Cooking with Alison

Posts Tagged ‘food’

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Tuna Ceviche / Tuna Tartare (and Wonton Cups Recipe)

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on April 7, 2010 at pm

I love eating raw fish so, of course, I love tuna tartare and tuna ceviche.  I’ve posted my two favourite versions of tuna ceviche / tartare below.  Tartare is a dish where raw fish or meat has been cut into small pieces and can be lightly seasoned.  Ceviche is a dish where raw fish or seafood has been cut into small pieces and “cooked” or marinated in lime or lemon juice.  These are really simple to make and are perfect for parties, because you can be creative with the presentation.  For example, you could serve these in spoons, martini glasses, or wonton cups (recipe below).  Also, you could make towers using round cookie cutters or ring molds and serve them on top of salad to make a very impressive appetizer.

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Congee

In Dim Sum, Rice and Noodle Dishes on April 6, 2010 at pm

Congee (jook) is Chinese rice porridge that can be served at any meal time (from breakfast to late night snack).  It can be a meal within itself or, if served plain, it can act as the rice substitute when eaten with meat and vegetable dishes.  Also, it is kind of like the Chinese equivalent to the Western chicken soup cold/flu remedy.  Congee is made by boiling rice in excess water.  Depending on the region in China, the texture, wateriness, seasoning, and accompanying side dishes of congee vary significantly.  So make it to your taste.  I like it all ways but I prefer congee that has been boiled until the rice breaks down, becomes very soft, and results in a slightly watery, semi-thick porridge.  Sometimes, I use my immersion blender to give the congee a smooth, homogenized consistency.

The best accompaniment for any congee is deep fried dough sticks (you tiao / yau char kwai). When I’m eating plain congee (on its own and not as a rice substitute), my favourite side dishes are the flavourful and cost effective salted duck eggs (see recipe here), spicy fermented bean curd, preserved vegetables with chili (ie. radish or turnip), pickled lettuce stems, or shredded dried pork (also known as meat floss).  I also love ground white pepper in my congee. To make plain congee, use my recipe below but omit the pork and preserved duck egg.

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Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar

In Other Desserts on April 5, 2010 at pm

I first tried this unique combination of strawberries with balsamic vinegar 3 years ago.  I was hesitant at first, but was surprised at how much I liked it.  I ate it regularly for several months.  Then I got sick of it and completely forgot about it until now.  So when strawberries went on sale last week, I bought some and made this again.  I’ve tried this using white granulated sugar in comparison to icing sugar and I prefer the flavour of granulated sugar.  I love serving strawberries in balsamic vinegar with vanilla ice cream when entertaining.  I like eating them on their own too.

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Lasagna Rolls

In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on April 4, 2010 at pm

These are perfect for entertaining.  They taste great, they’re easy to make and they look incredibly elegant for lasagna.  Since the lasagna is rolled into individual portions, these are great for pot lucks too.

Picture below right: Before going into the oven.

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Chicken and Celery Stir Fry

In Meat and Eggs on April 3, 2010 at pm

I only ever buy celery when I’m entertaining (ie. veggie platters, dippers, caesars) or when I need it for specific recipes.  So I always have trouble finishing a whole bunch of celery.  That’s usually when I put it into a stir fry.  It adds a nice crunch.  You can make a stir fry with any meat and vegetable combination that you like, so feel free to add nuts and/or other vegetables like carrots and mushrooms.

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Camembert Cheesecake with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on April 2, 2010 at pm

I made these mini cheesecakes a few years ago for a holiday pot luck with co-workers.  Several people asked for the recipe, so I knew it was a success.  I made them again for my 100th Post Party.  It would also make an incredibly sophisticated entree for a dinner party or a special occasion.  The great thing about this recipe is that it can be made up to 2 days in advance.

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White Bean Puree Crostini

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on April 1, 2010 at pm

Growing up, my mother made – very regularly – a healthy Chinese bean soup that I really really didn’t like.  The memory alone was enough to turn me off of beans in general for many many years.  But I’ve decided that they can’t all be bad, so I’m giving them another chance by cooking my way through different types.  For example, it turns out that my aversion to all things bean-like was misdirected towards lima beans (Lima Bean Soup recipe here).  So for my Cooking with Ali’s 100th post party, I tested out navy beans by making a white bean puree and serving it on toasted slices of baguette.  The sweetness and texture of the onions is perfect in this simple bean spread.  I also love that the subtle flavour of the garlic takes a few seconds to surface.  My guests really liked it too.  I owe you an apology, navy bean, for 2 decades of misjudgment.

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Shrimp Salad on Endive Recipe (plus a Wonton Cups Recipe)

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on March 31, 2010 at pm

This was one of the hors d’oeuvres that I made for my 100th Post Party.  I love shrimp salad and this was my first time serving it in endive leaves (also called endive spears or endive boats).  The crunchiness of the endive paired really well with the creaminess of the shrimp salad.  It was also easy for my guests to eat and it looked very elegant.  Another option is to serve this shrimp salad in wonton cups.  I had excess shrimp salad so I made some wonton cups for that (recipe below).

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Chocolate Fountain (100th Post!)

In Other Desserts on March 30, 2010 at pm

When I moved into my apartment in 2008, I got a Rival chocolate fountain (and a poker table) before I even had living / dining room furniture or curtains in my bedroom.  I had to go through the hassle of returning 2 machines that did not work before I finally brought one home that did.  As you can tell from my persistence, I was really set on owning one of these things  🙂  Clearly, the Rival model isn’t of the best quality, but I’ve used mine more times than I can remember, so I still recommend it.  The motor is just now finally starting to die.  It’s perfect for parties of Any occasion and you can dip strawberries, banana slices, pear slices, shortbread cookies, marshmallows, cookies, large pretzels, rice krispies squares (recipe here), etc.  To make the chocolate, I buy bags of Hershey’s chocolate chips from Costco and follow the instructions that came with the machine.  I tried using this as a cheese fountain too but it didn’t work as advertised.

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Steamed Chinese BBQ Pork Bun

In Dim Sum on March 29, 2010 at pm

Chinese BBQ pork buns (char siu bao) are a very popular Chinese dim sum dish.  Dim sum refers to various types of small dishes that are served with tea during the meal, yum cha (“drinking tea time”), which starts early in the morning and ends between noon and 3 pm, depending on the restaurant.  (Check out the other dim sum recipes that I have posted in the Asian – Dim Sum category.)

Chinese BBQ pork buns were the first steamed buns that I ever made from scratch.  I couldn’t believe how well they turned out.  The buns are soft and fluffy, and just like the restaurants’.  I’ve been making steamed buns ever since (check out my chicken steamed buns and pork steamed buns recipes).  Note that the filling in the restaurants have red food colouring in them.  You can do this at home too but I prefer not to.

For the baked BBQ pork buns that you can buy in Asian bakeries, see here.

Pictures below from top moving counter clockwise:  steamed BBQ pork buns; buns before going into steamer; and buns after coming out of the steamer.

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Vietnamese Deep Fried Wings

In Meat and Eggs on March 28, 2010 at pm

I am in love with Asian deep fried wings, because they’re not battered like the ones you typically get in Western restaurants, bars or pubs.  My favourite Asian wings come from a Vietnamese restaurant that my family and I have frequented for over a decade.  We go only for their wings, which could not be any simpler.  They’re deep fried until the skin is crispy, yet light, with perfectly moist meat, and they’re served with lime wedges and a dip that’s simply salt and pepper mixed together.

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Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

In Cupcakes on March 27, 2010 at pm

I first discovered the concept of cheesecake cupcakes when I made and fell head over heels in love with Peaches and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes (recipe here).  I love Hershey’s cookies and cream chocolate bars so when I saw these in Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes book, I knew I had to try them.  I really like the crunchy cookie base.  It’s the perfect contrast in texture to the smooth and creamy cheesecake on top.

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