Spicy Beef Marrow Stew

Spicy Beef Marrow Stew

     Months back, we brought these dried serrano peppers from Kensington Market and we've been wacking our brains wondering what to do with them.  Last week, I decided to sit down and do some serious research on mexican/cuban beef stews and I swear, not one single recipe of the same dish is identical.  One used red wine, another used water.  One had sausages, another used only beef chunks.  Some were ready in 30 mins, others were ready in a few hours. Not wanting to follow one particular recipe, I noted down some key ingredients and went off to our local grocer to further inspire me.
    Amazingly, I found these sausages labeled as "Extra Hot Mexican Sausage." (raw) Bingo!  Next, I found beef shank still attached to its marrow! Bingo! Bingo!  This two meats will spend some quality time with my beloved dutch oven pot.  One pot wonder!

Prior to simmering for 2.5hrs.

Ingredients:
3 Sausages (decased) of your choice
1 beef shank with marrow (about 1 large steak size)
5 pieces of dried serrano peppers
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 spanish onion, roughly chopped
1 chicken bouillon
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cup of can tomato with juices
2 potatoes, peeled & chunked
paprika, salt & pepper, chili powder

Prepare beef shank: Pat dry beef, salt & pepper both sides.  Spinkle paprika & chili powder on both sides.  Next, lightly apply all purpose flour on both sides.  This will crisp and brown beef easily.  Set aside.

Directions:
1.  Medium to high heat, brown sausages, cook out most of its juices. I added paprika to meat to cook with.  Your choice to do the same or not. (approx. 5mins) Take it out and set aside.
2.  Sauted onion and garlic with 5 dried serrano peppers. (approx. 5mins)  Take it out and set aside.
3.  In the same pot, brown beef shank with marrow, 2 mins each side.  Take it out and set aside.
4.  By now, your pot should be burnt at the bottom.  Still on medium-high heat, de-glaze pot with red wine, a splash of worcestershire sauce, & chicken bouillon.  Be sure to scrap all the goodness from the bottom of pot.
5.  Once all brown bits from pot has been scraped off, sauce stirred, add your ingredients previously cooked back into same pot, add your potatoes  & 1 1/2 cup of can tomato with juices.
6.  Add stock or water to barely cover ingredients.  I added about 1/4cup of water.  Just to give you an idea.  I also added one stick of celery to stock just because I had it.
7.  Add a dash of paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper for good measure.  Once sauce comes to a simmer, turn heat down to low, cover pot and simmer for 2.5hours.

If you want to enjoy this dish at its best, eat it the next day!  The potatoes overnight will thicken the sauce naturally.  Its great with pasta or rice.  Mr. ate 3 plates of this in one sitting. :D

Bolognese Sauce

I truly admire Italian food.  Their complexity of favours made up of a few simple ingredients.  Of course, time plays a major role. It was the episode where Anthony Bourdain travels to Maples, Italy that made me really appreciate true Italian food.  Italians care about their food! They care for their tomatoes! Their wide variety of pasta! Their local ingredients!  They pride themselves in their simple tomato sauce, homemade mozzarella cheese, fine extra olive oil, sprinkle of backyard grown basil, > woodbaked pizza.  Oh, just a note, they don't have pre-grated parmesan cheese that come in plastic bottles ready to spinkle over dishes! True Italians use the freshest of the freshest ingredients.  That's why, as simple as their dish can be, its also quite complex in favour.

So this weekend, with company over, I shall make Italian Bolognese Sauce served overtop of gluten free pasta.  A trip to our locate grocery, a few simple ingredients, a well used, well loved dutch oven pot sitting nicely on the stove, I will attempt to bring Italy to our home.  This recipe is adapted from Chuck William's "William Sonoma - Cooking at Home" with a few twist of my own.

Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
60g of smoked pancetta, diced
1/2 large yellow onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk all diced finely
1 pound of lean ground beef, 1/2 pound of ground veal
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
1 can of top grade Italian plum tomatoes with juice (450g) (I used a bit more tomatoes than 450g since I did add more meat than original recipe)
Salt

Directions:
Over medium heat in a dutch oven pot, heat up olive oil, butter, garlic.  Add in pancetta 1 min later.  Once pancetta renders off some fat, add in onion, carrot and celery and saute until soften.
Next, add beef and veal. Break up meat in pot, stir, mix just until meat is no longer pink.  Do not allow meat to brown or harden.
Add in wine and simmer until it evaporates.  Then add in 3/4cup of milk and nutmeg.  Simmer until the milk is absorbed.
Add can of tomatoes with juice, salt.  Break up tomatoes, stir.  Bring sauce to simmer then turn heat to very low, cover pot and let it simmer for 4hrs.  Stirring occasionally.
In the last 45mins, stir in the remaining milk in 3 additions, to allow the sauce to absorb the milk.
Simmer for another 20mins for extra measure.  Serve over your favourite pasta :D..

Veggies & Meat simmered in milk & wine prior to tomatoes.

Magic happens 4hrs later. :D yumsss.. though I think it was longer than 4hrs .. for good measure :D 

Korean Style Double Fried Chicken

Famous among food bloggers, this cute & adorable, talented Korean lady has MANY followers on her blog "Cooking Korean Food with Maangchi" is by far, one of my favorite food blogger. http://www.maangchi.com/ 

If I could, I would be a stay at home kinda chic fatten up my mr. with Manngchi's Korean recipes.  That's how much I look up to Maangchi.  :D Plus, look up her youtube videos and try not to like her!  She is adorable!

One of mr.'s favorite Korean food is the Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom Tongdak) Super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  When I came across Maangchi's recipe, watched her video on how to, I just had to try it.  Just had to!   Click below link for her recipe. 

http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/yangnyeom-tongdak

And here is my attempt of the famous Korean Fried Chicken!

                                           First batch of fried chicken ready for a second bath
                                           of hot oil.

 

                                          I did use honey instead of rice syrup.

                                           Chicken wings deep fried again until golden brown.

                                                                   Tadummmm~!

Filipino style Bola Bola (meatballs)

Oddly enough, you would not find this dish in Filipino restaurants but it is a very common dish of this culture, found in many families kitchen.  Each recipe slightly different from one another but made the same way.  Mr.'s mom made this dish several times and it looked easy enough for me to replicate it.  If you like fried items, you would like this. :D   Crispy outside. Juicy inside. :D

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound of ground pork
1 white onion - finely diced
1 carrot - finely diced
1 - 2 roasted sweet pepper (from the jar) - finely chopped
2-3 stems of green onion - finely chopped
drizzle of soya sauce
white pepper & salt
1tsp of sugar
1/2 cup of cornstarch

Directions:
Combine all ingredients above except for cornstarch together in a big bowl.
Roll into bite size balls then coat each balls with cornstarch.
Heal wok with 1 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in medium heat and begin frying meatballs in batches for 15mins each.
Once golden brown,  place on paper towel to absorb excess oil. 
True to Filipino way of eating, eat with rice :D Spoon and fork way. :D

                                                                        Enjoy!

All Crabbed out in Hong Kong & Manila

Crabs.

Crabs for lunch.

 Crabs for dinner. 

I say crabs because there were more than several occasions where there were more than 1 crab served for lunch and dinner.  During our 2 and 1/2 week of vacation in Hong Kong & Manila, Mr. and I ate so much crab that by the last week, I said, "I'm soo sick of crab."  Me!! Lover of crabs!!! said, "I don't want to eat any crab for a whie!" Mr. laughed.

After 3 weeks of recovery, I want to share with you foodies some of the best crab dishes we have ever eaten.  Our very first dinner in Hong Kong was by far, hands down, the best crab we ever had.  "Under Bridge Spicy Crab"  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the dish! So the picture below is courtesy of Bruce Foreman/CNNBO.

A perfect union of spices, chili and fried garlic with a enormous crab, pan fried on high heat in a wok. The meat was soft, juicy, & fresh. This, is, finger lickin' good.  Should you go to Hong Kong, this restaurant is a must. Located in Causeway Bay, Shop B, G/F, 401-403 Lockhart Road, Hong Kong. 

In Manila, Mr.'s relatives took us to eat at this popular Singaporean Restaurant that is famous for their chili crab.  Sorry foodies, the location was not noted. 

The meat of this crab tasted exactly like the crab at Under Bridge Spicy Crab. Fresh & juicy.  It was the spicy sauce that made this dish so good. Among the heat of the chili, there was a hint of sweetness, a tang of vinegar.  The restaurant provided us a plate of sweet steamed white buns to eat along side with the sauce.  Must not go to waste.  :D

We were lucky to spend two days at a private beach owned by Mr.s family member. After spending the morning jet skiing, diving for shells, beach lounging, we had a wonderful lunch in the gazebo next to the beach, prepped by the housekeeper.

This time, it was the location that made the crab so delicious.   Nothing beats eating fresh seafood on a private beach.  Now, this is a great way to retire.  Something to look forward to in 35years! Hopefully sooner!

Aside for these crab experiences, the rest of the crab dishes we had overseas was great.  Having been able to visit places close to water really heightens your seafood adventures.  Crab in Asia, crab in Vancouver cannot beat the crabs we get here in Toronto.  So when you do go overseas, go overboard with seafood!  It's worth it!

Loco Moco

Guy Fieri and Adam Richman, we thank the both of you for this dish.  It was watching the both of you eat this calorie filled dish that urged my mr. to say to me, "Let's make LOCO MOCO!"

What is a Loco Moco you ask?  Legend has it that a group of young hungry men in Hawaii went up to a certain restaurant and asked for burgers, fried eggs and gravy served over top of rice.  They named this dish, "Loco Moco."  This dish is extremely popular in Hawaii and has been well loved by others who has tried this dish.  If you are counting your calories, this dish is DEFINITELY not for you. :D

Burgers are from a butcher shop nearby where we live.  I highly recommend buying high quality burger for this dish.  

The ... LOCO MOCO! (for two)

Ingredients:

You choice of burgers

Eggs

Gravy 

Rice

Directions:

1.  Pan fried burgers to your liking, remove from heat.

2.  Using the drippings from the burger, make your gravy from scratch or from pre-packaged.  Your choice!  Set aside.

3.  Pan fried eggs.

4.  Assemble & Eat. :D 

Open Face Egg Salad Sandwich

Bored of the typical egg salad sandwich?  Give this a try!

First of all, a big thank you goes out to mr. for this recipe.  He is an amazing researcher, an avid forum reader and puts his trust on complete stranger's recommendations on pretty much .....anything!  Had he not been so dedicated in finding the best restaurants to go to in LA last year in October, we would not have stumble upon this gem: Euro Pane Bakery, Pasadena, CA.

Amongst all the reviews for this small sit in bakery, their open face egg salad sandwich seemed to be everyone's favorite.

Just look at that! The egg! It's not overboiled! It's yolky to perfection, layered on artisan crusty bread, bedded on fresh arugula & lettuce, dusted with chives, sea salt & pepper!  See that orange spread on the bread? That, my foodies, was what made the sandwich stand out!  We couldn't figure out what the flavour of the orange spread was.  It was that complex!  When this yummy sandwich came to our table, mr. lunged for a bite.  "Not yet!" I said.  "I must take a picture of this!" Can you see that bite he took on the right side? :D  

Of course we decided this must be duplicated in our own kitchen!  How hard can it be? :D

So few months back, I made this for dinner.  Boy, was it yummmmmy!  

Ingredients:

4 large eggs room temp. 

2 artisan buns/bread of YOUR choice!

salt & pepper

1 &1/2 tbsp of mayo 

paprika pepper

chili pepper (optional)

arugula

chives

a sprinkle of finely diced red onion 

1/2 a lemon

Directions:

1.  Boil a small pot of water, once it is to boiling point, add the eggs in carefully

2.  Leave the eggs at boiling point for NO MORE THAN 1 MINUTE!!

3.  Turn off the heat entirely, cover the pot and let the eggs sit in for 8-9mins

4.  De-shell eggs and place in a clean bowl

5.  Add your mayo, a sprinkle of each: paprika, sea salt, freshly grind pepper, red onion, the zest of 1/2 a lemon, lemon juice of 1/2 a lemon & chili pepper (optional) 

6. Mix it up and taste test! add more salt IF you wish

7.  Toast your choice of bread/bun, add a spread if you wish (we only had garlic butter spread :P)  add the arugula leaves, egg salad then top with a gentle grind of fresh cracked pepper, sea salt and chives.

The typical egg salad sandwich can't stand a chance now!