March 21, 2011 · 6:01 pm

Meatless Monday: Latin-Style Black Bean Stew

This hearty black bean stew can be served alone, with rice, or as a side. The star anise brings out the natural sweetness of the lima beans and adds a little extra kick to the dish.

Latin-Style Black Bean Stew
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 quarts homemade vegetable stock or (1 quart of packaged vegetable stock with 3 quarts water)
1 pound dried black beans, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
8 ounce dried lima beans, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 star anise
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepot, heat oil over medium heat and cook onions, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and continue cooking until they begin to break down, another 2-3 minutes.

2. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add beans, sage, paprika, thyme, and star anise. (Do not add salt until the soup is finished – it will make the beans tough!) Adjust heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring to keep beans from sticking to the pot, every 15-20 minutes, until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Rina Oh is an artist, writer and chef and a Meatless Monday advocate. For the last year these Meatless Mondays recipes have appeared on Food2.com, a website that is owned and operated by Scripps Networks. These posts are copyrighted material and any photographs, illustrations or written material are forbidden to be used or reposted anywhere without permission. For more information on Meatless Monday, please visit meatlessmonday.com

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March 17, 2011 · 10:30 pm

Oeufs en Cocotte with Cream and Fresh Strawberry Jam

I made this delicious breakfast for my little boys this morning along with my five-minute rice pudding recipe which I promise to post very soon! You can create your own version by adding herbs, vegetables, and substituting the cream if you dare! Some versions of the classic Oeufs en Cocotte require two eggs, however considering the unwanted calories for my gourmand readers, I opted to use only one.

For my little gourmand elves

Recipe: Rina Oh

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients

6 ramekins, buttered

6 whole eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream reduced by half

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/3 french baguette, thinly sliced diagonally

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. Place an egg in each buttered ramekin, sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper and cover with two tablespoons of double heavy cream. Place in the oven at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes.
  2. On the stovetop in a medium saucepot, add strawberries, orange juice and sugar and mash to extract fruit juices. Stir frequently and reduce until sauce thickens on a simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside in a mixing bowl over an ice bath to cool if desired.
  3. Bake crustini in an oven at 350 degrees for about 3-4 minutes, remove and smear a teaspoon of butter on each slice, top with a tablespoon of fresh strawberry jam.

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· 4:54 pm

Judging the midterm at FCI

Wines served included Aramis Blanc 2008 not pictured here

The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. Last week I received a message from a Belgium Chef instructor at the French Culinary Institute inviting me to join a crew of six judges to dissect the works of Level 3 students during their midterm. Yet another offer I couldn’t refuse and found peculiarly pleasing to finally consent drinking the glass of wine whilst sitting through a four-course meal within school grounds. How could I say no to this?

The first course arrived in the traditional manner consommé is served-garniture in a hot bowl with underlining plate and the clarified broth served at table-side. No points were deducted for style of service. However the vegetables were inconsistent on the most part. Some were over cooked while others were al dente, varying in size that factored into uneven cooking. Emily and I surprised the other judges as we meticulously dissected the ingredients during the evaluation. Points were taken off for inconsistency in taillage, over cooked or under, color, plating techniques, and temperature. At one point discussing if perhaps we were being over critical of the student work. Alas, a gem appeared who stood out from the rest and any doubts of unfair judgement subsided.

The first skate fish arrives

Tempted to finish my initial skate fish, I thought to leave room for the remaining three versions no less. Afterall I had near a dozen plates to try before the night was over. My unfinished poussin course rotated around the table for others to try in the bread kitchen, where judging took place. The perfect skate raised the stakes and unfortunately for the remaining students, they had much to live up to.

The almost perfect bœuf bourguignon

The first student presenting a bœuf bourguignon dismissed plating a crucial ingredient-the noodles. Points fiercely came off their charts. The second had over cooked one side of the crouton and it was burned so naturally I didn’t care to taste it. Although the meat was tender, it missed a mark in my taste buds. A little salt can go a long way indeed. The final version delivered a perfect crouton immersed in parsley on the broader end. The correct number of garniture ratio and the sauce held a correct consistency. A little wipe here and there could have earned this one a perfect score.

I was beginning to realize why chefs invented trails in kitchens. After seeing the results tonight, I would only hire a handful of the students if I had a fine dining restaurant. Preferring those who remembered to season the final sauce, presenting polished, hot plates and delivering on time. There’s a reason why establishments such as Le Bernardin and Daniel require four-months on the waiting list before granting a trail in their kitchens.

An over sauced pate choux

I’m not the biggest fan of pate choux and could have exploded by the time dessert arrived. I managed to finish the chantilly crème in the first round. Although the chocolate was rather cold and over sauced on my plate. The remaining presentations seemed mediocre. I understand the difficulty of the students having to create two dishes and this was after all their midterm exam. Nostalgia began to fill me and I began to recount the day I took mine.

This version was still raw inside

By the end of the evening students gathered around our table as Chef Alain instructed us to provide a summarized critique of their work. A bit off the standard one-on-one criticism we were accustomed to at FCI, no less. I felt disappointed to never conclude why the noodles were missing on my bœuf bourguignon. My word of advise to the students: “take a minute to look over your plates, make sure you have all the elements there. I noticed some came in a minute early yet forgot essential plating garnishes, you should have spent the extra minute refining your presentations”. Chef Veronica, whose ghostly voice seemed to ring in my ear throughout the night as I couldn’t help but channel her energy during my final words.

***

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March 14, 2011 · 1:06 am

Mixed Vegetable and Persian Cucumber Curry

Recipe: Rina Oh

You can also view this recipe along with my other Meatless Monday dishes on Food Network’s sister site Food2!

Have you ever thought about cooking cucumbers? If you haven’t, try this vegetarian curry dish with Persian cucumbers. They’re found in local Asian markets and are often used in Indian cuisine. I found these at a local Bollywood video store. You can eat them raw or add them into a stir fry, stew, or curry.

Mixed Vegetable and Persian Cucumber Curry

Ingredients:

1 cup raw basmati rice
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb kale, core removed and chopped 1” pieces
6 cups water
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 curry leaves
5 dried cardamon seeds
1 medium carrot, diced
4 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 cups vegetable broth or water
2 cups sliced cucumbers
1 15-ounce can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can lima beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine rice with 1 cup water in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow rice to stand, covered, for an additional five minutes.

2. Boil 6 cups water and cook kale until bright green and tender, about five minutes. Drain.

3. In a large saucepot, heat grapeseed oil and cook onions over medium-low heat until translucent, about five minutes. Add cardamon seeds and curry leaves, and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add carrots and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Combine curry powder, flour, and chili powder and add to onions and carrots. Add drained kale, raise heat to medium, and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable stock and cucumbers, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Stir in beans and adjust seasonings if necessary. If the curry is too thin, you can adjust thickness by adding flour one teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

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March 13, 2011 · 6:47 pm

Zang Toi Woos Fate with Lucky Fried Chicken Night

Report, Photos and Illustration by Rina Oh

Originally posted on February 15, 2011 | Short Order on the insatiable-critic.com

Zang Toi's neighbor Mike Carper feeds him a prêt-a-porter chicken.

Forget about Turbot Souffle and Mosaic of Capon. That’s what fashion darling Zang Toi orders at Daniel on carefree nights. He favors the four-star pseudo Marie Antoinette décor and haute cuisine. But the night before launching the new collection belongs to the classic American bird from Kentucky Fried Chicken on West 34th Street, no less.

If Zang could play an instrument, he could be the Malaysian Amadeus Mozart, and his muses would serve bottomless Champagne joined by truffles in their flesh sucking corsets with bosoms bulging. His patrons are high fashion socialites of New York and reality-show housewives whose fashion expense accounts average a whopping $300,000 per season.

Niki Cheng and model Ling Tan.

There they were Saturday at 7 p.m. after the last rehearsal, joining the exhausted show room crew: muses, buyers, backers, mannequins, Birkin bags on one arm, spearing chicken parts with the other, in the designer’s near sacred ritual: Zang’s Lucky Chicken Night

It began in 1991 on the eve of the Mouton-Cadet Young Designers Award finale. Zang, an ambitious and driven designer, could barely afford dining out. His House of Toi consisted of himself, an assistant and the seamstress. He gave the seamstress some cash to fetch dinner. She returned with carryout fried chicken. The next day, he won the competition and it become essential to have fried chicken the night before any fashion show. Now his staff sets up “Zang’s Lucky Chicken Night,” in a famil-style show room buffer. This year his office boy DyDy picked up 230 pieces of chicken, and tubs of biscuits, corn and cole slaw.

Zang Toi and his muses illustration by Rina Oh

Vegetarians seem to consider it a night outside of their normal reality. Last year, a supposed vegetarian buyer from an unnamed department store ate half a chicken. Word quickly spread in fashion circuits. Lean-and-long, the models stood quietly in corners, licking teaspoons filled with mashed potatoes, debating over a final drumstick. A crumble or two of red velvet cake was irresistible. No one seemed anxious about zipping up the next day.

Zang, a fan of home cooking too, is compiling his favorite recipes for a cookbook with an expected release date in 2013. Are you surprised?

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· 5:15 pm

Rina’s Food2 recipes!

A few months ago I visited the Food Network offices inside the Chelsea Market to interview for a writing position. I didn’t get to write about my culinary school experience as per the interview since my graduation date was too near. Later on in the afternoon I received a call from the editor asking if I was interested to work as a contributing writer for the Food2 blog. This was great news, and more than expected! Since then I’ve been submitting weekly vegetarian recipes for the Meatless Mondays feature! If you’re unaware of what that entails, try a google search and you’ll be amazed at the amount of people who are on board with the initiative. We’re not encouraging you to go completely meatless, but rather encouraging a broader vegetable intake. I’ve updated this site by including all the recipes submitted on Food2. They are listed below starting with the recent post with more to come soon! Click here to see the entire list of recipes.

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March 9, 2011 · 5:07 am

Goffle Road Poultry

The Goffle Road Poultry sign right off Wyckoff Ave.

The last two days were filled with organic chicken dinners thanks to the little family owned Goffle Road Poultry store in Wyckoff, NJ. I discovered this walk in shop a few years ago through the recommendation of locals. I’ve previously ordered Japanese Silky chickens, known in Asian cuisine for its healing medicinal benefits to pregnant and menopausal women.

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by and ordered two fresh killed chickens along with six chicken sausages before returning home to conjure up my Roasted Chicken with Yama Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions recipe. Three of the sausages were sweet and the remaining filled with hints of spicy pepper. I’ve tried both on several occasions and usually barbeque the sausage. Since the weather is not yet permitting, I poached the poulet boudin and seared it tonight.

Below is the recipe for dinner prepared this evening, Chicken Boudin and Lentils with Braised Korean Hot Peppers. The total preparation and cooking time is under an hour. I highly recommend buying poultry and other meats from local sustainable farmers. Along with chicken, the Goffle Road Poultry store offers fresh killed turkeys for T-day  and specialty game meats, home made sausages, organic chicken eggs along with local sustainable honey and other dry goods. The total price of two whole chickens and six sausage links cost me a little over $20.00 dollars.

Goffle Road Poultry 549 Goffle Road Wyckoff, NJ 07481

Tel: (201) 444-3238

***

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March 8, 2011 · 2:44 am

Roasted Chicken with Yama Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions

Recipe: Rina Oh

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients

2 2 ½ -3 lbs. whole chickens

1/4 cup grapeseed oil for cooking

1 tablespoon sea salt

fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

8 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 lb. yama sweet potatoes, mirepoix

2 large carrots, mirepoix

1 large white onion, mirapoix

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

sea salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Season Chicken skin and cavity with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan on the stovetop on medium-high (wait until the pan is very hot) and add two tablespoons of grapeseed oil. Reduce heat to medium and sear trussed chicken for about 2-3 minutes on each side  starting with the leg, back, leg, breast until skin is golden brown. The color of the final chicken will be determined during the initial searing. Make sure you get the color desired now! Repeat steps for the second chicken, add garlic and rosemary into cavity and grease chicken with butter. Set aside.
  3. On the stovetop heat a saute pan, add grapeseed oil and cook vegetables on medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes until they start to carmelize. Remove from pan and into a roasting pan. Make a well in the center and add chickens.
  4. Roast in the oven for about an hour and a half. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Quarter chicken, starting with the legs, then breasts.


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March 7, 2011 · 4:57 pm

Meatless Monday: Middle Eastern Falafel Burgers

This is a non-traditional way to serve falafel, and a good vegetarian burger recipe. If you want to trim some calories, skip the frying part and bake the patties in the oven instead.

Falafel Burger with Olive Hummus and Tabbouleh Salsa
Yields 6 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Burgers:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 small onion, quartered
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Corn oil or grapeseed oil, for frying
6 brioche rolls, sliced horizontally

Salsa:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup diced tomato
1/2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons mint, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch black pepper

Hummus:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon pine nuts

Directions

1. Make burgers: Add chickpeas, water, garlic, onion, cumin, parsley, salt, pepper, bakingsoda and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until minced but not pureed, scraping the sides of the bowl down when necessary.

2. Form into 1-inch balls and then flatten with a spatula. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add falafel patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

4. Make salsa: Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice until emulsified. Toss with remaining ingredients.

5. Make hummus: Combine chick peas, tahini, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor and run until smooth and creamy. Top with chopped olives and pine nuts.

6. To assemble: Place 2 patties on each bun. Top with salsa, and serve with hummus.

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March 5, 2011 · 6:08 am

A 690 Calorie Luncheon for the Gourmand

Niki Cheng at the Canyon Ranch Luncheon in NYC

Tuscan, Arizona could certainly be one of the future go-to destinations for a week-long getaway. We briefly discussed planning a ladies’ trip out west for some pampering and rejuvenation which is much desired these days. A few days ago I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive luncheon organized by Canyon Ranch. Maria Bartiromo and Richard H. Carmona, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States hosted the private event. We were escorted into a lofty event space where the décor hinted a bit of Martha’s influence.

There I am, patiently waiting for the four course meal

Upon entering the sunlit private room we handed the outerwear supervisor our coats then received our place cards with poise and sipped on ginger tea before finding our table. A Canyon Ranch representative was strategically placed to dine with guests at each of the nine tables, including ours.

Trio of Soups: spring pea with mint, butternut squash, seasonal mushroom

The first course arrived in a shooter style trio of vegetable soups and I couldn’t refuse a glass of white wine to accompany the starter. The fresh heart of palm salad reminded me of my menu project course of scallop and quail egg. Microgreens and citrus vinaigrette are a marriage of good relations in my book of taste.

fresh heart of palm salad

The main entrée excluded those sinful carbs when replaced by sesame chick-pea puree beneath perfectly cooked Chilean sea bass and wilted greens. The happy fish and beans were served with grapefruit segments in a light citrus vinaigrette.

marine stewardship council certified chilean sea bass

I thought to refuse the chocolate cake at this point however, Fern Mallis didn’t seem to mind the calories and a split second decision was made after seeing her finish the cake. Or at least I suppose she did. I wasn’t looking in fact, being too consumed to finish mine, all except for a raspberry left at the end.

warm chocolate cake

Niki nor I won the raffle ticket for an all inclusive four night stay at the Canyon Ranch in Tuscan AZ. Our goodie bags were stuffed with spa essentials and a cookbook was later discovered. The home made trail mix turned out to be quite a hit with the two year old back at home the following day, thanks to the efforts of Canyon Ranch corporate chef Scott Uehlein who planned our delectable tasting and co-authored Canyon Ranch Nourish, indulgently healthy cuisine.

For reservations at Canyon Ranch properties call 800-742-9000

***

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