Korean Barbecue Short Ribs – “Kalbi” Ribs – Kalbi 늑골

Kalbi is the signature dish of Korean cuisine — the best of fine dining from Korean restaurants. Most Korean restaurants have either, gas or charcoal brick grills built into each dining table. You would be brought lots of lovely and flavorful kimchi, spices  and rice to add to your dishes as you cooked them. Along with the Kalbi ribs, pork bellies are another favorite entree meat for Korean restaurants.

But, Kalbi ribs, or also called “Flanken” style short ribs are the ribs we are using today.

What makes this dish is it’s marinade, and the right time it has to soak in that marinade! I find that at least 2 days is needed to make this a great and flavorful dish. And not unlike most Korean dishes, all of which get better with the right aging process. Also, just my personal preference, but I do not think that this recipe needs the Asian pear that most people ask for. I think that the recipe has been too Americanized, become to sweet and looses the original Korean elements.

Ingredients for rib marinade

• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed, roasted and ground
• 4 lbs beef short ribs

Mix the first six ingredients, and whisk together to gently emulsify. Rinse your ribs off, as sometimes when the butcher is cutting, their may be small fragments of bone stuck to each rib. Rinsing will ensure that you do not bite down on a piece of bone, and ruin not only your meal but your teeth! Pat dry, and place in a container or zip lock bag.  Again, I believe that marinating these little lovely ribs should be for at least 2 days. But remember to turn them every once in a while to ensure they get properly marinated. And keep them in the refrigerator during the marinating process.

Once they have reached their peak marinating time, take out and drain off the liquid, discarding the liquid. Start your grill (or broiler) and get it hot.

But since we are cooking with a grill, lets talk about the grill.

Make sure your coals are red hot and the grill not to close, or if using gas, that you have it set to medium high.

Carefully set your ribs on the grill. If the grill is a little older, try rubbing oil on the grill with a cloth or paper towel, dipped in the oil. Vegetable oil is fine. Just keep the ribs from sticking to your grill.

Keep an eye on the ribs, as they have a higher content of sugar, and can burn easily. Cook approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until browned nicely.

Remove from the grill and place on a serving platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced scallions( green onions), and serve!

I like to serve Kimchi, Hot & cool cucumber and cool spinach with sesame oil as sides or accompaniments, along with rice!

즐기십시오 (Enjoy in Korean)

CARNE GUISADA

Oh if you think you know “Mexican” food you’re wrong!! This is the BOMB, the “shit”, it is the best ever!! Oh Jesus!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chuck steak or stew meat
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. diced onions
1/4 c. diced bell pepper
2-3 tomatoes or 1 can whole tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. chicken stock
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cumin

Instructions:

Heat dutch oven/skillet to medium high till it just starts to smoke, while pan is heating, mix meat chunks with flour, stirring to coat all pieces. Add meat when pan is hot, stirring occasionally,after 3 minutes, turn meat chunks over and brown the other side for another 3 minutes. Pour in beef broth to “unstick”, or “de-glaze” the pan of the brown chunks from bottom of pan, as this will greatly enhance the flavor of this dish!

Now that the meat is cooked, we can add the vegetables, the onion, bell pepper and garlic until vegetables become tender. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper  to taste and cumin.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, transfer to a oven safe skillet or pot at this point.Check on the juices in the pan, every hour, adding stock as needed, these natural juices are very important to the flavor of this dish.  Cover and simmer for 3 hours in a crock pot at high, 6 on low / simmer, and cook at 325 degrees for 3 hours in the oven. Serve as a main dish with flour tortillas.

Sides: Sour Cream, Guacomole, Shredded Cheese.

Honey Walnut Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 4 egg whites
• 2/3 cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon canned sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Stir together the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, let boil for 2 minutes then  add the walnuts. Boil for another 2 minutes, remove walnuts with a slotted spoon and place on a cookie sheet to cool and dry.
2. Whip egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. Stir in the mochiko until it has a pasty consistency. Heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Dip shrimp into the mochiko batter, and then fry in the hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3. In a medium serving bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey and sweetened condensed milk. Add shrimp and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the candied walnuts on top and serve.

Restaurant Review- CHINA MAX

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant outside of China itself!! True Cantonese style done to perfection! Flavors are out of this world! Service is friendly, fast and efficient! “China Max offers an unbeatable combination of grace, hospitality and upscale Chinese food that will knock your socks off.”

“…the real excitement of China Max lies in the dishes you would never expect to find in a Chinese restaurant – masterful twists on traditional Cantonese fare and creative blends of Western flavors and Asian finesse.”

Once you have ordered, you are brought the soup of the day, that could be Sweet Corn & Egg Drop soup or Hot and Sour soup, both are better than you have ever tasted. The dishes you order come out fresh and pipping hot, not always together, but right after one another.

My favorites are …

Starter/Appetizer – Baby Squid in Garlic Salt

This is cooked to perfection, golden brown, tender with fresh slices of  Jalapenos tossed in. Doesn’t get any better!

Entrees

General Tso’s Chicken, Jumbo Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, Beef w/ Ginger & Scallion, Honey Walnut Shrimp their are so many, and so GOOD!!

Get out and try  China Max today!!

CIOPPINO

CIOPPINO

Cioppino is San Francisco’s version of  bouillabaisse, and is made with a variety of the freshest fish possible. Being that all the Fishermen would “Chip In”, hence the “Cioppino”. In San Francisco the mixture includes local Dungeness crab,  but any crab will do. If crab is not available, substitutions are endless, try  another shellfish. Clams, mussels and Calamari or Baby Squid. Look around your local market the day you make the soup. Ask the fish monger what he or she would suggest that day. Again, only your imagination will limit you!

INGREDIENTS:

•4 garlic cloves, minced

•1/4 cup olive oil

•1 medium onion, chopped fine

•1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

•1 green bell pepper, chopped

•1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

•1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

•1 bay leaf

•a 28-to 32-ounce can whole tomatoes including juice, puréed coarse

•1 tablespoon tomato paste

•2 pounds live hard-shelled crabs

•12 small hard-shelled clams, scrubbed well

•1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled, leaving tails and first joint intact

•1/2 pound baby squid or calamari, cleaned and cut inot bite size pieces

•1/2 pound sea scallops

•1 pound scrod or other white fish fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces

•2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

•In a heavy kettle (at least 5 quarts) cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add pepper flakes and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened. Add vinegar and boil until evaporated. Add wine, oregano, and bay leaf and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in tomato purée and tomato paste and bring to a boil. •Add crabs and clams and simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, checking often and transferring clams as they open with tongs to a bowl (discard unopened ones). •Transfer crabs with tongs to a cutting board and remove top shells, adding any crab liquid to soup. Halve or quarter crabs (depending on size) and reserve, with any additional liquid, in a bowl. •Add shrimp, scallops, and fish to soup and simmer, covered, 5 minutes, or until seafood is just cooked through. Stir in gently crabs, their liquid, and clams and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 6.

Pan Seared Baby Bok Choy w/ Spicy Sausage

This is a very simple and tasty meal.

Ingredients

• 6 baby bok choy (1- 18-oz package), rinsed, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage, remove casing and break up in to small pieces
• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons hot chili oil *(optional)
• About 1  teaspoons fine sea salt

Preparation

Rinse baby bok choy , quarter bok choy, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then add hot Italian sausage evenly around pan. Add baby bok choy, and sprinkle with a rounded 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Also add hot chili oil.

Cook, turning over occasionally with tongs, until browned, about 3-4 minutes total, then cover and cook until wilted-tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.

If you are making a lot cook in batches in same manner, transferring to covered platter.

Cooks’ note: This is a great addition to a pasta, fettuccine, spaghetti or penne.

BON APPETITE !!

click pictures for larger view.

Baby Bok Choy

Spicy Sausage with Baby Bok Choy

Spicy Sausage with Baby Bok Choy

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velevt Cake

Prep: 20 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 25 min.; Stand: 1 hr.; Chill: 8 hrs.

This cheesecake has the deepest red filling and snowy white topping and makes a  wonderfully dramatic display on any table. Fresh mint sprigs adds a bit of contrasting color. Mini white and red rose buds are perfect also!

Yield

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4  cup  butter, melted
• 1  tablespoon  granulated sugar
• 3  (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2  cups  granulated sugar
• 4  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa
• 1  cup  sour cream
• 1/2  cup  whole buttermilk
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon  distilled white vinegar
• 2  (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
• Topping / Frosting
• 1  (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4  cup  butter, softened
• 2  cups  powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• Garnish: fresh mint sprigs or mini rose buds

Preparation

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 1 hour. Cover and chill 8 hours. Make day before for firmer cheesecake.

Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if desired.

Rapini

Rapini
Species
Brassica rapa
Cultivar group
Ruvo group
Cultivar group members
turnip

Rapini (also known as Broccoli Rabe (or Raab), Broccoletti, Broccoli di Rape, Cime di Rapa, Rappi, Friarielli (in Naples), and Grelos) is a common vegetable in Galician, Chinese, Italian, and Portuguese cuisine. The plant is a member of the Brassiceae tribe of the Brassicaceae, whose taxonomy is very difficult.^[1] Rapini is classified scientifically as Brassica rapa subspecies rapa,^[2] in the same subspecies as the turnip, but has had various other designations, including Brassica rapa ruvo, Brassica rapa rapifera, Brassica ruvo, Brassica campestris ruvo.

Rapini has many spiked leaves that surround a green bud which looks very similar to a small head of broccoli. There may be small yellow flowers blooming from the buds, which are edible.

The flavor of rapini has been described as nutty, bitter, pungent, and “an acquired taste”. The Italian cultivar is similar to, but much more bitter than, the Chinese. The Chinese cultivar is of a lighter green color, not at all bitter or pungent, and more tender.

Rapini is a source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, calcium, and iron.^[3]

The vegetable probably descends from a wild herb, a relative of the turnip, that grew either in China or the Mediterranean region. It is similar in shape to the Chinese Brassica oleracea cultivar called kai-lan.

Rapini is now grown throughout the world. Rapini is available all year long, but its peak season is fall to spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Rapini is commonly used in traditional Barese and southern Italian cuisine.

Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli Rabe (pronounced Broccoli Rob) is also referred to as rabe or rapini.


Photograph by gourmetsleuth.com


About Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli Rabe (pronounced Broccoli Rob) is also referred to as rabe or rapini.  This is another leafy green vegetable that is frequently eaten in Southern Italy and has become popular in the United States. The vegetable has a slightly bitter taste and is frequently steamed or lightly sauteed in olive oil.

The Broccoli Rabe flower looks similar to the broccoli florets. Despite the name this plant is not a type of broccoli but it is in the same brassica family.   One of the many health benefits of this vegetable is that it is rich in certain phytochemicals, including sulforaphane and indoles.   These are chemicals which are proving to protect us against cancer.

Nutrition

Broccoli Rabe/1 cup raw
Calories	20
Total fat (g)	—
Saturated fat (g)	—
Monounsaturated fat (g)	—
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	—
Dietary fiber (g)	—
Protein (g)	3
Carbohydrate (g)	4
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	20
Beta-carotene (mg)	7.6
Vitamin C (mg)	72

Nutritional information provided by WholeHealthMD.com

Braised Sprouted Broccoli

Braised Sprouted Broccoli

Braised Sprouted Broccoli

It’s Italian green sprouting broccoli, which is a standard variety. What’s different is in our method of picking it. We let it head up, then pick it, like everyone else does, but then, if you keep it in the ground, it keeps growing these nice little heads, which you have to keep picking to prevent the plant from flowering. This way, though, you don’t have to replant your broccoli all the time, you just keep on picking the ones you have, and we prefer these little heads to the giant supermarket-style heads anyway.Sprouted broccoli is really worth finding. The taste is sweeter, the flavor more, well, “broccoli”-ish. It can be found in farmers’ markets and some specialty supermarkets like Whole Foods and Henry’s, also try your farmers markets around town.

Yield: serves 4
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound sprouted broccoli, washed, ends of stems trimmed, keep leaves on
4 garlic cloves, peeled, mashed, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sweet butter (optional)

Method

Heat the olive oil in a frying or chef’s pan over a medium-high flame. Season the oil with sea salt and pepper, add the broccoli and toss with tongs until the leaves wilt. Add the chopped garlic and continue tossing until the garlic and broccoli are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add water to deglaze the pan, lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top and let simmer. Turn the broccoli after 2 minutes. After a total of 5 minutes the broccoli should be tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a pat of sweet butter (optional) and toss.

Serve hot as a side dish with meat, poultry, tofu, or fish.

VARIATIONS:
Want a little spicier? Try hot chili oil, red pepper flakes, and maybe add to pasta, such as penne or spaghetti. And my favorite add shrimp for a great meal!!