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Pastrami Spiced Gravlax (or Smoked Salmon) Serves 6 as Appetizeror 4 as Main Dish. This recipe makes a great cured salmon. Then it can either be turned into a Pastrami-spiced gravlax or into fantastic smoked salmon. The main requirement is to buy a very good fresh piece of salmon to start with, with firm flesh and fresh smell. Gravlax 2 lb center-cut salmon fillet with skin 1-1/2 T fresh lemon juice 1-1/2 T Bourbon or rum 1/2 c kosher salt 4 T raw sugar, such as turbinado, or light brown sugar 2 T coarsely cracked black pepper 1-1/2 c coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems 1 c coarsely chopped parsley leaves and stems 2 shallots, minced Pastrami Glaze 3 T molasses 3 bay leaves, torn into large pieces 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1-1/2 tsp caraway seeds 1-1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1-1/2 tsp sweet paprika 1-1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1. Cure the salmon: Rub the salmon fillet all over with the lemon juice and bourbon and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the salt, raw sugar, cracked black pepper, cilantro, parsley and shallots. Sprinkle half of this mixture in a glass baking dish that will snuggly fit the salmon. Lay the salmon skin side down on the salt mixture. Cover the salmon with the rest of the salt mixture and rub it in. Cover the salmon loosely with plastic wrap. Weigh the fish down with another baking dish or a flat piece of cardboard with a few heavy cans on top. Refrigerate for 48 hours or until the fish releases a lot of liquid and feels firm instead of squishy if pressed with your finger on it’s thickest part. If not, then leave it to cure some more in the liquid. 2. Make the Pastrami Glaze: In a very small saucepan or in the microwave, combine the molasses, bay leaves and cayenne and bring to a simmer over low heat(or microwave in a small measuring cup for 20 seconds at a time and stir, then repeat). Let cool to room temperature. 3. In a small skillet, lightly toast the caraway and coriander seeds over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant. Transfer the seeds to a mortar or a spice grinder (coffee grinder) and let cool completely. Crush the seeds as finely as possible. Stir in the paprika and ground pepper. 4. Remove the gravlax from the cure and rinse under cold water. Dry well and set it on a plate, skin side down. Brush the gravlax with the molasses; pick off the bay leaves. Sprinkle the ground spices evenly over the fillet. Refrigerate the gravlax uncovered for at least 12 hours or overnight. 5. Once ready to serve, remove the skin using a sharp knife (or you can leave it on if you don't mind it). It should come off easily. Using a long, sharp knife, cut the gravlax crosswise into very thin slices. Arrange the slices on plates and serve. I like it with good onion rye, shallots and cream cheese. It will last wrapped tightly in plastic for about a week in the refrigerator. For Smoked Salmon variation: Omit the glaze and the pastrami spices. After removing from the cure, rinsing and drying, let the salmon dry uncovered for 6-12 hours on a plate skin side down in the refrigerator to develop a pellicle. Then hot-smoke it on the stove top (I use an old wok) or in an outdoor smoker over apple or cherry wood until flaky. Should take about 20 minutes under hot smoke. Keywords: Fish, Easy, Hors d'oeuvre, Appetizer ( RG1684 )

Mango kalan Serves 4 as Side. Mango kalan is a yummy Kerala dish: ripe mangoes simmered in spiced buttermilk.... Different from the other mango+buttermilk recipes I posted. Many variations on the theme..... 1 c diced ripe mango 1/2 c water 2 c buttermilk or diluted yogurt 2 T freshly grated coconut 1 clove of garlic 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground 1/2 tsp red chili powder (use more or less to taste) 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 T canola oil 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 1 dried red chilis, broken in half 6 fresh curry leaves salt keep all ingredients ready 1. grind the coconut, cumin, and garlic to a smooth paste. 2. simmer the mango chunks in the water with the above paste, salt, turmeric, and red chili powder. simmer until done. 3. turn the heat very low, add the buttermilk and stir well until mixed. don't let boil just heat gently and thoroughly. 4. in a small skillet or miniature wok, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, when they pop add the dry red chilies and curry leaves. stir fry quickly for a few seconds until thoroughly sauteed (i.e. this is the tarka). 5. dump this mixture into the buttermilk (it will sizzle). that's all. it's done. taste and check for salt etc. you may want to add a splash of lemon juice if the buttermilk is insufficiently tart, but because you are using ripe mangoes, there should be a definite sweet overtone to this sweet, hot, and tangy dish. it's designed to be eaten with rice, but adapt as wished. goes great with the entire chapati/roti/etc spectrum. Keywords: Side, Indian, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Fruit ( RG1357 )

Tex-Mex Chili Gravy Tex-Mex Chili Gravy Tex-Mex Chili Gravy I have been playing with this recipe. As this happened, I started making a few minor adjustments. I now use an All-Clad 2 quart (8 cup) quart stainless steel saucier and a metal whisk. The All-Clad transmits heat more efficiently and I have reduced the cooking temperatures accordingly. Also, I have given in to three personal biases. First, I tend to under salt my dishes, my philosophy being that one can always add salt at the table. And cheese enchiladas, for which this gravy is used, has a lot of salt from the cheese already. So, since Kosher salt carries less saltiness per teaspoon than table salt (larger flakes), by changing the recipe to call for Kosher salt, the over-all saltiness is reduced. Next, the amount of Mexican oregano called for in the original recipe is true to the gravy made by many restaurants. However, I don’t like the Mexican oregano to overpower the dish, so I have reduced the amount to suit my own personal tastes. Last, although the amount of cumin seems like a lot, most cumin sits on the shelf for a while and loses its potency. If, however, you are grinding fresh cumin, or using a top quality brand, go easy on the cumin. You can always add more later. Cooking times are now based on the All-Clad stainless steel saucier. Makes 1 quart (4 cups) of chili gravy. Ingredients: ½ cup vegetable oil (I use extra light tasting olive oil…these are the olive oils you see in the store that are recommended for frying) but to be more authentic, you can use lard. It will taste better with lard. ½ cup all purpose flour Mix all of the following together and have them ready to toss into the pan. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (if using freshly ground, you may need to reduce the amount. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more later) 2 teaspoons Kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt) 1 tablespoon powdered garlic (“Powdered” garlic? This is very common in Tex-Mex cooking and perfectly acceptable) 2 teaspoons ground cumin (Again, if you are grinding your own, be sure to reduce the amount by half to start off with) ½ teaspoon of Mexican oregano (Not Mediterranean oregano. Different plant. Well, in a pinch you can substitute) 2 tablespoons Gebhardt’s chili powder (Or home-made, or in a pinch, paprika. You’ll be surprised how many Tex-Mex restaurants just use paprika) 4 cups of water (Or chicken broth, though I prefer water) Tex-Mex Chili Gravy Instructions (Updated for 2005): Heat the oil in the sauce pan or a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a whisk or wooden spoon and continuously stir for about 3 minutes. What you are looking for is a very light brown roux. You don’t bring the roux any darker because as the roux darkens, the flour loses its thickening ability. What you’re doing is just taking the raw edge off the flour. After 3 minutes or so of stirring (don’t be afraid to go 4 minutes if it doesn’t look right), turn of the heat, continuing to stir. Dump the powdered ingredients into the roux and stir with a whisk for a few seconds to blend. The residual heat from the roux is going to release some flavorful oils in the cumin, Mexican oregano, and chili powder. Stir in the 4 cups of water. Turn the heat back on, this time to the low setting, and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring with the whisk every so often. The gravy will have thickened, and will continue to thicken after it is baked with the enchiladas, so you don’t need to continue thickening it. Taste the gravy (don’t burn your tongue!) and adjust seasonings as needed. Allow to cool and reserve for use in making Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas. More Comments: My favorite cookware: I use a large cast iron skillet that has been well seasoned for any high heat applications, such as steaks, fajitas, etc. I use a 2 quart All-Clad stainless steel saucier (comes with a lid) for making gravy, sauces, and candy, mainly because I have one and also because Teflon coated pots can’t handle the higher temperatures needed for most candy-making. I use Teflon coated pots and sauce pans for just about everything else. They are easy to clean, inert to acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, and allow one to use less oil. I’ve had good luck with my Anolon saucier. Additionally, I have a carbon steel wok with a built in handle. My favorite measuring cups are the Oxo brand that have the measurements on the inside. Oxo also makes a terrific garlic press. Keywords: Main Dish, Tex-Mex, Easy, Sauce, Hot and Spicy ( RG1317 )

baby back ribs This is a fave with my family. When my kids want it they ask me to make the ribs. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, or in one of those aluminum “hot bags.” Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub and pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably overnight.. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Cook for 1 minute. Preheat oven to 265 degrees. Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Close the packet and braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot (this can be tricky!! I put the ribs in the foil on top of a wok and then poke a hole in the foil). Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler or on the BBQ until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the ribs in the glaze. Serve with lots of napkins ( RG1312 )

Bengali Masoor Dal Serves 3 as Main Dish. Masoor dal made this way is one of my favorite daily dishes. There's nothing gourmet about this simple homecooking, but the flavor and aromas are wonderful. What is 'Bengali' about this is the absence of onions or garlic - those were considered impassioning foods and not put into vegetarian dishes in Bengal. The trick to this recipe is to cook the dals just under mushy. They must be all done, but still whole and distinct. Mushy tastes fine but loses texture which throws of the fine balance that such a simple dish must have. Also, the lime and the cilantro are not garnish here - dont try it without them. Chillies are optional in this dish. It is traditionally eaten with rice and sides of fries and spicy mango pickle. For the dal 1 c Masoor dal 3 c Water For the tempering 1 tsp Kalonji or Nigella seeds 1 T chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) 2 T cooking oil 1 squeeze of lime 1 green or bird chillies, slit salt to taste Boil the dal in three times the volume of water till the dal is just done. The dal should have no bite but remain distinct, not turn mushy. In a seperate wok or saucepan, heat the oil till nearly smoking. Put the kalonji in the hot oil, and let it sputter as the aroma of the spice is released. Then add the dal and mix well but slowly so as not to mash the grains. Add salt to taste, toss in the chillies and coriander, then add a generous squeeze of lime just before serving. Serve hot with rice, mango pickle and shoestring fries. Keywords: Beans, Vegan, Easy, Indian ( RG1297 )

Beer Shrimp While in China during my Seven Weeks in Tibet, one day on bikes ended at the cooking school. It was an optional activity, and I was tired, but I knew I had to do it for my fellow eGullet Society members. 200 g fish (firm white fish with skin on) 3 T peanut oil 1 tomato, chopped 1 red pepper, sliced 1 green pepper, sliced 2 T of sliced garlic tops or spring onion 25 g ginger, sliced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 T soy sauce 1 tsp salt 1 c beer Heat wok. Add oil and heat. Put fish into wok, skin side down. Put salt on top of fish and fry on each side for about 3 minutes or until skin is brown. Put all vegetables, garlic and ginger on top of fish. Add soy sauce and beer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid to reduce liquid (approximately 2-3 minutes). Keywords: Main Dish, Chinese, Seafood, Shrimp, Easy ( RG1272 )

Green Vegetables with Garlic While in China during my Seven Weeks in Tibet, one day on bikes ended at the cooking school. It was an optional activity, and I was tired, but I knew I had to do it for my fellow eGullet Society members. 1 bunch green vegetables 3 cloves crushed garlic 1 tsp salt 2 T water Heat wok. Add oil and heat oil. Add garlic, salt and greens. Stir fry. Add water and continue cooking for 2 minutes or until cooked. Any number of different green vegetables can be used including bok choy, spinach, snow peas, even green beans. We used a green leafy vegetable, which would take less time to cook than, for example, string beans. Keywords: Side, Dessert, Vegetables, Chinese ( RG1207 )

Steamed Stuffed Pumpkin Blossons While in China during my Seven Weeks in Tibet, one day on bikes ended at the cooking school. It was an optional activity, and I was tired, but I knew I had to do it for my fellow eGullet Society members. 100 g minced pork 1/2 bunch chives, chopped (or spring onions or scallions) 1/2 teaspoon salt Pumpkin flowers Mix the minced pork (minced or finely chopped tofu is a tasty vegetarian alternative), salt and chives together. Stuff vegetables and steam for 15 minutes in a steamer (we used a bamboo steamer placed on top of a wok with water). Note: any edible vegetable flower with a pocket can be used as an alternative to pumpkin flowers -- including zucchini flowers. Other variations could include (but not limited to): vegetables -- peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes -- and quarter sized cream puff shells (break through the dough and stuff with the minced mixture). Minced chicken or beef can also be substituted for the pork. Keywords: Chinese ( RG1206 )

Eggplant Yangshuo Style While in China during my Seven Weeks in Tibet, one day on bikes ended at the cooking school. It was an optional activity, and I was tired, but I knew I had to do it for my fellow eGullet Society members. Heat wok and add oil. Heat oil until smoking, then add eggplant and fry until browned and cooked through. Move eggplant to side, away from center of wok, reduce heat and fry garlic, ginger and pepper for one minute. Mix eggplant in with vegetables, salt, water and oyster sauce. Add spring onions and serve. Note: while we were cooking, all of our measurements were done by eye and taste. You can do the same or follow the recipe exactly, which I have also tested 1 large eggplant (or by weight, approximately ½ pound, 250 g) thinly sliced in ½ inch strips 4 T peanut oil 1 red pepper, sliced 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 4 spring onions, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 T oyster sauce 1 T water Heat wok and add oil. Heat oil until smoking, then add eggplant and fry until browned and cooked through. Move eggplant to side, away from center of wok, reduce heat and fry garlic, ginger and pepper for one minute. Mix eggplant in with vegetables, salt, water and oyster sauce. Add spring onions and serve. Note: while we were cooking, all of our measurements were done by eye and taste. You can do the same or follow the recipe exactly, which I have also tested Keywords: Easy, Chinese ( RG1205 )

Chicken with Cashews While in China during my Seven Weeks in Tibet, one day on bikes ended at the cooking school. It was an optional activity, and I was tired, but I knew I had to do it for my fellow eGullet Society members. 150 g chicken breast (boneless, skinless), thinly sliced 1/2 c roasted cashew nuts (if nuts are raw, as most nuts sold in China are, fry in a little oil first, which is what we did) 2 T peanut oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 carrot, sliced 4 spring onions or garlic tops 2 T water 1 T soy sauce 1/2 T oyster sauce ½ teaspoon salt Heat wok and add half of the oil. Add chicken and garlic and fry until chicken turns white and feels firm. Add soy sauce and remove from wok. Add remaining oil and cook carrot and salt. Fry one minute. Return chicken to wok. Add water and cook until only a little sauce remains. Add oyster sauce, spring onion and cashew nuts. Heat through to serve. Keywords: Main Dish, Chicken, Chinese ( RG1199 )

Beef and Tomato This a Chinese-American dish developed by immigrants with the new ingredients around them. It is a comfort food for my family and I, and is great on a cold winter night, even if tomatoes aren't in season. 1 square inches of Ginger; sliced 5 beefsteak tomatoes; cut into sixths 1 lb Flank steak 1/4 slab of Brown "Candy"; chopped or ground 3 eggs; beaten Oil for frying 1. Slice the flank steak to a 1/8 thickness 2. Marinade flank steak in cornstarch and soy sauce 3. Heat up a wok on high heat till smoking, and add oil and the ginger. When the ginger loses its color and turns white, frying the meat, searing initially. Cook till done and reserve. 4. Clean the wok and reheat till smoking (and dry). Add the ginger as before, and stir fry the tomatoes till watery. 5. Add the reserved meat and pour in the eggs. Add the brown candy and continue stirring with a wok shovel until dissolved. Season to taste. Serves 6-8 with a multicourse meal. Keywords: Main Dish, Beef, Chinese ( RG1175 )

30-second Aloo golki Serves 3 as Side. 30 seconds to an Indian side dish, with minimal ingredients, thats what I needed as a bachelor in a minimal kitchen. However, since I'm a foodie, it has to taste like something my mother would be proud of. The dish I settled on is a traditional fasting-day dish called aloo golki, due to the discovery of canned baby potatoes. Traditionally this dish takes a fair amount of time, because you have to steam and then laboriously peel the baby potatoes, but cans make that magically simple. Open a can, and the only extra thing you have to do is trim some of the odder shaped pieces to a uniform size, eliminate the occassional oversoft one, and there you have perfect potatoes. 1 large can of small round whole potatoes 1 tsp crushed or fresh coarse-ground black pepper 2 T ghee salt to taste Open the can, drain the potatoes, pat them dry and halve the larger ones. Heat the ghee in a heavy wok or deep saute pan till hot.Drop the potatoes in the ghee and move them around for a little bit so that the ghee coats the potatoes - maybe 15-20 seconds just as the potatoes start sticking to the sides. Add salt and generous quantities of the crushed pepper. Move everything around 5 seconds more, then transfer potatoes to a serving bowl. To deglaze, put a little water into the pan, scrape off all the starch sticking to the sides and pour the thick glaze onto the potatoes. Thats it. 30 seconds. Traditionally eaten with luchi or sliced bread, but just as great as a standalone munch. Changing the quantity of pepper adjusts the heat of the dish, but pepper imparts the smell too so too little pepper will make it boring. Fine ground pepper is milder than crushed pepper. Keywords: Easy, Side, Potatoes, Indian, Vegan ( RG1125 )

Nuka-zuke Ricebran pickles Bags of dry seasoned nuka-doko (ricebran pickling bed) mix are available, and vary in quality. Boxes of ready matured wet mixes are usually better quality. It isn't hard to make your own, but it takes a week or two (depending on temperature/season) to mature. It's easiest to start in spring, when temperatures are warm but not hot, and the pickle bed matures just as the first summer vegetables become available. Pickling bed 2 kg rice bran 300 g coarse natural salt (15% of weight of ricebran) 2 l water, boiled and cooled (roughly equal weight with ricebran) Additives strip of dried kelp, wiped clean 10 dried chile peppers (adjust to taste) 3 pickled sansho berries Japanese type not Chinese Dry ground mustard, a handful, slows fermentation Vegetables to pickle eggplants, halved or quarted whole cucumbers bell peppers chunks of cabbage daikon (Japanese radish) in quarters carrot sticks Boil water and allow to cool. You can boil the salt with the water if you like. Use fresh ricebran, and use as soon as possible after purchase so that the oils do not become rancid. Some people like to dry-roast the ricebran over a gentle heat in a wok, stirring constantly. Allow to cool to room temperature. Mix water, salt, and rice bran. Add enough water so that the mixture forms a ball when squeezed, but remains loose and crumbly in the bowl. Additives can be added now or after maturing for a couple of weeks. Transfer bran mixture to a lidded container, and press some vegetables into the pickle bed. As long as they are clean, almost anything will do at this stage -- the first round or two of pickles are normally thrown out. Set container aside in a fairly dark, cool, place. You MUST mix thoroughly every day, up to 3 times daily in hot weather. If this is impossible, move the pickle bed to a plastic bag and "hibernate" it in the fridge. I suspect it would freeze OK, but have not tried it. Vegetables are ready when soft (or for carrot, when somewhat soft). Always take pickled veg out, wash or wipe clean, and store in the refrigerator if not wanted immediately - old pickles will quickly invite bad bacteria or excessive sourness. If you pickle a lot of watery vegetables such as cucumbers, remember that the pickle bed is losing salt, and as salt levels drop, fermentation and lactic acids will increase. Add a sprinkle of salt and dry mustard every time you remove vegetables in this case, and add more rice bran (and proportional amount of salt) if the bed becomes sloppy. You can drain off excess liquid, but this tends to affect the flavor of the pickle bed. Don't overdo the mustard - pickles should not taste bitter or hot. Keywords: Japanese ( RG1089 )

Asparagus and Carrot Paruppu Usilli Serves 6 as Side. Hi: I'm a new member of the egullet community. This is my entry for the asparagus - in - Indian - cooking recipe contest. The contest inspired me to join this board. The recipe is an adaptation of a common South Indian side dish veggie preparation, called "paruppu usilli" that's made with any common veg: green beans, carrots, etc. It works REALLY well with asparagus. I've read some of Monica Bhide's cooking writing, and enjoy it very much. Milagai 1 c baby carrots 1 bunch of fresh asparagus 1/2 c masoor dal (red lentils) 1/2 c chana dal (like yellow split peas) 2 dry red chillies 1/2 tsp hing powder, divided into two 1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi) powder 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 sprig of fresh curry leaves 1/2 c freshly grated coconut (optional) salt to taste 1 squirt fresh lemon juice 2 T veg. oil for cooking 1. Soak the masoor dal and chana dal in 2 cups warm water for a few hours, or even overnight. Rinse, drain, and grind to a coarse paste with a little fresh water as needed, in a small food processor, along with the dry red chillies (USE MORE OR LESS CHILLIES TO TASTE, BUT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT, IT IS THE *ONLY* 'HOT' SPICE THAT IS ADDED, AND THE OTHER INGREDIENTS ARE ALL VERY BLAND AND SIMPLE) and half the hing powder, turmeric, and salt to taste. 2. Heat the veg oil in a deep skillet or wok, add the remaining hing powder, then mustard seeds, as soon as they pop, add the curry leaves and saute briefly. 3. Add the dal paste, and keep stirring for a longish while on medium - low heat until the paste dries up and becomes a nicely sauteed dry-ish powder and stops clinging in lumps. 4. In the mean time, slice the baby carrots vertically in half. 5. Cut off and discard the woody bottom of the bunch of asparagus. Cut the remainder into thirds, roughly similar in length and diamater to the carrots. 6. Steam these veggies to the desired done-ness, more or less al dente depending on your taste. Steam them separately because they take different times to cook. I begin steaming the carrots first, then add the asparagus bottom and middle pieces half way, then the tips last of all, so that nothing gets either too mushy or too raw. This is the only tricky part to the recipe. Add a little salt here if desired, remember that you added salt to the dal paste so be cautious. 7. When the veggies are done, drain them (if needed), and add them to the dal paste, WHICH SHOULD HAVE FINISHED COOKING TO A DRY CRUMBLY POWDER. If the dal paste has not reached this stage yet, then keep the veggies waiting for a few minutes till the dal is done. Don't hurry the dal. 8. The dal will turn pasty-ish again because of the moisture in the steamed veggies, and will cling to the veggies. Saute on medium-high heat until it dries up just a little. It won't turn 100% dry again but that's OK. 9. Turn the heat off, and add the shredded coconut if desired and mix well. The white coconut flecks look attractive against the golden-brown dal paste, and the orange carrots and green asparagus. 10. Add the squirt of lemon juice if desired. This step is not very traditional but I find it adds a good dimension to the flavors. Serve hot with the other components of the meal: dal, rice / chapatis, yogurt, etc. You can make this ~ 1 day beforehand and reheat, though fresh-made is better. This dish can also blend well with any multicultural / multi cuisine buffet ..... Keywords: Side, Vegan, Intermediate, Indian ( RG988 )

coconut spiced asparagus this is a simple recipe for monica's indian style asparagus contest. when i first made this recipe i blended my coconut paste to an ultra-smooth paste; big mistake. the coconut should be coarsely pureed to add textural contrast to the tender asparagus. it goes quickly, so have everything ready before you cook. chop 2 cups asparagus into 1/4 inch rounds (snap off woody stems first) prepare a coconut paste of: half a cup of finely shredded coconut half a sprig of curry leaves 4 small cloves of garlic 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp red pepper powder (or to taste) just enough water to make everything blend next to your kadhai/wok, have on hand: water, salt, brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, dry red chilis, curry leaves, coconut oil. method: heat coconut oil (i use over a tablespoon, but then i'm decadent that way)until very hot but not smoking. splutter 1 tsp mustard seeds, covering pan if necessary and when almost done popping, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp urad dal and 4 whole dry red chilis. when the dal is colored, add another 1/2 sprig curry leaves, let them fry a bit and add the asparagus, a little water and salt to taste. toss this around for just maybe 15 seconds, then add your coconut paste. cook until the asparagus has reached its desired tenderness, adding water and stirring as needed. for me, this is around three minutes. i like all the water cooked off, and the asparagus just cooked through, but there's no reason not to cook it longer. adjust salt if needed. that's it. serve as part of a thali. Keywords: Side ( RG987 )

Asparagus Pakoda Serves 4 as Appetizer. 20 asparagus spears each cut into 4 inch pieces 1/4 c besan or chick pea flour 1/4 c unbleached all purpose flour Salt to taste cold water, as required 1/2 tsp pa-fried and crused cumin seeds 4 c vegetable, corn or canola oil for frying Combine besan flour, all purpose flour, cumin and salt in a large mixing bowl and add water slowly while beating with a whisk. The mixture should have the consistency of pancake batter so that it will leave a thin coating on asparagus. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or wok to 350° F (180°C). Dip the asparagus pieces in the batter, slide into hot oil and deep fry till they are golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with spicy chutney and/or salsa. Or serve over mixed baby greens tossed with a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and fresh grated ginger. Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetables ( RG985 )

Garlic and Black Pepper Pork Serves 4 as Main Dish. One of my favorite Thai dishes, Mu Kratiem Prik Thai. It's not authentic but I always add broccoli or snow peas to this. Serve with steamed jasmine rice. Add more garlic and black pepper for more heat. 3/4 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into thin pieces (cut when partially frozen this is easiest) 3 T peanut oil (or vegetable oil of choice) Seasoning Paste 20 large cloves garlic 1 T black peppercorns Sauce 1/4 c plus 1 tablespoon sweet black soy sauce 2 T palm sugar or light brown sugar 2 T nam pla (fish sauce) 1 head broccoli, cut into florets Seasoning Paste 1. Mash the garlic and peppercorns together in a mortar and pestle or chop the garlic and mash into a paste with the side of a knife and then mix with pepper ground in a spice mill. Cooking Method: 1. Place the garlic paste in a bowl. Place the sweet black soy in another bowl. Mix sugar and fish sauce in another bowl until sugar is mostly dissolved. Move all ingredients close to the stove. 2. Heat a wok or large pan on high heat. When hot add the oil. When oil is hot, add the garlic-pepper mixture and fry until garlic is golden and fragrant. Do not burn. 3. Add the pork. Fry about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until pork is about halfway done cooking. Add the broccoli. 4. Add the sweet back soy sauce. Cook about 30 seconds then add the nam pla and palm sugar mixture. 5. Cook just until the pork is done and broccoli is crisp-tender. Check seasonings for balance and adjust. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Pork, Dinner, Hot and Spicy, Thai ( RG959 )

Steamed Triple Egg Custard 1 T minced garlic 2 T canola oil 1 preserved duck egg (thousand-year old egg or "pei tan"), coarsely chopped 1 salted duck egg, yolk only, coarsely chopped 3 large eggs 1 c water 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground white pepper 1 T soy sauce 1 T chopped scallions (green onions) 1. Heat oil in a pan and fry minced garlic in oil until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. 2. Scatter chopped preserved egg and salted egg yolk on the bottom on a heat-proof dish (approx. 8-inch). 3. Beat eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Add water, salt and white pepper and stir to blend (the custard should not be foamy). Pour the custard over the ingredients in the heat-proof dish. 4. Prepare a wok for steaming. Set the dish into steamer basket, cover the wok and steam until custard is firm, about 10 to 15 minutes. 5. Combine fried garlic and oil with soy sauce and pour over steamed custard. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Easy, Chinese ( RG877 )

Stir-fried vegetables : One of our favorite parts of the meal are the stir-fried greens and the variety of different greens available to stir-fry are seemingly endless. We generally choose whatever looks best to us at the farmers' market and then use it during the week. Sometimes we’ll have gai lan (Chinese broccoli), or Shanghainese bok choy, spinach, dau gok (long beans), ong choy (water spinach), dau miu (pea shoots), long cabbage (Napa), or even just plain old bok choy. What you’ll see in the photos goes by the name choy sum, flowering Chinese cabbage or yu choy. Some people have trouble telling it apart from gai lan when it gets older. In general, it will have yellow flowers while gai lan has white ones. These were so young they had no flowers at all. While the home cook cannot mimic the feet-tall flames of the restaurant stoves used to stir-fry vegetables and impart that delicious smoky “breath of the wok”, we’ve come up with something that comes very close. We use a flat bottom frying pan because our home stoves do not have a large enough output to use a wok. There are a few tricks to getting this right, and it takes a little practice, but it’s a very satisfying pursuit. The first trick is to make sure your greens are as dry as possible. If you don’t think to wash them hours before you’ll use them, spin them several times in a salad spinner and then lay them out on a towel. The second trick is to be fearless when it comes to how hot your pan is, both during the preheating stage and when you heat up the oil. We're talking a minute short of a grease fire, here…keep the lid handy in case you wait too long and remember, oil fires need suffocating! Do not pour water on an oil fire. You need an oil suitable for hot temperatures, preferably peanut oil, or if you don’t want to use that, then safflower oil. Please don’t use canola oil, it tastes like crap and makes your house smell bad when you heat it up this high. For the garlic, it’s worth hunting down the smaller, purple, hard necked type. We’re buying a Korean one from the farmers' market that is just great…lots of spicy garlic goodness. I’ll also note that I may be advising you to let your pan get hotter than the manufacturer recommends. We feel it’s worth replacing a pan in 10 years to have delicious vegetables. You may feel differently. The last trick is to be very fast. I’ve timed what we show in the photos below, you may find that your stove needs more or less time to preheat your pan enough to get the desired flavor. 1 lb of greens, washed, cut or torn to manageable sizes and dried 3 cloves of garlic, smashed 1-1/2 T of peanut oil light soya to taste Heat a large frying or sauté pan over high heat. For the aluminum pan shown, we heat it for 3 1/2 minutes on full blast. A cast iron pan would take longer. Add the oil to the pan and heat it until it just begins to smoke, about 2 minutes further. Add the smashed garlic and stir it around while it browns and blackens. Add the greens all at once and do not stir. Wait 30 seconds, pressing down on the greens to let as many come in contact with the pan as possible. This is your best chance at getting that nice smoky flavor. The rest of the greens that come in contact with the pan later will not sear because the greens will begin releasing liquid. Begin to stir and toss, about 1 minute for these, a little longer for more mature greens. Once they have mostly wilted, splash in soya sauce, stir for 40 seconds and then put on a plate, fast! As you might have noticed, it takes longer to preheat the pan than it does to stir-fry the greens. Don’t worry if a few pieces of your vegetable are black or dark brown that means you’ve done it correctly Keywords: Vegetables, Chinese, eGCI ( RG760 )

Massaman Nuea (Beef Massaman Curry) This recipe looks daunting, but I promise it will be the best Massaman Curry you have ever tasted. Even if you opt for the canned paste rather than using this recipe, the process of marinating and simmering the beef in coconut milk and the addition of spice during the cooking will improve the taste dramatically Massaman Paste 15 medium pieces of dried chili, soaked, seeded, chopped 1/4 c sliced garlic 1/3 c sliced shallots 1 T lemongrass, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp white pepper 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp galangal, peeled, chopped 1 tsp kaffir lime zest 1 tsp cilantro roots, scraped, chopped 1 T salt 1 tsp shrimp paste, roasted Beef and Marinade 1 kg beef (I use the Chuck cut) 1 tsp ginger, julienned 2 c coconut milk* 2 T fish sauce To finish the curry 2 T oil 2 c coconut cream* 1 T whole cardamom 1 inch piece of cinnamon 150 g peanuts 5 whole shallots, peeled 1/4 c palm sugar 1 T tamarind, mixed with 1/3 cup warm water and strained 2 T fish sauce First you marinate the beef: Cut the beef into large chunks and marinate them in the coconut milk and julienned ginger. Set aside for at least 30 minutes before proceeding to the next step. Simmer the beef chunks in the marinade in for another half an hour. Next you pound the curry paste: (Note: This step is optional. You could just skip it if you opted for a commercial canned version. The resulting Massaman won't be as good, of course, but still quite acceptable.) While the beef is simmering, grind all the Masaman paste ingredients together in a blender until the paste resembles a fine puree. You can add a little water to the paste if it became too thick to be processed. Take care not to add too much water or the paste will create a nasty splash when cooked. Now you make the curry Heat up a large wok or sautee pan with 2 Tbsp oil, add the massaman paste and cook for a few minutes, stirring vigorously. Add a cup of the coconut cream to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste is completely dissolved into the coconut cream. Let the mixture bubble for a few minutes until a layer of oil begins to separate from the mixture. Add the rest of the coconut cream and let it bubble away for another few minutes until the oil begins to separate again. Add the whole cardamoms, shallots, peanuts, palm sugar, tamarind water, and fish sauce. Add the contents of the beef pan, and continue to simmer until the beef is tender. Be careful not to let the curry boil too vigorously at this stage or the coconut cream will curdle. Just let the pot simmer gently until the beef is tender. Check the seasoning before turning off the stove. The taste should be spicy (not too hot, but very spicy), salty, sweet, with an ever-so- slightly sour aftertaste, in this order. Do not let it be cloyingly sweet. Serve with freshly steamed Thai jasmine rice, or Naan bread. Keywords: Thai, eGCI ( RG757 )

Kenneth, Both scallops and shrimp came out perfect. 59C is where I normally do fish, and it is very forgiving of leaving the food in longer than the minimum time required to bring it up to temperature (that is why I went there for the calamari too). The scallops were large (16/lb) and the shrimp was of medium size (30/lb). The scallops came out butter smooth and the shrimp was just pink with some resistance and great flavor (it was peeled and deveined before packaging for the sous vide tank). After cooking and chilling I quartered the scallops and cut each shrimp in half (bite-sized pieces). That way they reheated quickly in the wok after everything else was cooked. Everything probably would have been fine with only one hour in the tank. Doc

Chris, Emergency STOP! DON'T DO THAT! Don't do what? What you said you were about to do: "I have a Patio Wok, which is a propane-fueled outdoor cooker that gets to about 50K BTUs, and have my black cast iron skillet at the ready. I've heard tell that one should get the skillet red hot, but is this simply a metaphor? Hot hot should it be? How does one know when it's that hot?" Why not do that? Because I already did that and learned what happens, and you WON'T like it, either! I used to have a terrific black cast iron skillet. Now, this treasure, this jewel, this crown, this holy tool, was not like what is sold now. No, no, no: I am speaking of a genuine, traditional, died in the wool, US made skillet with a smooth, machined interior! Right: To get one of these, maybe inherit (I don't encourage 'accelerated' inheritance, not even for such a skillet!) or try eBay. Yup, I used to have one. Actually, I still have it, resting as a reminder of glories past on a wire shelf unit in the basement, complete with its years of accumulated charred food on the outside. Then in the middle is the evidence, the main point: The CRACK. Right: I broke it. It's not a small, superficial, cosmetic crack. Oh no: When I crack something, ruin something terrific, I usually do a complete job. This is a big crack and DOES leak any liquid in the skillet. It's done for, kaput, a "late skillet". Heat is powerful stuff. E.g., it was used in marble quarries to split rocks. My outdoor propane burner was from a 'turkey cooker' and claims to have maximum power level of 140,000 BTU per hour. BTU or not, propane gets HOT, so hot that if put something cold in a cast iron skillet that hot then stand a good chance of cracking the skillet. If by accident or whatever you have a skillet that hot, then keep it away from cold, wet things and let it cool down slowly. When I get back to cooking steaks (after work off winter blubber), I will return to my efforts at pan sauces to make steaks taste good. Yup, I have some caramelized onions I did overnight at about 180 F, some drinkable Italian Chianti good for deglazing, garlic, several store brands of beef stock, French onion soup, and beef consomme, some good, homemade demi glace of chicken stock, some nice, gelled beef stock that drained out of 15 pounds of ground beef sauteed loosely with onions, garlic, and black pepper, whipping cream, and, in the freezer, waiting patiently, several NY strip steaks. Even with my first efforts, I thought that the pan sauce gave better flavor than any steak I ever had without a sauce.

For calamari, two hrs at 59C is enough to get tender without being either tough or mushy. Actually it turned out to be mouth wateringly tender. It does not produce the slight crunch that I associate with fried calamari, but it does produce a great mouth feel that is very tender while letting the characteristic flavor come through. I may try backing off on the time to one hour next time just to try it out (how can I go wrong on an experiment that cost $1.57). There has to be some point where it is just done at a time less than two hours. The temperature (59C) seems right. I will post again when I get the timing to where I want it. Tonight I cooked shrimp, scallops , and squid at 59C for 2 hrs, then chilled them and stir-fried them in the same wok with onions, marinated mushrooms, blanched asparagus, charred, peeled, and brined red bell and jalapeno peppers, sugar snap peas, a little hot curry paste and a little hot mole sauce. Doc

Outside of my local Korean market today they had this incredible machine that was puffing rice mixed with a few other grains like wheat or barley. There was a 6 inch diameter cast iron looking plate with the grains scattered on it, then another plate came down from the top and the stuff exploded and shot out in a thin crisp cracker. Unfortunately no pictures. This was similar to the rice cakes that are the bane of a dieter's existence, but they tasted of the grains. They were also using already puffed rice along with sesame and pumpkin seeds in a big wok, adding in what they called "Korean corn syrup", then spreading flat and cutting in squares like rice krispie treats. This was definitely not sweet tasting.

thanks folks, would using more corn starch reduce the problem? ← Yes...and no. You really, really do not want a gloppy dish, a better solution is to use less liquid. If your dish is a stirfry, the amount of liquid in the wok should be barely discernable at the end, just at the moment of adding thickening. Look up wok hei in this forum if you really want to achieve that kind perfection in a dish. Unlike western style dishes where the gravy or sauce is poured onto the food, the Chinese style requires that the sauce be made as an integral part of the dish, and as such will suffer the dilution caused by leaching out of liquids from the solid ingredients. Perhaps that why Chinese dishes should be eaten soon after it leaves the wok (to enjoy the wok hei); and that's why in most restaurants catering to the Chinese, dishes come out sporadically, as they are done, instead of all at once.