Tteokbokki 떡볶이 (Korean Spicy Rice Cake)

When I lived in Seoul, South Korea, this snack was on every corner.  Almost literally.  Most street vendors had this bubbling away, ready to be spooned onto a plastic bag-covered plate for instant gratification.  And although I was at first a bit hesitant to try it (I doubt those carts are inspected in any way whatsoever), I now find that I occasionally start to crave this spicy little treat, even if it makes my nose run.

Tteokbokki 떡볶이 (Korean Spicy Rice Cake)

1 cup dashi or beef broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 tablespoons red pepper paste (gochujang)
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths on the bias, green and white parts
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 (1½-pound) package cylindrical rice cakes (garae tteok)
3 pieces flat fried fish cake (approximately 3x6-inches each)

Combine the broth, garlic, red pepper paste, green onions, and sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Slice the rice cake diagonally into 2-inch pieces, if necessary, and add to the sauce.  Cook until the rice cakes soften and the sauce starts to thicken, about 6 minutes.  Cut each fish cake into 8 triangles.  Add the fish cakes to the rice cake mixture and cook until heated through.  Add a little water if necessary to keep the sauce fluid.

Makes 4 servings

Jungle Jim's International Market: Throwdown Crab Cakes

So I was watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and I just happened to catch the episode where he does this crab cake throwdown with a couple up in Booth Bay, Maine, who supposedly make the best crab cakes on the planet. The whole episode I'm drooling up a storm, but when I look for the recipe (not Bobby Flay's, the other people's), it's not on the website. Dang secret recipes! Well, I think I caught enough of the ingredients from the snippets they showed, so I finally crafted a recipe using something I found online that I think is pretty close, at least without tasting the original. And these crab cakes are amazing!

Throwdown Crab Cakes

Adapted from Margie's Crab Cakes from Jungle Jim's International Market

1 large egg, beaten until the egg lightens slightly

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons lemon rind, finely grated

1 teaspoon lime rind, finely grated

¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 cup panko, plus extra for crust

1 pound peeky toe or blue swimmer crab meat, checked for shell bits

Olive oil

Butter

Combine first nine ingredients. Add panko and mix until moist. Add crab, and fold in gently with your hands to ensure that crab stays in chunks. Using an ice cream scooper, make scoops of crab and place on a cookie sheet (I got about 14 out of this recipe). Refrigerate for one hour. Form scoops into patties a little smaller than your palm. Dip each flat side lightly in panko. Let the cakes rest for about five minutes. Heat an equal mixture of olive oil and butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Fry each cake for about three minutes on each side, but watch them, because they may be done in about two and a half. EAT!!

Dorothy Huang: Suan La Tang (Hot and Sour Soup)

I was never a huge fan of the gloopy hot and sour soup you generally get from the Chinese take out places.  (And the neon yellow egg drop soup isn't any better.)  But when I lived in Austin during college, I had the chance to take a Chinese cooking class, and the dishes were so authentic, that I found I actually liked hot and sour soup.  Now, you need to visit a good Chinese grocery to get some of these ingredients, but trust me, it's worth it.

Suan La Tang (Hot and Sour Soup)
Adapted from Dorothy Huang

3 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked in hot water until soft, sliced into strips
4 cups water
1½ teaspoons bonito flavored soup stock granules
½ can shredded bamboo shoots, rinsed well
3 tablespoons Szechuan mustard greens, rinsed well to remove salt (optional)
1 tablespoon cloud ear black fungus, soaked until soft and rinsed well
20 dried lily buds, soaked, stem removed, and tied into knots
½ pound fresh tofu (firm), cut into small cubes
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Sauce:
2½ tablespoons tapioca starch
1½ tablespoons water
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground white pepper

Heat water until boiling. Add soup stock granules and stir well. Let boil for several minutes. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, mustard greens, black fungus, and lily buds. Let boil for two more minutes. Mix sauce ingredients into a paste, starting with tapioca starch and water. Add to boiling soup. Add tofu and egg, stirring quickly so egg dissipates into threads. Add additional soy sauce if needed. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings

China, The Beautiful Cookbook: Shīzi Tóu (“Lion Heads” Stewed Large Meatballs)

This is the Chinese answer to those big 'ol meatballs you get at Italian restaurants that are as big as your fist.  Except I think the Chinese probably thought these up first.  And because they cook up low and slow, they're about as tender as silk.  You can cook them over low heat, or you can do what I did, and put them in the oven at 325°F.

Note: I didn't have any lard on me, so I decided that bacon fat is much more suitable than tasteless vegetable oil for frying the cabbage.

Shīzi Tóu (“Lion Heads” Stewed Large Meatballs)
Adapted from China, The Beautiful Cookbook by Kevin Sinclair

1¼ pounds lean ground pork
2½ tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1 (1½-pound) Napa cabbage
½ (15-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed (optional)
Lard or vegetable oil, for frying
1½ to 2 cups chicken stock

Mix together the pork, green onion, ginger, salt, and wine and work the meat with your fingers until smooth and sticky. Form into 4 large meatballs.

Wash the cabbage and cut lengthwise into quarters. Stir-fry the cabbage and mushrooms (if using) briefly in a wok in lard or vegetable oil, adding a generous pinch of salt.

Spread half of the cabbage across the bottom of a casserole and place the meatballs on top, then cover with the remaining cabbage.

Add enough boiling stock to just cover the meatballs. Cover the casserole tightly and simmer over low heat for about 1½ hours or until the meatballs are melt-in-the-mouth tender.

Serve in the casserole, pushing the vegetables to one side to expose the meatballs.

Makes 4 servings

Gourmet: Spiced Saffron Rice

This is my go-to recipe for rice when I'm making an Indian meal.  It's fragrant and luxurious and goes with just about any main dish.  And you can even make it in your rice cooker if you want it to get any easier.  Just fry up the spices in the oil, dump it in the rice cooker with the rice and water, and go.  Immediate gratification.  Well, almost.

Spiced Saffron Rice
Adapted from Gourmet magazine, March 1991

1½ cups Basmati rice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
7 whole cloves
5 green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
2 tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half

In a large bowl wash rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear and drain it in a fine sieve. In a large heavy saucepan heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking, add the cinnamon stick, the cloves, and the cardamom pods, if using, and fry the spices, stirring, for 30 seconds, or until the cloves are puffed slightly. Add rice and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the rice is opaque. Add 2¼ cups water and the salt, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook the rice, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, in a heatproof bowl set over a small pan of simmering water heat the saffron for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is brittle. Add milk, heat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it is hot, and remove the pan from the heat. Drizzle the saffron mixture over the rice and continue to cook the rice, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

My Hometown Restaurant: Odeng Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Fish Cake)

This may be my favorite Korean dish.  Seriously.  It's like the perfection of the cuisine.  Spicy. Salty. Sweet. Umami.  I could eat this with just a bowl of rice. And this is supposedly a side dish.  Not anymore.

Odeng Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Fish Cake)
Adapted from My Hometown Restaurant, Ft. Hood, TX

3 pieces fried fish cake (approximately 3x6-inches each)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon Accent powder (MSG) (optional)
1 teaspoon red pepper powder (gochugaru)
3 green onions, sliced thinly on the bias
1 serrano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Cut the fish cakes into thin strips.  Heat the sesame oil and garlic in a frying pan or wok.  Add the fish cake strips and fry for 2 to 3 minutes before sprinkling with the sugar, Accent powder, and red pepper powder.  Add the green onions, serrano pepper, and soy sauce; sauté for 2 more minutes.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, if desired.  Serve warm or cold.

Makes 4 servings

Southern Living: Peach Streusel Muffins

Summer makes me happy.  Mostly because it's warm, and I always seem to be cold.  But also because there's all sorts of luscious produce to be had.  You can go to the grocery store and just smell the ripe perfection emanating from the produce section.  So I try to buy up this summer bounty and make it into delicious things.  Only problem with this little story is that the chances of finding a ripe peach, even in the middle of summer, is about the same as your chances of finding Eldorado.  So frozen it is.  Still tastes like summer.

Peach Streusel Muffins
From Southern Living magazine, July 2003

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1½ cups fresh or frozen peeled peaches, chopped
Streusel Topping

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a muffin pan with 12 liners.

Beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg; beating until blended.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and fold in the chopped peaches.

Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared pan, filling each liner ⅔ full. Sprinkle the Streusel Topping over the muffin batter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.

Make 12 muffins

Streusel Topping
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2½ tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

Combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon; cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles crumbs.

China, The Beautiful Cookbook: Stewed Chicken, Li Kou Fu Style

So I'm poking around in a Chinese cookbook, wishing that a Chinese recipe would actually turn out to taste like something other than a poor attempt at authenticity.  And I come across this recipe for a stewed chicken.  Easy enough.  No wok necessary.  And you know what?  This recipe turns out the most delicately flavored chicken I may have ever had.  No overpowering rose flavor.  Not super salty.  Just really delicious in a court-of-the-Chinese-emperor kind of way.

Stewed Chicken, Li Kou Fu Style
From China, The Beautiful Cookbook by Kevin Sinclair

1 (1½-pound) Cornish hen
4 green onions
Cilantro (garnish)

Seasoning:
⅔ cup dark mushroom soy sauce
⅓ cup Mei Kuei Lu (rose-scented Chinese rice wine)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Pinch of salt

Rinse the chicken and wipe dry. Place the green onions in the cavity and put into a deep, small casserole. Mix the seasoning ingredients together. Pour a little into the cavity, then pour the remainder over the chicken.

Cover the pot tightly and place in a water bath to prevent the chicken from coming into direct contact with the heat and burning. Simmer the chicken very gently until tender, about 1¼ hours, turning once or twice.

Lift out the chicken, cut into serving pieces and arrange on a plate. Pour the sauce over and garnish with cilantro.

Makes 2 servings

Best Recipes: Caramel Slices

I came across some pictures of Australia, and it reminded me of the time I spent in the country with my friend from high school. I especially remembered a dessert called caramel slices that I had for the first time on that trip. I was so addicted, my friend and I would search out bakeries that sold them just so I could stuff my face again. We also gorged ourselves on meat pies and "chips".  Boy, was that a trip.

Caramel Slices
From bestrecipes.com

Crust:
¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup self-rising flour
½ cup castor sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
Pinch sea salt

Topping:
5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1½ tablespoons shortening

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a glass 11x7-inch pan with cooking spray or brush with melted butter. Press parchment paper into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Combine coconut, flour, castor sugar, and melted butter. Press dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 or until golden brown.

While dough is cooking, combine sweetened condensed milk, butter, golden syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until the mixture begins to boil. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook for five more minutes, stirring constantly. When dough is done, pour caramel layer over top and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Place chocolate and shortening in a saucepan and heat over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over caramel layer and smooth out. Allow chocolate layer to set completely before slicing into squares.

Tyler Florence: Rosemary Lamb Chops and Trembom: Drunken Potatoes

I can't believe that I basically never had lamb until I was an adult.  How do these things happen?  I mean, I had HEARD of lamb with things like mint sauce, but I hadn't actually experienced them.  My time in Australia definitely changed that for me.  The lamb from that country is amazing, and I still have cravings long after my return.  I'm still trying to convince my family, but this meal is going a long ways towards that goal.

Rosemary Lamb Chops
Loosely adapted from Tyler Florence

8 (3-ounce) lamb chops
⅓ cup olive oil
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Australian salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper

In a dish large enough to hold the lamb chops in a single layer, combine olive oil, the rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the lamb, turn to coat with the marinade and set aside for about 15 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, for about 1 minute. Pat the chops dry and season on 1 side with salt and pepper. Add enough oil to lightly coat the surface of the pan. Working in batches if needed, add the chops seasoned side down to the pan. Cook until crisp and brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season the top side with salt and pepper, turn, and continue cooking until just firm and an instant-read thermometer registers 130 to 135°F, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow the chops to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Drunken Potatoes
From Jill Dupleix, as seen on Trembom blog

3 large long potatoes (about 1½ pounds)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Heat the oven to 375°F. Peel the potatoes and finely slice crosswise. Toss the potato slices in a bowl with the olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Lightly oil a baking tray or oven proof dish and scatter the potatoes loosely over the base. It is vital that you choose a dish that is large enough so that your potato slices don't get crammed. Pour over the white wine and scatter with the thyme.

Bake for 30 minutes, during which time the wine will boil and bubble away, and the potatoes will crisp to a beautiful golden crunch. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes after the wine has evaporated, as they can over-crisp.The slices in the corners might get scorched, but it's worth the sacrifice.