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For @Kim Shookand anyone else who fancies a date with Mister Crunch... 15g butter 15g flour 160g milk, warmed a bay leaf freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper 25g butter, softened 2 slices of bread 1 tsp Dijon mustard, or to taste 60g Comté or Gruyère, grated 60g ham Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the bay leaf and bring to the boil. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside. Preheat the grill to high. Butter each slice of bread on one side and place under the grill, buttered side up. Toast until golden. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7/200°C Fan. Line a baking tray with parchment. Spread a little mustard on the untoasted sides of bread. Cover one slice with half of the béchamel, right up to the edges. Sprinkle with half of the cheese and cover with the ham. Top with the other slice of bread, toasted side up, and spread with the remaining béchamel. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and season with a little more nutmeg and pepper. Transfer to the prepared tray and bake until bubbling and golden, 15-20 minutes. Tips For the béchamel, a splash of Worcestershire sauce is highly recommended. And if there's any parmesan lying around I'll grate some of that in for a double umami-bomb. I let the béchamel cool to room temperature to thicken to the texture of wallpaper paste (yum!). That way it clings to the bread better so the sides crunch-up nicely. Any cheese that melts well should work. Gruyère is traditional, but i prefer Comté. Avoid Emmental, too bland. If the croque's nice and hot all the way through but not coloured to your liking, whack it under the grill until blistered and bubbling.

2 Tablespoons Ground Ancho or ground chili powder, (i use a tablespoon of each) 1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper 1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard 1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander 1 Teaspoon Ground Allspice 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves 1/2 Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg up to 1 tsp cayenne (adjust to taste) 1/4 Cup Neutral Flavoured Oil such as canola or vegetable oil 1 Onion Finely Chopped 6 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped 1 Shallot Minced 1/2 Cup Lightly Packed Brown Sugar 1 Cup White Vinegar 1/2 Cup Honey 1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce or Soy sauce (I use 1/2 and 1/2) 1 Teaspoon Smoked Salt (optional) 1 32 Oz Bottle Ketchup 1 Cup Bourbon Mix all the spices together and leave for later.Heat oil over medium heat (recipe makes 6 cups so use a large enough pot!) and saute the onion, garlic and shallot until soft.Add the spices and mix thoroughly - about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes..You can use a hand blender if you prefer a smooth sauce.You can can this sauce like you would any preserves ... mason jars,etc etc. I freeze it and have noticed no difference.

2 lbs Baby Red Potatoes 3/4 Cup Mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper Dash Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 - 1/2 cup bbq sauce to taste preference 1/4 Cup Miracle Whip 4 hard boiled eggs (optional) 1/2 Pound Bacon, Chopped 1 Bunch Green Onions Chopped 1. Pre heat oven to 400. Quarter the baby potatoes and toss in olive oil with salt and pepper. Spray a baking sheet and spread potatoes out and roast until lightly browned, about 45 minutes 2. Cook the bacon till crispy and set aside 3. Chop green onions finely 4. Chop hard boiled eggs finely 5. Mix the rest of the ingredients together 6. Cool the potatoes then add the bacon, green onions and toss with the dressing. 7. Chill for at least an hour before serving

Those who've read my Singapore (and other) food blogs might know how much I love (Old) Lai Huat's sambal pomfret. They take the whole fish and fry it, then cover it with this crazy savory sambal. The fish is basically just a sambal delivery mechanism. I'd be happy eating their sambal with just some rice, or even just licking it straight from the plate like a dog. Needless to say, I've been trying to recreate it at home for years and never really been happy with it. This is the closest I've come - it's pretty close. Makes 2 meals for 2 people 100g medium size dried shrimp 10-15 (depending on size) dried puya or prik chee faa chillies - or other mildly spicy chilli 160g shallots, chopped 1 head of garlic, deskinned and crushed 200g spur chillies - mildly spicy long red chillies, deseeded 2-3 Thai chillies 30g belacan (shrimp paste), toasted then crumbled Rice bran oil or other high heat oil for frying 1) Soak the dried shrimp for about 20 minutes, then drain 2) chop then pound them in a mortar and pestle - you don't want it too fine 3) Destem the dried chilli and snip into short lengths removing the seeds and soak for about 20 minutes, then drain discarding the soaking water 4) In a food processor or blender, grind the shallot and garlic together to make a paste 5) Separately, grind the drained dried chillies and fresh chillies together to make a paste 6) In a wok, heat about 1/4 - 1/3 C oil, then fry the shallot/garlic paste until quite fragrant - about 3-4 minutes 7) Add the chilli paste and stir to combine, fry for a minute or two 8 ) Add the pounded dried shrimp and crumbled belacan, stir to combine 9) Keep frying over medium heat, stirring to prevent scorching 10) When the oil first starts to come out of the paste, turn the heat to medium low and keep going until the sambal is quite dry It should look kind of like this - or maybe even a little drier.... Try not to splatter your wall like I did... 11) Season - it should only need a little salt (both the belacan and dried shrimp are salty) and maybe a little sugar, then reserve and keep warm 12) season your fish (I used mahi mahi which worked well) with some salt, then coat in 50/50 cornstarch/rice flour... or all rice flour... or wondra flour.... 13) Heat some oil in the wok and shallow fry the fish until done 14) Drain the fish, then top with a generous coating of sambal. Serve with rice/stir fried veggies Edit: increased the amount of dried shrimp

I've made black pepper shrimp in one form of another occasionally but it's never been the same twice. Last night's version was a keeper, so I'm putting it here so I can do it again. Black pepper shrimp exists in both Singapore and Vietnam (and I'm sure elsewhere as well) - this version is basically the Singapore version with added herbs. Recipe is for 2 people, to be had with rice. The sauce is really thick and strong, so you only need a bit with the rice - it goes a long way. 12 Extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined, then sliced 3/4 of the way through from the back. You could also use shell on shrimp (how it's done in Singapore) but then the sauce clings to the shell rather than the meat. Season with a little salt and let sit while prepping the other ingredients 1 T whole black peppercorns (I use Vietnamese) pounded or ground coursely, dry fried to release the aroma 1 small handful medium size dried shrimp, soaked for 20 minutes in water, then drained, chopped and pounded - not to a paste, but small pieces 1 normal size shallot, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chilli, minced 1 sprig curry leaves 2 garlic chives, cut into 1/2" lengths 2 t oyster sauce 2 t sweet soy sauce 1 t dark soy sauce 1 t light soy sauce Pinch salt slightly larger pinch sugar small handful cilantro, chopped a few sprigs laksa leaf (rau ram), picked and chopped 10 Thai basil leaves, chiffonade Rice bran oil (or other high temp oil) for frying, plus maybe 1 t butter later 1) in a hot wok, at a few T of oil and sear shrimp on both sides, then reserve saving the oil 2) in the same wok with same oil (add a bit more if needed) on low to medium heat, fry the pounded dried shrimp until golden brown and crispy. Drain, reserving the oil. Clean the wok to make sure you don't get any burnt bits 3) Heat the wok over medium heat, add back a couple T of the shrimp oil plus the butter and sweat the shallots until translucent and just starting to brown 4) increase the heat a bit and add the garlic/chilli/curry leaves/chives plus the dry fried black pepper. Stir fry until fragrant 5) add the fried dried shrimp and mix thoroughly 6) add the sauce and mix to combine - it should boil pretty furiously when added and turn thick and syrupy fast 7) add the seared shrimp and mix to coat evenly and just reheat 8 ) turn off the heat and add the herbs

This started out as a take on a standard lemon curd. This version will give a softer set that's good for tart filling - if you want something with more structural integrity, use all dark chocolate or increase the dark chocolate content by 50%. The quantities here will give enough for a 16cm tart. 2 large oranges (for a stronger orange flavour and more acidity, use 3) 80g sugar 2 large eggs 80g milk chocolate 80g dark chocolate - Wash then zest the oranges directly into the sugar, stirring between oranges. Set aside, preferably overnight. - Juice the oranges and weigh or measure the volume of juice - there will probably be around 250ml (three will give you around 375ml). Put it into a pan or microwave-proof bowl and reduce until you end up with around 120ml of juice (this increases the flavour and acidity). - Break the eggs into the sugar/zest mixture and beat well. - Break up the chocolate into a large bowl, then place a sieve or strainer over it. - Pour the hot juice over the egg mixture, mix well, then pour into a pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a bit thicker than a crème anglaise consistency. This should be around 85°C, or until it coats the back of a spoon. - Take off the heat and pour through the sieve/strainer over the chocolate. - Let it sit for a minute or so, then stir or blitz with a hand blender until it forms a smooth, ganache-like consistency. - Pour directly into a tart shell and refrigerate. It will set quite softly, but will still slice. For a firmer curd, see the comment at the top. ETA: I forgot to adjust the sugar content for the milk chocolate - with all dark, use 100-120g, depending on the cocoa %. I've tweaked the chocolate levels as well.

20cm round springform pan Base: 45g flour 15g almond flour 1/4 tsp cinnamon 70g sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 20g butter 1 egg 60g yogurt ~ After baking: 25g water 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp almond extract 1 tsp roes water 1 tbsp brandy Cheesecake batter: 3 eggs, separated 110g sugar 250g ricotta 200g full fat sour cream 40g yogurt, or more sour cream for a richer cake 20g cornstarch 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/6 tsp cinnamon 1/2-1 tsp fine orange or lemon zest 1/8 tsp salt After baking: 1 tsp rose water Topping: A couple tbsp yogurt or sour cream mixed with 1/2 a tsp of sugar Fresh fruit To make the base, blend together the dry ingredients. Blend in the butter until uniform. Mix in the egg and yogurt. Grease the pan and pour in the batter. Bake at 170dC for about 20 minutes, until cooked through (clean skewer). Chill a bit and pour the lemon juice, water, brandy and extracts on top. Prepare an oven with a water bath, preheated to 190dC. To make the cake batter, mix the yolks, ricotta, sour cream, yogurt, starch, vanilla, cinnamon, zest and salt. Mix well. Separately, whisk the egg whites and sugar and soft, flexible peaks. Avoid reaching hard peaks. Fold the egg foam into the cheese batter. Pour into the pan, on top of the base. Bake for 5 minutes, ideally with the oven fan turned on. Reduce the oven to 140dC and turn off the fan. Bake for apx 50-70 minutes, until slightly golden, the center still a bit soft. Remove from the oven, cover, and let chill. Drizzle rose water, cover with yogurt and fruits. Refrigerate overnight, at least 14 hours. If desired, top with a few hazelnuts/almonds before serving.

40g melted butter 65g yogurt 60g orange juice Fine zest of one orange 1 egg 35g sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 140g Hand-shredded phyllo, not too thin Post baking: 60g orange juice Thick sugar syrup or honey Chopped toasted hazelnuts Mix everything but the phyllo. Mix in the phyllo. Pour into a greased pan. Shouldn't end up tall - think brownie height. Bake at 180C until deeply golden, apx 30 minutes. Pour on the syrup or honey. Pour on the orange juice. Let cool. Serve at room temp.

I've had this dish in several different places in Indonesia so far - several different parts of Bali and in Yogyakarta (on the island of Java). All of them have been pretty similar and I think this is pretty close to what I made most recently, although after some internet research, it seems that in other parts of Indonesia it would not be uncommon to add coconut milk. This soup is made in a similar way to Indonesian/Malaysian/Nyonya curries - you make a spice paste which is then fried in oil for a while to bring out the aromatics to which a liquid is added. The ratio of liquid to spice paste yields curry or soup. Also, like so many foods of the region, it's open to customization - some places add stuff to the soup that others won't... like hard boiled egg. One of the best versions of this soup I had was in Yogyakarta - my hotel had an Indonesian breakfast buffet and one area was a DIY soto ayam station. At the right is a cauldron of simmering soup, and everything on the left is up to you. The basics of what are added are chicken meat, shredded cabbage, mung bean noodles (aka cellophane noodles) and fried shallots. And of course, being Indonesia, there's always at least one sambal to add some heat. The base of this soup is chicken stock. My recipe below uses 4C of homemade chicken stock (unsalted). The stock gets simmered with aromatics, seasoned, and the chicken is then poached in the stock, removed, cooled and picked into shreds. Aromatics removed and the prefried spice paste (rempah) are added. It's not really practical to make a couple tablespoons of rempah, so the recipe below is for several meals for 2 people or so and the rest is frozen for later - I put it in a a ziplock bag, press into a flat sheet about 1cm thick - this way I can break off as much as I want while still frozen. Also, when I say this is for 2 people, there's one caveat - my wife is not a huge fan of soup - she loves this dish, but only has maybe 1/3 of the liquid that I'd have. So, with that being said... Rempah: About 1 inch galangal (fresh or frozen) About 1 inch ginger 5 cloves garlic 4 candlenuts About 1 heavy Tablespoon coriander seeds, dry fried until frangrant, then ground About 1 inch fresh turmeric (or about 1/2 - 3/4t ground dried turmeric) 6 shallots Blend the rempah ingredients in a blender, or ideally pound in a mortar. I typically blend 3/4 of the way, then finish it in the mortar. Fry the paste in a couple tablespoons of oil (I use rice bran oil) in a wok over medium heat to start, then turn it down to keep it from burning. Stir contantly. You know the paste is done when it looks quite dry and there is no liquid left and the oil separates back out at least partially - so it actually looks like it's frying. It should be quite fragrant. Soup: 4C chicken stock 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2-3 pieces and bruised 5-6 kaffir lime leaves 2-3 daun salam (Indonesian bay) leaves if dried, 5-6 if fresh 1 chicken breast Season with about 2t salt (start with less, and add until it tastes right) plus 1/2t MSG Simmer the chicken stock with the aromatics for about 5 minutes, then add the chicken breast, cover and simmer until cooked through. Remove the chicken breast to cool, and discard the aromatics Taste the remaining stock for seasoning - it should be pretty strong as the noodles will dilute it a bit. Add about 2T of the rempah to the soup and simmer for about 5 minutes. While that's going, shred the chicken breast and prep the bowls with soaked/drained cellophane noodles, cabbage, chicken, fried shallot and cilantro/green onion. Add the boiling soup to the bowls. Garnish with sambal and a slice of lime.

Homemade Cottage Cheese Making cottage cheese couldn't be easier. Just two ingredients and about an hour and a half of your time. 1/2 gallon whole milk 6 tablespoons white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons heavy cream or sour cream Pour milk into a large, heavy bottomed pan. Heat slowly on medium-high heat to 190°F/88°C stirring occasionally so that the milk doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat, pour in vinegar and stir a few times. The milk will immediately start to separate. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a colander with a clean tea towel. Pour the solids from the pot into the lined colander. Let drain completely. Rinse gently with cold water until the cheese starts to cool. Gather the ends of the cloth tightly and squeeze out the moisture. Turn the cheese out of the cloth into a bowl and use a spoon to break it into small curds. Stir in salt to taste. For creamy cottage cheese, stir in the heavy cream or sour cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Check taste and add more salt if needed. Chill for at least 1 hour then stir before serving. Use within five days. Note: I used 2% milk because that is all that I can get. It works just fine. I get about 2 cups of cottage cheese. The yield will be a bit more with whole milk.

This is my recipe for Frikadellen - my mom does them differently, as did my grandma. But they are pretty good and are what my family likes to eat. It is worthwhile to note that this version is meant to be eaten cold. It is also good when eaten warm, but I would aim for a slightly denser mouthfeel (and thus reduce the amount of egg and probably add milk). I aim for 2% salt in the mixture. To add complexity to the salty taste, I vary the salt source. Table salt, bouillon powder, fish sauce can be used interchangeably, so no need for following below mix exactly (I am a bit OCD about this). Frikadellen have a faint, yet complex background taste. You can use a pinch of the mix I suggested in my Köttbullar recipe, or curry powder, a mixture of paprika, pepper and dried herbs … Feel free to experiment. Ingredients: 500 g of minced meat, not too lean. I like to use half beef, half pork. Pure pork is great too. 2 eggs 40 g of bread crumbs (Panko is ok, too) 30 g of fried onion (the IKEA type) 13 g of salt (for example compromised of 7 g of table salt, 6 g of bouillon powder (66% salt) and 8 g fish sauce (25% salt)) 1 garlic clove, grated or dried garlic to taste maybe a teaspoon of “background spice mix”, as described above. If you don’t want to experiment, use 1/3 paprika, 1/3 black pepper and 1/3 parsley. Method: Mix all the ingredients throughly - it will feel too soft initially, but will firm up after some time. Let stand for about 30 min or refrigerate until ready to cook. Form patties of about 50 g each. Either fry gently in batches (ideally in clarified butter) until done or cook in a convection oven at 225 oC for about 12 min. It should be nicely browned. To be enjoyed with … anything you like. Mustard, ketchup, in a sandwhich - the world is your oyster. And a beer. Better lots of beers. And also after a lot of beers 🤗

Not quite IKEA‘s, but the version the little one (and me) like best. There are usually no mushrooms in the sauce, but I like to include them. Serve with boiled potatoes or buttery mash, veggies of your choice (think root vegetables) and lingonberry jam: Ingredients: 600 g of mixed minced meat. I like 50% beef and 50% fatty pork, but really - you can use anything. 1 egg ~ 80 g of freshly made breadcrumbs 14 g salt 1 grated garlic clove 3 g of this mixture: equal parts of black pepper, nutmeg (or mace), dried ginger and allspice. If you don’t want to go all the way: just pepper & nutmeg will do fine. 40 g butter 40 g flour 200 g thickly sliced mushrooms 1/2 teaspoon mustard* 1 teaspoon soy sauce* 400 ml beef stock 150 ml creme fraiche (or cream plus some lemon juice) dash of Worcestershire sauce (optional) salt to taste Method: Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs and set aside for 30 min. Form into balls (between walnut and goofball size), put on a baking sheet and bale at 220 oC convection for about 15 min, or until browned nd cooked through. In the meantime melt the butter, brown the mushrooms and add the flour to make a light roux. Stir in stock, mustard, soy sauce and bring to a light simmer. Add creme fraiche, most of the meat balls (reserve two or three as a cooks treat) and cook for about 5 min more. Check seasonings and serve … —- * this is a fairly mild sauce. You can double these two ingredients to get bit more oomph.

Microwave Lemon Curd "This is a delectable lemon curd recipe with the added attraction of being quick and easy to make. It is particularly useful when entertaining and short on time." 1 cup white sugar 3 eggs 1 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons lemons zest 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars. Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator. Tip: If you over cook the mixture a little, or forget to stir, you can pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the bits of cooked egg. Note: I have never found this to be necessary it is easier just to not overcook the mixture or to forget to stir.

This is my take on Kharcho. It might not help you to win over you Georgian mother-in-law, but it is very tasty and reheats well. Plus my little one likes it a lot … Ingredients: ~400 g of minced lamb (or beef). 1 medium onion, chopped 1 spear of celery (can use more if you like), chopped ~1 L of lamb stock (or beef) some oil 1 450 g can of chopped tomatoes salt (to taste) 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton de la vera) 80 g walnuts 2 cloves of garlic 50 g long grain rice, washed - can use more to make the soup more stew-like 1 tbsp tamarind puree (or more) - sour plum puree is traditional, but any source of fruity sourness works from my point of view. Tamarind is great, but lime juice could be substituted. chopped cilantro (chopped dill, chopped parsley - optional) - Dill works magic here ! Method: Heat oil in a large pot. Add minced meat and brown slightly. Add chopped onion & celery, sweat aromatics for some minutes. Add tomatoes & stock, add some salt and simmer for maybe 15 min … In the meantime, grind walnuts, garlic, spices to a more or less fine paste. I preroast whole coriander seed, crush them in a mortar, add garlic, crush, add walnuts, crush and finally add paprika. You can add a bit chili here if you like as well. Add washed rice. Simmer for about 20 min until rice is tender. Add walnut paste, simmer for 5 more min. Check and adjust salt level. Take off the heat. Add herbs and tamarind paste. Let steep for about 10 min, then check final seasoning and serve garnished with some herbs. Reheats pretty well and is best enjoyed with some flatbread.

If you'd like to see the video, click this link to go to YouTube. This is called Ochatuke in Japanese. It literally means to pour tea over rice, but it is so much more. The idea is that you layer the flavors you want with the tea you have and I made a video tutorial about it -- there is no one recipe for it, ochazuke is working with what you have and what you know of flavors. For example, Ume Ochazuke is 1/2 cooked white rice 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed (for fragrance) 1 umeboshi (pickled plum) for sweetness/sourness/saltiness 1 tablespoon green scallion for flavor top that bowl off with green tea and salt and you have a simple lunch done in just a couple of minutes. Another version is 1/2 cup brown rice cooked with mushroom stock 1/4 -1/2 cup slice shiitake mushrooms (whatever cooked mushrooms will work) a pinch of wasabi for bite a crumble of rice cracker for texture and salt top that bowl off with green tea or hojicha (roasted green tea) and you're off. The idea in making the video and posting about it here is to make people re-think what soup is and what they can do with tea and leftovers. Ochazuke is under appreciated outside Japan. It's quick, flexible, and healthy.

Donairs In the early 70's, a Greek restaurateur in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia introduced the Donair. Within a few short years, virtually all pizzerias had added their version of the dish to their menus. Not to be confused with gyros, the Donair has a vastly different flavor. Originally the dish was made with ground lamb, but this proved too costly and ground beef was later substituted. Technically, this resulted in an aberration of sorts, as the final product was not what the originator had intended. What resulted, however, is the legendary East Coast Donair. 1 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup white vinegar, or to taste 6 large pita rounds Chopped tomato Chopped onion In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the ground beef, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Pack the spiced meat into a thick loaf shape, cover, and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) Place the meat loaf onto a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour, flipping the loaf over halfway through cooking. Allow the meat loaf to cool so it holds together for slicing. Mix together the evaporated milk and white sugar in a bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and then add the vinegar by teaspoons, mixing together after each addition, to taste. Refrigerate the sauce until serving. Slice the meat loaf into 1/4-inch thick slices, and brown the slices in a skillet over medium heat until both sides are brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle the pita bread rounds with a little water, and press each onto a heated skillet to warm up. To serve, place several slices of meat into a warmed pita bread, and spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over the meat. Add tomatoes & onions. Roll the pita bread into a cone shape, wrap in aluminum foil to keep the sauce from dripping out, and serve. Flouncey Lynn, May 2020 What are you cooking

I titled this post this way because I've never been to Sichuan, nor do I have a Sichuan cookbook, but I've read/seen enough on the internet from people in Sichuan and a lot of them seem to have most things in common... but whatever you call it, it's really tasty! I like to use mahi mahi but you can really use any firm fleshed not too oily of a fish. The quantities below are for 2 people, served with white rice. 12 oz fish, cut into 1/2" thick slices 1/2 and 1/2 rice flour and either cornstarch or potato starch fry oil - I typically use peanut oil but any high heat oil would work well 1 package mushrooms - I like a shimeji or maitake stir fry oil - I use rice bran oil, but any high temp neutral oil is good Aromatics: 2" ginger, peeled and cut 1/2 into sticks and 1/2 into small dice 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped 3 Sichuan pickled chillis about a small handful of dou chi (fermented black beans), chopped 1T Pixian doubanjiang 5 stalks celery, cut into 1/4" thick slices on bias 10 chinese chives (garlic chives) cut into 1" long pieces *you can also use some leeks - they would go in at the same time as the celery and chives 1-2T sichuan knifed chilli - I actually stopped using the knifed chilli since my wife finds it makes things a bit too spicy, so I leave the dried chillis whole: 3 dried heaven facing chillis 1-1/2t sichuan peppercorns, ground (you can use more, but I'm very sensitive to it so I don't use that much) 2 t light soy sauce 1/2 to 3/4C chicken stock 1-1/2t sugar (add more or less to taste when almost finished) 1/2t salt 1/2t MSG Method: Add about 3/4 to an inch of fry oil to the wok and put on medium high heat. It's hot enough to fry when a wood/bamboo chopstick bubbles when put in the oil While the oil is heating, dredge the fish slices in the flour mixture, shake off the excess, then fry until browned - maybe 30s to a minute? Remove and let drain on some paper towels Remove the fry oil and clean the wok Stir fry the mushrooms in about 1T stir fry oil until browned, remove from the wok and reserve Clean the wok if necessary (it shouldn't be) If not using the premade knifed chilli, add a couple tablespoons stir fry oil with the dried chilli and ground sichuan peppercorns and fry until fragrant and the peppers darken a bit Add the aromatics and stir fry until the red oil comes out If using the premade knifed chilli, add about 1-2T knifed chilli Add celery/chives/leeks and stir fry for a minute or so Sprinkle light soy sauce around the wok, stir around a bit then add chicken stock and seasoning, mix through, then add reserved mushrooms and fried fish Stir around for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced a bit and the flavors come together. Taste and adjust seasoning.

The chilli sauce I made last night for Singaporean Hainanese chicken rice was the best I've done so far, so I figured I'd put it here so I can find it again. 4 spur chillies (prik chee faa) - deveined/deseeded 1" or so ginger 4-5 cloves garlic 1/2 t salt 1-1/2 t sugar juice of half of a lime 1/3C chicken rice master stock (chicken stock refreshed with garlic/ginger/green onion) 1 t sambal oelek (if needed) dash toasted sesame oil

I make white sauce as a starting point for quite a few different dishes. I have always done it "by ear". Flour, Butter, Milk (or liquid). Probably as most do I sort of know how much of each and then I sort of trial and error to get the right consistency I need. For fairly plain sauce I add nutmeg. It takes away any blandness I sometimes get particularly if I am not adding salt to the finished dish. Method I now use is to heat the butter and stir in the flour to make the roux. Then I take it off the heat allow to cool and then heat the liquid in the microwave then add to the roux stirring with an egg whisk When dissolved and smooth, return to the heat and still using the whisk bring it to the boil (or close to it depending what I am going to use it for). Does anyone have any hard and fast rules as to the ratios. The net has a number of different (obviously copied from one another). 1 Tablespoon Butter(or Margarine) 1 Tablespoon of flour 1 cup milk or 1 Tablespoon Butter 1 Tablespoon flour 1/4 cup of milk (this is going to end up as a single great glop) or 3 Tablespoons Butter 3 Tablespoons flour 2 Cups of milk There are a few other and some with what I think are truly bizarre additions. I suspect I come close to the first one, though I never measure anything, and I think i end up using more milk. Variations are I use cream/milk , milk/white wine (usually for seafood and tarragon) I have made it with beef stock but I am not sure it is classed as a "white sauce" What say you is there a magic ratio?

What's the best way to coat pieces of cheese with breadcrumbs. Hard cheeses as well as Brie, and does the rind on rinded cheeses need to be left on? I might have to coat them the day before.

It's a bit involved, but I think it's worth it. You also end up with a lot of sauce that can be frozen. I don't think that it tastes like meaty Bolognaise sauce - but it hits the same spot. Sauce for 800-900g pasta (dry weight). I really suggest a hearty pasta shape, preferably fresh. 2-3 tbsp butter, or oil if vegan 120 g (lightly) toasted walnuts soaked and washed, then chopped quite finely 2 medium carrots, very finely chopped (250g) 1 medium onion, finely diced (150g) 5 celery stalks, finely diced (100g sans leaves) 50g tomato passata 700g mushrooms, finely chopped (portabella, button, champignon - all are the same) 2/3 cup dry wine, not acidic 6 tomatoes, crushed (fresh or canned, I don't bother with peeling) apx 1.5 cups milk (or a vegan milk sub of your choice) 5 garlic cloves, minced 7 bay leaves apx 10 sage leaves, finely chopped 1 tsp oregano chili to taste 5 tsp nutritional yeast (it's a must here, IMO it's a really useful ingredient, even in non-vegan/vegetarian cooking) Salt to taste A handful of chopped basil (25g) A handful of chopped parsley (25g) Plenty of pepper A generous grating of nutmeg Parmesan for serving --- - Soak the walnuts in water and wash well. - Cook the carrot in the butter and a bit of water until starting to soften. - Add the onion and cook for 7 minutes or so. - Add the celery and cook until the vegetables are all quite soft, but not yet browned. - Add the tomato passata and cook until slightly dried out. - Add the mushrooms and cook until their liquid is evaporated and they are getting some color. - Add wine and cook until all of the alcohol is evaporated. - Add milk, crushed tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, sage, oregano, chili, yeast, salt. - Cover and cook for 30 minutes or so. - Taste and adjust. - Remove from heat. - Add herbs, pepper and nutmeg. - Cook pasta, mix well with an appropriate amount of sauce. - Serve with Parmesan cheese.

I posted this on YouTube the other day and thought I'd post it here. Personally, when I make them for me I only use Erythritol (a sugar substitute) but depending on the friend sugar or a blend of the two. Unlike other zucchini brownies, these don't use egg white, so they're not cake-y, but dense and fudgy. Oh, and because I use whey protein, they're higher in protein and good for post-workout bite. Ingredients 300 -400 grams zucchini 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute 1/2 cup cocoa 1-2 tablespoons flavoring (brandy, rum, vanilla, etc) 2 shots of espresso (or instant, 60ml/2oz) 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup oatmeal 1 cup whey protein (or milk powder) 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, but adds nice flavor) 1. Mince the zucchini in the food processor with the salt. 2. Add the sugar or sugar substitute and process until the sugar is dissolved. 3. Bloom your cocoa: In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa with HOT espresso and your flavorings (including cinnamon). Stir until mostly dissolved. 4. To the food processor add the cocoa mixture and two egg yolks and blend together. 5. Add the whey protein or milk powder to the mixture and blend together. 6. Add the oatmeal and blend. 7. Add the flour and pulse to incorporate (in other words, try not to over mix). 8. Pour into a brownie pan and bake for 20-30 minutes at 180C/350F

Hi, would potatoes dauphinoise, broccoli and peas go with toad-in-the-hole, followed by queen of puddings?

150 grams soft brown sugar 150 ml white wine vinegar 3-4 mangoes I star anise 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ red onion 1 thumb ginger 1 red chili 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds salt and pepper to taste Dissolve sugar in vinegar then add everything else. Simmer for 25-30 minutes. Cool. Keeps in the fridge for months. Excellent with cheese or ham. Or both. Also with poultry. Duck and asparagus with spicy mango relish and rice.

Hello! I'm fairly new to this site so I don't know if my search was weak. I'm trying to find a way to make Mandarin orange puree at home, but I couldn't find anything even similar in the forum. I am a home cook, but I have been making chocolate bonbons and other confections for over 4 years (intermitantly). It is too expensive for me to purchase this online- not because of the price of the puree, but the cost of shipping makes it prohibative. The recipes I've seen online are all differant and don't seem to be what I need. I would love any help with this! I look forward to hearing and learning from those who have much, much more experience than me. Thanks!