tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76767719066195165112024-03-16T11:52:12.841-07:00JavaholicMakan Minum Ngobrolsijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-52323532372882130922014-09-25T10:03:00.000-07:002014-09-25T10:03:00.639-07:00Stuffed Bitter Melon in Tomato Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bitter melon is an aptly named vegetable that is said to be an acquired taste. Who acquires this taste, I have no idea. To me it seems this is either a taste you have a natural affinity towards, or it is one that you may grow to tolerate but never truly acquire. There are techniques to lessen the bitterness, but nothing will totally eliminate or disguise it. An aspirin ground with a quinine malaria pill is how it tastes to me, but my wife loves it. And so……<br />
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Often, stuffed bitter melon is served in a soup. Indonesians stuff it and simmer it in coconut milk. I had been thinking it might be good finished in a tomato sauce like the Vietnamese sometimes do with cabbage rolls or tofu puffs, and then I came across a recipe in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hakka-Cookbook-Chinese-around-World/dp/0520273281" target="_blank">The Hakka Cookbook by Linda Lau Anusasananan</a> that suggested just that, saying that the tomatoes helped soften the bitterness.<br />
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There are many suggestions on how to reduce the bitterness in bitter melons, but whatever method you use will not make them entirely lacking in their characteristic quality. After coring them and slicing them into 1/2-inch rounds, I salt them with kosher salt and let them stand for at least half an hour. After this, they should be rinsed and drained before they are stuffed.<br />
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The stuffing is equal parts ground pork and minced shrimp mixed with chopped green onion, ginger, garlic, finely diced carrots, and salt. For four bitter melons, I used about ten ounces each of pork and shrimp. This is something that comes down to personal taste, so put more ginger in if you're fond of ginger, or leave it out if you don't like it. <br />
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Once they are stuffed, brown them in a hot frying pan lightly coated with oil. After they have been browned on both sides simmer in the tomato sauce in a covered pan for about twelve minutes, until the melon slices are tender.<br />
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The tomato sauce is simply equal parts chopped tomatoes and water seasoned with a couple tablespoons of fish sauce and sugar. Anusasananan's Hakka recipe uses oyster sauce instead of fish sauce, so that's another option. This strikes me as very much a home comfort food recipe that is open to tinkering to adjust to each family's taste. It's not a fussy dish, so give it a try and feel free to adjust it to your own tastes.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-57337825239685495262013-10-31T13:21:00.002-07:002013-10-31T13:21:49.859-07:00Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whether <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snickerdoodle" target="_blank">snickerdoodles</a> got their name from German or are a result of New England whimsy, they are a popular cookie in the United States. Traditional snickerdoodles are a variety of sugar cookie that are rolled in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon before they are baked. My mother makes some that are excellent, perhaps not as popular in the family as her sugar cookies, but still mighty tasty. They are chewy and buttery and bursting with taste of cinnamon. As much as I like those traditional snickerdoodles, I wanted something a little different, something a splash of port or a dram of whiskey might accompany.</div>
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Mexican hot chocolate, for those who haven't had the pleasure of tasting it, is made with chocolate and cinnamon. That being the case, chocolate snickerdoodles seemed a logical mash-up. For anyone who has nibbled on a block of <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/assets/uploads/posts/5515/ING-mexican-chocolate_sql.jpg" target="_blank">Ibbarra</a>, these snickerdoodles will remind you of that moment of stolen pleasure. Crisp, deep chocolate flavor with a hint of heat and spice, these are a cookie for adults. Kids would probably love them as well, but it may lead them down a dark path. I'm not suggesting it will lead to heroin or stumbling out of midtown bars at 9 in the morning, but it will change them. They will suddenly find Barney and Rachel Ray too perky and upbeat. After eating these, they won't want those overly sweet, insipid store-bought cookies that they beg for like mutant dogs happy for some post-industrial chemical scrap made by indentured orphans in a pollutant spewing factory in a smog blackened city in northeast China. So it's up to you whether or not you share these with your children.</div>
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<b><i>Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/mexican-chocolate-snickerdoodles" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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Cookie Dough</div>
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1 3/4 cups (8.75 oz) all-purpose flour</div>
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1 stick (4 oz) butter, at room temperature</div>
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2 oz unsweetened chocolate</div>
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1 egg, room temperature </div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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1 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/2 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 tsp ancho chile powder</div>
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1/2 tsp cinnamon</div>
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2 cloves, finely ground</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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Sugar Coating</div>
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1/3 cup sugar</div>
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3/4 tsp cinnamon</div>
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1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</div>
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Preheat your oven to 400º F. </div>
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To make the cookie dough, melt the chocolate and allow to cool. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate and the egg and use the mixer to get a homogenous blend.</div>
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In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the remaining dry ingredients. Add this to the chocolate mixture in two or three stages, mixing well to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the batter.</div>
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Scoop out pieces of the dough and form approximately 1" balls. </div>
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In a small bowl, stir together the 1/3 cup sugar, the cinnamon, and the cayenne pepper. Make sure you mix these together well. Roll each ball of cookie dough in the sugar mix and place on parchment lined cookie sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart from each other. Using the bottom of a glass, a bottle of scotch, a saucer, or some other handy object with a flat plane, press down lightly on each ball of dough.</div>
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Place the cookie sheets in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Slide the baked cookies onto racks to cool. </div>
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Pour a splash of port, a dram of Scotch, or even a glass of hazlenut flavored soy milk and realize how lucky you are and how grateful you should be for this moment, no matter how shitty the rest of your life may or may not be.</div>
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sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-12400442396333410622013-10-17T17:15:00.000-07:002013-10-17T17:15:03.637-07:00Saffron Pistachio Shortbread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shortbread
is one of those simple, yet satisfying treats. It is one of those
elemental baked goods, taking flour, butter, and sugar and transforming
them through the heat of an oven. This is a recipe that hints of Spain's past. It is lightly scented and tinted with a healthy pinch of saffron. It also includes some toasted pistachios. Like all good shortbread, it is rich and hard to resist, but takes little effort or time to prepare. I prepared it in the morning before going to class.<br />
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The recipe comes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Spanish-Table-Anya-Bremzen/dp/0761135553" target="_blank">The New Spanish Table</a> by Anya von Bremzen, a cookbook that is full of a great number of good recipes. She credits Melissa Clark for creating the recipe. The original recipe calls for toasting raw, shelled, unsalted pistachios. I simply used dry roasted unsalted ones that I got at Trader Joe's. <br />
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<i><b>Saffron Pistachio Shortbread</b></i></div>
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<i>adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Spanish-Table-Anya-Bremzen/dp/0761135553" target="_blank">The New Spanish Table</a></i></div>
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3/4 cup shelled, unsalted, dry-roasted pistachios</div>
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2 cups all-purpose flour</div>
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1/3 cup granulated sugar</div>
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1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on the baked shortbread</div>
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1/2 tsp coarse salt</div>
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1 cup (8 oz--2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed</div>
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1 large pinch of saffron, ground in a mortar, steeped in 2 tablespoons of warm water and cooled</div>
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1 TBS full-flavored honey</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350º F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.</div>
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In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugars, and salt until mixed. Add in butter, honey, cooled saffron water, and honey, and pulse until the dough just begins to come together. Place in 9-inch square baking pan. Press down to fill the pan with an even level of dough. I find placing a sheet of parchment paper on top and pressing the dough down is the easiest way to quickly fill the pan. Remove the parchment paper before baking.</div>
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Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 35--40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes before attempting to remove the shortbread. While the shortbread is still warm, cut it into squares by cutting 6 strips lengthwise and 6 strips crosswise. This will give you 36 1 1/2-inch squares.</div>
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Let the shortbread cool completely before dusting with the reserved powdered sugar.</div>
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sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-32867017204378353162013-10-05T20:24:00.002-07:002013-10-05T20:24:23.521-07:00Grilled Pineapple and Shrimp Salad with Fennel Flower Crystals and Vanilla Coconut DressingYes, that title is a mouthful. Fortunately, it's a pretty tasty mouthful. Although I've been slack in posting lately, I was intrigued by a challenge from <a href="http://marxfoods.com/">MarxFoods.com</a>. They are having a contest for bloggers to produce a savory dish from items they market that would more commonly be found in desserts. Actually, I don't know that the <a href="http://www.marxfoods.com/Fennel-Flower-Crystals" target="_blank">fennel flower crystals</a> even find their way into many desserts.<br />
Besides the flower crystals and <a href="http://www.marxfoods.com/Tahitian-Vanilla-Beans" target="_blank">vanilla beans</a>, the other two ingredients that were included were <a href="http://www.marxfoods.com/Coconut-Sugar" target="_blank">coconut sugar</a> (drier and more granular than traditional gula jawa) and <a href="http://www.marxfoods.com/Granulated-Honey" target="_blank">granulated honey</a>, which is about ten percent honey together with sugar. The granulated honey is said to provide the convenience of sugar, but with the richer taste of honey. That is the one ingredient that I did not use in this challenge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9i6iySQhvZse2bWzjIALw2_-ari1rQ_vqtYUyum7Fkdz_NSeUg4d_upuAqQVuzaTIK9LTWb61JubeJtRkIsmFl4MlhtQBj6NRnwFi8yBVn6DYNTHw17crIlHpTf7Z_FLtxmmIy6ahZ5G/s1600/Grilled+Pineapple+Shrimp+Salad6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9i6iySQhvZse2bWzjIALw2_-ari1rQ_vqtYUyum7Fkdz_NSeUg4d_upuAqQVuzaTIK9LTWb61JubeJtRkIsmFl4MlhtQBj6NRnwFi8yBVn6DYNTHw17crIlHpTf7Z_FLtxmmIy6ahZ5G/s1600/Grilled+Pineapple+Shrimp+Salad6.jpg" /></a></div>
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This salad has Asian flavors with a fennel kick. I had thought the fennel flower crystals were just going to be fennel pollen, something I've tried before. When I got the packet of flower crystals, I was stumped. These are extremely fragrant and sweet, tasting like licorice-infused sugar. How the hell was I going to use these in a savory dish? Somehow I thought of salt and pepper shrimp, the Szechuan dish, which I have made with kumquats in the past. Kumquats have a slight fennel taste, so I thought if I balanced the flower crystals with some salt, the fennel crystals might work with shrimp.<br />
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The rules for the challenge say only two ingredients need to be used in the recipe, and I knew I'd have no trouble using the coconut sugar, an ingredient common to many Indonesian and southeast Asian dishes, sweet and savory. I've had some Thai dressings that used coconut milk along with lime and fish sauce, so I thought I'd see what adding a vanilla bean to some coconut milk together with lemongrass would do. In as much vanilla complements pineapple, it seemed a good idea to add some grilled pineapple to the mix. The sweetness of the grilled pineapple and shrimp called for some bitterness to keep things in balance. Arugula seemed a good choice.<br />
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Finally, I thought some fried rice vermicelli (bihun) would provide a crispy accent to the salad and absorb some of the dressing. When I was at the market, I noticed some <a href="http://www.vinhsanh.com/images/6873.jpg" target="_blank">banh uot kho, dried rice flakes,</a> which I've never known to be fried. I didn't know if they would fry up well, but thought that if they did, they might be a more interesting and attractive addition than the vermicelli. They worked wonderfully, frying up like thin shrimp chips in a flash in hot oil. I dusted them with a sprinkling of the fennel flower crystals ground together with some sea salt as soon as they came out of the fryer.<br />
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It should be noted that Marx Foods provided me with the samples used in creating this recipe. Although they did not give me any money, the winner of the challenge will get a $100 gift certificate from Marx Foods. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Grilled Pineapple and Shrimp Salad with Fennel Flower Crystals and Vanilla Coconut Dressing</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/grilled-pineapple-shrimp-salad-1" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>Dressing</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 can coconut milk</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 cup water</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 stalks of lemongrass, sliced and pounded</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 Tahitian vanilla bean, split, the seeds scraped into the coconut milk along with the pod</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 TBS fish sauce</div>
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3 TBS coconut sugar</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 cup of the infused coconut milk</div>
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2 tsp lime juice</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 tsp coconut sugar</div>
1 tsp fish sauce<br />
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To make the dressing, simmer the coconut milk and water with the lemongrass, vanilla, fish sauce and coconut sugar for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep another 30 minutes or more.<br />
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Strain through a coarse sieve, allowing the vanilla seeds through but keeping out the lemongrass. Mix 1/2 cup of the strained mixture with the lime juice, coconut sugar, and fish sauce. Keep until ready to dress the salad. (The remaining coconut milk infusion can be refrigerated--or frozen--for another time.) <br />
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<i><b>Salad </b></i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 pineapple, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
20 shrimp, peeled and deveined</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 cups arugula, washed and dried</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 shallots, thinly sliced<br />
2 to 3 TBS mint, julienned </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 red jalapeno or other pepper with some heat</div>
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1 cup of dried rice flakes or rice vermicelli, fried in 350º F oil until crisp and puffed</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 tsp fennel flower crystals ground with 1 tsp kosher salt, for dusting the fried rice flakes</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 tsp fennel flower crystals for sprinkling on the shrimp just before serving the salad</div>
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Grill the pineapple slices on a hot grill for about 3 minutes a side until cooked. Remove and cut each slice into eight pieces, removing the fibrous central core. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, season lightly with salt and quickly grill them. Be careful that you don't overcook them.<br />
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To assemble the salad, place the arugula on a deep platter. Top with the grilled pineapple pieces, followed by the fried rice flakes. Top with the grilled shrimp sprinkled with the fennel flower crystals. Scatter the sliced shallots, mint, and red chili pepper. Pour the dressing over and serve.<br />
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Don't add the rice flakes until you are ready to serve the salad. If you add them beforehand, they will become soft and unappetizing.<br />
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<br />I was afraid the fennel flower crystals might be overpowering, as they are quite strong when tasted by themselves. However, I found that in the salad they were quite subtle. It's possible that you might want more than one teaspoon's worth sprinkled on the shrimp when serving the salad.</div>
<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-85759537532714777962013-09-16T23:11:00.001-07:002013-09-16T23:11:23.584-07:00Ayam Panggan Setan--The Devil's Grilled Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While satay may be what comes to most people's minds when they think of Indonesian grilled chicken, it is not the only grilled chicken on the block in Java. Indonesians have numerous ways of enjoying grilled yard bird, and in Indonesia the chicken very often is from a nearby yard. Ayam kampung, village chicken, is a rangy, flavorful bird, smaller and generally tastier than its American free range cousin. Throughout Indonesia one can find hawkers selling quarters of grilled chicken. A whole chicken may not weigh more than two pounds, so the quarters are a nice bite.<br />
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Indonesians have an approach to cooking chicken that I have not seen elsewhere. It's one that particularly makes sense for food vendors that have limited or no access to refrigeration. Rather than simply frying or grilling the chicken, the birds are first simmered in a spiced liquid until cooked and the liquid reduced. Sometimes the liquid is merely water with salt and other spices. Other times coconut milk is used. The cooked pieces of chicken can then be finished to order. For kaki lima (the pushcarts hawkers use to transport and cook their foods) sellers, this allows them to get out orders fairly quickly and not have to worry about keeping raw chicken refrigerated in the tropical heat.<br />
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Precooking in the seasoned liquid also results in a moist, well spiced piece of chicken. It is essentially cooking in a brine. For a picnic or when you want to prepare chicken to feed a crowd, this method allows you to have a large quantity of chicken ready to finish off on the grill in minutes. Consider it Indonesia's answer to sous vide.<br />
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When you see a restaurant or warung advertising ayam panggang setan, the only thing you can be assured of is that the chicken is going to be spicy hot. Some places may simmer in coconut milk, others may not. The sambal may use red or green chilies. It may be suuuppperrrr pueeeedas (the more drawn out the syllables, the hotter the sambal) or simply pedas betul. If you don't want or can't get a beer with it, have some young coconut juice. This is one of the dishes that would likely be served with <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2010/04/sambal-lalapan.html" target="_blank">sambal lalapan</a>. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Ayam Panggang Setan</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/ayam-panggang-setan" target="_blank">printable recipe </a><b><br /></b></i></div>
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2--3 pounds of chicken pieces (I like thighs)<br />
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Spice Mixture: <br />
5 shallots, peeled and chopped<br />
3 cloves of garlic, peeled<br />
2 inch piece of turmeric, peeled (or use 1 tsp ground turmeric) <br />
3 kemiri (candlenuts)<br />
1 TBS kosher salt<br />
1 tsp peppercorns<br />
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3 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped and pounded<br />
6 kaffir lime leaves<br />
half a thumb of galangal (laos) sliced and pounded<br />
3/4 cup water <br />
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Sambal: <br />
8 large red chilies<br />
8 Thai red bird chilies <br />
7 shallots, peeled<br />
5 cloves of garlic, peeled<br />
1 tomato<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi/belacan), roasted<br />
2 TBS vegetable oil<br />
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kecap manis <br />
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In a mortar or food processor, grind the ingredients for the spice mixture into a fine paste. Mix the chicken pieces with the paste. Add the chicken with the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and water to a wok. Simmer over medium heat until the chicken is cooked and the liquid has been absorbed/cooked off. The chicken can be cooked ahead to this point and then held until you are ready to grill.<br />
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In a medium saucepan, boil the chilies, shallots, garlic, and tomato a few minutes until softened. Drain. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok and briefly fry the boiled ingredients. Process in a blender/food processor until smooth. Add the salt and shrimp paste and pulse until incorporated.<br />
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Although you can grill the chicken directly over coals, as they would in Indonesia, I prefer the indirect approach, which allows you to lacquer chicken with the sauce. In a Weber kettle grill or something similar, prepare a bed of coals on one side of the grill. Brush both sides of the chicken with kecap manis and then brush on the sambal. Place the chicken pieces skin-side up on the opposite side of the grill. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until well browned. Serve with more sambal and rice.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-48568285468626002142013-08-16T11:01:00.000-07:002013-08-16T11:01:29.524-07:00Peach and Nectarine TartAfter a month in Indonesia visiting family, Tjing and I returned to summer here in Northern California. It's the towards the tail-end of the season for stone fruits, and peaches and their clean shaven cousins, nectarines, are at peak sweetness. Going to the farmers market the morning after we got back, I picked up several pounds of perfectly ripe yellow peaches and white nectarines. Although they were fine eaten fresh without any adornment, I decided to use some to make <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/12697/Easy-Summer-Fruit-Tart.html" target="_blank">this tart</a> which I came across while surfing the web in Java. I liked the simple directness of the tart, its focus on the fruit, but I thought I'd give it an Indonesian tweak by using some<a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/08/lemongrass-kaffir-lime-leaf-pepper.html" target="_blank"> lemongrass kaffir lime pepper jam </a>instead of the red currant preserves it calls for. I thought a touch of heat with the fruit would be a nice touch.<br />
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Other than using demerara sugar instead of white sugar to sprinkle on the fruit, and the substitution of the <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/08/lemongrass-kaffir-lime-leaf-pepper.html" target="_blank">kaffir lime chili jam</a> for the red currant preserves, I stuck to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/12697/Easy-Summer-Fruit-Tart.html" target="_blank">Times recipe</a>. The crust is a straightforward pate sucree, a crust that is pretty much foolproof. As the fruit is front and center, it's important that you use the best that you can find. I wouldn't attempt to make this tart with any fruit that you wouldn't be as happy eating fresh. <br />
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I served this with some crème fraìche, as suggested in the original recipe, but a good vanilla ice cream would also go well with it. It is also fine just on its own.<br />
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sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-41301257126943405542013-07-10T14:40:00.000-07:002013-07-11T09:24:38.710-07:00Vietnamese Peach Salsa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't recall ever eating a peach in Vietnam. Here, in northern California, peaches are abundant and deliciously sweet in summer. Although I never cared from them much when growing up, I've become very fond of them in recent years. I particularly enjoy white peaches, which have an ambrosial sweetness. This recipe came about when I was chewing on some <a href="http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com/blog/vietnamese-herb-primer.html#cilantro" target="_blank">rau ram </a>(daun laksa) and thought it would be an interesting match with peaches. I was right.<br />
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This salsa would be great with grilled fish, chicken, or pork. It also goes nicely with arugula for a quick summer salad. Here it is simply served with Vietnamese sesame rice crackers--banh trang me--which I crisped in the microwave.<br />
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As with most salsas, this is quick and easy to prepare, and tastes best the day it is made. You could certainly add more shallots, make it spicier with more chilies, or vary it to your taste. The rau ram should be easily found in Vietnamese markets. It is the herb that makes this a Vietnamese salsa for me.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Vietnamese Peach Salsa</b></i></div>
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3 to 4 peaches, peeled and diced (I used a mix of white and yellow freestone peaches)<br />
3 TBS chopped rau ram<br />
2 TBS lime juice <br />
1 TBS shallots, peeled and finely chopped<br />
1 TBS young ginger, grated or finely minced <br />
2 tsp granulated sugar <br />
1 tsp fish sauce<br />
2--4 thai chilies, seeded and minced<br />
2 kaffir lime leaves, central vein removed, finely minced <br />
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Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Wait 20 minutes for flavors to meld. Can be made several hours ahead of time, but best served the day it is made.<br />
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sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-4300718371164554412013-07-01T12:31:00.000-07:002013-07-01T12:40:16.558-07:00Shrimp Stuffed Squash Blossoms--Hoa bí nhồi tôm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stuffed squash blossoms are a seasonal treat. I love the Italian version with ricotta and mozzarella, and am equally fond of these Vietnamese inspired blossoms. I first tasted ones similar to these in Can Tho, on our last visit to Vietnam several years ago. The ones we had that night were good, but a little heavier than this version. I believe the stuffing for them was a pork and shrimp forcemeat.<br />
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Even in season, squash blossoms are ephemeral treats. Within a day they wilt and wither. When I spot some good ones at the farmers market, I cannot resist them. Never mind if I had other plans, when squash blossoms are available I will make something with them. These shrimp stuffed ones go nicely with an evening cocktail.<br />
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I have made these with a thicker batter, but prefer this lighter, virtually transparent shell. It provides a crisp skin to the blossoms without detracting from their delicate nature. The shrimp stuffing is fragrant with kaffir lime leaves and young ginger. I do not coat the zucchini with any batter at all. I accompanied these with a simple nuoc cham for dipping.<br />
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<i><b>Shrimp Stuffed Squash Blossoms--Hoa bí nhồi tôm</b></i></div>
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<i>printable recipe</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
12 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp, chopped</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 TBS minced shallots</div>
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1 TBS minced young ginger (if unavailable, use half or less of mature ginger) </div>
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1 garlic clove, minced</div>
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2-3 kaffir lime leaves, central vein removed, finely chopped</div>
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1/2 ounce cellophane (mung bean) noodles, softened in warm water, chopped</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 tsp fish sauce</div>
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1/2 tsp sugar</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 tsp white pepper</div>
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12 squash blossoms, with or without baby zucchini attached</div>
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1/4 cup rice flour</div>
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2 TBS cornstarch</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
ice water</div>
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oil for frying</div>
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In a food processor, pulse the shrimp mixture until well mixed.</div>
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Remove the stamen from inside the blossom, rinse and drain. Pat dry with paper towels.</div>
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Put the shrimp mixture into a pastry bag. Pipe a tablespoon or so of the mixture into the squash blossoms. If the blossoms tear, just press against the shrimp filling to hold together.</div>
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Heat oil to the depth of about 2 inches to 350ºF. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
In a small bowl, add enough cold water to the rice flour, cornstarch and salt to make a thin batter. Using the zucchini as handles, dip the stuffed blossoms into the batter. Slide the battered blossoms into the hot oil and fry for about three minutes. Remove from the oil and dry on paper towels. These are best served warm with some <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/03/mini-alaskan-crab-tacos.html" target="_blank">nuoc cham</a> for dipping.</div>
<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-16332748412417496022013-06-20T10:31:00.001-07:002013-06-20T10:31:41.607-07:00Tofu with Tomatoes and Thai Basil<div style="text-align: center;">
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With several eyes of round curing for some bresaola and some freshly sliced coppa sitting in my refrigerator, I can hardly be confused for a vegan. I am a creature of the flesh and enjoy eating meat on a fairly regular basis. At the same time, I enjoy tofu and tempe. While the bresaola is curing in the fridge, I have a batch of tempe coming together in the oven (off, with the oven light on). I'm complicated.<br />
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Actually, I am a slave to taste. If something tastes good, I'll eat it. While I admire vegetarians and vegans for their adherence to a diet that does without meat or animal products, I savor the taste of grilled pork and a succulent piece of brie. Although fish sauce was foreign to my childhood, my enjoyment of life would be lessened without it. The same with tofu and tempe. My first tastes of tofu were probably as a dish that would be good for me, and I was underwhelmed. It wasn't until I experienced it in refugee camps in Malaysia and living in Indonesia that I came to appreciate tofu. That my wife is from Tofu City (Kediri) in Indonesia may be another reason for my fondness for tofu. Tempe is probably unfamiliar to most Americans, and that is a shame. What's worse is that most will only taste the health food type of tempe that is commonly available in the United States. Javanese tempe is simple and exquisite. It is the protein of the masses in Indonesia, and a good piece of <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/05/tempeh.html" target="_blank">tempe</a> is every bit as ambrosial as that buttery piece of brie.<br />
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I can understand vegetarians and vegans abhorrence for meat. As much as I might enjoy a quivering steak fresh off the grill, they view it as a moral abomination; I get that. It's not going to make me enjoy my steak any less, but I understand how disgusted they may be by my choice. Perhaps there's a Hell where pigs will be grilling pieces of my flesh on a spit, flames rising and dancing from the dripping fat. Oh well.<br />
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What I can't understand is how animated some meat eaters get about vegetarians and vegans. They refuse to eat vegan dishes on principle. Indignant perhaps that vegans would have them sentenced to Hell, they denounce the trappings of veganism as righteously as fundamentalists of one religion decry another. "I'll eat a salad as a side, perhaps, but forget that tofu." Tofu is viewed as an inferior meat, a poseur, and vegetarians should accept some of the blame for this in that too often tofu is used as a meat substitute. However, if you appreciate tofu for what it is, a velvety flavor sponge, you can enjoy it just as much as that grilled steak. <br />
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For vegans, vegetarians, and gastronomic agnostics, this is a wonderful dish. You could spice it up by adding some minced chilies, but even without the chilies it is full of flavor. For a variation, you can use nuoc cham (fish sauce with lime, garlic, and chilies) in place of the soy and vinegar based sauce in this recipe, but then it would no longer be a vegetarian dish. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Tofu with Tomatoes and Thai Basil</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/tofu-with-tomatoes-and-thai-basil" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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4 or 5 blocks of Chinese tofu (approx. 4" x 4" x 1")<br />
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, larger ones slice in half, smaller ones left whole <br />
1/2 cup of Thai basil leaves<br />
1/4 cup minced shallots<br />
3 cloves of garlic, minced <br />
scant 1 cup of water<br />
2 TBS soy sauce<br />
1 TBS rice vinegar<br />
2--3 tsp sugar<br />
<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/4 cup rice flour<br />
2 TBS corn starch<br />
1/2 tsp salt <br />
water <br />
<br />
oil for frying<br />
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Cut the tofu in 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes. Drain on paper towels. Make a batter by mixing together the flours, corn starch, salt, and water in a bowl until the consistency of heavy cream.<br />
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Heat oil to the depth of 1 1/2 inches to 350º F in a wok or other vessel. Working in batches, dip the cubes of drained tofu in the batter and then gently fry in the hot oil, stirring to keep the pieces from sticking together. Each batch should take about two minutes to produce golden brown cubes that retain custard-like centers. Remove the fried cubes and drain on paper towels while frying the rest of the tofu.<br />
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Remove all but several tablespoons of oil from the wok. Fry the shallots and garlic until just softened. Add the cherry tomatoes and fry for a minute or two. Mix together the water, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Taste and adjust for a sweet/sour/salty tang. Add this to the tomatoes and shallots and increase the heat so the mixture is boiling vigorously. After the mixture has reduced some, stir in the tofu. When the liquid is absorbed and the tofu is heated through, stir in the basil leaves. Remove from heat and serve.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-11213633997080071472013-05-29T11:02:00.000-07:002013-06-13T17:49:13.697-07:00Salted Mustard Greens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mothers-in-law are an apparently universal source of jokes and vitriol. I've had students from countries throughout the world tell me jokes about mothers-in-law. I've also heard tales of their viciousness and oppression. If one were to believe the lore, mothers-in-law transform from ordinary women (if such beings can be said to exist) into a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra" target="_blank">chupacabra</a>-like beast that can suck the blood and life-force from a marriage. The metamorphosis is said to start with the planning for the wedding, mildly annoying at first, eventually becoming a heinous monstrosity that feeds on slights and rips the flesh from marriages.<br />
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It may seem odd then that I regret never having met my mother-in-law, who died before Tjing and I began seeing each other. I have had the pleasure of meeting her two sisters, both of whom have been very kind to me. The older one, who also enjoyed cooking, clips recipes and gives them to me when we visit. Both sisters have good senses of humor, and from all accounts Tjing's mother also managed to maintain her sense of humor and to raise a remarkable family in difficult times.<br />
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It's hard for non-Indonesians, and perhaps for younger Indonesians, to appreciate the difficulties of being identified as Chinese in Java, especially in the 60s. Although my mother-in-law was an Indonesian citizen whose family had been in Indonesia for several generations, and my father-in-law was born in Indonesia, their children did not become citizens until the 80s. At one point, Tjing's mother was tempted to destroy the birth certificates and her marriage license so that her children would be citizens. Had she been recognized as the sole parent, her children would have her rights of citizenship passed on to them. As children follow the husband/father, since Tjing's father was not recognized as a citizen, none of his offspring could be. He refused to have his children be identified as bastards in order to procure citizenship. Tjing finally managed to get her citizenship shortly before going to Galang. <br />
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After the fall of Sukarno in 1965, between 100,000 and 1,000,000 people were killed, most of them in Central and East Java. While the targets were ostensibly communists, who were blamed for the failed coup that led to Suharto's ascension, Chinese were also slaughtered in huge numbers. The town where Tjing's mother was born was largely Chinese and was virtually wiped from the map. In the following years, Chinese publications and the studying of Chinese were banned. The Suharto government forced assimilation on the Chinese by erasing cultural ties. While cleansing them of their Chinese cultural heritage, the policy did not integrate the Chinese Indonesians into the mainstream of society. There was a limit on the number of ethnic Chinese allowed to study at universities and to work for the government. The limit was also imposed on multinational companies. <br />
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In this hostile climate, Tjing's mother raised four children and ran a <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/10/jamu.html" target="_blank">jamu</a> shop. All children, including her daughters, went to university. While her life was confined to Kediri and surrounding towns, she ensured that Tjing was able to study in Yogya and enabled her to live and work in Galang. For Americans this might seem like no big thing, but without her mother's support, Tjing's father would have never allowed Tjing to go to Galang. Later, when Tjing was offered a full scholarship by the Australian government to get her Master's in Canberra, it was her mother that allowed Tjing to accept the scholarship. While Tjing was completing her degree, her mother was discovered to have cancer that had already reached a very advanced stage and died within days of entering the hospital, before Tjing was able to get back to see her.<br />
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One of the reasons I regret not having known Tjing's mother is that in addition to having a good sense of humor, she also was a skilled cook. Unfortunately, Tjing didn't take much interest in learning how to cook from her mother. She can describe dishes her mother used to make, but is very fuzzy with the details. Rice with salted mustard greens is one of her dishes that Tjing sometimes makes. Her mother used to make the salted mustard greens, but Tjing didn't know how, so this is my attempt. They turned out pretty good. They are certainly cheap to make, and we much prefer them to the ones available in the market that are made in China. I don't quite trust the safety of Chinese food products.<br />
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The recipe I used came from <a href="http://hungerhunger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">HungerHunger</a>, a blog based in Kota Kinabalu. <a href="http://hungerhunger.blogspot.com/2007/10/making-preserved-chinese-mustard-greens.html" target="_blank">Her recipe</a> called for drying the greens before salting them and using water from rinsing rice. Other recipes omit the drying and use just plain water. While I'm sure the other recipes may be just as good, HungerHunger's approach seemed much more like what I imagine Tjing's mother would use. The only change I made was in the drying time, cutting down the amount of time because of Sacramento's heat and low humidity.<br />
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<i><b>Salted Mustard Greens</b></i></div>
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Several bunches of Chinese mustard greens (I got eight for a dollar at the farmer's market)</div>
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salt</div>
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water from rinsing rice</div>
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Wash the mustard greens to remove any dirt. On racks or strung together and hung, dry the greens outdoors until thoroughly wilted. This took about 24 hours in 92º heat with low humidity.</div>
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Use one tablespoon of kosher salt for each bunch. Rub the salt well into the greens. Place the greens with the salt into a large glass jar or container. </div>
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When you make a pot of rice, reserve the water from the first rinse to pour over the greens. Make sure the water completely covers the greens, placing a weight on them if necessary. </div>
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Store at room temperature for 5 to 7 days. After that, keep in the refrigerator for longer storage. I vacuum pack the bunches in small bags after using several of the bunches rather than keeping them in the large jar.</div>
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-41001258406696328392013-05-09T11:34:00.003-07:002013-05-09T11:34:49.477-07:00Kue Bika Ambon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spend any time in Indonesia and you will soon learn the importance of <i>oleh-oleh</i>. For those fortunate to visit other places, it is expected that they return with some <i>oleh-oleh</i> to share with family, friends, and coworkers. These may be trinkets such as key chains or handicrafts, but the most popular <i>oleh-oleh </i>are local foods. Flights from Jogya have passengers carrying boxes packed with <i>gudeg</i>. Take the northern express train across Java and you will be pressed to buy <i>dodol</i>, <i>wingko Babat</i>, and other local flavors. </div>
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Foods don't have to be a specialty of the place you travel to in order to be suitable <i>oleh-oleh</i>. If they are unavailable locally, they are valued. When the first McDonald's opened in Jakarta, I saw people flying back to Surabaya and Jogya with bags of burgers as <i>oleh-oleh</i>. The same thing happened with Pizza Hut. These international brands have an allure that is difficult for me to understand. I would much prefer a fresh plate of even average <i>tahu lontong</i> to a five-hour old Big Mac or slice of pizza. Of course, those were the old days. Now even Kediri has its own McD's and Pizza Hut (where you can get a pizza with canned tuna, creamed corn and mayonnaise, ugh!). </div>
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Kue bika Ambon is a cake famous not from Ambon, but Medan in North Sumatra. It is <i><b>the </b></i><i>oleh-oleh</i> of choice for people who have visited Medan. Unlike western cakes which are made from wheat flour and have a delicate, crumbly texture, kue bika Ambon is made from sago starch and has an odd, slightly gelatinous texture. Leavened with yeast, and flavored with kaffir lime, pandan leaf, and lemongrass infused coconut milk, it is unlike any other cake I have ever tasted. While I must say I still prefer a European style cake, I can understand the attraction of kue bika Ambon. Both its flavor and its texture are delightfully distinctive.</div>
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<br />The difficulty with making this cake in the United States is that for best results you should use sago flour/starch. While tapioca starch is readily available, this is made from cassava. It is an acceptable substitute for sago flour in most recipes, but I believe it may not work as successfully in making bika ambon. I have tried several recipes, and ones that I substituted tapioca starch for the sago flour called for in the recipe were not as successful. This recipe uses a sponge of wheat flour as well as some glutinous rice flour to produce a much more satisfactory result. This is adapted from the Indonesian recipe found <a href="http://www.eresep.com/4052/8/resep-masakan-Bika-Ambon/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Kue Bika Ambon</div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/kue-bika-ambon" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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(Since getting a digital scale, I find it much easier and more reliable to measure most ingredients by weight. I know many people prefer to measure by volume, so I include both measurements.)</div>
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100 grams (4/5 cup) all-purpose flour</div>
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125 ml (1/2 cup) lukewarm water </div>
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2 1/2 tsp yeast</div>
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300 ml ( 1 1/4 cups) coconut milk (I use Chaokoh canned coconut milk)</div>
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1/2 tsp powdered turmeric</div>
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12 kaffir lime leaves, shredded</div>
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2 stalks lemongrass, bruised</div>
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2 pandan leaves (we can get these in Sacramento; if you can't, don't worry)</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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300 grams (1 1/3 cups) sugar</div>
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225 grams (1 4/5 cups) tapioca starch </div>
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25 grams (2 1/2 TBS) glutinous rice flour</div>
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7 large eggs </div>
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In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add a pinch of sugar, then stir in the flour. Let this sponge rest while you prepare the other ingredients.</div>
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Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan. Stir in the turmeric. Add the lime leaves, pandan leaves (if using), lemongrass, salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep while cooling slightly.</div>
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In a mixing bowl, stir together the tapioca starch and rice flour. Add the risen sponge and use a mixer to thoroughly incorporate the starch mixture into the sponge. Add the eggs one by one, making sure each is completely mixed in before adding the next. </div>
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Strain the solids from the coconut milk. You should have about 450 ml (a scant 2 cups) of liquid. With the mixer running, slowly add the strained coconut milk to the batter. Continue to mix for about 15 minutes. </div>
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Grease an angel food cake pan, or a 9" by 13" baking pan. Pour the cake batter into the pan and let it rest for 2 hours.</div>
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Bake the cake in a 325º F oven for 40 to 50 minutes. </div>
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-89737873733777883962013-03-30T16:25:00.001-07:002013-03-30T16:25:49.757-07:00Nasi Padang in West Java<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many Indonesian restaurants outside of Indonesia offer a rijsttafel option on their menus for diners wishing to try a variety of Indonesian dishes. Popularized by the Dutch during their colonization of Indonesia, rijsttafel (rice table) is essentially an Indonesian buffet, with a large array of dishes for the diners to enjoy. According to Wikipedia, the rijstaffel banquet enabled the colonial masters to showcase the variety of dishes from the islands throughout the archipelago that were under Dutch control. After Indonesia gained its independence following WWII, anti-colonial backlash caused the rijsttafel to fade away from Indonesia.<br />
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Nasi Padang is one of the precursors of the rijstaffel. In a Padang restaurant diners are served numerous dishes to accompany a plate of rice. Although it is originally from the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, nasi Padang is served in restaurants throughout Indonesia. It's my understanding that because the Minangkabau are a matriarchal culture, with property passing down from mothers to daughters, the men move away and create their own businesses. As a result, go just about anywhere and you can find nasi Padang. <br />
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Nasi Padang restaurants not only offer a great variety of dishes, they are also cheap. While as many as twenty dishes may be served, you are only charged for
those you eat. Plates that contain distinct cuts of meat, such as the plate with
two pieces of rendang, are priced per piece. For a satisfying meal as a reasonable price, it's hard to beat a Padang restaurant.<br />
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As much as I appreciate the merits of Padang restaurants, I am not a real aficionado. I'm generally happier with a simple plate of good <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/09/tahu-lontong.html" target="_blank">tahu lontong</a> or a bowl of <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/search?q=soto" target="_blank">soto ayam</a>, than with four or five indifferent dishes. It may be that I associate nasi Padang with buffet restaurants, an association that is not really fair, for I've seldom been disappointed by the food at a Padang restaurant.<br />
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Last July while visiting Tjing's brother's family in Jakarta, we took a day trip to a remote area in West Java. Although it was during Ramadan, we found a small nasi Padang restaurant open in one of the small towns we passed through. One of the things I appreciate about Java is that even Muslim restaurants remain open during the fasting month, their windows covered and doors closed so as to not tempt faithful Muslims, but aware that there are customers who are not fasting. Religion always has seemed a personal choice to me, and I can't understand how any person's belief in one religion or another gives him (or her) the right to insist that others follow the tenets of that religion. It seems to me that if you believe so strongly in the truth of your God, show a little faith and humility and allow Him (or Her) to sort things out in the end. Just sayin'.<br />
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In any case, the food at this restaurant was outstanding. The <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/10/rendang.html" target="_blank">rendang</a>, <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/09/gokar-kencana-ayam-goreng-bakar-surabaya.html" target="_blank">ayam goreng</a>, <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/03/sambal-udang-kentang-shrimp-and-potato.html" target="_blank">sambal kentang</a>, and kari telor (egg curry) were all excellent. They also had a dish of terong buncis (eggplant with green beans) that was remarkable. It was just a small restaurant beside the road in one of the towns we drove through that day (more than eight hours of which were spent driving to and from our destination), but it was one of the better meals I had last summer. I believe our tab for lunch came to 50,000 rupiah for the four of us (a little over $5). <br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-37387300330082483112013-03-21T23:11:00.001-07:002013-03-21T23:11:23.464-07:00Nasi Ketan Mangga "Istemewa"--Special Mango Sticky Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are three stories about her visits to me in Indonesia my mother likes to recount. Her favorite one is when I failed to meet her at the airport in Jakarta (I still insist she gave me the wrong date, telling me she would be arriving the next day) and she waited outside the terminal in Jakarta for several hours, the afternoon becoming night. Another favorite is how my maid, when I returned home after teaching, would make sure that the standing fan in the living room was directed towards me, even if it meant turning it away from my mother. The third story she likes to remind me of is about the breakfasts at the government mess where I lived in Cepu. <br />
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The food at the mess was mediocre at best, but I said she and my father
could get fried eggs for breakfast if they wanted. I had to go to work
before they had breakfast, so I left that as a suggestion. Well, I forgot to mention that the eggs were fried early in the morning, when breakfast was generally served. At 9:00 or so, maybe three hours after they had been cooked, the fried eggs were cold, rubbery, and probably coated with a film of congealed palm oil. Not the breakfast my parents were hoping for. Just as my mother can remember details from a lunch date in November, 1940, she cannot forget those eggs. And she makes sure I will never forget them as well.<br />
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Nasi goreng istemewa (special fried rice) can be found throughout Indonesia. While it may be eaten any time of the day, Indonesians prefer it for breakfast. There are countless variations of nasi goreng, but what makes it <i>special</i> is the sunny-side-up egg that is served atop the fried rice. As my mother could tell you, an egg fried hours before it's served ain't all that special. Unfortunately, it's not that unusual to get just such an egg on top of your fried rice in some places.<br />
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It was the idea of nasi goreng istemewa that inspired me to try this dish. Sticky rice with sweetened coconut milk and mango is a popular dish in Thai restaurants. It's similar to bubur ketan hitam, a popular breakfast dish in Bali, but has the added attraction of mango. Breaking out my molecular gastronomy samples, I decided to top some sticky rice with a coconut and mango "egg". The white of the egg was made from sweetened coconut milk and a pinch of agar agar. The yolk was a sphere of mango puree made in the molecular gastronomy fashion from mango puree, sodium alginate, and sodium citrate that was set in a calcium chloride bath.<br />
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While I was pleased with how the "egg" looked, the yolk was not as intensely mango as I'd like. In fact, it needed the fresh mango to rescue the dish. If I try the dish again, I will try to make a more concentrated puree to intensify the mango flavor. <br />
<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-32593826602818983882013-02-12T13:38:00.002-08:002013-02-12T13:38:23.179-08:00Laksa Betawi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Laksa Betawi is an Indonesian variation (more specifically from Jakarta--Batavia--which is the center of Betawi culture) of curry laksa or laksa lemak which is popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Less spicy and simpler than its cousins across the straits, laksa Betawi is a lush, savory soup. Made with coconut milk, it is richer than <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/10/soto-ayam.html" target="_blank">soto ayam</a>, the chicken soup that is popular throughout the archipelago, but not quite as rich as opor ayam.</div>
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Like soto ayam, laksa Betawi is a meal in itself. Usually served with lontong, it contains both chicken and shrimp. The shrimp may be dried (ebi), or fresh. In Indonesia it includes kemangi, lemon basil, but here in Northern California kemangi can only be found during the summer months, so I substituted Thai basil. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persicaria_odorata" target="_blank"> <i>Rau ram</i></a> (Vietnamese coriander, <i>daun laksa</i> in Malay), which is the herb of choice for curry laksa, would also be an acceptable substitute. While it does not call for chiles in the broth, it would typically be served with a sambal, allowing each diner to spice it up to her preferred level of spiciness.</div>
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<i><b>Laksa Betawi</b></i></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/laksa-betawi" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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1/2 chicken, preferably free-range, cut into 4 pieces<br />
8 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved.<br />
2 salam leaves<br />
1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed with side of a cleaver or a pestle <br />
1/2 inch cinnamon<br />
2 whole cloves<br />
1 can of coconut milk (I prefer Chaokoh brand)<br />
4 cups of water<br />
2 TBS vegetable oil<br />
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<i><b>Spice Paste</b></i><br />
4 oz/120 gr peeled shallots (Indonesian recipes usually call for a certain number of shallots, but Indonesian shallots tend to be uniformly small, about the size of two garlic cloves. In the US, sometimes you can find the smaller shallots, but more often much larger ones are available.)<br />
5 cloves garlic, peeled<br />
4 kemiri<br />
1 inch fresh tumeric, peeled<br />
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds<br />
1 TBS salt<br />
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<i><b>To complete the bowls</b></i><br />
2 cups beansprouts<br />
4 oz rice vermicelli, cooked<br />
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered lengthwise<br />
Kemangi, Thai basil, or laksa leaves<br />
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Grind the spice paste ingredients until you have a fairly smooth paste. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil and stir-fry the spice paste until fragrant. Add the shrimp shells and the pieces of chicken. Lightly brown the chicken before adding the salam leaves, lemongrass, cinnamon, cloves, coconut milk, and water. Simmer, covered, about 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and can be easily shredded. <br />
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Remove the chicken from the broth. When it has cooled enough for you to handle it, remove the meat from the bones and pull into shreds. Add the shrimp to the simmering broth and cook just until done.<br />
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When you are ready to eat, place some vermicelli, shrimp, chicken, and beansprouts into individual bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the ingredients. Add the kemangi or basil leaves and a slice or two of the hard-boiled eggs. <br />
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You may choose to serve this with slices of <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-been-lontong-coming.html" target="_blank">lontong</a> in place of, or in addition to, the rice vermicelli.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-10946700482221662122013-02-07T11:53:00.000-08:002013-02-07T11:53:41.004-08:00Lumpia Basah Khas Bandung--Fresh Lumpia Bandung Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the United States, most people think of Filipino-style fried lumpia when they hear of lumpia. Long, thin spring rolls packed with pork and shrimp and fried until crisp, Filipino spring rolls are delicious, but they are a totally different animal than these fresh lumpia from Bandung in West Java. Lumpia basah are more akin to the popiah you can find in Malaysia and Singapore. Essentially a crepe with a sweet/savory filling of jicama, beansprouts, and eggs, these are a cheap, satisfying snack hawkers sell in Bandung.<br />
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As they are not fried, lumpia basah could be considered a healthful snack. With bean sprouts and jicama both being low in calories and relatively high in fiber, these lumpia can be enjoyed without feeling guilty. The various components of the lumpia can be prepared ahead of time, but they should not be assembled until shortly before you eat them. If they are assembled and rolled hours ahead of time, the wrappers are prone to split and come apart. <br />
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Although you could purchase the lumpia wrappers from an Asian market (look for "pastry wrappers" made in the Philippines in the frozen section) making your own is not difficult. The frozen ones are very thin, but they also are more brittle, without the flexibility of fresh wrappers. The recipe I use for the skins does not produce as thin a wrapper as the commercial ones, but Tjing prefers it to the frozen ones. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Lumpia Basah Khas Bandung--Fresh Lumpia, Bandung Style</b></i></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/lumpia-basah-khas-bandung" target="_blank">printable recipe</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>For the wrappers</i></b></div>
1 1/3 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour<br />
3/4 cup + 2 TBS (200 ml) water<br />
2/3 cup egg whites (5 to 6)<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
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In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and salt. With a whisk, stir in the egg whites. Then add half the water, stirring until fairly smooth. Whisk in the remaining water and continue stirring for about five minutes. Set the mixture aside and allow to rest for at least 40 minutes.<br />
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Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Lightly brush with oil. Ladle enough batter in to form an 8-inch crepe, using the bottom of the ladle to spread the mixture as needed. As soon as the edges begin to lift from the pan, flip the crepe and cook briefly on the other side. Each crepe should take about 25 to 30 seconds total. Continue until all the batter is used. This should make around 10 wrappers.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>For the filling</b></i></div>
1 jicama (about 1 pound/ 450 grams) peeled and cut into matchsticks<br />
2 cups beansprouts<br />
2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) palm sugar (gula jawa), grated<br />
1/3 cup water <br />
1 tsp +/- salt<br />
2 TBS tapioca starch<br />
7 cloves of garlic, pounded to a paste<br />
1 tsp ground white pepper <br />
2 TBS oil<br />
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In a large pan that will hold the jicama easily, dissolve the palm sugar in the water and bring to a boil. Remove two tablespoons of this syrup and mix with the tapioca starch in a small bowl. Add the jicama to the remaining sugar mixture and stir to coat well. Cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed, and the jicama has softened and browned.<br />
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Heat a wok or large frying pan. Add the oil and stir-fry the garlic and white pepper until fragrant. Stir in the beaten eggs and scramble them. After eggs are lightly scrambled, stir in the cooked jicama. Cook for a minute or two before adding the beansprouts and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. As soon as the beansprouts begin to become limp, transfer the mixture to a bowl.<br />
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To assemble the lumpia, spread the bottom half of a wrapper with a spoonful of the tapioca starch thickened syrup. Place a generous amount of the filling atop the wrapper. Fold and roll like a burrito, folding in the two sides and then rolling until enclosed. If you like, you can cut them into three or four pieces, but I think they're best enjoyed by scarfing the lumpia whole, bite by bite.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-70927369896431922602012-12-21T11:15:00.002-08:002012-12-22T07:44:17.851-08:00Kastengel--Savory Cheese Sticks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Santa don't want no cookies this Christmas Eve. All that milk and sugar brings him down with a blood sugar crash, a Christmas day funk that lasts through New Year's. So this year we're leaving him some kastengel and a glass of thick red wine, or maybe some scotch.<br />
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The Dutch didn't leave Indonesia much from 350 years of colonialism. They were more interested in what they could take from the archipelago than in what they could contribute to it. One thing they did leave was an appetite for kastengel. Look at the ingredients and you immediately recognize they did not spring from the Indonesian islands. Yet, kastengel are a favorite treat to celebrate Lebaran and other major holidays. Cheesy, buttery, and utterly lacking in nutritional merit, kastengel make tremendous sense as a way to celebrate the end of a month of fasting. <br />
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Kastengel are also a nice change from the overabundance of sweets following Ramadan and during the holiday season in the US. Cookies are everywhere at this time of year. Snickerdoodles, ginger snaps, candy cane meringues, almond crescents, and Russian tea cakes abound. That Santa doesn't slip into a diabetic coma is a Christmas miracle in itself. Leave a few kastengel in place of the usual cookies and Santa will be pleased. He may even be extra good to you.<br />
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I had never heard of Nyonya Liem or Ibu Liem until Tjing asked me to make some kastengel, but a google search for kastengel resulted in her name appearing again and again. So I adapted <a href="http://mayapoespo2.multiply.com/journal/item/73/Kastengel-dari-buku-resep-kue-Ny.-Liem" target="_blank">her recipe</a>, simplifying its directions, and translating it into English. I'm sure the cheddar cheese her recipe calls for is the Kraft processed cheddar that one can find fairly easily in Indonesia. It makes a more decorative topping of the kastengel as it could probably be baked in a potter's kiln without melting. A grated parmesan or other relatively dry cheese will produce similar results. I used a mix of parmesan and a good English cheddar. <br />
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<b><i>Kastengel ala Ny. Liem</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/kastengel-ala-ny-liem" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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I am giving the measurements most Americans are comfortable with; however, I use a scale when making these as it just makes it easier. The original recipe calls for equal parts butter and margarine, 150 grams each.<br />
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2 cubes butter (8 oz/227 gr), room temperature<br />
6 TBS margarine, room temperature<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
3 1/3 TBS (50 ml) half and half<br />
4 oz parmesan cheese, grated<br />
4 oz cheddar/edam/gouda, grated<br />
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3 TBS (25 gr)corn starch<br />
5 TBS (25 gr)powdered milk (the original recipe calls for full cream powdered milk, but I used non-fat as that is what is readily available in the US and it worked fine)<br />
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups (500 gr) all purpose flour, sifted<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
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Egg wash of egg yolks mixed with a little oil and water<br />
Finely grated cheddar/parmesan cheese<br />
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In a large bowl, cream together the butter, margarine, and egg yolks. Using a mixer, beat the ingredients for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the cream to further lighten the mixture. Add in the cheese and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed in.<br />
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In another bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter/cheese mixture until all the flour has been incorporated. You will have what looks like a bowlful of crumbly particles. The dough will not come together until you press it together with your hands.<br />
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To make the logs, press together a handful of the mixture and roll it into a rope, like making a playdough snake. You want the rope to be not quite as thick as an AA battery. Using an AA battery as a guide, cut the rope of dough into pieces the length of a battery. Place the cut pieces about 1 inch apart from each other on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.<br />
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Once you have filled a baking sheet with the cut pieces, brush them with the egg yolk wash. I make a wash with one egg yolk at a time and have found that will usually be enough for one baking sheet (about 50 kastengel). Sprinkle the finely grated cheese atop the pieces.<br />
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Bake in a pre-heated 300º oven for about 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 200º and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the kastengel are cooked through, but not really browned.<br />
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This makes a lot. 10 to 12 dozen. The dough can be frozen. Bring it to room temperature before attempting to roll it out and make the kastengel.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-78279111542585027862012-12-05T14:48:00.001-08:002012-12-05T16:00:19.135-08:00Sop Buntut--Indonesian Oxtail Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sop buntut is not my favorite Indonesian dish. It is, however, extremely popular on Java. It is a soup that is at once hearty and delicate, the oxtails being a rich, surprisingly fatty meat, yet the broth is light and fragrant with spice. As with Vietnamese Pho Bo, it is the broth that is the mark of a good sop buntut.<br />
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The broth should be clear and fragrant, not muddied from simmering the ox tail. The spices--cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper--should flavor the soup as the flute accents<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyMHo9BfQyo" target="_blank"> Sundanese gamelan</a>. Carrots and potatoes are included with the broth. In most recipes the potatoes are simply added to the broth towards the end of the cooking. I like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Flavor-Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia/dp/0393054772" target="_blank">James Oseland's</a> method of frying the potatoes before adding them to the broth at the end. It provides another note to the soup.<br />
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My wife, Tjing, is not much of a beef eater, but she does like sop buntut. While oxtails are a cheaper cut in Indonesia, here in the US oxtails are relatively expensive. I'm sure most Indonesians would consider it shocking that a kilogram of oxtails goes for around 95,000 Rp. Considering the amount of bone and fat you get, they are definitely not a bargain. Still, happy wife, happy life, so if Tjing wants some oxtail soup, that's fine with me.<br />
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<b><i>Sop Buntut--Indonesian Oxtail Soup</i></b></div>
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<i>(adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Flavor-Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia/dp/0393054772" target="_blank">Cradle of Flavor)</a></i><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Flavor-Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia/dp/0393054772" target="_blank"> </a></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/sop-buntut--indonesian-oxtail-soup" target="_blank"><i> printable recipe</i></a></div>
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2 1/2 pounds oxtails, cut into sections at the vertebrae<br />
3 quarts water<br />
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and bruised<br />
1 piece cinnamon stick<br />
7 cloves<br />
1 whole nutmeg, cracked into several pieces<br />
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground<br />
1 TBS sugar<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
3--4 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal about 1/4-inch thick<br />
3--4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes<br />
1--2 ripe tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes), sliced into wedges <br />
1 stalk of Chinese celery (seledri), finely chopped<br />
2 green onions, white part only, thinly sliced <br />
2 TBS fried shallots<br />
2 TBS fried garlic slices<br />
peanut or vegetable oil for frying the potatoes<br />
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In a large soup pot, bring the oxtails and water to a steady boil over high heat. Use a spoon or a fine mesh skimmer to skim off any foam that rises to the surface. After you have removed as much foam as possible, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the ginger. Cover and simmer for about an hour.<br />
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Next, add the spices, including the sugar and salt, to the pot and continue to simmer, covered, for another 30--45 minutes. The meat should be just beginning to come away from the bones. Taste the broth and add salt to taste.<br />
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While the broth simmers, prepare the carrots and potatoes. Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil. Add the carrots and boil until just tender, two to three minutes. Drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water.<br />
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Lightly fry the potatoes until they are light brown. They should be just cooked through the center. Drain on paper towels.<br />
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To serve, place some oxtail, carrots, and potatoes in a bowl. Ladle in some hot broth. Top with some wedges of ripe tomato. Sprinkle with the fried shallots, fried slices of garlic, sliced green onion, and chopped Chinese celery.<br />
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Serve with rice and sambal. <a href="http://empingsonata.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/sonata-emping-melinjo-rasa-original-disajikan-dalam-piring.jpg?w=300&h=200" target="_blank">Emping melinjo</a> (melinjo crackers) are a nice accompaniment.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-39112339648281110922012-11-27T12:52:00.000-08:002012-11-27T12:52:29.791-08:00Burmese Shrimp Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have very limited familiarity with Burmese cuisine. It's a country I have wanted to visit, but I never felt comfortable contributing to a government that was so unabashedly oppressive to its people. For years the military dictatorship used any and all means to crush the slightest dissent. Recent reforms suggest that the country may be transitioning towards a more democratic government. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi" target="_blank">Aung San Suu Kyi</a>, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and daughter of the man who negotiated Burma's independence from Britain in 1947, was released from prison in 2010 (she had been sentenced to 3 years hard labor because an American had swum across a lake to her house where she had been under house arrest for almost ten years; her sentence was commuted from hard labor to an additional 18 months of house arrest). In May of this year, Suu Kyi was sworn in as a member of parliament. <br />
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While this apparent willingness to allow their people a voice is undoubtedly good news for the people of Burma, I fear Starbucks, McDonald's, and Pizza Huts may also be on their way to the country. With the end of isolation, regional and cultural differences may also be threatened. Traditional foods and customs come to be seen as quaint, out of touch with the modern world, <i>kampungan</i>, and are abandoned in favor of mass processed and marketed food that connects to the world outside. One of the worst things I have eaten in Indonesia was a slice of Pizza Hut pizza that my nieces (whose mother is an excellent cook) pleaded for. I still remember years ago when I was traveling in Padang (a city renowned throughout Indonesia for its food) and asked some teenagers where I could find the best food in town. They thought about it and discussed it amongst themselves for a few minutes before telling me, triumphantly, "California Fried Chicken." What will happen in Burma in 20 years?<br />
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Fortunately, Naomi Duguid has been visiting Burma and actively exploring its foods and markets for much of the last four years. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burma-Rivers-Flavor-Naomi-Duguid/dp/1579654134" target="_blank">Burma: Rivers of Flavor</a>, is her most recent cookbook exploring an Asian cuisine. Having first gone to the country in 1980, Duguid's interest in and affection for the people and cultures of Burma are clearly apparent in the photographs and writing. Like her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_lbr_one_browse-bin_0?rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Aduguid%2Cp_lbr_one_browse-bin%3ANaomi+Duguid&bbn=283155&keywords=duguid&ie=UTF8&qid=1354044942&rnid=2272759011" target="_blank">previous books</a> which she co-authored with Jeffrey Alford, <u>Burma</u> is as much an exploration and celebration of the culture and people of the country as it is of the cuisine. <br />
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Duguid's books are visually rich with photographs of the lands and people of her focus. They are not traditional cookbooks that simply present a collection of recipes. Cooks looking for elaborately staged photographs of finished dishes or step-by-step photos of how to prepare the included recipes may be disappointed by Duguid's <u>Burma</u>. However, those who are interested in getting a glimpse of this long isolated nation will likely enjoy her anecdotal, informative approach. <br />
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The recipes presented in Duguid's book are straight forward, unfussy dishes. Most of the ingredients can easily be found in any Asian supermarket. Shallots, tomatoes, and various herbs (cilantro, lemongrass, Vietnamese cilantro (<i>rau ram--daun laksa</i>) are featured in many of the recipes. I have only tried a few of the recipes so far, but the book contains many that I look forward to trying.<br />
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I first served this shrimp curry with <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/11/roti-jala.html" target="_blank">roti jala</a>. I have also served it with rice. It is similar to sambal udang, but it is milder than most and contains no coconut milk. For anyone put off by incendiary curries, consider giving this one a try. </div>
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<b><i>Shrimp Curry, adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burma-Rivers-Flavor-Naomi-Duguid/dp/1579654134" target="_blank">Burma: Rivers of Flavor</a></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/shrimp-curry" target="_blank">printable recipe</a></div>
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Generous 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined</div>
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1/4 cup minced shallots </div>
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1 small clove of garlic, peeled and minced</div>
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3 TBS peanut oil</div>
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1/8 tsp turmeric</div>
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1 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes</div>
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3/4 cup water</div>
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2 tsp fish sauce</div>
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2 green cayenne chiles, seeded and minced, or to taste</div>
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1/2 tsp salt, or to taste</div>
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About 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)</div>
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1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)</div>
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Rinse the shrimp and set aside. (I boil the shells in water, strain and reserve the water and use this in place of the water called for in the recipe.) With a mortar, pound the minced shallots and garlic to a paste.</div>
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Heat the oil in a wok or a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric and stir, then toss in the shallot and garlic paste. Lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, about two minutes until softened but not browned. Add the tomatoes and cook for several minutes at a medium boil, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are well softened and the oil has risen to the surface.</div>
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Add the water and fish sauce, bring back to a medium boil, and add the shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp start to turn pink, then toss in the minced chiles, stir briefly, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. </div>
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Turn out into a bowl, top with the cilantro leaves, if using (and they certainly add to the dish), and put out lime wedges if you wish. Serve hot or at room temperature.</div>
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sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-60007400960557833312012-11-17T13:15:00.002-08:002012-11-17T13:15:41.449-08:00Roti Jala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I gather from my nieces that in recent years Malaysia has tried to claim credit from Java for the development of batik. While I'll definitely side with Indonesia on this issue, I believe Malaysia gets the nod for roti jala.<br />
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A crepe-like bread to accompany curries, roti jala is not something I have actually come across in Malaysia or Indonesia. I first became aware of it several years ago when I bought a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Recipes-Malaysia-Series/dp/0794602967" target="_blank">Authentic Recipes from Malaysia</a>, which calls them lacy Indian pancakes. Named for its fishnet resemblance, roti jala is traditionally made with a special funnel with four or five spouts to form the net-like pattern. I was at a Sundanese restaurant last summer that had several varieties of the funnels as decoration on its walls, suggesting that, at least in the past, roti jala was enjoyed in Java. The funnel I use is an inexpensive plastic one that I picked up in Singapore. One could get much the same effect with more effort using a plastic squeeze bottle.<br />
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The recipe here is adapted from <u>Resep Klasik Jajanan Pasar</u> (Classic Market Snack Recipes), which contains 270 recipes for snacks that are often sold in Indonesian markets. As supermarkets supplant the traditional markets, some of these snacks will undoubtedly disappear. One of the interesting things about the book is that one of the co-authors is a Japanese woman, Tomomi Kimura, who was studying at UGM in Yogya. She collaborated with a catering company in compiling the recipes.<br />
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<b><i>Roti Jala</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/roti-jala" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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1/4 cup thick coconut milk<br />
1 3/4 cup water<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
pinch of turmeric (optional) <br />
vegetable oil to grease the pan<br />
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In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, water, salt, turmeric (if using), and egg. Gradually whisk in the flour until you have a smooth batter, about the consistency of whipping cream. Strain the batter through a fine sieve to remove any possible lumps. This is important if using a roti jala funnel because even the smallest lumps can clog the spouts.<br />
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Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour in a splash of vegetable oil and rub it into the surface with a paper towel. Ladle some batter into the funnel (if using), holding the funnel about a half-inch to an inch over the skillet. Move the funnel in circular pattern to form a lacy, fishnet-like crepe. Cook until the crepe is set and the edges begin to lift and curl from the pan. Slide onto a clean plate. Roll or fold into eighths. Continue until all the batter is finished. <br />
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This makes about 16-20 crepes. Serve it with curries or other saucy dishes. I served it here with an excellent Burmese shrimp curry from Naomi Duguid's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burma-Rivers-Flavor-Naomi-Duguid/dp/1579654134" target="_blank">Burma: Rivers of Flavor</a>. I'll be posting my take on this dish soon.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-56414393818838169422012-11-08T10:48:00.002-08:002012-11-08T10:48:47.522-08:00Nasi Tim Ayam Jamur--Steamed Rice with Chicken and Mushrooms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nasi tim ayam jamur is a dish that qualifies for Indonesian comfort food. A Chinese influenced dish, it is not widely seen on menus outside of Java. In fact, it's a dish I don't recall seeing very often in restaurants on Java. If you do encounter it, it's likely to be in a city with a fairly sizeable Tionghoa population. <br />
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It is not a difficult dish to prepare, and it has the added benefit of being a dish that can be assembled ahead of time and served when you are ready. It can be made as a communal dish or in individual servings. Traditionally it might be served with acar (a cucumber and carrot pickle), but since I had recently made some do chua (Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon), I served it with that. A quick stir fry of caisim (choy sum) with chilies and garlic completed the meal.<br />
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I used a whole chicken in preparing this dish, using the breast for this dish, the wings and legs for some ayam pong teh, and the backbone and ribs to make the chicken stock. Tjing doesn't care for chicken breast usually, so this is one way to make it palatable for her. You could, of course, just buy some boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs), and use some canned low-sodium chicken broth instead of making your own.<br />
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<i><b>Nasi Tim Ayam Jamur</b></i></div>
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<i>printable recipe</i></div>
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1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast<br />
2 cups rice, rinsed and drained<br />
4 cups chicken stock (divided)<br />
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms (in Indonesia, fresh straw mushrooms are the mushroom of choice, but you may choose to use oyster, button, shitake, or other mushrooms--I used <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/3019-japanese-mushrooms.html" target="_blank">shimeiji</a>, Japanese brown beech mushrooms, because they were available and cheap)<br />
4 TBS oil (approximately)<br />
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced<br />
1-inch slice of ginger, peeled and finely minced <br />
1/2 tsp ground white pepper <br />
2 TBS oyster sauce<br />
2 TBS <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2010/08/kecap-manis-cap-nonya-kediri.html" target="_blank">kecap manis</a> (sweet soy sauce)<br />
1 TBS kecap asin (regular soy sauce)<br />
4 green onions, sliced<br />
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Cut the chicken into small cubes. Chop the mushrooms so that they're about the same size as the pieces of chicken. Heat a wok or skillet over medium high heat and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the ginger and garlic and fry briefly, not allowing them to brown. Stir in the chicken and fry for about a minute before adding the mushrooms. Add the oyster sauce, kecap manis, kecap asin and white pepper. Cook for about a minute longer. Remove from heat.<br />
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In a sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Stir in the rice. Stir well, making sure all the grains get coated with oil. Add 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Stir and bring to a boil. Once the stock comes to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Allow the rice to absorb the liquid, about 10 or 15 minutes.<br />
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In heat proof bowls (you may choose which size you prefer--I have used both 1 1/2 cup ramekins and 3/4 cup ramekins) place a layer of the chicken mushroom mixture on the bottom. Top this with a layer of rice to the top of the ramekin or bowl. Spoon an additional tablespoon or two of the chicken broth over the top. Place the filled bowls in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes. The bowls may be filled earlier in the day (or a day earlier) and steamed when you are ready for dinner. <br />
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To serve, invert a plate over the top of a ramekin. Holding on tightly to both, flip them over, tap on the ramekin, and the chicken and rice should release, forming a mound of deliciousness on the plate.<br />
Traditionally, a cup of the broth seasoned with the slices of green onion is served along with the rice.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-8287267814855633532012-10-30T13:15:00.000-07:002012-10-30T13:16:21.036-07:00Jamu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The iconographic image for Bali is a
line of women on their way to temple balancing platters tiered with
fruit, flowers, and woven offerings.<span>
</span>Even in the still photograph there is movement, a sense of the women’s rhythm, of their calm grace.<span>
</span>Their kebayas, fluorescent against the green of rice paddies and rain forests in the distance, shimmer in the stillness.<span>
</span>The first time you encounter such a procession of women in Bali,
it catches your breath, the beauty of it, the recognition of the
baseness of your own pitiful existence. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the iconic images for me of Java is the jamu lady, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> resplendent in a vibrant, lacy kebaya, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">a length of batik wrapped as a sarong around her legs, a basket slung</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by a selendang</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> from her shoulder, drifting along dusty streets, an apparent lightness to her step and being. In heat that sucks the breath from you, these women move as if untethered to this earth. They are their own best advertisement, a testimonial to the tonics they peddle.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jamu is a traditional herbal tonic popular throughout Indonesia, but especially in Java. Although it seems to be on the wane in the larger cities, jamu is still widely consumed in the rural areas. Western medicine and pharmaceuticals seem to be supplanting the use of jamu among the younger population, but many Javanese still tout its virtues. Long before the arrival of Viagra (knock-offs of which are widely distributed as "pil biru"--the blue pill), there was a jamu to treat limp dick. There are also mixtures to keep women's juices flowing and preserve their youth, elixirs to keep their men from straying.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tjing's childhood home, the house we still return to when we return to Java, was a jamu shop. Customers would come in, say what ailed them, then sit on stools along a bar while Tjing's mother or aunt would prepare tonics to remedy their complaints. The mixtures were mostly prepackaged, a blend of various herbs that would then be made into drinks that also contained raw eggs and honey. When I first visited the home in 1993, the bar was still set up and some customers still drifted in although it was no longer an active shop. Until the last year or so, if you wanted to give a becak driver directions to the house all you had to do was to mention it was the cap Jago shop on Patimura (cap Jago being the brand of jamu that was sold there and featuring a sign with a rooster which still hangs outside the house). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Too much of the world now seems familiar. The uniqueness of place is vanishing as one small village becomes no different from another half a world away. The Big Mac served in Kediri is not dissimilar to one you might have in New York, Moscow, or Lodi. As smaller communities long to join the dominant world, they sacrifice pieces of themselves. Regional foods disappear; newscasters all speak with the same generic accent. That jamu ladies still tread this earth is something to give thanks for. Seeing them, their baskets laden with bottles and packets of jamu, a pail for dirty glasses grasped in their hands, brings a recognition that this is Java, that it is a unique place graced by these women, that this land is unique, that here, in this everyday world, there is still that which we might recognize as sacred.</span></span>sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-58994165091210413402012-10-16T11:30:00.002-07:002012-10-16T11:30:58.639-07:00Curried Butternut Squash Tartlets with Maple Bacon Topping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRqbUIvX1noEEMNfOObYx1bIH46n81dyOrjE3KHzl7IUMYK4zZHx8-dVqrQ2u3kkh_0SJQxUwGp7joWSGtxKJUmCuQuk8bfjExOd_1USkPgUE7xcGtP9zKXpRTeH4PEclEmSP6icIP4hyphenhyphen/s1600/Bacon+and+Butternut+Squash3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRqbUIvX1noEEMNfOObYx1bIH46n81dyOrjE3KHzl7IUMYK4zZHx8-dVqrQ2u3kkh_0SJQxUwGp7joWSGtxKJUmCuQuk8bfjExOd_1USkPgUE7xcGtP9zKXpRTeH4PEclEmSP6icIP4hyphenhyphen/s1600/Bacon+and+Butternut+Squash3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Butternut squash and curry seem to have a natural affinity, as do bacon and maple syrup. Add a ready to bake puff pastry shell, a little brown sugar and cream cheese, and you have a sweet and savory dessert that is ready in minutes.</div>
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Peel and thinly slice a small butternut squash. Saute the slices in butter with some madras curry powder until just softened. Combine a couple tablespoons of cream cheese with brown sugar. Spread this on some thawed puff pastry shells that have been rolled out to 5-inch circles. Overlap about four or five slices of the squash. Bake in a hot oven for twenty minutes. Top with crisped pieces of bacon in a reduced maple syrup. Bake another five minutes. Remove from the oven. Cool and serve. I suppose you could serve with ice cream, but they are awfully good by themselves. A more detailed recipe is below.</div>
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<i><b>Curried Butternut Squash Tartlets with Maple Bacon Topping</b></i></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/curried-butternut-squash-tartlets" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe </i></a></div>
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1 package of <span rel="v:ingredient"><span> <span>Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Shells, thawed</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>1 small butternut squash, peeled and sliced into thin slices (1/8 inch thick)</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>2 TBS butter</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>3 tsp good quality madras curry powder, divided</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>8 oz cream cheese, softened</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>6 TBS brown sugar</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>4--6 slices of bacon, crisped and broken into small pieces </span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>1/2 cup maple syrup</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>Preheat the oven to 375º F.</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>In several batches, sauté the slices of squash in a skillet with the butter and 2 teaspoons of the curry powder. Cook just long enough to soften the slices slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and cool.</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>Stir the brown sugar into the cream cheese, making a smooth, uniform mixture. </span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry shell into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. Place the pastry circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.</span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on each of the rolled out shells. Top with five slices of the butternut squash, overlapping them in a circular pattern. </span></span></span>Bake the pastries for twenty minutes. </div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>Meanwhile, in a small saucepan stir together the maple syrup and the remaining teaspoon of curry powder. Reduce the maple syrup by about half. Stir in the pieces of crisped bacon.</span></span></span><br />
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>After the tartlets have baked for twenty minutes, top with the maple syrup glaze. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional five minutes. </span></span></span></div>
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<span rel="v:ingredient"><span><span>When done, remove and cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. May be served warm or at room temperature.</span></span></span></div>
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-27442308309591951472012-10-08T17:16:00.000-07:002012-10-08T17:16:01.685-07:00Rengginang--Fried Rice Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhS0flLct1Q4xFHd4B4p19HD0SxsxjMKCeVTPc4d2dw6sTaf5JJ-tXbQFYNcoSADSBayTRIAv2hCenjfAr43-lEBUgUDaFQQmeb95d8laNwFuc4UUm29E0Aje2jXasCpUYxOtVsmKagTQ/s1600/Rengginang15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhS0flLct1Q4xFHd4B4p19HD0SxsxjMKCeVTPc4d2dw6sTaf5JJ-tXbQFYNcoSADSBayTRIAv2hCenjfAr43-lEBUgUDaFQQmeb95d8laNwFuc4UUm29E0Aje2jXasCpUYxOtVsmKagTQ/s1600/Rengginang15.jpg" /></a></div>
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When I made some <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/09/sambal-serai-lemongrass-sambal.html" target="_blank">sambal serai--lemongrass sambal</a>--a few weeks back, I thought it needed something other than some grilled food to accompany it. The sambal is great with a meal, but I wanted to be able to enjoy it as a snack. Rengginang--which are a kind of rice cracker made from sticky rice--make a perfect accompaniment. They are light and savory, easy to make, and store well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHkGovh-hyI8Witum4muBCQXXQ6K5Yjt07P-TKykBEXzFgBA6omelYB3mpiB97xuUjcrSytHfr6lfnZCG53h9xmIp7xstBXGaX0hk6vAABRkZ1HjuQsYcRHtJ2c1SHv2_AjogFwKjcU7V/s1600/Rengginang3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHkGovh-hyI8Witum4muBCQXXQ6K5Yjt07P-TKykBEXzFgBA6omelYB3mpiB97xuUjcrSytHfr6lfnZCG53h9xmIp7xstBXGaX0hk6vAABRkZ1HjuQsYcRHtJ2c1SHv2_AjogFwKjcU7V/s1600/Rengginang3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Rengginang are nothing like the tasteless puffed rice crackers that were popular with dieters many years ago. Who knows, maybe they are still popular. Nutritionally, they were equivalent to eating styrofoam. Unfortunately, styrofoam probably tastes better. Rengginang taste like toasted rice with a hint of garlic and shrimp. In Indonesia you can also get a sweetened version, but I've always been partial to the savory ones. While they are usually about 3 inches in diameter, you can find platter-sized ones that are 10 inches or more across. <br />
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Making these is a multi-step process, but it is not difficult. Soak, steam, mix, steam, dry, and fry. There's also a little grinding of garlic, but those are the basic steps. While I like a little sambal with mine, you could really use them with almost any dip, especially salsas. The dried disks can be stored until you are ready to fry them. The fried rengginang will keep for at least a week in an airtight container. <br />
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<b><i>Rengginang--Fried Rice Crackers</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/Home/rengginang" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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1 kilo glutinous rice (approximately 5 cups)<br />
6--8 cloves of garlic, peeled, and pounded to a paste<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp terasi (optional)<br />
2 TBS ebi (dried shrimp) soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained, and pounded to a paste (optional)<br />
400 ml (1 3/4 cups) water<br />
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Soak the rice in water for two to four hours. Drain, then steam the rice for 15 minutes. Remove the rice to a large bowl.<br />
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In a mortar, pound the garlic, salt, terasi, and ebi (if using) into a smooth paste. Stir this paste into the 400 ml of water. Pour this into the partially steamed rice and mix well. Allow the rice to absorb the seasoned water.<br />
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After 15 to 20 minutes, when the rice has absorbed the added liquid, return the rice to the steamer and steam for another 30 minutes. Remove the rice from the steamer and form into disks about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick (.5 cm to 1 cm). <br />
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If you live in a warm, sunny climate, place the disks in a single layer on some sort of rack or porous surface and allow them to dry. This may take several days. I hurried the process by putting them into an oven which I turned on to the lowest possible setting. I meant to turn the oven off after five minutes, but forgot, so I dried them a little faster and at a higher temperature than was ideal. Still, they fried up fine. If you have a dehydrator, I would think that would be ideal for drying these.<br />
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Once dried, they are ready to be fried. Heat oil in a wok or other pan to around 385º, maybe a little hotter. Slide a disk into the hot oil. It will sink to the bottom, but should rise almost immediately. Cook in small batches. Each only takes twenty seconds or less to cook. The important thing is to have the oil hot enough so that the disks will rise to the surface almost immediately. If the oil is too cool, the disks will remain on the bottom and you will have a hard, unpleasant cracker.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-66412289146397715512012-10-02T14:07:00.003-07:002012-10-02T14:07:59.112-07:00Gingersnaps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some cookies aren't for kids. Not that they won't eat them, but they would prefer something less complex, a more straightforward sugar rush. These gingersnaps would go as well with a lowball of scotch as a glass of milk. I first made them to use for the base of a cheesecake that I topped with some <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/09/pineapple-banana-and-coconut-jam.html" target="_blank">pineapple, banana, and coconut jam</a> that I recently made. Since the recipe makes two logs, each of which yields 20--24 cookies, I put aside one log in the freezer to bake at a later date. That date came due last night.<br />
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This is a very easy recipe that comes from <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/" target="_blank">David Lebovitz</a>, or at least I discovered it on his site. The actual recipe is apparently from Alice Water's <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/davidleboviswebs/detail/0307336794" target="_blank">The Art of Simple Food</a>. I made some slight changes to the recipe, adding cloves and nutmeg, options that the original suggests. For the cheesecake base, I didn't top the cookies with the coarse sugar, but I do like the crunch it adds to the cookies. I try to avoid having too many sweets in the house, so I am unlikely to make these very often. I know if they were in the house, I would be unable to resist them. Anyways, I'm out of scotch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dlPx5OwZFRzG3eRmz7oPSEVp7T6TYIbYt1313FxV6JLt2XlnEs7lzld7L4xPUQtEFVGgXS6zJw2ylktNCPZJHzr1KBGsoX-fl30oaaaZGsSAdbdnH0KnGNsj6OAaa4YLwJYnIH47KDdk/s1600/Gingersnaps4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dlPx5OwZFRzG3eRmz7oPSEVp7T6TYIbYt1313FxV6JLt2XlnEs7lzld7L4xPUQtEFVGgXS6zJw2ylktNCPZJHzr1KBGsoX-fl30oaaaZGsSAdbdnH0KnGNsj6OAaa4YLwJYnIH47KDdk/s1600/Gingersnaps4.jpg" /></a></div>
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Gingersnaps</div>
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2 cups (280 g) flour<br />
1½ teaspoons baking soda<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1½ teaspoons ground ginger<br />
½ teaspoon ground black pepper</div>
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4 whole cloves, finely ground</div>
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1/2 freshly grated nutmeg <br />
11 tablespoons (150 g) butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature<br />
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar<br />
½ teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
¼ cup (80 g) mild-flavored molasses* (sometimes called ‘light’ molasses)<br />
1 large egg, at room temperature</div>
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Coarse sugar crystals (I used Trader Joe's Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar) for topping the cookies </div>
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In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. With a mixer, cream the butter until fluffy before gradually mixing in the sugar. Add the vanilla, molasses, and egg, and mix until thoroughly incorporated. With the mixer running, gradually stir in the flour mixture until you have a smooth, uniform dough.</div>
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Divide the dough in half. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface to form two logs, each about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and freeze or refrigerate until firm. (At this point, you may keep the logs in the freezer for up to three months before baking, and you now have something that is every bit as easy to use as those refrigerated cookie tubes you see in the supermarket.)</div>
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When you are ready to bake some cookies, preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; one baking sheet should suffice for one log. If you are expecting company, have a large family, or should be checking yourself into a clinic to deal with your overeating issues, line two baking sheets and get it done with.</div>
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Slice the logs into 1/4-inch thick coins of dough. If topping with the coarse sugar, pour about a quarter cup of the sugar into a small bowl. Firmly press one side of a sliced round of dough into the sugar. Place the sugared rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet(s), sugared-side up. </div>
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Bake for 10 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy.</div>
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676771906619516511.post-41138671772901303922012-09-27T09:48:00.002-07:002012-09-27T10:14:40.432-07:00Sambal Serai--Lemongrass Sambal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sambal is a part of just about every Indonesian meal. Sambals can be cooked, raw, with vegetables or proteins, complex, or simple. Some varieties can be found <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/search?q=sambal" target="_blank">here</a>. Sambal ulek (usually seen in markets with the Dutch spelling, sambal oelek) is the most basic of sambals, simply freshly ground chilies and salt. Sambals may be served alone as a <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/02/sambal-goreng-kering-crispy-potato.html" target="_blank">snack</a>, or as an accent to spark <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2012/09/gokar-kencana-ayam-goreng-bakar-surabaya.html" target="_blank">grilled fish</a> or <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2010/03/ayam-goreng-mbok-berek.html" target="_blank">fried chicken</a>. You decide how much sambal your bowl of <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/search?q=soto" target="_blank">soto </a>needs, but no soto is complete without it.<br />
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Sambal sereh is a cooked sambal that is a great accompaniment to grilled chicken, but also tastes great as a dip for <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=6Zw&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1377&bih=990&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=KthkChccFe9NIM:&imgrefurl=http://javafood-khas.blogspot.com/2010/08/makanan-jawa-3.html&docid=zh12q9T1z5qi2M&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBl5cLa6Osorw-44iW2BB6mUq4HMIG2WJS5nSzVInzD-e_Zkq8w_7x8peiyTr2PnPbDpPe-DeYSPHdU8rLjoiHTvu24E0rKj4idPPtTcBYUcqndo3o5VLnBuGaskwKlHR8AEIsNUMVHBo/s400/rengginang2s.jpg&w=320&h=240&ei=BXBkUMnEDcShiQKWz4CQBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=864&vpy=640&dur=4561&hovh=192&hovw=256&tx=110&ty=62&sig=108485227417985913577&page=1&tbnh=155&tbnw=218&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:22,s:0,i:143" target="_blank">rengginang</a> or <a href="http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2009/07/its-happy-hour-somewhere.html" target="_blank">krupuk</a>. Although not for the faint-hearted, the level of heat can be adjusted by the types of chilies used. Here in Sacramento, the Asian farmers market--a few blocks west of the official Sunday farmers market--finds the stalls overflowing with a variety of chilies, some hot, others blistering. <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ita_fera.blog.uai.ac.id/files/2009/01/cabai.jpg%3Fw%3D300&imgrefurl=http://ita_fera.blog.uai.ac.id/2009/01/21/menyimpan-cabai-rawit/&h=1536&w=2048&sz=544&tbnid=3PJ3zN5_bngaOM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=138&zoom=1&usg=__yUTU6gMfrMA4xlunvgGJBpxt7xo=&docid=a4AJoDSaovf1TM&sa=X&ei=uWtkUN--DOPOiwLslYCoAw&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAw&dur=7718" target="_blank">Cabai rawit</a>--bird chilies--are particularly hot and can be found throughout the year in local markets. <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bakuljatinom.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/cabe_keriting_me_4a2365136e29c.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bakuljatinom.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/khasiat-cabe/&h=208&w=298&sz=17&tbnid=NQtjIAZFlWvEBM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=148&zoom=1&usg=__6ElJR7JvSPIAZgS9Erc9v5Jn1qg=&docid=2mjxM-romJpYKM&sa=X&ei=yWxkUM7pHc7xigKN9oGYAw&ved=0CCwQ9QEwAg&dur=467" target="_blank">Cabai keriting</a>--curly chilies--are hot, but not as hot as cabai rawit. They are rarely found in local markets or at other farmers markets, but they do appear in late summer at the Asian farmers market. <br />
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The Indonesian recipe that I adapted this from calls for 100 grams of cabai keriting. I used about 80 grams and added a gypsy pepper, a mild red pepper. This made for a very hot sambal, but one that I can still enjoy just eating with rengginang. If you prefer a milder sambal, use fewer of the curly chilies and more of the <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?start=101&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=n4b&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1377&bih=990&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=bnJI8c9SYHuIqM:&imgrefurl=http://chilibase.info/%3FPeper%3DGypsy%2BF1&docid=5dCvVJaxm3RGQM&imgurl=http://chilibase.info/%25255CImages%25255CGypsy%252520F1%25255CGypsy%252520F1.jpg&w=257&h=183&ei=cXJkUNnNJMSLiAKsooCIBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=560&vpy=336&dur=7897&hovh=146&hovw=205&tx=144&ty=88&sig=108485227417985913577&page=4&tbnh=145&tbnw=192&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:26,s:101,i:203" target="_blank">gypsy chili</a> or red bell pepper. I suppose vegetarians could leave out the dried shrimp and terasi, but the sambal would be less complex. <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Trassie_oedang.jpg/220px-Trassie_oedang.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrimp_paste&h=188&w=220&sz=10&tbnid=f6hLGmynAJtZjM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=105&zoom=1&usg=__s-eTGQgGhwcSaTnLM4mofOAy3SQ=&docid=h7bn-puxTqu0VM&sa=X&ei=oXVkUOqgG6eoiALfg4HQBA&ved=0CEYQ9QEwBQ&dur=3975" target="_blank">Terasi</a> (belacan) is an acquired taste, but once you've become accustomed to it, you will long for it.<br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/sambal-serai--lemongrass-sambal" target="_blank"><i><b>Sambal Serai--Lemongrass Sambal</b></i></a></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/javaholicrecipes/sambal-serai--lemongrass-sambal" target="_blank"><i>printable recipe</i></a></div>
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80 grams (a good handful) chilies (cabai keriting, but any hot red chili may be used), seeded<br />
1 mild red pepper<br />
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced<br />
2 tsp ebi (dried shrimp), soaked in 2 TBS warm water for a few minutes and drained<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1--2 TBS gula jawa (palm sugar)<br />
1 TBS terasi (fermented shrimp paste)<br />
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped<br />
2 TBS vegetable oil<br />
3/4 cup of water<br />
2 stalks of lemongrass, outer leaves removed, crushed with a pestle and tied into a knot <br />
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In a blender or food processor, process the chilies and red pepper until you have a fairly smooth paste. Reserve. Grind the garlic and salt to a smooth paste in a mortar. Add the drained ebi, gula jawa, and terasi and grind with a pestle until smooth. Add the tomatoes and continue to grind until all the ingredients are well mixed.<br />
Heat a frying pan. Add the oil and then the tomato and garlic mixture. Fry until fragrant, then stir in water. Add the chili paste and lemongrass. While stirring, cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. Ideally, you want a sambal that is moist but not too liquid. Scrape as much of the sambal as you can from the lemongrass. Suck what remains on the stalks and count your blessings.<br />
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Serve the sambal with grilled/fried fish or chicken. Or add to an omelet. Or use as a dip for crackers, chips, krupuk, or rengginang. Any way you serve it, you will enjoy.<br />
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<br />sijelenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155682471070790443noreply@blogger.com0