Culinary Comforts: Cauliflower, Korma, Crustaceans!

Scallops a la Q

Today, I present to you a trifecta of cookery:
     I/ Cauliflower Soup
     II/ Vegetable Korma (without dairy)
     III/ Scallops Provencal (without dairy)

Cauliflower Soup

To make broth, I thoroughly washed some pork bones, then boiled them in water for about 1.5 hours. 

During the first 45 minutes, all of this crazy scum surfaced, and I had to scoop it out non-stop. I took out so much scum that I actually had to add back some water to replenish the volume!

After a total of 1.5 hours of gentle, pleasant simmering, I added salt, pepper, and fish sauce to season the broth.

Then I added whatever veggies I have lying around: cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots. I then let it simmer further for at least another hour to let the vegetables tenderize and fill the broth with yummy sweetness and nutrients. 

In truth, I should add the veggies in order of their cook time.  For example, carrots take longer to cook than cauliflower and potatoes and should go in first. But in reality, I am like WHATEVS and add them to the broth indiscriminately.

I added green onions last because I like them to stay greenish when I eat the soup for the first time. After the 2nd or 3rd day the onions are completely soften but still yummy. 

Then I painted my nails, added some crushed black pepper, and CHOW CHOW CHOW.

Ouch, I think I burned my tongue.

Vegetable Korma

I made this twice.  Please compare and contrast as you are able: 

I found a recipe allrecipes.com. To start, I created a paste of eye-annihilating fumes composed of onions, shallots, garlic, and ginger. I accomplished this with a food processor, otherwise I sure would have chopped my own fingertips into the paste. The paste was then cooked in a little bit of oil and it actually smelled rather delicious. Then I added the potatoes and cauliflower. I let that sit for awhile until the water came out of the veggies and they softened nicely. Then I added curry powder and some canned tomato sauce. This made a beautiful orange curry sauce! It was like magic. To thicken it, I added almond flour. To lighten it and creamify it without milk/yogurt I used almond milk. Not a perfect substitute but I think it was still pretty good.

The second time I made it, I didn't have tomato sauce so I used diced tomatoes and it just wasn't the same...

Scallops Provencal

Let me preface by saying that scallops are SO easy to make at home that I will never order them for $27 at a restaurant again! And may I add that it's usually a restaurant that doesn't use $ or .00 in their menu so their scallop dish simply costs 27.

I bring to you...

Quyen's Yummy Scallops                                                                  10.

 I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten.  She used lots of butter.  I used 0 butter.

First the scallops are salted and peppered. Then I dredged them in a mixture of all-purpose flour and almond flour in order to create a delicious crust.  I heated oil in a skillet (alas, unable to use butter) and dropped the scallops in. I let them brown, then flipped them. Flip!

After both sides are brown, Ina Garten starts to add more butter.  I simply do nothing.

.

.

.

Actually I just skipped the butter step and add some coarsely chopped shallots and garlic and let that swoosh around.  Then I added a splash of white wine to scrape up the brown bits stuck to the pan. Now.. this step is controversial to me...I added almond milk. I was trying to sub some kind of opaque fat but I don't think that it adds anything to the dish. It didn't taste bad though (in fact it was quite scrumpsh) so at least it wasn't destructive. Then some chopped flat leaf parsley, some lemon, some Dilaudid---wait no, not that.

Bon appetit!

Mousse Tracks

My dad has been getting Bon Appetit magazine. After he is done with them, he hands them over to me. I usually leaf through cover to cover, longingly drooling at the food photography and complicated culinary concepts.

One day, I decided to invite my friends Shana and Grace over to tackle the chocolate mousse recipe.

It was awesome.

We actually made real dinner, too.  By "we" I meant Shana, who believed that mousse should be preceded by actual food. Girlfriend brought over some chicken and veggies and all of a sudden, there was chicken marsala AND vegetable side dishes! Food groups! By "food groups" I am also going to include wine and mousse, which we had.

It was definitely a group effort to make the mousse.  I did not take any pictures of the process because I had a hard time understanding the instructions.  Thus, we ended up using the Kitchenaid bowl to melt the egg yolk over a water bath without touching the (troubled) water. And then using a hand mixer to mix everything else whilst the Kitchenaid itself was sitting there wondering why it was being benched for the inning.

That last paragraph was probably not worth deciphering. Let's look at some mousse. Yummmm.

I guess it should look obvious that we put the mousse into some tiny heart-shaped teacups and 1 small ramekin. Just thought I'd clarify.

Watching the Matzo Ball Drop

Happily, I got today off. Naturally, I made matzo ball soup to celebrate the dawning of 2013:

This is a pretty easy soup to make. Ingredients include, but certainly are not limited to:

chicken bones (we used a chicken carcass!)

water

2 onions 

parsley

salt, pepper, dill

pinch of curry powder

1. First I cut up the chicken carcass, then filled the pot with water to cover the bones. 

2. Then I plopped in the onions with the skin on--this imparts a golden color to the broth. 

3. The mixture was simmered for a loooong time until it tasted like broth and not chicken-water. I believe this took about 3-4 hours but I was not watching the clock.  Remember to skim off the scum and excess fat!

[Using chicken carcass actually cut down on a lot of fat, compared to in the past when I used chicken pieces. Fact.]

4. Then I (actually I made Mike do this) fished out the bones, stripped off the chicken pieces and returned that to the broth.
5. The onions get stripped of their skin, and by this time they are soft so I smushed them into bits.

6. I tossed in the seasonings to taste and added chopped parsley, which was the only green thing still left in the fridge. (Had I carrots, parsnips or celery, they would have joined the party, too.  But alas, we ate those already on another occasion.)

7. Then Manischewitz came and provided a matzo ball mix which I diligently made as per instructions.  

Brrrrr, thank goodness for hot chicken soup. In the grand astronomical scheme of things, humans lamentably exist in a pitifully narrow spectrum of temperature.  Just 5-6 months ago, we were installing air conditioners in our windows and melting in the sun. Now we are quaking and shivering every time we set foot near a window and protecting ourselves in layers of down when we venture outdoors.

Anyway, long-winded but I need to explain why I am wearing all these layers, and leggings, and knee socks! All this so that I can wear a skirt to work on New Year's Eve day.

Sweater: Valerie Stevens cashmere (hand-me-down from my mom) | Shirt: H&M s/p studding by moi | Skirt: Anthropologie Trench Coat Skirt | Socks: Gap | Shoes: unknown brand

I am happy to say I remained well-insulated in this get-up. Mission accomplished.

Well...Happy New Year!

From my Holiday Oven

'Twas the night before Christmas and there was one mouse a-stirring...cookie dough, that is. (That mouse was me.)  It all started out as a basic cookie dough for chocolate chip cookies, as per this recipe.  Then, I divided it in two and invented two new cookies!

New Cookie #1: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Walnut

I really should try to come up with a more creative name, like "Ostrich Cookie" or "Clumsy Cookie."  But alas, I know not of a fitting moniker to accurately capture how wholesome n' earthy yet sophisticated this cookie tastes.

The sophistication comes from the coarse salt sprinkled on before baking! Other ingredients, surprising and not, include:
- a generous dollop of creamy natural PB (the kind that separates into oil)
- chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup ground up oatmeal (wholesome/earthy)

Next time, I will squash them flat before baking so that they come out thinner.

New Cookie #2: Peppermint Chocolate Marble Cookie or "Zingy Swirl Cookie"

Some cookies are more swirly than others.

For this cookie, crushed candy canes are added festively to melted chocolate whilst singing a happy holiday tune. This mixture is cooled prior to swirling back into the plain cookie dough.
I used:
- 8 candy canes (the regular size, not the mini size)
- 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
This cookie had a much better spread and crispiness than the Clumsy Cookie above. My suspicion is that the melted chocolate thinned it out, or perhaps it was the lack of oatmeal...

Have no fear, peek in here!

Nom-licious

Bonus Baked Good: Lastly but not leastly. I went on a sufganiyot adventure! I followed the instructions from the videos on www.sufganiyot.com.  I think it is special and amazing that such a website exists.

Sufganiyot = a fried and jelly-filled Chanukah miracle

Simply Noodles

Mike and I have been stocking up on fresh noodles. After flash-cooking them (submerge in boiling water x 10 seconds), the noodles are run under cold water to keep them from turning into a glutinous soggy mess.  Then, we basically stir fry them as per our whim, trying to mix things up night to night. Usually we employ some combination of fish sauce or soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

We add whatever veggies we have lying around. And chopped chives and green onions go in towards the end.

Bon appetit!

Thanksgiving Bonanza 2012

This year for Thanksgiving, I was thankful that I did not cause a small kitchen fire.  Fires are sooo 2011.

But seriously, like WO we hosted 7 of our friends and fed them a real dinner with cloth napkins and all the plates and silverware that we received from the wedding.

Wait a minute, is that HEN?!

YES THAT IS HEN.

My friends brought some dishes over (cranberry sauce, and stuffing, and yams) which can be seen above.

I woke up and started cooking at 6AM again like last year. Here's the menu I conjured, with links to each dish's Chronicle of Creation (or Description of Disaster?)

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

Green Bean Casserole

Sweet and Sour Brisket (No dedicated pics! Ate too quickly!)

Rosemary Garlic Cornish Hens

Devil's Food Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Icing

And that was the sweet and buttery conclusion to it all!

Chapter 1: Thanksgiving Appetizer / Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

What can I say, this whole endeavor started because I was curious about roasting whole garlic in the oven.

It really is as fascinating and delicious as they say.  Basically the whole bulb of garlic gets drizzled with olive oil and wrapped in foil and roasts in an oven.  Then it falls out of the skin all soft and aromatic.

I actually used 1 and a half bulbs of garlic.

I ate a lot of the garlic when it came out of the oven but there was still some to go into the soup.  Earlier in the day, potatoes were peeled, cubed, and boiled.  Then smashed into submission!!! And broth + almond milk were added until it was creamy.

At some point I must've added shredded cheddar cheese to the soup but in the end it didn't matter because you can't really taste the difference--the roasted garlic was all the flavor it needed.  

Mike and I had potato soup during a break from cooking.

On the day after Thanksgiving, the soup became dehydrated and turned into just regular mashed potatoes.  The garlic flavored intensified at this point and I was in garlic potato heaven!

Chapter 2: Thanksgiving Sidekick / Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole was gratifying to make because it came together easily and was super tasty.

hey where did those crazy yams come from?

First I boiled fresh green beans and set them aside to hang out with some yams.  

Then I sauteed king trumpet mushrooms (from the Chinese store) in onions and garlic.

For the liquid portion I added vegetable stock and almond milk (instead of cream)

I then devilishly snuck in some marsala wine! 

I seasoned liberally with whatever was around, namely white pepper, salt, garlic powder, and...nutmeg! 

(Got that last one from Alton Brown)

Mushroom soup detour! This was Mike's 1st  lunch. Trumpet mushrooms are SO GOOD.

Now it's straightforward. Note the shallot topping I made by tossing shallots (cut into rings) with panko breadcrumbs and flour. I also added some sliced garlic in there.  Next time I'll double the amount--it seems to shrink like a sweater in the dryer. Off it went into the oven for 10-12 min at 350 until bubbling.

Note: Topping goes on towards the end of baking to ensure crispiness.

Chapter 3: Thanksgiving Main Course / Rosemary Garlic Cornish Hens

Hens are mini chickens. Fact.

Mike helped treeeeemendously.  I had a really hard time slushing the seasoning under the skin.  Since  Mike is a pathologist, he is used to doing stuff like that.  Or so I tell myself.

The recipe essentially involves:

1. wedge of lemon and sprig of rosemary go inside the cavity of each hen

2. make a marinade from olive oil, soy sauce, torn up rosemary bits, minced garlic, this and that

3. spread marinade under the skin

4. rub the outside of skin with salt, pepper, garlic powder, this and that

5. cut up veggies and peel 30 cloves of garlic and place them as above

6. roast at 425 x 25 min

7. turn down heat to 375 and bake for 25 min, basting with juices every 10 min

I need some more practice with determining degree of doneness in poultry (maybe I should get a meat thermometer) but hey these hens tasted and looked GREAT!!

Oooh you can see the brisket (the "other" main course) 2nd on the right!

Note the stuffing, yams, and cranberry sauce my friends made. Oh yumness, I am so hungry now.

Chapter 4: Thanksgiving Dessert / Non-Dairy Devil's Food Cake

The cake-rendering started the night before Thanksgiving. 

My friend Shana and I donned aprons and watched the Kitchenaid Mixer make a cake.  

When our part came to take the cakes out of the oven in a timely manner, we were too busy drinking wine and listening to the BeeGee's. Therefore the cake was a little dry and *may* have cracked down the middle (not pictured--I would be insane to put that on film). 

Mike thinks this is the weirdest picture on the whole blog.  I say, "Let them eat cake!"

The buttercream rendering started at 6AM Thanksgiving morning.

Step 1: whip 5 egg whites into submission (stiff peaks)
Step 2: drizzle hot melted sugar onto whites
(the hot sugar theoretically cooks the whites so that we are not ingesting raw eggs)

Egg whites are glossy and indestructible after they have been reinforced with sugar.
Step 3: Egg whites are now hot and need to be cooled down to same temp as butter.
Can you tell that I am wearing polka dot PJs?

Step 4: Room temp butter/margarine is whipped into submission
(not pictured) Step 4a: Spoon dollops of room temp egg whites in with butter.
(not pictured) Step 4b: Struggle
I disobeyed my own cardinal rule--SUBSTANCES AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES 
WILL NOT EMULSIFY
(not pictured) Step 4c: Genius (madness) intervenes as I submerge the mixture into a bath of boiling water for 10 seconds.
Step 5: Behold delicious buttercream! 

After all that hullaballoo, frosting the cake seems peaceful.

wait, where did that square cake come from?

 I somewhat foolishly made a second cake from the egg yolks leftover from the buttercream icing, revising the original cake recipe (which contained 3 whole eggs) to include 5 egg yolks instead. This (and timely removal of cake from the oven) afforded a moister, even more amazing Devil's Food Cake.

Revised Devil's Food Cake (no egg whites and no dairy)

2c all purpose flour

1 1/2 t baking soda

3/4 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

6T butter-flavored shortening + 4T margarine

2c sugar

3/4 c cocoa powder

2T vanilla extract

5 egg yolks (leftover from buttercream icing)

1 1/2 c water

1/4 c almond or soymilk

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt + set aside.

2. Beat shortening/margarine until smooth then slowly add sugar.

3. Add cocoa powder and vanilla, beat 1 minute.

4. Add egg yolks

5. Bring water + milk to boil, then take off heat but no need to wait til cool.

6. Meanwhile, add flour mixture to batter on low speed.

7. Add hot water/milk to batter and fold with spatula or mix on low speed.

8. Bake 350 center rack x 30-35 min.

I sure love cake when it's sitting on a platter that pretty.