Polly's Cabbage Rolls

 I love to watch movies and TV shows with some cooking tips and the Japanese TV series "Midnight Diner" is one of the show that inspires me to try something I haven't tried for a long time or something new.  I also like to discover the techniques that make the cooking more refined.  I normally bake my Cabbage Rolls, but this one is stewed.  The recipe on the TV didn't have rice in it and I should have just followed it, but I added basmatic rice.  I figure since they are going to be stewed, the liquid would cook the rice along.  I think it turned out quite tasty.  The technique I discovered is to make the rolling of cabbage easier when filled is to gently pound the stems of the boiled cabbage leaf flat before wrapping. Buy the largest Cabbage you want.  Core the Cabbage.  Gently open up each leaves.  Of course, if you are very patient, after coring the cabbage, you could dunk it in ice cold water to help opening it up.  Wash the cabbage leaves.

Blanch the leaves untilquite tender.

Do not throw away the cabbage liquid.  Transfer to ice water.

Take a leaf and pat the stem area down with wooden spoon or anything that will do the work.

Make your filling.

Add your spices.

Save half of the cabbage liquid.  Add 2 cans of chopped Tomatoes, a can of sauce.

Have some toothpicks ready to hold the roll closed.

Keep al the cabbage rolls down in the liquid.  Place a heavy heat proof plate in.  Cook long enough to make sure that rice is cooked.

Remove toothpicks before serving.

Serve with Parmesan.

Serve with Cheddar cheese - microwave it for 20 sec.

More Creamy Flan - Creamy or Bubbly

 I noticed whenever I double the recipe, there is a lot more chance for failure.  Mixing time and the cooking time becomes critical controller in the quality. I think they turned out all right, but they could be better.  Darn! some eggs got frozen from keeping the temperature too low due to hot temp in the garage.  It still worked out after thawing it out.  Kind of pretty.  It reminds me of the Amber in the Jurassic Park movie.

Making the double amount of Caramel was time consuming.

(I really hate this new version of Blogger app feature.  Can't adjust the spacing like in the old days.)

I tried not to make the mixture floathy, but what is interesting is the result in baking in the gas oven and in the counter top electric convection oven.

The ones in the countertop electric convection oven seem to be more smoother than the gas oven ones.

These were baked in the gas oven.  I watched the baking time very carefully to make sure that they are not over baked.  When the top is touched with finger, the flan jiggles slightly still.

Let them cook 15 min in the bath before taking them out.

These are actually my 3rd Flan baking.  During the 2nd Flan baking, I noticed when I went over the baking time because I was too busy doing something, the flan turned out bubbly and more solid than creamy smooth.

 

 

 

Polly's Morning Scones with Chocolate Chips and Flaxseed Mills

 Scones are so simple to make.  

Ingredients hasn't changed:

Shift  three times - 6 oz AP flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 t salt together   Add Total of 4 oz of goodies of your choice - Chocolate chips, Ground Flaxseed Mills, Green Tea, Kale Powder, Raisins.  Coat them well with Flour.  Whisk 2 oz sugar in.  Then, Add 6 oz cold Heavy Cream.  Mix to combine.   Heat oven to 425'F.   Slice the sides of the dough ends off and add them to the top and press gently down to make them even.  Slice with knife vertically without pressing down so the cutting would not press down to seal the dough.  This will help the dough to rise.  Apply Egg Wash: Mix 1 Tbsp heavy cream - 1 yolk or 1 whole egg whichever - your preference and brush on without sealing the cut edges.  Bake until Beautifully browned, but also the tester comes out dry.  You can turn down the oven to 375 - 400'F if the top is too brown, but it needs 7-10 more minutes to bake through.  or Cover the top with aluminum.

 

June - Summer COVID-19 ZongZe in July

Time flies.  Already August.  While at home quarantine, we still want to celebrate and carry on family tradition.  It's like making Christmas Tamales, in June, we make ZongZe.  ZongZe is spelled many different ways.  I think I've spelt it as Zong Tse.  Oh, well.  Regardless, we enjoy a whole meal in bamboo leaves enclosing glutinous rice and prizing flavorful pork  and some slivers of SHIITAKE mushrooms.  Or with red beans.  There are many other kinds with different fillings, but that's the simple version we like in the family.  We were late in making it, but we did it in July.

Here is our photo journal of it for year 2020 - COVID-19 summer.

Pork loins are cut into large 3 inch sizes.  Marinate them for three days.

The glutinous rice are washed and soaked overnight, the best.  Or at least 2 -3 hours.

I use Thailand's Glutinous Rice that is less starchy.

The sink sanitation is a must before soaking bamboo leaves in Hot boiling water.  If you have a large pot and large stove, you can boil them.  This will clean the leaves and soften them.

Scissor off the ends of the bamboo leaves.

Keep leaves soaked under the water.

The glutinous rice is soaked over night.

SHIITAKE is rehydrated in hot boiling water.  Sliced and added to the pork meat marinade.

Leaves are ready for use when they are quite soft.  Marinated meat after two days.  Usually three days is better.

Fold the end in and form a cone that is rectangular in shape to hole rice and meat.

Fill the large pot with cold water.

Cover with Lid and cook for 2 - 3 hours.  Do not open the lid

Take one out to taste.  Everything should be thoroughly cooked through, especially the glutinous rice.

The glutinous rice must be cooked through the first time in this 2 - 3 hour period.

Time for sharing and delivery with family.

Eat right out of the leaves or on a paper plate.  Reheat in microwave after removing the string and slightly opening the leaves.