Fried Rice...from leftovers

...Leftovers, my Maternal Grandfather used to call them RE-RUNS.

This is a recipe for fried rice in which I use the leftover steamed rice, leftover protein (usually meat or chicken) and whatever vegetables are around. Traditional fried rice has no garlic and no onion and also the egg would be fried into the rice after a light beating. This is how we do it in my house - you can change it and make it yours.

Fried Rice Reruns Recipe

4 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
large pinch red onion flake
2 eggs scrambled (set aside)
2 green onions chopped
leftover meat, spam or ham
2 tbsp soysauce (optional)
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup carrots
2 tbsp oil

Chop Green onion (set aside
Chop Garlic
Chop regular onion











Heat wok or large saute pan.
In a separate pan scramble eggs, once cooked top with green onion and loose chop with spatula. Turn off heat and leave aside.









Chop meat or chicken. In this recipe I also had some leftover ground beef from canning so I threw it in there.











Reconstitute your dried veggies, set aside frozen, OR chop fresh.












Move spatula through rice whether it's cold or leftover.












Saute garlic until golden brown with chili flakes.
Keep the temperature as hot as you can stand it and keep it moving.













Saute onions until soft













Add meat, once fully sauteed add your soysauce and or seasoning of choice (maybe curry or oyster sauce or even teriyaki sauce)











Add Rice and a bit of pepper if you like, top with veggies. Continue Mixing and Stirring.











Once the meat and rice are fully incorporated top with the egg/green onion mix. I add the eggs last so they are not discolored...Mix thoroughly and turn off heat.









That's it. You can do it.

I think this is a good lunch with a light salad on the side. This is also something you can make from your preps as long as you have some dehydrated veggies. It is also a way to make sure that none of the meats you cook are wasted. If you put chicken, beef, pork (ham) and shrimp - HEY that's house special fried rice. HAHA.

Let's review.

Prep and Chop
Fry Egg
Garlic and Onion
Meat
Seasoning
Rice
Veggie
Egg
eat

Preppers Paella

Paella is basically spanish rice The traditional way is to make it is to saute all the ingredients add the liquid arrange the seafood on top and then let it simmer until done. No peekaboo cooking - and no being wimpy. See below - it's so pretty right? Well, it ain't happening if SHTF... Here's how I make mine below...and there is sausage and chicken in there you just can't see it. I also add peas and carrots. But it's good and you can make it out of your preps This is supposed to serve 10 but it easily serves 12 Preppers Paella Reconstitute your ingredients... 1/2 c olive oil 4 chicken breasts - cubed 1 sausage - sliced into small rounds or cubed 2 lb shrimp (20-30 pcs) - cleaned and deveined (my preference) 4 cups white rice 2 cups water (but add water as you go if you smell it is a bit roasted) (brown rice sub is 3 cups brown rice 6 cups water) 5 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 onion, minced 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp dried thme 1 tsp saffron salt and pepper to taste 1 c tomato 1 c cream (1c reconstituted dry milk + 1/4 c butter) *or you can use 1 can of condensed tomato soup in place of tomato and cream* 1 large green bell pepper 1 large red bell pepper 1 cup peas, dehydrated ok 1 cup carrots, dehydrated ok optional 1 cup spanish olives (canned) 1/2 cup canned green chilies (or pickled chilies) 1/2 c onion --- Heat the oil in pan (med high), saute garlic until golden brown. Add Chicken and brown on all sides, add onions and cook until clear. Add Sausage and all herbs, and saute it all together. Add Rice and brown rice a bit Add Shrimp and Bellpepper, saute further If it isn't golden yellow add more Saffron. Add cream & Tomato or condensed tomato soup and stir thoroughly Add green and red bellpepper, stir Add Chilis and olives, stir Add the remaining water, Sprinkle with Carrots and Peas cover with lid Raise the heat as high as it will go and leave high until liquid bubbles HARD. Then turn down heat as low as it will go Leave undisturbed for 25 minutes or until rice is done. Enjoy. The spanish version has mussels and langoustine. If you are inclined and have the preps - I would just top it with canned mussels before serving with a bit of lemon and green onion right before serving!

Knucklehead...

Knucklehead...

Just kidding. Well there are knuckleheads out there. But the knuckles i'm talking about is Gnocchi - it's basically an Italian dumpling made of mashed potatoes, flour and an egg. I've always liked gnocchi for the chewy give it has but in looking at the recipe I realized that most people have preps that include potatoes, flour and egg (you may also substitute flaxseed for egg - email me if you don't know how to do the substitute).





Gnocchi comes from the word knuckle. It is supposed to resemble knuckles. In more recent years people have started running it off the back of the spoon prior to blanching them - i do NOT. The key is to use a light sauce and to blanch them in hot water in SMALL batches (15 or so pieces) until they float.

The easiest way to remember the recipe is 2-1-1

2 large potatoes
1 cup of flour (loose)
1 egg (beaten)
pinch of salt

----

Cook Potatoes, Peel and Mash - set aside to cool
You may use a fork or a masher or a potato ricer - it doesn't really make a difference to me
Just try to get them reasonably fluffy - without big chunks

Boil water (6-8 quarts) with a touch of sea salt.

Pile the potatoes into a mound and drizzle the egg and flour onto the potato.

I cut mine together with a pastry cutter and get under it with a spatula

Just add flour if the dough is too sticky. add a bit at a time and work it through.

I find that red potatoes are stickier than idaho or yukons...the reds require a bit more flour and the whites require a lot less. But just work it until the dough is moist and firm like a good pillow.

Divide that into 8 pieces and roll into logs - Dust with flour

Cut into 3/4 inch pieces - dust again -

To shape them I bring them around my pinky finger and pinch the ends so there is an indent like a fat letter "C" - Just do it with confidence and keep at it. I like it so the groove is about the same depth as between my knuckles. Some people pinch it against the back of a fork to get that ridged appearance. it's up to you- Try both ways and do what is easiest to you.

Drop a batch at a time (15-20) into the boiling water. When they float up they are ready - just drizzle with sauce, fresh oregano or basil and a bit of grated cheese and it's ready to eat. Don't drown it. Don't overcook it. Just enjoy it.

So let's review.

2-1-1
Boil, Peel, Cool.
Boil Water
Pile
Mix
Work Dough
Cut into 8
Cut into 3/4 inch
Shape
Drop and Float
Serve

If you have any questions - just email me, I will be around.

25 Jan 2009: Lumpia Chronicles: Chicken & White Shanghai

Last week the topic of lumpia came up. Tina and Gya were supposed to come over on Saturday to help roll. I didn't really have that many skins so more than anything it was gonna be a lumpia rollin lesson. Well on Friday night I was just wiped out - even though I'd taken a half day from work I was just wiped. So I told the girls I needed to buy chicken but I still hadn't gone to buy any but would in the morning.

Usually on saturday mornings I wake up automatically around 7am. I didn't even wake up until like 830. I ran to buy produce and chicken and scored chicken breasts at $1.27/lb. So I bought like uhhhh - 20 lbs. hahaha. Then I stopped to get produce and 3 kinds of lettuce and some tortilla chips.

I texted the girls you don't even have to come until 1pm coz I haven't even started cooking yet...So I parboiled the chicken breasts and got to work...

chop



drain and shred



pre saute the potatoes



defrost the wrappers



saute in the usual fashion and season



add mixed and chopped veggies then cool to room under a fan



Roll with or without the Homies





I calculated I can roll 50 lumpias in the time it takes Julian to finish 3 quarters on NBA live and I think those are 3 minute quarters. hahaha. not bad right...

Just roll steadily and text friends with your pinky finger so you don't get rice flour glue on your new phone. LOL



So I had a whole bowl of boiled chicken and didn't know what to do and Benjo was enroute with extra wrappers...So I decided to create a "white shanghai"...Usually Filipinos make lumpia shanghai with half beef half pork with some garlic and some green onion which makes it cook brown or pink. I mixed fresh ground pork with boiled chicken breast, 1 cup (yeah a CUP) of minced fresh ginger, green onion and 5 cloves of garlic, garlic powder and red Korean chili powder...So when they cook it has a bright white interior. I humped out about 100 of those and just rolled my little hands off...



Fortunately for me Benjo and Bebe were here to taste test...Benjo took his cut of 25 each home sayin,"thanks now i've replenished my stock..." hahahah.

I told Kibby - call JR/Vic Damone and tell him to come get his cut.
jr: oh i'll be there at 6pm, believe it.
vic: yeah yeah yeah man - I'm there.

Someone come help us eat these MoFo's there's no room in the freezer.
Even the door is full. Ridiiiiiiiiiiiiiculous.

07 Dec 2008: Ginger Chicken w/BokChoy - @ least in our crib

In my house - we got a thing for...each other......and

ginger

chicken

bok choy (yun choy, red choy, hella choy)

---

When we've had long days and can't really think of anything we want to eat there is always chicken and rice and all it's variances...

This is one of our favourites and a pleaser for our friends who do dinner drive by's...Although this particular one was exceptionally spicy.

Here's how you do it.

Prep the herbs, veggies and chicken...set aside a small bowl with cornstarch

Heat the wok with no oil until it smokes a bit.

Add cold oil to hot wok and throw in garlic until it dances...

Add more garlic and the slivers of ginger with red chili flakes (korean's best)

Keep the heat scary high and add the chicken

Just keep it moving and about half way through add the carrots and a splash of soy sauce with a dribble of oyster sauce and maybe a little sake

Once cooked through - add some water to the cornstarch and cook until it's clear and glistening...Add the BokChoy...

Then plate it up over rice or noodles: I cut seaweed over mine...

---

Julian brought a bowl to work with rice and a side of fruit. An older guy said MAN, you eat good lunch...what's that Bok Coy? Julian's like YUP, my lunches are always good, but my wifey always makes them so I don't have to or like to eat out. Dude said,"Man, when I lived in calie I always ordered got bok choy - what you know about Bok Choy kid." Julian laughed and replied,"bok choy /yun choy/ YUM choy. I like it all and I've tried at least 4 kinds..I know it's good!" Hahahahha.

I split some with Apple at work and she's like YUM YUM YUM...

Hahahha. I used to think that people like anything that anyone else makes, but I suppose there is truth in what is said about your feelings imprintin on the food. Well, that and the fact that I still love cooking.

---

Here's a peek at what we did to our leftover Turkey:

Turkey Bomblette and Bacon. hahaha

And in between snacks...my brother killing a project , so he can take one month off and hang out overseas with his best friend...

and even More Lemon Tarts...

---

Okay...I'm off to play more boogie superstar with everyone and hookup the chocolate chip cookies...

17 Oct 2008: My boyfriend is a tasty dish.

So...I google Julian's name and a recipe comes up.

..TR> ..TABLE>

---

Bwaa hahahha. of course the original kibby is vegan or vegetarian. but that's the funniest thing i've seen all day. Bwaa hahhaha.

KIBBY

Printed from COOKS.COM

---

.. -->-->.. -->KIBBY-->

4 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 c. wheat (let soak in water)
3 lg. onions, chopped
3 hot peppers, chopped
4 lg. pods of garlic, chopped (not cloves)
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 1/2 tbsp. salt
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients with ground beef, put wheat in last. Mix well by hand. Make patties about 3-inch wide and 1/2 inch thick. Broil in oven until brown on top and drain excess juices out of pan and set back in oven on low rack to cook bottom of kibby. Cook 15-20 minutes total.

17 Jul 2008: Sex in the Shower (for Alfie)

Cocktail Recipe for Alfie...

Sex ...in the Shower

1 oz blue curacao

1 oz triple sec

1 oz butterscotch schnapps

1 oz o juice.

ice it . shake it. flute it.

08 Feb 2006: Okay Ukoy

Ukoy...

Typically this is a merienda/snack dish. It's akin to egg foo young or can be called a shrimp patty...It's super crispy but the inside is tender, I like mine dipped in vinegar with rock salt and chili oil...there's NOTHING healthy about this, but EVERYTHING about it is good...

We were sittin' around yesterday and I said you know what I want, I want Ukoy. Lola dolly said oh Ukoy - it's so gooood. Uncle Cris said AHHH ukoy - that's good, so good. Auntie Cecille said Ay Ukoy, how do you make ukoy, it's good. Then the Auntie Oyee and Auntie Peachy came and said Ukoy, sounds good. So I made it...

Ingredients...

1 1/2 lb bean sprouts

20 pcs shrimp cleaned and deveined

1/2 block of tofu cut into rectangles (same length as shrimp)

1 bag tempura mix

1 handful buttermilk pancake mix

3 or so cups of water

1 tsp red chili flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp annatto powder

1 tsp saffron.

----

Fill a wok or cast iron chicken fryer halfway with oil and when it starts to curl test heat by throwing in a piece of green onion or tofu - if it floats and spins with a hissing sound - the oil is hot enough.

----

Mix together tempura and pancake stuff with water and spices. It should be fairly fluid like pancake or crepe mix. Drop in 2 or 3 ice cubes to keep batter cold, but do not drop ice in hot oil (sorry guys, I had to say it). Set aside.

----

Use 2 saucers. Build the Ukoy on Plates: Place one handful of bean sprouts on the plate in a round flat shape. Top sprouts with 2 shrimp and a piece of tofu. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter over the sprouts. Tip the saucer towards the oil and gently slide into the oil. Let it sit there do not flip until the bottom slides easily or floats up. Turn shrimp side down, but only ONCE. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

uh. If you make hearty ones like I do, this will make about 10 pieces.

---------------------------------

Kooky Dessert and Cookies...

I made a grip of cookies coz everyone loves cookies. Choco chip. Chocolate cookie with PB choco chips. Oatmeal. Coconut Squares on Pastry Puff. Sugar Cookies. Lawd, how tiring...but totally worth it. Last night I also made profiteroles. What most people see as CREAM PUFFS. But mine were filled with diplomat cream which is a mix of pastry cream and whipped cream then I topped it with caramel and some belgian cocoa creme...Bwa hahahaha. The aunties were like Oh very good, mmmm...Auntie Cecille said if I wasn't full I would eat THREE. haha. The funny thing about dessert around here is that with all the things i can make - I think cookies are the general favourite...The most simple dessert snack of them all.

Michelle's Request. A triple layer Strawberry Cake with milk chocolate ganache filling and then a simple whip cream frosting. This to be topped with chocolate dipped strawberries. I happen to have a little extra ganache --- so I made little rosettes. This cake was something that I had originallly made for Konradio's daughters 5th birthday. Michelle had tried it there and a little over 6 months later a request for it pops up. I made a little extra since I built it at the shop --- everyone loved it and it got a thumbs up. I'm getting a lot of little orders here and there for cakes, and even a wedding cake for Bria on March 26th. I am very concerned about taste. I care about the content as much as I do the appearance...

Everyone came back from Italy. I couldn't go on this trip, as I'm the only pastry chef around. I really with I could train a pinch hitter - but not right now. Too tenuous... After dissolving some drama - and after some general discussion about how Rome has changed a heap of goodies and utensils and tools were brought out for me. Of them all my favourite is the edible pigment in powder form. 8 huge jars of the most vibrant colour I've used. I tested the red with some white chocolate. Red is very rarely a TRUE red, a deep hearty red which is in reality a blue red...But just half a teaspoon of this stuff added to about 1000 grams of chocolate is amazing. It does not alter the nature of the chocolate - and when tempered it dries with the most freak nasty shine. Hahaha. I know about 7 people who would cut off a few toes to get a few jars of this shit. I also received 4 jars of specially made airbrush chocolate, it looks just like thinned acrylic paint - and the production manager is already talkin' about getting me an airbrush - lawd. Of course there were more acetate designs, rubber molds of various flowers, ring molds in daisy and heart and teardrop and on and on, The little mandolin 'junior' cracks me up so much. I can't believe they have design transfer sheets that you can use for both vanilla biscuit as well as tempered chocolate. The transfer sheets are design on parchment. Fucking bonkers. Just absolutely bonkers. I have also ordered some silicone half sheets with the design bottoms, and the pattern makers for the bottom of the biscuit. You know what It's fucking cool to be me. I am very rarely asked how MUCH is that, I am actually asked how much do you WANT.

...Pride in your Craft

I'm getting really sick and tired of people in the pastry game whose pride far exceeds their talent. I mean when I see shit - and I mean plain old fucking shit. Dirty chocolate piping, crooked chocolatiering, haphazard platings that look more jackson pollock than edible art, CORNY ass designs, even FUCKED UP HANDWRITING in chocolate, and I mean fucked up. And they take pride in SHIT it makes me want to BEAT the SHIT of their ass. Just because you went to school you little motherfuckers does not make you a pastry chef. Don't tell me or anyone else how GOOD you are if your shit is all drippy, sloppy and frankly unedible. I would send your forrest gump stylings back to the kitchen, just because you sold some tasteless fools on that garbage, don't lie to yourself. I am so sick and tired of this blatant cockiness in the kitchen arena that is backed with neither artistic skill or proper neutrality. I've spent hours just doing chocolate filiigree on my own time. I sleep and eat what I do because my brain is wrapped around it. People always ask to speak to me at the shop so they can compliment what they see and that they are happy to meet the artist behind the beauty...and I do my best to genuinely listen to their input. But I see what I do as a CRAFT, albeit it takes some amount of natural talent, more of it is dedication and work. I will always believe that there is someone out there who can teach me more. I will always believe that there's a lot in this sugary world I have yet to explore. I will always believe that remaining humble is the key to my improvement...

I've been told many many times, you are biting off more than you can chew - but give it a shot. The koi sugar pictured above is what my "SHOT" looks like.

That's the Mi Scuzi guy from Euro Trip...

Which brings me to Lorenzo. This stupid mothuhfucka. He's the moron Italian guy from naples who they hired to work the COUNTER. Then, he walked around askin' everyone if they want to 'make sex' like the damn guy from the train on euro trip. He never really bothered me coz I always knew he was bisexual at best. I took everything he said with a bucket of salt - coz he always acted like he just had hella money and a ton of shit - yet he was constantly coming to work and eating all the complimentary food they leave for us, then eat it all, not share his and eat all of our plates when we weren't looking. In filipino it's called patay gutom, in spanish it's called muerto de hambre. I have no idea what it's called in english - perhaps food greedy sack of shit??? Anyway, last week he told the general manager that I hate her and I'm going to quit and blah blah this and that. Which was all a fabrication of his from eavesdropping on random conversations I was having about the fact that I don't like to make production lists coz they are sheisty. So I knew he was coming in that day and I told the working managers- keep that gossiping prick out of my way or i'm going to pound the shit out of him with my rolling pins. So they told him leave her alone Lorenzo - she's busy and has a lot on her mind (I was trying to get to the hospital asap). So not only did he ignore the managers he then proceeded to follow me around the kitchen and ask me why I'm mad at him and blah blah blah. I told him in a calm voice in front of other staff - I am not angry at you, I am here to do a job and my job ain't to do you - so go to the front. Then he kept on. So I called Jessie and told her make "IT" go away or you will see the back of my head. So like 15 minutes later he walks out of the shop and says I can't work like this, I said take your ass on you hoe.

I had more things on my mind - and his Euro Illegal ass isn't one of them.

----

Lola.

The filipino word for grandmother is LOLA...Our lola. She is currently recovering from some back pain and is disoriented. i KNOW for a fact that my lola has probably never had a drink, smoked any weed, or gotten high on any synthetic substances...So now that she is on pain medication --- she's so confused. To think she had over 10 children naturally and now some vicodin makes her absolutely stoned. She asks me where am i, why is this happening to me, what have i done. That can't feel good. Especially for a woman who likes to be in control. This is so sudden and shatteringly mortal. I don't like it. I want to be 10 years old so she could be healthier and younger too...

I wish you could buy biological time in increments.

So I'm not a baby anymore. Why can't I be.