Category: Food
In the Big Apple, Dim Sum & Then Some…Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the Big Apple, Dim Sum & Then Some…Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Yay. Back to my second favorite city in the world…New York.  In the immoral words of Tony Bennett, I left my heart in San Francisco and it will always be first.  But wow, New York, I love you.  Every time I return to this amazing city I am in awe of its energy.  The number of people that converge to live, work and play in Manhattan, all at the same time, is intimidating but oh so amazing.  Blaring horns, wailing sirens, screeching tires, rumbling subways trains, people yelling, music playing, dogs barking, the sounds of vibrant, urban life.

Home Away From Home

We are staying in LES (Lower Eastside) which exemplifies NYC.  We are within walking distance of neighborhoods that represent every economic strata.  Much like San Francisco, it is not unusual to walk a couple of blocks in any direction and see, homeless folks on the streets, millennials with their backpacks or totes making their way to the FiDi, the down and out struggling with addiction, to folks decked out in designer wear enjoying a latte and 8 dollar croissant.

We walk Moose to Chinatown to pick up breakfast, rice roll noodles filled with bbq pork and veggies, slathered with chili oil, peanut sauce and hoisin.  Sitting on a stoop we wash it down with Milk Tea.  The next morning a walk down Ludlow finds us at my favorite spot, BBF. I pick up a coffee and an onigiri (a generous, warm ball of rice topped with pork belly or mushrooms). Our daily walks, navigating the streets through the LES, Chinatown, Ukranian Village, and Little Italy, all reminiscent of growing up in San Francisco.

Left top corner BBQ Pork Pineapple & Siu Mai Bun Mei Lai Wah 🥟🥟 🥟 🥟 Clockwise dim sum assortment from Royal Seafood, Big Chicken Bun Royal again 🥟🥟 🥟

I LOVE it.  Faced daily with the spectrum of life, good and bad, keeps me somewhat grounded.  I am keenly aware of how lucky I am to enjoy a life built by the hard work and struggles of those who came before me.  Dad, a Paper Son, came to this country at 16.  Gung Gung left his family in China looking for a way to support them.  Mom, the eldest of 6 kids, started her own hair salon at 17, but continued to study to become a businesswoman and real estate broker.  All their hard work focused on the future and a better life.

In Search Of…

We headed to midtown today, in search of shoes.  In particular, Hokas. I have developed plantar fasciitis, so to keep doing what I love best in Manhattan, WALK, I am in search of new shoes. Plus I can hardly shirk my Moose-walking duties since that is my “excuse” for spending time in the Big Apple.  Mission accomplished, my foot feels infinitely better in my new shoes.  Calls for a celebration…so we head to the nearest Levain Bakery for one of their scrumdidilyumptious chocolate chip cookies.

Our last visit we sampled CCCookies in NYC, so you wouldn’t have to (tough job, somebody’s got to do it).  Our winners included Levain’s, best described as a ginormous chocolate filled, scone-like warm cookie and Jacques Torres’s, a classic CCC, and oh so delicious. Not surprisingly, the chocolate in his cookies is amazing.

Levain Blueberry Muffin 🥟🥟 🥟 🥟 Chocolate Chip Cookie 🥟🥟 🥟 🥟 +

The hubs tried their popular Blueberry Muffin to compare it to Hummingbird’s version, which we make at home, and honestly it’s just as good if not better.  This got me thinking, is there a recipe out there for Levain’s CCC to try so I could avoid spending 5 dollars for a cookie, lol.

Pancake Princess to the Rescue

I turned to a favorite site, Princess Princess in search of a Levain knock-off.  Not familiar with Pancake Princess?  Best described as a one woman version of America’s Test Kitchen.  She will test a variety of recipes, in this case Levain CCC knock-offs, and invite tasters to help her select the best of the bunch.  Her top two included Stella Parks’s for Serious Eats and one from Hijabs and Aprons.  I perused both and decided to try Hijabs and Aprons as it looked easier and did not require resting the dough for 12 hours before baking (total dealbreaker).

Good thing I picked the simpler recipe…rummaging through our home away from home kitchen, I found a gorgeous red ceramic bowl, one big spoon and rubber spatula, a small cookie sheet, and a tiny (almost worthless) whisk.  I get the feeling little baking goes on here.

Tips for Baking in a Tiny, No Baking Tools Here Kitchen

Here we go, I made sure my butter was room temp soft but not melty since I only have a spoon. Then, ran downstairs for Guittard chocolate chips (ya gotta have decent chips), a tiny bag of Gold Medal AP Flour (4 dollars!), vanilla extract and dove in.

Muscle through beating the butter and sugars (unless you are lucky enough to have a mixer handy in which case, don’t overbeat),  Add eggs and vanilla, then sift the flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt over the creamed mixture.  Fold the dry ingredients in and add chocolate chips and nuts last.  Voila’ that’s it. It did take significantly longer than if I had a mixer but I got an arm workout, yay. Use classic chocolate chips, not chunks, and don’t bother cutting up a chocolate bar.  These cookies depend on a nice, even distribution of chips throughout the cookie.

The OG cookies call for walnuts, but feel free to use pecans or another nut.  If you like that tannic bite from walnuts, don’t substitute.  Best to make these cookies as directed, BIG, 5-6 ounces of dough.  The cookies will be crisp with browned edges on the outside but moist and buttery on the inside.  You can make them smaller but the contrast between the exterior and interior won’t be as pronounced.

When scooping out dough, don’t smooth the dough into a ball.  the craggy edges give the cookie character so just plop the dough on the sheet, keep the overall shape round.

Bake until the edges are a nice deep golden brown.  Serve WARM, really, so much better warm and gooey.  I zap cookies in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up to eat.

These easy to make cookies will satisfy your Levain CCC craving anytime!

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Levain Style Chocolate Chip Coookies with Walnuts

From Hijabs & Aprons, a delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie that comes oh so close to Levain's famous Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts.
Course cookies, desserts
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chips, Levain Bakery
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Servings 8 cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, slightly softened 112g
  • 1 cup light brown sugar 200g
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
  • 2 eggs cold
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted 300g. (Gold Medal works)
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped 250g , if omitting walnuts, you can add roughly 50g extra AP flour
  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips 325g Use a dark or semi-sweet that you like, I like Guittard’s chips

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy smooth (about 3 minutes).
  • Add the first egg and beat on low-medium speed until fully incorporated. Repeat with the second egg. Add vanilla. MIxture will be soft and creamy
  • Add flour mixture to the mixing bowl. On low speed, pulse a few times to blend flour into creamed mixture. Low speed to prevent flour from exploding in your face.
  • Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
  • Form and place eight 6-ounce rough/messy balls of cookie dough into your lined baking sheet. If you have a scale, weigh the dough then divide into 8-12 cookies. Each one will be approximately 4-6 ounces, as a general goal/guideline. Also, if the edges of the cookie dough ball are rough/not smooth, that’s better. I use 2 tablespoons In my experience, if you like craggly crispy tops, it’s best if you barely mush it together and smack it onto the pan.
  • At this point, if your dough seems like it has softened due to your kitchen's temperature or too much handling with hands, refrigerate the dough-balls for about half an hour before baking. Because of the relatively high flour content in this recipe, the dough tends to be pretty stiff and doesn’t require chilling.
  • Pop the pan(s) into the oven for 12-16 minutes. This time variation depends on your oven (I’m using conventional top and bottom heat, not convection) as well as whether or not you chilled your dough (and for how long). I recommend checking (look, don’t touch) the cookies every minute after hitting the 11 minute mark. Ideally, you want patches of deep golden brown and lighter golden brown.
  • No matter what, you need to let these cookies set! Similar to steak, you’ve gotta take the cookies out while they’re technically a bit undercooked, and let them finish cooking in the still-hot pan in order to achieve the cooked-but-gooey center. The amount of walnuts/chocolate chips will make it hard to really check the inside without just breaking a cookie in half.
  • If you need to reuse your baking sheet for the second batch of 4-cookies, you can do so. Just make sure the pan is clean of grease and has cooled down before you place the dough-balls on it.

Notes

FREEZING DOUGH: If you’d like to freeze the dough for later use, go right ahead! To be completely honest, I don’t know how long the dough stays good in the freezer (at least a month for sure from my own experience). Wrap the dough balls individually in plastic wrap and freeze them. You can thaw them for about 20-30 minutes prior to placing on a parchment lined sheet and baking them.
SMALLER COOKIES: The only alternative size I’ve tried for these cookies is 3oz (half of my original). I would bake them at 375ºF for 10-12 minutes. Again, the time will depend on the oven. When baking a single chilled dough ball in my toaster oven, 375ºF for 11 minutes is perfect. Any more time and the center is overbaked.
Paper Wrapped Chicken (Ji Bao Gai) That’s a Wrap! 纸包鸡

Paper Wrapped Chicken (Ji Bao Gai) That’s a Wrap! 纸包鸡

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This is another dish from the hubster that lands on the favorite list for all three kids and me, Paper-wrapped chicken (纸包鸡) aka Foil-wrapped chicken. Wes learned how to make Ji Bao Gai from his mom during medical school. It’s a dish rarely found in restaurants, a true Cantonese down-home dish.  So, if he wanted foil-wrapped chicken, he had to learn how to make it and that’s exactly what he did.

Cantonese Soul Food (Ji Bao Gai 纸包鸡)

Bite-sized pieces of chicken or beef are marinated in hoisin, sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a touch of sugar. The chicken is then wrapped in foil or parchment into little packets and baked or fried. Think, mini Asian papillotes. The foil locks in the juices and infuses the chicken with flavor. Half the fun is unwrapping each packet and popping each tasty morsel in your mouth. In our house, it’s a race to see who eats the most packets.

This is Where I Come In

Things have come full circle from Wes’s mom teaching him to Wes now teaching the kids. “Dad, how do I make Ji Bao Gai, how do you fold the packets, where’s the recipe?” Whenever they want to make Ji Bao Gai they call Wes (maybe it’s a sweet ploy to talk to us, lol).  They have yet to write the recipe down. All I can say is aiyah 🤦🏻‍♀️.  I guess it must be time to post it on 3Jamigos.  Now the kids don’t have to call each time they want to make a batch.

The Ingredients (as pictured in the banner photo)

Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe as they remain juicy and tender, or use chicken breast if you like, but decrease the cooking time a bit.
Marinade: Contains Hoisin, and Chee Hou, umami-filled sauces made from soybeans, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry), sesame oil, and a touch of sugar. Add minced garlic and ginger for that extra zing.
Aromatics: Green onions and a few slices of fresh lemon for a hint of citrus.

Optional: Add sliced water chestnuts for texture.  Sprig of cilantro.

Foil: Use regular (Reynold’s)  aluminum foil to create the perfect cooking pouch is fine. Cut into 6” x 6” squares.

Riff:  Works with beef, use flank steak or skirt steak sliced thinly against the grain.

Prep, prep, prep your stuff

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
Start by cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, and ginger. Toss the chicken pieces in this flavorful marinade, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but for the best results, let it sit for 2-3 hours.

Step 2: Wrap It Up
Cut the aluminum foil into square sheets, roughly 6×6 inches. Regular-weight foil is fine.  Place 2 pieces (if pieces are small, use 3) of chicken in the center of each foil sheet. Add a slice of green onion and water chesnut or a sprig of cilantro (optional).  Fold the foil over the chicken, then fold the open edges over together, approximately 1/8  inch, twice, thereby creating a nice seal and ensuring no juices escape during baking.  Try to eliminate as much air from the packet as you fold.

Step 3: Bake to Perfection
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Arrange the foil-wrapped chicken parcels on a baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes, then flip packets and bake for 4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. The foil will puff up slightly as the chicken cooks, creating a steamy environment that keeps the meat juicy and flavorful.  In the good old days, the packets were deep-fried.  This created a crispier exterior on the chicken.  For crispier edges, bake at 400 degrees for about the same amount of time.

I would have taken a nicer photo except the kids ate them all before I could.

Step 4: Unwrap and Enjoy
Once done, remove the parcels from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Carefully open the foil, allowing the fragrant steam to escape. Serve the chicken with a side of steamed rice and your favorite vegetables.  Make sure to open the packets over your bowl or plate of rice to catch the drips of sauce.  Yum.

Tips for Success

Marinate for 2-3 hours, not much longer as the chicken will get too salty.
Sealing the Foil: Seal the foil tightly to prevent juice from escaping.
Experiment: Don’t be afraid to add your twist to the marinade. A dash of chili sauce or a sprinkle of fresh herbs can add a new dimension to the dish.

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Foil Wrapped Chicken: A Flavor-Packed Journey in Your Kitchen

This is a classic Cantonese Dish. Bite-sized pieces of chicken are marinated in a sweet-salty sauce, wrapped in paper or foil and cooked. Traditionally, the packets were fried, but baking as become the technique of choice.
Course dinner, One dish meals
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, cantonese
Keyword cantonese cuisine, chee hou, hoisin, Paper-wrapped chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2-3 Chicken breasts although we prefer thighs or thighs 4-5

Marinade

  • 3 tablespoons Chee Hou Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons whiskey (Seagrams) or Shao Xing Wine
  • 1 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Green Onions diced

Instructions

  • Debone chicken and cut into small pieces.
  • Mix in ingredients and marinate for at least two hours. Wrap in foil to create a closed packet.
  • Deep fry medium-high heat around 1 minute until the chicken packets float OR
  • Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, flip and bake another 5 minutes
Blueberry Cornmeal Tart, Sweet Enough

Blueberry Cornmeal Tart, Sweet Enough

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Yikes!  Before blueberry season ends, make this Blueberry Cornmeal Tart.  From Alison Roman’s Sweet Enough, an easy, absolutely delicious way to take advantage of fresh blueberries. But before we get into the recipe and my notes…I need to address the elephant in the room.  Yes at one time I was ready to burn my Alison Roman cookbooks.  In an interview, she decided to DIS Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo as “sell-outs” for hawking products, while encouraging folks to buy her stuff. LOL  Interestingly enough she called out two POC women.  Backlash ensued, she lost her column in the New York Times, had a Twitter squirmish with Chrissy, which she lost, and felt the ire of many POC foodies.  She laid low for a while, started back, and is now back in the good graces of most.

She recovered, but will probably always be under the microscope. Occasionally, controversy rears its head in a damned if you do, damned if you don’t way.  She made a dish, called it Gentle Lentils (LOL), and got called out for Appropriating Daal, an Indian staple. What are you going to do? 🤷🏻‍♀️.  Her personality is up my alley, a bit tongue-in-cheek, snarky, funny AND she is fond of expletives, just like me.

Yes, Another Cookbook

She came out with a dessert book and I caved.  I have made her dessert recipes and they are pretty darn good.  I believe she originally worked in pastry.  Her Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies went viral one year (pre-fallout) and are really good. They’re buttery, sandy, chocolatey, and sweet with a surprise pop of salt.  It hits every taste bud, and has a crispy edge from the demerara sugar finish.

This Blueberry Cornmeal Tart couldn’t be easier.  The crust and crumble topping are made from the same dough.  Butter, flour, and powdered sugar go into the dough. The powdered sugar lowers the flour’s protein content to help with tenderness.  Cornmeal adds that characteristic cornmeal crunch to the crust and crumble.  I am not a fan of the grittiness of stone-ground cornmeal.  Luckily, cornmeal comes in a wide range of textures and grinds.  I love the cornmeal from a local family farm in the Bay Area, Tierra Vegetables.  They have an array of heirloom cornmeals that are amazing.  My favorite is the Hopi Pink Cornmeal which is finely textured and adds just a tiny bit of crunch.  It’s perfect in Christina Tosi’s Corn Cookies where you can see the reddish pink flecks in the cookies, so cool.  Use the cornmeal you like.

The Steps

Betcha think the next instruction is to roll the dough out.  Nope, there is no rolling involved in the making of this tart.  Yay.  Reserve a quarter of the dough for the crumble and put it in the fridge to chill. Press the remaining dough into a 9-inch tart pan.  How easy is that?

The blueberries are mixed with a bit of sugar and either vinegar or lemon juice, I prefer lemon juice, I am a citrus kinda gal.   Flour rounds out the filling to act as a thickener and that’s it.

Pour your blueberry mixture into the tart pan and spread evenly over crust.  Press little bits of the dough to form little clumps and sprinkle these over the blueberries.  Bake on a sheet to save yourself from oven cleaning. 

Bake until the crumble and crust are a nice golden brown and the blueberries bubbling.  Remove to a rack and let it cool completely before removing.  Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla…cause that’s how we roll!  Enjoy!

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Blueberry Cornmeal TartI

From Alison Roman's Sweet Enough, a simple, absolutely delicious Blueberry Cronmeal Tart
Course Dessert, Pie, Tart
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry, cornmeal, tart

Ingredients

For the Crust & Topping

  • 1 ½ cups /225g all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup /55 grams cornmeal
  • ⅓ cup /50 grams confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup /55 grams light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon / 4 grams baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon / 3 grams kosher salt
  • ¾ cup /170 grams unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, melted and cooled slightly

For the Filling

  • 1 pound /455 grams blueberries or combination of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
  • ½ cup /110 grams light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons / 28 grams apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon or lime juice I prefer lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons / 18 grams all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Make the crust and topping: Preheat oven to 350°.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add melted butter, then use your hands or a wooden spoon to combine ingredients until a coarse dough comes together, with a few dry spots.
  • Press 3/4 of the cornmeal mixture into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom making sure the mixture is evenly pressed on the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides. (Using something large and flat, like the bottom of a measuring cup, will be helpful.) Place the shell on a rimmed baking sheet; pop the tart shell and remaining mixture into the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling:

  • Toss blueberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the fruit into the crust.
  • Crumble the remaining cornmeal mixture over the blueberries, pressing bits of the mixture together into large clumps as you go, as you would with a crisp or coffee-cake topping (note that it won’t cover the top entirely, more just create a nice sporadic covering, still allowing the blueberries and their juices to poke through).
  • Bake tart until the blueberry filling is bubbly and thickened, and both the crust and top are nicely browned, 50–55 minutes.
  • Let tart cool completely before slicing into triangles and serving. The tart can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature or refrigerated (especially if your kitchen is hot or humid).
  • EAT WITH: vanilla ice cream would be too obvious, but I don’t care.

Notes

DO AHEAD: tart can be baked 4 days ahead, stored wrapped in plastic at room temperature, or refrigerated. 
Honey Sesame Tofu Puffs-Perfect for Meatless Mondays

Honey Sesame Tofu Puffs-Perfect for Meatless Mondays

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One of my favorite recipes is Kristina Cho’s Honey Sesame Tofu Puffs.  She included this easy and delicious recipe in her newsletter several months ago and has been on our Meatless Mondays rotation several times.  After finding Tofu Puffs in the shape of stars (so cute!) at Ranch 99, I bought a couple of packs and headed home to make dinner.  I went to my e-mail and clicked on her newsletter to get to the recipe then I freaked out because I thought…

It’s Behind a Paywall Now?

Nooo🤦🏻‍♀️, why didn’t I download that recipe?!  I’m so sad.  I can’t wrap my head around Substack and having to pay for content from each blogger I follow.  I mean I get it, you gotta find a way to put dinner on the table.  But I have this unfounded fear that if I go down the rabbit hole of subscribing to blogs on Substack…it will end up like my cookbook collection…WAY TOO MANY.  I finally weaned myself off of print magazine subscriptions, now is not the time to backslide.

What To Do?

After watching the TikTok video of her making the dish, multiple times,  I got the ingredients, but not the amounts.  Turning to Google, I created a mash-up from recipes for sweet and spicy tofu or chicken and my best guess of her recipe, lol.  It’s pretty darn close if I do say so myself.

False Alarm

Ok, now I feel like an idiot.  Maybe it was sixth sense, but I went to Kristina’s website and looked for the recipe again.  This time, instead of searching her newsletters, I clicked on ARCHIVES and DUH, there it was, Honey Sesame Tofu Puffs.  So, sheepishly I am here to confess that I was wrong, it is not hidden behind a paywall.  I have yet to pony-up for a Substack subscription but if and when I do, Kristina’s will be the first.

Lets Get To It

The hardest part might be finding Fried Tofu Puffs.  If you have an Asian market near you, go there. Find it in the refrigerated section next to the fresh tofu.  This is the shortcut or hack that makes this dish stupid easy.  If you don’t have an Asian store (best bet is a Chinese one), you can fry fresh tofu after coating it with some cornstarch. This is the brand Kristina uses which I also recommend, but pick the one you like.  Tofu Puffs come in different shapes and sizes, for this recipe, select the smaller puffs which give a nice ratio of sauce to puff in my humble opinion, lol.  I even found one shaped like stars, imagine that.

Easy, Peasy

Now that you have the tofu puffs, the rest is easy.  Start your rice first as it is the rate-limiting step.  The sauce comes together in minutes.  Literally, dump the sauce ingredients in the pan, bring to a boil, and reduce a bit which also ensures the garlic is cooked through.  Add the cornstarch slurry and bring back to a boil to thicken.  This will only take a couple of minutes at most.

Add tofu puffs and stir to coat and warm through.  Add sesame seeds and green onions, reserving a quarter of each for garnish.

Serve over rice garnished with remaining sesame seeds and green onions.  A side dish of bok choy or a vegetable of your choice (I like banchan like kimchi and cucumbers) makes this a complete meal.

Enjoy!

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Honey Sesame Tofu Puffs

Honey Sesame Tofu Puffs. A quick and easy one-bowl vegetarian meal, ready in minutes. vegetarian. Serve over steaming hot rice along with your veggie of choice.
Course comfort food, dinner, lunch, one bowl meal, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword black sesame seeds, honey sesame tofu puffs, one dish meal, tofu puffs, vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg Tofu Puffs approximate 6 ounces

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c + 1 T Honey
  • 1.5 T Regular Soy Sauce
  • 1 T Sesame oil
  • 1/2 T Apple cider or rice vinegar
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp chili flakes up to you
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp shaoxing wine

Thickener

  • 1/2 T cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup + 2 T water

Garnish

  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 stalk green onions, sliced

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix to combine honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic, and white pepper.
  • In another small bowl mix to combine water and cornstarch.
  • Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the sauce and stir constantly until slightly reduced and the initial bubbles subside, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Give the bowl of water and cornstarch a quick stir and then pour in the cornstarch slurry. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens, it should look glossy and leave a trail when you stir.
  • Add the tofu puffs and toss to coat in the sauce. Add the 3/4 of sesame seeds and toss again.
  • Serve over a bowl of rice, garnish with green onions and reserved sesame seeds.
Maple & Olive Oil Granola

Maple & Olive Oil Granola

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My favorite granola recipe, Jule’s Granola was given to me by a friend also coworker, years ago.  She brought a bag to work one day, and being a granola hater, I passed on trying it. She offered again and added, “This ain’t your Quaker Oats guy in the funny hat-boxed granola”.  To appease her, I grabbed a handful, tossed it in my mouth, and BAM!  So good, crunchy, flavorful, filled with nuts and dried fruit, and sweetened with maple syrup. Nutty, buttery, sweet, chewy, crunchy-in a nutshell, damn delicious.  Instantly, I became a GRANOLA CONVERT.

I just wanted to include this photo of my Granola Queen. It’s a blast from the past: her beautiful wedding in Hawaii.

Go-To Granola

I immediately asked her for the recipe and since then I have cranked out batches of granola for family and friends.  Every Christmas we buy cute canning jars to fill with granola which we then gift.  Each person dutifully returns their jar for more granola next year.

Who Knew?

Very happy with Jule’s Granola recipe I never thought of trying another recipe until now.  The powers of social media strike again.  A notification on my phone titled “Genius Granola has a Cult Following” popped up.  This caught my eye.  I quickly scanned the recipe.  It called for olive oil, various seeds, pecans, coconut chips, maple syrup, and brown sugar.  I compared it to my gold-standard granola.  Hmm,  no dried fruit, definitely more seeds, less oats, more maple syrup and sugar.  The olive oil in place of veggie oil caught my eye.

Recipe Breakdown

Oatmeal- Use Old Fashioned not quick or instant.   I added an extra cup of oatmeal (comments on the original as being too sweet), plus the amount of sweeteners compared to my fav recipe was significantly more.

Olive Oil– I happened to have a bottle of vanilla olive oil, so I used it. Mild, floral, citrusy olive oils

Adds- Add whatever mix-ins you like.  I didn’t have sunflower seeds so I used almonds and sesame seeds so what the heck that’s what I added.  Coconut chips from TJ are preferred but you could use large coconut flakes.

Dried Fruit- I love sweet & tart dried fruits in my granola.  I added a blend of raisins, cranberries, and blueberries.  Leave it out, add some in…your choice. Pistachios and either apricots or dried cherries would be smashing.

Sweeteners- The recipe calls for a combination of maple syrup and light brown sugar.  There were quite a few comments about the granola being too sweet.  So do I decrease the sweeteners (which many did by omitting the brown sugar) or add more oatmeal?

Spices- Change the flavor profile by adding cinnamon or even cardamon. (start with 1 tsp of cinnamon) or a Chai tea spice.

Baking: The original recipe is on Food52  by Nekisia Davis of Early Bird. Directions say to spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. My advice is to divide the mixture in half and use two cookie sheets. The layer of granola in one pan is too thick and will not dry and crisp very well. You should still mix it every 10-15 minutes.

This granola is loose, not clumpy, and is perfect for ice cream or yogurt topping. Use it in Natasha Picowicz’s Nubby Granola Shortbread. If you like chunks of granola, make Jule’s Granola, which is still our family favorite (yes, we voted). This is a close second, though.

Now go and make a batch of my 2nd  favorite granola,

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5 from 1 vote

Olive Oil & Maple Granola

Homemade Granola with maple syrup and olive oil
Course Breakfast, Munchie, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword granola, maple syrup, oats, olive oil, pecans
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats Original recipe calls for 3 cups
  • 1 1/4 cups raw pecans coarsely chopped, although I was lazy and left them as halves
  • 1 cup coconut chips or flakes (large)
  • 1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds sub slivered almonds

Sweeteners

  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

Optional

  • 1-2 cups dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, diced apricots, or dried cherries

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, mix the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, syrup, oil, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt until well combined. Add optional spices if using.
  • Spread the mixture in an even layer split between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes total, until the granola is toasted. Halfway through baking, rotate sheets from top to bottom and turn each back to front.
  • Remove the granola from the oven; season with salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving.
  • Add dried fruit, after granola cools. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Do Ahead: The granola can be made 1 month ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

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I know, I know…I already have a few showstopper blueberry muffin recipes on 3Jamigos but I just found another one!  From Zoe Bakes, her Blueberry Muffin with Crumble Topping.  The crumble and a touch of lemon sets this muffin apart.  They’re delicious and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.  During blueberry season, which happens to be right now, I head to our farmer’s market to load up on the tiny blue orbs.  First, I eat some out of hand when I return from the market.  Then I save some for fruit salads or a favorite spinach salad with hazelnuts, and avocado dressed in a honey mustard vinaigrette.  A portion gets frozen to be enjoyed later in the year.  But ultimately, the berries end up in baked goodies- there’s Blueberry Boy Bait Cake, Blueberry Hand Pies, Blueberry Cornmeal Cobbler,  Blueberry Cornmeal Mochi Cake… I feel like Bubba Gump, you get the picture.  I’m blue without blueberries.  Search blueberries on 3jamigos.com and a plethora of recipes will pop up.

 Zoe of All Trades

If by chance you aren’t familiar with Zoe Francois, let me fangirl about her for a moment.  Zoe is based out of Minneapolis.  She started in a different career but ultimately pivoted to food, working as a pastry chef and co-writing cookbooks.  Her easy, friendly, personable style , million-dollar smile and great dessert recipes have given rise to cookbooks, videos, and a TV show.  I love her show, which is filled with great tips, techniques, and ideas.  It also highlights the folks and local businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  I have a soft spot for the Twin Cities having visited often (even in the winter) when Jamie lived there.  Her book, Zoe Bakes, sits on my frequent flyer bookshelf on my island and I can’t wait until her next book, Zoe’s Cookies, comes out in September.

How the Muffin Crumbles

As much as I love Hummingbird High’s Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins, my family is crumble-crazy.  There was never a question if we would make Zoe’s muffins, the question was when.  With blueberry season in full swing, the time was now.  I brought home a quart of blueberries from my favorite purveyor, Triple Delight, and set upon making these muffins.

Make the crumble first as it needs to chill a bit, toss it in the fridge while making the batter.  The crumble is a little on the sweet side, maybe I’ll add nuts next time and a pinch of salt. It’s a classic crumble topping, butter, and brown sugar with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon.  Work the butter in with a pastry blender or your fingers, it should look like coarse lumpy sand.  Stash it in the fridge.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and yolk along with the vanilla and combine well.  It may look slightly curdled but will smooth out after adding the dry ingredients.  Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times during the process.  It makes a difference.

Add flour mixture with sour cream or buttermilk in two portions.  Do not overmix.  The batter will be fairly thick and stiff.   Finally, fold the blueberries into the batter by hand to avoid crushing the berries.

I love these tulip-shaped muffin tin liners but traditional cupcake papers will work too. Use an ice cream scoop (#20) to portion the batter into a muffin tin.  Sprinkle the chilled crumble equally over the batter.

Bake the muffins until golden brown on the edges.  The middle will be lighter than the edges.  Remove from oven, serve warm.  Enjoy!

While blueberries are in season make these muffins.  They can also be made with frozen blueberries.  Do not thaw, fold the frozen berries into the batter.

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Blueberry Muffins

A tender, fine crumb muffin studded with sweet blueberries and topped with a buttery crumble topping. Perfection from Zoe Bakes
Course Breakfast, Muffins, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, Blueberry Muffins, muffins, streusel, zoe bakes
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour bleached or unbleached will work 60g
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar well packed 125g
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 57g

Muffins

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups spoon and sweep 240g all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)* Use 210gm if using KA flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/8 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Cream Mixture

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 86g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar 30g
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 whole egg room temperature
  • 1 yolk room temperature

Liquid Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sour cream or buttermilk crème fraîche or yogurt work too! 135g
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries** 175g
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare the topping by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl until it turns into uniform clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Prepare regular muffin tins with 7 LARGE liners. (You can bake regular sized muffins by dividing it into 12)
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside.
  • Cream the butter, sugars and zest together on medium speed, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla. Add the egg and yolk, one at a time, mixing on low just until combined. It may seem a bit curdled, because it is a lot of liquid to add to that amount of butter. It will all come together in the end.
  • Add half the flour and half the sour cream. Mix on low until combined. Add the remaining flour and sour cream.
  • Toss the blueberries with flour and if using frozen berries immediately fold them into the batter with two or three gentle stirs. If you over mix, the batter will turn purple and then gray. Scoop into the muffin liners.
  • Sprinkle the topping over the muffins. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out with moist, but not wet, crumbs. If you are baking smaller muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

*If you use King Arthur Baking all-purpose flour, your muffins will not be as soft and fluffy, because it has more protein, so use a few tablespoons less.**If you use frozen blueberries, keep them frozen until the last minute.
These muffins can be frozen. Thaw them out and reheat in a warm oven for about 10 minutes to serve.
Gochugaru Salmon with Crispy Rice-Yet Another Eric Kim Winner

Gochugaru Salmon with Crispy Rice-Yet Another Eric Kim Winner

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Another winner from Eric Kim, NYTcooking columnist, cookbook author, and writer.  Like many of his recipes, this one is very approachable, comes together quickly, and packs a one-two punch of flavor and texture.  The first time, I didn’t bother making the crispy rice.  MISTAKE.  The salmon and glaze are delicious but the crispy rice pushes it to the next level.

I have made so many of his recipes that I have an index of his recipes included in my post about his delightful pound cake.  If you love Sara Lee’s poundcake, you’ll love his version.  Here is the Eric Kim Hall of Food, so far…

Links are included for the ones I have written notes for so far.  One day, I will get through all of them, I hope.

Back to the Fish

Cooked rice-Make this dish when you have leftover rice.  Instead of making fried rice with it (come on, everyone makes fried rice with day-old rice), plan on making the crispy rice cake for this recipe. Short grain is stickier so works well for the rice cake.

The Star- 4 fresh salmon fillets, skin on.  Salt and pepper the fillets and fry until the skin is nice and crispy.  Try not to overcook the salmon,  it’s fine when slightly undercooked.

Before the fish gets sauced,  pan-frying for nice crispy skin.  Imagine that generic video everyone does running a knife over the skin to prove how crispy it is…yep.

The Sauce-pantry staples except for perhaps Gochugaru which is Korean chili pepper flakes (coarse ) or powder (fine). It’s spicy, smokey, and sweet. Find it at most Asian Supermarkets, definitely at H-Mart and Ranch 99. I recommend doubling the sauce, it’s that good.

The sauce comes together quickly. Key ingredient.  Allow it to come to a boil to caramelize the sauce.

Add cold butter to create a delicious, smooth, creamy emulsion.

Crispy Rice- Adds time and work to the dish, but it is so worth it!  The crispy rice adds a textural element.  The rice soaks up the flavor from the oil left in the pan from the fish.  Delish!

Serve this with sliced cucumbers, pickles, fresh kimchi, any banchan, or blanched spinach.

Enjoy!

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Gochugaru Salmon With Crispy Rice

Another winner from Eric KIm, NYT Cooking columnist and author of Korean American. Gochugaru Salmon with Crispy Rice. Quick, Easy and Delicious
Course dinner
Cuisine Asian-American, Korean-American
Keyword crispy rice, gochugaru, maple syrup, quick and easy, Salmon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 skin-on salmon fillets 6 ounces each
  • Kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal
  • Black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil I use peanut oil
  • 4 cups cooked white rice preferably leftover rice, and short grain which is a bit stickier so it stays together

Sauce

  • 4 teaspoons gochugaru powder or flakes is fine
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, kept whole

Garnish & Sides

  • Toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle on fish when done
  • Sliced cucumbers or pickles for serving (optional)
  • Any Banchan you like, kimchi, potato salad, spinach your choice

Instructions

  • Season the salmon on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and sear the salmon fillets skin side down until the skin is browned and crispy, 2 to 5 minutes. The salmon will begin to turn pale coral as the heat slowly creeps up the sides of the fish; you want that coral color to come up about two-thirds of the way for a nice medium-rare.
  • Carefully flip the salmon and cook the second side until the flesh feels firm, another 1 to 2 minutes. When you press it, it should not feel wobbly. Transfer the salmon to a plate skin side down and keep the pan with the rendered fat over the heat.
  • Add the rice to the fat in the pan and spread in an even layer, packing it down as if making a rice pancake. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and toasted, about 5 minutes. You should hear it crackle.
  • Flip the rice like a pancake, using a spatula if needed. You may not be able to flip it all in one piece, but that’s OK. Cook until lightly toasted on the second side, another 1 to 2 minutes. Go longer if you want crispier rice, but the trifecta of crispy-chewy-soft tastes wonderful.
  • While the rice is cooking, stir together the gochugaru, maple syrup, rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • When the rice is done, divide it evenly among the plates. In the now-empty pan, add the gochugaru mixture and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until it bubbles up and reduces significantly, 15 seconds to 1 minute. It should look pretty sticky.
  • Turn off the heat and add the cold butter, stirring with a wooden spoon or tongs until fully melted and incorporated into the gochugaru mixture. Pour this glaze over the salmon and serve with cucumbers or pickles.

Notes

You can find gochugaru, or red-pepper powder, at Korean or Asian supermarkets or online. Store in the freezer, it lasts a long time without degrading.
I use a non-stick skillet that doesn't brown or crisp food like a cast iron pan.  It may take significantly more time to brown and crisp rice.
Jam Caves, Scandinavian Thumbprints

Jam Caves, Scandinavian Thumbprints

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The first time I visited Kantine in SF  it was raining cats and dogs (where does that saying come from?).  I made the mad dash from my car into their very cute and inviting space.  I ended up with a Semlor-a cardamon-flavored bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream,  and a terbike, similar to an almond croissant.  Finally, I couldn’t resist grabbing the last Jam Cave left on the platter.

Located on Market Street in San Francisco, in between Downtown and the Castro. It’s a lovely stop for Scandinavian treats.

Think Thumbprints

After perusing their pastry case and saying “I’ll take one of those, and one of those, and…” I sat down with a cup of coffee and pulled out the Jam Cave. Are you thinking, what’s a jam cave?  Think thumbprint, a buttery, tender, rich, thumbprint filled with a sweet-tart jam.  I took a bite of my Jam Cave and returned to the counter, grabbed a copy of her Scandinavian from Scratch, scanned it for the Jam Cave recipe, and bingo, found it. I left with a box of pastries and a signed cookbook. The little voice in my head whispering make these cookies soon.

My favorite treats by Kantine are Cardamon Morning Buns, Caramel Slices, (notes here), and Jam Caves.

It didn’t take me long to pull out the book and make her delicious Jam Caves.

The dough is shaped into logs and cut into eight pieces.  I found it easier to roll the pieces into balls, slightly flattening each and creating the depression for the jam.  Instead of my thumb, I used my heart-shaped stamp made by the hubster.

You can use your thumb to make a circular jam indentation or your pointer finger pressed in a V to make a heart shape. I have a heart-shaped stamp courtesy of the hubster.

Sprinkle raw sugar or Demerara Sugar before baking and filling with jam.  Transfer the jam to a squeeze bottle with a large nozzle.  The recipe calls for black currant jam, feel free to use your favorite jam.  I like raspberry jam. A squeeze bottle makes quick work of filling the cookies.

The weight and volume of the powdered sugar in the recipe looked a little off.  I made a command decision to go by weights.  It was a good decision as the cookies turned out pretty darn yummy.  But, just to be sure, I visited Kantine to try one of their Jam Caves and compare.  Lucky for me, Nicole was there so I asked her about the recipe.  Yep, use the weight measurement.  No scale?  Use 1/2 cup of powdered sugar not 1/3 cup as stated in the book.

Scandinavian Whoppers

Feel free to roll the dough into a longer log and cut 10-12 pieces for slightly smaller cookies.  Reduce baking time accordingly.  These are bakery-sized cookies almost 2 inches in diameter.  Roll the dough into a longer log and cut into 10-12 pieces for smaller cookies.  Reduce baking time accordingly. The cookie is softer, and less short than a classic thumbprint. My guess is that egg yolks contribute to the lighter, cakier, texture.

This would make a great addition to any holiday cookie box.

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Jam Caves

Jam Caves, the Scandinavian version of thumbprints are buttery, tender, filled with jam, perfect with tea or coffee. Adapted from Scandinavian from Scratch
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine scandinavian
Keyword cookies, jam, jam caves, Kantine
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

Cream mixture:

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 256 grams
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66 grams
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar 62 grams
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 384 grams
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to finish

To Finish Cookies:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon demerara sugar
  • ¾ cup black currant jam or jam of choice 150 grams

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Line 13 by 18-inch (33 by 46 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar on medium until soft and creamy, pausing halfway through to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated. The dough will be fairly thick. Divide the dough into two equal portions.
  • Lightly dust a work surface with flour, then roll each ball of dough into a log about 12-16 inches (30 cm) long. Cut each log into 8-12 cookies at 1½-inch (3.5 cm) intervals and arrange them on the prepared baking trays, spaced 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) apart.
  • Use your thumb to make a careful depression in the top of each cookie. Your thumb should come about ¼ inch shy of the baking tray. Be careful not to push all the way through the dough. As you press down, the cookie will expand into a rounded shape. Don’t worry if the edges of the dough crack a little.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a fork. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each cookie with the egg wash, focusing on the edges. Sprinkle the tops with the demerara sugar.
  • Drop a heaping teaspoon of the jam into the center of each cookie.
  • Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking trays halfway through from top to bottom and front to back, until golden at the edges and the jam is set. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container, where they will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

Notes

Makes 16-24 cookies. 
Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad Copycat (凉拌黄瓜)

Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad Copycat (凉拌黄瓜)

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Adding to the cucumber salad recipes on 3Jamigos, I recently came across a copycat of Din Tai Fung’s cucumber appetizer.  Just in case you aren’t familiar with Din Tai Fung.  It is a global restaurant conglomerate from Taiwan that specializes in noodles and dumplings.  There’s one in the Valley Fair mall in San Jose. The running joke in my house is wild horses could not drag me to a mall, I hate shopping.  But put a RamenNagi, a Somi Somi, a Marugame Udon, or a Din Tai Fung there?  I’m all in, Babee.  It’s off to the mall we go.

I love cucumbers as a side dish to a rice bowl like Taiwanese Pork Belly Rice, Lu Rou Fan or  Jia Yi Turkey Rice.  Perfect as a Banchan or appetizer at Korean BBQ.  It’s crispy and refreshing, the ideal way to balance a meal.

Cucumber Madness

Ok, confession time.  My mom taught me how to draw the bitterness out of a cucumber by doing the following.  Cut the end of the cucumber off, take that end piece, and place it back on the end, kinda like putting it back together, and rub the exposed side of the cucumber with the cut end.   Apparently, this draws the bitterness out of the cucumber. Does this make sense?  Don’t know, but my mom told me always to do it so I do.  If nothing else, cut off the ends of the cucumber and throw those out.  I hear that’s where the bitterness is concentrated.  Do you rub the ends of cucumbers?  Enquiring minds want to know. 😉

Here are two other refreshing cucumber recipes from the  3jamigos archives…yep, crazy for cukes.

Cool Hand Cuke (Cucumber Salad from A Common Table)

Cool as a Cucumber Banchan (Simple Asian Cucumber Salad)

And now, try this one…a take on Din Tai Fung’s Cucumber Salad. 凉拌黄瓜真的很好吃!

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Cucumber Salad Din Tai Fung Wannabe

Quick and easy cucumber salad that’s a lot like Din Tai Fung’s
Course Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine Taiwanese
Keyword appetizer, cucumber salad, quick and easy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Salting Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

The Star

  • 1 lb cucumber Persian or English
  • 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

The Dressing

  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 1/2 tbsp chili oil or chili crisp
  • 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Garnish

  • Toasted white sesame seeds
  • thinly sliced green onions (scallions)

Instructions

  • Slice cucumbers into ½” rounds and place in a large bowl or colander. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
  • Rinse off the salt with water and place cukes on a paper towel. Pat cucumbers as dry as possible.
  • In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, grated garlic, chili oil and sesame oil.
  • Add dry cucumbers to the bowl and mix with the dressing to combine. Let marinate in fridge for 10-30 minutes. Garnish with roasted white sesame seeds and scallions serve.