Honey Milk Tea Pudding with Boba

One of my favorite desserts is pudding. I grew up eating custards and egg puddings from Japanese convenience stores, so I love eating anything with that silky creamy texture. So here's a creation of mine making boba milk tea into puddings!

This is best served within 24 hours because boba tends to become a little stiff.

Honey Milk Tea Pudding with Boba

makes 4 small pudding cups

1 3/4 cup whole milk

2 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp honey

3 Lipton black tea bags

1 package (1 tbsp) gelatin

1/2 cup dried boba/tapioca balls

3 cups water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1. To make boba: In a medium pot, boil 3 cups of water and 1/4 cup brown sugar. When it boils, add the boba and let simmer in medium heat for 3 mins (it should float). Switch heat off and let sit for another few minutes while you prepare pudding
2. In a small pot, mix milk, sugar, honey and gelatin. Add tea bags and heat until milk is bubbling at edges and everything is dissolved. Squeeze and remove tea bags. Allow to cool for a minutes
3. Strain milk tea pudding mixture and pour equally into small pudding cups. Add 1 tbsp of prepared boba. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours
4. Serve with a dollop of honey and remaining boba balls

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Gouda Grilled Kim-Cheese Sandwich with Avo and Prosciutto

I'm stuck in the SICU again for 5 weeks, where our hours are 24hrs on/24hrs off. The hours blows, but I do get a day of sunlight and time to do normal human things like making doctor's appointments and going to the bank. The weather has been a snowy this week and luckily I went grocery shopping, because I am definitely not walking out in the mush!

Here's a sandwich I made on my off day! Lots of gouda cheese, prosciutto and avocado. The sautéed kimchi brings the acidity to help cut the greasiness. So good :)

Gouda Grilled Kim-Cheese Sandwich with Avo and Prosciutto

makes 1 sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread
1 clove garlic
1 pat of butter
3 slices of gouda cheese
1/4 cup kimchi, coarsely chopped
1 slice prosciutto
1/2 avocado, sliced lengthwise

1. Rub garlic onto bread, or you can mince it and spread it on. Spread butter and toast to your liking
2. Heat small pan with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil. Saute kimchi until slightly soft for 2-3 mins 
3. Add on gouda to a slice of bread and allow to toast lightly as well to make it nice and soft
4. Place on a plate to assemble sandwich. Add the warm kimchi on top of gouda, which will also help melt it
5. Tear prosciutto to lay over kimchi and place avocado and bread on top. 

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Matcha Strawberry Black Sesame Cookies

Aaand I'm back after a long break from blogging! Residency has a way of getting into... life :/ I just finished my pediatric surgery rotation and on transplant now. So between organ harvesting and transplanting, I found myself with some extra time!

I met a lot of awesome people during my peds surg rotation, so I baked a batch of these cookies for them. I've been itching to make something with freeze dried strawberries, since I bought a pack and didn't know what to do with them. So on a whim, I thought matcha, strawberries and black sesame would go so well together. The cookies have a more cake like texture in the middle from the extra yolk and a fruity and nutty taste. They were quickly gobbled up by the residents!

Matcha Strawberry Black Sesame Cookies

Makes ~30 cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp matcha powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup freeze dried strawberries, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp black sesame

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, matcha powder, baking soda and salt
3. In a medium bowl, melt butter and then beat in sugar (brown and white), vanilla, egg + egg yolk
4. Mix dry and wet ingredients until everything is just incorporated
5. Fold in freeze dried strawberries and black sesame. Use a heaping teaspoon and place dough on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. The cookies don't spread much
6. Bake until edges are just golden brown. Cool on rack for at least 10 minutes

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Crab Green Tea Ochazuke - 녹차 오차즈케

The weather in NYC is messing with us. It was so hot the other day and today, when I stepped outside for coffee it was freaking freezing. I wanted to enjoy the sun and warmth since we have no windows in the resident's lounge :( I can't imagine how vitamin D deficient I am.

Let me tell you about ochazuke. It's this Japanese dish where you place rice, some salty topping and pour in hot tea. It really doesn't seem like much, but it's so soothing to eat and also easy to make. Sometimes when you're sick or want a quick meal, you can whip up this warm dish and enjoy it under blankets 😊

Here I added on top of the cooked rice, some thinly julienned leek, crab, roe and furikake. I also torched some seasoned nagaimo as a side dish.

Crab Green Tea Ochazuke - 녹차 오차즈케

makes 1 bowl

1 cup cooked white rice
thinly julienned leek
cooked crab meat
1 tbsp roe
Handful furikake
1 cup freshly brewed green tea

1. Literally top all together in a bowl and pour hot tea over it

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Mini Okonomiyaki

Today, I overheard a man at Whole Foods saying he would like to see Tom Brady on his back. And that's when I realized it was the Superbowl tomorrow ... especially after I saw a pack of Korean BBQ wings and sweet chili wings at 1/2 the price! I'm a sucker for wings and a good sale 😏.

I thought I might make mini versions of the popular Japanese savory pancake, okonomiyaki. I haven't made these in a while, but it's so simple to make and only requiring very few ingredients. It would be great for potlucks and for bringing to the Superbowl viewing party if you're into that 😗

Although you do need a few key things like Okonomiyaki or Tonkatsu sauce, Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and sweet mayonnaise. But all these things can be found in your local Asian store!

Mini Okonomiyaki

makes 10 four inch pancakes

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup water
2 cups cabbage, finely diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 slices turkey bacon, sliced thinly

1 stalk green onion, chopped
kewpie mayonnaise
okonomi sauce
katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add beaten 2 large eggs and 3/4 cup water and stir to make a batter that has the consistency of a thick pancake batter
2. Chop cabbage finely and dice onion. Toss into batter and coat well
3. Heat frying pan on low-medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add a few slices of turkey bacon to the pan and scoop 1/4 cup of okonomiyaki batter on top
4. Cover and fry until golden brown (about 2 mins) and flip to do the same on the other side
5. Spread okonomiyaki sauce while hot and squeeze mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern, then sprinkle bonito flakes and chopped green onions for garnish
6. Serve hot

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Pearl Barley with Korean Spring Greens + A Le Creuset Giveaway

My favorite food season has to be Spring, especially because it's the season of wild herbaceous Korean spring greens! They are called bom-namul (bom: spring, namul: wild plants) and are usually delightfully bitter and super nutritious. A lot of these are eaten raw and seasoned lightly with gochujang or soy based sauce, or they are added in a variety of soups and adds wonderful aromatic flavors to the dish like this stone pot rice!

Here's a little lesson to the greens I'm using in this dish. In the most left of the picture above of the bright leafy greens, is called minari (미나리) aka Korean watercress. It also looks and tastes similar to Chinese celery. It has a very crisp, fresh herby taste and is a popular side dish and ingredient in bibimbap. It's iron content is higher than spinach, calcium content more than milk and an excellent source of other minerals.

The middle of the picture you see greens that look like succulents is called dol-namul or dot-namul (돋나물). They grow on rocky soil and is really a leafy succulent that is very juicy and sweet. It has a very mild flavor so it is usually eaten raw and tossed into salads. In the small bowl at the right is a leafy vegetable called chwi-namul (취나물) that grows in the mountains and field. It has a heart-shaped serrated leaves that are sort of fuzzy and has a mild bitter and grassy flavor. If you've had perilla leaves, it's sort of like that, but more spinach mouth-feel. All these vegetables can be found in your local Korean supermarket. If not I've put some suggestions below for substitute vegetable you'll find anywhere.

I've been a long time fan of Le Creuset items and when I was given this Sakura Dutch Oven, I couldn't wait to do a spring time dish for it. I love doing rice dishes like this or pilaf in a dutch oven because the food inside the pot loses no moisture due to the heavy lid and everything gets surrounded and cooked in the steam that's created. This results in a locked in super flavorful dish and makes veggies very tender and rice extremely fluffy. This particular dutch oven I received is 4.5 qt and can make large portions enough for a family with lots of hungry children :)

I love cherry blossoms and was really sad that the weather was too cold for a really big bloom in the DC area. Although, nothing beats seeing them in Kyoto or Korea. It's absolutely beautiful there, but I'm glad I have this pot for some sakura admiring year-round!

If you'd like a Sakura Dutch Oven of your own, follow both @lecreuset and @misshangrypants on Instagram, tag two friends and comment what you'd make in this too.

Pearl Barley with Korean Spring Greens

makes 4-6 servings

1.5 cups pearl barley
1.5 cups short grain rice
3.5 cups konbu/dashima stock ** see steps for alternative

1.5 cups chwinamul (possible substitute - perilla leaves or swiss chard or spinach)
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp garlic, minced

8 bella mushrooms, sliced (or morels)
1 bunch minari (aka Korean watercress or dropwort; possible substitute - Chinese celery)
2 cups dolnamul (possible substitute - wild chives, ramps or fiddleheads)

Sauce
2 red chilis, sliced finely
2 stalks green onion, diced
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1.5 tsp roasted sesame seeds

1. Wash pearl barley and rice together in a large dutch oven (or pot) and then cover well with water and soak for 2 hours
2. To prepare konbu/dashima stock, simmer two pieces of 4x4" of dashima in 4 cups of water for 10 mins. Alternatively you can use 1:1 dilution of vegetable broth and water. Drain soaked barley rice and pour 3.5 cups of made stock. Bring to boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes with lid on, then turn down heat to low for an additional 10 mins
3. Meanwhile prepare vegetables: for chwinamul, you may find this fresh in supermarkets or frozen. Don't get the dried version as that is usually made into a Korean banchan. Cut chwinamul into 1" length and blanch in hot water for 30-45s. Run under cold water to stop it cooking and squeeze all the water out. Then sauté and loosen with 1 tsp sesame oil, pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of minced garlic for 3 minutes. Alternatively you could use swiss chard in the same manner! The rest of the vegetables just need to be washed and set aside. Cut minari into 1" length as well
4.  Once cooking time has reached 20mins, open lid and add sliced mushrooms and chwinamul right on top of the rice. Cover pot with lid again and let cook on low for another 10 mins
5. Switch off heat and let barley rice sit for 5 mins, then add cut minari and dolnamul and fluff rice while mixing vegetables gently
6. Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve rice hot with sauce on the side to mix in to taste

This post was sponsored by Le Creuset. I'm teaming up with them via CoactionPR to create awesome recipes. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

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Soy Eggs in Miso Ramen Nest

I'm back in LA for a bit and it is hot hot hot! My face has become several shades darker just from driving around 😱. Alsoooo, I finally got me a studio in Manhattan! Luckily it's subsidized by the hospital, or I'd be living out of a cardboard box at the rate some of these apartments go! Can't believe I'm going to be a New Yorker and living in the city!

Anyway, keeping up with the Easter theme, I made some coconut macaroon nests before on the blog, but I saw this on TastyJapan's Instagram and thought it was a brilliant Easter nest idea too. The nest part is made of baked ramen so it's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Then I topped it with delicious ramen toppings, like soy marinated eggs and corn. You can put whatever you like on top and make it vegetarian too!

Soy Eggs in Miso Ramen Nest

makes 5-6 "nests"

Soy Marinated Eggs
3 medium eggs
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Ramen Nest
1 pack fresh ramen
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp miso (loosened in 1 tbsp water)
3 tsp soy sauce
1 egg white
pepper

Toppings
corn
naruto (Japanese fish cake with the pink swirl)
ham
green onions, diced

1. To make soft boiled eggs, place 3 medium eggs in a small pot and put just enough water to cover the top. Bring to a boil on high heat and from the time it starts really boiling, time 3.5 minutes. Once time is up, pour out the hot water and immediately run eggs in cold water or place in ice bath
2. To make soy eggs: place all marinade ingredients in a small sandwich ziplock bag and mix well. Place peeled eggs in marinade, let air out before sealing and refrigerate overnight. Turn the bag once or twice to coat eggs evenly
3. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease 5-6 muffin cups. Cook ramen according to package. Season with sesame oil, miso, soy sauce and pepper. Stir egg whites to coat ramen noodles.
4. Distribute ramen into cupcake pan or 5-6 muffin cups and make a well in the center for the ingredients to be placed afterwards. Bake for 15-20 mins. Let rest for a minute.
5. Cut marinaded eggs in half and place in center of ramen nest. Place other ramen ingredients and serve warm!

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Hotteok Waffles [Korean cinnamon pancake waffles]

I'm currently on a college tour with my brother and mum and it has been EVENTFUL. By that I mean extremely terrible, because being stuck in the car with a surly teen and a high-pitched tiger mum for several hours is almost as bad as being duct taped to a chair listening to nails scratching on a chalk board. I feel a little crazy since we've hit 5 different states in 5 days with me as the sole driver. The only thing that's keeping me going is eating at all the bomb places I've been wanting to go in each state! I just left Boston with a box of Flour Bakery cookies and I'm in heaven! It's also crazy snowing in Boston.

This year's spring is cold and weird, so it's time to snuggle up to something toasty and cinnamon-y, like these Korean pancakes in waffle form. I eat Hotteok, a street food found everywhere in Korea, in any weather actually. They are like cinnamon buns, but chewy and flat like a pancake with an oozing middle full of melted brown sugar and peanuts. So good and so perfect for chilly weather (or all four seasons ha!)

Hotteok Waffles

makes 10-12 square waffles

Dough
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsps instant yeast
2 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup warm milk

Filling
heaping 3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsps cinnamon
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp flaked almonds, coarsely chopped
2 tbsps each white and black sesame seeds
pinch of salt

1. For the dough, place all the ingredients into your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Work on a low speed until everything comes together and then turn it up a the next level for about a minute or so. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a damp cloth and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size (about 1 hour)
2. Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl
3. When the dough is ready, punch it down and place on floured surface. Divide dough into about 10 balls. While working with 1 ball, cover the rest with plastic wrap so they don't dry out
4. Flatten ball gently with your palm to get a circle the size of your palm (about 4 inches). Place 1 tbsp of filling in the middle and bring edges of dough to cover and pinch to seal. Continue doing that to all the hotteok dough.
5. Preheat your waffle iron and oil surfaces generously each time. Cook according to your waffle iron's directions and they should be nice and brown on the outside
6. Serve hot!

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Bacon Okonomiyaki - Savory Japanese Pancakes

I had a sudden craving for okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake filled with cabbage, which I haven't eaten in.... 20+ years!! I used to have Japanese neighbours when I lived in Korea and would always play with the kids. I was maybe only a few years older than them, but sometimes their mum would make me (an 8 year old then) babysit 5 and 6 year old kids. And we all know how well that can turn out... 😈

Babysitting had its perks and I was lucky to have so many home-cooked Japanese meals! The most memorable dish was Okonomiyaki, because of the dancing bonito flakes that are sprinkled on top and the peculiar tangy sauce mixed with kewpie mayonnaise. It was something I had never tried before and the flavor is something I still crave today. I hope you go grocery shopping at an Asian market and try to make this at home!

Bacon Okonomiyaki

makes 2 x 6" pancakes

1/4 cabbage
3 inch leek (white part, or use white part of the green onions)
1/2 onion
6 pieces of bacon, cut into thirds (optional if you vegetarian)

1 heaping cup of Korean jeon flour (or okonomiyaki flour; if using plain AP flour, add 1 tsp each of salt, pepper and baking powder)
2/3 cup water
2 eggs
2 tsp black pepper

tonkatsu/okonomiyaki sauce
kewpie mayo
bonito flakes
dried nori/seaweed sheets (the same nori you use for sushi)

1. Thinly slice cabbage so it almost looks like it's shaved by a mandolin (finely like really fine coleslaw). Do the same for onions, so you get thin half-moons and for leeks. If you don't have leeks, I would finely chop the white part of green onions. Set aside
2. In a mixing bowl, add 1 heaping cup (about 1.25 cups) of jeon flour or seasoned flour with addition of salt, pepper and baking powder. Whisk water and 2 eggs. Season with black pepper. Add the veggies into the flour mixture and stir to coat evenly
3. In a non-stick pan, heat on medium fire 1 tbsp of veggie oil. Place half of batter to pan and flatten to make a pancake. Place cut bacon strips on top and cover frying pan to allow top to steam
4. Fry for about 3-4 mins or until golden brown. Flip and cover again for 2-3 mins. Repeat for the rest of the batter
5. Serve immediately onto plate and dress with okonomiyaki sauce and a healthy dose of mayo. Sprinkle bonito flakes and cut nori

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Shiba Inu Mitarashi Dango

Yay for three day weekends "as a fourth year", since everyone in medical school probably doesn't have this day off 😁. Even though I've been going out to eat and cooking up a storm, this weekend is also the last weekend to put in our residency spots for the match! Gah! I've probably explained the match system a gazillion time to my friends and family, but NO it isn't like a job offer and NO you can't pick and choose where you end up. Instead, you only get that ONE SPOT that you rank highest (if the hospital ranks you high too) and everyone finds out on the SAME day and SAME time.

It is definitely a strange system and sometimes I do wish it was like applying to college, where you can get "offers". But alas, our fate is pretty much dependent on some algorithm that matches each person to a residency spot so that no spots are left unfilled. So my life is in a limbo, since I have no idea if I want to go to the East or West coast. I'm still living out of boxes and our apartment still looks like a homeless shelter. Although, no excuse because it's been looking like that for the last 4 years haha. Totally not out of laziness... 😌

To keep this weekend nice and lighthearted for me and my roommate, I made a traditional Japanese snack called Dango (chewy rice cake mochi like balls) in the shape of Shiba Inus! How doge is that? Mitarashi is the sweetened soy sauce that is brushed onto the dango, which gives and salty sweet flavor. It is also enjoyed with sweet red bean or kinako!

Shiba Inu Mitarashi Dango

makes 24 dumplings

Dango
1.5 cup rice flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup glutinous rice flour (or mochiko flour)
2 tsps sugar
3/4 cup warm water

Sweet Soy sauce
3 tbsps sugar
2 tbsps honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp corn starch (optional)

bamboo skewers
black sesame seeds for eyes
sushi nori

1. Mix together the all the dry dango ingredients and then add hot/warm water. Using a spoong, mix until it forms a soft dough and then use your hands to knead together. The dough will feel soft and a bit dry to touch
2. Divide dough in half again and again until you end up with 8 pieces and divide each into 3 so you end up with 24 pieces in total. Shape using your hands into a dog face and butt
3. Prepare ice water bath and set aside. Bring large pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt to water. Gently add dango a few at a time. After a few minutes, the dango will float to the surface and let it boil for another 3-4 minutes before scooping them out with a slotted spoon. Place immediately into ice water to help retain chewiness
4. Place dango pairs onto the skewers and set on a plate
5. To make the sauce, combine all soy sauce ingredients (except corn starch) into a small pot and bring to simmer. Keep stirring to not let it burn. If needed add corn starch to thicken
6. Pour or brush sauce over dango and serve warm
7. To decorate, use black sesame seeds for eyes. I cut nori into thin strips to make the star butt-hole (pardon my French) and circles for the nose

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Blood Orange Chai Mochi Cakes

It's Mother's day soon, so I thought I might put up this post as an idea for what to make for that special lady in your life! I saw that blood oranges are still being sold at supermarkets, but no idea if we're kind of done with the citrus season :P I made these a while ago so I do apologize!

My mum and I absolutely love mochi and it's chewy texture, so I wanted to make some mini cakes and add some flair to it. The chai pairs really well with the oranges and when the blood orange slices dry in the oven, it looks so pretty!

I'm keeping this short because I actually have to study... But, I hope you spend a lovely day with your mum. Love you mum! Also just found out that she reads my blog soo.... ;)

I used a tea strainer from Dreamfarm, which works like a dream to steep chai loose leaf tea in the milk!

Blood Orange Chai Mochi Cakes

makes 8 mochi cupcakes

1.5 cups sugar
1.5 cups glutinous rice flour
1.5 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chai spice (mix of cinnamon, ginger powder, anise, pepper)
1 cup whole milk (coconut milk will work too)
3 tbsps loose chai leaves (or 3-4 chai tea bags)
3 tbsp butter, room temp
2 medium eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 blood orange
2 blood oranges, sliced
demerara sugar

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan and add tea bags. Once it starts to ripple/simmer but not bubble, take off heat and let tea bags steep for 10 mins. Take out tea bags and cut butter into little chunks. Add this to the flavored milk and stir until it melts. Heat a little if necessary to melt. Set aside to cool
2. Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin pan. You can use liners but the mochi sticks to it a lot.
3. In a large bowl, mix sugar, glutinous rice flour, baking powder, salt and chai spices
4. Once butter/milk is cool, whisk in eggs, vanilla and zest. Pour this into dry mix and stir together until no lumps remain
5. Pour batter 3/4 up prepared muffin pan and add thinly sliced blood oranges on top. Sprinkle demerara or raw sugar on top generously
6. Bake for 40-45 mins or until mochi is cooked through. Leave to cool completely in the pan 

I developed this recipe for Dreamfarm; all opinions expressed are my own. I love their cute and innovative kitchen tools and especially their clever names :) Thank you for the support!

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Curry Masala Fondue and Garlic Naan

I'm about to start my last rotation next week! Woop di dooh! I just finished my family rotation out in the boonies of Virginia. I'll say that was interesting... There were patients that came in and was like "I fell on an electric fence, woke up and came here - No Big Deal". Another person came in with a leg half open and was like "I filled it with sawdust when I cut it with my chainsaw to stop the bleeding". Like what?!

Since I'm leaning towards the surgery side, I didn't think I was going to enjoy the rotation that much, but I really did in the end. There's something about the long-term patient care aspect, where you could potentially care for your patient from cradle to the grave, that appealed to me. But, I dunnooo.... I still really enjoy cutting and sewing stuff :P

Anyway, I had an Indian friend who left me with all her spices when she moved. SCORE! Seriously, every time I open my pantry door, it smells like India. And then I receive this fondue pot from Swissmar, and I was like yeaaaa Curry fondue! I usually find cheese fondues really heavy with one flavor profile, but adding all the spices really made in multi-dimensional in flavvahhh! It kind of resembled a cheesy chicken tikka masala (but without the chicken). And with some homemade fluffy garlic naan and roasted vegetables, it'll be a party!

Apparently, fondues are making a come back... so it's time to dust up your old pot and put it to use. Or get this heavy duty cast iron one! I love that it's cast iron because it heats the cheese sauce more evenly and not just under the flame. I was able to cook the sauce directly in the pot and then transfer it onto the set. No pouring cheese over myself by accident! The inside is also enamel coated, so you don't have to worry about seasoning it or avoiding acidic foods and it's very easy to clean. It's a classy no fuss multi-purpose pot!

Hope you guys enjoy the recipe! AAaaand, have an awesome weekend full of fun and of course...lots of cheese :)

Curry Masala Fondue

serves 4-6

2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk + 1 cup
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
3 dried red chilies
1 tsp black peppercorn (or 2 tsp black pepper)
1 bay leaf
2 cups cheese (cheddar, parmesan)

Roasted cauliflower and red potatoes

1. In the fondue pot, melt butter and add garlic and stir until fragrant. Whisk in flour and milk until it becomes a paste. Dilute tomato paste in water and whisk that in too
2. Add in spices (turmeric, paprika, cumin, chilies, pepper and bay leaf). Whisk occasionally until it becomes somewhat thickened. You could honestly mix in any kind of curry spices together and it will taste good! Thin with the extra cup of milk 
3. Add in a mix of cheese. I liked cheddar to give it some sharpness. I think adding mozzarella could work just to get the stringiness. I used a mix of cheddar and parmesan (mostly because I can't afford expensive cheese :P)
4. Now fondue is ready for dipping! I roasted some cauliflower and diced red potatoes drizzled in olive oil and seasoned with simply salt and pepper!

Garlic Naan   makes 9

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp greek yogurt
1 egg
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3.5 cups flour
4 tsp garlic, minced
ghee for frying

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water for 10 mins until frothy and bubbly
2. In your mixer bowl, stir sugar, yogurt, egg, salt, baking soda and flour together. Add yeast mister and knead 10-15 mins until smooth
3. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for an 1 hour in a warm place until about double it's size
4. Punch down the dough to release gas (my fave part hehe). Knead in garlic evenly, but don't over knead! Pinch into 9 pieces and roll into balls, cover with wrap or a towel and rest 30 mins
5. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Roll out with a roller and kind of spread it pretty thin with your hands (like shaping pizza). Brush ghee on one side and place that side onto hot cast iron pan. Cover with lid and fry for 1-2 mins. Spreading it real thin allows you to get all those awesome bubbles in your naan!

I developed this recipe for Swissmar; all opinions expressed are my own. They also have a wide range of fondue pots (think meat!) and other cool kitchen stuff :) Thank you for the support!

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Mochi Stuffed Almond Cookies - 찰떡쿠키

Chinese new year is just right around the corner and soon it will be the year of the monkey!! This is one of my fav holidays, because it represents new beginnings, good food and merriment with the family. Back in Hong Kong, we used to get a week break from school and the day would start with wearing new red colored clothing, taping all kinds of good omens written on red paper on our doors and walls. Then we would go about town visiting friends and families to wish them a happy new year and to collect red envelopes full of money! I never did get to see where all that money went, since my mum said she would "safe-keep" it for me :/

I really miss the CNY atmosphere in Asia. People are super happy and the whole city is decorated in all kinds of red colors including red building lights, red candles, and red lanterns. Everyone is singing CNY songs and wishing each other luck for the new year and there are lion dances and fireworks going off in the background. The typical new year foods are so so so good. Usually there is a mochi/rice cake dessert called nian gao, literally meaning "higher year" and so it's lucky for every household to eat it during cny so that their whole year will be very prosperous. I've kind of adapted the traditional Chinese almond butter cookies and added a gigantic mochi filling in the middle so that you too can have some lucky cookies for the new year :D!

Here are some blogger friends who decided to take a spin on Chinese New Year cookies. Check them out below!

• Vermilion Roots - Vegan Cornflake Cereal Cookies
• The Missing Lokness - Fried Red Bean Puffs
• Daily Cooking Quest - Chinese Peanut Cookies
• Curious Nut - Chocolate Almond Cookies
• What To Cook Today - Tapioca cookies
• Butter & Type - Red Bean & Strawberry Pinwheel Cookies
• Wok & Skillet - Pineapple Jam Tarts
• Bams Kitchen - Sesame Spiral Pie Cookies
• Brunch-n-Bites - Cherry Blossom Cookies
• Foodie Baker - Chinese Gluten-Free Peanut Cookies
• Hapa Nom Nom - Honey Almond Cookies
• Omnivore's Cookbook - Quinoa Sesame Brittle
• Yummy Workshop - Browned Butter Chinese Walnut Cookies 
• Thirsty for Tea - Macau Almond Cookies

Mochi Stuffed Almond Cookies - 찰떡쿠키

makes 10 cookies

1 cup flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tbsp condensed milk
1 tsp almond extract
3 tbsp butter, melted
egg wash + almonds

Filling
1 cup glutinous rice flour (mochiko)
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare greased baking tray or line with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a medium bowl, melt butter and then beat in sugar, salt, condensed milk, almond extract and lastly a beaten egg. Mix dry and wet mix together until you get a smooth yellow dough. Wrap dough in seran wrap and let it rest while you make the filling
3. For the mochi filling. In a medium bowl, mix mochiko powder, sugar, salt and milk. Microwave on high for about a minute. Take out to mix with a heat proof spatula (be careful because it will be hot). It won't be done yet, so microwave for another minute. It is done when it looks like one block of white mochi. Protect your hand with gloves or use the spatula to cut out 10 equal sizes of mochi (or let it cool a little first haha)
4. Once your cookie dough has rested for about 20-30mins, evenly divide into 10 balls. Flatten balls of dough in your hand, place mochi in the center and wrap around. It will take some molding with your hands to get it around the mochi. Repeat for the other cookies
5. Make egg wash with a beaten egg and brush on top of cookies and press in an almond
6. Bake for 10-15mins or until golden. Cool for 5 mins before eating. You can keep remainders in a ziploc bag in the fridge, but the mochi will harden and the cookies will need to be microwaved for 20-30secs to soften it again!

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Rabokki - Ramen + 'Tteokbokki' (Korean Rice Cakes)

Sorry for being so absent lately! I thought I was going to post a lot during the break, but I've been quite busy with the fam and went snowboarding for a few days in the mountains, so I had zero internet. I came back home a few days ago with about 100 new emails. Of course, most of them were junk mail :( . Since, I'm in LA now, all I do is go to Korean supermarkets and eat everything I see. The thing I love about Korean food is that it can be so simple, cheap and quick to eat and so UNFUSSY. I always get the spicy dishes and that warms me up! Although, in this LA weather, I could be outside in shorts and eating ice-cream :D

This recipe is pretty popular in Korean households and on the streets. You'll find every block in Seoul with a cart selling Rice cakes or "tteokbokki". Here, I've added ramen to it so tteokbokki + ramen = Rabokki. It's hot and spicy with all sorts of interesting textures from rice cakes to ramen to fish cakes, so it's also super fun to eat. A while back I made a "white" and cheesy version of rice cakes too. But, this winter I'm craving something red hot. Hope you guys have a happy new year filled with lots of delicious noms!

Rabokki - Korean Rice Cakes + Ramen

serves 3-4

1 pack ramen
120g rice cakes, used for ddeukbokki (usually in the refrigerated section ~ about 2 cups)
1 sheet fish cake
1/4 cabbage
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, diced (optional, but I like the extra heat)
1/2 stalk leek, diced (or use 1 stalk of green onions instead)
1 boiled egg, peeled

Sauce
3 cups water
3 tbsp gochuchang, Korean chili paste (or more for a spicier taste)
1 tbsp gochugaru, Korean chili pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp sugar
1/2 pack ramen msg packet
pinch of pepper

1. Slice onion into thin half moons, about 1/2inch thick. Cut cabbage the same way about 1 inch thick. Fish cake can be cut into any way you like. I like them in triangles, but you can cut it into strips. You don't have to buy the sheet kind, since they also come in spheres, oblong shapes etc... They are the same as the Japanese kind called oden. 
2. Mix the sauce ingredients into a paste (the bottom half of the ingredients except the water) and set aside
3. In a large frying pan (that has high walls), or a medium sized pot, saute onions, garlic and jalapeños until onions are slightly translucent. Add sauce paste and water. Stir and let it come to a boil. Once it boils, add the rice cakes and cook for about 5 minutes and the rice cakes should soften
4. Add cabbage and fish cake next and let simmer for a few more minutes. Break ramen in half and add to the pot. Try to push it deep into the sauce so it can cook evenly. Once the noodles have loosened some, add the diced leek or green onion and boiled egg. 
5. Simmer until noodles are al dente (or at the consistency you like). Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve. 

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Homemade matcha udon noodles

I thought making udon would be like making kalguksu (or Korean knife noodles), but it definitely required a lot more arm muscle. Maybe it's because I tried to make 4 times the amount and my biceps have atrophied from disuse :( I did have a lot of fun stomping on it though. Yas, with my feet. Don't worry, the dough was heavily wrapped in a sturdy gallon ziplock bag ;)

But, you seriously need your body weight to smoosh the dough down. If you have kids then use them, plus you'll also get them tired so they'll sleep early! Tiring out my little brother out everyday by making him fetch things used to be my strategy back in the days (not because I was lazy haha).

I separated the dough in half so I could have normal udon noodles and some matcha ones. For the matcha noodles, the flavor shines if the broth is kept simple (like the soy sauce dashi one below). I may have to up the amount of matcha though by about 1/2 to 1 tsp next time and try a cold udon version. I also prepared a miso version by diluting the broth I made below in a 1:3 ratio with water and adding miso paste to it. When you try the freshly made noodles, the texture and flavor is so so so......handmade(?), unique(?), bouncy (haha it's hard to describe), I guess all the arm grease and time that went to making this was worth it!

Matcha Udon Noodles

adapted from instructables.com
serves 4-5

Noodles (Sanuki style)
2 1/2 cups bread flour (plus more to dust)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsps salt
1.5 cups water, at room temp
1 tsp culinary grade panatea matcha (for 1/2 the dough)

Broth
5-8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in 2 cups water overnight
1 5x5" piece of kelp (aka konbu or dashima)
3 cups water
10 pieces dried shrimp
10 pieces dried anchovies
1-2 tbsps soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tbsp mirin

1. Noodles: dissolve salt in the water and set aside. Mix the flours together in a large bowl. Add salt water to the flour and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough is formed. If it doesn't come together, you can add a little water each time. The dough will feel hard and crumbly, just try to knead it so it comes together.
2. Put the dough in a gallon size zipper bag and stomp on it until it is flattened. Like use your feet and stomp! I seriously tried to knead with my hands and a kitchen aid mixer, but the dough is just too hard. Once it has flattened. Take it out of the bag and separate the dough into two pieces. For one half, I kneaded in 1 tsp matcha. This will be difficult and it will looked streaky (but no worries, it will blend all together with subsequent stomping)
3. It will still be hard at this point. So with half of the dough, roll it up like a cinnamon roll and place it back in the bag to stomp and flatten. I alternated between the two halves of the dough, so that I could give the dough a rest for 10-15mins if it was too difficult to work with. You'll be stomping on this about 5-6 times until the dough is really smooth and rubbery
4. On the last flattening/stomping, pinch the edges of the dough together to make a ball, it may not come together on the bottom but as long as the top is smooth, it's okay. Wrap the dough in seran wrap tightly and place in a warm area for 2-3 hours. I preheated my oven slightly and switched it off to mimic a really hot summer.
5. While the dough rests, time to make the broth! In a large pot, place rehydrated shiitake and the water it was soaking in, kelp, 3 cups water, shrimp and anchovies. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 15 mins. Add soy sauce and mirin and adjust to taste. Fish out the shiitake to slice up and use for later and then strain your broth.
6. Now the dough should be well rested (you can test this by checking if it remains indented after you poke it)! Dust your work area with a generous amount of bread flour. Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll to a rectangle that is 3mm thick. Fold the long edges in like you would fold a letter in thirds to put in an envelope.  Cut 5mm thick strips for noodles. Toss cut noodles in bread flour so they don't stick.
7. To cook the noodles, bring a large pot of water to boil and then place them in there for 7-8mins. Separate them with chopsticks at the start and middle of boiling because they can stick together. Drain and serve with the broth, plus toppings including green onions, naruto (Japanese fishcake), mushrooms or eggs
8. You can store the cut noodles in the fridge for 2-3 days.

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Seafood Soft Tofu Soup - Haemul soondubu

Every time I finish an exam I promise myself I will get soooo much sleep and hibernate for 2 days... I NEVER do! I think I get too pumped and relieved afterwards, that I feel like jumping up and down like a caffeine-crazed hamster. Because I don't get to cook or bake as much during rotations, I almost always start my studying-free weekend by wreaking havoc in the kitchen. I start pulling out all the bowls, spoons and pans. Flour is flying everywhere. My heart is pounding from the adrenaline and I can't manage to think straight. "Should I crack the eggs first? Should I mix the dry stuff first? Where are my spices?" I imagine I look like a headless chicken running in circles in the kitchen while head bopping to Korean pop music :P

Now I'm pretty mellow :P since it's about 1am here. I don't really have a post to put up, but I wanted to share something I eat on the reg. I always crave hot and spicy soups and soondubu has got to be one of my faves. I keep a huge batch of soup sauce (recipe below) in the freezer and it doesn't freeze up or become a hard block. It actually stays paste-like and all I have to do is drop a spoon in boiling water (just like making miso soup). The lighting wasn't bad that day and I snapped one picture, because I prefer my soups hot :P! Ok I'm so going to sleep now.. after I fold up two months of laundry I piled up on my bed :'(

Seafood Soft Tofu Soup - Haemul soondubu

serves 2-3

8oz clams
4oz medium shrimps
1 bunch green onion
1 pack (110oz) soft tofu
1 egg

2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Korean Chili powder (gochugaru)
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Heat pot with 2 tbsp oil on high heat, and add the gochugaru, minced garlic and soysauce. Fry that up and it should resemble a paste. 
2. Add 1/2 cup water (not too much okay?).
3. Add in the clams and shrimp. Wait until the water starts boiling... Sometimes, I just use whatever frozen seafood I have in the fridge. For example, the soondubu I made for the pictures actually has bits of frozen octopus and squid. I always vary my soup with whatever I have on hand.
4. Then add in the packet of soft tofu. 
5. Taste and if needed, you can add a pinch of salt. Let that boil for 5 mins.
6. Add a pinch of pepper, crack in an egg and add 1 tsp sesame oil. And you're good to go!

Soondubu is extremely variable. I also like to add in here 1/2 a small onion diced and 1/2 a zucchini at step 2 and let it simmer until they are soft (before you go onto step 3). You can also make it vegetarian/vegan by not adding the seafood and add in diced potatoes too. 

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Bulgogi Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I'm currently on-call for Neurology and it's pretty quiet right now, so I'm taking a little bit of time to write a post before I hit the sack (look at this dedication :P). Actually, I think another patient is coming in... so I guess I'm not going to sleep :'(

I'll have to be quick! This is a super duper easy recipe. Mostly, because it doesn't take much to dress up potatoes. Just some butter and you're good to go. Here, I just added bulgogi, kimchi and cheese!

I'm kinda obsessed with that 3 combo ingredient, because they just go so well together. I made a pizza out of them not too long ago as well! The bulgogi lends some sweetness, the kimchi cuts the greasy cheesiness and then topped off with some cooling sour-cream. It's an even quicker meal if you microwave your spuds. Got to go now! I have so many thanksgiving recipes lined up, but I just wish I had time to post them!!!

Bulgogi Stuffed Baked Potatoes

makes 4 servings

1/2 pound marinated bulgogi
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons
4 large russet potatoes
4 pats of salted butter
1-2 cup cheddar jack, shredded
Toppings: sour cream, chopped kimchi, roasted sesame seeds, chopped green onions
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Scrub potatoes and poke holes all over it with a fork. Bake for 1.5 hrs
2. Saute thinly sliced onions until semi translucent. Add marinated bulgogi and saute until fully cooked
3. Once potatoes are able to be pierced easily, carefully split them and add a pat of salted butter
4. Set broiler on high. Add cooked bulgogi and onion in between and cover generously with cheese
5. Once cheese is melted, throw on all kinds of toppings. 

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Lotus Seed and Salted egg yolk cookie sandwich

Happy Mid Autumn Festival! This is the time to light up lanterns and stuff your face with mooncakes. When I was young, my dad used to buy me all kinds of pretty lanterns that we would light up and hike up a hill to see the full moon. He also bought me ones that sang, but I bet he regretted that because I would play it all night until the song started to get out of tune and was really painful to the ears :D

My sister and I were also pyromaniacs back in the days and would line up waxy red candles on a mooncake tin lid and make a bonfire. Things were so simple back then haha. What I really miss the most is eating mooncakes though. Friends and relatives would gift traditional mooncakes and I loved opening them up to see the intricate design on top and then to cut it open to reveal the golden yolk in the center. I could eat a whole one and it would sit like a brick in my stomach all day (you should weigh one of these, they are so heavy!)

Anyway, I decided to create something mooncake-like and made some mooncake cookie sandwiches. It took me a month to make these, because I made my own salted eggs which took about a month of endless waiting (recipe below). The cookies are studded with salted yolks throughout and are so buttery and crumbly. They are sooo good on their own, that my bf kept eating them and I didn't have many left to sandwich >:( . I'm excited to eat these and watch the full moon today!

Lotus Seed and Salted Egg Yolk Cookie Sandwich
makes 15-20 cookie sandwiches

2 cups flour
4 tsps cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp dried milk powder
3/4 cup salted butter, room temp
1/3 cup white sugar
2-3 tbsps maple syrup
3 salted egg yolks, cooked* (how I made the salted eggs below)

egg wash
black and white sesame seeds (optional)
sweetened lotus seed paste

1. Place salted eggs in pot and cover with water and put on high heat. When it starts boiling, start the timer to let it boil for 4.5 minutes. Once time is up, take it off the heat and dunk in ice cold water.
2. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder and soda and milk powder in a large bowl and set aside. Beat softened butter with sugar until light, stir in maple syrup. Stir dry mix to wet ingredients gently, until it comes together into one lump of dough. (if the dough doesn't come together, add a little bit of vegetable oil)
3. Spoon out cooked egg yolks (some white is fine), and crumble coarsely with a fork. Fold into cookie dough. Make sure you have some chunks scattered throughout, because it is absolutely divine to taste the salted yolk here and there in the buttery cookie.
4. I used mooncake molds to get the cool flower pattern on top. But if you don't have one, then roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Cut out to any shape you want. Place on lined baking trays and chill them for 30minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Beat 1 egg to make the egg wash. Brush liberally on top of cookie cut outs. Sprinkle on black and white sesame seeds if desired.
6. Bake for 18-22mins or until nicely golden on top. Let it cool at least 10 minutes on the tray before moving because they are pretty fragile out of the oven.
7. You can definitely make your own lotus seed paste or buy a can of it in your local Chinese supermarket. Pipe some onto the cooled cookies and sandwich them. 

*I actually made my own salted eggs using extra-large chicken eggs, instead of the traditional duck egg. You just need a ratio of 1:4 salt to water ratio (so 1 cup salt for 4 cups of water), and place your eggs into the mix. I also placed a ziploc filled with water on the top, so the eggs wouldn't float in the salty water. I then put a lid on it and stored it in on top of my fridge for a month. The yolks when cooked came out really nicely bright orange/red and salty :D

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