Scallion Pancake: Lockdown Chinese

Real Chinese food offers so much more than your average American Chinese restaurant. I'm glad to see that in the US authentic Chinese food becomes more available. We started frequenting one of the local dumpling places that serve dim sum and other less common bites. With the COVID lockdown, however, replicating those amazing flavors at home is the only option to enjoy them. My kids are big fans of the scallion pancakes. Which means, of course, that the whole meal was built around them. Those are more of the fried flatbreads than traditional Western pancakes made of batter. Dumplings, steamed shrimps and rabe were complimenting this simple appetizer. The recipe was adapted from the Dim Sum cookbook, a very well written introduction to authentic homemade Chinese lunch. 

For the dough, mix 1 1/2  cup of all-purpose flour with 1/2  cup of boiling water and 2 tbsp of cold water. Mix a pretty easy, pliable dough and knead for 5 min. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 min.

Slice thinly 3 scallions, white and green parts. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces, flatten with your hands to 5" circle, sprinkle with salt and scallions. Fold inwards into 3 even pieces, roll from one short end to another enclosing folded edges inside. You'll get a roll. Put the roll on its flat side. Press the flat side down and flatten with the rolling pin to 5" circle ( I know, it's too many rolls and flats but my thesaurus doesn't work today).

You get a version of the layered dough flatbread.  Fry the pancakes in 1 tbs of oil (I used avocado) on medium for 2-3 min on each side. Make sure you don't burn it.  Serve with the dipping sauce that is 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of water, 1/2 tbsp of vinegar,  1/2 tbsp of chili oil, and 1/2 tbsp of toasted sesame oil. 

Steamed for a few minutes broccoli, rabe, spinach, or other Asian greens and shrimps will make an excellent light addition to the fried dough.  Toss them in 2 tbsp of soy sauce mixed with 1/2 tsp of finely chopped ginger and a clove of chopped garlic, 1 tsp of vinegar, pepper flakes to taste. 

And steamed dumplings with potstickers require its own extensive post which I promise in the near future. 

Rugelach: No-Fault Pastry

Baking is not my first preference. But after listening for the past few days to "do we have something sweet for coffee?" from my family I know it's time to put this apron on. 

Rugelach is the traditional Ashkenazi Jewish pastry that resembles a small croissant filled with chocolate mix. I did not grow with it but absolutely loved it when lived in Israel. Every bakery would sell rugelach and no Friday branch would be imagined without it. Unfortunately, where I live it's a rare guest. The local grocery store sells it for the outrageous price of $5 for 6 small pieces. A good enough reason to start making my own.

The recipe is adapted from the Cooking Jewish book, with some changes.
For the dough, you'll need to mix in a mixer bowl 2 packets or 1/2 oz (1.5 tbsp) of dry active yeasts, 1 tbsp of sugar, and 1 cup of lukewarm milk. Let stand for 10 min. Pour in1 cup of melted and cooled butter, 2 egg yolks (save the whites for the egg wash), 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, zest from 1 lemon (optional), and 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix well until incorporated. 

Change to the dough hook and mix for another 3-4 min. Alternatively, knead by hand for 5 min. The dough should be smooth, breaking in chunks but not sticky. Add more flour if it sticks. Put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it stand in a refrigerator for 2-8 hours. 

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix 1/2 cup of chopped toasted almonds, 1 cup of sugar, 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, and 2 tbsp of butter at the room temperature in the food processor.  If you have cold butter cut it in 1/4" cubes to speed up the temperature rise. 

Add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and pulsate a few times until incorporated. This step will prevent chocolate from melting during the first phase of mixing. 

Set the oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge, cut into 4 even pieces. You'll work with one piece at a time while the rest is refrigerated. Dust the surface with flour and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. The edges don't have to be perfect, they will be rolled inside. Spread any of the following on the whole piece: any preserves, Nutella, cashew butter, chocolate spread, any other sweet thick spread. Sprinkle 1/4 of the chocolate mix on top. 

Using a pizza wheel cut the dough into 12 segments. Starting from the wide part of each segment roll the dough towards the narrow part. Set to rise for another 20 min.  Repeat with the rest 3 pieces of dough. 

Mix 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 tsp of cocoa powder. Brush rugelach with the beaten egg whites mixed with a few tablespoons of water, Sprinkle with sugar dry mix. Bake for 12-13 min. 
Let cool for 15 min before serving. Enjoy!

Rugelach
Printable recipe

Dough:
2 packets or 1/2 oz (1.5 tbsp) of dry active yeasts
1 tbsp of sugar
1 cup of lukewarm milk
1 cup of melted and cooled butter
2 egg yolks (save the whites for the egg wash)
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
zest from 1 lemon (optional)
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Filling:
1/2 cup of chopped toasted almonds
1 cup of sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp of butter at the room temperature 
Any sweet spread: preserves, Nutella, sweet peanut butter etc

Topping:
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 egg whites, beaten with water


For the dough, you'll need to mix in a mixer bowl dry active yeasts, sugar, and milk. Let stand for 10 min. Pour in melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and flour. Mix well until incorporated. Change to the dough hook and mix for another 3-4 min or knead by hand for 5 min. The dough should be smooth, breaking in chunks but not sticky. Add more flour if it sticks. Put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it stand in a refrigerator for 2-8 hours. 

For the filling mix almonds, sugar, cocoa powder, and butter at the room temperature in the food processor. Add chocolate chips and pulsate a few times until incorporated. 

Set the oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge, cut into 4 even pieces. You'll work with one piece at a time while the rest is refrigerated. Dust the surface with flour and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. The edges don't have to be perfect, they will be rolled inside. Spread any of the following on the whole piece: any preserves, Nutella, cashew butter, chocolate spread, any other sweet thick spread. Sprinkle 1/4 of the chocolate mix on top. 
Using a pizza wheel cut the dough into 12 segments. Starting from the wide part of each segment roll the dough towards the narrow part. Set to rise for another 20 min.  Repeat with the rest 3 pieces of dough. 

For the topping, mix sugar with cocoa powder. Brush rugelach with the beaten egg whites mixed with a few tablespoons of water, Sprinkle with sugar dry mix. Bake for 12-13 min. 
Let cool for 15 min before serving.

Makes 4 dozens

Single Ingredient: Mustard

Being one of the few native European spices white mustard plays a strong role in European cuisine. Besides its place in the kitchen mustard was also used for medicinal purposes in different cultures. Whether added to dressing, used in sandwiches, infused into marinades or added to cooking directly, mustard is a deal maker in my household. Whole dry, crushed, powdered, or as a delicious paste, anything goes. This is a review of a few variations of the condiment that currently reside in my house. The selection constantly changes because I love trying new inventions and some become my permanent favorites. Follow me.

Mustard was introduced to Europe by Romans and is mentioned in Roman cookbooks as far back as 4th century AD. The famous Dijon mustard firmly established its position in France about 8 centuries ago and was used extensively as a condiment through Europe. British mustard was another distinguished variation and its famous manufacturer  Colman's Mustard celebrated 200 years of existence a few years ago. The condiment's popularity never faded and today it's being used in different cultural settings, from Asia to Europe to the Americas.  The review is in order from left to right.

1. Dusseldorf Mustard by Sandwich Pal - your typical German-style brown mustard, stone ground. It feels a bit grainy and sour. Goes well with brats, beef, and pork.

2. Cuban Style Mustard by Sam's Mark (a Walmart brand) - Yellow, milder taste with pickle relish and liquid hickory smoke. It has a mellow savory flavor with smokiness. Goes perfectly on Cuban or other sandwiches with mildly seasoned cold roasts.

3. Dijon Mustard by Crowning Touch  - good ol' classic Dijon. Creamy, brown, sour. Not as excellent as Grey Poupon but not that far off. The classic recipe would include a mix of brown and white mustard powder and white wine. Today, different manufacturers make subtle adjustments adding onion powder, salt, and other ingredients.

4. Dill Mustard by Amazon Pantry - The mildest mustard with lots of dill and very subtle sweetness. One of my favorites. Perfect on sandwiches or with pretzels. 

5. Traditional Yellow by Berman's - your traditional turmeric tinted classic sour mustard that goes on your hotdog. It's an Aldi brand. Very similar to French's Yellow Mustard.

6. Old Style by Maille - High-end manufacturer.  Made of the whole white and brown mustard seed softened in liquid. Very mild and grainy, has a bite to it. Perfect on roasts, brats, cold cuts.

There's more use to mustard paste than just a condiment. Spreading on a whole chicken rotisserie before roasting gives fantastic flavor to the crispy skin. Coating quarters of potatoes, turnip, or another mild root vegetable with mustard paste and roasting will give you an excellent flavorful side dish without much effort. Try it. Taste it. Pass it on. 

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with any mentioned brands.

Sandwich for dinner? Yes please!

Even though I wasn't raised on sandwiches they easily became my go-to food. Combined with soup, sandwich becomes my most desirable lunch serving. But an occasional sandwich creation for dinner isn't a rarity either.

I fully embrace meals that enhance original ingredients without requiring an extra trip to the store. My sandwich dinner included two of such ingredients. Kaiser buns are rich and tasty but by topping it with Everything bagel mix you'll elevate the flavor to the next level. Just brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with the dry mix, and toast in a toaster oven. This particular mix didn't cost more than $2 at Walmart. 

Another ingredient is pickled red onion. Slice half an onion thinly, mix 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar with 1 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt, make sure dry ingredients are fully dissolved. Put onions in the jar, add a few crushed allspices for extra zing, and pour the mixture covering the onion entirely. Let stand for at least 30 min. You can keep it refrigerated for a week.

Now to the protein. Of course, your average deli section will provide you with an extensive variety of cold cuts. I, however, prefer making my own for two simple reasons. You control the quality and you reduce the price. A regular seasoned pork loin will take about 50 min in an electric pressure cooker, while roasting will take 45 min per pound in the oven. Either way, you know what's involved: a piece of meat and seasoning. I chose a mix from The Spice House called Gateway to the North, I got it as a free gift on my purchase. Ingredient wise it seems not a hard mix to recreate at home.

After the meat is ready and cooled down, slice it and assembly your sandwich. Mayo on the bottom of the kaiser bun, topped with lettuce, sliced pork, pickled onions, a few drops of mustard and chopped herbs of your liking. I had Italian parsley and basil. The total time for pork loin preparation and assembly was around 1 hour given that you make onions and bun enhancing step while pork is cooking. 

Think about the following variations if you want to experiment or simply don't have specific ingredients:

• Use turkey breast or beef for the roast. Any large chunk of meat that could be sliced would work.
• If you don't have everything bagel mix try one of those: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion chunks, dried chives, sea salt, pepper flakes.
• Any roast or grilling seasoning would work. I chose the one that resonated with my northern location.
• You can substitute sweet onion for the red one if that's what you have. The color will be pale but the taste and the crunch still will be outstanding.

I'm pretty sure Sir Sandwich would be pleased. 

Great Lakes Comfort: Creamy Coleslaw

Living in the Great Lakes state for the past 15 years I learned to admire local cuisine that is based on a mixture of local ingredients and ethnic cooking. German, Polish, Middle-Eastern and Greek food on one side and cherries, freshwater fish, and summer/ fall crops on another elevate fresh flavors to a unique Michigan level. Lake Michigan Cottage Cookbook is a new dweller in my house. After a thorough review, I'd easily try 80% of its recipes. And since I was asked to bring coleslaw to a housewarming party I decided to go with a modified Creamy Coleslaw recipe from it. It perfectly reflects the European heritage, the freshness of the ingredients, richness of the dressing, and versatility. Coleslaw can be used in a summer picnic, Thanksgiving dinner, backyard grill, or any potluck. 

The recipe is asking for finely chopped white cabbage. I chose thinly sliced and roughly cut red cabbage. Its deep purple is much happier on the eyes and the texture is more inviting than pale, mushy blend. 

As a rule, I mix all the dressing ingredients in the mixing bowl, chop the cabbage and add it to the dressing in batches until incorporated. I also use a single teaspoon, starting from dry ingredients to wet, to save on using multiple utensils. Three teaspoons would make one tablespoon. Easy, right? I'm doing it partially because I'm lazy and don't like to use more single-use tools, and partially because I don't want wasting water and $$ on unnecessary dishwashing. The recipe also utilizes a hefty amount of horseradish, a perfect solution for those of us who have it for this random reason or another and never found the way to use it all up. In my case, Moses commanded my people to have horseradish on the Passover table every year, and it's not much in use in our household afterward. 

Allowing slaw to stand for at least a few hours is another important step. Sure, you can mix and serve immediately if you're in a hurry. But the flavors won't be the same. Allowing ingredients to mellow into each other will create a happy marriage that is hard to break. Below is the modified recipe from the book. Try it. Taste it. Pass it on.

Creamy Coleslaw

Printable Recipe 

1 small head of red cabbage

2/3 cups of mayonnaise (I used avocado oil based) 

1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp horseradish

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Dash celery salt

Slice cabbage thinly then cut across into rough pieces. Massage kosher and celery salt into the chopped cabbage. Add sugar, mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, mustard into a large mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly until homogenous consistency. Add cabbage with salt in batched and incorporate. Chill for at least 2 hours but ideally 8. 

Serves 6-8.

Italian Any Day.

 Italian regional food is elegant, simple, easy on eyes, and appears sophisticated at the same time. It might seem time-consuming but the steps are fairly easy. It's common for my dinner planning to come from a single ingredient. This time it was baked baby-eggplants. I baked it whole just to avoid it going bad without any particular plans. And since Italian cooking uses eggplants extensively my meal plan was born.

That's how it started...

Even if you're not an avid cook, putting together an Italian inspired meal shouldn't be a burden. Make sure you have fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, zucchini, Italian parsley, and sweet/mild peppers. Even better if you have any combination of capers, anchovies, marinated artichokes, sardines, or fresh basil in addition. A few words about basil. This magnificent herb should be only consumed raw. The dried version could be added to stews and soups but it will never ever replace its younger, fresher competitor in the dishes where basil shines. Dry basil has a completely different, medicinal bleak taste. Whether you buy a fresh bunch, a potted plant, or jarred pesto it's always superior to the dried herb. To this day I can't shake off my disappointment with pasta pesto in one of Colorado's Italian restaurants that combined a bunch of dried basil with cream for pesto and called it a day.

Just layer three ingredients.

Surrounding a couple of central cooked dishes by multiple simple plates paired with good wine will create a masterpiece without much of an effort. I baked small pizza bites called Pizzette brushed with olive oil and topped with tomatoes, mushrooms, salami, and mozzarella. I made simple dough from scratch but really any yeast dough or even thawed frozen pizza dough will do, rolled and cut with 3" cookie cutter. 

Another cooked dish was eggplant caponata, a popular Sicilian dish. I also deep-fried zucchini while the pizza bites were baking. The rest?  The Caprese salad is, literally, layering sliced tomatoes with sliced mozzarella and torn pieces of basil, sprinkle with salt/pepper, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic, or other rich vinegar.  Marinated vegetables, sardines, salami, and cheese were plated and that's it! 
Wine: 2014 Tomaiolo Chianti Classico Riserva. Blueberry, oak nose. Musk, citrus, dry oak, fairly smooth but I'd prefer white wine for this food selection.
Food cost: roughly $20 for four people, with major cost falling on mozzarella and basil $8.5.

Welcome to My Kitchen

I will start with the basics. Right tools if not the essence of a successfully prepared meal it makes half of the job done easier. I agree that in the right hands any tool can be improvised if necessary. But most of us are not trained chefs and are not in dire conditions. To omit redundancy, knives, cutting boards, spatulas, pots, skillets are not included in this list. I'm pretty sure even those who don't like to cook already have those. Listed below tools are a bit out of the beaten path. They can be affordable and some are once in a lifetime purchase.

1. Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Apart from being a beast in the kitchen and mixing anything from batter for crepes to the bread dough it also is used for other purposes. Like combining dry ingredients and beating heavy cream into whipped cream or egg whites into firm meringue foam. It's not exclusively for mixing though. By purchasing different Kitchen Aid attachments the possibilities are endless.  Meat grinder, pasta maker, shredder, juicer...you name it! This horse will plow through your kitchen needs every time you cook. On the photo is the meat grinding attachment I own.

2. Electric or stove kettle.  It allows you to boil water fast. Especially if you appreciate different types of hot beverages such as coffee, tea, cocoa...Soaking up ramen or other noodles,  reconstitute dehydrated ingredients or anything that needs boiling water fast will be served by this trusty tool.

3. Meat mallet (tenderizer). Makes meat tenderizing of any type a breeze and will crush nuts faster than you say shelter in place.

4. Electric pressure cooker.  Whether it's Instant Pot or another brand it will cut the cooking time by two to four times and will turn any piece of meat into a meal that melts in your mouth. Extremely handy when time is a factor. Although with certain limitations (should be careful with soups and legumes, vegetables can be easily overlooked) it's easily one of the most used tools I have.

5. Pizza stone. After it was bought at one of the Pampered Chef's parties a couple decades ago as an "obligatory purchase" it took time for me to appreciate its true value. The ability to heat evenly and preserve heat for a fairly long time is indispensable for bread and pizza baking

                                      

6. Food processor. From chopping to blending, to grating or slicing. It's your second power horse next to Kitchen Aid, especially when big quantities are involved.

7. Silicone spatulas. Versatile, pleasant to touch, flexible, and durable enough to withhold heat. Will break clumps and mix smoothly.

8. Steamer: bamboo or metal. Steamed dumplings, vegetables, or Asian inspired meals would need this simple gadget. Steam does the perfect job of not overcooking nutritious vegetables by preserving the vitamins, something that boiling might fail to do. And since the steam reaches higher temperatures than boiled water it cuts the time of preparation to single-digit minutes.

9. Scale. Not all cooking requires precision. Lots of cooks are eyeballing ingredients and get perfect results each time. Scale, however, would be incredibly useful in every day cooking if you a) bake b) try a new recipe c) preserve by canning or fermentation.  Baking is a science on its own and precision is important for an expected result. New recipes are the baseline so it's important to know what will be altered and by how much in the future. Incorrect preserving might kill you. Get a scale.

10. Thermometer. I confess I don't have one at this moment. I used to have two: one for meat, another for extremely high temperatures of candies, or fryer oil. Both went bad and I haven't replaced them. But I miss knowing the exact temperature since numbers are my thing and they are important.

If you're on the budget you always can compromise. Besides Kitchen Aid stand mixer any of those tools can be found for affordable prices. Try local Asian markets for cheaper steamers or Ikea for silicone spatulas, mallets and other kitchen gadgets. I would warn against Ikea's inferior quality though.  Affordable kettles and food processors are available on Amazon and Kohl's websites. Once retail will reopen it is worthy to check Home Goods, TJ Maxx, World Market, and other budget-friendly places with constantly changing inventory. 

Food is for supporting life. Cooking is for enjoying it.

Welcome to my blog. I am a food enthusiast, self-taught home cook who never stops at anything in order to challenge a new cooking technique or a new ingredient. As a child, I hated food, period. You couldn't find a pickier eater than myself...Until I hit late teenage years. Something happened and I discovered the pleasure of cooking. It took me a while to stop wasting ingredients and time before my family could actually finish a dinner prepared by me. And a bit longer before my family and friends would compliment my food and spread the word about the wonders of Elana's cooking. Many recipes were tried multiple times before turning into the perfect creation that was presented to the wider public.

After traveling and moving from place to place I discovered that ethnic and regional foods are my true passion. People eat food for supporting their bodies and life. But they cook meals for gathering and exchanging experiences, thoughts, and ideas. Many cultures prepare commonly shared food as a sign of social belonging and expression of identity. It might be subtle during the process of consuming food but the purpose is very distinct during the process of meal preparation. In my blog, I will touch on many different ethnic and regional cooking, will review my cooking habits, provide practical info, and review cookbooks.

 Although I've never turned my passion for cooking into any type of career, meal preparation is an important part of my life, a sort of a ritual. It's rather my meditating spot, my passion and my goal I'm looking forward to almost every day. Leftovers are rare, ideas are plenty, and I never tire of dreaming about the next meal.

Let's go eat!