Fresh Lychee

Lychee

One of the joys in life that makes the end of summer a little more bearable is fresh lychees.  This tropical fruit reminds me that I love fresh fruit.  

I saw some on sale for $0.99/lb and grabbed up a bundle for myself.  I'm sure that there are a myriad of fresh lychee recipes out there, but I love just peeling and eating.  There's never any leftover after one sitting.

They have a thin, leathery, pink skin that's fairly easy to peel off.  There's usually a little stub of a stem left.  Pull that off and some of the skin should come off with it.  Or just pierce the skin with your nails.  There is a brown seed in the center that is usually about a quarter the size of the whole fruit.  Peel off the rest and enjoy the slightly translucent white flesh. 

It taste like skinless grape.  Only sweeter.  It tastes like summer.

Peeled lychee

Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna Rollatini

Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna Rollatini baked after frozen

I love dishes with white sauce and lots of ricotta.  I will opt for the often vegetarian white pizzas or lasagna dishes, ignoring my carnivorous bloodlust for animal protein in exchange for the delectable combination of  ricotta, cream and mushrooms.  Sometimes these dishes include chicken.  I do not find that it does anything to enhance the overall flavor or texture of the dish.  In fact, I prefer not having the addition of the usually dried out chicken pieces.  I'll order a side of wings or something to satisfy my need for meat.  Or preferably add a fried egg to whatever white pizza or pasta dish (I call that reason for leftovers).
Rollatini requires a bit more effort, but I find that it is much easier to serve.  My lasagna slices always fall apart when I scoop them onto a plate.  Can't have sloppily plated food, now can we?
However, if you are not in the habit of photographing your food, you can just use this recipe to build a regular lasagna.
This recipe can be divided into smaller portion sizes and freezes beautifully.

Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna Rollatini
9 oz dried lasagna noodles
2 lbs spinach leaves, lightly chopped
2 lbs white button or crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp butter
Avocado oil (or any cooking oil)
2 cups heavy cream
1 lb mozzarella

1 16 oz tub ricotta

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp dried tarragon (double if fresh)

Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water for time specified on package.  Strain and lay flat to cool once cooked.
While lasagna noodles are cooking, shred the mozzarella with a grater.  Divide into 2 Set aside.
Lightly blanch the spinach leaves by dunking them in boiling water for a minute and then quickly straining.  Set aside to cool.
Add just enough oil to a large and heavy sauce pan to cover the bottom.  Heat over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add sliced mushrooms and spread evenly.  Do not disturb the mushrooms until all the liquid has evaporated and browned on one side.  Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.  Place mushrooms in a bowl and set aside.  Do not clean the pan.
In the same pan that you cooked the mushrooms, add butter and onions.  Cook over medium heat until translucent, stirring occasionally.  Add heavy cream to the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the cream coats the back of a metal spoon.  Add 2 tbsp of the browned mushroom to the cream sauce.
Mix ricotta, tarragon (rub the tarragon between your palms to release the aroma) and beaten egg together until well combined.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of the mushroom cream sauce evenly on the bottom.
On a flat surface, lay out one sheet of lasagna noodle.  Spread an even layer (doesn't have to be too thick) of each in the following order:

• ricotta mixture 
• shredded mozzarella (from first half of mozzarella)
• browned mushrooms
• blanched spinach

Carefully roll up the noodle and place in the baking dish.
Repeat with rest of lasagna noodles.  Evenly sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella over the top of the stuffed noodles.  Spoon the rest of the cream sauce over the top of the dish.*  Cover loosely with foil.  Bake for about 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is browned at the edges.

*At this point, you can wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap and again with a layer of foil to freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake from frozen, remove the plastic wrap and loosely cover top of dish with foil.  Bake in a preheated to 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Dau Sot Ca Chua (Tofu in Tomato Sauce)

Dau Sot Ca Chua (Tofu in Tomato Sauce)

Since my chinese mother grew up in Hanoi, I was blessed with both homemade Chinese and Vietnamese food during my childhood.  Dau Sot Ca Chua over a fluffy bowl of steamed rice was one of my favorite comfort foods growing up.  The tofu acts like a sponge and soaks up all the flavors of the sauce.

Dau Sot Ca Chua
1 lb. medium-firm tofu
5 large ripe tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil for pan-frying
minced scallions for garnish, optional

Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.  Drain tofu pieces on paper towels to remove excess moisture and minimize spatter.
While tofu is draining, julienne the onion.  Remove the stems and seeds from the tomatoes and dice.
In a large sauce pan, pan-fry the tofu cubes for 1-2 minutes on each side to a golden yellow.  Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
Add onions to pan and cook until translucent.  Add tomatoes and cook until soft.  Add a few tablespoons of water if too dry or if you want more sauce.  Stir in fish sauce and sugar.  Do a taste test.  If needed, add salt to taste.  Add tofu and let simmer for about 15 minutes.  Sprinkled with minced scallions.  Serve over steamed rice.
The flavor really soaks into the tofu if made one day prior to be reheated the next day.

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Although we did not get hit with the polar vortex in southern California, I decided a few weeks ago that it was cold enough to qualify as "soup weather".  Our "cold spell" didn't last very long, so I had a very small window of opportunity for winter boots, scarves, comforting soups and hot beverages.
I made a small batch, enough for dinner and lunch the next day.  Unfortunately, I did not secure the lid of the container well and most of my lunchtime soup spilled all over my lunch bag.  That was my great tragedy of the day.  At least I got to enjoy half of it.
If you are not too picky about the color, any color bell pepper can be used.  Red, of course looks better, but I think green, yellow or orange also taste great.  I bought 2 green bell peppers and one of them turned red by the time I decided to use them for this recipe.  My soup came out a delicious golden yellow.

Roast Bell Pepper Soup
2 large bell peppers
1 small tomato
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 small onion, diced
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup half & half
salt & white pepper to taste

Broil the whole bell peppers and tomato on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.  Let cool and rub the skins off.  Remove and discard the stems and seeds.
Sautee the onion and butter in a large soup pot until translucent.  Add broth, bell peppers and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.
If you have a handheld blender, pulse the soup at the lowest speed setting until smooth.  Make sure that the pot has sides that are high enough so that the soup doesn't spill over.  Hot soup spilling all over you is not good.
If you are using a regular blender, make sure to let the soup cool to room temperature before blending.  Otherwise, the heat will cause the contents of the blender to expand during blending and hot soup may explode out of your blender.
Reheat soup to barely a simmer, stirring frequently.  Add half & half.  Stir until warmed through.  Remove from heat and add salt and white pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms

Once in a while, I would think about the stuffed mushrooms that was served at a get together that I had attended a few years ago.  I love mushrooms and were still thinking about them the next day.  The hostess recited the simple recipe when I asked what was in those delectable morsels.  Unfortunately, I never wrote it down.  So I put together a recipe based on what I think were the list of ingredients.  I think it came pretty close to the original.

Stuffed Mushrooms
12 large white button mushrooms
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3 tbsp parley leaves, finely minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil
zest from 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wipe mushrooms clean with a wet paper towel.  Remove stems*.
If you have a Misto, lightly spray the bottom and sides of the mushroom caps with olive oil.  If not, toss the mushroom caps and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large bowl until coated.
In a mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley and 3 tbsp olive oil.
Arrange mushroom caps on a baking sheet so that they hollow end up and are not touching.  With a spoon, fill the mushroom caps with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until top of fillings are golden brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon zest.

*Roasted mushroom stems add umami flavor to homemade vegetable stock.

Bone Marrow Endive Scoops and Roasted King Oyster Mushrooms

Bone Marrow Endive Scoops

This is a meal from a few months ago.  I picked up some nice looking Belgian endives from North Park Produce when I stopped to get fresh parsely for my decadent roasted bone marrow dinner.  They must not stock this often because the check out girl didn't know what they were.  She said that they looked different from the regulary endives that they usually sell.  Perhaps she was referring to curly endives?
I decided that this special item would make the perfect vessel for bone marrow.  The slight bitterness of these endives countered the rich bone marrow nicely.  At the last minute, I also opted for arugala that added a peppery bite.

Bone Marrow Endive Scoops
1 lbs beef bone marrow, roasted
1 Belgian endive
1 clove garlic, roasted
Arugala
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup cooked rice
salt & pepper to taste

Separate, wash and pat dry endive leaves.  Arrange the leaves on a platter.Slice the clove of roasted garlic. Layer a small portion of the following ingredients onto each leaf: rice, marrow, and a few small leaves of arugula. Squeeze lemon juice all over. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

I also roasted some king oyster mushrooms alongside the bone marrow for the last 5-8 minutes. The mushrooms soaked up the drippings and since they were so meaty, the outside carmelized beautifully without drying up.

Roasted King Oyster Mushrooms

Hectic Days - Kimchi Noodle Soup

It has been so crazy at work lately that I have barely had time to eat away from my desk.  By the time I drag my shell of a body home, I am in no mood to spend much time cooking.  Good thing I have always had a generously stocked kitchen to come up with crazy combinations of lazy meals.  Here is one of them.

Fish Nuggets

Kimchi

Chili Garlic Sauce

Kimchi Noodle Soup

Kimchi Noodle Soup

1 serving of egg noodles (can substitute w/ any type of noodles)

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup napa cabbage kimchi

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

*Optional: egg, fish nuggets w/ roe, any vegetable, leftover meat, Spam, tofu, cooked dumplings, etc.

Cook noodles according to package instructions.  Drain and set aside.  Bring water, salt, kimchi and chili garlic sauce to a boil.  If adding any of the optional add-ons that need to be cooked, add to the soup and boil until cooked.  If adding dumplings, cook the dumplings separately or with the noodles to prevent the soup from becoming starchy.  Ladle everything into a large bowl and enjoy.

I love cooking the fish nuggets in my soup.  It imparts a sweetness that makes me slurp up every last drop.  This particular brand does not have the roe filling center like this one.  This variation is shaped like a nugget and has the roe mixed in.  There is a nice little "pop" every time I bite down on the nugget.
P.S. The yolk from my poached eggs created a nice addition to the broth, making it rich and glorious.

Juicy Italian Meatballs and Umami Spring Angel Hair Pasta

I had a lot of ground beef and ground pork in the freezer.  I decided to use half for italian meatballs and use half for swedish meatballs.  I'll get to the swedish meatballs in another post.  For now, I'll just share my recipe for italian meatballs.  The milk soaked breadcrumbs really kept the meatballs moist and helped hold their shape.

Italian Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup minced onions
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp oregano
3 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp pepper
Oil

Soak the breadcrumbs in milk.   Saute onions until soft and translucent.  Set aside to cool.
Mix together ground beef, pork, soaked breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, egg, oregano, salt and pepper.  Once onions are cool to the touch, combine onions with meat mixture.
2 heaping tablespoons at a time, form the meatballs by lightly patting with the palms of your hands.
Heat a large frying pan w/ enough oil to just cover the surface.  Pan-fry the meatballs over med-low heat until brown on all sides, carefully turning once on each side, about 1 1/2 min each side.

I didn't feel like a saucy pasta dish, so decided to do a light spring angel hair pasta dish and topped it with a few meatballs.  The umami flavor of the pasta was sensational.

Umami Spring Angel Hair Pasta
16 oz. dried angel hair pasta
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
2 anchovy fillets
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
2 cups baby spinach
2 cups parsley leaves
1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp garlic, minced
Any other vegetables you have around, julienned
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste
White pepper, to taste

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente (see package instructions).  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.  In a large saute pan (I used the meatball pan with all the pan drippings), saute the anchovy fillets and onions over med-low heat.  Cook until fillets are melted and onions are translucent.
Add garlic to onion mixture.  Stir for 30 seconds.
Add parsley, spinach, tomatoes and other vegetables.  Cook until spinach and parsley are just wilted.
Take pan off heat and toss in pasta.  Stir in reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time to make a light sauce.  Be careful not to add too much, the sauce should not be too watery.
Mix in parmesan cheese and pepper to taste.  I strongly advise tasting before adding the cheese.  The anchovy fillets make up half the salt element in this dish.
Serve with meatballs.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers

There were some really nice looking bell peppers on sale at the market, so that night's dinner was inspired by them.  I have always casted bell peppers as the supporting actor, but never the star.  This time, since I bought so many, I wanted the bell peppers to be the focus of my main dish.

Stuffed bell peppers freeze beautifully and make a great presentation when served with the tops on.  They can be stuffed with any type of grain (quinoa, rice, couscous, etc) and protein (chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, sausages, etc).   Other ingredients like pine nuts, curry powder, diced tomatoes, herbs, feta cheese, and/or sun-dried tomatoes can bring endless variations to this one dish.  It is also a great way to transform and disguise leftovers.  The starch to meat ratio can be adjusted depending on what your budget is like and/or what you happen to have on hand.  The bell peppers really infuses the stuffing with flavor while baking.  Edible food containers are so cool.  Choose bell peppers that have even bottoms.  Or you can also cut them in half, length-wise (keeping the stems) to make side dish portions. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

10-12 bell peppers

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion, finely diced

2 tsp fresh marjoram

3 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp pine nuts

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp oil

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and set aside.  Remove and discard the seeds and white parts.  Par-boil the bell peppers for about 20 seconds and arrange standing upright on a baking dish.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Heat oil in saute pan.  Add onions and stir.  Cook until translucent.  Add ground turkey and garlic powder.  Stir until cooked through.  Mix in rice, tomatoes and marjoram.  Turn off heat.  Mix in feta and pine nuts.  Season the mixture with salt & pepper to taste.

Carefully spoon the stuffing mixture into each bell pepper.  Pack it in as much as possible without tearing the bell peppers.  Place the bell pepper tops over the filling, as covers.  Fill the bottom 1 1/2 inches of the baking dish with water.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

EAT Toast

EAT Toast

E = Egg

A = Avocado

T = Tomato

This is as a quick breakfast on the go, brunch item, snack or last minute appetizer.  Add slices of bacon and you have BEAT or BETA (which on sounds better?).  Mmmm...bacon.  It would be like the good fat and the bad fat coming together in harmony.

I love this on toasted potato bread.

EAT Toast

2 slices of toast

1 medium-boiled egg, sliced

1 avocado, mashed

1 roma tomato, sliced

sea salt, to taste

Spread the mashed avocado generously on each slice of toast.  Sprinkle sea salt on avocado.  Layer slices of tomato with egg on top of mashed avocado.  Enjoy!

Potato Bread

Potato Bread

I love the smell of freshly baked bread in my kitchen.  There is something very warm and comforting about that smell.  

It may be easier and less time consuming to use a bread maker.  But I love the feel of the dough in my hands when I am kneading it.  I like experiencing the process of making the dough by hand.  It feels therapeutic.  Plus, my counter and kitchen storage space is limited.

Yeast loves the starch in potatoes.  Potatoes make for a softer, more flavorful bread.  I like to use fresh potatoes.  But instant mashed potatoes work well as a substitute as well.  A smoother consistency will be achieved with instant mashed potatoes, but you don't get the benefits of being able to use the potato water.  I also like the tiny little specks of potato in the crust.

I keep a jar of yeast in the freezer and buy bread flour in bulk just for this.

Over the years, I have tweaked and perfected my recipe and technique.  This also just happens to be vegan (egg- and dairy-free) as well.  The loaf keeps for about 1 week in the bread box on my counter.

Potato Bread (single loaf)

3/4 cup peeled and diced potatoes

water for boiling potatoes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp vegetable oil

3-4 cups bread flour
flour for kneading
vegetable oil for greasing

Bring water and potatoes to a boil.  Cook until potatoes are soft and mashable.  Measure out 1/2 cup of the potato water.  Dissolve the sugar in the 1/2 cup reserve potato water and set aside.  Measure out another 1/4 cup of potato water and set aside.
*If using instant mashed potatoes, prepare mashed potatoes according to package instructions yielding 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and use regular hot water instead of potato water.  Same if using leftover mashed potatoes.
Drain potatoes.  Using a handheld blender (or a food processor), blend together salt, potatoes and 1/4 cup of reserve potato water together until smooth.
Once the 1/2 cup of reserve potato water is cooled to 110 degrees F (warm but not hot), sprinkle the yeast evenly over the surface of the water.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, the mixture should be foamy at the surface.  That means the yeast is active.  If the mixture is not foamy, it means the yeast is dead and of no use.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yeast water, vegetable oil and mashed potatoes.  With a rubber spatula, mix in 2 cups of bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time.  Mix in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, by hand.  Dough should feel slightly stiff.  Mix in more flour if needed.
Turn dough onto clean, lightly floured surface.  Knead for about 6 minutes, sprinkling on more flour to keep dough from sticking to the surface.  Dough should be smooth and elastic.  Shape the dough into a ball.  Lightly pat the ball of dough all over with a few drops of vegetable oil.
Lightly oil a large pot with a lid.  Place the ball of dough in pot.  Cover with lid.  Place covered pot in the oven to let dough rise for about 1 hour or until double in size.  The pilot light keeps the oven at the perfect warm temperature for letting the dough rise.
*To let the dough rise over night, place covered pot in the refrigerator for about 8 hours or until dough is double in size.
Lightly oil your hands with vegetable oil.  Punch down the dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes.
**See instructions below for dinner rolls.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough out into an oblong shape.  Starting with the short end, roll the dough into a log.  Pinch the ends together and tuck under.  Lightly pat the surface of the dough log with a few drops of vegetable oil.
Lightly oil and flour a loaf pan.  Place the dough in the loaf pan.  Run the point of a knife lengthwise along the top of the dough to let steam escape when baking.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes, until dough fills out the loaf pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 30-45 minutes, or until top is light brown.  Take bread out of the oven.  Lightly tap the top of the bread.  It should feel/sound kind of hollow.
Let bread cool on a wire rack, the crust will soften a bit while the bread cools.  Once bread is cooled, slice and enjoy!

**Separate dough into pieces that are roughly the size of an egg.  Line baking sheet lined with a lightly greased and floured silicone baking sheet.  Rub a few drops of oil in your hands.  Shape the pieces of dough into round balls.  Place the dough balls on the lined baking sheet 1 inch apart.  Let rise for about 10 minutes or until touching each other.  Bake in preheated 350 degree F for about 20 minutes or until rolls are a light golden brown.  Keep warm in a bowl or basket, wrapped in a clean dish towel.

Stuffed Bitter Melon - Two Ways

Steamed Bitter Melon Stuffed w/ Pork

Pan-Fried Bitter Melon Stuffed w/ Pork

Bitter melon (or bitter gourd) is an acquired taste.  I used to hate them when I was a kid. My mom did manage to change my mind about them with countless experimental recipes.  Still not my favorite vegetable, but sometimes I do feel nostalgic for my mom's pork stuffed bitter melons.

Bitter is a flavor that pairs well with fatty meats, as it cuts through the greasiness.  Par-boiling the bitter melon in salt water tapers the bitterness a bit.
My mom sometimes mixes in minced shrimp with the ground pork mixture.  The steamed version allows for the juices from the pork to permeate the bitter melon.  However, the pan-fried version has that nice sear and is more fragrant.

Stuffed Bitter Melon
1 bitter melon
1/2 lb ground pork
5 large shrimps, minced (optional)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup salt

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together corn starch, shaoxing rice wine and soy sauce.  Add ground pork (and shrimp).  Mix well.  Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator while preparing the bitter melon.
In a large pot, bring 3 inches of water and salt to boil.  Slice the bitter melon into 1/2 inch rings.  With a spoon or knife, scoop or cut out the white pith and seeds.  Par-boil the bitter melon rings for 2-3 minutes.  Remove the rings and shock in ice water.  Keep the pot of salt water at a simmer.
Stuff the pork mixture in each ring.
Steamed method - Place stuffed rings in a single layer on a dish with raised edges that is small enough to fit in the pot with the cover on.  Place steaming rack in pot.  Place dish on top of steaming rack.  Steam for 15 minutes.  Remove and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Pan-fried method - Use a frying or saute pan with a lid.  Heat up 1 tbsp of oil over medium-low heat.  Place stuffed rings in a single layer in the pan.  Pan-fry for about 3 minutes or until first side is browned.  Flip over once.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Roast Duck - The Series (Crispy Skin Roast Duck with New Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts)

I picked up a young duckling from the frozen meats section at 99 Ranch.  Yes, that's right.  Roast duck.  It's an entire series.  It's so much more than just roast duck.  I rendered and saved the duck fat.  Duck fat brussel sprouts and new potatoes.  Duck stock.  Duck spring rolls.  I got my money's worth out of that one bird.  The skin was crispy.  The meat was juicy and succulent.  I was glad I didn't over complicate the seasoning.  The flavor of the duck really stood on its own.

Crispy Skin Roast Duck w/ brussel sprouts and assorted new potatoes

First, let's start with the duck itself.  I bought a 19" roasting pan and was excited to use it.  Unfortunately, it was too big for my freakishly small oven.  So I positioned the roasting rack on top of a baking sheet instead.

Crispy Skin Roast Duck with new potatoes and brussel sprouts

1 1/2 lb whole duck 

salt

pepper

*new potatoes

*brussel sprouts (about the diameter of a quarter or cut in half if larger)

After I tore off the plastic packing that the duck came in, I discovered that I literally had a whole duck.  

With the feet and head still attached.

For those who feel uncomfortable with the fact that the animals we eat once came with a head, I'll spare you the pictures of the dismemberment and beheading.

I clumsily cut off the wing tips, feet, neck and head.  I saved them for the duck stock, which I'll get to in another installment of "Roast Duck - The Series." I also set aside the liver, heart and kidneys that were inside the cavity of the duck.  I later sauteed the offal with some salt, pepper, shallots, duck fat and balsamic vinegar for a little snack while the duck was roasting.

I scrubbed the duck all over with salt and rinsed it all off.  I then thoroughly dried off the duck with paper towels.  I preheated the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.  Like I said, my oven is freakishly tiny.  So if you have a normal sized oven, preheat to 325 Fahrenheit.

Part 1 of the secret to getting crispy skin and juicy meat is to carefully make little slits all over the skin of the duck without piercing the flesh.

Since I was going to render the duck fat, I simply seasoned the duck by sprinkling salt and pepper inside the cavity of the duck.  With butcher's twine, I tied the legs together and the wings close to the body.

I popped the duck into my tiny, preheated oven.  Part 2 of the secret to crispy skin and juicy, succulent meat is to roast the bird in low temperatures for 3 1/2 hours, flipping the bird over every 20 minutes.

Like I said, I was rendering the duck fat and roasting the bird in a baking sheet.  Every time I took the bird out of the oven to flip it over, I also used a baster to remove the duck fat and strain into a ceramic bowl.

*With 1 hour of roasting time left, I threw some new potatoes into the baking sheet underneath the roasting rack and rolled them around to cover them with the drippings.  I rolled them around some more each time I flipped the duck over.

*With 40 minutes of roasting time left, I threw the brussel sprouts in with the potatoes.  I turned them over during the final duck flip.

Part 3 of the secret is to let the bird rest 15 minutes before carving.

Savory Garden

I noticed that 168, the Taiwanese cafe in the space at the front of 99 Ranch had been replaced by Savory Garden a while ago.  I decided to give them some time to work out the kinks before trying them out.  I finally did last week.

One of my "aunts" is Taiwanese and I always enjoyed going to her house for dinner when I was growing up.  Either she or her grandmother would make delicious taiwanese dishes for dinner parties and get togethers.  I loved it so much that I (mostly) didn't mind that all the dishes were vegetarian.  

The restaurant health inspection rating at 168 kept me from braving the threshold.  Especially since it was always mostly empty.  It's one thing if the food is so good that everyone disregards the letter taped to the door.

The food at Savory Garden didn't knock my socks off, but it's decent enough that I would stop by whenever I need to stock up at 99 Ranch.

I first went in for a really early lunch by myself.  It wasn't even 11am yet, so the restaurant was pretty empty.  There was an older couple and a 20-something year old waitress who started to speak to me in Taiwanese until I responded back in English.  The older couple retreated behind the counter while the waitress seated me.  

The place had definitely been through a make over.  That and the "A" rating made me feel better.  I ordered the House Beef Noodle Soup and a hot milk tea.  There was only one other customer, so my food came out pretty quickly.

I expected a mug for my milk tea, but I got an entire tea pot and a chinese tea cup instead.  

Each cup was nice and hot.  

The House Beef Noodle Soup came with just 4 pieces small pieces beef, but they were flavorful,  tender and juicy.   Since the June gloom weather made me a little chilly, I dumped a big spoonful of chili paste on top.  The bok choy wasn't overcooked, but I still prefer my vegetables to be more on the al dente side.  The broth and noodles were ok, nothing to write home about.  When I tasted each component of this dish on its own, it was nothing special.  

Then I started to mix the tiny bits of finely chopped fresh chinese celery that were floating in the broth into each spoonful of swirled noodle and broth.  That tiny burst of celery flavor and crunch was really pleasant.  Mmmm.  What a great idea. 

When I paid for my bill, the older lady noticed that I still had some milk tea left in the tea pot.  She brought over a plastic cup with a lid and straw.  

A few days later, a friend and I were out and about.  I talked her into getting lunch at Savory Garden so that I could try out some other items on the menu.

We split an order of Green Bean kabobs (2), Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings (6), and Steamed Pork Bun Dumplings (10).  I got an order of Chicken Heart Kabobs (2) for myself as well.

The waitress set down a little shaker of paprika when she delivered our kabobs.  I didn't ask which dish it was for, so I just sprinkled it on both the green beans and chicken hearts.

Ever since I tried them on the streets of Bangkok, I have always liked grilled chicken hearts more than any other offal.  They have a nice firm texture and do not taste metallic or gamey like other organ meats such as liver.

My skewer of green beans still had a little crunch to them.  That satisfied my need for a vegetable to go with the rest of our meal.  Food grilled on a stick is always a good idea.  Always.

The Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings did not have a salt and pepper taste to it.  It was still nicely seasoned, big and juicy.  The cornstarch batter was light and crunchy, not overpowering the wings.  I really liked these, even though they should just be listed as plain "Chicken Wings" on the menu.

Eyeing the little container of rice vinegar on every table, I ordered the "Steamed Pork Bun Dumplings" hoping that it was code for Xiao Long Bao

and I was right! The huge steamer came out piping hot.  The waitress forgot to bring us spoons, but I scarfed them down before I even had a chance to flag her down again.  The wrappers were not too thick and there was a good amount of broth left in them.  Of course, the broth was mostly absorbed into the wrapper by the time I got down to my 4th dumpling.

That is just what happens with Xiao Long Bao.  It's one of those dishes that needs to be inhaled as soon as it is made.  There is no time for politely-waiting-for-someone-else-to-take-the-first-piece table manners.  They need to be scarfed down before the soup inside disappears into the wrapper.  The filling was nicely seasoned.  The gingery pork tasted just right with a bit of vinegar.  Ahhh.   Not the best I've ever had, but definitely decent and satisfied my craving.  I was not disappointed.

My friend was not too happy with our waitress for bringing her a regular Iced Thai Tea when she specifically asked for no milk, but I was pretty happy with my cold Milk Tea.  Can you get Thai Tea without the condensed milk or is there evaporated milk already in the mix?

I sure hope business picks up so this place stays open.  I want to try out the rest of their menu.

Savory Garden

7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

($20 minimum for credit card purchases)

Hot Pot Made Easy

I decided to do a hot pot dinner on Thanksgiving this year.  No turkey, no mashed potatoes, no cranberry sauce and no pumpkin pie.  So it's not the most traditional Thanksgiving meal, but at least it was stress-free.  I just wanted to drink wine and enjoy a great meal with good company without having to spend two days prepping and cooking and fretting over how the bird will turn out.

Hot pot, shabu shabu, lẩu, suki, sukiyaki, steamboat, fondue or huǒ guō is a social event.  Each part of the world has a different version, but it is basically everyone dipping and cooking the pre-sliced ingredients in pot of hot soup base, cheese or chocolate that simmers in the middle of the table.  I have many memories of family meals with everyone spending hours surrounding a pot of simmering broth chatting and eating.

Zion market was our first stop to pick up some ginger, lotus roots, pea sprouts, orange and thinly pre-sliced pork belly, beef tongue, ribeye and brisket.

99 Ranch had the portable camping stoves and cans of butane.  We also got some cuttle fish balls, herbal soup mix, rice noodles, moqua and napa cabbage.   There are lots more items that would be great hot pot additions such as tofu, fish fillets, shrimp, dumplings, any thinly sliced meat, noodles, taro, potatoes, veggies and etc.

At both stores, there were a plethora of induction and electric hot pot sets.  However, I wanted the portable gas version so that I could have the option of doing an outdoor hot pot as well.  Funny how both Zion and 99 Ranch had the portable gas stove, but neither had the pot nor little scoops to go with it.  SF (Thuan Fat) Supermarket had the pot and all the little scoops I needed to complete my hot pot kit.

Thanksgiving day: I spent about an hour or so rinsing and slicing up the veggies and preparing the soup bases.  Depending on the region, the soup bases also vary.  Since I got a half and half hot pot, I did one regular herbal soup base and one spicy herbal soup base,  which didn't take long at all.  To save time, I prepared the soup on my kitchen stove and then transferred to the portable hot pot setup.

Half and Half Herbal Soup Bases:
1 packet of assorted herbs
1 finger of ginger (peeled and chopped into large chunks)
6 cans of chicken broth or homemade broth
6 dried chili peppers
3 dried chrysanthemum flowers (optional)
Pour chicken broth, ginger and half of each herb from the assorted herb packet into a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Transfer half of the broth to one side of the hot pot.  Add the dried chili peppers to the remaining half of the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Transfer to other half of hot pot.  Put the chrysanthemum flowers in a tea ball and add to the spicy side of the hot pot.  In chinese medicine, chrysanthemum flowers are "cooling" and will balance out the "heatiness" of the spicy hot pot.  The tea ball will help keep the flowers from disintegrating into the hot pot.  Keep hot pot on a low simmer.  

Rinse and strain the pea sprouts and napa cabbage.  Moqua has a texture and taste just like winter melon.  I prefer it to winter melon because it has a much thinner skin and is easier to prep.  It soaks up the flavors of the soup like a sponge.  Peel and slice the moqua into about 1 inch pieces.   Peel and thinly slice the lotus root.  My handy mandolin slicer really made a big difference with the lotus root.  Parboil, rinse and drain the rice noodles.

 Cut half-way into each cuttle fish ball with 3 horizontal slices.  

Turn over to the other side and make one perpendicular slice half-way into each ball.  

That way, there are slices on each side of the cuttle fish ball, while keeping the whole thing intact.  This would help any meat balls cook quickly and evenly in the hot pot.

I laid everything out and we pigged out.  To keep the soup from evaporating away thru out the meal, I add hot water as needed.  The leftovers also made for a delicious noodle soup the next morning.

What about the orange?  That was for my azuki dessert soup.  More on that next time....

Go Ahead, Crowd the Mushrooms

Julia Childs stressed, "Don't crowd the mushrooms."  

Crowding would result in steamed instead of the nicely browned mushrooms.  But seriously, who has the time and patience to brown batch after batch of mushrooms?  I have a 14-in pan and each batch barely yields a single side serving.

Crowd the mushrooms, but crowd them in a cast iron pan.

I have found the perfect solution.  Crowd the mushrooms, but crowd them in a cast iron pan.  

Cast iron retains heat well enough so that the moisture from the mushrooms will soon evaporate away, allowing the mushrooms to brown. 

Oh, Julia.  I love you, but I'm breaking your rules.

Do not stir!

Sautéed Mushrooms

8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or any vegetable oil)

Heat cast iron pan over med-high heat.  Add oil and swirl around to make sure oil covers the entire surface.  Allow the oil to heat for 30 seconds.

Spread the mushrooms evenly in the pan.  

DO NOT stir. I know it's hard to resist stirring, but it is important to the browning process to not stir until after the first layer of mushrooms starts to brown.  

Cook until the mushroom juices evaporate.  

Once the first layer of mushrooms have just started to brown, stir up the mushrooms so that the other layers get to the bottom of the pan.  Spread evenly.

The mushrooms will shrink during the cooking process, allowing more surface area on the pan.

Do not worry about the pan being dry at this point. Let the juices from the other layers evaporate and brown. Do no add more oil.

There you have it, perfectly browned mushrooms even with crowding.

Nicely browned mushrooms :o)

Red Quinoa Salad

Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") is a grain that is very rich in protein and amino acids.  The taste and texture is similar to a nuttier couscous.  I tossed together a vegetarian quinoa salad that was both refreshing and surprisingly satisfying.  The quinoa packaging instructions say to cook it with  1 part quinoa with 3 parts water.  Some of my friends who are more familiar with this grain also recommend that method, similar to cooking white rice.  I have not been successful with that method.  My quinoa never turned out very fluffy that way.  I recently bought a new cookbook which included instructions on steaming quinoa.  It was genius. My quinoa turned out light and fluffy.

Red Quinoa Salad

1 cup red quinoa

2 cups water

3 tsp salt

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

3 tbsp pine nuts

3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

3 tbsp dried cranberries

baby spinach and arugula mix

Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve.  Bring water to boil.  Add quinoa and boil for 10 minutes.  Drain quinoa into a fine sieve.  Fill pot up with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.  Place sieve with quinoa over the pot of boiling water.  The water should not touch the quinoa.  Adjust water level accordingly.  Place lid over quinoa.  Steam for 15 minutes.  Stirring every 5 minutes for even steaming.  Check water level constantly and add more boiling water as needed.

Let quinoa cool.  Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Mix in pine nuts, feta and cranberries.  Serve chilled over spinach and arugula.

Grill On! Grilled Oyster Sauce Wings & Grilled Balsamic Bok Choy

Although we haven't been having the heat wave that has swept the rest of the US, last week was a little too warm to be cooking in my kitchen.  I invited some friends over to taste test my latest concoction of Grilled Oyster Sauce Wings and Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Balsamic.  This is a great last minute dinner.  I defrosted the wings in cold water and then whipped together a quick marinade.  I usually just drizzle some oyster sauce over my greens, but my marinade already had an oyster sauce base, I decided to use balsamic to balance out the flavors.  This went nicely with steamed white jasmine rice and chrysanthemum iced tea.  I also made a chilled azuki dessert soup, but it didn't turn out like I wanted.  I will post the recipe for that once I perfect the technique in my crazy kitchen lab.  Until then, here are the recipes for the main course:

Grilled Oyster Sauce Wings

1/2 dozen wings

1/3 cup oyster sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp five spice powder

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, five spice powder and garlic in a medium sized bowl.  Toss in the wings to thoroughly coat.  Refrigerate until ready to grill, tossing about halfway through to ensure even marinading.  Place on hot grill, over medium heat.  Brush on 1/2 of remaining marinade after 15 minutes and flip wings over.  Brush on rest of  marinade and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until done.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Balsamic

baby bok choy

grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

balsamic vinegar

coarse sea salt

Split the baby bok choy into halves, lengthwise.  This makes it easier to clean off the dirt that is trapped in between the layers.  Rinse and drain.  Lightly brush grapeseed or vegetable oil on both sides of the bok choy.  I used my handy Misto sprayer filled with grapeseed oil, which really does make my life so much easier.  Place the bok choy on the hot grill just until grill marks start to form.  Sprinkle on sea salt and balsamic vinegar just after flipping.  Don't need to go crazy with the balsamic, just a little splash will do.  Bok choy are done once grill marks start to form on the other side.

More than just salad

I got some romaine hearts that were on special at Fresh & Easy.  I wasn't thinking salad.  I wasn't thinking grilled.  I was thinking about sauteed.  I was thinking about the way my friend's husband made them.  He is Taishan and an excellent chef, which is good news for my friend because I don't think I've ever seen her cook anything that wasn't Top Ramen.  She does make a very good sou chef, gotta give her credit for that.  When I was visiting one evening, she started washing and chopping 10 minutes before he walked through the door.  After cooking at the restaurant all night long, he started throwing together a simple, yet delicious late night dinner.
The one dish that I still remember is the simplest.  Romaine hearts sauteed with fermented tofu, which tastes kinda like blue cheese made from tofu.  I was skeptical as I watched him prepare this dish.  Up to that point in my life, the only way I've seen romaine hearts prepared has been raw or lightly grilled in a salad.  Plus, fermented tofu???  Really?
He convinced me to give this homestyle dish a try and I was became a convert.   It was light and refreshing.  The fermented tofu added just the right hint of savoriness (I could go fancy and call it "umami") that highlights the seared edges of the romaine.  I am salivating whilst thinking about romaine hearts. Whowouldadunkit?

Umami Romaine Hearts
1 Romaine heart
1/4 cube fermented tofu
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Step 1: Slice the romaine heart lengthwise into 8 pieces.

Step 2: Heat wok or frying pan with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

Step 3: Add romaine hearts and garlic to pan.  Cook until leaves are just starting to wilt, turning every now and again.

Step 3: Add fermented tofu.  Just 1/4 cube will do, this stuff is potent!

Step 3: Continue cooking until fermented tofu is melted, about 2 minutes.  De-glaze the pan with about 2 tbsp of water in the final 30 seconds if you want some sauce for that rice to soak up.