Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Rolls

When it starts to get nippy in the air I look forward to all things autumn. It's pumpkin season so it means it's time to make all things pumpkin. ^_^ I made pumpkin cinnamon rolls this weekend using a recipe from King Arthur. The cinnamon rolls turned out amazing. My husband doesn't like sweets but even he went back for seconds!

Home made pumpkin puree

Homemade pumpkin puree


Place all ingredients into the same pot and mix.


Dough is all mixed and ready to proof.


Dishes to be washed. There are so few of them since this is the "dump all into one bowl" recipe. ^_^


Once dough has proofed, roll dough out and add the goodies!


Second dough proofing.

Time to eat!




King Arthur Recipe link

Butternut Squash Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese

I have never made macaroni and cheese from scratch. Truthfully I've never craved macaroni and cheese and don't view it as comfort food as many Americans do. It's something which I will eat if it's there but not something I go out of my way to eat.

This weekend I bought a butternut squash at the farmers market because it looked cute and it's starting to come in season (hey, it's fall!.) I also had some leftover buttermilk which I'd used to make Buckwheat waffles (more on that in another post.) I googled around for ideas on how I could use both the butternut squash and buttermilk together. Strangely enough I kept coming up with butternut squash and mac and cheese, but no buttermilk. Well I decided to try making mac and cheese with the butternut squash and buttermilk.

The combination of the sharp cheddar and buttermilk was really nice. It wasn't overly cheesy nor was it too tangy from the buttermilk. The tang was very subtle. Also, unlike many recipes, I did not puree any of the butternut sqush. I left all the pieces whole since I like the idea of eating chunks of squash (and I don't need the cheese sauce to be sweetened by any pureed squash.) I roasted the butternut squash instead of boiling it to bring out the inherent sweetness of the squash. You can roast the squash the day ahead if you're pressed for time.



Butternut Sqush Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese

1 2-lb butternut squash
1 c buttermilk
2 T butter
2 T flour
8 oz sharp cheddar
macaroni noodles
1/4 t paprika
salt and pepper
panko

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cube the squash, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 25 minutes, or until fork tender.
3. Change oven temperature to 350 degrees
4. Cook macaroni until al dente (according to package instructions)
5. In a pot, make a roux opf hte flour and butter. Stir rapidly so there aren't any lumps!
6. When roux has come together add buttermilk slowly. Keep mixing so that all lumps are gone.
7. Add parika and salt and pepper.
8. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Once melted, turn off heat.
9. Mix in macaroni and butternut squash.
10. Pour into a pan. Top with panko crumbs (as thick or thin of a layer as you want.)
11. Bake for 25 minutes.
12. After 25 you may need to turn the heat up for a few minutes to briefly brown the panko.

Steak, Toasted Rye Bread and Kale

If I eat dinner by myself I'm normally too lazy to cook a real meal. Instead, I'll scrounge around in the refrigerator until I find something which might pass for dinner. This time I made a concerted effort to eat something which was a real meal. I defrosted and grilled a steak, cooked up some kale, and toasted rye bread. It was very simple to do and I should start making "real" dinners more often. Buttering the rye bread, then toasting it on the stovetop makes the bread taste amazing. If you try to take a shortcut and just toast the bread in a toaster, then butter it, the bread won't taste nearly as good.

Broccoli Beef

Yes, broccoli beef has got to be one of the most frequently ordered dishes at the Americanized Chinese restaurants. It is probably the next most popular dish right after General Tso's chicken.

For some inexplicable reason I had a huge craving for broccoli beef. I don't even really like broccoli beef that much but I just had a craving for it. The craving probably started when I saw someone order it when we were waiting for takeout from a Chinese restaurant (a real Chinese restaurant mind you, not a Mr. Chau's.) I made my broccoli beef with grassfed beef and it definitely satisfied my craving.

I found out how to make the beef texture taste just like the restaurants: baking soda. I've always known that baking soda is used extensively but I never realized the texture it imparts to beef. It makes the beef very tender. I'd do it again especially once I realized how easy it is to do. Add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to your cut up beef and let it marinate for about 10-20 minutes. After it is done tenderizing the beef wash it off and marinate the meat as normal.

Here's what our dinner table looked like:


I bought calla lilies to give it a more decorative touch. ^_^

Pierre Herme Viennese Chocolate Sables

I recently purchased Strauss European butter since it has a higher butter fat content than normal butters. A higher butter fat content is supposed to make for a tastier butter. I wanted to try it out in a recipe which showcased the quality of the butter. Of course this meant that a butter cookie would be the perfect thing to bake. Rather than a normal butter cookie I decided to try a French sable, which is a french version of a butter cookie. It isn't quite as heavy as a butter cookie and contains a "sandier" texture when you eat the cookie.

I came across the Pierre Herme Viennese Chocolate Sables recipe from this blog. The cookies really show case the quality of your cocoa powder and your butter. The chocolate taste is a refined one and isn't as sweet as a chocolate chip cookie. I wouldn't say the taste is subtle; it's not. Instead, the cookie is crumbly and you can really taste the depth of chocolate flavor with each bite. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Grilled Asparagus with Prosciutto Salad

For a healthier alternative I decided to try to eat more salads. Thomas Keller has a recipe for Grilled Asparagus with Prosciutto, fried bread, Poached Egg, and Aged Balsamic Vinegar Salad. It was delicious. I followed the recipe to the letter (including frying my own bread.) I'd definitely make this again.



I've never had pineapple upside down cake. I decided to try Thomas Keller's pineapple upside down cake. I used a fresh pineapple. Divine. What more can I say? ^_^ It's a rich butter cake with pineapples and a caramelized brown sugar glaze.

I've seen recipes for both the asparagus with prosciutto salad and pineapple upside down cake on various places on the web. I'm sure you should be able to get the recipe from one of those sites.

Ginger Milk 姜汁撞奶

Ginger milk is similar to a very delicate panna cotta. Ginger milk is great if you enjoy a smooth, silky, just set custard. It only contains milk, ginger, and sugar and is really easy to make. I first had it at a Chinese cafe and ever since I had it, I've been on a quest to make it. I've come across many recipes and often I've failed since they custard wouldn't set. I, however, finally stumbled upon a great recipe and had success.

The recipe is really simple.

Ingredients
1.25 bowl of whole milk (the milk will evaporate during cooking)
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
~1T ginger juice

1. Boil the milk. Stir constantly so the milk doesn't stick to the pan. Heat the milk to approximately 190 degrees F.
2. Once the milk boils, add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
3. Pour the milk between two rice bowls to cool the milk down. Try to keep as much distance between the bowls as possible so the milk cools. Repeat this about 3-4 times.
4. Pour the milk in one steady stream into the bowl which contains ginger juice.
5. Wait 5-10 minutes for the milk to coagulate.

Once you try this you'll love it. ^_^

The original recipe is here.

Vancouver - 2011

I love visiting Vancouver, more specifically Richmond, BC. There is a ton of great Chinese food in Richmond and it really is the next best thing to getting it from Asia. Ming and I decided to spend a weekend in Richmond and gorge our bellies silly. Mission accomplished.

Luckily our hotel was near all the restaurants (within walking distance!) so we didn't need to battle for parking. In the past we've had to deal with the parking madness and it's no fun. My tip is to try to stay at a hotel in the heart of Richmond to avoid having to circle around the parking lot.

We started off by eating a very simple BBQ lunch at HK BBQ Master. We had char siu, soy sauce chicken, roast pork (AKA siu yuk), and roast duck. Unfortunately we were so hungry that we didn't get around to taking a photo of the duck or chicken. I'd definitely go to HK BBQ Master again if we were in the mood for BBQ.



We decided to have dinner at Kirin. I had read many good things about it so decided to give it a try. Many patrons were eating Alaska King Crab since it was in season. Sadly, it was impossible for Ming and I to order one since they start at 8lbs. We had to content ourselves with eating other delicacies. Everything at Kirin was fantastic. My favorite dish of the night was probably the abalone.


Shark Fin Soup


Abalone


Duck in Taro Paste


Braised Tofu in Abalone sauce with Crab


House Special Chow Mein


Alaskan King Crab

The next day we planned to eat yum cha at one of our favorite Shanghainese restaurants: Shanghai River. We stumbled upon Shanghai River purely by chance on one trip. Once we tried it we were absolutely hooked. Ming's favorite item is the pan fried wonton. My favorite, however, is the deep fried egg puffs.

This restaurant makes the best xiao long bau. I've had the ones at Din Tai Fung and they are supposed to be the best. I have to say that I actually am more impressed by the xiao long bau at Shanghai River.


Employees making the xiao long bau


Pork xiao long bau


Crab xiao long bau


Housemade noodles with pork and chives


Pan Fried Wonton
The wonton skins are even made in the restaurant. They are slightly thicker and chewier than commerical made wonton skins.


Shao Bing


Deep Fried Egg Puffs filled with Red Bean

We had our final meal was at our favorite seafood restaurant. Sea Harbor is a very small, unassuming restaurant. It sits between several car dealerships. It doesn't look like anything special from the outside but once you get inside it looks much nicer than you'd expect.


Duck 2 ways: Peking Duck


Duck 2 ways: Duck in Lettuce Cups


Sea Cucumber Claypot


Hand Pulled Chicken

Kam Do is a bakery which specializes in Wife Cakes. I normally hate wife cakes. They're either too dry, too sweet, or just too heavy. Kam Do made me change my mind about wife cakes. They make several different kinds (with winter melon, date paste, walnut paste, and lotus paste) but my favorite one is the traditional winter melon filling.


Kam Do Box


Kam Do Wife Cakes

You may wonder if we actually ate everything since it seems like a lot of food for two people in a single weekend. Yes, we ate it *all*. ^_^ I told you that the food in Richmond is fanastic and we couldn't help but ensure we satisfied our food cravings.

BBQ Master
Master-Richmond
4651 #3 Rd
Richmond, BC V6X
(604) 272-6568

Kirin
200 Three West Centre,
7900 Westminster Highway (at No. 3 Road)
Richmond, British Columbia
Canada V6X 1A5
(604) 303-8833

Shanghai River
7831 Westminster Hwy., #110
Richmond, BC V6X4J4
(604) 233-8885

Sea Harbor
3711 No. 3 Road
Richmond, BC V6X2B8
604) 232-0816

Thomas Keller's Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie. Wait. Just let the words linger and see what images it conjures up in your mind.

OK. When you think of chicken pot pie it should bring to elicit thoughts of comfort food at its best. Chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce all surrounded by flaky pastry. Note, this should be *all* surrounded, top and bottom crusts please.

I've made chicken pot pie numerous times in the past. It's always been creamy, comforting goodness. I received the Ad Hoc cookbook as a present so I thought I'd begin my Thomas Keller initiation with the chicken pot pie recipe. I don't know what I expected from it. Yes, there were many, many, many steps involved in the preparation. I've always made pie crust from scratch so that part was nothing new. The preparation of the vegetables, however, was much more labor intensive. I had to buy fresh thyme (something I normally never do).

Was it all worth it in the end? You bet! Once you bite into the finished product you realize how pronounced and distinct each carrot, celery, potato piece is. It is a very refined chicken pot pie. If you scarf the entire thing down you may not realize how delicate the flavor is. I recommend you make this pie and really take the time to savor each bite. It's definitely worth it. The bechamel sauce is probably the most difficult part but it is most definitely worth the extra time and care you need to take with it.

Mr. Keller: I eagerly look forward to making more of your delicious recipes.

Roast Duck

I made a 5 hour slow roasted duck. It was amazing. I highly recommend it and I will definitely do it again. One thing to note: make sure you empty the fat from the pan each time you take the duck out to rotate it. If you don't you risk sloshing duck fat around in your oven and it messing up your oven. Trust me. I know.

There are many recipes posted on the web but I used this one.

Photos of the various stages of cooking: