Food – Page 27 – morestomach

vietnamese bò kho – beef stew

Published on February 24, 2014February 21, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach21 Comments

i finished a book last week
it took me awhile
i had to re-borrow
it from the library
because it was taking me so long
there was a time
oh, 20 years ago
when i could finish a book in a day
— A DAY!
now i take snatches of time
to read a few pages,
maybe a few paragraphs
there is always something else to do
stirring the pot
yarn stitches
washing dishes
kissing my husband
now
now i find that i actually
read all the words
i don’t gloss over the text
i formulate the words
in my head
until they string together
into coherent sentences
and if there’s a word i’m unfamiliar with
i ask dw what it means
(he’s always so good to me,
he always answers,
he always helps me)
i guess the best way to describe
my reading is:
i savor it,
i relish the story
(unless the book sucks,
and then i just move on)
it takes time to sink into a book
rushing through it
doesn’t do the story justice
anything worth reading
is worth reading slowly, yes?

as new year’s resolutions go,
i’m doing damn good
with this reading thing

what books have you been reading?

vietnamese bò kho – beef stew
adapted from secrets of the red lantern and wandering chopsticks
makes 4-6 servings

*last spring dw & i traveled with some friends to nashville to run a half marathon. we found a random hole in the wall viet joint outside of the city and they had the best bò kho i have ever had. we went there 2x. this is my attempt at recreating that dish. i have failed. however, this version is still pretty good and perfect for the vicious winter we’re dealing with. it takes time for the flavors to meld. i made it one day and didn’t eat it until the next, because like all good stews, it’s always better as a leftover.
**i used two recipes for reference, though on the day of cooking, i winged it completely, in regards to measurements and method. the links i’ve referred have the exact details you might need.
***Luke Nguyen’s recipe intrigued me because it uses beef pho broth as its base. i love me some pho and the spices used in the stock really does add a layer of flavor. for cheater’s version of pho stock, heat up some homemade beef/veggie/chicken stock (store bought is fine too, though shoot for organic and low-sodium) with a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves and anise pods. let it simmer for an hour or so, allow the spices to infuse the stock. BAM! if you’re too lazy or time pressured, regular stock is fine, even water is fine, though the depth of flavor might be lacking.

2lb beef brisket, rump, stew meat, grassfed & cut into bigger than bite size pieces
olive oil or veg oil
1 TBL annatto seeds
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 QT pho stock*** note above
1/2 lb carrots, skinned and chunked
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
1 cinnamon stick
1 onion, studded with cloves and charred
knob of ginger, also charred
2 cloves of garlic, charred
2 bay leaves
basil, for garnish
rice noodles, cooked, to serve

beef marinade
6 hot bap, which i researched is the seed within a cardamom pod
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 tsp rice wine

start off with the marinade – dry fry/roast the hot bap, star anise, cinnamon stick and cloves until fragrant. grind them up in a spice grinder. add the ground up spices and rice wine in a bowl. add the beef pieces and mix well. you can marinate it overnight, i let it sit for the time it took me to assemble the other ingredients and heat up the pho stock, which was about an hour.

in large pot, heat up the oil along with the annatto seeds. this is for color, i’ll be honest, i don’t think it imparts much flavor to the over all dish, so if you want to skip this, i won’t judge you. when the oil reaches desired redness, discard seeds.

pan fry the beef pieces until brown. do this in batches.

add in the lemongrass, ginger, clove studded onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and prepared pho stock. mix in the tomato paste, stir well to incorporate. bring pot to a boil and the lower the heat and simmer on low for anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours. during the last 30 minutes, add in the carrot chunks. this should sufficiently soften them, but they will retain their shape and not get mushy. season with salt to taste, though i will say i didn’t add anything and it came out so lovely & perfectly seasoned.

to serve, pour over white rice noodles (cooked according to package instructions). steamed rice is fine, as is baguette to dip is appropriate too. garnish with green scallions, thinly sliced onions, chopped cilantro, or basil.

best the next day, and then the next.

Soy Sauced Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on February 17, 2014February 16, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach41 Comments

allow me to confess something
it’s not embarrassing
at least not anymore:
when i was a kid,
still living with my gparents,
i had to wear the same outfit
two days in a row
before putting the clothes in the hamper
this was a horror to me
not from a fashion sense
not really anyway
but
it was embarrassing
to be asked by my classmates why
i was wearing the same thing
as the day before
it was humiliating the reason
was because we had to lug
laundry to the laundromat
five blocks from home
to wash our clothes
and to make it worthwhile,
to ensure that my clothes were
sufficiently dirty,
gma mandated that i wear the same
outfit
in retrospect
it was humbling
it didn’t physically hurt me any,
to be seen in the same
shirt and pants combo
over & over again
these days i don’t wash
my jeans after just one wearing
and lord knows,
i wore the same outfit for a week straight
in college during exams
and honestly,
there have been times
i’ve worn a cute outfit running errands
on a saturday
and will wear it all over again
to work
the following monday
repeats are fine
in fact
i’ve made a version of these cookies
multiple times
off & on
for years
i’ve made them vegan
i’ve made them exactly as the recipe states
and now i’ve made them asian

Soy Sauced Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Jacques Torres in the NY Times

note: this is what i served in lieu of fortune cookies at our chinese new year dinner party. it was fun having our friends figure out the secret ingredient. the soy sauce is subtle, dw can discern it, i wanted more impact. i might have to make these with an extra tsp or so of soy sauce. but for now, we’ve attempted it twice and we have plenty of cookies already formed in our freezer…

makes about 4 doz pingpong sized cookie balls, which obvi flatten out during baking

8 1/2 oz cake flour
8 1/2 oz AP flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 sticks vegan butter, i use earth balance, at room temp
10 ounces light brown sugar
8 ounces sugar
2 large eggs
4 tsp soy sauce, i use Bluegrass Soy Sauce
1 1/4 pounds chocolate chips or chunks
sesame seeds

in a bowl, sift all dry ingredients

in mixing bowl cream the vegan butter with sugars until fluffy. add eggs, one at a time until incorporated. add in the soy sauce. reduce speed, and in 3 batches, add in the dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated. gently, add in the chocolate chips or chunks. cover with plastic and refrigerate 24-26 hours. can be kept in fridge for up to 72 hours, if not used after that period, freeze them.

when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper. on plate, pour out some sesame seeds.

using an ice cream scoop, scoop out dough. i typically bake in batches of 6. roll dough around sesame seeds. bake for 18 minutes. allow to cool on sheet a few minutes, then cool completely on rack.

typically, we form the cookies and line them up side by side on parchment’d baking sheets, freeze them and then put them in freezer bags for quick desserts or snacks. if baking straight from freezer, add about a minute or two to the bake time.

BAM!

lychee jelly hearts

Published on February 14, 2014February 13, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach21 Comments

just days ago
dw & i celebrated our
3 year anniversary
celebrated is kind of a strong word
unless it’s defined as
hanging out on the couch
with lap blankets
chocolate chip cookies
and airbnb options on the tv screen
then yes,
we whooped it up good
on sunday
we are such party animals

all i know is:
we finally FINALLY
booked accommodations for our honeymoon
i made tentative plans with
high school
AND middle school classmates
researched where to find the best
khao man gai
and cried my eyes out when
we put down a deposit to visit the elephants

and during my melt down,
very similar to our 2nd date!!
when we saw biutiful
and i SOBBED during a scene,
dw comforted me
only this time
i was totally crying in happiness,
in part cus of the elephants
and cus
damnit, my eyes have been really dry
since the lasik surgery
and i’ll take extra moisture
anywhere i can get it

anyway
for vday this year
i made jelly candy
my beloved enjoys snacking
and these are the best kind

dw:
i love you
more than pho
more than there are stars in the sky
more than seven jeans that make my ass look great
more than tom hiddleston
let’s be each other’s mushy gushy valentines
forever

lychee jelly hearts
adapted from the jewels of ny

1/3 cup lychee syrup (canned, cus i wasn’t about to juice them fresh, THEY’RE NOT AVAIL HERE ANYWAY)
1/3 cup water
2 packets gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup lychee, chopped up nice & small (the original recipe calls for the use of store-bought jam. knock yourself out, just use a mild/neutral flavored jam, like apricot)
2 TBL a red jam, i used wendi’s cherry jam (optional, for color only)
2 tsp lemon juice
zest of lemon, optiuonal

lightly oil 8X8 baking pan

in a bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup of water. ignore for 5 minutes, let the gelatin soften.

in saucepan, combine syrup with sugar, stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. add in the applesauce and lychee bits, and red jam if using, and mix until well combined. add in the gelatin mixture and bring to a boil. at this point you can vitamix it smooth, or keep the chunks if you want. pour mixture into prepared baking pan, allow to cool to room temp and then transfer to fridge until firm, 3 hours.

cut into squares, or if you’re being cutesy, use 1/2″ cookie cutters. i had dw fashion small hearts for me made out of strips of aluminum from a soda can, like when i made goldfish crackers.

dredge in some sugar to coat. BAM.

store in airtight container in fridge for up to a week

happy heart day, friends.

pull apart bread – two flavors

Published on February 6, 2014February 5, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach34 Comments

i remember the first time
i successfully made bread
i was smug
oh was i so smug
i declared ridiculous things
like,
it’s so easy, anybody can do it
it’s the best thing, in the world
and the worst:
i’m never buying bread at the store again
the me today would’ve slapped the me then
because that shit’s just silly

i don’t have a kid,
i have a husband
our weekends are usually jammed packed
with social things
like,
wandering the mall before a matinee
and deciding to kill 30 minutes
playing skeeball at Dave&Buster’s
or,
doing nothing
while we watch water boil
most weekend mornings
i spend feeling guilty
for sleeping in past 8am
or
berating myself for not taking advantage
of sleeping in time
it’s exhausting
who has time to bake fresh bread
with all that?

unless one’s husband is sick
and there’s much more time
to spend in the kitchen
and there’s a work event
that requires some smug-like
bread baking —
then bread is made

pull apart bread – two flavors:
cinnamon sugar + citrus love (dairy free)
adapted from Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker

note: these loaves were made weeks ago, when dw was super sick and didn’t even get a chance to eat any. i will be making this again for him, eventually. my favorite combo was the cinnamon sugar but the smell of orange zest was very intoxicating.
also, these will puff out during baking so have the pans on a cookie sheet to catch any dough that may overflow. i learned this the hard way.

12 1/4 oz AP flour
1 3/4 oz sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup so delicious coconut creamer
4 TBL earth balance vegan butter, melted
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, room temperature

filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest of 2 large organic oranges
2 oz earth balance vegan butter, melted

OR
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 oz earth balance vegan butter, melted
2 TBL cinnamon

cream cheese icing
3 oz tofutti cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 oz powdered sugar
juice of half an orange
splash of so delicious coconut creamer, if needed to thin

in stand mixer bowl, stir together 9oz of the AP, sugar, yeast and salt. in a saucepan, melt the coconut creamer and vegan butter on low, until butter is melted. add in the 1/4 cup water. aim for 120F – 130F.

pour the mixture into mixer bowl, stir with spatula. using the paddle attachment, and the mixer on low, add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just incorporated. add remaining flour and mix on low until dough is smooth, and slightly sticky. sprinkle counter top with a bit of flour, and turn dough onto it. kneed gently until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. place dough in large bowl, covered tightly with dampened towel, and allow to rise in warm place. (i usually turn the oven to warm for about 10 minutes and then put the bowl in, turning it off but keeping the light on.) it will double in size after about an hour.

meanwhile make the filling, melt the vegan butter. set aside. mix either the sugar + cinnamon or sugar + orange zest.

when ready, take the dough out and preheat oven to 350F. lightly grease a loaf pan.

gently deflate the dough. it will be sticky, dust the counter top with a bit of flour. roll out dough into 20X12 rectangle (honestly, i rolled it out to however long/big my counter space is, without the dough getting too thin. use your best judgement.) using a brush, spread the melted butter over the dough. sprinkle over top with either the orange filling or the cinnamon-sugar filling. with a pizza cutter cut the dough cross-wise into 6 strips, make it as even as possible, or not. carefully stack the strips on top of each other and then cut strips into 5 squares. lift the squares and fit them into the prepared loaf pan. filling the space might be tight lengthwise, i tilted the pan down and let gravity help. there will be space on either sides of the dough width-wise. fret not, the dough will rise again and fill out the pan during the final resting/rising period.

after the final rising, bake bread for about 30 minutes. transfer to wire rack and let cool in pan for about 10 minutes. after that time, i did slide them out to cool completely on the rack before putting them back in the pans for safe keeping.

to make the icing, mix the softened tofutti cream cheese with powdered sugar and squeeze of half an orange. mix until well incorporated. for a nice runny consistency, add a splash of coconut creamer, at your own discretion.

serve warm or at room temp.
i would think they’d last a few days, well covered, in fridge, but honestly, they were eaten up by my office coworkers in one go.

Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

Published on February 3, 2014February 3, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach24 Comments

the thing is
oh the thing is:
i don’t like molasses
i hate the smell of it
its burnt smell
that makes me gag
i even hate the way it
slowly pours out of the bottle
like,
hurry the fuck up already
and yet
inexplicably
i like me a good molasses cookie
chewy
snappy
a cloying sweet
that, if done correctly,
is cut by the sharpness of ginger
and maybe nutmeg
(which is something i also hate)
then the addition of chocolate
genius
i’m serious
the added creaminess that
the chocolate brings to the cookie
evens out the sharpness of the ginger,
which as mentioned before,
has to cut the cloyness of the molasses
which has lost its burnt odor
instead, there’s just cloves
and cinnamon wafting
every ingredient has a function

i made these cookies for
my foodie penpal alyssa
but i managed to steal 2 4
that didn’t fit in the box
when i make these again
i’ll see about keeping
the chocolate chunks bigger

Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies (vegan)
adapted from Martha Stewart

note: we don’t have cable anymore and i saw an episode of martha bakes on PBS and she made these. i made fun of her for only baking 3 cookies at a time. don’t do that, make fun of her that is. she knows her shit. these cookies spread. i was still smarting over it and baked 4 at a time. makes for more batches but trust me, worth it. correction, trust martha.
also, i doubled most of the flavor ingredients, cus i like a punch in your face impact.

7 oz best-quality chocolate, rough chopped
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick vegan butter, i use earth balance, at room temp
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 TBLS freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 cups plus 1 TBL AP flour
2 TBLS cocoa powder
2 1/2 tsps ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup molasses

to roll dough in:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup of sweet ground chocolate, i used ghiradelli

chop chocolate into chunks, set aside. (alternatively, you can use chips too, i won’t judge)
dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons hot water; set aside

using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream vegan butter and brown sugar until combined. add the fresh ginger and mix. in a bowl, sift all the remaining dry ingredients, in increments add to butter mixture, mix until combined

next, add the slow ass molasses and baking soda mixture. mix in the chocolate. transfer to fridge. ignore it for a few hours, i ignored it for about 24 hours. it happens

when ready, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper

mix the granulated sugar and sweet ground chocolate on a plate. using an ice cream scoop, or whatever, scoop out dough and roll into balls, then roll around in the sugar + chocolate mixture. transfer balls onto lined baking sheets, fridge for 20 minutes. (martha reversed that step, good for her. i wanted to get that step over with, go from fridge to oven…) bake for 15-18 minutes, allow to cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack until cool completely.

BAM.