Crepes

 

Do you ever wake up and remember a friend from the other side of the world?  I had that feeling this morning and decided to make crepes reminiscent of Ida, my closest friend from culinary school who is now based in Texas, and whom I still touch base with through the years.   Crepes remind me of her because it was she who shared that Montparnasse was the "to-go-to" place for crepes in Paris.  And rightfully so!

The key to a good home-made crepe is to start of with a beurre noisette otherwise known as browned butter.  This gives off a nutty flavor, similar to hazelnuts, and is fairly easy to make.  In a hot crepe pan (teflon will do though), simply toss your cold butter and allow for it to turn brown in color.  Set aside once done because this will continue to cook and might get burned. 

In a bowl, beat an egg.  Add about 500 ml milk and continue to whisk.  Add about 2 to 4 tablespoons of flour (the amount usually depends with the humidity, so just experiment) and a pinch of salt.  Then add your beurre noisette.  Allow to chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before cooking, this will help the batter rest.  

In the same pan where you browned your butter, ladle over a thin layer of the batter.  Allow the edges to turn golden then flip the crepe to the other side.  Once it's cooked, simply put on a plate and top with anything you like from nutella, bananas, strawberries, lemons, sugar, or savoury things like cheese, ham, or vegetables.  

Galbi Jim (Stewed Beef Ribs)

 

Savoury and sweet, I've always loved Galbi Jim as a child (thank you Mamaninang)!   This is perfect on a lazy cooking day when all you want to do is put everything in a pot and forget about it until service.  It literally takes a few minutes to put everything together and a few hours to allow it to stew nicely (I don't have a pressure cooker) - the irony of "the lack and virtue of" patience!

In a pot, place the following ingredients: soya sauce, rice wine or sake (optional for when your baby will eat this dish with you - my thoughts on cooking with alcohol can be found on my Teriyaki Sauce post), sesame oil, soft brown sugar, garlic, spring onions, freshly ground black pepper, and black Chinese mushroom that has been soaked in hot water for 20 minutes (I didn't have any so I used fresh Shiitake).

Add your beef ribs and pour water (or beef stock) until it covers the meat.  Bring to a boil then immediately place in a gentle simmer (cover with a lid so that the meat tenderizes quicker).  Check on your stew from time-to-time, removing all the unnecessary oil and scum.  Season to taste.

For long stews, I personally recommend using heavy-duty cookware.  I used a French oven (pot) because it guarantees no traces of it's materials melting and dissolving into the food.  Paranoid?  Yes!  But you can never be too sure when feeding a baby, right?

I like to sprinkle it with some chili pepper with black sesame seeds right before service to give it an extra dimension of flavor.  Enjoy!

Bulgogi

 

Bulgogi is one of the easiest Korean dishes I know to prepare and also happens to be one of The Young Tongue's favorite!  I may not have that dome-shaped grill (where you put the charcoal underneath) used to cook it with, but the lack of it did not stop me from preparing this for dinner last night.  I was inspired to cook this because I came across really sweet Nashi pears given to me by my suki fruit vendor.

You'll need a Nashi (Korean) pear, 2 stalks spring onions, 3 pieces Shiitake mushrooms, and an onion.  I also recommend adding some leeks, but I didn't have any in my fridge.  Boo!

 Grate the Nashi pear.

Combine all the ingredients mentioned above (except mushrooms) with soft brown sugar, corn syrup, soya sauce, garlic, rice wine (optional - my thoughts on cooking with alcohol for babies are found on my Teriyaki Sauce recipe), sesame oil, and thinly sliced sirloin or rib eye beef (you can ask your butcher to give you sukiyaki cut).  Marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Saute sliced onions in a hot skillet.  If you have leeks, this is the perfect time to include them.

Add sliced Shiitake mushrooms and allow to cook.  If you used black Chinese mushrooms, you can pour the soaking liquid to deglaze the pan.  Not only will it add more flavor into your vegetables, it will also help you remove burned bits off your pan.

 Remove from the skillet.

 In the same pan, cook the beef.

You will slowly see the onions, mushrooms, and pear getting caramelized along with the meat.

Once you've reached your desired doneness (I like mine really caramelized), remove from the heat.

Add the cooked vegetables and the green leafy part of the spring onions.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

To complete this dish, you'll need some Gochujang, commonly known as fermented hot pepper paste. Don't let this definition deceive you.  It's spicy goodness!  Serve adults only unless your baby is as insatiable as The Young Tongue, who insisted a pea-sized portion just for her.  

 You'll also need some lettuce leaves.

Line your lettuce leaves on a plate, top with Gochujang, and add your cooked bulgogi.  Wrap and roll!

Teriyaki Sauce

One of the easiest sauces I've learned from my best friend in culinary school, Tomomi Fujimoto (who now has a popular restaurant in Kyoto), is Teriyaki Sauce.  She taught me this sauce one gloomy winter afternoon in London, as we laughed the cold away, by eating something grilled - otherwise known as yaki.  This simple recipe may be used as a tare (marinade).  

 Use a tablespoon of soft brown sugar and place it in a saucepan.

Add 5 tablespoons of Sake.

You may opt to remove this ingredient if you're worried about the alcoholic content for your baby.  Chefs told me in culinary school that it disappears during cooking but, after several discussions with the food chemists I've worked with, they say it's tricky business (plenty of variables to consider from cooking temperature, cooking time, lid on or off during the process, etc. etc. - you get the picture).  

 Add 5 tablespoons of Mirin.

 Add 5 tablespoons dark soya sauce (please use Japanese made).

With a whisk, mix under medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.  Bring to a boil.

Then remove from the stove.

This Teriyaki sauce is highly recommended for fish and chicken (we cooked ours with supreme and thigh fillets), use immediately or allow to cool then bottle.  Keep refrigerated.

Gruyere and Forest Ham Quiche

I was craving for something rich and savoury and decided to make a quiche.  Here's something you can prepare in less than five minutes and bake in the oven for twenty.

Beat 2 eggs.

Add about 200 - 250 ml cream or milk, or a combination of both.  Whisk.

Season with nutmeg, white pepper, and salt.

Get a pie crust.  Ready-made is fine, but I made some flaky pastry beforehand and you can see the recipe below.

Line the pie crust with sliced forest ham.  You can also use bacon, smoked salmon, or vegetables.

Pour your egg mixture.

Top with more forest ham.

Then top with Gruyere cheese (preferably cave-aged).

Bake for 20 minutes in a 160 degree Celcius oven.

Eh voila!  Gruyere and Forest Ham Quiche

Eggs are not recommended for babies up to 2 years.  But The Young Tongue has been cleared off of this allergen, so we're going to enjoy this for brunch today!

Flaky Pastry

Here's how to make Flaky Pastry - a light, crisp, and buttery dough that is used as a base for tarts and pies.

 In a bowl with flour and salt, add unsalted butter.  

I like to use 1 part unsalted butter to 2 parts flour ratio.

Rub butter into the dry ingredients.

Continue rubbing until it's texture looks like breadcrumbs.

Add a bit of water.

Knead until you can form a dough.  Wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator to rest.

In between 2 sheets of cling wrap, roll your dough until about 4 mm thick.

Remove the cling wrap and place on top of a tart pan.

Like so.

Slowly lift the pastry and guide it in such a way that it wraps the tart pan properly.

Roll your rolling pin on top of the tart mold.

And remove excess pastry.

Dock the pastry with a fork.  Blind-bake by putting pie weights (baking beans) on top of oven-friendly cling film for 15 minutes, 180 Degrees Celcius.  This will ensure that the pastry does not bubble.

This can be made ahead of time, kept frozen, and thawed right before you need it.