Photo courtesy of Bon Appetit

Call me Dorothy…and my little dog too. Well, his name is really Toto…and I don’t have a dog, I have a cat named Boris. But for one giddy day, I was able to see the wizard behind the emerald curtain. I was able to take a peek at the new Bon Appetit kitchen.

Conde Nast and HSN are releasing a new Bon Appetit Culinary Collection, which includes triply cookware, knives, and small appliances such as a pressure cooker, immersion blender, and grill/griddle. I was invited to see and taste the collection in action leading up to the launch.

Photo courtesy of Bon Appetit

Chef Ryan Scott, of Top Chef fame, is the perfect face of Bon Appetit’s new culinary line. He welcomed us into the kitchen with a warm yet mischievous smile, and entertained us while we hungrily eyed his Stir-Fried Brussel Sprouts with Sliced Garlic. That required quite a bit of charm because we were ready to dive bomb into the sizzling sprouts. His love of food was infectious. I guess you can’t expect anything less from someone who asked Santa for a wok and a food dehydrator when he was nine-years-old!

Photo courtesy of Bon Appetit

I also had the chance to chat with Bon Appetit’s Chef de Cuisine, Mary Nolan as she cooked up Baltimore Crab Cakes on the electric griddle. She explained that the BA Test Kitchen developed recipes specifically for each product in the line.

Photo courtesy of Bon Appetit

We then walked over to the pressure cooker and as she lifted the lid, I inhaled tangy smokey goodness from the North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork with Vinegar Sauce. I raised my brows dubiously when she told me that it only took 45 minutes to cook (excluding prep). How do you get moist, tender pulled pork in 45 minutes? Even with a pressure cooker, I didn’t think the flavors would have enough time to develop. Well, I was pleasantly surprised once I tried it. Then I spent the rest of my time in the kitchen trying to get the recipe to share it with you. (Luckily, they gave us recipes at the end along with a 12-inch frying pan so I left a happy camper.)

I liked that this electric pressure cooker lets you sear the meat right in the cooker. Caramelizing the meat adds flavor. No matter how lazy I feel, I never skip that step. And not having to wash an extra pan just for searing is a plus for those lazy days.

The other dish that intrigued me was the Sorghum-Glazed Carrots. I’ve heard of sorghum, but never really knew what it was. It sounds like guargum or xantham gum and my first guess would have been that sorghum is some sort of binder. I’m glad that I was way off mark with that one. Chef Ryan explained that it is a cross between honey and molasses. More depth of flavor than honey, but not quite as heavy and dark as molasses. He confided that the first time he encountered sorghum, he initially didn’t know what to do with it either and decided to experiment with it. And that’s what makes a great chef. A great anything, really. Not feeling like you have to know everything, and diving right in to figure it out. Then you end up with sorghum in your culinary toolkit when creating new dishes. A splash of orange juice for sweetness, a drizzle of bourbon for complexity and a pat of butter for a silky finish to the carrots didn’t hurt either.

Photo courtesy of Bon Appetit

I didn’t just get a peek behind the emerald curtains, I was able to take a tour, touch everything on the hangers and rub the material between my fingers…metaphorically speaking of course. I wasn’t shopping for clothes, but I did get some insight into the thought process at the BA Test Kitchen from food editor Hunter Lewis. “Every recipe has to have one takeaway teaching element so that even if the reader does not have the recipe on hand, he/she can apply that principle.” As an example he mentioned the fried chicken feature in the February issue, with takeaways on how to keep the chicken moist and make the coating crispy.

My takeaways from that day were an appreciation of what goes into publishing a food magazine, a newfound respect for a good pressure cooker, an urge to get my hands on some sorghum, and a wistful longing for a spacious and elegantly functional test kitchen of my own.

The Bon Appetit Culinary Collection premiere’s on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 on HSN at the following times:

• 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM; 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM
• 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
• 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM; 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
• 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM; 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The collection is exclusive to HSN, but if you won’t be able to watch Chef Ryan Scott cook up delicacies with the tools and cookware you can always purchase it on HSN’s website.

North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork with Vinegar Sauce

Pork
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1″ thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup beer (such as lager, Pilsner, or amber)
 
Vinegar Sauce
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
 
Pork
Mix first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pork and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
 
Press Warm on the pressure cooker; set timer for 30 minutes (add or subtract time as needed) and press Start to heat the pressure cooker. Heat oil in the pot. Working in batches, add pork and cook until browned; transfer to a plate. Add broth, beer and browned pork, with any juices from the plate, to pot. Lock lid in place, making sure vent is sealed. Press Warm; set timer for 42 minutes and press Start to cook. Release pressure manually by opening vent. Remove lid. Transfer pork to a platter and let cool. Discard cooking liquid.
 
Vinegar Sauce
Combine all ingredients in the cleaned pot. Press Warm; set timer for 15 minutes and press Start. Bring to a simmer; cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred pork with your fingers. Serve with vinegar sauce.
 
Bon Appetit Collection
Pressure Cooker Recipe

Photo courtesy of Bryan Pace

Happy Chinese New Year! Technically it is the lunar new year, but being part Chinese I reserve the right to call it my own special holiday. The first thing you have to do upon waking up to the new year is eat a piece of candy so that everything will be sweet for the rest of the year, and greet everyone “Gong hay fat choy. Sun nien fai lok.” This is Cantonese for “May you become prosperous. Happy new year.” Interesting how wishes of prosperity comes before the new year greeting, but we Chinese are an enterprising lot.

Homes are filled with gold foil-wrapped chocolates as another symbol of prosperity as well as tangerines with their stems and leaves intact because the Chinese word for them sounds like “luck.” The custom that I remember the most from childhood is getting red envelopes filled with money. I found out later on that kids are not the only lucky recipients–married couples give red envelopes to younger unmarried folks. Hmmm…I think I’m overdue for a visit to my best friends Yin-Jen and Ray.

They might not even mind giving me a red envelope if I bring soup dumplings with me. Yin-Jen was the one who told me about Nan Xiang Dumpling House because you can see the ladies wrapping the dumplings in the back. We have been there a number of times, and each time Yin-Jen patiently waited as I stood and stared to figure out how to wrap a soup dumpling. The ladies were probably weirded out, and the servers gave me the evil eye as they skirted around me, but I didn’t care. I was a woman on a soup dumpling mission! I had the opportunity to watch more wrapping techniques as I searched out soup dumplings in China and Hong Kong.

After researching different ways to make the soup, I opted for the modern method of using gelatin to keep the soup solid while wrapping. I then started with my Pork and Cabbage Pan Fried Dumpling filling. Soup dumplings do not have all of the texture and crunch that I like in my pan-fried dumplings so I simplified it a bit. Some women go shopping to catch up with friends, I called Naoko to join me for an evening of dumpling making. She is a biochemist, and I always love telling people that she worked on a molecule that simulates the umami provided by monosodium glutamate. We already have plans of cooking our way through the Modernist Cuisine.

Anne Noyes Saini from City Spoonful then asked if I would be willing to share my soup dumpling experience on video. We teamed up with Bryan Pace, who captures larger-than-life emotionally gripping images for the New York Daily News, to create a series of videos showing how to make soup dumplings. This is proof that soup dumplings are not genetic. Even if your grandmother isn’t a cute little Chinese woman with a crinkly smile, you can still make these at home.

• Part 1 – Making the Broth
• Part 2 – Making the Filling
• Part 3 – Making the Dough
• Part 4 – Assemble, Steam and Eat!

Photo courtesy of Bryan Pace

Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

Broth

2 pounds chicken legs and thighs
1 1/2 pounds pork belly
3 stalks scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-inch piece ginger, sliced
6 cups of water
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

 
Wrapper Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup boiled water (use it immediately after boiling)
1/4 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil

 
Filling

1/3 pound fatty ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, minced
1 scallion, sliced into 1/8-inch pieces
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon black/dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon rice wine
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch white pepper

 
Cook the Broth
 
Place all of the ingredients except for the gelatin into a large pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 2 hours. Strain the broth (discard the solids or shred the meat and use for another dish).
 
Continue to simmer the broth until it reduces to 1 1/2 cups. This is enough broth for two recipes so set aside 3/4 cup of the broth. You can freeze it and use it at a later time (just bring to a boil then follow the rest of the recipe, adding the gelatin and making the filling).
 
Leave the remaining 3/4 cup in the pot and sprinkle on the 2 teaspoons of unflavored gelatin. Continue to simmer the broth briefly and stir until the gelatin dissolves.
 
Transfer the broth to a shallow container (it will set faster when it is spread out) and refrigerate 40 minutes – 1 hours until it sets.
 
 
Make the Dough
 
Place the flour into a large bowl. Drizzle the water and oil into the flour. The just-boiled water will partially cook the flour and create gluten for added structure. Mix the flour with a large spoon or chopsticks until the flour is mostly wet. Finish by combining and squeezing together the ingredients in the bowl by hand.
 
Transfer the flour onto a lightly floured surface. I like to lay a silpat on the counter for kneading (and rolling out cookies).
 
Knead the dough for a minute then wash your hands because the dough may stick to the bits of wet dough that initially stuck to your hands even though the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is tacky and does not stick to your fingers. It should also feel soft and moist. When you press into the dough with your hands, it will spring back a little but still leave an indentation. If the dough is still too sticky, add 1/2 teaspoon at a time to the center of the dough so that it incorporates well. Fold over the added flour and continue kneading.
 
Place the dough in a plastic bag, press out the air and close it airtight so that it does not dry out. Let the dough rest at room temperature for one hour. At this point, you can place the dough in the refrigerator for use over the next two days. Just leave it out on the counter to come to room temperature before using it.
 
 
Make the Filling
 
Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Turn the spoon in one direction to help the filling come together. Set aside.
 
 
Prepare the Steamer
 
Fill a large wok, pan or pot with water just so that the water will not touch the bottom of your steamer. Line the steamer with parchment paper or napa cabbage leaves.
 
Bring the water to a boil when you start wrapping the filling.
 
 
Wrap and Steam the Dumplings
 
Roll half of the dough into a log and cut into 12 pieces. Leave the rest in the plastic bag as you wrap so that it does not dry out.
 
Work with one piece at a time and cover the rest with plastic wrap. Roll out the piece of dough into a circle then roll in only the edges so that you have a thicker center. The thicker center helps prevent the bottom of the dumpling from breaking and also makes the dumpling even when wrapped. You will be collecting dough at the top of the dumpling, and a thicker base will offset that in terms of mouthfeel.
 
Place 2 teaspoons of the dough into the center (it depends on how large you rolled out the wrapper) of the wrapper. Create pleats and wrap the dumpling according to the video.
 
Steam the dumplings 6 – 8 min for smaller dumplings and 8 – 10 min for larger ones.
 
Hazel Sy
January 2012

I am back…figuratively and literally. I am back in New York City after spending months eating my way through Asia. There are so many more cities that I would like to visit, but my stomach did its best to make a dent in the continent. I’ll share my day-to-day experiences in Manila, Boracay, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau, Tokyo, Taipei, and Hanoi in the new year. In the mean time, there are so many holiday food and events that it is a month-long celebration here in the city that never sleeps.

The holidays were in full swing when I arrived home. You would need to have a serious case of the bah-hum-bugs to not feel the holiday cheer in the crisp winter air. The holiday markets glow in Bryant Park and Columbus Circle (each year I pick up the No Chewing Allowed silky smooth French truffles as gifts), the horse-drawn carriages at the southern tip of Central Park are gussied up in red and green bows, and the Saks Fifth Avenue animated display twinkles amid the admiring crowds.

But what are the holidays without a good old-fashioned cookie swap? Luckily, I made it back in time to gather with my fellow food bloggers to chow down on lip-smacking ribs at Hill Country Barbecue and overindulge in dozens of cookies while benefiting Cookies for Kids Cancer. (Honestly, I did it for the kids!)

I had wanted to get my grubby hands on the Gluten-Free Mallowmars made by Nancy (The Sensitive Pantry). I was hopping back and forth in anticipation while waiting on line, hoping to get some (yes, I already went to the toilet before I left home). Alas, there weren’t even any crumbs left by the time I got there. I tried to look forlorn, hoping that someone ahead of me would take pity and give me half of theirs. Nope. Nada. We bloggers can be ruthless when it comes to food.

Ken (Hungry Rabbit NYC) made delicious Coco-Mac Cookies with Pineapple Caramel. I am determined to use his Pineapple Caramel in a savory dish.

I was not able to try every cookie and so many of them were delicious, but my favorite was a tie:

• Lillian (Sweets by Sillianah) made delicate Matcha French Macarons with Black Sesame Buttercream. Every time I see her, I do a little rain dance to the macaron gods hoping she’ll bring a few for me.
• Justin (Just Cook NYC) and Amber (Blue Bonnets and Brownies) both brought the Homesick Texan’s gluten-free Chipotle-Spiced Chocolate-Pecan Chewies. I don’t think there was a memo, but thank goodness two people brought the chewies because I nabbed one from each pile and immediately bought a copy of The Homesick Texan Cookbook.

I brought Chocolate-Dipped Bacon Shortbread Cookies, an idea that I had toyed around with in my mind while I was in Asia. I found the cutest piggy cookie cutter at I Love Cake in Hong Kong. It made me think of Jeff’s (i8nyc) funny doormat. He loves bacon, foie gras, and uni…and I immediately knew I had to make bacon cookies with it. (Talk about random stream-of-consciousness inspiration!)

I loved that Margaret (Savory Sweet Living) also made a sweet and savory play with Corn Cookies. Its intense corn flavor comes from freeze-dried corn! I was intrigued because I had also been working out the details of how to execute corn creme brulee, which I recently made and will share with you in a future post.

Many thanks to Maggy (Bloggers Without Borders) for making the swap happen, and to Gail (One Tough Cookie), Jackie (Diva That Ate New York) and Ken (Hungry Rabbit NYC) for coordinating a magical holiday event!

I know, I know…you must be bummed at not being able to taste all these delicious cookies (I’m still bummed about the Mallowmars too!). Don’t feel too bad…as a holiday gift from Nescafe, one of you will win a Dolce Gusto Piccolo espresso system. You can make single-serving Italian-style brewed cappuccinos, lattes, hot chocolate and teas with the Dolce Gusto coffee and milk capsules.

Just leave a comment at the bottom of this post by December 24, 2011  1pm Eastern Time for a chance to win. One person will be chosen using random.org. One comment per person. The Piccolo can only be shipped to a U.S. (non-PO Box) address. Visit Nescafe Dolce Gusto US on Facebook to enter additional giveaways.

Chocolate-Dipped Bacon Shortbread Cookies

 
8 ounces bacon slices
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, chopped
 
 
Preheat the oven to 325F.
 
Place the bacon as a single layer in a large frying pan, and cook over medium-high heat until crispy.
Place the bacon slices on a paper towel lined plate and let cool.
Place the bacon in a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin (or another heavy object like a can or pan) so that you end up with bacon bits. You can also place the bacon in the food processor. Set aside.
 
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
 
Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and confectioner’s sugar until combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat for another 15 seconds until it is incorporated. Add the flour mixture and combine on low. Add in the bacon bits and beat on low just until incorporated.
 
Separate the dough into two discs and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
 
Remove one dough disc from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface (I like to roll out my cookies on a silicone baking mat). Pound (do not roll) the dough with a rolling pin to flatten it further and spread it out evenly. After every few pounds, pick up the dough and turn it 90 degrees, adding more flour underneath if necessary. Continue this until the dough is 1/4 inch thick. Give the dough a quick roll with the rolling pin to flatten out the top.
 
Cut out shapes, dipping your cookie cutter in flour each time. Transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (For better shaped cookies, place the sheet of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.) Bake for 13 – 15 minutes until cookies just start to turn golden brown at the edges. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool on the rack for another 20 minutes.
 
Repeat with the remaining dough.
 
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring frequently. Once it is melted, dip each cookie into the chocolate. Shake off the excess chocolate and place on a sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Let cool until the chocolate hardens. (You can stir 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable shortening into the chocolate if it is too thick for dipping.)
 
Hazel Sy
December 2011

Inspiration comes from everywhere:

• the quick lunch that you grabbed on your way to a meeting (such as a Fresh & Co. Steak and Fontina Panini that turned into Steak Crisps with Caper Aioli),
• an empty-handed search all over the city (I ended up making my own version: Guinness Caramel Cupcakes…also perfect for Oktoberfest!),
• an Amsterdam Brown Cafes photography series (explore Dutch cuisine with Ingrid’s traditional family recipe for Semolina Pudding), and
• an imaginary trip around Asia (I created Chicken Skewers with Mango Tamarind Coulis for a culinary journey to China, India and the Philippines in the Passport to Asia Tasting Benefit)…although, this will  no longer be imaginary! I will be taking you with me on my Asia trek over the next two months through photos and videos on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

This time inspiration came from helping the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan.

Lillian (Sweets by Sillianah) organized the Bake Sale for Japan in NYC back in April. I cannot say enough good things about Lillian, just that I’m surprised that she is not a project manager. Having led a Program Management Office, I can only say that I would want her on my team any day! If you need to hire an event coordinator you should definitely get in touch with her.

I excitedly brought Apple Caramel Cupcakes to Brooklyn Flea for the bake sale. Not only was this a chance to raise funds for Japan, but it was also the first time I would be meeting other food bloggers in person! It felt like the first day of high school, when you hope the other kids will like you and that your locker doesn’t jam up. (On my real first day of high school I struggled with the combination lock for a good 30 minutes–how embarrassing!)

It was also a wonderful way to interact with people, and observe how they reacted to various flavors. One woman practically squealed in delight when she saw Lemon Coconut Cupcakes. I had never really stopped to think about combining lemon and coconut together, but after that I was curious! So I made a mental note to tinker with my version of a Lemon Coconut cupcake.

I knew that I wanted to have a bright tangy lemon cupcake base and a creamy coconut frosting. I wanted them to be distinct. Delicious enough to hold their own, yet even better when they combine in that one tasty bite. Because of this, I purposely did not combine the two flavors in the cupcake base.

The lemon cupcake base needed to be easy. If you know me by now, you’ll know that I try to figure out ways to reduce steps and the need for extra equipment. If I use a complicated technique or the mixer, it’s because that’s the only way to get an ideal result. This also means that I made this cupcake many, many times while recipe testing. Friends and family were the lucky (or unlucky?) recipients of “not quite there yet” versions, and the really bad tests went straight to the garbage. Yes, I botch up too!

The great thing about screwing something up is that it is the best way to learn. Similar to a science experiment, pinpoint why it turned out that way and figure out how to fix it for next time. It’s like life. Except “next time” was only 5 minutes later as I washed the pans to bake test batch #7.

Keep in mind the following when you make these moist and creamy cupcakes:

• Weigh the flour, or stir the flour then lightly spoon it into the measuring cup (if you scoop up the flour with the measuring cup you will have 25% extra flour, making the cupcakes dry).
• Make sure to use the lemon zest, it contains lemon oil that provides the bright lemon notes (I know, it’s an extra step…but well worth it!).
• Use a good zester (I personally love Microplane) so that you do not pick up the bitter white pith underneath the zest.
• Follow the recipe and add the cream, lemon juice and eggs separately. Mixing the cream and lemon juice together creates a buttermilk effect. Buttermilk is wonderful for making a cake tender, but too much will make the cake mushy. Add these ingredients in the order provided because the flour needs to absorb the fat from the cream first.
• Do not over mix the batter. Otherwise gluten will form and your cake will be tough.
• Room temperature softened butter means that when you press it, you leave a light indentation instead of being able to poke all the way through. If the butter is too soft, the frosting will be runny and hard to work with.

How about you? What has inspired your cooking and baking? Are there any lessons learned that you could share with me in the comments below?

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes
 
2 cups (218 grams) cake flour
1 cup (220 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest (approx. 2 lemons)
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 eggs, room temperature
 
Coconut Frosting
Double the ingredients below if you like a lot of frosting
1 stick (113 grams; 1/ pound) butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 – 4 tablespoons cream of coconut
1 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
 
Unsweetened dried coconut flakes (for garnish)
 
Pre-heat the oven to 350F and line 18 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
 
In a large bowl, hand whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the lemon zest.
Add the heavy cream, canola oil and vanilla to the flour mixture. Use the whisk to mix until just combined.
Add the lemon juice. Use the whisk to mix until just combined.
Add the eggs. Use the whisk to mix until just combined.
 
Spoon (or use an ice cream scooper) the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out with crumbs (instead of wet batter).
Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting (approximately 1 hour).
 
To make the frosting:
Using an electric mixer (use the beater blade/paddle attachment if you have a stand mixer), mix together the butter and salt until creamy (approximately 30 seconds). Mix the cream of coconut can contents using a spoon because the cream and liquid is often separated when you open it. Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons cream of coconut. Mix until just incorporated. Mix in the confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup at a time. If the frosting looks too dry, add 1 more tablespoon of cream of coconut. (If you add too much, it will become runny and hard to work with.)
 
Frost the cupcakes and top with the coconut flakes.
 
September 2011
Hazel Sy

I spent a lazy Labor Day weekend with my family this year. The “kids” trickled in to our parents’ house late Friday night. First my sister, brother-in-law and I…then my brother and his girlfriend. We caught up on each other’s lives as I made strawberry jam for breakfast the next morning, then tucked in for the night.

I was the first one to wake up the next morning, which is no small feat. If you “sleep in,” you can hear the happy noises of my family by 8AM–rolling toys, the shuffle of feet, and murmurs in the kitchen interspersed with the sizzle of bacon. It must have been around 6:30AM. I opened the sliding door and saw the sun just settling in to the sky and hear the birds chirping. A peaceful calm enveloped me as I padded over to the couch to curl up with the newest cookbook in my collection, “Baking with Julia.”

We spent most of our time on the deck watching my niece and nephew swim all day long (I swear they have gills!), and sometimes jumped in to join them. That weekend my four-year-old nephew broke the record for standing on the floating mat with over a minute. You should have seen how proud he looked! I, on the other hand, couldn’t even stand up on it long enough to start counting. My sister and I tried everything we could think of including folding the mat and holding on to the slide. It was a happy time, reminding me of when my sister and I came up with crazy pool games when we were kids.

Of course, a family gathering isn’t complete without the requisite food fest. This weekend my focus was to be the student. My cousin AJ and I made my sister’s world famous Tiramisu with her direction. She also showed me how to make Crispy Salt and Pepper Shrimp, and her Cilantro Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing. My mom shared a new method of grilling steak that she saw on TV, and my Aunt Kathleen made these ridiculously amazing baked peaches.

This dessert is perfect. It is delicious, easy, quick, healthy and impressive so I begged her to let me post it on the blog and share it at my Williams-Sonoma demo. I made a few tweaks from her version. My uncle and sister suggested adding liquor such as port to elevate the blueberry coulis. There are different kinds of port. The one most people are familiar with is tawny port, which is aged in oak barrels to create a rich dessert wine. It is golden-brown and has a sweet oaky flavor. However, the oakiness would overpower instead of support the blueberries so I used ruby port, which is bottle aged. Ruby port gave the coulis depth with its plum, currant, cherry and raisin notes.

I also thought it would be nice to literally spice up the peaches. First I tried cinnamon. Good, but it tasted a bit flat. I then tried Chinese Five Spice, which contains star anise and fennel seeds for a hint of licorice, Szechuan peppercorns for a tingly brightness, and cinnamon and cloves for warmth. The Five Spice was exactly what I was looking for. It brightened up the peaches as a counterpoint to the rich blueberry port coulis.

This is delicious with  greek yogurt (my favorite brand is Fage). If you aren’t concerned about making it healthy, go ahead and use vanilla ice cream instead. Either way it is the perfect dessert for a lazy weekday night by yourself, or an equally lazy weekend gathering with family and friends.

Baked Peaches with Blueberry Port Coulis

Serves 6
 
3 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
3/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
 
Coulis
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup ruby port
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
 
For Serving
1 cup plain greek yogurt
 
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up, then lay our the peaches cut side up.
Sprinkle the Chinese Five Spice over each peach, then place 1/3 tablespoon butter in the center of each peach half. Drizzle the honey over the butter, dividing evenly among the peaches.
Bake for at least 15 – 25 minutes, until the peaches are soft when pierced with a fork.
 
Place a small sauce pan over medium-high heat and toss in all of the coulis ingredients except for the cornstarch. Bring the blueberry mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes while the peaches are baking.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water then mix it into the blueberry coulis. Bring the mixture back to a boil for a few seconds. You should see the sauce slightly thicken.
 
Place half a peach on a plate, and top with some greek yogurt. Finish off the dish by spooning on some of the blueberry port coulis on top of the yogurt.
 
Adapted from Kathleen Say
September 2011

This pie was made with love a thousand times over.

Earlier this month, Jennifer Perillo’s husband unexpectedly died of a heart attack. She asked everyone to make his favorite Creamy Peanut Butter Pie, and share it with someone they love. As a reminder of Mikey…as a reminder for all of us to not tell ourselves “I [will] make it for him tomorrow.”

Along with the outpouring of love and pies on Twitter with the hashtag #APieforMikey, Todd and Diane created the following video. It left me sad, yet hopeful. Sad for Jennifer’s loss, yet hopeful from the caring community that came together to support her.

 
But we can do even more than bake these beautiful pies.

“As you can imagine, Jennie is overwhelmed not only by her grief, and the sudden responsibility of raising two children by herself, but she is also struggling with this financially. She just learned that she cannot collect widow’s benefits from Social Security because she earns too much money each year. The health insurance for her and her kids runs out in December and she just learned that the total she will have to pay will be more than her mortgage. It’s possible she’ll have to pay off the entire mortgage in one lump sum because the apartment was in his name alone.

And more than anything, Mikey wanted Jennie to continue living her dream of being a food writer. And he wanted to make sure his kids were taken care of well. That’s why he worked as hard as he did.” — Shauna

Bloggers Without Borders started a campaign to raise funds to help Jennifer and her two girls. One by one food bloggers everywhere started auctions for #afundforjennie.

This afternoon, my kitchen will be empty and silent. As my own contribution, I will not bake a pie. Instead, I will donate the cost of the pie ingredients to A Fund for Jennie and share with you the beautiful pies made with love by other food bloggers.

Bob & Carlene at BS’ In The Kitchen

Lisa at Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives

Emma at My Darling Lemon Thyme

Jamie at The Unseasoned Wok

Remember to not keep telling yourself “I [will] make it for him tomorrow.” Well, maybe just this once. This once, do not bake the pie and donate the cost of the ingredients to A Fund for Jennie. Even if you just donate a $5 slice…a community of slices adds up to thousands of pies made with love.

“Loves how New Yorkers are ‘unimpressed’ w/ #Irene.” I have to agree with my childhood friend Arvi. I would rather be unimpressed than overwhelmed by a hurricane, so you won’t see me complaining! The media coverage made it seem like New York City was going to be washed away. And even though 80 mph winds would probably flick me a few blocks, I wasn’t too worried. After all, in grade school we used to huddle around the radio in the Philippines hoping for a category 3 typhoon (hurricane) so that schools would be closed that day. I still had to schlep to class if it was a category 1 such as Irene.

New York smirks when London and Seattle practically shut down with only 2 inches of snow. In turn, California snickers at New York for its flurry of tweets and evacuations during our recent earthquake. (Since I’ve never seen an apartment shake, at first I thought I was hallucinating until I checked Twitter to see if anyone else felt it. Gotta love how social media gives you updates faster than news wires!)

Of course, everything is relative based on what we are prepared for. For example, London and Seattle do not have the piles of salt and the army of snowplows that we do…so yes, they are going to have problems when the thin layer of snow turns into a slick sheet of ice.

And so when I heard about hurricane Irene, I made sure to prepare. Not because I feared for my life, but why stick yourself into a needlessly uncomfortable situation? Flashlights, check. Backup candles and matches, check. Drinking water, check. Fill the tub with washing water, check. Five day supply of food, definitely a triple check!

And so I began my marathon cooking session at midnight on Friday. Most people plop into bed after a late night celebrating their friend Shane’s “20th” birthday. I, on the other hand, make a mental list of dishes as I watch the numbers tick up in the elevator, then make a beeline for the kitchen. Sad, I know.

It wasn’t so much that I was worried about starving during the hurricane (I can happily live off of marshmallows, dried fruit and nuts for a few days). I was more worried that the power may go out and spoil everything in the refrigerator. Plus it was a fun challenge to see how much I could make using only the ingredients that I had on hand–granted, I have a ridiculously stocked pantry. I did have a momentary panic attack when I realized I ran out of onions, but then remembered the lovely bunch of leeks from the Union Square Greenmarket.

Here is my account of how I survived hurricane Irene. Consider it a diary of sorts that tracks every hour from Friday night to Sunday afternoon.

Ok, I did pause for some afternoon tea to enjoy the cookies and cupcakes.

And I did take a break to sleep…sort of.

The most amazing woman I know was born today. She can’t run a marathon, bench press 150 pounds, or leap tall buildings in a single bound–but she is a superwoman just the same. I really admire how she has always forged on in the face of adversity and life’s challenges.

I admire her strength–Forced to leave everything behind, including two daughters from an arranged marriage, she came to this country with nothing. She missed her 3-year-old and 10-month-old daughters and wanted to return, but she stayed to create a better life for them.

I admire her intelligence–She can do anything. With her keen business sense and practicality, she can excel in any role or situation.

I admire her empathy–She has never worked in public relations, but she is one of the best PR people I know. She respects everyone regardless of social status, and genuinely cares about them.

I admire her thoughtfulness–She still takes the time to call or send a thank you note, remembers birthdays, and checks-in with family and friends going in to surgery. Regardless of how busy her schedule is, she makes it a point to spend time with the elderly; even if it means flying thousands of miles to see her mother,or driving an hour each way just to spend an afternoon to keep her ailing mother-in-law company.

I admire her values–She is the backbone of the family, scheduling frequent family gatherings to bring together all of her children, their significant others and her grandchildren. The bonds among my sister, brother and I are reinforced by boisterous conversation as we dig in to the feasts that she lovingly prepares. My siblings and I always look forward to these get-togethers. There is never empty silence. We sometimes even talk over each other in our eagerness to share stories and catch up with each other. She cleverly schedules these months in advance so that our busy lives do not get in the way of what truly matters–family.

I admire her beauty–I didn’t know my mom until I was 6-years-old when my sister and I were finally able to come live with her; not having any memories of life as a 10-month-old. All I knew of her were the stories that I heard, and the dresses and Hello Kitty toys that she would send to us whenever she saved up enough to buy them. I do remember her grade school portrait (see below) framed in my grandmother’s living room. Ever since I was 3 or 4-years-old I would sit on the sofa and stare at the photo, thinking that my mom was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Despite the passage of time, my mom is still beautiful inside and out. And lucky for my niece and nephew, they will have wonderful memories of her from ever since they can remember (maybe a little too wonderful because she spoils them rotten as grandparents tend to do).

I will never be able to repay her for all of the times she was there to support me, but I at least wanted to celebrate her special day with these Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes created just for her. Pink and whimsical to represent a daughter’s love for her mom.

I made up the vanilla cupcake base a while ago when I decided I was going to bake without referencing anything, including my cooking notes. I needed to create something simple so that it would be easy to remember if I ever I find myself needing to bake without access to fancy equipment and my recipes.

I did not want the cake to be too sweet so I kept the flour and sugar equal in weight. Cake flour was a must with delicate yellow and white cakes that should have a tender crumb. Every cup of flour needs a teaspoon of baking powder so that it rises (too little and your cake will be flat, too much and the bubbles will escape the batter during baking…also making your cake flat). A little salt enhances all of the other flavors. Heavy cream did double duty as a liquid and a fat, and a smidge of canola oil added moisture. One egg provided enough structure from the egg white, and a hint of yellow from the egg yolk without making the cake taste too eggy. The resulting recipe is just as easy to make as a boxed mix. Just as quick to whip up with the same number of dishes to wash. And it tastes a whole lot better.

Pile cloud-like strawberry cream frosting onto this fluffy vanilla base, and you get a dreamy celebration-worthy cupcake. Happy birthday mom.

Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes

Makes 20 cupcakes.
 
2 cups (218 grams) cake flour
1 cup (220 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg*, room temperature
 
Cream Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, cold
1/3 cup strawberry jam
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups heavy cream, cold
5 strawberries, rinsed dried and quartered
 
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Place 20 cupcake liners in muffin tins.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together by hand the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.
 
Whisk in the heavy cream, canola oil and vanilla until just combined. Do not overmix the batter; otherwise, the cake will be tough.
 
Whisk in the egg until just combined.
 
Scoop the batter into the muffin tins so that they are 2/3 full. Bake for 12 – 13 minutes (7 – 9 minutes for mini cupcakes) until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs (not wet batter) attached to it. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cupcakes from the oven immediately. Overbaking cupcakes makes them dry and tough.
 
Cool the cupcakes for 30 minutes – 1 hour before frosting.
 
To make the frosting:
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with a paddle attachment on medium until it is fluffy. Beat in the jam, vanilla and sugar until just combined.
 
Switch to a whisk attachment and reduce the speed to medium-low. Add the heavy cream in a slow steady stream.
 
Increase the speed to high and whip until the frosting is fluffy and slightly stiff. Do not over whip, otherwise it will look curdled.
 
Frost the cupcakes and top each one with a quarter of a strawberry.
 
Hazel Sy
August 2011

 
*Hazel’s Note:
If you have an issue with the cupcakes setting when baking them, try increasing this to 2 eggs. It is a fine balance between the egg white providing structure and drying out the cake.

Fresh & Co. Video
Check out the Fresh & Co. blog tomorrow to see our video recap of my sandwich-inspired meal.

I learned a surprising life lesson while creating a Fresh & Co. sandwich-inspired meal. Initially I was thrilled to take on the challenge just because it sounded fun, but after I created the dishes I realized that we become more creative when we have constraints. It is a bit counter intuitive. One would think that creativity requires freedom to do and try anything. However, if asked to solve a problem with unlimited resources and time, we would probably just pick the first thing that comes to mind–the same thing that everyone else would think of. Or it could go the other direction, and we would never settle on a solution because we are overwhelmed by all of the possibilities. But if we apply constraints, we are forced to explore options out of our norm.

And so I was able to try something new with each of the dishes that I created for this series. In a way, taking inspiration from Fresh & Co. sandwiches could be viewed as a limitation. Just as a glass half full and a glass half empty are the same thing. Personally, I prefer my glass half full with chocolate milk.

Appetizer: Steak Crisps with Caper Aioli inspired by the Grilled Steak and Fontina Crisp Panini Melt

Entrée: Lemon Dill Roasted Chicken inspired by the Lemon Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Side: Greek Feta Couscous inspired by the Greek Feta & Tomato Baguette Sandwich

While in college, I often made a simple Israeli couscous dish with just onions and chicken broth. It was cheap, tasty and filling just like spaghetti. And just like spaghetti, couscous is a pasta made of semolina (wheat). Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, is larger and toasted giving the hearty pasta a nutty flavor. Cook this like you would rice pilaf or risotto; start by toasting the pearls in a pan then add liquid that will be completely absorbed.

For our sandwich-inspired side dish, I needed something starchy and hearty enough to stand up to roasted chicken. Roasted chicken is succulent, but not exactly the most complex in terms of flavor…so the side could be bright and briny without butting heads with the entrée. As an added bonus, this Greek Feta Couscous can be served lukewarm. If you entertain with this menu, you can make your side before the guests arrive and mingle with them over appetizers while the chicken roasts in the oven.

I really like the combination of tomatoes and feta in the Fresh & Co. baguette. This is a classic pairing similar to spinach and feta. I suggest that you try the Roasted Tomato, Feta and Rocket Quiche from Life’s a Feast. Absolutely delicious! A great way to get your creative juices flowing is to see how many ways you can prepare tomatoes and feta. I am sure it would be fantastic on flatbread, in tacos, or as a stew. See how creative you can get by adding just a few constraints! As for me, I am determined to create a dish using only condiments in the near future. You might even see me rifling through the condiment counter at your local Fresh & Co. In the mean time, check out the Fresh & Co. blog this Thursday to see my video in the fourth post of this series!

Photo courtesy of Fresh & Co.

Greek Feta Couscous

1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
3 scallions, sliced into small rounds with green and white parts separated
1 cup roughly chopped arugula
12 olives, rinsed and finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
 
Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
 
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the white part of the scallions and saute 30 seconds.
 
Add the couscous and cook about 3 minutes until slightly brown, stirring frequently.
 
Add the olives and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until all of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally and scraping up the couscous at the bottom of the pan.
 
Remove the couscous from the heat, and while it is still hot mix in the arugula so that it wilts. Add the tomatoes, feta, and green parts of the scallions.
 
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients then pour over the couscous. Mix to combine.
 
Hazel Sy
August 2011

Stop and eat the sandwiches. Someone asked me how I come up with ideas for Tasty Pursuits. It is a combination of coming up with challenges to push myself (such as the Smoker Box Challenge) and taking inspiration from everything I see, smell and taste…including a quick bite for lunch at Fresh & Co.

Ty, from Fresh & Co., and I were enjoying a sunny summer afternoon eating lunch at their 7th Avenue and 30th Street location. There was spacious seating inside the bright and airy restaurant, but I loved having the option to soak up some rays and people watch at the outdoor seating area. As I munched on my Grilled Steak and Fontina Panini Melt, Ty and I chatted about Fresh & Co.’s mission to provide fresh and healthy dishes that are full of flavor. During our conversation we came up with the idea to create a Tasty Pursuits meal with each dish inspired from a Fresh & Co. sandwich. I have to admit that it wasn’t too difficult because Fresh & Co. has so many tempting flavors such as the Coconut Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich and the Grilled Chicken Funghi Panini Melt.

Over the next two weeks both Tasty Pursuits and Fresh & Co. will be posting the recipes for the meal that I created:

Appetizer: Steak Crisps with Caper Aioli inspired by the Grilled Steak and Fontina Crisp Panini Melt

Entrée: Lemon Dill Roasted Chicken inspired by the Lemon Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Side: Greek Feta Couscous inspired by the Greek Feta & Tomato Baguette Sandwich

I am also playing around with a Fresh & Co. sandwich-inspired dessert, which you may see in a future collaboration!

For the Steak Crisps with Caper Aioli, I loved the combination of sweet caramelized onions with the meaty flavor of steak; however, the most interesting component was the caper aioli. The tangy capers added brightness to create a hearty, yet not to heavy, appetizer. Without the panini melt inspiration, I may never have thought of creating a caper aioli. The fontina cheese added another delicious savory layer to the Fresh & Co. panini melt, but it would have made my bruschetta-like interpretation a bit too complex so I left it out. That is the great thing about being inspired, you have free rein to experiment and make a dish your own.

We can jumpstart our creativity by looking for inspiration everywhere. Consider why you liked the flavors and textures together, re-arrange them or swap some of them with another similar ingredient. I would love to hear about your experiences. Leave a comment and tell me about some dishes you have tried that you would like to use as inspiration…from dishes at three star restaurants, food carts, candies, bakeries and of course, Fresh & Co. And check out the Fresh & Co. blog this Thursday for the Lemon Dill Roasted Chicken recipe.

Photo courtesy of Fresh & Co.