Shu Mai

There are an infinite amount of dumplings you can make, but like potstickers any dim sum place you go to will be serving the wonderful dumplings that are shu mai. There are many variations of these open topped Chinese dumplings, mine come closest to the Cantonese Shaomai.

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp (peeled, deveined, chopped)

1 pound ground pork

2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger root

1 cup chopped green onions

salt & pepper

100 square wonton wrappers

Directions:

Combine the filling in a bowl and mix with your hands.

Place a large dollop of the filling in the middle of the wrapper

Using your hand, squeeze the wrapper around the filling so that the top is open

The Quest for the Perfect BBQ Sauce

Okay so you're throwing a barbeque. Grocery store shopping list: hot dogs, burgers, steak, and the ubiquitous barbecue sauce. It comes in several flavors. Always kinda sweet. Always yummy. And always mysterious. What's in this elusive sauce? Can I make it myself? I'm on a quest to find out.

My quest for the perfect home made barbeque sauce started as I watched Super Chef Battle on food network. Emeril Lagase threw some magic ingredients in a pot and presto bbq sauce? what? I was floored!

1/3 cup vinegar1/2 cup molassas
1.5 tbl brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire
3 cloves garlic
2 tbl butter
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1) chop garlic fine
2) combine ingredients in sauce pan over low heat for 10 minutes or until flavors mature

So, this was good, not yet what I'd consider awesome. It was kinda a one tune show. I think that next time I'll try putting in a little honey or Dijon mustard and seeing if it gives it some more complexity.
A note from my lovely co-chef for the night, Elise:
What a great impromptu sauce! It soaked into the chicken we used beautifully, leaving us some moist morcels covered in a sweet and tangy glaze. I would definitely use this again. Additionally, it gave me the opportunity to practice spelling 'Worcestershire,' which is indeed an indispensable skill.

Gyoza

Ingredients

1/2 cabbage
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 pound ground pork
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
4 tsps soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
50 gyoza wrappers
Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1) Chop cabbage & boil for 8 minutes.
2) Mince garlic
3) Combine cabbage, pork, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a bowl and mix well.
4) Combine all ingredients other than oil in a bowl and mix well by hands.
5) Place about a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Slightly moisten the outside of wrapper and the two edges around the filling. Repeat until you run out of filling.
6) Heat oil in a frying pan or wok - but not so hot that its smoking! Fry some gyoza in the pan until the bottoms are golden brown.
7) Add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan, cover and reduce heat to medium until the water is gone.


Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
Soy Sauce
Vinegar
Hot pepper oil

Directions combine 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce for every 2 tablespoons vinegar. Add hot pepper oil to taste.

Salad-e Shirazi

The Shiraz Salad or Persian Cucumber Salad is a traditional Persian dish made with fresh veggies :) I think its best on hot summer days next to the pool, but that's just me



Ingredients:

4 Roma tomatoes
4 Persian cucumbers
1 medium red onion
4 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tsp of finely chopped fresh mint or basil
Pepper & Salt to taste


Directions:

1) Peel cucumbers. Dice cucumber, tomato, and onion.
2) Combine ingredients.
Serve cold

Asiago Cheese

As I begin to explore my palate in a more methodical and examining way, reminding of something that I have always known about my tastes - I like cheese. Hard, soft, sharp or mild, I like cheese. But if asked to name my favorites I jump to the standards Brie & Parmesan. This can't be right, can it? Can my favorite cheese be some of the most common cheeses out there? Can I even name any others? Or describe flavors and textures? These questions have led me to a simple conclusion: It's time to explore and pay attention :)

Asiago. /ɑːsiˈɑːɡoʊ/ (gotta love my IPA :p ) This Italian cheese originally hails from the province of Vincenza and apparently comes in a couple forms (according to my favorite source, Wikipedia), either fresh or aged. The fresh cheese being hard and smooth in texture and used for a variety of things from sandwiches to being melted in a dish. And then their is aged Asiago, or Asiago d'allevo. The flavor of the Asiago d'allevo is reminiscent of Parmesan and has a crumbly texture and used in salads, sauces, and pastas. The cheese that I've tried is of the former.

I wish I had decided to write this post before I disposed of the packaging, so I have no idea how the producer described their cheese - or even who the producer was.

I however was thrilled by the sharpness of the cheese and the small kick it has - my roomates were not please by its smell :) I enjoyed my Asiago melted over cauliflower and broccoli, sliced with prosciutto, and plain with crackers.

Overall a cheese that I would definitely recommend, and might even choose as a staple cheese to keep in my kitchen because of its wide variety of uses! I'm going to be sad when I finally finish this wedge.

Sweet Potato Latkes

• Ingredients
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

1) Combine ingredients in a large bowl - it is important that there is enough egg & flour that the latkes will stay together but not too much that they overwhelm the natural flavors of the sweet potato

2) Cover bottom of frying pan with oil and heat.

3) Spoon out about two tablespoons and press together with hands, making a small pancake and drop into hot oil.

4) Press down on latke with slotted spatula and let cook 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and do the same for the other side

5) Remove from pan and place on top of paper towels to drain off excess oil

Serve with sour cream and applesauce!

Bitochki

Ingredients

1/2 stick butter

Large Onion, finely diced

3 slices bread, stale

1/4 cup milk

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground veal

1 teaspoon salt - to taste, I don’t use any because of the butter

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley, fresh

2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon, fresh

Juice of 1 lemon

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, light beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tbl paprika

1) Saute onions in butter until clear.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

3) Soak the break in milk and then squeeze so it is almost dry.

Combine the veal, beef and bread in a large bowl, breaking up the pieces of bread.

mix in salt, pepper, parsley, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, and egg

mix bread crumbs and paprika on a plate, or shallow dish

Assemble meat balls by shaping the meat into balls with 1 inch diameter, roll meatballs first in the sauted onion from step one and then in the bread crumb mixture

8) place assembled meat balls in a baking dish lined with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes, or until brown. Rotate at least once.