THE GOOD SMELLS INVASION THE FOLK FESTIVAL RECIPES AND A FEW DOZEN MORE! by MARK WARHAFT copywrite -- 1994 Mark Warhaft Published by: MarkBookMark Winnipeg, Canada Printed by: Derksen Printers Ltd. Steinbach, Canada =============== CONTENTS INFO PAGES... Pesto and Basil 8 Oils 10 Chillis and Chilli Sauces 12 Garlic 14 Poaching Chickens 22 Woks and Stir-Frying 26 Shrimp Info 34 Fried Rice Info 36 Noodles Info 38 Fart Free Beans 44 Index 48 THE RECIPES... Orange Crunch Beef 7 Fried Cheese 9 > w/ Tomato-Basil Sauce Pesto Pita Melts 9 Spring Rolls 11 Thai Sour Hot Soup 13 Spicy Thai Salad 15 Greek Salad 15 Japan Pizza 16 Spinach Walnut Salad w/ 17 > Raspberry Vinaigrette Green Beens w/ 17 > Sesame-Miso Dressing Chicken and Apricot Balls 18 Steamed Fish 18 Tabouli 19 Oriental Ham Salad 21 Chicken and Avocado Pita 23 Mark's Mild Mexican Sauce 23 Kebab in Pita 25 Cantonese Stir Fry 27 Lemongrass Garlic Pork 29 > w/ Cashews Bucket of Fire 31 Mark's Vindaloo 31 Fried Spaghetti w/ 33 > Black Pepper Steak Shanghai Fat Noodle 33 Garlic Shrimp 35 Greek Shrimp w/ Feta 35 > and Rosemary Chinese, Thai, and 37 > Nicaraguan Fried Rice Singapore Vermicelli 39 Thai Noodles (Pad Thai) 39 The Best Pasta Salad 40 Curried Potato Salad 40 Vegies in Coconut Milk 41 International Drinks 42 Vegie Curry 43 Burritos 45 Thai Roast Beef Salad 47 =============== INTRODUCTION Eating and enjoying food is probably the most personal and individual of human pursuits. Everybody has different tastes, and these tastes are made up of a variety of factors. Some people like only the traditional food that they were brought up with. Some like only new and exotic foods. Some like it spicy, and some gag at even the thought of a little pepper. People eat meat and potatoes, or fish and rice, or pizza, or beans. In the late twentieth century, we find that North American tastes have become far more international. And with this world focus, there are developing new cuisines. This is the direction of modern international cooking. People are cooking within their own style: picking and choosing from the ingredients they like best. Perhaps what characterizes them best is the focus on freshness, lightness, and boldness of flavour. The recipes in this book developed over years of eating foods from around the world. I would taste something, and try and make it back home... even if I did not have a recipe for it. Many of the recipes are not 'classic' but show my own interpretation. Some of them are my own inventions. I think that most of the recipes here are easy to follow, and work quite well. There are very few special ingredients or cooking techniques. I do suggest that people read the information pages, as I have tried to make this book as educational as possible. Bon Appetit! THANK YOU -- THANK YOU -- THANK YOU -- THANK YOU There are a few people I would like to thank. My parents deserve a lot of credit. My father taught me at a very early age how to use chopsticks and how to never leave even one grain of rice in the rice bowl -- I miss him. My mother has given me a wealth of knowledge about food and techniques. She also helped with the editing -- thanks Mum! Y-Liang Wang of the Winnipeg Mandarin Restaurants was my first and greatest cooking teacher. Her classic techniques and innovative approach to taste have stayed with me all these years. And to all the people at the Winnipeg Folk Festival -- staff and audience -- thanks to you too. -- MARK WARHAFT =============== ORANGE-CRUNCH BEEF My idea for this dish came from a TV show I saw years before I knew anything about Thai food. I was intrigued with the strong use of flavour and texture. It was originally served in a hollowed half orange. With the lettuce and crunchy noodle it becomes an elegant and fun appetizer. This is an easy dish to make, and there are some nice possible variations. It can be cooked in any sort of pan or wok, and takes only a few minutes. It is good as a side meat dish at an Asian dinner, or an interesting appetizer. FESTIVAL STYLE 250g (8oz) ground beef 2-4 Tbs thin sliced garlic ( p.14) 2 Tbs orange juice concentrate or 8 Tbs fresh-squeezed 1-2 Tbs Louisiana hot sauce, or 1/2 Tsp Tabasco (p.12) Juice of one orange At medium heat, fry garlic in 2 Tbs oil until it starts to brown. Add meat. Stir gently until the meat loses its red colour, but do not let it brown very much. If a lot of fat comes out of the meat, pour it off. Add OJ concentrate (or fresh juice) and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add hot sauce and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed into the meat. It should still be juicy. Just before serving add fresh OJ. Serve sprinkled with crunchy rice (see below) and garnished with orange slices. VARIATIONS 1 -- Use only fresh juice, and serve the meat in the scooped-out orange. Top with crunchy rice. 2 -- Omit the rice, and serve on a bed of crunchy bean-thread noodle (p.38) with a side plate of big head lettuce leaves (washed and dried). Try to keep the leaves whole so they can hold a few spoonfuls of the mixture. At the table, crunch the noodles down underneath the meat, and put a mix of meat, soggy and crunchy noodle in a leaf. Roll, fold, and eat. CRUNCHY RICE In 4 Tbs of hot oil, fry 2 Tbs dry, uncooked rice. Stir continually until the rice puffs a little and turns white. Cook a few more minutes, but remove if it starts to brown. Drain the oil. The rice should be crunchy, but not gritty or hard. --7-- =============== --8-- BASIL AND PESTO There are more than thirty different types of basil and mint in the Labiatae family. Used in cuisines right across the world, the flavours vary as much as the cuisines themselves. I generally use an Asian basil in my cooking, whether for Asian or European dishes. It has a nice spicy taste, lasts a long time in the fridge, and is not as expensive as the European sweet basil usually sold at major supermarkets. It is identifiable by its purple stem and is readily available in Vietnamese and many Chinese grocery stores. In India, where it grows wild, it is known as Tulsi, and I have had many a fun evening making Italian food there! There is another basil that is not readily available in North America, and that is a pity. Thai Holy Basil, Bai Kaprow, has one of the most amazing flavours you could possibly imagine. Its rich intense taste is released only after cooking, and Thais generally put this in a stir-fry dish right at the end. The most common use is with chicken or shrimp in a garlic-oyster sauce. I have seen this basil only in some special chilli sauces imported from Thailand, or on the menus of some Thai restaurants that grow it themselves. Sometimes seeds are available at Asian grocery stores. It is easy to grow at home; I grow my own in a pot under a grow lamp. I certainly recommend trying it. PESTO Pesto is an ideal paste to keep in the fridge for use in quick dishes. Its rich flavour is ideal in pastas, soups, on meats, or just grilled on pita (p.9). 1 bunch Asian basil, chopped 4-8 cloves garlic, crushed with 1-2 Tsp salt 1/4 cup pine nuts 1/2 cup grated parmesan 1/2-3/4 cup olive oil Blend the basil, garlic and pine nuts for 30 seconds, and then add the pine nuts. Blend another 30 seconds and slowly add the olive oil. Blend until creamy. --8-- =============== --9-- FRIED CHEESE WITH TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE Paneer cheese is a firm cream cheese originally from India. It is available in most Indian and Caribbean grocery stores, and often in health food shops and supermarkets. There is no real substitute. FRIED CHEESE 250g (8oz) paneer cheese 4 Tbs chickpea flour (besan) 2 Tsp cumin Cut the paneer into .5 cm (1/4in) slices. Mix the cumin and flour, and dredge the cheese slices in the mixture. Gently pat the cheese so the flour is pushed in a little. If the cheese is dry, add a few drops of water to the flour-cumin mixture and form a very thick batter. Pan fry in 2 Tbs oil at med to med-hi until browned (4-5 min). Turn and brown other side. Serve with Tomato- Basil Sauce as a dip, or stuff the cheese pieces with some sauce inside a pita pocket. TOMATO BASIL SAUCE 2 Tbs olive oil 2 Tbs finely minced onion 1 Tsp tomato paste 2-3 tomatoes -- peeled (opt.), rough-chopped and seeded 2 Tbs finely minced fresh basil leaves (p.8) At medium heat saute the onion in the oil. When it goes almost translucent add the tomato paste and stir for a minute, letting the paste fry into the oil. Add the tomatoes, and cook till the liquid has thickened a bit (around 5 minutes). Reduce heat, and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the basil, simmer for one minute, and serve. PESTO PITA MELTS Spread 1-2 Tbs pesto (p.8) on a whole pita. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and top-grill until cheese melts. Cut in wedges and serve on a heated plate. --9-- =============== --10-- OILS I use a variety of oils in my cooking. At the Festival booth we use only canola oil for cooking. For general day-to-day cooking I use canola as well, but for stir-frying I like peanut oil. It is very thick and perfect for full-heat wok cooking. Unfortunately, it is expensive, spoils easily, and on occasion can kill an allergic soul. I try to counteract these problems by buying 4l. bulk, keeping most of it in the freezer in 500ml containers, and keeping one defrosted container in the fridge. Rancid peanut oil is difficult to smell and is very carcinogenic, so I also keep my peanuts in the fridge. Most nut and mustard oils too. If I am cooking for people I don't know, I always ask about allergies. The festival booth uses regular virgin olive oil for a few dishes. At home or for banquets I use the regular for cooking, but for salads and other uncooked uses I use extra virgin; the taste is worth the extra price. Some nice rich oils are available in 1-2 litre bottles at reasonable prices. Olive oil lasts a long time, and isn't as critical in its need for refrigeration as other oils. And it's a healthy oil; some say it even lowers cholesterol. So if you use a bit extra because of its gorgeous taste... Ghee (clarified butter) is worshipped by millions worldwide. Often used on skin and in hair, it also makes the best curries. To make a good rich, curry one must use a lot of ghee, but unfortunately, being butter fat, it is probably not good for cholesterol levels. On the other hand, for people who are active and do not eat a lot of meat, cholesterol may not be a problem: human beings must get their oils somewhere. I generally use canola oil, or a mix of canola oils and ghee, for curries. Sesame oil (not cold-pressed) is used for flavour almost as if it were a perfume. Two or three drops on top of a Chinese dish can make it come alive. Five or six more might ruin it. Keep it in the fridge. SEASONED OILS One nice thing to do with oils is to preserve herbs or spices in them. Olive oil is great with either garlic or fresh basil crushed into it (or both). Another trick is too gently fry dry chillis in oil and then use the oil as a seasoning for soups or noodles. Try finishing off curries or dals by heating ghee or oil and frying quickly some cumin or mustard seeds (careful, they pop!). Pour the oil and spices over the dish just before serving. --10-- =============== --11-- VEGIE SPRING ROLLS Most banquets that I have catered have been buffets: large plates of food that people help themselves to. But sometimes I have to prepare some type of finger food as an appetizer or for a snack. I took the Vietnamese idea of using rice paper without frying as a skin for spring rolls. I like their greaseless and healthy taste. The mixture inside is more Chinese than Vietnamese, though. Try serving them with green onion soy sauce (p.21). 1 cup Chinese (or Napa) cabbage, shredded 1 small carrot, finely shredded 1/2 cup bean sprouts 1/2 cup cloud ear (tree ear, black fungus) mushroom, soaked 1/2 hour 1/4 cup Chinese chives, minced 1/2 cup Chinese dry black mushroom, soaked 1-2 hours 1/4 cup rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water (optional) 1 Tbs soy sauce 1/2 Tbs cooking wine 1/2 Tsp sugar salt and pepper 1 package 20cm (8") round dry rice paper In 2 Tbs oil, stir-fry (p.26) the chives for one minute. Drain and add the black mushrooms, and one minute later add the cloud ear mushrooms.Then sprinkle with the cooking wine, a little salt and some pepper. Add the cabbage and carrots and cook until the juices start to come out (3-4 minutes). Add the sprouts, soy sauce and the sugar. Cook another minute and remove from the heat. Drain the juice (saving it to use in a soup if you wish). On a table lay out a clean dish towel. Put out as many rice papers as will fit on the towel, and gently spray them with water from a plant sprayer. Rice paper usually needs a fair bit of water to get them sticky enough to hold together, but not so wet that they fall apart. A few trial runs should teach you quickly! Fold the bottom quarter of the rice paper up to provide for a strong wrap, and put in a spoonful of mixture (not too much). Fold the sides over and roll. Serve. FRIED SPRING ROLLS These can be either deep fried or shallow fried in medium hot oil. If you are making them for frying, brush them with sugar water instead of the spraying, as this will help browning and making them crisp. For fried spring rolls, try using minced pork or crab meat instead of the cabbage. Or Orange-Crunch Beef (p.7). --11-- =============== --12-- CHILLI Chillis are native to the New World, and have been eaten and cultivated there for over 7,000 years. They were not introduced into Asian and Western foods until the sixteenth century -- a mere 450 years ago. Given their popularity in Indian, Chinese, and Thai foods, one wonders what those cuisines were like before that. It is hard to imagine Thai food that does not leave blisters in one's mouth, but there you go. I generally use the small red and green chillis available at most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. They are not as hot as the tiny Thai 'mouse-shit' peppers, but they are close. When they are not available, I will use fresh jalepeno peppers, as they are just about as hot. Chillis should be handled with care. The oils can be very irritating to skin and especially to the eyes. When I first started cooking, I had a woman over for dinner on a first date. She asked if she could help. I gave her some chillis to seed... and five minutes later she was crying in agony. She had touched her eyes. We went out for a while, but she never helped me in the kitchen again! Some people use rubber gloves when handling chillis. Different parts of the chilli have different flavour. The seeds and membrane are the hottest part, but they can be a little bitter. If you are just starting out on the chilli road, try seeding your chillis and removing the membrane before use. You can cook chillis in different ways resulting in different types of burn. If they are put into a wet dish, then a deep rich burn will develop. If they are fried in hot oil they will release a strong tear- jerking, throat-catching aroma that will be translated into food. Saving yourself from afterburn is not as easy as one might think. Water does worse than nothing; it actually moves the hot oils all around the mouth. Yogurt and rice are both good, and so is beer! Salty foods lower the burn, and sweet foods increase it. CHILLI PASTES AND SAUCES The world is full of chilli concoctions just waiting for you. Some are fairly mild, like some sweet Thai sauces, and some can literally cause damage -- my mum burnt her oesophagus with an Indian chilli sauce once. In my Folk Festival cooking I use only three different sauces. The first (and mildest) is Louisiana Hot Sauce. There are many brands available, but I use Presidents Choice -- it has a good deep roast chilli flavour and a nice vinegary tang. As a substitute Tabasco is fine, but quite a bit hotter! Koon Yick Wah Kee from Hong Kong is an old favourite. It is the best brand of the not sweet, smooth sauces commonly served in Chinese Dim Sum (Yum Cha) restaurants. It has a rich, slightly salty taste, and a good inner mouth burn. Rooster Brand Sambel Olek is little more than chopped chilli in vinegar. It has a biting lip burn, and a little goes a long way! Other Sambel Oleks have some spices added, but this California-made one is simple, pure, and great. They also make a chilli-garlic paste and a smooth Sri Racha chilli-garlic sauce that are excellent. --12-- =============== --13-- THAI SOUR HOT SOUP (TOM YAM) I once ordered this soup in Bangkok. I smacked the palm of my hand with my fist and said "Hot! I want it hot." They seemed to understand, and it was so blistering that it took me forty-five minutes to finish it. But I still like this soup that hot. Thailand's version of this soup is completely different than the popular Chinese one. Made from a clear shrimp stock, it is flavoured with lime juice, lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce, fried garlic and chilies. Serve with fried garlic (p.14) and 'nam pla prik' on the side. Shells from 500g (1lb) shrimp 200-500g (1/3-1lb) shrimp. 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut in 5cm (2in) pieces 6 lime leaves (fresh, frozen or dried), if available 2-3cm (1 inch) piece Thai ginger (kha, galangal, or laos), if available Fish sauce -- Thai or Vietnamese, but not Chinese 1 medium onion, sliced 4 cloves sliced garlic Lemon or lime juice, or both 4 Tbs chopped hot fresh chili peppers (p.12) 2 medium tomatoes, wedged into eighths 1/2 cup small whole button mushrooms (or large halves) 4 Tbs fried garlic (p.14) Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves Remove the shells from the shrimp and keep them. Treat the shrimp as per p.34. The soup needs all the shells, but only a third of the shrimp. But if you are not making another shrimp dish, use them all in the soup! Saute the onion and garlic in 2 Tbs oil until they start to brown. Add the shrimp shells and fry until they become orange and smell great. Add half the fried garlic, half the lemongrass, half the lime leaves, and all the Thai ginger. Cover with 1 litre (4 cups) water. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Only partially cover the pot. Simmer 20-30 minutes, and strain. Return to low heat, and add enough fish sauce to make the soup slightly salty and enough chopped chili to give a bite. Bring to a boil and quickly toss in the shrimp, tomato wedges and mushrooms, plus the rest of the lemongrass and lime leaves. Stir once, reduce heat, and simmer for 3-6 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp). Add enough lemon juice to make it tangy,Serve garnished on the side with coriander leaves, lime wedges, fried garlic, and Nam Pla Prik -- 2 Tbs lime juice, 1-2 Tbs fish sauce, 2-3 minced fresh chilies (including the seeds). --13-- =============== --14-- GARLIC I use an lot of garlic. I also use a lot of different garlics. I like garlic. Fresh garlic is the best. Garlic salt is the worst. Indian garlic-pickle may trigger the single best taste sensation in the world. Considered a medicine by some, garlic should always be used carefully. Cook it quickly at high heat and it gets a rich half- burnt flavour. Cooked gently and in large quantity it can become as sweet as candy (almost). Crush it with a little salt (releasing the oils) and use this fresh garlic paste in salad dressings, curries, or in cheese sandwiches! DRIED GARLIC FLAKES Dried garlic flakes are the best alternative to fresh for most cooking. Many fine Chinese restaurants use them in place of fresh with admirable results. They look dangerously like almond flakes, so don't get them confused. They are available very cheaply at most Asian grocery stores. Soak the flakes in a little water for ten minutes. The garlic will stay fresh for a day or so. Cooking with dried garlic is easy. It does not burn as easily as fresh, and actually should be cooked a little longer to release the flavour. It is perfect for full-heat wok cooking, curries, spaghetti sauces, and marinated meats -- most dishes except those using raw garlic (eg. vinaigrette dressings), or those needing a delicate garlic taste (eg. fried garlic, tomato-basil sauce, or Thai sour-hot soup). FRIED GARLIC Small bits of lightly fried garlic can do amazing things to your cooking. Just sprinkle it on anything just before serving. It is a necessary ingredient in many Thai dishes. You can make it fresh, or buy it very cheaply in Asian grocery shops. I like one that comes from Taiwan that is crunchy and not too greasy. To make -- Fry at very low heat 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced cross-wise, in a little oil. Olive oil is nice if you are using it for an Italian dish. It should take 5-10 minutes. Nice and slow! --14-- =============== --15-- SPICY THAI SALAD As more and more people started coming to our booth for its spicy nature, we had to change our menus. This spicy Thai salad can be (and should be) made very hot. 1/2 cabbage, shredded 2 tomatoes, cut in wedges 1/4 red onion, sliced 1/2 cup fresh mint 1-2 Tbs Thai fish sauce 1-2 Tbs lemon or lime juice 1 Tbs fresh garlic, minced 1-3 Tsp Vietnamese Chilli Paste (p.12) 1 Tsp sugar 4 Tbs peanuts Mix the fish sauce, lemon juice, garlic, chilli paste, and sugar to make the dressing. Taste, and depending on the strength of the fish sauce, adjust for an equal blend of flavours. Fish sauce for a salty taste; lemon juice for sour; and chilli for heat. Add the dressing to the cabbage and let sit for up to 4 hours. Toss in the onion and mint, decorate with tomato wedges, and top with peanuts. Serve. Cooked shrimp and/or slices of hard boiled egg can be used as further garnish. GREEK SALAD For the first four years of the booth's existence, we served over 4,000 pounds of Greek salad. As it was all cut fresh on site, it proved ultimately to be a logistical nightmare. So if you miss it, please make it at home! 1 cucumber 2 large tomatoes 1 cup chopped lettuce 1/4 red onion, sliced 150g (5 oz) feta cheese 12 Greek Kalamata olives 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove of garlic 3-4 Tbs red wine vinegar 1 Tsp oregano 1/2 Tsp sugar 1/2 Tsp pepper 1/2 Tsp salt Slice the cucumber lengthways, and the chop in thick slices. Cut the tomatoes in thick wedges and mix with the cucumber, onion, lettuce and cheese. Mince the garlic and then mash it with the salt. Add to the olive oil, and the add the vinegar, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Also add a little juice from the olives. Toss the salad with the dressing and garnish with the olives. --15-- =============== --16-- JAPAN PIZZA I was raised by my parents on the finest of French and Chinese cuisines (lucky me). I was eating pat‚ de fois gras when I was seven, and I have been using chopsticks since I was five or six. Since I was fourteen I have loved Indian curries, and as soon as I discovered Thai food I fell for that too. But there is still nothing to compare to a great pizza. Over and above everything I probably love pizza more than any other food. And I'm sure that there are many people out there just like me. Closet pizza nuts! Last winter I was travelling through Asia, and even though I love all foods, I missed my weekly pizza. So when I got to Japan (home of everything Western!), I was ready for even a chain pizza. Pizza Hut, Shakeys, Dominos... they are all there. But with a difference. Japanese pizza places (and there are many that are not chains) have all the regular pizzas, but they also have their own unique twists. Egg, mayonnaise, curry, potato, potato salad, corn, squid, rice... all show up on pizzas. One of the great all-time additions to the pizza topping repertoire has got to be corn niblets. They are tangy and crunchy, and work with almost anything. Small clumps of boiled spinach are also great. Little strips of squid work taste a bit like bacon, while a curry seafood combination (shrimp, scallops, squid, corn) might be the pizza giant of the late 1990's. Cracking an egg in the centre just a few minutes before serving also gives a slight smoky taste that goes great with bacon. Many Hawaiian pizzas (ham and pineapple) have egg on them in Japan. Of the stranger combinations, there are two great ones that stand out in my mind. One is called an Ikamentai Mix. Ika is squid, and Mentaiko is spicy cod roe. It is served with mushroom, and topped with shredded seaweed (nori) at the end. Of course it has cheese and tomato sauce -- it is a pizza after all! The other one that I fell in love with is the Shoga Nori (pickled ginger and seaweed). It is a simple shrimp pizza, but with those little shreds of pickled ginger usually served with sushi. The nori is sprinkled on after cooking. PITA PIZZAS Sometimes I cheat and make pizzas on a pita bread. It is fast and easy. And if you put it on a double layered pan (like in toaster ovens), the bottom does not dry out. If you get the timing just right, people would not even know the difference. --16-- =============== --17-- SPINACH-WALNUT SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE I love strong bold tastes. And I love raspberries. Need I say more? I have tried out this salad at a few banquets lately, and it has gone over very well. The combination of its fruity sweetness and sourness set off the spinach very well. The walnuts round off the texture contrasts perfectly. 1 bunch spinach, washed well, dried, and ripped into small shreds 50g (2oz) walnuts, or walnut pieces 1/4 cup red onion, sliced 2 cloves of garlic, mashed into 1 Tsp salt 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbs white vinegar 2 Tbs real raspberry concentrate 1/2 Tsp fresh-ground black pepper Place the walnuts in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes. Check them after a couple of minutes, as they can burn easily. An alternative is to gently saute them in oil for a few minutes, and then drain them on a paper towel. Either way, let them cool before using them. They can be lightly salted if you so desire. The dressing is so easy. Just mix the oil, vinegar, raspberry concentrate, garlic, salt and pepper together. Depending on the concentrate, you may have to adjust the ratios, but just taste it. It should be tangy, and fruity, but still have enough oil that it is a dressing. When ready to serve, mix the spinach, walnuts, onions, and the dressing and toss. If you can get fresh Shiso leaf (perilla) at your local Asian grocery store, it makes a nice addition. GREEN BEANS WITH SESAME-MISO DRESSING This is a quick and delicious salad from Japan. Boil young green beans until they become a bright green (just a couple of minutes), remove and plunge into icy cold water. To make the dressing, mix 1-2 Tsp of sesame paste with 2 Tbs miso (red or white) and a few Tbs water. Heat gently for a minute or so, stirring continually. Let cool and stir into the beans and serve. --17-- =============== --18-- SOMETHING STEAMED Steaming is a fast, easy, and very nutritious way of preparing foods. Chinese bamboo steamers are cheap and come in many sizes. Just put them over a pot of boiling water. With long steamings, make sure that the pot does not run dry! CHICKEN APRICOT BALLS 250g (8oz) chicken breast 125g (4oz) dried apricots 125g (4oz) walnuts 1 bunch coriander, chopped 2 Tbs bread crumbs 1 egg 1 Tsp cornstarch 1 Tsp cooking wine 1 Tbs soy sauce 1 Tsp sugar 1 Tsp white pepper 1-2 Tsp salt Toast the walnuts in the oven at 300 degrees for a few minutes, and let cool. Finely mince (or process) the chicken. Do the same with the apricots and the walnuts. Mix everything together and form 3-4cm (1 1/2in) balls. Steam ten minutes. Squeeze a lemon over them and serve. STEAMED SHRIMP SKEWERS Marinate shrimp (p.34) in powdered lemongrass, crushed garlic, and a shot of Tabasco. Skewer 3-4 shrimp on bamboo skewers (shell on or off) and steam for 3-4 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. Do not overcook! Dribble with Nam Pla Prik (p.13). STEAMED FISH FILLETS Try steaming fish fillets for five minutes with ginger and green onion shreds on top. Pickerel and sole are both nice this way. Heat some oil in a wok and add a shot of soy sauce and pour over the fish. A five minute dish! CHICKEN WITH BLACK MUSHROOMS In a small bowl, mix chicken parts, soaked Chinese black mushrooms, a little cooking wine and soy sauce, a pinch of salt and pepper, and some shredded ginger and green onion. Cover the bowl with a saucer and steam 45 minutes. --18-- =============== --19-- TABOULI While in a small hill-station in southern India, I was invited to a full moon party. It was also pot-luck. In the local grocery store I found a bag that was labelled 'Cracked Wheat.' In the market I was lucky enough to find some real parsley, and I bought some olive oil in a medicine shop. The rest was easy! 250g cracked bulgar wheat 1 bunch parsley -- very finely chopped 1 Tbs fresh garlic -- crushed with 1/2 Tsp salt 1 small red onion -- finely chopped 2 medium tomatoes -- chopped 1 green pepper -- finely chopped 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 1 Tsp malt vinegar or a dash of Worcestershire sauce juice of one large lemon salt and pepper And any or all of the following: sprouted lentils, cooked chick peas shredded carrots tofu marinated in garlic and tamari fresh mint leaves ------- There are two ways of preparing the bulgar. I find that soaking it in cold water for a few hours is the best. The wheat then gets a firm texture. Otherwise, soak the wheat in very hot water until soft (about ten minutes). Drain and set aside. Soak half the garlic in the lemon juice, and the other half in the olive oil. I like to salt my tomatoes and let them drain for fifteen minutes. For the standard tomatoes (which are unfortunately often rather flavourless) this salting removes extra water and gives a more intense flavour. Just use very little salt in the rest of the dish. If the onions are strong they can be soaked in ice water or a little lemon juice. Mix the bulgar with the olive oil, and then add the parsley and lemon juice. Toss in the rest of the ingredients, and serve. --19-- =============== --21-- ORIENTAL HAM SALAD PITA Many years ago Elizabeth Baird published this recipe in the Toronto Star. I used to serve it from one of my street carts. 500g (1lb) lean ham 2 Tsp minced ginger 3/4 cup minced green onions 1-2 Tsp white pepper 1 Tsp soy sauce 250g (1/2lb) bean sprouts 2 Tbs oil Cut the ham into 1cm (1/2in) cubes. In the oil, stir-fry (p.26) the ginger and green onion until you get the 'good smell.' Add the ham, and toss so that the ham just singes a bit. Toss in the pepper and the soy sauce and stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds. Remove from heat and chill. Mix with the bean sprouts and stuff into a pita. Serve with Green Onion Soy Sauce. GREEN ONION SOY SAUCE 1/3 cup chopped green onion 1 Tbs finely minced ginger 1 finely minced clove garlic 1/2 cup light soy sauce 3 Tbs Chinese red vinegar 1-2 Tbs white vinegar 1/4 Tsp white pepper 1/2 Tsp sesame oil Combine all the ingredients and let stand overnight or longer. I store it in the fridge, and just strain it as I need it. It will last for weeks. It is also great on fried rice, with fried chicken, on steamed fish, or just about anything where a slightly tangy soy sauce is needed. I would not use it for cooking though. VARIATIONS Add some shredded cabbage and green pepper to the wok after the ham, and serve as a salad with a dressing of orange juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. If you find the raw bean sprout flavour too intense, add it to the wok at the end of the dish for just a few seconds. That should remove any bitterness. --21-- =============== --22-- POACHING CHICKENS There is nothing as boring and sad as a dried out boiled chicken. Yet there is nothing as wholesome and satisfying as a juicy and tender poached chicken. I use fryers of 1 1/2 to 2 kg. (3-4lbs), or when available, range-fed chickens. One of the great disasters of modern industrial society has to do with battery-fed chickens. Cooped up in horrible conditions and fed hormones and antibiotics, chickens nowadays should probably be avoided for political, moral, and health reasons. From a culinary point of view, they should be avoided for the simple reason that they have very little flavour. So it goes. The trick to a good poached chicken lies in never letting it boil. Keeping the pot just at the simmering point will gently coax a chicken into juicy glory. Also, the resulting stock will be absolutely delicious. In a very large pot bring to a boil enough water as will cover the chicken. While heating the water, wash the chicken in cold water. It is not necessary to remove any fat or skin, as that is easily done after cooking. Add 2 tbs salt and 1cm (1/2 inch) of sliced fresh ginger to the water. When at a rolling boil, add the chicken. The water will stop boiling. Partially cover the pot leaving a 5cm (2inch) gap. As the water starts to come to a boil again, lower the heat gradually, trying to maintain just a gentle simmer with only a few bubbles coming up at a time. Adjusting the gap of the lid can help keep a slow simmer. I find that it usually takes ten to fifteen minutes to stabilize a pot. Skim the scum off the stock occasionally .It is ready when the legs move easily away from the body -- around 45 minutes. Remove the chicken, saving the stock! Rinse under cold water. Now you can do any number of things. Just serve it as is, with boiled potatoes or rice. Cut it into eight pieces (legs, thighs, wings, and split down the back-bone) and serve with a few sauces as dips (soy, chilli, peanut, hoisin...). Or, using your hands (wearing gloves if you want), remove all the meat from the bones and shred it, separating the meat from skin and fat. This is what I do for the Chicken and Avocado pita (p.23). For freezing, mix the shreds with 1 Tbs lemon juice and 1 Tsp salt, and bag it. The stock should be cooled quickly by pouring it back and forth between pots -- then strained, and refrigerated. The fat will rise to the top and solidify. It can be used as a base for many soups, Chinese sauces, or as a simple bouillon served with some chopped ginger and green onion. If you need to use it while still hot, put a small jar in a pot, and pour the stock into the jar. The fat will rise, and spill over the edge into the pot, leaving fat- free chicken stock. Just repeat until all the stock is processed. --22-- =============== --23-- CHICKEN AND AVOCADO PITA Before I started at the Folk Festival in 1986, I spent a few summers selling food out of a street cart in downtown Winnipeg. No, I didn't sell hot dogs; it was pita-bread sandwiches and sirloin-tip kebabs for me. This chicken pita was the most popular of the sandwiches. I topped it with a home-made Mexican sauce. It also makes a nice salad. Meat from a poached chicken (p.22), shredded 2-3 avocados, cubed 4 green onions, chopped 1-2 Tbs mayonnaise 1 Tsp cumin 1 Tbs lemon juice 1 Tsp salt 1 Tsp white pepper 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil A few lettuce leaves Mix the mayonnaise, onion, cumin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together. Gently stir in the avocado and chicken. Dribble the olive oil over the top. To make a good pita sandwich, cut a pita in half, and line the inside with a lettuce leaf. Stuff with the salad and top with Mexican sauce. MARK'S MILD MEXICAN SAUCE In 3 Tbs oil, saute for 5 minutes: 1 small fresh green chilli, minced 6 cloves garlic, minced 1cm (1/2") fresh ginger root, minced 2 Tbs mild chilli powder 1/2 Tsp Szechuan brown peppercorns 1 1/2 Tsp ground cumin 1 large dry chilli 1/2 Tsp white pepper 2 Tsp oregano 2 Tsp salt Add: 1 large onion, chopped 3 green peppers, chopped Saute until the onions are translucent and add: 6 large tomatoes, chopped (or 1 large tin tomatoes) 1/2 Tsp mustard powder 1/3-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar Simmer until the sauce starts to thicken a little (about one hour) and add: 1 Tsp ground cumin 1 Tsp black pepper 1 bunch fresh coriander, minced salt to taste When cool, blend until smooth. --23-- =============== --25-- KEBAB IN PITA In the first four years of the booth's existence, we served over 15,000 kebabs; 3,000 lbs. of meat! (I think that not all folkies are vegetarians). Ultimately, the logistics became too much, but I include the recipe for all who enjoyed them. At home, I usually make 25 kebabs at a time (2.5 kg/5lbs), and freeze them in well-wrapped packs of 5 pieces. Wrapped properly they will last 6 months easily. For that many you need only to double the marinade quantities. You can also use more expensive meat, but pork butt has just the right amount of fat for the BBQ. If you use tenderloin, add 1 Tbs olive oil to the marinade. 500g (1lb) pork butt cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes 1-2 Tbs sliced garlic -- fresh, or soaked dry flakes (p.14). 1 Tbs Oregano 2 Tbs lemon juice 1 Tbs cooking wine, Chinese brandy, etc. 2 Tsp sugar 1 Tsp corn starch 1-2 Tsp Koon Yick chilli sauce (p.12) 1/2 Tsp ground white pepper 5 wooden skewers Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Let marinate for at least one hour. Overnight is better! Soak the skewers in warm water for a few minutes so they won't burn, and then put on the meat. BBQ until a little crispy (5-10 minutes), or grill under the broiler in the oven, turning once. Unskewer the meat, and wrap in a pita bread with spoonfuls of yogurt tsitsiki sauce and tomato-basil sauce (p.9). YOGURT TSITSIKI SAUCE Mash 2-3 cloves of garlic with 1/2 Tsp salt. Mix it into 1 Tbs olive oil and let it sit for ten minutes. Shred 1 cup cucumber and mix with 1 Tsp salt and drain for 3-4 minutes. Then mix with 1 cup of yogurt. Add the oil-garlic mixture and 1-2 Tbs lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight. When serving, dribble a little more olive oil on top and sprinkle with a little paprika and fresh ground black pepper. LAMB KEBAB MARINADE Try making kebabs with lamb. It has a great taste, and a good marinade really brings out the flavour. Use only yogurt, garlic, olive oil, oregano, fresh black pepper, and a touch of cinnamon. Fantastic! --25-- =============== --26-- WOKS There is only one type of wok to use. It is not electric; it is not flat bottomed; it is not stainless steel; it is not small: and it is not expensive. The standard, round-bottomed, mild steel, Chinese woks will work on any stove: gas or electric. Also, they can rust, so proper care is necessary. For most home cooking I use a 14 inch wok with one long handle. On electric stoves, I use a little stand that keeps the heat focused. SEASONING A WOK The only time you should ever use soap on a wok is when you bring it home. They are usually covered with a factory grease that keeps them from rusting. Thoroughly scrub the wok with cleanser and steel wool. Then put on the stove at full heat. Walk away! Come back in 10 minutes and pour a large glass of cold water into the wok and rinse. Repeat two or three times. What this does is to expand and contract the steel, forcing out any impurities and dirt. You should have a nice, very black circle in the centre of your wok. That is good! You can even move the wok around a bit to widen this circle. To season the wok, lower the heat to medium- low and pour in 1 cup of cooking oil (I use canola or peanut oil for stir-frying. Do not use olive or sesame oils -- see p.10). Add to the oil a small onion, finely minced. Leave this on the heat for at least half an hour. The heat should be low enough that the onion does not burn, but fries gently. Swish the oil around the edges occasionally. You now have a seasoned wok that has a virtually non-stick surface. Cleaning is easy. After cooking a dish, just rinse (never use soap) and scrub with a bamboo wok cleaner or a hard plastic scrubbie. If necessary, dry and oil lightly. A wok, properly used, rarely needs to be re-seasoned. COOKING WITH A WOK It is very simple. Have everything cut and ready. Cook on full heat. Keep the food moving over the wok bottom. Cook quickly. Have all the ingredients of the stir-fry dish already cut, and have any sauces ready or mixed. Heat the wok to almost smoking before putting the oil in. Then, as soon as the oil has gone in, put in the initial ingredients -- green onion and ginger, or garlic and salted black bean, or lemongrass ... whatever the dish needs or you want. Stir these first ingredients quickly on the wok bottom until you get what Y-liang Wang of Winnipeg's Mandarin restaurants calls "The Good Smell!" It will take only a few seconds, so get ready to move quickly. --26-- =============== --27-- Toss in the next ingredients. If the dish is a mix of meat and vegetables, you can either par-boil the vegies (never the onions) before cooking the meat, or cook the vegies in the wok first and remove them while cooking the meat. At full heat, a dish can cook in as little as two or three minutes. Sauces with corn-starch should be mixed with a little water and stirred just before tossing into the wok. It then has to be stirred all through the food so that it thickens smoothly. Cooked properly, most dishes will slide out of the wok leaving a glossy, well-seasoned surface. It can be rinsed and put away. Sometimes the surface will become deglazed -- tomato sauces or wet curries can do this. In that case, rinse, dry and lightly oil the wok before putting away. FLAMBEING YOUR CEILING A very Chinese trick that should not be done in your kitchen is to heat the oil, toss in cooking wine, AND IGNITE IT! Be very careful, as the oil should spatter when hit with the wine. To 'light up,' hold a match to the spattering oil and wine and light it! But BE VERY CAREFUL! Never try this if you are using a lot of oil. Kitchen fires are hell. But it does add a nice smoky taste to dishes. CANTONESE STIR FRY If you are just starting to stir-fry, try this dish. It is easy, fast and delicious. It is our number one best seller at the Festival, and can be made with any substitutions you want. 250g (1/2lb) pork butt cut into stir-fry strips 2-4cm (1-2in) 1 medium onion, rough chopped 1-2 green peppers, rough chopped 1/2 cans straw mushrooms 1/2 can baby corn 1/2 can water chestnuts 2 Tbs sliced garlic (p.14) 3 Tbs chopped green onion 2 Tsp chopped ginger 2 Tbs salted black bean 2 Tbs cooking wine 2 Tbs light soy sauce 1 Tsp sugar 2 Tbs oyster sauce 3-4 Tbs water 1 Tsp white pepper 6 drops sesame oil 1 Tsp corn starch in a little water Marinate the pork in half the soy, wine and sugar for at least half an hour. Heat the wok to very high and put in 1 Tbs oil. Before the oil has a chance to heat, toss in the onions, and a minute later the green peppers. Stir. To speed things up dribble in a few Tbs of water and cover the wok for half a minute. Remove the vegies, put in 2 Tbs oil and toss in the garlic, green onion, ginger and black beans. Stir until you get 'the good smell.' Add the pork and stir-fry until it starts to brown (2-3 minutes). Add back the onions and green peppers, plus the mushrooms, baby corn and water chestnuts. Stir another minute and add the soy, wine, sugar, oyster sauce, water, and pepper. Cook another thirty seconds to a minute. Mix the cornstarch and water well and toss over the dish, and stir quickly to mix the sauce well. It should thicken within a minute. Serve dribbled with the sesame oil. --27-- =============== --29-- LEMONGRASS GARLIC PORK WITH CASHEWS Lemongrass (citronella) reminds me of Lemon Pledge. It's great! I use both fresh and powdered. The fresh is tough stuff to chop, but mince it finely anyway. The powdered is available at most Chinese or SE Asian shops. I don't usually use the dried chopped lemongrass, as it stays too hard (except in long cooking curries etc.) 250g (1/2lb) pork butt cut into stir-fry strips 2-4cm (1-2in) 1 Tsp dried lemongrass powder 1-2 Tbs finely minced fresh lemon grass 2-3 Tbs sliced garlic (fresh or dried, p.14) 2-3 stalks celery -- thinly sliced at the diagonal 2 Tbs fried or roasted cashews Mix the meat well with the lemongrass powder and some pepper, and let marinate for at least half an hour. In 2 Tbs oil, stir-fry (p.26) the minced lemongrass for a minute or so before adding the garlic. Stir for another 30 seconds, and add the pork. Stir until the meat is starting to brown, and add the celery and a little salt. When almost done (about 2 or 3 minutes) add a sauce of: 1 Tbs Louisiana hot sauce or 1/2 Tsp Tabasco (p.12) 1-2 Tbs lemon or lime juice (fresh or bottled) 1-2 Tbs water 1/2 Tsp corn starch 1/4 Tsp sugar 1/4 Tsp white pepper Mix the starch into the sauce well as you toss it over the meat. Stir quickly for 30 seconds to get the sauce everywhere. Serve topped with the cashews. --29-- =============== --31-- BUCKET OF FIRE Every year we serve over twenty-five pounds of extremely hot chilli sauces, so I figured there must be people (like me) who enjoy hurting themselves. I promise you that this dish will hurt! 500g/1lb pork butt cut into stir-fry strips 2-4cm (1-2in) 1 medium onion cut to same size pieces as the meat 2-3 green peppers cut like the meat. 1-2 Tbs sliced garlic, (fresh or dried, p.14) 2 Tsp Koon Yick chilli sauce (p.12) 2 Tbs Louisiana hot sauce or 1/2 Tsp Tabasco (p.12) 1 Tsp Vietnamese Chilli Paste (p.12) 1/2 Tsp white pepper 1 Tsp sugar 1/4 cup water Stir-fry (p.26) the garlic in 1-2 Tbs oil for one minute. Add the Koon Yick chilli sauce (be careful: frying chillis of any sort in hot oil can give off nasty fumes and cause tears!), and stir into the garlic. Add the meat and peppers together, and stir until the meat loses its colour. Add the Louisiana hot sauce, sugar, and pepper, and lower the heat. Stir in the water and cook about five minutes. The sauce should not thicken very much. Just before serving stir in the Vietnamese Chilli Paste. MARK'S VINDALOO Vindaloos were curries originally made by Portuguese sailors to hide the flavour of their rancid salt-pork. Made with bacon (and no maggots!) this dish will knock everyone's socks off. Serve as part of a curry meal, and make sure that there is lots of beer or yogurt available to cool the mouth (water does not work!). 250g (1/2lb) bacon trimmed of fat (smoked ham will do) 4 Tbs finely chopped onion 1-2 Tbs sliced garlic 1 Tbs Koon Yick chilli paste (p.12) 100g (3oz) mushrooms, sliced 2-3 Tbs vinegar (any type -- white, wine, malt, cider, etc.) 1 medium tomato, cubed 1 Tsp sugar 1/2 Tsp curry powder 1-2 Tbs water In 1 Tbs oil, stir-fry the garlic and chilli sauce together for one minute (watching out for the fumes -- see above). Add the bacon, onion, and curry powder and continue to stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and after 2 more minutes lower heat and add the vinegar, tomatoes, water, and sugar, and simmer for five minutes. The sauce should be a little thick and sticky. If it becomes too dry, add a little water. --31-- =============== --33-- FRIED SPAGHETTI WITH BLACK PEPPER STEAK STRIPS Hong Kong family fast-food restaurants have interesting international menus: borscht, Portuguese cream chicken, and club sandwiches all show up. So does this dish. 250g (8oz) cooked spaghetti 125g (4oz) sirloin steak, cut into thin stir-fry strips, marinated in: - 1-2 Tsp soy sauce - 1/2 Tsp ground black pepper - 1/8 Tsp sugar - 1 dash Tabasco - 6 drops sesame oil 1 medium onion cut in strips 1 Tsp Chinese cooking wine 1-2 Tsp light soy sauce 1 Tbs oyster sauce (with no MSG 1-2 Tsp fresh-cracked black pepper corns Finely shredded green-onion for garnish Drain the meat well (If necessary) and stir-fry (p.26) it at full heat in 2 Tbs oil. Stir well, keeping the meat sizzling in the oil. Add half the pepper. Cook only a few minutes, and remove the meat from the wok. If needed, add more oil and when hot toss in the cooking wine. This is a good dish to try flambeing your ceiling with (p.26)! Toss in the onions. Cook until they start to brown. Add a little salt, and then the spaghetti. Keep stirring, lower the heat. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar, and stir till the noodles start to brown a little. If the noodles stick, pour in a few Tbs of water. Add the meat, and stir for half a minute. Sprinkle a little more pepper, garnish with the green onions, dribble with sesame oil, and serve. SHANGHAI FAT NOODLE Big, fat, juicy noodles. Garlic. Mmmm. INGREDIENTS 500g (1lb) Shanghai noodle, (Japanese Udon) fresh or frozen. 250g (1/2lb) pork butt, cut into stir-fry strips 2-4cm (1-2in) 1 cup cabbage (regular) sliced in .5cm (1/4in) strips 2-4 Tbs sliced garlic (p.14) SEASONING SAUCE 1 Tbs light soy sauce 2 Tbs Oyster sauce (no MSG) 1 Tsp Chinese cooking wine 1/2 Tsp salt 1/2 Tsp white pepper 1-2 Tbs water 1 level Tsp corn starch Cook the noodles as per the instructions on the package (p.38). Then, in 2 Tbs oil stir-fry the garlic till it starts to brown. Add the meat, and after it loses its colour (3-4 minutes), add the cabbage. Cook 2-3 minutes, and add the noodles. If the noodles are fairly dry, add a little water and cover for a minute to steam them. Remove the lid, and then stir and toss in the sauce until it coats the whole dish. Dribble with sesame oil and serve. --33-- =============== --34-- A COUPLE OF PAGES OF SHRIMP Most people love shrimp, but there are too many bad shrimp out there. Sometimes soft and mushy; sometimes no flavour. Sometimes too hard, almost always too expensive. But if you learn the secrets to preparing shrimp, you can have success at home every time. I promise! BUYING SHRIMP I used to buy fresh shrimp, but I do not any more. Often they are previously frozen, and if not, then they have been out of the sea too long. I have had many bad experiences with good-looking supposedly fresh shrimp having no flavour at all. And when you pay the premium for fresh, it makes it all the worse. I buy shrimp that have been flash frozen on the boat. I have yet to buy a bad batch. The best ones that I have found come from Vietnam, and are headless with the shell on, and come in economical 2kg (4.4lb) frozen bricks. Size depends on their use, but I find that 30-40 (to the pound) are big enough that peeling them is not too much trouble, and small enough to be affordable. Obviously, 2 kilos of shrimp is going to be too much for many people, so what I do is put the box in the fridge overnight, and then break the brick apart into five or six pieces. They are still frozen, and I quickly pack and freeze them. PREPARING SHRIMP It is very important to defrost shrimp (and any seafood or meat) slowly. 18 to 24 hours in the fridge is good. I like to peel them when they are still a little frozen; it keeps them fresh, and the shell comes off easier. One can become quite proficient at peeling shrimp; I do 2 kilos in well under an hour, and that is a lot of shrimp! Some people leave the tail on for effect, but the choice is yours. A great trick to preparing shrimp is to salt them heavily (1-2 Tbs/lb), and put them in a strainer in the fridge for between 1/2 and 1 hour. Then wash them in icy water to remove the salt, and then pat dry them with a clean dish towel. This removes excess moisture from the shrimp, and gives them a little more flavour. Just use little or no salt in the dish, and things will be fine. Sometimes (depending on the dish) I will butterfly the shrimp by cutting a slice down the back. This quickens and evens cooking time. I never devein the shrimp (neither do the Chinese), as they just disappear in cooking anyway. Marinating shrimp is not necessary, but a little cumin mixed with a splash of cooking wine and ginger is nice. So is a dash of Tabasco. A little cornstarch gives a nice coating, but the shrimp must be started at a very high heat to crispen them. Depending on the size of your shrimp, and how hot your heat is, shrimp can take anywhere between one and ten minutes to cook. For 30-40/lb shrimp in a wok on a full-sized electric ring, at full heat, with wok base, 1lb of shrimp will probably cook in 4-5 minutes. --34-- =============== --35-- GARLIC SHRIMP 500g (1lb) butterfly-cut shrimp (see page opposite) marinated at least 20 minutes in 1 Tbs minced fresh garlic and 1 Tbs fried garlic (p.14). In 2 Tbs oil, stir-fry (p.26) 2 Tbs sliced garlic until it just starts to brown. Add the shrimp and stir continuously. If they are cooking too quickly on the outside, add a splash of cooking wine, cover the wok, and lower the heat to just under full. Then dribble in a couple of tablespoons water under the lid. This will speed up internal cooking time dramatically, and you should only cover for about one minute -- then remove the lid. Cook till just done -- still a little springy. If you are not sure if they are done, try one. (You are the cook after all!). Personally, I like my shrimp cooked just past the point of clearness. If the shrimp meat is a touch translucent in only the centre, they are just about ready. Sprinkle with fried garlic and lime juice, and serve. Try making this dish like the Lemongrass Garlic Pork (p.29) only with shrimp! SHRIMP WITH FETA AND ROSEMARY One day I had to go to a pot-luck that had a Greek theme. I already had some shrimp and feta in my fridge, and I thought to myself "Hmmm. What is a nice Greek herb that could go with shrimp and feta?" 2 Tbs olive oil 1 large onion thinly sliced 1 large green pepper, sliced 500g (1lb) shrimp marinated as above plus 1 Tsp dried rosemary 150g (1/2lb) feta cheese, crumbled 2 Tbs rough-chopped garlic 1 Tbs dried rosemary 4 Tbs sliced red onion 8-12 Kalamata black olives 6 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges Fresh ground black pepper Lemon or lime juice In a large pan or wok saute the onions in the oil at high heat till they soften. Splash in a little cooking wine, stir, and add the garlic and green peppers. A minute later add the shrimp and half the rosemary. Lower the heat and stir occasionally. Two minutes later add the tomatoes and the rest of the rosemary; two minutes more, stir in the feta. If the sauce is too thick add a little water, or some more wine. Simmer gently; total cooking time should be 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with black pepper and lemon juice, garnish with the olives, and serve. For an even more decadent dish, dribble a tablespoon or so of good olive oil over the top. --35-- =============== --36-- TWO PAGES OF RICE Rice is the mainstay of millions of people world wide. There are literally dozens of different varieties, and probably millions of different recipes. I really only use two rices in my cooking. One is a short-grained, sticky rice, that I make sushi and onigiri rice balls out of. The other is long-grain Thai Jasmine Scented rice, which I use at the Festival and for any fried rice. The Jasmine Scented rice is only a little more expensive than regular white rice, and its taste is incredible. A little bit nutty, it is reminiscent of Indian Basmati rice, but it is a quarter the cost. Oh yes, there is no scent added to this rice; it is just its name. RICE COOKERS Rice can be difficult to cook, but the electric rice cooker makes it a breeze. Just add the rice and the water, push the button, and wait. I find that for Jasmine Scented rice, the correct ratio is about 1 1/2 parts water to 1 part rice. A little lemon juice in the water helps keep the rice from sticking. COCONUT RICE This is a great accompaniment to Thai Roast Beef Salad (p.47), or any curry. For one cup of rice, merely add 4 Tbs dried coconut (unsweetened) to the water when cooking. Another method is to substitute one cup water with one cup tinned coconut milk (the remainder can be frozen). CARDAMOM RICE Try adding six or seven green cardamom pods to the water when cooking rice. Subtle, but delicious. Try is in the coconut rice too! BASIC CHINESE FRIED RICE Stir fry one onion (rough chopped) for a minute. Dribble in 1 Tsp cooking wine, then add one cup cooked cooled rice. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Make a hole in the centre of the rice, dribble in one Tbs oil, and crack an egg into it. Break the yolk, mix, and let cook half a minute. Quickly mix the rice into the egg, sprinkle in some salt, white pepper, and very little sugar. The Chinese usually do not use soy sauce, but add a little here if you want. Or a little oyster sauce is nice too. Serve garnished with shredded green onions. --36-- =============== --37-- VEGIE FRIED RICE -- FESTIVAL STYLE 2 Tbs oil 1 Tsp minced ginger 1 Tsp Chinese salted black bean 1 Tsp minced garlic 1 Tbs minced green onion 1 onion -- rough chopped 2 green peppers -- cut in diagonal strips 2 medium tomatoes -- cut in 1/8th wedges 1/2 cup sliced waterchestnuts 1 cup cooked cooled rice -- day-old is best salt, white pepper, sugar, white vinegar, light soy sauce In a hot wok, add the oil, and quickly toss in the ginger, black beans, garlic, and green onion. Stir fry until you smell the 'good smell.' Add the onions and stir for one minute. Add the green peppers and cook another minute. Lower the heat to medium and add the rice. Continue stirring, breaking the rice apart if necessary. Cook about five minutes. Sprinkle on a little salt, sugar, pepper, vinegar, and soy sauce. Add the tomatoes and waterchestnuts, and cook one more minute, and serve. THAI FRIED RICE Make a mixture of: 1 egg 1 Tbs fish sauce 1 Tsp lemon juice 2 Tsp ketchup 2 Tsp sugar Stir-fry at medium heat in 2 Tbs oil, 3 Tbs sliced garlic for a minute, and add the egg mixture. Stir for 30 seconds, and add one cup cooked cooled rice. Continue stirring for 3 or 4 minutes, and add 1 cup bean sprouts and some minced chillis. Mix for a minute and serve topped with peanuts and coriander leaf, and garnished with a wedge of lime or lemon. To make it fancier, cook some shrimp or chicken before starting the dish, and add with the bean sprouts. Deep fried tofu strips are nice too. NICARAGUAN GALLO PINTO At medium heat, in 3-4 Tbs olive oil, stir-fry 1 rough chopped medium onion until it starts to brown. Add 3 Tbs sliced garlic and 1 sliced green pepper, and a minute later add one cup cooked rice. Stir and add 1 Tbs oregano and 1 Tsp cumin. Then add one cup cooked pinto beans (kidney or black beans are fine as well). Slightly mash the beans as you are cooking them. Cook five minutes, and add one cup chopped tomatoes, some salt and pepper, and some more cumin if you want. Just before serving top with shredded cheese and yogurt. --37-- =============== --38-- A COUPLE OF PAGES OF NOODLES I heard a rumour just the other day. Apparently Marco Polo did not introduce the Italians to pasta. They had it years before his trip to China! There are so many pastas in the world, made from so many different ingredients. Some use flours made from wheat, semolina, rice, barley, tapioca, and so on. And they are mixed with many other different ingredients. Egg, vegetables, and even seafood find their way into the actual noodle. I occasionally make a fresh egg noodle with mashed fresh scallops in it. The protein gives the noodles a nice bounce, and the flavour is incredible. BEAN THREAD NOODLE Bean thread noodles are made from the same starch that Chinese shrimp chips are made from. And they puff up in the same way when deep-fried. When deep fried, they make a great base for such dishes as Orange-Crunch Beef (p.7), and when soaked in hot water they become transparent, thus their other name of 'cellophane' noodle. It is a messy process to deep fry them, necessitating breaking them apart and putting small quantities in the oil. But the effect is great. Deep fry in your wok at medium-high heat. RICE NOODLES AND RICE VERMICELLI Rice noodles and rice vermicelli are virtually the same, except the vermicelli is thinner. The vermicelli can be used as a substitute for bean thread noodle in crunchy noodle, only they do not puff up as much. To use dry vermicelli, soak it in hot water for ten minutes. If it is still a little hard when stir-frying, add a little water to the wok. UDON (used in SHANGHAI FAT NOODLE -- p.33) Udon is a Japanese fat round wheat noodle. It is available fresh or frozen in most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. It comes in white or yellow. I was told by a Chinese noodle maker that the white one is more appealing to Western tastes, but she could not tell me why. I like them both. To cook, put them in lots of boiling water for three minutes and remove from the heat. Cover, and let them sit in the hot water for another five to ten minutes (until tender). Rinse, and they are ready to use. --38-- =============== --39-- SINGAPORE VERMICELLI This is a new addition to our Folk Festival menu. I make it as a vegetarian dish, but there are many meats that go well with it. 2 Tbs oil 3 Tbs sliced garlic (p.12) 1-2 Tbs curry powder 1 medium onion, finely sliced 1 green pepper, finely sliced 125g (4oz) soaked rice vermicelli 1 Tbs soy sauce 1/2 Tsp salt 1 Tsp sugar 1/2 Tsp white pepper 1/2 cup chopped egg pancake (see below) 1 green onion, shredded 1 cup bean sprouts In the oil stir-fry (p.26) the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the curry powder, and 5 seconds after, toss in the onion and green pepper strips. Cook about half a minute. Add the noodles, and a little water if necessary. Add the soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and more curry powder (if you wish). The noodles should take only a few minutes to cook. Mix in the bean sprouts, egg pancake, and green onion. Cooked shrimp, Chinese BBQ pork, and deep fried tofu strips could all be added with the bean sprouts to make this a richer dish. THAI NOODLES -- PAD THAI 2 Tbs oil 3 cloves sliced garlic (p.14) 2 Tbs ketchup 2 Tbs Thai fish sauce 2 Tbs sugar 2 beaten eggs 125g (4oz) soaked rice vermicelli 1 cup bean sprouts 2 Tbs peanuts 1 Tbs fried garlic (p.14) 1 shredded green onion 1/4 minced fresh coriander 1 lime Make a mixture of the ketchup, fish sauce, sugar and eggs. Heat the oil and stir-fry the garlic until it just starts to brown. Do not burn it. Add the egg mixture and stir until half of it sets. Add the noodles and coat with the mixture. If the noodles are hard, add a little water and cover for half a minute. As soon as the sauce has set and cooked into the noodles, add the beansprouts and green onion. Serve topped with the fried garlic, peanuts and coriander. Garnish with lime wedges. Like with the Singapore Vermicelli (above), you could add cooked shrimp, BBQ pork, deep fried tofu strips, shredded egg pancake, etc. EGG PANCAKE Beat two eggs with 1 Tsp corn starch and 1/2 Tsp curry powder. In a hot wok or pan, pour 2 Tbs oil and then enough egg mixture to form a thin coating. Cook until light brown and flip for a few seconds. Do the same with the remaining mixture. Chop and use in noodle and rice dishes. --39-- =============== --40-- THE BEST PASTA SALAD I don't normally call things 'the best' but this one definitely is. Many of the performers at Winnipeg's Children's Festival agreed. It is simple, trendy, and uses no mayonnaise. 250g (8oz) fusilli, ziti, or any small pasta 2 Tbs minced garlic 4 Tbs sundried tomatoes in oil 1/2 cup fresh basil (p.8) 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 2 Tbs shredded parmesan 4-6 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 1/2-1 Tsp fresh-ground black pepper 1/2 Tsp salt Mince the tomatoes and the basil. Mix well all the ingredients (except for the pasta) in a bowl. Even put in some of the oil from the tomatoes. Let sit overnight. This allows the flavours to richen and really permeate the oil. Cook the pasta in lots of boiling water, drain, rinse quickly and toss in the dressing. It should still be hot when you put it in. Allow it to cool. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary. CURRIED POTATO SALAD 4 medium white potatoes 1/4 cup sliced cooking onion 1 green pepper, chopped 1/4 cup chopped red onion 2 minced green onions 1 clove garlic, minced and crushed in 1/2 Tsp salt 1 Tbs preserved Szechuan pickle, minced (optional) 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Tbs oil (for frying the cooking onions) 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 Tbs curry powder or 1/2 Tbs Patak's Mild Curry Paste 1-2 Tbs mayonnaise or Miracle Whip 1 Tbs malt vinegar salt and pepper Put the mashed garlic into the olive oil. Boil the potatoes in their skins until done. Fry the cooking onion until golden brown. Cut the potatoes into 2-3cm (1in) cubes, keeping the skin on. Mix the curry powder or paste with the mayonnaise, and mix everything together. Serve warm or chilled. The Szechuan pickle is available in most Asian grocery shops. It is an ugly green lump, but a little adds an excellent flavour to potato salads, tuna salads, and pork stir-fries. --40-- =============== --41-- VEGETABLES IN COCONUT MILK I have spent too much time in Thailand eating my way from restaurant to restaurant; street stall to street stall; meal to meal. But I don't mind -- this is one of the finest of the worrld cuisines. And it is the street stalls which usually have the best food, and the freshest, and the cheapest! At under a dollar a meal, who even needs French food! Among my favourite Thai dishes are the Kaengs -- the coconut curries. There are several different ones: red; green; yellow; Penang, Massaman; country-style; sour; and others. They bear no resemblance to Indian curries, using different spices, and being cooked in much different ways. For my banquet cooking I usually make a very simple one. It can be made not spicy and is very popular. 2 Tbs oil 2-4 cloves garlic, rough chopped 1 small to medium onion, rough chopped 1 each small green, red and yellow peppers, rough chopped 1/2 cup broccoli, cut in medium florets 2 medium tomatoes, cut in 1/4 wedges 1 stalk lemon grass (optional) -- bruised and chopped into 5cm (2") lengths. 1 small piece dry or fresh galangal (optional). Aka: kha, laos, Thai ginger. 2-3 lime leaves -- fresh, frozen, or dried (optional) 4 Tbs chopped fresh Asian basil (purple stem -- p.8) 1 Tbs fresh hot chillis, diagonally sliced (optional) 2-4 Tsp fish sauce (Thai, not Chinese) or light soy sauce 1-2 Tbs lemon juice At medium-high heat quickly saute the onion, garlic, and peppers for about three minutes. Do not brown. Add the lemon-grass, lime leaves, and galangal if using them, and then add one tin of coconut milk. Lower heat and simmer for a minute. Add the broccoli, and the tomatoes. Taste and add some fish or light soy sauce until just salty enough. Add the chopped hot chillis now, if using them. Simmer a few more minutes and add the basil and the lemon juice. Done! The dish should be quite watery -- not thick like an Indian curry. Servve topped with fried garlic. OPTIONS Along with the coconut milk add 1-2 Tsp of any Thai curry paste. They are available in many Asian grocery shops. Instead of vegies, just fry a little garlic, add the coconut milk, and then add either chicken pieces or shrimp. Bamboo shoots go well with chicken. --41-- =============== --42-- DRINKS OF A DIFFERENT NATURE There are so many different beverages around the world, that it is difficult to know where to start. I include some of my favourites. ROSE GHEER Add to one litre of milk 2 Tbs sugar, 3-4 drops red food colouring, and a few shots of rose essence. Depending on what rose essence you use, this could range from 2 drops (pure rose oil) to 2 Tbs (rose water). The idea is to not make it too strong. Chill and serve. SALT LASSI Most people know the sweet version of this Indian yogurt drink, but I prefer the salty one. Either use 1/2 cup of plain yogurt or 1-1 1/2 cups buttermilk beaten with 1-1 1/2 cups ice water. Mix with enough salt to make it salty plus 1/4-1/2 fresh toasted and ground cumin seeds. Very refreshing! CALPIS Calpis is a Japanese concentrate made from fermented milk, and is available at some Asian grocery stores. It is tangy, light and sweet.. Also, it is expensive, but the bottle lasts a long time and makes a lot. Just add one part Calpis to four to five parts water. A great drink is Calpis and soda. Or Calpis, soda, and the juice from frozen strawberries. CARDAMOM MILK Like the Rose gheer above, this Indian drink is slightly sweet. Add some powdered cardamom (fresh-ground seeds from green cardamom pods are best) and some sugar to milk. Serve chilled. YOGURT SELTZERS This is my own fast version of a fruit lassi. Mix 2 Tbs of full-fat plain yogurt with fruit seltzer. I find that the stronger flavours work best. Black cherry and raspberry are my favourite. CHAI Indian spice tea is easy to make at home. Make a strong batch of black tea and steep it with a few cloves, a stick of cinnamon, and some green cardamom pods. Heat some milk with sugar, and mix with the tea. Strain before serving. --42-- =============== --43-- INDIAN VEGETABLE CURRY I think that many people have had their first experience with curries at our booth at the Folk Festival. Many people think that curries are all very hot and spicy; this is not so. This one is mild and very approachable for someone's first taste of that exquisite cuisine of the east. 3-4 Tbs oil or ghee (p.10) 2 Tbs sliced garlic fresh or dry (p.14) 1 Tbs ginger, minced 1 large onion, rough chopped 2 medium potatoes, sliced thick 2-3 Tbs Pataks Mild (or Fast) Curry Paste (available at most supermarkets) 1 cup green pepper, rough chopped 1 cup broccoli, chopped 1 cup cauliflower, chopped 1 cup tomato, cubed 1Tbs light soy sauce 1/2 cup water 1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt Put the oil or ghee in a heavy pan, and fry at medium high the onion until it starts to brown, stirring continually. Add the ginger and fry another minute before adding the garlic. Wait another minute and add the potatoes and half the curry paste. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables, the soy sauce, the water, and the rest of the curry paste. Simmer for 15 minutes. Five minutes before serving, salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the yogurt. VARIATIONS A easy variation is to mix in 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaf about two minutes before serving. The flavour blends well with the yogurt, and even people who usually don't like coriander like the dish prepared this way. Try mincing the onions very, very fine, and then brown them heavily. Then add the curry paste and fry that for a while before adding the rest of the ingredients. Just before serving, heat some oil or ghee and fry 1 Tsp black mustard seeds until they start to pop (careful, as they will splatter some oil). Then pour over the curry, stir once and serve. --43-- =============== --44-- FART FREE BEANS Cooking beans, chick peas or lentils is easy, fun, cheap and nutritious. But it does not have to result in the fun that lasts for days. Toot toot! I prefer dry legumes to tinned, as they are cheaper and do not leave a nasty big tin for the rubbish bin. Most have to be soaked for anywhere from four hours to over night. Use as much water as possible, and changing the soaking water three or four times also helps to reduce flatulence. So does a heavy rinsing before cooking. Further, I do not cook them in the soaking water but in fresh water, and rinse them a final time after cooking. Like poaching chickens (p.22), beans should be simmered and not boiled. I like to simmer them with a few herbs appropriate to the dish I'm cooking. Chickpeas for a curry will get a little cumin and fennel. Kidney beans for a chilli-con-carne will get bay leaves and onion. One mistake many people make when cooking beans is to add salt to the water. This should not be done until after the beans have achieved the desired softness, as the salt will keep them hard. Cook the beans for fifteen more minutes after salting. I do not use the liquid the beans were cooked in. There is a minor loss in nutritional value, but it is more than made up for in lower fart levels. One other fart-limiting trick that I do for most bean dishes is to add a little asafoetida (hing), an Indian spice. It smells terrible, but its flavour disappears once cooked. Between an eighth and a quarter teaspoon added to a dish is more than enough. Hing is cheap, and available at any Indian or Caribbean store. Surprise your friends with a bean dish that does not surprise them (or their friends) later! A -- E -- I -- O You speak as if you know What's good for everyone What's good in what you've done? What's good about a world in which War rages at a fever pitch And people die for the little things A little corn, a little beans -- -- -- -- Jackson Brown --44-- =============== --45-- BURRITOS Burritos are fun, easy to make, and feed a lot of people. Just stuff commercially bought flour tortillas with any filling -- rice, beans and cheese (p.37), or spiced minced beef, or the recipe below -- and top with salsa, guacamole, and crema. Or top them with Mild Mexican Sauce (p.23) and cheese, bake them in the oven for 10 minutes, and then add the toppings. CHICKEN-RAISIN FILLING 2 Tbs sliced garlic 4 Tbs chopped onion 2 small tomato, cubed 250g (1/2lb) finely sliced chicken breast 2 Tsp cumin seed (toasted and ground), or powder 1 Tsp Garam Masala (a readily available Indian spice mixture) 2 Tbs raisins salt and pepper At medium heat, in 2 tbs olive oil, saute the garlic and the onions for 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces and brown. Add the tomato, raisins, spices, salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. GUACAMOLE 2 ripe avocados 2 cloves fresh minced garlic 1-2 Tbs olive oil 1 Tsp cumin seed (toasted and ground) or powder 1/2 Tsp mild paprika 1 small tomato, diced 2 Tbs minced onion (any kind) 1 Tbs lemon juice 2 Tbs yogurt (if necessary) Mash the garlic with some salt into most of the olive oil. Leave for ten minutes. Then roughly mash the avocado into the oil, and add the cumin, onion, tomato and lemon juice. Add yogurt if too dry, and sprinkle the paprika and remaining olive oil over the top. SALSA -- Rough-chop these ingredients in a blender or processor: 1-2 hot chillis (p.12) 2 cloves fresh garlic 1 Tbs chopped onion 1 small tomato, cubed 1 Tsp salt 1 Tbs lemon juice 1/2 Tsp cumin seed (toasted and ground) or powder 2 Tbs fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves CREMA -- Beat together 4 Tbs yogurt, 2 Tbs milk and 1 Tsp salt. --45-- =============== --47-- THAI ROAST BEEF SALAD One of my favourite dishes to cater is a nice prime rib marinated in garlic, lemongrass and chillis, and then roasted, sliced and mixed into a lettuce-onion salad with a tangy Thai dressing. It looks great, and everybody likes it. You can roast the beef as you normally do, or sear-grill it on the BBQ. You could even use a big steak. It is important that the meat be roasted only to very rare, as it is then lightly poached in the dressing. Mix in a blender or food processor: 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, bruised, and finely chopped 6-8 large cloves fresh garlic 2-10 fresh hot chillis (depending on your taste) 1 Tbs sugar 1 Tsp ground black pepper 1/4 Tsp lemon or lime peel Rub the mixture all over a 1.5kg (3-4lb) prime beef roast and marinate over night. Remove from the fridge two hours before roasting. Preheat the oven to 550 degrees. Put the roast on a rack in the bottom part of a roasting pan, and place, uncovered, into the oven and lower the heat to 350.Cook for only one and a half hours. Slice as thin as possible, and then set aside. Keep all the juices and drippings! In a wok or pan, saute in 2 Tbs oil for 2-3 minutes, 4 cloves finely minced fresh garlic 1 stalk lemongrass -- bruised and finely minced Add the drippings and after another minute pour in a sauce of: 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar 3 Tbs lemon juice 1 Tbs lime juice 1 Tbs fish sauce 1 Tsp Vietnamese Chilli Paste (p.12) 1 Tsp salt 1 Tsp black pepper 1 Tsp sugar All the juice from the beef 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1/2 Tsp Vietnamese shrimp paste (optional, but delicious) Bring to a gentle simmer and add the sliced beef. Poach for only a minute or so and let cool. Pour it over a simple salad of: 1 head lettuce, chopped (the crunchier, the better) 1/2 finely sliced red onion 2 red peppers, chopped 1 cup minced fresh basil Toss and top with fried garlic (p.14) and fresh-ground black pepper. I usually serve it with coconut rice (p.36). --47-- =============== --48-- Basil, about ........................ 8 Beans, fart-free .................... 44 Beef dishes > Orange-Crunch Beef ................. 7 > Thai Roast Beef. .................. 47 > Spaghetti w/ Blk Pepper Steak ..... 33 Bucket of Fire ...................... 31 Cantonese Stir-fry .................. 27 Cheese, fried ........................ 9 Chicken, poached .................... 22 Chicken and Apricot Balls ........... 18 Chicken and Black Mushroom .......... 18 Chicken and avocado salad ........... 23 Chicken and raisin burritos ......... 45 Chillis and Chilli Sauces ........... 12 Crema ............................... 45 Drinks, International ............... 42 Fish, steamed ....................... 18 Fried cheese w/ tomato-basil sauce .. 9 Fried Rice, about ................... 36 > Chinese ........................... 36 > Festival style .................... 37 > Nicaraguan ........................ 37 > Thai .............................. 37 Fried spaghetti w/ Blk. Pep Steak ... 33 Fried spring rolls .................. 11 Garlic, about ....................... 14 Garlic shrimp ....................... 35 Greek salad ......................... 15 Guacamole ........................... 45 Ham salad, Oriental ................. 21 Kebab in pita (pork, lamb) .......... 25 Lemongrass pork w/ cashews .......... 29 Mark's Vindaloo ..................... 31 Mee Krob ............................ 39 Mild Mexican sauce .................. 23 Nicaraguan fried rice ............... 37 Noodles, about ...................... 38 Noodle dishes > Fried spaghetti w/ blk. pep. steak 33 > Pad Thai .......................... 39 > Shanghai fat noodle ............... 33 > Singapore vermicelli .............. 39 Oils, about ......................... 10 Orange-crunch beef .................. 7 Pasta Salad, the Best ............... 40 Pesto ............................... 8 Pesto pita melts .................... 9 Pita sandwiches > Chicken and avocado ............... 23 > Kebab in pita ..................... 25 > Oriental ham salad ................ 21 > Fried cheese w/ tomato-basil sauce 9 Pizza, Japanese Styles .............. 16 Potato Salad, Curried ............... 40 Salads > Chicken and avocado ............... 23 > Green Bean w/ Sesame-Miso ......... 17 > Greek ............................. 15 > Oriental ham ...................... 21 > Spicy Thai ........................ 15 > Spinach-walnut .................... 17 > Tabouli ........................... 19 > Thai roast beef ................... 47 Shanghai fat noodle ................. 33 Shrimp, about ....................... 34 > Garlic ............................ 35 > w/ Feta and Rosemary .............. 35 Singapore vermicelli ................ 39 Spicy Thai salad .................... 15 Spinach-walnut salad ................ 17 Spring rolls ........................ 11 Stir-frying, about .................. 26 Tabouli ............................. 19 Thai dishes > Fried rice ........................ 37 > Pad Thai noodles .................. 39 > Roast beef salad .................. 47 > Salad (Som Tam) ................... 15 > Sour-hot soup (Tom Yam)............ 13 Tomato-basil sauce .................. 9 Vegie curry ......................... 43 Vegetables in coconut milk .......... 41 Vegie-mushroom spring rolls ......... 11 Vinaigrette dressings > Garlic vinaigrette ................ 15 > Raspberry vinaigrette ............. 17 Woks, about ......................... 26 -- 48 -- ===============