Food, Glorious Food

So like a lot of other people have said in class, when it comes to family recipes its usually made with out an exact recipe, this was also the case for me.  When I called my mom and asked her to send me our meatball recipe – she told me she never really used exact measurements.  I asked her to make her best guess and she did but said “you know I just sprinkle until I think its enough”. Ever since I can remember spaghetti and meatballs has been a family favorite.  It was always my “birthday dinner” request and my mom made sure to make it at least once every time I came home this year. And this is definitely a recipe I will be making for my family some day!

So here is the “recipe”

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 egg

½ cup Italian bread crumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. parsley

1.5 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. chopped dried onion

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

¼ cup milk

I usually help my mom make these every time I am home.  When you mix all the ingredients you mend the meat with your hands – which is usually cold and a little messy.  She asks me or my sisters to do this so she can add the extra amount of spices or milk she feels necessary.  She goes completely on texture and what she thinks is right.  We usually make them early in the morning so after we bake them in the oven we can let them simmer in the sauce all day.  When the meatballs and the hot and sweet sausage simmer all day in the pot – the sauce gets an incredible amount of flavor.  We preheat the over to 350 degrees and once the meat is mixed we roll them into balls a little bigger then that of a golf ball.  Then we grease the flat trays will a little bit of pan and line them up.  We then bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes until brown on the outside and then add them into the sauce where the continue to cook through out the rest of the day.  By the time dinner rolls around everyone is starving and ready to dig in with the sent of the delicious meatballs filling the house throughout the whole day.

Ehhh…. It took me long before I could think of something to post for two reasons:

1. There is NO favorite for me when it comes down to food or cooking
2. EVERYONE knows how bad I am at understanding and writing recipes

But of course, I struggled to gather all the possible information and here I am presenting a desert personally I like. It is NOT my favorite and the most traditional way to make it has been lost due to my mother’s constant innovation and due to my unprofessional skills in presenting food in recipe.

南瓜饼 Pumpkin “pie” (for now let’s call it a pie since there’s no better translation)

Ingredients
1.5 kg Pumpkin
1 kg Glutinous flouer (ATTENTION: normal flour will ruin the pumpkin “pie”)
Water
White sugar
Honey (not necessary but wonderful to have it you are picky about flavor)

(Please don’t shoot me for not providing quantity. And please don’t kill me for using kilogram instead of pound)

Equipment
Pressure Cooker
Bamboo baskets (several)
Bamboo basket steamer (I doubt if Americans know what on Earth this is)
A large bowl

Now I have to do more explanation. Sincere there are various techniques and treatment of pumpkins, the procedures will vary based on personal preference. Here I am putting down how *my mother* and *I* make the pumpkin “pies”, and no doubt, I have found out online that the steps could be different from others.

Procedures
1. Peel the outer skin of the pumpkin and then remove all the inside seeds
2. Cut the cleaned pumpkin into blocks (0.5 in * 0.5 in)
3. Put all the pumpkin blocks into the pressure cooker
4. Pour cold water into the pressure cooker also and let the water just cover all the pumpkin blocks inside
5. Turn on the pressure cooker and let it cook (as for how long it should be, it depends on the oven and cooker you use)
6. Remove the pressure cooker and let it cook off when the pumpkin blocks inside have melted into pumpkin mud
7. Rinse the pumpkin mud into a large bowl and let it cool off so it feels slightly warm
8. If you desire better flavor, you can add 2-3 spoons of honey and mix it with the pumpkin mud, stir well
9. Keep stirring the pumpkin mud while adding the glutinous rice flour in little by little until the mix looks like a large rough, sticky dough
10. Remove the large dough from the bowl and begin to knead by hand until it feels smooth and all the pumpkin mud and the water mixed together well (if the dough feels dry, cautiously add some water)
11. Make small dough balls out of the big dough and place them on the bamboo baskets one by one (you can create different shapes if you don’t like ball-ish pumpkin “pies”; also leave some space between the small pumpkin doughs so they will not stick to each other after being steamed)
12. Pile up all the bamboo baskets and put them on the bamboo steamer
13. Heat up the bamboo baskets along with all the pumpkin doughs inside until there is a giant cloud of vapor flowing out from all the baskets
14. Remove the baskets from the steamer and remove the baskets one by one
15. Now you can bite the pumpkin “pie” when it is warm; also you can put the pumpkin “pies” into a fridge and enjoy them when they are cool

I know this looks like a really long list of steps and honestly, a lot of useful tips can only be given when people are really carrying out the procedures. The most important element is that people need to feel the dough when kneading. A good pumpkin dough will feel smooth and elastic. Also, for those who don’t have the bamboo basket steamers, it is also possible to cook the pumpkin doughs but the texture probably will feel very different.

Last but not least, I will fly back home in one week and then I can make all these gorgeous Chinese desserts again. Can’t wait for that. And if ever you get a chance to come to China, you HAVE to try making all the desserts yourself so you can FEEL instead of just following a recipe!!

Oh, just in case anyone doesn’t know what on Earth bamboo basket steamers are, I have found a picture online.

bamboo basket steamers

My single favorite food on Earth is spaghetti. Rarely would I eat pastas, I think spaghetti is completely different, and it is the most delicious when flavored with marinara sauce made from fresh tomatoes. Whenever my mom forgets to cook dinner to me, which happens fairly often at home, I always ring up the local DiCapri’s Pizza. Everytime I order the same spaghetti with extra meatballs, extra marinara sauce, and no cheese. It is sad that people hardly ever made spaghetti at Upper Farinon where the pasta area provides a new variation everyday, e.g., macaroni, ziti, etc. Having this disadvantage on campus, I would sometimes go grocery shopping and make my own spaghetti after I come back. I like it the best with fresh tomatoes, which require skills and experiences that I don’t have to make right. Also, my spaghetti does not have cheese on it, but many people would put an ounce of grated Parmesan cheese on top. Here is the one of the most common recipes that I found very helpful for a noobie cook like myself:

Ingredients:

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1  can diced tomatoes
• 3 cans tomato paste
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon dried basil (this makes the whole difference)
• 1 package of meatballs
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)
• 2 tablespoons seasoning 0f your choice
• salt and pepper, to taste (Optional)
• 1  package whole-wheat spaghetti

Directions:

1. Stir the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and basil altogether in a large saucepan over medium heat. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Boil everything in a pot, and simmer it over low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Defrost the meatballs.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little oil in it. Cook the meatballs until they get brown on all sides.
4. Add meatballs to the simmering pasta sauce and cook until internal temperature of meatballs reaches 160 degrees F (this requires experiences if you don’t have a thermometer), about 30 minutes.
5. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, and let it boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the spaghetti, and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
6. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked spaghetti.

When Professor Havranek asked us to think of ways to get around eating conventional meat if organic was not an option, I thought of kosher food.  I thought kosher food may not have the problems conventional produce has, so it could serve as an alternative to organic food on the college campus.  Before my research, I knew that kosher laws included rules about cleanliness and treatment of animals.  A major negative factor of conventional produce is that the animals are treated inhumanely, and the process is unsanitary, thus causing health risks.  This is why I was curious as to whether or not kosher food was a satisfactory solution to the problems of conventional produce.  According to a New York Times article, the kosher food industry is growing rapidly.  It states that the top reason people buy kosher foods is “quality, followed by general healthfulness.”  Apparently my train of thought is shared by others, because the article gives examples of people who buy kosher chicken when stores are sold out of organic and locally grown.  A real estate agent from Washington is quoted, saying that he feels less guilty eating kosher meat because he knows the animals were treated humanely.  Humane treatment of animals is a defining law of kosher meat.  This is one of the advantages of organic meat as well.  As far as cleanliness goes, a test was conducted in 2007 by the Agricultural Department.  Researchers infected chicken skin with salmonella.  They then applied kosher salt and rinsed the skin.  This standard kosher process reduced salmonella levels by 80 percent.  It appears that kosher processes make meat safer to eat than conventional chicken which does not go through the process.  Additionally, each specimen must be inspected by a rabbi for illnesses before slaughtered, which could prevent humans from becoming ill from the meat.  If something is kosher, we know that it has met a standard for cleanliness, and humane treatment of animals.  For this reason, I believe that eating kosher meat is a satisfactory placeholder for organic produce on the Lafayette campus.  Kosher meat is sold at Gilbert’s upon request, so we all have access to meat which is cleaner, and more morally responsible than the conventional options.

Severson, Kim. “For Some, ‘Kosher’ Equals Pure.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 12 Jan. 2010. Web. 22 Apr. 2010.

My favorite recipe is easily one for chocolate chip cookies.  When I was younger, my mom would always bake chocolate chip cookies on days where I would come home and be stressed out.  She would ask me about my day, and then if she thought I had not had a terribly good one and was not feeling great she would go right to the kitchen and whip up some fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies.  Whenever I smelled the smell of the fresh cookies I almost instantly felt better.  There was something about the taste of the cookies mixed with the love from my mom that turned my day around.  I always associate the smell and taste of chocolate chip cookies now with that feeling, which is why the recipe for them is my favorite.  My mom never used a recipe because she had memorized exactly how to do it after doing it so many times in her life, so I found one online that looks similar to what she does.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons hot water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

My mom has cooked tacos from scratch for as long as I can remember. It is a relatively simple recipe that does not involve much work. This dish is special to me because I always ask for it to be made when I am home from college on the different breaks. The first thing to do is make the ground beef.

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 1 clove garlic

-Cook the ground beef and onion in 10 inch skillet over medium heat until the beef is completely brown. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat 15 minutes.

Next up is the tortillas,

5 Flour tortillas

A large skillet

Oil

-Since the tortillas are large, they can only be cooked one at a time

-Heat the oil in the skillet. Carefully put the flour tortilla flat in the oil for about 10 seconds and then flip it over.

-Using a fork or spatula, fold the tortilla in half. Hold the top half of the tortilla up out of the oil, making a taco shell shape. Let each side cook in the oil until browned.

-Take the tortilla out and place it on a plate to dry

After these two essential ingredients are finished, my family puts out an array of toppings that everyone self serves on their own tacos.

16 oz Daisy Sour Cream

8 oz Giant Cheese Reduced Fat Mexican Blend Finely Shredded

Mission: W/Garden Vegetables Guacamole Dip, 11.5 fl oz

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1627,152185-246193,00.html

http://www.mademan.com/mm/how-cook-soft-taco-shell.html

    Sour and Sweet eggplant is one of my favorite Chinese dishes. The eggplants are succulent with a sour and sweet flavor. The following recipe is written according to a Skype talk between my parents and me.

Ingredients

• 2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon chili oil, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Procedure

1. Prepare all the ingredients. The green pepper needs to be chopped evenly into slices. The eggplants need to be chopped into small cubes. 3cm*3cm*3cm is the best.
2. Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and drain on paper towels.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Set the sauce aside.

      4:Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown, depending on the magnitude of the heat, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in the sauce, and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

       5: Put a strand of Coriander Herb on the plate to decorate it.

       6:Enjoy the dish with your family!!!

One of my favorite dishes that I eat at home is chicken marsala. My father cooks it about once every other week. It was a dish that his mother made for him when he was a child and my father decided to carry on the meal as a tradition. As a result of my father being the cook, the savory chicken is always complimented by the most delicious combination of mushrooms, onions and peas in the broth or gravy that goes with the chicken. Luckily I’m not a health fanatic, because the amazing taste is probably a result of the massive amounts of butter and oil used.

Chicken Marsala:

Ingredients:

-3 Whole boneless Chicken Breasts with skin, halved

- 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil

-3 ½ tablespoons of unsalted butter

- 1 onion sliced thin

- ¾ pounds of mushrooms sliced thin

-1/2 cup of Marsala (Wine)

- 1 cup of chicken broth

-2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley leaves

-Some Fresh Garlic Garlic

-Some Fresh peas

Directions:

-Pat the chicken dry and season it with salt and pepper

- Put the oil and 1 ½ tablespoons butter into a skillet and melt them.

- Use this skillet to cook and brown the chicken and then remove it.

- Keep 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet, remove the rest. Use this skillet to sauté the mushrooms, onions, and peas.

-Add the marsala and cook it off. Then add the chicken broth and simmer turning chicken once until it is cooked through for about 15 minutes.

-Simmer the mushroom sauce until the liquid is reduced to about ½ a cup and then put in the remaining butter, salt, and pepper.

- Cover the chicken with the extra sauce that is left over and enjoy !

Spicy French Toast

Around 5 pm is the usual teatime for my family. Most people enjoy small treats or salty snacks with their tea, and so do we. However, my mother often prepares a special snack, which is more or less French toast with a hot twist. She also made regular French toast, but I enjoyed the spicy French toast more. Even though it might seem a bit odd to have spicy snacks with tea, it was enjoyable for me, as it meant spending quality time with my family. During teatime, we sit at the dining table and discuss many things, such as how our extended family members are, sometimes even politics, etc. Most of the time, my father talks about his childhood and other interesting stories from his life. Whenever I see French toast now, it reminds me of the ones my mother used to make during teatime, which in turn reminds me of all the fun talks we had.

For good measure, the following recipe is for preparing six slices of spicy French toast.

Ingredients

1. White Bread – 6 slices
2. Eggs – 4 (2 eggs for every 3 slices of bread)
3. Salt
4. Vegetable oil/soybean oil
5. 2 Green chilies
6. One fourth of a large onion

Preparation

1. Pour in half a cup of vegetable/soybean oil into a frying pan, and let it warm up at medium heat
2. Dice the onion into small thin pieces
3. Cut the green chilies into thin circular pieces
4. Break the 3 eggs into a mixing bowl, and put in the diced onions and cut up chilies
5. Add in about one fourth of a teaspoon of salt (or amount according to preference)
6. Beat the egg mix for about a minute
7. Completely soak a slice of bread into the egg mix, so that pieces of onion and chilies stick to it
8. Place it slowly on to the frying pan. (be careful of oil spurting)
9. Let it fry for about a minute, and then flip it over. A side is done properly when the surface gets a brown tinge. Fry the other side for about a minute.
10. Flip the slice again; make sure both sides are done properly. (just be careful not to burn it)
11. Transfer it to a plate, and repeat for the other slices of bread. (Depending on the size of the frying pan, multiple slices can be fried at once

The preparation for the regular French toast is very similar. The difference is that there is no use of salt, green chilies or onions, but instead 3 teaspoons of sugar (or amount according to preference) is used. For the procedure, the sugar is added after breaking the eggs into the mixing bowl. The rest of the procedure is the same.

There is nothing more enjoyable than fresh brownies. I use to make this recipe a lot during my senior year of high school after my dad once jokingly suggested that I make brownies for the family. After that it became a common occurrence, and who was going to complain? They always provided great snacks for the next few days as well.

Double Chocolate Brownies

• ¾ cup unsifted flour
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 Tbs. water
• 12 oz pkg. ( 2 cups) semi-sweet morsels, divided in half
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup chopped nuts

Oven: 325 degrees

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In small saucepan, combine butter, sugar and water; bring just to a boil. Remove from heat.  Add one cup (half a bag) of chocolate morsels and vanilla extract.  Stir until morsels melt and mixture is smooth.  Transfer to large bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually blend in flour mixture.  Stir in remaining 1 cup morsels.  Spread into greased 9” baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.