I've been seeing Lettuce Wraps grow in popularity at Chinese restaurants, now often served as a dish at banquets. We had a Clam filled Lettuce Wrap at our rehearsal dinner and a Shrimp and Pork filled one at Peking Duck Forest. The filling ideas are endless but based on what we had at home, I made this one. We both loved it.
Pork and Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
~makes 6-8 wraps
- 3 ounces ground pork
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup brunoised carrots
- 3.6 ounces chopped shrimp
- 2 teaspoons sa cha sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped mutsu apple
- 6-8 lettuce leaves (Boston or Iceberg), washed thoroughly
1. In a small bowl, mix together pork, soy sauce, corn starch. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a small wok on high, swirling around to coat the sides. Add onions and carrots and stir around for 30 seconds.
2. Add pork mixture and stir around breaking up the clumps until meat is brown, 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and sa cha sauce. Stir around until shrimp turns opaque, 1-2 minutes. Stir in apples, heating for another 30 seconds.
3. Serve immediately on lettuce leaves.
The non-traditional touch here is the chopped apple, but to me, it's now essential. Some restaurants use water chestnuts, which I hate. Apple gives that little crunch, but a better flavor, a light sweetness, with a little tartness.
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StumbleSushi Yasuda is still keeping us on our toes, with two new pieces this time.
The Yari Squid is actually the same species as the one they always have, but right now they have one from Japan. The texture is a lot creamier, melting in your mouth, literally coating your tongue. The flavor is the same.
We've also had Wild Salmon Roe before, but this one was from the Chum Salmon. Each egg is a little bigger and lighter in color than the one from the King Salmon. The flavor is mild and smooth, but my favorite part is that each one needs to be intentionally popped. They are a bit stronger than usual so when you press down, you really feel the burst. Yum!
Some people love Cole Slaw and some people hate it. I used to hate it as a kid because the ones I had tried were overly dressed and soggy, like cabbage sitting in mayo soup. I didn't have a good one till some time during college but now I'm a fan, well sometimes. If your family like slaws, this one has a Thanksgiving touch to them, dried cranberries. It's easy to make. You can (well, have to) make ahead, and it's an easy dish to pack and bring to someone else's home. Enjoy!
Cranberry Cabbage Slaw
~serves 6
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dark honey
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- 2/3 cup craisins (or sweetened dried cranberries)
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/3 cup minced onion
2. Put cabbage, craisins, carrot, and onion in a container (7 cup capacity) with lid. Add dressing, cover, and shake vigorously. Store in refrigerator over night.
AskRedditFood: Does anyone find they prefer white over black pepper or vice versa?
Perhaps it helps to consider an analogy of red vs. green bell pepper. They are the same exact item, in different stages of ripeness. And although they are the same berry (peppers are in the berry family), they taste quite different. The chlorophyll still in the pepper (making it green) gives a slight bitter taste. Many other chemicals change during ripening as well, including acid and cellulose levels. The result is a slightly softer (texture) and sweeter (flavor) item.
The next question is whether you would use one in place of the other... and the answer is: sometimes, but typically not. Green bell pepper is a critical flavor component of many creole dishes, in which a red bell pepper has no place (just too sweet). And red bell pepper is often roasted to enhance it's natural sweetness, something which doesn't work as well with green bell peppers. They each have their own charm and use.
Back to the other berry (peppercorns are berries), which I consider in the same way as their big brothers, the bell pepper. Black peppercorns are the under ripe berry that is slightly cooked (both in water and then in the sun) until the skin turns black. When the berry ripens completely it is skinned and dried. So, actually, this is where the analogy ends. White peppercorns are just the seed of the berry, while black peppercorns are the whole berry. While at this stage, it's worth mentioning green peppercorns. Green is almost identical to black, but not cooked in the sun, rather it is brined, which maintains and enhances the natural green color.
So how do they differ? Well, different people debate the "spice" of each color pepper, the truth is they are identical and the other flavors are affecting peoples tastes. The skin contains chemicals which taste strong, often this is what people consider to be the true pepper flavor. Meanwhile the less intense white pepper actually has the same flavor that is just less intense.
In terms of uses, white pepper is often used in French cooking for white sauces, such as bechamel, in order to avoid seeing black specks. Also the creamy sauce doesn't need such a strong pepper taste. Green pepper has use in French cooking as well, specifically when making the wonderful dish: Steak au Poivre, which features crushed green peppercorns. Black pepper is the default pepper though in most French cooking.
In Asian cuisines, the default pepper is typically the green or white peppercorns, although black has been used for thousands of years in China. And in some provinces of the mainland you won't find any of these, but rather an unrelated version: Szechuan pepper, which is MUCH spicier. When I visited Thailand I saw only green and white pepper on tables.
In the US most people rely on black pepper for their dishes, it is definitely the default. And when I cook, I use it 95% of the time. I consider it almost as critical as Salt... which has many variants as well, but that's for another time :)
Last season we waited until Episode 7 of Top Chef before we made any commentary. However, we enjoy the show, despite it's numerous flaws. Several of the chefs have gone on to interesting careers including Hung and Harold. This year, Kasi recommended us posting some predictions and early thoughts.
After only the first episode, there are certainly some forerunners in the Top Chef race and some obvious losers showing up. Check out lots of clips on Hulu.
- Alex - Even though he starts this (alphabetically sorted) list, I can't remember much about him from the episode. I'm going to throw him in the middle, so he'll leave on episode 5.
- Ariane - She doesn't have the ego to be a top chef and her cooking skill and inventiveness seems pretty mediocre. I think we'll be seeing her go around episode 4.
- Carla - Hello trian wreck. I can't make heads or tails of what our lanky friend is doing on the show. I think we'll be seeing her leave next episode, 2.
- Danny - His argument with Stefan over vinaigrette... he's in trouble. But since he looks like a trouble maker they'll probably keep him around a while, bye bye in episode 9.
- Fabio - A chef from Florence -- the best culinary destination on Earth!? But he didn't win his showdown with Jeff, he's in trouble. We'll say Ciao Fabio in Episode 8.
- Gene - Way to go Tzatiki-come-Raita Gene! He's spunky and seems to have a natural direction, but he's raw. He won't win but he'll be around a while. He'll head back to Hawaii, but only after being the surpise contestant in the final three.
- Hosea - He didn't make much of an impression in the first episode, but my gut says he is going to be an underdog for a few episodes and then start shining. I think his light will go out around episode 12.
- Jamie - The gay trio troupe leader. I'm not sure why someone's sexuality would have a place in the kitchen, I guess it makes for good TV. Well, it was hard to get a sense of her actual cooking skill, I'm going take a guess and say she'll ride the rainbow back home on episode 13.
- Jeff - The nice hair guy from Niceville, FL (seriously) seems to be more worried about his style than his food. He'll get to fix his hair back at home when he gets kicked off episode 10.
- Jill - Jill is another one that just hasn't made an impression yet. I'll guess she departs on episode 7.
- Lauren - Well, she's already gone. We didn't get to learn much about her, except that she can't peel apples, she can't brunois them, and apparently can't cook them either. Episode 1: gone.
- Leah - Her comfort zone is squarely in the Italian category; we haven't seen yet whether she has skills in other areas. I'm going to guess the answer is they're lacking. However, she is trained and practiced, and I think that will carry her until the final three.
- Melissa - She struck me as a country bumpkin with minimal exposure to world cuisine. I think country & city will not mix and will dissolve around episode 6.
- Patrick - He was just a tad too junior to be on the show, but he had a cheery personality so he got in. But not much to say other than he's already gone in episode 1.
- Radhika - We have to disclaim that Radhika is a friend of a friend, so we were hoping she would rock the show. But frankly, we're pretty unimpressed, so she'll be leaving pretty soon, let's say episode 3.
- Richard - He was able to assemble a decent salad, but it was clearly not Chinese food. He'll hang out a while, but is not going to win. He'll lose in episode 11.
- Stefan - He is into detail, he knows how to work a knife, he makes phenomeal looking food. He'll not only make it to the finale, I'm calling Stefan as the winner.
We've talked about Cafe Brama before, a place where I have enjoyed smoothies, dessert crepes, and cappuccinos. This was our first visit for a meal and I really really wanted to love it, but I left severely disappointed. We were with our friends, Steve and Yael, and now I'm embarrassed that we recommended this place. The experience had totally changed. The service was so confused. I think Yael had to ask for milk three times as her coffee sat their cooling.
At first, I was happy that each brunch order came with a choice of juice and a coffee/tea or capuccino (+$1). I know they use Looza for their juice, which we love, but Yael and I both ordered mango which tasted like some soap got dropped in it. We asked for a replacement but it still had the same problem. As for the capuccino, formerly my favorite, it was brought out luke warm and I ended up leaving more than half of it.
The staff, although nice, seemed rushed and unable to handle the almost full restaurant. Apparently the kitchen was so rushed, they didn't cut the rinds off the cheese in Lon's Country Ham Sandwich. Lon also had to ask about the home fries, listed as part of his plate on the menu. The waitress had to check the menu and then go get him the home fries.
This morning I smelled some bacon cooking down the hall and knew I had to have a savory breakfast. However, our fridge just wasn't complying with me, there was not much to work with except two big containers of strawberries; but as I said, my heart was set on savory. Down to the freezer I went, where I saw our bag of amazing, frozen shrimp -- bingo.
Curry Shrimp Scrambled Eggs
~serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 piece Star Anise
- 1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large Eggs
- 3 tablespoons Sour Cream
- 4oz Shrimp (10 pieces), de-tailed and roughly chopped
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste
- Cilantro to Garnish
- 2 thick-cut slices of Sourdough, toasted
- In a 1 quart sauce pot (I used a Le Creuset, which is preferable for this), heat olive oil over low heat. Add star anise, curry powder, and red pepper. When aromatic add onion, garlic, and kosher salt; saute until onions are soft.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sour cream until well-combined and foamy. Whisk in shrimp.
- Turn heat up slightly to medium-low and stir in eggs mixture. Stir slowly as it cooks. Remove when it's to your liking. (Jessica likes wet scrambled eggs; I like dry.) Optionally, add some cilantro (fresh or dried) at the end to garnish.
- Serve over toast.