Serves 6 as an appetizer
5 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thinly
2 cups fresh mint leaves
2 cups fresh cilantro sprigs
2 cups fresh basil sprigs
1 cucumber, seeded and cut julienne
1 carrot, cut julienne
12 rice paper wrappers (plus a few extra to allow
for breakage)
1 tablespoon roast peanuts, chopped
1 recipe Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce -- see recipe below)
Combine first 5 ingredients. Add pork and marinate 15 minutes while preparing remaining ingredients.
Arrange herbs and vegetables around the perimeter of a platter. Stack dry rice papers on a plate. Place dipping sauce in a small serving bowl with a spoon.
Spray a nonstick grill or pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high for several minutes. Drain pork from marinate. Grill in small batches, cook quickly until meat changes color. Remove pork to the platter as it is cooked, covering it with foil to keep warm. When all the pork is cooked, sprinkle the top with chopped peanuts to garnish.
Meanwhile, half-fill a shallow bowl (the restaurant where we first had them used a Pyrex pie pan) with hot water.
Bring the platter of cooked meat and vegetables to the table, along with the plate of rice papers, the pie pan of hot water, and the bowl of dipping sauce.
To eat, each diner takes a wrapper and dips it in water for a few seconds to soften (use chopsticks or tongs), places a few slices of pork on the wrapper along with desired herbs and vegetables, then rolls it up like a taco and spoons on dipping sauce as desired.
Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)
Makes about 2/3 cup
1 fresh red hot chile, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper or Chinese chili sauce
juice of 2 lemons or 3 limes
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely shredded carrots
In a medium bowl, soak the chile or crushed red pepper in the lemon or lime juice 2 to 3 minutes (if using chili sauce, simply mix with other ingredients). Add fish sauce, sugar and garlic, stirring to dissolve sugar. Just before serving, add the carrots.
WALT'S TUNA MELT
Make 2 sandwiches
FOR THE TUNA MIXTURE:
1 (9 ounce) can albacore tuna, drained and flaked
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped black olives
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt and pepper (to taste)
FOR THE SANDWICHES:
4 teaspoons softened butter
4 slices sourdough bread
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices cheddar cheese
In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the tuna tuna mixture.
Butter one side of each piece of bread, and place two slices, butter side down, in a cold pan or on a griddle. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top with tuna mixture and slice of cheddar. Top with remaining bread, butter side up.
Grill over medium heat until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.
Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf
Makes 8 "packets"
2 Cups Glutinous Rice
1 Tsp Salt
6 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms - soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then drained and sliced.
4 Dried Lotus Leaves
2 Tb Soy Sauce
2 Tb Oyster Sauce
1 Tsp Xiao Tsing
1/2 Tsp Sugar
3 Tb Vegetable Oil
1 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast - Chopped to coarse texture
4 Oz Dried Shrimp - Soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained
1 Lup Cheong sliced to 1/4" rounds
2 Oz Char Siu cut into 1/4" dice
4 Boiled Duck Egg yolks cut in halves
1 Tb Corn Starch mixed in 1/3 Cup Water
1 - Rinse and soak Glutinous Rice in water to cover, add Salt and let soak for 1 Hour
2 - Cut each folded lotus leaf in half and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 - 45 minutes, turning occasionally to make sure leaves are totally soaked. (Since I didn't do a turkey this Thanksgiving, it was good to actually use a roasting pan for something!)
3 - Cook rice in 2 cups of water. Once rice is cooked allow to cool slightly.
4 - Combine Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Xiao Tsing, and sugar to create a sauce.
5 - Heat wok or skillet, add 1 Tb oil and stir fry the shrimp and lup cheong for 1-2 minutes, add chicken and stir fry until the chicken starts turning white. Add mushroom, char siu, and sauce mixture and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch mixture and remove from heat when the sauce has thickened. Place onto a plate and put aside to cool.
6 - After leaves are soaked, rinse briefly and shake of excess water. Cut off about 2 inches from the "point end" of the leaf and trim any ragged portions of the curved edges with a scissors. Stack the leaves in the same direction and set aside.
7 - Divide the cooled rice and into eight portions.Divide the filling into 8 portions as well.
8 - Place the stack of leaves with the outer edge facing away from you. Spread a light coat of oil evenly over the leaf.
9 - Divide one portion of rice into two. Place this half potion of rice onto the lower center of the leaf and form into a 2"x3" rectangle. Place one portion of filling onto the rice, and place 1 half piece of egg yolk on filling. Place the remainder of rice portion on top of the filling. Press the layer gently together.
10 - Fold bottom end of leaf over the rice. Then fold over first the left then the right edges of the leaf over rice. Then roll up the rice packet to form a rectangular packet.
11 - Place seam side down in a steamer and steam for 20-35 minutes. (The book called for 15 minutes, but it was too short and the sauce and essence of the leaf had not permeated the rice).
Some notes: The recipe in the book used raw shrimp, but we decided to just use the dried shrimp we had on hand. The recipe did not use egg yolk, which I thought was odd. We've always had this with a quarter to a half egg yolk in it.
Vanilla Passion Fruit Panna Cotta
serves 6
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cold milk
1 packet gelatin (about 2 tsp)
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
spray canola oil
3-6 passion fruits
6 regular brioche molds
Combine the milk and gelatin in a bowl. Split the vanilla bean vertically with a sharp knife and scrape to get the seeds out. Heat the vanilla beans and pod, cream and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot. When it starts to bubble take it off the heat and add it to the gelatin mixture. Whisk to combine.
Spray the molds lightly with the oil. Divide the mixture into the molds. You’ll have a lil bit leftover which you can chill in a separate ramekin.
Chill for at least 3 hours.
When the panna cotta is set unmold into the plate. This is easily done by holding the mold facing you like a mirror and gently loosening the top ridges of the panna cotta with your fingers. When you see it pulling away from the top flip it gently over the middle of a plate. Slice the passion fruit in half and scoop the seeds on top of the panna cotta. You can use half to whole passion fruit for each one.
Ingredients:
6 oz. chicken breast, cubed
2 ears of sweet white corn
1 red bellpepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 T sesame oil
1 T fish sauce
1 T Shao Hsing wine or other sweet cooking wine
2 t soy sauce
2 t sugar
1 t pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T cornstarch
2 T Canola oil
In a small bowl, marinade chicken with sesame oil, fish sauce, Shao Hsing wine, soy sauce, sugar and pepper. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
Remove corn from the cobb by running your knife along the side of the cobb. Set aside.
Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat and then add garlic. Then add chicken pieces and brown on each side for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and increase heat to high. Then add zucchini and bellpepper and saute for about a minute. Then add corn. Add a pinch of salt for taste. Return the chicken to the pan and blend all the ingredients.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a bit of room temperature water to create a slurry. Over high heat, add the cornstarch mixture to your pan a little at a time to create some gravy.
Remove from stove and serve. If you want, you can sprinkle the top with some chopped peanuts or toasted sesame.
Makes two to three servings. Serve with jasmine steamed rice.
Lamb Meatballs with Basic Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground lamb
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
flour
Combine lamb, pine nuts, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, mint, bread crumbs, egg, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper (about a teaspoon of each) and blend well with your hands. Shape into meatballs with the palm of both hands in a circular motion (start with about a tablespoon size of meat). Place a thin layer of flour on a plate and then lightly roll each meatball in the flour to create light layer. (You might want to start by rolling on plate of flour, but then pick it up and toss in between both hands to get the flour dusted all over the meatball.)
In a skillet or saute pan, pour enough olive oil to coat the entire bottom of pan. Warm oil over medium high heat and then start pan-frying each meatball. Leave room between meatballs and rotate as they brown. (You'll have to cook your meatballs in batches because not all of them will fit in the pan. Add a bit more oil as you go if needed.) Remove and place in a plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil.
Makes about 2 dozen meatballs, depending on how big you make them. Serve with tomato sauce and pasta.
Basic Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 can (28 oz.) of San Marzano-style plum tomatoes
1 small onion or half sweet onion, diced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 T dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
1 T sugar
1/4 cup red wine
2 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
In a saucepan, warm olive oil and then add onion and garlic. Saute for about a minute over medium high heat until translucent. Add plum tomatoes, wine, oregano and sugar and bring to boil then simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes until tomatoes breakdown and soften. (Occasionally stir and use a wooden spoon to squeeze the tomatoes to smaller pieces.) Add basil in the last five minutes before sauce is ready. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and more basil.
Makes 2 to 3 servings of sauce. Serve with meatballs and spaghettini.
2-3lbs Short Ribs
2/3c Soy sauce
1 c Water
1/2c Sugar
2 Tb grated, pureed or minced garlic
2 Tb grated, pureed or minced onion
2 Tb pureed ripe papaya or Asian pear
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large stalk green onion chopped
1 Tb sesame oil (optional)
I added a few twists - There were no ripe papaya's, and the Asian Pears looked horrible - so I decided to use kiwi. Now I had heard that marinating with kiwi can be a bit dicey as it has a tendency to over-tenderize the meat, but I thought I'd give it a try. So scratch the papaya or Asian pear, and replace with 2TB pureed kiwi. I had also heard that Malt Syrup gave kalbi a nice distinctive sweet flavor and gave kalbi a lacquered appearance, so I found and purchased a bottle. The Malt Syrup is amber in color, and tastes basically just like corn syrup. I replaced 1/2cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of malt syrup and 1/4 cup of sugar. I mixed the marinade, added the meat, and went to sleep. We'll see what happens tomorrow when I fire up the grill.
CƠM NẾP NẤU HẮC XÌ DẦU
Nguyên liệu cho 3-4 phần ăn
1. Gạo nếp: khoảng 200-220 gram. Ngâm nước khoảng 20 phút trước khi nấu.
2. Nước: khoảng 450-480 ml
3. Muối: 1 ít
4. Hành tây hoặc vài củ hành ta thái nhỏ.
5. Dầu ăn
6. 150 gram thịt xé nhỏ (tớ thay bằng tôm bóc vỏ)
7. Nấm hương, mộc nhĩ: một chút. Ngâm nước nóng cho mềm.
8. Khoảng 40-50 gram tôm khô. Rửa sạch, nhâm nước cho mềm. (Tớ dùng cá cơm khô, loại bé tí tẹo nên không ngâm nước nữa)
9. Hành khô đã rán (mua ở siêu thị)
Nguyên liệu cho sốt:
1. 3 thìa soup nước lã + 2 thìa soup dark soya sauce
2. 1/2 thìa con đường
3. Nếu muốn có thể thêm một chút dầu vừng nguyên chất cho thơm
Hoà lẫn nguyên liệu cho sốt với nhau.
Cách làm
1. Cho gạo nếp vào nồi cơm điện cùng với nước và một chút muối. Nấu cơm nếp không cần nhiều nước, chỉ cần xâm xấp mặt gạo là ổn.
2. Trong lúc cơm nấu, cho dầu vào chảo, đun nóng, thả hành vào phi thơm. Rồi cho tiếp tôm khô, mộc nhĩ, nấm hương, thịt thà vào. Sau cùng cho thêm chỗ sốt xì dầu vào, đảo đều. Đợi một chút cho ngấm thì bắc ra.
3. Đợi cơm trong nồi chín cạn, đổ hỗn hợp xào vào. Đổ từ từ nhé, dùng đũa xới đều lên. Thử xem vừa chưa rồi thêm hỗn hợp xào vào. Nhớ cẩn thận kẻo mặn thì hết chữa.
4. Xong, bật lại nồi cơm cho nong nóng lại. Xới cơm ra đĩa, rắc chút hành khô đã rán lên và măm măm.
Đây là hộp cơm tớ chuẩn bị. Có thêm cả một chút dưa muối thái nhỏ ăn kèm cho đỡ ngấy.
Tonkatsu Sauce
1 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Ketchup
1-2 TB Dijon or other French Style Mustard
Dash of 5 Spice
Black Pepper to Taste.
1 - Over medium heat combine first 4 ingredients, stirring to combine. When a simmer is 
2 - When desired consistency is reached, remove from heat and mix in the last 3 ingredients.
3 - Let sauce cool to room temperature.
While the sauce was cooling, I started on the Okonomiyaki.
Okonomiyaki
Batter:
1 Cup Cake flour, sifted
1 Cup water or Dashi
3 TB grated Yamaimo/Nagaimo(Japanese Mountain Yam)
1 tsp salt
1 - Sift Flour into a bowl.
2 - Add Dashi(water), yamaimo, and salt.
3 - Mix to a pancake batter consistency(do not over-mix). The batter will be sort of a gluey pancake batter
Today's Fillings:
2 Cups shredded Cabbage
1 Cup Bean Sprouts
1/2 Onion sliced
4 Scallions green parts only - sliced thin
2 TB Benishoga(pickled ginger) minced
8 16-20 Size shrimp peeled and deveined, sliced
Bay Scallops
4 oz Kamaboko(fish cake), cut into strips
2 TB Furikake(Japanese rice topping)
2 Eggs
1 - Divide the batter equally into two bowls.
2 - Crack one egg into each bowl.
3 - Add half of the rest of the ingredients to each bowl, and mix with a spoon.
Cooking the Beast:
2-3 TB Vegetable Oil
1 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
2 - Add 2 TB oil to the skillet and swirl skillet to evenly coat the bottom. If there is an excess of oil, pour off to discard.
3 - Reduce the heat to low, and pour the ingredients of one bowl into the skillet. With a spoon or other utensil, spread the batter out, creating (hopefully) a round or oval "pancake". Increase the heat back to a medium level.
4 - When the bottom of the pancake is a golden brown. Turn the pancake over. This is much harder then it sounds. Use two spatulas, or some other (combination of) utensil(s). Remember to enjoy the aroma of the Okonomiyaki as it cooks.
5 - When the other side of the pancake is golden brown, remove to a plate.
Toppings/Garnishes:
Furikake
Benishoga
Tonkatsu Sauce
Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito Flakes)
Mayo
At this point in time, we were hungry, and so we just "went for it", grabbing whatever toppings we wanted(the Missus has an aversion to Mayo on this dish). And you see the result in the first photo. Now you can use squeeze bottles, and pastry brushes, and other "tools" and create a work of art. But heck, "okonomi" , means something along the terms of "as-you-like" or "favorites". Today this is how we wanted it.
Niku Tofu
(Simmered Beef and Tofu)
1/2 Lb thinly sliced beef - sliced into bite sized slices
1 Block soft tofu
1 medium onion sliced
1-2 packages Shirataki (Yam noodles)
1 bunch green onions green part only sliced
1 Cup water
4 Tb Sugar
3 Tb Sake
3 Tb Mirin
1/4 Cup Soy sauce
Salt
1-2 Tb vegetable oil
1 - Rinse Shirataki under cold water. Then pour boiling water over shirataki to remove bitterness and smell (Shirataki has a very strong and unpleasant odor), rinse under cold water, and drain.
2 - Heat vegetable oil in a sauce pan or wok over medium heat. Fry the beef until slightly 
3 - When ingredients are heated through add Water and bring to a boil. Add Sake, Mirin, Sugar, and Soy Sauce. Reduce to a simmer.
4 - Add tofu and mix in, being careful not to mash tofu. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5 - Top with green onions before serving.
I scramble three eggs, add green onion, furikake, and 1 Tb Kikkoman Soy sauce.
Simmered Pumpkin (Kabocha Nimono, Kabocha No Fukumeni)
1 Medium Kabocha (choose one that is firm and heavy for it's size) cut into chunks and discard seeds and tough fibers. You may cut off the hard skin if you feel ambitious.
2 cups dashi
4-5 Tb Mirin
2-3 tsp sugar
1-2 Tb Shoyu
1/2 tsp salt
Place pumpkin pieces skin side down in the bottom of a pot (I do mine in half batches) in a single layer.
Pour dashi into pot until it comes two-thirds of the way up the pumpkin.
Add 3Tb Mirin, 1Tb shoyu, and salt. Sprinkle 2 tsp sugar on top of the Kabocha.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Once a boil is achieved reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Taste liquid and make adjustments as necessary.
Simmer until tender, turn off heat and let steep in the liquid.
Finnish Oven Pancake
- 9x13 pan.. Put a stick of butter in it, put into oven and turn heat on to 425°. Let butter melt and start mixing:
5 large eggs (7 or 8 small)
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C milk
1 half pint container of cottage cheese
1 C all purpose flour
1 Tsp baking POWDER
Pour mix into the buttered hot pan. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. When you take it out of the oven, it will be puffy, like the above photograph. It will then collapse. Cut it and it looks like this:
Thai Style Chicken Larb
1/2 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/3-1/2 Cup Fish Sauce
1 Tb Palm Sugar
1/3 Cup Chicken Stock
1 1/2 Pounds Ground/Minced Dark Meat Chicken(We grind/mine our own)
1 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Shallots
2-3 Tb Finely Minced Lemongrass
2-4 Thinly Sliced Thai Bird Chilies
1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro Leaves
1/4 Cup Chopped Mint Leaves
Chili Paste
Salt if necessary.
Green Leaf, Boston, or Romain Lettuce leaves.
Whisk Lime Juice, Fish Sauce, and Lime Juice in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.
In a heavy skillet or wok, bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat.
Add lemongrass and simmer for about 1 minute.
Add chicken, breaking up the meat with a spoon and simmer until chicken is cooked, and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8-10 minutes.
Add green onions, shallots, and chilies, and mix together until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Add sauce and mix, until all items are incorporated.
Remove from heat and add Cilantro and Mint, and stir.
Taste and add Chili paste and salt if necessary.
The Buta Kakuni Experiment
2 1/2- 3 Cups Grated Daikon(liquid and all)
1 - 1 1/2 Lb Slab of Pork Belly
1/2 Tb (or more) Grated Ginger
1 1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Sake
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Sugar
4 Tb Mirin
1 - Set steamer over a pot of rapidly boiling water
2 - In a heatproof dish(make sure that it will fit the steamer) place 1/3 of the grated daikon and liquid over the bottom of the dish. Place the pork belly on top of grated daikon. Cover the pork with the remainder of grated daikon.
3 - Transfer dish to steamer and steam for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. I use a bamboo skewer after about 90 minutes to see how tender the pork belly is. Remember to keep replenishing the steaming liquid as necessary.
4 - Once the pork can be easily pierced with a bamboo skewer, remove the dish (carefully) from the steamer. Place the pork belly in a bowl of lukewarm water and gently rinse the pork.
5 - Dry the pork with paper towels, and cut it into 2 inch cubes.
6 - In a pot large enough to hold the pork in a single payer mix together the rest of the ingredients. Place pork in pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer.
7 - Simmer for 30 minutes, and check flavoring and texture. Make adjustments and simmer for at least 30 more minutes.
* On this day I added slices of daikon and boiled eggs before the last 30 minutes of simmering. Oh, and don't forget the Hot Mustard!
The Pork Belly was very tender, and the remaining fat was smooth and velvety. The Missus thought it a bit too sweet, but I could have done with something cooked a bit longer, but I think the pork would have started falling apart. Of course, I've heard of places simmering their Buta Kakuni for 12 hours or more, but I don't think I'll be doing that in the near future.
Local Kine Chili
1 1/2 lb Ground beef
1/4 lb Bacon, chopped into 1/4"x1/4" cubes
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
1 C Celery, chopped
1 Large Bell Pepper, finely chopped
3 Cans Kidney beans drained, save liquid(see below)
3-4 Cans Tomato sauce
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 - 1 1/2 C Bean "liquid" or water
2 Tb Ketchup
2 Tb Red wine
2 Bay leaf
3-4 Tb Chili powder
1/2 Chicken Bullion Cube
1-2 tsp Sugar
1 Tb Oregano
1 Tb Paprika
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Grated Ginger
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tb Mayonnaise(Best Foods or Hellman's)
1 - Brown bacon over medium heat, when the bacon starts getting crisp add the Onions,
Celery, Bell Pepper, Ginger, Pepper Flakes, and Garlic, stirring to prevent browning.
2 - Once the onion turns translucent, add the Ground Beef, and brown.
3 - When the ground beef is browned add beans, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bean liquid(start with 1 cup), beans, bullion, sugar, oregano,bay leaf, and cumin. Bring to a low boil, than reduce to a simmer.
4 - When chili has been simmering for 5-6 minutes, add in Worcestershire, chili powder(start with 2 Tb), red wine, and paprika. Let simmer for a few minutes, taste and adjust flavor.
5 - Simmer for 30 minutes, and mix in 1-2 Tb Mayonnaise.
Easy Unagi Sauce(Nitsume)
2 Cups Sake
1/2 Cup Mirin
1/2 Coy Sauce(Yamasa or Aloha)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Tsp Hondashi
1 - Mix all ingredients except Hondashi in a pot. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and add Hondashi.
2 - Reduce mixture by half to a light syrup.
3 - Store in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate. According to the original recipe this will keep for up to 1 month.
Spicy Garlic Chicken
I don't remember when or where I got the original recipe. I've made several changes to it over the years.
3-4 Lbs Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut into cubes, wedges, strips, or whatever shape you desire.
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
Black Pepper
2 Tb Granulated Garlic
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1 Tsp Baking Powder
Sauce:
1/2 Cup Soy sauce
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Mirin
1 Tb Red Pepper Flakes
2 Whole Heads of Garlic Minced
1 Tsp Black Pepper
2 Stalks Green Onion Minced
2 Tb Cilantro Minced
1 - Coat chicken with soy sauce and season with pepper and granulated garlic.
2 - Mix together flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Add chicken, mix well, and refrigerate overnight.
3 - Combine together first six sauce ingredients in a small pot, over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is dissolved, and alcohol from mirin is burned off. Remove from heat and add green onion and cilantro. Set aside to cool.
4 - Heat oil to 350 degrees and fry chicken pieces. When the chicken is done, drain quickly, and dip/dredge chicken in the sauce, and remove.
5 - Eat with plenty of rice!
Part A (grind to fine)
225g shallots
60 dried chillies (soak till soften)
2 tbsp shrimp paste
Part B
400ml water
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
200ml oil
3 tbsp dried prawns, pounded finely
600g bean sprouts, wash and cleaned
600g rice vermicelli, soak till softened
Garnishes
4 pcs Tau pok (roasted and diced into small cubes)
50g Chives (finely chopped)
12 Lime (cut into halves)
Hard boiled eggs (halves)
1 kg prawns (deshelled, devein and steamed)
Method
Heat oil in wok and fry dried prawns for a min. Add A and fry till fragrant and oil comes through. Set aside 3 tbsp of the fried paste and some oil for the gravy.
Add B and let it simmer for 5 mins.
Add bean sprouts and cook a little. Add in rice vermicelli and stir fry over high heat (mix bean sprouts and rice vermicelli thoroughly). Continue till gravy is absorbed and noodle is cooked.
Gravy
10 tbsp preserved soya beans, pounded finely.
6 tbsp sugar
3 onions, sliced thinly
6 walnut sized tamarind with 225ml water, squeezed and strained
1.8l water
Method
Mix all ingredients in a big saucepan. Stir and bring to boil. Simmer for ¾ hour.
Add in the 3 tbsp of cooked fried paste and oil. Boil for another 5 mins. Remove from heat and add to rice vermicelli and serve hot.
Garnish and serve
Spicy Paste (sambal)
50g dried chillis (soak till soften)
1 tsp shrimp paste
8 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped finely
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp tamarind with 125ml water, squeezed and strained
Method
Grind dried chillies with shrimp past till very fine.
Heat oil in wok and fry chopped onion till soft and slightly brown. Add chilli paste and fry over a medium heat till fragrant and oil comes through.
Add salt, sugar and half of the tamarind water. Stir fry for 1 min, add the rest of the tamarind water and cook for another 2 mins, stirring all the time.
Remove to a bowl and serve with the ready mee siam.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.
Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (broth through garlic).
Increase heat to medium-high, and heat 3 minutes.
While pan heats, sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan.
Drain fat from pan, and discard fat. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Serve sauce over fish.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)
Note: The sauce is quite thin. To thicken, add some cornstarch dissolved in water to the pan, and bring to a boil together with broth mixture.
Chinese Style Roast Pork (Charsiew )
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons minced green onions
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed and cut into (2-inch) cubes
Combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag, reserving marinade.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place pork on the rack of a broiler pan lined with foil. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Turn pork over, and baste with reserved marinade. Discard remaining marinade. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink).
Preheat broiler. Broil pork 5 minutes or until browned.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces)
10 oz trimmed pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp tomato paste (or 2 tbsp of ketchup dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice (or white) vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 small onion, roughly chopped
1/3 medium red pepper, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm squares
1/2 small tomato, cut into 1 inch/ 2.5cm chunks
1.5 inches english cucumber, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm wedges
1 cup pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch/1 cm pieces
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
pinch black pepper
strips of red pepper
fresh coriander leaves
Slice tenderloin into strips that are 1/4 inch/5mm thick, 2 inches/5cm long and about 1 inch/2.5cm wide. If you find it difficult to cut thinly through fresh meat, leave it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden slightly, then slice. Reserve.
In a small bowl mix together tomato paste, water, fish sauce, vinegar, lime juice and sugar and beat until blended. Reserve.
Heat oil in a wok (or a large frying pan) until it is just about to smoke. Add garlic and stirfry for 30 second. Immediately add reserved pork and stirfry for 2-3 minutes until all th pork has fried in the oil and is turning white. Add onion, red pepper, tomato, cucumber and pineapple as well as soy sauce and black pepper and stirfry for 2 minutes, unitl all the vegetables have begun to wilt.
Add reserve sauce (tomato paste etc, stirfry for 1-2 minutes until everything is integrated and shiny. Dissolve cornstarch in water, add to work and stirfry for less than a minute, until the sauce has thickened somewhat. Take off heat.
Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with stips o red pepper and coriander leaves. Serve immediately, accompanied by steamed rice.
5 pounds baking potatoes
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons onion salt
Garnish: paprika or chopped fresh parsley
Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Cook in a medium saucepan in boiling water to cover 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain and place into a large mixing bowl.
Add cream cheese and next 4 ingredients; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy (do not overbeat). Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch or 3-quart baking dish.
Bake, covered, at 325° for 50 minutes or until thoroughly heated; garnish, if desired.
Note: Unbaked mashed potatoes may be chilled up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, and bake as directed.
Yield: 10 servings
Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
adapted from Fine Cooking
1 package dry yeast (I used rapid rise yeast)
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°F)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
6 Tbs. butter
1 lb. (3-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. butter, melted (for shaping)
For the egg glaze:
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. milk
Pinch sugar
Making the dough:
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Add a pinch of the sugar. Stir and let the mixture sit until it's foamy, about 5 min. (If the mixture doesn't foam, the yeast may be inactive. Throw out the mixture and begin again with new yeast.)
Heat the milk and butter just until the butter melts. Let the mixture cool until it's tepid.
Measure the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the tepid milk and the yeast mixture. Add the rest of the sugar and the oil, egg, and salt. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, gradually drawing in the flour to form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
(For a variation, make whole-wheat rolls with orange and coriander. Orange zest makes these rolls particularly fragrant, and the whole-wheat flour gives the rolls a pleasantly hearty flavor. Use the recipe above, but substitute 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the white flour. After the salt is added, add the grated zest of 1 orange and 1/2 tsp. ground coriander. Proceed with the remainder of the recipe as written.)
Knead the dough:
Push the dough away from you with the heels of your hands, then fold the dough over itself and give it a quarter turn. Repeat this pushing, folding, and turning, adding only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the table, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 min. The dough will be softer than ordinary bread dough. Put the dough in a greased bowl and then turn the dough over so the greased side faces up. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the dough and leave it to rise until doubled in volume, 45 min. to 1 hour. Gently punch down the dough and then let it rest for 5 min. before shaping.
Shape the rolls:
Lightly butter a standard 12-portion muffin tin. With your hands, roll the dough into a long cylinder about 18 in. long. Use a dough cutter to divide this in half and then cut each half into six equal portions. Divide each of these 12 portions into three sections for a total of 36 pieces. Each piece should be approximately the same size.
With your palms, lightly roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Cluster three balls of dough in each cup of the muffin tin. Brush with a little melted butter. Allow to rise for 40 to 50 min., or until doubled in volume.
Yield 12 dinner rolls
Espresso and Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
adapted from Bon Appetite
Crust
1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies (used oreo cookies)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Filling
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon water
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 tablespoon finely ground coffee (used one tablespoon of instant espresso powder)
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup whipping cream
For crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process using on/off turns until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Wrap outside of pan with aluminum foil.
For filling:
In small bowl, dissolve instant espresso in 1 tablespoon water. Using electric mix, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in espresso mixture, butter and ground coffee beans.
Combine chocolate and cream in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Pour half of cheese filling (about 2 1/2 cups) into prepared crust. Drop 5 tablespoons melted chocolate mixture by tablespoons around edge of filling, spacing evenly. Use small sharp knife to swirl chocolate into filling. Carefully pour remaining cheese filling over. Drop remaining chocolate mixture by tablespoons into center 6 inches of filling, spacing evenly. Swirl mixtures together using tip of knife.
Bake cheesecake until edges are puffed and beginning to crack and top is golden brown, about 40 minutes (center will not be set). Cool on rack. Chill overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.)
Run small sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Release pan sides. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Transfer to platter and serve.
Serves 10.
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