Project Food Blog Entry #2 - Holy Samosa!

Wow, thank you for voting me through the next round of Project Food Blog!  There are so many talented bloggers out there and I am truly appreciative of the opportunity to advance.

So with not much time to celebrate, it is back to business and moving on to the next challenge.  The second challenge requires us to make a classic dish from another culture.  We were asked to pick an ethnic or foreign classic that is outside our comfort zone or not as familiar with.  I started thinking which ethnic food I love to eat but never tried making it at home.  Well that's easy...Indian food!  The reason why I never make it at home is because my husband isn't particularly fond of Indian cuisine, maybe because some dishes are simply too spicy for him.  I used to have a friend who also loves Indian food and we often dine at Indian restaurants until she moved to Atlanta.  Now I don't eat Indian food that often and miss it terribly.

I also want to make Indian food because one of my first food memories was Indian food. I was about 4 or 5 years old and living in Hong Kong.  There were and still are populated by many Indians.  Many of them arrived there with the British during its colonial rule and became permanent residents.  I recall my dad often took us to an Indian social club on weekends.  Since I was quite young, the only thing I remember is playing in the playground and snacking on samosas.  So in memory of the childhood samosa, I decided to make the classic Indian potato samosa with tamarind chutney.  Tamarind is a fruit popular in South Asian countries.  It has a sweet and sour taste.  This fruit is commonly used in Indian cuisine.  To really challenge myself, I decided to make everything from scratch, but if you want to save time you could use store-bought pastry dough.  For the filling, I also made my own garam masala, a popular spice blend use in Indian cooking, but you could find the already made blend in your local Asian or Indian market.  The same goes to the tamarind chutney.   However if you really want to immerse yourself and learn about the spices of India, you should try the recipes below.  I found all the spices mentioned in these recipes at my local Asian market so you should too.

Indian Potato Samosas
Pastry Dough (yield approx. 30 pieces)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tspn of salt
1/4 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn of cumin seeds (lightly crushed)
4 tbsp of butter 
1/2 cup of buttermilk

Potato Filling
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 1/2 tspn of brown mustard seeds
1 tspn cumin seeds
2 jalapeno peppers (fine dice)
1/4 tspn tumeric
Half of a small yellow onion (small dice)
1 1/2 lb of Idaho potatoes (peeled and small dice)
1 tspn of garam masala (recipe follow)
2 tspn of salt
1/4 cup of peas
3 tbsp of cliantro (minced) 
 
Garam Masala (yield 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 tbsp of cumin seed
1 1/2 tbsp of coriander seed
1 tbsp of black peppercorn
1 1/2 tspn of ground cardamom
1/2 pieces of cinnamon stick (crushed)
1 1/2 tspn of fennel seed
1 tspn of ground nutmeg
2 pieces of whole cloves

First work on the dough, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cumin seed and butter in a food processor.  Then slowly add the buttermilk into the food processor while pulsing until the dough comes together.  Take the dough out, gently press the dough together and wrap in plastic.  Put dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour.  Now start working on the garam masala.  

Toast all seeds and cinnamon separately until fragrant.  Let it cool then grind all the toasted and ground spices together.  Since we only need a teaspoon of the spice blend for the filling, you could store the rest for future use.  This spice blend is great for curry as well as tomato and onion based dishes.

While the dough rests, work on the filling.  First put the diced potatoes in a pot and cover with cold salted water.  Bring it all to a boil until it cooks through.  Drain, then set aside.  Heat a saute pan, then heat oil until almost smoking.  Saute the mustard, cumin seeds and jalapeno for about 10 seconds.  Combine the tumeric and cook for a few more seconds.  Then put the onions in and cook until soft.  Next add the potatoes, saute for a few minutes.  Then add the garam masala and peas.  Season with salt then take it off the heat.  Add cilantro at the end.  Let the mixture cool and set aside to fill the samosas.

Tamarind Chutney (yield 1 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp of Indian tamarind paste
1 cup of hot water
1 tbsp of canola oil
1/2 cup of golden raisins
1 tbsp of grated ginger
3/4 tspn of ground cumin
3/4 tspn of ground cinnamon
1/4 tspn of fennel seed
1/8 tspn of ground cardamom
Maple syrup to taste

Mix the tamarind paste and hot water together to dissolve.  Heat the oil in a small saute pan, then saute the raisins and ginger until raisins begin to brown.  Add the spices and cook until fragrant.  Add the tamarind liquid, bring to a boil and remove from heat to cool.  Blend the mixture until smooth.  This is a sweet and sour sauce, if it's too sour add some maple syrup to adjust flavor.

After all the prep work is done, take the dough out of the fridge and begin to roll out the dough.  First flour the board and rolling pin.  Divide the dough into equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a log and cut each log into 7 to 8 pieces.  Cover the cut pieces to prevent from drying out.  Roll each piece into a 7" circle.  Cut out the rolled pieces with a 6" round cutter.  Cut the circles in half to make two semi-circles.  Use a pastry brush dipped in water to moisten half of the straight edge of one semi-circle.  Fold the other half over to form a cone.  Fold the closed edge over 1/4" to seal the seam.  Fill the cone with the potato filling, then moisten the one side of the top edge with water, then press to seal.  Place the samosas on a parchment covered sheet pan and keep them covered with plastic or a damp cloth so they don't dry out.  Heat the canola oil to 375 degrees and fry until golden brown.  Drain on paper towel and serve immediately with the tamarind chutney.

The dough is flaky and the filling is full of the flavor-enhancing spices.  There is a little spiciness to the filling but the tamarind chutney's sweet and sourness really compliment the flavorful filling.  I hope you enjoyed this entry and continue to vote for me!

Project Food Blog Entry #1 - Touch the Heart!

What have I gotten myself into?!  That was my first reaction when I received the details of the first Project Food Blog challenge.  Project Food Blog is an interactive competition that Foodbuzz created.  Foodbuzz is a food blogger community I recently joined, where I met many interesting food bloggers.  Our first challenge requires us to blog about why each contestant thinks he or she has what it takes to be the next food blog star.  It also asks each contestant to describe what makes their blog unique and sets them apart from other bloggers.  These questions caught me by surprise as I have never thought about becoming the next food blog star.  The true reason why I entered is because I wanted to challenge myself as a blogger.  In order to answer these questions, I need to reflect on a deeper level.  So I guess we'll start from the beginning...

I was born in Hong Kong and lived there for the first twelve years of my life.  I grew up in a food-obsessed culture.  Food is the reason to gather.  It is often the subject of conversations.  In my family gatherings, we often speak about what we want for dinner while we're eating lunch.  My grandfather was a big influence on why I love food.  He introduced me to all types of cuisine when I was just a little girl.  I wanted to try everything and became a very adventurous eater.  It was our weekly ritual to meet for family dinners either at home or in restaurants.  Growing up in a diverse city like Hong Kong, we had easy access to various types of cuisine.  In the Chinese culture, we were taught to eat our meals with chopsticks.  So when we visited western restaurants we would use knives and forks.  Eating with a knife and fork was such a special treat to me because it was different and not something we do every day.  As a child, buffet brunch was one of my favorites and we frequented the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon.  I recalled loving the attentive service and, of course, the food.  I was ecstatic to see the array of dishes displayed in front of me where I could try anything I wanted and as much as I wanted.  I was specifically drawn to the terrine dishes as well as the seafood salads.  Consequently, when we immigrated to the U.S., I adapted the food quickly as I always loved western cuisine.  I grew up with mostly friends of Italian descent and enjoyed Italian food probably more than Chinese food.  Ironically, as I grew older, I found that I longed to learn more about Chinese cookery.  I still have plenty to learn but I try to implement as many Asian ingredients in my recipes and document them on my blog as much as possible.

 

For this challenge, I made a popular dim sum dish of Pork and Shrimp Shui Mai to demonstrate how I often use Asian ingredients along with western ingredients in my recipes.  Dim Sum means touch the heart.  It is the Chinese version of the small plates or tapas.  Many families gather every Sunday for dim sum brunch as it offers many varieties of dishes and it is great for families to enjoy.  Shui mai (type of dumpling) is one of the more popular dishes.  Instead of using traditional dumpling wrappers, I used zucchini blossoms.  They were one ingredient that I have wanted to use all summer.  Now that summer is coming to an end, I thought I could use them as wrappers and made steamed and fried shui mai. 

Steamed/Fried Pork and Shrimp Shui Mai with Zucchini Blossoms

1/2 lb of ground pork

1/2 lb of minced medium size shrimp (shelled and deveined)

1/4 lb of minced fresh shitake mushrooms

2 tbsp of soy sauce

1 tspn of Shoxing Rice Wine (or dry sherry)

1 large egg white

1 tsp of white pepper

24 zucchini blossoms (male flower without the baby zucchini attached)

Canola oil for frying

Simple Batter for frying

1 egg

1 cup of ice water

1 cup of flour

Mix the first seven ingredients together.  Test a small spoonful of the mixture to ensure the seasoning is right.  Put the mixture in fridge, then start preparing the blossoms for stuffing.  Gently rinse and pat blossoms dry.  Divide blossoms in half, and cut the stems off for the 12 to use for steaming and keep the other 12 with stems for frying.  Carefully open the petal and cut away the pistil with scissors.  After the blossoms are ready for stuffing, use a small spoon to fill each blossom with the mixture.  Steamed dumplings:  fill mixture to the top.  The blossoms should be open so they resemble the traditional dumplings.  Put 12 zucchini blossom dumplings into a steamer and steam for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Fried dumplings:  fill mixture then twist the top close before adding to the batter.  Mix the batter ingredients together.  Heat oil until it reaches at least 350 F.  Dip each stuffed blossom into the batter and slowly drop it into the pot, repeat process.  Fry until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towel, sprinkle salt on top then add a splash of lemon just before serving.

 

I started this blog as a way for me to continue my culinary journey.  I take great pleasure in creating original recipes and learning food photography.  After much consideration on the questions that were posed by this challenge, of course I believe I have what it takes to be the next food blog star, why not, anything is possible!  As to how my blog differs, I believe my recipes speak for themselves.  I will tackle each challenge to the best of my ability in hope to advance to the next round.  However, in order for me to advance, I also need your votes!  Click on my contestant badge on the upper left hand side and view my profile, follow instructions on how to vote.  Voting opens on 9/20.  Now that my initial competition jitters have subsided, I look forward to the next challenge so buckle up and enjoy this wonderful ride with me!

Egg Custard Tart

As I mentioned before, I'm not a baker and I prefer savory than sweet.  However, ever once in awhile I like to try my hands at baking.  So this time I thought I would go back to basics and make one of the most popular Chinese dessert recipes.  A dear friend of mine has given me some Chinese cookbooks as I thumbed through these books to get recipe ideas,  I found this one by Ellen Leong Blonder.  This recipe is really easy and it takes no time to make.  I did make some changes to the recipe.  For the tart crust, I substitute lard with butter.  I also added some lime zest and nutmeg to the topping of the tart to give it a more distinct flavor.

Egg Custard Tart inspired by Ellen Leong Blonder

Tart Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp of sugar
6 tbsp of butter (cubed and keep cold)
1/4 cup of ice water, plus a few teaspoons if needed

Egg custard filling
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 tspn of vanilla extract
Grated nutmeg
Grated lime zest

Preparing the crust:
When I read the recipe, it reminded me of the tart dough I made in my baking classes.  It was drilled into my head that when making tart crust to be sure to work fast and keep the butter cold.  So after I cubed my butter, I put it in the fridge to keep cold.  Furthermore, put the mixing bowl in the fridge so when it's ready to put the ingredients together, it'll stay cold.  Sift the flour and sugar together in the cold mixing bowl.  Then add the cold butter.  Mix the ingredients with a standing mixer and mix in slow speed.  Then slowly add the ice water.  Once the dough starts to gather, take it out and roll it into a ball.  Try to spend as less time as possible to roll the dough with your hands, as the heat of your hand could warm the butter in the dough.  Then flatten it out, wrap with plastic and put in the fridge.  Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably two hours.

After the dough is rested, flour the working surface and rolling pin.  Roll the dough out until the dough is about 1/4 inch thick.   You'll see the small pieces of butter in the dough which makes the pie crust flaky.  Gently place it onto your tart tins.   According to the original recipe, she used twelve 3 1/4 inch tart tins.  Since I only had 4 x 1 inch tart tins, I was only able to spread my dough onto 5 tins.  Press the dough lightly into the tin, then refrigerate until the filling is made.

Preparing the custard:
Whisk all ingredients except the nutmeg and zest, let stand 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  After 15 minutes, Skim off any bubbles on the custard surface.  Then pour mixture evenly to each tart.  Grate the nutmeg on the top and bake tarts for 30-35 minutes.

After the tarts are baked, let it cool for at least 5 minutes before taking them out of the tart tins.  Transfer to a cooling rack then grate lime zest on top and serve at room temperature.

These egg custard tarts are not too sweet but really satisfy your sweet tooth.  The tart crust is light, buttery and flaky.  You can really taste the eggs in the custard even though there are only two eggs.  The lime zest gives a light citrus flavor which balances really well with the sweet nutmeg.  So if you are a egg custard tart lover, hope you'll try this lighter and easier version.