Author: toothpicktales

Celebrating Thai Basil

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This is a Thai inspired recipe, but it’s Americanized for sure!  The addition of crispy fried chicken is a dead giveaway.  If I had intended to make Pad Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken), I would have used chicken thighs and the chicken would have been chopped into small pieces and pan fried, along with onion, garlic, and chilies.  I also used Vietnamese flat wheat noodles instead of white rice. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I blend food cultures to suit my taste and this example is no exception.  I relied on estimating the volume of ingredients, rather than using precise measurements. 

Okay, let’s build a dinner…

Preparation is key.  Once the wok is hot, you want to have everything ready.  Chop and slice everything in advance and set aside. 

I followed the instructions on the package of noodles and soaked them in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes.  I pulled the noodles out and heated the water to a boil and added the noodles back in for about 10 minutes, until they just became tender.  I set the noodles aside.

While the noodles were soaking, I cut chicken breast meat into bite sized pieces and added them to a mixture of flour and cornstarch (about 4 to 1 ratio, flour to cornstarch).  I tossed the chicken pieces until they were fully coated.

I double-fried the chicken in the wok, which is to say, I fried the chicken and then pulled it out for a minute and then put it back into the wok to finish with a crisp fry.  I set the chicken aside and removed all but about 2 tablespoons of oil.

Now that the noodles and chicken were ready, I heated the wok and I added the julienned onions and stirred for a minute, then I added the mashed garlic and stirred another minute, and finally add the Thai chilies.  After a minute more of stirring I removed the onion, garlic, and chilies and set aside. 

I prepared a sauce by combining chicken stock, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar.  As I mentioned previously, I estimated the amounts, but this is probably close…

1 cup chicken stock

2 Tbs. dark soy sauce

2 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. oyster sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

I added the prepared sauce and simmered it at medium heat for a minute and then added the cooked noodles and swirled them in the wok for a minute so that the noodles could absorb some of the sauce, and then I removed the noodles and set them aside.

I pulled out a bit of the sauce from the wok and added some cornstarch to make a slurry.  I added the slurry back into the work and whisked for a minute, until the sauce thickened a little.

I added the enoki mushrooms and simmered for a minute. 

I added the Thai basil and cilantro and turned the heat off.  The basil should wilt, not cook.

I added the noodles to a serving bowl and topped it with the cooked chicken. I poured the contents of wok over the serving bowl and dinner was served.

The whole process took about 3 hours, but I was taking my time and having fun.  This could have been accomplished in less than two hours, including prep time and cooking time. 

I have to say that I wanted more Thai basil.  The sauce was delicious, full of umami flavor, but the Thai basil played a supporting role, and I really wanted it to be more prominent.  Next time I will add more basil!

Thai Basil

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It occurs to me that some recipe ingredients are simply not replaceable.  Oh sure, shallots might be substituted with some white onion and a sliver of fresh garlic, or a splash of ketchup might suffice in a pinch, instead of a dollop of tomato paste, but some food items are so unique that I just can’t make an exception.  Cilantro is one of those, and habanero chile is another.  Their flavors are so unmistakable that their omission, or substitution is noticeable.  I’m adding another item to the list: Thai basil. 

If I had to describe Thai basil, I would say that it is a bit like a combination of regular basil and mint, but that falls short of the full range of flavor.  There is also a hint of anise, and the leaves and stems are bigger and sturdier than regular mint. 

Food memories are some of my most indelible memories and I can easily recall the first time I had Thai basil.  It was 1987, in Dallas, Texas, at a neat little restaurant called Thai Soon.  The owner, “Soon,” ran the restaurant on trendy Lower Greenville Avenue.  (Last time I checked, she’s still in the restaurant business, but has moved to nearby Richardson, Texas.)

I experienced a few “firsts” at Thai Soon.  First time to have Thai chilis, first time to walk into a restaurant kitchen, uninvited, just so I could salute the chefs.  But my favorite first was my introduction to Thai basil. 

Thai Basil played a reoccurring role in many of Soon’s recipes.  Pungent and pervasive, and often playing second fiddle to delicious soups and spicy chilis, Thai basil was subtly woven into many delicious recipes, like threads of wool, woven into a comfortable, warm sweater.

Fresh Thai basil can be found in many international markets.  Use the leaves to liven up a soup or salad, or add them to a stir-fry dish, or add them to a pita wrap, burrito, or a spring roll rice paper wrap. 

Botanas Platter

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I can’t wait for springtime.  Trees are budding and the daffodils have bloomed and waned.  Pretty soon, I’ll be tilling the garden and planting vegetables and herbs.  We will probably have another frost in the near future, so all I can do is wait.

In the meantime, I can celebrate the imminent arrival of spring through food.

Botanas are snacks, in Spanish.  They are often small items, like tacos, empanadas, or nachos, and when several different items are arranged together you have a botanas platter.

This botana spread celebrates fresh vegetables and fruit, more than the actual tasty fried treats that are a common staple of botanas.

Colorful peppers, tomatoes, onions are arranged in floral patterns.  Sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, and grated cheese make for good toppings.

Crispy taco cups and flautas act as a vehicle to carry all of the other good ingredients.

Make your dining experience festive, whenever possilbe.

¡Disfruta!

Caldo de Pescado (Fish Soup)

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Special thanks to Janet Kushner at Jauja Cocina Mexicana for this recipe, which I have unabashedly stolen!

My wife was raised in the Catholic faith, which came with all manners of rituals, rites and traditions.  One of these is avoiding meat during the Lenten season, which is the 40-day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown, Holy Thursday.  Eating meat from warm blooded animals is forbidden, but fish, and other seafood, is permitted because they are cold blooded.  There’s a lot to unwrap there, but suffice it to say, Lent is something I can get behind, especially since I love seafood.

I come from a Protestant background, specifically an evangelical, Pentecostal, fire-and-brimstone sort of sect that has its own dos and don’ts, which include things like prohibiting alcohol, dancing, and gambling.  Eat anything you want, but don’t dare have any fun while doing it!

Over the years I’ve realized that living a good life requires nothing more than treating people with decency and respect.  It seems to me that religion can muddy the water, making it difficult to see the important things in life.  Be kind. Be generous.  Be sincere.

All that said, I still enjoy Lent when it rolls around each year!  Let’s have some fish!

Note: The sauce from this recipe is a very versatile soup base.  You could substitute the fish with meatballs, rice, lentils, or anything else that strikes your fancy.  Control the spiciness of the sauce by adding or subtracting the chile de arbol.

Caldo de Pescado

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs Tilapia filets, sliced into large pieces

1 oz. dried shrimp (eyes removed)

4 Roma tomatoes (quartered)

2 chile guajillo

1 chile ancho

A few chile de arbol, optional

½ onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, peeled.

1 large leek, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

1 Tbs oregano, crushed

Salt to taste

1 small handful cilantro leaves

3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½” pieces

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” pieces

Directions:

Cover cut potatoes in water and soak until needed.

Sauté onion, leek, and garlic for 5 to 6 minutes.  Set aside.

Sauté dried shrimp for 1 minute.

Add chiles.  Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes.  Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add 1 ½ cup water.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add cooked salsa to blender.  Add onion, leek, and garlic.  Add 1 ½ cup water.  Puree and strain into large bowl.

Add pureed salsa to a large pot. 

Add bay leaf and oregano.

Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Stir frequently.

Add potatoes and carrots.

Add 5 cups water and salt to taste.

Cook uncovered over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add tilapia and cilantro.

Cook for 5 minutes and serve.

Top bowls with minced onion and jalapeño.

Serve with warm corn tortillas.

Enjoy good food with friends! 

I Can and so Can You

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Our tomato plants have done well this summer, despite the insane heat that we have been experiencing, and that means we have buckets and buckets of tomatoes to deal with. 

There’s nothing that refreshes the soul like a vine-ripened tomato!  For me, it is the quintessential taste of summer.

We have 24 tomato plants in the garden this year, which is way more than we need for a supply of fresh tomatoes, so we are canning the rest.

Roma tomatoes are perfect for making tomato sauce.  I’ve spent the last five weekends making a variety of Italian-style marinara, as well as barbecue sauce, and spicy chili sauce. 

All in all, I’ve made 40 quarts of 43 pints of sauces.  It takes about 45 gallons of tomatoes to make that much sauce, so it requires a lot standing and stirring to complete the job!

The result is a year’s worth of delicious homemade sauce. 

There’s lots of books and plenty of online resources for anyone interested in canning.  Who knows, maybe I’ll post a recipe or two and offer some advice on canning someday!

Amplified Garnish

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Tired of humdrum pico de gallo, laying listlessly in bowl? Rearrange and redefine the elements.

The possibilities are myriad. A little creativity goes a long way when making something visually appealing, as well as delicious.

Case in point, is this mosaic of tomato and jalapeño. I started with the idea of making pico de gallo and, just before I diced the thin strips of jalapeño, I looked at the chopped tomato and thought it would be more interesting to arrange the pieces together to resemble a pineapple.

Ingredients:

Seeded and sliced jalapeño

Chopped tomato

Pinch of oregano

Pinch of garlic salt

A slight squeeze of fresh lime juice

Go ahead…change your world. By doing so, you change our world.

By special request: Mac and Cheese

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My good friend, Graham and I met through WordPress waaaaaay back in 2019.  He was a veteran web poster when I first stumbled upon his food blog and I remember reading his “About Me” page for the first time and thinking, “Wow, there’s another dad in the world who likes to cook for his family!”  I started following his blog and commenting on his posts and, not so long after that, he started following my blog.

It didn’t take long for me to get the hang of posting recipes and visiting other sites to see what others were up to, and before I knew it, I was following lots of people and people even started following me. 

I have to say that Graham has always graciously posted comments about the things I post, and his commentary contains colorful prose like:

“You have exactly the same recipe as I do, which is strange or maybe normal.”

and…

“Great recipe and one I would totally enjoy eating but can never make, my wife hates olives. Will remember to eat the next time I am eating alone.”

and…

“That really looks good even given it’s chicken.  I prefer Kung Pao beef.”

Graham and I trade good-natured barbs as well as good advice in equal proportions, which, in my opinion, makes us good friends.

By now, even Graham is probably thinking, “What does any of this have to do with Mac and Cheese?”

Well, here are the last two comments I received from Graham:

So now, without further ado, I present a link to a Mac and Cheese recipe that I posted waaaaaay back in 2020.

Easter – Mac and Cheese

I recreated this recipe a few days ago, but as anyone who knows me, I had to change it up a bit.  I used equal parts Cheddar and Gruyere cheese.

Here’s a picture of the finished product.

.

So, there you go, Graham.  Are you happy now?!

I’ll end with what might be my favorite comment from Graham…

“LOL!  I think it’s just because you’re a want-a-be Canadian. You’re too much like me sometimes, just grab what’s in the fridge and make something out of it that ends up tasting good.”

Indeed! Good night all, and good night, Graham.

Today’s word is: Gentle

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Often times, my approach to cooking is wham-bam-get-it-done!  This is the sort of cooking that I tend to do when I prepare dinner, after coming home from work.  It’s a fun, energetic romp that usually results in a good meal and doesn’t chew up a lot of time.  That kind of approach allows for more time to sit down and enjoy a meal with the family, rather than slave away in the kitchen only to be faced with a need to eat quickly, clean up from dinner, and get ready for bed.

There are times that I enjoy a more relaxed, gentle approach to cooking, and I usually reserve those times for weekends.  That’s when I like to prepare meals that require a little more time for preparation and, today’s chile rellenos are a perfect example.

It takes a gentle touch if you want to make delicious chile rellenos.  Every step requires equal amounts of skill and care.  I recommend watching one of the many tutorial videos that can be found online before making chile rellenos, for the first time.  Pay attention to the way a chef gently handles the chiles throughout the process. 

I’m always amazed at the versatility of Mexican food, and I feel like I say that every time I talk about Mexican food, but it bears repeating!  Poblano chiles are probably the most common chiles used for chile rellenos, but you can use any fresh chile that you like.  The same goes with the stuffing.  Most chile rellenos include cheese, and any cheese is suitable, if it melts nicely.  Other items for stuffing can include meats, grains, vegetables, or fruit. 

I went with Queso Oaxaca (a Mexican cheese from southern Mexico), and I added a little cooked, ground breakfast sausage that we had, left over in the refrigerator.

I prefer roasting the chiles over an open flame, rather than broiling.  I lay the whole chiles on top of my gas burner and gently turn them until all sides are slightly charred.  After the chiles have charred, I store them in a paper bag for several minutes, so that the chiles can gently steam.  A sealable bag can be substituted for a paper bag.

With a small, sharp knife, gently make a slit down the length of the chiles, just large enough so that you can reach in and gently remove the seeds from the top of the chiles, with your fingers. 

Form a ball of stuffing mixture in your palm and gently insert it into the cavity of the chile.  Gently seal the chiles with toothpicks.

Whip egg whites to form stiff peaks and then gently fold the egg yolks into the batter. 

Gently dredge the chiles in flour. 

Gently submerge the chiles in batter, to coat the chiles, and gently place them in a pan of hot cooking oil.  The cooking oil needs to maintain a temperature of about 350º throughout the cooking process.  If your oil is not hot enough, the chile rellenos will be greasy and, if the oil is too hot the batter will brown and burn quickly.

After about one minute, gently turn the chiles over to cook on the other side. 

Gently remove the cooked chiles and rest on rack, so that any residual oil can drip off.

The chile rellenos are ready to eat at this point but, you might want to consider adding an additional step. 

I prepared a warm tomato sauce that I used to bathe the chiles in, before plating.  I also spooned some of the sauce on top.

I am totally sold on the idea of adding tomato sauce!  The slightly acidic and sweet sauce brought the chile rellenos to a whole new level! 

To make the tomato sauce, I added some fresh Roma tomatoes, a little chopped onion, a few garlic cloves and about 1 cup of water to a blender.  After the sauce was pureed, I simmered the sauce in a pan, over medium-high heat to reduce a bit.  While the sauce reduced, I added some chicken bouillon, cracked black pepper, onion powder and some fresh, chopped epazote leaves.  In case you are unfamiliar with epazote, it’s a Mexican herb that is commonly used when preparing beans, soups, or stews.   Don’t worry if you don’t have epazote…it’s not essential, but it’s a nice addition, if you happen to have some on hand.

One chile relleno was enough to satisfy me, but my tastebuds wanted more!

Chile Colorado Burritos

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Traditional Chile Colorado is a stew made with beef and red chile sauce.  Even the toughest cuts of beef will become tender when cooked slowly in the sauce for a long period of time.  I don’t always have the luxury of time when I cook, so I find ways to improvise. 

This meal took about an hour and a half to make, which could have been trimmed down to about 45 minutes, if I had used canned enchilada sauce, but I wanted to use my dried Guajillo and New Mexico chile pods for the sauce.

I didn’t record the amounts of the ingredients I used for this dish because I was in a hurry, and I only took photos of the finished product.  That said, this is an easy dish to make, and proportions are easy to figure out, on the fly.

I started by seeding the chilies and then steamed them.  I added a small amount of beef stock to the chile pulp and simmered over medium heat for a few minutes, to thicken.

I pan fried thinly sliced steak over high heat to medium-rare.  After a little chopping, I added the cooked beef to 14” burrito sized tortillas.

I added the rolled burritos to a large skillet and topped them with the sauce.  The burritos baked at 350º for about 15 minutes.  I added some shredded cheese to the top, after arranging the cooked burritos on a serving plate. 

A little salad and Mexican rice completed the deal.

Day 4 Mushrooms

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People use all sorts of things to measure time.  The obvious choice, of course, is a clock, but when you think about it, there are other more subtle ways to measure time.

Your newborn baby sleeps through the entire night.  Congratulations, you just made it to six months, or has it been a year?  Your neighbors have their trash cans lined up on the street.  Oh, it’s weekly trash pickup day.  You see Christmas decorations pop up at local stores when there wasn’t any the day before.  It must be September already. 

The kitchen is full of time measuring devices, aside from a clock on the stove or microwave oven.  The refrigerator and pantry are full of time reminders.  Expiration dates and “best sold by” dates are on just about everything.  They tell you the necessary information, which is, “use this item before this time, or you will risk making everyone sick”.  What they don’t tell you is when you bought the item.  All you care about is the expiration date, and that’s OK.

Some food items are like time bombs.  Their life clock starts ticking from the moment you put them in your shopping basket until the moment you eat them.  King among those sort of items is common, white button mushrooms.

I look at mushrooms like this…

Day 1 – The mushrooms are nearly perfect.  Rinse off the dirt, pat them dry and you can use them in fresh salads or any other purpose.

Day 2 – The mushrooms have barely changed.  You might want to trim off the bottoms of the stems because they have turned a little brown, otherwise they are still good for any use.

Day 3 – Why haven’t I used these yet?  If I use them now, I will need to pluck the stems out of the mushroom caps.  They’re still fresh enough for salads, but just barely.

Day 4 and 5 – Critical warning!  Mushrooms look a little smaller and browner than they did a few days ago.  They also feel wet, in a not-so-good way.   Use them now, or risk the death throes of Day 6, or dare I mention, Day 7!

Day 6 and 7 – Well, I really screwed up!  I knew this was coming.  I open the package and inspect the mushrooms.  They have big, soft brown spots on them, and they aren’t white anymore, and wow, what’s that awful smell?

Fortunately, I’m only on Day 4 with my mushrooms.  They aren’t salad worthy, and I need to find a way to disguise them and showcase them at the same time.  Sauces are great solutions for vegetables and fungi as they enter their “autumn years”.

Let’s make some jägerschnitzel!

First of all, if your menu choice contains an umlaut in its name, you earn bonus points, and possibly a James Beard award!  Secondly, if it is a compound German word, you receive the smug satisfaction of knowing a compound word when you see one. 

Jägerschnitzel is a hunter’s schnitzel with mushroom gravy.  Jäger means “hunter” and schnitzel means…well, schnitzel means schnitzel.  Schnitzel refers to the pounding and breading method used when preparing the meat.

I made a few substitutions along the way, like sake instead of white wine and panko breadcrumbs instead of traditional breadcrumbs and I’m happier for it!  I only took a few photos, but trust me, this is fairly easy to make and is very satisfying. 

Mushroom Gravy Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

½ onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup flour

½ cup white wine (I used saké)

2 cups beef stock

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mushroom Gravy Directions:

Heat the olive oil in skillet.  Add butter and chopped onion.  Stir for two minutes. 

Add garlic and continue stirring for another two minutes.

Add mushrooms and stir for three minutes.

Add flour and mix to combine.

Add wine and cook for three minutes.

Add beef stock and stir sauce for about five minutes, until thickened.

Add mustard and Worcestershire sauce. 

Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Schnitzel Ingredients:

1 cup cooking oil

4 boneless, center cut pork chops, pounded to about 1/8” thick

2 eggs

2 teaspoons water

1 ½ cup breadcrumbs (I used panko)

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

Schnitzel Directions:

Pound the pork chops until they are very thin, about 1/8” thick.  I like to lay the chops on wax paper and add another piece of wax paper on top and then pound the chops with the flat side of a meat cleaver.

Mix the eggs in a large bowl with water.

Spread the flour across a large plate.

Spread the breadcrumbs across a large plate.

Dredge the pork in the flour, dip in egg wash, and dredge in the breadcrumbs.

Fry the thin pork chops in hot oil for about three minutes and turn them over.  Continue frying for another three minutes, or until golden brown, and remove them to warm place.

I serve the schnitzel with fried potatoes on a platter with the mushroom gravy on the side.  This allows each person the option to add as much gravy as they like to the schnitzel.  I like to pour the gravy over everything!

And a little sauerkraut seals the deal!