After a failed batch of trying to make apple sauce with apples from my Frankenstein tree, I decided to make a marmalade (a citrus jam made from fruit flesh and peel) using Satsuma oranges. I chose these oranges because they have a relatively smooth skin, the peel is bright orange and it has a nice fragrance. They are also very easy to peel after having been peeled with a vegetable peeler. I made candied orange peels earlier in the day.
After having read Ina Garten's recipe on Food Network, I realized that her no-pectin version had water and sugar as a simple syrup ratio. Her two hour simmering time is to reduce the water in the jam liquid. I halved her water/sugar ratio to just four cups each. The Satsuma oranges are really sweet on their own. And, instead of adding whole lemons, I used just the juice of two fresh lemons.
You can make your own liquid pectin from boiling the peel and pith of oranges or lemons, or green apple peels, in water. Read more about homemade citrus pectin on this link.
Ingredients
3 lbs (6 large) Satsuma oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
4 c simple sugar syrup (4 c water + 4 c sugar)
prepared orange peels (from 4 oranges)
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice (2 large lemons)
Directions
1. Prepare orange peels by using a non-serrated vegetable peeler to remove orange part of peel from oranges. Thinly slice peels with a sharp knife. Put peels in a pot and cover it with enough water to cover the peels. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Drain water and set peels aside.
2. In a separate pot, combine 4 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil and stir so that all the sugar dissolves. Add sliced oranges and simmer on low heat for 2 hours, or until the liquid volume has reduced by half.
The temperature will drop to 180-200 degrees F while it simmers. Stir occasionally and skim off the foam.
3. Add prepared orange peels, bring to a boil and heat the mixture up to 220 degrees F. Cook for 10 minutes. The peels should turn almost translucent at the soft ball stage. Remove from heat and fill sterilized pint or half pint jars.
4. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Makes 3 pints or 6 half pints.
Gazpacho (Chilled Tomato-based Vegetable Soup)
It seems that every time I make a soup for an event it is of a vegetarian flavor. The soup for tomorrow's Soup Sunday event (a fundraiser for a local religious organization) is gazpacho. The recipe ratio comes from Alton Brown's Good Eats show. The only ingredient I am missing is the ground cumin. In my last couple of moves between Portland and Seattle, I'm not sure where most of my spices ended up. It is likely that I tossed the ones that were several years old or it is simply misfiled in a box somewhere. You know you have too many spices when they reside in multiple storage boxes and in the kitchen cupboards. Onto the recipe...
Gazpacho is a raw soup made of vegetables and its main ingredients are tomatoes, water and garlic. At least those main ingredients are in this batch. I doubled most of AB's ingredient quantities and didn't substitute the cumin with anything. I also added pineapple chunks to this (and drank the juice it came in 'cause I was thirsty). I also omitted the onions because I hate onions. Hopefully the soup will taste fine in the morning after the flavors have mingled together.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
Two 14 oz cans organic diced tomatoes
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 c EVOO
2 small limes, juiced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well. Remove 1 1/2 c of the diced ingredients and puree for 15 seconds in a food processor. Return to soup and stir in. Chill for at least an hour or overnight before serving.
Notes
AB's recipe calls for tomato juice. I didn't have any so I used the juice from the canned tomatoes and pressed the tomatoes in the can until no more juice came out. Between the fresh and canned tomatoes I think it was almost two cups of liquid. The leftover canned tomatoes were added to the puree.
Gazpacho is a raw soup made of vegetables and its main ingredients are tomatoes, water and garlic. At least those main ingredients are in this batch. I doubled most of AB's ingredient quantities and didn't substitute the cumin with anything. I also added pineapple chunks to this (and drank the juice it came in 'cause I was thirsty). I also omitted the onions because I hate onions. Hopefully the soup will taste fine in the morning after the flavors have mingled together.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
Two 14 oz cans organic diced tomatoes
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 c EVOO
2 small limes, juiced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well. Remove 1 1/2 c of the diced ingredients and puree for 15 seconds in a food processor. Return to soup and stir in. Chill for at least an hour or overnight before serving.
Notes
AB's recipe calls for tomato juice. I didn't have any so I used the juice from the canned tomatoes and pressed the tomatoes in the can until no more juice came out. Between the fresh and canned tomatoes I think it was almost two cups of liquid. The leftover canned tomatoes were added to the puree.
Chinese Steamed Buns (mantou)
I have apparently made this before and this version one doesn't use dried milk. The metric recipe ratio comes from the China Sichuan Food website. I'm not sure why the measurement for liquid milk was done in grams, so I used a kitchen scale and measured it out by weight. My Imperial conversion of the recipe is as follows:
Makes 8 buns
Ingredients
10 oz (by weight, roughly 2.25 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1/2 c whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
1/4 c water, warmed to 110 degrees F
Directions
1. To ensure that your yeast is still alive. Proof the yeast in warm water with 1 tsp of sugar. After 10 minutes, if the yeast is foamy then it is still active.
2. In a large bowl, add flour and stir yeast water with chopsticks to combine.
3. In a small pot, heat milk and remaining sugar until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat before the milk comes to a boil. Let cool to 110 degrees F before adding it to the flour.
4. Gently knead flour into a ball and cover bowl with a plate. Let rise for about an hour until it has doubled in size.
5. Roll dough on a silicone mat or on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half into a log and use a dough scraper to divide the log.
6. Dab a little olive oil to the bottom of each bun before placing onto a 2" square of waxed paper. This step is optional. It helps you remove the paper after the buns are steamed.
7. Bring a large stockpot with a steamer basket set inside to a boil. Add enough buns so that they are spaced at least 1/2" apart. Steam for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy.
These are best eaten right after they're cooked, otherwise the buns will get hard if left out too long.
Makes 8 buns
Ingredients
10 oz (by weight, roughly 2.25 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1/2 c whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
1/4 c water, warmed to 110 degrees F
Directions
1. To ensure that your yeast is still alive. Proof the yeast in warm water with 1 tsp of sugar. After 10 minutes, if the yeast is foamy then it is still active.
2. In a large bowl, add flour and stir yeast water with chopsticks to combine.
3. In a small pot, heat milk and remaining sugar until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat before the milk comes to a boil. Let cool to 110 degrees F before adding it to the flour.
4. Gently knead flour into a ball and cover bowl with a plate. Let rise for about an hour until it has doubled in size.
5. Roll dough on a silicone mat or on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half into a log and use a dough scraper to divide the log.
6. Dab a little olive oil to the bottom of each bun before placing onto a 2" square of waxed paper. This step is optional. It helps you remove the paper after the buns are steamed.
7. Bring a large stockpot with a steamer basket set inside to a boil. Add enough buns so that they are spaced at least 1/2" apart. Steam for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy.
These are best eaten right after they're cooked, otherwise the buns will get hard if left out too long.
Pickled Kohlrabi
I thought about taking a photo of this batch, but it just looks like some white vegetable in a pickling brine in a jar. It is not terribly exciting. With the bounty of summertime vegetables, the kohlrabi was never at the top of my list of things to buy. It is part of the cabbage family and as such, it will probably cause bloating and gas if you consume a lot of it in one sitting. At the very least, it is very high in fiber. And, for its bulk, it is very low in calories. Compared to other vegetables, it is kind of expensive to buy and not all the grocery stores carry them. They are seasonal and I was surprised to see them on the grocery store shelf during summer. I thought they were an autumn vegetable. Anyhow, onto the pickling...
After peeling the kohlrabi with a vegetable peeler and trimming off the hard, woody part of the stem with a sharp knife, I used the narrow blade disc attachment of the food prep machine to slice all the kohlrabi. With a little prep, I was able to slice a couple pounds of this vegetable in a few minutes. It's a lot easier than slicing the vegetable by hand.
If you have pickling salt, by all means use it. I do not and am using sea salt as a substitute.
Pickling Brine
2 lbs kohlrabi, purple or white (doesn't matter which)
2 c distilled white vinegar (or 1 c distilled white vinegar + 1 c apple cider vinegar)
2 c water
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
Directions
1. Sterilize jars and lids for canning and set aside until ready to use.
2. Clean and trim kohlrabi. Slice into thin slices with a food processor, mandoline, or with a sharp knife. Divide slices evenly into jars.
3. Combine vinegar, water, honey, sea salt, ginger, garlic, black peppercorns, and chili flakes in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add brine to jars. Place lids on jars and tighten with jar bands.
4. Process using a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
This batch made 3 pints.
After peeling the kohlrabi with a vegetable peeler and trimming off the hard, woody part of the stem with a sharp knife, I used the narrow blade disc attachment of the food prep machine to slice all the kohlrabi. With a little prep, I was able to slice a couple pounds of this vegetable in a few minutes. It's a lot easier than slicing the vegetable by hand.
If you have pickling salt, by all means use it. I do not and am using sea salt as a substitute.
Pickling Brine
2 lbs kohlrabi, purple or white (doesn't matter which)
2 c distilled white vinegar (or 1 c distilled white vinegar + 1 c apple cider vinegar)
2 c water
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
Directions
1. Sterilize jars and lids for canning and set aside until ready to use.
2. Clean and trim kohlrabi. Slice into thin slices with a food processor, mandoline, or with a sharp knife. Divide slices evenly into jars.
3. Combine vinegar, water, honey, sea salt, ginger, garlic, black peppercorns, and chili flakes in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add brine to jars. Place lids on jars and tighten with jar bands.
4. Process using a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
This batch made 3 pints.
Pickled Beets
For this batch of beets, I seem to have undercooked them by just a bit. They boiled for an hour too, but apparently it wasn't long enough. These were small to medium sized beets. Despite some being "fork tender", others still had some crunch. I suppose beets can be eaten raw. I just haven't eaten it that way. I also boiled these whole without removing the stems or roots. Just scrub them clean before cooking.
I've read that the only difference between kosher salt and pickling salt is what else is in it. Table salt cannot be used since it is usually laced with iodine, which can make a cloudy brine. Pickling salt has no added iodine; sea salt has minimal iodine and is an acceptable substitute; and kosher salt has added yellow prussiate of soda (at least the Morton's brand does) which also discolors the brine.
The pickling liquid is enough for 5 pints of beets and can be doubled.
Pickling Liquid
3-5 lbs of raw whole beets
1 c organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
1 c apple cider vinegar
1 c distilled white vinegar
whole cloves, 4 per jar
whole peeled garlic cloves, 2 per jar
1 c beet water (water that the beets cooked in)
Directions
1. In a large pot, add raw beets and fill with enough water to cover them. Boil for at least an hour or until the beets are fork tender. Remove from heat and add whole beets to a large bowl filled with ice water. This will help cool the beets down. With the faucet running cold water, peel the beets with a paring knife and trim the stem and root off. Set aside until all the beets are peeled.
2. Using a sharp knife and cutting board, thinly slice the beets.
3. Sterilize jars in the oven (washed and air dried in a 225 degrees F oven for 15 minutes) or boiled for 10 minutes; sterilize lids and jar bands in boiling water.
4. Add to each jar: two peeled garlic cloves and four whole cloves. Add beet slices and fill to the top with pickling liquid with a 1/4" headspace at the top. Secure lid and band to the jar.
5. Process jars in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars from water and set onto wood racks or a wood cutting board. As the jars cool down, the lids should each make a loud "pop" noise as the pressure sucks in the lid and seals the jar. Let the jars stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
This batch made 5 pints.
I've read that the only difference between kosher salt and pickling salt is what else is in it. Table salt cannot be used since it is usually laced with iodine, which can make a cloudy brine. Pickling salt has no added iodine; sea salt has minimal iodine and is an acceptable substitute; and kosher salt has added yellow prussiate of soda (at least the Morton's brand does) which also discolors the brine.
The pickling liquid is enough for 5 pints of beets and can be doubled.
Pickling Liquid
3-5 lbs of raw whole beets
1 c organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
1 c apple cider vinegar
1 c distilled white vinegar
whole cloves, 4 per jar
whole peeled garlic cloves, 2 per jar
1 c beet water (water that the beets cooked in)
Directions
1. In a large pot, add raw beets and fill with enough water to cover them. Boil for at least an hour or until the beets are fork tender. Remove from heat and add whole beets to a large bowl filled with ice water. This will help cool the beets down. With the faucet running cold water, peel the beets with a paring knife and trim the stem and root off. Set aside until all the beets are peeled.
2. Using a sharp knife and cutting board, thinly slice the beets.
3. Sterilize jars in the oven (washed and air dried in a 225 degrees F oven for 15 minutes) or boiled for 10 minutes; sterilize lids and jar bands in boiling water.
4. Add to each jar: two peeled garlic cloves and four whole cloves. Add beet slices and fill to the top with pickling liquid with a 1/4" headspace at the top. Secure lid and band to the jar.
5. Process jars in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars from water and set onto wood racks or a wood cutting board. As the jars cool down, the lids should each make a loud "pop" noise as the pressure sucks in the lid and seals the jar. Let the jars stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
This batch made 5 pints.
Parisian Ham and Butter Sandwich
I had the Jambon Beurre sandwich at Le Panier at Pikes Place Market in Seattle and it was such a classically simple sandwich that I had to make it myself. As far as the cost of the ingredients, it was surprisingly low; even with Applewood smoked ham ($2.49 for fresh baked baguette, $4.49 for the preservative-free ham). I suppose I'll have to visit Paris, France some day to get the true sandwich baguette eating experience. Considering that I'll get a few sandwiches out of the baguette, the ingredients are well worth it at just under $8.
Ingredients
1 baguette
deli sliced ham
unsalted butter
Directions
Slice the baguette lengthwise and butter. Line one side with deli sliced ham (thin slices). I used two layers of ham. Replace top side of baguette and slice to desired lengths.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
1 baguette
deli sliced ham
unsalted butter
Directions
Slice the baguette lengthwise and butter. Line one side with deli sliced ham (thin slices). I used two layers of ham. Replace top side of baguette and slice to desired lengths.
Enjoy.
Coconut Sorbet
This is a Cuisinart recipe and frankly, it doesn't have that much coconut flavor to it. Maybe I should have used coconut cream instead of coconut milk. It tastes like sweetened vanilla water that has been colored white. Even though the coconut milk was unsweetened, there is still too much sugar in the recipe. Next batch should cut the sugar down to 3/4 c.
Ingredients
1.5 c water
1 1/3 c granulated sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, halved then seeds scraped
pinch of salt
2 cans (13.5 oz each) unsweetened coconut milk
Directions
1. Combine water, sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to just a boil then remove from heat. Let the ingredients steep for an hour and strain into a separate bowl. Add coconut milk. Stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Process in Cuisinart (or similar) ice cream maker. Transfer sorbet to a container and freeze for at least two hours until firm.
Crockpot Pear Butter
This is the first attempt at making pear butter. A new crop of D'anjou pears were on sale at the grocery store so I bought enough to make six pints of fruit butter. For apples and pears, one pound of fruit typically yields one pint. I though this came out too sweet. Two cups of sugar is way too much if the fruit is ripe and sweet.
Ingredients
6 lbs ripe pears, cored and cubed
2 c sugar (need to cut to 1 1/2 c sugar, or less)
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 orange, juiced
Directions
1. Wash, core and cube pears. Mix with the rest of the ingredients. Place all ingredients in a crockpot. Set for 8 hours on LOW.
2. If storing butter for long-term use, process using sterilized jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Ingredients
6 lbs ripe pears, cored and cubed
2 c sugar (need to cut to 1 1/2 c sugar, or less)
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 orange, juiced
Directions
1. Wash, core and cube pears. Mix with the rest of the ingredients. Place all ingredients in a crockpot. Set for 8 hours on LOW.
2. If storing butter for long-term use, process using sterilized jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Candied Citrus Peels
It seems that all you really need is a dry summer day. Laying the sugared peels on a rack then waiting 24 hours for the peels to dry is nonsense. I was able to make a batch of lime peels and a batch of orange peels in the same day. And, a batch of candied lemon peels the next day. Probably could have made it all in the same day if I had more drying space.
In terms of quantities, the peels of six limes filled an 8 oz jar; one medium mandarin orange filled 1/4 of an 8 oz jar, and two large lemons filled 1/2 an 8 oz jar.
Use a sharp edged (not serrated) vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the fruit. Thinly slice the peel into strips. The less pith (white stuff) that is on the peel, the more translucent the peel will become when it is boiled in the sugar syrup.
I used one batch of sugar syrup for all these fruits. I still have 10 oz of sugar syrup leftover.
Sugar Syrup
2 c organic granulated sugar
1 c water
Combine water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
The Process
1. Peel the fruits and slice the peel into strips. Place the strips into a pot and fill with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. Drain the water.
2. Place the boiled peels into the sugar syrup. Bring to a boil. With a candy thermometer, maintain the heat until the thermometer reads 230 degrees F (syrup stage). The peels should begin to turn translucent. This is best observed with lemon and orange peels. You'll have to make a judgement call when doing lime peels. Boil at 230 degrees F for at least 5 minutes.
3. Remove peels from the syrup using a fork or chopsticks. Lay in a single layer onto a Silpat mat or drying rack. I prefer using a silicone mat for easier removal of the sugared peels. This is just so that the peels cool down a bit.
4. Once the peels have cooled. Fill a shallow bowl with 1/2 c granulated sugar. Transfer peels to the sugar and stir until the peels are coated. Set aside. Every few hours, stir the peels around the sugar. When the moisture has sufficiently evaporated from the sugar-coated peels, remove the peels to a separate container.
I use a canning jar with its inner lid removed and use a square of a paper towel as the temporary lid; using the sealing band to keep the paper towel in place. This way the peels can still dry out and the jar can sit on the counter without bugs getting in.
In terms of quantities, the peels of six limes filled an 8 oz jar; one medium mandarin orange filled 1/4 of an 8 oz jar, and two large lemons filled 1/2 an 8 oz jar.
Use a sharp edged (not serrated) vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the fruit. Thinly slice the peel into strips. The less pith (white stuff) that is on the peel, the more translucent the peel will become when it is boiled in the sugar syrup.
I used one batch of sugar syrup for all these fruits. I still have 10 oz of sugar syrup leftover.
Sugar Syrup
2 c organic granulated sugar
1 c water
Combine water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
The Process
1. Peel the fruits and slice the peel into strips. Place the strips into a pot and fill with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. Drain the water.
2. Place the boiled peels into the sugar syrup. Bring to a boil. With a candy thermometer, maintain the heat until the thermometer reads 230 degrees F (syrup stage). The peels should begin to turn translucent. This is best observed with lemon and orange peels. You'll have to make a judgement call when doing lime peels. Boil at 230 degrees F for at least 5 minutes.
3. Remove peels from the syrup using a fork or chopsticks. Lay in a single layer onto a Silpat mat or drying rack. I prefer using a silicone mat for easier removal of the sugared peels. This is just so that the peels cool down a bit.
4. Once the peels have cooled. Fill a shallow bowl with 1/2 c granulated sugar. Transfer peels to the sugar and stir until the peels are coated. Set aside. Every few hours, stir the peels around the sugar. When the moisture has sufficiently evaporated from the sugar-coated peels, remove the peels to a separate container.
I use a canning jar with its inner lid removed and use a square of a paper towel as the temporary lid; using the sealing band to keep the paper towel in place. This way the peels can still dry out and the jar can sit on the counter without bugs getting in.
Watermelon Granita
A warm summer in the Pacific Northwest is a great time to enjoy other recipes using watermelon. This recipe is mixed with lemonade for a refreshing summer cooler. I suppose you could also just eat it as an iced watermelon treat. If you're extra crafty, you can peel the limes with a vegetable peeler and reserve the lime peel to make candied citrus peels.
Makes 1 quart.
Ingredients
6 c seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
1/4 c lime juice (3 limes)
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
Directions
1. Wash and juice three limes. Strain out the pulp and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a 7-cup food prep, add sugar and lime juice. Then fill the bowl with watermelon chunks. Purée until smooth.
3. Pour into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Place dish in the freezer.
4. When frozen, use the tines of a fork to scrape the frozen purée into granita.
Scoop into tall glasses and fill with lemonade. Enjoy.
The only difference between this and watermelon sorbet, is that the latter has added water and is processed in an ice cream machine.
Makes 1 quart.
Ingredients
6 c seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
1/4 c lime juice (3 limes)
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
Directions
1. Wash and juice three limes. Strain out the pulp and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a 7-cup food prep, add sugar and lime juice. Then fill the bowl with watermelon chunks. Purée until smooth.
3. Pour into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Place dish in the freezer.
4. When frozen, use the tines of a fork to scrape the frozen purée into granita.
Scoop into tall glasses and fill with lemonade. Enjoy.
The only difference between this and watermelon sorbet, is that the latter has added water and is processed in an ice cream machine.
Salt and Pepper Squid
While this recipe is a keeper, the most time-consuming task of the recipe is cleaning the squid if you are using fresh squid. I don't know of any seafood counter at an Asian grocery store that cleans squid before packaging it for sale. This is the third recipe attempt from a collection of Fuchsia Dunlop cookbooks. This recipe comes from her book Every Grain of Rice, which won this year's James Beard award for international cookbooks. The photo of my dish doesn't even look remotely close to the pretty squid shapes in the photo of her book. It was tasty regardless.
This is a dish that you could order at a restaurant and not think twice about how long it takes to prepare it. Between cleaning the whole squids, slicing, then deep frying them, it took about an hour from start to finish. I doubt that starting with cleaned squid tubes would have helped all that much; besides those are usually sold frozen. Fresh squid just has a different taste and texture.
 |
| Salt and Pepper Squid |
The cookbook has a vegetarian option for this recipe where instead of the squid, you use 14 oz of plain white tofu cut into bite-sized cubes then deep fried until golden.
Note: there is no black pepper nor white pepper in this recipe. The pepper here is Sichuan pepper, commonly referred to as Sichuan peppercorns. Also, two stalks of green onions were plenty for this dish. And, when deep frying the squid, watch out for the oil.. it will splatter and spit and crackle when moisture from the squid hits the hot oil.
Ingredients
1 lb squid, cleaned
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
3 tbsp potato flour (for deep frying)
1 1/2 c neutral cooking oil, such as peanut oil
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp spring onion whites, minced
2 tbsp spring onion greens, minced
1 fresh red chili, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp toasted Sichuan pepper mixed with 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
1. Clean squid. You'll only be using the tentacles and the body. Trim the tentacles from the head, then slice in half lengthwise. Score the body using diagonal cuts with a knife.
2. Toss the squid body and tentacles in a bowl with Shaoxing rice wine. Let this marinate while you prep the other ingredients.
3. Drain the liquid from the squid and dredge in potato flour. Deep fry in a wok (or other appliance for deep frying) at 350 degrees F. Use a metal slotted spoon to remove the squid when it has reached a light golden brown color. Drain the oil from the squid on paper towels.
4. Drain off all but one tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add garlic, spring onion whites, and chili to the wok and stir fry over medium heat. Raise the heat to high and return the squid, Sichuan pepper, and salt to the wok. Stir and toss for a minute.
5. Add the spring onion greens last, mix well and serve.
Spicy Hot Eggplant
A madman checked out three of Fuchsia Dunlop's cookbooks from the library and suggested that we cook at least three recipes from them. This is the second of three recipes that looked doable and another attempt at authentic Chinese cuisine. This recipe comes from Dunlop's Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook which highlights the cuisine and cooking style of the Hunan province. Chili bean paste isn't in the pantry, so I mixed chili oil with black bean paste as a substitution. This came out tasting just okay. I'm not terribly inclined to make it again any time soon.
Ingredients
3 Asian eggplants, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely chopped
3 oz ground pork
2 tbsp chili oil + 1 tbsp black bean paste
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 fresh red chili, finely sliced
2/3 c. stock or water
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 scallions, green parts only, finely sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
olive oil for frying
kosher salt, to taste
Directions
1. Peel the eggplants then cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise. Cut each quarter into chunks, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
2. Squeeze the water from the mushrooms, then finely chop and set aside.
3. Rinse and pat dry the eggplant. Heat the oil for deep frying in a wok over high heat until it reach 350 degrees F and fry eggplant until they are tender.
-or- Blanch the eggplant for a few minutes in salted boiling water until softened. Remove from heat or water and set aside.
4. Fry pork separately and add the chili bean paste. Stir fry until the oil is red.
5. Add the ginger, garlic, mushrooms, and chili paste. Stir in the stock, dark soy sauce, eggplant, and simmer for a few minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt.
6. Cook until the sauce is reduced. Add the scallions and stir fry until barely cooked.
7. Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil, and serve.
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| Spicy Eggplant with Pork |
3 Asian eggplants, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely chopped
3 oz ground pork
2 tbsp chili oil + 1 tbsp black bean paste
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 fresh red chili, finely sliced
2/3 c. stock or water
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 scallions, green parts only, finely sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
olive oil for frying
kosher salt, to taste
Directions
1. Peel the eggplants then cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise. Cut each quarter into chunks, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
2. Squeeze the water from the mushrooms, then finely chop and set aside.
3. Rinse and pat dry the eggplant. Heat the oil for deep frying in a wok over high heat until it reach 350 degrees F and fry eggplant until they are tender.
-or- Blanch the eggplant for a few minutes in salted boiling water until softened. Remove from heat or water and set aside.
4. Fry pork separately and add the chili bean paste. Stir fry until the oil is red.
5. Add the ginger, garlic, mushrooms, and chili paste. Stir in the stock, dark soy sauce, eggplant, and simmer for a few minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt.
6. Cook until the sauce is reduced. Add the scallions and stir fry until barely cooked.
7. Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil, and serve.
Sichanese Dan Dan Noodles
If it weren't for this cookbook, I would not have known to make the dish nor the sauce that goes with it. This recipe comes from Fuchsia Dunlop's Land of Plenty. Total prep time is about an hour, including noodle cooking time. This was one of the few times I went out of the way to procure a single recipe ingredient, in this case it was the tianjin preserved vegetable; which is a garlic and salt-preserved cabbage. If you can't find this little clay urn of intensely salty vegetable, you could probably substitute the more commonly used preserved turnip or preserved mustard greens instead.
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| Egg Noodles with Pork & Bok Choy, Sichuanese Flavors |
More appalling was the fact that the Wel-pac brand was the only packaged noodle at the Asian grocery store that listed egg as an ingredient instead of yellow food coloring. Sichuanese food is nearly synonymous with hot and spicy. The spiciness of the dish comes from chili oil and toasted sichuan peppercorns.
Serves: 4
For the noodles:
1 pkg (3 bundles) egg noodles
8 bok choy heads, halved and leaves only
For the sauce:
2 tbsp tianjin preserved vegetable, or pickled Chinese cabbage
1 tbsp olive oil
3 spring onions, green parts only, finely chopped
3 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp chili oil, to taste
2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp ground toasted sichuan peppercorns
1 qt hot chicken stock
For the pork:
1 tbsp olive oil
3.5 oz ground pork
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp light soy sauce
Directions
1. Rinse the Tianjin vegetable in a sieve under the tap to get rid of excess salt and shake dry. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat,and stir-fry the Tianjin vegetable until it is dry. Set aside.
2. To prepare the pork topping, add the oil to the wok and heat through. Add the ground pork and stir-fry, splashing in the Shaoxing wine. Add the soy sauce and fry until the meat is cooked but not too dry. Set aside.
3. Divide the stir-fried preserved vegetable, the spring onions and the light and dark soy sauce, chili oil, vinegar, Sichuan pepper and stock among four serving bowls.
4. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the bok choy and blanch until just cooked. Place a couple of leaves in each serving bowl. Meanwhile, add the noodles to the boiling water and boil until cooked to taste. Drain the noodles and divide among the prepared bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of the cooked pork.
5. Serve immediately. The noodles should be mixed into the sauce at the table, using chopsticks.
Macadamia Nut Brittle, batch #2
I made a second batch of nut brittle on the same day because I didn't think there was enough of the first to use as a garnish for 16 servings of apricot sorbet. This recipe ratio comes from Kendrick & Atkinson's Candymaking cookbook. It has a much richer toffee flavor since it has a lot more fat in it from the butter and a minimal amount of corn syrup.
The recipe is really to make something called Cashew Crunch, which I had assumed at the time was just another brittle. For general eating purposes, this recipe wins it for taste and texture.
Ingredients
1 c. unsalted butter
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 c. organic granulated sugar
1 c. salted macadamia nuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan with a candy thermometer, melt butter and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil.
2. At 300 degrees F, add nuts and vanilla extract. Pour out onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread thin into a single layer. Let cool to room temperature. Break into pieces and enjoy.
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| Macadamia Nut Brittle, batch #2 |
Ingredients
1 c. unsalted butter
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 c. organic granulated sugar
1 c. salted macadamia nuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan with a candy thermometer, melt butter and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil.
2. At 300 degrees F, add nuts and vanilla extract. Pour out onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread thin into a single layer. Let cool to room temperature. Break into pieces and enjoy.
Macadamia Nut Brittle, batch #1
Made a nut brittle for the first time that actually turned out really well. This was the first of two batches. I figured that this might not be enough to garnish 16 servings of apricot sorbet so I made a second batch. This recipe uses an equal amount of sugar to corn syrup. It has more of a candied brittle consistency than a toffee brittle.
This recipe ratio came from Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, a cookbook about making ice cream. Because this batch was turning brown faster than I anticipated, due to a higher fat content of the nuts, I took it off the stove when the candy thermometer was at 280 degrees F. I am not sure what the baking soda does for brittle. I forgot to add it, even though it was already measured out and in my mise en place.
Ingredients
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 c. salted macadamia nuts
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions
1. In a 2-quart pot with a candy thermometer attached, add corn syrup, sugar, and water together. Bring to a boil, then add the nuts. Cook until the candy thermometer is between 300 degrees F and 305 degrees F.
2. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. (I'm not sure what this does.)
3. Empty pot onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread out the nuts into a single layer with a silicone spatula. As the brittle cools, it will harden.
4. Break into pieces and enjoy.
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| 2014-05-03, Macadamia Nut Brittle #1 |
Ingredients
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 c. salted macadamia nuts
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions
1. In a 2-quart pot with a candy thermometer attached, add corn syrup, sugar, and water together. Bring to a boil, then add the nuts. Cook until the candy thermometer is between 300 degrees F and 305 degrees F.
2. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. (I'm not sure what this does.)
3. Empty pot onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread out the nuts into a single layer with a silicone spatula. As the brittle cools, it will harden.
4. Break into pieces and enjoy.
Tangy Lemon Curd
I have eaten lemon curd in tea shops as an accompaniment to scones and shortbread cookies, and in donuts filled with lemon curd. Commercially available lemon curd has always tasted much sweeter than this batch. This batch came out a touch more sour but is just as good. It is ridiculously simple to make.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/3 c organic granulated sugar
1/4 c unsalted butter, diced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel (one lemon)
Directions
Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heavy saucepan. Add butter and lemon peel and stir over medium heat until butter has melted and a pudding-like consistency appears.
Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool before using.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/3 c organic granulated sugar
1/4 c unsalted butter, diced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel (one lemon)
Directions
Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heavy saucepan. Add butter and lemon peel and stir over medium heat until butter has melted and a pudding-like consistency appears.
Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool before using.
Simple BBQ Sauce
In an earlier post, I made a spicy homemade catsup. I used that in this recipe. It came out sweeter than I had expected and not as spicy or earthy/smoked as I had hoped. I used this as a basting sauce for roasted chicken legs. Overall, tasty. I'd probably add a lot more smoked chipotle powder to it the next time around.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
1 c homemade ketchup
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground red chili flakes
up to 2 tbsp smoked chipotle powder (optional)
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for about five minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
For baked chicken parts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baste chicken with sauce and bake for an hour. Flip the parts over on the half hour mark and baste again with the sauce.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
1 c homemade ketchup
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground red chili flakes
up to 2 tbsp smoked chipotle powder (optional)
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for about five minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
For baked chicken parts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baste chicken with sauce and bake for an hour. Flip the parts over on the half hour mark and baste again with the sauce.
Rice Milk Tapioca Pudding
You don't realize how hard it is to find a pudding recipe made with rice milk until you try searching for it. The majority of hits on a web search comes up with rice pudding, which is something I definitely did not want to make. The heavy vanilla and butter taste came through in this recipe which beats the artificial colors and flavors out of box pudding any day.
If you wanted to make vanilla pudding without eggs, simply omit the tapioca pearls.
Ingredients
2 c organic rice milk
1 c tapioca pearls, soaked in water
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
1. If you're using a non-instant tapioca, like Reese's tapioca, start a day ahead by soaking the tapioca in two cups of water. Drain with a strainer. Set aside until ready to use.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring rice milk to a boil. Gradually add some milk to the cornstarch-sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the milk and cook until the liquid thickens.
4. Add one cup of tapioca pearls and cook until translucent. Whisk to keep the tapioca from burning. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla extract.
5. Let cool. Enjoy warm or chill in individual serving bowls.
If you wanted to make vanilla pudding without eggs, simply omit the tapioca pearls.
Ingredients
2 c organic rice milk
1 c tapioca pearls, soaked in water
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
1. If you're using a non-instant tapioca, like Reese's tapioca, start a day ahead by soaking the tapioca in two cups of water. Drain with a strainer. Set aside until ready to use.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring rice milk to a boil. Gradually add some milk to the cornstarch-sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the milk and cook until the liquid thickens.
4. Add one cup of tapioca pearls and cook until translucent. Whisk to keep the tapioca from burning. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla extract.
5. Let cool. Enjoy warm or chill in individual serving bowls.
Homemade Catsup, Ketchup, that red condiment..
One of my new years' resolutions for my pantry was to not buy something I could readily make with ingredients on hand. Fortunately for me, I don't own a deep fryer.. so I can still buy those sweet Maui onion chips. The downside to making these condiments from scratch is not knowing its shelf life. The condiments that I used to buy from Trader Joe's stay fresh for an epic long time in the refrigerator.
I have this stored in a lidded 2-cup glass container. It is spicier than most store bought ketchups because of the chili flakes, but it is quite tasty. I made this batch to be the base for a cocktail sauce for a shrimp appetizer.
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
One 12 oz can of organic tomato paste
6 oz filtered water
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a couple pinches of ground clove and ground allspice
one pinch of ground chili flakes (the kind that is used with asian cuisine)
Directions
1. Start by whisking the water and brown sugar together, making sure that the sugar dissolves completely before adding the rest of the ingredients.
2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Estimated shelf life: up to a month.
I have this stored in a lidded 2-cup glass container. It is spicier than most store bought ketchups because of the chili flakes, but it is quite tasty. I made this batch to be the base for a cocktail sauce for a shrimp appetizer.
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
One 12 oz can of organic tomato paste
6 oz filtered water
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a couple pinches of ground clove and ground allspice
one pinch of ground chili flakes (the kind that is used with asian cuisine)
Directions
1. Start by whisking the water and brown sugar together, making sure that the sugar dissolves completely before adding the rest of the ingredients.
2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Estimated shelf life: up to a month.
Homemade: How to Make Rice Milk from Scratch
I started this recipe with the idea of making rice milk from scratch. How hard could it be? It's just water and rice together.. right? Well, it turns out that ratios are everything and what came out of this experiment looks a lot like I just puréed plain rice congee in a food prep and added a touch of sugar and some flavoring. I got onto this idea since commercially available rice milk has all these other things in it that shouldn't be there, such as expeller pressed safflower oil and/or sunflower oil and/or canola oil, and tricalcium phosphate.
The sugar content in a quart of plain rice milk (Costco has 24 grams, Trader Joe's has 40 grams) is a bit high, considering that there are roughly 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon. The average cup of plain, unsweetened rice milk should be around 50 calories; but as a beverage, it has to compete with cow's milk and other "milk" products, so with all the fillers, it is now 160 calories per cup. Sugar is added and that fakes the brain out into thinking it is getting something good. I started this batch with 2 tbsp organic sugar, which comes out to just over 60 calories per cup.
This particular batch yielded 3 quarts of not-quite rice milk. I wasn't terribly keen on using an exact measurement of water in the cooking phase.
Onto the recipe...
Ingredients
1 c jasmine rice (white or brown, doesn't matter)
2 qt filtered water
sweetener, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract (optional)
pinch of sea salt, to taste (optional)
Directions
1. Start off by putting the rice into a large pot and rinsing the rice a few times. Strain out this liquid and cover the rice with filtered water. Cover and let sit up to 12 hours or overnight.
2. Strain out the water and add two quarts of filtered water to the rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
2a. (optional) Add any additional flavorings or seasonings.
3. Process in batches in a blender or 7-cup food prep machine. Strain liquid through a mesh
strainer into a serving receptacle of your choice. I am using a 2-liter glass carafe, which I have partly filled with two cups of filtered water to help dilute the rice slurry.
Seriously, I thought I was going to make rice milk. I hadn't counted on the rice totally disintegrating. This is much harder to get the proper consistency for drinking than it is to make almond milk or soy milk from scratch.
[Update: 2014-03-29, this recipe needs work! Do not use. Unless you want a gallon of some very slushy rice goo...]
The sugar content in a quart of plain rice milk (Costco has 24 grams, Trader Joe's has 40 grams) is a bit high, considering that there are roughly 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon. The average cup of plain, unsweetened rice milk should be around 50 calories; but as a beverage, it has to compete with cow's milk and other "milk" products, so with all the fillers, it is now 160 calories per cup. Sugar is added and that fakes the brain out into thinking it is getting something good. I started this batch with 2 tbsp organic sugar, which comes out to just over 60 calories per cup.
This particular batch yielded 3 quarts of not-quite rice milk. I wasn't terribly keen on using an exact measurement of water in the cooking phase.
Onto the recipe...
Ingredients
1 c jasmine rice (white or brown, doesn't matter)
2 qt filtered water
sweetener, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract (optional)
pinch of sea salt, to taste (optional)
Directions
1. Start off by putting the rice into a large pot and rinsing the rice a few times. Strain out this liquid and cover the rice with filtered water. Cover and let sit up to 12 hours or overnight.
2. Strain out the water and add two quarts of filtered water to the rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
2a. (optional) Add any additional flavorings or seasonings.
3. Process in batches in a blender or 7-cup food prep machine. Strain liquid through a mesh
strainer into a serving receptacle of your choice. I am using a 2-liter glass carafe, which I have partly filled with two cups of filtered water to help dilute the rice slurry.
Seriously, I thought I was going to make rice milk. I hadn't counted on the rice totally disintegrating. This is much harder to get the proper consistency for drinking than it is to make almond milk or soy milk from scratch.
[Update: 2014-03-29, this recipe needs work! Do not use. Unless you want a gallon of some very slushy rice goo...]
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
This is the only time of the year when beef brisket goes on sale for St. Patrick's Day. Depending on where you shop, this cut of beef can be as low as $2/lb in the Pacific Northwest and is already seasoned. This fake food holiday is celebrated in the US because of two things: alcohol and food. I mean really, what other holidays do we have where we aren't consuming these two items. Anyhow. The average cut is about three pounds and while this may seem like a lot of food for a single person, a lot of it will turn into very tasty sandwiches.
Ingredients
3 lb beef brisket, brined
1 packet of pickling spices
3 organic carrots, cut into thirds
3 organic celery stalks, cut into thirds
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, quartered
2-3 tbsp red wine
1 green cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
Directions
1. In the bowl of the slow cooker, place brisket fat-side down, add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, and pickling spices. Cover and set cooker to 8 hours on LOW.
2. An hour before the timer is done, add the cabbage wedges to the top of the stewing corned beef and replace lid. Let it cook until the cabbage leaves are fork-tender.
3. Remove brisket from slow cooker and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes before carving.
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| Corned beef, all sliced up after resting for 10 mins |
Ingredients
3 lb beef brisket, brined
1 packet of pickling spices
3 organic carrots, cut into thirds
3 organic celery stalks, cut into thirds
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, quartered
2-3 tbsp red wine
1 green cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
Directions
1. In the bowl of the slow cooker, place brisket fat-side down, add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, and pickling spices. Cover and set cooker to 8 hours on LOW.
2. An hour before the timer is done, add the cabbage wedges to the top of the stewing corned beef and replace lid. Let it cook until the cabbage leaves are fork-tender.
3. Remove brisket from slow cooker and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes before carving.
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| Corned beef, cabbage, carrots and a side of garlic sourdough bread |
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