Customer's Choice (a/k/a I love the parenthesis)

I have this cookbook that I treasure - The Betty Crocker Cookbook (abridged version).  It is red and old, the spine is broken and the pictures would not meet any of the appetite invoking pictures you see on cooking websites these days.  This cookbook belonged to my mom.

Back in the day, my parents owned a little eatery (not quite diner, not quite deli...a dineli, if you will) in a busy business park just north of the SR 201 (back in the day, we called it the 21st South Freeway).  Easily seen from the freeway, it is now a Subway, but you can tell from the title of this post the named it went by when we owned it.  We inherited the name, but my people's knack for naming businesses is going to be fodder for another post in the future.  I spent my entire junior high and sophomore career here.  I worked for my parents for the bargain price of $50 per week (obviously very blissfully unaware of child labor laws) and saved up to pay cash for my first car - a very chic, used, white Audi 1000.

We offered breakfast, sandwiches, a salad bar (where I discovered my dislike for the intensely tinny taste and aroma of canned beets and kept me from enjoying the deliciousness of a fresh, roasted beet for decades because I thought beets naturally came from a can), 2 different types of soup and a variety of entrees and specials each day.   She didn't need recipes for the familiar Asian dishes we served, except (I cringe to type this) the egg foo yung (a "Chinese" I'm sure no true Chinese person has ever heard of).  The curled up post-it notes mark pages in the cookbook of the recipes my mom used for the restaurant - foods that she was not familiar with cooking but she was a natural and made them all tasty - except the sweet and sour meatballs.

This cookbook was printed in 1978 and aimed for the economic young housewife (we were not gender neutral back then) - many of the recipe titles start with the word "economic".  I had thawed some ground beef without a purpose, so I pulled out this cookbook and thumbed through it.  Aha!  Economy Beef Stroganoff.  Now My Beloved loves beef stroganoff but as I skimmed through the recipe, I knew there would be quite a bit of changes.   We will call my version Upgraded Beef Stroganoff.  Definitely a success, MB had 2 plates full.

1 1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut in 1/8′ slices (ME: 1 lb ground beef)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups beef bouillon (ME: is that the same as beef broth?  I used beef broth) 
2 tablespoons catsup (ME: though I know My Beloved would not have minded this ingredient, he puts ketchup on his tacos, but I am not of the same tongue-set.  Omitted)
1 small clove garlic (ME: accidentally forgotten - a frequent side effect of changing recipes)
1 teaspoon salt (ME: 1/2 tsp sea salt)
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (ME: lots and lots ofSa mushrooms)
1 medium onion chopped (ME: cut onion in half, sliced in thin wedges)
3 tablespoons flour (ME: 1/4 cup)
1 cup dairy sour cream (ME: 1.5 cups)
4 cups hot cooked noodles (ME: is that a whole bag?  I used a whole bag)
1 tablespoon butter (ME: already had 2 T, don't need a third)
1 teaspoon poppy seed  (ME: what the hell for???? Omitted)
(ME: 1/4 c. red wine - this is approximate.  I just did one turn around the pot of wine)
(ME: 1 t. Worcesteshire sauce)

Because I made such changes, the instructions below are the steps for my version.
- saute onions in 2 T butter until caramelized, add mushrooms and cook.  Remove and set aside.
- in the same pot, saute garlic until fragrant and add ground beef. cook until done
- add wine, 3/4 c. beef stock, worcesterhire sauce, salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- mix 1/2 c. beef stock with flour, add to beef mixture and return to boil for a minute or two (cooking off the flour taste)
- add sour cream - at this point you want to reduce the heat to LOW.  You want the sour cream to heat slowly, not boil

Serve over the buttered noodles and enjoy with some tivo'd episodes of The Daily Show!

My New Go To Chicken Dish!

A coworker brought in some leftovers last week - poached chicken with a soy/ginger/scallion sauce over it.  It was heavenly!  The chicken was so tender and flavorful.  I had a couple of slices for lunch with a very generic salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, soy/ginger dressing).  Of course, I had to beg for the recipe and she rattled it off to me.  The recipe below is my version of it - partly because, as stated, I don't follow directions and partly because I couldn't remember the whole conversation.

Dear readers, this is a great "go-to" dish.  Easy, but doesn't taste easy!  You can make it days ahead, the flavors just get better and better.  You can also serve it cold or warm (I like it cold for a light spring or summer dish).  I will post pictures the next time I make it.

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
grated fresh ginger (about 4 tablespoons)
4 scallions (green and whites), chopped (I actually used the entire bunch, but I love scallions)
2 T. sugar
2 t. sesame oil
1/4 c. soy sauce (or to taste)
2 T. sherry (I used mirin)
1-2 T of canola oil (or another mild flavored oil for sauteeing)

My coworker told me to poach the chicken in water.  However, I like to use my "master stock poached chicken" method (borrowed from Kylie Kwong).  I place the chicken in a pot large enough to hold all the breasts in a single layer.  I add enough water to cover by about 2 inches.  I add 1/2 a peeled onion, 1 large chunk (2-3 inches) of ginger that I have lightly bruised and a couple of cloves of peeled garlic (also bruised).  Bring all of this to a boil, then quickly turn the heat down to a low simmer.  Do not let the water return to a boil or you will get a tough bird.  Cover and let it simmer in the stock for about 20 minutes.  Then turn the heat off and let the chicken keep poaching for another 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the canola oil in a pan over medium heat.  Saute the ginger and scallions until they are fragrant.  Add the soy sauce, sherry (mirin), sugar, sesame oil and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Keep it on the heat, stirring, until the sauce comes to a boil.  Then turn off the heat.

Remove the chicken breast from the stock and let dry.  Slice them on the bias and arrange in a serving dish (make sure the dish has sides to hold the sauce).  Poor the sauce over the chicken, making sure to cover all he pieces.  The longer you can let it sit to absorb the sauce and flavor, the better.  I like to refrigerate it overnight because it is so delicious!  I serve with rice and a salad.

Bangers and Mash (I know! Right?)

There is something to be said about food from the United Kingdom....it's bland.  With the exception of that fine, layered dessert, English Trifle, I just find most of it bland.  So when I heard of the dish Bangers and Mash, I thought "that sounds delicious" - with a name like that and ingredients like sausages and mashed potatoes, what's not to love?  Then I heard that it was a traditional English dish and thoughts of deliciousness died right there in my head.  Just to confirm, I made a traditional Bangers and Mash recipe last night for dinner and my beloved confirmed.  Bland.

Not to be daunted, I am determined there is a way to bring this dish up a notch (or seven) and make it full of flavor.  As a side note, the term "bangers" is attributed to the fact that sausages, particularly the kind made during World War II under rationing, can explode under high heat if not cooked carefully. Modern sausages do not have this attribute.  And I say they are the worse for it.

Bangers:
- 1 lb. (or more) sausages Traditionally, cumberland sausages are used.  I don't know what those are, but I don't have high hopes for their flavor.  I used Colossimo's New York Style sausage.  What makes them New York style, you ask?  I have no clue.  They looked like every other Colossimo sausage.
- Lots of shallots lots and lots and lots

The recipe I tried called for boiling the sausages.  That was not a typo, my friends.  It said "boil".  I say "grill".  But brown the sausages in a little bit of butter and olive oil first.  This is not really for the sausage's sake, but for the shallots.  Flavor, flavor, flavor!  While the sausages are grilling, saute the shallots in the pan drippings from the sausages on LOW HEAT.  This is very important, you want a nice, slow, delicious caramelizing of the shallots.  This gives them a wonderful, sweet, nutty, brown flavor.  If the heat is too high, the shallots will crisp up and burn, imparting bitterness.  Not to mention how bitter I will be for such poor treatment of the royal shallot.  If you want to turn this into a gravy, add 2 T. of flour, cook gently to cook off the flour taste (5 minutes), then add chicken stock and reduce to thicken.

- 5-6 potatoes I say go with Yukon golds - nothing beats their texture for creaminess
- butter
- heavy cream
- creme fraiche, sour cream or crema mexicana
- salt
- pepper

Quarter the potatoes and put in a pot of cold water.  Set to boil for 20 minutes or until fork tender.  You will notice I didn't put in portions for the other ingredients.  This is really to taste.  I love my mashed potatoes - I love them creamy and rich and just full of flavor.  I also love "flavored" mashed potatoes - so divine.  For my preferences, I used about 1 stick (8 T) of butter, 2-3 tablespoons of the creme fraiche and just kept adding the heavy cream as I mashed until it was as creamy as I wanted.  Then, and here is my big finish on these mashed potatoes, throw in about 1/2 of the slowly sauteed, uber rich shallots...and mix it all together.  If you do make the shallots into gravy, then you can skip this part...or not.  Season with salt and pepper.

Can you just taste this?  Creamy, shallot mashed potatoes, topped with 2 perfectly grilled bangers, topped with a rich, shallot gravy.  I don't even think I need to post a picture.

Jack Shrimp (ish)

When I lived in the OC, I'd take PCH home...it is an amazingly pretty drive along the coast. In Newport Beach, a little eatery called Jack Shrimp sits across from PCH, facing the ocean. More often than not, I'd stop on the way home to sit on the patio with a good book and big bowl of their Jack Shrimp, washing it all down with a belgian pale. I'm sure their other dishes are delicious as well, but I can't guarantee it. In all the times I've been there, I've only ordered the Jack Shrimp. Below is my attempt at recreating the dish. I think I came pretty close! There is not shoreline here, but our shady back patio and a bottle of blue moon makes up for it.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c butter
5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 t celery seeds
1/2 t fennel seeds
2 t rosemary
LOTS of ground pepper
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 c white wine (I used a Marlborough sauvignon blanc)
2 quarts chicken stock
2 lbs EXTRA LARGE prawns (Tiger Prawns if you can find them), deveined but not peeled
French bread

- Heat olive oil and butter in an enamel dutch oven, add the garlic and shallots and saute until they start caramelizing and you can smell the yummy aroma
- Add celery seeds, fennel seeds, rosemary and pepper. Saute for a minute or 2 to release their flavors
- Add the tomato paste and saute until everything is well blended (for lack of a better description). I gauge everything with the smell test - all of these ingredients should smell delicious...that's how you know you've sauteed enough.
- Deglaze the pot with wine, let it cook until the desired amt of alcohol has burned off (the desired amount is up to you).
- Add the chicken stock - bring everything to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for 1/2 hour to an hour (longer = more intense flavor).
- When you are ready to serve, add the prawns. HINT: once you've added the shrimp, do not allow the stock to return to a full boil - that will result in tough shrimp.

As soon as the prawns are cooked, serve in bowls with lots of crusty French bread. You do not need utensils for this. Use the bread to mop up the sauce and peel and eat the shrimp. Trust me, you will not want to waste one single delicious drop of this. It's even better the next day, when all the flavors have melded.

Bulgogi: Korean Grilled Beef in Lettuce Wraps

I have always wanted to learn how to make this dish since watching Anthony Bourdain visit Korea in one of his "No Reservations" episodes. Korean food is usually served with little side dishes called "banchan" - little dishes of kimchee, bean sprouts in sesame, cucumber kimchee, potatoe, korean pancake (panjeon).

For the Beef Marinade:
1 lb (450g) thinly sliced rib-eye, flank or skirt steak
1/2 Nashi pear, thinly sliced
1 tsp. sea salt
3 TBL toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. raw sugar
1 finger of ginger, peeled and sliced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. light soy sauce

Combine meat with all seasonings for marinade in non-metal bowl or zipper plastic bag, and marinate at least 8 hours or overnight. The pear is added less for flavor than as a natural meat tenderizer. If nashi pear is not available, you can use 1 kiwi or a slice of papaya to accomplish the same thing, but June warns not too marinate more than 3-4 hours if you use these fruits because they are much more potent tenderizers than the pear, and will turn the meat to mush! (Sounds like a great science experiment, doesn’t it?)


Have ready at the table:
Small container of oil for grill
Washed and dried green and/or red lettuce leaves, torn into 4” pieces
Banchan dishes
Bowls of cooked medium grain rice, 1 for each diner


- Remove meat from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Drain marinade and discard. Gently pat meat dry.
- If using butane stove and grill at table, pre-heat grill over medium-high, and add about 1 TBL oil to grill plate. Carefully add slices of meat using tongs or long chopsticks to keep yourself away from hot oil. Oil may sputter, so take care — we seated the children present at the heads of the table so they were farthest away from the grill and stove. Turn heat down to medium-low, and turn meat over once to brown both sides. Diners can help themselves directly from the grill as the meat cooks. Using clean tongs or chopsticks, remove meat to serving plate if it cooks faster than people are eating.
- Let each person assemble their own wraps:
* Lay a piece of lettuce on your plate
* Add a mouthful of rice, about 1 TBL or so, on top of the lettuce
* Add a couple of slices of cucumber kimchee, bean sprouts, and kimchee
* Top with one slice of bulgogi
* Wrap lettuce around fillings
* Munch, swallow, repeat!

I have also had this dish at Korean restaurants where you place a mouthful shredded lettuce dressed in a sesame vinaigrette on your plate, add a slice of grilled beef and top with thinly sliced, pickled daikon radish rounds. If you pick eveyrthing up with your chopsticks, it will naturally (or not so naturally) fold like a mini soft taco.

Possible accompaniments:

PICKLED RADISH/CUCUMBER
Use this basic method and dressing for either daikon or cucumber


If you want both pickles, repeat recipe for each vegetable
1/2 small daikon radish OR 1 English of other long cucumber
2-3 TBL sugar


Peel daikon and cut lengthwise, then thinly slice into half-moons or thin strips. If using cucumber, peel leaving thin stripes of green peel for contrast, then cut in half cross-wise on the diagonal, then lengthwise. Thinly slice cucumber on the diagonal.Place vegetable in colander set over a bowl or plate. Sprinkle sugar evenly over and through vegetable. Set aside for 30-45 minutes to just wilt veggies (cucumber will take longer than daikon).

Meanwhile make dressing:
3 TBL rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. raw sugar
1/2 -3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2-1 tsp Korean red pepper flakes (can substitute Aleppo pepper)

Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Taste for tartness — salt will mellow the sharpness of vinegar, but it should still be tart. Add pepper flakes and mix through.Do not rinse vegetable! Add lightly sweetened, wilted vegetable to dressing and set aside for about 1 hour for flavors to infuse. Divide pickles into 2-3 small serving bowls and place bowls around the table to allow each diner to easily reach the pickles as they assemble their bulgogi rolls.

Memories of My Mom: Che Chuoi

Che chuoi is bananas simmered in coconut milk and tapioca pearls. The end result has the consistency of tapioca pudding (with slices of banana). Though sweet, it is not really considered a dessert as Vietnamese people really don't eat desserts. If necessary, they will cap a meal with a dish of tropical fruit over ice. Ches are more commonly served as a sweet snack. Growing up, I was usually the only person in my family who really liked this dish...so when my mom made it, it was all for me!

In Viet Nam, there a quite a few different types of bananas. chuoi xiem (Lady's Fingers bananas or King Bananas) are 3-4 inches in length with a very thin peel. They are much more delicate than an American banana with a sweeter taste and honey-like aroma. These are my favorite bananas to use in this recipe.

3 c water
3 c coconut milk
3/4 c small tapioca pearls, soaked in warm water for about 15-20 minutes
3/4 - 1 c sugar (or more, depending on your preference for sweetness - I use vanilla sugar that I made with vanilla beans buried in a jar of baking sugar)
1/4 t salt
1 bunch of chuoi ngu, peeled and quatered (or 4 or so chiquitas, halved lenthwise then cut into 2 inch pieces)

- Heat the water in a sauce pan to boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and add the coconut milk. Drain the tapioca pearls and add them to the coconut, stirring frequently to keep them from clumping and burning.

- When the mixture has thickened slightly, add the sugar and stir.

- Once the pearls have taken on a clear look and a soft in texture, add the bananas. At this point, you'll want to be extra careful when stirring to keep the bananas from breaking up or mushing. Let it simmer until the bananas are warmed through.

Note: you can add colored tapioca threads for a little more aesthetics, or top with chopped roasted peanuts or sesame seeds. You can also add one pandan leaf (tied) to the simmering pudding for flavor (it has a fragrant banana-like scent). I would actually do this if I knew where to find pandan.

Memories of My Mom: Bo Luc Lac

Bo luc lac translates to "shaking beef" because the beef is seared in a wok at high temperatures and you shake the wok to ensure even cooking. It was always a good day to come home from school and see this waiting for us on the counter. Mom would make the vinaigrette to pour over, but salt/pepper/lime is much easier and just as delicious.

The beauty of Vietnamese cooking, for me, is that it is peasant food. I'm always skeptical when I hear about 'high end' Vietnamese restaurants because frou frou would take the soul out of the dishes...it is like listening to a coffee shop singer in a 15,000 seat amphitheater, good concert but not a great one. The best foods are the street vendor foods like the pate chaud or the banh mi (sandwiches), but I am learning that my people are wizards with a grate, some charcoal and chopsticks - everything becomes street vendor food, even pho!

This dish is no exception - marinated cubes of beef quickly seared and served over a bed of mixed greens, cucumbers and tomatoes with steamed rice and a little dish of salt/pepper/lime to dip the meat in. Nothing fancy, but the flavor is so, so good! This is the first dish I ever made for David - it's my "secret weapon", if you will. One bite and he was powerless to resist me. ;) :) ;)

- 1 to 2 lbs of beef tenderloin, cut into cubes slightly larger than bite-sized

- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed (this is where pre-peeled garlic and a minichopper comes in quite handy)

- 2-3 T soy sauce

- 2-3 T fish sauce

- 1 T sugar

- 2 T oil (veg or olive) - optional

- freshly ground black pepper (lots!!!)

- one sweet onion, peeled and cut into wedges

- spring mix or watercress...or both

- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

- grape tomatoes

- hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges (optional)

- salt

- pepper

- lime juice

- Mix the garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and oil together and marinade the meat for at least an hour...but if you can overnight, it will taste better.

- Heat a small amount of oil in a wok over high heat. Saute the onion until soft and translucent. Put onions in a bowl and set aside.

- In the same wok, sear the meat in batches so that they will brown evenly but still be medium-rare to medium in the center. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will give off too much juice and start to braise. Try to avoid this.

- After the meat is seared, quickly saute the onions a second time in the same wok so that they will take on a golden hue and the flavors from the meat. Mix the onions with the meat and pour over the spring mix salad (with cucumbers, tomatoes and eggs).

- Each person should get a small dipping bowl of equal parts salt/pepper. Squeeze a wedge or 2 of lime juice over the salt/pepper.

- Serve the beef with steamed rice. It is best to dip the beef in the salt/pepper/lime mixture before eating.