Kaddo Bourani
For the pumpkin
2 Sugar Pie pumpkins, each about 3 pounds
6 tbsp corn oil
3 C sugar
For the yogurt sauce
2 C plain yogurt (we used lowfat, which was fine)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp salt
For the meat sauce
1/4 C corn oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/3 C water
Make the pumpkin:
It helps to have a serious vegetable cleaver for this bit.
Preheat your oven to 300º.
Wash off the outside of the pumpkins. Cut them in half. Scrape out the stringy stuff on the inside. Cut the halves into 3″-4″ pieces or so. Peel them - you can actually use a regular peeler for this, though it helps to have a sharp paring knife to get the stem and hard-to-reach rind bits off. Peel it deeply enough that you get rid of all the green and rind.
Find a baking pan large enough to hold all the pumpkin pieces in a single layer. Use multiple pans, if need be. Cover the pumpkin pieces in the oil (yes, really, use all of it), and place them hollow side up in the pan(s). Pour the sugar evenly over the pumpkin pieces (yes, really, just grit your teeth and use all of it; if you have a small child, you may find it easier to have them do this part for you, and you can look away until they’re done).
Cover the pan(s) with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours, then baste the pieces with the pan juices, cover them up again, and bake for another 45 minutes.
The sugar will all melt away and end up partially absorbed. The pumpkin pieces will turn dark orange and translucent. They will have a stunningly novel texture. It is a beautiful thing.
Make the yogurt sauce:
Mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Make the meat sauce:
Brown the onions in the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the meat and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until it is broken up into small pieces and the pinkness is almost entirely gone. Add all other ingredients (except for the tomato paste and water) and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or so. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the water and bring to a boil. (Really, it will probably boil as soon as it touches the pan.) Lower the heat and let simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.
Serve:
Hot pumpkin, topped with cold yogurt sauce, topped with hot meat sauce.
Red Curry Recipe (takes 10 minutes):
200 ml thick coconut milk
2 T of Red Curry Paste
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock (depending on how thick you like the curry)
200 gm boneless chicken breasts
1 T fish sauce
4 red chillies (adjustable to taste)
2 teaspoons palm sugar
2 Kaffir Lime leaves (sliced into thin strips)
Let the coconut milk rest for a while so that the cream forms on the top.
Heat wok, add coconut cream and let it bubble. When the oil starts separating, add the red curry paste and the red chillies and stir well till the curry paste is blended into the cream. Cook for 3-4 few minutes till the oil separates from the mixture.
Add the rest of the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, and palm sugar and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Add the chopped chicken breast pieces, stir well, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes till the oil floats to the top and separates from the curry. Add the Kaffir Lime leaf strips, stir-once and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a minute or two for the lime leaf flavour to permeate the curry.
Chicken Wingsingredients:
| 1 medium shallot, minced | |
| ½ cup tomato paste | |
| 3 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar | |
| 1 tablespoon dijon mustard | |
| juice of one lemon | |
| 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar | |
| 3 tablespoons fresh brewed coffee | |
| ½ head of roasted garlic | |
| 1 teaspoon tabasco (or more if you like it spicy) | |
| salt and pepper to personal taste | |
| about 20 chicken wings |
directions:
1. Cut wings apart at joint and rinse. Put wings into large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, remove and rinse again then allow to cool.
2. Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, taste for addition of any ingredients. Reserve about 1/3 of marinade in separate bowl. Add wings to bowl and toss to cover. Leave to marinate overnight in the fridge or two hours at room temperature.
3. Grill wings on barbeque or indoor grill or roast at 400 F - 425 F in the oven until marinade starts to darken and wings begin to dry out slightly. Serve with veggies and blue cheese or a pepper sour cream dip.
Salmon Potato Galettes
2 C grated peeled potatoes
2 C flaked cooked salmon
1 tbsp salt plus more to taste
2 tbsp minced fresh basil
Butter and olive oil for frying
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put the grated potatoes in colander and sprinkle them with 1 tbsp salt. Let them sit for 15 minutes, then rinse them and squeeze out as much water as you possibly can from them.
While letting the potatoes sit, mix together the salmon, basil, salt, and pepper.
You can use leftover salmon for this, or if you have salmon skeletons or skin left over from cutting off scallops, microwave it until the flesh is cooked enough to be easily removed and use that.
Mix the potatoes in with the rest of the ingredients. Form into patties.
Swirl half butter, half olive oil into a pan over medium-high heat and fry the galettes until they are golden brown on both sides and done.
Scallion (Spring Onion) Bread
Scallion Bread
2 C all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting and roux)
1/2 C cold water
1/2 C boiling water
4 tsp plus 2 tbsp sesame oil
7-8 scallions (spring onions)
Vegetable oil (enough to fill your pan about 3/4″ deep)
Salt
Make two separate doughs by mixing and kneading until smooth 1 C flour with 1/2 C cold water for the first dough, and 1 C flour with 1/2 C boiling water for the second dough. Squish the cold water dough into a patty with your hands, and place the ball of boiling water dough atop it. Enclose the boiling water dough with the cold water dough, creating a ball.
Roll the ball into a log about 12″ long. Fold it in thirds (as if you were folding a long and narrow letter), and roll it out again. Repeat this 7-8 times, until it feels very smooth and elastic. Make a ball of it again, coat it in 1 tsp sesame oil, and place it in a plastic bag. Let the dough rest for at least 2 hours.
In the meantime, make your roux by placing 1 tbsp flour in a bowl. Heat up 2 tbsp sesame oil until very hot, then pour over the flour and mix them together. Also, now is a good time to cut up the green parts of the scallions into very fine rounds.
When the dough is ready, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into an oval (about 12″ long, 5″ wide, and 1/8″ thick). Spread the roux over it evenly, and then dust it lightly with flour and sprinkle on a bit of salt. Using both hands, roll it up the long way (so that your roll remains 12″ long). Stretch out the roll until it becomes even longer, about 18″ long.
Cut it into 6 even pieces, each about 3″ long. Pick up each piece separately, twist it in the middle all the way around, then flatten it down to create a patty. (You will see the spiral going from the center of the patty to the edge.) As you work with each patty, keep the rest covered with cloth.
Roll out each patty into an oval about 10″ long and 5″ wide. Spread 1/2 tsp vegetable oil and 1/2 tsp sesame oil evenly over each. Put a line of scallion going from one end to the other, the long way, in the center. Fold the half of the dough on one side of the scallions over the scallions, then fold the half of the dough on the other side over. Bring the ends of the roll together to form a ring. Tuck one end into the other, squishing the dough together. Flatten the ring with your palm so that it becomes about 5″ in diameter.
Heat about 3/4″ vegetable oil in a pan over medium-low heat. When hot, put in the bread. Fry until one side is golden (adjust the heat so that this takes about 2 1/2 minutes), then flip and fry the other side for about 1 1/2 minutes or until golden.
Remove from frying pan and drain on paper towels. Caution small children to wait for them to cool a bit before grabbing them and running to the far corners of the house with their ill-gotten gains.
I like to cut each bread into more manageable pieces and dip them in Jaffrey’s chinese dipping sauce (recipe below).
Dipping Sauce
6 tbsp Chinese light soy sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
A few drops of chili oil (optional)
Mix ingredients together. Dip stuff in them.
Vegetarian Noodle Salad
ingredients:
| 1 pound firm tofu | |
| 2 tablespoons soy sauce | |
| 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar | |
| ¼ teaspoon hot chili oil | |
| 1 tablespoon sesame oil | |
| ½ teaspoon fish sauce | |
| 1 clove garlic, minced | |
| ¼ teaspoon crushed red chilis | |
| 2 tablespoons honey | |
| 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil | |
| soba, buckwheat or spinach Chinese noodles | |
| ½ cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half | |
| ½ cup sugar snap peas | |
| 2 green onions, chopped into ¼" pieces | |
| ¼ Vidalia onion, sliced thinly | |
| 3 medium-sized carrots, julienned | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil | |
| toasted sesame seeds |
directions:
1. Cut tofu into 1" cubes, fry on each side in non-stick skillet until
browned.
2. Meanwhile make salad dressing: combine soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil,
sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, chilis and honey in bowl. Add olive oil in slow stream while whisking to form an emulsion. Refrigerate until salad is ready.
3. Set pot of water to boil on stove, once at a rolling boil, add noodles and cook until tender, usually 4 - 5 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under cold water. Set aside until vegetables are ready.
4. Heat non-stick skillet on medium and add a tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add tomatoes and cook until almost at the "blistered" stage. Add peas,
onions and carrots, tossing together, just blanching them.
5. Toss veggies with noodles and add cold dressing, toss with cooked tofu pieces. Plate with a topping of toasted sesame seeds and small drops of sweet chili sauce.
pancakes
Pancakes really are the epitome of a decadent breakfast. Light and fluffy, sweet and doughy they are comfortable and fancy at the same time. Dress them up with some vanilla and a few slices of gorgeously plump strawberries and you have the perfect start to an amazing day.
Strawberry Pancake:
ingredients:
| 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour | |
| 2 tablespoons sugar | |
| 2 teaspoons baking powder | |
| ¾ teaspoon salt | |
| 1 egg | |
| 1 ¼ cups milk | |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla | |
| 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking | |
| approximately 1 strawberry per pancake (~8), sliced into 8ths | |
| * obviously these would work with almost any fruit: banana, blueberry, blackberry...peach...mmm. Anything works. |
directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl beat the egg slightly, add milk, vanilla and 3 tablespoons oil. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until flour is moistened (clumps are okay!).
2. Heat non-stick frying pan over medium-high and brush lightly with oil.
3. Pour batter by ¼ cupfuls onto hot pan, making three pancakes at a time. Top each with strawberry slices and then cook until edges look slightly dry. Turn and cook other side until golden.
4. Keep warm in oven or on warming plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve, strawberry side up with butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit and raspberry fool (raspberries and whipped cream).
Green Curry Shrimp
2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 C chicken stock
15 oz. coconut milk (approximately)
1 medium red pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
1 medium green pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
2 or 3 handfuls of green beans, ends snapped off and discarded
3 tbsp green curry paste, or to taste (recipe below)
2 carrots, julienned
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tsp Chinese rock sugar, ground into small chunks (you can substitute brown sugar or palm sugar)
1 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
1-2 big handfuls of fresh basil leaves
3 scallions, cut at an angle into thin slices
1 tsp sesame oil (or to taste)
salt to taste
Brown the onion and shallot in olive oil (or whichever oil you prefer) at high heat until they are somewhat browned, but not meltingly soft. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for just a moment, then add the chicken stock and coconut milk and lower the heat to simmer. Add all other ingredients except the shrimp, basil, scallions, and sesame oil.
Simmer for a little while, stirring occasionally, until it tastes right. You need to fuss with the quantity of curry paste, fish sauce, and salt until it is to your taste. Me, I keep adding more curry paste until my nose starts to drip, and then I’m happy.
Add the shrimp and basil and simmer, stirring, until they just turn opaque. Remove from heat and stir in the scallions and sesame oil last.
Serve with rice or rice noodles.
Green Curry Paste
15 green serranos, stemmed, seeded
4 large green jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded
4 sticks lemongrass, bottom 4-5″, outer layer removed
2 medium shallots
20 medium garlic cloves
1/4 C cilantro (or parsley, or whatever green herb you like)
3 tbsp fresh galangal (you can substitute ginger if necessary)
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tsp grated lime zest
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
Coarsely chop all the fresh ingredients.
Toast the coriander and cumin in a dry pan until fragrant.
Blend everything together in your food processor until it forms a smooth paste, or close enough.
Asian Noodle SaladToasted almonds or toasted unsalted peanuts spinkled on top would add a nice crunch to this dish.
ingredients:
| 4 portobellini (small portobello) mushroom caps, thinly sliced | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil | |
| 2 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage | |
| 1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger | |
| 1 tablespoon minced garlic | |
| 6 green onions; 4 halved lengthwise and cut on diagonal into 2-inch lengths, 2 chopped in small pieces | |
| ½ cup sugar snap peas | |
| 3 tablespoons soy sauce | |
| 1/3 package dried Chinese egg noodles | |
| 1/3 cup sesame oil | |
| 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice | |
| 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar | |
| 2 teaspoons sugar | |
| ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro |
directions:
1. Heat oil in heavy large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, ginger, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir-fry until cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes.
2. Add 2-inch green onion pieces and sugar snap peas; toss until green tops of onions begin to wilt, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and toss.
3. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well; place in large bowl.
4. Whisk sesame oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, sugar, and 2 tablespoons remaining soy sauce in small bowl. Add to noodles. Add cilantro, and cabbage mixture; toss to blend well. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill, tossing occasionally.)
5. Sprinkle salad with chopped green onions and serve.
ingredients:
| 2 large garlic cloves | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| 5 tablespoons soy sauce (not the light kind) | |
| 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce | |
| 6 tablespoons mild honey | |
| 2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil | |
| ¼ teaspoon cayenne | |
| 3 pounds chicken wings, separated | |
| 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted | |
| 2 scallions (green part only), finely chopped |
directions:
1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425F. Line a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) with foil and lightly oil foil. Bake the unglazed wings in the oven for about 20 - 30 minutes to get a nice, crispy skin.
2. Meanwhile, mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Cook to reduce sauce slightly. Add pre-cooked wings to ¾ of the sauce, stirring to coat.
3. Arrange wings in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, and basting with remaining ¼ of the sauce, until sticky, about 10 - 15 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.
ingredients:
| ¾ cup mayonnaise | |
| 1/3 cup buttermilk | |
| 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice | |
| 1 tablespoon Bordeaux* Dijon mustard | |
| 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar | |
| 2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1 ½x½x½-inch sticks | |
| 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into ¼-inch rounds | |
| ½ pound celery, cut into ¼-inch slices | |
| 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives | |
| 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill |
directions:
1. Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside (refrigerate if using more than an hour later).2. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Reserving water, transfer potatoes to colander; rinse under cold water to cool. Drain. Transfer to large bowl.
3. Return water in pot to boil. Cook carrots in same pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add celery and cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Rinse carrots and celery under cold water to cool. Drain well. Mix into potatoes.
4. Add enough dressing to vegetables to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
 | ||||
ingredients:
| 1⁄2 cup flour | |
| 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt | |
| 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper | |
| 1 large egg | |
| 1/3 cup milk | |
| 2 cups corn kernels | |
| 1⁄2 Vidalia onion, chopped finely | |
| 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley | |
| 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives | |
| 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying) |
directions:
1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, egg and milk until just combined. Fold in corn, onion, chives and parsley.
2. Heat about 1 1⁄2 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large skillet on medium heat. Drop 1⁄4 cups of batter onto skillet (or more if you want bigger cakes). Flatten slightly with spatula and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side.
3. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping cooked cakes warm in oven until served. Serve with maple syrup or hot sauce, depending on what they are accompanying.
Malaysian Beef Curry with Thick Onion Sauce (Daging Nasi Kandar)
(adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Far Eastern Cookery
8 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 C vegetable oil
4 dried birdseye chilies, crushed (or more to taste, or substitute other hot chilies)
3 tbsp fermented black beans
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 lbs beef, cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
3 sticks lemongrass, keeping only the bottom 4-5″, outer layer removed
20 curry leaves (optional)
2″ cinnamon stick
3 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated galangal
1 tsp cardamom
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cut off the bottom end of each lemongrass, and the strawlike top, leaving only the bulbous 4″ or so at the bottom. Remove the toughest outer leaf and rinse. Bruise by crushing them a bit.
Rinse the black beans, and mash them up with the oyster sauce.
Pour the oil into a large, deep pan (or saucepan) and stir-fry half the onions until dark and crispy, then remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel-covered plate to drain.
Add the other half of the onions to the pan and stir-fry until they are somewhat browned, but soft and translucent, not crispy. Add the chilies and stir-fry for just a moment. Add the black bean and oyster sauce mix and stir-fry for another moment. Then put in everything else (except the original crispy fried onions, which should remain set aside), and simmer, covered, for about an hour and a half or until tender and done.
Remove the cover, raise the heat, and reduce the sauce until nice and thick, stirring occasionally so that it does not burn to the bottom. When trying to gauge what constitutes ‘nice and thick’, remember that the onions will soak up some sauce and thicken it still further in the end.
Stir in those original fried onions from the beginning. Lower the heat back to medium and cook for another two minutes, and then add salt and black pepper to taste.
KFC coleslawingredients:
| 1 small head of cabbage | |
| ¼ cup granulated sugar | |
| ¼ teaspoon kosher salt | |
| 1/8 teaspoon white pepper | |
| 1/8 cup skim milk | |
| ¼ cup mayonnaise | |
| 1/8 cup buttermilk | |
| 2 ¼ tablespoon white vinegar | |
| the juice of ½ lemon |
directions:
1. Shred/chop the cabbage into very fine pieces (about the size of arborio rice) - it should be about 4 cups.2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the cabbage to the dressing and mix well to combine.
3. Cover and refrigerate over night or at least a few hours before serving
Try following the recipe a bit more closely next time. No bacon grease. Ground pork, though somewhat more than the recipe calls for. It’s good, but it lacks porkishness.
Realize that bacon grease is actually key.
Make the recipe a third time. Bacon grease, in smaller quantity than the oil the recipe actually calls for. About eight times as much ground pork as it calls for, and increased quantities of some of the seasonings as well.
Munch away, watching your estimated leftover portions diminish.
Figure you’ve finally got it right.
Stir-Fried String Beans with Pork and Pork
(adapted from The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore
1 tbsp bacon grease
1 lb string beans (a/k/a green beans)
1 lb ground pork
4 tbsp minced or grated ginger
1/2 C chicken stock
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
Heat your wok until it feels like a hot radiator with your palm 2-3 inches above the bottom, then add the bacon grease and swirl it around as it melts. Add half the beans, reduce the heat to medium, then stir-fry them until they develop some nice pan char (brown spots) and begin to wrinkle. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside, then add the rest of the beans and do the same.
With all the beans fried and set aside, add the ginger and ground pork to the wok. Break the pork up into smaller pieces with your spatula, then distract yourself for a minute or so and leave it alone to brown a bit. Once the meat has had that moment to develop its deliciousness, stir-fry in earnest until the pork is no longer pink.
Stir in the chicken stock, salt, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Stir in the beans, and continue to boil until the liquids are reduced by half. If you like, you can throw in some corn starch at this point to thicken further what sauce remains.
Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, sesame oil, and scallions.
| Gravy | |
| 3 tbsp butter | |
| 3 tbsp flour | |
| 1½ cups beef stock | |
| 2 tbsp soy sauce | |
| 1 tsp dried parsley | |
| fresh cracked pepper | |
| salt | |
| Tabasco sauce to taste |
directions:
To make gravy, melt butter in deep skillet. Once liquid, mix flour until it reaches a nice semi-solid consistency. Add beef stock and continue to mix. Add soy sauce and spices and let simmer at medium-high for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit aside.
Töltött Káposzta (Stuffed Cabbage)
1 cabbage
For the filling
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. rice, rinsed
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp édes paprika
A little olive oil, just to help bind it together
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the sauce
1 15 oz. jar sauerkraut
Water
Oil
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp édes paprika
1 tbsp granulated sugar
Salt to taste
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
Take off the most wretched outer leaves of the cabbage, and rinse the whole thing off. Steam the cabbage for 5-10 minutes, or until the leaves are pliable enough to bend easily. I find that after removing all the pliable leaves I can, I end up having to re-steam the still hard inner leaves. If I steam it so long that even they are pliable from the start, the outer leaves are easier to accidentally rip.
Peel off the leaves. Hold each leaf rib-side up, and pare the thick rib down to get rid of that tough vein and make it about as flat as the rest of the leaf.
Prepare the filling by mixing all the filling ingredients together by hand. The rice:meat ratio varies, though I have suggested using a 1:2 ratio here. Ima initially told me to use 1 part rice to 1 1/2 parts meat by weight, but when I tried it that way, there was way more rice than I’m used to when she cooks it. It may be that the type of rice used affects this - I don’t know what sort of rice Ima uses (Uncle Ben’s would be my guess), but I use basmati. Szaz Anna also uses 1 part rice to 1 1/2 parts meat by weight.
When I called Ima to ask her to clear this up for me, she explained that it is really based on what you can afford - if you can afford more meat, use less rice. If you want to stretch the meat further, use more rice. The rice also serves the purpose of keeping the meat from binding into nothing more than a tough patty; like the bread in meatballs, the rice here keeps the meat tender and good.
To fill each cabbage leaf, set the leaf on the table rib-side down, so that it naturally curves into a sort of cup waiting to be filled. Roll small handfulls of meat into oblong patties that fit the size of the leaves, and place the filling on the cabbage leaf, near the bottom of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, and roll the cabbage around the meat, being sure to tuck the bottom end of the rib around the filling to keep it all snugly wrapped.
Cut the center out of the cabbage that remains, and discard. Chop up the rest of the cabbage into small pieces.
To fill the pot, start with a layer of that chopped up cabbage mixed with sauerkraut. Then place the stuffed cabbage in a flat layer on top of that, starting by lining them up around the circumference of pot and then filling in the middle. Add another layer of chopped cabbage and sauerkraut on top of that, then another layer of stuffed cabbage. Keep going like this until you run out of stuffed cabbage, and add a final layer of chopped cabbage and sauerkraut on top. Add water to just cover the contents of the pot.
Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
A few minutes before your kitchen timer goes off, make a roux by browning the flour in a bit of oil in a separate pan. Stir in the paprika, then remove from heat. Add the sugar, salt, and tomato paste, and mix well. Ladle some of the water out of the cooking cabbage pot and mix in with the paste, just to thin it out. Add the thinned paste back into the pot with the cabbage, and carefully stir it in to dissolve it in the water. My grandmother instructed me to the shake the pot to get the paste mixed in, but my pot was too full for me to risk that.
Simmer for another 10-20 minutes, or until done.
Caramel Prawn Pies
Freeform Caramel Prawn Pies
Dough
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C chilled butter
5 tbsp cold water (or so)
Glaze
1 egg yolk
Filling
1 lbs raw medium prawns
12 spring onions (scallions)
8 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp coconut oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp salt
Mix the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough just starts to come together. Gather it into a ball, pound out the air bubbles, then wrap it and chill for at least 15 minutes. This is not an extravagant or amazing pie crust recipe - I save those for the sweet pies. This is about as simple as a crust can get. But it gets the job done.
Peel and devein the prawns. If you’re the sort of person who likes fish stock, throw the shells into a ziplock bag and keep them in your freezer until you’re ready to make stock. Rinse the prawns and pat them dry.
Chop half of the scallions into fine rounds, and shred the other half into inch-or-so long fine strips.
Make the caramel sauce by combining the sugar with 6 tbsp water in a small pan. Boil and then simmer until it reaches a dark amber color that pleases your eye. Take the pan off the heat and add 8 tbsp boiling water. It will sizzle and splash about a bit, but once it calms down you can stir it into a liquidy caramel sauce. If there are any lumps, simmer the mess over low heat until they are dissolved.
Heat the coconut oil in a heavy pan over medium-high hear. Add the garlic and the scallion rounds, then throw in the prawns and stir until they are pink all around, about 3 minutes. Add the caramel sauce and the fish sauce and continue to cook and stir for another minute, then throw in the lime juice, brown sugar, salt, and scallion strips. Mix well, and remove from heat. There’s your filling.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Divide the pastry into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each portion between sheets of wax paper into 8″ diameter circles. Place filling into the center of each circle, leaving a wide border. (Your amounts will vary depending on your preferred pie to prawn ratio.) Fold the edges up and around the filling. Lightly beat the egg yolk, then brush the pastry very lightly with it.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden.
Roast Pork ( Char Siu )Ingredients:
Meat:
2 pounds boneless pork loin
Marinade:
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp bean paste
1 tbsp Shao Xing rice wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp pineapple or orange juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp maltose (also sold as malt extract I believe), honey, or corn syrup
2 cloves garlic, curhsed, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp five-spice powder (a mixture of ground star anise, fennel, cloves, cinnamon and ginger)
Trim the meat of excess fat. I used rib loin to save money. Boy, look at all that marbeling! When I deboned and de-fatted the meat, I only had half of what I started with.
Slice it lengthwise, with the grain, into strips about 2 inches wide, 1 inch thick, and 5 to 6 inches long. Note to self: the grain runs in the same direction as the fat. Place them flat in a shallow pan. Stir the marinade ingredients in a bowl until well blended (if using maltose, heat the marinade over low heat to dissolve it) and pour over the meat, rubbing it well into both sides. Cover and marinate for about 3 hours at room temperature, turning the meat a couple times. You could also refrigerate the meat and bring it to room temperature before roasting, but it shouldn’t be marinated longer than 6 hours — prolonged soaking damages the firm texture.
My strips were too small because I couldn’t tell which way the grain ran and cut with it.
Remove all the racks from your oven but the topmost one. Pour a few inches of water into a roasting or broiling water and place it on the floor of the oven to catch drippings and prevent smoking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Insert a meat hook, drapery hook, or even a bent strong paper clip into one end of each strip (1 hook per strip) and hook the strips onto the top rack over the drip pan in one line.
Hanging meat, ghetto Chinatown style.
Roast the strips for 1 hour. Then increase heat to 400 degrees and roast for 10 more minutes.
Remove meat and take out the hooks.
The “char” of char siu. Aka instant cancer, but it sure tastes good!
Let the strips cool and firm slightly and then slice them crosswise, against the grain. The pork is good hot, at room temperature, or cold.
To reheat cold or frozen pork, place slices in an overlapping line in a snug shallow ovenproof dish. Pour a little meat stock over the meat (about 1/8 inch) and heat in a moderate oven or under a slow broiler until the liquid is steaming, the meat is hot inside, and the top surface is crisp. If you have no stock, you could season some water with soy sauce and honey or syrup to taste.
Don’t throw away the leftover marinade either! Just boil it on the stove for a couple minutes and save the liquid gold as a topping over rice or noodles.
Baked Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)
For the Filling (make while the dough is rising):
5 tablespoons low-sodium chicken stock skimmed of fat (I used my roast pork drippings, skimmed)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 1/2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp tapioca or corn starch
2 tsp ketchup
1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
Pinch ground white pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup barbecued pork, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp Shao Xing rice wine or gin
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
In a small bowl, combine chicken stock, oyster sauce, sugar, tapioca starch, ketchup, soy sauce, and white pepper; set aside.
Heat a wok over high heat for 40 seconds and add oil. Coat wok with oil using a spatula. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add onion. Lower heat to medium, and cook until onion turns light brown, about 2 minutes. Raise heat to high, add pork, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add wine, and stir to combine.
Stir the reserved stock mixture and add it to the wok. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and turns brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add sesame oil, and stir to combine. Transfer to a shallow dish. Cool to room temperature.
For the dough:
One 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water (110 F)
2 cups bread flour
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbsp lard or oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp scallion-infused oil or plain oil (optional)
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the hot water. Put in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the outside temperature. (In cooler weather, the longer time will be required.) When the yeast rises and brownish foam appears on top, add the flour, salt, oil and half the egg, stirring constantly with your hand.
Begin kneading. When the mixture becomes cohesive, sprinkle the work surface with flour and place the dough on it. Continue kneading for about 15 minutes, picking up the dough with a scraper and flouring the work surface to prevent sticking. When smooth and elastic, place the dough in a large bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and put in a warm place for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the temperature. The dough is ready when it has tripled in size.
Heat the oven to 350F. Cut parchment paper into 12 pieces, 3 1/2 inches square. Or, grease a large piece of foil. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead several times, then roll out into a cylinder 12 inches long. Divide into 1-inch pieces.
Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered with a damp cloth. Roll each piece into a ball. (I used a trick I learned at my cousin’s bakery. I cupped my hand and rolled the ball between my palm and the work surface. I moved my hand very quickly to make the surface taught. The dough was ready when it bounced back after I stuck my finger in it. If you can leave an indentation in the dough ball, the surface isn’t tight enough.)
Press with your fingers to create a well in the ball. Place 1 1/2 tbsp of the filling into the well, hold a bun in one hand, and with the other turn the bun, pinching it closed. Press firmly to seal. Place the bun, seam side down, on the parchment paper or foil. Repeat until all 12 are done.
Place the buns on a cookie sheet, at least 2 inches apart to allow for expansion. Place the buns in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. Spritz each bun lightly with warm water. Make an egg wash by taking the remaining beaten egg and combining it with an equal amount of water. Brush each bun with the egg mixture.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, turn the cookie sheet around.
As the buns cool, their crusts will become slightly hard. If you want them to remain soft, brush lightly with oil immediately after baking.
Jay's Signature Pizza Crust
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 119
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
- Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
- Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes
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