potato pancake

i made korean-style potato pancakes or patties the other day with corns and scallions and they were so yummy. grating potatoes require some time but it is well worth the work. my potato pancakes didn't come out as golden brown as i would like and the corns got a little burnt. 

ai's recipe :: grate two potatoes and mix in 2 tbsp of flour, feel free to use any ingredients you like (i used corns & scallions/green onions and also added a pinch of salt & pepper). fry it with oil or sesame oil. for the dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, a bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds. 

*// see recipe also via bap story // pictures tutorial on how to make the potato pancake // easy & straight forward instructions // enjoy //*

dinner & dessert

*// from yesterday // cold somen noodles with cherry tomatoes, avocado, cucumber and some store-bought curry chicken // drizzled with kochujang sauce aka bibimbap sauce // coca-cola with lemon slices = refreshing // red velvet cupcake from whole foods //* 

kumquat-jalapeno marmalade

my citrus-making continues and moving on to kumquats...

kumquats are in season now and i purchased a bag of these grape-like citrus at a local asian grocer in chinatown. they were displayed on a stand in front of the store and i spotted them easily by their golden-orange peel. i initially wanted to make preserved kumquats but don't have a big jar to put them in. so my other plan was to make kumquat marmalade which i found a few good recipes online that i was drawn to. i incorporated these three recipes into my marmalade making. since i'm still fairly new to jam-making and this is only my second time making marmalade; therefore, i would like to stick to small batches for now. eventually i would like to make big batches and give them away as gifts when i get familiarized with the whole process of jam-making.

i followed this recipe for the base ingredients and some directions, incorporated flavors from this recipe by adding red chillies and star anise and adapted the idea from this recipe but couldn't find habanero so i settled for jalapeno by roasting it first and then removed the skin and seeds and finely chopped it. the chopped jalapeno, three star anise, and sugar were added to the kumquat marmalade on day 2 of cooking the jam after it has been sit for 8-12 hours or overnight and removing the red chilies only.

i cooked my marmalade a bit too long and ended up with a thick but intense jam. i was striving for a lightly gel set jam consistency but not runny like cakewalk version and moreover, you can see her kumquats in circles. so pretty! next time, i will keep in mind not to cook my jam too long.

*see also kumquat marmalade

hello october!

it's officially fall and the weather has been nice and toasty. i've been eating lots of cherry and sungold tomatoes lately as a snack and dressing them in salad, quinoa salad, and spicy korean cold noodles pictured in the middle. what i look forward in fall is eating pumpkin pie, persimmon, and pear and making baked goods. it's also a great beginning for me as i sold my first 2012 calendar yesterday to a friend of mine who is buying it for a gift. (thanks lil!) happy autumn everyone!

kimbap

basic veggie kimbap

recipe via bapstory

.: avocado

.: cucumber

.: imitation crab

.: omelette

:: cut all ingredients into matchsticks

my kimbap looks a little boring because i just use whatever ingredients i have in the refrigerator. although there isn't much variety for the filling part, it still tastes delicious. :)

korean cold noodles

lately, korean cold noodles are my favorite dish to make and eat. it's super easy to make and deliciously healthy too. for me, it's the perfect quick fix summer meal to enjoy on any hot days.

.: avocado

.: japanese cucumber

.: soba/somen combo

.: store bought kimchi

.: hard-boiled egg

.: red pepper sauce for dressing

quinoa summer salad

i recently ate a store-bought premade quinoa salad that had summer yellow squash, cauliflower, green peas, and currants with pesto dressing and it was very good. i see and hear alot about quinoa but never  experiment cooking with it. so i went to a local natural food store and picked up a small bag of quinoa which is sold by the weight and try recreating what i had a few days ago. my version (slightly different) has summer yellow squash, zucchini, corns, and black beans. for the dressing, i made a lemon maple vinaigrette to go with it. it was a great combination and had it for two straight days.

shrimp summer rolls II

a delicious and fun way of consuming fresh veggies. make them using your favorite veggies/ingredients.

{ingredients}:

.: rice paper wrappers

.: rice noodles

.: red leaf lettuce

.: sprouts

.: chinese chives

.: cucumber (matchsticks size)

.: vietnamese corianders

.: perilla leaves

.: mint leaves

.: shrimps

.: see {directions} here

kumquat marmalade

kumquat marmalade
makes 1 (12 oz) jar

{ingredients}:

.: 2 cups cleaned & sliced kumquats (seeds removed)

.: 1 1/2 cups water

.: 1 1/2 cups sugar

.: 1 tbsp ginger (finely shredded; optional)

{directions}:

place all ingredients in a pot, stir, and bring to a boil. cook for 1 hour on low heat or until it becomes thicken. remove from heat. allow to cool slightly and then pour into sterilized jar and seal tightly. refrigerate it.

last week i purchased a bag of kumquats at the asian grocery and made marmalade with them. unexpectedly, my marmalade came out pretty good for the first try. i was amazed with the use of only three ingredients (kumquats, water, and sugar) can turn into a delicious spread for toast or can be eaten with anything and it's so easy to make. my only complaint is slicing the kumquats take time.

portobello mushroom lasagna

*recipe from here & here

believe it or not, this is only my second time making lasagna. i usually buy already made lasagna in the freezer section of the grocery. it's fast, convenient and taste delicious. on the other hand, i find making lasagna a time consuming process involving a lot of prep work but once in a while, i do want to make one if the recipe works for me. this mushroom lasagna loaded with béchamel sauce, portobello mushrooms and grated parmesan came out pretty good. and at the end, i think it's all worth it and i'm already thinking of making a tomato-based version for my next lasagna.

taco taco

serves 4

{ingredients}:

.: 1 lb. ground beef
.: 1 taco seasoning packet
.: a box of taco shells
.: some shredded lettuce
.: store bought or homemade salsa
.: avocado (mashed)
.: sour cream
.: cheddar cheese (shredded)
.: hot sauce (tabasco)

{directions}:

follow instruction on the back of the taco seasoning packet. once meat & sauce is cooked, just assemble or layer ingredients into the taco shell. it is that simple, quick & easy! tasty too!

.: my homemade salsa contains tomatoes, cucumber, small onion & garlic. all diced up. add lime juice (freshly squeezed) and salt & pepper to taste. mix all ingredients together and let it sit in the refrigerator for half hour or more.

.: for a crispier taco shell, i toast mine (already filled with meat & sprinkled cheese) in the conventional oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

wagashi workshop :: japanese sweets making class

today, my friend & i attended a wagashi class which we signed up in advance a few weeks ago. the workshop demonstrated two japanese sweets, sasamaki and karukan. sasamaki is a bamboo leaf wrapped sweets made of mostly sugars (white, brown & black sugar (kurosato)) and karukan is a traditional sponge cake made out of nagaimo (long mountain yam), a main ingredient in the cake. we also had the opportunity to learn how to fold & wrap the sweets in a bamboo leaf known as the sasamaki. afterwards, we get to taste both sweets followed by a bowl of high-quality matcha (green tea). and of course, we didn't leave empty handed; each person gets to take home a small box contained of four sweets and a handout consisted of recipes & instruction.

an evening meal :: all things green

 

the food i had tonight contained the color green which was unexpected but they were all good eats. oh, the spaghetti w/ avocado was delicious and you can get the recipe here. give it a try! i'd recommend using a sort of ripe avocado b/c it melts like butter on the hot spaghetti and also i doubled on the dressing (soy sauce, lemon juice & fresh grated ginger). i made it twice already and still would like to have it again. thank you aixxx for sharing the recipe!

strawberry daifuku :: mochi

i love mochi and making them was so much fun. the dough was indeed very sticky to work with and shaping each piece into a round ball is something i really need to work on but a couple of mochi later, i did get a hang of it. these were so yummy and the fresh, sweet strawberries do make a big difference. since the strawberry daifuku mochi were quite a success, i'm planning to make mango mochi next. stay tuned!

.: recipe is from chocolate & zucchini and clotilde has the full (elaborate) details on mochi making.

green onion or scallion cake

recipe (unknown source)

{ingredients}:
.: 2 cups of flour
.: 1/4 tsp baking powder
.: 1/4 tsp of fine salt
.: 2 tsps oil
.: 1 cup of hot boiling water
.: a few stalks of green onions/scallions, finely diced, including the white parts
.: some oil in a bowl
.: some coarse salt

{directions}: same as here.

you may notice that there are many versions of the green onion/scallion cake on the web but recipes wise, they are pretty much similar to one another. this recipe was lying in my recipes folder and unfortunately, i did not write down the source it came from. scallion cake is one of my favorite snacks and i make it once in a while. i remembered in my previous tries, i had trouble handling the dough but this time, it worked like magic. i had no problem at all and the cakes turned out great!

spam musubi

recipe @ sushi day

yeah it's friday! this evening i made spam musubi but it's not for dinner :(, it's for tomorrow's picnic during our fruit-picking adventure at brentwood :). my friend & organizer of this event requested everyone who's coming to bring a little something so everyone can share sort of like a potluck. i just finished packing the spam musubi but i realized i don't have enough to go around. i guess some can share if needed. enjoy your weekend as i will too!

shrimp summer rolls

 
for friday's night dinner. fresh, light, healthy and very summery. yum! i could eat many of these rolls without feeling guilty.

{ingredients} :
.: rice papers
.: chinese chives
.: fresh mint leaves
.: mung bean sprouts
.: green or red leafed lettuce
.: pickle cucumbers (cut in strips)
.: rice noodles (cook in hot water 'til ready & drain)
.: shrimps (washed, cooked, cut in half & deveined)

{dipping sauce} :
.: hoisin sauce

{directions} :
wash all fresh veggies. prepare shrimps & cook the rice noodles. when everything is set & ready, *dampen the rice paper in a large bowl of warm water until soften, drain, & place it on a flat plate. arrange shrimps, veggies, & rice noodles then fold the bottom of the rice paper over filling, tuck in the ends as you roll & tighten it as you go. it takes a couple of tries before perfecting it. repeat*