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