This Taiwanese popcorn chicken dish is called salt pepper chicken in Chinese (yan su ji). It makes for a delicious snack or it can be served with rice for dinner. My family used to order this every time we went to a particular Chinese restaurant in Markham, ON. It was so good that we sometimes ordered two of them. The best part of this dish is the garnish – deep fried thai basil leaves. Even though I haven’t had it in a very long time, I still think about it from time to time. So I finally got around to making it for myself. In the authentic version, Asian five spice powder is dominant, but personally I prefer to reduce it. Note: This recipe was recently updated and improved!
Archive for May, 2010|Monthly archive page
Four Different Sauces for Mushroom Ravioli
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs, Sides and Sauces on May 27, 2010 at pmI made ravioli from scratch for the first time (recipe here). For the filling, I used porcini, chanterelle, and lobster mushrooms with ricotta, parmesan and goat cheese. I wanted to make a sauce that would pair well with mushroom ravioli, but there were so many suitable (and delicious) options, that I couldn’t pick just one or two. So, I made 4 different sauces. They are all easy to make and range from simple and comforting to sophisticated and fancy.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #1 is a comforting and hearty tomato sauce. It is the simplest of the 4 recipes. The tomato contrasts the creamy mushroom filling nicely.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #2 is a rose sauce. It is the only cream based sauce and it’s fun to make because it involves setting vodka on fire. This sauce is very similar to the sauce that I make for my vodka penne (recipe here).
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #3 is a white wine and butter sauce that goes really well with the mushrooms. I like to serve this sauce over giant raviolis.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #4 is one of the simplest, yet the fanciest sauce that I’ve paired with mushroom ravioli. If only I could afford white truffles to go with this, because that’s how they serve it in some parts of Italy. I like to serve this browned butter over giant raviolis.
Photo above: Giant raviolis in White Wine Sauce
Wild Mushroom Ravioli (from scratch)
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on May 26, 2010 at pmI’ve been wanting to make ravioli from scratch for a long time now. When I received samples of dried mushrooms from Marx Foods (see my review here), I knew that they would be perfect in ravioli and, more importantly, I would finally get to use my brand new fluted pastry wheel. 🙂
Warm Mushroom Salad with Goats Cheese, Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
In Soups and Salads on May 25, 2010 at pmI love designing salads, because you can play with infinite [delicious] combinations of greens, fruits, vegetables, meats or eggs, seafood, nuts, seeds and dressings. You can be creative with textures, flavours, and visual interest. Salads are great for entertaining too, whether they are simple and relaxed or fancy and formal. When I received samples of dried mushrooms from Marx Foods, an online fine foods distributor, I decided to create a salad in their honour. See my review on Marx Foods here.
Review of Marx Foods’ Dried Mushrooms
In Reviews on May 23, 2010 at pmI discovered the online company, Marx Foods, recently. I had the privilege of trying samples of their dried mushrooms, for which I created the recipes, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Warm Mushroom Salad with Goats Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, and Gourmet Mushroom Risotto. This post will be updated as I make my way through the samples. This is my review of their mushrooms and my experience with their customer service. Note that I am not a professional and this review is based on my personal opinions only.
Company Information:
Marx Foods is an online store that sells fine foods in bulk. Until 2007, they only distributed their products to high-end restaurants. Luckily, they are now offering their restaurant quality products to everyone. They have an excellent assortment of products that range from gourmet salts and organic seeds and grains to pates, sausage and charcuterie. They even offer meats, seafood and truffles. The first rule of cooking is to use the best quality, freshest ingredients available to you. And regardless of your cooking level or taste in food, Marx Foods carries ingredients that you like and use regularly, as well as ingredients that you’ve been wanting to try. [I’m waiting for a special occasion to try their natural white truffle oil. Chef Michael Smith, whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting (post here), went to Italy in search of white truffles and I’ve been wanting to try them ever since.]
Stir Fried Shrimp and Eggs
In Meat and Eggs, Seafood on May 20, 2010 at pmIt is not uncommon to see egg dishes served at dinner in Chinese homes. This Chinese scrambled eggs with shrimp dish is one of my favourite dishes. As simple as it is, it might take you a few tries to get it right. The only difficulty lies in not overcooking the eggs (or the shrimp). It tastes best when the eggs are in thin sheets that are still wet and slightly runny. I like to keep the seasoning very light to enjoy the taste and simplicity of the two main ingredients.
Steamed Whole Chicken with Ginger Scallion Sauce
In Meat and Eggs on May 17, 2010 at pm
This is the simplest steamed whole chicken recipe. Not only is it incredibly healthy, it results in meat that is moist, smooth, and tender. Since this is served with flavourful dipping sauces, there is no need to pre-marinate the chicken, so it makes for an easy weeknight dinner. The ginger scallion dip (recipe below) is also very healthy. Update: Someone asked me how to steam cook a larger chicken – I recommend doing two or more rounds (as necessary) of steaming with the heat on followed by steaming with the heat off.
I can’t help but think of my family (and laugh) whenever I make this. This almost never makes it to the table when my mom makes it for dinner. I have to give her credit for being persistent; She spent years trying to fight us off of the chicken while she prepared the other dishes. Whenever her attention was diverted, the four of us would descend like savages and run off with large chunks of chicken. She finally gave up a few years ago, and started steaming 2 chickens – one as an appetizer and one to last through dinner. 🙂 Read the rest of this entry »
Meeting Chef Michael Smith
In Random on May 14, 2010 at pm
Chef Michael Smith is a Canadian chef that has several TV shows – Chef at Home, Chef Abroad, Chef at Large, and The Inn Chef. I think it was his “cooking without a recipe” approach that first made him ‘TV famous’. On October 26, 2009, he came to Queen’s University in Kingston, ON, Canada, to promote his new cookbook, The Best of Chef at Home. I went to see him at Leonard Hall cafeteria where he was serving bowls of chicken stew, and I was so excited when he personally handed me one.
Baked Chinese BBQ Pork Bun
In Baked Bread on May 10, 2010 at pmBaked Chinese BBQ pork buns (char siu bao) are sold in all Asian bakeries. These were the first Chinese baked breads that I ever tried making from scratch. They are very easy to make. For the steamed BBQ pork buns that you get at dim sum, see here.
Favourite Funnel Cake Recipe
In Cakes, Other Desserts on May 8, 2010 at pm
For years, I bought the season pass for Canada’s Paramount Wonderland just so I could eat the funnel cake there. I would eat two by myself each time I went. I’ve tried funnel cakes elsewhere, but no one does it like they do at Wonderland. After trying 4 different recipes, this version is my favourite. It is best served with icing sugar, soft serve frozen yogurt (the kind you get at McDonald’s) and strawberry sauce, although just a plain funnel cake with icing sugar is good too.
Chinese (lo sui) Chicken or Duck Wings and Eggs
In Meat and Eggs on May 6, 2010 at pmIn Chiu Chow (Chinese) cuisine, a master sauce is used to make many delicious dishes. Foods that range from boiled eggs to pork belly and whole ducks are cooked in a pot of this sauce. It is called lo sui / lu shui, which translates to “old water”. In restaurants, once the sauce is made up in a pot, it never gets replaced, only replenished. The juices from the meats that are cooked in the sauce get added back to the pot and more spices are added as needed. Some restaurants are said to have used the same old water sauce for more than 75 years. The sauce tastes better with age. Keep in mind that it’s boiled frequently, so there are no concerns over bacteria. To recreate this master sauce at home, you should store your sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you’re not using it regularly, then you should bring it to a boil for several minutes, once every three weeks. Or you could freeze it. I haven’t made my own lo sui / lu shui sauce from scratch yet. Eventually I will. Meanwhile, I use the store bought “Chinese Marinade” by the brand Lee Kum Kee as the base for my master sauce. I love using this to make chicken or duck wings and the wings taste great cold too.
Soft Polenta (3 Ways)
In Sides and Sauces on May 3, 2010 at pmFirm polenta is perfect for hors d’oeuvres, fancy looking meals, and parties. But I prefer to eat soft polenta. Soft polenta is a simple side dish made with cornmeal. It also makes a fantastic substitute for rice or pasta when served with saucy or flavourful or meaty (or vegetarian) dishes such as stews, ragu, etc. A friend introduced it to me a few years ago when I was at her place for dinner. She served it with melted cheese and sour cream and I could not get enough of it. Prior to that, I didn’t think that polenta was eaten in any other texture than firm. I’ve been making soft polenta regularly ever since. (See my shrimp on polenta recipe here.)
I have posted two different recipes for soft polenta. The first is very basic and light, and I’ve included 2 different ways to serve it. The second is a rich, creamy, and heavier polenta recipe.
Cooking with Alison 
