Turkey! (Not Thanksgiving Though)

      I've always like the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine. The dishes are simple yet packed with an array of spices. So, I've decided to search the net and look for the nearest restaurant that served this exotic cuisine. And just down the street from my church, I found this hole in the wall hidden from the busy Memorial street, The Empire Turkish Grill.

      As we entered the establishment, we were immediately greeted and ushered to our table by the host. We perused the menu and felt lucky that they had a lunch menu available everyday which consisted of a soup or a salad, an entree, and a drink for $10.95.  Wow! I thought it was a great deal!

      We were famished so we decided to order hummus as our appetizer. This dish is made of ground chickpeas and served with a sesame seed paste and olive oil. We immediately dipped the homemade bread called pide into the hummus. It was so good that we devoured the whole plate.

Hummus, a traditional Turkish chickpea dish (Photo by me)

       For my next course, the red lentil soup is just perfect for that rainy and cold winter day. Although a bit grainy, this soup made it up with its wonderful flavor. On the outside, it may look like a disgusting blob of beans but this humble crop is full of proteins, amino acids, and iron.

Red lentil soup, their great appetizer (Photo by me)

       For my entree, I opted for a Turkish dish that is well-known everywhere, the kebab. I chose the ground lamb. This char-grilled ground lamb, although a bit dry, was tasty in every way. This plate included red cabbage, tomatoes, green bell peppers, and onions. The flavors were authentic and everything on my plate was delicious!

A lamb kebab on a bed of rice (Photo by me)

       However, I found their falafel very disappointing. It is a vegetarian dish made of ground chickpeas that are fried in the shape of patties served with tahini sauce.  It was very, very dry.

Fried chickpea patties served with tahini sauce (Photo by me)

       Overall, I enjoyed the experience and the cuisine and I will definitely go back to try some of their dished like the cabbage roll and the DESSERT! 



To learn more about Turkish cuisine and their menu...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_cuisine

http://www.empiretrgrill.com/

Muy Delicioso!

     Living close to the border of Mexico, it is only natural that we become familiar with some of their culture such as Cinco de Mayo, fiestas, and the Spanish language. But the one thing that is probably close to everyone’s heart is their cuisine, which is evident by the hundreds of Mexican restaurants around us.  Who can resist a mouth watering taco and spicy chile relleno?  How about the cheesy quesadilla and the exotic menudo? For me, I always look forward to the end of my Mexican meal because of this sweet, melt in your mouth dessert, a custard with caramel on top, the flan!



2 1/2 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
8 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups of heavy cream
1 1/4 cups of milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Place 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a small saucepan.
3. Drizzle 1/4 cups of water over the sugar.
4. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar has melted into an amber-colored syrup.

5. Pour the caramel into the bottom of six 8-ounce ramekins.
6. Lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl.

7. Heat the heavy cream, milk, and 3/4 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan.
8. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves.
9. Pour the milk mixture into the beaten eggs.
10. Pour the custard into the caramel-coated ramekins.
11. Place the ramekins in a large baking pan.
12. Add hot water to the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
13. Bake the flans for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

14. Chill overnight.
15. Flip the ramekins over onto a plate and you have your flan!

For more about Spanish desserts and cooking...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_cuisine

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/dessertssweets/Desserts_Sweets.htm

Home Sweet Home

    Over centuries, Filipino food has evolved because of the various ethnicities immigrating to the Philippines. These ethnic influences have adapted to the Philippine's indigenous flavor and style to create simple dishes with tons of flavor. Today, I'm showing you a dish that comes close to home, the popular Filipino dish kare-kare, oxtail and vegetables in a peanut sauce. This simple stew brings joy to my heart every time I taste it.

Kare-Kare

2 pounds of oxtail
5 tablespoons of canola oil
1 small head of garlic, peeled and mashed
2 medium onions chopped
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons of salt
20 longbeans
3 Chinese eggplants

1. Wash the oxtails and place them in a large saucepan with water over high heat.
2. Simmer the oxtails until the oxtails are tender.
3. Refrigerate it overnight to separate the fat.
4. Reserve the broth from the saucepan.
5. Warm up the canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
6. Add the garlic and onions and saute them for 5 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes and peanut butter and cook them for two minutes.
8. Add the reserved broth and cook it for 15 minutes.
9. Add the oxtail and cook the oxtails for 20 minutes.
10. Add the longbeans and eggplants and cook them for 10 minutes until tender.
11. Cover the saucepan and wait until the stew is the right consistency.
12. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and shrimp paste on the side.

For more about Filipino cuisine...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_cuisine

http://www.filipino-food-lovers.com/

All I Want for Christmas is Food

     As the holidays are upon us, so many people can’t wait to get presents, start vacations and get on with their Christmas break. However, for some people, it’s not about the expensive things, but about spending a Christmas meal with their family and reminding themselves of the true Christmas spirit. Well, the dish I’m about to show you represents warm memories to all, that one sweet treat that was beloved to all in those old winter nights. I’m talking about the delicious peppermint bark, the one dessert makes you merrier than Santa Claus. And although it’s simple to make, it’s going to be the best holiday treat for sweet tooths all around the world.

My Peppermint Bark Recipe:

What You'll Need:

12 ounces of semisweet chocolate

1.5 teaspoons peppermint extract

1 pound of white chocolate

3 candy canes, crushed

1. Chop up the semisweet chocolate and white chocolate into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil.
3. Heat up water in a saucepan until the water is steaming.
4. Pour all but 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate into a heat-proof bowl.
5. Place the bowl over the saucepan but do not let the bowl touch the water.
6. Stir until about 1/3 of the chocolate is melted.
7. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and mix and stir the 3/4 cup of semisweet chocolate you saved earlier until all of the chocolate is melted.
8. Stir 3/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract into the melted chocolate and mix.
9. Quickly pour the chocolate into the baking dish and spread it until the chocolate is even.
10. Leave the chocolate aside for 10 minutes until it sets.
11. Then, put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
12. Repeat the melting process over the water in the saucepan.
13. Stir the remaining peppermint extract into the white chocolate.
14. Pour the white chocolate over the semisweet chocolate and spread it until it is even.
15. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes immediately over the white chocolate.
16. Set the baking dish aside for 1 hour at room temperature until the bark is firm.
17. Break up the peppermint bark into pieces.
18. Congratulations! You have successfully made 2 pounds of peppermint bark.

Your delicious peppermint bark if you follow these easy steps.

Picture From http://userealbutter.com/2008/12/08/peppermint-bark-recipe/

To know more about how to make your Christmas feast special, go to...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/the-best-christmas-recipes/pictures/index.html

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Christmas-Recipes

And I want you to help me in answering the survey below to help meet your needs as chefs at home.

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Satay Night Fever

     I have been back in the States for more than a year now since living in Singapore for a couple of years. It is a tiny, multicultural country located in Southeast Asia. Because of its diverse ethnicities, Malay, Indian and Chinese, the people of this nation fused the flavors of their different cuisines to suit their taste buds. And every now and then, I would miss that tantalizing aroma of chili and curry in the Hawker Center. I would long for the taste of fish sauce and lemon grass. Luckily, I discovered this gem in the heart of Bellaire. Houston's Banana Leaf Restaurant was the answer to my cravings!

    Banana Leaf is a mom and pop shop specializing in Malaysian cuisine. The place seemed authentic. To whet my appetite, I ordered the classic Malaysian/Indian appetizer that everyone loves. Roti prata is a delicate Indian pancake that is served with a delectable curry sauce. The pancake is somewhat crispy and versatile that you can ask for different types of meat in it, sweet fruits, or even a fried egg. When it came out, I noticed that the curry sauce was a tad watery than I remember it should be. I dipped a small piece of pancake into the sauce. The flavor was wonderful. I thought that it was a good start!

    One of my favorites to eat in Singapore was their charcoal grilled satay. These chicken or beef skewers (or combination if you ask nicely) are perfectly served with a spicy peanut sauce, which, in my opinion, is one of the best sauces on Earth. This dish immediately brought me back to Asia. Everyone should definitely try this because it is such a well-composed dish, street food or not.

    For my entree, I opted for the traditional Singaporean laksa noodle soup. Now this isn't some boring, bland chicken noodle soup. No, this is a spicy coconut and lemon grass soup that will make your taste buds explode with an exotic blend of Asian spices. The noodles, along with the chicken, shrimp, pork, and vegetables, is sheer perfection. Just a word of caution, this bowl of soup is rich not only in flavors, but also in cholesterol. So, eat sparingly!

    If you don't want a soup, that's perfectly acceptable, because there's plenty of other dishes in the restaurant that are designed to feed each person's individual needs. For example, a classic Singaporean dish is their Hainanese chicken rice. A true clean-cut dish, it's merely steamed chicken served over white rice with the chef's special soy sauce. The secret of this dish is in the rice and unfortunately, I didn't get that Hainanese flavor that I was looking for so I was a bit disappointed.

    So if you're brave enough to try the Southeast Asian flavor, you don't have to travel thousands of miles to taste it. Just hop into your car and visit Banana Leaf in the heart of Chinatown. Houston is so lucky to have a restaurant like this, not only because of their delicious food, but because it will one day expose the majority of Houstonians to a different world of gastronomy.


For more about Malaysia and the restaurant...

http://www.bananaleafhouston.com/flash.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_cuisine

So Appethaizing

     Thailand is a small country in Southeast Asia known for its beautiful beaches, its famous religious temples, and most of all, its spicy and delicious food. Thai food isn't about the simplicity of it, but the juggling of different flavors and elements to create a harmonious dish that Thai people care about in their cooking. That's what has made Thailand one of the staples in Asian cooking over the past century. Today, I'm going to be showing you fried fish with sweet and sour chili sauce. Although the dish sounds as generic as other Asian food, the fish combined with the sauce provide a wallop of flavor from the spiciness of the chilies to the sourness of the tamarind and the sweetness of the sugar.

Fried Fish With Sweet and Sour Chili Sauce

What You'll Need

4 peeled garlic cloves

3 peeled shallots

2 tbsp of chopped cilantro

1 tbsp of chopped red chilies

1/4 cup of cornstarch

1 lb of fish fillets ( any fish )

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1/4 cup of tamarind paste

3 tbsp of water

2 tbsp of fish sauce

1 tbsp brown or palm sugar

1 tbsp of cilantro leaves

1 tbsp of red chilies

Procedure

1. Combine the garlic, shallots, cilantro, and red chilies and use a mortar and pestle or food processor to make them into a paste.

2. Put cornstarch onto a dish. Pat the fish until it's dry and coat the fish with cornstarch.

3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the fish turns brown and crispy on both sides and the fish is cooked through. Transfer the fish to a serving dish. Leave only 2 tbsp of oil in the skillet after cooking the fish.

4. Add the garlic paste to the oil and cook for 2 minutes, or until the paste is fragrant. Add the tamarind paste, water, fish sauce and sugar to the garlic paste. Stir the paste so that it can heat through and thicken slightly.

5. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish the dish with cilantro and chilies.

For more information about Thai cooking...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_cuisine

http://thaicuisine.com/

Follow That Truck!

     Decades ago, if people say food truck, Mexican trucks selling tacos and burritos come to mind. In recent years, thanks to Food Network and other food channels, food trucks have evolved and have become the latest craze in eateries. "Street Food" is now considered hip and chic especially to young urban professionals. This fad has now reached Houston which incidentally has been voted America's coolest and hippest city to live by Forbes.

     So, when a friend invited me to try Chi'lantro, a Korean-Mexican fusion food truck that originated in Austin and made its way to the Bayou City, I had to bring my camera and palate to check what's special about these mobile restaurants. First, we had to check out their website for their schedule. We found the truck along I-10 and Antoine. Now you may be thinking, "Oh, food trucks are dirty, so you might catch a disease!" The truck didn’t look anything filthy. It was artistic and the aroma was inviting. I checked their menu and ordered one of their specialties, the Korean tacos.  You could choose pork, beef, chicken or tofu as your meat. The bulgogi meat was cooked and placed onto soft double-layered corn tortillas, and topped with soy vinaigrette Korean salad, cilantro, onions, and their signature Korean salsa.  It was tasty. There was a perfect blend of Korean and Mexican flavors in every bite. For $5, you get two tacos which was reasonable. I was almost full by the time I finished my meal.

   But I couldn’t just walk away without trying the famous kimchi fries. Their kimchi fries was an entrée by itself. The serving was huge. To make this amazing dish, they caramelized the kimchi and placed a sizzling heap of Korean BBQ, grilled onions, cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheeses, cilantro, sriracha, sesame seeds, and their magic sauce onto a mound of crispy French fries. It had some heat but I would expect more kimchi. To me, if you are calling it a kimchi fries, you better give me more of that kimchi flavor. So, I was a little bit disappointed. Overall, the flavor was good. It was well seasoned and balanced.

      The experience had opened a whole new concept of dining to me. Food trucks can provide delicious, sanitary food at affordable prices. I would definitely check out Chi'lantro again in the very near future and try their quesadillas, burgers, and rice bowls. So, why don't you go to their website and follow that TRUCK!

To find out more about Chi'lantro,

http://www.chilantrobbq.com/

https://twitter.com/ChiLantroBBQ

http://www.visithoustontexas.com/restaurants/meals-on-wheels/