What the Phở!? Puntastic.

A Phở-tastic Vietnamese dish that triggers your appetite. The flavor of the roasted ginger, onions, and a few chilies gives a kick to the broth of this soup. Just the smell of the broth will make you crave for it. Every sip makes you want more. A scrumptious noodle soup that is served with raw but thin slices of sirloin, bean sprouts, chilies, lime, coriander and onions. It tasted like a star anise soup but eventually as you sip, you’ll feel like it's medicinal because it makes you feel better after eating it.

For those who are reluctant in eating raw meats, don’t fret! The slices are really thin so by the time the broth has been poured into the bowl, the meat should have already been cooked!! Be patient in making the broth because the flavors won’t come out immediately. The longer it is simmered, the more flavorful it will be. I suggest that you avoid using broth cubes as it may not taste natural. Just be patient and it will taste wonderPhở!!

PHO BO (Beef Noodle Soup)

Ingredients:

Broth:

5 pounds beef marrow or knuckle bones

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2 pieces

2 (3-inch) pieces ginger, cut in half lengthwise and lightly bruised with the flat side of a knife, lightly charred (see Note, below)

2 yellow onions, peeled and charred (see Note, below)

1/4 cup fish sauce

3 ounces rock sugar, or 3 tablespoons sugar

10 whole star anise, lightly toasted in a dry pan

6 whole cloves, lightly toasted in a dry pan

1 tablespoon sea salt

NOODLE ASSEMBLY

1 pound dried 1/16-inch-wide rice sticks, soaked, cooked and drained (see Tips, below)

1/3 pound beef sirloin, slightly frozen, then sliced paper-thin across the grain

GARNISHES

1/2 yellow onion, sliced paper-thin

3 scallions, cut into thin rings

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 pound bean sprouts

10 sprigs Asian basil

1 dozen saw-leaf herb leaves (optional)

6 Thai bird chilies or 1 serrano chili, cut into thin rings

1 lime, cut into 6 thin wedges

Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:

1.) In a large stockpot, bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Place the bones and beef chuck in a second pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully transfer the bones and beef to the first pot of boiling water. Discard the water in which the meat cooked. (This cleans the bones and meat and reduces the impurities that can cloud the broth.) When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim the surface often to remove any foam and fat. Add the charred ginger and onions, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer until the beef chuck is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove one piece and submerge in cool water for 10 minutes to prevent the meat from darkening and drying out. Drain, then cut into thin slices and set aside. Let the other piece of beef chuck continue to cook in the simmering broth.

2.) When the broth has been simmering for about 1 1/2 hours total, wrap the star anise and cloves in a spice bag (or piece of cheesecloth) and add to the broth. Let infuse until the broth is fragrant, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard both the spice bag and onions. Add the salt and continue to simmer, skimming as necessary, until you're ready to assemble the dish. The broth needs to cook for at least 2 hours. (The broth will taste salty but will be balanced once the noodles and accompaniments are added.) Leave the remaining chuck and bones to simmer in the pot while you assemble the bowls.

3.) To serve, place the cooked noodles in preheated bowls. (If the noodles are not hot, reheat them in a microwave or dip them briefly in boiling water to prevent them from cooling down the soup.) Place a few slices of the beef chuck and the raw sirloin on the noodles. Bring the broth to a rolling boil; ladle about 2 to 3 cups into each bowl. The broth will cook the raw beef instantly. Garnish with yellow onions, scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, inviting guests to garnish the bowls with bean sprouts, herbs, chilies, lime juice and black pepper.

-Nickolai Bravo

Vietnamese Spring Rolls!

These rolls are one of the famous dishes from Vietnam known world wide. It is known from its rice paper prepared by grinding rice with a little water, laying them out, and then drying them. It takes only a small amount of water to bring the sheets back to their soft pliable form! If you want to do it yourself, you might want to try it out with some friends. It can be a really interesting activity for everyone! But be warned, take too long, and the rice paper will become too sticky and soft so you better move fast!

Ingredients:

For the Spring Rolls:

6 sheets rice paper

2 large leaves of green lettuce, cut into small pieces

3 ounces rice vermicelli, cooked

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

12 mint leaves

Shrimps, cooked, peeled, deveined and cut in halves

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons warm water

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3/4 clove garlic, minced

1 1/4 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (Chirashi)

2 3/4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon finely chopped peanuts

Procedure:

1.) Bring the water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.

2.) Dip the rice paper in a large bowl of warm water so it will become soft

3.) Place the rice paper on a flat area, then stack small amount of lettuce, rice noodles, cilantro, mint leaves, and 3 shrimps

4.) Roll the rice paper

5.) In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce together. Another bowl, mix hoisin sauce, peanuts, and chilli sauce. Serve the rolls with these two sauces.

Vietnamese Crepe

Vietnam has had plenty of influences from France. The country was colonized during the mid-19th century. Going around the area, you'll see baguette in baskets just placed on the streets for the vendors who sell sandwiches called the banh mi. It might have been discovered by the locals through the French who brought their breads to the country. Just like the bread, the French crepe was also adapted by the Vietnamese and their own version was made. Their own crepe is made with spices and ingredients indigenous to Asian countries! If you compare, the differences is already very apparent, from the crepes texture, to its color! Read on and learn just how these crepes are made!

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup water

Oil

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 large clove garlic, chopped

6 green onions, sliced

2 cups bean sprouts

1 head lettuce, leaves separated

* fresh herbs such as cilantro, mint, basil

Procedure:

1.) Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt.

2.) Mix the flour, sugar, salt, coconut milk, and turmeric. Rest the batter for about 30 minutes.

3.) Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and saute the green onions (white part), garlic, mushrooms, and shrimp until the shrimp's flesh are almost cooked. Set aside.

4.) Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium fire and pour 1/2 of the batter in.

5.) Sprinkle bean sprouts over half of the crepe followed by a fourth of the shrimp and mushrooms. 

6.) Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of oil at the edge of the crepe.

7.) Reduce your heat. Cover and cook until the edges begin to brown for about 4-5 minutes. 

Nuoc Cham (Dipping Sauce)

Ingredients:

4 red chilies
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
2 limes, juice
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp vinegar
5 tbsp fish sauce

Procedure:

1.) Remove the stalks from the chilies.

2.) Pound your garlic using mortar and pestle and then add the chilies one by one. Pound until you get a fine paste.

3.) Add your sugar and the lime juice.

4.) Transfer into a sauce bowl and add your fish sauce, vinegar, and water.

5.) Mix well and serve.

Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia:

Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam are countries with very interesting and enticing cuisines. With influences from the French, Indian, and the Chinese, the flavors coming from these three countries are surely notable to culinary enthusiasts.

            Vietnamese cuisine is known to have a blend of creativity, presentation, freshness, texture, and color that everybody is guaranteed to appreciate. There is said to be 5 fundamental taste elements that are always present in Vietnamese dishes and these are spicy, sour, bitter, salty, and sweet.

            Laotian, Cambodian, and Vietnamese cuisine is abundant in the usage of fish sauce, soy sauce, rice, ginger, lemongrass, mint, coriander, cinnamon, lime, chili, and many others. These cuisines are known in using fresh herbs and spices for food preparation, and that is why Vietnamese cuisine is recognized as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. Through the freshness of their food and the complexity of balancing the flavors, these cuisines are now increasing its number of advocates throughout the world. 

- Justine Roxas

Bengali-style Fish: It might remind you of the Life of Pi

The culinary style of cooking from Bengal, found in the east region of India and home of the famous Bengal Tiger (in which the name Richard Parker from the Life of Pi comes to mind) is called the Bengali Cuisine. Since the place has freshwater rivers, its main protein is fish.

BENGALI-STYLE FISH

Measurement	Ingredient	Method
4 tsp. 4 tsp. 2 kg	Salt, Iodized Turmeric Cream Dory Corn Oil	1.      Mix together the turmeric and salt in a small bowl 2.      Spoon the turmeric and salt mixture over the fish pieces 3.      Heal the oil in the frying-pan (skillet). Add the fish to the pan and fry until pale yellow. Remove the fish with a perforated spoon and set aside.
16 pcs. 4 tsp. 4 tsp. 5 pcs.	Chili pepper, green Ginger, finely chopped Garlic, crushed Onions, finely chopped	4.      Place the chilies, ginger, garlic, onion, mustard oil and tomatoes in a mortar and pestle and grind to form a paste. Alternatively, you can work the ingredients in a food processor (Robot Coupe) 5.      Transfer the spice paste to a saucepan and dry-fry until golden brown 6.      Remove the pan from the heat and gently place the fish into the paste without breaking the fish up.
8 C	Water Fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped, to garnish	7.      Return the pan to the heat, add the water and cook the fish, uncovered, over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes.      8.   Serve garnished with chopped coriander (cilantro)

- Jose Malonzo and Paula Martinez

Lamb Curry!!

Curry is one of India’s well known dishes throughout the world. Its name originating from the Tamil word ‘kari’ which means spiced sauce and true to its name, the dish is full of different spices all used in the Indian cuisine which uses 36 different kinds of spices.

Ingredients:

1.5 kg Lamb, diced

1L Chicken Stock

500 g Yoghurt

3 T Garam Masala Powder

5 t Pimenton Dela Vera

6 t Chili Powder

5t Cinnamon Powder

3t Nutmeg

3t Oregano Powder

4t Coriander Powder

5t Cardamom Powder

3t Marjoram Powder

5t Turmeric powder

8 t Curry Powder

1  T tomato paste

1 medium sized Ginger, finely chopped

3 bulbs Garlic, minced

3 large pcs onion, finely chopped

8 pcs green chilies, chopped

800 ml coconut milk

3 pcs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Oil, as needed

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350˚F.

2. In a braising pan sear lamb and sauté with onions, ginger and garlic and add stock just enough to cover the lamb, cover and braise in oven for 3 hours.

3. While waiting for lamb to soften, mix together powders and roast.

4. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger, add in tomato paste and add powder mixture. Cool for 5 minutes, add stock and puree in a food processor until it turns into a paste mixture. Mix half of the mixture into yoghurt and leave half for the lamb.

5. When lamb is ready, bring it out of the oven and separate meat from the stock. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger, chilies and lamb, and add the spice puree. Sauté for about 2 minutes and add the stock. Reduce stock. Add yogurt mixture and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add Cilantro and adjust seasoning as desired.

6. Serve in a soup platter w/ cilantro leaves and chilies on top.

Paratha/Parotha/Prantha, it's the same thing.

Paratha  is an unleavened and pan fried Indian flatbread. It's very thin and flaky but the best characteristic of this bread is that it melts in your mouth. Once you discover how to make the basic paratha (which will be taught in a steb-bystep guide below) you can add your own fillings to it! You can even knead in your herbs or ingredients into the dough to create your own version of paratha!

This flatbread is very delectable but it is pretty tricky to get it right. It will take you some practice to be able to get the flakiness and the layers right but when you do, you will know what it takes to create the correct Paratha! Get it wrong and it will become like the usual roti, another indian flatbread.

Ingredients:

400 g Whole wheat flour
½ tsp Salt
3-4 tbsp Sunflower
200-300 ml Oil

100g Warm Water

Procedure:

1.) Sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl and gently rub the oil into the flour. 

2.) Pour in the water a little at a time to make smooth, supple but firm dough.

3.) Rub butter on your palms and knead the dough for 10-12 minutes. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

4.) Knead again for 2-3 minutes.

5.) Divide the dough into 8-10 even balls

6.) Roll them in your palms until smooth

7.) Pin out the ball to approximately 12.5 cm in diameter, making sure that the rolled dough is evenly pinned out, but do not worry about it being perfectly round. That will take some practice.

8.) Apply a thin layer of the softened butter all over the rolled sheet and lightly sprinkle some flour over it.

9.) Now fold the chappati into a concertina, apply butter again and sprinkle flour.

10.) Now twist the narrow end and press down onto the palm to form a twister yet circular dough ball. Roll out again.

11.) Do not knead or handle too much as body heat will disperse the butter inside and the layers will not separate.

12.) Griddle on a medium griddle. If too hot, the outside will burn and the inside will not cook well.

13.) When griddling, you must apply the oil or butter to the surface a little at a time until you get a beautiful golden brown color and you can see the layers separating.

-Nikko Matute

Discovering Indian Cuisine

Pungent, aromatic, and spicy. These are a few words that would immediately come to mind when one speaks of Indian Cuisine.

What distinguishes Indian cuisine from others around the world is their use of numerous herbs and spices to enhance and create new flavors and aromas. Since many different countries have colonized India, it has become a melting pot of flavors and cuisines that have been given its Indian touch. If you would notice, some herbs and spices are sold cheap in their country, but seem to be very expensive in ours, and that’s what makes their cuisine more exciting and interesting! There is that uniqueness in their dishes that keeps people hooked. 

Keep on reading and experience the flavors that will keep you at the edge of your seat!

-China Reyes

Sweet Flavors of Macau

Today, we are going to create to wonderful desserts from Macau, the Serradura or Sawdust Pudding and the famous Macau egg tarts! Let's first tackle the dish, serradura. The word serradura is actually sawdust in Portuguese. It's a layered dessert that usually consists of crushed buscuits (where it gets its name, sawdust), condensed milk, and cream. This wonderful refrigerated dessert can satisfy any craving for sweets!

Ingredients:

250ml    Whipping cream

80g         Marie or other plain sweet biscuits

50g         Condensed milk

Procedures:

1.)     Crush the biscuits until they are powdered and similar to sawdust.

2.)     Whip the cream to soft peaks and add the vanilla and your condensed milk. Continue whipping until you achieve stiff peaks.

3.)     Transfer the cream into a piping bag.

4.)     Place a layer of biscuits and pipe a layer of cream on top. Repeat until the container is filled.

5.)     Chill in the freezer for two hours and bring to room temperature. Serve and enjoy!

Now, the egg tarts! This dessert also came from the Portuguese. It is the most famous dessert in Macau which people all over the globe crave for. The very flaky dough that is met with the mild sweetness of the egg custard is such a perfect combination especially when freshly made. You will never find anything like it but if you want to try and make your own, here's a good recipe for the tarts!

Ingredients:

Tart:

1 Cup All purpose flour, sifted

2 tbsp Caster sugar

4 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp water

Custard:

½ Cup    Sugar

8pcs.       Egg yolks

½ Cup    Milk

½ Cup    Heavy Cream

Procedure:

1.)     Mix the tart ingredients and chill.

2.)     Combine the cream and milk. Bring to a boil.

3.)     Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale. Slowly pour in the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while constantly whisking.

4.)     Preheat the oven at 400F. Grease the muffin pans.

5.)     Cut the dough into 1cm thick slices.

6.)     Shape each cuts into discs big enough for the muffin pan.

7.)     Bake for 20 minutes until brown spots appear on the surface. Serve immediately.

Jo Lau Xu¬ (Fish in white sauce)

If you've noticed, most of the dishes for Honk Kong and China are stir-fried. Well that's because they believe that the less you cook your food, the more flavor and nutrients you preserve. True or not, stir-frying is a very popular cooking process to Asians because of its uncomplicated and fast-paced style. Today, we are going to cook Jo Lau Xu or fish in white sauce! There are three very simple parts to this dish. One is to fry your fish coated in batter, two is to stir fry the mushrooms, and three is to thicken the sauce and combine everything. It doesn't take very long to make and it doesn't really require much effort so you should try this out for yourself!

Ingredients:

500g       White fish fillet

Salt and pepper

1 pc.       Egg white

2 tsp.      Dark Soy sauce

1 tbsp.    Corn flour

75g         Dried wood-ear mushrooms

Oil, for deep frying

2 tsp.      Sugar

3 tbsp.    Chinese wine

125 ml.  Clear fish stock

Procedure:

1.)     Cut the fish into serving size pieces, place in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the egg white along with the soy sauce and half the corn flour. Pour over the fish and stir to coat evenly and set aside for thirty minutes.

2.)     Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes, then rinse under cold running water and pat dry.

3.)     Heat oil in a wok until it starts to smoke. Fry the fish for 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Pour away most of the oil and stir-fry the mushroom for 2 minutes, then add the sugar, wine, and stock and bring to a boil.

4.)     Mix the remaining corn flour with a small quantity of cold water and stir into the sauce, then place the fish and cook further for 3 minutes.

Chao Fan (Special Fried Rice)

This fried rice dish was adapted from China and is now very popular throughout the globe. Rice is just a very simple addition to any meal but leave it to the Chinese to make things more interesting! Chao Fan is basically your rice spiced up with plenty of mixed ingredients from carrots to shrimps.
The various tastes and textures gained from each ingredients makes this dish very interesting to the palette. Special fried rice is really analogous to Hong Kong because just like the country, it is a mix of various ingredients that came from different places. The vegetables that came from the soil, to the shrimp that came from the sea. Everything comes together into one flavorful rice dish! Try it out for yourself!

Ingredients:

800g       Long-grain rice

125g       Fresh baby shrimps

100ml    Vegetable oil

2pcs.       Shallots, finely chopped

2 tsps.     Finely chopped ginger

1 tsp.      Finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp.    Finely chopped red pepper

1 tbsp.    Finely chopped spring onion

100g       Barbecued pork, shredded

75ml       Chicken stock

1 tbsp.    Soy sauce

Salt

Ground black pepper

2pcs.       Eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp.    Crispy-fried onions

Procedure:

1.)     Cook the rice. Shell and devein the shrimps.

2.)     Heat oil and add the shallots, ginger, garlic, and red pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 inutes and add the shrimps and spring onions. Stir, drain, and set aside.

3.)     Reheat the wok with the remaining oil. Add the rice and stir until warm. Add the shrimp mix and add the pork and stock.

4.)     Season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper.

5.)     Add the egg and stir in. Serve immediately.

Lat Jiu Kai Hom (Chicken breasts with capsicums)

Chicken is abundant in most countries especially in asia and it can be prepared in a number of ways. Today, we will be preparing lat jiu kai hom a fried chicken dish served with stir fried vegetabes. The chicken will be fried separate from the bell peppers but this doesn't really keep their flavors from merging in the end! There won't be any heat from the vegetables and sauce but it will gain a hint of sweetness from the bell peppers! It's really an interesting and very doable dish so give it a try!

Ingredients:

4 pcs.      Chicken breast fillets

2 pcs.      Egg whites

1.5 tbsp. Chinese wine

2 tsp.      Dark soy sauce

1 tsp.      Sugar

½ tsp.     Salt

½ tsp.     Freshly ground black ground pepper

75 ml.     Vegetable oil

1 pc.       Small red and green bell pepper

2 tsp.      Finely chopped ginger

1 tsp.      Finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp.    Light soy sauce

1 tbsp.    Oyster sauce

75 ml.     Chicken stock

2 tsp.      Corn flour

Procedure:

1.)     Flatten the chicken lightly and keep in a shallow dish. Beat the egg whites with half the wine, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour over the chicken and turn to coat them evenly. Set aside for thirty minutes.

2.)     Heat half the oil in a wok and fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and keep in a serving dish to keep warm.

3.)     Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir fry the peppers for 2 minutes. Remove and arrange on top of the chicken. Add the remaining oil and stir fry the ginger and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, stock, and remaining wine and bring to a boil.

4.)     Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Mix the corn flour with a small quantity of cold water and add to the sauce. Stir for a further minute for sauce to thicken slightly, then pour around the chicken and serve immediately.

Ma Po Dou Fu (Chilli Bean Cud)

In Chinese restaurants, it is always recommended to get the Mapo Doufu. It's an appetizing dish made of tofu and minced meat paired with a very savory sauce that packs heat! This dish will be a great start to your meal. If you are into dishes that pack a punch then this is definitely for you as it brings with its wonderful taste a powerful spiciness! This recipe is enough to satisfy your spicy cravings!

Ingredients:

300g       Fresh beancurd

2 tbsp.    Peanut oil

100g       Minced pork

2pcs.       Shallots, finely chopped

6pcs.       Red chillies, finely sliced

1 tbsp.    Finely chopped ginger

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp.    Hot bean paste

1 tbsp.    Light soy sauce

2 tbsp.    Dark soy sauce

1 tbsp.    Chinese wine

175ml    Chicken stock

Ground black pepper

Spring onions for garnishing

Procedure:

1.)     Soak the bean curd in cold water for 3 mins. Drain and cut into chunks.

2.)     Heat the oil and stir fry pork for 3-4 minutes. Set aside and stir fry the shallots, chilli, ginger, and garlic for 3 minutes.

3.)     Add the pork and add the bean paste, soy sauce, wine, and stock. Boil and lower heat. Add the bean curd and season.

4.)     Cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. Serve.

Congee with Chinese Sausage

Rice is one of those staples in Asia that is paired with plenty of things, it can be with a viande, or it is served alone but cooked in a different way. Congee is a chinese rice porridge that was adapted by so many Asian countries including Hong Kong. When this dish is served alone, it is usually paired with a couple of side dishes but it is also served alone when additional ingredients like seafood, meats, and vegetables! It's very easy to prepare since it doesn't require much action from the cook, but don't think that nothing can go wrong though. You might end up with unevenly cooked rice or something. Anyway, as far as food goes, rice porridge is the least expensive to prepare but it's very satisfying. Today, we'll be teaching you how to make them yourself!

Ingredients:

½ cup long grain rice

3 tbsp glutinous rice

5 cups water

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

Thin slice of ginger root, separated and bruised

2 chinese sausages

1 egg, slightly beaten

½ tsp soy sauce

Scallions for garnish

Procedure:

1.) Wash the rice and place in a large pan. Add water and bring to a boil and reduce to very low heat.

2.) Cook for 1-1.5 hours stirring from time to time. If it thickens too much, add a little boiling water.

3.) Add the salt and sesame oil along with the ginger 15 mins before serving.

4.) Steam the sausages for 10 minutes then slice and stir in the congee cook for 5 mins.

5.) Before serving, remove the ginger and stir in the egg. Serve with drizzle of soy sauce.

Eggplant in Hot Garlic Sauce

This dish originates from Chinese Schezuan style cuisine but it was brought to Hong Kong by immigrants. When you bite into it, you will be able to see that it is just so full of flavor. A taste of sweetness is then followed by savory and spicy! The eggplants and the beef (sometimes pork is used) is braised in a very delectable garlic sauce and it also has heat from the chillies. In creating the dish, you will notice that the eggplant soaks up your oil when frying but what you can do is blanch the eggplants prior to stir-frying but you know, you can always just go traditional! 

Ingredients:

350 g eggplant

3 tbsp peanut oil

2 spring onions, finely chopped

3 fresh red chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp crushed garlic

75 g sliced beef

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp Chinese wine

1 tbsp. soy sauce

100ml chicken stock

2 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. sesame oil

Procedure:

1.) Wash and prepare eggplant, cut into finger-sized pieces. Heat oil in a wok and fry the eggplant for 2 mins. Drain excess oil.

2.) Reheat oil and wok, then add the spring onions, chili, ginger, and garlic, stir fry for 2 mins. Add the beef and cook for 2 mins.

3.) Add the sugar, wine, soy sauce, and stock. Bring it to a boil.

4.) Lower your heat to medium and add the eggplant and don't forget to season. Cook until reduced by 2/3. Stir in vinegar and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Braised Beef and Turnips

Well, another Asian country, another braised beef dish This one though, is composed plenty of components both for its soup/sauce and it's vegetables and meat! But once again, the selling point of this dish would really have to be the tenderness of the beef after cooking it for a long period of time. This definitely is a dish for the patient because it takes more than an hour just to cook this dish and a number of minutes to prepare! As they say, "good things come to those who wait" and good is an understatement. Here's how you can practice your patience virtue thing!!!

Ingredients:

650 g beef topside

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper, finely chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cm knob ginger, thinly sliced

2 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 tsp finely chopped red chili

1 tbsp. soy bean paste

300 g turnips, cut into bite size wedges

1 tbsp Chinese wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp corn flour

Procedure:

1.) Cut beef into large chunks and season with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil into a wok and stir fry beef to seal completely and, remove and drain.

2.) Heat remaining oil into a clay cooking pot, add ginger, garlic, chili, and soy bean then stir-fry for 3 minutes, add the beef and cook for a further 2 mins. Add sufficient water to barely cover and bring to a boil, then place a tightly –fitting lid on the pot and lower the heat.

3.) Cook slowly for 90mins, then remove the lid add the sugar, wine, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and bring back to the boil. Add the turnips and simmer for 15mins.

4.) Mix the corn flour with a little cold water and stir into the pot to thicken the sauce. Serve immediately.

Pork Stuffed Steamed Buns

These steamed buns has been around asia. It has been named siopao, mantou, salapao, and nikuman among many names! This delightful dish is eaten without utensils just like a sandwich. The steamed buns offer a unique texture as to those baked because the way that the moist carries the dough into its soft and chewy feel is really impossible to mimic with an oven. Its pork filling, if cooked and seasoned correctly, delivers a bit of sweetness to the bun which definitely completes the dish. If you have a steamer, you should really try it out!! Here's how:

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 tbsp sugar

1 ¾ cups of warm water

1 ½ tbsp dried yeast

4 cups White bread flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp lard

Filling:

2 tbsp Oil

1 Garlic Clove

8 oz. roasted pork, chopped finely

2 scallions, chopped

2 tsp yellow bean sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch w/ water

Procedure:

1.) First, make your dough.Dissolve the sugar with half of the water and sprinkle with yeast to activate it. When it becomes frothy, set aside. Sift the flour and salt together and then rub in the lard. Stir in the yeast mixture. Knead the dough on a floured surface. Leave in warm place for 1 hour, covered.

2.) To make your filling, heat your oil in a wok and add your garlic. Put in your pork and scallions followed by the bean sauce and sugar. Stir in the cornstarch and cook until slightly thickened.

3.) Punch down, knead and divide the dough. Roll into 3-4 inch circles.

4.) Place a spoonful of filling in the center, gather up the sides and twist the top to seal. Secure it with string.

5.) Set on parchment paper in a steamer until double in size. Steam over rapidly boiling water for 30-35mins.

Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan: Stew of Different Cultures

Similar to most Asian countries, Hong Kong and Macau has been colonized a couple of times. Of course changes happened in their country but other than the cultures and traditions, its cuisine changed along with it. Chinese have migrated to Hong Kong, the British has colonized them, and all of them contributed to the food that you see around the country! Taiwan has also had its fair share of changes but it wasn't really colonized or anything. They have been influenced by the Chinese but their cuisine relies more on what was available and also their geographical location. Fruits are abundant and other products of agriculture like vegetables and rice are grown because of their sub tropical climate.

They might seem like overrated countries because you hear too much about them but you don't really have to look so hard to see how unique they are. They might have adapted to the foreign tastes and preferences but that does not take their identity away from them. Let's look at Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan in a different light through their food!

Soojong Gwa

Soojong Gwa or Ginger Cinnamon Tea is a Korean dessert drink. Soojong Gwa is usually served chilled. This drink usually contains dried persimmons, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorn and is often garnished with pine nuts. This tea is made by first brewing the cinnamon and ginger until all the flavours and aromas are out. After which, sugar will be added to sweeten the tea.

This Recipe makes 15 servings.

Ingredient	Quantity	Unit
Cinnamon sticks	8	g
Ginger	10	g
Brown sugar	60	g
White sugar	60	g

Procedure:

1.) Add ½ gallon of water each in two pots. Wash the cinnamon and add to one of the pots. Peel and slice the ginger. Add the ginger to the second pot. Bring both pots to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

2.) Remove from heat and combine. Add sugars, stirring until completely dissolved. Chill in refrigerator for several hours.

-Robles & Oamil