Spicy Green Mango

I have a confession. I’m a muggle…a Harry Potter-loving muggle! Ever since I wandered into the wonderful world of wizardry and witchcraft, I have been entranced by the whimsy of all that surrounds Hogwarts and Harry Potter. It is a love that was born many moons ago and one that still flourishes today.

So, when it came time to create my latest entry for Project Food Blog, is it any wonder that I would turn to Harry for inspiration? Not at all. The task was to bake a sweet or savory dish out of the seasonal ingredient: PUMPKIN!!!

While I must say that this seasonal squash has pretty much saturated all cooking channels during this time of year and though it really made me want to whisk off to the la-la land of muggles and goblins, the other part of me knew that I had to tackle this challenge head on.  So off I flew in search of pumpkins at a nearby patch...sooo lovely! I couldn't help but snap pictures left and right. 






And I eventually settled on these cute little darling sugar pumpkins.  Again, mom also bought over more kabocha pumpkins to enhance my pumpkin recipe. 


When Harry Met Spicy

When a little birdie told me that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter had opened this past summer at Universal Orlando in Florida, I nearly choked on my snickerdoodle.  I don't care how old I am when I finally visit, but I can only imagine the cheesy grin plastered on my face as I frolick through Hogsmeade chugging down butter beer, gobbling chocolate frogs, and riding on a broomstick (okay, the broomstick might be a stretch, but you know—a muggle can only dream).

And dream I did! For this challenge, the Harry Potter-loving muggle in me threw a little shindig that I felt would happen when/if Harry met Spicy!  Yes, if he only met me---oooh, the possibilities are endless!  While I really wished I could have honored him with booger- and barf-flavored jelly beans, I realized that I also had a stronger urge to show him what eating with Spicy was really all about, so I threw in my own twist on what I thought Harry would enjoy, while still retaining many important aspects of the wizarding world.



 
 
Honeydukes Sweet & Savory Shop – featuring homemade Pumpkin Pot Pie!



Any trip to Hogsmeade would not be complete without a stop at the local sweet spot. As a tribute to Harry’s favorite sweets shop, I nicknamed my smorgasboard of delights Honeydukes, but with a savory twist as an added bonus. I envisioned a festive display of some of his traditional desserts, such as the Cauldron Cakes and then added my own spin on pot pies made with a rich blend of sugar and kabocha pumpkins and Thanksgiving turkey! When most people think of pumpkin, sweet pies and sugary desserts immediately come to mind. But I wanted something hearty and filling for my little wizard, so I imagined that if (or when) Harry met Spicy, he’d conjure up some of my pumpkin pot pies in place of his beloved pumpkin pasties any day!




Other equally pleasing homemade treats in Honeydukes Shop that afternoon were some tasty Gryffindor Grapefruit Bars & Slytherin Snickerdoodles. They were so much fun to bake (from scratch). To layer on another touch of whimsy, I also snagged some Chocolate Gold Coins from Gringotts Wizarding Bank.  I know the holidays are around the corner, so I'll be posting my recipes soon because I kid you (NOT!) when I say that every single morsel and sliver of sweetness was licked clean or taken home as parting gifts.






 

(Makes 5 hearty pots of pies)

ESSENTIALS:
• ½ small kabocha or sugar pumpkin, cubed (1 to 2 pounds each)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 6 tbs butter
• ½ cup cream
• 8 tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 carrots, peeled & diced
• 12 pearl onions or ½ cup chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 parsnip, peeled & diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh sage
•  refrigerated pie crust (recipe here)
• egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash


TO-DO:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice tops off pumpkins. Remove seeds and pulp. Peel and chop pumpkin into bite-sized cubes. Place pumpkins and onions on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until well blended, about 1 minute. Add broth and cream and stir constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Add vegetable & turkey and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add in the roasted pearl onions, pumpkin and fresh herbs. Remove from heat and divide mixture evenly among your pie pans (approximately 1-1/2 cups per pot pie) or in my case, among my mini french onion soup crock pots turned pie pans.

3. Unwrap pie dough and place on lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough and cut into round disk shapes slightly larger than the tops of your pie pans. As an added garnish, use cookie cutters to cut out festive dough shapes to attach it to the tops of your pie.

4. Brush the tops of each pie with the egg wash, making sure to also brush all decorations. In a 375°F oven, bake pot pies for 30 minutes, or until pie dough is golden and filling is hot and bubbly.


Eeek!  Really Project Food Blog? You want me to do what? Produce a cooking video? What in the H-E-double toothpicks is this all about? So yeah, while I am absolutely thrilled to have received the news that I'd advanced to Challenge 7, the other part of me felt like banging my head against a porcelain pho bowl -- hoping that maybe, I could just sneak off and like magic, I'd come back bursting with the bubbly enthusiasm of Giada de Laurentis or even the cool and collected (but oh so darling) demeanor of my Barefoot Contessa, Ina. 

VIDEO PRODUCTION:

Disclaimer:   I'm a total clutz in the kitchen.  Just read this blog and you'll understand what I mean :)
Video Credit:  Her awesomeness known as Elaine K. --- Hugs to you!! Thank you!





Step #1:  Figure Out Your Menu
Many moons ago in a previous post, I told you I'd have the recipe for my mom's famous Lao Chicken Noodle Soup (Khao Piak) for you down pat and then I realized yikes! I didn't!  When I started cooking, I never measured. Nope. Nada. Measuring cup or spoon? What are those?  As soon as I started blogging, I realized that things needed to change b/c unless I could tell you how I cooked my dishes, it would be of no use to you b/c you couldn't replicate it in your own homes. I know..I think I've grown up a wee bit since I first popped my head into the blogosphere.


So, the real secret to making the Lao version of chicken noodle soup is not in the broth, but in...

The NOODLES!!

Yes, those hand-rolled and sliced oodles of goodness that are just slightly chewy, but gooey, and melt in your mouth type of deliciousness.  Yum!  Made with equal parts tapioca flour, white rice flour and boiling water, this is pretty much as simple as it gets, folks!  No joke! And know what else? Jenn from Jenn Cuisine also tells me that they're WHEAT & GLUTEN-FREE!! Yay!

The REAL trick is to make sure that you incorporate the boiling water into the flour in your Kitchen Aid mixing appliance so that you get the proper consistency for the dough: nice, soft and stretchy to the touch.  This detail is VERY important because what happens when the water IS NOT boiling hot when you add it to the mixture is really a sad case:  you get dough that crumbles at the touch and really, it's like a dried-up form of Play-Doh that even the little kindergarteners refuse to play with at school. 





Like any budding foodie director, I had to come up with a team of talented foodie friends whose ears would always perk up at the slightest mention that I'd cook for them in exchange for their kindness.  A few emails later (coupled with a promise to reciprocate the favor and give them first dibs at whatever I concocted), my lovely friend, Elaine, graciously offered to help me produce the video for this challenge.  Thank you, ELAINE!!!

Then, as I looked around my own little mouse hole of a kitchen that was not conducive whatsoever to filming, I realized I needed to enlist the generosity of a certain family whose kitchen I have been swooning over since I first laid eyes on it.  So, with their blessing in hand, the filming commenced and I even had a little visitor join me for the tasting.  Thank you, T-Fam!



Above, ooooh, golden little Chinese dough-nuts that I picked up earlier that morning.  So light, airy and crisp -- just divine when dipped into the savory chicken noodle soup. 


Step # 3: Recruit Adorable Little Critic(s) with Unbiased Appetites (and who provide you with the instantaneous validation you need to continue doing what you love :)


Meet Lil D. He's barely 2 years old, commands an astounding stature of 2 feet above the ground, and boasts an immense appetite for all things yummy! I think he beats my hubby for best critic. When Lil D. gets going, you would be hard pressed to separate him from his spoon. But he's a little heart breaker (and quite a good night kisser, if I might add) and if he had smiled (rather than have been so consumed with his noodle-mania), you would have seen his cute little fangs.

The little booger steals my heart everytime I see him and on this special occasion, I was more than happy to have him sample my creation. I totally felt like I was on Iron Chef with those panel of judges---wouldn't it be cool if those judges were all like Lil D? So easy to please. The verdict on Lao Chicken Noodle Soup? Well, it's Lil D-tested and Spicy Green Mango-approved. He even gave me a few kisses after his second helping to make sure I knew he was quite a happy little boy.



 Lao Chicken Noodle Soup (Khao Piak)
Yields enough noodles to bribe 6-8 people (into doing the dishes or whatever chores you have lying around) and make a happy little baby (feel like you're the best auntie ever)!

Part 1:  Homemade Lao-Style Noodles
Essentially, you need equal parts of each essential ingredient

• 2 cups tapioca starch/flour
• 2 cups white rice flour
• 2 cups boiling hot water
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour (set aside for dusting the dough)
  
  Essential Kitchen Items

• Kitchen Aid Stand mixer
• Cutting board (sprinkled with dusting of tapioca starch)
• Straight-edge knife (if you have one)
• Rolling pin
• Large stock pot
• Sieve

Part 2:  Chicken-Ginger Broth

• 12 cups water
• 4 ginger slices
• 3-4 tbs {good} chicken bullion (paste or dry powder form is okay)
• 3 tbs fish sauce  (adjust to taste)
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves

HOW-TO:
For the Broth:  Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer (45min - 1 hour).  Remove the chicken breast halves and allow to cool.  Strain hot broth through a sieve and transfer your now-clear broth back to the pot and allow broth to continue simmering on low heat.  Once the chicken has cooled, shred the chicken breast meat and set aside.

For the Noodles:  Combine the rice flour and starch in the mixer and then carefully add the boiling water. Using  your hook attachment, mix at the lowest setting for 3-5 minutes or until you see the dough form.  Remove the dough from the mixer and knead for 3-5 minutes by hand on top of a well-floured surface area. 

Divide the dough into little cylindrical logs (each log should measure up to your palm's lengh and about 3 inches wide).  Using your rolling pin, lay the log vertically in front of you and roll the dough into a long flat sheet.  At this point, if you have a pasta maker, you can definitely put it to good use and churn out evenly-sliced noodles.  However, if you do not own a pasta maker like me, follow these next steps: 

Once you have a long sheet of dough, turn it so that the dough is lying horizontally in front of you.  Fold the sheet in half, sprinkle with some extra tapioca flour to prevent the dough from sticking and slice into small, thin noodles. {Have fun with this part because it's handmade noodles after all and it's okay to have uneven slices in your broth}.

Putting it ALL Together:  Turn the heat of the broth to medium high and carefully lower the noodles into the simmering broth.  As the noodles are cooking, sprinkle a teaspoon of some fried garlic to give your soup an amazing aroma.  Cook the noodles for no more than 5 minutes or until they float to the top.  Ladle this savory soup into individuals bowls, spoon some of that shredded chicken breast over the top and garnish with your choice of the following:

• Sliced green onions/cilantro/culantro
• Fresh bean sprouts
• Chili oil sauce
• Fried garlic (yep, more of it!)
• Chinese doughnuts (soooo good!) or a nice slice of your favorite bread

And that's it! Enjoy!

Just an hour north of Sacramento, surrounded by the lush evergreen backdrop of the Sierra Foothills, is a playground for some darling little gems that have graced my imagination ever since I fell in love with the childrens classic, Johnny Appleseed. And who wouldn't?  This was a person whose mission in life was to sprinkle the land with apple seeds -- wow, what a cool life, I thought. So,  with visions of sugary apple pies dancing in my head, I still remember being the little girl in class, smiling and coloring my rows and rows of apple trees, as I prepared for my upcoming field trip to Apple Hill. It would be a day of many firsts: my first time frolicking in an apple orchard; my first time seeing an entire apple being pressed to the core so that I could taste its sweet nectar; and my first time appreciating the beauty of autumn's treasures with its vibrant hues of crimson and sunburst dotting each tree limb.

As I prepared for the sixth challenge of Project Food Blog where I would need to design a "meal on the go," it was only befitting that I set up my late apple harvest picnic at the same spot where such whimsical childhood memories took flight. And after discovering a scrumptious recipe for a harvest cake with the goodness of organic parsnips, rainbow carrots, grapeseed oil and apples, I knew that my decision was set.


So, with the Project Food Blog "cooler" swung over one shoulder and my trusting Nikon over the other, we made our way to Apple Hill to celebrate the end of the apple harvest season with a picnic that featured only the best of Spicy Green Mango:




Inspired from memories of childhood field trips, I wanted to keep my picnic as simple, minimalistic and convenient as possible. I packed my dishes in recyclable paper boxes, tucked in mini vintage bottles of sparkling apple juice and tied some twine & parchment paper to dress up my harvest cake that was oozing with so much yumminess with every mouthful.

In honor of October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I also decided to incorporate shades of pink in the drink flags and food labels. A year ago, I completed the Susan G. Komen run and was truly humbled by witnessing the strength and resilience of the amazing women (and their families) who courageously battled this illness.  It's my belief that you don't necessarily have to be directly affected by a disease to make an impact for those who need it most. 




Crunchy Rice Salad (Lao Naem)
Makes about 25 balls
The salad can be served as an appetizer or main entree---the choice is yours.

Essentials:  You will need to preheat your deep fryer to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit) and fill it with enough oil to fry the naem.

• 4 cups jasmine or white rice, cooked 
• 2 cups coconut, grated
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs

Optional:  2 cured Lao pork sausage rolls, sliced AND 1/4 cup of pork skins, thinly sliced

Condiments/Garnish:

• 1 green scallion, sliced
• 10-15 cilantro sprigs, chopped
• 3-4 tbsp peanuts, roasted and roughly chopped
• 5-10 mint leaves, chopped or whole
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2-4 lime wedges
• 5 small dried Thai chili peppers, flash-fried in oil to deepen smoky flavor

 How-To:  You may fry the rice balls 1 day prior to your outing.  Be sure to store them in a dry, paper bag. 

• Heat oil to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit)
• In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Roll up your sleeves and grab a fistful of the mixture and shape it into a tightly-packed ball.  The tighter the better b/c that will prevent it from breaking apart when it is fried. 
• Fry the rice ball in batches of 4 or 5 to prevent the oil temperature from getting too low.  Fry each batch for about 10 minutes or until rice turns a golden hue
• Let batch cool completely before attempting to crumple the balls.  The crispy outer shell provides a wonderfully pleasant textural variation for your taste buds.
• To serve, simply crumple the shell of each ball, sprinkle in some sliced scallions, cilantro & peanuts, a squeeze of lime and some salt (or fish sauce) to taste and you're done! (If you decided to try the authentic route, make sure you also add in the pork skins and cured pork during this time as well--I always do!).  Serve it up with lettuce or your favorite leafy green and this will just leave your friends wondering what restaurant you hustled to cook up this dish for you! 
• If you should be so inclined, traditionally, the naem salad can be eaten with some of your smoky fried chili peppers.

 

Roasted spicy eggplant dipping sauce that pairs really well with the beef jerky...tasty nibbles to please you!



 And who could possibly go to a picnic and not bring dessert?  One of my favorite things to do as the weather cools down is keep my home warm and toasty by doting my oven with plenty of home-baked goods.  The smorgasbord of root and squash vegetables continues to inspire me to push the envelope when it comes to enhancing my baking skills. Moist, soft and just perfect for a picnic, this harvest cake (although quite honestly, it is more of a loaf) is definitely all it's cracked up to be (and then some).  My sister and I baked it the night prior and fed it to our taste testers for a review--they loved it!











I spotted this tree from far away and couldn't help but become entranced by its aura...no styling, no props-- just some golden delicious apples not quite ready to surrender its stems to the ground below. I thought it was truly a lovely capture for the day and a very nice ending to my day of picnicking in an apple orchard.

A light early morning drizzle taps ever so lightly on my window panes and as I poke my head outside, I can almost taste the nippy air of early autumn.  It's mornings like this that bring back childhood memories of mom cooking a steaming basket of sticky rice and my little head peeking over the counter, with hands gripped tightly, waiting for a fistful of the tasty morsels, sprinkled with just a pinch of salt to give it that extra kick. Heaven in a handful is what I like to call it.

Through the years, these simple memories still adorn my world and make me smile. As I sat contemplating my entry for Challenge 5, which was to re-invent the pizza (loosely interpreted as having a base, sauce and at least one topping), I realized that I would use this opportunity to share with you my all-time favorite Lao breakfast: Grilled ginger-marinated pork belly atop a bed of Lao tomato jaew (pronounced "jay-ow," or otherwise known as my Motherland's version of a spicy roasted tomato sambal sauce) and warm sticky rice "pizzetas."  The dish is simple, but painfully nostalgic and brutally hearty with every bite.



Lao-style Pork Belly-Ginger "Pizzetas" with Smoky Tomato Jaew
Makes at least 10 pizzetas

STEP 1:  Sticky Rice (aka Sweet or Glutinous Rice)
Soak 2 cups of sticky rice for 2 hours. Drain rice and put in a steamer basket lined with cheesecloth. Steam rice, covered with lid, over boiling water until shiny and tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Sticky rice is best served hot or warm.

For a tutorial on steaming sticky rice, please head over to Import Food.  The only difference I noted was that the site tells you to steam the rice for 45 minutes, which in my book, is too long, so go with the 20 minutes that I indicated above.

STEP 2:  Ginger-Marinated Pork Belly
Essentials:

• 1/2 lb pork belly, chopped into 3 inch chunks
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 ginger slices, peeled & minced
• 3" lemongrass stem (discard outer layer), minced

How-To:

• Combine all ingredients and coat the pork belly in the marinade.  Transfer to an air-tight bag or container and let marinade for at least 1 hour.
• Grill or broil pork belly at 475 (degrees fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or until pork skin is crispy and sizzling. 
• Once cooked and slightly cooled, cut pork belly into bite-sized slices

STEP 3:  Smoky Lao Tomato Sauce (Jaew Maak Len)*
Essentials:

• 10 cherry tomatoes or 4 medium heirloom tomatoes, roasted
• 6 Thai chiles; de-stemmed & charred (adjust based on your spice threshold)
• 2 slices ginger, charred
• 10 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt (adjust based on your preference)

Useful Items:

• Aluminum foil
• 1 bamboo skewer, pre-soaked in water for 20 minutes

* Secret Tip:  Charring the vegetables for this sauce is the key to unlocking its smoky flavor

How-To:

• Heat broiler to 450 (degrees fahrenheit) ; place a rack towards the top of the oven. (You can also wrap the tomatoes in foil and place it over a grill)
• Places the tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for about 20-25 minutes
• Skewer and char the peppers and ginger, turning once, for about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Transfer peppers & ginger and  to a food processor;  pulse until chopped. Add tomatoes; pulse until chunky. Transfer sauce to a bowl; stir in chopped cilantro, fish sauce and salt.

STEP 4:  Assembling your Lao-style Pizzettas

• Take a fistful of sticky rice, form into a ball and flatten into small round pizzettas
• Spoon a dollop of Lao tomato jaew onto the sticky rice, spreading evenly to coat and form a layer
• Top each pizzetta with 2-3 slices of pork belly and garnish with freshly-sliced scallions

And of course, for my foodie fans who are adamant about the traditional Italian-style pizza, I made those as well.  How could I forget about them, right? After slathering on a generous layer of Tuscan tomato-basil sauce, I topped them with yellow & red heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & basil, and Columbus Italian dry salame all piled on top of a rustic pizza dough. 

When I think of luxury, my mind immediately takes me back to Hawaii, stirring up memories of me sipping on mai tais and oozing aloha attitude through and through. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a special somebody in my life call this island his home. While the island's azure waters and bountiful fresh produce & seafood left me happy as can be, what I truly miss about our time in Hawaii was what some refer to as the "aloha spirit" (thanks, Liren) or in my case, the "aloha attitude" where smiles are shared liberally, luring you to pause and smell the plumerias.  We had the lifestyles of beach nuts, but the lavish taste buds of passionate epicureans.

I miss walking into a fine dining establishment with sand between my toes, sporting my flip flops after having just stepped foot off the beach and being greeted with a warm, friendly smile--those days made me understand right then and there that great food didn't have to come with all the fuss.

My initial desire was to create a non-frilly tablescape that was masculine, but with subtle touches of softness to freshen it up and make it a festive occasion. I opted for a cool color palette inspired from my days in Hawaii---sage to represent the azure waters of the Lanikai beaches and a soft yellow to symbolize the rays of sunshine. I also really liked that the colors were unisex. As I was shopping for flowers, I realized that the Craspedia Billy Ball flowers I had initially wanted were nowhere to be found, so I had to compromise with another yellow flower that turned out to be equally pleasing. I also opted for succulents b/c I love their natural design and desert allure (a striking contrast from the islands). The basil addition came on a whim as I was hunting for herbs in my parents' garden and was mesmerized by the beautiful stems of cinnamon basil blossoms sprouting among the pepper plants. I realized instantly that these basil had a special spot on my tablescape.


 



Having access to the freshest fruits, vegetables and fish on the island was undoubtedly the BEST part of living in the land of aloha.  As I reminisce about my moments on the island, how could I possibly pass up an opportunity to bring the flavors of the island back to the Mainland? Not a chance!

One of our favorite places in Hawaii was the Ocean House Restaurant  at the Outrigger---the setting is quite possibly one of the most picturesque and romantic spots along Waikiki.  Situated just steps from the beach, on any given evening, you can  listen to locals crooning  live music from the nearby bar, while the ambient flames from tiki torches can be seen swaying in the coconut-scented island breeze. The menu is both inspired by this special place and our recent vacation in Thailand--a co-mingling of two of our favorite beach destinations to date.  

Whatever dinner menu you decide to craft, remember that the best ones will have a story behind them.  It's not only a great topic of conversation, but it layers on a personal touch to your party.  When our guests arrived, they instantly knew what inspired our dinner menu and they were more than happy to partake in helping us relive those days of fine dining.




 



 SWEET ESCAPE:  ASK for HELP to MAKE it SWEETER