To Satisfy A Craving
August 22, 2011 § 2 Comments
Korean Fried Chicken may not be the newest craze in the metro, it is a new addition in my neighborhood though — woohoo!. The newly opened Chicken Bon Chon has cars queuing for parking that could cause a jam especially on weekends. Though the long lines turn me off, so addicted to this crispy, garlicky sweet-coated tender juicy chicken, I find myself thinking of it day and night. With this frustration comes a want to devour anything that is crunchy, sweet, spicy and garlicky just to satisfy this craving. So when I came across this recipe by Trissa, I knew that I had to try it.
Although mine didn’t really come out sticky –too much flour perhaps — it is a definite winner on the taste department.
Fried Pork Ribs Korean-Style
This marinade is sweet, garlicky and not too spicy because I used Ssamjang, a chili-bean paste for milder heat.
Ssamjang
Using Gochujang, a red chili paste will make it spicier, so the choice is yours. The ribs were pan-fried as the recipe called for but I already imagine it to be exceptional too grilled or broiled. That’s next on my agenda.
What You Need:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cm ginger, peeled
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons ssamjang (chili-bean paste)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup flour
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 750 grams pork ribs
- Oil for pan-frying
What You Do:
- Using a food processor or a blender, process the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili-bean paste, vinegar, sesame oil and brown sugar in a bowl.
- Add the eggs and place the pork ribs in the mixture. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Mix the flour and cornstarch together and dredge the marinated pork ribs in it.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over med-high heat. Pan fry for around 5 minutes on each side.
Caviar In My Drink
August 15, 2011 § 2 Comments
Cassis caviar suspended in Chandon sparkling wine served with Amaretto dust – the caviar bursts in your mouth releasing the black currant flavored liqueur.
Alchemist Kir
Creamy egg yolks on buttered chunk of toast with a layer of arugula-raclette pesto sandwiched between – the yolk seemed runny but is actually solid inside.
Egg’Wich
Unconventional, outlandish… my recent food adventure was something out of the ordinary.
Welcome to the surreal world of Molecular Gastronomy, a culinary movement that uses modern science to transform the preparation of food. This includes the study of how different cooking temperature affect egg’s viscosity and how a culinary process shapes a liquid into spheres which visually and texturally resembles caviar. This is new territory in my gastronomic realm. Watching Marcel Vigneron and Richard Blais on Top Chef has introduced me to this new food trend. Though my curiosity piqued, I never gave much thought to it, much less sampling it any time soon.
Enter Alchemist Cocktail Kitchen, a fairly new molecular gastro-lounge in a new neighborhood in Shanghai.
Prolific restaurateur Kelly Lee is the brainchild of this new cocktail kitchen (as she calls it) that features creative cocktails frozen with liquid nitrogen,
Yangtze River Tea
Baiyu, Corralejo Silver tequila, Captain Morgan gold rum and a citrus compote frozen with liquid nitrogen served with a side of spiced jasmine tea. A spoonful of the frozen alcohol followed with a sip of the hot tea washes away the taste of alcohol and leaves a subtle savor of pear.
exotic snacks like Popcorn Pig’s Brain fried in a lightly spiced batter and served with a side of Jalapeño Gribiche emulsion.
Popcorn Pig Brain
On my recent trip to Shanghai, we unwittingly stumbled upon what my friend thought was a “unique” bar that serves inventive cocktails and interesting bar food. Molecular gastronomy or not, they served up an array of great tasting dishes:
Storm In My Kitchen 