Favorite New Tool & Other Cool Finds

Summer isn’t over yet. So we’re closing our eyes and ears to anything that’s remotely related to pumpkins and Halloween costumes. We’re still squeezing out more tomatoes from the garden and we’re not likely to be giving up Summer at least until next month. And so far, we’ve had a blast this Summer with the pups road trip and best of all, finding some new kitchen tools that we’ll be sharing over the next few weeks. Well the pups road trip was actually the best of all, but the new kitchen tools are pretty cool too.

Todd’s find: To start, we’ve been collecting some these fantastic kitchen beakers in so many different shapes and sizes. I don’t know what it is, but we love beakers. Funny thing is, we love, love, love using them in certain situations, like juicing or making cocktails. However when cooking, we still keep reaching for our ole measuring cups. Although I think its mostly due to only have metric measurements on most of the beakers and some day’s my head doesn’t want to do the conversions. We need to find a well made set with both measurements and we’ll be totally happy. Until then, at least we’re stocked up for Halloween parties! Oh wait, we aren’t letting go of summer yet. Pause that thought for another month. You can purchase the beakers here and here for the flasks.

We’ve also made some time to browse the web and came across so many cool and delicious finds on Pinterest:

- Crazy amazing loaded nachos that fill a whole sheet pan. The video leaves you screaming for a few beers too.

- Make homemade ravioli. It’s so easy. And baked? Pronto.

- Healthy can still be delicious without the carbs. These Zucchini noodles are brilliant.

- Vegetarian tacos all the way. With spicy crema!

- Can’t believe we never made this before. Marinated mushrooms are so fabulous!

Have a great weekend everyone,

diane and todd

View the original article here

Grilled Tomato “Lollipop” Toasts & our Favorite Cherry Tomato Varieties

This is the first in a series we’re sharing for Summer on our favorite heirloom tomatoes that we’re growing. And we’ll have a delicious recipe included too! You can visit all our tomato recipes on our tomato page.

Oh we know they’re not really lollipops. But when we were grilling these little red jewels the term “tomato skewers” sounded so mundane. After plucking these super sweet cherry tomatoes from their vines, they were so cute and plump, it sounded more appropriate (and fun) to call them lollipops. Because they’re so sweet like candy during this time of year, it only made sense to call them lollipops if we jabbed them on a stick.

Summer screams of bbq and we’re constantly heating up our grill to cook up what ever flavors epitomize the season. Our five varieties of cherry tomatoes are peaking out as they normally do this time of year. They’re always the first to explode when the first hear wave arrives and this year, a week long of heat and humidity accelerated their growth and ripeness quicker than ever before. Yay!

Our cherry tomato plants are going bonkers, meaning they just don’t know when to stop producing fruit. We’re not asking them to stop either. Luckily, we’ve had family and friends visit so much for the last 4 weeks that all the cherry tomatoes are going to good homes and bellies. Nothing is better than sending home a basket full of vine ripened cherry tomatoes.

We’ve always grown Sweet One Hundred cherry tomatoes and enjoyed their wonderful bounty. But last year we found a variety called Sweet Million and have been hooked ever since. The difference between the two is that we find the Sweet Million to produce much more cherry tomatoes on longer branches and they’re sweeter. We always wait till they turn a deep red on the vine to where they want to just fall off the vine at the slightest touch. This is when the cherry tomato is at it’s sweetest and like candy. Last Summer we were making tomato bacon pizza’s like mad and never got tired of eating them.

Sugar cherry tomatoes are new to our garden this year and they’re mind blowing amazing. Even when they’re in their orange/red color stage, they’re still super sweet. And if you wait till they fall off the vine, they’re just like their name– Sugar sweet!

Yellow pear and as always, sun gold cherry tomatoes are in the garden again and we couldn’t be happier. Their color and beauty is always a treat to have in the garden. Our friends and family love plucking these varieties and adding it to their to-go basket of red cherries. It’s like a rainbow in a basket.

So what do we do with all these cherry tomatoes? This weekend we grilled them on the bbq and call them our tomato “lollipops”! Have you ever grilled your cherry tomatoes? They’re super amazing and the texture is like roasted tomatoes, but you don’t have to turn on your hot oven in the Summer. And best of all, they have the wonderful bbq flavor to them.

A simple way to enjoy these grilled tomato skewer “lollipops” is on grilled bread and swiped with a nice layer of ricotta cheese. Summer can’t get any better than this.

Make sure to make a big platter of these little skewer lollipops for your gathering because they’re sure to be a hit. They’re so good, your guests will probably just eat them off the skewers like candy too!

Happy Summer,

diane and todd

Yield: Serves 3-4

Total Time: 45 min

There are a number of ways to enjoy these bbq tomato skewers. Serve them as a side dish, as a snack or on anything you want. They're so good, they might not make it past the bbq!

about 1 pound of cherry tomatoes3 Tablespoons olive oil or grape seed oil1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce2 cloves of garlic, finely mincedsalt and pepper to tasteabout 10-12, 8" bamboo skewersSliced crusty bread1 cup of ricotta cheeseSoak and fully immerse bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutesIn large bowl, combine oil, Worcestershire and garlic. Allow marinade to sit for about 15 minutes.Wash and dry cherry tomatoes. Remove the stems if you want. Keeping them on just makes them prettier, then you can pull them off before serving.Add cherry tomatoes to marinade bowl and toss to combine and coat tomatoes.Skewer about 4-5 tomatoes on each bamboo skewer. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on each tomato skewer.Heat Grill to medium/high heat.Reserve the leftover marinade and brush them on the sliced crusty bread. If you need more marinade, just add a little more oil to the bowl.Grill tomato skewers on each side for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are cooked. Cooking time will vary depending on the heat of your grill and size of your cherry tomatoes.After tomatoes are cooked, grill both sides of the bread till crispy.Spread ricotta cheese on slices of bread and top with tomatoes. Remove stems if you want before serving.Makes about 10-12 skewers.

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10 Favorite Asian Recipes for the Spring

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In April, I taught a couple of seasonal cooking classes at ICE and Haven’s Kitchen that focused on pairing Asian techniques with in-season local spring. The classes were quite a hit! So I thought I’d share some of the recipes we did in the round-up below, plus a few extras from Appetite for China and its sister blog Brooklyn Atlas.

(And even though I have my own Thai basil plant growing on the windowsill, it’s good to know that starting now there are big bunches available at the farmer’s markets, in case I plan on whipping up a big Thai feast.)

Here are ten of my favorites for this season. What are some Asian dishes you like to make with spring produce?

1. Ramp and Swiss Chard Dumplings

2. Garlic Beef and Asparagus Stir-fry

3. Avocado and Coconut Smoothies from Brooklyn Atlas (a lighter take on Vietnamese avocado shakes.)

4. Lamb and Fava Bean Stir-fry

5. Asparagus and Ginger Fried Rice

6. Thai Basil Sangria

7. Asparagus and Radishes with Sesame-Miso Dressing

8. Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice

10. Thai Peppered Asparagus

10. Mini Strawberry Rum Pies from Brooklyn Atlas. (Okay, this is cheating a little. But I’m terribly excited that strawberry season is just starting, and I don’t have any strawberry recipes yet on AFC. Besides, strawberries and rum pies will be a great dessert for any of the savory dishes above.)

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How to treat your favorite diabetic, on Valentine's Day and beyond

This is my second year of being a type 2 diabetic - my surgeries and other cancer treatments having somehow pushed me over the edge from the prediabetic range. Although diabetes is a very widespread disease (more than 100 million Americans are diagnosed with type 2 or pre-diabetes, a staggering number), many people have no idea what it’s like to live with it, and how diabetics keep it under control. Yes, us diabetics do have to be careful about our sugar intake, or anything that makes our blood glucose levels spike. But for most of us, unless we are at a very serious stage of the illness, manage to live with it pretty well.

What gets to me more sometimes is the way people react when I tell them I have diabetes. Too many times I’ve had people look at me with eyes full of pity, saying things like “Oh, you can’t have anything nice to eat anymore”. And yeah, having this diet or another pushed at you constantly isn’t so fun either. Holiday times are particularly hard for a diabetic, since everything and everyone wants to push sugary snacks at you, from 12 days of Christmas Cookies to chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies. But somehow Valentine’s Day is especially difficult, since it’s become closely associated with chocolate gifts and sweet things in general.

So, for those of you who have diabetics in your life, here is how I, as one of them, would like you to treat us, on Valentine’s Day or the rest of the year. Take it with a grain of um, sugar.

Believe it or not, most of us don’t feel as if our lives are over because we can’t indulge in a big box of chocolates, or a plateful of cookies, or three slices of cake, or whatever our furtive sugar-loaded indulgence used to be. Most of us have adjusted to the need to watch our sugar intake and monitor our blood glucose levels, and we’re pretty fine with it.

Most people who get diagnosed with diabetes and want to live a normal life take a lot of time gathering information about how to handle their condition. We are, in most cases, far more informed than you. We know about the importance of exercise and diet and all that. So, while you may mean well, we really don’t want to hear your unsolicited advice, thanks. In particular, if we look overweight to you chances are we’re working on that already and we don’t need to hear how we should lose that weight. (And not all diabetics are overweight either.)

Some people seem to have this idea that sugar is instant poison to a diabetic, and that if if a diabetic ingests sugar they’ll keel over instantly while foaming at the mouth. Some of this may be blamed on the portrayals on TV and in movies of people going into diabetic shock or comas, but this only happens rarely, and mostly in cases where the person does now know they have diabetes or just hasn’t been taking care of it. (My own father went into a diabetic coma several years ago, mainly because he wasn’t taking his medications or watching his diet at all. He was fine for many years after that until his health deteriorated again, again due to not taking care of himself properly after his 2nd divorce.) If your favorite diabetic says they are going to have a couple of mouthfuls of cake, they are most likely going to be fine afterwards, as long as they don’t make it a daily thing.

Sugar is not the only thing that is bad for us. Any carbohydrate, especially the ‘simple’ or refined kind, can make our blood glucose levels rise rapidly and to dangerous levels. By refined carbs I mean things like white rice, potatoes, white flour products like bread, pasta, and so on. So, giving us cookies that are baked with a sugar substitute but use lots of white flour is well-meaning but not that helpful. (And we don’t even know what the long-term health consequences are of ingesting large amounts of artificial sweeteners anyway.) In addition honey, corn syrup, maple syrup and agave nectar/syrup are all high in sugar, even if they aren’t called ‘sugar’ and some people like to tell you that they are ‘healthy’. (Agave syrup does have a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, but is still a sugar.) So are things like preserves and jams and many chutneys.

Once I was reading one of the crowdsourced advice-giving sites about ‘treats’ to give to diabetics, and someone recommended dried fruit. Um, no. Dried fruit is a pretty concentrated source of sugar, and some commercial dried fruits have been sweetened with additional sugar. Even fresh fruits have to be taken in moderation by us, so a big fruit basket which has to be consumed within a short time is not such a good idea. (Fruit juice, even the “100% juice” kind, is basically water with sugar plus a few vitamins and none of the fiber of whole fruit, so it tends to make the blood glucose levels zip up as fast as drinking non-diet soda.)

So what edible gifts can you safely give to your favorite diabetic? In general, think quality, not quantity. Here are some things I wouldn’t mind getting myself.

Nuts are great - no sugar or starch, fill of fiber, plus they satisfy that urge to have something crunchy to snack on instead of potato chips and Doritos. Good nuts tend to be expensive to boot, so they are a welcome treat. There are now an increasing number of pretty tasty, low or no-sugar chocolates that are certified as safe for diabetics available. Some of these are pretty good. (Switzerland, where people consume tons of chocolate, has quite a few good diabetic-friendly chocolate bars. If you find yourself in Switzerland and you’re diabetic, look for the ones marked “ohne Zucker/sans sucre”.) Some no-sugar candies are quite good too. Do some research to see what’s available. Sweet baked goods made specifically for diabetics can be ok, although some are pretty awful.Many people who have their blood sugar under control can indulge in the occasional sugary treat, in moderation. If your favorite diabetic is in this position (ask first), get them a small, exquisite quantity of the best you can afford, such as a tiny box of the best handmade chocolate truffles or pralines available in your town, or one perfect home baked cookie. In our town (admittedly it is in France, and yes the French are rather good with confectionery) we can get the most gorgeous chocolates made by a Meilleur Ouvrier de France chocolatier. They cost 2 to 4 euros (US $2.60 to $5.70 or so) per piece. We can get a big box of mass manufactured chocolates at the supermarket for around 8 euro, but for the decadent diabetic the top end expensive stuff will bring much more joy in each precious mouthful. While I nixed the idea of a big fruit basket, small quantities of really great fruit would be much appreciated, especially if it’s something exotic and expensive. And there’s nothing wrong with savory gifts either, even if they are not the expected thing. I remember those ‘gift basket’ catalogs places like Hickory Farms that used to arrive in the mail, usually around holiday time. Amongst the fruit and petit fours and cheese balls and such, they always had something called summer sausage. Growing up in Japan, England and around New York City, I’ve never had a summer sausage and have no idea what it tastes like, but it sure did sound delicious. Anyway, gifting a big sausage to your sweetie may send a provocative message, but if she or he likes it, why not? Other ‘safe’ savory foods include things like cheeses, hams (try not to get the ones with sugar glaze) and beef jerky (again, for for the ones without a lot of sweet marinade/sauce).

Chocolates and sweets aren’t the only Valentine’s Day gifts. Flowers are nice of course, and so is jewelry. Or how about a beautiful book, a lovely scarf, or taking us away on a great vacation? In other words, there are plenty of ways to treat your honey without making them dangerously sweet.

View the original article here

Favorite Dumpling Recipes

Whenever I have a free weekend or a couple of hours on a weeknight, I like to sit in front of the TV…and wrap dumplings at the same time. It’s a good way to relax. Plus, whatever I don’t end up making for dinner I can freeze.

Here are some favorite recipes for dumplings I’ve made over the last few years. Try them out for a Chinese New Year feast (there are still 6 days left!) or any other day of the year:

Shrimp and Chive DumplingsTurkey and Mushroom DumplingsSichuan WontonsChicken and Apple Dumplings
Ramp and Swiss Chard DumplingsPork and Cabbage DumplingsPea and Shiitake DumplingsPork and Shrimp Shu Mai

What are some of your favorite dumpling recipes?

View the original article here

Crispy Chicken Vegetable Spring Rolls (Egg Rolls) – A Neighborhood Favorite

This is a new recipe we’re featuring over at Chicken Recipe Box. Please head on over there for this Crispy Chicken Spring Roll recipe.

When we moved to our current neighborhood almost 10 years ago, there many little kids in the hood, scurrying past on their bicycles and skateboards. Although we didn’t have kids of our own, we quickly made friends with them because we were the “cool” neighbors. This was quite an honor, especially coming from a bunch of 7-11 years old whose only occupation after school was to play basketball and video games.

What was the cause for our status as “cool adults”?  Chicken vegetable egg rolls. Yup, to be cool to a group of grade school kids, just make them batches of chicken egg rolls.

To say that our neighborhood kids loved these chicken vegetable egg rolls is an understatement. They were always super duper polite and gracious to us when they passed. They even offered to help us garden and take care of the pups. Now how many kiddie critters would offer such a thing?

In exchange for their smiles and waves every time they passed our house, we’d deliver a hot batch of egg rolls to their houses. Their squeals could be heard across the street and most importantly, their parents were glowing brighter with delight. It wasn’t only the kids that loved these chicken egg rolls, it was the parents too. Their parents would come tell us that their kid wouldn’t eat anything that they cooked. But they LOVED and always ate every single of our egg rolls.

Ok, so your kid won’t eat your cooking, but they’ll only eat these egg rolls. We get the hint. A hot batch on your doorstep tomorrow.

Then the parents would mention how they loved the egg rolls even more and how they didn’t want to eat all the egg rolls because they wanted to leave them for the kids.

Ok, so you’re saying that you, the parents, won’t eat your own cooking and want some extra hot chicken egg rolls?

Again, we get the point and next time made sure to deliver enough egg rolls to feed the whole household, parents included.

So if you want to make friends with your neighbors, here’s the magic formula: make a batch of these chicken vegetable egg rolls and make peace with the world!

For this Chicken Vegetable Egg Roll Recipe visit Chicken Recipe Box and there’s a How-To Video on making these too!

enjoy,

diane and todd

View the original article here

Recipe for Dorayaki, Doraemon's favorite snack

When I wrote about dorayaki, the sweet pancake-sandwich that is cat-robot Doraemon’s favorite snack for the Japan Times back in October, I promised to post a recipe for making the little pancakes. Well finally here it is! Read my Japan Time piece for the interesting background while you ponder what’s basically a pancake batter with mirin and soy sauce in it. (At the end of the article I do mention that you can use instant pancake mix, but the recipe below yields much better results and is not that much more difficult.)

I have approached this recipe in what some might consider a rather unusual way. The important point is the ratio between the egg, sugar and flour. Since egg sizes differ, the surest way to make sure you get the right ratio is weigh your eggs first (cracked or uncracked - the shells don’t weigh enough to make a big difference) and then measure out your flour and sugar accordingly.

Whenever I have a recipe that uses mirin, someone invariably asks whether it can be omitted or substituted for. In this case, there really is no substitute. The combination of mirin and soy sauce gives the doroyaki pancake its distinct dark brown color, umami and slight saltiness. If you can’t use mirin for whatever reason, just leave it out.

Makes 12 dorayaki pancakes (6 dorayaki) about 12cm / 4.5 inches in diameter

Ingredients

2 ‘large’ eggs white superfine or castor sugar (see instructions)cake flour or all-purpose flour (see instructions) 1/3 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) 1 tablespoon runny honey 1 tablespoon mirin 1 teaspoon soy sauce1 tablespoon vegetable oil water additional vegetable oil for cookingfilling of your choice, such as Not So Sweet Tsubuan (sweet azuki bean paste).

Equipment needed:

handheld whiskbowls for mixing and measuringkitchen scalefrying pan or flat crepe pan with smooth non-stick coatingkitchen paper towel spatula a cloth kitchen towel that has been moistened with water and wrung out a pair of wooden cooking chopsticks (optional)

Instructions

Measure the weight of the eggs with your scale. Note down that number. Set aside. Measure out the same weight as the eggs in sugar in another container. For instance if your eggs weigh 100 grams, measure out 100 grams of sugar. (For ounces people: if your eggs weigh 3.5 oz, weight out 3.5 oz of sugar.) Set aside. Measure out the same weight as the eggs plus 50% in flour. For instance if your eggs weighed 100 grams in total,, measure out 150 grams of flour. (For ounces people: if your eggs weigh 3.5 ounces, measure out 5.25 ounces of flour.) Add the baking soda to the flour and mix with a fork or your still-dry whisk. Set aside. Crack the eggs into your mixing bowl and mix with the whisk until the eggs are broken up but not too frothy. Add the sugar, honey, mirin, soy sauce and the 1 tablespoon of oil, and mix well until the sugar has melted and there are no lumps. Add half of the flour-baking soda mixture; mix well until the flour is amalgamated. Add the rest of the flour slowly. Point: Don’t over-mix or the pancakes will be a bit tough. Add water (about 1/4 cup, or 50-60 cc) little by little until the batter reaches the consistency of heavy cream. Cover the bowl, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (You can make thi the day before and let it rest overnight.) When you are ready to cook the pancakes, heat up a non-stick frying pan or crepe pan over medium-low heat. Lay the moistened kitchen towel next to your cooker. When the pan is hot, drizzle a little oil in it, and spread it around with a wadded up piece of kitchen towel. (I use wooden chopsticks to hold the kitchen towel.) The surface of the pan or griddle should only be just lightly coated with oil. If the pan gets too hot (if it stars smoking, or your first pancake gets burned) take it off the heat and put the hot bottom for a second on the moistened kitchen towel to cool it down. Pour the pancake batter on the griddle to your desired size. (For a 4.5 inch /12cm dorayaki it’s about 2 tablespoons.) Let it cook without turning until tha pancake is cooked through; the top surface should be nearly dry. (If you turn it too fast the bottom surface will be mottled rather than an even brown.) Turn over and cook on the other side for a few seconds while pressing down lightly. Remove from the pan with a spatula. Let the pancakes cool before filling. When filling, put the nice dark brown side on the outside and the pale side on the inside. Put about a tablespoon of filling in the center of one pancake, press the second pancake on top and press very lightly to form a nicely rounded sandwich.

The dorayaki pancakes can be frozen quite successfully, and will keep for a couple of months well wrapped. I prefer to freeze the pancakes before filling them, although some people freeze the whole filled dorayaki.

The traditional dorayaki filling is tsubuan or sweet azuki bean paste. See Not So Sweet Tsubuan (sweet azuki bean paste). Cream dorayaki is filled with a mixture of half tsubuan and half whipped cream. Butter doroyaki is filled with tsubutan and a pat of salted butter. It’s nice if the pancake is warmed up before making the sandwich, so the butter melts while you’re eating the dorayaki.Ichigo dorayaki is filled with tsubuan and a sliced strawberry. If you like ichigo daifuku you’ll love this. A small bit of whipped cream can be added too. Try filling a dorayaki with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, with or without the additional of a teaspoon of tsubuan. If you have some saikyo miso (see Miso Basics try mixing it in a 2:1 ratio with honey, and spreading it sparingly between the pancakes. Not at all traditional but very yummy. Caramel sauce, spread very thinly, is a great (and non-traditional) filling too, perhaps with some sliced strawberries. …and whatever other fillings you can imagine!

Dorayaki pancakes are quite tasty plain too; just warm up for a minute in a dry frying pan, or in a toaster overn.

Bonus: Doraemon enjoying a dorayaki.

If you’re unfamiliar with Doraemon, read more about him on Wikipedia. There are also a lot of Doraemon clips on YouTube.

Doraemon is played by French movie star Jean Reno in a series of live-action commercials for Toyota in Japan. Yeah, I don’t get it either. But they are funny in a surreal way.

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Asian Tofu Recipe #1 on Favorite List

Asian Tofu Recipe #1 on Favorite List - Viet World Kitchenwindow.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 );} )();Viet World Kitchen Home Asian DumplingsRecipe IndexClasses+EventsFav SitesAbout MePermission+Credit Welcome! Join me to explore, create, and contribute to the culinary traditions of Asia.

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November 16, 2012Asian Tofu Recipe #1 on Favorite List

We’re entering the season when cookbook reviewers announce theirtop picks of the year. T. Susan Chang, an author, writer, and commentator onNPR kicked off her 2012 list of favorite recipes with one from Asian Tofu! Susan has cooked throughand championed the book in NPR’s summer cookbook picks as well as in a glowing BostonGlobe review.  

As a professional reviewer, Susan sees a lot of books. She’spersnickety and funny, as you may know if you’ve read her book, ASpoonful of Promises. So when she zoomed in on the recipe for Koreanpanfried tofu topped with a medley of Asian mushrooms, I was delighted. Okay, I was also relieved. Susan doesn't hold back when she dislikes something.

Picturedabove from a reference shot I took long ago, dubu jeon is a recipe thatwasn’t photographed for the book. That meant that Susan pored through my entirebook. Often times, people cook dishes that’s accompanied by a sexy beauty shot.

I’m old fashioned, and I suppose so is Susan. We grew upwith minimally photographed cookbooks. We paged through and perused,letting our palates imagine flavors and textures. Nowadays, cookbooks are heavily photo driven so I'm doubly gratelful that she dug deep and deeper. (I love photos but include too many in a cookbook and you may take space away from good recipe instruction and/or drive up the cost of the book.)

When my publisher and I put Asian Tofu together, my aim was to cover the gamut, from DIY tofuthat took cooks from dried beans to curd to wonderful dishes that simplyrequired a trip to a supermarket. Cooks can plug in anywhere to experiencebeancurd deliciousness. I’m happy that Susan has done just that and encouragesothers to follow suit.

Since the beginning of September I’ve been in and out oftown for a total of 5 week. I just finished my last gig for 2012 and took thisweek to pause and recover. Lots of good things are happening but I needed tocatch my breath. Whew. This was a nice way to finish the week.

Keep up with Susan's picks as she reveals them on her blog. It's bound to have delicious things you want to try. Plus, it's just good reading.

Posted in Asian Tofu, Books, Cookbooks, Recipes: Tofu, Recipes: Vegan, Recipes: Vegetable Sides and Pickles, Recipes: Vegetarian | Permalink

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Comments Asian Tofu Recipe #1 on Favorite List

We’re entering the season when cookbook reviewers announce theirtop picks of the year. T. Susan Chang, an author, writer, and commentator onNPR kicked off her 2012 list of favorite recipes with one from Asian Tofu! Susan has cooked throughand championed the book in NPR’s summer cookbook picks as well as in a glowing BostonGlobe review.  

As a professional reviewer, Susan sees a lot of books. She’spersnickety and funny, as you may know if you’ve read her book, ASpoonful of Promises. So when she zoomed in on the recipe for Koreanpanfried tofu topped with a medley of Asian mushrooms, I was delighted. Okay, I was also relieved. Susan doesn't hold back when she dislikes something.

Picturedabove from a reference shot I took long ago, dubu jeon is a recipe thatwasn’t photographed for the book. That meant that Susan pored through my entirebook. Often times, people cook dishes that’s accompanied by a sexy beauty shot.

I’m old fashioned, and I suppose so is Susan. We grew upwith minimally photographed cookbooks. We paged through and perused,letting our palates imagine flavors and textures. Nowadays, cookbooks are heavily photo driven so I'm doubly gratelful that she dug deep and deeper. (I love photos but include too many in a cookbook and you may take space away from good recipe instruction and/or drive up the cost of the book.)

When my publisher and I put Asian Tofu together, my aim was to cover the gamut, from DIY tofuthat took cooks from dried beans to curd to wonderful dishes that simplyrequired a trip to a supermarket. Cooks can plug in anywhere to experiencebeancurd deliciousness. I’m happy that Susan has done just that and encouragesothers to follow suit.

Since the beginning of September I’ve been in and out oftown for a total of 5 week. I just finished my last gig for 2012 and took thisweek to pause and recover. Lots of good things are happening but I needed tocatch my breath. Whew. This was a nice way to finish the week.

Keep up with Susan's picks as she reveals them on her blog. It's bound to have delicious things you want to try. Plus, it's just good reading.

Stay Connected                    Asian Tofu in the News"Cooking with Tofu (Are You Serious?!)"
— Michael Rulhman on his tofu conversion

"This book should be a priority for anyone with the slightest interest in Asian cuisines."
— Anne Mendelson, Taste & Travel

"The most gratifying part about cooking from Asian Tofu is that all the recipes work the way they’re written."
— T. Susan Chang, Boston Globe

Book info, reviews, radio & TV . . .2013 EventsHands-On Classes @LoveAppleFarms, Santa Cruz

Sat, Jan 27, 12-4pm:Asian Dumplings (CNY is Feb 13)
Sun, Feb 24, 12-4pm: DIY Asian Tofu ++
Sat, Mar 16, 12-4pm: Get Into the Viet Kitchen!

More soon on 2013 classes...

new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 3, interval: 30000, width: 'auto', height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#8f1414', color: '#ffffff' }, tweets: { background: '#ffffff', color: '#756875', links: '#8f1414' } }, features: { scrollbar: false, loop: false, live: false, behavior: 'all' }}).render().setUser('aqnguyen').start();Recent PostsRapping about Pho Culture: Q&A with Alexei of Seattle’s TownfolkStove Buying Tips: Weeding through Add-ons, Reviews and Deals Stove Buying Tips: Revelations from Food Professionals & SalespeopleAsian Tofu Recipe #1 on Favorite ListSoy Chicharron RecipeVietnamese-American Thanksgiving Salad RecipeCheater’s Guide to Little Saigons in AmericaGetting Rear-Ended, Making Tofu with Cooking Light, Visiting BirminghamFavorite Asian Cooking Oils and Fats?Bun Rice Noodle Recipe Project (+ video tip)Copyright 2002-2012 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy

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Giveaway- One of my favorite vintage props & soft opening of our store

This Giveaway has ended. Thank you everyone for participating. The winner was selected by twitter and the winner is comment #21 Lily Sheng! 

Hello everyone! It’s Diane here and I’ve been asked to talk about a few things (three to be exact) that have been brewing on the back burner over the last year. Also, stay tuned for next week because we’ll be spilling the beans about another super exciting project! We’re kinda nervous, scared, anxious, excited about that announcement *gulp*.

First off, our “forever to launch” online store isn’t fully stocked yet, because I haven’t had time to gather my props I’ve collected for sale.  I know, this is so bad of me. But please forgive me for lagging on this and trust me, you’ll be pleased with what I have to share from my finds.

Todd and I have been on the road more than we’ve been in the studio, so I’ll need a week or two to rummage through all bags of valuable, beautiful, vintage “junk”. And neither have we had the time to gather all the final images for our print store. But if you’re compelled to take a look, here’s a sneak peak at ourstore’s “soft opening”. Please remember to keep checking back for all our cool prop finds, custom prints and handmade goods we collect on our travels!

Whew! One down, two to go.

Secondly, I’m always asked where I find all my props, specifically all the vintage, rusty, dirty, messy, crusty but GORGEOUS pieces.  Though I find them at many different places, my number one source is what I really want to highlight today. This number one source is my local thrift store.  And when I’m on the road working with Todd, I always make an effort to stop into the local town or city’s thrift store.

Granted, shopping online at etsy and other web sources are great and there’s always a treasure trove of goodies to buy at the click of a button. I don’t know about how all your shopping habits are, but I really enjoy shopping the old fashioned way. I’m an old fogie (sp?!) when it comes to shopping and I prefer walking into a store, touching, smelling and seeing all the goodies. This is how I connect with all the prop pieces around me.

So, every opportunity I get, I visit a thrift store in any city that I’m in. Thrift stores have wonderful pieces that are unique and of value to food photography and styling. Much of the props that you all see here on the blog’s food photography are pieces that I find at my local Goodwill store! I’ll absolutely love visiting my local thrift stores about twice a month. Every single time I visit, I find a ton of great pieces for food styling. And best of all, I never spend more than about $40-$50 for bags full of dishware. Most pieces I find average about $2-$3 and that’s a deal for wonderful pieces that possess so much history, character and vintage love.

Awesome! one more topic left…. and it’s a giveaway of one of my favorite pieces!

Ok, I know you’re just looking at ONE fork. But it’s not like any other fork that you’ll run across at your local Crate & Barrel or Sur La Table.

This fork has seen it’s days, it speaks of the past and it’s full of story.

This fork came in a set of 4 that I stumbled upon at a thrift store near my home. This isn’t just “any” fork. It’s a very special set that I reserve for special shoots that will benefit from a piece that has distress, history and rusty character. Honestly, this one fork has made a food photograph go from “ok” to “wow”! Yes, this one fork might seem small, but it’s got so much personality and heart that all you need is one of it in a photograph.

If you love the darker, moody style food photography shots, then this fork is for you. And I’m giving it away. Why? Because I believe in passing on some love,  and something special to me that another person will cherish and appreciate.

Oh wait, is this a silly giveaway?! I know it’s not a fancy stand mixer, blender or oven giveaway. It’s certainly isn’t going to help you become a better cook, wash your clothes better or clean your carpet. But it’s my special fork and and I want someone who loves food photography and food styling to have it.

So here are the details on the giveaway for this “one” fork! P.S. Figs are not included:

Please note, do not enter this giveaway if you plan on selling this fork and profiting from it if you happen to win. I really want the winner to cherish it and add it to their prop collection.1 entry: Leave your comment below and tell me why you love this fork so much.2nd entry: Connect with us on Twitter and tweet out this contest with our handle @WhiteOnRice . Leave the link back here of your tweet3rd entry: Have you “liked” our Facebook page yet? Just let us know that you’ve connected with us on Facebook.4th entry: We’re on Pinterest and Instagram as @DianeCu and @ToddPorter. Just follow any one of these and let us know you’ve connected with us on those sites!Contest ends Thursday, Sept 20th, 2012 midnight PST. Winner will be announced by Friday September 21. Please return back to this post to find out the winner. Winner will be selected by either Twitter or Facebook. I haven’t decided yet, so make sure you’re following us there!

Thank you everyone for indulging me with your love of precious junk,

diane

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Welcome Summer. Share your favorite tomato recipes?

The tomatoes in the garden just reminded us that Summer has arrived. It was as if, all of a sudden, the transition of Spring to Summer jolted the tomatoes to wake up and ripen. Now, the challenge is keeping up with eating and canning the tomatoes before they fall off the vine. Yes, it’s a problem, but a good problem to be faced with.

It’s now official, Summer is here and we have to keep up with all the fabulous tomato recipes that this wonderful season brings.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of our latest and favorite heirloom tomatoes that we’re growing. But we need some recipes! Obviously, our favorite way to eat heirloom tomatoes are when they’re fresh, with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil.

There are many more ways to enjoy these heirloom tomatoes, so we’re asking for you advice.

Do you have any tomato recipes to share? Please leave your link in your comment below and we’d love to make your favorite recipe and share it on some of our future posts!

Thanks everyone and Happy Summer!

Diane and Todd

brandywine heirloom tomatoes before…. 

… then Summer arrives… bam! ready to pick 

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Three cities through our iPhones & favorite editing apps

Our bags are unpacked for a bit, laundry is almost caught up on and we’re happy to be back to Sierra and her garden bubbles. You know your pup missed you when they don’t want to leave your side, even when you’re in the shower! Though we were away from Sierra, she was certainly mentioned during all our presentations over our 3 city tour.

Sunset over Texas, no filter 

Over the last 10 days, we’ve been on the road to Seattle, San Antonio and Baltimore. But unlike many of our other work travels, these trips were so personal because we were able to meet some truly amazing people, food bloggers, moms and their kids. Our last 10 days were filled with many hugs, tears, and shared stories of joy and sorrow.

Thank you to everyone who were were so lucky to have met, hugged and cried with! From the crazy karaoke antics, the heartfelt confessions, and the late night pajama talks, you make our travels so much more meaningful.

clouds in Baltimore, MD 

Even in the chaos of conventions, workshops, and traveling rigor, we still managed to photograph some favorite moments. Though our dslr’s were brought along on all of the trips, it was often our phones which we used to capture the special moments.  Moments of spontaneity or ones calling for photographer discretion. The iPhone is our favorite tool to capture life as it happens in front of us, instantly and as real as possible.

Mobile photography is a wonderful creative outlet, whether you are a hobbyist or a full time pro. It is taking photography down to its pure basics; light, composition, and timing. And since we got our iPhones, we’ve been able to witness and share life as it happens in front of us instantly through our love of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Plus with the help of some favorite editing apps, its fun to capture and share what we witness wherever we travel.

We taught some mobile photography topics at our portrait photography workshops in San Antonio and Baltimore and anytime we talk about iphoneography, so many of us start to geek out on our favorite apps.  So here are some of our favorite iPhone editing apps (we’d love to hear your favorites):

FilterstormSnapseedBleach BypassPicture showNoir Photo (for black and white)Dramatic black and white

Seattle, BlogHer Food: 

It started in Seattle at BlogHer Food 2012 where we opened with presenting the morning keynote on finding your voice and storytelling. We shared our process of storytelling, how to find your voice and embracing all your imperfections. Some videos and images of our young kid days were shared for all to see and it certainly was humbling to see our crazy kiddie pictures up on the screen! Thanks everyone for laughing next to us and not at us!  Sometimes ya just gotta open yourself up for all to see to truly appreciate your imperfections.

coffee break at Stumptown, Seattle

morning light at Gig Harbor, Washington 

amazing sausage pizza at Delancey, Seattle 

finished, at Delancey 

San Antonio & Baltimore, Portrait photography workshops:

We taught photography workshop to moms and bloggers. The best part of this was being able to meet so many of them with their kids! Thank you to Invisalign  and Momitforward for inviting us to participate in their luncheon to teach the workshops!

shoeshine at Houston Airport

bbq in San Antonio! 

photo workshop attendee editing her images with her son, San Antonio

Sailors taking a break during Sailathon celebration, Baltimore, MD

Incredible Blue Angels in flight,  in Baltimore sky. 

Thanks to everyone we met on the road. It was so great to meet you!

Follow us on Instagram at @ToddPorter and @DianeCu

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