Category: Food
The Joy of Cookies (Toffee Bars)

The Joy of Cookies (Toffee Bars)

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Joy is one of my oldest friends.  We went to school together and I mean that literally.  We lived a few blocks from each other, every day we would meet on the street corner halfway between our houses to walk and talk the final mile to school.  Sometimes, on the walk home, we wouldn’t be done talking so we would walk to one of our houses, turn around and walk back to the meeting point together before parting ways.  Silly, huh.  Yep, BFFs.

Holiday Highlight

Every Christmas I eagerly awaited her mom’s plate of holiday cookies.  Joy’s mom, whom I affectionately called Mrs. S, was an amazing baker (and a marvelous cook too). During the holidays, you could find her holed up in her kitchen busy baking no less than 6-8 different kinds of cookies.  Almond Crescents, Spritz Cookies shaped into wreaths decorated with red and green sugar, Chocolate Pecan Thumbprints, Pecan Tartlets, Chocolate Chippers, and Lemon Bars.  Her crescents were perfect, her scalloped-edged Pecan Tartlets were the gold standard of bite-sized pies.

In short, she was my muse for holiday cookies.  I love all of her cookies, but my favorite?  Hands down, her Toffee Bars.  A shortbread crust, buttery and sweet, painted with milk chocolate and finished with a sprinkling of chopped almonds.  Cookie Nirvana.

Attention to Detail

I have most of Mrs. S’s recipes.  Her Pecan Tartlets find their way into every holiday cookie box.  The Hubster considers it blasphemous if they are not included.  I am religious about following her recipes, I mimic each step.  I cut out each tiny pie crust with a flower petal cookie cutter. How else do you get cute scalloped edges?  I meticulously shape each ball of almond-infused dough into crescent-shaped moons. Warm from the oven, I roll each cookie in powdered sugar and place it on a cooling rack.  Then, sift powdered sugar over the cookies for that snow-capped look.  Yep, that little extra step.  Her attention to detail was what set her cookies apart and that’s what I learned from her.

It’s been a few years since she left us.  Every Christmas since, as I am perusing recipes and pulling out my butter, flour, and sugar- I think of her.  I imagine her scurrying around her kitchen churning out tray after tray of her delicious cookies.  Then I hear her voice prodding me, it’s time to get busy and bake.

A Fine Understudy

Unfortunately, I don’t have Mrs. S’s recipe for those Toffee Bars that I love so much. (Update: Found it! Mrs. S’s Toffee Squares) But Alice Medrich does.  Her Cookies and Brownies book contains toffee bars that are so good, they would make Mrs. S proud.  The crust starts with melted butter making these incredibly easy to make. Stir together brown sugar and flour with the butter, press into a pan and bake to a golden brown.  For this batch, I scattered a combo of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips on the warm crust, let them melt, and ice the melted chips over the crust.  For the final touch, sprinkle toasted hazelnuts over the chocolate.  Next batch?  Endless possibilities, limited only by your imagination.

Kid version:  Use all milk chocolate and either toasted almonds or pecans.  Got milk?

Adult version:  Use semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts, finish with Maldon Salt.  Serve with some bubbly.

Sporty twist version:  Perfect during a ballgame, your choice of chocolate and salted or honey-roasted peanuts.  Play ball!

Allow bars to cool on a rack.  Use a serrated knife to cut the pan into bars or wedges.

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Toffee Bars

A buttery, brown sugar crust topped with chocolate and hazelnuts. A riff on Alice Medrich's Toffee Bars.
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword toffee, toffee bar recipe, Toffee Bars
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • 8x8 inch square pan or 9' tart pan with removable bottom. Any pan with roughly same area I like to use a 12x5 rectangular tart pan and cut the cookies into wedges.

Ingredients

Shortbread base

  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping

  • 6 ounces milk or semisweet chocolate chopped, if bar or block or use chips
  • 1/2 cup toasted nuts your choice!

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position rack in lower third of oven

Shortbread base

  • Cut butter into chunks and melt in a saucepan over medium heat or place in heatproof glass bowl, loosely cover and microwave at 40% power for 15 seconds, repeat if necessary.
  • Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Add flour and mix just until combined.
  • Press dough into a lined (parchment or foil) 8x8-inch pan or a tart pan with a removable bottom
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until well browned at the edges and golden brown in the center

Topping

  • Scatter chocolate evenly on top of warm crust. Let stand to allow the chocolate to melt. If necessary, place in the oven for a minute to help melt the chocolate. Spread chocolate evenly over the crust with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
  • Sprinkle toasted chopped nuts over chocolate. Set on rack to cool.
  • Lift and transfer bar to cutting board. Use a sharp knife (I like using a serrated knife)and cut into 2x2" squares or wedges. If necessary chill in fridge to set chocolate.
  • See story above for variations.
Fall Into the Porkfect Meal

Fall Into the Porkfect Meal

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I walked out this morning and for the first time, there was a slight chill in the air. Is Fall finally here? Hmmm. Let me check.  That crisp feeling in the air, apples instead of stone fruit at the farmer’s market (I found both last weekend) and PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES in every Starbucks.

Fall is coming.

With my postcard posse coming over, I didn’t want something light.  I had a hankering for all things homey and satisfying.  A little chill in the air will do that to you.  I dug through my recipes and found the perfect dish, a Roasted Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary from Epicurious.  Yum.  Doing the happy dance, making an easy, delicious pork roast for dinner with friends.

The dish starts with a simple rub of finely chopped fresh rosemary, minced garlic, coarse salt and a couple of grinds of pepper.  I like to smash my garlic and finely chop it but by all means, use a press if you like.  My mom and dad insisted on mincing herbs and meat by hand using their trusty Chinese cleaver.  I have adopted that practice.  Maybe it’s a way to feel connected to them although I do think it improves the texture and flavor of a dish.  Use coarse kosher salt but (I’m gritting my teeth as I write this) in a pinch you could use regular salt.  Make sure to reduce the amount by half if you make the switch.  I add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to help bind the mixture and adhere to the pork roast.

Time to rub a dub-dub the spice mix onto the pork.

Don’t you love a beat-up looking well-used pan?  This pan is hubby’s and dates back to his single days.  Still going strong after all these years.

Like the Big Fig Newton, here’s the tricky part.  Don’t overcook it!  Pork is pretty lean nowadays so it can end up being dry if it is cooked too long.  The original recipe calls for over an hour of cooking time…which is fine, IF YOU LIKE JERKY.  Back in the day, the final temp for pork was around 160.  The new recommendation is 145 with a 3 minute rest time. A little pink is A-OK.  So, please, invest in an instant thermometer and don’t overcook your pork.  If you come across an older recipe, use the new guidelines or your pork will be like the Sahara Desert.

Roast the pork loin, fat side down, for 25 minutes.  Then flip and roast an additional 10-15 minutes.  Start checking the meat temperature at 10 minutes!  The roast will continue to cook as it rests, so if the temp is around 140, take it out and let it rest.

The tasty bits left in the pan make for a nice au jus so don’t toss it!  Just pour them into a bowl and serve alongside the roast.  You could gussy it up by deglazing the pan with some white wine and throwing in a bit of butter.  Hmmm-killer.

Leftovers?  Grab a loaf of ciabatta and make yourself one b*tchin sammie.

To finish off the meal with a Fall theme, I have a bushel of just-picked pears and apples from my friend Shannon.  Her pears and apples worked perfectly in my go-to apple crisp recipe.  Top with vanilla ice cream for a delicious sweet finale.

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Roast Pork with Garlic and Rosemary

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword easy recipe, garlic, pork roast, roast pork loin, roast pork with garlic and rosemary, rosemary
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 187kcal
Author Adapted from Epicurious

Equipment

  • roasting or baking pan

Ingredients

  • 4 large garlic cloves pressed or chopped finely
  • 4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork loin roast well trimmed
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch roasting pan with foil.
  • Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Rub garlic mixture all over pork.
  • Place pork, fat side down, in a roasting pan. Roast pork 25 minutes. Turn roast fat side up. Roast until thermometer inserted into the center of pork registers 140-145°F., about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.
  • Pour any juices from roasting pan into small saucepan; set over low heat to keep warm. Cut pork crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange pork slices on a platter. Pour pan juices over. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

 

 
Cool Hand Cuke (Cucumber Salad from A Common Table)

Cool Hand Cuke (Cucumber Salad from A Common Table)

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This summer I have been the lucky recipient of what seems like a bushel of cucumbers from the gardens of friends and neighbors.  Luckily, I LOVE cucumbers.  I saute’ julienned strips of cucumbers for Bi Bim Bap, put crispy slices in sandwiches in place of lettuce, and thrown every salad I toss together.  What’s a cheeseboard with an array of dips without cucumbers to serve as a “dip-stick” (lol) for them?  So much better than celery if you ask me.

But what is my favorite way to serve cucumbers?  As a refreshing cold dish.  I posted a simple Korean Cucumber Banchan (side dish) recently that is flavored with soy sauce, chilis, and sesame oil and sprinkled with green onions and Korean chili powder.  It’s incredibly easy and TASTEE!

I also love the Smashed Cucumber Salad from A Common Table cookbook (love, love, love).  A classic Chinese dish that is perfect on a hot summer day.  Cukes, crisp and refreshing are dressed in a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, and chilis. The secret is to lightly smash the cut pieces of cucumber and salt them.  The added surface area allows the salt to extract more moisture and the cucumbers to then absorb the dressing.   It’s so simple, comes together in minutes, and makes a lovely side dish.  I use English or Persian cucumbers, fewer seeds and the skin is much thinner, no peeling necessary!  American cucumbers, on the other hand, have a thick waxy skin, which means peeling.  They also have more seeds and higher water content. Stick to the English or Persian cucumbers, trust me.

As summer comes to an end and you fire up the barbecue for the last time, this would be a perfect, refreshing side dish.

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Chinese Cucumber Salad

A cool and refreshing cucumber salad which has its roots in Chinese cuisine.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword cucumber salad
Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Persian or Kirby cucumbers unpeeled (2 to 3 small cucumbers if using Persian)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons rice vinegar I use 1 teaspoon
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon or more to taste, substitute Ponzu, Soy Dashi or Yuzu Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to taste or use Korean chili powder, Gochugaru

Instructions

  • Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then into 1-inch pieces or cut at a diagonal and rotate cucumber 1/4 turn, cutting angled 1-inch pieces.
  • Place the pieces cut-side down on a cutting board. Working with a few pieces at a time, lay the broad side of a wide chef's knife or cleaver on top of the cucumbers, and carefully use the palm of your free hand to smash down lightly on the blade.
  • Place the smashed cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle them evenly with the salt. Set aside until cucumbers release water, 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Stir 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and red pepper flakes together and add to drained cucumbers. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour (*note: the salad will taste better with more time, so if time allows, refrigerate and marinate for 6 hours or longer to let the flavors develop.

Notes

The key for crispy cucumbers is to smash and salt the cukes!
Snickerdoodles (Alice in Cookiewonderland)

Snickerdoodles (Alice in Cookiewonderland)

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It has been 1610 days since I sat down and penned my inaugural post, Jamigos 2.0 to launch 3jamigos.  As I reflect on that number all I can think is WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG TO INCLUDE MY FAVORITE COOKIE?  I mean, sheesh, of the 100 cookie recipes I have posted, it doesn’t include my all-time favorite non-shortbread cookie (notice how I slipped in that qualifier, shortbread=cookie perfection).  Unbelievable, and how did I discover this faux pas?

I was tasked with making cookies for an End of Summer Party for our political action group (sanity saver).   I automatically went to my blog and typed in S N I C K E R D O O D L E S in the search box and waited, NOTHING popped up.  A quick search of my cookie index revealed, what the heck, no Snickerdoodles.

Are you kidding?

I’ve never posted Snickerdoodles on my blog?  Hellooo, time to fix that.  I got busy, made a batch for the meeting, snitched a couple to have with an ice-cold glass of milk, and sat down to write this post.

EVERYONE needs a scrumptious recipe for Snickerdoodles.  Buttery, sweet and spicy, crispy edges, soft chewy center,  finished with cinnamon sugar.  The quintessential cookie.  My favorite recipe comes from the cookie maven, Alice Medrich.  Unlike other recipes I have seen, hers are made with just butter. Yep, no shortening in these bad-boy bites of sweet cinnamon bliss.  The recipe is from her small but mighty book, Cookies and Brownies, long out of print but available on the secondary market. The book is worth getting just for this and her Lemon Bar recipe. Well written with easy-to-follow directions, it’s a keeper.  My copy is frayed and tattered, well worn from use.

Cream butter and sugar together to smooth but NOT fluffy.  Add eggs, beat until blended.

Add flour and stir just until combined.  Don’t overmix.  The mixing changes the consistency of the cookie.  Fluffy butter-sugar mixture gives a cakier cookie, go for smooth and creamy.  After adding the flour mixture do not beat the dough too much or you will end up with a tough cookie.

Gather dough into a disc, shape doesn’t matter.  Keep the thickness to about an inch.  This will make it easier to scoop and form the cookies after chilling.

After chilling the dough,  use a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop (#70) to form balls.  Shape the scoops into smooth balls and roll in cinnamon sugar.  Use a good quality cinnamon, like Penzey’s . This is a great cookie to make with the kids or grandkids, never met a kid that didn’t like to roll balls of cookie dough in copious amounts of cinnamon sugar all the while licking their fingers.

The one tablespoon scoop yields a cookie about 2 inch in diameter.  All well and good, BUT, the smaller you make the cookie the harder it is to end up with a cookie that has crisp edges and a soft center.  If that is what you are looking for, try making bigger cookies. Increase your baking time by a couple of minutes.

Bake cookies 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown.  I like the centers soft, if you like crunchy cookies, bake them a bit longer.  How long?  Don’t know, I don’t like them that way.

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Snicker Doodles

Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Snickerdoodles
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper or greased

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (13.5 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ pound unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • 1½ cups sugar 10.5 ounces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400° Position rack in the middle of the oven.
  • Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
  • In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the 1½ cups sugar until smooth and creamy, not fluffy. Beat in the eggs just until blended. Add the flour mixture and stir or beat on low speed just until incorporated. Gather the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  • Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Form level tablespoons of dough with an ice cream scoop, into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and place 2 inches apart on the lined or ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the cookies puff and begin to settle down. To create crevices, when cookies puff, tap cookie sheet on rack. This causes the cookie to sink, creating crinkles. Rotate the cookie sheet from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Bake until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Remove cookies with a spatula to a wire rack. Don't let them cool completely or the cookies will stick to the sheet. I bake on ungreased sheets to minimize spreading.
  • Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be kept in an airtight container for several days.
Almond for Pie! Cherry Slab Pie with Marzipan Crumble

Almond for Pie! Cherry Slab Pie with Marzipan Crumble

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Right next to my favorite strawberry stand at the farmer’s market is a cherry stand. A couple of weeks ago was their last time at the market for the season. So, of course, I couldn’t resist and loaded up on cherries hoping to savor the last pick of the season.

Which meant I was constantly tossing unadulterated cherries into my mouth.  Around the 50th cherry, the thought-there must be another way to enjoy these bad boys, danced through my head.  Coincidentally, a post from Ipso Fatto appeared in my inbox for a luscious-looking cherry slab pie.  Fortuitous or can Google read minds now. Hmmm.

The recipe is originally from Vintage Baker by Jessie Sheehan.  This is not the first time I have tried one of her recipes. I also posted her Butterscotch Potato Chip Balls that are, in a word, scrumptious. She also has a blog, Jessie Sheehan Bakes, which I have added to my blogs to follow. Plenty of photos and helpful notes to go along with her well-written recipes.

Did not even know I had a cherry pitter…go figure, another kitchen gadget, makes me so happy.

Do not get freaked out by the word PIE.  The crust for this slab pie is made in the food processor and pressed into a removable bottom pan. No rolling here! Very easy.  The dough is made with regular flour and almond flour (which helps keep the crust tender), butter, an egg yolk, and sugar.

Pulse ingredients in the food processor until it just starts to come together.  Do not over-process.  If you pinch the dough and it stays together, stop.

Press the dough into a springform pan. See, EASY.

The crumble is made with almond paste to amp up the almond further.  Ahhh, cherry and almond, like Fred and Ginger, a spot on flavor combination.

I made half the recipe which is the best way to resist the temptation of eating an entire slab pie.  An excellent strategy for me of little self-control.  I used a 9 inch round springform pan which worked perfectly.

This pie is delicious, the buttery crust and marzipan crumble all supporting the star of the show-juicy sweet cherries.  If only cherry season was a little longer, sigh.

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Cherry-Almond Slab Pie with Marzipan Crumble

Lovely, easy to make slab pie from Vintage Baker
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Asian
Keyword cherry, marzipan crumble, slab pie, vintage baker
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • 9x13 pan
  • 9 inch springform pan

Ingredients

Almond Piecrust

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 280gms
  • 3/4 cup almond flour 90gms
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar 65gms
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled 165gms, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup cold water

Marzipan Crumble

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 140gms
  • 7 ounces almond paste
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar 130gms
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled 110gms cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Cherry Filling

  • 10 cups pitted cherries, fresh or frozen do not throw
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch 105gms
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • Sliced almonds for sprinkling

Almond Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar 120gms
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream 60ml
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract

Vanilla Ice Cream!

Instructions

Piecrust

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
    Grease 13x9x2 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray or softened butter, line bottom with parchment paper, grease paper. Set aside.
  • Combine AP flour, almond flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse to combine ingredients. Distribute butter on top of the flour mixture and pulse until coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces.
  • Combine almond extract, egg yolk and 1/4 cup cold water. Add liquid mixture to food processor and continue to pulse until the dough begins to clump. Do not overdo it! Transfer the dough into prepared pan, press it evenly onto the bottom and two thirds up the sides. Wrap pan in plastic wrap and place in freezer while you make the crumble and filling.

For the Crumble

  • Add flour, almond paste and granulated sugar to food processor bowl. Pulse to combine. Add butter and process until it comes together in one mass. Remove from processor and break in bits. Cover and wrap and store in freezer until needed.

Filling

  • Combine cherries, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add lemon juice and almond extract and stir well.
    To assemble pie, pour cherries into pie crust. Top with crumble and sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
  • Bake 80-90 minutes, less for fresh cherries, rotating the pan after 30 minutes and tenting with foil so it doesn't brown too much. Pie is ready when the filling bubbles thru the center.

Glaze

  • Combine powdered sugar, cream and extract in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle on pie.
  • Serve with Vanilla ice cream, that's an order.

Notes

This recipe can be halved, which is what I did.  Weigh ingredients if possible for accuracy.  
For the egg, one large egg is about 3 tablespoons.  Beat egg and mesure out 1-1/2 tablespoons for half recipe.
Half recipe can be baked in a 9 inch springform pan.
Baking time will be shorter, start checking at 50 minutes.

 

 
(Hiyashi Chuka – Ramen Salad) Swept Away By A Summer Ramence Summer Madness #2

(Hiyashi Chuka – Ramen Salad) Swept Away By A Summer Ramence Summer Madness #2

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TAs temps edged upward this past week, I began thinking about cold noodle dishes to counter the heat. One of our favorite ramen joints in San Jose features a summer noodle salad that the hubster loves. This prompted me to think it was time to add a cold ramen dish to my repertoire.  I perused one of my favorite sites, Just One Cookbook, and found a classic Japanese cold ramen dish, Hiyashi Chuka.  Bingo, I was off to the races.  At first glance, it seemed very similar to my Somen Salad.  The dressing has soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and rice vinegar, for instance.  A big difference is Hiyashi Chuka starts with a thicker, more substantial ramen noodle.

Summer Ramence

The dish is eye-candy, the noodles are hidden by a colorful palette of toppings including julienned pale green cucumbers, orange-tinged crab leg, slivers of green onions, pink honey ham and shreds of fried egg.  Cold noodle salads like this refreshing and delicious Hiyashi Chuka are perfect for summer potlucks, picnics and pool parties.  I hope you will add it to your summer rotation.

The Skinny on Noods

Both fresh or dried noodles work in this dish.  I like using fresh ramen or lo mein. If you can get a hold of ramen noodles by Sun Co. from Hawaii, get it. This brand supplies the bulk of ramen houses in the US. and has a really nice chew or consistency.  In a pinch, you could use linguine or spaghetti but my first choice would be an Asian noodle. If you are gluten-free, rice or yam noodles would be a good substitute.  Confused about the multitude of Asian noodles out there? Here is a great Asian noodle primer from Serious Eats.

Dressing It Up

The dressing is on the sweet side so I would start with two tablespoons of sugar, taste and add more if desired.  You can use Ponzu, a citrus soy sauce, instead of soy sauce. Toppings can be ANYTHING you like or have on hand.  Keep in mind you want the play between sweet and salty, crunchy and soft. I like cucumbers, honey ham, imitation crab, egg, corn, and tomatoes. Don’t like imitation crab?  Use bay shrimp or splurge on real crab.  You can substitute honey turkey, shredded chicken (leftover soy sauce chicken would work really well) or char sir (bbq pork) for the ham. I leave out the lettuce sometimes or substitute shredded cabbage.  I love a good sprinkling of chopped scallions and cilantro.  Oishii!

Ramen Salad
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HIYASHI CHUKA (COLD RAMEN)

A delicious, refreshing cold noodle salad that is perfect for summer!
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Asian
Keyword japanese, Noodle, Ramen, Salad, sesame
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 6 Tbsp soy sauce Any all purpose soy like Kikkoman will work, or substitute half with Ponzu for a hint of citrus
  • 4 Tbsp sugar Adjust to taste! Start with 2 tablespoons
  • 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds roasted/toasted
  • ¼ tsp ginger grated
  • ½-1 tsp la-yu, optional Japanese chili oil

Egg crepe, shredded

  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt kosher or sea salt; use half if using table salt
  • neutral flavor oil vegetable, canola, etc

Toppings

  • 1/4-1/2 pound Bay shrimp
  • 1 Persian/Japanese cucumbers or 1/3 English cucumber, julienned
  • 1 iceberg lettuce shredded, or use romaine lettuce
  • ½ Tomato cut into wedges, or cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 3-4 slices Honey Ham Sub bbq pork, or honey turkey, Canadian bacon, julienned
  • 4-6 imitation crab meat kanikam or splurge and use real crab, or fish cake, shredded or julienned
  • 1/2 cup Kaiware radish sprouts or green onions, chopped

Other toppings

  • Poached chicken or leftover soy sauce chicken shredded, in place of ham
  • Julienned carrots
  • dried wakame seaweed
  • shredded nori seaweed kizami nori

Noodles

  • 2 package fresh ramen noodles 12 ounces each substitute dry ramen noodles, or Lo-mien

Garnish

  • 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds roasted/toasted
  • Japanese karashi hot mustard optional
  • pickled red ginger beni shoga or kizami beni shoga, optional

Instructions

  • Combine dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside or if made in advance, store in fridge.
  • For eggs, make thin egg crepes and cut it into thin strips. Heat oil in non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, tilt & swirl pan to distribute egg. Like making a crepe. Cook until set and flip egg over. You will have a few brown spots, but should be predominantly yellow. Slide crepe onto a plate and reserve. When it is cool enough you can roll the egg crepe up and cut it into thin strips.
  • You can use large prawns if you like, but I like using bay shrimp which generally come precooked. Easy peasy.
  • Cut all the topping ingredients as directed.
  • For the noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Separate the noodles before dropping into water. Cook according to package directions. Drain the water and rinse the noodles to remove starch. Allow noodles to cool completely. Chill in fridge if desire. Place noodles in a serving bowl and mix half of dressing into noodles.
  • Place all the toppings and pour the remaining dressing on salad before serving. Serve with karashi hot mustard and pickled ginger on the side, if desired. Refer to pics, ingredients are usually arranged in a radial pattern on top of the noodles.
Summer Madness #1: Too Hot (Miso Sesame Chicken Salad to Keep the Gang Kool)

Summer Madness #1: Too Hot (Miso Sesame Chicken Salad to Keep the Gang Kool)

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The weather has been pretty darn warm.  Actually, I’d say damn hot lately.  I grew up in San Francisco, a warm day meant temps in the ’70s. Growing up we spent most of July and August in a blanket of fog.  My first car had an all-black interior and NO AIR CONDITIONING.  NBD.

But now I live in Silicon Valley, 50 miles south of San Francisco.  My cars have AC, my house has AC (a non-negotiable requirement of the Hubster who grew up in Sacramento).  I once scoffed at folks who succumbed to installing air conditioning.  No more.

I will say we do try to keep usage to a minimum, preferring to leave windows and doors open so the evening breeze cools down the house.  We keep oven baking and cooking on the stove to a minimum by eating lots of sushi, salads, and bbq.  We fire up the grill in the backyard and enjoy our meals outside. Summer alfresco dining, what could be better?

I subscribe to NYT Cooking and each week Sam Sifton pops up with a What to Cook This Week column.  This week’s newsletter included a Miso Sesame Chicken Salad from David Tanis.  That caught my eye.

MIso Sesame Chicken Salad

Silky poached chicken, crunchy cucumbers, scallions on a bed of Bibb lettuce topped with a creamy Miso-Sesame dressing.  Karma, I had chicken in the fridge, cucumbers from a friend’s garden and Aedan Miso I had just bought at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market.

The only cooking required is poaching the chicken.  I decided to make half the recipe so  I opted to poach chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken which took less time and works perfectly for this dish.

No brainer method for the best damn poached chicken.

Like Whole Poached Chicken, this cooking method results in juicy, tender, delicious poached chicken breasts, perfect for salads, sandwiches, or morsels for your favorite doggy…

Fill a saucepan large enough to hold 1 whole chicken breast (split in half) with water. You don’t need to add much to the water except for a good pinch salt.  I cheat and add a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillion Chicken Base just to intensify the flavor, totally optional.  Bring the water to a boil and add the chicken.  Bring it back to a boil, lower the heat so that it is barely simmering.  Cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to sit for 15-20 minutes (do this by size, smaller breasts-15 minutes, larger-20 minutes).  Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool until it is easy to handle.  Ta-da, perfect chicken for salads, sandwiches, or Hainanese Chicken and Rice.

Back to the salad.  I love the textures in this salad.  Tender, silky chicken and crisp cold cucumbers.  You can use romaine or iceberg but I like using Bibb.  Instead of slicing the cucumbers I rolled-cut them and lightly smashed them. The Miso and Sesame Sauce has a touch of lemon zest which adds a hint of citrus.  I used Gochugaro, a Korean chili powder instead of cayenne to add some spice.

This is a tasty addition to the summer salad rotation.  Enjoy!

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Miso Sesame Chicken Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Asian sesame paste or tahini
  • 4 tablespoons white shiro miso I used Aedan Mild White Miso
  • 3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon roasted sesame oil
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Small pinch of cayenne optional, I used Gochugaro Powder instead
  • 1 3-poundchicken, cooked poach chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken as directed in post
  • 2 heads small Bibb or Boston lettuce can use Little Gems or romaine hearts
  • 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick, lightly salted I prefer Persian or English cucumbers
  • 3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions or chives
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • Put sesame paste, miso, vinegar, mirin, ginger, sugar and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Whisk in sesame and vegetable oils. Check seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and cayenne, if using. You should have about 2/3 cup dressing. If it seems too thick, thin with a tablespoon or 2 of water.
  • Remove skin from chicken and pull all the meat from the carcass. Shred chicken meat into 1-inch strips and put in a medium mixing bowl. (Refrigerate or freeze any remaining skin, fat, bones and cartilage for making broth.) You should have about 4 cups shredded chicken.
  • Separate the lettuce leaves and arrange on a large platter, leaving space for the chicken at the center, then scatter with cucumber slices.
  • Gently toss the shredded chicken with salt and pepper. Pour all but a few tablespoons of dressing over the chicken and gently toss to coat. Transfer dressed chicken to center of platter and nap with remaining dressing. Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds on top and serve.

Notes

I made a half recipe which was plenty for the two of us.  
You Say Crisp, I say Crumble, Either Way, it’s Berry Delicious (Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble)

You Say Crisp, I say Crumble, Either Way, it’s Berry Delicious (Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble)

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On my recent foray to the Farmer’s Market I came home with not only strawberries and blueberries but rhubarb too.  I thought about making a pie but I wanted something a little easier and quicker to make but just as tasty.
Ideas started running through my head, how about a crisp or crumble?  The vision of a sea of lightly sweetened fruit capped by cresting waves of oatmeal, nuts, sugar and butter.  I dove in.

I could adapt my apple crisp, which is yummy-licious, but I did a quick digital walk online and found a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble on Epicurious.  It looked really tasty to me.  A crumble is essentially the British version of a crisp. Best of all, the recipe called for hazelnuts.  Lately I have found myself drawn to recipes that incorporate those tasty filberts.  They’re super crunchy and buttery with a unique flavor that is hard to describe. Pecans, my usual go-to nut, are milder and softer while hazelnuts are bold and assertive.  It doesn’t get swallowed up by other ingredients, but acts as a nice foil.  But that crunch, oooh, love it.

Though the recipe calls for strawberries and rhubarb, I threw in blueberries for good measure.  Rhubarb adds a nice tart punch to the berries. When you dig into the crisp, the berries will be sweet, the rhubarb-tart, and the crumble-buttery, and thanks to the hazelnuts-crunchy.  A nice contrast to the soft, juicy berries.  Want it less tart?  Add more berries and less rhubarb.  In a pinch, you could substitute pecans or walnuts.  BUT hazelnuts are so good.  I use to toast my own but that’s a lot of work.  I get toasted, skinned, hazelnuts from TJ.  It’s worth it.  Grab small handfuls of the crumble and squeeze it together before sprinkling it on the fruit.  The chunks of crumble help prevent it from sinking into the fruit.

Last but not least, don’t forget the vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, the perfect finishing touch.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble (Crisp)

Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword rhubarb, Strawberry
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

  • 7x11 rectangular baking dish or 2 quart dish, oval or round

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar for fruit You can substitute light brown sugar for the granulated sugar in the crumble.
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup husked hazelnuts toasted , coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise
  • 1 pound strawberries hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
  • 12 ounces rhubarb preferably bright red, ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch- thick pieces
  • Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions

  • Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. DO AHEAD: Topping can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
  • Preheat oven to 375°Butter 11 x 7 x 2- inch glass baking dish or any 2 quaert baking dish. Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. I used 1 tsp. vanilla paste instead.
  • Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss well. Pour fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Compress oat topping in hand to form clumps and then sprinkle evenly over filling.
  • Bake crumble until filling bubbles and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

It's hard to chop hazelnuts without them rolling all around.  I throw them in a plastic bag and lightly roll over them with my rolling pin.
Really, too tart? Use more berries and less rhubarb.  But if you like a hit of tartness in random bites, keep all of the rhubarb in the recipe.
To make this Vegan, you can substitute coconut oil or a light mild olive oil for the butter in the crumble in a 1:1 ratio.  If you try this, I need a report back please!

 
A Zinger of an Appetizer: Charred Tomatoes and Cold Yogurt

A Zinger of an Appetizer: Charred Tomatoes and Cold Yogurt

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I have a couple of go-to appetizer dips that I use ALOT (a certain Artichoke Dip comes to mind).  Every time I make one of them there is this nagging little voice in my brain whispering, “pssst…Deb, I know this is good but try something new, this is getting boring”.  Well, I finally listened to that voice.  I pulled out Ottolenghi’s newest book, Simple, and landed on his recipe for Charred Tomates and Cold Yogurt.  It was a no-brainer, the dish is featured on the cover of the book.

I’m so glad I did.

Right up my alley, easy to make and DELICIOUS.  The recipe calls for cherry tomatoes (hello all you tomato growers), Greek yogurt, fresh thyme, oregano, garlic, and lemon.  Oops, and olive oil.  Toss the tomatoes with the spices and oil, roast and then broil to char the tomatoes.  Spoon charred, hot tomatoes on top of the cold yogurt and serve with pita wedges or baguette slices. HOW EASY IS THAT?

Run out to the store and get cherry tomatoes right now.  If you are growing tomatoes, go check for ripe ones and pull them off the vine.  I was blown away by how flavorful and simple this dish is.  The spices enhance the tomatoes and the lemon adds a nice citrusy zing.  The contrast of the hot tomatoes and the cold yogurt adds yet another note.  Serve with toasted baguette slices or pita wedges.

Luckily I have a little herb box right outside my kitchen, I picked a couple of stems of oregano and thyme for the dish, slivered some garlic, zested a lemon (yippee, I have a lemon tree too) and sprinkled on the cumin seeds. While the tomatoes were roasting, I pulled out the carton of Labneh I had picked up at the International Bazaar and seasoned it with salt and lemon peel.  Labneh is the Middle Eastern version of thick yogurt.  You can use this or a Greek full-fat yogurt, both will work.  I plopped it into a good size shallow bowl, swirled a groove in the center to hold the tomatoes and then placed the bowl in the fridge to keep the yogurt cold while the tomatoes were roasting.

Yum, yum, yum.

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Charred Tomatoes with Cold Yogurt

A delicious dip from Ottolenghi! Serve with pita wedges or crostini.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword appetizer, cherry tomatoes, greek yogurt
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ¼ oz/350g cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ¾ tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp light brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 6 oregano sprigs: 3 sprigs left whole and the rest stemmed to serve
  • 1 lemon: finely shave the skin of ½ to get 3 strips then finely grate the other ½ to get 1 tsp zest
  • Flaked sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 2 ∕3 cups/350g extra-thick Greek-style yogurt or Labneh fridge-cold
  • ½ tsp other crushed red pepper flakes
  • pita wedges or baguette slices

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl with the olive oil, cumin, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, ½ teaspoon of flaked salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix to combine, then transfer to a baking sheet just large enough—about 6 x 8 inches/15 x 20 centimeters— to fit all the tomatoes together snugly.
  • Place the sheet about 2 inches/5 centimeters beneath the broiler and roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling. Turn the oven to the broil setting and broil for 6 to 8 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.
  • While the tomatoes are roasting, combine the yogurt with the grated lemon zest and ¼ tsp of flaked salt. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Once the tomatoes are ready, spread the chilled yogurt on a platter (or in a wide, shallow bowl, creating a dip in it with the back of a spoon. Spoon the hot tomatoes on top, along with their juices, lemon strips, garlic, and herbs, and finish with the oregano leaves and chile flakes. Serve at once.