i hope you eat good food, grow beautiful things, and have more love than you know what to do with.
You all know I’m a fiend for tartare–beef or fish. So any time there’s a tartare on the menu, I will usually get it just to try. Ethiopian steak tartare, called Kitfo, is aromatic and delicious, spiced with niter kibbeh, clarified butter that’s been infused …
This particular dish has a fond place in my memories–a national Taiwanese specialty, it brings me back to days when my grandparents used to take us out into Flushing for lunch or dinner. My version is a bit more decadent than traditional ones you might …
This is a really easy side dish for those hot summer days when you just have very little appetite for anything else. I sometimes make this if I have leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, since it’s a fast and family-pleasing way to use it up with things I have as staples in my pantry. Then I can reserve the carcass for soup/stock. I wouldn’t call this traditional Kou Shui Ji by any stretch of the imagination, but if I were to describe a dish similar to it, I would probably say that would be the closest flavor profile.
This is great over noodles as well, especially if you can get your hands on broad flat mung bean or vermicelli noodles.
Ingredients
So here we are on an Ethiopian cuisine binge, mainly because my injera dough has finally fermented into the tangy and deep flavor its known for. I’m still experimenting with it (combining it with barley vs. wheat, fermentation time, etc.) but using my sourdough starter …
Fresh farmer’s cheese is a snap to make and it’s absolutely delicious dusted with mitmita, an Ethiopian spice blend that’s heady, fragrant, and packing quite a bit of heat that contrasts nicely with the creamy cheese. It’s called Ayib Be Mitmita (so if you see …
If someone were to ask me what I would most likely die of, the answer would probably be Vitamin A toxicity. I love liver (which has a whopping dose of Vitamin A per serving) and organ meat in general, but liver pate has a huge place in my heart. However, it’s pretty expensive, but I’ll buy it even though I know it doesn’t make any sense since a 20oz package is about a dollar fifty where I am. I have made my own before, experimenting in my kitchen. I finally perfected my recipe and wanted to jot it down here so that I don’t forget. If you don’t have mushroom bouillon, it’s okay, you can omit it. I use it because it adds a splash of umami to the pate itself.
You can use duck liver as well, although I probably wouldn’t have enough without stretching it with an egg. You can also add a pat of duck fat (which I occasionally render), which will give it a foie gras taste without any actual foie gras.
Ingredients
1. In a pan over medium heat, sautee onions/shallots and garlic in either 4 tablespoons of butter or duck fat until fragrant (about 6 minutes).
2. Add salt, pepper, thyme, mushroom bouillon, bay and bay leaf and sautee for another 2 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
3. Add livers and cover, allow to steam/cook until livers are barely pink inside (about 7-8 minutes.) Add 1/4 cup alcohol of your choice (as long as it isn’t Tequila, it should be okay.) Remove from heat and allow to sit for 2 minutes so alcohol can somewhat cook off.
4. Place into a food processor and blend until smooth. If you have, you can add a tablespoon of shaved truffles.
5. Pour into a terrine, loaf pan, or other container of your choice. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter/duck fat and pour over the pate, making sure the top has at least a thin layer covered. Place into fridge for at least 1 hour, so that fat cap on top has cooled. Serve with jam, capers, pickles, crackers, and bread.
About a week ago, my sister gave me a batch of sourdough starter she got at a breadmaking class, and I got thrown into the weird and wonderful world of naturally leavened bread. It was both a terrifying and delicious undertaking, but I realized just …
It’s the season for shungiku (also called tong ho in Chinese, and edible chrysanthemum/garland daisy–not to be confused with Chrysanthemum nankingense) which means I can get a big bag of it for real cheap at the Asian supermarket. It has a distinctive herb taste but …
I have a few bags of chia seeds in my pantry, and I realized I should probably use them before they go bad. One of the things I like using them for is making drinks with them. Not only are they very healthy, but the kids love them because they pretend these are frog eggs for a witch’s brew! My mom used to tell us we were drinking frog eggs which made us feel very special. Turns out chia seeds and basil seeds (along with a select few other types of seeds) develop a gelatinous membrane upon contact with water.
I bought these cute little drink jars that I fill up with the drink and store it in the fridge. The delicate fragrance of rose and honey are a great match together!
Ingredients:
1. Combine all the ingredients, mix well, and allow to sit for 30 minutes so the chia seeds can hydrate.
2. Chill or serve with ice.
My mom gave me her yogurt machine (Sambo brand) because her first few batches had failed and she gave up. So it was up to me to experiment. My first batch didn’t do as well as I had hoped–it was too sour because I let …