A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. – Laurie Colwin

The days of fall and summer have been rapidly fading away in Ithaca, yet I was able to hang onto the last bits of warmth through a few fortunate days of sunshine plus the last batches of tomatoes from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share at Early Morning Farm. We savored tomatoes in abundance throughout the season, and being part of the CSA really allowed us to enjoy as many of the amazing red fruit as we could possibly consume through sandwiches, soups, and salads.  Speaking of salads, tomato salad is something so simple and refreshing that it has summer labeled all over it. I can only long for the days of next year when I can enjoy it again without having to buy non-seasonal tomatoes from somewhere halfway around the world.

Dressed in quintessential Italian flavor, the ingredients are rather few yet effective. Sweet basil, crunchy red onions, savory tuna chunks, and intense, tart olives  all complement the ripeness of the tomatoes, especially after being tossed with an ever so simple balsamic vinaigrette. I think one of the best parts about tomato salad is that precision is not a big emphasis — in fact, roughly chopping the ingredients and eyeballing the amounts are really okay and only adds to the rustic aspect of the salad. It is best served with crusty Italian bread (pane)  to soak up the juices. A glass of crisp and light-bodied Pinot Grigio can’t hurt either.

Tomato Salad Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 can (5 ounces) Albacore Tuna in extra virgin olive oil, drained and flaked with a fork*
• 1/2 cup Niçoise olives
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• Handful basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Gently toss together all ingredients in large bowl. Let marinate for 5 minutes.
2. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Tools

• Chef knife & cutting board
• Fork
• Large mixing bowl
• Large spoons or tongs for tossing

Selina’s Notes

• *I really prefer to use tuna that was caught by trolling or pole and line methods whenever possible. Learn more about global tuna issues via Seafood Watch and Wild Planet Foods.
• Use taggiasche olives if possible, but Niçoise olives are much easier to find

We are indeed much more than what we eat; but what we eat can nevertheless help us be much more than what we are. — Adele Davis

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Tasting Notes & Recipes
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I feel very fortunate that there is a fabulous farmer’s market in town that has some of the best local foods available, all from within a 30-mile radius. As the school year has been winding down, it is even a greater pleasure to be able to enjoy a sun-filled afternoon at the outdoor market with good friends, good wine, and good food. I love stumbling upon unique finds and meeting local farmers who are truly engaged in their products and customers.

Coniglio alla Ligure Recipe

Preparation Time: 2 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients

Tools

• Large dutch oven
• Chef knife (meat carving knife preferred)
• Cooking twine
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cup
• Tongs

Selina’s Tips

• The olives are very important and should not be substituted with another variety
• Rossese di Dolceacqua is the best wine for cooking and pairing this dish and is what makes it truly Ligurian
• The rabbit pieces should be browned on a single layer; do not overcrowd! Make a half portion of the recipe if needed.

If Italy had contributed nothing but pasta dishes to the world of cuisine, it would have been sufficient for immortality. — Craig Claiborne

Spring has finally arrived in upstate New York! It’s about time. Today it was sunny, 70+ degrees Fahrenheit, just like the way it should be at this time of year. In any case, with spring comes produce that have made a comeback to remind us that life isn’t all about winter vegetables, though I do appreciate squash and the like. Fresh basil is finally back in full force, especially thanks to Finger Lakes Fresh, a local hydroponics greenhouse that produces lovely, fragrant bundles of basil right at my fingertips.

While I am living my day to day life in beautiful Ithaca, New York, I often dream about visiting the Northern Italian region of Liguria, where my other half is from. It has a remarkable resemblance to California in terms of climate and rich agriculture. Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps, it’s a land of stark contrasts and beautiful sceneries, where farmers have carved every possible inch of land out of the steep hills to create masterful terraces where they have grown some of their best treasures for centuries, among which olives and basil reign supreme. Among rabbits and wild boar, Sanremo shrimps and breams, there is something that’s truly Ligurian and that blends the best ingredients of the region: pesto! A perfect combination of extra virgin olive oil, pignolia nuts (from the numerous pine trees found on the hills of the area), basil, garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, this worldwide-appreciated sauce is as timeless as the flavors associated with this beautiful stretch of land.

Because spring is in the air, and because Italy is on my mind, I chose to highlight the freshness of basil pesto using Barilla Tortellini, topped with tender crisp green beans, potatoes, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano — authenticity and simplicity at its finest. This can easily be served with a basic salad, such as mixed greens or arugula lightly dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. To complement such a wonderful burst of flavors, a fine wine pairing is a rich and bright white wine from Sardinia, Argiola Costamolino Vermentino Di Sardegna. This pairing works particularly well given that the varietal Vermentino is the most-grown grape in Liguria, where it’s known as Pigato. Buon Appetito!

Tortellini al Pesto alla Genovese Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 35 basil leaves (large bunch)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/3 cup pignolia nuts
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for finishing
• Salt
• 2 cups green beans, halved
• 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 package Barilla Tortellini (12 ounces), Cheese & Spinach variety found in the dried pasta section

Preparation

1. Begin to boil large pot of water. Meanwhile, prepare pesto: Add basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and salt to a food processor/blender and pulse grind until smooth. Add Parmigiano and pulse grind again to combine.
2. Once water comes to boil, liberally salt water and add potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes, and then add green beans. Boil for an additional 5 minutes and drain with a slotted spoon.
3. Using the same pot of water, add dried tortellini and boil for about 9 minutes. Drain separately and divide equally into platters.
4. For each platter, gently combine tortellini with 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce. Top with potatoes, green beans, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Tools

• Large stockpot
• Food processor
• Cheese grater
• Chef knife
• Slotted spoon
• Colanders (2)

Buon cibo, buon vino, buoni amici – Unknown

When there’s a blizzard outside, having warmth, good food, wine, and company is priceless. A fireplace adds a nice touch as well. There are many foods that comfort the soul, but today’s choice is heavily influenced by my favorite person in the world who happens to come from Italy and knows a thing or two about pasta. Bucatini all’Amatriciana is a Roman dish that is very rich, but in a sensible and savory way that doesn’t weigh you down.  The Romans are well known for their conviviality and time well spent with friends and family, and these attributes are inherently well reflected in this dish.

Be prepared to indulge in a cornucopia of intense flavors: the underlying depth of onion and garlic, smoked aroma of pancetta, sweet and concentrated tomatoes, and boldness of the red wine…all lightly topped with aged and briny cheese. In the midst of this complexity, there is surprisingly an element of simplicity that is almost indefinable, but trust me, it exists. Perhaps this simplicity comes from the utmost importance of having quality ingredients – reputable pasta, San Marzano tomatoes, pure extra virgin olive oil, and the like. While ingredients are easy to swap and substitute, the final product is compensated as such. In other words, don’t skimp!

Bucatini all’Amatriciana Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried bucatini pasta (preferably Divella brand)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, slightly crushed
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 4 ounces pancetta affumicata (smoked), chopped
• 14 ounces canned whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup full body red wine (optional, but recommended)
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste

Preparation

1. Bring large pot of water to boil for bucatini and cook according to package, approximately 6-7 minutes for al dente.  Salt water right before adding pasta. Meanwhile, begin to prepare garlic, onion, and pancetta.
2. Heat olive oil in saucepan to medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, and pancetta and sauté until onions are translucent and pancetta is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes to the pan and crush tomatoes with fork and wooden spoon. Add bouillon cubes, salt & pepper, and dried basil. Let sauce simmer over medium heat and reduce until nicely thickened, about 10 minutes. Add red wine and red pepper flakes and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Add pasta to sauce evenly toss to coat. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste.

[Crushing tomatoes with fork and spoon...]

Tools

• Large stock pot
• Chef knife
• Sauté pan
• Wooden spoon
• Fork
• Colander
• Grater

Selina’s Notes

• During the summer, seasonal fresh chopped basil is preferred
• Red wine options can include full bodied wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon,  Zinfandel, Chianti, etc. The added benefit is that you can enjoy it during your meal!

Buon Appetito

A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner. – Samuel Johnson

There are days when you crave nothing but simple comfort food for lunch or dinner. For some, that could mean a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch or cereal for dinner. It usually starts after a long day of work or school — you come home, open the refrigerator, and the usual suspects appear: milk, eggs, condiments, and perhaps a partial loaf of bread. In my house, it would be pretty normal to also find leftover rice. If my mood points me in the direction of quickly escaping back to the familiarity and comfort of my mother’s kitchen, I reach for the eggs. My mother used to (and still does, if I make a special request) prepare what she calls “wallet eggs,” which is literally translated from Cantonese to describe fried eggs with runny yolks. The yolk, if you will, is the money! Needless to say, the fried egg white is the tasty wallet to keep it all inside.

This easily becomes my effortless, go-to food for the hectic days, which is becoming more frequent now that school is in full swing! At the same time, I still get my protein, starch, and vegetables if I plan accordingly. Sounds like a winner to me

Wallet Eggs Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 generous tablespoon canola oil
• Freshlycracked black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 1 stalk scallion, thinly sliced (optional)
• Small handful of cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
• 1 cup steamed rice (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat saute pan to medium high heat. Add oil and tilt pan to spread evenly.
2. Crack eggs individually on opposite sides of the pan to avoid contact with each other. Allow egg to solidify and brown on one side, about 1-2 minutes. Add black pepper during this wait. Flip eggs when bottoms are solidified; allow to cook for an additional minute, but adjust according to your preference of how runny you prefer your eggs to be.
3. Serve immediately over white rice. Garnish with oyster sauce, scallions, and cilantro as desired.

Tools

• Saute pan
• Spatula
• Chef knife

Selina’s Notes

• Regular oyster sauce can be substituted with vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom based). If using regular, I prefer Lee Kum Kee
• To create a drizzle effect with oyster sauce, use a plastic squeeze bottle or create a makeshift piping bag using a sandwich bag and simply snip off the end to dispense!
• To make this a full meal, serve with salad or stir-fried leafy greens, such as bok choy or Chinese broccoli

Feeding people graciously and lovingly is one of life’s simplest pleasures: a most basic way of making life better for someone at least for awhile. — Anna Thomas

Black bean sauce reminds me of traditional Cantonese home-style cooking. I grew up having a variety of dishes made with black beans and black bean sauce, including fish, clams, chicken, spare ribs; it’s a simple go-to ingredient for a quick stir-fry or a steam. If you’ve never had it before, it’s very pungent, briny, and aromatic.  The black beans are really fermented soy beans, giving the sauce a unique intense flavor that kind of jumps in your mouth.

I’ve been experimenting with using black bean sauce in a chicken and bell pepper combination for a few years. You may or may not find this in a restaurant, but to me, it’s an easy and quick comfort food dish that reminds me of home. It’s also best served with freshly steamed rice on the side, which perfectly complements and lightens the intensity of the sauce.

Black Bean Chicken and Peppers Recipe

Preparation Time: Approximately 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thigh, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oil, divided
• 3 teaspoons corn starch, divided
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce (e.g., Lee Kum Kee brand)
• 1 stalk scallion, thinly sliced
• Handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. Marinate chicken: In a mixing bowl, add soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1 teaspoon corn starch into chicken. Stir to combine.
2. Prepare quick gravy: Mix remaining corn starch and water; set aside.
3. Stir-fry: Heat oil over medium-high to high heat in a pan until oil is nearly steamy. Gently add black bean garlic sauce and quickly stir for 5-10 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry (chow!) for 2 minutes or until halfway cooked. Add peppers and stir until chicken is fully cooked and peppers are crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Add corn starch gravy mixture and cook for an additional minute.
4. Garnish with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Tools

• Mixing bowl
• Small bowl
• Wok or sauté pan
• Spatula or wooden spoon

Selina’s Notes

• Wear an apron or something that you don’t mind getting splattered on! The sauce tends to splatter during the stir-fry step.
• You may substitute and/or supplement bell peppers with onions and white button mushrooms.
• I don’t recommend using more than the 3/4 pounds of chicken in one batch. The more chicken in the wok, the less smoky wok flavor it gives off. The same concept applies when pan-searing meats; overcrowding is never a good thing!

Life itself is the proper binge. — Julia Child

And then there is dessert, another brilliant binge that we all shamelessly enjoy. Even for those who say they don’t like sweets, custard with fresh summer berries is a pleasing dessert for anyone to indulge in. This is exactly what panna cotta is all about. It’s a very simple custard that is made with milk, cream, sugar, and gelatin and it is fairly fool-proof, even for a clumsy person such as myself. The beauty of it is its simplicity — the ingredients are easy to find (though for non-summer seasons, you can opt for other varieties of panna cotta), you can make it ahead of time for a dinner event, and most of the work is taken care of by your refrigerator. Because of the high cream content, this dessert is incredibly rich, silky, and just plain good after a light meal. It’s definitely something to save room for in your stomach.

Summer is a great time to make panna cotta because fresh berries are rightfully in season and can be purchased locally at farmers markets in the U.S. Not only are berries readily available at this time of year, they are also naturally photogenic, delicious, and healthy.

So there you have it. It’s okay to indulge a little sometimes.

Honey-Vanilla Panna Cotta With Berries Recipe

Preparation

1. Place whole milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour milk/gelatin mixture into a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves but the milk does not boil, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the whipping cream, honey, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Using a ladle, pour into 6-8 glasses or bowls so that they are 1/2 full. Cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours. Spoon the berries atop the panna cotta and serve (only immediately prior to serving).

Tools

• Small bowl
• Medium saucepan
• Ladle
• Assorted glasses (wine, martini, or regular drinking glasses). Alternatively, ramekins or small bowls work fine.
• Plastic wrap  (or anything that will cover all containers at once)

I grew up eating asparagus mainly one way, which was steamed. I was okay with this method, though I had few to compare it to. Roasting came later in my life it has added a whole new dimension to my cooking discoveries, as you may have seen in my roasted carrots. Roasting truly makes any vegetable shine – even if you’re not particularly fond of vegetables!

The beauty about roasted asparagus is that goes well with so many things – chicken, pasta, red meats, chopped in salad, frittatas, and the list can go on. The toppings can be swapped with other goodies, such as roasted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), too. Lemon zest and juice brings out a fresh and zippy flavor to roasted asparagus, which was why I opted for that this time around. After all, it’s summer.

The recipe below is more like a guideline rather than a recipe. There are really no exact measurements – it all depends on how much asparagus you pick up. Some general tips are to not over-salt or over-oil the asparagus. You’ll only want a thin coating of oil – and use olive oil because the flavor is fruity and fragrant. The result will be crisp and tender spears that will be a great addition to almost any meal.

Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 3-4 side portions

Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus (approximately half a pound to one pound)
• Olive oil, to drizzle (about a heaping tablespoon, plus more as needed)
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon zest and juice from half a lemon

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While oven is heating, prepare the asparagus by washing and snapping off the course ends. No knife is needed – simply bend and snap the spear ends and the course sections will naturally break where they should.
2. Lay asparagus spears in a single layer on a foil-lined or unlined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil at a perpendicular angle from the spears. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll spears on the baking sheet until evenly coated with seasonings.
3. Roast asparagus in the oven for approximately 10 minutes (give or take 2 minutes). Halfway through, toss the spears with a spatula so that they are evenly roasted. The spears should be slightly browned and fragrant.
4. Transfer asparagus to a serving platter. Using a grater, zest half a lemon and sprinkle over roasted asparagus. Squeeze lemon juice to finish (may not need the entire half lemon – just a teaspoon or so will do wonders).

Tools

• Baking sheet
• Spatula
• Microplane grater

Selina’s Notes

• Do not overcrowd the baking sheet — if the spears do not all fit on a single layer, divide them into two baking sheets. This may apply if you have more than one pound of asparagus.
• After washing and prior to roasting, make sure the spears are dry. Damp spears will not result in a crispy roast!
• Feel free to supplement the recipe with minced garlic prior to roasting, or different types of roasted nuts as a topping upon finishing.

If you are what you eat and you don’t know what you’re eating, do you know who you are? – Claude Fischler

As you may have already guessed, there is really no such thing as a baby turkey, or at least people don’t serve it. The story behind the phrase goes back to my childhood when I would persistently ask my mother to cook turkey for Thanksgiving. I grew up in a semi-traditional/non-traditional Chinese American family, so we would have Chinese food on most days, with occasional instances of American meals on others. My annual requests for turkey turned into a compromise of having “baby” turkey, also known as chicken. I was completely gullible. When I finally discovered the truth, it wasn’t as devastating as a child learning the truth about Santa or the Tooth Fairy.

This year, I decided to roast a “baby” turkey for a variety of reasons. First off, I was making a small dinner, so it did not make environmental or economical sense to roast a minimum 8 pound bird that could feed way more people than necessary. Scaling down is not a bad thing sometimes. Secondly, after reading articles For The Love of Turkeys and How Your Thanksgiving Turkey Gets Made about mass turkey production in the United States, I felt slightly better about purchasing a free-range, organic chicken. Lastly, if I were to have purchased a turkey, I may have seriously considered splurging on a Heritage Foods turkey, where independent farmers humanely raise turkeys and promote turkey conservation.

Herb Roasted Chicken (“Baby” Turkey) Recipe

Recipe adapted from Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Citrus by Giada De Laurentiis
Preparation Time: approximately 2 hours (~1 hour in the oven, remainder is preparation/cooling)
Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 4 fresh sage sprigs
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat: Position the rack in the lowest third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare: Remove anything in the cavity of the chicken, if any (save it for stock later!). Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with towels. Place the chicken on a roasting pan.
3. Season: Lightly season the cavity with salt and pepper. Place half of the orange, lemon, onion wedges, and 2 sprigs of each fresh herb in the cavity; reserve remaining wedges and sprigs. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together to hold the shape of the chicken and to secure the seasonings. Repeat with the wings. Gently lift the chicken skin between the breast meat and thighs. Stir butter, herbes de Provence, oil, and 1 teaspoon of each the salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts (or microwave in a bowl for 15 seconds). Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken and between the breast meat, thighs, and skin.
4. Roast: Place the chicken in the oven for approximately 60-70 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees-175 degrees or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer.
5. Rest: Once chicken is removed from the oven, transfer to a platter. Let it rest for 15-30 minutes to allow the juices to distribute and the temperature to even out. Remove twine and garnish platter with remaining herbs and lemon and orange wedges.

Tools

• Towels
• Roasting pan
• Kitchen twine
• Small saucepan or microwavable bowl
• Meat thermometer

Selina’s Notes

• Gravy goes well with roasted chicken, but it’s completely optional. Ideas can be found here, or in the original recipe link (although I would scale down on the volume). Alternatively, I like to drizzle lemon juice over my chicken.
• To use every part of the chicken, make chicken stock! The same process applies whether it’s turkey or chicken. If you don’t plan on making stock right away, store the carcass in the freezer in a zip-lock bag.
• When serving, I am not too graceful at carving chicken at the dinner table, so I normally choose to cut/slice on my cutting board and then serve the ready-to-eat chicken on a platter. If you don’t have a real carving knife, don’t worry – I don’t either. I basically rely on my Santoku knife for almost everything.

I hope you enjoy this simple variation. Every time that I prepare this recipe, the chicken turns out crisp on the exterior, with juicy and flavorful meat for both white and dark portions. It really is delightful any time of the year; remember, chickens are not seasonal like pumpkins! It is rather lengthy to prepare for a weeknight meal, but it makes for a nice dinner on the weekend.

Use only the best fresh regional ingredients in season and keep it simple. — James Beard

When life gets busy, sometimes it is best to keep it simple and fresh. And boy, life has certainly been busy. Regardless, I love the simplicity of three-ingredient, no-cook appetizers such as Caprese bites. Although this may not be authentic Insalata Caprese served on platters in Compania, Italy, it works very well for dinner parties and other social gatherings. In addition to simplicity and efficiency, it fits many other criteria. Vegetarian friendly? Check. Environmentally friendly? Yes, high potential if you buy selectively (I used local tomatoes, organic basil, and Wisconsin cheese). Crowd pleasing? Check again. Thus, it is a winner in my book!

The flavor combination of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella is so complimentary that it was a match made in heaven hundreds of years ago, if not longer. Not only does it naturally exhibit Italy’s flag colors, but it also tastes miraculously well together. Sweet tomatoes, fragrant basil, and creamy, mildly salty mozzarella…a simply fantastic party in your mouth, all in one bite.

Caprese bites are so simple that it is almost silly to provide a recipe, but to remain consistent with other posts, I shall present you with the easiest, fool-proof documentation of one of my favorite go-to appetizers.

Caprese Bites Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Serves:10-20 (yields approximately 20)

Ingredients

• 10 ounce size container cherry or grape tomatoes
• Small bunch of basil leaves, stems removed
• 8 ounce size container ciliegine (cherry size mozzarella balls)
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• Balsamic vinegar for drizzling, optional
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Skewer tomato, folded basil leaf (half of a large leaf or one whole small leaf), and ciliegine with a toothpick or wooden skewer.
2. Drizzle moderately with olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper right before serving.

Tools

• Colander for washing tomatoes and basil
• Toothpicks or small wooden skewers

The lemon, as Neruda explicitly states, is “a yellow goblet of miracles” (exact wording depends on the translation as his poetry has been translated from Spanish to languages around the world). Lemons really deserve much praise in the food world, though. They bring brightness and flavor to so many dishes around the world. So here, my friends, is a salute to a wonderful yellow fruit. Read on, and you shall taste a lemon!

Ode to the Lemon

by Pablo Neruda

From blossoms
released
by the moonlight,
from an
aroma of exasperated
love,
steeped in fragrance,
yellowness
drifted from the lemon tree,
and from its planetarium
lemons descended to the earth.

Tender yield!
The coasts,
the markets glowed
with light, with
unrefined gold;
we opened
two halves
of a miracle,
congealed acid
trickled
from the hemispheres
of a star,
the most intense liqueur
of nature,
unique, vivid,
concentrated,
born of the cool, fresh
lemon,
of its fragrant house,
its acid, secret symmetry.

Knives
sliced a small
cathedral
in the lemon,
the concealed apse, opened,
revealed acid stained glass,
drops
oozed topaz,
altars,
cool architecture.

So, when you hold
the hemisphere
of a cut lemon
above your plate,
you spill
a universe of gold,
a
yellow goblet
of miracles,
a fragrant nipple
of the earth’s breast,
a ray of light that was made fruit,
the diminutive fire of a planet.

I have mentioned before in my blog that I’m not much of a baker. While that still remains true, I will bake when there is a need or demand for it. After all, a little practice at patience and precision can’t hurt anyone, right? Too bad only one of the two made it on my strength list (hmmm, which one?).

This time, the motive to carry out this baking activity comes from carrot cake’s biggest fan, my friend Stephanie. I promised to make her carrot cake for her recent big 3-0 birthday, so here was my chance! I just want to point out that I have never met a person as crazy about carrot cake as Steph is, truly. I am pretty certain that a slice of carrot cake could cure any of her woes.

So my friends, here you have it: my first attempt at carrot cake. The result was just as the magazine recipe promised – moist and not too sweet. The process is rather lengthy and requires some patience, but it’s really nice to have homemade cake. I might also add that if you’re a frosting/icing/buttercream fan, then this one is to die for. Considering the quantity of fattening goodies it contains (2 sticks of butter and 2 blocks of cream cheese…oh yes), it truly makes the carrot cake decadent and comforting with that extra complimentary touch of sweetness. Just as long as you’re aware

Classic Carrot Cake with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Recipe adapted from the January 2009 edition of Food & Wine by Jodi Elliot
Preparation Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup pecans (4 ounces)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded

For the frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the paper and flour the pans.
2. Make the cake: Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and finely chop the pecans.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the carrots and pecans. Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until springy and golden. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then un-mold the cakes from the pans and let cool completely.
4. Make the frosting (while cakes are cooling): In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners’ sugar; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Peel off the parchment paper and invert one cake layer onto a plate. Spread with a slightly rounded cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, right side up. Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.

Tools

• Two 9-inch cake pans
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Grater
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 3 mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Electric mixer/stand mixer
• Spatula

Selina’s Notes

• The original recipe did not call for nutmeg or allspice, but I really think a small touch adds some depth to the cake. Even though it’s against the general baking rule of thumb, just eyeball it! Definitely keep it under a teaspoon, though.
• Three+ hours may seem like a long time, but the there are large pockets of time that allow you to do other things, such as the hour it bakes in the oven, the 30-45 minutes it takes to completely cool, and the hour it chills in the fridge.
• Healthier variation of this? I may have to consult Amy, but I would try using whole wheat flour, using less sugar (or another type of sweetener), and being modest on the frosting consumption.
• The quantity of frosting this recipe yields is slightly overwhelming, and I really did not use every bit of it. Maybe reserve some for cupcakes.

On that last note, I will conclude with my initial stage of frosting the first layer of cake in which I discovered the abundance of frosting that I had whipped up:

Mmmm…

You may be wondering, what exactly is Chinese broccoli? It is kind of a cross between the common broccoli and kale — it has dark leafy greens and thick stems that are tender and crisp when cooked. If the broccoli is not as fresh or has aged, the stems become somewhat bitter, my least favorite part as a kid (actually even now). My mother tells me that Chinese broccoli is best and ‘sweetest’ in the winter because that is when it gets the most rainfall.

For nostalgic purposes, I have a clear childhood memory of eating at a local Chinese restaurant, Seafood House (that was the name at the time…it no longer exists), at 25th and El Camino Real in San Mateo, CA. My family would go to this place at least once a month because the food was decent and we were familiar with the wait staff there. It was kind of safe haven on any given weekend day that we didn’t feel like cooking. One time, a table near us wanted to order beef broccoli, but only with the regular type of broccoli, not gai-lan. To their astonishment, the restaurant didn’t have regular broccoli, so they ended up leaving. As a kid, I was utterly confused by the entire scene, but I moved on (yet I still remember it to this day).

Back to the matter at hand — preparing Chinese beef broccoli is very similar to its American counterpart. The beef stir-fry process is essentially the same, and the only small differences are in the broccoli preparation. To get the broccoli ready for cooking, it is important to trim the ends to rid any chewiness in the stems. I typically use a paring knife to individually trim each stem, because sometimes not all stems are created equal If you’re in a hurry, though, feel free to trim by the bunch. Also, it’s important to wash gai-lan thoroughly in a water bath as there could be dirt or little critters hidden in the leaves (let’s hope not). Sometimes my mother would add a little salt to the water bath to aid the process.

Perfect Chinese Beef Broccoli  Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 pound Chinese broccoli (about 1 bunch), washed thoroughly, ends trimmed, roughly cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• 1/2 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain (about 1 inch long should be bite-sized)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• Salt and pepper
• Dash of baking soda
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, plus more as necessary
• 1 tablespoon rice wine (Chia Fan brand)

Tools

• Medium mixing bowl
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Paring knife
• Medium stock pot
• Colander
• Skillet or wok
• Tongs or wooden spoon

Preparation

1. Pre-work: Before handling the meat, bring a medium stock pot of water to a boil. Divide the flank steak into 1-inch sections along the lengthy fibers (see below). Thinly slice each section against the grain, about ¼ inches each slice, and place into mixing bowl. Toss beef together with soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon oil, and corn starch. Let it marinate until broccoli prep is done.
2. Prepare the Chinese broccoli as described above.
3. Blanch ‘n fry: Add a dash of baking soda to the water bath (for tenderness). Place Chinese broccoli in boiling water and blanch until water comes to a light boil again. Promptly drain in colander (no need to rinse with cold water here). It’s a very quick dip in the hot tub here. Heat skillet on high heat with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. When oil comes to a smoking point (it should be fragrant at this point), toss in broccoli and stir constantly for about 20-30 seconds. Add a scant dash of oyster sauce and toss. Transfer to a serving plate and reserve.
4. Beef time: In the same heated skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger and vigorously stir for 5 seconds to avoid burning. Immediately add in marinated beef, followed by oyster sauce as soon as beef changes color (semi pink, semi brown at this point). Stir fry until beef is almost all browned. Lightly season with course black pepper. Finish the beef with rice wine; sauce should thicken at this point. Remove from heat and pour over cooked broccoli. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Selina’s Notes

• You will notice that this is virtually the same recipe as Perfect Beef Broccoli, only with a few modifications to accommodate Chinese broccoli.
• Be careful not to overcook the beef because carry over cooking is quite common after food is removed from the heat source. However, I generally have a preference for medium-rare to medium cooked beef…

Caipirinha, pronounced KAI-PEE-REEN-YAH, is Brazil’s national drink and is as common as beer is in the U.S. I instantly fell in love with this drink because it reminded me of a mojito, one of my favorite mixed drinks. Similar to a mojito, a caipirinha’s star ingredients are lime and sugar. Mojitos have rum while caipirinhas have cachaça (pronounced KAH-SHA-SAH), a sugar cane liquor similar to rum, but not quite the same. However, since Brazil does not export a great deal of cachaça, it can be a challenge to find. Lucky for me, my local Sam’s Wine & Spirits carries several varieties, although the brands that I tried in Brazil were Cachaça 51 and Nêga Fulô.

Caipirinhas are a great way to enjoy a glimpse of spring and summer no matter what time of year it is. It’s sort of a nice tropical escape inside the comfort of your home and at your own leisure. A sip of caipirinha surely reminds me of everyday Brazilian culture as a carioca.

Caipirinha Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients

• Half a lime, core stem removed and sliced in wedges (about 5 wedges for every half lime)
• 1-2 tablespoons superfine sugar, depending on your taste
• Ice, enough to fill a cocktail glass
• 2-3 ounces cachaça, depending on the size of your glass

Tools

• Short cocktail glass
• Paring knife
• Muddler
• Cocktail shaker

Preparation

1. Place lime wedges and sugar in cocktail glass. Using a muddler, mash until the sugar is dissolved into the lime juice.
2. Fill the glass with ice up to the brim; the colder the drink, the better!
3. Transfer contents of the glass into a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour contents back into the glass (ice too!). The drink should be well chilled and frothy.

Selina’s Notes

• Superfine sugar really makes a difference because granulated sugar will not dissolve into lime juice well. A good substitute would be simple syrup.
• The amounts vary and take practice to master according to your taste preferences. I personally like mine a tad sweeter to balance the strong bite of the cachaça…
• Much like the mojito, this recipe is a base/vanilla version and can easily be modified to be flavored with fresh pomegranate, peach, mango, or other types of fruits. Of course, the original will always be the caipirinha’s true form, but sometimes it’s fun to add a twist.
• As a warning, while caipirinhas are a fabulous drink to enjoy, having too many caipirinhas is not recommended either

The class focused on the basic how-to of making pasta from scratch, from the dough formation all the way to making different kinds of strands and shapes. This post will be primarily picture-heavy to document my class experience. I’ll also add commentary and notes that I took for each of the steps. I’d like to thank Lauren, the fabulous sous chef at Terragusto, for teaching this class!

1. Pre-Class: I arrived early by mistake, but it gave me time to check out the equipment. You’ll notice many goodies in this picture, such as the french rolling pin, adjustable pasta cutter attachment, pasta machine, Kitchen Aid stand mixer, salt, and dough scraper. I will mention one thing about the pasta machine – the one here at the restaurant is a commercial machine that runs about $1500 from Italy, which is a hefty investment for a home cook. There are definitely less expensive machines for under $100 in the market. I also learned that the Kitchen Aid stand mixer attachments are not the best option because, well, they were not designed by an Italian pasta maker I will explain more in Step 6.

2. Pasta Ingredients: This is the most straightforward part because there are only three items to remember – 3 cups all-purpose flour, 4 eggs, and a pinch of salt. As far as what types of flour, eggs, and salt to use, the restaurant uses organic all-purpose flour (the actual ratio is 75% all-purpose and 25% semolina for a preferred texture), local farm fresh eggs, and sea salt.

3. Making the Dough: The pasta ingredients are combined using the stand mixer on a low setting. It is entirely possible to make the pasta dough by hand, but it is realistically much less time consuming to take advantage of the machine. The goal in the machine is to get the dough worked through until the dough has a semi smooth texture. The picture here is still in the beginning stages…

4. Kneading: Once the dough is in good shape, it is kneaded on a floured surface for about 2-3 minutes to let the gluten develop, which essentially creates the soft bite that we all love about pasta. After kneading, the dough should rest in a covered container for 15 minutes (use plastic wrap to cover).

5. Rolling/Flattening: Using a tapered rolling pin, the dough is rolled out starting from the center outward, in all directions, until it is flattened to the point where it can go into the pasta machine for further flattening. When it is ready, it should be a similar width to the machine.

6. Flattening via Pasta Machine: The dough gets fed into the machine at the widest setting during its first run-through. An important step not shown clearly in the pictures is that in between each pass through the machine, the dough is folded into three (as if folding up a letter), and then flattened out with the rolling pin until it is at a desired width for the machine again. Flour can be used between iterations to avoid sticking.

As mentioned in Step 1, Kitchen Aid is one of the most widely used appliances in many professional or home kitchens, but pasta making is not their forte. When making pasta, the dough should never hang or stretch. You’ll notice that the restaurant machine has a wooden tray on the top for the pasta layer to rest on when it gets fed into the roller. The Kitchen Aid attachment, however, is positioned at a height that would allow the pasta dough to hang because it doesn’t have a resting tray. I suppose you can improvise with something, but it’s just a small design detail that makes a difference.

7. Perfectly Flat: After multiple iterations, the pasta is finally at its desired thickness (the number of machine iterations varies, depending on the machine). The dough is now ready for cutting!

8. Tagliatelle: Pronounced tah-glyuh-ah-TEHL-eh, this pasta originates from northern Italy. It is similar to fettuccine, but the width differs by a mere 1 or 2 millimeters, tagliatelle being the narrower of the two. Tagliatelle is typically 6mm wide and 12 inches long. The rolled out pasta dough is finally run through the machine’s cutter attachment. The strands can be hung to dry at this point, or used for immediate cooking. The restaurant prefers to dry it for several hours to let it slightly harden so that it can absorb sauces better.

9. Pasta Playground: Lauren showed us various other simple pasta shapes, shown below. The more common ones you may be able to spot are pappardelle, farfalle, and ravioli. Pasta scraps and edges are sometimes made into maltagliati, which literally means badly cut pasta. Why let dough go to waste, right?

I’ve always wanted to make ravioli, so I gave it a go. Since I used scrap pieces of dough, my mock dough-filled ravioli turned out to appear more on the rustic side…

10. Cooking the Pasta: Finally, the home stretch is nearly reached. After the dough is flattened, rolled, cut, and possibly dried, the last step is to drop it into salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently to avoid sticking. The pasta is then strained (but not rinsed!) and added immediately to prepared sauce (recipe to follow).

The featured recipe prepared in class was tagliatelle with a classic mushroom ragu. It was amazing – earthy, rich with flavor but not weight, and very satisfying. This will indeed become one of my household staples!

Tagliatelle con Funghi di Bosco Recipe (ribbon pasta with mixed wild mushroom ragu)

Courtesy of Executive Chef Theodore Gilbert, Terragusto
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 24 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced (mix and match white button, cremini, oyster, shitake, morel)
• 4 ounces butter, divided (or a combination of butter and extra virgin olive oil)
• 2 ounces brandy or wine
• 2 cups veal, chicken, or mushroom stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (mix and match parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme)
• 4 ounces diced tomatoes or 2 ounces tomato paste
• 1 pound fresh tagliatelle pasta, cooked as above
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 6-8 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Tools

• Large saute pan or skillet
• Wooden spoon
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Tongs for tossing pasta

Preparation

1. Saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat until brown and caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Set mushrooms aside.
2. Deglaze the pan with brandy or wine, scraping the brown bits off the pan with your wooden spoon; add stock.
3. Reduce the stock by 2/3 and add herbs and reserved mushrooms.
4. Add cooked pasta and tomato. Carefully toss to combine all ingredients to coat each ribbon, adding half the Parmigiano at this time.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper; drizzle with truffle oil, and garnish with extra Parmigiano.

The final product Lauren made for our class (arguably one of the best pastas I’ve had in a long time):

I hope you enjoyed my pasta class debrief!

Throughout my entire life, my mom made all of her soups from scratch (as scratch as it could be without picking the ingredients from a farm or garden herself). The broth, everything. Now that I live in Chicago, I get large doses of mom’s Chinese soups when I visit home. You may ask, what exactly is Chinese soup (tong)? It’s essentially any southern Chinese family’s pride and joy in the kitchen because of its quality and nutrition. I will post the Chinese soups I know how to make in future posts, but they range anywhere from lotus root with peanuts and shitake mushrooms, winter melon, white fungus, ‘four-flavor’ soup, new year’s soup, and much more. There were so many kinds of soups in the household that they just kept rotating, and I never really had soups from other cuisines unless it was at a restaurant or a friend’s house. Therefore, I always craved something as simple as chicken noodle soup, the traditional staple of many American households. That, along with minestrone, beef barley, clam chowder, cream of [fill in the blank], etc.

Now that I do live away from home, I get to explore the types of soups that had been absent in my life! It’s a great balance, really, knowing that I will have homemade Chinese soup when I visit, and soup from the other continents when I am away.

Moving back to Vegetable Orzo Soup – why did I pick orzo instead of thick egg noodles? Simply because I had it on hand. Potatoes? Cannelini beans? The ingredient choices were chosen because I had these things in the house when I made soup. You can pick a variety of vegetables and starch for this soup to work. Watching carbohydrates? Feel free to skip on the noodles and/or spuds. I just love them because they make the soup thicker and more filling (and you get the fiber benefits, too). No matter how you dice it, the soup is very soothing for a cold winter day.

Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery with leafy tops, diced
• 1 large potato (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 quart turkey stock (or store-bought chicken or vegetable stock if you must!)
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Tools

• Medium stock pot
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and potatoes; lightly season with salt and pepper. Saute until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
2. Pour in turkey stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Add uncooked orzo and cannellini beans; simmer until vegetables are tender and orzo is cooked and plump, about 15-20 minutes. Stir every few minutes so that orzo does not stick to the pot.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Selina’s Notes

• Other vegetables that work are zucchini, onions, corn, peas, green beans, butternut squash, mushrooms, tomatoes (fresh or canned), hominy, red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pearl barley
• Instead of orzo or potatoes, other starches that work are wild rice, egg noodles, macaroni elbows, other small pastas
• During Step 1, herbs can be added when seasoning with salt and pepper, such as fresh or dry thyme, sage, Herbes de Provence, poultry seasoning, etc.
• Shredded or diced turkey/chicken meat can be added in Step 2 along with the orzo and beans (I just did not bring any home from Thanksgiving)

I won’t display the gory details of the turkey carcass, but it was essentially used to create my homemade stock. If you have never made homemade stock before, you’re missing out. Whether it is chicken, turkey, vegetable, or what have you, it is something I really enjoy making because the results are incomparable to what’s available at a grocery store. Even if it seems tedious to make, perhaps I can still change your position on the matter.

My obsession with homemade stock comes from my mother’s obsession (no surprise!). It is rooted from a combination of never letting things go to waste and producing the healthiest stock/broth without artificial flavors (e.g., MSG) or other unwanted ingredients. Another economical perk is that you get practically two or more meals for the price of one, assuming you have a whole chicken or turkey. The true cost? Time. It does take some nurturing on the stove top, simmering away for several hours, but once you get it set up, you can leave it alone to do its thing. It’s the ideal lazy Sunday afternoon activity when you are waiting for laundry, doing the dishes, or packing for my Monday morning travel adventure.

The stock enhancement add-ins:

Homemade Turkey Stock Recipe

Preparation Time: 4 hours and 15 minutes
Yield: Varies, approximately 2 quarts

Ingredients

• Turkey carcass/bones, plus giblets
• 2 carrots, halved
• 2 onions, halved
• 2 celery stalks, with leafy green tops (the best part!), coarsely chopped
• Handful of parsley, stems included
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• Optional: mushroom stems, Parmesan cheese rinds, other vegetable clippings (I usually collect and save these in a freezer zip-lock bag for the purpose of making stock)
• Water, enough to just cover turkey bones in the stock pot
• Salt and pepper

Tools

• Large stock pot
• Medium stock pot
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Ladle
• Mesh strainer or colander

Preparation

1. Place the first six ingredients in a large stockpot and fill with water until it barely covers the turkey bones. Don’t worry if some are not submerged yet; over time, they will loosen up and fall apart.
2. Bring pot to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer partially covered for four hours, stirring and breaking up ingredients once every hour. Skim fat and oil with a ladle. Remove from heat.
3. Using a strainer, pour stock into an empty medium stock pot. Skim off additional fat if necessary. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Remember, be moderate with the salt because you can’t take it out once it’s too salty. It’s now ready to use or store in the freezer!

This same method works for other types of stock, too. If I don’t need all the stock at once, I measure one-cup portions into zip lock bags or small tupperware containers, and in the freezer they go.

The result: Rich, flavorful, soothing, and aromatic stock that fills the house with warm goodness. The vegetables truly add a deep flavor dimension to the stock, especially when there are mushroom stems and cheese rinds in there. Plus, stock is so versatile because it is used in countless recipes. It’s tough to beat when it’s homemade.

On a side note, I often chuckle at the infinite number of acronyms (and jargon) that exist in today’s world, especially in my full time profession – management consulting is by far one of the usual suspects in this craze. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, since every field has its own langcuage and terminology as it becomes more specialized. Sometimes I find myself saying S&P in the kitchen, and I’m certainly not referring to a familiar stock market index.

It dawned on me that the ingredients for my sandwich were refreshing and fascinating because it was only in the last four years or so that I tried them for the first time in my life. No joke there! Prosciutto, figs, arugula, shaved Parmesan, and ciabatta bread may have all been foreign words to me as a kid, that is, if you don’t count knowing figs as fig newtons (it’s not a cookie mother, it’s a fig newton). I am fascinated by how my personal exposure to food varieties has exponentially increased over the last several years. Have any of you ever had those light bulb moments, where suddenly you discover that XYZ good (e.g., cheese) has a world of its own with hundreds of other varieties, communities of connoisseurs, and even publications? These are some of the exciting moments that motivate me to explore as much as I can throughout my culinary journey, and hopefully your exciting moments as well.

I hope you will grow fond of this ingredient combination. It was inspired by a local café in my Chicago neighborhood, with my own personal modifications. The fig jam acts as the sweetening honey-like spread that replaces goopy mayo or mustard in a typical American sandwich. Prosciutto is a little bite of heaven if you’re into cured Italian meat, a savory treat that pairs well with sweetness. Arugula has some attitude and style, which brings a balance to the sandwich with its peppery and unique bite. Finally, the Parmesan shavings truly stand out because of its nutty and buttery notes, bringing everything together – it really complements the sweetness of the figs, the brininess of the prosciutto, and the peppery crunch of the arugula. All of these goodies pressed together with crunchy ciabatta – toasted on the outside, tender and airy in the middle – are divine.

FPA&P on Toasted Ciabatta Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Yields 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 slices ciabatta bread
• 2 tablespoons fig jam
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 4 thin slices shaved Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups baby arugula leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper

Tools

• Oven broiler (or panini press if you prefer)
• Baking sheet lined with foil (easier cleanup!)
• Large bowl
• Vegetable peeler or grater for Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven broiler. Gather ingredients and line them up to form a sandwich assembly line. Place sliced ciabatta bread on lined baking sheet. Drizzle each slice ever so slightly with olive oil (or use a basting brush), followed by a smidgen of salt and pepper; place in oven for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly toasted, when oven is ready.
2. Place arugula in a large bowl and lightly toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Once bread is toasted, each sandwich will have a tablespoon of fig jam spread on one side of ciabatta, topped with 2 slices of prosciutto, 2 slices of shaved Parmesan, and 1 cup of dressed arugula.

Bon appétit! Crunch away, and let me know how you like it!

Red lentils, teamed up with bulgur (sometimes known as cracked wheat), are the main stars of this dish in a 2 to 1 ratio. Both ingredients have excellent nutritional value with their high protein and fiber content. These legume and grain counterparts are common in countries within the Mediterranean region.

Red lentil balls can be served as an appetizer known as “meze”, a meal starter or accompaniment. From what I have read, it is a common dish in Turkish cuisine, particularly in the southeast part of the country. Köftesi means meatballs, and red lentils and bulgur are the meat replacements that provide similar nutritional value. It can be served warm or cold, and the flavors from the onions, cumin, and paprika really make it burst with flavor. The deep orange color comes from the red lentil foundation, with even more color added from the tomato paste and paprika. The lentils and bulgur give it a natural earthy bite, and since they’re both full of protein, the lentil balls are satisfying to one’s stomach.

My exposure to Turkish cuisine has been minimal, but it is certainly fascinating to learn about. The history of the cuisine is rich, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Someday I look forward to visiting Istanbul and other cities to explore the culture and take classes at Cooking Alaturka!

Turkish Red Lentil Balls (Mercimek Köftesi) Recipe

Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Yields approximately 30-35 lentil balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils, uncooked
• 2 and 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fine bulgur, uncooked
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt or more, depending on taste
• 1 tablespoon paprika, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (or up to 2 tablespoons if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3 scallions, finely sliced

Tools

• Large bowl
• Medium saucepan
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Wooden spoon, or other stirring tool

Preparation

1. Wash the lentils in a large bowl until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add lentils, and simmer until soft (but not overly mushy), about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Mix in bulgur; turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it rest until the residual liquid is absorbed by the bulgur, about 15 minutes or longer.
2. While the lentils cook, bring a skillet to medium heat and with olive oil and saute diced onions until tender and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add in tomato paste; stir and turn off heat.
3. Use the resting time of the lentils mixture and onions cooking to chop scallions and parsley.
4. Once the lentils and bulgur are cooked, it should be moderately moist and not completely dry, like cookie dough. Add salt, onions, paprika, cumin, and most of the parsley and scallions into the mixture and stir to combine.
5. At this point, the lentil and bulgur mixture should resemble thick cookie dough when stirred. If it still seems too damp, add more bulgur and let the mixture rest longer. The bulgur should no longer be hard, but soft and melded in to the mix.
6. With a bowl of water at your side, wet your hands and mold the lentil and bulgur mixture into mini golf-ball sized balls (or any shape you prefer) and place on a platter. A tablespoon is a good amount for each ball. Garnish with remaining scallions and parsley and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil.

Selina’s Notes

• Red lentils and bulgur can be purchased in bulk food bins, which are probably the least expensive. Sometimes they are also available in the international food aisle.

Similar to Latin American tamales, I grew up eating the Chinese variation of this family classic, also known as zhong (in Cantonese), or zhongzi (in Mandarin). The term zhong literally means rice dumpling. Tamales and zhong share similar characteristics in that both are wrapped in various types of leaves and take many hours, if not more, to make. I can also safely say that both are typically eaten for special occasions. Notice that I said typically – I have the luxury of enjoying them all year-round because of my awesome relatives who make them for me.

The history behind zhong came about to honor Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet who ended his life in a river due to political events. According to popular legend, villagers paid respect to Qu by throwing packets of rice into the river so that fish and other creatures would not consume his body. Zhong now remains as a traditional Chinese food that is enjoyed among families during the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (sometimes around June of of the Gregorian calendar). For me, I suppose I honor Qu at all times of the year

So what exactly is inside a tetrahedral-shaped, bamboo leaf wrapped zhong? There are many varieties, but I have grown up eating zhong with a combination (sometimes all at once if I’m lucky) of the following:

• Glutinous white rice
• Roasted and/or marinated pork
• Shitake mushroom
• Preserved salted egg yolk
• Peanuts
• Mung beans
• Green split peas
• Chinese sausage
• Chestnuts
• Dried shrimp

Yes, this is quite a weird hodgepodge of ingredients that a normal person would probably not put together voluntarily. When used independently, I would say these are pretty typical ingredients in southern Chinese cuisine. Where and when my relatives grew up, not many people could afford these ingredients (or they just weren’t available), so these were considered gourmet in a villager’s perspective. However, the gourmet part of it is still true; many store-bought versions have a fraction of the above ingredients, and some might only have a piece of meat inside. I consider them a wealth of goodies because they all contribute to a rich and flavorful food that truly satisfies your hunger. The bamboo leaves give the zhong an incredibly scrumptious earthy flavor that captures the essence of the leaves. The glutinous rice also brings it all together in a sticky, gooey fashion.

The zhong making process is pretty onerous, and I applaud my relatives for putting so much effort into making them for me. You may also be asking, what could be so complicated about wrapping rice and other goods in some leaves? The main ingredients that hold it together actually require the most work, which are the bamboo leaves and rice. Both ingredients require overnight soaking, and on top of that, the bamboo leaves also need to be washed and scrubbed, one by one. When purchased, the leaves come dry and brittle, so they need some attentive care. The filling ingredients are not as complicated, but the process of gathering and preparing them for zhong-making takes time. The pork typically needs to be marinated, the salted egg yolks (usually duck eggs) need to be separated from the whites, the shitake mushrooms need soaking to revive them from the dried form, and so forth. The rice is flavored with salt and sometimes a pinch of five spice powder.

Once all the ingredients are ready to go, they need to come together somehow. To me, the hardest part is packaging a zhong together to look like a tetrahedral cylinder shape as perfectly shown in the above pictures. I have tried it before alongside with my great aunt, and mine looked awful compared to her perfect ones in which she completes at 10 times the speed of me. And finally, after the wrapping part is finished, the zhong need to be cooked by being simmered in a large stockpot for several hours.

The cooked zhong can then be eaten immediately or cooled for freezer storage. As a busy traveling person, the freezer option works best for me. My freezer is stocked full of zhong, ready to eat whenever I feel like it. I simply microwave one in a bowl, submerged in water, for 5-6 minutes. It’s fabulous. Mine get shipped in my 21″ carry-on luggage bag when I travel from CA to IL – I always wonder if the TSA personnel ever think they are grenades or something from the X-ray machine.

It’s always fun to untie the kitchen twine that holds the zhong together and slowly unravel the leaves, getting one step closer to the yummy goodies inside. I think this process is somehow quicker when one is hungry, too:

I have to be careful because it’s extremely hot, and the steam can be painful. Once unwrapped, the specimen looks like such:

Now it is time to dissect and demystify a zhong, gently splitting it right down the middle (no scalpel needed here; chopsticks work fine):

See, that’s all there is to it! It’s not that foreign anymore, right?

And just as savory French crepes have a sweet counterpart, there is a sweet version of zhong, too (called gan sui zhong in Cantonese, or jianshui zhongzi in Mandarin). I may feature that varietal in a future post. Until next time, readers!

Taking a skip down memory lane, here is an excerpt from Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, a familiar childhood classic:

…I do not like
green eggs
and ham!

I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.

You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

Sam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.

Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat.
And I would eat them with a goat…

And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good, so good, you see!

So I will eat them in a box.
And I will eat them with a fox.
And I will eat them in a house.
And I will eat them with a mouse.
And I will eat them here and there.
Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!

I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am!

As Sam had a change in heart over eating green eggs and ham, perhaps there is a chance that you might even like my version of this seemingly grotesque concoction. And thanks to the polling results, scrambled eggs and eggs over easy were popular choices, which inspired me to create two variations of green eggs and ham. I will say this, though – I don’t turn the eggs and ham green like some other recipes I have seen. I try to avoid food coloring when possible, and to make the dish remotely appetizing, these are my interpretations of what a fun children’s book breakfast should be.

Rules will be rules, and I had to use some form of green in the dish. And what better green sauce to use than pesto (okay, you might get me with guacamole)? I used a spinach pesto to top the eggs and ham in my recipes, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ version, but I just made it with less Parmesan. Spinach typically goes well with eggs, but if you generally don’t like pesto sauce, a sauteed spinach topping would do the trick as well; it would just lack the gooey green sauce effect I was going after.

Green Eggs and Ham Recipe #1

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 8 ounce ham steak, diced into small bite size cubes
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
• 4 slices wheat or white bread, for toasting
• 2 tablespoons spinach and pine nut pesto (note: I’d recommend using 1/4 cup Parmesan instead of 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Prepare pesto and set aside.
2. Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon oil on medium-high. Add diced ham cubes and heat through until lightly browned and crisp.
3. In the same skillet with ham, reduce heat to medium and add in remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Pour in beaten eggs and gently stir until desired level of firmness.
4. Serve immediately with toast and top with a tablespoon of pesto sauce.

Tools

• Food processor for pesto sauce
• Toaster
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Small mixing bowl
• Large skillet
• Wooden spoon or spatula

Green Eggs and Ham Recipe #2

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2-4 slices Canadian bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
• 2 slices wheat or white bread, for toasting
• 2 tablespoons spinach and pine nut pesto (note: I’d recommend using 1/4 cup Parmesan instead of 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Prepare pesto and set aside.
2. Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon oil on medium-high. Add Canadian bacon slices and heat through until lightly browned. Be careful with this type of meat, though – it will get too dry if you overheat it because it’s leaner. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil divided in half on opposites sides of the skillet. Crack each egg over the oil spots in the skillet and let it cook until whites are set and opaque. Flip each egg over with a spatula (or just the pan itself if you’re savvy) for about 10-15 seconds.
4. Serve immediately with toast and top with a tablespoon of pesto sauce.

Tools

• Food processor for pesto sauce
• Toaster
• Large skillet
• Spatula

Selina’s Notes

• If you decide to use sauteed spinach instead of pesto sauce, I recommend sprinkling a handful of Swiss or Gruyere cheese when the scrambled eggs are almost done, or on top of eggs over easy
• If time is an enemy, store-bought basil pesto sauce may work fine
• These recipes were not meant to be entirely too precise; just have fun with it!

Perhaps, as Sam did, you will eat them in the rain, on the train, on a boat, or with a goat? Maybe not, but I hope you enjoyed the little flash back and will make green eggs and ham for the sake of being silly and creative. If you have another varation, please do share.

I started to write about food outside of work for genuine gratification and recreation. It has been about two months since my first introductory post, and I am very pleased to have a handful of readers! Comments and feedback have been very exciting to read, and I truly appreciate every single one of them because it turns into motivation to continue coming up with unique topics and recipes related to food.

This leads to my sincere thanks to Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen who passed on my very first blog award for Let’s Chow!:

Exciting stuff. Grazie mille, Aggie! To reciprocate the generosity, I too will pass on this award to some cool food bloggers I have been following, using these six simple rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on the blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when their entry is up.

As per number 3, here are some Selina factoids:

• I am a huge gymnastics fanatic, and I have been following the sport since I was a child. I had the chance to compete in high school gymnastics and also teach children for a couple years. When it comes to Nationals, Worlds, Olympic Trials, and the Olympic Games, I am glued to the TV. I used to tape record competitions beginning with 1992 through 2004 (yes, VHS) and watch them repeatedly. Now a days, DVDs can be purchased and clips can be watched on YouTube and NBColympics.com!
• One of my phobias is to be followed or when people walk behind me (dragging shoes, floppy flip flops, and the like).
• I have a love-hate relationship with onions. I love them in most soups, stews, salsa, and sauces, but I truly hate eating them raw in sandwiches, or in anything with large chunks of onion.
• I am obsessive compulsive about recycling and reducing waste and energy usage.
• I prefer snowboarding to skiing, hands down.
• I can eat oatmeal every day of the week and not get tired of it.

Now it’s my turn to tag!

• Amy at Delicious By Nature
• Bridgett at La Bella Cook
• Authors at Tasty Meals At Home
• Norman at Green Avocado
• Alex at Just Cook It!
• Jescel at Spice of Life

Cheers,
Selina

Eggs are a wonderful food (sorry vegan friends!) because they are so versatile. They easily qualify to be BLD – breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You will begin to notice that I rave about versatile foods because of the infinite number of ways to use them. Plus, most of the versatile foods I mention are generally good for you and tasty.

If a method you prefer is not listed in the poll, feel free to share your favorite egg dish in the comments section!

Note: For RSS/Facebook viewers, you will have to visit the actual site to vote on the poll.

I label myself as one who does not bake…often. Can I see myself as a pastry chef? It might be a hard feat. Perhaps not using an oven for over 16 years to make baked goods still haunts me to the point where the oven is a foreign machine that remains untouched unless absolutely necessary. Okay, the situation is not that extreme, but baking is something that takes an extra special ‘umph.’ It’s like knowing you’re not naturally gifted with X sport and yet you still try extra hard to still play for the pure joy and entertainment of it.

Regardless of my nearly nonexistent baking skills, I learned how to make a basic apple cake from a friend’s mother. Over the years I have modified the recipe to make it my own, with some extra sass to it. The sass comes from the spice and nut part of the cake – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and walnuts. These ingredients combined are extraordinary pals, especially with apples. The apples and cinnamon create a classic flavor foundation for the cake while the ginger and nutmeg create a special depth in the background.

And to top it off, the walnuts are a great way to add some nutrition and crunch.

This recipe is remarkably fool-proof, really. Your family and friends will give you smiles after having this cake! I have served it at Thanksgiving dinner and many other occasions. My coworkers seem to love the cake, too.

Apple Spice Walnut Cake Recipe

Preparation Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes (1 hour bake time, 15 minute prep time)
Serves 9

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can Comstock or Wilderness apple pie filling (21 ounces, available at most supermarkets)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• Cooking spray
• Confectioners’ sugar, optional
• Vanilla ice cream, optional

Tools

• Large mixing bowl
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Spatula
• Measuring spoons and cups
• 8 x 8 square baking pan

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients with a spatula until moderately combined. The eggs should be well incorporated and the dark cinnamon should be blended in at this point.
   
   Fold in chopped walnuts.
   
   
3. Lightly coat baking pan with a quick dash of cooking spray. Pour cake batter into baking pan and place in the oven to bake for one hour.
   
4. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if your mood calls for it; it’s always a nice touch!
   

Selina’s Notes

• For those watching sugar intake, a ‘No Sugar Added’ version of apples is sometimes available. Alternatively, you can reduce the granulated sugar amount to 1/2 cup. Splenda is also an option.
• All purpose flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour
• Don’t have ginger or nutmeg? Cinnamon alone would make it a lovely cake as well, just less sass.

And now the process of blissful, sweet satisfaction:

After a bite, one must keep going.

And going…

Task accomplished!

While I am pretty adaptable in terms of what I eat in the morning, I generally stick to my staples – cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, eggs, pancakes, toast, and the list is pretty long. In the toast category, I especially love English muffins. These muffins are so versatile and can be enjoyed toasted with plain butter. Craving a little sweet? Spread some jam on top of the butter. In the mood for savory? Make it an egg and cheese sandwich, or even top it off with a breakfast meat if that suits your taste. Make the muffin quasi Italian by broiling it with tomato sauce and cheese. The possibilities are endless.

The Works: I made this up, but it is my definition of good flavors combined (shown above). Even if all these ingredients aren’t available, there are easy substitutes to use. The first component of The Works is almond butter. Now, if you haven’t tried almond butter yet, you are in for a treat. Peanut butter fans will naturally have a liking for their family relative, almond butter. It is a little less sweet, yet has the same great nutty flavor that is comforting and rich. Plus, almonds are one of the healthiest nuts around. The second component is the banana. Any nut butter and bananas are so complimentary, almost as good as the famous PB&J duo. And lastly, to top it off with some extra sweetness, honey is the natural super star.

Having an English muffin with The Works is an easy to way spruce up this ever so popular breakfast favorite, and it will definitely keep you energized throughout your morning.

English Muffin With “The Works” Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 whole wheat or honey oat English muffin, split in two (some say using a fork gives the best nooks and crannies)
• 2 tablespoons crunchy unsalted almond butter
• 1/2 banana, sliced (just eat the other half later!)
• 1-2 teaspoons clover honey for drizzling

Tools

• Toaster
• Butter knife

Preparation

1. Place muffin halves in toaster and toast on a medium setting.
2. While muffin toasts, slice banana into thin quarter inch pieces with the butter knife.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of almond butter on each muffin half, followed by banana slices and finally the drizzled honey. Serve immediately with a cold glass of milk.

Selina’s Notes

• Almond butter can be substituted with natural peanut butter (none of that Jif stuff with hydrogenated oils – choosy Selina does not choose Jif!). Almond butter is typically more expensive than regular peanut butter, but it’s well worth the splurge!
• Bananas can be substituted with apples or raisins. If no fruit is available, The Works sans fruit is still delicious.

Everyone seems to have their morning beverage preference. What’s yours?

For me, I like them all but lately I have been resorting to coffee. It is certainly not an addiction, but simply for pure enjoyment. On top of the beverage, it is essential that I eat breakfast because it really is the most important (and sometimes best) meal of the day. Breakfast definitely takes precedence over caffeine; a morning without breakfast would be very unpleasant

Note: For RSS/Facebook viewers, you will have to visit the actual site to vote on the poll.

For me, beef broccoli is one of my staple comfort foods that I have shared with family, friends, and coworkers over the last several years. It has been a big hit at potlucks, dinner parties, date night, bring-to-work lunch, and dinner-for-one. It seems to be well liked by most (except for vegetarians – sorry my friends!), even those who aren’t so fond of (or familiar with) Chinese food.

The recipe here is my very own, and I cannot find anything else closely similar to it on the Internet. I have typically seen recipes that combine both beef and broccoli in the wok to incorporate the sauce. Some recipes even call for an entire cup of oil using ingredient quantities just slightly above mine – no wonder Chinese food is often plagued by the image of being greasy. My version separates the beef and broccoli until the very last minute, and it is also lighter on the oil. The end result: crisp, vibrant, green broccoli topped with perfectly tender, flavorful slices of beef steak, all without being drowned in gloppy sauce. There is definitely sauce, of course, but just not in an excessive amount. If you’re a fan of *gulp* Panda Express or PF Chang’s, you will boycott their versions.

It was a challenge writing this recipe because it is definitely one that I eyeball and go off my memory, as if I can do this in my sleep. You know, a little dabble of this, and a couple splashes of that kind of thing. Fear not, though – the process is very simple once you get used to it.

Beef Broccoli Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain (about 1 inch long should be bite-sized)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• Salt and pepper
• 2 heads of broccoli (florets and trimmed stems), about 4 cups
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine (Chia Fan brand)

Tools

• Medium mixing bowl
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Paring knife
• Medium stock pot
• Colander
• Skillet or wok
• Tongs or wooden spoon

Preparation

1. Pre-work: Before handling the meat, bring a medium stock pot of water to a boil. Divide the flank steak into 1-inch sections along the lengthy fibers (see below). Thinly slice each section against the grain, about ¼ inches each slice, and place into mixing bowl. Toss beef together with soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon oil, and corn starch. Let it marinate until broccoli prep is done.

   

   

2. Prep the broccoli by cutting about an inch off the tough part of the stem. Using a paring knife, peel away the tough layer off the stems and florets. The florets should be bite size, and the trimmed stems should be thin for even cooking.
   
3. Blanch ‘n fry: Place broccoli in boiling water and blanch until water comes to a light boil again. Promptly drain in colander (no need to rinse with cold water here). It’s a very quick dip in the hot tub here.



Heat the skillet on high heat with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. When oil comes to a smoking point (it should be fragrant at this point), toss in broccoli and stir constantly for about 15-20 seconds. Transfer to a serving plate and reserve.

In the same heated skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger and vigorously stir for 5 seconds to avoid burning. Immediately add in marinated beef, followed by oyster sauce as soon as beef changes color (semi pink, semi brown at this point). Stir fry until beef is almost all browned. Lightly season with course black pepper. Finish the beef with rice wine; sauce should thicken at this point. Remove from heat and pour over cooked broccoli.

The final product:

A meal like this cannot be complete without steamed white or brown rice to go with it, right?

Now that’s more like it. Enjoy!

Selina’s Notes

• Once the ingredients are all prepared, this is a very quick cooking dish. To prep in advance, you may wash and cut broccoli beforehand. The beef can also be marinated overnight, but without the corn starch until ready to cook. If the corn starch is left in overnight, it will harden.
• If you’re doubling the recipe, the broccoli can be cooked in a double batch during the blanch ‘n fry step. However, I’d suggest cooking the beef in two batches.
• Most people will not peel the tough portion off the florets, especially in restaurants because it takes  longer to prep. However, my mother taught me to cut broccoli this way because the outer layer is chewy and takes longer to cook otherwise.

Now onto the main topic – carrots. I actually never used to be a big fan of them. In the past, they were just one the many ingredients in my soup, skinny sticks in my salad greens, or crunchy snacks that practically required peanut butter or ranch dressing to swallow down. Plain carrot sticks? Blah. After this period of non-excitement about carrots, these special root veggies have made a comeback.

And it’s all thanks to the miraculous oven! Roasting carrots amazingly brings out all these wonderful characteristics that simply cannot be achieved by steaming, boiling, stir frying, or any other cooking method. When roasted, carrots get nicely crisp and caramelized, adding to its lovely golden orange color. The flavor also becomes richly sweet and savory, a combination that is really fascinating to me. It almost reminds me of oven sweet potato fries. It is intensely good.

My recipe features Chinese five spice, a unique blend of spices that usually include star anise, fennel seeds, cassia (cinnamon varietal), Szechuan peppercorns, and cloves. This blend is highly aromatic, bringing great flavors to meats and vegetables. Sometimes it is also combined with table salt and is served along with steamed chicken at Chinese banquets. It captures the essence of sweet, salty, and tartness. Five spice can be found in most large supermarkets these days. Chez Pim provides a great method for making it, too. I paired five spice and carrots together because I have tried it with cinnamon alone, and they turned out to be a happy couple, so why not try five spice to make things more interesting? As it turns out, they were a great complex match.

Five Spice Roasted Carrots Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2 as side dishes (can easily be doubled, tripled, etc.)

Ingredients

• 1 bunch carrots (about 8 small to medium carrots), cut into thick matchsticks, shown above
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

Tools

• Chef knife and cutting board
• Vegetable peeler
• Baking tray, lined with aluminum foil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare carrots by washing, peeling, and chopping. Transfer carrots to lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, five spice powder, salt, and pepper. Toss with hands to coat evenly. Make sure all carrots are flat on the baking tray to ensure even roasting.
2. Roast for 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite pasta, meat, or fish.

Selina’s Notes

• If five spice powder is impossible to find, it’s okay to omit; plain roasted carrots are phenomenal as well
• If you’re running short on time, peeled, ready-to-eat bagged carrot sticks work just fine. The cooking time may take an extra few minutes since the thickness is greater than the ones I cut. Also, bagged carrots tend to have extra water in the package, so it’s important to pat dry with a towel before roasting.
• Make extra because people are going to fight over these!

Having finally gotten a true appreciation for this vegetable, carrots are one of the many gifts from the Earth. They are widely available year-round and super inexpensive. Plus, there is no need to feel guilty for eating them – carrots are full of vitamin A and other great benefits.

Readers, please cast your vote for fun!

In the spirit of Independence Day (and being back in Chicago this weekend), I am celebrating with berry-licious pancakes, featuring fresh and juicy strawberries and blueberries I could not resist:

Chicago is a city that is in love with breakfast/brunch, more so than where I grew up. Hot brunch spots are super creative with their breakfast concoctions. Pancakes are also serious business here. While there are more pancake varieties than I can keep track of, I made a very simple version that is highlighted with red and blue compotes. I also cranked up the nutrition value by using whole wheat flour, which tastes nuttier and heartier, leaving you nicely satiated.

Red, White, and Blue Pancake Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2-4 (yields 6 pancakes)

Ingredients

For the compotes:

• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 6 medium size strawberries; frozen OK)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  *
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen OK)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the pancakes:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk (1% or 2%)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into ½ tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional

Tools

• 2 small saucepans
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 whisk
• Measuring cups and spoons (I’ll admit, sometimes I like to eyeball)
• Griddle pan or large skillet
• Spatula for flipping
• Aluminum foil

Preparation

1. Combine the three ingredients for each compote in two different saucepans. Separately simmer each for 10-15 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened. Stir every few minutes. Let it stand and cool until pancakes are ready to serve.
2. While the fruit simmers, gently whisk together the first seven pancake ingredients. Be careful not to over mix! Small lumps are fine. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes.
3. While the pancake batter sits, heat a griddle pan or skillet to medium heat. For each pancake, melt ½ tablespoon butter, and pour ¼ cup batter (using a ¼ measuring cup) onto pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly golden brown. Hint: you’ll know when the first side is ready to flip when small bubbles form on top.
4. Repeat step 3 until all six pancakes are cooked. To keep pancakes warm, cover serving plate with a sheet of aluminum foil. Serve immediately with warm strawberry and blueberry compotes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Selina’s Notes

• If you don’t have a powdered sugar shaker, have no fear. You can use a fine mesh colander or small strainer. In reality, I didn’t have either of those, so I used the strainer from my tea pot. If all else fails, use whipped cream!
• Many varieties of fruit can be used for the compotes, especially berries and stone fruit – peaches, mangoes, raspberries, cherries, plums, etc.

We have all seen this image that refers to the mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” It’s not quite ground shattering, CNN-worthy news. The fundamental principle to this mantra is to follow it in the order that it reads. The real solution is to reduce consumption. Since that is not always feasible due to the growing world population, the next best solution is to reuse what we have. And lastly, there is recycling, which still uses a significant amount of energy in the process, but is still better than throwing it all into landfills, emitting methane for example, and leaving goods that only decompose after a million years (e.g., plastics, Styrofoam).

It is very difficult to draw the line, especially when you want to experience and learn about other cultures’ foods and ways of living. I will likely come back to this topic later on because I think it deserves some further analysis. While we can’t entirely eliminate our worldly food desires, there are some ways that I personally follow to alleviate some CO₂ in the atmosphere:

1. Paper or plastic? Neither: Use reusable shopping bags. I don’t believe this is a fad because the reality of the plastic bag consumption is atrocious. Plastic bags end up in oceans, coastlines, and landfills. From an environmental slide show, if “1 out of 5 people in our country used a reusable bag we would save 1,350,560,000,000 bags over our life time.” That outrageous number with far too many zeros translates to over one trillion. I admire cities like San Francisco and other countries who have taken the step to either ban or charge a premium to use plastic bags. On a side note, I have gotten strange looks from store cashiers because I refused their plastic/paper bags, as if I were some alien. It’s really okay to take the road less traveled. You can take that opportunity to let them know what you are doing to help the environment, or just be an unspoken role model.
2. Recycle food packaging: My Chicago condo building and my client work location do not have recycling facilities, but I will bring my recycled goods to a facility that recycles, like the local recycling drop-off center or the airport. Yes, I bring my bottles and cans to the airport when I travel for work because there is an area right before the security checkpoint with bins. There are a ton of things you can recycle, from paper/cardboard packaging, to plastic bottles #1-5 and #7 (generally), aluminum cans, glass containers, and plastic bag wrappings, etc. If you can, take the extra minute to examine the packaging to determine if it’s recyclable or not. If you aren’t sure, consult me or even Earth 911.
3. Buy in bulk: Along with following #2, buying larger sized items reduces the packaging involved. For example, buying one 20 ounce container of ketchup takes less material than buying two 10 ounce containers. Also, I have started to buy goods from the bulk bins. This includes spices from my local spice shop (e.g., Coffee and Tea Exchange), and also bulk goods such as rice, flour, oats, nuts, and many other things available at Whole Foods or other stores. It is far less expensive, and you can also choose the exact quantity you need. When you buy something in a jar or box, part of the cost comes from packaging and advertising.
4. Buy locally grown foods: Supporting local foods means supporting the nearby farms that grow produce and other goods, also known as CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. The easiest way to do this is to shop at your local farmers’ markets…with your reusable shopping bag, of course
5. Eat less meat: I grew up eating meat as a main source of protein and pure enjoyment and habit. However, the consequences of consuming meat in large quantities does have a toll on the environment, despite my love for medium-rare filet mignon and prime rib. The harsh reality to eating meat is that it takes an enormous amount of energy and resources to raise animals for human consumption. See Mark Bittman’s article, Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler, for an eye-opener.

There are certainly more ways to be environmentally conscious when cooking, eating, and shopping beyond the five listed above. I felt most compelled to list the ones that I currently practice daily, or whenever possible. Please feel free to share your ideas!

Zucchini is a great vegetable because of its versatility. Not too many other vegetables can be a star ingredient in both entirely sweet and savory creations. Yes, that’s right – zucchini can be in baked goods such as muffins and breads, as well as a plethora of other things. From frittatas to salads, casseroles, patties, pasta, and soups, it can basically conquer them all. It’s an ingredient that has a higher chance of likability because the flavor is mild, not overly pungent, yet hearty. It healthily moistens baked goods, and it is chock-full of fiber and nutrients.

I hastily picked up this soup recipe from Chef Mark Sparacino at Prosecco in Chicago. It is really fabulous to have a chance to speak with the very chef that prepares your meal because you get the inside scoop on the preparation process and all sorts of information (if you are interested). Plus, you can always provide them with your own feedback on their fruits of labor. They certainly appreciate that! At a group dinner several months ago, the first course I chose was Zuppa Di Zucchini. When I go out to eat, I am always trying to figure out all of the ingredients I taste, mainly because it’s a fun game, and also because it gives me hints on how to make it at home. The soup was so good that I asked him about the general how-to of this simple and classy soup. He had to get back in the kitchen, so I got the 15-second rundown of what to do: “It’s super easy – you just saute some onions, carrots, and zucchini, then add the water or stock and simmer it.” Oh, really, that easy?

It turned out to be almost as easy as he made it out to be. My countless hours of watching Food Network gave me some background knowledge on the general soup-making process, which definitely helped as well.  In my recipe, I added a few personal touches such as potatoes, Herbes De Provence, and cream.

Zuppa Di Zucchine Recipe

Inspired by Chef Mark Sparacino at Prosecco Ristorante
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 small white potatoes (or 1 medium russet potato), diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 2 teaspoons Herbes De Provence or Italian Seasoning blend
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• ¼ cup half and half or heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Several dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream, optional

Tools

• Medium soup pot (at least 4 quarts)
• Wooden spoon
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Immersion hand blender (example)
• Ladle

Preparation

1. In the soup pot over medium heat, warm olive oil and butter until the butter melts. Add onion and saute until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and herbs; lightly season with salt and pepper to add a layer of flavor. Saute for an additional 4 minutes until vegetables are all softened and fragrant.
2. Add stock and bring the soup mixture to a gentle boil at medium-high to high heat. Immediately turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat source and remove bay leaf. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add in cream. Season generously with salt and pepper as desired.
4. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and yogurt/sour cream. Serve immediately.

Selina’s Notes

• If you don’t have an immersion hand blender, a regular blender or food processor works fine. However, I am an immersion blender fanatic because it eliminates the potentially messy step of transferring the soup back and forth.
• Since the soup is blended, do not worry about dicing the vegetables to perfection. It’s also good to keep in mind that the smaller your dices are, the quicker the soup cooks
• The soup goes great with crostini, Parmesan croutons, or crusty Italian peasant bread

I registered for the restaurant’s monthly paella cooking class with the intent of getting hands-on experience making paella from scratch. Little did I know, I arrived finding out that the class was more of a demonstration session by one of the chefs while the audience was served a six course brunch. I was slightly disappointed. Plus, having four different types of wine to pair with the courses before noon was quite ambitious even though I adore wine. Chef Cottini began the class by providing the audience with a brief background and history on paella, along with describing several of its main ingredients. He then verbally polled the audience by asking questions like “Who has ever eaten tapas?” and “Who has ever eaten paella?” About 90% of the crowd raised their hands for the first two questions. The final question was “Who has ever made paella?” All hands fell, yet mine shyly remained risen. Hmm…okay, now what. “Well then, you get to come cook paella with me!” Before I knew it, I was cooking side by side with him, shadowing his every step. It was totally uncalled for, but what a thrill!

According to the Paella cookbook that was given for us to keep, the word “Paella” defines the utensil used to cook the dish: a flat bottom, lidless frying pan without the “tail”, yet with two handles, and many little dents or “dimples” in a circular pattern that are essential for cooking the rice and achieving authentic and traditional flavors. I bought one from Cafe Iberico’s deli for a bargain price of $10:

The recipe below is adapted from the Paella Cookbook, created by the executive chefs of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. Some of the key ingredients that truly make the dish outstanding are saffron, Spanish rice (medium grain), and chicken stock. The saffron creates a luscious, deep golden color in the rice, with a floral fragrance unlike any other spice, therefore being the most expensive spice in the world. Rice and stock are also essential to paella because the Spanish rice variety absorbs liquids extremely well, allowing the stock to add flavor and depth without the grains getting mushy like risotto. The flavor complexity of paella is simply amazing.

Paella Valenciana Recipe

Preparation time: 35 minutes (5 minutes ingredients preparation, 10 minutes stovetop, 20 minutes oven and rest)
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2/3 cup pork tenderloin, diced
• 2/3 cup boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced (about 1 clove)
• 1 teaspoon sweet pimenton (paprika)
• ½ cup tomato puree
• 1 ¼ cup Spanish rice
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron, simmered in 4 ounces of water and removed from heat to cool
• 1 cup frozen Italian green beans
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, heated but not boiling
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

Tools

• Oven
• Small saucepan (for saffron water)
• Medium saucepan (for chicken stock)
• Chef knife and cutting board
• 13 inch paella pan
• Tongs or wooden spoon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring chicken stock to a simmer and keep warm.
2. In the paella pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the pork and chicken together until golden brown (do not move the meat around too much; allow to sear on each side to get a good color).
3. Add the garlic, sweet pimenton, and tomato puree; mix to combine. While constantly stirring, add the Spanish rice, saffron water, snap peas, and chicken stock. Continue cooking until the rice begins to rise. Add fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs; season with salt and bring to a boil. At this point you may taste the cooking liquid and adjust seasonings as needed.
4. Place pan in the oven for 17 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed into the rice. Before serving, let it rest for at least 2 minutes to allow rice to finish absorbing the liquid completely. Remove thyme and rosemary sprigs before serving.

Selina’s Notes

• It is best to use homemade chicken stock (recipe coming later), but store-bought cartons are fine too, as long as it is the low-sodium type
• To get a nice crunchy, caramelized crust on the edges and bottom (like the kind on brownies and lasagna), you can try returning the paella to the stove over high heat immediately after coming out of the oven. After 1-2 minutes, remove from heat and allow time for paella to rest.
• The first ten minutes of the recipe (before going into the oven) moves quickly. I found it easiest to measure out all ingredients and arrange in groups before beginning.
• Spanish cooking tools and ingredients can be purchased at Tienda and PaellaPans

The version below is my own variation of fried rice I learned from my mother in my childhood days. It is also very ‘vanilla’ because the ingredients are fairly basic and ordinary. Learning the method is foundational; once the process is down, the possibilities are endless. Since it only takes 10 minutes, it is meat-free and the eggs are what I call freestyle (in the normal version, I neatly dice the eggs after being cooked pancake-omelet style). Of course, if you happen to have deli meat or other prepared meat on hand, throw it on in! Cooking fried rice is a time to be creative.

A quick background behind this recipe – I love the concept of quick cooking (e.g., 30-Minute Meals) when the situation calls for it, and I was put up to the test one day when Sean called me on his way home from work: “I’m going to be home in 15 minutes. Is there anything to eat?” I perused the pantry and fridge and told him I’d figure something out. Sure enough, there was a bowl of leftover white rice and a carton of eggs in the fridge. The freezer was also stocked with peas and carrots (I don’t know when it isn’t!). Hence, 10-minute fried rice came to life. It’s slightly sweet from the peas, carrots, and oyster sauce, yet savory from the eggs and rice. The oyster and soy sauces also give the fried rice an earthy, golden color. Enjoy!

10-Minute Fried Rice Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix, unthawed
• Salt and pepper
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice (preferably jasmine)
• 2 tablespoons oyster flavored sauce (preferably Lee Kum Kee brand; vegetarian variety available)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman brand)
• 2 stalks scallion, finely sliced at a diagonal (optional)
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Tools

• Chef knife and cutting board
• Large wok (or skillet)
• Wooden spoon
• 2 small mixing bowls

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in wok on high. When oil is almost visibly steaming, add frozen peas and carrot mix and stir frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until vegetables are heated through and tender. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
2. Using the same wok, adjust heat to medium-high and bring remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt to a steaming point. Toss in cooked rice and stir frequently to avoid sticking. Immediately add oyster sauce and soy sauce and mix until well distributed.
3. Add in reserved peas and carrots and beaten eggs and stir until eggs are cooked and ingredients are well combined, about 3 minutes. Stir in scallions and cilantro if desired.

Without further ado, I welcome you to my new food blog! At the same time, I am introducing myself to my readers. I have several future blog topics in mind already, so please visit again soon. Since I’m traveling on the road for work now, most of my recipe-related posts will have to be done on the weekends when I can access my materials such as kitchen utensils, pantry items, camera, etc. The weekdays will be reserved for other types of posts. Until next time!