Sticky rice with mango

As previously mentioned, I have this unexplained passion for Asian food – and especially Asian desserts. I do like cakes and some of the patisserie, but somehow I get much more excited about fried bananas or daifuku (a Japanese rice cake – “mochi” – filled with sweetened red bean paste). In this spirit, here comes a recipe for one of my favourite desserts: sticky rice with mango!

Ingredients (for 6 portions):

150g sticky rice

4dl coconut milk

50g raw cane sugar

½ tsp salt

1 mango

Peppermint leaves

Preparation:

Soak the rice in water for at least an hour then rinse it in a sieve with cold water until the water is no longer cloudy.

Mix the coconut milk with the sugar and salt and put ¼ of the mixture away. Put the rest of the liquid with the rice into a (glass) bowl. Place the bowl into a bamboo basket or in a pan with “steam pan” (pan with steaming basket), with about 2cm of water. Cover the bowl with the lid and steam for 30-40 minutes (until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender). Cut the mango into slices, decorate a plate with mint and add the sticky rice. Then pour the coconut milk sauce (previously put away) over the rice. 

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Summer beef salad (with pomegranate)

This summery and very yummy beef salad is a creation of my own, inspired by Asian beef salads (with mango for example). The fruits used here can be exchanged, or others added.
Bon appétit!

Ingredients (for 1 person) :
- 150g beef (preferably filet)
- 1 spring onion
- 1 carrot
- 1/3 of a cucumber
- 6 strawberries
- 1/2 pomegranate
- fresh mint
- fresh coriander
- oil

Sauce :
- rice vinegar or lime juice
- soy sauce (preferably sweet)
- fish sauce

Preparation :
Chop the spring onions and fry them in a pan; add the sliced beef. Season with fish sauce and sweet soy sauce and fry until the beef is no longer pink.
Cut the carrot (either in little dice or with a vegetable peeler into thin stripes); half the cucumber and remove the seeds; cut in dice; also cut the strawberries.
Put the halfed pomegranate into a bowl of cold water and, holding the fruit under water, pull it apart. The water limits the amount of pomegranate juice squirting into all directions and the skin between the seeds floats on the water, making it easier to separate the seeds from it.
Put all the ingredients into a bowl; season with rice vinegar (or lime juice), fish sauce and soy sauce and finely cut the mint and coriander over the salad with scissors. 

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Tarte flambée (or Flammekueche)

The tarte flambée (or Flammekueche in Alsatian, literally "pie of flames") is the Alsatian version of pizza: thin dough covered (typically) with crème fraîche, onions and bacon. I had some of the best Flammekueche in "Les Brasseurs" in Geneva and Migros has quite a good frozen version (the one with the woven crust). However, it is relatively easy to make a tarte flambée at home. Plus: you can choose what to put on top of the dough!

Ingredients (for the traditional tarte; for 1 hungry person):

200g plain flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

100ml water

1 cup (roughly 100g) crème fraîche (or sour cream)

50g bacon

Grated cheese (about 50g)

1 small onion

Dried herbs

Preparation:

Mix the flour, salt, olive oil and water and knead until the dough is soft. Let it rest for at least half an hour. 

Spread the dough very thinly (mm) onto a baking paper (the dough is a bit reticent to spread - roll out first on the edges and just insist!). Add the crème fraîche, bacon and onions (cut in thin rings) and grate some cheese over them (you can also put the bacon and onions on top if you prefer). Then sprinkle some herbs ("herbes de provence" for example) over the tarte and bake it at 250°C for about 4 minutes (until crispy and slightly brown). Serve immediately - preferably with a good beer. Bon appétit!

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Maki Sushi

I looooove sushi. And I know that I am not the only one. Judging by the worldwide fish stocks, we may have to forget about them again one day.

Before that though, let's enjoy them while they last. Here comes the basic recipe (with some exotic versions to try).

Ingredients (for 10 rolls, i.e. roughly 80-100 maki):

500g sushi rice

7 dl cold water

10 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp (!) sugar

2 tsp salt

10 Nori sheets (the dried algae sheet)

Wasabi

Soy sauce

Pickled ginger

For the filling, you are quite free, but here are some basic ingredients:

Smoked (or fresh) salmon

Tinned (or fresh) tuna

Prawns (cooked or fried in batter, i.e. tempura)

Surimi (the crab sticks)

Avocado

Cucumber

Eggs

Capsicum

Spring onions (or chive)

Philadelphia (or sour cream or crème fresh)

Mayonnaise

More possible (some slightly exotic) ingredients are: different vegetables (carrots, courgette, mushroom,...), fish eggs (for Gunkan Maki - the ones that look like little boats), tofu, beef, pickled plum, mango and other fruit (strawberries are yummy!), mint,... the list is endless!

Preparation:

The rice is the most important in sushi. Lucky us, every bigger supermarket these days has sushi rice and rice vinegar on some shelf. 

Before cooking, wash the rice thoroughly (just like Basmati or Jasmin rice) until the water is clear. Then add the 7dl cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the stove and DO NOT LIFT THE LID for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the rice vinegar with the sugar and salt and once the rice is ready, mix into the rice, gradually "cutting" through the rice with a wooden spoon. Leave to cool out (the rice is better when at room temperature than cold). Cover with a tea towel.

Start making the sushi by lightly spreading rice on the Nori sheet. Wet your hands before grabbing the rice as this prevents it from sticking to them. Also: you can toast the Nori sheet lightly by holding it over a toaster in order to increase its aroma. Do not squash the rice when spreading it. Leave about 3cm at the top edge and about 1 cm at the bottom, left and right. Place a stripe of ingredients on the first third of the roll, then roll the maki sushi according to the pictures and instructions below.

Slowly start rolling the paper around the filling; "tuck" the Nori sheet under to hold the filling in place.











Press evenly (from the center towards the edges, i.e. moving the hands outwards) on the roll. Then open the matt and roll the roll one by one, turn by turn. Put some rice corns on the top edge of the Nori sheet to make it stick.

To cut the roll, hold a sharp knife (most of us don't have a sushi knife readily available so use a cook knife) under cold water, then slice a piece (about 1-1.5cm thick) off in one go. Try to avoid "sawing" through the roll as this will make the filling fall apart. Wet the knife before every cut.



Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

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Dumplings (a.k.a Gyoza or Wonton or Momo)

I don't actually remember, where my passion for dumplings comes from, but what I know is that a visit to a "Ping Pong" restaurant has become a rite whenever I'm in London.

Dumpling is the "Chinese" word whereas "Gyoza" is the Japanese version and "Momo" the Nepali one. "Wonton" is yet another term for (or form of) dumplings.
Dumplings are little steamed dough parcels that can have different forms, depending on the filling. Gyoza are slightly longer and can also be fried rather than steamed. "Dim Sum" is also frequently used, but this term (apparently, I learn every day) designs a light meal in Cantonese and includes dumplings. 

Dumplings can be filled with pork, chicken, shrimp, mushroom or other vegetables and combinations. The version here is a combination of chicken and shrimp. You can either use Gyoza sheets (or Wonton sheets) or make the dough yourself.

Ingredients (for about 30 pieces):

Dough:
300g white flour
2 dl hot water
Filling:
100g pink shrimp
200g chicken
2 small onions (for example a spring onion)
2 tbsp dark rice wine (or sherry)
2 egg whites
2 garlic cloves
3 cm ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar

Preparation:
For the dough, mix the ingredients and knead until soft (yes, it's enough water!). Let it rest for 20 minutes (covered and at room temperature).
Cut the ingredients for the fillings into little pieces and then puree in a mixer until you have a pasty mass. Roll the dough into little balls and then roll them out (or use the Gyoza sheets). Add a spoon full of filling to each sheet and then steam for 10 minutes in a bamboo basket or a "steam pan": put 2 cm of water in a pan and use a metallic steaming basket. In both cases, cover the bottom of the steamer with baking paper in order to prevent the dumplings from sticking to it. Also: don't layer the dumplings as they will stick together!

As for the sauces, either you use "plain" soy sauce or you can mix either of these two:
Chili sauce: 1 tbsp raw cane sugar, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice (or rice vinegar), 1 tbsp water, chili (fresh, cut finely) and 1 garlic clove
Lemongrass sauce: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 onion, chili, 2 stems of lemons grass (peel off dried-out layers and slice of the bottom)

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Summer project 2013...

... or why I make a second attempt at blogging.

You can't just start a blog by posting your first recipe. Even if the title of this blog is relatively self-explaining. Here comes thus a little introduction to my very own (humble) experience in the blogosphere and an explanation for why exactly I make a new attempt at this blogging business.

A couple of years ago, I had my first go at blogging, writing about my work and life experience in Lebanon. I wasn't particularly good at keeping up the rythm of posts and eventually, the reason for my blogging (i.e. my job) came to and end and the blog disappeared in the endlessness of the internet universe. This year, I had the fabulous (let's see about that) idea to start a new endeavour, but this time with a bit more planning and preparation. And most of all with a topic that is not limited in time or place: food.

For those who don't know me (or have forgotten): I am passionate about food and have an insatiable appetite. I can eat about every half an hour, have an unexplained obsession with Asian food (for some time it was sushi, then dumplings, currently it tends more towards Korean bulgogi) and eating dominates much of my life (grumpiness being the result if I don't respect my inner wishes). I love cooking about as much as eating - as long as it is not for myself only (yes, you can imagine the joy of family members). The aim of this blog is to share my passion for culinary delights with you. I intend to post many different recipes, but also to recommend some of my favourite restaurants around the globe - always hoping that my next mission* will not be in some godforsaken place without inspiration.

Now, I think this is enough of an introduction. Just a few remarks upfront (to avoid nasty comments and law suits): I am not a cook. I am also not a nutritionist. I eat meat of all sorts, even despite health risks and moral considerations. My native tongue is not English and I love parentheses. So please take posts on my blog with a grain of salt and a pinch of humour. And ENJOY!


* For those who don't know, in my "official" life, I work as a delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross (short ICRC) and forlorn duty stations are a bit of an occupational hazard. Yet I have to add that you can find very good food even in places you would least expect it: for example eat the best Breton crêpes (galletes) in Nouakchott, Mauritania!

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