HUNAN HOT-AND-SPICY SHRIMP

1 pound large shrimp (40 count per pound)

Shrimp Coating

2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg whites

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine

1 tablespoon mung bean starch

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of white pepper

Sauce

5 tablespoons ketchup (see Note below)

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 teaspoons white rice vinegar

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper flakes from Hot Pepper Oil (recipe follows)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup peanut oil

1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup 1/4-inch-dice shallots

1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine

Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact, then devein and clean them.

To make the shrimp coating: In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Add the shrimp and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients and reserve.

Heat a wok over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the peanut oil, and, using a spatula, coat the wok with the oil. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the ginger and stir briefly. Add the garlic and stir briefly. Add the shallots, stir to mix, and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shallots soften. Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp and their coating, and stir to mix. Spread the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 minute, or until the shrimp begin to turn pink. Turn the shrimp over and mix.

Drizzle in the wine, adding it along the edge of the wok, and mix well. Stir the sauce, pour it over the shrimp, and mix well. Stir-fry for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until the shrimp are well-coated and the sauce begins to bubble.

Turn off the heat, transfer to a heated dish, and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Hot Pepper Oil

1/2 cup hot pepper flakes

1/3 cup sesame oil

1/2 cup peanut oil

For this infused oil to be a success, the pepper flakes must be very hot, which is why I specify dried Thai chilies for making the flakes (see below). Heat a wok over high heat for 20 seconds. Add the sesame oil, peanut oil, and pepper flakes and stir. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the oil is very hot, but not boiling.

Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour the oil, including the pepper flakes, into a sterilized glass jar and close tightly. Allow the oil to rest for 10 minutes and then it can be used. The oil will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerated for up to 3 months. The longer the oil is stored, the hotter it will become.

Makes about 1 cup oil and pepper flakes

How to Make Hot Pepper Flakes

Look for dried Thai chilies, sold in 4-ounce packages (about 3 cups before grinding), or dry your own chilies. Place the dried chilies in a food processor and pulse for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until ground into coarse flakes. You should have about 1 1/2 cups flakes. Store in a tightly closed jar in a cool, dark place. They will retain their strength for at least 6 months.

Recipe courtesy Eileen Yin-Fei Lo/Chronicle Books

FRIED OYSTERS

Batter

1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose, high-gluten flour

10 ounces cold water

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 tablespoons peanut oil

5 cups peanut oil

20 medium-size fresh oysters, opened, removed from shells, patted dry, dusted with flour

Combine all batter ingredients in a bowl and reserve.

Heat wok over high heat for 1 minute. Pour in remaining 5 cups peanut oil and heat to 375°F. Dip each oyster into the batter until well coated. When a wisp of white smoke appears, lower oysters into oil. Deep-fry 5 at a time until light brown, about 3 minutes. Remove oysters, place in strainer, drain over a bowl.

Deep-fry last batch to a golden brown, about 4 minutes. Place cooked oysters back in oil for 2 minutes more so they become golden brown. During frying, always control heat. You may need to lower if oysters brown too much, or raise if they cook too slowly.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Recipe is reprinted from My Grandmother’s Chinese Kitchen: 100 Family Recipes and Life Lessons by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Priced between $9 and $13 depending on where you live, it’s also available on wine.com.

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 cup creme fraiche
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon the mixture into a large baking dish or 2 quart casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

Serves 12

This festive cocktail will get you in the mood for the holidays. (And if it doesn’t, nothing will.)

POMEGRANATE MARGARITAS

• 4 ounces white tequila
• 2 ounces limeade (fresh if possible)
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, limeade, and pomegranate juice. Shake and pour into highball glasses filled with ice. Garnish each with a few pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4

Note: For large groups, we make this cocktail ahead of time in large pitchers and stash it in the ‘fridge.

It’s here! GourmetGrrl’s latest cookbook collaboration…with the beloved girl & the fig restaurant in Sonoma, California. A year plus of hard work with owner Sondra Bernstein and Executive Chef John Toulze has paid off: the 100+ recipes in Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig’s journey through the seasons in wine country will inspire your holidays and every day with seasonal, local fare. Organized into 28 three-course seasonal menus, you can mix and match the recipes according to your taste. Inventive recipes for cocktails, small bites, and pantry items round out the lunch and dinner recipes. The luscious photography by Steven Krause makes it more than a cookbook; it’s a travelogue and love letter to Sonoma County.

Order your copy through the restaurant website or pick one up on your next visit!

Fava Bean Pistou

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil1/2 cup fava beans, blanched and peeled

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and black pepper
Place the pine nuts, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a food processor and puree while slowly adding the olive oil until just blended. Add the fava beans and parsley and puree to a creamy consistency. Add more olive oil if necessary and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy Sondra Bernstein & John Toulze/the girl & the fig

This week we’re sipping Chardonnay. Yes, we used the c word. When we find a Chardonnay we like we’re not afraid to share, and the 2010 Napa Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay is worth telling everyone you know. This is a crisp, juicy Chardonnay that lacks that heavy oak that usually turns us off. It’s no surprise, considering some well-established winemakers (Rich Frank and Koerner Rombauer) are behind the Napa Cellars label. We love it by the glass and loved it even more with a plate of roast pork with apples. We can only imagine how tasty it would be with turkey and mashed potatoes.

And at around $15 it’s the perfect candidate for a holiday wine (stock up for Thanksgiving or any other gathering where you’re expecting more than few Chardonnay lovers).

ONION & BACON TART

6 ounces slab bacon, cut into ¼″ matchsticks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 ¼ cups milk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. Heat bacon in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain; pour bacon fat into a 9″ × 11″ baking dish and set aside. Return skillet to medium-high heat, and add butter; add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Heat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, mustard, and pepper; add milk and eggs, and stir until smooth. Let batter rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place baking dish with bacon fat in oven and let heat for 10 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven, pour in batter, and spinkle with rendered bacon and caramelized onions; return to oven and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Recipe courtesy Saveur magazine

Pears are officially in season, so liven up a fall brunch (or Thanksgiving holiday) with a sparkling pear cocktail.

PEAR SPARKLER

• 2 bottles Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
• 4 cups pear nectar
• 1 lime, cut in wedges

For each serving, pour 3/4 cup of Champagne into a Champagne flute and top with 1/2 cup of pear nectar. Squeeze and drop in 1 wedge of lime.

Makes 8 cocktails