Mix yeast with warm water and 4 g sugar, cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.
Add flour, salt, and sugar with the yeast mixture, knead. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 20 minutes.
Add oil to the dough and knead. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 2 hours.
Over medium heat, fry the garlic in the butter until golden. Let it cool.
Divide dough into 4 pieces. For each piece, roll out the dough to the size of the pan.
Place one piece of the dough on the pan, brush with a layer of the butter/garlic mixture.
Repeat step 6 twice, then add the last piece of dough on top.
Place a 3 inch diameter bowl (or something circular) in the middle. Using a knife, as if slicing a pizza, cut the dough into 16 slivers (but do not cut all the way to the middle, stop at the edge of the bowl).
Twist two of the slivers together.
Repeat step 9 until you end up with a total of 8 twists.
Remove the bowl.
Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 1 hour.
Mix the egg yolk and water to make an egg wash. Brush the top of the bread with the egg wash.
Soak red yeast rice in hot water for 10 minutes, throw away the rice and reserve the remaining water, which should be colored red.
Mix the red yeast water with all ingredients except for meat, honey, and water.
Marinate the meat in the mixture for at least 2 days.
Mix honey and water.
Cooking methods
In a pressure cooker, cook on the meat setting for 30 minutes. Brush honey water mixture on both sides of the meat. Then pan fry until outside is crispy.
In an oven, cook at 375 F for 25 minutes. Halfway through, brush honey water mixture on both sides of meat. Flip the meat over. Continue cooking for 20 minutes.
Notes
can use leaner cut of pork belly instead of tenderloin, or eye of loin
Mix flour/water dough ingredients, let sit for 20 minutes.
Mix cake flour dough ingredients, also let sit for 20 minutes.
While waiting for the doughs, mix the filling ingredients.
Split the flour/water dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then use rolling pin to roll into a 1-1.5 inch wide, 3 inch long strip.
On each strip, put a thin layer of the cake flour dough mixture.
For each strip, place it with the shorter side closest to you. Roll the strip into a tube. Then turn the tube 90 degrees (so the circular part of the tube is closest to you). Roll it flat, once again into an approximately 1-1.5 inch wide, 3 inch long strip.
Repeat step 6 2 times.
Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten into a circle with a rolling pin.
Put filling in each piece of dough. To close the dough, make folds (instructions). Place the mooncake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with the folds on the bottom (smooth side facing up).
Mix the egg wash ingredients. Use a brush to spread egg wash on each mooncake. Sprinkle sesame seeds on each mooncake.
Beat eggs. Fry half the egg mixture in a large pan with oil to make thin egg pancake. Then use the rest of the egg mixture to make another egg pancake.
Mix all the filling ingredients together.
For each pancake, spread a thin layer of filling. Then put one sheet of seaweed, and add another thin layer of filling.
Roll both pancakes.
Steam both pancakes over boiling water for 15 minutes.
Mix everything in a bowl except for the cooked glutinous rice flour from step 1.
Place bowl in steamer, steam for 25-30 minutes. Let it cool.
Put mixture on plastic wrap, divide into 16 pieces rolled into spheres (or desired number of mooncakes) cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
For each mooncake, you should have about 15 g of the skin, and 30 g of filling.
Make 16 spheres of filling, about 30 g each.
When wrapping each mooncake, take one piece of the dough (make sure the rest of the dough pieces are still covered in plastic wrap).
Make a well in the dough sphere with one finger, put the filling in that well and carefully wrap the dough to cover the filling.
Coat the mooncake with the cooked glutinous rice flour, and then use the mold to form the mooncake shape.
Use a brush to remove excess flour.
Notes
Very important to cool the mixture in step 3.
For step 8, alternative is to roll the dough into a flat circle, but it will be difficult to wrap the dough around the filling. Making a well guarantees a thin, even layer of dough.
Mix pepper, cinnamon, curry powder, five spice powder, and salt. Over low heat, cook in a pan for 3-5 minutes. Let it cool.
Wash and cut chicken (into strips or cubes). Marinate chicken in soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and about 1 tsp of the seasoning from step 1 for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Coat each piece of chicken in the sweet potato starch.
Then deep fry each batch for about 5 minutes.
Deep fry basil (very quick, just a few seconds).
Put basil on chicken. Put some of the seasoning from step 1 on the chicken to taste.
Notes
other starch can be used instead of sweet potato starch
Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.
Add flour and baking powder to yeast mixture. Knead dough. Cover with a wet cloth and let rise for 1 hour.
Make filling. In boiling water, blanch bok choy for 15 seconds. Put bok choy into ice water to cool down. Squeeze out excess water, chop into small pieces. After cutting, squeeze out excess water again.
Mix all filling ingredients.
Split the dough into desired number of buns.
For each bun 1.5 Tbsp filling for small buns, 2 Tbsp for regular sized buns.
On outside of each bun, brush oil then place in pan. Make sure the buns are all touching (if not touching, the buns will flatten); the oil is to prevent the buns from sticking to each other.
Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Then add 1 cup hot water (submerge bottom fourth of the buns).
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add 1 tsp of oil to the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, moving pan back and forth to prevent sticking, and to get oil on bottom of each bun.
Sprinkle chopped scallion and sesame seeds on top.
Notes
fill the pan when frying (buns should be touching), if there are spaces the buns will flatten
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.
Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long “snakes”. On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.
In a medium bowl, mix together the mochiko, 1 cup of sugar, and water until well blended. Mix in the 2 drops of vinegar to soften. Pour into a microwave-safe dish, and loosely cover with plastic.
Microwave for 2-3 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds. Remove, and let cool until cool enough to handle.
In a small bowl, combine the potato starch, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Turn the mochi out onto the plastic, and cut into pieces using a plastic or wooden knife. Metal knives tend to stick too much. Roll the pieces in the potato starch mixture.
Coat the inner surface of the custard cups with unsalted butter.
Make caramel sauce:
Put the sugar and water in the pot. Heat the pot at medium heat (low heat will not work).
Let it sit until the surface becomes lightly-colored. Swirl the pot and even out the sugar liquid.
Caramelize the sugar and remove the pot from the heat.
Quickly add the hot water in 2 to 3 steps with a long-handled ladle. Tilt the pot away from you to avoid hot caramel sauce splashing and burning your hand. Swirl the pot and even out the hot caramel.
Pour the caramel evenly into the custard cups.
Crack the two eggs into a bowl. Lightly beat the egg with a balloon whisk. Don’t let the tip of the whisk leave the bottom of the bowl to avoid creating too much foam.
Add the milk and sugar in a pot. Turn on the burner. Stir with a spatula until all the sugar is dissolved.
Add the milk to the beaten egg while whisking the mixture.
Sieve the egg mixture with a fine mesh strainer. Scrape off the bottom of the strainer with a spatula. Remove any foam on the surface with a spoon. Pour the egg mixture into an easy-to-pour container.
Gently fill the custard cups with the egg mixture.
Cover each cup with aluminum foil. The foil will prevent the surface from getting dry. It will also help steam the pudding evenly.
Heat water in a pan and gently place the cups in it. The kitchen towel will soften the heat at the bottom. There should be enough hot water to cover the bottom half of the cups. Put the lid on.
Keep the water temperature just below the boiling point and steam the pudding for 18 to 20 minutes.
Do not bring the water to boil otherwise the smooth texture of the pudding will be lost.
Put kitchen gloves on and remove the custard cups. When they become cool, store them in the fridge.
Let’s serve the custard pudding. Scrape the side of the cup with the tip of a knife. Tap the cup on a kitchen towel and make a space around the pudding. Serve the pudding on a plate.
.25 large napa cabbage (about 1 pound), sliced into bite size pieces
1 small carrot, sliced into strips
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Instructions
Place a large pan over high heat and wait 1 minute. When the pan is hot, add oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add cabbage and carrots and stir fry for 4 minutes.
Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and garlic – and cook for 1 minute
Next, add potato starch and water mixture and cook for one minute, stirring until the sauce thickens.
Add sesame oil, stir well and turn the heat off.
Season with salt and ground white pepper and serve.
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside (and registers 165°F with a meat thermometer).
Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before dicing into bite-sized pieces.
Broccoli
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same sauté pan.
Add the broccoli and season with salt and pepper, tossing to combine. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is cooked and tender, but still slightly crispy.
Transfer broccoli to a separate plate, and set aside.
Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Heat the butter in the same sauté pan (or a separate saucepan) until melted.
Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
Whisk in the flour until evenly combined and sauté for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.
Gradually add in the stock, whisking to combine. Then add in the milk, pepper and salt, and whisk together until smooth.
Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer and thickens.
Then stir in the shredded cheese, and stir until melted.
Remove from heat and use immediately.
Bowl Assembly
Toss the cooked chicken and broccoli with the cheese sauce until evenly combined.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain; rinse under cold water.
Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar (or lime juice), crushed red pepper, 1/4 cup scallions. Add noodles; toss to coat.
To serve, mix in sesame seeds and garnish with the remaining scallions.
1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed
.5 yellow onion, diced
1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
In a small mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, chicken broth/stock, rice wine vinegar, chili paste, cornstarch, and 1 tbsp. sesame oil. Mix well and then set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp sesame oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and onion and cook until the chicken is well-browned and the onion is tender, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the eggplant and cook until eggplant is mostly tender but not yet cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and green onions, and cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the prepared soy sauce mixture to the pan, cover, and then cook 5-6 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and sauce is thickened.
