Spinach Pasta with Mushroom and Parmesan

Creamy, gooey, mushroom cheese sauce

Second lunch became a constant meal in my life growing up. It all started when I was around eight or nine years old and continued on through out high school. It was my version of a security blanket and my opportunity to try to create new dishes. The process of my second lunch was always like clockwork and I could set my watch to it. I would leave for school in the morning with five dollars from my dad for lunch that day. I would then spend two of those five dollars on a bottle of diet soda and a bag of chips. This became my lunch for six years. And yes, I pocketed the three dollars everyday. By around 2 o’clock, I would start dreaming of my second lunch. A grumble in my stomach would dictate the flavors that I was fantasizing about. I’d spend the next couple of hours trying to remember what was in the house for me to cook; pork bones, chicken broth, noodles, shrimp, scallions. I was sure I was able to create something out of these dishes. I’d then go home and cook it, eat it, clean up the evidence, and be ready to have dinner with the family by 6:00 pm.

It was a fun process, and always full of challenges. I remember this one time I had a huge craving for cheese sauce. Primarily the Kraft Mac and Cheese sauce. Unfortunately, my parents had gone to Costco (then Price Club) without me and I couldn’t stock up on my arsenal of industrial size instant pastas and mayonnaise. I decided that I would attempt to make my own bright orange sauce. I had managed to score a pack of American Singles from a trip to our local grocery store. (I’m starting to realize that it sounds like I had to fight and connive in order to get food from my parents, but I want you all to know they where loving and amazing parents that didn’t withhold food from me. I promise.) So I figured I would cook a pack of Chinese noodles and then make the cheese sauce.

First step, I get some water boiling and then I cook the noodles. I watch the noodles swirl around in the water with excitement and anticipation. After a few minutes, with a pair of wooden chopsticks, I grab a strand of noodle out and taste. Yum, the Chinese version of “al dente”. Next comes the fun part, I drain the water, put in the milk and butter and tear up two individually wrapped squares. I start stirring with a determined look on my face because I needed to melt that cheese like my life depended on it. I ended up with a sore arm and a big knot of noodles with pieces of processed cheese sticking out. The milky sheen on the noodles did not make it look appetizing at all. Well, neither did the unmelted raw cheese.

So after dumping the noodles in the trash, I employed another strategy. What if I pre-melt the cheese first? So, while the water boils, I put the cheese in a microwave safe bowl [I learned that the metal rimmed porcelain bowls that my mom loved does not belong in the microwave the hard way] and put it on for one minute on high and walked away to watch power rangers. This was the standard time and power that I set all my food for when I was eight, primarily because I didn’t understand the machine. The noodles are ready shortly after an intense fight between the yellow ranger and the putty patrol, and I go check on the cheese. I was now holding in my hand a science project. Somehow I had discovered the concept of mutation and created a fusion of food and bowl. There was an attempt by me to try to clean the bowl with lots of scrubbing and soaking but I decided that it was better to put the whole thing out of its misery. I then gave up on the whole dish and made chicken noodle soup.

I’m happy to say, I now know how to make cheese sauce. I also know how to add things to make it good. I’ve also come to terms with the fact that I don’t have the science degree to recreate the wonderfully orange sauce in my home kitchen. I am ok with that. In this recipe I used king oyster mushrooms, I like the texture…but you can use any type of mushrooms you want.

~stuff

1 cup sliced king oyster mushrooms

¼ cup milk

¼ cup half and half

1 tsp butter

¼ cup shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp thyme

1 tbs flour

¼ cup chives, minced

fresh grated nutmeg

2 cups of grated cheese (I used parmasean and asiago)

~steps

sautee butter, garlic, and shallots until lightly brown

add the mushroom and thyme and cook until mushroom is cooked down, 2-3 minutes

sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir until the flour is fully cooked through and golden in color

pour in the milk and cream and bring the mixture to a low simmer

lower the heat and add the cheese, a few grates of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste

before serving, add pasta water to thin out the sauce and mix with cooked pasta

-serves 4-

Fool’s Noodles

Lard, chicharon, and noodles. Yum.

Lard is amazing. I had some hesitation writing this post. An almost border line abusive conversation happened between my artistic freedom self and my down to reality self about whether or not 1) lard/pork fat/bacon/pork belly is a food trend that is over, stale, or needs to die, 2) way too unhealthy to belong on a blog that talks (mostly) about healthy local foods, or 3) too similar to lard rice to post.

In the end, I realized that I made the dish, took the picture, and might as well write the post.

Are you familiar with this dish? It’s a traditional Taiwanese dish you find on the streets of Taiwan. The dish is rooted during a time when the low income and working class were conscious of their access to extravagance, like meat, and the respect towards their food by not wasting any of it. I never ordered it when I was in Taiwan, mainly because I was eating other things that I couldn’t get in the US. I finally tried this dish one lunch with my parents when I was in middle school.

Growing up, my parents made sure that we always had a stocked fridge. Every meal must always have vegetables, fish, meat, and soup. This also meant that we went grocery shopping every week, which became one of the best family memories growing up. The weekly Saturday schedule was always driving 30 minutes to Irvine or 45 minutes to Roland Heights, getting some delicious Chinese or Taiwanese food for lunch, and then grocery shopping. It’s where I learned about Chinese produce, cuts of meats, and more about the food from my community.

One of the places we frequented was a Taiwanese restaurant that had “sha gua” noodles. It’s translated to “fool’s noodles”. Mainly because a fool can make it. Lard, soy sauce, noodles, and scallions in a bowl. Easy. The flavor is something between butter and nutty soy. To be more specific, in as much vague descriptions as I can give, it’s like an earthy, briny, less gamey buttered noodles with bursts of freshness from the scallions. The scallions also add a green crunch which buries itself in the creaminess of the lard mixed with the al dente chew of the noodles. All in all, it’s a great snack or meal after a night of drinking.

Enjoy all it’s goodies.

~stuff

2 servings dried Chinese Noodles

1 tbs lard

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 cup scallion, minced

chicharon or pork rinds, crumbled (optional)

~steps

cook noodles per packaged directions until al dente and drain

mix in rest of ingredients

season with salt or soy sauce to taste and sprinkle the Chicharron if you like

-serves 2-

pesto lasagna

 

...pesto lasagna...

 

“That’s going to be too much, you won’t finish it.” My brother is pointing at the giant bag of spinach that I am grasping on with both arms and with wide eyes.

The younger brother mentality kicks in and I border line whine, “Nah, I’ll finish it. I can make a salad, put it in a wrap, stir fry it, or juice it.  See, this Costco bag is totally worth it.”

Fast forward two weeks and I have a giant bag full of spinach and…crap…it’s about to go bad.  And I’m talking brink of badness, where you open the fridge and you smell something.  It doesn’t smell bad or rank, but it smells like something is about to happen and it’s not happiness, that’s for sure.   So, in an attempt to not allow my brother an opportunity to sing an “I Told You So” dance, I try to make a dish that can use all the spinach and let as little go to waste as possible.

So before anyone figures it out, I break out the giant bag of spinach and start separating good leaves with not so happy leaves.  I end up with a large bowl and a half of green crisp spinach and I go to town with it.  I create a beautiful deep green pesto that is spicy with Italian basil, creamy with extra virgin olive oil, and nutty with toasted pistachios.  All of it comes together with a couple of handfuls of spinach.  Amazing…but…Doh, I still have a bunch of spinach left.  So I blanch the spinach to give me a deep green pile of folic acid beauty, mix it with some creamy ricotta, and nutty asiago and I now have a cheese filling.  And then it comes to me: let’s make some lasagna!

Now, this ain’t yo mama’s lasagna (especially because mine is Taiwanese and doesn’t know how to make lasagna).  This is not a traditional lasagna with tomato sauce and lots of fillings.  Instead this version is just a few ingredients: pesto, spinach, cheese, and onion.  Oh, and it’s wonderfully green.

It’s a simple dish with basic flavors, but everything melds really well together.  On top of the flavors, there are some awesome textures that are going on in this dish.  If you can’t finish the lasagna, that’s fine.  Just heat up the leftovers.  They’re still good.  Also, if you need to make this in advance, you can layer and build the lasagna and then refrigerate it until your ready to heat and serve.  Not to mention this thing is packed with spinach.  Like a lot of spinach.  Like a good Costco size bag full.  Awesome!

So, now you know what to do if you ever get stuck with a giant bag of spinach.  Sorry, don’t know what to do with the giant tub of mayo from Costco.

~stuff

10 uncooked lasagna sheets

1 cup packed Italian basil

2 cups packed fresh spinach [plus a handful for layering]

3 cloves of garlic, grated

1 cup toasted pistachios

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup spinach, blanched and chopped

1/4 cup onion, minced

2 cups mixed grated asiago and parmesan

4 provolone slices

1/2 cup grated mozzarella

salt and pepper to taste

~steps

preheat oven to 375°F

boil a large pot of salted water for lasagna pasta and cook according to package direction

pulse basil, fresh spinach, grated garlic, salt and toasted pistachio, in a food processor and slowly pour in oil while processor is on until everything is blended into a pesto.  Reserve on the side.

mix in a large bowl the ricotta, onion, spinach, salt, pepper, grated asiago, and parmesan until well combined.

arrange lasagna by starting with a layer of pasta, then 1/2 cheese mixture, a handful of fresh spinach, provolone slice, 1/3 of the pesto, and pasta

layer on top of the base with remaining cheese mixture, handful of spinach, mozzarella cheese, 1/3 of the pesto, and remaining pasta in an oven safe 8″ x 12″ casserole dish.

top with the remaining pesto, asiago, and parmesan.

bake in the oven covered for 15 minutes and then uncovered for remaining 10 minutes.

-serves 4-

scallion pancakes

 

scallion pancakes

I love scallion pancakes.  I’ve come to realize that scallion pancakes are a common dish I order because it combines two of my favorite things: fried dough and scallions.  Well, more specifically:  chewy carbs and scallions.

This recipe comes from a really good family friends of ours, the Wu’s.  My parents met the Wu’s when they lived in Omaha, Nebraska.  They eventually moved to California and lived only a few blocks away from my house in Orange County.  The Wu’s owned a restaurant in good ol’ Omaha.  So when I was young, there was never any hesitation when I found out that we would be going to their house for dinner.  Now, I loved my Mom’s cooking growing up but when Mrs. Wu was cooking, I knew it was a feast that would match my Mom’s skills.  But this dish doesn’t come from Mrs. Wu.  This came from her always smiling, comb-overed husband Uncle Wu.   He first taught me during one of our fake family camping trips.

My parents and their friends, including Uncle Wu, would usually pack up the kids every year and do some sort of outdoor adventure somewhere.  Eventually this is what I thought camping was.  I soon realized that camping did not include ten course Chinese meals, four butane stoves, and all of Chinatown packed in various coolers.  But whatever it was, I loved it.  During these trips, I always found myself bored and needing to fill the time I would have spent watching Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, or Darkwing Duck. Eventually I would end up around the make shift kitchen at the picnic tables to see what I could play with.  One trip, to help quell my boredom, Uncle Wu graciously taught me the process to create his scallion pancake.  The secret? It’s all in the rolling of the dough.

 

pillows of scallion pancake coils

Now, this was no cutsey and nurturing Hallmark moment.  No, this was scallion bootcamp.  Picture a Chinese man yelling and screaming at an 8 year to roll dough bigger, thinner, and harder at a park bench in the middle of Yosemite.  I felt like I was in scallion pancake factory with bears and park rangers staring at me.  But, I’m thankful for it.  Something about this moment really made an impact on me.  It’s one of my earliest memories of cooking and probably one of the moments that really helped me realize that I could actually cook and not have to watch it on the screen.  Plus it’s scallions, the best thing in the world.

 

so thin you can read through it

Scallions are probably one of my favorite ingredients out there. I love that in this dish the scallion flavor is subtle, yet the main player.  It’s as if the onion flavor is a spring breeze carrying the fresh flower aroma through the air.  Wow, so poetic.

Remember to let the dough rest.  It builds the gluten and gives a chewier result.  Plus, if you don’t let the dough rest (and knead it like crazy) you won’t be able to really roll it very thin.  And if you don’t roll it thin, I will send Uncle Wu to yell at you as you roll out the pancakes, national park not included.

 

step 1... scallion snake

I just had a thought!  What if I mixed my top three favorite ingredients? Scallion pancake made with lard!  I think that’s a winner.

~stuff

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour + 3 cups on side

1 cup hot water

1 cup scallion, minced

1/4 cup dark sesame oil

1/4 cup kosher salt

vegetable oil to fry

~steps

mix 2 1/2 cups flour with 1 cup HOT water until it forms a dough

knead dough until smooth and add flour as necessary

cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes

knead a few more times till smooth

cut the dough into 4 equal parts

roll out one section until it is super thin [see image above]

drizzle the top of the rolled out dough with 1 tbs sesame oil, sprinkle with ¼ cup of the scallion, and sprinkle with some of the salt

roll the dough tightly into a long snake [see image above]

coil the “snake” into a dough bundle, think cinnamon roll [see pillows above]

flatten the coil into flat pancakes with a rolling pin

pan-fry the pancakes in a sauté pan or heavy skillet over medium-heat with vegetable oil until brown (2 minutes) and then flip and cook on the other side until golden brown(about 2 minutes)

-serves 4-

three cup chicken

 

...three cup chicken...

My original intent when first conceptualizing this blog was primarily to document the dishes that have some sort of deep impact on my life.   Naturally this meant posting a lot about dishes that both my brother and I grew up on and the flavors and experiences that my parents created.  Over the last year, I’ve been able to really figure out a process for creating these posts.  Usually it starts with a craving, a specific ingredient, or just a moment in life that I remember, and then I go searching and experimenting.  If it’s a new dish, I have to cook it a couple of times to get it right and if it is a family dish I call my Mom or Dad.  My parents usually gave me the process of how to cook it and then I have to measure it out for you all, but this time my Mom decided to help me out and create the recipe for me.  Which then means an awesome recipe from my mom that requires some translation.

The following is the recipe for one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes.  It’s a braised chicken dish that I frequently requested from my mom when growing up.  It wasn’t really for the actual chicken, although delicious, it was more for the amazing sauce.  It’s one of those amazing things like chicken adobo; it’s so complex in flavor but simple in ingredients.  I can definitely pin point it to the use of basil, ginger, and garlic.  Anytime you use those flavors, you know the outcome is going to be amazing.  When I was little I would be excited just for the sauce.  Before my brother would even get to the dish, I would fish out all the basil  from the sauce and horde it all for myself.  No shame.

The name of the dish, 3 Cup Chicken, comes from the origins of the recipe.  It involved 1 cup of oil, 1 cup of soy sauce, and 1 cup of cooking wine, hence the three cups.  Now, that was made during the time of clay stone pots, wood fire type stoves, and lack of knowledge of what sodium and oil overload will do to a body.  So, my mom changed up the proportions a little, and for the good of our cholesterol.

The format of the recipe is different from how I usually do my posts, but that’s because I’m attaching my mom’s recipe as she sent it to me.  I had to make some changes and additions to make it easier for folks who don’t read “Mom”.  I’ve pasted that below the recipe.

Please pay close attention to step 5 and 6.  They are very important

Three Cup Chicken:

• 1  whole  chicken
• 10-15 colves  Garlic.  Peeled but don’t slightly
• same amont of ginger as Galic. Slices.
• ½  cup of  black sesame oil. (胡麻油)   The company from Taiwan call 新東揚 are the best
• ¾  cup soy  sauce
• 1 cup Taiwan rice cooking wine 公賣局的 米洒
• ½  cup brown  sugar
• Basil  ( vintnam`styly)

1.     Heat the sesame oil in pan, than add garlic ,ginger stir fry till fragrant. Make sure the ginger are turn dry

2.     Add chicken and stir fly with 1, till the surface are no longer pink

3.     Put brown sugar,soy sauce stir fly ,than  cooking wine, stir evenly, cover and turn down the heat to low.( about 30 minutes)  until the sauce is reduced and thickened

4.     Turn heat back up to high and add basil cook for another  5-10 minutes.

5.      Good Luck.

6.                                                                                     Love Mom

~stuff

10 slightly smashed garlic cloves

9 coins, fresh ginger

1/2 cup dark sesame oil (see Mom’s note above)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large chicken, broken down

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup cooking rice wine (see Mom’s note above)

1 bunch of Vietnamese basil

luck and Mom’s love (optional)

~steps

fry garlic and ginger in sesame and vegetable oil on high in a large pot until ginger is slightly toasted

add chicken and fry until no longer pink

pour soy sauce, sugar, and wine into pot and turn down heat to medium low, stirring occasionally until sauce is reduced [about 30 minutes]

add basil and cook for at least five minutes on high

add luck and mom’s love.

-serves 6-8-

zaru noodles -Japanese cold noodles-

zaru noodles Tom Selleck would be proud of

Hot weather reminds of Mr. Baseball.  You know, that 1992 Tom Selleck movie where a white American moves to Japan and learns the ways of the people.  While at the same time, saving the baseball team from being destroyed.  It’s kind of like The Last Samurai but with baseballs, comedy, and a whole lot of mustache.  There’s one scene in the film that has Tom Selleck’s character eating cold noodles with his Japanese love interest and her family.  They where eating Zaru Soba, or Udon, but none the less it seemed like the family, and Tom Selleck, where wonderfully cooled and refreshed during that meal.  If you’ve never heard or had Zaru noodles, go and watch Mr. Baseball and feel the icy coolness just consume you.  Or warm hotness if you’re into Tom Selleck’s mustache.

My brother and cousin introduced me to this dish.  Both made it for me after their studies in Japan. I was completely sold on it.  Not only was it easier than Kraft Mac and Cheese for after school meals, but it was also healthier.  Because, you know-as a 9 year old, I was really concerned with my health.  It was simple because you could buy the bottle, cook some noodles, cut some scallions and then you had a great meal.  I would make it almost every day when it got really hot outside.

I’ve been trying to challenge myself in my culinary adventures.  Also the heat has made me really nostalgic for cold dishes because, well, I hate heat and humidity.  So, I’ve been really excited to eat this dish.  I went to the local Asian store and grabbed a bottle of the zaru udon/soba dipping sauce.  I read the ingredients and was like “Hey! I can make that!”  So I bought what was listed on the ingredients and went home to try to make the sauce.

It’s easy and requires no oil.  It’s also quick to cook.  The wait is a somewhat painful though.  Because it’s meant as a cold dish, the cooling time to get the dipping sauce to ice cold takes a while.  Unless you have access to the Iron Chef America Kitchen Stadium or have a blast chiller at home, then I would give the sauce some time to cook.  You can actually make it in advanced and it will keep for 4-5 days.

There are a lot of ingredient descriptions and notes.  Click on the ingredients to be directed to the “things to know” section to learn more info about it.

This is perfect for the random heat wave that is hitting the world.  Icy cold noodles in icy cold dipping sauce for icy cold goodness [and Tom Selleck].

~stuff

6 1 inch pieces dried kombu

4 cups water

1 tsp hon dashi

1 tsp mirin

4 tsp soy sauce

¼ cup katsuoboshi

1 tsp rice vinegar

4 servings dried udon noodles

1 tsp grated ginger

4 tsp grated daikon, optional

4 tsp minced scallion

chopped toasted nori, optional

wasabi, optional

~steps

combine the first seven ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to simmer on medium heat for 15 – 30 minutes.

remove broth from heat and chill completely for 2 hours

boil a large pot of water for noodles

cook noodles according to package instructions and blanch in ice cold water

strain broth to remove bonito flakes and kombu and discard

serve broth in small container beside strained noodles.

provide ¼ tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp of daikon and scallion, and some wasabi on side to allow person to add as much or little as they like.

-serves 4-

cold somen salad

cold somen salad

It’s hot today – like “92 degree, humid, take off your sticky clothes, double shower” hot. It’s one of the downfalls of working from home and not in the luxury of a frigid over air conditioned office building.  I don’t have an air conditioning unit in my house.  It’s mainly out of laziness and economics.  Air conditioning units take up so much electricity that I could see my bill going up the roof.   Plus, it means I have to go down into the basement, search for my unit, and then lug the 1500 lb unit (ok, so I exaggerate) up the stairs and into my place.  Then, I would have to install the sucker.  So I opt to not do it.  Plus, last year I got really close to the point where the unit made it next to my bed right in front of the hole in the wall to install it.  But then I got lazy, so it became my nightstand until November when I replaced it with a real nightstand.  So, I’ve learned, out of necessity, the ways and methods to cook to stay cool and still be able to eat.  These usually are chilled foods.

When I was little, one of my meals that I would make once I got home from school was a cold somen salad.  There wasn’t much to it, I would just cook some somen, cool it off, and then throw in some soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little rice vinegar garnished with scallions.  It was on the rare days that I didn’t feel like hot noodle soup or kraft mac and cheese and the weather was just way too hot.  But that was really rare in Southern California.

I’ve learned about ingredients and flavor enhancement since my 8 and 9 year old adventures with the stove, that I’ve added a few more things than just the original 4 dishes.

Now, there is no real health benefit to this dish other than it being delicious.  You might get some from the wild sesame (perilla) seeds, but not much.  But in desperate times when the weather is 80 degrees at 7 in the morning and the humidity is starting to make the rug hairs curl, then you know healthy foods isn’t really necessary.  Plus, this should be served with a side salad to help balance out the meal and give you some nutrients.

The flavors really melt and ooze together so well on your tongue.  Not only do you get the refreshing coolness of the noodles on your tongue, but the oil, perilla seeds, and mirin just seems to coat your mouth in a layer of subtle nuttiness with a sudden rush of sweetness from the mirin and honey.  I use somen noodles because they cook real quickly, in about 5 minutes.  This makes it beautiful for hot days like this.  I don’t have to stand over a stove and boiling water for 10 minutes dying of heat exhaustion from the steam.  Also, because this dish is so simple, clean up is quick, which also means no need to have your hand in warm/hot water for a long time, trying to wash all the different pots and prep equipment.

I doubt from start to finish this dish taking longer than 5 minutes.  If it does, let’s have some private cooking lessons shall we?

~stuff

1 tsp toasted perilla or sesame seeds

1 stalk of scallion, minced

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

½ tsp honey

½ tsp mirin

1 bunch somen

shichimi togarashi, to garnish

~steps

boil salted water in a large pot.

combine toasted perilla or sesame seed and scallion in a mortar and pestle and grind until a paste forms and transfer to bowl.   This step is optional.

mix soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and mirin with the scallion and seed mixture and let sit for a couple of minutes in refrigerator

add somen to pot of water and cook until tender/al dente.

blanch the somen by removing the noodles from the pot and putting them in ice cold water to completely cool

dress the noodles with soy mixture and top with a couple of dashes of shichimi togarashi

-serves 2 -

shrimp and asparagus risotto

shrimp and asapargus risotto

I did it!  I made risotto.  Well, actually I attempted to make risotto and it came out “okay”.  I stress the “okay”.  It could have tasted a lot better, but 1) I was lazy 2) I don’t think I had enough liquid on hand and 3) I was freakin’ hungry!

Part of this blog is to not just document the recipes that mean something to me, but also to try new things.  Challenge me on techniques that don’t seem easy.  Risotto is one of those.  I remember always foolishly ordering it at restaurants and having to make the rest of the table wait because a chef in the back was furiously stirring away at some rice and broth.  Usually my brother was giving me the evil eye because his paparadelle would have been ready in a few minutes, where as my risotto was still being carefully created.  I think that’s why I have always been scared of making it.  Also, if I was going to make it at home I felt like I should make my own broth too and that’s a whole new level of patience.

Now, I know you all have probably heard about my unhealthy love for shrimp (on top of my love for lard) and how I overly consume/cook it.  So, when I cook shrimp it is usually with the shell on to get the full flavor of it.  But sometimes I have a dish that requires me to shell the suckers-which makes me sad sometimes, but then I remember about the possibility of shrimp broth.

I had some left over Asparagus stalks that where too tough to cook, so I froze them along with a bag of shrimp shells.  So I decided to combine them and create a shrimp and asparagus risotto.  I went out and bought some Arborio rice and started to make my own shrimp broth.  Instead of just water, I also used a can of vegetable broth [woah, quantum leap moment – using broth to make broth].  The broth help to make the shrimp flavor more subtle.  I do love shrimp, but sometimes there can be too much shrimp.

Now, I still have to learn the secrets to risotto, but the one thing that surprises me is the amount of time it takes.  I think I was stirring for like 30 minutes. I felt like it was 7^th grade gym all over again.  Running a mile and having my P.E. Teacher yelling at me.  “Keep stirring…Keep stirring!  I don’t care that your muscles are tired.  It’s good for you!  RUN!!”.   Oye, bad memories.

~stuff

shrimp shells and heads from 1 lb of shrimp

woody ends of 1 bunch of asparagus

1 quarter of an onion

4 cups water

1 can of vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 tbs olive oil

1 cup Arborio Rice

1 medium shallot, minced

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1 bunch asparagus cut in 1-inch pieces

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

~steps

combine shells, asparagus, bay leaf, onion, water, and broth in a large pot and simmer on medium heat until flavor is fully incorporated (about 45 min)

lower heat and keep broth on a low heat

brown shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat in a sauce pan

add rice and stir until translucent and releases a nutty aroma (about 2 minutes)

ladle hot broth, about 1 cup, in rice mixture and stir until liquid is completely dissolved

add another ladle of broth and stir until dissolved

repeat until fully rice is fully cooked.

add asparagus and stir until tender

mix in cheese until melted

-serves 3-

grilled brie and apple sandwich

pre browned grilled brie and apple sandwich

Grilled cheese is my enemy.  I remember being so frustrated when I was eight, in front of the stove, and cursing at the black, burnt toast and the unmelted Kraft single sandwiched between.  I was disheartened and felt like I lost a great battle.  I then added it to the axis of evil of all elementary students: division table and fractions.  I eventually gave up on the whole idea of grilled cheese, and admitted that I just wasn’t good at it.  I rarely eat grilled cheese now out of fear.  When I do get a craving for it, I just head over to the local diner and order it.  I’ll let the professional fry cooks deal with it.  But I got challenged the other day to make one, and, because I am a prideful person, I did it.

I was having drinks with a friend of mine and , over musing over her love life,  she began to rant to me.  Not really venting any  specific incident, but more of a “I hate men because of this…” moment.  She proceeded to tell me about how at 3 am, her “friend” asked if she wanted anything.  To test him she said “yes…a grilled cheese”.  Being the chivalrous man that he is, he said “ok”.  However, he knew full well that my friend was going to rescind because it was a lot of work.  And she did.

So, because of that, I had to hear about it the next day.  How men promise that they will do something just because it will give them bonus points, but not really doing them because others don’t want to bother.  This went on for a couple of Jameson and sodas with a lime, until it dawned on me.  I need to try to make a grilled cheese sandwich again.  I promise I was listening to my friend.

This sandwich is adapted from Busboys and Poets in DC.  It was a very frequent weekend lunch of mine during my stint in the District because I lived only two blocks away, which was nice.  This is definitely nothing like your standard American cheese sandwich.  The combination of the creamy-ness from the Brie mixes well with the smoky flavor of the caramelized onions.  The addition of the apple creates a crisp soft texture that is amazingly balanced with the harsh crunch of the bread.   I would pair this with a simple salad and a balsamic dressing.  I like the nuttiness of toasted sourdough bread, so I used that.  Any crusty bread will do.  And if you caramelize the onions in advanced, you can make this in a jiffy no matter what time it is (*ahem, 3 am).

I used the broiler to toast the bread, I don’t have a toaster, and melt the cheese.  It allowed it for a easier process, quick grilled cheese without the use of butter or oil and me not regressing to my 3^rd grade self.  Ashamed and in the corner.  Men:  make this.

~stuff

2 slices of sourdough bread or crusty bread

¼ inch slices of brie, enough to create a layer

thin apple slices, enough to create a layer

1 tbs of carmelized onions

1.5 tsp honey mustard

~steps

broil or toast bread until almost begin to turn golden

spread mustard on both slices of bread, put onion on one side

cover other slice of bread with brie

broil on high until cheese melts

assemble sandwich with the rest of the ingredients and either brown in a pan or brown in broiler

-serves 1-

la rou fan-chinese bacon rice

lard rice...i said it...lard rice

This is not your vegan post.  There is no veggie option.  There are no similar flavors that can be replicated with tofu, seitan, veggies, or fake meat.  This is a post purely about the joy of lard and its flavors.  Yum.

The joy of some fatty substance mixed with starch is, as I find it, pretty common across borders.  Most people I talk to about it says it comes from memories of their youth. I heard of stories of butter mixed with soy sauce and rice given to young Koreans, tortillas slathered with butter for my Chicano friends, and myself enjoying the joys of lard, scallions, and cooked noodles mixed in a bowl.  Awesome!  It was so delicious, creamy, and wonderful.  The thought of it reminds me both of my youth and how the “waste not” pioneers started with the working class and trying to survive with what they had.  There is a  Chinese dish that roughly translated is called “Idiot Noodles”.  Concept being that an idiot can make it, however the noodle dish was created out of the fact that people in areas of China could not afford to throw away every part of the pig.  That after all the meat had been eaten, there still needed to be a way to feed the family, so they created a simple meal that was both filling and flavorful.

I’ve been doing some consulting work for a community based organization here in New York City.  It’s been a really great experience, and I have been brushing up on my Mandarin… so don’t be surprised when you find a post about 午餐肉 (dang, it took me like 5 minutes to type SPAM in Chinese).  In addition to the benefit of becoming a UN interpreter from my limited knowledge of mandarin, I also have been getting to know more about food.  Working with a working class community, I’ve been able to build relationships and really value the work and experiences of the members.  I’ve also been generously given homemade moonshine and Chinese bacon.  Both have brought me much squealing delight, one maybe more than the other.

Now, the bacon is somewhat of a mystery to me.  I haven’t really been able to get a sense of its history or any interesting facts, so if folks have any; leave it in the comments.  You can get the bacon in most Chinese supermarkets.  In the aisles or butcher section there is dried up sticks of pork belly fat that almost look like a mini meat club.  They can either be found hanging up or in vacuum packs, both will work for this dish.   This dish couldn’t be any simpler and tastes amazing as a side.  I have a rice cooker so I used that, but you can also cook it stovetop.  I just don’t know how.  You can also use this bacon for my brussel sprout with duck prociutto and substitute the duck for the best bacon you will ever taste!  And now, my ode to lard, in haiku form:

My Love of Lard

my love knows no bounds

provides rich flavor of joy

you do me no wrong

~stuff

1 cup uncooked rice

1 cup water, plus some for rinsing

6 ½ inch slices of Chinese Bacon/La Rou/Lap Yuk

½ tbs soy sauce

minced scallion for garnish, optional

~steps

rinse rice with water until liquid runs clear

mix all ingredients with water, rice, bacon and soy sauce

cook rice per direction of method (rice cooker or stove top)

serve topped with scallion

-serves 2-