Charles Pham Caramel Chicken

Chicken in Caramel Sauce
adapted from SF Gate

Serves 4 to 6
The inspiration for this dish that Charles Phan serves at his Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco came from a street cart in Vietnam. It's a good example of the great food that is served from street stands throughout that country.

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (see Note)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark or regular soy sauce (double/triple)
1 teaspoon slivered ginger (double/triple)1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 small Thai chiles (fresh or dried), broken in half
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 shallot, sliced (double/triple)
1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless dark-meat chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 pound skinless, boneless white-meat chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Steamed white rice
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Combine the brown sugar, water, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, pepper and chiles in a small bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the shallot and saute until brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and saute until it is slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half, about 12 to 20 minutes depending on the pot size. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.
Note: Fish sauce is available in Asian markets and upscale supermarkets.
Per serving: 400 calories, 41 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat (4 g saturated), 131 mg cholesterol, 903 mg sodium, 0 fiber
The secrets: The interplay between the fish sauce and brown sugar creates a complex flavor. The combination of white and dark meat gives interesting texture to the dish.

Whole Wheat English Muffins

English muffins are some of the best stuff to eat. they're perfect for breakfast with a thick layer of PB&J or the perfect compliment for egg whatever way. They're also perfect to have for tuna melts (or more recently sardine and avocado salads) for simple, fast dinners.
I've tried making english muffins before but don't think i was all that happy with the results. So i helplessly have been getting the "Wheat English Muffins" from Whole Foods for all these years. week after week. If there was a recipe to master to save $, this would be it.


after the first rise
These turned out really well and i think with some practice it'll be a keeper. It didn't produce the crags and holes of storebought. I'm going to experiment with a "no-knead"-style dough (with higher hydration and fermentation) or I wonder if using buttermilk instead of the milk (option given in the recipe) would create bigger holes. i substituted half the flour with white whole wheat. These produced huge muffins so next time i'll divide them into 8.
English Muffins
(From The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart)
Makes 6 English muffins -- (these were huge. make 8 muffins next time)

2¼ cups (10 ounces) unbleached bread flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
½ tablespoon (.25 ounce) granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon (.19 ounce) salt
1¼ teaspoons (.14 ounce) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ to 1 cup (6 to 8 ounces) milk or buttermilk, at room temperature
Cornmeal for dusting
1. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Stir in (or mix in on low speed with the paddle attachment) the shortening and ¾ cup milk until the ingredients form a ball. If there is still loose flour in the bowl, dribble in some of the remaining ¼ cup milk. The dough should be soft and pliable, not stiff.
2. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed with the dough hook). Knead the dough for about 10 minutes (or mix for about 8 minutes), sprinkling in more flour if needed to make a tacky, but not sticky, dough. It should pass the windowpane test and register 77° to 81° degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
3. Ferment at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.
4. Wipe the counter with a damp cloth and transfer the dough to the counter. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces of 3 ounces each. Shape the pieces into boules (or round rolls). Line a sheet pan with baking parchment, mist the parchment lightly with spray oil, and dust with cornmeal. Transfer the balls of dough to the sheet pan, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Mist them lightly with spray oil, sprinkle them loosely with cornmeal, and cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a towel.
5. Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces nearly double in size and swell both up and out.
6. Heat a skillet or flat griddle to medium (350°F if you have a thermometer setting). Also, preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
7. Brush the pan or griddle with vegetable oil or mist with spray oil. Uncover the muffin rounds and gently transfer them to the pan, sliding a metal spatula under them and lifting them to the pan. Fill the pan so that the pieces are at least 1 inch apart, not touching. Cover the pieces still on the sheet pan with the plastic wrap or a towel to prevent them from developing a skin. The dough that is being cooked will flatten in the pan and spread slightly, then the pieces will puff somewhat. Cook them for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the bottom of the dough cannot cook any longer without burning. The bottoms should be a rich golden brown; they will brown quickly but will not burn for awhile, so resist the temptation to turn them prematurely or they will fall when you flip them over. Carefully flip the pieces over with the metal spatula and cook on the other side for 5 to 8 minutes in the same manner. Both sides will now be flat. When the dough seems as if it cannot endure any further cooking without burning, transfer the pieces to a sheet pan and place the pan in the oven (don’t wait for the still uncooked pieces, or the ones just out of the pan will cool down and will not respond to the oven stage). Bake for 5 to 8 minutes on the middle shelf in the oven to ensure that the center is baked. Meanwhile, return to the uncooked pieces and cook them, then bake them, as you did the first round.
8. Transfer the baked muffins to a cooling rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

i hadn't made a baked pasta/casserole dish in ages so after four straight day of pounding snow, i figured it was now or never. this recipe (from epicurious) was quite good and is a keeper, but more for the simplicity and ease in making it. the ingredient list is really short so high quality products are essential (especially the moz and parmesan) as every component stands out. this is an easy, hearty, user-friendly, adaptable recipe for a crowd-pleasing dish.

what would i do differently next time?

- up the sausage (1 pound)
- mix the spinach in to the sauce to wilt it a bit and incorporate it better
- the sauce was good, but next time maybe i'll use a more concentrated tomato sauce



Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes
adapted from epicurious

3/4 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup purchased pesto sauce
10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked
8 cups ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 2/3 of 10-ounce package)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

Hamantaschen

I've always been enamored with hamantaschen ever since my days of spending countless hours at the Hungarian Coffee House in Morningside Heights. it always seemed like the perfect foil to bitter, dark coffee. crumbly, rich, but not too sweet cookie combines perfectly with gooey apricot or raspberry fillings with crunchy seeds. Purim being around the corner, it was the perfect time to make my yearly batch.

This recipe is on the lean side. i was interested in trying it because it used oil instead of butter. I can't say it's my favorite, but it definitely has its place, more of a clean-tasting, neutral cookie, has the taste and consistency of animal crackers. i used raspberry jam for the filling.a very forgiving dough that rolls easily cold can be rerolled like a charm. remember to pinch the corners of the triangle because these guys rise.

I have no idea which is more traditional, these oil-based one or something like the Maida Hatter cookies i made last year. In any case, these were good, easy and simple.

Hamantaschen
adapted from LA Times

Servings: About 3 dozen
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (i used 2/3 c)
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Cognac or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups (13.8 ounces) unbleached flour, plus additional for rolling out
About 1/2 cup Nutella (about 1/2 c raspberry jam)

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs until lemon-colored. Beat in sugar, oil and Cognac. Gradually stir in the baking powder and flour, mixing on low speed until a soft dough is formed. Add an additional tablespoon or two of flour if necessary.

2. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and form it into a fat cylinder shape. Close up the corners and chill until firm, at least 2 to 3 hours (can be chilled overnight).

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 to 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Put 1 section on a lightly floured surface, and chill the others. Knead lightly just until the dough is smooth enough to roll out. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough to a scant one-fourth-inch thick.

5. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or a glass with a thin rim, cut rounds, and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. Place a rounded half-teaspoon of Nutella in the center of each. Pinch the sides together to form a triangle, leaving the filling exposed in the center. Pick up scraps and form another ball. Repeat until all dough is used.

6. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about an inch apart on the sheet and bake until just lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Each cookie: 106 calories; 2 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 6 grams sugar; 33 mg. sodium.

Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables

Chicken and ginger simmered in caramel sauce (ga kho gung)

Chicken and ginger simmered in caramel sauce
adapted from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen -- Andrea Nguyen
1 2/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed and cut into 1 in chunks
Chubby 2 in piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
3 T caramel sauce
2 T fish sauce
1/4 t salt

1. In a small saucepan, combine the chicken, ginger, caramel sauce, fish sauce, salt, and water and stir to distribute everything evenly. Cover and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat. Stir again to break up the chicken pieces and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Fragrant plumes of steam will shoot from under the lid and the content will boil vigorously. The sauce will increase in volume as the chicken releases its juices. If the content threaten to boil over or the lid rattles, lower the heat.

2. After the 10 minutes, uncover and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and the color deapens to a rich reddish brown. Remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with extra fish sauce, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with scallion, and serve immediately.

Almond olive oil cake

i love olive oil cakes. they're easy to prepare, no advanced planning, but result in a great homey cake cake with great grassy/fruity flavor and texture. a perfect tea/breakfast cake. the "glaze" turned out to be more of a frosting since i didn't add enough milk / lemon juice to thin out the consistency. but can't say that detracted from the results. crackly, crunch top gave it another textural dimension.

this is a definitely a favorite. nothing fancy but just plain awesome.

Torta di Mandorla (Moist Almond Cake)

adapted from Gina DePalma via Serious Eats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup blanched or natural almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Grated zest of 1 medium lemon or 1/4 a medium orange

1/2 cup orange juice

For the Glaze:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons whole milk

A few drops of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt to thoroughly combine them and set aside.
3. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them lightly to break up the yolks. Add the sugar to the bowl and whisk it in thoroughly in both directions for about 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture is a bit lighter in color and has thickened slightly, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the extracts and zest, followed by the orange juice.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until they are thoroughly combined; continue whisking until you have a smooth, emulsified batter, about 30 more seconds.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, rotating the cake pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. The cake is done when it has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, springs back lightly when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it cool completely on a rack.
7. While the cake cools, make the glaze. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. When the bubbles subside, lower the heat and watch the butter carefully, swirling it in the pan occasionally to distribute the heat. When the butter begins to turn a light tan color and smells slightly nutty, turn off the heat and let the butter sit. It will continue to darken as it sits.
8. While the butter cools, sift the confectioner's sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth but thick, then slowly whisk in the butter. Taste the glaze and add a few drops of lemon juice to balance the sweetness. Stir in the toasted almonds. Spread the almonds and glaze onto the top and sides of the cake and let it sit until set and dry.

Mapa Tofu

my favorite mapa tofu made with beef and kochu jang.

Bourbon Bacon Pumpkin Pie

Deep dish apple pie

one of our thanksgiving pies brought to you via Cooks illustrated.

classic apple pie

Apple Pie - adapted from Gourmet
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 10 wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pastry dough
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Put a large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Whisk together flour, zest, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and 2/3 cup sugar and gently toss with apples and lemon juice.
Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch (4-cup) glass or metal pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out dough for top crust.
Roll out remaining piece of dough on lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round.
Spoon filling into shell, then cover with pastry round and trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together, then crimp decoratively. Lightly brush top of pie with egg and sprinkle all over with remaining tablespoon sugar. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.
Bake pie on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool pie to warm or room temperature on a rack, 2 to 4 hours.

curry chicken jjim-ppang

Roasted Cauliflower with Capers




Roasted Cauliflower with Capers
adapted from Gourmet
1 large head cauliflower (3 to 3 1/2 punds), cut into 1-inch-wide florets (9 cups)
5-6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice + zest
4 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 heads romaine (2 pounds total), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1/2 cup hazelnuts (2 1/4 ounces), or almonds, toasted , any loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel, and nuts coarsely chopped
3-4 tablespoons capers

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss cauliflower and garlic slices with 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and roast, turning over with tongs halfway through roasting, until tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes total. Cool in pan on a rack, then transfer to large bowl.
Whisk together lemon juice, zest, shallot, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, then add remaining 5 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add half of dressing to cauliflower and toss to coat. Add parsley, half of nuts, capers and remaining dressing to cauliflower and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with remaining nuts.

Beer-Marinated Roast Chicken w/ Peruvian Rice



Roasted Chicken

http://weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/04/peruvian-roasted-chicken-with-aji-verde.html

1 whole chicken
4 oz beer
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 lime, juice of
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
salt
paprika

Wash chicken and remove all fat. Place in a large bowl and season generously with beer, vinegar, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Place in a large bag and marinate overnight.

Remove chicken from bag, cut chicken in half and place both halves on a large oven safe baking dish, skin side up. Discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with paprika and a little more garlic powder and salt and bake at 425° for about 50 minutes, basting with the pan juices half way through. To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; the thermometer should read about 160°F. The chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, but after the chicken is taken out of the oven it should rise to 165°. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Anchovies on english muffin

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Cinnamon Raisin Bread - "5-minute" challah dough

Challah Master Dough
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
(half of original recipe - 2 loaves)

1 cups lukewarm water
3/4 T instant yeast
3/4 T kosher salt
2 lg eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or whole wheat white flour)

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, honey, melted butter, yeast and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add in the flour. Stir until you don’t see any more dry bits of flour (about a minute). Cover (not airtight) and let rise at room temp for aroujnd 2 hours. Stick it in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 4 days. The longer you let it fart around in the refrigerator (literally!), the better tasting the dough will be.

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide in half. Roll out to 1/4" thickness, approximately the width of the loaf pan. Sprinkle with sugar mixture (1/3 c brown sugar, 3 T cinnamon), walnuts, raisins. Start from the shorter end and roll. Pinch seams. Place into oiled pan tucking in the ends. Let rise at room temp around 2 hours until doubled in size.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for around 45 minutes.

Grilled squid with white beans and Jalapeno salsa