Vicki’s Cheesecake

 

Mary King’s Fruitcake Cookies

 

1 Cup salted butter (2 sticks)
11/2 Cup sugar
2 Eggs, room temperature
21/2 cups AP flour
1 Tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Container fruitcake mix
3 Cups of chopped pecans

Allow butter to soften at room temperature, the cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Cream until fluffy. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt thouruoghly, the add them in. Stir in fruitcake mix and pecans.

Drop 2” apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 or 350 for 12 minutes. Let cool on racks.

Korean Pork Belly

 

1slab of pork belly
Large thumb of Ginger, smashed
Garlic smashed
Water, to cover by 1/2 inch
I whole yellow onion, cut in slivers
1Tsp. Fermented soy bean paste
2 or 3 scallions

Cover then boil on simmer for 1hour.

Drain pork, and dry on paper towels.

Roasting sauce

2 Tbls. Minced ginger
Hot Pepper Paste, Korean Fermented Jang (Gochujang) or bean paste

2 Tbls. Honey

Cut off skin. Coat entire surfaces. Roast at 350 F around 25 minutes so glaze is shiny. 

Serving Sauce

Bean Paste

Ginger

Shredded yellow onion

Sesame seeds

Toasted sesame oil

Serve slices with red lettuce, steamed white rice, Kim she, Hot Pepper Paste, fermented radishes. 

Korean Scallion and Shrimp Pancakes

6 scallion, shredded

Canola oil

Steak or prawns, cut to small pieces so it cooks fast

1/2 cup flour

1Tsp. Salt

Semi-hot red peppers, sliced thin

Water added a little at a time to make a slurry

Sauce

Soy

Marin

1Tsp sugar

Black vinegar

Pinch hot chili powder or more*

Toasted sesame oil (optional)

Heated so sugar in sauce melts.

Fry ingredient in some oil that has reached 360 degrees, flipping frequently so pancake becomes golden brown. Remove from oil with spatula, then cut into bite sized servings.

*I used Aji Amarillo.

Steve’s Tortilla Soup - super in winter

This soup is a favorite for Cinco de Mayo and is both warming in winter and delicious.

The skin of the chicken when fried crisp makes for excellent topping for the soup, but pat dry with paper towels.

4 Skinless,boneless Chicken thighs
3 large tomatoes cut up or hunts 28 oz diced tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 can Indian corn or hominy or Delmonte cream style corn

1 poblano peppers, cut up, seeded, torn up(taste, if too hot, use less)

1/2 cup sliced carrot 

1/2 celery

2 can Pinto beans (Bush)

1 large sweet onion cut up

2 teaspoons Oregano

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 tablespoon of Paprika

Garnish:

Avocado

Tortilla chips
Cheese (usually crema fresco) ( Monterey Jack)
Sour cream
Cilantro

scallions

Lime slices

Serve with sriracha sauce to those that like it hot. Also, correct seasonings.

Topping

Tortilla strips toasted or cicirones

Cook first 3 ingredients with spices for four hours in water, adding more water if needed during the cooking.

Add poblano, celery, carrots, corn and cook a further 30 minutes. Serve with garnishes.

Pepper and Salt Squid

Traditionally, the squid is coated in cornstarch and then fried, yielding an airier crunch, but the mixture of semolina flour, all-purpose flour, and cornmeal makes for an extra hearty crunch with a real depth of flavor.

1 lb. Squid

Cornstarch

Flour

Semolina

Oil

Jalapeños thin slices

Red bell peppers or red hot pepper

Shousongt wine

Marin

Sesame oil

Garlic

Ginger

Black pepper, course

White pepper, fine

Salt

Garnish with parsley and diagonally sliced scallions

Marinate the squid in the shaoxing wine and sesame oil. Toss gently and set aside.

In a medium deep pot, add oil. Heat the oil until the temperature reaches 333F.

While you’re waiting for the oil to heat, prepare your dry mixture. Combine the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, cornmeal, salt, and white pepper , black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.

When oil is hot, dredge the squid in the dry mixture. Fry the squid around two minutes, drain. Set on a plate. Salt to taste.

Fry the cut up Jalapeños, Red bell peppers, minced garlic, minced ginger in your wok until cooked. Toss with squid, sprinkle with a bit of Marin.

Garnish with greens.

Beef and Green Pepper with Black Bean Sauce Chow Fun

Wide rice noodles(chow fun)

Bean Sprouts*
Dark soy

Optionally, oyster sauce ( omit, if alergic to shellfish) ***
Red and green bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
One large sweet onion, cut in pieces
1 lb beef steak, cut into bite size pieces
5 scallions, cut into thirds, diagonally 
Ginger, minced
Garlic, minced

Black beans, fermented

1 Tbls. Shaosing Wine

Marin

1 tsp. Black vinegar

1tsp. Sugar

3 Tbls. Peanut oil

1 Tbls. Corn starch and 1 Tbls. + 1/2 tsp baking soda + Above oil to marinate the meat

Chow fun are wide noodles, normally pre-cooked and kept from sticking with a little oil. Marinate the meat** with corn starch, baking soda,  and oil, a splash of Shaohsing wine. In your wok, add a bit of oil, garlic and ginger, cooking til done about a minute, add beef and it’s marinade, and cook to just done. Set aside. 

Cook scallion, bean sprout, peppers, and onions. Add in chow fun noodles, cooking until noodles take on some color and smoky flavor, add back meat, fermented black beans, Marin, black vinegar, sugar. Heat a couple of minutes more.

Serve hot

Notes:

* As bean sprouts no longer are sold, they’re difficult to find. Substitute either jicama or bamboo shouts.

** To tenderise and treat the meat, soak 1 hour in water, drain, pat dry. Cut the meat against the grain on the slant, exposing more grain. Then smack each piece with the side of your cleaver. This makes the piece thinner ang seperate the fibres in the meat. Consequently, make cuts accordingly.

**** Oyster sauce can be on the table.

Ají de gallina (yellow pepper poached chicken)

Ají de gallina is one of the Peruvian traditional dishes: Poached chicken in a spicy and creamy nut-based sauce is served over white rice and boiled potatoes. Bright yellow—amarillo—in color, thanks to the famous aji Amarillo and rich from the unusual sauce of ground walnuts, this dish is hearty, filling, and delicious.

It's a mild, creamy chicken dish that was delicious over rice and definitely soul-warming, especially on a cold night. You will find aji Amarillo on Amazon as a bright yellow powder. This pepper is 30k-50k scoville units making as hot as the scotch bonnet pepper.

4 yellow potatoes, boiled until fork tender

4 slices white bread

3/4 cup evaporated milk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast

4 cups low sodium chicken bone stock, reduced by half

1 tablespoon ají Amarillo ground peppers

1 teaspoon peanut oil

2 Pattie’s sweet butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

3 cups cooked jasmine white rice

2 large hard boiled eggs, quartered

10 black pitted olives, halved

Soak the bread in milk, add cheese , garlic and puree.  This will be use to thicken the sauce. Set aside

Poach in the stock on simmer chicken and onion til just done, 15 min or more.

Add the onion, chicken stock, oil, walnuts, oil, butter, and the purée and aji Amarillo , blend until smooth. Heat until warm, pour over the rice and chicken.

Garnish with eggs, potatoes quartered, and olives. I like a bit of green so I recommend diagonally cut scallions.

Egg Foo Young II

This version adds protein to a otherwise egg dish.

Corn starch to coat vegetables

4 eggs, fresh

1 handful Carrots cut into threads

1 handful Red cabbage cut into threads

1 handful Green cabbage  cut into threads

1 handful Onions cut into threads

1 handful Bean sprouts

Oil

Protein

Shrimp

Red and green peppers

Sauce

Oil for cooking

Ginger and garlic minced, sautéed

1 Tbls. Dark soy

1 1/2 shouxing wine

1 tsp. Oyster sauce

1 tsp. Hosin sauce

2 Tbls. Chicken stock

White pepper

Water and corn starch slurry to thicken

More dark soy, if needed for taste

 

Make three pancakes out of vegetables. Cook in hot oil until crisp.

Stir fry shrimp, then bell peppers.

Stir fry ginger and garlic for a brief minute. Add dark soy, Chinese wine, chicken stock. Then add hosin and oyster sauce. Season with white pepper. Thicken sauce with corn starch slurry, add more soy if needed for taste. Pour over vegetable and shrimp.

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (Gai Lan)

This is a recipe for the Chinese Broccoli dish that is one of the most popular vegetable dishes at  Dim Sum: Steamed Chinese Broccoli with a fabulous Ginger-Garlic-Oyster Sauce.

Buy fresh greens that have no flowers as is younger. Before cooking, trim off the bottom ends roughly half to one-inch. For thicker stems, you can slit the stem horizontally or slice on diagonal. The stems require longer cook time than the leafy parts.

Cook the broccoli cut into two equal lengths. For good results, sprinkle with water, then microwave to steam or blanch until tender. I trim a little off the leafy sides.

1 bunch Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli), trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in  1 tablespoons of water

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or black vinegar
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 tabespoon Shouxing wine

Make a sauce by cooking the garlic with the ginger in the oil. Add the rest of the sauce ingredient til thickened. Drizzle sauce over broccoli.

Serve.

MARINATED GRILLED VEGETABLES Ala CIA

This is as I remember it, I do the best I can. The fat chef of the CIA was on the TV showing us this recipe. It’s wonderful. 

Lemon juice, olive  oil, Parmesan Cheese, salt, and black pepper

Pre heat the grill to hot.

Portabella mushroom  caps, skewered
Slices of eggplant cut to about 1/8th inch
Cooked potatoes but still firm, cut into 1/2 slices then skewered
Onions,  cut into 1/2 slices, skewered
Zucchini

Asparagus, cut off tough stems 
Scallions, cleanened, and roots removed
Red, yellow, orange bell pepper, cur into squares, and skewered

Oil everything.

Grill all, removing ones than become cooked to a large oval platter. When vegetables are done, add a bit more oil, about 1/3 cup lemon juice, sprinkle all with cheese, and salt and pepper. 

That’s it.

Hog Island Oyster Farm and restaurant

This is one of California treasure to be sure. The Hog Island oyster, among many others, serve their own oysters which are raised in beds in the sweet waters of Tomales bay, California.  The restaurant serve a seafood banquet at their restaurant.

 Hog Island Hog Wash

• ¼ cup shallot, peeled and finely diced 
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced 
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves 
• ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar 
• ¼ cup natural rice vinegar 
• Juice of 1 juicy lime

• 
  

  Mix all, except the cilantro, in a small (preferably glass) bowl. Refrigerate for one hour. Shuck oysters, keeping as much liquid in the shell as possible. Place the oysters, in their shells, on a bed of ice on a deep-sided plate. Add the cilantro to the Hog Wash and serve in a small bowl alongside the oysters. A small amount should be spooned over each oyster just before eating.

  NOTE: If you like a sweeter sauce, you may add a teaspoon of sugar to the recipe. Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York City substitutes 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons mirin and 1 teaspoon of sugar for the two rice vinegars.

• 

  
  

  
  

  THE BOAT OYSTER BAR

  Hog Island Oyster Farm

  415-663-9218 

  Friday-Monday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm (reservation only)
  Thursday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm (walk-in only)

  
  

                    (closed Thanksgiving ,Christmas , New Year’s Day)

  
  

About Sauces and Gravy

Sauces are to cuisine as color is to painting. Sauces bring variety to mundane, moisture to dry, fla- vor to bland, another interest layer to flat, color in contrast, and variety to the menu. One of my all time favorite restaurants was Jacks on Sacramento Street in San Francisco. As it turns out, it was also a favorite of my father’s in the 1940’s. Had my grand father been from the region, it could have been a favorite of his, as Jack’s was founded before the turn of the century. Absolutely the greatest free form menu I had ever seen. They are no longer around as the original restaurant much to my regret but the Ala Carte menu was incredible. A patron could assemble a menu right down to the sauces. The following is a list of some of my favorite sauces on their ample daily menu:

Brown Sauce (Espanole) White Sauce (Bechamel) Hollandaise sauce

Demi glace
Roberts Sauce
Madeira sauce
Mornay Sauce
Marrow Sauce
Béarnaise sauce
Piquant Sauce
Mousseline Sauce
Bordelaise Sauce (Marrow Wine Sauce) Marchand de vin (Mushroom Wine Sauce) Lemon or Mustard Beurre Blanc

I grouped the first four of these together as “mother sauces” that are launching sauces of many other variations not mentioned here.

Is gravy a sauce?

I would have to say it is. To make an argument to the contrary, one would have to find an easy way to differentiate gravy making from sauce making which could be a daunting task. In mak- ing gravy, the desired color and consistency are important factors in determining the approach to how it is made.

Lighter gravies may be a clarified stock that in simply reduced to concentrate it flavor. Reduc- tion is a key to concentrating the flavors rendered into a liquid be it water, milk, wine, or a stock. To accelerate the process, use a frying pan or a wide Dutch oven where steam can readily be expunged.

Brown gravies are often improved by browned or caramelized ingredients. This is where meats and vegetable are pre-browned by broiling, roasting and frying to deepen both their fla- vors and color. This is an extra step, and, if you don’t have the time for this step, there are sev- eral things that can be done:

• Use a demi-glace to increase the flavor
• Start with a stock or broth instead of water
• Add flavored brandies, wines, sherries, ports
• Use a coloring agent like caramel color, dark soy, or Kitchen Bouquet
• Include flavorful ingredient like dried porcini or other mushrooms
• Add fish sauce or even mashed anchovies
• Some combination of these things

 Kitchen Bouquet, a brand name product, for browning and seasoning sauce for meats, gravies, and stews who’s ingredients include caramel coloring, mixed vegetable stock, salt and parsley. Mushroom soy also is very dark and adds pungent soy flavor.

Demi Glace

When a stock is reduced to the mere essence of itself, what is left over is a few tablespoons of intensely flavored and rich stock. Today’s purveyor of fine foods now routinely sell a whole vari- ety of these for the serious chef including classic reduced veal and beef stock, venison stock, roasted lamb stock, roasted chicken demi-glace, classic roasted duck and chicken stock, rendered duck fat, and roasted vegetable demi-glace to name but some of the most popular offerings. These are fabulous time savers and allow the busy chef easy access to incredible flavor enhancing meth- ods. In practical use, a tablespoon or two is generally all that is required for a stew, sauce, reduc- tion, risotto, or gravy. For more information see http://www.morethangourmet.com/

If making demi-glace at home, do not salt your stock. Patience is the order of the day. The process must be low and slow. Demi-glace may NOT be made from fish stock alone. You must add gelatin to a fish stock. If a quart is to reduce to four tablespoons, then 1 packet of gelatin is plenty. A demi-glace made from fish stock should be used within a few days as it is best fresh.

White Sauce (Bechamel)

The easily prepared sauce is purportedly named after the bon vivant 17th century Louis de Bechameil then the economic advisor and honorary chief steward to King Louis 14th most likely as a form of flattery by Louis’ court chef Francois Pierre de la Varenne. As you might well imagine, the Italians, who “invented fine cuisine” and taught the French the meaning of cooking, claim that the sauce originated in the kitchens of Catherine de Medici and became imported to the French court when she married the French Duke of Orleans, in an arranged marriage, who later ruled as King Henri II.

In a stock pot, add: 1 cup of milk
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
pinch of white pepper 1⁄2 chopped onion,
5 dried bay leaves

5 cloves

Simmer for ten minutes. Strain and reserve liquid. Over medium heat melt three tablespoons of unsalted butter to which is added 3 tablespoons of flour, stir constantly with a wooden spoon , and optionally a little Kitchen Bouquet, a brand name product, for browning and seasoning sauce for meats, gravies, and stews who’s ingredients include caramel coloring, mixed vegetable stock, salt and parsley. Mushroom soy also is very dark and adds pungent soy flavor.

Demi Glace

When a stock is reduced to the mere essence of itself, what is left over is a few tablespoons of intensely flavored and rich stock. Today’s purveyor of fine foods now routinely sell a whole vari- ety of these for the serious chef including classic reduced veal and beef stock, venison stock, roasted lamb stock, roasted chicken demi-glace, classic roasted duck and chicken stock, rendered duck fat, and roasted vegetable demi-glace to name but some of the most popular offerings. These are fabulous time savers and allow the busy chef easy access to incredible flavor enhancing meth- ods. In practical use, a tablespoon or two is generally all that is required for a stew, sauce, reduc- tion, risotto, or gravy. For more information see http://www.morethangourmet.com/

If making demi-glace at home, do not salt your stock. Patience is the order of the day. The process must be low and slow. Demi-glace may NOT be made from fish stock alone. You must add gelatin to a fish stock. If a quart is to reduce to four tablespoons, then 1 packet of gelatin is plenty. A demi-glace made from fish stock should be used within a few days as it is best fresh.

White Sauce (Bechamel)

The easily prepared sauce is purportedly named after the bon vivant 17th century Louis de Becha-

meil then the economic advisor and honorary chief steward to King Louis 14th most likely as a form of flattery by Louis’ court chef Francois Pierre de la Varenne. As you might well imagine, the Italians, who “invented fine cuisine” and taught the French the meaning of cooking, claim that the sauce originated in the kitchens of Catherine de Medici and became imported to the French court when she married the French Duke of Orleans, in an arranged marriage, who later ruled as King Henri II.

In a stock pot, add: 1 cup of milk

1⁄2 cup heavy cream

5 cloves

pinch of white pepper 1⁄2 chopped onion,

5 dried bay leaves

Simmer for ten minutes. Strain and reserve liquid. Over medium heat melt three tablespoons of unsalted butter to which is added 3 tablespoons of flour, stir constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. When the mixture just begins to color a pale brown, remove from heat, briefly allow to cool a minute, add the warm flavored milk, and heat with out boiling until the sauce thickens. Correct for salt. Add more white pepper if necessary and optionally flavor the sauce with one or more of any the following depending on what the sauce is being served with:

Finely chopped chives Finely chopped Tarragon Finely chopped Marjoram Finely chopped Chervil Finely chopped Sage Finely chopped parsley Nutmeg or Mace

Ground Cloves Ground Coriander Ground Ginger Ground dried onions Tomato Paste Lemon juice Mustard

Chile Powder
Sherry
Port
Marasala wine
Dry white wine
Meat or fish stock demi glace
Your brother’s old socks (hey you are paying attention)

White Sauce is the basis for many cheese sauces. A veloute sauce starts just like the white sauce except, instead of all milk or cream, it uses a clear stock from veal, fish, chicken or veg- etables which may or may not also include wine, sherry, Madeira, or champagne. A veloute sauce may or may not also include cream. To deepen the flavor of the veloute, I often use a chicken or veal demi-glace and that will take that sauce down the corner and around the block. The ratio of butter/flour to liquid determines the sauce’s thickness. The following ratios are good starting points:

Thick Sauce consists of 3-butter/flour per unit of liquid Medium Sauce consists of 2-butter/flour per unit of liquid Thin Sauce consists of 1-butter/flour per unit of liquid

The addition of cheese to a white sauce will thicken it so start with a medium sauce if making a cheese sauce. If it is still too thick, add more liquid. Most starch-thickened-sauces reach their thickest after they begin to boil. After the heat has been removed, the residual heat may continue to thicken the sauce. A sauce that sits on a stove top may form a thin “crust”. You may “float” some milk or other liquid on top of the sauce to help prevent a crust. A sure method for achieving consistent results in a white sauce is to strain it with a wire basket just before its use. If the sauce is thick, use the back of a spoon to help press it through the strainer.

White sauce and veloute find their way into many uses including pastas, casseroles, fish, fowl, shell fish, and vegetable dishes. Harmonization of a veloute sauce often calls from the juice run off of the cooking process or the broth the vegetables cooked in.

Thickeners

Forms of starch are particularly suited as thickening agents. Popular choices are flour, flour-butter mixtures, corn or potato starch, arrowroot, bread. Some non-starch thickeners include filè, egg yolks, cream, butter, ground nuts, and puree of vegetables

Filé powder, also called gumbo filé, is a spicy herb made from the dried and ground leaves of the North American sassafras tree and is used throughout the South part of the USA.

Pork and Green Beans with hosin Sauce

Pork shoulder, leftover cut into bite size pieces
Steamed green beans, cut to 2 inches. ( or boil, cooks quicker)
Ginger, minced
Garlic, minced
Scallions, chopped into same size as green beans
1 Onion, quartered or in narrow strips

1 Tsp. Crushed red pepper

2 Tbls. Dark soy

1 Tbls. Sugar

1-2 Tbls. Hosin sauce ( depends hot sweet you want it)
1 Tbls Shouting wine
1 Tbls. Oyster sauce *  ( omit if alegeric)
1/2 Tbls. Black vinegar

1 1/2 Tbls. Corn starch dissolved in a little water

Peanut oil

Green beans are pre-steamed and when tender, place them in ice water to halt cooking. Drain and set aside. Cut onion, and scallion, reserve.

Cut pork into bite size pieces, marinate in corn starch and oil. Heat wok over high heat, when smoking, stir fry meat. Set aside in a bowl. Heat the wok, add more oil, add the ginger, garlic, stir fry 1/2 minute, add onions, scallions, and reserved green beans. Break up onion. Stir fry, when tender, add rest of ingredients, stir fry briefly and toss until sauce thickens.

Serve over rice.

Lamb and Leek Stir Fry

1 lb. lean lamb stir-fry strips

3 asst. color peppers

2 leeks

1 sweet onion

1/2 lb. egg noodles

4-5 scallions, sliced into 2” pieces

1 Tbsp coriander, chopped

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted *

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 thumb size ginger, peeled and minced

2 Tbls. Dark soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice wine vineger

1 Tbsp sesame seed oil

1 Tbsp corn starch

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add in the lamb strips and leave to marinate for 30 minutes while you prepare the vegetables and noodles.

Thinly slice the red peppers, leeks and onion and set aside. Cook the noodles as per packed instructions. When they are cooked add in the scallions, coriander and soy sauce and stir well to combine.

Heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the peppers, leeks and onion for a couple of minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you cook the lamb. Add a little more oil to pan and when it is very hot stir-fry the lamb in batches. As it cooks remove it to a plate and keep warm.

Return the vegetables and lamb to the wok and mix well together. Remove to a serving dish and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Serve immediately with the noodles.

* To toast sesame seeds: Heat a small dry pan over low heat. Add sesame seeds and stir constantly until golden. This will only take about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.

Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup) ( Taste of Home)

3 cups coconut milk, full fat, canned(Temple of Thai brand)

2 cups chicken stock 

10-12 ounces chicken breast or thigh meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 inch galangal piece, sliced into equal slices

1 stalk lemongrass, bruised with back of clever

1 medium onion, sliced into wedges

2 bell peppers in variety of colors, stemmed, seeded and cut into ½ inch chunks or thick strips

4-5 cherry tomatoes or 1 whole roma tomato, quartered

1/4 pound mushrooms (Baby portabella)

1-4 Thai chilies, stemmed and quartered

3-4 makrut (kaffir) leaves, rinsed and torn into smaller pieces

1-3 ounces palm sugar or brown sugar

2-3 teaspoons fish sauce

1 bunch cilantro, chop stems for broth, keep leaves for garnish

2-3 limes, cut into wedges, reserve half for serving

chili oil

Cooked jasmine rice or rice noodles

* palm sugar-Made from palm sap, this is the predominant sweetener in Thai cooking. 

Add coconut milk.

Simmer the coconut milk. Add the lemongrass, galangal and chicken. Do not over cook the coconut milk. Add remaining ingredients.

Finally, after the broth has been infused with herbs and the vegetables have softened, add 1 cup chicken stock or water, fish sauce, lime juice and mushrooms. Let this final addition to the soup simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Thai Basil Eggplant

Basil eggplant is a simple dish to make. 

In Thailand, the eggplants are green and long and unlike the big dark purple eggplants that you can find in the US. 

Purple Japanese eggplant is used in this recipe.

2 chili peppers

2 eggplants

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 tablespoon sugar

1 bunch leaves picked from the stem Thai basil.

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Slice the eggplants into irregular shapes for easy turning in the pan. 

Chop garlic and slice Chile peppers. Heat a pan or wok over high or medium high. Add oil and ingredients. Stir until the garlic turn golden brown. Add eggplant and stir. Add a cup of water and cover the wok with a lid. Keep the lid close until the eggplant is cooked. It should cook about 5-7 minutes before the done. The eggplant somewhat turns translucent when it is done. Almost all of the water should have been evaporated at this point. Add  fish sauce and sugar and stir. Add Basil, quickly stir , so that it retains it color.