Kabocha Soup

This is similar to standard Pumpkin Soup, except we are using Kabocha. Kabocha is an Asian variety of winter squash, and it is commonly called Japanese Pumpkin. Kabocha is sweet and rich, so this soup is a little sweeter than normal pumpkin soup.

Ingredients

Onion - ½, thinly sliced
Kabocha squash - 1.5-2 lbs.
Unsalted butter - 1 TBSP
Chicken stock/broth - 2 cups 
Milk - 1½ cups 
Heavy whipping cream - ½ cup 
Salt - 1-2 tsp
Ground black pepper - ⅛ tsp 
Optional garnish with parsley (chopped)

Step

1. Using a spoon, discard the seeds from kabocha squash and cut into thin wedges. Remove the skin. Then, cut into small cubes
2. In a pot, heat unsalted butter over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and brown. Add the kabocha and sauté to coat with the butter.
3. Add 2 cups chicken stock/broth (or vegetable broth) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes. Using a chopstick, insert into kabocha and check if it’s fully cooked.

4. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth.
5. Add milk and heavy cream and stir until combined. Do not let the soup boil.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Stir over moderately low heat until it is hot.
7. Ladle the Kabocha Soup into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley (optional), and serve. 

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.

Instant Pot Braised Beef with Radish(红烧牛腩)

This is another common Chinese dish that every family does it a little differently. I followed this recipe. 

Ingredients

Beef rough flank (牛腩) - 3 to 3 ½ lbs., cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
Vegetable oil - 2 TBSP
Ginger - 8 slices
Shaoxing wine - 1 cup
Soy sauce  - 3 TBSP
Dark soy sauce - 1 TBSP
Oyster sauce - 1 TBSP
Star anise - 3 pieces
Cinnamon stick - 1
Bay leaves - 3 pieces

Cloves - 5

Sichuan peppercorn - 10-15
Rock sugar - 2 TBSP

Daikon radish - 2 lbs., peeled and cut into 1-½ inch pieces

chicken stock or water - ¼ cup , mixed with 2 tsp cornstarch

Salt (to taste)
Optional garnish: 2 scallions (cut on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces)

Steps

1. Soak beef pieces in cold water for 30 minutes to remove blood, then rinse off and set aside. 

2. Fill cooking pot with cold water, add beef, 1/2 cup cooking wine and 4 slices of ginger. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook the beef for 1 minute to remove any impurities. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef to rinse and set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in your Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Add the rest of the ginger slices, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and slightly crisped at the edges. Add the blanched beef and all ingredients.

4. Seal the Instant Pot, and turn on the meat/stew for 45 minutes. Once finished, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. 

5. Once the Instant Pot is safe to open, open it and add the radish chunks. Stir to combine with the beef. Replace the lid, seal the Instant Pot, and put it back on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Once done, allow the pressure to release again using Quick Pressure Release this time.

6. Open the pot when safe. Turn on the Sauté setting and bring the stew to a simmer. Mix together chicken stock or water and cornstarch into a slurry and stir into the stew to thicken. Simmer for 2 minutes, season with salt to taste, and stir in the scallions.

7. Serve with rice or noodle.

In memory of Peter

 In loving memory of my brother-in-law Peter. 

Chinese New Year Cake

Celebrate Chinese New Year! 'Fu' means luck. Placing character 'Fu' upside down is a tradition to symbolize it 'pouring out' or 'arriving. The Chinese word for 'fish' sounds exactly the same as the Chinese word for 'abundance' which means having more than you need of something. It symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

Braised Pork Belly Square - Dong Po Style(东坡肉)

DongPo Pork is a well known dish from Huangzhou, where I went to high school. It was named in honor of Dongpo Su, a famous poet from Song dynasty.

Ingredients

Pork belly - 2 lb.

Cooking wine - 2 TBSP + 1/3 cup
Soy sauce - 4 TBSP
Dark soy sauce - 2 TBSP

Rock sugar - 4 TBSP

Ginger - 10-12 slices

Green onion - 2 stalks

Dried date - 6-8 (optional)

Steps

1. Put pork belly in sauce pot with cold water, 2 TBSP cooking wine, cook for 4-5 minutes.

2. Cut the pork belly in 2x2 inch square, and pan fry the pork belly at medium low heat until brown on all 4 sides (not top and bottom)

3.  Tie each piece with twine. This is to prevent the meet from breaking apart during cooking. It is also for the signature look of this dish. 

4. Add 4 TBSP rock cany and 5 TBSP water in a sauce pan, use low heat to melt and caramelize it until light brown.

6. Layer the bottom of a cast iron pot with ginger slices, green onion and date. Place the pork belly squares in with skin facing down. Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar water, cooking wine, and then enough warm water to cover the meat.

7. Cover and cook at medium high heat for 30 minutes. Then open and flip the pork belly squares. Cover and cook in low heat for another 45 minutes or until the chopstick can poke into meat easily. Open the cover, turn to high heat to reduce the sauce, 

8. Serve warm with rice or noodle.

Longevity Cake

 A simple cake for mom's birthday.

Beer Mug Cake

 This is 6 inch 5 tier cake of Match Chiffon Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream for a friend's 50th birthday. The beer mug handle and label is made with fondant. The empty beer can is hold up by a stick decorated with fondant.

Coconut Milk Jelly (椰奶冻)

 Easy desert for party. You can present it in different sizes and shapes, or serve it in a desert cup.

Ingredients

Coconut Milk - 1 can (typically 400 ml - about 1.7 cups)

Milk - 4 cups

Heavy cream (or evaporated milk) - 1 3/4 cups

Sugar - 1/3 to 1/2 cup

Gelatin - 1.25 oz

Finely shredded coconut - 2 cups

Steps

1. Sprinkle Gelatin powder in 2 cup of cold milk and let it bloom in a few minutes.

2. Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pot, cook until sugar and gelatin melt. Pour the mixture into a glass container or a container lined with parchment paper.

3. Put the container in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

4. Take out the jelly and cut into shapes desired. Roll in fine shredded coconut to cover all sides. 

5. Keep refridgerated until ready to serve.

Vegan Potstickers (全素锅贴)

I tried to make vegan dumplings using this recipe. Like most Chinese cooking, the ingredients are for reference only. I did not follow it strictly either. It is all to your taste.

Ingredients

For the wrappers

All purpose flour - 3 1/2 cups

Tepid water - 1 cup + 2 TBSP

 (alternatively, you can just buy a package of pre-made dumpling wrappers):
For the filling

Oil - 3 TBSP + ¼ cup
Ginger - 1 TBSP, minced
Onion - 1 large, chopped
Fresh Shiitake mushrooms - 2 cups, chopped
Cabbage - 1 and 1/2 cups, finely shredded
Carrot - 1 and 1/2 cups, finely shredded
Chinese chives - 1 cup, finely chopped
White pepper - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) - 3 TBSP
Soy sauce - 2 TBSP
Sugar - 1 tsp
salt (to taste)

Yield about 60 dumplings

Steps

1. Start by making the dough for the dumpling wrappers. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the water to the flour and knead into a smooth dough. This process should take about 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for at least an hour.
2. In the meantime, make the filling. In a wok or large skillet over medium high heat, add 3 tablespoons oil and add the ginger. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the onions and stir-fry until translucent.
3. Add the chopped mushrooms and stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and any liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off.

4. Add the cabbage and carrots and stir-fry for another 2 minutes, until the veggies are tender and all the liquid released has been cooked off. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
4. To the bowl, add the chopped chives, white pepper, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar. Season with salt to taste (though the soy sauce will usually add enough salt to the filling), and stir in the last 1/4 cup of oil.

5. To assemble the dumplings, cut the dough into small tablespoon-sized pieces. Roll each out into a circle, and pleat the dumplings (Here is a step-by-step photos on how to fold a dumpling, I simply squeeze it in shape). Continue assembling until you've run out of filling and/or dough.

6. To pan-fry, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Place the dumplings in the pan and allow to fry for 2 minutes. 

7. Pour a layer of water into the pan (about 1/4 of the dumplings height), cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated. 

8. Remove the cover, increase heat to medium-high and allow to fry for a few more minutes, until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown and crisp.