Yet another mac and cheese post, this one is more of a classic mac and cheese with a little bacon thrown in; you could leave out the bacon, but bacon rocks.
1 1/4 C whole milk
1/2 lb macaroni or shells
3-4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
11 g sodium citrate
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T butter (or use the fat from the bacon)
1 T dijon mustard, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Cook the pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente. While that is cooking saute the onion and garlic in the butter until translucent. Add the milk and sodium and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese, a handful at a time, allowing it to melt in while stirring frequently. Blend the cheese sauce either in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add the mustard, bacon, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning and add the pasta to the sauce. Cook while stirring just until the pasta has reached al dente.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Chipotle and Chorizo Mac and Cheese
Another take on mac and cheese using sodium citrate to make a perfectly smooth cheese sauce. This one mixes a little spice and smokiness in with the rich and creamy cheese sauce. This makes and excellent side dish, or you could just fill a bowl and eat it for a meal. If you left out the chorizo and pasta this would also make an excellent sauce for burritos.
11 g sodium citrate
8 oz hot pepper cheddar (or white cheddar), shredded
3 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 C half and half
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/4 t mustard powder
1/4 lb Mexican chorizo, browned
2 C dry macaroni, cooked according to package directions
Melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic until just starting to brown. Add the half and half, sodium citrate, chipotles, paprika, and mustard. Bring to a simmer and add the cheese a handful at a time; once all the cheese has been incorporated mix with an immersion blender. Add the chorizo and adjust seasoning as needed. Mix in the pasta and serve.
11 g sodium citrate
8 oz hot pepper cheddar (or white cheddar), shredded
3 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 C half and half
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/4 t mustard powder
1/4 lb Mexican chorizo, browned
2 C dry macaroni, cooked according to package directions
Melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic until just starting to brown. Add the half and half, sodium citrate, chipotles, paprika, and mustard. Bring to a simmer and add the cheese a handful at a time; once all the cheese has been incorporated mix with an immersion blender. Add the chorizo and adjust seasoning as needed. Mix in the pasta and serve.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Vegetarian Bao Filling
This is a vegetarian filling for Bao made of tofu and mushrooms. It's reminiscent of char siu (Chinese BBQ pork), though obviously without the goodness of roasted pork it's not quite as awesome.
3/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, halved, and thinly sliced
oil to stir fry
3 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T chile bean paste
3-4 T hoisin
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 lb extra firm tofu, pressed to drain and diced
2 T soy sauce
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until the mushrooms have lost much of their moisture and browned (browning the mushrooms will take a fair amount of time); you may need to add a little oil if you didn't have enough to start with. When the mushrooms are browned add the shallots and garlic, still over high heat, and stir fry for 30 seconds to a minute. Add the chile bean paste and stir fry until fragrant; add the soy sauce and remove from the heat.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine. Adjust seasoning, then fill the dough and cook according to the bao recipe.
3/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, halved, and thinly sliced
oil to stir fry
3 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T chile bean paste
3-4 T hoisin
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 lb extra firm tofu, pressed to drain and diced
2 T soy sauce
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until the mushrooms have lost much of their moisture and browned (browning the mushrooms will take a fair amount of time); you may need to add a little oil if you didn't have enough to start with. When the mushrooms are browned add the shallots and garlic, still over high heat, and stir fry for 30 seconds to a minute. Add the chile bean paste and stir fry until fragrant; add the soy sauce and remove from the heat.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine. Adjust seasoning, then fill the dough and cook according to the bao recipe.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Korean Spicy Pork
A spicy (well, by Korean standards) stir fried dish of pork with vegetables, similar to dak galbi.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb pork loin, trimmed and thinly sliced
a medium onion either quartered and thinly sliced or cut in to thick slices (see note)
2 small zucchinis, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" slices
3 cabbage leaves, trimmed and chopped into roughly 1 inch squares
3 green onions, chopped
1 C chicken stock
Marinade:
6 T koch'ujang (Korean red pepper paste)
4 T koch'u karu (Korean red pepper powder)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T corn syrup
2 T sesame oil
2 t grated ginger
1 T mirin
2 T chicken stock
ground pepper to taste
2 T sugar
2 T soy sauce
Mix together the marinade ingredients, then add the pork; allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Heat a little oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet and stir fry the onion until it starts to wilt (or see note about not adding it until after the pork goes in). Add the pork and marinade mixture and stir continuously until the pork is close to done. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is just done. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Note: I thinly slice the onion and cook it before adding the pork because I don't like big crunchy pieces of onion. For a more traditional version cut the onion into bigger pieces and add to the pan shortly after the pork.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb pork loin, trimmed and thinly sliced
a medium onion either quartered and thinly sliced or cut in to thick slices (see note)
2 small zucchinis, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" slices
3 cabbage leaves, trimmed and chopped into roughly 1 inch squares
3 green onions, chopped
1 C chicken stock
Marinade:
6 T koch'ujang (Korean red pepper paste)
4 T koch'u karu (Korean red pepper powder)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T corn syrup
2 T sesame oil
2 t grated ginger
1 T mirin
2 T chicken stock
ground pepper to taste
2 T sugar
2 T soy sauce
Mix together the marinade ingredients, then add the pork; allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Heat a little oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet and stir fry the onion until it starts to wilt (or see note about not adding it until after the pork goes in). Add the pork and marinade mixture and stir continuously until the pork is close to done. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is just done. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Note: I thinly slice the onion and cook it before adding the pork because I don't like big crunchy pieces of onion. For a more traditional version cut the onion into bigger pieces and add to the pan shortly after the pork.
Orange Chicken
One of the Americanized dishes that seems to be served in every Chinese restaurant around. Definitely not something you would see in real Chinese food (it's far too sweet), but having grown up eating it it has a special place in my heart.
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
dried peel of one orange in 3-4 large pieces
handful of dried chiles
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 C orange juice
1/2 C chicken stock
2 T chinkiang vinegar
3 T soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
1/2 t toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorn
1/4 C brown sugar
2 t corn starch mixed into 2 T water
pepper flakes/cayenne/chopped fresh Thai chiles to taste
1 t fresh grated orange zest (optional)
salt to taste
corn starch for dredging
Vegetable oil for deep frying and wok frying
Marinade:
2 egg whites
1 T soy sauce
1 T shaoxing rice wine
Beat together the marinade ingredients and add the chicken. Set aside while you make the sauce. In a bowl combine the orange juice, chicken stock, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorn, brown sugar, orange zest, and pepper flakes. Heat 1 or 2 T of oil in the wok over high heat, and blacken the chiles and dried orange peel; add in the garlic and briefly stir fry it until fragrant. Before the garlic can burn, add in the bowl of sauce ingredients; bring to a simmer and allow it to reduce by about half. Finally add in the cornstarch mixture and simmer until it thickens up. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge with corn starch. Deep fry small batches in 350 F oil until golden brown and the chicken is just done. Toss the chicken with the sauce and serve with rice.
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
dried peel of one orange in 3-4 large pieces
handful of dried chiles
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 C orange juice
1/2 C chicken stock
2 T chinkiang vinegar
3 T soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
1/2 t toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorn
1/4 C brown sugar
2 t corn starch mixed into 2 T water
pepper flakes/cayenne/chopped fresh Thai chiles to taste
1 t fresh grated orange zest (optional)
salt to taste
corn starch for dredging
Vegetable oil for deep frying and wok frying
Marinade:
2 egg whites
1 T soy sauce
1 T shaoxing rice wine
Beat together the marinade ingredients and add the chicken. Set aside while you make the sauce. In a bowl combine the orange juice, chicken stock, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorn, brown sugar, orange zest, and pepper flakes. Heat 1 or 2 T of oil in the wok over high heat, and blacken the chiles and dried orange peel; add in the garlic and briefly stir fry it until fragrant. Before the garlic can burn, add in the bowl of sauce ingredients; bring to a simmer and allow it to reduce by about half. Finally add in the cornstarch mixture and simmer until it thickens up. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge with corn starch. Deep fry small batches in 350 F oil until golden brown and the chicken is just done. Toss the chicken with the sauce and serve with rice.
Thit Bo Xao Dau (Vietnamese Beef and Green Bean Stirfry)
A simple and quick stir fry of beef and green beans that ends up being quite tasty.
Ingredients:
1 lb lean beef, sliced thinly across the grain (flank steak works well)
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 t grated ginger
1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 T soy sauce
2 T fermented black beans
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fish sauce (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 T vegetable oil
dried chiles to taste (optional)
Marinade:
1 T Shaoxing rice wine
1/2 T soy sauce
2 t cornstarch
Combine the marinade ingredients, then add the beef. I usually just let this marinate while I'm prepping the onion, garlic, and green beans. When everything is ready heat the oil in a wok and sear off the chiles (if you're using them; they aren't authentic), then add the beef and stir fry quickly until just done. Remove from the wok and set aside. Add extra oil if necessary, then stir fry the onions and garlic until the onions wilt. Add the green beans and ginger and stir fry for maybe a minute. Add the stock, black beans, and soy sauce; bring to a simmer and cover, cooking until the green beans are done, roughly 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce, check the seasoning, and serve with rice.
Ingredients:
1 lb lean beef, sliced thinly across the grain (flank steak works well)
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 t grated ginger
1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 T soy sauce
2 T fermented black beans
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fish sauce (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 T vegetable oil
dried chiles to taste (optional)
Marinade:
1 T Shaoxing rice wine
1/2 T soy sauce
2 t cornstarch
Combine the marinade ingredients, then add the beef. I usually just let this marinate while I'm prepping the onion, garlic, and green beans. When everything is ready heat the oil in a wok and sear off the chiles (if you're using them; they aren't authentic), then add the beef and stir fry quickly until just done. Remove from the wok and set aside. Add extra oil if necessary, then stir fry the onions and garlic until the onions wilt. Add the green beans and ginger and stir fry for maybe a minute. Add the stock, black beans, and soy sauce; bring to a simmer and cover, cooking until the green beans are done, roughly 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce, check the seasoning, and serve with rice.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
French Toast Stuffed with Orange Spiked Cream Cheese
The first time I had stuffed french toast was as a kid at a little place called Muriel's in Newport RI on a family road trip, and it was much like this with orange spiked cream cheese. It turned out the Muriel's, a completely chance stop off at a tiny restaurant, was amazing. We drove a hundred miles out of our way to eat there again, and found out that she'd won the chowder cook off so many years in a row that they asked her to stop competing. It's been long enough that I don't have an accurate memory of her french toast, but even so I'd put my version up against hers any day. I like to serve mine with kumquat syrup.
Cream cheese mixture:
8 oz softened cream cheese
2 T sugar
zest of half an orange, grated and finely chopped
2 T triple sec
1/4 t vanilla extract
Mix all of the ingredients together, and allow to blend. I like to make mine the night before, stick it in the fridge, then soften it again in the morning for use.
French Toast:
2 C half and half
4 eggs
1/2 t vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
1 T sugar
1 T honey
zest of half an orange, grated and finely chopped
salt to taste
1 large brioche, cut in 3/4" to 1" thick slices
Butter
Combine the ingredients except for the brioche and butter and whisk thoroughly. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to blend flavors. With a paring knife cut a slice in the edge of each piece of brioche to allow room to stuff it without going through. Stuff or pipe each slice with the cream cheese mixture (you don't need a ton of it, just get a fair amount in without tearing the bread).
Soak the stuffed slices of brioche in the custard mixture for 5 minutes, turning once; while this is soaking melt butter in a skillet. Cook the french toast a couple of pieces as a time until golden brown on both sides.
Cream cheese mixture:
8 oz softened cream cheese
2 T sugar
zest of half an orange, grated and finely chopped
2 T triple sec
1/4 t vanilla extract
Mix all of the ingredients together, and allow to blend. I like to make mine the night before, stick it in the fridge, then soften it again in the morning for use.
French Toast:
2 C half and half
4 eggs
1/2 t vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
1 T sugar
1 T honey
zest of half an orange, grated and finely chopped
salt to taste
1 large brioche, cut in 3/4" to 1" thick slices
Butter
Combine the ingredients except for the brioche and butter and whisk thoroughly. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to blend flavors. With a paring knife cut a slice in the edge of each piece of brioche to allow room to stuff it without going through. Stuff or pipe each slice with the cream cheese mixture (you don't need a ton of it, just get a fair amount in without tearing the bread).
Soak the stuffed slices of brioche in the custard mixture for 5 minutes, turning once; while this is soaking melt butter in a skillet. Cook the french toast a couple of pieces as a time until golden brown on both sides.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Kumquat Syrup
A citrus syrup with notes of ginger and star anise, perfect to go with stuffed french toast (recipe to follow).
50 kumquats, thinly sliced (roughly two pints), I find it easiest to halve the kumquats lengthwise to remove the seeds, then thinly slice
4 C ginger ale
2 C water
1.5 C sugar
1-2 star anise
Combine the sugar, ginger ale, water, and star anise, and bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar. Add the kumquats, and simmer until it reaches the consistency of warm maple syrup, about 45 minutes.
50 kumquats, thinly sliced (roughly two pints), I find it easiest to halve the kumquats lengthwise to remove the seeds, then thinly slice
4 C ginger ale
2 C water
1.5 C sugar
1-2 star anise
Combine the sugar, ginger ale, water, and star anise, and bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar. Add the kumquats, and simmer until it reaches the consistency of warm maple syrup, about 45 minutes.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Panna Cotta with Strawberries and Balsamic Reduction
Sweetened cream set with gelatin and served with strawberries and balsamic reduction. This is a lighter super easy to make dessert that I usually make when it's warmer and fruit is in season.
Panna Cotta:
2 C cream
2 C whole milk
1/2 C + 2 T sugar
2 t vanilla
2 packets gelatin (~ 4 1/2t)
6 T cold water
Balsamic Reduction:
1 C balsamic vinegar
2 T sugar
Strawberries, cleaned and quartered or halved (other fruit could also work, but strawberries are the best match for cream and balsamic)
Panna Cotta:
Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a sauce pan. Heat the mixture over medium low, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has fully dissolved. While the mixture is heating, combine the gelatin and water and allow the gelatin to bloom. When the sugar has dissolved remove the pan from the heat, and add in the vanilla and gelatin; stir to combine until the gelatin has melted. Pour in to ramekins or other small containers and cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or over night.
Balsamic Reduction:
Combine the vinegar and sugar and cook over medium high until syrupy.
Serve the panna cotta with the berries and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Panna Cotta:
2 C cream
2 C whole milk
1/2 C + 2 T sugar
2 t vanilla
2 packets gelatin (~ 4 1/2t)
6 T cold water
Balsamic Reduction:
1 C balsamic vinegar
2 T sugar
Strawberries, cleaned and quartered or halved (other fruit could also work, but strawberries are the best match for cream and balsamic)
Panna Cotta:
Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a sauce pan. Heat the mixture over medium low, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has fully dissolved. While the mixture is heating, combine the gelatin and water and allow the gelatin to bloom. When the sugar has dissolved remove the pan from the heat, and add in the vanilla and gelatin; stir to combine until the gelatin has melted. Pour in to ramekins or other small containers and cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or over night.
Balsamic Reduction:
Combine the vinegar and sugar and cook over medium high until syrupy.
Serve the panna cotta with the berries and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Vietnamese Caramel Sauce
This is one of the more important base sauces for Vietnamese cooking, but making it ranked right up there with the apprehension of pulling a sheet pan completely full of 400 degree oil out of the oven. I mean what kind of recipe calls for you to heat a cup of sugar with a 1/4 cup of water until it starts to smoke, then pour water on top of it? If you get it right though, and manage to not start a fire or coat yourself in culinary napalm, you create a rich, slightly viscous caramel sauce with rich, earthy notes of coffee and a hint of charred bitter flavor. You'll need a stainless steel pot, and I'd suggest stopping up some cold water in your sink.
Ingredients:
1 C sugar
1/4 C + 1/2 C water
Mix together the sugar and 1/4 C of water in the pot, and put over medium low. Stir some until the sugar has dissolved, then leave it alone. Cook it for a good long time ( ~20 minutes depending on heat) as the color goes from clear to pale golden to amber. From this point watch it continuously, and when it starts to smoke slightly swirl it around in the pan. Be careful! It's called culinary napalm for a reason! Continue cooking and swirling until it turns the color of molasses.
Immediately remove it from the heat, plunge the bottom of the pot into the water in the sink, and pour the 1/2 C of water into the sugar. It's going to be pretty spectacular, it's going to splatter, and you might get hit with some of that splatter. Keep your face away, and when it dies down return the pot to the heat just long enough to ensure that all of the sugar melts in to the water. The sauce will keep indefinitely without refrigeration.
Ingredients:
1 C sugar
1/4 C + 1/2 C water
Mix together the sugar and 1/4 C of water in the pot, and put over medium low. Stir some until the sugar has dissolved, then leave it alone. Cook it for a good long time ( ~20 minutes depending on heat) as the color goes from clear to pale golden to amber. From this point watch it continuously, and when it starts to smoke slightly swirl it around in the pan. Be careful! It's called culinary napalm for a reason! Continue cooking and swirling until it turns the color of molasses.
Immediately remove it from the heat, plunge the bottom of the pot into the water in the sink, and pour the 1/2 C of water into the sugar. It's going to be pretty spectacular, it's going to splatter, and you might get hit with some of that splatter. Keep your face away, and when it dies down return the pot to the heat just long enough to ensure that all of the sugar melts in to the water. The sauce will keep indefinitely without refrigeration.
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