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Saturday, September 14, 2013

Tangra Summer - Success!

Ever come off a major project with feelings of both relief and immediate nostalgia? For most of the summer, Chitra from The ABCD's of Cooking and I had been hard at work planning Tangra Summer, an Indian-Chinese pop-up dinner at the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, the oldest surviving building in all of New York. It was an exciting chance to collaborate on a unique creative project, and a ton of work, but in the end everything came together swimmingly. The whole project from beginning to end took a little over 2 months, and it was crazy hectic and wonderful at the same time.

Here are just a couple of quick shots from last night, but we'll have many more photos (including the beers from our sponsors Big Alice Brewing) and a full recap soon! 


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Nutella Cheesecake

This is the famous Nigella’s Nutella Cheesecake. If you are a fan of nutella, which many people love, then you need to try out this recipe, because Nigella is right, nutella really does make a regular cheesecake so much better. Yummy!

This Nutella Cheesecake is another dessert recipe contributed by my friend CP Choong. It’s very easy to make, and sometimes, you have to indulge and forget about dieting, calories, fat, and just dig in and enjoy a slice or two, or three slices of this decadent cheesecake. I am a true believe of “eat first think later.” Food, especially desserts are meant to be made, enticed, and then consumed by human beings, so forget about your waistline, just dig in and enjoy.

Nutella Cheesecake

What I love most about this Nutella Cheesecake is the chopped toasted hazelnuts which give each bite a nice crunch and texture. Another big plus: there is no egg in the recipe, so there is no need to bake. Just beat the cream cheese and sugar, and chill everything in the fridge for a few hours and you have this sinfully delicious cheesecake. Sweet!

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Dumplings and Wontons Class, July 24th at West Elm Market

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Paper-wrapped Mini Sponge Cake

Remember the mini egg cake recipe I posted a couple of months ago? Many people left comments and tried the recipe, and everyone was asking me about the paper-wrapped mini sponge cake recipe that ones get at Asian-style bakery shops. You know, those cute cup-shaped cake that is spongy, soft, airy, light, and oh-so-good at tea time, or breakfast time? Yes, I’ve got you covered as I have invited my contributor CP Choong back to share this mini sponge cake recipe with you.

I love this mini sponge cake very much. Every time I go to Asian bakery shops, I would always pick up a couple of these. They are not greasy, and not too dense, so I feel less guilty eating them because they are probably lower in calories (I might be completely wrong but it appears so). Plus, the paper-wrapped/paper-cup shape is always such an eye-candy, and I just can’t help picking them up.

Anyway, my contributor CP Choong told me that she learned this recipe from a Chinese language website. After a few attempts, she has perfected this recipe. When I was home earlier this year, I was lucky to taste these sponge cakes that she made. They were absolutely delightful, and taste exactly the same as the ones you get at bakery shops.

Try out if you love them. Enjoy!

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Friday, September 13, 2013

Happy July 4th!

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Sun-Dried Tomato Curry

Fresh and simple Asian cooking Y.use('squarespace-ui-base', function(Y) { Y.one("#lower-logo .logo").plug(Y.Squarespace.TextShrink, { parentEl: Y.one('#header') }); }); I've been trying to pack in as much cooking with tomatoes as I can before the official end of summer. 

Yesterday I was browsing through my friend Chitra's blog The ABCD's of Cooking for inspiration and came across her wonderful-sounding post for paneer with sun-dried tomato curry, which used both fresh and dried tomatoes. I had eaten a ton of curries in my life but never tried one using sun-dried tomatoes (to my knowledge), an ingredient I buy twice a week in bulk and can't get enough of. Needless to say, I was quickly sold. 

You may remember Chitra from some of my earlier blog posts. She was my co-conspirator for Tangra Summer, an Indian-Chinese pop-up dinner we put on in August in Brooklyn. She was also the wiz behind the naan breakfast pizza I made back in June, and just an all-around great resource for ideas for vegetarian meals with tons of flavor. So it goes without saying that I was immediately excited to try out this curry.

I love that this recipe can be made with either paneer or tofu. Since I was headed to the Indian grocery store for shopping anyway, and because I'm a cheese addict, I decided to pick up a block of paneer cheese. Though I may also try this with tofu soon on a day I feel like a lighter dish.

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I've been trying to pack in as much cooking with tomatoes as I can before the official end of summer. 

Yesterday I was browsing through my friend Chitra's blog The ABCD's of Cooking for inspiration and came across her wonderful-sounding post for paneer with sun-dried tomato curry, which used both fresh and dried tomatoes. I had eaten a ton of curries in my life but never tried one using sun-dried tomatoes (to my knowledge), an ingredient I buy twice a week in bulk and can't get enough of. Needless to say, I was quickly sold. 

You may remember Chitra from some of my earlier blog posts. She was my co-conspirator for Tangra Summer, an Indian-Chinese pop-up dinner we put on in August in Brooklyn. She was also the wiz behind the naan breakfast pizza I made back in June, and just an all-around great resource for ideas for vegetarian meals with tons of flavor. So it goes without saying that I was immediately excited to try out this curry.

I love that this recipe can be made with either paneer or tofu. Since I was headed to the Indian grocery store for shopping anyway, and because I'm a cheese addict, I decided to pick up a block of paneer cheese. Though I may also try this with tofu soon on a day I feel like a lighter dish.

Almost all the ingredients in the original recipe are ones you can find in any big supermarket. The only exception (other than the paneer) was fenugreek leaves, which I couldn't find, so I ended up just leaving it out. I made a few other minor adjustments, including using Greek yogurt instead of cream. The dish still ended up being extremely flavorful, full of tangy and salty goodness. And pretty substantial when paired with basmati rice. A big win if you're partial to one-dish meals like I am.

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Almost all the ingredients in the original recipe are ones you can find in any big supermarket. The only exception (other than the paneer) was fenugreek leaves, which I couldn't find, so I ended up just leaving it out. I made a few other minor adjustments, including using Greek yogurt instead of cream. The dish still ended up being extremely flavorful, full of tangy and salty goodness. And pretty substantial when paired with basmati rice. A big win if you're partial to one-dish meals like I am.

The making of the dish was pretty easy too. I have a pretty good blender (one that you can screw a Mason jar into!), so I ground the cashews and made the tomato puree pretty easily with minimal clean-up.  

This was the texture of my tomato pur\u00E9e: 

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The making of the dish was pretty easy too. I have a pretty good blender (one that you can screw a Mason jar into!), so I ground the cashews and made the tomato puree pretty easily with minimal clean-up.  

This was the texture of my tomato purée: 

After pan-frying the paneer and simmering the sauce, all of which took under 15 minutes, this was my sun-dried tomato curry. Not that I ever doubted it, but it turned out to be such a great recipe to have on hand, especially since there are absolutely no good Indian restaurants in my neighborhood!

Have you ever made a curry with sun-dried tomatoes?

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After pan-frying the paneer and simmering the sauce, all of which took under 15 minutes, this was my sun-dried tomato curry. Not that I ever doubted it, but it turned out to be such a great recipe to have on hand, especially since there are absolutely no good Indian restaurants in my neighborhood!

Have you ever made a curry with sun-dried tomatoes?

(Check out more of Chitra's great vegetarian recipes on her blog!)

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Sun-Dried Tomato Curry

Serves 4

10 sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)1 cup hot water1 large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes, diced1/4 cup raw cashews14 oz paneer or tofu, cubed2 tablespoons ghee or preferred cooking oil1 large shallot, thinly sliced3 cloves garlic, minced1-inch piece ginger, grated1 teaspoon garam masala1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat)2 teaspoons sugarSalt to tasteSoak the sun-dried tomatoes in the 1 cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Combine the softened sun-dried tomatoes and chopped fresh tomatoes in a blender and add 1/4 cup of water, reserving the remaining 3/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth and set aside.Grind the cashews in a spice grinder, food-processor, or high-powered blender. Set aside.Heat the ghee or oil in a large saut\u00E9 pan over medium heat. Pan-fry the paneer or tofu until lightly golden on the outside, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.In the same pan, saut\u00E9 the shallots, ginger, and garlic for about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, then add the garam masala, coriander, cumin, and red chili powder. Add the ground cashews and the 3/4 cup of water that the sun-dried tomatoes soaked in. Add the yogurt and sugar and salt to taste. Bring the curry to a simmer. Return the paneer or tofu back to the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and garnish with slivered sun-dried tomatoes, chopped cashews, or cilantro if you'd like. 

Adapted from The ABCD's of Cooking

 

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(Check out more of Chitra's great vegetarian recipes on her blog!)

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Serves 4

10 sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)1 cup hot water1 large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes, diced1/4 cup raw cashews14 oz paneer or tofu, cubed2 tablespoons ghee or preferred cooking oil1 large shallot, thinly sliced3 cloves garlic, minced1-inch piece ginger, grated1 teaspoon garam masala1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (preferably full-fat)2 teaspoons sugarSalt to tasteSoak the sun-dried tomatoes in the 1 cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Combine the softened sun-dried tomatoes and chopped fresh tomatoes in a blender and add 1/4 cup of water, reserving the remaining 3/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth and set aside.Grind the cashews in a spice grinder, food-processor, or high-powered blender. Set aside.Heat the ghee or oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Pan-fry the paneer or tofu until lightly golden on the outside, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.In the same pan, sauté the shallots, ginger, and garlic for about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, then add the garam masala, coriander, cumin, and red chili powder. Add the ground cashews and the 3/4 cup of water that the sun-dried tomatoes soaked in. Add the yogurt and sugar and salt to taste. Bring the curry to a simmer. Return the paneer or tofu back to the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and garnish with slivered sun-dried tomatoes, chopped cashews, or cilantro if you'd like. 

Adapted from The ABCD's of Cooking

New Fall Cooking Classes: Dim Sum, Soup Dumplings, and More... ?

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Cold Crab Noodles

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Asian Street Food festival at my friend’s restaurant in Denver, the culmination of our trip to Vietnam or Red Boat Odyssey that I participated a few months ago. I presented two dishes: Cold Crab Noodles and Tamarind Shrimp. When I developed the recipe for Cold Crab Noodles and posted the pictures on my social media, many fans and readers were asking for the recipe. So here it is, I have decided to share it here with you.

I am not sure about the rest of America, but the weather has gotten really hot here in Southern California. It’s strange, but it seems like the real HOT summer in SoCal always starts in September when the rest of the country cools down after Labor Day.

Cold Crab Noodles

With the scorching heat outside, I find a serving of this Cold Crab Noodle very refreshing. The recipe below makes a big batch of the fish sauce based dressing, which you can keep in the refrigerator and use it whenever you want. For the fish sauce, I recommend Red Boat Fish Sauce, which is the best artisanal fish sauce in the market, made purely from anchovies and salt, and no MSG. I visited the factory so I can attest to the fact.

For the crab meat, for the best results, use crab meat picked from live crabs. If you can’t find fresh crabs where you are, you can use frozen crab meat. However, the end result will not be as great. If you have a seafood store where you are, you can also get crab lump meat, which is commonly used for crab cakes. In any case, the fresher and the more crab you use, the better tasting this dish is. Enjoy the flavors of Vietnam in this dish, enjoy!

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