Friday’s Last Spoonful: Food Surf

Southern Fried Chicken ala Asian Style

Food Surfing will feature fun food links from around the Blogosphere, including leads to other interesting sites. These recommended links may give you other interesting ideas for making your life taste better.

The New York Times adds insight into the widespread popularity of crispy-fried chicken among Asians in this article.

Meanwhile, ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal explains one food expert’s view of threedifferent variations of Korean fried chicken.

Wanna have a go at making Korean-style fried chicken at home?  Saveur provides a simplerecipe that packs a lot of spicy.   

Thursday’s Side Dish: Field Trip

ToreOre Chicken & Joy: Catonsville, Md.

We’ve been itching to sample this fried chicken vendor that located in The Mixed Stew crew’s nearest H-Mart for quite some time.  Toreore Chicken & Joy features several yummy flavors, such as garlic and sweet –n- spicy.  You can order a large box ($18.00 +) Korean-style fried chicken may come drenched in tangy, sweet, and spicy sauces.  The crispy fried chicken is made to order so be prepared to wait at least 20 (more like 25)  minutes for an order.  The freshly cooked chicken is then packed in a box and secured with a bright red ribbon.  We suggest buying ToreOre fried chicken for your next family dinner.  Also, order more than one box from ToreOre for the next potluck.  Expect juicy and tasty fried chicken everytime you visit ToreOre Chicken & Joy.

ToreOre Chicken & Joy

800 N. Rolling Road

Catonsville, MD 21228       

Located inside H Mart

Wednesday’s Helping: Hazelnuts

Roll’em out

These nuts are often paired with chocolate.  Hazelnuts are also known as filberts, filbert nuts, or cob nuts.  The plant, corylus avellana, is native to Europe and Asia.  Expect woodsy flavors and a slight bitterness in every bite of this nut.  You can eat hazelnuts raw but several preparations call for roasted hazelnuts.   The toasting process bring out more of the hazelnuts’ natural flavors. Hazelnut paste, which is made from ground hazelnuts, is widely used in making desserts and pastry confections.  The flesh of hazelnuts appears off-white.  Select hazelnuts that are robust with no signs of shriveling, withering, or water damage.  Hazelnuts are a great source of vitamin E and unsaturated fats.         

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Nutella Cookies

A simple but rich cookie

The luxurious flavors of nutella - baked into a lovely cookie- has translated into an explosion in popularity over this treat.  Look for an array of recipes for nutella cookies strewn on the web.  We like this cookie as an accompaniment to hot chocolate, hot tea, or hot coffee.  The texture reminds us of traditional biscotti or those old-fashioned biscuit cookies our grandmothers liked to buy for just dipping in their coffee on cold mornings.  We gave our version additional richness with chocolate chips but  one can improvise with peanutbutter chips or even butterscotch chips.

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Nutella Cookies

Sweet gourmet cookies

These easy cookies can be made in a pinch.  The mix of hazelnut and chocolate flavors comes together in a biscuit-like cookie.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 metal baking sheet

1 cutting board

1 food processor

2 whole eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbspns granulated sugar

½ cup chocolate chips

1 cup nutella spread

2 sheets parchment paper

Pinch of salt

Cooking & Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients (besides chocolate chips) in food processor.  Pulse for 2 -3 minutes until well mixed.  Place dough on cutting board and continue to knead for another 3 minutes.  Next, portion out dough into small round balls of dough that measure roughly ½ inch to 1 inch in diameter.  Cover and line metal baking sheet with parchment paper.  Position 6 dough balls on parchment paper and press down in middle.  These will become the cookies.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on cookies.  Bake cookies in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Let cool before eating.

Friday's Last Spoonful: Food Surfing

Green and showin’ it

Food Surfing will feature fun food links from around the Blogosphere and Internet. These recommended links may give you other interesting ideas for making your life taste better.

The Food Network features over 2 dozen dishes that are just right for St. Patty’s Day.  We liked the authentic Colcannon, Emerald Eggs, and Soda Bread Biscuits.

Look for fun Irish-themed recipes, such as Shamrock Pretzels, Rainbow Cupcakes, and St. Pat’s Potato Candy on Spoonful.

Finally, The Los Angeles Times listed 15 very special recipes in celebration of St. Patty’s Day.  The Lemon-lime soda bread, steamed corned beef, and the mint cream mousse.

Thursday’s Side Dish: Clam Kelaguen

Lemon seasoned seafood

The Mixed Stew crew has already featured chicken and shrimp kelaguen.  Now, we offer up clam kelaguen.  This dish can be made using fresh clams or canned clams in a pinch.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 medium-sized glass bowl

1 metal spoon

1- 1 ½ lbs fresh clams, shelled and cleaned

OR

2 (10 oz) cans baby clams in water, drained

1/3 cup green onion, chopped

2 -3 hot chili pepper, minced

Juice of 2 – 3 freshly squeezed lemons

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation and Directions:

Combine all ingredients in glass bowl.  Mix well.  Chill in fridge for 3 hour or overnight.  Serve cold.

Wednesday’s Helping: Spicing Up Fried Salmon

Increase the flavor index

What can you do to make our fried salmon spicier? We suggest adding some sriracha sauce to the butter lime sauce to give it more zing. Add a light sprinkling of chili powder, mustard powder, or red pepper flakes to the flour coating. Need more of a flavor foundation? Marinade the salmon steaks for at least 10 to 15 minutes in some light soy sauce, fish sauce, or a mix of vinegar and soy sauce before coating and cooking. 

Tuesday’s Cupful: Butter Lime Sauce

Slather on zing

Pour spoonfuls of this creamy sauce to add more oomph every serving of our pan seared salmon steaks.  Here’s the recipe: 

What you need:

1 small sauce pan

1 metal fork 

1 small glass bowl

1 blender 

1 wooden spoon

6 tbspns salted butter

3 tbspns lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of salt and black pepper

Cooking & Directions:

Heat sauce pan on medium heat. Add butter while occasionally swirling with wooden spoon . Let butter change to a golden brown color. Remove pan from heat. Add lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place ingredients in blender. Mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until blended. Pour sauce in into small glass bowl. Beat with fork before pouring sauce on salmon.

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Honey Stung Salmon Steaks

Hot pink ladies

We like the simplicity of this seafood entrée. Salmon steaks make great cuts for grilling and searing. Here’s our rendition:

What you will need:

1 large cast-iron skillet

1 cutting board ½ cup flour

2 tbspns honey zest of 2 limes

1 metal spatula

1 serving plate

2 tbspns olive oil 4 to 6 salmon steaks, at room temp

Pinch of salt pepper

1 batch butter lime sauce (Recipe to follow.)

Cooking and Directions:

Layout steaks on cutting board. Lightly sprinkle and coat each steak with flour on each side. Next, drizzle and spread roughly ¾ of a tspn honey over each side of the flour coated steaks. Add 1 tbspn olive oil to bottom of cast-iron skillet and swirl around to evenly grease pan. Heat skillet on medium heat until hot then place steaks (2 at a time to avoid crowding) in skillet and brown on both sides for 3 to 5 minutes. Cook through then remove salmon from hot skillet. Immediately plate salmon and drizzle each steak with 1 to 2 tbspns butter lime sauce plus lime zest. Serve warm.

On Hiatus

We're in the process of regrouping.  The Mixed Stew will be back on March 18, 2013 with more food and recipes.  

Wednesday’s Helping: Spicing Up Fried Salmon

Increase the flavor index

What can you do to make our fried salmon spicier? We suggest adding some sriracha sauce to the butter lime sauce to give it more zing. Add a light sprinkling of chili powder, mustard powder, or red pepper flakes to the flour coating. Need more of a flavor foundation? Marinade the salmon steaks for at least 10 to 15 minutes in some light soy sauce, fish sauce, or a mix of vinegar and soy sauce before coating and cooking.  

Tuesday’s Cupful: Butter Lime Sauce

Slather on zing 

Pour spoonfuls of this creamy sauce to add more oomph every serving of our pan seared salmon steaks. Here’s the recipe: 

What you need: 

1 small sauce pan 
1 metal fork 
1 small glass bowl 
1 blender 
1 wooden spoon 
6 tbspns salted butter 
3 tbspns lime juice 
1 garlic clove, minced 
Pinch of salt and black pepper 

Cooking & Directions: 

Heat saucepan on medium heat. Add butter while occasionally swirling with wooden spoon . Let butter change to a golden brown color. Remove pan from heat. Add lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place ingredients in blender. Mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until blended. Pour sauce in into small glass bowl. Beat with fork before pouring sauce on salmon.

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Honey Stung Salmon Steaks

Hot pink ladies 

We like the simplicity of this seafood entrée. Salmon steaks make great cuts for grilling and searing. Here’s our rendition: 

What you will need:

1 large cast-iron skillet 
1 cutting board ½ cup flour 
2 tbspns honey zest of 2 limes 
1 metal spatula 
1 serving plate 
2 tbspns olive oil 4 to 6 salmon steaks, at room temp 
Pinch of salt pepper 
1 batch butter lime sauce (Recipe to follow.) 

Cooking and Directions: 

Layout steaks on cutting board. Lightly sprinkle and coat each steak with flour on each side. Next, drizzle and spread roughly ¾ of a tspn honey over each side of the flour coated steaks. Add 1 tbspn olive oil to bottom of cast-iron skillet and swirl around to evenly grease pan. Heat skillet on medium heat until hot then place steaks (2 at a time to avoid crowding) in skillet and brown on both sides for 3 to 5 minutes. Cook through then remove salmon from hot skillet. Immediately plate salmon and drizzle each steak with 1 to 2 tbspns butter lime sauce plus lime zest. Serve warm.

Friday’s Last Spoonful: Food Surfing

Other broths with sausage

Food Surfing will feature fun food links from around the Blogosphere, including leads to other interesting sites. These recommended links may give you other interesting ideas for making your life taste better.

The Soup Chick has already compiled a list of yummy and interesting soup recipes on the web that call for sausage in every batch.  What do you think of her selections?

Look for more unique and elegant soup recipes, such as Chicken Andouille Chowder, that call for bangers and bratwurst on fine cooking.    

Interested in that more famous Italian Sausage Soup dish?  Versions of Italian Wedding Soup are too numerous to track online.  About.com provides historical perspective and explains the many varying ingredients we can use in our kitchens.