Spring Fever for a Worthy Cause - NYWC

Last Friday night, I attended the Spring Fever fund raising party for the New York Writers Coalition.  This wonderful non-profit organization was founded by a good friend Aaron Zimmerman.  NYWC offers a wide range of free writing workshops throughout New York City.  It provides a safe haven for those who normally don't have a voice in the society.  To really understand the impact of NYWC and their mission please watch the wonderful video above so you could learn more about the amazing work they are doing.

I volunteered to be a hosting committee member for the Spring Fever party because I really believe in this wonderful organization and I want to help as much as I could.  Therefore, I volunteered to secure some beverage and food sponsors.  First I want to thank my friend/colleague Greg Barnard for introducing me the contact to our beverage sponsors.  I owe you one!  Iceberg Vodka and LiBella Wine by Steve Shaw Junior provided some of the party's beverages, and I was so impressed with our in-house mixologist, Renata, who came up with such delicious cocktails inspired by Iceberg Vodka.  I also would like to thank Jarlsberg Cheese and Woolwich Dairy for donating a generous variety of cheeses for all to enjoy.  After all, how could you have a great cocktail party without cocktails and cheeses!

There was also a silent auction where many donated their arts, jewelries, services for guests to bid on.  I donated a three-course private dinner for two for the auction.  I had the pleasure of meeting the winners prior to the announcement.  They had such great energies, and were thrilled for me to cook for them.  I can't wait to plan the menu, and I know for sure it'll be a fun night.  The party was a success as many volunteers, friends and staff came together to make it happen; specifically Rose Gorman of NYWC who is a super woman that organized if not all then most of the details of the party.  Great night!

Now that you've learned more about the NYWC, I encourage you to support them.  They are always looking for funding opportunities. You could also support them by purchasing tickets and attend some of the upcoming events or simply help me spread the word about their efforts.  They need all the support that they can get and would be happy to have yours.  Please feel free to share the video to your friends and families to spread the word about NYWC. 

 

  

Weekend with My Culinary Hero - Susur Lee

This past weekend I had the good fortune to work with one of my culinary heroes Chef Susur Lee.  He's renowned for his modern Asian cuisine.  He blends traditional Chinese dishes with classic French techniques.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to assist him for the Luckyrice Festival.  Luckyrice Festival is an annual weeklong festival celebrating Asian food and culture.  I'm especially pleased to be a part of this wonderful event.

I was scheduled to help Chef Lee for a private cooking demonstration for the American Express premiere members at the Luckyrice Grand Feast event at the Mandarin Oriental.  I met Chef Lee at the prep kitchen which was located at Toy Restaurant in the Gansevoort Hotel.  Executive Chef Doron Wong at Toy was a friend/colleague of Chef Lee so they graciously welcomed Chef Lee to use their kitchen to prep for his events.  I was so impressed with how the kitchen is run at Toy.  Everything was super organized, and as soon as I stepped into the kitchen I felt re-energized and excited.  My first impression of Chef Lee was he is so personable and down-to-earth.  I loved his energy right away.  He was easy to talk to and genuinely interested in what I was saying and my story.  He wanted to know how I got into cooking and where I was from.  We even bantered a little in our native language Cantonese.  Right away, he made me feel at ease.  I told him I originally inquired to work with him at the Dim Sum event on Sunday; however it seems like he has enough help.  He immediately told me he could use my help, and of course there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to work with him the whole weekend.

Once we got to the Mandarin Oriental, Chef hit the ground running.  He has no qualm in getting his hands dirty.  He even made friends around the hotel so he got some last minute ingredients to make his dish even more amazing.  He wanted everything perfect. He personally found a beautiful arrangement to decorate the table. To him, it's not just about putting up a delicious dish. It's about the whole package so he made sure the table was set up properly.  I helped him with whatever he needed.  Then I watched the master work the crowd.  He is so charismatic.  While he finished up with his demo in front of the audience, I helped Chef Wong plated Chef Lee's signature Singapore Slaw dish for the audience to taste.  After the demo, I was happy to attend the Grand Feast to taste all the dishes from the various restaurants.  It was an especially fun event. 

 

The next day I reported back to the Toy Kitchen to prep for the Dim Sum event.  There were a few of us who were there to help Chef Lee.  We were all assigned different tasks.  I learned a few techniques from Chef as he is so generous to teach us what's the best way or quickest way to do things.  I spent the day wrapping shu mai, prep for the crispy spinach and shrimp dumplings; cooked chorizo to go with the tofu shrimp cake; made shrimp dumplings covered with corn.  Chef also made sure I tasted some of the finished dishes with the sauces he was pairing.  Whatever help Chef needed I just followed his instruction and did the best I could.  At the same time, in my head I kept hearing my favorite instructor Chef Chris says "make it beautiful" which by the way happens every time I'm cooking for an event.

After a long day of prep, we were asked to report back to the kitchen at 8 a.m. sharp the next morning to finish all the dishes, then help transport everything over to the event space which was a few blocks away.  Once we arrived at the space, we set up stations and got ready for service.  I was assigned to expedite which means to communicate to the stations the number of items we needed to send out.  Once the dishes are ready I told the servers which tables they need to send the dishes to.  The team was busy frying and steaming.  We worked together to push all the food out, and everyone was really happy with the dishes we sent.

At the end of the event, Chef thanked us in front of the diners for our help which I found it extremely thoughtful as he didn't have to thank us at all since he is the famed chef people paid to taste his food.  I was truly touched by his humility.  He made me not only want to be a better cook but I was inspired by his modesty.  Throughout the weekend, I saw him constantly asking questions and wanting to learn what other chefs are making or doing really inspired me to keep on learning.  Chef Lee is a true leader as he makes everyone around him feel important and wants to work for him.  This experience not only taught me new techniques as a cook, but it taught me to grow as a cook, I must keep learning.  I sincerely am grateful for this tremendous opportunity.  I have such enormous admiration for Chef Lee, and I hope to work with him again in the future.  In the meantime, I'll have to plan a trip to Toronto to visit his restaurants.

 

Hot for Hot Sauces

As a young girl, I remember watching my grandfather eat pickled chile peppers to go with his jook (a rice congee soup) for breakfast.  I was obsessed about trying these little red peppers, but was always told that I couldn't eat them until I'm older.  Finally my grandfather let me tried some which I was not a fan at first since it was so spicy; but it left a memorable impression.  In time, I would experiment in eating different chile peppers and hot sauces.  I love the way the capsaicin hits the mouth then a rush of spicy flavor explode on my palate.  Once I acquired the taste of spicy hot sauce and chiles, I wanted more.  For me, I love a good balance of heat and flavor in a hot sauce.  It is now one of my favorite condiments.  I put hot sauces on practically everything!

That's why I am super excited for the First Annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo this weekend.  It is a two day festival featuring all the delicious hot sauces in North America.  The weekend promises to be filled with live music, plenty of food, drinks and the best hot sauces.  I was lucky to attend the media event at Jimmy No. 43 and tasted first hand some of the delicious hot sauces the expo has to offer.  I also tasted some delicious food offering to go with the hot sauces.  Jarlsberg cheese's in-house chef prepared some delightful grilled cheese sandwiches to mellow out our tasted buds.  At the same time, a group of impressive judges were busy tasting over 75 hot sauces that are competing in various categories of the best hot sauces.  Even though I love hot sauces, I was not envious of their job that evening; however I am eager to find out the winners.  So don't miss the hottest event this weekend and come join in on the hotness!  You can get your tickets here: http://nychotsauceexpo.com/tickets.html

Black Sesame Ice Cream with Profiteroles and Yuzu Ginger Curd

I have recently returned from a trip to Tokyo and Hong Kong.  During that trip, I have experienced some amazing meals.  To my surprise, as I don't eat lots of sweets, I was very drawn to the desserts in Asia as they are not super sweet.  I grew up eating these not so conventional ingredients that are used to make desserts such as red bean, green tea, ginger and black sesame.   I specifically love the taste of the black sesame and really want to make something with this ingredient.

That opportunity presented itself recently when I was asked by Diana Kuan who has a new book The Chinese Take Out Cookbook to help her celebrate Chinese New Year by hosting a Chinese New Year Virtual Potluck.  She listed seven recipes from her new book and told me that I could choose any of those recipes to make a dish then post it on my blog.  I thought for sure I would like to make a noodle dish since I am somewhat obsessed with eating noodles.  I crave it almost every day, instead I chose the black sesame ice cream as I am a huge fan of black sesame.  It has such a distinct flavor and I love the nuttiness of it.

I thought I would use the ice cream to make a composed dessert with contrasting flavors and texture; and who doesn't like an ice cream sandwich so I used profiteroles here.  I also love some citrus flavor or sourness to my desserts to cut the sweetness.  I have some yuzu juice in the fridge, so I thought I should make a sauce.  I found a really simple lemon curd recipe from my culinary school days and adapted it to make the yuzu ginger curd.  Hope you like it and I highly recommend checking out Diana's new book as she has many wonderful recipes that I'm sure you will enjoy making.

Black Sesame Ice Cream with Profiteroles and Yuzu Ginger Curd

Black Sesame Ice Cream (from The Chinese Take Out Cookbook by Diana Kuan) Yield 1 Quart

2 cups of heavy cream

2 cups of whole milk

3/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of black sesame seeds

1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp of salt

Special equipment

Ice Cream Maker

Spice Grinder

Combine 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar and salt in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar is full dissolved.  Pour the ice cream mixture into a bowl. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream, milk and vanilla extract.  Cover the mixture and chill in the fridge for a least 3 hours or overnight.  When the mixture has chilled, grind the sesame seeds in a clean spice grinder.  Pout the mixture into your ice cream maker, slowly pour in the ground black sesame and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Profiteroles (yield about 18)

1 cup of water

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 cup of all purpose flour

4 large eggs

2 tbsp of granulated sugar

1/2 tsp of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the water, butter, sugar and salt in a medium pot, bring it to a full rolling boil, stir occasionally.  After the boil, take the pot off the heat and add all the flour, stir until smooth.  Put the pan back on low to medium heat and cook, stir constantly until the the dough dries and pull to the side of the pot.  Take it off the heat and let it cool.  Put the dough into a mixer fitted with a paddle.   Add one egg at a time, mix until the egg is completely absorbed before adding another egg.  Once the eggs are completely mixed in.  Place the dough into a piping bag and pipe the dough to about 1 1/2 inch rounds onto a slip pad-covered cookie tray.  Bake about 15-20 minutes until slightly golden brown.  Cool and set aside.

Yuzu Ginger Curd (yield about 1/4 cup) Adapted from Nick Malgieri's lemon curd recipe

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup of yuzu juice

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

2 tbsp of unsalted butter

2 tsp of grated ginger

Combine the yuzu juice, sugar and butter in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl.  Add one quarter of the boiling liquid into the egg yolks to temper the yolks. Return the remaining liquid to a boil over low heat.  Whisk the egg mixture into the pot and whisk until it thickens.  Add the grated ginger.  Continue to whisk, do not allow the curd to boil or it will scramble.  Transfer the lemon curd into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Chill and set aside.

To assemble, cut the profiterole in half, sandwich it with a scoop of the black sesame ice cream then put some yuzu curd on the plate.

I am loving the deliciousness and toastiness of the black sesame ice cream.  Thank you Diana for asking me to try one of your recipes.  It's been fun being a part of this Chinese New Year Virtual Potluck.

Sexy, Saucy and Sassy Ribs Cooking Demo on Google+

As you know this Sunday is the biggest game day for the football season.  It's the Super Bowl!  If you are a fan, you're either having a party or going to a party to watch the big game.  If you haven't decided what to make, please join me this Saturday at 3 p.m. on Google+ as I will be demonstrating live how to make these succulent Oven-Roasted Baby Back Ribs and Home Made Barbeque sauce.  You can see how these are made and make it just in time for the big game.

Even if you have decided your menu, you should still join me as you would want to add these delicious ribs to your lineup to wow your friends and families.  They will be surprised that these ribs are made in the oven and in the comfort of your own kitchen.  No reason to put on your coat and go out to the cold to use your barbeque.  To view my live cooking demo this Saturday, you'll have to be on Goolge+. See link below for more information.  For your convenience, I also posted the recipe below.  Hope you can join me and enjoy the big game on Sunday!

https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cvj5gna0hece1oi7b7k9i6bvs84

Oven-Roasted Baby Back Ribs with Home Made Barbecue Sauce

1 rack of baby back ribs

2 stalks of lemon grass (crushed then peel the outer skins off and crush the tender part slightly and leave in whole)

4 – 6 gloves of garlic (slightly crushed to release flavor)

4 springs of parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Barbecue Sauce

1/4 cup of hoisin sauce (could be found in local Asian market)
1/4 cup of ketchup

1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar

2 tbs of soy sauce

1/4 cup of guava jam or honey

2 stalks of scallions (white parts only cut in 2 inches pieces for easy removal)

2 thickly sliced pieces of ginger

1 tbsp of Sriracha sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)

1 tsp of five spice powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season the ribs generously on both sides with salt and pepper then place the rack of ribs on a piece of aluminum foil.  Place the lemongrass and garlic under the ribs.  Then place the parsley on top of the rib.  Wrap the ribs tightly with aluminum foil and place in a roasting pan.  Roast the ribs for 30 minutes at the high temperature then lower the temperature to 250 degrees.  Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile put all the ingredients for the sauce together and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens.  After the ribs are done, take the ribs out of the oven, unwrap the ribs and discard foil.  Generously brush the sauce on the bottom side of the ribs.  Turn the broiler on high, place the ribs under the broiler and broil for 5 minutes.  Turn the ribs over and brush sauce on the top side of and broil for another 5 minute.  Add more sauce if you wish, then cut the ribs individually and serve.

Up to All Good

It's been awhile since my last post.  Like many people, the holidays can become very hectic.  For me, I was busy with not just the holiday festivities, but I have been busy eating, cooking and traveling.  In the last month, I have experienced some amazing food adventures which I haven't find the time to document on my blog yet.  As some of you knew, I was busy traveling and eating my way around Tokyo, Hong Kong and Macau.  As the new year began, I was doing what I love which was eating, and sharing many meals with friends as well as families whom I haven't seen in years.

Before I left for my trip, I also reflected on all that happened in 2012.  I was grateful to those who have been there for me as it has been a trying year.  I take all that I've learned and continue to move forward.  I also realized I haven't been cooking as much in 2012, but ironically I was asked to cook a private dinner for two just days before I left for my trip to Asia.  In the end, it was one of the most memorable meals I made last year.

This was a menu I created for this lovely couple who found me on Kitchensurfing.  It was a great experience to be able to conceptualize a menu based on the likes of this couple.  I took some of their favorite ingredients and created this dinner for them.

The first dish was inspired by a dish I ate at Yunnan Kitchen.  It was a spicy tofu ribbon herb salad.  The Thai chile gave this dish some heat.  Along with the cooling cilantro and mint, it was a great appetizer to awake the palate.

Spicy Tofu Ribbon and Herb Salad

The second course was Shrimp and Thai Basil wontons.  These wontons were steamed then lightly poached in a shrimp stock that I made with shrimp heads and shells.  I extracted a lot of the delicious umami flavor from the shrimp heads which also made the stock a vibrant red color.  The red color stock gave a wrong impression that this dish was going to be spicy as it reminds me of spicy Szechuan wontons.

Shrimp and Thai Basil Wontons

Third course was Pork Belly two ways.  I originally wanted to plate both of the pork belly onto one plate.  However, I decided to feature the two completely different texture and mouth feel of the pork belly skin so I plated them separately.  The first pork belly was red-cooked which was braised in a soy-based sauce.  The pork belly was cooked until the fattiness of the skin is melted in your mouth.  The roasted pressed pork belly was oven-roasted, then pressed overnight then roasted again to create this amazing crispy skin.  I made a creamy kabocha puree with some grated ginger.  I also sauteed some beautiful wild mushrooms and added a hoisin reduction to balance some of the sweetness of the puree.

Red Cooked Pork Belly with Bok Choy 

Roasted Pressed Pork Belly with Kabocha Puree, Wild Mushroom and Hoisin Reduction

I had so much fun making this meal, and as I was in this couple's Soho kitchen cooking for them, it confirmed how much I enjoyed cooking.  I also loved how creative I can be with ingredients and plating.  I can't predict what will happen in the coming year, but one thing I know is that I hope to continue to have opportunities to make more dishes like these.  If you live in NYC, and want me to cook at your next dinner party, you can contact me through the Kitchensurfing page above or email me directly at margaret@savorysweetliving.com.  Happy cooking and eating in 2013!