sweet 'n' savory TWO

Roast Chicken

Roast chicken is one of our favorite ways for cooking chicken.  It is simple, delicious, and quick!  More importantly, a roast chicken is such a multi-purpose good eat - it can be enjoyed as is (white meat for Bob and dark meat for me), the leftover breast meat can be made into Chicken salad, and the carcass is just perfect for making flavorful chicken broth.

 

Roasted chicken + Roasted vegetables = Match made in Heaven!

No Knead Bread

 

Feed me!

A squirrel was "begging" for food onside our kitchen door the day after Christmas.

Jarritos Tamarindo

Unlike most fruit-flavored sodas that are at most sugary water with artificial fruit flavor, the tamarind soda by Jarritos has just the right amount of tanginess to its flavor without being overly sweet - it has a surprisingly bright tamarind flavor which makes it more like carbonated tamarind juice than tamarind-flavored soda.  My new favorite soft drink?  Jarritos Tamarindo it is!

Christmas Brunch: Croque Monsieur et Madame

Last Christmas, Bob and I got up too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so we opted for brunch.  The leftover mighty delish Shaul's bone-in ham leftover from Christmas eve dinner inspired us to make a ham-and-cheese sandwich except making it fancier than it normally is - voila! Croque Monsieur topped with a perfectly fried egg to make it Croque Madame too.  The end result is GOOEY, MELTY, and HEAVENLY TASTETY - the best way to begin the Christmas day!!

~Our Croque Monsieur et Madame for Two~

• Make Cheesy white sauce by melting 2TBS of butter in a sauce pan.  Add flour to pan when butter has melt and whisk until roux forms.  After cooking roux for 3 minutes, whisk in milk and bring to a boil.  Continue to simmer mixture for about 5 minutes, then add a pinch of nutmeg, sald, pepper to taste as well as 1/4 cup of Gruyère cheese and whisk until cheese melts.  Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Make sandwiches by topping two slices of sandwich bread first with sliced Gruyère, then ham (as much as you like), then sliced cheese again, and finally with another piece of bread to complete the sandwich.  Melt 1TBS of butter in a large skillet and then fry two sides of the sandwich until golden brown.  Remove the sandwiches from skillet and place on a baking sheet. Add more oil or butter to skillet if necessary, fry two eggs in the skillet until egg yolks reach half-jelled state. While eggs are cooking, top each sandwich with some cheesy white sauce and more shredded cheese, and then place under pre-heated broiler until cheese begins to brown.  Remove sandwiches from oven and place fried eggs on top. Serve immediately!!

Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemon season is from late winter to early spring.  Last year, I ordered a box of "pick-to-order" meyer lemons from Snow Citrus Court for the first time ($25 for 5 lbs or $41 for 10 lbs, shipping included, 3 to 5 lemons per pound).  Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by the great looking lemons found in the box I received.  They are plump and juicy with a perfectly smooth thin skin that comes with a nice sheen (as seen in the picture above) - unlike the ones found in the store. 

Meyer lemons taste sweeter and less acid than regular lemons ... also with a hint of grassiness, not in an unpleasant way though.  Soon after we received the lemons, Bob and I tried using ML in different dessert recipes, and our unanimous favorite is the Meyer lemon curd made by Bob.  It has a good balance of sweetness and tartness and the mouth feel is lusciously silky smooth.  We served it with pound cake, and it's a match made in heaven!  We are so fond of meyer lemon that we have gotten a dwarf ML tree - it is now full of fragrant blossoms and little tiny green fruits!

(The lemon curd made with regular lemons tend to be either too sweet or too tart.  Because of the higher acidity found in regular lemons, the attempt to counterbalance it by adding more sugar to the lemon card can result in an overly sweet taste while not having enough sugar can actually make the sharpness of acidity stand out even more, which can be unpleasnt.  As a result, I rarely order any dessert with lemon curd in restaurants since good lemon curd is hard to come by...)

Meyer Lemon season is from late winter to early spring.  Last year, I ordered a box of "pick-to-order" meyer lemons from Snow Citrus Court for the first time ($25 for 5 lbs or $41 for 10 lbs, shipping included, 3 to 5 lemons per pound).  Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by the great looking lemons found in the box I received.  They are plump and juicy with a perfectly smooth thin skin that comes with a nice sheen (as seen in the picture above) - unlike the ones found in the store. 

Meyer lemons taste sweeter and less acid than regular lemons ... also with a hint of grassiness, not in an unpleasant way though.  Soon after we received the lemons, Bob and I tried using ML in different dessert recipes, and our unanimous favorite is the Meyer lemon curd made by Bob.  It has a good balance of sweetness and tartness and the mouth feel is lusciously silky smooth.  We served it with pound cake, and it's a match made in heaven!  We are so fond of meyer lemon that we have gotten a dwarf ML tree - it is now full of fragrant blossoms and little tiny green fruits!

(The lemon curd made with regular lemons tend to be either too sweet or too tart.  Because of the higher acidity found in regular lemons, the attempt to counterbalance it by adding more sugar to the lemon card can result in an overly sweet taste while not having enough sugar can actually make the sharpness of acidity stand out even more, which can be unpleasnt.  As a result, I rarely order any dessert with lemon curd in restaurants since good lemon curd is hard to come by...)

Dad's Green Onion Omelet & Rice Porridge

The most memorable dishes are the dishes that comfort...

Mom got ill in late 2007 and has been battling cancer since 2008.  Whenever I travel to Taiwan to help care for mom, Dad would make me green onion omelet and "xifan" (i.e. rice porridge in Chinese) for breakfast at home every morning before I leave for the hospital.  I am never a breakfast person so breakfast is usually omitted from my daily diet during the weekday.  Somehow, the combo of green onion omelet and rice porridge prepared by Dad always tastes so good to me - the omelet is fluffy and green onion adds simple yet bright flavor that compliments well with rice porridge.   Dad's green onion omelet is always PERFECTLY seasoned - no need for adding salt or additional seasoning to it - it is just right to be enjoyed as is with rice porridge. 

Mom used to be the primary cook at home before she got ill, Dad took over the cooking/housekeeping role after mom began chemotherapy while my younger brother who lives with my parents took it upon himself to be mom's care-taker in the hospital 24/7.  When mom is hospitalized, the simple dishes made by Dad give me a moment of comfort as well as the strength I need to face the cruel realty of mom's suffering in the cancer ward.  After returning to Chicago, this has been my go to dish whenever I can use a sense of comfort - and I would make it exactly the way Dad made it because that's what makes it special to me.

Dad's Green Onion Omelet:

• Large Eggs, 2
• Green onion, minced, 1 TBS
• Kosher salt, 1/4 tsp (or table salt, 1/8 tsp)
• MSG, a tiny bit
• Soy sauce, 1/2 tsp
• Water, 2 TBS
• Cooking oil

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until well incorporated.  Add a teaspoon or two of cooking oil to the frying pan and heat over medium heat.  Once the pan is heated, add egg mixture to pan and form a thin layer in pan.  As soon as the bottom of the omelet begins to congeal, fold half of the omelet to form a half circle, and then flip the omelet.  Turn the heat off when the center of omelet is no longer runny.  Remove omelet from pan and serve immediately.

Dad's Plain Chinese Rice Porridge:

• Sushi rice (sticky rice), 1/2 cup
• Water, 4 cups

Wash sushi/sticky rice in running water until water becomes clear.  Add rice and 4 cups of water into a small pot and cook over medium heat uncovered.  Stir occasionally while porridge is cooking to prevent rice from sticking to the pot.  Once the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium low and continue to simmer until it reaches a gruel-like state.  Turn off heat and remove from heat.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes and give it a few stirs to help cool porridge down a bit.  Sever warm.

The most memorable dishes are the dishes that comfort...

Mom got ill in late 2007 and has been battling cancer since 2008.  Whenever I travel to Taiwan to help care for mom, Dad would make me green onion omelet and "xifan" (i.e. rice porridge in Chinese) for breakfast at home every morning before I leave for the hospital.  I am never a breakfast person so breakfast is usually omitted from my daily diet during the weekday.  Somehow, the combo of green onion omelet and rice porridge prepared by Dad always tastes so good to me - the omelet is fluffy and green onion adds simple yet bright flavor that compliments well with rice porridge.   Dad's green onion omelet is always PERFECTLY seasoned - no need for adding salt or additional seasoning to it - it is just right to be enjoyed as is with rice porridge. 

Mom used to be the primary cook at home before she got ill, Dad took over the cooking/housekeeping role after mom began chemotherapy while my younger brother who lives with my parents took it upon himself to be mom's care-taker in the hospital 24/7.  When mom is hospitalized, the simple dishes made by Dad give me a moment of comfort as well as the strength I need to face the cruel realty of mom's suffering in the cancer ward.  After returning to Chicago, this has been my go to dish whenever I can use a sense of comfort - and I would make it exactly the way Dad made it because that's what makes it special to me.

Dad's Green Onion Omelet:

• Large Eggs, 2
• Green onion, minced, 1 TBS
• Kosher salt, 1/4 tsp (or table salt, 1/8 tsp)
• MSG, a tiny bit
• Soy sauce, 1/2 tsp
• Water, 2 TBS
• Cooking oil

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until well incorporated.  Add a teaspoon or two of cooking oil to the frying pan and heat over medium heat.  Once the pan is heated, add egg mixture to pan and form a thin layer in pan.  As soon as the bottom of the omelet begins to congeal, fold half of the omelet to form a half circle, and then flip the omelet.  Turn the heat off when the center of omelet is no longer runny.  Remove omelet from pan and serve immediately.

Dad's Plain Chinese Rice Porridge:

• Sushi rice (sticky rice), 1/2 cup
• Water, 4 cups

Wash sushi/sticky rice in running water until water becomes clear.  Add rice and 4 cups of water into a small pot and cook over medium heat uncovered.  Stir occasionally while porridge is cooking to prevent rice from sticking to the pot.  Once the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium low and continue to simmer until it reaches a gruel-like state.  Turn off heat and remove from heat.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes and give it a few stirs to help cool porridge down a bit.  Sever warm.

Taste Test: Bacon

We had posted a "Bacon Challenge" on CHOWHOUND back in January 2008 requesting suggestions for a bacon taste test. To my surprise, people had a lot to say about bacon!

Among all the suggestions received, the following brands are the ones that made to our finalist list.

- Broadbent http://www.broadbenthams.com/
- Benton's https://bentonshams.com/order/index.php
- Oscar http://www.oscarssmokedmeats.com/
- Nueske http://www.nueskes.com/
- Farmland (store brand) http://www.farmlandfoods.com/

TASTE wise, what are we looking for? A bacon that is mildly smoked, not overly salted, with a hint of sweetness and well-balanced fat to lean ratio (50:50). 

METHOD:
All bacon strips are placed on a wire rack in single layer and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degree for 25 to 30 minutes until the bacon becomes crispy without losing its meatiness completely.

SMOKINESS:
Both Broadbent and Neuske have a good amount of smokiness that is not overpowering or unpleasant. Oscar's smokiness is mild. Farmland could use a bit more smokiness, while Benton is way too smoky for us.

FAT/LEAN RATIO:
Broadbent's is qualified to be the "Picture Perfect" bacon, or "Bradford's Bacon" if there's such a thing as "Bradford's wife" - the bacon is perfectly shaped, with perfect fat to lean ratio as well as the "perfect" color (which makes it look like the real-life food replica made in Japan than the real bacon which should has its imperfections just like we human beings.) The fat to lean ratio of Benton's and Neuske's is both right. Oscar's, while having the right amount of fat to lean meat, does not even try to look good (to be specific, it does not appeal to the eye and is oddly shaped, even the packaging is "unpretentious".) Farmland has slightly more fat than all the rest.

SALTINESS/SWEETNESS:
To our disappointment, Broadbent as multi-award winner has a dull salty taste and is lacking sweetness in its flavor. Benton's is just too salty for us (even with the addition of brown sugar). On the other hand, Oscars, the ugly-duckling, has just the right bacon flavor - a good solid meaty flavor that is adequately salted with a subtle sweet finish to it. Nueske's is also good with a smoky, meaty and salty flavor that is not overly done. It would be even better if the sweetness can be a bit more apparent. Finally, Farmland, at its value, is considered to have a decent bacon flavor.

OVERALL
The "unpretentious" Oscar turned out to be our favorite in the taste test. Nueske's took second place, followed by Farmland (it could be 2nd place if value is taken into account). Broadbent is okay, but we expect it to be a lot better seeing how many awards it has won. The big disappointment is Benton's. The disclaimer on Benton's website that due a delay of 6 to 7 weeks may be expected due to back order (caused by a magazine's article) had led us to expect more from it. Unfortunately, nothing we ordered from Benton, including bacon, ham and prosciutto, worked out for us. I guess it's meant for those who prefer a much saltier and smokier taste.

Among all the suggestions received, the following brands are the ones that made to our finalist list.

- Broadbent http://www.broadbenthams.com/
- Benton's https://bentonshams.com/order/index.php
- Oscar http://www.oscarssmokedmeats.com/
- Nueske http://www.nueskes.com/
- Farmland (store brand) http://www.farmlandfoods.com/

TASTE wise, what are we looking for? A bacon that is mildly smoked, not overly salted, with a hint of sweetness and well-balanced fat to lean ratio (50:50). 

METHOD:
All bacon strips are placed on a wire rack in single layer and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degree for 25 to 30 minutes until the bacon becomes crispy without losing its meatiness completely.

SMOKINESS:
Both Broadbent and Neuske have a good amount of smokiness that is not overpowering or unpleasant. Oscar's smokiness is mild. Farmland could use a bit more smokiness, while Benton is way too smoky for us.

FAT/LEAN RATIO:
Broadbent's is qualified to be the "Picture Perfect" bacon, or "Bradford's Bacon" if there's such a thing as "Bradford's wife" - the bacon is perfectly shaped, with perfect fat to lean ratio as well as the "perfect" color (which makes it look like the real-life food replica made in Japan than the real bacon which should has its imperfections just like we human beings.) The fat to lean ratio of Benton's and Neuske's is both right. Oscar's, while having the right amount of fat to lean meat, does not even try to look good (to be specific, it does not appeal to the eye and is oddly shaped, even the packaging is "unpretentious".) Farmland has slightly more fat than all the rest.

SALTINESS/SWEETNESS:
To our disappointment, Broadbent as multi-award winner has a dull salty taste and is lacking sweetness in its flavor. Benton's is just too salty for us (even with the addition of brown sugar). On the other hand, Oscars, the ugly-duckling, has just the right bacon flavor - a good solid meaty flavor that is adequately salted with a subtle sweet finish to it. Nueske's is also good with a smoky, meaty and salty flavor that is not overly done. It would be even better if the sweetness can be a bit more apparent. Finally, Farmland, at its value, is considered to have a decent bacon flavor.

OVERALL
The "unpretentious" Oscar turned out to be our favorite in the taste test. Nueske's took second place, followed by Farmland (it could be 2nd place if value is taken into account). Broadbent is okay, but we expect it to be a lot better seeing how many awards it has won. The big disappointment is Benton's. The disclaimer on Benton's website that due a delay of 6 to 7 weeks may be expected due to back order (caused by a magazine's article) had led us to expect more from it. Unfortunately, nothing we ordered from Benton, including bacon, ham and prosciutto, worked out for us. I guess it's meant for those who prefer a much saltier and smokier taste.