spiced chicken with chilli pilaf

wooeee! talk about spicyness... of both the spice and hot kinds. i made this for dinner tonite and it turned out pretty good overall. the recipe comes from donna hay's new food fast cookbook, which is chock full of 10, 20 and 30 minute recipes simply prepared and fantastic food porn!

i've just got to take a second to talk about the photography in this book. hay plates all her dishes on white dinner and serving ware against a white backdrop, providing a blank canvas, so to speak, for the vibrant, saturated and glistening colors to shine through. there are some amazing macro shots; in one instance you can see the varying folds and air pockets in a cross-section of a slice of basil frittata. the book catches a lot of inspired home cooks due to its simple, almost deceptively basic, few ingredient recipes and fabulous food porn that leaves you scratching your head after cooking: "why didn't my dish come out looking like that??"


hay's recipes are hit and miss, and curiously omit salt in many recipes. if you're looking for refined, melded flavors, look elsewhere. this cookbook is for us brash, bold, spicy and sometimes affronting cooks who aren't afraid of overdosing on a great spice. but it is a good base of variety and you can adjust seasoning to your tastes.

start the chilli pilaf by first heating oil in a saucepan and adding 2 seeded and chopped red chilies, letting them soften for a minute. add 1 1/2 cups dry rice and stir to coat for another minute. add 3 cups chicken stock (season with a small pinch of salt, depending if your stock is low sodium or not) and stir to combine. bring up to a boil and then simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated.

the recipe then calls for trimmed and cut chinese long beans to be placed on top of the rice and covered with a lid off the heat for another 10 min. i found the beans to be undercooked and recommend steaming/stirfrying them separately. a little salt and lemon juice wouldn't hurt either.

while the rice is cooking, slice 2 large chicken breasts into 4 strips each. in a bowl, combine 2T cumin, 2t cinnamon, some cracked black pepper (a good pinch of salt) and coat the chicken strips. in a frying pan, heat some oil and cook the strips until golden brown on each side. don't overcook, you want the meat to have soft springiness.


plate up by placing the long beans down, then a couple scoops of rice, and the chicken on top. the meat turned out surprisingly moist and tender and the spice mixture is definitely spicy and hot, even a little brash, so watch out. the pilaf is quite tasty and the chiles add just the right amount of flavor and kick. the long beans according to hay's recipe are bland, too green tasting and too crunchy. the texture difference is nice however. overall the dish combined works. you'll just need a beverage or two.

congrats to danna!

danna will be joining us for the next wednesday nite dinner on november 1st! unfortunately, edmund will be working down in LA that week and had to give up his spot. back in the pot you go though...

i've been working on developing a more complex menu, as well as sorting out how to manage all the logistics of setting up the event, nevermind the timing of the food for an 8pm sit down. the challenges vary from setting the table and cleaning the silverware to lighting the candles and getting dressed. 2 hours isn't very much time. then after all the fun, i don't have a dishwasher. so that's also difficult. most likely i'll be spreading things out over 3 evenings so as not to overload myself.

but, as i was telling leslie and the others last wednesday, this thing will evolve. i'm determined to prove that with a little bit of planning and effort, you too can prepare a great meal for your friends on a weeknite.

short ribs braised in chimay ale

per anne's request, here is the recipe for the short ribs i made last wednesday nite. the creation hails from the sf standard, zuni cafe. helming the kitchen at zuni is chef judy rodgers who helped define what californian and san franciscan cuisine is all about: farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared simply. her cookbook, a hefty 500+ page treasury, is very well-written and provides invaluable insight into various cooking techniques while light-heartedly narrating how her cooking style and recipes came to be. it's one of those cookbooks you can just sit down with and read from beginning to end, if you do that sort of thing...

rodgers basically presents a treatise on the crucial importance of salting your meat 1-2 days ahead to "manage and improve flavor, succulence, and texture. from the scientific side of things, yes this makes sense, as the salt will have enough time to full penetrate the meat to season it thoroughly. however, in practice, it makes you feel quite anxious as you basically douse your cut into a sea of salt. (slight over-exaggeration, but 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt per pound is visually a LOT compared to what most people are accustomed to.) but for all my anxieties about the short ribs coming out too salty to be palatable, this recipe came out just fine, as you saw in the last post's pictures. the meat was seasoned to the bone, but not salty. very intriguing.

find a market butcher that will sell you short ribs cut to order. i had to visit 3 markets before i found a place that hadn't already pre-sawn the ribs to korean kalbi width (about 1/4"). for hearty servings, you'll want about 1 pound per person. this equals about 3 ribs with meat, 2" bone thickness. keep in mind as you braise, a lot of the fat will melt away and the meat will shrink on the bone. in this case, i picked up six 3-bone ribs, about 6.5 lbs.

trim the fat from the meat portion of the ribs. leave the bone side intact. i then measured about 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound out into a bowl and sprinkled it all onto the meat. anxiety may hit, but let it be. it'll be fine. cover loosely and throw into the fridge overnite.

the next day, select a large roasting pan, heat olive oil and brown all sides of the ribs.

place them bone side down and add the following to the pan:

4 yellow onions (yellows will cook down sweeter then whites and contribute to the sauce afterwards)
2 bay leaves
15 white peppercorns
equal parts of chimay ale and chicken stock to cover 3/4" of the pan

cover tightly and throw into a preheated 300* oven for 2 hours, checking every 45 min to turn the meat in the braise. the meat is done when it is fork-tender. (the next time i do this i plan to uncover the meat the last 20-30 min to see if i can reduce the liquid more. the sauce wasn't as syrupy as it should've been.)


smear a layer of dijon mustard on the meat tops of each rib and throw it under your broiler for a couple minutes, watching carefully. you want a golden brown glaze to develop and don't let it burn. the process will also crust the surface of the meat. very nice technique.

the liquid should be simmering on the stove to reduce as needed. it may require quite a bit of salting, as was in my case. again, referring to the above, i'd like to somehow reduce the liquid more during the process to concentrate it.


serve immediately with some of the onions and sauce, along with a good portion of starch and leafy greens. the meat will be tender, juicy and very beefy. the dijon glaze provides a nice subtle kick to the meat, similar to horseradish but not as pungent. the braise will have tenderized the sinewy material to the point where you could lick the bones clean, if that's your thing. it's definitely mine... =)

wednesday nite dinner no. 1

i'll let the pictures do most of the talking...

a quaint bistro setting...


last minute preparations of the main entree...


francesco doing the honors. poggio bidini nero d'avola, a sicilian rosso...


cheers to the first wednesday nite dinner!


dinner is served!


1st course: herb butter toast with red radish and a cup of of sea salt...
sweet butter was whipped with dill and thyme and a pinch of salt (see above picture)...


anne, you dip the radish in the salt, but don't dip too much!


2nd course: short ribs braised in chimay ale served with wasabi mashed potato and celery root and sauteed greens with nutmeg. the ribs were glazed with a smear of dijon mustard. the onions simmered in the ale...


there weren't many leftovers...


explaining to leslie my reasons for wednesday nite dinners and how it might evolve...


wayne is still "savoring" the meat...


everyone else is done...


3rd course: frozen honeydew slices. the melon flesh is scooped out, then blended with polly ann's coconut ice cream, then refrozen in the honeydew shell...



sterling vineyards malvasia bianca 2004. sweet and crisp with lots of lychee, pear and a hint of apple...


alycia, the guest photographer for the evening (and thank you for the dessert wine!)...



my teeth are frozen...


why's mine so big?


thank you leslie, francesco, alycia, anne, and wayne for supporting my first wednesday nite dinner! so happy you could come. please feel free to share your comments on the food and nite. and i'd love feedback (positive or constructive!) on the dishes too. i'm looking to improve in every way i can!

if anyone would like to see a recipe posted, post a comment and let me know which one.


and now what you've been waiting for...


the next lucky five guests for wednesday nite dinner no. 2 are...


victor!


kendrick!


edmundo!


andrew!


and last but not least... ali z!

congratulations! the next dinner will be held on wednesday, november 1st. menu tbd but expect something hearty and roasted. i'm all about roasts and braises these days. =)

thanks again for everyone's support and see you at the next wednesday nite dinner!

(we now return to our regularly scheduled recipes, restaurant reviews and homecooked meals.)

basic fried rice

fried rice is one of those dishes i grew up on as a kid. when my mom was tired from work but needed to whip something up quickly for us kids, she relied on a good ol' wok full of fragrant fried rice stuffed with leftovers and one-off veggies from the fridge.

fried rice is something that you should not be scared to make; it's easy and ideal for handling leftovers like zucchini to shredded chicken and duck. below is a basic recipe that you can add whatever your fridge allows. but stick to 2 or 3 stir-fry items at most (aside from the requisite onion and cilantro) or you'll lose the cohesive quality of the rice. it's supposed to be fried RICE, not a stirfry.

navarro at work asked me for my recipe today so this post is dedicated to her. navarro - may your fried rice come out beautifully tasty! =)

for 4 good-sized servings, prep the following:
2 cups day-old cooked white rice (fresh cooked rice has too much moisture)
1/2 sliced onion
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 red chile, chopped (optional if you like spicy)
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
1 egg
1-2 cups other ingredients (like chicken, sliced tofu, mushrooms, peas, zucchini, etc. choose 1-2)

in a wok or large non-stick saute pan, heat a couple tablespoons oil on medium-high. (do not skimp on the oil or your rice will stick to the pan. vegetable oil is fine.) when the oil begins to barely smoke, add the garlic and chile and let it fragrant the oil for a minute until light brown. (do not let it burn or your dish will taste bitter!)

add the onion and other ingredients and stir fry until the onions are barely translucent. add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. if the rice is still moist, let it fry a bit longer. make a hole in the middle of the rice and crack the egg directly onto the bottom of the wok. using your spatula or wooden spoon, break up the yolk and let the egg sit until the bottom has barely set, about 30 - 60 seconds. then stir the egg into the rice. the result should be slightly sticky strands of egg running through the rice which will continue to cook with the dish. this helps separate the rice grains and binds the dish at the same time.

in a small bowl, mix 2T soy sauce, 1t sugar, 1t sesame oil, and 1t vinegar. pour onto the rice, add the cilantro and combine. serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.

the next 2 guests are...

congratulations to anne and june! your names were plucked out of the bowl tonite. i hope you can make it on such short notice. please let me know if you can attend asap.

joanna and andrew, sorry you couldn't make it. i've put your names back in the bowl for another drawing at a later date. =)

it could be your lucky day...

unfortunately two of my guests will not be able to make this wednesday nite dinner (oct 18th). on the bright side, i'll be drawing two names tonite to take their places. good luck all!

churros!

the first time i remember savoring the sweet, chewy, cinnamon-doughy mexican treat they call a churro was at disneyland as a kid. i squirmed my way through the crowd from which the center emanated wafts of warm, sweet-scented bread. with mom in tow by the tug of her shirt, the crowd dispersed and behold a cart stand with piles and piles of long, brown and ridged sticks towered above my tiny head.

my eyes were glued to silver tongs tossing a stick from the pile into a giant tub of what looked like white and brown sand. a hand then reached in and grabbed the sparkly stick with a sheet of large waxed paper and in two quick motions of the hand, neatly wrapped the bottom half of the stick and all of a sudden the entire thing appeared right in front of my face!

quickly, i grabbed it by the wrapper in a tight fist and chomped a big chunk off the end...

crunch. chew. warmth. dough. grainy. sweet. spice. lick. lick. crunch. chew. warmth. dough...

heaven.

so imagine my excitement as i'm walking up new montgomery today to catch the train home and behold, what do i see? a latino man with a wire basket cart surrounded by four people, two trays mounded with something covered by aluminum foil. it peeked at me.

oh no way! it's a churro guy!! without hestitation i scrambled up to the cart, wallet in hand and said, "one please." he said, "two dollah," and in popped a long, fat, sugar dusted churro into a small brown paper bag. i immediately chomped down on one end.

ouch. it wasn't warm and fuzzy. more like a rock. but, it looked fresh and promising so i hurried down the stairs -- taking a couple more modest chomps -- and stuffed the rest of it in my bag.

now i'm here, sitting at home, after nuking the churro for 45 seconds and... well, see for yourself:

yeeeeah. that puppy ain't on my desk no more i can tell you that much.

warming it up helped a lot. it was crispy outside and chewy-doughy inside. i would've preferred more cinnamon-sugar dust but let's just say i had to wipe down my desk anyway. if you see the churro guy roaming around market st, get to him fast. only two dollah and you'll be happy happy.

recipe for slow-braised cuban pork

here is the recipe for the cuban pork served over this weekend at the request of anne (the dessert lady) and the benefit of francesco (so his wifey can make it for him). =)

it is an adaptation of ted allen's recipe from his cookbook, "the food you want to eat." credit also goes to my chef friend, paul tang, for inspiring me to do a slow braise vs. dry roast to make an extremely tender and moist pork roast that succulently fell apart at the slightest piercing of a fork.

purchase a 3-4 lbs boneless pork shoulder that has already been tied into a roast. alternatively, you can find boneless pork shoulder cuts at asian/latin markets at a cheaper price (about $.50 less per pound) and tie it yourself with butcher string. both work well. the pork butt and boston butt cuts are the same as shoulder, all possessing a large amount of fat and sinew that just melts away into the roast keeping it moist, tender and flavorful. other cuts such as pork belly or loin won't work as well for this recipe.

using a paring knife, make small slits in intervals into the meat and place in a shallow pan.

combine the following in a chopper/processor:
1/2 c fresh oregeno leaves (don't use dried)
6-8 garlic cloves
2.5 T kosher salt (if using regular salt, cut back to 2 T, kosher is lighter)
several cranks of the pepper mill
enough olive oil to create a paste

rub the oregeno marinade into the roast, pushing the bits into the slits. place in a large ziploc bag and add 3-4 T wine vinegar. seal the bag and massage the meat to get the vinegar going. the let it marinate in the fridge overnight, turning once.


the next day, preheat the oven to 350* and place the roast, marinade and all in a roasting pan. slice 4 ripe and sweet oranges in half and squeeze their juice into the pan. throw the orange halves directly in the pan. add enough chicken stock to cover about a 1/2 inch. cover tightly with foil, place in the center of the oven, and let braise for anywhere between 3-5 hours.

after the 3rd hour, take a peek into the pan to see how color is developing. you want to see a medium caramel color forming and there should be liquid in the pan still. adjust time based on that. use the fork test to check for doneness. aka when you stick a fork into the roast and pull towards you, it will slowly and succulently shred apart. at this point, keep it covered, take it out and let rest for 10 min until you're ready to serve. using kitchen shears, cut the strings and pull the roast apart with two forks. let the meat soak up the remaining liquid in the pan for 5 min.


the oranges add a wonderful sweet note and subtle bitterness at the same time, cutting the fattiness of the pork. very succulent. you can serve with warm corn tortillas and fresh guacamole, but don't overdose on the toppings as you want the pork to shine through.


if you want to use the dry roast method to serve juicy, tender slices of meat, see this post:
http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2006/09/roasted-pork-shoulder-pernil-with.html

rating: 5 out of 5 porkchops

wednesday nite dinner kickoff!

9 course hors d'oeuvres.
1 bartender from ny.
a cocktail waitress from the sunset.
20 friends from different circles scarfing down roasted figs and slow-braised pork while smiling...

priceless.

thank you to all who made it to my kickoff party. i definitely had a fabulous time and can't wait for the wednesday nites...

here are some highlights from the evening. click on the thumbnails for the full view:



on the menu...
celery root, saffron and orange soup shooters
roasted figs and proscuitto with stilton and pomegranate glaze
roasted beets and micro greens with walnut-mascarpone crostini
crab and avocado dressed with cayenne lime mayo in endive cups
spicy tuna poke on english cucumber chips
three mushrooms and red onion skewers
curried shrimp skewers with cilantro and garlic
slow braised cuban pork served with corn tortillas and fresh red onion guacamole
frozen fruit slices

congrats to the lucky five : leslie, joanna, francesco, andrew and alycia! i'll be sending you more details about october 18th's wednesday nite dinner soon. and you will be drawing the next five guests for dinner on november 1st. i'll announce those winners when i post pics on the 18th.

thanks again to all those who helped so much before, during, and after the kickoff. couldn't have done it without you. =)