Soy Sauce Duck

first, thanks so much to those who commented on last week's giveaway. i thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's thankful words, it's nice to get to know who my readers are without being too intrusive & in your face. most importantly, it gave me some perspective one things going on in my own life.

for thanksgiving this year i opted to stay home. i'm not a fan of turkey and without the obligation of making a turkey spread, i decided to tackle duck. i love duck.

about four years ago i watched a kylie kwong cooking show and she made a soy sauce duck that has haunted me since. the recipe doesn't have all the ingredients the show did but i found the episode on youtube, only it's been dubbed in farsi or arabic. if anyone can tell me what i'm to do with soy sauce broth after, let a sister know.

a few adjustments, as usual i did not follow exact measurements, my pot is only 4L big, i threw in a lemongrass stalk (it was lonely in the fridge, i didn't know what else to do with it) and i couldn't find proper chinese pancakes so i used tortilla wraps instead. i enjoyed it, but i think now that i have cooked with duck, i can leave it to the professionals and just order it out. i'd like to make this recipe with chicken instead.

i hope everyone had a loverly turkey break, i spent four days doing things at my leisure, cooking & baking, getting to know my netflix and hanging out with a dear friend.

we watched Love&Other Drugs, which i recommend, if not only for Jake Gylenhaal's fantastic ass.

Thanksgiving Giveaway ~kinda like black friday

*** EDIT ***
deadline is passed and thru a random pick, squirrelbread is the lucky winner of the giveaway. please email me at angryasiancreations @ gmail dot com with your shipping address and they will be sent on Monday!

thanks so much to everyone who commented, i loved reading about what you're thankful for. have a loverly weekend!

it's about that time... giveaway time, i mean. it's thanksgiving week & i am so thankful for many things.

this here space has been rather lacking lately in color, mainly because my attention has been elsewhere. forgive me.

so, as an apology, i will ship a box of these cookies, i will bake them fresh the day before shipping, packaged up pretty with ribbons and bows, exes and ohs. i will also include a little surprise, either another sweet treat or a handmade creation.

this giveaway is open internationally, as i have quite a bit outside of the US readers (hello Australia, UK and most of Southeast Asia!)

this will be a random pick. there are a few ways you can be eligible to win:

1. just leave me a comment here & tell me what you're grateful for.

2. become a fan on FB & leave me a wall comment about what your fave thanksgiving dish is.

3. follow me on twitter & tweet about this giveaway. be sure to include @angry_asian in the tweet.

that's THREE chances. i will be keeping close tabs.

deadline: Friday, November 26th at 5pmEST.

Crocheted Gryffindor Scarf

i won't mince words. i am a potter head. i'm in the process of taking cake decorating courses so that i may create something like this by the time HP7 part deux comes out july 2011. in the meantime, i crocheted a scarf instead (and no, it's not in support for the redskins, even tho i am in general skins territory). it's for the gryffindor house, whose colors are scarlet and gold. while this house is the most popular, i sometimes identify with Slytherin, except minus the whole evil dark lord hocus pocus.

i used this pattern for inspiration. the beauty of it is that it's crochet but a knitting stitch. i hate knitting but the knit stitch is so pretty.

i'll be hitting up HP7 part 1 with nuria and Dirty South this weekend, of course. they've created their own scarves and depending on how hungover we are time and inclination, we'll pose & i'll post pix eventually.

deets:

it's only 22 stitches wide

i winged it as follows:

40 lines in red

3 in gold

3 in red again

3 in gold again

40 lines in red

3 in gold

3 in red again

3 in gold

finally, in red until desired length in the middle.

3 in gold

3 in red

3 in gold

40 in red

3 in gold

3 in red

3 in gold

40 in red, fasten off.

supplies:
8 US size hook
2 skeins of 6 oz Caron Simply Soft 4 ply worsted weight yarn in autumn, 100% acrylic
not even half a skein of 3.5 oz Vanna's Choice Lion Brand 4 ply worsted weight yarn in mustard, 100% acrylic

happy weekend!

Cauliflower Soup topped with Scallops

this was an afterthought soup, one that i put together while bread was rising and i was deciding what movie to watch on Netflix. there comes a time in one's life where laziness takes precedence over anything else, even cooking. that time for me is now. right here, right now.

Cauliflower Soup topped with Scallops

a head of cauliflower, rough chopped

2 stalks of lemongrass, cut in half, bruised

an onion, rough chopped

1 garlic clove, banged

salt/pepper to taste

splash of milk or cream

veggie or chicken stock, or water, enough to just barely cover

some scallops

olive oil

splash of lemon

boil the first four ingredients in some stock (i used water) til cauliflower is tender. discard the lemongrass. puree the remaining ingredients to desired consistency. season with salt/pepper. add in a splash of cream or milk, it really does add a richness to the soup, tho if you're minding your waistline, it can be ix-nayed.

meanwhile, clean the scallops and dry properly. season with a bit of salt/pepper. heat up the olive oil in a pan and fry up the scallops, about an minute or so, you don't want it rubbery. when reach desired doneness, splash with some lemon juice. add on top of soup.

done.

currently daydreaming about four day weekends and the month of december.

Sweet Braided Bread ~ 2 Fillings

duuuuuuuuudes. a few things: i almost didn't bake this weekend. and i almost didn't post this. crazy laziness has crawled up my ass and taken up residence. further, i got netflix and god bless anyone who tries to get me to leave the abode.

friday night i went to a King Arthur Flour Bread Demo with Wendi of Bon Appetit Hon and Beth of 990 Square. the instructor made it look so easy to mix the dough sans mixer (she had a handy dandy dough whisk, that i now want.) when i made my bread i used my mixer. i repeat: lazy.

adapted from Braided Lemon Bread

first braid had chocolate filling and the other braid had apple & cinamon sugar.

watched: Survivors.

i have a sick fascination with post-apocalyptic type movies/shows/books. i'm still muddling thru the Road, which is flipping me out. Cormac McCarthy is a word genius.

apple molasses cookies

these cookies? they're apple molasses and they are good. soft & chewy in just the right place (center) but crumbly & crunchy where they should be (around the edges), spiced like Autumn but beloved like christmas morn. unfortunately for you i won't be posting the recipe. it belongs to jen of delightful delicacies who was kind enough to share it with me. visit her, and mayhap with a bit of luck, she'll share it with you too. but don't despair, i will be making these gems again, soon, and they will go out in a parcel in a distant giveaway that i'm dreaming up. sit tight.

meanwhile, i've added an FAQ page, answering some questions from inquiring peoples who want to know.

listening to Zac Brown Band, whatever it is

how am i only just now listening to this group

happy weekend?

cincinnati chili ~ take two

i am still not a fan of cincinnati, ohio ~ that summer workshop did a number on me. columbus, ohio tho, that's a great city ~ helps that i've friends there who know how to take a girl out. but cincinnati chili, served atop spaghetti? definitely a great dish to dig into as the weather turns cold. and the chocolate in it? genius. the changes i made to the recipe is based on how i know nuria likes food, it's more subtle and less in your face spices. and, uh. i didn't measure a damn thing. sorry. the original recipe with shitastic pix can be found here.

Cincinnati Chili ~take two

1 pound ground chicken

1 pound chorizo ~ added, for the spanish roommate

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

red pepper flakes, according to taste

3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa*

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*

1 teaspoon ground allspice*

1 teaspoon ground cumin*

1 teaspoon salt*

Worcestershire sauce

cider vinegar

15-ounce tomato sauce

15-ounce can diced tomatoes ~ added, initially i was going to add two cans of the tomato sauce but i grabbed this can by accident
3 cups water (you can use stock if you want. i ran out of homemade stock)

*remained same, tho i doubled the liquids. yes, i exercised moderation folks!

cook the ground chicken and chorizo until just about done. add in the onions and garlic, cook until onions are soft & translucent. the next step is up to you. you can add all the spices in the bowl and then throw in the mix or you can do like me and reach for the little spice containers at will and add them as you stir the meat. just cook until it's all mixed together and becomes really fragrant. at this point, add the liquid ingredients and simmer on low for an hour or so, until thickened. serve with cooked spaghetti pasta and topped with raw onions.

listening to Florence & the Machine,You've Got the Love

have you heard this woman's voice? she's opening for U2.

Reburbished Desk ~ Take that Ethan Allen!

i received this desk, oh, 3 years ago? from my friend Jen of Savory Simple. a beautifully functional desk, fine as it was. until i got in my head that i need to reburbish it. this is what happens when i read too many blogs:

thank goodness i love the end result.

initial inspiration, subsequent aspirations.

knobs from anthropologie, in clearance bin.

paint from walmart.

top fabric & podmodge from jo-ann fabric & craft.

assistance from Dangerous & Kimma Kim.

watched over the weekend: Mao's Last Dancer and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

and lastly... ahem. U2 tickets were purchased on Friday. in about 7 months i'll be able to cross out #51 in my Life List.

Jaleo

clockwise: Manzanas con hinojo y queso Manchego (sliced apple and fennel salad with Manchego cheese), cordero a la brasa con salsa de romero (grilled lamb chops with rosemary sauce), cava sangria, patatas bravas (fried fingerling potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and alioli), rosemary-garlic olive oil, arroz de pato ‘Jean-Louis Palladin’ (rice with duck confit, duck breast and foie gras cream) papas arrugas (canary island-style wrinkled baby potatoes served with mojo verde)

this is my favorite restaurant in DC.

Jaleo

480 7th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20004

t. 202.628.7949

f. 202.628-7952

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such a great great post: my son is gay. or not.

i'd recommend a song or album but i've been listening to Sugarland's Incredible Machine all week. sorry. just kidding, i'm not sorry. at all.

happy weekend!

Chnor Chrook ~ Cambodian Lemongrass Chicken & Rice Soup

first, this here space was nominated for best food blog over at the Baltimore Sun. it would tickle me pink if you'd mosey over and vote for me and everyday until it's over. it is a pain in the ass having to register, i know. i have no platform, lately i haven't been feeling up to blogging, but i won't tax you or infest your tv viewing with jackass commercials. that'd be assclownery personified. to make it easier, there is a button on my right side bar. just click on it. thanks,  it'll do wonders for my self-esteem.

when wandering chopsticks was in town two weekends ago we talked a great deal about food; not only what restaurants to hit up, but also the preparation of it on a daily basis, what we grew up eating, it was pure Food Gossip. you'd think we'd be tired of all that food talk but no, i personally wasn't. i happened to mention a blog post Leela of SheSimmers wrote some time ago about the "State of Thai Cuisine" and how some dishes have lost its authenticity, as well as how we don't know the history behind their identity. it was an interesting read.

the gist of the convo was that thai food and cambodian food are quite similar, and there are some vietnamese dishes that are identical to cambodian food. it's the region, as well as due to the french influence way back in the day on the latter two countries. (fyi, Thailand is the only country in southeast asia who was not colonized by an outside power). look, i'm not an expert on food history, it's a burgeoning interest for me, i'm about consuming the food and learning about it is secondary. (tho, i bet if there'd been a such thing as AP Food History, i would've been up on it.)

i made this cambodian chicken rice soup sunday. if you can't tell, i'm on a soup kick right now. (rest assured, i'll be going into bake-mode shortly.) this particular dish reminded me of vietnamese chao, or rice porridge but the sourness of the lemon (forgive me, i had no limes in the house) and the sharpness of the lemongrass reminded me of thailand. heaven in a bowl.

Shnor Chrook

from the Complete Vietnamese Cookbook by Ghillie Başan (yeah, i laughed at the title too, it's actually cuisine from Indo-China)

Stock:

1 small chicken or 2 meaty chicken legs

1 onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 oz fresh root ginger, sliced

2 lemongrass stalks, cut in half lengthwise and bruised

2 dried red chillies (i used two fresh green chillies, i'm a rebel)

2 TBL fish sauce (i ixnayed this step)

after Stock has been made:

2 lemongrass stalks, cut and bruised

fish sauce, to taste

1/3 cup short grain rice, rinsed (i used 2/3 cup, i like my rice)

to garnish:

lime wedge (or in my case, lemon. i know, i know!)

1 red or green chili, seeded and cut into thin strips

cilantro, rough chopped

ground black pepper

put chicken into deep pot. add all the stock ingredients and pour in 2Litres/3.5pints/7 3/4 cup water. bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then lower heat and simmer gently with lid on for about 2 hours.

skim off any fat, strain and reserve stock. remove the skin from the chicken and shred meat. set aside.

meanwhile, pour the stock back into the pot and bring to a boil. lower the heat and stir in the lemongrass stalks and fish sauce. stir in the rice, simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes.

to serve, ladle the soup in bowl, and add the chicken on top. garnish with the cilantro and lime wedges.

Butternut Squash Braised in Coconut Milk ~Delicious Vietnam #7

this is another repeat, with just a slight variation on prep and ingredients. i used butternut squash and baked it in the oven for about an hour at 200F (it was a slow Saturday morning for me...). during that time, i boiled fresh bamboo shoots in some water. going along with the fresh thing, i picked up some beech mushrooms at the market.

when i was all ready to dump it all in the pot, i peeled & diced the squash, which was still firm. i sliced the bamboo shoots the same size as how i see them canned. i used one can of coconut milk and thinned out with about half a can of water. season with salt if you want to keep it vegetarian or with fish sauce if you don't care. at the last minute add the mushrooms. garnish with cilantro.

this is my submission for Delicious Vietnam, which was started by Ravenous Couple and A Food Lover's Journey. Nina of Miss.Adventure at Home hosted this month.

on crazy repeat: Sugarland's album Incredible Machine, especially the song Tonight. Jennifer Nettles is amaaazing.