The Adventures of Tin-Tin

Make Your Own Creme Fraiche

I made my own creme fraiche yesterday after reading a very inspiring issue of Sunset Magazine. The recipe called for 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. You mix it up and then let it sit until it thickens, which the recipe suggested could take 8 hours or overnight. I found it took over 24 hours to get it to the right consistency. This might be because I used pasteurized whipping cream. It might also be due to the fact that I did not cook the cream to 105 degrees like other websites suggested. Eh. It still works. The result was creme fraichey, but a little runny. I think that I will leave it out for maybe 32 hours next time to get a real firm consistency. I have never had the luxury of having too much creme fraiche, so I think I will make Ina Garten's Mustard Roasted Fish which calls for 8 oz of creme fraiche.

Homemade Ricotta

As a lover of all things dairy, few things are more inspiring to me than whole milk. It's so creamy and pure. I rarely buy it since I am almost always on some sort of diet that regulates fat, but I couldn't help myself from buying a gallon when I saw the latest issue of Bon Appetit Magazine containing a recipe for fresh homemade ricotta. Who knew it could be so simple? I will probably never go back to store-bought-white-opaque-container ricotta again.

After heating a mixture of whole milk and salt, lemon juice is added. The acid causes the milk to curdle. After about two minutes, the curds are easily skimmed using a slotted spoon.

Here's what the curds look like all clumpy and mooshy as they are draining in cheesecloth.
It's such a wonderful treat. If you don't want to bother, Whole Foods sells homemade ricotta cheese that is almost just as good as making it yourself. Next time, I will try making ricotta using vinegar since this recipe left the ricotta with a hint of lemon.

Aside from serving it warm on flatbread with a little salt, my favorite way to enjoy ricotta is with creamy scrambled eggs.

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Ricotta and Chives courtesy of Bon Appetit.

• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 4 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices whole grain bread or 8 whole grain baguette slices, lightly toasted and buttered
• Whole chives (optional)

Whisk eggs, chopped chives, and 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel in medium bowl until well blended. Melt butter in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, add eggs and stir with heatproof silicone spatula until eggs are almost cooked but still runny in parts, tilting skillet and stirring with spatula to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add ricotta and stir just until incorporated but clumps of cheese are still visible.

Arrange 2 toasts or 4 baguette slices on each of 2 plates. Spoon scrambled eggs atop toasts. Sprinkle with more fleur de sel and pepper. Garnish with whole chives, if desired.

From Epicurious.com

Harumi's Chicken with Soy and Balsamic Dressing

A few weeks ago, I found Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking cookbook at Costco. One of the recipes that drew me in was "Chicken with Soy and Balsamic Dressing." I thought the combination was very interesting. I imagined all these different flavor combinations I had never tried...

I gathered up all the ingredients, de-boned the chicken thighs carefully to leave the skin on and intact. Then I mixed together the marinade. I couldn't wait until the chicken was cooked, so I excitedly tasted some of the marinade before I added the chicken. Sigh. No flavor revelation.

In the end, I realized I had just made plain old chicken adobo. How ironic...I buy a new cookbook (from a writer based in Japan!) in search of exotic new flavors and the first recipe I make in this Japanese cookbook turns out to be a filipino staple I know how to make and eat by heart.

Still it was tasty if not overly familiar. I did not simmer the chicken in the marinade like traditional adobo. Instead, I marinated the boneless skin-on chicken thighs in soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic and black pepper. Then I pan fried the chicken thighs. The recipe suggests serving the chicken over cabbage that has been sauteed in butter. This turned out to be wonderful and very low-carb diet friendly. But plain white rice would also have been very tasty. 

Fred Steak

One of the most flavorful juicy marinated steaks ever --> FRED STEAK. J drove to Schaub's Meat Fish and Poultry Market in Palo Alto (owned by Fred's son) and bought a delicious 2 lb sirloin which we baked per the directions at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. I have never had baked steak and it looked very scary straight out of the butcher paper. But I must admit that it was fantastic!

Fred Steak has a characteristic black color to it and develops a nice crust as it cooks. The ominous looking marinade might appear to overpower the meat like a dark soy sauce would, but it actually enhanced the natural flavors. I thought it just brought the beefiness to a completely new level for me. 

Click here for a history of Fred Steak and a knock-off recipe. So there actually was a Fred and he created this marinade while working at a butcher shop in Los Gatos in the 1960s. After the store closed, people would still ask for the special steak. Then Fred's son started Schaub's and that is where you can purchase it today.

From what I've gathered, it seems that there are tons of rip offs out there. I went to a small specialty grocery store in San Jose yesterday and saw something that looked similar called "secret black steak." Right... Can you say rrrrrip off??!!!

Pao de Queijo a.k.a. Brazilian Cheese Puffs

These little heavenly cheesey poofs and some delightfully strong Brazilian coffee were souveniers from C's trip to Brazil. I love them. OOOOOOOOH. I do.

So tender. Like a warm yellow cheese flavored freshly toasted savory marshmallow.

 

The outside was crisp and dry-looking like portuguese bread and the inside was moist, tender and almost gelatinous if you know what I mean. It had a nice resistance which just made me want to eat more. I have eaten about 5 already since they came out of the oven about 10 minutes ago. I kept *messing up* when I tried to split it in half for the camera, so I had to eat my mistakes quickly. With butter.

The closest thing I have had to this is the bibinka at Landmark Mall in the Philippines--incidentally the BEST bibinka I have ever had. It had white cheese (kesong puti) and was made with rice flour so it had a slight mochi-ness about it. Pao de queijo is completely different, but still very familiar. 

The batch I made is from a mix that was very simple to prepare. Or you can try making it from scratch. Here is a decent sounding recipe for Pao de Queijo Cheese Puffs from Suite 101.

Curried Pork Stuffed Mushrooms

J surprised me today by cooking! I don't have pics of the tender tri-tip he grilled for lunch, but I do have some of the curried pork stuffed mushrooms he made so lovingly. They were delicious!!! The pork was lightly seasoned and the mushrooms were surprisingly tender.

I must admit I have never seen ground pork look so disturbing as when it is stuffed into a white eye-ball shaped mushroom.

 

If you're wondering, there really is no exact recipe to follow. From what I know, the filling has some chopped onion that was pre-sauteed in butter, some curry powder and ground black pepper. Then it was all cooked in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes, sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and broiled for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese was brown and bubbly. Or maybe there really is a recipe and J doesn't want to share...

Manju-The San Jose Japantown Treat

I bought some manju at the Manju Shop (duh) while J was waiting in line for my shave ice at Obon.  Shuei-Do Manju Shop is pretty popular judging by all the great reviews on Yelp. There are lots of different kind of manju, but the ones that I like are kinda like mochi in that they made with sweet sticky rice flour.

Out of those three varieties I bought, I like this one the best because it was soft, squishy and white. The red bean filling is not bad either.

 

I couldn't find a recipe that sounded like it would make the manju I like, but I did find a ridiculously easy recipe for making manju in your microwave. Note: I have never tried it, so don't blame me if your microwave explodes.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

There's a fatty version of this recipe floating around somewhere, but Cooking Light Magazine (one of my favorite food magazines) lightened it up and made a healthy version. My old roommate, S, loved this casserole because it was creamy and comforting. I like this casserole because I won't feel guilty after eating it.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

• 3 quarts water
• 1 (12 oz) package broccoli florets
• 4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 oz)
• 1/4 salt
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (4 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bring water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, and cook 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer broccoli to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Add chicken to boiling water; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until done. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cool slightly. Cut chicken in bite-sized pieces, and add chicken to bowl with broccoli.
3. Combine evaporated milk, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constatly. Remove from heat. Add mayonnaise, next 4 ingredients (through soup), and 1/2 cup cheese, stirring until well combined. Add mayonnaise mixture to broccoli mixture, stir gently until combined.
4. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until mixture bubbles at the edges and cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven; let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup).

Nutritional Info: Calories 276; Fat 7.8g; Protein 31.1g; Carb 18.9g; Fiber 2.1g;Chol 66mg; Iron 1.6mg; Sodium 696mg; Calc 365mg

Elizabeth Bacon , Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2005

Cendrillon's Chicken Adobo

Cendrillon is a famous Filipino restaurant in New York City. The head chef, Romy Dorotan, wrote a book that I am quite fond of entitled "Memories of Philippine Kitchens." One of the recipes included is for chicken adobo. For those of you who don't know, chicken adobo is the national dish of the Philippines. Everyone has a favorite recipe for adobo and an opinion on how to make it right. You can even buy "Got Adobo?" shirts now.

In Spain, adobo refers to a paste made of oil, garlic and herbs. In Mexico adobo is a marinade of guajillo chiles, apple cider vinegar, thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, pepper, and avocado leaves. According to Dorotan's book, the Spanish probably gave this native dish the name "adobo" since it resembled their adobo back home. I love it because I grew up eating it at least once a week. Sometimes my dad made it pork ribs and sometimes with fish. But chicken, especially chicken thighs, are my favorite to meat for adobo.

Cendrillon's famous chicken adobo recipe was featured in Martha Stewart Living and is available by clicking here. You can also watch a video of Romy Dorotan cooking with Martha Stewart on her show.

The main flavor component for this recipe are soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic and coconut milk. I haven't really seen a lot of recipes with coconut milk so I was excited to try this one.

After letting it marinade for 2 hours, I placed it all in a big dutch oven.

I found that the recipe as written used a lot more vinegar than I am used to so I had to double the amount of soy sauce. Once the chicken was cooked, I put it aside so I could finish the sauce. After letting the sauce reduce, I adjusted the seasoning and added a little bit more coconut milk to finish the sauce and make it richer and smoother--kinda like how some chefs put butter in a sauce right before service. I haven't watched hundreds of hours of FoodTV for nothing...hehe.

One thing you will find about adobo recipes is that no two are exactly alike. Every Filipino has a certain way that they like to make it and eat it. I like an equal ratio of soy sauce to vinegar. I also don't like sugar in my adobo, which is very Hawaiian and foreign to me. I really do like coconut milk though so this recipe is a new favorite.

Another one of my favorite recipes for chicken adobo is from On My Plate. This recipe is the one I've been using for the last few years since it most resembles my dad's version and has a very classic flavor and texture. No coconut milk in this one! Just tons of garlic and lots of adobo-ey goodness.

Filipino Jerk Chicken Kebabs

This recipe isn't named after the person who made it. Neither is it a social commentary on an entire race of people. Instead, it represents a multi-cultural interpretation of a classic Caribbean recipe. Filipinos are not jerks (at least not ALL of them). This is just jerk chicken with a Filipino twist.

I bought Angela Spenceley's "A Taste of the Caribbean Cookbook" as a souvenir of my trip to the British Virgin Islands. That was two years ago and the only recipe I have tried was one I made today. I fiddled with her recipe for Montego Bay Jerked Chicken and made it South Beach Diet friendly by using chicken breast instead of drumsticks and Splenda instead of honey. Then I added a special Filipino touch by adding soy sauce, more vinegar and a LOT more garlic. The garlicky, gingery, vinegary and sweet flavor is very Filipino and reminds me of my dad's pork bbq and chicken adobo.

Filipino Jerk Chicken Kebabs

• 6 chicken breasts cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 bunches of green onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup splenda
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp black pepper

Place all ingredients (minus the chicken of course) in a blender or food processor.

Pulse it until a nice brown paste forms. No not be afraid. It will be delicious despite it's repulsive appearance.

Marinate the chicken in this paste for 1-2 hours. Arrange chicken on skewers and grill on medium heat until cooked through. I try to bunch up as much chicken as I can on a single skewer so it doesn't cook too fast and stays nice and juicy.

I served it with guacamole and salsa since I am still doing Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. But you carbo-loaders will find that it tastes great with some brown rice or tortillas, too.