While at Pearl Paint the other day I picked up a free copy of
The Brooklyn Rail.
If you run across it you take the time to consider this paper.
If it isn't accessible in your area visit their website
Worth A Read
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Always Considering Couture..
One of My Tastebud's New Favorite Websites
A few nights ago I had a craving for Hainanese Chicken and though I have made it a number of times from the memory of watching my friend's husband, who was a chef in Hong Kong, make it for some reason I wanted to see if what I was making was "accurate". A google search led me to one of my new favorite recipe sites -
This community driven site boasts recipes and photos posted by members. The members critic and embellish and share their versions of the same or similar dishes, many of them old family favorites. I didn't use any of the chicken recipes from the site but I have since trolled around and printed out a number I will be making soon. I'll let you know how they turn out.
The HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE recipe I make is a follows. This dish is made throughout Asia and each person has their own recipe so I am OK with the variations I have made. The key ingredients, chicken and rice aside, are scallions, garlic and soy sauce and you really can't go wrong with the amounts because you really only need be concerned about the amounts of water used to cook the rice!
CHICKEN1 3lb Chicken, skin on, cleaned and patted dry
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup thin soy sauce
( I use more soy because of flavor, but also because it colors the chicken)
1 cup chopped scallions
4 good size chunks of peeled, smashed fresh ginger, keep about 1 tbs on side
4-6 peeled and smashed cloves of garlic, keep about 1 tbs on side
1 tbs seasame oil
2 tbs veggie oil
3 cups rice
water for both chicken and rice
Instructions:
Clean and pat bird dry before lightly salting cavity.
You'll need a pot big enough to submerge the chicken, a skillet and a pot for the rice
Into the chicken pot add about 2 cups of cool water, about 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, soy sauce, 2/3 cup scallions, all ginger and garlic, expect for amount held to the side. Allow seasoned water warm before adding the clean, dry salted chicken into so that its breast down. The water should just cover and slightly submerge the chicken. If it doesn't add a bit more warm water
Let pot come to a slow rolling boil and cook for about 30-45 minutes. Halfway through turn chicken over.Once the chicken is done, lift it from the pot allowing all the stock to drain from it back into the pot before placing it on a plate to cool. (some people submerge it into an ice bath to stop cooking and firm up chicken)
DO NOT throw away chicken stock. You will use it to make the rice, straining it to remove all garlic, ginger and scallions.
RICE
Heat a skillet or wok and add veggie and seasame oils. Once hot add and stir fry garlic, ginger and scallions so that they season the oil. Add rice and stir fry until grains are oil coated and rice is a bit translucent. Transfer the rice mixture back to the original chicken pot, which should now be heating on the stove. Use the saved stock to cook the rice. Though the ration for liquid is 2:1 (6 cups liquid to 3 cups rice) I usually pour only enough liquid so that it is about 2 inches higher than the rice. Bring water to a boil until water is just above top of rice, stir once, cover with top and turn off heat leaving rice to "cook" for 20 minutes or so. Once cooked stir again to fluff.
FINISH
Chicken should be cool enough to handle and is usually eat cold (I like mine warm!). Carefully chop chicken parts into small bite size pieces to top a mound of rice, which is then garnished with chopped scallions. Whether or not you leave the skin on chopped chicken is your choice.
Some people make dipping sauces but I just sprinkle soy sauce and serve with fresh veggie and herb sides which include tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and more chopped scallions and cilantro.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Powdered Perfection in the Heat..
It's finally summer and the warm weather has arrived. It's the kind of weather I have a love/hate relationship with, especially when it comes to deciding what kind of make-up I can wear. With the heat and humidity my make-up usually ends up drifting on a cloud of perspiration, sweat for all us regular folks. To be honest I am not one for much make-up anyway. I avoid using a foundation, instead I opt for stratigically placed concealer and clear powder and more often than not I only apply in the morning and let the day work itself out. By 1pm you see what god gave and what time made me - lol!
While in Lot-Less recently I ran across Sally Hansen Line Smoothing Mineral Powder. Mineral Powders were all the rage a few years ago and have lingered on the market. There are many options in various price ranges out there but for $2.99 giving this product a try wasn't much of an investment for me.
Sally Hansen's Line Smoothing Mineral Powder is a multi hued powder that is meant to be sweeped and lightly dusted across your face. The combination of tones minimize lines and blemishes to create an even and smooth complexion. It comes in colorless, rose and bronze. The colorless powder still gave me enough of a bronzish glow for compliments on a "tan".
At the discounted and possibly discontinued price of $2.99 for the same results seeking this item out is worth the adventure. If in New York try Lot Less, Conway & Jack's on 34th Street!
This Girl Rocks!
Crystal Renn is the perfect example of a role model. Not because she is a model but because she has found a niche for herself in the modeling world based on what she looks like not what she should look like. At age 14 she was told that she had to lose 1/3 of her body weight in order to model. She struggled with her weight and health, gained 70lbs and begin modeling as a plus size model, but being labeled as such didn't stop her from expanding her career beyond those perimeters.Tall, beautiful and womanly, but more importantly finally at peace with the fact that she has curves and wears clothing that isn't a sample size, she is the only plus sized models to have ever graced the cover of Harper's Bazaar, has appeared in four international editions of Vogue and walked Jean-Paul Gaultier's catwalk.
Perhaps fashion models aren't the ideal role models since their talent is based on their beauty but having one whose beauty is closer in size and shape to your average woman is better than asking young girls and mature women to remain the lithe size of young boys and still have breasts and curves. Unfortunately we live in a society that at first glance values looks above intellect or talent and women aren't going to sud
denly wake up knowing that in the end our value and worth goes beyond how well we fill out a swim suit or pout at the camera. I would rather my niece admire someone like Crystal than to believe that a every woman can be a size 2 or 4 naturally and that reed thin models are the norm instead of the exception. Perhaps seeing Cystal and other women who are naturally the best their bodies can be will allow her to accept that there is more than one ideal and that she is perfect and beautiful as she is.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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