Archive for the 'Appetizer' Category

Furikake Kettle Corn

Published by Gastronomer on April 15, 2012 in Appetizer, Hawaiian and Recipe. 11 Comments

It’s high time we commence alfresco dining now that spring has sprung and summer is around the corner. These warmer months were made for breaking bread with friends and family under sunny skies and shady trees. While the burgers are grilling or the ribs are smoking, I highly recommend serving a big ‘ol bowl of Furikake Kettle Corn. It’s an addictive nibble that never fails to delight.

This recipe comes from Chef Roy Choi of Los Angeles’ A-Frame restaurant. I couldn’t keep my hands away from the bowl the first time I tried this Hawaiian-style popcorn. Every fistful of buttery kernels brought a hit of sweetness from Corn Pops, sourness from dried pineapples, savoriness from bacon, spiciness from cayenne pepper and chili flakes, and a whole lot of umami-ness from furikake. This unlikely combination of big, bold flavors had me hooked at first bite.

Making Furikake Kettle Corn requires very little preparation, especially if you’re using bagged kettle corn like this recipe suggests. The bacon needs to be fried and chopped, chives minced, and butter clarified. After that’s good and done, everything comes together in a snap. Serve the popcorn in a bowl, or better yet, channel the aloha spirit and spill it onto the table just like they do at A-Frame.

4 cups kettle corn
2/3 cup of Corn Pops
2 ounces clarified butter
2 tablespoon furikake
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon dried pineapple
2 tablespoon chopped bacon, cooked
2 teaspoon chives or Shiso, minced

Chop and fry bacon, mince chives, and clarify butter. Note: My dried pineapple came dusted in cayenne pepper, hence its darker appearance, so I skipped the “pinch of cayenne pepper.”

My “Qwik and EZ” method for clarifying butter entails microwaving the butter in a small bowl for 20 second at a time until it’s completely melted. Let the butter cool for a minute or two at room temperature and then skim off the white foam with a spoon. The resulting clarified butter isn’t perfect, but it’ll do just fine for this recipe.

Finely chop the bacon and dried pineapple together using a food processor.

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Inari Sushi

Published by Gastronomer on March 24, 2012 in Appetizer, Japanese, Recipe and Vegetarian. 11 Comments

Back when Philadelphia was home, I often frequented an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant called Ajia located a few steps from the Schuylkill River. For just $21.95, my friends and I gorged until we burst on shrimp tempura rolls, all manner of nigiri, and unique-to-Philly creations like the sweet potato roll and “Rock N Roll” roll.

Though I tried my darnedest to get my money’s worth during these AYCE outings, I could never resist ordering a half dozen inari along with the usual sushi spread. These sweet fried tofu pouches filled with marinated rice were easily the least cost effective menu item, and worse yet, they sat in my stomach like a brick. I wasn’t being a savvy consumer, but I didn’t care because the inari were delicious.

While shopping for furikake and Sumo citrus at my neighborhood Mitsuwa the other weekend, the idea of making inari from scratch popped into my head. After finding a trusty recipe from JustJenn and collecting the ingredients missing from my pantry, I came home and made some for lunch.

This semi-homemade recipe came together quickly and most satisfactorily. Considering that the rice was prepared in a rice cooker and the tofu pouches were sold prefabbed, the only real work was measuring the dressing, toasting some sesame seeds, and assembling the whole package. Project inari proved to be so easy and satisfying that I’ll never again order it at a restaurant. And certainly not at an all-you-can-eat one!

1 1/2 cups uncooked sushi rice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 package aburage (tofu pouches)
1 1/2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

Prepare rice according to the directions written on the package. I used my rice cooker, which was gifted to me by my mother when I graduated from college.

While the rice is bubbling and boiling away, whisk together the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Dress the rice with this mixture as soon as it is cooked. Adjust the amount according to your preferences—use less for well-balanced rice, more for tangier rice.

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Kaya Toast

Published by Gastronomer on February 5, 2012 in Appetizer, Malaysian, Recipe, Sandwich and Singaporean. 13 Comments

I cannot stand to throw away food. Whether it’s a half bunch of parsley or or a half-eaten slice of pizza, having perfectly good food tossed in the trash pains me in a very real way. I attribute this compulsion to my mother and grandmother, who forced me to eat every last grain of rice while growing up.

After making a warm coconut rice pudding the other week, I was left with a half can of coconut milk that seemed to stare at me every time I opened the fridge, threatening to go bad at any minute. I could’ve made a Thai curry or soup, but a few measly ounces was not enough, and I wanted to avoid opening up another can of worms, if you know what I mean.

After racking my brain and the Internet for ideas, I found the solution to my coconut milk predicament: Kaya Toast.

Kaya Toast is a popular snack in Singapore and Malaysia comprised of coconut jam sandwiches served with sunny eggs drizzled with soy sauce. I’ve eaten this fabulous sweet and savory creation at a number of restaurants including Susan Feniger’s Street, The Spice Table, and Jitlada, but never considered making it at home until I found this super-easy coconut jam recipe from my friend Sarah.

Sarah’s original recipe calls for a full can of coconut milk, but I scaled down the proportions using simple ratios. After the jam came together, I toasted up some buttered bread, spread on a thick layer of sweetness, and sandwiched everything up nicely. A fried egg with a dash of white pepper and a slick of soy sauce was all that was needed to complete the package.

When life gives you a half can of coconut milk, make Kaya Toast.

13.5 ounces coconut milk
1/2 cup Turbinado, granulated, or brown sugar
Butter
Good quality white bread
Eggs
White pepper
Soy sauce

Prepare coconut jam

Combine the coconut milk and sugar in a large saucepan. The jam will bubble and boil intensely as it cooks, so make sure to choose a vessel that is much larger than its contents.

Boil the mixture over medium to medium-high heat until the jam reduces by about half and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the jam to a bowl and set aside to cool. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.

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Anne Burrell’s Crostini of Chicken Liver Pâté with Balsamic Onions

Published by Gastronomer on October 7, 2011 in Appetizer, Italian and Recipe. 2 Comments

After spending much of the summer traveling here, there, and everywhere, I finally reunited with my neglected kitchen this past week. It’s hard to believe that the last time we spent any sort of meaningful time together was back in June while baking The Astronomer’s birthday cake!

Three months away from the stove definitely effected my cooking instincts, but fortunately, these Crostini of Chicken Liver Pâté with Balsamic Onions went off without a hitch. I have Chef Anne Burrell to thank for that.

This recipe comes from her debut cookbook Cook Like a Rock Star. I received an advance copy a few weeks ago and flipped straight to the “Piccolini (a.k.a. my small nibbles)” section. I am the type of eater that tires easily of a main course and instead prefers to graze on punchy little bites, so it was awesome to see an entire chapter devoted to my favorite types of dishes.

Ever since my chicken liver pâté awakening at Pizzeria Mozza (recipe here), I’ve been borderline obsessed with the stuff. Chef Anne’s version is super smooth and packs a wallop thanks to the anchovies, capers, and garlic. The Astronomer wasn’t too keen on the pâté’s pronounced livery essence, but I didn’t mind the least bit. In fact, I think I’ve developed quite a taste for liver these days. The balsamic onions offer a bright and tangy counterpoint to the assertive spread.

For balsamic onions

Olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
Salt
1 cup balsamic vinegar

For chicken liver pâté

Olive oil
2 to 3 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons capers
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound chicken livers, cleaned and rinsed
1 cup white wine
1 baguette, cut in to 1/2-inch slices, toasted or grilled

Prepare balsamic onions

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and add the onions. Season the onions with salt and bring the pan to a medium-high heat. Cover and sweat the onions for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the balsamic and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the balsamic is syrupy. Use right away, or place in airtight jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare chicken liver pâté

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and add the anchovies, capers and garlic. Bring to medium heat and saute until the anchovies have dissolved.

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Bò Bía – Vietnamese Jicama, Carrot, Chinese Sausage, Egg, and Dried Shrimp Rolls

Published by Gastronomer on May 7, 2011 in Appetizer, Bo Bia, Family Recipe, Recipe, Vietnamese and Vietnamese. 18 Comments

The second part of The Astronomer’s anniversary present came nearly two weeks after the first. I had originally planned to deliver both rice paper wrapped-delights simultaneously, but it turned out to be too much food and effort for only two mouths. Also, we had a ridiculous amount of leftovers from our ten-course banquet bonanza, so it was just as well that I held off on making bò bía for a little while.

Whereas The Astronomer loves gỏi cuốn most, I’ve always been partial to these lesser-known rolls filled with jicama, carrots, thin egg ribbons, Chinese sausages, and dried shrimp. The dipping sauce is identical in both situations, but the flavor profiles are completely different. While gỏi cuốn is mostly subdued save for the bites with fresh mint and garlic chives, bò bía brings bold flavors and interesting textures from start to finish.

This recipe comes from my aunt Tina, my family’s designated bò bía specialist. I grew up eating her rolls at family gatherings and have been meaning to learn how to make them for years. It’s true that bò bía contains a lot of different ingredients, but the only time-consuming and tedious step is julienning the jicama and grating the carrots. A finely sharpened mandoline slicer is extremely helpful, as well as a diligent sous chef. Once I got over this initial hurdle, the rolls came together simply, easily, and damn tastily.

1 large jicama (or 2 medium-sized), julienned
2 large carrots (or 3 medium-sized), grated
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
Non-stick cooking spray
5 Chinese sausage links
4 ounces dried shrimp
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and de-ribbed
1 package rice paper

For the slaw, combine the carrots, jicama, and salt in a large pot. Cook over medium heat until the jicama and carrots have softened, but still retain a bit of crunchiness, approximately 15 minutes. Set aside.

For the egg ribbons, beat the eggs in a large bowl using a fork or whisk until they are mostly uniform in color.

Using a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, pour in 1/3 of the egg mixture and give it a good swirl so that it spreads out thinly across the entire pan. Once the bottom side has set, run a spatula underneath the omelet and flip it to cook the other side. Repeat this step two more times for the remaining eggs. Set the finished omelets aside to cool. [Note: a thin coating of non-stick cooking spray is a good idea if your pan is weathered.]

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