Cooking for one person without being wasteful and creating variety in your diet is a tall order for any college student. Thankfully, there’s a George Foreman grill in my communal kitchen and a sizable sandwich culture in England for inspiration.
With a sandwich, it’s fairly easy to mix up the ingredients from day to day to vary your lunch and dinner options.
The following are instructions, guidelines and tips (the word ‘recipe’ seems too formal here) for three sandwiches that I have taste-tested and enjoyed. They all have the same five categories of ingredients: bread, meat, cheese, vegetable and spread that can be easily substituted to your own tastes and what’s available.
Cajun Chicken and Peach Panini
This sandwich is inspired by my Vietnamese ethnic and culinary background—we always try to have sweet, salty, spicy and sour, or some combination of the four, in our dishes. The peach conserve complements the Cajun spices well, with the brie mellowing out both. The addition of pickles rounds out the flavors while accenting the spice.
Bread: pain flute or narrow Italian bread loaf cut length-wise
Or any soft bread for easy panini-pressing
Meat: Cajun chicken or tikka masala chicken
Or any already-cooked, heavily-spiced chicken breast that you can find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store
Cheese: Thin slices of brie or any soft, mild melting cheese
Vegetable: slices of pickle or microgreens are optional
Spread: peach conserve or mango chutney
Spread the peach conserve onto one slice. Then, in the following order, add the pickles, greens, slices of brie, chicken and the other slice of bread on top. (The order is important so that all the parts will be held together by the melted brie when the Panini is pressed.) Press with Panini-press or any other sandwich-pressing or grilling device on medium until the cheese has completely melted.
Ham and Cream Cheese Bagel Sandwich
A slightly more sophisticated variation on the cucumber sandwich and the classic ham and cheese.
Bread: cinnamon-raisin bagel, split and toasted
Meat: ham, most varieties will do with the exception of honey-baked as it may be too sweet with the cinnamon and raisin bagel
Cheese/Spread: full-fat/regular cream cheese
Vegetable: thinly sliced rounds of cucumber
Spread generous amounts of cream cheese on each bagel slice. Arrange cucumber slices neatly on each. Place ham between the slices and you’re good to go.
Chicken and Wensleydale w/ Cranberry
This sandwich is the most complex flavor-wise of the three. While the chicken serves as a hearty base, the caramelized onion hummus adds moisture and complements the Wensleydale well with its own deeper, savory sweetness. The spinach cuts the richness of both with a pleasant bitterness.
Bread: sliced plain ciabatta
Meat: chicken breast
Cheese: crumbled Wensleydale with cranberry, or any sweet cheese
Vegetable: raw baby spinach
Spread: caramelized onion hummus
Spread the hummus on both slices. Add the crumbled Wensleydale, spinach and chicken breast to one of the slices, and then top it off with the other. (I’ve often made the rookie sandwich construction mistake of putting loose ingredients on both slices of bread only to then clumsily attempt to put them together.)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Inventive Sandwich Compositions from Across the Pond
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Han Dynasty
If you're like me and you love spicy food, then Han Dynasty just might become your new favorite restaurant. It is some of the best and most authentic Chinese food in the whole city, even though it isn't even in Chinatown.
Han Dynasty is quickly becoming a hip hot spot of the Old City scene. Any night you go the place is sure to be packed with eager diners. If you're planning on trying it out you should definitely call and make a reservation because tables at this restaurant are in high demand. I went with two friends once without a reservation and we waited for over an hour to be seated. We had heard really good things about the restaurant and we were dying to check it out no matter how long we had to wait.
So, why is Han Dynasty so popular? Two words: the food. Han Dynasty offers a variety of tongue-tingling dishes ranging from extremely spicy (labeled 10 on the menu. if you order one, get ready to sweat) to mild (with a low number such as 1 or 2 and are a nice break from the spice of some of the more daring dishes). When I went for the first time my friends and I played it safe; we didn't know just how spicy a 10 would be so we kept all our dishes at 8 and under. Everything we had that night exceeded our expectations. My favorite dish we had was Dan Dan Noodles (which we actually got for free because the host felt bad that we had waited for over an hour for a table). They were spicy but had a slight sweetness to them that made the intensity of spice seem somewhat less. They had a garnish of what I think was ground beef although I can't be sure, but regardless of what it was the dish was fantastic. I could go there and order just that and be happy, that's how exceptional those noodles are. I couldn't even get a picture of them because we devoured them so quickly.
My other favorite were the spicy crispy cucumbers. They were fresh and crispy cucumbers in a chili oil sauce. They were still quite spicy but the fact that they were cold and refreshing made them the perfect thing to cool your mouth off after the more spicy dishes. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of cucumbers I would still recommend giving them a try.
If you want a real challenge in terms of spice go for the dry pot style option on the menu. It is labeled a 10 so you know the dish is going to be spicy. It comes to your table served on fire, literally. You have your pick from a variety of different meats which is then cooked with vegetables in a dry spice rub.
If you want something a little more tame, I suggest you go for the dry fry style with your choice of meat or the garlic sauce style which are a 6 and a 4 respectively. I had both of those the first time I went and I was not disappointed. I had chicken garlic sauce style and for me it was a perfect break from the spice because it was slightly sweet while still being lightly spiced and garlicy.
The only dish I haven't liked from Han Dynasty was the pork belly in garlic sauce. It was a bit too adventurous for me and since I had never had pork belly before I was a little scared of it. I did give it a try but it wasn't really my cup of tea. However, if you like pork belly I think you would like this dish. When I brought the leftover pork belly home to my brother he gobbled it down in a minute and told me it was delicious.
After my first visit to Han Dynasty it only took me two weeks to make it back for a second meal despite the trek to Old City. If that isn't a testament to how great the food is then I don't know what is. Seriously, you have to check this place out!
Han Dynasty
108 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.922.1888
Blog Bites: A Round-Up of the Week's Top Food Stories
• The Daily Pennsylvanian reports on last weekend's Penn-Drexel "Cupcake Wars" (Check our post on the event too!)
• Well, this is one way to take out the competition: an Upper Darby pizza shop owner was arrested last week for trying to infest a competing pizzeria with mice - The Inquirer
• Andre Agassi spotted at Pod before his speech at Penn - Grub Street Philadelphia
• Midtown Lunch has lunch at Sang Kee Noodle House at 3549 Chestnut
• Canned Peanut-Butter and Jelly sandwiches? No thanks - "30 WTF Canned Foods"
• The New York Times puts the 5-second rule to the test
• So Good asks, creamy or crunchy peanut butter?
• The politics of food: "Food Prices Reach Record High" - Wall Street Journal
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Gimbap: not "Korean sushi"
When I had to explain to my friends what gimbap is, I used to say, "It's Korean sushi." True, gimbap is like a type of sushi. It is very similar to the makizushi (rolls); specifically futomaki ("thick rolls"). The Japanese futomaki is rice rolled into a cylinder with dried seaweed, with two or three fillings. Futomaki is about 1.5 inches in diameter, and one order of futomaki usually consists of six or eight pieces. The fillings are usually vegetarian, but sometimes have non-vegetables such as fish or fish roe. Gimbap is similar to futomaki in that they are both rice rolls wrapped with seaweed and stuffed with various fillings. But it does not do justice to gimbap to say it is "Korean sushi;" gimbap has its own unique qualities and characteristics that distinguish it from the better known sushi.
Gimbap is a very popular picnic food. In Western cultures, people take sandwiches--Koreans make gimbap. I remember my Korean childhood, when I would go to field trips and class picnics toting my lunchbox packed with gimbap. My friends and I would sit in a circle at lunchtime, comparing what fillings others have in their gimbaps, sharing and tasting each one. Gimbap has no restrictions on their fillings. Depending on preference, gimbap can have meat, fish, and vegetables. Gimbap also usually has many more fillings than futomaki does; a standard gimbap may have egg, picked radish, some kind(s) of meat (most popular choices are ham, beef, or tuna), crab sticks, and one or two more kinds of vegetables. Due to this harmony of various flavours in one roll, there is no need for additional sides of soy sauce or pastes (such as wasabi). The seaweed for gimbap itself is already seasoned with a light coat of sesame sauce and a drizzle of sesame seeds.
Gimbap is incredibly popular in Korea for its convenience. It is bite-sized, sliced into more pieces and has a smaller diameter than futomaki. Also, it is great for those who don't have time to sit down at a restaurant or those who cannot carry around a lunchbox. Franchise gimbap stores usually sell gimbap in its original cylindrical form (except sliced), wrapped with cooking foil. However, Koreans do enjoy their gimbap with the company of hot soup, kimchi, or pickled radish.
Gimbap definitely has its own merits that are too good to be in the shadow of sushi. Next time anyone asks, I will make sure they understand what sets gimbap apart from sushi. But it would be best for people to find out themselves by tasting one. It is much more satisfying to experience a hidden gem than hear about it.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Salty Sweets
Salty dessert may sound like an unusual prospect – until you think about the sweet-and-savory treats you’ve been eating since childhood. Salted watermelon, caramel corn and peanut butter cookies are all examples of the ways we love our salt with our sugar.
“Salty” is one of the five basic tastes our tongues can detect. Our taste buds can perceive and enjoy saltiness on its own, and salt also helps suppress our detection of bitterness. Salt is a flavor enhancer that adds dimension to sweetness, making it more intense and interesting. Sodium gets a bad rap for increasing health risks like high blood pressure, but our bodies do require a certain amount of salt to function properly, as it helps regulate fluid balance. Hyponatremia, a rare but potentially fatal condition, can occur from overconsumption of water without a compensatory amount of sodium.
But enough gloom and doom. High-quality sea salt is a delicious component of many desserts. Here are a few of my favorite savory sweets:
Salted Caramel Budino
Barbuzzo
110 S. 13th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.546.9300
This pudding from celebrated chef and pastry queen Marcie Turney is a no-brainer for the favorites list. Craig LaBan is a fan, and Foobooz readers voted it their favorite dessert of the year. A dark chocolate cookie base supports a light, creamy salted caramel body glazed with a crispy caramel top. A perfect sprinkle of salt, along with chocolate shavings and a puff of whipped cream, send this dessert soaring. Six-packs are available for special order at www.weheartphilly.com.
Salted Peanut Fudge/Ben’s Smokehouse Fudge
Betty’s Speakeasy
2241 Grays Ferry Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19146
215.735.9060
Betty’s is a tiny, unmarked coffee shop with some of the best homemade fudge and cupcakes in town. They carry different daily varieties of both, infused with everything from bourbon to basil to curry powder. My favorite fudges, of course, are the salty ones: Salted Peanut features a milk chocolate base with creamy organic peanut butter and sea salt. For the more adventurous dessert lover, try Ben’s Smokehouse – dark chocolate with fat flakes of smoked sea salt. It’s every guilty-pleasure flavor imaginable packed into each bite. Betty’s organic, fair-trade products are also available for special orders and catering at www.bettysfudge.com.
Chocolate-covered Pretzels
Artisserie Chocolate Café
3401 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215.222.3710
The bakery behind Naked Chocolate has taken over and changed the name, but the chocolate remains the same. At around $1.50 apiece, the chocolate-covered pretzels are the perfect portion to fill a salty-sweet craving. There are several candy-covered varieties, with both milk and dark chocolates. Try the ones covered in miniature Reese’s Pieces (swoon) or toffee bits (salty, buttery, amazing).
Sea Salt Gelato
Capogiro
3925 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA
215.222.0252
Capogiro’s artisanal gelatos and sorbettos are irresistible even in chilly weather. The inventive flavors change daily; keep checking back for the Sea Salt variety. The makers use a Fior Di Latte base made from local sweet Amish milk, then dial up the taste bud stimulation with a healthy dose of high-grade sea salt. Especially when paired with a dark, bittersweet chocolate, this is a memorable treat that blows saltwater taffy right out of the water! Other locations: 119 S. 13th, 117 S. 20th, 1625 E. Passyunk (spring and summer only).
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Teatime Sans Tea
I enjoy sharing tea with others not for the tea, but for all of the dainty food items that accompany it. While traditional afternoon tea in Britain is a light meal enjoyed between 3 and 5pm, tea is standard for most meetings and socials as well. Granted, it’s ideal for social situations as it’s quite easy to chat between sips from a warm china teacup but, for me, tea remains a vehicle to enjoy tastier treats.
1)Biscuits
This is a particular sort of cookie that is fairly thick and crumbly, making it ideal for dipping into tea as it will soften, but not dissolve. Common biscuit flavors include digestive and ginger. Digestives are round biscuits with the flavor and texture of a graham cracker, sometimes one side is covered in milk chocolate. The latter is much like a ginger snap, but less brittle. My favorites are pear and ginger flavored biscuits covered in dark Belgian chocolate.
2)Finger sandwiches
The finger sandwiches I’ve enjoyed have been crustless and rectangular, about the third of the size of a regular sandwich made with bread loaf slices, though I have seen them triangular as well. The big three are salmon, cucumber, and egg and cress.
3)Cakes
The selection varies from Victorian sponge, or sponge cake, to carrot cake and my favorite, lemon cake with tart lemon drizzle. Tea is a well-suited complement to cakes as it counters their bold sweetness with a more subtle, subdued flavor.
4)Scones
When scones are enjoyed with tea, this is called cream tea. British scones are more like our biscuits, soft, moist and buttery—not at all crumbly and dry like our own. Scones are traditionally served with clotted cream and strawberry or raspberry jam. Clotted cream has the consistency of smooth, spreadable butter at room temperature. It is made by heating unpasteurized milk in a steam or water bath and then allowing the cream to clot at the surface while it cools.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Shawarma: From Saudi Arabia to West Philadelphia
Last week after a long day in Center City, my friend and I decided we needed something to eat, and fast. We ducked into the closest Middle-Eastern restaurant. Following the example of my worldly South Asian friend I ordered the Shawarma. Our waitress promptly brought us two sandwiches with thin-sliced lamb and beef mixed with lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini. My friend exclaimed that this was the most authentic Shawarma he had tasted since he was in Saudi Arabia before coming to North America. Wow.
Wanting to get better acquainted with this staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, I dove into an investigation of Shawarma and the varieties available in Philadelphia. Starting my search on Wikipedia, I found out that the word Shawarma comes from a Turkish word, cevirme, which means turning. Accordingly, Shawarma meat typically is roasted on a turning spit. In Philadelphia, Shawarma is prepared with a variety of meats and is usually served as a sandwich. During my research a few establishments stood out as excellent Shawarma providers.
Most Authentic: Sahara Grill at 13th and Walnut in Center City serves a highly authentic variety of Shawarma featuring a mixture of thin-sliced lamb and beef with lettuce, tomatoes, and a light tahini sauce on tough taboon bread.
Most Convenient: Open for pickup and delivery from 10:30am to 1:00am, Rana Halal Cuisine at 3513 Lancaster Avenue is one of the student-friendly restaurants in the University City area. Rana Halal’s menu features a chicken Shawarma sandwich, as well as beef and chicken Shawarma platters, served with creamy tahini.
Best Value: Falafel House at 33rd and Powelton offers the best bang for your buck in the Shawarma market. With a sandwich price of $4.99, the deal at Falafel House is hard to beat.
Best Variety: Marrakesh Express, on 44th and Walnut, offers a large variety of Shawarma entrees. Not only does the menu feature lamb and chicken Shawarma sandwiches, it also has Shawarma platters and salads.
Most Delicious: Penn campus’ very own Hummus takes the prize for the most delicious Shawarma. Hummus’ chicken Shawarma sandwich is served on soft, warm pita bread. The marinated meat is can be mixed with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage as well as tahini and hot sauce.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Sous-Vide: To Create the Perfect Protein
In a previous post, I talked up the merits of new cooking techniques to save time and solve problems. This week, I put a technique to the test: stove-top sous-vide. Sous-vide is a method by which food is cooked in vacuum sealed bags in circulated water baths.
Why is sous-vide used and, more importantly, why would a college chef be interested in it? Sous-vide provides for even cooking, as the dish is heated at low temperatures for long periods of time. As a result, it is a fool-proof way to achieve meat that is moist and tender. As a cook who seldom shells out for pricey proteins, I want to insure that my duck breast or steak is perfectly prepared when I do choose to indulge.
Sous-vide cooking may seem price prohibitive, since much of the equipment used by professional chefs to create sous-vide dishes is out of reach for college chefs: $800 immersion circulator, anyone? Fortunately, it is easy to jury rig a set up for sous-vide cooking with materials we already have.
I followed the recipe on Foodwishes for Sous-vide NY Strip Steaks. The instructions below include my adaptations.
You will need:
Large pot
Thermometer with clip
Ziploc bag
Steak (or protein of your choice)
Seasoning
To begin, fill the pot of water almost to the brim (allowing enough space for the steak). Attach the thermometer to the edge of the pot, insuring that it is not touching the side or bottom of the pot. Set the burner on the lowest setting and allow it to come to temperature while you prepare the steak.
Season the steak on both side and slide into Ziploc bag. (Unlike the video, I elected not to sear my steaks before placing them in the water bath). Press out as much air as you can with your hands. At this point, the recipe recommends using a straw to suck out the remaining air. Instead, I gently held the bag by the top corner and placed it in the water. I waited for the remaining air to rise to the top of the bag, then very carefully opened the bag to allow the remaining air to be pushed out by the water pressure.
The ideal water temperature for a medium steak is 130F and the steak should remain the water for an hour or so (there really isn’t an upward limit, as the low temperature insures that the steak will not overcook). I checked the water temperature every couple of minutes and I found that moderating the temperature was easily achieved by adding cool water if the temperature started to rise.
After an hour, remove the steak from the bag and sear it for one minute on each side in a mixture of butter and canola oil. DO NOT discard the wonderful meat juice that is left in the bag. Use it to deglaze the pan after cooking the steaks (if necessary, you may add water or wine to help the process). Serve the steaks with the sauce you created.
This method works. It’s shockingly easy and requires very little active cooking.
I have a couple suggestions if you choose to try sous-vide cooking. The video recommends large steaks (>12 oz) and I agree. I used smaller steaks (about 8 oz), and as a result, some of the benefit of the sous-vide was lost because searing the meat cooked a greater portion of the flesh than it would have for a larger steak. The video also includes a recipe for mushroom sauce to accompany the steaks. Why stop at mushrooms? Any kind of vegetable could be used to make a sauce/ragout/sauté to go with the steaks. Next time, I’m trying onions.
Happy Cooking!
Making Boeuf Bourguignon à la Julia Child
Any gourmand with a predilection for homemade French cuisine would be a proud owner of a copy of Julia Child’s classic, Mastering the Art of French Cooking (also affectionately abbreviated as MtAoFC by ardent fans). In this two-volume collection of 524 recipes, Julia and her co-authors Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck emphatically declared:
“This is a book for the servantless American cook who can be unconcerned on occasion with budgets, waistlines, time schedules, children’s meals, the parent-chauffeur-den-mother syndrome, or anything else which might interfere with the enjoyment of producing something wonderful to eat.”
Reading this exhortation, I decided to brave the erstwhile anxieties of trying to master making anything remotely French. Servantless? Check. Unconcerned about budgets? Check (within reason, of course). No worries about waistline? Check. No kids to worry about? Check. Enjoys producing wonderful food? Double check. Looks like I was all set to plunge into the intimidating world of French cooking. But which of the 500 recipes should I start with? Hmm, guided (or perhaps misguided) by the movie ‘Julie & Julia’ starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, I decided to pick Boeuf Bourguignon as a challenge. If I could make this, the rest of MtAoFC would be a piece of cake.
First stop – the shopping was quite easily done. I got the stewing beef for this recipe from big-box store Costco where there are premium choices at reasonable prices. The other ingredients were easily found at the local grocery store. I don’t own one of the fancy LeCruiset pots but a simpler cast iron pot that could go into the oven would have to do. So far, so good.
Gathering all the necessary ingredients and kitchen utensils and propping up the recipe book to page 315, I started religiously translating Julia’s meticulous instructions into action. Cutting, slicing, and peeling the carrots, white onions, mushrooms. Simmering, draining and sautéing lardons of bacon. Preheating the oven to 450 F. Nothing too challenging, yet.
The next step was to brown the cubes of beef. The recipe sensibly insists that the beef should be dried in paper towels or it will not brown. That being done, I proceeded to brown the 2-inch thick cubes of beef in bacon fat and vegetable oil. That’s when it got nasty. In no time at all, the entire kitchen was filled with billowing smoke from the casserole, spewing and sputtering hot oil and fumes over the stove, floor, walls, and all. In between turning the beef cubes (to brown all sides evenly), I rushed to ventilate the kitchen with fans, opening windows and doors, just so the smoke detector would not go off (yes, that has happened before). Thankfully, following this were less chaotic steps – browning the vegetables, tossing the beef and bacon with flour and seasoning, then the slow stewing in the oven with stock, wine and other ingredients.
For a first-timer, I had not anticipated that making Boeuf Bourguignon involved not just making one recipe but also preparing two smaller auxiliary recipes, namely, sautéed mushrooms and brown-braised white small onions. Mental note to self: next time, plan for 4½ to 5 hours to prepare the dish, not 3 to 4 hours as the recipe stated. In any case, while the beef was simmering in the oven, I managed to catch my breath a little, cleaned up the oiled surfaces as best as I could, and showered to get rid of the grease from all that browning.
The final step of the recipe was to prepare the sauce, boiling down the juices from the casserole and seasoning it with stock, then drenching it over the stew, mushroom and onions. And voilà, the Boeuf Bourguignon is ready to be served! Tasting this classic recipe after the labors of preparing it and dealing with the cleaning up was a wonderful reward. Next time though, this servantless cook shall enlist a helping hand. Bon Appetit!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Cupcake Wars: Penn vs. Drexel
On Saturday afternoon, Cream & Sugar (the coffeeshop, candy store and bakery on Spruce Street) hosted the Ultimate Collegiate Cupcake Decorating Competition in Houston Hall. Six teams of two squared off in a battle of frosting, candy and fondant. The teams were evenly divided between Penn and Drexel, but Penn took the top prize ($100) as well as third place ($40). There were two cheeseburger cupcakes (with cupcake fries), a chocolate cupcake patty and licorice "ketchup," an Alice in Wonderland inspired creation with a tootsie roll-pretzel stick tree and tiny stockinged feet iced at the base, and a can of Coca Cola (with gummies for ice cubes and red fondant).
Contestants had an hour to decorate three cupcakes and were allowed to enter one in the final judging. First place went to an adorable entry: it featured a purple and yellow triceratops modeled from marzipan and sitting on a bed of piped green grass. Second place went to Team Mad Hatters for their Alice in Wonderland design. Third place was won by a cupcake Amy Gutmann would love: the Love park statue in miniature, with a little UPenn squirrel gazing up adoringly at it. Cream & Sugar owner Blythe Dim plans to host the event again in the fall, with bigger prizes and more contestants. For now, though, Penn holds the title of Cupcake Wars champion. Proceeds from the competition (there was an entry fee of $25) went to the Ronald McDonald House.
Photos taken by Sara Outing.
