Analyzing Ginseng

I had the good fortune of learning more about Ginseng from a friend who came avisiting a few days ago. I consider her a Ginseng buff even though she may vehemently deny it out of modesty. But, Audrey has a good knowledge of it, believe me. We spent 2 hours in a Chinese Herbal Shop in Portland gathering as much information as we could from the proprietor and his wife about the type of Ginseng they sell. Grilling is more the word. We felt confident that they personally flew to a ginseng farm in Wisconsin to select their precious roots. They had the big barrels in the back to show us. The husband and wife team would hand-pick and sort the roots. Like everything in life, there are different grades to everything. You pay more for the top grade and vice-versa.

The first picture shows the whole Ginseng root intact. In Cantonese, the top part of the root which looks like a knob,is called "Pao Sum". It is cut off and that is highly-priced because it is the most potent. At this particular Herbal shop, that part is sold for US$70 a pound! The longer part is called "Yong Sum". As it goes down, the grade is lower and thus, the cost. I think it was around US$50 a pound. The last part, the straggly stringy roots is called "Sum Soe" meaning "Ginseng Whiskers" and that costs the least. It is either ground up for tea or made into Ginseng capsules.

Audrey spent a few hundred dollars worth but in the back of her mind, she still needed to make sure that she was not had. So, we did a testing that night. I gave her a piece of "Yong Sum" from my own pantry. For quality control , Audrey placed three knobs of the "Pao Sum" which measured the same length of the "yong sum" and placed the different ginseng in two separate saucepans and slowly boiled them under an-inch of water for ten minutes. Dried Ginseng is rock-hard and never attempt to break pieces of it apart with your teeth. Her recently bought Ginseng had a strong aroma. We couldn't smell any from mine. Remember, the difference is hers is a "Pao Sum" whilst mine is "yong sum". After ten minutes, the roots have softened and she was able to slice them up into thin pieces. She placed the slices back into their individual saucepans and allowed it to simmer another 20 minutes more until one sees a yellowish hue in the water. The ginseng has infused into the liquid. She pours them out into some glasses and we all did a Ginseng test. You should have seen us, we were like wine critics, remarking on the bitterness of the drink; how well it went down the throat. If one never knows it, one would think we really knew what we were talking about. It was hilarious! But, I should speak for myself. I am a learner in all of this. What was the verdict? My Ginseng gave out a more yellowish hue than Audrey's "pao sum". Some of us agreed that my "yong sum" had a more pronounced ginseng taste, but at the same time we agreed that the "pao sum" also had a strong taste to it. In the end, we became lost in our reasoning and taste. Which can only mean one thing, that Audrey need not have worried. She bought the right thing....until she remarked, that the ginseng slices she tasted in her mouth, seemed to taste like potatoes!! At that stage, I said, "Okay! Time to go to bed!!" Could it be we were all "intoxicated" by Ginseng???

A Guitless Curry

It has taken me a long time to stop reaching for that can of Coconut milk whenever I want to cook a mean curry. Coconut milk just tastes soooo good in curries. Sigh! But, because eating healthy these days is on our agenda, I thought I would try going without it and see what results it will yield. Yesterday called for a perfect curry dish because it was cold and damp outside and I realized I still have some Cauliflower, Green Beans, Carrots...you know the odds and ends. I decided to substitute some 2% milk for the Coconut Milk and wouldn't you know it? The pot of curry was sensational. Pardon the overconfidence, but yes, it tasted purty darn good! I sure will not be tempted to buy another can of Coconut Milk next time I want to cook curry! That is how good this is!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cauliflower, cut up into large florets and blanched
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup green beans, if they are too long just half them
1 large shallot, diced up
1/2 onion diced
1 clove garlic, minced
5 candlenuts
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
3 tablespoons curry powder ( my niece Stacey sent me this very aromatic nyonya curry powder from Malacca.)
2 tablespoons chili pepper flakes ( I used the Korean chili pepper flakes used for making Kimchi)
3 curry leaves
1/2 -3/4 cup 2% milk ( we are talking healthy here but if you prefer whole milk instead, that is up to you)
vegetable oil
salt to taste


Method:
Blend the diced shallots, diced onions and candlenuts in a blender until it becomes a paste.
Meanwhile, heat up a heavy stock pot with some vegetable oil and pour the above mix in when the oil is heated. Saute until fragrant and the onions and shallots appear limp and transparetn which won't take too long.
Add in the minced garlic,carrots and diced jalapeno peppers. Give it a good stir for a minute.
Add in the chili flakes. Watch the pot carefully and you may need to add a little bit of oil so that it won't cake up. It will turn a brown paste, add in the curry powder. The consistency has to be like that of a pesto.
Place the chicken in and saute well with the paste, until you don't see any transparent meat. Add in the curry leaves. Make sure that there is enough oil coating the meat and the heat temperature is right, so that your stock pot will not end up with a burnt bottom. Stir constantly.
Add in the 2% milk. Depending on how much liquid you like in your curry, you can always adjust the amount of milk to your liking. If unsure, just add in 1/2 cup first and then more if need be.
You will get a deep rich, red curry and oh, the aroma!
Since the Cauliflower is already blanched, you don't need to add that into the pot until the curry is almost ready. If you prefer your green beans to be slightly crunchy, add that in lastly a few minutes before you shut off the heat. Salt to taste.

It feels good to be eating this wonderful curry without having to worry about what the Coconut milk will do to my cholesterol level, not to mention my waistline!

"Booby" soup

The Chinese believes in the old saying " You are what you eat". Having once been married to a Cantonese household who prized their daily soups more than anything else, I have learnt to make some serious soups. Looking after two young girls who were 11 months apart and trying to be a housewife at the same time was no easy task. And I could really tear my hair out when the kids started fretting and refuse to drink their soups. So, when all else failed, I would name some of my soups some silly names to get them to eat without any problem. One of them is the Booby soup aka Papaya soup. And you know what? It worked! Some people like to use green papayas but I always made mine with riper ones as the soups come out sweeter.

Ingredients:
1/2 papaya that is 75% ripe( here is Oregon, the Mexican Miradol papaya is very similar to those in M'sia), seeded, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks.
1/2 a chicken carcass,trimmed of all visible fat, deskinned and chopped into half, blanched
*1 portion of pork shoulder the size of an orange,blanched
1/2 cup raw peanuts with skin on
5 seeded dried red dates
1 piece of dried tangerine peel

Method:

Fill your ceramic soup pot 3/4 full with water, cover with a lid and bring to a full boil.
When water is boiling, add the blanched meats first, then the rest of the ingredients.
Let the soup boil on high for an hour but keep an eye on it just in case, it boils over.
Turn the dial to medium heat after an hour and let it simmer for another hour and a half. There should not be a lot of water loss. I find that at the end all the tastes of the ingredients come together and it actually doesn't need any salt at all.
But, if you feel there is some taste lacking, add as desired.

This is a simple but very nutritious soup and I am bias when it comes to making my soups in ceramic pots because they do tend to come out richer in taste. It is important to blanch the meats before you put them in the actual soup pot as the process takes out all the "blood" water and does not make your soup froth. No matter how much you try to trim the meats, there will always be some fat floating around. I always make my soups stand overnight and in the morning, you can easily scoop out all the fat with a ladle. What is left is a clear broth, free of all the nasties. Soups always tastes better if they are let to sit overnight before drinking as more of the essence seeps into the liquid. A pot of soup may last for a couple of days, so make sure that you heat it up in the morning so that it will not go bad.
*Poultry is considered "toxic" and when added to soups should always be accompanied by a small portion of pork about the size of an orange. Pork is believed to neutralize the "toxicity" of the poultry. You never drink chicken soup when you have a cough, instead you have "jue yook jook" or better known as pork porridge.

Dried Tangerine Peel

The Cantonese calls it "Chan Pei" and every Chinese New Year when they are in abundance, I would collect them from everyone's palms and laps as they are peeling them off the fruits. I make sure to wash them off good as one never knows where the fruits may have been from the time they are removed from the trees to the time they land in my shopping cart. With a thin wire, I string the peels up like you would a beaded necklace and then hang it up in the kitchen to airdry.

It takes a good month or so for them to completely dry out and I use them in soups and braises. The Cantonese say that tangerine peels help to clear your throats of phlagm.

Something different for breakfast.

I always thought that crepes would be the hardest thing to make. That is why I have never tried making it before...until I saw this recipe on Emerile Lagasse's show. we had some great crepes a few weeks ago at a French breakfast place in Hawthorne and they were simply delicious! Tiff liked it so much that I thought I would try and please my child by making it in my kitchen.

To my surprise, it was hardly difficult. One just needed the patience and the ingredients on hand, not to forget the right tools. A very wise 12-year old girl, Natasha Ng, once told me that a cast-iron skillet is the way to cook and I have not looked back since! I cooked everything on the Sunday morning so it took me two hours to put breakfast on the table. you can make the berry sauce a few days ahead and the batter the night before as the latter needs to be chilled before placing out on the counter to reach room temperature to cook.


Sweet Crepes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups whole milk ( I used 2 % which works fine )
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the butter to form a smooth thin batter. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before processing.


Heat a heavy 6-inch skillet or crepe-pan over high heat. When hot, briush with a light coating of the remaining butter ( I brushed the skillet once and only once and it needed no further brushing ).
Ladle about 2 ounces of crepe batter into the pan, tilting the skillet to evenly coat the pan with batter. Cook until golden brown on the bottom and the top begins to look dry, 1-2 minutes. Using two spatulas, carefully turn the crepe and cook on the second side just until the bottom colours slightly, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with waxed or parchment paper to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.


Fruit Sauce:
1/4 cup your favourite sweet fruit liquer ( I used Cointreau )
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
4-5 cups assorted summer fruits ( I used frozen Blackberries and raspberries which I thawed first )
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup creme fraiche
some powdered sugar ( I placed my powdered sugar in a flour sifter over a small plate so that the sugar will stay in the plate in between use).

In a bowl ,combine 2 tablespoons of fruit liquer , cornstarch and water and stir until well-blended. In a 4-quart sauce pan, add the butter, sugar and cornstarch mixture and heat over medium-high until hot, about 1 minute.
Add 3 cups of the summer fruits and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until thickened.
Remove from heat, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and the almond extract. Stir to combine and set aside.

Putting it altogether:
You can eat your crepes every which way you like.
I spread creme fraiche on my crepe and then rolled it up, topped it with the summer fruit medley and finished off with the sifted powdered sugar.
Or you can spread the creme fraiche on the crepe, laden the summer fruit over it then the sugar and eat it like that,too. Goes down well with a good cuppa joe!

Longevity Noodles

In every Chinese New Year meal, you cannot do without this one as the name alone says it all. I used Yakisoba noodles which is the same as the Chinese yellow egg noodles. With enough healthy olive oil and a firedup wok, you can have no problem cooking the noodles intact. Remember, the noodles are not to be cut up as this breaks the good omen for the year. But, don't take it too seriously though. The secret is to make sure you blanch the noodles in boiling water first. You can choose all kinds of toppings for the noodles but I chose an easy one..sauted shallots and brussel sprouts with minced garlic.

Ingredients:
1 pack Yakisoba noodles
1 cup brussel sprouts, halved, washed and blanched
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Chinese Mushroom dark soy sauce
some oyster sauce to taste
white pepper
olive oil

Method:
Blanch the noodles in boiling water and drain the noodles in a colander.
At the same time, fire up your wok and heat up enough olive oil say like 1/2 cup.
Saute the minced garlic until fragrant and then add in the shallots and saute until the shallots have become transparent.
Add in the noodles and vigorously move it around so that all noodles are coated with the oil. This will not take long.
Sitr in the mushroom dark soy sauce and oyster sauce until all of the noodles is coated.
Add in the blanched brussel sprouts and stir it up. Finish off with a few dashes of white pepper and serve up in a large platter. Great accompanied with a side dish of Szechuan Chili bean paste.

Yee Sang

This is traditionally a South East Asian New Year salad. On the second day of the New Year, restaurants and homes everywhere will serve this dish to "Kai Nian" ( in Mandarin ) meaning officially opening of the New Year. "Yee Sang" literally means "Raw Fish". Many years ago, raw fish were used but ever since the scare of people dying from having eaten bad raw fish, chefs have come up with other cooked seafoods in replace of the raw fish.

The sauces for this dish is poured onto the salad and everyone would toss the salad as high as possible into the air with their chopsticks, and saying auspicious things like -promotions for this year, doing good in school, good health, good business ventures etc.

This is my version of my Yee Sang:

Ingredients:
*All the ingredients are sliced into strips. This serves 4-6 people.

2 abalones from a can. You can add more if you like.
6 radishes
1 carrot
1/2 a jicama*
1/2 a green apple*
1 cup tightly packed lettuce
1 cup tightly packed pomelo*
1/2 cup tightly packed pickled pink ginger*
1/2 a bowl of cooled boiled water with lemon juice added.*

For the sauce:
3/4 cup plum sauce
1/2 cup cooked vegetable oil*
1/2 cup toasted peanuts, ground coarsely*
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 cup of crumbled prawn chips* (optional)

* immerse the green apple slices and jicama slices, separately into the bowl of lemon juice water. This will stop the fruit and vegetable from browning.
* Pomelo belongs to the citrus family and the skin is very thick. Use a knife to circumcut the fruit at the "equator", and tear away as much as you can,the white skin membrane. Segment the fruit and break out the large chunks of the pulp roughly into 1- inch chunks.
* In a sauce pan, pour the vegetable oil and cook until you see smoke rising from it. Pour into a porcelain bowl and let cook completely.
* you can buy peanuts that have been deskinned in an Asian supermarket. Toast the peanuts and after it has been cooled, ground it up coarsely, slightly larger than kosher salt.
* You can buy prawn or shrimp chips in an Asian supermarket. Crumble them up with your fingers and place in a bowl to be tossed later with the rest of the peanuts and sesame seeds. You can also use vermicelli or dried noodle that has been deep-fried in hot oil. or you can go without like I did in this recipe.

Method:

In a large round platter ( it is auspicious to use round platters as it means full circle ), place the abalone strips in the centre, and surround that with all the other ingredients.
Pour the cooked vegetable oil, plum sauce, ground peanuts and sesame seeds onto the salad and toss away!