Asia Travel Part 1: Shanghai - China

This is where the whole Asian adventure started, and thankfully I got to spend a few days here before boarding the plague cruise ship.

First thoughts: This city is FILTHY, the buildings that I can see on the taxi ride to the city are streaked with grey and look like shit.

Further thoughts:  This city is actually immaculately clean.  Those streaks are just because this city has a major air pollution problem.  Once you're on the ground though, I dare you to find a piece of litter.  You won't succeed; there are people everywhere with brooms sweeping up some imagined piece of garbage.  If you doubt me, look around to make sure no one is watching and drop something.  Come back five minutes later and it'll be gone.  I might choose a sidewalk here over an operating room for surgery given MRSA rates.

Tour: none thankfully except for a "hop on hop off" bus thing.  Don't do that.  Please, please, don't do that.  At least here where taxis run you about $5 in the city, just take taxis.  Pick somewhere that sounds interesting and go.  Hit the first Buddhist temple of the trip, and quite frankly both the most impressive and least commercialized of the lot, with only one little cart selling incense for worshipers.  Tossed a few Yuan at the central offering only to prove I can never play basketball. 

The Shanghai Museum was well worth half a day, especially being free, but here begins my animosity towards all things Buddhist simply because every damned thing in their sculpture section was a statue of Buddha.  EVERY DAMNED THING.  The exhibits on the history of jade working and early currency were fascinating.

Food: First place I hit was a no-nonsense fast food kind of joint, if one where you wait for them to bring you the food.  I got some solid soup dumplings, though not enough to justify the hype.  The noodle soup was quite good however; I was quite happy with my first real meal in China if not blown away.

I'm just going to go out there and say you should probably stab yourself to get some hospital food before you eat at a hotel buffet.  Really, it'll hurt less, cost you less, and the food will be better.  You should probably twist the knife some to extend your stay.

That said, the Chinese restaurant (not buffet) in the hotel was fucking amazing, and cheaper than the buffet despite having the 3 star Michelin kind of service where there was a waitress watching our table the whole time.  I had yet to realize that portions in Asia are HUGE, so I ordered an appetizer of crispy fish as well as an entree of eels.  If anyone in the US ever figures out how to make anything as crispy as that fish they will own us.  Goodbye to every chain who thinks they make something crispy, the Chinese will reign supreme and we will bow down for our next fix.  The eels were also excellent, to the point that I really wanted to eat myself sick, though it should be said that they were not the kind of eels you think of as unagi; they were small little river eels that you can easily pick up with chopsticks so be prepared to eat them whole.  I also picked up a rather expensive tea habit here, with waitresses refilling my cup of tea leaves with hot water if it even looked like I might get thirsty.  I will be spending an obscene amount of money on tea in the future.

The second place I got dinner seemed like a banquet hall because it just had so many frickin tables.  Took forever for them to realize the westerners might actually be there for food, but it was worth the wait.  Pork with mushrooms in a black bean sauce was god damned amazing, while the dumplings and the like were good.  Continuing with the theme though, ordering soup would have been a mistake as far as portions if it hadn't been absolutely delicious.  Unfortunately they brought out a bowl you could have drowned a not so small child in, and I felt bad that I could only eat a small fraction of it.

Last meal was a fast food kind of joint, but frankly that bowl of miso ramen just hit the spot.  Call it the cold I was coming down with, but that humble little bowl of broth and stuff was exactly what I needed.

Chance of getting mugged:  Non-existent.  If the bad guy doesn't get broomed to death, there are cops on just about every intersection directing traffic.  You are completely safe night or day if the air pollution doesn't get you.

Would I go back:  Oh hell yes; I barely scratched the surface and most of what I saw was tourist crap, but I think I could live here. I would knife someone to get to try some of the small little hole in the wall places I only saw from the highway.  I just wouldn't do it in view of the people with brooms.  They scare me.

Souvenir: a pair of chopsticks and a rampant tea addiction. 

Pork Panang with Kabocha Squash

This is a take on the SheSimmers.com recipe here; as always her recipes are spectacular, and she has a couple of cookbooks out that are worth looking in to.  I do make a few changes, as well as telling you how to break down a kabocha without that pesky little loss of fingers.  It's delicious, filling, and the kabocha adds a nice sweetness which lets you skip adding sugar.

1 lb trimmed and sliced pork loin
1 small kabocha (you really want one about the size of a grapefruit, larger ones should be halved or mixed in to a double recipe)
4 oz can panang curry paste (or to taste if it's too spicy)
1 large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Thai chiles to taste, minced (optional)
1 can coconut milk, unshaken
1 T oil
Fish sauce
 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced (if you can find them)

Take a small thin knife, like a paring knife, and vent your frustration on that squash (it's shockingly cathartic).  You want to punch a bunch of slits in to the center of the squash to vent it so it won't blow up in the microwave.  Microwave the squash for 3-5 minutes (depending on size) so you can cut it apart without losing fingers.  Take a spoon and remove the seeds, then cut it in to bite-sized pieces.

Take the top creamy part off of the coconut milk, and combine it with the shallots, garlic, curry paste, Thai chiles (if using), and oil in a large skillet.  Saute until mixed and fragrant.  Add in the rest of the coconut milk, the pork, and the squash, cooking until both are done but the squash isn't falling apart.  If you find the sauce is reducing too much thin it out with stock or water.  Season with fish sauce to taste, and the kaffir lime leaves.  Remove from heat and serve with jasmine rice.

Beef and Corn Tacos

A lighter version of taco filling, with culantro and lime instead of dried chiles.  Culantro is very similar to cilantro, but stronger, so it gets added in during the cooking instead of at the end.

1 lb ground beef
1 can corn, drained
2 small onions, minced
4+2 cloves garlic, minced
Jalapenos or serranos to taste, minced
oil or bacon grease to cook, approximately 2 T
1 t ground cumin
2 t oregano
2 t ground coriander
1/2 t paprika
handful oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
10-12 leaves culantro, chiffonade (or cilantro, but add cilantro at the end of cooking)
lime juice to taste (approximately 3 T)
1 bay leaf
cayenne to taste
2 t corn starch
1-2 T chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions, jalapenos, and 4 cloves garlic in the oil until starting to brown.  Add in the beef and cook until starting to brown.  Add in the culantro, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, cayenne, paprika, and coriander, as well as the sun dried tomatoes if using.  Cook, stirring, for several minutes than add in the corn and the the lime juice.  Add in the two extra cloves of garlic, cook for several minutes then season to taste.

Pastitsio

A rich dish of ground lamb and pasta seasoned with Greek flavors and covered in a cheese sauce then baked until golden brown.

Ingredients

1 lb ground lamb
3/4 lb macaroni, cooked a little less than al dente
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 t dried basil
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/2 pound of cheese shredded, preferably kefalotyri or myzithra, but white cheddar makes a good substitute as those cheeses are hard to find
6+3 T butter
6 T flour
3 C whole milk
dash nutmeg

For the meat:
Saute the onion and garlic in 3 T of butter until translucent, then add in the lamb and brown.  Add in the tomatoes and the cinnamon stick, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Remove the cinnamon stick and add in the basil and remove from the heat.  Allow to cool, then add in the egg whites.

For the cheese sauce:
Make a roux with the flour and 6 T butter.  Add in the milk and simmer until thickened, whisking occasionally.  Whisk in the cheese and nutmeg and remove from the heat.  Allow to cool before adding in the egg yolks.  Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  While that is heating mix together the macaroni and meat mixture, and adjust for seasoning if necessary.  Spread this evenly in the bottom of a baking dish.  Spread the hard boiled egg on this layer.  Spread the cheese sauce evenly over the top of the meat.  Cook in the oven for approximately an hour, finishing under the broiler for a couple of minutes if the top hasn't browned.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tomato Basil Soup

An easy but rich tomato soup, perfect with a grilled cheese.

1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 C chicken stock
1/3 C butter
3/4 C heavy cream
large handful of basil leaves, chiffonade
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic until translucent.  Add in the tomato and the stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 45 minutes or so.  Add in the basil, salt, and pepper and simmer for another couple of minutes.  Drop heat to low and add in the cream; stir briefly then remove from the heat.

Sundried Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche

This is a quiche made with the flavors of caprese (cheese, tomato, and basil).  I choose goat cheese here for the extra tanginess to help cut through the eggs and cream.

1 C cream or half and half
8 oil packed sun dried tomato halves, drained and chopped
1 C goat cheese
1 1/2 t dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 pie crust, either homemade or frozen
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Dock crust and blind bake until lightly golden (15-20 minutes).  Layer the bottom of the pie crust with the sun dried tomato. Combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk thoroughly, adjust seasoning as necessary.  Pour in to pie shell and cook until set, approximately 35 minutes.

Queso Dip, or Another Mac and Cheese Variant

This is a take on my typical cheese sauce, but simpler, and damned if it isn't good on just about everything (including just a spoon).  I made it first for burritos, but it makes good nachos, and it's neutral enough to work with non-tex-mex foods.  It's garlic heavy, but if you're using it for a sauce that shouldn't be a problem.

1 C heavy cream
1 1/2 C milk
22 g sodium citrate*
 2 small onions, chopped
 6 cloves garlic, chopped
 2 T butter or bacon grease
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cumin
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
Cayenne to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the butter/grease until translucent.  Add the milk and sodium and bring to a simmer.  Add the cheese, a handful at a time along with a pinch of cumin, allowing it to melt in while stirring frequently.  Blend the cheese sauce either in a blender or with an immersion blender.  Add the cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Adjust seasoning as necessary.

*Note: a lot of the cheese you'll find out there is actually labeled as "cheese product".  Check the label; if it contains sodium phosphate you probably don't need the sodium citrate, or only half as much (they both emulsify the sauce and keep the fats and liquids from separating).

Easy No-Cook Oatmeal

This is as simple as dishes get; just mix rolled oats, dried fruit, the seasonings of your choice, and milk and let sit over night before eating.

3/4 rolled oats
1/4 dried fruits
honey, sugar, maple syrup, and spices to taste (cinnamon and cardamom are both good options in the spice category)
2% to whole milk to cover.

Mix everything and let sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours to blend.

Seasoned Ghee

This is a ghee enriched with herbs and spices suitable for seasoning most  Ethiopian dishes (or wherever you feel like getting creative).  You can save yourself some money by rendering butter down in to ghee, but I'll save that for another time.  Note, however, that since some of the things we're infusing in to the ghee have quite a bit of moisture they have to be cooked off for long enough to not have any moisture left to prevent the end product from going bad (I've actually seen a moisture rich layer on the bottom mold under the ghee).  You also don't want to brown the mixture, so it's low heat with a lot of attention.

12 oz ghee
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t kalonji, ground
thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 t cardamom
1 t oregano
handfull of fresh basil
dash of turmeric

Heat everything together over low heat until all the moisture has cooked off, but without letting it brown.  Strain it and refrigerate in an air tight container where it should keep for months if you got all the moisture out.

Berbere

An Ethiopian blend of spices that combines influences from all over.  You'll need a pretty serious collection of spices to make this, so you might want to shell out the extra money for commercially prepared if you don't do a lot of global cooking, though accept that it won't be as fresh.  This version is fairly spicy, so you can substitute out some of the hotter ground chiles for paprika as needed, and recipes for this spice mix can vary wildly.

3/4 C ground dried hot red chiles
1/4 C paprika
2 T salt
2 t onion powder
2 t ground ginger
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground allspice
1 1/4 t ground cardamom
1 t grated nutmeg
1 t ground fenugreek seeds
1/2 t ground kalonji

Mix it all together, with a spice grinder being the easiest way of dealing with the whole spices.  Store them in an airtight container.