Japanese and Chinese breads are well known and loved because they are deliciously soft and fluffy. When Yvonne Chen published The 65 C Bread Doctor, she made the water roux method (tang zhong) very popular. I tried two other highly rated asian bread recipes before attempting this and the water roux method (tang zhong) was, by far, the best. My family absolutely loved it. This results in bread very similar to those sold in Hong Kong (Cantonese/Chinese) bakeries. By changing the way you shape the bread and by adding various ingredients, you can use this as your base for all sorts of buns and breads. For example, see my instructions for Chinese bakery hot dog buns here. Coming soon: recipes for Chinese bakery pineapple buns and cocktail buns.
Posts Tagged ‘food’
Asian Bread Making Technique (Soft Chinese / Japanese Bread)
In Baked Bread, Breads on February 7, 2011 at amHow to Make Bread Flour and Cake Flour Substitutions
In How-To on February 5, 2011 at am
I have containers upon containers (upon containers) of different dry ingredients overcrowding my pantry, cupboards, and counter top. I’m embarrassed to admit that they’ve overflowed into closets and random corners of the rest of my apartment too. Just to name the different types of flour that I have: all purpose, bread, cake, whole wheat, stone ground whole wheat, organic whole wheat, semolina, rice, glutinous rice, potato, tapioca, corn (as well as corn meal), corn starch, wheat starch, and vital wheat gluten. I actually have a post card that says “I dream of storage space” on my fridge (photo above). 🙂 So when I discovered simple substitutions for bread flour and cake flour, I was overly excited! haha I love decluttering and now I’ll never have to buy cake or bread flour again. Recipes below.
Chinese New Year Steamed Cake (nian gao)
In Asian Desserts on February 3, 2011 at amNian gao is a steamed cake that is traditionally eaten at Chinese New Year. During the 2 week long celebration, nian gao is often given and received as gifts. It is a vegan cake made with glutinous rice flour (also known as sticky rice flour). Since it does not contain eggs or baking powder/soda, it has a chewy, dense, and slightly sticky texture. It really only tastes good when served hot, either from the steamer or pan fried (see photo below). Also, note that nian gao is not meant to be very sweet (but you can use more sugar if you’d like). There are variations of nian gao that you could try (ie. using coconut milk) and there are very good baked nian gao cakes too (see my recipe here). The recipe below is for the plain, traditional steamed cake.
(Another steamed cake that is often enjoyed at Chinese New Year is turnip cake. See my improved recipe here.)
Photo below: Slices of the nian gao are coated in raw egg and pan fried in a little bit of oil. But some people prefer to omit the egg and pan fry the nian gao directly in the oil.
Best Blueberry or Cranberry Bran Muffins
In Breakfast on February 1, 2011 at amI really like muffins but I avoid buying them because they’re deceivingly high in calories from fat and sugar. Since muffins are convenient for breakfast, I decided to make healthy muffins. Besides containing a lot of fiber, health-benefiting sweeteners (molasses, cane syrup, honey) are used over the typical white or brown sugars. Vital wheat gluten and buttermilk give these muffins a soft and moist texture. Bursts of fresh fruit help too, but feel free to substitute with raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips. These are freezer friendly, so you’re not resigned to eating healthily every day for two weeks. 😉 (Photo of the cranberry orange bran muffins are at the bottom of this post.)
Quick and Easy Chicken Pesto “Pizza” on Bread
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on January 30, 2011 at am
I roast chicken breasts often because they’re a healthy source of protein. However, I find them bland and boring. So I’m always looking for flavourful ways to use the leftovers. One day, I was craving chicken pesto pizza, but didn’t have the time, energy, or the motivation to make pizza dough. So, I threw together a few things that I had on hand and put them on toast. It was so delicious that I started roasting chicken breasts just for this. When I’m really lazy, I use the microwave to melt the cheese so dinner literally takes seconds to make.
Quick and Easy Salmon and Asparagus Penne
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on January 28, 2011 at amSince I started taking professional courses outside of work, cooking regularly during the work week has been a challenge. So I used this as an opportunity to try various foods that I wouldn’t normally buy. For example, I discovered that I like canned Atlantic salmon. It’s closer to fresh salmon than canned tuna is to fresh tuna, in my opinion. I used it in this quick and easy, delicious pasta dish. Even Ed liked it and he doesn’t usually like cream-based sauces. Feel free to substitute the asparagus with any vegetables that you like.
Review of Princess Cruise Line Food
In Reviews on January 26, 2011 at amTo see a video tour of the cruise ship galley (kitchen) and some interesting facts, see here.
I went on a cruise for the first time in August, 2010 and I loved it way more than I thought I would. Krystal and I traveled to the East coast of Canada and USA (New England) with the Princess Cruise line on the Caribbean Princess ship. We were told that the average passenger gains 12 pounds on this 1 week long cruise. You’ll see why from my review of the food below.
(In January, 2012, Krystal, Ed and I cruised to the Western Caribbean with the Royal Caribbean line on the Liberty of the Seas ship. Although the Royal Caribbean ships have some advantages over the Princess ships, the food and service fell short in comparison. I’ve written a brief review of the Royal Caribbean line in comparison to Princess here.)
Important Note About the Coffee:
When we were in the buffet, a crew member refilled the coffee station with a dark brown coffee syrup. So be warned that the complimentary coffee from the buffets and dining rooms are not brewed from beans. It is, however, freshly brewed at the cafes and lounges, but you have to pay extra.
Tour of a Cruise Ship Galley (Kitchen)
In Random on January 25, 2011 at amHere’s the link to the video of the tour.
To see my review of the Princess Cruise line food in comparison to the Royal Caribbean line, see here.
In August, 2010, Krystal and I traveled to the East coast of Canada and USA with the Princess Cruise line. We were on the Caribbean Princess ship. There are three galleys (kitchens) where food is prepared for 3100 people (more than 1100 of which are crew members). The ship has one main galley for each restaurant and a third galley for the buffet lines. On the day at sea, the executive chef put on a cooking demonstration that was followed by a tour of one of the two main cruise ship galleys. I was very excited about this rare opportunity and got up early for it on our only day to sleep in. Krystal wasn’t quite as excited as I was. 😉 I took a video of the walk through (link posted at the top of this page) and as you can see, the huge kitchen is spotless. The ship was launched in 2004 and the staff have clearly taken very good care of the appliances and surfaces. I wish I could have witnessed the organized chaos of this galley during service.
Most of the initial food preparation is actually done outside of the galleys. Below is a list of those areas and a few interesting numbers:
Curried Beef Brisket, Tendons and Daikon Radish
In Meat and Eggs on January 23, 2011 at am
We love ordering braised beef brisket on rice or soup noodles from Cantonese (Chinese) restaurants and cafes. One of the variations that we like is the curried one. The best parts are the connective tissue and the tendons that get broken down and become soft and chewy. 🙂 (See the plain, braised beef brisket and tendons recipe here.) If you have leftover daikon radish, see here for a list of other recipes.
Braised Beef Brisket, Tendons and Daikon Radish (Chinese Restaurant Style)
In Meat and Eggs on January 21, 2011 at am
We love ordering braised beef brisket (nguw lam / ngow lam) from Cantonese (Chinese) restaurants and cafes. It is served over rice or noodles in soup. The best parts are the connective tissue and the tendons that get broken down and become soft and chewy. 🙂 Although it’s very easy to make, I had failed several times to recreate the restaurant flavour. Then I heard that the secret ingredient is chee hou sauce, so I bought a jar and tried again. It was exactly what I had been missing (other than MSG). The closest substitution that I can think of is hoisin sauce, but chee hou is more acidic, has more punch, and tastes more like fermented black beans. So, I don’t recommend substituting anything for chee hou. (See my curried braised beef brisket and tendons recipe here.) If you have leftover daikon radish, see here for a list of other recipes.
Cranberry and Almond Cake (2 variations)
In Cakes on January 19, 2011 at am
I was still craving cranberries after the holidays, so I did more baking while I could still get them fresh. This cake looks beautiful and has a light flavour. It is moist, dense, and subtly sweet with delicious bursts of juicy and tart cranberries. I’ve made this two ways by making a tiny adjustment. The first time I made this, I used amaretto like the original recipe suggested. Personally, I don’t like artificial almond flavouring, so it was a bit overpowering for me. But if you like an almond flavoured cake, then use the amaretto because it provides a nicer flavour than almond extract would. If you’re like me, and prefer a simple pound cake base, use the milk instead.
Cranberry Sauce Recipe (it’s not just for turkey)
In Sides and Sauces on January 17, 2011 at amI love cranberry sauce with turkey, so I’m not sure why I waited so long to make it from scratch. I will never buy canned cranberry sauce again. It is very easy to make and can be made a few days ahead of time. I made it for Christmas, 2010 and Ed – who doesn’t like cranberry sauce – surprisingly really liked it. Now he understands why people pair cranberries with turkey. 🙂
The great thing about this cranberry sauce is that it’s not just for turkey. You could add it to baked brie crostini or baked brie on crackers, use it as an accompaniment for pâté de canard (duck pâté), spread this on top of cheesecake (garnish with almond slices), or use it as a filling for layer cake or trifle. You could even use this like jam on french toast, plain toast, pancakes, scones, muffins, or sandwiches.
Cooking with Alison 