Food for Thought: A Seat at the Table: A Journey into Jewish Food

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers

A Seat at the Table: A Journey into Jewish Food is a vast survey of Ashkenazi (Poland and Eastern Europe) foodways with over 100 hours of online content including demos, cooking lessons, interviews with cooks and more which the publisher is offering at no charge during the pandemic.

Although there is a sequential organization, the topics are so wide-ranging that you could productively dip your toe into any topic that strikes your fancy and be entertained and educated. “Jewish Identity + Food” is presented by Michael Twitty, an African-American chef and food historian who is also Jewish, and discusses the role traditional foods play in Jewish culture in different parts of the world; this is followed by a lox-slicing demo from Josh Russ Tupper of Russ & Daughters. There are also explorations of food-related artifacts, like an ancient price list from a Polish deli.

And, of course, recipes! Typically there will be a video discussion of a dish—like knishes, kuchen, kugl or gefilte fish, followed by a link to the recipe itself. If you want to dig deeper, you’ll find topics on cookbooks and gender, Jews and vegetarianism, cookbooks in the 19th century Jewish home and—if you are not thoroughly intimidated at this point—how to write your own Jewish cookbook. Browsing the sections reminds me of shopping at Powell’s gargantuan bookstore (sadly now closed by the pandemic) in Portland: you never know what you will come up with but you know it will be fascinating.

A Seat at the Table: A Journey into Jewish Food is one in a series of online courses sponsored by YIYO Institute for Jewish Research. Enrolling is a bit cumbersome because you have to set up an account, but then it will be easier to enroll in other courses (which aren’t free but are very inexpensive) if you like. Check it out!

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Recipe: Thai Noodles in Sweet Soy Sauce

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers

Thai Noodles Sweet Soy Sauce

Thai Noodles in Sweet Soy Sauce is somewhere between Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Maw) and Pad Ee Sew, a simpler street-food dish. What they have in common is an addictive sweet and sour sauce intensified through wok char. Makes 6 main dish servings or 10 as part of an assortment of dishes.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T grated ginger
7 oz (more or less) chicken thigh or breast, pork or beef, or tofu, sliced thin into bite size pieces
½ lb or more gai lan (Chinese broccoli), chopped with stem and leaves separated
1 large egg
3 T neutral oil, plus more for noodles
1 lb flat rice noodles, fresh, cut or torn into bite size pieces; or 7 oz dried flat rice noodles

For the sauce
2 T sweet soy sauce (Healthy Boy Black) OR 2 T dark soy sauce and 2 T sugar
2 T oyster sauce
2 T soy sauce (any type)
2 T white vinegar
½ t Kosher salt
½ t white pepper, finely ground
2 T or more water

Optional garnishes:
¼ c Thai basil, Italian basil, mint, shiso or other bitter herb
2 serrano or Thai birds-eye chilis, sliced thin

Healthy Boy Dark Soy Aauce

Thai Noodles in Sweet Soy Sauce

Method: if reconstituting dried noodles, soak in hot (but not boiling) water till they reach the al dente stage. Heat the oil in a hot wok and quickly stir fry the garlic and ginger; add protein and cook, turning frequently till just done. Add gai lan stems and cook for 2 minutes; add gai lan leaves and cook two minutes more while stirring frequently. When vegetables are cooked but still crisp, push them aside to create an open area; crack the egg into this space and mix with wooden spoon or long chopsticks to scramble, then toss with other ingredients. Remove the ingredients from the wok and reserve in a bowl.

Add more oil to the wok if needed then add noodles. Let them cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently so all surfaces come in contact with the oil, then add the sauce and stir as it comes to a boil and is absorbed by the noodles. Continue stir frying a little longer; the sugar in the sauce in combination with the high heat will create wok char. IMPORTANT NOTE: if you don’t have a high-BTU stove burner consider cooking the noodles in batches, with part of the sauce added to each batch.

When noodles are done, add the reserved ingredients and toss to combine. Add optional basil and chilis and toss so they are steamed by the heat and their flavor is absorbed by the noodles. Good if served immediately but also tastes fine if reheated (in wok or skillet, not microwave).

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Recipe: Cantonese Restaurant Salt and Pepper Squid

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers
Salt and Pepper Squid

Salt and Pepper Squid made from “carved” squid pieces

Salt and pepper squid is best eaten fresh and piping hot. If your favorite Chinese restaurant is only doing takeout because of the pandemic, here’s how to make it at home. Serves 4 as an appetizer with other foods.

Ingredients:
12-oz package frozen squid, defrosted and cut into bite size pieces (or use cleaned, fresh squid)
2 T Shaoxing cooking wine
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 t grated ginger
½ t Kosher salt
½ t white pepper, finely ground

For the batter:
¼ c cornstarch
¼ c all purpose flour
¼ c corn meal or corn flour

Neutral oil for deep frying

Garnish:
¼ c basil leaves (Thai, purple or Italian), cut into chiffonade
1 green onion, sliced into rings including the green part
1 serrano chili or 1 Thai birds-eye chili, sliced into rings

Lemon quarters

Carved Squid Piece

We experimented with these “carved” squid pieces you normally encounter in Asian seafood stews. Good, but require extra time in the fry oil.

Method: marinate the squid pieces in wine, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper for at least 15 minutes and as long as 1 hour. Heat oil to 375 degrees in a wok. Dredge squid pieces in batter and fry them a few at a time, turning to expose all surfaces to the oil, about 3-4 minutes. Drain squid pieces on a rack or paper towel. Add garnishes to hot oil when squid pieces are done and fry 30 seconds; remove from oil with a skimmer. Plate fried squid; distribute garnish on top; serve with lemon quarters.

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Food for Thought: An Introduction to Korean Cooking in Recipes

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers

 

Introduction Korean Cooking

Quick fermented radish kimchi from Introduction to Korean Cooking

Serious Eats recently published a long and unusually comprehensive article by Sonja Swanson, a Korean food blogger and former editor of Time Out Seoul. An Introduction to Korean Cooking in Recipes is a guide to getting to know the cuisine through making the dishes at home, but many of the recipes she links to are not the best known or most obvious examples. (One very famous Korean dish is missing from her list. Read the article, see if you recognize the omission, then skip to the end of this post to see if you’re right.)

For kimchi, case in point, she turns to Yeolmu Kimchee, made from quick-fermented young radish greens and similar to Chonggak, the “bachelor” kimchi we tasted recently from Benu in San Francisco. If you make this recipe you’ll need some young radishes with a good amount of stems and leaves attached so that would rule out the fat red radishes in American markets that have very little greenery. I’m tempted to try this with young turnip greens, in fact. Also see the notes at the end of the recipe for substituting some of the more hard-to-find ingredients.

And, her discussion of banchan is not just a compendium of recipes but a discussion of aesthetics and philosophy: why and how banchan should balance ingredients, textures and colors. Korean Marinated Spinach (Sigeumchi Namul) is a good place to start here. While it can be made with supermarket spinach and familiar seasonings, “namul” refers to wild greens which were often foraged in the forest in much harder times. As you enjoy this dish, you can think about the primal importance of life-sustaining greens as a touchstone in Korean cuisine.

Have you guessed the famous Korean dish that’s missing? That’s actually a trick question because there are multiples. Korean Fried Chicken, of course, but also bulgogi or kalbi or grilled meats in any form. This article is about less-familiar dishes and how you can get started at home. Not a bad sheltering-in-place project. Check it out.

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Recipe: Best Macaroni Salad

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers
Best Macaroni Salad

Best Macaroni Salad

Most macaroni salad is terrible, because it’s just cold pasta mixed with a glop of mayo. But when you start to deepen the flavor profile, the best macaroni salad can hold its own next to potato salad on a picnic table or socially-distanced buffet. Celery and onion are essential; add other ingredients to suit your taste but keep add-in quantities light because this is a side salad, not a one dish meal. Serves 8-10.

Ingredients
2 c dried elbow macaroni
Kosher salt
Water
1 c celery, finely chopped, including the leafy ends if they are in good shape
½ c red onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ c mayonnaise
¼ c cider vinegar
½ t finely ground white pepper
1/8 t MSG (optional)

Method: cook pasta in a generous amount of salted water until it is well past the al dente stage; drain. Place chopped celery and onion in a large bowl and add the drained, hot pasta. Let sit a few minutes so the heat of the pasta can steam the vegetables. Add mayo, vinegar, pepper and optional MSG and mix well. Refrigerate at least two hours (the pasta should be room temperature or cooler) then taste and add salt if needed. Serve as a picnic or BBQ side dish.

Possible mix-ins: frozen green peas and finely chopped red or green bell pepper can be added at the same time as the celery and onion. Use no more than ¼ c of each. For a more robust salad, consider adding finely chopped salami and neutral cheese after it is chilled.

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Food for thought: The Inquiring Chef

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers
Inquiring Chef Pad /ew See

The inquiring Chef makes Pad Ew See (drunken noodles)

I questioned if Andy Ricker’s instruction to toast rice for 45 minutes to manke rice powder might be excessive, and took to the internet. There I found The Inquiring Chef’s recipe which required only 10 minutes and, best of all, showed me what the rice should look like when toasted, when ground with a mortar and pestle, and when ground with a spice grinder. Food nerd heaven!

Rice Powder

Toasted rice powder from the Inquiring Chef

Blogger Jess Smith is a photographer and food stylist, so it’s not surprising her photos are beautiful. But they’re also really helpful, as in the example of the rice powder recipe above. She thinks about what the reader will want to know as they execute the recipe, vs mindless food porn. (Don’t need another tight-focus shot of egg yolks in a bowl, thank you.) Unfortunately the site is chock full of ads which get in the way of viewing, so be patient.

The Smith family lived in Thailand for two years, which is why there are a number of Thai recipes and the adaptations for the western kitchen are well thought through. This laab-gai dish is next on my list to try and it’s loaded with cooking tips and illustrative photography which show why this blog is an excellent resource. We haven’t yet explored their non-Thai recipes and travel articles, so there’s a lot to discover here. Check out The Inquiring Chef.

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Recipe: Thai Beef Salad with Mint

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers
Thai Beef Salad with Mint

Thai Beef Salad with Mint

When your garden is overflowing with mint, it’s time to make Thai Beef Salad with Mint. There are many variations of this recipe; we were mostly inspired by this from Andy Ricker, of the pan-South Asian Pok Pok in Portland. Serves 4-6 appetizer portions.

Ingredients:
1 lb flank steak, New York strip or other steak with a grain (we used flap meat)
¼ c cilantro root (use cilantro stems as a substitute if necessary)
3 large garlic cloves, about 1 ½ T
½ t ground white pepper
1 T soy sauce
1 T vegetable oil
½ c mint leaves, removed from stems and coarsely chopped*
¼ c cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped*
¼ c shallot or red onion, sliced thin
Half a serrano chile or one small birds eye chile, finely chopped, or 1 t crushed red pepper (you want to give it just a little kick vs spicy-hot)
3 t lime juice
2 t fish sauce
½ t sugar
¾ t Kosher salt
1 t rice powder (optional)**

Method: pulverize cilantro root and garlic in a food mill; mix in pepper, oil and soy sauce. Rub this marinade all over the steak; poke some holes so it will really penetrate if you like. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, then grill over high heat till the steak is well browned on the outside but still rare to medium rare on the inside, about 3-4 minutes per side. Cool the steak in a bowl that will collect its juices then slice thin across the grain into 3-inch strips.

Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, salt and reserved meat juices in a skillet and heat slightly; add shallot and chilis and heat until aromatic. Add remaining ingredients and toss lightly till the mint is wilted and the meat is heated through. Serve warm, over rice or shredded cabbage.

*Or use ¾ c of all mint leaves or all cilantro.

Rice Powder

Rice Powder

**Folks who have tasted this dish in Thailand insist that rice powder is essential to complete the flavor. It adds a crunch and nuttiness and the smaller bits will thicken the sauce slightly. To make rice powder, heat 2 T raw glutinous rice (“sticky rice”) in a wok at low temperature, stirring frequently, till the grains are uniformly golden brown (about 10 minutes). Cool in wok off the heat then grind in a spice mill or with mortar and pestle to a coarse powder.

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Recipe: Sichuan Cucumber Salad

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers
Sichuan Cucumber Salad

Sichuan Cucumber Salad

If you have a well-stocked Sichuan pantry you already have the two key ingredients for Sichuan Cucumber Salad: sichuan peppercorns and mild dried red chilis. Even though it earns the sobriquet “Mala” which means “hot and numbing” in Mandarin, this is actually a cool and refreshing salad which goes well with an assortment of hot and cold dishes perhaps for a summer picnic. 4 appetizer portions.

Ingredients:
1 whole cucumber
½ t Kosher salt
2 t neutral oil
¾ t Sichuan peppercorns
8 or so dried Sichuan red chilis
1 t toasted sesame oil

Method: peel the cucumber if it has thick waxy skin; otherwise leave skin on. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pulp; discard. Cut each half into thirds then cut lengthwise into batons approximately the dimensions of French fries. Mix thoroughly with salt and rest at least 30 minutes.

Wash off salt in a colander and dry the cucumber pieces with a paper towel. Lightly crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Cut dried chiles into thirds with scissors and discard any seeds that fall out.

Heat the oil in a medium-hot wok and add peppercorns and dried chiles; heat about a minute until they become fragrant. Add cucumber and toss with oil until warm and thoroughly coated, no more than a minute. Transfer to a serving dish and toss with sesame oil. Chill until ready to serve cold.

Note: no substitutions available. If you don’t have the two key ingredients, get them before you try the recipe. Do NOT replace Sichuan peppercorns with regular black peppercorns, or mild Sichuan chilis with much hotter American chilis.

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My Quarantine with Trader Joe

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers
Trader Joe Roquefort

Quarantine with Trader Joe: Society 1863 Roquefort is a steal at $12/lb, compared to other aged bleus.

There were fewer dining-out options than usual during my trip to San Francisco last week, causing me to stock up for quarantine with Trader Joe. Tried a number of new products with some hits and a few surprising disappointments.

Trader Joe Egg Rolls

These egg rolls were fine; other TJ’s frozen entrees, not so much.

Let’s get the disappointments out of the way first. Mandarin Orange Chicken, consistently high-rated in surveys, was some breaded tenders with way too much of a gloppy sweet sauce. Thai Eggplant had heat and Thai basil but still a very unbalanced flavor profile. Coconut Shrimp was just breaded shrimp, couldn’t taste the coconut. All of these required an unusual amount of oven-tending; the Trader needs to find a way to streamline preparation. Spring Rolls were okay (heated these in a wok) and I know from previous experience that Soup Dumplings are also passable though with too-thick skins.

What is a winner? Societé 1863 Roquefort at $12 a pound. I normally get the $8/lb generic blue cheese and crumble it on salad, but the upcharge provided a spreadable, mature product that holds its own against much more expensive bleus. Paired these with Trader Joe’s Multigrain Crackers, a simple but cheap and well balanced choice.

For breakfast, you could not do better than to buy a quart of French-Style Whole Cream Yogurt (think that’s the name; TJ does not catalog its products online) and mix it with purchased fresh strawberries and blueberries. A quart of the yogurt is just $4 and I paired it with coconut granola, also $4 for 12 oz.

Trader Joe Value Products

Lots of good value on quality products like $4 coffee and granola for 12 oz

Many of the things I am happy to buy from Trader Joe are quality generic products which seem to be priced significantly lower than brand-name equivalents. $2 for a 14-oz tin of hearts of palm; $4 for 12 oz of good dark coffee in addition to the granola and the yogurt.

And, let us not forget the treats! Coffee Lovers Espresso Beans are 99 cents for a package which is more than enough for one serving, not enough for two, what to do? Cheese Bites have been established by our testing to be a good value as well as good. We always buy a couple packs of truffle-flavored Marcoma almonds. And this time a new item, Pickle Popcorn! If you like pickle-flavored potato chips you will like this, though the fat and sugar in the kettle corn formula mute its impact somewhat.

Trader Joe Espresso Coffee Beans

Trader Joe Espresso Coffee Beans! I dare you to eat just half the package, which supposedly contains two servings.

Trader Joe’s also seems like one of the safest places to shop during the pandemic. At the locations I’ve visited on both coasts they are diligent about avoiding crowding in the stores, making sure everyone has a mask and wiping down each cart before you receive it. If I had to choose one store for the duration this would be it, and it’s good they are able to keep me well fed with variety and value.

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My $46 takeout meal from Benu

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Burnt My Fingers
Benu Cornish Hen

This Cornish Hen with accompaniments was the highlight of my $46 takeout meal from Benu. It looked so good in the microwave-safe container, I just served it in situ.

As I planned a quick trip to San Francisco (with maximum safety precautions), I set my eye on the $46 takeout meal from Benu. People in San Francisco don’t mind paying for fine food, and in sit-down times Benu offers a $325 tasting menu so $46 for takeout would seem a relative bargain. (The takeout menu isn’t the same but a preview of San Ho Wan, a Korean place chef Corey Lee plans to open in the Mission.)

Here’s what I got for my $46—which swelled to $60 when tax and mandatory 20% service charge were added:

Soy-Braised Cornish Hen with Sweet Potato, Mushroom, Peppers
Chicken and Fresh Ginseng Soup, Chonggkak Kimchi
Short Grain Rice Cooked in Chicken Broth and Drippings
Squid and Cucumber Salad with Chojang Sauce
Stuffed Summer Squash Jeon
Strawberry Roll Cake with Lightly Whipped Cream

Benu Takeout Package

The meal was packaged in many takeout containers with a card that offered heating and serving suggestions and descriptions of some of the less familiar items. Although the instructions were to “reheat the chicken and vegetables in a pot”, I couldn’t bring myself to take them out of the microwave-safe container where they were beautifully presented and I would guess most diners would feel the same way, though they might slide a fine china plate under the plastic.

Benu Salad Jeon

Benu squid salad and stuffed summer squash

The instructions were to eat the salad and Jeon (the Korean equivalent of tempura) first, together, with one sauce on the salad and the other used for dipping the jeon which had I think slices of small radishes as their stuffing. I have enjoyed a lot of Korean food in the U.S. and recognized the familiar flavor profiles of sesame oil, mild red pepper (gochugaru) and shiso (called perilla in Korean recipes); upscale dining means better quality ingredients rather than a dramatic departure in the recipes and that’s what I found here. I knew immediately I was in for a pleasurable dining experience.

Benu Kimchi

“Ponytail” kimchi made from young spring radishes

The soup and the chicken-infused rice were comfort food, perfect accompaniments to the Cornish hen and its sauce. The kimchi was a treat; the legend explained it’s made from an elongated radish that has the shape of a ponytail. Chonggak means bachelor and refers to the ponytails worn by bachelors in olden times.

Benu Desset

Benu Strawberry Roll dessert in whipped cream

If you were looking for something to criticize, you might go for the whipped cream under this delightful strawberry sponge roll. It had just begun to separate when I tucked into it an hour after picking up my to-go order. But I was in too good a mood to complain. Sitting by myself at my dining table in a hotel room and not particularly drawing it out, it took a good 30 minutes to go through it all.

You can pay a lot more than this for a takeout meal in San Francisco in COVID times. Saison, a Michelin-starred BBQ place, offers a $75 combo platter though I think it could serve two from the description. Wako on Clement St offers a $100 omakaze platter. But you can also pay a whole lot less.

King Thai Noodle Takeout

Beef stew takeout from King’s Thai Noodle #1 on Clement, with noodles packaged separately so they don’t get soggy

I went to King Thai Noodle #1, my favorite place on Clement St, and ordered my regular to go: #3 beef stew with flat noodles and super spicy chile sauce with fish sauce, the stuff they don’t put on the tables because it can ruin your meal if you don’t know how to use it. The meal came packaged with the broth and meat in one container, the noodles and vegetables in another so they wouldn’t get soggy, and individual containers of jalapeños in vinegar and sriracha as well as the deadly stuff. Carefully reheated, it was as good as eating in the restaurant and it was only $11 plus tax.

An added bonus in exploring these San Francisco places is that parking is currently 50 cents an hour, down from demand-based pricing of $10 or more with punitive fines if you overstay by a minute or two. That will change when we’re back to business at usual at some point, but for right now there are rewards for adapting to this new world order.

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