Saturday, May 29, 2010

Candice's Cusina meets Rob Feenie!

My boyfriend, Jaeger Mah, surprised me with a ticket to the 2010 EAT! Vancouver Food & Cooking Festival. From May 28-30, the festival brings together foodies, celebrity chefs, local restaurants, wineries and food manufacturers together for a 3-day extravaganza!

Candice's Cusina met up with Vancouver's very own "Iron Chef", Rob Feenie, during EAT! Vancouver where he cooked us a dish made of cured salmon served with potatoes and pickled beets on the Food Network Celebrity Stage.

Chef Feenie is most recognized for claiming the title "Iron Chef" after defeating Chef Masaharu Morimoto on the Iron Chef America. Now he is the Food Concept Architect at the Cactus Club Test Kitchen and shares some of his culinary favorites with Candice's Cusina.
CC: What's your three favourite go-to ingredients?

CF: I love sea salt, good olive oil and mushrooms!

CC: What's your favourite comfort food?

CF: Mmm, roast chicken for sure.

CC: What's your favourite junk food?

CF: Pizza! Oh, but don't tell anyone.
From Mac & Cheese with Lobster to Duck & Chicken Confit, you can learn more about Chef Feenie's featured Cactus Club recipes here.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Beef Satay

Beef Satay or Sate (BBQ Beef Skewers)
[SA-tay]
The Arabs introduced kebabs to Indonesia in the 19th century, evolving to the satay we know today. The Indonesian satay consists of grilled diced or sliced skewered meats, traditionally beef or chicken.
Try Filipino-Style: Filipinos add 2-3 cups of 7-Up or Sprite to our beef marinade to help inject sweetness and help tenderize your meats.
Makes 20-25 Skewers

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef fillet
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1 cup onion, minced
1 large onion, cut in wedges (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Bamboo skewers (soaked in water)
Serve with peanut sauce, sliced onions and cucumbers
Did You Know: Satay may have originated in Indonesia but it has become popular in other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Preparation:

1. Cut meat into 1 inch cubes or strips, 3 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate until ready.

2. Combine all ingredients, except for large onion cut in wedges, in blender, and puree until smooth. Pour over meat, and mix to coat evenly. Marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.

3. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 2-3 hours so they don't burn on the grill. Thread 4 to 5 pieces of meat on each water-soaked skewer, placing a slice of onion wedge between each piece of meat.

4. Preheat BBQ or grill until hot. Place Satay skewers on grill until done, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Baste occasionally with marinade during cooking. Serve immediately with spicy peanut sauce, slivers of onions and cucumbers.
Did You Know: Spanish explorers introduced peanuts to Indonesia in the 16th century, which became a staple in the Indonesian cuisine. Indonesians then created their own peanut sauce by crushing and roasting the nuts with other Indonesian spices.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Lumpiang Shanghai

Lumpiang Shanghai (Fried Egg Rolls with Pork)
[LOOM-pee-ang]
Similar to a Chinese egg roll, Lumpiang Shanghai, is a great Filipino finger food that is mainly filled with meat, either pork or beef or both. This dish can be made in advance of cooking, frozen and then fried without thawing. The open ends of this type of Lumpia are its hallmark.
Did You Know? The Lumpia wrapper is a thin "skin" made of flour or cornstarch, eggs and water. It is a Philippine version of the egg roll.
Ingredients:
  • 1 lb lean ground pork
  • 1 cup waterchestnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • ½ cup onion, minced
  • 3 stalks green onion, finely sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • thin egg roll wrappers
  • 1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
  • Dipping Sauce: Banana Ketchup or Thai chili dipping sauce
Did You Know? Banana ketchup or banana sauce is a popular Filipino condiment made from mashed banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Banana ketchup was made when there was a shortage of tomato ketchup during World War II, due to lack of tomatoes and a comparatively high production of bananas.
Preparation:
  1. In a Large bowl, combine ground pork, water-chestnuts, carrot, onion, green onion, garlic and eggs. Make sure to completely mix everything. Gradually blend in the soy sauce, black pepper and salt until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  2. Lay out a few egg roll wrappers at a time on a flat surface, and place about 2 tablespoons of the filling in a line down the edge of the wrapper. Make sure the filling is 1 inch wide and no thicker than ¼ of an inch or the wrapper will cook faster than the meat.
  3. Now roll the wrapper to the end and moisten the last edge of the wrapper with water to seal. Now repeat using the rest of the wrappers.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or heavy skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry 3 or 4 Lumpia at a time. Fry for about 3 or 4 minutes, turning once. Lumpia are cooked through when they float, and the wrapper is golden brown.
  5. Serve immediately as is with dipping sauce, banana ketchup or Thai chili. Yummy!!