Cooking with "Cradle of Flavor"

[Emily_R]

Ok -- Got CoF from the library, and I think tonight I'm going to try making the shrimp sate... Will let you guys know how it goes!

[Dejah]

I was tempted to make Javanese Grilled Chicken, but decided to try Javanese Chicken Curry ( Opor Ayam). Then I saw the variation for West Sumatran Chicken Curry (Gulai Ayam Lado Hijau). It said spicy-hot, so I opted for the variation.

I didn't have a whole nutmeg, but the coarse ground stuff I had in a tin was still pungent, so I had to go with that. I used ground tumeric instead because I didn't take the frozen stuff out early enough (I just got the packet in Winnipeg!). Actually, I was just too lazy to go downstairs to the freezer.

I just did a taste test, and there's a slight bitter taste to the broth. As I started to make the Javanese version first, I used more corriander seeds. Perhaps this is the reason?

It's simmering at the moment, and the aroma is driving my hunger pangs "up a notch!"

Not sure what I'll be serving along side. I have lots of baby bok choy, so will have that for sure. Jasmin rice or naan? Would I be overdoing this Cradle of Flavour if I attempt the Shrimp Sambal too?

Good Grief! There are only two of us!

[James Oseland]

I have 2 different shrimp pastes at home. 1 comes in a plastic tub and one comes in a block. They seem to have the same list of ingredients (basically just shrimp and salt IIRC). I know that the block one is belacan, but I can't seem to find it in my cabinet. Is the other one the same thing or not? It doesn't have any english writing on it except for the ingredients, so I don't know what it's called.

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Hi. Trassi/belacan (same ingredient, just different names) is the firm substance in a block; the ingredient in a plastic tub is likely to be gapi (Thai shrimp paste, which is a bit more gooey)....

[James Oseland]

I just did a taste test, and there's a slight bitter taste to the broth. As I started to make the Javanese version first, I used more corriander seeds. Perhaps this is the reason?

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I think you're exactly right--too many coriander seeds (or maybe that batch of coriander seeds is bitter-ish?)....

[Pallee]

I also made the Spiced Braised Nyonya Pork, as it had been cool and rainy and it just sounded so good. Didn't have any problem browning the meat, I just pushed the shallot paste over to the side of the pan. I can see why this would be a holiday meal, the aroma is heavenly. I made it a day in advance and let it cool in it's juices. We'd had just a ton of rice this week so I came up with what sounds like a weird side dish, but it worked really well. I made spaetzle and sauteed it with green beans in the fat from the pork. This is a really fun book to cook from!

[Dejah]

Finally!

Enjoyed the West Sumatran Chicken Curry (Gulai Ayam Lado Hijau) Monday night. The bitterness that was in the broth nearly disappeared by the time it was ready for eating.

Here it is, in the process of being mixed with the seasoning paste. My lemongrass knots weren't very tidy. I think I "smashed" them a little too much, so they shredded easily. I used chicken thights and bone-in breasts. They didn't brown very much. I think I may have used too much paste.

We had stir-fried yu choy mui with garlic and crushed chili, carrot/cucumber salad, naan, and baby octopus. I used seasoned sushi vinegar instead of the rice vinegar, and sugar. It was easier, and it worked for a lazy person.

The baby octopus, I had marinaded them for a couple of hours in baking soda. Once rinsed well, I seasoned them with cornstarch and salt. I put them in a small dish, ladeled some of the curry broth from the chicken, then steamed them for about 10 minutes. I think they should be braised, not so much for tenderness as they were pretty good, but so more of the curry flavour is absorbed into the octopus. I only cooked five of these babies as I wasn't sure about the texture.

The naan was President's Choice from Canadian Superstore. It's quite good heated in the oven even if it isn't as delicate as the ones from an Indian restaurant.

Here is DH - the carnivor's plate:

I had lots of broth and chicken left over. Took a container to school for my student from Indonesia. She ate it for lunch yesterday - and was smiling all through my class in the afternoon.

We poured some of the remaining sauce over steamed spaghetti squash for supper tonight. It was great with the pan seared salmon and sauteed green beans.

I'm glad I made the West Sumatran version as we like the heat. This is a keeper!

[Pan]

Finally!

Enjoyed the West Sumatran Chicken Curry (Gulai Ayam Lado Hijau) Monday night. The bitterness that was in the broth nearly disappeared by the time it was ready for eating.

Here it is, in the process of being mixed with the seasoning paste. My lemongrass knots weren't very tidy. I think I "smashed" them a little too much,  so they shredded easily. I used chicken thights and bone-in breasts. They didn't brown very much. I think I may have used too much paste.

[...]

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Looks fine to me, very rustic.

I'm wondering if "Lado Hijau" is a dialect pronunciation of "Lada Hijau," which would mean "Green Chili." Does the recipe have green chili in it?

[Dejah]

Pan:

The recipe called for 5 to 25 green chilis! I used red and green as I didn't have that many green ones - not that I used 25!

[snowangel]

Has anyone had any luck with making the Celebration Rice in advance? Reheating leftovers?

Edited to add another question: When the recipe calls for coconut milk (just a portion of a can) should one shake up the can first to get that thick layer on the top incorporated or remove the top layer and freeze it for making a Thai curry?

[marvelous_marvin]

Here's my contribution from the book: Nyonya chicken and potato stew.

Make a paste from shallots & garlic, fry the paste, then add the soybean paste, dark soy sauce, cane juice, and palm sugar. Let simmer.

In place of the smaller chicken pieces called for in the recipe I used some leftover frozen chicken wings. I liked this one a great deal and it is definitely one I would make again. It's great for people who are concerned that food from that part of the world will be too spicy for them. This doesn't have any heat or spice, but is still quite flavorful.

Edited July 7, 2007 by marvelous_marvin (log)

[Dejah]

Here's my contribution from the book:  Nyonya chicken and potato stew.

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Was this the final product, or did you continue to cook the stew to reduce the liquid?

Is it traditional in these parts of SE Asia for the liquid portion of a dish to remain fluid - other than rendang where it reduced to a glaze?

Must be the NA influence on my preference because I like to use cornstarch slurry to thicken sauces just enough for it to slide lazily down a spoon.

Lovely looking stew regardless!

[snowangel]

I've done a mess of cooking from this book.

First up was the Javanese Grilled Chicken, accompanied by the Sweet and Sour Cuke and Carrot pickle with with Turmeric. While I took no pictures, I made one mistake with this meal. We devoured way more chicken that I thought possible, so no leftovers ( ). This is a wonderful dish, and as Chris said up-topic, the pre-grilling "braise" really does remarkable things. And, the pickle. Oh, my. While technically a quick pickle, the prep is pretty labourious, but it is so beautiful and tasty. Next time, I would seed the cukes, or perhaps add them to the pre-salt a bit later, as I wished they'd been a bit crisper. Carrots to take a longer pre-salt.

But, then, a night later, I pulled out a skirt steak (for beef satay) and served the rest of the pickles.

Aren't those pickles pretty? I made two mistakes with the satay. I cut the meat too thick, and on the Trusty Old Kettle (a 26 year old war horse) has the coals too far from the grate (about which there is a warning in the book). This was mighty tasty satay (although I might cut down on the sugar a bit), but didn't have enough serious char, so when I drove by a garage sale, I espied a hibachi, and I stopped. For $.50, I think I have the perfect satay grill.

Then, last night, Kevin's Fried Chicken. Except, since the temp was hovering around 96 degrees, and the air con was working hard enough, we grilled it. I did also make the Celebration Rice and the Green Beans with Coconut Milk -- the Asian version of the Southern Slow Cooked Green Beans with bacon. Yummy enough that we didn't miss the bacon ( ). The only disappointment with the rice is that one can't bottle the scent and spray it around the house. This chicken dish, BTW, takes very well to grilling.

This time, I made plenty of chicken, which made for a coupla wonderful breakfasts.

What has so surprised me about this book is my new love of Kecao Manis. My first tast was "gaak" -- it's too sweet. But use it as an ingredient, or add some lime and Thai birds for dipping, and Oh, My. I'm in love. We went to a party a couple of days ago that featured grilled chicken, and the group lapped up 1 cup of that dipping sauce in short order.

[Live It Up]

Man, everyone's javanese grilled chicken and sate is making me really wish I had a grill! As promised, I made the Soto King's Chicken Soup. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with the flavor of this. The chicken I had was really small and young, so that might have had something to do with it, but I added an extra chicken back to the broth. I also continued to simmer the bones after I had fished out the meat, so it really should have been chickeny. After adding lots of chile paste it was quickly devoured, though, so definitely not a failure.

I don't like celery, so I garnished with some steamed baby bok choy instead.

[snowangel]

Jessica, can you get chix feet (look for them at an Asian market) -- do add them. They make all the difference in the world. I'll have to try this dish!

BTW, the Javanese Grilled Chicken. You could do them in the broiler. The nice thing about this dish is that you could prep it in advance and just broil ala minute.

[crouching tyler]

What has so surprised me about this book is my new love of Kecao Manis.  My first tast was "gaak" -- it's too sweet.  But use it as an ingredient, or add some lime and Thai birds for dipping, and Oh, My.  I'm in love.  We went to a party a couple of days ago that featured grilled chicken, and the group lapped up 1 cup of that dipping sauce in short order.

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I was just saying last night to friends that my introduction to Kecap manis has been sufficient to make this book a wild success. I love this stuff.

The batch of Sweet Soy Sauce Dipping Sauce I made last night was a bit hotter than previous versions (the chilis were feeling spicy, apparently) - hot enough to give someone the hiccups from heat, which I hadn't ever encountered before last night. So, my lips were on fire for a while. It was a good thing that the hiccuping friend had brought a nice cool bottle of white wine to have with dinner - and cool down lips with.

[crouching tyler]

I was away from Cradle of Flavor for almost three weeks (hey, life sometimes interferes with food) but I returned last night.

Javanese Friend Rice - Nasi Goreng

Chopped Vegetable Salad with Coconut & Lime Leaf Dressing - Urup

and, of course,

Sweet Soy Sauce & Lime Dipping Sauce - Sos Kecap Rawit

and because a few protein-focused friends were last minute additions to the dinner group, I added a batch of Caramelized Golden Tofu from D. Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Prep for the Urup is on the left. Tofu in the middle. Seasoning paste for Nasi Goreng in top right.

Close up of the dressing for the Urup. So, I had some concerns about the Urup. I couldn't figure out how some cabbage, mung beans and green beans coated in a spicy, gooey, coconut dressing could be all that good. Plus, I detest dried coconut flakes, so I had my doubts whether I would enjoy a dressing in which a cup of finely grated Fresh Coconut was considered "essential."

It didn't help that it was not until about 2 hours before dinner that I realized I had forgotten to buy a coconut. Thankfully our friend, Jamie, who was joining us for dinner, offered to alter her running route and pick up a coconut from the grocery along the way. Way to save the day, Jamie!

So, the dh hacks open the coconut, and we grate madly. And the salad is so much better than I thought it could be. Really good. One of my favorite things about cooking is learning about recipes like this - recipes that rise above the sum of their parts. They transcend their ingredients. I don't love cabbage, am iffy on bean sprouts, had qualms about grated coconut and had two servings of Urup. And am going to have leftovers for lunch today.

The team effort Urup -

Nasi Goreng - Sos Kecap Rawit, yet to be added to the plate. The Nasi Goreng felt like comfort food to me. Nasi Goreng ( and Mee Goreng) were the first things I ate in Indonesia during my 2 week stay there. And I continued to go back to them frequently while I was there. This was in some part due to the fact that I knew what they were, and I found that I didn't want every single meal to be a total surprise. But, also, the gorengs (as I thought of them) were good! Spicy, easy to eat. It was amazing how fast the gorengs went from new dish to comfort food status.

A swath of the mess in the kitchen - the inevitable result of me attempting several new recipes at once.

More mess - the blue bit on left of the photo is our friend, Mikael, who washes dishes with an efficiency and vigor that is truly amazing.

The mess was totally worth it.

edited to add kitchen mess photos.

Edited July 10, 2007 by crouching tyler (log)

[C. sapidus]

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Yum!

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Yum!

Has anyone had any luck with making the Celebration Rice in advance?  Reheating leftovers?

Edited to add another question:  When the recipe calls for coconut milk (just a portion of a can) should one shake up the can first to get that thick layer on the top incorporated or remove the top layer and freeze it for making a Thai curry?

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If I recall, reheated Celebration Rice was just fine for breakfast. If the recipe calls for coconut milk, then I would shake up the can unless you had a particularly thick layer of coconut cream.

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Yum!

The team effort Urup -

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I have added urap to our list, and I agree about nasi goreng - good stuff, and yours looks scrumptious. We hope to cook from Cradle of Flavor this weekend.

[jean_genie]

Here's my contribution from the book:  Nyonya chicken and potato stew.

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Was this the final product, or did you continue to cook the stew to reduce the liquid?

Is it traditional in these parts of SE Asia for the liquid portion of a dish to remain fluid - other than rendang where it reduced to a glaze?

Must be the NA influence on my preference because I like to use cornstarch slurry to thicken sauces just enough for it to slide lazily down a spoon.

Lovely looking stew regardless!

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Mm yummy, this looks just like my mum's Chicken Pongteh! This is making me miss my mum's Nonya dishes all the more! (not a simple case of going home for some of her cooking since my mum is in Australia and I'm in Japan!)

Dejah: yeah - the liquid of a lot of curries and stews in SE Asia are not as thick as non-SE-Asian gravies and stews. The idea is to wet the rice that accompanies the dishes (at least it is for me).

[jmolinari]

Everyone raving about the lemongrass braised long beans, so i made them. They were good, but they were not very lemongrassy! Just nice sweetish deep flavors.

Oh, James O. says not to use green beans, but i did, and they did not turn mushy at all. They were nice and crisp.

[C. sapidus]

Tonight we made Javanese chicken curry (opor ayam) sprinkled with fried shallots. The aroma of simmering chicken, cinnamon, garlic, galangal, ginger, shallots, and kaffir lime leaves stimulated the appetite nicely. A mild, flavorful curry, rich with coconut milk, this was quite popular with the family and our house guests

To avoid delaying dinner I made the flavoring paste this morning. I forgot to pick up lemongrass, so instead I zested a lemon and added extra kaffir lime leaves. Since Dejah mentioned having trouble browning the chicken, I browned half in the Staub and half in a nonstick saute pan. Surprisingly, the nonstick pan performed best at browning the chicken without burning the curry paste.

I look forward to trying the spicy West Sumatran variation that Dejah made.

[Dejah]

The Javanese curry looks so good. I can just imagine the rice soaking up some of that sauce.

Jean-genie mentioned that the sauce is thinner in SE Asian "stews" so the rice soaks up the flavour. I can enjoy that as much as "coating" the rice with a smooth, thicker sauce. I need to hold back the slurry cup! Besides, less cornstarch, less WW points.

I think I had too much curry paste in my pan to allow the chicken to brown.

Remember Tepee? She mentioned making joong with beef rendang. I'll be making that this weekend along with the traditional Chinese joong.

[C. sapidus]

The Javanese curry looks so good. I can just imagine the rice soaking up some of that sauce.

Thanks, Dejah. The sauce was even better the next day, and a bit more salt brought out the flavor nicely.

Remember Tepee? She mentioned making joong with beef rendang. I'll be making that this weekend along with the traditional Chinese joong.

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I look forward to seeing your beef rendang and joong. Where has Tepee been, anyway? I always enjoy her posts and pictures.

[Dan-]

I made the sauteed bean sprouts and chives and the eggs with shallots, ginger, garlic and chilis the other night. Unfortunately I was much too famished to take pictures but both were very, very good. I added a small sliced Thai chili to the bean sprouts, which made it somehow very spicy, yet the 2 Thai chilis I put on the eggs didn't make them hot at all. I left my egg yolks runny rather than firm as well.

Edited July 16, 2007 by Dan- (log)

[crouching tyler]

Gado Gado! So much fun to say. Just as much fun to eat.

The green beans that I was so sure I had awaiting me in the vegetable drawer had unfortunately disappeared. And my peanut sauce came in a little too far on the crunchy side of the eternal creamy v. crunchy debate. I think I will have conquered my fear of frying by the end of this project, though.

[Dejah]

Robin,

Why are you afraid of frying? Is it the splatters? If yes, then cut the sleeves off an old long sleeve shirt, sew a channel at the top, thread an elastic thru' it, and wear them over your arms when frying. It protects your arm from splatters as well as sleeves of good clothes.

I made beef rendang this weekend again, but this time, I was using it as filling for joong (sticky rice in bamboo leaves). The aroma was most enjoyable throughout the 4 hours of slow simmering, and the flavour was just as good as last time. eGulleteer Tepee's recipe had black beans. I didn't have any, so I used stir-fried peanuts and Spanish onion. Mr. Oseland suggested shredded lime leaves in the finished dish, so I added some on top of the meat.

The joong were wrapped in bamboo leaves - the Toisanese style. These were boiled for 2.5 hours outside on a turkey fryer.

Here are some pictures:

This is the chuck roast I cut up and mixed with all the spice paste. My lemongrass knots looked better this time, but still "rustic" as Pan says. I doubled the recipe.

The rendang after one hour of simmering. I changed it over to my non-stick pot as my Crueset is getting too worn out at the bottom. I was afraid of food sticking and scorching.

Wish I had taken a better picture of the finished product. You can refer to my post about my first attempt on this recipe. I also added springs of cilantro thinking I'd need some colour. It basically disappeared from the boiling! The white stuff is a mixture of jasmine and sweet rice, washed, drained well, and seasoned with salt and MSG. The peanuts were stir-fried but still have their skin on. The black blotch is the bamboo leaves,

We had some for supper, along with summer rolls stuffed with rice noodles, carrot, green onion, beansprouts and fresh mint leaves.

Here's a blurry close-up:

We loved this new variety of joong!