Black Sesame Sticky Rice Balls

Oh, all that glorious sunshine, isn't it wonderful? It's no longer dark and grey at noon. Isn't it alluring? Isn't it misleading? It looks like spring is already here. But, oh wait, it's still really cold out.

I may be biased, but on a cold winter night, a bowl of Chinese black sesame sticky rice balls are the best kind of dessert. Like many Chinese/Asian desserts, it's sweet, but not tooth-achingly so. The dough is soft and chewy. When you bite in, it bursts with hot (be very careful =) sesame filling that warms you up inside and out. I often drink the broth too, even though hubby and the kids rarely do.

Chinese New Year is coming up fast. (It's February 3rd this year, in case you didn't know.) Most of Chinese holidays revolve around food, like Zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie), mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie), etc. And the sticky rice balls are for the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Jie). There are tiny solid ones, and bigger ones filled with a variety of fillings such as red bean paste, peanut powder mix, etc. Our favorite is black sesame.

Black Sesame Sticky Rice Balls
Makes 20

1 cup gluten rice flour (about 125g)
½ cup hot water
120g Black Sesame Filling (recipe below)

Add the flour in a medium size bowl. Add ¼ cup of water to the flour, mix with chopsticks or a spatula. When not hot to touch, knead with one hand for a minute. Add a little bit of water at a time, continue to mix and knead until all the flour is incorporated into one smooth ball. (Be careful not to add too much water, or the dough will be too sticky. It won’t affect the taste, but it’s frustrating to work with.) Separate the dough into 20 equal-size small balls.

Work with one ball at a time. Put the unused balls back in the bowl, cover with a damp towel.

Put the dough in the cup of one palm, and push up the edges with the thumb of the other hand to create half a ¾ inch diameter sphere on the bottom with ½ inch tall cylindrical walls on the sides. (Alternatively, you can roll the dough out to a 2 inch round circle. But I found the sphere-and-cylinder-shaped dough much easier for adding filling.)

Add about one tiny spoonful of filling at a time, total 6 g. Pack down the filling each time. Close the dough on top, roll it gently to a smooth ball. Repeat with the rest of the balls.

In a medium pot, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Add the sticky rice balls. Stir once to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. After all the rice balls float, boil for another 2 minutes until the dough gets a little translucent.

Serve while hot, in a bowl with the hot water.

Black Sesame Filling
50 g sesame powder
50 g sugar
25 g fat (such as unsalted butter, or lard, or shortening)

Mix all the ingredients together.

You can use this filling for the buns too. Fill each bun with about 16 g of loosely-packed filling.

More Shrimp

When I made the Roasted Broccoli and Shrimp, I defrosted a whole 2-pound bag of shrimp. Roasting all of them seemed to be a bit too much, so I only used half. The other half went into this delicious chowder. Hey, I just added two stunning entries to my shrimp repertoire!

Of course, I wasn't going to throw away half of the shrimp shells and use only the rest for the shrimp broth. This might have made my broth more flavorful, but I'm certain that half of the shells would have been adequate as well. This was based on Pete Wells' Red Shrimp Chowder with Corn recipe. Are you the type to run out and buy all the ingredients for a recipe? Well, good for you! Unless I planned way ahead, which I seldom do, I'm too lazy for that, so I often improvise. Luckily, Pete's recipe is so good that even with all my changes, it was still wonderful with the sweet and tender shrimp chunks, thick and hearty vegetables, and savory and aromatic broth. A perfect one pot meal for a cold winter night! My only complaint is that it took over 2 hours to make with all that boil and simmer, boil and simmer, boil and simmer. I often underestimate the cooking time, so this meant a very late dinner, though an extremely satisfying one that was totally worth the wait.

Red Shrimp Chowder with Corn

Serves 4 to 6

4 cups water
1 pound shrimp, shelled, chopped into pieces roughly ½ inch thick, shells reserved
2 cans of corn kernels
1 tsp dried basil
4 slices thick cut bacon (about 4 oz), cut into ½ inch pieces
2 small Spanish onions, cut into ½ inch dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
Salt
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 bay leaf
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium pot, bring the water, shrimp shells and basil to a boil, simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. In a large pot set over medium heat, fry the bacon. When the bacon is crisp, fish it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Saute the onions, garlic, parsnip and carrots in the fat until softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
3. Strain the shrimp-flavored broth into the pot. Add the potatoes and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush a third to a half of the potato chunks against the side of the pot. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and juice, return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes more.
5. Add the shrimp, stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste. (The shrimp will cook from the heat of the soup.) Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with some bacon.

Broccoli, Broccoli, Shrimp, Shrimp

I know, I know. It's been quiet here for over a week now. But I haven't forgotten about you, cross my heart. Just the opposite, in fact. The other day, as I was in the kitchen slicing away, phrases describing the dish popped in my head, all by themselves! =) That's when I realized that this little blog of mine is taking over the way I think and prep. I don't mind it though, not one bit. =)

Anyways, the reason that I have been silent isn't that I stopped cooking. It's just that most of the new dishes I've been making are not exceptional. I didn't want to bore you with something ordinary. Now, on second thought, maybe I should just write about everything. This blog is my journey after all. How can one make remarkable dishes EVERY time? Of course, there will be missteps. But before I go down that route, I have something fabulous for you.

My kids love shrimp. And they absolutely adore broccoli. It's as if Melissa Clark created this recipe just for them. This is quick and easy, and very tasty. The recipe calls for whole coriander and cumin seeds. I didn't have any whole cumin seeds, so I substituted with ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, which worked out very well. The coriander seeds, on the other hand, weren't all that pleasant to bite on. I wish I used ground coriander as well. The flavor would probably be better absorbed too. The 1 ½ teaspoons of salt called for sounds like a LOT of salt. (Sorry, that's by no fault of Miss Clark. I didn't pay enough attention, and missed the crucial word "kosher".) Next time, I think I will reduce it to half. I also got lazy, and didn't zest any lemon. But that doesn't seem to affect the flavor at all. Everybody loved it! With the exception of D - the spices are probably a little much for a 3-year old. The broccoli was wonderful, but some bits got a little burned, so I would probably reduce the roasting time to 8 to 9 minutes as well.

Regardless of these modifications, this recipe is definitely a keeper. In the winter, there is the added benefit for warming up the kitchen with a running oven. =)

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
based on this recipe

Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon regular salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon regular salt), ½ teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon regular salt) and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.

Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 8-9 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast for 5 minutes, toss again, flipping over the shrimp. Roast for another 5 minutes until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.

Got Milk?

Milk isn't a staple in the Chinese diet. When I was little, milk only came unpasteurized in glass bottles. The only way we'd consume it was to boil it in the morning for breakfast. To this day, my parents will only drink warm milk. Even I, after all these years, haven't gotten quite used to cold milk. So to me, the unquestioned pairing of a glass of cold milk with cookies is only an American concept instilled through all those "Got Milk?" commercials.

With all that blabbering about milk, you'd think that's the subject of this post. Nah, I just wanted you to understand what an unbeliever I was. Then you will be able to grasp the strong impact I felt when I tell you that THIS super chocolaty cookie converted me! Something as rich as this, I wouldn't even start without a glass of that white liquid standing by. I've always been a hard core chocolate lover, but this cookie is so chocolaty that even I can't consume more than one at a seating without falling into a chocolate coma. (And my cookies are only half the size of what Bret Thompson recommended.) I almost felt guilty gifting such decadence. (Not really. =)

I happen to have some Pepperidge Farm soft baked dark chocolate brownies in the house. (Yes, you caught me. I'm still hoarding store bought junk food in the pantry. =P) After a side by side comparison, I have to say that the Pepperidge Farm one is sweeter, but not as chocolaty, and more artificial tasting. So if you are a die hard chocolate fan, don't miss out, make yourself a batch, quick!

Milk's Ooey-Gooey Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes 36

1/4 pound (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet chocolate (chunks or chips)

In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a fork, combine the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Mix just until incorporated and set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until combined, then stir in the bittersweet chocolate.

Cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill thoroughly. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drop spoonfuls of the dough on a greased, parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving 2 inches between each.

Bake until the edges of the cookies are just set and the center is still soft, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Place the cookies, still on the parchment, on a rack and cool slightly.

Bruuuuuuuulée

Unless you are serving soufflé or flambé, most desserts can be prepared in advance. With that said, I can't explain why I chose to make crème brulée. It just came to me as soon as I started planning. Maybe deep down, I have a fascination with torches. =)

I'm sure there are many people who love the "food scientist" Alton Brown. I'm one of you. Alton's recipes are always so straightforward. Same with this one - it completely de-mystified crème brulée. It's so simple and delicious that you will never want to pay $9 at restaurants again. Hubby isn't a big fan of caramelized sugar, so sometimes we even have the crème without the brulée. That's good eats too. =)

I forgot to take a picture. But a crème brulée is a crème brulée. They really can't look very different. If you'd like to watch how they are made, you can watch Alton doing his magic.

Crème Brulée

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium sauce pan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top.

Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Pop Pop Pop Ooooover

Every year we go to the Ls' for Thanksgiving. This probably sounds silly but what I look for the most year after year are the popovers. Each time, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. And if there were enough to go around, I might even have seconds - talk about blatant gluttony. =)

This December, I finally busted out my popover pan that's been sleeping at the bottom of the bakeware drawer. After looking through a few versions, including Neiman Marcus' and Peggy Knickerbocker's, I ended up going with the one from allrecipes.com. Not only because it's validated by thousands of cooks out there, but also because without hordes of eggs and mounds of butter it's the healthiest of them all, if there is ever such a thing as "healthy popovers". Another bonus of this recipe is that it's very forgiving. Whether you forgot to beat the eggs first, or the batter was a bit lumpy, the popovers would still come out perfect! You really can't mess it up.

Popovers
adapted from this recipe

Makes 6

2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp butter, cut into 6 pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease the popover pan cups, add a piece of butter in each cup.

In a medium bowl beat eggs slightly, Beat in flour, milk and salt until just smooth; being careful not to overbeat. Fill custard cups 1/2 full.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 17 minutes more. Immediately remove from cups and serve piping hot.

Cup of Soup

I used to make the tomato soup from What to Expect When You're Expecting which started with a roux, then mixed with evaporated milk, etc. Every time, hubby would exclaim that it was the best tomato soup he's had, and he normally doesn't like tomato soups. When D got diagnosed with diary allergy, I stopped making this soup, and sort of forgot about it.

When I was planning on the dinner menu, the idea of a cold soup struck. I thought it would be an elegant course served in coffee cups, and all the prep work could be done ahead of time. Bingo! This recipe comes from Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets and Parties. I omitted the crouton and chive garnish, instead swirled a little bit of heavy cream on top. (I'm no barista. My swirls didn't start out perfectly, and got shaken out even more between the 5 feet from the kitchen to the dining table. Maybe this is just not something I should attempt. *sigh*) This makes a bit more than 4 servings, coffee cups OR soup bowls.

While this soup wasn't bad, I have to agree with hubby that it was no rival to the one from What to Expect. Now I just have to figure out a non-diary tomato soup that can measure up. A challenge, I love that!

Chilled Tomato and Sweet Bell Pepper Soup

Serves 4

2 red bell peppers, halved, cored and seeded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 ½ pounds ripe well-flavored tomatoes
⅔ cup red wine
2 ½ cups chicken stock
salt and ground black pepper

Cut each red bell pepper half into quarters. Place skin side up on a broiler pan and cook until the skins are charred. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate or pop into a plastic bag and seal.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until soft. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the peppers and roughly chop the flesh. Cut the tomatoes into chunks.

Add the peppers and tomatoes to the pan, then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the stock and salt and pepper and continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

Process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into a clean glass or ceramic bowl and let cool thoroughly before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. When the soup is cold, season to taste.

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans

I would be the first one to admit that there is nothing creative about my menu. Why risk anything to change a classic combination such as crisp pear, tangy blue cheese, and sweet and crunchy candied pecans? Besides, when it comes to cooking at home, I value taste much more than creativity. (Yes, I'm just looking for excuses for my lack of originality. =)

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans

Makes 6 servings

1 Romaine lettuce heart
2 red or green leaf lettuce leaves
a handful arugula leaves
2 pear, peeled, cored and sliced
4 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pecans

Vinaigrette:
based on this recipe
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of sugar. Stirring frequently until sugar has melted. Lower the heat to medium low, add the pecans. Mix and stir for another minute. Careful not to burn the pecans. Transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.

Blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Cut the lettuce leaves into similar sized sections, about 3-inch long.

On chilled plates, lay out lettuce and arugula, fan out pear slices, top with cheese, and pecans. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Personally, I think Korean, Yali and other crisp Asian pears work better in salads than Bosc, Bartlett, or D'anjou pears.

Parmesan Icebox Crackers

Next to the Brie en Croûte is another Williams Sonoma recipe that I've done a few times - the Parmesan Icebox Crackers sans the pepper and rosemary. They were the token savories in my 2009 Christmas gifts.

Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper (optional)
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, pepper and rosemary and pulse twice to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Add the cheese and pulse twice to combine. With the motor running, pour in the cream and continue processing until the dough forms a single mass.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the dough into 1/8-inch-thick slices and place on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, using miniature decorative cutters, cut out the center of each slice, then place the cutouts on the baking sheet. Bake until the crackers are light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack. When the crackers are cool to the touch, transfer them to the rack. Makes about 24 crackers.

Cutting the hard dough seems too tough, so I normally wait for the dough to come to room temperature. However, the log will not retain its shape during slicing. Luckily, the dough is very pliable that you can just reshape the crackers before baking.

Baked Brie en Croûte with Apple Compote

I have made Williams Sonoma's Baked Brie en Croûte with Apple Compote a number of times now. Unless you are making the puff pastry from scratch, this is a quick and easy recipe with great results. It's best served warm when the pastry is flaky, the cheese is oozing, and the apple pieces are as comforting as a freshly baked apple pie.

Baked Brie en Croûte with Apple Compote

This appetizer can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. Assemble the pastry, cheese and apple compote, but don't brush the dough with the egg wash. Instead, wrap the pastry tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to bake. Then brush the frozen pastry with the egg wash and bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

1 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
1 round Brie cheese, 6 to 8 oz. and about 4 1/2 inches wide, slightly chilled
10-inch round of puff pastry dough, rolled out to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbs. water
Plain water crackers for serving

In a 2-quart sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and have released most of their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sugar and cardamom, stir to dissolve and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let the apple compote cool to room temperature.

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a sharp knife, cut the cheese in half horizontally. On a clean work surface, place one half of the cheese, sliced side up, and evenly spread 1/2 cup of the apple compote over it. Set the other half, sliced side down, over the compote and spread 1/2 cup compote over the top.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and set the cheese in the center of the dough. Fold the dough up over the sides of the cheese, pleating the upper edges to fit snugly around the cheese. Pinch the dough together in the center to seal. Brush the dough evenly with the egg wash and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until the pastry is golden all over and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a platter along with a sharp knife and the crackers. Serve any remaining compote alongside.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I wish you all a yummy year! =D