Char Siu

Char siu is quite possibly the most famous Cantonese dish of all. Literally meaning "fork roasted," char siu is pork that is marinated in a sweet and thick blend of sauces and then roasted until it becomes crisp and almost candy-like on the outside. Traditionally, char siu is made over a charcoal fire, but my recipe here was simply done in an oven (although I think I may try it in the grill come warmer weather!). To be honest, I was quite impressed with myself for making this - it was my first try and it came out delicious (not to mention gorgeous to look at)! For those that have only had char siu prepared at a restaurant or at a Chinese deli, I think you'll be impressed by how tasty and relatively simple it is when made at home.

Les Plats Copieux - Ithaca, NY

Happy January everyone! January can be quite an exciting month for most people; singing happily for a new year, relaxing after a holiday week of family dinners, opening gifts and holiday shopping. For me, January is my favorite month because that's when winter starts hitting with snow - and not to mention my birthday. Yes, I'm one of those girls that make a big deal of their birthday. And actually, I don't just make a big deal on my birth DAY, but more like my birth WEEK(driving Siddharth crazy). But, this year, even with my egotistical ways, Siddharth was completely selfless and took me to a fancy French restaurant for my birthday - complete surprise! The restaurant is called "Les Plats Copieux" or hearty dishes, situated in snowy Ithaca. More specifically, the restaurant was in Siddharth's house where he transformed his entire kitchen into a real French cuisine. Everything felt French: the French baguette, the French wine and even the dinnerware. The only thing that wasn't French (and rightfully so) was the nonstop playlist of Blue in Green by Miles Davis in the background. 

I haven't been to many French restaurants, but we all know that there's some sophistication in preparation, presentation and flavors in French cuisine. And this particular meal easily satisfied every one of those characteristics of French food. Now, before going on, I will preface that I am partially biased to the owner of this restaurant, but as you see these pictures yourself, you'll want to try it too. And from the looks of it, it can easily be replicated in your own home too!

Chili (Stew Style)

Chili. Arguably a very simple dish, but definitely one that there is a lot of arguing about. Are beans allowed? How spicy is spicy enough? What kind of meat goes in there? Everyone has opinions (especially those Texans!). I've had a go-to recipe for years the involves ground chuck and pork as a base. But, I decided to move outside of my comfort zone on my last attempt. I decided to start with a chuck roast that was cubed instead, and I let the meat slow cook until it was tender like stewed meat. I have to say that I was pleased with the result. And while I won't be abandoning my tried and true original recipe (it's part of the Super Bowl tradition after all!), I think I'll be remaking this again in the future.

Masala Chai

Awhile back, we made a post on "the perfect cup of coffee." Well, it turns out that we do not have an exclusive relationship with coffee. In fact, we enjoy tea just as much (on some mornings, even more!). We thought it would be nice to go through how we make masala chai, to provide an analog to the coffee post.

Chili-Lime Swordfish

Swordfish is a wonderful protein to cook with - it's meaty holds up well against strong flavors, but it usually requires a fairly simple preparation and it cooks in no time at all. As long as you remember to thaw out a frozen fillet before work (or if you're able to pick up a fresh one before dinner), it makes for a fairly simple and delicious meal with minimal effort! In the summer, swordfish does really well on a hot grill, but when the weather cools it can be equally good in the oven or pan-seared. Most recently, I used my trusty cast-iron grill pan to handle my swordfish. With a quick simple lime and soy-based marination in addition to a rich coconut milk based sauce, this recipe turns out an immensely bright and flavorful fish:

New Year's Eve in NYC: Ramen Setagaya and Spot Dessert Bar

For New Year's Eve this year, Tricia and I decided to take a train down to our favorite place, New York City. While, NYC is famous for the Times Square celebration, featuring throngs of tourists, we passed on that and headed down to St. Mark's Place in the East Village. St. Mark's is an interesting little place, somewhat discordantly decorated with basement bars and trendy eateries in between head shops selling, er... non-food products. We tried out two places: Ramen Setagaya and Spot Dessert Bar. We had scoped out both of the places a few weeks in advance, and were confident that they were among the rare restaurants in NYC that didn't require a reservation on NYE. Below, you can find out why we absolutely loved both places!

Shanghainese Buns - Mantou

For Thanksgiving at Siddharth's house, I decided to skip the typical sweet potato rolls and make authentic Chinese steamed rolls called mantou. These are little steamed wheat buns that are shaped like little pebbles, a staple in northern China.  I had these at my grandma's house a lot in lieu of a bowl of rice. They could be purchased at any Asian food markets in the frozen aisle. The texture of the mantou is similar to the buns you would order at Chinese restaurants for dim sum also called bao, but these buns don't have anything inside. Our family would eat it as a side with our meals. Some people eat them as snacks by dipping them in condensed milk or even deep frying them! I've never tried, but I'm sure these would be delightful. 

Chewy chocolate chip cookies

OK, chocolate chip cookies are simple and easy to make, right? But don't you hate it when your cookies aren't as chewy as you would like? Well, I've done some experimenting and here is a recipe that will guarantee you chewy chocolate chip cookies! The secret? Freeze the dough before you bake!

Brown Sugar and Sea Salt Hot Chocolate

It's been an unbelievably warm late November and early December here in Ithaca and throughout the northeast so far in 2011. But, according the forecast, it seems that the first snow showers will be upon most of us by this weekend! I for one am looking forward to winter's arrival, if only so that I can sip some hot chocolate and enjoy a few snowed-in weekends.

It is incredible to me how many people miss out on creating the truly luscious-style hot chocolate that one can make with real chocolate bars. Once you've had a taste of it, Swiss Miss or even dissolving cocoa powder just won't cut it anymore. I've added a few optional flavor enhancers (brown sugar, coffee, salt) to make it special, and once you've got the method, you can improvise and create all kinds of delicious flavors (peppermint? white chocolate? whatever suits your fancy!).

Homemade Poutine

Poutine is a dish that is unfamiliar to most Americans. It originated in Quebec as a distinctive way of eating French Fries. It is so popular in some parts of Canada that places like McDonald's and Burger King have it on their regional menus. In reality, it is a fairly simple construction: french fries + cheese curds + brown gravy. The genius is in the combination of these simple ingredients. Putting this together at home is fairly easy, and it is well worth it (nothing beats homemade fries!). Below is my recipe.