My JO version of Chicken Dim Sum....

I love to cook with Jamie Oliver's recipe.   His recipe is simple, accurate, and manageable at home.   This recipe is from his website www.jamieoliver.com under the 15 minutes cooking section.   Under the title:  "Chicken Dim Sum, Coconut Buns, Cucumber Pickle & Hoi Sin Sauce".    I just so happened to have chicken pieces and a jar of coconuts milk defrosting in the refrigerator and a bunch of just cut home grown limes in the kitchen as well as a brand new bamboo steamer I purchased at one of the Korean market - just sitting, all pretty, on my kitchen shelf waiting for action.   When I saw this recipe, I thought, "Perfect!"   So I tried.    I am amazed with the bursting combination flavor of Hoi Sin and Lime juice.   I would have never thought of combining them to make a dish.   When it comes to mixing spices together, I am quite timid.   I didn't find the tenderstem broccoli at my local market, so I skipped that.   I didn't have fresh mushrooms, but I hydrated some of the dried mushroom varieties I have in the pantry.  I didn't have self-rising flour, so I mixed my own.... But how about the result?   I love the coconut flavor in the Bao, and refreshing taste of limes in the chicken with mushrooms, and the pickled cucumber JO style is very interesting.  Just because he  reversed the normal process that I know of in Asian kitchen to "sweat" the cut cucumbers in salt first and then scrunch them between palms of the hands to extract excess water; instead JO's recipe method is almost the opposite.   I was worried that all the flavor would be lost, but it didn't.    I would try it again to make this dishes, just so I can use my bamboo steamer.  I have been tolerating the stainless steel steamer because the bamboo steam being sold is too small to do the job.   My mom's bamboo steamer she had is twice the size of the ones I bought.  The bamboo steamer distributes the steam evenly and less water accumulation at the bottom to cause food from becoming soggy.  If you can get hold of the larger size steamer, it will be a good investment.   It is available sometimes at larger Asian markets like 99 Ranch, Lions, or SF Market.

(*Red chili I used is home grown and dried hanging.)
Well, did I cook all this within 15 minutes after gathering and completed the mis en place?  naaa.... I keep on reading the recipe direction over and over and washing the kitchen tools in between, so it took an hour for me to complete.   Nevertheless, I love it!

Bouchon Bakery Book Signing - I made it!

What a trip I had tonight!   I drove safely to Yountville, California tonight just to make it to the Bouchon Bakery for the book signing event.  But, of course, Chef Thomas Keller personally is there to sign the new book - Bouchon Bakery, with one of the co-authors Matthew McDonald.   I was the first in the line, but it was too early! they told me.  It's not open to the public until 6:30 pm!  They were going to have the private party first, then, it's to the public.  So I hung around - bought some pastries and checked out Bouchon Bakery's new setup - better Fong Suei flow, I see.  Oh, no!, they changed the lemon tart!  It's covered with meringue.   But I noticed, all products are filled beautifully in the display case.  

My damage?  $28 for four pastries and one Wagyu Brisket sandwich.  Still got an hour and 20 minutes to go.... so I decided to dine at the Pacific Blues.  I visited Yountville in 2010, funny thing is that it was because I was assigned in my culinary class to do research on who Chef Thomas Keller was, and I had a late lunch at the Bouchon Bistro one week, then, the other week I dined at the Pacific Blues in despair when I found out I could not get a table at the Ad Hoc for the 4 tries so I can taste the Fried Chicken!  but I end up as a very satisfied customer of the Pacific Blues (that is across the street from the Bouchon Bistro & Bakery).  This time, I ordered the fish of the day which I did the same thing back in 2010 - sauteed Halibut with sun dried tomatoes, served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach.   Then, I ended the meal with their ".... Trash Treats....."  that was a funny name for a dessert.

This is my very first book signing event ever that I attended.  Not knowing what to expect... oh my gosh!  although I was the first one to be in the line an hour and half ago, the line is now quite long.  The Bouchon Bakery book is not a light weight book by any means ... it weighs good 10 lb at least, and I have three.... I see some people holding five, and stayed in line for an hour ... Anyways, by the time it was my turn, Chef Thomas looked very tired.... I think they also tried to cut down on the Photo shooting request.  It was already 7:30 pm when it was my turn... but I managed to squeeze a snap shot with them.   I felt kind of ... "Wow! I did it!"  "I got to meet the great chef and shook his hand."   I told him about my adventure with his fried chicken recipe.  He asked how it turned out.   I told him it turned out good and taste good.  and I told him though that the cooking temperature is hard to control.... silly me... that's all I could say.... But in the book, he wrote, "It's all about Memories".   I think that is so true.   And I left Yountville with all the good feelings and memories of food I ate... what a night it was.

2012 Halloween - Oreo Bat Cave Cake with Chocolate Glacage

For 2012 Halloween fun, I made this cake for cake auction for the office to raise holiday party funds.   I had fun making it .
The base cake is from the previously posted Persian Love Cake - chiffon cake.

 

Tools:  small stainless steel bowl for chocolate glacage, small pot, food processor, blender with whip, spatula, digital scale, knife to chop chocolate pistoles.

Ingredients:
1 Chiffon Cake from Persian Love Cake recipe
1 pkg Oreo Cookies - remove the cream (discard cream or ??eat it?) - crumbled in food processor
2 Cups Heavy Cream 


Chocolate Glacage:
6 oz Dark unsweetened dark  chocolate pistoles - chopped
6 oz heavy cream
3 Tbsp soft butter

Preparation:
Cool the cake and slice into halves.
While the cake is cooling, whip the heavy cream to stiff peak.
Set aside in refrigerator.  Prepare Chocolate Glacage

 Chop up chocolate pistoles into small pieces and place in a heat proof bowl.
Heat a small pot with water.  Put into simmer.  The pot should be large enough to hold the bowl with chopped chocolate later to keep warm while the cake is being assembled.
Heat 6 oz heavy cream to boiling point.
Pour heated heavy cream over a bowl with chopped chocolate pieces.
Place the bowl over the pot of water in simmering heat.

 Spread 1 cup of whipped - stiff peak whip cream (no sugar added) on cake.
Top with crumbled Oreo cookies generously.  Then, top with another cup of whipped cream.
* Remove the chocolate glacage from the pot to let it start cooling.

 

 

Place the cake top.  Top with Oreo crumbled cookies.
Test the chocolate temperature.  When the chocolate coats the side of the bowl, it is ready for use.

Pour the chocolate glacage over the cake.  Let it drizzle down the side of the cake naturally.
Place a plastic bat mold to imprint the bat shape.
After 5 minutes, remove the bat mold.   Sprinkle the Oreo crumbles in the bat imprint.
Decorate with Black and Red Gel with shimmer around the bat, etc.

 

 

Consume while the Oreo crumbles remain crisp - serve immediately or within 2 hours.