Wild Ginger

This is a simple variant on a typical table sauce. You could make this with red tomatoes instead of tomatillos and a non-smoked chile for something more similar to what you might see at your favorite taqueria or in a bottle. Cherie and I favor the smokey flavor of chipotle chilis and this is popular with us.

INGREDIENTS
Yield: ~ 1 cup
3 medium fresh tomatillos - husked and washed (about 4-6 ounces by weight)
3 lare cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 canned chipotle chilis, seeded plus one tablespoon adobo sauce
    (buy the canned chipotle chilis in adobo)
Salt, about ¼ teaspoon or to taste
1 teaspoon water

PREPARATION
1. Roast the tomatillos and unpeeled garlic: Using a comal, heavy skillet or griddle pan roast the tomatillos and garlic over medium heat. Heat both tomatillos and garlic until you see black spots developing and then turn. Turn frequently until both are soft, about 15 minutes. Then let cool, slipping off the skins of the garlic and chopping them up.

2. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor (I prefer blender for this) and puree. Add more water if too thick for your tastes.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground pork (preferably corsely ground pork butt)
1 cup finely chopped scallions
3 TB soy sauce
1 TB grated fresh ginger
½ lb. Chinese Napa cabbage, finely chopped
1 1 lb. package of gyoza (round dumpling) wrappers
Soy- Ginger Sauce (see below)

PREPARATION
In a large bowl: combine the pork, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil and fresh ginger. Mix well.
Add cabbage and combine thoroughly.
Do not combine all at once - you should add cabbage after all other ingredients are combined.

Making the dumplings:

• Place one dumpling wrapper on flat surface and place one slight tablespoon of filling in the center.
• Moisten edges of the wrapper with a little water, then fold wrapper over the filling to form a half-moon shape.
• Pinch center together first, then stand the dumpling up on edge and pleat one of the sides of the half moon twice - halfway between the outer edge and the center. Pleat the other side in the same manner and leave the dumpling standing up.
• Stand the finished dumplings on a baking sheet lined with wax paper - do not allow the sides of the dumplings to touch or they will stick together.
• Repeat using the remaining wrappers and pork filling

The dumplings can be made in advance and frozen for up to a couple of months in double, ziplock freezer bags. But they are best if cooked immediately - either boiled or pan fried.

Serve hot with the Ginger Soy Sauce on the side.

GINGER SOY SAUCE
¼ cup soy sauce (preferably Chinese)
¼ cup Chinese black vinegar (you may substitute balsamic if you cannot find black vinegar)
2 TB water
1 TB fresh ginger, finely chopped or julienned

I'm not from the South, let alone the Carolinas, so you'd be excused for saying "What does that white boy know about pulled pork or barbecue?" But not being Japanese has'nt stopped me from wielding a sushi knife, so I'm boldly venturing here because slow cooked pork is proof that God did not abandon the South. Full credit goes to Elise Bauer whose Pulled Pork Sandwich recipe is the basis for my own. I took one of her other ardent reader's suggestions to slow cook the pork in dry heat with a rub before combing with the sauce because I love the crusty texture and more taste that imparts. The rub's my own, as is the addition of chipotle for a little more complex, smokey zing.

INGREDIENTS
Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 chipotle chili's, finely chopped (dried or from a can packed in adobo are both fine)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons soysauce
¼ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup water

Dry Rub for the Pork
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup paprika

3 - 3.5 lbs of pork butt, trimmed of excess fat
Sandwich rolls or hamburger buns buns

PREPARATION

• Mix the ingredients for the dry rub and apply to outside of the pork butt.
• Place in a slow oven (250°) for 2 ½ to 3 hours until exterior has developed a crust and the interior is falling apart tender
  Even better: do this on your barbecue
• Place onion, garlic, chipotles, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar,soy sauce, ketchup, paprika, brown sugar and water in a blender or food processor - puree until smooth.
• Put sauce into a large pot, add bay leaf and bring to to boil and leave to simmer on very low heat while the pork cooks. Reduce the liquid to half its original volume
• When meat is cooked tender and ready to fall apart, remove from oven (or barbecue) and let rest for 20 minutes. Shred pork into small pieces with two forks.
• Add the pork back to sauce, incorporate well, and cook until mixture has is as thick or thin as you like to put on a sandwich
• Liberally load up your sandwich roll or bun and enjoy.

My mother's father was Swedish - his father from Uppsala and his mother from Lund - and some Swedish traditions survive in my family until today. My favorite (as well as my wife and kids') are Æbleskivers, those lovely little spherical pancakes so enjoyed by Swedes and Danes. You'll need an Æbleskiver pan, a cast iron skillet with little dome like pockets to cook the batter in. Should you not be able to find once easily at your local gourmet shop or via Amazon, try here.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups butter milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, separated
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

2 TB of melted butter, combined with 2 TB of vegetable oil

PREPARATION

• Separate eggs. Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
• In another bowl, beat egg yolks. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, salt, milk, flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well. Fold in egg whites.
• Preheat æbleskiner pan over medium-low heat.
• Brush the insides of the wells in the pan liberally with the oil and butter mixture (batter is sticky and you're essentially going to fry it anyway
• Fill each well about three-quarters full of batter
• Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until bottom of ball is nicely browned. Turn balls over and cook until browned. My mom swears that knitting needles are the traditional tool of choice for flipping but I find bamboo skewers or a pair of forks suit the purpose just fine.
• Keep balls warm, covered with a towel on a plate in the oven, about 200°F, until all the pancake balls are cooked. Serve 3 or 4 to a plate, drizzle with your favorit syrup (lingonberry is the traditional choice) or with a bit of powdered sugar.

If you're intimidated by the thought of getting the flipping technique down, try this video for a tutorial.

It is traditional to stick a bit of fruit inside of your aebleskivers. I small prune, a dried cherry or apples are common favorites (my daughter likes chocolate morsels). A good method is to cut a tart apple into small chunks, about sugar cube-size. Place the cubes in a plastic bag. Add 2 TB of sugar and ½ TSP of cardamom. Close top of bag and shake well to coat the apple pieces. Fill the wells with half full with batter and place an apple cube inside right after pouring the batter in.

Whatever you do, don't substitute plain milk for the buttermilk. You can leave out the cardamom, but then.... well, then they'd just be fried little batter balls, now wouldn't they?

Mmmm.... Mongolian Beef...simple, straight forward and tasty. Still can't make it as tasty as the chef at my favorite restaurant Sheep King, but this recipe still makes a darned good dish. I think the secret at Sheep King is to drop the beef for just five to ten seconds in boiling hot oil before finishing with the onions and peppers in the wok, which keeps the beef tender.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. flank steak, cut into thin strips (cut across the grain of the meat)
1 med. yellow onion, sliced
1 bunch green onions, cut 2 inches long
6-8 pieces dried hot chili peppers (red Chinese chili or Arbol chili)
2-3 slices ginger root
2 tbsp. cooking oil (high heat oil like peanut or safflower is preferred)

Marinade
1 tbsp. dark soy
2 tbsp. rice wine
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3-4 slices ginger root

PREPARATION

• Marinate the meat in the marinade for 35-40 minutes
• Heat up cooking oil in wok or heavy skillet until smoking
• Add yellow onion and cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes
• Add ginger, and chili peppers - cook for 15 seconds
• Add meat and cook for 2-4 minutes until done, adding green onions for last minute of cooking

Serve immediately with steamed rice.

I love Szechuan food, and even though Kung Pao Chicken is probably something invented by Chinese immigrants in America (Peanuts? An American invention in the 19th century by George Washington Carver), its one of my favorites probably only surpassed by Mongolian Beef.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. chicken breast, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes.
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1½ tbsp. cold water
Cornstarch
¼ tbsp. garlic salt
4 dried red chilis or more to taste (Chinese red chilis or Arbot chilis)
1 tbsp. rice wine
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sesame olk
Oil for deep frying
1 tsp. peeled and minced ginger root
½ cup peanuts

PREPARATION

• Combine chicken, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, cold water, 1½ tbsp. cornstarch, and garlic salt in a bowl. Stir evenly in one direction and let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Remove tips and seeds from chiles and cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Combine remaining soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, 1 tsp. cornstarch, salt, and sesame oil in small bowl.
• Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in wok to 400°F
• Add chicken and fry 30 seconds
• Remove chicken and drain off all but 2 tbsp. of oil
• Heat oil and fry chiles until black
• Add gingerroot, peanuts and chicken, stirring and tossing together
• Add soy-wine mixture and cook, stirring, just until thickened

Serve immediately with steamed rice.

If you're the type of American who believes Chile was invented in Texas, than this dish isn't what you're expecting and might prefer to call it "Meat in Red Chile Sauce". This is a more traditional Mexican recipe that uses pork, not beef and no beans or tomatoes. Just good, toasted chilis and meat simmered to perfection. This is a dish well served in a burrito or tamale or just served in a bowl with hot, fresh tortillas. Props to Rick Bayless from whom this recipe is shamlessly swiped and minimally altered.

INGREDIENTS
8 medium (about 2½ ounces total) dried chiles de teierra
     New Mexico or California chiles,stemmed, seeded and deveined
3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
½ medium white onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. cumin seeds (or a generous ½ tsp. ground)
1½ tbsp lard or vegetable oil
1½ lbs lean, bonelss pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ tsp salt or to taste

PREPARATION
The chiles
Heat a comal or heavy skillet over medium heat and tear the chiles into flat pieces. Toast them on the hot surface a few at a time, pressing them down firmly with a metal spatula for a few seconds until they crackle and change color (they should turn very dark, even near black). Then flip them over and press down for a few seconds more. Remove from comal or skillet and put in a bowl, covering with boiling water - make sure to weight them down to keep them submerged, soaking for half an hour, then drain and reserve 1 cup of soaking liquid.

The sauce
Transfer the chiles and reserved liquid to a blender jar, adding garlic, onion and oregeno. Pulverize the cumin seeds in a mortar or spice grinder and add to the chile mixture in the blender. Blend mixture until smooth, then strain through a medium mesh sieve or cheesecloth.

Frying the meat
Heat lard or oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Make sure the pork is dry (use a papertowel if necessary), then lay in the hot skillet in an single layer without crowding the meat - fry in batches if necessary. Fry until meat is browned, about ten minutes, turning and scraping the pan frequently.

Simmering and Finishing
Add the puréed chile mixture to the pan and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom frequently until the purée is thick and notabley darker than when you poured it into the pan.

Scrape the mixture into a medium-sized sauce pan, stirring in salt and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, partially cover and simmer over memdium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the meat is very tender; if the sauce thickens beyond the consistency of heavy cream, add a little more water. Taste for salt and add if necessary.

Serve with warm tortillas - I like to add freshly chopped white onion and cilantro as a topping, with a wedge of lime on the side.

If there's a basic toolkit for Mexican cooking, it contains basic red chile and green chile recipes. This one is about as simple as it gets for a chile verde. You could substitute a medium sized tomato for the tomatillos if you like (don't bother roasting them beforehand as you would the tomatillos) - different but acceptable for gringos.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. pork shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes
4 green chiles, peeled and chopped
     long green chiles, not Serrano.
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tomatillos
1 cup boiling water
Salt & Pepper

PREPARATION
The Tomatillos
Peel the papery husks from the tomatillos, wash them and stem them and cut them into quarters. Heat a comal or heavy skillet on medium-high heat and place the tomatillos on the fully heated surface. Cook tomatillos pieces all all sides until each side gets black spots on them. Be careful not to cook so long that they get too squishy to remove with tongs. Take out of skillet and place aside.

The Chile
Sauté pork in oil until well browned. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of oil/fat. Heat again and add chopped chiles, garlic, onion cooking for about 1 minute. Add tomatillo pieces and water, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and simmer 1 hour.

I grew up in the Los Angeles area, near Hollywood where the Musso & Frank Grill is an institution. This simple and classic recipe for lamb shanks is theirs, proudly served for the last 88 years.

INGREDIENTS
4 lamb shanks
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
     Salt & pepper
8 medium carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
8 small Crimini mushrooms (caps only)
8 small slice celery
1 (8-oz.) can of tomato sauce
1 cup peas (frozen are fine)

PREPARATION

• Sprinkle the lamb shanks with garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, turning frequently to brown on all sides
• Add carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, and tomato sauce
• Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until meat is tender
• Add peas after 30 minutes baking time