The Skinny Chef

Steak & Tomatoes

2011-10-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've sunk back into a lull of not blogging; but I did want to share a very easy pasta recipe that I made when the family was in town.

Overwhelmed with the harvest of tomatoes, and also a request for pasta on a steak night, I threw together something entirely from the garden.

It's a light, tangy, tomato sauce, and perfect for a late summer evening. The best part of it? It only takes 5 ingredients & 15 minutes!

Summer Fresh Tomato Pasta

Serves 4

2 cups Tomatoes, diced/halved if cherry
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 ea lemon, zested & juiced
1/2 cup Basil, chiffonade
2 tbs Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 servings noodle pasta, cooked according to directions

Heat olive oil in a heavy pan, add garlic, and cook till tender, but not browned
Add the tomatoes, lemon juice & lemon zest
Cook on high until tomatoes are soft, and liquid is mostly cooked down, depending on how thick you like the sauce
Season to taste
Stir in the basil chiffonade
Toss with pasta & serve

Happy Birthday Chef Laura!

2011-08-15T21:05:00.001-07:00

Oh yes, and Chef Laura had birthday over the weekend with Princess Cake (genoise, custard, jam, meringue and marzipan)!

- It makes no sense because iPad spellcheck is dense

Frozen Fish and Flowers

2011-08-15T20:42:00.001-07:00

Been doing some interesting cooking lately, what with the tomatoes in our garden in full harvest -we're getting about a quart of tomatoes a day now, and full sized zucchini and squash every few days. I've also started ordering from Farm Fresh to You in hopes of becoming a healthier eater now that I'm actually obliged to cook for three.

I've been on a 3 week cooking rampage - Cook through the weekend that I get my delivery, then wait 3 weeks before cooking again. It's been working out with me freezing a stash of food, so that all we have to is heat it up for a quick and nutritious meal. Maybe I'll start a series called 'Eating well for the busy mom' or something; although I'm still not done with my 101 pasta series!
Jumping on the frozen food bandwagon, I decided J would benefit from eating organic, and unprocessed food. I just couldn't stand the thought of him chowing down that jarred stuff - I don't care if it costs $15 an oz. It can't be that good for you if it is stored in a jar on a shelf!
I wanted to see if he could be a raw vegan for the first year of his life, but as I conjured up recipes in my head, it just became so tiring. Besides, how would he ever get enough carbs that way?
So, I instead put out my IQF skills, and for his first home cooked meal, whipped up brown rice porridge and steamed green beans. Everything ended up being processed eventually but I can live with it if I'm doing it myself.
I also froze everything in cute little shaped ice trays - so now we have green bean fish and starfish and flower snapped brown rice porridge. I figure it might help him make eating veggies and rice fun, although he might be too young to tell the difference yet.

We'll see how he likes it, he gets to try some tomorrow!

- It makes no sense because iPad spellcheck is dense

Location:Middlefield Rd,Palo Alto,United States

The Easy Date

2011-06-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

When it comes to pastries and desserts, I definitely hang up my apron strings. The long standing feud between dessert & savory chefs is most likely true - I have never met one who is an expert in both.

However, it's imperative that every savory chef have a couple of desserts on their repertoire, and vice versa. It makes no sense to say to your dinner guests, "sorry, I don't do dessert" after a nice meal. It's almost as sacrilegious as not serving wine with dinner.

I've worked to perfect a few desserts that I can call on for any occasion, and am striving to extend myself as a dessert chef (apprentice is a more appropriate word) as well.

One of my favorite dessert ingredients to work with is the ancient date. It's no wonder the date has been a staple and favorite in many cuisines of old, what with the sticky, chewy, and sugary flavor. Most of the dates that we get over here are dried, which concentrate the flavor even more; although I did have the opportunity of savoring a fresh date when I was in Israel, and it is quite delicious as well.

It's an extremely versatile fruit to work with, and not only that, but as there are so many different varieties, just using a different type of date can give dessert a new twist.

One of my stock date desserts is the sticky date pudding, first introduced to me in Australia, where the dessert is exceedingly popular, although I first attempted this only a few years back.

I do not make my pudding particularly sticky. I kind of relish the lighter, spongy texture; but this is because the butterscotch/rum/brandy/toffee sauce that it's served with is severely thick and rich that it works for a nice balance.

It's also such an easy dessert that you can make it just hours ahead to serve it warm or at room temperature. If you're in a pinch and want to do this ahead, it's not a big deal. Just make sure the sauce is thoroughly warmed before generously lathering it over a slice of pudding.

Here's the recipe:

Sticky Date Pudding
Serves 8

1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cup Dates, pitted & chopped
1/2 tsp Baking soda
3/4 cup Boiling Water
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Brown sugar
2 ea Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
4 Tbs Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 300F
Combine dates and baking soda
Pour water over baking soda and leave to soak for 15 minutes
Remove half of the dates and set aside
In a blender, combine the remaining dates and liquid, as well as all the other ingredients, except the flour
Blend until mixture is well combined
Pour liquid mixture into flour and stir until batter is uniform
Stir in the reserved dates
Pour batter into well buttered 8" cake tin, and place tin in a water bath
Cover water bath tightly with cling wrap (yes it can go in the oven)
Carefully place pudding in oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until pudding is puffed and springs back when lightly pressed
Serve with Toffee sauce (recipe below)

Toffee Sauce recipe
16 oz Butter, chopped
1 1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 cup Heavy cream

In a heavy saucepan melt the butter until it foams
Add the brown sugar and stir until sugar dissolves
Add the cream and cook until sauce thickens slightly or to desired consistency

This post is especially for Laura S my Bar Method instructor!
- It makes no sense because iPad spellcheck is dense

Location:Middlefield Rd,Palo Alto,United States

Baptisms and Breakfasts

2011-06-12T13:37:00.001-07:00

I've already learned that there are a multitude of proud moments even as a young parent, starting with, of course, the actual birth itself. However, some occasions rank higher than others, and Jadon's baptism definitely counts are being somewhere quite high up there.

We were anxiously awaiting this day (and a wardrobe) and wanted our closest family & friends to be there to witness this event as well. After a very touching service and outstanding behavior by this little man (who didn't cry at all, and looked in amazement at the congregation from the stage), everyone headed back to our home for a breakfast.

I knew we were going to be gone about 2 hours at church, and seeing as service was at 8am, realistically I knew that there was little chance of doing any prep work the morning of, what with feeding and dressings two people and all.

As with all my entertaining my famous motto prevails - make it easy on yourself. Everything that I served at breakfast was a make ahead, but the piece de resistance was the breakfast casserole.

When I think of stratas, I'm overcome with thoughts of heavy cheese, and bread drenched in fat, so it wasn't the first thing to come to my mind when conjuring up a spring breakfast menu. However, I worked my way into making it more delicate, simply by using a rich recipe for the egg mixture, and using fresh & simple ingredients like ham & corn.

I also used a really low oven (280F) for the time that we were gone, and this slow cooking method really worked well for a soft pudding soaked in luxurious egg custard with the flavor seeping in from the tasty ham.

The best part of the dish was that it was make ahead of course, and so all I had to do the morning of was to stick it in the oven.

The rest of the menu was just as tasty, and easy. We had two large fruit plates, which I had sliced and plated the day before, and an arugula salad with marinated-ahead mini mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes as a dressing. For the entrees, there were meatballs, frozen ahead, recipe here, and the casserole which was also assembled the day before.

The perfect spring breakfast dessert was an olive oil cake (I think I taught this at one of my classes) served with sweet lemon ricotta.

Needless to say, it was a huge success, but of course Jadon was the star of the moment, so who really cares what the food was like? ;)

Here's the recipe for the casserole (which is really no more than a savory bread pudding)

Tip 1: If you're assembling the casserole ahead, you do need to croutonize the bread. If you're doing it day of, you can just use stale bread

Tip 2: If you're in a hurry, you can cook it at 350F in under an hour, but please use a water bath!

Ham & Corn Breakfast Casserole

serves 6-8

3 cups croutons (recipe below)
4 ea eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup ham, diced
1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
1/2 ea onion, diced
1 tbs olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent and lightly browned
Scald the milk and cream, and whisk into the beaten eggs
Season the egg mixture to taste
Combine the croutons, onions, ham and corn into a well oiled 8x8 casserole dish
Pour the egg custard over the bread mixture, being careful to allow the liquid to soak the bread
Let stand for about an hour, or cover and refrigerate over night
Bake at 300F for about 1.5 hrs, or until casserole is lightly puffed, and slightly spongy when pressed
Broil for 1 minute to brown the top if necessary

Croutons
3 cups Bread, diced
1 tbs Olive oil

Toss bread in olive oil. Bake in a single layer at 350F for about 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Middlefield Rd,Palo Alto,United States

Chef Laura on Gigya's Demo Site

2011-05-23T20:48:00.001-07:00

Check it out here!

Hors D'oeurves in 15 Minutes

2011-05-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

I love Easter - traditionally I've always done a big lunch, or contributed with an entree, like last year, where, as a guest I signed up for the roasted lamb; marinated in fennel and green garlic (my favorite lamb recipe)and quinoa salad.

This year, with the little monkey to attend to, I was asked to make hors d'oeurves instead. Not having very much prep time, and also low on my tank of energy, it was imperative that anything I make would be simple, tasty, and of course live up to my reputation as Chef Laura.

It didn't take me too long to figure out that bacon wrapped dates and gougeres where the two best options.

Bacon wrapped dates have, for a long time been a perennial favorite. I love the sweet salty taste of it, and usually combine it with a blue cheese garlic sauce that adds some good kick to it. Also, the name of the dish really describes the recipe. That's all there is to it - except that, of course, you have to bake it until the bacon is cooked. (I like using the uncured bacon from Trader Joes)

Gougeres, or cheese puffs, on the other hand, do require a recipe. They are the epitome of an amuse bouche. Light, yet whetting your appetite, causing you to want more! The first time I made these were way back when I was in junior high. Not having very much experience, they were crunchy for all of two seconds, and then immediately sagged after coming out of the oven. Regardless, they were delicious. The nutty cheese and the light dough (chewy instead of crunchy) actually resulted in me making them the wrong way more than once!

Years later, (without engaging the recipe again) I finally learned the proper way to make them. The secret lies in two thing. One, cooling off the dough before adding the eggs, and two, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before the next one is added. Make sure that you no longer can see steam coming from the dough before the eggs are added. This excess moisture is what contributes to the "sagging". When adding the eggs, you want to quickly beat it into the dough, lest it cook from the heat before incorporating.

You'll get the most success using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, but it is sometimes too cumbersome to break out the mixer just for this. As an alternative, you will need some very good fore arm strength, either yours or someone else's. If you do it the manual way, use a wooden spoon to do the whole thing, beating very vigorously throughout the whole process.

As an added bonus, after the gougeres are cooked, turn the oven off, and leave the door cracked with the gougeres still in them to let them dry out a bit. This also helps them retain their crunchiness after coming out of the oven.

Here's the recipe:

Gougeres

Makes about 4 dozen hors d'oeurves

1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Milk
4 oz Unsalted butter
1 cup All Purpose flour
4 ea Eggs
4 oz Hard cheese (Gruyere, cheddar, semi soft blue will work too)

Large pinch of Salt, Pepper and ground Nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil.
3. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms
4. Stir over low heat until dough leaves a film on bottom of pan; about 2 minutes
5. Scrape the dough into a bowl; beat vigorously with wooden spoon or in a mixer with the paddle attachment until no longer steaming about 1-2 minutes.
6. Add one egg into the dough, quickly stirring or beating until egg is properly combined
7. Repeat with remaining eggs, making sure that each egg is fully incorporated before the next is added
8. Add the cheese and a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg and combine
9. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe quarter sized mounds (or 1 teaspoon each) onto the baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Press peaks down with a wet finger to prevent brown spots
10. Bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
11. Serve immediately

After dough is portioned and piped (step 9), it can be frozen, then stored.

Place frozen dough on baking sheet when ready to cook, and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes, lowering heat to 375 after 25 minutes if tops get too brown

Gateau a la Royale

2011-05-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

Jumping on the royal wedding bandwagon, I was tasked with making the royal wedding fridge cake for a tea party.

Having lived in England for a brief period of time, I am ashamed to say that I had no idea what the cake was supposed to be like; texture, taste etc. Online research also did not indicate whether it was supposed to be extra sweet, crunchy, etc.

So, I winged it, envisioning a chewy fudge with a slightly crunchy inside, the sweet more coming from raisins. Some of the recipes called for nuts, but I omitted it since I'm not particularly a fan.

Here's my recipe:

1 package Mcvities Digestive Biscuits
12 oz Bittersweet chocolate chips
1 can Condensed milk
3/4 cup Heavy cream
1/4 cup Light corn syrup
4 oz Butter, unsalted
1 cup raisins

Makes 1 cake

Method
1. Line an 8" square pan with cling wrap
2. Soak the raisins in hot water for about 20 minutes, then drain the liquid off
3. Place the biscuits in a large gallon zip lock bag, seal it, and bash it with a rolling pin, leaving some quarter sized pieces (do this step manually, and don't use a food processor)
4. Combine the condensed milk, cream and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil
5. Chop the butter up into smaller pieces and place it in a bowl with the chocolate chips
6. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, and stir until well combined
7. Leave the chocolate mixture to cool until room temperature
8. Combine the crushed biscuits, raisins and chocolate mixture until everything is well coated with chocolate
9. Pour in the pan, level the top and freeze for about 2-3 hours, or until firm
10. Slice with a sharp knife to serve

*Photos by Mikee (Thanks!)

Consistency, consistency, consistency

2010-12-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

I took a friend to John Bentley's over the weekend for dinner. It's been a restaurant that I've frequented over the past few years, starting from my 24th birthday celebration.

The first JB's was right next to The Village Pub, up in woodside, but the newer one has a more central location in Redwood city. I've kept coming back, but this time that I visited, I was so much more convinced that consistency is the recipe to a restaurant's success.

It was unfortunate that during this visit, a couple of things were just not quite what I was expecting (crab salad was a little too tart, hot foie plate was ice cold, foie and lamb was overdone, etc.), and it made me think about whether I would want to go back next time.

I might be overly critical sometimes, but to give me some credit, I do set reasonable expectations; especially, when I feel like it's something I've experienced and can count on.

For a new restaurant, you should always go in with no expectations - after all, there really isn't anything you can base your standards on, just quite yet. However, the second, or third time you visit, generally, it is very acceptable to think that you can hope to experience the same kind of standard that you did the previous times; which is why you continue going back. You re-visit simply because you know what to expect.

When a restaurant has an exceptionally great night (the cooks are all on target, the produce is extra fresh), it sometimes can have the reverse effect on the consumer. A visitor that evening will probably expect the same kind of standard the next they dine, and if the average standard was, well, average, then chances are, the returning visitor would be disappointed, often anticipating the same kind of experience the had the previous time. Disappointment is often much harder to overcome - you'd be pressed to find a customer that would give an establishment recurring business, versus one that that may have thought the food was always just acceptable.

I like to say that it doesn't matter if a restaurant is good or bad - it just always has to be good, or, always has to be bad; that way, customers will always know what they are getting.

Take McDonald's for example - there's just no arguing that the food is just plain bad. However, every time I visit, I am never disappointed. I know that I am paying $5 to get greasy, tasteless, nutrition-lacking, everything bad, food. I go anyway, and go back repeatedly.

Why? Because the food is ALWAYS bad - there's never been a time when I said to myself "Wow, this is the best McDonald's I've ever had, I have got to go back." There's no such thing - the next time I go, I've probably got the munchies and want something awful. (Ok, trivia here, MD's in Asia is definitely better than in other parts of the world, but it's still bad)

There are many factors that are involved in a restaurant's success, many have argued over this - location, food, chef, service, etc; but for me, it's definitely consistency. If a restaurant can achieve absolute consistency, it will most definitely do well in the long run.

Is this reasonable though? After all, there is so much humanity and feeling involved in food; it happens to me as well. If I'm in a good mood, or love who I'm cooking for, the food probably tends to come out better, and vice versa of course. Of course, since consistency is my philosophy is well, I've learned some ways around making sure that my emotions don't affect my food too much. One of them is just practice - the more your practice, the more skilled you will get, and the less room for error. There's no two ways about this - the better chef is almost always the one with more experience, simply because they've done it more times (all other things being equal).

Second, discipline - never serve up anything that is sub-par. I've canceled courses out from menus the day of just because I felt the dish wasn't up to the right standard. It's tempting, especially since each dish cost money; but in the long run, it's worth it.

Third - set the right expectations. I can't dwell on this enough. It's the same in every client facing business. If your consumers have the right expectations, they should never be disappointed. Train the staff well; just because there was a lot of yesterday's beef, doesn't mean that you should upsell it today. Make sure your servers have tried everything on the menu and know exactly how to recommend. As a diner, I always ask my server what they think is best - I always appreciate an honest answer like "well, the lamb is alright, but the chicken is absolutely fantastic." That kind of advice has definitely saved my perception of a restaurant on more than one occasion.

So, possible, but difficult; - I guess that's why there's only one French Laundry, but a McDonald's around every corner.

NB: To give JB's some credit, after expressing my disappointment, their server apologized that the dish didn't meet my expectations and they did something about it. (That's your responsibility as a consumer as well, to give objective feedback).

At the end of writing this, I almost forgot which expert I was writing as - was it the Client Service one, or the Chef one? I now realize that they compliment each other so well, after all, you can't be a chef without servicing your clients.

The long awaited update (Pictures coming soon)

2010-12-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've blogged anything, but I did have a highlight for July, (yes, I'm several months behind), where I gave another cooking class for a blushing bride to be!

It probably was a really good gift, come to think of it - Young brides these days seldom spend too much time in the kitchen, but will probably be expected to host a dinner party or two, now that they're married. The bride loves to cook as well, so it was also a really fun time for her. Her maids all put on their aprons and whipped out their spoons to produce a spectacular meal that was easy, fresh, and absolutely delicious. It was definitely a meal that she could prepre in the future!

As we cooked, I gave demonstrations on proper sautee methods, some basic knife skills, like the chiffonade and mincing, and some other cooking techniques that were learned were the art of slow roasting salmon, dessert making, and plating 101.

Here's the menu:

Spring Pea Soup
Garnished with truffle scented scream

Wild Mushrooms on Polenta Cakes

Slow Roasted Salmon
Served with Gremolata

Panzanella , Italian Bread Salad

Olive Oil Cake
Served with Roasted Peaches and sweet crème fraiche

We lunched over the feast, and discussed flavors, favorite dishes, and also cooking and eating best practices at home.

It'll always work out with spinach

2010-07-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

After a long pasta hiatus, I decided to go easy, and doth exercise of making dinner with whatever I had in my kitchen.

The goods:

Garlic, Frozen Spinach, Anchovies, Parmesan

The Dish:
Oglio Olio with Spinach and Anchovies

It qualifies as a 10-minute meal, and now I have a new recipe!

Serves 2
12 oz Frozen Spinach
4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
4 ea Anchovy Fillets, chopped
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 servings of noodle pasta, cooked

1. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a saute pan
2. Add garlic and cook till fragant and translucent, and browned on the edges
3. Add spinach and cover, steam till tender and hot throughout
4. Toss pasta, anchovies, cheese, and garlic
5. Season with salt & serve with fresh black pepper

Keep Calm & Carry On

2010-06-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

I can never turn away a hungry person.

Largely, the joy in cooking comes from seeing others enjoy my food, and while it's a rare gift to always be able to satisfy an appetite, I've learned to use it well.

I've also made it a habit to always have something available in my fridge, so that I can put together a meal quickly and easily, because often, there isn't time to go to the store when I have surprise guests.

By far, my most outstanding meal, was a dinner that I prepared for 6 people (myself included), with about 5 minute notice. I had some friends stop by, and invited them to dinner - so it was originally just 3 people at the last minute. Then, friends of friends showed up, and within minutes, the dinner table had expanded 100% to 6 people.

The initial dinner plan for 3 people was a light & casual gnocchi dish with bacon and peas, tossed in that awesome Pesto a le Monde. However, with this extended guest list, I had to think of something more appropriate (That would severely undermine my talent as a chef). The bacon and peas were already in the pan cooking, and so I decided to extend this and make a creamy pesto sauce, and toss it with spaghetti instead.

Pancetta and Peas is always super successful, so I brought the technique of mixing in egg yolk and cream into the sauce to stretch out that last bit of pesto that I had left.

In line with my philosophy to always store something in the fridge, I quick braised some frozen OMG meatballs in a half bottle of red wine that I also had left from spaghetti & meatballs a week ago.

Now that I had the entree and side protein sorted out - the only thing that was missing was a salad. My cheese drawer had some fresh bocconcini, so I tossed that with some fresh avocado, good olive oil (a must have in anyone's pantry), and ripe apricots, which are of course in season right now.

To much surprise, it really wasn't that difficult to pull off, and really, I could never turn strangers away, for without knowing, some have entertained angels in disguise.

Pesto, Peas, and Pasta

Serves 6

8 oz Bacon Rashers, diced
12 oz Frozen Peas
1 cup Pesto

1 cup Half & half
4 ea Egg Yolks

1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

6 portions Noodle Pasta, like linguine, fettucine, or spaghetti

1. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil, and add the noodles
2. In a smaller pot, add scald the half and half, and reduce by about half
3. Heat a heavy sautepan, and add the bacon rashers, until browned
4. Remove most of the bacon drippings, leaving about 2 tablespoons
5. Add the frozen peas, and cover, cooking till peas are thawed out and hot
6. Quickly whisk the egg yolks and slowly temper in the hot half and half
7. Strain pasta, and then toss egg mixture, peas, bacon, and parmesan together
8. Season with freshly cracked pepper and serve immediately

Pesto a le Monde

2010-06-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

Pesto is one of things things that you always want to have in your fridge. It keeps and freezes well, and you can use it on almost anything - from pasta sauce to chicken marinade, and then a sauce for meats.

Most international cuisines have some sort of pesto - a mixture of herb, garlic, and oil. There's gremolata, chimichurri, and of course, by far the most famous, the pesto classico - a gorgeous combination of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and then some good olive oil. Yum. Now that summer is here, my basil plant is a lot like my life right now - overflowing with abundance :)

Don't get me wrong - while the original is still the best, mixing it up here allows me to get creative, and also shows what a simple ingredient switch can make a dish completely different, but still delicious; somewhat of a deja vu.

Pine nuts tend to be ridiculously expensive, so this time, I chose to go with roasted almonds instead. You can actually use almost any kind of nut, but roasted nuts bring out a smokier flavor than the blah uncooked ones.

I made about 2 cups with this, and then had a bit leftover, which saved my life the next day, when I had to make dinner for 6 on 5 minutes notice.

That's another pasta recipe, but here's the pesto - there's only one secret to good pesto. Never ever use pre-grated Parmesan.

Almond Pesto

1 cup loosely packed Basil leaves
4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup Roasted Almonds
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 ea Lemon, juiced
2/3 cup Good Olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Makes about 2 cups

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor
Process until roughly chopped
Gradually add olive oil in a stream until pesto is finely minced
Season with salt & pepper

Toss with pasta for a quick meal, serve hot or cold

Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?

2010-06-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

I first dined at Vue de Monde in 2008, and remember the cozy bistro for their coddled eggs, topped with a truffle foam. Mmmm.. I love eggs, and a pairing with truffles is my favorite combination. It did strike a chord with me, so on this Melbourne trip, I made a special request to go back there.

The food on this occasion wasn't as memorable, but we did have a salad that Mom liked very much, and wanted to make for a dinner party. She asked me for the recipe, so I'm hacking it out here. The key to the salad is the fresh ingredients, so don't be tempted to use sub-par produce, although it might be more cost effective. Also, the presentation was perfect - a very organized mess, looking like not a lot of care was put into plating it, but really, requiring a lot of work for each individual component.

Here's the gist of it - it's not for the fainthearted, and is one of those "looks easier that it actually is" dishes.

Salade C'est Complique

Serves 4

1 ea Zucchini, Shaved into long thin slices with a peeler
1 ea Zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 ea Yellow Pepper
1 ea Red Pepper
8 ea Cherry Tomatoes, halved
4 ea Anchovies

1 portion Batter
1/4 cup Dressing

1 portion Eggplant Caviar for base
1 cup Croutons for garnish

For the Salad:
Preheat an oven to 450F. Roast Peppers in oven until tender, but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Peel, halve lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice each piece crosswise into four (16 pieces total)
Before serving, dip the zucchini rounds in the batter, and fry in 350F oil until browned and just tender, remove from oil, and blot with paper towels
In the remaining batter, coat the anchovies, and fry in 350F oil, until batter is crisp and brown. Remove from oil, and blot with paper towel
Combine all the vegetables together, and toss with dressing, making sure to taste, reserving 2 tbs of dressing

To serve, spread a layer of eggplant caviar on 4 plate, top with tossed salad, making sure that each has equal portions of each ingredient
Top with fried anchovy, and garnish with croutons
Drizzle each plate with remaining 1/2 tbs of dressing

Batter for Zucchini Rounds & Anchovies
1/2 cup Cake Flour
2/3 cup Ice Water
1 ea Egg Yolk
1 tsp Baking Soda

Combine ice water with egg yolk. Sift baking soda into cake flour, and quickly whisk liquid into dry ingredients. Do not overwhisk, mixture should be a little lumpy. Make this only just before using

Dressing:
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbs Minced Italian Parsley
1 Tbs Mint Chiffonade

Salt & pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together, season to taste

Eggplant Caviar
1 ea Large Eggplant
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, finely mashed

1 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat an oven to 450F. Prick the eggplant all over and rub with olive oil. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, or until eggplant is tender when pierced. Remove from oven and let cool.
Strip the skin from the meat, and wrap eggplant meat in cheesecloth. Hang over a drip pan in the fridge overnight to drain excess liquid.
Spin eggplant and garlic in a food processor, and gradually add the 1/4 cup olive oil to combine. Season with salt & pepper

Re-Purpose this!

2010-05-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

I secretly hid some of the leftover frozen meatballs from the Mother's Day tea that I did earlier in the month, and was craving some good old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs. I update the recipe a little so the sauce has a more contemporary character, but still very easy.

Following the "use what's leftover" philosophy that I (and my purse) are so fond of, I dug out from my fridge, sweet pepper, basil, and from the pantry, canned tomatoes, of course!

I pureed the sauce to give it a nice thick consistency, so you could keep it in the fridge and use it as a dip, or even thin it out and use it as a soup. I love recipes that can multi-task like that!

Red Spaghetti Sauce

Makes 1 quart
1/2 ea Yellow Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, sliced
1 ea Red Pepper, but yellow or orange works too
1 can Fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup Basil, chiffonade
2 tbs Olive Oil

1. Heat the oil in a saute pan and saute the onions until lightly browned
2. Add the Garlic, and cook till lightly browned
3. Add the Red pepper and saute for another 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and basil
4. Cook for another 10 minutes, then puree mixture in blender
5. Bring red sauce back to a boil, and lower to a simmer until desired consistency is reached
6. Season with salt and pepper

Leave to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge

If serving with meatballs, add the frozen meatballs, cover pan, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through
Toss with spaghetti, and top with parmesan cheese

To serve as a soup, thin out sauce with an equal portion of chicken stock

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

2010-05-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

Did a Mother's Day lunch for a special family over the weekend, and as usual, everything was fabulous, but I got the most props on my famous meatballs, so I'm posting it here!

The secret to making great tasting meatballs? Just use ingredients that you're familiar with, and always, always, do a taste test before you roll them out! If you can let the flavors marinate overnight before rolling them out, even better.

The other great thing about this is that it freezes really well, and you can always have a stash for a quick appetizer, or something to throw into a red pasta sauce for spaghetti & meatballs; but that's only if it lasts that long!

Enjoy ~

Chef Laura's OMG Meatballs
Makes 36, 1 oz meatballs

1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 each Onion, sliced into half moons
1/4 cup Sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Feta, Crumbled
2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbs Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Paprika

2 Tbs Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan
2. Add the onion slices, and caramelize on medium until golden brown, about 20 minutes (keep stirring or this burns)
3. Remove from heat, and let cool; chop into a rough paste
4. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a bowl
5. Use your hands to mix well, season with salt & pepper
6. Do a taste test by frying up a small portion of the mixture
7. Divide mixture into 1 oz portions, and roll into balls
8. Arrange meatballs on metal tray and freeze
9. Once frozen, store in airtight container or zip lock bags for up to 3 months
10. When ready to use, arrange meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet at bake at 400F for 10 minutes

Spinach Yogurt Sauce

2 cups Spinach leaves
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 cup Greek Yogurt
2 cloves Garlic, sliced

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a saute pan, and cook the spinach until wilted
2. Using a food processor, combine all ingredients, and pulse till spinach is finely chopped
3. Store in an airtight container overnight before using, this allows the flavor to develop

Seasons of Spring

2010-04-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

Been missing the blog recently since things have been hectic in the other (under?) world, but so far April has seen come pretty culinary colors, with my favorite season for produce!

First, there was a tea party with the girls up in San Francisco, and I'm not sure how other people do tea, but we do it with lamb riblets, a cheese selection, and Chef Laura's all-time famous scones. I'm not sure where the tea was at tea, but there was some pretty good wine!

Not to mention Easter, where I contributed with an unforgettable marinade of green onion and fennel for the roasted lamb, and my signature Mediterranean quinoa salad with sundried tomatoes, green onion, squash, feta and a host of other delicious stuff.

Where would we be without contributions to the pasta book? New pasta creations include an Applewood smoked bacon and peas cappellini with poached eggs, a creamy Vegetarian peas and spinach risotto (c'mon, risotto falls under the the pasta category too), Gnocchi with bacon and spinach carbonara style (recipe below), and a special treat of red Italian sausage penne, where I didn't have to cook at all (Yes, I am still adding it to the book and claiming credit)!

A special friend came in from Portland, and I tried my best to align the menu with their health conscious goals. You can't have a special dinner without an appetizer or dessert, so a tomato and roasted garlic soup served up with some crunchy bread and creme brulee were a prelude and postlude to the entree of delicious slow roasted salmon, spicy corn salad, and a chile verde sauce.

Speaking of chile verde, Gigya had a chile competition to celebrate our Q1 close, and instead of Texas chile, I spiced it up with my contribution of oxtail chile verde, served up with some queso fresco, sour cream and corn bread, and I won!

More to come I'm sure - the rest of Spring awaits!

Carbonara Gnocchi

Serves 2

4 oz Bacon, diced
3 cups Spinach (anything except baby)
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup White Wine or vermouth
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 ea Egg Yolks

Salt and pepper to taste

Gnocchi for 2

Heat a heavy saute pan and add the bacon
Cook till browned and cripsy
Add the minced garlic and spinach, and saute till spinach wilts
Add the White wine and reduce by half
Add the heavy cream, and cook on high until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes
Season to taste
Temper the egg yolks with the hot sauce, and then gradually combine the yolk mixture and bacon spinach cream sauce
Toss with freshly cooked gnocchi

Gigya's Winning Chile Verde Recipe

2010-04-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the close of an extremely successful Q1, Gigya held a Chili Cookoff in conjunction with poker night. I might have lost all my money at poker, but I did win a $100 with my award winning Chile Verde. I promised to post the recipe if I won, so here it is!

Although chile verde is usually made with pork, (and you can definitely use that meat if you prefer), I used oxtail for this one because it's a slightly richer meat that's not often found in restaurants.

The chile verde sauce also works really well as a side sauce for meats and fish, if you're using it that way, omit the onion, and add 1/2 cup of olive oil.

Good luck!

Gigya's Oxtail Chile Verde

Serves 8

5 lbs Oxtail
4 cups Chile Verde
2 Tbs Oil

Chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, and sear the oxtail on all sides, until nicely browned
To this in batches as necessary
Add the chile verde sauce, and enough chicken broth to cover the oxtail
Cover pot and braise in a 320F oven for about 2.5 hrs or until meat falls off the bone
Pick the meat off the bone and serve hot
Season to taste

Optional Garnish: Sour cream, queso fresca, cilantro

Chile Verde Sauce

Makes about 4 cups

4 ea Poblano Chilies
3 ea Jalapeno Chilies
8 ea Anaheim Chilies
6 ea Tomatillos
4 ea Green Onions
1 ea Green Pepper

3 ea Limes, juiced
1 ea Yellow onion
4 cloves Garlic
1 bu Cilantro

Salt to taste

Roast the peppers and tomatillos until skin is charred
Leave to cool, then peel peppers
Combine all ingredients in a blender
Season to taste

To serve as a sauce, omit the yellow onion, and add 1/2 cup olive oil when processing

Going for the Green Goodness

2010-03-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

After an intense heart-stopping weekend of eating fried stuff and meat, I decided that enough was enough, and that I would go on a strict veggie/grain diet for a week after. I felt so much better with my home cooked meals, and gave myself cheese and egg allowances to feed that Umami cravings.

One of the best meals that I whipped up for the week was a quinoa over broccoli pesto, topped with coddled eggs (my favorite way to eat eggs!). The broccoli pesto was a breeze to make, and I used the leftovers to stir into my pasta, spread on bread to toast, or just put spoonfuls of it into my mouth for a quick tasting high protein snack!

Here's the recipe. I used frozen broccoli because it was cheaper and easier, but you could definitely substitute for fresh. The trick to cooking the broccoli is to steam it quick and dirty, or until the broccoli is just tender. Let the veggie cool to room temperature before buzzing in the processor.

Here's the recipe.

Broccoli Pesto
makes 1 pint

12 oz Frozen Broccoli
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan/Pecorino
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup Basil Leaves, Packed
2/3 cup Roasted Slivered Almonds
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & black pepper to taste

1. Bring 2 tbs of water to a boil in a saucepan
2. Add the broccoli and cover the pan
3. Cook till broccoli is just tender, about 5 minutes, strain any remaining liquid out
4. Reserve 2/3 cups broccoli for Quinoa
5. When the remaining broccoli has cooled, add to food processor
6. Add all the other ingredients, and process till fine
7. Add additional olive oil if necessary to maintain desired consistency (I like mine more pasty, instead of liquid)

Quinoa on Broccoli Pesto with Egg
serves 2

1/2 cup Broccoli Pesto
1 cup Cooked Quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked Quinoa with 1 cup liquid)
2/3 cup Cooked Broccoli (reserved from recipe above)
2 ea Eggs
2 Tbs Olive Oil

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Bring eggs to room temperature in warm water
2. Boil water in a sauce pot and remove from heat. Add the eggs, and let stand for 2 mins
3. Toss the quinoa, cooked broccoli, and olive oil together
4. Season the quinoa salad with salt & Pepper
5. Spread the broccoli pesto on the bottom of the plate
6. Top with the quinoa salad
7. Crack the soft cooked eggs on top of the quinoa & serve immediately

Light Bites at Night

2010-02-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

I first came across Panzanella when I was at Masa's. We up-scaled it by using tomato water gelee and micro basil, then served it as an amuse bouche. Although yummy, I don't think it carried off the "Rustic Bread Salad" feel quite as well. My kitchen has recently been stocked full with piles of bread - it seems that I've kind of developed a liking to it, especially when drenched in fat and oven baked till crunchy (OMG, am I eating crunchy food now too?). I hadn't thought about Panzanella in a long while, but with this surplus of bread, I thought it best to make the most of out it.

Traditionally, Panzanella was made with bread, tomatoes, olive oil, and flavored with basil and salt & pepper. Leftover ingredients were commonly thrown into the salad, making it somewhat of a peasant dish when there was not a lot of surplus. Same idea here, I thought I would stick to the bread, tomatoes & basil, but instead of using only bread as a base, I sliced some thick chiffonade (ribbons) of Basil to bulk the salad up, and it made for a really interesting lettuce stand in.

I also remember that when I staged at Jardinaire, we served a similar (more rustic) bread salad, with a farmer's cheese that was soft & chewy, marinated in olive oil and balsamic - integrating some great texture into the salad. I wanted to replicate that as well, and chose to use Burrata, a fresh Italian cheese similar to buffalo mozzarella, but with cream on the inside. You could also use Buffalo Mozzerella, but I liked the creamy insides that soaked into the crunchy bread, preventing it from becoming too dry.

Another twist on the salad included it being served warm, instead of cold (reserved for summer nights), and I did this my roasting the tomatoes in a pan, which also gave me the opportunity to infuse flavor into the salad by warming garlic slices. It's an absolute winner for lite bites at night!

Here's the recipe!

Panzanella

Serves 2

5 slices Good thick Bread, cut into 1/4" cubes
2 Tbs Olive Oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F. Season bread well with salt & pepper and toss with olive oil. Bake in a single layer in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown

1 cup Cherry or Grape tomatoes, halved
5 ea Garlic Cloves, sliced thin
2 Tbs Olive Oil

While the bread is baking, heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the garlic cloves and gently cook until slices start to soften, but not brown. Increase heat to high and add tomato halves. Roaste tomatoes until skin starts to brown. Remove from heat

2 cup Loosely packed Basil Leaves from thick stalks, chopped into 1/8" ribbons
2 balls Burrata or Buffalo Mozzerella balls, halved, then sliced into rings

Toss the bread, warm tomatoes & garlic mixture, basil and cheese together. Serve immediately and with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.

What's left is always right

2010-02-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Palo Alto weather has been kind of whacky of late, cold, rainy, and then a glorious day with sunshine and warmth, much like the one we had when the city's power went out (God is fair). I suppose it's "normal" for February, but I'm longing for spring already, even though I still have one more snowboarding trip to get in before the season completely changes.

The sun came out for a little bit yesterday, but just when I thought we'd get another nice day of sunshine, it started raining and got cold, making me long for something to warm me up from the inside. I also love making use of what's left in the fridge, and found two half bunches of celery, one from weeks (literally) ago when I used it for Mirepoix and another from Chinese New Year, when stir fried some fresh celery slices.

I'm not quite sure what came over me or where I'd even conjured up the idea, but braising the celery into a warm veggie stew just sounded like such a great idea. Plus, it gave me the option of folding laundry for an hour or two without having to tend to the stovetop.

To start, I used a combination of butter and olive oil, and sauteed some shallots (pantry staple) until they were nice and translucent. Then, not wanting to waste the tops and leaves of the celery stalks, and I chopped them up and threw them in the pan to bring the flavor out. Alcohol is a necessity whenever a stew is in the making, and it was a toss up between sake and vermouth, and since it was a "western" style stew, I opted for the vermouth instead. The vermouth glazed down into a really nice finish, and I added some chicken stock for a really nice broth, and poured it over the portioned celery stalks in my famous red Le Creuset pot.

Two hours later when I came back, the celery had really cooked down so that it was tender, and while raw celery is kind of neutral in taste, cooking it up really brings out it's unique flavor. Plus, it had time to slowly absorb the complexity of the broth, making it extra mouthwatering. I olive-oiled a couple slices of bread and toasted them in the oven for that crouton-ey crunch, and it was absolutely the perfect pairing to dip the bread into all that delicious soup.

It was so delicious I didn't even stop to take pictures!

I thought about it afterwards, and the idea of serving it up like a french onion soup came up - with a crouton on the top of the soup, and smothered in Gruyere cheese that's bubbling under the broiler. It sounds absolutely fantastic in my mind, and I think it will be back on the dinner menu very very soon; Preferably before spring is here.

Braised Celery Soup

1 head Celery, stalks sliced into 2-3 batons, tops and leaves roughly chopped
1 ea Shallot, sliced
1 cup Vermouth
2 cup Chicken Broth
1 oz Butter
2 tbs Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1. Preheat the oven to 320F
2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a saute pan
3. Add the shallots and saute until translucent and lightly browned
4. Add the celery tops and leaves and saute further until fragrant
5. Add the vermouth and cook down until a glaze
6. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil
7. Season the broth with salt and pepper to taste
8. Layer the celery in an oven proof pot, and pour the broth over, adding a little more water if necessary to cover all the celery
9. Cover the pot and braise for about 1.5 - 2 hrs, depending on how tender you like your celery

Serve with crunchy bread (Well oiled, and baked at 400F for about 10 minutes, until browned)

For a "frenched" style soup, slice the celery stalks on the bias before braising. Top with the crunchy bread and smother with grated Gruyere cheese. Broil uncovered until cheese browns and is bubbling.

Fat Tuesday February

2010-02-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

I've exhausted my cooking quota for February!

So Far:

Choir Dinner for 80
Vodka Marinara Pasta
Parsley Pesto Roasted Chicken
Death by Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Dinner with an Out-Of-Town Guest
Spring Pea Soup
Grilled Prime Rib with Gremolata
Roasted Chinese Chive Aioli Potato
Deconstructed Peanut Butter & Brandy Banana Pie

Chinese New Year Dinner
Preserved Duck and Winter Melon Double Boiled Soup
Chicken & Pork Dumplings
Tea Eggs
Yu Sang
Stir Fried Celery with Black Fungus
Drunken Chicken
Broiled Miso Black Cod
Braised Ginger Beef
Fried Noodles
Sago with Cantaloup and Pomelo

Dinner for Friends
Warm layered Foie Gras Terrine with Barely Cooked Eggs, Demi Glace, Creme Fraiche, and Chives
Braised Lamb Shank with Butternut Squash
Gorgonzola Souffle with Caramelized Pear

Plus, I might be picnicking with all the defrosted food from the Palo Alto Blackout!

Potstickers for Pasta?

2010-02-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

With Chinese New Year round the corner, I've started the time consuming effort of making Jiao Zi (Chinese Dumplings) way in advance. I'm also taking a break from pasta recipes (although, dumplings are sort of like a pasta right? Aren't raviolis the same thing, just a different shape?) so a post on dumplings seem to be in quite good order.

I started learning to make them when I was in living in England - a northern Chinese girl taught me. She did not know how to cook, but knew how to make dumplings since it was tradition in her family! The hardest part of it is making the skin, and pinching the ends together to form an ingot looking pouch. Getting the dough right is much like making pasta. You learn it right once, and you know it forever. It's very simply, a combination of flour, water, salt, and a bit of oil. I know some versions add egg, but I tend to stay away from it.

My little creations - ingot pouch dumpling for good luck on CNY!

To get it nice and thin, I usually suck it up and use a rolling pin, however, I'm sure you can use a pasta roller which will work just as well. These days, unless there's a very good reason to make the skin by hand, I'm picking it up from the Chinese Market for $1.39 - I would say the opportunity cost is worth it.

The fillings vary, but traditionally, the ingredients are: Pork, Dried Shrimp, Chives, Dried Mushrooms, Napa Cabbage & Ginger, seasoned with sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. The trick to getting the filling to just the right tasty-ness is to fry up a small ball of the filling, taste it then adjust for seasonings before stuffing the dumplings!. It seems so simple, but many people skip this step, and then wonder why their dumplings were not salty enough, or too sweet, etc etc.

This year, I'm having dinner with some folks that don't eat pork, so I had to make a chicken dumpling in addition to the regular ones, and I thought I'd share this one with you. Plus, I have a feeling most of my readers are lazy cooks like me, and don't really relish chopping everything into tiny bits that have to be of equal size, and the chicken dumplings have significantly less ingredients.

You also don't have to pleat the dumplings for this - simply sealing the skin with some warm water will do, but try to make sure that all the air pockets are expelled! To cook, boil, or do it pot stick style - brown the dumplings in a non-stick pan, then add 1/2 cup water, cover, and steam until fillling is cooked through. Now look, if you're absolutely "gian" to learn how to pleat, go here.

Here's the recipe for Chicken Jiao Zi

Makes about 20 dumplings

1 ea Chicken Breast, large (about 1/2 lb)
2 stalks Green Chives, Minced
4 stalks Yellow Chives, Minced
1 Tbs Minced Ginger
2 ea Dried Chinese Mushrooms, reconstituted, and minced
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Cornstarch
20 ea Dumpling Skins (for Potstickers or Gyoza)

Salt & White Pepper to Taste

1. Combine all the ingredients together, except for the dumpling skins
2. Season with salt and pepper
3. Fry up a small ball of the filling and adjust seasoning accordingly
4. Press a teaspoon full of filling into the center of a dumpling skin
5. Using your finger, wet the edges of the dumpling skin, and fold over the meat to seal
6. Store in the fridge, or freeze to keep for about 1 month
7. To cook, boil until dumplings float, or pan-fry in a little oil, add 1/2 cup water, cover, to steam

Funghi Faux Food

2010-01-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

I've been going veg about 3-4 times a week these days - seeing as I don't eat lunch either, a veg dinner usually comes in the form of pasta, since it's substantially heavier, and oh well, I am on a mission to complete 101 ways with it!

One of my favorite kitchen staples are dried exotic mushrooms, because they go a really long way. The re-hydrated liquid that they soak in also has tons of flavor, and can add to a pasta sauce, soup, or risotto very well.

The trick to cooking dried mushrooms is this - first, use very hot water so it doesn't take forever and a day to rehydrate. Next, once the mushrooms are hydrated, give it a really good squeeze to get rid of excess liquid.

(I know, sounds ironic right? First they are dried, then you add liquid, and now you want to remove the liquid... Make up your mind already!)

Then, before using the mushroom liquid, strain it to remove any fine grit and dirt that tend to be prevalent in dried mushrooms.

I usually end up stir frying (which is why they have to be fairly dry) the mushrooms because when your brown them, it caramelizes and brings out this really delicious flavor. To stir fry them, just heat a little oil, and throw in some garlic, then add the mushrooms, and resist stirring so parts of the mushroom bits can get nicely browned.

So anyway, back to this pasta dish - it rips off the flavor from browning mushrooms, and then adds green goodness with the spinach and peas. It's pretty tasty - check it out. If you want to go on the lighter side of things, skip the heavy cream, and reduce a cup of white wine instead!

Wild Mushroom & Spinach Capellini

Serves 2

2 oz Dried Wild Mushroom Mix
12 oz Bloomsdale Spinach, or other thick stemmed spinach. Don't use Baby Spinach or Chinese Spinach
1 cup Fresh or Frozen Peas
6 ea Garlic Cloves, sliced
4 Tbs Olive Oil
0.5 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Grated Hard Cheese, like Parmesan
2 Tbs Parsley, Minced
2 servings Capellini or other noodle pasta, cooked according to instructions
Salt & pepper to taste

1 Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of very hot water for about 15 minutes
2 Hang squeeze water from soaked mushrooms and reserve mushroom liquid
3 Heat 2 tbs olive oil in saute pan, then throw in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until garlic is lightly browned
4 Add the mushrooms to the pan and quickly saute until edges turn light brown
5 Add the spinach and the remaining olive oil, and saute until spinach starts to wilt
6 Add the reserved mushroom liquid and the heavy cream, and reduce until sauce starts to coat the back of a spoon
7 Add the peas and and cover pan until peas are just cooked, about 1 minute
8 Season pasta sauce accordingly, then toss noodles, cheese, and parsley well
9 Serve immediately

Baht for Your Buck?

2010-01-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

I kick started 2010 with an awesome weekend in Bangkok - it was kind of a "getting away from getting away" from my trip to Singapore, and just about enough time to spend in a hot, crowded, traffic infested city (wait, sounds like Singapore). I had not seen my friends Kim and Jane in 2 years, so it wonderful to be able to spend some quality time with them.

Also, while I visit Phuket almost every year, this was my first time to Bangkok - meaning that there was plenty to eat and explore from Thailand outside beach food!

I arrived in the evening on a Saturday - and the first stop for us was dinner at a local Thai cafe, with re-invented local cuisine. The owner of the restuarant started off by making her own ice cream, and then branched out into serving food. We had deep fried meatballs, crispy chicken wings, green curry served with a flaky pancake, much like Singaporean Roti Prata, and my favorite dish, the softshell crab yellow curry, served over fettucine pasta.

The next morning, I requested that we vist the local market. As I've mentioned in several other posts, the markets are often most representative of the local cuisine, and are always a stop on any trip!

Bangkok cuisine, like many other southeast asian coutries, is highly dependant on prepared street food. So, when we visited the market, it was no surprise that half of it was lined with hawkers selling either ready to eat food, or prepared food that you could take home with you and jazz into a dish with some fresh produce or protein.

For example, a housekeeper or a mom might come and purchase several different curry sauces and add chicken or fish to make a substantial curry, or buy fried, flavored fish flakes to serve on rice.

The market is also a place where you can get a quick snack - we munched on pork satays and sticky rice, which is what all the school kids eat after class! There was much we wanted to try, but sadly, our stomachs were too small!

Steamed curried fish paste, the equivalent of Otak-Otak

My favorite Thai dessert, coconut jam steamed in pumpkin

Thailand is country that is truly blessed with milk and honey. The land is abundant, and the climate is perfect for agriculture. Varieties of fruit are grown in abundance, many of which cannot be found in the west; Langsat, a golden brown fruit with white fleshy segments on the inside,

Durian, the king of all fruits, (and banned on the subway in Singapore)

My favorite durian candy when I was growing up

and Tamarind, a tangy pod fruit that is usually eaten as a candy, or is a staple ingredient that gives asian food that sour taste.

Similiarly, the waters around the area are teaming with all sorts of critters that you can eat - from giant river prawns the size of lobsters, to fresh crab, mussels, oysters, and scallops!

Dog's tongue fish

Who would want to eat anything but local in a country of this abundance?

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the refuge of air conditioning at the Jim Thompson house. Jim Thompson was an American Soldier who fell in love with Thailand and made it his home in the '50s, revitalizing the Thai silk and textile industry. There is some scandal to his story, as he was a former officer of the Office of Strategic Services, and sort of pre-cursor to the CIA, and in the late '60s he disappered in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, where no remains were every found. The story continues to be a mystery - was he killed, kidnapped, or did he really die of natural causes?

That aside, the Jim Thompson brand is a standard of quality in the textile industry, and I offloaded my shopping urges by picking up some good silk and linens. (*sigh of contentment)

The Jim Thompson brand recently expanded into food service as well, and we had lunch at the Jim Thompson House. My two favorite was the little handheld salads, a mix of nutes, crunch veggies in a leaf, and topped with plum sauce, and the fried catfish flakes with green papaya relish.

The food was very good, but it was kind of like eating hokkien mee at the hyatt.

The best food that I had in Bangkok though, was definitely the meals I had at Kim's place. There's something about home cooked food that really warms the soul, and cannot be found or replicated in any commercial kitchen.

Breakfast on both days was noodles - teochew beef ball with rice noodles, and fried noodles with all the good stuff!

And finally, dinner the night before I left - Crabs, northern duck, fried pork, salad, and soup!

It was the perfect way to end my glut fest - simple & homemade, just the way I like it after a weekend of indulgence.

Bangkok, I'll be back!