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Lemon Sabayon Tart on a Pine Nut Crust

I brought this tart to my weekly girls' gathering to watch The Bachelor and it was a hit! The Boy had indicated that my American lemon tart last week was too sweet, so I decided to make a sabayon instead for a lighter, tarter flavor.

Sabayon is a light custard with Italian origins, usually made in a bain-marie. I use one of my metal mixing bowls over a simmering pot of water with a slightly wider diameter for the bain-marie. Also, if you watch the Food Network, they usually use a hand whisk and beat very fast. Sorry, I'm short and have to tip toe to look over my pot on the stove, so an electric whisk is my tool of choice here. You have to be a little careful in the beginning too though, and pulse the electric whisk. Otherwise your sabayon-to-be is going to fly all over the place!

This recipe is from Thomas Keller's 'Bouchon'.

PINE NUT CRUST
Cooking time: 30 mins
Equipment: 9 inch springform pie pan

2 cups pine nuts (I used a mix of pine nuts, almonds, walnuts and macadamias cos that's what I had left in the pantry)
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg (approx. 2oz/60g)
1 tsp vanilla extract

*****

1. Preheat your oven at 350F/175C.

2. Put the nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times until roughly fine. Transfer into your mixer bowl and add the sugar and flour. Mix well.

3. Add butter, egg and vanilla extact and mix well to incorporate all the ingredients. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal parts (I weigh each part) and wrap each piece in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least 10 mins before using. If you are like me and like your crust a bit thicker - which is wonderful with this nutty crust - I divide the dough into 2 equal parts instead of 3. The extra dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.

4. Press the chilled dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of your pie pan. Trim off any excess dough. Bake in the oven for 15 mins, then rotate it and bake for a further 15 mins until pale golden brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool while you make your sabayon.


LEMON SABAYON
Cooking time: 10 mins
Equipment: 1 metal mixing bowl, 1 pot with a slightly bigger diameter, 1 (electric) whisk

2 large eggs, cold
2 large egg yolks, cold
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 3 large lemons)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold

*****

1. Fill the pot with about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.

2. In your metal mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together well.

3. Set the bowl over the pot and whisk the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating - you will need oven gloves for this). After about 2 mins of whisking, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened slightly, add 1/3 of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously for approx 2 mins. When the mixture thickens again, add another 1/3 of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again and add the remaining lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously, turning the bowl, until the mixture has thickened and leaves a trail on the surface when you lift your whisk. The total cooking time should be approx 8-10 mins.

4. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Divide the butter into 6 pieces and whisk each piece in one at a time.

5. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust. Give it a few small shakes so that the sabayon fills the tart crust evenly.

6. Preheat the broiler and, while the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Watch it as it browns in a few seconds, rotating the tart for an even color. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. The sabayon will thicken and set as it cools. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Stir fried Beef Tenderloin w/ Spring Onions and Ginger

Part of what drives me to blog is to demystify Chinese cooking. Chinese cooking doesn't have to be a big production, although it can be. It isn't difficult or inconvenient if you have the basic pantry items, which keep and keep and keep. You don't need a wok - a skillet will work - but why wouldn't you want a wok? =) Authentic Chinese food is exceedingly healthy (no cloying sugary Pei Wei sauces, although those are nice sometimes) and works with your body. And it is yummy.

For example, beef is great if you are tired and need an energy boost (roll call all pregnant moms out there). Ginger has many health benefits as well. It is invigorating, and great for postpartum moms who have a lot of 'wind' in their body that ginger can 'drive out' (although some doctors warn against eating too much ginger if your baby is jaundiced). During my own pregnancy, I have been craving (among other things) ginger, tofu and sweets. If you have lost your appetite due to morning sickness, ginger can revive it.

The Boy and I are also on a fat free kick at the moment. So I've inserted comments here and there how we try to get there. All suggestions are welcomed.

An easy method of Chinese cooking is stir fry, so let me get onto tonight's dish:

STIR FRIED BEEF TENDERLOIN w/ SPRING ONIONS AND GINGER

A - Meat and Marinade
10 oz beef tenderloin, thinly sliced
(Springerhill brand is the leanest and is recommended by nutritionist Keith Kline. It can be found at Smart Meals (Fountainview) and, I'm told, Randalls)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soya sauce (Korean brands are lower in sodium)
1 tbsp ginger juice (put a small piece of ginger in the garlic press and squeeeze...)
1 tbsp Chinese wine (vermouth or dry sherry works too)
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp oil

B - Vegetables
2" root of ginger, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
5 spring onions, cut into 5 cm strips

C - Seasoning
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp Chinese wine

*****

A - Marinate the beef with the ingredients (in order - dry ingredients first). Leave for 10 mins.

In a wok, heat 2 tbsp of oil (high heat). When the oil is smoking and very hot, stir fry the beef slices to seal in the juices. When the beef is cooked and not pink anymore, ladle it out and set aside.

B - Rinse and dry the wok. Then, in the wok, heat 1 tbsp of oil (medium heat). Add ginger and stir fry for a few seconds to flavor the oil. Add garlic and spring onions and stir fry until an aroma rises. Don't let the garlic brown as it will turn bitter - control your heat and add it last always.

(I also like to add 1/2 tsp of chili flakes at this point to give the dish a bit of kick.)

C - Mix in the cooked beef slices. Serve hot.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! We've been in a flurry since Christmas and now that Junior (represented by the tiny red stocking) is hotting up mommy's belly. Here's a recap of what we've been up to:

The Boy cooked up a fantastic breakfast
with leftover post-Christmas black bean soup,
hash browns, eggs and his very own ranchero sauce.

Coffee with our Cousin Elizabeth,
who knows the coolest places in town.
The perfect rosetta, and pink shoes for Junior.

The Boy attempted some haute cuisine for his
cousinas, with a deconstructed peanut butter and jelly
that he saw Bobby Flay do on Iron Chef.

Back in Houston, TX, where The Boy
continued his culinary streak.
(I had a wee sip only)

The Boy's virgin roasted tenderloin. Perfection!

He also baked the most scrumptious butter almond cake
with chocolate glaze. I am so proud!

To top it off, this is a picture of our ridiculous
New Year's Eve Scrabble game --
there were at least three 7-letter words,
and the final score was an incredulous (for us)
425 pts to 357 pts!

Chicken Poblano Soup

Specially for my Bachelor girls. A quick and easy entree for laid back entertaining. Some tricks for making your food fat free as well.

CHICKEN POBLANO SOUP
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 20 mins

A - Aromatics
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 poblano chilis, seeded and finely chopped (I used jalapenos today cos that's what I had in the fridge)

B - Liquids
1 can chopped fire-roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen makes a good one)
4 cups chicken stock (store bought or homemade - if homemade, store in fridge overnight and skim the white layer of fat off before using)
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp epazote, a Mexican spice (optional)

C - Meat
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

D - Tortillas (OK, this is not fat free)
Corn tortillas (approx 12)
Grapeseed oil (or any other oil with a high smoke point)
Chili olive oil (optional - I like to use a bit of chili oil to add a kick.)

E - Other garnishings (pick and combine as you like)
Cheese, shredded (Monterey Jack, which you can find fat free) (I used the Butter Queso I had in my fridge today)
Scallions or cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
Romaine Lettuce, julienned
Lime wedges

*****

A - In a 5 quart dutch oven or other pot, fry the chopped onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Just as they soften and get translucent, add the garlic and poblano. The reason you add the garlic second is so that it doesn't brown and get bitter.

B - Stir in the canned tomatoes, stock, water and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 mins.

C - Add shredded chicken.

D - While the soup is simmering, prepare the tortilla strips. In a skillet, heat up a half-half combination of grapeseed oil and chili olive oil (if using) - about 1/2 inch high. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut each tortilla in half and each half in strips about 1/4 inch wide. Deep fry in the oil until crispy and slightly browning at the edges. Remove and rest on kitchen towels to drain the excess oil. You'll probably have to do this in 3-4 batches, depending on the size of your skillet.

E - Serve soup with garnishings on the side, so that your guests can pick and choose according to their tastes.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Eating well?

I'm snowed in in Kansas City at the moment, where we are visiting The Boy's family. Don't worry, my in-laws a big time foodies, so we have a lot of food stored up for the winter blizzard days. I've also been, quite literally, eating for two. =)

You may notice that I've expanded my Table of Contents on the right-hand column to include some more technical methods of cooking: Braising, Stewing, Roasting and Baking. The Boy and I have also been trying to eat vegetarian at least once a week, so I've included a category for "Vegetarian". All my Asian cooking is also clearly marked under "Asian" with the country of origin.

Thank you for reading my blog so faithfully. Do leave a comment if you are passing through, tell me what you like to eat, share a recipe, say hello.

Coq au vin

It is ok to use sparkling shiraz to make coq au vin.

At least, that's what I discovered this time...

Coq au vin used to be *the* dinner party dish. But with the simplification of cooking, it's halo has somewhat dimmed. I know we have had several chicken casserole dishes recently, but this was what I made for a dinner party last Thursday, so thought I would post it.

You won't believe the funny story I have though: So, I knew I had a bottle of red someone had given us in the pantry. A Beaujolais or dry fruity Pinot Noir is recommended, but really any table red has worked well for me in the past. So I don't give it a second thought. I go grocery shopping, come home, prep everything, dredge the chicken and all. Just as I'm ready to pour in the braising liquid, I happen to glance at the label casually and, guess what it was? *Sparkling* red wine. Well, too late now. I prayed and poured it in.

It worked great.

So, I'm even more convinced now that absolutely any red will work. But this might be black swan white swan thing.

Anyways... recipe adapted from Molly Stevens fantastic book on braising.

RECIPE: COQ AU VIN
Cooking time: 1 hour
Equipment: 1 cast iron Dutch oven or heavy casserole, tongs, parchment paper, 1 covered non-stick skillet

A - Meat
4 oz bacon, diced - slab bacon (without the rind), pancetta, or the bacon fat you have in a teacup in the fridge will work
1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs), cut into 8 pieces - the butcher can do this for you
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter

B - Aromatics
1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped into 1/2" pcs
1 carrot, chopped into 1/2" pcs
1 tbsp tomato paste

C - Braising liquid
2 tbsp cognac
1 bottle dry, fruity red wine (750ml)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup chicken stock

D - Garnish
10 oz frozen pearl onions
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

*****

A - Add the diced bacon in your Dutch oven, cold, and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon until it is browned and crispy all over on the outside. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the rendered fat behind. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the fat.

While the bacon is cooking, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Spread the flour in a small baking dish or other flat dish and dredge each piece of chicken, coating on all sides. When the butter has melted, lift each piece of chicken with tongs, shaking off any excess flour, and ease them into the hot bacon fat/butter. Sear on both sides, turning with tongs, until the skin turns a deep golden brown. Transfer chicken to a large platter (I usually use the overturned side of my Dutch oven cover). You will probably have to do this in two batches - just add another tbsp of butter for the second batch.

Pre-heat oven to 325 F / 163 C.

B - Melt the butter in the pot. Saute the onion and carrot until the vegetables are softened and very slightly browning. Add the tomato paste and mix well with the vegetables.

C1 - Add the cognac and bring to a vigorous simmer. To deglaze the pot, scrape off the caramelized bits at bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Simmer and stir until the liquid is almost all gone.

Raise the heat to high, add the red wine, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium and simmer until the wine has reduced to half.

Add the reserved bacon and chicken stock, bringing to a boil. Then turn off heat. You should have a rich red liquid. Ladle 1/2 cup of braising liquid and set aside (to cook the pearl onions later).

C2 - Return the chicken pieces into the pot in a single layer, with the chicken breasts on the top, skin side down. Pour in any juices that collected as the chicken sat.

Cover the pot with parchment paper, pressing down so that the paper nearly touches the chicken and extends over the sides of the pot a little. Weigh the parchment paper down with the lid. Place the pot on the lower rack of the oven to braise.

After 15 mins, uncover and turn the breast pieces over with your tongs. Return to the oven - do all this quickly so that the braising liquid doesn't lose too much simmer! Continue braising for another 45 mins until the chicken meat is fork-tender.

D1 - While the chicken is cooking, start working on the garnish. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a non-stick skillet. Add frozen onions and saute until they are slightly browning. Season with salt and pepper, and add the reserved 1/2 cup of braising liquid. Cover and simmer until onions are tender (test with a fork). Remove the lid, increase heat to a boil and reduce the liquid to a glaze. Transfer onions and glaze to a small platter, scraping the skillet with a wooden spoon.

Return the skillet to the stove and melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter. When the butter stops foaming, saute the mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Continue to saute until the mushrooms have released all their moisture and start searing slightly. Remove from heat.

Return onions and glaze to the skillet with the mushrooms and set aside.

D2 - To finish the dish, remove the Dutch oven from the oven when the chicken is fork-tender. Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving dish and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Place the pot over high heat and bring the gravy to a boil, reducing it until it has thickened to the consistency of a vinaigrette.

Lower heat and add reserved garnish of onions and mushrooms. Heat through and spoon gravy over chicken pieces. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

You can serve this with tagliatelle or mash potatoes. We made super healthy mash potatoes with non-fat milk and non-fat sour cream and lots and lots of black pepper!

Chicken and No Dumplings

There is nothing more warming on a winter's day than a bubbling braise. Particularly, for the first time in history, we have early snow in Houston!

I made this braise for a quick family dinner when we were up in Kansas City over Thanksgiving with The Boy's folks. It was so good that I was thinking about it the next morning and the next night, and had it for breakfast and a late night supper!

It's super easy too. Braising has only a few basic steps - sear meat, cook aromatics, deglaze pan with braising liquid, cook, garnish and serve - and then it's all about practice. Every time you braise, it's just about these 4 things: meat, aromatics, braising liquid, garnish.

The reason why I've called it 'Chicken and No Dumplings' is because we aren't very fond of dumplings in this household. The only dumplings we like are Chinese jiaozi, which I make fresh and always have a batch in the freezer for a quick meal (like the one The Boy is having at the moment, after having been sent home from work because of the snow *pfft*). The chicken stands magnificently on its own though, so it's not a big loss. You can serve it with mashed potatoes, or boiled fingerling potatoes, and/or a baguette. Yum.

Here's to heartwarming homecooked meals this winter!

RECIPE: CHICKEN AND NO DUMPLINGS
Cooking time: Approx. 1 hour
Equipment: 1 Dutch oven or heavy casserole

A - Meat
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces - the butcher can do this for you
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp butter

B - Aromatics
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 yellow onions, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 strips lemon rind
1/4 tsp nutmeg

C - Braising liquid
1 cup Vermouth or a dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock

D - The Liason (a French technique to thicken and enrich the gravy at the end)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and black pepper
1/2 lemon, squeezed
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

*****

A - Season the chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or heavy casserole, melt the butter and sear the chicken meat until the skin is blonde (not brown). If you cannot fit all the meat in at one go, do it in two batches. Set aside (I always set aside the meat on the overturned cover of my casserole).

B - Melt the butter and fry the vegetables until the onions are soft and glistening. Take in the aroma of the onions, mixed with spices and heady fragrance of the lemon.

C - Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape off those caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan which will give the braise depth of flavor. Bring down to a simmer and cook until the liquid has been reduced by half. Add in chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Return the chicken pieces into the casserole in this order: layer all the pieces in a single layer at the bottom of the casserole, and the two breasts pieces on top, skin side down. Cover and simmer gently for 10 mins.

After 10 mins, uncover the casserole and turn the breast pieces over so that it's laying skin side up. If the liquid is simmering too turbulently, lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover again and continue to braise for another 30 mins. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

Remove the chicken pieces to your serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

D - Whisk the egg yolks, cream, salt and pepper. Whisk in a ladle of the gravy in to warm the egg mixture slowly, so that the eggs do not scramble. At very low heat, slowly incorporate the egg mixture into the gravy and stir until it thickens and leaves the side of the pan slightly - a little like making custard. Be careful to control your heat - you don't want the eggs to scramble! Taste and add more salt or pepper or lemon juice as desired.

Spoon over the chicken. Garnish and serve with some boiled fingerling potatoes and sliced baguette to soak up that delicious gravy.

Clay Pot Rice

The Boy and I are on a little health streak at the moment, with a special focus on diet. I find that, when eating out, ordering a steamed chicken breast with the sauce on the side is an easy way of keeping my diet clean but still accessible. Most restaurants will be happy to oblige.

At home, it is equally easy and can be very flavorful. Claypot Rice is basically rice and steamed chicken, with a dash of soy, a touch of ginger and combined with the sweet juiciness of Chinese mushrooms, cooked in a clay pot. Very healthy (although my nutritionist will probably insist on cutting out the sesame oil). Very delicious.

A clay pot is, at the very basic, a pot made of clay. It is traditionally porous and unglazed, but modern clay pots have a smooth finish and don't require pre-soaking. Because clay diffuses heat well, it doesn't get very hot and acts like a "quick" slow cooker. As the food cooks, it slowly releases juices and everything cooks in its own juice, all of which is kept sealed in the pot until it has all been absorbed/evaporated. This results in a tender flavorful chicken in a relatively short time.

If you don't own a clay pot, a heavy lidded casserole is a good substitute.

Definitely much better than fried rice.

RECIPE: CLAY POT RICE
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 25 mins

A - Meat
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size strips OR chicken pieces
2 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp chicken stock powder
Dash of white pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1" ginger, cut into thin strips
6-8 Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 15 mins

B - Rice
2 cups rice
Water

C - Optional meats
1 low fat Chinese sausage, sliced

D - Seasoning
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tsp sugar
Dash of white pepper

E - Garnishing
Small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

*****

A - Marinate the chicken and mushrooms with the ginger in the fridge for 1 hour.

B - Cook rice - I do this in an electric rice cooker.

C - When the rice is cooked and hot and still moist, transfer it into the clay pot. Layer A and C on top. Cover tightly and cook for 25 mins on low heat. Do not open the cover at any point!

D - Meanwhile, fry the garlic till it is fragrant, then add the rest of the seasoning. When C is cooked, pour the seasoning over and mix the whole pot thoroughly. Do not worry if there is a hard layer of rice at the bottom - this is, for me, the best bit! Almost like baked chewy rice that you can dig out with a metal spoon at the end of the meal.

E - Garnish and serve immediately.

MUMMY LIM'S CHICKEN CURRY

There is no way I can ever replicate my mum's curry. I've tried.

But I've come pretty close.

My mum's curry is simply the best chicken curry in the whole world. The Boy is a biiiiig fan. If you've ever eaten curry of any sort in a restaurant, which invariably involves coconut milk, you may be surprised to find out that curry can be exceedingly healthy. Nothing but chicken breast, spices, vegs and water.* In other words, full of mummy goodness. And it tastes just as rich and yummy as the coconut milk version.

* At home, we use chicken pieces on the bone - basically one chicken chopped up. This makes the curry more flavorful. But The Boy doesn't like bones (it's too fiddly), so I use breast instead. P.S. Mummy Lim says: Flavor and moisture comes from the bone and skin. If using breast, mix 1-2 tbsp of water in with the chickent marinade.

The secret is time and quantity of water. The chicken needs to be marinated for at least one hour (just do it before you go to work in the morning), and always add less water than you are thinking. Don't forget, everything else - chicken, vegs - gives off water as they cook.

With that introduction, I present...

MUMMY LIM'S CHICKEN CURRY
Cooking time: 20 mins

A - Marinade
2lbs chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces OR chicken pieces
2.5 tbsp curry powder
Light soya sauce

B - Aromatics
2 onions, finely chopped or blitzed in short spurts in the food processor
1 fresh red chili (optional), chopped or blitzed together with onions
5 cardamon seeds
4 cloves
2" cinnamon stick

C - Vegetables
4 tomatoes, chopped or blitzed
2 potatoes, cut into bite size pieces

D - Garnishing
Parsley, chopped finely

*****

A - Marinate chicken with a splash of soy and half of the curry powder for at least 1 hour in fridge. Mix the other half the curry powder with a small splash of water to create a thickish paste.

B - In a pot that will be big enough to accommodate the chicken and potatoes in roughly one layer, heat 1 tbsp of oil, fry onions and spices until fragrant. Most of the water from the onions should have evaporated and the mixture glistens slightly. Add the curry paste and fry until fragrant.

Add in marinated chicken and mix well.

C - Add tomatoes and some water. An approximate gauge for the quantity of water would be up to the level of the chicken and (later on) potatoes. Bring to a boil.

D - When the gravy is at a rolling boil, add the potatoes. Keep at a rolling boil until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes soft (approx 20 mins). Add more salt to taste.

E - Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with white rice.

Note: If you add too much water, do not fear. Just scoop up the chicken and potatoes when they are cooked, and boil the gravy alone until it has reduced to a thickish consistency.

It is truly my joy to share some of my culture and heritage with you. I hope this allows you to enjoy some South East Asian home goodness, at home!

Red Braised Pork Belly (Lo Bak)

White people approach pork belly the first time with caution. But when they taste the meltingness of pork belly in their mouths, they are invariably won over. Of course, there is the health issue. Pork belly - much like duck, fried chicken, the New York strip, cheeseburger soup etc - is a heart attack waiting to happen. Which kinda makes me hope that Guy Fieri works out after every episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Hey, even Chinese people don't eat pork belly everyday.

But on special occasions, this can be a very warming dish. Particularly now that the weather's gotten nippy. I am told that chefs of old used to strain the red braise liquid (lu) and store it for the next braise, so that every new braise added another depth of that rich, salty, sweet, aromatic flavor. I've tried that with mixed success - maybe I shouldn't have put it in the freezer. But it gets used up pretty fast before the next braise anyway. I like using leftover lu to flavor fried rice, hard boil eggs in, crack a soft boil egg in etc.


RED BRAISED PORK BELLY (LO BAK)
Cooking time: 3 hours

A - Meat
1 slab pork belly (1.5 to 2 lbs), without the rind
2 tbsp five spice powder

B - Base
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 oz Chinese rock sugar or 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

C - Braising liquid
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup mushroom flavored dark soy sauce
5 cups chicken stock or water

D - Aromatics
2" galangal (also known as blue ginger or lengkuas) or fresh ginger, thickly sliced
3 scallions or leeks, cut into 1" pieces
3" cinnamon stick
2 star anise

E - Garnish
1 bag of bak choy

*****

A - Rub the meat with the five spice powder and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

B - In a wok or pot (I use my trusty Le Creuset casserole here), heat the oil and sugar on medium heat until all the sugar has melted and turns golden. Add the garlic - be careful as the sugar will bubble up. Turn the heat down so that the sugar doesn't burn.

C - When the garlic is yellow and fragrant and the molasses colored, add the braising liquids. Don't worry if the sugar hardens at first - it will melt back into the liquid in a while. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil.

D - Add the spices for 1-2 minutes to make sure the aroma of the spices melds into the liquid. Slide the pork in carefully and braise, uncovered, for 3 hours. Make sure that the gravy is constantly on a rolling boil. It should thicken towards the end of the cooking time, reducing about half. But if it is too thick (and therefore salty), add more chicken stock or water as needed.

E - Meanwhile, wash and trim the bak choy, paying particular attention to the dirt inside each leaf that collects at the base. Drain or give it a quick spin in a salad spinner (one of my best kitchen buys!). Just before you are ready to serve, bring a pot of water to boil and slip the bak choy in, head first. Par-boil for about 3 mins - you want the bak choy to still be crisp and retain its nutrients.

Arrange the bak choy on a large platter. With tongs, take the pork belly out and slice into 1cm pieces or 2cmx2cm chunks. Arrange the pork belly slices neatly on top of the bak choy, and ladle some gravy over. Strain and serve the rest of the gravy in a separate bowl.

Serve with white rice.

Roasted Butternut Squash

I have a fantastic and simple recipe (aren't the most fantastic recipes often simple?) from one of my best friends and bridesmaids, the gorgeous, passionate and talented Anna Bishop. We started this recipe chain thing (people who have not replied, you know who you are!) and this was the recipe that she sent along.

It's also very versatile. I would eat it alone, as a trimming to a roast, or make soup. It's quite difficult for two people to finish an entire squash, so I took the leftovers and made soup the next day! Just blitz with some chicken stock and a dash of milk/cream and reheat. Serve with toast. It was yummy...

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Cooking time: 30 mins

1 butternut squash
3/4 tsp cumin
3 tbsp oregano
3 tbsp ground coriander seeds
3 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of chili powder (to taste)
3 tsp salt
Olive oil or olive oil spray

*****
Cut butternut squash into 4 inch wedges (quarter it lengthwise, half each quarter). Spray each wedge with olive oil, toss in mixed spices. Arrange on baking tray. Roast at 200 C/ 390 F for 30 mins.

The sweet and tender meat of the butternut squash simply melds in the oven with the salty and crunchy spice mix. Beautiful!

Imjadarah

I'm going to try this recipe that my friend, Fadi, just shared with me from his childhood in Lebanon. Quote Fadi: "It's high fiber, high protein, low fat, filled with goodness." How can I not experiment? But I need some friends in the know to help me out with tasting whether my version is authentic or not!

Shared with permission.

RECIPE: IMJADARAH

Equipment: 1 big pot

A - Aromatics
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic chopped
3 stalks scallions, chopped

B - Lentils
2 cups brown lentils
3 cups water

C - Rice
1 cup rice (basmati)
2 cups water

D - Seasoning
Salt, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Pinch of all spice

E - Garnishing
Yoghurt
Srirarcha
Cabbage salad

*****

A - Sautee till onions are brown.

B - Add lentils and water and bring to a boil for 5 mins. Turn heat down and simmer for a further 20 mins.

C - Add rice and water and bring to a boil for 2-3 mins.

D - Add seasoning. Cover the pot and turn heat down. Simmer for 15 mins. Fadi says that you need check it occasionally and gauge the amount of water carefully. The mixture should be loose, not too dry but not too wet either.

E - Turn off heat and let mixture sit for 2 mins.

F - Serve on a plate with garnishing on top.

Picture to come!

Fresh loot from Singapore

The 'Rents are in H-town! And they brought with them a grocery store and the clothes on their back.

Guess what these are?!

Mooncakes!

Dad even bought be a "little piglet".
He does that every year.

Our gift from their Hokkaido trip.
These are hand blown and hand painted glass soy bottles.
Aren't they gorgeous?!

Gift for the home: Lamp Berger

Chinese soup mixes, tea, herbs, ginseng,
almonds, honey dates, buddha fruit, sambal, candlenuts etc etc.
This took up one side of the largest suitcase!

The good stuff: Abalone!

A great Taiwanese cook book that I can't wait to dive into!

Clay pot.

Double boiler.

A Kyocera ceramic knife from Japan.
Watch out, it's sharp!

My present

The Boy's present.

Much needed make up - it's cheaper at Tangs!

Erm... H1N1 protection.

And best of all: Our wedding album.

Laksa - Singapore's soul food

Picture courtesy of
www.singaporefoodrecipes.com -
sorry, I don't take pictures when
I have guests to feed.

I've had the immense privilege of moving around the world and living on three continents, with another move always just ahead. Because of the international nature of the oil industry, I've met even more mobile people and families from all around the world in Houston, who've lived in more countries than I can count on one hand.

The one funny thing about people who move around is that, invariably, they will talk about food - particularly, food from home. Stories about craving bacon in Qatar, or finding the one brand of peanut butter they will deign to eat in Indonesia, and conversely the one brand of cereal that cannot be found in America (Dorset Cereals from England).

[Plug: People, you can find Divine Chocolate at Central Market. It's a UK brand with a revolutionary business model. More information can be found here: http://www.divinechocolateusa.com/about. Become a fan! Eat it. Use it in your cooking. Scharffen Berger is ubiquitous, but Divine Chocolate is better!]

Me? The food I talk about invariably involves the likes of tumeric, galangal, lemongrass, red finger chillies, belacan (shrimp paste), kecap manis (sweet dark soya sauce), dried shiitake mushrooms, agar agar etc... and let's not start on fruit. But, unlike the Japanese, Thai and Chinese communities for example, my (other) South East Asian counterparts don't seem to be as quick to establish roots wherever they are. So looking for ingredients becomes an adventure each time I move. And having to find substitutes where none can be found.

This weekend past, The Boy very generously (although somewhat unsuspectingly) invested his entire weekend to explore the nether corners of Houston, Texas with me in search of such tropical offings.

First stop, we braved the Chinese weekend crowd in Chinatown (Bellaire). Urg, no luck, but we did find some frozen fish cake - product of Singapore, hoorah! P.S. If you've never braved a Chinese weekend crowd before, just try going to the Forbidden City in summer some time. Don't forget your elbow guards.

At my beloved H-Mart, there was a small selection of South East Asian fare, but nothing great. We did discover red finger chillis there where they have never been found anywhere in Houston. Seriously. I did a little dance on the spot (much to the curiosity of the Korean grandma next to me who was checking out a root of daikon). My mum is also doing a little dance too, because she doesn't have to smuggle chilli seeds across the border now - I was going to grow red finger chillis, you see.

Tumeric, galangal and lemongrass, strangely enough, can be found at Whole Foods - but you must wait till Wednesday, when they get their "exotic" shipment. Which brings me to our biggest find in Houston to date: Asia Market in the Heights (Calvacade Street)! The Fearless Critic (actually, that might count as our biggest find) warns: don't be put off by the run down 7-11 with bars across the window; if your idea of heaven is tumeric, galangal, lemongrass etc (they also had fried grasshoppers and milk worms, eech!), then you will die and go there here. Also attached to the grocery section is a small eatery (might be stretching it to call it a "restaurant"), where the best pad thai, som tham (mango salad) and green curry can be found, IMHO (The Boy disagrees with my assessment of the pad thai). Three words: oh. my. goodness.

With these lovely finds at hand, what was I going to do? What else but make Laksa. I really didn't have a choice, if you think about it.

This recipe is adapted from A Treasured Collection, a collection of recipes by the women of the Covenant Community Methodist Church of Singapore, by Janie Wong, with my own substitutes, additions, comments and tips:

"Very often at church meetings, social gatherings and special occasions, members could look forward to enjoyin delicious and mouth-watering fare lovingly prepared by teh many culinary wizards in our midst. It was then felt that these precious recipes could be preserved in a cookbook to be shared with all who love and enjoy food. This is how "The Treasured Collection" was conceived. A Committee comprising a group of enthusiastic ladies, bonded together by God's love, was then formed. In line with our church's mission of showing compassion for the disadvantaged and needy, it was decided that proceeds from the sales of the book could assist "women in distress".

I wish they would launch a big reprint. But if this or any of their other recipes reprinted in this blog blesses you in any way, it would make me - and I hope you - very happy if you made someone else's life better in one small way today. Reminds me of when I was a Girl Guide in school way back when - one good deed a day. Maybe with some laksa? =)

RECIPE: LAKSA - Singapore's soul food
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 10

A - Stock
1 lb/500g prawns
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2.5 litres water

B - Coconut
1.5 coconuts, grated } OR
3 cups water } 3 cups canned coconut milk

C - Fragrances
1" / 2.5 cm galangal (otherwise known as "blue ginger"), peeled and sliced
1" / 2.5 cm tumeric, peeled and sliced (careful, your fingers will turn yellow!)
2 stalks lemongrass, sliced (remove the woody exterior layer first)
10 candlenuts (or 10 macadamia nuts)
2 cups shallots (approx. 1 bag), peeled and sliced
30 dried chillies, seeds removed and softened in cold water
19 fresh red finger chillies, seeds removed
1 pc belacan (2.5cm x 2.5 cm x 1 cm / 1" x 1" x 0.5")

D - Spices
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried shrimp, pounded (I minced mine in the food processor)
2 stalks lemongrass, bashed
1 tbsp coriander powder, roasted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

E - Noodles
3 lb / 1.5 kg white rice bee hoon noodles (or spaghetti)

F - Garnishing
1/2 lb / 250 g bean sprouts, scalded
Prawns from A
5 pc fried fish cake, sliced into strips
5 hard boiled eggs, halved
1 pkt triangular tofu puffs, each halved
1 cucumber, peeled, cored and thinly sliced into strips
3.5 oz / 100g laksa leaves, finely shredded (or a mixture of mint and cilantro, chopped finely)

*****

A - Marinate prawns with salt and sugar for 15 mins. Bring water to boil. Add prawns.

Remove prawns when cooked (approx. 10-15 mins) and set aside prawn stock. Cool prawns under running tap water. Remove prawn shells. Cut prawns into half lengthwise. Set aside for garnishing.

Return shells and heads to the stock and simmer for 15 mins. Drain and discard shells. Set aside prawn stock.

B - Extract 2 cups 1st squeeze coconut milk and set aside. Add water to the coconute and extract 2nd squeeze coconut milk. Add 2nd squeeze coconut milk to prawn stock in A.

OR Add 1/3 of coconut milk to prawn stock.

C - Grind ingredients into a fine paste. I use the food processor. Note: This takes a while - it must be a fine paste.

D - Heat oil and fry C till fragrant. Add rest of ingredients and fy till oil bubbles through.

Add to the prawn stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 mins.

Add 1st squeeze coconut milk and stir to prevent coconut milk from curdling. Remove from heat when gravy begins to boil.

E - Scald bee hoon in boiling water. Drain. Divide into individual serving bowls.

OR Cook spaghetti till al dente.

F - Garnish and add hot gravy. I like adding the bean sprouts beneath the noodles, arranging the food on top of the noodles, and garnishing with the cucumber strips and laksa leaves.

I was a happy happy camper on Sunday night.

Char Bee Hoon (Fried Rice Vermicelli)

If I were back in Singapore, this would be breakfast - at a hawker centre. My mother also makes fantastic char bee hoon - for breakfast, for parties, for picnics - it's a versatile dish for big groups (and leftovers). One of my fondest memories of growing up in Singapore was my mother frying up a big wok of bee hoon, a pot of curry chicken with a few loaves, and my whole family would take this simple Asian feast out for a warm tropical afternoon by the beach. Not quite the sandwich people, my family. =)

The key to this dish is good stock and colour. Carrots and chilis add red, scallions green, radish and the noodles themselves white/yellow. Since we also eat with our eyes, the toss of colour goes a long way to making this an enticing dish. It is a very versatile dish, however, so don't worry if you don't have one or two of the vegetables, or any meat for that matter. It's also a great way to use up leftovers.

RECIPE: CHAR BEE HOON (FRIED RICE VERMICELLI)
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 6

Equipment: One big wok

A - Preparation
1 packet of white rice vermicelli
5-7 dried shiitake mushrooms

B - Vegetables
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2" ginger root, minced
1 handful of bean sprouts
2-3 stalks scallions, julienned
1-2 carrots, julienned
2" daikon/radish root, julienned
2-3 red chillis, de-seeded and julienned

C - Seasoning
1 jug of chicken stock (or water)
Kecap manis (sweet dark soya sauce, or use black soya sauce with 1-2 tsp of sugar)
White pepper

D - Protein
5-6 Eggs
Cooked meat (e.g. leftover chicken breast, shredded, prawns, luncheon meat, fried and cut, Chinese fish cake)

*****

A - Soak the white rice vermicelli in a bowl of cold water for 30 mins. Soak to the mushrooms in hot water for 30 mins to reconstitute them. Cut off the stems with a pair of kitchen shears and slice them in strips afterwards. Save the mushroom water as stock for later on.

B - Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a big wok. Fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry in the wok for 3 mins.

C - Add the vermicelli, stock, a few swirls of kecap manis and 1 tbsp of white pepper into the wok. Flip the ingredients a few times to mix them up. When the stock is boiling, lower the heat and let the vermicelli soak up the liquids, flipping occasionally and adding more liquid as needed. The goal is to get the vermicelli to soak up all the liquid until it is very dry and let it dry-fry for a few minutes. The whole process will take approx. 15-20 mins. Season according to taste.

D - When the vermicelli is done, push the whole lot to one side of the wok as far as possible. In the empty space, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Crack the eggs in and scramble with the wok ladle. When the eggs are fried and done, flip them together with the vermicelli and serve with some sambal belacan (chili paste) or sriracha.

Voili! Fried bee hoon.

Edible Adventures: The Non-Artisan Post

I haven't been posting anything on 'Artisan Edibles' because all I've done these coupla days is experiment with chocolate, particularly, different chocolate frostings. Firstly, there was the experiment with chocolate ganache frosting:


Then there was the experiment with a chocolate glaze, which The Boy took to his fantasy football league draft:


The Boy, sweet man he is, took over the feeding. In the process, he did some experimenting himself. First there was that yummy rigatoni with what he wants to call The Boy's Falling On The Floor Easy Tomato Sauce. Then, get this, he made a pizza. This is it, with a margherita topping:














On a little excursion of his own whilst I was otherwise engaged, he also found these amazing concord grapes at Central Market, which you can squeeze out of their skins:


So, that's how it's been, folks. Back to regular scheduling soon.

Basic Tomato Sauce

The Boy is a big fan of tomato sauce. And he insists that the best tomato sauce is simply garlic, tomatoes and basil. Fresh. And the best tomatoes to use are Roma (meatier) or Campari (sweeter). We like serving it over rigatoni.

I love it when he cooks.

RECIPE: THE BOY'S FALLING ON THE FLOOR EASY TOMATO SAUCE

A - Meat
Fist-size of ground beef or turkey

B - Tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, sliced or minced (we are still debating this)
12 Roma tomatoes OR 20 Campari tomatoes, tops sliced off

C - Garnishing
Bunch of fresh basil

*****

A - Fry the ground beef/turkey in a skillet until cooked.

B - Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. Fry the tomatoes, flesh side down and covered, until the skins peel off (approx. 10 mins). Mash the tomato flesh and add in the garlic. By adding the garlic without frying, it infuses a more mellow flavour into the sauce.

Add in cooked ground beef/turkey. Season with salt and pepper.

C - To chop the basil leaves, roll a bunch of them together, lengthwise, and cut into thin strips (when unrolled). Mix pasta in with sauce and garnish with the chopped basil. It's that simple.

I was trying to find a really old picture of me in eating rigatoni amatriciana in Rome a coupla years ago - the rigatoni there is a longer thinner tube. It was a happy place.

Miso Experiment 2: Miso salad dressing

I think the salads at California Pizza Kitchen are simply one of the bests, but it's also $9 plus service for a salad!??

It's not very hard to chop up some vegetables, particularly with the nifty tool to julienne greens that my mother brought me in her last visit. So I've brazenly copied CPK's salad ingredients, and keep a bag of homemade salad leaves in the fridge all the time, for a quick meal. They may include:

Shredded Napa cabbage, fresh avocado, julienne cucumbers, daikon, edamame, carrots, red cabbage, scallions, cilantro, crispy rice noodles and crisp wontons. For the health conscious, I substitute crispy rice noodles and wontons with bean sprouts. Give it a spin in the salad spinner (I love my salad spinner) and plonk in a ziploc bag!

For the miso paste, I continue my experiments with miso (check out the recipes for Chilean Sea Bass and Aubergine 'Dengaku' Style!) - this time, with white miso.

RECIPE: MISO SALAD DRESSING

3 tbsp white miso
1/2 tsp powdered mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
drop of sesame oil

Whisk ingredients together, whisking the oils last.

The quantities are only an estimate. You may adjust them to suit your tastes, but this is what I finally liked.

Miso Experiment 1: Aubergine 'Dengaku' Style

The Boy and I have been discussing having a few vegetarian meals each week. Aubergine (or 'eggplant', as people this side of The Pond call it) is a soft but robust vegetable when cooked, and a fair substitute for meat.

Aubergine 'Dengaku' Style is one of my all time favourite dishes to order at Japanese restaurants, but it is not commonly found on the menu in Houston. It is, however, an easy dish to make at home.

Ever since I discovered that my favourite Asian grocery store in Houston, H-Mart (Blalock/I-10), carries a variety of miso pastes, I've been experimenting with various miso dishes. In my next post, I shall put up the recipe for a deliciously simple miso salad dressing. For those in a hurry, Whole Foods carries a smaller but adequate variety of miso pastes too.

Tonight's recipe called for 'hatcho' miso, which can be substituted with red miso paste ('akamiso'). The recipe is from Harumi Kurihara's acclaimed 'Japanese Home Cooking'. Served with rice and Braised Cabbage.

RECIPE: AUBERGINE 'DENGAKU' STYLE

A - Vegetable
1 Aubergine

B - Miso paste
6 tbsp 'hatcho' miso
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake (I substituted this with extra dry Vermouth, which I always carry in my pantry)

C - Garnish
Toasted sesame seeds

A - Cut the aubergine in half lengthwise. Run a knife around the edge and score the flat surface in a lattice pattern.

In a skillet, heat 3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Fry both halves of the aubergine, flesh side down, until it browns. Then turn it over and cover loosely with foil. Continue cooking until almost cooked (approx. 10 mins).

B - While the aubergine is cooking, mix the ingredients for the miso paste and heat in a saucepan over medium heat until it thickens. Turn off heat.

When the aubergine has cooked, transfer to a baking dish. Spread 2-3 tbsp of the miso paste on each half of the aubergine. Cook under a broiler for approx. 5 mins.

C - Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.