1. Tiny Bubbles! Send clouds of tiny bubbles skyward with this quick trick from Family Fun
2. Green Apple Compost Crock from Lake Land (Price is in Pounds, Amazon sells a similar apple compost crock in red)
3. Microwave Sea Salt Caramels from The Yummy Life
4. Rubber Boot Tray from Ballard Designs
5. Breakfast Galette from Cafe Fernado
6. Buttermilk Cream Tart with Apple Roses from Martha Stewart
7. The Year of the Dragon Commemorative Plates from Villeroy & Boch
8. LYSOL^® No-Touch^TM Kitchen System
9. Wean Green Snack Cubes  – I’m giving these to my friend Isabelle and her 11 month old baby. Ditch the plastic, go glass!

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | One comment

A reader asked me what miso paste tastes like, while she has enjoyed miso soup at Japanese restaurants, she couldn’t quite imagine what cooking with miso paste would be like.

So what flavor dimension does miso paste add to a dish? If I had to just choose one single word, I’d say “umami” which is just a fancy foodie term that writers and chefs use. This is a tough one…..but okay, if I couldn’t use that word, I’d say, “tasty.” Even just a teaspoon of miso paste added to a dish (whether it’s a sauce for the asparagus, salad dressing, mashed potatoes or casserole) makes the dish tastier.

Miso has a very deep, complex flavor – salty yet slightly sweet, a little nutty. Lately, instead of adding salt to a dish, I’ll stir in a small spoonful of miso paste.

I need a little help from you all – can you help me describe the taste of miso vs. salt? Maybe it’s easier to use an analogy:

Salt is to Miso…….as _____ is to _____.

And hey, the one who comes up with the best analogy gets a prize. How about a $25 gift certificate to the Steamy Kitchen Store?

***

*Why all these miso recipes? I’m developing recipes for Marukome, the makers of Miso & Easy and some of the very best miso paste. 

Miso Ginger Asparagus Recipe

This recipe couldn’t be simpler….

Basically, throw the asparagus on a baking sheet and roast. In the meantime, whisk together the remaining ingredients – pour on top when the asparagus is done!

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 18 comments

I’ve been pretty quiet on the cookbook development front – other than announcing that I scored a cookbook deal with a publisher that produces some of my very favorite books, Ten Speed Press, I haven’t shared much. I think most authors will agree, the process of writing a book isn’t terribly exciting, it takes a lot of discipline (which I lack), focus, (uh, that neither) and nimble fingers (I’ve got chronic tendonitis)….though I’ve found that I’m extremely deft in hitting the delete button with my ring finger.

Sometimes, I’ll be typing a sentence that my brain is thinking, but my fingers know better and my ring finger is already reaching for the delete button even before I finish the thought.

For this book, I’ve decided to keep my sanity, and instead of trying to develop, write, style and shoot the book all by myself, I’m going to get some help. My best friends, Todd and Diane are comin’ to help me style – all the pretty stuff like plates, linens, table settings. I’ll be shooting the photos myself, but I’m gettin’ loads ‘n loads of help from some of the best photographers in the business.

I love my friends.

We’ve also convinced Jenna from Eat Live Run to come along and help out. All I have to do is feed her….and she’s gonna help me in the kitchen!

The crew is coming in on Monday and we’re aiming to shoot an ambitious 12 recipes per day. So, if you happen to see an odd tweet or facebook post from my husband or sons, “Mommy is going CRAAAAZY!” you’ll know why.

Less than a week before they arrive and I’m already a giddy-excited wreck. I’ve been sugar and carb loading to deal with the nerves, wouldn’t you!? With a bag of Meyer lemons (thanks Julie!) in the refrigerator, my friend Kelly and I made these Crepes with Salted Lemon Butter Caramel.

My coping mechanism looks like this:

Sweet, tart and drippy.
Continue reading Crepes with Salted Lemon Butter Caramel...

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 22 comments

“Aha! a chicken to chase!”

Chase! Chase!

Instead of flapping wings and running to the coop, Fireflapper steps aside, stays put, right where she is and lets Coco, who thinks Fireflapper is going to run, pass on by.

“Uh oh. where’d she go?”

Right behind ya, Coco!

Fireflapper chases Coco, pecks her in the butt.

“Hi hen friend! Wanna play again?”

“Wanna play? Wanna play? huhhuhuh???”

“Come ‘on, let’s play!”

*peck*

ouch.

“Yeah, chase THIS you dumb dog!”

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 25 comments

Bacalao, pronounced [bah-kah-LAH-oh] is Portuguese dried, salted cod fish. Before refrigeration, fish was dried and preserved in salt to keep in the cellar. There are hundreds of variations of bacalao recipes, but my favorite has always been Bacalao con Patatas (bacalao with potatoes) – however I don’t make it much at home because traditional recipes require too many steps and forethought for my bad habits (impatience and spontaneity).

After spying a bag of bacalao at my local market, I decided to create a recipe that that would cut out a major tedious step. Unfortunately, I couldn’t nix the “forethought” part – as bacalao needs to be soaked overnight in water to get rid of some of its salt. It’s a step that can’t be skipped (boo) and there really isn’t a good shortcut.

The “major tedious step” I’m talking about is boiling the potatoes first before adding it to the dish. Okay, so I’m being dramatic, but bringing a large pot of water to boil (and of course, staring at the darn thing waiting for the first bubbles) and then cooking the potatoes until tender is crazy boring and requires another pot on the stove.

Instead, dice the potatoes into 1/2″ dice, briefly brown them in the saute pan along with the rest of the vegetables. Then add the bacalao, a cup of water, cover and let ‘em all simmer quietly and harmoniously for 15 minutes, just enough time to cook the potatoes through. 

Serve over pasta, rice, quinoa….or enjoy with a loaf of bread.

Salt Cod (Bacalao) with Potatoes over Rice  

Step 1: soak the bacalao overnight in cool water. This is a step you cannot skip….the fish will be way to salty.  

The fresh ingredients – bell pepper, garlic, onion, tomatoes, salt cod (bacalao), celery and potatoes. All the veg are diced small – quicker cooking! 

First, brown the potatoes in the saute pan.

Then saute the aromatics – garlic, onion, bell pepper, celery.

and add the rest of the ingredients in:

Including the de-salted (and drained) bacalao. 

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over rice, pasta, quinoa…or enjoy with a loaf of bread.

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 11 comments

Year of the Dragon Prediction (from Chinese Fortune Calendar)

“Dragon is a legendary animal and it is symbol of emperor in China. Since the Dragon is coated with mysterious color, Chinese consider that the dragon is unpredictable, untouchable and people cannot see its head and tail at the same time. Therefore, we can might see something unexpected happening in 2012.”

My prediction? Well, I’m no good at predicting things (which is why I’ve never won the lottery), but I’m all for major transformations this year!

Last year, I posted a long list of Chinese New Year recipes, and I’ve gotten several requests to republish the post. I’ve added a few new recipes as well.

Gong Hay Fat Choy!

From top left:

1. My Mother’s Famous Chinese Egg Rolls (egg rolls look like gold bars, which symbolize wealth)
2. Chinese Boiled Pork Dumplings (also symbolize wealth)
3. Pan Fried Shrimp & Pork Potstickers (wealth)
4. Shrimp Fried Rice (shrimp for happiness and joy)
5. Chinese Broccoli Beef Noodles (noodles for longevity)
6. Fresh Pear and Shrimp Stir Fry (shrimp for happiness and joy)

From top left:

1. Long Life Fertility Noodles and Happy Shrimp
2. Chinese Lettuce Cups (lettuce = rising fortune)
3. Hainanese Chicken Rice (serve your chicken whole & cut at table for Chinese New Year. Cooking a whole chicken or duck represents health — carving it before serving would meant to “cut” your health)
4. Chinese Tea Eggs (for prosperity)
5. Chinese Whole Steamed Fish
6. Stir Fried Beef with Nectarines (nectarine = happiness, health)

See more Chinese New Year Recipes on Steamy Kitchen!

More Chinese New Year Recipes

Jiaozi Dumplings – from my friends Nate & Mary Kate on Epicurious (who just came out with their Chinese cookbook Feeding the Dragon!)
Chicken Lettuce Cups - Nate & Mary Kate on Epicurious
Stir Fried Prawns with XO Sauce – Noob Cook
Stir Fried Leeks with Vegetable – Noob Cook
Chinese Almond Chicken – Appetite for China
Braised Bok Choy – Taste Hong Kong
Sichuan Wonton – Appetite for China
Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings (Sui Mai) – Flavor Explosions
Steamed Chicken in Lotus Leaf – RasaMalaysia
Stir Fried Pine Nuts with Corn and Peas – RasaMalaysia (dish means “full of gold and jade”)
Stir Fried Broccoli and Scallop – RasaMalaysia (“richness and abundance”)
Baked BBQ Pork Buns – RasaMalaysia
Soy Sauce Chicken – RasaMalaysia (though serve your chicken whole & cut at table for Chinese New Year. Cooking a whole chicken or duck represents health — carving it before serving would meant to “cut” your health)
Flank Steak with Fried Noodles – Food Network
Ketchup Prawns – Sea Salt with Food
Egg Dumplings – Show Shanti
Homemade Chili Oil – Show Shanti
Singapore Black Pepper Crab – Sea Salt with Food
Chinese Long Beans – Washington Post (long beans = longevity)
Chinese Almond Cookies – Simply Recipes (beautiful, Garrett, just beautiful!)
Fortune Cookie Recipe – Martha Stewart
Fortune Cookie Recipe video – Cookbook Maniac (love her tips for fortune cookies)
Chocolate Fortune Cookies – Martha Stewart
Vegetarian Buddha’s Delight – Epicurious
Orange Peking Duck – recipe from Ken Hom, author of Ken Hom’s Top 100 Stir Fry Recipes
Sweet & Sour Pork – recipe from Grace Young, author Breath of a Wok
Buddha’s Delight with Tofu & Brocooli- Cooking Light
Peanut Sesame Noodles – Appetite for China
Soy Sauce Chicken – Appetite for China
Water Chestnut Cake with Ginger – Appetite for China
Dragon Well Tea Shrimp – Appetite for China
Dan Dan Mian – Appetite for China
Stir Fried Noodles, Taiwanese Style – Explore Hong Kong
Chinese New Year Cake – Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook
Scallion Pancakes – Tigers and Strawberries (perfect recipe. we made these many times)
Chinese White Cut Chicken – Sunday Nite Dinner (serve your chicken whole & cut at table for Chinese New Year. Cooking a whole chicken or duck represents health — carving it before serving would meant to “cut” your health)
Tea Smoked Duck – Cooking Channel
Nian Gao Cake - Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook
Shanghai Style Nian Gao – Donna Cooks (“rising higher each year” This dish is a must for our table – I love the soft, chewy noodles. This is also one of my Dad’s hometown dishes)
Stir Fried Shanghai Nian Gao – mmm-yoso
Lion’s Head Meatballs – NY Times (lion = strength; big round meatballs = family togetherness)
Fuscshia Dunlop’s Braised Pork Belly – Cookbook Maniac
Chinese Walnut Cookies – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong
Paper Lined Cup Sponge Cake – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong
Dragon Cookies – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong (love this idea – we’ll make these dragon cookies w/my kids)
Almond Cookie Cresents – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong
Double Sided Gold Noodles – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong (one of my favorite noodles as a kid)
Steamed Pork Bun Recipe + how to fold Chinese buns video – Christine’s Recipes
Braised Chinese Mushrooms – Christine’s Recipes (easy dish to make, we always have whole Chinese mushrooms on CNY)
Egg Custard Pastry – Christine’s Recipes (with a cheater crust! brilliant)
Stir Fried Glutinous Rice – Christine’s Recipes
Stir Fried Broccoli with Fish Fillet – Christine’s Recipes
Tomato Chili Prawns – Christine’s Recipes (shrimp = laughter and joy)
Butter Cookies – Christine’s Recipes
Braised Chinese Mushrooms – Christine’s Recipes
Baked Coconut Cake – Christine’s Recipes
Radish Cake – Christine’s Recipes

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 18 comments

It’s nearly mid-January and I’ve been working hard testing recipes, writing, photographing my next Steamy Kitchen book. Writing a cookbook is possibly one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done – even skydiving holds no candle to obsessing over creating perfect recipes and enticing photos for 12 months.

I’ve enlisted one of my best friends, Kelly, to help me once a week in the kitchen. Kelly was the very first friend I made when we moved to Florida and I don’t think I would have made it without her love and support – Scott and I had sold a house, bought a house, moved cross-country, started a business, got married, went on a honeymoon and got pregnant in 2 months flat. (Whew!)

Nathan, Andrew and Kelly’s son are best friends as well, all of them around the same age. The 3 Muskateers are often spotted dashing across the lawn with Nerf guns, hiding in a corner playing their Nintendo or out in the back pond luring a fish.

Kelly is a grad from Le Cordon Bleu, works as a personal chef and at the Viking Cooking School — so she knows her way around the kitchen. I couldn’t have found a better match!

How to make Grilled Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing

The ingredients:

Continue reading Grilled Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing...

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 11 comments

1. These Inside Out Bowls from Anthropolgie are so pretty!
2. Wrapping idea! Scalloped Paper Bags from The Party Studio
3. Instant outdoor sink—no plumbing required! Found on Solutions.com
4. Stuffed Green Peppers with Brown Rice, Italian Sausage, and Parmesan from Kayln’s Kitchen
5. Van Gogh’s Starry Night made from spices from Geek O System.
6. Raspberry Popsicles from RecipeBoy. Brooks is Lori RecipeGirl’s son! These raspberry popsicles were his top recipe from 2011.

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 12 comments

The hens out to go fluff in the dirt, scratch in the straw and peck at devour my garden. The hens LOVE to eat the lettuce, broccoli leaves, mustard green leaves and bok choy. They love it so much that I find sad bare stems at the end of the day. I used to get upset seeing those bare stems – nurturing a garden is hard work! But I’ve finally made peace with the hens’ appetite, I garden for them and for us. All I can say is that their eggs better be mighty tasty.

Before the kids head off to school, they’ll go outside and let the girls out. They are quite obedient and orderly, and will follow you in a single file line.

especially if they know you have a special treat (worms!) in your hand.

We also obsessively check the nesting boxes for any eggs. My friend, Jan gave us these wooden eggs to place in the nesting boxes to kinda give the hens a hint hint of what they’re supposed to do and where they’re supposed to do it. We have 3 nesting boxes, each with 2 wooden eggs.

So every morning, one of the boys will climb on top of the stool, lift up the top of the nesting box lid, peek in and count: box 1 with 2 wooden eggs, box 2 with 2 wooden eggs, box 3 with 2 wooden eggs.

Yesterday, box 1 check,  box 2 check, box 3……

AN EGG!!!

It’s the one on the left, the bright, peachy-pink egg.

We think it’s Oreo’s egg, as Scott spied her sitting in the nesting box earlier that morning.

Yes, this little Oreo, who just 5 months ago looked like this:

Awwwww….how fast she’s grown.

The egg is small, perfect, heavy. Not quite big enough for breakfast for 1, so we cooked the egg along with a store-bought organic egg. Can you tell which is which?

This morning, when we went to check on the hens and to let them out, we saw Fire Flapper sitting in the nesting box. I’ll report back if we find another egg!

***

Our chicken stories

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 33 comments

A few weeks ago, I bought a bottle of Asian Orange Ginger Salad Dressing and after only one use, it sat in the back of the refrigerator looking a little sad and rejected. I guess I was expecting so much more from the words, “orange” and “ginger” on the label – words that provoke an immediate emotional and sensory response in me: fresh, zingy, clean and tingly from the heat of the ginger.

Unfortunately for the maker of the dressing, who shall remain unnamed in this little rant, the dressing was overly sweet with a fake candy-like orange flavor and there was no hint of ginger whatsoever.

I should have known better than to buy the bottle in the first place. Making my own salad dressing only takes 10 minutes and I always have the ingredients on hand in the kitchen.

To me, making dressing is all about balance of flavor: lively and tangy, slightly sweet, a little heat and just enough sea salt to bring out all of the flavor notes.

In Asian-style dressing, tangy comes from sweetened or seasoned rice vinegar (see photos above of Mitsukan rice vinegars)  – which is vinegar made from rice and seasoned with just a bit of sugar. You can also used unsweetened or unseasoned rice vinegar too. I always have both on in my pantry.

As for the slightly sweet, I love using a bit of honey to balance out the vinegar. The oil I use for Asian dressings is neutral flavored light vegetable oil – olive oil is too strong in flavor. I’ve also used grapeseed oil and rice oil.

Freshly grated ginger provides the heat, no need to even peel the ginger, unless the brown outer skin is dry and thick. Use a rasp or microplane grater and go at it until you have about 1 teaspoon.

The fruit in the dressing is flexible – use any citrus: orange, lemon, lime, tangerine, blood orange or go a little more exotic with passion fruit (cut in half spoon out fruit only).

In this photo, I’ve paired the Orange Ginger Vinaigrette with heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil – just to change up the normal caprese salad into something more lively.

*I’ve developed this recipe for a client, Mitsukan, the maker of rice vinegar shown above.

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 20 comments