Chinese Garlic Pea Shoots + Kung Pao Chicken

Two posts in one week?? Yes, I'm pinching myself as well. What is this, 2009 or something? ;)

Anyway, I guess this really doesn't count as a post because #1, this is the easiest and fastest meal ever and #2, I don't even have an "official" Bon Appetit or Gourmet magazine recipe for it. But don't be fooled -- anything pulled from my mom's cooking files is legit (especially when it comes to food from da motherland). It's just that "a little pinch here" and "handful or two there" is kinda hard to translate into tangible quantities. But I'll try my best...


Back in the day, AC and I used to eat this all the time. It's fast, fresh, and so much better than your typical Chinese takeout or delivery. The secret to great Kung Pao chicken is the marinade -- or cornstarch, really. The Chinese (I say that like they're some exotic specimen) use cornstarch for nearly everything. Usually it's to help thicken soups or sauces. But in this case, it's combined with the marinade to create a protective coating around the chicken pieces so that the meat doesn't dry out when stir-fried. That's probably why chicken is always unusually moist, velvety and soft in Chinese restaurants -- it's all because of the cornstarch, baby!!

Of course, letting the chicken sit in the marinade for a couple of hours will also make a huge difference. Sherry is another big ingredient in Chinese cooking: whenever you use soy sauce, use equal parts sherry to offset the saltiness. For the Choi version of this marinade, we do equal parts soy sauce and sherry, a drip (or two) of sesame oil for sweetness, a double drip of hot chili oil (we like our food spicy), and some hot pepper flakes for even more kick. Pour this along with a spoonful or so of cornstarch over the chicken, and you're ready to go.



Btw, the pea shoots are equally wonderful and simple -- they were actually going to be the highlight of this post! But then I got so caught up and excited about the whole cornstarch shebang, I couldn't stop myself. Yup, really living on the edge here. Anyway, my "spoonful of this" and "pinch of that" recipe for pea shoots can be found below. Enjoy! :P

Chinese Garlic Pea Shoots + Kung Pao Chicken
Recipe by SC

Garlic Pea Shoots
1 plastic bagful of fresh pea shoots, rinsed with H20
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 T olive oil
1/8 C water
white pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
[measurements are approximations]

Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan so that it covers the entire bottom. Heat on high until the oil begins smoking. Add minced garlic and stir until it just begins to become fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add washed pea shoots and stir-fry until greens wilt, about 3-5 minutes. Add a splash of water and immediately cover the pan. This will create steam and further "soften" the vegetables. Steam for about a minute more. Uncover and season with white pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

Kung Pao Chicken w/ Cashews
2 chicken breasts, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow red pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 C cashews or peanuts
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C sherry
1/2 t sesame oil
1 t hot chili oil
1 t hot pepper flakes
1 1/2 T cornstarch
oyster sauce, to taste
[measurements are approximations]

Combine bottom six ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over diced chicken and let marinade for a couple of hours or overnight. Heat large pan over high heat until it begins smoking. Add minced garlic and stir until it just starts to become fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and marinade sauce into pan, and stir-fry until almost cooked through (about 3-5 minutes). Remove meat from heat.

Pour a couple teaspoons olive oil into the same pan. Once the oil becomes hot, add zucchini, bell peppers, and onion. Stir fry until vegetables become soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and cashews, mixing over heat for about 1-2 minutes more. Lightly sprinkle about 1-2 teaspoons oyster sauce over mixture and stir. Remove from heat and serve.
Continue reading for recipe...

Buttermilk-Vanilla Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting

When someone turns the big six-o, you better make something good. But when that person turns 60 twice? You have got to make something even better.

Ok, so what lucky duck gets two birthday parties in one year?? Turns out it's my mom, who is turning the nifty sixty this coming fall/winter...but somehow managed to finagle an early birthday celebration this summer as well (I really need to learn from her negotiation skills!).



My sister was actually in town from NYC for her last home visit before moving to Hong Kong next month for work. So of course, we had to send her off the Wong way ;). Besides eating our way through Champa Garden, Boca Nova, Wood Tavern, and Asian Pearl (errrrr...my sister was supposedly "writing a food article" for the WSJ!), we also got together for my mom's early birthday celebration since everyone was around.

Which brings me to these cupcakes. Moist, soft, airy and slightly dense, these cupcakes are versatile enough to go with any type of frosting. It's not an overtly sweet cake due to the buttermilk in it, and its vanilla flavor is actually quite subtle -- almost unrecognizable. But the wonderful texture and "mellow" vanilla flavor works, especially when paired with an intensely rich, dark chocolate frosting. Mind you, this frosting will quickly become the highlight of any cupcake or cake ensemble. Everything about it, from the smooth and creamy texture to intensely chocoholic taste, is perfect. And besides, if this is the "editors choice" for chocolate frosting at Martha Stewart Living, it better to be good.



Lucky for us, these cupcakes were round #1...which means round #2 in a couple of months can only get better! Feliz cumpleanos!! :D

Vanilla-Buttermilk Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living

Buttermilk-Vanilla Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixer bowl. Transfer bowl to mixer, and add egg, yolk, water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until mixture is well combined and smooth, about 3 minutes.

3. Divide batter among liners, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks for 30 minutes. Invert cupcakes onto racks, and let cool completely. (Cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days.)

Dark Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds best-quality semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again. Continue reading for recipe...

Cherry Clafoutis

3 appearances in less than 2 weeks -- that's how many times this bad boy was made. A little obsessed?? Perhaps. Good for our waistlines? Probably not. But are we still contemplating making another cherry clafoutis this weekend? Absolutely. Trust me, you'd be in the exact same boat if you got your hands on these as well. So don't judge.

While the recipe's official name is "brown butter tart", I think clafoutis is a bit more fitting. Besides sounding much more refined (which of course, is the most important part!), it's exactly what a rustic French baked dessert of black cherries should be: simple, elegant, and utterly divine. And to tell you the truth, when else can I say I made a dessert that semi-rhymes with my father's carefully picked first name, Otis? ;)


Anyway, this stunning tart is both easy-to-make and as mentioned before, dangerously addictive. The pastry crust is delightfully crisp, buttery, and sweet. And the smooth, rich filling which resembles baked custard or flan -- only better due to its brown butter depth -- provides the perfect contrast. Of course, you'll covet the bites that have soft, juicy cherries in them: not only do the meaty chunks of fruit add texture, but the juices that ooze out of them add a subtle sweetness and summery flavor as well.



Good thing cherry season is quickly coming to an end, otherwise this could pose a serious problem for us. Which actually reminds me, better make the most of it now... :P

Cherry Clafoutis (Brown Butter Cherry Tart)
Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2009

Crust:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
30 fresh cherries, pitted (around 1 lb)

For crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Transfer dough to 15x4 rectangular tart pan with removable bottom. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto sides and bottom of pan.

Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes (crust will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add flour and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Cook butter in heavy small saucepan (using a light-colored bottom so that you can gauge the color of the butter) over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often, about 6 minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup. Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture; whisk until well blended.

Arrange cherries, stem up, in bottom of cooled crust. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over berries. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet. Bake tart until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

Remove tart pan sides. Place tart on platter. Cut into wedges and serve. Continue reading for recipe...

Summer Pasta with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta

Although it may not seem like it from my last post, we actually do eat more than just asparagus and carbs at our place. I swear. It's just that asparagus has been so plentiful -- and good! and cheap! and easy to make! -- these days that it's really hard to resist.

Lately, we've been doing more "one stop" meals where everything (the vegetables, carbohydrates, and meat) is part of the main dish. I love those type of dinners...it means less pots/pans to keep track of, less multi-tasking and best of all, less dishes to clean up! Good for the busy and tired and lazy folk, right??



Ok, so maybe not lazy -- but definitely tired and busy. AC and I both started new jobs last month...and while it's been a good change, it's also been a BUSY transition. Gone are the travel discounts and work-from-home Fridays *sob*. But not all is lost; I do get summer Fridays, as well as a nice little perk at this lovely shop :D

Anyway, this delightful summer pasta is the perfect way to show off this season's finest. For one thing, it has fresh peas. Fresh peas are one of my favorite foods -- if you've never had the privilege of shelling and popping them right into your mouth, you are totally missing out. They taste like spring (or how I would imagine spring to taste), and are so deliciously sweet that you can sometimes eat them raw. Other lovelies in this pasta include diced cured pancetta, bits of fresh basil, a wonderfully bright lemon cream sauce, grated parmesan cheese, and of course, asparagus. Simple, fresh and light: the perfect way to enjoy summer after a long, busy day...



Fettucine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta
Adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2010

12 ounces fettuccine or penne
6 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas if you are pressed for time (do not thaw)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add asparagus to drippings in skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, dark green parts of green onions, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley, and half of basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley, and basil over. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese.

Continue reading for recipe...

Pizza with Asparagus, Fingerling Potatoes, and Goat Cheese

Sometimes, homemade is just better. Especially when it's spring/summer, and the most anticipated produce of the year -- cherries, strawberries, peas, corn, apricots and of course, asparagus -- starts making its glorious appearance into our grocery stores.


Oh yes, I could go on and on about all the sweet and juicy berries we've been stuffing our faces with lately. But first things first -- vegetables before dessert, right? Only, these vegetables are pretty darn good. And when served as a bubbling but simple white pizza (no acidity of tomato sauce to contend with), their fresh flavors really shine.

While I'd love to pinpoint the asparagus as the sole star of this lovely pie, it's really the combination of everything together that makes it so delicious. Garlic olive oil and crisp chopped scallions provide the perfect base. Tender, charred and slightly sweet asparagus contrasts the tangy goat cheese perfectly. Potatoes add a subtle richness and buttery flavor to the pie. And gooey, melted mozzarella cheese rounds out everything wonderfully.



In fact, it's so good that we actually had a couple of slices after dessert as a late night snack. Are we rebels or what? ;)

Asparagus, Fingerling Potato, and Goat Cheese Pizza
Adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2009 and Gourmet, July 2009

5 ounces fingerling potatoes
cornmeal (for sprinkling)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1 1/3 cups grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed, each spear cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2- to 3-inch pieces
pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in small saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Cool. Cut potatoes into thin slices.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll and stretch pizza dough to 16x11-inch oval. Transfer to baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic in small bowl. Brush garlic oil over dough. Sprinkle 3/4 of green onions over, then mozzarella, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top with potato slices and goat cheese. Toss asparagus and 1 tablespoon oil in medium bowl. Scatter asparagus over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

Bake pizza until crust is browned and asparagus is tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Sprinkle with remaining green onions. Cut into pieces.

Pizza Dough
2 (1/4-ounces) packages active dry yeast
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups warm water (105–115 degrees), divided
2 teaspoons salt

Whisk together yeast, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until mixture develops a creamy foam, about 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Stir together salt and 3 cups flour in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups warm water and stir until smooth, then stir in 1 cup more flour. If dough sticks to your fingers, stir in just enough flour (up to 3/4 cup), a little at a time, to make dough just come away from side of bowl. (This dough may be wetter than other pizza doughs you have made.)

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface with floured hands, lightly reflouring work surface and your hands when dough becomes too sticky, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half and form into 2 balls, then generously dust balls all over with flour and put each in a medium bowl. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Continue reading for recipe...

Magic Bars

Got 10 minutes -- even 5?



Then you can make these magic bars. All you have to do is layer and bake 7 delicious ingredients together in a pan, and voila -- you have these incredibly rich, sweet, gooey, sticky cookie bars that are slightly reminiscent of blondies...only much more decadent from all the chocolate, butterscotch, pecan and coconut goodies piled on top. They are seriously magic, I tell ya ;)



So make these indulgent treats if it's already 10pm at night and you suddenly realize that you need something for your company's bake sale the next day, or if you're craving something sweet but are feeling just a smidge bit lazy...or if your hubby forgets to tell you that his close guy friends are flying in for the weekend until only a couple of hours before they arrive :P

PS - between the three of them, those boys killed the entire batch by Saturday night...word.

Magic Bars
Recipe adapted from the Joy of Baking

3/4 C butter, melted
2 1/4 C graham cracker crumbs (about 18 crackers)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 C semisweet chocolate morsels
1 C butterscotch flavored chips
1 C sweetened flaked coconut
1 C chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 13x9 inch glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, and nuts. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over mixture.
3. Bake around 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.
Continue reading for recipe...

Fluffy Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Oh, hello -- remember me?? I used to be the girl who would cook and happily snap photos along the way, and then stop to "reflect" and blog about it afterwards. Only, something happened to me over these past couple of months...and between work, traveling and life, I decided that picking up a camera with flour-covered hands, two fryer pans madly sizzling on the burner, and a timer beeping away in the background may not be in my best interest after all!

So I did away with rushed photos and painfully composed words (yo no soy un escritor), and did what normal people do -- cook, eat, and relax. And yes, it was glorious :)



So what's up with these lemon-ricotta pancake photos and new blog post?? Well, turns out I'm borderline abnormal (surprise, surprise) because I sometimes enjoy documenting my food experiences and recipes. Especially when they are good...and this one is pretty darn good.



AC and I are not usually breakfast people, and I hadn't made pancakes in yeeaaaars -- but it was Mother's Day weekend. And even though AC's parents live in Seoul and my parents were traipsing around South Africa on vacation...it's the thought that counts, right? ;)

In all honesty, we made these because we had about 3 ginormous lbs of lemons from my grandfather's meyer lemon tree that my parents had dropped off before leaving for Africa a couple of weeks ago. Half of them had already begun to spoil -- and the inner Chinese in me was definitely not going to let the rest go to waste. Plus, after walking by Bette's Oceanview Diner the other day and "bird-dogging" (as AC puts it) platefuls and platefuls of beautiful breakfast combinations, I suddenly felt inspired. So lemon-ricotta pancakes it was!



Mind you, these aren't just normal pancakes. Eggs whites that have been whipped to a meringue are then folded into a creamy ricotta mixture to create a texture that's incredibly light and fluffy. They're almost like mini souffles -- ethereal, creamy and delicate. For those looking for a perfect Mother's Day treat, these bright lemon-scented clouds won't disappoint. Just make sure to invite your mothers... :D

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Adapted from Gourmet, September 1991

4 large eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups ricotta
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
melted butter for brushing the griddle
maple syrup and fresh berries as an accompaniment

In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, the ricotta, the sugar, and the zest, add the flour, and stir the mixture until it is just combined. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, whisk about one fourth of them into the ricotta mixture, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Heat a griddle over moderately high heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface and brush it with some of the melted butter. Working in batches, pour the batter onto the griddle by 1/4-cup measures and cook the pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden, brushing the griddle with some of the melted butter as necessary. Transfer the pancakes as they are cooked to a heatproof platter and keep them warm in a preheated 200°F. oven.

Serve the pancakes with fresh berries and maple syrup. Continue reading for recipe...

Red Velvet, Take 2

Ok, so this is probably "red velvet, take 5 or 6"...but who's counting. When you've found something this good, you'll want to make it again and again as well :)


This is my absolute favorite red velvet recipe. The cake is incredibly moist, with a distinctive "red velvet taste" from the subtle hint of cocoa and buttermilk. And the cream cheese frosting is deliciously smooth and creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness (it's my go-to frosting for everything). These cupcakes are always a huge winner whenever I make them, which is why they've surfaced so many times. Plus, I don't mind the "extras" lying around my kitchen as well ;)

Anyway, I made these for a collective "83rd birthday" party in celebration of three different birthdays (mine included). I should actually call it a party of drunken boys because that's exactly what the shindig quickly became. Like any festive gathering, we started off with drinks and cupcakes...only the girls were drinking bubbly, and the guys were doing massive shots of bourbon and scotch. Typical.


You can only imagine what happened once we all headed out for Korean barbecue at Ohgane, which also just happens to serve delicious soju and beer as well. Good times all around! Let's just say that at the end of the night, someone mistakenly wore AC's shoes back to his home :P



Of course when we were all back at our place after Ohgane, more red velvets were quickly polished off. And some were even taken with guests in to-go boxes as well (per their request). Can't wait for next year's celebration. Until then, am just waiting for another excuse to make these lovelies again...

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Recipe previously posted here

2 1/4 C sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 C buttermilk
1/2 bottle red food coloring
1 t distilled white vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs

2 8-0z packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T vanilla extract
2 1/2 C powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended.

Add eggs to mixed butter and sugar, 1 at a time. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Pour batter into cupcake trays. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10-12 min. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Spread frosting over cupcakes Continue reading for recipe...