My early memories of celebrating Thanksgiving at our house include my uncle Sem bringing roast duck*, char siu** and shrimp, prepared at his Fortune Cooky Chinese restaurant. The grown-ups' opinion of American style roast turkey was not so high. Why would you want to eat such a big bird with that dry, tasteless white meat? My mom made sticky rice as a side dish, sort of like a rice stuffing, to go with the duck. Sticky rice is a main ingredient in "Eight Treasure Sticky Rice", a sweet dish traditionally eaten at Chinese New Year banquets. Eventually my collective family learned how to make a proper traditional turkey, Stove Top stuffing, etc., for Thanksgiving, but this sticky rice dish remains a most delicious accompaniment to the turkey.
*Chinese style roast duck, the kind you see hanging in the shop windows by their necks in Chinatowns
**Chinese style barbequed roast pork
Ingredients for Sticky Rice
ingredients are available at Asian markets
•3 cups sticky rice (also called sweet rice or glutinous rice)
•6 medium dried shitake mushrooms
•4 Chinese sausages, diced (also called lop chung)
•1/4 cup dried shrimp
•1/2 cup cooked diced chicken, pork or char-siu (Chinese barbeque pork), optional
•3 whole scallions, chopped
•3-6 sprigs cilantro (also called Chinese parsley), to taste
•2 tablespoons light soy sauce
•2 teaspoons oyster sauce
•1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
•Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup warm water until soft, about 30 mins.
•Soak the dried shrimp in 1/2 cup warm water until soft, about 30 mins.
•Soak the rice in plenty of warm water for 2 hours in a rice cooker bowl.
•Dice the sausages and chicken (or pork)
•Chop up the scallions and cilantro
•Squeeze the excess water from the mushrooms and save it in the soaking bowl. Cut off any tough stems. Dice the mushrooms.
•Remove the shrimp from the soaking bowl and reserve the soaking water. Chop the shrimp finely.
•In a skillet, stir fry the sausages until the fatty parts turn from white to clear. Add the diced chicken or pork, then the mushrooms, then the dried shrimp until all ingredients are mixed well and heated through.
•In the rice cooker, drain the soaking water from the rice. Combine the soaking liquid from the mushrooms and the shrimp with water to make 2 cups total. Add this water to the rice, then steam the rice until soft.
•Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Add this mixture to the steamed rice and stir until combined.
•Add the stir fried ingredients to the rice and mix well. Stir in the scallions and cilantro.
•Serve in a big serving bowl. Keep covered to prevent rice from drying out. Leftovers freeze well; just reheat in microwave.
This rice is also delicious when rolled up like sushi with a sheet of sushi nori (dried seaweed). Yum!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Chinese Stick Rice -- Desert
Chinese Sticky Rice Cake
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) box sweet rice flour (mochiko)
1 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 (18.75 ounce) can sweetened red bean paste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1.Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2.Mix rice flour, canola oil, milk, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Drop small spoonfuls of the red bean paste into the flour mixture about 1 to 2 inches apart, making sure that the red bean paste is covered by the flour mixture. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
3.Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
"A sweet dessert made with glutinous rice flour (also called sweet rice flour) and red bean paste. This recipe was given to me by my Chinese sister-in-law. It is a favorite of my family. It has a firm custard-like texture which is different to many western palates. "
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) box sweet rice flour (mochiko)
1 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 (18.75 ounce) can sweetened red bean paste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1.Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2.Mix rice flour, canola oil, milk, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Drop small spoonfuls of the red bean paste into the flour mixture about 1 to 2 inches apart, making sure that the red bean paste is covered by the flour mixture. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
3.Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sticky rice
Chinese Sticky Rice (Nuomi Fan)
I love Chinese sticky rice. It contains several of my favorite ingredients — sticky rice, Chinese sausage and mushrooms. I know I'm going to have Hungry Bear's sticky rice at least twice a year, at Thanksgiving dinner and during Lunar New Year (Vietnamese/Chinese New Year) festivities. It's become a traditional dish for us on these holidays.
I really enjoy the rich flavors from the Chinese sausage, shiitake mushrooms, oyster sauce and soy sauce that get infused into the sweet, sticky rice. Chinese-American families often serve sticky rice in place of stuffing during Thanksgiving. It's great with turkey, roasted duck or just by itself. I didn't grow up eating this dish, but I now consider it a comfort food.
Hungry Bear started making Chinese sticky rice using a recipe from Grace Young's The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. The recipe has dried scallops and shrimp in it, which takes additional time to prepare. Over the years, Hungry Bear has altered Grace Young's recipe, excluding the dried seafood, in order to save prep time. The scallops and shrimp are a little too fishy for my tastes and I prefer my sticky rice without them.
Another common ingredient in sticky rice is chestnuts, which Hungry Bear's mom often includes in her recipe. A frequent reader, Judy, told us that her aunty used bamboo shoots in her sticky rice. Next time, Hungry Bear plans on adding either chestnuts or bamboo shoots for some variety.
Until then, I've included two Chinese sticky rice recipes. The first one is Hungry Bear's and the second recipe with dried seafood is Grace Young's, in case you want all the flavors of traditional sticky rice. I need to warn you that Hungry Bear's version makes a huge amount of rice. She likes to cook in mass quantities and all recipes are bear-size, which means they are quadrupled! Hungry Bear loves leftovers, therefore the need to cook in abundance.
I'll never complain about the large quantities because there's no such thing as too much Chinese sticky rice!
Chinese Sticky Rice Recipe
Ingredients:
4 cups sweet rice
2 cups jasmine rice
25 Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms
6 Chinese sausages (lop chong)
1 pound lean Chinese barbecued pork, store-bought
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
5 cups low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup chopped cilantro
Directions:
1) In a bowl, soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes, until softened. In a 6-quart stockpot, wash all the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the combined sweet and jasmine rice for 1 hour in enough cold water to cover.
2) When softened, drain and squeeze dry the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Cut off and discard stems and chop the caps.
3) Chop sausage and barbecued pork and set aside separately.
4) Heat large wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and barbecued pork, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.
5) Drain rice. Add chicken broth and enough the reserved mushrooms liquid to measure 1 cup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and quickly scoop Chinese sausage mixture onto top of rice. Immediately cover and continue cooking the rice 25 to 30 minutes, or until broth is completely absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, cilantro and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve and enjoy.
Makes about 4 quarts. Serves 18 to 20 as part of a multicourse meal.
[Recipe adapted from The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young]
- - -
Flavored Sweet Rice (Naw Mai Fan) Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Chinese dried scallops (gawn yu chee)
1 cup sweet rice
1/2 cup long grain rice
2 tablespoons Chinese dried shrimp
4 Chinese dried mushrooms
1 Chinese sausage (lop chong)
4 ounces Chinese barbecued pork, store-bought or homemade
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons thin soy sauce
1 1/4 cups homemade chicken broth
2 teaspoons black soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster flavored sauce
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Directions:
1) In a small bowl, soak the dried scallops in about 1/3 cup cold water for 2 hours, or until softened. In a medium-sized bowl, wash all the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the combined sweet and long rice for 1 hour in enough cold water to cover. Place the shrimp and mushrooms in separate bowls. Pour about 1/4 cup cold water over each ingredient, and soak for about 30 minutes, to soften.
2) When softened, drain all the ingredients except the rice, discarding the shrimp water and reserving the scallop and mushroom liquids. Remove the small hard knob from the side of the scallops and discard. Finely shred the scallops with your hands. Chop shrimp if larger than 1/4 inch. Drain and squeeze dry the mushrooms. Cut off and discard stems and finely chop the caps.
3) Finely chop sausage and barbecued pork and set aside separately.
4) Meanwhile, heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add scallops and stir-fry another 30 seconds. Add the shrimp, mushrooms, and barbecued pork, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add thin soy sauce, stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.
5) Drain rice and place in a 2-quart saucepan. Add chicken broth and enough of the reserved scallop and mushrooms liquids to measure 1/4 cup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and quickly scoop Chinese sausage mixture onto top of rice. Immediately cover and continue cooking the rice 25 to 30 minutes, or until broth is completely absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Add the black soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, and cilantro, and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Makes about 6 cups. Serves 6 to 8 as part of a multicourse meal.
[Recipe via The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young]
I love Chinese sticky rice. It contains several of my favorite ingredients — sticky rice, Chinese sausage and mushrooms. I know I'm going to have Hungry Bear's sticky rice at least twice a year, at Thanksgiving dinner and during Lunar New Year (Vietnamese/Chinese New Year) festivities. It's become a traditional dish for us on these holidays.
I really enjoy the rich flavors from the Chinese sausage, shiitake mushrooms, oyster sauce and soy sauce that get infused into the sweet, sticky rice. Chinese-American families often serve sticky rice in place of stuffing during Thanksgiving. It's great with turkey, roasted duck or just by itself. I didn't grow up eating this dish, but I now consider it a comfort food.
Hungry Bear started making Chinese sticky rice using a recipe from Grace Young's The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. The recipe has dried scallops and shrimp in it, which takes additional time to prepare. Over the years, Hungry Bear has altered Grace Young's recipe, excluding the dried seafood, in order to save prep time. The scallops and shrimp are a little too fishy for my tastes and I prefer my sticky rice without them.
Another common ingredient in sticky rice is chestnuts, which Hungry Bear's mom often includes in her recipe. A frequent reader, Judy, told us that her aunty used bamboo shoots in her sticky rice. Next time, Hungry Bear plans on adding either chestnuts or bamboo shoots for some variety.
Until then, I've included two Chinese sticky rice recipes. The first one is Hungry Bear's and the second recipe with dried seafood is Grace Young's, in case you want all the flavors of traditional sticky rice. I need to warn you that Hungry Bear's version makes a huge amount of rice. She likes to cook in mass quantities and all recipes are bear-size, which means they are quadrupled! Hungry Bear loves leftovers, therefore the need to cook in abundance.
I'll never complain about the large quantities because there's no such thing as too much Chinese sticky rice!
Chinese Sticky Rice Recipe
Ingredients:
4 cups sweet rice
2 cups jasmine rice
25 Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms
6 Chinese sausages (lop chong)
1 pound lean Chinese barbecued pork, store-bought
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
5 cups low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup chopped cilantro
Directions:
1) In a bowl, soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes, until softened. In a 6-quart stockpot, wash all the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the combined sweet and jasmine rice for 1 hour in enough cold water to cover.
2) When softened, drain and squeeze dry the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Cut off and discard stems and chop the caps.
3) Chop sausage and barbecued pork and set aside separately.
4) Heat large wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and barbecued pork, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.
5) Drain rice. Add chicken broth and enough the reserved mushrooms liquid to measure 1 cup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and quickly scoop Chinese sausage mixture onto top of rice. Immediately cover and continue cooking the rice 25 to 30 minutes, or until broth is completely absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, cilantro and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve and enjoy.
Makes about 4 quarts. Serves 18 to 20 as part of a multicourse meal.
[Recipe adapted from The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young]
- - -
Flavored Sweet Rice (Naw Mai Fan) Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Chinese dried scallops (gawn yu chee)
1 cup sweet rice
1/2 cup long grain rice
2 tablespoons Chinese dried shrimp
4 Chinese dried mushrooms
1 Chinese sausage (lop chong)
4 ounces Chinese barbecued pork, store-bought or homemade
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons thin soy sauce
1 1/4 cups homemade chicken broth
2 teaspoons black soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster flavored sauce
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Directions:
1) In a small bowl, soak the dried scallops in about 1/3 cup cold water for 2 hours, or until softened. In a medium-sized bowl, wash all the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the combined sweet and long rice for 1 hour in enough cold water to cover. Place the shrimp and mushrooms in separate bowls. Pour about 1/4 cup cold water over each ingredient, and soak for about 30 minutes, to soften.
2) When softened, drain all the ingredients except the rice, discarding the shrimp water and reserving the scallop and mushroom liquids. Remove the small hard knob from the side of the scallops and discard. Finely shred the scallops with your hands. Chop shrimp if larger than 1/4 inch. Drain and squeeze dry the mushrooms. Cut off and discard stems and finely chop the caps.
3) Finely chop sausage and barbecued pork and set aside separately.
4) Meanwhile, heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add scallops and stir-fry another 30 seconds. Add the shrimp, mushrooms, and barbecued pork, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add thin soy sauce, stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.
5) Drain rice and place in a 2-quart saucepan. Add chicken broth and enough of the reserved scallop and mushrooms liquids to measure 1/4 cup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and quickly scoop Chinese sausage mixture onto top of rice. Immediately cover and continue cooking the rice 25 to 30 minutes, or until broth is completely absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Add the black soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, and cilantro, and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Makes about 6 cups. Serves 6 to 8 as part of a multicourse meal.
[Recipe via The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young]
Sticky rice
Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage
Gourmet
November 2004
yield: Makes 8 to 10 side-dish servings
active time: 25 min
total time: 3 hr (includes soaking)
This dish is a wonderful alternative to more traditional dressing. It's normal for a crust to develop on the bottom of the pot — after scooping... more ›
3 cups Chinese or Japanese short-grain sticky ("sweet") rice*
1 cup Chinese dried black mushrooms* or dried shiitake mushrooms (1 1/2 oz)
5 Chinese sausages* (6 to 8 oz total)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion (white and pale green parts only; from 1 bunch)
1 1/2 cups bottled peeled cooked whole chestnuts (from a 14- to 15-oz jar), drained and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine or medium-dry Sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Special equipment: a wok
Garnish: thinly sliced scallion greens
Cover rice with cold water by 1 inch in a large bowl and soak at least 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and rinse well under cold running water.
Soak mushrooms in warm water 30 minutes, then drain, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and discard liquid. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit, then discard stems and coarsely chop caps. 3Quarter sausages lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Heat a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add peanut oil and heat, swirling in wok, until just smoking. Add ginger and scallion and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add sausage and stir-fry 1 minute, then add mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute. Add chestnuts and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper and remove from heat. Add drained rice and stir to coat.
Transfer mixture to a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot and add broth (broth will not completely cover rice). Bring to a simmer, stir once, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 25 minutes more, then remove from heat. Stir from bottom to distribute ingredients and let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.
*Available at Asian markets and Kam Man Food Products (212-571-0330).
Gourmet
November 2004
yield: Makes 8 to 10 side-dish servings
active time: 25 min
total time: 3 hr (includes soaking)
This dish is a wonderful alternative to more traditional dressing. It's normal for a crust to develop on the bottom of the pot — after scooping... more ›
3 cups Chinese or Japanese short-grain sticky ("sweet") rice*
1 cup Chinese dried black mushrooms* or dried shiitake mushrooms (1 1/2 oz)
5 Chinese sausages* (6 to 8 oz total)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion (white and pale green parts only; from 1 bunch)
1 1/2 cups bottled peeled cooked whole chestnuts (from a 14- to 15-oz jar), drained and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine or medium-dry Sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Special equipment: a wok
Garnish: thinly sliced scallion greens
Cover rice with cold water by 1 inch in a large bowl and soak at least 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and rinse well under cold running water.
Soak mushrooms in warm water 30 minutes, then drain, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and discard liquid. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit, then discard stems and coarsely chop caps. 3Quarter sausages lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Heat a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add peanut oil and heat, swirling in wok, until just smoking. Add ginger and scallion and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add sausage and stir-fry 1 minute, then add mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute. Add chestnuts and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper and remove from heat. Add drained rice and stir to coat.
Transfer mixture to a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot and add broth (broth will not completely cover rice). Bring to a simmer, stir once, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 25 minutes more, then remove from heat. Stir from bottom to distribute ingredients and let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.
*Available at Asian markets and Kam Man Food Products (212-571-0330).
Friday, December 17, 2010
Figuring out which pears I like
These were smoother, less crunchy, less grainy. More that delicate pear taste.
Crunchy, tangy, almost grainy. Potentially a little off. Inside had a funny brown thing, the same formation that edible but off avocados have.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Research: Limoncello (what to do with impeding load of Meyer Lemons)
I make limoncello all the time. Here’s a better recipe:
750 cc 100 proof vodka (it will be too thin if you use the more common 80 proof and too bitter if you use Everclear). This is key.
Peels of 12 washed lemons; no need to finely chop
Steep the lemon peels in the vodka in the dark for 3-4 days, swirling a few times a day.
Make a simple syrup of 3 cups sugar to 2 cups water: boil until dissolved. It will be thick, which is what you want. You’ll have about 3-1/2 cups of syrup. Cool before using.
Decant the vodka when ready; it should be a lovely yellow color. Add sugar syrup until it’s just right, tasting as you go. (Yum) I always have some syrup left over, which keeps indefinitely, so eventually you’ll have enough syrup so as not to have to make any fresh for your next batch.
Freeze in small bottles so you can give some as gifts and keep some for yourself.
Repeat as needed.
Juice the lemons and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Make lemonade. You can use the leftover syrup for this if you want.
This recipe should work for Lime-cello but I don’t know how many limes you’d need. Experiment! If you need more, you can always add more and steep again.
750 cc 100 proof vodka (it will be too thin if you use the more common 80 proof and too bitter if you use Everclear). This is key.
Peels of 12 washed lemons; no need to finely chop
Steep the lemon peels in the vodka in the dark for 3-4 days, swirling a few times a day.
Make a simple syrup of 3 cups sugar to 2 cups water: boil until dissolved. It will be thick, which is what you want. You’ll have about 3-1/2 cups of syrup. Cool before using.
Decant the vodka when ready; it should be a lovely yellow color. Add sugar syrup until it’s just right, tasting as you go. (Yum) I always have some syrup left over, which keeps indefinitely, so eventually you’ll have enough syrup so as not to have to make any fresh for your next batch.
Freeze in small bottles so you can give some as gifts and keep some for yourself.
Repeat as needed.
Juice the lemons and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Make lemonade. You can use the leftover syrup for this if you want.
This recipe should work for Lime-cello but I don’t know how many limes you’d need. Experiment! If you need more, you can always add more and steep again.
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