Sign-Up for Cooking 101. The girls met up on Sunday, November 8th, for a "cooking show and tell". After exchanging cooking tips on emails, we figured it made more sense to see action than talk. And, we get to eat the food too. So gathering our pots and pans, ingredients and recipes, we met at Sandra's house.
Firs up, Sandra's Burmese Fish Curry. She used Indian curry though. Hey, which part was the Burmese part? It was excellent. Onions, tomatoes, fresh cut up fish cubes.... spicy yet not over powering. Great over rice and yes, with a glass of big red. Hurry up, Sandra. WE WANT THE RECIPE!!
Updated 06/28/11: Sandra finally sent the recipe over. Here goes:
Recipe (cooking time 20-25 minutes):
1) Onion
2) Fish sauce
3) Salt
4) Turmeric powder
5) Curry powder (from small clear bag: not very hot)
6) Curry paste (box – “Cuisine from India”) This is hot so beware!
7) Brown sugar or ketchup
8) Fish (any type)
9) Tomatoes
10) Cilantro
11) Corn starch (as thickener)
Cut fish into bit size (large is good in case it breaks down) – if you like, marinate with the curry powder.
1/2 or 1 onion – cut into cubes
Tomatoes – sliced (cubes or regular sliced)
Heat pan with oil, put in the onions, stir for a few minutes then put a teaspoon of turmeric powder and a bit of salt. A few minutes later, put in the sliced or cubed tomatoes. You can season it with fish sauce. Another couple minutes, put in the fish, gently stir it around. Put in a teaspoon of curry paste (“Cuisine from India”) or curry powder. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Taste the sauce, if not enough flavor either put in more fish sauce or if too salty, a bit of ketchup or brown sugar. If you like a thick sauce, mix in cornstarch w/water.
Put in the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Next to bat, Linda and her Chicken Congee - Cantonese style. Here's her recipe.
"As for my congee, I took 5 skinless chicken legs and 2 pounds of pork with 3 slices of ginger and add water to make stock. I have about 3 cups of rice (that's the cup that you use to measure rice) and wash them and leave them in water to soak. You may add a little oil to the rice too if you like, but let it soak. I bought about 1.5 lbs of white chicken meat, but dark meat is fine too, and chopped them in thin shreds. I added salt, sugar, mgs, white pepper, rice wine, oil and corn starch to marinate the chicken. Seep the extra oil out of the stock, and then add the rice into the chicken stock, and stir with a whisk occasionally for about 15 minutes on high with the lid not covered or 1/2 covered, then turn it off and cover the lid fully and walk away. Come back in about another 15 minutes and stir with Wisk, and it should look like porridge, then turn the heat on and add uncooked chicken shreds when the congee is hot, and it's ready to serve when chicken is done. Add salt to taste. Very simple."
Simple? Really? Sounds pretty complicated... well done, Linda!! The best comfort food for a rainy day.
Then it was my turn with my Butternut Squash Soup. My lazy-man soup because it's definitely too easy...
1 butternut squash. If making more, then add more squash. No magic number... take a guess.
Cut into chunks
1 onion - also cut into small chunks. You can also add some celery, carrots or turnip... for nutrition.
Add 1 or 2 small potatoes for thickness.
Stir fry onion first, then add in other veggies and the squash. Season with salt and pepper and add a dash of paprika. You can add other herbs.
When the veggies are soft, add a can of chicken broth and I usually add enough water to cover the veggies.
Cover and let it cook for a while. When it's soft enough, blend it.
Return soup to stove, add heavy cream or half-and-half so it's smooth.
Top of with a dab of sour cream or sprinkle some blue cheese. Add some pine nuts for a crunch. Then, voila, ready to serve!
Sandy, who kept saying that she couldn't cook, presented her Linguine and Shrimp Scampi. Wow! It was totally YUMMY!! And with that All-Clad french saute pan, Sandy, we don't believe you CAN'T cook!
Melt butter and add good olive oil
add lots of chopped garlic and saute.
Add in deveined shrimp until it turns pink, use salt/pepper to your taste.
Then add lemon zest and lemon juice, toss in cooked linguine. Then add red pepper flakes and chopped parsley ( I forgot to bring them…) . Garnish w/ more chopped parsley.
Julia did not cook live for us. She brought over an already made Steamed Turnip Cake. 
She was excused though since it was the most complicated dish made with 4 kind of flours and it took her all night. Wow! We all want the recipe but I doubt that any of us will be making it any time soon. Julia, can you please make some more for us, please? Please? Pretty please??
So here you have it... girls' first cooking class. Flawlessly excuted. Our fine tasters with their discriminating palate- aka Sandra's family: Alland, Stephanie and Zach - gave us the thumbs up. Ahhh! Must have been good!
Bon Appetit!
Gary Danko. Everyone woos and ahhs when you said you've dined there. It's like pinning a star to your lapel. I have been wanting to check it out but never had the chance. For starter, there is a two-month waiting list for a table.
