ethnic recipes

” More Rice ” 飯 – Fan (Chinese Steamed Rice)

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One of the comments to my ” Rice ” post yesterday came from one of my former
students at “Le Cordon Bleu”, Christine, who post’s at: The Perky Poppy Seed

Thank You Christine 🙂

” I was thinking about your class last night… so I made my Perfectly Steamed Rice

from Perky’s Le Cordon Bleu Notebook:) You might find it amusing to read…
it may bring back memories from class:) LOL:) “

Below find Christine’s post from The Perky Poppy Seed

Perfectly Steamed Rice from Perky’s Le Cordon Bleu Notebook

September 1, 2012 by The Perky Poppy Seed

Perfectly Steamed Rice from Perky’s Le Cordon Bleu Notebook

Tonight I thought I would share my Perfectly Steamed Rice from Perky’s Le Cordon Bleu Notebook. This recipe comes from my Cuisine Across Cultures Day 2 notes. My Chef … my oh my:) He was one of the best instructors at Le Cordon Bleu. Chef Susser would never accept excuses for anything. Things had to be done the way he said or forget it, you just wasted your time. Chef really taught us to do things properly and in an orderly fashion. Now, sometimes I thought he was a bit nuts… but… it all paid off in the long run. Chef Susser wanted to teach us things that would stay in our head forever. He wanted us to do things properly without thinking:) I am not sure about the other students, but he certainly gave me a whole new second nature! I never, and I mean never walk past a pot that is boiling without attempting to turn it down.. I never let a tomato get mushy when blanching…. I am always cognizant of the dishes that I dirty. I stop in the middle of things sometimes to clean them:) I am always aware of the rules of sanitation…. which I like to call the rules of sanity:) If at all possible, before anything I make a ” sample” to make sure that the outcome is going to be what I had anticipated. I have Chef Susser to thank for my second nature in all these areas and in all the other areas that he stamped on my brain. Before his class I had to think.. and in the kitchen thinking takes up valuable time.. time that just cannot be wasted on lolly gagging… Now I go into the kitchen and I am thinking but it is not about things that Chef Susser taught us, those I just DO!…:) Thank you, Chef Susser:) This one is for you:)

Now a word about the rice. This is the simplest no- fail way to do rice. I have done it with all sorts of rice. It always works:) It turns out just like the rice in Chinese restaurants. The other day my boyfriend wanted to buy pre-made rice in a microwave bag. Are you kidding? I told him there was no way I was paying that much money for rice! This recipe is great for making ahead and freezing in vacuum sealed pouches. It is also great for children, since there is no flavoring in it.. it is just rice, which most children like to eat. It is great anytime you want rice as a side dish. This rice is great for company, when it is soaking shower & finish setting the table… have a drink.. then make sure your silverware has no spots or fingerprints on it… make sure all the glasses are sparkling..( a newspaper is great for this.. http://theperkypoppy.com/2012/07/20/no-more-dirty-glass/ – check out my post on dirty glass- use a mixture of vinegar and water for your drinking glasses.) Then when and hour is up, drain the rice & bring to a boil; simmer for five minutes, then off heat and let sit for 10 minutes and that is it! That is it… Perky Perfection:)

Perfectly Steamed Rice from Perky’s Le Cordon Bleu Notebook

1 cup of rice makes 2.2 cups of rice

1 cup of rice ( for this you can use any kind of rice…the cheap rice at the grocery works..plain white rice (just make sure it is not par cooked.. basmati rice works.. jasmine rice, etc)
1 cup of water

Put rice in colander and rinse… rinse … rinse

See the cloudy water… this rice needs to be rinsed MORE!
Do not skimp on this step (if you do you will have gross rice that just sticks together & and is a glob of starchy yuckiness)
Keep rinsing until your water comes clear (once again … DO NOT skip this step, it is vital to the final product’s success)

See the clear water? This rice has been rinsed properly:)
Once water runs clear for the rice, place in a large bowl fill bowl with water so that it covers at least 2 inches above the rice.
Then let the rice soak for an hour..Set your timer for this, the time is very important. You do not want the rice to absorb too much water, or not enough water… ONE HOUR-NO MORE -NO LESS (if you doubt me just ask Chef:)-
Then strain the rice in a fine strainer (a larger strainer will let too many rice grains through)

Using a fine strainer to strain the rice
Then put rice in a sauce pan with equal amounts of rice to water ( ie: 4 cups rice, 4 cups water)
Then place on stove top. Bring to a boil, meanwhile take a piece of aluminum foil that is at a little larger than the size of the saucepan; and get a heavy pot that is at least the size of the mouth of the sauce pan.
Once rice & water come to a boil, quickly turn down to low, as low as it will go..
Then cover the saucepan with the foil, making a tight seal ( be careful, as the pot is very HOT)

Tight foil to seal in the steam
Then cover the foil covered saucepan with the heavy pan that you gathered earlier. If you see steam escaping, crimp the foil tighter around the pan. (Be careful STEAM IS VERY HOT!!!! )

Heavy pot over the foil to seal in the steam. This may look a little ghetto, but when properly done, it seals in the steam!
Set the timer for 5 minutes.. yep just 5 minutes.. no more no less!!!
Once timer goes off immediately remove pot from the heating element. (Do not disturb the foil or the heavy pot.. KEEP THEM ON)
Then once pot is off heating element, set the timer for 10 minutes (Remember to keep the foil & heavy pot on at this time)
After 10 minutes, your rice is ready!!!
Take off the foil & heavy pot, then fluff with a fork

Fluffing with a fork
At this point, you can serve your rice. Personally I like a little pink sea salt from the Himalayan mountains on my Himalayan Mountain Basmati rice & a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Or you can place this on a sheet tray or a cookie tray to cool then package up for the vacuum sealer:) Or put a little milk & honey or maple syrup on it with some freshly grated nutmeg & cinnamon. Anyway you make it, this is some tasty rice:)

Himalayan Basmati Rice & Himalayan Pink Sea Salt go perfectly together:)
Enjoy your fluffy, Perfectly Steamed Rice from Perky’s Le Cordon Bleu Notebook

Perfectly Steamed Rice from Perky’s Le Cordon Bleu Notebook

” Rice “ (chefsopinion.org)
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” Saure Kutteln ” (For Offal Lover’s Only)

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” Saure Kutteln “ (Sour Tripe) with potato gratin.

I grew up eating this dish often, it used to be a popular dish in southern Germany.
Eating habit’s have changed over the past few decades since I was growing up there,
so who knows, maybe , like so many other wonderful classic dishes, it too has
disappeared from today’s “modern” menus 😦
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Ingredient‘s :

Tripe
Tomato sauce
Demi Glace
Cider vinegar
Dark rum
Garlic paste
Caraway seed
Onions
Butter
Salt
Cayenne

Method :

Blanch the tripe, starting with cold, vinegared, salted water, twice. The third time, simmer until tender. Don’t overcook ! In my opinion, the tripe should still have a bit of a bite to it.
Strain, rinse. Saute the onion, garlic and caraway seed’s until fragrant. Deglace with rum, add demi glace, tomato sauce, vinegar, let simmer for 5 minutes. Add tripe and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, potatoes or a rustic bread.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Moqueca de Frutos do Mar “

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Another 10 minute meal that looks and tastes like a thousand bucks 🙂
When I worked at the Intercontinental in Rio de Janeiro,
I had this for lunch at least twice a week at the pool restaurant.
Last night when I made this, I felt transported back in time to Rio
and it’s many beautiful treasures, the food, the caipirinhas,
the vistas, the beaches and,most of all, the beautiful people who live life to it’s fullest.
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Ingredients :

2 lbs of mixed seafood
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
6 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, de-seeded and chopped
2 red peppers, de-seeded and chopped
2 bunch spring onions spring onions, finely sliced
6 limes, halved
2 tbsp light olive oil
1 pint coconut milk
3 tablespoons light olive oil _ *
1/2 ladle dende oil (substitute with annatto oil) _
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method :

Heat a large sauté pan with the olive oil.
Saute the onion and garlic until opaque.
Add the sea food, saute for two minutes.
Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle bubble.
After 2 minutes, carefully stir the seafood.
Slowly simmer until the seafood is almost done.
Add the remaining vegetables and half the
herbs and simmer for two minutes.
Transfer to a large serving dish and sprinkle with
remaining herbs and spring onions.
Drizzle lime juice and dende oil (if available) over the top.

*Cook’s Note: Dende Oil is an African palm-oil,
widely used in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
If not locally available, substitute with annatto oil.

Bom apetite ! Vida é boa !
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” Smoked Pig’s Tail, Bow Ties & Vegetable Stew “

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In my opinion, pig‘s tails are the second best part of the whole pig,
right after the cheek’s. I prefere them brined and simmered, served
with a good mustard and sour dough bread. However, I found those
smoked ones at my neighbor hood store and what better way to enjoy
them then in a good stew 🙂
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Ingredient‘s :

Smoked pig’s tail’s,
Bow tie pasta, cooked, al dente
Cauliflower, blanched
Broccoli, blanched
Carrots, blanched
Scallions, sliced
Tomatoes, wedges
Ginger, grated
Garlic, paste
Cilantro, chopped
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Maggi seasoning, to taste

Method :

Simmer pig’s tail’s in lightly seasoned water until tender.
Add all other ingredients, simmer until heated through.
Serve with rustic sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Dandanmian ” Chinese Noodles, Ground Pork & Vegetables

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” Dandanmian ” or ” Dan Dan Mian ” or “Dandan Noodles “.

There are many variations of this most simple dish, which originated as
street peddlers dish. Basic ingredients are ground pork, noodles,
spicy sauce with or without peanut- or sesame – paste.
Here is the Dandan I prepared for dinner yesterday
( I too do many variations of this dish) :
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Ingredients :

Chinese egg noodles, cooked, drained, coated with sesame oil
Ground pork,
Carrots, julienned
Bell peppers, julienned
Silver onions, peeled, blanched
White cabbage, coarsely sliced
Garlic, paste
Ginger, grated
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Oyster sauce,
Soy Sauce,
Chili oil,
Sesame oil,
Salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Chicken stock
Peanut oil

Method :

Saute pork in peanut oil until starting to brown.
Add garlic and ginger, saute until translucent.
Add chicken stock and all seasoning, simmer until
meat is soft. Add cabbage and peppers, simmer for
one minute. Add Noodles, mix well.
To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle with Chili oil.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Mock Pappardelle, Chorizo, Asparagus, Carrots & Gorgonzola “

My dilemma is:
I love pappardelle, but I seldom make fresh pasta
at home and I have never seen pappardelle on a store shelf,
at least not here in South Florida. The solution?
Use lasagna sheets. Break them into irregular shapes before
you cook them. The result was very satisfying for me and I will
resort to this many times to come, if, for whatever reason, fresh
pappardelle are not available or impractical to make from scratch
at the time. ( For whatever reason ) .
Don’t knock it before you try it ! 🙂
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Ingredients :

Pappardelle, cooked al dente, strained (or substitute pasta)
Chorizo, thinly sliced
Asparagus, blanched
Carrots, blanched
Gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled
Garlic, paste
Black Pepper freshly ground, to taste
Salt, to taste
Olive oil

Method :

Saute garlic and chorizo in olive oil until garlic becomes translucent,
Add all other ingredients except gorgonzola, saute until all ingredient’s
are well combined. To serve, top with crumbled gorgonzola.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Pepper Jack Stuffed Pierogies, Chicharrones, Corn, Radish & Peas “

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Last nights dinner took me to the polish corner of my kitchen,
where I found a modern version of a dish steeped highly in tradition 🙂

“ Pierogi “
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Ingredients :

Potato / Cheese Filling
2 oz soft butter
medium small diced onion, sauteed
2 oz greek yoghurt
2 cups cold mashed potatoes
2 oz grated pepper jack cheese
salt & pepper to taste
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Pierogi Dough
3 large egg
6 oz sour cream or greek yoghurt
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
salt to taste

Vegetables and Garnish :

kernel corn, blanched
green peas, frozen
sliced radish
sliced chives
diced onions
chicharrones (fried pork rind)
garlic paste to taste
salt & pepper to taste
butter to saute

Method :

Saute onion in butter until translucent.
Stir into the mashed potatoes, add grated cheese and yoghurt,
season with salt and cayenne pepper, mix well.To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture,
mix well and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth.
Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut into 3 inch rounds using a cutter or drinking glass.Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round.
Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal.
Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and filling.Cook in boiling saltwater until dough is done, about 4 to 5 minutes,
depending on the thickest part of the dough. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain.Saute pierogi in butter until starting to brown, add onions, and garlic, saute until
translucent, add corn, peas, radish and salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, plate pierogies, spoon vegetables on top and sprinkle with chicharrones and chives.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Smörgåsbord “

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Where else than in my house can you find a Smörgåsbord for one ?
Smörgåsbord is a scandinavian buffet, usually consisting of seafood,
meats, starches, preserves, bread’s; sometimes using both hot and cold dishes,
sometimes, for a more simple version, cold dishes only.
Here is the version I enjoyed for dinner last night :
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: Smörgåsbord

: Matjes Herring, Potatoes, Mayo, Yoghurt, & Chives

: Mussels & Chili Oil Vinaigrette

: Pickled Herring, Red Beets, Mayo, Yoghurt & Dill

: Smoked Salmon, Onions & Capers

: Mushrooms & Bell Pepper Vinaigrette

: Pickled Sardines & Onions

: Pickled Herring, Mustard, Mayo, Yoghurt & Dill

: Jarlsberg Cheese

: Pickled Herring & Onions

: Spicy Crab Dip & Eggs

: Pickled Red Beets, Onion & Chives

: Potato Salad, Peppers, Onion & Chives

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Smaklig Måltid ! Bon Appetit !

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” Fish Dumpling & Shrimp Ball Soup With Poached Egg “

What the heck !?
Soup with fish dumplings, shrimp ball’s, shrimp, vegetables, chili and poached egg ?
Well, it might sound’s a bit much but it is absolutely delicious, the flavors and textures
go very well together to form a wonderful, multi-facetted dish.
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Ingredients:

Shrimp, pre cooked, peeled, deveined, half of them tail removed
White fish, such as haddock, tilapia, cod
Peas, frozen
Corn, frozen
Won ton wrappers,
Red chili, sliced
Scallion, sliced
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Whole egg for poaching
Egg white for fish dumplings and shrimp balls
Fish stock substitute with chicken stock if preferred
Ketchup
Maggi
Salt, cayenne pepper, lemon juice to taste

Method :

Dumplings :
Chop the fish coarsely, add a bit of egg white, salt, cayenne pepper, mix.
Add half a teaspoon to a wrapper, moisten the edges with water.
Top with another wrapper, flatten and cut with a crinkle wheel cutter or a raviolini stamp.

Shrimp balls :
Chop the tailless shrimp to a fine paste. Add sriracha, salt and a bit of ketchup,
Mix and form into small ball’s.

Cook fish dumplings and schrimp balls in salted water until floating,
transfer to salted ice water.

Egg :
Poach in lightly salted water for 3 1/2 minutes, transfer to salted ice water.

Soup :

Bring stock to simmer, add corn and simmer for two minutes.
season with salt, sriracha soy sauce and maggi seasoning.
Add fish dumplings and shrimp balls’, shrimp balls, chilis, green peas and poached egg.
When heated through, plate and sprinkle with scallion and cilantro

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Why would anyone EVER EVER EVER use those crappy pre packaged corn taco shells ???? Yeesh !!! “

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Dear Friend’s
In response to my post : ” Tacos Al Camaron ” ,
the following esteemed comment was posted by a young lady who obviously knows and loves her food and with whom I basically wholeheartedly agree :

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” Why would anyone EVER EVER EVER use those crappy pre packaged corn taco shells???? Yeesh! “

Dear Friend’s
In response to my post : ” Tacos Al Camaron ” ,
the following esteemed comment was posted by a young lady who obviously knows and loves her food and with whom I basically wholeheartedly agree :
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” Why would anyone EVER EVER EVER use those crappy pre-packaged corn taco shells???? Yeesh! “

Whilst I agree with the reader that freshly made tacos are (usually) a tremendous improvement over ready-made products, my reply below should help to clarify a bit about how and why I enjoy food the way I do and most of all, how and why I choose the content I put on my Blog :

Dear disgusted reader of ChefsOpinion. First, let me assure you that I agree with you inasmuch that ” freshly made anything” is usually better than crappy ” store bought anything “.

Although I am in no way an expert on Mexican food, I’d like to tell you that I lived for a year in Mexico while I was married for the first time, back in the seventies.
Then In the early 2000’s, I went back to Mexico, where I was in charge of the food operation’s (at the same time) of three high-class boutique hotels, as well as one five-star Westin hotel and one four-star Sheraton hotel, all in the Yukatan, Mexico.
I am a huge fan of Mexican food and have certainly had my share of the good, the bad and the ugly.
I have had the finest tacos in the best restaurants and in the grimmest joints and at any place in between.
I have taught hundreds of cooks and thousands of culinary students about tacos, tortillas, flautas, burritos, you name it, I’ve done it.
However, when it comes to ChefsOpinion, I try to have a good time with like-minded folks who “GET IT”.
Good food is what we enjoy to eat; What is practical at the moment, what makes economic sense and what’s the best you can do whilst your time is extremely limited.
What I try to do on my blog is to share and discuss food and food-related issues with a broad range of folk’s, from culinary students to hobby cooks to perfectionists.
Also with old warrior’s like myself, who have seen it all and done it all, who are maybe just a bit more tolerant to situations where we must substitute with a lesser ingredient for some reason, or when we are just too damn exhausted to move another finger.
If I had a choice I would eat and drink only the best, freshest, most refined, most exquisite food and drinks available.
While I was privileged to live in that ideal world for most of my professional life, there were and there are situations when a sudden lust for a specific food or drink can sometimes require a quick fix just to take care of that overwhelming craving.
I have been immersed in this wonderful world of food service for 45 years. I have been in charge of meals for kings and queens, heads of states, the famous and not so famous. I am certainly aware of quality and perfection for which we should strife whenever possible. However, at this point in my life, I have just started a new job which keeps me away from my home for 11 hours. I live alone with my dear dog Bella, so before I take off for work at 5.00 am, there are already two solid hours of me getting ready for work, taking care of Bella for an hour, walking her, playing with her, trying to keep her from chasing the neighbors cat’s, etc.
When I come home at 5.00pm, my first priority is to take Bella for a long walk.
Then on to take care of the blog, usually for about three hours. Then cooking dinner, taking pic’s of the food for the next post, enjoying dinner, cleaning the kitchen, walking Bella for another hour. By the time I finally get to rest it is usually 12.30 am.

So then, please, forgive me for using pre-made tacos (They were actually very good, all things considered). The folks who will use the pre-made stuff will enjoy a quick and easy to follow food inspiration. The folks who are a bit more dedicated to only the best will no doubt spent the extra time and effort to produce awesome fresh tacos.
Hopefully, in the end, “Life is Good” for everybody. 🙂