100 Recipe Posts

I had been seeing a lot a great looking Kung Pao recipes (such as here or here) and I just had to try making it. I liked the fact that the recipes called for sichuan peppercorns which I had recently acquired in Chinatown and I had been interested in using again. Chinese black vinegar is another ingredient that I had been wanting to try using. I was also interested in trying a dish that included whole dried chilies. Given my current obsession with prawns I decided to do a shrimp kung pao. Everything about the kung pao dish sounded really tasty!

Though the list of ingredients is a bit long, if you prepare everything before you start cooking and have it on hand it is pretty easy to make. The shrimp kung pao turned out great! It was one of the tastiest meals that I have had in a while. I really enjoy the fragrance of the toasting sichuan peppercorns and chilies. Up till now I had ground the sichuan peppercorns before adding them to the dish and this recipe called for them to be used whole. The fact that the recipe also contains peanuts made me want to chew each bite well to enjoy the peanuts. That meant that I also got to chew most of the whole sichuan peppercorns and fully enjoy their mouth numbing effect. The sichuan peppercorn effect and the heat of the chilies was a really nice combination. I served the shrimp gong bao on rice the first night and I tried serving the leftovers on some whole wheat pasta. I am thinking that when I make this again I will try adding some vegetables.

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shao Xing rice wine
1 tablespoon oil
10 dried red chilies or to taste (cut in half)
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted*
5 green onions (sliced)
1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
3 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chicken stock
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 handful roasted peanuts (roughly chopped)

Directions:
1. Mix the shrimp, cornstarch, water, soy sauce, and rice wine in a plastic bag and let marinate for 10-20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the red chilies and sichuan peppercorns and fry until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the shrimp and saute for a minute.
5. Add the white part of the green onions, garlic and ginger.
6. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chicken stock, sugar and corn starch and cook until the shrimp is cooked and the sauce thickens, a couple of minutes.
7. Serve garnished with the peanuts and the green part of the green onions.

* If you are new to Sichuan peppercorns you might want to start with 1 teaspoon and build up to the full tablespoon that I go with.

content source: http://www.closetcooking.com/2008/06/shrimp-kung-pao.html

As I type this I am happily enjoying what one writer called "basically, a perfect martini with an ounce of OJ." He would be correct. As I am always looking for new ways to satisfy my (un)healthy fascination of all things gin-ish, I have been meaning to try this most simple of classic cocktails, the Bronx Cocktail, forever. Why I never got around to it I have no idea. Must be that flood of gimlets, negronis, side cars, and Last Words...not to mention martinis....that have been enlarging my liver lately. And don't even get me started on the advent of G&T season. Christ, it's like I'm in the middle of an ADD-driven, alcohol fueled funhouse! Also you long time drinkers....er, readers, know of my respect for tradition on the planet Cocktailania, and this pre-prohibition tipple harkens back to a time of crashing stock markets, lost fortunes, and loose morals. Which I guess makes it the perfect drink for today. Gee, everything old IS new again!
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Bronx Cocktail
from various sources

ingredients:
ice
2 ounces gin
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce dry vermouth
dash or two of orange bitters
twist of orange peel for garnish

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice. Add the gin, orange juice, sweet and dry vermouths and the bitters. Shake well, then strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with the twist of orange peel.

In case you need it, here's a pretty good dim sum primer from an article in the SF Chronicle that also lists some of their choice Bay Area dim sum restaurants. If you don't know your har gau from your gai lan, check it out!
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Also from the SF Chronicle's "Kitchen Essentials" series, a list of Ten Pantry Essentials. The whole series of articles, which have included the "Top Ten Cooking Techniques" and a list of kitchen tools. In the essential pantry item list, I have to admit I might not have thought of using fish sauce in my Caesar dressing if I was out of anchovies. They also offer substitutes for their choices in case the ones the are pimping are hard to find. The whole series is a really great resource, and only reminds me of how pathetic the food section of our PDX paper, The Oregonian, is.
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From my fave cocktail columnist Jason Wilson in the Washington Post, a timely piece on Tiki cocktails, perfect for the warm weather ahead and its accompanying outdoor beverage enjoyment, with several recipes you can expect to see me post about.....soon! You can bet JW's Zombie and Mai Tai are both in my future this summer!!
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Is there no end to the fabulous food inspiration from Mark Bittman's Bitten Blog at the NY Times site? Greek nachos, anyone? Hell yes!
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I'm also dying to make food scientist Harold McGee's yogurt and crème fraiche. Two things you can easily buy at the store, but seem so much better (and interesting) if I make them in my own kitchen.
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Skirts, hangers, flatirons, flanks. In these leaner times it's time for leaner (and less expensive) cuts of cow. This article from the Los Angeles Times has some good tips on how to get your money's worth and cook 'em right so you won't even miss those more expensive New York's and rib eyes. Well, you still might miss them, but your wallet will feel better!

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Berry Crumble
from blazinghotwok
makes 1 large pie-sized or 6 ramekins

For the filling:
1 ½ lbs (4 to 5 cups) berries (I used raspberries and blueberries)
¾ oz (3 tbs) cornstarch
5 ½ oz (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
2 tbs lemon juice

For the topping:
4 ½ oz (1 cup) all purpose flour
2 3/8 oz (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
2 1/8 oz (1/3 cup packed) brown sugar
pinch of salt
8 oz (1 stick) cold butter, diced
1 5/8 oz (½ cup) quick-cooking or regular rolled oats
1 5/8 oz (1/2 cup) sliced almonds

Begin by making the topping. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and butter until you get a coarse mixture. I like to add the oats and pulse a couple of times to break them up a little. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the almonds. Mix in the almonds making clumps (although it will still be pretty loose).

In another large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch and mix until all the cornstarch is mixed in with the sugar. Add the fruit and lemon juice and carefully mix, trying not to mash the fruit. Transfer the fruit into a large baking dish (or ramekins) and press the topping on. I like to make sure the fruit is completely covered. Bake in a 350F oven (on a sheet pan to catch the juices) until bubbly and the topping is golden.

Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream.

If you missed my posts from our eating odyssey in Vancouver, B.C. last month, then you missed the story of our dinner at the temple of all things Indian and out-of-this-world that is Vij's. There, Vikram Vij, acting in the role of a sub-continental svengali, and his staff produce food that mere mortals such as I thought could only be dreamt of. That is until I opened our copy of the Vij's cookbook. What? You mean the secrets contained within the soothing walls have been let out amongst the rabble. Well, as we in the rabble like to say "Right the fuck on!!" So many wonderments to try, but needing a vegetable dish to go with some curried duck legs (more on that soon, I promise. A wow dish for sure, and NOT from Vij's!), we decided on his Coconut Curried Vegetables. What a fantastic dish, so complex, with a crossfire of flavors coming at you from every direction. Crazy! This would actually make a terrific entrée on its own, and as a side this recipe will easily serve 6-8. Feel free to sub other veggies into it, as well, especially with all the inspiration available at the farmer's markets.
If I can't be at Vij's, at least I can eat like I am....sort of............

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Coconut Curried Vegetables
from Vij's

We had the leftovers for dinner the next night, and if anything it was even better. The flavors came together beautifully, so while not necessary, if you can make this the day before you plan on serving it, it's worth it.- bb
addendum: in response to a comment, I got curry leaves at Fubonn, an Asian market here in PDX. Check one near you and you'll probably find them.-bb


ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
25 to 30 fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 tbsp + 1 tsp chopped garlic
2 cups chopped tomatoes (2 large)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 12 ounce can coconut milk, stirred
1 lb eggplant, chopped into 1-1/2" pieces
1 lb cauliflower, cut into 1-1/2" florets
2 green or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped into 1" pieces
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped

method:
1. In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat. Keeping your head at a distance from the pot, add the curry leaves and mustard seeds and allow them to sizzle for about one minute or until a few seeds pop.
2. Immediately add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes
3. Add tomatoes and remaining spices and sauté for 8 minutes or until oil glistens on top.
4. Stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Add eggplant. Cover and simmer to five minutes. Add cauliflower and bell peppers, cover and simmer for another five minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Serve over basmati rice.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: a myth busting marinade you need to know about!

Fat. A word loaded with possibilities and meanings. Some good: "fat of the land". Some not so: "fat America". Some that inspire awe and reverence: "bacon fat" and "butter fat". The last two are part of the raison d'etre for Jennifer McLagan's book, titled simply, and deliciously, "Fat". My friend DOR, knowing where my passions lie, recently gifted me with this tantalizing tome and I have been drooling ever since. There are so many temptations contained within these pages that it was hard to pick a starting point. With fish on w's mind this day, I chose McLagan's "Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Sage Butter", I suppose partly for the ability it gave me to rationalize that a healthy piece of wild caught fish would more than counteract any negative effects from 1/2 a stick of butter and four slices of cured pork product (I downsized the recipe below for the two of us). Good thinking, huh?

So it was that I prepared these gifts from the earth, and thus were we made happy, as if it were God's will. Beyond that faux-religiosity, this was one kick ass piece of fish. "Kick ass" probably doesn't do it justice. Sumptuous comes to mind. Luxurious. Or the highest accolade of dinner party worthy! This is a tremendously good plate of food, the prosciutto di parma working it's wonders, the lemony-buttery sage sauce providing decadently savory pleasure, and the fried sage leaves adding their own taste/textural delight. This pleases on so many levels, it really is remarkable. Your mouth will thank you for every bite!
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Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Sage Butter
from "Fat"
serves 6

ingredients:
Six 6-ounce skinless halibut fillets
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
36 fresh sage leaves
8-10 slices prosciutto (McLagan called for six in her recipe, but just in case they don't wrap all the way, it's best to have extra. Besides, you can eat any leftovers!-bb)
2 large lemons
7 tablespoons unsalted butter

method:
1-preheat oven to 400*. Season fillets with salt and pepper. Place 2 sage leaves on top of each fillet and then wrap each with a slice of prosciutto. The prosciutto will form a belt, enclosing the leaves but leaving the ends exposed. Cut 12 slices 1/4" thick from center of lemons, reserving the ends for their juice.

2-On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange pairs of lemon slices, slightly overlapping. Place a wrapped fillet on top of each pair of lemon slices. Bake the fish until it flakes and is opaque at its thickest part, 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

3-While the fish is cooking melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 24 sage leaves and cook, turning once or twice until crisp and the butter begins to brown, about 7 or 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add salt and the juice from the remaining lemon ends.

4-transfer the fish and the lemon slices to warmed plates. Pour any juices released from the fish into the sage butter sauce and pour the sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.

Cooks note: make sure all your fillets are of a similar size and thickness so they will cook at the same rate.

I just came across this series of videos from Al Jazeera English (one of my favorite foreign news sites, and unfortunately a very misunderstood news organization in the west) on street food traditions around the world. Slickly produced, but well done and informative. Below is part 1 of the Beijing tour. Among other destinations that will have you salivating; San Sebastian, Palermo, Osaka, Nairobi, and more. Vicariously expand your world food!

Sometimes I feel like such a tool. Kevin from the Garden State Cart here in Portland (Sellwood neighborhood specifically) wanders across the street to the wine shack and tells me about some new creation, and my Pavlovian response after eating it is "Must...tell...others". Classic example this morning. He just got a 30# box of baby artichokes, which he trimmed, then poached in olive oil and grilled, then served with a few salad greens and aioli, plus a cute little Calabrian pepper. FOR THREE DOLLARS!! If this was a ten dollar app at a restaurant I'd be thrilled. I tried it, and just as he knew I'm sure, I loved it. Auto-response kicked in,so here it is. I swear if it wasn't so good you wouldn't hear a peep. If you are near him today, this is something you have to try. The cart food in this town continues to fucking blow me away!

In the laboratory of leftovers that our fridge tends to become, where unidentifiable science experiments lurk beneath every plastic storage container, the one thing that I never worry about becoming the next domestic Superfund site is roast chicken. There are so many ways to go with any bits of bird remaining from dinner. w and I love roast chicken sandos taken to work. There is the stupendous satisfaction that is this tomatillo verde enchilada recipe, where almost any meaty remains can find salvation. One thing I hadn't made in years, only for the reason that my mind seems to be able to hold only so much culinary inspiration, is curried chicken salad. The cool thing about this, besides it satisfies that craving for Indian food with every bite, is that there are so many ways to go. Add grapes, raisins, apples, chopped mangos, or any number of additives. It all tastes good. This recipe I cobbled together from epicurious, with a couple of deletions/additions of my own. Do what you will with those mystery containers in the chilly confines of your coolers, but don't ever let a good bird go to waste!
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Curried Chicken Salad

This works great on sandwiches, some salad greens, or all by itself for a healthy snack after a workout.

ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds chicken
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
4 to 5 teaspoons curry powder to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup red seedless grapes (5 ounces), halved
method:
Chop chicken into 1/2"-ish cubes. Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, onion, grapes, and stir gently to combine. Adjust curry seasoning. Use as you will!

Note: feel free, as I said above, to add whatever combo of fruit/nuts you desire. That is the fun of this. Go through your cupboards and be creative!
The recipe called for adding chopped roasted-salted cashews to the salad when you mix it up. We add them at the last minute to our salads or sandwiches so they don't become soggy and they lend a terrific crunchy/salty texture.