Christmas Dinner 2006

Happy Holidays Everybody!

Roasted Acorn Squash stuffed with Ricotta and Freshwater Prawns...spent a little too much time in the oven lol

Ingredients:
-1 large acorn squash
-1 cup ricotta cheese (approx)
-1 egg
-1 stalk celery
-1/4lb fresh prawns
-3-4 mushrooms
-salt, pepper

What to Do:
Cut squash into 1” thick slices, remove seeds. Chop mushrooms, celery and prawns (save a few to garnish later). Mix together cheese, egg, celery, prawns, and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill the squash slices with cheese mixture. Bake at 375’F until squash is knife-tender. Place reserved prawns on top to garnish and broil for a few mins until golden.

Roast Beef

Same recipe as last year: http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2005/12/christmas-dinner-2005.html

Honey Ham Greens

Ingredients:
-2 large bunches of collard greens
-1 ham bone
-1 tbs honey
-1 tbs butter
-2 cloves garlic
-salt, pepper
-1/4 cup chicken stock (approx.)

What to Do:
Wash and chop greens. Mince garlic and fry in butter until fragrant. Add ham bone and greens, sprinkle on some s&p, add stock and honey. Cover and cook until tender.

Green Beans with Baby Scallops and Hazelnuts

Ingredients:
-1lb green beans
-1/2lb baby scallops
-1 clove garlic
-1 tbs olive oil
-1/3 cup hazel nuts (approx.)
-3 tbs chicken stock, wine or water

What to Do:
Trim and wash beans. Crush hazel nuts and mince garlic. Fry hazel nuts in oil until fragrant, add garlic and scallops, sauté for about a minute. Remove scallops and add beans and chicken stock. Cover and steam beans until tender. Once beans are tender, add the scallops back in and continue to cook for another minute or two before serving. Do not cook the scallops; they’ll become dry and chewy.

Peppermint Marbled Cheesecake

Basic Cheese Cake and Variations:

Crust:
-200g graham crackers
-100g butter
-1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

*Crush crackers, melt butter and mix everything together. Press into cheese cake pan or a springform pan to form crust.

Filling:
-450g cream cheese
-450g sour cream
-200g sugar
-5 eggs

*Everything should be at room temperature. Cream cream cheese until fluffy; add eggs one at a time. Add sugar once all of the eggs are incorporated. Lastly, fold in sour cream. Pour filling into curst. Bake at 325’f for about 1h to 1h15m with a pan of water underneath the cake. The cake should jiggle like jello when done (it’ll firm up when cooled).

Variations:
Cream cheese and eggs are the “base” of the cake, thus their amount should not be adjusted. Sour cream and sugar are the “helping hands” which means they can be adjusted to accommodate whatever flavors you want the cheese cake to have. For example, if you want mango cheese cake replace ½ or all of the sour cream with mango purée and reduce the sugar to make up for the sweetness that the mangos bring to the cake. You must also remember to match the texture of the mango with the sour cream by adding approx. 1tbs corn starch (mango purée is not as thick as sour cream, if no thickener is added the cake will be too “runny”). With that said…if you want a coffee flavored cheese cake replace part of the sour cream with coffee, add some starch to thicken the coffee, keep the sugar the same since coffee is not sweet.

For peppermint cheese cake (pictured above) reduce the sugar to 100g and fold in 100g crushed peppermint candy….you can also just add peppermint oil.

Marbled Cheese Cake:
After making the batter, save a couple tbs and mix it with some coloring, jam, juice, etc… Pour the rest of the batter into the cake pan, drizzle the colored batter over the top. Use a sharp knife to drag the color batter around to create a marbled appearance. Bake as usual.

Buche de Noel (Vanilla Sponge with Raspberry Mousse and Chocolate Cream)

Vanilla Sponge:

-4 eggs
-120g sugar
-120g flour
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-1tbs vanilla extract

*Separate eggs and beat white until foamy, gradually add in the sugar and beat to obtain medium peaks, add in egg yolks one at a time. Mix together flour and baking powder. Sift and fold flour mixture into eggs. Bake in jelly roll pan at 350’F until lightly golden.


Filling and Icing:
-200g raspberries
-100g sugar (approx)
-400g whipping cream
-powdered sugar
-cocoa powder

*Boil together berries and sugar. Whip cream until stiff peaks. Fold in about a quarter of the whipped cream into the cooled berry mixture to raspberry moose filling. Fold powdered sugar (to taste) into the remaining whipped cream. Divide the cream into thirds; 1/3 will be used to make flowers and decorating (add coloring accordingly). Fold cocoa powder into the remaining 2/3 to use as icing.


What to Do:
Spread raspberry moose onto cooled sponge cake and roll into a log. Cut a slice off one end of the log about 1 – 1 ½ inches thick (for decorating purposes, optional). Spread a little icing onto the cake slice and place in somewhere on the log to create a “chopped off branch” on the log. Cover the log and the branch with the chocolate cream. Drag a fork along the log to create a bark like appearance. Decorate the log as you please. The poinsettias are done with red icing and a leaf tip …they’re basically a bunch of red leaves placed in a circle to resemble a flower.


Reference for Vanilla Sponge: Madam Quốc Việt of Gia Chánh Quốc Việt

Ghẹ Hấp Lá Chanh Chấm Muối Tiêu Me (Blue Crabs Steamed with Kaffir Lime Leaves served Tamarind and Pepper Dipping Sauce)

Ingredients:
-blue crabs
-kaffir/thai lime leaves
-1 tsp tamarind powder (the kind used to make tamarind soup)
-1 tsp sugar
-thai chilies (optional)
-1/3 tsp black pepper
-3 tbs coconut juice or water

What to Do:
Steam crabs over high heat with lime leaves in the steaming water. Mix together tamarind powder, sugar, chillies, pepper and coconut juice to make dipping sauce. Give the sauce a taste all flavor should be even, adjust accordingly. Serve steamed crabs with tamarind sauce.

Xôi Vò (Mung Bean Coated Coconut Sweet Rice)

Success to making this snack is when the rice is crumbly yet can hold together when you squeeze it (think of pie or cheese cake crust) thus the name "Xôi Vò" as Xôi means cooked sweet rice and Vò means to squeeze or roll. To make this happen mung beans are used not to just add flavor and color but to coat the rice making it crumbly and less sticky. Be warned this snack is not easy to make, but the taste is so worth the effort.

Ingredients:
-150g sweet rice
-450g mung beans (peeled and split)
-100g sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 can coconut milk (approx)

What to Do:
Wash rice and soak overnight in water with salt. Wash mung beans and soak overnight separately. Next morning boil beans in water, once the water boils drain as much of it as you can, return the pot of beans to the stove, cover it and simmer over medium heat until tender and fluffy (this takes some kitchen experience to do, if you're a beginner it'll be easier to just steam the bean instead). Meanwhile, mix rice with coconut milk and steam over high heat until tender. Once rice is tender, mix it with sugar and rest until cool enough to handle. The beans should be cooked and cool enough to handle by the time the rice is cooling. Mash the beans and form it into logs approx. 3 inches in diameter. Use a knife to slice the logs into thin slices. "Rub" the beans with the rice so that the beans coat the rice kernels. You should get something that looks like the picture above. If everything turns into a stick mess just let it sit and air dry for a bit, the drier it becomes the crumblier it becomes.

Canh Nghêu Nấu Mướp và Lá Quế (Clam with Sing Kwa and Basil Soup)

Ingredients:
-1/2 lb manila clams
-1 large sing kwa or zucchini
-1/2 large onion
-1/2 bunch each: basil and cilantro
-1 green onion
-2 cloves garlic
-2 thai chilies (optional)
-1 tbs fish sauce
-salt and sugar to taste
-water

What to Do:
Wash clams, cut onion into wedges. Peel sing kwa and cut into bite size pieces. Crush and mince garlic, chillies and green onion. Roughly chop basil and cilantro. In a large pot heat 1/2 tsp oil. Add garlic, chillies, and onions and stir fry until fragrant, add clams, fish sauce and water (enough water to cover the surface of clams by 3-4 inches). Boil over high heat until clams begin to open up, add sing kwa and onions. Bring mixture to a full boil, skim surface and add salt and sugar to taste. Turn off the heat and add in cilantro and basil. Serve with noodles, or rice.

Bún Mọc Thang (Chicken and Pork Noodles)

This dish is the result of marrying Bún Mọc with Bún Thang, thus the name Bún Mọc Thang. Both Bún Mọc and Bún Thang are noodle soups from Northern Vietnam. Bún Mọc Thang was conceived and given birth to in Seattle, by yours truly :D. So....technically, Bún Mọc Thang is an American dish...after all it's created in America by an American. LOL

Ingredients:
-1 chicken
-3 eggs
-4 shitake mushrooms
-1lb vietnamese ham (chả lụa)
-1lb pork meat paste (uncooked chả lua aka giò sống, mọc)
-5 woodear mushrooms
-1/2 bundle cellophane noodles
-shredded ong choy (rau muống, can replace with celery)
-thai chillies, lime
-salt, sugar, pepper
-onion, green onion, cilantro
-rice vermicelli
-rau răm herb

What to Do:
Hydrate shitake and woodear mushrooms in water, remove their stems and slice thinly. Boil together chicken, shitake mushrooms, and one roasted onion to make broth, add salt and sugar to taste. Remove chicken once it's cooked and shred the chicken meat. While the chicken is cooking.... Cut onions into thin slices, finely chop cilantro, rau răm and green onions (to be used as garnish). Cut chả lụa into matchstick size pieces. Beat eggs and use a nonstick pan to fry thin egg sheets. Roll the sheets into a log and cut into thin slices (so you'll get thins strips of eggs). Cut cellophane noodles into shorter pieces. Mix together pork meat paste, chopped woodear mushrooms and cellophane noodles, divide mixture into 2 portions. Fry on portion cut into thin slices (mọc chiên). Drop tsps of the remaining mixture into the broth to cook (mọc luộc). Cook vermicelli according to package instructions.

To Serve:
Vermicelli goes in the bowl first. Followed by shredded chicken, egg strips, matchstick size pieces of chả lụa, fried meat paste (mọc chiên), boiled meat paste (mọc luộc). Ladle in hot broth and garnish with onion slices, chipped onion, rau răm and cilantro. Serve with shredded ong choy, chillies and lime.

FYI, Difference between Bún Mọc and Bún Thang:
Bún Mọc:
Broth is made with pork bones, "meat choice" is limited to only chả lụa, mọc chiên and mọc luộc.

Bún Thang:
Broth is made with chicken, "meat choice" includes only shredded chicken, eggs strips and chả lụa.

**Both bún mọc and bún thang have the same garnish and are served with rice vermicelli, shredded ong choy, chillies and lime.

Bánh Mì Ngọt Nhân Xoài và Phô Mai (Mango and Cream Cheese Bun)

To make this, you start out off with 2 ripe mangos and make a mango purée. The mango purée is then used in the sweet bread dough and the filling.

Mango Purée:
-2 large ripe mangos
-1/2 tsp lemon/lime juice

*Blend mango flesh and juice in a blender until smooth, run the mixture through a sieve and discard and fibers left in the sieve.

For the Bread Dough:
-50g sugar
-170g warm milk
-170g mango puree
-1 tbs yeast
-130g butter (salted at room temperature)
-390g bread flour
-150g all purpose flour
-egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbs milk)

* In a large bowl, mix together sugar, yeast and milk, let stand for 15 mins and add in mango puree. Add yeast mixture to flours and knead to form a smooth dough, add butter and knead another 10 mins. Prove until doubled, punch down prove again until dough is 1 3/4 it’s original size.

Mango and Cream Cheese Filling:
-200g cream cheese
-1 egg
-2 tbs corn starch
-mango Purée

*Cream together cream cheese, egg and corn starch until smooth. Gradually add in leftover mango puree until texture of the filling resembles whipped cream.

What to Do:
After the dough has risen a second time. Divide dough into 12 portions. Fill a pastry bag with the mango filling. Take a piece of dough, slightly fatten and wrap it around the tip of the pastry bag. Squeeze the pastry bag to "fill" the dough with about 1 tbs of filling. Gently remove the dough from the pastry tip and pinch the edges to seal in the filling. Allow the buns to rise until doubled. Brush loafs with egg wash and pipe the leftover mango filling (if you still have some) on top of the buns into whatever designs you wish. Bake at 400’F for about 10 mins., reduce heat to 350’F and bake until golden.

Đồ Biển Xào Cay (Spicy Seafood Stirfry)

Ingredients:
-1lb seafood (your choice)
-1 jalapeno pepper (as much or as little as you like)
-1 tbs mince crab sauce
-1 large bell pepper
-cilantro, basil (the more the merrier)
-3 cloves garlic
-salt and sugar to taste

What to Do:
Clean and prep seafood. Mince garlic, cut jalapeno into thin strips. Cut bell peppers into bite size pieces. Chop cilantro and basil into 1" pieces. Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok, fry garlic until fragrant. Add seafood and crab sauce, stir fry for approx. a min. and add in peppers. Continue to stir fry over high heat until seafood is cooked. Add salt and sugar to taste. Remove from heat and mix in cilantro and basil.

Pak choy pot

Ingredients

1 pak choy
1 carrot
250 g white mushroom
water
2 tbsp mushroom sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper

Method

1. Slice the pak choy leaves into pieces. Skinned the carrot and cut into wedges. Wash fresh mushroom and slice thickly.

2. Sante the wok with ginger slices, add in the carrot. Next put in the pak choy slices and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Last pour in the mushrooms, seasonings and some water. Cooked for another 5 minutes.

4. Off fire and serve hot.

Stir fry Pumpkin

Ingredients

1 wedge of pumpkin
water
seasonings

Method

1. Rinse and discard the hard skin of the pumpkin. Cut into cubes.

2. Heat oil, sante with some ginger. Put in the pumpkin cubes and add some water. Let it simmer for a few minutes.

3. When it almost soft, add in seasonings. Mixed and blend well.

4. Dish up and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds.

Dâu Ua/Sữa Chua (Vietnamese Yogurt)

This treat definitely represents the touch of French influence in Vietnamese treats. Like any yogurt, to make this you need a starter which is really just plain yogurt. However, unlike most yogurts which are usually made with fresh milk, Vietnamese yogurt differs in the fact that it is made with sweeten condensed milk. Although fresh milk will work just fine in this recipe, the sweetened condensed milk is what gives Vietnamese yogurt its "Vietnameseness". This is a traditional recipe. By that I mean the fermentation process does not require a yogurt maker.

Ingredients:
-1 can sweetened condense milk
-1 can boiling water (measured using the milk can)
-2 cans cooled boiled or filtered water (measured using milk can)
-1/2 cup yogurt (Starter)
-wash and dried baby food jars (or any container you may have)
-boiling water
-large container with a lid

What to Do:
Empty milk into a large bowl and stir in boiling water until milk is dissolved. Stir in the cooled water and the yogurt goes in last. Stir well and fill mixture into baby food jars, and close them with a lid. Arrange yogurt jars into a "container" (container should be large enough so that the yogurt jars can fit in one layer). Pour boiling water over the jars until the water level comes up to right around the lid of the jars but not covering the jars. Place lid on container tightly and leave to ferment overnight...you'll have fresh yogurt in the morning.

Note:
Preferably use Vietnamese yogurt which buy at most Viet delis as your starter. If you don't live by one...just use plain yogurt from the supermarket...but remember to read the label and buy the most natural yogurt you can find. After the yogurt ferments you save a jar to use as a starter for your next batch.

Reference:
Madam Nguyễn Thị Hường (Gia Chánh Hoa Hường/Rose School of Home Economics)

Bánh Bông Lan Cuốn (Swiss Roll)

To make this treat... follow the recipe for spongefon cake, using the jelly roll method (bottom of recipe).

To get the decorative strips on the cake: after making the cake batter, remove about 3 tbs of batter and mix in some food coloring. Pour the rest of the batter into a jelly roll pan. Fill a sandwich bag with the colored batter and cut a small hole in the bag. Pipe the colored batter into long strips on top of the batter already in the ban. Use a knife or toothpick to "drag" the lines together to create the pattern (if the colored batter is piped on horizontally then drag the toothpick vertically). Bake and fill/assemble as you would for any jelly roll.

Bánh Hoa Hồng (Rose Dumplings)

"Pastry" Shell:
-1 cup wheat starch
-2/3 cup rice flour
-1 cup boiling water
-2 tbs oil

*Mix flours together and stir in boiling water. Let dough rest until cool enough to handle and knead in oil to make a smooth dough. Divide into 12 portions.

Filling:
-1/2lb ground pork
-1 carrot
-1/2 onion
-2 shitake mushrooms
-cilantro
-1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper
-1 tsp each: soy sauce, sugar
-2 cloves of garlic
-few slices xá xíu (chinese bbq pork "cha siu", optional)

*Dice carrot, onion and bbq pork. Soak mushrooms in water for a few hours to hydrate and cut into thin slices. Mince garlic and cilantro, mix everything together and divide into 12 portions.

What to Do:
Flatten the wrappers and wrap the filling. Use a rose dumpling tweezer to pinch the dough to form petals (can use you fingers if you don't have the tool). Steam dumplings over high heat for about 15-20 mins, lifting the lid of the steamer every 5 mins to release excess steam. Serve with fish sauce.

Rose Dumpling "Tweezer"

Chè Chuối (Bananas with Tapioca and Coconut Milk)

Ingredients:
-3 plantains
-water (about 3-4 cups)
-1/2 can coconut milk (approx., to taste)
-1/2 cup tapioca sticks
-1/3 cup tapioca pearls
-pinch of salt
-sugar to taste

What to Do:
Wash and soak tapioca sticks in hot water to soften. Peel and cut plantains into small 1/4 inch slices, boil in water until almost tender. Add tapioca pearls and tapioca sticks bring mixture back to a boil, add salt and sugar and coconut milk to taste. Serve hot as a sweet desert soup, or let it cool overnight and it's texture will be thick like pudding...either way it's all good!

Khoai Mì Trộn Dừa (Cassava with Coconut)

Ingredients:
-2 large cassava
-1/2 cup sugar (approx., to taste)
-pinch of salt
-grated coconut

What to Do:
Peel cassava and cut into 1 inch pieces. Soak cassava in water for at least 1 hour, before steaming over high heat for about 30 mins or until knife tender. Break cassava into small bite size pieces and toss with sugar, salt and coconut.

Note:
Cassava contains a natural poison (hydrocyanic acid) and thus cannot be consumed raw cassava. Make sure the cassava is fully cooked before consuming.

Basic Salsa

Ingredients:
-2 large bell peppers
-3 large tomatoes
-1 medium onion
-cilantro
-lime
-jalapeno peppers
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp sugar (+/- depending on sweetness of tomatoes)
-2 cloves garlic

What to Do:
Wash, dry and dice peppers, tomatoes and onion. Mince garlic and jalapeno peppers. Chop cilantro and mix everything together, add lime juice to taste. Let salsa sit for at least 1/2 hour before serving (tastes better when flavors have time to marry).

>>For corn salsa add corn, for bean salsa add cooked beans, for southwest salsa add beans, corn and grill the peppers

Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

1 cucumber
some wolfberries
1 case of tofu
seasonings
water

Method

1. Skinned the cucumber, and cut them into semi-circle.

2. In a pot of water, put in the cucumber and wolfberries and bring to boil.

3. Add in the seasonings and cubed tofu.

4. When the cucumber are fully cooked. Off fire and serve hot with dash of pepper.

Miso veg soup

Ingredients

2 heart of sucrine
1 tomato
1 can button mushroom
seaweed (optional)
1 tbsp MISO paste
salt&pepper
water

Method

1. Cut and discard the tough base of the vegetable. Sliced into 2cm thick, wash drain and set aside.

2. Cut tomato into wedges and half the button mushroom.

3. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in the tomato and mushroom, seasonings.

4. When water start to bubble, add in the vegetable. Off fire and allow to simmer. Serve hot and top with seaweed.

Stir fry courgette/zucchini

Ingredients

1 kg of courgette/zucchini
1 carrot
salt&pepper
sesame oil

Method

1. Wash the skin of the courgette, cut and discard the head and tail. Sliced and shredded thin.

2. Skinned carrot and cut into shred too.

3. Oil the wok until smoked, pour in the shred courgette and carrot. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add in seasonings and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes.

5. Dish up and serve hot.

Stir fry lettuce

Ingredients

1 lettuce/iceberg
ginger slices
salt&pepper
sesame oil

Method

1. Cut the lettuce into pieces. Wash, drain and set aside.

2. Sante ginger slices in a hot pan, put in the lettuce and simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Add in seasonings, blend well and off fire. Do not over cooked the lettuce, or it become flaccid.

4. Serve hot and consume immediately.

Bánh Dẻo Cuốn (Ping Pei Rolls)

Aka banana rolls because of the default banana flavoring always added to flavor these cakes. But...there is no law that says these rolls has to taste like bananas right? So, time to get creative and make them in any flavor you like.



You'll Need:
-1/2 recipe of Bánh Dẻo (skin only).
-whatever flavoring you like.

For the basic rolls:
Follow the recipe, and divide dough into 3 equal parts. Dust hands and work surface. Roll each portion into a thin logs. Cut each log into approx. 3 inch long pieces. Done!

Have a little Fun:
Too easy? Try this. Divide the recipe in half (remember we're using 1/2 the original recipe...so 1/2 of 1/2 = 1/4 original recipe). Make each portion a different color (so you'll get 2 portions with 2 different colors). Roll each portion into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Stack one portion on top of the other and roll as you would a swiss roll. Cut into 1/4 inch pieces and should get something like in picture above.

Lemak Vegetable

Ingredients

200 g coco plat/french beans
1 carrot
250 g fresh mushroom
2 tbsp veg curry powder
125 ml light cream/coconut milk
salt

Method

1. Wash and slant slice the coco plat thinly. Skinned carrot and sliced. Clean mushroom and cut into slices.

2. In a pot bring water to boil. Put in the beans and cooked till almost done. Drain and set aside.

3. Oil the pan, put carrot and mushroom and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add in the cooked beans, curry powder. Mixed well, add in salt and the cream/milk. Simmer for another 2 minutes or when the gravy start to bubble.

4. Off fire and serve hot.

Congee or 'jook'

Ingredients

1 cup rice
veg ham
veg mutton
chopped corriander leaves
some xiang cui shi
mixed sauce
pepper

Preparation

Wash and rinse rice as usual. Soak with water overnight. Before cooking, crushed the rice grains using fingers into smaller bits. Bring the rice to cook into porridge. Stirring constantly prevent sticking. Off fire and leave it to simmer.

Method

1. In an another small pot, scoop enough porridge for a share. Add hot water and bring to the cook under slow fire. Tease veg ham and veg mutton, stirring well the congee constantly. Place lid on pan, leaving slightly open so the congee doesn't bubble up and spill over. In 15-20 minutes the congee should be ready.

2. Pour into a serving bowl, garnished with mixed sauce, xiang cui shi, corriander leaves and dash of pepper.

Making of mixed sauce

2 chinese spoonfuls of mushroom sauce }
4 chinese spoonfuls of light soya sauce } stirred well
1 chinese spoonful of sesame oil }

Preparation of xiang cui shi

Heat pan without oil, put in the xiang cui shi and stir fry. Making sure it doesn't get charred.
Put aside for garnished.


Recipe served 2 persons.

Fried Aubergine with egg

Ingredients

2 Aubergines
1 carrot
2 eggs beaten
seasoning
sesame oil

Method

1. Cut the aubergines into smaller pieces. Soaked with a pinch of salt, drain and set aside.

2. Skinned the carrot and cut into shred.

3. Saute the pan with ginger, add in the aubergines pieces and some water. Simmer till almost cooked. Put in the shredded carrot, and mixed well.

4. Pour in the beaten eggs, add seasoning and oil. Break the set egg and cook for 2 minutes. Dish up and serve hot.

Bánh Tôm Cổ Ngư (Co Ngu Shrimp Cakes)

A taste of Northern Vietnam... traditionally made with sweet potatoes or regular potatoes. I discovered the addition of taro gives the dish a more savory unique flavor. See what happens when you play with your food? You discover yummy things. ;D


Ingredients:
-6 tbs rice flour
-1 tbs tapioca starch
-1 egg
-1/3 tsp turmeric powder
-4 tbs water
-1/2 fresh prawns
-taro and sweet potato
-cooking oil
-1/2 tsp salt

What to Do:
Mix together rice flour, salt, tapioca starch and turmeric powder. Beat egg with water and add to flour mixture mix well. Peel and grate taro and sweet potato (you'll need approx. 1 cup taro and 1/2 cup sweet potatoes). Mix together grated taro and potatoes with batter. Heat oil over high heat to about 350'F. Dip a metal spatula into the oil and heat it for about 30 seconds. Remove heated spatula from oil and about a 2 tbs "batter"; top off with a shrimp in the center and dip the whole thing back in the hot oil. In about 30 seconds the cakes should float off of the spatula to the surface of the oil (if it doesn't give it a little "help" using a knife). Continue to fry until the cakes are golden, flipping them once to ensure both sides are nice and cooked. Serve with as a snack or make a meal out of it by serving with fresh herbs and rice "ribbon" cakes dipped in fish sauce.

Preparation of Artichaut/artichoke

Anterior view of the artichaut/artichoke vegetable
Cross section of the vegetable ~ removed the spikey stuff and purplish petals in the heart..
Pic showed how the stuff are being removed...
A clean and clear artichaut is ready...
These are the unwanted stuff removed from the heart of the artichaut/artichoke....
Soaked the vegetable in a basin with a some salt for 30 minutes to remove dirt in between the petals. Drain and put to steam for about 40 minutes or when is cooked. Serve hot or cold.

Note : no salt is added as the vegetable contained its original taste.

Banana Cake

Ingredients

150 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
100 g butter or margarine
100 g sugar
50 g walnuts (crushed)
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs


Method

1. Cream the fat and sugar in a mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon, till light and fluffy.

2. Beat the egg and add in gradually to the creaming mixture. Continue creaming.

3. Peel the bananas and mash them quickly, using a fork.

4. Add the bananas to the creaming mixture and mix well.

5. Sift the flour and baking powder together.

6. Add the flour to the creamed mixture, folding in with a metal spoon.

7. Put in the crushed walnuts, leaving some behind. Blend well.

8. Pour into a greased cake tin, topped with the balance of the crushed walnuts and bake in hot oven, 200 degrees or reg. 6 until golden brown.

9. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into pieces and serve on a plate.

It's Been a Year

Time flies eh? Seems like it was only yesterday but it's been a year since my first post. First off I would like to thank my visitors for stopping by and leaving a comment or two. You're the reason why I keep the recipes coming. When I started this blog I came up with the name "Playing with My Food" because that is what I do and would like to encourage my readers to do the same. Believe me...experimenting and not being afraid of messing up is the best way to learn. However, I've notice through the comments posted that about 95% of everyone is afraid to tackle a recipe simply because there is something unclear. Practice makes perfect; don't ever be afraid to practice. I believe besides being a form of art, cooking and baking is also a science experiment. For that reason, there is a lot of logic and common sense involve. There is a reason why things happen; cakes come out flat and dry for a reason. If you would just experiment and try new things you will discover why the cake turned out flat and dry and thus, be able to fix that problem via the knowledge you learned from the failures. On that note, please play with your food before asking me any questions. Just do it! Believe me you'll learn a lot more from your mistakes than from me explaining. My recipes are only meant to encourage not to teach. I'm on the same page you are, I'm learning too... Also, If you have a recipe request please post the request at one of the food forums I visit (http://diendan.datviet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=29 , http://jodeli.proboards22.com/index.cgi , http://nurkochen.cheeli.de/ , http://homecookingclub.aceboard.com/), not here. Everyone in those forums is extremely friendly and helpful, and because there are so many knowledgeable members in those forums you'll get more answers to your request... so don't be afraid to jump in and ask... ;)

So what's in the future of PWMF? Honestly, I don't know. Let me know what I should change, add, toss away and keep. Cheers and remember to Play with Your Food!

Artichaut/artichoke Soup

Ingredients

1 big artichaut
some wolfberries
2 chinese mushrooms
water enough for 2
seasonings

Method

1. Prepare the artichaut - cut away the stalk leaving about 2 cm. Cut open the 'flower' into 8 parts. Remove the spikey stuff and the purple petals in the heart of the artichaut. Soak all the 8 portions into the basin of some saline water, to remove any debris within the petals. Drain and set aside.

2. Soak the chinese mushroom with hot water till soft. Discard the stalks and slice thinly the mushroom.

3. Preheat the pot with some oil, sante with slices of ginger. Put in the chinese mushroom and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Pour in water enough for 2 person. Put in the artichaut pieces and wolfberries. Seasonings with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and simmer till the artichaut is well cooked.

5. Serve hot with dash of pepper.

Aubergine (Eggplant) With Mushroom

Ingredients

450 g aubergines (eggplants)
5-6 fresh mushroom
1 carrot
1 beaten egg (optional)
oil for deep frying
some ginger slices
seasonings
1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation

1. Cut the aubergines into stalks.

2. Wash and slice the fresh mushroom. Set aside.

3. Skinned the carrot, and cut into thin strips.

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok and deep-fry the aubergines for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.

2. Pour the oil, leaving some a spoonful behind. Saute the ginger slices, put in the slice mushroom and carrot. Mixed well and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

3. Returned the deep fry aubergines into the wok and blend together. Put in the beaten egg, and add seasonings, 2 tbsp of water. Dash with pepper and sesame oil. Off fire and serve hot.

It's official!

It's been a while since i've post a recipe or anything at all. Those of you wondering what happened... don't worry nothing happened at all I've just been very busy with the floral competition, mooncake orders, and school. Anyways, what's official? My major....I officially declared Drama as my major as of yesterday. Those of you closest to me know I've be seriously lost when it comes to pinpointing where I want to go in life. I've decided to pick Drama to be my major. Why? It's fun! You get to design costumes, lights, act and read lots of juicy plays. My passion for cooking is still there and I plan to continue onto culinary school after I get my BA from UW. However, at this point I'm also considering staying at UW a bit longer to get a master's degree so I could teach. *thinking* *thinking* Should I? I'm just going to take life one step at a time.... hehheeh

p.s. if you're waiting for a new recipes...hang tight they're ready to go I just have to post them...soon

Radish Cake

Ingredients :

200g white radish
200g white rice flour
700ml water

Method

1. Skin and shred the radish. Mix white rice flour with water and blend well.

2. Heat the pan with oil, fry the radish till dry. Slow down the fire and pour in the rice flour mixture and cook till thickens.

3. Grease the baking tray and pour the thicken mixture onto the tray and steam for 30 mins.

4. Set to cool. For best result, refrigerate overnight.

(note: you can fry the radish cake as in the local market, either plain or in dark sweet sauce as shown above)

So I Did......

First off I would like to thank everyone for your support. Your encouragement and kind words became the fuel that powered me to decide upon entering the contest. So what are the results? I entered six classes and won ribbons in all six. That translates to four second places, one third place and one honorable mention. No first place…but for a first timer entering a contest with arrangements put together in a hurry (6 in about 3 hours), second place is pretty good… at least that’s what I’m telling myself. Lol! Anyways, thanks for all of your support and encouragement everybody couldn’t have done it without you. Cheers!

Class 1860: Design of Chrysanthemum; 2^nd place

Class 1863: Design of Mixed Flowers Valued Under $30; 2^nd place


Class 1864: Design of Mixed Flowers Valued Over $30.00; 2^nd place


Class 1868: Novelty Design Using a Container other than a Vase or Basket; honorable mention


Class 1871: Fresh Wedding Bouquet; 2^nd place


Class 1874: Corsage; 3^rd place