… from the California Kitchen How you doin’? Over the years there have been many wars fought over food. The pasta wars raged between parties crediting either Italian or Chinese invention of the noodle. Recent archaeology seems to have given pride of invention conclusively to the Chinese, who can also claim gunpowder, silk, paper, compasses, the novel coronavirus and, quite possibly, global circumnavigation. But the actual noodles unearthed at a 4,000-year-old Chinese archaeology site are not your average mei fun. Marco Polo doubtless enjoyed many great meals in the palace of the Chinese emperor in the 13th century. It is very probable that he brought a dried version of the noodle back to Italy. But when Polo was in China during the Yuan Dynasty, noodles were already a common dish in both northern and southern regions of the country. Their origins were apparently much older. Early Chinese noodles were both startlingly similar and significantly different from the stretchy, chewy varieties served today. Four thousand years ago, an epic disaster wiped out the city of Lajia on the Yellow River with cataclysmic speed. The earthquake and subsequent river flooding buried an overturned pot, preserving a nest of long yellow noodles under a wall of mud. When the noodles were unearthed in 2005, their existence conclusively ended the argument about who had the earliest claim to the noodle. The Thai sweet chili sauce gives this dish a sweet and spicy flavor that many kids love. You can adjust the heat level by adding more or less of the sauce or adding additional red pepper flakes, if you like it hot. Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 servings Ingredients For the noodles Salted Water for Boiling 12 ounces dry Chinese lo mein noodles (or spaghetti) 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3 tablespoons sesame oil For the meat marinade 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 (1 pound) pork loin, cut into 2-inch strips For the stir fry 2 tablespoons cooking oil 2 medium onions, cut into bite-size pieces 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce 3 cups chopped Napa cabbage 3/4 cup sliced celery 1 cup sliced carrots 3 red bell peppers, chopped For the thickener 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/4 cup cold water Directions
ChefSecret: The success of this recipe and most other Asian meals is to have all the ingredients portioned out in small bowls and stage in the order of their use. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “It’s been a great blessing to be at home with my wife these last few months. We’ve caught up on everything I’ve done wrong in the last 20 years.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way. If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Entrees #StirFry #SweetAndSpicyPork #Pork #SpicyNoodles #Noodles #Dinner #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021
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… from the California Kitchen How you doin’? I was watching Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix the other night when Samin Nosrat was discussing the benefit of different fats used in Italian cooking. At one point one of her guests brought in a roasted piglet that took around 6 hours to slow cook. It was beautiful—I could taste it through the TV screen. Here's a more manageable version of the traditional Italian recipe for whole roast pig seasoned with garlic, rosemary and fennel. This one comes together so quickly you can make it on a whim. The only thing missing is the crispy, crackling skin. Delicious, tender pork chops simmered in a fennel seed, garlic and white wine sauce in less than about a half hour. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 pork chops 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt, or to taste 1 tablespoon fennel seed 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup white wine 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Directions
Note: Make sure the wine doesn't completely evaporate or the pork chops will overcook and become dry. You may have to add a little more wine, water or butter to the pan. ChefSecret: I use a fatty, well-marbleized pork chop (see picture) to keep the moisture level high and the meat tender. You can change the whole flavor of the dish by using 1 cup of Marsala instead of white wine. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I’ve been watching so much television… I finished Netflix last night!” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading. #Entrees #Pork #Fennel #SaltFatAcidHeat #Netflix #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021 The China Rose Collection How you doin’? 你好嗎 (Nǐ hǎo ma). One of the most popular dishes of my Chinese restaurant, China Rose, was Moo Shu Pork. Sometimes called Chinese tacos or Burritos, it is a typical stir-fried dish in northern China. It's made with strips of pork, green onions, mushrooms, and scrambled eggs, all rolled into small, thin pancakes that have been brushed with hoisin sauce. Moo shu has all the attributes that bring people back to dishes like this—called, “Come Back Flavor.” It is customized at the table with sauces and it requires some participation in assembling it. In China most waiters will use two spoons to dish up the stir fry into the Mandarin pancakes, but it is more fun when you do it yourself. In its traditional northern Chinese version, moo shu pork (木须肉 / mùxūròu) consists of sliced pork tenderloin, cucumber and scrambled eggs, stir fried in sesame or peanut oil together with bite-sized cuttings of wood ear fungus (black mushrooms) and enokitake mushrooms. The dish is seasoned with minced ginger and garlic, scallions, soy sauce, and rice cooking wine (usually huangjiu). In the United States, moo shu seems to have appeared in Chinese restaurants in New York City and Washington, D.C., around 1966, receiving mention in a New York Times guide to Washington, D.C., restaurants published in that year. One of the first restaurants in Manhattan to serve the dish was Pearl's, one of the best known New York City Chinese restaurants to serve non-Cantonese food in the 1960s. A 1967 article in The New York Times called out another of the first restaurateurs to serve the moo shu in Manhattan, Emily Kwoh, the owner of the Mandarin House, Mandarin East, and Great Shanghai restaurants. The dish was also early on the menu at Joyce Chen's, a pioneering Mandarin-style restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now try the China Rose version moo shu… it is pretty spectacular. Prep time: 30 minutes Marinade time: 1 hour Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 filled pancakes) Ingredients For the marinade 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sake 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1-1/2-pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1 x 1/4-inch strips For the filling 10 dried shiitake mushrooms 1/2 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions 3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 12 cloves) 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce) 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sake 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 3 cups thinly sliced Napa (Chinese) cabbage stalks 4 cups thinly sliced Napa (Chinese) cabbage leaves 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sake For the sauce 1/2 cup hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce Assembly 16 Mandarin Pancakes (see recipe below or substitute small, thin flour tortillas) Directions To make the pork marinade
To make the sauce
Mandarin Pancakes Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Yield: 16 pancakes (serving size: 2 pancakes) Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup boiling water 1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil Directions
ChefSecret: I really like the taste of straight hoisin sauce and usually just smear that on the pancake. You only need a little. I also like to drizzle the hoisin in the cut end of the moo shu pancake. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Being on lock down proves one thing. Behind every angry woman stands a man who has absolutely no idea what he did wrong.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way. If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading. #Entree #Pork #MooShuPork #ChinaRose #Hoisin #R&D #RestaurantConsultant #MenuDevelopment #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020 The China Rose Collection How you doin’? 你好嗎 (Nǐ hǎo ma). I don’t know about you, but I can make entire meal out of egg rolls—really good egg rolls with a pungent sweet and sour sauce for dipping. Most restaurant egg rolls are mostly cabbage with traces of carrots, while “real” egg rolls include shrimp and pork along with the vegetables. While dim sum has a history that goes back hundreds of years, egg rolls are not in that league. The origins of the dish are unclear and remain disputed. Egg rolls are closely related to, but distinct from, spring rolls served in mainland China. These were first seen in the early 20th century in the United States. An early reference to egg rolls appeared in a 1917 Chinese recipe pamphlet published in the United States, but this recipe doesn’t resemble the modern egg roll. The original 1917 recipe described a meat and vegetable filling wrapped in an egg omelet skin, pan fried and served in slices—not the deep fried, crispy version seen today. Some say the modern American egg roll was probably invented at a Chinese restaurant in New York City in the early 1930s, by one of two chefs who both later claimed credit for the creation. Once again, we see the disputed claims to ownership of a recipe. In China, spring rolls are usually served for the New Year holidays because it’s kind of shaped like a gold bar—the symbol of wealth. Whenever it is offered to guests at that time of year the host always says, "may you have prosperity for the coming year." And, we wish you the same! Ingredients For the pork 1/2-pound lean ground pork 1 teaspoon peanut oil 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons peanut oil 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced 1 whole green onion (scallion), minced 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman low sodium) 1 teaspoon granulated sugar For the shrimp 2/3 cup chopped fresh shrimp, cleaned and de-veined 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon dry sherry For the vegetables 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided 1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded 1/4 cup bamboo shoots, shredded 1/4 cup dried Shiitake mushrooms, diced 1/4 cup celery, diced small 1/2-pound bean sprouts 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman low sodium) Putting it all together 20 egg roll wrappers—store bought (see ChefSecret) 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water peanut oil for frying Directions
ChefSecret: Look for "Spring Roll Wrappers" which are usually thinner and crispier than egg roll wrappers. I always look for oversize Filipino lumpia wrappers which will produce a paper-thin skin. Golden Dragon Sweet & Sour Sauce Ingredients 1/3 cup white vinegar or rice vinegar 1 cup water (see ChefSecret) 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons cold water 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 2 tablespoons ketchup Directions
ChefSecret: For a little added richness, switch out the cup of water for chicken stock. By using ketchup, there is no need to add any red color. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Anyone else getting tan from the light in the fridge?" ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way. If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading. #Appetizer #Snack #TheChinaRoseCollection #Shrimp #Pork #EggRoll #SpringRoll #ChineseCuisine #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020 How you doin’? Three of my favorite pork roast recipes are carnitas, kalua pork and pork belly. The best pork belly I ever tasted—until now—was at Tom Colicchio’s Craft Restaurant in Century City, where the meat is unctuously delicious and the skin is so snappy crisp. I saw rolled pork belly roasts in the display case at Huntington Meats at the Los Angeles Original Farmer’s Market last week. I didn’t really know how I was going to cook it, but I did know I wanted to duplicate that Colicchio pork belly taste and texture. I found some recipes for Lechon Roll slow roasted in the oven with super crispy skin and super moist meat. So, I knew I didn’t have to order a whole pig cooked in an imu pit to get my kalua pork and I didn’t have to boil a pork roast in lard and Coca Cola to make it moist like carnitas. I decided that none of the recipes I researched were going to give me exactly what I wanted so I went off on my own and created my own rolled pork belly roll roast recipe. I always try to provide somewhat decent pictures of my finished work at its best, but in this case, I didn’t have a chance. It smelled so good, it was dinner time and I had hungry people waiting to, so what you see is that all that was left—an end piece and lots of string. I know you would understand. Prep time: 15 minutes Roast time: 4 hours Chill time: 24 to 48 hours Crisp time: 30 to 45 minutes Ingredients 1 (4 to 5 pounds) tied whole pork belly, skin-on without ribs 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 1 tablespoon garlic powder Instructions
ChefSecret: By triple wrapping the roast it allows the meat to roast until very tender, while the skin and fat are rendering free of most fat. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “The government doctors said, ‘a mask and gloves were enough to go to the supermarket.’ They lied; can you imagine how embarrassed I was when everyone else was wearing clothes?” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way. If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading. #Entree #PorkBelly #RoastedPorkBelly #LechonRoll #Pork #TomColicchio #CraftRestaurant #HuntingtonMeats #OriginalFarmersMarket #FarmersMarketLA #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020 |
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