Papaya and Coconut Chicken Salad

Check out this Better Homes and Gardens recipe for Papaya and Coconut Chicken Salad. Here in Taiwan papayas are plentiful, and even if you don't like them, as I generally don't, this might change your mind. I made it a couple weeks ago and loved it. I didn't add blueberries, but they would add a nice bit of color if you had some on hand. This has nice flavors, all found here locally but not usually combined this way.

If you don't have cider vinegar on hand, use any light-colored, slightly-sweet vinegar, and do add the cayenne or ground red pepper to balance it out. Dried coconut can be found at Walason's -- ye dze fen, if you have to ask for it. Theirs is not overly sweetened, so it works nicely in this dish. This only requires a small oven, and you could easily prepare the chicken in advance and assemble the salad at the last minute. Enjoy!

Ground Beef and Squash Picadillo

I've been reading an issue of the New Yorker from last fall, their food issue, and I was amused by Anthony Lane's skewering of a T. S. Eliot character who is able to conjure a supper from next to nothing. Anthony proceeds to make a good point, that eggs do in fact have culinary limits, but I do have my own in-a-pinch recipes -- kitchen conjuring is a challenge I relish more than dread -- and I had to pull one out of my sleeve on Saturday night.

The occasion was a potluck supper for some former teachers who were back in Taiwan for a visit. I knew this was coming, I knew I needed to bring something, yet somehow, at 4:30 (90 minutes before the party, which should be nearly an infinity when one is armed with a whole book of thirty-minute recipes) I only just started to think about what I might bring. "On Rice" came to mind, and suddenly a vision of half a squash, bought on a whim last week and still resting comfortably in my fridge, made all the switches click in place, and Ground Beef and Squash Picadillo was on its way.

In a large (12") nonstick pan, brown

1 1/4 lbs ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Drain off excess liquid and add

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 Tablespoons tomato paste (or 1/4 cup tomato sauce)

1/3 cup green olives (halved if they are particularly large)

1/3 cup raisins

Season with

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin

salt & pepper

Bring to a simmer. Layer on top

Half a large squash, or one acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Cover the pan and let the squash steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasonings and serve over rice.

Tips:

Do take five minutes and toast the cumin. The aroma and flavor are greatly improved, and when you crush the little seeds before adding them to the dish the whole house will smell exotic and lovely.

Fresh ground beef is no longer for sale at Costco; other stores may carry it, I don't know. I have switched to buying the Australian beef patties in the Costco freezer -- for this recipe I used five patties.

I seeded my squash half with a grapefruit spoon and then sliced it crossways into C-shapes (not with a grapefruit spoon). With a sharp knife it's not too hard to remove the long strip of peel before slicing the squash into cubes.

Gerda's Hawaiian Shortbread

My mom pulled some shortbread dough out of the freezer today (she has a new fridge coming -- gotta use things up!), and I was delighted to find coconut in the first bite. This came to her from her good friend Gerda, who always brought the tastiest treats to coffee hour when I was a little girl.

This is easily whipped up in a Taiwan kitchen; any kind of shredded coconut would work fine, I think.

Gerda's Hawaiian Shortbread

Cream together

1 cup butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add

2 cups flour

and mix well.

Add

1 cup shredded coconut

Form dough into two rolls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and roll up in waxed paper. Chill in refrigerator, or freeze until needed (thaw slightly before using). Slice rolls into rounds, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 45 minutes at 250º degrees. (That's two-fifty, folks!) Cookies will be light in color, not browned. Cool cookies briefly on cookie sheet, then transfer to a tray or piece of waxed paper that's been spread with powdered sugar. Dust cookies with more powdered sugar once fully cooled.

Gingerbread and Applesauce

One of the many great things about my sister is that when she says she's making something you want to make it too, since you know it's going to be good. Not long ago she posted a Facebook update saying she'd made gingerbread and applesauce, and it was suddenly the only thing I wanted to eat. I never make gingerbread, and while the kids enjoy decorating gingerbread houses this time of year, we don't actually eat them. I was determined, however, to give it a go.

I don't know which recipes my sister used, but here are the two I chose. The gingerbread recipe is adapted from this one on Allrecipes.com, and the applesauce is from Barbara Kafka's Microwave Gourmet.

Dark & Spicy Gingerbread

Preheat oven to 350ºF; grease and flour a 9x9 or 7x11 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

Add

1 egg

1 cup dark molasses

1/4 cup applesauce or apple butter

In a separate bowl, whisk together

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix to combine. Add

1 cup hot water

and mix well on low speed.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a rack before slicing. Serve with warm applesauce.

Applesauce

(makes one pint)

Wash and quarter

1 1/2 pounds apples (about 3 large or 4 medium apples)

and place in 4-quart glass measure.

Add

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

dash of ground allspice

dash of ground nutmeg

Cover bowl with cling wrap and microwave on full power for 15 minutes, stirring after five minutes to make sure the sugar is mixed in with the juices and doesn't scorch. Remove from microwave and pass through the medium disc of a food mill. Stir well to combine, and let cool slightly before serving.

Hints and buying tips:

Cookbooks are always specifying apple varieties I can't get: Greenings, Macintoshes, and so on. I use what I have on hand, but try to mix them up -- a Gala, a Fuji, a Granny Smith. (I never use Red Delicious.) This is a pretty good approach when making apple pies, too; apples all bring something different to the recipe, so a mix brings out all their strengths.

I have a food mill, and use it just barely enough to justify keeping it around. If you don't have one (or another kind of ricer or sieve that will allow you to push the cooked apples through), then peel and core the apples before cooking them and pulse them in a blender to reduce them to sauce. Without the pectin from the skins you may have more liquid in your applesauce, but give it a try.

Whole cloves and cinnamon sticks are not hard to find: Walason's, Wellcome, Jason's, etc. The nutmeg and ginger are at Walason's for sure, possibly at the others I named. If you're buying all these spices at once, use powdered cinnamon and cloves for the applesauce as well as the cake (a dash or two of each).

Praline Pretzels

I just discovered this recipe last week, the night I made cardamon tea shortbread and was wide awake after eating too much caffeinated dough. I was tempted to make these pretzels on the spot, midnight baking being a great alternative to midnight web surfing, but I willed myself to sleep and made them another day. Good thing -- it took much longer for the sugar to carmelize than I expected (cursed Taiwan course sugar). This recipe has a long lineage: I found it on Bethany Actually, who traced it to Ideas in Food via Brownie Points. I will let you follow your own rabbit trails, but do check out Bethany Actually's post -- she has some adorable photos of her daughter in the rain that made me smile (and miss the rain!).

Praline Pretzels

Butter a large cookie sheet and set aside (seriously, do this first -- you won't have time later).

In a large heavy pan or stockpot, over medium heat, melt

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Add to melted butter

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon and watch closely -- you want this to caramelize to a nice golden color, but you're always courting disaster with caramel (this could be a whole other blog entry, my struggles with melting sugar). The original recipe said to stir for a couple minutes; mine took about ten. The sugar here really doesn't melt fast.

Once the caramel is melted and smooth, quickly stir in

6 cups broken pretzel pieces

Working very fast (because the candy will set), stir so that the pretzel pieces are all covered. Immediately pour out onto the greased cookie sheet, spreading the praline pretzels out in an even layer. Once they have cooled, break them up into smaller chunks. (I used whole small pretzels but found that I had to take a knife to them once they'd cooled because the chunks were too massive to bite into. Mini-pretzel halves would be better.)

Buying info:

Costco has huge bags of mini pretzels for about NT$250. I divide them up into gallon-sized zip-locked bags so they stay fresher. If you have the freezer space, you can keep them even longer that way. Everything else is easily found here.

Candy Cane Meringues

My holiday cooking frenzy continues, with these little gems whipped up very last minute this morning once I remembered that, yes, the staff party was today, and, yes, I really did sign up to bring a treat. I love these meringues -- they go together fast and aren't too fussy, but look festive on the plate. Nothing says Christmas like pink peppermint puffs, and nothing beats holiday stress like whacking a dozen candy canes to smithereens. It's a win-win.

Candy Cane Meringues

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

In a very clean stainless bowl, whip

2 egg whites

with an electric mixer until frothy.

Add

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue beating and slowly add

2/3 cup sugar

until egg whites are stiff and glossy.

Gently fold in

3 tablespoons cracker crumbs (like saltines or Hai Tai crackers)

10 - 12 mini candy canes, pounded to small pieces

Spoon teaspoons of meringue mixture onto a greased or silicon mat-lined cookie sheet, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until peaks just begin to brown. If you bake two sheets at once, rotate their position (from top to bottom) once during baking. If you are using a small oven you can bake these in small batches, but the mixture will begin to deflate and the meringues will be a bit flatter. Store baked meringues in an airtight container; if left out they will become sticky in a humid environment, but they tend to disappear before then.

Tips and info:

I have a jar of cream of tartar from the States so I don't know what it's called in Mandarin, but I'm sure you can buy it here. Meringues are pretty common at local bakeries. I'll see what I can find out. You can substitute chocolate chips or other small candy bits for the candy canes; about 1/2 cup should be plenty. For making cracker crumbs, I just crumble the crackers right in their package; five Hai Tais equals about 3 tablespoons. It doesn't have to be precise. For the candy canes, unwrap them and place them in a sturdy ziplock baggy, then whack them with a heavy spoon, butt of a knife, or a wooden rolling pin that you don't care about (it might get dented).

Classic Cream Scones

This is another frequently shared recipe -- it's fast, foolproof, and can go from sweet to savory, depending on what you choose to stir in. Because the cream serves as both the liquid and the fat, you don't need to cut in butter and it uses no eggs. A very good recipe to try if you are new to baking.

Classic Cream Scones

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Have a large un-greased baking sheet ready.

Whisk together in a large bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried raisins or cranberries

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Stir in:

1 1/4 cup heavy cream (NOT non-dairy creamer)

Mix with a spatula or spoon just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Form the dough into a ball and knead it gently in the bowl about 10 times, until loose pieces are worked in.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch (20 cm) round about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Cut into 8 or 12 wedges and place on baking sheet, not too close together.

Brush tops with:

2 to 3 teaspoons cream or milk

Sprinkle with:

Cinnamon and sugar, if desired

Bake until the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a rack or serve warm.

Tips and buying info:

Fresh cream is very hard to find here, but there are some decent UHT versions. Check the labels carefully -- cream, milk solids, and maybe one thickener means it will taste fairly cream-like. Too many other stabilisers or enhancers and it will begin to taste odd. (Liquid whipped-topping mix is oil-based and won't work for this recipe at all.) I prefer President over Anchor, and also really like the Breton cream at Costco -- good flavor, good price.

For savory biscuits, reduce the sugar by half and stir in whatever you'd like: grated cheese, bits of cooked ham or bacon, green onions, etc. With half sugar and no stir-ins, these make nice biscuits to serve with soup or stew. For variations on the sweet version, try bits of candied ginger with orange zest, dried blueberries with lemon, or dried cherries and slivered almonds. You really can't go wrong, just keep the proportions about the same.

Cheese Thins

I've been cooking tons lately, and promising people I'd share recipes with them, so perhaps it's time to resurrect this blog, too. Let's give it a try, anyway!

One of my favorite cooking blogs is Chocolate & Zucchini, and I have Clotilde to thank for these lovely cheese crackers. I have never been a huge fan of chips and crackers -- yes, some of us can eat just one -- although I wouldn't pass up a few Triscuits. But these lovely cheesy crisps go far beyond the dry, uniform crackers that come in a box. They're perfect for the holidays, too: you can make the dough ahead of time, and just slice and bake the thins right before you need them. Once baked, they will keep nicely in a sealed container for a couple days, so you can prepare them ahead if you want. The trick is keeping the snackers at bay.

Cheese Thins

(Makes about six dozen, depending on how thick you slice them)

In a medium bowl combine:

170 grams (6 ounces) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

55 grams (4 tablespoons) butter, diced and softened

100 grams (3 1/2 ounces, or about 3/4 cup) flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground spicy paprika or ground chili powder

Using a dough blender or two knives, mix these ingredients together until they form a dough. If the mixture seems too dry to form a ball add a dash of milk or cream.

Shape the dough into a log, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it is firm enough to slice easily, about an hour or up to one day ahead. (You can put it in the freezer for 20 minutes to speed it up.)

Preheat the oven to 180Cº (360Fº) and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat. Remove the dough from the fridge, slice it lengthwise and then slice each half into thin half-moons; arrange on the baking sheet (they will expand a little). Return any unused dough to the fridge between batches.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and chili pepper and bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until golden. Let the cheese thins rest on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. Serve immediately, or store tightly covered.

Buying info:

I really like Costco's sharp cheddar for these; an extra-sharp cheddar would also be excellent, but I wouldn't use mild. You can substitute other cheeses, but they are so pricey here that I tend to use the more readily available ones for cooking.

Silicon mats are available at Walason's (aka The Pineapple Store, aka Cook Box), on Benguan Road. You'll find them on the paper products aisle, near the parchment paper and foil. They are tan, rolled up tubes, and each roll can be cut in half to line two full sized baking sheets. They're a real bargain, much better than the Silpat liners.

Vanilla yogurt

I just realized that I've never posted any photos on this blog. I do take pictures of my food, but close-ups are generally not that great, and food from a distance looks a little pathetic. Anyway, here is a fairly decent shot of my most recent batch of yogurt, this one flavored with a fresh vanilla bean (thank you, Kevin!), and a tiny bit of white sugar. I thought about using honey, which seems more fitting for homemade yogurt (I am a little bit granola myself), but then I figured the white sugar would sweeten without adding other flavors, and I did want to be able to judge how the vanilla turned out on its own merits.

My directions for yogurt are here. In this case, I only used half a litre of milk, therefore about 1/4 cup milk powder. For flavoring, I used half a vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise and seeds scraped out; I added the seeds and pods to the milk while it was heating, left them in while cooling, and only strained out the pods at the end. I added about 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar to the hot milk, put 1 tablespoon prepared yogurt in a clean jar, added the 110º milk to it, stirred thoroughly, and set in my waiting incubator. I think my old directions don't convey how extremely easy this is, nor how forgiving a process: twice lately I have forgotten that my milk is cooling, come back to find it at 95º or so, re-heated it to 110º, and finished up the job. It comes out just fine, as long as the temperature is right when you add the starter, and you keep the whole thing warm for a few hours.

I have to admit, the kids were not really crazy about vanilla specks floating on the surface. Nora thought is was pepper and insisted on plain yogurt in her bowl. Cole's not a huge fan of the plain, but I'm sure once the top layer of the vanilla, where the specks reside, is gone, he would be won over by the sweeter version. I thought is was wonderful with some fresh mango sliced over the top.

Doubles

In March, the MV Doulos came to Kaohsiung, and I was blessed to meet Roopa, who was traveling aboard. (For the whole story, click here.) Roopa has not been home to Trinidad for 18 months, so I made her some doubles, which are a popular street food there. I found the recipe at trinigourmet.com, but made some little adjustments which I will include below.

Doubles get their name from the two pieces of bara (fried bread) that sandwich the curried chickpea filling (called channa). The spices are warming, and the soft bread is comforting -- I can see why they would be popular. This is a litte taste of the carribbean (with roots in India), easily made right here in Kaohsiung.

Doubles
From www.trinigourmet.com

For the bara, combine
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon geera (cumin seeds, toasted and ground)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

In a small bowl, combine
1 teaspoon yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
and let set to sponge for five minutes. Add to flour mixture, adding a little water if necessary to make a slightly firm dough. Mix well, cover with a cloth, and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.

For the channa,in a heavy skillet heat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Add
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder mixed with 1/4 cup water
and saute for a few minutes. Add
1 14 oz can chickpeas (a.k.a., garbanzo beans or ceci), drained
stir to coat, and let simmer for five minutes. Now add
1 cup water
2 teaspoons geera (cumin seeds, toasted and ground)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cover and simmer until chickpeas are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the bara. Punch down the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. Oil your hands to keep the dough from sticking, then take 1 generous tablespoon of dough and stretch it into a 4-inch circle. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging circles on a plate. Heat
oil for frying, about 1 inch deep
in a heavy skillet. Add two or three baras to the oil at a time, cooking until puffy and golden brown (about 15 seconds) before turning. Drain on paper towels.

Season the channa with
1 tsp Pepper sauce
salt to taste
and spoon onto the warm bara. Best shared with a Trini friend.


Buying tips:
Canned chickpeas/garbanzos are available at Walason's, Dollar's, Jason's, etc. One of the easier beans to find here. Walason's also has cumin seeds, which you will need to toast in a dry skillet and then grind for this recipe. I have not seen ground cumin for sale here anywhere, but I prefer to toast it and grind it myself anyway. It brings out the flavor and makes the kitchen smell good.

Tsang Yo Bing

Goodness, it's been ages. Well, I've come to realize that, while I envisioned this blog to be a place to post recipes that are useful for westerners cooking in Taiwan, it is actually a place for me to post recipes that I might want to refer to when I am away from home. As I am getting ready for a summer back in Washington, I find myself thinking of recipes that I might want access to while I'm gone. Today, I'm starting with Tsang Yo Bing, or scallion pancakes, a local street-vendor specialty. Tim made them last week and they were wonderful – I was especially happy to know that they were MSG-free. The pancakes can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated, uncooked, making them great for parties: simply fry and serve, whole or cut into wedges, warm or at room temperature. Really, really good with a Coke.

Tsang Yo Bing (Scallion Pancakes)
From The Food of China, by Deh-Ta Hsiung and Nina Simonds
(makes 24 pancakes)

Place
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add
1 tablespoon oil
3/4 cup boiling water
and, using a wooden spoon, mix to a rough dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes, or until smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky, knead in more flour. Cover with a cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.

Have ready
3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 scallions, greet part only, finely chopped
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a long cylinder and cut into 24 pieces. Taking one piece at a time, place the dough, cut side down, on the work surface. Using a small rolling pin, roll out to a four-inch circle. Brush generously with sesame oil and sprinkle with scallions. Roll up the dough and pinch the ends to seal in the oil and onions. Lightly flatten the roll, the roll it up again from one end, like a snail. Pinch the end to seal it. Repeat with the remaining dough, oil, and scallions. Let the snails rest for 20 minutes.

Place each roll flat on the work surface and press down with the palm of your hand. Roll out to a four-inch circle and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Stack the pancakes between lightly floured sheets of waxed paper and allow to rest for 20 minutes (or refrigerate up to 12 hours).

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and brush with oil, and add two or three pancakes at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, turning once, until pancakes are light golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with
ground white pepper
and serve at once, although once cooled they will disappear just as quickly.

You can reheat the pancakes, wrapped in foil, in a 350º oven for 15 minutes.

A new book

This summer a friend gave us a copy of a great new cookbook, Modern Asian Flavors, by Richard Wong. His recipes reflect his Shanghai roots, as well as his own American upbringing (the peppers stuffed with ground turkey were a real mystery to me until I read that his mother made them with pork -- no one likes turkey here). The book starts off with half a dozen sauces which are great for dipping, marinades, and so on, and he incorporates them in other recipes throughout the book. I like that; to learn to make one thing and then learn how to use it several different ways seems supremely efficient. I've been browsing through and drooling over the gorgeous pages this weekend. I'll let you know when I make something.

I've also been baking a bit this past week: whole wheat French bread (not in the bread machine, believe it or not), and caramel shortbread covered with a layer of Trader Joe's dark chocolate. Like a Twix, only better (because where can you buy a 9"x14" Twix bar?). Recipes to follow, once I get my boy in school tomorrow. (Sigh.)

Sourdough English Muffins

Yes, English muffins! I had never seen them in Taiwan (except served up in an Egg McMuffin), until, that is, our Bible study met at Donna's house last May, where she set before us a tray of hot-from-the-skillet sourdough English muffins. Heavenly.

Here is her recipe, which came from her friend Pat. The starter Donna gave me has a long history, going back to an Alaskan miner. There are many sourdough-starter recipes on the Web; once you've got one working, give these a try. No oven required.

Sourdough English Muffins
(About a dozen)

Mix together
1/2 cup starter
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
and cover loosely; set at room temperature overnight.

In the morning, mix with above
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup flour

Turn out on a floured board. Knead in an additional
1/4 cup flour
(or enough to keep dough from being too sticky). Knead lightly 2-3 minutes. Roll out 3/4 " thick and cut with a cutter (a wide drinking glass will do the trick, too -- dip the rim in flour to keep it from sticking). Place 1" apart on cookie sheet sprinkled with
cornmeal.

Cover and set 45 minutes. Cook in dry skillet 8-10 minutes, until golden brown on each side and sides are no longer shiny.

Buying info:
The starter will need to be made ahead, but will only require water, flour, and maybe some sugar (recipes vary). Walason's has all-purpose flour (with the green label), as well as cornmeal (center aisle, near the giant tins of baking powder). Baking soda is in the same aisle. The cornmeal really does help keep the muffins from sticking to the cookie sheet and the skillet. Use the rest to make polenta.

Pork Tenderloin with Curried Fruit Sauce

This has been a standby of mine for several years; I remember making it in the newly-remodeled kitchen in our first house, and it has served well ever since. Pork tenderloin is cheap and readily available in Taiwan, as are all the other ingredients. It's not exactly company fare, but it's homey and appeals to grown-ups and kids alike (it's not spicy at all).

Pork Tenderloin with Curried Fruit Sauce
From On Rice by Rick Rodgers
(Makes 4-6 servings)

In a shallow dish or gallon-size baggie, combine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
and dredge or toss
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin, cut into 1/4 inch thick medallions
until well-coated in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour. Cook in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, in
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
until lightly browned on both sides. You will probably need to do this in two batches; add more oil as needed. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In the skillet, heat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
and add
1 tart apple, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
and cover. Cook until the onion is golden, about five minutes. Stir in
2 garlic cloves, minced
and cook, uncovered, for 1 minute. Add
2 teaspoons curry powder
and stir for 30 seconds.

Stir in
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 ripe banana, chopped
Return the pork to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the apple is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to the skillet, along with
1/3 cup raisins
and heat gently, without boiling. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, garnish with
Chopped green onions
and serve immediately, over rice.

Buying info:
Pork tenderloin is available at most grocery stores, except perhaps the really small ones. If you're not sure what you're looking for, the tenderloin is about the same dimensions as a rolling pin (without the handles): long and narrow. Costco sells them in a 3-pack, but the price is reasonable wherever you find them; much cheaper than in the U.S., and without any injected saline or flavor-enhancers which seem to be all the rage in American meats now. Taiwan pork is also quite safe, as it does not harbor trichinosis. As for yogurt, you can use homemade, of course, or use Yoplait low-fat plain drinking yogurt (which is a little bit sweet, but works fine in this recipe). Yoplait is everywhere; check your local 7-11. Curry powder is not too hard to find: Walason's, Costco, and Dollars all carry it.

Buttermilk Soup

This recipe has been in my mom's family for several generations; it comes via her father's mother, and now Cole has tried it and promised to carry on the tradition (although to be honest I only told him it was tapioca pudding -- I knew that he, like most people, would have a hard time getting past the name). He liked the sweet and tangy flavors, though, and I hope you will, too. Best served warm.

Buttermilk Soup

In a large saucepan combine
1 1/2 quarts buttermilk
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup tapioca
and cook until tapioca is clear, stirring constantly.

In a bowl combine
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
and mix thoroughly. Add to buttermilk mixture, and continue to stir over low heat until thick.

Add salt and cinnamon to taste.
Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top of each serving.

Buying information:
Hmmm... I've never made this in Taiwan because buttermilk is not available. I have just sent away for a catalog, however, from the Yogourmet company, from whom I buy my yogurt starter, as I see they also sell a buttermilk starter. I will update you once I have more information. Tapioca is available at Walason's, I believe.

Boodge

Our visit home is at an end -- we fly back to Taiwan tonight -- so I thought I'd post a couple recipes that we enjoyed while we were here. This one is for a fudge recipe my mom and Nora made yesterday; Nora struggles with the word fudge, so boodge it is. (The original recipe is called Niegemann Fudge, to give proper credit.)

Boodge

In a large saucepan, melt together
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips
1 cube butter

Remove from heat. Add
2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add
Chopped nuts, to taste

Pour into buttered pie plate or shallow dish to firm up. Refrigerate leftovers, if there are any -- this is a smooth, truffle-like fudge, and won over even the toughest fudge critics in our family. It was gone by bedtime.

Buying info:
All ingredients are available at Walason's (chocolate chips are in the coolcase with the whipping cream). Costco has Tollhouse chips in bulk, if you plan on making a lot of boodge, er, fudge.

Plain yogurt

I have made several batches of yogurt in the last two weeks – for giving away, for showing friends how to make their own, and for eating and baking with here at home. Yogurt making is not an exact science, which is apparent if you do a Google search on the topic. Still, once you make a successful batch you're likely to do it the same way ever after. Here's my technique; try it, and then tweak it to your own liking.

Plain yogurt
Makes one litre

In the top of a double boiler, whisk together
1 litre whole milk
1/2 cup full cream powdered milk
and bring to 180ºF, or just below boiling.

Set pan of milk aside and let cool to 110ºF. (You can accelerate this by setting the pan in cool water.) Place a lid over the hot water in the bottom of double boiler, and set into a towel-lined camping cooler; drape with another towel & close cooler. This will be your incubator.

As milk cools, skim off any film that forms. In a small bowl, dissolve
1 packet dried yogurt starter or 2 tablespoons fresh yogurt
and return mixture to the pan of milk; stir thoroughly to combine.

Pour mixture into very clean container, cover, and set in the cooler next to the pan of hot water (drape towel over both to make a tent). Close cooler. Check yogurt after 4 hours; if texture is to your liking, place in refrigerator to stop process. If thicker or tarter yogurt is desired, leave in cooler for up to 7 or 8 hours.

Use as a sour cream substitute, a buttermilk substitute in baking, or enjoy on its own (it's especially good with a sprinkling of brown sugar or a bit of honey).

Buying info:
I like the "High Quality Milk" brand here in Taiwan, but use whatever milk tastes good to you. I have used both low-fat and full-fat powdered milk with similar results, so again, choose what you like. Yogurt starter is available at health food stores in the States as well as by mail-order (Yogourmet is a popular brand). Here in Kaohsiung a friend found dried starter at a health food store in the Zuoying district (on Fumin, just south of Mingcheng Rd., very near the Finnish restaurant). Look for the little green box in the cooler at the back left corner of the store.

Other hints:
This yogurt will keep well for at least a couple weeks. After you dig in, you may notice some separation of the whey; pour this off or mix it back in, depending on how thick you want to keep the yogurt (or use the back of the spoon to level off the yogurt each time, and you won't have the problem in the first place). I like my yogurt quite thick, but for a thinner product reduce the powdered milk by half or more.

For future batches, freeze several 2-tablespoon portions in an ice-cube tray and label them "first generation." When you're ready to make more yogurt, remove a frozen starter cube and allow it to come to room temperature while the fresh milk is heating. Use as for fresh yogurt, above. This process can be repeated once more (this time labeling the frozen yogurt "second generation"). Do not freeze the third generation, however; start over, or use another first of second generation frozen cube. Be aware, the yogurt will be tarter with each succeeding generation.

[Revised 4/6/07]

Italian bread

If you have a bread machine, give this recipe a try. It goes together super fast with just five ingredients, and makes a nicely-flavored loaf for toasting, sandwiches, or serving warm with butter at dinner time.

Italian Bread
(2 lb. loaf)

In your bread maker, combine
1 1/3 cups warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups aerated bread flour, spooned into measuring cup
2 teaspoons dry yeast

Set machine for 2 lbs, medium crust.

Let cool for about 45 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long -- I never can).

Buying info:
I like Spanish olive oil (but I'll still call this Italian bread); Walason's and Dollars have a good selection at decent prices. Extra virgin gives a nice flavor and aroma. New Zealand sea salt is available in several grinds at Dollars (on the foreign foods aisle, with the Japanese salts). Yeast is available at Walason's in vacuum-packed blocks; store in an airtight container in the fridge. Bread flour is also available at Walason's, in the bag with the blue label. I think it actually says "Bread Flour" in English on it now. As far as aerating the flour, I just give it a good stir with a wire whisk before filling up the measuring cup each time. Without this, you will end up with a larger quantity of flour per cup and probably a tougher loaf. Obviously, don't tap the cup to settle the flour; just run a chopstick across to even the top.

Savory French Toast

If you made the pizza recipe below, you might be saying to yourself the next day, "Hmm... now what do I do with all this leftover prosciutto?" I haven't made this recipe in Taiwan, but in the States it was a great brunch or late supper dish – very easy, good flavors, and super fast. I would use Trader Joe's Rosemary-Sea Salt bread, as well as their Quattro Formaggio cheese blend. No TJ's here, though, so I'll have to think about how to adapt it as I go along.

Savory French Toast

In a shallow bowl combine
2 eggs, beaten
Splash of milk
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of dried basil, rosemary or other herb (optional)

Dip into the mixture until soaked through
4 thick slices of bread, preferably homemade or rustic-style

In a large pan over medium heat, cook till golden brown on bottom; flip. On top of each slice place
1 slice prosciutto (whole or torn)
Sliced tomatoes (optional)
3-4 tablespoons shredded cheese: parmesan, gruyere, romano, or a combination of these

Cover pan while cheese melts and bread browns, 3-4 minutes. Serve hot, with fruit or a green salad.

Buying info:
Costco used to carry Pugliese bread, but I haven't seen it lately. They do sometimes have other hearty loaves. I'm always on the lookout for decent bread; most bakeries are disappointing in that department. The proscuitto, as I mentioned in the pizza recipe, can be found at Jason's Market or at Dollars (at the Bolker St. stand). All three cheeses are available at Costco, but to buy them all at once would be prohibitive. Smaller portions should be available at Dollars, Jason's, and other stores with a deli counter. The whole dish could be simplified by substituting sliced ham and cheddar, and it would probably be great, just not as dressy. Sounds good, though, especially with some eggs on the side. Mmmm... makes me hungry.

Pizza night

We had some friends over for pizza dinner last night. We topped frozen pizza rounds with ham and pineapple; sausage, onion, and black olives; and sausage, mushroom, and green olives. These all had red sauce & lots of mozzarella – really tasty. The fourth one was different, though, and went like this:

Prosciutto & Feta Pizza

Preheat oven to 425º. Lightly brush
One large pizza round

with
Olive oil

Top with
1 or 2 slices prosciutto, torn
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Fresh ground pepper

Bake on a pan or preheated pizza stone for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle
One clove garlic, minced or pressed
over the top.

Return to oven for three or four minutes. Let sit briefly before cutting.

Buying info:
I get pizza rounds and feta cheese at Walason's, mozzarella at Costco (it's a giant bag, but you can freeze it), and prosciutto either at Jason's Market at Hanshin Department Store or at the Bolker St. kiosk at Dollars, right across from the McDonald's ice cream stand.

Other hints:
Fresh mushrooms and tomatoes give off a lot of moisture when they cook, and can make the pizza soggy. For the tomatoes, squeeze or pick out most of the seeds. For mushrooms, my mom came up with this solution: place sliced mushrooms on a paper towel in the microwave and cook at 100% power for 30-45 seconds. Much of the moisture will be drawn out.