sesame oil

Braised Pork Belly In Ginger, Garlic & Soy

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Braised pork belly – one of the finest culinary blessings God has bestowed upon us 🙂
I like to prepare pork belly in many different versions, both Western style and Asian style (one of them being the famous Hong Shao Rou), but one of my most-loved variation is the one featured here. It resembles Hong Shao Rou a bit, but I keep the sauce more liquid and spicy, without adding rock sugar, red coloring, shaoxing wine or tofu puffs. The outcome is a much lighter, less complex version which I sometimes enjoy better than the more complicated and heavy Hong Shao Rou, especially when pairing with rice. On the other hand, if I forgo starch and pair the pork belly with vegetables such as bok choy, cabbage or broccoli only, I prefer to accompany it with Hong Shao Rou, since it’s thicker sauce is more suitable. Aren’t we fortunate that we can choose? 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Braised Pork Belly In Ginger, Garlic & Soy

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Preparation :
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: 2 lbs pork belly cut into cubes, 1 stick cinnamon, star anis to taste, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/3 tsp grated ginger, 2 cup water, 3 ea sliced scallion (plus more for garnish), kosher salt and chili sauce to taste

: bring all ingredients to a slow simmer

: simmer until pork is tender but not falling apart and there is about 1/2 cup cooking liquid left (you might have to add more water during cooking); check / adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with finely sliced scallions and accompany with steamed rice (Fan) ( P.S. – if you serve to guests and/or children, you might want to remove the star anis and cinnamon stick before serving)

: Braised Pork Belly In Ginger, Garlic & Soy

: Braised Pork Belly In Ginger, Garlic & Soy

: Steamed Rice (Fan)

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Stir Fried Squid, Udon Noodles And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce ( Yakiudon)

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There are few dishes more comforting and satisfying than a bowl of noodles with a rich sauce or in a tasty soup – either by itself or with other “stuff” thrown in, such as any kind of vegetables, mushrooms, eggs and any protein such as pork, chicken, duck or seafood. While for me, any noodle is a good noodle, udon noodles rank on top of my favorite list – the plumper the better.
Lately, I’ve been buying the vacuum packaged “fresh” udon noodles from my neighborhood Asian market, but I also have had good experiences with the frozen type more readily available around here. As for the sauce, I like to prep it as simple as possible – soy sauce, oyster sauce or hoi sin sauce, chili paste, honey or sugar, ginger and garlic, sesame oil, chicken-, vegetable- or pork-stock. For a bit of variation in the sauce, I sometimes add a bit of peanut butter or fermented bean sauce, but that’s it – simple comfort food quickly and easily prepared and always just hitting the right spot 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Stir Fried Squid, Udon And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce (Yaki Udon)

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Preparation :
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: for the sauce, mix 1/2 cup oyster sauce, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 cup chicken stock or water, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 tsp garlic paste, i/2 tsp chili paste, i tsp sesame oil

: simmer udon in salted water until cooked but still chewy, drain

: Clean squid tubes, remove “sine” and if you prefer, black skin

: cut in half

: incise half-way through in a criss-cross manner

: cut into bite-size pieces

: season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic

: stir fry squid with peanut oil in VERY hot pan for no more than 30 seconds, remove from pan, reserve

: add blanched bok choy, green peppers and red chilis to pan, stir fry 1 minute

: add sauce mix

: add udon and squid, check / adjust seasoning

: Stir Fried Squid, Udon And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce (Yaki Udon)

: Stir Fried Squid, Udon And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce (Yaki Udon)

: Stir Fried Squid, Udon And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce (Yaki Udon)

: Stir Fried Squid, Udon And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce (Yaki Udon)

: Stir Fried Squid, Udon And Bok Choy In Oyster Sauce (Yaki Udon)

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Chicken, Noodle & Vegetable Soup Recipe # 1001

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Chicken-noodle soup is probably the most unglamorous yet also one of the universally most loved dishes. Who doesn’t remember the comforting warmth it provided when ones Mom utilized it for that all-curing remedy (along with Vicks’VapoRub) during childhood and later as a grown-up the go-to comfort dish that made everything feel good again ? 🙂
As for me, no week goes by without chicken noodle soup showing up at least once, sometimes twice. If I prepare it for guests, I usually make a boneless version. For myself (and Bella), I always prepare the soup with bone-in chicken. For me, holding a leg or drumstick or wing in my hand and pulling the meat off with my teeth is a big part of the pleasure of eating chicken noodle soup. Here now is the version I had for today’s lunch……
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Chicken, Noodle & Vegetable Soup – Recipe # 1001

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Preparation :
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: chinese egg noodles, grape tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, scallion

: cook and drain pasta of your choice (I used chinese egg noodles for this one), mix with a bit of sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together, keep warm

: simmer chicken drumsticks (or other chicken parts) in water seasoned with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste, grated ginger and a dash of lemon juice until chicken are tender but NOT falling apart

: add carrots, simmer a few more minutes

: when chicken and carrots are tender, add cabbage, cilantro, scallions and grape-tomatoes, simmer one more minute, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

: Chicken, Noodle & Vegetable Soup – Recipe # 1001

: Chicken, Noodle & Vegetable Soup – Recipe # 1001

: Chicken, Noodle & Vegetable Soup – Recipe # 1001

: Chicken, Noodle & Vegetable Soup – Recipe # 1001

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Shrimp & Glass Noodle – Salad

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Glass noodles are the ideal canvas for pasta salad. They keep their texture even when kept as leftovers for a few days, which is perfect when you live alone and usually cook way too much for one meal, (as I do), even with a dog who will eat it’s fair share of whatever I cook 🙂
I like to prepare glass noodle salad with a dressing of kosher salt, cayenne pepper or sriracha, rice-vinegar, peanut oil, sesame oil, garlic paste, grated ginger, a tiny amount of sugar, cilantro and/or scallions. As for other ingredients, I sometimes add chicken, seafood, beef or duck, as well as any vegetables hanging-out in my fridge.
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Shrimp & Glass Noodle – Salad

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Preparation :
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: season cooked, deveined shrimp with kosher salt, cayenne, garlic paste, lime juice, chopped cilantro and olive oil

: clean, blanch, shock, drain fresh green beans

: cook, shock, drain glass noodles

: add beans, finely shredded red cabbage, carrots and onions

: dress salad with kosher salt, cayenne, garlic paste, rice vinegar and olive oil

: to serve, top noodle salad with the marinated shrimp, sprinkle with chopped salted red radish and chopped cilantro

: Shrimp & Glass Noodle – Salad

: Shrimp & Glass Noodle – Salad

: Shrimp & Glass Noodle – Salad

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My Japanese Comfort Food – Chirashizushi (Scattered Sushi) ちらし寿司

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While sushi is a popular favorite around the world these days, most folks outside of Japan or Korea shy away from making it at home because they think it is too difficult and time-consuming. What’s more, really fresh, high quality seafood is not widely accessible or affordable for many people, so for the majority of us sushi has been and will remain a “Restaurant Treat”.
Chirashizushi to the rescue !!! 🙂
You will need sushi rice, any raw, cooked or otherwise preserved protein and / or vegetables, maybe some seaweed and sesame seeds thrown-in and you are ready to go. You can prepare the most simple combination as shown here, or the most beautiful, complicated, exquisite concoction you can muster. Your fantasy, skill and wallet are the only limits.
No need to make perfect rolls, or other shapes which are the common restaurant staples. Just rice in a bowl, everything else neatly arranged on top and voilà – sushi heaven without the sweat 🙂
The only difficulty one needs to be able to skillfully execute is the preparation of the sushi rice. But, considering the reward of a great sushi rice, learning to prepare it on a decent level is well worth the trouble. And while you might never be a sushi rice master, after a bunch of trials (and errors) you should be fine and able to wow yourself, friends and family with sushi rice that is well on its way to perfection – and probably far better than the crap most cheap eateries pass-on as sushi rice 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Sushi Rice Recipe
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CHIRASHIZUSHI (SCATTERED SUSHI) (ちらし寿司

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Preparation :
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: prepare the shari-zu by following the instructions at the link for “sushi rice recipe”

: prepare the rice by following the instructions at the link for “sushi rice recipe”

: plate the rice

: cut cod filets into sticks, season with lemon juice, kosher salt and chili paste, dust with rice flour, saute in peanut oil on all sides, when almost done, add similar-seasoned shrimp and cook together until both are almost cooked through, remove to absorbent paper

: top the rice with the fish

: add the shrimp

: sprinkle with sesame seeds

: add toasted seaweed, serve with wasabi and soy sauce

: CHIRASHIZUSHI (SCATTERED SUSHI) (ちらし寿司

: CHIRASHIZUSHI (SCATTERED SUSHI) (ちらし寿司

: CHIRASHIZUSHI (SCATTERED SUSHI) (ちらし寿司

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Beef And Glass Noodles In Coconut Soup

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Coconut milk is a common ingredient in many tropical cuisines, such as Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Vietnamese, Peranakan and southern Chinese, as well as Brazilian, Caribbean, Polynesian, and Pacific islands cuisines. Even in non-tropical cuisines around the world, thanks to canning, dehydrating and freezing, coconut milk has become a widely used ingredient in a myriad of dishes, both sweet and savory. I use coconut milk mostly for curries and soups, as well as the occasional dessert. When using it for soups, I usually prepare a Thai or Thai-inspired soup. Today however, I did not make my usual tom-kha-gai (Thai chicken/coconut soup), but rather a simple, tasty beef/coconut soup. No fancy herbs, seasoning or other hard-to find ingredients, just simple items which you’ll regularly find in my cupboard and chiller.
Nevertheless, the strong beef flavor combined beautifully with the coconut milk and made for a great lunch 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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P.S.
Although I usually don’t find it necessary to strain soups through a fine paper or cheese cloth when cooking for one-self at home, I recommend it in this case. If you don’t, the coagulated impurities from the broth show up clearly as dark spots in the light-colored soup once you have added the coconut milk.
While not a flavor or textural problem, it just looks better when strained 🙂
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Beef And Glass Noodles In Coconut Soup

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Preparation :
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: simmer cubed beef brisket with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, grated ginger and garlic paste until meat is tender, about one hour, remove beef, set aside

: strain soup/broth through cheesecloth or paper filter

: soup should be clear and golden

: add coconut milk, re-heat without letting soup boil. check / adjust seasoning

: place freshly cooked glass noodles in serving dish

: add beef

: add soup and a few drops of chili oil

: top with finely sliced chili, cilantro and young basil leaves

: Beef And Glass Noodles In Coconut Soup

: Beef And Glass Noodles In Coconut Soup

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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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The foundation of this steak salad is a refreshing rice stick salad, which I usually make at least twice a month. I normally make about four to six portions and eat it as part of a meal, as breakfast or as a late night snack. The noodles keep their texture for a few days without getting mushy, so this is ideal to prep in advance and then serve it when a quick bite is needed, especially on a workday as breakfast or as a snack late at night when I get home and just want to rest and more cooking is as far from my mind as possible. If I have it as part of a meal, I usually combine it with seafood, such as teriyaki- glazed salmon or sautéed shrimp. For breakfast, I usually add a couple of hard-boiled eggs and for a midnight snack some canned seafood. When Maria was still with me, she liked to serve it at bbq -parties, when it was a welcome alternative to the usual suspects of coleslaw and potato salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Preparation :
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: season new york strip with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, saute or grill to your desired temperature, set steak aside and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing

: cook, shock in icewater and drain rice sticks

: make a dressing of peanut oil, sesame oil, kosher salt, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili paste, fish sauce and rice vinegar

: fresh basil

: sliced basil, red peppers, iceberg lettuce, red onions, shredded carrots (if you plan to keep this for more than a few hours, replace the iceberg with cabbage)

: slice the steak

: mix half of the steak, the noodles and the vegetables with the dressing

: tell your dog to be patient 🙂

: almost……….

: spread some lettuce leaves on a serving dish, drizzle with a bit of the dressing

: top lettuce with the noodle salad

: top with the other half of the steak, sprinkle with toasted garlic

: Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Fiery Midnight Snack – Chilli-Noodles With Seafood And Egg

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Here is the thing – if yo are able to use anything fresh in preparing food – not frozen, not canned, not otherwise preserved – that’s usually the best way to go (although not always).
But, as I have mentioned before, we are not always so lucky as to have access to fresh, unprocessed food. Then, it is my honest opinion that as long as you use good quality preserved food, you will be able to prepare great dishes – just don’t skimp on the quality of the ingredients.
Having said that, if you have a well stocked larder and freezer, you are ready to prepare a wide variety of wonderful dishes without being a slave to store opening hours and store offerings.
Last night for dinner I shared a prosciutto sandwich with Bella at around 9.00 pm. Usually I can withstand any temptation of more food after that time of day, but while setting up to watch a great movie (A simple Plan) , hunger struck me with all its nasty temptations, (Bella of course is always in that state) :-), so I decided to whip up something fierce and satisfying for the both of us.
My larder revealed (among a lot of other goodies) rice noodles (Bánh phở), canned octopus, canned anchovies and canned mussels. In the freezer I had some leftover homemade lobster balls and a bag of titi shrimp. Together with fresh chilies, scallion and onions as well as garlic paste, grated ginger, chili paste, chili oil and sesame oil, this made for a very fiery, very satisfying midnight snack which, after the end of the movie, motivated Bella and I to go on a 1,5 hour early morning walk from 2.30 am to 4,00 am. Life is good !
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Bon Appetit ! Spice-up your Life !
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Chili-Noodles With Seafood And Egg

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Preparation :
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How to cook rice noodles:
Place rice noodles in a deep bowl. Bring a good amount of water to boil. Pour the boiling water over the rice noodles until they are completely submerged. Stir the noodles to prevent from sticking. Check often to see if they’re cooked through. This will take 1 – 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the noodles. Once the noodles are tender, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Toss them with a bit of sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other if you’re not going to use them right away. If you use the noodles in a stir-fry, under-cook them or they will become mushy. If used for soup, you can cook the noodles straight in the soup.

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: steep noodles in boiling water, drain, rinse with cold water

: whisk whole eggs with kosher salt

: saute sliced onions until light brown, add chopped anchovy fillets, saute until anchovies are dissolved

: add garlic paste, grated ginger, fresh chillies, scallions, saute until fragrant

: push vegetables to the side of the pan, add eggs

: cook eggs until set

: add noodles, kosher salt, chili paste and chili oil, stir to mix

: add seafood, stir to mix

: check / adjust seasoning

: Chili-Noodles With Seafood And Egg

: Chili-Noodles With Seafood And Egg

: Chili-Noodles With Seafood And Egg

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Lobster-Balls And Mung Bean-Noodles Soup

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What can you do with two small lobster tails ? Well, you could broil them, saute them, grill them, bake them, or you could chop them up.
Now, if you ask yourself what moron would chop up perfectly good lobster tails into a paste, you probably never had a good lobster ball soup. I guess the reason that we don’t see lobster balls in western cuisine (besides the occasional Lobster Quenelle ) is that we want to see the big bang for the money and lobster balls can’t really compete with the splendor of whole lobster tails strutting their stuff. But the taste and the texture of lobster balls is something else altogether. Silky-smooth in texture, with the pure taste of sweet fresh lobster, it is a delicacy you should not miss! The preparation is super-easy and can be done successfully even if you are not very experienced in the kitchen. So, next time you purchase a couple of lobster tails, you might want to widen your culinary horizon with this superb dish.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Lobster-Balls And Mung Bean-Noodles Soup

Lobsterballs And Mung Bean-Noodles Soup

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Lobster Balls Recipe:
4 oz lobster meat, shredded
4 oz lobster meat, chopped fine into paste
1 ea egg white
1 tblsp coarse chopped yellow corn or 1 tblsp coarse chopped water chestnuts (for texture)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix lobster-paste, egg white, chopped corn, salt and pepper until well mixed, then add shredded lobster, mix. Shape into 10 to 15 balls, simmer in soup until done, about 4 minutes. Serve at once.
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For the soup I used vegetable stock. Substitute with chicken stock or seafood stock if you prefer.
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Preparation :
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: cook mung bean noodles (Cellophane noodles) in salted water

: drain noodles, toss with a bit of sesame oil

: simmer lobster balls in soup until done, about 3-4 minutes

: place noodles in serving bowl

: sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro

: add lobster balls and soup, serve with lime wedges

: Lobster-Balls And Mung Bean-Noodles Soup

: Lobster-Balls And Mung Bean-Noodles Soup

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Beef Satay’s

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Although peanut sauce is one of my favorite condiments for grilled or broiled meat, today I opted for Thai Chili Sauce instead. The combination of the beef, rice, pickled cucumbers and chili sauce was absolutely delicious and I am sure that in the future I will be having this dish often, whenever a quick, light and tasty meal is in order 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Beef Satay’s

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Preparation :
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: season finely sliced strip steak with garlic paste, soy sauce, sugar, grd coriander, grd cumin, cayenne pepper and lime juice , let marinade at least two hours