notes from my food diary

Every time Fourth of July rolls in, I always feel the lwarmth love for this country rushing in my body. Even though feeling patriotic these days might put you in the fanatic population, I don’t really care. I am happy and proud to be an American at this moment, and I’m always thankful that I’ve given the opportunity to live in this country, hopefully for the rest of my life. 

Now, moving on the picture I posted.  Since last two weeks, my husband has bought dozen of eggs from his co-worker who has happy hens producing fresh free-range eggs.  I am delighted to be able to purchase them because I always think their taste is superior.  Some times I didn’t receive all the same size eggs in the crate, some of them were medium, large and extra large.  Any medium and extra large eggs would be cooked for the pleasure of eating them, whereas the large size would be used for any baking purpose. 

I felt like making sandwich for today’s lunch because it’s quick to make and we’re too busy today to have a normal barbecue fare normally associated with Fourth of July.  One of my favorites filling for sandwich is egg salad, and what an appropriate way to use the eggs we bought recently!  This particular filling was boosted with bacon slices and red leaf lettuce leaves which added crunchiness to the sandwich.  The bread happened to be an Brown Iris Potato Bread that I made earlier instead of regular white sandwich bread.  Serve this sandwich with potato chips and pickles, you’ll have a satisfying light meal!

Later on tonight, my son and us will light some sparkles outside, an activity that has been a yearly tradition.  Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Egg Salad Club Sandwiches

Serves 4

8 large hard-boiled eggs

15 or more Spanish olives (pimento-stuffed green olives)

1/4 cup very finely chopped celery

Salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

1.4 cup regular mayonnaise plus extra for spreading on toasted bread

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

8 slices good-quality white sandwich bread, lightly toasted

8 slices bacon, fried until crisp and golden

8 crisp red leaf lettuce leaves

6-inch wooden skewers

Shell eggs, chop coarsely, and place in a large nonreactive bowl.  Chop olives and add to bowl along with celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Mix gently to combine.  Stir mayonnaise and mustard together and then add to egg mixture and mix well.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.  (The egg salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.)

To assemble sandwiches, spread all bread slices on 1 side very lightly with some mayonnaise.  Mound an equal amount of egg salad on each of 4 slices, break bacon slices in half, and arrange 4 halves on each sandwich.  Top with lettuce leaves and remaining toasted bread slices.  Slice sandwiches on the diagonal with a serrated knife and secure halves with wooden skewers. 

To serve, arrange 2 skewered halves on each of 4 dinner plates.

Source:  from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom

P.S. And for our after lunch treat, we had mint-chocolate chip ice cream with strawberries and blueberries that my son and I picked yesterday at my parents’ house. 

Are you tired of making spaghetti with marinara sauce?  I feel the same from time to time.  My son loves spaghetti so I find a way to make it in a different way.  Try this recipe.  Not only it’s easy for a weekday meal, it’s pretty wholesome too.  Round it up with green salad and maybe garlic bread, you’ll have the same feeling as if you’re eating spaghetti marinara, only baked.  The recipe came from a book that I have for a long time, it’s Vegetarian Pasta by Rose Elliot.  She has recipes which are straightforward but with great flavors.  The original recipe suggested using Cheddar or Gruyére cheese which I chose Gruyére, and I didn’t use a whole cup of cheese in my pasta dish.  It was more like 1/3 of cup but it still tasted very tasty.  It also suggested using fresh oregano in the dish, but since I had this canned diced tomatoes with oregano and basil that’s what I used.  My oregano leaves served as decoration at the end.

I’m sending this for the Presto Pasta Night which is a brainchild of lovely Ruth, hosted by Kevin at Closet Cooking this week.  Hope I’m not too late!

Spaghetti, Mushroom and Tomato Bake

Serves 4

6 ounces spaghetti

Salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, washed and chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

14 ounces canned diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

1 egg, beaten

1 cup Gruyére cheese, grated

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

Set the oven to 400° F.  Grease a casserole dish or roasting pan about 8×12 inches and at least 2 1/2 inches deep.

When the water in the saucepan boils, add the spaghetti, holding it straight up like a bunch of flowers and gently pushing it into the water as it softens.  Add a tablespoon of salt and give the pasta a quick stir.  Briefly put the lid on until it starts to lift, showing that the water has come back to a boil, then let the pasta bubble away, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, or unitl it is tender but still  has some bite to it.  Drain the spaghetti.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan and put in the onion; cover and sauté for 5 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes and cook, uncovered, for further 10 minutes, until the onions and mushrooms are tender.

Add the egg to the vegetable mixture and stir well over the heat for a minute or two until the egg has cooked.  Remove from the heat and add the spaghetti, along with the Gruyére cheese.  Season with oregano and salt and pepper.

Spoon the spaghettti mixture into the ovenproof dish, scatter with the bread crumbs and Parmesan and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on top.

Source:  adapted from Vegetarian Pasta by Rose Elliot

What I had for dinner a few days ago. It’s very simple and satisfying for my Asian tastebud.

Marinated Tofu with Crispy Fried Shallots
Serves 4

1 1 /4 pounds block of soft tofu, drained
3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
2 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
14 ounces broccoli, halved lengthways
3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons crispy fried shallots

Cut the tofu into 4 triangular pieces: slice the block in half widthways, then diagonally. Place in a heatproof dish.

In a small bowl, combine the kecap manis, chilli sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger, then pour over the tofu. Leave the tofu to marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Place the broccoli on a heatproof plate and place on a trivet or steamer rack in the wok. Cover and steam for 4-5 minutes, until just tender. Remove and keep warm.

Place the dish of tofu on the trivet or steamer rack in the wok, cover and steam for 4-5 minutes. Divide the broccoli among four warmed serving plates and top each one with a triangle of tofu.

Spoon the remaining juices over the tofu and broccoli, then sprinkle over the cilantro, sesame seeds and crispy shallots. Serve immediately with steamed white rice or noodles.

Source: adapted from The Wok Bible

This dish is actually one of my favorites back when I was a wee girl. If my parents and my brother and me went to a Chinese restaurant, I was secretly hoping my parents would order this dish. Why secretly? I don’t have the explanation, I think it’s because I was still a wee girl, I was pretty ignorant of what’s going on with the menu selection. That didn’t mean I didn’t like to eat, though. Now that I’m much older, I’m trying to compensate what I lacked before by making an enormous selection of dishes for my family

I was going to do beef chow fun for Rita’s party, the Chinese Take-Out Party, that’s another favorite, but due to time limit of having to go to a 20 minute-drive to a decent Asian grocery to buy fresh chow fun, I forgo the beef chow fun. Chinese barbecued pork could now be found on my local Safeway, so it’s only a breezy 5-minute drive. Everything else was in my fridge or my pantry, well, except small shrimps. I only had medium-sized shrimps which I chopped into two here. Be sure to use Madras curry powder because the flavor is definitely much more superior (triple superlatives!) to a regular curry powder found in the herb/spice section in your local grocer. I upped the amount of the curry because I liked it stronger, because I felt 2 teaspoons didn’t do much to dish.

So, Rita darlin’, here’s my contribution to your party!

Singapore Rice Noodles
Serves 4 to 6 as part of a multicourse meal

4 Chinese dried mushrooms
8 ounces rice vermicelli (mai fun)
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice cooking wine
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and halved in two
1/2 cup finely shredded scallions
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 1/4 tablespoons Madras curry powder
3/4 cup homemade chicken broth or water
4 ounces Chinese barbecued pork, cut into juliene strips

In a medium bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1/4 cup cold water for 30 minutes, or until softened. Drain and squeeze dry, reserving soaking liquid. Cut off and discard stems and thinly slice the caps.

In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in enough cold water to cover for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the noodles are limp and softened. Drain in a colander and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the shrimp, and stir-fry 10 seconds. Add the scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds, or until shrimp have just turned orange but are not cooked through. Transfer the shrimp mixture to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, celery, and sliced mushrooms, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the curry powder and stir-fry 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Restir soy sauce mixture and swirl it into the wok. Add the chicken broth or water, reserved mushroom soaking liquid and 1/3 cup cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the drained rice noodles and return to a boil, stirring noodles to completely coat in curry mixture. Cover and cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are just tender. Add the shrimp and barbecued pork, and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through and liquid has been absorbed by the noodles. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young.

Party on!

Had a lovely dinner with fish almost two weeks ago. I almost always love steamed fish because the flavor of the fish shines through, it’s delicate, and it comes with garnishes that I’m nuts about: cilantro, green onion and ginger. Here’s a recipe that combines the traditional ingredients in Chinese-style steamed fish dish with Southeast Asian flavor—fish sauce and lemon grass, and Japanese tradition—sake. The ingredients intermingled quite nicely I must say, they’re complementing each other rather than fighting to be noticed individually. Served this with steamed rice, sauteed vegetable dish and you’ll have a quite nice and round dinner.

Steamed Fish with Ginger-Wine Sauce
Yields 8 servings

3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sake (rice wine)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh lemon grass
1/2 teapoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon dried pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 (6-ounce) cod fillets
1/4 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch strips
Cilantro sprigs to your liking

Combine first 11 ingredients in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Marinate fish in refrigerator 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake fish mixture (including marinade) at 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish with bell pepper and cilantro.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light, January 2002