There are probably two things going on in your head right now…

1) Ebel-what?!

2) RED BEAN? (gross)

That’s why yours truly is here- to educate you on the wonderful fluffiness that you are missing out on (unless if you are Danish) and the versatility of the red bean. Here’s a perfect occasion for a haphazard East meets West.

Ebelskivers are traditional Danish pancakes in the shape of a sphere. Wikipedia says it best-  “Ebelskivers are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover.” But unlike your traditional flat American pancake, these treats are filled with anything your heart desires. Is it blueberry preserves? Or chocolate cream? Lemon curd? RED BEAN??

I got the Ebelskiver pan as a gift from Lara, who also generously included a how-to book, a jar of blueberry preserves, and some of the ‘pancake’ mix. When I first opened the box, I saw a pan with seven holes. I had a good idea of what the pan could be used for, but I thought it was missing a top. A quick search on the Williams Sonoma site brought me to this video, which shows you how to properly make and flip the ebelskiers.

My first reaction was. Oh my gosh. I can finally make TAIYAKIs!!!

(via Serious Eats: Taiyaki are pastries made of a pancake-like batter filled with sweet red bean paste)

Obviously the ones I made didn’t look like a fish but it nearly tasted the same! I’ve only had taiyaki once in the States and it was freakin’ $3 per fish!! If only I wasn’t watching watching my weight when I was in Shanghai… They were like 3 RMB at the time!

To make these, you need a few things that you’ll probably have to go out of your way for. The first is clearly the pan. Sorry, there’s no way around this one. The second is the sweet red bean paste. Luckily, that’s what Amazon is for (too bad there’s no Prime for this one though).  You can also find it at any Asian grocer.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with sweet red bean, it’s super popular in Asia. They make it into bubble tea and heck, they even make it into ice cream! Don’t let the sweet and bean combination intimidate you. As someone who vehemently abhors beans, it’s shocking that I’ve actually taken a liking to sweet red bean paste. It’s literally just boiled/mashed beans with sugar. Surprisingly deee-licious.

Sweet Red Bean Ebelskivers
Basic batter from “Ebelskivers” by Kevin Craft
Makes batter for 21 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flower

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs, separated

• 1 cup whole milk

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 1 cup of sweet red bean paste

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). Then, in another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks and then add in the milk and melted butter. After, add the yolk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until well incorporated. Batter will be lumpy.

In another clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until they’re stiff (but not dry). When peaks form, stop. Then using a spatula, fold in a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Continue folding until no white streaks remain. Use the batter right away.

You may find that there’s some egg white residue that didn’t get beat until stiff. Instead, they remain watery. No worries. Just add it to the batter. You should, however, try to minimize this by checking to see whether all of the egg whites have been beaten.

Heat the pan on low-medium heat. Grease the pan with butter or cooking spray. Then, using an ice cream scoop, scoop some of the batter and begin filling the holes part way. After filling all seven holes, take another spoon and scoop a tablespoon of red bean filling into the each batter. After, fill each hole all the way to the top so that the red bean paste is hidden. Wait until bubbles form. Flip carefully using two chopsticks (or forks if you must- just be careful not to poke a hole).

The ebelskivers don’t take long to cook. If the heat is too high, they will cook too quickly and char, so it’s best to err on the safe side and let them cook longer. As they heat up, they should get fluffy. These are best served immediately after as they will start to deflate once they get cold.

You should also check out:

• Phensri’s “Fantastic” Thai New Year’s Party
• Baked eggs with coarse dijon
• Poached egg with Sriracha mayo
• Pickled mustard greens (芥菜) in fried rice
• Cheddar and onion smashed burgers

You should also check out:

• Phensri’s “Fantastic” Thai New Year’s Party
• Baked eggs with coarse dijon
• Poached egg with Sriracha mayo
• Sweet red bean ebelskivers
• Cheddar and onion smashed burgers

A few weeks ago, a local church did a reverse offering (yeah, they even made national headlines!). They passed a bucket around and everyone withdrew an envelope. In that envelope was either a $10, $20, or $50 bill. The goal was to invest that “seed” money to help the town of Manville recover from Hurricane Irene. A kid who I tutor decided to use his money to register for a 5k and solicit donations from family and friends. His six year old brother used his money to buy blank cardstock and make Christmas cards to sell. Vicky and Will decided to host a “How to make dumplings” session and charge a modest tuition fee. You have to admit, all of these ideas are pretty darn awesome.

Overall, we had a blast. Someone else used their money to buy Sangria for the event and after the tutorial, we all gathered around to make 500+ dumplings for the volunteer event on October 22. These dumplings will be feeding those volunteers. 500 may sound like an obscene number, but with five-six people working on the task, it really didn’t take as long as you’d think.

If you like what you see here or are feeling that stir of generosity within you, please donate to the cause! All proceeds will be donated to the effort of your choosing! And if you’re wondering, yes, your donations are tax deductible. Plus, help spread the word by sharing this blog post. All ad revenue this month will be going towards the cause too!

There are several tips and comments I took away from the class:

• I’ve been holding a cutting knife wrong my whole life. Isn’t that sad? And I’m supposed to know what I’m doing since I run this blog. Anyway, observe the photo above. See how Will’s (he’s a righty) thumb grips the left side of the handle while his index finger protrudes to the blade? The rest of his fingers are wrapped tightly around the handle. This gives you a solid grip with enough force to chop vegetables.
• When chopping vegetables, you want to think ‘LIGHT’ AND ‘DELICATE.’ Don’t smash the living daylights out of the cabbage or chives. Gorden Ramsey has an awesome video on how you should ‘respect’ herbs rather than bruise them like most of us do. Here’s Gordon’s video on how to chop herbs. He features the “baahhh-sil.”
• When chopping herbs or vegetables, you want to tuck your fingers inwards. This means your front three nails are doing a face-plant (sorry, that was wrong; from Mr. William himself: “Your Ring and Middle finger hold the food, typically with the nails for grip.  The thumb and last 2 fingers hold the food together on the sides.  The knife sits against the either the knuckle or the flat part of the finger above the first knuckle.” ) Gordon also gives a brief 101 on this point in that video.
• When using chives, try to get chive flowers. Not only do they have the flower tips (which you can definitely chop up and include in your mix) but they have round and swirling stems. Compared to regular flat chives, these are more fragrant.
• To get those beautiful folds in the dumplings, scroll down in to the recipe for the technique.

The one main observation that left me baffled was the combination of Napa cabbage and chives in this recipe. My mother, who is Taiwanese, always separates the two vegetables so it was interesting that this recipe incorporated both. I had a quick bite of a dumpling, which tasted great, but my question to you guys out there is- Is there a difference between Taiwanese dumplings and Cantonese dumplings? I also asked a coworker, whose family is from Taiwan, and she said that she never saw both in the same recipe. I tried to do some digging on the web but didn’t find much. There was an Epicurious recipe that incorporated both, but most other recipes had either one or the other.

So without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Vicky & William’s Delicious Dumplings
(Makes roughly 20-25)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/4 pound Napa cabbage (3-4 leaves)
• 1/4 pound chive flowers (a small bundle)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• Package of dumpling wrappers from the Asian store
  (If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also make your own wrappers from scratch. All you need is all-purpose flour and water! Here’s a previous blog post explaining the process with step-by-step photos!)

Recipe:

Dice the Napa cabbage and chives very finely. When I say finely, I mean they should be 1cm by 1cm. Then, mix the ground pork and diced cabbage and chives in a bowl. Make sure the pork and vegetables are evenly distributed. Season the mixture with salt, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Remember not to knead but rather mix well.

Folding technique:

(Set aside a small cup of water)

Take a wrapper and place it flat on the palm of your hand. Then, spoon a generous portion of the mix onto the middle of the wrapper. Be sure you don’t put too much or else you won’t be able to seal it. Dip your index finger into the water and coat the rim of the wrapper with the water. It should look like the photo below.

Now, it’s time to seal and fold the dumpling. Carefully bring the bottom end of the wrapper to the top so that you get a semi-circle. This is where it gets a bit tricky. Because there’s water on the wrapper, the dough will stick to each other if you’re not careful and you won’t be able to get those perfectly folded designs. To prevent that, you want to insert your index finger between the two wrappers. Ultimately, you’re thumb should be facing towards you, the index finger should be in between the wrapper, and your middle finger should be supporting the wrapper on the other side. Think about pointing your index and middle finger to the left (if you’re a righty) with your thumb pinching the index finger.

After, you want to deftly make creases from the left to the right side. It’s like folding paper when you were a kid to make “springs.”  The folds are only on one side of the dumpling. Notice how the backside of the dumplings look plain but the front side, if you observe closely, has folds. Make sure you seal the dumpling tightly or else it’ll leak when you cook it.

Cooking the dumplings:

Boiling: Add enough in a pot for dumplings to move freely. After the water comes to a rolling boil, season the water with salt. Then, add enough frozen dumplings to not crowd the pot. Stir gently to ensure the dumplings don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. You’ll want to cook them for about 10-15 minutes. Typically, when the dumplings rise, that’s when you know it’s done. The skins in the dumplings should be pulled close to the filling and the filling should be firm to touch. To be completely sure, open one dumpling to sample.

Frying: (Um, everything tastes better fried!) Use a non-stick frying pan over a medium flame and coat the pan with oil. Add the frozen dumplings but leave room between each so that they don’t touch one another as they cook. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover. Check the pan every 5 minutes to see if the water is dry. If so, lower the flame slightly and add more water and cover. Continue this for 20 minutes or when dumplings are cooked. When they’re done, leave them uncovered and cook off the remaining water. This will help them develop a slight crust on the bottom of the dumplings.

Well that was easy!

You should also check out:

• Phensri’s “Fantastic” Thai New Year’s Party
• Baked eggs with coarse dijon
• Poached egg with Sriracha mayo
• Sweet red bean ebelskivers
• Pickled mustard greens (芥菜) in fried rice

Two summers ago, I relocated to Santa Monica for a restaurant management gig at Houston’s. That gig didn’t last very long due to some bad judgment on my part, but it was great while it lasted. The food was just absolutely amazing. I mean, in honesty, it wasn’t anything superior. There’s no creative thinking behind the dishes, but the goal of the restuarant is to churn out consistent, quality meals. They’re usually on the mark too. There were regulars who’d consistently pay $50 every other day for LUNCH! (THAT’S INSANE!)

Their Thai Beef Noodle Salad was just out of this world amazing. It was like having a party inside my mouth. Sweet, savory, and sour flavors all dancing together. I ordered it at least 3 times a week (we were given a free meal a day) and each time, it always tasted the same. Then, I realized why. The restaurant is extremely methodical as to how they prep meals. 7 carrot sticks on this salad, 5 mango pieces on that salad, a precise cup of shredded lettuce. Heck, the whole place is OCD! I remember questioning the kitchen manager on why he chose to work at a restaurant that limited his creativity and he said that it was because Houston’s taught him how to run a business.

Sigh, once upon a time I lived only a 10 minute bike ride away…

Suki came over last night and I made this salad for her. Unfortunately, I hadn’t yet made my way to the salad station so I can only guess what went into the dressing. I Googled for the recipe and found one, but I think it’s a bit inaccurate.  Anyhow, the recipe came super-close, although I ended up modifying it a bit (I included both recipes for the dressing). I think it’s safe to say it was a hit. Suki REALLY liked it.

There are two ingredients that make this dish and it’s cilantro (coriander) and mango! Cilantro is a hate it or love it herb. I know alot of people who dislike it. It’s a bit difficult to describe, but for me, it’s sort of like a spicy mint.  I actually put alot more of the cilantro in than the recipe asked for. The mango balances out the cilantro and man, it’s just a cosmic explosion of flavors along with the noodles and steak.

Thinking about it, if I could, I’d add some pineapples too!

And the steak! Use flank steak so it’s easy to slice!

Noodles! Oodles and oodles of noodles!

This is one of those salads that hold up amazingly well overnight. We couldn’t finish the giant bowl so a good quarter of it sat in my fridge. This morning, I had the rest of it, and it tasted even better! I think it was because everything marinated overnight. Sure, the greens were a bit limp, but eh, whatever. It’s the flavor that counts! As long as the noodles are still al-dente, that’s all that matters to me!

Houston’s Thai Steak Salad
From Tastebook

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoons Sriracha or similar chile paste
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon neutral flavored oil (ie canola or grapeseed)

Jessie’s Modified Dressing

• 3 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1½ teaspoons Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/8 cup sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1/8 cup peanut butter
• Pinch of salt

Salad Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound skirt or flank steak
• 1 ounce of noodles, cooked al dente (I like using udon-like noodles)
• 1 large handful of spinach
• 1 large handful shredded cabbage
• 1 large handful of cilantro (aka coriander)
• 1 small julienned carrot
• 1/3 cup diced mango
• A handful of crushed peanuts

Recipe:

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together. Set aside while you are preparing the salad.

Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear in a hot skillet (preferably cast iron) for 2-3 minutes per side, or until medium rare. What I like to do is sear the whole entire thing on both sides and then transfer it onto a cutting board. Let it sit for a bit before slicing it into strips. At this point, the meat will still be too rare for consumption so return it back to the skillet for some more searing.

Let the meat rest for a few minutes, then slice on the bias and toss with 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing.

Meanwhile, prepare the noodles. I use shanghai long noodles which look like udon noodles. They only take about 3-4 minutes to cook. The key is to not overcook them or else the texture will just get really mushy and clash with the rest of the salad. After, rinse the noodles in cold water. Mix the remaining salad ingredients (except the peanuts) in a large bowl, add dressing, and toss in the steak. Mix until everything is well coated. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.

You should also check out:

• Phensri’s “Fantastic” Thai New Year’s Party
• Baked eggs with coarse dijon
• Poached egg with Sriracha mayo
• Sweet red bean ebelskivers
• Pickled mustard greens (芥菜) in fried rice

Nowadays, I’m as consistent as clockwork. Despite the chilling darkness and the lack of warmth that summer had spoiled my mornings with, it’s actually been easier getting up in the morning. At 5:01am, the radio blares. I instinctively turn off the first alarm, knowing in the back of my mind that a second alarm is only six minutes away. At 5:07, the alarm beeps and I hop out of bed, throw on a hoodie and sweats. At this point, I’m already dressed for the gym. After quickly brushing my teeth and washing my face, I pick up my gym bag, tuck my cell phone and books into my canvas bag, and turn off the lights. Then I head into the kitchen.

This is where my morning officially starts and where the majority of the time is spent before I head off for work. No, I’m not making breakfast. I’m not even making lunch. I’m making Masala Chai tea, to be sipped and savored a few hours from that moment. The kitchen is brutally cold and uninviting, but once the stove flares up and the teapot is filled with water, I’m chopping shreds of ginger, breaking apart star anise, and pulling apart cardamom pods. Oh and the cinnamon sticks. I love inhaling the scent of fresh, whole cinnamon sticks.

Finally, there’s that moment of silence, which is suddenly broken by the bubbling of the boiling water and a hiss from the steaming pot. That’s my cue to add in the black tea leaves and then the milk. That’s it. I put the lid on the pot and turn on my laptop to quickly check my email.

These are my mornings and the whole process takes a good 10 minutes. By 5:30am, I’m out the door, picking up my paper (if my paper-boy so decides to deliver my paper on time!) and onto the Parkway by 5:35am. Sure, I could sleep an extra 10 minutes, but at 7:30am, when I’m at my desk, post-workout and sipping the then-warm Chai, it makes those 10 minutes totally worth it.

A few weeks back, I had blogged about Chai tea ice cream. Several people had asked me how I make Chai tea, so I thought it’d only be fitting to do a post on this. Chai is a morning and afternoon tradition in India. Amy would always look forward to her morning and afternoon Chai when she was in Calcutta. Glen tells me that Alex and Nick makes a bangin’ Chai and while I’ve yet to have it, these are the tips that Alex gave me:

• The ratio of water to milk should be 1:1. Always use whole milk or else the Chai will end up watery
• There are three main ingredients that you need- ginger, cardamom, and cloves. Those are a must.
• Always throw in the spices before the water boils, sans the tea leaves. As the water begins to boil, add in the tea leaves and then the milk.
• The brewing process should take several minutes to extract all that flavor from the leaves.

Chai is generally synonymous with Masala Chai, which is the spiced chai that this recipe makes

And that it folks. A simple cup of Chai that’ll do wonders for your morning and for your body.

Masala Chai Tea
Makes 2 cups!

Ingredients:

• 4 heaping tablespoons of a mixture of Ceylon, Assam, and Darjeeling black tea*
• 1 inch ginger in slices
• 5 cardamom pods, open with seeds facing out
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• Sugar

*You can also buy Masala Chai tea leaves, which already have the spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves) blended in. Though it expedites the brewing process, there’s something to be said about fresh, wholesome ingredients.  Nevertheless, I like to get my blend from Adagio teas, although their Chai is REALLY intense and I like to mellow it out with some additional black tea. If you’re new, they give you $5 off for following them on Twitter on your first order, which brings the total to a whopping $19/lb (including shipping). Sounds expensive, but it’s really quite reasonable for a pound of loose-leaf tea.

Recipe

In a teapot, throw in all the spices and the water on high heat. When the water begins to boil, add in the tea leaves and the milk. Stir every once in awhile and when the tea foams, lower the heat so that the mixture just slightly boils. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes until the leaves fully open up. Serve with sugar to your taste. Chai tastes best, erring on the side of sweetness.

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This post is part of a series featuring recipes from the FOOD & WINE archive.  As a FOOD & WINE Blogger Correspondent, I was chosen to do four recipes a week from FOOD & WINE.  I received a subscription to FOOD & WINE for my participation.

You should also check out:

• Phensri’s “Fantastic” Thai New Year’s Party
• Baked eggs with coarse dijon
• Poached egg with Sriracha mayo
• Sweet red bean ebelskivers
• Pickled mustard greens (芥菜) in fried rice