Beef Rendang

Spicy Indonesian beef dish in an almost dry coconut sauce. Suitable as a main or side dish.

Ingredients:

500 gr. Rump steak.
2 Onions.
4 Garlic cloves.
3 Fresh red chillies.
2½ cm Ginger root.
1 teaspoon Turmeric.
1 tablespoon Paprika.
1 stalk Lemon grass.
3 Lime leaves.
600 ml Coconut milk.
75 ml water.

Directions:

Put the Onions, Garlic, Chillies, Ginger, Paprika, Turmeric and Water in a food processor and make into a smooth paste.
Dice the meat and mix with half the paste. Set aside.
Put the other half of the paste into a heavy sauce pan and add the coconut milk, chopped lemon grass and lime leaves. Boil without the lid for about 30 min. until mixture is reduced to half. Add the meat mixture and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring regulary, for a further hour till the steak is tender. Serve with boiled rice.

Read rest of entry

Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Read rest of entry

Japanese Moon Viewing - Tsukimi

The custom of moon viewing held in mid-autumn is called tsukimi in Japan. It's said that this moon viewing custom was introduced to Japan from China during Nara and Heian periods (710-1185). Read about the Moon Festival in China.

Tsukimi takes place on August 15th in the lunar calendar, so it's called jugoya, which means the night of 15th. Jugoya in the solar calendar changes every year and usually falls on September or October. The moon on jugoya isn't always full, but it's said that the moon on the night is the brightest and the most beautiful in the year.

How do Japanese people celebrate Tsukimi? It's done in a quiet manner. Traditionally, susuki (pampas grass) or other autumn flowers are decorated in a vase, and dango (dumplings) and satoimo (taro potatoes) are offered to the moon in an alter. People look at the moon, enjoying the beauty quietly. Tsukimi also has the meaning of celebrating the autumn harvest. See how to make dango dumplings. Commonly, plain dumplings are stacked on a tray instead of skewered.

The word, tsukimi, is used in Japanese food as well. For example, tsukimi-soba and tsukimi-udon are well-known. They aren't food for moon viewing. Tsukimi indicates a cracked egg in Japanese cooking since the egg yolk resembles the moon. Tsukimi udon/soba are hot udon/soba noodle soup with raw egg toppings. McDonald's in Japan even sells tsukimi burgers, which are hamburgers with fried egg fillings.

Read rest of entry

Onigiri (Japanesse Rice Ball)

Rice balls are called onigiri in Japanese. Rice balls are usually shaped into rounds or triangles by hands. Onigiri are often put in Japanese bento lunch boxes.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups steamed Japanese rice
• 8 strips of dried nori (seaweed)
• Salt to taste
• *For fillings:
• ume (pickled plum) / grilled salted salmon

Directions: Grill salted salmon slices. After the salmon cools, tear it into small chunks and set aside. Cook steamed rice. Put about a half cup of steamed rice in a rice bowl. Make a dent in the center of the rice and place fillings, such as ume (pickled plum) and grilled salmon. Wet your hands in water so that the rice won't stick. Rub some salt on your hands. Place the rice in the rice bowl on your hands. Form the rice into a round or a triangle, by pressing lightly with your both palms. Wrap the rice ball with a strip of nori. Makes 8 rice balls.

Read rest of entry

ABC (Absolute Best Chewy) Chocolate Chippers

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half cream
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted

DIRECTIONS<

1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). (Using an oven thermometer will ensure proper baking temperature since ovens vary.) Line cushion-type baking sheets with baking parchment; set aside. (Professional bakeries double their baking sheets and use baking parchment.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, cream together butter, sugars and vanilla at medium speed until creamy and light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in corn syrup and cream or milk. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture, in 3 separate batches, scraping down bowl after each addition. Mix well to ensure full incorporation of flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate) and nuts.
3. For each cookie, using a 1- 3/8 inch spring-loaded scoop (or 1 tablespoon measuring spoon), scoop 2 level spoonfuls of dough and roll into a ball with wet hands. (Dough will be very sticky. Wetting hands between every 3 rollings of dough will prevent sticking. Simply hold hands under running tap water and shake hands 10 times over sink before handling dough. Don't worry, this will not harm the cookies. I guarantee that this added effort will be worth it for these cookies!) Arrange at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. (Cookies will spread a bit during baking.) Flatten each ball of dough slightly with heel of hand or fingers.
4. Bake for 14 minutes or until light golden brown around edges and centers are still a little puffy. (Do not underbake this particular cookie or they will be too soft.) Allow cookies to cool at least 5 minutes while on baking sheets before transferring (with a thin, metal cookie spatula) to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and fresh sheets of baking parchment. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. (These chewy chocolate chip cookies keep better than traditional types.)
5. Note: Professional chefs and pastry chefs use coarse kosher salt and I use it in my everyday cooking and baking. It really does have a better flavor. However, you may substitute 1 teaspoon regular table salt for 1- 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt.
6. To Toast Nuts: Toasting nuts brings out their flavor and makes them crisp. It is easy to do. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place nuts, in a single layer, on an ungreased baking sheet. (I like to use my round non-stick pizza pan because it has a lip on it which prevents the nuts from rolling off.) Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time, or until nuts become fragrant and are lightly browned. (Watch nuts closely to prevent burning.) Cool nuts completely before chopping and adding to recipe. (You can speed up the cooling process by immediately placing hot, toasted nuts onto a plate and place in the freezer for 5 to 8 minutes. Halfway through chilling time, stir the nuts to aid the cooling process.)

Read rest of entry

Pineapple Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups white rice
• 1 tablespoon peanut or walnut oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 (12 ounce) package tofu, diced
• 3/4 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup diced carrots

DIRECTIONS

1. Open can of crushed pineapple and drain juice into a cup.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the liquid from the can of crushed pineapple with 3 cups water, bring to a boil. Add rice. Bring mixture to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. In a non-stick wok heat the 1 tablespoon walnut or peanut oil. Add the eggs and cook without stirring, until set. Slide eggs out of the wok to a plate - cut into short, narrow strips. In the same wok, heat the sesame oil and stir fry the tofu with the mushrooms, soy sauce, green onions, and carrots for about 4 minutes. Stir in cooked rice, pineapple, and egg strips. Heat until everything is heated through.

Read rest of entry