middle of the day snack: gyoza

i was bored and hankering for homemade potstickers/gyoza, here's the recipe from before except this time, i modified the recipe a bit as well as the cooking technique. i added very very finely chopped savoy cabbage as well as leeks and jalapeno's into the mixture. i also browned them on both sides and used less water to steam. gave the potsticker a chewier texture and much enjoyed. i also picked up a few store-bought gyoza's from the store to do a compare and contrast. those were tasty too, but homemade clearly hit the spot.

kitchen doorknobs: fudge

visit kitchen doorknobs for this month's fudge challenge ... white chocolate peanut butter oreo fudge. sticks to the top of your mouth goodness:

a spot of pho ...

a quick review: pho so 1, dorchester, ma ... at the corner of dorchester ave and adams street on the south side of boston. a couple of weeks ago, i took a quick road trip down to the dc area and when i'm in the area, i usually always hit up eden center in falls church va. it's the mecca in the dc area for all things vietnamese. thousands upon thousands of square feet of edible vietnamese goodness, it's like an amusement park of food. i usually always have a good time there, and leave with a very fully belly, but for some reason this time, something was quite lacking. i cam back to boston still hankering for vietnamese, and when that's the case, pho usually hits the spot. i went searching, and ended up on yelp. there are a number of pho/vietnamese places in boston - specifically in allston or chinatown, but there's also a large concentration in dorchester. i took a ride down to dorchester one monday during the week and found pho so 1, from a picking of about 5 different places on yelp. it was a cold bitter day, pho hit the spot, pho so 1 definitely hit the spot. the restaurant itself is pretty clean, tables are set, and my feet don't stick to the floor, nor the chairs, a good sign. the menu itself isn't as expansive as other vietnamese places i've been, worrisome? i think not, it may just mean they do the few things they serve well, at least i hope. the pho came out, and i had no complaints, broth was clear, aromatic, thinly sliced top round mixed with the right amount of beef balls. the obligatory plate of bean sprouts, asian basil were crisp not wilted ... i of course consumed this xlarge bowl of pho with reckless abandonment ... and subsequently came back a few more times for more. i've tried a few other things on the menu, worth trying but stick to the pho.

if you want another place for pho not in chinatown, head for pho so 1.

the underground rice paper market ...

when i was younger, my aunt or granparents would get these stacks of special rice paper. my cousins and i used to make this concoction of lime juice, lots of very very hot thai chili peppers and soy sauce. recently i was craving these things, it's odd, i know, but i had to have them. my cousin lan didn't know where to get them either so we turn to my aunt, di em (pronounced yee-ahm). anyhow i guess it's not as simple as rolling up to a store or something, telling them how many sheets you'd like and being on your way. nope. it seems these things are only produced in the back alleys and secret basements of the southern california underground (kidding). she calls someone, tells them how much she wants and then picks them up from their house. beelan noted that once these people die or move, my connection is going to be a tad screwed.

unlike normal rice paper (probably the white kind everyone is aware of), this kind is a bit tougher, you have to really wet it with warm water. it's a tad sweet, maybe slight sour/salty. it pairs well with the spicy sauce that it gets dipped in. i honestly have never ever seen it used for anything else, outside of my grandpa making ginormous egg, sausage burritos in the morning once in a while. i can't imagine an eggroll or springroll made of this stuff, a bit too tough. it's a funky, tasty snack, although my concoction this time comprised of a lot too many habanero's, but it is quite tasty. so i was lucky lately, on a trip to the west coast for work, my aunt delivered me some. i guess i should stock up.

what i ate today ...

i flew into la on sunday and was fortunate enough to spend some time and meet up with some friends and family. first up was the vietnamese noodle bar in glendale. it's yet another one of these locales where there are no signs on the storefront, just a simple number, no other markings. weird la'ians.

ordered up the shrimp eggrolls, a shrimp crepe, and bun bo (almost dry noodle soup). food was fantastic! eggrolls were piping hot and delicious.



crepe was crispy and tasty although my mother would probably say they were not exactly flavorful therefore not authentic.



and the bun bo, well i was disappointed when they brought the bowl out, because in my younger years when my mother or grandmother made this dish, it always came out with this deep caramel golden/reddish brown color. this serving was pale, stark, grey-ish. aesthetics aside, it was absolutely delicious!!!



well, after lunch, i headed down to westminster to see my grandparents and cousins, of course to eat! this time it was at brodard restaurant. i ordered the usual vietnamese fare of: eggrolls, summer rolls:


a bowl of meatball (nem nuong) noodles:


as well as munching off many orders on the table of nem nuong spring rolls, which were absolutely delicious:


all in all, i pretty much spent the day eating, it was quite delicious and i would love to return back to both locations ...

i am addicted to dumplings ...

i absolutely love chinese dumplings, the pork and chives ones. homemade ones though include a lot of bite in the habanero form.

pork dumplings/pot stickers
- 1lb ground pork
- scallions
- cilantro
- ginger
- 2 tbsp hot garlic chili paste
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1.5 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3/4 cup very finely chopped savoy cabbage
- 2 habaneros very finely chopped
- chopped chives
- pepper
- wonton wrappers (or make your own, takes too long though)

i actually find that putting all the ingredients into a food processor works best (not the wonton wrappers though) and mix. combine in order though, i usually put scallions, cilantro, habanero, ginger, garlic, and cabbage in first to get a properly sized fine chop, then add in the remaining ingredients.

find a comfy seat, with a small bowl of water and some wet paper towels. put about 3/4 tbsp of the mixture into a wonton wrapper and crimp. repeat. repeat about 100 times. when complete, i usually place them all on a tray and put into the freezer to zap them right away, so i can store them (of course leaving some aside to enjoy right away).

to cook, place 6-8 into a small frying pan on high heat. put about 1tbsp of vegetable oil (i use cook spray and a non-stick pan). fry for about 2-3 mins on each side, or until a big brown. add in enough water to fill bottom of pan and cover 1/3 up the dumpling. cover with a tight lid and do not remove lid for 3-4 mins. plate and server with dipping sauce below.



dipping sauce:
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup black vinegar
- 1 very finely chopped habanero
- 1tbsp garlic chili paste
- 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
- finely chopped chives, cilantro, and mint too
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce

combine. yeah, that's all, combine!

a small hint of summer ...

somehow some tomatoes are available, as are avocados, perhaps from chili?

lump crab napoleon with pesto vinaigrette and herb goat cheese ...

- handful of grape tomatoes (or vine ripe/heirloom if you can find some)
- basil, lots of basil
- lump crab (maryland blue crab is best, again if you can find some)
- your favorite herb goat cheese
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- extra virgin olive oil
- white vinegar
- 1 tbsp maille mustard
- parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper
- honey

coarsely chop a handful of grape tomatoes with 3 basil leaves, add a bit of salt, put into a round form and pop into the fridge while preparing the rest. add about 20-25 basil leaves into a blender, add in olive oil, vinegar, honey, 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, mustard and about 3 grape tomatoes. blend well. remove the tomato form from fridge, place onto a plate, top with lump crap and sliced avocado. add as much pesto vinaigrette surrounding the tomatoes as you prefer, crumble goat cheese.

it may be freezing outside, but it's a taste of summer!

stromboli is good ...

quick and easy dinner, stromboli! just take some pizza dough, a small bit of your favorite tomato sauce (homemade) and a choice of meat - i use pepperoni ... assemble, roll and bake.

pie is good ...

thanksgiving pie, apple cranberry, it's quite good ... not too sweet, not too tart, just the perfect mix.

- 6 granny smith apples
- 1 cup of sugar, split into four (1/4's)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp apple jelly
- lemon zest
- 1 tbsp corn starch (and cold water)
- pie crust (make your own or buy some)

peel and cut apples, i prefer 8-slices per apple, lets apples hold their shape and not break down too much. place sliced apples into a mixing bowl, add in 1/4 cup sugar and mix. place apples into a colander and place colander over a bowl to let apples drain for 30 mins. do not discard the apple juices that drain.

while waiting for apples to drain, put cranberries, jelly, water, cinnamon (1 tsp), 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon zest into a saucepan. bring to a gentle bubble but do not let cranberries "pop" and break down, this should be no more than about 5 mins. turn off stove.

prepare a greased pie pan with pie crust. pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

once apples have drained for 30 mins, place back into mixing bowl, add in the other two parts of 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon (1/2 tbsp), corn starch/cold water mix, lemon juice and mix. add in cranberries using a slotted spoon, taking only the berries but not residual juices. combine. place apples into pie crust and top with other pie crust. cut slits into the top of the pie to let steam out.

take the drained apple juices and combine with the cranberry juices in the saucepan, set on medium high heat until mixture reduces down to a thin syrup, about 7-9 mins, do not let this overcook. remove from heat and brush this syrup onto the top of the pie.

place pie into oven, loosely covered with foil for 45 mins. remove foil from pie after 25 mins. watch pie to not burn crust.

prosciutto mozzarella salad ...

threw a few things together for dinner tonight, one of which was this salad. fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, very thinly sliced prosciutto, romaine leaves, drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette.

f/1.8 @ 50mm, 1/60sec-exposure, iso400, 0/6ev

peas, bacon, onions, savory goodness ...

i usually eat peas with just a bit of butter and i microwave them. saw this recently somewhere and thought it would be a great item to try. quite easy, fry up some bits of bacon, add in sliced onions and then a box of frozen or fresh peas.

f/2.8 @ 44m, 1/60sec-exposure, iso800, 0/6ev

roasted garlic tomatoes ...

i absolutely love tomatoes, i typically eat them raw, or as salsa, occasionally adding it to a recipe or making a red-sauce. adding a bit more flavor, i roasted tomatoes with a bit of garlic, olive oil and salt & pepper. very simple, yet very delicious.

f/4 @ 46mm, 1/20sec-exposure, iso500, 0/6ev

crispy potato galette ...

quite the simple recipe, can be used for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.

- 2 large yukon hold potatoes
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt & pepper

in a bake proof frying pan (or bake-ware you can skip the fry part), line the pan with one layer of the potatoes. sprinkle some salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. top with another layer of potatoes and repeat. complete with three layers. place on stove top and fry on medium heat for about 7-8 mins, this will set the galette. pour 1/3 cup light creme over top and add a bit more cheddar cheese. place into 375 oven for 15 mins.

f/2.8 @ 40mm, 1/80sec-exposure, iso800, 0/6ev

panda in a tin ...

co-worker made rice-crispy treats, except formed it into the shape of a panda. it's head for some reason ended up in a tin.

f/3.2 @ 46mm, 1/50sec-exposure, iso400, 0/6ev, flash fired

who doesn't love cheesy goodness ...

random post from recently. grilled cheese. perfect amount of cheese, bread, butter and a frying pan. who doesn't love grilled cheese?

f/3.2 @ 46mm, 1/50sec-exposure, iso800, 0/6ev

some of my favorite dishes ...

this month's entry for kitchen doorknobs ... mozzarella fritta and penne con pollo. see doorknob's link for recipes.

f/4.5 @ 50mm, 1/20sec-exposure, iso400, +1/3ev


f/2.8 @ 40mm, 1/30sec-exposure, iso400, +1/3ev

moist delicious chocolate cake ...

so last weekend as part of the doorknob throwdown i made my dishes, but also made myself one of my favorite chocolate cakes. the original recipe is a chocolate cake with chocolate/coffee frosting. while delicious, i prefer non-chocolate frostings, so i concocted a coconut butter cream frosting instead.

here's the recipe (modified from ina garten's chocolate cake recipe):

• 1 3/4c flour
• 2c sugar
• 1c cocoa powder
  
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp salt
• 1c buttermilk
• 1/2c veggie oil
• 3 eggs
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 1c deep dark rich french roast brewed hot coffee

sift dry ingredients and combine and set mixer on low. in a seperate bowl, combine all wet ingredients (except coffee). add wet into dry ingredients and once combined, slowly add in coffee. 350degree oven for about 30-35 mins. let cool.

frosting:

• 3 sticks of room temperature butter
• 1.5tsp vanilla extract
• 1c confectioners sugar
• 1.5tbsp cocunut syrup
  
• 1/3 cup coconut milk

in a mixer, mix butter on low, add in vanilla, coconut syrup and half sugar and allow to blend. slowly add in coconut milk and remaining sugar alternating between the two.

somehow i managed to not snap any pictures this past weekend of the cake i ate, but i did also make these as cupcakes previously and topped them with coconut:

start to finish ...

from the store to the table ... check out the monthly submission to the kitchen doorknobs food blog. a trip to the farmer's market and the finished product ...

... jalapeno corn bread with pulled pork
... bbq pulled pork tacos with homemade salsa, cucumber salad and spicy black beans























... see flickr set for originals and full set ...

bread pudding is good ...

tried out a new bread pudding recipe last week. nothing too complicated.

stale raisin bread (or raisin croissants) torn into a pan ... 9x9 pan here.

wet ingredients include: (3) large eggs, (5) large egg yolks, 5 cups of half and half (or cream and milk mixture), cinnamon, vanilla extract, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar (light)

mix in some golden raisins and brushed pecans into the the torn bread. pour in the wet ingredients above. bake in 350 oven inside a water bath covered for 45 mins, uncover and bake for another 40-45 mins.

serve warm or at room temperature with some creme englais and pure vanilla bean ice cream. i decided to bake with some ripe in season peaches on top (added them with 20 mins remaining to bake at the end).

f/2.8 @ 50mm, 5/8 sec shutter, iso250, +4/3ev

blueberry lemon cupcakes ...

had a batch of lemon cupcakes (per carter's request) and had frozen blueberries as well as strawberries, here's the concoction. simple recipe, use your favorite cake recipe add lemon zest and juice, find on web, buy a box ... top with blueberries, strawberries, sugar/brown sugar, corn starch to thicken.

f/4 @ 50mm, 1/4 sec shutter, +2ev, iso400; same properties for 2nd image except at 35mm. which one is preferable?