tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898204377777930712023-11-15T10:50:30.345-08:00Bao Bao's Secret Recipes (寶寶私房菜)<a href="#about">About</a>Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-51335261588525030072011-06-05T22:07:00.000-07:002011-06-11T13:01:24.479-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5821683723"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5237/5821683723_bfef1e64ba_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=3>Recipe #65: Mustard greens with dried scallops (干貝芥菜)</font></strong><br /><br />Mustard greens have a mix of spiciness and bitterness. As such, I usually don't eat a lot of it. However, the large-sized Chinese mustard greens are the only variants that I will eat. Not only because there is a hint of sweetness in the bitterness, but also that the dried scallop improves its taste.<br /><br />In Chinese folklore, mustard greens is often called the "vegetable of long life." As such, this dish is often served at Chinese New Year or formal gatherings. This is because the festive dishes are elegant, which the scallops add to. In restaurants, there is usually no scallops, so most Cantonese restaurants will offer mustard green.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1 bunch mustard greens<br />2. Dried scallops, soaked in 1/2 c. water<br />3. 1/2 tsp. light color soy sauce, 1 Tbs water<br />4. salt to taste<br />5. 1 Tbsp. cooking oil<br />6. 2 tsp. cornstarch<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Soak dried scallops in water.<br />2. When scallops are soft, rub them apart, keeping the water (with the aroma of scallops). <br />3. Slice mustard greens into large chunks, and boil them till tender and drain.<br />3. In a saucepan, add cooking oil. When it is hot enough, add mustard greens.<br />4. Quick stir, then add salt and sautee.<br />5. Trans vegetables to plate.<br />6. Mix light color soy sauce, water and cornstarch well.<br />7. Pour the water (with the scallop aroma) in fry pan, sprinkle a little salt, and add cornstarch mixture, and bring it to a boil. It should result in a thick gravy.<br />8. Pour scallop gravy on mustard greens, serve hot.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. A brief boil is adequate; you don't want to cook it too much, or the tenderness will be gone. The color will also be worse.<br />2. The reason for the boil is to remove the bitterness, which makes the taste less palpitable; I recommend not against frying it.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-86117076839726697262011-06-03T21:37:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:17:37.987-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5810405701"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5280/5810405701_9cbd11a45e_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=3>Recipe #64: Stuffed luffa (絲瓜) with dried scallops</font></strong><br /><br />Taiwanese-born people, especially girls, are known to love luffa. Not only for its texture, but also for its skin-beautifying properties. In warmer weather, eating luffa can help balance the body. As such, one cannot grow so much pimples.<br /><br />In the event where pimples do appear, it is a common practice to cut off a luffa, and attach a bottle to collect the sap, which would then applied to the face a bit every day. Even if there are a lot of pimples, they would be quickly cured.<br /><br />One of my mother's college roommates had a bunch of pimples. She used this method; not only did her pimples disappear, her skin also became soft and fine, and also very beautiful. In the heart of Taiwanese girls, the luffa is a legend.<br /><br />Of course, the luffa is used in many recipies...<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 2 dried scallops<br />2. 8 oz. ground pork<br />3. 1 large luffa, peeled<br />4. 3 dried mushrooms<br />5. 1/2 egg white<br />6. 1 tsp. minced ginger<br />7. 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion<br />8. 1/2 tsp. salt<br />9. 1 Tbsp. soy sauce<br />10. 1/2 Tbsp. sake or cooking wine<br />11. 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Cut luffa into 1" sections. <br />2. Soak dried mushrooms and scallops in separate bowl.<br />3. Chop mushrooms when soft, and rub scallop apart.<br />4. Add mushrooms, egg white, ginger, green onion, salt, and sake into ground pork, and mix well with hand.<br />5. Remove the center of the luffa (keep a small part of the bottom), and fill with pork mixture.<br />6. Arrange stuffed luffa on plate, and steam for about 15 minutes.<br />7. Mix soy sauce and scallops with 1 Tbsp. water and steamed juice, and bring it to a boil. It should result in a thick gravy.<br />8. Pour the gravy over luffa and serve. <br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Round (not the ones with jagged edges) luffa works best with this recipe.<br />2. This is one of the higher-class dishes, so it is usually served at parties with important guests. Otherwise, the scallops are not included. Speaking of which, dried scallops are often sold in Japanese medicine stores.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-79591266272057689732011-02-06T21:37:00.000-08:002011-02-06T22:04:22.684-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5423749069"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5423749069_c41bf41077_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>A classic Chinese dish</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #63: broccoli beef</font></strong><br /><br />One time, my mother had a party. All of the food was very good except for the broccoli beef. I couldn't resist, so I asked her, "How did you cook this beef? It's very old and tough!" Before she could answer, another guest piped up, "Oh, I'm the one who made it!"<br /><br />That turned out to be the only dish that was not made by my mother.<br /><br />Ah, no wonder.<br /><br />However, broccoli beef isn't all that hard to make, as long as you use the right methods.<br /><br />The method my mother taught me does not use any sauce, so it's very light, tasty and healthy.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 3 oz. flank steak, sliced<br />2. beef marinade: 1/2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. cooking wine (sake), 1 tsp. corn starch, 1/2 tsp. cooking oil<br />3. 2 stalks of broccoli<br />4. salt to taste<br />5. 1 Tbsp. cooking oil<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Mix the ingredients the marinade and place beef in for a few minutes.<br />2. Cut broccoli into bite-sized florets.<br />3. Fill a 4- or 5-qt. pot half full with water and boil. Dip broccoli in for about a minute; drain and set aside.<br />4. In a saucepan, add cooking oil. When it is hot enough, add beef.<br />5. When beef is medium-well, add broccoli.<br />6. Add salt and sautee.<br />7. Meanwhile, add about 1 tsp. hot water to the remaining marinade and pour into saucepan.<br />8. Continue sauteing for about half a minute, or until beef is well done.<br />9. Serve hot.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Be sure to cut the flanks against the grain and put into small bowl; otherwise, the beef will be very hard to chew.<br />2. Flank steak is best fit for this dish. Some restaurants use regular beef instead of flank steak, and then use baking soda to tenderize the meat. Afterwards, they use sauce to cover the baking soda. However, this causes the beef to lose its original flavor, and it is also less healthy.<br />3. The broccoli only needs to be boiled for about a minute. This lets it stay green without being overcooked, yet still has a crispy and tender texture.<br />4. Adding hot water to the marinade lets the dish cook faster, and also improves the taste.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-6194590347483825492011-01-08T13:54:00.001-08:002011-06-09T22:17:37.988-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5339444959"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5166/5339444959_c9ab8aaac6_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=3>Recipe #62: steamed pork with rice powder</font></strong><br /><br />In my memory, my grandparents' generation often made steamed pork with rice powder. Especially, it was one of my grandfather's masterpieces. Those who have tasted it always wanted to come to our house for seconds. Some of those people would go as far as giving my grandfather great gifts, as well as a bit of PR.<br /><br />Unfortunately, my mother would only enjoy eating when she was young, and, like I used to, assumed that she would magically know how to make it. Until when she actually tried, she did not know where to start! The steamed pork with rice powder was a dish she has always wanted to try, and she realized that even grandfather told her how to make the dish, she wouldn't necessarily be able to get the ingredients. So she decided to make her own version.<br /><br />My mother really has talent. She experimented for a bit, and was able to this dish. In her generation, very few people know how to make this dish. But I am lucky that she does.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1/2 lb. chunked porks or 1" baby pork ribs<br />2. 1/2 lb. kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) or yam<br />3. 2 packages of rice powder<br />4. 1/2 c. water<br />5. 1/2 Tbsp. hot soybean paste<br />6. 1 tsp. cooking wine<br />7. 1 Tbsp. soy sauce<br />8. 1/2 tsp. sugar<br />9. 2 slices ginger<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Mix water, soybean paste, wine, soy sauce, sugar and ginger well; add pork to mixture and marinate for at least 30 minutes.<br />2. Put pumpkin or yam into bowl or steamable container.<br />3. Dip every chunk of pork into rice powder on all sides. Line up on top of pumpkin or yam.<br />4. Pour remaining marinade on rice powder.<br />5. On high heat, steam for about 40-60 minutes.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. We usually use pork butt. For baby back ribs, you can cut it into three pieces, and then you can cut each piece into small chunks.<br />2. Rice powder comes in several flavors, such as regular, five spices or spicy. Each type brings about its own unique taste.<br />3. If you don't like spicy foods, you can replace the hot soybean paste with another Tbsp. of soy sauce.<br />4. Putting the pumpkin or yam on the bottom brings about a better overall taste, but the pork will be on the bottom when you transfer the contents to a plate, resulting in a poor presentation. My mother solves this problem by steaming pumpkin/yam and pork separately; when the pork is about 80% done, add the pumpkin/yam to it and finish cooking.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-43266333941047052352010-12-12T15:55:00.001-08:002010-12-12T20:56:47.171-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/4938821527"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4938821527_b01cc323e9_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5256883494"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5256883494_035a25d29d_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>Do you love bread? Chocolate? Or both?</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #61: chocolate chip bun</font></strong><br /><br />If you are one of those people who never get tired of eating bread or if you are one of those people who never get tired of eating chocolate, then you defintely won't get tired of our chocolate chip bun.<br /><br />If you're tired from working overtime, or if you have a carefree afternoon, or if you're enjoying a rainy day, a chocolate chip bun and a cup of tea or coffee will make you feel like you're the luckiest person in the world.<br /><br />Some of my colleagues even asked me where I bought this. If you follow this recipe, your creation will look very professional.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 3/4 c. water<br />2. 1 egg<br />3. 1/4 c. butter<br />4. 1/4 c. sugar<br />5. 3 c. bread flour<br />6. 1 tsp. salt<br />7. 2 tsp. yeast<br />8. handful of chocolate chips<br />9. chocolate syrup<br />10. half of an egg yolk and 1 tsp. water, mixed well<br /><br /><strong>Directions (dough)</strong><br /><br />1. Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chip, syrup and egg yolk, in bread machine<br />2. Set to "dough"; once the dough is ready, remove it from the container and punch it down.<br />3. Split dough into 8 to 12 pieces, depending on how large you want each to be.<br />4. Flatten the center of each piece a bit<br />5. Apply egg yolk mixture to surface of dough pieces.<br />6. Add chocolate chips on center of buns.<br />7. When dough has risen a little more (after about 20 to 30 minutes), add chocolate syrup.<br />8. Put in oven (preheated at 350 degrees) for about 15-18 minutes.<br />9. When buns are golden, remove from oven and add chocolate syrup.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Chocolate chips can be used whole or chopped into small pieces.<br />2. If you do not have chocolate syrup, the buns will still taste very good.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-89480483088942705122010-12-03T18:38:00.000-08:002010-12-03T19:28:38.745-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5230697282"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/5230697282_228816ff76_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5230697426"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5123/5230697426_e37432aaa9_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><font size=3>Recipe #60: fried tilapia with green sauce (salsa verde)</font><br /><br />My parents grew up in Taiwan. When they were younger, the Taiwanese economy was not as strong as it is now. Everyone was on a budget, and commodities had to be carefully rationed. At that time, tilapia was a staple food for the middle class; it was both affordable and high in protein. There were many ways to prepare tilapia, so it was highly welcomed. Even after my parents moved to America, their love for tilapia has not changed.<br /><br />On day, we saw fried tilapia at a family-owned Mexican restaurant. My mother immediately ordered it. As soon as the crispy, freshly-fried tilapia was brought onto the table, all of us grabbed a chunk of it, eager to dip them in the green sauce. To my mother, it was the best sauce she's ever tasted.<br /><br />Ever since then, we have started preparing tilapia this way. In our home, we have an additional method of making this dish.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients (tilapia)</strong><br /><br />1. 1 tilapia, cleaned (guts must be removed)<br />2. oil for frying<br />3. 1/2 c. flour (for breading)<br /><br /><strong>Directions (tilapia)</strong><br /><br />1. Pat tilapia dry with a paper towel.<br />2. Using a knife, cut two or three gashes in both sides of the fish, at an angle.<br />3. Fill a large skillet with oil; using medium-high, gradually heat until oil is hot.<br />4. Spread flour evenly on large plate. Put fish on flour and press until bottom has gathered enough flour. Flip fish over and repeat.<br />5. Put fish into oil fry until golden brown.<br /><br /><strong>Tips (green sauce)</strong><br /><br />1. If you are using a skillet, the flour will make the fish more crispy and reduce the time needed for frying. If you are using a deep pot, then the flour is not needed; you can use the cleaned fish directly.<br />2. If you don't cut the fish open, it will be too thick; in other words, the interior of the fish may be still raw while the outside is golden brown.<br />3. Some Chinese supermarkets will fry the fish for you; ask the fishmonger if the store has this service. However, supermarkets have the tendency to reuse oil for frying, which is less healthy and has a lower quality.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients (green sauce)</strong><br /><br />1. 4 cloves of garlic, chopped<br />2. 6 tomatillos, cooked in water until tender, chopped (canned is OK)<br />3. 4 chilis serrano<br />4. 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil<br />5. pinch of salt<br />6. 1/2 tsp. mild chili powder<br />7. 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (optional)<br />8. 2 c. water<br />9. 1 Tbsp. onion, chopped<br />10. 1 Tbsp. cilantro<br />11. 1 fresno pepper, chopped (optional)<br /><br /><strong>Directions (green sauce)</strong><br /><br />1. Boil water in pot. Add tomatillos and cook briefly.<br />2. Remove skin; add garlic, serrano onion and a pinch of salt; puree mixture with blender.<br />2. Heat a little oil in a deep skillet. Add above mixture and cook on medium-high for 10 minutes or until it has thickened.<br />3. If you want the sauce to be spicy, you can add cumin and chili powder.<br />4. Add chopped fresno chilis and mix well for best presentation.<br />5. Serve as a side with tilapia.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-3281313765144901192010-11-28T22:07:00.001-08:002010-11-28T22:52:53.433-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5217304992"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5243/5217304992_e8db86a923_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>Crispy and aromatic, a great gift for the holidays</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #59: almond shortbread</font></strong><br /><br />My mother's shortbread is always really good. For this past Thanksgiving, my mother and I decided to make another of them, to give to different friends. Shortbread is sold everywhere, whether in the supermarket or bakery, or from the Girl Scouts. They all taste pretty good, but they generally contain ingredients that maintain their freshness. In terms of textures, our homemade cookies are all-natural, freshly baked and full of buttery goodness, and have none of those ingredients. Each crispy bite holds the essence of almonds, which the shortbread sold in stores cannot compare to. No wonder everyone who has tasted it have told us that it was fabulous.<br /><br />In reality, shortbread is easy to make, although the method is slightly difficult. As the dough is very, very sticky, it can be hard to knead into the desired shape. However, this is rewarded with the best shortbread you'll ever taste.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 2 sticks (1 c.) butter, at room temperature<br />2. 1 c. sugar<br />3. 1 egg<br />4. 2 c. cake flour<br />5. 1/2 c. whole roasted almonds<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Beat butter until soft.<br />2. Add sugar, and then flour and almonds. Mix well.<br />3. Cover the bottom of a small (about 8" x 11") baking pan with parchment.<br />4. Using your hands, push the dough evenly into the baking pan. You can use a rolling pin at the end if you want to.<br />5. Put in refrigerator for two hours.<br />6. Remove from refrigerator, and lift the entire mixture, including the parchment, to the table or board.<br />7. Using a knife, cut the dough into a rectangular pieces.<br />8. Put pieces in a larger baking pan, with at least 1 cm between each piece. Put in oven preheated at 350 F on the center level.<br />9. Bake for about 17 to 20 minutes.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. When we make it for ourselves, we sometimes substitute 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour.<br />2. We also reduce the sugar to 1/2 c. Whole wheat has its own natural sweetness, so we don't need so much sugar.<br />3. The reason for putting the dough in the refrigerator is to let the butter re-solidify; otherwise, the dough will be stick and hard to cut.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-14027708565763858672010-11-26T12:48:00.001-08:002010-12-03T18:37:59.569-08:00on hiatus...Hi everyone, you may have noticed that I haven't posted any new recipes in a while.<br /><br />The thing is, I recently got a job at Cisco! :-) Unfortunately, I must spend a lot of time preparing for my new career, so I don't have so much time to update this blog. Of course, I will still post recipes whenever I can. Rest assured that I have not forgotten about this blog.<br /><br />Edit: I'm back! Well, sort of...Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-18661063404117573642010-11-10T08:55:00.000-08:002011-06-09T22:17:37.989-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5141380016"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1360/5141380016_e9a9604569_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5141380330"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/5141380330_34f42f9395_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><font size=3>Recipe #58: beef with green beans</font><br /><br />We plant green beans every year. Because there is a large harvest every year, we can harvest them as soon as they're tender. These beans are delicious when sauteed, regardless of what other ingredients you use with them. Beef with green beans is the easiest to make, but it tastes extremely good. However, it's hard to find this dish even in restaurants, because it's hard to obtain beans that are so tender. Don't worry if you don't have any tender beans; the below sections contains a few tricks that will improve the texture.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1 lb. green beans, trimmed<br />2. 3 oz. beef flanks<br />3. 2 tsp. soy sauce<br />4. 1 tsp. sesame oil + 1 tsp. oil (for marinating)<br />5. 1 Tbsp. oil (for stir-frying)<br />6. 1 tsp. cooking wine<br />7. pinch of sugar<br />8. 1 tsp. corn starch<br />9. salt to taste<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Cut beans into halves of thirds, depending on length.<br />2. Cut the flanks against the grain and put into small bowl.<br />3. Mix all condiments (except salt) into bowl with beef.<br />4. If possible, marinate for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavor to go in.<br />5. Put oil into saucepan; when oil is warm, add beef and stir-fry. When beef is medium well, move beef back to bowl. When oil is still warm, add beans and stir-fry. If the beans are in season but not as tender as you expect, you 1 tsp. hot water along the side of the saucepan; the vapor will make the beans cook faster.<br />6. Add salt to taste.<br />7. Add beef back; stir-fry until beef is done and the beans contain the beef flavor.<br />8. If the dish is too dry, add 1 tsp. hot water to the marinating mixture and pour into saucepan, and stir. Serve hot.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. If you like black pepper, you can add it to the marinating mixture.<br />2. If you are using beans bought during the winter, they will be a bit tough, in which case you can prepare a pot of boiling water. Cook the beans in the water briefly and drain with a strainer; this will make the beans more tender.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-66856599620039895292010-11-08T08:51:00.000-08:002011-06-09T22:26:42.093-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5140775479"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1246/5140775479_f265cb4a4a_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5141379266"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1428/5141379266_b4d76d0b3f_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>My favorite tofu dish</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #57: wok-ta (tower) tofu</font></strong><br /><br />Whenever I went to a Chinese restaurant, I would always order wok-ta tofu, if it were available. After it is friend, the tofu is stakced like a tower, hence its name.<br /><br />However, it is hard to actually stack the tofu; it is usually laid out in a plate when served. Thus, it is rarely called "tower" tofu.<br /><br />The standard method is to cover the tofu with a layer of flour, and then beaten egg, before frying. Thus, the tofu has a delicious skin and a tender center. Since we tend to avoid friend foods, my mother has devised a version of this recipe that does not involve frying. The finished product has a different texture, but is equally delicious.<br /><br />My mother prefers to include a few hot dishes at parties, and wok-ta tofu would be one of them. In many cases, the dish would be gone before my mother has finished cooking the other ones!<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1 carton of firm tofu (1 lb.)<br />2. 1 egg, beaten<br />3. 1 green onion, chopped<br />4. 2 Tbsp. soy sauce<br />5. 1 Tbsp. oil<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Cut tofu horizontally into two halves. Cut each half into 1 cm-thickness. Each piece should be about 1.5" x 1.5" x 1 cm.<br />2. Heat oil in a large skillet and dip tofu into egg mixture, ensuring that each piece is completely covered. When oil is warm, arrange tofu pieces in skillet, covering the skillet completely. Cook on medium high heat.<br />3. After you have finished arranging the tofu, the bottom half should be golden. Flip each piece using a spatula. At this point, add some soy sauce, making sure that each piece has some sauce on it.<br />4. Flip each piece again. Add the other half Tbsp. soy sauce. Add onion.<br />5. Flip each piece yet again. Turn off heat.<br />6. Move to plate and serve.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. If you're not sure how to cut the tofu, refer to the above picture.<br />2. Different brands of soy sauce have varying levels of saltiness, so you will have to adjust accordingly.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-63146755410278990692010-11-06T08:19:00.000-07:002011-02-06T21:37:34.381-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5140774979"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/5140774979_fc55e010f7_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>A Mediterranean sensation on a plate</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #56: grilled mussels</font></strong><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 12 fresh mussels<br />2. 1 Tbsp. pesto<br />3. 1 Tbsp. bread crumbs<br />4. 2 cloves of garlic, minced<br />5. pinch of parmesan cheese<br />6. 2 Tbsp. olive oil<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Clean mussels and remove one half of the shell<br />2. In a bowl, mix pesto, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil and parmesan well.<br />3. Spread mixture on mussels.<br />4. Using broil, preheat 10 minutes. Put in mussels for 5-7 minutes until golden.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. If you don't have fresh mussels, frozen ones work as well, as long as they are thawed.<br />2. Pesto can be bought in warehouse or Italian stores, or in supermarkets, often freshly made. If you don't use up the pesto, you can save it for a later batch.<br />3. Because pesto tends to be salty, we don't add other condiments.<br />4. Pesto contains pine nuts, so those allergic to them should avoid this.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-62687682163895950742010-11-04T08:15:00.000-07:002010-11-04T11:52:27.075-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5141378880"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5141378880_b595a3f884_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=3>Recipe #55: scrambled eggs with chorizo</font></strong><br /><br />We love Mexican food. However, we usually only eat it in the noon or evening, so there are few chances to have a Mexican-style breakfast. Whenever we want to have a breakfast with Mexican flavors, this scrambled egg with chorizo is a great choice.<br /><br />If you already know how to make the Italian sausage variant, this recipe will be a piece of cake.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1/2 yellow onion, diced<br />2. 4 oz. or more chorizo<br />3. 1/2 green peper, diced<br />4. 1/2 red pepper, diced<br />5. 1 green onion, chopped<br />7. 1 Tbsp. oil<br />8. 4 eggs<br />9. black pepper to taste<br />10. pinch of salt<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Break chorizo into small bits and cook on medium-high using a small skillet.<br />2. In a large skillet, add oil. On medium-high heat, when oil is slightly warm, add onions.<br />3. When onions are slightly soft, add sausage and continue stir-frying. Add diced green and red peppers. Saute until they are almost cooked, crack eggs into pan.<br />4. When pepper is almost cooked, add sausage and onion, and then egg.<br />5. When eggs have slightly solidified, mix eggs and other ingredients and food using a spatula, breaking the egg into different pieces.<br />6. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix and put on plate. Cut basil leaves into strips and add onto scrambled egg.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. The first time, I cooked the sausage and onion together, and the result was rich and greasy. Thus, I recommend cooking the chorizo separately, which makes it easier to remove the oil.<br />2. Sausage still produces oil when you stir-fry it, so you don't need to add so much oil.<br />3. Because sausage is also pretty salty, we only add a pinch of salt.<br />4. If you like cilantro, you can substitute the green onion with it.<br />5. You can use any pepper you like (such as Fresno).<br />6. The recipe uses four eggs, but I used 8 egg whites.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-17948023525289867852010-11-02T10:45:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:48:25.506-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5115128826"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/5115128826_8a2abe9a90_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5116427803"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5116427803_77afff83f7_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=3>Recipe #54: Shrimp with broccoli</font></strong><br /><br />If you've tried our shrimp fried rice and enjoyed it, then I'm sure you've halfway mastered cooking with shrimp. In Chinese dishes that use shrimp, sauteeing is the most common method.<br /><br />To ensure that the shrimp is tender, they are briefly "soaked" in hot oil. The heat of the oil would cook the shrimp. However, this method results in a lot of grease, which is unhealthy. Also, only a small portion of the oil is actually used up, which is wasteful. In sauteeing the shrimp, we use two methods. One of them is to put them in a mixture of cooking wine and corn starch. The other method is to use a mixture of a tablespoon of cooking wine and a tablespoon of egg whites. The latter is more traditional, but it will leave chunks of egg white, which negatively impacts presentation. However, the first method will work just fine.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1 broccoli, flowers only<br />2. 1/2 - 2/3 lb. shrimp, peeled and divined<br />3. 1 tsp. of both corn starch and cooking wine<br />4. salt and pepper to taste<br />5. 1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. oil, divided<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Cut broccoli into stalks. Each piece should not be too large; otherwise it will taste raw.<br />2. Prepare a pot of water with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. oil added. When water boils, add broccoli and keep the lid on. When boiling resumes, turn off heat. After the boiling stops again, drain the broccoli and put into a plate, arranged in a circle.<br />3. Refer to the recipe for the <a href="http://fromgarden2table.blogspot.com/2010/10/if-youve-never-tried-rice-you-can-start.html">shrimp fried rice</a> for instructions on how to prepare the shrimp.<br />4. When shrimp is fully cooked, put in center of plate.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. This creates an excellent presentation. If you are serving to yourself, you can use an easier method: drain the cooked broccoli aside; when the oil is heated, cook the shrimp until it is about 80% done and add shrimp. Saute and mix the shrimp and broccoli. If you use this method, the broccoli will contain the taste of shrimp, which improves the flavor.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-7401908282177463812010-10-31T11:07:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:51:16.391-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5114641051"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1254/5114641051_f3c4a2f873_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5115243102"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/5115243102_22d6999759_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>It's like living in a fairy tale world!</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #53: Japanese pumpkin (kabocha)</font></strong><br /><br />When I first heard the story of <em>Cinderella</em>, I was fascinated with the magical pumpkin. It was cute and vivid, and I loved pumpkins at the time. Every year, as Halloween approached, we would buy all sorts of pumpkins. They made great decorations, and we would sometimes carve them. We even make some of them into desserts!<br /><br />But when we planted Japanese pumpkin for the first time, we realized how good they were! They are extremely tender, and anyone who has tried them (including Americans who tried it for the first time) said they had never eat something so tender. They said it was like avacado. After they were more ripe, people said the pumpkins tasted like sweet potatos. Some even asked us if sugar was added. Since then, we no longer have "regular" pumpkins on our dining tables during Halloween.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. half of a Japanese pumpkin, chunked and seeded<br />2. 2 sprigs of thyme<br />3. Salt to taste<br />4. 1/4 c. water<br />5. 2 pcs. ginger<br />6. 1 tsp. oil<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Put oil in skillet; when oil is warm, add the ginger.<br />2. Add pumpkin and thyme; sprinkle salt and saute for about a minute.<br />3. Add water and put on lid, and turn heat to a lower medium-high.<br />4. After about five to seven minutes, or when water has evaporated, it is ready.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Thyme best matches the taste of pumpkin, better than the other herbs.<br />2. If you don't have herbs, you don't have to use them.<br />3. Soy sauce lovers can add some soy sauce and reduce the salt. In this case, don't add the thyem.<br />4. If you're having trouble chopping the pumpkin, cut it into wedges.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-12875038800819705802010-10-29T11:39:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:17:37.997-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5113745374"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1332/5113745374_eecab023d9_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5113145853"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1379/5113145853_4f219cffef_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>Turn leftovers into a great new dish!</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #52: roast chicken with Napa cabbage</font></strong><br /><br />A while ago, we told you how to make a <a href="http://fromgarden2table.blogspot.com/2010/09/recipe-39-roast-chicken-breast-salad.html">roast chicken</a> flavored with herbs and lemons. If we don't have lemon, my mother would use salt, pepper and butter as a rub, which results in a beautiful roast chicken.<br /><br />If we have leftovers, my mother would try to make it into a new dish. One of them uses Napa cabbage. Since my father loves roast chicken with Napa cabbage, my mother would sometimes use the entire chicken (save two legs for me) for this dish.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. roast chicken (depends on how much you have), with the juice saved<br />2. 1 lb. Napa cabbage, cut into 1" x 1" chunks<br />3. 3 pcs. ginger<br />4. salt and pepper to taste<br />5. 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Heat oil in a large pot and add ginger.<br />2. Add Napa cabbage and saute. When it softens, add salt and pepper.<br />3. Cut chicken into pieces and put into pot (include the juice). Using a spatula, lightly stir the ingredients.<br />4. Put on lid and turn heat to low-medium.<br />5. After about ten minutes, put into bowl and serve.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Because we love Napa cabbage, we usually use 2 lbs. and let it cook for longer (for up to 30 minutes) to allow the flavor to get in. This creates a great aroma, but the chicken will lose flavor. Yu can adjust the cooking time to your needs, depending on which flavor you like.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-6430811859176663962010-10-27T11:24:00.000-07:002010-10-27T11:24:00.668-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5113721388"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5113721388_a0a6548504_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=3>Recipe #51: Omurice</font></strong><br /><br />If you like both omelettes and fried rice, you won't have a dilemmatic choice. You can enjoy the taste of both!<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. Refer to the ingredients for the <a href="http://fromgarden2table.blogspot.com/2010/10/if-youve-never-tried-rice-you-can-start.html">shrimp fried rice</a>. Omit the scrambled eggs, but prepare ten fresh eggs.<br />2. If this is too much, you can reduce the amount.<br />3. Ketchup (depends on how much you like)<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Use the same method for making the fried rice, minus the scrambled eggs.<br />2. Add salt to eggs and beat them.<br />3. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to a saucepan. When oil is hot, add about two eggs into the pan and let it cook.<br />4. When egg is half cooked, add 1 c. fried rice and fold the egg and wait until the egg is fully cooked.<br />5. Move to plate, add ketchup and serve. Repeat the process for the remaining egg mixture.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. If you are concerned about high cholestrol, you can replace some of the egg yolks with egg whites.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-66113943554484177532010-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:002010-10-25T10:53:11.474-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5074409418"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5074409418_081c66dd9b_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>If you've never tried rice, you can start from this dish</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #50: Shrimp fried rice</font></strong><br /><br />Rice is the main staple in Chinese cooking. However, ever since I started eating, I have refused to touch anything with rice. The older folks always thought, "How could this kid grow if he doesn't eat rice?" They saw it as a serious problem. "How could a mother not let their child eat rice? That will spoil him!"<br /><br />I really ought to thank her. She has never gotten mad at me for refusing to eat rice. When I was about seven, she started to encourage me by giving me a tiny bit of rice at once. I stopped rejecting rice, but I would still eat only that tiny bit, and nothing more. However, I fell in love when I tried <em>fried</em> rice for the first time.<br /><br />Whenever my family wanted to go out to eat at a Chinese restaurant, my only demand would be fish or fried rice (preferably both). However, most fried rice sold in restaurants is way too oily. In some cases, I could smell that the oil was not fresh, and I'd wonder if the oil was already used to fry something else. One of my mother's friends told us that she would develop a rash each time she eats fried rice.<br /><br />If you like fried rice, I recommend making your own.<br /><br />It's really not hard to make; many of my mother's friends first dishes are fried rice.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 2 green onions (scallion), chopped<br />2. 3 large eggs<br />3. 1/2 tsp. cooking wine and 1/2 tsp. corn starch<br />4. 1 tsp. salt<br />5. Pepper to taste<br />6. 4 Tbsp. oil, divided.<br />7. 4 cups long grain or brown rice, cold and cooked<br />8. 1 - 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce (optional)<br />9. 1/2 cup frozen peas, corns or other beans<br />10. 2/3 c. shrimps, peeled and divined<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br />1. Put shrimp in a mixture of 1/2 tsp. cooking wine and corn starch, place in refrigerator for at least an hour.<br />2. Heat water in a pot. When it boils, add peas and corn. The pot stop boiling momentarily; when it resumes boiling, remove heat and drain the pot in a sieve. Set aside. <br />4. Lightly beat the eggs, adding a tiny pinch of salt.<br />5. Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 Tbsp. oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Stir and break up the eggs until they resemble scrambled eggs. Remove eggs and set aside.<br />6. Add 1 Tbsp. oil in a heated fried pan. Add shrimp and stir lightly until color turns pink. Set aside.<br />7. Add another Tbsp. oil in heated fried pan, and add rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using a wooden spoon to break the rice apart. Stir in the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.<br />8. When the rice is heated thoroughly, add the egg and green onion and shrimp back into the pan. Mix well and turn off heat. If you like soy sauce, you can may add it now. Server hot.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. You can substititue white with brown rice.<br />2. If you are a vegetarian, you can omit the shrimp.<br />3. You can use any of your favorite vegetables, such as carrots and shelled edamame beans. However, carrots have a stronger taste, so we usually don't add carrots when we use shrimp.<br />4. Some people like oyster sauce or ketchup. You can add these sauces if you want, but be sure to adjust the amount of salt as well.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-9462408055428468002010-10-23T07:57:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:26:25.519-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5106029745"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1182/5106029745_f1f1654e61_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5106029437"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1372/5106029437_d004451767_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>Even meat lovers would love this meatless dish</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #49: Angel hair with mixed mushrooms</font></strong><br /><br />I usually enjoy Italian pasta with meatballs, chicken or seafood. However, my mother has made two types of meatless pasta, both of which I love.<br /><br />Especially this one. It is very aromatic and very delicious. Because this dish uses heavy cream and mixed mushrooms, it is hard to describe its incredible taste. Even a meat lover would like this.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1/2 lb. angel hair<br />2. 2 c. mixed mushrooms<br />3. 3 cloves or garlic, finely chopped<br />4. 3/4 -1 c. heavy cream<br />5. 2 Tbsp. water<br />6. 1 Tbsp. olive oil<br />7. 1 Tbsp. white wine<br />8. sea salt and pepper to taste<br />9. chopped parsley<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Follow the directions on preparing the angel hair. Remove from pot and set aside.<br />2. In a skillet, saute the mushrooms using medium-heat high heat.<br />3. Add garlic and continue sauteeing.<br />4. Add white wine, heavy cream and water. Bring mixture to a boil.<br />5. Add pasta into skillet, add salt and pepper, and move to plate.<br />6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Various types of mushrooms (shiitake, shimeiji, abalone, button, etc.) are sold at farmer's markets.<br />2. If you can't them, you can buy dried mushroom mixes at warehouse stores, such as Costco.<br />3. Alternatively, you can look for frozen mushrooms, which are ready to use once they are thawed.<br />4. When cooking the angel hair, you can add oil and salt. Not only does this improve the taste, it also keeps the pasta apart and prevents the pot from frothing up, which can make a mess.<br />5. If you have any extra pasta, you can rinse it in cold water and add oil so it won't stick together.<br />6. Heavy cream is very rich, so this is why we add two Tbsp. of water.<br />7. When you add the pasta to the skillet, it will suck up the heavy cream. Don't add more heavy cream because of this; it will ooze out of the pasta again.<br />8. This pasta is very light, so you don't need to add cheese.<br />9. If you don't have parsley, you can use chives.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-55715275865205095392010-10-22T12:41:00.000-07:002010-10-30T19:16:08.119-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5103715510"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/5103715510_205ca6c360_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5103715630"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/5103715630_29f0eb1841_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>Great breakfast = great weekend</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #48: Scrambled egg with Italian sausage</font></strong><br /><br />I have always loved American-style breakfast in restaurants, especially their omelettes or scrambled eggs. These breakfast add to the great memory of family trips. Sometimes during the weekends, we would have these breakfasts. In enjoying the meal, I get to reminisce the great feelings of vacations past, which brings about a great weekend.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1/2 yellow onion, diced<br />2. 1 Italian sausage (any flavor you like)<br />3. 1/2 green peper, diced<br />4. 1/2 giant green pepper or 1 chili green paper, diced<br />5. 2 Tbsp. scallions (green onions)<br />6. 2 basil leaves<br />7. 1 Tbsp. oil<br />8. 4 eggs<br />9. black pepper to taste<br />10. pinch of salt<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Cook sausage in pot until well done.<br />2. When sausage cools, remove skin. Tear into small bits.<br />3. In a skillet, add oil. On medium-high heat, when oil is slightly warm, add onions.<br />4. When onions are slightly soft, add sausage and continue stir-frying.<br />5. Add diced pepper. Saute until they are almost cooked, crack eggs into pan.<br />6. When eggs have slightly solidified, mix eggs and other ingredients and food using a spatula, breaking the egg into different pieces.<br />7. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix and put on plate.<br />8. Cut basil leaves into strips and add onto scrambled egg.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Sausage tends to be very rich. If you cook it first, it removes a lot of the oil. You can cook save some of the sausage for later use.<br />2. Sausage still produces oil when you stir-fry it, so you don't need to add so much oil.<br />3. Because sausage is also pretty salty, we only add a pinch of salt.<br />4. The sausage we use has a very strong basil taste, so we use basil only as a garnish.<br />5. You can use any pepper (red, green, etc.) you like. We use the ones picked from our backyard.<br />6. The recipe uses four eggs, but we use only one whole egg, and egg whites for the rest.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-73819935031936853112010-10-20T14:09:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:26:48.057-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5094439848"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5094438708_014bc6599b_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5093837185"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5093837185_d2f239db66_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><font size=3>Recipe #47: curry tofu with peppers and onion</font><br /><br />Curry usually carries a bit of spice. Since I disliked spicy foods when I was young, I would stay far, far away from my mother's curry, no matter how good it smelled. That is, until curry was recently discovered to have health benefits, such as its antioxidizing properties, alleviation of digestive problems and high iron content. I decided to try some for the first time. My mother like the Indian curry due to its authentic flavor - both strong and spicy. For me, however, she made a milder version.<br /><br />Curry roux can often be found in Asian supermarkets and are mostly made in Japan. They are very convenient to use, but they tend to be too thick and sweet, so my mother made a modified version.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1/2 carton tofu (1/2 lb.), cut into blocks<br />2. 1/2 onion, cut into medium-small pieces<br />3. 2-3 green and red bell peppers, cut into chunks<br />4. 2 cloves of garlic, pounded and shelled<br />5. 2 blocks of Japanese curry<br />6. 3 Tbsp. water<br />7. 1 tsp. Indian curry powder<br />8. salt to taste<br />9. 1 c. oil for frying<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Using a small pot, fry until tofu is golden. Set aside. <br />2. In a separate pot, add water and curry blocks. Stir fry and mix until the blocks dissolve and the curry becomes thick.<br />3. Add 1 Tbsp. oil into a frying pan. Put garlic and allow its aroma to permeate, and add onion.<br />4. When the onion chunks soften, add the peppers and continue stir-frying. Add the tofu.<br />5. Pour in the curry sauce and powder, and add salt. Mix together and serve.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. There is an increasing number of imported goods stores that sell jars of curry sauce. Although there is a great variety of flavors, you can use any one (about 1/4 c. will be enough) you like.<br />2. Japanese and Korean curry come in mild, sweet and spicy types. The Korean curry is more spicy and not as sweet, while Indian curry is both strong and spicy.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-564091104207408752010-10-18T11:13:00.000-07:002010-10-22T19:54:25.501-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5094439848"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/5094439848_ea44ac34da_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5105980159"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5105980159_2f32f754a5_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>Yes, it's OK to have seconds!</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #46: Boston pie</font></strong><br /><br />I love cakes with butter or whipping cream. However, due to the increased awareness of nutrition and calories, I tend to think twice before going for that second serving.<br /><br />With our modified version, though, I don't have to worry about nutritional guilt!<br /><br />There are different ways to make Boston pie. I tried two different methods, and I noticed that the pie is a lot finer, softer and silkier if I used the method for making the chiffon cake.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 4 eggs, whites and yolk separated<br />2. 3/4 c. sugar, divided into 1/4 c. and 1/2 c., plus an additional Tbsp.<br />3. 1/2 c. oil + 1 Tbsp.<br />4. 1 Tbsp. rum<br />5. 1 c. milk<br />6. 1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. cake flour<br />7. 1 tsp. baking powder<br />8. 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar<br />9. pinch of salt<br />10. 3/4 c. heavy cream<br />11. powdered sugar<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 F.<br />2. Put egg whites and yolks in separate, clean bowls. They should not come into contact with any other liquids.<br />3. Mix egg yolks and add 1/4 c. sugar. Mix well, add oil rum and milk, and mix further.<br />4. Prepare another bowl, and mix flour and baking powder and sift.<br />5. Put the two mixtures together. Using a mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed. Add half of the 1/2 c. sugar (or 1/4 c.), to the egg whites. Beat for about ten seconds, and add the cream of tartar and remaining 1/4 c. sugar. Continue beating until small peaks form. <br />6. Mix about 1/3 of the meringue into the flour mixture (in a folding motion) at a time using a spatula, until no white streaks remain.<br />7. Pour batter into a tube pan. Cut through it to release air. Put in preheated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes.<br />8. Remove the cake, turn it upside-down and let it cool completely. Take out the pie from the mold.<br />9. When base is cool, remove from mold and cut into half from the side horizontally.<br />10. Beat heavy cream and 1 Tbsp. sugar and beat at high speed until foamy.<br />11. Add mixture to cake base, thick at the center and thinner at the edges.<br />12. Put other half of cake base on top and add powdered sugar.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. Most people like two layers of cream. If you want two layers, you can increase the amount of heavy and and sugar.<br />2. If you want a pie with two layers, a 7" pan is the best choice.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-87035400636105394922010-10-17T10:22:00.000-07:002010-10-17T16:10:19.930-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5089716067"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5089716067_f26ef263c3_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5090315996"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5090315996_24768a5835_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>A snack that will make you feel good all day...</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #44: coffee cookies</font></strong><br /><br />Very few people could resist the temptation of the smell of coffee. Any cakes, bread or cookies that use coffee would smell (and taste) very good, so many people to use it as an ingredient.<br /><br />Recently, studies have shown that frequently smelling coffee is good for the heart. One of our family friends had a heart surgery and was recommended not to drink coffee, but to smell the vapors. This supposedly makes the heart more active.<br /><br />Our house is often filled with the aroma of coffee. We don't just brew it; my mother also uses it in many of her desserts.<br /><br />Coffee cookies are among the aromatic desserts my mother makes. When she bakes them, the aroma passes through the doors, windows, flowers and trees, to the hood. Just one cookie will make you want a second, or even the entire plate.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature<br />2. 1 c. sugar<br />3. 1 Tbsp. rum<br />4. 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp. instant coffee powder<br />5. 1/4 c. hot water<br />6. 2/3 c. cake flour<br />7. 1/4 tsp. baking powder<br />8. 1/2 c. almonds, sliced<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 F.<br />2. Dissolve coffee powder in hot water.<br />3. Mix cake flour with baking powder well, and sift.<br />4. Using a mixer, beat butter until it has a soft consistency.<br />5. Add sugar and continue beating.<br />6. Slowly add the coffee mixture.<br />7. Continue beating will adding rum.<br />8. Add flour mixture and sliced almond, and mix well gently with your hands until it becomes a soft dough. Let mixture rest for 15 minutes.<br />9. Removing a portion at once, roll it into a ball and press into the shape of a cookie.<br />10. Place on middle rack of oven and bake for about 20 minutes.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. We substitute 1/3 of the cake flour with whole wheat flour. This is a healthier option that does not affect the texture.<br />2. You can change the amount of sugar to your liking.<br />3. You can add another 1/4 c. of sliced almonds if you like.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-69605342999557370032010-10-10T21:17:00.000-07:002010-10-18T11:13:29.485-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/4034071634"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4034071634_dd3031df15_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5070871918"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5070871918_a474a5025c_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><font size=4>How to enjoy a cake without getting fat</font><br /><font size=3>Recipe #43: green tea chiffon cake</font></strong><br /><br />Every year, my parents would take me to a well-known bakery on my birthday to buy me something I want. I would usually pick something with a lot of chocolate, mousse, tiramisu or something with a lot of whipping cream.<br /><br />My mother loves these desserts as well, so the two of us would quickly finish them.<br /><br />However, after learning some recipes, I started paying more attention to the nutrition value of many ingredients. This year, I decided to celebrate my birthday in a different way: I tried making my own dessert, a "healthy" green tea chiffon cake with reduced fat and sugar.<br /><br />Recent studies have shown that green tea has many health benefits. For example, it it lowers cholestrol and has antiozidizing properties. If you like angel food cake, you will love this recipe as well. It is full of the aroma of green tea and fresh eggs. Although it looks simple, it is actually quite elegant.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 4 egg whites and 3 yolks<br />2. 1 c. sugar, divided<br />3. 1/4 c. oil<br />4. 1 Tbsp. rum<br />5. 1 c. + 1 Tbsp. water or milk<br />6. 3/4 c. minus 1 Tbsp. cake flour<br />7. 4 tsp. green tea powder<br />8. 1 tsp. baking powder<br />9. 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar<br />10. pinch of salt<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 F.<br />2. Put egg whites and yolks in separate, clean bowls. They should not come into contact with any oil or water.<br />3. Mix egg yolks and add 1/2 c. sugar. Mix well, add oil rum and milk, and mix further.<br />4. Prepare another bowl and mix flour, green tea and baking powder using a fork and a sieve.<br />5. Put the two mixtures together. Using a mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed. Divide the remaining sugar into two parts. Add one part the egg whites. Beat for about ten seconds, and add the cream of tartar and remaining sugar. Continue beating until small peaks form. <br />6. Mix about 1/3 of the meringue into the flour mixture (in a folding motion) at a time using a spatula, until no white streaks remain.<br />7. Pour batter into a tube pan. Cut through it to release air. Put in preheated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes.<br />8. Remove the cake, turn it upside-down and let it cool completely. Take out the cake from the mold.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. We personally reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup.<br />2. We also substitute the milk with soy milk.<br />3. When a stick inserted into the cake comes out clean, the cake is ready.<br />4. The egg whites and yolk much be separated carefully. If there is any yolk in the whites, you must remove it; otherwise, the recipe will not turn out well.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-34430121800404767162010-10-09T23:13:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:40:14.574-07:00recipe #42: pork with Napa cabbage and cilantro/celery leaf dumpling/pot sticker filling (大白菜香菜/芹菜葉豬肉餡)<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5066542853"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5066542853_aaf7be8c69_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5066543249"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5066543249_0e3419d2c9_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br />Cilantro seeds have a very hard shell, so it's sometimes said that they should be soaked overnight before being planted. My mother has tried sowing fresh seeds, as well as soaking them for one or two days first, but the harvest would always be very small. Because there were so few plants, my mother left them alone. One year, there were so many cilantro plants that they were everywhere. Friends would pick them by the basketfull.<br /><br />Because there were so much cilantro, my mother thought up ways to use it up. She figured that it would go well with the filling mentioned in the <a href="http://fromgarden2table.blogspot.com/2010/10/recipe-41-pork-with-napa-cabbage.html">previous recipe</a>. Unexpectedly, the dumplings were very aromatic. (We actually saw pork and cilantro wontons on sale at Costco recently, and the samples tasted much like our dumplings.)<br /><br />My mother also noticed that celery leaves smelled just as good. Since most of the celery's nutrients are in the leaves, she realized that throwing them away was a waste. The resulting dumplings become very, very good when mixed with chopped cilantro.<br /><br />The ingredients and directions are the same, except with the addition of 1/2 to 1 c. cilantro or celery leaves at the end.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />The filling can also be used in pot stickers.<br /><br /><strong>In other news...</strong><br /><br />My mother recently started a blog of her own, which you can view <a href="http://phoenixartwork.blogspot.com">here</a>. It features many of her articles and works of art, but it also contains a fair share of recipes. After all, cooking <strong>is</strong> an art. :-) Her blog is in Chinese, though.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789820437777793071.post-73889474259171948182010-10-07T22:40:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:43:20.877-07:00recipe #41: pork with Napa cabbage dumpling/pot sticker filling (大白菜豬肉餡)<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixfd64/5020406483"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5020406483_fe78bdff0c_m_d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://fromgarden2table.blogspot.com/2010/09/recipe-32-chinese-dumplingsgyoza-pork.html">Cabbage</a> is a very popular filling in American-style dumplings. However, <strong>Napa cabbage</strong> (note the difference) is used more widely in Chinese dishes. They have different flavors, but both taste very good.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1. 1 lb. Napa cabbage<br />2. 3 tsp. salt, divided<br />3. 1 lb. lean ground pork<br />4. 1 Tbsp. cooking wine<br />5. 1 Tbsp. sesame oil<br />6. Pepper to taste<br />7. 1 tsp. minced ginger<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br /><br />1. Prepare a 5-qt. pot with 70% water and bring it to boil.<br />2. Add washed Napa cabbage, piece by piece, into the pot and remove after ten seconds<br />3. After it cools, cut it into horizontal strips, and then cut into smaller pieces.<br />4. Squeeze out the excess by wrapping it in a cheese cloth. (Refer to the linked post for a picture.)<br />5. In a large bowl, mix the ground pork with ginger, salt, wine, pepper, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil and olive oil evenly.<br />6. Add Napa cabbage and remaining sesame oil, and mix well.<br /><br /><strong>Tips</strong><br /><br />1. We use Japanese sake for the cooking wine.<br />2. If you like soy sauce, you can a Tbsp. of it in the filling.<br />3. The filling can also be used in pot stickers.Dannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09345501619043143297noreply@blogger.com0