avocados and arugula

3 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
7 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 small onion, minced
4 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 juice of a lemon
1 bunch arugula, loosely packed about 2 cups
Coarse grey salt, fleur de sel
Freshly ground black pepper

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Cut the avocados in large dices. Add the avocados, cherry tomatoes, and minced onion to the vinaigrette in the mixing bowl. With a spoon, mix all ingredients together until well coated and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Spread a bed of fresh arugula on a plate, place the avocado mixture on top. Serve immediately.

best hot wings

If you don’t want to deep fry, you can steam the wings first for 10 minutes, pat them dry then brown in the oven at high heat for 15 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 15 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.  Both frying and baking turns out juicy and crispy wings.

1 pound chicken wings
3/4 cup cornstarch
8 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot Original
3 tablespoons Tabasco
1 tablespoon choice of BBQ sauce
1/2 stick of butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
5 cups peanut oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Cut the wings at the joint. In a large mixing bowl, evenly coat the wings with cornstarch.  Shake off excess.

Melt the butter with the garlic in the microwave. Pour the melted butter in a large mixing bowl, along with the hot sauces, honey, and black pepper and stir to combine.

Heat peanut oil in a medium pot, fry the wings until golden brown. Transfer the wings to a plate lined with paper towel.

Transfer the wings to the large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce.

mystery green summer salad

We have no idea what these greens are. The Shanghainese use them in soups and stir fry. The texture is delicate and soft. The flavor is slightly lemony and peppery which we thought would work perfectly as a salad, dress in a light lemon based vinaigrette with the sweetness of a ripe mango. We’d like to try this again with a sweet, fleshy, pink, and ripe peach as we’ve seen some great peaches around here. If anyone knows what these greens are, please tell us!

1 bunch great unknown Chinese green
1 ripe mango
1/3 small red onion, diced
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons good grassy olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1／2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Grey salt, preferably coarse
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper, emulsify. Add the mango, onion and tomatoes, toss to coat with the vinaigrette.

Dress the greens according to your preference and serve immediately.

roast loin of pork with ancho chili & caramelized onion

1 pork loin, bone in (about 2.5 pounds, 5 bones)
2 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 1/2 cup good red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400° F / 200° C.

In a roasting pan, place the pork bone side down. Liberally season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil, rub 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, minced garlic and rosemary on top of the pork.

Roast in convection oven for 35 minutes or 45 minutes in a regular oven, until the internal temperature reaches 140° F / 60° C. Remove from oven and let stand, covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes.

While pork loin is roasting in the oven.  In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat, caramelize sliced onions with 1 teaspoon sugar, salt & pepper until soft and golden brown. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, until the liquid is almost gone. Repeat with a second 1/2 cup red wine, reduce for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the last 1/2 cup red wine, reduce sauce to half and slightly thickened. Season with salt & pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the bone from the roast pork loin. Slice roast pork, arrange on platter and serve with the warm onion reduction.

“Our market” at 328 Jianguo lu near Taiyuan lu. 嘉善菜场, 建国西路328号近太原路。We find the produce at this market fresher and better than most larger Chinese supermarkets in the area like Tesco and Carrefour.

lion’s head (狮子头)

This is my Shangdong grandmother’s and mother’s version of lion’s head. Jesse and I make this dish often as it’s one of our favorite Chinese comfort foods. Slowly braise to get tender, melt in your mouth meatballs. It’s best served with fresh steamy rice.

1 pound ground pork
1 head napa cabbage
12 stalks scallions, finely minced
1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated
1 egg
3 tablespoons cornstarch plus 1/2 cup cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice wine
5 tablespoon soy sauce plus 2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy
6 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Wash and separate Napa cabbage leaves, drain well. In a medium bowl, mix the ground pork, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 egg, minced scallions and grated ginger. With a pair of chopsticks, mix in one circular motion either clockwise or counter clockwise. While mixing, pour in 2 tablespoons water, mix and repeat. This method makes meatballs tender. Form four medium sized meatballs, about a ¼ pound each. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cornstarch on a dinner plate and roll the meatballs in cornstarch.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and brown the meatballs to a deep golden brown color on all sides. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

In a medium stovetop casserole dish or corning ware, place Napa cabbage leaves on the bottom. Place the meatballs on top of the cabbage; add 5 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 6 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Cover, bring it to just before a boil then immediately lower the heat to a low simmer. Slowly braise until Napa cabbage is wilted and taken on soy color, about 20 to 30 minutes. The lion’s head casserole can be simmered up to 45 minutes. Serve immediately with steamy rice.