Cold Sesame Noodles: A Takeout Favorite Made Better

My electricity bill these past two months has been frightening. Living in a building with only two units that is considered a "house" by ConEdison's standards, my roommate and I have had to pay double the monthly amount of typical apartment tenants. And it doesn't help that we have three air conditioners. We try to use them a little as possible, but with July's record high temps and oppressive humidity, a little AC meant the difference between good night's rest and no sleep.

And of course, I can't not cook at home. As somewhat of a carb addict, 75% of my homecooked dinners, let's just be honest, involve noodles or pasta. But the noodle soups will have to wait until fall.

Cold noodles, on the other hand, are essential for the summer. They make great picnic food. They make great sides for cookouts. They are the same savory-sweet kind you get from the Chinese takeout, with less grease and no MSG. And they require very little prep time and don't even have to be reheated out of the fridge (within a reasonable number of days, of course.)

For the noodles themselves, I like to use Chinese egg noodles, soba, or spaghetti. They should be round, not too thin or too thick (the width of a spaghetti strang is perfect.) I find that regular all-wheat Chinese noodles are usually too spongey for this sauce, rendering the dish into somewhat of a gloppy mess. Same with rice noodles. Egg noodles, soba, or spaghetti hold their firmness the best, and allow the sauce to coat the noodles instead of seeping in.

I also like to sauté my garlic and ginger just a little, before tossing it in with the sauce. I'd rather have fragrant garlic and ginger instead of raw, and that extra step of sautéeing for 30 seconds makes a huge difference.?

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Cold Sesame Noodles

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as an appetizer

12 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles, soba, or spaghetti
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or 3 tablespoons tahini with an extra teaspoon of sesame oil)
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Chinese rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
2 small handful peanuts, chopped
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced for garnish

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook egg noodles or spaghetti until just done and still firm, or the minimum amount of time according to package instructions. Drain immediately, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Toss with 1 tablespoon peanut oil and set aside.

2. Heat the other tablespoon of peanut oil in a small pan. Stir-fry the minced garlic and grated ginger until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame paste, peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, water, Chinese rice vinegar, chili sauce, and sugar until smooth. Stir in the garlic and ginger.?

4. Pour the sauce over the noodles, add half the cucumber matchsticks, and toss. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the cucumber, the chopped peanuts, and the scallions.?

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More noodle dishes:

Dan Dan Mian (Spicy Sichuan Noodles)

Noodles with Hot Bean Sauce

Minced Pork and Shiitake Soba Noodles

Pad See-Ew?

Stir-Fried Vermicelli (Rice Noodles) with Garlic and Scallions

Red Curry Peanut Noodles

View the original article here

Mantao Chinese Sandwiches

These days, you can get almost anything off a food truck. Progressive-sounding ice cream, Asian hot dogs, cow feet, you name it.

However, as I've lamented before, what New York really needs is a banh mi truck. Say you are really craving a banh mi, but happen to be lunching outside Chinatown or the East Village. Say you're in, for example, the East 50's. I'm sure many office workers on these Asian-sandwich-deprived blocks would flock to something different from the usual halal vendors (as addictive as white/red sauce is.) Whoever starts driving such a truck would make a killing.

Likewise, someone should also start a pork belly sandwich truck. Gua bao (刮包) is a Taiwanese "burger" that consists of a slab of pork belly in a mantou, or steamed Chinese bun. In Taiwan, at least, the toppings usually include caramelized onions, cilantro, and crushed peauts.

In New York outside of Chinatown and Flushing, variations have sprung up at places like Momofuku and Baohaus. But again, they are nowhere in Manhattan north of 14th, at least for take-out.

Mantao Chinese Sandwiches on East 53rd St. may be the closest such place. The restaurant name is actually a misnomer. First of all, the food is as Korean-influenced as it is Chinese. Second, instead of steamed fluffy white mantou, the buns used seem closer to Chinese shaobing, baked bread with sesame on top. But no matter. Despite the buns' lack of mantou qualities, the eatery is still worth a visit.

Notes on selected sandwiches:

Braised pork belly? - I had been craving pork belly for weeks, and was looking forward to this one. Mistake. The pork belly was very dry, as though not enough braising liquid was used. The burger was bland overall, and the pickled cucumbers and cilantro didn't help. A little Sriracha from the squeeze bottle, however, did slightly improve the texture and taste. Next time I would skip this entirely for one of the other sandwiches.?

Sliced Beef with Kimchi (pictured up top) - This was my favorite of the bunch. The sliced beef was juicy, bulgogi-like, with equal parts lean meat and fat. The kimchi topping added just the right amount of kick.

Angus Beef Burger with Spicy Sambal Sauce (pictured left, half-eaten) - This is very, very spicy. The burger meat was a teeny bit dry, but hard to notice under the amount of sambal sauce. My lunch date drank a lot of water.

Spicy Pork (left, about to be eaten) - Like the Sliced Beef, the chili-tinged pork here was also juicy with equal parts lean meat and fat. It wasn't nearly as spicy as the Angus Beef. Topped with pickled daikon, this was another winner.

We didn't try the dumplings or cold noodles on the menu, but here's another tip: get the lunch combo that comes with shrimp chips. Unlike the generic shrimp chips from Chinatown, dyed Easter colors and crackly enough to suck all the moisture from your tongue after a few bites, these are thick and substantive and not too greasy.

Note to the restaurant: if the shrimp chips are housemade, please sell them to-go by the bagful.

Mantao Chinese Sandwiches
235 East 53rd St. (btwen 2nd and 3rd Aves.)
New York, NY
212-888-2490

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More Chinese and Korean eateries in New York:

Xi'an Famous Foods

Grand Sichuan International - Chelsea

Moo Goo Gai Panini @ Marco Polo Café

Kunjip in Koreatown

3 Chinese Dishes Worth the Trip into Flushing

View the original article here

Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

When I was living in China, ordering a dish of something coated in spicy garlic sauce was usually a gamble. Take pork or eggplant for example, two Sichuan dishes usually cooked with this sauce. The dish could be either perfectly manageable, or, if the chef was overly generous with his chili oil, throat-burningly spicy. Having your throat burnt isn't necessarily bad, per se (after all, you did go out for Sichuan). But when your meal also includes mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and boiled beef in chili sauce, it would be nice to have a little reprieve.?

In the U.S., shrimp with garlic sauce in Chinese restaurants is rarely very spicy, even if the entree is marked with a big red star or chili pepper on the menu. I wanted to strike a balance with this recipe. Instead of using a lot of chili oil, like in Sichuan cooking, or a tiny squeeze of hot sauce like many restaurants here seem to do,? I used a good amount of Huy Fong (Red Rooster brand) chili garlic sauce instead. (You can use any brand of chili garlic sauce or regular chili sauce.)

Of course, because this dish is all about the garlicky taste, nothing beats freshly sautéed garlic. There is nothing wrong with adding garlic on top of garlic. You'll want to start with sautéing a few cloves cloves, crushed or chopped. Then add the shrimp and the sauce, and the entree will be done in, seriously, 5 minutes.?

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Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 gloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact, then devein them.?

2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, and sugar and set aside.

3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated.

4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.

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More Chinese seafood recipes to try:

Dragon Well Tea Shrimp (Longjing Xiaren)

Ginger and Scallion Steamed Crab

Chinese Steamed Fish with Black Bean and Ginger Sauce

Coconut Milk Shrimp

Wonton Noodle Soup, Hong Kong-Style

View the original article here

Tamarind Pork

I can't believe that we are already almost halfway into October. Where did the September go? For that matter, where did the entire summer go? It seemed like only yesterday that I had been busy bookmarking summer concerts and looking forward to beach trips and lazy days in the park, most of which did not materialize. (This summer I did, however, finally discover Arrested Development, and spent a good many 100-degree weekend days with the Netflix instant queue, a powerful fan, and an icy gin & tonic.) Yes, in general, the summer seemed to have flown by.

To be fair, many of my waking hours this summer had been devoted to not only side editing projects but also something pretty big and exciting. So I apologize for having been somewhat absent on the site. But the absence has been for a good reason and I can't wait to share the news with everyone in the coming weeks. And postings will definitely become more frequent again.

But first, here's a recipe fit for the fall. This week I'm teaching a Macanese cooking class at Bowery Culinary Center at the Whole Foods on Houston St. The class is already sold out, but I wanted to share one particular favorite Macanese dish with you. (And I really should post up more Macanese recipes; almost everything is hearty and good comfort food to eat in cool weather, even though Macau itself is in the sub-tropics, just west of Hong Kong.)?

Macanese cuisine is a Chinese-Portuguese fusion cuisine that stems from the 16th century, when the Portuguese first arrived. Over time, dishes evolved and picked up influences from around Southeast Asia and other colonies in Africa, Goa, and Brazil. One such dish is tamarind pork. The use of olive oil or butter as the cooking fat stems from Europe, while the tamarind paste comes from Southeast Asia and the shrimp paste is thoroughly Chinese.

What I love about tamarind pork is the very nice balance of tangy, salty, and sweet flavors (from the tamarind paste, soy sauce, and brown sugar, respectively.) A bit of warning: when you first start cooking, the shrimp paste will make the dish smell a little pungent. (Just under the pot lid, not your entire kitchen.) One friend eloquently described the aroma as "like barnyard". But I promise, after 45 to 50 minutes of cooking time the smell will have dissipated. The pork comes out so juicy and full of flavor that you may start wondering what else you can use shrimp paste for.

For a spicy kick, have a few slices of jalape?o on hand for garnish. And be sure to have plenty of rice to soak up the sauce.

(If you're in Macau, check out Restaurante Litoral for a very good version of this, plus other Macanese dishes.) ?

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Tamarind Pork

Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound pork shoulder or stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, finely chopped
1 jalape?o pepper, thinly sliced

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the
shallots and garlic and cook until aromatic and slightly
softened, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the pork and cook on all sides until the outsides begin to brown.

3. Add the brown sugar, tamarind paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, and shrimp paste and give everything a quick stir. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes.

4. While the pork is simmering, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry the dried shrimp until aromatic and golden brown, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

5. When the pork is done simmering, transfer the meat and sauce to a serving bowl. Garnish with the chopped dried shrimp and sliced jalape?os.

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More pork recipes to try:

Pork Adobo

Cantonese Roast Pork (Char Siu)

Red-Cooked Pork (Hongshao rou)

Japanese Braised Pork Belly?

Twice-Cooked Pork (Huiguo rou)

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork

View the original article here

Chinese-Jamaican Food in Brooklyn: De Bamboo Express

Every once in a while I get an craving for greasy Chinese food that's different from what you can find at your everyday takeout stand.

Some of you may remember my Caribbean-Chinese party from two years ago. The theme had been inspired by the wee bit of my childhood that was spent in Puerto Rico and the hybrid dishes I remember eating at Chinese restaurants there, like chicharrones de pollo and pineapple shrimp. I had also added some Jamaican influences as well, including jerk chicken wings and a cocktail made with hibiscus tea. It was a fun event, but needless to say, Caribbean-Chinese food never became a steady part of my diet.

Flash forward to 2010. Today I found myself in Crown Heights at De Bamboo Express, one of the two or three Jamaican-Chinese restaurants I know of in the city. Objective: a cheap but filling lunch.

The place is pretty spartan, with a couple of wall-lined counters, a few tables, and enormous menus highlighting their $5 lunch specials. (The one cook in the kitchen appeared to be fully Chinese, not happa. You have to wonder whether he grew up cooking Chinese-Jamaican dishes, or switched over from more straightforward Chinese food.) I picked up a jerk chicken lo mein to go and a lime rickey soda.?

The dish was as good as it looks in the photo. The chicken was juicy from being cooked bone-in, and seasoning was just hot enough. I would guess there were some Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers in the marinade, as well as soy sauce and five spice powder. (Eating large pieces of bone-in chicken with a plastic fork tests your dexterity, especially when your roommate's hungry cat perches itself on the adjacent chair, ready to pounce at any sign of weakness.)

Compared to the intensity of the spices on the skin, the white meat seemed a little bland; some duck sauce took care of that. And I absolutely loved the lo mein noodles, springy and chewy and far from the soggy mess that some establishments dole out.

Maybe I need to go back with a few friends (friends who are willing to be dragged to Crown Heights) and make a dinner out of it. Jerk lamb, curry red snapper, hot and sour soup with fried fish. Oh, the possiblities.

De Bamboo Express

772 Flatbush Ave.(btwn Clarkson Ave. and Lenox Rd.)
Brooklyn, NY
718-469-0117

Closest subway: B, Q to Parkside Ave.

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More eating out in New York:

Xi'an Famous Foods

Yun Nan Flavour Snack

Grand Sichuan International - Chelsea

3 Chinese Dishes Worth the Trip into Flushing

View the original article here

Hunan Eggplant with Bacon and Shiitakes

August is the beginning of eggplant season in the Northeast, so this is as good a time as any to indulge in my favorite plump vegetable.

When I was living in Beijing and teaching Sichuan cooking classes, one of the recipes that became a regular part of the curriculum was Fish-Fragrant Eggplant. Most students were indifferent to eggplant until they tried making this particular dish. The eggplant is cut into thick slices, stir-fried, then braised in a mouth-tingling Sichuan pepper and chili bean sauce. It's one of the few hearty main dishes in Chinese cuisine that's completely vegetarian (well, if you subtitute chicken stock with vegetable stock.)

This eggplant dish I'm posting today doesn't even pretend to be vegetarian. It's more Hunan-style, and uses chopped bacon to flavor the sauce. (You can also use ground pork.) In Hunan, it's more common to see eggplant deep-fried. However, I find that with deep-frying, the eggplant gets way too soggy a day later. This is an important consideration if you're cooking for one and end up with a ton of leftovers. Plus, there is no point in wasting a couple liters of oil.

So I end up shallow-frying my eggplant. You will need about 1/3 cup of oil for 1 1/2 pounds of eggplant, since the vegetable is pretty spongey. But no more than 1/3 cup. That amount of oil will get the outsides nice and golden brown. With the addition of the bacon and mushroom sauce, this dish is great for anyone whose tastebuds scream for salt, spice, and this. And it'll reheat beautifully.

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Hunan Eggplant with Bacon and Shiitakes

Serves 4

3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds eggplant
1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil
3 ounces uncooked bacon, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste
3 scallion stalks, thinly sliced

1. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes, until they soften. Drain the shiitakes and squeeze them dry. Finely chop them and set aside.

2. Quarter eggplants along the length, then cut 1/2-inch thick slices from each quarter.?

3. Heat the 1/3 cup oil in a wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add the eggplants and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the outsides turn golden brown. Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the bacon. Cook the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and shittakes and stir-fry for another minute. Add the chili bean sauce and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce and sesame oil. Allow everything to simmer for a few minutes while the flavors penetrate the eggplants. Add salt if needed.

5. Add the chopped scallions to the eggplant mix and cook for another minute. Remove from the wok and serve.

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Related dishes to try:

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (Yuxiang Qiezi)?

Mapo Tofu (Mapo Doufu)

Kung Pao Tofu

Sichuan-Style Snow Peas

Wild Mushroom Sauté with New Zealand Spinach?

View the original article here

Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

When I was living in China, ordering a dish of something coated in spicy garlic sauce was usually a gamble. Take pork or eggplant for example, two Sichuan dishes usually cooked with this sauce. The dish could be either perfectly manageable, or, if the chef was overly generous with his chili oil, throat-burningly spicy. Having your throat burnt isn't necessarily bad, per se (after all, you did go out for Sichuan). But when your meal also includes mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and boiled beef in chili sauce, it would be nice to have a little reprieve.?

In the U.S., shrimp with garlic sauce in Chinese restaurants is rarely very spicy, even if the entree is marked with a big red star or chili pepper on the menu. I wanted to strike a balance with this recipe. Instead of using a lot of chili oil, like in Sichuan cooking, or a tiny squeeze of hot sauce like many restaurants here seem to do,? I used a good amount of Huy Fong (Red Rooster brand) chili garlic sauce instead. (You can use any brand of chili garlic sauce or regular chili sauce.)

Of course, because this dish is all about the garlicky taste, nothing beats freshly sautéed garlic. There is nothing wrong with adding garlic on top of garlic. You'll want to start with sautéing a few cloves cloves, crushed or chopped. Then add the shrimp and the sauce, and the entree will be done in, seriously, 5 minutes.?

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Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 gloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact, then devein them.?

2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, and sugar and set aside.

3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated.

4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.

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More Chinese seafood recipes to try:

Dragon Well Tea Shrimp (Longjing Xiaren)

Ginger and Scallion Steamed Crab

Chinese Steamed Fish with Black Bean and Ginger Sauce

Coconut Milk Shrimp

Wonton Noodle Soup, Hong Kong-Style

View the original article here

Chicken and Apple Dumplings

Ever gone apple-picking on a 90-degree day? Last weekend probably had the last of such summery temperatures until next June. But instead of lounging on the beach, I was at the apple orchard helping to pick about 30 pounds of crisp, earlyish-in-the-season apples. Signs of fall weren't completely missing: on the drive up the Hudson from New York, I spotted abut one in 30 trees with a vibrant red or orange hue.

The cool weather on the radar for this week (and my insatiable craving for appley desserts) is probably a good sign that it had been the perfect time to go apple-picking.

What does one end up doing with 30 pounds of apples? Apple bread, apple fritters, and apple cookies were all cranked out this weekend. In lieu of apple pie, we attempted apple pandowdy (which, I was reminded, is in the lyrics of an oldies hit.) For something savory, I decided to try apple dumplings.

Chicken, with a more subtle flavor than pork, seemed like a nice pairing for the apple. I added some chopped onions, ground ginger, and apple cider to the mix. They were like the chicken and apple sausages that you can find at grocery stores, except in dumpling form that you can dip into soy sauce. If you can't find pre-ground chicken, you can also try ground turkey, or (if you own a KitchenAid Mixer with a sausage attachment) make ground chicken with chicken breast meat.

For a refresher on wrapping dumplings, see my Dumpling Wrapping Photo Guide.

With 50 dumplings, I thought that most would end up frozen for a rainy day (as in, at least a week later.) By the following evening, more than half were gone.

Most of the apples, however, remain. About 25 pounds' worth. Anyone have other suggestions for dishes, savory or sweet?

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Chicken and Apple Dumplings

Makes 50

1 pound ground chicken (or substitute ground turkey)
1 or 2 medium-sized apples (any variety), finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon apple juice or cider
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 package wonton wrappers (about 50 per package)
Flour for dusting

1. Mix together the chicken, apple, onion, apple juice/cider, ginger, salt, and pepper.

2. Unwrap dumpling wrappers and keep them covered in plastic or under a damp towel. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and keep some extra flour within hand's reach.?

3. Follow steps 1 through 5 in my Dumpling Wrapping Photo Guide.

4. To pan-fry, follow steps 6 and 7 in my Dumpling Wrapping Photo Guide. To boil the dumplings instead, bring a pot of water to boil. Add dumplings and simmer until they float to the top, about 3 minutes (this method of assuring doneness works if your dumplings have no air pockets; otherwise, they float to the top immediately.) Drain well.

5. Transfer to serving plates, and serve with soy sauce.

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Similar recipes to try:

Pea and Shiitake Dumplings

Wonton Noodle Soup, Hong Kong-Style

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

Scallion Pancakes

Taro and Pumpkin Tofu Puffs

Chicken Lollipops

Barley-Stuffed Tomatoes

View the original article here

Chinese Lemon Chicken

Most sane people keep a drawer full of delivery menus for the sole purpose of...ordering delivery. I too have a menu drawer, but can count on two hands the number of times I have actually ordered delivery in the past few years.

Call me a bad New Yorker.? I'm pretty good with picking up takeout while out somewhere, but dialing from home is another story. Being so dangerously close to the kitchen, I usually wind up studying the menu for half an hour, choosing an entree, then deciding, screw this, I can make the same dish, except way better.

This hubris usually leads me to spend another couple of hours ransacking my cabinets, schlepping to the grocery store, figuring out a strategy, then executing it. Even if it is already past 9pm and I'm starving. Sure, it would have been easier and about 1 hour and 50 minutes faster to just call the damn Golden Panda Dynasty, but definitely not as satisfying. Or so I tell myself.

I wonder if delivery menu one-upmanship can be classified as a psychological disorder.?

On the bright side, I can now whip up many MSG-free versions of takeout favorites, like General Tso's chicken, sweet and sour pork, and orange sesame chicken. This week was lemon chicken's turn. Sure, lemon chicken also exists as a dish in mainland China, but usually steamed, almost like Hainan chicken, with slices of lemon on top. Which is good in its own respect, but sometimes you just want a crunchy exterior.

So try this lemon chicken recipe and see how it compares. I had started experimenting with an egg and cornstarch batter, but decided that too much egg can lead to soggy chicken right out of the wok. So I went back to dipping the chicken in egg and dredging it in a dry cornstarch mixture. The sauce incorporates a little sautéed garlic and ginger, chicken broth, some lemon juice and zest, and enough sugar to balance out the tartness.?

I had also been experimenting with which results in crunchier chicken: draining fried chicken on paper towels or draining on brown paper, as a commenter recently suggested. The results are so far inconclusive, but brown paper may be edging out. Plus, it's a great use for all those Trader Joe's paper bags, of which I have plenty.

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Chinese Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups peanut or vegetable oil
Lemon slices (optional)
White sesame seeds (optional)

Marinade:
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2-inch piece of ginger, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

1. Combine the soy sauce and sesame oil. Coat the chicken with the marinade and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. In a large bowl or deep plate combine the cornstarch and white pepper. Get excess marinade off the chicken, then toss the cubes in the cornstarch mixture. Shake off excess cornstarch before frying.

3. Heat the 3 cups of oil in your wok. Heat wok until just smoking, then add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or brown paper (from a paper bag). Repeat with the rest of the chicken.?

4. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the oil into a medium-sized pot and heat over medium-high. (You save the oil for later use by allowing it to cool, then straining into an aluminum can or other container.)

5. Add the garlic and ginger and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken stock, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the cornstarch mixture so the sauce can thicken.

6. Remove from the heat, and toss the fried chicken in the sauce. Garnish with lemon slices and white sesame seeds. Serve with white rice and maybe some broccoli.?

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Other chicken recipes to try:

General Tso's Chicken

Orange Sesame Chicken

Three Cup Chicken

Chicken Lollipops

Cashew Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken

Spicy Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

View the original article here

Cold Sesame Noodles: A Takeout Favorite Made Better

My electricity bill these past two months has been frightening. Living in a building with only two units that is considered a "house" by ConEdison's standards, my roommate and I have had to pay double the monthly amount of typical apartment tenants. And it doesn't help that we have three air conditioners. We try to use them a little as possible, but with July's record high temps and oppressive humidity, a little AC meant the difference between good night's rest and no sleep.

And of course, I can't not cook at home. As somewhat of a carb addict, 75% of my homecooked dinners, let's just be honest, involve noodles or pasta. But the noodle soups will have to wait until fall.

Cold noodles, on the other hand, are essential for the summer. They make great picnic food. They make great sides for cookouts. They are the same savory-sweet kind you get from the Chinese takeout, with less grease and no MSG. And they require very little prep time and don't even have to be reheated out of the fridge (within a reasonable number of days, of course.)

For the noodles themselves, I like to use Chinese egg noodles, soba, or spaghetti. They should be round, not too thin or too thick (the width of a spaghetti strang is perfect.) I find that regular all-wheat Chinese noodles are usually too spongey for this sauce, rendering the dish into somewhat of a gloppy mess. Same with rice noodles. Egg noodles, soba, or spaghetti hold their firmness the best, and allow the sauce to coat the noodles instead of seeping in.

I also like to sauté my garlic and ginger just a little, before tossing it in with the sauce. I'd rather have fragrant garlic and ginger instead of raw, and that extra step of sautéeing for 30 seconds makes a huge difference.?

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Cold Sesame Noodles

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as an appetizer

12 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles, soba, or spaghetti
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or 3 tablespoons tahini with an extra teaspoon of sesame oil)
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Chinese rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
2 small handful peanuts, chopped
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced for garnish

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook egg noodles or spaghetti until just done and still firm, or the minimum amount of time according to package instructions. Drain immediately, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Toss with 1 tablespoon peanut oil and set aside.

2. Heat the other tablespoon of peanut oil in a small pan. Stir-fry the minced garlic and grated ginger until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame paste, peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, water, Chinese rice vinegar, chili sauce, and sugar until smooth. Stir in the garlic and ginger.?

4. Pour the sauce over the noodles, add half the cucumber matchsticks, and toss. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the cucumber, the chopped peanuts, and the scallions.?

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More noodle dishes:

Dan Dan Mian (Spicy Sichuan Noodles)

Noodles with Hot Bean Sauce

Minced Pork and Shiitake Soba Noodles

Pad See-Ew?

Stir-Fried Vermicelli (Rice Noodles) with Garlic and Scallions

Red Curry Peanut Noodles

View the original article here

Mongolian Beef

I've been thinking a lot recently about how the names of Chinese foods vary so much between China and the US.

One example is lemon chicken. In Southern China, lemon chicken usually means a whole bone-in chicken, steamed, chopped up, and served with a light lemon sauce. In the US, you'd get perfect cubes or slices of breast meat that has been fried and coated with a thick lemon sauce. (In other words, more like this.) A few places, like this takeout spot in Park Slope, may serve you something that looks like a lemon chicken kit that you put together: breaded and fried chicken with little seasoning, on top of some iceberg lettuce, and a container of something that's more or less lemon simple syrup.

Another example is Mongolian beef. In Beijing, Mongolian-style lamb or beef is stir-fried with toasted cumin seeds and whole red chilis. In the US, what has become Mongolian beef lacks any whole spices, but is pretty tasty in its own right. The only thing similar to its mainland Chinese cousin is the thinly sliced steak and abundance of leeks. The sauce, when done well, is pretty terrific. The beauty of Mongolian beef sauce is that none of the flavors stand out on their own, but rather, come together (as the Chinese would say) "harmoniously".

You'll need a bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chili sauce. And here's the key ingredient that many recipes unfortunately leave out: bean paste, sometimes also called fermented bean paste or bean sauce. (As you may have noticed, for Chinese sauces, the names "paste" and "sauce are usually interchangeable. Except for soy sauce, almost anything else called "sauce" has a thick consistency.) You'll need only two teaspoons of bean paste for less than a pound of beef. But it really heightens the meaty flavor of whatever you're cooking (like in mapo tofu or twice-cooked pork.)

Readers also often ask me what kind of chili and bean sauces I use, since these sauces show up so often in my recipes. Here are the two I used for this dish (and many of the other ones in recent months): sambal oelek from Huy Fong foods (aka "the Rooster Brand") and Koon Chun bean sauce. I tend to use them the most, out of all the sauces in my fridge, because they have fewer additives than Lee Kum Kee and other widely distributed Chinese sauces. For the chili sauce, I also somtimes use the Union Foods brand, sold at Whole Foods in the international food aisle.

If you have a jar of chili bean paste or sauce around, just use one tablespoon of that in place of the 2 teaspoons each of chili sauce and bean paste.??

By the way, has anyone in San Francisco tried this Mongolian beef cheesesteak at a place called HRD Coffeeshop? I can't believe it was only two blocks from my old work place in San Francisco, and I never knew about it. Such a missed lunch opportunity. If the Moo Goo Gai Panini I had a few months ago is any indication, Asian stir-fries coupled with cheese in sandwich form taste much better than they sound.?

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Mongolian Beef

Serves 4

3/4 pound flank steak or tri-tip, thinly sliced (about 1/4") against the grain
1 stalk leek, thinly sliced
1 stalk scallion, thinly sliced or shredded for garnish

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

Marinade:
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons bean sauce
2 teaspoons chili sauce (or use 1 tablespoon chili bean sauce in place of the bean and chili sauces)
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Marinate the beef: Stir together the soy sauce, grated ginger, and cornstarch together in a medium bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. Toss the sliced beef in the marinade to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors absorb.

2. Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the sides. Stir-fry the beef until barely pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the leeks and stir-fry until wilted, about 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and make sure the beef is well coated. Stir-fry until the beef is cooked through, another 1 to two minutes. Remove from the heat and garnish with shredded scallions.

3. Serve hot with rice or noodles.?

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Other Chinese beef recipes to try:

Sichuan Boiled Beef in Fiery Sauce (Shuizhu niurou)?

Japanese Beef and Rice Bowl?

Black Pepper Beef Stir-fry

Spicy Hunan Beef with Cumin

View the original article here

Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

When I was living in China, ordering a dish of something coated in spicy garlic sauce was usually a gamble. Take pork or eggplant for example, two Sichuan dishes usually cooked with this sauce. The dish could be either perfectly manageable, or, if the chef was overly generous with his chili oil, throat-burningly spicy. Having your throat burnt isn't necessarily bad, per se (after all, you did go out for Sichuan). But when your meal also includes mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and boiled beef in chili sauce, it would be nice to have a little reprieve.?

In the U.S., shrimp with garlic sauce in Chinese restaurants is rarely very spicy, even if the entree is marked with a big red star or chili pepper on the menu. I wanted to strike a balance with this recipe. Instead of using a lot of chili oil, like in Sichuan cooking, or a tiny squeeze of hot sauce like many restaurants here seem to do,? I used a good amount of Huy Fong (Red Rooster brand) chili garlic sauce instead. (You can use any brand of chili garlic sauce or regular chili sauce.)

Of course, because this dish is all about the garlicky taste, nothing beats freshly sautéed garlic. There is nothing wrong with adding garlic on top of garlic. You'll want to start with sautéing a few cloves cloves, crushed or chopped. Then add the shrimp and the sauce, and the entree will be done in, seriously, 5 minutes.?

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Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 gloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact, then devein them.?

2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, and sugar and set aside.

3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated.

4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.

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More Chinese seafood recipes to try:

Dragon Well Tea Shrimp (Longjing Xiaren)

Ginger and Scallion Steamed Crab

Chinese Steamed Fish with Black Bean and Ginger Sauce

Coconut Milk Shrimp

Wonton Noodle Soup, Hong Kong-Style

View the original article here

Tamarind Pork

I can't believe that we are already almost halfway into October. Where did the September go? For that matter, where did the entire summer go? It seemed like only yesterday that I had been busy bookmarking summer concerts and looking forward to beach trips and lazy days in the park, most of which did not materialize. (This summer I did, however, finally discover Arrested Development, and spent a good many 100-degree weekend days with the Netflix instant queue, a powerful fan, and an icy gin & tonic.) Yes, in general, the summer seemed to have flown by.

To be fair, many of my waking hours this summer had been devoted to not only side editing projects but also something pretty big and exciting. So I apologize for having been somewhat absent on the site. But the absence has been for a good reason and I can't wait to share the news with everyone in the coming weeks. And postings will definitely become more frequent again.

But first, here's a recipe fit for the fall. This week I'm teaching a Macanese cooking class at Bowery Culinary Center at the Whole Foods on Houston St. The class is already sold out, but I wanted to share one particular favorite Macanese dish with you. (And I really should post up more Macanese recipes; almost everything is hearty and good comfort food to eat in cool weather, even though Macau itself is in the sub-tropics, just west of Hong Kong.)?

Macanese cuisine is a Chinese-Portuguese fusion cuisine that stems from the 16th century, when the Portuguese first arrived. Over time, dishes evolved and picked up influences from around Southeast Asia and other colonies in Africa, Goa, and Brazil. One such dish is tamarind pork. The use of olive oil or butter as the cooking fat stems from Europe, while the tamarind paste comes from Southeast Asia and the shrimp paste is thoroughly Chinese.

What I love about tamarind pork is the very nice balance of tangy, salty, and sweet flavors (from the tamarind paste, soy sauce, and brown sugar, respectively.) A bit of warning: when you first start cooking, the shrimp paste will make the dish smell a little pungent. (Just under the pot lid, not your entire kitchen.) One friend eloquently described the aroma as "like barnyard". But I promise, after 45 to 50 minutes of cooking time the smell will have dissipated. The pork comes out so juicy and full of flavor that you may start wondering what else you can use shrimp paste for.

For a spicy kick, have a few slices of jalape?o on hand for garnish. And be sure to have plenty of rice to soak up the sauce.

(If you're in Macau, check out Restaurante Litoral for a very good version of this, plus other Macanese dishes.) ?

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Tamarind Pork

Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound pork shoulder or stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, finely chopped
1 jalape?o pepper, thinly sliced

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the
shallots and garlic and cook until aromatic and slightly
softened, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the pork and cook on all sides until the outsides begin to brown.

3. Add the brown sugar, tamarind paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, and shrimp paste and give everything a quick stir. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes.

4. While the pork is simmering, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry the dried shrimp until aromatic and golden brown, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

5. When the pork is done simmering, transfer the meat and sauce to a serving bowl. Garnish with the chopped dried shrimp and sliced jalape?os.

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More pork recipes to try:

Pork Adobo

Cantonese Roast Pork (Char Siu)

Red-Cooked Pork (Hongshao rou)

Japanese Braised Pork Belly?

Twice-Cooked Pork (Huiguo rou)

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork

View the original article here

Filipino Recipe: Shrimp Sinigang (Sinigang na Hipon)

September 7th, 2010 | Filipino Recipes | 25 Comments

Shrimp Sinigang pictures (1 of 2)

I haven’t had guest bloggers on Rasa Malaysia for a while, and am very happy to have Trissa of Trissalicious as a guest writer today. Trissa is one of my recipe testers and certainly one of the most trusted ones (thanks so much for your help!).? Her passion in food can be seen on her gorgeous food blog Trissalicious.? In this post, Trissa shares a classic Filipino recipe—Shrimp Sinigang. I have always wanted to learn more about Filipino cuisine, and Shrimp Sinigang is very high on my list. Imagine big, fresh, succulent shrimp swimming in a savory, sweet, and sour broth…the thought of it instantly sets my mouth watering. Please give your warmest welcome to Trissalicious.

Pucker up with Shrimp Sinigang…

Sour, salty, with a hint of sweet and bitter, Sinigang is one of the Philippine’s most loved dishes. In fact, the late Doreen Fernandez, who was one of the most respected food writers in the Philippines once argued that sinigang, rather than adobo should be considered the national dish of the Philippines, after all, Filipinos are the champion lovers of sourness…

Sinigang is a soup whose flavor is soured with fruits abundant in the Philippines like tamarind, guava, green mangoes or bilimbi (kamias). The dish is easily adaptable depending on what protein is on hand, but most frequently made with pork, beef, or prawns. The soup is also rich in vegetables that are easily available in the Philippines like daikon, eggplants, snake beans and water spinach.

Despite sinigang being one of my favorite comfort foods, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve always used a mix to make it. Every time my parents visit from the Philippines they bring me a care package which includes packets of “instant sinigang mix”. So it was definitely with a mix of excitement and apprehension that I attempted this dish from scratch. To create that signature sourness I chose tamarind. As a fruit it is quite difficult to come by overseas but tamarind pulp is readily available in Asian groceries. To make the base of the soup, tamarind pulp is soaked in hot water for a few minutes and then mashed, strained and added to the pot.

Sinigang is never complete without a bowl of steaming white rice and what we refer to as sawsawan, a dipping sauce made with fish sauce, calamansi and a bit of chili. Together, with the rice, you have a complete dish.

I am grateful to Bee for giving me this opportunity to share with you a dish that is distinct to the Filipino palate and yet appeals to everyone else. What started out as a quest to create sinigang from scratch has made me more proud than ever of my wonderful cuisine.

Sour, salty, with a hint of sweet and bitter… this dish takes me back to the Philippines every single time.

Shrimp Sinigang Recipe
Serves 6

Ingredients:

100 grams tamarind pulp, soaked in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes
24 pieces fresh prawns
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 large tomatoes, quartered (or 8 cherry tomatoes)
1 green chili
8 cups of rice wash*
1/2 bunch of snake beans, cut the size of 2 inches
1 daikon, peeled and sliced
2 Japanese eggplants, sliced
1 bunch water spinach (also known as kang kong or morning glory)
? cup fish sauce, or, to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

Method:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot and sauté the red onion, tomatoes and green chili for two to three minutes.
2. Strain the tamarind pulp into the pot and add the rice wash. Bring this to a boil and then turn down to a simmer to cook the vegetables.
3. For the vegetables, add them to the pot according to how long they take to cook. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook first. As an estimate, the snake beans will take around 7 minutes, the daikon and eggplant around 5 minutes and the water spinach around 3 minutes.
4. Once the vegetables are done, add the prawns which should take only around 3 minutes or so to cook.
5. Finally, add the fish sauce and sugar and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

*Rice wash is the water that the rice has been rinsed in. It is normally the second rinse that is used. For a richer broth, remove the prawn heads and boil them to create a broth and use this instead. In a pinch, you can also use plain water.

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Ginger and Clam Soup (姜丝蛤蜊汤)

September 13th, 2010 | 30-Minute Meals Recipes, Chinese, Chinese Recipes | 31 Comments

Ginger and Clam Soup (姜丝蛤蜊汤) pictures (1 of 3)

I love soups of all sorts, especially Chinese soups. To the Chinese, soups are highly nourishing as each ingredient in the soup delivers a certain health (and beauty) benefit and promotes overall strengths to the body. Drinking soup is a huge part of the Chinese food culture, soup is often considered as “tonic” (補品).

There are endless variations of soups in Chinese cuisine as so many ingredients could be used—Chinese herbal (medicinal), meat-based (chicken, pork, beef, duck, bones, etc.), vegetables (fresh and dried), dried seafood (dried scallops, abalone, oysters, etc.), fresh seafood, the exotics (bird’s nest, shark’s fin, etc.), and the combination of all the ingredients above. The possibilities are endless, and most importantly, delicious, wholesome, healthy, and certainly much more than the regular egg drop soup and hot and sour soup…

One of the easiest soups that I always make at home is ginger and clam soup, or 姜丝蛤蜊汤. This soup is especially popular for the Taiwanese, and served at Taiwanese restaurants. It takes only a few ingredients and practically 15 minutes to prepare, but the end result is absolutely pleasing. According to my Chinese soups cookbook, ginger and clam soup is great for the liver and stimulates a healthy appetite.

Ginger and Clam Soup Recipe (姜丝蛤蜊汤)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchstick strips
1 lb Manila clams, rinsed and scrubbed
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (not Shaoxing wine)
Salt to taste
Dash of white pepper

Method:

Bring the water to boil and add the ginger and clams. Cover the pot and let cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until all clams are open. Add the Chinese rice wine, salt to taste, and pepper. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

For this recipe, please use the regular Chinese rice wine which is transparent in color, and not the amber-colored Shaoxing rice wine.

View the original article here

Malaysian Banana Pancakes with Lemon Coconut Curd

September 27th, 2010 | Eating Light, Malaysian Recipes | 17 Comments

Malaysian Banana Pancake with Lemon Coconut Curd pictures (1 of 4)

I have said it many times. I am constantly amazed by the many talented Malaysian bloggers living overseas. Thanks to Almost Bourdain, I recently discovered yet another beautiful blog authored by Steph, a Malaysian currently living in Sydney—Raspberri Cupcakes. As the name suggests, Raspberri Cupcakes is mostly about baking, cupcakes, and desserts, a department which I am pretty much useless. Please welcome Raspberri Cupcakes to Rasa Malaysia with the decadent Malaysian Banana Pancakes with Lemon Coconut Curd recipe.

After spending several years growing up in Malaysia, there are so many fabulous Malaysian dishes that I associate with happy childhood memories. These days as I am living in Sydney, and am always excited to go back to Malaysia on holiday, or have my Mum visit and cook to me my favourite Malaysian treats. As I am a complete sweet tooth, I thought I would share a recipe of my Mum’s that I am incredibly fond of – Malaysian Banana Pancakes. Whenever we had overripe bananas in the house my Mum would mash them up and make these deliciously fragrant pancakes for breakfast. I would wait by the frying pan impatiently and eat them too quickly, burning my tongue. They’re very different to regular pancakes, small, a bit denser and a little oily thanks to the banana and coconut milk. They taste pretty great on their own, but my Mum used to serve them with fresh lemon slices and golden syrup. It was definitely one of my favourite breakfasts. The leftover pancakes were always warmed up in the microwave for a delicious afternoon snack…

Since I always like to put a fun twist in all of my recipes, I decided to replace the fresh lemon slices with an indulgent sauce – Lemon & Coconut Curd. This sauce is amazing; it’s smooth and creamy and the flavour matches the banana pancakes so perfectly. The tangy flavour of lemon is the first thing to hit your tongue, but you’re left with the beautiful, creamy aftertaste of coconut. I couldn’t resist serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well. As soon as I tasted these banana pancakes, I was transported right back to my Mum’s kitchen in KL. It’s packed full of rich banana flavour, with lovely crisp brown edges. If you wish you can serve the pancakes traditionally without the lemon coconut curd, but I think the sauce adds a little something special. Any leftover curd can be stored in the fridge for a few days and served with vanilla ice cream, or spread on toast.

A huge thanks to Bee for letting me share this recipe with all of you, I hope you get the chance to try these pancakes and enjoy them!

Malaysian Banana Pancakes with Lemon Coconut Curd
Makes approximately 7 pancakes

Ingredients:

For the lemon & coconut curd:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately the juice of 1 lemon)
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (approximately the zest of 1 lemon)
1/3 cup (70g) sugar
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cubed
4 tbsp coconut milk

For the pancakes:

1 egg
30g (approx 1/8 cup) sugar
60g (approx 1/2 cup) self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup coconut milk (can be replaced with regular milk if unavailable)
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
Butter, for frying
Optional: vanilla ice cream to serve

Method:

1. Prepare the lemon and coconut curd first; place lemon juice, zest and sugar in a medium saucepan. Place on medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Whisk egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl until frothy and then gradually add the hot lemon mixture, whisking continuously to combine. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
3. Return to the heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter cubes, one at a time, whisking until fully combined. Finally, add the coconut milk, whisk to combine and set aside to cool.
5. For the pancakes, whisk eggs and sugar until light and frothy in a large mixing bowl.
6. Sift flour and salt and fold into beaten eggs, along with the coconut milk. Add in mashed banana and mix until combined well.
7. Heat a small frying pan with a small pat of butter. Pour in two tablespoons of batter at a time, turning the pan so that the batter forms a thin layer (or you can spread it out with the back of a spoon as the mixture is quite thick). Cook until lightly browned on both sides. You can use a paper towel to dab off any extra grease on the pancakes. Stack pancakes on a plate to keep them warm while you are cooking the rest of the batter.
8. Serve pancakes warm with the lemon and coconut curd and (optionally) a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pancakes can also be served with slices of fresh banana or lemon.

View the original article here

Salmon Teriyaki

October 4th, 2010 | Japanese Recipes | 27 Comments

Salmon Teriyaki pictures (1 of 3)

To kick off the “Mizkan, Bringing Flavor to Life” campaign, I am sharing with you a very popular and scrumptious Japanese recipe—Salmon Teriyaki. Teriyaki is a noted Japanese cooking style, especially outside of Japan. The mere mention of teriyaki often conjures up visual pictures of perfectly grilled protein—chicken, beef, or seafood such as salmon—glazed with the savory and sweet “teri” sauce. Everyone loves teriyaki.

Before I started cooking Japanese food at home, I relied on ready-made teriyaki sauces whenever I craved teriyaki. Unfortunately, those instant teriyaki sauces are bad and taste artificial, some with a metal/chemical after taste. Others are laden with too much sugar, too salty, or the balance of the flavor is completely off.

I later learned that making teriyaki sauce is a lot simpler than I had thought. It takes only a few basic? ingredients: soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. I made my teriyaki sauce using Mizkan Japanese condiments: Bonito Flavored Soup Base (it’s basically soy sauce with bonito flavor) and HONTERI Mirin Seasoning (which is 100% alcohol free). Mizkan Bonito Flavored Soup Base offers a well-rounded flavor compared to regular soy sauce. It also tastes milder, less salty, and a little sweet, which is just perfect for the teriyaki sauce…

Now for the salmon, the secret is to not to overcook the fish so it remain tender and moist. I first pan-seared the salmon until the surfaces turn slightly charred, and then finished it up by baking in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degree F. To serve, just drizzle the homemade teriyaki sauce on top of the salmon and you will have a perfect, authentic, and utterly delicious Japanese meal.

Salmon Teriyaki Recipe
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon fillet, cut into two equal-sized pieces
Oil, for searing

Teriyaki Sauce
Makes 150 ml

5 tablespoons Mizkan (Bonito Flavored) Soup Base
3 tablespoons Mizkan HONTERI Mirin Seasoning
3 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Method:

Add all the ingredients in the Teriyaki Sauce in a saucepan. Stir to blend well.Heat up the saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the teriyaki sauce bubbles and thickens, remove it from heat. Let cool.Marinate the salmon with half the Teriyaki Sauce in a sealed plastic bag for 4-6 hours, or best overnight.Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F.Heat up a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the oil and pan-sear the marinated salmon until the surface is charred, about 1-2 minutes.Brush the remaining Teriyaki Sauce on the seared salmon and transfer them to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through.Remove from the oven, drizzle the leftover Teriyaki Sauce on the salmon and serve immediately with steamed rice.

View the original article here

Spicy Chicken with Cashew Nuts

September 1st, 2010 | 30-Minute Meals Recipes, Thai Recipes | 35 Comments

Spicy Chicken with Cashew Nuts pictures (1 of 3)

I love Thai food. Come to think about it, a lot of Thai recipes that I like are basically Chinese in origin, with local influences, which add an exciting layer of taste structure to the originals. There are many examples: Rad Na, Pad See Ew, and in this case, chicken with cashew nuts. In Chinese cuisine, these dishes are prepared the Chinese way, but the Thai versions are flavored with fish sauce or other local seasoning sauces, spices (yes!), and slightly varied ingredients. The end results are always delicious, sometimes more so than the Chinese equivalents. I always appreciate the local touch, which make good recipes even better…

This Spicy Chicken with Cashew Nuts is adapted from my favorite Thai cookbook “Thai Cooking Made Easy.” This variation of cashew chicken is also popular in Malaysia. In fact, it’s one of my favorite chicken dishes whenever I eat out at local hot stir-fries stalls. To me, it’s the local interpretation of Chinese cashew chicken and Kung Pao Chicken.

If you love cashew nuts and like your chicken spicy, this is a great recipe to try out.

Spicy Chicken with Cashew Nuts Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, cut into halves
6-8 finger-length dried red chilies, seeded and cut into halves
1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts, rinsed and drained
8 oz chicken, cut into small cubes
1 scallion, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-in lengths

Sauce:

1 teaspoon soy sauce/Maggi seasoning/Golden Mountain sauce
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar or to taste
2 tablespoons water

Method:

Heat up a wok and add the oil. When the oil is heated, add the garlic, onion, dried red chilies and stir-fry until fragrant or when you smell the spicy aroma of the chilies. Add the cashew nuts and follow with the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until the surface turns opaque. Add all the ingredients for the Sauce into the wok and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is cooked. Stir-in the scallion, dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Cook’s Note:

To learn more about the different soy sauces used in Thai cooking, please check out this great post by She Simmers.

View the original article here

Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge (Squid with Black Bean Sauce)

August 27th, 2010 | Chinese, Chinese Recipes, Cookbook Review | 13 Comments

My cookbook manuscript is due in the next few days and I am very happy—and relieved—that I am almost done, well, at least the toughest part: cooking, shooting, writing, recipe testing, and editing. To prep me for the writing part of my cookbook, I have read and researched many Chinese cookbooks in the past few months. One of my recent favorites is “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge” by Grace Young.

I have been a fan of Grace Young since I first read her award-winning cookbook “The Breath of a Wok” and then discovered “The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen.” Her deep knowledge and intense passion for Chinese woks (and stir-frying) are eminently admirable. To me, her investments—both in time and dedication—in these fundamentals of Chinese cooking is way beyond being a cookbook author; in fact, she has become a scholar in my eyes, the ones that I hold high respect and regard for. Even though I grew up eating Chinese food and watching my late mother cooking with a wok, my knowledge about these subjects was mostly taken for granted. I’ve never questioned the why’s and how’s, until I read Grace’s books. Needless to say, I have personally learned so much about Chinese stir-frying and the wok from reading her books…

“Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge” is a collection of authentic Chinese stir-fry recipes, shared by Grace and many Chinese home cooks and chefs from around the world. Coming from Malaysia, I am especially delighted to find a Malaysian-style stir-fried shrimp recipe in the cookbook. The chapters on woks, seasoning methods, and stir-frying are resourceful and insightful, especially for those who have just started to learn about Chinese cooking. What’s so special about the book is that it’s the first cookbook to explain in detail all the tips one needs to know to stir-fry with success, including the best oil for stir-frying, cooking in a newly seasoned wok, and more. The book is also chock-full of beautiful and colorful photographs of the recipes, prepared and styled by Grace. I have to confess that I have a serious case of prop envy when I look through her book. I only wish that Grace would live in Southern California so I could borrow her props.

Here is one of my favorite stir-fried recipes in the book: stir-fried squid with black bean sauce. I am on a special diet that doesn’t allow me to consume squid now, but as soon as I can, I am definitely going to try this recipe.

To learn more about Grace Young and her work, please check out her site: graceyoung.com. If you wish to buy “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge,” please click here. To connect with Grace on Twitter, follow her at @stirfrygrace.

Stir-Fried Squid with Black Bean Sauce Recipe
Source: Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge, Grace Young
Serves 2 as a main dish with rice or 4 as part of a multicourse meal

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh cleaned squid
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1∕2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed and mashed
1 tablespoon chopped scallion, white part only
1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic
3∕4 cup thinly sliced onions
2 teaspoons finely shredded ginger
1∕2 cup julienned red bell peppers
1∕4 teaspoon salt
1∕8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
12 snow peas, strings removed

Method：

1. Cut each squid body in half lengthwise. Using a　very sharp knife, lightly score the inside of the bodies in a crisscross pattern. Cut the squid into 11∕2-inch　squares and the tentacles into 2-inch pieces.

2. In a 2-quart saucepan bring 1 quart water to a boil　covered over high heat. Add the squid and blanch 10 seconds or until the squid turns opaque and curls. Drain well in a colander, shaking out all the excess water. Set the squid on paper towels and blot dry to remove excess moisture. In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. In another small bowl combine the sesame oil, cornstarch, and the remaining 1 tablespoon broth.

3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the peanut oil, add the fermented black beans, scallion, and garlic and stir-fry 10 seconds or until the aromatics are fragrant. Add the onions and ginger and stir-fry 1 minute or until the onions just wilt. Add the bell peppers, sprinkle on the salt and pepper, and stir-fry 30 seconds or until the bell pepper begins to soften. Add the rice wine and stir-fry 20 seconds or until just combined. Add the squid and snow peas to the wok, swirl in the soy sauce mixture, and stir-fry 1 minute or until the snow peas are bright green. Restir the cornstarch mixture, swirl it into the wok, and stir-fry 30 seconds or until the squid is just cooked.

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