Hot Day? Cold Sesame Noodles!

We've found a way to beat the Temp-Rapture - my mom's cold sesame noodles! I was just throwing it together so apologies for no specific measurements.

Cold Sesame Noodles
1. Cook egg noodles (we used thin spaghetti), rinse with cold water and toss with sesame oil. Put in refrigerator.
2. In a blender, add:
- Sesame paste (we only had peanut butter so that worked)
- Soy sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Chicken broth
- Siracha (or wasabi)
- Garlic
- Ginger
3. Blend sauce until smooth and to your preferred seasoning. Toss with noodles.
4. Prepare toppings. We had left over chicken and scallions. Other toppings: julienne cucumber, scrambled egg, ham, etc.

Vietnamese Beef Salad

I can't verify that this salad is indeed Vietnamese but that's what M calls it. It's an awesome night when I look in an empty refrigerator and have all the ingredients for a good dish (I haven't gone grocery shopping in a long time and have been trying to eat all the food in the fridge and pantry because we are moving on Saturday). This will feed 2-3 people and we eat it over rice. Yes, lettuce on rice - like bibimbop!

Vietnamese Beef Salad
- Lettuce sliced in thin strips (butter, bib, red leaf and even watercress works)
- 1 tomato medium dice
- 2 thinly sliced hard boiled eggs
- 1/4 lb eye of round thinly sliced against the grain mix with soy sauce and oyster sauce. Heat olive oil in wok, brown quarter of onion and 1 clove of garlic, add meat mixture, sautee.
- 1 lime

Place lettuce in bowl. Add eggs (I like to put them in a circle) around the bowl. Heap cooked beef in middle. Sprinkle entire salad with lots of fresh cracked pepper. Squeeze juice of 1 lime. Toss and serve over steamed white rice.

Baked Shrimp with Panko Stuffing

It has been non-stop wedding shows at our house and in this one episode, 2 weddings both served Shrimp Oreganata. So, of course, I had to have it - with my own twist.

Baked Shrimp with Panko Stuffing

- 1.5 lbs shrimp butterflied (I folded the tail over),

- Coarsely chop 5-6 of the shrimp (maybe I'll use crab next time)

- Salt and pepper

- 3/4 cup panko

- 4 tbsp butter (melted)

- 1/4 chopped parsley (I used a couple of tsp of dried oregano)

- 2 tsp minced garlic

- White wine

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Butter a baking dish and layer with shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the chopped shrimp, panko, melted butter, parsley, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Top the shrimp with the bread crumb mixture, make sure all the spaces between the shrimp are filled. Drizzle with white wine. Bake 8-12 minutes.

Cauliflower Soup

We have not been able to take a picture of the soup because it gets eaten so quickly. It would be so much easier with a hand blender *hint to M*. M, "This is the best baby food I've ever had!"

Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower roughly chopped
1/4 white onion
4 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock for vegetarians)
White truffle oil
Fresh ground pepper

Add cauliflower, onion and broth to pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or so. Allow to cool to room temperature and puree. Return to pot and warm. Pour into bowls and drizzle with truffle oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Broiled Chicken Kebabs & Soy Ginger Salad Dressing

The cold winter has me dreaming of my mom's barbecue chicken. I thought I could broil chicken kebabs using her marinade. We had some lettuce and arugula and wanted to make a dressing that would complement the chicken. My biggest critic, M, liked it and asked for them to be added to the repertoire. Amounts are estimates.

Mom's BBQ Chicken Marinade:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 2 tsp sugar

I cut up boneless skinless chicken thighs and put them in the marinade for 6 or so hours. Soak skewers in water for 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Add chicken to skewers and broil for 4-6 minutes. Turn and broil for another 4-6 minutes.

Soy Ginger Salad Dressing:
- lemon juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 1/4 thumb ginger mashed
- 1/4 cup olive oil

Non-Asian Chicken and Broccoli

The next set of recipes may be basic for most people but for me, anything using an oven is revolutionary. My parents used the oven to store pots. M said, "This was one of the most delicious dishes not from the continent of Asia."

"Best Broccoli of Your Life"

We had bought a bag of broccoli florets from Costco. There are only 2 of us and there's only so many nights we can eat beef and broccoli stir fry. I found "The Best Broccoli of Your Life" from Amateur Gourmet. And, it was pretty darn good.

- Dry broccoli florets (about 2 big bunches)

- 5 tbsp olive oil

- salt

- pepper

- 4 garlic cloves minced

- 1 lemon

- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Layer onto baking sheet and roast in oven for 20 to 25 minutes until some of the florets are browned (I had forgotten the garlic and tossed it in 5 minutes before the end and they were fine). Remove from oven. Toss with lemon zest, lemon juice and cheese. We didn't have any cheese and it was quite delicious without it.

Baked Chicken Thighs

I have been trying to bake chicken thighs for over 3 years and they have been underdone, overdone, too salty, etc. I have finally figured out my oven (25 degrees hotter than what the dial says) and the below recipe.

- 2 tbsp butter

- olive oil

- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

- 1/2 cup flour

- 2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp pepper

- 1 tsp spice mix of your choice

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Heat oil and butter in a skillet. Mix flour, salt, pepper and spices (I used Bouquest Garni) in a plastic bag. Drop chicken thighs in the bag and yes, shake it. Shake off chicken thighs and place in skillet and fry golden brown (don't overcrowd). Place chicken on a baking sheet and put in oven for 30 min - 45 min until done.

Baked Duck

M rarely cooks but when she does, it's sublime. I still had the duck legs, thighs and wings and was looking up baking recipes when she whipped together this beautifully simple marinade.

M's Baked Duck
- Duck pieces
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 3 Thai chilis (minced)
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce (we use the green label - no msg)
- 2 tbsp Golden Mountain sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together and place duck skin side down. We used a meat thermometor and when the internal leg temperature reached around 100 degrees, turn the meat so that the skin crisps on top. Remove from oven when the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Let the meat rest under foil for 5-10 minutes.

Chinese Herb Duck Soup

As the days have gotten colder, I have been craving my mother's Chinese Herb Duck Soup. The slightly bitter taste is addictive and honestly, cures everything. The problem was, I knew what it was called in Chinese ("Dong Quai") but couldn't find it. Finally, I just went through the entire dried herb aisle smelling every bag. The english name is "Angelica sinensis diels". I had my dong quai, duck bones (breasts removed for ragu and legs, wings and thighs for confit) and was ready to go.

Ingredients:
- Duck bones
- 2 pieces of dried dong quai
- 1 piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup rice wine

In large stock pot, add all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Skim off any frothy pieces that rise to the top. Lower heat and simmer for at least an hour. Enjoy with some white pepper.

Dumplings

People say, "I've become my mother." To me, that's the highest compliment - I wish I could cook as well as her. As a kid, dumpling day was particularly festive - mom rolling out thin round dough with one hand, all the chopping and mixing, the air filling with the aroma of the filling and our mini "couches" of dumplings lined up on a floured bake sheet ready for a swim in boiling water and a dunk in her amazing dipping sauce.

With winter upon us, I thought it would be nice to have some dumplings in the freezer for those nights where I didn't feel like cooking. My friend C graciously offered her home for our dumpling party. With the fabulous company and many bottles of wine, everyone made plenty of dumplings to boil, fry and take home. And yes, C, you get an A+ and are now a certified Asian woman.


Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp corn starch
- black pepper
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 oz fresh ginger (peeled and finely grated)
- 2 scallion stalks (root and tips trimmed off, minced)
- 4 napa cabbage leaves (finely chopped)
- 5-6 dried shitake mushrooms (reconstituted and minced)
- 1/2 lb shrimp (peeled, deveined, minced)
- 2 packs of dumpling wrappers (I prefer the white round kind)



Mix all ingredients (except wrappers) in a large bowl. Set up your wrapping station: clean plate, small bowl with water, floured baking sheet, teaspoon. Take a wrapper and put in on the clean plate. With the spoon, put a marble size of filling in the center. Dip your finger in the water bowl and trace the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the center of the arch together. From the middle, pleat the wrapper in the back while pressing it to the flat front until the dumpling is completely sealed and resembles a small couch. Line up the dumpling on the floured baking sheet.

To boil a fresh dumpling, put fresh dumplings in boiling water, stir so they don't stick and cook for 3 minutes. Strain and stir in some sesame oil so they don't stick.

To fry a fresh dumpling, heat oil in a skillet, cook each side until golden brown.

To boil a frozen dumpling, separate and put frozen dumplings into boiling water. Stir so they don't stick. When water comes to boil, pour in a cup of cold water. Do this 3 times. When the dumplings float, remove from water. Strain and stir in some sesame oil so they don't stick.

To fry a frozen dumpling, heat oil in a skillet. Gently add frozen dumpling (swish in oil before finally placing so it doesn't stick). After one side is browned, add 1/2 a cup of cold water and allow water to steam off. Once water is fully evaporated, brown the rest of the sides of the dumpling.

Dumpling sauce: thinly sliced ginger, 1 part black vinegar (or rice vinegar) and 1 part soy sauce.

Cherry Almond Clafoutis

I've been craving the cherry clafoutis from Gregoire in Berkeley, CA. It was sweet, custardy, firm and soft at the same time and served with an amazing yogurt sauce. I couldn't find a single clafoutis near me so C suggested I make my own. After M patiently and expertly pitted all the cherries for me, the recipe was a snap. It was even better after it has sat in the refrigerator over night!

From Epicurious.com:

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whole almonds (about 2 oz) [I used almond meal from Trader Joe's]
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp plus 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 oz dark sweet cherries, pitted, halved (about 2 cups)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
- powdered sugar

1. Blend almonds in processor until ground but not pasty. Transfer to a small saucepan, add milk and bring to simmer. Remove from heat; let steep 30 min. Pour through fine strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in a strainer.
2. Preheat oven to 375. Butter 10 inch diameter glass pie dish; sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar. Scatter cherries evenly over bottom of dish.
3. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, almond extract, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Add strained almond milk and beat to blend. Sift flour into egg mixture and beat until smooth. Pour mixture over cherries. Bake until set and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 min. Cool completely. [I then put it in the refrigerator]
4. Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Lightly dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Got Beer? Got duck?

I love my mom's recipes because they are easy, there are a handful of ingredients and so very yummy. Since I had used the duck breasts for the ragu, I had to find a way to cook the rest of the duck. Behold, beer duck! I made it in the afternoon and brought it over to H's house for dinner. After eating it, my godson said, "More! More! More!"

Beer Duck
1. In a thick pot with cover, put the duck, a can/bottle of beer (we used Sam Adams Lager), a cup of soy sauce and thick slices of ginger.
2. Cover and cook over low heat (make sure it's still bubbling) for an hour.
3. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Some variations: maybe add a small handful of black peppercorns, some hard boiled eggs, tofu, etc.

Tagliatelle with Duck Ragù

I have been craving this dish for 2 days! Imagine my surprise at finding out it was easy to make (a chop and a puree away from braised short ribs). I had to buy an entire duck but thanks to my knife skills class, I broke it down with relative ease. I got two great recipes from my mom to cook the rest of the duck. Unfortunately, I didn't realize was that 'total time' were the operative words, not 'active time'. So, I served an arugula and piave cheese salad to hold us over. I did burn my hand on the proverbial stove and was like, "oh, I don't need to puree hot liquid in batches." Yes, yes, I do. So after we cleaned up the mess, we had yummy yummy pasta. Man, it was so good.

Tagliatelle with Duck Ragù

Gourmet | April 2008 Adapted from Franco Luise and Antonio Vitale, Aromi
The secret to making this dish so stunningly delicious is duck fat. Puréeing the sauce emulsifies the fat, which, along with the moist duck meat, adds an irreplaceable element of richness. Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 3/4 hr

-1 tablespoon unsalted butter
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1 (1-pound) boneless Muscovy duck breast with skin or 2 (7- to 8-ounce) Long Island (also called Pekin) duck breast halves with skin
-1/2 medium onion, chopped
-1 garlic clove, smashed
-1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
-1/2 cup dry red wine
-2 cups rich chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
-1 (14- to 15-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
-1/2 pound dried egg tagliatelle or egg fettuccine

1. Heat butter and oil in a deep 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides. Meanwhile, pat duck dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

2. Sear duck, skin side down, until golden brown and some of fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Turn over and cook until browned, about 2 minutes more.

3. Transfer duck to a plate, then add onion to fat in skillet with garlic, rosemary, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add wine and boil 3 minutes. Return duck, skin side up, to skillet, then add any juices from plate, stock, and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a boil, then gently simmer, covered, 1 hour.

4. Transfer duck to a cutting board, then skim off about three fourths of fat from sauce and discard.

5. Purée sauce in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return sauce to skillet and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes.

6. While sauce reduces, finely chop duck with skin. Return chopped duck to sauce and season with salt and pepper.

7. Cook tagliatelle in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente, then drain pasta and toss with duck ragú.
Cooks' note: Duck ragú; can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered (once cool).

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Tagliatelle-with-Duck-Ragu-242037#ixzz0yzCIk9XP

Yeah, We Ate 'Ants Climbing a Tree'

Based on what was in my refrigerator, my craving for Tagliatelle with Duck Ragù turned into a noodle dish that originated in Sichuan called "Ants Climbing a Tree." Noodles and meat, same thing. The bits of minced meet stuck to noodles are supposed to look like ants climbing through the branches of a tree. I adjusted a recipe I found online at:
http://eatingchina.com/recipes/ants-climbing.htm

Ants Climbing a Tree 螞蟻上樹 (ma-3 yi shang-4 shu-4)

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
200g (7 oz) mung bean noodles
200g (7 oz) lean minced pork
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 – 2 tablespoons chilli sauce
1 teaspoon corn flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 stalks spring onions, sliced into small pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
Garnish: cilantro or spring onions

1. Add soy sauce, rice wine, chilli sauce, and corn flour to a bowl. Mix in pork and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Soak the noodles in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain.
3. Heat the wok, and add the oil. Cook the pork mixture over a high heat for 2 minutes. Add spring onions and cook until pork is browned. (I added more soy sauce)
   
4. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes, stirring well. (I added tofu and may add tree fungus and/or shitake mushrooms in the future)
   
5. Add noodles to wok. Stir until noodles and sauce are blended well together and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Garnish and serve.

Momma's Meatballs

This is an easy and versatile dish that basically gives you the inside of a dumpling and fantastic sauce. I remember the house filling with an amazing aroma and having it with rice for dinner and with somen noodles the next day.

Momma's Meatballs
1. Mix 1 pound of ground pork with finely diced ginger (half a thumb), diced water chestnuts, chopped 2-3 stalks of scallions, 1/4 cup of soy sauce (we use reduced sodium), 1/4 cup of rice wine, tbsp of corn starch and a splash of sesame oil.
2. In a 3 qt saucepan with lid, make a layer of little meatballs (about 1 inch in diameter) and add 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup soy sauce, 3/4 rice wine. Bring to boil.
3. Cover and lower heat to higher than a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.

M Eats Kale

I've been a bit bored with food. I haven't been inspired to make anything and nothing has tasted good. I've been seeing a lot of articles about how healthy kale is and I've been craving the kale ceviche that Michelle served many years ago. It was unbelievably easy to make and so good. I was scared to serve it to M because she is not a fan of vegetables but believe it or not, she LOVED it. She ate raw kale! If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.

Paul and Natalie's Kale Ceviche
1. Chop a bunch of raw kale and some kind of young onions (scallions,
...scapes, baby leeks all do great) as finely as possible, put in a bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and as much sea salt as you like - I like a
salty salad, plus, remember that the salt will "cook" the kale,
breaking it down and making it tastier.
3. Squeeze the juice of half a medium sized lemon (or more) over the
kale, adding the pulp of the fruit if you please. (I please.) Pluck
out any seeds! Now before it's too late!
4. Mash the kale and onions with a potato masher or the back of a fork
so that it can draw in the lemon, salt and olive oil.
5. Season with fresh ground pepper, and/ or if you like things spicy, cayenne.
6. At this point I like to embellish, adding (if I have them) chunks
of avocado, also, roasted pumpkin seeds (not raw but, you know,
whatever). Do what you like.
4. Eat, enjoy, feel supremely healthy because, as our friend Natalie
says, "C'mon, you're eating RAW KALE."

Raid the Pantry Noodle Soup

It is a rare but delightful occurrence when I'm able to a) experiment and cook something new, b) it actually tastes delicious, c) with the stuff I already have including leftovers, and d) at the right time. It was a dark and stormy day, perfect for noodle soup!

Raid the Pantry Noodle Soup
- Reconstitute dried shitake mushrooms and tiger lily buds (save the water)
- Blanche fresh wonton noodles (sold in dumpling wrapper section) - this was a new ingredient I had never used before
- Prepare soup with Asian pork stock (spare rib, water, onion, ginger, scallion, black and white pepper corns, rice wine), braised spare ribs, shrimp, napa cabbage, silken tofu, mini fish balls and the reconstituted mushrooms and tiger lily buds with water. I wish I had enoki mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
- Place noodles in bowl and cover with soup.
- Garnish with scallions and crushed white pepper.

Shrimp Scampi

My earliest memory of shrimp scampi is from Red Lobster. My family and I used to go for special occasions and I could eat couple platters of that buttery, garlicky, lemony stuff. While we joke about Red Lobster a lot, I think that it used to be better (then again, a lot of food I loved as a kid is just not as good when eaten as an adult). I've been searching for a recipe since and we really enjoyed the version provided by the Barefoot Contessa. It is so easy, has minimal ingredients, takes minutes to prepare and has become part of our weekly lineup.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil (we use canola)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 3/4 pound linguine (we use spaghetti)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined (1 bag of frozen prepped shrimp from Trader Joe's)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 lemon, zest grated
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
- 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions:
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Fong Ji

I was thinking recently how lucky I was to have grown up eating really yummy food. You already know how much I love my mom's cooking. Dad's food was good, too, although there were some hilarious misses (e.g., that bony fish marinated in tequila or the radish cake that never really solidified). One of my all time favorite Thanksgiving meals was one where dad made Fong Ji (literally "wind chicken" with glutinous rice and Chinese sausage stuffing). Which reminds me, I need the recipe for that stuffing...

Preparation for Fong Ji includes dry-aging the chicken. Although it was grotesque, I would get excited when Dad would hang a chicken off the gutter by the kitchen (in the winter, of course). To avoid offending the neighbors and patrons of the strip mall as well the inconsistent temperatures outside, I put a drying rack over a cookie sheet and place the contraption plus chicken in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Fong Ji:
- 1.5 lbs of chicken pieces (we used chicken thighs)
- 1/8 cup table salt or fleur de sel (I used coarse kosher salt and it was too salty)
- 1/4 cup Black peppercorns
- Chinese rice wine
- White pepper powder to taste

Day (or few days) before, wash and dry chicken. In wok or pan, lightly toast salt and peppercorns to release flavor. Sprinkle salt and peppercorns on chicken with some cracked black pepper and set on drying rack. Place drying rack over cookie sheet and put on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator to age for at least 24 hours.

Set up steamer (I added salt and rice wine to the water). My steamer is small so I steamed 3 pieces at a time for 30 minutes, turning them at the 15 minute mark. I cracked some more pepper and sprinkled some white pepper powder on the chicken before serving with pickled mustard stems (homemade by M's grandmother) and white rice.

Dad's email (precious):

"FoungChi

Salt and pepper seed (some small amount of other flavor) stir fry until strong smell come out.

apply salt and paper inside and outside of the whole chicken.

Let dry for couple days-so it is better do it in the winter(keep in the refrig in the summer)

steam the whole chicken.

be careful do not apply too much salt.

More peper seed is OK, amount -about 60% of a rice bowl.

good luck"

Mom's Steamed Egg Custard

It's cold. I want comfort food. Namely, mom's home cooking. I decided to replicate another favorite dish - her steamed egg custard. It's kind of like Japanese Chawanmushi (a dish I regularly order at Sakagura and squeal when I get as a panchan in Korean restaurants), but way simpler.

Mom's Steamed Egg Custard
- handful of shitake mushrooms, cut in small pieces with stems removed
- 3 stalks green scallion, finely cut
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup dried shrimp
- 3 large eggs
-1 cup water (or Asian chicken or seafood stock)...good thing I made stock today!

Heat canola oil in wok and add scallions, mushroom, sesame oil, salt, shrimp and fry for 3-5 minutes. Find a bowl that will fit in the steamer or stock pot and add the fried ingredients and water or stock (enough to fill 3/4 of bowl) to make a "soup". Scramble 3 eggs and slowly stir in soup. Place bowl in steamer/ stock pot and steam for "just a little bit!" For me, that was 15 minutes until the egg was light and puffy and a skewer comes out clean.

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

I'm a simple girl. While I appreciate all the steps and exotic ingredients that go into a really good cupcake - buttermilk, eggs separated into whites and yolks, vanilla from actual vanilla beans - I just want to make some good cupcakes that aren't too sweet with the ingredients I have. Growing up, I made the Hot Milk Sponge Cake that was in my mother's ancient Better Homes and Garden cookbook. I was cursing myself for not copying the recipe down when I was home last time when genius that I was, I decided to Google it and found this recipe from Robert Hammond, chef and owner of The Kitchen at Honeyman Creek Farm in Warren, Oregon. For cupcakes, I reduced the cooking time to around 16 minutes and topped with whipped cream.

Hot Milk Sponge Cake
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or 1/2 teaspoon each vanilla and lemon extracts)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray two (9-inch) round cake pans with vegetable oil spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cover the eggs (still in their shell) with hot tap water. Allow eggs to sit for at least five minutes to warm them up. NOTE: It is important that the eggs be warm to the touch when they are whipped with the sugar. This gives an extra lightness to the cake. See Lagniappe below. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the milk and heat until the mixture is steaming. NOTE: See Lagniappe tips below. Remove from heat. Into a large mixing bowl, crack the warm whole eggs. Using an electric mixer, whip the eggs until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and whip on high speed until the batter is light and thick. NOTE: This takes a good ten minutes. Turn the mixer down to low and add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the egg batter, stopping once to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Add the scalded milk and butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and continue mixing on low just until the vanilla is incorporated into the batter. Divide the batter equally into each prepared cake pan. NOTE: The batter will be quite thin so don’t be alarmed. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and springy to the touch. Remove from oven and place the cake layers on a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle each layer very lightly with granulated sugar. Leave the cake layers in the pan to cool for thirty minutes. When cool, carefully run a paring knife around the edge of the each cake layer, using an up and down motion, to avoid tearing the sides of the cake. Turn the layers out onto a wire cooling rack. Cool completing before serving.
Serving: Cake is great served as is, but also can be used with your fresh berries. Makes two (9-inch) round layers


Lagniappe: Having the eggs warm and whipping them to the proper consistency are the keys to making this cake successfully. While whipping the eggs, feel the bottom of the bowl to make sure that it doesn’t feel cold. If it does, then the eggs aren’t warm enough. Place the mixing bowl in a slightly larger bowl filled with about 3 inches of hot tap water. Stir them until they are warm to the touch. The eggs are properly whipped when they get light and thick, resembling softly whipped cream. Lift the whip from the bowl and the batter should slowly flow from the whip in a ribbon that slowly incorporates back into the batter.