Year of the Dumpling

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

We're coming up that time of year again.  That time of year where I roll up my sleeves and make potstickers.   Living in Southern California, it's easy to find delicious dumplings in the San Gabriel Valley.  There are so many wonderful dumpling houses like Mama Lu's, Din Tai Fung, JJ Dumpling, et al that offer a great variety of dumplings -- pork, fish, shrimp, chicken, vegetarian -- and let's face it, many of us are overworked and over-scheduled.

Is it worth taking time to make hand fill and hand wrap dumplings when there are so many other good causes at stake?   Recently my father in law fell and was hospitalized.   We are at wit's end and feeling helpless.  Praying and hoping for a diagnosis, a treatment, positive news.   My mother in law called and said she had a very important question for me.  Her tone scared me a little since she doesn't often preface her questions with such a statement.

What is your recipe for the simplest beef stew?

A smile of relief.   Alas, there was something I could do.

Food is important.

Yes, homemade dumplings are still worth making at least once a year.  Even if it takes less time to devour them than to shop, mix, wrap and cook them.

Dumplings are like meatballs.  Everyone has their favorite fillings and an opinion on how thick the dough should be.   Me, I like variety so I often change it up.

This year I made pork shrimp chive shitake mushroom mixture.

1 lb ground pork
1 lb shrimp
a bunch of garlic chives
2 medium to large shitake mushrooms
garlic
ginger
soy sauce
sesame oil

I bought gyoza wrappers from H.K Market.
Pan-fried on one side.
Add water, steam to finish.

And of course, as the chef, I have do a taste test.

Happy Chinese New Year!  This is the year of the monkey.  Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Camino Real

This is Camino

where the chef/owners have definite opinions and are purists.  Only and always organic.   If something is too expensive, do without it.  When trying burdock for the first time, the chef refused to "google," preferring to discover the joys of burdock by trial and error.   Nothing is wasted.

Enjoyed reading about fried farro as a healthier substitution for fried rice.  I can't cook in a whole open fire -- no facilities.  Like Moore and Hopelain, I too have more of a figleaf tree than a fig tree (varmint! drought) so it is nice to find some recipes where I can grill the fig leaves.  The photographs are inviting and their strong point of view inspires new ideas.

Not sure I'll make many of these recipes.  You'll definitely want to eat at the restaurant after reading this cookbook.  The chef/owners are committed to doing their best to please your palate and feed your soul.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast for me is usually coffee.  Lots of coffee.

Sundays, I try to treat myself to the New York & L.A. Times and a real breakfast.  So this morning, I made a breakfast spaghetti with shallot, spinach, kale and swiss chard from my garden topped with a poached egg.  The fresh eggs came from the farmers market.  A little bit of bacon.  Perfection in a bowl.  Irresistible.  I gobbled it all up.

Michael Symon 5 in 5

I was excited to review Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for a number of reasons.  One, his pain is my pain.   He is a born and bred Clevelander; I grew up in Akron, Ohio.  We both root, pray and suffer for the Cleveland Browns.

Two, I love his infectious laugh.

Three, whenever I perform in the Akron Cleveland area, or have a show going on there, I do my best to eat in at least one of Michael Symon's restaurants.   Why?  It's a tradition ever since opening night of JUNK BONDS at Cleveland Public Theater.   The artistic director then, Jim Levin, treated me to a wonderful meal to celebrate a successful run.

Last but not least, a number of friends lately have asked me to recommend some easy but tasty cookbooks.   With a title 5 in 5, I thought I have to recommend my "homeboy" if at all possible.

The book is divided by seasons + holiday.  The holidays section is probably my favorite because it such an intense time of family friends and food that I need more "easy but tasty" recipes.  Not too easy that it looks like you don't care -- believe me, when you're a home chef, expectations rise -- and not too difficult that you're stuck in kitchen hell.

None of the recipes in this book are difficult.  The ingredients are easy to find, the steps are simple and easy to follow, and there are plenty of photographs to drool over.   It's going to be controversial here in CA where avocado is king, but I may have to try Symon's Spring pea "guacamole" with grilled bread and radish.

I'm happy to report this book lives up to its name.  5 Easy Steps or Less.  Five fresh ingredients which you can cook in five minutes or less.  Finally a book that can help you meet your new year's resolution to cook more.  Highly recommended for the beginning cook.

In full disclosure, I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Butter-Roasted Turnips

Butter-Roasted Turnips and Turnip Greens

Like Hugh Acheson, my first relationship with the turnip was with the wrong turnip.

In the grocery store, the turnips are often large, sitting in a bin with their greens cut off.   They look like unwanted orphans -- like me -- I wanted to like them and experimented.  Roasting.  Boiling. Putting them in soups, stews and pot au feus.  There was always a stubborn bitterness that lingers.  

Last week at the farmers market, I saw a different kind of turnip.  Fresh greens affixed to small white globes -- a Japanese variety of turnips.  A bunch sold for $2.  I bought one bunch, hoping this time for a happy, tasting ending.  

While cleaning up my office, I picked up Hugh Acheson's Broad Fork and thought, where on the bookshelf will I put this.  Before I could accomplish that task, the book fell open to the page about turnips and I knew then, what I would make for my dinner.

He was right, the recipe is so simple; finding the right turnip is not.  But, I'll keep my eye out for these.

Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees.   Half these turnips and put cut side down in a pan with melted better.

Let them brown in the butter for about three minutes.  Then put them in the oven for another three minutes.

You should get this tasty sweet caramelization when you flip them cut side up.

While the turnips are in the oven, saute and wilt the greens in melted better.

Then combine (plate).

This dish was truly a revelation.  The young tender greens were delicious, the turnips fork tender adn sweet.  We gobbled it all up.  No leftovers.  You feel nourished and proud that you ate something from root to leaf.

Now if I could only find these turnips regularly, and at an affordable price.

Happy Cooking

If you have a crush on Giada -- who doesn't? -- this is the cookbook for you.  Lots of photos where Giada is smiling brightly, you could almost swear she's smiling at you.

If cooking has a tendency to stress you out, this cookbook is for you.  Giada looks so happy cooking that you'll want to cook too.  Her recipes look good, and are good for you = double happiness.

Happy Cooking offers 200 easy to follow recipes, time saving tips, food swaps and healthy eating strategies. Perfect gift for busy working folks who need some ideas, inspiration and support after a grueling day at the office.   The mini eggplant parmesans in the Snacks and Small Plates section look ravishing and whisper, make me!  The mussels with fennel and Italian beer look inviting.  If you want to eat well without the fuss, this book might make you happy.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Slow Fires

I'm slowly braising my brisket...and the UPS carrier delivers this wonderful book to me. What wonderful company this book makes while I find myself patiently building flavors to celebrate Hanukkah.

The recipes are grouped into 52 meals, one for each week of the year.  I guess I know what I'm making in 2016.  As Smillie freely admits, all these meals take time, but the rewards are joyful. The good news is that it's not difficult.  Foil-roasted beets and carrots is easy.  

Careful planning helps.  I know because that's what I do to get the meals on the table.  In my experience, when the reward is so tasty, I often forget how long I spent cooking.  Seriously.  A friend recently asked me how long I braised my brisket, and I completely underestimated.  How and why? Because when your food tastes great, when your friends rave about and request your brisket all year round -- you don't see this time as "lost," or "wasted."   Especially if you have a good book to read or a song to master on the piano in between inserting the fork into the meat to test resistance.  At any rate, Smillie offers a timetable on how to plan the meals.

Braising, Roasting, Grilling, Foundation & Finishes.  The photographs are mouthwatering.  I look forward to testing and tasting these recipes in the new year.  Clams in avocado chile butter, sold me. Grilled quail, one of my favorite birds.  You won't run out of inspiration.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.