Goat Cheese, Fig, Arugula, and Prosciutto Tapas

This hors d-oeuvre comes from a late night sandwich that Alex and Dan had in Tarragona, Spain in 2014. They along with Henry (then 3 months old) after several tries,finally found a hotel. It was late so Dan went out for sandwiches and came back with one they particularly liked.  Based on the ingredients they subsequently made tapas for a party. What follows is the recipe they kindly shared with me.  Trader Joe's is a one stop source for all the ingredients (though bread availability may vary) and their fig butter is excellent.

Slice a ficelle or very thin baquette into small rounds. Spread each one in this order with:

Goat cheese

Fig butter

Top with a few sprigs of:

Arugula, the smaller the leaves the better

A small piece of prosciutto (omit for vegetarians)

ALTERNATIVE

Return to the source and use same ingredients to make a sandwich.

Padron Peppers

Almost every time I go to Portland (OR), especially the Portland Farmers Market, I, often with the help of Alex and or Dan, discover a new veggie... Haiku Turnips, Lobster Mushrooms, and Celeriac to mention a few.  This year was no different.  Alex, Dan and Henry spent the spring in Spain where Alex and Dan really enjoyed the tapas including padron peppers. When we visited Portland Farmers Market in early October, Dan purchased some padron peppers which he later roasted and served with a chilled Spanish white wine on the terrace. What a late summer treat! The peppers were so good that when I returned to Portland in late October and found them still in the Farmers Market I could not resist.  Alex and Dan vetoed the first basket I chose telling me the peppers are much better when they are small and we should check out a different vendor to get the smallest peppers.  When we got home, Dan showed me how to prepare them.

Ingredients: Padron peppers, olive oil, sea salt.

Wash and dry the peppers.  Heat a cast iron frying pan large enough to accommodate all of the peppers (or better a small batch of peppers) on one level. When the pan is hot, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the entire bottom of the pan.  When the olive oil is hot add the peppers.  I started just stirring the peppers as they cooked, but Dan pointed out that it is much better to turn each individual pepper as it blackens on one side. They blacked very fast towards the end of cooking and I belatedly discovered this would have been better done in smaller batches. When peppers are lightly blackened on both sides, remove to a serving platter,  salt generously and serve immediately.

Reviewed 5/14/17

Fresh Spring Rolls with Tofu and Mint

2nd Try

As I was writing about Carbondale and Phat Thai I began to crave  "FRESH SPRING ROLLS with TOFU mint & cellophane noodles herbs | sweet chili sauce".  If I were still in Carbondale, I know where I'd go for dinner. However, since I'm ~2,200 miles away, I decided to try to make them myself. Having just a vague idea about the wrapping and no idea what "cellophane noodles" are, I looked to Google search for help.  For buying rice paper (and even learning how rice paper is made) and detailed instructions and options for wrapping spring rolls,  I found Viet World Kitchen very useful.

1st Try

After just two tries, this is still a work in progress. The bad news is as a beginner it is not easy to get perfect looking rolls every time.  The good news is, as Viet World Kitchen points out, "If you mess up, remember that rice paper is forgiving. Plus, an 8- or 12-ounce package contains plenty of papers for you to practice with in your initial forays. Boo-boos are yours to eat!"  As you can see from my photos, I'm still in the "boo-boo" phase; however, though the rolls may not look perfect, they are still very tasty. 

I got all the necessary Asian ingredients at Whole Foods: Galettes de Riz Spring Roll Skin (6 " diameter, Vietnam), China Bowl Cellophane Noodles (Taiwan) and Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce (Thailand).  Not much of a choice so I took what was available and hoped Whole Foods had done some vetting.  Next time I am in an Asian market I plan to try to find some Three Ladies brand rice paper (bánh tráng).   


NOW THE  "RECIPE"    
Makes ~ 10 rolls

8 oz extra firm tofu**

Remove the 16 oz block of tofu from the container, cut in half lengthwise and return 8 oz to the container and reserve for future use.  Place the 8 oz piece on dishtowel, cover and place weight (I use a brick covered with aluminum foil, heavy cans work too) on top to squeeze out excess moisture. Let sit ~30 minutes.

In a small pan half filled with boiling water place:

1 7/8 oz. (half a package) cellophane noodles *

Turn off the heat and let the noodles sit for 10 minutes.

While noodles are soaking prepare the herbs. Phat Thai's spring rolls are strong on mint and also contain other "herbs".  While I mostly remember the mint I think the other herbs included cilantro and Thai basil. Since Ed is not a big mint fan, I use less mint and more of the other herbs.  Adjust quantities of each according to availability and personal taste.    

REVISED 30 APRIL 2012 - The first two times I made these rolls, I coarsely chopped the herbs (herbs left, photos of rolls above), subsequently I have left the leaves mostly whole, as I recall Phat Thai does.  The first time, I did not roll the rolls tightly enough; they looked okay but they were impossible to eat as they fell apart after the first bite. I have found rolls made with the whole leaves and rolled tightly hold together very well, and also I think their appearance is superior to those made with chopped herbs.

Assemble:
~ 2 oz mint leaves
~ 1 oz cilantro leaves
~1 oz Thai basil (I did not have so used regular basil) leaves

Be sure that all stems are removed from the herbs as they will puncture the thin skin of the rice paper. I learned this lesson the hard way.  Tear very large leaves in half, leave most or all whole.  Divide evenly into 10 "portions" weighing ~0.2 oz (~6 grams) each. 

When it is well drained cut the tofu into 10 equal pieces perpendicular to the longest dimension. When the noodles have soaked for 10 minutes, drain.  

Fill a pie plate half full of tap water.  Dip

1 piece rice paper (10 needed altogether) 

on one side then on the other.  Shake off excess water and place the rice paper on a plate or cutting board.  Let rice paper sit for  30 - 60 seconds until it is pliable and transparent. I work with two pieces of paper at a time.

Place a few noodles, ~ 1/2 one "portion" of the herbs, a tofu strip, a few more noodles, and then the remaining herbs in the "portion" on the bottom half of the rice paper circle, far enough down so that when the bottom lip is rolled over the filling, half of the circle remains. The long length of the leaves should parallel the rolling axis.   It looks like a lot of filling, but if you press the leaves down when rolling they will really condense. 

After rolling the bottom up over the top, fold in each side (photo at left) Then continue rolling until all the rice paper is wrapped around the filling. Be sure to roll very tightly, compressing the leaves as much as possible. For excellent photos of this process see Viet World Kitchen.

Not yet having my own recipe for dipping, I used the Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce which is similar to the sauce made at Phat Thai.

© 2013 Edward C Kern, Jr.

* March 2013 Update: Ed and I just got back from Colorado and two visits to Phat Thai. Green Chicken Curry is as good as ever.  Spring Rolls (photo left) good too but a bit different than I remembered.  Piece of tofu is comparatively large and is wrapped in a few small tender leaves of Boston/Butter lettuce along with a bit of basil, cilantro and mint and some shredded carrots. No cellophane noodles noticable. Since then I've made with lettuce instead of noodles, tasty and a step easier.

** January 2014: Super-firm tofu, a relatively new product, does not require pressing and can be used directly out of the package.

Reivewed 5/15/17

Green Chopsticks Potstickers

Fast food! Starting from scratch is seldom the easiest method and, for me at least, sometimes not the best.  A few months ago Costco had a promotion with samples of Green Chopsticks Potstickers and dumplings.  I liked both the chicken and pork  but decided to buy  2 bags of the chicken potstickers as they were much lower in fat* than the pork ones.  I choose the potstickers over the dumplings as I preferred their filling to dough ratio.

I have made potstickers and dumplings in the past but from a traditional recipe.  The ingredients in the filling of the Green Chopsticks potstickers are an imaginative combination of chicken breast, tofu, onion, sweet potato noodle, green cabbage, green onion, leek, shitake mushroom, oyster sauce, evaporated cane juice, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Nom! The potstickers contain no msg or preservatives and the chicken is noted to be hormone and antibiotic free. The dough is thin and delicate, unlike the heavier, tougher dough found in varying degrees in most other packaged potstickers or for that matter restaurant potstickers.

The package gives three cooking options: boiling, frying or microwaving.  I use a combination of two, first microwaving on high for 2 minutes per 6 -7 potstickers and then frying the potstickers in peanut oil. I use a flat bottom frying pan large enough to hold all of the potstickers, flat in one layer and heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. As the oil is heating I sometimes add scallions (see below for preparation) and then when the oil is hot add the potstickers.   Perhaps because the dough is thin and less sticky these are not pot stickers; in fact just gently shaking the pan will cause the potstickers to slide back and forth.  When the potstickers are lightly browned (about 3-5 minutes), remove them from the pan and use a paper towel to remove excess oil.  Serve with dipping sauce.

[UPDATE:  Right after I posted this, I called one of the larger Whole Foods in Massachusetts to check on availability as my supply is running low, and I could not find them in our local Whole Foods or Costco. When I found they were not available there either, I called  Green Chopsticks, which is located in California. I was told their products are "in the process of being introduced on the East Coast"  :-(    So references to availability at Costco and Whole Foods in the last paragraph in the above link do not currently apply in many regions.  Hopefully soon.  Stay tuned.]

DIPPING SAUCE
Although this too can be purchased ready made (bottle of one of my favorite dipping sauces at far left in photo), I usually make my own version.

Mix:
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar (I buy the Marukan sodium free, sugar free)
1/2 - 1 t red pepper flakes, to taste
1 t sugar
1/4 c scallions, thinly sliced
1 t ginger, grated

Sometimes, especially if I am going to save some of the sauce, I combine the first 4 ingredients and then add the grated ginger and scallions to the individual dipping dishes.

PREPARING THE SCALLIONS
Wash and remove the roots of the scallions (~2 scallions per person).  Thinly slice some of the green end and reserve for the dipping sauce. If the scallions are small, slice greens in rings; if larger cut in strips then slice.  Cut the rest of the scallion in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise close enough to the white end so that the pieces in each half remained joined. Dry the scallions before frying.  Even dried, the scallions contain enough moisture to cause a great deal of spattering of the hot oil.  I think they are tasty enough to warrant the mess.

* 1.5 g/100g or 4 potstickers - no saturated or trans fat

Reviewed 5/15/17

Crisp Pita Bread with Blue Cheese, Pears and Maple Walnuts

Last week I took my Mom to see the "Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass" exhibit and the new Art of the Americas Wing at the Boston Museum of Art, and she reciprocated by taking me to lunch at the museum's New American Cafe.  I had Flatbread with Great Hill Blue Cheese, Pears and Maple Walnuts which came with a salad of spring greens.  It was so tasty....

Serves 2

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Make a batch or two of Maple Walnuts.

Separate the two sides of :

a piece of pita bread

Place the bread on a cutting board.  Place one hand firmly on the bread and with the other hand cut around the circumference of the bread with a sharp knife.  Place the two halves on a baking sheet or for a crispier toast, a perforated pizza pan. Lightly spray the bread with:

olive oil

and place in preheated 400 degree F oven.  Cook for about 4 minutes, checking frequently, until the edges just begin to brown. The flatbread I had at the New American Cafe was not as browned or crispy; for a softer bread cook less. Remove from the oven and top each piece, in this order, with:

thinly sliced blue cheese (I found and used the local Marion, MA Great Hill Blue, shown in top photo)

very thinly sliced pear (half a pear will serve 2)
~ 1 T maple walnuts

Return to oven for ~2 minutes or until the cheese is well melted and the pears are soft. Remove from the oven and cut in quarters.

Serve topped with greens or micro-greens.





Reviewed 7/11/2017

Margaritas

This recipe is adapted from The Cuisines of Mexico whose author Diana Kennedy writes: "Hardly anyone would disagree that the margaritas at Carlos Jacott's El Parador are the lustiest in New York. He has given me the following recipe for his margaritas...."*  In 1990 (The New York Times reports) El Parador’s owner and maître d’hôtel, Carlos Jacott, a reportedly larger-than-life figure sold the restaurant to Manuel Alejandro, a Spaniard, whose son, Jose, known as Alex, is both the executive chef (he graduated from the French Culinary Institute) and Mr. Jacott’s more reserved replacement in the dining room on 325 E 34th Street. The restaurant still gets excellent reviews for its food and still has an extensive tequila menu.

This recipe is for 1 serving. However, when Ed/I make margaritas, depending on the number of people to be served, we make up to 4 servings at a time.

Chill  large cocktail glasses well [I do not have the space to store occasionally used "margarita glasses" so I use large wine glasses, usually not chilled]. Rub the rim with a

slice of lime

Put

a little salt, either ordinary table salt or finely ground rock salt [I use sea salt or Kosher salt]

on a small plate. Press the rim of the glass into it, giving it a turn to make sure the rim is ringed with salt. [I then fill the glass with crushed ice.]

In a cocktail shaker combine:

1 1/2 ounces white tequila [I use Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila Oro]
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
1 ounce fresh lime juice
A few cubes ice, crushed

Cover and shake together well. Pour the mixture through a strainer into the prepared glass[es].

* Page343, 1972 edition

Reviewed 5/15/17

Fried Zucchini

Fried zucchini in our house used to mean deep fried zucchini, similar to the fried zucchini Ed and I first had at Galena Street East in Aspen in the 70's. It became a mid summer treat when zucchini overflowed our garden. Last fall Ed and I had a delicious variation at Evoo in Somerville which I tired to reverse engineer as closely as possible.  Both recipes follow.

FRIED ZUCCHINI


I usually serve this as an appetizer as it is best when it is cooked in small batches and eaten immediately. Depending on the number of people I am serving, Ed or I will cook several batches, serving each batch as soon as it is cooked, before moving on to the main course. I use fairly small squash for this (6-8 inches long and ideally no more than 2" diameter); the diameter is the critical dimension as the green skin helps keep the squash crisp while cooking. While I am sure this is "more properly done" using an egg batter as well as flour, I like this version.



Cut

1 small to medium zucchini squash/per person
into ~3 inch lengths by 1/4 to 3/8 inch square.

Place all of the cut squash in a bowl and toss with:

2 t salt per squash.

Let stand for an hour; the salt will suck some of the moisture out of the squash.

Heat:

Canola  oil [better to use peanut oil, but for the few times a year we do this, large containers of canola oil are more available and less expensive](amount per fryer instruction) in a deep fryer until it reaches 375 degrees F.

Over the years I have used (1) "Fry Baby", until the plastic cover got left on when I plugged in the Fry Baby and melted into the stored oil. (2) Tech Grill frying well; works well but requires a lot of oil and makes cooking on the other half of the grill dicey. (3) A pot with a deep fryer basket over a single outdoor gas burner (photo left). Our current preferred choice, this keeps the cooking out of the kitchen and not a lot of oil is required. Of course, given a good exhaust fan, frying can be done on an indoor range. An infrared thermometer (upper right in photo) is an easy to track oil temperature

While the oil is heating, rinse the squash throughly to remove most of the salt and then dry squash pieces well between clean dish towels.

For each squash prepared, in a small brown paper bag** place:

2 T  flour
2 t Italian Herbs (this is a lot but really makes the dish; I usually don't measure and sometimes I think I use even more)

Shake well then add a handful of the dried squash to the bag and shake again. Remove squash from the bag using a mesh spoon so that excess flour is left in the bag,* place squash in the fryer basket and place basket in the hot oil. Cook until the squash is nicely browned then remove from oil, shaking basket to eliminate excess oil, place squash on paper towels, blot off excess oil from all sides and serve immediately.

* OCT 2012 - FOR CRISPIER SQUASH:    When I was preparing the squash a few nights ago I removed the floured squash and put it on a plate (photo above).  It sat for a few minutes and I noticed that in many places the flour coating had gotten wet and sticky. I returned the squash to the bag with flour and shook again, making sure to separate the pieces that stuck together .  We found that this squash, with the second coating (photo below) was much crispier (photo right).

I also tried shaking the squash in the flour bag, letting it sit for several minutes and then shaking it again.  This worked pretty well too (photo right)

** September 2013:  Finally the lights went on and I substituted a covered plastic container for the paper bag.  I put about half a batch (~6-8 pieces) of squash in the container, cover and shake gently. Still do two separate coatings as described above (October 2012). I keep the left over flour and Italian seasonings in the container to re-use next time.





PAN FRIED ZUCCHINI WITH SAGE

This is my current favorite, ever since I had a similar version at Evoo last fall. The sage is not optional, it really makes the dish. This is good served as a plated hors d'oeuvre or as a vegetable accompanying a main course.

Serves 4, scale accordingly. Slice

2 medium or 4 small zucchini squash into coins ~3/8  inch thick

Place the cut squash in a bowl and toss with:

1 T salt

Let stand for an hour; the salt will suck some of the moisture out of the squash. Rinse the squash throughly to remove most of the salt and then dry well with clean dish towels.

Dip the squash sequentially in saucers/small dishes containing:

1/3 c milk

1/3 c flour

1 egg, well beaten (I have on occasion used 1/4 c "egg product" but I think in this case using the real egg is better.)

1/3 c panko 

Add more ingredients to any of the dipping dishes if necessary.

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with:

Olive oil and heat until hot.

Gently place the squash in the oil and cook until bottom surfaces are well browned, carefully turn squash and add a handful of sage leaves. Cook until the sage leaves are crisp but not burned , the other sides of the squash are also browned and the squash feels tender when a fork is inserted in the center.

Serve garnished with fresh sage.

VARIATION:

Use greeen tomatoes or red tomatoes instead of squash (pan fried version only).

Reviewed 8/30/17

Fiery Pumpkin Seeds

This is one of the recipes I found when trying to put all of our Halloween 2009 Jack-o-Lanterns to good use. It is adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (original edition/1998):

Separate the seeds from the pumpkin strings by rinsing them in a bowlful of water. Dry the seeds between paper/dish towels.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix (for 2 cups seeds; adjust for more/less seeds):

2 T light vegetable or olive oil
1 t cayenne (or more to taste)
1 t salt [I use less]
1/2 t cumin [Bittman says "optional"; I think the cumin is essential]

Toss the seeds with this mixture until they are well coated.

Bake the seeds on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are tan and crisp.

These are good as a snack.  They are also good as a topping for Stuffed Poblano Peppers or Poblano Chili Stuffed with Pumpkin.

Reviewed 5/15/17

Carrot Cashew Pate

I bought some of this at our local "Touch of Christmas" many years ago, and later Helen who had made the pate gave me this recipe. This is one of the yummy recipes I had almost forgotten about until I searched my notebooks for this blog, I shall make this again very soon.

In a skillet over medium heat melt:

2 T butter [I use olive oil]

Add:

1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft. Add:

2 c carrots, thinly sliced
3/4 t salt [I omit]
1/2 t curry powder [plus 1 t grated fresh ginger, 1 T lemon juice]*
2/3 c water

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 6-8 minutes. Set aside.

In a blender/food processor fitted with a steel blade finely grind*

3/4 c salted [I use unsalted] roasted cashews

Continue blending, adding:

1½ T olive oil

Add carrot mixture and blend until smooth. Stir in:

1/2 c chopped salted [unsalted] roasted cashews

Serve at room temperature with crackers, pita chips, or raw veggies.

*OCT 2012: Finally made this again.  See photo second from top. Though I usually prefer dips on the chunky side, I should have followed the instructions to finely grind. Also found the original recipe a bit bland.  Tried again, ground much finer and added: 

2 t finely grated fresh ginger
2 T lemon juice

Served on endive leaves topped with crushed cashews and also with crackers.  The consistency of the finer ground dip makes spreading on crackers much easier. NOTE: Full recipe makes ~ 3 1/2 cups. Quantity shown in photos is half the recipe.

CARROT CASHEW SALAD

Ed did not like the rather bland original recipe, liked the dip with added ginger and lemon juice, especially on endive (also got rave reviews from recent guests) and really liked this pate in a salad.

Press pate into a small (3" diameter) ramekin until ramekin is 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Run sharp knife around inside edge of ramekin.  Turn ramekin upside down on a bed of small lettuces and tap to release pate.  Garnish pate with crushed cashews and thinly sliced chives or scallion greens.  

Lightly dress lettuce with balsamic reduction or balsamic vinaigrette.

CASHEW (CARROT) DIP

June 2017:  I was meeting a friend for a picnic and would not have an opportunity to purchase fresh bread and was wondering what to make when I opened the Spring 2017 issue of edibleBoston and found "Welcome Spring with a Picnic". It suggested several locations in the Boston area that would be ideal for a picnic and the following recipes:Cashew Dip, Barley and Herb Salad, Noodle Frittata with Greens and Gruyere and Rhubarb Almond Cake. Okay, this was going to be a simple picnic.  I opted for the Cashew Dip paired with some Trader Joe's Seeded Mango & Ginger Crisps and Persian (small) cucunber strips, some herbed goat cheese paired with Trader Joe's Fig & Olive Crisps, a jar of Dilly Beans and some good dark chocolate.  The other recipes looked good and I may try later but so far have made the Cashew Dip several times:

The edibleBoston recipe calls for cooking carrots over medium high heat for 15 minutes; I used raw carrots. I also used curry instead of tumeric. The author suggests serving with snap peas and rice crackers, a good option for spring when peas are in season.

Place the following in a food processor bowl:

1/2 pound carrots, peeled, if necessary, and cut into 1!' chunks
1 (1") piece of ginger, peeded and roughly chopped
1/2 c roasted unsalted cashews
3 T coconut milk, more if needed
1 t curry (edibleBoston uses 1 t tumeric)
Sea salt to taste
Juice of i lime  (1 - 2 T)

Puree, scraping sides of bowl until all ingredients form a smooth puree.  Add additional coconut milk if smoother consistency is desired.

Reviewed 7/8/2017

Dolmadakia (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

About 2 dozen  --- Leaf size varies; size of individual stuffed grape leaves and total yield will vary accordingly.

These grape leaves are equally good as an hors d’oeuvre/appetizer or as a veggie/vegan main course.

When I was in Kuwait I enjoyed the lavish meza, what we would call here “heavy hors d’oeuvres”: hummus, baba ganoush, grape leaves, tabouli and many other dips made of pomegranate, yogurt, chickpeas, liver (well not so much the liver) and served with hot pita bread that was continuously brought to our table. As such, I can appreciate the quote below from the New York Times International Cookbook by Craig Claiborne from which this recipe is adapted.

“There is an Arabic saying, 'Al akl ‘ala kadd el mahabeh' - 'The food equals the affection,' or 'The more a guest eats, the more he shows his love [though not in translation, I would substitute appreciation] for the host.' The glorious savories that comprise the beginning of a meal in the Middle East offer a guest un-limited opportunities to prove his affection. There are dishes made with sesame paste and chickpeas, eggplant and lamb, grape leaves and yogurt. If they are accompanied by sun-ripened olives, vinegar peppers, and crusty bread, so much the better. Below is a recipe for stuffed grape leaves.”

1 cup olive oil [I use less and compensate by adding more water - not as authentic]
3 large onions, chopped [I use 1-1 1/2 large sweet onions]
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt [I omit]
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 c uncooked rice [I use brown basmati]
2 T fresh snipped dill
1/4 c finely chopped Italian parsley
2 T pignoli (pine nuts)
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 c lemon juice

3 c water [see notes below]
1 8-ounce jar grape leaves in brine
Parsley stems (optional)
Lemon wedges

1. Heat one-half cup of the oil [I use ~2 T] in a skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until tender but not browned.

2. Add the salt, pepper, and rice and cook slowly for ten minutes, stirring frequently. Add the dill, parsley, nuts, green onions, one-half cup of the lemon juice and one cup of the water. Stir to mix, cover, and simmer gently until all the liquid has been absorbed, about fifteen minutes.

3. Rinse the grape leaves under running water, separate, and place, shiny side down, on a board. If the leaves are small, put two together.

4. Place about one teaspoon [more for larger leaves] of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaves and roll up jelly-roll fashion toward the tip, tucking in the edges to make a neat roll.

5. Place the remaining oil [I use 2 T of oil and 3/4 c water] , lemon juice, and one cup of water in a large skillet. Arrange the rolls in the pan, separating the layers with parsley stems if more than one layer is prepared. Place a heavy plate, or plate and weight, on top and simmer twenty-five minutes. Add the remaining water [only if rice is not tender]* and cook about ten minutes longer, or until the rice is tender. Cool and serve at room temperature with lemon wedges.



* November 2014:  This remaining cup of water may not be necessary.  When I made this recently I found that the rice was plenty tender after absorbing  2 cups of water and 1 cup of lemon juice.  In addition I had used some additional water in place of oil.  Given that the normal rice to water of ratio is 1:2 and this recipe calls for 3 cups of water and  1 cup of lemon juice plus the olive oil, it is not surprising that the third cup of water (fourth of liquid) is not required. 

Reviewed 8/31/2017

Yakitori

Serves two as a main dish; four as hors d’oeuvre.

This recipe comes from Edie Baxter, Alex and Christopher's fourth grade teacher. Every spring to conclude their study of Japan, the class with help from Edie and parents, prepared a Japanese feast complete with Yakitori and Sushi rolls (no raw fish) and finished with the not so Japanese but absolutely delicious Ericson's ginger ice cream.

Fresh from Mrs. Baxter class Alexandra (at left - June 1990) wearing a blue kimono and a Japanese apron I brought from Kyoto prepares to grill Yakatori. Below, Christopher and his classmates prepare the Yakatori (1993).



Assemble:

1 whole (two halves) chicken breast, skinned and boned [or 4 second joints, skinned and boned - my preference for this dish]

½ pound fresh mushrooms

4 scallions

Sauce:

½ c soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

2 T dry sherry

Cut chicken into 1” cubes. If mushrooms are very large cut into pieces similar in size to chicken, otherwise use whole. Cut scallions into 1” pieces. Mix the sauce and place in a shallow bowl. Add chicken and vegetables and marinate one hour. [If using wood skewers soak in water while chicken is marinating.] Thread chicken and vegetables alternately on skewers. Grill ~10 minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink inside) while turning and basting with marinade.


Reviewed 5/13/17

Caramelized Pecans

These nuts are especially good as a topping for: Weeds with Pecans and Fruit.

Roast in frying pan, large enough so nuts are in one layer, over medium-high heat:

Pecans

1 t sugar/12-15 nuts

Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar has melted onto the nuts, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn! Sugar will caramelize and turn golden brown very quickly once this process has started.  Be sure nuts are coated as evenly as possible with the sugar glaze and then remove to a cool plate to cool.










Reviewed 6/20/2017

Scallion Pie

This recipe is adapted from Barbara Tropp’s The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking (Pan-Fried Scallion Bread) that Christopher gave me, hoping, no doubt, for more Chinese cooking at home, for Christmas ~87/88. It is a terrific cookbook, but has very wordy, detailed instructions. It may not look that way but I’ve tried to simplify. If you don’t have a food processor, dough can be made in a mixing bowl adding first dry ingredients and then streaming the wet.

(1) Cold Water Dough
In a food processor bowl fitted with a metal blade put:

1 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder

Add in a thin stream through the food tube while machine is running

1/3 c ice water


Give machine 2-3 seconds lag time to incorporate the last water droplets and form a ball; if no ball forms then add several drops of water until the dough comes together. Stop the machine and remove the dough (sometimes one large ball and several smaller ones).

(2) Hot Water Dough
In same food processor bowl repeat the above process using:

1 c all-purpose flour
1 t coarse kosher salt
1/3 c boiling water

(3) Combining the Dough:

As soon as the hot water dough coheres in a ball return the cold-water dough to the processor bowl. Process the two doughs together for 15 seconds. Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead it gently with the heel of your hand until it is smooth and earlobe soft. If dough is sticking continue to dust board with flour and knead dough until it no longer sticks, but be wary of adding too much flour; dough should be earlobe soft – not stiff – or it will be tough when cooked.
In a large bowl put:

1 ½ t sesame seed oil

Add the dough and turn so exterior of dough and interior of bowl are completely coated with oil. Cover with a dishtowel and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes – 2 hours.

(4) Shaping the Bread:
Turn dough out on floured board, knead gently just until smooth, then divide into two balls. Put one ball aside, covered with a dishtowel. Roll the other ball on the floured board into circle 1/8 inch thick. Evenly spread over the top one-half of the following ingredients in the following order:

1 ½ t sesame seed oil

4 medium scallions, cut into green and white rings [I use more; I have come to the conclusion that more scallions are better and use ~10 scallions to make this recipe plus dipping sauce.   Photos at upper left show ~2 scallions per pancake.  Photos of rolled pancakes, ready to cook show pancake with ~2 scallions (upper left of photo) and pancake with ~4 (lower right of photo) .The more scallions used, the more scallions will break through during the final rolling. While this may defy the Chinese technique, I think I prefer both the appearance and more flavorful taste of the finished product.

1 ½ t coarse kosher salt [I use less]

Start at one edge and roll into a “log”; pinch end seams shut, then starting with one end, coil into a “snail” shaped spiral with the coils touching at every point. Tuck the tail end under the spiral; flatten a bit with palm of your hand. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (try not to burst layers of dough, though a few scallions will leak out) into 7-8 inch diameter circle. Cover with towel and repeat process with second ball.

At this point, one or both pies may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated/frozen for future cooking.

(5) Cooking
Heat in a heavy skillet large enough to accommodate one pie:

~ ¼ c peanut oil (oil should cover bottom of pan completely)

When oil is hot, add pie, adjusting heat so bubbles sizzle slowly around it. Cover the pan, then cook over moderately low heat, occasionally shaking pan back and forth to encourage steam that will puff the bread, until the bottom is golden brown (2-5 minutes). Flip the bread – if pan is very dry dribble in a bit more oil, then shake pan to distribute. Cover, reduce heat slightly and cook 3 minutes more, shaking pan occasionally. After 3 minutes, check bottom at 30-second intervals and remove when bottom is golden. Remove from pan and cut into pie shaped wedges.

If cooking second pie, wipe skillet clean, reheat pan and add:

~ ¼ c peanut oil

Repeat process above.

Ms. Tropp suggests serving pancakes garnished with a few scallion rings. I like to serve pancakes with a dipping sauce:

Mix:
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar (I buy the Marukan sodium free, sugar free)
1/4 c scallions, thinly sliced
1 t ginger, grated
1/2 - 1 t red pepper flakes, to taste
1 t sugar

Reviewed 5/10/17