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Rec.Food.Recipes Digest #111
Thu 11 Apr 1991

MV:   Quick and Easy Couscous (Francesca Lahiguera x6392)
MV:   Creole Gumbo Pot (Milt Epstein)
L:    Sangria (Laura Segall)
M:    Dim Sum (Larry Margolis)
M:    Pot stickers/gyoza/dumplings (Steve Hammond)

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.RH REC.FOOD.RECIPES-#111 CHICKEN-COUSCO MV "8 Apr 91" 1991
.RZ "CHICKEN COUSCOUS" "Quick and easy couscous"
This recipe uses the "instant" couscous (ie, Near East brand) recently
discussed on this newsgroup. It's quick, easy, cheap, delicious and very good
for you. It can be vegetarian if you substitute water for chicken broth and
use vegetarian minestrone.
.IH
.IG "1" "box couscous"
.IG "2 cups" "chicken broth," "500 ml"
canned or fresh
.IG "2 small" "zucchini/courgettes"
.IG "handful" "cherry tomatoes"
.IG "" "garlic"
.IG "" "olive oil"
.IG "1 can" "minestrone soup"
.PH
.SK 1
Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan. Add the couscous, stir. Cover.
Turn off heat.
.SK 2
Saute garlic in olive oil in a frying pan. Add zucchini/courgette,saute
for 2-3 minutes. Add sliced tomatoes. Blend. Add minestrone, heat
through.
.SK 3
Place couscous in a bowl, add vegetables. Add left over meat, if
desired (leftover buffalo chicken wings, sliced, is especially good.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
20 mins.
.I Precision:
no need to measure.
.WR
Francesca Lahiguera x6392
[e-mail]


.RH REC.FOOD.RECIPES-#111 CREOLE-GUMBO MV "9 Apr 91" 1991
.RZ "CREOLE GUMBO POT"
.KY CREOLE FISH
The recipe is from "The Book of Hot and Spicy Foods" by Louise Steele,
published by HP Books, and if you like spicy food, this is a GREAT cookbook.
I don't know if it is "real" gumbo, but I do know it is "real" good, and not
hard to make at all.
.IH "4 to 6 servings"
.IG "1 small" "eggplant"
.IG "3 tbls" "olive oil"
.IG "1" "red pepper,"
seeded, diced
.IG "2 tsps" "paprika"
.IG "4 oz" "fresh okra"
.IG "2 cups" "boiling chicken stock" "500 ml"
.IG "2 tsps" "salt"
.IG "1" "large onion,"
chopped
.IG "1" "clove garlic,"
crushed
.IG "\(12 tsp" "hot chili powder"
.IG "\(34 cup" "frozen corn,"
thawed
.IG "8 oz can" "tomatoes"
in tomato juice
.IG "2 tbls" "long grain white rice"
.IG "8 oz" "peeled cooked medium-size shrimp,"
thawed if frozen
.IG "" "salt and freshly ground pepper"
to taste
.IG "" "fresh dill sprigs,"
if desired
.PH
.SK 1
Trim stalk end from eggplant. Cut in \(12" pieces and place in a
colander. Sprinkle with 2 tsps salt; let stand 30 minutes. Rinse
under cold water and drain well.
.SK 2
Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add eggplant, onion, red pepper and garlic
and fry over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in paprika
and chili powder and cook gently 2 minutes.
.SK 3
Trim stalk ends from okra and discard.
.SK 4
Add okra, corn, chicken stock and tomatoes to eggplant mixture. Break
up tomatoes with a spoon. Stir in rice, cover and simmer gently 25
minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.
.SK 5
Add shrimp to mixture and heat through 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.
.NX
Of course, feel free to play with the amount and variety of spices you add.
It can be made vegetarian if you substitute water or vegetable stock for the
chicken stock.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
1 \(14 hours.
.I Precision:
measure ingredients.
.WR
Milt Epstein
[e-mail]


.RH REC.FOOD.RECIPES-#111 SANGRIA-1 L "8 Apr 91" 1991
.RZ "SANGRIA" "red wine and fresh fruit drink"
.KY SPANISH PARTIES
I have an excellent recipe I got from a high school spanish teacher many
years ago. This is a pretty open recipe, and very adaptable.
.IH
.IG "2" "lemons"
.IG "2" "limes"
.IG "4" "oranges"
.IG "3" "apples"
.IG "1 large container" "frozen strawberries"
(either the whole, unsweeted type, or the sugared halves. I prefer the latter)
.IG "1 bottle" "cheap burgundy wine"
(don't waste your money on good stuff)
.IG "" "orange juice"
(unspecified amount)
.IG "" "brandy"
(unspecified amount)
.PH
.SK 1
Slice lemons, limes, oranges, and apples into thin slices, leaving the
skin on. Put them into a large pitcher (you may need two pitchers).
Dump defrosted strawberries on top of the rest of the fruit. Pour the
wine into the pitcher, so that it covers the fruit.
.SK 2
Cover, and put in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 4 hours.
.SK 3
After the fruit has marinated, stir in orange juice and brandy to taste,
depending on how strong you wish the sangria to be. If it is bitter,
add sugar to taste. I usually do, then again, I like everything sweet.
.SK 4
Serve in large clear glasses with the fruit in the glass. People are
expected to put their fingers in and eat the fruit as they drink the
wine. This is not a high society drink. Several glasses and you will
not care anyway.
.NX
This is an excellent drink for parties. Serve with an array of finger
appetizers.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
very easy.
.I Time:
Approx. 4 hours.
.I Precision:
no need to measure.
.WR
Laura Segall
<[e-mail]>


.RH REC.FOOD.RECIPES-#111 DIM-SUM-2 M "8 Apr 91" 1991
.RZ "DIM SUM - SHAO-MAI" "Steamed pork dumplings, Cantonese style"
.KY CHINESE PORK
First, note that dim sum encompases a wide variety of wonderful dishes, of
which dumplings is just a small part. I make these a lot, and really love
them. Whenever I make them, I make plenty; after they're cooked, leftovers
can be frozen and then re-steamed.
.PP
I threw a party recently where I made tons of food; I made dumplings both
according to the following recipe and with ground chicken instead of the pork
(for the non-red meat eaters). Both were good, but I prefer the pork.
.PP
(From the Time-Life Foods Of the World series, Chinese Cooking edition.)
.IH
.IG "\(12 lb" "ready-made shao mai wrappers" "250 g"
(available in Chinatown or many oriental groceries)
.IG "2" "stalks celery cabbage"
.IG "1 lb" "boneless pork shoulder," "500 g"
finely ground
.IG "1 tbls" "Chinese rice wine, or pale dry sherry"
.IG "1 tbls" "soy sauce"
.IG "2 tsp" "salt"
.IG "1 tsp" "sugar"
.IG "\(14 cup" "finely chopped canned bamboo shoots"
.IG "1 tbls" "corn starch"
.PH "Prepare ahead"
.SK 1
With a cleaver or heavy, sharp knife, cut off the flat ends and trim
away any wilted green tops from the cabbage stalks. Wash the stalks
under cold running water, then drain them thoroughly and chop into a
very fine dice. Place the chopped cabbage into a kitchen towel or
double layer of cheesecloth and squeeze it firmly to extract as much
of its moisture as possible.
.SK 2
In a bowl, combine the pork, wine, soy sauce, salt, sugar and corn
starch, and, with a large spoon, mix them thoroughly together. Stir in
the cabbage and bamboo shoots.
.SK 3
To fill each dumpling, place a shao mai wrapper on the palm of your hand
and cup it loosely. Place one tablespoonful of the filling in the cup.
Then, with your other hand, gather the sides of the wrapper around the
filling, letting the wrapper pleat naturally. Squeeze the middle gently
to make sure that the wrapper fits firmly against the filling, and to
give the cylinder a faintly wasp-waisted look. Tap the dumpling to
flatten its bottom so it can stand upright.
.SK 4
When all the dumplings are made, place them on a greased heatproof
plate
.AB "\(12 inch" "1 \(12 cm"
smaller in diameter than the pot in which you plan to
steam them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are
ready to cook them - but no longer than 2-3 hours.
.PH "To cook"
.SK 1
Pour enough boiling water into the lower part of a steamer to come
within an inch of the cooking rack. Place the plate of dumplings on
the rack. Over high heat, bring the water in the steamer to a rolling
boil. Cover the pan tightly and steam for 30 minutes.
.NX
If the dumplings must be made in 2 or more batches, keep the finished dumplings
warm as you proceed with the rest by covering them with a saucepan lid. Or
they may be reheated in the steamer for a minute or so before serving. In any
case, during the steaming process, it is wise to keep a kettle of boiling water
at hand if the water in the steamer boils away and needs replenishing.
.PP
Serve the dumplings on the steamer plate set directly on a platter or, with
chopsticks, tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the finished dumplings to a
heated platter.
.PP
For a dipping sauce, I pour about 4 parts soy sauce in a small bowl with one
part vinegar, a splash of sesame oil, and a little finely sliced scallion for
garnish.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
takes experiance.
.I Time:
approx. 4 hours.
.I Precision:
measure ingredients
.WR
Larry Margolis
<[e-mail]>


.RH REC.FOOD.RECIPES-#111 DIM-SUM-1 M "14 Nov 89" 1991
.RZ "DIM SUM" "pot stickers/gyoza/dumplings (long)"
.KY CHINESE
The Chinese New Year arrives in Taipei with much fanfare and ritual. Several
weeks before the holiday, telltale signs of its advent are clearly visible;
clotheslines usually festooned with laundered pantaloons and tunics become
burdened with the weight of fragrant coils of freshly made sausage. The
marketplace, filled to the brim with the usual bounty of shellfish, meat, and
fish, offers such usual New Year's delicacies as glutinous rice cake (nian gao),
red and white glutinous rice balls, and mountainous stacks of dried shark's fin,
bird's nests, and silver ears -- prime ingredients for the New Year's banquet.
The frequent boom of firecrackers exploding in the streets -- set off to ward
away evil spirits -- becomes more pronounced as the holiday approaches, and the
air fairly tingles with electricity of expectation and excitement -- for this is
the most important holiday of the Chinese lunar calendar.
.PP
In Chinese homes, preparations begin at least a month in advance. Houses are
cleaned from top to bottom, new clothes for the entire family are made or
purchased, and the kitchen teems with activity from early morning to late at
night as many dishes are made ready for the feasting. Much of the cooking for
the holiday is made in advance.
.PP
In northern China a custom that has been observed for centuries still exists
today; women friends and relatives gather before the holiday to prepare several
hundred jiao zi, meat dumplings or Peking ravioli. The finished dumplings are
arranged on trays and left to freeze in the chill winter air. During the
holiday, a cauldron of water is boiled, the desired number of dumplings are
cooked, and a hot filling meal is ready in minutes. Often a silver coin is
placed inside one of the dumplings, signifying good luck in the coming year for
the recipient.
.PP
Some families prefer to pan-fry the dumplings (in this case they are called guo
tie), creating a golden crust that gives ravioli the appearnce of golden coins.
.PP
The Cantonese are fond of a New Year's dumpling made of glutinous rice and a
filling of powdered sesame seeds and sugar. This pastry is believed to
symbolize completeness and is served to celebrate the family unit and ensure a
healthy harvest and bountiful year. In some parts of eastern China, these
dumplings are eaten two weeks after the New Year, whereas in Fukina, an eastern-
province north of Canton, they are consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival and
are often dusted with a mixture of sesame seeds, ground peanuts, and sugar.
.PP
Dumplings have a prominent place in Chinese cuisine; they are prepared in
numerous variations for holidays and festivals and they are consumed on a daily
basis in several parts of China. In the north, where wheat provides the area
with its wealth of noodles and steamed breads, dumplings frequently act as a
staple substitute for rice, in addition to being served as a meal themselves.
The same is true in western China. In the east and the south, dumplings are
considered to be a type of dim sum (dian xin) and are commonly served as a snack
with tea or wine.
.PP
The origin of dumplings is undocumented, but it is believed that these pastries,
along with other wheat products, were introduced to China from the west -- most
likely Persia or central Asia. They quickly were adapted to Chinese ingredients
and were incorporated into the daily diet. As these snacks were adopted by
various cuisines, their ingredients were altered slightly, depending on the
products of the area. In the north, dumplings were filled with lamb, pork, and
chives. In Sichuan province, the filling included a mixture of pork, cabbage,
and dried shrimp. In the eastern and southern regions, more delicate variations
of the dumplings evolved (such as hun dun and shao mai), with stuffings of
shrimp, bamboo shoots, and black mushrooms. The methods of cooking dumplings
have regional characteristics as well; in the north they are boiled, whereas in
the east they are steamed on beds of pine needles that have been anointed with
sesame oil.
.SH "Dumpling Skins -- jiao zi pi"
The texture of these fresh pasta products is positively silky in comparison to
the commercially prepared kind. Making them by hand is a very time-consuming
process, but the result is certainly worth the effort. Commercial dumpling
skins (gyoza) will work just fine.
.IH "Fifty skins"
.IG "2.5 cups" "all-purpose flour"
.IG "1.25 cups" "boiling water"
.PH
.SK 1
Place the flour in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water. With a
wooden spoon, mix the ingredients to a rough ball. If the dough is too
hot to handle, let it cool a bit; then turn it out onto a lightly
floured surface and need for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and
elastic. If the dough is too sticky, need a few tablespoons of flour
into it. Cover the dough and let it rest for 25 minutes.
.SK 2
Cut the dough in two and form each half into a long snakelike roll
about
.AB "1 inch" "2.5 cm"
in diameter. Cut each half into 25 pieces. with a cut
edge down, press each into a circle. Using a small rolling pin or a
tortilla press that has been lightly floured, roll out each piece into
a
.AB "3 inch" "7.5 cm"
circle. Cover the circles with a cloth or towel to prevent
drying.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
45 mins.
.I Precision:
measure ingredients
.SH "Fifty Dumplings -- Jiao Zi"
Meat dumplings typify the hearty, wholesome qualities of northern home-style
cooking. Traditionally, they are filled with pork, cabbage, and flavored with a
generous amount of Chinese garlic chives. For a nice variation is to substitute
lamb for pork.
.IH
.IG "1.5 cups" "finely minced Chinese cabbage (Napa)"
.IG "1 tsp" "salt"
.IG "75 lb" "ground pork"
.IG "1 cup" "finely minced Chinese garlic chives, leeks, or scallion"
greens
.IH "Dumpling Seasoning"
.IG "2 Tbls" "soy sauce"
.IG "1 Tbls" "rice wine (shaohsing)"
.IG "2 Tbs" "sesame oil"
.IG "1.5 tsp" "minced ginger"
.IG "1.5 tsp" "minced garlic"
.PH
.SK 1
Place the minced cabbage in a large mixing bowl, add the salt, toss
lightly to mix evenly, and let sit for 30 min. (this is done to remove
the water from the cabbage, so the filling will not soak through the
dumpling skin.) Take a handful of minced cabbage and squeeze out as
much water as possible. Place the cabbage in a mixing bowl. Squeeze
out all the cabbage and discard water. Add the pork, minced chives,
and "dumpling seasoning". Stir vigorously in to combine the ingredients
evenly. (If the mixture seems loose, add 2 Tbls cornstarch to bind it
together.)
.SK 2
Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each dumpling
skin, and fold the skin over to make a half-moon shape. Spread a
little water along the edge of the skin. Use the thumb and index
finger of one hand to form small pleats along the outside edge of the
skin; with the other hand, press the two opposite edges of the skin
together to seal. The inside edge of the dumpling should curve in a
semi-circular fashion to conform to the shape of the pleated edge.
Place the sealed edge dumplings on a baking sheet that has been lightly
dusted with cornstarch or flour.
.SK 3
In a large wok or pot, bring about 3qts of water to a boil. Add half
the dumplings, stirring immediately to prevent them from sticking
together, and heat until the water begins to boil. Add
.AB "\(12 cup" "125 ml"
cold
water and continue to cook over high heat until the water boils. Add
another
.AB "\(12 cup" "125 ml"
cold water and cook until the water boils again.
Remove and drain. Cook the remaining dumplings in the same manner.
(this is the traditional method of cooking dumplings; for a simpler
method, boil for about 8 minutes, uncovered, on high heat.
.SH "Dipping Sauces"
Serve the cooked dumplings with one (or both) of the following dipping sauces:
.IH "Dipping Sauce I"
.IG "\(12 cup" "soy sauce" "125 ml"
.IG "3 Tbls" "Chinese Black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce"
.IH "Dipping Sauce II"
.IG "\(12 cup" "soy sauce" "125 ml"
.IG "2 Tbls" "Chinese Black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce"
.IG "1 Tbls" "chili oil or chili paste with garlic"
.SH Variation:
Add 1 Tbls shredded gingerroot or minced garlic to either of the sauces.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
moderate.
.I Time:
approx. 1 \(14 hours.
.I Precision:
measure ingredients
.SH "Pan Fried Dumplings -- Guo Tie"
Literally translated, guo tie means "pot stickers", and anyone who has not used
a well-seasoned pan to cook these dumplings will understand the appropriateness
of this title; the dumplings often refuse to dislodge themselves from the pan.
.IH "25 dumplings"
.IG "3.5 Tbls" "peanut oil"
.IG "5" "meat dumpling"
from above
.IG "1 cup" "boiling water" "250 ml"
.PH
.SK 1
Heat a large wok or well-seasoned skillet until very hot. Add three
tablespoons of oil and and heat until hot. Place the dumplings in the
pan, pleated side up. Fry the dumplings over medium heat until their
bottoms are a deep golden brown. Add the boiling water to the pan and
cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes.
.SK 2
Uncover, and pour out the water. Lightly rinse the dumplings for 5
seconds under hot running water to remove excess starch*. Drain. Place
the pan containing the dumplings over medium-high heat. Drizzle \(12 Tbls
of oil around the dumplings and fry until the bottoms are again crisp
(about 2 minutes). Loosen any dumplings that seem to be stuck to the
bottom.
.NX
.B "*"
I have only had to rinse when I have made the skins myself.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
30 mins.
.I Precision:
measure ingredients.
.SH References
Most of this came from the book Nina Simonds, "Classic Chinese Cuisine",
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1982. It is an excellent Chinese cookbook.
The recipes are straight forward and typically pretty easy. It contains nice
(often wordy and sometimes slightly dated) descriptions and historical notes.
.WR
Steve Hammond
[e-mail]