Harvest to Heat: Burrata with Speck, Peas, and Mint

I am hooked to my new cookbook Harvest to Heat. For my first recipe, I chose Burrata with Speck, Peas, and Mint. Enjoy this recipe by Chef Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza.

Burrata with Speck, Peas, and Mint

This entire book is based on the concept of minimizing the time it takes from farm to table. Authors Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer wanted to document a collection of recipes from "cooking with America's best chefs, farmers, and artisans."

This particular recipe is Chef Nancy Silverton's creation based on fresh burrata cheese supplied by Mimmo Bruno of DiStefano Cheese. Thanks to mozzarella, burrata's popularity actually resulted from using leftover mozzarella curd. The curd is stretched into a thin sheet, then filled with a mix of sweet cream and shreds of mozzarella (stracciatelle). I was first exposed to this delicious "cousin of mozzarella" at my favorite gastropub Waterloo & City with its Roasted Beets & Burrata Salad. I was head over heels in love ever since.

Harvest to Heat by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer

Burrata with Speck, Peas, and Mint
Serves 4
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh peas
• 1/2 cup medium-sized mint leaves, julienned
• 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 4 tbsp EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
• 8 tbsp of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1lb of speck (thinly sliced, about 16 slices)
• 1lb fresh burrata, cut into 8 slices (it will be oddly shaped) 

Recipe

1. Heat a small saucepan of water over medium-high heat. Add peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water.
2. In a medium bowl, combine peas, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently until thoroughly combined.
3. Arrange 4 slices of speck on each of the 4 plates. Place 2 slices of burrata on top and drizzle with pea mixture. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of cheese evenly over the top of each plate. 

The Pork Trilogy III: Arugula Braised Pork Pizza

Here comes volume 3! You have now braised the pork from Volume I and made some delicious mouthwatering waffled french toast sandwiches. Take what's left of the braised pork and make a homemade pizza to share.


Arugula Braised Pork Pizza

Arugula Braised Pork Pizza Makes one 12-16 inch pizza
Ingredients

Pizza Crust

• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 tbsp of white sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Pizza Topping

• 1 cup of beer braised pork
• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
• 10 slices of mozzarella cheese (I cut half a mozzarella ball into 10 slices)
• 1/2 cup of toasted and crushed almonds
• 1 cup of baby arugula
• Arugula dressing: 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp of lemon juice, a dash of salt and pepper

Recipe

1. Stir water, yeast, and sugar together until dissolved. Add the olive oil (3 tbsp) and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425F. Pat dough into pan or on to a pizza stone using fingers dipped in olive oil.
3. In a shallow bowl, mix pork and tomato sauce. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes.
4. Toast almonds, if you haven't already.
5. Top pizza with pork and tomato mixture. Then sprinkle the crushed almonds over the mixture. Top with slices of mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake the pizza for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss arugula with arugula dressing. When the pizza is done, just top it with arugula salad and serve.

The Pork Trilogy II: Waffled French Toast Sandwich

So assuming you have leftovers from that amazing beer braised pork (for those of you that missed my recipe for the delicious braised pork shoulder, please read Pork Trilogy Volume I), how about making a waffled french toast sandwich with pork shoulder, red sauce, and cheddar cheese? Serve it with a warm barley and kale salad with roasted pears and candied prosciutto.

Waffled French Toast Sandwich
with Red Sauce, Beer Braised Pork, and Cheddar Cheese

Waffled french toasts are perfect for this sandwich because they don't get soggy from cheese and sauce and they add texture to the tender braised pork.

Warm Barley and Kale Salad with Roasted Pears and Candied Prosciutto
served with Waffled French Toast Sandwich

Waffled French Toast Sandwich

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 tbsp of cajun powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• Nonstick cooking spray for waffle maker
• 4 slices of white or wheat bread
• 2 cups of shredded pork shoulder
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or 2 thick slices)

Recipe

1. Preheat waffle maker on medium-high heat. Preheat an oven to 200F. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add milk, cajun powder, and salt and whisk until blended.
3. Dip 1 bread slice into the egg mixture and soak, turning once, 20 seconds per side. Repeat this with all bread slices. Spray the wells of the waffle maker with nonstick cooking spray. 
4. Place 1 bread slice in each well of the waffle maker and close the lid. Cook the bread until golden brown and crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the french toast to a wire rack set on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the pork.
5. Mix shredded pork with tomato sauce in a shallow microwavable dish. Coat pork evenly and spread it out in the dish in a shallow layer. 
6. Sprinkle or layer cheese on top of the tomato pork mixture.
7. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes.
8. Using a large spatula, gentle separate a square chunk of the pork mixture (about the size of the bread) and place it on a slice of waffled french toast. Top the sandwich with another slice of waffled french toast. Repeat this for the other sandwich. If desired, cut the sandwich into 2 triangles with a sharp knife. Serve with a side salad or on its own.  

I served the sandwich with a warm barley and kale salad with roasted pears and candied prosciutto. It was absolutely amazing. You can find the recipe here at LA Times. 

The Pork Trilogy: Volume I

Pork shoulder can be so juicy and so "falling off the bone" good, literally, when braised slowly and properly. If you are looking to make something good, try this one. Wait, I'm sorry, try this trilogy of recipes.

This is Volume I: how to properly braise pork shoulder (with beer). Then, in my next two blog posts, I will share with you Volumes II and III, where the tastiest dinners were made with the braised pork. Braise it on Sunday; eat it on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Perfect.


Beer Braised Pork Shoulder


Braised Pork Shoulder
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 4 to 6 (or 8-10 if serving smaller portions along with other side dishes)
Ingredients

• 4 oz pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bone-in pork shoulder (4lbs), skin-on (I remove it after cooking but it adds flavor during the process)
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 head garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of fennel seeds, toasted and ground (optional, depends if you like the taste of fennel)
• 1/2 tsp of crushed coriander seeds
• 2 cups of Belgian-style ale
• 1 cup of chicken stock

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Crisp pancetta in a large dutch oven over medium-low heat, until fat is rendered (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
2. Add onions to dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
3. Season pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to dutch oven, and sear pork, fat side down, until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and repeat.
4. Add garlic and spices to pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ale, stock, pancetta, and onions; bring to a simmer. Transfer to oven, and braise pork, covered, basting every hour, until meat is falling off the bone, about 4.5 hours. Shred meat (should be effortless at this point) using 2 forks, and drizzle with warm au jus. 
5. Serve some pork over polenta, gnocchi or potatoes with some au jus drizzled over it.

A Different Kind of Italian Dinner

Italians know how to cook. They really do. They know how to bring out a particular flavor and they know the right amount needed.

Sweet Italian Sausages and Roasted Grapes Salad

Over the weekend, I picked up a cookbook by Julia della Croce - Italian Home Cooking. In the book, she introduces her favorites of traditional Italian recipes. The first recipe I wanted to recreate was her Sauteed Sweet Pork Sausages with Roasted Black Grapes. Although she suggested the dish to be served with polenta, I decided to balance the richness of the sausages with a spring salad and some brown rice instead.

Sweet Pork Sausages and Roasted Grapes Salad
Adapted from Italian Home Cooking by Julia della Croce


Ingredients

• 5 Italian sweet sausages
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 lb of red grapes, stripped from stems (choose small ones that are firm and ripe)
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice
• Spring greens (for salad) 4oz
• Balsamic dressing (1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 1 clove of chopped garlic, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper)

Recipe

1. Use a sharp knife to poke a few holes in the sausages before cooking them. Put sausages and water in a dutch oven over medium heat. When water has evaporated and sausages begin to color (about 12 minutes), reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 20 minutes until browned and cooked through. Prick them once or twice (not too much) to release excess fat. 
2. Preheat oven to 375F. Wash grapes and dry them well. Coat grapes with some cooking spray and roast in oven in a single layer for 15 minutes. 
3. Make salad dressing and toss with spring greens. 
4. Place some salad on a plate and add a few small scoops of brown rice. Add sausage (or sausages) and grapes to plate. Serve hot.

Serves 2-4

Weeknight Gratin: Spicy Italian Sausage & Kale

It's finally Friday! It has been a long week, but nevertheless, I made it. I wanted to make a simple one-pot dinner for the two of us tonight. I wanted to eat, share stories, catch up, and enjoy the start of a weekend. We did exactly just that, followed by a scoop of our favorite gelato from Melt.

Spicy Italian Sausage & Kale Gratin

This recipe from LA Times caught my eye a couple weeks ago, but I had forgotten about it until today. It was delicious like a childhood favorite, crunchy like a fresh salad, and creamy like a cheesy casserole.

Spicy Italian Sausage & Kale Gratin
Adapted from LA Times

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1lb of spicy Italian Sausage (casings removed and crumbled)
• 1/3 cup of dry white wine
• 2 bunches of kale, torn into large pieces
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 2 cups of milk (I used nonfat milk and it tasted fine)
• 4 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim and low-moisture, it worked out well)
• 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp of melted butter
• 1 tbsp of minced fresh herbs (I used oregano, basil and thyme)
• 1 puff pastry sheet (optional)
• Egg mixture (1 egg + 1 tbsp of water) for puff pastry (optional)

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in crumbled sausage and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the wine and cook, scraping flavors from the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until the wine reduces and is mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium.
4. Stir in the kale, a handful at a time, and stir with sausage until it begins to wilt and turn bright green. Continue adding kale until it is all added and is just wilted. Be careful not to overcook the kale. Remove from heat and set aside. 
5. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently, and reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 
6. Mix the mozzarella into the sauce until the cheese is just melted and the sauce is smooth. Using a slotted spoon, add the kale and sausage. It will be a little sticky but try to incorporate the cheese sauce well with the kale and sausage. Remove from heat.
7. Spoon mixture into a gratin dish. 
8. In a medium bowl, combine Parmigiano-Reggiano, bread crumbs, and herbs. Pour over melted butter and stir until butter is evenly distributed to form topping.
9. Sprinkle topping over kale and sausage mixture. I added long flat strips of puff pastry sheets across the top of the gratin dish to form a crust. If you prefer to have a crust, brush the strips lightly with egg mixture. 
10. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. 

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.

Bacon and Eggs: Under the Tuscan Sun

As a part of the 5 Star Makeover event, I have created an Italian version of Bacon and Eggs. Traditionally a breakfast plate, bacon and eggs were popularized in various parts of the UK. A fun modern spin of bacon and eggs can be seen at The Fat Duck where Heston Blumenthal serves nitro-scrambled eggs with bacon ice cream. In my interpretation, I wanted to paint the image of a beautiful morning, using simple, fresh, and flavorful ingredients. 

Bacon and Eggs: Under the Tuscan Sun

Uova da Raviolo with a Pancetta Carpaccio, served with Italian Pesto

I prepared a Uova da Raviolo and a Pancetta Carpaccio, served with Italian Pesto.

Uova da Raviolo

Uova da Raviolo is a large single ravioli with a soft egg yolk inside. The egg yolk sits on top of a garlic ricotta cheese mixture before it is enclosed with fresh pasta sheet. The ravioli is boiled for approximately 3 to 5 minutes (when using fresh pasta sheet) and the enclosed egg stays soft. The creaminess of the ravioli mixed with the sharp flavors of pancetta carpaccio is like an explosion of flavors!

Pancetta Carpaccio

The Pancetta Carpaccio consists of thinly sliced pancetta, Lagrein cheese and cantaloupe. Lagrein cheese is an Italian alpine cheese from the Alto Adige. On average, there are only 12 cows per farm and the cheese is cured in a bath of spices, herbs, garlic, and a local red wine (Lagrein). I thought the richness of this specific cheese would accent the carpaccio well. The dish is accompanied by a traditional Italian Basil Pesto made with a mortar and pestle using fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and parmagiano-reggiano.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

When I started Bacon and Soufflé about a month ago, I intended to share with you my dining experiences and fun culinary creations. More importantly, though, I wanted to seek out others who constantly inspire. Natasha from 5 Star Foodie is an amazing home chef who always inspires, adding a new spin to each one of her culinary creations. When Natasha and Lazaro from Lazaro Cooks! asked me to be a part of the 5 Star Makeover event to create my own interpretation of Bacon and Eggs, I was thrilled to accept the invitation. I hope you enjoyed my dish!

Gastropub Cuisine, Gourmet Pork Shoulder Pizza

Although there are numerous restaurants that I love and enjoy, there are only a handful that inspire my cooking. Those are the restaurants I look forward to visiting everytime. Waterloo & City is one of them.

Waterloo & City was designed as a traditional British gastropub, which by definition has a relaxed atmosphere while serving gastronomic cuisine. However, those in LA have begun to associate the restaurant with molecular gastronomy cuisine, mainly due to its creative spin on popular comfort food and its ever-changing menu. I cannot tell you how much I loved their winter squash cheesecake with candied bacon and crème fraiche. Anyway, we ordered their "Braised Short Rib Pizza, Stilton, Chimichuri" and were instantly in love. The way the tenderness and juiciness of short ribs melt onto the pizza, making the thin crust pizza feel like a deep dish. The way the chimichuri brings an extreme flavor and texture to the entire pizza.

I was inspired to make what I personally thought was the best pizza I have ever had - Ale Braised Pork Shoulder Pizza with Candied Apple Pecans.

Ale Braised Pork Shoulder Pizza with Candied Apple Pecans

Pork shoulder was braised in the oven with Belgian ale, pancetta, onions, and various herbs for approximately four hours. I covered the fresh pizza crust with shredded pork shoulder pieces and a thin layer of marinara sauce. The pizza was then topped with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, candied whole pecans and apple slices, basil leaves, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for the spice. Salty, sweet, spicy, savory and creaminess all came together in this pizza. It was so good.

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! 

Fast Food Reversal

What if I told you that I have found a way to healthy-fy fast food like chicken tenders + ranch, potato wedges + ketchup, and chips? How about the fact that I beautified it? Or used molecular gastronomy to trick you into thinking that you were eating these but you really weren't.

Pork "tenders" with cream gravy, portobello mushroom "wedges" over ketchup
 and crispy kale garlic "chips"

Tonight I made "pork" tenders with cream gravy sauce, accompanied by portobello wedges with ketchup and crispy red Russian kale garlic chips. I knew it was a success when Jason, my husband, took a bite of each and thought he ate chicken with dipping sauce and potato wedges with ketchup. He was not fooled, unfortunately, by crispy kale due to familiarity, but the thin, crunchy texture of kale, along with its garlic salted flavor, reminded me of those potato chips that were always so addicting to me as a kid.

The trick to making the portobello mushroom resemble potato wedges is to grill the portobello for a few minutes first to give it a smoky, burnt flavor that will remind you of the slightly burnt taste of potato wedges. To ensure that the portobello softens enough on the inside while staying crunchy on the outside, I then dipped them in an egg batter and coated them with a thin layer of bread crumbs. Frying them for a few minutes that way will give you the potato wedge appearance and taste.

To much of my surprise and satisfaction, fast food reversal works!

Finally. Spotlight on Polenta

Tonight was my very first attempt at making homemade polenta. Because of this special day, I did not want my polenta to go unnoticed like mashed potatoes when served with prime rib (who notices the mashed potatoes anyway) or rice when served with teriyaki chicken. I wanted the polenta to be memorable. 

Braised Chicken and Italian Sausage over Soft Polenta
served with Brussel Sprouts Two Ways

My logic went something like this: cheesy polenta, will go with spicy italian sausage, too much sausage will overpower polenta, how about chicken, chicken is not rich enough in flavor, how about sausage and chicken together, braised, in white wine and tomatoes, yes. As I had hoped, the polenta soaked up all the complex flavors of the braising broth and was absolutely perfect. 


My secret to making perfect polenta is the use of parmigiano-reggiano. While parmesan is the same cheese but produced outside of those original Italian cities, parmigiano-reggiano is held to much stricter aging standards. Thus, using this specific cheese gives a  sharper taste to the polenta. Try it, and you will become a believer like me.