Belgium-style Waffles

I absolutely love family heirlooms that can be passed down from generation to generation, especially when they're cooking related. When people talk about a cast iron skillet that has been in their family for years, it makes my heart swoon. There's a beautiful, poetic quality in imagining different people living during completely different times, yet using the exact same piece of equipment.

Tradition transcending time

Sadly, because my family left Iraq in the 60's/70's -- leaving behind most of their worldly possessions-- there aren't quite as many things in my family that are true heirlooms. However, I've still managed to treasure the few things I was able to keep after my grandmothers passing: her old Cuisinart (which I still use), some coasters we used to play the game memory with as little children, a few glass jars, her semovar, and her wooden tool that (I believe) was used to make kilecheh.

Glass jars (left), wooden mold (upper right), and her original semovar for making tea - complete 

with a chamber down the middle for hot coals (lower right)

So when I was in Wisconsin visiting the boy's family, and his parents mentioned that they could no longer use their old-school waffle maker after switching to a glass-topped stove, I was beyond excited when they told the boy he could have it. A 30+ year old waffle maker with no cords and no electricity! Just a straight-up cast iron pan (with these little heat "thermometers" letting you know when the pan is hot) that you put directly on the stovetop.

Lasts the test of time

While these waffles tasted great, I have to be honest-- I think I loved them even more because of the history and the story behind the waffle maker.

Just standing over the stove, lifting the heavy beast and flipping it over to evenly cook the waffles brought me pure excitement! I was one with my food in my time travels to the past.

It was my first time ever making waffles, and of course the learning curve is a bit steeper when using a piece of equipment that's a little less fool-proof than an electric one. But I have to say that it was an overall success, and we were able to enjoy some of the lightest, fluffiest, most tender waffles I've ever had. (Thanks to the boy's dad for letting us know the key to a good waffle is separating the eggs and folding in the beaten egg whites.)

Paired with pure maple syrup from New York, it was pretty damn awesome (if I do say so myself).

Yours in celebrating family history through food,
Jacqueline

Belgium Waffles, from the book Cooking (by James Peterson)

If you want a beast of a cooking book that teaches you all the basics you could ever possibly imagine wanting to know in the kitchen, this is the book. But the recipes also look fabulous. With a ton of step-by-step photos for things you really need to see pictures of (eg, breaking apart an entire chicken) its a great book. This is the first recipe I tried from it (we're borrowing it from the boy's parents) but hopefully I'll be testing a few others.

Yield: 4 waffles, 8" in diameter

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
8 TBSP butter, melted
4 eggs, separated

Directions

1. In bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Whisk in 1 cup of milk, 8 TBSP of butter, and the egg yolks. Work the batter until smooth and free of lumps, and then whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
2. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined.
3. Preheat a waffle iron according to the directions. Spray with non-stick spray and ladle in 1 cup of batter, spreading it to the edges.
4. Close the waffle iron and cook according to the directions, or until crisp and browned.

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Pernil pork tenderloin (Puerto Rican style)

Can I tell you all that I can't stop looking at this photo of my best friend's baby:

It totally cracks me up.

Every. Single. Time. 

Feeling down? Look at this picture! Feeling tired? Look at this picture! Feeling uninspired?? Look at this freaking picture.

Yes, it's a bit creepy (and for flashes it looks like her laughter is of the I've-been-possessed-by-the-devil type). But it's also utterly pure and joyful. She's been captured in a single moment of time, laughing with one of those whole-body belly laughs that only a child who is unaware of the hardships of adulthood can have. And it simply make me happy looking at it.

Other than goofy photos of her daughter, my best friend also likes to share recipes with me, like this Puerto Rican style pork tenderloin recipe. She made it a while back, then practically twisted my arm across the phone to make sure I made it as well. Sheesh, so bossy!!! I can't be mad though- it was fantabulous! Garlic, cumin, oregano, and vinegar make the flavors in this dish simply pop.

I recommend serving this with an extra wedge or 2 of lime for that extra citrus kick

My favorite way to make pork tenderloin in the wintertime is using 5-spice powder for an Asian-inspired dish. (I've also made a delicious herb-brined tenderloin that is super simple and let's the true pork flavor shine through.) But with the warmer months approaching, this recipe might be my new go to for pork tenderloin. It's bright, fresh, tart, and bursting with flavor. Yet at the same time its surprisingly light.

Exactly what I need on those hot summer days.

Yours in finding joy in food and photographs,
Jacqueline

Pernil-style Puerto Rican pork tenderloin, from a food magazine I cannot remember

Ingredients
Marinade
3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 small shallots, coarsely copped
3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBSP distilled white vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
salt and pepper

1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 pork tenderloin (~ 1.25 lb)
lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees F.
2. In food processor or blender combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Pulse for several seconds to make a paste.
3. Cut the tenderloin in half crosswise (to create 2 pieces of tenderloin), then butterfly both halves by cutting a lengthwise slit to within 1/2" of the other side of the tenderloin.
4. Spread 1 TBSP of the paste inside each slit. Tie with a kitchen string or secure with toothpicks, and season with salt and pepper. (It's a bit messy, but don't worry if filling starts oozing out. It'll all work out in the end! See photo below.)
5. Heat a heavy-duty, ovenproof, 10" skillet over high heat until hot, and add olive oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the tenderloins and sear on all sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes total.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 6 minutes. Turn the tenderloins over and spread the remaining paste on top. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each registers 140 - 145 degrees, about 6 to 8 minutes more.
7. Transfer to cutting board, remove the string/toothpicks, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice 1/2" thick and serve with lime wedges.

It's messy work making this dish.

But someones got to do it!

Read more...

Chocolate cake with malted frosting and toasted marshmallow filling

Did you guys notice the new addition to the blog?? Hint- it's here: ----------------------------------------->

Yup, after over 4 years, I finally got around to writing an official "About Me" page! Hopefully it'll give you a better glimpse into me, the blog, and how exactly it all came to be. And while you're over there in the Pages section of the blog, click on "Recipe List" for a list of all the recipes and blog entries I've shared with you over the years.

OK, enough talk about me-- you're here to read about FOOD! And today, that means cake. Delicious, decadent, multi-layered, tender, chocolate cake.

Oozing with deliciousness

It's 12 layers of chocolate cake, toasted marshmallow filling, chocolate cake, malted chocolate frosting, chocolate cake, toasted marshmallow filling, chocolate cake, malted chocolate frosting, chocolate cake, toasted marshmallow filling, chocolate cake, and malted chocolate frosting. One of my favorite parts of this cake: the toasted marshmallow frosting. Yes, I said toasted marshmallow. Literally. 

Melty under the broiler

And yes, the frosting is as good as you might imagine. I actually was a bit sad that with all the chocolate decadence you lost a bit of the nuanced flavor of the marshmallow frosting, because I could have eaten that fluffy filling with a spoon. So while the filling worked great in this cake to give you a break from the chocolate, next time I might just use the marshmallow frosting on its own- perhaps atop a graham cracker chocolate cupcake for a new take on the s'mores classic.

The marshmallow innards turn into liquidy deliciousness after broiling them

And as much as a rustic cake is a thing of beauty, I decided to pretty it up a bit more...

Would you believe that I found this technique for frosting the cake on Pinterest? And it's quite simple actually, no advanced cake skills required. First, just crumb coat your cake (ie, cover it with a thin layer of frosting to seal in all the cake crumbs and stuff). If you have time to refrigerate your cake for a while to help harden the frosting, go ahead and do that now. If you're like me and rushing through projects half the time, just continue with the steps below.

Step 1: Pipe large circles of frosting in a vertical row. My cake needed about 6 circles from top to bottom. And no worries if you don't have a piping bag, use a large Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off. Just don't be stingy with the frosting- make sure you got big blobs of frosting on there.

Step 2: Grab a spoon, and simply use the back of it to "smear" out a part of the frosting blob. That's it!! Neat technique, huh?? Once you've smeared out your entire vertical row, go back to piping another row of blobs.

It took me maybe 15 minutes to do the whole cake, but look at what a difference it makes!

And lest you think the process only works on the sides of the cake, you can do the same on the top too! Just make a ring of frosting circles along the edge of the cake, use your spoon to smear them in, then just create concentric circles going inward.

The cake barely fit in my cake carrier. I got lucky that the only part of the cake that 

got smushed was the center top. Phew, that was a close one.

I'm happy to say that the cake wasn't only beautiful, it was delicious as well. While it was quite rich, a small slice really hit the spot. And between the different frostings and tender cake, it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Your in making sure her cakes taste as good as they look,
Jacqueline

Chocolate cake with malted frosting and toasted marshmallow filling, adapted from Brown Eyed Baker (originally from Sweetapolita)

Notes: I think the recipes from Sweetapolita are just wayyyy tooo sweet, in particular her frostings. So I've used her recipe for marshmallow filling, but cut down the sugar quite a bit. 

The chocolate frosting was my German buttercream recipe, but using her idea of adding Ovaltine and melted chocolate for the malted flavor (of course I also cut the sugar down to make up for the extra sugar in Ovaltine and chocolate). After adding Ovaltine to my regular frosting, it literally tasted like the inside of a Whoppers!! But the chocolate definitely muted the malted flavor. Next time I might add a bit less chocolate (or none at all!) to let the malted flavor shine a bit more.

The cake, however, was perfect as is.

Ingredients

For the Cake
2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
¾ cup vegetable oil
4½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Toasted Marshmallow Filling
16 large marshmallows, store bought (what I used this time) or homemade
1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (7½-ounce) jar Marshmallow Fluff, store bought (what I used) or homemade

For the Malted Frosting (German buttercream)
8 ounces whole milk
2 vanilla bean pods, split and scraped, seeds reserved (optional) or 2 tsp vanilla extract.
3 ounces sugar
3/4 ounces cornstarch
1 egg
1 egg yolk
8 to 16 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
dash teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
3/4 cup ovaltine
4 - 8 oz chocolate, melted and slightly cooled (optional)

Directions

1. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside. (Alternatively, use Pam with flour instead of the greasing/flouring step. It's the best, and saves tons of time.)
   
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer), sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on low to medium speed (however fast you can go without splattering the batter all over the place). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).
4. Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
5. Make the Toasted Marshmallow Filling: Place the marshmallows on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top, keeping an eye on them the entire time so they don't burn. Remove pan from oven and gently turn the marshmallows over, and broil until the other side is golden brown.
6. Meanwhile... beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium-high; beat for 3 minutes. Stop the mixer, add the Marshmallow Fluff and toasted marshmallows, and mix on the lowest speed for about 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
7. Make the Malted Chocolate Frosting: Go to this post for directions on making regular German buttercream (but use the ingredients listed above, and don't add in the Ovaltine or chocolate yet). Once your buttercream is done, add the Ovaltine and melted chocolate, and beat until incorporated.
8. Assemble the Cake: Slice each cake layer in half horizontally so you have six cake layers. Place your first layer face-up on a cake plate and cover with one-third of the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting. Place another cake layer face-up and cover with about ¾ to 1 cup of Malted Chocolate Frosting. Repeat, alternating marshmallow and chocolate filling layers, until you come to your cake final layer, which you will place face-down. Frost the entire outside of cake with the remaining Malted Chocolate Frosting.

Store leftovers in the fridge, but let the cake come to room temperature for at least a few hours to soften the frosting. I ate this cake days after making it and it was as good as the first time I had it. 

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Midwest travels... and a cake teaser

I traveled this past weekend with the boy to his hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin. I had already spent time with his folks during their trip to Chicago, where we grilled lamb and ate at Next. But for this trip I was lucky enough to finally meet the rest of his immediate family, including a smart/loquacious/mature-beyond-her-years niece and adorable nephews. It was a short trip, but super sweet. And in addition to meeting the family, the weekend was filled with a lot of other firsts:

First time seeing the Mississippi river and spotting eagles along our drive south.
It took this city girl a while to get the hang of spotting various things along our drive, but eventually I caught on. I even managed to see an eagle's nest without someone else pointing it out to me!

See the slight black spot in the photo, just left of center? 

That's an eagle. It looked cooler in person- I swear.

First time realizing that there are parts of the Midwest that are (a) stunningly beautiful and 
(b) not flat. 
Who knew?! Certainly not this Chicagoan (or FIB, as the boy likes to jokingly call me).

 View atop Grandad Bluff

 More views of gorgeous rock formations from Grandad Bluff. 

And yes, that's snow. In April. Sadly, that is not a first...

First time visiting three states in a few hours.
On Saturday morning we packed in the car and took a great scenic drive along the Mississipi river. We started by crossing a (very short) bridge into Minnesota, then driving south to Iowa. Our trip consisted primarily of looking for eagles and other wildlife. But we also stopped at a few little stores and through some really neat small towns along the way.

It may look small and rickety, but man oh man did this little corner market have some amazing beef jerky, smoked pork chops, and meat sticks.

City Meat Market in New Albin, Iowa. Best meat sticks I've ever had!

And apparently you can find some really unique pieces of jewelry in a tiny shop just down the street!

 Picked up this insanely cheap copper and bead necklace 

from the New Albin Gift Center. I heart it sooooo much!

On our way home, we crossed the river back to Wisconsin. Apparently the boy hates this bridge since it seems a bit rickety. But I was strangely attracted to its raw beauty.

View from the back of the car, toward Minnesota

First time seeing so many trains!
We literally saw at least 5 trains and a water freight on our few-hour drive up and down the river. Most of the trains we saw were pulling tanks and tanks and tanks (and tanks and tanks...) of oil. At least 100 containers per train!

A train centipede

First time having a bona fide Wisconsin fish fry.
On Saturday afternoon after our drive, we headed to the boy's brother's house where he hosted us all for a delicious fish fry- most of which he caught himself. Apparently it's not a true Wisconsin fish fry until you're cooking up your personal bounty!

Safety first! 

Golden and delicious

We complimented this delicate fish with a Thai inspired dipping sauce and sticky rice (a less traditional take on Midwest fish fry, but delicious nonetheless), perfect vinegary coleslaw, and cheesy potato bake-- all homemade of course.

And for dessert. Cake by yours truly!

Stay tuned in the next few days for the recipe. Trust me, you do NOT want to miss this one...

So the boy and I headed back home on Sunday with full bellies, hearts, and a pack (or 10) of beers that are impossible to find in Chicago. And the snow? Hopefully that'll be the last of it for months to come.

The boy and I are notorious for our bad luck with weather on our travels: 

snow in Arizona and Wisconsin. He blames me. I cannot refute his theory. *sigh*

Yours in loving her first trip to La Crosse, and looking forward to more traveling adventures,
Jacqueline


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Banh mi (or the most delicious sandwich you might ever eat)

Back in San Jose there was this great Vietnamese restaurant where I could get a giant bowl of noodles for ~$6, or a huge bánh mì sandwich for a whopping $2.50. Granted, the meat was slim, but the sandwiches were filling with their crusty French bread and toppings full of pickled veggies and herbs. Here in Chicago, the same sandwiches- with maybe a tad more meat- will run you over $6.

Puh-lease. 

So when I saw this recipe for bánh mì made with lemongrass-marinated pork it called out my name.

Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-ckkkkkiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Eat me.

I'm not sure how authentic this recipe is (although it sounds quite authentic in its ingredients), but this was literally the best bánh mì sandwich I'd ever eaten. Quite possibly one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.

Every single bite was absolute perfection

You know those meals when your last bite is literally as good as your first?? Those dishes that force you to say things like "ohmygoshsoooooogood!" or "mmmmmmmmmmmmm" or "DAMN" the entire time you're eating them? I promise you- this is one of those dishes.

So many flavors: it's a party in your mouth!

So why is this humble looking sandwich so delicious? First and foremost: the lemongrass marinated pork.

Lemongrass, shallots, garlic, pepper, fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce complete this marinade

The marinade is sooo simple to make, but the intensity and complexity of the flavor is like a giant punch to your tastebuds. Lemongrass is a common ingredient in Thai cooking, and one of the reasons Thai dishes are up there as my ultimate favorites. On top of that, the pork is grilled, which as we all know increases the flavor of meat exponentially. And on top of that (literally) are your sandwich toppings. I went mostly traditional (cilantro, pickled carrots and radishes, and jalapeno) with a less traditional addition of creamy avocado and lime wedges to add a citrus kick.

Customizable toppings

OH-MY-GOSH-I-CAN'T-EVEN-DESCRIBE-THE-DELICIOUSNESS-OF-THIS-SANDWICH

And as delicious as the sandwiches were served with warm, right-off-the-grill pork, they were equally delicious days later with pork straight out of the fridge.

Yours in hoping that every single person out there that reads this blog enty makes this dish, because it is Just. That. Good.
Jacqueline

Banh Mi with Lemongrass Pork Recipe (Banh Mi Thit Noung), from Rasa Malaysia

Note: I had issues cutting my pork into larger slices that could be grilled. Those that were long enough were put directly on the grill grates, while the smaller pieces were grilled on top of foil. While the pieces that got char directly from the grill were best, the foil-cooked pork tasted great as well. Best of luck to you in cutting the meat in nice, grillable slices!

Also, I didn't use it this time, but a food processor would be great to quickly prep the the marinade ingredients. Roughly chop with a knife, then pulse with a food processor until more finely chopped. However, don't overblend, as you don't want it to turn into a paste (although that might not be bad either...).

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless pork butt/shoulder (cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, 8-inch long by 2 1/2-inch wide)
4 to 6 8-inch baguette rolls, sliced lengthwise in the center
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves
1 Jalapeno, deseeded and thinly sliced
Pickled carrots and daikon (store-bought or homemade, see below)
Lime wedges for garnish
1/2 to 1 avocado, sliced
Mayonnaise, with a bit of Sriracha mixed in for an extra kick (optional)

Lemongrass Pork Marinade
1/2 cup minced lemongrass, or about 2 lemongrass (bottom part only as the tops get too tough and woody to cut)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper (No, this is not a typo. Trust. It'll be delicious.)
5 shallots, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil (I don't like sesame oil, so I just replaced it with vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons peanut oil/regular cooking oil
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (Note: I don't have sweet soy sauce, so I used 1 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce + 1 TBSP Chinese oyster sauce. Feel free to just use regular soy sauce if that's all you have)

Directions

1. In a medium large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients well. Put in the pork slices and marinade for about 1 to 2 hours or overnight (I did 2 hr and it was great.) Discard excess marinade before use.
2. Preheat grill until ready to use. Gently arrange marinated pork slices onto the grill. Grill until the pork is nicely charred on both sides and meat is thoroughly cooked. If use indoor broiler oven, broil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until the meat is completely cooked and nicely charred.
3. Remove lemongrass pork from grill and assemble the baguettes with mayonnaise spread, and then put the sliced Jalapeno chilies, a slice of grilled lemongrass pork, and finish off with a handful of pickled carrots and daikon, avocado, and cilantro leaves. 

Pickled carrots and daikon radish, from Shutterbean
Note: I couldn't find daikon radish at my local grocery store. So I bought regular (red) radishes instead and chopped them up. Not exactly the same, but delicious nonetheless.

Also, this pickled veggie recipe from Viet World Kitchen seems a bit more authentic, but I was running low on time and just used the Shutterbean recipe. Next time I'm trying the Viet World Kitchen recipe.

Ingredients

3/4 cup white vinegar (I ran out and used rice vinegar instead- worked well)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned daikon

Directions

Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool slightly. Add the carrots and daikon and let cool to room temperature. Extra vegetables can be stored in the vinegar in the refrigerator for at least a few weeks. Read more...

Asparagus lemon risotto

Let's continue with seasonal, bright, fresh flavors in simple dishes- shall we?

Have you been seeing all the super cheap, deliciously perfect asparagus in your grocery store these days? And have you been thinking to yourself what you can do with all that (cheap and delicious) asparagus- other than cook it up with some lemon juice and tarragon? If so, I have the answer for you...

 

RISOTTO!

But not my typical uber-mushroom risotto that you may remember from back in the day. It's my absolute favorite way to prepare risotto using tons and tons of dried and fresh mushrooms for an intense, deeply rich, and umami-filled savory dinner. But I've always been curious to attempt a lighter, more spring take on this classic wintery dish. And holy cow am I glad I did!

Lemons!

While I still love my mushroom risotto, this dish is perfect for the spring weather. The earthy asparagus works in harmony with the citrus-y kick (from lemon juice and zest) in the starchy, hearty rice. The flavors are simple, but bright and clean. And while the spring flavors have a nice lightness to them, the dish still has a hearty-ness to it, which works wonders during these it's-too-warm-to-be-winter-but-still-not-warm-enough-for-spring weather we've been having this year.

Sadly I don't have a photo of the final dish, but its your run of the mill risotto with nice green pop of color from fresh asparagus. So go to the market right now, buy a big bunch of asparagus, and whip up this wonderful dinner in no time.

Buen Provecho,
Jacqueline

Asparagus and lemon risotto, from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, stalks cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup thawed frozen peas, optional
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep it on a low simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in another saucepan. Cook onion, stirring frequently, until soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add rice, cook, stirring, until edges are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring, just until evaporated. 
3. Add 1/2 cup hot stock; cook, stirring, until almost absorbed. 
4. Continue adding 1/2 cup hot stock in this manner until liquid is creamy and rice is al dente, about 20 minutes total (you may not need to add all the stock). Note: for some reason it always takes me ~30 - 40 minutes for risotto even though every recipe I've seen says 20 minutes. If it takes you longer, don't worry about it. Just keep adding stock until the rice tastes done to you.
5. Add asparagus with the last addition of stock, and the peas about 1 minute before risotto is done. (Alternatively: steam your asparagus and throw it into the rice in step 6.)
6. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and juice, parsley, cheese, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with additional cheese and lemon zest.

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Chilled soba noodles with orange sauce and tofu

It's getting warmer in Chicago... kinda... finally. How to celebrate the warmer weather? With lighter, cooler fare on the kitchen table! Like these citrus-dressed soba noodles.

I love me some soba noodles. The buckwheat flour results in a slightly nutty, chewy, and flavorful noodle that goes great in soups or on its own. During the winter I think a soup would be the way to go, but this noodle salad is great for those days when you want a crisp and light meal, with bright and sweet flavors.

Chilled Soba Noodles with Spicy Orange Sesame and Tofu, adapted from Food Gal (taken from the cookbook Street Food)

I felt the dish tasted a lot better the next day when the noodles had a chance to absorb some of the orange juice. So I'd suggest making it a day in advance and serving it the next day, straight from the fridge. Serves 4.

Ingredients
4 cups fresh orange juice
1 (12.7-ounce) package of soba noodles
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup spicy sesame oil (I don't like sesame so I didn't use it; feel free to use another oil and add some heat in the form of sriracha or chilies)
1/3 cup sugar, optional (I think the orange juice makes it sweet enough so no need for extra sugar)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, toasted
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 (10-ounce) package firm tofu, patted with paper towels to soak up any extra water, then cut into small cubes and salted to taste
cilantro, optional
lime wedges, optional
Shiso leaves, left whole for garnish, or sliced into ribbons to top the noodles (optional)

Directions

1. Pour orange juice into a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the orange juice is thick and syrupy and has reduced to about 1 cup.
2. While the orange juice is simmering, cook your noodles: Bring a large of water to a boil. (The general ratio for cooking noodles is 4 quarts of water per pound of noodles.) Add noodles to the boiling water and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles and rinse them twice with cold water. Drain well, and transfer them to a bowl.
3. When your orange juice is ready, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the syrupy juice into a blender, and add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and rice wine vinegar. Puree until smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Pour half of the dressing over the noodles and toss well to combine. Put the noodles in the refrigerator to cool, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Toss the cooled noodles with toasted black sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Top with tofu, and shiso (if using), and serve with remaining dressing on the side. I liked serving the salad with a heaping of cilantro and lime wedges, for a bit of a Thai twist. I felt the two flavors contrasted nicely with the sweet orange.

Hot tip: If you have any leftover dressing, use it to perk up salad greens the next day. Read more...