I really love canh. What is canh? It's the Vietnamese term for soup. Most Vietnamese meals never go without any canh. It accompanies rice and the main dishes. You can have canhas a side, or I sometimes scoop some canh into my bowl of rice. What's great about canh is that it's actually quite simple to make. It's usually a basic soup and so doesn't require many ingredients. One can make a canh with only a vegetable, a protein, some salt and water. It's a great way to try and taste new vegetables!
It's common to make canh out of greens and one canh that my mom makes is canh xà lách son, xà lách son being watercress. I like watercress in its raw form in salads, but it's pretty tasty cooked too. Try it out!
Canh Xà Lách Son (Vietnamese Watercress Soup) This soup can be made in under 15 minutes.
* oil * 1 Tbsp very finely diced onion * 1-2 Tbsp ground pork * salt and pepper, to taste * watercress, washed and cut in 3" sections (I just use scissors) * 2 cups water
In a small pot, heat up oil. Add onion and pork. Season with salt and pepper. Once the pork is cooked through, add 2 cups of water Add the watercress. Bring the water to a boil. Turn off. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Tada!
1862 Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Montréal, Québec 514.937.2333
On a quick visit to Montréal, my sister and I dropped by Kazu. She'd been raving about this izikaya and I really wanted to try their ramen (because I have never tried ramen before...). Since Kazu only offers ramen at lunch time we dropped by at noon, and it was quite packed with a business crowd. We were able to squeeze onto two chairs by the counter.
Kazu and view from our counter seats.
The lunch menu wasn't very extensive, with about 10 offerings. My sister wanted to try something that was only available at dinner time, so she stuck to her favourite: the tuna and salmon bowl. I obviously had to order the ramen, with chicken I believe (this visit was over 2 months ago...). Our dishes started with a soup and a potato salad.
Soup and potato salad.
Elle's (I'll start using her blog name!) tuna and salmon bowl was piled high with crispy noodles. At the base was sushi rice, topped with fish and a generous amount of vegetables. Elle really likes the dressing and she mixed everything together.
Tuna and salmon bowl.
I was quite excited to receive my ramen bowl. It seemed to have a lot going on: ground pork, seaweed, an egg, snow beans and greens. One of my favourite components tasted like pickled daikon. The noodles (that Elle thought were made on the spot) had a great texture. The broth was quite flavourful. Just as I imagined and more!
Bowl of ramen noodles.
Elle and I decide to splurge a bit and shared a green tea ice cream. We were surprised to see that the green tea flavouring came in powder form. Still, it was quite enjoyable.
Kazu was quite delicious. I really want to come back and try the shrimp burger!! I will definitely have to re-visit!
As an accompaniment to the crab bisque, I was inspired by a popcorn shrimp recipe I saw on Chuck's Day Off. The deep fried version looked mouth watering but I thought I could make a healthier version by pan frying the shrimps instead.
* shrimps * salt, to taste * red chili flakes * 1 egg, beaten * cornstarch * oil
Season shrimps with salt and chili flakes. Dip in egg and then in cornstarch. On high heat, add oil in a frying pan. Add shrimps to the pan. Fry on one side for a minute or two; flip to fry the other side. Tada!
Shrimps in egg wash and pan frying them.
This recipe could not be easier and it tasted great! I barely noticed that the shrimps were not actually deep fried. The cornstarch gave the shrimps a crispy coating. Properly seasoning the shrimps made them perfect little salty treats. These would probably be good dipped in sweet chili sauce.
I have been totally neglecting this blog in 2011. Now I have a little backlog of posts and don't really know where to start. I will start with this crab bisque that I made back in January and hopefully, this will get the ball rolling!
I really wanted to make a bisque but killing a crustacean made me nervous. I collected my courage and headed to my nearby Asian grocery store, where I debated between lobster and crab. The lobsters seemed emaciated so I finally came home with a very large crab in a paper bag. I have to admit that he freaked me out a bit, trying to attack me with his claws. But I won in the end and enjoyed a lovely bisque.
Cooking a crab I may have called my mom in a panic to ask her what to do with a crab. A helpful hint she did provide is that since I bought a Dungeness crab there was no need for added salt since the salty ocean water would make the crab salty. I thought picking out the crabmeat was the most labour intensive step of this recipe but fresh crabmeat is worth it!
* 1 Dungeness crab, 1 to 1-½ lb. each
Place the crab in a large pot (I used tongs to not get clawed!). Add about a cup of water - it should not cover the crab but will steam it. Add half an onion. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Twist off the legs and claws and set aside. Place the crab on its back and pull off the small triangular apron-shaped shell flap, then insert your thumb underneath the top shell and pull it off. Remove the dark gray intestines and the feather-shaped white spongy gills from the body and discard. Rinse the crab body well. Break the body in half and remove the meat from the cavities. Crack the legs in several places and remove the meat. Set aside the crabmeat in a bowl. Crack the large claws and carefully remove the meat from each claw in a single piece. Slice the meat and set aside for garnish. Using kitchen shears, cut the shells into small pieces; set aside for the broth.
This guy donated himself to my bisque. Thank you!
Making bisque
* 1 Tbsp unsalted butter * 1 small yellow onion, chopped * 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped * 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped * ¾ cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) * ¾ cups dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc * 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour * 3 cups water * ½ cup heavy cream * pinch of cayenne pepper * salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the crab shells, tomatoes and wine. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir to mix well. Add water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Strain the broth through a sieve and transfer to a clean soup pot.
Making the crab broth.
Place the pot over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the cream and cayenne and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the reserved crabmeat and heat through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the claw meat. Tada!
The bisque provided a concentrated flavour of crab. I loved the orange hue of the soup. I did not blend any of the meat so I could enjoy the lumps of meat with the broth. It's a bit time consuming, but well worth the effort. If you want to wow guests this is the recipe to make. You can prepare the broth in advance and just need to heat it up, add the cream and season right before serving. It will be a guaranteed winner!
**************************************************************************** My friend M and I snagged tickets to the opening night of Anita Lo at Koko for the Montréal Highlights Festival. Koko is a very trendy restaurant that is part of the also trendy Opus Hotel.
I was pretty excited to find out that the theme of this year’s festival was "Celebrating Women" and even more so when I saw that Anita Lo, executive chef and owner of Anissa Restaurant in New York, was one of the headliners. M was also enthusiastic about eating food cooked by this Top Chef Masters and Michelin star chef.
We arrived right on time for our 6 pm reservation. We were then sent to the restaurant lobby where our coats were checked and we had to wait a bit more. We finally were seated at a small table next to a huge lounging square leather bench that was a little too trendy for my liking. Unfortunately, we missed out first chance to order a drink (we had quick phone calls to make) and it took a while for the waiter to get back to us. We could see the maître d' and hostess running around; the waiters were still getting last minute info as we were seated but we were pretty much the first guests to arrive.
When the waiter finally arrived to ask us if we’d be taking the wine flight ($125) or not ($75), we asked if there was still time for a cocktail. We were told yes and happily took the waiter's suggestion of the house cocktail: a vodka, passion fruit and blood orange martini served since the opening of the hotel ($12.49). We were not disappointed. It was amazing; the blood orange really came through.
The first course consisted of tuna sashimi with mentaiko and radishes. It was amazing. The tuna was so fresh and the texture was perfect. It was accompanied by thin slices of radishes, microgreens, scallions, and (I’m pretty sure) rice paddy herb. The pollock roe was in a mayonnaise-like sauce which tasted strangely egg-y to me; I could have gone without. M really appreciated the accompaniment of radishes for texture. It was accompanied by Kinuyuki JunmaiGinjo, a sake sake which we were not digging.
Tuna sashimi with mentaiko and radishes.
The service glitch came about at this time, on top of not geting a bread basket until the second course. We were served our wine pairing but didn’t see our second course until the waiter came to give us our third wine pairing and we told him we hadn’t received the second course yet. He was surprised, served us our third wine anyway and mumbled something about a rush. We were working really hard on the dissatisfied faces at this point. It took us two hours to get 2 courses. I think that since our neighbors complained the rush was put on them at our expense.
The second course, sea urchin and chanterelle chawan mushi with lotus roots, intrigued us and pushed our adventurous side. Having heard so much of chawan mushiI was looking forward to trying it, but savoury custard is not really my thing. This one tasted like a miso soup in custard form. The sea urchin was a bit lost on me. The texture was very similar to the custard and the fresh ocean salt taste was a bit lost in the dashi-soy flavouring of the custard (and M kept jabbering about it being booggers). The one thing I did appreciate was the chanterelles and the cubes of crunchy lotus seeds that we didn’t realize were sitting at the bottom of our ramekin (I figured the lotus root chip topping was it!). This was our least favourite dish of the evening. The wine, D’Arenberg Hermit Crab Marsanne (McLaren Vale 2008, AUS), was lovely and had a grassy very unexpected bouquet but tasted nothing like what it smelled. Sorry can’t get much more into it than that.
Sea urchin and chanterelle chawan mushi with lotus roots.
The third course of grilled sea scallops with loufah (sic), sweet miso and bacon was a homerun! Two scallops charred to perfection sat on thinly sliced loofah with a runny sauce and dabs of sweet miso sprinkled with crunchy bits of bacon topped with microgreens. The bitterness of the char brought out the sweetness of the scallops, which were amazingly fresh. This was a hit with both of us as was the fourth course. The scallops were so good I don’t remember the wine (it was Sella & Mosca, Thilion, Alghero DOC, Sardinia 2008, ITA).
Grilled sea scallops with loufah (sic), sweet miso and bacon
Following the third course, we received a quick visit from the owner or manager (information carefully garnered by M’s eavesdropping) of the restaurant who was wining and dining food critics (including Lesley Chesterman of Gazette fame) around us, one of which was pretty out there but also providing us which much needed entertainment! She asked us how things were going and I was too polite to say anything and she was very quick so I felt I didn’t get the chance to, and was quickly scolded for it by M who didn’t dare either! M suggested she was trying to save the situation after the mishap.
The waiter returned for the wine pairing (Pfeiffer Shiraz, Rutherglen 2009, AUS) for the next course and committed a major faux pas by firstly, pouring a red into a white wine glass and secondly a glass that had been already used. The roasted rack of lamb with South African flavourings was cooked perfectly, with a side of meat stuffing with peanuts, raisins and spices that strangely reminded me of a Moroccan influence. The stuffing was topped with a white disk that resembled paneer in texture and taste but we were both unsure of what it was. There was a very acidic dark sauce also laced with spices that I wasn’t fond of but M enjoyed. The roasted carrots were glazed and deliciously sweet. The shiraz was very nice and paired well, but I can’t say I can distinguish it from other shiraz I’ve liked.
Roasted rack of lamb with South African flavourings.
The last course, warm poppy seed bread and butter pudding with Meyer lemon curd, was underwhelming in description, but really delicious. The bread pudding had the loveliest texture and offered great contrast with the crunchy crust. The Meyer lemon sauce was out of this world. The sweet Muscat (Rosenblum Cellars, Gallagher Reserve, Black Muscat, California 2006, USA) paired quite well with the acidity of the curd.
Warm poppy seed bread and butter pudding with Meyer lemon curd.
The restaurant owner/manager visited again at the end of our meal and I missed my second chance to bring up our issues. It was interesting to see ingredients that I’m familiar with used in other applications such as the rice paddy herb and the loofah. All in all a great meal, the service could have been better, the waiter was polite and more attentive than most but waiting an hour for a course was definitely not appreciated. But we will definitely be keeping our eyes out next year for another dinner to try.
Over Christmas (yes, I still have posts related to the holidays), my friend C generously invited me over for dinner. I was so excited to find out that she was making homemade fresh pasta. Due to her Italian background, C is quite serious about her pasta (she even treated us to homemade cannoli's). Her pasta and seafood was amazing; the egg noodles just melted in my mouth! Not only did I come home that night with a very full belly, but I also scored her pasta maker (since C got a pasta attachment for her Kitchen Aid for Christmas)! Sweet!
I was very excited to try my hand at making pasta. Since C's pasta recipe is to add flour to eggs until the texture is right, I used my Joy of Cooking: All about Pasta & Noodles cookbook as a reference. C did have a good tip for quantity: use 1 egg per person.
Pour flour onto a clean counter (or a big bowl), shaping into a mound and make a well in the center. Add to the well, the eggs, salt and olive oil. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, drawing in some flour as you go, until the eggs are mixed and slightly thickened. Using the fingertips of one hand, gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs and blend everything into a smooth, not too stiff dough. If the dough feels too dry and crumbly, add water as needed. Knead the dough until satiny and very elastic, about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and wrap the pieces loosely in plastic. Follow directions of pasta maker to roll dough. Cook pasta and serve with desired ingredients (this time, I used pesto, corn, snap peas, shrimps and scallops). Tada!
Rolling pasta for the first time was tricky but fun!
I was feeling so proud to have actual fresh noodles!
I'm not sure how much a pasta maker costs but I think it's worth it if you'll use it often. Making the actual pasta dough wasn't hard. I actually tried making pasta without a pasta maker before Christmas with failed results. I cannot wait to put the pasta maker to use again! Thanks so much C! Dig in to the fresh pasta!
I think I was feeling especially holiday-ey for my Friday treats at work (this was a few weeks before Christmas. yes, i know am very late posting...). Not only did I bring the ever popular Swedish Meatballs, but I also brought another very popular recipe: Skor Bar Trifle. I clearly remember having this trifle for the first time. At my previous job, we would have a Christmas potluck lunch and my colleague M always brought this trifle by demand. I remember having a spoonful of this chocolatey amazingness mixed with whipped cream and loving it. Later on in the afternoon, I came for seconds. M sent out the recipe and every time I've made it, it's been a hit, just like the meatballs!
What's so great about this recipe is that there are only four ingredients and it is really an assembly job rather than cooking. You can buy all the ingredients ready made. It's rare that I don't make things from scratch but the results are so good. My friend Trapezista has been known to make each ingredient from scratch and assemble them. You can definitely do that, but the lazy way will yield winning results too!
Skor Bar Trifle Quantities aren't super important. You just need enough to have a mixture of all four ingredients when scooped out.
* 1 package of one bite brownies (or you could bake low-calorie brownies) * 1 package of chocolate pudding (you could also make it from scratch, or I bought the ready made kind!) * 1 container of Cool Whip (or whip your own!) * 4 bars of Skor, pulsed or chopped finely (or make Just-like-Skor bars)
Plan for about 3 layers so use a third of each ingredient. Slice brownies in half, and lay a third of them at the bottom. Cover with a third of your pudding. Cover with a third of your whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped Skor bar. Repeat for the next two layers. Tada!
The four stars of the trifle!
I didn't take a picture once scooped out but the whipped cream and the pudding mixes together to make a brown mess. You then dig into a piece of brownie and there are little pieces of Skor bar. It's chocolate heaven!
I'm back...! I haven't written for a while for too many (not necessarily very good!) reasons. So I do have a backlog of posts. I will start with this meatball recipe that I made for "snack" time at work (every Friday at 10 am - I still love it!). I think I've referred to this recipe before but have never posted it. Whenever I've made these meatballs, they have been quite a hit. The combination of the different types of ground meat makes for a great tasting meatball. I love the sweet and creamy sauce. I also like that it is an authentic "Swedish meatball" recipe (and not those overly sweet frozen ones with a rubbery texture) since Marcus Samuelsson is Swedish!
Swedish Meatballs with Spicy Plum Sauce - Makes 40 meatballs Adapted from Marcus Samuelsson. While the original recipe called to fry the meatballs in butter, I baked the meatballs this time. I don't know why I never did this in the past because I actually really dislike the task of frying meatballs, smelling like a meatball myself and worrying that they're not cooked through. Baking the meatballs is healthier, easier and ensure they're all cooked through!On another note, I follow the same recipe for spaghetti & meatballs!
For the meatballs ½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs ½ cup heavy cream 1-½ Tbsp olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, minced ⅔ cup ground beef ⅔ cup ground veal ⅔ cup ground pork 2 Tbsp honey 1 large egg salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and ½ cup heavy cream. Stir with fork until smooth; set aside. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and add the onion. Sauté until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine beef, veal, pork, honey, cooked onions and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the breadcrumb-cream mixture to the meat, and mix well (I find this step takes a while to make sure there are no breadcrumb lumps). In a frying pan, cook a small meat patty in oil or butter; taste the meat and adjust the seasoning. With wet hands (to keep the meat from sticking), shape the remaining meat into meatballs the size of a golf ball Lay the meatballs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes at 350F. (Check that meat is cooked through by cutting one in half; bake longer if required).
Making the meatballs. For the sauce 3 Tbsp butter 1 large shallot, minced ½ red bell pepper, minced 6 dried plums, chopped finely 2 cups chicken broth ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp plum sauce
In a skillet, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Add shallots, red pepper and plums. Saute until softened and lightly browned. Add chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir in plum sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer over medium heat, until sauce thickens slightly and meatballs are heated through, about 5 minutes. Tada!
Making the accompanying spicy plum sauce.
I like serving these meatballs with slices of bread to sop up that sauce! None of it should be wasted. Make these meatballs at your next party. I promise there won't be any leftovers!
