I Love Me some Kalbi

We don’t eat enough kalbi. That’s what I said to my husband at dinner as I was chewing a tender piece of beef. One reason is the right cut of beef can be hard to find. I asked at my local grocery store if they could get short ribs cut Korean style, but the butcher just gave me a confused look and pointed out the beef spareribs.

The right cut of beef is worth seeking out, but it can be confusing because there are several cuts of short ribs (read a little more here). This time, I just could not find the cut I wanted (after calling 3 grocery stores), so I tried boneless beef chuck eye steak (name from the packaging). It worked great. Do not use the thick short ribs meant for braising. They are too thick and it won’t work well even with the overnight marinating. The original recipe called for 4 lbs of beef, but since we’re only 3 people, I used 2 lbs and we had enough leftovers for a whole other meal.

This recipe is from Foodnetwork.com. The thing that piqued my interest was the Sprite used for marinating. You can find the original recipe here. I should warn you it is a two day marinating process (not clear from the original recipe), but well worth it.

Kalbi

• 1 20-oz bottle Sprite or 7-up
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 Asian pear, grated with juices (I used Bartlett)
• 2 tbs garlic, minced
• ½ onion, grated or sliced
• 1 tbs ginger, grated
• 3 tbs light brown sugar
• 2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2-4 lbs of short ribs, cut Korean style

To make the marinade, combine everything but the Sprite/7-up. Keep in the fridge until use.

On the evening of day one, combine the soda and meat in a large Ziplock bag or other container, and marinate in the fridge overnight. The following morning, transfer the meat to the marinade and discard the soda. Allow to marinate for few hours in the fridge. Half an hour to 1 hour before grilling, take the meat out of the fridge. Ideally, the meat should be grilled to medium.

Before serving, I like to sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions. Serve with Japanese style short grain rice and various condiments, such as kimchee. Since I’m the only one who eats kimchee in our house, I made a quick carrot and celery sauté with ginger and sesame oil (toss veggies with 1 tbs grated ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil, salt to taste) for the boys.

Meat and Potatoes

I don’t know the origins of massaman curry, but it seems to be part Thai, part Indian. The paste contains typical Thai ingredients, such as lemon grass and galangal. Cardamom, cloves and cinnamon are the Indian influences. Most often the curry is made with beef, but lamb makes it extra special because the flavor of the meat pairs so well with the Indian spices.

This recipe was adapted from my favorite Thai cookbook.

Massaman Curry with Lamb

• 1 4-inch cinnamon stick
• 5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
• 5 cloves
• 2 tbs massaman curry paste (recipe follows, but store bought is also okay)
• 1 ¾ lamb meat for stewing, cubed
• 19oz can coconut milk (not lowfat)
• 2 cups beef (or lamb) stock
• 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 knob of ginger (about the size of an adult thumb), grated with juices
• 3 tbs fish sauce
• 2-3 tbs brown sugar
• 3 tbs tamarind puree (explained in this post)
• about 2/3 cup roasted peanuts

In a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, use about 1 tbs oil to brown the meat (be sure to season with salt). Remove and set aside. Turn down the heat to medium-low, add another tbs oil and fry cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cloves until fragrant. Add the curry paste, and ginger. Adjust the heat if necessary to keep the paste from burning. Gently fry the paste for about 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, put about 2/3 cup of the coconut cream and cook it until it separates (it will start to pop, but put the lid on until it settles down). Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent burning. Allow it to reduce for about 5-10 minutes, then add the fried paste and spices. Cook the paste for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind puree, stock and meat (with juices). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. The meat will require about 1 to 1.5 hours to cook. About 30 minutes before the meat is tender, add the potatoes and peanuts. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender (and hopefully the meat will also be done). Don’t overcook the potatoes or you might get mashed potato curry.

Allow the curry to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving with jasmine rice. The flavor should be slightly sweet and slightly sour. Season with fish sauce to taste. I also like to sprinkle a few more peanuts on top. This curry is even better the day after.

Massaman Curry Paste

• 2 dried long red chillies (fresh is okay too), seeded
• 1 stalk lemon grass, whites only, finely sliced
• 5 cloves
• knob of galangal (about the size of an adult thumb)
• 3 2-inch cinnamon sticks
• seeds from 6 cardamom pods
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 Asian shallots (or 1 regular shallot), roughly chopped
• 5 cilantro roots (or a bunch of stems)
• 1 tsp shrimp paste

Put everything, except the cinnamon sticks, into a food processor. Add about ¼ to 1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil, and puree until you get a uniform mixture. There should be enough paste for 3 portions (about 2-3 tbs each). I normally freeze down the portions with 1 cinnamon stick each. Of course you could just add the cinnamon sticks to the processor when you puree, but if it doesn’t get finely processed, you’ll have cinnamon shards in your curry (feels like tree bark in your food). Yes, you could use pre-ground cinnamon, but make sure it’s fairly fresh and not the stuff from Thanksgiving two or three years ago. I guestimate ½ to 1 tsp is sufficient. The paste can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

There's no Place like Home

Eating out once (or even 3 times) a week is fine, but try three meals a day for three days in a row at the same restaurant. How did I get so lucky? I went to a conference held in the middle of nowhere, and I didn't have a rent-a-car (and even if I did, there would be nothing to see but wheat hills for miles). The hotel was conveniently located next to a small strip mall housing a Winco and McDonald's (and a JoAnn's and Michael's). Otherwise, there wasn't much in walking distance. After lunch at the hotel that first day, McDonald's was looking really good. At the conference reception, we were served Thanksgiving dinner. I guess I can skip the real turkey day dinner in November since I've already reached my yearly turkey quota. In all fairness, I should say the conference was well planned (except location) and very informative.

By the time I got home, everyone was ready for a home cooked meal. But really, who wants to slave in the kitchen after a long plane trip? So I kept it quick and simple.

Sugar Snap Peas with Shrimp and Chicken:

• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbs water or stock
• 1/4 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 large chicken breast fillet (or 2-3 boneless, skinless thighs) sliced
• 3/4 lbs sugar snap peas (or snow peas)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbs grated fresh ginger
• peanut or vegetable oil for stir frying

Sugar snap peas are one of my favorite vegetables. So much so, I usually grow them every year. They are sweet enough to eat off the vine, pods and all. Mine haven't even started to mature, so I buy them at Trader Joe's. My local supermarket occasionally carries them, but they cost about $6.99/lbs. If you can't find sugar snap peas, snow peas are okay too (but they aren't nearly as sweet).

I prepare the peas by snapping the ends to peel away the fiber that runs down the middle of the pod (similar to green beans). I know this can be a tedious job, but worth the extra 5 minutes. Give them a good rinse and drain.

In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water/stock and sugar. I always make more just in case I need to adjust the seasonings.

My favorite cut of chicken for a stir fry is boneless, skinless thighs, but I know many people prefer white meat. Whenever I use breast meat, I either pound it slightly before slicing or I toss it with a little cornstarch. Somehow, this keeps the meat a little more tender. I would say use about 1/2 tsp cornstarch for each breast. You don't want to dredge the meat like you would if you were deep frying. Just incorporate the cornstarch into the meat. If you do the cornstarch method, start at the next paragraph, otherwise skip it and go on.

If you use cornstarch, the method is just a little different. Before your wok gets blazing hot, add a little oil (about 2-3 tbs) and add the chicken. The oil shouldn't be hot enough to saute or stir fry the chicken, but it should be warm enough to change the color of the meat. After about a minute, take the chicken out and set aside. The meat should not be fully cooked. Leave about 1 tbs in the wok and proceed.

Get your wok blazing hot. Add about a tablespoon of oil (may not be necessary if you did the cornstarch method) and fry the garlic and ginger. After about 15-30 seconds, add the sugar snap peas. Stir fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and chicken and continue to stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the sauce mix and stir fry until the meat is cooked. The peas should be crisp-tender. If the stir fry seems a little dry, add about a tablespoon more of water. Check the flavoring and add more sauce if you need to. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Liquid Gold

No, I’m not talking about breast milk. I’m talking about the broth used in Thai noodle soup.

Just about everyone knows what Pho is, even if they haven’t actually eaten it before. Well, let me tell you about the Thai version (or at least the one I grew up on). Mom would fill her stockpot with beef bones, coriander roots, garlic, onion, star anise, cinnamon and a splash of soy and fish sauces. She’d skim off the foam every now and then, adjust the seasonings here and there. A few hours later (like about 8), we’d have noodle soup.

When the soup broth is the star ingredient, I think it is worth the effort to make the stock rather than buy it. It can be a time consuming process (mostly just passive waiting), but I try to make enough to freeze some for later use. I’ve added a few more ingredients to get a richer broth.

Asian Beef Stock

• 2 carrots, cut in half and lengthwise
• 10 coriander roots or 4 stalks celery cut into thirds
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 knob ginger (about 2x2 inch), sliced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tbs thick soy sauce
• 2 tbs regular soy sauce
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 5 lbs beef bones

In a stock pot on medium-high heat, add 1 tbs oil. When hot, add the carrot, coriander/celery, onion, ginger and garlic. Saute until the vegetables start to take color. The more color the veggies take, the more flavor they add to the stock. Add the anise and cinnamon and continue to sauté for about 1-2 (or more) minutes. Just don’t let them burn. Add the sauces and brown sugar and sauté for another minute. Add the beef bones and enough water to cover (if you want to brown the beef bones first, you can do this in a preheated 400º oven until they take on nice color). Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer until about 1/3 of the liquid has evaporated. This could take 4 hours or more, depending on the size of your stockpot. Skim off the foam occasionally.

After the liquid has reduced, turn off the heat and let the stock cool enough to handle. You could cover it and let it sit on the stove for about an hour. Remove the bones and strain the stock (if the bones were meaty, you could save a few and set aside to use in the soup). The finer the sieve, the better. At this point I put the stock in the fridge to cool completely. The fat will rise to the top and the next day I just skim it right off. What’s left is a gelatinous, concentrated stock, probably equaling about 4-6 cups.

For the soup

• Bean sprouts, as much as you like
• ½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2-3 green onions, finely sliced
• steak, thinly sliced (I use NY strip or Ribeye)
  
• beef meatballs from my Thai-Viet store
• tripe (optional! But a must for my mother)
• 1 lb vacuum-packed rice noodles or 1 pack dry rice noodles

Start with 2-3 cups stock and add 3-4 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and then turn down the heat to simmer. Season with salt to taste (you could certainly use fish sauce, but I like to serve that on the side with the soup). If the broth tastes thin, add more stock by the cupful. Freeze any leftover stock for later use (even if you only have 1 cup left). I might add another star anise or cinnamon stick or up to 1 tbs hoisin sauce depending on my mood. The broth should be sufficiently salted and have a hint of sweetness from the caramelized vegetables and spices. If you saved the meaty bones, add that back to the broth. I also like to add beef meatballs, which I buy at my Thai-Viet market.

Like the Vietnamese, we use rice noodles. They can be thin or wide, fresh or dried (don’t confuse them with chow fun noodles though). I like to use the fresh, vacuum-packed noodles because they are more convenient. No pre-soaking required. If you use the dry noodles, soak them until they are just workable, not until they are soft. Boil the noodles for about 15-30 seconds for fresh or up to 1 minute for dry noodles. I do each serving separately. Fish them out using a spider and put them into separate bowls immediately, as they tend to clump up quickly. But don’t worry, they separate nicely when the broth is added. If you’re using bean sprouts, make sure they are washed and boil them for about 30 seconds. Fish them out and put them in the bowls. Put the sliced steak into the bowls on top of the bean sprouts. Ladle hot broth over the steak and add enough to cover the noodles. Don’t forget to give each bowl a couple meatballs and a little braised meat (from the bones). Garnish with the scallions and cilantro.

Noodle soup is always served with condiments so that each person can adjust the flavor to their liking. These should include (brown) sugar, fish sauce, sambal oelek or chopped Thai chillies in vinegar (2-3 chopped chillies, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 tsp fish sauce), fried garlic in oil (1 head chopped garlic fried in about 1-2 inches of oil in a small saucepan), roughly chopped cilantro, finely chopped scallions, lime wedges, and extra bean sprouts.

Remember my post about Pae-lo and at the end of the post, I said to save any leftover broth. Well, now is the perfect time to use it. Pae-lo broth has all the same ingredients found in this beef stock, but it’s made from pork. No matter, it still gives the noodle soup a richer taste than just store-bought stock alone. For each cup of Pae-lo broth, use about 2-3 cups beef stock.

Ulterior Motives

I didn’t spend 3 hours boiling the hell out of a piece of beef just to make sandwiches. What I really wanted to do was make corned beef hash. There are so many variations out there, but in its simplest form it’s leftover corned beef and potatoes. I like to add fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano, parsley, cilantro or basil. I also add mustard or hot pepper sauce to give it a kick.

Corned Beef Hash:

• 2 cups boiled potatoes, roughly mashed
• 2 cups cooked corned beef, diced to your preferred size
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbs Italian parsley, chopped fine
• a few (about 4) sprigs of thyme (oregano or basil is fine too)
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard (or a few splashes of hot pepper sauce or Worcestershire to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
  

However you embellish this recipe, just remember to use a 1:1 proportion of corned beef to potatoes. Mix everything together and, if possible, let it sit for half an hour for the flavors to meld together. I mixed it the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

The key to a good hash is patience. I like my hash to be crusty and “loose”, and that takes time. In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom (about 1-2 tbs). When the oil is hot, add the mix and flatten it out in the skillet. Don’t be tempted to turn it. Give it about 4 or 5 minutes to form the first crust. Flip and spread the mix back out in the pan and wait another 4 or 5 minutes. Keep doing this until you get the level of crispiness you like. For me, it took about 20 minutes. Season with fresh cracked pepper. I like it served with fried over-medium eggs, but poached eggs work as well.

When I lived in Denmark, I would make hash with whatever leftover meat we had. Sometimes it was steak and/or sausages. I’ve even done one with salmon. And we never ate it for breakfast, just lunch or dinner.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Do you like turkey? Truthfully, I could leave it…forever. The only time I really eat it is during Thanksgiving, more out of obligation than actual desire. Well, that’s kinda the way I feel about corned beef and cabbage. Yet I feel like I’m breaking a long-standing tradition if I don’t make it for St. Paddy’s Day dinner.

This year I compromised. Instead of the standard fare, we had Reuben sandwiches with mashed potato salad and creamed spinach. This isn’t an extravagant dinner, but a humble plate of sandwich and sides can still be satisfying (and it tastes really good with beer). It’s all in the details.

For the Reubens, I like to make my own dressing, which is basically Thousand Island. I use this dressing with my Gardenburgers, fries and of course, salads. Most people have the necessary ingredients on hand, and all you have to do is mix it all together.

Thousand Island Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 tbs ketchup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs Italian parsley, chopped fine
• 2 tsp relish
• 1 tbs prepared horseradish

I like to grill my sandwich open-faced in the oven. Sauerkraut and meat on one side; Swiss cheese on the other. Four minutes on a preheated cast iron griddle at 425º should do it. Top with the dressing after it comes out.

Potato salad is one of those things many Americans learned to make from their parents. My mom never made potato salad so I didn’t grow up eating it. I don’t like it too sour, too sweet, or too creamy. I also don’t like it cold.

Mashed Potato Salad:

• 1 ½ lbs potatoes (peeled or with skins)
• 4 tbs sour cream
• 4 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 tbs (or more) fresh chopped herbs, such as cilantro, Italian parsley, basil, dill
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional ingredients: ½ cup thinly sliced celery or fennel, 1 small garlic minced garlic clove, 1-2 chopped hard-boiled eggs, 4 strips chopped strips of cooked bacon or the like, 2 chopped scallions or ½ of a sweet onion finely chopped, boiled green beans or the like cut into small pieces. Anything else you can think of??

Mix the sour cream and mayo together in a bowl and set aside. Depending on whether you add any optional items or how creamy you like the potato salad, you might not need all the dressing (or more!). Boil the potatoes until they are just tender; drain and roughly mash (or leave in chunks). Add (or don’t add) any optional ingredients, then about half the dressing to start. Mix and add more dressing if you like. Add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste. It’s that easy. Serve warm or at room temp (even cold if you like).

Creamed spinach is just all around good. Sometimes I use fresh spinach, but if my local store has the tired looking stuff I saw today, I gladly substitute frozen spinach.

Creamed Spinach:

• 16oz chopped frozen spinach
• half a shallot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

In a pan on medium heat, add about 1 tbs olive oil and sauté the shallot and garlic until soft. Add the spinach and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the cream and cook for about 4 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. The spinach should not be soupy but not completely dry either. Turn the heat to low and add the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

For dessert, we had this brownie Sunday. It’s made with Guinness Stout, and I got the recipe here. I should say, I’m not sure it turned out the way it was supposed to. I take full responsibility for that. I added 1 cup flour and ½ cup cocoa because I didn’t have enough cocoa. It also took almost 40 minutes to bake. The brownie is quite dense, but no matter, the result is still tasty. Especially with vanilla bean ice cream and toasted coconut.

I Would Like to Thank the Universe

Remember how I couldn’t find kaffir lime leaves at my local specialty stores? Today is my lucky day. I received a catalogue from Nichols Garden Nursery and guess what they have. If you guessed 14” kaffir lime trees grafted onto dwarf root stock, you’re totally right! I’m going to order mine immediately. I’ll be a good daughter and order one for mom too.

Mountain o' Noodles

During our reckless youth, hubby and I lived in San Francisco. I normally don’t miss it, but I occasionally (okay often) miss the food delivery culture. You could get just about anything delivered (the only thing we can get delivered here in Portland is Dominoes Pizza, which we don’t even care for). We’d order from this whole-in-the-wall Chinese place, and no matter how big or small the order, we always ordered chow fun in black bean sauce. If I’d known how easy it is to make, I would have done it myself instead of ordering it…maybe.

This type of dish reminds me a lot of fried rice in that you can basically use what you have on hand. I didn’t have bell pepper so I used asparagus, which has been on sale at my local market for the past 3 weeks. We’ve eaten so much asparagus lately, I’m surprised we’re not all peeing green.

This recipe was adapted from a stir-fry recipe in my current favorite Thai cookbook. This recipe makes a mountain of noodles, great for taking to a potluck or having leftovers for 3 nights.

Beef chow fun in black bean sauce:

• 2 tbs black bean paste (with or without garlic is fine)
• 6 tbs water
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ lbs beef/steak, thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper, diced large
• 1 medium onion, diced large
• 1 package chow fun noodles (usually comes in 32oz)

Mix the bean paste, water, sauces and sugar together in a bowl. You will use about ¾ of this mixture, but it’s always good to have more to adjust the taste.

If you’re not familiar with chow fun noodles, they usually come in a square slab (for lack of a better word). The noodles are layered on top of each other and are slightly oiled to keep them from sticking. If the noodles aren’t pre-cut, cut them into strips about ½ inches wide then separate them. This can sometimes be a pain, because the noodles sometimes rip instead of staying in long strips.

In a super hot wok on high heat, quickly stir fry the meat with the garlic, about 1 minute. Remove and set aside. Add the onions and bell pepper to the wok and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Avoid moving the food around continuously. Give it about 5-10 seconds or so between stirs. Add the noodles and continue to fry until they start to soften a bit, maybe 2-3 minutes. Add ¾ of the sauce mix and beef. Stir fry until the noodles are done, maybe another 2-3 minutes. Before turning off the heat, adjust the taste with more sauce mix, if needed.

Other veggies that are good in this dish: Chinese kale, snake or green beans, snow or snap peas, bean sprouts, scallions, asparagus, carrots, even broccoli.

I like beef with black bean sauce, but chicken or even tofu are just as good options.

Hey Grandparents (and friends), click here, here and here to see pictures of sonny enjoying chow fun.

This is Serious

I was going to post about the wonderful dinner I had at Roux* last night (I highly recommend the smoked beef short ribs), but something’s come up. It seems there is a shortage of kaffir lime leaves coming out of California. I’ve been casually asking the produce person at my local Thai-Viet store about lime leaves for the past month. Her standard answer was, “all out," but she never elaborated. Today she informed me that they haven’t received any for several months, almost a year, and they don’t know when they will receive more! Ditto for another store I frequent. It’s like going to Safeway and finding out they won’t be getting basil anytime soon, and you're dying to make pesto. The uncertainty puts me on edge because my personal stash is dwindling. I think I’ll see if mom can send me some, but the shortage is probably affecting her too. I’ll have to look online. If anyone has any info on where to get kaffir lime leaves, please let me know.

Fortunately, my trip to the store wasn’t completely fruitless. I found pomelo and pork shank (not smoked), which I can’t get at my regular grocery store. I also found cilantro with the roots, so I bought like 4 bunches. Sonny got his honey croissants, which are made here in Portland by a Vietnamese bakery. And because I was in need of a little comforting, I picked up a snack of steamed sticky rice with banana and coconut sauce from the deli.

Speaking of comfort, I tried a recipe for Thai-style braised pork shank I found in my favorite (currently) Thai cookbook. We called it Pae-lo, but it’s also called pig leg (literal translation of Ka Muu). The pork is so tender and the broth is rich, slightly sweet and salty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in Thai restaurants in the States, but you can get this just about anywhere and everywhere in Thailand. I like it served with a vinegar chilli sauce (see below).

Braised Pork Shank:

• 2 pork shanks
• 2 coriander roots (or 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds and roughly crushed)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 knob of small knob of ginger (approx 2x2 inch), sliced
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbs fish sauce
• 2 tbs thick soy sauce
  
• 1 quart chicken stock + 2 cups water
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
  

In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, heat 2 tbs oil and brown the shanks well. Remove and set aside. Add more oil if necessary to saute the coriander roots, garlic and ginger. After about a minute, add the anise and cinnamon. Saute for another minute, then add the stock, water, soy and fish sauces. Return the shanks to the pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer until the meat falls off the bone, about 2-3 hours depending on how big they are. Add the hard-boiled eggs and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve with jasmine rice and vinegar chilli sauce.

Vinegar Chilli Sauce:

• 1 tbs granulated sugar
• 2 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1-2 tsp sambal oelek (or 1-2 fresh chillies chopped)

Heat the vinegar with the sugar until the sugar dissolves. I do this in the microwave for 1 minute. The proper way is to do it on the stove. I’ll let you choose. Add the fish sauce and sambal oelek.

Here's a tip: if you have any leftover broth, save it. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to mix it with my beef broth when I make noodle soup. I would say use 1 cup of this broth with 2-3 cups of beef broth.

Technical Difficulties

In case you didn’t know, I’m new to this blog thing. How I was I supposed to know I just can’t borrow images from random sites? I mean, why should say, Coca Cola, care that I link to an image of a coke can I found on their site? No one in their right mind would assume I took the picture. And it’s free advertising for them. Well, my IT department husband lectured me about my bad netiquette after I posted. My bad. He'll be happy to know I replaced the questionable images with my own. Lesson learned.

Now on to the real reason we’re here.

Today is usually pizza night, but I had a craving for something else. Something with noodles, pork and garlic. Something like this:

Egg noodles with pork and asparagus:

• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 4 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp yellow bean sauce
• 1 tbs tapioca flour
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ lbs pork tenderloin, thin slices or strips
• 2-3 cups asparagus, diagonally sliced
• ½ lbs fresh egg noodles (also called wonton noodles)
  

Before you begin, set a pot of water to boil for the egg noodles. These only take about 3 minutes, but you’ll want to wait until you're about done with the stir-fry before cooking them.

In a bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, yellow bean sauce, flour and ¾ cup of water. If you use regular soy sauce, you’ll probably want to cut the amount to 2 tsp, otherwise it will be too salty with the bean sauce.

In a hot wok set on high heat, add about 1-2 tbs oil, and fry the garlic for about 15-30 seconds (don’t let it burn). Add the asparagus and pork . Stir fry until almost done, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sauce mix and cook for about 1 minute. The stir fry will begin to thicken quickly. At this point you have two options: 1) add the cooked noodles and mix everything, turning off the heat after about 30 seconds, or 2) turn off the heat and serve the stir fry on top of the cooked noodles.

If you taste the stir-fry alone, it will be a little salty, but served with the noodles the saltiness from the soy sauce and yellow beans mellows out. At our house a dish like this is served with sambal oelek or fresh chillies in rice vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce on the side (like you’d see at a Thai or Vietnamese noodle house). Everyone adjusts the seasonings to their liking.

What Goes Good with Beer?

Do you consider Taco Bell Mexican food? I did, until I was about 18. Kinda funny considering I grew up in the Southwest surrounded by Mexican restaurants. It wasn’t until I went to college that I experienced proper Mexican food and drink. And for that, I must thank my friend Juan.

One of the Mexican dishes I really enjoy is carnitas. Normally, it involves slow cooking pork for hours in a pound of lard. Now I’m not usually one to shy away from a little fat, but even I can't get myself to use a pound of lard. Instead, I use my trusty crockpot and chicken stock to slow cook the pork, then I brown it in a cast iron pan.

Carnitas

• 2 lbs pork butt or shoulder*
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 stocks celery, cut in thirds
• 4 (or more) sprigs of fresh oregano (Thyme is okay too)
• chicken stock or water
• Salt, to taste
• 2-3 scallions, finely chopped

If you have a big hunk of pork, cut it into 2 or 3 large pieces. Put everything into a crock pot, add enough stock or water to cover the pork and let it cook on the low setting for 8 hours. I normally start this just before leaving for work, so it’s done by the time I come home.

Alternatively, you could do it on the stove. Put everything into a pot large enough to hold the ingredients and cover with cold water or stock. Bring to a boil, then turn it low, cover and simmer until pork is tender (3 or more hours).

When the pork is tender, fish it out. Avoid transferring too much liquid with it. Roughly shred it (or finely, if you prefer). I like to fish out the garlic, onions and celery too. They are very mushy by this time and can be fried with the pork to give it extra flavor. Try to drain away as much of the liquid as possible. This is key because you want the meat to fry, not boil in the next step.

In a hot cast iron pan (or similar), add about 1 tbs oil then the pork. You may be tempted to turn it, but don’t. Just let it sit for 1-2 minutes so it can get that crispy crust. Stirring it around will probably cause the meat to stick. If there was a lot of liquid, then it will take longer because that liquid needs to evaporate off. Stir it as little as possible, probably every minute. Fry it until you are happy with the level of crispiness. If you didn’t add salt while the pork was slow cooking, now is the time to do it. Just before the pork is done, I like to add a couple of finely chopped scallions. Serve with Mexican rice, beans, tortillas and beer. Or as a taco filling topped with fresh chopped onions and cilantro.

*A friend who doesn’t eat pork asked me if she could substitute chicken. YES! Of course it’s no longer carnitas, but the results are just as good. I have done this using boneless, skinless thighs and about 1 cup stock for the slow cooker. The meat turns out tender, yet crispy, just like the pork. Give it a try.

You Can't Go Wrong with Cream

I started eating pasta in earnest when I went to college. Pasta is the perfect food for a college student. It was cheap (and so was I). It required no skill whatsoever to boil some water and crack open a jar of Prego. Or throw some frozen peas into my Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Well, I like to think I’ve evolved. I don’t see pasta as just cheap, easy eats anymore. I don’t buy the cheapest pasta. I make my own sauces as well. My favorite pasta dish is spaghetti alla carbonara. When I first saw a recipe for it, I was curious, yet skeptical. Eggs + hot pasta = creamy goodness???

Apparently, there is a big debate about whether a proper carbonara has cream or not (my choice of ham and asparagus may cause another debate). I’ve tried with and without, and you can get a creamy pasta either way. The difference I’ve seen is more creamy-ness when there’s actual cream involved. What a surprise. Here’s the version I made the other day:

• 6-8oz ham (such as Cooks Ham Steak), sliced into thin strips
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
• 1 ½ cups asparagus, sliced on the diagonal
• 2 eggs, at room temp if possible
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 oz grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Salt and pepper to taste

If you don’t have asparagus on hand, use frozen peas. Use a quality pasta, such as De Cecco, and add salt to the water! I’m talking like at least 2 tbs worth. You could warm the cream in the microwave to take the chill off, probably 10 seconds.

Start by combining the eggs, cream and cheese in a bowl and whisk well. Set aside.

In a frying pan, add about 1 tbs olive oil and sauté the ham over medium-high heat. It will probably be wet and release a lot of juice. Cook until the juice is evaporated, about 6 or 7 minutes. It should be slightly brown. Add the asparagus and garlic. Sauté for about 4 or 5 minutes. There shouldn’t be any liquid when you turn off the heat.

When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to the pot. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the hot pasta, tossing vigorously to keep the eggs from scrambling. Add the ham and asparagus, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, toss well and you’re done! Don’t wait-this needs to be served pronto.

Got lamb?

As I was flipping through one of my Indian cookbooks, I saw the picture for a dish called Rogan Josh, and I just had to have it. Then I saw the instructions, which required marinating the lamb for 2 hours to overnight. When I’m drooling over a dish, I don’t want to waste a day marinating. I also realized I didn’t even have all the ingredients. But I had 2 lamb shanks and a craving for Indian, so here’s the result.

Indian-spiced lamb

• ½ head garlic
• 2 tbs grated ginger
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 5 cardammon pods, crushed
• 4 cloves
• 3 in stick cinnamon
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 2 tbs cream
• ½ cup raisins (chopped prunes will also work)
• 2 lbs lamb (can be shank, cubed meat, shoulder steaks)
• salt, to taste

Mash the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and cayenne to form a paste.

Season the lamb well with salt. In a Dutch oven (or other heavy-bottom pot with a lid) on medium-high heat, add 1-2 oil (peanut or vegetable) and brown the lamb. Then remove and set it aside.

Add more oil if necessary to fry the onions. Cook until they are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the paste and other spices. Fry for another 1-2 minutes (don’t let it burn). Return the meat, with juices, to the pan and coat the meat well with the spices. Add the stock and cream. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat all the way down, put the lid on and let it slow cook until the meat is tender. Cubed meat and steaks probably take 1.5 hours. Shanks can take 3 or more hours.

Alternatively, put the Dutch oven into a 300º oven for about the same amount of time. This is my favorite method. The meat turns out so tender and I’m not tempted to open the lid every 20 minutes.

When the meat is tender, fish it out and set it aside. I like to strain the sauce before I reduce it (but if you like to keep the spices and onions in, then you’ll save a step). After the sauce is strained, add the raisins. Turn up the heat to medium-high and reduce until you have a thick sauce, probably about ¼ cup. It could take 10 minutes or so. There should be just enough sauce to coat the meat. Add salt if necessary. Return the meat, give it a quick stir, turn off the heat, and let it sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with basmati rice or your favorite Indian bread.

You’ll notice there’s not a vegetable in this dish. So I made a quick Indian-spiced spinach dish to accompany the lamb. Another option would be a quick salad of quartered tomatoes and sweet purple onions, seasoned with a pinch of salt, a pinch of ground cumin (optional), and cilantro leaves.

If you haven’t found yourself a good Indian specialty store, I think you’ll find it’s worth the effort. The spices are so much cheaper than buying them in the local supermarket, where a small jar of cardamom can go for over $10. That’s highway robbery! At my Indian speciality store, I can get a whole quart-sized bag for $3 and I can get paneer (type of fry-able cheese) for $2/lbs less than what they sell it for at the hippie health/organic supermarket. The selection of spices, lentils, rice and flour is so much better, too.

Finger-licking good

I found this recipe for Thai grilled chicken years ago (but I can’t remember where it came from). It’s incredibly good, even better than you will find in most Thai restaurants IMO. Perfect with sticky rice.

Thai Grilled Chicken:

• 2 stalks lemon grass, whites only
• 2 tbs ginger, grated or crushed
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup cilantro, preferably stems with roots
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tbs curry paste (any Thai paste will do)
• 1 ½ cups light soy sauce
• chicken, approximately 2-3 lbs (see note below)
• 1 portion sweet chilli dipping sauce (recipe follows)

I like to use a mortar and pestle to make the marinade because I have a large one, like this. Otherwise, it's just as effective to use a food processor. Start by pounding the lemon grass, ginger, garlic and cilantro until everything is well mash. Transfer to a bowl and add the sugar, soy sauce and curry paste. Mix until you get a uniform consistency.

How long to marinate? For chicken with skin and bones, I typically marinade for 6-8 hours. A whole chicken cut in half should go for about 8 hours. For boneless breasts, I pound them a little and marinate them for about 4 hours. This time I did chicken wings and marinated them for 5 hours.

The best way to cook the chicken is to grill it. However, that only happens during the three months of nice weather here in Portland. I do thighs, drumsticks, and breasts on the grill, and during the other 9 months out of the year, I do whole (cut in half) chickens in the (convection) oven at 350º for about 50 minutes to an hour and chicken wings for about 35 minutes.

The dish is not complete without the dipping sauce. Of course you can buy it, but it’s just as easy to make. Make it as spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of sambal oelek.

Dipping sauce:

• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (or 1-2 red chillies diced)

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, water and rice vinegar to a boil. Reduce the heat a little and simmer for about 5 minutes or until it starts to get a little thick. Turn off the heat, add the fish sauce and sambal oelek (or chilies).

Foolproof

There was no strong baking tradition in my family. Mom used the oven exactly two times a year: Thanksgiving and Christmas, the requisite turkey cooking times. Occasionally she’d whip out Betty Crocker for our birthdays, but usually she’d buy a cake. If there was a bake sale at school, I was always the kid who brought a check for $5 instead of baked goods. It’s not to say we never ate sweets; they were just always store bought.

I carry on mom’s tradition. I am a horrible baker. One part of it is the measuring thing. I have a tendency to over-knead, over-beat and under-cream. But since sonny’s been in my life, I want to be a better baker. I’d rather bake him something than buy him sweets from the store. At least I’ll know what’s in it and if I have to do it myself, we probably won’t get sweets as often. That’s the logic, at least.

So where did I turn for inspiration? This lovely book. Hubby bought this book because he knew I wanted to involve sonny more in the kitchen. It’s also perfect for beginning bakers like me. The recipes make smaller portions, so you’re not left with 33 cupcakes to tempt you. I only wish there were more savory dishes. Sonny and I made the “Easiest Chocolate Cake” with a couple modifications. It really was very easy, and delicious.

Easiest Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup white sugar (3/4 cup if using unsweetened cocoa powder)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 portion buttercream frosting (recipe follows)

In a medium to large bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together, except the sugar. In another, whisk the other ingredients until well blended. Then mix the dry and wet ingredients (a good baker would probably do this gradually, but I just did it all at once). Beat until smooth. This recipe made 6 cupcakes (exactly the size of my cupcake pan) plus 1 small 4” springform. The cupcakes took about 20 minutes to bake at 350º F. The springform took about 28 minutes.

Buttercream Frosting:

• 2 1/2cups confectioner’s sugar
• ¼ cup butter, soft
• ¼ cup milk or cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ to 1 cup toasted coconut, cooled (optional)
• 2-3 tbs chopped dried fruit

In a medium to large bowl, cream the butter until very soft. Add about ½ cup of the sugar. Stir in the milk, then the rest of the sugar. Add the vanilla. Whisk until you have a smooth frosting. If the frosting is too thick, add a little bit of milk. Make sure the cakes are completely cooled before frosting, otherwise you’ll get melted butter on top of your chocolate cupcakes. We also toasted about a cup of shredded coconut and added this to the frosting. Instead of sprinkles (which sonny requested), I chopped up some dried fruit and let him sprinkle them on top.

The Virtues of Fried Rice

Traditionally, fried rice is a meal in itself. It contains meat, veggies, eggs, rice- everything you need for a delicious, filling meal. Yet, it is fast and easy to make. If you use leftovers, like I do, it's also economical.

The dish I make is more Chinese style, rather than Thai style. It contains oyster sauce and soy sauce, rather than fish sauce. I don’t buy ingredients with the purpose of making fried rice. I use whatever I have on hand. Today it was left over roasted chicken, carrot, frozen peas and green onions. If you don’t normally have leftover rice lying around (which I normally do), make it the evening before and stick it in the fridge. Instead of adding eggs, I serve fried over-medium eggs on top.

Leftovers fried rice:

• ½ lbs cooked chicken, cubed (any other meat will do)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ cup carrot, small diced
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 2 eggs (optional)
• 3 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tbs low sodium soy sauce
• 6-8 cups (loosely measured) cold cooked rice
• 3 scallions, sliced diagonally
• Extra sliced scallions and roughly chopped cilantro for garnish

It is important that the rice is cold. Otherwise you’ll get a mushy fried rice. Break up any big clumps (but don’t mash it).

Mix together the oyster sauce and soy sauce in a small bowl.

In a hot wok on high heat, heat 1-2 tbs oil (I like using peanut oil for a little extra flavor). Add the garlic and fry for about 15 secs (don’t let it burn). Add the peas, carrots and eggs. Fry for about 30 seconds, then add the rice and meat. Let it sit for about 30 seconds before stirring. Turn the rice in the wok, breaking up any clumps. Give it about 10-15 seconds between each turn. After about 4 or 5 minutes, add the sauce mix (if you used 6 cups rice, add only about ¾ of the mix) and the scallions. Continue to stir fry until heated through, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

Try experimenting with different vegetable and meat combinations. The only thing I would recommend is using fresh veggies whenever possible. They contribute more flavor to the dish. Frozen veggies often get soggy and their flavors get lost behind the oyster sauce and soy sauce. Try snow peas, snap peas, bean sprouts, bell pepper, green beans, asparagus, etc. Occasionally, I purchase Chinese roasted pork from the Asian deli (they even have it at my regular supermarket deli now) because this is sonny’s favorite.

Oh, cast iron, how I love thee

Sometimes I wonder how I ever lived without a cast iron wok. If it wasn’t for my dear friend, Susie, I would still be stir frying with some pricey tri-ply stainless steel nonsense. After one test drive of the ol’ cast iron wok, my own mother was hooked. She was actually envious of my cookware!

If you like to stir-fry, you must have a cast iron wok. No ifs, ands or buts about it. There is no other material that can hold heat the way cast iron can. When it’s well seasoned, the food will not stick. And with proper care, it only gets better with age. Of course it’s heavy as a mo’fo’, and you may have to store it in the oven when not in use because it’s too big for any conventional cabinets. It’ll be a bitch to clean, not because anything sticks to it but because it probably won’t fit in your sink. But the magic you can make with it is so worth it! Like this lovely dish.

Chicken with roasted chilli paste:

• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbs roasted chilli paste (explained below)
  
• 1 lbs chicken in small cubes (I like skinless, boneless thigh meat)
• handful of basil leaves

Instead of making my own roasted chilli paste, I use store bought, which is what I grew up on. The name of this paste is Naam Phrik Phao, or just phrik phao for short. One day, when I have the time (and after I use up my store bought paste), I will try making some from scratch. Thai people use phrik phao as a dipping “sauce’ for grilled meats, fried eggs and sticky rice. My mother adds it to her hot and sour shrimp soup. My nephew spreads it on toasted bread and sprinkles dried shredded pork on top (talk about east meets west, huh?). It’s sweet, spicy and a little tart all in one.

Start by mixing the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and coconut milk in a small bowl. Once your wok is blazing hot, add about 1-2 tbs oil (peanut or vegetable, and make sure you coat the sides of the wok) and fry the garlic and roasted chilli paste for 1-2 minutes with constant stirring. Add the chicken and stir fry till just about done, probably about 2-3 minutes. Add about 2/3 of the fish sauce mixture. If your wok is sufficiently hot, you will see the coconut milk bubble on the sides. If the stir fry is too dry, add more of the coconut mixture. Cook for about 3 more minutes or until the chicken is done. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Great with steamed jasmine rice.

If I have any handy, I will add small-diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper for color. If you decide to use this, add a minute before the chicken. Asparagus, green beans, snap peas are also good additions. I used pork for this recipe. If using pork, I’d use tenderloin or sirloin cut into thin slices. And why not try shrimp? Or tofu. I know it would rock with tofu.