Hello my readers! I am in Taiwan at the right time! This weekend is the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition at the Taiwan World Trade Center Exhibition hall 1. This exhibition features great talent from all over Taiwan. Personally, I believe that you can't find such skill back in the states.
I will be more to update when I have more time and internet ^_^.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Flaming B-52
Seems like I have been slacking on posting on this blog... I think summer has gotten to me and made me become lazy as hell. Oh well xD. On the other hand ... I'm going to Taiwan for a month and will be taking lots of food pictures and learning from great masters how to make Taiwanese goods.
Anyways... from my drink collection, my housemate, Victoria, and I have been experimenting with various types of mix drinks like bartenders. Today, I decided to be daring and play around with my blowtorch and lite my drink on fire.
Flaming B-52
Ingredients
.5 oz Coffee Liqueur
.5 oz Irish cream
.5 oz Grand Marnier (or Whiskey if you don't have Grand Marnier)
1 Shot glass
Directions
1. Carefully pour the coffee liqueur first, then the cream, then the Grand Marnier.
2. Take your blowtorch and go kaboom on the shot glass.
*I should have mentioned this to those dumbasses out there.
BLOW THE FIRE OUT BEFORE DRINKING IT
Anyways... from my drink collection, my housemate, Victoria, and I have been experimenting with various types of mix drinks like bartenders. Today, I decided to be daring and play around with my blowtorch and lite my drink on fire.
Flaming B-52
Ingredients
.5 oz Coffee Liqueur
.5 oz Irish cream
.5 oz Grand Marnier (or Whiskey if you don't have Grand Marnier)
1 Shot glass
Directions
1. Carefully pour the coffee liqueur first, then the cream, then the Grand Marnier.
2. Take your blowtorch and go kaboom on the shot glass.
*I should have mentioned this to those dumbasses out there.
BLOW THE FIRE OUT BEFORE DRINKING IT
Sunday, August 1, 2010
21st Birthday
Now I am 21. My birthday was 3 days ago.
No big deal. I can buy alcohol to drink and cook with instead of asking my friends. I'm trying to figure out what I can make with all these bottles I got. It was also my housemate's birthday. She has the same birthday as me, so yea we got various types of alcohol as you see in the picture below ^_^.
List: Bacardi, Jack Daniels, Patrone, Kahlua, Malibu Mango flavor, Honeymoon
My favorite is still Honeymoon (Blue Moon summer edition).
No big deal. I can buy alcohol to drink and cook with instead of asking my friends. I'm trying to figure out what I can make with all these bottles I got. It was also my housemate's birthday. She has the same birthday as me, so yea we got various types of alcohol as you see in the picture below ^_^.
List: Bacardi, Jack Daniels, Patrone, Kahlua, Malibu Mango flavor, Honeymoon
My favorite is still Honeymoon (Blue Moon summer edition).
Gneral Tso's Chicken (左宗棠雞)
Summer is still in progress ... Looks like I haven't been posting on this in awhile. I've been quite busy now that Starcraft 2 is released. Time to get my Asianfied gaming face on. Meanwhile, I still got to eat.
What does a typical gamer eat? I dunno ... cup noodle? Yea... I have been eating some Shin ramen on some days. On the other hand, I been making a lot of Chinese/Taiwanese foods. Right now I'm experimenting how to make the perfect meat bun (肉包). I find it quite difficult to make the dough properly unless there is the perfect temperature, but it has been too cold recently that the dough won't rise properly.
Anyways that is for another blog post.
On to the main topic.... I made some general tso's chicken because it is a popular dish in America. The origin of this dish is disputed. Some chef in Taiwan claimed he invented it, while other chefs in America claim so too.
General Tso's Chicken (左宗棠雞)
Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts
2 eggs
Corn Starch
1 tbs Brown sugar
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs Rice wine
3 tbs Soy sauce
1 tsp Ginger
2 Garlic cloves
1 Dry chili
1 Green onion
Prep work of Chinese American hybrid dish
1. Take about 1/2 inch ginger and slice
2. Smash garlic and peel
3. Slice green onion
3. Beat eggs
4. Mix wine, soy sauce, sugar, and 1 tsp corn starch together for the sauce
5. Dry chicken with paper towel
6. Cut chicken into bite size pieces
7. Dump enough corn starch to coat each chicken piece
Cooking
1. Heat up pan and about 3 tbs of oil
2. Add chicken and fry until crispy (about 3 minutes)
3. Add garlic, chili pepper, and ginger and cook for 2 minutes
4. Add Sauce mix and let it reduce and coat the chicken pieces (2 minutes)
5. Add green onions for garnish
What does a typical gamer eat? I dunno ... cup noodle? Yea... I have been eating some Shin ramen on some days. On the other hand, I been making a lot of Chinese/Taiwanese foods. Right now I'm experimenting how to make the perfect meat bun (肉包). I find it quite difficult to make the dough properly unless there is the perfect temperature, but it has been too cold recently that the dough won't rise properly.
Anyways that is for another blog post.
On to the main topic.... I made some general tso's chicken because it is a popular dish in America. The origin of this dish is disputed. Some chef in Taiwan claimed he invented it, while other chefs in America claim so too.
General Tso's Chicken (左宗棠雞)
Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts
2 eggs
Corn Starch
1 tbs Brown sugar
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs Rice wine
3 tbs Soy sauce
1 tsp Ginger
2 Garlic cloves
1 Dry chili
1 Green onion
Prep work of Chinese American hybrid dish
1. Take about 1/2 inch ginger and slice
2. Smash garlic and peel
3. Slice green onion
3. Beat eggs
4. Mix wine, soy sauce, sugar, and 1 tsp corn starch together for the sauce
5. Dry chicken with paper towel
6. Cut chicken into bite size pieces
7. Dump enough corn starch to coat each chicken piece
Cooking
1. Heat up pan and about 3 tbs of oil
2. Add chicken and fry until crispy (about 3 minutes)
3. Add garlic, chili pepper, and ginger and cook for 2 minutes
4. Add Sauce mix and let it reduce and coat the chicken pieces (2 minutes)
5. Add green onions for garnish
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Braised Daikon and Carrots
Here I go on another food adventure...
In the middle of the forest of vegetables in the country of Ralphs, I found a foreign plant that I have never handled before: the DAIKON RADISH! Though I know it was the middle of a mild summer, I was craving for them. I could not wait for winter to harvest these white roots*. I hurried to Ralphs' border and paid off the customs fees at the automated self-checkout for my flight back home.
*Note: Daikons are in season and sweetest in the winter or in colder weather. They will be slightly bitter out of season, but for this dish, the bitterness is eliminated by the sweetness of miso and soy sauce.
Braised Daikon and Carrots
Ingredients
1 Daikon radish
4 Organic carrots
3/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup Rice wine
1 tsp Rice vinegar
1 tbs White miso paste
1 tbs Rock sugar (about big enough to fit in a tablespoon)
Dash sesame oil
Prepwork of slashing vegetation
1. Peel daikon and carrots
2. Chop them into wedge chunks
3. Mix soy sauce, rice wine, and water together
Cooking
1. Heat canola oil in a pot
2. Throw in daikon and carrots to brown, occasionally stirring (5-7 minutes)
3. Add in soy sauce mixture.
4. Wait until the mixture begins to boil and throw in rock sugar.
5. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
6. Add in miso paste, rice vinegar, and stir.
7. Turn heat on low to simmer.
8. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until daikon is soft and the flavor has seeped in.
9. Finish by drizzling a little sesame oil on top.
Yea... this is my first time using daikon radishes in a dish. I see my aunts and parents make daikon radishes and carrots all the time with beef or some sort of meat. I guess I decided to be healthy today and leave out the meat.
In the middle of the forest of vegetables in the country of Ralphs, I found a foreign plant that I have never handled before: the DAIKON RADISH! Though I know it was the middle of a mild summer, I was craving for them. I could not wait for winter to harvest these white roots*. I hurried to Ralphs' border and paid off the customs fees at the automated self-checkout for my flight back home.
*Note: Daikons are in season and sweetest in the winter or in colder weather. They will be slightly bitter out of season, but for this dish, the bitterness is eliminated by the sweetness of miso and soy sauce.
Braised Daikon and Carrots
Ingredients
1 Daikon radish
4 Organic carrots
3/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup Rice wine
1 tsp Rice vinegar
1 tbs White miso paste
1 tbs Rock sugar (about big enough to fit in a tablespoon)
Dash sesame oil
Prepwork of slashing vegetation
1. Peel daikon and carrots
2. Chop them into wedge chunks
3. Mix soy sauce, rice wine, and water together
Cooking
1. Heat canola oil in a pot
2. Throw in daikon and carrots to brown, occasionally stirring (5-7 minutes)
3. Add in soy sauce mixture.
4. Wait until the mixture begins to boil and throw in rock sugar.
5. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
6. Add in miso paste, rice vinegar, and stir.
7. Turn heat on low to simmer.
8. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until daikon is soft and the flavor has seeped in.
9. Finish by drizzling a little sesame oil on top.
Yea... this is my first time using daikon radishes in a dish. I see my aunts and parents make daikon radishes and carrots all the time with beef or some sort of meat. I guess I decided to be healthy today and leave out the meat.
Hong Kong Style Swiss Wings (瑞士雞翼)
At work, I was looking at different styles of Chinese cuisine and stumbled upon Swiss chicken wings. That has to be one of the weirdest names for a Chinese dish. Apparently, as rumors say, the name came from a Westerner interpreting "sweet chicken" as "Swiss chicken" from waiter/waitress at a restaurant in Hong Kong; thus the name stuck.
This style of chicken is one thing that I miss from Hong Kong. It is so delicious with a sweet aroma and hint of spiciness that dances on your tongue.
Hong Kong Style Swiss Wings (瑞士雞翼)
Ingredients
2-3 lbs Wings
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1 cup Water
5 Star anise
2 Red chili peppers
1 tbs Rice wine
2 tbs Rock sugar (about 1 1/2 inch diameter spherical chunk of rock)
3 Green onions
1 inch Ginger piece
Sesame oil
White pepper
Prepwork
1. Wash and pat dry wings
2. Remove wings from drumlets
3. Season with a little white pepper
4. Mix chicken with rice wine
5. Let the chicken marinate for 10 minutes
6. Slice ginger into 4 parts
7. Mix soy sauce and water
Cooking
1. Heat up canola oil in a pot
2. Toss in chicken and lightly brown the skin of the chicken (about 5 minutes)
3. Add in ginger, break red chili peppers, and star anise into the pan and stir around for a minute or until slight aroma comes out
4. Add soy sauce mixture and rock sugar
5. Wait until the liquid boils and the rock sugar dissolves
6. Turn down heat to simmer, add in green onions and a dash of sesame oil on the wings.
7. Cover and cook for 30-45 minutes on low heat. (if the liquid does not fully cover the wings, remember to turn the wings over every 10 minutes)
You can store this overnight and reheat it on the stove again for even greater flavor.
This style of chicken is one thing that I miss from Hong Kong. It is so delicious with a sweet aroma and hint of spiciness that dances on your tongue.
Hong Kong Style Swiss Wings (瑞士雞翼)
Ingredients
2-3 lbs Wings
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1 cup Water
5 Star anise
2 Red chili peppers
1 tbs Rice wine
2 tbs Rock sugar (about 1 1/2 inch diameter spherical chunk of rock)
3 Green onions
1 inch Ginger piece
Sesame oil
White pepper
Prepwork
1. Wash and pat dry wings
2. Remove wings from drumlets
3. Season with a little white pepper
4. Mix chicken with rice wine
5. Let the chicken marinate for 10 minutes
6. Slice ginger into 4 parts
7. Mix soy sauce and water
Cooking
1. Heat up canola oil in a pot
2. Toss in chicken and lightly brown the skin of the chicken (about 5 minutes)
3. Add in ginger, break red chili peppers, and star anise into the pan and stir around for a minute or until slight aroma comes out
4. Add soy sauce mixture and rock sugar
5. Wait until the liquid boils and the rock sugar dissolves
6. Turn down heat to simmer, add in green onions and a dash of sesame oil on the wings.
7. Cover and cook for 30-45 minutes on low heat. (if the liquid does not fully cover the wings, remember to turn the wings over every 10 minutes)
You can store this overnight and reheat it on the stove again for even greater flavor.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵 niu rou mian)
The other day, I was having a huge craving for Taiwanese beef noodle soup after I ordered a ticket for Taiwan, where I will be in August. With that being said, will anyone be in Taiwan August through September that wants to go eat yummies with me?
For my beef noodle soup, it takes quite a lot of time to make because I love lots of beef flavor from beef marrow bones and beef itself. The main component of this dish is beef shank, which gives the soup a meaty flavor and also it has a lot of meat. It's cheap and is only $2.49 per pound. You can ask the butcher at Whole Foods or at 99 Ranch for this cut of meat.
The bones were obtained at Whole Foods and can be found in the frozen meat section. I only trust Whole Foods for marrow bones and maybe Ralphs too because I had a horrible experience with the bones from 99 Ranch.
Taiwanese Beef Noodles Soup (牛肉麵 niu rou mian)
Ingredients
2 lbs Beef shank
1 lb Stew beef
2 lbs Beef marrow bones
2 tbs Chili bean paste (find in Asian markets)
3 cloves Garlic
2 large Onion (I used Maui Hawaiian onions from Trader Joes)
2 Roma Tomatoes
2 Organic carrots
1 inch Ginger
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup Rice wine
1/4 cup Brown sugar
3 Star anise
1 tbs Rock sugar
Water
Green onions
Baby bok choy
Prep work for the stock
1. Slice 1 onion in half
2. Slice 1/2 inch ginger and smash it with the blade of the knife
3. Heat oven for 400F.
4. Pat Bones dry and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until bones are brown.
5. Put bones, onion, ginger, and stew beef in a 6 Quart stock pot and fill up the pot almost to the top with water.
6. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
7. Simmer the water for 5 hours covered.
8. Strain the stock and pick out the stew beef.
9. Chill until fat solidifies and remove the fat (I used the fat to brown the beef shank)
Prep work for the beef noodle soup
1. Peel and slice the carrots into three parts
2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters
3. Take the other 1/2 inch of the ginger and smash with the blade of the knife
4. Smash garlic and peel the skin off
5. Boil water in a large pot.
6. Throw in beef shank until it looks like the surface of the beef has been cooked (2-3 minutes)
Cooking
1. Heat up a large pot so that it can support the whole beef shank.
2. Put in beef lard from the stock or 2 tbs of oil in the pot.
3. Brown the sides of the beef shank 2-3 minutes)
4. Add in brown sugar and chili bean paste to coat the beef shank and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add ginger, star anise, and garlic and stir around the beef shank and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the rice wine and cover for 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the hot stock, including the stew beef, soy sauce, rock sugar, carrots, 1 onion, and tomatoes.
8. Simmer covered for 4-5 hours on low heat.
9. Taste the soup. It should be relatively spicy and sweet with a hint of soy flavor. If it is too salty, add a little more water. Not enough flavor, add a little bit of salt.
10. Take out the large beef shank
11. Wait until it cools then slice it into thin pieces. (These pieces can also be used for cold appetizer with greens onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil)
12. Cook some Asian wheat noodles or udon noodles according to instructions.
13. Cook baby bok choy in water.
14. Finely chop the green onion
15. Put noodles in a bowl and spoon soup into it.
16. Add slices of beef and the green onions.
I haven't had good beef noodle soup in awhile. I guess this will be my Taiwanese treat in America before I venture into Taiwan.
Also, one of the blogs I follow, Tasty Eats at Home, is giving away coconut oil. I hope I win it. Time to do lots of experimentation with this oil xD.
http://tastyeatsathome.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/tropical-traditions-coconut-oil-giveaway/
For my beef noodle soup, it takes quite a lot of time to make because I love lots of beef flavor from beef marrow bones and beef itself. The main component of this dish is beef shank, which gives the soup a meaty flavor and also it has a lot of meat. It's cheap and is only $2.49 per pound. You can ask the butcher at Whole Foods or at 99 Ranch for this cut of meat.
The bones were obtained at Whole Foods and can be found in the frozen meat section. I only trust Whole Foods for marrow bones and maybe Ralphs too because I had a horrible experience with the bones from 99 Ranch.
Taiwanese Beef Noodles Soup (牛肉麵 niu rou mian)
Ingredients
2 lbs Beef shank
1 lb Stew beef
2 lbs Beef marrow bones
2 tbs Chili bean paste (find in Asian markets)
3 cloves Garlic
2 large Onion (I used Maui Hawaiian onions from Trader Joes)
2 Roma Tomatoes
2 Organic carrots
1 inch Ginger
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup Rice wine
1/4 cup Brown sugar
3 Star anise
1 tbs Rock sugar
Water
Green onions
Baby bok choy
Prep work for the stock
1. Slice 1 onion in half
2. Slice 1/2 inch ginger and smash it with the blade of the knife
3. Heat oven for 400F.
4. Pat Bones dry and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until bones are brown.
5. Put bones, onion, ginger, and stew beef in a 6 Quart stock pot and fill up the pot almost to the top with water.
6. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
7. Simmer the water for 5 hours covered.
8. Strain the stock and pick out the stew beef.
9. Chill until fat solidifies and remove the fat (I used the fat to brown the beef shank)
Prep work for the beef noodle soup
1. Peel and slice the carrots into three parts
2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters
3. Take the other 1/2 inch of the ginger and smash with the blade of the knife
4. Smash garlic and peel the skin off
5. Boil water in a large pot.
6. Throw in beef shank until it looks like the surface of the beef has been cooked (2-3 minutes)
Cooking
1. Heat up a large pot so that it can support the whole beef shank.
2. Put in beef lard from the stock or 2 tbs of oil in the pot.
3. Brown the sides of the beef shank 2-3 minutes)
4. Add in brown sugar and chili bean paste to coat the beef shank and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add ginger, star anise, and garlic and stir around the beef shank and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the rice wine and cover for 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the hot stock, including the stew beef, soy sauce, rock sugar, carrots, 1 onion, and tomatoes.
8. Simmer covered for 4-5 hours on low heat.
9. Taste the soup. It should be relatively spicy and sweet with a hint of soy flavor. If it is too salty, add a little more water. Not enough flavor, add a little bit of salt.
10. Take out the large beef shank
11. Wait until it cools then slice it into thin pieces. (These pieces can also be used for cold appetizer with greens onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil)
12. Cook some Asian wheat noodles or udon noodles according to instructions.
13. Cook baby bok choy in water.
14. Finely chop the green onion
15. Put noodles in a bowl and spoon soup into it.
16. Add slices of beef and the green onions.
I haven't had good beef noodle soup in awhile. I guess this will be my Taiwanese treat in America before I venture into Taiwan.
Also, one of the blogs I follow, Tasty Eats at Home, is giving away coconut oil. I hope I win it. Time to do lots of experimentation with this oil xD.
http://tastyeatsathome.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/tropical-traditions-coconut-oil-giveaway/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
