World Yums

June 26, 2012 1:03 am

Thai Recipe: Morning Glory Curry
(Gaeng Te Po)

Adapted from Vatcharin Bhumichtr’s cookbook, The Taste of Thailand. As the book describes, “Morning glory (water spinach) has a taste that is similar to spinach, and it is a common ingredient in Thai cooking. It is easily recognizable by its arrow-shaped leaves”. In this recipe, I just used baby spinach as a substitute for morning glory, and didn’t add the other vegetables/tofu.

Ingredients:

2 tbs oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbs red curry paste
1 c coconut milk
4 oz oyster mushrooms, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 oz fried tofu, sliced into 2 x ½-inch strips (about 1 cup)
3 Kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chopped
1 small Kaffir lime, cut in half
½ tsp salt
1 tbs tamarind water (or 2 tbs lemon juice)
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
½ c vegetable broth
2 oz (about 1 cup) morning glory (water spinach), chopped into 1-in lengths

Directions:

In a frying pan or wok, heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden brown.
Stir in the curry paste and immediately add the coconut milk, stirring well.
Add the remaining ingredients one at a time, except eh broth and morning glory, stirring constantly.
Bring to a boil, add the vegetable broth, and return to a boil.
Add the morning glory and simmer until cooked.

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June 26, 2012 12:53 am

Thai Recipe: Barbecued Seafood
(Talay Thai)

Adapted from Vatcharin Bhumichtr’s cookbook, The Taste of Thailand. This recipe was so simple, yet it was full of bold and refreshing flavors. As the book describes, “This [recipe] is the most elementary Thai seafood dish, the sort of thing a family would prepare on a day’s outing: they would buy a basket of mixed fish (squid, prawns, etc.) in a seaside market and then have a barbecue. While this method of cooking produces the best flavor, grilling/broiling is an obvious substitute. For this recipe I have chosen squid, but prawns, lobster or any firm fresh fish will do for this dish”. I just used smaller squids, about 2 in. in length, that were available already cleaned in the frozen section of an Asian grocery store. I also quickly seared them in a pan with nonstick spray. The idea I believe is just to use any seafood variety you enjoy, and the sauce is really what makes the already fresh flavored seafood go that extra mile.

Ingredients:

2 large squid (bodies about 6-9 in/15-23 cm), cleaned, sac and tentacles separated

Sauce:

3 tbs/45ml lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 small green chilies, finely chopped
2 tsp/10ml sugar

Directions:

Preheat the barbecue or grill/broiler.
Cut each squid body sac lengthways into quarters, ensuring that the interior surfaces are clean. With a sharp knife lightly score both sides of each piece diagonally, into a diamond pattern (this will help the cooking process and make the final dish more attractive). Leave the tentacle heads whole for grilling – they can be cut up after cooking.
Lay all the squid pieces on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes on each side until they are well browned: the body pieces should curl up.
While the squid is cooking, put the fish sauce, lemon juice, chopped garlic, chilies, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir well to combine.
Arrange the cooked squid on a large dish and put the sauce in its bowl in the middle. The squid pieces should be dipped into the sauce and eaten with the fingers.

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June 26, 2012 12:51 am

Thai Recipe: Chiang Mai Curry
(Gaeng Hang Lay)

Adapted from Vatcharin Bhumichtr’s cookbook, The Taste of Thailand. This recipe used red curry paste. A thing to note about Thai curry is that in comparing it to Indian curry, Thai curries require less time to cook (often just a few minutes, once the ingredients are prepared and ready at hand) and are less thick (having a consistency of almost a soup that is heavily spiced). You can find ready-made curry pastes in oriental grocery stores, or make your own. Here is a recipe from the same cookbook for Red Curry Paste (Gaeng Pet) for those interested in making their own:

Red Curry Paste
(Gaeng Pet)

Ingredients:

8 dried long red chilies, deseeded and chopped
1 tsp/5ml ground coriander seed
½ tsp/2.5ml ground cumin seed
1 tsp/5ml ground white pepper
2 tbs/30ml chopped garlic (about 4 cloves)
2 stalks lemon grass, finely chopped
3 coriander roots, chpped
1 tsp/5ml chopped kaffir lime skin or finely chopped lime leaves
1 in/2.5cm piece galangal, chopped
2 tsp/10ml shrimp paste
1 tsp/5ml salt

Directions:

Using a pestle and mortar or grinder, blend all the ingredients together to make a smooth paste. You should have about 4 tbs/60ml of paste.

Now for the Chiang Mai Curry recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tbs/30ml oil
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 tbs/15ml Red curry paste
4 fl oz/125ml/½ cup thick coconut milk, or evaporated milk
4 oz/120g lean pork, finely slivered
1 in/2.5cm piece ginger, finely chopped
2 tbs/30ml stock/broth or water
2 tbs/30ml fish sauce
1 tsp/5ml sugar
½ tsp/2.5ml turmeric powder
2 tsp/10ml lemon juice
4 cloves pickled garlic, coarsely chopped

Directions:

In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil until a light haze appears. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown.
Add the curry paste, mix in and cook for a few seconds.
Stir in the coconut milk, and cook until the iquid starts to reduce.
Add the pork, stir well to coat the meat and cook for a few seconds.
Add the ginger, stir and mix.
Stirring quickly after each addition, add the stock or water, fish sauce, sugar, turmeric, and lemon juice.
Stir and cook for a minute or two until you are sure the meat has cooked through.
Add the pickled garlic, stir to mix, and turn into a serving bowl.

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May 26, 2012 5:00 pm

German Recipe: Vogtland-Style Potato Dumplings
(Kartoffelklösse aus dem Vogtland)

Adapted from Horst Scharfenberg’s cookbook, “The Cuisines of Germany”. Dumplings are a very popular dish in German cuisine, especially those made from the also very popular ingredient, potatoes. I also admit that they are pretty cute looking. Some potato dumplings use raw potatoes, others cooked (boiled) potatoes, and shredded; some potato dumplings even combine the raw and cooked potatoes in the recipe for a unique texture combination. These Vogtland-Style dumplings use boiled potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 pounds potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
3-5 tablespoons sour cream
Salt
Grated nutmeg
1 stale or dry-baked roll, cut into cubes (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Boil the potatoes in their jackets. Allow to cool off, peel, and grate (or press) them.
Mix the flour with the grated potato, stir in the egg, then add as much sour cream as the dumpling dough mixture can still accommodate after the egg has been added.
Season with salt and grated nutmeg.
With wet hands, shape the dough into dumplings the size of a small child’s fist.
Fry the bread cubes in butter until crispy, then press a crouton into the middle of each dumpling.
Cook for about 15 minutes in boiling salted water.

Variation: To make Speckklösse, the Saxon version of the above, take about 3 ounces diced medium-lean bacon and a finely chopped onion, sauté together, drain, and add to the dumpling dough.

Makes 4 servings.

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May 26, 2012 12:54 pm

German Recipe: Pork Cutlets with Marjoram

Adapted from Hannelore Kohl’s A Culinary Voyage through Germany. Pork is a special part of the German cuisine, in some regions “reserved for Sundays” because it is so prized while beef is an “everyday” kind of meat. Also, marjoram is one of the cuisine’s signature herbs. We used 2 tablespoons of fresh oregano instead from our little herb garden :) Fresh herbs are usually used in twice the quantities as dried. Also, we used four pork chops instead of the pork loin.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pounds boned pork loin
Salt and pepper to taste
German mustard
1 large onion
1 large apple
3 tablespoons clarified butter
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon dried rubbed marjoram

Directions:

Cut the loin of pork into 1 ¼-inch thick slices. Gently flatten the slices with your hand, season with salt and pepper, and spread them with mustard.
Peel and slice the onion. Peel the apple, quarter, core, and cut into eights. Melt the clarified butter in a frying pan and sweat the onion and apple in it. When everything is soft, remove and keep warm.
Add the butter to the pan. Brown the pork slices on both sides. Reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. After about 3 minutes sprinkle with the marjoram.
Add the onion and apple slices and cook everything together for 2 minutes longer. Arrange on a serving dish. Serve with boiled potatoes and a salad.

Serves 4

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May 26, 2012 12:34 pm

German Recipe: Stuffed Head of Cabbage
(Gefüllter Kohlkopf)

Adapted from Hannelore Kohl’s cookbook, A Culinary Voyage through Germany. Cabbage is a major staple of German cuisine, and this recipe is from the waterfront Hanseatic League cities, including Lubeck, Rostock, Hamburg, and Bremen. There is even a “Cabbage Queen” crowned from a large folk festival! We used beef instead in this recipe, and served it with mashed potatoes. This recipe seemed really unique, and despite its intimidating appearance it tasted yummy as well!

Ingredients:

1 large head savoy or white cabbage
1 ½ pounds ground slab bacon or salt pork
Pinch of pickling spices
1 bay leaf
1 onion, peeled and halved
¼ cup clarified butter
¼ cup flour
Pinch sugar
Salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg to taste
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Remove the cabbage stem. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil, add the head of cabbage, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and leave to drain.
Cut the cabbage head in half and remove the heart from each half, reserving the hearts. Stuff the cavities with ground bacon or pork. Put the halves back together and tie them with kitchen string.
Put the cabbage in a pan with water to cover, the pickling spices, bay leaf, onion, and reserved cabbage hearts. Cook on a low heat for 1 ½ - 2 hours, until tender.
In another pan, melt the clarified butter, add the flour, and cook until brown. Using a whisk and stirring all the time, add enough stock from the cabbage to form a thick, smooth sauce. Season with the sugar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the sour cream.
Let the head of cabbage drain, remove the string, and arrange the cabbage on a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the cabbage. Serve with boiled potatoes and the cabbage hearts.

Serves 4.

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May 19, 2011 10:47 pm

Moroccan Recipe: Moroccan Mint Tea
(Thé Naa Naa Marocaine)

Adapted from Jessica B. Harris’s cookbook, The Africa Cookbook. This was very simple to make, basically using a green tea base steeped with fresh spearmint or other mint leaves! It is very refreshing and a signature of the country’s cuisine. As the book describes, “Mint tea in Morocco is said to cool one off in the heat of the day. It is traditionally served after the meal to aid in digestion but is sipped all day long by shopkeepers in the medina of Fez. It is said that this mint tea appeals to all the senses. The eyes are gladdened by the amber hue of the tea; the nose twitches with the smell of the mint; the hand is warmed by the heat of the tea; and the mouth savors the taste. The ears? Well, when tea is traditionally served, the server pours a stream of tea into the glass from a teapot held aloft and the ears are delighted by the sound. Mint tea is traditionally served in small glasses that are held with the tips of one’s fingers.”

Ingredients:

6-8 cups water
4 teaspoons Chinese gunpowder green tea
6-8 sprigs fresh spearmint
Sugar cubes, to taste

Directions:

Heat the water to boiling in a kettle. Place the tea in a medium-sized teapot and pour the boiling water over it. Allow the tea to steep for a minute; add the mint and sugar.Allow the tea to steep for another minute or so, then pour a glass of tea and return it to the pot (to mix the sugar). Serve the tea very hot in small glasses. Tradition allows for slurping.

Serves 6-8.

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May 19, 2011 10:46 pm

Moroccan Recipe: Bastilla (Pigeon Pie)

Adapted from Jessica B. Harris’s cookbook, The Africa Cookbook. This was a time-consuming and multi-step recipe, but it was well worth it. The dish came out great and you could really see the cultural cuisine blend of Morocco. The book describes, “this classic pigeon pie is a festive Moroccan dish that is usually served at large banquets. Most of the recipes that [the author] has seen for the dish have several pages of steps and are prepared in banquet-sized quantities… This, then, is an adaptation of the classic recipe using Cornish hens”. This recipe is such a traditional and signature Moroccan dish. The sugar and cinnamon on top is something unexpected, but adds a nice and subtle sweetness to the otherwise rich and savory pastry layers.

Ingredients:

2 Cornish game hens
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 small onion, minced
2 teaspoons ras al-hanout
1.5 tablespoons plus ¼ cup butter
2 cups water
½ cup blanched almonds
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
3 eggs
15-20 sheets of filo
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Wash the hens. Place the salt, garlic, and parsley in a mortar bowl and pound until you have a paste. Rub the paste on the hens. Place them in a stockpot with the onion, ras al-hanout, 1.5 tablespoons of the butter, and the water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and cook, covered, for 35-45 minutes or until hens are cooked and tender.
While hens are cooking, sauté the almonds in the olive oil until lightly brown, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. When the hens are cooked, reserve the cooking liquid and reduce it by boiling to 1 cup. Let the hens cool and pick the meat from the bones. When the cooking liquid has thickened, beat the eggs until light and drizzle them into the cooking liquid, stirring constantly, until you have a thick curd. The bastilla is now ready to be assembled.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep cake pan. Melt the remaining ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan. Separate the filo sheets and line the pan with 4 of them so that they overhang the edges. Place another filo sheet in the bottom and coat them all well with the melted butter. Place a few of the hen pieces and giblets on top of the pastry and sprinkle it with a few chopped almonds. Add some of the curd, top it with 3 sheets of the filo, and coast the filo with melted butter. Continue in this manner with the hen pieces and curd until they have been used up. Add a final layer of the melted butter and sprinkle the top with the remaining melted butter and almond pieces. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the bastilla is golden brown. When ready, remove and flip the bastilla onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the top with a mixture of the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon and serve hot.

Serves 4.

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May 19, 2011 10:29 pm

Moroccan Recipe: Couscous Tfaya (Couscous with Onions, Raisins, and Chick-Peas)

Adapted from Copeland Marks’s cookbook, The Great Book of Couscous. Couscous is one of the staple food of northern Africa. Couscous can also refer not just to the small dot-like pasta itself, but to the whole dish, as in this case. This particular couscous dish is described as “a light semisweet couscous served on Fridays with tea and fruit”.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound boneless lamb, cut into 6 pieces
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups water
1 cup dried chick-peas, soaked overnight in water, drained and skins peeled off
2-3 large onions (2 pounds) cut into long slices
1 cup white raisins
1 pound couscous

Directions:

Put the oil and lamb in the makfoul and stir-fry over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, and water. bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes. Add the chick-peas, onions, and raisins and cook over low heat 15 minutes.
At this time, prepare the couscous according to the instructions at the beginning of this section, rinsing and steaming twice in the beginning of this section, rinsing, and steaming twice in the kesskess while the meat and sauce are cooking in the makfoul simultaneously. Total cooking time for both pasta and meat is about 1 hour.
To serve, put the pasta in a large bowl and level it slightly. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the sauce over it. Do not overdo this as it will make the pasta soggy. Toss well to mix. (Excess sauce can be served separately.)
Put the lamb pieces in the center of the pasta and arrange the onions, raisins, and chick-peas over everything.

Serves 6.

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May 16, 2011 4:14 pm

Chinese Recipe: Shanghai-Style Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

Adapted from the cookbook A World of Dumplings by Brian Yarvin. These dumplings are extremely popular and delicious, native to the city of Shanghai. What makes them so unique is the “burst” of soup in each dumpling. Aspic, or a gelatin prepared from meat stock and other ingredients, is the key to this feature of the dumpling.

Chinese Wheat-Flour Dumpling Wrappers Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra flour for the work surface
1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Put the flour in a large bowl, adding the boiling water. Use a wooden spoon to get the mixture well blended. If the dough is dry and cracking, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s moist and springy. If the dough is sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s smooth. When the mixture has cooled a bit, knead it for about 7 minutes or until a poke with a finger causes it to bounce back like a soft pillow. Cover the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, use your thumb to poke a hole in the center. Gradually enlarge the hole until it looks like a large bagel. Using a sort of hand-over-hand technique, squeeze the dough until it forms a rope about 3/4 inch in diameter.
To make the dumpling wrappers, slice the dough into pieces about 3/4 inch long, and roll each piece into a ball. On a floured work surface, roll out the ball into a thin disk about 3 inches in diameter. A piece of parchment paper between the dough and the rolling pin will make things a bit easier.
Store the formed wrappers between sheets of parchment or waxed paper so that they don’t dry out. If you won’t be working with them within a few minutes, refrigerate them.
Use in any recipe that calls for them.

Makes about 50 wrappers.

Soup for Shanghai-Style Dumplings (Gelatin)

Ingredients:

6 cups water
1/2 pound bone-in chicken thighs
6 cubes (1 inch squares) of boneless pork loin, about 4 ounces
1/3 cup Chinese ham or country ham, cut in 1/2 inch cubes, about 4 ounces
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped frseh ginger
1/4 cup Chinese rice wine
1 packet unflavored gelatin powder (instead of traditional pigskin to solidify the soup)

Directions:

Combine the water, chicken, pork loin, ham, scallions, ginger, rice wine, and salt in a large pot. Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the soup simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 90 minutes or until only about one-third of the original liquid remains. Strain out the solids.
Put the warm soup in a nonmetallic container and sprinkle the gelatin powder on the surface. Let it stand for 10 minutes or until the gelatin has absorbed some liquid and no longer appears powdery. Give the soup a good stir so that the gelatin dissolves, cover the container, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Filling for Shanghai-Style Soup Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushroom caps cut into 1/4 pieces
1/2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese red wine

Directions:

Pour the boiling water over the shiitake pieces, and let them stand for 15 minutes. Drain.
Combine the drained mushrooms, ground pork, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and rice wine in a large bowl, and mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate until you’re ready for the next step.

Makes filling for about 25 dumplings.

Filling, Forming, and Cooking Shanghai-Style Soup Dumplings

Ingredients

Chinese wheat-flour dumpling wrappers
Filling
Napa cabbage to line the steamer baskets

Directions:

Spoon 1 teaspoon of the filling and 1/2 teaspoon of soup gelatin in the center of a wrapper, and close by pinching the edges. For the most part, tradition holds that you must use 16 pinches, but other traditionalists may say that 18 is correct. Make sure dumplings are well-sealed or else soup will all wind up at the bottom of the cooking pot.
Line a steamer tray with napa cabbage leaves, and carefully place the filled dumplings on them. Make sure the dumplings don’t touch either each other or hte edges of the pot. Steam over medium heat for 15 minutes (remember, this is pork and has to be completely cooked) and serve immediately. NOTE: Provide big spoons and chopsticks so that the dumplings can be carefully lifted from the steamer trays.

Makes about 25 dumplings.

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May 16, 2011 3:51 pm

Chinese Recipe: Mapo Dofu

Adapted from the cookbook The Seventh Daughter by Cecilia Chiang. This is a famous and popular Sichuan specialty dish. It is also very easy to make. Rice is often served as an accompaniment to this dish.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon black bean sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/4 pound ground pork shoulder
1/4 cup, about 1 ounce, minced zha cai
16 ounces silken tofu, water drained off and cut into 1 by 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon chili oil
Pinch of ground Sichuan peppercorns or white pepper
1 tablespoon minced green onion plus a little extra for garnish

Directions:

To make the sauce, whisk together the black bean sauce, wine, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
heat a large wok over high heat until a bead of water dances on the surface and then evaporates. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the pork and stir constantly, breaking the meat apart with a spoon. Toss in the remaining 3 teaspoons garlic with the zha cai and continue to cook until just a trace of pink remains in the pork, about 2 minutes.
Using a spoon, very gently add the tofu to the pan. Quickly stir in the reserved sauce, then the chili oil, and top with Sichuan pepper and 1 tablespoon of the green onion. Immediately remove from the heat and serve on a platter with the green onion garnish.

Serves 4-6 as part of a Chinese meal or 2-4 as a Western-style side dish.

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May 16, 2011 3:43 pm

Chinese Recipe: Winter Melon Soup

Recipe based off of various winter melon soup recipes and adjusted from The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen cookbook by Grace Young. Winter melon is used in many Chinese soups and is very healthy. The soups it is in are often in a very light broth with only a couple of ingredients. In my recipe I also add Shanghai greens and shredded daikon radish, and without the pork loin. To substitute for the flavor I used a chicken broth base.

Ingredients:

One 3-pound wedge of mature winter melon
1 pound pork loin, well trimmed
One 1-inch thick slice of ginger, smashed
Salt

Scrub the winter melon rind and wash off the powdery white film. Discard the seeds and string pulp. Cut the winter melon into 3-inch cubes, leaving on the rind.
In a large pot combine the pork and 3 quarts cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim anything that rises to the surface.
Add the winter melon and ginger, and return to aboil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 4 hours. Add a little salt to taste. Serve the soup piping hot, and don’t eat the rind of the winter melon.

Serves 4-8.

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May 16, 2011 3:35 pm

Chinese Recipe: Savory Rice Tamales, or Zhong Zi

Adapted from the cookbook The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young. This is one of the most traditional Cantonese recipes. These are prepared fro the Dragon Festival to celebrate the summer solstice. They are filled with sweet rice, small amounts of meats and/or nuts, and the “tamale” can be either sweet or savory. These are the salty kind and are typically more popular. They are a whole meat in it of itself, especially the original recipe for these. My family helped me wrap these, and the way my mom usually makes these is in a small, single-leaf triangular form rather than the two-leaf rectangular form the recipe usually has.

Ingredients:

1 package bamboo leaves
1 pound pork loin or meat, well trimmed
1/4 cup plus 5.25 teaspoons salt
5 pounds sweet rice
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 packages (14 ounces each) yellow mung beans
3 Chinese sausages
1/2 cup Chinese dried shrimp

Directions:

Find the stem end of the bamboo leaf. Cut 1/2 inch from this end on each leaf. Place leaves in a large canning pot, cover in hot, but not boiling water, and soak overnight.
Cut the pork into 2 by 1/2 inch pieces. Toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Rinse the bamboo leaves in cold water. Place the leaves, 1/4 cup salt, and enough cold water to cover in a large canning pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and boil on high heat for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered until the water cools to room temperature. Drain and scrub the leaves, one at a time, under cold water and drape in a colander so that the water can drip off. It’s important to wash the leaves carefully to prevent the finished tamales from molding.
Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water and soak in enough cold water to cover for 1 hour, or until rice is soft to the bite. Transfer rice to a colander and drain well. Place the rice in a large bowl and mix in remaining 4.5 teaspoons salt and oil, and stir until well combined.
Rinse the yellow mung beans in several changes of cold water and drain well. Crack open the duck eggs, discarding egg whites, which are watery and cloudy. Cut egg yolks, which are very sticky, in half and then set aside. Cut each Chinese sausage into 2-inch long pieces, then quarter each piece lengthwise. Rinse the dried shrimp in several changes of cold water and drain well.
Using only untorn bamboo leaves, take two moist leaves, with the hard ribbed side down, and place them on top of each other lengthwise, overlapping all but 1 inch along the bottom length. With the 1-inch overlap facing you, fold the leaves in half crosswise, with the bottom edges together and the top edges stay open. Fold the 1 inch overlap to close the bottom and to form a pocket. Hold the pocket in one palm with the ends of the leaves facing you. Place about 1/2 cup rice into pocket. Make a well and add 1 tablespoon of yellow mung beans, 1/2 egg yolk, 2 pieces of Chinese sausage, 4-5 dried shrimp, and 1 piece of pork. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of the yellow mung beans and 2-3 tablespoons of the rice so that the filling is almost covered. Wrap a third leaf around the two leaves to extend the depth of the pocket by 1/2 inch. Pinch the two top edges together and fold the top edge tightly over the filling to seal. Stand the tamale with the open end up and lightly tap to help settle the filling. The filling should be as compact as possible. Turn the tamale so one of the folded edges is facing you, and fold the open ends tightly over the filling toward you to seal. This will force the tamale to form a tight pyramid.
Using about 3 feet of string for each tamale, place the center of the string in the center of the tamale and wind 7-8 times across the width and then 2-3 times lengthwise. Secure tightly with a knot. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make about 30 tamales.
In a large canning pot, bring water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add as many tamales as can fit into the pot and still be totally covered in water. You may need to use 2-3 pots to cook all the tamales, depending on the size of your pots. Return to a boil, cover, and cook at a rolling boil on high heat 5 hours, replenishing with boiling water frequently, so that the tamales are totally covered always in boiling water. Carefully monitor the pots as the tamales cook. Halfway through cooking, rotate tamales so that ones on top are shifted to bottom. Drain. To serve, remove the string and carefully unwrap, discarding the bamboo leaves. Place any remaining wrapped tamales in the refrigerator where they will keep for about 10 days. To reheat refrigerated tamales, cook on high heat in enough boiling water to cover 30 minutes, or until heated through. Tamales can be frozen, wrapped securely in plastic bags, and will keep for about 4 months. Reheat in boiling water for about 45 minutes.

Makes about 30 tamales.

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May 16, 2011 2:41 pm

Chinese Recipe: Savory Rice Dumplings

Adapted from the cookbook The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young, which states that “the roundness of the dumpling signifies family unity and completion”. Many Chinese dishes use sparing amounts of meat, but often combine it with seafood and some vegetables to give a very robust and savory flavor. Shrimp is often used in conjunction with pork meat. When I made these with the help of my family, we made them into the shape of Bao Zhi, or Chinese stuffed buns, though they should be in the shape of dumplings. The glutinous rice flour dough is one of my personal favorites in dumplings because of the softer texture.

Ingredients:

2 Chinese dried mushrooms
1 tablespoon Chinese dried shrimp
4 ounces ground pork meat, about 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon finely minced scallions
3/4 teaspoon thin soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon black soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 cups glutinous rice flour, plus additional for kneading
1.5 quarts chicken broth

Directions:

In a small bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1/4 cup cold water for 30 minutes or until softened. Drain and squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid for other soups. Cut off and discard stems and mince caps. In a small bowl, soak the dried shrimp in 3 tablespoons cold water for 30 minutes, or until softened. Drain shrimp and finely mince.
In a medium bowl, combine the pork, mushrooms, shrimp, scallions, thin soy sauce, black soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Loosely cover and set aside.
Place the rice flour in a large bowl. Make a well. Add about 1.25 cups boiling water and stir until well combined. Lightly dust your hands with rice flour and work the mixture for a few seconds at a time, as the mixture will be very hot, to form a dough. If the dough is dry, add more boiling water a tablespoonful at a time. Knead until dough is smooth, slightly sticky, and still hot to the touch, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Dust hands with additional flour and divide dough into thirds. Roll each third into a thick rope, about 12 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces to make a total of about 36 pieces. Loosely cover the dough with a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten to make a scant 1/4-inch thick 2-inch round. Using the thumbs and index fingers from both hands, pleat the edges of the dough to form a small cup. Place the cup in the palm of your hand, and use your index finger to gently press the dough into your palm on all sides of the cup to create a smooth, even surface, making the dough even thinner.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the pork mixture into the cup, using a 1/4-teaspoon measure. Gently pack the filling down. Gather edges of dough over the filling and again pleat until hole is about 1/2 inch in diameter. Squeeze together the dough, pressing to seal securely. Roll between palms to form a ball. Loosely cover with a kitchen towel, and continue making more cups and filling them with pork mixture.
In a 3-quart saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Add half the dumplings, return to a boil, and cook, gently stirring to separate, until they float to the surface. Gently turn the dumplings over and over until they are fat and plump, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to individual bowls with a little of the broth. Repeat with remaining dumplings. Serve immediately.

Makes about 36 dumplings; serves 4-6 as part of a multi-course meal.

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May 7, 2011 10:45 am

Belgian Recipe: Watercress Soup

Adapted from the cookbook Dutch & Belgian Food and Cooking by Janny de Moor and Suzanne Vandyck. This was a very, very refreshing and summery soup! Its vibrant green color was also very appealing and reminiscent of summer. The watercress in the soup adds a peppery and bitter taste that is quite unique. Adults may find this soup to be very enjoyable with its unique slight bitterness, while younger children may enjoy the bitter taste a little less. The description in the book states:

“Watercress (Nasturtium Officinale) and Garden Cress (Lepidium Sativum) are nutritious aquatic leaf vegetables that grow wild alongside Flanders’ cold river streams. Nowadays they are commercially produced to accommodate year-round demand. The peppery flavour of watercress makes it ideal for garnishes, sauces, salads, and soups.”

Ingredients:

25g/ 1 oz/ 2 tbsp unsalted butter or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1.5 litres/ 2.5 pints/ 6.25 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 large bunch of watercress, well rinsed, large stems removed, roughly chopped
1 large bunch of garden cress, well rinsed, large stems removed (if you can’t find it, use another bunch of watercress instead)
Salt and ground pepper to taste
60ml/ 4 tbsp watercress leaves to garnish

Directions:

Heat the butter or oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, then sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the leek, garlic, and potatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes more, stirring until the mixture becomes fragrant.
Pour in the stock and add the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Stir in the watercress and garden cress. Simmer uncovered for exactly 3 minutes, to cook the cress lightly.
Remove the bay leaf. With a hand-held blender or in a food processor, purée the soup until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Reheat if necessary, ladle into warm bowls and serve, garnished with fresh watercress leaves.

Serves 4.

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