Braised Kale with Pasta

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have in my lifetime been called many things. Au courant has never been has never been one of them. That probably explains how it happened I "discovered" Gojee months after the rest of the blogging community had been seduced by its photography and hand-curated recipes. The site houses a really special collection of dishes that I found while doing a search for recipes that use kale. Gojee pointed me back to a recipe that had been developed by Molly Wizenberg for Bon Appetit Magazine. As it happened, I didn't have all the ingredients I need to make her dish, but I had enough of them to fashion a pasta that was close to it. Bob is still recovering from surgery, so a trip to the store was out of the question and I had to go with what I had on hand. Similar would have to be good enough. Molly's pasta sounds delicious and you can see her original recipe, here. My version of the dish appears below, but before you skim through it I want to issue a warning regarding the use of salt. Proceed with caution. The pancetta and Parmesan are both salty. Do no additional salting until you taste the completed sauce. Remember you can always put more in, but once it's there you're stuck. Nuff said! Here's the recipe.

Braised Kale with Pasta...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Molly Wizenburg via Gojee.com

Ingredients:
1 bunch lacinato kale,washed, large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4-oz. diced pancetta
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spaghetti

Directions:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and diced pancetta and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add kale. Drizzle with reserved tablespoon olive oil and cook until leaves wilt. Add water and cover pot. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until kale is tender, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice. Sprinkle with cheese and toss well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
2) Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Moisten with 2 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

Craig Claiborne - Chicken Cutlets Pojarski

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I thought you might like to meet the man who was instrumental in helping the careers of many of the women who appear on the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game Changers in food. His name is Craig Claiborne and while he might look like a leprechaun, his life was one of contradiction and personal unhappiness. He had a difficult childhood and his adult life was plagued by demons he could not conquer. His personal story is fascinating, but rather than discuss that, I'd like to focus on his role in American gastronomy. He was food editor of the New York Times from 1957 until 1986 and was one of the first men to oversee the food pages of a newspaper. He reviewed restaurants, wrote columns and, in collaboration with Pierre Franey, wrote or edited 20 cookbooks, including the New York Times Cook Book. He, quite unintentionally, set the bar for all food journalism and criticism that followed his tenure at the paper. While he studied at École Hôtelière in Lausanne, Switzerland, he credited time spent in the kitchen of his mother's boarding house with inspiring his passion for food. The time he spent in Switzerland, however, is what got him in the door at Gourmet Magazine, where he initially worked as a receptionist. He eventually moved on to the Times and during his tenure, the country was introduced to the cuisines and chefs of France, Italy, Mexico and Asia. He also featured the work of relatively unknown writers and chefs, including Maida Heatter, Madhur Jaffrey, Marcella Hazan, Paul Prudhomme, and Zarela Martinez. Perhaps the most famous story told about him regards the $4000 meal he shared with Pierre Franey at Chez Denis in Paris. The meal, which had been won at a charity auction, was 5 hours long and consisted of 32 courses. American Express had donated the prize and because no limit had been set on the cost of the meal, they honored the bill in full, despite public outcry about its extravagance. His critics included the Pope who was outraged by the cost of the meal. Craig Claiborne died in 2000.



I went through my old files to find a recipe I thought would be ideal to highlight the work done by Craig Claiborne. I finally settled on one for Chicken Pojarski. The dish is named after the favorite chef of Tsar Nicholas I who enjoyed a version of this dish that was made with minced veal. The minced patties were served with an outstanding paprika cream sauce that sets this dish apart from others like it. I made this dish as a young woman. It was extremely popular in the 1970's because it could be made ahead of time and simply reheated for serving. It is really easy to do, but I stopped making it because of the amount of butter that is used. If you decide to try the recipe, I have one caution to share with you. Do not use ground chicken to form the cutlets. Chicken that finely ground will make them dense. It is better to cut the chicken into one inch cubes and then minced it by hand or in a food processor. If you use a food processor, pulse the meat for 5 to 8 times and then stop. The rest of the recipe is really child's play. These are very, very good and if you can get past the amount of butter that's used, you will love these cutlets. Here's the recipe.

Chicken Cutlets Pojarski...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Craig Claiborne

Ingredients:
Cutlets
2 large chicken breasts , skinned and boned
salt
white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
11 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1-1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs
Paprika Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons onions , finely chopped
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt
white pepper
1 tablespoon cognac
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:
1) Chill a medium sized mixing bowl in freezer.
2) Place boned chicken meat on a board and chop thoroughly with a sharp knife until fine or pulse meat in a food processor. (You can use a food processor for this but you must take extreme care not to over-process the meat as the texture of your cooked cutlets will be too heavy.).
3) Add meat to chilled bowl. Add salt and white pepper to taste, nutmeg and 5 tablespoons of the butter, melted. Mix well. Return bowl and mixture to freezer to chill once more while you prepare dredging station. Do not freeze.
4) Season flour with salt and white pepper and place on a length of wax paper. Break the egg into a pie plate and beat with the vegetable oil and water. Place bread crumbs on another length of wax paper.
5) Divide chilled mixture into 6 to 8 portions and shape each into a 1/2 inch thick cutlet. Dip one cutlet at a time into flour, then in egg, then in bread crumbs. Press the crumbs gently into the cutlets then chill them until ready to cook. ( The cutlets may be made several hours ahead to this point. Keep cutlets refrigerated until ready to cook.).
6) Heat remaining butter in a large skillet and careful add cutlets. Cook until golden brown on one side then turn and cook on the other.
7) Serve with the Paprika Sauce.
8) To make paprika sauce: Melt one tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan and cook onion until wilted. Sprinkle with paprika, flour and thyme, stirring. Stir in the chicken stock, using a whisk and simmer about 3 minutes. (The sauce may be made several hours ahead up until this point.). When ready to proceed, add cream and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice, salt and white pepper to taste and cognac. Strain sauce through a sieve. Return to heat and stir in remaining butter and sour cream. Heat sauce through but do not bring to a boil. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.








One Year Ago Today: Chocolate Cheesecake Squares













Two Years Ago Today: Raspberry Streusel Muffins

Applesauce Spice Cakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe makes one of the best applesauce cakes I've ever tasted. The cake was originally featured on Food52 where it was drizzled with a caramel glaze. I prefer to serve it with a butter cream icing or, better still, warm and naked from the oven with a scoop of good ice cream alongside. Because there are usually just two of us to enjoy a cake like this, I make cup cakes rather than a single large bundt. What's not eaten is frozen and saved for another day. The recipe for the cake as it was featured on Food52 can be found here. My abbreviated version appears below. The only change I've made to the original ingredient list is to substitute nutmeg for the allspice. My palate is especially sensitive to allspice and I replace it with nutmeg or mace whenever I can. I hope you'll give this cake a try. It is quick, easy and delicious. I know that those of you who try this will be very pleased.

Applesauce Spice Cakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food52

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 10 Texas-size muffin cups. Fill remaining two cups with three tablespoons each water.
2) Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and spices and set aside. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs with both sugars until light. Mix in applesauce, oil and vanilla until smooth.
3) Using a spatula, fold in dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes before turning out. Cakes can be served warm with ice cream or frosted when completely cool. Yield: 10 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Killer Nachos


















Two Years Ago Today: Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Breadsticks

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe, while new to me, was popular several years ago. I've seen it in many places but I wanted to credit the correct source before using it here. It took a bit of searching and some back -tracing but I was able to identify Bon Appetit magazine as the place it originally appeared. These breadsticks appealed to me because they are really simple to make and I thought they'd be a wonderful addition to a game day spread. If you like bacon, I suspect you'll love these. There are a couple of tricks to making this a nosh that everyone will enjoy. You'll need to use a good quality bacon and exercise some judgment when it comes to baking it. I baked my breadsticks for 10 minutes longer than the time suggested in the recipe to assure the bacon was properly cooked. Once you take them from the oven, you'll want to move and roll them around so they don't stick to the racks as they cool. This is tricky because they'll be soft, but they'll firm up again as they cool. I suggest making these several hours before you plan to serve them. We were of two minds when it came to these. The Silver Fox, who loves bacon, thought they were great. Me? Maybe not so much. If you are looking for easy snack for game day these are worth a try. Here's the recipe.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Breadsticks...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons chili powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
12 slices thin cut bacon
24 long thin breadsticks (grissini)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Combine brown sugar and chili powder and optional cayenne in a shallow pan; set aside.
3) Cut bacon in half lengthwise. Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each breadstick barber pole style. Roll each bread stick in brown-sugar mixture. Place bread sticks in a single layer on a cooling rack. Place rack on a foil-lined 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan.
4) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 24 breadsticks.









One Year Ago Today: Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

















Two Years Ago Today: Game Day Chili-Mac Skillet

50 Women Game Changers in Food - #32 Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian - Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian are the founders of Edible Communities, the nation's largest publishing company dedicated to the local food movement. They publish 70 magazines across North America and the content of each is region specific, focusing on the farmers, fishermen, chefs and food artisans of the area. The women founded the company to help the public access healthful foods. They met in graduate school where both women earned degrees in Jungian psychology. Following graduation, they moved to Ojai, California where they formed a graphic design and marketing firm called Elements. Their first publication was Edible Ojai and that set the standard for other magazines whose intent was to make better eating accessible. The companies first cookbook, Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods, was published in 2010 and there are four more cookbooks to come. The women are adding magazines to their publishing empire at the rate of 10 per year and their media presence is also growing. Programming of podcasts on Edible Radio is expanding and they hope to be on television, so the stories they wish to tell can be heard by a larger audience. Tracey is a trained chef and did much of the writing for their cookbook. Carole's photographs bring their mission to life. Together they share position 32 on the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food.

I've chosen a simple, though classic, dish to highlight the type of food they champion. It is a lovely recipe for roasted cauliflower and its nutty flavor is further improved by the sweetness of raisins and the texture of pine nuts. The recipe is straight forward and really needs no additional explanation. I do, however, have one caution. I found the recipe to be a bit salty and I will reduce the amount of salt by one third when I make it again. You can always add more should you find it necessary. Here's their recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts...from the kitchenof One Perfect Bite courtesy of Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian from Edible: A Celebration of Local Food

Ingredients:
1 (2-3 pound) medium head cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more if needed, divided
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thin sliced crosswise
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg or ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne, optional
1/2 cup golden raisins, dried currants or Thompson raisins

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
2) Spread the cauliflower onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir the cauliflower and bake until it is lightly browned and tender, 10 to 20 minutes.
3) In a large skillet or saute pan, cook the pine nuts over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the pine nuts to a dish; set aside. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, if using, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat.
4) In a large bowl, toss the roasted cauliflower with the leek mixture, pine nuts and raisins. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot or at room temperature. Yield: 6 servings.

The following bloggers are also featuring the recipes of Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian today. I hope you'll pay them all a visit. They are great cooks who have wonderful blogs.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan - The Spice Garden, Heather - girlichef, Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living
Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me, Sue - The View from Great Island Barbara - Movable Feasts , Linda A - There and Back Again, Nancy - Picadillo
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Most Lovely Things, Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce - More Time at the Table, Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Next week we will highlight the career and recipes of Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information no later than Monday, January 30th.

Crock-Pot Cuban Pork and Black Beans

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I spend a few days each year working with a group of women who develop recipes for low-income families. Our goal is to develop nutritious meals that have wide appeal. These recipes must use inexpensive ingredients but still deliver meals that are flavorful, wholesome and delicious. This slow cooker meal, adapted from Family Circle Magazine, is an example of the type of recipe the group experiments with. It is patterned after Lechon Asado, a slow cooked pork roast that is a signature dish of Cuban cooking. Addressing the concerns of those on limited budgets, the group opted to use a loin of pork rather than its shoulder, because the loin is less expensive here. They opted to serve the pork over rice rather than in rolls which would have added a couple of dollars to the meal. Eliminating the bread allowed them to make black beans to serve alongside the pork. They also decided to use pickle relish instead of chopped pickles. While relish is a common ingredient in their pantries, pickles are not. The original recipe was made in a crock-pot, but not all of the group owned them. As an alternative, they cooked the pork stove-top for about 3 hours. They felt that baking it in a 250 degree oven for 5 or more hours was a waste of energy, a point that is awfully hard to argue. The recipe the group came up with follows. I've highlighted the changes they made to the original recipe. This is really a great family meal. The citrus overtones of the pork play nicely against the heat of the black beans that appear below. I know you will enjoy dish. Its flavor improves with age and I'd suggest you make this a day before you plan to serve it. Here's the recipe.

Crock-Pot Cuban Pork...Recipe inspired by Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless, skinless pork shoulder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
Zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup drained dill pickle relish
2 sweet onions (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1) Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Brown all sides of pork, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
2) Put tomato paste, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice , cumin, oregano and broth into liner of slow cooker and stir to combine. Add onions, garlic and pickle relish. Place browned pork on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce heat to LOW and cook for 4 to 5 hours longer. Remove meat from slow cooker and using 2 forks pull it into shreds. Return to slow cooker and heat through.
3) Stir in cilantro. Serve with rice or on ciabatta or Cuban rolls. Yield: 8 servings.

This is the quick and easy recipe that was developed for black beans. It uses canned beans, so the dish comes together very quickly. The beans are delicious.

Cuban-Style Black Beans

Ingredients:
3 (14.5-oz.) cans undrained black beans
1 (1o-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (i.e. Rotel)
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a medium-size pot. Add onions and sauté until soft. Add oregano and cumin and stir, then add can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Add 2 cans of undrained beans and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, Drain reserved can of beans and add to pot. Cook 10 minutes longer. Serve hot. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Crock-Pot Posolé














Two Years Ago Today: Mexican Skillet Cornbread

Tortellini with Garlic and Sage Butter

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Had I seen this recipe anywhere else, I suspect I would have dismissed it out of hand. I haven't had great luck with five ingredient recipes, so I don't spend a lot of time searching them out. This one, however, was in Food and Wine Magazine and it caught my eye because of the sauce it creates. I really like their recipes, so I put this one aside for a busy day. Today was that day. The dish utilizes frozen tortellini or ravioli and a quick version of a sage and brown butter sauce that I'm really fond of. This is a quick and easy meal from start to finish, and that finish makes for some very nice eating. The sauce in this version is made with ground sage, and while shortcuts and substitutions usually come at the expense of flavor, that's not the case here. If you are concerned about fat or calories, some of the butter can be replaced with pasta water, but don't be overly zealous about this. A tablespoon or two is fine, but it makes no sense to go further than that. This is a nice recipe to use when you are pressed for time, and I think those of you who try it will really enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Tortellini with Garlic Sage Butter Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 pound fresh or frozen meat-filled tortellini
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2) Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium frying pan set over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Mash garlic with a fork or spoon as it softens. Stir in sage, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3) Cook tortellini until just done, about 4 minutes for fresh and 12 minutes for frozen. Drain pasta and return to the pot.
4) Add butter and parsley and toss over low heat until pasta is thoroughly coated with butter, about 1 minute. Yield: 4 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Sonoran Hot Dogs
















Two Years Ago Today: Mexican Black Bean and Vegetable Soup

West African Peanut Soup - Groundnut Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This rich and delicious soup is quite thick and often used as a sauce for rice or chicken. I came across the dish while searching for foods that would typically be served at celebrations held during the African harvest festival, Kwanzaa. The soup is protein-packed and, with a base of peanuts and tomatoes, it makes a great vegetarian entrée that is perfect for Meatless Mondays. Throughout most of the world, peanuts are called groundnuts. They were brought to Africa by the Spanish and Portuguese and to the United States by African slaves, who called them goobers or pindars. They were an integral part of the slave diet. Milk and dairy products were unusual in the countries from which they came because the tsetse fly made cattle rearing impossible. Ground nuts, puréed vegetables and certain fruits were used in their stead to make rich, creamy and filling soups and stews. Peanuts were a perfect choice because they were easily grown. The soup is always made with peanut butter, tomatoes, hot peppers, and onions. In Africa it would be served with plantains and cassava dumplings or with rice balls. Here in the United States, boiled potatoes, rice or whole-grain bread are the usual accompaniments. I like to serve it as a simple first course. This is a rich soup and if you find it too thick, it can be thinned to your liking. I like to add lemon juice to the soup once it is pureed. I find it really brightens the flavor. This is an unusual soup, but I think those of you who try it will find it to be very pleasant. Here's the recipe.

West African Peanut Soup ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bit adapted from a recipe by Allison Liefer and Kate Leahy via Relish.com

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 to 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 sweet potato peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
3-1/2 cups water, divided
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
5 scallions, chopped

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Stir in yellow onions and carrots and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add ginger and cayenne; cook 1 minute.
2) Add sweet potato, 3 cups water, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3) Ladle soup into bowl of a food processor. Add peanut butter. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into a clean pan.
4) Heat soup over low heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup water to thin if desired. Stir in lemon juice. Ladle into soup bowls and top each serving with green onions. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Conchas - Mexican Shell-Shaped Pastry















Two Years Ago Today: Drop Biscuits with Cheddar Cheese and Garlic Butter

Bang Bang Chicken

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Summer or winter, this lovely Chinese salad makes for a wonderful meal. This Sichuan dish has become popular around the world and has managed to stay true to its roots. The origins of the dish can be found in Hanyang Ba, a town in Sichuan province that was famous for the quality and flavor of its chickens. Street vendors sold hunks of sauced chicken meat as a snack for villagers and townfolk . They called it "bang bang chicken" because of the noise made by wooden cudgels that were used for pounding cleavers blades through the meat. The cudgels were also used to loosen the fibers of the chicken so it could be torn into shreds by hand. This dish is also known as "stranger-flavor chicken" because of its unique combination of salty, sweet, sour, nutty, hot and numbing flavors. The heat comes from a fiery chili oil and the numbing flavor comes from the use of Sichuan peppercorns. I talked about Sichuan peppercorns several years ago and if you'd like a quick refresher course you can find it here. Make no doubt about it, when made as intended, this is a spicy and fiery hot dish. It is definitely not for sissies and it has the potential to set you on your (r)ear. The Silver Fox and I had our first taste of "bang bang chicken" and a true hot-pot while in Chengdu several years ago, so, we learned from masters how to make and eat and this Sichuan specialty. It is fondly recalled as a baptism by fire. If you decide to make this salad and are new to heat at these levels, I suggest you use red pepper flakes instead of red chili oil. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of flakes and if you like the dish and work your way up to a full measure of oil. There really is no substitute for the peppercorns, so if you can't find them, proceed without them. This is a lovely bold salad and I do hope you'll try it. Here's the recipe.

Bang Bang Chicken...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired in equal measure by Fushia Dunlop and Rhonda Parkinson

Ingredients:
Salad
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 English cucumber, cut into matchstick-size strips
6 shredded scallions + 1 tablespoon shredded scallion, white part only, divided use
1/2 - 1 teaspoon roasted Sichuan peppercorn
Dressing
2 tablespoons sesame seed paste or chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 - 2 tablespoons hot chili oil, or 1 - 2 teaspoons chili flakes
Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
1) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook chicken in water for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain. When cool enough to handle, whack chicken with a rolling pin until it can easily be pulled apart with your fingers.
2) Peel cucumber, and cut into matchstick-size strips. Shred scallions lengthwise. Set both aside.
3) Whisk sesame seed paste or peanut butter, soy sauce, black vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and hot chili oil or chili flakes together in a small bowl.
4) Arrange cucumber matchsticks and six shredded scallions on a serving plate. Place chicken on top. Sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorns and pour sauce over salad. Garnish with reserved scallion shreds. Yield: 4 servings.






One Year Ago Today: Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls















Two Years Ago Today: Chocolate Peppermint Pie

Milk Chocolate and Caramel Mousse Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I received a bottle of a, new to me, liqueur for Christmas this year. It was Bailey's, but this version had hints of caramel added to the base and that gave the familiar liqueur an entirely new taste. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea what to do with it until last night. This obviously is not going to be a sponsored post. Late yesterday, I was asked to step in and make desserts for a pot luck supper. I quickly bounced ideas against the contents of my pantry and refrigerator and came up with the pie I'm featuring today. As it happens Monday, January 23rd is National Pie Day and that special request is going to make me seem a more informed and better blogger than I actually am. I, quite by chance, have a pie for National Pie Day to share with you this year. I've been holding on to a recipe for a mousse-style pie for a while now. It had been published in the Providence Food Examiner and I had never gotten around to testing it. I had to make a few substitutions because I had no white chocolate in the house, but I thought I could create a milk chocolate version that would be as tasty. It is that. The pie is extraordinarily easy to make, though it requires considerable time to set. It contains no gelatin, so I'd advise it be made a day before you plan to serve it. The pie contains uncooked egg whites. If there are any in your home with compromised immune system, you should use pasteurized eggs when you make this. I think those of you who try this recipe will enjoy the pie and the ease with which it comes together. Here's the recipe.


Milk Chocolate and Caramel Mousse Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Donna Diegel of the Providence Food Examiner

Ingredients:
1 chocolate cookie pie crust
Milk Chocolate Mousse:
1-1/3 cups milk chocolate baking chips
1/3 cup Baileys with a Hint of Caramel
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 eggs)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Sweetened Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate curls or cookie crumbs for garnish, optional

Directions:
1) Melt chocolate and Baileys spirits in top of a double boiler set over hot water. Use a spatula to blend well and keep from burning. Remove from heat.
2) Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks hold their shape. Set aside.
3) Whip 1 cup heavy cream until stiff.
4) Gently fold egg and whipped cream together.
5) With a large spatula, fold milk chocolate into egg white mixture. Do not over mix.
6) Spoon into cooked pie crust and chill while preparing whipped cream topping.
7) To make topping: Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon or pipe onto top of mousse. Decorate with chocolate curls or cookie crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Maine Shrimp Chowder















Two Years Ago Today: Bake Portobello Parmesan

Chinese New Year - Food to Celebrate the Year of the Dragon

Parade to celebrate Chinese New Year complete with red lanterns and a dragon.

Chinese or Lunar New Year is also called Spring Festival. It is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The year 4710 - the year of the dragon - begins on the 23rd of January and will last for 15 days. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on its darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the lunar month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. Legend has it, that in ancient times Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality traits. Those born in the Year of the Dragon are powerful, energetic, sensitive, trustworthy, brave, strong and sometimes excitable. I'll bet they also love to eat. Food is an important part of the New Year celebration and certain foods are included for their symbolic value; noodles are served for longevity, oranges for wealth and prosperity and a whole fish for abundance and togetherness. I thought this would be a good time to reprise some of the Chinese recipes we've posted here. I want to wish all who will be celebrating, a happy and auspicious New Year. Gung hay fat choy, 恭喜發財.







Long Life Noodles














Nian Gao - Sticky Rice Cake















Open Mouths Laughing - Kou Xiao Gao















Pearl Balls - Louie's Chinese Meatballs













Crock-Pot: Asian-Style Country Ribs with Garlic Black Bean Sauce














Shrimp Cakes with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
















Shanghai Noodles


















Yangzhou Fried Rice

















Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

















Stir Fried Chicken with Broccoli
















Orange Ginger Chicken















Lamb Shreds with Deep Fried Cellophane Noodles

















Chow Fun















Shrimp Omelet from the Pearl River Delta
















Salt Roasted Chicken















Garlic Stewed Spareribs
















Singapore Noodles















Chiang Mai Curry Noodles with Chicken

















Spicy Noodles with Curried Peanut Sauce















Lion's Head Meatballs















Minced Chicken with Oyster Sauce


















Chinese-Style Almond Cookies