Pot Stickers

Pot stickers from Toronto, Hong Kong, Toronto again, Singapore, and my unworthy ones in Florida

Pot stickers.  How can you not love these?  how can you not go to the ends of the earth to try every variety?  The first time I had really good pot stickers was when I first moved to LA.  So magical, so transcendental.  I've been making my own for years but I still experiment and play with the fillings and try new ways to cook them.  I had some in Toronto a couple of years back that had a magical crust, which I've been trying to reproduce with moderate success.  But the ones I had in Hong Kong at Peking Shui Jiao Wang were so perfectly cooked I could cry.  


For New Years I figured it would be good to show you my attempts at making pot stickers and a few tricks I've learned.  Once you make your own you will never want to look at those frozen bags of dumplings in the store ever again never mind cook them.  

Gringo Chicken Tacos

I turned this frozen hunk of chicken and a few other ingredients into what I call Gringo Tacos.
Frozen chicken in the bag.  Something you used to find at only the big box stores but now many others carry them now.  I hate to admit it but I usually keep a bag of these in the freezer just in case.

Yesterday was a just in case day.  I came up with something that was supper yummy and figured I better put it up here before I forget how I did it.  Plus, it isn't Asian!  

Gringo because I fried the tortillas a little bit.  Instead of the traditional street style of warmed fresh tortillas or grilled flour ones I ran these through some oil just like a Gringo.

Keep reading for how I put this together.

Some other time I'll show you more traditional street tacos.

Bell Wine

Small wineries making interesting things.  Besides Spanish and South American wines these are the type of wines I love to drink and Bell Wines is a great example.  Anthony Bell started Bell Wines in 1991 and has really done interesting things with different Cabernet clones.  What has all ways fascinated me is the scientific approach he has taken in understanding clonal variation and other important topics in regard to his craft.  He is a scientist as well as a master craftsman to my view of things.  As someone who has studied genetic variation in other biological systems it is fascinating to see it done in the pursuit of creating such wonderful wines.

I first tried Bell Wines about 5 or 6 years ago at the sun cost wine festival.  Anthony had a little table with some interesting things that stood out from a festival that was dominated by way too many Merlots that year.  Tasting his great Cabs and his lovely claret was a real treat.  For some reason he loves coming to this part of the country and hold wine tasting and dinners that allow you to sample some amazing things.  The other interesting thing I find is how he has worked out relationships with other vineyards to grow the clones he is interested in so you get a melding of terre and the clonal variations.  The "yummy" Syrah they produce from the Canterbury vineyard in the Sierra foothills is a great example.

If you chose to give their wine a try, you can't go wrong with the Syrah, Claret and the lovely Sauvignon Blanc.   These three wines have a special place in my memory and on my table.  While I've enjoyed just about everything Bell wine creates and the Cabernets are amazing by the way, these three are a great place to start in exploring their wines.

Thanks Anthony and your staff for making such great things!

Bell Wines at the 9th Sun Coast Wine Festival

Key West

Earlier this mouth Mr. Choppy and some friends went down to Key West.  There is the drunken crazy Key West but there is also the Key West of old homes, quiet streets, and good food.  I've reviewed a number of places and posted to my Yelp! page.  So here is the link to go check those out key west on yelp.  I'm planing on updating some of them and adding one or two more but Key West as a foodie destination is one of my favorites.

I also encountered two great wines on this trip.  A 2006 Bonarda from Finca El Reposo and 2009 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec.  I would love to get you a link to the altos web site but it seems to be down.  Taking a quick online both of these are available in the $9 to $10 range.  While I paid restaurant prices when I tried them, I would say they are well worth tracking down at this price point and getting a case.  Here is an interesting page about Bonarda in general that I'm now going to go and spend some time reading as I love many of the Argentinean wines.

Bread Making Fun II

I've all ways loved good bread.  So making my own should be a no brainer, right?  Well when I lived somewhere that you could get great rustic breads and baguettes down the street and they were reasonably priced why make your own?  But that is no longer the case, the only places I've found bread I like are a bit of a hike and paying $5 is kind of crazy.  Plus I've gotten so sick of grocery store "artisan" breads that don't live up the name I decided it was time to get serious about baking.

I started with baguettes, but that was before I started this blog and lately I've been making this rustic type show here based on a Chiabatta recipe in Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread.  Things are coming out pretty good and these are a decent example.  The shaping and prep is pretty easy with this bread and it is making for some killer sandwich making and the best grilled cheese with this bread.

Mapo Tofu

Don't turn your nose up at tofu, when cooked properly it is amazing.  And even better when cooked with pork!  Mapo tofu is one of those dishes that are a touch stone for me.   For many years it was what I used to judge if a Chinese restaurant really knew what it was doing and if I should come back.  The combination of tofu, pork, and spice served on rice is one of those great pleasures.  Since moving to Florida I've found this to be a mistake and almost every time I've ordered it I've been disappointed.  Most places in florida serve up a bland version overly thickened with corn starch.  So I've stopped ordering it.  Except from Lucky Star in Bradenton or if I travel to Toronto or California.

I've made various versions of Mapo tofu since I started cooking.  Originally I worked from a recipe from the frugal gourmet's book, The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome.  But more recently I've found what I consider a better starting point in Fuchia Dunlop's book Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking.  What I do is a variation on both of these but they are good starting points.

(click to see how I make this)

Measuring

You might have noticed that I'm a little imprecise with my measurements so far.  Part of that is just the way I cook.  Some of my experience has been about "is the smell right?", "is the color right?", "does the oil make the right sound?".  I figure out if I need a little of this or that by looking, smelling and tasting.

Also, being a science geek I know what 20 grams of something looks like because I've had to weigh out so many chemicals in my life.  So I won't measure when something says add a table spoon as I pretty much know what it looks like and how long it might take to pour out that much.  But one thing I will use is this tool pictured here.  It holds about a 1/4 of a cup and is perfect for measuring out oil for the wok, amounts of soy or other liquids.  You can also use it to measure solids, but you have to have the right containers to use it that way.  Learn to love this crazy long handled ladle thing.  One of the best tools in the kitchen.

Thanksgiving 2010

The last three years we've gotten together with friends and created a tasting menu.  Small plates of lovely things paired with some wines that we love or want to try out.  This year we probably went over board with the wine.  Actually one of these we didn't drink but that is ok.  There was plenty of good food and interesting wine.   We started with a decent Spanish cava from Cristalino, moved to the lovely Bell 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, up next was the sake, then the deep rich Bell 2006 Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Then we had the duel between the Peterson 2006 Syrah and the Peterson Bradford mountain 2004 zin.  Drunk yet?  Because we still had the kung fu girl Riesling and some Eric Ross port before we were done.  How much wine can 5 people drink?

The better question is what did we eat with all this wine?

Thanksgiving last year

For Thanksgiving Mr. Choppy doesn't mess with a big bird and the traditional things.  He gets together with friends and family.  Together they create a tasting menu with paired wine.  Here is a little of what we did last year.  For this year, you'll just have to wait as it is still early!

Crab Tower

Pork, polenta, and greens

the libation

The crab towner was taken from On the Line, a great book about Le Bernardin and its crew.  First time I ever tried to make a tower and it came out great.  I added the roasted beats for some color and add an earthy note.  The pork, polenta and dandelion greens is my take on a recipe from Top Chef Voltaggio.  There were three other courses but that is another post.  And then there was the wine, although I think a bottle is missing in there somewhere.

Pizza and Wine

Dinner tonight.  I will have to go through some of the crazy pizzas I make but this one is pretty basic. Just crushed up some tomatoes, mixed with roasted garlic, fresh oregano, fresh basil, a splash of red wine vinegar and some salt and pepper.  Throw that on some good mozzarella and some home made dough and your are set.  And don't forget the wine!  Tonight was 2006 Bell Claret.

Beef in Oyster Sauce

This is one of those dishes that is so simple and so often screwed up at home.  Beef in Oyster Sauce.  Mr. Choppy used to turn his into shoe leather and screw it all up to hell.  Originally I made it according to the recipe in the cook book that came with my wok.  I have no idea the name or the author as I lost it many moves ago, and it did have some good things in it, but not beef in oyster sauce.

The key was working from Ken Hom's New Chinese Cookery.  The trick is so simple and this dish is a piece of cake once you know it.  What is great with this dish is, depending on your knife skills, you can turn a relatively small portion of meat into enough for two.  You just need to slice the steak up into thin bite size portions, serve with rice and a veg you got a pretty decent meal without having huge portions. This dish is a great thing to make along with the baby bok coy I did earlier or other greens.  But before you get started you need a few things.... (cont)

9th Annual Sun Coast Food and Wine

My review of this years Lakewood Ranch food and Wine festival, aka the sun coast food and wine festival,  is up on my Yelp! page.   Much improved over the depressing a fair that was the 8th annual last year.  The only bummer is I didn't get too many good pictures.  The lighting was all wrong and people were all trying to get to the wine instead of letting Mr. Choppy take his pictures!

In any case this was one that came out.  This little lovely was being cooked for the Blue Smoke Island Grill.  I have not been there yet, but what I sampled of this guys cousin was pretty yummy.  Everything but the Oink!  I want to know who gets the ears?

Baby Bok Choy

I can barely resist Baby Bok Choy.  I pretty much buy it every time I see it.  So many different ways to mess with it and use it but probably the best way is very simple.  Just a bit of blanching and the right sauce and you are in business.   Goes great with some rice and some protein.  I'll go over what else I made with this lovely veggie in another post, but I figured this was as good a place to start as any.

One reason I broke down and finally started this blog was I was trying to explain to a Yelp friend how I cook with these and that got me thinking about starting this blog.  So you can blame him.

One thing is to get going is a pot of water with some salt.  I never really know how much water to use, I just look at the amount of bok choy I have and fill it up so it looks like it will be covered when I throw them in.  (cont.)

New Cleaver

I picked this baby up yesterday.  My old black handled one is getting a bit long in the tooth.  I'm having a hard time keeping a good edge on it so I decided to splurge and get a new smaller one.  I like having a big cleaver (Mr. Shinny) for certain jobs and a smaller one for day to day things.

The big one can tire you out if you have a long day of prep if you are not used to using such a heavy knife but it does build up your arm!

Here is what it looked like coming from my local Asian market.  It was only $9!  Such a deal.

Here is the older big one and my new one side by side.  Doesn't look all that much smaller, but the weight is different.  I love the characters on the blade.  Have to find someone to translate it for me.

Here is the funniest thing, the first think I cut with this knife?  A quesadilla I made for lunch.

New review on Yelp: Star Fish Company Seafood

Went to the Star Fish Seafood company last night for a bite to eat and to show a guest some "old" Florida.  My review is up on yelp and check it out.  A little too dark for pictures but maybe next time.  The hush puppies were really yummy.  If you are into that sort of fried cornmeal tasty bits like Mr. Choppy.

Food and Wine Festival

Tomorrow is the annual food and wine festival out at the Lakewood ranch polo grounds.  This is the 9th annual one and I've been to them all.  It has had its ups and downs but in general is pretty darn good.  I'm going again this year and be assured Mr. Choppy will be putting up some info and hopefully some pictures of interesting things from this years event.

IT is $60 a person, but once you are in that is it.  All the food and wine you can drink.  What is kind of cool is a lot of restaurants you might not normally go to or afford are here and have interesting bits of good things.  The wine seems to go through trends and it is mostly run by distributors who's knowledge of wine varies but there are some good small producers as well who make the trip.

This is also a way wacky people watching event!

dumplings

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Some good dumplings sound great right about now.  But when don't they?  These little beauties were at the Condor in Oxford, right by the rail station.  I'm sure you can find some great dumplings and other treats near your house or make your own if you are far from a good chinese restaurant or dim sum house.  Also look for tea houses, they are popping up in more and more places and they will have such little treats as well.

They are not to hard and a great treat.  I'll have to put up the way I make some varieties soon.  Just need some pictures of the process.  This book has good ideas but can be a challenge to work with,Chinese Dim Sum (Chinese Edition), because the english parts are a bit sparse, but on the other hand it has good step by step directions.  Not really for the beginner but I've used it for years.  Just ask my friends about the "four flavor dumplings" I got out of this book as to the crazy things inside of it!

Yummy Sardines

While In Barcelona you have to go to La Plata and have the yummy yummy sardines.

Lots of places will have Sardines as tapas in Barcelona, but of all the places I went I enjoyed this place the best.  The vino tinto is good as well!

La Plata on google maps

The cleaver is your friend

My two favorite knives.  The big shinny one is nice and heavy and dirty cheap.  You will build up some arm strength using that baby let me tell you.  But it make such great cuts and you can do some great things to veggies with it.  The other one is a bit older and a good every day size.  

My frist job was in a Chinese restaurant and the only Knives they had in the entire place were big cleavers like the one on the left and some fish boning knives and that was about it.  With a little practice you can do just about anything with these.  And think about this.  $10 to $15 for a nice one on the left instead of the $$$$ to that crazy german knife company.  Pick on up and see if it doesn't make slicing up veggies and meat a breeze.  YOu won't need a food processor once you get one of these!

Bread Making Fun

I love good bread.  Something with flavor, something with a great crust.  I would kill for the seedy baguettes at the metropol bakery in Eugene.  But alas, I'm no where near Oregon.  So I've been trying to make my own baguettes and other things.  I'll tell you about the baguettes some other time, but lately I've been working on chibatta and other "rustic" types that makes good sandwich bread for lunch.

I've been working with Peter Reinhart's book, the Bread Baker's Apprentice.  Here is a link to his blog.  For the most part I have it say it has solved some of my problems and issues I've had trying to use recipes off the internet.  Most of his instructions are good, but some of the shaping issues are a bit hard to follow from his pictures.  But everything else has been great.  His bagel recipe is great!

So I've been trying out his ideas for Chibatta.  You start with a potash, or basically an overnight starter.  Just a pinch of yeast, about 2 cups of flower, 1/2 cup of whole wheat and about 1 1/2 cups of water.  I like to use King Arthur flour, works the best for me.  But try out different ones and see what gives you the flavor and gluten you are looking for.  Mix well and let it develop overnight.  You can throw it in the fridge but I like to catch it in the morning and start working with it instead of holding it.  Usually I'll leave it in my mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap and just start working with it the next day.

Once I get may act together more, I'll take some pictures of going through the steps, and explain what I'm trying but for this time, just take a look at what I ended up with.

Two lovely loaves that I was just dying to cut into and throw some good olive oil on.  Which I did after cooling.  The bread keeps much better when I include that 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.  Also, if you are trying to make your own bread, don't be afraid of wet dough.  Controlling the moisture and the steam while baking seems to be important issues that aren't all ways stressed in recipes.  I think it must be a trade secret of bakers and you have to join their club and know the secret hand shake before they let you in on it.  

Getting Started

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time.  But I know that blogging is not what it was and I kind of don't care.  About a year or so ago I started posting reviews on Yelp and more I did that more I kept thinking about making a blog on food wine and my other interests.  Yelp has been great, but not really suited for what I want to do in my own kitchen or some other odds and end. 

I have gotten to travel to some neat places the last few years, which has let me experienced some cool places and the food that goes along with it.  And I've built up a circle of friends that love, wine, food and beer maybe a little too much.   We have way too good of a time trying to make interesting food for each other and exploring different wines and other drinks.  So I'm going to use this space to just record some of the things I've tried to make, the things I've eaten on travels, the things I want to experiment with and hopefully some other fun things here and there.  Maybe this is a bit of narcissism leaking out, but what the hell.  Isn't that what blogging is sort of about anyways?