Saturday, December 31, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!!!

The Epicurean Dilettante has been quiet for a couple of weeks; but, fear not! He has been planning menus...pulling together hints and tips that could only come from messing up...a lot!...but most importantly gearing up for the best year of all time!

HAPPY 2012 FROM THE EPICUREAN DILETTANTE!!!


Photobucket

Thursday, December 15, 2011

SICHUAN BEEF NOODLE SOUP

Okay...this recipe is a little more involved than some of my others; and, there are a couple of ingredients that I picked up at the local Asian Market. I will post the links for the products that may be hard to find for some, so that you can find a good substitute. You will also notice that I include, as a major ingredient, some things that are generally used as a garnish. If I think it will add something to the dish, I will switch it up a bit. I think that is more interesting than cut and paste recipes.

This recipe was made for two, and made enough for two meals. Yes...it is good enough to eat two days in a row. I bought 2 pounds of thinly sliced beef, and boiled them for a few minutes. I then drained it and rinsed under cold water. Cut this into cubes about an inch to an inch and a half each. Wipe the large pot you used, and heat some oil. Chop a few garlic cloves and cut 2 inches of peeled ginger. Throw these in the pot. Saute for 3 minutes. Now throw in a large chopped onion, and saute until translucent.

Add 2 tablespoons of chile bean paste to the above. This is what I used: http://www.taiwantrade.com.tw/resources/member/54227/productcatalog/9f1e4f09-5d97-41f2-8920-808ab161a217_V.S.O.P.%20Spicy%20Paste.pdf. Stir in for about 30 seconds. Since I was cooking for 2, I added a little more than 6 cups of water. You can made a larger batch; but, remember to increase the ingredients accordingly. The good news is, measurements need not be exact, so the additions will be according to your tastes. I would err on the side of larger amounts. Into the mix, add half a cup of soy sauce, kosher salt (be careful, as the say sauce is also salty), 6 whole star anise, a little sugar, and half a tablespoon of peppercorn. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for an hour. After the hour, add 2 quartered large plum tomatoes and 3 baby bok choy, sliced, a bunch of chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. Simmer for another half an hour.

During the final 20 minutes, boil some water, and add eggless wheat noodles. These, to be exact: http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/wei-chuan/shan-dong-dried-noodles/. The amount is up to you. I boiled mine for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl per person, place the noodles, and serve soup over them. Yummy!

SZECHUAN BEEF NOODLE SOUP:

1 pound of beef per person...thin beef, or or cut boneless shank (ingredients based on 2 pounds)
1/4 cup canola, vegetable or olive oil
2 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small rounds
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups chopped onions
2 1/2 tablespoons chili bean paste
2 cups of chopped green onions
1/2 minimum soy sauce
2 tablespoons salt
6 whole star anise
1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 tablespoon peppercorns
2 large plum tomatoes, quartered
freshly ground white or black pepper
1 pound eggless Chinese wheat noodles (Shandong)
3 baby bok choy, chopped
fresh cilantro

Photobucket

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Azerbaijan: Meatballs and Pilaf

Today's stop is the Eurasian country of Azerbaijan. This country, which has no official religion, is the most liberal among Muslim nations. I decided to make meatballs and pilaf to represent this country.

To make the meatballs, I mixed half a pound of lean ground beef with half a pound of ground lamb. Just knead it together for several minutes. I bought a bunch of fresh dill and a bunch of cilantro. Half the of both was finely chopped and mixed in with the meat. I also put one egg in the mixture. I did not use any measuring spoons for the spices. I just made sure they were blended evenly. These were cinnamon, allspice, cumin and turmeric. I then chopped half a sweet onion and mixed it all together, kneading for a few more minutes. These were broiled on an oil cooking sheet.

The pilaf was made by boiling together a cup and a half of chicken broth, a cup of basmati rice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of butter, half a sweet onion, chopped, the rest of the dill and cilantro, chopped, and the same spices as used in the meat. I also threw in some sea salt. let this boil a few minutes, and simmer until the rice is done.

That's it! Nothing fancy...just a nice bed of rice with a couple of tasty meatballs on top.


Monday, December 12, 2011

AUSTRIAN GOULASH

Today's stop in my quest for World Kitchen Domination is Austria. Austria is a Central European country that is located in the Alps. Mountainous, cold, and home of many a classical musician. Austria boasts to being a neutral country, politically. It does not, however, boast about Arnold Schwarzenegger.

There is a lot to choose from in Austrian cuisine, especially if you like strudels. I decided to go with a hearty goulash. I do not have to look the word up in the dictionary to know that "goulash" is a German word that translates, roughly, "so good, you will want to smack your mama"...it loses something in translation. The good thing about goulash is that you can use lesser than expensive meat.

To make the goulash, I got out my trusty dutch oven. It just seemed appropriate. In goes some olive oil. Get 2 pounds of stew beef cubes. Put these in the dutch oven, or large skillet, and brown. Now cut up a couple of large sweet onions. These are added to the pot, along with some Hungarian paprika...about 2 tablespoons. Make sure you use Hungarian paprika, as it is hotter than regular paprika. I used an 8 ounce can of tomato paste. You may decide to use less; but, make sure you use at least 2 tablespoons. I put in 2 cups of water. You can use more or less without harm. Stir this all well, and add salt and pepper to taste. I always use kosher salt, but not too much. Now for the fun stuff. Crush a couple of garlic cloves and add. You can also use jarred minced garlic. Add a teaspoon of caraway seeds and marjoram. By the way...feel free to use chicken broth too. Zest the skin of 1/4 of a lemon. I simply cut the rind into small cubes. Of course, throw in a couple of bay leaves.

Boil, and turn the heat down to medium low. You can cook this for anywhere between one and two hours. After a certain point, the beef will not get any more tender, so an hour and a half is really enough.

I have only one thing to say about Austrian Goulash being on my table..."It'll be baaack".

AUSTRIAN GOULASH:

3 oz. vegetable oil
2 lbs. lean beef cubes
2 large onions, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Hungarian Paprika
grated skin of ¼ lemon
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
1 teaspoon marjoram
2 bay leafs
salt and pepper to taste
1 pint chicken stock or water