Cover bottom of heavy pot with oil. Add corn. Cook over medium high heat for 6 minutes, shaking frequently to get evenly popped kernels. Cook until all kernels have popped and turn off heat. Keep lid on and set aside.
Combine butter, water and sugar in another pot and bring to a boil. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Cook the mixture for 4 minutes, till it starts caramelizing.
Turn off heat. Add popcorns and nuts. Stir quickly to get them evenly coated with caramel.
Sprinkle with salt.
Spoon into greased moulds immediately, if using. Serve warm.
Deep fry potatoes till golden. Drain excess oil on paper towel
Smash potatoes using potato masher till fine
Heat cooking oil on a wok over high heat. Stir fry shallots and garlic till fragrant, about 2 minutes
Add chicken. Cook for 2 minutes. Combine ground coriander, nutmeg, salt into the wok. Mix well
Add celery, tapioca starch and warm water. Cook till everything is well done and water evaporates
Combine mashed potatoes and cooked chicken in a bowl. Add egg yolk. Mix well
Shape the mixture as desired. Roll in white egg mixture and cover with breadcrumbs
Deep fry till golden. Serve warm
Note:
Potatoes can be prepared boiled or steamed, then mashed
Chicken can be substituted with beef or prawn
If the spices used are too overwhelming, feel free to halve the amount of coriander and nutmeg called for in the recipe
One coating as listed up in the recipe can only result in the croquette staying crunchy and fluffy for up to half an hour. If you wish the croquettes to be crunchy and fluffed for longer period of time, coat them twice. Dip them in white egg, then roll them in breadcrumbs. Dip one more time in white egg and apply breadcrumbs then fry
4 dried chilies, soaked with hot water and pat dried
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp whole white pepper
1/4 fresh nutmeg
Other ingredients
1,2 liter coconut milk, pressed and strained from 4 freshly grated coconut
1 turmeric leaf (alternatively, substitute with a pinch of turmeric powder)
3 kaffir lime leaves
10 salam leaves
4 stalks lemongrass, halved and pounded to release juice
50 g galangal, pounded to release juice
2 whole cardamom
1 star anise
3 cloves
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 kg chicken, cut into medium size pieces
1 medium size potatoes, peeled and quartered
directions:
Grind spices for paste until smooth
In a big heavy stainless steel pot, cook half of coconut milk, spice paste, turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, salam leaf, lemongrass, galangal, cardamom, star anise and cloves over low heat for 10 minutes
Add sugar and salt. Increase heat to medium. Cook for 5 more minutes
Pour in the rest of coconut milk. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring constantly to avoid burning till the coconut oil starts to separate from the milk. The dish should be simmering slowly with small bubbles. Cover partly to avoid splatter
Toss in pieces of chicken. Cook for another hour. Season with more salt and sugar if desired. If potatoes are used, add potatoes at this stage. Cook for another half an hour
Serve warm with steamed rice or country bread
Notes:
All spices are to be washed and dried before using. Galangal doesn't need to be peeled, scrubbed the peel till clean of dirt traces.
50 gr green chili (for aesthetic purposes, throw in a couple of red ones)
1 tablespoon fermented soy sauce (taoco)
5 salam leaves
2 stalks Wild Ginger Flower Buds or Torch Ginger (Bunga Kantan), remove the outer layer - use only the soft center part of the buds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 cup water
directions:
Wash and pick flowers into bite sizes. Blanch with boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside
In a food processor, add pea eggplants, galangal, ginger, green and red chili, fermented soy sauce, wild ginger flower buds and hit pulse for 2 - 3 minutes until everything is mixed well and turned into grainy paste
Heat cooking oil in a wok / pan. Stir fry paste and salam leaves for 1 minute over high heat. Add water
Toss in blanched papaya flowers. Stir fry quickly for three minutes
1 tablespoon South East Asian fermented soybean paste
5 salam leaves
1 tomato, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooking oil for deep frying
2 tablespoons cooking oil for stir frying
1 1/2 cup water
instructions
Heat 2 cups cooking oil in a wok / saucepan. When the oil is hot enough (smoke starts to come out), deep fry the whole beancurd skin sheet for one minute each side, until the skin fluff out. Remove and continue with the rest. Run the fried bean curd under runny water and tear them up to bite sizes by hands. Drain and set aside
In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil over medium heat. Stir fry sliced shallot and garlic for two minutes
Toss in stinky beans, galangal, ginger, lemongrass and salam leaves. Cook for two more minutes
Add eggplant halves, tomato, fermented soybean paste (taoco) and salt. Mix well for two minutes
Reduce heat, add chili slices and 1 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for 5 minutes
Add beancurd skin and soy sauce. Mix well and remove from heat
1 cup thick coconut cream, diluted by 2 cups water
instructions
In a medium saucepan, add diluted coconut cream, pandan, banana pieces, sweet potato cubes and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat and stir constantly for 10 minutes
In a smaller saucepan, melt palm sugar with 1/2 cup of the coconut water from the first boiling saucepan. When fully melted, strain the liquid to remove foreign objects / insects (very possible to find dead flies trapped in the palm sugar block)
Add the palm sugar syrup and the rest of the thick coconut cream into the saucepan, lower heat
Simmer for another 15 minutes
Remove from heat, serve warm or cold (with ice or chilled thoroughly in refrigerator
Peel the thick skin of lady’s fingers and chop them up into 1 inch cubes / 2 cm cubes.
Break eggs in a bowl and lightly whisk them till slightly frothy.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan. On medium heat, slowly pour the egg onto the pan. Before it set, use a wooden spatula scramble up the eggs for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan / wok. Stir fry garlic till fragrant, around 2 minutes. Add chopped lady’s fingers, salt and pepper.
Stir fry quickly for two minutes until the vegetables soften.
50 grams dried black fungus (cloud ear fungus), soaked for half an hour
200 grams fresh baby corn, alternatively canned baby corn can be used
200 grams cauliflower
200 grams carrot
1 can button mushroom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
melon, halved
directions:
Cut all vegetables into same sizes chunks, except for carrot. Peel and halve the carrots lengthwise and make indentation using a sharp knife and cut them into 0,5cm slices
Heat cooking oil in a wok. Add ginger and stir fry till fragrant over high heat. Toss in black fungus and add water.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and lower heat, cook covered for 5 minutes
Remove the vegetables from heat and fill melon with stir-fried vegetables
20 cm square pan, buttered and lined with buttered parchment or foil
directions:
Preheat oven 180 degree Celcius.
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate bits till all melt. Set aside and let cool
Combine eggs, coffee and salt in a big bowl. Whisk in the sugar in a stream, and then whisk in the butter mixture
Fold in flour with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into prepared pan
Bake for 30 minutes, or till the top crust is shiny and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the pan
Let cool down completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The cake will solidify in cool temperature and makes it easier to cut.
Before shaping the burgers, gently blend 1 teaspoon sea salt into the meat. Try to distribute the salt evenly, but handle the meat as little as possible. Shape the beef into patties about 3/4-inch thick. (I like to make them on squares of wax paper. It makes it easy to transfer them to the grill.) With 1½ pounds of beef, you can make four 6-ounce burgers or six 4-ounce burgers. (Using my kitchen scale, I actually made two manly 6-ounce burgers and three daintier 4-ounce burgers.) So here’s your tip of the day for shaping the burgers. Don’t pack them too tightly. Just shape them enough so they hold together. Make an indentation in the center of the burgers. When burgers cook, they swell up in the center. If you make an indentation, you’ll end up with a nice, even flat burger, instead of a puffy burger. (Thank you to the food scientists at Cooks Illustrated for the indentation tip!) Once your burgers are shaped, it’s time to get the rest of the dinner ready. Directions
1. If you’re not planning on toasting the buns on the grill, toast them under the broiler before you start the potatoes.
2. Preheat the oven to 425˚ for the potatoes. Scrub the potatoes and cut each into 8 or 10 wedges. Put on a baking sheet and toss with a bit of olive oil. Arrange them skin-side down and sprinkle with salt and a bit of paprika. Put in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes.
3. Get the condiments ready for the burgers. Wash and dry lettuce, slice onions and tomatoes, slice cheese for cheeseburgers. (Slice pickles, if you have them. We were out. A “pickle emergency” as Bob says.) Get the ketchup and mustard out.
4. Wash and dry lettuce for the salad, and add whatever salad vegetables you’re using. (The lettuce could have been washed and dried in advance and stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in paper towels in a plastic bag.)
5. After the potatoes have cooked for about 10 minutes, turn on the gas grill to preheat. (Or preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, if you’re cooking the burgers on the stove. If you’re using a charcoal grill, you’re on your own figuring out when to start the fire. It should have been a while ago, though, for the coals to have time to cook down.)
6. When the 20 minutes are up for the potatoes, take them out of the oven. Gently stir them, and put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes more.
7. Now it’s time to start cooking the burgers. Put the burgers on the grill (heat lowered to medium works on mine) and set the timer for 5 minutes. (Or generously sprinkle the pan with salt and put the burgers in the pan.)
8. While the burgers are cooking, you can toss the salad. Use a bit of olive oil and toss well. Add salt and pepper and a bit of vinegar or lemon juice and toss again. Slice up an avocado if you’re using it for your salad or burgers.
9. Put the salad bowl and condiments on the table.
10. After five minutes, flip the burgers. Cook for an additional 3 – 5 minutes, depending on how well done you want them. I cook them for about 5 more minutes, but check them. If your fire is too hot, you may need less time. Add cheese slices, if you’re using them, for the last minute or so.
11. Put the burgers together; take the potatoes out of the oven and serve them with the burgers.
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (I omitted, since I didn’t have any)
Salt
Ground black pepper
Directions
Put the eggplant in a colander over a large bowl. Toss it with 1 teaspoon salt. Let it sit for 1 – 3 hours.
Spread the eggplant on double layers of paper towels; put another double layer on top. Press to remove any extra moisture.
Heat the oven to 500˚.
Put the eggplant and zucchini in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Spread the eggplant and zucchini out on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and put in the preheated oven. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes so they will roast evenly.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat until the onion is soft and starting to turn golden brown. This takes 15 – 20 minutes.
Add the garlic to the onions and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes; cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the roasted eggplant and zucchini to the pan and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the parsley, basil, and thyme. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus ¼ - ½ cup more to make the Hot Pepper Oil*
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 canned and peeled plum tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt (perhaps a bit more if your tomatoes are unsalted)
2½ - 3 cups cooked cannellini beans or chickpeas, with enough of their cooking liquid to barely cover them
6 ounces large tubular pasta, like rigatoni, or ziti, penne, or ditali
Hot Pepper Oil, for serving
Hot Pepper Oil Break 1 or 2 dried hot chilies (any variety), seeds and all, into ¼ - ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Let soak for several hours. Cooking the Beans
Makes almost 3 cups.
Put 1 cup cannellini beans or chickpeas in a large pot. Cover with water so there is at least 2 inches of water over the beans and soak overnight.
Or....if you don’t want to soak them overnight, cover with water so there is at least 2 inches of water over the beans. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let them sit, covered, for 1 hour.
Drain the beans and cover with plenty of water again. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons salt and simmer until tender, 10–15 minutes more. (Optional: Add a sprig of rosemary when you add the salt. Remove when the beans are done.)
Drain the beans, reserving enough broth to cover them.
Pasta e Fagioli or Pasta e Ceci
Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.
Put the ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a 2½ - 3 quart pan.
When the garlic starts sizzling (don’t let it brown), crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands. (Or cut the tomatoes up roughly and add them.)
Add the salt and simmer the tomatoes for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, if necessary.
Add the beans and their liquid, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a spoon, smash a few of the beans against the side of the pan.
While the beans are simmering, add a tablespoon of salt to the cooking water and cook the pasta until it is almost done. (My rigatoni box said to cook for 10 minutes; I cooked it for 8 minutes.)
When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the beans; stir and cook for about 2 minutes so the pasta can finish cooking and absorb some of the flavors. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if it seems too dry.
Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
Serve and pass the Hot Pepper Oil at the table to drizzle on top of individual servings.
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