Hoppin' Beans

 

I've been listening to the Recipe Club podcast, and finally found a website where they publish all of the recipes that they talk about! This is fantastic, because I don't have to spend a ton of time searching for everything. Recently, they talked about "Daniel Reasor's Hoppin' John" recipe, which came worked perfectly a few weeks ago during the start of June gloom.

The recipe calls for black-eyed peas so it could be eaten on New Year's Day but I've never had those before so I got pinto beans instead. Excited to maybe try it with dried beans next time.

Luckily, I got some chunk ham from Vons for a really good price; they were having a sale. The recipe definitely says that this soup lives and dies by the ham and they're right. Do not use sliced deli ham! The final product was just on the edge of salty so I've adjusted the recipe below to account for that next time.

Hoppin Beans

Adapted from Recipe Club

Serves 4

24oz canned beans (or dried beans, soaked overnight)

12oz canned diced tomatoes

3 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 cup water

12 oz ham (smoked would be good)

2 Tbps butter

3 tsp molasses

1 sweet onion

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

Chop ham, bell peppers and onion into 1/2" cubes. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and then add the ham, onion and red bell pepper (save the yellow for later). Sautee on medium-high until browned and dry. You need a sauté pan instead of a pot for this, for the surface area.

Add canned tomatoes, beans, chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Stir in molasses.

Cover pan and simmer for an hour, covered. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in the yellow bell pepper and simmer covered for 20 more minutes.

Cool covered for 5 minutes and serve over rice.

Lions Head Meatballs

 

I loved lion head meatballs as a child. The sauce was oftentimes thick and sweet, which provided a great component when I mixed it all into my rice. Now that I'm older, I'm also very into the napa cabbage that cooks with it as well (always napa cabbage > bok choy).

One of the recipes had a great tip to forming the meatballs, because the meat mixture is pretty soft and runny. After portioning it out (eyeballing it) into six portions, I scooped the portion out and put it into a rice bowl for formation, and then into the oil. No messy hands!

I did a shallow fry on it because I didn't want to deep fry. Am I trying to be healthier? Maybe. My friend told me that she bakes hers sometimes but I feel like the oil makes it taste better haha. Even if it's a marginal amount of oil.

I cobbled two recipes together for this recipe, and added enoki mushrooms because I had them. I think I'll make adjustments next time; the Shaoxing wine taste was strong. My mom said that just smelling the meat made her feel drunk LOL.

Lion Heat Meatballs

Adapted from Woks of Life

Adapted from Red House Spice

Ingredients:

2 stalks scallions, chopped in 1-inch pieces

1-inch piece ginger, sliced

500g ground pork

1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine

2 Tbps light soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 large egg

1 Tbps cornstarch

60g canned water chestnuts, minced

Soak scallions and ginger in 7 Tbsp hot water, set aside to cool. After about 20 minutes, remove the ginger and scallion, set aside for the soup.

In a bowl, mix together all other ingredients, minus the water chestnuts. Stir constantly with 4 chopsticks (bundled together in your fist) in one direction. Add the scallion ginger water a little at a time while stirring, until fully absorbed. Whip together for at least 3 minutes, ideally 10 minutes. Once the meat is sticky/jiggly, add the water chestnuts.

Heat a large pan with about 1/4 inch of vegetable or canola oil (something neutral, so not olive oil). Divide the meat into six portions, shape in the bowl and add to the oil after each shaping. Fry over medium high heat until they develop a golden brown crust, and remove to a plate. Do not crowd the pan!

1 small head napa cabbage

Previously soaked ginger and scallions

6 large dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in 500 mL warm water for at least an hour

1 bunch enoki mushrooms, trimmed

1/4 tsp salt

Ground white pepper

Remove shitake mushrooms from water, squeeze out excess water into the soaking cup (you want to retain all that flavor!) and slice mushrooms.

In a large pot, layer the bottom portions of the napa cabbage. Add meatballs over the top, then the sliced mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, scallions and ginger. Season with salt and white pepper. Pour in the mushroom soaking liquid over the top, ensuring not to pour in the solid bits at the bottom of the liquid.

Bring the soup to a full boil, then turn the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, then remove the cover and put the leafy part of the napa cabbage over the top. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes, then stir to submerge whatever possible in the soup. Simmer for 5 more minutes, then garnish with finely chopped scallions and serve! Warm rice is a must.

Hong Kong Oxtail Borscht

 
There's Russian borscht with beets and Hong Kong borscht with beef/tomato/cabbage. I abhor the first and love the second. My old co-worker used to try to get me to eat the Russian borscht whenever she brought some in for lunch and I always refused.

However, I find HKB very comforting. Sometimes they give out little cups of it at Hong Kong cafes, though those are mainly broth and a few wisps of cabbage. If you were truly lucky, you'd get a random tiiiiiinnnyyyyyy slice of beef.

No matter how much I've scaled this recipe down, it is a COMMITMENT. Like, soup for 8-12 people, depeding on if it's eaten as a meal or as a side. Considering how much time is spent preparing it though ... makes sense to make a lot.

Hong Kong Oxtail Borscht
Adapted from Christine's Recipes

Serves 8-12

Large pot boiling water for blanching
Approx 5 lbs oxtail (can use strips beef brisket or beef bones for soup)

1 can beef broth (approx 2 cups or 500ml)
10 cups water

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 stalks celery, 1/4 sliced
3 medium red potatoes, 1/2" cubed
1 onion, 1/2" diced
3 tomatoes, 1/4" diced
1 carrot, sliced into coins
1/2 head small cabbage, 1/2" cubed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
10 to 15 white peppercorns
3 bay leaves
3 Tbsp tomato paste
Zest from 1 lemon

Lemon juice/zest, sugar, kosher salt, white pepper to taste

Heat a large pot of water over high heat. Once boiling, blanch oxtails (or whatever beef you're using) in boiling water for approximately 3 minutes to remove blood and impurities. Let cool slightly and trim any fat away from the meat.

In the largest pot you have (and I mean largest), combine oxtails, beef broth and 10 cups water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic until aromatic. Add onion and cook until translucent, approx 5 minutes. Add celery and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and sauté until softened, approx 15-20 minutes.

After the 90 minutes, combine all the vegetables into the stock. Add tomato paste, whole white peppercorns and bay leaves. You can tie the peppercorns into a cheesecloth for easy removal, if desired. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 60 minutes.

Grate lemon zest into the soup. Season well with kosher salt, sugar, white pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Split Pea Soup (the best!)

Split pea soup might not be the sexiest of soups but it's the one you want to crawl into bed with on a cold, cold winter night. You know, winter in Los Angeles and the "cold snap" of this week - high of 65degreesF, low of 42degreesF. SO CRAZY COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE MIDWEST OR EAST COAST. Hey, we pay a "weather tax" for this glorious-ness.

Split Pea Soup
Serves 6
Adapted from Ina Garten

1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Glug of good olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced carrots
1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled
1 pound dried split green peas, rinsed
8 cups chicken stock (low sodium if possible)

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, approx 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots, red potatoes, split peas, and chicken stock.

Bring to a boil, then skim off all the foam that rises to the top. Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot to keep it from boiling over (I have no idea why this works). Simmer uncovered for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom – really don’t ignore this step! It'll look super watery at first but as it cooks it gets super thick and creamy. 

Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Sesame Miso Donabe

The weather is quickly warming up for Southern California but it's been difficult to stop making this sesame miso donabe! IT'S SO GOOD. We started making it when COVID-19 shut the entire world down and we ordered a CSA box to help some local farms who had lost their restaurant contracts stay afloat. The leafy greens were perfect in donabe.

That box was $25, which is a steal for how fresh the vegetables are! When I buy greens from the market, they usually last about a week. One of those Bloomsdale spinach bundles lasted THREE WEEKS before I got to it and it wasn't rotting at all!

This donabe (or you can make it in a regular pot) is totally adaptable with whatever vegetables or thin-sliced meat you have on hand (or seafood). Most of the time when I've made this, it's been totally vegetarian because it was the easiest, and we wanted to use as much of the CSA vegetables as possible. The most important thing is the soup base.

Sesame Miso Donabe
Adapted from Just One Cookbook
Serves 4

3 Tbsp white sesame seeds
6 cups water
1 Tbsp Hon-dashi
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 dried shitake mushrooms
3-4 Tbsp miso paste

Vegetable suggestions:
Spinach
Bok choy
Tokyo turnips
Daikon
Green onions
Assorted mushrooms
Tofu, fish (cut into 1" chunks), shrimp, any shabu shabu meats

Toast the white sesame seeds in a small pan over low heat (no oil or anything required). Make sure it doesn't burn! Grind with a mortar and pestle, not too fine.

Boil the water with the Hon-dashi, garlic and dried mushrooms. Add the tofu and hard vegetables (daikon, carrots, turnips, etc), simmer for 5 minutes. Add leafy greens and quicker cooking vegetables (green onions, mushrooms, spinach, etc), simmer for two minutes.

At this point you can serve hot with ponzu sauce as an option. If you have any seafood/meats, add them now and simmer for three minutes, then serve. The seafood/meats will continue to cook in the hot broth.

Carrot Soup, Tahini Lemon Drizzle, Crispy Chickpeas

Lots of soup weather happening right now. And lots of quarantine too. The world has been pretty crazy and since it's been awhile since I've updated, the COVID-19 lock down of basically most of the United States has been a huge change for everyone. California was the first state to go into lock down for the nation (first San Francisco, then Los Angeles) and today is officially the 23rd day for Los Angeles. I'm going to recap some items that I've seen on different forms of social media at the end of this post, just so there's a weird form of documentation for this crazy time.

Due to some mass panic buying throughout the beginning/middle of March, we had to adjust with some of the recipes that we've been making. A lot of basics were cleaned out (rice, eggs, flour, onions, potatoes, garlic, pasta, dried beans, etc) - plus, toilet paper and any/all sanitizing items were gone (though that has nothing to do with cooking!).

This soup was one of the things that I made earlier in March, from Smitten Kitchen. The use of a ton of carrots and very little else makes this a great, healthy soup. The crispy chickpeas and tahini lemon drizzle are optional, if you don't have them on hand. A dollop of sour cream or yogurt might be nice in a pinch.

Carrot Soup, Tahini Lemon Drizzle, Crispy Chickpeas
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4-6

2 Tbps olive oil
2 lbs carrots, peeled, diced/coined
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp regular table salt
Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth

Crispy chickpeas:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, dried
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Tahini Lemon Drizzle:
3 Tbps tahini paste
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add all the soup ingredients, with the exception of the broth, and sauté until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add broth and stir around to mix thoroughly. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25-30 minutes.

Heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas to coat evenly with olive oil, salt and cumin. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast until they’re browned and crisp, tossing after 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes thereafter. It can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes for them to become crispy. Taste as you go to check!

In a small bown, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt and water until smooth and yogurt-like. If more liquid is needed to thin it, you can add a little more lemon juice or water, until you get your desired consistency.

~~ THIS IS OUR COVID-19 PANDEMIC WORLD TODAY ~~

First case reported to World Health Organization on December 31, 2019

Declared as an international public health emergency on January 30, 2020

Declared as an international pandemic on March 11, 2020

• Gas prices have gone to as low as $2.50 for Los Angeles
• School cancelled for the rest of the year. Students and teachers are adapting to distance learning.
• Parents feel what it’s like to home school their children while trying to work and trying to feed them 3 meals a day and 2 snacks.
• Social distancing measures are on the rise. Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
• Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers from each other.
• Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
• Non-essential stores and businesses are mandated to be closed. Essential services need to carry a letter to explain why they're going into work, in case they are stopped.
• Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
• Entire sports seasons - cancelled.
• Summer Olympics of 2020 in Japan - postponed.
• Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
• Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
• No masses, churches are closed. Services are streamed.
• No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
• Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
• Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
• Racism and hate crimes again Asian Americans.
• Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
• Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
• Panic buying - have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towels, no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer, no baby products.
• Shelves are bare - dried beans, pasta, yeast, flour, eggs
• Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
• Government closed international borders to all non-essential travel.
• Low domestic travel. Tons of flights cancelled and some flights with just one passenger.
• Fines are established for breaking the rules ($1000, misdemeanor, removal of non-essential business licenses/utilities)
• Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of COVID-19 patients.
• Press conferences daily from the President and the state governors. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
• Government sending stimulus package to most Americans.
• People are wearing masks and gloves outside. California is requiring masks to be worn at anytime outside, as of April.
• Essential service workers and medical field workers are afraid to go to work and to go home to their families.

Cabbage Roll Soup

This soup may not look like much but I assure you, it was glorious. I think M and I were both surprised at how delicious it was. We had so much cabbage left over from St Patrick's Day that I needed to find some uses for it! After all the corned beef, I think this was a pretty healthy choice.

Cabbage Roll Soup
Serves 8

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef (I used grass-fed, since that was in the freezer) or turkey
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cabbage, cut into 1" pieces (whatever size)
2 carrots, sliced or chopped (I like coins)
4 cups beef broth
2 8oz cans diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beef is nicely browned, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon. Add onion and garlic; mix thoroughly throughout and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add all the other ingredients except fish sauce and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, then turn the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf and add fish sauce. Taste, then season with additional fish sauce, salt and pepper.

Kale & Butternut Squash Stracciatella Soup

Ignore all items in the photo except for the soup on the right hand side! The other items were just part of dinner ... Korean potato salad, some veggie that I love but cannot seem to find the name for, and a baked sweet potato.

This stracciatella soup is courtesy of Bon Appetit and is very very low maintenance for nights where you don't want to do too much. But you want soup! Because it's cold! Or as cold as Southern California gets.

Kale & Butternut Squash Stracciatella Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 4

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1./2 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

8 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 butternut squash, sliced into 1/2" slices*

1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed and shredded

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded chicken (optional)

Crushed red pepper flakes and crusty bread (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Cook onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with some salt and pepper. Add chicken broth, water and butternut squash. Add some salt and pepper, then bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until squash is tender. Add kale, stir thoroughly and let everything cook together for another 5 minutes.

Whisk cheese into beaten eggs along with 1/4 tsp salt, in a small bowl. Stir the soup with a spoon and then slowly drizzle in egg/cheese mixture, from about 6 inches from the top of the pot. Let sit for about 15 seconds, then stir thoroughly into the egg-size pieces you prefer. Less storring means bigger ribbons of egg and more stirring will break them up more. I did a pretty thorough stirring so my eggs look more broken in the photo above.

Season with some red pepper flakes and additional salt and pepper. The cheese in the eggs are salty as well so use a light hand at first. Remove from heat and stir in chicken.

Serve with bread and additional cheese, if desired.

* I find that supermarkets are charging 4-5x the cost of butternut squash, just to peel and cube it for you ($0.99/lb in its original form vs $3.99/lb in prepared form). DON'T FALL INTO THAT TRAP! Buy a medium-sized butternut squash (about 3/4-1 lb) and peel it with any vegetable peeler. Using your largest kitchen knife, slice it in half on a sturdy service. Be careful not to cut your fingers off. Remove the seeds with a sturdy spoon. They're kind of like pumpkin seeds. Slice off the stem and bottom, then place cut-side down on a cutting board and cut into 1/2 in slices.

Portuguese Kale Potato Soup

I haven't been here forever!! But I just made my own spin on the traditional Portuguese soup (caldo verde) and it's too good not to post. What makes it awesome are these tiny Korean Berkshire sausages. There are a few brands out there and I cannot seem to find a picture of the one that is my favorite, but it basically looks like this:

The sausage I prefer has a happier cartoon sausage on it but they're about the size of Vienna sausages. I like them because the skins/casings are really crisp and have a great snap when you bite into them. Sometimes it's easy to also just pan fry up half a package. No oil needed, just a hot pan over medium high heat - shake the pan until the sausages brown.

Portuguese Kale Soup
Serves 4 as main course

2 Tbps butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch kale, curly or lacinato, shredded
2 large russet potatoes, quartered lengthwise and 1/4" sliced
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 package Korean Berkshire pork sausage, cut into 1/4" coins

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, with a large pinch of salt, stirring occasionally.

Once the onion is translucent and sweated out, add kale, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring a few times. As the potatoes cook down, they'll break up and make the soup creamy.

Add sausage and heat through (should only take a couple minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Substitutes:
* vegetable broth and omit sausage to make this vegetarian
* use any sort of garlic-y sausage, diced into 1/4" cubes

Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup

Coconut curry cauliflower soup. Say that ten times fast. I've only had this soup one time at Mendocino Farms but it was enough to make an impression on me cause it was absolutely DELICIOUS. I've made some homemade version modifications to this soup to cut the calories and boost the fiber content and I'm very pleased with the results.

Definitely set aside a couple hours to make this soup. Don't let the thought of that be too daunting; soup making is therapeutic and the house will smell amazing. Read the entire recipe first, as some of the steps can be done simultaneously.

I took this soup to work and it was devoured by the girls for lunch. Since there is coconut milk in it, it probably won't freeze too well but will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup

adapted from LA Times

makes about 3 quarts soup

First, make the lentils and lentil stock:

2 cups green lentils
1 small carrot, quartered
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2 sprigs thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp kosher salt
6 cups water

Rinse the lentils and place in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the carrot, onion, garlic, thyme, olive oil, salt and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, skim any scum floating on top and loosely cover. Cook until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and remove the carrot, onion, garlic and thyme with a pair of tongs. Strain the lentils, reserving 4 cups of the lentil stock and 2 cups of the cooked lentils (use the remaining stock and lentils for another recipe). If you are short the 4 cups stock, you can add enough water to make 4 cups - the soup will taste just as good!

Now you're ready to make the soup! ...

1 medium-large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 large carrot, finely and evenly diced
1/3 to 1/2 cup oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 onion, minced
3/4 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper
4 cups lentil stock (above)
2 cups water
1 11 oz package coconut milk
2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
2 cups cooked lentils (above)
2-3 cups Tuscan kale, finely chopped/shredded

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Take the cauliflower and cut off the tiny, cute florets at the top to leave whole in the soup (2 cups worth) and toss with the diced carrot in 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread the cauliflower and carrots onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender and slightly golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and set aside for the end of the recipe.

Toss the remaining cauliflower with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes; use this for the soup.

** The cauliflower roasting can be done at the same time as the lentils are cooking.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the roasted cauliflower (not the small pretty pieces), potatoes, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne and black pepper, the four cups lentil stock and two cups water.

Bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer, loosely cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk.

Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then remove from heat. Cool the soup slightly, then purée with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also purée in batches in a blender, but be careful not to burn yourself.

Add the agave nectar and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in the cooked lentils, roasted cauliflower and carrots, and the shredded Tuscan kale.

Gently reheat, then taste and add more salt as needed.

Lobster Stock

What do you do when you have a ton of leftover lobster carcasses? If your answer is "throw them away, of course - the delicious lobster meat is gone and that's trash" then that answer is wrong! Take the shells and make a delicious, rich lobster stock. The stock is very versatile - use it as a base for a lobster bisque, seafood soups, chowders, seafood pot pies, etc.

After you eat the lobsters, scoop out the thick roe on the inside and save that for another use. My mom is going to make porridge with it tonight, which is also very exciting - but beware of the cholesterol levels, if that's an issue for you. Also, remove the gills and any innards.

Simmering the stock made my apartment smell amazing and seafood-y (is that a word?). I think the first thing I'm going to make is lobster miso soup, much like the kind made from the heads of sweet shrimp at Japanese restaurants (amaebi). Just add some miso and a few cubes of tofu and I'll be good to go!

Lobster Stock

Makes about 2-3 quarts

Carcasses and shells from two lobsters

3 Tbps canola or vegetable oil

1 onion, cut into wedges

1 carrot, cut into chunks

2 Tbps tomato paste or 2 tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup mirin

1/3 cup dry white wine (or 2/3 cup if not using mirin)

8-10 cups water

Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add lobster shells. Stir often with a wooden spoon until they are browned, about 15 minutes. The longer you deepen the color, the more flavorful the stock will be.

Add onion, carrot, tomato paste (or tomatoes), mirin and wine. Cook until the wine has evaporated by half. Add water and bring stock to a simmer. Continue to simmer for an hour, uncovered. Strain stock and keep at room temperature for up to a day, or refrigerate for a week. Freeze for up to three months.

Substitute for Heavy Cream

I don't know about you but I don't just keep adorable glass containers of heavy cream in my refrigerator. Actually, my cream comes in those boring pint containers made of paper so if you know where to buy cream in glass jars or in those small gallon bottles like they always show on FoodTV, please let me know cause they are cutes.

But when recipes call for heavy cream, you can make your own in a pinch! Just melt 1/3 cup butter in the microwave. When it has melted, let it cool for a couple minutes and then pour it into 1 cup of whole milk. Stir together (it will be lumpy, as the butter will congeal in the cold milk) and then pour it into whatever dish calls for it. If you don't have whole milk (as I do not), also add 1 teaspoon of flour to the milk before stirring in the butter.

Voila! You now have a creamy tasting dish. Make sure you don't try to use this concoction for whipped cream, as it will not whip! Happy cooking.

Red Shrimp Chowder with Corn

Cold weather time is finally upon us and that means it's time to make comfort food! Comfort food makes me gain weight. And umm, I know it's getting cold in other parts of the country but here in Los Angeles, it was 85 degrees today. But this morning it was down to about 65 degrees! That's cold. You people on the East Coast probably are shaking your heads right now and have no sympathy for me whatsoever.

This soup is delicious and best to make at the tail end of summer or the very beginning of fall, when fresh corn is still available. You can definitely make it with frozen corn as well, but I've never tried it that way before. Fresh corn has a sweetness to it that frozen just can't capture.

You cut the kernels off the corn and combine the naked corn cobs with the shrimp shells and either water or clam juice to make an awesome broth. I had some lobster tail shells in the freezer so I threw those in as well. Afterwards you add all the ingredients except for the shrimp and let it all cook together until delicious and turn off the heat. THEN stir in all the chopped up raw shrimp. The heat from the soup will cook the shrimp to tender perfection and ensure that they don't get tough and chewy. So genius.

The soup is perfect for a chilly night in., especially in this cold(er) weather. Make yourself a big bowl because there is no oil going into this, just fresh and healthy ingredients. Well except a little but from the bacon, but goes that really count?! Also, I didn't use the bacon. I'm ashamed of myself.

Red Shrimp Chowder with Corn

adapted from The Wednesday Chef

4 cups fish stock, clam broth, chicken broth or water (you can buy bottled clam broth at the market)
1.5 lbs shrimp, shelled, chopped into pieces roughly 1/2-inch thick, shells reserved
4 ears corn, shucked, kernels cut off, cobs and kernels reserved separately
2 sprigs basil cut into fine ribbons, stems reserved
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 lb bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 fennel bulb, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 bay leaf
Red pepper flakes
28-ounce can whole tomatoes, squashed by hand, juice reserved

In a medium pot, bring the fish stock, broth or water to a boil with the shrimp shells, naked corn cobs and basil stems. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter and fry the bacon in it. When the bacon is crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Cook the onion, garlic, celery, fennel and carrots in the hot fat until softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Strain the shrimp and corn cob broth into the pot. Add the corn kernels, potatoes, bay leaf and red pepper flakes to taste (about 1/4 tsp). Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush about a third of the potato against the side of the pot. Stir in the squashed up tomatoes and reserved juice, return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Turn off the stove heat. Add the chopped up shrimp, stir well and adjust the seasoning to taste, adding salt, pepper and more red pepper flakes. The shrimp will cook from the heat of the soup; it's a miracle! Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the reserved basil leaves and bacon.

The Walking Dead S2E13 - Beef Short Ribs in Rice Wine

Honestly, after the post on Urasawa, I never wanted to update my blog again. It was so epic that I wanted it to the very first, top post that people saw when they came to my page. For all five of you that read this blog! (hi there)

But the blog must be updated, and a few weeks ago was the Season 2 finale of The Walking Dead. All I can say is, someone really really needs to kill Carl. Apparently I'm not alone in this sentiment either, because if you look around online there are plenty of blogs and posts and Facebook pages dedicated to this mindset.

Since it was the season finale, I wanted to make something that epitomized our dedication to watching every week and that wrapped up our Sunday dinners. Enter Gordon Ramsay and his short ribs. I was really intrigued with the soy and fish sauce in the recipe, as well as the Shao Xing wine. They made my house smell so delicious in the 4-5 hours they were braising in the oven. If anyone else watches the show, what did you think of the finale? I know some people said they were a bit disappointed. Can't wait till next season - you're invited for dinner anytime.

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Rice Wine and Spices
Serves 4
from Gordan Ramsay's Twitter account

3 1/3 lbs (1.5kg) short ribs, cut into individual ribs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp (100g) plain flour
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
2cm knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
6 shallots, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 red long finger chillies, finely sliced
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp tomato purée
1 cup (225ml) rice wine
about 4 cups (1–1.2 litres) beef stock
3/4 lb (400g) fresh tomatoes, cored and diced
2 Tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 350F. Dust the ribs in seasoned flour. Heat a large casserole or Dutch oven and add 2–3 Tbsp of oil. Season the beef and fry for 3–4 minutes until golden brown, then fry the other side until the meat is browned all over, adding more oil if necessary. Do this in batches, transferring the meat to a colander set over a bowl when browned.

Add the garlic, ginger, shallots, carrots, chillies, star anise, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds and bay leaf to the casserole. Heat for 1–2 minutes then stir in the tomato purée. Cook for 2–3 minutes more. Deglaze the pan with the rice wine. Bring to the boil and use a spoon to scrape the caramelised cooking juices from the bottom of the pan – this will give the stew more flavour. Return the beef to the pan. Top up with the stock, making sure the ribs are submerged in the liquid. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for 2 hours.

Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Strain the liquid and return it to the casserole. Put the beef in the liquid with the tomatoes, soy sauce, fish sauce and honey. Return to the oven, covered, and cook for 1 hour. Serve immediately with steamed rice and vegetables.

The Walking Dead S2E9 - Lentil Soup

BOOM. The second episode after the midseason hiatus was a lot more exciting than the first. So many people/zombies got wasted and there was a good amount of gore. Totally sweet. Now Boyfriend and I are taking bets on who gets off-ed next. And you go, Dale - you Jeremy Lin of the zombie world.

Didn't have the time or the energy this weekend to make a huge meal, because I was sick. My nose is still scabby from being rubbed with tissues over and over and it hurts like hell. But when you have a runny nose or have to blow your nose and you don't, it's such an uncomfortable feeling that I just end up taking the pain. Now I'm scabby. It's super unattractive.

The basis of this recipe is courtesy of the lovely Amy, from The Roaming Belly. Lentil soup is something else that I never liked before, but after getting it at Corner Bakery a few times on the account of its low calorie count when I was dieting, it really grew on me. Now I can't get enough of it! However, I still dislike the other healthy grains such as bulgar, farro, quinoa, barley, etc ... ick.

Lentil Soup
adapted from The Roaming Belly

1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry green lentils
4 cups chicken/beef/vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 bunch spinach/kale, thinly sliced
2 Tbps red wine vinegar
salt and ground black pepper

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Using an immersion blender, puree about half the soup into a brothy/chunky consistency (which took me about 15 seconds of puree-ing). Alternately, you can puree half the batch in a blender and then pour it back into the pot.

When ready to serve stir in spinach or kale, and cook until wilted. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more vinegar if desired.

Amy simmers her soup for at least 75 minutes, but I only did mine for about 45 before the lentils were tender enough for my tastes. Damn electric stove and your unstable heat source. Also, she doesn't puree the soup so feel free to just leave it unprocessed. The recipe originally calls for 1/2 a cup of spinach but I up the ante a lot with the kale, since the leaves wilt down so much. Scale back if you so desire.

Enjoy the healthiness! Plus you can either freeze the leftovers or have it for lunch the rest of the week - it's very filling.

Turkey Stock

Thanksgiving is over but the leftovers are still in full force. It gets a bit tiring eating the same things over and over again, but I'm Asian and things can't be thrown away in my house. When I was young, my mom even told me that for every grain of rice left in my bowl, there would be one acne/pock mark on my future husband's face. Did I want to have a hideous husband? No? Then eat every bit of that rice. I can't wait to pass this on to my kids. And for once, it's not just my mom being crazy! Pam of Daily Gluttony or Rants & Craves and Amy Tan of The Joy Luck Club has also mentioned it.

Seeing the carcass of a turkey being thrown away is wasteful as well. There are still little bits of meat left on it. All those bits have to be picked off, otherwise you are being wasteful and will go to hell. For real. And then you make turkey stock.

turkey and veggies to be simmered

stock after simmering for 2.5 hours

a hearty pot of jelly stock

After simmering and making the house smell delicious for 5 hours, I got about 10 cups of stock. And look how it turns into jelly! That's because the bones simmered so long that the cartilage breaks down and the marrow seeps out. Broth jelly is as flavorful as you can get. Also, I was wasteful in throwing the vegetables and simmered turkey meat away. But my parents had me eat them before and they're horribly bland, rubbery and tasteless after being simmered for 5 hours. I did save the carrots to feed my puppy.

Turkey Stock
makes 2-3 quarts

1 turkey carcass
2 stalks celery, quartered
1 large onion, quartered with skin on
2 carrots, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
1 tsp whole peppercorn
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients in a stock pot and cover with waterabout two inches of water (2-3 quarts depending on how big the stock pot is). Bring to a boil over high heat and skim the foam that rises to the surface. Lower heat to a med-low simmer and simmer 4-6 hours with the lid off, stirring once an hour.

Turn off the heat and let everything come to room temperature. Skim off any fat that comes to the surface (there should be about 1/2-1 cups worth, maybe a bit less). Strain stock well into another pot. Use within a few days, or freeze in individual containers.

The Walking Dead S2E5 - Seven Chile Chili

One more week until the mid-season finale! The barn!! I hope you know what I am talking about ... this show is great.

Since there were rumors that we would have rain all weekend, I opted for comfort food. The weather guys predicted rain on Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday with a thunderstorms. I think it rained for a few moments on Saturday night and then every other minute of the weekend was gorgeous. Shouldn't we have better weather predictions now that we're in 2011?

What better comfort cold weather food is there than chili? It's comforting, hot, spicy and delicous. Plus, you can garnish it to your specifications. The one I opted to make was just straight chiles, beef and a bit of onion. No beans or any filler. Boyfriend said that was how chili was supposed to be. Try hitting up a Mexican market for the chilis (Valumart or Los Toros Meat Market are close to SGV/Pasadena). If you're truly desperate, you can go to The Spice Station in Silverlake, but you will definitely be paying a major premium. These are the seven chiles being used:

And here are all the chiles after I removed their stems and seeds, which took a lot longer than I thought. Definitely try to keep the dry chiles from cracking and breaking when you are seeding them; it takes a delicate hand. Also try not to inhale too deeply or touch your face with your hands. OMG IT BURNS!!

Seven Chile Chili
from Lisa Fain's The Homesick Texan

6 dried ancho chiles
2 dried pasilla chiles
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried chipotle chiles
4 dried chiles de arbol
4 pieces of bacon
4 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large white onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coffee
1 bottle of beer (I used Bud Light)
1 Tbps ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tspn cayenne
1/2 tsp grated Mexican hot chocolate or unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 dried pequin chiles
2 Tbps masa harina
Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, cilantro, saltine crackers, pickled jalapenos, extra Tapatio, etc

Remove the seeds and stems from the dried chiles. In a dry skillet heated on high, toast the ancho, pasilla, guajillo, chipotle, and chiles de arbol (all chiles but the pequin) on each side for 10-15 seconds. Fill the skillet with enough water to cover chiles. Let the water begin to boil and then turn off the heat and soak the chiles until soft, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, fry the bacon on medium heat. I didn't use the bacon, but just threw in a tablespoon or so of bacon fat that I had in the fridge (yea you read that right, I have a tupperware of reserved bacon fat chillaxing in my refrigerator). When most of the fat has rendered, remove from the pan. Leave the bacon grease in the pot, and add about 1/3 of the beef. Cook on each side until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. mkae sure you don't crowd the pan, as you want to get a good sear in the meat. Remove the browned beef from the pot onto a plate.

Leaving the heat on, add the diced onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, using the onions to scrape up the browned beef flavor bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the beef back into the pot, crumble in the bacon, and add the coffee, beer, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, clove, allspice, cayenne, chocolate, 3 cups of water, and salt. Turn the heat up to high.

While the pot is coming to a boil, make the chile puree. Drain and rinse the chiles then place them in a blender along with the pequin chiles and 1 cup of fresh water. Puree until smooth, then pour the chile puree into the pot.

When the chile begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste it once an hour and adjust the seasonings. If it starts to get too dry, add more water. After 5 hours, scoop out 1/4 cup of broth out of the pot and combine with the masa harina. Pour the masa harina mixture into the pot and stir until the chili is thickened. I skipped this step, as the chili was plenty thick enough. Let the chili simmer for another 30 minutes or so. When done, serve with your preferred garnishes.

Mmm so thick and meaty! Even though so many chiles are presented, the chili was less spicier than I thought it would be. I wish there were more people around to eat it. I managed to get a bowl of it down before it was too spicy for me, but I'll admit I'm a wuss when it comes to spicy foods. Boyfriend actually added extra Tapatio to his. We finished with dessert ...

Sprinkles cupcakes! Chocolate marshmallow, salted caramel and pumpkin. They're not generally my favorite but I wanted to try the salted caramel flavor-of-the-month. They weren't bad but there was a bit too much frosting on them, and I couldn't scrape some off like I usually do since the sea salt was sprinkled across the top of the forsting. I wish they would use 1/3 less frosting - then they'd be the perfect cupcakes.