Author: Dino

Dino agreed to join the supper club based on the assumption that he wouldn't be preparing dishes, only tasting them. Even though he was completely misled, Dino has begrudgingly learned to enjoy dabbling in the culinary arts.
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Bánh Bò Nướng: Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake

Bánh Bò Nướng: Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake

by Gina Planas

Ingredients

  • 200ml (½ can) of coconut milk
  • 1 cup white sugar (I use just a bit less)
  • About ⅓ of a 20mL bottle of Buko Pandan flavoring
  • 2 cups tapioca flour/starch
  • 2 ½ teaspoons of SINGLE ACTING baking powder*
  • 6 eggs

Instructions

  1. In a sauce pan over low heat, add the ½ can of coconut milk and the 1 cup sugar. You’re basically just melting the sugar here so it will only take a few minutes. Turn the heat off then add the Buko Pandan flavoring. I usually put about ⅓ of the small bottle, but it all depends on how much flavoring you want your cake to have. To me, ⅓ – ½ is just perfect.
  2. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes or whenever it totally cooled down.
    Preheat the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the 6 eggs (don’t over beat the eggs).
  4. When the coconut milk/sugar mixture is completely cool, mix this to the beaten eggs along with the 2 cups of tapioca flour + 2 ½ teaspoon of single acting baking powder. Again, don’t over mix. The consistency should be watery.
  5. Pour the batter in a bundt or cake pan (sprayed liberally with cooking spray) and bake for 40-45minutes.**

Gina’s Tips

*Substitution for SINGLE-ACTING Baking Powder :

  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¾ teaspoon cornstarch

**I guess this will depend on your oven. I followed instructions in the past to bake it 50-60min and I noticed that the ends end up being way too dry while the inside is moist and chewy. So I started to experiment and lessened baking time, making the entire cake moist and chewy with no dry ends (of course if you prefer the first, you can bake longer so it’s up to your preference).

Posted on » by Dino » Theme: ;

Halal Chicken on a Pita

Based on: Chicken and Rice NYC Street Meat Style by Eric Rhee and Michelle Won

Notes

Rafiqi’s Delicious Food carts are numerous and abundant in NYC. The delicious odor of garlic and middle-eastern herbs permeated my afternoon commute one day back in 2004 and I’ve been a Rafiqi’s addict ever since.

Rafiqi’s chicken is spicy, it’s tender, it’s packed with flavor, and best of all- it tastes exactly like that amazing smell which drew me in- enticing me to wait on a very long line on a scorching, muggy day back in 2004.

I had a rather successful attempt at recreating the chicken on a pita back in 2006, however the times I’ve tried since then didn’t work out so well. While the chicken was yummy, it didn’t have the depth of flavor you get at Rafiqi’s. I nailed the white sauce though, and that is the cornerstone of the meal!

*updates in red

Chicken Halal

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs, fat trimmed, cubed (you can use bone-in, but boneless will be easier to work with)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ¾ cup greek yogurt
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tomato, cubed
  • ½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • Pita bread

Instructions

  1. Combine all the spices, garlic, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive.
  2. Generously salt and pepper.
  3. Work in the Greek yogurt.
  4. Add the cubed chicken thighs and onions and let it marinate overnight.
  5. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a hot skillet.
  6. Add the chicken.
  7. When the chicken has browned, stir and place pitas on top.
  8. Once the pitas are warm, place a pita in a large square of tin foil and add the chicken.
  9. Top with lettuce and tomato.

White Sauce

  • 1 Cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1.5 Tbsp. lemon juice (½ lemon)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp dill (dry or fresh)

Red Sauce

  • 4 parts Harissa
  • 1 part Sriracha
Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

Korean Fried Chicken

From Saveur

Ingredients

  • Canola oil, for frying – I used peanut oil
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 (1½”) piece peeled ginger
  • 3 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. gojujang (Korean chile paste)
  • 1½ tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • ⅔ cup flour
  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 16 chicken wings (about 1¾ lbs.)
  • 1/4 cup peanuts, crushed

Instructions

  1. Pour oil into a 6-qt. pot to a depth of 2″. Heat over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 350˚.
  2. Chop garlic and ginger in a food processor. Add soy, gojujang, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey; purée. Put sauce into a bowl.
  3. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and ⅔ cup water in another bowl. Add chicken; toss.
  4. Working in 3 batches, fry chicken until golden, 6–8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
  5. Return oil to 350˚. Fry chicken until crisp, 6–8 minutes more. Drain again.
  6. Toss chicken in sauce.
  7. Dust with crushed peanuts.

SERVES 2-4

I added the crushed peanuts because that’s how Hell’s Chicken in NYC serves their wings and I just can’t get enough of them.