Asparagus Bacon Spring Rolls Tapas Party: a Collaboration with West Elm

When thinking of all the reasons why we love the holidays so much, a million thoughts come to mind. And when we think of the reasons what makes the holidays so stressful, a few pop up to the surface. But avoiding the crazy shopping malls pretty much alleviates all the stress already. Maybe we’re getting old, but as the years go by, our holidays become so much less stressful and quite honestly, so much more enjoyable.

Bye bye to all the fancy holiday gatherings we used to do with days of cooking preparation and decorating the house with all the jingle bells and poinsettias in every corner of the house.

Simply put, we now host casual holiday dinner parties full of tapas, small bites and fun conversation. Holiday life is so much easier that way because between holiday photo shoots and two attention-hungry dogs the more casual the party, the better!

We hosted a special little holiday tapas dinner in collaboration with and some of West Elm’s dishes, which we can never get enough. Before they ever reached out to us to collaborate on a tapas party shoot, we had their dishes stocked high in our studio’s prop room already. So adding a few more pieces to our collection was an easy “yes”. Pull our arms, why don’t ‘cha?

On the menu were some favorite recipes from our cookbook Bountiful including our roasted asparagus and bacon spring rolls, charred shishito peppers  and ever-so-popular and fattening crack dip.

We chose West Elm’s Gather Plates for our party because the etching and theme of what we’re about is gathering. The evening couldn’t have been any more perfect and with the addition of some personal favorites from Lindsay’s Suite One Studio dishes we bought, the table was set the exactly the way we wanted: simple, un-fussy and loaded with tons of great asparagus bacon spring rolls.

If you’ve never rolled spring rolls before or have failed, no worries. Rolling these are actually so much easier than you’d ever think and best of all, you can roll anything in them. It’s one of the most fun ways to gather a group of friends together and eat tapas. Here’s a tutorial we wrote on how to roll spring rolls for any of you newbies.

Part of the fun of our spring roll parties is to have everyone roll their own rolls and cut them into bite sized pieces to share with others. For tapas, that’s the best part because you can small bites from everyones creation.  But the real fun at our gathering is watching to see how everyone rolls. Some spring rolls come out like skinny cigars, while other friends roll huge burrito sized spring rolls. It’s always a great laugh to poke fun at those who end up making burritos instead of spring rolls. But it’s all in fun and that’s why gatherings are so wonderful. There’s never a boring moment.

Now we have two weeks before Christmas arrives and we still can’t believe it’s almost here. Where did 2011, 2012 and now 2013 go to? If you figure it out, let us know!

Hope all your holiday planning is swell, full of family and great food. And fingers crossed, less mall time and less stress!

hugs,

diane and todd

  happy holidays!

Yield: about 10 rolls

Total Time: 30 min

The fillings here are not traditionally Vietnamese, but they are examples of the endless possibilities
for spring rolls. This recipe is not paired with a dip because the bacon is already quite salty.
For dip ideas see our other spring roll recipes.

1 bunch tender baby asparagus (about 1/2 pound / 225g)1 tablespoon olive oilFreshly cracked black pepper12 slices bacon, crisped1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks (optional)Lettuce leaves?Fresh basil or mint leavesRice paper wrappersPreheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).Trim any dry or tough ends from the asparagus spears. On a sheet pan, toss the asparagus with the oil. Add pepper to taste. (Do not salt the asparagus because the bacon will be salty.)Roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the asparagus.)Gather the asparagus, bacon, cucumber, carrot (if using), lettuce leaves, herb leaves, and rice paper wrappers and prepare to roll.Fill a large bowl with warm (bath-temperature) water. Gently dip each rice paper wrapper in the water for a few seconds, just until damp. (Don’t oversoak.) Place the wrapper on a plate or wooden board. As the wrapper begins to absorb the water and becomes softer and pliable (10 to 30 seconds, depending on the thickness of the wrappers and the water temperature), begin to add the fillings.On the one-third of the wrapper closest to you, place a layer of each filling (asparagus, one slice of bacon, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, and herb leaves).Start rolling the wrapper over the fillings, away from you, tucking and rolling the wrapper with your fingers, making sure all the fillings remain within the wrapper and tucking in the sides as you roll.

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Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Parmesan Pizza

Pizza. Ahh, beautiful pizza. With a thin, bubbly crust which is slightly charred, and topped with a perfect balance of sauce, toppings and cheese. It is something worth obsessing over, and boy do we obsess over pizza.

Pizza is often our source of exploration when we set out to explore a town. Just about anywhere we travel, we’ll attempt to hunt down the area’s best offerings in pizza with the wood-fired tokens of devotion that often satisfy our personal cravings the most. We have been lucky enough to experience extraordinary pizza all over the country and of course in pizza’s homeland of Italy.

Great pizza for us isn’t something just for travel, either. In an even greater stroke of luck, in southern California, we have some of the best pizza in the country, headlined by Nancy Silverton’s Mozza. So with such extraordinary inspiration between our travels and local offerings, the bar for great pizza just keeps getting raised higher and higher.

Speaking of bar, if you are ever at the LA or OC Mozza locations, make sure try and grab a seat at the pizza bar where you get to watch the masters delicately craft exceptional pizzas. You might even pick up a technique or two to take back home into your own kitchen. We sure have.

We’ve learned things like treating the dough gently and with finesse. It isn’t mashed, pressed, and forced into shape. The dough is billowy soft before even beginning to stretch, and then great care is taken not to ruin that state.

We’ve learned to create indentions with the fingertips to seal off the outer crust, which is then rarely touched again except by the soft brushing of olive oil. The center is gently pressed with the fingers to widen out, then the dough is rested over the backside of the hands to rotate and allow gravity and the dough’s own weight stretch the dough into shape.  The process is quick but done with finesse.

These are some of the techniques that we’ve put into our pizza dough as we fine-tuned it for our cookbook, Bountiful. Take that dough and add whatever topping craving you desire. Lately with autumn filling our lives, a Brussels spouts and bacon pizza seemed just about perfect.

We cooked up the bacon until lightly browned (remembering that it was going to get cooked a bit more when the pizza baked), thinly sliced the Brussels sprouts, then sautéed everything all together. Add a little Worcestershire sauce for a bit of punch and layer between sauce and cheese.

It came out great even with the ovens not firing quite as hot as normal and only getting up to 475 degrees. The crust wasn’t quite as bubbly or charred as usual, but we aren’t complaining. Everything was quite delicious.

enjoy,

-Todd

after a light saute of the brussels sprouts and bacon, time to top the pizza

Enjoy a few slices for yourself…

Yield: Makes 2 -10" Pizza

Total Time: 4 hours

The pizza dough is from our cookbook, Bountiful. The dough and topping can easily be made the day before and then assembled and baked as needed. The crust comes out best if baked on a pizza stone in the oven which has been preheated for at least 20 minutes, however you can always bake the pizzas on a baking sheetpan in the oven if you don't have a stone. Just sprinkle a bit of cornmeal on the sheetpan before laying down the stretched out pizza dough.

Here's a bit of the headnote from the book talking about handling the dough, "We’ve learned a lot from listening to great bakers and watching them bake their doughs. One thing they all seem to have in common is that they don’t overhandle the dough. The more you work it, the tougher it gets. With most of the great pizzas we’ve had, the bakers are not kneading their dough, but just mixing it and letting the yeast go to work. And when they handle their dough to make pizzas, it isn’t with a heavy, forceful hand, but rather by gently letting gravity stretch and form the dough. It is graceful and gentle. The amount of flour in the recipe should yield a dough that will be easy to handle with just a touch of extra flour for dusting when you are stretching it. If you are comfortable with handling the dough, experiment with putting a bit less flour in it. This will make for a lighter crust, but because the dough is wetter, it will be a bit more challenging to work with."

If your oven doesn't go as high as 550°F, the pizzas will still come out great, it just may take a little more time and the crust might not get the char that we personally love so much. You can also use a liberal dusting of flour instead of the cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking to the pizza peel.

1 1/4 cups (300ml) warm water1 teaspoon active dry yeast1 teaspoon honey1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt3 1/3 cups (415g) flour4-5 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed1 pound (455g) Brussels sprouts, sliced thin1 cup tomato sauce, or amount to preference1 cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano Cheese (or other preferred cheese)kosher or sea salt, to tastefresh cracked black pepper, to tastecornmeal for dusting peelextra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the crustMake ahead (Dough):In a large bowl or resealable container, stir together the water, yeast, honey, and salt. Stir in the flour until no streaks of dry flour remains.Cover the dough and set aside in a warm area to proof for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in volume. Set aside in the refrigerator until chilled, or for up to 1 week
(see Note 1).When you are ready to make pizzas, preheat the oven to 550°F, with a baking stone on the middle rack for at least 30 minutes. Have cornmeal and a pizza peel handy nearby for when you stretch the dough.Divide the dough in half and place the dough balls on a well-floured surface. Allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. The dough should feel soft and pillowy.While the dough comes up to room temperature, make the brussels sprouts-bacon filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon pieces until lightly browned. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, garlic and brussels sprouts. Cook for about 1 minute or until brussels sprouts soften. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool while you finish the dough.Liberally sprinkle corn meal on the pizza peel. Set nearby while you stretch the dough. When the dough is soft and pillowy, with floured hands, lightly flour the first dough ball. Using your fingertips, make indentations to form the outer crust rim (see photo in post). Using your hands, rotate and gently press out the dough, working from the center outward to stretch it, leaving the outer rim as untouched as possible. Press out to a circle 6 - 8 inches in diameter.Resting the dough on the tops of your hands, continue to rotate and circle the dough over your hands, gently stretching the dough to about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. Make sure to keep the rim thicker than the center. (If the dough starts to toughen and spring back too much while you work on it, allow it to rest for a few minutes so it will relax and soften.) Lightly re-flour your hands, the work surface, and the dough as needed to keep the dough from sticking.Lay the stretched out dough on the prepared pizza peel. Give it a little shake to make sure the dough isn't sticking to the peel. Gently brush oil on the outer crust. Shake the peel again to make sure nothing is sticking.Gently ladle and spread 1/2 of the sauce on the dough. Spread 1/2 of the brussel sprouts/bacon mixture on the pizza, spread 1/2 of the cheese, and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden and slightly charred. While the first pizza is baking, repeat the stretching and topping instructions with the second pizza.Allow each pizza to cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.

Over time in the fridge, the dough will gradually begin to change in texture after it bakes, and will also develop a sourdough flavor. We prefer the texture and flavor of the dough after 24 to 36 hours of refrigeration, but it is still quite good when chilled up to 1 week.

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Kung Pao Bacon

Do you have a go-to sauce to use whenever you're in the mood for a quick stir-fry?

I was recently asked that question on a phone interview and, after a few seconds of thinking, realized that I often make my kung pao chicken sauce or some variation of it for meals, without thinking twice about it.

I mean, it's just so easy and tasty. The mixture of sweet, savory, tangy, and smoky sauce with a tinge of spiciness takes just 1 minute to mix together. And it's versatile. In addition to chicken, I've used it for shrimp, tofu, and brussels sprouts. My friend Dave even made Kung Pao Fiddleheads when fiddlehead ferns were in season last month.

A few weeks ago I went to Mission Chinese for lunch and ordered a plate of their Kung Pao Pastrami, a great mix of thickly cut pastrami, potato, celery, and dried chilis. Inspired to try out different cuts of meat, I made Kung Pao Bacon a few days later. Here, I relax a bit on my idea that kung pao anything should have a limited amount of vegetables in order for the protein, chilis, and peanuts to shine through. Lightly cooked red bell peppers actually works really well here in contrast to the crisp bacon. And the advantage of using bacon is that you don't need any oil to start off the cooking process, though you should remember to drain out most of it before cooking the rest of the ingredients.

What other proteins have you tried, or would like to try, with kung pao sauce?

View the original article here

Kung Pao Bacon

Do you have a go-to sauce to use whenever you’re in the mood for a quick stir-fry?

I was recently asked that question on a phone interview and, after a few seconds of thinking, realized that I often make my kung pao chicken sauce or some variation of it for meals, without thinking twice about it.

I mean, it’s just so easy and tasty. The mixture of sweet, savory, tangy, and smoky sauce with a tinge of spiciness takes just 1 minute to mix together. And it’s versatile. In addition to chicken, I’ve used it for shrimp, tofu, and brussels sprouts. My friend Dave even made Kung Pao Fiddleheads when fiddlehead ferns were in season last month.

A few weeks ago I went to Mission Chinese for lunch and ordered a plate of their Kung Pao Pastrami, a great mix of thickly cut pastrami, potato, celery, and dried chilis. Inspired to try out different cuts of meat, I made Kung Pao Bacon a few days later. Here, I relax a bit on my idea that kung pao anything should have a limited amount of vegetables in order for the protein, chilis, and peanuts to shine through. Lightly cooked red bell peppers actually works really well here in contrast to the crisp bacon. And the advantage of using bacon is that you don’t need any oil to start off the cooking process, though you should remember to drain out most of it before cooking the rest of the ingredients.

What other proteins have you tried, or would like to try, with kung pao sauce?

Author: Appetite for China (appetiteforchina.com)12 ounces bacon, cut into large bite-sized pieces8 to 10 dried red chilis5 scallions2 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger1 red bell pepper, diced¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon soy sauce1 teaspoon hoisin sauce1 teaspoon sesame oil2 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon cornstarch1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepperPrepare the sauce: In another bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch is dissolved and set aside.Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the bacon and cook until crisp on the outside and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan. Add the chilis and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the chilis have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant.Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the red bell pepper and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Return the bacon to the pan. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.

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Baked Eggs in Avocado with Bacon on Toast

Wait, don’t click away yet. Hold on to that thought. Allow me to explain this dish to you before judge a warm avocado meal.

I know, it may sound awkward to be spreading hot avocado on toast, dripping with egg yolk and scattered with bacon bits. It may even sound blasphemous to some of you who are avocado purists. Why ruin a sacred Hass avocado, that’s perfectly ripe, buttery and creamy with oven-heat and egg? I know, I know, but read on….

On Sunday I was staring at four perfectly ripe avocados. The standard, but always favorite, homemade guacamole came to mind for lunch. Or even more indulgent, avocado egg rolls. The end of January is coming to a close (do you believe this?!), many of us have gone off-tangent from our 2013 health goals, so I decided to just blow away the rest of January with a two-thousand calorie meal. Why not? I was feeling mighty daring.

I asked twitter and facebook what to do with the avocados and all you amazing people came to my rescue with some incredible ideas. Inspired to make the most out of my stash of avocados, I also turned to the CA Avocado Commission recipe index to find more recipe inspiration.  One of the first recipes I came across was for this Avocado bacon and eggs recipe.

It had my favorite three ingredients but as I read further, I found out it was baked. Baked? BAKED?

The thought of eating a baked avocado didn’t sound appealing. But after looking at the recipe further, I was imagining what it would taste like when the egg was runny, like a poached-egg style. The bacon bits on top for extra crunch and salt was even more interesting. It all sounded way too rich for me and after 2 bites, I’d probably regret wasting a perfectly wonderful avocado.

But my curiosity got the best of me and I just had to try it. Have you ever been both scared and fascinated by something that you can’t stop thinking about it? Well I had that relationship with this recipe and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. So I had to try it because if I didn’t, I’d keep myself up at night wondering what it tasted like. Yes, I’m that type of person that keeps thinking about something so much that I eventually have to make it happen, or else I’ll drive my self bonkers.

I decided to spread it over toast and figured this would be a wonderful base for something so decadent. And what did I think of it after I tasted it? Wonderful.

Really, I never thought I’d take heart to a warm avocado. But the warm egg, all mushed together with the avocado and bacon bits really paired well together on the crisp toast. It was like a smashed avocado sandwich, but with the added bonus of a “poached egg” texture on top and bacon to make it all happier. I really enjoyed these baked eggs and was so surprised at how pleasant warm avocado tasted.

Todd even enjoyed it and ate his half with the same enthusiasm as I did.

So there you have it. I’m thankful that I didn’t judge the recipe and gave it a second chance. Now I can say that I have a wonderful breakfast option for anyone who loves avocados.

Try it!

-diane

cooking note: rest the avocado half inside the edge of a baking dish so that the avocado doesn’t tilt over & spill eggs

Yield: Serves 2

Total Time: 30 min

1 medium or large avocado2 small eggs2 sliced of bacon, cooked then crumbled2 slices of toastsea salt, to tastefresh cracked black pepper, to tastehot sauce, optionalfresh chopped tomatoes, optionalPre-heat oven to 425 degrees.Crack the eggs in a medium bowl, careful to not puncture the yolks. Set aside.Cut avocado in half and carefully remove seed. Depending on how big the seed is, the hole in the avocado should be big enough for one small egg. But if the hole looks too small, scoop out a little at a time till it matches the amount of egg.In a medium baking dish, try to rest the avocado half inside the edge of the dish so that the avocado doesn't tilt over. You need to keep the avocado from tilting so that the raw egg does not spill out. Look at the photo above to see how I did it.You can crack the egg directly in the avocado, but it might overflow and make a mess. So this technique will be useful: With a medium spoon, gently scoop out one of the yolks and place it into the hole of the avocado. Then continue spooning the egg whites into the avocado hole till it's full. Repeat for both avocado halves.Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper on top of the eggs, to taste.Gently place the baking dish in oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on how much egg you have and how big your avocado is. So keep checking the egg to see if it's cooked to your desired consistency.Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top. Spread the avocado/egg onto toast. Add addition salt and pepper to taste, chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, if needed. Enjoy!

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Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

December has flown by, hasn’t it? This month has been crazy busy for everyone I know.  For me, my month has been filled with activities surrounding the release of my cookbook, including interviews and a book release party. It’s hard to remember that sometimes we need to sit back and take a breather.

But I am looking forward to Christmas. These bacon parmesan brussels sprouts have been a holiday staple in my home for the past 3 years. Think about it. Bacon. Parmesan. Brussels Sprouts.

It’s a little decadent, yes. But isn’t December the time for celebrating and treating yourself (and the lucky ones who have Christmas dinner with you?)

Basically, you crisp up the bacon in a pan, then sauté the brussels sprouts and shallots and garlic in bacon drippings, which gives them a great smoky flavor. Then you layer the brussels sprouts with Parmesan and bake the casserole dish in the oven until the brussels sprouts and golden and the cheese is nice and melty.

It’s so easy that putting this on your holiday menu won’t add even an ounce of stress.

__________________________________

Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Serves 8

3 strips bacon3 medium shallots, thinly sliced3 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1/2 pound Parmesan cheese, gratedPreheat the oven to 325 degrees F.In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the bacon until cooked through and crispy, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small bits.In the same pan (don’t drain the bacon fat), briefly sauté the brussel sprouts until lightly golden on the outside, about 2 minutes. (You may have to work in 2 batches.) Add the shallots and garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 more minute.  Season with the salt and pepper.In a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish, line the bottom with brussel sprouts, shallots, and garlic. Sprinkle a layer of parmesan on top. Add another layer of the brussel sprout mixture. Sprinkle the bacon and rest of the parmesan on top.Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and maybe even slightly golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

 Recipe first published Dec. 24, 2009. Revised Dec. 20, 2012.

__________________________________

More brussels sprouts dishes to try:

Tagged as: Brussels Sprouts, Recipes

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Oven-Roasted Pinakbet with Bacon

Oven-Roasted Pinakbet with Bacon - Burnt Lumpia: Filipino Food | Filipino Recipes | Culinary Hijinkswindow.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )();Burnt Lumpia: Filipino Food | Filipino Recipes | Culinary HijinksLumpia FillingAbout Burnt LumpiaFilipino Food Recipe ArchiveLinks Get My FeedWelcomeRecent PostsOven-Roasted Pinakbet with BaconCookbook Update: A Title Change, and a Quick Peek InsideHomemade TofuHomemade Limoncello w/ Calamansi Limes (Calamancello)Pork and Rhubarb SinigangChicken Adobo and 40 Cloves of GarlicCookbook Update: Manuscript & Photos DoneHome-Cured Corned BeefA Journey with LinamnamCookbook Recipe Testers Wanted!CategoriesAdobo RecipesAdobo Road CookbookBeefBeer, Liquor, & WineBL OriginalsBL Restaurant ReviewsBooksCookbooksDessertsFruits and VeggiesGiveawaysHolidaysHow to Make LumpiaKalamansiKinilawLasang PinoyMy Cookbook!On The GrillOtherPancit (Filipino Noodles)PorkPoultryRiceSeafoodThe BL FamThe Manila MachineTravelUbe RecipesVinegar (Suka) « Cookbook Update: A Title Change, and a Quick Peek Inside |Main

August 29, 2012Oven-Roasted Pinakbet with Bacon

I didn't know it until I started writing this particular post, but 5 years ago, I wrote about how I first learned to make the Filipino vegetable stew known as Pinakbet. In that old post, I boldly proclaimed that Pinakbet "is my most favorite food in the whole entire world times infinity!" (man, I was a wordsmith back in the day).

Fast forward 5 years and you know what? Pinakbet is STILL my most favorite food in the whole entire world times infinity! (man, I've still got it!!)

My fondness for the Filipino vegetable medley probably just stems from the stew being a part of my childhood and upbringing—it's a comfort food for me. And besides, with sweet and tangy tomatoes, bitter melon, a touch of fish sauce and asmattering of pork belly, I love the interplay of all of the 5 tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, Umami) in this dish.

Since learning how to make Pinakbet all those years ago, I estimate that I've probably made it well over 100 times (at least once a month for 5 years, plus a gajillion more times for my cookbook, you do the math).

But I've found that if you do something enough times, you start looking for different ways to make things interesting, not because you're bored or tired of the original, but just because you can. Probably kinda like how Kobe can throw up that occassional left-handed runner when there's absolutely no need to (I am by no means calling myself the "Kobe Bryant of Pinakbet Preparers." But maybe Nick Van Exel is more appropriate—my pinakbet is good and dependable, yet open to occassional fits of craziness [humblebrag]).

So that's what I did with my latest Pinakbet--I just did something a bit different for the heck of it, but with great results. This is a simple variation on the "classic" Filipino vegetable stew. And by "classic", I mean within the context of my own family. Your classic Pinakbet might contain cubes of kabocha squash, tender okra, lima beans, and a healthy smattering of Bagoong (fermented shrimp paste). And that's fine. But in my family, my Great Auntie Puyong (The Michael Jordan of Pinakbet Preparers) uses just tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggplant, bittermelon, longbeans, Lechon Kawali, and fish sauce. Simple. Straighforward. Streamlined. Just the way I like it.

OK. So now to that variation I was talking about. Actually, there's a couple. First, instead of Lechon Kawali, I use bacon in this version. Specifically, I roast a few slices of bacon in a roasting pan in the oven. After the bacon is nice and crisp, I remove it from the pan, but leave in the tasty drippings. Then I take my vegetables and throw them into the roasting pan and toss them about until they are all nice and slicked with bacon fat. And into the oven the vegetables go.

So, if you're keeping score at home, instead of layering the vegetables in a pot on the stovetop and steaming them in their own juices (the traditional way), they are roasted into submission in the oven. And like any other vegetables roasted in the oven, the Pinakbet veg obtain a certain sweetness that they could not have gotten by steaming (even the bitter melon, to a certain extent). The onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes get especially sweet after a roast in the oven, and the eggplant acts like a sponge and soaks up much of the bacon fat and flavor.

Towards the end of roasting, I stir in a couple tablespoons of fish sauce. Admittedly, the finished Pinakbet is nowhere near as soupy as I usually like it (it's not soupy at all, in fact), but this drier version is a good change of pace.

Oh, and that bacon? It's crumbled atop everything just before serving.

Oven-Roasted Pinakbet with Bacon

Serves 4-6

4-6 slices bacon
1 pint cherry tomatoes, left whole
1 medium onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 Asian eggplant, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 large bittermelon, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, and then cut into 1/2-inch chunks
15-20 longbeans, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Water, as needed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the slices of bacon in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Place the bacon in the oven and roast until crispy, about 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan.

Add all of the vegetables to the roasting pan and toss until everything is coated in the remaining bacon grease. Place the roasting pan into the oven and roast the vegetables for 30 minutes, gently tossing and stirring the vegetables every 10 minutes.

During the last 10 minutes of roasting, stir in the fish sauce. If you find that any of the vegetables begin to burn or stick to the pan, add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze. The vegetables are done when they are wilted, caramelized, and tender. Some cherry tomatoes will burst, some won't; it's all good.

Crumble the bacon over the vegetables just before serving. Serve with steamed white rice.

Posted by Burnt Lumpia at 03:08 PM | Permalink

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Comments

I love pinakbet and I love roasted vegetables (and I love bacon). I can't wait to try this version! Brilliant!

Posted by:Charlynne B |August 30, 2012 at 05:47 AM

Cool! I've been meaning to try making pinakbet, but some of the ingredients are hard to come by. It looks like I could attempt this version. Will it be shameful if I use liquid smoke instead of bacon to make it vegetarian-ish?

Posted by:Shipwrekkt |August 30, 2012 at 08:02 AM

I'd love to try this version when the weather gets cooler. Roasting these types of vegetables (especially bittermelon, my favorite) is making me anxious to do this. the addition of bacon is also a neat twist!

My mom has taken to making pinakbet without the bagoong in her attempt to make it healthier. it's pretty good without the bagoong, but i prefer it with.

Posted by:caninecologne |September 01, 2012 at 06:51 PM

patis is a good substitute for bagoong if people find bagoong too fishy. patis is, after all, that pure golden amber liquid that forms on top of good bagoong.

Posted by:sandrita |September 02, 2012 at 01:52 AM

I love pinakbet! What a fun post, too! Can't wait to try out this recipe.

Posted by:Amanda |September 05, 2012 at 09:44 PM

I can't wait to try it this way!

Posted by:Camille |September 13, 2012 at 10:36 PM

Good luck ,Great post,y love you!Thanks for the info it had cleared out too many things in my mind. Your recommendations are really good.
http://www.sherryvinegarsubstitute.com

Posted by:gabriela |September 18, 2012 at 12:51 AM

Wow. What a great idea. I will have to try this sometime. I actually like my pinakbet without all that sauce so this works for my preference.

Posted by:Dexie |September 25, 2012 at 03:58 PM

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Tofu, Kimchi and Bacon Taco Recipe

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May 03, 2012Tofu, Kimchi and Bacon Taco Recipe

Most of the tofu and kimchi tacos on the food scene are vegetarian but I wanted to turn a classic Korean dish --dubu kimchi (warm tofu with a stir-fry of kimchi and pork belly) -- into a taco filling. The triad of ingredients is wonderful so why not see what it’s like in a corn tortilla? 

I started thinking about the taco filling idea as I was developing the dubu kimchi recipe for the tofu cookbook. I could have squeezed the tofu taco concept into the book as a recipe “Variation,” but there was an inherent brilliance in the original dish (see page 145 in Asian Tofu). I didn’t want to distract from it by cluttering the page with recipe TMI (too much information).

So I saved the idea for the right online moment. In tribute to the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots and Cinco de Mayo, I tackled my Mexi-Korean taco idea this week. Combining Mexican and Asian flavors has been going on for a long time. Mexi-Asian didn’t start with Roy Choi’s Kogi tacos and David Chang’s Momofuku’s ssam wraps in flour tortillas.

My friend Victor Fong’s father was making lop chong and chorizo in Tijuana in the early part the 20th century. Fast forward, I had my first kimchi burrito in 1993 or ’94, in Los Angeles while I was working at the University of Southern California. A couple of the students loved to make kimchi burrito runs. They’d come back with humungous ones that we’d cut up and share.

In post-1992 riot Los Angeles, that culinary combination was a no brainer. Cuisines can and do get along. A few months ago, I learned that la soya is popular in the Mexican community, per this awesome article on East Los Angeles as a health food Mecca.

I spent most of yesterday developing this intensely flavored and tasty taco. During the hours in the kitchen, I had these realizations:

Kimchi is relatively lean. Yeah, it’s juicy and wet with pickling liquid that easily stain a napkin, but it’s not rich. It needs fat to soften its edges, which is where the raw (uncured) pork belly comes in for dubu kimchi. For this taco recipe, I used bacon as a nod to La Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara, a favorite of Julia Child’s. The stand loves to use bacon.  Don’t fry the bacon to a crisp for this taco. It needs to retain a little softness, lest it turns into hard bits that just don’t play well with the kimchi and tofu. I used the bacon fat to cook the rest of the dish.

Pan-fry the tofu for character and sturdiness. To stand up to cured bacon and endure the rigors of stir-frying, I pan-fried the tofu. That firmed it up and gave it an extra layer of flavor. Deep-frying the tofu would have dried it out and made it a unpleasantly chewy as there’s not much liquid in the stir-fry. I suppose spongy fried tofu puffs of puffy slices of fried tofu (abura age) would work, though; they’re sold at Asian markets. Go for it!Garnish with richness. The tofu, kimchi, and bacon mixture turned out gutsy and earthy. It need to be mellowed out, to rest on a soft pillow, sort to speak. My solution was to hit the taco with a Roy Choi-esque drizzle of kimchi sour cream and slices of avocado.

That’s how I got to the tofu taco recipe below. Try it out and play with it. For example, it would be great as an app on tiny street stall-size tortillas (think the size of pot sticker skins).

¡Que viva la soya! Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Recipe

Tofu, Kimchi and Bacon Tacos

Servings: Makes 8 tacos, to serve 3 or 4

Ingredients

8 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu8 ounces napa cabbage kimchi, drained and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 1 packed cup)About 1/2 teaspoon sugarAbout 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika o ground chipotle chile, and/or 1 1/2 teaspoons Korean red pepper powder (gochu garu)4 to 5 ounces bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips1/2 small yellow onion, sliced2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (crush a smidgen for the kimchi sour cream below)1 extra large jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rings1 to 2 tablespoons kimchi pickling liquid (save from draining kimchi)1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, optional8 corn tortillas2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro1 small ripe avocado, seeded and cut into wedges1 batch of Kimchi Sour Cream1 or 2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

Cut the tofu into thin little matchbooks, each one about 1/3 inch thick, 3/4 inch wide and the length of the first two joints of your index finger. Set on several layers of paper towel or a non-terry dishcloth to drain for about 15 minutes.Season the kimchi with the sugar and paprika or chile  powder. Aim to balance and brighten the flavor, as well as inject a bit of heat. You can combine them all, if they’re available. Set aside. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon. Scatter it in, spreading the pieces out flat. After 1 minute, when some of the fat has rendered, start stir-frying. When the bacon is gently sizzling all over and has browned a bit (but not crisp), transfer to a plate, leaving the fat behind.Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat (reserve any extra or add some oil if you need to). Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat. Blot the tofu one last time, then add the pieces to the skillet. Pan-fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning midway, until golden. They won’t be totally crisp but have some character. Add to the plate with the bacon.Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat (or oil) to the skillet, then cook the onion until soft and a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno chile, and cook until no longer raw smelling.Add the kimchi and cook to warm through. Return the tofu and bacon to the pan and combine and heat through. Splash in the kimchi pickling liquid to flavor and moisten. Cook for a final minute, stirring, until the tofu has turned orange-red. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings with extra sugar or salt. Drizzle with sesame oil, if using. Set aside or cover with an inverted bowl, if you want to keep warm. The mixture can easily be reheated until hot or eaten warm.Reheat the tortillas in a skillet, microwave oven, or atop a gas burner. To serve, distribute the tofu mixture among the tortillas. Add the avocado, drizzle on some of the kimchi sour cream and top with a sprinkle of cilantro. Squeeze on some lime juice for a tart note. (Or, serve the tofu mixture, tortillas and garnishes in separate containers and have guests help themselves.)

More Mexi-Asian tacos to try:

Dashi Carnitas Taco Recipe (salty, fatty and filled with umami)Crisp Duck Taco Recipe (use pot sticker skins to make an Asian taco)

 

Posted in Asian Tofu, Recipe: low-meat, Recipes: All, Recipes: Appetizer and Snack, Recipes: Gluten-Free , Recipes: Main Course, Recipes: Stir-Fry, Recipes: Tofu | Permalink

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Comments Tofu, Kimchi and Bacon Taco Recipe

Most of the tofu and kimchi tacos on the food scene are vegetarian but I wanted to turn a classic Korean dish --dubu kimchi (warm tofu with a stir-fry of kimchi and pork belly) -- into a taco filling. The triad of ingredients is wonderful so why not see what it’s like in a corn tortilla? 

I started thinking about the taco filling idea as I was developing the dubu kimchi recipe for the tofu cookbook. I could have squeezed the tofu taco concept into the book as a recipe “Variation,” but there was an inherent brilliance in the original dish (see page 145 in Asian Tofu). I didn’t want to distract from it by cluttering the page with recipe TMI (too much information).

So I saved the idea for the right online moment. In tribute to the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots and Cinco de Mayo, I tackled my Mexi-Korean taco idea this week. Combining Mexican and Asian flavors has been going on for a long time. Mexi-Asian didn’t start with Roy Choi’s Kogi tacos and David Chang’s Momofuku’s ssam wraps in flour tortillas.

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