Ahh, this is what I've been wanting to post on!

1st post, Rice vermicelli (Recipe: rice noodle salad with chicken), and, just as important, how to prepare rice vermicelli. This woman writes a cool column.

Goat Cheese Spring Rolls with Asian Pear Salad

Goat Cheese & Chorizo Rolls!

Rice Congee with Meatballs

Pearl Balls

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup glutinous rice (also called sweet or sticky rice, available at Chinese or Asian markets)
• 1 pound pork or ground pork
• 1 large green onion (spring onion) minced (at least 3 tablespoons)
• 2 water chestnuts, minced
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, or as needed

Preparation:

Hot and Sour Soup (Thai)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, grated or finely sliced into matchstick-like pieces
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 fresh red or green chili, minced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried chili flakes
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar OR regular white vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, OR 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2-3 eggs
• VEGETABLES (choose from the following, or add your own selection):
• handful fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1-2 cups Chinese cabbage such as bok choy or baby bok choy, roughly chopped
• handful fresh or frozen spinach
• bamboo shoot strips
• GARNISH:
• handful of fresh coriander and lime wedges
• optional: Thai chili sauce to serve on the side

Preparation:

1. Heat broth in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, galangal or ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili, vinegar, brown sugar and lime leaves/lime juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer while you add next ingredients.

Crack eggs into a cup and lightly beat with a fork. Slide eggs into the soup and stir immediately several times (the eggs cook fast). Tip: If you want the egg to be finely shredded, stir rapidly. If you prefer larger "clouds" of floating egg whites, only stir once or twice clockwise.

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Hot and Sour Soup (Chinese)

Ingredients

• 6 dried tree ear mushrooms (also known as wood ear mushrooms)
• 6 dried black mushrooms
• 8 dried lily buds (otherwise known as golden needles)
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
• 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 ounces pork loin (optional), cooked and shredded
• 4 cups broth
  
• 1 package tofu, cut into small pieces
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons chili oil or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce or to taste
• 4 green onions sliced

Directions

1. Soak the tree ear and black mushrooms in boiling water until softened, about 20 minutes, and shred them.
2. Soak the lily buds in warm water until softened, about 20 minutes, and shred them.
3. Cover the bamboo shoots in water, bring to a boil, drain and shred.
4. Mix the vinegars, soy sauce, salt and sugar in a bowl.
5. Mix the cornstarch into the water in a bowl.
6. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
7. Add the pork, tree ear and black mushrooms, lily buds and bamboo shoots and saute for a minute.
8. Add the broth and tofu and bring to a boil.
9. Add the vinegar mixture and the cornstarch mixture and stir until it thickens.
10. Pour the eggs into the soup in a thin stream while stirring the soup.
11. Stir in the peppers, oils and chili sauce.
12. Serve garnished with green onions.

Green Onion Oil Recipe

Ingredients

1 big bunch of green onions finely sliced
3 tablespoons of ginger finely minced
1 tablespoon each of finely minced garlic and shallots

1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
splash of sesame seed oil

salt to taste

Directions

Heat up the grapeseed oil in a saucepan over high heat until the oil is shimmery and hot, but not smoking. Add the green onions, ginger, garlic and shallots at once, but be careful, the oil will bubble and splatter. The onions will sizzle and wilt almost immediately and turn a bright green. Take the pan off the heat and stir the sauce with a wooden spoon. Add a splash of sesame seed oil and salt to taste. Toss with your favourite noodles, hoisin and sriracha.

Balinese Duck 'Confit' with Root Vegetable Mash and Warm

Korean Scallion Pancakes

2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups water
1 large bunch of scallions, 1 stalk reserved for dipping sauce
1/4 cup of julienned carrot, about 1 small to medium carrot
1 teaspoon kosher salt
vegetable oil for cooking

Cut Scallions lengthwise in half, and then cut into 2 to 3 inch lengths; lightly rinse in a colander or soak scallions in a bowl of cold water to remove any dirt or sand. Drain and set aside.

In medium bowl beat eggs with whisk. Add in flour and water, and whisk to combine. Stir in scallions and carrots. Let batter rest for 10 minutes so the flour can fully absorb the water and thicken slightly; the batter won’t be as thick as American pancake batter. While the batter is resting, prepare the dipping sauce.

Heat an 8″ or 10″ non-stick sauté pan over medium heat with a thin layer of oil. I highly recommend using non-stick pans for these; I tried cooking them with my cast-iron skillet, and had to use more oil, and the results weren’t as good.

Pour batter into pan (1/3 of batter for an 8″ or 1/2 of batter for a 10″ pan), and evenly spread around the pan just to the edges. Cook for 3-4 minutes until set and lightly golden brown on the bottom. Flip over and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until browned on the bottom, adding a little more oil if needed. Cut as desired and serve with dipping sauce (see above entry).

Scallion Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp chili pepper flakes (kochukaru)
1 Tbsp scallions, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp finely chopped garlic

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together and use as a dipping sauce for dumplings, scallion pancakes, mung bean pancakes, and tempura dishes.

*Can make in large batches and store in refrigerator for a couple weeks.

**If you don't have Korean chili pepper flakes (kochukaru), you can use cayenne pepper or sriracha sauce in the mix.

Jamie Oliver's Fiery Dan Dan Noodles

Recipe serves 4.

500g minced beef
2 tablespoons runny honey
500g wheat noodles
4 handfuls mixed green vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, bok choi, etc), cut into 1cm strips
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Szechuan pepper
4 tablespoons chilli oil
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped (you might want to omit this if you don't have a good tolerance for chilli, as it's quite hot already if you only use the oil)
2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1 lime, quartered, to serve

Throw the beef into a dry pan on a medium to high heat. Keep it moving about for about 10-15 minutes, or until it's becoming golden and crispy. Drain out any excess fat and stir in the honey, mixing it in well, and continue to heat for around 40 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.

Cook your noodles on the hob according to packet instructions. When they have about a minute to go, chuck in the green vegetables. They should be heated through but still really crunchy.

Drain the noodles and vegetables in a colander. Tip them back into the hot pan with a mugful of water. Add the garlic, soy sauce, Szechuan pepper, chilli oil and fresh chilli. Give it all a good stir.

Put the beef back on the heat for 30 seconds so it's piping hot.
Divide the noodles into 4 bowls. Sprinkle the crispy beef on top. Throw on the spring onions and serve with a lime quarter.

Jamie Oliver’s Quick and Punchy Kimchi

Ingredients:
1 Cabbage, approximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs, sliced, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
5 TBSP sesame oil
3 dried red chilies, chopped
2 star anise
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
2 TBSP sugar
5 TBSP vinegar, white wine or rice wine
2 to 3 cloves garlic
fresh ginger, a thumb-sized piece
salt

In a frying pan on low heat, gently heat the sesame oil with the chilies, star anise and spices for about 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the sliced cabbage in it for about 1 min. Keep the lid on. Drain and scatter the leaves on a baking sheet to cool.

After about 10 minutes, put the cabbage in a bowl and mix with the flavored oil, sugar and vinegar. Grate in the garlic and ginger and add a good pinch of salt. Mix everything well. Your kimchi will keep in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days.

Filipino Tamarind Soup

Ingredients

30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
455 g (1 lb) beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
945 ml (1 quart) water
2 large tomatoes, diced
225 g (1/2 lb) fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
0.5 medium head pechay (bok choy), cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
39.5 g (1-1.41 ounce) package tamarind soup base

Heat oil in medium stock pot. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add beef to pot, and saute until browned. Pour in water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

Place tomatoes and green beans in pot, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in pechay (bok choy), broccoli and tamarind soup mix. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Indonesian tofu and tempeh in spicy coconut sauce

4 to 6 servings
Ingredients

Shallots, chopped -- 6 or 7
Garlic, crushed -- 4 to 5 cloves
Sambal oelek -- 3 to 5 tablespoons
Candlenuts or almonds -- 5 to 6
Tamarind pulp -- 1 tablespoon
Turmeric -- 1 teaspoon
Oil -- 2 to 3 tablespoons
Lemongrass, white part only, crushed with a mallet or knife -- 3 stalks
Kaffir lime leaves -- 4 to 6
Galangal, sliced into thin discs -- 1-inch piece
Tempeh, cubed -- 1 pound
Firm tofu, cubed -- 1 pound
Coconut milk -- 2 cups
Sugar -- 2 tablespoons
Salt -- to taste

Method

Place the shallots, garlic, sambal oelek, candlenuts or almonds, tamarind and turmeric into a blender or food processor and puree. Add a little water if necessary to bring the ingredients together.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium high flame. Add the shallot puree and sauté until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed lemongrass and lime leaves and sauté 1 to 2 minutes more.

Add the tempeh, tofu, coconut milk and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer until coconut milk has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with rice.

Variations

Ayam Bumbu Rujak: Use one chicken, about 2 1/2 lbs and cut into serving pieces, in place of the tofu and tempeh. The chicken can be browned first in hot oil if you like.

Telur Bumbu Rujak: Use 6 or 7 hard-boiled eggs in place of the tofu and tempeh.
The cubed tofu can be deep-fried first if you like. Pre-fried tofu cubes can be found at many Asian markets.

One medium-sized white onion can be substituted for the shallots.

Use all tofu or all tempeh if you prefer.

Korean sesame spinach

3 to 4 servings
Ingredients

Oil -- 2 tablespoons
Sesame seeds -- 2 teaspoons
Garlic, minced -- 2 to 3 cloves
Spinach, stems removed -- 1 large bunch
Soy sauce -- 4 teaspoons
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Sesame oil -- 1 to 2 teaspoons

Method

Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir fry for about 30 seconds, or until lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and stir fry for another 30 seconds until it justs starts to brown.
Add the spinach in batches, stirring each addition until it wilts before adding the next. As soon as the spinach has cooked down, remove it from heat and set aside to cool.
Place the spinach in a colander or sieve and squeeze out any excess liquid. Toss in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, adjust seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Variations

The spinach can also be steamed in a little water instead of stir fried.
Stir in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.

Dong Gu Dofu (Chinese tofu with mushrooms)

Sweet Potato (Burma)   

Make Your Own Sweet Soy Sauce

You can buy this at the store, but it's fun to make  your own!

Take 1 cup of soy sauce and put in pot on med.

As it warms up, add 1/4 cup brown sugar,

and 1 Tbsp of honey. 

Stir until sugar is dissolved, let cool, and bottle.

For a smoky note, add a dab of adobo mix (from a tin), about as big as your pinkies' fingernail.

Burmese Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled and halved (there is no need to peel them)

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 1 heaped tablespoon crisp-fried shallots, to garnish

• 1 level tablespoon chopped mint leaves, to garnish

For the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons tamarind water 

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 2 tablespoons groundnut oil

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 3 small red or green chilies, finely chopped

Serves 4

Method

1. Place the boiled new potatoes and the onion in a serving bowl and set aside.

2. In another bowl, prepare the dressing: mix all the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and onions. Mix well, garnish with shallots and mint and serve.

Doenjang Jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew)

First, let’s start with rice.
Why rice? You will find out soon.
Besides you gotta cook rice to eat with this stew anyway.

BTW I mixed white rice with brown rice, in case if you are wondering.

Rinse the rice once, just once okay?

Add a little bit of water and start tossing the rice rapidly, with swirling motions, for 30 seconds.
You will see the water turning into milk-ish.
Add about 2 cups of water to the rice and swirl around.

Drain to save this milk-ish water into a bowl, about 2 cups.
This is what we call, “ssal-tte-mool (쌀뜨물)”, the rice starch water.
This will enrich the stew.
Now go ahead rinse the rice a couple more times and cook by your usual way.

Here are our ingredients of the day.
Doenjang paste, Korean chili flakes, onion, zucchini, garlic, dried anchovies, sea kelp, mushroom, chilies, and Asian leek or green onion.
But I am missing one important thing…

This one, the tofu! I used soft tofu but you can use firm if you like. Cut into cubes.

Dice your onion,

and the same goes to zucchini…

Cut off the bottom from the enoki mushrooms. You can use any mushroom of your choice.

If you want to stick to the authentic style, use a stone pot. This small pot is about 1 quart size.
Bring to your heat source.

Toast your anchovies for 1 minute.
The reason is that most dried anchovies are stored in the fridge or freezer and they get damp, which means, fishy!
Toasting will remove the fishy smell.

Pour the rice starch water and add the dried sea kelp. Let them boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove our sea friends and discard them.

Add the Doenjang (soy bean) paste.
You need to mash them down to incorporate with stock. Whatever left in the mash, throw them back into the stock.
You can use coarse mash strainer for this job or use the back of a spoon and smash it to the pot.

Add onion and zucchini slices,

and chili flakes. Let it boil.

Add tofu and garlic.

Add chilies and boil for 2 minutes.
Lastly add mushroom and the Asian leek. Done!

Pine Nut Mustard Dressing

Can also be used as a dipping sauce.

1 cup pine nuts

3 Tbsp soy sauce

3/4 cup rice vinegar

4 Tbsp Dijon or hot mustard

1/2 cup honey

Chop nuts finely. Mix other ingredients together, add nuts.