Father’s Day this past Sunday meant Hubby’s Choice. We did whatever he wanted to do, eat, and play. Here is my Haiku for Father’s Day
He walked in the morn
Ate fried chicken Played Fortnite
She drank Sangria
Yep, the Sangria was for me. Sangria was the perfect complement to our Dad Driven Dinner of fried chicken, potato salad, fresh corn on the cob grilled, served as Elote(my latest obsession), and a berry melange with oranges. AmIRite?
So I pulled out a bottle of red wine, not the pricey stuff, and made a large pitcher of Sangria. It’s light, it’s festive, it’s refreshing and delicious, one of my favorite drinks. Perfect for hot summer days and alfresco dining.
Over the years I have tweaked a recipe I first found in Cooking Light magazine. The tweaks entail adding more alcohol, imagine that. Feel free to add your favorite fruits, the sky’s the limit. I added blueberries and lime slices to this batch. Apples would also be great, or other berries. To bring out the flavors of the fruit, when you add the fruit to the wine mixture, muddle them lightly. Totally optional. Get fancy by garnishing the glass with a wedge of citrus or a strawberry. If you’re in party mode, hit it with a splash of Brandy.
Take red wine, add a little bit of sugar, oranges, lemons, cinnamon, and cloves. Then take it over the top with a splash of Triple Sec, Brandy and Club Soda, that’s Sangria!
Course Drinks
Cuisine Spanish
Keyword Red Wine, Sangria, Summer Cooler
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
750mlbottle of red wine, inexpensive but drinkableRiojas would be lovely, low tannin, younger wine
1cupfresh orange juice
1/4 cupTriple Secor Brandy
1/3cupgranulated sugar
1 striporange peel 4” long
4cloves
2cinnamon sticks
1lemonthinly sliced & seeded
1orangethinly sliced & seeded
Splashbrandy
2cupsClub Soda or Sparkling Water
Garnish
any fresh fruit
Instructions
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large pitcher, stirring mixture until the sugar dissolves.
Press cloves into the rind strip. Add strip, cinnamon, and fruit to wine mixture.
Chill for at least 30 minutes. Stir in club soda just before serving. Serve over ice.
Garnish with additional fruit.
Strawberries Fields for…Cake (Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Cream)
Since strawberries returned to our local farmers market our Sunday mornings start with a run to the market. As soon as we arrive home, the first couple of baskets of strawberries go into a colander, given a quick rinse, and placed on the counter for immediate consumption. The rest of the berries are placed in paper towel-lined containers and enjoyed throughout the week. Somewhere in the middle of the week, we start thinking of different ways to serve those little red gems. Luckily, both the internet and cooking mags are filled with recipes that highlight berries. While thumbing through the latest issue Baking from Scratch, Jamie came across a mouthwatering recipe for a Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Cream. She immediately set upon making it.
Another Strawberry Cake, Deb? Why?
I had previously posted a recipe just for that “save me from all the strawberries I bought” moment, Summer Strawberry Cake fromSmitten Kitchen. A delish, jam-packed full of strawberries cake. So why another strawberry cake recipe? This one is easy to make and pretty darn delicious too, but the smile, fist bump the guy next to you moment is the Lemon Cream. Sure, a simple dusting of powdered sugar would be fine, BUT, oh, that Lemon Cream takes it over the top. It is creamy, sweet with a lemony zing, and adds the wow factor. Do not skip it.
To make the cake batter, cream softened butter with sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients mixture alternating with the buttermilk always starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Jamie baked it in a regular cake pan although the recipe calls for either a cast iron pan or cake pan. I imagine a cast iron pan would result in crispy edges. I leave it to you to decide what pan to use.
The cake is not quite as dense as a coffee cake and has a nice crumb. The strawberries provide the flavor punch and the sprinkle of Turbinado Sugar adds a nice finishing crunch.
The next time you go to your local farmer’s market, pick up an additional pint or two of strawberries, and make this cake. It’s berry delicious and don’t skip the Lemon Cream!
From Bake from Scratch, a delicious buttery cake topped with strawberries and a killer lemon cream!
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword buttermilk, lemon cream, Strawberry
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Ingredients
Creamed Mixture
6tablespoons(84 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1cup(200 grams) granulated sugar
2large eggs
1tablespoonlemon zest
Dry Stuff
1⅔cups(209 grams) all-purpose flour
1teaspoon(5 grams) baking powder
½teaspoon(1.5 grams) kosher salt
Finish
½cupwhole buttermilk
1teaspoonvanilla extract
8ounce fresh strawberries, halved
2tablespoons(24 grams) turbinado sugar
Lemon Cream
1½cupsheavy whipping cream
2/3cup(80 grams) confectioners’ sugar
2teaspoonslemon zest
1tablespoonfresh lemon juice
1teaspoonvanilla extract
¼teaspoon(0.75 gram) kosher salt
Instructions
The Cake
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or cake pan with baking spray with flour.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Pour batter into prepared pan, using an offset spatula to smooth top. Top with strawberries, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm with Lemon Cream.
Lemon Cream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and confectioners’ sugar at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and salt, beating to combine. Makes about 3 cups
CORNfirmation, Summer is Here! (Elote-Grilled Mexican Street Corn)
I consider my weekly trip to our local Farmer’s Market as my sanity break from COVID-19. As the weather warms not only are more folks coming out but the variety of fruits and vegetables at the market has also blossomed. As the apples and pears bid us goodbye-cherries, stone fruits, and berries have slid into those same spots without missing a beat.
My usual routine on Sundays is to head over to our local farmers market. I line up around 8:30, before the market opens at 9:00, to grab my half flat of strawberries. All my “ducks” are in a row so I then hop over to the next kiosk for microgreens and mushrooms, veggies at Live Earth Farm, and then cherries on the corner along with my Asian veggie fix. I wrap up my shopping at the fresh blueberries stand and then sit on a bench with my buds to catch up.
This past Sunday, I added a stop.
Fresh Corn is Back Baby!
There I was, waiting in the strawberry line when I noticed a new stall next to the strawberries, FRESH CORN. This signals the beginning of summer. Everybody have corn tonight, uh-huh, uh-huh.
The Paint
Most of the time we boil or steam the corn and happily munch on them unadorned, a sprinkle of salt perhaps. My new favorite way to serve fresh corn is as Grilled Mexican Street Corn called Elote. Shuck the corn and throw them on a hot grill until they are nicely charred. Remove and slather corn with mayonnaise or a 50:50 blend of mayonnaise and sour cream or Mexican Crema. If you have an aversion to mayo, you could use just sour cream or melted butter. I use a brush to “fine-tune” how much mayo I spread on each cob to appease my guilt about the calories.
The Sprinkles
The essential ingredient for corn sprinkles (cute, eh) is chili powder. A purist will get specific chili powders like ancho or guajillo, which can be purchased online or at any Hispanic market. These are specifically dried chilis ground into powder. Chili Powder found in most supermarkets is actually a blend of chilis and other spices like cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne. ANY of these work for Elote.
AND THEN…You can try commercial products made to mimic the flavors of Elote and enhance your “street food” dish. I like Tajin, a blend of chilis, lime, and salt. Think of it as the granddaddy of the Mexican spice blend. Lately, TJ’s has jumped on the bandwagon and has a Chili Lime seasoning blend and in their Everything But The…line, an Elote blend that contains Parmesan, Chipotle, cumin, and cilantro, which sounds pretty darn delicious.
The Fixins’
The finishing trifecta for your Elote. Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro and crumbled Cotija Cheese or in a pinch, Parmesan cheese, and finally a squeeze of lime all over the corn.
Done, so good.
For those of you who just can’t stand corn between your teeth, after grilling, scrape the corn off the cob. Put the corn in a bowl and add the sprinkles and fixins’ on top, voila, a delicious, colorful Corn Salad, and no flossing. Check out Serious Eats’s Esquites-Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Fresh corn on the cob marks the summer season. Elote or Mexican Street Corn, a delicious way to highlight fresh corn, grill and top with mayo, chili, cheese and lime.
Course Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine Hispanic, Mexican
Keyword Corn on the cob, Elote, Fresh corn
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Ingredients
6ears cornshucked and cleaned
1/3-1/2cupmayonnaiseor use a blend of Mayo and sour cream or Crema
Chili powderSee post for variations
1/3c.crumbled cotija cheeseor Parmesan in a pinch
Freshly chopped cilantro
Lime wedgesfor serving
Instructions
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill corn, turning often, until slightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.
Brush corn with a layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle with chili powder, cotija, and cilantro. Serve warm with lime wedges.
I LOVE bread pudding. Sweet or savory, made with almost any kind of bread-from bagels to brioche, enveloped in a custard of eggs and milk, the epitome of comfort food. Each spoonful is a revelation, crispy, crunchy outside and meltingly soft custard-like inside, YUM, it’s so good.
The Why
I’m guessing bread pudding was born out of economics, a way to not waste day-old bread. Who was that frugal genius? It’s everything a dish should be-comforting, multi-textured, versatile, simple, and most of all amazingly delicious.
The Who
My favorite recipe is a mash-up of a Mark Bittman recipe in The New York Times and one from Bon Appetit, Apple-Raisin Bread Pudding. That’s the beauty of bread pudding, it lends itself well to additions and changes. Play with this recipe and make it your own. I even have a rift for a Tres Leches Bread Pudding, yep, so many variations, so little time.
The How
It’s super versatile, I have used french bread, challah, brioche, or ciabatta. If I want a richer dish I replace part of the milk with half-half (25-50%) or add 1-2 additional eggs for a more custard-like pudding. I have added apples in the fall, berries, or peaches in the summer, dried fruit when my fruit basket is empty or folded in homemade preserves … For you chocoholics, throw in a handful of chocolate chips. You get the picture, this is a slam dunk. For Thanksgiving, a savory bread pudding with mushrooms, peppers, and Parmesan will grace our table, it has become an annual holiday tradition.
Toast the cubes in the oven at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes
The Pay-Off
My kids would clean their rooms and do their chores for bread pudding, especially if I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Yep, a fam-favorite for many reasons.
Who doesn't love a simple, comforting dessert-bread pudding!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword bread., eggs, Simple Bread Pudding
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Ingredients
2cupsmilkreplace 1/2 with half-half for a richer pudding
2tablespoonsunsalted butter (1/4 stick) more for greasing pan
1/2cupsugarfor a sweeter pudding use 3/4 cup
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Pinchsalt
1/2loaf sweet egg bread like challah or briochecut into 1.5-2-inch cubes (about 5 to 6 cups)
2eggs, beatened Like itt custardy? Add an extra egg
Optional Fruit Add-Ins Replace 1/2 cup of bread with any of the following
1apple peeled and cored, cut into 1/2 inch dice. Granny Smith for tart, Golden Delicious for sweet.
1cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 2-quart baking dish and fill it with cubed bread (8x8 or 9x9 square pan will work)
Toast cubed bread pieces in 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes. This is an optional step. If you do toast bread, definitely soak the cubes before baking.
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool.
Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; pour mixture over bread. Let sit for abot 30 minutes so the bread can soak up the egg mixture. This makes a more custard like pudding.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tweaks
Like cinnamon add 1/4 teaspoon to egg mixture.
In place of fruit use 1/4-1/2 cup jam or preserves, dot pudding, distributing evenly
Sprinkle bread pudding with cinnamon before baking. For a crunchy top, sprinkle top with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar before baking. (To make your own cinnamon sugar, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 2 T cinnamon)
Golden raisins work well in this bread pudding too!
Roasted Tomato & White Bean Stew (Bean Craving a Good Stew)
Friday night…my mind was thinking about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
The plan, grilling on Monday. Something classic, burgers, potato salad, strawberry shortcake, the “Summer is finally here” meal. Saturday’s dinner was taken care of, take-out and delivery from one of the legacy restaurants in SF Chinatown, Kam Po. A fundraiser for Chinatown Community Development Center combined with helping a Chinatown mom and pop business. A win-win, I ordered roast duck, crispy skinned pork and bbq pork plates…can’t wait.
What’s for Dinner Tonight?
But it was Friday and I still hadn’t started dinner. I cooked quite a bit during the week and was admittedly ready for an easy cook meal. I peered into the pantry hunting for inspiration…hmmm, a couple of cans of white beans. Further rummaging around the kitchen produced cherry tomatoes, a couple of Italian sausages, one lonely onion. Jamie had recently tried a recipe from the NYTimes, Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew that she gave a hearty thumbs up to on all counts-ease of prep and deliciousness.
I Was In Business
Winner winner beanie dinner. This dish is simple, quick and so satisfying. Roast tomatoes in olive oil and thyme which intensifies their flavor and sweetness. I used a medley of gold and red cherry tomatoes, use whatever you like. While they are roasting, saute’ the onions, garlic, and pepper flakes. Add beans-reserve the liquid from the cans just in case to adjust the consistency of the sauce. Give the stew a couple of stirs and mash some of the beans with a big spoon to thicken it. Make sure to scrape all the tasty bits from roasting the tomatoes and add them to the beans along with the tomatoes and their liquid.
Home Stretch
Simmer a couple of minutes and voila’, dinner is served. This stew is really, really good, the sweetness of the tomatoes and onions, the nice mouthfeel from the beans, yummy, YUMMY, yummy. I love the garlic and thyme, but I’m wondering if rosemary would work too. We grilled a couple of Italian sausages, sliced, and added them to the pot right before serving. You could also just serve them on the side. Grilled shrimp or cod would be a lovely match too. OR, keep it vegetarian, this stew is so flavorful and satisfying you won’t even miss the protein. Top it with the parsley and lemon gremolata which adds a herby-citrus zing and you are in business. The Hubs and Jorge don’t like beans but they both admitted that this was delicious. Now that’s a strong recommendation!
Make this stew the next time you need a quick, easy, hearty meal. It’s just so tasty!
Looking for other meatless recipes? This Red Lentil Soup from NYTimes is delicious~~
Keyword easy, roasted tomato, stew, vegan, White Bean, white bean stew
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Ingredients
Garnish
½cuproughly chopped Italian parsley leaves and tender stems
2teaspoonslemon zestfrom 1 large lemon
Stew
210-ounce containers cherry or grape tomatoes
¼cupolive oilplus 2 tablespoons and more for drizzling (optional)
1tablespoonfresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and black pepper
1medium yellow onionthinly sliced
3-4large garlic clovesthinly sliced
½teaspoonred-pepper flakes
215-ounce cans white beans (such as butter or cannellini), rinsed
1 ½cupsvegetable or chicken brothor water
2Italian sausage optionalmild or spicy, your choice
Serve with
Flaky saltfor serving (optional)
Toasted breadfor serving
Instructions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, gently toss together the parsley and lemon zest with your hands until well combined; set aside.
In a large baking dish or on a sheet pan, toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup oil and thyme; season well with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until they have collapsed and begin to turn golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12-inch), deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rinsed beans and broth and bring to a simmer. With the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smash about ½ cup of the beans so they slightly thicken the broth. If you want a thicker stew, crush some more of the beans. Season with salt and pepper.
When the tomatoes are finished roasting, add them directly to the stew along with any juices that have been released. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more so the flavors meld; season to taste with salt.
Ladle into shallow bowls. Top each serving with some of the lemon-parsley mixture and drizzle with some more olive oil, and season with flaky salt, if you like. Serve with toasted bread.
Candy or Cookie? You Be the Judge (Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle)
Hello? Why didn’t someone tell me it was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day…a couple of days ago? Yep, I missed it. Well, I almost missed it. As I was doing my late-night perusal of Instagram, what should pop up on my feed? A luscious-looking pic of chocolate chip cookies with the banner shouting out “Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!”.
WHAAT?
Damn it. If I had just gone to sleep instead of taking that last look at my feed. So there I was at midnight, guilted into making chocolate chip cookies. I envisioned myself staying up another couple of hours, baking off sheets of cookies one at a time (yes, I can’t bring myself to bake two sheets at once). UGH.
Then I remembered a recipe I had been wanting to try from Shauna Sever’s Midwest Made. Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle. It starts with melted butter, yay, no waiting for butter to come to room temp. The batter can be made in one bowl with a wooden spoon (ok, and a whisk), the finished dough is then spread on a baking sheet and popped in the oven. ONE SHEET, that’s it.
I Am So Making Them
Surprisingly, the recipe calls for granulated sugar and no eggs. I double-checked the recipe, yep, no eggs, and no brown sugar. Hmmm, interesting, I apprehensively plowed on. It also started with melted butter, yay, no creaming.
I gathered the dry ingredients as the butter cooled and got out my 12×17 sided cookie sheet (classic 1/2 sheet pan). Added sugar to the cooled melted butter and beat until it formed a loose paste. Poured in the flour and vanilla, stirred to combine and followed with the toasted nuts (don’t skip toasting, 5-6 minutes in a 350-degree oven) and chocolate.
Not Gonna Lie
The worse part was spreading the dough in the pan. Don’t do what I did, which was plop all the dough in the center of the sheet pan. Spread it out a little so it is easier to cover the pan. You want the dough to be as even and thin as possible. The dough will be approximately the same thickness as the chips. I used Guittard’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate (ginormous) chips but almost any chip would work in this cookie, bittersweet, milk chocolate, or a combination. Likewise, walnuts would work in place of pecans.
The cookie baked in 22 minutes. Be extra vigilant towards the end as they brown pretty quickly. The recipe does not have brown sugar and calls for only granulated sugar. It’s important to bake it to nice toasty brown which results in a crisp, toffee flavored cookie. It’s addictive. Crunchy cookie base, oozy chocolate, and toasted nuts. It straddles the line between cookie and candy, another winner from Shauna Sever.
Is it a cookie? Is it a candy? You decide! Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle is delicious.
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 9 minutesminutes
Ingredients
1cup(225 g) unsalted buttermelted and cooled
2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
1cup(200 g) granulated sugar
1teaspoonfine sea salt
2cups(256 g) all-purpose flourspooned and leveled
1cup(170 g) chopped pecans lightly toasted, can sub walnuts
1cup(170 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips60% cacao
Instructions
Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350°F Have ready a 12 x 17-inch rimmed baking sheet. You do not need to grease or cover with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and vanilla. Add the sugar and salt and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and appears pastelike. Switch to a wooden spoon or spatula and mix in the flour. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Press the mixture into the ungreased pan in a thin, even layer (use the chocolate chips as your height barometer—try to get them in as close to a single layer as possible throughout the dough, and you’ll have the right thickness). Alternatively, spread the dough in the pan, scatter chocolate chips and nuts on top and press into dough, leaing someexposed on top.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes), or until light golden brown and the edges a bit darker than the center (mine were pretty uniformly brown ), rotate the pan 180 degrees every 7 to 8 minutes during baking. Let cool completely before breaking into irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Asian Soul Food: Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage & Mushrooms
Dinner in the Time of COVID. I find myself not just cooking more but cooking more of the dishes I grew up eating. Favorite dishes that my father and grandfather cooked for us. We all need a little bit of comfort these days, ain’t that the truth.
A favorite in our house is Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage and Mushrooms. This time it was part of a meal that is as down-home as it gets. We started with Kid-favorite Corn Soup, Steamed Pork with Salted Egg, and Sauteed Asparagus. I was exhausted from all the prep! How my Dad pulled off dinners like this nightly after a full day’s work, continues to amaze me.
The keys to Delicious Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage & Mushrooms
Use bone-in chicken if possible. The flavor is better when the meat is left on the bone…is there a scientific reason? Who knows, but I’m not about to buck my dad’s advice. But, don’t let that stop you from making this dish, by all means, if all you have is boneless chicken, use it. It will still be onolicious. I like to use wings, but any part of the chicken will work. Breast meat is a little trickier, it is less forgiving than dark meat and can overcook.
Chinese Sausage
Also known as Lop Cheung, a delicious sweet and slightly savory preserved meat that is found in tons of Chinese dishes. I love Lop Cheung, when I am craving an easy comfort dish, I’ll throw a couple on top of the rice right before turning on my rice cooker, as the rice cooks so do the Lop Cheung. You can find Lop Cheung at most Asian markets and at some of the larger supermarkets in the Bay Area. There are several different varieties including pork, pork & chicken, and pork & liver. Unless you grew up with Chinese Sausage, stay away from the liver one which is gamier and stronger in flavor. The meat is marinated, stuffed into casings, set to dry, and then kept cool. I still head to SF Chinatown to buy my Lop Cheung from Mow Lee or Wycen. Old School all the way.
I hope they survive COVID19.
Pre-cook stage
The Dried Stuff
Dried Shiitake or Black Mushrooms, Cloud Ears (Dried Fungus), and Lilly Buds or Golden Needles round out the dish. Soak the dry ingredients in warm water 15-30 minutes until soft. Each provides flavor and texture to the dish.
Shiitake MushroomsBack in the day, shiitakes only came in dried form. Nowadays you can get fresh shiitake mushrooms easily, they’re delicious BUT for the most part, in Chinese cooking we use the dried form. Why? Concentrated flavor. The flavor of the mushroom is intensified and that flavor is essential to the dish. Soak the mushrooms first, (keep the soaking liquid for stocks and soups), trim the stems that can be kind of woody, and slice into desired thickness.
Cloud Ears or Black Fungus is just another kind of mushroom. It doesn’t have a ton of its own flavor but adds texture, in the form of CRUNCH and absorbs the flavor of the marinade-YUM. After soaking, pinch the stem-tip off. The tip is where the stem connected to the tree, it’s a little crusty.
Lily budsadd an earthy flavor and texture. After soaking the lily buds, pinch or cut off the ends (it will look a little darker than the rest of the bud and tie a knot in the middle of each strand. Yeah, don’t know why, but I do it because my Dad told me to.
Don’t forget to add the green onions and cilantro at the end.
There you go, all the components to a down-home soul food dish.
Microwave Madness
Microwave directions
I bought microwave cookware, Anyday Cookware, on Dave Chang’s recommendation (Mr. Momofuku), boy, that guy can sell a product. Pros and cons? Pros-no steamer set up, no pan with water, hassle-free steam cooking, and one bowl cooking. Cooking time cut by more than half. Cons? Finding space to store new bowls plus a major hit on latte money, lol.
Anyways, follow the same steps until you get to the point of putting the dish* in the steamer. Instead, *put all your ingredients into a microwave cooking container and forget the steamer.
Cover, vent, and place your dish in the microwave. My microwave’s power output is 700watts (which is on the low side). For this dish, I use full power for about 8 minutes. You will have to adjust according to your microwave wattage. The Anyday site has an interactive basic guide that allows input of wattage to determine cooking power and time. In general, if your microwave wattage is higher, shorten the cooking time or reduce the power level and keep the same time. You will need to experiment a little with your microwave. I add 1-2 tablespoons of the saved mushroom liquid so I’ll have some sauce in the dish.
1.5poundschicken breast or combination of chicken pieces, bone-in cut into bite-sized pieces or chicken wings separated into drummettes and flats.
2Chinese sausagesthinly sliced on the diagonal
3-4black mushroomssoaked in warm water until soft and julienned
2TbspCloud earssoaked and root ends pinched off
12Lily budssoaked, ends pinched off and a knot tied in the middle, skip the knot tying if you want
1-2stalksgreen onions cut into 1-inch pieces, reserve some of the green part to finish the dish
1/4bunch cilantro for garnish
Marinade
1tsp.sugar
1/2tspsalt
1tablespoonsoy sauceAP Pref chinese LKK Premium Soy Sauce
1tablespoonoyster sauceLEE KUM KEE with the kid and mom in boat
1tablespoonShaoxing Wine or Chinese Rice Wine
2slicesginger julienned
2tspoilI like peanut oil, but any vegetable oil will work
2tspcornstarch
1/2-1tspsesame oiloptional, if you have it, definitely use it
1/4tspwhite pepper
Instructions
Combine ingredients for marinade.
Add chicken, mushrooms, sausage, cloud ears and lily buds to marinade. Stir to combine well. Marinade for 15- 30 minutes. Place in a heatproof dish such as a shallow bowl or pie plate. Top with some of the diced green onions.
In a steamer or a stainless wok, set up steamer rack, fill with water up to but not touching the steamer rack. Place on heat and bring to boil.
Place chicken on steamer rack.
Steam for 25-30 minutes. Watch water level in pan, do not let it dry out.
Garnish with cilantro and extra green onions. Serve with plenty of rice.
Notes
If you don't have lily buds omit, don't make a special trip. You can also place the ingredients on rehydrated lotus leaves (usually used as a wrap. It imparts a nice flavor to the chicken.Other additions dried red dates 2-3 soaked and smashed. Add with mushrooms.
A brief moment of escape from the reality of our world right now to enjoy a Margarita and celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I got the last bottle of Margarita Mix at TJs and unintentionally created a Cinco de Mayo dinner that looked like an ad campaign for kitchen appliances. Tortilla press for homemade tortillas (so fun), food processor for salsa (so easy), an Instant Pot for Carnitas (so fast), and finally my rice cooker for Mexican Rice (so true, a rice cooker, lol).
I pulled out my tortilla press for a low tech appliance start to stamp those flour tortillas. I prefer corn tortillas but the fam outvoted me, I didn’t have any Masa Harina anyways. LOL. The King Arthur Flour website was my first stop for a recipe for tortillas. I found their recipe for Simple Tortillas and I was in business.
The Tortillas
The dough comes together quickly. I used shortening.
The tortilla is simple and contains flour, salt, shortening or oil, and water. It comes together quickly and is kind of fun to make, especially if you have a tortilla press. This is a no-brainer fun cooking project with your kids or when without kid but you are abiding by SIP orders for a pandemic. Find the recipe for Simple Tortillas on King Arthur Flour here.
The dough is divided into 8 pieces. Keep them covered or oiled while you press each flat. This is the tricky part, I tried both a cut-up Ziploc bag and parchment in the press and they still stuck a little. I ended up dusting each ball of dough with flour to help keep it from sticking.
When the tortilla starts to bubble, flip it over.
Ta-Da! Homemade tortillas are thicker and fluffier than commercial products. These were warm, chewy, and tasty-yum!
Carnitas
Carnitas are probably my favorite taco, burrito, anything filling. Love em’ and since I had a pound of pork in the fridge and it was Cinco de Mayo. Yep, no-brainer, Carnitas Tacos for dinner. Found a tasty recipe on Simply Happy Foodie for small-batch carnitas in a 3 quart Instant Pot. I threw it all in my 6-quart pot which worked fine. Next time I am doubling or tripling the recipe, that good.
Delicious Carnitas made in half the time in an Instant Pot!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Carnitas in an Instant Pot
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Equipment
Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
2TbspsOlive or vegetable oil
1tspSalt
1/4tspPepper
1TbspCumin
2tspChili Powder
1tspSmoked Paprika or reg
1tspOregano
1tspCoriander Powder
1/8tspCayenne Powderuse 1/4 tsp or more for spicier
1 to 1-1/2lbsPork Shoulder / Pork Butt* cut in 3" chunks
1/2small Onionchopped
1Bay Leaf
1/2Cinnamon Stickabout 2-3 inches long
4clovesGarlicfinely chopped or minced
1/2cupOrange Juice or Pineapple Juice
Instructions
Combine oil, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, coriander powder, and cayenne pepper in a medium size bowl. Mix well.
Add the pork to the spice mixture and toss to cover all of the meat with the mixture.
Press Saute button on Instant Pot. If you can adjust the heat, use high or more on your pot. When display reads “Hot” add the meat. Cook until browned on all sides, but not done. Remove from pot and set aside.
Add onion, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze (get those brown bits off the bottom) Add a small amount of water to help the deglazing.
Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the pineapple juice or orange juice and stir.
Add the meat back in to the pot and just nestle it down into the juice (it won't be covered).
Place the lid on the pot and set the Steam Release Knob to Sealing.
Cancel the Sauté function by pressing Cancel
Press the Pressure Cook button and set the time to 30 minutes.
When the cooking cycle has ended, let it sit for 15 minutes. It will start naturally releasing the pressure.
Turn the steam release knob to Venting and release any remaining steam/pressure. There may not be any left, and that's okay. When the pin in the lid drops down it is safe to open the lid.
BEFORE you stir, take a spoon or a small measuring cup and skim off the extra fat that is on top and discard. It's a lot easier doing it this way than pouring it into a fat separator!
Stir the meat and transfer just the meat to a sheet pan with sides or ovenproof dish. Reserve sauce. Using two forks, shred the meat and spread on baking sheet.
Broil the carnitas to get those nice crispy bits. Slide them under the broiler until they reach the desired crispness. Watch carefully it will go fast!
Garnish with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, diced white onions or green onions, avocado, and serve with those warm delicious homemade tortillas.
The Salsa
A quick and super easy salsa that starts with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes in a can! I posted this for Cinco de Mayo a couple of years ago. It is my go-to salsa. Find it here!
Mexican Rice
I adapted this recipe from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. It is right up my alley since it is made in a rice cooker, the only way I know how to make rice. It’s easy and delicious. I use half of the quick salsa to make Mexican Rice, and the rest to serve.
Classic Mexican Red Rice made in a rice cooker, so easy, so delicious
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Meican Red Rice, Rice Cooker
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Equipment
Rice Cooker
Ingredients
1½tbspvegetable oil or olive oil
1½cupswhite rice
1cuphomemade quick salsacommercial salsa will work also
1cupchicken broth
salt to tastestart with 1/2 tsp
1½cupsfrozen peas optional
1 /2canroasted chilis 4ozyou know the mild kind in the little cans, optional
1-2 clovesgarlicfinely chopped
1/2 tspground cumin
Instructions
Heat a medium (3 quart) ovenproof saucepan over medium heat.
Add the oil. When it is hot add garlic and fry for 1 minute to soften. Add rice and stir frequently until the grains of rice turn from translucent to milky-white – don’t worry if some of them brown.
Pour sauteed rice mixture into rice cooker pot.
Add the salsa, chicken broth, chilis, ½ tsp salt and cumin. Set to cook.
Fluff the rice and mix in the peas. Adjust the salt to taste, then serve
I LOVE my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I have been using it for years, folks who try them have asked for the recipe to which I give the standard “if I give it to you I will have to kill you” line, jk. Although I did finally give in and post my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, which you can find here. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean I won’t try other CCC recipes, on the contrary, I can’t resist trying new ones. In fact, one of my favorites is the Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies from David Lebovitz, the Tahini paste adds both taste and texture, it’s really yummy.
During the COVID crisis, Hilton Hotels has generously released the recipe for their famous DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies. Their signature cookies are doled out at check-in. Everyone clamors over these cookies, who doesn’t like a warm cookie with oozy melted chocolate? Yeah, I don’t see any hands going up. They are delicious-warm, gooey, crispy edges, chock full of nuts and chocolate, perfect with an ice-cold glass of milk, a cup of coffee, or by themselves.
Thank you, Hilton and DoubleTree for sharing
So, of course, I baked a batch. I noticed that the recipe is very similar to my recipe. Coincidence? I think, heck yeah. Interestingly, the recipe includes a bit of lemon juice (to help cookies rise?) and a dash of cinnamon.
I followed the recipe EXACTLY, well, except for the chocolate chips, I didn’t have any Nestle’s so I used Guittard Semi-sweet Chocolate wafers, chopped (could explain why hubby thought they were too chocolatey) and also pecans, a trade-off since I was NOT going to go to the market just for walnuts. Baking in the time of a pandemic.
Light and fluffy (2 minutes)
This is a pretty classic how-to cookie-making directions. The recipe is explicit regarding the length of time to cream the butter and sugar. It makes a BIG difference in the final texture of your cookies. I bake a lot of cookies and I am still nervous about how they will turn out. So many variables-the temperature of the butter, how to cream the butter and sugar, kind of flour, and how much flour is added…I could go on but just thinking about it is making me anxious! Serious Eats has a fantastic primer on Cookie Science, WELL WORTH the read.
The smartest thing I can say is to FOLLOW the directions if you want the cookies to turn out like the original. Cream that butter and sugar for the two minutes the recipe calls for. Start with butter that is not too hard or soft, the scientist in me says take your butter’s temp, it should be around 60-65 degrees. Don’t bring your eggs to room temp before adding them to your batter. Creaming the butter and sugar causes heat and warms the butter. You don’t want it to melt, you worked too hard creating air pockets in the dough that translates to a “light” tender cookie. Adding the cold egg will help keep the temperature from increasing and melting the butter-it’s a good thing.
After adding the dry ingredients
Once you add the dry ingredients, continue to stir until you don’t see any flour. Make sure to scrape down your bowl. Another note, if the author of the recipe calls for a specific brand of flour, take that into account. I use King Arthur Flour, but a lot of recipes are tested using Gold Medal due to its availability (Example-Stella Parks and her Peanut Butter Cookies ). This will affect your cookie due to the protein content of the flour. I’m guessing I could have taken a smidge of flour out of this recipe for a softer, gooier cookie. Don’t overbeat as this will develop the gluten leading to a tough cookie. You wanna be a tough cookie, not make a tough cookie.
Portion out the dough as directed into 3 tablespoons balls. Use an ice cream scoop for this (#24), you will not only get the right size and thickness cookie but nice “purdy” round cookies. The volume of dough definitely influences the cookie spread.
Like crevices in your cookies? About 3-4 minutes before the cookies are finished baking, rap the cookie sheet on the wire oven rack. This will cause the cookie to deflate and give it that craggy, uneven look. Yep, known as the pan-banging method.
Stoked, my new cookie box, courtesy of the hubster and his woodworking talents
I marvel at how bakeries can churn out cookies on a daily basis, not by how they are so delicious but how they are so consistently the same. I’m hoping some of these tips will help. My favorite bakery in Los Gatos (currently closed due to COVID) is Icing on the Cake they make fabulous cookies. I will be the first in line when they reopen, their cookies are so good, so consistent.
1 3/4cupschopped walnutssub pecans or nit of choice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Will be light and fluffy.
Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and ribbon-like, scraping down bowl.
With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. (#24 ice cream scoop)
Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.
Notes
Cook’s note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
A quick and super easy salsa that starts with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes in a can! I posted this for Cinco de Mayo a couple of years ago. It is my go-to salsa. Find it 
