY_TMZEzKfufBZ3C2HLfzWTacN4url7erAWFFunt-VKH8H8OrQ/s1600/DSC_0145.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In mid-April I started thinking tacos and <i>Cinco de Mayo</i>. Mexican food screams warm weather to me and I have been dreaming about warm weather since about December... If only I had visited the farmers' market on Monday I would have made these <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/05/charred-asparagus-tacos-with-creamy-adobo-and-pickled-red-onions-recipe.html?ref=search">charred asparagus tacos</a> for <i>Cinco de Mayo</i> but I didn't have time to visit the farmers' market before today. Before today I hadn't been to the farmers market in 2 weeks so I was pretty excited when I went today and saw all of the fresh spring veggies. Thank goodness for spring! I was so sick of winter and so very excited for fresh asparagus. When sugar snaps finally make it to the farmers' market I will do a giant happy dance. Moving on. My other <i>Cinco de Mayo</i> alternative was to make carnitas (<a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/11/homesick-texan-carnitas/">Smitten Kitchen</a> posted a slight variation on Homesick Texan's carnitas recipe and it looks super simple and tasty and Bon Appetit has a <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/beer-braised-carnitas-2">Beer-Braised Carnitas</a> recipe that I find intriguing), but because <i>Cinco de Mayo</i> fell on a Monday this year it wasn't going to happen. I don't know about you, but I am barely prepared enough on Monday to throw something together - roasting or braising pork shoulder for 2-4 hours (or cooking it all day a slow cooker) just isn't going to happen. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So I guess you can fairly say that this recipe was my backup. Alex occasionally orders chicken tacos but I don't think I ever do. Then again, I do like chicken enchiladas so I guess it's not all that different. But chicken generally seems like such a cop out to me. I decided to try out this recipe anyway because what did I have to lose? It sounded good and the pictures looked good. And to be honest, I didn't have anything else planned. I was looking for a little more depth of flavor - instead I mostly tasted the chipotles and adobo sauce. And once I topped the chicken with tomatillo salsa I mostly tasted heat. The tomatillo salsa added brightness and acidity, but I wish we had made an equally bright and spicy pineapple salsa or maybe a mango salsa instead. I think a little sweetness would have been a good counterpoint to the chicken tinga tacos and some textural contrast would have been a really welcome addition. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">With the salsa and the braised chicken you ended up with a mouthful of fairly wet and somewhat mushy taco. </span>Pineapple would provide some texture, but adding jicama to any salsa would work too. If you do make these tacos, make sure to drain the chicken fairly well before putting it on the tortilla. Same goes for the salsa. Otherwise you end up with a pool of liquid in your taco, which leads to a rapidly disintegrating corn tortilla...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Smoky Chicken Tinga Tacos</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/chicken-tinga-tacos-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></span><br />
<h2>
</h2>
<ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">INGREDIENTS: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 1/2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 cup medium diced white onion</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 large tomatillo, husk removed, rinsed, and roughly chopped</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon ground cumin</span><br /><span class="ingredient">One (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes </span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 tablespoons roughly chopped chipotles plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from one (7-ounce) can</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 bay leaf</span><br /><span class="ingredient">Kosher salt</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">warm corn tortillas, tomatillo salsa (see recipe below), onion, cilantro, grated cotija cheese, and lime wedges for garnish</span><br />
<br />
<div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot
over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken thighs skin-side
down and cook until well browned, about 6 minutes. Flip thighs and
continue to cook until other side is lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving fat in pan, and set aside.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Add onions and garlic to Dutch oven and
cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned around the edges,
about 5 minutes. Add tomatillo and cook until browned around the edges,
about 4 minutes. Add oregano and cumin and cook until fragrant, about
30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chipotle, and adobo sauce and stir to combine.
Remove from heat.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Transfer sauce to the jar of a blender and
puree until smooth. Pour sauce back into pan, stir in chicken stock and
bay leaf, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Nestle chicken thighs
in sauce, reduce to a simmer, and cook until meat registers 165°F in
thickest part of thigh on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer chicken
to a plate and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove sauce from
heat and discard bay leaf.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Pull chicken meat into strips, discarding
skin, any large pieces of fat, and bones. Stir chicken into sauce and
cook over medium heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove from
heat and season with salt to taste.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />Spoon chicken into warm tortillas and top with tomatillo salsa, onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Tomatillo Salsa</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/04/grilling-tomatillo-salsa-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
INGREDIENTS:<br /><span class="ingredient">8 ounces husked, rinsed, and halved tomatillos</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 large cloves of garlic, peeled</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 jalapeño or 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 small white onion, finely chopped</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup water</span><br /><span class="ingredient">Sugar</span><br /><span class="ingredient">Salt</span></span>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Place tomatillo halves on a lightly oiled grill pan, cut side down, over moderately high heat. Grill until browned and they begin to soften. Flip and continue to cook until completely softened. Remove the tomatillos to the work bowl of a blender or food processor. Let cool to room temperature. <br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Add garlic, chiles, cilantro, and 1/4 cup of water to the bowl and pulse until coarsely pureed. Pour salsa into a small dish and stir in the onion. Thin the salsa out with more water if necessary. Taste and add sugar to if the salsa is too tart. Season with salt to taste.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-75216281201045674132014-05-08T14:22:00.002-07:002014-05-08T14:22:16.461-07:00Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce<div class="content-block ingredients">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVyXfMY3TvUr2OFUyu3S4GmSIu4ZQAl1obCSq046pFUVro1dmEEvkahDNDMWAbePqUGl1lzz7-cJ02u28F86tmfqFn1hERicpdiA6kela8TsWNXdw18imAbyYrWX5Q5SxncmOv-DkUxQ/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVyXfMY3TvUr2OFUyu3S4GmSIu4ZQAl1obCSq046pFUVro1dmEEvkahDNDMWAbePqUGl1lzz7-cJ02u28F86tmfqFn1hERicpdiA6kela8TsWNXdw18imAbyYrWX5Q5SxncmOv-DkUxQ/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This is totally embarassing. Alex and I made this roast chicken back in February or March. And then I forgot to post it. I really thought it was up on the blog. And then I was looking today today at other recipes that I had bookmarked to try and came across the draft of this post. The recipe was on there, the picture was too (even though it's not a very good picture), but I never got around to adding any text. Fail. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Roast chicken is one of my favorite things if it is well done. And Peruvian roast chicken seems to be, on average, a lot better than your average roast chicken. I don't know how they season it traditionally but their rotisserie chicken is magical - even the white meat is juicy and flavorful. I also love that spicy green sauce you get at Peruvian restaurants to go with their roast chicken. It's pretty much the best thing in the world. So it's a little shocking that it took me this long to make it at home. In my defense - it turns out that there is a whole lot of mayo and sour cream in the sauce. I don't know why the addition of mayonnaise and sour cream to a sauce that I know will be spicy and delicious bothers me when I make it at home, but it throws me for a loop. However, I am going to have to get over it because this stuff was pretty delicious. It's creamier than what I usually get at the Peruvian restaurants that I go to, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It also doesn't taste quite the same, but for a homemade version (that we adapted from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/08/peruvian-style-grilled-chicken-with-green-sauce-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a>), this was close enough for government work. Ours had some pretty good kick so if you want your green sauce a little milder, leave out some of the jalapeno seeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Roast Chicken with Peruvian Spicy Green Sauce </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span class="ingredient">For the Chicken:</span></span><span class="ingredient"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">4 tsp kosher salt</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp ground cumin</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp paprika</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 tsp freshly ground black pepper</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp distilled white vinegar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><span class="ingredient">For the Sauce:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">3 whole jalapeños, roughly chopped </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 cup fresh cilantro leaves</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 medium cloves garlic</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup mayonnaise</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup sour cream</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tsp fresh lime juice </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 tsp distilled white vinegar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">s&p</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp evoo</span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Mix paprika, cumin, s&p in small bowl. Add vinegar and oil to make a paste. Set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck wing tips behind the shoulder of the chicken and massage spice paste evenly all over the chicken. Place chicken breast side up in a large cast iron skillet (or roasting pan). If you want you can tuck herbs and lime halves in your chicken. We had half of a lime and some cilantro leftover from the green sauce so I threw them inside because why not. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Place chicken in oven to roast. Roast chicken, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes after the first half-hour of cooking for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F and the breast registers at least 145°F. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Meanwhile, combine jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and vinegar in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down as necessary, until smooth. With blender running, slowly drizzle in evoo. Season to taste with s&p and additional lime juice (if necessary). Sauce will be quite loose at this point but will thicken as it sits. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with sauce.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-48048577632099584302014-05-01T19:56:00.002-07:002014-05-01T19:56:21.281-07:00Pork Loin with Pomegranate Sauce and Roast Broccoli with Jalapenos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRYxQJd5h6mLkTljDdS3jw1PNio9oR8ZEm5MbVMoATeKzt6ZLDoWLXIK8qSGV3MM9gLSlR1sj_5XcAOqr4mz-uouzXu_pd1sE52NrOKu2aUoe872b0Ea1xTFS3MH0xlXPFVFvPpC_D0Q/s1600/DSC_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRYxQJd5h6mLkTljDdS3jw1PNio9oR8ZEm5MbVMoATeKzt6ZLDoWLXIK8qSGV3MM9gLSlR1sj_5XcAOqr4mz-uouzXu_pd1sE52NrOKu2aUoe872b0Ea1xTFS3MH0xlXPFVFvPpC_D0Q/s1600/DSC_0138.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Like most of the pictures we take of our food for the blog, this picture doesn't look very appetizing. Actually, this picture is worse than most because the sauce looks like a pool of blood so it makes the whole experience a little... gorier than usual. But notwithstanding how the sauce looks, it is damn good. It is the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, but nice and rich. Adding the butter to the sauce at the very end made it glossy and rich. Reducing the pomegranate juice in the porky cast iron pan made the whole dish that much porkier and more flavorful. It also pairs really nicely with the spice rub on the outside of the pork, which isn't spicy but it does have a lot of flavor. I would love to make this dish for a more casual dinner party - it is easy to make but it is pretty distinctive and delicious. I think with bread, a nice salad and some veggies (roast brussels sprouts would be lovely) it would make a really nice meal that is elegant and flavorful, but not fussy. Tonight we served the pork with broccoli we roasted with jalapeno, shallots and garlic. Roasting broccoli is easily my favorite way to prepare it -it gets all nutty and crispy around the edges, but tender on the inside. Sauteed broccoli tends to be a little mushier and the flavors aren't as concentrated. The thinly sliced shallots were crispy and reminded me of onion straws or fried shallots - we usually mince or chop up our onions or shallots rather than tossing in thinly sliced rings but I will totally do the ring thing more often. I thought they added a really nice flavor and texture to the dish. It never would have occurred to me to add sliced jalapenos to the broccoli (that was all Alex), but they worked really nicely. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The broccoli picked up a surprising amount of flavor and heat from the jalapenos, without being too spicy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipes after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Pork Loin with Pomegranate Sauce </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from Gourmet</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">November 2006</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span itemprop="ingredients">3/4 tsp ground cumin</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">3/4 </span><span itemprop="ingredients"><span itemprop="ingredients">tsp</span> ground coriander</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">3/4 </span><span itemprop="ingredients"><span itemprop="ingredients">tsp</span> black pepper</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1/2 </span><span itemprop="ingredients"><span itemprop="ingredients">tsp</span> ground cinnamon</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1/2 </span><span itemprop="ingredients"><span itemprop="ingredients">tsp</span> salt</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">2 lb boneless pork loin</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">2 tbsp grapeseed oil</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 cup plain pomegranate juice (such as POM Wonderful)</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">3/4 teaspoon cornstarch</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 tablespoon water</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 to 2 tsp Sherry vinegar</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 tbsp unsalted butter</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Stir together cumin, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, and
salt in a shallow bowl. Pat tenderloins dry and dredge in spice mixture
until evenly coated.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over moderately high
heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork and sear until golden brown on all sides (about 2 minutes per side). Turn meat so it is fat-side up and place i oven. Roast until center of each tenderloin registers
145 degrees F, about 40-45 minutes. Transfer pork with tongs to a cutting board
(reserve skillet) and let rest for 10 minutes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Add pomegranate juice to cast iron and boil over moderately
high heat until reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 3-4 minutes (if there is a lot of fat in the skillet when you remove the pork you can pour it out, but there wasn't that much in the cast iron so I left it in for more porky goodness). Stir together
cornstarch and water and whisk into pomegranate juice, stirring so it doesn't clump up. Gently boil sauce until
thickened slightly, 1-2 minutes.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Remove from heat and add Sherry vinegar to taste, then
swirl in butter. Slice pork and
serve with sauce. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Roast Broccoli with Jalapenos and Shallots</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 cups broccoli florets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 jalapeno, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 large shallot, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp grapeseed oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">s&p</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss broccoli , jalapenos and shallot with oil and season with s&p. Roast in the oven until charred around the edges and just tender, about 20 minutes, stirring in garlic after 12 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Serve immediately.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-78790558293278438252014-04-30T18:17:00.000-07:002014-04-30T18:17:13.677-07:00(Belated Again) Chinese New Year Meal #4: Spicy Warm Silken Tofu with Celery and Cilantro Salad<div class="content-block ingredients">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoa3lWIpqMcvIKG_tTlANVi6MrhPD7zfzRN6n0sjaCUeHyyX9BQXUavJzWSQdGEa1FOTcWN6NUam4wu3KnjhoDNd6RFIwQQEq_mW9z0YtHxqyPbg9gB1uEqOsB2pIdbaB71SMO3JqbBY/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoa3lWIpqMcvIKG_tTlANVi6MrhPD7zfzRN6n0sjaCUeHyyX9BQXUavJzWSQdGEa1FOTcWN6NUam4wu3KnjhoDNd6RFIwQQEq_mW9z0YtHxqyPbg9gB1uEqOsB2pIdbaB71SMO3JqbBY/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I love traveling but sometimes, when I get back, all I want is salad. I was in Miami for work last week and when I got back yesterday all I wanted was a salad. So we made some brook trout with this <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/04/make-ahead-radish-fattoush-salad-recipe.html?ref=search">Make-Ahead Radish Fattoush Salad</a>. And then I also had a salad for lunch. Tonight for dinner I wanted something relatively light, but flavorful. I also wanted something that didn't remind me of all of the buffet meals (some of them were pretty decent, but most were pretty blah) I had all last week. This dish was basically the antithesis of the random meats, pastas, sandwiches and salads I had last week. The best part of each meal was the desserts so I had more than my share. Strangely enough, one of the best meals I had last week was the shrimp po' boy that I had at the Fort Lauderdale airport. How random is that? Granted, it had coconut shrimp in it - and who doesn't love coconut shrimp? Given the number of desserts I ate and the shrimp po' boy, it's no wonder I feel like I gained 5 lbs while in Florida.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This post has been weeks in coming. I keep planning to make more Chinese meals for my very very belated Chinese New Year meals. I'm 3 months late at this point, so I guess another few weeks won't make much of a difference. I really am going to try to finish all of the posts up by the end of May. I actually had another tofu recipe picked out for Chinese New Year but I decided in the end to make this dish because it looked easier (and healthier). Everything in the dish worked together in a really interesting way. I loved how soaking the celery, cilantro and scallions in an ice bath made them crisp and refreshing. The sauce was really savory - nutty, spicy and funky. It wasn't my favorite sauce, but it was one of the more interesting Chinese sauces we have made recently. One thing I might recommend is another cooking/heating method for the tofu itself. Microwaving it made it release tofu water which diluted the sauce. So I would either microwave it in another bowl and then transfer it (minus the water) into the serving bowl. Or I would try steaming it. Steamed soft tofu ends up with a better silkier and more custard-like texture to it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>(Belated Again) Chinese New Year Meal #4: Spicy Warm Silken Tofu with Celery and Cilantro Salad</b></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/spicy-warm-silken-tofu-celery-cilantro-salad-recipe.html?ref=search">Serious Eats </a></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
</div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 stalk celery, cut into thin 2-inch matchsticks</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">3 whole scallions, sliced into thin slicers at an acute bias</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon toasted Sichuan peppercorns</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon toasted whole cumin seed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 tablespoon sesame paste (such as tahini), or peanut butter</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon soy sauce</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 teaspoons Chinkiang vinegar (see note above)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 teaspoons fermented chili broad bean paste (see note above)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 teaspoons sugar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup Chinese roasted chili oil (see note above)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 medium clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 (19-ounce) block soft silken tofu</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds</span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine celery, cilantro, and scallions in a medium bowl and cover with ice cold water. Add 4 to 5 ice cubes and set aside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine peppercorns and cumin in a mortar and pestle and roughly grind. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, chili bean paste, sugar, chili oil, and garlic. Whisk to combine and set aside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Spoon tofu into a serving bowl and microwave until barely warmed through, about 1 minute. Cover with dressing. Drain celery, cilantro, and scallions carefully and add to bowl. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-73742381899013582852014-04-21T20:05:00.001-07:002014-04-21T20:05:51.997-07:00Rigatoni with Spicy Sicilian Pesto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcrPYQ5neGNi8kYtz3LBIjSnlrMQFqL3vK8MIVvWY7KSuC6S8Nk1lKMdKRhXPBdIdyHVd4xBMU9ZE8M2JLcfGrUJSf2Pt-kqQ3k2i0gpzNa90jmJEzO_FfXnTqAKvIGYyTskvrpqyGkU/s1600/DSC_0118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcrPYQ5neGNi8kYtz3LBIjSnlrMQFqL3vK8MIVvWY7KSuC6S8Nk1lKMdKRhXPBdIdyHVd4xBMU9ZE8M2JLcfGrUJSf2Pt-kqQ3k2i0gpzNa90jmJEzO_FfXnTqAKvIGYyTskvrpqyGkU/s1600/DSC_0118.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Pesto usually leaves me feeling a little... blah. I like it on a sandwich or as the sauce on a pizza, but there has to be more stuff going on. A plain pasta tossed in pesto has always struck me as being a little boring. This pesto is far from boring. The combination of basil, mint and fennel seeds (who puts fennel seeds in pesto?) makes things a lot more interesting. And I really like the addition of serrano chilis and dried chili flakes - they give the pesto great kick. You don't want to make this pesto if you are afraid of a little heat. The post on Serious Eats suggests that the sauce has "gorgeous hints of subtle spice" but this isn't a gentle hint of background heat. It should also be said that this pasta doesn't have the level of spice you would expect from a Sichuan dish either. All things considered, this was a pretty interesting take on a simple pasta tossed in pesto that is relatively easy to throw together. There are other pasta dishes that would make my easy mid-week pasta repertoire before this one (including this <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2012/03/pasta-with-caramelized-cabbage.html">Pasta with Caramelized Cabbage, Anchovies and Bread Crumbs</a>, this <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2011/08/pasta-with-sun-gold-tomatoes.html">Pasta with Sun Gold Tomatoes</a> or this </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2010/07/spaghetti-with-garlic-and-oil.html">Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil</a>). But I could see myself making this variation of pesto again. And this pesto might make me reconsider pesto as a delivery method for any number of different seasonings and ingredients. Overall I consider that a win.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Rigatoni with Spicy Sicilian Pesto</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/pennette-with-sicilian-pesto-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Mario Batali</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed, washed and spun dry</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup mint leaves</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 small garlic cloves, peeled</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 serrano chili, stems and seeds removed</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 tbsp hot red pepper flake</span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/4 </span><span class="ingredient">tsp fennel seeds</span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp</span><span class="ingredient"> sliced blanched almonds</span><span class="ingredient"> </span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup evoo</span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 tbsp lemon juice </span><span class="ingredient"></span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp freshly grated Pecorino Romano </span><span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredient">(the recipe actually calls for Pecorino Siciliano</span>), plus 2 tbsp (optional), for garnish</span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Place the basil,
mint, garlic, Serrano chilis, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and almonds
in a food processor and pulse 3 times to start the chopping process.
Add the evoo and lemon juice and pulse 4 or 5 times to create a thick paste, (not a
thin oily sauce). Add 2 tbsp cheese and pulse once to mix in, season to taste with salt, more lemon juice, etc. Set aside. (Note - If you want to save the pesto and use it later or plan on making extra, transfer the pesto to a container with a tight-fitting lid, pour 2 tbsp more evoo over the top, cover with the
lid and refrigerate. This pesto will hold in the fridge like this for 2
weeks.)</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="procedure-text">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions (until just <i>al dente</i> ). Drain the pasta quickly and lazily - you want the pasta water to still be clinging to the pasta. Return to the pot and add the pesto. Toss to coat. Serve pasta with additional grated cheese, if desired.</span></div>
</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-91297638737488297142014-04-13T16:28:00.000-07:002014-04-13T16:28:04.522-07:00(Belated, Again) Chinese New Year Meal #3: Laghman (Ban Mian)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZHMbQMZKwMCURQ1kTntk_IPb2BFB688EWjFUoHN4bOzAileMalYDJyrGnvdqlU3gfATJ7GGkxTeKYfsVyGz8zC5Dma-I0Jc_ttg1VEEg5phKAgSlBOQGeLcbjnuGbqLIrg48poLNgEc/s1600/DSC_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZHMbQMZKwMCURQ1kTntk_IPb2BFB688EWjFUoHN4bOzAileMalYDJyrGnvdqlU3gfATJ7GGkxTeKYfsVyGz8zC5Dma-I0Jc_ttg1VEEg5phKAgSlBOQGeLcbjnuGbqLIrg48poLNgEc/s1600/DSC_0101.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There are a few cookbooks out there that I have been thinking about buying for years. Some of them are by cookbook authors whose cookbooks we already own. One cookbook that I have been thinking about buying for years is <i>Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China</i> by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. But everytime I convince myself that I don't need yet another cookbook. We easily have 30-40 cookbooks in the apartment, some of which we have never used. I tried to make a deal with myself a few years ago that I wouldn't buy another cookbook until I made at least one recipe from each cookbook. Clearly that never happened. Earlier today I was trying to find a recipe for Uyghur <i>laghman</i> noodles and after finding out that <i>Beyond the Great Wall </i>had a recipe for laghman I went ahead and ordered it on Amazon. My compromise was to buy the cookbook in Kindle format so it doesn't clutter up the apartment. I thought it made a lot of sense (although it does make it more difficult sometimes to find and use the recipes).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This dish is one of the dishes that I remember fondly from China, but haven't eaten since I left. You don't get a lot of Uyghur food in the United States. And when I showed Alex the recipe, he was a little shocked by how un-Chinese it all was. This dish screams Italy more than China - it's like a pasta with a tomato and meat sauce. It's a relatively homey and simple flavor combination - no spices (although we added cumin), no heat, just lamb, bell peppers and tomatoes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="myem"><b><i>Laghman </i>(<i>Ban Mian</i>) </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="myem">Adapted from </span><i>Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="myem">By </span><span class="myem">Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="myem">INGREDIENTS: </span><br />
2 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1 medium onion, thinly sliced<br />
2-3 cloves garlic, minced</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 lb boneless lamb, chopped into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">generous 1/4 tsp ground cumin </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 large bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or a combination), cored, seeded, sliced into strips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground<br />
1½ lb ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped<br />
2 tsp kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">freshly ground black pepper</span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 lb fresh Chinese noodles<br />
parsley, chopped for garnish<br />black rice vinegar for serving </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl it
around a bit. Once the oil is hot, add onion, garlic, lamb and cumin. Stir-fry
until the meat changes color and the onion has softened and turned
translucent (about 4-5 min). Add the peppers and stir-fry for another
couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes, s&p and mix well. Lower the
heat to medium and cook until the peppers are soft (but not mushy) and
the whole thing looks quite saucy and is simmering, about 5-6 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">While the sauce is
simmering, salt the pot of boiling water and carefully add in the
noodles. Cook the noodles until <i>al dente</i> according to the package instructions. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Drain the noodles and divide them between four bowls. Ladle in plenty
of sauce over the noodles. Garnish with some chopped parsley. Serve
with black rice vinegar.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-46817582513331709082014-03-30T11:35:00.001-07:002014-03-30T11:35:50.482-07:00(Belated, Again) Chinese New Year Meal #2: Big Wontons<div class="ingredients-section">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u-if6mt515_2aDybi8aWejNBeFu92Sri8k8StmeAFuZEXo96X-NlNhQmjfwy0aosAAl5KLHqHk1uhqWVL-vDR4NRs27ZWjcwtX-vt-0N7cFbaxJDHZKXkKbBMwqN7iJF7grSfZkOx8k/s1600/DSC_0858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u-if6mt515_2aDybi8aWejNBeFu92Sri8k8StmeAFuZEXo96X-NlNhQmjfwy0aosAAl5KLHqHk1uhqWVL-vDR4NRs27ZWjcwtX-vt-0N7cFbaxJDHZKXkKbBMwqN7iJF7grSfZkOx8k/s1600/DSC_0858.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Alex and I love dumplings and wontons enough that we use the word "dumple" as a verb. It usually means that we are going out to eat dumplings, but every once in awhile we get ambitious and decide to make dumplings at home. These big wontons were our last attempt at "dumple-ing". I have been waiting for a little while to make these <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/seriously-asian-big-wontons-pork-and-chive-recipe.html">Big Wontons</a> and the <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/seriously-asian-little-wontons-recipe.html">Little Wontons</a> (both available on Serious Eats). I was originally planning on making the little wontons, but I wasn't sure how thin our dumpling wrappers were so I didn't want to take the chance that they would be too thick. But I'm pretty sure that they were plenty thin enough so we will go for the little wontons and make some wonton noodle soup next time. Yum. What I liked best about these wontons was the addition of the bok choy (or cabbage) and chives in the filling - I like nice meaty dumplings but sometimes it's nice to have a little more veg mixed in. I took a quick look at my Andrea Nguyen <i>Asian Dumplings</i> cookbook and tried a few different folding methods. The one that I had the most luck with this time was "nurses caps" (my "flower buds" were a little wonky). Actually, both Alex and I commented on the fact that my dumplings were unusually well-formed this time. None of them broke apart while cooking, nor was there any filling ooz-age out the sides. I was pretty impressed with myself. We made 50 dumplings and only ate 20 or so (and froze the rest). I can't want to make some wonton noodle soup with some of the leftover Asian chicken stock we made for our <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2014/03/khao-tom-thai-rice-soup.html">Khao Tom Thai Rice Soup</a>! Even more yum. I am also tempted to try pan-frying them, although the skins are thin enough that I am a little nervous to pan-fry. But let's be honest, when has that ever stopped me in the past? Wish me luck.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Recipe after the jump!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="ingredient"> </span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Big Wontons </span></span></b></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/seriously-asian-big-wontons-pork-and-chive-recipe.html?ref=search">Serious Eats</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:<br />1 pack wonton wrappers, about 50 wrappers <br />For the filling <br />1/3 pound of fatty ground pork <br />1 teaspoon grated ginger <br />1 bunch chives, minced, about 2 cups <br />1/3 pound leafy greens, such as napa, bok choy, or spinach, minced (we used bok choy)<br />3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste <br />1/3 teaspoon sugar <br />1 tablespoon rice wine or vermouth <br />1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper <br />1 egg</span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, vigorously stir the mixture around in the bowl and let sit for 1 hour to allow the flavors to sink in and the meat to bind. <br /><br />Fill each wonton wrapper with about a 1 teaspoon of the filling. Leftover filling may be frozen and put to use in more wontons, or stir-fried. <br /> <br />To boil wontons, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the wonton for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skins are just beginning to turn translucent. Serve in soup or with dipping sauce. To pan-fry wontons, boil the wontons for 2 minutes. Bring a heavy skillet to medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Pan-fry on one or two sides. Refrain from moving the wontons around in the pan, so as to give the surface of the wontons a chance to brown. </span><ol class="procedure-steps instructions"></ol>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-24482794409388114362014-03-24T14:24:00.002-07:002014-03-24T14:24:58.894-07:00Khao Tom Thai Rice Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6HV31_kClXloL_cGSInJpw6dI2kSUoyckGavSYuMA_zCWmyOYYa2iiRc6o_Tb0mTam445nHmTrk3BJFcRPaPVkWlapA5SNY42N3KdQdlgwdnbFKVJtuGnTbJkZXmkrtlhHDO2OEj3DI/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6HV31_kClXloL_cGSInJpw6dI2kSUoyckGavSYuMA_zCWmyOYYa2iiRc6o_Tb0mTam445nHmTrk3BJFcRPaPVkWlapA5SNY42N3KdQdlgwdnbFKVJtuGnTbJkZXmkrtlhHDO2OEj3DI/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Given how much I always thought I hated <i>congee</i>, I find it pretty shocking how much I now enjoy it. I haven't tried it in many restaurants because I'm still a little weirded out by ordering rice gruel with a potential surprise inside, but I love making it at home. We don't do it very often, but that's because I tend to forget all about it until hit with an intense <i>congee</i> craving. Usually that happens when it is cold out and I am feeling under the weather. I swear this stuff is almost better than chicken noodle soup.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This <i>congee</i> is in some ways not that different from the <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2013/03/rice-soup-khmer-style.html">Rice Soup, Khmer Style</a> we made a year ago (both use ground pork and Southeast Asian ingredients like fish sauce and lemongrass), except that this <i>congee</i> added tofu and was even more flavorful, which I expected given we used a homemade broth that was very flavorful in and of itself. I also liked the texture of this <i>congee </i>better because it wasn't quite as thick. You could totally play with this recipe to adjust the seasonings and ingredients if you felt like playing around in the kitchen (or if your kitchen is simply missing one or more ingredients). If you're not a fan of pork you could use ground chicken or turkey and if you wanted to be a little more Chinese (and less Southeast Asian) you could use ginger instead of lemongrass, peanuts instead of fried shallots and a combination of soy sauce and salt instead of fish sauce. You could also omit the Thai chili if you're not a fan of spicy food. Personally, I thought the dusting of Thai chili gave it the perfect kick, which was muted by the <i>congee</i>, but gave it a little extra zing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Khao Tom Thai Rice Soup</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from Serious Eats</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">6 cups Asian Chicken Stock (see recipe below)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient"></span><span class="ingredient">2 shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 (5-inch pieces lemongrass), halved lengthwise</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">3/4 cups Jasmine rice</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">3/4 pound ground pork</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 teaspoon fish sauce, plus more to taste</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Salt, to taste</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 tbsp lime juice </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves</span>, <span class="ingredient">roughly chopped </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/4 cup scallions</span>, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 Thai bird chili, finely chopped</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup fried shallots </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In a pot combine stock, shallots, lemongrass, garlic, and rice and bring to a simmer. Cook until soup is thickened and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low Remove lemongrass and discard. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Add ground pork and stir, breaking up the pork, until pork is fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Add fish sauce, a pinch of salt, and lime juice. Stir in half of cilantro, half of scallions, half of chili, and all of the tofu. Add more fish sauce and salt to taste. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Divide soup between bowls, then top with remaining cilantro, scallions, chilies, tofu, and fried shallots. Serve immediately.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Asian Chicken Stock </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 yellow onions, quartered</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4-inch section of fresh ginger, peeled and lightly crushed with the flat side of a cleaver</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 organic chicken, about 3-4 lbs, excess fat and skin, organs and tail removed and discarded</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 2 lbs chicken parts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4 quarts water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp fish sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1-inch chunk yellow rock sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp black peppercorns</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 small bunch cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or dried (we used fresh)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Rinse
the chicken under cool water. Detach each wing. Add the wings and
neck, if included, to the chicken parts. Set the chicken aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Put the
chicken parts (not the whole chicken) in a stockpot and add cold water just to cover. Bring to a
boil over high heat and boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes to release
impurities (this will help make your broth clear). Dump the chicken
parts into a strainer and rinse the parts well with water to wash off
any nasty residue. Quickly scrub the stockpot clean and return the
chicken parts to the pot. Nestle the chicken (breast side up) into the
bed of chicken parts. Add 4-5 quarts of water. The chicken should be
covered with about 1-inch of water to spare. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat
to a gentle simmer. Use a ladle or shallow spoon to skim off any scum
or froth that floats to the top. Add the onions, ginger, salt, fish
sauce, rock sugar, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cilantro and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer,
uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove the whole chicken from the water and
transfer it to a large bowl. The chicken should be fully cooked at this
point. Flush the chicken with cold water and drain well, then set
aside until cool enough to handle, about 15-20 minutes. Continue to
simmer the chicken parts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Once the
chicken is cool enough to handle, use a knife to remove the breasts and
the legs (thighs and drumsticks). Set aside on a large plate to cool
completely. Return the chicken carcass to the stockpot and adjust the
heat to simmer the broth gently for another 1 1/2 hours. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Cover the chicken breasts and legs with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring them back to room temperature before serving.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Strain
the broth through a sieve lined with a cheesecloth. Discard the
solids. Skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you can. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Taste
the broth and season to taste with additional salt, fish sauce and rock
sugar. There will be about 4 quarts (16 cups) of broth. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you want, you can cool the broth and refrigerate it overnight to remove the fat that solidifies at the top and then just reheat.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-87221654724023789512014-03-23T20:15:00.000-07:002014-03-23T20:15:00.262-07:00Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips<div class="ingredients-section">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IIFINU_RIxbuY3rS0uPZmM7cCZhg9hnJi_ajybD6j1yx2hmyB99JZrSULQx1DqT7sO3auvjZdSaH44EwdXV7H5Db-pgHwgsILtuuEo2mii3qDhJasMxIxwcLnfqEeKnUCpfT2ggbN-M/s1600/DSC_0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IIFINU_RIxbuY3rS0uPZmM7cCZhg9hnJi_ajybD6j1yx2hmyB99JZrSULQx1DqT7sO3auvjZdSaH44EwdXV7H5Db-pgHwgsILtuuEo2mii3qDhJasMxIxwcLnfqEeKnUCpfT2ggbN-M/s1600/DSC_0089.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Last weekend after Alex and I returned from Whistler we went on something of a baking bonanza because we returned to an entire bunch of overripe bananas. I was originally planning on making banana bread but we always make banana bread so I decided to be a little more creative. Let's just say that Alex wasn't thrilled with the whole idea but I was pretty pumped to be in the kitchen. It has been so long since I had time to bake/cook that I got a little excited and overambitious (we had stock going and dinner to prep while I was baking). These cookies were the perfect breakfast cookie - they weren't too sweet and who doesn't love oatmeal and bananas for breakfast? I have no shame in admitting that I ate one or two cookies most mornings before work. I also had a few after work, but that's beside the point. Unfortunately I didn't do a very good job of mixing the dough (it is a pretty thick dough and I got a little lazy) so the distribution of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips wasn't very even, but I thought the cookies were still pretty delicious.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Recipe after the jump!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient"> </span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips </span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/05/banana-oatmeal-cookies-with-peanut-butter-and-chocolate-chips-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:<br />1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour <br />1 teaspoon baking powder <br />1/2 teaspoon cinnamon <br />1 teaspoon salt <br />12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature <br />1 cup (7 ounces) sugar <br />1 cup mashed banana from about 2 very ripe bananas <br />1 egg <br />2 cups old fashioned oats <br />1/2 cup peanut butter chips <br />1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (we actually used semisweet because it was all we had)</span></div>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. <br /> <br />In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in banana and egg. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined, followed by oats. Use a rubber spatula to fold in peanut butter and chocolate chips. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. <br /> <br />Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use cookie scoop to drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden at the edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. </span><br />
<ol class="procedure-steps instructions"></ol>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-87464105901771111282014-03-23T09:37:00.002-07:002014-03-23T09:38:03.064-07:00(Belated, Again) Chinese New Year Meal #1: Strange-Flavor Chicken (Gua Wei Ji Si)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1NbpaexKz83_y4i2KHbKcNjNHWBJtx1zfChXJn70Q8ZEWY6s_-jeP_RLCTXfS1ZJezy9-aFgGJsjBRa3r_jvKgYNJF-v5g9Cordn6byrZw-LNmYBKcrC23KBSJg9h7RzQ9oAfTdx-C0/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1NbpaexKz83_y4i2KHbKcNjNHWBJtx1zfChXJn70Q8ZEWY6s_-jeP_RLCTXfS1ZJezy9-aFgGJsjBRa3r_jvKgYNJF-v5g9Cordn6byrZw-LNmYBKcrC23KBSJg9h7RzQ9oAfTdx-C0/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Oops. I totally missed Chinese New Year again. That's ok. We all knew it was going to happen. And I swear that I will post a week's worth of Chinese meals eventually. It might take me a month or so to get through it all, but I do have a lot of recipes picked out and/or ideas on tap. I want to make some noodles (I'm thinking Uyghur <i>laghman</i> with lamb), some dumplings, some seafood... The plan is to make another Chinese recipe tonight (provided that we can find everything we need at the grocery). Sadly, we made this meal last weekend (it was one of the first things we cooked upon our return from Whistler) but I just haven't had the time to post about it. Fingers crossed I will be able to post about tonight's meal a little more promptly. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There are a number of different simple Sichuan chicken dishes in <i>Land of Plenty: Authentic Sichuan Recipes Personally Gathered in the Chinese Province of Sichuan</i> that I love to make because they are easy and tasty. You can easily poach a few chicken breasts (or a whole chicken if you want to make some stock, which is what we were doing) and then shred the meat and toss them in one of several different dressings that vary from this sauce, which is very sesame-y or others which are full of Sichuan peppercorns. It's all a matter of what you have in the kitchen and/or what you are craving. The last time we made one of these recipes we made the "Hot and Numbing Chicken Slices (<i>Ma La Ji Pian</i>)", but we the shredded chicken on top of a bed of broccoli and just made a little extra dressing to coat the broccoli as well as the chicken. It was delicious and easy. I actually might prefer the hot and numbing sauce, which is lighter and spicier than this heavier, more sesame-y sauce. Either way, I find these dishes to be perfect for summer when you really want something light, but flavorful that doesn't involve an extended period of time in the kitchen. It's a nice alternative to yet another salad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Strange-Flavor Chicken (<i>Guai Wei Ji Si</i>)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Land of Plenty: Authentic Sichuan Recipes Personally Gathered in the Chinese Province of Sichuan</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Fuchsia Dunlop</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 lb cooked chicken breast </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6-8 scallions, white parts only</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp white sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">salt to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp light soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp Chinkiang or black Chinese vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 tbsp well-blended Chinese sesame paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp chili oil with chili flakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2-1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, roasted and coarsely ground</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Cut the chicken into slivers about 1/2-inch wide. (if you want to be really authentic, hit it a few times with a rolling pin to loosen the fibers and then tear the flesh into shreds by hand).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Cut the scallions into sections and then slice lengthwise into fine slivers. Put them in a bowl of cold water to refresh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Stir the sugar and salt in the soy sauce and vinegar until dissolved. Gradually stir in the sesame paste to make a smooth sauce. Add the other ingredients, except the sesame seeds. Mix well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Shortly before serving, drain the scallions and pile them neatly in the center of your serving dish. Lay the chicken slivers on top of them. Pour over the prepared sauce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">At the last minute, sprinkle with the sesame seeds.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-73668276353227477882014-03-22T22:07:00.001-07:002014-03-22T22:07:32.773-07:00Things I love about Vancouver (and Whistler)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAU2Pqd-En1h5iR6iFECFxpNmySwwaae6xQhLmdTgg7uXc9BJhzhNuTKIIwhyphenhyphenl4TxSfpRYgll6tGSWwTEOy-92l1QzMRuJAMWZRV_1F28ocYOMlZUcp-nYr8lSLlJgSCRCGPvrwPwuuM/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAU2Pqd-En1h5iR6iFECFxpNmySwwaae6xQhLmdTgg7uXc9BJhzhNuTKIIwhyphenhyphenl4TxSfpRYgll6tGSWwTEOy-92l1QzMRuJAMWZRV_1F28ocYOMlZUcp-nYr8lSLlJgSCRCGPvrwPwuuM/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For the
past 5 plus years I have been dying to visit the Pacific Northwest. I
hear such amazing things (including lots of great things about the
restaurant scenes) about Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. Luckily my
mom decided we were going to go skiing in Whistler this year, which
meant that we could spend a few days in Vancouver before or after the
trip. Our only real goals for Vancouver were to wander around the city
and eat some really good food. Alex's cousins Rachel and Jacob
recommended a restaurant called <a href="http://www.salttastingroom.com/">Salt Tasting Room</a>
for meats, cheese and wine (pictured above) so I made reservations
there for our first meal in the city. After that I wanted Asian food
and seafood. I knew that the Asian food in Vancouver was supposed to be
some of the best Asian food outside of Asia, but I had no idea just how
true that was until we got there. We had three Asian meals while in
Vancouver - two upscale Chinese meals and one more low key Vietnamese
meal at a restaurant across the street from our hotel. We also tried
one night to eat at a Cambodian/Vietnamese restaurant called Phnom Penh,
but we gave up once we arrived and saw the line of people waiting for a
table. I'm a little bummed that we didn't get to try Phnom Penh
because all of the reviews sounded pretty fantastic, but our meals at <a href="http://bao-bei.ca/">Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie</a>
and Dinesty Dumpling House were also pretty fantastic so I can't
complain too much. Our random Vietnamese meal at Ha Long Bay in Downtown
Vancouver was also surprisingly good. New York has surprisingly
mediocre Vietnamese food (or maybe I am just spoiled after growing up in
Maryland where good <i>pho</i> is relatively common and really good
Vietnamese food is just over the border in northern Virginia). All
things considered I would totally recommend all of the restaurants we
ate at. The meats, cheeses and wine at Salt were delicious. For the
four of us (me, Alex and my parents), we ordered three tasting plates of
meats and cheese, two salads (a kale caesar that I loved and a spinach,
roasted beet and goat cheese salad), two goat cheese cheesecakes in
adorable little mason jars and a bunch of wine. I loved the option to
pick a flight of their wines available by the glass - I wish more
restaurants allowed you to do wine flights. Then at Bao Bei we had some
of the best upscale Chinese fusion (it's not really fusion but I don't
really know what else to call it) I have ever had. This is what I wish
PF Changs was - great flavors, great food, but innovative takes on more
traditional Chinese dishes. All four of us loved the steamed ling cod
with mushrooms in a really delicious broth and the "kickass house fried
rice" with duck breast. I also thought the dessert of Chinese donuts
(that are called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtiao"><i>youtiao</i></a>
and are typically served at dim sum with congee or soy milk to dip them
in) with a white chocolate ganache and sesame dipping sauce was really
good. Then we went to Dinesty, which was far more traditional. They
had really good pork and crab soup dumplings, camphor-smoked duck
(with serious smoky flavor and crisp skin served with steamed buns that they decorated to look like adorable
little clam shells) and a fantastic Hakka stir-fry with pork, tofu and
squid </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(all pictured below)</span>. I was a little worried when we walked into Dinesty because it was this fairly fancy Chinese restaurant in a huge mall, but by 5:15 pm the restaurant was jam packed with Chinese friends, couples and families out for dinner so I figured we had to be in good hands. At one point we looked around the large dining room and Alex and my dad were the only white people there, which is usually a good sign when you are looking for legit Asian food.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">More (including more pictures) after the jump!</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSnUymbKwZt10So1ERYf5msoQZDKuo9MR5n_qk9daxJi0v_1WpKHtAKuPCZ6GG8FLAg1vrcEIAZpA-32JdSWT9_BaMe-1PdfLdmJDSvpzpe6lv-wjyQREgmOGVjzRy24r2U5Fp86nego/s1600/IMG_0394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSnUymbKwZt10So1ERYf5msoQZDKuo9MR5n_qk9daxJi0v_1WpKHtAKuPCZ6GG8FLAg1vrcEIAZpA-32JdSWT9_BaMe-1PdfLdmJDSvpzpe6lv-wjyQREgmOGVjzRy24r2U5Fp86nego/s1600/IMG_0394.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Beyond the great restaurants we ate at, Vancouver was just a really neat city. Gastown was adorable and I loved the <a href="http://granvilleisland.com/public-market">Granville Island Public Market</a> (which reminded me a little of the San Fransisco ferry terminal and is what I assume Pike Place Market in Seattle is like). We picked up some salmon candy (my mom was totally weirded out by the concept and refused to try it), some nice little sausages and some tasty fruit there. If I lived in Vancouver I would go there all the time to do my grocery shopping. And then there was Whistler. There is always a lot to love about Whistler - the skiing is great, the restaurants in the village are all pretty decent (our favorites this trip were Bearfoot Bistro for their oyster happy hour, the Brewhouse for beer and better than decent bar food, Gone Bakery for soups, salads and sammies and Purebread for coffee and pastries) and it's just a really nice vacation spot. And when you get a nice sunny day at Whistler the scenery is just to die for. It can't quite compete with Lake Tahoe for water views, but it has spectacular mountain views as far as the eye can see. Give us a few years and we will definitely be back - I can't wait to try more restaurants in Vancouver and ski a few more days at Whistler.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Whistler</span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFynJy6H923HAFA4fJ_ejKOY3vAZzgWMm4Gv0BLX-SCJ0hCrrBRnKaYcaMlKt6_Vv5yb1KcR1eO3swtQuhFJlqFE3aN2u4iaNRhmkea76TCHaNMLFtHGrnAYF8QnJhT6ah9vME6P1SKs/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFynJy6H923HAFA4fJ_ejKOY3vAZzgWMm4Gv0BLX-SCJ0hCrrBRnKaYcaMlKt6_Vv5yb1KcR1eO3swtQuhFJlqFE3aN2u4iaNRhmkea76TCHaNMLFtHGrnAYF8QnJhT6ah9vME6P1SKs/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Snowmobiling in Whistler</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">More Whistler</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Camphor-smoked duck</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Hakka-style pork, tofu and squid stir-fry</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Pork and crab soup dumplings</span> </div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-55320692871274589742014-02-23T12:27:00.000-08:002014-02-23T12:27:05.830-08:00Honey-Glazed Roast Duck and Bourbon-Pickled Jalapenos<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This weekend seems to be the weekend for posting about hunks of roasted meats. On Saturday I posted a roasted pork shoulder. I finally got around today to posting about the honey-glazed roast duck that we made from Ed Lee's cookbook back on New Years Day. Pathetic, huh? I have no real excuse for being so delinquent in my posting, except that work is busy and we have been traveling a bit. It is particularly sad given how incredibly excited I was by this meal (both before and while eating). My laziness has nothing to do with how much I liked this duck. I LOVE duck in general and I thought this roast duck had really good flavor. It's no replacement for Peking duck, but it was a nice take on roast duck. My biggest compliant about the duck was that the skin needed to render more. It was still fatty and not at all crispy. It was more... sticky (and a little rubbery). I dunno if our duck was just fattier than the duck that Ed Lee uses - he might use some sort of free range duck with more flavor and less fat. But it was still really good. I loved the bourbon-pickled jalapenos that we served with it - they were the perfect boozy, sweet and spicy accompaniment for the richness of the duck and the sweet flavor of the glaze. Definitely serve the duck with some herbs and thinly sliced cucumbers because that freshness also works to cut through the fattiness of the duck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Honey-Glazed Roast Duck</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from <i>Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Edward Lee</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">For the duck:</span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 5 lb duck</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 cup kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">15 garlic cloves, peeled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">s&p</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">chicken stock for pan (if desired) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">For the glaze:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp fresh orange juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">For serving:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bourbon-Pickled Jalapenos (recipe below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">sliced cucumbers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">fresh cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">fresh basil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sriracha </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Remove the gizzards from the duck. Rinse the duck under cold running water (inside and out) and pat dry. Using a very sharp knife, score the skin (being careful not to cut into the meat itself), making a diagonal cross-hatch pattern across the breast. Place the duck in a colander in the sink. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bring 4 cups of water and the salt to a boil. Set the pan of boiling water near the sink. Using a large ladle, slowly pour the boiling water over the duck. The skin should shrink and curl a bit as the fat renders from the skin (according to the recipe, this should make the skin crispier).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Scatter the garlic cloves over the bottom of a cast iron skillet or a roasting pan. Set the duck, breast side up, on the garlic. Add a few tablespoons of chicken stock (or water) to the pan. Roast for 45 minutes. Flip the duck over and roast 15 minutes. Flip the duck back, so the breast is facing up again, and roast for another 15 minutes. If at any point the pan is bone dry and the garlic looks like it is burning, you can always add in a little more stock. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine all glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Take the pan out of the oven, carefully tilt it, and pour as much of the rendered duck fat as possible into a bowl. You can either save the duck fat in a lidded jar in the refrigerator (if you want to experiment with cooking potatoes or other things with duck fat) or toss it. Brush the glaze generously over the duck. Turn the oven up to 450 degrees F and roast the duck for 15 minutes, brushing a little more glaze over it once or twice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Take the duck out of the oven and base with any remaining glaze in the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately with roasted garlic and other garnishes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bourbon-Pickled Jalapenos</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Edward Lee</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 lb jalapeno peppers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 cup bourbon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tsp coriander seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp yellow mustard seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 bay leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Wearing disposable gloves (if you have or want them), slice the jalapenos into 1/4-thick rounds. Transfer to a jar. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine vinegar, bourbon, honey, coriander seeds, salt, mustard seeds and bay leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Pour the hot liquid over the peppers and seal the jar(s) with a tight-fitting lid, let cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. The peppers will be ready in 3 days, and they will keep for up to 2 weeks.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-77859436122550509672014-02-22T15:10:00.000-08:002014-02-22T15:10:00.618-08:00Ultra-Crispy Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder (with Mojo Sauce)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKodQC9yc6l5VZLdFgEt7qcdDOCiQzIRavvW5XbqEDHD78RIqAl2TwNtEDruwewfvp1B2LDR8b42K47u3heJP1wnaZRgM23tcklIzHsL2jnX0k08yI7WhIcmmQs_b7LDYGGNr9kwgDc0/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKodQC9yc6l5VZLdFgEt7qcdDOCiQzIRavvW5XbqEDHD78RIqAl2TwNtEDruwewfvp1B2LDR8b42K47u3heJP1wnaZRgM23tcklIzHsL2jnX0k08yI7WhIcmmQs_b7LDYGGNr9kwgDc0/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I made a pork shoulder back in January (that I finally posted <a href="http://nycsliceofrice.blogspot.com/2014/02/pulled-pork-shoulder-in-black-bbq-saue.html">here</a> on February 2nd because work was busy and I got lazy) and as soon as I took it out of the oven I started thinking about this recipe. That recipe called for cooking a pork shoulder at 425 for 2 1/2 hours. I was a little skeptical about the cooking method but thought it was worth a shot if it meant that I didn't have to spend ALL DAY slow roasting a pork shoulder. Unfortunately, it just didn't work quite as well. For the Super Bowl we decided to suck it up and revert to our usual low and slow cooking method. I always find that low and slow works best for us on weekends when we don't have any other real plans so we can just hang out around the apartment all day and enjoy the smells of slow roasting meat.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We ended up using the pork shoulder in a number of different ways - tacos (with pickled red onions, cotija cheese, cilantro), fried rice, topping for arepas (with black beans (we actually used a can of black bean soup that we heated up and added the jalapenos to it), avocado, and pineapple salsa). It is such a basic recipe that you can mix it up and use different sauces with the meat (or no sauce at all if you are a purist) and then use the meat for a million different meals. We served our pork with a mojo sauce (also from Serious Eats) because I was feeling citrus-y and Latin American rather than BBQ/Southern. I loved the crispy skin and the overall tenderness and succulence of the pork. We crushed up some of the skin and mixed it in with both the tacos and the arepas and it made for such a really nice textural contrast). I know there are a million different ways to make pork shoulder, but this might be our new go-to. It is just so versatile. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">P.S. Alex and I thought that we had taken pictures of the tacos but it looks like the only pictures we took were of the giant hunk of meat itself. Oops. But at least you can see in the picture how crispy and blistered the skin got. It was wonderfully "ultra crispy".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipes after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Ultra-Crispy Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/12/ultra-crispy-slow-roasted-pork-shoulder-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1 whole bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder, 8 to 12 pounds total</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper</span> </span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.</span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Line a rimmed baking sheet with
heavy duty aluminum foil (see note) and set a wire rack inside it. Place
a piece of parchment paper on top of the wire rack. Season pork on all
sides liberally with salt and pepper and place on parchment paper.
Transfer to oven and roast until knife or fork inserted into side shows
very little resistance when twisted, about 8 hours total.</span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Remove pork from oven and tent
with foil. Let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up
to 2 hours. Increase oven to 500°F and allow to preheat. Return pork to
the oven and roast until skin is blistered and puffed, rotating every 5
minutes, about 20 minutes total. Remove from oven, tent with foil and
allow to rest an additional 15 minutes. Serve by picking in the kitchen
or just bring it to the table and let guests pick meat and crispy skin
themselves, dipping into sauce of their choice on the side (we used mojo sauce).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Mojo Sauce</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Available at <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/06/sauced-mojo-sauce-condiments-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></span><br />
<div class="content-block ingredients">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS<span class="ingredient"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">8 cloves garlic, minced</span></span><br />
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">2/3 cup fresh sour orange juice, or 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice and 1/3 cup of fresh lime juice</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/3 cup olive oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon dried oregano</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon cumin</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="ingredient">Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste</span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Place garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and work into a smooth paste.</span></div>
<div class="ingredients-section">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, sour orange juice, oil, oregano, cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. </span></div>
</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-30182223644565009542014-02-02T15:06:00.002-08:002014-02-22T15:38:37.305-08:00Pulled Pork Shoulder in Black BBQ Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J8XUmXJE1GF3gpBs5NrglTV5lny4qy5CEUNh3G3tg3exGYpkl-WrpA7MPez9HIXYRqltf_v9i1lbGTk5sgyJc-3LitUuaaPx80agrjmVz39mhPuBVPY6pVpBMkrv1qkksE7n6qq1RDY/s1600/DSC_0838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J8XUmXJE1GF3gpBs5NrglTV5lny4qy5CEUNh3G3tg3exGYpkl-WrpA7MPez9HIXYRqltf_v9i1lbGTk5sgyJc-3LitUuaaPx80agrjmVz39mhPuBVPY6pVpBMkrv1qkksE7n6qq1RDY/s1600/DSC_0838.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I bought Ed Lee's cookbook back in December and was instantly enamored. There were so many dishes that I wanted to make. And then I read the recipes themselves. The recipes all look delicious but the ingredient lists tend towards and long and complicated. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it requires a lot more time and effort, not to mention preparation. This recipe was one that I had looked at a few times but Alex decided one night when we were having friends over for dinner that we should go ahead and make it. If we had left it up to me I would have sat on the recipe a little longer because the black BBQ sauce alone had like 25+ ingredients. But we went with it. We also made a simple coleslaw recipe with just a touch of mayonnaise that I really enjoyed (and can't manage to find). I'll keep looking on the theory that I will find it eventually and because I really liked it. It seemed to me like the perfect coleslaw to pair with BBQ - fresh and crunchy, with just enough mayonnaise to make it a little bit creamy and bind it together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There was one problem with this recipe. The flavor was good. The black BBQ sauce was different. But the pork was kind of tough. We cooked it for over 30 minutes beyond what the recipe required, but the meat was nowhere near as tender as we had hoped. Part of that is our fault since Alex got impatient (and hungry) and took the pork out of the oven when it was fairly tender on one side and not at all tender on the other. By the time I realized it, it was too late to throw the pork back in the oven. Generally speaking, we have had more luck with the low and slow cooking approach for pork shoulder, but we wanted to try this recipe as written, which involved blasting the pork shoulder at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. In the future, I would revert to the low and slow method. We actually have a pork shoulder in the oven right now that we cooked at 250 degrees F for 7+ hours thus far. I will keep you posted on how this one turns out because it's another recipe that we haven't tried before. But you learn something new everyday. This time I learned a really nice new rub for pork shoulder. And if I could find the cole slaw recipe we tried, I would have learned more than one new thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Pulled Pork Shoulder in Black BBQ Sauce </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Adapted from <i>Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">By Edward Lee</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">For pork</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 cup kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5 lb pork shoulder, skin-on and bone-in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">For black BBQ sauce</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tbsp evoo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 lb onions, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5 garlic cloves, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 jalapenos, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/3 cup raisins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup bourbon </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup coffee </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup Coke</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 cup ketchup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 cup soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 cup balsamic vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp molasses</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tbsp black bean sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/2 tbsp dried hot Oriental mustard (the recipe actually calls for 1 tbsp dry mustard)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tsp ground allspice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tsp black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 tsp smoked paprika</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">juice of 1 lime (we use 1 1/2 limes because ours weren't very juicy)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 cup sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">honey (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Combine salt, cumin, paprika and black pepper in a small bowl. Put the pork shoulder in a large baking dish or large bowl and pat a thick layer of the rub over the entire surface. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to give the pork a quick cure. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt the butter with the evoo over low heat. Add onions, garlic, jalapenos and raisins. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occassionally, until the onions start to brown and caramelize on the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan by adding the bourbon, coffee and Coke. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Add ketchup, soy, balsamic, molasses, Worcestershire and black bean sauce. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add mustard, allspice, black pepper, cayenne and smoked paprika. Simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Transfer BBQ sauce to a blender, add sesame oil and lime juice and puree on high until sauce is thick and smooth. Adjust the seasonings to taste (we added roughly 2 tsp of honey and that extra 1/2 lime). Transfer BBQ sauce to a bowl and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature when ready to use.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Wrap the shoulder loosely in aluminum foil and set in a roasting pan. Pour in a little water (about 1/2 cup) into the foil package. Roast for 2 1/2 hours. Check the meat. If it pulls away from the shoulder blade bone easily when poked with a fork, it's done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Carefully transfer the pork to a cutting board. It's easier to pull while still hot. Pull the pork with two forks and place in a bowl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Moisten the meat with just enough BBQ sauce to flavor it. Transfer to a platter and serve hot with additional sauce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614068807948160272.post-12447787815831390982014-01-27T19:08:00.000-08:002014-01-27T19:08:16.025-08:00Roast Salmon and Broccoli with Chili-Caper Vinaigrette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOICWVMkXuegnLv__FsvBKHInG0j9HarmT3lsDJBu3eg7cjBHXizZiis3vk_qP4IS3dyGXC-CvlPF7gSweUFTJHRYTII0KQP-3OKvVnwIkn2sGmLCcky71DFXJe1J_Qb7y5Cg0vMXz_s/s1600/DSC_0852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOICWVMkXuegnLv__FsvBKHInG0j9HarmT3lsDJBu3eg7cjBHXizZiis3vk_qP4IS3dyGXC-CvlPF7gSweUFTJHRYTII0KQP-3OKvVnwIkn2sGmLCcky71DFXJe1J_Qb7y5Cg0vMXz_s/s1600/DSC_0852.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I always have my eyes peeled for new salmon and chicken recipes. I have my favorite recipes, but I can't help thinking that there might be something better (or just different, but still worth trying) out there. When I have a really nice thick wild salmon fillet I want to sear it and eat it medium-rare, but when the salmon doesn't seem quite as fresh or it's not quite as thick, I like to roast it. This time the salmon was a little too skinny for searing so I decided to roast it. And then I poked around online for a bit. The thing that really drives me nuts about salmon is how many people seem to love it lacquered or glazed with some sort of random and quasi-Asian sauce. I feel like every third recipe I found either called for teriyaki sauce or sugar/maple syrup/honey in the marinade or glaze. I have been suckered into one or two of those recipes and regretted it every time. I don't want my salmon to be sticky sweet - sweet fish just doesn't do it for me. I also don't want dairy with my fish (unless it's lox and cream cheese on a bagel). I will make an exception for creme fraiche (on rare occasion) and butter is always fine, but I can't understand the combination of mayonnaise and salmon. It just weirds me out. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This recipe, which I had considered making a few times in the past, looked both easy and intriguing, which is a really nice combination for a meal mid-week. More importantly, it didn't trigger any of my instinctive aversions (i.e. there was no mayonnaise, teriyaki or sugar required). When we were making dinner and I saw the chili-caper vinaigrette I was a little worried that the elements of the dish wouldn't really work together. The combination of jalapenos, rice wine vinegar, capers and evoo just seemed (and looked)... strange. But once you put it all together the flavors worked surprisingly well together. One commenter on <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/">Epicurious</a> called the combination of flavors "surprisingly delicious" and that's exactly how I felt. I thought it would be interesting at the very least, but I didn't have high expectations. I used the vinaigrette pretty sparingly because I didn't want it to overpower the flavor of the salmon and I thought that the bright, briny and slightly spicy flavor worked really nicely with the richness of the salmon and the slightly nutty flavor of the roasted broccoli. This recipe won't replace my favorite <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/salt-and-pepper-salmon-recipe/index.html">Salt and Pepper Salmon</a>, but I can definitely see us making it again - it's easy and tasty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recipe after the jump!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Roast Salmon and Broccoli with Chili-Caper Vinaigrette</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roast-salmon-and-broccoli-with-chile-caper-vinaigrette"><i>Bon Appetit </i></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">October 2013</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:<br />1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 lb.), cut into florets <br /> 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided <br /> Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper <br /> 4 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets <br /> 1 red Fresno chile or jalapeño, thinly sliced into rings, seeds removed if desired <br /> 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar <br /> 2 tablespoons drained capers </span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />Preheat oven to 400°. Toss broccoli and 2 Tbsp. oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp-tender, 12–15 minutes. </span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />Remove baking sheet from oven and rub salmon with 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Push broccoli to edges of baking sheet and place salmon in the center. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 10–15 minutes. </span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />Meanwhile, combine chile, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in small bowl and let sit until chiles are slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Mix in capers and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. </span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />Serve salmon and broccoli drizzled with chile vinaigrette.</span>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08082053339978221887noreply@blogger.com0