Season 5 of The Next Food Network Star premieres in just 11 days! Tune in to Food Network Sunday, June 7 at 9pm/8c and catch the ten finalists compete for the biggest prize on TV – their own show!

Our love for Asian cuisine has us super excited to meet finalist Debbie Lee, a 39 year old restaurant consultant. According to the Food Network website,  Debbie’s Korean heritage and Southern upbringing make a a dynamic combination as she uniquely blends Asian and American cuisines.

Check out he full bio here or watch Debbie’s road to stardom.

by Veronica Chan

Last Friday night, I got the opportunity to attend a Japanese Spring Cooking class taught by my friend Hiroko Shimbo. Our mutual friend Matt introduced us, inviting us both for a night of tapas, which eventually led to lengthy discussions about Barcelona, debates about short grain vs. long grain rice, and ultimately an invitation for me to attend Hiroko’s class at the French Culinary Institute’s International Culinary Center.

Having left straight after work to attend Hiroko’s class, I joined the rest of the class, which had already started. I immediately recognized Hiroko’s signature bob and distinctively blunt bangs behind the prep table upon entering the kitchen. Hiroko teaches her classes using traditional Japanese methods and recipes while using local and seasonal ingredients. Donning blue aprons and chef hats, all the students gathered around the demonstration table as Hiroko led us through each recipe, explaining each ingredient and technique. We started with the basics, making kombu dashi (kelp stock), then advanced to more difficult dishes with tasks such as poaching fish and frying tempura. Charged with glutamate, which produces a deep Umami flavor, kombu dashi plays a central role in Japanese cuisine and was a key component in multiple dishes for our Japanese Spring dinner.

After Hiroko’s demonstration was over, we split off into pairs to make our choice of appetizer and entree dishes. My partner and I tackled the fava bean soup and the poached fish with kimizu sauce, which I thought were two of the harder dishes to execute. Without a food processor, we skipped the puree part of the procedure and went straight to manually pushing the beans through a fine mesh to create a thick, green puree, which we then stirred into the stock and water mixture. To accompany our soup, we mixed water with the shiratamako flour (rice flour) to make tiny little rice balls that were to float atop the chilled soup.

The most difficult dish we made for the night, which incidentally was my favorite dish too, was poached branzino with kimizu sauce topped with spring vegetable tempura. After filleting the branzino and salting it, we cut a circular disk shaped parchment paper with a hole in the center to place on top of the poaching fish, to allow for the fish to be cooked evenly, without having the liquid evaporate off. Frying tempure proved to be more dangerous that anticipated. The stovetop at the frying station was set to 500 degrees, causing our ramp tempure to shrivel immediately on impact. The ramp tempura then proceeded to dance furiously in the pot, hissing and spitting oil. Thankfully, a student chef who was assisting the class noticed our look of trepidation, and lowered the tempuratire, setting us up to finish our tempura with less trepidation. The kimizu sauce added a contrasting dimension to the other subtle flavors of the dish. Prepared like a zabayon, it is a mixture consisting of egg yolk, rice vinegar, sugar, and mustard powder. Over a pot of boiling water, I stirred vigorously as the yolky liquid mixture congealed into a thick, creamy yellow sauce. Preparing this delicate sauce requires great patience and attention, as monitoring the temperature is crucial so the sauce doesn’t curdle into mustardy scrambled eggs.

What I loved most about the branzino dish was the different textures and flavors that melded together so harmoniously. While the fish was mild and flaky, the kimizu sauce provided a pungent punch of vinegar and mustard, while the tempure on the top was crunchy, a nice contrast with the mellow and tender fish.

Finishing the meals we had tediously prepared for two hours, Hiroko presented us with fruit salad for dessert. Mixed into the medley of fruits were rice balls, larger than the tiny ones we had made ourselves. These rice balls were unlike any I have tasted, sweet and with a crunchy chunk of apple in the middle. Hiroko revealed to us the trick to making this dessert, substituting water with grapefruit juice to make a citrusy, fruity taste that cleanses the palette.

And now, Hiroko’s poached fish and fava bean soup recipes for you to try for yourselves:

Fava Bean Soup
Soramame No Surinagashi

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
10 ounces fava beans, pods and skin detached
4-5 cups kombu dashi (kelp stock)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon usukuchi shoyu (light colored shoyu)
Pinch of sugar
2 teaspoons potato starch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
1 ounce shiratamako flour (rice flour)

Procedure:

1. Remove fava beans from their pods and cook them in salt added water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and cool them in cold water. Once they are cool, peel the outside skin of the fava beans.

2. Put fava beans in a food processor and process until it becomes a puree. The fava beans might become thick, so to help make the texture more smooth, add some kombu dashi to the puree. When smooth, press beans through sieve.

3. Bring 4 cups of kombu dashi to a boil. Add the pureed fava beans and mix thoroughly. Add remaining kombu dashi if necessary to get the proper consistency. Add salt and light colored shoyu.

4. Turn the heat to low and add the potato starch water. Stir. Maek sure to cook the mixture long enough to rid of the raw starch flavor.

5. Place shiratamako flour in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of water. Add water in intervals of ½ tablespoons until it starts to have the texture of bread dough. Roll dough into 15 balls. Add the balls to boiling water to cook for 2 minutes then place them in ice water.

6. Serve the soup hot or cold with shiratama dumplings

Note: You can enjoy this soup with green peas, edamame beans, and asparagus.

Fish poached in Kombu Dashi served with Kimizu Sauce
Mushi-zakana No Kimizu-ae

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 whole Branzino (small)
Sea salt
½ cup sake (rice wine)
Kombu dashi

Kimizu Sauce:
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2/3 tablespoon sugar
2 pinches of sea salt
½ teaspoon Colman mustard powder

Happoji sauce:
2 cups dashi
¼ cup usukuchi shoyu (light colored shoyu)
¼ cup mirin (sweet cooking wine)

Tempura:
4 stalks asparagus
4 ramps
4 small donko shiitake mushrooms
Tempura flour
Canola oil

Procedure:

1. Clean the fish and fillet it. Sprinkle salt on the fish and leave it for 30 minutes. Rinse the fillet thoroughly to remove salt. Wipe the fish and score the skin side of the fillets.

2. In a bowl, combine egg yolk, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard powder. Cook the egg mixture in a double boiler until egg is lightly set. Make sure not to overcook the egg or it will curdle. Cool the egg sauce over a bowl of cold water.

3. In a pot, place 2 cups of kombu dashi, usukuchi shoyu, and mirin and bring it to a boil. Transfer the liquid to a bowl and set aside.

4. Prepare tempura batter by mixing tempura flour with water until the batter is the consistency of loose pancake batter.

5. Dredge the vegetables in tempura flour and then dip them in the tempura batter. Fry the vegetables in canola oil at 350 degrees F until cripy and light golden brown.

6. In a shallow pot, place sake and kombu dashi and bring it to a boil. You want to add enough kombu dashi so the liquid is halfway up the sides of the fish fillets. Add the fish to the boiling liquid and turn down the heat. Sprinkle a little salt over the fish and cook it covered with parchment paper over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove the fish from the pot and transfer them to an individual plate. Top the fish with Kimizu sauce, garnish the plate with vegetable tempura, and pour Happoji sauce onto the plate.

Hiroko’s Kitchen:
http://www.hirokoskitchen.com

International Culinary Center at French Culinary Institute:
www.internationalculinarycenter.com/rec

Only 3 days left to participate in the Hot Chef Grilling Challenge!  Winner receives the opportunity to showcase his/her recipe in a culinary demonstration at the 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago (May 16-19)!

By Veronica Chan

Fluctuating temperatures and unexpected bouts of winter precipitation has made for a slow start for the Spring season here in New York.  My mounting anticipation for temperate weather, winter coat-free wardrobes, and light spring meals served as inspiration for dinner last night.  My friend Ellen, a devout vegetarian and healthful cook, came over to help prepare a walnut miso noodle recipe that I found on 101cookbooks.com.  Packed with umami, the miso harmoniously blended with the garlic and walnuts to create a flavorful, creamy dressing for the soba noodles.  The dressing also can double as a veggie dip; Ellen used it as dip for extra slices of cucumber we had left over.  Paired with a warm cup of Genmaicha Tea (Japanese matcha green tea with brown rice), we sat on the couch and enjoyed our TV dinner.

This recipe is based off of 101cookbooks.com, but revised with the ingredients I used.  To refer to the original recipe, please visit http://101cookbooks.com.

Ingredients:

4 ounces soba

1 small bunch of asparagus, sliced thinly (1/4-inch thick)
1 handful of swiss chard
1 medium cucumber
1 scallion
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 tablespoons white rice vinegar
2 teaspoons agave
2 big pinches salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup+ warm water

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water generously and cook soba. About 10 seconds before you are going to drain the soba, add the asparagus to the pot. Now drain and toss with about 1/2 the walnut-miso dressing – you can make the dressing as you’re waiting for the pasta water to come to a boil. To make the dressing, use a food processor to puree the walnuts, olive oil, garlic, miso paste, vinegar, and agave. Add the warm water a bit at a time until the dressing is the consistency of a heavy cream. Taste and add salt if you think it needs it.  A tablespoon or two of sesame seeds would have been a good addition to the dressing.

Finely dice the stem of the swiss chard and cut up the leafy parts and saute in pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Slice or julienne the cucumber to your liking and chop up the scallion.

Add dressing to the noodles, throw toppings on and toss well.

Serves 1 – 2.

by Veronica Chan

Having spent a full two days at the International Boston Seafood Show, engorging myself with perhaps one too many raw oysters and smoked salmon samples, my seafood pilgrimage concluded with the Taste of Oishii event sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Hosted at the Westin Hotel adjacent to the Boston Convention Center, the tasting featured ten leading Japanese seafood producers whose products are poised to lead the newest Japanese gastronomic trends in the United States.

A brief introduction by Harvard Professor Theodore C. Bestor, Professor of Anthopology and Japanese Studies, highlighted the history of Japanese cuisine and culinary practices and its deep roots in Japanese tradition, while also emphasizing new contemporary applications of Japanese ingredients beyond solely traditional Japanese cuisine.

The dips and spreads were an interesting and accessible use of Japanese products in a way that Americans can more easily integrate into their everyday cooking and eating habits. The wasabi-spiked guacamole and a dip mottled with salmon roe simply paired with water crackers were the most successfully innovative use of Japanese products offered. The briny salmon roe complimented the creamy dip and the creamy guacamole was enhanced with mild hints of freshly grated wasabi.

For the most part, most of the dishes prepared for the event leaned towards the traditional side. Slivers of delicately sliced yellowtail sashimi imported by Morimatsu Suisan Reito Co. stood out from the rest of the yellowtail options. The fattiness of the meat is attributed to the Iki Jime method, removing the brain tissue, therefore delaying the rigor mortis process and preventing the degradation of the tissue. Not only does this technique retain the freshness and taste of the tissue, but also is a humane slaughtering technique.

Kibun Foods, Inc, a leader in surimi seafood products was also present at the presentation. Surimi is a product intended to imitate the texture of lobster, crab, and other shellfish that is typically made with white-fleshed fish such as pollock or hake. Traditionally in Asian cuisine, surimi is used for hot pot. Kibun showcased Chee-Chiky (broiled surimi seafood with cheese) at the Taste of Oishii; cut into slivers and placed atop a bed of salad.

While the most familiar form of wasabi, the pungent green lump of paste that accompanies sushi and sashimi, is commonly made from powder, the wasabi introduced at Taste of Oishii was straight from the root. Unliked its powdered or tubed counterparts, which are often mixed with horseradish and preservatives, freshly grated wasabi contains Wasabi-Sulfinyl, a beneficial ingredient found in fresh wasabi roots, which controls carcinogenesis, improves blood circulation, and increases metabolism.

Here are some easy ways to integrate Wasabi into your everyday diet:

Wasabi Shochu
Put a desired amount of grated Wasabi in the shochu.  In the cold months, adding hot water instead of cold water is recommended.

Wasabi Mayonnaise
Mix two parts mayonnaise with one part grated Wasabi.  Use as a dip for crudites or in a sandwich.

Wasabi Miso
Mix two parts miso with three parts finely chopped or grated Wasabi.  Use it as a dip for crudites, on rice, or as a rub/marinade for fish.

Co-Presented by Asia Society & New Asian Cuisine

Although the Chinese restaurant industry represents 45,000 Chinese restaurants across the U.S., that generates over $20 billion in annual sales, most Americans diners still think of Chinese food as a cheap take-out of chow mein, spring rolls and fortune cookies. While Chinese food has reinvented itself many times over on the Asian culinary scene – whose amazing growth was fueled by the recent economic boom – its counterpart in the U.S. has not yet acheived the same stature.

Join New York Times reporter and author of The Fortune Cookies Chronicles – Jennifer 8. Lee in a conversation with world renown Chef Martin Yan, a celebrated host of over 3,000 cooking shows broadcast worldwide, author of over 30 cookbooks and, most recently, Founder and Chairman of Martin Yan’s Culinary Arts Center in Shenzhen, China. Chef Yan has launched his center to promote the Chinese culinary arts in response to the world’s fascination with Chinese heritage and cuisine. There will be a live food demonstration.

Thursday, March 26, 2009
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Avenue
New York, NY

Cost: $15 members, $30 nonmembers, $15 students

Buy Tickets

by Veronica Chan

Every month or so I hop onto the 7 train and make my pilgrimage to Flushing, Queens.  A standard trip to Flushing includes a trim at my usual Asian salon (where they pump up uncensored hip-hop beats and Cantonese pop ballads) followed by dim sum lunch at the restaurant next door.

Beyond what is immediately surrounding the subway station is entirely foreign to me.  Once past the six block radius around the subway station, the density of Chinese storefronts gets substantially sparse, eventually disappearing altogether and splitting off into various ethnic enclaves.

Deep into Korean territory in Flushing, I went to see the filming of a segment for one of my favorite TV shows, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain.  While driving further away from familiarity, the urban landscape changes significantly, as signs that were once all in Chinese begin to be outnumbered by those in Korean.  The short segment that was being filmed is for a future episode featuring the outer boroughs of New York.  Accompanying Anthony, as his guide to the Korean cuisine of Flushing, is David Chang of Momofuku, who is fittingly Korean American.

Our final destination was Sik Gaek.  The Korean restaurant’s interior cleverly mimics the streets of Seoul, furnished with corrugated metal roofs, street lights, a flashing traffic light, and cleavage bearing posters advertising a popular brand of soju (Korean hard liquor).

Sitting two tables away from Anthony and David, we begin our feast:

Monkfish in a piquant kimchi stew with shrimp, bean sprouts, and scallions

A steaming mountain of Alaskan crab legs, clams, shrimp, and sea snails

Raw octopus minced into pieces, still wriggling, drizzled with sesame oil

Hand-cut noodles cooked in the water that was used to steam the seafood.  The mild soup is typically accompanied by a side of kimchi

Cucumber infused soju, the lunch beverage of choice.  Julienned cucumbers are soaked in the metal pot of soju and left to steep before serving

A mid-meal action shot of Anthony and David

Anthony Bourdain

David Chang

Sik Gaek
16129 Crocheron Ave
Flushing, NY 11358
( 718 ) 321 – 7770

Cross-posted on http://www.vchancancook.wordpress.com

If you are a fan of The Food Network’s  Guy’s Big Bite, you may already know all about the yummy ginger cocktail mix called Elixir G.  Elixir G is a non-alcoholic cocktail mix with the soul of fresh pressed ginger and it has been making quite a name for itself since being carried nationwide at P.F. Chang’s and Benihana restaurants. The New York Times even called P.F. Chang’s Bistro Ginger Beer, a mix of Kirin beer with a a shot of Elixir G, the best drink in the house!

Earlier this year Guy Fieri, host of Guy’s Big Bite, featured Elixir G on its “Let The Good Times Roll” episode. Guy created his own tasty Elixir G cocktail creation - the Elixir G Minty Lemonade. Try it out yourself or be sure to order an Elixir G cocktail the next time you dine out at P.F. Chang’s or Benihana. Check out ElixirG.com for more recipes too! Cheers!

By Lia Chang

Master Sculptor Jimmy Zhang Features Chinese Zodiac Food Showcase at Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards Show at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

Award winning Culinary Artist Chef Jimmy Zhang featured a Chinese zodiac culinary art showcase in celebration of the Year of the Ox at the 5th Annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA Awards Show at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Organized by Chinese Restaurant News, the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants Awards Show recognizes, cultivates and preserves the best in Chinese cuisine. Award winning Chef Martin Yan and Theresa Lin Cheng hosted the show and announced the winners.

Chef Jimmy Zhang is founder of Art Chef, Inc and is recognized as one of the best Chinese culinary produce artists. Zhang can transform carrots into mice, taro roots into birds or a sweet potato into a stallion. Zhang sculpts food into scenes from a fairy tale. Chef Zhang is an amazing talent, said Betty Xie, Editor in chief, Chinese Restaurant News.

Located in the Bay Area since 1998, Art Chef, Inc has been actively promoting the intricate Chinese art of fruit and vegetable carvings to the general public as well as the food service industry in the US. For more information, please go to www.artchef.com.  

Join Chef Susur Lee in celebrating his annual tradition this Chinese New Year 2009! Returning from New York, Chef Lee will be preparing very special menus for both Madeline’s and Lee Restaurant in Toronto  from January 26 – 31. Five course menus for $50.00.

Madeline’s Menu – Chinese New Year 2009

Chinese Marinated Chicken Roulade, with whipped potato croquette, sweet & sour sauce, red radish, watercress & endive salad.

Braised Veal Cheeks, with sea salted air dried mussels, potato spinach ricotta gnocchi, Chinese black pepper sauce.

Beef Consommé, with shrimp dumpling, ginger sherry vinegar.

Cucumber, Persimmon & Avocado Salad, with miso barley, Chinese black vinegar, roasted red pepper, crisp lotus root.

Coconut Crème Caramel, with spiced black rice pudding.

Lee Menu – Chinese New Year 2009

Savory Rice Broth, with shrimp, salted duck egg, Chinese sausage & crisp Chinese wafer.

Persimmon Salad, with lily bulb, fresh chrysanthemum leaves, golden lotus root chip, soya bean crumble.

Sashimi of Salmon, with 19 part salad, green mango, salted apricot dressing.

Sweet & Sour Pork Loin, with potato taro cake, pineapple salad.

Hot Banana & Red Bean Cake, Chocolate Coriander Espresso Bar, hot chocolate sauce, kumquat preserve, hazelnut & malt flake.

For reservations contact:

Madeline’s (416) 603-2205

Lee (416) 504-7867