Go Hog (Wild) Island Oyster Co. Clam Chowder!!

I was strolling down Market Street couple of weeks ago and a photo caught my eyes.  It was on the front cover of this free magazine displayed in a curbside magazine rack.

It was a picture of a pretty bowl of clams.  Very yummy looking, so I grabbed a copy of the magazine to check it out.

It turned out be a bowl of clam chowder - original recipe created by the owners - from the Hog Island Oyster Company.  It didn't look like the usual creamy gooey New England style clam chowder.  But where was the recipe? 

People!  People!!  Don't tease me with a delicious food photo and not tell me how to make it.  That's just wrong!!

I first went to the Hog Island Oyster Company website to check out the menu.  Yap.  Right there.  $14.  I then google Hog Island Oyster Company Clam Chowder and ta-da, I found the recipe!!

My God, how did we ever live without the search engines (especially Google)???

Monkey see.  Monkey do.  I tried the recipe promptly and it was scrumptious!!  I don't know if my version tasted like the real thing though.  I guess I should go spend the $14 to find out and to thank the Hog Island Oyster people for this wonderful dish.

Never know what you will discover even during a lunch time stroll.  So, once again, I learn to keep my eyes open and be ready to try something new.

Here's the recipe: Hog Island Oyster Co. Manila Clam Chowder

Pho-Pho-Pho!

Pho is judged by its broth.

Have you had cloudy broth?  That happens when you don't tend your broth.  Baby the broth and skim the top constantly to keep the broth clear.  Yes, it takes time but you will be rewarded with a beautiful pot of broth.

Have you tasted "meaty" broth?  Want good soup?  You need to boil the bones first to get rid of that meaty flavor.

So I think I know the mechanics of broth making.  But, how the heck do you get those exotic flavors infused in the broth?  Inquiring mind wants to know!!

Not satisfied with eating out, I decided to challenge myself with pho making.  After couple of tries, I slowly grasped the flavor and the taste.

First of all, you need the right ingredients.  Pho broth is infused with all kind of spices.  Variation in portions of the spices results in different combination of flavors.  I think that's why some pho taste better than others.

Secondly, the secret is in BROILING the ginger and onions until they are dried and charred at the edges.  In my first try, I did not broil them long enough so the flavors were not released.  In my second try, I let it broil for a good 20 minutes until the spiciness of the ginger and the sweetness of the onions permeated from the oven.

Put all the ingredients in a pot of water and let it simmer.  OK... I shamelessly added in a can of beef broth - just in case - for added flavor.

Let the broth simmer for 3 hours.  It needs love and tender care.  Don't let it boil too quickly because you don't want the broth to become muddy and you want to be patient in picking up the impurities to keep the broth clear.  So, pick an afternoon when you are relaxed and have the time to baby the broth.

So far I made pho twice.  I learned from my mistakes and I actually improved quite a bit by the second time -  I used less water; I added more spices, and I let the ginger and broil longer.  I am by no mean making professional grade pho, but I think I have earned some bragging rights with my family and friends.  Tee-hee...

Surely you can use pre-mixed pho broth powder but where is the fun doing that?  Part of pho making is the uniqueness of your broth flavor.  Add a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and your pho will be different from others.

Go ahead, make pho your way.  Have fun.

***

Here's the pho recipe I found online:


Pho spices:
1 TBL coriander
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamon pods
5 star anise
1 TBL fennel seeds


- Pre boil beef bones (leg, knuckle the best) and other meats. I added beef tripe and tendons.
- Broil 4 gingers and 2 onions for 10-15 min
- Prepare 6 quart water. Put all ingredients in and let it simmer for 3 hours. Put the spices in a simmering pouch so it's not all over the soup.
- Season with salt, pepper, sugar. I added some rice wine and threw in couple of bay leaves.
- I used the thinly sliced beef sold in Chinese supermarket.
- Prepare the fresh condiments and the rice stick noodles.

Yes, I Scream

Few months ago I found a Cuisinart ice cream maker in a Goodwill store.  It looked very new and it was the same one I bought Jennifer few years ago for her birthday except hers was white and this one red.

Guess how much??  $5.99!!!  I scratched my head and checked it inside out.  Everything worked.  Nothing was missing.  Not even a scratch on the body.  I don't understand why people would spend lots of money getting a gadget then get rid of it just like that.  Hey, no complaint on my end though.  I happily took it home and my homemade ice cream was born!!

I googled ice cream recipes and found that there are easy simple ways and hard laborious ways.  I decided to stick with the simple ones.  If I have to make ice cream the hard way, then I mind as well buy them.

The simple vanilla ice cream recipe I found (courtesy of Cuisinart) is actually very good.  I think the secret is to use good whole milk and cream.  Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/8 cups granulated sugar (I cut back to 1 cup)

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 TBL pure vanilla extract

Whisk milk and sugar until sugar dissolves, then add cream and vanilla extract.  Pour into the ice cream maker and let it mix for 25-30 minutes.  Put in freezer, and voila, you made ice cream!

Many thanks to whoever donated the ice cream maker.

It's one fine toy!!

Freezer Food Challenge 2014

Time for my annual freezer food challenge.   I was going to start February 1st, but I just took a look at my freezers and I think I better start now because there are not enough days in February to exhaust what I have in the freezers.

So, from now to February 28th, we will be eating out of the freezers until we deplete what's in there.   Same rules apply.  No buying of anything other than fruits, veggies and dairy.  Oh, wine and beer are excluded from the game.

Let the game begin!

PHILADELPHIA© Cheesecake

Hands down to the Kraft peeps!  The cheesecake recipe that's on every stick of Philadelphia cream cheese is a keeper.  It's true that it's easy and simple to make, and it tastes great!

The recipe is easy to adjust too.  The original recipe calls for 4 sticks of cream cheese.   I only had two sticks so I winged it and hoped for the best.  Of course, it will be a smaller cake.

I cut back to 2 eggs and used 3/4 cup sugar.  I also cut back to 2 tablespoon of sugar for the crust.  I think it came out great without the additional sweetness.

1-1/2 cups   graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbl           sugar
1/3 cup       butter or margarine, melted
2 pkgs         (8oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup       sugar
1 tsp           vanilla
2                eggs

Bake in 325F oven for 45- 55minutes.

Note to self: don't over bake it.  You don't want the crust to become too hard.

Here's the original recipe:

PHILADELPHIA Classic Cheesecake