Spicy Beef Stir-Fry

What this lacks in authenticity (according to Eddie), it makes up for in taste. Best of all, it's a quick recipe, great for weeknights.

Spicy Beef Stir-Fry
Source: Food Network Magazine, February/March 2009

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry or white vermouth (I used sherry)
• 1 pound beef sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain into strips
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3-4 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 5-7 dried red chilies, halved
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 8 heads baby bok choy, halved
• Pinch of sugar
• Cooked rice, for serving

1. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of rice wine in a medium bowl. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon rice wine, the oyster sauce and sesame oil in a large bowl. Set the bowl near the stove.
3. Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 3 tablespoons peanut oil, then the ginger, garlic and chilies. Stir-fry until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, stirring or shaking the skillet occasionally, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the beef with a slotted spoon to the sauce mixture and toss.
4. If the pan is dry, add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil, then add the onion and stir-fry until just soft, approximately 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and sugar; stir-fry until wilted. Return the beef and any juices to the pan and stir to combine. Serve over rice.

Peppercorn Chicken with Lemon Spinach

So far I am two-for-two with recipes from Food Network magazine. I was a little bit nervous about this one because of all the dijon mustard involved. I thought the mustard would overwhelm the dish, but it turned out quite tasty.

You will need:

• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used two)
• 2-3 teaspoons coarsely ground mixed peppercorns
• 3/4 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary (I omitted)
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup brandy or red wine
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Brush 1 tablespoon mustard all over the chicken. Sprinle with the peppercorns, salt and rosemary to taste. Pat gently so that the seasonings stick.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish (set aside the skillet for the sauce). Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the shallots to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until just soft. Remove the pan from the heat, add the brandy or red wine, then return the pan to the heat. Add the broth, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining two tablespoons of mustard and the parsley.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds. Add the spinach, season with salt and cook until wilted. Add the lemon zest. Drizzle the chicken with the shallot sauce and serve with the spinach.

Cooking note: If you are not a fan of mustard, try substituting two tablespoons of butter instead of the mustard when you finish the sauce instead.

Garlic-and-Greens Spaghetti

In keeping with the theme for change in 2009, I cancelled my subscription to Food & Wine magazine. After two years of subscribing I have accumulated quite the stack of recipes to try, but really needed more recipes that would be more weeknight-cooking friendly. The newly launched Food Network magazine seems to fit the bill, although I'm only on my second issue. I got off to a good start with this fairly healthy pasta dish.

Garlic-and-Greens Spaghetti
source: Food Network Magazine, Feburary/March 2009 issue

You will need:

• 16 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (a garlic press is handy for this)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds torn winter greens such as kale, chard, escarole or mustard greens (I used chard)
• 12 ounces spaghetti (I used 8oz. of whole wheat spaghetti)
• 1/4 grated pecorino romano cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, cook the garlic in the oilve oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. This should take 2-3 minutes; be careful not to overbrown it. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic chips to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onions and red pepper flakes to the oil in the pan; cook, stirring, until the onions are light brown, about 10 minutes. Season with 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt.
2. When the onions are almost done, add the greens to the boiling water and cook uncovered until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, remove the greens; add them to the skillet with the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Return the cooking water for the greensto a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining the pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the cheese and toss. Add the greens and toss, using the reserved pasta as necessary to keep the pasta from clumping. Top with the garlic chips.

Makes 4 side-dish servings or 2 entree servings.

Note: If you can, open a window while cooking the onions and garlic. ;-)

Cooking Cajun Style

October 25, 2008

We opted for sleep in lieu of breakfast this morning. We had to be at the New Orleans School of Cooking by 9:45am, which is a little too early to be functioning for a weekend.

We had signed up for a two-hour cooking demo, during which we would watch our lunch being made. Our instructor, Miss Pat, reminded us a bit of Paula Deen. She had several of the dishes partially prepped before class started and had a nifty mirror so we could see every step. While she cooked she gave us an overview of the culinary history of New Orleans. We started with a chicken and andouille gumbo. I told Eddie to pay close attention, since he had been having a cup of it at every meal. If there is anything he should learn to cook, this should be it. I was pleasantly suprised to learn that it is not as complicated as I thought it would be to make. Apart from all the onion and bell pepper chopping, the trickiest part seems to be making the roux. I've made a roux for mac n'cheese before, so I think I could handle this.

Next up was a cajun style jambalaya. The cajun style differs from the creole style in that the creole version utilizes a tomato-based sauce for moisture. This preparation used chicken stock. My parents gave this one two thumbs up. Eddie preferred the creole style. I was Switzerland.

We learned how to make bread pudding for dessert. Miss Pat decided to get creative and made a pina colada bread pudding. I was skeptical while watching her pour in the pina colada mix, canned pineapple and shredded coconut, but this was actually quite tasty. The pineapple and coconut flavors turned out to be much more subtle than I anticipated. We also learned how to make pralines. I suspect my neighbors will be receiving some of those for the holidays.

Everything tastes better with a local brew in hand.

After our lesson, with recipes safely tucked away in my purse, we hopped on one of the trolleys for a ride around the city. The original plan was to ride along the Riverfront, but due to the Voodoo Experience several trolleys were being rerouted. We ended up taking the St. Charles trolley out into the Garden District.

I probably should have tried to take some pictures of the homes, but (a) it was crowded, (b) I didn't have a window seat and (c) I was zoning out. I did manage to catch this odd billboard as we came around a corner. It says simply "EDDIE". No one seems to know why. Someone's head expanded a bit after seeing it.

We transferred trolleys and hit up the shops and stands at the French Market for souvenir shopping. A lot of the merchandise was repetitive and somewhat tacky. After finally finding some kiddie t-shirts for the grandkids and godkids and a faux Venetian mask for myself, we headed back to the hotel.

My parents headed up for a nap, but we stopped in the lobby since I finally spied empty seats at the Carousel Bar. The main attraction is obviously the slow, rotating bar but the rest of the interior was to my liking as well: a dark, sparkly ceiling, oversized booths and a grand piano. It was difficult to get a good picture without flash; New Orleans really seems to like its dark and mysterious spaces.

The drink you are supposed to have at the Carousel Bar is a sazerac. However, I chose to have a sidecar in honor of FogCityDweller (it's her favorite). I think she would have been pleased with the quality. The sidecar actually ended up being a conversation starter with the two couples seated next to us, since neither had heard of the drink before.

Post-cocktail we went upstairs to get ready for dinner at a place owned by this dude named Emeril. I think he has a show on tv or something.

I have to admit, Emeril's was not my first choice for our dinner. But what the birthday boy wants, he gets. And my parents watch Emeril's show often. I started off the evening with doubts based on a bad experience I had at another one of his restaurants. Fortunately my doubts were laid to rest. Our table had a view into the open kitchen; if I were to go back I'd love to sit at the counter.
We shared the Barbeque Shrimp with Petite Rosemary Biscuit and Fresh Chives as an appetizer. We scarfed all of them down before I could take a picture. :-) Instead of the standard loaf of french bread that we encountered at most restaurants, the waiters at Emeril's brought around miniature sized brioche buns, french bread loaves & corn muffins. I ordered the special salad of the evening: Warm Duck Confit with mixed greens, pecans, blue cheese and satsuma vinaigrette. I'm usually not a fan of mixing sweet with savory, but this was wonderful.
For my entree I departed from my usual choice of seafood and instead had the Pan Seared Filet of Beef with Creamy Mascarpone Polenta, Slow Roasted Pork Belly, Wilted Swiss Chard, Tomato Confit and Goat Cheese. This.was.SO.good. I was the last one to finish dinner because everyone else claimed they were too full to finish their entrees. Wimps. I ate every single perfect bite of this deliciousness.
The perfect ending was a light tasting Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée with Seasonal Fruit and Shortbread. The only issue with this was that the seasonal fruit consisted of a strawberry, blackberry and raspberry, all of which are not in season. They were tasty though, not bland and watery like most out of season fruit, so I'm left wondering where Emeril's secret berry hook-up is.
After dropping my parents off at the hotel, Eddie and I took a leisurely stroll down Royal St., pausing to admire the window displays at all the art galleries. I even found a jewelry store still open and walked away with another souvenir. We headed up to Bourbon St., to see all the craziness one last time. Suprisingly, it seemed rather quiet in comparison to the previous night even though it was still bustling with pre-Halloween revelers. It was just fine with me.

It's Onam Time!

Onam is harvest festival celebrated in Kerala, a state in southern India. The specific dates vary from year to year, but usually takes place in late August or early September. Onam 2008 began on September 12. While there are many festivities that celebrate Onam, the best tradition by far is the Onam Sadya (or Onasadya). While meat and fish are commonly used in Kerala cuisine, Onam is one time where a sadya is exclusively vegetarian. Growing up in my family, we always celebrated Onam and often celebrated the occasion with friends. Most of our Onasadyas were at the home of one other family who were strict vegetarians year-round. It was an annual tradition; they would always invite us and 2 other families over. As one would expect, that auntie certainly had the market cornered when it came to cooking veggies. Since I was otherwise occupied last weekend, yesterday was the evening designated for our Onasadya.

Last year was the first year I tried to cook an Onasadya on my own. I had pulled a few recipes off the internet and then tried to adapt them based on what I could recall of how my mom cooks particular dishes. Asking my mom wasn't particularly successful, as most Indian moms describe recipes with "a pinch of that, some this, a little bit of that, cook it for a while", etc. The results were mixed. :-/

This year I tried the same approach, but with a bit more research on the recipes. And I've been paying even closer attention to how my mom cooks things when I visit SF. An uber-traditional Onasadya has nine-courses served in a precise order, but that would be overkill for just the two of us. Read: I did not want to spend literally the entire day cooking. Instead I picked just a few of the traditional items. My primary recipe source was Kerala Recipes. I chose this site after reading through its recipes and comparing them against (a) other websites and (b) my limited knowledge of Indian vegetarian cooking. Plus most of the recipes were attributed to a Mrs. Annamma Philippose --- and that's a straight-up Malayalee name if I've ever heard one!



A note before moving on to the recipes: Indian cooking lends itself easily to adaptation. In fact, there were several recipes I encountered online that made the same dish, but never in the exact same manner. When I cook Indian food, there are a few big changes I make to every recipe.

1. I don't use coconut oil to cook for the simple reason that my mom never does and she's an outstanding cook. I used a canola oil blend instead.


2. I also don't use as much grated coconut that is called for.


3. I make a much smaller quantity than recipes call for. Most recipes are designed with family-style dining in mind.

The first dish I cooked was avial. This is one of my favorite dishes and the one I was most nervous about cooking. It always seems so complicated when my mom makes it. It was the most time consuming, as there is a lot of chopping required. Also, it must be cooked over low to medium low heat. I didn't use the exact vegetables that the recipe called for. Instead I used yam, taro root, string beans, plantain, 2 types of snake gourd and drumsticks. It turned out suprisingly well. The yogurt is really what gives this dish its unique taste.

Next up were two vegetables cooked separately, but using a similar technique: cabbage thoran and okra thoran. I didn't change too much in either of these recipes. The okra however, was undersalted while the cabbage was too salty.

Since I had leftover yogurt from the avial, I decided to make moru curry. This was a staple in our household as I was growing up. I could live on a good moru, hot rice and a bit of mango pickle. I think I did exactly that for a phase back in 5th grade!

My composed plate with mango pickle and fried bitter melon as accompaniments:

You'll notice that there isn't any cabbage on my plate. I hate cabbage thoran. But it is one of Eddie's favorite Indian dishes, so I cook it anyways just for him. That's love.

One thing became clear as I made this meal. Indian cookery is a skill that requires patience, practice and lots of trial-and-error. In other words I need to cook Indian food on a somewhat regular basis so that I can truly gain sort of mastery over these dishes and others. Don't be surprised if more Indian recipes start making their way onto this blog! ;-)

New Recipe Sunday #7

Pasta with Sausage, Basil and Mustard
Source: Food & Wine magazine

You will need:

• 1 pound penne or medium shells
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage -- casings removed and meat crumbled
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
• pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced basil

1. Cook the pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling, salted water; drain.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the crumbled sausage and brown over moderately high heat. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the cream, mustard, crushed red pepper and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the pasta and basil and serve.

Cooking Notes: (a) As usual I halved the amount of pasta. (b) I also halved the amount of mustard after seeing the face Eddie made when he saw it on the counter with the rest of the ingredients.

Eddie's Rating: "I don't know about this hon." I sort of agreed with him. The dish wasn't a disaster, but there was something off about it. I do plan on making this again, but with the following modifications:

• Using even less of the mustard -- maybe a single tablespoon at the most. Even with the reduced amount I used, the mustard flavor was clear and present. Not in a good way.
• Using a higher quality pork suasage or a poultry-based sausage instead. The brand I had used (Johnsonville?) was too greasy, which affected the sauce.
• Paying closer attention to the wine as it reduced. I'm not entirely sure that I cooked it down long enough.

I'll post an updated review when I make it again.

What I've Been Up To

Too much time has passed since my last entry. I can’t revert back to my bad blogger ways! Here’s a quick rundown on what’s been going on lately, with a promise of a few fuller, more detailed follow-up entries this weekend:

Work has been much busier than usual. If everything goes according to plan, I will have at least three trials this summer. That in itself is not necessarily horrible, but one of the cases is with a defense attorney who shall be known as Liar Liar. She has been known to drive sane, ethical lawyers such as myself to the brink of madness. I foresee much agitation in my near future.

My cooking mojo is back! During 2007 I would cook at least three new recipes a week. In addition to getting burnt out (no pun intended), Eddie and I also steadily gained weight. So for most of 2008 I have been sticking with boring protein, veggie & whole grain dishes in order to slow our roll (around our respective bellies – bad pun intended). But I’ve tried out several new recipes over the past weeks that were hits while also being relatively healthy.

I got sick and was out of the office for almost a week. Again. This is the second time this year that I have had to take so many consecutive sick days. The last time around it was the flu. This time it was a cold. Both sucked, but at least I lost five pounds when I came down with the flu. All I lost with the cold is apparently a layer of skin on the edge of my nose, which now hurts like a mofo.

I am still holding steady at –5lbs. on my Six Week Mission. There are only two more weeks to go. sigh. I guess I should get rid of the agitation generated by Liar Liar by hitting the gym?

The judges on Top Chef nearly gave me a heart attack with some of their wacky decisions in the final weeks of Season 4. But in the end the right cheftestant prevailed much to my relief. I was on the verge of giving up the show forever if a certain person won. Who am I kidding? I am totally Top Chef's bitch.