Extraordinary Food Memory #3

My next tale is one of intrigue and exploration.  When I was younger, my mind and senses were always drawn to the kitchen.  The sweet, savory, nose tingling, mouthwatering aromas my mother use to create in the kitchen appealed to my intrigue.  I began to explore food at the ripe, wilted age of 3 years old.  While I did not have the dexterity necessary to do most things in the kitchen at that time, I can still briefly remember fragments of me helping my mom mix cookie batter.  One morning my mother came to the kitchen to make breakfast and found me sitting on the floor, with a caught red handed grin, and the entire contents of the cupboards evacuated.  I was exploring what was kept inside those dark vessels to try and figure out how to make eggs and bacon.  From that moment on, my mother knew food would become an integral part of my life.

I loved every smell, every taste, and every method my mother used to create in the kitchen.  I can remember the most robust and tantalizing smells came during the holidays.  My nose would flicker up like a dog’s moist nose, wafting the air, back and forth, up and down, to pinpoint the origins of the amazing scents:  cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, garlic, butter, caramelizing onions, crispy turkey skin, and a myriad of other inviting smells.  As soon as my keen smell picked up the trail, my mind jumpstarted like a car engine and within seconds I was firing on all cylinders.  All I could think of was to put my little tyke apron on, scramble to kitchen, and ask what I could do to help.  My mother was always inviting.  She recognized that the experience of food stimulated my neurons and never turned me away.  In the early stages I was taste tester, making sure she balanced her spices and ingredients well.  Later on, I began to make whole dishes, and learned the basics of creation in the kitchen.  The older I became, the more I explored, the more I experimented with different ingredients.  There were times when my mother would buy me things I had no clue how to use, but I requested them nonetheless.  I jaded my siblings with seafood as some of my early experiments ended up freak accidents that neither tasted good nor appeased any sense except for revulsion.  However, without these crucial moments, I would not be able to create as I do now.  The tables have turned and my siblings and family gobble down what I create with smiles from ear to ear.  This would not have been possible if my mother did not recognize my fascinations.  She was the very first cheerleader in my life who always told me to

Extraordinary Food Memories #2

There was a woman that I called Abuela, even though she was not actually my grandmother.  Abuela is one of the most influential cooks I have come across in my life.  Everything she made was amazingly simple, flavorful, well executed Cuban cuisine.  She used the freshest ingredients and took extra care in preparing everything, including grinding her own spices.  She was clean, efficient, and knew proportions without thinking.  Not only was she an amazing cook, but she became one of my mentors.  Several times a week I would go over to her house so that I could observe how she made her food.  I always asked a lot of questions, which never seemed to phase her.  With each question came a quick answer and then an even quicker nudge towards the preparation area.  She would demonstrate to me with little words being exchanged, and then she expected me to do it myself.  Each time we were in the kitchen, it was like a journey into the realm of a magician.  Abuela was magical and always remained happy when in the kitchen.  Before she began to show me how to cook her native cuisine, she always asked me if I was happy, how my day was, and if I was feeling upset.  She explained to me that if I had any negative feelings before going into the kitchen, that my food would not turn out right.  Happiness was the main ingredient in everything we did.  Her best dishes that still resound in my memory are:  Ropa Vieja, Chuletas de Puerco , Picadillo,  Arroz con Pollo, and Ajiaco Cubano.  Abuela thank you, for all you taught me.  Your magical spirit in the kitchen is what I always strive to maintain when I am creating at home or at work.

What the Pho? Pho Bo That Is

Vietnamese Pho Bo is an amazing, miracle dish, that if given a little love will become one of your favorite foods of all time.  It is time consuming, but the results are well worth it.  This is just one type of Pho with beef and beef broth.  When you combined all the fresh ingredients with the thinly sliced raw beef, and hot, amazingly aromatic broth, heaven in your mouth will become a reality.  As requested here is a very good recipe for Pho Bo.  Make sure you follow the steps all the way.  I hope everyone will enjoy this dish.  If you have any questions about how to make it feel free to contact me on Facebook at Back2TheTable.

Tips
1.  Start with good bones:  Avoid neck bones.  Look for knuckle bones and leg bones that have alot of marrow.  Make sure the bones are as fresh as possible.
2. Aim for clear broth-  This is done by parboiling the bones and rinsing them. It is also achieved by gently simmering the broth.  The less agitation the better.
3.  You must char the onion and ginger with skin on.  Do not skip this step.
4.  Use yellow rock sugar found at asian markets or palm sugar.
5. Do not ever dilute the broth
6.  Leave some fat
7. Serve it very hot     

Pho Bo Recipe

·         Makes 8 satisfying (American-sized) bowls

·         For the broth: 
2 medium yellow onions (about 1 pound total)
4-inch piece ginger (about 4 ounces)
5-6 pounds beef soup bones (marrow and knuckle bones)
5 star anise (40 star points total)
6 whole cloves
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 pound piece of beef chuck, rump, brisket or cross rib roast, cut into 2-by-4-inch pieces (weight after trimming)
1  1/2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ounce (1-inch chunk) yellow rock sugar (duong phen; see Note)

·         For the bowls:
1  1/2-2 pounds small (1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh pho noodles ("rice sticks'' or Thaichantaboon)
1/2 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, London broil or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (1/16 inch thick; freeze for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, left to soak for 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water
3 or 4 scallions, green part only, cut into thin rings
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (ngo)
Ground black pepper

·         Optional garnishes arranged on a plate and placed at the table: 
Sprigs of spearmint (hung lui) and Asian/Thai basil (hung que)
Leaves of thorny cilantro (ngo gai)
Bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound)
Red hot chiles (such as Thai bird or dragon), thinly sliced
Lime wedges

·         Prepare the pho broth:

·         Char onion and ginger. Use an open flame on grill or gas stove. Place onions and ginger on cooking grate and let skin burn. (If using stove, turn on exhaust fan and open a window.) After about 15 minutes, they will soften and become sweetly fragrant. Use tongs to occasionally rotate them and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin. You do not have to blacken entire surface, just enough to slightly cook onion and ginger.

·         Let cool. Under warm water, remove charred onion skin; trim and discard blackened parts of root or stem ends. If ginger skin is puckered and blistered, smash ginger with flat side of knife to loosen flesh from skin. Otherwise, use sharp paring knife to remove skin, running ginger under warm water to wash off blackened bits. Set aside.

·         Parboil bones. Place bones in stockpot (minimum 12-quart capacity) and cover with cold water. Over high heat, bring to boil. Boil vigorously 2 to 3 minutes to allow impurities to be released. Dump bones and water into sink and rinse bones with warm water. Quickly scrub stockpot to remove any residue. Return bones to pot.

·         Simmer broth. Add 6 quarts water to pot, bring to boil over high heat, then lower flame to gently simmer. Use ladle to skim any scum that rises to surface. Add remaining broth ingredients and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. Boneless meat should be slightly chewy but not tough. When it is cooked to your liking, remove it and place in bowl of cold water for 10 minutes; this prevents the meat from drying up and turning dark as it cools. Drain the meat; cool, then refrigerate. Allow broth to continue cooking; in total, the broth should simmer 3 hours. 

·         Strain the pho broth through fine strainer. If desired, remove any bits of gelatinous tendon from bones to add to your pho bowl. Store tendon with cooked beef. Discard solids.

·         Use ladle to skim as much fat from top of the pho broth as you like. (Cool it and refrigerate it overnight to make this task easier; reheat befofe continuing.) Taste and adjust flavor with additional salt, fish sauce and yellow rock sugar. The pho broth should taste slightly too strong because the noodles and other ingredients are not salted. (If you've gone too far, add water to dilute.) Makes about 4 quarts.

·         Assemble pho bowls: 

·         The key is to be organized and have everything ready to go. Thinly slice cooked meat. For best results, make sure it's cold.

·         Heat the pho broth and ready the noodles. To ensure good timing, reheat broth over medium flame as you're assembling bowls. If you're using dried noodles, cover with hot tap water and soak 15-20 minutes, until softened and opaque white. Drain in colander. For fresh rice noodles, just untangle and briefly rinse in a colander with cold water.

·         Blanch noodles. Fill 3- or 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to boil. For each bowl, use long-handle strainer to blanch a portion of noodles. As soon as noodles have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10-20 seconds), pull strainer from water, letting water drain back into saucepan. Empty noodles into bowls. Noodles should occupy 1/4 to 1/3 of bowl; the latter is for noodle lovers, while the former is for those who prize broth.

·         If desired, after blanching noodles, blanch bean sprouts for 30 seconds in same saucepan. They should slightly wilt but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnish plate.

·         Add other ingredients. Place slices of cooked meat, raw meat and tendon (if using) atop noodles. (If your cooked meat is not at room temperature, blanch slices for few seconds in hot water from above.) Garnish with onion, scallion and chopped cilantro. Finish with black pepper.

·         Ladle in broth and serve. Bring broth to rolling boil. Check seasoning. Ladle broth into each bowl, distributing hot liquid evenly so as to cook raw beef and warm other ingredients. Serve your pho with with the garnish plate.

·         Note: Yellow rock sugar (a.k.a. lump sugar) is sold in one-pound boxes at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Break up large chunks with hammer.

·         Variations: If you want to replicate the splendorous options available at pho shops, head to the butcher counter at a Vietnamese or Chinese market. There you'll find white cords ofgan (beef tendon) and thin pieces of nam (outside flank, not flank steak). While tendon requires no preparation prior to cooking, nam should be rolled and tied with string for easy handling. Simmer it and the beef tendon in the cooking broth for two hours, or until chewy-tender.

·         Airy book tripe (sach) is already cooked when you buy it. Before using, wash and gently squeeze it dry. Slice it thinly to make fringe-like pieces to be added to the bowl during assembly. For beef meatballs (bo vien), purchase them in Asian markets in the refrigerator case; they are already precooked. Slice each one in half and drop into broth to heat through. When you're ready to serve, ladle them out with the broth to top each bowl