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Chinese Braised Ribs

Written by James on 4 June 10

This past weekend, I bought several racks of ribs in anticipation of BBQ and smoking. After all, few things beat slow-cooked smoked ribs. Unfortunately, my glorious plans fell through and I was stuck with ribs but no plans. Although people claim that they can make great oven ribs, I still find it hard to go head-to-head with smoked wood and charcoal. Why settle for second best? Instead, I decided to take this recipe in a completely different direction: the braised rib.

If you’ve ever had a bad rack of ribs, you know that overcooked or undercooked ribs are very tough to eat. (If you’re at a friend’s BBQ, you’re probably telling the host how great the ribs are, but stealthily reaching for the hamburger or brisket.) The reason for this toughness is that ribs are fatty and full of connective tissue – they’re designed for a slow cooking process. Given enough time, the heat and moisture breaks down the collagen into something amazingly delicious. Whenever I hear the phrase “so tender the meat falls off the bone, I think of well-cooked ribs.

7 Comments

Posted in : American,Braise,Chinese

Simple Tomato Sauces: Pepperoncini, Salami and Mozzarella

Written by James on 1 June 10

Here’s another great tomato sauce that is a bit more work than using a jarred Prego, but is well worth the effort. Much like my previous effort, using basil, rosemary and bacon, this recipe calls for strong robust ingredients to counteract the acidity of tomatoes. The key here is the spicy pepperoncini. The pepperoncini is a pickled banana pepper. I usually recognize it from antipasto salads or in the giant muffuletta sandwiches in NOLA (fantastic, but not for pre-sleeping consumption) . The peppers pack a little bit of heat and really enhance the flavor of this sauce. If anything, I probably used too few pepperoncini in this recipe, so I would recommend using more than what I include in the recipe below. I was worried that it’d be too spicy, but it definitely wasn’t!

For the mozzarella, you can probably get away with shredded mozzarella – it’d make a more consistent pasta. However, I really recommend fresh mozzarella balls – I love the milky, concentrated cheesy flavor. When you’re eating your pasta, it’s kinda like playing a slot machine – it’s entertaining, and you don’t know what you’ll get, but forking some mozzarella is like hitting the jackpot!

5 Comments

Posted in : Boil,Italian,Saute

Simple Tomato Sauces: Bacon, Rosemary, Basil

Written by James on 27 May 10

I am a fan of quick and simple pasta sauces that let me avoid the mundane and oversalted flavors of Prego, Ragu, or other store-bought sauces without requiring 3 hours of slow cooking. This is going to be the first in a series of pasta sauces that can be put together quickly but are relatively varied.

One of the best ways to prepare tomatoes for pasta sauces is to simmer them in a skillet with garlic and olive oil. With a large cooking surface, the excess moisture evaporates and you’re left with this delicious thick, hearty tomato sauce. You don’t need a particular variety of tomato for this sauce – all the ones I’ve tried work well. Add in some potent herbs, flavorful meats, and aggressive cheeses and you get a sauce that can stand up to the potent tartness of the tomato sauce itself. This time, I used rosemary and smoked bacon to add some gusto to the sauce. However, as in all things- keep things in balance.

12 Comments

Posted in : Italian

Kale, Potato, and Sausage Soup

Written by James on 24 May 10

Rainy days can trap you inside. When it’s raining so hard that fast moving rivers form in the streets, and cars throw up 5 foot walls of water when they speed past, it’s best not to venture outside. I experienced one of these days recently – thank goodness it doesn’t happen daily – but thankfully I was able to sit at home and ponder what to eat.

One of my favorite recipes is a kale and sausage stir fry with hot red pepper flakes. But with the weather, I wanted a hearty soup or stew. If you’re in the same situation, I highly recommend this recipe. It’s a very straightforward dish, although it takes a bit of time. Put it on the stove and walk away for a while. Curl up with a book. When you come back, it’ll be waiting for you!

12 Comments

Posted in : American,Soup,Stew

Pad Thai

Written by James on 21 May 10

Not getting Pad Thai at a Thai restaurant would be like not getting fries with a burger or not having watermelon at a summer BBQ. There are lots of other great Thai dishes, and I admit that I don’t always order it, but it’s still a fantastic dish that should be a staple for anyone trying Thai for the first time. Interestingly, the dish was originally popularized by the Thai government in the post World War 2 ear to boost Thailand’s #1 export at the time, rice and rice products. Seems like it worked!

6 Comments

Posted in : Saute,Thai,Vegetarian

How to Steam Artichokes

Written by James on 17 May 10

I enjoy eating artichokes, and though I’d share the technique for steaming artichokes and making an Aioli dipping sauce. Unfortunately for my Aioli, I didn’t read directions carefully…or, really, at all. Thus, I won’t be writing much about my dipping sauce, which tasted fine but didn’t look right. Aioli is supposed to have a mayonnaise quality to it. Suffice it to say that mine does not.

On the other hand, I have artichokes down! Artichokes are very straightforward to make, though they do take a bit of time to soften up. Once you learn how to properly steam artichokes, you can do many different things with artichoke hearts or bottoms. You can scoop out the artichoke and stuff them. You can eat the leaves and then eat the wedges of the heart. And, you can serve artichokes with many different sauces (Hollandaise, aioli, mayonnaise, or just a wedge of lemon). I love peeling off a leaf, dipping it in the sauce, and scraping off the soft flesh with my teeth!

9 Comments

Posted in : American,French,How- To...,Steam,Vegetarian

Grilled Chicken Breast stuffed with Basil and Pecorino

Written by James on 14 May 10

I was recently given a George Foreman “Lean Mean Grilling Machine,” a name that immediately made me skeptical. After all, the Foreman Grill has so many one liners associated with it that I couldn’t really take it seriously. No serious ook would never consider cooking with this.. right?

Then I went to a talk by George Foreman where he discussed some of the entrepreneurial activities he’s been involved in since retiring from boxing. I learned that he has sold over 120 million units of this clam-shell Foreman grill. Considering there are only about 300 million people in the United States, with an average family of 3 or4, this really is an astounding figure. If all the grills had been sold in the US, on average, each household in the US has one! Maybe these grills were for more than the college dorm.

7 Comments

Posted in : American,Grill,Italian

Beef Tenderloin Stuffed with Mushrooms and Onions

Written by James on 10 May 10

When I think of roasted tenderloin, visions of charred crusts and tender pink interiors stuffed full of luxurious fillings dance through my mind. Unfortunately, reality rare matches my daydreams. Stuffing can spill out or absorb strange flavors. Insufficient crusting can give you a bland gray mess. On the other hand, too much crusting and you’re left with a burnt roast.

One common problem with stuffing is that you can’t get enough. To get more stuffing into the tenderloin, I sliced it in “double- butterfly” fashion. Instead of a single horizontal cut to “open” the roast like a book, you use two cuts through the opposite sides of the roast. When you open it, it looks like a trifold brochure. After using this cut, you can spread more filling over the roast when you open it up.

10 Comments

Posted in : American,Bake,Marinate,Pan Fry,Roast

Ginger Beef w/ Broccoli

Written by James on 7 May 10

Ginger Beef is a Chinese take out favorite. Part of what makes the dish delicious is that the meat is often crispy, delicious and deep fried. Unfortunately, deep-fried meat means that you need lots of oil. No wonder people often complain that Chinese food is greasy! As much as I enjoy a good ginger beef, eating it on a regular basis is not sustainable for my arteries and my waistline. Thus, I set out to create a healthier version of Ginger Beef here.

I used the same tangy sauce that is typical of ginger beef, but added a few more carrots and the bed of broccoli to help increase the health factor of this dish. This recipe makes use of both my tenderizing and blanching methods. In hindsight, I used too few red pepper flakes. I recommend that you use more flakes. Even better, go with fresh peppers for a bolder flavor.

5 Comments

Posted in : Chinese,Saute

Water Spinach (Ong Choy/ Kong Xin Cai) and Ground Pork

Written by James on 5 May 10

Water Spinach, known as Ong Choy or Kong Xin Cai, is a semi-aquatic tropical plant that grows 2-3 meters high. It has long hollow stems and roots and leafy greens. The hollow stems allow the plant to float in water. Translated literally, the Mandarin name means “Empty Heart Vegetable,” an homage to the unusual hollowness of the plant. Although most parts of the plants are edible, the leaves are usually separated from the roots as they require different cooking times.

Because of its hollowness, Water Spinach also has some unusual folklore. When I was growing up, I remember my dad telling me an intricate love story that culminated in tragedy and tears (as so many love stories do). I don’t remember all the details, as the last thing an 8-year-old boy wants to do is listen to his father’s stories, but at the end of the tale, the unlucky hero cried tears of a broken heart. The Empty Heart Vegetable sprung up where his tears fell. Quite poetic! I wish I had listened better now.

8 Comments

Posted in : Chinese,Saute,Vegetarian

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Chinese Braised Ribs

Simple Tomato Sauces: Pepperoncini, Salami and Mozzarella

Simple Tomato Sauces: Bacon, Rosemary, Basil

Kale, Potato, and Sausage Soup

Pad Thai

How to Steam Artichokes

Grilled Chicken Breast stuffed with Basil and Pecorino

Beef Tenderloin Stuffed with Mushrooms and Onions

Ginger Beef w/ Broccoli

Water Spinach (Ong Choy/ Kong Xin Cai) and Ground Pork