Graham Cracker House!

The top view of our beautiful gingerbread house. Except, we used graham crackers instead of gingerbread and made some sort of flat house with 1/3 of the roof. Truthfully I felt pretty sick just thinking about eating something that was pretty much just sugar. Just decorating it and making it was fun, even though it fell so many times that we gave up making a mansion. I knew using gingerbread would have been easier... But nonetheless, it still worked out fine later on.
The candies I used were marshmallows, big and small, M&Ms, dots, nerds, candy corn, sour strips, and some small mints and coconut flakes for snow. Using melted marshmallow paste instead of icing probably would have been the better idea, seeing as the icing did not stick on very well.

Thanksgiving Dinner Party

The dinner party that I have been waiting for for so long. Although the work was way too much for one person. Thank you George and Annie for being my chef slaves! I never thought that cooking so many things could take that long. Maybe I'm just slow because I like to sing while cooking. Dinner was a blast, even though the food was not as great as I expected. Everybody else "loved" it though, which I find to be weird. Maybe it's just a manner of politeness, or lack of taste buds. Either way it was fun. As an appetizer, I made a spicy guacamole and stuffed mushrooms.

Unfortunately, the only picture I have of the guacamole is in a picture of the whole table, with the full-course meal.
Stuffed Baby Bellas~ Serves 4-- Time: 45 total
16 baby portabella mushrooms
1 pound ground chicken or turkey breast (used ham as substitute)
1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1/3 palmful
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach
2 tbsp EVOO

Preparation:
1. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Remove the stems and finely chop them. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, fennel seed, onion, garlic, lemon zest, half of the cheese, the chopped mushroom stems, breadcrumbs and spinach and season with salt and pepper. Brush lightly with EVOO and stuff the mixture into the caps.
2. Arrange the caps on a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish. Leave some room around each mushroom to prevent the caps from getting steamy. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and the nuts on the caps and transfer to the oven. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

It was probably just me, but I was not a very big fan of these and I probably wouldn't be if they were made any different. Even though I'm crazy about mushrooms, it just didn't taste as appealing as a whole. That's just my opinion though.

Guacamole~
1/4 cup chopped onion
1-3 chopped serrano chiles (put in seeds if you want it to be spicy)
3/4 cup torn cilantro
3 Avocados
1 medium diced tomato
Preparation:
Pile the onion, serrano chiles, cilantro and a pinch of kosher salt on a cutting board. Chop, then mash into a paste with the flat side of a large knife. Transfer to a bowl, add 3 diced avocados and mash with a wooden spoon until combined but still chunky. Stir in 1 medium diced tomato and season with salt. Top with more tomato, cilantro and onion.
When buying avocados, look for hass avocados, which are brown and wrinkly. Also buy avocados that are slightly soft but not squishy.

The salad course for dinner was ratatouille. Ratatouille is a baked vegetable dish which is almost like a soup. In my dish, I was in a hurry and accidentally added lemon pepper instead of regular pepper, which changed the smell and taste by a whole level because of its intense scent. However, the ratatouille would have been great without the pepper mistake and a bit less cooking time.
Ratatouille~ Serves 6
2 medium eggplants
4-5 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large red or yellow bell pepper
2 large zucchini, sliced
1.5 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence salt
Preparation:
1. Preheat the broiler. Cut the eggplants into 3/4-inch slices, then brush with olive oil on both sides and broil until lightly browned, turning once. Cut the slices into cubes. Quarter the pepper and broil, skin-side up, until blackened. Let it cool and then peel off the skin. Remove the core and seeds and cut into strips.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan or flameproof casserole and cook the onion over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until lightly golden, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, pepper and zucchini and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the tomatoes and eggplant cubes, dried herbs, salt and pepper and simmer gently, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking for 20-25 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender and the cooking liquid has thickened slightly. Serve the ratatouille hot or at room temperature.
My ratatouille looked like this. Although it may not look very appetizing compared to the one in the movie, it still tastes fantastic.

For noodles, I made a dish called Noodle Kugel. It has noodles in a cottage cheese, sour cream and milk mixture while being topped with crispy baked noodles and corn flakes. I didn't have corn flakes though, and my mom wouldn't let me drive 2 minutes to Safeway even though I have a license... 

Noodle Kugel~1 hr 20 min total. Serves 6-8

1 stick unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sugar

12 ounces wide egg noodles

3 large eggs

2 cups small-curd cottage cheese

2 cups sour cream

2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

3 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon sugar and cook until soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, reserving the skillet.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain the noodles and add to the bowl with the onion mixture; season with salt and pepper.

3. Pulse the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, milk, cinnamon, orange zest, the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth. Add to the noodles and toss, then transfer the mixture to the prepared dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat, add the cornflakes and toss. Sprinkle over the pasta and bake until just set, 35-40 minutes. Let rest 10 min before serving.

For the main course, I made cashew chicken. The chicken was a little dry and I did not add enough sauce to it. Otherwise, it would have been extremely good, with a side dish of rice. 

Cashew Chicken~Serves 4-6

1 pound boneless chicken breasts

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

4 dried red chilies, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch dice

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

pinch of sugar

1 bunch scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths

1.5 cups cashews, roasted

cilantro leaves, to garnish

Preparation:

1. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside. 

2. Heat the oil in a work and swirl it around. Add the garlic and dried chilies and fry until golden.

3. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes color, then add the red pepper. Add water if needed.

4. Stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Add the scallions and cashews. Stir-fry for about another 1-2 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

The cashew chicken is the dish on the bottom.

As dessert, I made creme brulee again! But this time I put it in smaller bowls to maximize the crispy top. It tasted a lot better with more heavy cream. The recipe is in the last post. I also love the photography in this one; the clear creme brulee against a blurry background. I wish I could do that with my 60 dollar camera.

 Photo Creds to Phoebe~ Thanks :] The photos look so much better than in my earlier posts!

The Wonders of France

     Despite the escargo (snails) and frog legs that are sold as delicacies in France, the food is still amazing. A bunch of unique delicious foods originate in France, such as crepes, flan, creme brulee, truffles, and many more! Truthfully I only like the desserts because they're more appeasing. Two of my favorite movies also take place in France; "Ratatouille" and "Beauty and the Beast". I once made ratatouille for a family party, and it was strangely addicting for a bunch of baked vegetables. When I first saw the movie, I thought it was a complex dish of pepperoni piled up with a sauce poured over. Who would've known that it was simply cut up vegetables stuck into the oven.
     However, my latest creation was not ratatouille, but creme brulee, which is similar to flan, but with a crispy top. The dessert itself is not hard to make, but the oven time can be long depending on the size of the pan.

 I added the ice creme on the top for looks. The burnt sugar was also a mistake. Since broiling requires constant attention, I had forgotten to check on it because my friend was distracting me. Burnt sugar is not bad though; it only tastes a little worse. Here's the recipe for anyone who would like to make it!
Regarding the egg yolks, I recommend dropping the egg into your hand and dropping it through your hands contiguously until the egg white goes away. Drop it over a bowl, and put the resulting egg yolk into another bowl and voila, pure egg yolk.
Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2.5 cups heavy creme
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
3. Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
4. Pour into ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour hot water in the baking dish until it rises to the middle of the ramekins.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to broil.
7. In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
8. Remove from heat and let it cool. Eat while hot. If placed in the refrigerator, the crispy top will become soft.

Beer Pork

The other day, I made this pork dish. It was going great until I overcooked the pork. That's what I get for playing basketball while waiting for it to cook I guess. Overall however, the sauce was sweet and had a tangy taste to it, while the cole slaw was crunchy and refreshing. Although I can never get over the fact that cole slaw actually looks like this and not the liquified salad served at KFC. My vegetables were a little big, but the taste was the same. Plus, this dish is pretty healthy, disregarding the title. The beer was only used to marinate the pork and was in the sauce, so it could barely be tasted. To conclude, this dish was great. Not the best pork that I have ever tasted, but considering that the "secret ingredient" was beer, I think that this dish deserves a round of applause. Stay tuned for next week; either creme burlee or flan!

Black-And-Tan Pork With Spicy Ale Slaw

Total: 1 hr 30 min    Serves 6 to 8

For the Pork:

• 1 12-ounce bottle pale ale (preferably Bass)
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds pork tenderloin

For the Glaze:

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 12-ounce bottle stout beer (preferably Guinness)
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Slaw:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
• 2 medium bell peppers (red, orange and/or yellow), thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shredded
• 1 large sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced

Directions

Prepare the pork: Combine the ale, five-spice powder, cayenne and salt and black pepper to taste in a large resealable plastic bag. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for the slaw. Add the pork to the bag and mix well. Refrigerate 2 to 6 hours.

Make the glaze: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon each stout and brown sugar and cook 4 minutes. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining stout, the honey, the remaining 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons brown sugar and the ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, then lower the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons stout and the cornstarch in a bowl; slowly stir into the glaze and boil 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the pork from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 160 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the slaw: Whisk the soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk in the reserved 1/4 cup marinade. Add the cabbage, bell peppers, carrots and onion and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes.

Slice the pork and serve with the slaw. Drizzle both the pork and slaw with the glaze.

Potato Bombs

Yummy yummy! A cheese boat! or a potato bomb? Either way, it's delicious. I didn't even use all the materials in the recipe. Would've tasted much better with sour cream, ham, onions and some more baking time. I baked the to the amount of time the recipe said but the potato was still pretty hard when I took it out of the oven. Plus scooping out the potato was near impossible. The walls almost cracked! One potato did die, so I just made a stuffed aluminum foil boat! I think that one tasted better because it was all mashed potato, even though the potato boat is cooler. I think this will be one of appetizers of my Thanksgiving dinner party, but it'll be much better in appearance AND taste. Look forward to it; the night of black friday. It'll be a dinner with food from around the world! Here's the recipe for any brave takers. Enjoy~ :]

Marbled Stuffed Potatoes
Total Time: 1 hr 35 min~ Serves 4
4 large russet potatoes                         2 scallions, thinly sliced (Ham will be fine I think)
1 large sweet potato                            3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream                              Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,             Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper
cut into pieces and softened                Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the russet and sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato a few times with a fork and continue to bake until tender, 15 ro 20 more minutes for the sweet potato and 20 to 25 more minutes for the russet potatoes. Let cool slightly.
2. Peel the sweet potato. Transfer to a bowl and mash lightly with a fork until almost smooth. Trim a thin slice off the top of each russet potato, cutting lengthwise. Scoop most of the flesh into another bowl, leaving the shells intact. Add the sour cream and butter to the bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in the scallions, 1/2 cup cheese, the nutmeg, 1& 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the sweet potato.
3. Brush the potato skins with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Generously fill with the marbled potato mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place the stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese melts, 25 to 30 minutes.

Banana Beignets?

So this is a picture of what I made--what I TRIED to make. They are called Mini Banana Beignets and I found it in my food network magazine. Apparently they're basically donuts with some mashed up bananas in them. So I tried making them. This is what I got. 

Yeah to me they look like potatoes. I won't lie, but I messed up badly... I think it was just because my dough was a little too liquidy. Even though these didn't look anything like the real banana beignets, they were still DELISH. Anyway, so after a few of these failed ones, I decided to use my leftover batter for something useful. This is what I improvised. (It's just a cake with chocolate)

What do I call this creation? Chocolate Banana Cake! (Very unoriginal, I know.) It's basically just banana bread with chocolate syrup poured over and sugar sprinkled over it. Pretty good, but I want to try the real banana donut. Maybe I'll try it again sometime... or use it for my thanksgiving party that I'm going to hold!
This is the recipe for any of you that would like to make it.
Mini Banana Beignets---Time:25 minutes
Makes about 30 beignets.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 ripe banana)
1/4 teaspoon banana extract (optional)
1. Heat about 2 inches vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl.
3.Whisk the egg, milk, mashed banana, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in another bowl. Add the banana  extract if desired. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.
4. Whisk the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Working in batches, drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, then roll in the cinnamon sugar while still warm.

This is how to make the banana beignets. As for myself, I just poured the batter in small cake pans and baked at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. If you decide to try and make this, then enjoy!~

~Yours truly, Ryfry

The Beginning of a New Legacy

Hi! My name's Ryan Chen and this is going to be a blog of my cooking creations, their recipes, and a personal "food critic" evaluation of them. Currently, I am a junior at Monta Vista High School and will be graduating in 2012. In the meantime, I want to make the most of my time and cook as many interesting dishes as I can. As a lover of food, I plan to either follow a career in cooking, or have it as one of my major hobbies. I just love the feeling I get when people taste my food and are surprised at how good (or bad) it is. Only bad thing is... many people are simply too nice to come plain out and admit "this food sucks". I guess it's a good thing to be nice, but when you really need to improve... it's not helpful. In addition to the pleasure in peoples' faces, I also think cooking is just a GREAT skill to have. I have friends who have to eat out all the time when their moms are away on vacation or some business trip. Sure anyone can cook--like what Chef Gusteau in Ratatouille said-- but not everyone can cook well. If a rat can cook, a dad can cook, but I don't want to just be at the culinary level of some animal that lives off trash. I want to be able to taste a food, change it for the better and remake it into a totally different dish. This is what defines a cook; not by how fast one can cut cucumbers or how well one can knead dough, but how well one can use his ingredients to make food.
If there's one thing I hate, it's the thought that most people become doctors because they want to HELP people. Sure the thought of helping people is nice, and maybe a few people will think like that, but most people just want the money. Money basically supports you in life; it helps get you a nice house, wife, reputation and pleasure in life. You may spend a ton of years just practicing and doing tedious studying to become a doctor, but it's worth it once you hit your 30s. My mom's always telling me how she would not have dated my dad if he was not the doctor he is now. A perfect example of what I DISLIKE. The good thing about being a renowned chef is that it's fun, useful and that money will not determine true relationships. Ahhh... the good new days that I wish would happen in my future. If only my parents would be more supportive and not want me to get some job that makes as much as some engineer or doctor... But for now, I might as well start getting some experience in cooking in case I ever want to build my own restaurant or be an Iron Chef on t.v!
Stay tuned for more foods, recipes and reviews!