Jiggly Tradition

Burleigh Plantation

For those who have not met my mother in law, you can try to imagine her--a white haired lady with red lipstick and a southern accent. (No, I do not dare to compare her with Paula Dean. Quite contrary, she lives without saturated fat!) My in-laws live in a historic home called "Burleigh Plantation". It has been with my mother in law's family since it was constructed in the 1840s. Situated on Lake Hyco in North Carolina, it encompasses a breath taking view, a beautiful setting in the mist of North Carolina countryside. 

My mother in law creates one of the most impressive artworks that I have known, starting with portraits, icons, abstracts and one that I get to taste once a year-- the Christmas Lime-Cottage Cheese Jell-O Salad.
It has been close to 20 years since my first encounter with the salad. The texture of head cheese, but without the animal part, tartness of lime in combination with spicy onion and creamy cottage cheese the composition that was absolutely foreign to me...but in a good way. Christmas would not be complete without this dish, according to my husband's family. What do I mean, what did you say, how can this be a southern tradition? You may ask. It has been with my mother in law 's family since this gelatinous dessert was introduced to the American market way back when. According to my mother in law, her mother cut the recipe out of a Ladies Home Journal Magazine in the early 50's and every year Christmas would be incomplete without the green creation. Southern or not, it has been assimilated.

The recipe uses a 6-cup ring mold.

1 large package of lime Jell-O--In a large bowl combine lime Jell-O and plain gelatin. Add the hot water and stir well until all gelatins are totally dissolved.
1 envelope plain gelatin--cold water, then vinegar and grated onion.
2 cups of very hot water (nearly boiling)
Pour 1 cup of the bright green gelatin mixture into a 6-cup ring mold and put the mold into the refrigerator to chill.
1 1/2 cups of very cold water
Chill remaining gelatin until thickened and nearly set.
4 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons grated onion
2 cups cottage cheese
Fold cottage cheese and mayonnaise into remaining gelatin to make a light green mixture.
2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
Pour on firm gelatin in mold and chill until firm - overnight is good. You can make this a few days in advance, but if made too far in advance, it will turn rubbery. Adding the additional plain gelatin to help with unmolding.
To unmold, set ring mold in sink of lukewarm water until the edge of the gelatin seems to soften. Turn out on a large platter and serve immediately.

Goes well with turkey, trimmings and Smithfield ham.

Cheers!
Teera

Christmas Fowl

My Glorious Ducks

It is that time of the year where ritual and tradition forefront the day’s priority.  My orientation tilted a bit side way this Christmas.  I suppose, I could have gone to a local grocery store and be rescued by the ducks delivered from New Jersey…but no, not me.  That’s too easy.

My search lead me to discover Turtle Mist Farm at the local farmers market.  I decided to give the vender a chance. The farm itself is located in Franklinton, NC; about 30 min. drive north of the Metro Triangle area. They raise Muscovy duck and other fowl. I sent my family out to pick up 2 ducks for our Christmas dinner. The kids had a chance to visit a working farm and see all of the animals, including ducks, chickens, quails, guinea hens, Cornish game hens, sheep and horses. Learning about where their food comes from is a lesson I do not want the kids to miss.

Turtle Mist Farm

I typically use Peking or Long Island duck for Christmas cooking, but this time I decided to use Muscovy since it was the only type available from the free-range farm. Caution, the Muscovy duck's skin is much leaner than the Pekin duck.  Its meat has a very dark complexion. I roasted the ducks using a similar method as the Long Island duck but with less time:

2-4.5 lb duck
Stuff them with celery, orange wedges, thyme and apples
Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper
Roast @350 degree F for 90 min.
Baste with glaze (see recipe below) and bake 15 min. more
Let them rest for at least 15 min. before slicing

Glaze: mix and simmer until reduced to 1/2 quantity
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup honey
1 orange peel
2 cinnamon stick
10 cloves
5 star anise

The duck was served with roasted local rutabaga, baked sweet potatoes, and radicchio salad.  The skin was not as crispy as I had hope.  The meat was a bit dry.  

But I must say "give me time my duckling…I shall sharpen my knife and manage the heat better next year."

Happy Boxing Day to all!

Teera

"Drenched in Wine"

Do you remember that taste...the moment it touches your tongue, the tartness that strikes you right off the bat, the sensation that encircles your palate and transforms your rainy day to the moment of cocoa victory? Once you take a second sip, the one bite of your food rawness muscles into a spectacular flavor of refined material. Hold the thought of chocolate for a moment and venture our craving into the nectar called wine.
 

Do you have one--a local joint where you can walk in, tell the owner what your desire is and he grants you, your match in wine? I am talking about your local wine shop. Well, I did find one in Wake Forest called Wine 101. It is a hole in a wall, but the selection is grand and the price does not sink your wallet. Our local purveyor hooked us up with a red wine from Chateau Tour Boisee, from the Minervois region of Languedoc in southern France, to be served with my Coq au Vin. It is a mixture of Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah grapes.

A rainy day like today, one can only be comforted by the transfer flavor from wine to food and the prolonged heat that lingers on the dish like "Coq Au Vin". Time allows the chicken to absorb the wine so that it can become something else other than its own...Besides I don't have to fill up my bathtub with wine to loosen up while managing to feed the holiday visitors.

There are many hypotheses about where "Coq au Vin" originated from, Caesars or Napoleon, who knows. I used an Italian wine, Sangiovese from Puglia to marinate the chicken thighs and drumstick. White meat will dry up during the cooking process.

Marinate 1 day in advance 4 chicken thighs and 6 drumsticks with 1/2 bottle of red wine, few sprigs of thyme, salt, pepper and 5 bay leaves. Keep it in the fridge.

In a Dutch oven, pan fry 8 oz. chopped Speck with 2 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 min., using medium hi heat.
Add 12 pearl onion and 8 oz. mushroom to brown
Empty the pan and add 2 tbsp of butter and olive oil
Remove the chicken from the marinate, season with salt and pepper and Brown all sides then Remove from the heat
Add 1/4 cup of flour to the oil
Deglaze with 1 cup of brandy and the marinate
Add 1 - 8 oz can of tomato purée and 2 tbspn of sugar
Add 4 cups of chicken stock
Add chicken and the rest of the ingredient
Bring it to boil and cook for 45 min. on medium heat.

Don't forget your French wine. Cheers!
Teera

"The Who Roast Beast"

" And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! They would feast on Who-pudding, and rare Who-roast-beast ....."
After watching The Grinch for many years, our children made a request to have roast beef for the holiday. Without caving into the latest household pressure and change what would traditionally be served at home on Christmas day, I decided that we will have a pre-holiday kick off with a roast beef meal during the week before Christmas.

Plus, who really has time to wait for the New England version of pot roast that may end up tasting dry like eating straw!
I use top round loin that can be found in any local supermarket. I found mine, all tied up at Harris Teeter. Top round loin is also one of the leanest, cheapest cuts of beef, all the more reason to use this type of beef. It typically comes with a layer of fat at to top of the loin. Do not be alarmed. This will melt away during the cooking process and turn into a mouth-watering morsel of salted crust.

Marinate 3 lb top round loin with the following ingredient for 3-4 hours:
1 /2 cup of red wine
2 tbspn of balsamic vinegar
2 tbspn of honey
5 springs of thyme
1 tbspn of pepper corn
1 tbspn of olive oil
A pinch of salt
Keep the round in the fridge during the marinating

Keep the loin outside of the fridge 30 mins. Before roasting.
Broil all sides for about 5 min. Each
Roast at 425 degree for 45 min.
Let the beef rest for 15 min before slicing
Slice the roast beef thinly.
Serve with beef gravy (recipe below), roasted red potatoes, horseradish cream sauce and greens.

Beef gravy:
Make a roux with 2 tbspn of butter and 1 tbspn of flour
Add the pan drippings and 2 cups of beef stock
Add 1/2 cup of red wine
Bring it to boil and simmer for 10 mins
Flavor with salt and pepper.

Horseradish cream sauce: 1/3 cup of each: yogurt, horseradish, mayo

Scrumptious.... Cheers!
Teera

Cuisse de Grenouille or Cosce di Rana Or just simply Frog Leg!

Home made version

Our cousin had told us about an Italian market called "Antonio's Gourmet Market" in Raleigh. My family and I stopped by there for a second time. This store has all things Italian. I did ask for fresh rabbit, but the only ones available were frozen. Goodness, I miss my firewood guy. He was my connection to the local farm raised rabbit and duck that also supplied them to "the Inn at Little Washington", the five star French restaurant in Little Washington, Virginia.
Our daughter noticed the frog legs displayed in the seafood section at the Italian market. She immediately demanded "Mommy, I would like frog legs for dinner."
After eating frog legs at home and at a bistro in Paris, our children have grown to enjoy this delicacy. Though the frog legs were frozen...I knew what was coming...

 
There are French, Italian and Asian recipes. I took care of the legs a French way.
For 14 frog legs
Heat pan up to med. high heat
Melt 2 tbsp of Butter and add 2 tbsp of Olive oil
Mix 1 tbsp of chopped garlic, salt and pepper with the frog legs
Dust the with flour
Pan fried for about 4 min. on each side.
Add 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
Turn off the heat.

It is not hard to find good green beans, bread and wine to accompany the frog. Our kids did not give it a good rating with the frozen product.  May be I should try an Italian way next time...or better yet find fresh frog legs!

 

Devoured Frog Legs in Paris

Cheers!
Teera

"One Night in Bangkok"

Green Curry Kanoom Jean with Garnish

Krung Tep (aka Bangkok) is the City of Angels by translation. Thais, Chinese, Indians and other Asian ethnic groups have transformed the city, creating its fusion flavors to date. I am not from Bangkok but spent summers there during my childhood years and later did my architectural internship there. I try to get out of Bangkok as soon as I can whenever I visit Thailand now. But my craving usually wins over and motivates me to overcome the chaos, polluted air and succumb to the great food this city has to offer.

Visiting Bangkok is like seeing old friends with something familiar and something new to discover every time. My husband and I invited a group of friends to join us for dinner recently as I tried to recreate the flavors of Bangkok for one night. Friends whom my husband has known since 7th grade and who have been living in the Triangle area for many years. Everyone has a different definition of how "spicy" one can tolerate and still enjoy the food. This dinner hopefully will help explain their definition, rediscover our old friends and give a sneak peek of the Triangle native’s palate.

The thought had crossed my mind to order Pad Thai for delivery and blast Murray Head's famous song to create one night in Bangkok impression. Pleasure is a rudimentary thing and appears in different states. One is always tempted by the easier way, but not necessarily getting the most. So, only pain will gain result. For the sake of my craving and rediscovering our new friends, below is the somewhat painful remedy.
 
I started the evening with Curry puffs.  They have crunchy shell and soft, spicy filling that is a mouthful of an introduction. I do not know the origin of the curry puff, but imagine that it has to do with Indians who migrated there. It is made with Indian curry powder, similar to the Indian samosa. You can probably get the good ones at most gas stations in and around Bangkok. Since I am not in Bangkok, I will make it with what I have in my cupboard.

Makes 24 curry puffs:
2 sheets of puff pastry cut and stretched into 3"x3" squares
Make the filling with
2 sweet potatoes chopped into 1/4" cubes
1 medium chopped onion
3 cloves of chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of hot curry powder
3 tablespoons of palm sugar
1/2 tablespoons of salt
Stuff and fold into triangles. Pierce a couple openings.
Brush with egg wash.  Bake @400 degrees for 15 minutes
Serve with Ar-jard (cucumber relish)
 
Second course: Lemongrass Salad and wing bean salad:
Experiencing a balanced texture and flavor on the first bite is the goal.

Wing Bean Salad

Wing bean salad:
12 wing beans, blanched and chopped
1 cup of toasted, salted cashew nut
1 cup of toasted coconut sweetened flakes
1/2 cup of fried shallots
Flavor with lime, fish sauce, chili flakes, palm sugar




Lemongrass salad, there are a few versions of this salad, depending on where you are. This recipe is closer to another snack which is served with Bai Cha Plu.

Lemongrass Salad

 

6 bulbs of chopped shallots
5 chopped fresh Thai chilies
12 stalks, julienned lemongrass
1 cup salted, toasted peanuts
1/2 cup dried, fried, salted anchovies
1/2 cup dried, fried, salted shrimps
1/2 cup of coriander leaves
Flavoring with tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar
 






Third course is a soft tofu soup:
Tofu comes in different forms, textures and tastes. There are fresh, soft, firm, hard, foam, and fermented. Soup serves as a cleaning and awakening of the palate agent. Don't look back at what you have tasted but what you are tasting. Cleaning one's palate this way reminds me of the Loy Kratong festival in Thailand, paying respect to the ways of the river. Banana leaf floats float away with all the bad thoughts and spirits, washing the mind clean. Drinking soup between meal courses resets one's tongue, preparing it for the next set of flavors. I used soft tofu for this soup for its luscious quality.
 

Mushroom ginger stock or any vegetable stock, Soft tofu, Garnish with Ground white pepper, fried garlic oil and coriander leaves
 

Main meal: Kanom jean
If you have visited the residential areas of Bangkok, you may have met a vendor, walking along with a push cart or carrying 2 bamboo baskets on his or her shoulder. This is how I learned to eat Kanom jean, a Chinese influenced dish (mainly the noodles part). There are different types of curry that can go on top of the noodles. The rice noodles served with this dish are of Chinese descent. The curry topping sauces are uniquely Thai.

During one of my visits to Thailand, my husband and I went to a sunflower festival. While walking through the festival, my husband got pinched by a stranger who just turned around and smiled at him as he walked by in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, it was his first time trying this dish at the festival and he liked it.

There are 2 types of toppings: vegetarian Green curry (picture above) and Namprik shrimp curry. I am not going to explain green curry since that recipe can be easily found on the Internet, but my recipe uses young bamboo shoots and Thai eggplant.

Namprik: serves 8
1 cup toasted and ground lentils
6 tbspoon Namprik Pao (dry shrimp, toasted dry chili, roasted garlic and shallot, palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind-- ground and pan fried)
Grind the below ingredient into paste:
1 tbspoon shrimp paste
6 bulbs of roasted shallots
6 cloves of roasted Garlic
6 slices of roasted galangal
Mix all above ingredients together and cook on medium heat with 6 cups of coconut milk, for at least 2 hours.  Flavor with palm sugar, tamarind water, kaffir lime juice and fish sauce.  10 min. before serving, add 1 1/2 lbs fresh peeled shrimp.  Serve on top of rice noodles (Japanese brand) with bean sprouts, fried shallots, lime, and pickled cabbage.
 
This recipe was by far the spiciest course for our friends and the most painful for me to make. End the meal with tropical fruits such as pineapple, papaya and mango.
We discovered our friend’s taste buds and hope that they rediscover theirs...even if it was for one cold night in the Triangle...there was a tropical paradise on their tongue.

Cheers!
Teera

Wild Curry with Holy Basil (กะเพรา)

It seems like yesterday when I could walk around the backyard, surrounded by mango trees. During a drizzle I could smell the warm earth rise up along with the scent of holy basil.  

It's the first week of December in the Triangle and the temperature is in the high 60s outside with a drizzle of rain. I discovered a Thai market, Total Oriental in Raleigh, and found “Kraprao” (กะเพรา) AKA Thai holy basil (as well as kaffir lime leaves, young pepper, and rhizome (Krachai)). I have many memories with this pungent herb. Cooking it will surely be a comfort.

One memorable moment was about the first time I brought my husband to visit my hometown Lopburi. Lopburi is about 200 kilometers north of Bangkok. It is a military town, full of testosterone. He was immediately put to a palate test, being a "Farang" (westerner). My family took us to a country style restaurant in the Ayutthaya countryside, about halfway between Bangkok and Lopburi.  

Thai country style food means cooking with wild animal such as wild boar, frog, bird, snake, and whatever one can find in the rice fields and woods nearby. The herbs and spices are the most crucial in this type of cooking since it balances out the gaminess of the meat. The tolerance on spiciness measures how “manly” a person could be, according to a Thai standard. Thai perception of a Farang is that he or she has no heat tolerance. My husband took in the chili and the spice like a real man. (The secret was that he had a good trainer...me). Though he didn't like eating the bird curry…too many bones he said. My family was in awe. My husband passed the test with flying colors.

Though, be mindful when using basil in Thai cooking. There are different types of basil for different types of food. Holy basil is typically the basil to use for country style cooking since it has the strongest fragrance. Wild curry and basil stir fry are two of the dishes.

Here is a recipe for a “Wild Curry” to soothe your crazy side.

Ingredients and how to get there:

Pan fry on medium heat for about 5 min.

2 tbsp of red curry paste

2 tbsp of canola oil

Add and cook for another 5 min.

½ lb of ground beef or

4 quail, chopped to bite size or

½ lb of bite size wild boar

Turn up the heat to high and add:

3 julienned Krachai (rhizome)

4 Kaffir lime leaves

3 stems of young pepper

1 cup quartered Thai eggplant

1 cup young bamboo shoot
2 cups of water

Adjust to your taste with:

3 tbsp of Fish sauce

½ tbsp of Sugar

Right before turning the heat off, add 3 cups of Kraprao (Holy basil) leaves.

Serve with Jasmine rice.

Cheers!

Teera

Holiday Challah

Challah (also ḥallah), braided egg bread, was originally used as part of Jewish ritual 3000 years ago, so how is this relevant to my Holiday?

It has become the custom that I go home for Thanksgiving every year. Fall in Lexington, VA, is undisputedly one of the coldest that I have ever experienced. Freshly baked from the oven with a dab of butter, the challah is not only scrumptious but a pure comfort in contrast to the autumn chill.  Jewish or not, who can resist the power of craving?

My mother has been baking the bread for the Jewish Sabbath dinners over the past 25 years. Who would have thought that a Thai woman could have mastered something called challah?

A brief history about my mother, who is actually my aunt. She met my father in Thailand many moons ago while working at the Thai Ministry of Education.  After getting married and having my stepbrother, my parents moved to the US.  Living in a small college town, they met a neighbor who introduced my mother to bread baking.  Being a Jewish wife, she taught herself how to bake challah.  

This year for Thanksgiving I asked her to spill her special challah recipe and she obliged.

The eggs my mother used in her challah came from the backyard hens, Marge and Nanny, who feed in my mom's organic garden. Their egg yolks have an intense yellowish orange color and are very tasty.  I suppose happy chickens make happy eggs, which consequentially makes the bread and me happy too.

The no knead bread-challah recipe.  Makes 2-12" long, 5" wide breaded loaf.:

The basic ingredients are

4.5 cups white

4.5 cups whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup sunflower honey

1 tbsp yeast

2 1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup of canola oil and

2 eggs, 2 yolks,

2 tsp salt. 

Mix all with a flat beater 

After mixing, let it rise at the room temperature.  Once it doubles in size, punch it down.  Repeat the process for a period of 4 hours, then braid.

Let it rise until it doubles in volume. Brush it with a mixture of 1 egg yolk and a tablespoon of water.  Bake @350 for 30 min.

Warm slices of challah and brined turkey, my craving for comfort was satisfied. Happy Holidays to all.

Cheers!

Teera