Clam and Cabbage Soup

Chinese people have a communal meal called "huo guo" (hot pot) or "dai been loh" which is basically a lot of people sitting around a soup pot. The take turns tossing things in and taking them out and trying them with various sauces. Its not very exciting culinary-wise, but its very satisfying socially.

Today's dinner was borne of a conversation about hot pot. I was nostalgic and wanted to make my own hot pot for one (with maybe some leftovers).

Clam and Cabbage soup
Serves one

5 live clams (I love clams, I bought manila today)
6 leaves napa cabbage (its light green and oval in shape. Sweet and soft in soup. Bok choy is also great)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 generous coin ginger
1 clove garlic smashed
1 pinch red chili pepper flakes
1 scallion, sliced thinly in coins (cilantro or parsley are also great)
Optional:
1 serving noodles (egg noodles for me but vermicelli is great for this!)
3 ounces cubed tofu for extra meatiness
Spinach or watercress if you want extra green

1. 30 minutes in advance, brush the clam shells under running water to remove sand. Then soak the clams in cold water to allow the clams to open up and you to get any extra sand out of the inside.
2. Meanwhile, take out two pots - one for the soup, and one to just steam the clams. (The clam pot should be wider rather than tall as we want the clams to sit in a single layer.) Place the chicken broth in one and bring to a simmer as you prep other ingredients.
3. Wash and chop your napa into 1 inch slices, cut the coin of ginger, smash the garlic, and slice the scallion.
4. Toss in the garlic and the napa into the pot and let it all simmer.
5. Take the other pot and toss in 1/2 a cup of water. (Personally I'm using beer, you can also use white wine). Add the garlic and red chili and bring to a simmer. Place the clams in a single layer and cover.
6. Come back in 2 minutes and see if they have opened. If not, cover and give it another minute. If the clams don't open on their own, don't force it open - it may be dead and full of sand!!
7. Shake the clams in the remaining water/alcohol to remove any remaining sand. Transfer the open clams to the soup pot. Take the residual clam brine and pour through a coffee filter into another bowl. Add as desired to soup stock. (I promise its delish!)
8. Top with scallion, add salt and pepper as desired. Serve.

Mushroom and Leek Risotto

 

After a long year of working, I rewarded myself with a vacation to Italy. There are so many things about Italy that I loved. The architecture. The walkable cities. The cadence of the language. 

And of course! The food.

My family decided to book apartments in Italy rather than get hotels. That way, we would be 1) saving lots of money, but also 2) always accessible to hot water for tea. (Hey. We're Chinese. That's what we do.) My family vacations are also never complete without a visit to the local supermarket - we bring home interesting finds and make dinner family style! One of my favorite dishes in Italy happened to be risotto. (Hey, we're Chinese. We like rice.) The earthy mushrooms and the springy leeks give this dish a lot of flavor - but keeps it light if you just want it as a side dish. It can be made entirely vegetarian if you like and makes fantastic leftovers.

Mushroom and Leek Risotto

serves 2 entree sized portions or 3-4 sides

1 leek (Remove tough part of greens, slice in half vertically, wash, and then slice thinly into half coins.)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (Dried porcinis are awesome! Make sure you soak them in hot water first if you're using dried and drain)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons pancetta/speck/diced bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice (cannot be substituted for any other kind of rice)
3 cups chicken/veggie broth (or water if you are really in a bind)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley (optional)

1. Heat a non-stick saute pan and the olive oil.
2. Heat the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer while you continue to cook everything else.
3. When hot, add the pancetta/bacon - as usual, we're adding the bacon to give the risotto richness and a savory flavor. Totally optional, but totally worth it IMO.
4. When cooked through and almost crisp, add the garlic.
5. When garlic is fragrant, add the leeks and saute. 
6. When leeks are sweated (they're shiny, and turning a pretty green), add the mushrooms. Saute.
7. When mushrooms have cooked down slightly, add the rice and saute with the ingredients. Saute the rice for about five minutes, but keep the ingredients moving. Things may start to stick from this point forward.
8. Turn the meat down to medium low. Add three or four ladles of the simmering chicken stock to almost cover the ingredients. If the stock is cold, it will hinder the cooking process. The rice will slowly soak up all the stock and soften. Stir the pan frequently to make sure the rice is not sticking.
9. As the stock is absorbed, continue adding stock two ladles at a time - making sure that the bottom of the pan is never dry. Continue this process for 15 to 20 minutes. You will have to babysit this dish to make sure that the rice doesn't stick and cooks evenly. You'll know the rice is done when it is translucent and soft. 
10. Turn the heat down to low and let the rice cook out any residual water. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If desired, top with Parmesan reggiano or in my case, a shredded mozzarella stick. Serve immediately.

Sweet Roasted Pecans

I've been on a big pecan kick lately: Several weeks ago, our family in Oklahoma sent my mom several pounds of freshly picked nuts from a relative's pecan orchard. (Yum!) So my awesome mom passed along quite a large portion to me and I've been experimenting with them. I first made this recipe a few weeks ago, but it turned out so good that I've made it several times since.

** Note: The main flavor in this recipe comes from garam masala, which is an Indian spice blend. I found it in my local Indian supermarket, but you can also order it online or substitute cinnamon to taste. I found this site which does a good job of explaining both what garam masala is and how to use it.

Sweet Roasted Pecans

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs. butter
• 1.5 tbs. honey
• 1/2 tbs. vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups (approx.) pecans
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• Kosher salt, to taste (I think I used just a few heavy pinches.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Melt butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl.
3. Using a spatula, mix the honey and vanilla into the melted butter. (Hint: Use a silicone spatula, as this will get a bit sticky.)
4. Add the pecans to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Sprinkle the spices over the nuts, then toss again to coat.
6. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan and place in oven for 7 - 10 minutes. **Don't walk away from them; check them often. You'll be able to smell when they're done.**
7. Remove the tray to a cooling rack and use the spatula to move the pecans around so they don't stick to the foil.
8. Let them cool for a few minutes. You can eat them cold, but they're super-amazing when they're still warm!
   

Spinach Egg Drop Soup

Greetings food friends!

I recently made a giant pot of chicken stock, and you know what that means! Soup. Lots and lots of soup!

Today's soup takes one of my favorite brunch foods and turns into into a flavorful, yet light soup. Other than the requisite chicken stock, it also uses bacon to give the broth some OOMPH!

Spinach Egg Drop Soup
Makes two cups. Serves one really hungry Suanne. 20 minutes


1 tablespoon diced bacon (mine was frozen)
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped spinach
1/4 cup sliced leeks (optional. Added because I had them around)
3/4 cup chicken stock
water
2 eggs, beaten
 salt, to taste

1. Take a non-stick soup pot and place on high heat. If your pan needs it, add a teaspoon of oil - mine is stainless steel so I didn't bother
2. When hot, toss in bacon and cook until fat is rendered and you get yummy brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
3. Add garlic and leeks (or other fresh veggies) and cook for a minute until mostly cooked through. Make sure to take the opportunity to scrape off the brown bacon bits.
4. Add frozen spinach and chicken stock. If you have chicken parts/veggies in your chicken stock, feel free to add it too.
5. Add enough water to cover, which should bring the liquid level to 2 cups (my pot has it conveniently labeled on the side.)
6. Bring the soup up to a low boil. Push the solid contents of the soup to the middle. Pour the egg, tablespoon by tablespoon into the boiling stock. The trick to egg drop soup is to pour slowly into hot water so the egg cooks quickly. Don't stir immediately, wait 20 seconds before drawing your ladle around.
7. Salt to taste. Enjoy!