Sunday, November 01, 2009
Char Siew Lamb Chops
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Salisbury Steak
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
Monday, August 03, 2009
Scallion and Shallot Pancakes
I remembered reading about them in one of my Frugal Gourmet cookbooks. And I thought to myself...I like scallions. I like pancakes. Let's give it a try. Ooo...famous last words. how can one not love the taste of greasy, crispy, scallionny (is that a word?) goodness. Many of the recipes I've seen call for lard. Now, I love the stuff, but my waistline and arteries can't handle it anymore. I found the original recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine,and I've added shallots (because I thought they would go well with the green onions).
SCALLION AND SHALLOT PANCAKES
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons sesame oil
5 scallions, thinly sliced
2 medium-sized shallots, thinly sliced
additional salt, to taste
1) In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, boiling water, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
2) Remove dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes or until soft and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
3) Roll the dough into a 16-inch long log. Cut into 24 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap.
4) On lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough into a 4-inch circle. Brush with sesame oil.
5) Combine scallions and shallots in a small bowl. Spinkle 1 teaspoon of scallion-shallot mixture on the rolled-out dough.
6) Roll up the dough circle into a tight cylinder. Pinch the ends close. Then wrap the cylinder into a tight spiral. Cover with plastic wrap and repeat with remaining dough pieces. Let rest for 20 minutes.
7) On a lightly floured surface, stand up one of the spirals vertically (like a snail shell). Flatten gently then roll out into a 4 inch circle. (The point here is to create as many layers as possible so you get a flaky pancake).
8) Repeat with remaining spirals, stacking the rolled-out circles between waxed paper.
9) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook 2 or 3 of the pancakes at the same time for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.
10) Repeat with the remaining pancakes, adding more oil as needed. If you like, you can keep the pancakes warm in the oven at 200 degrees. Serve with dipping sauce (see recipe below).
Makes about 24 pancakes.
DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
1) Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Ed's Note: If you don't like shallots, then omit them. Up the number of scallions to 7 scallions.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Whoppers Ice Cream Pie
So, my first foray back into cooking and entertaining included this recipe which was not hard to find. It was right on the back of a box of Whoppers. The malted chocolate candy Whoppers not the Burger King hamburger Whopper just in case anyone was confused.
The only change I made was instead of using vanilla ice cream, I substituted cookies n' cream. This made the perfect finale to the 4th of July get together that Dean and I hosted. And it was so easy to make!
WHOPPERS ICE CREAM PIE
1 pint cookies n' cream ice cream, softened
8 oz whipped topping
2 cups of Whoppers, crushed
1 graham cracker pie crust
1) Mix together the ice cream and whipped topping until well-blended.
2) Stir in 1 cup of the crushed Whoppers.
3) Spoon mixture into the graham cracker pie crust.
4) Sprinkle top with the remaining crushed Whoppers.
5) Place in freezer for at least 4 hours.
Makes 6 -8 servings.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
IsItEDible at OB Town
OB Town
6101 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 595-5338
For those of you who want to give Korean Fried Chicken a try, order the Gan Jang Chicken ($14.50), which is coated with a delicious sauce with garlic and soy. Or if you like it spicy, then try the Yang Nyeom Chicken (also $14.50).
There's also several "bar dishes" on the menu. The garlic fries ($5.90) go great with the fried chicken.
If you are in the mood for seafood, then give the Shrimp Ganpengji (12.99) a try. At OB Town, the fry up the shrimp in a nice batter and coat it with a spicy sauce. Also, good are the spicy rice cakes and seafood ($12.90).
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Split Pea Soup
Here's a dish I literally turned my nose up at when I was a kid. But like many other foods, I've developed a fondness for this as an adult. It all started with the annual pilgrimmage that Dean and I make down to Palm Springs. We usually try to stop at Andersen's Pea Soup for a bowl of the restaurant's signature dish.
With the cold, wet weather we've been having lately, I've been in the mood for the smoky goodness of this comfort food. I scouted around on the internet and found some interesting variations over at 101 Cookbooks, the Food Network, and A Year of Crockpotting.
Here's my take on this comfort food classic.
SPLIT PEA SOUP
1 lb dried split peas
4 strips bacon
1 onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic
6 cups water
2 tablespoons "Better than Bouillion" chicken base
1 tablespoon garam masala
salt and pepper to taste
1) Pick through the split peas for foreign particles. Rinse.
2) In a large pot, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and place on paper-towel lined plate. Crumble the bacon.
3) Add onions and garlic to the bacon grease. Cook for 3 minutes.
4) Add 1 cup of water and quickly scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining water.
5) Add the dry split peas, chicken base, and garam masala. Bring the water to a boil.
6) Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.
7) Remove from heat. Place half of the soup in a blender and puree. Pour pureed soup back into the pot and stir.
8) Salt and pepper to taste.
9) To serve, ladle soup into bowl and top with crumbled bacon.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Ed's 1st Note: Thanks to my honey for helping me to stage this shot. All my previous attempts looked like green gloop in a white bowl.
Ed's 2nd Note: The garam masala gives this recipe a nice "smokiness." For extra smoky flavor, I used some of the Saltworks smoked sea salt I picked up at the Fancy Food Show.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
IsItEDible at Citron
One of our discoveries is Citron. Located in the Rockridge area of Oakland, this restaurant has not let us down over several visits during the last 6 months. Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle describes it as a "charming neighborhood restuarant with a destination attitude." We always appreciate the chef's amuse-bouche, the warm bread (try the orange-hued one made with pepper), and the delicious French/Mediterranean cuisine served by an attentive and friendly staff.
Citron
5484 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 653-5484
Note the menu here does change regularly. On each of our visits, the Maine lobster bisque ($10) with creme fraiche gougere has always been on the menu. This is hands-down one of the best bisques I've had. It's svaory richness of the lobster is nicely accentuated by the gougere. This is a "must-order" if you see it on the menu. On our most recent visit, we brought Dean's mom who was visiting from out of town. She thoroughly enjoyed her butternut squash soup ($9) with orange scented shrimp and crispy leeks. For salads, try the baby spinach salad ($10). It's served with a warm balsamic dressing and accented by spiced pecans. A few slivers of sweet Medjool dates add an extra layer of sweet flavor that sets it apart from your typical spinach salad. Usually there is a choice of about 5 different entrees on the menu. We particularly liked the rosemary-scented rack of lamb ($26) which was served with a straw potato cake, romano beans. and a black olive-red wine sauce. For desserts, try the ginger ice cream ($9) served with whole wheat graham crackers and dulce de leche. A sprinkle of pomegranate seeds added a sweet and tart crunch.
