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Mushroom Soup

4/18/2013

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Cookbooks are like movies. It is impossible to watch every one of them. But the really good ones will stand the test of time. Do you remember watching a movie when you were a kid, not liking it much because you thought it was your father's kind of movie? Yet a timeless classic will still be there when you've reached a certain (st)age in your life. It was only recently that I started looking up Clint Eastwood movies. Not because I'm getting old but rather, because I've enjoyed his more current movies (Hereafter, Invictus, Gran Torino) - as actor, director, producer and/or composer - I wanted to see him when he was younger. 

I suppose it's the same with Anthony Bourdain. We've all watched Tony travel the world eating his way into someone else's culture. Most people had already read Kitchen Confidential, the book that made him The Anthony Bourdain. I've read much about it but I don't think I should read it yet. (A pretty good idea for a Christmas present within budget, though.) I was more interested in his Les Halles Cookbook and had finally added it to my collection last July. It was first published nine years ago but I'm glad to read it now, not any earlier. Otherwise I wouldn't have understood nor appreciated his wisdom and humour. Just look at the tags - they are recipes either done or to-be-done.
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Not in Love with Vegetables? Drink them!

4/11/2013

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Today's post hopes to address a common household problem: overly enthusiastic meat-eaters who see vegetables as garnishes meant to be swept aside. We are not just talking about the kids, but the adults whom the former monkey after. It is amusing to hear adults instructing their little darlings to "eat your vegetables" because if the older generation does not have the habit of consuming their greens, that same phrase will then be seen as a form of punishment. Children might even begin to resent vegetables since they are the only ones eating those. Grudgingly, if I may add.

On a personal note, now that I am taking a break from French lessons, it's been weeks since I last hung out in Bangsar Village. JL and I had been spending Saturday mornings in Bangsar Shopping Centre: get the weekend paper, have early lunch followed by some piccolo latte over a book or two, leaving groceries to the last. I think the husband really deserves whatever he fancies during weekends. He works too hard. 

Once of the books I read last weekend was Antonio Carluccio's Simple Cooking. Now if I ever, ever, have the chance to have my own cookbook published - and have a say in its design and layout - it will be about the same size as Antonio's book. Home kitchens in big cities are getting smaller, so if that's my target audience, why the need for a large coffee-table-book size? While at it, I will also insist on full-page full-colour pictures of every dish facing its recipe. 

It's no crime to dream.

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Little Bundles of Joy

1/20/2011

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One of the most memorable parties we attended in Singapore was "Dumplings Night" at G and J's beautiful home. Guests arrived as a buffet spread of mostly homecooked food was laid out. The plan was for us to have dinner then catch the World Cup 'live' on ESPN. I have no idea now which two countries played that night. But I keep a vivid picture of what took place in the kitchen: the huge pot of broth coming to a rolling boil, under the watchful eyes of G's helper. One batch after another, dumplings were dropped into the broth and we waited for them to come afloat. 

In my bowl, little bundles of joy sat bathing in ladles of broth, topped with a crack of pepper and sprinkling of chopped scallions. "Why haven't I thought of this? Ever?" This -  along with the pudgy frog that found its way into the living room, its nose touching the glass separating Fat Kermit and the elevated pool - brings about fond memories of friendships that grew out of shared office space.

These days, I make enough dumplings to feed a party of six. The only difference is in its shape: I find the potsticker-styled ones more versatile in terms of storage and cooking methods. Because they can sit upright independently, these can be steamed, pan-fried or boiled with ease. I'd usually make them while watching TV, arrange them on a wax-paper lined baking tray, leave in the freezer for about an hour and finally pack them in a few ziplock bags. After all, this is comfort food for me.
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At the supermarkets, one finds skins in different combinations: white or yellow, square or round. My personal choice is the white and round type. The yellow ones tend to have this yeasty-factory taste or perhaps it's just me.

Don't spend too much time pondering over the names. Briefly, you want to use "dumpling skins" instead of "wanton skins". The latter is thinner and not as ideal for pan-frying. We are making these babies to boil, steam or pan-fry.


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Butternut Squash Soup

10/16/2010

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Palm-warmer
Cold nights call for warm, comforting soups. What a timely article in last weekend's Wall Street Journal. Unlike the husband who scrutinizes every headline, my hand reaches for the Off Duty section and ignores everything else (there're only 24 hours a day).

The following recipe was adapted from Daniel Rose's which can be found here. It was also my first time making soup with just water and skimmed milk (instead of stock). Nonetheless the soup was sweet, light and delicious. 

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Roasted Beef & Mushroom Soup

10/15/2010

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A roast by any other name
Thanks to Borders, Kinokuniya, and the Indian news-vendor at Holland Village in Singapore, I was a frequent reader of common American titles such as Real Simple, Bon Appétit and Martha Stewart Living. But little did I know that Ms Stewart has another publication called Everyday Food. It's quite a cute magazine because it is only the size of Reader's Digest, and packed with easily 50 recipes.

In the October 2010 issue, there is an article on roasted soups with five different recipes. But why the need to roast something when it is already meant to be "souped"? Because roasting concentrates the flavours in your meats and vegetables and thus giving your end-product, the soup, a richer, deeper kick.

I adapted this entry from one of them - the roasted beef, mushroom and barley soup - simply because there is no barley in the kitchen, but had some celery and carrots which I wanted to clear. Having them both gave a sweeter taste to the soup while keeping it clear. Also, JL suggested having this as pasta soup. But I am often rebellious and used Chinese noodles instead.
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Make it Asian
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Or have it with toasted olive bread

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    briefly

    JL and S grew up in France and Malaysia respectively. They met while living in Singapore, stayed a year in the USA (Cambridge, MA) then the south of France, Malaysia, and are back again in the USA (New York, NY). 

    frenchinos at home is where we share some of our stories with friends, much like the living room, dine-in kitchen, or the timber-deck balcony which we've always wanted to have, which sounds most impossible where we live now. 

    Welcome and we're happy to have you here :)

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