s'mores bars

Mmmm, s'mores.  I love them.  It reminds me of camping, bonfires, the beach, and a lot of work....you're killing me smalls!  (The Sandlot, anyone?!)  In CA it was a staple to make s'mores at every summer bonfire but it often became more work than enjoyable.  You're constantly trying to keep sand out of the marshmallow bags, fighting over who would get the metal poker (aka a metal hanger) next to roast their marshmallow, and having to use broken graham crackers.  Inevitably two people would become the s'more factory.  One to roast and one to assemble while the rest of the group ATE.  Sometimes it's more effort than it's worth.  Making s'more bars is a good alternative to the real deal BUT I'd have to say that it could never replace the real deal.

S'mores Bars (adapted from the Eagle Brand recipe)
4 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups mini marshmallows

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13"x 9" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 2/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk until the cracker crumbs come together. Add more sweetened condensed milk a little at a time if more moisture is needed.  Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 10 min or until slightly puffed up. Let the pan cool as you prepare the chocolate.  Increase oven temperature to broil.

3. Mix chocolate chips and remaining sweetened condenseed milk in a glass bowl and microwave 1 min. at a time until the chips are melted.  The consistency should be like smooth peanut butter.  Mix in vanilla.  Put 6 dollops of the chocolate mixture over graham cracker crust and spread with an offset spatula.

4. Cover the chocolate with the marshmallows and press them in.  Broil until the marshmallows have been browned...keep an eye on it!  Rotate the pan for even browning or cover darker areas with foil.  Cool on the counter and cut when at room temperature then chill.

yeah, it really happened...

Just a little over two months ago I married my best friend.  We didn't have a lot of money or a lot of time but we were rich with creative friends.  We wanted our version of the 'budget wedding' to be FUN, joyful, but most of all totally US.  I think the biggest compliment I got about our wedding (other than people still talking about the reception burgers weeks after the wedding) was from my friend Randy who said that with most generic weddings you can insert any couple into the wedding and it would still "fit" but with our wedding it was unmistakably Mark and Hannah.  <3  It's what we were going for.

One thing that was really important to us was photography.  We were really lucky to work with Love & Lemonade.  It was just so natural to meet Nina.  We talked and hung out like old friends and it was so easy on the wedding day to work with her.

Check out some of the shots from our wedding day on her blog, here.  A friend of Nina's, Teresa Heath, offered to shoot film photography for the wedding.  Mark and I were both overjoyed with this.  Film is so wonderful....we love we love!  Check out Teresa's shots on her blog, here.

brined pork chops and steamed gailon

I love pork.  I love it more than beef...usually. ;P  Give me bacon, ribs, or a pork chop and I'll be happy.  Sometimes pork chops (the other white meat) can be dry and lack flavor.  Brining pork is an easy way to solve both these problems.

Basic Brining Formula (from Cook's Illustrated, you can also link here)
1 quart (4 cups) cold water + 1/4 cup table salt + 1/2 cup sugar
Use 1 quart of brine per lb of food, brine for at least 30 min. in the fridge

To this basic brining formula I added:

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp peppercorns

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 cloves of garlic, minced

I brined my bone-in pork chops for about 3 hours and when I was ready to cook I removed them from the brine and patted them dry with paper towels.  I cooked them with vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on high heat to get a quick sear (the chops were on the thinner side so the cooking time was fast).  There's an urban myth that pork should have zero pink however it is safe to eat pork done medium (a little pink).  If you have an instant read thermometer it should read 145 degrees.  However, remember that pork, like beef, increases its internal temp even after it has been removed from the heat so remove it a little shy of the desired temp.

To serve with the pork chops I steamed gai-lan (Chinese broccoli or kale).  I served it with my version of a traditional Chinese sauce served with gai-lan:

Gai-lan Sauce:
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice wine
1/4 tsp sugar
add water to thin out sauce as desired

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : what to register for

As promised last week we'll talk about rimmed sheet pan accessories!  Should you register for two Norpro 18"x12" Commercial Grade Aluminum Jelly Roll Pans it would be a great idea to register for items that would work in harmony with your rimmed sheet pans.  

First, I'd recommend getting wire cooling racks that fit inside the sheet pans.  ATK recommends a grid-style rack with tightly woven, heavy gauge bars, and that is dishwasher safe.  Register one per sheet pan.  These cooling racks will be useful to cool baked goods, of course.  However, these will also be useful roasting and for draining grease.  

Second, if you bake a lot I'd recommend getting Silpat liners for your rimmed sheet pans.  Again, one per sheet registered for.  These nonstick liners will allow you to bake without greasing the sheet pan and you'll never have to wonder if you have parchment paper at home.  Some bakers still prefer to cook/bake with parchment paper but I find that having the Silpat liners is a good reusable resource that's earth-friendly.  

modcloth love : hoo loves owlies?

[1] Taste Buds Shaker Set  [2] Owl in the Same Spot Keepsake Box  [3] Know It Owl Mug in Cream  [4] Know It Owl Mug in Coffee [5] Owls of a Flavor Measure Cups  [6] Beau-tea-ful Surprise Mug in Owl

chicken katsu with cabbage salad

 

Apparently it's Japanese week here in the Filipino/Korean household.  Last night we had chicken katsu for dinner.  Tonkatsu is a Japanese PORK cutlet that is breaded and fried and served with a rich sauce.  This dish has become a favorite for Korean restaurant owners to put on their menus only in our Koreanese (Korean/Japanese) we call it donkatsu.  Hahah one letter difference: T versus D.  While I love a good tonkatsu it's made with pork and I only had chicken on hand.  Chicken katsu is usually found more in Hawaiian style restaurants.

Traditional to the Korean version of the Japanese tonkatsu it is served with a shredded cabbage salad with Thousand Island dressing.  I don't know why but Koreans love Thousand Island dressing.  It's like their ambrosia or something.  Mark has observed this over the years growing up in Irvine, CA as well.

A Japanese (Korean style Japanese however) restaurant in Buena Park, CA called Yoko serves my favorite donkatsu.  What makes the whole experience really FUN is while waiting for your donkatsu they give you a Japanese style mortar and pestle with toasted sesame seeds.  You are to grind the seeds as much as you prefer and they pour the katsu sauce on top of the sesame seeds.  It's SOOOO FUN! *Clapping hands loudly*  As you grind the seeds you hear them popping and you can smell the nutty aroma of the ground sesame.  I like having a lot of sesame seeds in my sauce. *Droool*  I love it so much that I have my own Japanese mortar and pestle (you can find it at any Japanese market like Mitsuwa or Marukai)!  I tried to mimic the experience at home too.

Anyway, here's what I did to make the chicken katsu at home:

Chicken Katsu (highly adapted from a recipe, here), serving for 2
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut large breasts (kee kee) horizontally if needed) - pound to 1/2 thickness

Flour mixture:
1/4 cup of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp paprika

Egg mixture:
2 eggs, beaten
5 dashes of favorite hot sauce (optional)

1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (and as needed)
Vegetable oil

1.  In a heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven (what I used to minimize splatter) heat enough vegetable oil to cover 1/2" the bottom of the pan with oil.  Heat over med-high heat.  Test oil readiness by putting in a small piece of panko to see if it will begin frying.  It should not turn dark brown immediately but should begin sizzling.

2.  Prepare 3 large containers.  In the first container whisk all flour mixture ingredients.  In second container whisk all egg mixture ingredients.  In the third container put panko bread crumbs evenly on the bottom.  Once the oil is ready reduce heat to medium.  First coat the pounded chicken with the flour mixture, dusting off any excess.  Then quickly dip each side in the egg mixture.  Lastly, coast the chicken with the panko by pressing it into the chicken with your hands.  Immediately place chicken in oil for frying.

3.  Don't over crowd the pan.  This might mean that you do one or two pieces of chicken at a time.  Fry each side until golden brown, about 3-4 min on each side.  Place katsu on a paper towel lined tray to absorb extra oil or better yet place katsu on a drying rack with a rimmed baking sheet to drain extra oil while keeping the crust from steaming itself.  Don't stack the katsu as this will also steam the katsu and make the outside mushy.  After the first batch is done let the oil reach its hot temp again as you prep the next piece of chicken with the flour, egg, panko process.

4. Cut width-wise into 1" slices and serve with katsu sauce.  Serve warm.

Cabbage Salad, serving for 2
1/4 medium cabbage
Thousand Island dressing (bottled or see recipe below)

1.  Remove any part of the cabbage core.  Shred using a food processor or a mandoline.

2.  Give each serving a heaping amount of shredded cabbage and top with dressing.



Homemade Cabbage Salad Dressing:
1 part mayo (I think I used 1/4 cup of mayo)
1/2 part ketchup
1/4 part yellow mustard
1 spear kosher dill pickle, seed part removed and finely diced
dash of paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne powder, hot sauce, lemon juice
salt and pepper

1. Mix everything together. Best if made several hours before to let the flavors meld together.

chicken skewers with zucchini salad

This recipe was inspired from Matt Armendariz's "Dak Sanjuk" recipe in "On A Stick!"  Normally I would've just stir fried the ingredients in this recipe but I was inspired to put it on a stick!

Chicken Skewers (my concoction), serving for 2

1 chicken breast cut into bite sized cubes, marinated

1 scallion, large slices

1/4 red onion, large slices

wooden/bamboo skewers

marinade for chicken:

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 Tbsp of EVOO

1 Tbsp of sesame oil

2 Tbsp of Korean hot pepper paste

Dash of salt, pepper, and sugar

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag.  Add cubed chicken and marinate for at least 30 min. in refrigerator.  Mush (technical term here folks) the bag with hands and be sure the cubes are thoroughly coated with marinade.  

2. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Alternate chicken, scallion, and red onion on skewers.  Bake 15 min on each side.  (Optional: broil for the last 2 min for a nice char)  Top with toasted sesame seeds.  Serve warm.

Zucchini Salad (my concoction), serving for 2

1 medium zucchini, small dice
1 small tomato, small dice
1/4 red onion, small dice
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Cut all the produce to be the same size.  Put all ingredients in a bowl and toss to allow juices to cover evenly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.