Category: Asian Dishes

Nobu's Miso Black Cod
Miso Black Cod (A Fable About Sablefish)

Miso Black Cod (A Fable About Sablefish)

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Surprised? Forehead slap in disbelief that this is not another sugar-filled dessert recipe?  I know, me too!  But this dish is so yummy and so simple I just had to pass it along.

Lately, I have been going to Whole Foods to shop for my seafood and meat.  Why?  Partially out of environmental guilt and I know this is going to sound awful because it is much easier on the pocketbook when it is just Wes and me.  If you know my kids, you know what I mean.  While Wes and I are feasting on sushi or a beautiful piece of grilled salmon my kids are eating dorm food or cold pizza.  I’m not that cold-hearted though, they pick where and what they want to eat whenever they come home or if we go to visit them, it’s definitely no-holds barred.

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While perusing the seafood selection at WF I came across some black cod also known as sablefish.  I first tasted this lovely fish at a Chinese restaurant, Hong Kong Lounge, in the City and was absolutely floored.  I was at a banquet and looking forward to the whole fish steamed with ginger and onions topped with soy sauce to finish the meal when…

What?

Instead out from the kitchen comes this little chunk of fish, no head, no tail, unceremoniously plopped on a platter unadorned with any of the usual trappings.  The outside had a nice toasty brown glaze, my guess, it had been roasted.   Didn’t look like much but supposedly their signature dish.  I took a piece and popped it in my mouth…..BAM! WOW! Flavor explosion, sweet, salty, and smokey all at once, and the texture-oh my, buttery, silky, fatty..holy mackerel, it was DELICIOUS!  I raved about it all the way home, an hour’s drive from the City to Los Gatos. Miso Black Cod

More upside, this fish is on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch sustainable fish list and it is loaded with alpha omega fatty acids…woohoo, I think we have a winner.

For the sake of transparency, though not unique to black cod…if you can cook it on your grill outside, do it. If not, I hope you have air fresheners and good ventilation in your kitchen or all the neighborhood cats will be hanging out at your house.  But that’s fish for you. Oh, and it will set you back a pretty penny but oh so worth it.

Nobu Knows

I immediately bought a piece (yes, one piece, just me and Wes) and googled recipes for Black Cod.  The first recipe that jumped off the screen was Nobu’s Miso Roasted Black Cod.  His recipe has been shared so many times I’m sure it has rock-star status on Pinterest.  It’s simple to prepare and just takes a couple of minutes to assemble.  Yep, stupid easy! Make the marinade, toss it and the fish in a zip-loc bag, and let it sit luxuriating in the miso for 24-48 hours.

The marinade is all of 4 ingredients. White miso paste, Mirin (Japanese cooking wine), Sake (Japanese rice wine), and sugar.  That’s it, folks.  You can embellish if you want.  A touch of Ponzu (citrus soy sauce), a dash of sesame oil, or a smidgen of grated fresh ginger would go well.  This first time I stuck to the recipe and it was delicious but I’m sure I will experiment. It’s how I roll.

If you like fish, run, don’t walk to your nearest seafood purveyor or Whole Foods, and pick up some Black Cod. So good.  Serve with a bowl of rice or with Hong Kong Style Soy Sauce Noodles (pictured).  Delish.

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A Fable of Sablefish (Miso Black Cod)

Easy and delicious roasted black cod!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Black Cod, Miso, Sablefish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablspoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  • 1.5 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 black cod fillets about 1/2 pound each
  • 1 scallion chopped for garnish

Instructions

  • Bring the mirin and sake to a boil in a small non-reactive saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat and add miso, stir to dissolve the miso. Add sugar, increase heat and continue to cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.
  • If the plan is to use your oven, you can take the skin off the fish. If grilling leave it on to help keep the fish together.
  • Once cooled, spread the marinade on the fish evenly. Cover tightly or seal it in ziplock bag. Let it sit for 24-48 hours
  • Before cooking, wipe excess marinade off of fish
  • To cook: Preheat oven to 400 degrees or outdoor grill.
  • Oven method: Roast at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Finish fish by broiling a couple of minutes to hear the edges and brown the outside.
  • You can also panfry the fish first to brown and create those crispy edges before finishing the fish in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until fish flakes.
  • Grill method: Place fish skin side up on grill and cook on indirect heat for 8-10 minutes.
  • Garnish with green onions and serve with pickled ginger if you like.

Notes

You can use any firm fish with this marinade and method, salmon, bass or halibut would also work.

 
Super Summer Somen Salad (Cold Noodle Salad)

Super Summer Somen Salad (Cold Noodle Salad)

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During the summer I find this thought running through my brain quite often..” hmmm, it sure is hot, what should we do for dinner? definitely not turning on the oven or standing over a hot stove. I just want something light and refreshing and satisfying”.

LOOK! Up in the sky..ok, not up in the sky just whirling in my brain, it’s a salad! It’s pasta!  NO, IT’S, (music building to a crescendo)… SUPER-SOMEN SALAD!

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It’s patently obvious that the summer heat is getting to me…

It’s likely I asked for this recipe at a potluck or found it in a Japanese/Hawaiian Community cookbook, I actually don’t remember.  This is my go-to hot weather dish for potlucks, block parties, and impromptu get-togethers.  You can make it ahead of time (although it doesn’t take a ton of time), vary the toppings (which are limited only by your imagination) and it’s incredibly easy.   It’s cool and refreshing, crisp, light, yet substantial.

Over the years I have modified the recipe, tweaked the dressing by adding a bit more soy sauce and sesame oil to intensify the flavor. Substituted Ponzu (citrus soy sauce) and added different vegetables for flavor and texture.  Try capellini pasta in place of somen noodles (sshh, don’t tell my Hawaiian Auntie Lil, she’d slap me upside my head if she knew I was using Italian pasta!) and glamourized it by adding fresh bay shrimp or crab.  Play with the ingredients and make it your own.  Because I like a lot of additions, double the dressing recipe.  Add to taste.  A single recipe will not be enough.

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Summer Cold Noodle Salad- Somen Salad

Somen Salad perfect for hot summer days. This cold pasta salad is loaded with veggies, and flavored with a soy-vinegar dressing, it's delicious!
Course noodles, Salad
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword hawaiian, pasta salad, somen
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Original Recipe: Tweaks in parenthesis:

  • 1 Lb. Somen, Boiled or substitute 1 pound capellini, cooked al dente according to pkg
  • Iceberg Letttuce, Shredded Sub romaine lettuce, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
  • Ham Or Char Siu, Julienned Use a sweet ham, maple or honey baked
  • 2 Eggs, fried and julienned (like a crepe)
  • 1 pkg Kamaboko (Japanese fishcake), julienned Subtitute 1/3 pound cooked bay shrimp or crab
  • 2 Stalks Green Onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels frozen, thaw and drain
  • 1 cup Carrots and/or cucumbers julienned
  • cilantro garnish

Dressing:

  • 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 1/2 -1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Cooking Oil
  • 3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar

Variations

  • 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Shoyu Can sustitute Ponzu for half if you want
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Dressing

  • Combine all the ingredients and half of the salt in a jar or sealable container.
  • Shake well to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Start with half the salt, especially if you add the variations, which I always do, taste to see if additional salt is required.
  • Don't skip the sesame oil, it adds alot of flavor.
  • Double the dressing, a single recipe is not enough. Add half of dressing composing salad. Add remainder when serving salad. Reserve about a third of the remainng dressing, taste the salad before adding.
  • The dressing can be make ahead.

Salad

  • Cook pasta as directed on the package for al dente noodles. Somen is very thin and easy to overcook so keep a close watch. Rinse and drain well.
  • Place the noodles on the bottom of a large service bowl. Toss the noodles with (~1/2) of the dressing before topping with the veggies and protein.
  • Place julienned vegetables and corn on top of the noodles, than the egg and ham in concentric circles followed with the shrimp and green onions in the center. Contrast the colors for appeal. Shredded lettuce should be on outer edge of bowl.
  • Garnish the top with additional sesame seeds and cilantro.
  • Just before serving add the rest of dressing, toss well and serve.

Notes

The original recipe did not contain any of the variations in the dressing.  I always add them.  Just wanted to leave the original intact.
If making the salad ahead of time, add the lettuce last so it retains its crispness.
Grillin’ and Chillin’ (Vietnamese Grilled Chicken)

Grillin’ and Chillin’ (Vietnamese Grilled Chicken)

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Summer!  Time to fire up the grill and take the cooking outdoors.  You will actually find us in our backyard cooking quite a bit and not just during the summer. Yes, we are that family that uses the barbecue at Thanksgiving or before the Rose Bowl game on New Year’s Day.  While much of the country is shoveling snow we are shoveling barbecued ribs and chicken into our mouths.  One of the perks of living in California.

Wes is the go to barbecue guy in our family.  I realized long ago that I should stick to indoor cooking.  In my defense I can make some pretty mean marinades for whatever our pit-boss is grilling.  A family favorite is grilled Vietnamese Chicken.  The marinade has so many bold and bright flavors characteristic of Southeast Asia-lemony, garlicky, sweet from honey and salty from fish sauce, its a taste explosion.  It has definitely become one of my standard marinades for barbecue chicken.  I hope it will become one of yours too.  The inspiration for my marinade comes from two wonderful cookbooks I have had on my shelf for years, The Foods of Vietnam (Nicole Routhier) and The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking (Mai Pham).  Both are great primers for Vietnamese cooking.

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Don’t let the list of ingredients scare you off.  Most are readily available at Asian markets and at Whole Foods or Safeway.  In a pinch I have used lemon peel for lemongrass.  Though not as nuanced as lemongrass, lemon peel will add that citrusy flavor to your chicken.  Fish sauce adds umami (flavor) and a bit of pungency that kicks it up a notch.  Just thinking about this is making my mouth water!

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Grillin’ and Chillin’ Vietnamese Gilled Chicken

Ingredients

For marinade:

  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 shallots
  • 1/4 cup lemon grass diced or substitute lemon peel if not available, zest of1/2 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons nuoc mam fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 quarter -sized slice of ginger minced
  • 1/4 cup mild flavor honey
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Approximately 2-3 pounds of chicken- breasts and thighs or drumsticks

  • 1 yellow onion sliced or cut into wedges
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 5-6 sprigs of cilantro optional

Instructions

  • Place marinade ingredients into blender or food processor and process until marinade is emulsified. Garlic, lemongrass and shallots should be finely minced.
  • Place chicken in a ziplock bag or large non-reactive bowl. Pour marinade over chicken
  • Add onion, lemon and cilantro and mix thouroughly.
  • Marinade for up to 2-6 hours or overnight in fridge.
  • Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Wes's Barbecue tips:

  • Gas grill: Preheat grill for 12 minutes, Inside burners on low and outside burners on high.
  • Place chicken pieces in center of grill, skin down.
  • Turn off middle burners either right before or right after placing chicken on grill
  • Cook covered for 12 minutes (temperature will be approximately 400 degrees)
  • Flip chicken and grill for additional 15 minutes. Check for doneness.
  • Remove and let stand for 5 minutes.
  • We like our chicken on the edge, as in just done..nothing worse than dry chicken, so you may find you need to grill a little longer.
  • Enjoy!

 

 

 
Where’s the Beef? (Korean Short Rib Stew)

Where’s the Beef? (Korean Short Rib Stew)

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Last week felt like winter’s last stand.  The temperature dropped, it rained (yay, we can always use the precipitation even when summer is just around the corner) and Jamie and I were hit with the cold/flu bug.  So, despite being the month of  May I found myself wishing for something hearty, warming and comforting.  I stumbled upon an amazing website while looking for a recipe for  Galbi Jim, a Korean beef rib stew I knew would chase away my rainy day and cold blues.  Just the name of the site alone won me over, Spoonforkbacon.  The site is loaded with tips, ideas and recipes and the photography is wonderful.  Their food looks absolutely scrumptious.  I’ll definitely be wandering over often for inspiration.

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This is a delicious Korean version of beef stew. Seasoned with soy, garlic, sesame,  sugar and mirin it has that sweet salty flavor profile I love.  The Asian pear adds sweetness and serves as a tenderizer.  If you can’t find an asian pear a fine stand-in would be a kiwi.  I found multi-color organic carrots at TJ’s and fresh shiitake mushrooms that worked beautifully in the dish.  Feel free to play with amounts.  If you want it less sweet, cut the sugar back to 1/4 cup.  I used cross cut short ribs also known as flanken style or hawaiian style ribs.  The pieces are much thinner, approximately 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick which shortens the cooking time considerably.  If using this cut, reduce the cooking time accordingly.  Bring the ribs to boil for only 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.  Drain ribs, add seasonings and water and cook for approximately 30 minutes until ribs are just tender, add vegetables and simmer additional 20 minutes. Additional water can be added if needed.  You can add a medium onion, quartered to this recipe (at the same time when seasonings and water are added to beef) if you like.  I also think this stew would work well using pork or chicken.  This is really a homey, easy dish, try it before the weather gets too warm!  Here is the recipe from SpoonForkBacon. Check out the site, after all everything’s better with BACON!
Anatomy of a Breakfast Bowl (Char Siu & Egg Over Rice)

Anatomy of a Breakfast Bowl (Char Siu & Egg Over Rice)

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I love Sunday morning breakfast. Instead of the rushed quick bite Monday through Friday grind, weekend breakfasts are leisurely and quite the production.Waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and homemade buttermilk biscuits or if we are feeling ambitious, puffy French omelets.  Just brewed coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice round out the meal, or mimosas for special occasions, ahhhhh the good life.  Often, our Sunday breakfasts will have an Asian vibe.

During football season you will always find a big pot of congee sitting on the stove. Congee or jook is a delicious savory rice soup and is great for breakfast or halftime.  The soup starts with chicken stock flavored with ginger and scallions. Add rice and simmer until the kernels have softened to an almost creamy consistency.  Hot steaming bowls are brought to the table where everyone adds their own toppings. Shredded chicken, green onions, pickles, lettuce, and cilantro.  To go along with the jook, Chinese donuts–deep-fried pillows of yumminess that give beignets a run for their money.

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Hands-down, a favorite breakfast for my kids is homemade Chinese bbq pork (char siu) served with eggs–barely scrambled or sunny side up (keep that yolk runny) on top of a bowl of steamed white rice.  I found a new recipe for char siu on Burp Appetit’ that looked and sounded mouthwateringly good. Naturally, I had to try it. Instead of oven roasting, it calls for braising the pork in a sweet, salty sauce which includes hoisin paste and 5 spice powder.  By braising, we don’t need marinading which shortens the cooking time. Best of all, it’s delicious! With a batch of char siu made, this past Sunday’s breakfast was a no-brainer, Char siu, eggs, and rice. Yep living life one bowl at a time.

Char Siu and Egg over Rice:  Anatomy of a Breakfast Bowl

The perfectly cooked egg by Jamie

Kid tested and approved by Jordan

Hi Claire 🙂

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Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork (Braised method)

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword barbecue pork, char siu, Rice Bowl
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

~1-1.25 pound pork belly without skin, or pork neck or cheek meat cut into strips (3)

Marinade/Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Hoisin sauce for a less sweet version, sub oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
  • 1/2 -1 tsp 5-spice powder

To cook:

  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

Method:

  • 1. Heat wok on medium heat. When the wok is hot enough, pour 2 tbsp vegetable oil into the wok.
  • 2. Place the pork belly strips into the wok and brown both sides for about 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients into the wok. Stir and ensure the pork strips are coated well with the sauce.
  • 3. Turn the heat to low and gently simmer for 40 minutes or until pork is tender. Turn the pork every 10 minutes to ensure both sides are evenly cooked.
  • 4. By 30 minutes, the sauce will be reduced by half and start turning sticky. Once the pork belly is tender to touch, remove from the wok. Then pour the sauce into a clean bowl and reserve that to dress your steamed rice. Leave a tbsp of sauce/oil in the wok.
  • 5. Heat the wok on medium heat and return the pork belly back into the wok. Sear the meat on both sides for about 2-3 minutes each side until they are charred to your liking.
  • 6. Remove and glaze with honey. Then, slice the pork belly. Serve with warm steamed rice, noodles or bao.
Cha Cha Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork!

Cha Cha Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork!

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The ultimate comfort food is the food you ate as a kid. In our family, my Dad was the cook.  The last 30 minutes of his workday found him running around Chinatown for dinner groceries.  He haggled with the fishmonger for the freshest catch of the day or gossiped with the store clerks as he picked through piles of fresh snap peas.  Some of my favorites included steamed fish with soy, ginger and onions, stir-fried beef with pickled vegetables, and scrambled eggs with bbq pork.

My Cooking Roots, from Gung Gung and BaBa

Dad (BaBa) cooked for fun, but for my grandfather (Gung Gung) it was his livelihood.  He worked as a chef at the Original Joe’s on Broadway and also at the legendary Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel.  To this day I have no idea what he cooked at these iconic San Francisco restaurants.  Every meal he made for me and my brother was rooted in Chinese comfort food.  We ate dinner with him a couple of times a week right before he went off to work.

In his tiny room above Jackson Cafe in Chinatown, he would spread the China Daily on the table, pull out chopsticks, rice bowls, and a tiny shot glass.  The shot glass held a “digestive” he would swig right before eating.  He cooked in a communal kitchen down the hall.  A well-worn oval metal tray, a remnant from his restaurant days, sat wedged between the burners and wall at the ready to ferry our meal to his room.

We usually sat waiting, impatiently, stomachs growling and legs swinging in anticipation, as he made the long trek back to his room.  As we ate he regaled us with stories from his childhood.  We feasted on steamed pompano with black bean sauce, stir-fried greens with garlic and onions,  steamed pork with fermented shrimp paste, or slices of bbq pork (char siu).  My comfort food.

These days I make my own Char Siu.  The marinade is adapted from a cookbook I found years ago in Chinatown, Authentic Chinese Cooking by Sharon Hoy Wong.  Long out of print, it is my go-to cookbook for the down-home food of my childhood.  Serve Char Siu as an appetizer, stir-fried with greens or eggs, noodle topping, or as a filling in buns.  Our entire family loves the play on the sweet and salty flavor combination.

The marinade is also delicious for grilled baby back ribs.

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Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork!

Chinese bbq pork, a staple in every Chinese deli and restaurant, a favorite on its own or as filling in buns, pastries, and dim sum.
Course Appetizer, Meat
Cuisine Asian
Keyword barbecue pork, bbq pork, Grilled Pork Belly
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinate time 4 hours

Ingredients

  • 2-3 pound piece of pork shoulder cut into strips approximately 1.5 - 2" thick 3" wide, 6-7" long
  • or 2 slabs of baby ribs with membrane removed
  • 1- tsp. Salt 2 T sugar mixed together rub this on ribs or boneless pork shoulder and let sit for 15 minutes while making marinade.

Marinade:

  • 3 T hoisin
  • 2 T catsup
  • 1 T honey
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T sherry
  • 1 T oyster sauce or black bean with garlic paste
  • 1/8 t 5 spice powder
  • 1-2 T orange or apple juice
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed
  • 2 slices ginger 1/4 inch thick each slice

Instructions

  • Combine marinade ingredients and coat meat. Let marinade for 2-4 hours minimum or overnight in the fridge.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a wire rack over a baking pan. Place strips of pork on the rack and place in oven. Add 1/2 cup hot water to pan, filling to approximately 1 inch depth.
  • Roast for 45-50 minutes. Turn pork over midway through.
  • With about 10 minutes to go, increase temperature to 400 degrees, drizzle pork with honey and roast an additional 10 minutes to glaze the pork or pork can be transferred to a grill for the last 10 minutes.

Pork Ribs

  • Place ribs on grill (underside of ribs faced down) and cook over indirect heat, (medium heat 350-400 degrees) in a covered grill for 15-20 minutes. Flip ribs over, brush with additional marinade and grill additional 15 minutes.
  • To finish ribs, move ribs over direct heat and continue cooking ribs uncovered. Baste ribs with honey and flip every couple of minutes to avoid burning ribs but you do want a little bit of char for flavor and texture. Grill over medium heat additional 10 minutes. This is for baby back ribs, times will be longer for larger ribs.
Want Wontons? Hanging with Mom (雲吞)

Want Wontons? Hanging with Mom (雲吞)

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My mom came down and spent the week with us recently.  She is 93 years old and still lives in San Francisco in the same house I grew up in.  Her memory has faltered and her cognitive skills have diminished but she soldiers on.   I am thankful that she is still with us and grateful for the moments we have together.  It is now our turn to take care of her, everything comes full circle.

When she visits we talk about family.  She remembers snippets of when she was younger, she laughs at my exasperation with my kids.  She doesn’t cook much anymore but she likes to make wontons for the kids when she visits.  When I was in college she would make trays of wontons, freeze and pack them, ready for me to take back to Berkeley after a weekend visit.  When the kids were small she would make wontons for them during her babysitting stints,

We used medium wrappers for this batch but I generally use thin wrappers which are good for won ton soup and fried won tons.

Tons of Advice on Wontons

We head to the Asian market to shop for freshwater chestnuts (no canned stuff for her), pork (not pre-ground, too mushy), mushrooms, wrappers, and shrimp (raw & unpeeled).  Back at home, she insists on making the filling as she has for so many years, chopping the pork and shrimp by hand and incorporating the seasonings with her Chinese cleaver.  We reserve some of the filling for mini stuffed omelets called Gai Dan Kok (kid favorite) and then we sit, talk, and fold won tons.  We fill as many trays as we have of wrappers or filling, and store them in the freezer.  When the kids come home she will boil up a batch or fry egg dumplings for them.  These are the moments I will treasure.

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Mom makes classic pork and shrimp filling for her wontons.  It is my go-to filling for not just wontons but for egg dumplings and steamed stuffed squash.  It’s delicious.  The shrimp can be chopped with the pork and blended with it or cut into 1/2 inch pieces and a couple of pieces placed in each wonton as shown in the video below. Soaking the shrimp in potassium carbonate firms up the shrimp giving the wonton a nice bite.  You could probably forego this step.  I added 1 tsp Ponzu (or you could use soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon) and 1/2 tsp sesame seed oil to the shrimp for flavor.

The Fried Way

These wontons can also be fried.  Heat oil in a large pot to 350-375 degrees.  Fry in at least 2 inches of oil in the pot.  Cook in batches of 6-8 won tons.  Fry to golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined pan to drain off excess oil.  Serve with a sweet and sour sauce or ketchup.

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Wontons

Every culture has a dumpling, our family enjoys won tons in soup or fried as an appetizer. A classic! This is me mom's recipe for wontons, our favorite.
Course Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword dumplings, soup, won ton
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Pork & Shrimp Filling

  • 3/4 lb ground pork
  • 4-6 water chestnuts peeled and coarsely chopped fresh or canned (rinse before using)
  • 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in warm water to soften (15-20 min) drained and coarsely chopped
  • 2 stalks of green onions coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger peeled and minced
  • 1/4 pound fresh shrimp peeled and deveined and roughly diced
  • 1 T cilantro leaves finely chopped optional

The Flavorings

  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T oyster sauce
  • 1 T rice wine or sherry
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil optional

That's a Wrap

  • 1 pkg won ton wrappers Hong Kong Style are extra thin, I use thin wonton wrappers by New Hong Kong Noodle Company of San Francisco

Instructions

Filling

  • Start with Pork shoulder or Pork Butt. Hand-chop or coarse grind in food processor. When buying pork, look for coarse ground.
  • Place ground pork and filling ingredients except shrimp* in a medium-sized bowl. *You can finely chop the shrimp and add it to the filling or reserve the shrimp cut into 1/2 inch pieces to be added when folding each wonton.
  • Add seasonings. Using chopsticks or a spoon, stir the mixture in one direction until the ingredients are well combined.

Wrapping

  • See video of my mom wrapping wontons!
  • Have ready wrappers, filling and small bowl of water or egg wash to seal won tons
  • Choose any won ton wrapper you like. My preference is Thin wrappers from New Hong Kong Noodle Factory. Wrappers come in different thicknesses. Avoid thick wrappers if you are making wontons for soup or deep-frying. Thick ones work well for Potstickers-a combination of frying and steaming when more filling is used.
  • Wontons can be folded in a variety of ways including simply folding like a triangle or square. Trick is to eliminate air bubbles and use water or egg wash to seal the edges.
  • Use about 1 generous teaspoon of filling per wonton.
  • Meanwhile, fill a large stockpot with water at least 2/3-3/4 full. Bring to boil over high heat. Drop folded wontons into the boiling water. Keep water at a nice boil not on a crazy high boil. The wontons will float to the surface as they cook, an indication they are ready. Let boil for about 3-4 minutes total, about 1 min after they float to the top. Remove with strainer, drain and serve in soup*
  • * Chicken Soup is perfect. If you use commercial chicken broth, use low sodium and season yourself. Add a slice of fresh ginger or shallots as you are heating. Season with soy sauce.
  • All the rage now seems to be serving wontons without soup, slathered in Chili Crisp Oil and a splash of vinegar. You could easily sub the soup and use a chili oil for the wontons. See notes for sauce.
  • If you have extra filling left after folding wontons, you can use it for gai don gok (mini egg dumplings or as a filling for squash.

Notes

From Red House Spice, Chili Sauce for Wontons in lieu of soup. 
Mix together, drizzle just cooked wontons with sauce.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Add a touch of Chinese Sesame Paste if you like ~1 teaspoon.

Watch Mom Fold Wontons!
A Brief Cookie break (Mushroom Matar)

A Brief Cookie break (Mushroom Matar)

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As I fixate on cookies for the holiday season, Wes continues his quest for interesting, delicious vegetarian dishes.  Not surprisingly this often means Indian food.  We had stopped at our favorite hole in the wall one evening and tried their Mushroom Matar.  We weren’t disappointed.  Peas and mushrooms surrounded by a sweet savory sauce.  The dish was a respite from the heat of the Biryani and Palak Paneer.  I am a wimp when it comes to spicy so I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.  I greedily wiped the last bits of sauce off the bowl with my naan beating Wes to the punch.  Dude, you snooze you lose.

We found a tasty recipe on the website/blog Veg Recipes of India.  A wonderful blog that contains a treasure trove of useful information, step by step instructions, photos and recipes for novices like Wes and me. I found the dish actually tasted better the next day as the spices seemed to meld together a bit more.  The recipe and step by step instructions for Mushroom Matar can be found on  Veg Recipes of India.

Enjoy!  Now back to my cookie obsession…..
Aloo Gobi (Spice Up Your Life)

Aloo Gobi (Spice Up Your Life)

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Pity the guy who doesn’t attend the “Health and Wellness” lecture presented at work but depends on colleagues to give him or her (in this case, Wes the hubby) the highlights and takeaways from the lecture.  For the last month since, Wes has gone total vegy (his colleague that went to the lecture lasted only 36 hours sans meat).  I love meat but being the loyal and loving wife (my friends are laughing heartily right now) I am also living the vegy life.  I have fallen off the bandwagon (lots, totally busted on Instagram) but usually without him present.  Hey, a girl needs her protein.

What we have found is there are certain cuisines that lend themselves well to vegetarianism (is that a word?) like Indian cuisine.  We have had Indian food no less than once a week so it is about time we try making it at home.  Our first attempt, Aloo Gobi, well known thanks to the movie Bend It Like Beckham, is a bowl of yumminess comprised of potatoes and cauliflower, not too spicy but packed with flavor.  The starchiness and density of the vegetables gives the dish a great mouth feel and punch to suppress your carnivore cravings.  I looked at lots of recipes and the first thing I noticed was there are about a GAZILLION different spices used in Indian food, most of which I have never used. I fought the urge to give up and call our favorite Indian restaurant for take out.

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Lucky for me I have a co-worker I can go to for Indian cooking advice.  I have peppered her with questions regarding all the different spices, how to use them, how long to saute’ the vegetables, how to prep the beans or lentils, on and on. My takeaways for newbies attempting Indian food; find a good Asian or Indian grocery store, time and patience is required to toast the spices and aromatics and have lots of cute little bowls (Thanks Snookies) to hold your spices.

Tips for the recipe.  Its really important to toast the spices & aromatics in the oil to develop flavor.  I actually added the garam masala in with the tumeric and salt.  I also used dried coriander (1 tsp) instead of the cilantro stalks.  I personally think it was too tomato-ey, I would use 1 fresh tomato chopped in place of the canned tomatoes.  I pre-cooked my potatoes and cauliflower by steam microwaving each for 3-5 minutes.  The vegetables should be cut into bite size pieces. I used 2 potatoes instead of 3 and tossed in some eggplant for good measure.

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Aloo Gobi from Bend It Like Beckham (food.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 ⁄4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion peeled and cut into small pieces
  • 1 bunch fresh coriander cilantro, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
  • 1 small green chili chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
  • 1 large cauliflower leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
  • 3 large potatoes peeled and cut into even pieces
  • 2 8 ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • fresh ginger peeled and grated (1 generous tablespoon)
  • fresh garlic chopped (1 generous tablespoon ~4 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala

Instructions

  • Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
  • Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds to the oil.
  • Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent. Will take 10-15 minutes
  • Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt.
  • Add chopped chillis (according to taste) Stir tomatoes into onion mixture.
  • Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly.
  • Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan).
  • Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.
  • Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
  • Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir.
  • Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry.
  • Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.