Libations of a Long Weekend...

Labor Day weekend... Wonderful. Extra long weekend always cheer me up. Considering that I have a tendency to procrastinate (don't we all?), long weekends are great for catching up on things. Of course, my ideal long weekends involve me being in the kitchen, trying out some new dishes. Some are savory, some are sweet, just the way life works most of the time. Like I always say, life is like food. Sometime the unlikeliest of combinations are what works out the best. Its the type of thing we see in movies over and over again, yet we are always surprised by it. Today feels like a great day to fall back on my traditions, the Asian heritage that I'm so thankful that I can be part of. Just imagine, living in the Western world, but still have access to the most traditional Asian cuisines. The thought of not knowing what Chinese food taste like outside of take-outs can put me into a super depressing mode :(.

In appreciation of my roots, today I made an awesome Miso-Encrusted Orange Ruffie. It was quite delicious. For those that don't know what miso is, it is a paste-like substance often used by the Japanese to make soup, as well as a variety of different things. I also made a chinese style pork meat ball soup to go with the fish. All in all, it was quite traditional, but very delicious. I suppose I'm beginning to miss Taiwan foods after 7.5 months living without. Not as easy as you would expect.

Recipe is as follows:

Miso-Encrusted Orange Ruffie (Serves 2)

1 piece of Orange Ruffie Fillet (or use some type of fattier white meat fish)
2 tablespoons of Miso (Get it in your local Asian market)
handful of chopped fresh green top onions

Score the fillet on both side slightly. Rub the miso paste on to the fish, make sure to cover all of it. Let sit for about 3-5 minutes. In the mean time, bring heat to a pan and wait for the oil to get nice and hot. Put the fish in the pan, and cook each side for about 3 minutes. Plate and top with green onions.

Very simple recipe, if you have the material. The nice long sear gives this slightly crunchy texture to the edge of the fish, and the miso taste is awesome. This takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Eat with rice and some stir fried bok choy for a complete meal.

Oh, before I forget. I just started reading a book for my Anthropology of Food class (I know, just the kind of class you would expect me to take), it has a very interesting take on the diet and nutrition. It talks about how our sense of eating has gone from food to nutrients, and that it has a drastic affect on our perception of what is healthy. It's called In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.

Live long and eat well.
Aphrael

Busy day, healthy eating...

So, school has finally started, and I realized how crazy it is to have a 2 1/2 hour long class. It all seems fine on paper, until you actually sat in one spot for that extended period of time. Is it even possible for you to actually focus that long? Your mind start to wander off, probing what fantasy resides in your inner subconscious. Enough with the complaints. Let's talk about food. Wednesday is gonna be hell day for me, since I had to go to lab at 8:30 in the morning, and have classes until 5:00 in the afternoon, then I have to work from 6:30 to 9:30. This leads to a pretty crazy day, with really no time to spend on cooking. Thus, I will now present a recipe that my mom has taught me a long time ago, a delectable fish dish that takes little time to prepare. What's even better, you don't even have to be in front of the stove for half the cooking time. Picture to come later when I am at home.



Recipe is as follows:

Steamed Pan-seared Tilapia (Serves ?... depends on the size of the fish. 4 for 2 medium sized fillets)

2 pieces of medium sized tilapia fillets (medium= 8" in length, 4-5" in width)*
1 bunch of green top onions, diced
1 tablespoon chopped chili peppers (Fresh, dried, minced in a jar)
2 tablespoon garlic (fresh or minced)
Salt and pepper

On the fish, sprinkle salt and pepper on both side of the fish. In a hot pan, heat olive oil, then quickly sear the fillets on both side, just make sure the outside is seared, do not worry if the fish is not cooked all the way through. Remove fish from pan and place in a large plate. In the pan, add garlic, onions and peppers. Sautee until the aroma appears. Pour the mixture over the fish, make sure to cover most of the flesh. Place plate in  microwave, set on high power for 5 minutes. Serve hot with a side of rice, or some type of starch.

I know, microwave? is that really considered cooking? You know, microwaves are pretty useful. There are so many tricks that you can use with microwaves that really helps you in creating a better dish. For these tricks, refer to the tips page for some ideas and inspiration while finding other ways to make good food. All in all, this dish is great for when you want a hearty meal, but is really in a rush, you can do the searing and the sauteeing in the morning, and keep everything in the fridge and just pop it in the microwave right when you get home. Change, shower, whatever, and when you are done, you have a nice dish ready to eat. Another long day ahead of me, hopefully with some time to eat. See y'all later, and maybe next post would be about the versatility of pesto in life!!

Live long and eat well,
Aphrael

A contradiction in foods....

My parents are just done visiting. Guess what I heard from them? Time to lose weight... your getting chubby. I know, I know, its 'cause of all the food that I have been making. I make lots. I eat lots. Not something I can help... or is it? Guess its time to start exercising, but before that starts, time to indulge myself one last time before the great diet/workout begins. Its what I call the contradictory dish, a mixture of healthy habits and fatty foods, yet perfectly (in my sense) combined to create one my craziest creations. You'll see what I mean. To be honest, this is not the first time I made this dish, nor will it be my last (as if that would ever happen). I don't make it often, but when I do, its always well received. My family loves it when they eat it, and hates me after they do. Everything about it is contradictory. As you will soon see.

The recipe is as follows:

Spinach Mushroom Risotto (Serves 3, if you eat as much as I do, otherwise 5-6)

3 cups of rice (uncooked, washed)
1 medium onion
1/4 bag of baby spinach (put more to increase the contradiction*)
10 fresh button mushrooms
Dried Jalapeno chips
Dried Oregano
2 cups of Beef Stock (make your own, by in cartons, your choice)
2 cups of Heavy Cream (replace with milk to reduce contradiction*)
1/4 stick of Butter (replace with Olive Oil to reduce contradiction*)
1/2-1 cup of Whiskey
1 cup of cheese (Provolone, Parmesan-Reggiano, or mix of your favs)

*Changes in flavor may occur.

In a medium sized pan, melt the butter (all of it), sautee mushrooms and onions until onions are translucent, add the dried spices to taste (refer to Dinner Meeting post for how that works). Once the spices are added, add the beef stock and heavy cream, wait until boiling then add the Whiskey, boil until the alcohol burns off (or not, if you like the taste of alcohol.... 'nuff said). Turn down heat to maintain a slight boil, add rice, stir constantly until the rice is fully cooked. Add beef stock as necessary to maintain liquid to rice ratio. Mix in the cheese slowly, making sure all is melted, so you don't get any lumps. Plate and serve while hot. Top with diced green scallions and fresh ground pepper for a beautiful look.

The contradiction, for those that hasn't noticed is the mixture of healthy vegetables, and the massive amount of butter, cream, and whiskey in the mix. You may substitute with healthier options, but nothing taste quite the same as fresh mushrooms and onions sauteed in butter. There's just this nice earthy, tantalizing aroma that you don't get when you do the same thing with olive oil instead. You would know that smell when you make it, it is the only reason that I ever cook with butter (and most likely the only time) Normally I would use milk instead of beef stock, but since this is made with only veggies and rice, its nice to get that meaty, rich flavor without the addition of protein into the mix. The whiskey was kind of a spur of the moment thing. Just know that if you don't like the taste of alcohol, boil the liquid for a while longer so that the alcohol is gone, but the flavor remains. As for me, that didn't really happen. I was in a little bit of a rush, and added the rice before enough of the alcohol boiled off to my liking. I was slightly woozy by the time I was done with dinner.
O_O||| <(lightweight)

Looking back on this dish, it reminds me of the eternal question "to butter, or not to butter?" it is the eternal conflict in the world of culinary arts. I believe I have started to ramble. Time to amble off to another beginning of an adventure of aromas and tastes.

Live long and eat well.
Aphrael