pempek palembang

Pem­pek Palem­bang is known as pub­lic food. We can find it when it was offered in a restau­rant nicely, ped­dled on a push­cart, or car­ried around a slum. Cer­tainly, there is a pem­pek seller in a school’s can­teen as weell, . As, It’s not only easy to make but also it can be enjoyed in every sit­u­a­tion as sweet. It con­sists of sev­eral vari­a­tions and appear­ances. They are pem­pek kapal selam, pem­pek lenjer, pem­pek ada’an, curly pem­pek, and pem­pek pistel.

No one knows where pem­pek from is exactly, because almost all regions of Suma­tra Sela­tan pop­u­lar­ize it as its spe­cial food. But, they say it has been in Palem­bang since 16th cen­tury. Title empek-empek or pem­pek is believed com­ing from title “apek”, a title for an old man Chi­nese gen­er­a­tion. The folk­tale which spread by mouth to mouth says that a 65 year-old “apek” who lived at the bank of Musi River was appre­hen­sive in wit­ness­ing plen­ti­ful cap­tur­ing of fish. The result of the cap­tur­ing was not processed well. The choice was only fried or pre­served with salt with­out dry­ing. The “apek” found an idea to try another alter­na­tive. He mixed grinded flesh of fish and tapi­oca until it results new kind of food. The apeks ped­dled the new food sur­round­ing town by bike. Because the seller was called “pek…apek”, so finally it was known as empek-empek or pempek.

As a culi­nary lover, you should be inter­ested in the recipe below:

Pem­pek Palem­bang Recipe

Ingre­di­ents:

• 300 g flesh of Span­ish mack­erels, grinded
• 100 cc warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 g sago palm flour
• 100 g wheat flour
• 6 eggs, broke into a bowl

Soup:

• 750 cc water
• 5 cloves gar­lic, crushed
• 5 chilies, chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 2 cucum­bers cut into cube sized pieces
• 100 g wet noodles
• 150 g dried shrimps, grinded

Direc­tions:

1. Mix flesh of fish, warm water and salt. Add sago palm flour and wheat flour lit­tle by lit­tle while mix­ing until it is mixed.
2. Form it oval (about 75 g); make a hole in the mid­dle by point fin­ger. Then turn it around while pressed until it becomes a pocket and put some broke raw egg in. Shut and close the hole tightly.
3. Boil some water and put pem­pek one by one. Wait pem­pek until it floats at the sur­face. Take them out and drained.
4. Soup: Boil some water. Put in gar­lic, chilies, soy sauce, sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Boil them and sugar was sol­u­ble. Fil­ter the dregs. Add vine­gar and mix it.
5. Fry pem­pek in much oil enough. Take them out and drain when they are brownish.
6. Serv­ing: Cut fried pem­pek into bite sized pieces and put in a plate. Add noo­dles and cucum­bers above them and pour the soup. Pem­pek kapal selam is ready to be offered.

Asian Omelette

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown or white rice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Beat eggs, milk and pepper slightly; set aside. Heat oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium-high heat. Cook remaining ingredients except soy sauce in oil, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in soy sauce. Remove mixture from skillet; keep warm.

2. Spray same skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Quickly pour about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture into skillet. Slide skillet back and forth rapidly over heat and, at the same time, quickly stir with a fork to spread eggs continuously over bottom of skillet as they thicken. Let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown bottom of omelet. (Do not overcook--omelet will continue to cook after folding.)

3. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the rice mixture on one side of omelet. Run spatula under unfilled side of omelet; lift over rice mixture. Tilting skillet slightly, turn omelet onto plate. Repeat with remaining egg and rice mixtures.

Apple and Brie Omelet

• 2 large Red or Golden Delicious apples - peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Brie cheese - thinly sliced (melts better)
• 2 green onions - finely sliced
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 Teaspont salt
  
• 1 dash vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Place apple slices in a microwave-safe container. Top with 1/2 of the butter. Sprinkle the nutmeg on top of that. Microwave on high for 3 minutes - stirring once halfway through the cooking time.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla and salt.

Melt 1/2 of remaining butter in a skilet set to medium-high heat. Pour half of the egg mixture into the skillet. Cover and cook until set. Place this - the bottom half of the omelet - on a cookie sheet. Place apple wedges evenly on top. Sprinkle onion evenly over the apples. Place cheese evenly on top of that. Place in preheated oven.

Cook remaining remaining egg mixture in skillet as described above.

Remove bottom of omelet from the oven and carefully slide it onto a serving platter.

Place egg layer from the skillet on top of the bottom of the omelet from the oven.

Garnish with a little ground nutmeg and cut into wedges to serve.

Pizza Omelete

Pizza Omelette

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking spray
• 3 tbsp pizza sauce
• 5 slices pepperoni
• 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Beat eggs with water; season with salt and pepper. Spray an 8-inch (20 cm) non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.

Pour in egg mixture. As mixture sets at the edges, with spatula, gently push cooked portions towards center. When eggs are almost set on surface but still look moist, spread pizza sauce over half of the omelette.

Top with pepperoni and Mozzarella cheese. Fold the omelette in half and slide onto a warm plate. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cheese Omelette

Cheese Omelette

• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons butter or magarine
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper -- if desired

1. Beat eggs in small bowl with fork or wire whisk until yolks and whites are well mixed.

2. Heat butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until butter is hot and sizzling. As butter melts, tilt skillet to coat bottom with butter.

3. Quickly pour eggs into skillet. While rapidly sliding skillet back and forth over heat, quickly stir eggs with a fork to spread them continuously over the bottom of the skillet as they thicken. When they are thickened, let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown bottom of omelet. Do not overcook... the omelet will continue to cook after being folded. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Tilt skillet and run a spatula under edge of omelet, then jerk skillet sharply to loosen omelet from bottom of skillet. Fold portion of omelet nearest you just to center. Allow for a portion of the omelet to slide up side of skillet. Turn omelet onto warm plate, flipping folded portion of omelet over so far side is on bottom. Tuck sides of omelet under if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

ITALIAN PIZZELLES

IALIAN PIZZELLES

These pizzelles are light and crisp. Serve them plain or dusted with powdered sugar. Also, they can be easily shaped while still hot right off the iron and formed into a cone, cylinder, or even a cup and filled with your favorite filling. To keep them crisp, store them in an air tight container. 3 eggs 1 3/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. anise seed or extract (opt.) 1/2 c. butter (1/4 lb.) 2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Do not use more than 1/2 cup and don't use oil as a substitute. Beat eggs and sugar. Add cooled melted butter and vanilla and anise. Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Batter will be stiff enough to be dropped by spoon. Batter can be refrigerated to be used at a later time. Makes 30 pizzelles. VARIATION PIZZELLE CON CIOCCOLATTE: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa and 3 tablespoons sugar to the basic Italian Pizzelle recipe. If desired, you may substitute chocolate flavoring instead of the vanilla and anise flavoring.

Kimchi Bokumbop

Kimchi Bokumbo Kimchi Bokumbop is a popular restaurant or home prepared dish that is very simple but yet delicious in taste. It can consist of various choices in meat and chopped kimchi , which is then sauteed together along with other vegetables such as onions, garlic and green onions. A dash or more of soy sauce as well as sesame oil are added for seasoning, in addition to kimchi "juice” leftover in the jar. Lastly, an egg is cooked sunny side up and placed on top of this rice dish for taste as well as for decoration. Usually at home, it's a way to use up kimchi before it gets too ripe to eat, in which case, it can also be used to prepare kimci chage. In Korean, "bokum" means sauteed or fried and "bop" translates into steamed rice. So essentially, kimchi bokumbop is fried rice with kimchi, and yes, all those stories about Asian restaurants - today's leftover rice is tomorrow's fried rice - is true and totally applies here. There can be infinite variations of this bokumbop dish where beef can be substituted with little bits of bacon, spam, or even tofu. Recipe Ingredients : 2 cup of cooked rice 1/2 cup of kimchi with liquid (pickled fermented vegetables) 50g of minced pork or ground beef 2 roots of green onion 1 tbsp soy sauce 1/4 onion 1 clove of garlic 1 egg Vegetable or olive oil Salt & pepper Cooking Directions Cook rice as directed in a rice cooker or in a pot. Chop kimchi into small pieces. Save kimchi liquid to add to rice, if desired. Dice and mince green onions, onions, and garlic. Season the minced pork or beef with soy sauce, minced garlic and powdered pepper. Saute the pork (or other substitutes) with vegetable or olive oil in frying pan. When the pork is cooked, add chopped onions, kimchi and cook for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and green onion. Cook a little more and turn off the heat. Add cooked rice and mix all ingredients well. Add 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil and re-heat again. Add salt and pepper to meet taste. Cook egg sunny side up (or scrambled). Put rice on a dish and place a fried egg sunny side up on top.

Gudeg Jogja

Gudeg Jogja

Some says that no tast­ing Gudeg means no vis­it­ing Jogja. It could be, because there’s no doubt any­more in pop­u­lar­ity of Gudeg as Jogja’s icon. It is made from unripe jack­fruit cooked with squeezed coconut and sea­soned with keluak (fruits of kepayang). Cook­ing this food needs many hours. Brown color is from hard­wood leaf. As like another spe­cial food of Jawa Ten­gah, char­ac­ter of Gudeg is sweet. It means much sugar and salt is just as bal­ancer. In the other hand, salty and deli­cious chicken is from mix of salt and squeezed coconut, and some sugar. It makes har­monic flavor.

There are many kinds of Gudeg when you are vis­it­ing Jogja such as Wet Gudeg, Gudeg Solo, and Dried Gudeg. Dry Gudeg often becomes gift because it is not spoiled eas­ily and being able for 3 days. In the other hand, other kinds of Gudeg are more deli­cious when it is eaten directly. It is served with rice and thick squeezed coconut soup, fried chicken, egg, tofu, and fried sam­bal kre­cek. Block sugar poci tea will com­plete the exotic of your food. But, it doesn’t need going to Jogja to taste Gudeg. Recipe below will treat your appetite.

Gudeg Jogja Recipe

Ingre­di­ents:

• 500 g unripe jackfruit
• 500 g fat bone
• 350 g bony chicken or scrawl
• 6 eggs, boiled and peeled
• 400 ml squeezed coconut
• 400 ml water
• 200 g brown sugar, slice thinly
• 10 lau­rel likes
• 10 small chilies
• Salt as necessary

Grinded spice:

• 18 cloves of garlic
• 6 onions
• 5 grains kemiri (fruits of can­dlenut tree)

Direc­tions:

1. Clean and wash jack­fruit, cut into smaller sized. Boil fat bone and bony chicken for a while in order to get softer meat.
2. Mix grinded spice, squeezed coconut, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until it is mixed.
3. Arrange jack­fruit, fat bone, bony chicken, boiled egg, lau­rel like, and galan­gale in steamed pan.
4. Pour spicy squeezed coconut into pan. Add some water until they are soaked.
5. Put small chilies in the top. Take out and remove when soup is get­ting dry.

Jang-uh Gui

Jang-uh Gui

Broiled & Grilled Eel

Jang Uh Gui is a great Korean seafood dish using fresh water eel as the main ingredient. This dish can be prepared in various ways in which can be broiled and/or grilled to achieve its distinctive tastes & flavors. Some may choose to do both, first broiling the eel then grilling it to achieve the ultimate perfection in texture and color. To prepare the dish, bones are removed from the eel then marinated with a sweet and tangy sauce which includes rice wine, kochukaru (chili powder), sesame oil, soy sauce garlic, sugar and ginger. When cooking, additional sauce may be consistently brushed onto the fish to add extra flavors & aroma.

This meal is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E and enjoyed especially during the hot summers to avoid heat exhaustion. It is also believed to be good for stamina.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 large/medium sized fresh water eel
• 2 tbsp hot pepper paste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chopped green onion
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp sesame salt
• 1 tbsp ginger juice
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp starch syrup
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp kochukaru
• Skewers (wooden or metal)

Cooking Directions (Broiling)

1. Mix all ingredients other than the fish into a saucepan and cook.
2. Once the sauce thickens, set aside and let it cool, ready to be brushed onto the eel
3. Place eel on chopping board and remove the head.
4. Insert knife through the belly side of the eel and open its abdomen and spread wide.
5. Remove tail along with intestines and bones. Freshly rinse eel in cold water to remove any left over particles.
6. Vertically cut large eel into 3-4 pieces and small eel to 2 pieces.
7. Insert skewers vertically into the eel to prevent it from curling while cooking
8. Once preparation of the eel is complete, apply sauce to marinate.
9. Broil 15-20 minutes until fish is fully cooked. Brush additional sauce while broiling if desired.

Cooking Directions (Grilling)

1. Follow steps 1-8 from directions above
2. For grilling, marinate fish for 1 hour.
3. Place eel on a grill until fish is cooked.
4. Brush additional sauce while grilling if desired.

Satay Padang

Satay Padang

Sate Padang is very common in Indonesia originally from Padang, West Sumatra. It is said to be the most spicy sate among other kind of sate because it employs many different kind of spices. I recommend you to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sliced onion
• cloves garlic, sliced
• tablespoons peanut or corn oil
• veal or beef hearts, quartered
• lbs. beef chuck, cut into 4-inch chunks
• 1½ lbs. veal tongue, cut into 3 pieces
• 1 lb. beef tripe, cleaned and cut into 4 pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh red hot chili, blended into a paste
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• tablespoon fine chopped ginger
• 1½ tablespoons coriander
• teaspoon ground cumin
• pieces of jeruk purut, or 3 square inches of lemon peel
• salam leaves
• 1 piece of laos
• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 2 stalks lemon grass
• 3 cups coconut milk

Sauce:

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup rice flour
• Reserved meat sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ ripe tomato, sliced thin
• Bamboo skewers

Instructions:

• Fry the onion and garlic lightly in the oil in a large sauce-pan. Add all the other ingredients except the coconut milk, and mix well. Cook, covered, for about one and one-half hours, or until the meats are soft. Then add the coconut milk, and cook for thirty minutes. Remove the meats, and reserve this meat sauce, which should measure about 2 cups.
• To make the sauce, mix the coconut milk and rice flour into a thin paste. Bring the reserved meat sauce to a boil, and add the rice flour paste, salt and tomato. Cook and stir, for ten minutes over a low flame until the sauce is well mixed. If it becomes too thick, add ½ cup water during the cooking. The result should be a thick, creamy, spicy sauce. Keep warm.
• Cut all the cooked meats into ½-inch cubes. Put 5 cubes of different meats on each skewer so that you have a contrast in textures. Heat the skewer briefly over a charcoal fire, gas or electric broiler; then dip it liberally into the warm rice sauce. The satays are usually eaten with rice rolls / rice cake.

Champong

Cham-pong

Spicy Seafood Noodle

Champong is a popular noodle dish that is prepared in a red, spicy seafood broth containing hearty vegetables and various sea foods. This dish presumably has its origins in Japan with influence from China and is known to be very popular at various restaurants or at homes. Instant noodle versions are also popular which can be prepared with a microwave in less than five minutes.

However, to enjoy this authentic dish, many Koreans go to Korean/Chinese restaurants where noodles are mixed in with real seafood such as squids, shrimps, clams and scallions. Fresh vegetables such as onions, red peppers, green onions as well as many others are included in this dish to compliment the spiciness of the base soup. Champong is considered to be mild to high in spiciness so expect to sweat while consuming this dish.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 package fresh egg noodles
• 60 grams pork, thinly sliced
• 60 grams squid, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 8 small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 mussels, scrubbed
• 5 dried black mushrooms
• 1/2 onion sliced
• 1/2 carrot, cut into match-stick pieces
• 1/4 Chinese (napa) cabbage, cut into 1x2 in pieces
• 2 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 red chili peppers, seeded and sliced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tbsp kochukaru (red pepper flakes - optional for spiciness)

Cooking Directions

1. Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain. Slice and set aside.
2. Bring mussels and water to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes or until shells open. Lift out mussels and set aside. Do not throw away the liquid. Add it to chicken broth to make 7 cups total liquid
3. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package directions until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well and set aside
4. Add olive oil to a wok or frying pan.
5. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 seconds.For spicier taste, add the red chili flake
6. Add pork and stir-fry, add shrimp, squid, mussels, and stir-fry; add onions, carrots, red chili pepper, and green onions and stir-fry
7. Add cabbage and chicken broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and let simmer
8. Add soy sauce
9. Add salt & pepper to taste
10. Place noodles in a large soup bowl and pour hot soup mixture over noodles

Buldak

Bul-dak

Hot & Spicy Chicken

Buldak is a spicy chicken dish that is becoming very popular amongst the younger generation of Koreans everywhere. Its popularity has been attributed to both its unique flavors and spiciness. Keep in mind, the term "bul" means "fire" in Korean and "dak" is chicken, so it can get quite spicy in taste.

Many restaurants that specialize in buldak have been created due to the growing popularity as this dish is considered a fairly new cuisine. Most restaurants that serve this dish offer various levels of spiciness that one can choose from and there are usually fresh vegetables served with this dish to blend in the taste. Cubed-cut sweet radishes along with salad and onions are usually popular.

An order of bul-dak can be served on a platter of bite-sized morsels of chicken breasts or sometimes in combinations of wings or drumsticks. While the flavor and degree of hotness differs a little from place to place, it is marinated with a hot & sweet sauce, grilled over an open fire, and then served over a sizzling skillet, topped with herbs. It’s usually enjoyed as an appetizer while drinking a cold beer or soju at popular bars or restaurants.

Recipe Ingredients: Chicken Preparation

• 6 chicken drum sticks (de-boned) or 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of traditional corn syrup (substitution honey)
• 2 tbsp ‘cheong ju (clear rice wine similar to Japanese sake)
• 1 stalk of green onion
• Black pepper ground to taste
• Olive oil
• Roasted sesame seeds (optional)

Recipe Ingredients: Marinating Sauce

• 3 tbsp kochukaru (Korean chili powder)
• 2 jalapenos (substitution chili pepper)
• 1/2 cup of Korean pear (substitution Asian pear)
• 1/4 of onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of spicy yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of ‘mul yut’ (substitution honey)
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Rinse chicken drum sticks in cold water and de-done meat with a sharp knife. Cut into 4 even pieces per leg drum -OR- rinse chicken breasts in cold water and cut into bite-size pieces
2. In a large bowl, mix chicken with soy sauce, sugar, mul yut, cheong ju and ground pepper.
3. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes
4. Puree all marinating sauce ingredients together in a blender. Once completed, leave aside for later use
5. On a non-stick frying pan or skillet, cook prepared chicken over medium heat until meat is just short of desired completion
6. Take out chicken only and leave excess ingredients in frying pan or skillet
7. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix chicken with blended sauce from step 3
8. In the same frying pan or skillet, add olive oil to taste and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes in medium high heat
9. Serve hot on plate
10. Sprinkle chopped green onions for garnish

Bim-bim-bop

Bi-bim-bop

Beef & Mixed Vegetable Rice

Bibimbop literally means "mixed rice" or "mixed meal" in Korean. It's a popular meal consisting of a bowl of steamed white rice topped with vegetables, beef, a whole egg, and kochujang (Korean chili pepper paste). Kochujang is usually served separately to control its spiciness of this rice dish.

A variation of this dish, dolsot bibimbop ("dolsot" meaning "stone pot") is served in a heated stone bowl, in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil; consequently, the portion of the rice touching the bowl becomes golden brown and crispy.

Vegetables commonly used in bibimbop include julienne cucumber, zucchini, carrot, white radish, mushrooms, bellflower root, and laver, as well as spinach, soybean sprouts, and bracken fern stems. Tofu, either plain or sauteed, may also be included in the dish. Within both types of bibimbops, all ingredients are typically stirred together thoroughly before eating.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1/4 lb of chopped beef (ground beef is acceptable)
• 100 grams of bellflower roots (doraji)
• 50 grams of bean sprouts
• 1 lettuce leaf
• 3 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 sheet of vegetable jelly
• 1/3 carrot
• 1 cucumber
• 1 egg
• 3 cups sticky rice grain
• 4 tbsp kochujang
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• sesame oil

Cooking Directions

1. Wash 3 cups of rice, soak for 30 minutes and drain. Put the rice in a thick cooker and add 3 1/3 cups of water, then bring them to a boil. After 10-15 minutes boiling, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes. Do not lift the lid while cooking.
2. Season beef and stir-fry lightly until cooked.
3. Cut cucumbers, carrots and shitake mushrooms into match stick size and shred bellflower roots (doraji) and lettuce leaf. Squeeze out excess water and sprinkle them with salt (not including lettuce leaf).
4. Add 1 tsp of sesame oil to hot frying pan and stir-fry the cucumber quickly so the color stays vivid. Spread them on a big plate to cool. Add more sesame oil, then stir-fry bellflower roots, carrots, and mushrooms consecutively.
5. Place cooked rice in a deep dish and add the prepared ingredients on top of the rice (*For hot stone dolsot bibimbop, heat the stone pot until hot enough to burn the fingers and coat 2 tsp of sesame oil. Place the rice sizzling right into the hot stone pot).
6. Fry an egg sunny-side-up in a frying pan and place it on top of the dish (*For hot stone dolsot bibimbop, place the raw egg on the side of the hot pot so it can slightly cook).
7. To make seasoned kochujang paste, combine 4 tablespoons of kochujang, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of sesame seeds and 2 tsp of sesame oil. Mix all ingredients well.
8. Add seasoned kochujang to taste and mixes it thoroughly with the rice and vegetables before beginning to eat.

BODEGA BAY CIOPPINO
"This stew brings back childhood memories of Northern California and new buckets brimming with crab and baskets of sourdough bread. Rich, red, and very messy, it is now a New Years tradition at my house. Serve in large bowls with sourdough bread on the side. Never any leftovers!"

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed or to taste
• 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound scallops
• 24 littleneck clams
• 1 1/2 pounds crab legs
• 1 pound unpeeled, large fresh shrimp

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a very large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft, stirring frequently. Pour in tomatoes and white wine, then season with parsley, basil, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until liquid is reduced almost completely, about 1 hour.
2. Add clams, scallops, clams, crab legs and shrimp to the pot. Cover, and cook over medium heat until clams open. Scoop portions into large bowls to serve.

Cooking Clams

A step-by-step tutorial for steaming clams.
There are many, many ways to cook and prepare clams. In fact, on occasion they are even eaten raw. The steam-method for cooking clams is excellent for cooking small to medium-sized varieties of clam. We have selected the more common littleneck clams to illustrate how clams can be steamed.

1. To cook clams using this method, you will need at least 1 pound clams, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon butter. Cooking already cleaned clams with this method will take 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Preheat a large saucepan to a medium heat. Melt the butter in the saucepan, and stir in the garlic. Cook the garlic until it reaches a tan color. Be careful not to burn the garlic. If the garlic is overcooked or burned, throw out both the fat and the garlic, then wipe out the pan and start over.

3. Pour clams into the saucepan. Do not add too many clams to the pan at once. If the clams are stacked on top of each other, the weight of the other clams will make it more difficult for the clams on the bottom to open. With this method, you should only cook enough clams to cover the bottom of the pan. Stir the clams around in the garlic butter until the shells are coated, this will evenly distribute the heat within shells.

4. Once the clams have been coated, add about 1/4 cup of wine per dozen clams. This creates the necessary steam required to open the shells. It will also decrease the overall heat within the pan. Cover the clams with a lid. When covered, the garlic is less likely to burn, and the clams will receive heat evenly from all sides. The clams are now being steamed.

5. After about 4 minutes, remove the lid. Most, if not all of the clams should be open. Clams, unlike mussels, only open when they are cooked all of the way through. If some of the clams have not opened, it is possible that either they were not cooked long enough, or that they are bad and should be discarded. Be careful not to cook the clams for too long, as overcooked clams are tough and unpleasant to eat.

6. When clams open, they release natural clam juice. This juice is often used as a base for items like Clam Chowder. We recommend serving the clams in their juice and accompanying the dish with slices of fresh bread to soak up the juices. Steamed clams can also be served over pasta.

Making Roux

French for "red," a roux is a thickener for sauces and soups that combines equal parts flour and butter.

Roux ("roo") is used to thicken sauces and soups. Pre-cooking flour allows the starch granules to swell and absorb moisture, and lets you thicken a sauce base without the flour clumping or forming lumps. Rouxs are also used to deepen the flavor of a sauce: browning the flour gives it a nutty, toasted flavor.

Colors of roux

Roux can be cooked to white, blond, brown and dark brown stages. The color depends on the temperature and time that you take to cook the fat-flour mixture. None of the types of roux are necessarily better or worse than any other; the color you choose will depend on the flavor and color you would like your roux to give your sauce or soup. For an in-depth description and photos of different types of roux, see our All About Roux article.

Cook and stir

To make a basic roux, use equal weights of fat and flour. Four ounces of fat and four ounces of flour equal about 8 ounces of roux (moisture will evaporate). If you don't own a kitchen scale, one tablespoon of flour equals about ¼ ounce. One tablespoon butter = ½ ounce. Butter is the most commonly used form of fat; other fats can be used, but will have a different flavor. Melt the butter over medium heat; slowly add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly. Within 2 to 3 minutes the roux will have a consistency of a cake frosting. A white roux is done when the flour loses its "raw" smell and begins to develop a toasty aroma. Darker roux are cooked, stirring constantly, until the desired color. If you're not adding liquid, immediately remove the pan from the heat and transfer the roux to another container to cool. Be very careful: the hot fat-flour mixture can cause painful burns. Refrigerated or frozen roux will keep well for up to two months and can be added directly to soups or sauces for quick thickening.

New Orleans Jambalaya


"For when you really have to feed an army!"

Ingredients

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 16 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
• 8 onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 pounds chorizo, sliced into chunks
• 3 pounds cooked ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons dried thyme
• 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 6 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 green bell pepper, chopped
• 6 cups uncooked white rice
• 10 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Chicken Marinade: In a large, shallow glass baking dish, mix together soy sauce, 4 tablespoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons paprika, 2 chopped onions and 2 tablespoons black pepper. Place the chicken in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
2. Saute bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until brown. Add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook 5 minutes. Mix in flour and sausage. Cook 5 minutes more; stirring frequently. Add the ham, thyme, cayenne, chicken stock, tomatoes, reserved juice and green peppers and bring to boil. Stir in rice and cover. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely and refrigerate.
3. Two hours before you intend to serve the jambalaya, discard marinade and bake chicken breasts at 500 degrees F (250 degrees C) for 12 minutes, or until the flesh is firm when pressed with finger. Remove from oven. Cool and slice into bite-size pieces.
4. Reduce oven's temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place covered jambalaya on large baking tray filled with to water. Bake until warm, about 2 hours.
5. Just before serving the jambalaya, boil 5 quarts of water. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes until they are firm to the touch. Drain well. Toss shrimp and chicken with jambalaya mixture and serve.

SUKIYAKI....

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thinly sliced beef * It tastes better if the beef slices are very thin.
• A handful of shirataki noodles (made from yam cakes) or cellophane noodles
• 7-8 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 block enoki mushrooms
• 1 medium negi
• 1/2 Chinese cabbage
• 1 yaki-dofu (grilled tofu)
• For sukiyaki sauce:
• 1/3 cup soy sauce / 3 tbsps sake (Japanese rice wine) / 5 tbsps sugar / 3/4 cup water
• For dipping: 4 eggs

Preparation:

Cut all ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Arrange all ingredients on a large plate and place the plate at the table. Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, and water to make sukiyaki sauce. Set an electric pan or a skillet at the table. *After this point, everything is done at the table as you eat. Heat a little oil in the pan. Fry some beef slices, then pour sukiyaki sauce in the pan. Add other ingredients when the sauce starts to boil. Simmer until all ingredients are softened. Dip the cooked sukiyaki into the raw, beaten eggs and begin to eat. As the liquid boils away, add more sukiyaki sauce.

ODEN

Oden is a Japanese one-pot dish in which ingredients are slowly simmered in soy sauce based soup. It's a typical Japanese winter dish.
Japanese One-pot Dishes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 daikon radish, peeled and 3/4 inch thick rounds
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into halves
• 4 boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 konnyaku (transparent yam starch cake), cut into large triangles
• 2 atsuage (deep fried tofu), blanched and cut into large triangles
• 4 ganmodoki (tofu fritters), blanched
• 2 or 4 fish paste cakes, such as chikuwa and satsumaage, cut into large chunks
• 4 musubi-kombu (knotted kelp)
• 4 - 5 Tbsps of soy sauce
• 2 Tbsps of sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 1 tsp of sugar
• *You may use oden seasoning sold at Asian stores instead of using sake, soy sauce, and sugar.

Preparation:

Put 4 cups of dashi soup stock in a large pot or donabe pot. Add sake, soy sauce, and sugar in the soup. Place ingredients in the pot. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to low and simmer for 40-60 minutes. Add dashi soup stock and soy

Yaki Onigiri
Onigiril are rice balls, and yaki onigiri are grilled rice balls. This is the most popular kind of yaki onigiri brushed with soy sauce. Yaki onigiri can be frozen and defrosted in the microwave.
Rice Ball Recipe
How To Cook Genmai Short Grain Brown Rice

Ingredients:

• 4 cups steamed white rice or genmai brown rice
• 3 - 4 Tbsp soy sauce

Preparation:

Put about a half cup of steamed white rice or genmai brown rice in a rice bowl. Wet your hands in water so that the rice won't stick. Place the rice on your hands. Form the rice into a round or a triangle, by pressing lightly with your both palms. Repeat the process to make rice balls. Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet and put it on low heat. Place rice balls in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Brush soy sauce on rice balls little by little and turn them over. Brush soy sauce on the other sides as well. Cook until soy sauce begins to change color. Turn over and cook the other sides.
*Makes 8 rice balls *Yaki onigiri can be cooked in a toaster oven.

Stir-fry Fish Fillets
This recipe for Stir-fry Fish Fillets calls for ginger, which is frequently used in seafood dishes to help cover the "fishy" odor. Scroll to the bottom of the recipe directions for a nutritional breakdown.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless fish fillets
• Marinade:
• 1 tablespoon rice wine, dry sherry or white wine
• a few drops sesame oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg white
• 1 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Other:
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 slices ginger, shredded
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• Sauce:
• 1/2 cup fish stock, chicken broth, or water
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed in 1 tablespoon water
• Other:
• Other vegetables as desired (celery, bean sprouts, snow peas, mushrooms or bok choy)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander, or as desired

Preparation:

1. Cut fish into pieces approximately 1 1/2 inches by 1/2 inch (be sure the pieces aren't too small). Add the marinade ingredients, adding each ingredient separately and the cornstarch last. Mix well and let the fish marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the first 3 sauce ingredients and set aside. In a second bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and set aside.

3. Heat the wok. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the heated wok. Add the fish fillets and sear until lightly browned. Remove the fish from the wok.

4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion and cook until the onion is lightly browned. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry. Add the sauce, heat to bubbling, and add the cornstarch and water, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the fish back into the wok. Mix everything through. Sprinkle the cooked fish and vegetables with the ground coriander before serving.

Nutritional Breakdown per serving (based on using bok choy, with water instead of chicken broth or fish stock, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in the marinade): 262 calories (kcal), 15 g Total Fat, 22 g Protein, 5 g Carbohydrate, 49 mg Cholesterol, 204 mg Sodium; 577 mg potassium, 3g Fiber
A good source of potassium and folacin (folic acid) and calcium.

Shirmp Stir-fry

Serves 1 - 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• pinch of salt
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, rinsed in warm water and drained
• 5 - 6 baby carrots, chopped in half
• 2 TB low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce
• 1 green onion (optional)
• 1 TB oil for stir-frying

Preparation:

Soak the shrimp in warm, lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a small bowl, add the rice wine and salt, and marinate for 10 minutes.

While shrimp is marinating, prepare the vegetables.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add oil for stir-frying. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry briefly until the flavor is released (about 15 seconds).

Add the shrimp and vegetables and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, chile sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry for another 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot over brown rice.

Nutritional Breakdown per serving (based on 2 servings) - 184 calories (kcal), 9 g Total Fat, (4 g Monounsaturated Fat), 20 g Protein, 6 g Carbohydrate, 135 mg Cholesterol, 397 mg Potassium, 350 mg Sodium, 1g Fiber

Sizzling Rice with Shirmp

Sizzling Rice with Shirmp
Serves 3 to 4. Note that this dish requires advance preparation to make the sizzling rice.

Ingredients:

• 10 pieces crispy rice (see directions for recipe)
• 6 dried Chinese black mushrooms
• 6 ounces raw shrimp, peeled
• Shrimp Seasoning:
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 6 ounces pork tenderloin
• Pork Seasoning:
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Oil for stir-frying and deep-frying
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• Other:
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 large carrot
• 1/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• Cornstarch paste:
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water

Preparation:

Prepare the crispy rice: Rinse 1 cup of long or medium grain grain rice. In a pot, add 1 1/2 cups water (1 1/4 cups for medium grain rice) to the rice and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from burner and allow to cool.

While rice is cooling, preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the rice on a baking sheet, making sure that it is about, but no more than, 1/4-inch thick. Bake the rice for 50 - 55 minutes, until it is dry. Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking them in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water. Cut off the stems and finely chop.(If you like, strain the soaking liquid and use part of it in the soup stock).

Clean and devein the shrimp. Add the salt and cornstarch.
Cut the pork into thin matchstick strips. Stir in the in the soy sauce and cornstarch.

] Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the shredded pork and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok.

Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When oil is hot, add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Add shrimp and stir-fry until it turns pink and is cooked. Set aside with the pork. Clean out the wok.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken broth and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and add, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the shrimp, pork, and remaining vegetables. Place in a serving dish and keep warm while deep-frying the sizzling rice.

Heat 3 cups oil to between 360 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When the oil is hot, deep-fry the crispy rice in the oil until it is puffy and brown. Quickly move the rice to the table. Stir the sesame oil into the shrimp and pork mix. Add the rice. The rice will crackle and pop as it meets the hot broth.