Dim Sum - Adventures into Chinese Delectables

My son William has decided to go back to Pennsylvania for a week to revisit with friends and his grandmother. Of course he cannot keep from bragging how he is going to be enjoying all the food stuffs I had to leave behind; and cannot get anywhere in the area we live now.  We've racked our brains trying to figure out how to package up some of the items, so he can bring them on the plane. Knishes, oh to be able to have them again; piping hot with spicy brown mustard.

There is one place I miss so very, very much and that is the Chinatown area of Philadelphia. We always went to one particular restaurant for Dim Sum, Chow Fun and an assortment of Chinese dishes. The owners knew us by name and would prepare dishes for us that they served to the residents of Chinatown; not from the menu given to tourists. I've tried finding their information online, but no luck, and it has been over 4 years since we were last there, so perhaps they are no longer in business.

The most fantastic place to visit in a Chinatown area is a bakery, filled with all manner of delectables, including Dim Sum. My very favorite place was "Hong Kong Bakery Shop" located at: 917 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19107. We would always order up two dozen roast pork buns, plus a number of other items, such as custard buns, moon cakes and egg custard tarts.

So as an ode to these wonderful memories, I have found information on making roast pork buns; and one of these day I hope to find a copy of the book it comes from. Also to become brave enough to attempt making Dim Sum myself.

This recipe comes from: “The Dim Sum Book: Classic Recipes from the Chinese Teahouse” by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo.

CHAR SIU PORK
Ingredients:
2 – 2 1/2 pounds lean pork butt
1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon blended whiskey
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 small cake, wet preserved bean curd from a jar
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder

Method:
Cut the pork into 1-inch thick strips. Using a small knife, pierce the meat repeatedly at 1/2-inch intervals to help tenderize it.

Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve the bean curd and honey. Place sliced and tenderized pork into a large, resealable plastic bag and pour the mixture over the top. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat, making sure to coat each piece well. Refrigerate the pork for at least 4 hours, or as long as overnight.

Preheat the oven to broil. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place the pork, along with marinade, in a single layer along the bottom. Place the roasting pan on the center rack of the oven and roast for 30 to 50 minutes, turning and basting the meat every 5 minutes, until fully cooked. If the sauce begins to dry out, add water to the pan. To check for doneness, place an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of one of the pieces of pork. It should register 160°. Allow the meat to cool and refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.

BUN FILLING:
Ingredients:
1 cup onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup char siu pork , cut into 1/2 inch, thinly sliced pieces
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 teaspoons white wine
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons ketchup
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of white pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
5 ounces chicken broth
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method:
In a small bowl, whisk to combine the oyster sauce, dark soy, ketchup, sugar, white pepper, cornstarch and chicken stock. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat for 30-4o seconds. Add peanut oil and heat until shimmering and just beginning to smoke slightly. Add onions, turn the heat to low and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the sliced pork, raise the heat to high and stir-fry to combine with the onions. Add white wine to deglaze the pan and mix well.

Lower the heat again and add the reserved sauce mixture from the bowl. Stir until the entire mixture thickens and turns a dark shade of brown, about 5 minutes. Add sesame oil and mix well. Remove the pork mixture from the skillet and spread on a large plate to allow the mixture to quickly come to room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered for 4 hours.


BUN DOUGH:
Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water (115°)
2 cups high-gluten bread flour
1/2 egg, beaten
5 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening

Method:
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Place the bowl in a warm place to allow the yeast to activate, about 30-60 minutes. A brownish foam will have formed on top. Add the flour, egg and lard/shortening and stir continuously with your hand until a dough mass begins to form.

Begin to gather the dough in the bowl, and when the mixture becomes cohesive, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface for kneading. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes, picking it up with a scraper and sprinkling the surface with more flour if it begins to stick.
When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a large mixing bowl and cover with a lightly dampened towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has tripled in size, about 2-3 hours.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE BUNS:

Cut 12 squares of parchment paper, 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead several times. Roll it out with your hands into a roll about 12 inches long. Using a knife or a scraper, divide the dough into 12 1-inch pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others under a damp kitchen towel.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball, then, with fingers, press on the center of the sphere to create a dome and a well. Place 2 teaspoons of filling into the well, hold the bun in one hand, and, with the other, turn the bun while gathering the edges and pinching it closed. Press firmly to seal. Place the completed bun, sealed-end-down on a square of parchment paper. Repeat for the other buns.

Place all of the completed buns on a cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart to allow for expansion. Put the buns in a warm place to allow to rise for another 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Using a spray bottle, spray each bun lightly with warm water and then brush each with beaten egg.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through baking to promote even browning. When the buns are golden brown, remove them from the oven and serve immediately.

The buns can be frozen after baking. To reheat, defrost and bring to room temperature. Cover with foil and place in a 350° oven for 10 15 minutes or until hot.

Makes 12 buns

Mary Cokenour

Another Clean Out the Pantry Meal.

This is one of those recipes that was created out of sheer "I have no clue what to make for dinner" moments. Basically it came about by just looking through the freezer, refrigerator and pantry; then waiting for something to speak to me.

In the freezer I found a pound package of shrimp nearing its expiration date; ok, so need to use those up now. In the refrigerator I found several open containers and packages of cheeses that had been used for other recipes, but not entirely used up; the same for some heavy whipping cream and half n' half. Pantry! That's where the picture started to form in my mind of what ingredients I now could use and how to put it all together. I found a can of sliced mushrooms, tomato sauce and diced tomato; ok, so we're going Italian with this one. But wait, instead of pasta, why not use some of those Amish egg noodles my mother had sent me recently?

With ingredients laid out on the counter, shrimp defrosting in the microwave and water for the noodles waiting to boil; the game plan came into being. While I could have just pieced it all together eventually in a skillet on the stovetop; no, I wanted a casserole that would go in the realm of classic. My son was going to be home from work in about an hour and he was going to be my main guinea pig. He also works as a cook, so knew he would be a strong critic and not hold back; hey, who do you think thought him to cook in the first place!?!

In my to be posted recipe, I call for ricotta cheese blended smooth; this can be achieved with a blender or hand mixer. If, for whatever reason, you cannot find or use ricotta cheese, small curd cottage cheese will work just as well, but it too must be blended smooth. This recipe also contains five different cheeses, so consider it decadent and the lactose intolerant are hereby forewarned.



Pantry Shrimp Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup tomato sauce
1 lb medium sized shrimp, shelled and deveined
8 oz. egg noodles, cooked and kept warm
2 cups half n’ half
½ cup heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup ricotta cheese, blended smooth
½ cup each grated parmesan, shredded provolone, grated pecorino romano cheeses
½ tsp each ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup each shredded mozzarella and shredded pecorino romano cheeses

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F; smear butter on the bottom and sides of a 2 quart casserole dish. Place in a large mixing bowl the mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato sauce, shrimp and cooked egg noodles.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring the half n’ half, whipping cream and butter to a simmer; whisk in the ricotta cheese. Gradually add in the parmesan, provolone and grated romano cheeses; also the black pepper and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low and stir until all cheeses are melted; quickly add to the ingredients in the large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.


Spread out mixture into the casserole dish and top evenly with the shredded mozzarella and romano cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes; until cheeses are melted and beginning to brown around the edge of the dish.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Haute Gourmet Mexican.

Last night Fattboyz Grillin hosted one of their specialty nights, Mexican Night. In June they hosted Italian Night and I'm still crying about missing out on that one. Anyway, the featured chef was Leon Sampson, a culinary arts student destined to be top notch. His creative dishes showed his culinary talents from flavoring to plating.

My friend Heidi and son William accompanied me for dinner; we happily needed wheelbarrows to help us to our cars afterwards. So, lets talk about our Mexican feast.


With our drink order came a basket of multicolored tortilla chips and a freshly sensational salsa. The real opening number was Posole, a soup containing tenderly fat hominy, shredded pork and seasoned broth. A warm, generous portion of Navajo Fry Bread and cilantro pesto paid homage to the posole.


Next came the teaser, Street Tacos, of either shredded chicken or beef; tenderly seasoned with fresh vegetables on crispy mini tortillas. Fun is the key word here.

But wait, there's more!



The Combo Plate featuring a shredded beef enchilada in a red tortilla and a homemade sauce that was dark red, thick and rich; Tamale Pie draped with ancho pod sauce that was sweet with heat; creamy refried beans and moist rice. Just because there is a lot of desert in Mexico certainly does not mean the rice and beans have to be desert dry.

I made sure to taste each item several times and though I wanted to eat more and more, my stomach finally put a halt on the binging. So you know full well what I'm having for a leftover meal tonight.

Congratulations Leon on a culinary feat well executed; Congratulations Reed for getting Fattboyz higher and higher on the map of eateries in the Four Corners area.

Mary Cokenour

Chinese Spaghetti?

Lo Mein is a popular dish in most Chinese restaurants and take outs.  The noodles are made from wheat flour and are similar in shape to an Italian pasta, namely spaghetti.  Lo Mein noodles can also be flat and wide resembling fettuccine pasta.  In Cantonese, lo mein means "stirred noodles", basically cooked in boiling water and then mixed with a sauce.  Chow mein noodles are stir fried, so tend to have a drier, crisp texture to the noodle.

Personally I have never tried making lo mein myself as I thought it was too complicated.  However, my mother had found lo mein noodles (the flat, wide type) in her local supermarket and sent me several packages.  Well I was now committed to making the attempt, as I didn't want to waste the product.   It was also another reason to break out the Wok and try something different.

There are so many recipes online for Lo Mein, balanced between extremely easy to very complicated; some with a few ingredients, some with too many to count.  I basically went with what I know we like to have in our Lo Mein whenever we order it at a Chinese restaurant.  I let my husband and son choose what protein they wanted; chicken, beef, pork or seafood.  They chose shrimp, but happily chimed in "Yes!" when I mentioned I had crab meat and scallops also available; so we combined all three.  I used chicken broth in the sauce, as I didn't have any fish or vegetable stock in the pantry; the taste was not compromised in any way.

While it was good, we all agreed that we would rather have had the noodle that resembled spaghetti.  The flat, wide noodles absorbed too much of the sauce; and were cumbersome to eat, so now we know better for next time.  The vegetables I used balanced well with the seafood, but I will probably add bok choy if using beef, since beef has a more overwhelming flavor than seafood.

All and all, another cooking adventure that I gladly shared with my family.  Enjoy!



Lo Mein

Ingredients:

1 lb lo mein noodles (thin or flat)
4 Tbsp peanut oil, divided in half
½ cup each thinly sliced bell peppers and onion
¼ cup green onion, cut at an angle
1 ½ cups bite sized pieces chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, scallops, crabmeat (or any combination)
1 cup stock (chicken, beef or vegetable depending on protein used)
6 Tbsp oyster sauce
6 Tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp each minced ginger and garlic
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 cup straw mushrooms
1 cup bean sprouts

Preparation:

Cook lo mein noodles according to package directions; set aside, but keep warm.


In a large Wok or skillet, heat 2 Tbsp peanut oil; add bell peppers, onion and green onion; sauté till softened. Remove and set aside.


Add remaining 2 Tbsp peanut oil; sauté protein for 2 minutes before adding 2 Tbsp each of oyster and soy sauces; cook another minute, remove and set aside.



In same Wok or skillet, mix together 4 Tbsp each oyster and soy sauces, cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and white pepper. Bring to a boil and let cook 2 minutes to thicken; add back sautéed vegetables and cooked protein; add mushrooms, sprouts and lo mein noodles. Mix together thoroughly and let cook together for 3 minutes; tossing frequently to coat and heat through.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Real Men Make Mom Quiche.

Mothers' Day will be this coming Sunday, but unfortunately, my son William will still be in Pennsylvania. However, he has decided to move here; the tickets have been bought, vacation time has been scheduled and he'll be arriving the weekend of May 26th. We're all feeling a bit excited and nervous at the same time; it's been three years since we moved to Utah and he decided to stay behind. Talk about new adventures!

Anyway, if he was here for Mothers' Day, I would love to see a demonstration of the culinary skills he acquired while working as a cook. Now we've all heard the saying, "real men don't eat quiche"; well I want to see it made. I know he reads my blog, so Bill, pay attention as you'll be tested soon after you arrive and settle in.

Quiche was already written about in January 2011, but I'll do a quick recap.

Basic Quiche

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups half n’ half
4 eggs, beaten
1/8 tsp salt (can be adjusted up or down dependent on ingredients added in)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 – 9” unbaked deep dish pastry shell

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine half n’ half, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour into pastry shell; bake for 45-50 minutes, or until egg mixture is golden brown and set.

See guys, easy peasy, so now I'm going to throw in a curve ball...Asparagus. It's basically a super vegetable; low in calories and sodium; contains zinc, iron, folic acid, vitamins A, C, E and K and whole bunch of other minerals I won't bore you with. The popular type seen in stores is a green color which will become woody as it grows older. The tougher the stem, the older the asparagus, so look for those young, tender shoots.

There is a white variety which is basically the green type that has been grown inside a hill of dirt; the sun kept off of it to keep photosynthesis from occurring and turning the vegetable green. I love this type in Vietnamese Crab Asparagus soup, and I'll post that recipe one of these days.

For the quiche, I steamed 10 spears of asparagus till fork tender; and sauteed a quarter cup of diced onions in butter, on medium heat, till soft, but not browned or burned. I added the onions and a half cup of shredded Swiss cheese to the basic quiche mixture. After pouring the mixture into the pie crust, the fun really began. I started to place the asparagus spears in a tree design, cutting some of the spears in half to make smaller "branches" for the tree. Now the spears will float a bit in the liquid, so don't expect a perfect design, but from the picture above, I'd say it came out kind of cute.

So there's the challenge for you real men out there; make a quiche for your mom on Mothers' Day. It might not turn out perfect, but in her eyes, you, and it, will be.

Mary Cokenour

Happy Birthday William Petrara, wherever you are.

Today is my son’s birthday; he is now 21 years old, a legal adult in every way, shape and form. I can’t really tell you much else about him, as I haven’t been in his life since he was 18 ½ years old; his choice, not mine. I have heard through the grapevine that he is finally realizing the mistakes he’s made. That’s sort of amusing, considering he was always saying, “I refuse to learn from my mistakes”, and “I know I make bad choices, and don’t care”. If you happen to know William, or just want to wish him a Happy Birthday, he does have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/people/William-Petrara/1133891873

I can relate stories of him before the estrangement between us; the sort of embarrassing stories a mom relates to a son’s friends or girlfriend. I can tell you how he loved to have broccoli and cheese for dessert when he was a little boy. That he thought the Power Rangers were great, especially the White Ranger and his Tigerzoid; he had action figures and accessories galore. That I was “Momma Wolf”, and he was my little gray wolf pup. How we celebrated his 18th birthday in Florida, two weeks of hitting the Disney and Universal Parks; his birthday dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Marguaritaville Restaurant. The best was that I was the coolest mom of all the moms, a 9 ¾ rating; he couldn’t give me a 10 because, well heck, I was a mom, but if I wasn’t, then I’d rate a 10 in coolness.

William wasn’t big on desserts until he was older, not so much on cake as he was on brownies, cookies, and, especially, my Rice Krispie treats. Don’t really know why they were so special, except maybe they were made just for him, and with love.

So, Happy Birthday William; I do hope you are very happy, healthy, and getting wiser. Love, Mom.

…and if you were around, I’d make these for you to celebrate this big day in your life.

                                  

Black Forest Brownies 

Ingredients:

Brownie Layer


4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 Tbsp butter
¾ cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cherry preserves

Frosting Layer4 Tbsp butter, softened
½ cup cream cheese, softened
1 tsp cherry liqueur
1 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar

Garnish
¼ cup shredded bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup chopped candied cherries

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9” x 9” baking pan with nonstick baking (contains flour) spray.

On low heat, melt together the chocolate and butter in a double boiler till smooth and shiny; set aside and keep warm.

Into a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, brown sugar and cherry preserves; add the flour and salt to the large bowl, mix thoroughly until smooth. Spread batter evenly into baking pan; bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out of center cleanly. Let cool before frosting.

While brownies cool, prepare frosting by creaming together butter, cream cheese, cherry liqueur and confectioner’s sugar. Spread over top of cooled brownies. Sprinkle the shredded chocolate and chopped cherries over top.

Makes 16 brownies.

Mary Cokenour
February 9, 1993 (created this recipe for William's 3rd birthday)

I'm a mom, but you wouldn't know it.

Yes, I'm the mom of an adopted son from El Salvador.  He was two years old when this tiny little person came off a plane, and into our arms.  Adorable was the word to describe him, sweet was another.  I, the woman who never wanted to have children, was now a mother...a mom...and I didn't have an instruction manual, so I winged it.  Every day, I let William know how much I wanted and loved him; gave up working outside the home for eight years to be a stay-at-home-mom.  I only went back to work when he started going to school full-time, and being at home was no longer beneficial to anyone.

We weren't rich, but did better than most of our friends.  We provided him the best we could afford, and refused to buy those expensive trendy clothes and toys.  The most important thing is that we taught him values, manners and morals; not something a lot of parents do anymore.  So many times I was stopped by a person and told, "He is such a well mannered boy; you don't see that much nowadays".

My first husband wasn't in the picture much; he loved having the title of "father", but that's where it ended.  He was mentally, emotionally, and many times, physically abusive to us both.  I filed for divorce the day after he tried to strangle William with his bare hands.  Instead of growing up and older with his son, he felt he had been replaced as the center of attention, and that was too much for this man to handle.

William had many goals as he grew older, but his main ones were to be an architect and an artist; when it came to artwork, he was very good.  So enters Roy, a graphic artist, and he was able to help William with his artwork.  Unfortunately, a young girl with severe personal problems came into William's life also.  Drinking, drugs and sex were her lifestyle, and endorsed by her own mother...like mother, like daughter.

But she wasn't the only cause of William's downfall; he had established many a friendship with boys who lived on "The Hill".

Living in half million dollar homes, parents making six figure salaries, country club memberships, housekeepers and cooks...how were we middle class parents to compete?

And so, all the values, morals and manners taught to William went out the window, and were replaced with lying, stealing, staying out all the time, and making sure he couldn't be reached.  His goal to go to college was replaced with, "you have to finance an apartment for me, buy me a $30,000 car, and give me free access to your money."  He wanted to party all the time, and be bankrolled by us.  Surprise!!!, ain't gonna happen little boy.

I haven't really had much contact with William since I've moved to Utah.  We asked him to move with us, start a new life out West, but he stayed in Pennsylvania to be near his friends and girlfriend.  The girlfriend?  She moved to Michigan, got herself a new boyfriend, of course, after cleaning out William's bank account.  His friends?  They all went to college, didn't have much to do with William, except if he had booze and pot to share. 

Now William works two food industry jobs, shares a house with three other young men, and is basically learning how tough it is in the real world.  He'll be 21 on February 9th, and be considered an adult in every way, shape and form.  Now the question is, will he really become an adult, take responsibility for his own actions, and stop blaming his family for "all his problems and losses"?  Good question, wonder if I'll ever find out the answer?

I still love my son, am sad for him, but am sadder still that what was allowed to take place was the death of a close and loving mother-son relationship.

Which brings me to today's recipe, "Funeral Potatoes"; "say what?!?", you might ask. I received the recipe from a friend and coworker named Heidi, who explained that it's a dish that usually shows up at any meal related to a funeral, hence the name.  It's a Utah thing.

Funeral Potatoes – It’s a Utah thing

Ingredients:

7 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet)

½ cup butter, plus 8 additional ½ Tbsp pieces

1 can Cream of Chicken soup, family size

½ can milk

1/3 cup onion, minced

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 pint sour cream

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Corn flakes

*optional: real bacon bits

Preparation:

Boil potatoes, skin on, till fork tender (slightly firm); let cook, peel off skin and grate.

In a large saucepan, combine cup of butter, soup and milk, on medium heat, till hot; do not bring to boil.  Whish in onion, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper till smooth.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with non-stick spray), layer potatoes then sauce (there will be 3 layers of each).  Top with an even layer of corn flakes; dot with the 8-1/2 Tbsp of butter.  Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

Next day, preheat oven to 350F.  Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.