Creamy Acorn Squash Soup with Crab Meat 蟹肉南瓜濃湯

What else could taste better then having  a bowl of fancy delicate crab meat, and naturally sweet acorn squash at Fall !  I try to bring Asians ingredients, such as woody dry mushroom, cilantro... then give it western spice like bay leave, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Representing this dish in American style, just like I come from Taiwan,but I am enjoy to be an American too.  It's a dish with great harmony and vivd personity.  I serve it on my Thanksgiving table too.  I think you will love it ! 

                            

Preparation time: 5-10 minutes.

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes.
Serve: 4-6 people.

Ingredient :

1. 1 large size acorn squash or 2 small, pealed, seeded, dice in chunks.

*  Acorn squash has tough shell to deal with.  I like to cut the top and bottom off first.  This will make a steady stand, then cut off the peal, halved, seeded with spoon.  It's easier and safe to handle.  Same idea you can use on cutting cantaloupe, honeydew .... 

2.  1small onion roughly chopped.

3.  1 Grammy smith apple , pealed, seeded, diced in chunks.

4.   3 dry mushrooms soak in the hot water, then roughly chopped. Remain the water add in the dish.

* Shitake Mushroom works fine too! 

5. 1 inch size ginger rough chopped.

6.  1 stork of celery half rough chopped to cook, other half fine diced for finish serving.

7.  Cilantro roughly chopped for serving.

8.  1 can 14.5 oz chicken broth.

9.  I can 10 oz calm juice.

10.  Shelled crab meat from can.  

Flavor:

1. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

2.  1/8 fresh ground nutmeg.

3.  1 bay leave.

4.  1/4 cup Dry white wine.

5.  Salt and white and red pepper for your own taste.

Medium heat, add oil to the pot, throw in ginger and onion, sauté till ginger fragrant come out, onion looks transparent, then add in mushrooms, celery keep stirring. If bottom of pan is try, you can add a little bit more oil.  Keep adding in the acorn squas, then pour in the chicken broth, calm juice, and white wine.  Don't forget the mushroom water.  

Turn hear high, add in bay leave, cinnamon, nutmeg, season with salt, white and red pepper for taste, bring to the broil point.  Cook acorn squash to fork tender about 15 minutes, depend the size you chopped.   

Pureed soup in the food processor or blender until creamy.  Pour soup back to the pot adjust the thickness with a little more chicken broth or water maybe, and keep it warm.  

*  I would like to remain some of soup and don't blend it.  When I serve, I add it on top of soup, it will look very attractive.

Serve with crab meat, sprinkle with cilantro and celery, fews red chili pepper. It is a grat joy of fancy and comforting soup at Autumn.  

還有什麼在秋天裡來上一碗高級細緻的蟹肉, 配上香甜的南瓜濃湯更棒的！

我試著把亞洲的材料像是味道深沉的香菇, 香菜.... 然後再加上西式的香料, 肉桂葉, 肉桂粉和肉荳蔻粉.  再用美式的方法呈現, 就好像我來自台灣, 但是也可以開心的當位美國人一樣.  這是一道非常和諧卻又充滿特色的湯品, 也是我在感恩節會上桌的一道菜肴, 我想你會愛上它的！

準備時間: 5-10分鐘.

烹調時間: 15-20分鐘.

使用份量：約4-6 人.

材料:

1.  1 個大南瓜或是兩個小的南瓜, 去皮,去籽, 切11/2 吋塊狀. 

*  南瓜帶皮有些厚重不是很容易處理.  我喜歡先切掉頭尾, 使其能夠站穩, 然後去皮, 切半, 使用湯匙去仔.  這樣會比較安全又容易去處理.  可以使用同樣的方法來切哈密瓜和綠色香瓜.

2.  1顆小洋蔥切塊狀.

3.  1顆酸的青蘋果去皮,去籽,切塊.

4.  3 顆香菇泡熱水之後切塊狀, 留下香菇水煮湯備用.  

* 新鮮的香菇也可以! 

5.  大約一吋左右大小的薑去皮, 切小塊.

6.  一根西洋芹, 一半切塊煮湯用, 另外一半切細丁在上桌前使用.

7.  香菜大約切細.

8.  1 罐雞高湯.

9.  1 瓶蛤蠣高湯.

10.  去殼的蟹肉.

調味料:

1. 1/4 茶匙的肉桂粉.

2.  1/8 茶匙的肉荳䓻粉.

3.  1片肉桂葉.

4.  1/4 杯的白酒.

5.  鹽, 白胡椒和紅辣椒依個人喜好.

中火, 置入油, 丟入薑和洋蔥, 炒至薑味釋出, 洋蔥變透明, 再加入香菇西洋芹繼續翻炒.  如果鍋底太乾可以再加少許的油.  再繼續加入南瓜, 倒入雞和蛤蜊高湯和酒.  別忘了還有香菇水.

改大火, 加入肉桂葉, 肉桂粉, 肉豆蔻粉, 鹽巴白胡椒和紅辣椒.  講南瓜煮至軟, 約15分鐘.  依你切塊的大小不一而定.

使用食物處理機或是果汁機, 將湯攪碎成泥.  然後倒回原來的鍋中, 使用雞或蛤蠣高湯調整濃度, 並且保溫! 

*  我喜歡保留一些湯品, 不攪碎, 然後上桌時放在湯頭上, 讓它看起來更吸引人.

食用前再撒上香菜和西洋芹菜末, 少許的紅辣椒粉. 這是一道在秋天溫馨又高級的享受 ! 

Beef and potato Japanese Style

" Beef & Potato ". You might think about steak with mash potato now, but I am thinking about something all the Japanese moms will make.  These thin sliced beef, Yukon gold potato, sauté onion mushroom braise in Japanese style broth ( bonito flakes,  kombu, sake, ....)

Lightly, soupy, great comfy!
  
 
                                                     
 


                                               

Ingredient :  

1.  11/2 pound thin sliced beef.  

* Check the frozen section in any Asian supermarket.  It's a cut from rib-eye or flank steaks, but paper thin looks like.

You can ask your butcher use machine cut it for you, almost like size of the Phildaphia cheese steak.

2.  1 large size onion. 

3.  1 chill seeded.

4.   2 tablespoons  sesame oil ( light or dark )

5.  2 scallions chopped the white part like  size of onion for sauté.  Green part diced for finished.

Japanese style broth.  

1.  4 dry mushrooms soak in hot water.

2.  3 inch of kombu, rinsed.

3.  I tablespoon soy sauce.

4.  1/4 cup sake.

5.  1 tablespoon sugar or more.

6.  Salt for taste. 

7.  1 gallon water.

1. 1 cup bonito flakes, put in the filter bag or warp in the cheese cloth, or you can drain it later.

2.  Put all the Japanese broth ingredient  

In one pot, except bonito flakes.  Bring it to the broil then turn heat to medium.  Let it cook about 10-15 minutes more so all the flavor will come out together.  kill the heat, add in the bonito flakes, as a tea bag, let it sit for 2-3 minutes then take it out and discard.

Too much trouble, just get the Japanese style seasoning soy sauce as picture below...

3.  Use 2 tablespoon sesame oil, medium heat, sauté the white part of scallion and onion, add the salt right away, cook onion to a little transparent, then add in the potato and broth, bring to the broil.

4.  Separate the thin sliced of beef, add in to the soup gradually, bring to the broil point again, then turn heat to low, simmer about 15 minutes.  Potatoes will be tender and easy go through with chopstick or fork without force.

5.  Sprinkle with green part of scallion and red chill pepper powder.  Serve hot with a bow of rice, woo- don noodle is very good with soup too!


As pictures below...
Dry mushroom 

Bonito flakes

Kombu

Japanese seasoning soy sauce

* You can find these ingredients in any Chinese, Japanese or Whole food supermarket ... 

     
       

Green Tea & Coffee Cookies!

Tea is a big thing in Chinese, Taiwan and Japenese culture, just like German has beer, Irish loves whiskey.  It also has special celermory to serve tea.  Because of tea population are very high, so vender create lots product about tea.  If you travel to these country, you will see tea could be add in, from appertize, entree to disser.  Green tea cakes are big hit in the business.  I try to bring the same flavor to the cookies, use vegetable shortening to avoid over powder the tea flavor, confectioner suger make it very crunble.  It'a very simple cookies, lighly sweet, just let the tea speak to itself.

Preparation:  10 minutes.
Baking time: 15 minute for 2 lagest cookie sheets.
Make about 48 cookies.

*  (        ) For Coffee Cookies.

Ingredient :

1. 1 cup vegetable shortening.

2. 1/2 cup confectioner sugar.

3. 1 tablespoon green tea powder.
( 2 tablespoons espresso powder)

4. 1 tablespoon zest from lime.
( 1 tablespoon Kahlu'a)

5. I tablespoon honey.

6. 2 cup all-pious flour.

7. 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Wet Ingredient
Cream vegetable Sh with confectioner sugar in the mixer.

Dry Ingredient
Set a parchment paper on the largest cookie baking sheet. Shift flour and green tea powder (espresso powder) and salt, then add in lime zest all on top of parchment paper.

Set mixer on low speed. Fold the parchment paper in half, carry dry ingredient carefully and slowly add in the wet ingredient. Mix well until it all comes together like dough.

Divide dough by 2 parts. Laid it on the plastic wrap big enough for the log, and make it like 2 inch log for two.
Wrap the cookies dough with plastic wrap, twisted two end like candy wrappers, then again with parchment paper. Keep in the freezer until harden, it will stay more than a month.

Preheat oven 350F degree.

Set the parchment paper.

Sliced the cookie log to 1 cm thick, laid down on the parchment paper keep 1 inch apart. Sprinkle granulate sugar ( light brown sugar ) evenly on top of cookies.

* Do it in good speed, so the cookies dough won't soften, loose the shape.
Bake between 12- 15 minutes when the bottom turn slightly pale brown, and the top are just hard enough to touch. Green tea cookies baked fast than Coffee cookies.

* Cookies are very crumble, so leave cookies on the baking sheet, cool down till you can handle and you won't break it apart! Remove cookies to the cooling racks for totally cool down. Store cookies in air tight container, best taste in a week.

Shred Beef Korean Style ( Bulgogi)

I am not a Korean, but I love Korean food.  It's simple but great vivid personality, so real, that's the way life suppose to be. Bulgogi is one of dish that my family must order when we go to Korean place.  You get this tender thin shred beef sauté with crunch onion, colorful carrot, scallion and woodsy sundry mushroom.  Savor and nature sweetness from the pear sauce.  Sesame seeds and sesame oil are really high light to this dish.  Enjoy with a bowl of rice or noodle.  Lift is good enough.

 

Preparation 10-15minutes.
Cooking time:  10 minutes.
Serve: 4 people.

 

Ingredient:

1.  1/2 pound shared beef.  ( you can find it on any Asian supermarket at refrigerate or frozen section.  Tradrer Joe carry it too! ) * This cut of meat ususaly is from ribeye steak, also is the same cut, when we do the Cheess Philiy Steak.

2.  5 sundry mushrooms (fresh shtaki mushroon works too).  Soak in the warm water, cut into thin slice, save the water for add in the sauce later.

3.  1 medium onion thin sliced.

4.  1/3 cup carrot thin sliced.

5.   3 scallion cut it to the same length as above,  separate the white parts for sauté and green parts for colors.

6.  2 tablespoon of garlic minced.  


Flavor:

1.  1/4 cup say sauce.

2.  1/4 cup sake or dry white wine.

3.  1/2 cup  finely ground pear or apple sauce.

4.  1 teaspoon rice or white vinegar.
 
5.  1 teaspoon sesame oil.

6.  1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed.

7.  1 tablespoon sugar.

8.  Salt and red pepper for taste!

Hight heat, hot pan, goes in the cold oil,  garlic, white parts of scallion and onion at the same time.  Sauté when the fragrance come out then add in the beef and carrot, stir around.  When beef color change, add in soy sauce, musroon water, wine, pear or apple sauce, mix again.  Bring it to broil for 2-3 minutes, adjust the salt level and red pepper for the taste.  Kill the heat, Add in the vinegar and sesame oil, and the green parts of scallion, mix well.  Place on a plate, sprinkle toasted sesame seed.

* Tranditionaly, Korean marinated the meat at first, then grill on top of iron pan.  Therefore, you can use same marine sauce for any kind of steak, such as flank or skirt steak are good too.

Roast pork with Japanese yam in BBQ sauce

There's a day, you have time, but feel kind of laid back. You want a good meal, but don't really brother to cook. This roast pork is perfect for that, and easy as 1 2 3. The key is all about the temperature, I seal meat with high heat, then finish with low. same in the oven, of course, I only use one baking dish which is no fussy clean after all. Pork cooked nice in pink, so tender and juicy, plus tangy BBQ sauce and sweet Japanese Yam, I couldn't serve fast enough for my kids.  After all, you will understand why people loves pork so much!

 

Preparation time: ，5-10 minutes.

At least 30minutes bring meat back to room temperature with basic season.

Cooking time: 1 hour and half.

Serve: 4-5 people.

Ingredient:

1. 1 center cut born in pork chop.
A little less than 4 pound.

2. 2 Japanese Yam diced about 11/2 inch irregular cubes.


Flavor:

1. 3 tablespoon soy sauce.

2. 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

3. Salt.

4. White and red pepper.

5. Smoke pepper recall

4. 1/2 cup your favor BBQ sauce plus 2 tablespoon of more BBQ sauce.

5. 1/2 cup dry white wine.

6. 1 cup water.

Play pork in a large size oven safe roasting dish, apply the soy sauce all over the pork then oil. Sprinkle salt, white and red pepper generously, including the smoked paprika. Let it sit at the room temperature at least 30 minutes before goes in to oven.

* Soy sauce and smoked paprika will give meat the nice color without burning! *

Set the rack in the middle of oven, and preheat oven 425F degree.

Fat side up. Pork will sealed and nice golden brown about 30 minute later!

Turn heat down to 350F degree.

Throw in yam around the pork, then BBQ sauce, wine, water, salt and pepper for taste, mix a little, cover with foil cook about 1 hour. Check the internal temperatures, when it reach to 130F degree, brush you favorite BBQ sauce on pork. Put back in the oven, uncover this time. Repeat 2 to 3 time of BBQ sauce on pork about 10- 15 minutes. pork will be nice glazed with BBQ sauce.

Check the internal temperature again, when it hit 140F degree. Take it out from oven, cover with the same foil, let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes before carving. This way will remain flavor from juice inside of meat. Serve warm!

* Someday I play around with all different spices, and make my own sauce. Some other day, I will just use store bought. try all the different BBQ sauce at the international aisle from supermarket. you will always be surprised!!!

Welcome to Lucy's Kitchen Diary

Dear friends,

As you know I love to cook and bake, I would say, I am more enjoy the eating actually!

Food always accompany with lots of memories. I remember that morning played with my brother, and my Grandmom's pork stew were in the air; Mom always made me chicken soup every time when I returned from collage; I had Saturday night out, watch movies with my Dad, then had a bowl of eel noodle soup, watch the chef cook with high flame as a vendor on the side of street; My loving friend hand out in the restaurant and drink a glass of ice tea with floating rich vanilla ice cream, goofy around with nonsense. It 's all about the good times. I am so blessed to have these people around with me!

Now, I cook for my family, I love to share my little story and some techniques that I learn in the past with you. I hope it will help you a bit while you are in the kitchen, or sometimes just give you the ideas to cook. Most of all, I hope you will enjoy these recipes and have fun at cooing, comfort your belly, give you strength to accomplish more tasks that you want to do, closer better then ever with the person that you love. Keep open mind, taste them all, sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Life does pretty good!

Happy new year!!!!

* Special thanks for my friend Wendy who is a nutritionist that gives me the idea to write this blog, and help me to correct the words to make it better!

Love,
Lucy

Almond Pear Tart

Custard on the tart shell are very popular in Hong- Kong and Taiwan. Some of finish with sugar crust on top. It just like having a creme brul'ee and tart all at once. I keep this idea in mind, add the tender poach pear in the custard, blend in ground almond in the tart shell.   Cake flours make it light and delicate. I love it dearly, I would have it for breakfast, afternoon tea time or late night snacks, or any time you feel it!

Preparation time: 5-10 minutes for tart shell,  at least 2 hours or overnight to chill the dough.
Baking time: 1 hour.
Serve:  6-8 peoples.

Ingredient:

Almond tart shell for 91/2 inch tart pan :
1.  1/2 cup sliver almond.
2.  11/2 cup cake flours.
3.  1 egg yolk.
4.  1 tablespoon almond extract.
5.  6 tablespoons cold butter, diced.

Add almond with 1/2 cup cake flours in the food processor, grind it fine, then add in the rest of 1 cup flour, egg yolk, almond extract, blend again, finish with cold butter by pulse couple times.  Dough will start coming together as wet sand.  Dump it to the tart pan, press it down and make the wall around the edge with measuring cup,  work fast to avoid the heat from the hand will melt the butter from the dough.* Dough has to be chilled at least 2 hours or overnight before bake to keep in shape and won't be burned before you finish the baking process.

Filling:
1.  2 eggs and 1 yolk.
2.  1 teaspoon corn starch.
3.  1/4 cup sugar.
4.  1/2 cup heavy cream.
5.  1 cup 2 % milk.
6.  1 teaspoon almond extract and 1teaspoon vanilla extract.
7.  1/8 teaspoon salt.
8.  1 tablespoon apricot jam and 1 tablespoon water.
9.  1 can halved poach pear, drained.

Preheat oven 325F degree.

Adjust rack to the low part of oven.  Place the tart shell on a tray, to avoid the filling spill and easy transfer.  Back for 15 minutes.

While the tart shell is baking, prepare two large size bowls.  First one place in sugar and heavy cream, microwave for 1 minutes, stir to melt the sugar, then add in milk, almond, vanilla extract, and salt. set aside.

Another bowl, add in the yolk and corn starch mix well with egg beater, then go in with eggs, mix again. ( Keep the egg beater attach the bottom of bowl or just break the yolk by back and forth, stay low during the whole mixing process will avoid beating in extract air.  We need custard silky and smooth.  Air bubbles will create holes and rough surface which is not we are looking for.)

Now, add the cream mixture to the eggs slowly. bring them together as one.

Arrange the pear on the baking tart shell, then add in the custard mixture go through a DRAINER.  Bake another 40- 45 minutes until it set.  Remove from oven, let it cool down.

Mix with 1 tablespoon apricot jam with 1 tablespoon water, heat up in the microwave about 10 seconds, mix well, use spoon drizzle on top of custard and the back of spoon to smooth it out. 

Wait for the tart totally cool down.  Insert the knife under the tart carefully, and go around make sure it release from the pan.  It should be easy to slide to the serving plate.  (  Sometime the filling spill over the tart wall, it create the brown color and stickiness to the tart pen.  you can use sharp point of knife or tooth pick between the curb around the wall.  it will help to release the tart easier.)

Serve room temperature or heat it up to warm!