I was always grossed out by foods that contain animal skin: roasted chicken, pork rinds, fish steaks, roasted turkey...
However, I adore tofu skin. You might find it called "yuba", too. It can be layered and cooked in a mound for a very meaty texture, or sliced up and thrown in salads, or marinated or braised in shreds in something spicy and tasty. The pan-asian market near me also sells it fresh and tied into little knots, in huge dry sheets, and in little dry twists.
The local farmers' market has a beanery that sells tofu skin that's been cooked in a bit of hot oil and teriyaki, but it is more spicy than sweet, and more chewy than spicy. So it goes: chewy>spicy>sweet, okay? It is so good. It costs too much, but it is lovely.
I need to learn how to cook this stuff for myself. I've been meaning to for years, but the freshly made & recently cooked stuff is really magnificent. Anyone have a good recipe for what to do with dry yuba sheets? I heard that you can wet them, roll/mound them, then steep or steam them in a tea & spice broth, but I don't really have particulars.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Where's My Crafty Dessert?
After some crafting, we got a craving, looked around the house, then made this:
Stove-to-Freezer Oat Chewies
Soymilk or almond milk, whatever
Cocoa powder
Peanut butter, creamy
Sugar
Pinch of salt
Oats, not cut groats, but the rolled kind
Vanilla extract
If you think ahead, first combine some cocoa with sugar in a bowl until the cocoa isn't lumpy.
If not, do this:
Heat some soymilk, then shake in some cocoa and sugar. Try to make it smooth, use a whisk if you have one. (Get a whisk, fool!) get the mix close to a boil, add some glops of peanut butter. Add the pinch of salt if you use unsalted peanut butter. Stir/whisk to smooth texture. Keep it moving & scrape bottom of pan to avoid burning. Taste to check balance of PB, salt, cocoa flavors. When yummy & thickened, turn off the heat, add a splashlet of vanilla, and add a bunch of oats. Should be thick and gloppy with oats, almost coming together as a single mass, sort of like cookie dough. The oats will soak up some of the liquid, but it should not be soupy at all. Let it sit for a minute while you grease a cookie sheet or parchment-paper it, whatever you have 'round for that kind of thing. Use two spoons to drop tablespoons of the oat mixture onto the cookie sheet. Toss it in the freezer to set up, go craft.
Pop the chilled chunks off the sheet and serve after you can't wait anymore. You'll need napkins, and you may have to chill the remaining cookies between servings.
This is also good with some chopped & toasted nuts or dried fruit folded in at the end. Bits of dry coconut or cereal would rock, too.
Stove-to-Freezer Oat Chewies
Soymilk or almond milk, whatever
Cocoa powder
Peanut butter, creamy
Sugar
Pinch of salt
Oats, not cut groats, but the rolled kind
Vanilla extract
If you think ahead, first combine some cocoa with sugar in a bowl until the cocoa isn't lumpy.
If not, do this:
Heat some soymilk, then shake in some cocoa and sugar. Try to make it smooth, use a whisk if you have one. (Get a whisk, fool!) get the mix close to a boil, add some glops of peanut butter. Add the pinch of salt if you use unsalted peanut butter. Stir/whisk to smooth texture. Keep it moving & scrape bottom of pan to avoid burning. Taste to check balance of PB, salt, cocoa flavors. When yummy & thickened, turn off the heat, add a splashlet of vanilla, and add a bunch of oats. Should be thick and gloppy with oats, almost coming together as a single mass, sort of like cookie dough. The oats will soak up some of the liquid, but it should not be soupy at all. Let it sit for a minute while you grease a cookie sheet or parchment-paper it, whatever you have 'round for that kind of thing. Use two spoons to drop tablespoons of the oat mixture onto the cookie sheet. Toss it in the freezer to set up, go craft.
Pop the chilled chunks off the sheet and serve after you can't wait anymore. You'll need napkins, and you may have to chill the remaining cookies between servings.
This is also good with some chopped & toasted nuts or dried fruit folded in at the end. Bits of dry coconut or cereal would rock, too.
Purple Latkes w/ Fuji Chutney Cream
Man, go make this now!
I just had a little crafting night at a friend's and we ate the hell outta this!
The chutney-cream recipe is modified from this: http://www.ming.com/mrecipes/October.html, so go there directly.
The Fuji Chutney
--2 huge Fuji or other non-mealy red apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (approx. 3 cups after dicing)
--splash of lemon juice
--2 teaspoons canola oil
--1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
--1.5 tablespoons packed Microplaned (a.k.a. very finely grated) fresh ginger
--kosher salt (two pinches) and freshly ground black pepper (a scant tablespoon is very spicy for some people) to taste
--1/4 cup rice vinegar
--1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
--1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
1. In a large, nonreactive bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice.
2. Heat a medium to large, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat (use stainless steel, glass, whatever... google non-reactive already! I used a wooden spoon, too. Don't write me to tell me you don't have a wooden pan. You know who you are.) Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are soft, 3 to 4 minutes, add ginger in the last 30 seconds or so. Stir well to distribute the ginger. Add the apples + lemon juice mixture and cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the vinegar and apple juice concentrate and cook until the liquid is reduced by three quarters, about 15 to 30 minutes. The apples seem to suddenly suck up all the juice/jelly at one point. Turn off the heat & correct the seasoning and cool before ladling into a tightly sealed glass jar. Keep in fridge. (This gets more interesting as it sits in the fridge. It is good for a week. I don't know if you actually canned it if it would keep safely on a shelf.)
The Tofu Creamy Part
--7 oz of water pack tofu
--garlic powder (unsalted! Read the label. I know I'm going to hell for not using fresh garlic, but I was in a hurry.)
--maple syrup
--4 scallions, coarsely chopped
--1 cup Fuji Chutney
Get a food processor and toss about 7 oz of drained water pack tofu into the work bowl. Run the blade 'til tofu is creamed. Add a shake or two of garlic powder (unsalted), and a small splash of maple syrup. (Grade B is stronger in maple taste, and you still shouldn't be able to tell that it's really in the finished product.) Blend 'til smooth.
In a bowl, fold the chutney, the chopped scallions, and the tofu creamy stuff all together. Pack it back into a glass and put it in the fridge to get happy & meld.
Purple Latkes
--beets
--carrots
--sweet potato
--onion
--regular potato
--starch
--chinese five-spice (or garam masala or fennel seed)
After a few hours, get a potato pancake recipe, but shred beets, carrots, sweet potato, onion & regular potato, and add a little cornstarch or potato starch to help bind a little more. Add spice. Make your 'cakes. Keep 'em warm in the oven.
Steam some broccoli with a little garlic, or make something else green.
Serve the latkes with the fuji-cream and some regular applesauce, munch on your green food on the side, and do something crafty.
I just had a little crafting night at a friend's and we ate the hell outta this!
The chutney-cream recipe is modified from this: http://www.ming.com/mrecipes/October.html, so go there directly.
The Fuji Chutney
--2 huge Fuji or other non-mealy red apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (approx. 3 cups after dicing)
--splash of lemon juice
--2 teaspoons canola oil
--1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
--1.5 tablespoons packed Microplaned (a.k.a. very finely grated) fresh ginger
--kosher salt (two pinches) and freshly ground black pepper (a scant tablespoon is very spicy for some people) to taste
--1/4 cup rice vinegar
--1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
--1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
1. In a large, nonreactive bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice.
2. Heat a medium to large, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat (use stainless steel, glass, whatever... google non-reactive already! I used a wooden spoon, too. Don't write me to tell me you don't have a wooden pan. You know who you are.) Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are soft, 3 to 4 minutes, add ginger in the last 30 seconds or so. Stir well to distribute the ginger. Add the apples + lemon juice mixture and cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the vinegar and apple juice concentrate and cook until the liquid is reduced by three quarters, about 15 to 30 minutes. The apples seem to suddenly suck up all the juice/jelly at one point. Turn off the heat & correct the seasoning and cool before ladling into a tightly sealed glass jar. Keep in fridge. (This gets more interesting as it sits in the fridge. It is good for a week. I don't know if you actually canned it if it would keep safely on a shelf.)
The Tofu Creamy Part
--7 oz of water pack tofu
--garlic powder (unsalted! Read the label. I know I'm going to hell for not using fresh garlic, but I was in a hurry.)
--maple syrup
--4 scallions, coarsely chopped
--1 cup Fuji Chutney
Get a food processor and toss about 7 oz of drained water pack tofu into the work bowl. Run the blade 'til tofu is creamed. Add a shake or two of garlic powder (unsalted), and a small splash of maple syrup. (Grade B is stronger in maple taste, and you still shouldn't be able to tell that it's really in the finished product.) Blend 'til smooth.
In a bowl, fold the chutney, the chopped scallions, and the tofu creamy stuff all together. Pack it back into a glass and put it in the fridge to get happy & meld.
Purple Latkes
--beets
--carrots
--sweet potato
--onion
--regular potato
--starch
--chinese five-spice (or garam masala or fennel seed)
After a few hours, get a potato pancake recipe, but shred beets, carrots, sweet potato, onion & regular potato, and add a little cornstarch or potato starch to help bind a little more. Add spice. Make your 'cakes. Keep 'em warm in the oven.
Steam some broccoli with a little garlic, or make something else green.
Serve the latkes with the fuji-cream and some regular applesauce, munch on your green food on the side, and do something crafty.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Fuji Forktastic
I haven't made any of this yet, but since I scored a bunch of Fuji apples I wanted some savory ideas, 'cause I'm a bit over the sweets lately.
Here's what I found:
From http://organicathlete.zaadz.com, a beet & apple salad.
(Please visit that site for that recipe & more. I'm only putting it here so that I don't lose it!)
Apple-Beet Salad with Ginger Dressing
Serves 2
1 organic Fuji apple
1 fresh beet (apple-sized)
fresh arugula leaves
Ginger Dressing:
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1+ TB fresh ginger, grated, juice retained
1 TB raw apple cider vinegar
1 TB raw agave syrup
pinch of sea salt
Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. With a very sharp knife, slice beet and apple into small matchsticks. Combine apples and beets together in a large bowl, stirring until apples are uniformly pink from the beet juice. Add dressing and stir gently to thoroughly coat. Serve atop a bed of fresh arugula leaves.
You know I love the matchsticks.
Also, epicurious.com has a dish from a TriBeCa place that sounds tasty. I've halved it.
(The reviews also noted that there is too much sprout, so you may not want to buy so much. Sprouts do not keep very well.)
Again, visit that site directly, please. They have more stuff for you to try, I promise!
cold sesame noodles 66 Bon Appétit | January 2005
From the menu at Vongerichten's TriBeCa restaurant, 66.
Makes 3 small plates.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Broth
1/2 cup light soy sauce
6 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup black Chinese vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or dry Sherry
1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1/4 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/4 red Thai chile or red jalapeño chile
Noodles
2 coils bean thread noodles (saifun),* from one 5- to 6-ounce package
2 cups mung bean sprouts
Peanut-Sesame Sauce (see below)
Garnishes:
1/2 large Fuji apple, quartered, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut into matchstick-size strips
2.5 green onions, chopped
2 to 3 Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger
Thin apple slices, roasted salted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds
For broth: Bring first 5 ingredients to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Mix in cilantro, cinnamon, coriander, and chile. Remove from heat; steep 45 minutes. Strain into bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
For noodles and garnishes: Place noodles in large bowl.
Add boiling water to cover. Let stand until noodles are soft, separating occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain; return noodles to bowl. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Before using, cover with warm water; drain well.)
Pour 1/4 cup broth into each of 3 shallow bowls.
Top with sprouts, noodles, Peanut-Sesame Sauce, apple, cucumber, green onions, and ginger. Garnish with apples, peanuts, and sesame seeds.
Peanut-sesame sauce Bon Appétit | January 2005
Makes about 1/2 cup.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
6 Tbs. roasted salted peanuts
6 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
1/2 small red Thai chile or red jalapeño chile
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Stir sugar, garlic, and ginger in heavy nonstick skillet to blend. Cook over medium heat without stirring until sugar melts and caramelizes to dark amber color, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture out onto piece of parchment paper. Let mixture cool and harden, about 15 minutes.
Place peanuts, sesame seeds, oil, chile, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in blender. Break up garlic mixture; add to blender. Puree until paste forms, scraping down sides of jar as needed (most sesame seeds will remain whole). Season sauce to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Peanut-Sesame Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Here's what I found:
From http://organicathlete.zaadz.com, a beet & apple salad.
(Please visit that site for that recipe & more. I'm only putting it here so that I don't lose it!)
Apple-Beet Salad with Ginger Dressing
Serves 2
1 organic Fuji apple
1 fresh beet (apple-sized)
fresh arugula leaves
Ginger Dressing:
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1+ TB fresh ginger, grated, juice retained
1 TB raw apple cider vinegar
1 TB raw agave syrup
pinch of sea salt
Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. With a very sharp knife, slice beet and apple into small matchsticks. Combine apples and beets together in a large bowl, stirring until apples are uniformly pink from the beet juice. Add dressing and stir gently to thoroughly coat. Serve atop a bed of fresh arugula leaves.
You know I love the matchsticks.
Also, epicurious.com has a dish from a TriBeCa place that sounds tasty. I've halved it.
(The reviews also noted that there is too much sprout, so you may not want to buy so much. Sprouts do not keep very well.)
Again, visit that site directly, please. They have more stuff for you to try, I promise!
cold sesame noodles 66 Bon Appétit | January 2005
From the menu at Vongerichten's TriBeCa restaurant, 66.
Makes 3 small plates.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Broth
1/2 cup light soy sauce
6 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup black Chinese vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or dry Sherry
1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1/4 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/4 red Thai chile or red jalapeño chile
Noodles
2 coils bean thread noodles (saifun),* from one 5- to 6-ounce package
2 cups mung bean sprouts
Peanut-Sesame Sauce (see below)
Garnishes:
1/2 large Fuji apple, quartered, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut into matchstick-size strips
2.5 green onions, chopped
2 to 3 Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger
Thin apple slices, roasted salted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds
For broth: Bring first 5 ingredients to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Mix in cilantro, cinnamon, coriander, and chile. Remove from heat; steep 45 minutes. Strain into bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
For noodles and garnishes: Place noodles in large bowl.
Add boiling water to cover. Let stand until noodles are soft, separating occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain; return noodles to bowl. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Before using, cover with warm water; drain well.)
Pour 1/4 cup broth into each of 3 shallow bowls.
Top with sprouts, noodles, Peanut-Sesame Sauce, apple, cucumber, green onions, and ginger. Garnish with apples, peanuts, and sesame seeds.
Peanut-sesame sauce Bon Appétit | January 2005
Makes about 1/2 cup.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
6 Tbs. roasted salted peanuts
6 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
1/2 small red Thai chile or red jalapeño chile
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Stir sugar, garlic, and ginger in heavy nonstick skillet to blend. Cook over medium heat without stirring until sugar melts and caramelizes to dark amber color, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture out onto piece of parchment paper. Let mixture cool and harden, about 15 minutes.
Place peanuts, sesame seeds, oil, chile, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in blender. Break up garlic mixture; add to blender. Puree until paste forms, scraping down sides of jar as needed (most sesame seeds will remain whole). Season sauce to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Peanut-Sesame Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Bad Blenders Make for Patent Dreams
In my dream, I was using a blender that was a cross between a strainer and a regular blender. Somehow, the blender container was made of mesh, not solid plastic or glass, and yet the mulched food didn't spray all over the kitchen. The cool thing was that once I'd pulverized stuff with the blades, it was kind of like that french pointy strainer (googled for a chinois strainer: http://www.melissaguerra.com/images/pimages/1011.jpg). I could use a blunt wooden stick to force the mulch through the mesh for a very fine texture. It was magic.
My 1970's blender has about had it. It is not really surprising that I was looking longingly at Vita-Mix style blenders last night before bedtime, huh.
My 1970's blender has about had it. It is not really surprising that I was looking longingly at Vita-Mix style blenders last night before bedtime, huh.
Roux the Curry
Yesterday I made a "classic curry sauce" from that same Indian Vegetarian book I wrote about a bit ago, and it was not what I was expecting. I've made a quite a few Thai curries, and a few Indian curries, but this one really reminded me of the process of making a really dark roux, like for a Cajun or Creole dish. Interesting.
In this curry, you make the usual ginger/garlic/onion paste, and then you brown it in a heavy pan. (The book asks for a non-stick pan. I don't own one, so the cast iron skillet is it, baby.) Then you brown it more, and more, and more, until it is dark brown. It kind of goes gray, first, then slowly browns as you chase/scrape the thick mulch around the pan in circles. This goes on until it is dry. Quite dry. Like grade school paste, but not white. Not even a pretty mahogany, but damn-that's-brown brown. It looks like a mistake, really.
Then you toss in some mulched tomato and cilantro, and the acid and liquid magically deglazes the pan. Repeat the stir, brown, scrape routine until the mass is dark and dry again. Until it looks like an error again, really. Then add some spices, I think. Then add a bunch of liquid and hydrate the dried out stuff to a thin soup. Then reduce again, but just to a thick goo. Now you have the classic curry sauce.
It is dark, my friends, much darker and a little more bitter than what I've had in a friend's house or a restaurant. But it is very interesting and different from the rich-creamy-sweet crap on buffet tables. I like it. I steamed some broccoli and had just a few tablespoons on top last night, and it was complex and curious. A very nice change. You could add some agave, if you like, and I did try that on one side of the dish, but I think I'll have a squeeze of lime next time. But still, a thoughtful sauce...
In this curry, you make the usual ginger/garlic/onion paste, and then you brown it in a heavy pan. (The book asks for a non-stick pan. I don't own one, so the cast iron skillet is it, baby.) Then you brown it more, and more, and more, until it is dark brown. It kind of goes gray, first, then slowly browns as you chase/scrape the thick mulch around the pan in circles. This goes on until it is dry. Quite dry. Like grade school paste, but not white. Not even a pretty mahogany, but damn-that's-brown brown. It looks like a mistake, really.
Then you toss in some mulched tomato and cilantro, and the acid and liquid magically deglazes the pan. Repeat the stir, brown, scrape routine until the mass is dark and dry again. Until it looks like an error again, really. Then add some spices, I think. Then add a bunch of liquid and hydrate the dried out stuff to a thin soup. Then reduce again, but just to a thick goo. Now you have the classic curry sauce.
It is dark, my friends, much darker and a little more bitter than what I've had in a friend's house or a restaurant. But it is very interesting and different from the rich-creamy-sweet crap on buffet tables. I like it. I steamed some broccoli and had just a few tablespoons on top last night, and it was complex and curious. A very nice change. You could add some agave, if you like, and I did try that on one side of the dish, but I think I'll have a squeeze of lime next time. But still, a thoughtful sauce...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Golden Thread
I keep falling asleep before I post for the day! However, this threatens to disturb my waking hours: in the Kashmir valley of India, some of the most sought after saffron in the world is grown. (I think this area is the origin of Penzey's "Kashmir 'Mogra Cream' Indian Saffron", by the way.) However, the crop is down again this year. It has been declining for as many as 15 years, perhaps more. Why? 'Cause cement factories are cool, and the rain, she don't come like she used ta.
http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20071111/79939.htm has a few details. Worth a read if you care about plants, since you eat 'em.
http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20071111/79939.htm has a few details. Worth a read if you care about plants, since you eat 'em.
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