Confessions of A Wanna Be Cook

Photo

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:30:33 -0700

Note: Being in China it’s hard for me to know...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 22:30:00 -0700

Note:

Being in China it’s hard for me to know what’s in everything I make. But I do this all the time. You can do the exact same thing with coffee. And you don’t need ice. I make mine hot. It’s good for those cold days.

Also you can make this with even less cal. I fill my cup about 75% to 90% with tea or coffee then add about 1-3 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk. Works like a charm.

S’mores Pudding Shots Ingredients: 1 (3 1/2 ounce)...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 22:00:47 -0700

S’mores Pudding Shots

Ingredients:

1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka
8 ounces extra Cool Whip
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup Marshmallow Fluff
1 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar

For full recipe click here.

QUite useful. The site suggests printing it and putting it on...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:30:59 -0700

QUite useful. The site suggests printing it and putting it on your fridge.

sinophilia: RISE AND SHINE, IT’S BREAKFAST TIME! - PART 2...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:30:42 -0700

sinophilia:

RISE AND SHINE, IT’S BREAKFAST TIME! - PART 2

Mántou(馒头) and Bāozi(包子) (Hot buns)

If you’re just craving some good old-fashioned bread, look no further than a stand selling mantou……

or baozi…..

Mantou is a steamed block of dough that dates back to the Qin dynasty (220 B.C.). The real pleasure of feasting on mantou comes with its necessity to eat it with your hands.

Baozi essentially is the evolution of mantou and is another steamed bun. Their sizes vary. Xiaobao (小包) are only about 3 cm in length and are typically eaten with chopsticks. Dabao (大包) are larger, up to 10 cm. The only caution with these breads is to be wary of surprises. You never know when you’ll encounter “surprise” meat, red bean, vegetables or rice. Variations of baozi can be seen regionally within China, including Tianjin’s 狗不理包子(gǒubulǐ bāozi) and Shanghai’s 小笼包 (xiălóngbāo).

Want to make your own mantou or baozi? Start kneading with a recipe HERE.

Tomorrow, we will continue exploring the Beijing breakfast with:
Fried bread and soy milk - yóutiáo (油条) and dòuzhī (豆汁).

See all posts in the RISE AND SHINE, IT’S BREAKFAST TIME! series HERE.

(Serialized from THE WORLD OF CHINESE)

Fig Dessert Cup Ingredients: 6 sheets lavash flat bread, cut in...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:01:00 -0700

Fig Dessert Cup

Ingredients:

6 sheets lavash flat bread, cut in half
12 fresh figs
1 tablespoon canola oil (I used a spray), as needed
12 fresh bay leaves (optional), slightly bruised
4 teaspoons maple syrup, to taste
½ (3.4-ounce) package instant pistachio pudding, as needed
1 dozen unsalted pistachio kernels, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for garnish

For full recipe click here.

Chocolate Wasted Cake Ingredients for Cake: 3 cups all-purpose...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:30:45 -0700

Chocolate Wasted Cake

Ingredients for Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk*
1 cup butter, melted*
4 tsp. honey*
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Ingredients for frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/3-1/2 cup whole milk (start out with 1/3 cup of milk and add more milk to your desired consistency)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
liqueur for drizzling on the cake layers (i.e. chocolate, coffee or almond)

Ingredients for melted chocolate for drizzling:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream or 1/4 cup vegetable oil
semi-sweet, bittersweet or dark chocolate chips for the sides of the cake

For full recipe click here.

Chocolate Passionfruit Banoffee PieIngredients for Chocolate...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:00:49 -0700

Chocolate Passionfruit Banoffee Pie

Ingredients for Chocolate Pastry:

160g plain flour
30g cocoa
80g caster sugar
80g cold unsalted butter, diced
1 egg

Ingredients for Passionfruit Toffee Caramel

200g caster sugar
50ml passionfruit pulp (seeds strained)
80g salted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
125ml thickened cream

Ingredients for Caramel Bananas

3 bananas, cut into slices
Brown sugar

To serve

Whipped cream
Passionfruit pulp, optional
Chocolate shavings

For full recipe click here.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Macaroon Torte Ingredients for...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:31:00 -0700

Chocolate-Hazelnut Macaroon Torte

Ingredients for Macaroons:

Oil or butter for greasing parchment rounds
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams) granulated sugar
6 large egg whites
2 1/2 cups hazelnuts (about 12 ounces or 340 grams), toasted, then skinned as much as possible*
1/4 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract**

Ingredients for Chocolate Filling:

6 ounces (170 grams or the equivalent of 1 cup chips) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso granules (optional)

Ingredients for Whipped Frosting and Filling:

1 1/2 cups chilled heavy or whipping cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Frangelico or another hazelnut liqueur or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract**

Decoration:

A semi- or bittersweet chocolate bar for shaving (optional)

For full recipe click here.

sinophilia: RISE AND SHINE, IT’S BREAKFAST TIME! - PART 1 In...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:30:20 -0700

sinophilia:

RISE AND SHINE, IT’S BREAKFAST TIME! - PART 1

In honour of National Breakfast Day on March 18th, McDonalds in Shanghai gave away a record 1000 Egg McMuffins in five and a half hours. The breakfast sandwich revolution mirrors other fast food trends in China, from the grande mocha latte at Starbucks to the egg tarts at KFC. Luckily, however, the big-frys have not taken over breakfast….. yet. While the Chinese market for fast food is valued at 87.7 billion RMB, only 21 percent of this type of food is consumed for breakfast.

Instead, you just might find the best breakfast food served at home, by the streetside or at the end of a hutong in a snack bar (小吃店 xiăochī diàn). Unlike Western breakfasts, a Chinese breakfast is light, but filling. Instead of “breaking” from the night’s “fast,” a Chinese “morning meal” (早餐 zǎocān or 早饭 zǎofàn) is simply the first meal to kick-start your day (hence the sun radical in those characters).

What meal you chow down on depends on region and season. Generally, a Cantonese breakfast includes sit-down yam cha (饮茶 yĭn chá), featuring a variety of little dishes known as dim sum (点心 diănxin). Southwestern cuisine favors spicy noodles. Northern provinces eat all the wheat: fried, steamed and twisted. When in season, everyone’s favorite treat is a block of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo (粽子 zŏngzi).

I have featured a favourite of mine, China’s fried pancake (煎饼 jiānbing) previously (see that post HERE), but check out these other Beijing basics……

Zhōu(粥 ) and Xīfàn(稀饭) (aka Congee)

Whether it’s called zhou, xifan, mitang (米汤, rice soup) or shuifan (水饭, water rice), there is no way around it - this is the poor man’s porridge. Essentially rice boiled down with water, zhou has a soup-like texture and plain taste. For many, zhou is a staple food and ode to days past. The Xia Dynasty started growing millet more than 8,000 years ago and today people celebrate with the La Ba Rice Porridge Festival.

However, not all zhou is created equal. It is said that “all zhou is xifan, but not all xifan is zhou.” Xifan is zhou at its most basic, usually consisting of water, plain rice and sometimes beans. Zhou’s varieties include “eight treasure congee” (八宝粥 bābăo zhōu), shredded pork (肉松粥 ròusōng zhōu), preserved egg and meat (皮蛋瘦肉粥 pídàn shòu ròu zhōu) and corn (玉米粥 yùmĭ zhōu).

While some may cringe at eating a hearty helping of gruel, adding buckwheat, oats and nuts makes zhou not only tastier, but healthier, too. It is a great dish for diabetics and for anyone wanting to improve their brain, heart and liver. Some even say that babao zhou is the perfect hangover cure.

Click HERE for a recipe.

Tomorrow, we will continue exploring the Beijing breakfast with:
Hot buns - mántou (馒头) and bāozi (包子).

(Serialized from THE WORLD OF CHINESE)

Dark Chocolate and Banana Truffles Ingredients for Centers: 6...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:00:38 -0700

Dark Chocolate and Banana Truffles

Ingredients for Centers:

6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (from about 1 small banana)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Coating:

8 ounces chopped dark chocolate or chocolate candy coating, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons unflavored vegetable shortening or cocoa butter, optional

For full recipe click here.

Chocolate Kumquat Tartlets Ingredients for Chocolate Sable...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 22:30:23 -0700

Chocolate Kumquat Tartlets

Ingredients for Chocolate Sable Dough:

4 ounces butter, room temp
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted 1/2 cup + 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Ingredients for Kumquat Chocolate Ganache:

2 tablespoons kumquat zest
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces chocolate (63% and up)

Ingredients for Candied Kumquat:

12 slices of kumquat, seeds removed
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar

Giant Layered Cookie Cake Ingredients: 4 cups flour 1 1/2...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 22:00:29 -0700

Giant Layered Cookie Cake

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
3/4 heavy cream
2 cups chocolate chips
2 pounds (4 8-ounce packages) cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

For full recipe click here.

Meringue Nests with Basil Scented Strawberry-Rhubarb...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 21:30:41 -0700

Meringue Nests with Basil Scented Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients For the Nests:

3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar

Ingredients For the Basil Scented Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote:

1/2 lb strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered + ½ cup of strawberries, rinsed, hulled and chopped
1/2 lb of rhubarb
2 Tablespoons of honey
1 Tablespoon of water
3-4 whole basil leaves

Ingredients For the Whipped Cream

1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

For full recipe click here.

Coconut and Mango Rice Pudding Pops Ingredients: One 15-ounce...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:05:04 -0700

Coconut and Mango Rice Pudding Pops

Ingredients:

One 15-ounce can coconut milk, shaken
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 cup short-grain or arborio rice
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large ripe mangos

For full recipe click here.

Photo

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:04:45 -0700

Green Beans with Sesame Dressing Ingredients: 300 gm green...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:00:25 -0800

Green Beans with Sesame Dressing

Ingredients:

300 gm green beans
35 gm toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp sugar
100 ml Yamasa soy sauce (or any kind of Japanese you like)
2 tsp mirin
salt, to taste

Find the full recipe here.

Lava Flow Ingredients: 46 oz. pineapple juice 40 oz coco lopez...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:30:34 -0800

Lava Flow

Ingredients:

46 oz. pineapple juice
40 oz coco lopez (cream of coconut)
1 pint half and half
ice
frozen strawberries in syrup
2 tablespoons water

Find the full recipe here.

Notes: I think this recipe could be improved by replacing the water with vodka.

Baked Churros Ingredients: 2 tablespoons light brown sugar,...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:30:52 -0800

Baked Churros

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup margarine or unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)

Find the full recipe here.

Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes Cupcake Ingredients: 1 1/2...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:53:03 -0800

Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Salted Caramel Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter cubed
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

For full recipe click here.