October Pumpkin Pie

I love Autumn! All the leaves turn color green to yellow, orange, and red, it falls all over on the ground, very beautiful and romantic to me. The pumpkin picking is also a great relaxing afternoon with family, hay ride, applesider donuts, of course you can't miss fresh make pumpkin pie. Don't even mention the excitement that dress up in custom, then trick or treat at Halloween. I feel like a kids again!

Pie dough:

1/2 cup roasted peanuts.

1/4 confection sugar.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.

1 large egg and 1 yolk.

4 tablespoon cold vegetable shortening diced.

2 tablespoon unsalted cold butter diced.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

Use food processor ground peanut with confection sugar well, then add flour mix again, spread vegetable shortening and butter diced evenly, add egg and yolk, cold water, pause couple time until all the ingredient "start" getting together, but not as a dough already. (dough looks partly separated, but if you grab a handful and squeezes, it will come together by itself. Also vegetable shortening and butter will show in the dough. *The key is you don't want to over mix it!)

Place all the dough in the pie pan, use measuring cup to flat the dough to sit on the bottom and make the wall on the edge with thumb on the other hand. ( The measuring cup technic will avoid the heat from finger to melt the fat from the dough.) Cover with plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you bake. Dough will stay cold up to 3 days. I usually make it ahead.

* you can mix everything by hand with pastry blennder or fork, which will take a little bit more effort, but "Do keep the dough cold before you bake! Otherwise it will create the smoke and burn the crust, not a good idea.

Filling:

1.  1 sweet pumpkin as size of honeydew, take the skin off and seeded, cut in to 1 inch chunks, put I the big bowl ( microwave save) add 1/4 cup water cover with damp paper towel. Microwave 5 minutes then stir. Cover again, take other 5 minutes, total 10 minutes. It will be very easy to mash with serving tablespoon.

* I like a little texture, so I don't mash perfectly. If you like it very smooth, put it in the food processor.

2. 2 cups sweetened condensed milk.

3. 1/8 teaspoon salt.

4. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

5. 1/8 teaspoon ground clove.

6. 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice.

7. 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.

8. 1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger.

9. 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.

10. 1 tablespoon corn starch.


Preheat oven 325F

Move rack to the low level in the oven, bake crust 10-15 minutes until pale yellow. * Use tray to  carry hot pie easier.

Turn oven to 350F

At the same time, microwave the pumpkin and mix every things together, egg will add in the end. Pour the warm mixture into hot pie crust.

Bake other 40-45mimutes until filling set and the crust will light golden brown. Take pie out, let it cool down a bit for easy cutting. Serve it warm or room temperature is the best.

Fry Rice 101

If you looking a job as a chef in China. They will ask you make nothing else but fry rice. It's all about how well you know the ingredient, when you add in the pan, and the most important part is how you control the " heat" . Good fry rice should be coated with just right amount of oil, but no extras grease on the bottom of plate. Rice need to be light and fluffy. If you add the sauce, the color should be even coated too. If you are expert the aroma will be there for you before you tasted. It look very simple but very challenge. Don't worry, we are not looking a job for chef, just have fun with it because every mom make it too.

Preparation time: 2 minutes.

Cooking time: 10 minutes.

Serve: 2 people.

 

Ingredient:

 

1.  4 cups of left over cooked rice, cold or chill in the zip bag and separated.

 

2.  3 eggs beaten.

 

3.  3 scallion diced, separated the white and green part.

 

Flavor:

 

1.  3 tablespoon soy sauce.

 

2. Salt, and lots of white pepper.

 

3.  Vegetable oil.

 

*Use non-stick pan is good for beginner, also will be light on oil.

 

*Have oil handy by the side. Add in little by little when you see the bottom of pan is getting dry during the whole cooking process.

 

*Flat wood speachler is a good tool for stir all the ingredient and keep away from stick an burn  from the bottom of pan.

 

Heat the pan hot,  add in the oil lightly enough coated the bottom of saute pan,  add in white part of scallion, saute until the fragrant comes out, pour in the egg, keep stirring, makes sure the egg will be dry and fluffy. Go in with rice, well mix together, bring rice bake to hot, then add in soy sauce from the side of pan. ( When the soy sauce hit the hot pan which create better aroma to the dishes.) Mix well again.  The rice should be all golden brown even coated with all ingredients.  Kill the heat, check the salt level, sprinkle lots White pepper and green part of scallion. Stir well and serve.

 

*  Stir fry is a dry heat cooking meths, just remember all the ingredient you add in should be dry or cook it off the extract water, otherwise it will effect the rice and turn rice saggy.

*  Ones you control the water and heat you can add anything you like.

Sausage and pineapple, beef and green bell pepper are very popular in Taiwan.

Chicken Masala

Chicken Marsala is one of my favor dish when I go to Italian restaurant.  I  love the sweet Marsala wine as perfume ingredient in the sauce.  I add in meaty mushroom to give dishes more texture.   Then milk for smooth cream taste and a touch tangy mustard to balance out the richness.   It's a very nice and comfort dish that I like to sever at fall or winter.  

 

Preparation:10 minutes.       

Cooking time:  10- 15 minutes.

Serve 2-3 people.

 

Ingredient:

 

1.  8- 10  slices chicken tenderloin.

 

2.    Baby portabella mushroom sliced.

 

3.  2 scallion diced.

 

 

Flavor:

 

Chicken marinate:

 
1.  1 teaspoon Italian season.

 

2.  1 table spoon Marsala.

 

3   1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

 

4.  Salt and black pepper.

 

5.  1/2cup all purpose flour.

 

* White meat from chicken are light in flavor and lack off oil and water consistency.  It's very easy you will overcook the meat.  That's why Chinese always marinate it first, give the flavor, add in any sort of liquid component, and oil. Flour is lightly coated to give nice color and keep chicken tender from browning, also is a thick ingredient for the sauce.  Now,  you have better control when you add in more ingredient during the cooking process.   

Sauce:

 1.  3-4 garlic rough chopped.

 

2.  1/4 cup Marsala wine.

 

3.  1/2 cup milk.

 

4.  1 tablespoon mustard.

 

5.  Salt, black and red pepper.

 

Add Italian season, Marsala wine and oil to chicken, massage the meat a little, chicken will absorb all the ingredients.  Then lightly coated flour ready for pan.

Heat the pan hot on high first, add in the oil light enough to coat all the bottom of pan, right after chicken.  When the chicken turn golden brown turn to another side. ( If the bottom of pan is getting dry, add in a little more oil).  Cook chicken 2 side golden brown then take it out by the side. ( Finish inside cooking later with sauce).

Reduce heat low, add in more oil if necessary.  Keep adding in mushroom, garlic and salt.  Turn the heat back to medium high, saute mushroom and garlic until soft and fragrance about 5 minutes.  Add in wine stir a little, then milk, black and red pepper, check the salt level, bring it to simmer.  Put chicken back in to the sauce.  Bath chicken about 1 minute on each side.  Sprinkle dice scallion on top before serving.

 

Braised ground pork and hot broiled egg on rice

Italian has bolognese. Mexican has chill.  Lu Ro Fan ( Braised ground pork on rice ) is the dish will represent Taiwan the island of Formosa.  Everyone love it, simple ingredients but savor in flavor. I remember my grand mom used to making this dish about 10 o'clock in the morning and let it simmer to noon. The aroma circles in the air around the house.  My brother and I would get so excite and couldn't wait. The thing about this dish is the longer it cook the better it gets.   There is no way you can rush it!  I try so many cooking technique, add in different spice to make it better. It turns out nothing like grand mom's. Ten yeas later, I finally nail Grand mom's taste, after I become a mom.   I image what grand mom would do? Grand mom didn't go to cooking school, she wasn't working in the fancy restaurant either. I found out the secret was nothing, but love and patient. I would love keep this dish for generations.

 

 

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours at least,  2 hours is good.


Ingredient:

1. 2 pound 90% lean coast ground pork.

2. 1/2pound less then 80% coast ground pork.

* Coast ground pork will remain the texture after the long hours of cooking! The ground pork or beef you see in the American supermarket usually are fine grounded. Most of ground pork in Chinese supermarket are coast grounded. If you are not sure, just ask nicely for butcher's help or you don't might the texture at all!  Some chef use pork shoulder, dice pork to 0.5cm little pieces, they keep the skin too.  The texture are more meaty, but more work!

3. 4-5 medium sundry mushroom soak in the worm water until it soft then squeeze out the water and finely chopped, remain the water for add in the sauce later.

4. 1/2 cup fry shallot or fry onion from the can finely chopped.

*  The finely chopped mushroom and fry shallot become a secret ingredient, because it flavor the dish, but you won't see it!  use the food processor will save lots of time.

5. 8 hard broiled eggs, shell removed.

Flavor:

1. 1 cup good soy sauce.

2. 1/2 cup sake or light rum.

3. 1 tablespoon sugar.

4. 800 c.c water. ( 1 inch above the pork and eggs. )

Medium heat, add 1/2 cup water, saute the pork fat, cook until the water vapor then the oil render out, use pork its own fat gradually add in the lean pork, mushroom keep sauteing till pork turn color white and fragrance, add in fry shallot or fry onion, soy sauce, wine, sugar, water and mushroom water. check the salt level, use sugar as balance ingredient. The flavor should be savor but not crazy salty. ( You can adjust the water too, but not to much. Add in the hard broiled eggs, bring it to broil, then turn the heat low, simmer with little bubbles, this way pork will get the nice color, cover the lid cook about at least 1 hours is good. 2 hours will be great! Sever on top of rice, pasta, mash potato or on the chips with cheese. It's a comfort food you will never get tired of it.

Clam with Broccoli in Soy Sauce, Balamic Vinegar an d Basil

Taiwan is a island with the fresh sea food all year around.  Most of local restaurant keep fish, shrimp, and crab alive in the tank.  You can pick up your favorite and choose the way you want to cook.  There's nothing fancy or complicated cooking technique.  It's just simply fresh and flavorful directly from the sea to your table. 

 

 

 

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes.

Cooking time: 5 minutes.

 

Ingredient:

 

1.  1 pound clam wash the dirt away with brush.

 

2.  1 broccoli cut into bite size.

 

Flavor:

 

1.   4 clove garlic minced.

 

2.   4 thin slice ginger then minced.

 

3.   1 red hot chill, clean the seed and diced. (If you like it spicy)

 

4.   2 tablespoon soy sauce.

 

5.   2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon more for finish.

 

6.   1 tablespoon sugar.

 

7.   1 tablespoon tapioca starch or corn starch.

 

8.   1/4 cup water.

 

9.   A pinch white pepper. 

 

10.   1/4 cup sake or dry white wine.

 

11.  1 cup of basil leaves.

 

Mix soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, tapioca or corn starch, water, white pepper in a bowl.

 

High heat, add in oil, garlic, and ginger saute until the fragance come out, add in clam, broccoli mix well then wine.  Cove with lid cook clam until shell open about 3- 5 minutes.  make sure the sauce mixture mix well right before you add in the pan. Swirl the pan instead of over mix the clam which meat will fall apart from shell.  Bring it to the broil then turn heat off right away, add in basil, drizzle last touch of balsamic vinegar.

 

Great with rice or pasta.  Good with beer too!

Hummus with fire Roast Pepper and Cucumber

I have lot of hummus at all different parties, nothing beats Dalida's. She is a Lebanese lady also a great cook too. Her hummus is light and creamy, fruity intense extra virgin oil touch you tongue at first than the fresh chick peas speak for itself. Of course I get the recipe from her. I give it a little twist which I pair it with fire smoky roast pepper and crunch refreshing cucumber for more texture. I guess I will make her proud. 

　
















Preparation time:  overnight soaked chick peas and 10-15 minutes to put everything together.

Make about 1 1/2 cups hummus.

Ingredient:

1. 8 ounce chick peas.

2. 1 American cucumber peeled few stripes, and cut it about 1cm thick.

3. 1 can fire roast red pepper in vinegar water, cut into 1/2 inch square.

Flavor

1. 1 clove garlic rough chopped.

2. 1 teaspoon Tahini (sesame paste), and 1 teaspoon oil from the top of sesame paste.

3.  1 tablespoon good extra virgin oil.

4. Half lemon zest and juice.

5. I teaspoon lemoncholo. ( If you have it )

6. Salt, white and black pepper.

7. I teaspoon cilantro finely chopped.

Soak chick peas and garlic in the water about 1 inch high over night, keep it in the cool place at room temperature.(over soaking in worn temperature too long, peas might go bad).  save 1/4 cup for decorate.

Use medium high heat, steam chick peas with its own remain water about 30 minutes. Let it cool down for easy handle, then move into the food processor add in sesame paste, sesame oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, white and black pepper, water( if you need to add in more).  keep blending until smooth like paste, lemoncelo will make this so bright if you have it.  Sprinkle the remain chick peas and cilantro, drip extra virgin olive oil on top of the dish.  Sever it cold.  It's a good summer appetizer, no guilty charge.

Naughty nutty bacon 魅力十足的培根

If you are a pork lover when you hear the word" bacon". I guess you will have eye open wide with excitement, mouth watering with the joyful salty goodness. I make it even naughtier. I brush it with sweet honey, and tangy Dijon mustard mixture, then top it with crushed nuts, if you would like, sprinkle some spicy cayenne peppers. You will enjoy without a word.  

Cooking time: 20 minutes.

Makes: 12 strips.

Ingredient:

1. 1 pack thick cut bacon.

　
Flavor:

1. 2 tablespoon real good honey.

2. 1-2 tablespoon Dijon mustard.

3. 1/2 cup roasted almond or your favorite nuts from can, crushed in the zip bag with a puncher.

Preheat oven 400 degree.

Put the large size foil paper on the tray with rack, laid the bacons on the rack, into the oven about 15-17 minutes, depend on how crisp you like.

Mix the honey and Dijon mustard well together, set aside.

Let the bacon cool down for easy handle, brush honey mustard mixture and pat it on the nuts. Serve it for breakfast or snack or any time you want it !

* Do you know 1 pack of thick cut bacon exit out 1/2 cup oil. Does it make you feel less guilty when you eat it?

You can save the bacon drips, use as flavor mix with healthy oil such as vegetable oil then saute with color greens, or pan fry egg or make some pasta. It will be yummy too !

如果你是一位豬肉的愛好者, 當你聽到培根這兩個字時, 眼睛一定會為之一亮, 嘴裡就會充滿喜悅的香鹹味道.  我把它變的讓你更無法拒絕了.  我混合甜美蜂蜜和氣味撲鼻的黃色芥茉醬, 然後輕輕的刷上培根, 接著再沾上搗碎的堅果類.  如果你喜歡的話, 再撒上一些紅辣椒粉, 好吃到讓你用無法言語形容.

烹調時間: 20 minutes.

製作: 20條的培根.

材料: 1包20條裝的厚片培根.

調味料: 

1.  2 大匙的蜂蜜.

2.  2 匙的黃色芥茉醬.

3.  11/2 杯烤過的杏仁或是你各人喜歡的堅果類, 然後用槌子將它搗碎.  

烤箱先遇熱至攝氏205度. 

將錫箔紙墊在大型的烤盤上, 並且放上烤架.  放上培根在烤架上, 如烤箱大約12-17 分鐘左右, 就看你喜歡的酥脆成度是如何.  

將蜂蜜和黃色芥末醬混在一起拌勻, 擱置一旁. 

讓培根稍微冷卻後, 會比較容易著手, 然後刷上蜂蜜和黃色芥末醬的混合液, 再按上搗碎後的堅果.  適合拿來當早餐, 或是點心, 或是任何一個你想要的時候也行.  

* 你知道嗎？ 一包厚片的培根取出大約 1/2杯的油脂.  這樣有沒有讓你在吃的時候, 覺得沒有那麼嚴重的罪惡感.  

你可以用這些培根留下來的多餘油脂, 搭配健康的蔬菜油, 然後來炒深綠的色青菜,  或是拿來炒蛋, 拌麵, 都是會很好吃的！~