sautéed kabocha squash

My grandmother makes the most wonderful steamed buns and water dumplings, and an amazing wok-fried squash dish. She uses kabocha squash, a lovely japanese variety, with a vibrant golden flesh that in my opinion, is much sweeter and creamier than butternut, acorn, calabaza, or other varieties. Its texture is drier, much like a potato or sweet potato.

The beauty of this dish is the wonderful simplicity in its preparation. (The skin is left on to cook.) The integrity of the flavors of the kabocha are preserved and beautifully highlighted. My grams taught me step by step how to clean the kabocha and cook it. We had the sweet starchy dish, along with smoked tofu, and steamed buns for lunch one day.


Sautéed Kabocha Squash

one 2-lb kabocha squash, scrubbed clean
1/4 - 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 stalk scallion, white parts only, thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp MSG**
oil, for frying

1. Scrub the squash clean under running water. Split open and clean out the seeds and fibers. Cut the squash into 1" pieces and set aside.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a wok over high heat. Add the squash and stirfry vigorously to coat all sides with oil to lightly sear. Add in the garlic, scallion, salt, pepper, MSG, and water or stock. Stir to combine.

3. Cover the wok with a tight lid, and let cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the squash is soft and creamy. Serve hot.

**MSG is commonly used in China. However, it's completely optional.

beijing style pastries

Every time we return from a trip to Beijing, we bring back a shoebox filled with pastries and delicacies. (We always cross our fingers at customs.) These are all typical, traditional Beijing-style pastries that are popular throughout northern China too. Though many more Chinese have developed a taste for Western style pastries, I still crave these delicate cakes and snacks, made with very traditional asian ingredients. They are often characterized by a flaky crust, with fillings of red and mung bean pastes, taro, chestnut, sesame, salted duck egg yolks, lotus paste, dates, and all sorts of nuts. These are also typical fillings for yuè bǐng, or moon cakes.

From top right, clockwise-
Niu she bing- "cow's tongue pastries," one of my favorites because of its sweet and salty filling; some variations with ground peanuts. Aptly named due to its shape.

Jiang mi tiao- small, fried glutinous rice crullers, coated in a light sugar glaze. Crunchy, these are insanely addictive, and one of my mom's vices.

Honeycomb cakes. Chewy, dense teacakes, flavored with honey, and oftentimes almonds.

Zao ni yuan bing- date paste filled pastries, with a cookie crust.

These pastries are lighter in fat, cholesterol, and sugars than their Western counterparts. They remind me of holidays when I was a little girl, when such pastries were a treat and a real delicacy. Today, they're sold in supermarkets and traditional pastry shops, by the kilo, all over Beijing and China.

a suitcase full of pocky

It's good to be back on U.S. soil and I'm especially ecstatic about having attained a rather large supply of Pocky loot! I feel like a richer woman indeed.

Pocky, thin biscuit sticks that originated in Japan, has worked its way into mainstream American snack culture too. They're extremely popular all over China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as well. Perfectly straight, lightly sweetened biscuits, Pocky are super fun to eat. Why oh why must they come in such small packages! I doubt you'd find them anytime soon on the shelves at Costco, but a girl can dream... It's what's on the outside that counts. This is nowhere more true than it is on Pocky. There's a sheer plethora of flavors. (One of my favorite is Gentlemen's Pocky, for the more distinguished palate.) Only a dozen or so are available in the U.S. for retail sale. But I was able to procure some new flavors while in China.

From left to right-
milk - not quite white chocolate; strong dairy taste
caramel - with hints of almond and hazelnut
shrimp - tastes like Asian shrimp crackers
milk coffee - like a latte!
sweet corn - better than popcorn

I really can't say it enough, but I had a wonderful trip. And yes, it was more than one day long (see previous post). Many of the dishes I'll write about this month will be dedicated to my grandfather, the true chef and one of the greatest influences in my life, and not just culinary. More so than ever this time, I found myself to be more and more like him, to have the same habits, preferences, and eccentricities for food. He truly lives to cook, to cook for his loved ones, to reap the joy of seeing a stuffed mouth, to hear chopsticks clanging on bowls, to hear the eager requests for second helpings. This is what he holds dear. And me, likewise.

out of office: in hunan, day 1

On the left, fried sweet fritters made of sweet potato and rice flours, dipped in honey. On the right, fried tofu skin pockets.

Oh wow am I jetlagged. Chronologically speaking, I'm exactly 12 hours ahead. Geographically, I am in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province in China. I'm trying not to sleep during the day here, but still, I manage to wake up in the middle of the night, twiddling my thumbs. It's at least good for my reading, I've already caught up on a few books, and gone through who-knows-how-many sudoku games! Anyway, part vacation, part conference, this trip was planned last minute, though I'm really happy to be here. I can't wait to see my grandparents and aunts and uncles in a few days. Basically the whole clan.

Street food is a huge part of Chinese day-to-day life. Regional foods and snacks define the local people, their tastes, customs, and histories. I love walking from hawker stall to stall, tasting a little bit of this and that, and contrary to belief, they are all actually quite clean. My mom and I walked over to the old town area yesterday for some midday snacks. We sipped on sweetened green tea, taro boba (bubble tea with tapioca), grilled skewers of squid in hot chili paste, the infamous stinky tofu, steamed buns, roasted chestnuts, and deep-fried pork dumplings.

stinkiness, in very hot oil

chou dou fu: stinky tofu

So, what exactly is stinky tofu, you might ask. Well, it's a very popular snack dish throughout China, of basically fermented tofu blocks that are deep fried. Calling it stinky, to me, is a misnomer; pungent is more like it. Some describe the odor as feet-like, but I say there are also hints of earthiness , slightly sour and salty all at once. Ok, so maybe that is the definition of stinky. Anyway, it's definitely an acquired taste, and something not to be missed if you should ever encounter it. And you won't, because you'll smell the distinct odor from about half a mile away. The robustness of the taste will depend on the length of fermentation. And of course, frying the tofu makes it more palatable. Obviously you can't find this in the US, there must be a long list of health code violations that stinky tofu would be guilty of. The best and most popular places for it are in downtown Shanghai and in Taipei.

faBOOless cupcakes

I'm going to catch you in my evil web of buttercream!

These cupcakes may not chill your blood, but they will whet your appetite! Halloween is one of our favorite holidays. Everyone's creative juices are free flowing, there's a chill in the air, and not to mention the sea of fun-size candies that are as prepared to rot your teeth as you are to plow through them. I had so much fun decorating these; it was almost a pity to eat them! (But I got over it.) Happy Halloween everyone!

valleys of buttercream

tastes much better than real candy corn

creepy crawly things

take your pick

like black-bottom muffins, these are "orange-bottomed" (pumpkin, mmmm)

eve's pudding

The Anglophile in me is truly drawn to the simplicity and robustness of British dishes. No room for light mousses nor decadent ganaches, Brit desserts are stick-to-your-ribs, no nonsense creations, yet elegant in their own right. They'd be like the elephants of the dessert kingdom, staunch and reliable, well-built and heavy, and regal and graceful all at the same time. Very rarely do you find a recipe that calls for more than a handful of ingredients or for some esoteric method of preparation.

Eve's Pudding is aptly named after Eve and the apple from the tree of knowledge, mostly for its desirable qualities. Sweet apples are topped with a traditional Victorian sponge cake. Since the sponge acts as a crust, the apples cook by steam, yielding a brilliantly tender layer of stewed fruit, then a creamy light vanilla cake.


We associate puddings with sticky, wobbly, and creamy things, but when the Brits speak of pudding, they're referring to a large array of desserts, mostly cakey things that are steamed or baked. Dense and buttery, these puddings vary with the seasons, capitalizing on the freshest and best fruits of each, whether it be berries for a summer pudding or charlotte, prunes in a sticky toffee pudding, or candied fruits and peels in a Christmas pudding.

This recipe is easy and delicious, and must be eaten all in one sitting. That's an order. (Its texture is wet and creamy, thus keeping it longer for more than two days is probably a bad idea.) It can be done, really.


Eve's Pudding

Sponge Cake:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 apples, peeled and cored
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

1. Slice apples into thin 1/8" slices. Gently toss with 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a mixer until it becomes smooth and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time. Alternately add in the milk and flour mixture. Do not over beat.

3. Spoon reserved apples into single-serving ramekins or souffle pans (48 oz), about 3/4 of the way full. Pour any remaining juices over the apples.


4. Spoon batter over the apples and with a flat spatula, level out the batter to form a flat seal to cover the fruit. Sprinkle the top with sugar.


5. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

lager and beef stew

I love taking an inexpensive cut of meat and stewing the hell out of it. Especially in my crock pot. Maybe it should be called crack pot, since it's so addictive to use. Set it and forget it! You can now even find products that make crock pot cooking more convenient, like slow cooking liners, plastic bags you insert into the pot in which the food cooks. Clean-up becomes a cinch.

There's been a bottle of German doppelbock beer that's been sitting in my fridge, from a friend who had brought it along with strings of sausages awhile ago for a house party. Doppelbocks, aka double bock beers, are malty German lagers with a whole lot of body.They are especially dark, with incredible smoky and dynamic flavors. Korbinian, fromWeihenstephaner Brewery, has a uniquely chocolatey after-finish to it. To bring out these earthy flavors, I added 2 squares of dark bittersweet chocolate to the broth.

Wow, the taste was like nothing we've had before. Deep and flavorful, layered with nuances of sweet and earthiness, it was a big bowl of comfort. I suppose the taste can only be described as rich and malty. Instead of potatoes, next time I will add parsnips, and maybe even turnips. They would also be lovely in a dish of this depth. We ate ours with whole wheat naan (it was the only soup-sopper type bread we had), but egg noodles, a hearty polenta, or wide pappardelle pasta would be delicious, don't you think?


Lager and Beef Stew
adapted from Cook's Country magazine

2 lbs boneless beef chuck or shoulder, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
1 large onion, chopped
4 strips center cut bacon, diced
32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups lager beer
2 Tbsp brown sugar
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 bay leaves
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 potato, scrubbed and cut into 1" cubes

1. In a dutch oven, over high heat, sear the meat on all sides in 1 Tbsp oil. Set aside.

2. In the same pot, with heat to medium, slowly cook the bacon until most of the fat is rendered. Add the onions and cook until transluscent, but still firm. Remove, and set aside. Add chicken broth, beer, sugar, chocolate, half the carrots, and the beef to the pot. Stir to scrape up and drippings. Let come to a boil, and skim off any foam that rises to the top. Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, and half the onion mixture. Pour this into your slow cooker/crock pot.

3. Set crock pot to low and cook for 6-7 hours.

4. Add the rest of the carrots, onions, and potato to the crock pot. Let cook for another 1 to 1.5 hours. Pick out the thyme and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper, if needed.

5. Serve hot.

french apple tart

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. I won't broadcast his age, but I can say that he still looks like a vibrant 45, with the athleticism of a 30-something year old. I hope those good genes run the family! He and my mom have logged almost 250 miles hiking this year! We went out to one of his favorite restaurants, Sweet Water Tavern, an upscale brewery that serves up eclectic southwestern dishes with a flair. We skipped dessert there, since I made everyone a special tart from all the apples that are sitting in the fridge from my apple-picking foray.

This is a recipe that produces a thin and buttery, lightly sweetened tart. It's not the best way to use up a lot of apples, definitely the opposite of a mile-high American apple pie. But it is a beautiful sight to behold, and so ethereally light on the palate.

We sat around the kitchen island, drinking tea and eating dessert, as we caught up on everything that happened this past week. It's been hellishly busy (hence why I have been blog-absent for the past week) with me logging many long distance miles on my car, attending a wedding, working on applications, tutoring, and planning my upcoming trip to China next week. So much to do, so little time to cook! It did calm me to get back in the kitchen to make this tart, peeling and slicing the apples, making the pastry...all so methodical and soothing for me. Kitchen therapy. Let's all try it.



French Apple Tart
adapted from Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques

Pâte Sucrée:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled (1 1/2 sticks)
2 egg yolks
pinch salt

3 baking apples (Granny Smith, Cameo, etc)
2 Tbsp melted butter, for brushing
1/8 cup sugar, for sprinkling

apricot jelly, for glaze

1. For the pastry dough: Mix together flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the dry mixture. With a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour, until it is evenly incorporated and the size of the small peas throughout. Make a well in the center of the mixture, add the yolks, and use your hands to work into a crumbly dough. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel and core the apples. Cut into thin slices, about 1/8" thick. Toss with a few drops of lemon juice to stop them from browning.

3. Preheat the oven to 375F.

4. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper. Drape over the tart pan, gently press into the fluted sides, and trim the excess dough off the rims. Arrange the apples in a circular pattern in the tart. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle on the reserved sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.

5. Let tart cool completely to room temperature. Melt the apricot jelly with a bit of water in the microwave. Brush over the apples for a sweet glaze, and let it cool to set up. Cut and serve.

in print

The November issue of Baltimore Style Magazine is all about food! In an article that highlights 15 local food writers, cooks, and critics, all with diverse and unique styles, there is a mention of yours truly. I am very much flattered and excited. Now you will all know my real name!

If anyone read this past weekend's edition of the Baltimore Sun, you would have seen one of my photos in the Travel section. It's one that I snapped while in Tangier, Morocco of three local girls coming home from school. It's entitled "Navigating the Crowd."
It's currently online at the Sun's Travel section along with some other really spectacular travel shots from all over the world.