lazy din tai fung cucumber salad recipe

So, one of my favorite things to order at one of my favorite restaurants in the world is the cucumber salad at Din Tai Fung, but many of the recipes I've seen online require brining the cucumber and then waiting and rinsing it, and who's got time for that?

So, here's an easier recipe that tastes just as good (to me) without all of the waiting or extra steps.

lazy din tai fung cucumber salad recipe

a super easy yet flavorful starter or side dish

prep time: 2-5 minutes (depends on how long it takes you to chop up your cucumber) :-)
serves 4

  ingredients

• about 2 c cucumber, sliced (~1 English cucumber or ~8 Persian cucumbers) 
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar (or equivalent)
• 3 tsp/1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 fresh cloves or 2 tsp minced garlic 
• 1 tsp sesame oil and/or chili oil (optional)
• sesame seeds (optional)

  directions

1. slice cucumber into thin pieces (we like lots of small pieces for more dressing in each bite)
2. sprinkle salt over cucumber and stir to combine
3. add in sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and oil(s) and stir well
4. sprinkle sesame on top to make it look pretty :-)
5. enjoy!

We had teriyaki salmon and tofu, and this cucumber salad was the perfect side. (Ooh! And we had the leftover salmon and tofu in tacos the next day, and they were great with a new batch of cucumber salad as Asian tacos, too!)

Even our 4-year-old gobbled it up (after declaring she would not eat any cucumbers). I'll call that a win! :-)

Happy eating!

mauritius

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Greetings from Mauritius!

In case you aren't familiar with this little island, it's just east of Madagascar (which you may remember first as a movie about New York zoo animals being stranded in "the wild" and secondly as the large island off the southeast coast of Africa).

People describe Mauritius as the world on an island, partly because the people here are multiethnic, multilingual, multicultural, and multi-religious, and partly because of the diverse flora and fauna. But I think of Mauritius more as a series of pleasant surprises that challenge your assumptions and toss them out the window.

Here I am in Africa, for example, expecting to see African people, but instead, most people look Indian (Southeast Asian Indian) (and almost all of the guests in our hotel were Indian, too). The official language of Mauritius is English, but these Indian-looking people speak French instead. And while the endless fields of sugarcane might suggest some kind of slow pastoral scene, the airport is dazzlingly efficient, the highways are as nice as the German autobahns, and the buses are more punctual than the ones we had in Darmstadt.

juicing for health

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This juicing trend has been around for years, and I didn't have any opinion of it one way or the other until I saw my brother-in-law last month for the holidays.

He has a desk job and had slowly gained weight, as so many people do. First, he lost about twenty pounds five years ago after we shared The China Study with our families. He started doing yoga for his back. Then, he started juicing.

happy eating

With Thanksgiving around the corner, here's a great happify infographic on how to get the most out of your eating experience. Enjoy!

when to buy organic

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I've been told I should get organic food for my baby.  I haven't really been vigilant about it.  But here's a list of when it's recommended and when we can get by without, from the Environmental Working Group:

Dirty Dozen (buy organic)

apples
celery
strawberries
peaches
spinach
nectarines - imported
grapes - imported
sweet bell peppers
potatoes
blueberries - domestic
lettuce
kale/collard greens

Clean 15 (lowest in pesticides)

onions
sweet corn
pineapples
avocado
asparagus
sweet peas
mangoes
eggplant
cantaloupe - domestic
kiwi
cabbage
watermelon
sweet potatoes
grapefruit
mushrooms

Hope that helps.

cochabamba, bolivia

 

Cochabamba is in the heart of Bolivia, which is in the heart of South America, so one could argue that Cochabama is the heart of South America.  But it is called the breadbasket of Bolivia and is more of a mellow little city than would really fit the 'heart of South America.'

In any case, Cochabamba is special to me because my partner grew up there from age four to eighteen, and I was thrilled to spend some time there and see his old house, his old school, meet old friends and family, etc.  And it was charming in its own right.

 

 

The cuñapes (cheese-filled bread in a mochi-like rice-based dough) are delicious!

And go nicely with this concoction: shot of espresso with sweetened condensed milk.  Decadent and guaranteed to keep you bouncing off the walls-- until you crash from the sugar high.

 

culinary disaster and the redeeming artichoke heart salad

I already mentioned my addiction to groupon and my new adventures into the land of culinary arts. Unfortunately, these did not combine very well with my gobble green groupon.

So, we do not own a microwave, and these fresh and wonderful vegan meals are frozen, so we have the option of either heating the food up in the oven or on the stove. I thought it would be easy enough to boil the plastic bag, but ha! I was wrong. I told my partner I'd make dinner two nights ago and then totally lost track of time until fifteen minutes before he was due home. Oops.

My partner is a saint because we had a dinner that was still frozen in parts (nothing like a brick of frozen pasta to whet the appetite), and he did not complain once. (Incidentally, the first gobble green meal we had (that my partner heated up) was quite good. The portions are small, but the "meatloaf" was flavorful with a tomato sauce, and the chickpea salad was nice and light.)

Well, last night, I decided I wanted to try to redeem myself, so I made a pluot and cheese appetizer and an artichoke heart salad that was actually quite delicious. I'm no food photographer, but I thought they looked pretty nice (especially the vibrant colors in the salad).

The appetizer was simply sliced pluot with sliced cheese (Tillamook Colby Jack-- yum), and it was a really nice combination.

The artichoke heart salad was made with what I had around: spinach, a red pepper, baby carrots, marinated artichoke hearts and an avocado (living in California is amazing if you love avocados). The balsamic dressing was made up of balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano (I kept adding bits until I thought it tasted nice). I've heard adding brown sugar in balsamic dressing is nice, too, but I haven't tried it yet.

With toasted homemade bread, it was a really nice dinner. And for dessert, we had chocolate covered salted caramel macadamia nuts. Yeah, I think I could get into becoming a foodie...

venturing into the land of culinary arts

Living alone with my partner for the first time without a dining hall means we have to fend for ourselves when it comes to meals (hello, adulthood-- I'm finally here), and I'm looking forward to learning how to cook. I've been an Irma or, at best, a one-trick pony cupcake baker, but (contrary to what some may think) I realize that we'll have to eat more than just cupcakes to stay alive.

I don't know why exactly, but I decided the way to become proficient in the kitchen was to have gadgets, so I went on the craigslist prowl and found a breadmaker for $5 (score!) and a brand new Cuisinart electric pressure cooker (wooo...) for $50. I saved myself about $150 between the two machines, and they've been great!

(Aside: it's funny to remember how I swore I'd only live in cosmopolitan cities and would never become domestic. Of course, I also said I'd never live on the east coast after college, would never go to graduate school and would never get married. At this rate, I should decide never to win the lottery...)

But back to the culinary arts. The pressure cooker is like a steamer/convection oven/microwave, but supposedly healthier because it's sealed to keep in all of the nutrients. And it is amazingly fast: we had an entire chicken cooked with tender meat coming off the bone plus perfectly cooked carrots and potatoes in about half an hour.

To make the perfect pressure cooker "roast chicken," you sauté garlic and onions on the stove until the onions are soft, then sauté the chicken (turning over frequently) until the skin turns golden brown, and then throw everything in the pressure cooker with carrots, potatoes and chicken broth. I have to confess that since I'm still a novice and don't like handling meat, my partner (who is an excellent cook) did all of this.

Depending on your pressure cooker, the time will vary a bit, but our instruction manual told us to set the timer for 24 minutes to cook a whole (three pound) chicken. And then voilà, dinner-- in the time it would normally take for an oven to preheat... I exaggerate, but it's pretty amazing, considering it would take hours and hours to get the same result in the oven. Apparently, you can make some incredible cheesecakes in there, too. I'll keep you posted on that.

With our leftovers, we used our food processor (yay, kitchen toys) to purée the potatoes, onions, carrots and broth to make a nice hearty soup (which we then heated on the stove with some extra veggies). With our homemade bread, it made for a nice dinner on a cool fall evening.

Onto the breadmaker! We make a fresh loaf of bread every few days, and it's so easy! You open the lid, dump in the liquid ingredients then the dry ingredients, push a button, and if you'd like (because there's a timer), you can wake up to the incredible aroma of freshly baked bread and have a hot homemade loaf waiting for you for breakfast.

I've been impressed with the quality of the bread, too-- it has a baguette-like crunchy crust and a soft and moist interior. We've tried several different recipes that came with the instruction manual, including the deluxe white, the honey wheat, the oatmeal and the wheat, and our favorite so far is the wheat, which I'll include here, in case you have or are inclined to get a breadmaker, too.

With all ingredients at room temperature, add:

10-12 oz water

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (I think it's better with 2 tbsp)

2 tbsp molasses

2 c bread flour

2 c whole wheat flour

2 tsp active dry yeast

Select whole wheat setting and desired crust (light, medium or dark), then press Start/Stop. When display reads 0:00, press Start/Stop to cancel and remove bread. Easy peasy.

A quick note on bread flour from our manual that you might find useful:

Bread flour is milled from hard wheat and contains a higher percentage of protein than regular all-purpose flour, usually 14% or higher. This is also referred to as the gluten content, which gives structure and height to the bread. If bread flour is not available in your area, all-purpose flour with a protein content of 14% or higher is an acceptable substitution. Bread flour requires no sifting.

Also, you can use pretty much any liquid when making your bread, from milk and juice to beer and fruit purées. Using water as your liquid of choice results in a "crisper crust and more open texture," while buttermilk yields a "light, high-rising and tender bread."

The fat enriches the bread's flavor and keeps it tender and moist. If you want a softer crust, use olive oil instead of butter. If you want your bread to last longer, peanut oil (and buttermilk as your liquid) keep the bread fresh for a longer period of time.

I haven't tried making any of the sweet breads yet, but I'm looking forward to making a fresh loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, apple walnut bread, banana chocolate chip bread, zucchini bread... And if you prefer salty to sweet, you also have the option of savory breads like parmesan herb bread, cottage cheese and chives and so on. I know, I sound like Bubba Gump. Barbecued shrimp, grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp cocktail...

Well, for better or worse, you can be sure there will be more posts on food to come. Do you have any recipes you'd recommend for someone starting out on their culinary adventure?

And I'm not done with travel posts, either, as I still have a few continents to catch up on...

I was inspired by my friend's beautiful blog and her recent post about mooncakes and street art in San Francisco. Here in San Luis Obispo, there aren't exactly Chinese bakeries on every corner, so I figured I'd have to resort to homemade mooncakes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Festival, 中秋節).

And wikihow pleasantly surprised me by actually offering instructions on how to make your own mooncakes. They even have a video. Enjoy!

How to Make Moon Cakes

Moon cakes are traditional Chinese pastries that are made during the Moon festival (or Harvest Festival), which is celebrated in China, Vietnam, and other countries in Asia. Moon cakes are usually round and contain a sweet filling, with the most common one being red bean paste. This recipe uses a filling based on a preserve (jam) with dried fruits, for added sweetness.

Things you'll need:

• 2 mixing bowls
• Flour sifter
• Floured wooden board or similar surface
• 2 baking sheets
• Parchment paper (baking paper)
• 2 pastry brushes
• Moon cake press
• Wire cooling rack
• Packaging boxes (optional)

Ingredients

Dough

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• 3/4 cup dried milk powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)

Filling

• 1 cup apricot preserves (jam) (equivalent of one 12 ounce jar)
• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut (desiccated coconut)
• 3/4 cup raisins (or sultanas)

Glaze

• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons water

Steps

1. 
   
   1
   Make the moon cake dough. In one bowl, mix the flour, milk powder, and salt together.
   
   
2. 
   
   
   2
   
   
   
   Break the eggs into another bowl. Add the sugar, and beat together for up to 5 minutes. Pour in the melted butter, vanilla extract. Fold through all ingredients.
   
   
3. 
   
   
   3
   
   
   
   Add the sifted, dry ingredients to the liquid mixture. Foldin to create a dough.
   
   
4. 
   
   
   4
   Knead the dough. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Once smooth, the dough is ready.
   
   
   • 
     
     
     
     
     

     Roll out a log; if chilling for better performance, wrap in plastic food wrap
     Roll a log shape from the dough. If possible, at this point it is helpful to let the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight, as this makes it easier to work with.
     
     
   • Cut into evenly sized rounds. There will be approximately 15 to 20 pieces.
     
     
5. 
   
   
   5
   
   
   
   Make the filling. Mix the apricot preserves, chopped dates, coconut and raisins together in a small bowl. Use a fork to mash down any large, chunky pieces of apricot.
   
   
6. 
   
   
   6
   
   
   
   Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Prepare two baking sheets by covering in parchment paper.
   
   
7. 
   
   
   7
   
   
   
   Press each dough piece into a 3-inch (7.5 cm) circle. When stretching the dough, make the edges thinner and the center thicker.
   
   
8. 
   
   
   8
   Add the filling. Press the filling into the middle of each circle. Gather the edges over to enclose the filling and pinch closed. Roll into a ball, then flatten.
   
   
9. 
   
   
   9
   
   
   
   Prepare the moon cake press. Add flour to it to help ease the cake out after pressing.
   
   
   • 
     
     
     
     
     
     Then, press each flattened circle in the mold to shape the moon cake. To remove each pressed cake, bang all four sides, until it comes out.
     
     
   • If you don't have a moon cake press, try to shape the cake as round as possible and use a fork or a skewer to draw a design. It can be as simple as making a cross or a series of lines, or more elaborate if you're patient. Another alternative is to press a design from a thoroughly clean stamp (from a craft store), chocolate mold, or similar mold into the top of the rounded cake.
     
     
10. 
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    Brush each moon cake with egg wash. Place each cake about 1 inch (2.5cm) apart on a baking sheet. Once each baking sheet it filled, put them into the oven.
    
    
11. 
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    Bake for 30 minutes or until the moon cakes turn golden brown.
    
    
12. 
    
    
    12
    Remove from the oven. Leave to cool on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, they are ready to serve or package.
    
    
    • Serve with Chinese tea.
      
      
    • 
      
      
      
      
      
      Package in little boxes for distributing as gifts.

Tips

• You'll need two brushes: one for the flour and one for the egg wash.
• You can add any filling that you want to your moon cake. For a red bean filling, soak 1 pound of red beans in water overnight. Drain the beans. Bring 8 cups of fresh water to the boil and add the drained beans. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the bean skins break open. Drain the water. In a small saucepan, pour in some crushed nuts of your choice (walnut, hazelnut, almond, cashew, etc.), cooked beans, a little oil and sugar and cook until all moisture evaporates. Leave to cool before using; this can be very hot to touch!