Let’s Chow!

Pablo Neruda was not known for his food writing, but some of his elementary odes contain hidden treasures that deserve an applause for the vividness and life it brings to the reader. I am quite amazed by this poet’s diverse collection of styles and thoughts, all written so eloquently. After all, being a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature is no easy task.

The lemon, as Neruda explicitly states, is “a yellow goblet of miracles” (exact wording depends on the translation as his poetry has been translated from Spanish to languages around the world). Lemons really deserve much praise in the food world, though. They bring brightness and flavor to so many dishes around the world. So here, my friends, is a salute to a wonderful yellow fruit. Read on, and you shall taste a lemon!

Ode to the Lemon

by Pablo Neruda

From blossoms
released
by the moonlight,
from an
aroma of exasperated
love,
steeped in fragrance,
yellowness
drifted from the lemon tree,
and from its planetarium
lemons descended to the earth.

Tender yield!
The coasts,
the markets glowed
with light, with
unrefined gold;
we opened
two halves
of a miracle,
congealed acid
trickled
from the hemispheres
of a star,
the most intense liqueur
of nature,
unique, vivid,
concentrated,
born of the cool, fresh
lemon,
of its fragrant house,
its acid, secret symmetry.

Knives
sliced a small
cathedral
in the lemon,
the concealed apse, opened,
revealed acid stained glass,
drops
oozed topaz,
altars,
cool architecture.

So, when you hold
the hemisphere
of a cut lemon
above your plate,
you spill
a universe of gold,
a
yellow goblet
of miracles,
a fragrant nipple
of the earth’s breast,
a ray of light that was made fruit,
the diminutive fire of a planet.

We all have our default, go-to, quick fixes when it comes to food. For those of us who like sweets, there is probably a mental list of one to five things that we consider our guilty pleasures. You know, those things you cannot resist from a dessert menu even though you already need to unbutton the top button of your pants…or the aromas you catch when you stroll by a bakery filled with fresh scents of pastries, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, or anything sweet - your nose will inevitably take the lead, one sniff at a time. My personal favorites are bread pudding, [any fruit] cobbler, and rice pudding, just to name a few.

I have mentioned before in my blog that I’m not much of a baker. While that still remains true, I will bake when there is a need or demand for it. After all, a little practice at patience and precision can’t hurt anyone, right? Too bad only one of the two made it on my strength list (hmmm, which one?).

This time, the motive to carry out this baking activity comes from carrot cake’s biggest fan, my friend Stephanie. I promised to make her carrot cake for her recent big 3-0 birthday, so here was my chance! I just want to point out that I have never met a person as crazy about carrot cake as Steph is, truly. I am pretty certain that a slice of carrot cake could cure any of her woes.

So my friends, here you have it: my first attempt at carrot cake. The result was just as the magazine recipe promised - moist and not too sweet. The process is rather lengthy and requires some patience, but it’s really nice to have homemade cake. I might also add that if you’re a frosting/icing/buttercream fan, then this one is to die for. Considering the quantity of fattening goodies it contains (2 sticks of butter and 2 blocks of cream cheese…oh yes), it truly makes the carrot cake decadent and comforting with that extra complimentary touch of sweetness. Just as long as you’re aware

Classic Carrot Cake with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Recipe adapted from the January 2009 edition of Food & Wine by Jodi Elliot
Preparation Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup pecans (4 ounces)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded

For the frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the paper and flour the pans.
2. Make the cake: Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and finely chop the pecans.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the carrots and pecans. Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until springy and golden. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then un-mold the cakes from the pans and let cool completely.
4. Make the frosting (while cakes are cooling): In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners’ sugar; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Peel off the parchment paper and invert one cake layer onto a plate. Spread with a slightly rounded cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, right side up. Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.

Tools

• Two 9-inch cake pans
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Grater
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 3 mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Electric mixer/stand mixer
• Spatula

Selina’s Notes

• The original recipe did not call for nutmeg or allspice, but I really think a small touch adds some depth to the cake. Even though it’s against the general baking rule of thumb, just eyeball it! Definitely keep it under a teaspoon, though.
• Three+ hours may seem like a long time, but the there are large pockets of time that allow you to do other things, such as the hour it bakes in the oven, the 30-45 minutes it takes to completely cool, and the hour it chills in the fridge.
• Healthier variation of this? I may have to consult Amy, but I would try using whole wheat flour, using less sugar (or another type of sweetener), and being modest on the frosting consumption.
• The quantity of frosting this recipe yields is slightly overwhelming, and I really did not use every bit of it. Maybe reserve some for cupcakes.

On that last note, I will conclude with my initial stage of frosting the first layer of cake in which I discovered the abundance of frosting that I had whipped up:

Mmmm…

I promised one of my readers that I would create a post and recipe for a more Chinese version of beef broccoli, so here it is! The main difference in this version is the type of broccoli used. In my family, Chinese broccoli is as common as eating spinach or lettuce — a weekly staple, really. In Cantonese, it is called gai-lan.

You may be wondering, what exactly is Chinese broccoli? It is kind of a cross between the common broccoli and kale — it has dark leafy greens and thick stems that are tender and crisp when cooked. If the broccoli is not as fresh or has aged, the stems become somewhat bitter, my least favorite part as a kid (actually even now). My mother tells me that Chinese broccoli is best and ’sweetest’ in the winter because that is when it gets the most rainfall.

For nostalgic purposes, I have a clear childhood memory of eating at a local Chinese restaurant, Seafood House (that was the name at the time…it no longer exists), at 25th and El Camino Real in San Mateo, CA. My family would go to this place at least once a month because the food was decent and we were familiar with the wait staff there. It was kind of safe haven on any given weekend day that we didn’t feel like cooking. One time, a table near us wanted to order beef broccoli, but only with the regular type of broccoli, not gai-lan. To their astonishment, the restaurant didn’t have regular broccoli, so they ended up leaving. As a kid, I was utterly confused by the entire scene, but I moved on (yet I still remember it to this day).

Back to the matter at hand — preparing Chinese beef broccoli is very similar to its American counterpart. The beef stir-fry process is essentially the same, and the only small differences are in the broccoli preparation. To get the broccoli ready for cooking, it is important to trim the ends to rid any chewiness in the stems. I typically use a paring knife to individually trim each stem, because sometimes not all stems are created equal If you’re in a hurry, though, feel free to trim by the bunch. Also, it’s important to wash gai-lan thoroughly in a water bath as there could be dirt or little critters hidden in the leaves (let’s hope not). Sometimes my mother would add a little salt to the water bath to aid the process.

Perfect Chinese Beef Broccoli  Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 pound Chinese broccoli (about 1 bunch), washed thoroughly, ends trimmed, roughly cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• 1/2 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain (about 1 inch long should be bite-sized)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• Salt and pepper
• Dash of baking soda
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, plus more as necessary
• 1 tablespoon rice wine (Chia Fan brand)

Tools

• Medium mixing bowl
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Paring knife
• Medium stock pot
• Colander
• Skillet or wok
• Tongs or wooden spoon

Preparation

1. Pre-work: Before handling the meat, bring a medium stock pot of water to a boil. Divide the flank steak into 1-inch sections along the lengthy fibers (see below). Thinly slice each section against the grain, about ¼ inches each slice, and place into mixing bowl. Toss beef together with soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon oil, and corn starch. Let it marinate until broccoli prep is done.
2. Prepare the Chinese broccoli as described above.
3. Blanch ‘n fry: Add a dash of baking soda to the water bath (for tenderness). Place Chinese broccoli in boiling water and blanch until water comes to a light boil again. Promptly drain in colander (no need to rinse with cold water here). It’s a very quick dip in the hot tub here. Heat skillet on high heat with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. When oil comes to a smoking point (it should be fragrant at this point), toss in broccoli and stir constantly for about 20-30 seconds. Add a scant dash of oyster sauce and toss. Transfer to a serving plate and reserve.
4. Beef time: In the same heated skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger and vigorously stir for 5 seconds to avoid burning. Immediately add in marinated beef, followed by oyster sauce as soon as beef changes color (semi pink, semi brown at this point). Stir fry until beef is almost all browned. Lightly season with course black pepper. Finish the beef with rice wine; sauce should thicken at this point. Remove from heat and pour over cooked broccoli. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Selina’s Notes

• You will notice that this is virtually the same recipe as Perfect Beef Broccoli, only with a few modifications to accommodate Chinese broccoli.
• Be careful not to overcook the beef because carry over cooking is quite common after food is removed from the heat source. However, I generally have a preference for medium-rare to medium cooked beef…

While Chicago and other cold parts of the U.S. is welcomed with nail-biting, chilly, below-zero winter weather (like now), there are other places on Earth that are pleasantly embraced with the warmth of summer (those in the southern hemisphere). I was fortunate to visit one of these places in November, and by the title of the post, you may have already guessed where it was

Caipirinha, pronounced KAI-PEE-REEN-YAH, is Brazil’s national drink and is as common as beer is in the U.S. I instantly fell in love with this drink because it reminded me of a mojito, one of my favorite mixed drinks. Similar to a mojito, a caipirinha’s star ingredients are lime and sugar. Mojitos have rum while caipirinhas have cachaça (pronounced KAH-SHA-SAH), a sugar cane liquor similar to rum, but not quite the same. However, since Brazil does not export a great deal of cachaça, it can be a challenge to find. Lucky for me, my local Sam’s Wine & Spirits carries several varieties, although the brands that I tried in Brazil were Cachaça 51 and Nêga Fulô.

Caipirinhas are a great way to enjoy a glimpse of spring and summer no matter what time of year it is. It’s sort of a nice tropical escape inside the comfort of your home and at your own leisure. A sip of caipirinha surely reminds me of everyday Brazilian culture as a carioca.

Caipirinha Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients

• Half a lime, core stem removed and sliced in wedges (about 5 wedges for every half lime)
• 1-2 tablespoons superfine sugar, depending on your taste
• Ice, enough to fill a cocktail glass
• 2-3 ounces cachaça, depending on the size of your glass

Tools

• Short cocktail glass
• Paring knife
• Muddler
• Cocktail shaker

Preparation

1. Place lime wedges and sugar in cocktail glass. Using a muddler, mash until the sugar is dissolved into the lime juice.
2. Fill the glass with ice up to the brim; the colder the drink, the better!
3. Transfer contents of the glass into a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour contents back into the glass (ice too!). The drink should be well chilled and frothy.

Selina’s Notes

• Superfine sugar really makes a difference because granulated sugar will not dissolve into lime juice well. A good substitute would be simple syrup.
• The amounts vary and take practice to master according to your taste preferences. I personally like mine a tad sweeter to balance the strong bite of the cachaça…
• Much like the mojito, this recipe is a base/vanilla version and can easily be modified to be flavored with fresh pomegranate, peach, mango, or other types of fruits. Of course, the original will always be the caipirinha’s true form, but sometimes it’s fun to add a twist.
• As a warning, while caipirinhas are a fabulous drink to enjoy, having too many caipirinhas is not recommended either

Earlier this month, I attended a pasta making class at Terragusto, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Chicago (it might be safe to say, one of my favorites, period). I truly admire their emphasis on cooking with fresh locally grown foods, and how they value quality over quantity in what they serve. Plus, their seasonal Italian food is plain awesome. The more I think about it, Terragusto deserves a thorough restaurant review in a future post!

The class focused on the basic how-to of making pasta from scratch, from the dough formation all the way to making different kinds of strands and shapes. This post will be primarily picture-heavy to document my class experience. I’ll also add commentary and notes that I took for each of the steps. I’d like to thank Lauren, the fabulous sous chef at Terragusto, for teaching this class!

1. Pre-Class: I arrived early by mistake, but it gave me time to check out the equipment. You’ll notice many goodies in this picture, such as the french rolling pin, adjustable pasta cutter attachment, pasta machine, Kitchen Aid stand mixer, salt, and dough scraper. I will mention one thing about the pasta machine - the one here at the restaurant is a commercial machine that runs about $1500 from Italy, which is a hefty investment for a home cook. There are definitely less expensive machines for under $100 in the market. I also learned that the Kitchen Aid stand mixer attachments are not the best option because, well, they were not designed by an Italian pasta maker I will explain more in Step 6.

2. Pasta Ingredients: This is the most straightforward part because there are only three items to remember - 3 cups all-purpose flour, 4 eggs, and a pinch of salt. As far as what types of flour, eggs, and salt to use, the restaurant uses organic all-purpose flour (the actual ratio is 75% all-purpose and 25% semolina for a preferred texture), local farm fresh eggs, and sea salt.

3. Making the Dough: The pasta ingredients are combined using the stand mixer on a low setting. It is entirely possible to make the pasta dough by hand, but it is realistically much less time consuming to take advantage of the machine. The goal in the machine is to get the dough worked through until the dough has a semi smooth texture. The picture here is still in the beginning stages…

4. Kneading: Once the dough is in good shape, it is kneaded on a floured surface for about 2-3 minutes to let the gluten develop, which essentially creates the soft bite that we all love about pasta. After kneading, the dough should rest in a covered container for 15 minutes (use plastic wrap to cover).

5. Rolling/Flattening: Using a tapered rolling pin, the dough is rolled out starting from the center outward, in all directions, until it is flattened to the point where it can go into the pasta machine for further flattening. When it is ready, it should be a similar width to the machine.

6. Flattening via Pasta Machine: The dough gets fed into the machine at the widest setting during its first run-through. An important step not shown clearly in the pictures is that in between each pass through the machine, the dough is folded into three (as if folding up a letter), and then flattened out with the rolling pin until it is at a desired width for the machine again. Flour can be used between iterations to avoid sticking.

As mentioned in Step 1, Kitchen Aid is one of the most widely used appliances in many professional or home kitchens, but pasta making is not their forte. When making pasta, the dough should never hang or stretch. You’ll notice that the restaurant machine has a wooden tray on the top for the pasta layer to rest on when it gets fed into the roller. The Kitchen Aid attachment, however, is positioned at a height that would allow the pasta dough to hang because it doesn’t have a resting tray. I suppose you can improvise with something, but it’s just a small design detail that makes a difference.

7. Perfectly Flat: After multiple iterations, the pasta is finally at its desired thickness (the number of machine iterations varies, depending on the machine). The dough is now ready for cutting!

8. Tagliatelle: Pronounced tah-glyuh-ah-TEHL-eh, this pasta originates from northern Italy. It is similar to fettuccine, but the width differs by a mere 1 or 2 millimeters, tagliatelle being the narrower of the two. Tagliatelle is typically 6mm wide and 12 inches long. The rolled out pasta dough is finally run through the machine’s cutter attachment. The strands can be hung to dry at this point, or used for immediate cooking. The restaurant prefers to dry it for several hours to let it slightly harden so that it can absorb sauces better.

9. Pasta Playground: Lauren showed us various other simple pasta shapes, shown below. The more common ones you may be able to spot are pappardelle, farfalle, and ravioli. Pasta scraps and edges are sometimes made into maltagliati, which literally means badly cut pasta. Why let dough go to waste, right?

I’ve always wanted to make ravioli, so I gave it a go. Since I used scrap pieces of dough, my mock dough-filled ravioli turned out to appear more on the rustic side…

10. Cooking the Pasta: Finally, the home stretch is nearly reached. After the dough is flattened, rolled, cut, and possibly dried, the last step is to drop it into salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently to avoid sticking. The pasta is then strained (but not rinsed!) and added immediately to prepared sauce (recipe to follow).

The featured recipe prepared in class was tagliatelle with a classic mushroom ragu. It was amazing - earthy, rich with flavor but not weight, and very satisfying. This will indeed become one of my household staples!

Tagliatelle con Funghi di Bosco Recipe (ribbon pasta with mixed wild mushroom ragu)

Courtesy of Executive Chef Theodore Gilbert, Terragusto
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 24 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced (mix and match white button, cremini, oyster, shitake, morel)
• 4 ounces butter, divided (or a combination of butter and extra virgin olive oil)
• 2 ounces brandy or wine
• 2 cups veal, chicken, or mushroom stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (mix and match parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme)
• 4 ounces diced tomatoes or 2 ounces tomato paste
• 1 pound fresh tagliatelle pasta, cooked as above
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 6-8 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Tools

• Large saute pan or skillet
• Wooden spoon
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Tongs for tossing pasta

Preparation

1. Saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat until brown and caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Set mushrooms aside.
2. Deglaze the pan with brandy or wine, scraping the brown bits off the pan with your wooden spoon; add stock.
3. Reduce the stock by 2/3 and add herbs and reserved mushrooms.
4. Add cooked pasta and tomato. Carefully toss to combine all ingredients to coat each ribbon, adding half the Parmigiano at this time.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper; drizzle with truffle oil, and garnish with extra Parmigiano.

The final product Lauren made for our class (arguably one of the best pastas I’ve had in a long time):

I hope you enjoyed my pasta class debrief!

Part I demystified the process of making homemade stock, which may have led you to think, what now? Oh, the possibilities…To make things simple, I ended up cooking Vegetable Orzo Soup, my spin-off of chicken noodle soup. It may seem way vanilla to you, but I have always craved chicken noodle soup of some sort ever since I was young.

Throughout my entire life, my mom made all of her soups from scratch (as scratch as it could be without picking the ingredients from a farm or garden herself). The broth, everything. Now that I live in Chicago, I get large doses of mom’s Chinese soups when I visit home. You may ask, what exactly is Chinese soup (tong)? It’s essentially any southern Chinese family’s pride and joy in the kitchen because of its quality and nutrition. I will post the Chinese soups I know how to make in future posts, but they range anywhere from lotus root with peanuts and shitake mushrooms, winter melon, white fungus, ‘four-flavor’ soup, new year’s soup, and much more. There were so many kinds of soups in the household that they just kept rotating, and I never really had soups from other cuisines unless it was at a restaurant or a friend’s house. Therefore, I always craved something as simple as chicken noodle soup, the traditional staple of many American households. That, along with minestrone, beef barley, clam chowder, cream of [fill in the blank], etc.

Now that I do live away from home, I get to explore the types of soups that had been absent in my life! It’s a great balance, really, knowing that I will have homemade Chinese soup when I visit, and soup from the other continents when I am away.

Moving back to Vegetable Orzo Soup - why did I pick orzo instead of thick egg noodles? Simply because I had it on hand. Potatoes? Cannelini beans? The ingredient choices were chosen because I had these things in the house when I made soup. You can pick a variety of vegetables and starch for this soup to work. Watching carbohydrates? Feel free to skip on the noodles and/or spuds. I just love them because they make the soup thicker and more filling (and you get the fiber benefits, too). No matter how you dice it, the soup is very soothing for a cold winter day.

Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery with leafy tops, diced
• 1 large potato (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 quart turkey stock (or store-bought chicken or vegetable stock if you must!)
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Tools

• Medium stock pot
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and potatoes; lightly season with salt and pepper. Saute until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
2. Pour in turkey stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Add uncooked orzo and cannellini beans; simmer until vegetables are tender and orzo is cooked and plump, about 15-20 minutes. Stir every few minutes so that orzo does not stick to the pot.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Selina’s Notes

• Other vegetables that work are zucchini, onions, corn, peas, green beans, butternut squash, mushrooms, tomatoes (fresh or canned), hominy, red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pearl barley
• Instead of orzo or potatoes, other starches that work are wild rice, egg noodles, macaroni elbows, other small pastas
• During Step 1, herbs can be added when seasoning with salt and pepper, such as fresh or dry thyme, sage, Herbes de Provence, poultry seasoning, etc.
• Shredded or diced turkey/chicken meat can be added in Step 2 along with the orzo and beans (I just did not bring any home from Thanksgiving)

Thanksgiving dinner was pleasant this year. I enjoyed the traditional fixings of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and broccoli casserole with Sean’s family. After dinner, I proceeded to seize the item in the kitchen that I had been eying all evening: the turkey carcass. I finessed this endeavor by simply being the only person that actually wanted it, of course. Since the cavity did not fit in a freezer sized zip lock bag, into a Glad garbage bag it went! Classy.

I won’t display the gory details of the turkey carcass, but it was essentially used to create my homemade stock. If you have never made homemade stock before, you’re missing out. Whether it is chicken, turkey, vegetable, or what have you, it is something I really enjoy making because the results are incomparable to what’s available at a grocery store. Even if it seems tedious to make, perhaps I can still change your position on the matter.

My obsession with homemade stock comes from my mother’s obsession (no surprise!). It is rooted from a combination of never letting things go to waste and producing the healthiest stock/broth without artificial flavors (e.g., MSG) or other unwanted ingredients. Another economical perk is that you get practically two or more meals for the price of one, assuming you have a whole chicken or turkey. The true cost? Time. It does take some nurturing on the stove top, simmering away for several hours, but once you get it set up, you can leave it alone to do its thing. It’s the ideal lazy Sunday afternoon activity when you are waiting for laundry, doing the dishes, or packing for my Monday morning travel adventure.

The stock enhancement add-ins:

Homemade Turkey Stock Recipe

Preparation Time: 4 hours and 15 minutes
Yield: Varies, approximately 2 quarts

Ingredients

• Turkey carcass/bones, plus giblets
• 2 carrots, halved
• 2 onions, halved
• 2 celery stalks, with leafy green tops (the best part!), coarsely chopped
• Handful of parsley, stems included
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• Optional: mushroom stems, Parmesan cheese rinds, other vegetable clippings (I usually collect and save these in a freezer zip-lock bag for the purpose of making stock)
• Water, enough to just cover turkey bones in the stock pot
• Salt and pepper

Tools

• Large stock pot
• Medium stock pot
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Ladle
• Mesh strainer or colander

Preparation

1. Place the first six ingredients in a large stockpot and fill with water until it barely covers the turkey bones. Don’t worry if some are not submerged yet; over time, they will loosen up and fall apart.
2. Bring pot to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer partially covered for four hours, stirring and breaking up ingredients once every hour. Skim fat and oil with a ladle. Remove from heat.
3. Using a strainer, pour stock into an empty medium stock pot. Skim off additional fat if necessary. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Remember, be moderate with the salt because you can’t take it out once it’s too salty. It’s now ready to use or store in the freezer!

This same method works for other types of stock, too. If I don’t need all the stock at once, I measure one-cup portions into zip lock bags or small tupperware containers, and in the freezer they go.

The result: Rich, flavorful, soothing, and aromatic stock that fills the house with warm goodness. The vegetables truly add a deep flavor dimension to the stock, especially when there are mushroom stems and cheese rinds in there. Plus, stock is so versatile because it is used in countless recipes. It’s tough to beat when it’s homemade.

Pardon? Okay, let’s try that again. Fig, Prosciutto, Arugula, and Parmesan sandwich. Yes, that’s a mouthful! But you will soon see that it is truly a delightful mouthful once you try out this combination.

On a side note, I often chuckle at the infinite number of acronyms (and jargon) that exist in today’s world, especially in my full time profession – management consulting is by far one of the usual suspects in this craze. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, since every field has its own langcuage and terminology as it becomes more specialized. Sometimes I find myself saying S&P in the kitchen, and I’m certainly not referring to a familiar stock market index.

It dawned on me that the ingredients for my sandwich were refreshing and fascinating because it was only in the last four years or so that I tried them for the first time in my life. No joke there! Prosciutto, figs, arugula, shaved Parmesan, and ciabatta bread may have all been foreign words to me as a kid, that is, if you don’t count knowing figs as fig newtons (it’s not a cookie mother, it’s a fig newton). I am fascinated by how my personal exposure to food varieties has exponentially increased over the last several years. Have any of you ever had those light bulb moments, where suddenly you discover that XYZ good (e.g., cheese) has a world of its own with hundreds of other varieties, communities of connoisseurs, and even publications? These are some of the exciting moments that motivate me to explore as much as I can throughout my culinary journey, and hopefully your exciting moments as well.

I hope you will grow fond of this ingredient combination. It was inspired by a local café in my Chicago neighborhood, with my own personal modifications. The fig jam acts as the sweetening honey-like spread that replaces goopy mayo or mustard in a typical American sandwich. Prosciutto is a little bite of heaven if you’re into cured Italian meat, a savory treat that pairs well with sweetness. Arugula has some attitude and style, which brings a balance to the sandwich with its peppery and unique bite. Finally, the Parmesan shavings truly stand out because of its nutty and buttery notes, bringing everything together – it really complements the sweetness of the figs, the brininess of the prosciutto, and the peppery crunch of the arugula. All of these goodies pressed together with crunchy ciabatta – toasted on the outside, tender and airy in the middle – are divine.

FPA&P on Toasted Ciabatta Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Yields 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 slices ciabatta bread
• 2 tablespoons fig jam
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 4 thin slices shaved Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups baby arugula leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper

Tools

• Oven broiler (or panini press if you prefer)
• Baking sheet lined with foil (easier cleanup!)
• Large bowl
• Vegetable peeler or grater for Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven broiler. Gather ingredients and line them up to form a sandwich assembly line. Place sliced ciabatta bread on lined baking sheet. Drizzle each slice ever so slightly with olive oil (or use a basting brush), followed by a smidgen of salt and pepper; place in oven for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly toasted, when oven is ready.
2. Place arugula in a large bowl and lightly toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Once bread is toasted, each sandwich will have a tablespoon of fig jam spread on one side of ciabatta, topped with 2 slices of prosciutto, 2 slices of shaved Parmesan, and 1 cup of dressed arugula.

Bon appétit! Crunch away, and let me know how you like it!

My coworker Zeynep, who happens to be from Turkey, made red lentil balls for a bridal shower and I was immediately drawn to them because they were unique, tasty, and something that I’ve never tried before. They were a big hit as an interesting vegetarian finger food for the health-conscious. The recipe featured below is an adaptation from the recipe Zeynep shared with me, with a few minor modifications that worked better for me. The ingredients are still true to its original recipe and others I have seen.

Red lentils, teamed up with bulgur (sometimes known as cracked wheat), are the main stars of this dish in a 2 to 1 ratio. Both ingredients have excellent nutritional value with their high protein and fiber content. These legume and grain counterparts are common in countries within the Mediterranean region.

Red lentil balls can be served as an appetizer known as “meze”, a meal starter or accompaniment. From what I have read, it is a common dish in Turkish cuisine, particularly in the southeast part of the country. Köftesi means meatballs, and red lentils and bulgur are the meat replacements that provide similar nutritional value. It can be served warm or cold, and the flavors from the onions, cumin, and paprika really make it burst with flavor. The deep orange color comes from the red lentil foundation, with even more color added from the tomato paste and paprika. The lentils and bulgur give it a natural earthy bite, and since they’re both full of protein, the lentil balls are satisfying to one’s stomach.

My exposure to Turkish cuisine has been minimal, but it is certainly fascinating to learn about. The history of the cuisine is rich, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Someday I look forward to visiting Istanbul and other cities to explore the culture and take classes at Cooking Alaturka!

Turkish Red Lentil Balls (Mercimek Köftesi) Recipe

Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Yields approximately 30-35 lentil balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils, uncooked
• 2 and 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fine bulgur, uncooked
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt or more, depending on taste
• 1 tablespoon paprika, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (or up to 2 tablespoons if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3 scallions, finely sliced

Tools

• Large bowl
• Medium saucepan
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Wooden spoon, or other stirring tool

Preparation

1. Wash the lentils in a large bowl until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add lentils, and simmer until soft (but not overly mushy), about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Mix in bulgur; turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it rest until the residual liquid is absorbed by the bulgur, about 15 minutes or longer.
2. While the lentils cook, bring a skillet to medium heat and with olive oil and saute diced onions until tender and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add in tomato paste; stir and turn off heat.
3. Use the resting time of the lentils mixture and onions cooking to chop scallions and parsley.
4. Once the lentils and bulgur are cooked, it should be moderately moist and not completely dry, like cookie dough. Add salt, onions, paprika, cumin, and most of the parsley and scallions into the mixture and stir to combine.
5. At this point, the lentil and bulgur mixture should resemble thick cookie dough when stirred. If it still seems too damp, add more bulgur and let the mixture rest longer. The bulgur should no longer be hard, but soft and melded in to the mix.
6. With a bowl of water at your side, wet your hands and mold the lentil and bulgur mixture into mini golf-ball sized balls (or any shape you prefer) and place on a platter. A tablespoon is a good amount for each ball. Garnish with remaining scallions and parsley and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil.

Selina’s Notes

• Red lentils and bulgur can be purchased in bulk food bins, which are probably the least expensive. Sometimes they are also available in the international food aisle.

Not Grey’s, but whose anatomy?

Similar to Latin American tamales, I grew up eating the Chinese variation of this family classic, also known as zhong (in Cantonese), or zhongzi (in Mandarin). The term zhong literally means rice dumpling. Tamales and zhong share similar characteristics in that both are wrapped in various types of leaves and take many hours, if not more, to make. I can also safely say that both are typically eaten for special occasions. Notice that I said typically - I have the luxury of enjoying them all year-round because of my awesome relatives who make them for me.

The history behind zhong came about to honor Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet who ended his life in a river due to political events. According to popular legend, villagers paid respect to Qu by throwing packets of rice into the river so that fish and other creatures would not consume his body. Zhong now remains as a traditional Chinese food that is enjoyed among families during the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (sometimes around June of of the Gregorian calendar). For me, I suppose I honor Qu at all times of the year

So what exactly is inside a tetrahedral-shaped, bamboo leaf wrapped zhong? There are many varieties, but I have grown up eating zhong with a combination (sometimes all at once if I’m lucky) of the following:

• Glutinous white rice
• Roasted and/or marinated pork
• Shitake mushroom
• Preserved salted egg yolk
• Peanuts
• Mung beans
• Green split peas
• Chinese sausage
• Chestnuts
• Dried shrimp

Yes, this is quite a weird hodgepodge of ingredients that a normal person would probably not put together voluntarily. When used independently, I would say these are pretty typical ingredients in southern Chinese cuisine. Where and when my relatives grew up, not many people could afford these ingredients (or they just weren’t available), so these were considered gourmet in a villager’s perspective. However, the gourmet part of it is still true; many store-bought versions have a fraction of the above ingredients, and some might only have a piece of meat inside. I consider them a wealth of goodies because they all contribute to a rich and flavorful food that truly satisfies your hunger. The bamboo leaves give the zhong an incredibly scrumptious earthy flavor that captures the essence of the leaves. The glutinous rice also brings it all together in a sticky, gooey fashion.

The zhong making process is pretty onerous, and I applaud my relatives for putting so much effort into making them for me. You may also be asking, what could be so complicated about wrapping rice and other goods in some leaves? The main ingredients that hold it together actually require the most work, which are the bamboo leaves and rice. Both ingredients require overnight soaking, and on top of that, the bamboo leaves also need to be washed and scrubbed, one by one. When purchased, the leaves come dry and brittle, so they need some attentive care. The filling ingredients are not as complicated, but the process of gathering and preparing them for zhong-making takes time. The pork typically needs to be marinated, the salted egg yolks (usually duck eggs) need to be separated from the whites, the shitake mushrooms need soaking to revive them from the dried form, and so forth. The rice is flavored with salt and sometimes a pinch of five spice powder.

Once all the ingredients are ready to go, they need to come together somehow. To me, the hardest part is packaging a zhong together to look like a tetrahedral cylinder shape as perfectly shown in the above pictures. I have tried it before alongside with my great aunt, and mine looked awful compared to her perfect ones in which she completes at 10 times the speed of me. And finally, after the wrapping part is finished, the zhong need to be cooked by being simmered in a large stockpot for several hours.

The cooked zhong can then be eaten immediately or cooled for freezer storage. As a busy traveling person, the freezer option works best for me. My freezer is stocked full of zhong, ready to eat whenever I feel like it. I simply microwave one in a bowl, submerged in water, for 5-6 minutes. It’s fabulous. Mine get shipped in my 21″ carry-on luggage bag when I travel from CA to IL - I always wonder if the TSA personnel ever think they are grenades or something from the X-ray machine.

It’s always fun to untie the kitchen twine that holds the zhong together and slowly unravel the leaves, getting one step closer to the yummy goodies inside. I think this process is somehow quicker when one is hungry, too:

I have to be careful because it’s extremely hot, and the steam can be painful. Once unwrapped, the specimen looks like such:

Now it is time to dissect and demystify a zhong, gently splitting it right down the middle (no scalpel needed here; chopsticks work fine):

See, that’s all there is to it! It’s not that foreign anymore, right?

And just as savory French crepes have a sweet counterpart, there is a sweet version of zhong, too (called gan sui zhong in Cantonese, or jianshui zhongzi in Mandarin). I may feature that varietal in a future post. Until next time, readers!