Dried Sweet Potato

Joyous 2010!

2010-01-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 fellow food lovers! May this year bring you lots of wonderful and delicious things. Last night I made a delish two mushroom dish sauteed with soft tofu, which I will share with you soon. In the meantime, I've stumbled upon a few interesting sites I thought I'd share with you.
Happy New Year!!

Difference Between a Yam and a Sweet Potato

Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

Elle's New England Kitchen

Season of Sharing and Giving

2009-12-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! Happy Holidays!
May you all have a happy and yummy Christmas season!
I just stumbled upon two useful articles that give suggestions of food related causes. What better way to celebrate and help others celebrate this time of year, than to give and be kind to others.
Be Merry!

http://www.lime.com/blog/jessicaharlan/2008/12/23/foodie_philanthropy

http://www.chow.com/stories/10855

Comfort Snacks

2009-10-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

oven roasted japanese yam

fresh pinenuts

Autumn is my favorite season. While the weather begins to turn cold, the air crisp, and heavy jackets come out of the closet; warm, comforting dishes make a comeback as well. Even fall fruits and vegetables evoke a sense heartiness and familiarity that wrap your soul. Persimmons, apples and pumpkins make there way into grocery produce sections. The following two fall time snacks each come from my Grandmothers, and will make your Fall time palates crave for these simple, wholesome offerings:

Whole Roasted Japanese Yam

Rinse yams and pat dry, poke a few air pockets with fork, bake in oven at 400F for about an hour depending on size of yams.

Pan roasted Fresh Pinenuts

Rinse pinenuts, add to pot and cover with water by half and inch. Bring to boil and simmer about 20 minutes or until cooked through and soft and tender. Drain, dry roast in a pan (with no oil) until crackling can be heard- about 3-4 minutes.

Spicy Mouth Watering Mouthfuls

2009-09-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I made a very good vegetarian pumpkin chili from this website.
http://delicioustv.com/2007/05/pumpkin-and-bulgur-chili/
It has inspired me to try and cook more non meat dishes, and not only use veggies as the side fiber, green component of our meals. I must say that there is quite a stigma out there about vegetarian foods. Like, OMG too healthy or it must be bland and not filling enough because there's no meat. In my eyes, no-meat dishes are intriguing and enticing because you know the flavors must be true to their character because the flavor's not coming from the meat in the dish.
I thought it would be fun to try making a vegetarian version of Ma Po Tofu.
Here's a good posting about what MaPo Tofu is from another blog here:
http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-ma-po-tofu/
I thought that I would simply chop up all my veggies nice and small to mimic the sensation of the ground pork that's supposed to be in the dish. The final outcome? Quite similar, but calling it Vegetarian MaPo Tofu wouldn't do it any justice. So here's my recipe for:

Spicy Sauteed Minced Fresh Veggies with Soft Tofu

Ingredients:
carrots, celery onions, cremini mushrooms, tomato, green bell pepper- all minced to small dices
serrano chili, ginger, garlic- all minced fine
soft tofu- cut into small dice
hot bean paste
s&wp (white pepper)
sriracha
soy sauce
water

Once you've completed all the prep for this dish, it comes together very quickly.
Heat a little oil in a large pan and add chili, ginger and garlic to allow flavors to come out
add carrots, celery, onions, and bell pepper, s&wp and saute
add mushrooms and tomatoes, season with s&wp and saute more
add chili paste, sriracha, and soy sauce, mix about and add water,
let simmer for a few minutes
Enjoy over some hot steamy rice!

Simple Inspiration

2009-07-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Seattle, I had the most lovely pasta dish at the Pink Door restaurant. It was so simple it's hard to describe how it could've been so good, but it was. It was listed on their menu under the pastas as this: "occhi di lupo caprese: a “room temperature” sauce of mozzarella burrata, heirloom tomatoes, trampetti olive oil & basilico"
The pasta was lusciously coated with the cheese and juice from the tomatoes and was just divine. I recreated the dish at home last night, and it was superb. Just barely cooking the tomatoes, basil, and cheese together makes for a dish that is at once refreshing and comforting, as all the flavors are kept pure. I also added some chopped garlic for good measure. Really good stuff.
In addition, I made some small pork meatballs on the side, for extra protein for my boyfriend.
Together with a side of salad, it made for a perfect quick meal. Thanks to the Pink Door for the inspiration~

the Pink Door's pasta

my pasta

Pasta with Moz, Tomatoes, and Basil

Ingredients:
pasta of choice- I used rotini- cooked minutes before sauce is ready- with about a cup and a half of pasta water reserved
fresh tomatoes- chopped in big chunks- or you can halve grape tomatoes
one big ball of mozzarella- cut up into cubes- usually can be found in the specially cheese area along with the brie
basil- chopped
garlic- minced-
S&P, pinch of sugar

Heat some olive oil in a pot, add the garlic, and saute a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes, S&P and pinch of sugar
Let it come to a bubble- about another minute
Add the basil & stir about
Add pasta & some pasta water
Stir together- Add cheese and combine till just beginning to melt and serve

Tips:
#1 Add the pasta water to adjust the moistness of the pasta- there should be some creamy, tomatoey pinkish sauce in the bottom of the pot when you're done.
#2 I used Vietnamese basil because it was all I had, but it worked out wonderfully- it seems the basil flavor is more intense than regular basil.

Italian baked Pork Meatballs

Ingredients:
lean pork
egg
bread crumbs, italian seasoning, S&P, garlic powder, more dried basil and oregano, Parmesan cheese, touch of Worcestershire

Heat oven to 375F convection bake
Combine ingredients, and form small balls- I used a small cookie scoop
Place on pan and bake- less than 10 minutes depending on size of meatballs

De light fully Cool Greens

2009-04-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

The weather has been a scorcher lately. Last night I finally had a stroke of inspiration and made a refreshing and very healthy broccoli and red chard salad. It was my first time making such a salad, but I've been wanting to do something more hearty than just a few leaves of romaine. This came out very light and tasty. I plan on making it again, and maybe adding more condiments like edaname or beans to it next time.

Broccoli and Red Chard Salad with Soy Orange Dressing

Ingredients:
Broccoli
Red Chard
Dressing:
Orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)
Light Soy Sauce
Ginger
Sesame Oil
S&P to taste

Cut up vegetables into desired size, wash, braise vegetables (I did them separately), rinse with cold water, and set in colander to dry (I used a paper towel to squeeze out some excess water)
-To braise veggies: Bring about an inch of water to boil, add vegetables, a pinch of salt, and cover. After it has come back to a boil, and cooked almost a minute, I stir and cover again, for about another minute or two until veggies are tender, but not mushy.
Prepare dressing: Grate orange peel into bowl, Squeeze oranges into a bowl, add almost half as much light soy to juice, grate small knob of ginger into bowl, add a few drops of sesame oil, S&P to taste, and mix together.
Toss dressing into chard and broccoli, and let marinate for at least 15 minutes in fridge. Sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds or more orange zest to garnish if desired.
Enjoy!

Under Construction

2009-02-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Fellow Food Lovers-

Sorry I haven't had any new posts lately.
Our kitchen was being remodeled.
But that is done with now, so I hope to bring you new ideas and recipes soon!

Thanks for your interest~ Stay tuned!

Perfect for Soup

2009-01-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

Spicy Curried Butternut Squash Soup (and a beet salad with blackberries to the right)

I was using the oven the other night to roast some beets and cook some chicken, and figured that I might as well take advantage of the oven already being on, and roast a butternut squash that I had. I was thinking that I would use it for dinner the next night. So I asked my Boyfriend to kindly help me cut the squash in half (I am looking for a good knife that cuts squash and pumpkin- suggestions welcomed!), and I drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled it with S&P. It roasted rather quicker than I anticipated. So, last night I opted to use it to make a soup. The outcome was a savory warming soup that is so easy to make that you can make it for dinner within 30 minutes.

Spicy and Curried Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 cooked squash- seeds and skin removed
1 carrot- peeled and chopped small
1 1/2 celery stalks- chopped
1/2 small onion- chopped
olive oil, S&P, curry (about 1/2 tsp), red pepper flakes (pinch), sugar (1tsp)
2 cans of broth ( I used low sodium chicken)
1 1/2 cans of water

Saute in a little olive oil on low heat carrots, celery, and onions until tender
Season with S&P, curry, and red pepper flakes- stir together and cook about a minute
Add squash saute until heated through
Add broth and water, bring to a boil, and simmer for at least 20 minutes
Take off heat and carefully immersion blend until smooth
Return to heat to make hot again
Enjoy!!

I gilded that lily and added a chopped fuji apple into the bowl. Mmmm....

Beetcha To It

2008-12-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

red and golden beet salad

Either you like beets or you don't. That is the consensus I have been gathering. And when it comes to a beet lover, their passion runs thick and strong when they talk about beets. Those that shun the root vegetable might say it tastes like the dirt that it comes from. There is something about beets. A frequently looked over common salad vegetable with earthy flavors and such a strong and bold color that one might forget how delicious it could be; especially if it was fresh and dressed properly. They can be juicy and are both savory and sweet, they can be crunchy or tender and soft. Having them at a recent holiday party provoked me to go to the farmer's market this past weekend and buy some fresh beets to roast at home. I have to say, that the golden ones are my new favorite food. The hearty beet flavor is not as pronounced in these yellowy beets, and they have their own slight sweetness to them. I served them sliced over a bed of mixed spring greens and baby wild arugula. And I drizzled a balsamic orange dressing over the top. Can't wait to make it again!

Simple Beet Salad with Balsamic Orange Dressing

Ingredients:
Roasted Beets
Salad Greens
Orange (mine were from my Uncle's tree)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
S&P
Sugar
Crushed Garlic

How to Roast Beets:
Rinse Beets, Poke a hole in them
Place in Foil
Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with S&P
Put into preheated 400F oven for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserts easily

Place peeled and sliced beets (I also squeezed some orange juice on top of the beets separately) on top of salad greens
Drizzle dressing on top
Sqweeze an extra fresh bit of orange over everything
Enjoy!

Other optional flavorings: horseradish, any other fruity or vinegary dressing

another beet salad with blackberries

New Chocolates Report

2008-09-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

How I love chocolate. Sometimes I just get a mad craving for it and have to buy a bar to savor.
I've had quite a bit of new chocolate lately, and thought I would share with you. There are three to report on, but my favorite of them all is this one:
We were at REI the other day and I stumpled upon a new chocolate bar that I absolutely had to try. It was by this company, and the flavor is dark chocolate with french bread and butter. My curiousity made me buy it. There were also other flavors like chai tea and coconut curry. They were about $3-$4/bar. http://www.theochocolate.com/products/3400-phinney-bars.php
To be honest, I thought it would have chunks of bread in it. But once I opened the wrapper, I found it to be like a chocolate bar with crispy rice inside, but instead it was crispy crushed butter toast. It is quite the sophisticated chocolate bar, and I like it very much. The chocolate has a nice bitterness to it, and the bread part lends a fun texture and even a touch of saltiness.

bread & chocolate bar

Another chocolate I was recently dying to try disappointed me a bit, but I was happy to get to try it anyways. It was from Austria, and are the Zotter bars. I tried three bars, each come at around $6-$8/bar. There was a lemon polenta one that was the best that I tried out of the three. It had a great lemon flavor and the texture wasn't as grainy as I might have expected from polenta, but was small. The next one I tried was a banana curry one, which was okay, but both the banana and curry flavors were not strong. Lastly, I tried a sake bar, which had some crispy rice, but the sake flavor was only subtle. I guess I tend to like very bold flavors in my chocolate. http://www.zotter.at/chocolate-gallery.html

zotter chocolate bars

lemon polenta (below)

cheese walnut and grape bar

The third chocolate I have to report on is from coworker and she brought it from Germany. They come in individually wrapped sticks, and in a variety of flavors. The texture of this chocolate was very smooth and melted nicely on the tongue.

Pass the Salt?

2008-07-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, I remember my Grandfather dashing salt from the salt shaker onto his food like there was no tomorrow. In general, I remember seeing family members adding S&P to their food without even having taken a bite yet. It was the normal thing to do. My Grandparents also used to cook with msg. As we all know now, eating too much salt is bad for you. The recommended daily intake is less than 2300 milligrams per day, which is about equivalent to 1 tsp of salt. If you think about it, most baking recipes for say, cookies or cake ask for only 1 to 1/2 of a tsp for the entire batch of cookies or the whole cake! The other day, I fell into the oldest advertising trick in the book. I purchased a microwavable bowl of Healthy Choice Minestrone soup for my lunch. After having perused the soup isle for at least 5 minutes, I figured that that was my best choice. It boasted to have 470 milligrams of salt on the front of the bowl. While it probably still was the best choice among all the other brands of soup, I still should've read more carefully. On the back of the can it stated that that amount was for one serving, and that can contained 2 servings altogether. I was aghast. I still ate the whole thing, but felt sorry for my heart afterwards. I'm guessing it has all that salt in there so to act as a preservative not only for flavoring. Anyways, this is just a warning to all you canned soup lovers out there. Canned soups, while very yummy and comforting, tend to contain a whole bunch of sodium. TJ's makes some good soup with not a lot of salt. A few of my favorites are the Apple and Butternut Squash soup and the Roasted Pepper and Tomato soup. If you are thinking of what the best alternative could be, it would be to make your own and to make use of your friendly spice rack. Because the soups from TJ's don't have a lot of salt in them, we doctor them with more herbs and spices. Or, eat in moderation and don't overdue it, cause soup is a great light meal to have. Check out my recipe for Wintermelon Soup. Here is a link to info about sodium from the American Heart Association

Bacon Chicken

2008-06-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

It seems like all the buzz lately has been about going vegetarian or vegan in the food world, and I must admit that it is something that has drawn my interest quite a bit. But there is that foodie in me that finds it hard to let go of the flavors that meat brings to my palate. While I have been looking at a lot of raw and vegetarian cookbooks lately, I think my ego has prompted an early strike and therefore caused me to make a meal based on bacon. I have to admit that shopping for the chicken and seeing the loads of poultry and beef in the meat section of the grocery store, did make me think twice about my purchase. It is something that I know I cannot ignore, but for the meantime, I will eat and cook like I normally do, until my unconditional passion for animals has taken over. So what resulted from my bacon based meal? Juicy bacon flavored pan fried chicken thighs served with polenta heated in a stewed tomato sauce with bacon and onions. Sooo good. This also happens to be a one pot meal. (Yeah! Not so many dishes!)

Bacon Chicken
with Polenta in Bacon and Onion Stewed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon sliced into pieces
1/4 yellow onion sliced
5 chicken thighs + S&P, garlic powder, and Tj's 21 seasonings mix
Roll of Polenta from Tj's- sliced into thick discs
Can of stewed tomatoes no salt + S&P, garlic powder, 21 seasonings, sugar

Season chicken with seasonings
Render bacon fat from bacon in a medium sized pan in a little oil on low heat until bacon is crispy
Take bacon pieces out and drain on a paper towel.
Add onions to the pan and saute until tender, take onions out and drain on a paper towel.
Add chicken to pan and on medium low heat and covered cook about 8-9 minutes on each side or until cooked
*you can uncover the lid for a minute to further crisp the chicken skin
Take chicken out and set aside to rest
Use a wet paper towel to clean up the extra oil in the pan
Add stewed tomatoes to the pan, bring up to a simmer, and then add the bacon and onions, and other seasonings.
Then add the polenta and heat on both sides, about 5-6 minutes total
*you can let it simmer a little longer, and the sauce will get thicker
Serve with some vegetables and enjoy.

Broccoli Dance

2008-06-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

For dinner the other night I made a broccoli salad as our veggie dish. It was partly inspired by one that I had from The Cravery in Los Altos which my boyfriend's cousin ordered. Unlike regular broccoli salads which are comprised of small florets of broccoli, the one he ordered had been minced to a fine tender confetti. Cutting up or processing the broccoli results in crunchy little pieces of broc dancing on your tongue. I really liked it. So I attempted to make a similar version at home. While mine wasn't as finely minced as the one at The Cravery, it was still small enough to allow for light chewing and maximum flavor. All the ingredients make for a well balanced salad, one that if eaten in a bigger portion, would make for an excellent lunch. I think adding sunflower seeds or some type of nut would be nice too.

Chopped Broccoli Salad on Romaine Leaves

Ingredients:

Broccoli- rinsed well, drained, and chopped into small pieces
Grapes- cut in half
Fuji apple- peeled and cut into small cubes
Yellow Onion- finely minced
Celery- finely minced
Hearts of romaine lettuce- separated

Mayonnaise
lemon juice
apple cider vinegar
S&P
sugar

Prepare all the salad components, Mix together dressing, Drizzle over greens, Toss together, and scoop on top of Romaine leaves. Enjoy!

The picture below is of a second time I made this salad. I didn't have any grapes, so I added a few canned pears and some dried cranberries. It was good too!

Hot Days Cold Noodles

2008-06-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hot weather can sometimes hamper ones appetite. But nonetheless, you must eat. You must drink lots of water and eat foods to sustain beating the hot weather. One of my Mom's favorite dishes is Cold Ramen Noodles, also known as Hiyashi Chuka.
It consists of ramen, various toppings like sliced pork, veggies, and ginger, and is drizzled with a light soy dressing.
So for dinner last Thursday we made our own thrown together version of it. What resulted was a fun and satisfying, not to mention also slightly cooling dinner. It tasted more like a Chinese cold noodle dish, and had a different flavor to it because my Mom sorta improvised on the dressing, unlike the Japanese dressing which tends to be a little vinegary. You simply have to prepare all the ingredients and then put them altogether and enjoy. It is convenient for families with varied tastes because everyone can make theirs to their liking. Here is what we made. Give it a try some time when the weather beckons something light and refreshing.

Our Impromptu Version of Hiyashi Chuka

Ingredients:

Flour Noodles
Flank steak
Meat Marinade: oyster sauce, soy sauce, S&P, garlic powder, sugar
Toppings: fresh shitake mushrooms, cabbage, onions, carrots, zucchini, bean sprouts, S&P, garlic powder, sesame oil
Dressing: soy sauce, Rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar

Cook Noodles and set aside in ice bath (optional)
Marinate Steak while preparing veggie toppings
Saute toppings and set aside
Mix together dressing ingredients
Pan fry beef until desired doneness is reached
Slice beef
Put noodle bowl together to personal liking and enjoy!
*we also added some Sriracha hot sauce on top for an extra kick!

Simple Lunch

2008-05-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

On the weekends we usually go out to eat lunch, but on one particular day we ended up eating at home. After having shopped for groceries and found some fresh bread and tasty cheese, the following is what I put together. It is a great simple meal that can also be used as an appetizer; or served with soup or salad, it can be a nice and light dinner. When everything is so fresh the resulting meal is both healthy and satisfying.

Simple Lunch

Ingredients:

Fresh Acme Sour Batard: cut into slices and eaten plain or lightly broiled with butter
Sandwich Meats: in this case, misc. turkey cuts and ham
Tomato: Sliced, salted and peppered (the longer you let this sit, the more juicy the tomatoes get)
Cheese: sliced- in this case, Coastal Aged White Cheddar found at Whole Foods

Green Curry Pork Macaroni and Soup

2008-04-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening I purchased some pork cutlets to cook for dinner during the week. Thursday came around, and I still hadn't cooked them. I don't like keeping raw meat in the refrigerator for more than a day usually, so while I didn't really feel like pork cutlets last nite, I had to think of something to make with them. I was feeling particularly lazy again, so I decided to make yet another version of my favorite macaroni and soup. I cut the cutlets into bite sized pieces and sauteed them with some mushrooms in a Thai green curry sauce. I like curry ramen, so I figured curry soup mac would be just as good. It turned out rather well. Had quite a kick and made for a nice light but comforting meal.

Green Curry Pork Mac & Soup with veggies

Ingredients:

Pork Cutlets cut into bite sized pieces
Marinade for Pork (soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, oil, cooking wine, corn starch)
Mushrooms cut into bite sized pieces
Green Curry paste 1 tbsp
Chicken Broth ( this time I used a mix of beef broth, chicken bouillon and water)
watercress 1 bunch, rinsed, chopped into quarters
half a heart of romaine lettuce, sliced
S&P
Macaroni

Start a Pot of water to boil for macaroni
Marinate pork pieces
Cook macaroni, drain, set aside
Use same pot after rinsing, to heat broth in
Meanwhile stir fry pork pieces in a little oil until all sides have changed color.
Take out and set aside
Saute mushrooms in pan, then add curry paste
add back Pork and stir together
Add a little water or broth to then simmer for about 2-3 minutes
Blanch vegetables in boiled broth 1-2 minutes, take out and set aside
Scoop some macaroni in a bowl, add some veggies, add a few scoops of the pork with it's juices and curry sauce, ladle broth on top and enjoy!
*You can also chop some green onions to garnish.

DaBomb Seaweed Snacks

2008-04-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is a flavored seaweed my friend shared with me. She said you could only buy them in Southern California here at Van's Bakery. Tom Yum flavored seaweed!!? Can't believe it isn't more popular and I wish they had them in San Francisco. It reminds me of another snack I've tried from Thailand. Lay's Chips makes a seaweed dusted potato chip that is yummy. But back to the Tom Yum seaweed- They are slightly thicker than your average seaweed snack, and have a lighter texture. I think they are deep fried and then sprinkled with flavoring. It comes in other flavors too, I think there's Wasabi and a Seafood flavored one that I know of. Hmm... sounds like a trip to Southern California is in order...

Ground Turkey Meatballs

2008-04-09T09:43:00.001-07:00

From time to time my Mom will make large batches of spaghetti sauce and we'll eat some and freeeze the rest. Last night we had some angel hair spaghetti with her spaghetti sauce, and to hearty it up a bit, I made some Italian Turkey Meatballs. I know, I know, some of you might be thinking, ground turkey again? Yes, I happen to love ground turkey and try to use it in place of beef quite often. I looked into my favorite old standby reliable cookbook, Joy of Cooking and found a recipe for Italian Style meatballs. They turned out great! Adding red wine gave them a slow cooked flavor, and also happened to change the meatball flavor immensely. Instead of simmering it in broth after browning them like the recipe asks, I just blotted any excess oil, placed them on a foil lined tray, and baked them in the toaster oven at 300F. I also added some Habernero Swiss cheese to the insides of the meatballs for an extra surprise and flavor boost. I will definately be making these again.

For original recipe, please lookin in the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Italian Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

package of ground turkey (about 1.25 olbs)
1/3 cup of panko
2 generous tblsp tomato paste
3 tbsp merlo wine
1 egg slightly beaten
S&P, garlic powder
shy of 1/4 cup of grated italian cheeses
to add after meatballs are formed:
1 -2 slices of habernero swiss cheese broken into small pieces

Mix all ingredients together
Stuffed a piece of h.swiss cheese in then center of the ball
Heat a pan with a little olive oil
Pan brown meatballs until at least top and bottom sides are nicely browned
Drain excess oil with paper towel
Finish cooking meatballs in oven for about 7-8 minutes in 300F
Enjoy!

Lazy Lamb Dinner

2008-03-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I don't always feel like cooking. Well, I should say the real reason is because I sometimes dread having to do the dishes afterwards. One evening it was late, we hadn't eaten dinner yet, and I was in one of those lazy moods. This is what resulted. No pots this time! The lamb and potatoes were cooked in separate foil lined (parchment is another option) baking sheets, and the veggies in a bowl. Roasting, broiling and microwaving made for a healthy and delicious meal. Flavor and quality were most certainly not sacrificed. Because the potatoes were roasted, they developed a rustic true potato profile. The asparagus were amazing. I had read in an Oprah magazine's food section that microwaving food is not only very safe, but is an excellent way to cook food because the less amount of time you cook something, the more nutrients it retains. Gently and quickly steaming the asparagus in a smidgen of water gave for some asparagus that actually tasted like asparagus, not something watered down. We like to dip ours in some mayo, but that's just my family. Enjoy!

Lazy Lamb Dinner

Ingredients:
Broiled Lamb Lollipops:
Rack of lamb, fat trimmed, and cut
Olive oil
S&P, garlic powder, TJ's 21 seasoning mix, dried rosemary

Roasted Chipotle Red Potatoes:
Red potatoes rinsed, and cut into chunks
Olive oil,
S&P, Mr.Dash's Chipotle seasoning

Microwave Asparagus:
Asparagus washed and snapped into short sticks
S&P
Water
Mayonnaise to Dip (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 425F
Prepare Potatoes, toss in a little oil, and season
Place into oven to roast
Tip: The smaller you cut the potatoes the faster they'll cook
Meanwhile, prepare lamb.
Drizzle oil and season
Lay on sheet and when potatoes are nearly done, move potatoes to bottom rack and turn broiler on.
Broil Lamb till nicely caramelized and done to liking
Check potatoes, and broil too if you like them extra crispy
Place Asparagus into a microwavable bowl with 1/4 inch of water.
Sprinkle a little S&P
Cover with a plate (or plastic wrap -your choice)
Microwave for about 2 minutes or longer depending on liking

Hearty Stuffed Portobellos

2008-03-07T11:42:00.001-08:00

I give credit where credit is due. The following recipe was inspired by one that I saw in the Rachel Ray magazine for Cheesy Stuffed Portobellos, which involved stuffing the portobello with leftover pizza and spinach.
Because of that recipe I wanted to create an entree centered around the portobello. I decided to stuff it will ground turkey, and on a whim decided to add cherry tomatoes, chopped spinach, and olives to the filling. I considered adding capers and basil, but they were not available.
It was a hit! My Mom & Boyfriend were oohing and aahing over it. It was a nice balance of flavors and the portobello was still plump and juicy. I highly recommend trying this recipe. You could jazz it up an way you like too. You could add come chopped jalapenos or some Tabasco to make it spicy. Add the capers and basil for a Mediterranean flare. Or go Chinese and cook the turkey with some peas and tofu, oyster sauce and sesame oil. I have also included a picture of some thinly shredded sauteed zucchini which we had with our turkey portobellos and brown rice.

Portobello Mushrooms with Ground Turkey and Spinach

Ground Turkey (used 1.25 lbs of)
4 Portobello mushrooms with brown gills scraped away
Black olives sliced
Part of a Yellow Onion chopped
Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
Frozen chopped spinach (loose ones not packed in box)
Tomato paste (about 5 or so tablespoons- I use the one from a tube)
Panko
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup chicken broth
Seasonings: s&p, garlic powder, Garlic Ms.Dash and any other herbs or spices you like

Preheat oven to 350F
Saute olives and onions in a touch of oil
Then add spinach and saute together
Add Tomatoes, briefly saute with a little s&p
Take out and set aside
Then Cook ground turkey in same pan with a little olive oil. Season with s&p, and Garlic Ms.Dash.
Add back veggie mixture.
Add tomato paste, stir,
then add the chicken broth till simmering. Set entire mixture aside to cool slightly
Mushrooms: Clean, remove gills, pat dry, and lightly coat backside with a little olive oil.
Place on foiled cookie sheet.
Pile turkey mixture onto mushrooms.
Mix about equal parts panko to cheese
Sprinkle that on top of Turkey mixture
Bake for about 25 minute until bubbly and heated through
Broil for a minute until top of mounds are toasty
Enjoy!

Curry Pork

2008-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Pork Tenderloin is a wonderfully versitile meat. My Mom buys them from Trader Joes. They are affordable and good quality. I have used it to make Japanese Pork Tonkatsu, sliced them and pan fried them, baked them whole, and even trimmed them into stir fry sized pieces to steam Chinese style with preserved veggies or to braise with chayote or leftover chunks of green papaya.
Having had another pork tenderloin to experiment with , my newest dish is Thai Green Curry Pork Stew. When making curried stews I used to use Japanese brands which come in a box and can break apart into individual cubes. These days I use Mae Ploy brand curry pastes. They are very flavorful and contain no msg. Directions come on the container. Originally I was going to pan fry the tenderloin medalions and then pour the curry sauce over it. But because my Sister and neices were over, I changed to cutting them into bite sized pieces after having browned them on both sides. It was a delicious and spicy accompanyment to freshly cooked white rice and a side salad.

Green Curry Pork Stew

Pork tenderloin cut into medalions
s&p
garlic powder
curry powder
touch of sugar
Thai green curry paste 1/8 cup
1 can coconut milk
water
chicken broth
veggies of choice: I used red potatoes, onions, carrots, green peas, and edaname

Directions:
Season pork with spices
Pan brown pork on both sides in a little oil
Set aside
add carrots, onions, saute
add peas and edaname, saute
add potatoes
Saute all for about a minute
Set aside
Follow directions on container: Here's what I did:
heat coconut milk and paste
add can full of water, and chicken broth about 1/2 cup
add pork
simmer for a minute to finish cooking pieces
add veggies
add a little more sugar or curry to taste
cover and simmer until ready to eat

The green curry paste is very spicy. I cut down from 1/4 cup on the directions but it still packed some eat.

Mock Clay Pot Rice

2008-03-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

I promised that I would post a recipe on a similar dish to clay pot rice.
My Mom used to quickly marinate some chicken and add it to a pot of rice while it was cooking. She would also add some lop cheurng (Chinese sausage.) As the rice steamed, the heat would cook the chicken, heat the lop cheurng, and the meats' juices would run, hence flavoring the rice. It is a perfect one pot meal that is not only delicious and convenient, but very comforting as well.

Chicken and Lop Cheurng Rice

Rice
Chicken Thighs cut into chunks
Marinade: Oyster sauce, soy sauce, chinese cooking wine, sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, cornstarch
Marinade extras: chopped ginger, chopped garlic
Lop Cheurng
Other options: Shitake Mushrooms, sliced jalepenos,

Start cooking rice
Mix chicken with marinade ingredients.
Slice lop cheurng or leave whole.
(Sometimes my Mom would quickly drop the lop cheurng into some simmering water to get rid of the excess fat.)
When rice has absorbed about half it's water, you can add the other ingredients.
Cook until chicken is done.
(You may need to add water occasionally to remoisten the rice.)

I have done this both in a rice cooker and a pot.
It seems to work equally well, although with the rice pot you may need to repress the cook button from time to time whilst your chicken cooks.

Enjoy!

Pickled Veggies

2008-03-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

When I was a child my family used to go to Chinatown every Friday to eat dinner. We would to go to this restaurant called Great Wall Restaurant. Among the soy sauce and white pepper condiments would be a small jar of pickled veggies. We would munch on those crunchy tart morsals before our meal began, and sometimes even had to ask the waiter to get us more.
Around the time of late summer my Paw Paw (Grandma on my Mother's side) used to always make picked Gai Choy (also known as Mustard Green). We would munch on them whenever we felt like eating something refreshing and crunchy.
While I think every family has their own formula for pickling, I feel my Grandma's has the perfect amount of sour and sweet.
Having seen some good looking Daikons at the market the other day, I decided to make some pickled veggies as well. I wanted to enhance them a little, so I added some minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the mix.
The result was some garlicy goodness. Just 3 tiny pieces leave the breath capable of scaring any vampire away!

TriColor Pickles

Daikon
Carrot
Cucumber
Vinegar
Water
Sugar
Few garlic cloves minced
pinch of red pepper flakes

Combine water, vinegar, and sugar (about a cup each) in pot till sugar is desolved and mixture has boiled
Remove from heat and add garlic and red pepper flakes
Set aside until cooled
Rinse and peel veggies
Cut into desired shapes
Fill glass jars with veggies
Pour liquid mixture over to cover
Refridgerate at least a day
Enjoy!

The basic liquid mixture without can be used to pickle anything you like, like mustard greens, or even almost ripe peaches.

New Life Bread

2008-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I made croutons. Our neighbor gave us a few loaves of day old french bread from Safeway. I've made croutons before, and this time around they turned out much the same. It is an easy and quick process. What becomes of those cubes of plain lifeless bread are some tasty crunchy snacks that you'll be wishing you saved some to top a salad.

Croutons

day old bread cut into cubes
olive oil
melted butter
S&P
garlic powder
dried dill

Preheat Oven to 400F
Melt a couple of tbsp butter in microwave
Sprinkle bread cubes with seasonings
Drizzle both olive oil and melter butter onto bread
Toss to evenly coat.
The more butter and oil you add the lighter in texture your croutons will be (you don't want them drenched though)
Place in heated oven about 10 minutes, toss about once, and bake further until desired toastiness is achieved.

More on Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2008-02-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
Remember my previous posting about
Chocolate Covered Pretzels ?
Well, I stumbled upon this website called Family Corner.
It had an article about
Valentine's Chocolate Covered Pretzels .
They look very pretty.
Check it out!

Tiny Dedication to Dynamints

2008-02-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

These used to be my favorite candies. I liked the grape mint flavor best. I don't know what made me think of them. But here's a link to a commercial about them.
What's your favorite old school candy?

Tiny Orange Tears

2008-02-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

mandarin oranges

When I was a child, I would trek down the backyard stairs at my Grand Uncle's house, walk through his garden to this one tall tree and point.
My "Uncle Know" would then make a sound of astonishment, giggle, and pick tiny oranges for me. He would fill my hands with as much as I could hold, and I'd carry them back up three flights of steep stairs to the kitchen to eat. Everytime I went to his house I would do that. Even if it wasn't in season, I would still ask about the oranges.
I am not 100% sure if he grew Satsumas, Clementines, or Mandarins, but they were very small and extremely cute. I enjoyed eating those miniature oranges very much.
When I was in college, I stumbled upon Satsumas at the Ferryplaza Farmers Market, bought some, and it literally brought tears to my eyes. I sat on the sidewalk, eating each small slice with care. I would look around and see all the people walking by and wonder if they saw my face and would know how I was feeling. It felt like I was 10 years old again, felt like my Uncle Know had just picked them for me. While I was super happy to have found them, I was also sad at the same time. Moments like that are rare. To be so profoundly moved by food. To have been so greatly touched by an orange! Such are the times I treasure most in life.
Such random moments I remember quite distinctly. Certain people in my life have taught me various things related to food or eating. My Uncle Jack taught me how to properly and politely hold a rice bowl, my Uncle Mike taught me to carefully hold my chopsticks (because I poked him in the eye), and my "Goong Goong" (Grandfather on my Mom's side) taught me how to open a peanut.
Food evokes memory. That's why certain foods are comforting to eat. Sometimes food could even be considered to taste bad, simply because they are not like what you remembered.
Ever since that day at the market, every year around this time, around the time of Chinese New Year, I buy and eat as much Satsumas as I can.

Holiday Goodies and New Year Wishes

2008-01-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

Happy 2008! As you can tell, I have been preoccupied with holiday creations and an overall feeling of just wanting to enjoy the end and beginning of the year. That is why I have not updated for a while now. Looking back, for Christmas I did not do any baking this time around, except for a last minute trial of Michael Recchiuti's Brownies recipe. (Here is a link for his Rocky Recchiuti Brownies which are similar) I mostly made candies and desserts. I made a chocolate confection that consisted of a homemade peppermint pattie & homemade marshmallow, dipped in bittersweet chocolate.

I also made vanilla marshmallows, which was from Martha Stewart's Candy Cane Marshmallow recipe. I doubled the recipe, only used 7 packages of gelatin cause that's all I had, and I added vanilla extract instead of peppermint. They came out very well. Better than a lot of other recipes I have made, because this one stayed nice and dry, and I did not have to add cornstarch to keep them from seeping moisture.

I also made Earl Grey Truffles, and individual layer desserts with dark chocolate mousse, raspberry mousse, coolwhip, blackberry jello pieces, milk chocolate shavings, and a sugared cranberry on top. I guess I felt more in a festive celebratory mood than a homely comforty mood, that's why I didn't bake as much as years before.
It is interesting to notice how the food you eat can often taste different depending on the mood you were in while making it.
I wish everyone a wonderful 2008! Here's to eating new foods!

Chocolate Pretzels With Pictures

2007-11-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

I made some chocolate covered pretzels for Thanksgiving.
Here are the pictures. The recipe is posted in my earlier Chocolate listing. The small green twisted pretzels are dipped in mint milk chocolate, and the others were dipped in some bittersweet chocolate that I flavored with some cinnamon and chilli powder. The pretzel sticks are dipped in white chocolate with a few dried cranberries on top. The dark chocolate ones were dipped in Almond butter first, and later sprinkled with white jimmies.

Here are also some pictures of some Candied Cranberries and Cracker Brittle that I made. It was a standard Saltine Cracker brittle recipe that my Aunt & Cousin introduced me too a while back. I "doctored" it by first using Graham crackers instead of saltines, and then added some marshmallows to one, and toasted coconut to the other.

Snacks from Hawaii

2007-11-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some snacks that my Dad brought back from Oahu for me recently. There are Maui onion chips, Japanese Arare, Ginger Rice Puffs, Furokake Cookies, a variety of Mochi & confections, and some shortbread cookies.

Macaroni & Soup from the Freezer

2007-11-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

One Saturday I felt like making a simple dinner. I had taken some ground turkey out of the freezer, but by the time I went to put together some meatballs, the turkey was still a bit frozen. I was also short on veggies, and as you know, I like to have complete meals whenever possible, so this time around I added a bit of edaname and spinach, both from the freezer, to the mix. I also pan browned some frozen fish balls as a side dish. It was quite good. All the flavors shined through and we ended up having quite a hearty meal. The following is what resulted.

Ground Turkey, Edaname & Spinach Macaroni & Soup

Ingredients:

Ground turkey (half a package)
1/4 yellow onion chopped
a couple fresh shittake mushrooms chopped
S&P, garlic powder, garlic chopped
a handfull of edaname
a handfull of spinach

Soup:
2 cans of chicken broth
1 1/4 cans of water
piece of ginger
1 egg
3/4 package of macaroni cooked (I used rigatoni)

Bring chicken broth, water, and a piece of ginger to boil
Meanwhile saute the onions and a touch of oil
Add the mushrooms
Add the turkey, stir fry for a bit, add some S&P, garlic powder, and some chopped garlic
Drain excess oil if necessary, but reserve some for veggies
Add a generous scoop of the meat mix to the soup for extra flavor
Push meat mixture to the side of pan, tilt to gather the fat,
Add edaname and spinach to the oil, Season with a touch more S&P and a pinch of sugar, Stir until brightly coated
Once the greens are bright and coated, stir them into the meat mixture

Add the egg and stir until entire mixture is nicely moist and distributed
If necessary, add a bit of the chicken broth to moisten
If macaroni is cold, add it to the broth to heat through
Scoop macaroni into a large bowl, add some of the meat mixture on top,
Pour some of the soup mixture on top of that
Enjoy!
Serves 2-3

Chair Chopstick Holder

2007-10-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

One Sunday, my Boyfriend, his cousin, and I went out to take some pictures. This is a creation by his cousin while we were at Amberjack Sushi on Church Street. The food there was pretty good. We shared a salad, a few rolls, and a grilled hamachi kama (yellowtail collar). Delish! We were saying how we could just each have a grilled kama, bowl of rice, and salad, and that would make a perfect meal...

Baby Shower

2007-10-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, my Mom & I threw a party for my Sister's 2nd baby. It was a small intimate gathering-only about 8 people in all. It was my chance to serve tea party type sandwiches, which I have had ideas about brewing inside me for quite some time now. It is easy to think of many many food creations, but rare to actually have the opportunity to try them out; and even more so, share them. To my satisfaction and everyone elses, it turned out great. Thanks to all who attended. (sorry bout the quality of the pictures- still getting used to my camera!)

Baby Shower Menu:

Tea Sandwiches:
Turkey & Apple Salad
Salami, Jalepeno & Cilantro Hummus, Mixed Greens
Sliced Turkey, Granny Smith Apple, Mixed Greens
Blackberry Cream Cheese & Pear

Asian Cole Slaw with Toasted Ramen, Sesame Seeds, & Almonds

Mini Fruit Salad of Lychees, Loquats, Pineapples and Pears

Mini Cupcakes from Sibby's Cupcakery

Turkey, Apple, & Mixed Greens Tea Sandwich

Ingredients:
Fresh sliced turkey meat
Granny Smith Apple peeled & sliced thin
Mixed greens of choice
Mayonaise
S&P
Cinnamon
Sourdough Sliced

Spread one slice of bread with the mayo
Top with turkey
Top that with a few slices of apple
Sprinkle that with cinnamon
Top that with some mixed greens and s&p
Place another slice of bread on top
Cut into quarters

Some other tea sandwich ideas can be found on my other blog: Youthful Creative Foodplay

Bow Jai Fan (Clay Pot Rice)

2007-09-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

I honestly cannot recall the first time I had clay pot rice. I have had rice pots from dim sum establishments and restaurants, but none have been as memorable as this Toisan Restaurant (known as Taisan Cafe) on Clement Street. Because my Grandma on my Father's side was from Toisan, the flavors of this restaurant bring back memories, and is the place I go when I want a good meal that has a bonus of being comforting as well.
Their specialty is clay pot rice and bamboo leaf steamed rice. At first we strongly would have considered ceasing our visits to this restaurant because of a neglectful waiter, but something pulled us to there still. Every order comes with some kind of "lo fo tong," soup which has been simmered for several hours. The flavors of the soups take me back to my childhood, to Chinese soups that are most definately nurishing.
They have at least 13 different rice pot flavors, some of which are: chicken and black mushroon, preserved vegetable and pork cake, lamb stew, and yellow eel threads. They also have side dishes, like taro stewed with duck and black bean "chowed" snails (which is seasonal). For lunch if you order a certain amount, they give complimentary boiled lettuce with oyster sauce. For dinner, they give complimentary pickled white chicken feet. It is definately a fun meal to enjoy with family and friends.
Here is their address: 1125 Clement St. They also have another location which I have yet to try: 4401 Cabrillo St.
I will eventually post my recipe for a similar rice dish as clay pot rice. Be sure to look out for it!

Chocolate

2007-09-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

Michael Recchiuti Rex Ray Collection

Chocolate. Very few dislike it. It is like salt & pepper, a necessity, and basic flavor component to all great things that are consumed. I have always loved chocolate. Dark chocolates were something I grew to appreciate and love. My Mom used to buy these bitter, dark, and soft truffles from Grant Avenue in San Francisco when I was small. When I would go there and buy her some, I would only buy some fruity hard candy for myself. But on occasion I would take the tinsiest bite to try, and even then, sometimes the cocoa powder was far too bitter for my unaccustomed palate. Until I eventually got used to the complexity of the flavors, I think my only favorites were M&Ms, Twix bars, and Sees Candies (which all are still my favorites too!).

Michael Ruicchuti Fleur de Sel Chocolate Box

Long before the Ferry Plaza farmers market was at it's current location, I would visit the one on Green Street. There is where I found Michael Recchiuti. He always offered generous samples of his confections. One of my favorites was his brownie. Years later I made a recipe from his book Chocolate Obsession, it was the burnt caramel chocolates. It is one of the best caramel recipes ever, as it is not overly sweet as many others are. I must give kudos to him, because as a fellow entrepreneur at heart, I have great respect for his success.

Eventually, I started to develop an appreciation for dark chocolate bars. Like tasting fine wines, chocolate bars vary in their tastes and textures. A very good place to start your search for special chocolate varietals is Fog City News on Market Street in the Financial District. I have come to the conclusion that I prefer anything above 75%, and take careful steps around 99%.

I saw another entrepreneurial soul on the Food Network once, Katrina Markoff. Her company Vosges Chocolates' newest bar is what sparked my desire to write this post. It is called the Bacon Exotic Candy Bar. (I'd post a picture of the bar, but the Vosges website never got back to me on using one of their photos). It is milk chocolate with crispy bacon pieces! I am so temped to buy it to try, for it is quite unique and strange. My most favorite of her collection is the Red Fire Exotic Candy Bar, that has dark chocolate, chilli peppers, and cinnamon. If the opportunity were to present itself, I would most certainly purchase that new bar to try. I'm thinking, I like bacon. And I love chocolate. It has to be good right? I am excited to find new chocolates with unique flavors.

On a recent trip to Southern California, I researched this one chocolate store, L'Artisan du Chocolat, visited Mr.Alexandre's establishment, and was please to find it welcoming and fun. He gave us a small tasting, had us guess what flavor the truffles were, and gave us more if we were right. My Boyfriend did exceptionally well, as I failed in one of the "tests." I believe the flavor was the Aztec: Habereno, Chili, & Apricot. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience, and one that I will treasure for a long time.

If you visit some of the above websites, you can find lots of chocolate recipes. But in honor of always trying to list a recipe of my own, I have decided to share a childhood treasure that my Father used to make on occasion. He started making them because my Auntie Jan served them once at a Christmas party. (I will try to post a picture once I get around to making them)

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Ingredients:
Chocolate Bar of choice (my Dad used one he got from Longs Drugs that came in squares in either White/Dark Chocolate) A Suggestion: 70% bar from Trader Joes
Salted Pretzels

Cut up chocolate to small pieces
Melt them in a double boiler (or a bowl above a pot with lightly simmering water)
Prepare a tray with lined with foil or wax paper
Dip pretzels into the chocolate
Lay on tray to set
Share with friends and enjoy!

Suggestion: Dip or spread pretzel in peanut butter first, then dip in chocolate. You may or may not have to place the peanut butter dipped pretzel in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to let the it set a bit, before you dip it in the chocolate: depends on the weather and how patient or anxious you are.

Child's Play Part One

2007-08-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

How do you express yourself? Some people have their art, their music, their crafts, their writing, or their sports. Sometimes you feel like one activity, and other times, another. Have you ever thought of food expression for kids? Food can be yet another outlet for them to explore the world. Whenever I'm feeling creative or like I want to share my appreciation for someone, I bake or cook them something. I have this great book idea, but until it is actually published on paper, I would like to share it with you through Dried Sweet Potato. These are fun and interesting ways to entertain the young ones.
First item on the list: Pocky Pick Up Sticks. This comes from the Party Games section of my book. You remember Pick Up Sticks right? Well, how about introducing your child to the game whilst using a fun & yummy medium, namely, Pocky cookie sticks! They can be easily found in Asian markets or the Asian aisle at your local grocery store. They come in all sorts of flavors, and you can even try the savory Salad Sticks in the same section, or any stick shaped biscuit you want. Use more than one flavor at once for more players to distinguish which player should go for which stick. Whatever you choose, this food game is sure to be a hit!

Party Game 1: Pocky Pick Up Sticks

This is a neat way of playing Pick Up Sticks. Plus, you get to eat your winnings!

Ingredients:

Pocky or Salad Stick Flavor of Choice

Gather Cookies into your hands

Release them gently onto the clean table

Try and pick up the cookies without moving any of the other cookies

Eat your winnings!

The second idea I would like to share with you comes from my Miscellaneous Food Recipe section, and is called Marshmallow & Fruit Sushi. It is a fun way for kids to make a sweet version of that Japanese food we all love. In the pictures that follow, I used the fruit rolls from the produce section, and M&Ms for the centers.

Marshmallow and Fruit Sushi

The marshmallow represents the rice in sushi, and the fruit snacks the fish. You can try using real fruit pieces or dried fruit pieces too. Rice Crispy treats can substitute for the marshmallow too.

Ingredients:

Large Marshmallows

Fruit Roll Ups

Fruit Snacks

1. Cut Fruit Roll Up

2. Roll Marshmallow and Fruit Snacks in Fruit Roll Ups

Hope everyone enjoys these ideas. I will post more to follow.

Dried Sweet Memories

2007-08-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

There used to be a very old store on Washington Street in Chinatown, just above Grant Avenue, that sold lots of dried products like preserved plums and candied ginger. I remember it being slightly dark, with only the day's sunshine as it's main light. Among the plainly arranged store with tall, wide, wooden tables as its displays, sat bags of fresh Dried Sweet Potatoes. They were the best in the world. They were large slices, moist, sweet, and yet deliciously chewy. I would go into that store, buy several bags at a time, and bring them home to eat and share, either with my Mom, or my Grandma on my Dad's side. We would just eat them as a snack anytime.
One regret that I may forever hold with me is this one time when I was walking in Huntington Park with my Grandma, and she pointed out, that there, in front of us, was the man that worked at the Fan Shir Gon (Dried Sweet Potato) store. We spoke about asking him how he made the dried sweet potatoes, but never actually got around to talking to him. We were both too shy and reserved to speak up. Even if we had, he might not have shared anyways. The store is no longer there, and was turned into a small drug store for a few years afterwards. I'm not sure what it is now.
So, whenever we couldn't get our hands on some of those Fan Shir Gons, we would try and make them on our own. It is easy to do, just takes some time in the oven to dry out. I haven't yet perfected the recipe, haven't been able to replicate that old man's tasty snack, but this one may past as second best.

Fan Shir Gon Recipe (Dried Sweet Potato)

Ingredients:
Japanese Yams or sweet potato of choice

Bake yams at 400F till tender, and knife pokes in easily
Let oven and yams cool down
Preheat oven to 200F or somewhere around 175F convection
Remove skins, Slice yams to desired sizes
Arrange on rack sprayed with non-stick oil
Dry in oven until chewy or no longer fluffy in middle

There is a distinction between yams and sweet potatoes. To me, one is more like the texture of a potato but is sweet, and the other tends to be a bit stringy, is wetter when cooked, and is less starchy. I honestly believe that what is sold in Asian markets as Japanese Yams, are actually sweet potatoes, but I still haven't found a clear definition, so; use what you like, and so long as you end up with a chewy sweet snack, you're good to go.

Cookie Love

2007-08-22T15:29:00.001-07:00

Recipes are a strange & finicky thing. You can take one, have two people make it, and one comes out entirely different from the other. Just as though I could never replicate a favorite dish my Grandma used to make. Every person has their own cooking technique and idea of the final result. With exception to time tested foods, like a McDonald's hamburger, dishes always taste different depending on who's making them. One recipe- many different tastes.
When I was very young, my Mom would let me help her make Chocolate Chip Cookies. If I didn't help, seeing her make them was always very exciting for me. That was how my love for baking began. As I watched, each step took me closer to something better. Textures and appearances changed right before my very eyes. Sugar and butter mixed long enough, not only became one, but turned into a light yellow hue; A concoction that smelled so good, you knew what was to result could only be wonderful. Next, the eggs were especially fun because as you stirred them in, they would pop and ooze their yolk, making the batter ever more liquid and thin. The batter being mixed about at this point, sounded something like a sea lion plopping around on a damp sandy beach. The flour mixture added next, created a distinct smell of floury dust and would thicken the cookie dough so much, my arms would tire from stirring. Lastly, the chocolate chips. As she poured them into the mixing bowl onto the batter, they would make a hundred patter sounds, and then tens of chipping sounds, as the rest fell on themselves. The stirring in of the chocolate made a distinctive crunchy sound. It was the only cookie dough batter I ever ate. And to this day, probably the only one I would taste unbaked. The smells that would fill our home were wonderful. Butter, chocolate, and caramelized cookie(my Mom made hers nice and dark.)
Mom has her way of making the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. To me, it is the best. In seventh grade, my teacher had a chocolate tasting. She brought in all kinds of chocolate; Dark and Milk, different brands. She even taught us about chocolate dust or chocolate poo, the little bits that can be found in the wrapper alongside the bar. We had to bring in our very own chocolate goody to class. I brought in Marie cookies dipped in Chocolate. My teacher made the made the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It tasted similar to what I was familiar with, but different. How could it be? Did she use a different brand of butter or flour? Something about the way it tasted was unlike my Mom's. Plus, it was soft, as my Mother's, crispy.
So, this past week, I attempted to make a crispy whole wheat version of a chocolate chip cookie. Mine came out soft and chewy none the less. This was also my first experiment with truly altering a baking recipe. Sure I've slightly tweaked baking recipes, by adding a pinch of that spice, or a spoon of that liqueur, but I haven't had the guts to do so in big amounts, for fear of wasting ingredients and resulting in something inedible and ugly. It was still a hit. Glad everyone else liked it. The edges were crispy initially right out of the oven, but as humidity played it's roll, it softened up later on. I also ran short of brown sugar, so I added in some malt syrup to substitute for some dark sugar flavor. Even more added nutrition! It has just the right amount of sweetness, a very slight malty taste, moist, and for the very sensitive of palates, a bit of tartness.

Soft & Chewy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

(dry ingredients)
1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking soda

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup malt syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp rum
12 ounces (1 bag) of Toll House chocolate chips
3 tbsp of milk

Preheat oven 375F. Melt butter and set aside. Sift all dry ingredients. Mix butter and sugars together, add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla & rum. Slowly add dry ingredients.Then add chocolate chips. At this point, observe consistency of batter. Mine was overly thick and dry, so I added a few spoons of milk. Spoon onto greased pans and bake for at least 13 minutes, or until desired color is achieved.

Detecting Tea Eggs

2007-08-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Funny how there are some foods, or some things in general, that have always just been there, but somehow manage to go unnoticed. It's almost like walking into your neighborhood grocery store on a lazy quiet day, with lots of time to spare, and something catches your eye. Was it there before? It surely was, but this time for some reason, you've given it a second thought. You considered why it was still around, and whether or not you feel like eating it. Sometimes, you feel like something nostalgic, so you go for it. Or perhaps on this day, you are feeling particularly open minded, and feel like giving it another try. Whatever the reason, you are glad you did. Life has its moments of surprise and reassurance. You are happy you went for it.
I see tea eggs at almost every Tapioca Tea Cafe, and some Ramen joints. I never really cared much for the stuff, and ate only the white portion in my ramen. For some random reason, I wanted to try and make them myself one day quite recently. And now that I have finally made my own, I can say that it is truly a delightful snack. Not only is it easy to make it yourself, but is rather rewarding and tasty. Having now made it myself, I have grown to appreciate its intricate flavors. To be honest, it doesn't really taste too much like tea (especially my version) , but more like hard boiled egg with touches of soy sauce and some extra hints of other flavors. The unique crackly patterns that come from the broth seeping through the tiny cracks in the egg's shell, look like marble. I shared my batch of tea eggs with my family and they liked it very much. My niece loves them, and my Mom likes to take them to work for a morning snack. They are also great additions to lunches for an added boost of protein or something savory.
Now that I have made the tea eggs, I notice them even more while shopping, and have even tried the ones from Quickly. Funny how you start to notice what once was overlooked, and it seems to appear all around-everywhere you go. You think about purchasing one specific type of car, and all of a sudden to observe them all over the place. Think about getting a satellite, start seeing them on all the houses. You think about a certain type of cuisine, and start to notice it popping up here and there.

The following is a recipe from "Distinctive Snacks of Hong Kong" by Hui Chan Fan-Yuk
with some various additions & tweaking cause I felt like it.
You can also buy premeasured packages of Tea Egg mixes at Asian grocery stores.
Once again, the the following quantities aren't precise; It's more about cooking the white just so you can crack the shell, and then figuring how to successfully flavor the egg throughout.

Tea Eggs

18 eggs
water for simmering eggs

Broth ingredients:
water enough to submerge eggs in broth (can add more as you go along)
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup light soy sauce
4 star anise
1 small cinnamon bark
3 tbsp of loose leaf tea ( I used oolong & TiguanYin)
1 tbsp salt
tsp black peppercorn
tsp 5 spice
half a serrano in slices
pinch of white pepper
2 slices of ginger
half a slab of Chines brown sugar

Place eggs in a pot and add enough water to cover by an inch. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Drain water and fill with cold water to cool eggs down and make them easier to work with. Use the backside of a spoon and gently crack the shells all around. Gather all broth ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Add the eggs and lightly simmer for 15 minutes. Take off heat, cover, and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Bring back to heat and gently simmer for one hour or until desired flavor of eggs is achieved.

I use the backside of a Chinese soup spoon as it is flatter. I tried using a silver teaspoon, but that tended to break the shell too much.

Comfort To A Higher Degree & Some Tips on Meal Planning

2007-08-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

What food gives you that warm and safe feeling as you eat it? What brings back childhood memories of after school snacks? What makes you say "mmm" while touching your heart at the same time? Why, Comfort Food of course! What is your comfort food? Meatloaf? Pizza? How bout Ice Cream? Apple Pie? One of mine is Macaroni & Soup. That's what my family calls it anyways. It's basically macaroni and chicken broth. Often my Grandmother on my Dad's side, would make it with ground beef. I remember it being very savory, oily, and hot. She would sit in the kitchen and fan my bowl with a folded newspaper. (I was quite spoiled) It was delicious. Years later, my Sister made it with small Turkey Meatballs. Both those ground meats give the broth a superb flavor.
There are many restaurants that now serve such comfort fare like Macaroni & Cheese, "kicked up" with three cheeses, and some shavings of truffle on the top for example. Why? Cause you can't go wrong with good ol' standbys, and when you add some lavish ingredients to make them fit for a Queen, why, you've got an instant winner!
When I think about cooking a meal, take lunch for instance, even though it is just Mac & Soup, I still think about trying to make it a complete meal. That is why I added Napa Cabbage to it this time. It's what I happened to have in the fridge. I always try and think, what Protein, what Green, and what Starch I can have in a meal. From there, it is quite simple to compose a complete and nourishing meal. It is important for me to do so, because not only is it healthy, but it is my way of cooking. When I cook for my family, health is part of the package. With exception to buttery desserts, I always take into consideration what I am feeding them. (Dessert wise: I do try and cut on the sugar content too where possible.) Cooking is an extension of my love for them, and with that, comes their wellbeing. Only the best ingredients, with taste in mind, as well as healthiness. So next time you can't think of what to eat, what to serve for a meal, Think what Protein, Veggie, & Starch. It really is a good start.
The following recipe is a fancied version of my favorite ol' Mac & Soup. It was a last minute throw together for lunch the other day. We had steak the nite before, so I added it to this dish, for a touch of meaty goodness. This is also a one pot meal!

Spicy Steak Mac & Soup with Enoki Mushrooms & Napa Cabbage

Serves 2

1/2 lb Macaroni of Choice
1 can of Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 can of water
Some steak cut into bite sized pieces
about 4-5 large leaves of Napa cut up
1 bunch of Enoki mushrooms, rinsed, and bottom cut off
Small slice of Ginger
1 serrano chile cut up (I only used 3 slices of the whole chile- this one
was pretty spicy)
A touch of S&P to taste

Cook Macaroni till done to liking, drain
Rinse same pot and bring
Chicken broth,water, ginger, and sliced serrano to boil
Add 1/4 of whole amount of steak to flavor the soup
Add the cabbage, sprinkle cabbage with a bit of S&P, bring back to simmer,
add enoki, bring back to simmer,
and add back the macaroni to heat through*
Ladle Macaroni, Cabbage, and Mushrooms into a bowl,
Top with the rest of the steak,
Ladle the soup on top of everything, and enjoy!

*or just pour soup on macaroni in bowl of you like (I on the other hand, like everything very temperature hot)

Winter Melon in the Summer Time

2007-08-02T12:47:00.001-07:00

My Grandfather told me once that Winter melons retained their heat for a long time, therefore keeping your stomach nice and warm. My Mom bought home two chunks of winter melon from the farmer's market in Millbrae last weekend, so I had a go at making some soup. I had made this once before, but it didn't have much flavor, so I was intent on making this one great. My Grandma on my Mom's side, used to make her Chinese soups with chicken broth in addition to adding meat bones. So that is what I did this time around. Plus, I searched around my pantry looking for ingredients to add. Having had such soups at restaurants on numerous occasions, I noticed they often just added various things, so that is what I did this time as well.
Chinese soups are one of my favorite things. I was very lucky growing up. My Grandma on my Father's side had a big pot of soup for us at every meal. And often, it would be a different soup each day if my memory serves me right. I have also noticed, that you either love the stuff or hate it. Either you can't wait to get your hand on a bowl, or you have to be asked several times to drink it. I can drink many bowls at a time. The reason I like Chinese soups so much I think is that their flavors are the true essence of the ingredients being cooked. There is nothing more pure. They taste like what they are made of. No added spices, just, for example, some pork bones, a main star like Winter melon, a few co-stars, like ginger and dried Chinese almonds, and lots of water, and you've got a potion that is as good for your body as it is for your soul. (Can you tell how much I love the stuff?) Homemade soups are the best. Be it Winter melon, Fuzzy Melon, Chicken with Snow Fungus, 4 Flavors, Carrot & Celery, or Mixed Herbs Soup, I have been known to drink 6-7 bowls throughout dinner time. Chinese soups are relatively simple to make, they just take several hours of simmering.

Winter Melon Soup

About (exact weights are not necessary) 2lbs Winter melon rinsed very well and cut into chunks
About 2lbs of Pork neck bones rinsed and cut of fat
8 quarts of Water (guestamation- I just poured enough water to cover the pork bones by a couple of inches)
2 cans of Chicken Broth low sodium
2 large Carrots peeled and cut in chunks
3 large slices of Ginger
10 dried Shiitake mushrooms soaked until soft
small handful of Wolfberries & dried Chinese almonds both soaked for ten minutes

Other additional ingredients (optional): Chinese dried red dates, dried orange peel, small pieces of roasted duck, some Virginia ham

Put prepared pork into very large pot and cover with water
Bring to boil while skimming foam
Add chicken broth and bring back to boil
Add all other ingredients
Simmer for at least 3 hours or until soup is flavorful and winter melon is clear and tender

I never leave things alone. I always have to touch and check to make sure what I am cooking is okay. So throughout the cooking time, I am also going to check on any fat or more foam that has risen to the surface, and I will skim it. I also give it a few stirs for luck.

First Posting

2007-07-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Blog World! Here I am. This is my first posting. Welcome to Dried Sweet Potato! If you visit my blog, you will find most things food. My recipes, restaurant reviews, neat things I've eaten, and some insights and thoughts. I love to eat. I will try to include recipes as often as possible. I also mean to get a better camera to take better pics. Here is my most recent creation. Beer Braised Red & Purple Potatoes with Kielbasa, Fennel, and Onions. My Mom bought a Polish Kielbasa and I had some Red Tators handy, so I put the two together. Not anything new, but it was a last minute idea. Turned out yummy. Potatoes absorb the other flavors very well. A word about my recipes: I don't usually use precise measurements. Unless I am baking, I am the "a little of this, a pinch of that" type cook. I will try however, to list in order of most to least- Like the ingredient labels on foods.

Beer Braised Red & Purple Potatoes with Kielbasa, Fennel, and Onions

A few thin skinned potatoes cut into small chunks
Half a Kielbasa cut into semi-thick slices
A Fennel bulb sliced
Half a yellow onion sliced
some beer
spices & others: olive oil, salt & pepper ( S&P) , sugar, minced garlic, paprika, creole seasoning

Saute Onions & Fennel in a little Olive Oil- add a little S&P and sugar
Add Kielbasa and brown a bit
Add Potato Chunks, sprinkle with a bit more S&P, some minced garlic, paprika, and creole seasoning, and stir
Add some beer to help cooking process of tators, maybe like 1/2 cup
Simmer until tators are to your liking!

The times you cook each item is up to you. Next time, I might only saute the onions & fennel really quickly, because they were a touch soft for my liking. But my Boyfriend liked it. He said they were nice and creamy. We ate them with a packaged Indian rice from Trader Joes, and a Caesar Salad on the side. Hope you like the recipe!