Recipe: Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai) from Sunset Magazine

I added a couple pickled whole Thai Red Chilis together with the chicken to add some kick to the dish.

Wall Street Journal: No Flag-Waving for U.S. Chardonnay

Five standouts aside, the popular white still disappoints; a taste like lemony, oaky water
Read the article on WSJonline.com

NYT: Basking With Rosés

Summer is the time of year where I want a chilled crisp white wine and a complex red. To get the best of both worlds, I settle for a chilled Rosé. Here's a good article from The New York Times about this blend: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/dining/10wine.html?ref=style

Flex Mussels (from NY Times)

The New York Times Dining & Wine section is probably my favorite section in their newspaper (print and online). Check out their review on Flex Mussels online: http://events.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/dining/reviews/03rest.html

Recipe: Jasmine Refresher

Last Friday, my buddies and I went to Pranna on Madison Avenue for Happy Hour. I tried a couple of drinks. One of them inspired me to make it at home - the Emerald Bay cocktail. The drink was quite tasty, but not worth me spending $12 for a glass. Since I remembered the ingredients for the cocktail, I decided to make it at home, swapping their ingredient of green tea with jasmine tea. I couldn't think of a good name for this drink, so I came up with the Jasmine Refresher

Pour 1 part Ketel One Vodka, 1 part St. Germain, and 2 parts Jasmine tea into a shaker filled with ice. Shake it up and pour into a glass. Squeeze about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and serve.

Recipe: Chorizo w/ Chayote

Here's a quick recipe that my father used to prepare for me.

Ingredients:
5.5 oz of dry chorizo (about 4 small links - Chiquote brand preferred; Goya is also good)
4 cloves of garlic diced
1/2 cup of red onion - about 1/4 of a large onion; diced
3 pieces of chayote - cut length-wise into 1/3 inch wedges
1/4 cup of water
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat a thick bottom pan over med-high heat. Slice the chorizo into 1/4 inch rounds and add them to the pan. No oil needed because it will come from the meat. Cook for about 5 minutes
2. Add the garlic and onion. Stir and cook for about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper
3. Add the chayote and pour in about 1/4 cup of water. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Serve hot over rice.

Recipe: Chicken Afritada

I just realized my post yesterday was incorrectly titled Chicken Afritada. It should have been Pork Afritada. I might as well post my recipe for the chicken version, eh?

Ingredients:

About 3 lbs whole chicken (chopped into fist size pieces)
2 potatoes (cubed)
3 carrots (chopped
3/4 cup of frozen sweet peas, thawed
2 small cans of tomato sauce
1 cup of water
3/4 cup of tomato paste
6 tbsps of olive oil
1 whole garlic (Peeled and crushed)
1 large onion (cubed)
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil on high heat in a cast iron pot. Add the chicken and cook until brown - about 6 minutes.
2. With the remaining oil stir in the garlic, onions, carrots, and potatoes for about 3 minutes. Add pork chops, the tomato sauce, bay leaves and tomato paste to the pot and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 1/2 cup of water, stir, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are done. Add more water if necessary. Adjust the seasonings. Finally, add the sweet peas and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve hot over rice.

Recipe: Pork Afritada

Ingredients:

About 3 lbs pork chops (center cut - roughly 6 pieces)
2 potatoes (cubed)
3 carrots (chopped
3/4 cup of frozen sweet peas, thawed
2 small cans of tomato sauce
1 cup of water
3/4 cup of tomato paste
6 tbsps of olive oil
1 whole garlic (Peeled and crushed)
1 large onions (cubed)
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil on high heat in a cast iron pot. Add the pork chops - 3 at a time. Sear 3 minutes on each side until brown. Remove from pot, and set aside on a plate. Add the other 3 and sear for 3 minutes per side. Rest with the other chops.
2. With the remaining oil stir in the garlic, onions, carrots, and potatoes for about 3 minutes. Add pork chops, the tomato sauce, bay leaves and tomato paste to the pot and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 1/2 cup of water, stir, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are done. Add more water if necessary. Adjust the seasonings. Finally, add the sweet peas and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve hot over rice.