Noodles pangsit

As I promised on my post on October 28th 2007, I made one of my soul food, bakmi ayam jamur pangsit which is one of the types of the Indonesian Chinese cuisine. According to wikipedia, Indonesian Chinese cuisine is characterized by the combination of the Chinese and the local Indonesian style. Adding chili, santan (coconut milk) and other spices, created a new Indonesian Chinese cuisine. The Indonesian Chinese cuisine itself varies depending on the areas, such as in Central Java, the food tends to be sweeter. The more traditional Chinese style can be found in Medan, North Sumatra.

Types of Indonesian Chinese cuisine

• New style of Chinese food with chefs from China, Hongkong or Taiwan.
• The Chinese food from traditional dishes, such as the Teochew, Hokkian, Hakka dishes.
• Chinese-Indonesian food with recipes borrowed from Dutch and other European cuisine as well as local cuisine.
• The halal Chinese food by adapting the local taste, for example by substituting pork for chicken or beef and no alcohol added in food.
  

Here are several names of the type Indonesian Chinese food:

• Bakmi, it's a call for noodle which is adapted to different styles and regions. Almost every city in Indonesia has its own style noodle or mie, eg. Bakmi Bandung, Bakmi Medan, Bakmi Makassar, Bakmi Bangka, etc. 'Bak-Mi' comes from the Hokkien pronunciation for 'Meat-Noodle'.
• Nasi goreng, Mie goreng. Fried rice or noodle with spices and chili, add in kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) to get more flavor and darken.
• Cap Cai, a Hokkian word literally means a mixture of various types of vegetables. Usually served as stir fried mixed vegetables with chicken or shrimp when ordered as ala carte.
• Tahu Goreng, fried Tofu with peanut sauce and chili. 'Tau-Hu' also comes from the Chinese word for 'Bean-Curd'.
• Pau, which is the Chinese word for 'bun'; sometimes written as Bak-Pau, literally meaning 'Meat-Bun', which is a bun with meat fillings. (Bak is the Hokkien pronunciation for 'meat'.)
• Bakwan, came from Bak-Wan, is the Hokkien pronunciation for 'Meat-Ball', usually made from beef. In Indonesia, bakwan is usually a name for a meatballs soup with fried/steamed wonton, noodle, rice noodle, filled fried/steamed tofu etc. It's famous as Malang style bakso.
  
• Bakso, came from Bak-So, is the Hokkien pronunciation for 'Shredded-Meat'. However , in Indonesia, it can be meant a meatballs soup with noodle and vegetables
• Sapo, came from Sa-Po, which is the Chinese word for 'Clay-Pot'.

In this recipe, I didn't use real chicken as the regular bakmi ayam jamur supposed to be. I used stimulated chicken for vegetarian. Substituted a homemade chicken oil that I used to make for bakmi ayam for a homemade garlic oil. Used vegetarian noodle (I used mi chay) instead of fresh noodles. As I was lazy to make my own wonton and vegetable broth, I bought a pack of shrimp and fish wonton, and also used the vegetable broth that you can buy at Asian grocers, it does taste just like regular chicken broth for wonton soup. Make sure to buy the broth without MSG.

Ingredients:
1 pack of fresh noodles(substituted for mi chay, the dried vegetarian noodles)
2 tbsp reduced soy sauce
3 tbsp homemade garlic oil (chicken oil's substitution)

Homemade Garlic Oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cm ginger, widely sliced
2 green onions, cut a half
100 ml vegetable oil
2 tbsp sesame oil

Stir Fry Chicken and Mushroom
340 g stimulated chicken (veggie chicken ground)
150 g sliced mushroom
3 cloves garlic
3 cm ginger, bruised
1 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
1 tbsp reduced soy sauce
75 ml vegetable broth ready to use
salt, sugar and ground white peper as desired




Source : http://indonesia-eats.blogspot.com/2007/11/pesco-vegetarian-version-bakmi-ayam.html

The Secrets to Cooking the Best Chinese Fried Rice

Fried Rice is the Chinese version of casserole. Basically, its a great way to use up leftover bits in the refrigerator. My ingredients change based on what vegetables and meat I have on hand.

The only 3 constants are:

1) Rice

2) Fish Sauce

3) Chinese Sausage “Lap Cheong”

The above photo includes 1/4 of a red bell pepper, frozen peas/carrots, 2 eggs, 1/4 of a red onion, lap cheong (Chinese sausage). Sometimes I use bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, baby corn, pork, shrimp, chicken, ground beef, scallops…well, you get the picture. I’ve written a recipe for fried rice already, so instead of another recipe, I’m going to talk about some of the secrets that make the absolutely best fried rice in the world. I might repeat some of what I’ve written earlier, but its worth the read.

Secret #1: The Rice Just freshly cooked rice is hot, steamy, very moist and a little sticky. All of those things would make a very clumpy and soggy fried rice. Thats why day-old rice makes the best fried rice (storing in the refrigerator dries out the rice). My fried rice is flaky, light - which allows the individual flavors of the ingredients to really shine through. I almost always use Jasmine Rice for fried rice. If I want to make fried rice and don’t happen to have day-old rice on hand, here’s what I do: Make a batch of rice, except use 1/4 to 1/3 less water. This creates a rice that is a bit drier. Once the rice is done cooking, spread it out on a baking sheet so cool it off and let the steam (moisture) escape. Don’t try to fry the rice until its completely cool. You can put the baking sheet in the refrigerator, freezer or open window to expedite the process.

Secret #2: The Fish Sauce Many of my non-Asian friends will respond with “ewwwww…..fish sauce?” But let me tell you, most dishes served in a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant contain fish sauce. Its like the SE Asian version of salt. Plus, do you know what Worchestershire Sauce is made of?!?! Just like anchovy paste in Italian cooking, a little goes a long ways and once you cook it in a dish, I’ll bet you $10 that you can’t even pick out the taste of it. I use a brand called “Three Crabs” A sign of good fish sauce is the color. You want to buy a brand that is tea-colored, which signifies that it probably came from the first pressing (best quality). Now, why the brand is called Three Crabs when the fish sauce doesn’t even contain crabs is a mystery. If the fish sauce is any darker, like the color of coca cola, don’t buy it. Ok, so why do I use fish sauce and what does it taste like? Well first lets talk about what it smells like. No. Let not. I’m not going to kid you. It stinks. Don’t even try. But for some mysterious reason (and especially since you only use a few shakes from the bottle in the dish) your final cooked dish will smell nothing like it. Taste: pure on your tongue is very pungent. However once you start adding different flavor notes: like sour (lime), sweet (sugar), spicy (chili) - it transports you into another dimension - many call it “umami“. I use it because it rounds out the flavors - giving the dish a hit of salty/sweet that I can’t replicate with sugar and salt. I add the fish sauce to the fried rice the same time I add the other seasonings, about 1/2 tsp at a time until it tastes just right. Not too salty. Not too pungent. You want to make sure that you have big “wok fry” motions to get the fish sauce evenly dispersed throughout the dish. Last thing you want is one of your guests taking a bite and getting KO’d by a shot of fish sauce.

Secret #3: The Chinese Sausage Its like pancetta in Italian cooking, where you render the fat (a.k.a. low heat and melt the fat). The fat is where all the flavor is hidden. Chinese sausage also is described as having “umami”. Its preserved like Italian sausages so they last quite a while in the refrigerator. I dice the sausage into 1/4″ pieces, put them in the warm wok on low heat and just leave it alone for a few minutes. You’ll be rewarded with rich, flavorful fat oozing out - this is what you’ll use to fry the rest of the ingredients of the fried rice in place of oil.

Secret #4: The Heat Once you add your rice to the wok, crank up the heat to high. Your wok or saute pan has to be so hot that it heats up every single grain of rice through to the core. The heat does two things: helps meld the flavors together to create a cohesive dish and evaporate any extra moisture from the rice and liquid seasonings (soy/fish sauce/wine). Your fried rice is done with the grains practically dance off the wok.

Secret #5: Storing and Re-heating Store leftover fried rice tightly covered in the refrigerator. The rice will dry out further just by being in the refrigerator, however it will taste just as good the next day. The secret is to wet your hands and “flick” or “splash” water onto the fried rice, cover, and microwave on high. The microwave will heat up the water, turn it into steam and basically re-steam the rice. Don’t use too much water, just maybe a teaspoon or so. For the recipe - use this as a guideline, but feel free to substitute meats/seafood/vegetables. All you need to know to make the most delicious fried rice are the secrets in this post! Enjoy!

Source : http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/04/09/secrets-to-cooking-the-best-chinese-fried-rice

About Chinese Foods and Cooking

Do you know that more than a third of the world's population eat Chinese food daily? Even if it was eaten regularly by some only, Chinese cooking would still be acknowledged as one of the greatest and original cuisines of the world. There is an ever increasing interest in and appreciation of Chinese food in the West. The fact that Chinese restaurants are mushrooming in the West is ample testimony to the variety and quality of Chinese food.

"Have you eaten already?" is a popular greeting among the Chinese.

The culinary appeal of Chinese cusine has taken the Western culture by storm because those who experimented know how good and economical Chinese food can be. They discovered how easy it is to create Chinese dishes in their own kitchen and the joy of eating Chinese food can be experienced regularly rather than as an occasional treat.

The art of Chinese cooking does not, contrary to popular belief, present any real difficulty as you will soon find out at Chinesefood-recipes.com. All the ingredients in Chinese recipes such as bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and so forth can be readily purchased from most general food stores and supermarkets, and even online!

"Color, aroma and flavor are not the only the key elements in Chinese cooking; nutrition is also a priority."

Chinese food appeals to the majority and its variety of flavors is so cleverly contained in each dish that there is nothing incongruous in the serving of meat and poultry in the same course. Both the cooking and consumption of Chinese food are great culinary experiences. Besides appealing to our taste buds and eyes, food prepared in the Chinese manner is highly nutritious, retaining all its vitamins with quick and minimum cooking.

The reward of cooking Chinese are obvious to anyone who has tasted popular Chinese dishes like a well-cooked Sweet and Sour Pork, Kung Pao Chicken or Chinese dumplings or was sustained by a plate of steaming Chow Mein or Fried Rice. Chinesefood-recipes.com has a massive selection of free, easy-to-cook and delicious Chinese recipes and Oriental recipes. Helpful sections such as Ingredients and Cooking tips are available to make your cooking experience easy and fun. Happy cooking!

Source : http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com/

fishs, Fresh Taste and a Saltwater View

THERE'S nothing fancy about the Boat yard Cafe, in the Dodson Boatyard in Stonington, and that's part of its charm.

The L-shaped dining room facing the water is small, seating 25 at most. But if the weather permits, the prime place to eat is on the canopied deck directly overlooking the marina. Inside and out, the green and white decor is simple, with striped plastic tablecloths outside, fabric ones inside. The menu is more interesting than the makeshift look of the cafe suggests, and the operative word is seafood.

What makes the Boatyard Cafe different from the usual seaside breafast-to-dinner place is that so much tastes freshly made. In an order of grilled mussels, for example, we were served seven juicy mussels in their shells, tucked beneath a well-seasoned bacon, garlic and crumb topping that bore no resemblance to the tired pouch of gummy breading one so often encounters.

Maryland crab cake had a similarly fresh appeal. While there could have been greater generosity with the crabmeat, the patty was well-seasoned, loosely packed and crisply browned, enhanced by a sauce of sour cream laced with capers and Dijon mustard. Salad came with each entree, and it was a lively one -- curly endive, radiccio, red oak and iceberg lettuce, tossed with a creamy (and zesty) Dijon dressing.

A spicy surprise was an order of Nantucket sea scallops, which was served in a generous portion, sauteed to a well-turned brown with scallions, parsley and a peppery Cajun flair. Also on the plate, as with all entrees, was a nicely seasoned mixture of plain and wild rice, along with a mountain of delicious onion-accented squash with a hint of curry.

Not everything was a smash hit. Sesame chicken looked O.K. -- five browned fingers of white meat sprinkled with sesame seeds -- but tasted burned, and indeed the underside of each piece was charcoal-black. When a replacement was served, the waiter said, "Perhaps you'll like this better." (Well, yes. Wouldn't you?) The second try consisted of two breasts, not fingers, and while not burned was somewhat dry and flavorless. A cup of chicken and mushroom soup, with a soupcon of lemon grass, had the gluey consistency of cornstarch, not the fresh taste found elsewhere.

Desserts at the cafe were a delight, notably a rich, dark, spicy pumpkin pie (a dollop of whipped cream would help lighten its intensity), a nicely textured apple-cranberry crisp (topped with a crunchy mix of oats and walnuts) served warm, and blueberry-plum crisp, a variation, also warmed, and just as much of a textural treat.

Dinner for two came to $49.50, before tax, tip or beverages. The cafe serves no liquor, but guests are welcome to provide their own wine or beer.

Anyone passing by on Interstate 95 will find the Boatyard Cafe a cheerful detour, whether for a hearty breakfast of eggs, pancakes or French toast, or for a simple lunch or dinner. Considering its minuscule size and popularity, it is prudent to make reservations for dinner. COMINGS AND GOINGS

It has not been a banner year for restaurants. The Brasserie St. Germain in Westport didn't last long enough to be listed in the 1994 telephone directory. In fact, it opened in April and was gone by September, perhaps setting some sort of record. Also gone with the recent winds: Cafe de la Plage (in Westport, replaced by the Beach House), Amadeo's (also in Westport), A Garden Cafe (Riverside), the admirable Bec Fin Fish Market and Cafe (Old Greenwich), Fork and Spoon (a Thai restaurant in Danbury), Sagebrush Cafe (Georgetown), and La Strada (Greenwich). The Boatyard Cafe

Good

194 Water Street (between Mathews Street and Alpha Avenue), Stonington. 535-1381.

Atmosphere: A small cafe serving 25 inside, plus an enclosed (but unheated) deck facing the marina.

Service: Friendly but inadequately trained, serving a second course before the first was finished.

Recommended dishes: Pumpkin pancakes, blueberry pancakes, mushroom omelet, Maryland crab cake, grilled mussels, Nantucket sea scallops, pumpkin pie, blueberry-plum crisp, apple-cranberry crisp.

Source : http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04EFDA1E3AF931A35753C1A962958260&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=1

The Indonesian Ethnic Cuisine

Indonesia is well known for its cuisine. Especially the rice table, that was actually an invention of the Dutch, back in colonial times, is very well known. It consists of a lot of different dishes, a bit like a buffet. Most of you know the fried rice ( Nasi Goreng ), Satay (skewered meat) and maybe some of the Indonesian soups ( Soto ). But of course there is lot more to the Indonesian cuisine. Cooking varies greatly by region and combines many different influences. However, most Indonesian food shares the nearly universal food trinity of fish, coconut and chili.

Here are some recipes that will add a touch of exotica to your dinner table. Be it a family get together or a party these recipes are a sure shot hit!

Nasi Goreng ( Indonesian Fried Rice )

There are about as many ways of making Nasi Goreng, as there are cooks in Indonesia. This can be made with left over rice and can be enjoyed by itself or as the basis of a larger meal, for example with Indonesian satay's, Gado Gado and Peanut sauce. It is very easy to make and won't take more than 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:
2 Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Cooking oil
3 cloves Garlic
1 Onion
2 Red chilies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon
1/2-teaspoon sugar
200g Raw prawns, peeled and deveined (optional)
1 cup White rice, cooked and cooled
2 teaspoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoon (Kecap Manis) (If not available use tsp Jaggery)

For garnish :
Finely shredded lettuce
1 Thinly sliced cucumber
3 tablespoons Crisp fried onion

Method :
1.Beat the eggs and salt until foamy. Heat oil in a frying pan.
2.Pour about one quarter of the egg mixture into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until the omelet sets.
3.Remove the omelet from the pan and repeat with the remaining egg mixture.
4.When the omelets are cold, gently roll them up and cut them into fine strips, set aside.
5.Blend the garlic, onion, chili and sugar to a fine paste.
6.Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large deep frying pan; add the paste and cook over high heat for few minutes.
7.Add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they change color.
8.Add the remaining oil and the cold rice. Stir-fry, breaking up any lumps, until the rice is heated through.
9.Add the sweet Soya sauce, soy sauce and spring onion and stir-fry for another minute.
10.Arrange the lettuce around the outside of a large platter. Place the rice in the center and garnish with the omelet strips, cucumber slices and fried onion.
11.Serve immediately.

Source : http://cookncooking.blogspot.com/2007/05/indonesian-ethnic-cuisine.html

The Yellow Spice Grilled Chicken

Ingredients :

1 whl chicken - (abt 3 1/2 lbs) cut 2 to 4 pieces
2 cup thick coconut milk
1 x lemongrass stalk bruised
3 x kaffir lime leaves
2 x cloves
2 x cardamom bruised
1 tbl tamarind juice
3 tbl vegetable oil
SPICE PASTE INGREDIENTS
3 x garlic cloves
8 sm shallots
5 x candlenuts dryly fried
3 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp freshly-ground white pepper
1/4 tsp aniseeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tbl galangal
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbl salt

Method :

* Stir fry the spice paste over medium heat with 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for a minute or two and then add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cloves and cardamom until fragrant.
* Add the chicken pieces and stir well until the chicken is half done. Pour in the coconut milk and tamarind juice. Cook until the chicken is almost done and the sauce is thickened, remove.
* On a barbeque grill or in an oven over moderate heat, grill the chicken until done while brushing it with the spices. Ready to serve.
* This recipe yields 3 to 4 servings.



Source : http://likeindonesianfood.blogspot.com/

The ice-cream spaghetti

Es krim spaghetti ala Baden-Baden

Spaghettieis (was read by "Spaghetti ice") was an ice-cream from Germany. The uniqueness of the ice-cream spaghetti was the form of the ice-cream that resembled spaghetti. The ice-cream spaghetti was made by Dario Fontanella, a German ditahun in the 60 's in Mannheim. The ice-cream vannila was printed with the machine of the noodles printer, so as have the shape of like noodles/spaghetti. Afterwards this ice-cream was given cream shook and strawberries jam (as tomato sauce) and the coconut grater, the almond that was destroyed, or white chocolate (as cheese parmesan). Although interesting, the ice-cream spaghetti was not so famous outside Europe, but the ice-cream spaghetti could be found in the ice-cream shop gelato, in the special agenda and the luxurious restaurant in North America, Selatan, Asia, Australia and all the world. [proofread] the Existence of the ice-cream spaghetti in Indonesia The ice-cream spaghetti was not so famous in Indonesia, one of them the place that provided the ice-cream spaghetti was the Ragusa ice-cream restaurant that was located in Street. The veteran, Jakarta the Momentum

Ten foods that make of America great

Hamburgers. Apple pie. Potato chips. Foods that helped shape our nation.

American food gets an unfair rap these days. With the rise of ethnic cuisines – whatever that means, in this great melting pot — and supermarkets full of salad bars and microwave dinners, it’s easy to forget how many extraordinary homegrown delights are still served on tables across the land. Foods with a sense of place. Foods, I don’t feel too bold saying, that helped make America great.

It’s time to celebrate a few.

Our list isn't meant to be comprehensive. We didn't include barbecue because once we started our accounting — from North Carolina pork to Texas Hill Country brisket — it became clear we’d need a long, separate list to give BBQ its due. And apple pie, while iconic, is a European import that spread everywhere in Johnny Appleseed's wake.

All these 10 express their origin, though. And each is worth a trip to hunt in its native habitat, from sea to succulent sea.

Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8392312/