Wordless Wednesday #68: Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner

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Wordless Wednesday #54: Soft Shell Po'Boy

(The #softshellsaturday special on Aug. 6, 2011 from Porchetta & Co.)

Summerlicious '11 Round-up: FRANK at the AGO

My Summerlicious round-up continues with my second stop: FRANK at the Art Gallery of Ontario. This has been another restaurant that has been on my list of restaurants to try for quite some time, and it was coincidence that it was housed in another Toronto museum. FRANK, named after Frank Gehry who did the re-design of the AGO, is headed by Executive Chef Anne Yarymowich, with Martha Wright as Chef de Cuisine (great to see two women running the kitchen!).

Compared to the sleek décor of c5, FRANK has a warmer atmosphere when you walk in the door, with the wood details, splashes of colour (we were seated in a room painted red, which some people claim is the colour the helps encourage an appetite), and works of art on display. The glass dining tables, while pretty, caused the cutlery and our menus to go slipping and sliding every which way though. Made for some pretty funny pre-dinner entertainment I guess as I chased around my knife.

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Grilled Calamari Salad with Spiced Chickpeas

I love salads. I really do.

How can you not when your salad looks like this?

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Oven-fried Fish and Chips

Have your cake and eat it too?

Well, in this case, yes, when the "cake" is in fact fish and chips.

Oven-"fried" fish and chips, that is.

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Wordless Wednesday #39: A Crabby Mussel

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

You often see Salt and Pepper Shrimp on menus at Chinese restaurants. Deep-fried and crispy, they often come coated in a thick batter which makes the shrimp barely recognizable, and then further buried underneath a big, salty and peppery pile of garlic, chilli peppers and green onions.



This version of the popular dish is the way my mom has always made it: much lighter as she doesn't deep-fry them, and not coated in a thick batter. Despite being just pan-fried, the shrimp retains its crispy integrity, and is an absolutely delight when combined with the irresistible but simple combination of garlic, chilli peppers, salt and pepper. The smell of it alone as you're cooking will have you salivating.

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How to Utterly Tire Yourself Out with Just One Meal: The New Year's Eve Dinner

Step #1: Plan an elaborate, multi-course menu.

Creamy oyster soup for starters. A surf-and-turf-inspired main of lobster ravioli and pork ravioli. And a dessert of chocolate pear tart.

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Wordless Wednesday #17: Hot-Oil Bath (Chinese XO Sauce)

Wordless Wednesday #14: Local Spot Prawns

Summer Lovin' with Lobster Rolls

It’s officially summer! And what better way to enjoy the warm weather and soak up the sun than a picnic in the park, or on the beach, or just plain dining al fresco. I love getting away for the weekend for a daytrip and packing up a picnic. I don’t have to worry about finding food in the middle of nowhere, and I can eat what I like.

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Quick Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon

Yes, you can have dinner ready in 10 minutes.



This is honestly one of the simplest dishes I've ever made and perfect for a weeknight meal. The combination of lime and honey and soy work so well to balance each other out. With only a handful of ingredients, the Asian fusion marinade is clean and fresh tasting—perfect for fish or chicken.

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Mussels in the Hall

Soup is probably the ultimate comfort food. When you’re sick, your mom makes you soup. When it’s winter, you make soup. When you’re too tired or lazy to cook and need some quick sustenance, you heat up soup.

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Things Are Getting Steamy!

Unfortunately for you, in a very G-rated way. But fortunately, in a very delicious way!



I love steaming. A lot has to do with its long history in Chinese cuisine. I grew up with a lot of steamed dishes—steamed whole fish, steamed tofu with shrimp or scallops, steamed “cakes” (really more like a dense pudding) during Chinese New Years, and let’s not forget delicious steamed dim sum, dumplings and buns. The list is endless.

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Starting 2010 on the Right Track

Happy New Year everyone! It’s a new year, and a new look for my blog! I hope you like the makeover and will find it a bit easier to navigate your way through my blog in the future. I’m still getting used to it myself and still working out some kinks, but any feedback is always welcome.



So what are everyone’s New Year’s resolutions for 2010? I don’t know if I believe in them anymore, considering I have a hard time falling through with them. But I always think it’s a good idea anyway to set some goals for one’s self at the start of a new year (hey, a new year, a new you, right?). Some food-related resolutions I hope to follow through on:

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Shrimp Bisque

Christmas is over and done with, and I hope everyone had a lovely time with your families and lots of good food! I think I'm still suffering from a post-Christmas food coma!

This soup I made as a starter for our Christmas dinner, but it'll make for a delightful starter to your New Year's Dinner menu or for future dinner parties. Don't let the word bisque scare you. It may be French and fancy-sounding, but this soup is incredibly easy to make. Granted, it doesn't have the same, silky-smooth texture of a traditional French bisque (unless you strain the soup again after the second purée), but I quite like the slight chunkiness to the soup—it makes it a little more rustic.

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Mango in Heat

It’s hard to imagine summer is merely two weeks away, especially with the weather we’ve been having lately—lots of rain and cooler temperatures that barely even reach the average for the time of year. But my frequent trips to the market tell me otherwise when I’m greeted by new produce that become in season.



There are two produce stands that stand in prime location on the left front entrance to St. Lawrence Market. I often enter the market using these doors just so I can be greeted by the colourful displays of fruits and vegetables, laid out all in their glory to tempt customers. Who can walk by juicy red strawberries, rich purple eggplants or vibrant green lettuces without stopping just to take a look? I was especially giddy when I spotted the lovely mango display right beside the door last week: huge, larger-than-my-hand mangoes that were practically screaming, “BUY ME!”

So I caved and bought them. I’m used to eating the smaller varieties grown in Thailand or China, so lugging home three huge mangoes (of the Haden variety) was a bit daunting. I knew that at first sight though, one of those mangoes would be put to use in a stir-fry.

I ended up doing a Thai treatment, making a stir-fry of asparagus, red peppers, mango, shrimp and Thai red curry paste. The sweetness of the mango cuts through the slight heat of the red curry. If mangoes aren’t your thing, this stir-fry can work just as well with some fresh pineapple or lychees (it’s all about playing with the sweet/spicy/savoury flavour combination), and you can replace the shrimp and vegetables with whatever you like. If you like it extra spicy, throw in some extra Thai peppers. I added some fresh basil and cilantro at the end, and served with steamed rice. A quick fix for dinner, this can also be a cheater’s approach to satisfying one’s Thai curry craving.

I still have two mangoes sitting in the fridge. Not too sure yet what I’ll do with them, but I foresee mango lassi and mango muffins in the works…



Red Curry Shrimp and Mango Stir-Fry
Serves 2

15 to 20 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 large mango, cut into bite-size cubes
1 red pepper, sliced
8 to 10 asparagus spears, stalky ends removed and cut into 1½ -inch pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
½ tbsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp light soy sauce
Handful Thai basil or regular basil, larger leaves ripped
Handful cilantro, chopped
Black pepper, to taste

Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Place in a small bowl, and marinate with the cooking wine, salt, black pepper and cornstarch. Stir and set aside for 15 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the shrimp and stir around wok for 2 minutes, until the shrimp begin turning pink but is not cooked through yet. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the onions into the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until fragrant (if pan appears to be a little dry, add a bit of vegetable oil). Add red peppers and asparagus, stir, cover wok with lid and let cook for 1 minute.

Remove lid and add mango pieces. Mix 2 tablespoons of water with the curry paste to loosen it, and pour over the contents of the wok. Add the rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir to combine. Add the shrimp; toss to combine and let cook for 1 minute more, or until shrimp is cooked through. Turn off heat and add the herbs. Season with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

A Smokin' Frittata

You know it’s been a busy week when you haven’t eaten at home for the whole week, the weekend has slowly crept up on you, and you’re blogging about something you made last weekend. Such was this week, so I’m thankful for the stash of leftovers I had from the weekend that I can tote to work, including the Smoked Trout and Dill Frittata I made.

It’s no secret I’m a pancake lover, but since the parents were in town for a visit, and my mom leans more towards the savoury stuff, I made a frittata instead. Great way to use up eggs and whatever you have lying around in your fridge.



My family is a fan of Starsky, a local grocery that specializes in fine European foods. Go on the weekends and its always packed with people, but the wait at the deli counter is certainly worth it, with a slew of hams, sausages and other cold cuts, along with lots of cheeses, to choose from. I’m also a huge fan of their smoked trout. Luckily, I had wrapped up an extra fillet of the smoked trout and threw it in the freezer after our last visit to Starsky, so I threw some of the fish into the frittata, along with some dill (the perfect accompaniment to fish!) and a parboiled potato. It makes for a delicate and light brunch or lunch that looks fancy and complicated, but really only takes minutes to put together. Great for a lazy Sunday meal, and makes for a delicious lunch the next day!

Odds and Ends Lunch

I was clearing out my fridge yesterday and found that there were little bits and pieces of ingredients sitting around and taking up room. The problem was, there wasn’t enough of each to make a full on meal on its own. What better way to use up these odds and ends than throwing them together to create something new?

I came across a recipe for Tuna Tofu Miso Burgers at Just Bento, and it had me intrigued. I definitely had the basic ingredients, since there always seems to be tofu in the fridge, and cans of tuna sitting in my pantry. I made a few changes, like replacing the breadcrumbs with cracker crumbs, as I was far too lazy to make my own breadcrumbs. I also had a few shiitake mushrooms leftover, so I added those into the mix.

If you want a smoother texture to your patties, throw everything into a food processor and let that do its magic, although they turn out perfectly fine (and with a bit more texture) if you mix by hand. Plus it'll be one less thing to wash! These mini-burgers are super easy to make, freeze well, and are the perfect size to pack into your lunchbox, along with some fresh veggies and fruit.



Tuna Tofu Miso Mini Burgers
Adapted from Just Bento
Makes about 8 to 10 mini burgers

½ block extra firm tofu (about 250 g)
One 200 g can tuna, oil- or water-packed
2 tbsp dry plain breadcrumbs or soda crackers, finely crushed
2 stalks green onion, finely chopped
Handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped (about 6 to 8 small)
1 heaping tbsp white miso (add more according to your taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white

Drain the tuna and the tofu very well. To drain the tofu, wrap with paper towel and place the block on a flat surface (like a cutting board). Place another flat object on top of the tofu, and then place a heavy object (like a heavy pan) or a couple of cans on the flat surface. Let stand for 15 minutes to allow water to drain from the tofu block.

In a large Ziploc bag, place all the ingredients, mashing up the tofu with your hands and crumbling the tuna into finer flakes as you add them to the bag. Seal bag and mix well by squishing the ingredients around. Place in the refrigerator and let stand for at least an hour. (You can also do this in a food processor, which will also give you a finer texture.)

Heat a little oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the mixture and form into mini patties. Pan fry the patties on each side for a couple of minutes until golden brown.

What's For Lunch? -- A Twist on Tabbouleh

It was another salad for lunch today, this time a spin-off on tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is a salad with roots from the Middle East. The traditional salad contains bulgur (cracked wheat), finely chopped parsley (and lots of it!) and mint, ripe tomato, green onions and simply dressed with some lemon juice, olive oil and sometimes some spices. It’s certainly not a salad for parsley-haters, since the majority of the salad is comprised of the herb, but it also makes for a light, refreshing and low-calorie meal for those who don’t mind it.

I was flipping through my latest issue of delicious a few weeks back when I came across a recipe for a White Bean Tabbouleh. Not only was I drawn by the beautiful and colourful picture of the dish, but I love how they added white beans to the salad. Instantly, the light appetizer has become a satisfying meal with the addition of some protein.

The recipe served the salad with some roasted cuttlefish, but I roasted a few shrimp instead. The beans also add another level of texture to the salad, adding a creaminess that plays off the crunch of the cucumbers and the graininess of the burghul. Chickpeas would be just as delicious in this salad, although you’ll be missing out on the creamy factor, and use curly parsley in place of the Italian variety for added texture.



White Bean Tabbouleh with Roasted Shrimp
Adapted from delicious, Vol.5 Issue 1
Serves 2 as a main

1 vine-ripened tomatoes
1 heaping tbsp burghul (cracked wheat)
½ of a 400 g can white kidney beans (or cannellini), rinsed and drained
10 to 12 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
¾ packed cup Italian or curly parsley, roughly chopped
¼ English cucumber, or ½ Lebanese cucumber, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Finely chop tomato, and scrape into a bowl with any juices. Add the beans and burghul. Stir, then set aside so the burghul soaks up the juices.

Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in a small bowl, and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes, or until done. Don’t overcook! Set aside.

Add the parsley, cucumber and lemon juice to the bean mixture and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide among two plates, top with the roasted shrimp, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and serve.