by TheLastWonton | May 23, 2017 | Baking & Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch
Brandy laced, golden topped, creamy baked custard sits magically upon a layer of soft rice muddled with more custard. A firm creme caramel and a rice pudding walk into a bar……in Tuscany…..
This is not your Nonna's rice pudding! Oh wait a minute…….maybe it is.
It is likely indeed that a recipe quite akin to this version of rice and custard torta hails from someone's dearheart Aunt Sofia, who's life passion it is to reside over all the making and baking and rolling and simmering that goes on in her kitchen overlooking the sun-warmed hillsides of beautiful Tuscany. And who's grown-up bambinos still request her Torta di Riso alla Carrarina for dessert, after Sunday family lunches.
Simplicity is central to Tuscan food, as is a healthy respect for good, simple, fresh, local ingredients. This effortless, unerring attention to Tuscan food traditions inevitably results in dishes that are rich in flavour. Just like this torta. Sweet!
This down-home style dessert is easy peasy to whisk together. As it bakes the rice settles, and the custard sits happily on top, basking, until deliciously golden and firm. Once cooled, the torta is easily cut into cake-like pieces. And is one of those desserts that you can easily dress up for company, with Amaretto laced, softly whipped cream and fresh berries.
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Adapted from Emiko's post on Food 52, and Dead Chef food blog
for The Last Wonton
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TUSCAN RICE AND CUSTARD TORTA – Serves 8
We usually serve our Torta with fresh berries, just as they are, and brandy laced, whipped cream sweetened with a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar. Next time I'm going to top every slice with syrupy, fresh strawberries, macerated with Amaretto and just a tich of sugar, to kick up the berries fragrant juices…..and a dollop of whipped cream. And then the next, next, time I'm going to use brandied sour cherries to crown our Torta slices.
Be sure to use a high edged (2-inches), solid-bottomed, 9 or 10-inch round cake pan.
1/2 cup short-grain risotto rice, such as Arborio
2 pinches of salt, divided
Butter, for greasing pan
1 1/4 cups sugar, plus extra for dusting
6 large eggs
1/4 cup of liquor, such as brandy, rum, Amaretto, Frangelico
Zest of 1 lemon + 1 orange
1 teaspoon good vanilla extract, or seeds of half a vanilla bean
2 cups whole milk, warmed slightly
Cook the rice with a pinch of salt in boiling water, as you would pasta, for 10 minutes – it should be al dente. Drain the rice and set aside to cool a bit.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare 9 or 10 inch, high-sided, solid-bottomed round cake pan by greasing well with butter and sprinkling with sugar, to cover evenly.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, liquor, zest, vanilla and a pinch of salt until nicely combined. Add the warmed milk and rice, mixing to combine. Mixture will be very liquidy. Pour custard into prepared pan.
Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, until the custard is set and looks brulee (golden, toasty brown). A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
Remove and let cool in pan. Serve at room temperature, or chilled, with lightly sweetened whipped cream and some yummy fresh berries, or fruit. Keeps well, covered with plastic wrap, in fridge for 3 days.
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by TheLastWonton | May 18, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Asian, Recipes, Sauces, Dips & Condiments, Seafood
Plump, fresh prawns lightly battered and quickly deep fried to golden, light, crispy perfection. We serve this Filipino version of tempura with a tangy, sweet and sour sauce boasting fresh mango and pineapple, and a little kick from a Thai chile. Crispy, crunchy, succulent, sweet and heat. Masarap!
This staple dish of the Philippines, Camaron Rebosada, is simply deep-fried shrimp, with a light, crispy batter, typically served with sweet and sour sauce.
I've always loved the little oost of pleasure, or is it peace, that abides inside me when I'm happily tootling about the kitchen making, baking, preparing, goodies of one kind or another. I'm so lucky, that way. And, of course, when I am in any one of those tropical kitchens on the Big Island of Hawaii, cooking with all those gorgeous fresh Island ingredients, more than Aloha seems to fill the air.
But, in the last handful of years, I've discovered a new brand of a quiet, personal mirth that tiptoes into my kitchen. In it sneaks when I am concocting dishes that reflect my Filipino heritage. Cool beans!
So of course, yesterday here in my forest kitchen, under robin's egg blue skies, with John Cruz tunes filling the air, I was in a groovy groove doing up these tasty shrimp for dinner.
I used rice flour, instead of regular flour, to give the batter more reason to be lighter, crispier. And of course I couldn't help but smile making a sweet and sour sauce with both fresh mango AND fresh pineapple, then adding the alluring heat of a Thai chile, so that Forest Grump would smile too.
That's it. Quick, easy, yummy, crispy prawn pleasures.
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Adapted from Junblog – Stories from my Filipino Kitchen
for The Last Wonton. Thanks Jun!
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CAMARON REBOSADA with Mango Pineapple Sauce
1 pound 16/20 count prawns, peeled and deveined, tails on
1 cup rice flour, plus more for dredging the prawns
1 teaspoon salt (I always use sea salt)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 – 2/3 cup cold beer (what, oh what to do with the rest of the beer?)
Oil, for frying
Wash the shelled and deveined prawns and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine rice flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Pour in 1/2 cup cold beer, whisking until smooth. Batter should be just a bit runny (like a thin pancake batter). If it's not, add more beer, a little bit at a time, whisking until smooth.
Heat canola or other oil in wok or large, deep pan to 375F.
Spread extra rice flour on small plate. Dredge each prawn in rice flour, dip into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry the prawns until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not crowd pan. Fry in 2 or more batches, if necessary. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with Mango Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce. Kainan na!
MANGO PINEAPPLE SWEET & SOUR SAUCE
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons banana ketchup*, or regular ketchup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 medium mango, quite finely chopped
Generous 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, quite finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet onion, finely chopped
1 small Thai chile pepper, finely chopped
Mix all ingredients together in a medium-small pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm with hot-from-the-fryer Camaron Rebosada.
*Banana Ketchup, or banana sauce, is a popular Philippine fruit ketchup condiment, made from mashed banana, sugar, vinegar and spices. Available in grocery store Asian sections or Oriental markets.*
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by TheLastWonton | May 17, 2017 | Baking & Desserts, Fruits, Pies
Rich, golden brown, flaky crust gives way to deep, dark, delicious berryness.
Yes. Yes, please!
I couldn't wait. I just couldn't wait, for berry season. Some things are worth jumping the gun for. Blueberry Pie is definitely one of those things. Well, for us, it is.
There are pie people and there are cake people. Don't get me wrong, I like cake, for sure. Sometimes, a lot. But I am a bonafide pie people. Hailing from a good, long line of pie people.
In fact, even though it's been many, many years since family or close friends have been able to partake of a slice of my Mom's apple pie, I bet you, every single person who was lucky enough to have had a slice of that pie, cannot remember without very softly reflecting, "Whoooeee, that was the best apple pie I have ever had". 'Tis true.
See, told you were are pie people.
Geez though, let me tell you, it's a very daunting challenge to try measure up to. Mom set that (pie) bar awfully damn high. She likely didn't even know that the gauntlet was thrown. But I knew it.
Many life chapters later, I'm rather pleased that I can now, almost every time, make pastry for my pies that would put a little sparkle in those green eyes of Mom's. I mean, after all, if you don't get that pastry happy…..flaky, rich, tender, golden brown, then there's really no sense in making pies. Right?
You know what else? There's just something about pie making that's really cool. There's this easy, simple, straightforward satisfaction that whispers inside when you pull a perfect pie out of the oven. Timeless, just like pies are.
I mean, look……..just look…..
But of course, the crust is only half the battle. Admittedly, a tricky half. But the filling completes the objet d'art. And must be, well, just plain ol' delicious.
Simple mandate for fruit pies: Sensational fruit, simple prep = sublime results. Most often with fruit/berry fillings the only so called fiddling required is to add the right amount of flour, cornstarch or tapioca to ensure a perfect 'set'.
That's it, the winning combination where flaky crust meets juicy berries and our tastebuds want to linger. Or do the Cha-cha!
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Thanks oodles Mom for making me a pie people.
And once again, big thank-yous to Ann at Thibeault's Table
for her always deliciously inspirational recipes.
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CLASSIC BLUEBERRY PIE – One 9-inch pie
4 – 5 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar (or Stevia in the Raw – works perfectly in this recipe!!!)
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Milk, sugar
Pastry for double crust
Line 9-inch pie plate (I use a deep dish) with pastry.
Mix together blueberries, 3/4 cup sugar, flour, melted butter and lemon juice; pour into pie crust. Cover with pastry and cut a few slashes in top; or cut pastry into strips and prepare lattice top. Seal edges well and flute. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in 425°F oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F and bake about 40 minutes longer or until crust is golden, and berries are bubbly. Remove from oven to cool. Ha-cha-cha!
JUDI'S PASTRY
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
scant teaspoon salt
1 cup cold lard, cut into cubes
1/2 cup ice water, mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Add cold cubed lard and, using your fingers, work the lard into the flour mixture. Keep breaking the lard down into the flour, until mostly evenly distributed, with some of the pieces resembling oat flakes and some about the size of peas. Add ice water and vinegar mixture. Use a fork to bring dough together.
Plop half the pastry onto a well floured work surface. It will be moist, just as it should be. Keep your work surface and top of the pastry floured, as you roll pastry into a large round, to fit pie plate. Rotate dough circle as you go, and add additional flour as needed to keep from sticking. Gently lift round into pie plate to form bottom crust.
Roll out the top crust as you did the bottom crust, moving dough across the floured surface every once in awhile, and creating roughly a 13-inch circle.
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by TheLastWonton | May 16, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Baking & Desserts, Breads & Sandwiches, Main Dishes, Recipes
Cute little, golden brown, buttery crusted buns with just enough poof and just enough bite, that simply beg to be slidered!
♪♫ I like little buns, and I cannot lie.
Yay, for me! I no longer have slider bun envy. These babies turned out exactly as I had hoped, and the recipe has been officially inducted in my Keeper file.
And they're easy peasy! Mix, mix, dough. Rise. Roll. Cut cute little circles of dough and line them up like soldiers of soft goodness on a baking sheet. Admire. Rise. Brush with butter. Bake. Smile. Grin. Brush with more butter. Admire. Happiness is……
You know what else? These little buns would be good with anything in them, or on them. I tried one hot from the oven with a bit of cold butter and a wee puddle of golden syrup. Oh, oh! This could be dangerous.
But, back to today's agenda. I made these buns for sliders, so slide I did!
Whilst scooting about online looking at all things 'slider' I came across this blurb on Serious Eats Burger Lab:
"Invented in Wichita, Kansas, in 1916 by Walter Anderson (who five years later founded White Castle), sliders were at one time the predominant form of burger on the planet. Weighing in at under two ounces, the diminutive sandwiches are made by slowly steam-griddling thin, all-beef patties on a bed of onions.
The aromatic steam from the onions wafts through and around the beef and buns, which are placed directly on top of the patty as it cooks. When fully steamed through, the buns become mere wisps of moist pillowy bread – the physical manifestation of sweet, pungent onion vapor. Topped with melty American cheese and a couple of slices of pickle, it's the cheeseburger in one of it's purest, most noble forms and as a genre, is completely unimprovable."
Who knew, right?
I didn't stay true to those historic preparations when I made my sliders, but still hit a high luscious factor. I sliced open each slider bun, lightly buttered both sides, then grilled them in a non-stick pan, 'til just lightly golden and toasty. Then I slid a quick-fried skinny burger, topped with melty cheese, some fried onions and dill pickle chips, into the bun, and ……..Voila….
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FOR THE MINI MEAT:
I formed the burgers ahead of time and just kept in the fridge until I was ready to fry.
Also a bit ahead of time, I fried thinly sliced Vidalia sweet onions, til golden and toasty edged, in a little bit of butter and olive oil.
I used a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut little burgers out of ground beef, patted flat (just under 1/2-inch thick), on a sheet of parchment paper, and seasoned them only with salt and pepper. They were fried in a tich of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. They cook quickly. I alternated topping burgers with cheddar or swiss. Then threw a couple of tablespoons of water into the pan (to rev up some steam), quickly covered the pan and within about 1 minute, uncovered an array of gloriously melty cheese topped burgs, that begged to be slid into an itty bitty bun.
[Photo credit to King Arthur Flour Blog – Flourish]
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Next time I make Damn Good Itty Bitty Slider Buns methinks I shall tear them open and tuck some thin slices of warm, brown-sugar-mustardy-crusted-slow-baked ham, inside.
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Adapted from King Arthur Flour – Flourish post by P.J. Hamel
and one of my fave stops Jo Cooks, for The Last Wonton
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DAMN GOOD ITTY BITTY SLIDER BUNS – Makes 24-30
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant (breadmaker) yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing
Add all ingredients to the bowl of your mixer (excluding the 4 tablespoons of melted butter for brushing). Using the dough hook attachment, mix everything together on medium low for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic and the sides of the bowl are clean. The dough should be a bit soft and a bit sticky. If the dough is too hard or dry add a bit more lukewarm water and be patient while it incorporates into the dough. If dough is too sticky add just a bit more flour.
Cover the bowl with a clean damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease.
Gently deflate the dough and plop onto lightly floured surface and roll it out so that it's about 1/3-inch thick. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut the slider buns. I got 30 buns – but others who have made a very similar recipe get 24 buns.
Place the cutout slider buns evenly onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Cover the buns and let rise for 1 to 2 hours (I lean towards 2 hours). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 375F. Brush buns with melted butter and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven, brush with additional butter. Resistance is futile!
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"Breadmaking is one of the most hypnotic businesses,
like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you
filled with one of the world's sweetest smells……..
there is no chiropratic treatment, no Yoga exercise,
no hour of meditation, in a music-throbbing chapel that
will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this
homely ceremony of making bread"
~ M.F.K Fisher, The Art of Eating
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by TheLastWonton | May 13, 2017 | Beef, Pork & Lamb, Main Dishes
Crispy, crunchy, tender juicy, beefy goodness, touting enough of all the right spices, to deliver a gleeful pow of flavour flavour.
Forest Grump mentioned, or more reminded me, that he was really craving some old-fashioned fried chicken. And he's been ever so patient waiting for me to be in the right mood, on the right day. You know how that goes.
The moody skies above the forest were so ominously grey that you could just tell the chilly drizzle was not going to let up anytime soon. Indeedy it was a good day for fried-chicken kind of comfort food, no doubt about that. But it was also sooooo one of those days that begged me to stay home, stay cozy, go nowhere.
Which got me to thinking……hmmmm…….which got me to checking the fridge, freezer and cupboards. Ah ha!
Possibly influenced by the easy watching enjoyment of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, I had it! Eureka! I know exactly what to make.
All American Chicken Fried Steak is not unlike the famed dish from Austria, Wiener Schnitzel, and the Italian-South American Milanesa. A fine brand of global deliciousness. How could I go wrong, right?
And, of course, enough like old-fashioned fried chicken to slap a satisfied smile on Forest Grump.
I happily tootled about online, checking all my favorite food blogs, reading, comparing recipes and techniques for the best chicken fried steak, until I had a game plan. I mixed and matched spices used in the 'best' recipes, gravy making tips, frying suggestions, and Ta Da!
The one common denominator in all the chicken fried steak recipes – mashed potatoes must be served on the side. I'm in. Throw some butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, seasoned salt and pepper into those potatoes. Yes! I told you, I'm in!
I will say that my research, putting into practice an idea from there, a hot tip from here and adding my own touches, paid off in spades, delivering crunchy, gloriously spiced goodness, that made me compliment myself. "Well done, Jude, you nailed it!"
I knew it was a good day for staying put and dishing up some so-wrong-for-you-it's-right comfort.
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Adapted from Pioneer Woman, Alton Brown, and mostly Joshua Bousel via
Serious Eats, for The Last Wonton. Thanks oodles!
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CHICKEN FRIED STEAK – Serves 4
Seasoned flour coating:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt (I use Himilayan pink)
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Gravy:
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons seasoned coating mixture
2 cups homemade or good quality chicken broth
1 cup evaporated milk
2 good dashes of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 egg
2/3 cup evaporated milk + 1/3 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
4 tenderized cube steaks (about 2 pounds)
Oil for deep frying
For seasoned flour coating: Whisk together flour, sesame seeds, baking powder and all spices in a shallow dish.
Make gravy (can be made ahead and reheated): Melt butter in medium pot over medium-high heat. Add seasoned flour and whisk until incorporated and mixture is bubbly. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and evaporated milk. Stir in Worcestershire, Tabasco and black pepper, to taste. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt, to taste.
Drizzle 1/3 cup evaporated milk into the seasoned flour coating mix, in shallow dish, and rub with fingertips until mixture is coarse, like wet sand. Oh Mama, this is going to make such a delectable crunchy coating with nooks and crannies of joy.
Place cornstarch in shallow dish.
Whisk together egg and 2/3 cup evaporated milk in a separate shallow dish.
Working with 1 steak at a time, coat well in cornstarch. Lift steak, shake off excess cornstarch, then transfer to egg mixture. Coat steak well in egg mixture, lift steak, letting excess drain off, then transfer to seasoned evaporated milk flour mixture. Coat steak well, pressing seasoned flour all over to help it adhere to the meat. Lift steak, gently shake off excess flour, and transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining steaks. Let steaks sit for 10 minutes so that coating and those steaks become close friends.
Place canola, peanut or other oil in a large Dutch oven or wok and heat to 375F over high heat. Carefully lift 1 or 2 steaks (do not crowd) and gently slide into hot oil. Cook, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. (they cook quickly) Transfer steak to paper-towel lined tray and season with salt to taste, if you are so inclined. Repeat with remaining steaks.
Transfer steak to plates, top with gravy, and serve immediately. With creamy mashed potatoes.
Ta da!
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