Momofuku: Ssäm Lettuce Wraps

I was excited to try a Momofuku recipe at home. It was a test to gauge whether or not I should buy the Momofuku cookbook. Chef David Chang really brought out the essence of Asian fusion. This recipe actually comes from Ssäm bar, one of world's 50 best restaurants, and not Momofuku Ko, the famous two-michelin starred restaurant. It is easy and definitely worth making.

Ssäm Lettuce Wraps

If you know of great Momofuku recipes, please share with me. I think I am ready for another!

Individual Lettuce Wraps

Ssäm Bar Lettuce Wraps
from Serious Eats
Ingredients

• 2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 thinly sliced yellow onion
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1.5lb hangar, skirt or flank steak
• 2 bunches of scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 3/4 tsp of sherry vinegar
• 1 cup kimchi
• 2 large heads of bibb lettuce, leaves separated and washed
• 3 cups of cooked white rice

Recipe

1. In a freezer bag, combine the apple juice, 1/2 cup soy sauce, onion, garlic, and sesame oil. Add the steak and turn to coat. Marinate for 40 minutes at room temperature (or up to a 24 hours refrigerated).
2. Combine the scallions, ginger, oil, sherry vinegar, and salt to taste in a bowl. Stir well to combine.
3. In a small food processor, process the kimchi into a puree.
4. Prepare a grill or heat a grill pan on high. Remove the steak from the marinade and grill to medium rare, 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cut. For the first few minutes, baste with the marinade to infuse more flavor and glaze the exterior.
5. Remove the steak to a platter and allow it to rest for a full five minutes. Slice against the grain on a 30 degree angle into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
6. Serve the steak with the kimchi puree, ginger-scallion sauce, rice, and lettuce leaves for wrapping.

5 Star Makeover: Margherita Pizza the Chinese Way

This month's 5 Star Makeover theme is... pizza! Loved the theme because pizza allows so much room for creativity. For my pizza, I chose to make Margherita pizza, with a Chinese twist.

Chinese Margherita Pizza

I wrapped the typical Margherita flavors in a Chinese pastry bun. The slight tinge of sweetness in the dough made the classic Margherita pizza that much more interesting. Although the taste of this pizza bun resembles that of a Calzone, the key difference lies in the multiple layers of a Chinese pastry dough. The texture is light and buttery as opposed to heavy and chewy.

Chinese Margherita Pizza served with a Mozzarella, Carrot, and Arugula "stirfry"

Margherita Pizza the Chinese Way
makes 12 buns
Ingredients
Outer Pastry Layer

• 1.5 tbsp of butter
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of cold water

Inner Pastry Layer

• 1 cup of cake flour
• 4 tbsp of butter
• 1 tomato, juice drained and chopped

Filling

• 1/4 cup of basil leaves
• a handful of toasted pine nuts
• 1 tbsp of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 oz of mozzarella cheese, cut into 1" x 2" rectangles

Other

• 1 egg, beaten
• Oregano, sea salt, and pepper for topping

Recipe

1. Mix outer layer ingredients and roll it into a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. Mix inner layer ingredients and roll it into a dough.
3. Separate dough for each of the two layers into 12 balls. You now have 12 outer layer balls and 12 inner layer balls.
4. Roll an outer layer dough ball into a flat circle, envelope the inner layer ball and wrap the outer layer around it. Use a rolling pin and roll the combined dough ball into a flat oval shape. From the short side, roll it up and have the opening face downward on a surface. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Repeat this for all dough balls.
5. Preheat oven to 350F.
6. Flatten the rolls with rolling pin. Then, roll the flat dough up again into a roll. Roll it out into a flat circle. Repeat this for all dough balls.
7. Puree basil, cheddar cheese, pine nuts, garlic, butter in a food processor and season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. On the flat dough circle, put a small piece of tomato, a small piece of mozzarella, and some basil mixture. Enclose the dough around the filling and shape it into a round ball. Brush with egg mixture and sprinkle dough ball with oregano, salt and pepper. Bake the 12 dough balls for about 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown.

As always, thank you to Natasha from 5 Star Foodie and Laz from Lazaro Cooks! for hosting this month's challenge. Looking forward to September!

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Hi, I'm a Butter-Braised Fig!

I find figs irresistible, mainly because of the combination of their natural sweetness and chewy texture. Not only that, aren't figs just so cute?! Also, they are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber. What's not to like? This is my new favorite way of enjoying figs. I hope you like them as much as I do.


Butter Braised Figs, Cheese, Nuts
with Balsamic Syrup

 Butter Braised Figs, Cheese, Nuts
Adapted from Jennifer Jeffrey
Ingredients

• 10 green ripe figs
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 2 tbsp of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp of toasted pine nuts

Recipe

1. Melt butter over medium-low heat in a small nonstick pan. Rinse figs and pat dry. Cut off the sharp tips of figs and make a cross-shaped cut halfway deep into the figs like the photo above.
2. Place figs in pan with melted butter and let it sit for 3 minutes, until the bottoms of the figs begin to soften. Toast nuts until lightly browned.
3. Remove figs and set them on a plate or cheese board.
4. Add balsamic vinegar to pan. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let it reduce by half.
5. Slightly push open the tops to expose the insides of the figs. Sprinkled grated cheese into each. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and sprinkle toasted pine nuts over the top. Serve warm as appetizer or dessert.

Today's Bento: Oxtail Stew, Steamed Rice & Chile-Hot Edamame

Bento basically refers to a lunch box. Most of us probably have some sort of memories associated with packed lunches (hopefully positive ones). Thanks to mom, mine was almost always tasty. My bento usually consisted of rice, meat or seafood, and vegetables. Then, I got a little box for fruit. If you were to make yourself a bento, what would be in it? I know. Hard question.

Here was mine today, and I think I chose well. If you've never tried oxtail stew before, I invite you to try this recipe. It's easy and tasty!

Oxtail Stew & Edamame Bento
served with steamed rice

Oxtail Stew & Edamame Bento
Serves 4
Ingredients
Oxtail Stew

• 1.5lb of oxtails (if you get it from the butcher, ask for oxtails cut into segments)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup of red wine
• 1 cup of beef stock
• 2 whole cloves of garlic (peel still on)
• Pinch of thyme
• Half a bay leaf
• Cilantro (optional, for garnish)

Chile-Hot Edamame

• 1/2lb fresh edamame
• 1 tbsp of peanut oil
• 2 dried red chiles
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp of star anise pieces
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of chicken broth

Rice

• 4 cups of cooked white rice

Oxtail Stew

Recipe

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season oxtails (make sure oxtails are patted dry) with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides in the Dutch oven. Place oxtails on a plate and set aside. 
2. Turn down heat to medium. Cook chopped onions in oven until browned (about 5 minutes). Add back oxtails, wine, stock, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and 1/2 tsp of salt. 
3. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 3 hours, until meat is tender. 
4. Skim off fat from the surface or refrigerate overnight and discard fat layer the next day. (If you are reheating the next day, reheat first before proceeding.) Remove oxtails from Dutch oven and cook down liquid by half over medium-high heat. Add back oxtails and let oxtails simmer with thickened sauce for 30 minutes. Serve hot. 

Chile-Hot Edamame

Recipe from LA Times

Recipe

1. Peel and rinse edamame under cold water, drain and set aside.
2. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil, swirl it around in the pan and heat until hot. Add chiles and garlic and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add edamame and star anise and fry for 1 minute. 
3. Add the salt and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are very tender, about 7 minutes. Serve in bento with oxtail stew and white rice. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Crab Noodles in Oyster Sauce

Don't be deceived by its simplicity. This Cantonese noodle dish is often served at parties and get togethers because of the incredible oyster sauce infused noodles. Deep fried noodles are typically used, but I used regular egg noodles instead for the sake of health. It makes a quick yet fancy dinner.

Crab Noodles in Oyster Sauce

I discovered the secret to buying lump crab meat at a good price: Costco. Whenever I visit, I can never resist grabbing a jar. With one entire pound of delicious crab meat, I usually end up making crab cakes, but tonight I wanted to try something new. This dish definitely does it for me!

Crab Noodles in Oyster Sauce
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients

• 1 package of egg noodles (usually serves 3)
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb of lump crab meat
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp of ginger, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp of sesame oil
• Sauce (1 cup of chicken broth, 1.5 tbsp of oyster sauce, 3 tsp of soy sauce, 1/2 tsp of sugar)
• Starch water (mix 1 tsp of corn starch and 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl)
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Recipe

1. Follow package instructions to cook egg noodles. 
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Fry shallots for a minute and add ginger and half of the green onions. 
3. Mix sauce in a small bowl and add to saute pan. Bring the sauce to a boil. Add cooked and drained egg noodles to pan and simmer noodles on low until most of the liquid has been absorbed (approximately 5 minutes). Mix in remaining green onions and sesame oil. Remove noodle mixture and keep warm in a covered bowl.
4. Add chicken broth to the original pan and turn the heat up to high. Bring broth to a boil and add crab meat. Bring it to a boil again and add starch water. Cook until it's thickened to your liking, then fold in egg white. Cook for another minute or two while stirring gently.  
5. Place some noodles in a bowl and scoop a little crab meat mixture on top. Garnish with cilantro if you desire. Serve warm. 

Taiwanese Zongzi - a Chinese Tamale

I come from a family that celebrated every European and Chinese holiday imaginable, so naturally, I love traditions and customs. It is interesting that while Europeans seem to cherish the atmosphere surrounding an occasion (think Christmas), Chinese seem to emphasize the importance of the actual date and time (think Chinese Dragon Boat Festival).

So Dragon Boat Festival is a special day in the Chinese culture. The legend describes a famous Chinese poet who drowned in a river in his attempt to defend the nation. In order to remember him, people eat something called Zongzi during Dragon Boat Festivals. Zongzi is definitely one of my favorite treats. It is a bit like a tamale where glutinous rice is wrapped in bamboo leaf and then steamed or boiled. The filling can be savory or sweet (I always choose the sweet red bean paste Zongzi). Though many variations exist out there, Taiwan is famous for perfecting Zongzi. Taiwanese Zongzi can be described as either Southern or Northern style. Since I'm most familiar with the Northern style Zongzi, I made a mini-version of it.  

I was pleasantly surprised (and impressed) that hubby is a natural. I will be expecting some sweet ones from him soon! In my version, the raw rice was fried in a little bit of oil and soy sauce along with deep fried shallots. I added meat, shiitake, and cooked salted duck egg to the inside of the Zongzi. I replaced the traditional pork belly with marinated and cooked chicken thigh meat (for a slightly healthier version). The Zongzi were steamed for about an hour and drizzled with sweet chili sauce right before serving. Since it was our first try, they were not the prettiest but they definitely the tastiest. 

Stay tuned for our sweet version! I will include a (picture) recipe too if anyone is interested.

"Pock" Granny, 3-Cup Chicken & More

You may wonder why I decided to title this post with irrelevant nonsense; fortunately, the blame goes to Chinese people in the past who had much imagination and time to spare.

It has been a few days since I last walked into my kitchen. Two! To be exact. Okay, it really hasn't been that long but it sure felt like a long time. I wanted to make food I loved and missed, so I cooked two of Chinese cuisine's most popularized dishes: "Pock" Granny Tofu and 3-Cup Chicken. These go by many other names: mapo tofu, spicy tofu, hot tofu, three teacup chicken, basil chicken, etc. The tofu dish is essentially a hot and spicy tofu broth with ground meat, while the chicken dish is saucy and sharp in flavor.  

Spicy Tofu in Hollowed Rice and 3-Cup Chicken
served with Shiitake Cabbage

I hollowed out the rice and poured the spicy "Pock" Granny Tofu into the center and served the 3-Cup Chicken on the side along with more sauce. 

"Pock" Granny Tofu + 3-Cup Chicken

The dish "Pock" Granny Tofu actually comes from the story of a woman who created this delicious dish. She was nicknamed "Pock" Granny due to her age and appearance, but she was known to serve simple and flavorful dishes to travelers at her street side inn. I have always separated Chinese food in two categories: food for the poor and food for the rich. While I am sure this holds true in many cultures, it never ceases to amaze me how popular the once commoner food has become today. This tofu dish is a perfect example. In comparison, 3-Cup Chicken has a much more scientific origin behind its name. 3-Cup refers to the key ingredients and measurements of this dish - a cup (teacup back then) of sesame oil : a cup of soy sauce : a cup of rice wine. Of course, others are added (basil, spice, garlic, sugar, etc.) as people become pickier, but it started with 3 very simple ingredients. 

The way my version of this dish is meant to be eaten is to mix all the flavors together and balance them with a cup of perfectly steamed rice sitting on a bed of vegetables.  

"Mixed"

Things just taste better when you get to be the one to mess it up!

Seriously, it takes 10 minutes! Chinese Bolognese.

After driving around in the city all day, we decided that we were famished. I was lazy to cook. He had cravings. He wanted Chinese, and I thought Chinese restaurants were too far. But we both wanted food. After some thinking, I finally decided that it would take less time to whip up a great bowl of Chinese Bolognese, or black bean sauce noodles, than to drive to a restaurant.

10 Minute Chinese Bolognese

Often referred to as the Asian version of Italian bolognese, black bean sauce noodles are more extreme in flavor and much quicker to make. The black bean sauce that tops the noodles consist of ground turkey (traditionally minced pork), spicy black soybean paste, sweet bean paste, soy sauce, garlic, green onions and ginger. Once the sauce is well incorporated, it is served on top of hot Chinese noodles. Though in my photo above, the overwhelming amount of sauce buried the noodles underneath. This is why a famished cook should never be in the kitchen. It took less than 10 minutes and we knew we made the right choice after the happy filling meal. 

Bolognese Steamed Buns

Not knowing what to do with delicious leftovers the next day, I decided that the rich flavoring would be a great bun, or bao, filling. So I made whole wheat bolognese steamed buns for lunch. I absolutely love steamed buns. I can eat them in any way imaginable, from BBQ pork filling to sweet sesame buns to just plain tasty buns. Mmm.

Homemade + Traditional - Chinese New Year

Yes, Chinese New Year deserves two separate posts. Why? Because there's too much food consumed to fit into just one. In the previous post, I made many "lucky" dishes prior to Chinese New Year because I knew I would be traveling and would not have as much time to cook. Now, I would like to share delicious family homemade food that I was able to enjoy over the last few days.

Fried Red Bean Rice Cakes for Breakfast



Quinoa Tabbouleh, Sesame Vermicelli Salad, and Lemongrass Salmon

 

Wild Salmon Spring Rolls

Chinese Pork Tamale

Thai Coconut Dessert

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! 

Festivities of Food - Chinese New Year

It is almost Chinese New Year again. This year it falls on February 3rd. It is going to be the year of the Rabbit. As traditional as my family is, I feel that these traditions have been slipping away from me slowly year after year. I used to spend my Chinese New Years in Taipei, and the festivities ran from street stalls selling Chinese New Year specialty food to department stores decorating their ceilings and walls with splashes of red and gold. It was hard not to be a part of the traditions and celebrations. Today, it is still a holiday I treasure because it is one of the few times people look back and remember the rich 5,000 years+ of Chinese history and culture.

I have my own way of a Chinese New Year pre-party and that involves, of course, making a lot of Chinese food.

Oxtail Steak and Tricolor Eggs

 
I started with my spin on steak and eggs. I made an oxtail stew as steak and served it with tricolor eggs made with pickled eggs, duck eggs, and chicken eggs. Duck eggs, like many other food, represent good luck because of its pronunciation which resembles other words that mean good fortune and good luck. 

Whole Wheat Pasta Sheets

Fresh Tagliatelle

We made whole wheat tagliatelle from scratch. Not Chinese, I know. But having noodles is important because the long strands represent longevity. We stir-fried the noodles with Taiwanese sausage and garlic, adding some oyster sauce and sugar in the mixture. It was fresh and delicious.

Sweet Sesame Rolls

Using the fresh pasta dough, I made some sweet sesame paste and rolled it up for a sweet pastry. Sweets bring a sweetness to life and that is one tradition I cannot pass up!

Traditional Chinese Pastry

Sweet Mung Bean Filling

Mung beans, not eaten as often in the Western culture, have many health benefits. One of which is a cooling factor to your body to balance the yin and the yang. That is why many drink sweet mung bean soup in the summertime. Mung bean can also be made into a sweet paste and used as a filling in pretty much anything. I made a traditional mung bean pastry with layers of flaky pastry wraps and a sweetened mung bean paste in the center. Chinese tend to like enjoying food that is either long (noodles) for longevity or circular (pastries like this one) to represent family unity.

That concludes my chinese cook-off over the weekend for fortune and for everything good in life. Eat a lot and you will bring all the luck to you and your family!

East Meets West

Chinese cuisine is probably one of my favorite food to make - not only because it is so delicious that I always eat it all, but also because it is my version of comfort food. Oh, not to mention the fact that I do have all kinds of mom's and grandma's recipes. Growing up, dinner was always served family-style in the dining room: a bowl of steamed rice, three different types of dishes on the table, and a bowl of hearty soup. Mine is going to differ somewhat.

Spicy Chicken over Rice, served with Cilantro Slaw and Chicken Cheese Balls

My westernized version of chinese food combines three types of flavors on the plate, featuring the ingredients chili peppers, cilantro, and chicken. Spicy chicken is served over steamed rice, accompanied by cilantro slaw and chicken cheese balls. The cilantro slaw is a typical Chinese "small plate" that is meant to be served right away like dinner rolls to keep people entertained while waiting for the main dishes to arrive. These small plates are usually served cold, with fairly light flavors that lean more toward sweet and/or sour flavors to avoid overpowering the hot entrée. Although I served it with the main dish, it is a refreshing appetizer as we waited for the spicy chicken and rice to cool down. I also created almond crusted chicken balls with melted cheese in the center. This hot snack is addicting and fun to eat.

Almond Crusted Chicken Cheese Balls

I am participating in the 10 with 5 Challenge created by Rosy + Tart, where I would need to create 10 dishes with no more than 5 ingredients each! So here is my first 10 with 5 recipe:

Chicken Cheese Balls
(Ingredients: 8oz skinless and boneless chopped chicken thighs, almond slices, cheddar cheese cubes, 2 tsp of  milk, 1 tbsp of garlic paste or chopped garlic)
Recipe: 1) Grind chopped chicken with milk in a food processor, season with salt & pepper. 2) Mix in garlic and form mixture into small balls (add crushed almond slices if mixture is too sticky). 3) Insert one cheese cube into the center of each ball and roll the ball in almond slices until these slices cover the entire area. 4) Bake in preheated oven at 375F for 20 minutes.