from Pinch My Salt
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Cake
On certain days, you may crave a large and heavy chocolate-type dessert that will hurt your teeth with every bite, and at times you crave a light yet sweet and fulfilling item to satisfy that sweet tooth. If you feel like the latter, the below dessert is for you. With a few simple ingredients of apples, cinnamon, and buttermilk, you will end up with a deliciously fluffy and satisfying cake. This cake will not bring you "eater's remorse" if you end up inhaling two or three slices in one sitting! Top it off with homemade whipped cream, it is the dessert to turn to when you just want to divulge in cake without feeling too guilty.
Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Cake
from Pinch My Salt
from Pinch My Salt
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Just Pictures: Thomas Keller for Cheap
Four-course meal, $49 per person... what a steal for a Thomas Keller meal (hey, that rhymes). Thomas Keller is a renowned chef who owns this little restaurant you may have heard of... French Laundry!! (And no, it's not a place that shows you how the French does laundry...) Note: I checked the Ad Hoc restaurant website this morning and the prices went up! It's $52/person now...
This meal was actually the success of my resourceful husband, where his only task for our two year wedding anniversary weekend was to find a dinner place. Both of us didn't know of this restaurant prior to his search on Yelp, but after seeing key words such as "Thomas Keller", "$49/person", "daily, fresh menu"... we were SOLD! He called about two weeks before the weekend, and the restaurant said there was one last opening at 5:30 PM on a Saturday evening. "Take it, TAKE IT!!" I shouted at him. Quite lucky for him, I must say, as he redeemed himself to actually contributing to a planned weekend for once. Although we enjoyed ths meal many many months ago, I wanted to share just because it was so damn good.
Antipasto Platter 
This meal was actually the success of my resourceful husband, where his only task for our two year wedding anniversary weekend was to find a dinner place. Both of us didn't know of this restaurant prior to his search on Yelp, but after seeing key words such as "Thomas Keller", "$49/person", "daily, fresh menu"... we were SOLD! He called about two weeks before the weekend, and the restaurant said there was one last opening at 5:30 PM on a Saturday evening. "Take it, TAKE IT!!" I shouted at him. Quite lucky for him, I must say, as he redeemed himself to actually contributing to a planned weekend for once. Although we enjoyed ths meal many many months ago, I wanted to share just because it was so damn good.
(assorted salumi, roasted cauliflower, tfl garden carrots, california asparagus gorgonzola and burrata cheeses, marinated olives, mushroom crostini)
Frankies Greens
(mixed baby lettuces, icicle radish, red & golden baby beets, cippolini onion vinaigrette)
Pork Brasciola
(san marzano tomato sauce, potato gnocchi, roasted broccoli rabe)
Hazelnut Panna Cotta with cinnamon biscotti
Ad Hoc // Yountville, CA
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A New Segment: Battle of the Ramen Bowl
Trying out a new idea, I am going to occasionally feature a dish or entree item from two different restaurants, written in a small amount of words, for the ultimate battle - which one is better? Disclamer: this is solely my own opinion, and may differ from yours. Really, I recommend that you should try it out for yourself!
Winner: Ramen Dojo!
Santouka // San Jose, CA
Superb broth, traditional ramen noodles, comes in 3 different sizes,
optional small rice bowls to cleanse the palate
soy bean broth with chashu rice bowl and marinated egg
vs.
Ramen Dojo // San Mateo, CA
Thick noodles, innovative toppings, bowl-licking type of broth
pork garlic broth, mild spicy, with standard toppings (lettuce, chives, pork slices,
roasted garlic, quail egg, "chicken gravy")
This is a hard one... Winner: Ramen Dojo!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wontons, I Want A Ton!
On a rainy and cold day like this, I crave anything soup! The past few days I have been consuming a lot of warm liquidy type of food, starting the past weekend with cheese fondue, to Mongolian hot pot, and then Japanese ramen. This wonton recipe is a perfect "gloomy weather" comfort food when you just want to stay in on a lazy Sunday. It's easy to make and quick to cook. The only part you have to be patient with is the wonton-wrapping process. If you can trick someone into helping you along during the wrapping process, if it's a loved one, friends, or capable kids, it can be turn into a fun activity!
Wontons (餛飩)
Ingredients
Wonton:
- 1 pound ground pork (or ground turkey for a healthier option, or a mix of both)
- ~10 medium sized shrimp, peel and ground
- 2 stalks scallion, finely minced
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 pound wonton wrappers, medium thickness (1 packet from Asian supermaket)
- 1/2 cup cold water
Soup:
- 3 cups of meat broth (pork, chicken, or beef - it's up to you!)
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced (Chinese celery is the best for this soup, so if you can get them, use about 2-3 stalks)
- salt to taste
- dash of white pepper (optional)
Tools
- food processor
- large pot for boiling
- large plates/trays for holding wrapped wontons
Steps
1. In a big bowl, mix together ground pork, ground shrimp (best to use a food processor), scalion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sugar, and sesame oil.
2. Bring the bowl of mixed wonton filling, wonton wrappers, and 1/2 cup of cold water, large plates, and a couple of small spoons to a large area (eg. dining table or large counter) for the wrapping process. Follow the pictures and instructions below on how to wrap a wonton:
(a) Using the small spoon, scoop filling on the wonton wrapper. Note - don't scoop too much, or else it will be difficult to close the wonton and it may break open during the cooking process.
(b) Using your finger, dip in the cold water and line all 4 sides of the wonton wrapper with water. Fold the wonton in half to form a triangle.
(c) Roate the triangle so that the top corner is facing down. Dab water on both corners of the wonton (left corner and right corner only).
(d) Push down the middle of the wonton with your finger and form a small crease.
(e) Stick the two corners together (that's why we dabbed water on those corners) to form a wonton! Make sure to press hard to ensure the corners are sticking to each other.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, drop in desired number of wontons to cook (per person, ranges around 6-8 wontons). When the water comes to a boil again, add 1/2 cup of water to the pot. Once the water comes to a boil again and the wontons are plump and floating on top of the boiling water, it is ready.
4. Bring the broth to a boil in another pot. Once boiling, add in celery and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add salt to taste.
5. Place broth in a bowl and add the cooked wontons. Add white pepper (optional).
Serves many.
A few tips...
...this recipe will make lots of wontons and it may not be possible to eat them all in one sitting, so you can freeze these for next time. To freeze fresh wontons, stick them in the freezer individually (meaning that each wonton should have their own space and no wontons are touching each other). I typically stick the plate I placed the wontons on in the freezer. After the wontons are frozen, you can move them into a ziplock bag or container.
...when cooking frozen wontons, make sure you place wontons in boiling water. When the water comes to a boil again, add 1/2 cup of water to the pot. Do this for 2 more times to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked. When the wontons are plump and float to the top of boiling water, this means they are ready!
Ingredients
Wonton:
- 1 pound ground pork (or ground turkey for a healthier option, or a mix of both)
- ~10 medium sized shrimp, peel and ground
- 2 stalks scallion, finely minced
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 pound wonton wrappers, medium thickness (1 packet from Asian supermaket)
- 1/2 cup cold water
Soup:
- 3 cups of meat broth (pork, chicken, or beef - it's up to you!)
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced (Chinese celery is the best for this soup, so if you can get them, use about 2-3 stalks)
- salt to taste
- dash of white pepper (optional)
Tools
- food processor
- large pot for boiling
- large plates/trays for holding wrapped wontons
Steps
1. In a big bowl, mix together ground pork, ground shrimp (best to use a food processor), scalion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sugar, and sesame oil.
2. Bring the bowl of mixed wonton filling, wonton wrappers, and 1/2 cup of cold water, large plates, and a couple of small spoons to a large area (eg. dining table or large counter) for the wrapping process. Follow the pictures and instructions below on how to wrap a wonton:
(a) Using the small spoon, scoop filling on the wonton wrapper. Note - don't scoop too much, or else it will be difficult to close the wonton and it may break open during the cooking process.
(b) Using your finger, dip in the cold water and line all 4 sides of the wonton wrapper with water. Fold the wonton in half to form a triangle.
(c) Roate the triangle so that the top corner is facing down. Dab water on both corners of the wonton (left corner and right corner only).
(d) Push down the middle of the wonton with your finger and form a small crease.
(e) Stick the two corners together (that's why we dabbed water on those corners) to form a wonton! Make sure to press hard to ensure the corners are sticking to each other.
4. Bring the broth to a boil in another pot. Once boiling, add in celery and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add salt to taste.
5. Place broth in a bowl and add the cooked wontons. Add white pepper (optional).
Serves many.
A few tips...
...this recipe will make lots of wontons and it may not be possible to eat them all in one sitting, so you can freeze these for next time. To freeze fresh wontons, stick them in the freezer individually (meaning that each wonton should have their own space and no wontons are touching each other). I typically stick the plate I placed the wontons on in the freezer. After the wontons are frozen, you can move them into a ziplock bag or container.
...when cooking frozen wontons, make sure you place wontons in boiling water. When the water comes to a boil again, add 1/2 cup of water to the pot. Do this for 2 more times to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked. When the wontons are plump and float to the top of boiling water, this means they are ready!
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