Bun Rieu - Vietnamese Crab Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

5-6 pounds tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried shrimp
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup tamarind paste (dried and condenses with seeds)
1 small can minced shrimp with spices
1 large can minced crab with spices
6 eggs

Directions:

In a small pot, add tamarind and add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. In large (6 or 8 quart) stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add dried shrimp to hot oil and fry for for 2 minutes, then add garlic for another minute. Strain the liquid from the boiling tamarind into the stock pot. (The seeds of tamarind pods are dried with the flesh, but the seeds are bitter so we only want the tamarind flavor in the liquid.) Add more water to the seeds and bring to a boil again. Continue this process of extracting the flavor from the tamarind until the water start to run more clear and you've extracted as much flavor as possible. (This process goes much more smoothly if you have already hot/boiling water on hand, i.e. in a kettle.) When you've finished with the tamarind, dispose of the leftover flesh/seeds. Add more water to the pot until about 3/4 full and bring to a boil.


Quarter the tomatoes making sure each quarter has a part of the head attached to it. This keeps the tomatoes from completely falling apart. When the broth approaches a boil, carefully add the tomatoes. (Don't splash yourself with the hot broth, I've done it once or twice. Not pleasant!) Simmer for an hour.

Empty both cans into a mixing bowl and beat together with eggs. Turn the heat on the stock pot to low and pour the egg/spiced seafood mixture into the pot slowly in circles making sure the mixture has room throughout the pot. Slowly simmer for another 30 minutes. Serve over vermicelli, traditionally accompanies with a spread of Vietnamese herbs, lettuce, lime, bean sprouts, and other unidentified items. So good and a great way to make use of tomatoes when they are in season, ripe, and cheap!

Chinese Watercress Soup

I grew up on soup. My mother made sure we had soup with every dinner. On the days when we wouldn't, dinner seemed incomplete. The slow-cooked taste of simmer low-fire Cantonese, or lou fo tong (老火湯, lǎohuǒ tāng), is a smell and flavor that brings me back to my childhood. Some people have chicken pot pie, others have roast beef. Cantonese soups are my comfort food, this being one of my favorites. 

Ingredients:

1 lb pork neck bones
2 bunches watercress, washed and drained
3 dried honey dates (蜜枣)
6 dried red dates (红枣)
3/4 cups Chinese South Almonds ( 南杏)
Salt to taste

Directions:

Take your soup pot and fill three-quarters (3/4) full with water and put it over high heat. Bring a second (smaller) pot of water to a boil. Put the pork neck bones into the water and let it boil for 5 minutes; this helps get rid of all the bloody water and any excess fat and discharge from the meat. Your end product will be a clearer, cleaner broth.

Turn off the heat and drain the water from the bones. Rinse several times with water until the water runs clear and all the grit is off the bones. Then add the bones to the large soup pot. Add the dried honey dates and the Chinese south almonds to the pot. Wait for the pot of water to come to a boil. If the pot is already boiling, give the ingredients 5-10 minutes in water before adding the watercress.

Lower the flame to a medium/medium-low heat and simmer the soup for 30-40 minutes. The watercress will turn brown and less appealing than the vibrant green when it first enters the pot but the soup you are left with is full of earthy flavor and super delicious!

Muk Eun Ji

As seen through my recipes, a love all my food with a little spice. I have to say that there aren't any cuisines that master the art of spiciness better than Asian cuisines and Korean food is among the best along with Thai, Vietnamese, Sichuan and others. Whenever I feel the least bit poorly I know that a hot bowl of spicy broth, chili noodles, or hot pepper fried rice will clear up all my issues. 

I was feeling a severe need for spicy food all of last week and finally on friday that need was satisfied. I got off early from work because of 'Good Friday' and headed to the Korea-Town neighborhood of New York on 32nd St between 5th and 6th Avenues.

“Muk Eun Ji,” one of over 400 different kinds of Korean kimchi, gets the title when kimchi is fermented over a year at the minimum. This Korean traditional aged kimchi, has fed since ancient generations till now with its unique and rich flavor which is almost addictive once tasted. At Muk Eun Ji restaurant in the K-town  neighborhood of NYC, one can experience the authentic Korean aged kimchi that the restaurant is named after. They directly and exclusively imported from Jinan Maisan in South Korea. We got there around 2pm so it was still their lunch special hour.

 Ban Chan - Korean Appetizers

Seafood Soondubu

 Kimchi Jjigae

Signature Kimchi Stews using Muk Eun Ji 

With plenty of options for under $10, I wanted to order everything on the menu. Will definitely have to come back for their JjamPong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and JajangMyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Pork Sauce) combo. Also after staring at what other tables were trying their kimchi stews using the Muk Eun Ji is very popular as well as Korean BBQ options. So many things to eat, so little time...

Hunger Games - Lamb Stew with Prunes

I think this is perhaps the most famous recipe from the Hunger Games books - probably because Katniss said it was her favorite thing about the Capitol and readers of the book all know that she is no fan of the Capitol.

While reading the description of this dish in the book my initial reaction was definitely more skeptical than excited. Prunes? That's what my grandfather would eat if he felt... you know. Dried fruit has never been of particular interest to me. Why eat it dried when you could have fresh grapes, plums, apricots, cherries? After a little research, I saw that dried fruit is really prevalent in north african cuisine like tagines and heavily spiced rustic stews. My rendition is inspired by the flavors of that cuisine but fused with ingredients I thought made this dish more appealing to me.

Ingredients:

2 lbs lamb
2 cups onion, sliced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 can tomatoes, diced
1 can chickpeas
1 cup prunes, halved
2 tablespoons plum brandy
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Mix the dry spices together in a bowl. Coat the lamb in half of the spice rub, season with extra salt and pepper and let it sit for 30 minutes. Heat a pot on the stove over medium high heat. Add vegetable oil to the hot pan and sear all sides of the lamb.

Take the lamb out of the pot and set aside. Add the onions and carrots to the lamb drippings in the pot. Saute for a few minutes until onions begin to brown on the edges. Add garlic and cook for another minute. De-glaze the pan with plum brandy; add the tomatoes (with all the juices) with the other vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Nestle the lamb back into the pot and add water until the lamb is covered. Turn the flame down to a low and let the lamb simmer for 1.5 hours. 

Drain the chickpeas from the can and rinse with water. Add the prunes and chickpeas into the stew (with a little more water if it looks dry). Simmer for another 30 minutes. Serve over a bed of wild rice or couscous and enjoy Katniss's favorite Capitol meal.

Hunger Games - Lamb Chops with Carrot Soup

My second Hunger Games inspired recipe is Katniss's first meal after volunteering as tribute. She never got the chance to eat her fish stew with greens. Tearful goodbyes and nerves of steel must take a lot of energy because Katniss was able to chow down a big meal of thick carrot soup, green salad and lamb chops on board the Panem-bound train. 

After teetering on the edge of starvation most of her life, this was her first 'Capitol' meal and the sheer volume of it had her mind whirling. Hunger Games, the movie, is actually working with non-profit organizations - Feeding America & World Food Programme - to bring attention to issues of food shortage and those who don't have enough to eat on a daily basis.  

This meal is actually not that difficult to make. In order to minimize cost and effort, each component of the meal is 5 ingredients or less (water, oil, salt & pepper not included).

 Ingredients:

Carrot Soup - 
1 lb baby carrots
1 can (14 oz) diced carrots
1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 bay leaf
3 cups of water
salt & pepper


Lamb Chops - 
1 lb lamb chops
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt & pepper


Kale Salad - 
2 cups kale, chopped
1 tablespoon shallots
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

Mix garlic, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place lamb chops into the mix and make sure each one is coated in the marinade. Set aside while you prepare the carrot soup.

Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onions into the pot and season with salt. Sweat the onions for a few minutes and add the carrots and tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add water to the vegetables; season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.


Mix the shallots, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil into the vinaigrette for the kale salad. Rinse and chop the kale into small pieces. Since kale is a tough green, it can withstand being dressed a little early. You can toss vinaigrette into the kale now or later if you prefer.


Heat a skillet or grill to a high temperature. Dry off excess moisture off each lamb chop and place onto the grill. Cook for 5 minutes before flipping and give the second side another 4-5 minutes for a medium rare chop. If you prefer it more well done, adjust time accordingly. Give the lamb chops 5 minutes of resting time before serving.

Turn off heat under the carrot soup. Pour contents into a food processor or blender. Puree the soup until smooth. If the soup seems a little chunky, add a bit more water until the contents reaches desired consistency. Taste and season one last time. 

Serve the soup with the lamp chops and green salad & enjoy Katniss's first 'Capitol' meal!

Hunger Games - Fish Stew with Greens

Like a growing percentage of the country, I am a Hunger Games fan. No surprise either, USA Today just gave the top three spots for February 2012's best-sellers to the Hunger Games trilogy. The action, the drama, the love triangle, and of course the kick-ass female protagonist Katniss Everdeen.

Another part of the story that caught my attention was the food. The dish descriptions were so detailed it made me hungry. So naturally I began to make plans to attempt some of these dishes. I will be making some creations inspired by the Hunger Games, but these recipes will be MY interpretations. Since I'm the one who has to eat the product, I want it to be tasty... here we go!

With the movie coming out in less than 3 weeks (WOOHOO!!!!!!)  I thought I should try my recipes in chronological order from the novel. The first scenes of the book is Gale and Katniss hunting in the woods past the fence of District 12. After collecting their bounty and trading in the hob, she uses the remainder of their fish and greens to make a stew. Here is my version of that.


Ingredients:

1 lb white fleshed fish (cod/halibut/sole)
1 lb spicy Italian sausage
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 potatoes, diced
2 cans low sodium chicken stock
6 cups water
1 cup cream
4 cups kale, chopped
salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat a pot over medium heat.  Put the vegetable oil into the pot and add the spicy Italian sausage. Brown the sausage for 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes into the pot with the vegetable oil. Cook for another 5 minutes until the onions become translucent.

Add the chicken stock and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes into the boiling broth and adjust stove to medium-low temperature. Simmer for 15 minutes.

While the broth is simmering away, get the kale and fish ready. Take the kale off the stem and chop into bite-size pieces. Take skin off the fish (if there is any) so you are only left with the flesh of the filet. Cut the fish filet into one inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the fish and kale into the soup. Simmer for another 5-7 minutes until the fish is cook all the way through.

Turn the heat off and pour in the cream. Taste and season one last time and serve immediately.

Veselka

My favorite movie about New York City before I moved east was definitely Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. A quintessential coming-of-age movie that is as much about the city as it is about the characters. The perspective of the shots, how New York looks from the inside of a taxi cab or conversations on a sidewalk with endless people passing by, make the city as much a character as Kat Dennings or Michael Cera.

The city gives the characters a whooping before all conflicts come to a resolution... where? Veselka Restaurant (where the story was originally penned) on the corner of 9th and 2nd. This eastern European diner, open 24 hours a day, is cranking out great breakfast foods as well as Ukrainian specialties like pierogis and borscht. 

On my visit, I obviously had to get what Norah got! "Another meat plate! Keep them coming!"

MEAT PLATE $13.95 - 2 Meat, 2 Potato Pierogi; 1 Meat Stuffed Cabbage w/ sour cream, beet & horseradish salad, caramelized onions

The meat plate was very delicious, especially after a late night. Meaty stuffed cabbage and pierogis smothered in sour cream, spicy beet spread and caramelized onions really hit the spot on a late sunday breakfast. While everyone around us enjoyed french toast and pancakes, three messy haired smudged eyed girls stuffed their face with protein, carbs, and cream.

 Matzoh Ball Soup & Ukrainian Borscht

Each plate comes with salad and soup; I had the borscht because of my obsession with beets. No brainer in my opinion. My friend had the matzoh ball soup which I thought wasn't as good as Katz's Delicatessen matzoh ball soup but still tasty. Veselka and another famous greasy diner, Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop in the Flatiron district, both use chicken stock as the base to their matzoh ball soup. Katz's uses a darker beef stock I believe. I prefer the heavy stock with my fluffy light matzoh balls.

Ippudo

Ippudo. Momofuku. The rivalry between these two restaurants is legendary. Whenever you talk to someone in New York City about ramen, one of these restaurants will be mentioned. We got to Ippudo ten minutes before they opened and there was already a line of people waiting outside. My expectations at that point went up 100% because if people are willing to wait outside a restaurant on a freezing Sunday morning hours before the Superbowl (when the NY Giants are actually playing in) it must be pretty freaking good.I knew this place was popular but I had no idea the hype around Ippudo vs Momofuku was so intense. I swear I even got a couple side glances when I asked my friend if Momofuku was better.

 Hitari Pork Buns

Shiromaru Chaschu Ramen

I thought the pork buns were phenomenal! Thick juicy pork belly slices with crisp lettuce and spicy mayo. The ramen soup was nice and savory without being overly salty (a common downfall with ramen broth). My friend's spicy soup was a little more to my taste and her noodles were normal thickness. I orderedAkamaru Modern had thinner noodles. Not my favorite but still good. The main reason I decided on this bowl of ramen was their signature "Umami Dama" paste they top the bowl with. It was a cross between miso and chinese bean paste. An additional seasoned soft bowled egg made this a pretty tasty bowl of soup noodles.

 

"Umami Dama" paste & soft-boiled egg

 

 Akamaru Modern Ramen

Now I just have to try Momofuku (post to follow soon) and finally put this rivalry to rest. :)